This week’s Community Digest, a weekly compendium of announcements by organizations in Bedford, highlights coming events: Bedford Community Dinner, next week’s Journey Dance™ event, the September 29th Peter Mayer concert at First Parish; in the absence of a sports page, an update on the Pop Warner Raiders’ B and C teams; the National Hometown Video award won by Elm Brook Place and Bedford TV; the start of Bedford’s Destination Imagination season; and Teen Technology: What your children are using, presented by Bedford Youth and Family Services.
Bedford Community Dinner—this Thursday, September 13
Submitted by Bedford Community Table/Pantry
Please join us for the first Community Dinner of the season, 5:00-6:00 this Thursday, September 13. The dinner will be held at Bedford Town Center, 12 Mudge Way, in the dining room downstairs.
This week’s menu features the ever-popular pot roast, prepared and served by volunteers from the First Church of Christ, with members of Boy Scout Troop 114 cleaning up.
Community Dinners, which are held most Thursdays during the school year, are free and open to everyone. Please check our website, www.bedfordfoodpantry.org, or phone 781-275-7355 for more information. We hope to see you there!
Journey Dance on Friday evening, September 21
Submitted by Linda Ugelow and Janet Powers
Linda Ugelow and Janet Powers are excited to bring to Bedford one of America’s hottest new dance experiences. The brainchild of Toni Bergins, the eclectic music of JourneyDance™ brings out our many and diverse personalities, emotions, and dreams—and then lets them unfold into a one-of-a-kind journey each and every time.
If you were to try and follow a recipe for this new movement, you might include a healthy dose of warming-up the body, turning inward and becoming present and a stirring up of the whole self and expansion throughout the room. You would throw in a splash of interactive funky fun and prepare for a Journey, turn inward, follow your path. Next, you might put the blender on high and infuse the space with heart pounding, drum beating—letting it all go and whip in another high-energy, life-celebrating, rockin’ party dance. When the room is at full throttle, you would bring the speed down, gently fold in the heart—and let it rise; mix playfully with scarves, watch faces glow and hear laughter grow. You would dance with your friends, dance with someone you never met before; look into someone’s eyes. Open a can of possibilities, let your spirit soar and finally, let it all rest as the celebration of community, and the blossoming of self, seep deep into your bones.
A journey can never be replicated as in a carefully planned recipe. It can only be lived as a unique wonderful surprise each and every time. We hope you can join us for our next, particularly special ride when we’ll be journeying to live music provided by area musicians led by Lee Perlman, often found at Bedford’s own Callahan’s Karate. Lee is a composer for the Deborah Abel Dance Company of Lexington, which will be touring India this winter.
The next JourneyDance™ will take place at 8 pm on Friday, September 21, in the Common Room of First Parish in Bedford (please use the Elm Street entrance). The event is FREE, however donations will be gratefully accepted.
And please know that no experience necessary, just a love of movement, play and openness to the possibilities!
For more information and future dates, contact Linda Ugelow[email protected]
Acclaimed Singer and Songwriter Peter Mayer Shares Music For The Soul
Submitted by First Parish on the Common
Nationally celebrated singer and songwriter Peter Mayer will offer an evening of exquisite song and virtuoso guitar playing on September 29 at 8:00 pm at First Parish Bedford (75 Great Road, Bedford MA 01730).
Known for melodies that touch the heart and lyrics that explore the human journey with insight and compassion, Mayer has a devoted following across the country who treasure his songs of interconnectedness and the beauty and mystery of the world. XM Radio stated that Mayer creates “beautifully crafted songs that pose eternal questions,” while Acoustic Guitar Magazine wrote that his songs “are crafted like shaker furniture, with no place for superfluous embellishments or throwaway lines…his world is bright and hopeful and the transcendent nature of his lyrics…explore the mysteries of life. This is music for the soul.”
A native of Minnesota, Mayer’s study of theology and time spent in seminary has infused his music with depth and insight. A recent reviewer commented that Mayer was a “magician…his universe is full of metaphor and meaning, story and symbol — everything contains more than meets the eye.”
In his only New England appearance for the remainder of the year, Mayer’s performance on September 29th at 8:00 pm is a benefit for UU MassAction, a local social justice organization that mobilizes 140 Unitarian Universalist Congregations in Massachusetts to take action on Beacon Hill on issues that affirm the worth and dignity of all people. Recent advocacy from UU MassAction includes immigration reform, repeal of the “3 Strikes Legislation” and policies that help the homeless.
