Here are some brief thoughts on some of the events making news from around the North Quabbin area:
Fifty years was probably too long to wait for a movie theater to return to Athol. But the wait is nearly over. Athol Cinemas, with eight screens and modern features and technology, plans to open the first weekend in May in the North Quabbin Commons.
The multiplex will feature Dolby surround sound and total seating for 508. Two of the screens will be 3-D-capable.
All of the theaters are stadium style, featuring reclining seats. General Manager Terri Beam told the Daily News the seats are “too comfortable. I’ve fallen asleep in them.”
Maybe they are sleep inducing — when there are no films playing. But we suspect the theater’s patrons will find the new entertainment venues more exciting than sleep inducing.
Athol Police Department’s K-9 Gronk will be a little safer thanks to a protective vest donated by a local company.
Patients and staff at D’Ambrosio Eye Care in Lancaster and the community donated money and held fundraisers last spring, selling lollipops and candy bars, and the staff held “Jeans Days.” They raised $2,240.
Every three months, the eye care center raises money to give to a local charity.
Gronk with his handler Officer Craig Deveneau, a 22-year-veteran of the Athol Police Department, recently completed a narcotic detection course offered by the Boston Police Department.
On March 6, Deveneau and Gronk graduated with high honors from the extensive 240-hour, six-week-long course.
Gronk, a German shepherd, came to the department in April 2017 through a $25,000 Stanton Foundation grant. He is certified in tracking, area searches and criminal apprehension — and works shifts with Deveneau, like any other officer.
“I am proud of the hard work and dedication that both officer Deveneau and Gronk have put into this course over the last several weeks,” Chief Russell Kleber told the Daily News. “This advanced training will be a valuable tool in helping the Athol community combat the opioid epidemic and keep our residents safe.”
In addition to narcotics detection, Gronk and Deveneau will play a key part in the Athol Keeping Innocents Defended and Safe (KIDS) program.
Athol’s Exchange Street Bridge reopened last week after being closed to vehicular traffic since Jan. 13 due to damage caused by an ice mass that swept along the Millers River and smashed into brackets securing a 10-inch water main hanging under the bridge.
Contractors have repaired the damage, but big fire trucks will still have to use other bridges in town because other deterioration led the state to place a weight restriction on the bridge, even before the ice damage. The good news is that the town’s voters on April 2 approved borrowing $2,640,000 for the full reconstruction of the span, which was built in 1939.
See something, say something. But don’t necessarily bring something.
The wisdom in that last bit became apparent recently when a resident saw a suspicious pipe with wires sticking out of one end lying on the side of the road and brought it to the Athol police station out of concern it might hurt someone.
The resident, Police Chief Russell Kleber said, was only trying to do the right thing, but forced the station to be evacuated for roughly a half-hour and dispatch services to be switched temporarily to another agency.
The resident did not bring the device inside, but parked his pickup in front of the station and told a dispatcher what he found was in the bed of the truck.
The Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad was notified, and the Athol Fire Department immediately responded. An investigation determined the tube was an unexploded commercial-grade firework.
Kleber said he urges anyone who comes upon a suspicious package or device to leave it where it is, and to call 911 to ensure proper handling.
“We sincerely appreciate that this resident had the intention to make sure no children or innocent people were accidentally harmed by this unexploded firework,” Kleber said. “We want to use this situation as a reminder to everyone to always call the police if they see something suspicious, and leave the transportation and disposal to the police officers and firefighters whose job it is to deal with these situations.”