The Bridges of Worcester County

If you have ever been to Old Sturbridge Village, you are familiar with this bridge.  But did you know that this bridge is in serious trouble, and money is desperately needed to save it?

The heavy rain we got in our area last month has caused flood damage to many, many homes and businesses.  Fortunately, many people are eligible for some sort of government assistance to help make repairs.  However, I doubt that a non-profit museum and its covered bridge are eligible for any help from FEMA or MEMA.  And I don’t think they can exactly take out life insurance on a bridge!  Therefore, they are reaching out to their members and friends for assistance.

We’re members of OSV, and got a letter in the mail from them that explained what happened to the bridge, and asking for a donation.  The bridge is currently closed to visitors because it is not safe.  They are hoping to raise $50,000 as quickly as possible; their goal is to make the repairs in time to be able to re-open the bridge by the Fourth of July weekend.

If you have even one good memory of a visit to OSV, and can afford it, please consider sending a donation.  I will send what I can.  You can donate online at their secure website; the donation page is here.  Thanks!

A unique place to get married

…And at a huge discount, too!  Old Sturbridge Village still has some dates left for weddings in 2010.  And if you book now, you will receive a 50% discount on facility and ceremony fees.

You can also have your reception held at either the Bullard Tavern, or at the Oliver Wight Tavern.  Both are excellent venues for you and your guests to enjoy.  The Bullard is fun because it is a replica of what a true 1830′s tavern was like.  The Oliver Wight is a bit more modern, but still a great place to have a party.  And I bet you won’t need any sort of sleep aid after it’s over, because you’ll have had so much fun, that you’ll need a good night’s sleep. After…yanno…

Go here for more information about having your special day at Old Sturbridge Village!

Here we go again!

With the political attack ads, that is!  A little more than six months before the Massachusetts gubernatorial election, there is already a Republican attack ad on the air, bashing independent Tim Cahill.  Story here (with video of the commercial).

I was so happy to see the end of the special Senate election, in which Democrat Martha Coakley ran many, many vicious attack ads against Republican Scott Brown, who went on to shock the nation by winning the election in a state that is usually very blue, a state that has kept the late Ted Kennedy in office for almost 50 years.  I knew that the upcoming gubernatorial election was going to be ugly, but I didn’t expect to start seeing any ads at all until maybe the end of the summer.  I mean, this election doesn’t take place until November!

Maybe I should give up TV, or at least only watch online (where there are no local commercials) or PBS, until this is all over.  Otherwise, I’m gonna need hair loss treatments for women, because having to see these ads for the next six months is gonna make me pull my hair out!

Book recommendation: The Food Lovers’ Guide To Massachusetts

I picked up a copy of The Food Lovers’ Guide To Masscahusetts last week, at the little book kiosk at South Station.  But only after I looked at the index to make sure that they were not recommending any of the Phantom Gourmet food & drink events.  I’m sorry, but I cannot take seriously any source that considers the Phantom Gourmet Food Festival to be a good event.  We went to the first one, and it completely sucked.  Not only have I heard that it still continues to suck, but the ticket prices for it go up every year.  No thanks.  I’d rather sit and read colonix reviews all day, then waste my time and money on that event!

The book is organized by region – Greater Boston, Cape Code & the Islands, the Berkshires, etc.  Among the many categories covered are one-of-a-kind restaurants, food festivals and culinary events, best wineries and brewpubs, farmers’ markets and pick-your-own produce places, and more.  The restaurant listings include a price key, so you’ll know how much you can expect to spend if you go.

Also in this book are recipes from many Massaachusetts food businesses, just in case you can’t make it to their establishments.

I think this book is a must-have if you live in or near Massachusetts, and a nice thing to pick up if you vacation here regularly.  I’ve already learned about places right around here that I never knew about before.

Just make sure the copy you pick up looks like the one pictured here.  There is also a version with a lobster on the cover, but that is an older one, some information may have changed.  You know…places that have since gone out of business, new places, etc.

As always, when you are using this kind of book, be sure to call or check the business’ website before you go.  You don’t want to drive all the way out to a place, only to find that it moved or went out of business!

I can has swarm badge?

Yes, I can has!  As I’ve posted about before, I participated in Foursquare Day in Manchester.  The plan was to have everybody get the “swarm” badge, the first one EVER in the Granite State, by attending and checking-in at the Fisher Cats game tonight.  To earn a “swarm” badge in Foursquare, you must be one of at least 50 people who are checked-in there at the same time.

The weather totally sucked.  It was rainy and cold all day.  I admit that I didn’t check into as many of the participating venues as I would have liked.  But since I was already in town, already had tickets to the ball game, I did go and check-in…and got the badge!

And the ball game didn’t get rained out, as many had feared.  So we didn’t have to change our swarm venue to a dip station, or some strange place like that.

Despite the crappy weather, it was a successful event, and I look forward to being part of it again next year (with better weather, I hope!).