River Rat Race $10,000 fundraiser

ATHOL — Join the North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce for the Super Raffle Drawing at the Athol American Legion 325 Pequoig Ave. on Thursday, March 21. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets will be $100 and available at the door and the last ticket will be sold at 7 p.m. Only 400 tickets will be available. Drawing will happen shortly after that.There will be light refreshments and a cash bar.

There will be a $10,000 grand prize, second and third prize will be $500 and fourth-seventh prizes will be $250.

Petersham ArtCenter classes in March, April

PETERSHAM — The Petersham Art Center has a full slate of classes starting this March, continuing on through the spring season.

On Thursday, March 21, from 7-9 p.m., Katie Locke will be teaching Ukrainian egg dying. Hot wax is applied to the eggs and designs are etched into them, so that when the eggs are dipped in dye, exquisite patterns emerge. Since hot wax and candles are used, the class is open to adults and children 10 years and older, with adult supervision.

Sara DePonte of White Pickets Studio in Petersham will offer a day-long still-life watercolor painting class on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m.-noon, and from 1-3 p.m. DePonte will guide students through all the steps to create three still-life scenes. Students should bring three objects they would like to use for their artwork creations.

On Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m.-noon, Kate Hall will bring the 18th century art of English Paper Piercing to participants. The technique uses templates to create shapes and arrangements of fabric or paper pieces that are sewn by hand to make quilts, clothing designs, or whatever the creator can imagine.

A spring basket class on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be taught by Sue Morello of Sheldon Farm Baskets. Students can choose from several styles to make their own flower-gathering baskets.

Wool to Weaving, a class taught by Debra Bachrach and Chris Eaton, both of Petersham, will have a tentative start date of Sunday, April 28, and continue on Sundays on May 5, May 12 and May 19. The start date may be adjusted due to readiness of the sheep to be sheared. The students will experience the entire process, from start to finish, of creating a handwoven woolen project. The class will begin with a shearing demonstration at the farm. Students will then learn to card, spin, and dye the wool, culminating with learning to use a handheld loom to weave.

All the classes have a fee. Learn more and register by calling 978-724-3415, or by emailing chrisoutdoors71@gmail.com.

Petersham Art Center, located on Route 32 in Petersham, is a venue for the arts, with exhibits, an artisan gift shop, and a variety of classes that are held to benefit the North Quabbin region. Check our Facebook Page for more upcoming classes and information.

Beals MemorialLibrary receivesextension to autismspectrum grant

WINCHENDON — The Beals Memorial Library has been selected as one of 310 libraries nationally

to participate in Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association (ALA) initiative that provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities.

This competitive award comes with a $10,000 grant that will help the library. The library is a Round 2 recipient of this grant award, having also received $10,000 for Round 1 last year. Individuals and families on the spectrum are underserved within Winchendon’s community, and the library wants to change that by expanding services to provide an environment that allows individuals to engage in sensory-friendly programming and special events through the See Beyond the Spectrum initiative.

The library will be offering a number of programs and events throughout the month of April in honor of Autism Acceptance Month. On Monday, April 8, at 6 p.m., there will be an autism documentary screening. On Saturday, April 13, the library will have its monthly Sensory-Friendly Browsing Hour from 9-10 a.m., followed by the Sensory Friendly Family Movie Matinee at 10 a.m.

The following week, on Tuesday, April 16, the library will be hosting an outdoor Family Story Walk from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants will receive a free copy of the selected book while supplies last. On Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the library will be offering a Sensory-Friendly Touch-A-Truck event at the Winchendon American Legion.

On Monday, April 22, at 6:30 p.m., caregivers, family members and those supporting individuals with autism, neurodivergence or other special needs are invited to the monthly Walking Beside You Caregiver Support Group. Finally, the library will be wrapping up the month on Saturday, April 27, with a Sensory Kid Corner at the upcoming Winchendon Renaissance Faire, beginning at 10 a.m.