The Bellingham Bulletin November 2009 : Page 1
T BulletinBellingham’s “Good-News Paper”for Over 15Years! Visit our website: www.BellinghamBulletin.com November 2009 POSTAL PATRON Bellingham Bulletin Since 1994 Direct-Mailed into every Home & Business in Bellingham! Volume XVI, Issue 2 BELLINGHAM’S “HOMETOWN” NEWSPAPER SINCE 1994 Hope in Bloom: Garden Therapy for Bellingham Woman story & photo by Marjorie Turner HollMan, Bulletin Correspondent Bellingham’s Ricky Santos Heads to Winnipeg NOVEMBER 2009 Pumpkin Stroll Becoming a Favorite Annual Event BELLINGHAM, MA 02019 PRST-STD U.S. Postage PAGE P A I D Bellingham BULLETIN Permit No. 107 Bellingham, MA STILL FREE! 1 Shown (l–r): Chris Adams, Nathan Matthews, Brenda Cooke, Brenda Lupfy, Hope in Bloom founder Roberta Hershon and the recipient of the garden, Robin Marquez Plants were tucked into their beds, mulch was spread and the fresh gravel was leveled on the garden paths of the latest “Hope in H n o m Any Project Coupon must be presented at time of estimate; applicable to labor only. Expires Jan. 1, 2010. 15% OFF • Kitchen & Bath Remodeling • Replacement Windows • Finished Basements • Handyman Services • All Types of Flooring 508-207-8313 www.HometownHandyman.com Bloom” garden, installed on a beautiful fall day at Robin Marquez’s north Bellingham home. The gardens are offered free to MA women (and men) diagnosed with breast cancer, and Marquez was the most recent recipient of this different type of therapy. As founder Roberta Hershon explained, “Gardens provide medicine that doctors can’t. It’s not in their medicine cabinet.” The non-profit Hope in Bloom began with a labor of love on Hershon’s part, when her long-time friend was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. “We both loved to garden. After my friend was diagnosed, she didn’t have the energy to work in her garden, so I took care of it for her. After she died in 2005 I founded this non-profit organization as a way to continue the work.” To receive a garden, one must be in treat- ment for breast cancer, or being followed up for treatment. One can ask for a garden, or a friend can recommend someone, but Hope Garden—continued on page 20 BULLETIN photo by Florence Ames File photo Ricky Santos is now playing for his sec- ond team in the Canadian Football League. The former Bellingham High and University of New Hampshire quarterback has been traded by the Montreal Alouettes to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Blue Bombers sent defensive ends Riall Johnson and Shawn Mayne to Montreal for Santos, who earned All-America honors after four record-setting seasons at UNH. He also won the Walter Payton Award in his junior year with the Wildcats and played in the Hula Bowl his senior season. The Payton Award is the Division 1-AA equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. The 6-foot-2 Santos went undrafted in the National Football League two years ago but signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs. A week later, Santos was released but quickly found a job in the CFL with Montreal as its fourth-string quarterback. “I enjoyed my year and a half in Montreal, SantoS—continued on page 24 Callie Mae Klisiewicz pats a 251-lb. pumpkin grown by Scott Marling (see additional photos at www.bellinghambulletin.com) SEE STORY ON PAGE 12. * AIRPORT * SPECIAL Logan or Greene Airport $ Round-trip from Bellingham, Hopedale, Mendon, Franklin…Call for details 169 2 MAIN ST. • BLACKSTONE 508-883-4696 n H m o g m y d n e & i R o t n l e w e a d a
Hope In Bloom: Garden Therapy For Bellingham Woman
Was spread and the fresh gravel was leveled on the garden paths of the latest “Hope in Shown (l–r): Chris Adams, Nathan Matthews, Brenda Cooke, Brenda Lupfy, Hope in Bloom founder Roberta Hershon and the recipient of the garden, Robin Marquez Bloom” garden, installed on a beautiful fall day at Robin Marquez’s north Bellingham home. The gardens are offered free to MA women (and men) diagnosed with breast cancer, and Marquez was the most recent recipient of this different type of therapy.<br /> <br /> As founder Roberta Hershon explained, “Gardens provide medicine that doctors can’t. It’s not in their medicine cabinet.” The non-profit Hope in Bloom began with a labor of love on Hershon’s part, when her long-time friend was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. “We both loved to garden.