"The
Eye of the Commonwealth"
Often taken for granted, the "19th Century architecture"
along main street
is largely preserved and a unique asset to our community
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Future Of Southbridge Group info - come and join us to improve our town!
Included in my list are many items beyond my #1 (private sector initiatives).
Scroll down for others like Jacob Edwards Library, our Water and land (Westville Dam as an example), The Southbridge Hotel and Confernece Center, HMH, Town Services, the Downtown Partnership, etc.
1.) Private Sector initiatives -
We have a much preserved (and admired ) collection of unique and historic architecture within the town. It is very exciting to see so many initial improvements that were funded in part by private resources. Significant private $ has been spent on this to date, and it promises to be a showcase for the region! Memorial hall is being developed restored and uniquely developed to monitor is carbon footprint - an environmental intiative unique to the region. (check back for more details).
Download
the 1.5mb presentation to the Soutbridge Town Council Added
7-Jan-09
This is a real positive for Southbridge! Check it out!
Dec 8, 2008 Town Council unanimously endorses the project!
Read last years Worcester
Business Journal 3-Mar-08 Article
on the exciting plan for renovating Memorial Hall bld
on Main St.
Check out Crane Streets new website: http://www.12crane.com/;
better
yet, come down and check it out!
At left prior to the restoration, and right photo Jan 2007
Find out about the renovation
of the Historic
Unitarian Church (368 Main).
To see less visible improvment to Southbridge, read the following May 17, 2005 which is another example of improvements to the area. This article, titled "The Color of Success" appears Courtesy of the Southhbridge Evening News!
Brennan Cipro Photo - Courtesy of the South bridge News
The Vienna
Restaurant and Bed and Breakfast
Come experience this wonderful
edition to town. Jonathan and Lisa Krach (and family) relocated from Springfield
to Southbridge
to open up their new business
in town.This building was one of the
Southbridge
Historical Commission awards for the year 2002
was presented to Gabriel McCarthy
and Margaret Morrissey for the restoration of 14 South St shown below.
Congratulations
on the Excellent review of Vienna
(
August 18, 2008 in the Worcester Telegram!!!
Fins and Tales - Another Great New Southbridge Dining
Experience !!!
Portion
of May 2008 Menu
Located at the "Delahanty
Building" at 858 Main St
The Flat Iron Renovations is another success and visible improvement to the town!
Check out the Evolving
Artist Complex located on Mill St in Southbridge.
It is attracting many top name
artists and listened to around the world via the Internet
2.) The Jacob
Edwards Library,which expanded several years ago,
sponsors many events of interest to the town and is a treasure. This facility
is a vibrant and dynamic cultural center in this community, offering everything
from salsa dances to forein film showings. Regular showings of local artists
and carfts as well as historic presentations help to fuel Southbridges
Vision of the Future. Jacob Edwards Library is a resource that is unmatched
for both its contents and also its staff. Margaret Morrissey is newly appointed
as Library Director (Dec 2008), an appointment that is well deserved. She
and her staff have made this Library a resource to be proud of. It
also has made a fine reputation for community outreach and programs.
Check out June 2006's Pride event with Wicked's author Gregory Maguire.
3.)Abundant clean Water resevoirs & preserved undeveloped land resources -
Southbridge has a unique resource at its disposal - abundant clean water resevoirs under its control and located within its boundaries. This is often overlooked by many, but with time will be appreciated as a critical asset.
It also has beautiful land utilized and visited by many- in the Flood control area referred to as Westville Dam park.
4.) The Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center and Southbridge Business Center complex.
Quinsigamond Community College announces a Satellite Campus in Southbridge!!! Here is there July 7, 2009 press release. For more info, here is their website for the Southbridge campus:
Also, check out what the
Hotel has to offer. Visit the pub, restaurant, fitness center, or come
for an overnight stay!
If you haven't seen it, go down
and request a tour!!!
5.) Harrington Memorial Hospital
June 2009- A new Cancer Center opens as the latest addition to Harrington Memorial Hospital Expanded Capabilities. Patients receiving Cancer treatment can now be seen in Southbridge !
Recently completed a major expansion and renovation. Never one to rest on their laurels, they are currently constructing a new cancer treatment facility and are partnering with other area hosptials. Our community is most fortunate to have this facility in our Town!
http://www.harringtonhospital.org
Nov 2006 additon under construction at right, and now completed;
a new cancer center is now being built (2009)
6.) The
Southbridge
Downtown partnership
is
actively working for to improve the central business area of Southbridge,
and promotes the town. Serious efforts are underway, and volunteers are
working to improve the town. Check out their website at www.southbridgeinfo.com.
Note the extensive listing of businesses added to this site, for those
not familiar with what Southbridge has to offer.
Hanging Flowers add beauty to our Downtown!!!
Special thanks to Steve Brady & John Moore (June 2009 photo
above)
and the Downtown partneship for their efforts.
7.) Well maintained downtown streets and sidewalks. Installation of Street Lights, new sidewalks, Stop Lights at most intersections, Etc. occured several years ago.
8.) Expansion
of the YMCA was completed a few years ago. Click
here for July 16, 2001 photo during its expansion.Savers Bank $4 Million
Expansion & Renovation
of Historic Ammidown Building was completed, with great care and expense
given to maintaining the historic structure. Click here for Aug
22, 2001 photo of Construction Crane and newly actived intersection
lights. This new home opened on June 24, 2002 and gave a major facelift
to the downtown and demonstrates business committment to Southbridge. This
and other Southbridge Property renovations recieved honors from the Southbridge
Historical Commission on December 19, 2002. Click
here to see more about this well deserved honor !
9.) Town Services we sometimes take for granted: Fire Dept, Police, clean Water, widely available town Sewerage, Trash pickup, Harrington Hospital, the Southbridge Airport, Library (newly expanded and renovated), Check out the Feb 6, 2009 Charette to promote Southbridge (check back for actions from this event at JEL).
10.) Many Support agencies for Southbridge and surrounding areas and also are giving to others when needed. Also, there are numerous people who give of their time and energy to improve the town.
Check this out:
Southbridge Blog - Monique Manna
www.getinvolvedinyourtown.com Events Schedule
Southbridge helping others in need:
See
WBZ TV Broadcast Video of how Southbridge helped the Hurricane Katrina
Flood victims
Over $10,000 raised in Sept 25, 2005 benefit in Southbridge
How others see our town Rev Sept 4, 2007
The list of postitive of town (1920); many still are relevant.
As for the Southbridge Town Seal and phrase"Eye of the Commonwealth", I recently was asked if Southbridge is still the Eye of the Commonwealth now that AO is no longer a dominant manufacturer in Town. Remants of AO still are manufacuring/distributing (Schott Fiber Optics/ Aearo / AO Sunwear); to my knowledge there is no other community that comes close to being the center of Optics, and as such we are still the Eye of the Commonwealth.
What Southbridge had to offer in 1895! Its top 10 list from back then!New Feb 5, 2010
Feedback, Suggestions, Comments? e-mail me at r.b.whitney@verizon.net
Rev Sept 30, 2009
Whitney
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