BOSTON – Last night, State Representative Carolyn Dykema joined her colleagues in the House of Representatives in passing legislation to prohibit bullying and cyber-bullying. The bill requires school staff to report bullying, while also requiring schools to develop a bullying prevention plan and integrate bullying prevention instruction into their curriculum.

“The outpouring of support for this bill has been tremendous,” said Rep. Dykema. “It was very meaningful to vote for a bill that will help put a stop to bullying, an issue that clearly touches so many lives.”

The bill prohibits bullying at school, including at school-sponsored events, on school busses and at school bus stops, as well as the use of electronic devices to carry out cyber-bullying. The bill also bans bullying or cyber-bullying that takes place outside of school if the bullying affects the school environment.

In an effort to protect against incidents of bullying across the Commonwealth, the bill requires schools to add bullying prevention instruction to their curriculum and offer information about bullying prevention to parents. It also provides for the training of teachers and staff in the identification, prevention, and response to bullying among students.

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State Representative Carolyn Dykema represents the towns of Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway (pct. 1), Southborough (pct. 2 & 3) and Westborough (pct. 2).

Daisy A. (Carloni) Desimone, 85, of Southborough died on Thursday, March 18, 2010 at Whittier Hospital in Westborough after a short illness.

She was the beloved wife, for 53 years, of Albert R. Desimone who passed away in 1999.

Born in Southborough she was the daughter of the late Evaristo and Marie (Ceccolini) Carloni.

Mrs. Desimone was a graduate of the former Peter's High School in Southborough and worked for Fenwal in Ashland until she had her children. She was a devoted wife, caring for her ill husband for over 25 year. She was also a doting mother to her 3 sons and adored her 6 grandchildren. Daisy was a member of St. Anne Church of Southborough and a member of Southborough Senior Citizens.

She is survived by her sons, Richard Desimone and his wife Sandra of Marlborough; Robert Desimone and his wife Tina of Sebec, ME; James Desimone and his wife Susan of Shrewsbury; 6 grandchildren, Lisa Straight and Laura Desimone; Spencer and Hunter Desimone; Nicole and Alex Desimone; a sister Lena Carloni and a sister-in-law, Rose Carloni both of Southborough.

Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, March 21, from 3 to 6 PM at Morris Funeral Home, 40 Main St. Southborough. A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, March 22, at 10 AM at St. Anne Church, 20 Boston Rd., Southborough. Burial will follow in the Rural Cemetery in Southborough.

Memorial contributions may be sent in her memory to St. Anne Church, 20 Boston Rd, Southborough, MA 01772.

(morrisfuneralparlor.com)

Symphony Pro Musica, the premier community orchestra of Central Massachusetts, led by award-winning conductor Mark Churchill, will present a concert on Saturday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. at Hudson High School and on Sunday, March 21, at 3:30 p.m. at Westborough High School.

The program, “The Composer is Dead,” is the orchestra’s annual Family Concert and includes music chosen specifically to appeal to audiences of all ages.

The symphony will once again participate in Orchestras Feeding America, a national food drive spearheaded by the League of American Orchestras. Audience members are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the concerts, where collection bins will be available. Donations can also be dropped off at French Music in the weeks prior to the concert. SPM will deliver the donations to the food pantries in Hudson and Westborough. Last year SPM collected almost 300 pounds of food, and orchestras around the country collected and donated more than 250,000 pounds.

Young musicians from JFK Middle School in Hudson and Gibbons Middle School in Westborough will join the orchestra to open the March 20 concert, playing Themes from Also Sprach Zarathustra, an arrangement of the music by Richard Strauss that includes the instantly recognizable theme from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The orchestra then performs a suite from Gustav Holst’s The Planets. Artwork inspired by the music and created by area schoolchildren will be displayed during the concert. The lobby art gallery is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!

The program concludes with a performance of Nathaniel Stookey’s The Composer is Dead, an hilarious new introduction to the orchestra with libretto by much-loved children’s author Lemony Snicket. Paul Johnson of Hudson provides the narration for the piece.

Please join us one hour before each performance for a pre-concert instrument petting zoo presented by David French Music Company of Westborough. Children of all ages are encouraged to come and try out woodwind, brass, and string instruments. This is a great opportunity for younger students to check out the possibilities available for their musical futures!

Tickets for the performances are priced at $18–$20. There is a $2 discount for tickets purchased in advance. Students 12th grade and under are admitted free. To order tickets, please call 978-562-0939. For more information about Symphony Pro Musica and its concerts, visit SPM’s website: www.symphonypromusica.org.

Symphony Pro Musica, under the guidance of founder and Music Director Mark Churchill, brings great music from the classical tradition to Central Massachusetts communities at affordable prices. SPM showcases area instrumentalists and gifted young soloists in four programs each season—each performed in concert in both Hudson and Westborough

In 2009 hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support by turning off their lights for one hour.

Earth Hour 2010 will continue to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future.

Pledge your support here and turn off your lights for one hour, Earth Hour, 8.30pm, Saturday 27th March 2010.

It’s Showtime! Show what can be done.

GISELE BÜNDCHEN AND TOM BRADY ENCOURAGE THE WORLD TO PARTICIPATE IN EARTH HOUR - VIDEO AVAILABLE

Supermodel Gisele Bündchen and husband, NFL great Tom Brady have recently shown their support for WWF’s Earth Hour by filming two videos that encourage people around the world to join them in turning off their lights for Earth Hour on Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 pm.