<br /> <br /> After my friend was diagnosed, she didn’t have the energy to work in her garden, so I took care of it for her. After she died in 2005 I founded this non-profit organization as a way to continue the work.” To receive a garden, one must be in treatment for breast cancer, or being followed up for treatment. One can ask for a garden, or a friend can recommend someone, but Hope<br /> <br /> In Bloom does have a waiting list. “We install a garden when we have the funds to do so,” explained Hershon. “We build gardens all over the state. [Marquez’s was the group’s 75th garden since 2005.] When we get ready to put a garden in, I contact the volunteers who live nearby for help.” “Every garden is different,” continued Hershon. “We work with a landscape designer; she came to work with Robin. We try to tailor our gardens to each situation.” Hope in Bloom offers indoor gardens and patio/container gardens as well as outdoor gardens.<br /> <br /> In noting the variety of garden types, Herson pointed out that “indoor gardens cost from $200 to $600, patio gardens Garden—continued from page 1 vary from $800 to $1500 and in-ground gardens range from $1000 to $3000. All of this is free to the recipients, so we do a lot of fundraising. We also have a lot of volunteer help.” “While I was getting treatment, we put all the energy we had into our four kids,” explained Marquez. “Gardening was always important to us, but our gardens took the brunt of my lack of energy. When my husband did have energy, he focused on the kids— we neglected our gardens. Now, we’re getting our gardens back together, as well as our lives.” Marquez, who has completed treatment (plus nine related surgeries) is herself determined to give back. She explained, “I’ve started walking—I participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, as well as the Susan G. Komen Walk for Breast Cancer. These national organizations have a minimum fundraising requirement; if you don’t meet the minimum requirement, you aren’t allowed to join in the walk. I feel that everyone should be able to participate. I’m in the process of creating an organization that will support the average walker, allowing them to participate in these large walks as well. We raise the funds to help people meet the minimum requirements for these national events. I’ve also gone into schools and started walking programs. I’m a physical therapist; walking is something almost everyone can do. I’m looking for volunteers [to help with her newly forming organization]. People can contact me at marquez6@ comcast.net.” Hershon looked around at the nearly completed project and smiled. “This helps people get back control. It’s the cycle of life—something else to take care of.” Marquez nodded. “This brings color back into our lives.” She pointed out the hummingbird feeder, which will be ready to attract the tiny birds in the spring. “We used to have hummingbirds where we lived before. Now we’ll have them in our yard next spring.” When one has lived through a serious illness, being able to talk about “next spring”—and believing that there will be one—is a big part of getting on with life. At the Marquez household, they are eagerly anticipating the plants that will grow again in their yard come spring and the hummingbirds that will visit.<br /> <br /> For more information about Hope in Bloom, check out their website, www.hopeinbloom.org
Bellingham's Ricky Santos Heads To Winnipeg
Ricky Santos is now playing for his second team in the Canadian Football League.<br /> <br /> The former Bellingham High and University of New Hampshire quarterback has been traded by the Montreal Alouettes to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.<br /> <br /> The Blue Bombers sent defensive ends Riall Johnson and Shawn Mayne to Montreal for Santos, who earned All-America honors after four record-setting seasons at UNH.<br /> <br /> He also won the Walter Payton Award in his junior year with the Wildcats and played in the Hula Bowl his senior season. The Payton Award is the Division 1-AA equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.<br /> <br /> The 6-foot-2 Santos went undrafted in the National Football League two years ago but signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs. A week later, Santos was released but quickly found a job in the CFL with Montreal as its fourth-string quarterback.<br /> <br /> “I enjoyed my year and a half in Montreal But the trade gives me an opportunity to play,” Santos said. “I won’t be as far down on Winnipeg’s depth chart.” Santos has yet to play a regular-season game in the CFL. The 215-pounder was listed behind Anthony Calvillo, Adrian McPherson and Chris Leak in Montreal. Now, he’ll be backing up Michael Bishop, a one-time draft choice of the N. E. Patriots, and Casey Bramlet, who played at Wyoming.