This Month's Features

(l to r) Evans Cheeseman, Bill Harrington, Jack Gracey and Ford Sanborn sing “Home on the Range.” By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer As the founders,...

Fred Orkiseski leads a Fourth of July concert in Grafton. Photo/submitted By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor Grafton – Fred Orkiseski is a busy man. And at...

Vineyards and groves of olive trees blanket rolling hillsides and spill down into deep valleys. Many hills are topped by an ancient stone villa, its entrance road lined by parallel rows of tall, straight cypress trees. Vast fields provide a patchwork of colors ranging from the green of crops to golden wheat to the reddish-brown of freshly turned earth.

Shrewsbury – After nine years, work on the new Shrewsbury World War 1 monument, located in front of the Beal Early Childhood Center on Maple Avenue, is finally complete.

Leominster - When Kris Gleason was in high school, she was sedentary and never did sports. She smoked and considered herself "extremely overweight."

There are more than a few participants and they certainly have reasons to be proud. They’re the Peabody Council on Aging (COA) Senior Ladies Drill Team, instructed by retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Carolyn Spencer. The team is currently comprised of 15 women in their late-60s to mid-90s.

Achieving financial independence is key to enjoying a satisfying retirement. Social Security has many tools to help you plan for your future. Prepare for a secure, comfortable retirement by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. Once there, open a secure my Social Security account and assess your financial needs. You’ll get immediate access to your personal Social Security Statement, your earnings record, and an estimate of your retirement benefits at age 62, at your full retirement age, and at age 70. You can also ensure your earnings are correct, since your future benefits are based on your earnings record.

In 2015, more than a million people will be diagnosed with cancer. This alarming statistic affects people and families all over the world. On June 7, 2015, we observe National Cancer Survivors Day in the United States. In support of this day, Social Security encourages checkups, early detection, and awareness, while honoring the survivors who have gone through this battle and defeated the disease.

Standing on a half-acre of bog land which encircles a dilapidated 19th-century stone cottage, my mind wandered back to a recent visit to Ireland. The little structure, vegetation and even the rocks scattered about the site were identical to those I recalled seeing on the Emerald Isle. Then the view of skyscrapers surrounding the setting, and sound of honking automobile horns rather than bleating of sheep, startled me back to reality.

Hudson - State officials shared vital information with hundreds of guests at the 35th annual Senior Conference, held April 23 at Hudson High School. The free conference for constituents in the Middlesex and Worcester District was hosted for the seventh year by state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton. “The Senior Conference is a really nice tradition and I’m proud to continue it,” he said. “The legislative delegation in this area works very hard for seniors.” Eldridge has observed some changes in the attendees’ main concerns over the years.