Gisele’s Video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lYsNa6l2Kg

Junior OF Felix Martinez (Miami, FL) batted 3-4 with four RBI in the opener and senior P Dan White (Southboro, MA) pitched a three-hitter in the nightcap as UMass Lowell swept Molloy College, 4-3 and 5-1, Sunday in a non-conference baseball twin bill in Santaluces, FL.

The victories extended UMass Lowell’s win streak to four games entering Monday’s games at Lynn University (3:00). The River Hawks improved to 7-4.

In the opener, Martinez drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double to give UMass Lowell a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Senior J.T. Leary (Newburyport, MA) singled while sophomore Cam Kneeland (Rowley, MA) was hit by a pitch and sophomore Mark Sanborn (Hopkinton, MA) drew a walk to set up Martinez’s heroics.

In the sixth, after Kneeland and Sanborn both singled, Martinez singled to score Kneeland for a 4-0 cushion. The run proved invaluable as Molloy rallied for three runs in the seventh, led by a two-run single from freshman Greg Walsh, but could muster no closer.

Kneeland also batted 3-4 while Leary went 2-4. Sophomore Robert Inzerillo batted 2-5 while sophomore Joseph Masone went 2-4 to lead the Lions.

Junior P Dustin Ramey (Kingston, NH) earned his first win of the year as he scattered five hits, two walks and two earned runs while striking out eight. Sophomore Taylor Toyfair (Agawam, MA) picked up the save as he highlighted the seventh with a pair of strikeouts.

Sophomore Justin Jorgensen took the loss for Molloy, allowing 11 hits, four earned runs and two walks while striking out eight.

In the nightcap, White allowed three hits, one walk and one unearned run in a complete game as the River Hawks opened a 5-0 lead and never looked back.

Six players had one hit for UMass Lowell, which opened a 1-0 lead in the first inning when senior Luke Wallace (Yorktown Heights, NY) led off with a triple and scored when junior Sean Burns (Colchester, VT) grounded out.

In the fourth, senior Jared Notargiacomo (Newburyport, MA) reached on an error and Leary followed with a single to set up Kneeland who belted a two-run double to centerfield to highlight the inning.

Senior T.J. Greig led Molloy, hitting 2-3. Senior Peter Rieger-Maresca took the loss, scattering five runs (two earned), three strikeouts and a walk.

Governor Patrick, public safety and transportation officials have been closely monitoring and actively responding to the storm that continues to hit the region with record levels of rainfall. Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and MassDOT have issued a number of safety tips to assist residents and commuters.

The census counts every resident (both citizens and non-citizens) in the US and is required to take place every 10 years. Getting an accurate count is key in determining how billions of federal funds is spent in communities across the country.

You will be receiving your census questionnaire in the mail over the next few weeks. The information you provide is confidential and it is illegal for the US Census Bureau to share your personal information with anyone, including other government agencies such as law enforcement, IRS, Welfare, FBI or Immigration.

Contact the Boston regional census office if you have further questions or need help filling out your census form.

After the overwhelming success of the 2009 Easter Brunch offered by the Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, preparations are underway for a repeat performance. On Easter Sunday, April 4^th, patrons can plan to feast on prime rib, seafood, made to order omelet’s, waffles, desserts, and other brunch fare at the school’s Epicurean Room restaurant, located at 215 Fitchburg Street in Marlborough.

Brunch will be served from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM, for the very reasonable price of $16.95 for adults, $8.95 for children 5-10, while children 4 and under eat free. Reservations may be made beginning on Monday, March 1^st, 2010 by calling 508-263-9870. Leave a message on the Easter voice mail and your call will be returned and reservation confirmed. The event was a sell out last year, so call early!

For more information, Kerri Baltramaitis can be reached at 508-485-9430, ext. 2870, but reservations must be made through the Easter brunch number provided.

Bay State anglers can look forward to over 540,000 feisty brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout being stocked this spring according to figures released by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). Stocking will begin in the when ice, snow and mud conditions allow the stocking trucks access to the waterways. Anglers are advised to contact the District office for updates on when stocking will begin in the area.

"We'll be putting out 320,000 rainbow trout that will average 12 inches or longer, and about 78% of these rainbows will be 14 inches or larger," observes Chief Fish Culturist Dr. Ken Simmons. "They'll be distributed statewide throughout the stocking season by our five regional Wildlife District offices." 47,000 brown trout averaging more then 12 inches will be stocked along with another 115,000 browns in the 9 - 11 inch range. The larger water bodies will receive the larger fish and the smaller brooks and streams will receive the majority of the smaller-sized fish. Brook trout will be stocked in a similar fashion with approximately 11,500 fish measuring a foot or better, and more than 66,000 in the 6 - 11 inch class. Dr. Simmons says he is particular excited about this year’s crop of 2 year-old brook trout, which is one of the best in years. He attributes this year’s success with the two-year old brook trout to a combination of hard work by hatchery staff and good growing conditions at the hatcheries where they are produced. Anglers can also anticipate trying to tame some of the 6,000 tiger trout to be released, all topping the 14 inch mark. These handsome fish, a cross between a female brown trout and a male brook trout, have become popular with folks lucky enough to hook and land one. To find out the status of trout stocking in your district, go to: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/fishing/trout/trout_stocking_schedule.htm or call the nearest District office: Western 413/684-1646; Valley 413/323-7632; Central 508/835-3607; Northeast 978/772-2145 or Southeast 508/759-3406. Don't forget to take friends and family members fishing!