SPORTS
Opinion
ASHLANDTAB
Community Newspaper Company ■ Vol. 22, No. 46
COMING
UP
in Ashland
Get creative for
Ashland
Emergency Fund
The Ashland Rallying Together
(ART) Project seeks teams of stu-
dents, families, youth groups,
neighborhoods, seniors and any-
one else interested in a food
sculpture exhibition to benefit the
Ashland Food Pantry and Ash-
land Emergency Fund.
Last year alone, these two
groups helped hundreds of fami-
lies in Ashland, and demand for
services has been increasing dra-
matically. This event is a fun and
creative way to feed the hungry,
warm those in the cold and help
those that need our help the
most.
Participants will design and
build sculptures made entirely of
canned or boxed food in a 6-by-
4-by-5 space. Sculptures will be
displayed at Rediscover Ashland
on June 20.
A kickoff information night is
Wednesday, March 25, from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Ashland
Public Library meeting room. A
sample sculpture also will be on
display at the library. Another
info night is slated April 16 at the
same time and place. Entry
forms are due May 1.
Rules, registration forms and
detailed information are avail-
able at AshlandEmergency-
Fund.com. For further informa-
tion, contact Roland Houle, ART
Project coordinator, at RH6599-
AEF@yahoo.com or 508-736-
8892.
Ashland K-12
PTO hosts
Harlem Wizards Former Ashland man to be tried a third
The Ashland K-12 PTO will be
sponsoring the Harlem Wizards
on Saturday, March 21, at 7 p.m.
The Harlem Wizards, founded
in 1962, are regarded as one of
the greatest basketball show-
team organizations to ever “lace
it up and let ‘em fly!” They will
bring their exciting performance
to Ashland High School.
Tickets for students and seniors
are $8 in advance, $10 at the
door. All other tickets are $10 in
advance, $12 at the
door. Advance tickets may be
purchased online at www.ash-
landpto.com. All proceeds will
benefit the PTO.
Lions hold meat
raffle, art auction
Meat raffles will be held
March 21, April 4 and 18, Satur- mach was guilty
days, at TJ’s Spirits, from 1 to 4
p.m., with six tables of prizes. All with the alleged
proceeds will be donated to eye
research and local charities.
The Lions hold a live art auc-
tion Saturday, March 28, with a
preview at 7 p.m. and bidding at
8 p.m. Admission is $10 per per-
son and $15 per couple. There
will be hors d’oeuvres, door
prizes, raffles and a cash bar.
Prixes include a new Bose Wave at the time his client would pre- do with race. They also accused
music system valued at $500.
The auction will be at the War- gain if it meant admitting to a injuries.
ren Conference Center.
SCHOOLS
Page 6
Clockers spring Meet Warrren Town Report Page 2
sports are School’s new Events Page 11
warming up principal Classified Page 1cc
 SEE PAGE 16  SEE PAGE 3 Complete index on page 2
www.wickedlocal.com/ashland
MARCH 19, 2009 30 Pages ■ 3 Sections 75¢
ROUND 2 FOR YOUTH LEAGUE Town
cuts
fields
deal By Aaron Wasserman
STAFF WRITER
The largest ongoing develop-
ment in town will substantially
change under an agreement town
officials approved last week.
Fafard Real Estate and Develop-
ment Corp., which is building Vil-
lage of the Americas, will increase
what it pays the town for each con-
dominium and pay for and build
an athletic field at the high school,
said Town Manager John Petrin
last week.
In exchange, Fafard will be
allowed to continue building the
project’s townhouses and elimi-
nate its mixed-use component, he
STAFF PHOTO BY MARSHALL WOLFF
Doug Glazier presents a target for Talia Romano during a workout session at Ashland’s new boxing club last Friday. said.
The agreement would remove
the hurdle Fafard has faced on the
Growing boxing club finds new home project’s phasing, while bringing
the town more cash and part of an
athletic complex that was not built
as part of the new high school as
intended.