<br /> <br /> “Montreal has three great quarterbacks, so from that standpoint the trade makes sense,” Santos said. “Every athlete’s a confident guy, but you can’t go wrong playing any of those other Qbs. I was the odd man out, although they kept me around for a year and a half.<br /> <br /> But it was extremely frustrating not playing or dressing.” Santos began this season on Montreal’s nine-game injury list, then was placed on the practice roster.<br /> <br /> Winnipeg head coach Mike Kelly, whose Blue Bombers are 5–8, is impressed with Santos. He said that “Ricky had astronomical numbers coming out of the University of New Hampshire. And we feel he’s a mature kid with some skill sets.” After leading Bellingham High to a pair of Super Bowls, Santos caught fire at UNH.<br /> <br /> He finished his career in Durham with 123 touchdown passes for 13, 212 yards. He led New Hampshire to four straight berths in the 1-AA playoffs, passed for 165 yards and a TD in the Hula Bowl, and had his number<br /> <br /> (2) retired at UNH in 2007. He once threw seven touchdown passes in a college game.<br /> <br /> “Ricky is a player we really believed in and he was a great teammate, but this trade creates opportunities for both parties,” Alouettes’ Vice President and General Manager Jim Popp said. “It gives Ricky an opportunity to get on the field quicker and we gain two valuable players who will give us flexibility down the stretch.” To make room for Santos, the Bombers released third-string quarterback Bryan Randall.<br /> <br /> Montreal’s new players have links to the NFL and college football in the U.S. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Johnson played With the Argonauts from 2005 to 2008 before being traded to the Blue Bombers in February<br /> <br /> 2009. The 31-year-old defensive lineman had recorded 20 career sacks with the Argos before moving to Winnipeg. He initially went to Toronto after playing 32 games with the Bengals from 2001 to 2003 after being drafted by Cincinnati in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL draft. He also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos.<br /> <br /> He played in college at Stanford.<br /> <br /> Mayne joins the Alouettes after three seasons with the Bombers, with whom he played mostly on special teams as well as serving as a backup defensive lineman. The 6-foot-3, 248-pounder was chosen by the Tiger-Cats in the third round, 18th overall, in the 2006 CFL Draft. The 29-year-old played in college at the University of Connecticut.<br /> <br /> “From our standpoint, we felt this was something we had to do,” Alouettes assistant general manager Marcel Desjardins told The Montreal Gazette. “I can’t speculate on the Bombers, except that they must need a quarterback.<br /> <br /> We’ve added two players who give us a lot more flexibility. We invested a lot of time and money developing a quarterback.<br /> <br /> We weren’t looking to get rid of an asset.” Santos said that leaving Montreal was bittersweet. “I left Montreal on good terms and all the veterans there wished me well,” Santos said. “Winnipeg’s coaches told me they were trying to trade for me earlier in the season. When Montreal got the offer it liked, the deal was made. It was a lot easier for my family and friends to visit me in Montreal.<br /> <br /> Now, I’m in central-western Canada and it’s really starting to get cold.” Acquiring Santos is an indication Kelly has grown more concerned about his offense.<br /> <br /> Neither Bishop nor Bramlet has generated many points.<br /> <br /> “What the Blue Bombers gave up to get me says a lot,” Santos said. “Right now it’s Bishop’s team and I hope I’ll get a shot to play down the road. They want me to get comfortable with the system and to get stronger and faster in the off-season.” Although Winnipeg is experiencing its second straight losing season, the Blue Bombers have a winning tradition in the CFL. The franchise has won 14 Grey Cups, Canada’s equivalent of the Super Bowl.<br /> <br /> Santos was in uniform for his first game, against Toronto, but did not play. He’s wearing No. 7. “I wore No. 2 at Bellingham and UNH, then No. 4 in Montreal,” Santos said.<br /> <br /> “Maybe No. 7 will be lucky.” (The Montreal Gazette and Winnipeg Sun contributed to this report.)<br /> <br />
