Swift River School selling Supermarket Sweep fundraiser tickets

NEW SALEM — Swift River School has kicked off sales for the 2025 Supermarket Sweep fundraiser.

Tickets are $10 each for a chance to win a two-minute shopping spree at the Hannaford supermarket near the Orange-Athol town lines. A winner will be drawn at the Community Sing on April 11 and the shopping spree will take place on April 13.

The goal is to sell all 150 tickets, which can be purchased at https://square.link/u/TiDrCi95, or by stopping in at the school office with cash or a check. Anyone who wants to help the cause by selling tickets to friends, family, coworkers, or neighbors, should reach out to Kelsey Alvarez by email at alvarez@swiftriverschool.org.

Deadline to pull papers looms

NEW SALEM — March 14 is the deadline to take out nomination papers for the 12 positions with new terms this spring. The election is May 5.

The final day to register to vote is April 15. Email Town Clerk Stacy Senflug with questions at newsalemsclerk@aol.com.

Orange Community Band to begin rehearsals for Pops Concert

ORANGE — The Orange Community Band begins rehearsing this week for the 2025 Pops Concert. 

There will be five rehearsals at the Central Congregational Church in Orange, starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Area musicians are welcome to join the band for the Pops Concert and for the Summer Concert Season. Summer rehearsals begin June 11, and the Friday concerts span from June 20 to July 25, with a back-to-school concert on Aug. 29. New members are always welcome to join the band by contacting an officer or coming early to a rehearsal.

The spring Pops Concert is scheduled for on April 4, earlier than in past years, and on a Friday, also a change from the past. To avoid conflicting with other events important band members, the Pops will be performed at 6:30 p.m., at a location to be announced.

Other rehearsals will be March 12, March 19, March 26, and April 2.

St. Mary’s Women’s Club to host Greenfield’s Comical Mystery Tour cast

ORANGE — St. Mary’s Women’s Club in Orange plans to host Greenfield’s Comical Mystery Tour cast at its March 11 meeting on Myrtle Street in Orange.

The public is invited to join the Women’s Club, St. Vincent de Paul members, and parishioners for an original spaghetti dinner theater mystery program at 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Center. For more information, or to reserve your tickets before March 8, contact Emily White at Bulletin@Stmaryolr.org. This dinner theater will take the place of the regular monthly Women’s Club meeting.

Archaeologist to present at Wendell Free Library

WENDELL — The Wendell Open Space Committee, the Wendell Historical Society and the Wendell Free Library plan to present “A Deep Presence, 13,000 Years of Native American History,” featuring archaeologist Robert Goodby, at 6:30 p.m. at Wendell Town Hall on March 20.

Goodby is an anthropology professor at Franklin Pierce University with more than 40 years of research in Native American archaeology. He will share his experience uncovering Native American presence in New England at sites ranging from a 12,600-year-old winter encampment in modern-day Keene, New Hampshire, to a 4,000-year-old dam for trapping migratory fish in modern-day Swanzey, New Hampshire, as well historical evidence for the presence and endurance of the Abenaki people.

Send an email to info@wendellhistoricalsociety.org for more information.

West African drumming class set for New Salem library

WENDELL – The Wendell Warriors, led by Jafar Manselle, will demonstrate West African drumming at the New Salem Public Library at 6:30 p.m. on March 13.

If you have a drum, you can bring it; however, drums are provided for learners to use. After practicing a bit, the participants will play along with the Warriors using a basic rhythm.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the New Salem Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a stage agency.