MC Machine Co, once the Westcott Mill - Spindleville |
It's been a long time, but they still turn up now and then. |
Hopedale in June 2014 Hopedale history ezine for June 1 - The Postal Service Ezine for mid-June - Al Tarca Hopedale in May Ezine Menu HOME . |
G&U cars near Freedom Street seen from Hopedale Pond. |
Highland Street - June 4 |
A groundhog coming out from his home under my shed. In the lower picture, he's keeping St. Francis between us. |
South Main Street - A hall of fame in town? Maybe that's the explanation for the 100 million visitors. One of the neighbors says it's a joke. Too bad. I was looking forward to seeing those visitors. |
There he is again. So far it appears that he's just eating clover, so I won't bother him. I think it's the skunks that keep the grub population in my lawn down. I won't bother them either. |
Hopedale High graduation - June 7. Click here for a few minutes of stills and video on YouTube. It was a mere 55 years ago when I was one of a class of 27 who graduated here in front of the Community House. |
A rare item these days - the pay phone at Cumberland Farms. |
Neighboring town photos for June - Milford quarry walk guided by Anne Lamontaigne of the Milford Historical Commission. That's Anne in the photo above, middle of picture, paper in hand. These pictures are from the first quarry on the walk, which is behind the Shadowbrook apartments off of Purchase Street. |
places for hanging out, swimming, jumping and diving.. A few of these kids jumped in while we were there. |
Art show - Atria-Draper Place - June 12 - Sponsored by Atria and the Hopedale Council on Aging. |
Above - Boy Scouts collect cans and botttles. Below - Cub Scouts collect fish. June 14 |
Poetry by the statue, sponsored by the Friends of the Library - June 16. |
they got that way, by Amanda Ripley. Massachusetts had the top score in the US on the test used for this map. |
A few months ago, when we were paddling on Hopedale Pond, a bit beyond the Rustic Bridge, my son DJ noticed a flag fluttering in the breeze. We could tell that it said Hopedale, but that's about all. Today, June 19, I was up there again and this time I was able to hold it out with my paddle in one hand, and get a picture with my camera in the other. The Republic of Hopedale. Just what Adin Ballou was thinking in the 1840s. |
Hopedale Pond, seen from Fisherman's Island. |
Another neighboring town photo. There we were at the Upton chamber on Summer Solstice Eve. DJ, in photo on left, reminded me that the story is that the chamber was built so that the sun would shine directly into it on the evening of the summer solstice. We went to check it out. We were actually closer to the time of the solstice than if we were there on the evening of the first day of summer, because this year summer begins around six on the morning of the 21st. With all the trees in the way, it doesn't give the sun much of a chance to shine through, but for a couple of minutes we could see a bit of it hitting one of the rocks inside. In the picture above, I was looking out from a few feet into the entrance tunnel. You can see where the sun was peeking past the tree in the middle of the picture. It was rather wet in there so we didn't go all the way into the main chamber. More about the mysterious Upton chamber. |
Hits on the site around 11 pm, June 20. Wonder why someone in Pakistan is interested in shooting sports in Hopedale. A few days later, someone in Hanoi was looking at the Draper organization chart for 1950. |
Asian pear in the foreground, just to the right of the rebar.I planted it last fall and it seems to be doing well. I should have planted a couple of these forty years ago instead of apples. Behind the pear are some spears of asparagus. We got a lot from that little patch this year, but now it's time to let it grow for the rest of the summer. Two good things about growing asparagus - You get to pick it much earlier than anything else you're likely to plant, and the groundhogs and rabbits don't eat it. |
Gravestones in the Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain with a Hopedale connection. Above Supply Clap and Anne Thwing, probably related to the Hopedale Thwings. Annie Haven Thwing wrote children's books, including Chicken Little. Below, William Lloyd Garrison, who spoke in Hopedale at abolitionist meetings and whose son went to school in Hopedale. Thanks to my son, DJ, for the photos. |
In this small town That I adore Is folklore and history Gossip galore Left behind Kept safe from the wicked Is a treasure you see One might call A utopian Community Generations of stories Of days long gone From K to 12 still The same children Mingle along Over half my life I did roam This beautiful town I call home The pond and forest A gift from God A place to go In my own backyard The buildings and park The pond all aglow Make me stop to ponder Where will it go? Keep safe these gifts For they are unique No laundry on Sundays And houses kept neat If you are smart Your voice will be heard Be not afraid To protect and preserve For if you don’t It will be forgotten And left to the world And that would be rotten For this small town.
"author, anonymous," but I will tell you that her picture is on this page. |
Band concert - June 25. The Blackstone Community Concert Band was too big for the bandstand. |
G&U yard - June 24 |