Tickets for the September 29th concert at First Parish Bedford (75 Great Rd. Bedford, MA 01730) are $25.00 in advance or $30.00 at the door. Tickets can be ordered online at www.uumassaction.org/uuma/petermayer
Raiders Round-Up
Submitted by Lisa Smith
C-Team: The Lexington/Bedford/Hanscom Raiders C Team got their season off to a great start with a thrilling home opener 13-12 win over perennial power Reading Rockets. The Raiders wasted no time as its stingy defense, anchored by Joe Greaney, Mesay Merseth, Shane Meyer, Sean Sullivan, Ben Quint, Matt Pusatere, Alexi Panagiotou, Max Stevens, Jack Marcin, Will Pataki, Sal Frelick and MelachiMcReed, went to work right away holding Reading scoreless on its opening drive. Then, on the Raiders first offensive play of the game, Sal Frelick connected on a 50 yard touchdown pass to Will Pataki. Following a second quarter score by Reading the score remained 6-6 until late in the fourth quarter. The Raiders late game drive featured tough running by Ben Quint, Joe Greaney, Mesay Merseth and Will Pataki behind the blocking of Kase Cronin, Matt Pusatere, Shane Meyer, Jamie Murray, Aaron Sousa, Alexi Panagiotou and Max Stevens. The go-ahead touchdown was a 20 yard scamper by Sal Frelick then capped off with a 2 yard extra point conversion putting the Raiders up 13-6 with 15 seconds left in the game. On the ensuing kick-off, Reading returned the ball 60 yards for a touchdown, but a hungry Raiders defense stuffed the extra point conversion to seal the season opener victory.
B-Team: The Lexington/Bedford/Hanscom Raiders B Team lost to Reading 26-0. The Rockets of Reading recovered the opening kickoff fumble and several plays later converted it to a touchdown and an extra point for a seven point lead. The Raiders offense began to move the ball with a mix of inside and outside runs from Ed Stanton, Sam Baker, Henry Potdevin and Tony Bianchi behind the hard fought blocking of Alex Puglielli, Ben Mitchell, Ryan Reisig, Thomas Briggs, Isaiah Hazelton, Mike Gupta and Cam Heisner. A late first half drive by Reading had the visitors up by two scores at the break. While injuries to Ed Stanton and Jared Patterson started to take its toll in the second half, the Raiders defense managed to produce some key stops thanks to outstanding defensive-end play from Spencer Kendall and Paul Murray along with solid interior line presence of Miles Feeley, Zach Fields, Nathan Harrington, Sahil Belgaonkar, and Tom Knara. The Raiders look to rebound next week in Melrose.
Elm Brook Place and Bedford TV Win National Empowerment Award
Submitted by Bedford TV
Raymond Elden of Elm Brook Place won First Prize at the Alliance for Community Media’s National Hometown Video Festival for his video about the NAMI Walk in Boston. Bedford TV provided Mr. Elden with equipment and training to complete this moving production. He interviewed participants about their views on mental illness and what they hope events like the NAMI Walk will do towards promoting a better understanding of this condition.
Pictured are Carrie Endicott, Director of Elm Brook Place, Raymond Elden, member of Elm Brook Place and recipient of the award, Madeleine Altman, Director of Bedford TV, and Greg Dolan, Production Manager of Bedford TV
The 2012-2013 Bedford Destination Imagination (DI) season is getting underway.
Submitted by Steve Bossi, Bedford DI coordinator
Destination ImagiNation (DI) is the world’s largest creativity and problem-solving organization. It fosters “out of the box” thinking and risk taking to develop creative solutions.
DI is a child empowerment program. Teams of 2-7 students participate in either a competitive or non-competitive manner however the participants benefit from the process of learning that occurs in preparation of their solution. Programs generally run from the fall to early spring with some teams advancing to State or Global level competition.
Teams in Elementary, Middle and High School level, have 6 challenges to choose from. These challenges vary from year to year but always include choices that are focused on; Technical, Science and Research, Theatrical Arts, Improvisation, Structural Engineering or Community Service.
First and second graders may participate in the Rising Stars early learning program and solve one simple and fun challenge in a non competitive manner.
Destination Imagination, Inc. has offers programs for students of all ages across the United States and in more than 30 countries. The organization has more than 1.5 million alumni. Today, more than 125,000 children and more than 38,000 adult volunteers take part in Destination Imagination, Inc. programs each year.
In 2012, Bedford DI was Massachusetts largest program with over 150 students and 25 teams from first grade to 11. Bedford DI Registration is open from now to November 1st.
Registration forms are posted to our website www.bedforddi.net.
For more information come see us at our Bedford Day booth on September 15th or come to Bedford DI parent’s night on Wednesday September 19th at 6:30 PM in the Davis School cafeteria.
Program coordinator: Stephen Bossi, [email protected]
Teen Technology: What your children are using
Submitted by Bedford Youth and Family Services
Melissa Marino will speak to parents of middle school youth about social media and teens on from 5:45 to 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 27, in the John Glenn Middle School Auditorium. She is a Digital Evidence Investigator, Cyber Enforcement Unit, at the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
Social networking, the internet and cell phones offer powerful and almost limitless opportunities to gain knowledge and make contact with others. When used appropriately, it is a powerful and positive tool. However, there are many pitfalls and risks to young people. This workshop will focus on Cyber Safety in the home and community and is part of training offered by Middlesex Partnerships for Youth to their member communities. This parent education training has been scheduled as part of JGMS Open House night to help parents understand the risks with this technology.
If your organization has news to share, send it to [email protected]. We request that you limit your press release to 300 words. The deadline for electronic copy is Tuesday noon for publication on Wednesday. High resolution photographs are welcome as attached jpgs; images embedded within e-mails cannot be accepted.
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