The Past: The Present: The Future: The agreement also depends on
Ashland police launched an athletic After outgrowing its home in the Ashland Organizers are building a proper boxing the Planning Board’s approval of
league last fall to provide safe, energetic Middle School gym, the club just moved to ring at the new club. The class is open to the new site plan at its March 26
programs for local kids. It scored its first a permanent home at 200 Homer Ave., Ashland students in grades 7 to 12 and meeting. Public comment will be
knockout with a free, grant-funded boxing next-door to Gold’s Gym. The space is pro- equipment is free. Parents can learn more at heard at that meeting.
club. Coordinated by police, certified vided free by Calare Properties Inc., with the Police Department, 137 Main St., or by “I think times have changed
instructors Bobby Andrews, Doug Glazier the help of donations from numerous local contacting Officer David Muri at 508-881- since when this was negotiated, as
and Gina Klay brought real-life experience businesses, police said. 1212 or dmuri@ashlandpd.org. to whether commercial (develop-
in the ring. — David Riley ment) would be successful,”
Petrin told School Committee
FIELDS, page 5
Hate crime case
goes to trial again
time on federal civil rights charge
By David Riley The case is now before Judge
STAFF WRITER
William G. Young, who sched-
A former Ashland man faces a uled the next trial after a confer-
third trial next month on a feder- ence with attorneys last week,
al hate crime charge that has left according to court documents.
two previous juries unable to Authorities say Stelmach, then
agree on a verdict. a member of the Outlaws Motor-
Federal prosecutors accuse cycle Club, attacked Alan Bap-
Stephan Stelmach, 34, of beating tiste of Waltham unprovoked as
a black stranger because of his he shared appetizers with a girl-
race at T.J. Spirits, an Ashland friend at the Rte. 135 bar and
bar, in June 2005. restaurant.
Stelmach, who has since Baptiste testified Stelmach
moved to Maine, and another man
was tried twice in threw him to the
2007. Both pro- Federal floor and beat CONTRIBUTED
ceedings ended prosecutors him, leaving him Ashland’s state champion cheerleading team is, top row from the left, Devon Miller, Mackenzie Bruce,
in mistrials
because jurors accuse Stephan
bruised and
shaken. Witness-
Kari Souchuns, Kelly Mann, Katie Sheehan, Hayley Pomerantz and Kendall Beard; middle, Rebecka Fillion,
Jenna Bertino, Alyssa Dorn, Marie Burke, Andrea Nanos and Ashley Haworth; bottom, Maria Podolskaya,
deadlocked on
whether Stel-
Stelmach of es said they
heard Stelmach
Elise Muren, Samantha Driscoll, Allison Jenkins, Paige Lowell.
beating a black use a racial slur
of interfering stranger at T.J. and brag about
victim’s
rights.
A year ago, a
civil Spirits, an Ashland
bar, in June 2005. attack.
beating another
black
before
man
the
Give me a V-I-C-T-O-R-Y
By David Riley “We’ve been through a lot and Saturday when it competes in the
federal judge Defense attor- STAFF WRITER
we’ve really worked hard and New England championships at
urged both pros- neys acknowl- Ali Jenkins remembers being a we’ve always been the under- the University of New Hamp-
ecutors and Stelmach’s attorney edge an altercation with Bap- freshman on Ashland High dog,” Jenkins said. “Through shire.
to avoid a third trial. tiste, but they have said the School’s cheerleading team, three coaches that I’ve had in the The cheerleaders’ score in Sun-
Stelmach’s lawyer, John alleged victim provoked the struggling to win competitions. past four years, we’ve definitely day’s meet also earned them a trip
LaChance of Framingham, said altercation and it had nothing to What a difference four years changed and progressed.” to Orlando for a national tourna-
can make. Now a senior captain, Coach Tammi Araujo said ment April 9 to 12, Araujo said.
fer another trial over a plea bar- Baptiste of exaggerating his Jenkins helped the cheerleaders cheering residents and an escort Their flawless season included
cap an undefeated season Sunday of Ashland police cruisers and landing first place in the Tri-Val-
crime he says he did not commit. Jurors found a second defen- by vaulting to a Division 4 victo- fire trucks met the champions as ley League sectionals and the
Another trial is slated April 13 dant implicated in the attack, ry in a state tournament at New they crossed the town line on south sectional regional competi-
in U.S. District Court in Boston. Brian McHugh, not guilty in the Bedford Regional High School. their way home Sunday. tion.
Judge Reginald C. Lindsay, first trial in October 2007. The girls beat out nine other “It still hasn’t completely set- Araujo said this is her first year
who oversaw both of Stelmach’s teams in their division, including tled in yet,” Araujo said. “I’m still coaching at Ashland High, but
previous trials, died Thursday, (David Riley can be reached at reining champs Narragansett, to trying to get accustomed to it and she has coached high school
the Associated Press reported 508-626-3919 or driley@ bring home Ashland’s first-ever hearing the title.” cheerleading for several years,
last week. cnc.com.) state cheering title. The team faces a new challenge CHEERLEADERS, page 5