Gardner MA News November 2021

• More Money! (11/30/2021)

  

  

  Watch the entire MassWorks Grant Awardees Ceremony. Includes many State and Local officials. For video, CLICK HERE.

  And then there was more!

  MA Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and other officials showed up in Gardner on Giving Tuesday to formally announce the $4.1 million MassWorks Grant, plus an award of over $900,000 for the NEW Underutilized Properties Program Grant.  The look of Downtown Gardner will improve again as some funds will be used to rehab the Temptations and Ryan Block Buildings at the corner of Parker and Connors Streets.

  Mayor Nicholson has a stated goal of renovating buildings when feasible. When this solid building is put back into service it will enhance the look of Downtown. However, some citizens have expressed concerns that not enough effort is being made to directly support more retail store fronts.

• Friday Night Lights (11/30/2021)

  

  Festive Friday Night Lights. Sponsored by D.A.V. See the complete schedule, CLICK HERE

• Gardner Growth (11/30/2021)

  

  

  Gardner MA Growth Better than GRAND, literally!

  In a true showing of unprecedented growth, Gardner has issued 1027 building permits thus far in 2021, first time breaking 1000. Normal year is usually 20 to 25% less. And what may be good news, the Gardner City Council voted Monday night to approve the requested property tax rate of $18.59, lowest since 2013. Residential, commercial, and industrial will continue to be taxed at same rate.

• Gardner Tree Lighting (11/29/2021)

  

  Holiday Tree Lighting Begins Christmas Season in the City of Gardner MA

  We have a complete photo chronicle of Sunday, November 28, 2021 including photos of Tree Lighting, the start of the Shopping season, and Tree Lighting ceremony video. CLICK HERE

• Code Red (11/29/2021)

  

  Get Gardner MA notifications !

  Sign up to receive Gardner MA notifications regarding parking bans, snow removal, or severe weather notifications. CLICK HERE

• Plain View Farm (11/29/2021)

  

  Plain View Farm wants to SOCK IT TO YOU in a good way!

  Located on 130 Gardner Road in Hubbardston, the farm raises Alpacas and sells its own wooly goods online including popular $24 Survival socks. Alpacas are sheered in May yearly and a Massachusetts based mill processes the fleece. Plain View Farm website. — Read our complete article.

• Trash Talk (11/27/2021)

  

  Greater Gardner MA Trash Talk

  Solutions for trash and recycling after making all those Small Business and Holiday purchases. What do you do with the old TV, mattress, furniture, or tires? Complete information, CLICK HERE

• Toy Town Tree Festival (11/27/2021)

  

  Hours Mondays – Thursdays 1 to 8, Fridays 9 to 5, Saturday 9 to 1.  Holiday Open House is Sat. Dec. 11^th  9am to 1pm

  Third Annual Toy Town Tree Festival – Winchendon MA

  taking place at the Beal’s Memorial Library Auditorium from November 29 through December 11^th.   More Details on our Holiday Events 2021 page, CLICK HERE!

• Wachusett opening (11/26/2021)

  

  Need more info? Fortunately, Wachusett has a website. Click here.

  Wachusett Mountain opens for season

  

  With cooperating temperatures and an able snow-making machine, the iconic ski destination in Princeton MA opens Saturday November 27, 2021.
• Gardner MA History (11/25/2021)

  

  An Historical Find!

  You don’t want to miss this! We’ve discovered some bargain Christmas gifts at the Gardner Museum on Pearl Street. One-of-a-kind history gifts for the holidays at affordable prices for everyone starting at $1.  

    Anyone Polish in your family? Get them a silver polish bottle from the 1930s.  It’s 5 bucks.  Remember Goodnow Pearson’s with a Christmas pin.   It’s 10 bucks.   How about a Gardner Historical Landmarks mug? All for the giant price of… 5 bucks.  Now, for a great stocking stuffer: Pick up a Gardner News water bottle for just 1 dollar.   How about an Argus yearbook, there’s hundreds to choose from at just 5 bucks each.   For history buffs, an 1880 Gardner map for just 5 bucks.    There’s so much more, and it’s all affordable.  

  Don’t miss the Holiday history deals at the Gardner Museum on Pearl Street in Gardner. Website link, CLICK HERE

  The best of both worlds! Support a great local non-profit which preserves Gardner’s history and pick up some great holiday gifts. Wow!

• Small Business Month (11/21/2021)

  

  Small Business Month Gardner MA

  Shown at left is Gardner MA Mayor Mike Nicholson and Gardner City Council President Liz Kazinskas at John’s Sport Shop in Downtown Gardner. Mayor Nicholson and Council President Kazinskas have declared this Saturday through the Christmas holiday 2021 as Small Business Month in Gardner. And every Saturday from today through the end of December will be “Small Business Saturday.” Both have asked members of the community to “Please be sure to support our local businesses as you get ready for the upcoming holidays.” For the mayor’s full statement, please watch the video at the official Gardner City Hall Facebook page.

• Holiday Events (11/21/2021)

  

  Holiday and Christmas Events – Greater Gardner MA

  ‘Tis the Season to Be Jolly. We will keep adding to our page of Greater Gardner Holiday and Christmas events in the 19 communities we serve. — If you have an event, contact us. —- CLICK HERE for the Holiday Event page.

• Vegetables (11/17/2021)

  

  Honoring Vegetables

  Sometimes we forget about them. We have been encouraged to eat them since a very young age. Gardner Magazine has chosen to honor vegetables. CLICK HERE for complete article.

• How Safe Gardner MA? (11/16/2021)

  

  Statistically speaking, Greater Gardner Massachusetts is a relatively safe place compared to the rest of the nation.

  Violent Crime Lower in Massachusetts

  According to the FBI, there were 387 violent crimes reported per 100,000 people nationally in 2011 compared to 427 in Massachusetts.   By 2020, violent crimes per 100,000 people nationally was at 399 with Massachusetts at 309.   So what does than mean?  10 years ago, Massachusetts was 22% more violent than the national average.  Now, Massachusetts has flipped to 23% safer than the national average.   While any violent crime is bad, we have made substantial progress in MA.  The numbers are not a fluke either.  They have been gradually falling every year.  Explore the data yourself: CLICK HERE

• Event Machine (11/14/2021)

  

  Greater Gardner MA Event Machine

  This time of year there are many events. We want to remind our readers that our Greater Gardner MA Event Machine automatically pulls up google searches of events occurring in area towns. Just click on your town and events will appear! ASHBURNHAM – ASHBY – ATHOL – BARRE – GARDNER – HARDWICK – HUBBARDSTON – NEW SALEM – OAKHAM – ORANGE – PETERSHAM – PHILLIPSTON – PRINCETON – ROYALSTON – RUTLAND – TEMPLETON – WARWICK – WESTMINSTER – WINCHENDON. A great tool to quickly find out what’s going on in the Greater Gardner region. For public meetings CLICK HERE.

• Aliens at Dog Park (11/11/2021)

  

  Aliens at the Gardner Massachusetts Dog Park

  Dogs show us so much love and as the Dog Park shows, much love for fellow dogs. This fictional sci-fi movie short produced by our own 101.3 Studios explores what happens when aliens visit planet Earth at the Dog Park and hero dog Finnegan saves the World with Kindness. Visit video page to play video.

• Gardner C.A.C. (11/7/2021)

  

  Learn more at Gardner CAC website. CLICK HERE.

  Gardner CAC Needs You

  For decades, the Gardner Community Action Committee – Gardner CAC has served countless less fortunate individuals in the area. One of their drivers told us donations make a huge difference. You can donate securely with any debit or credit card. Here’s the link, CLICK HERE.

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