Check out the festival of lights at Edaville in Carver MA. From the site: “One of the Largest Light Displays in New England with over 7 million lights!! 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm Weekdays, 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm Weekends November 26 thru January 2, 2011 (Closed Christmas Day) Friday night fireworks December 3, 10, and 17.” Visit their site for a coupon off admission, and for ways to connect through Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks. The site states that this could be their last festival of lights ever.
Bridgewater Festival of Lights, 55 Alexander Drive, Bridgewater MA. “The Bridgewater Festival Of Lights opens December 10, 2010 and runs nightly till December 25th. Hours of operation are 5:00pm to 8:30pm weeknights and 5:00pm to 9:30pm weekends. The festival is closed if raining or Heavy Snow.” Find them on Facebook.
A Christmas Journey at the Ecotarium, Worcester MA: This special children’s Christmas event takes on Saturday, December 11 and 18, and Sunday, December 12 and 19 (12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.). From their site: “The magic of this hour-long journey begins with storytime, featuring Chris Van Allsburg’s classic winter tale The Polar Express. The holiday tale then comes alive as the EcoTarium’s “elves” help families to the train station to board the Explorer Express Train for a trip around the EcoTarium’s grounds. The December air feels festive and joyful as the children ring their bells along the route. After traveling the grounds, you’ll head back indoors to warm up with hot cocoa and cookies — and, at the end of your journey — enjoy a special visit with Santa. Each child will have an opportunity to personally visit with Santa. Be sure to bring your camera to capture your child’s special moment!”
Methuen Festival of Trees: from their site: “Come and experience the magic of the trees! Take a chance on winning a decorated holiday tree when the Seventeenth Annual Festival of Trees opens on Saturday, November 20th. More than 200 spectacular and sensational holiday trees will be raffled off at the end of the Festival. Our tree donors’ creativity will surpass all your expectations.”
And don’t forget to check out the Leominster Festival of Trees! The Festival of Trees will once again be at Leominster City Hall’s Tata Auditorium beginning Monday, Nov. 29 through Sunday, Dec. 12, at 25 West St., Leominster.
It’s too hot to do what you had planned on doing. So why not take the kids (or go by yourself) for a couple of hours to the local library, Barnes & Noble or Borders. Libraries in our area: Fitchburg, Leominster, Lunenburg, – links with hours and programs. The Ayer library has passes to Davis Farmland - see link.
Local beaches and pools: here is a State list of pools, with links to beaches and ponds on the upper right hand side. Local to us (and some of our favorites) are Leominster State Forest, Willard Brook, and Mirror Lake. Use plenty of sunscreen, and bring along a large thermos of iced water with lemon slices.
Slow down, avoid strenuous activity. Do not try to do too much on a hot day.
Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect heat and sunlight and help maintain normal body temperature. Protect your face with a wide-brimmed hat.
Drink plenty of water regularly and often, even if you do not feel thirsty.
Limit intake of alcoholic beverages. They can actually dehydrate your body.
Eat well-balanced, light, regular meals. Avoid high protein foods that increase metabolic heat.
Stay indoors as much as possible.
If you do not have air conditioning, stay on your lowest floor, out of the sun. Electric fans do not cool the air, but they do help evaporate sweat, which cools your body. Go to a place where you can get relief from the heat, such as air conditioned schools, libraries, theaters and other community facilities that may offer refuge during the warmest times of the day.
Avoid too much sunshine. Sunburn slows the skin’s ability to cool itself. If you are outside, use sunscreen lotion with a high SPF (Sun Protection Factor) rating.
Never leave children or pets alone in a closed vehicle.
Church’s beach, Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts- Hitch a ride on a golf cart to the Cuttyhunk Yacht Club and then follow the sand road (pick a few wildflowers along the way) to Church’s Beach. This west-facing strand is great for late-day rays and sunsets. Gentle waves make for good swimming.
We have spent several wonderful summers exploring the Massachusetts State Park System on very short money – the price of a summer membership is $35 per year for MA residents.
Or check out this trail journal – we go swimming in the Squannacook (although we set down in a different spot) and can vouch for how fun the rope swing is.
A new article by the Wall Street Journal suggests that the residential real estate market may be stabilizing.
Contributing to this is demand for more expensive homes and the fact that foreclosed properties are not being sold at bargain-basement rates:
Overall, home prices declined 0.7% in the first quarter of 2010 to an average of $166,100, the lowest first-quarter national median price since 2002, when the average was $158,600 according to a report by the National Association of Realtors. However, there was wide variation by region, with median prices up 9% in the Northeast and down 8% in West.
This regional variant reflects what we have observed. Check out the latest For Sale and Sold statistics for Worcester County, which include Leominster and Fitchburg:
Is it time to see if you should put your home on the market? Call me today for a Market Report at 978-537-6401 x38!
Leominster, MA- Gerry Bourgeois and Laurie Howe of Towne & Country, Realtors in Leominster have just completed a highly specialized course, Short Sales and Foreclosures, presented by the Council of Residential Specialists. The one-day course earns one unit of core credit toward the Certified Residential Specialist Designation.
Distressed sales – foreclosures and short sales – accounted for 32 percent of all home sales during the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Short Sales and Foreclosures gives agents the practical tools and skills they need to counsel clients about these types of transactions. The course explains the intricate steps involved with these transactions as well as the roles of lenders, sellers, buyers and cooperating agents. It includes dialogues and systems agents can use when they work with financial institutions and other owners of REO properties.
Both Bourgeois and Howe have with this course and others completed the requirements and received certification for SFR (Short Sales and Foreclosures Resource) Certification from the National Association of Realtors®. Both are experienced full-time Realtors® and look forward to sharing this expertise with the community.
Towne & Country, Realtors® is located on 124 N Main Street in Leominster, and has been a fixture in the real estate community for four decades.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:Towne & Country, Realtors is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan. If you stop paying your mortgage, you could lose your home and damage your credit rating.
A Christmas Journey at the Ecotarium, Worcester MA: This special children’s Christmas event takes on Saturday, December 11 and 18, and Sunday, December 12 and 19 (12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.). From their site: “The magic of this hour-long journey begins with storytime, featuring Chris Van Allsburg’s classic winter tale The Polar Express. The holiday tale then comes alive as the EcoTarium’s “elves” help families to the train station to board the Explorer Express Train for a trip around the EcoTarium’s grounds. The December air feels festive and joyful as the children ring their bells along the route. After traveling the grounds, you’ll head back indoors to warm up with hot cocoa and cookies — and, at the end of your journey — enjoy a special visit with Santa. Each child will have an opportunity to personally visit with Santa. Be sure to bring your camera to capture your child’s special moment!”
