COLUMN: NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR

Conor Davis Gould, son of Sarah and Glenn Gould of Barrington, N.H., was born Aug. 30, 2008, at Wentworth Douglas Hospital, in Dover, N.H.

Conor, who weighed 7.5 pounds and was 20.5 inches in length at birth, is the grandson of Roland and Sarah Gould

State Rep. Karyn Polito will host a patriotic rally from 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 16, at Indian Meadows, in Westboro.

A buffet dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and the program, which will feature a performance of the Shrewsbury High School A Cappella Choir, will begin at 6 p.m.

At the event, Polito will be presenting her Inspirational Leader and Good Neighbor awards to Shrewsbury and Westboro community members. Also, the 10 winners of Polito's "Priorities for the Next American President" essay contest, Megan Dakota Donaty, Alexander Purple, Joe Walton, Gaoyuan Liu, Swetha Amaresan, Rebecca Webb, Sarah Donovan, Milton Landry, Lynn Couture and Isabelle Chang, will read their essays and be presented with prizes and recognition.

Two community cable TV producers won awards from two different video festivals this past summer.

Monica Mansfield received the Award of Excellence for her music show, "Mostly Rock N' Roll," that airs on SPAC-TV 28 in Shrewsbury, and Laurie Hogan won a Hometown Award for her show," Library News - Resource Sharing," which airs on SGTV-30, Shrewsbury's government television.

At an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., in July, Hogan received her award in the Government Profile Category, from the Alliance for Community Media.

Hogan's award-winning show was from the series "Library News," which highlights different services and programs offered by the Shrewsbury Public Library.

Hogan joined Shrewsbury Media Connection (SMC) more than 20 years ago, when she began producing cable TV shows for the League of Women Voters. From 1990 to 1993, she was the weekly camera-person for the Board of Selectmen's meeting, before being elected to the Board of Selectmen in 1993. Hogan has also served on the SMC Advisory Board from 1990 to 1993 and again from 2004 to 2008.

Hogan also produces the series "Youth & Family Forum" which highlights the local agency Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services.

Mansfield's award came from the Pegasus awards for the program she produced with singer/songwriter Alana Davis.

The Pegasus awards recognize educational, medical, and government video content creators, and are designed to applaud producers of corporate communications, commercials and acknowledge special event and wedding visual artists, as well as public access producers.

Mansfield has produced programs at SPAC for nearly 14 years and her series include, "Your Healthy Pet" and "Mostly Rock N' Roll," which is aired in several communities across Massachusetts, Michigan and Wisconsin. Mansfield also hosts "Animal Control," with Animal Control officer Leona Pease for SGTV.

To learn more about producing videos and television production, contact Shrewsbury Media Connection at (508) 841-8650, or visit www.shrewsbury-ma.gov/smc.

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) invites children across Massachusetts to join The Green Team, an interactive club for kindergarten through grade 12 students.

The intention of the Green Team is to empower both students and their teachers to help the environment with recycling, clean air and climate protection lesson plans and activities.

Green Team participants receive educational tools, including classroom posters, lesson plans, environmental protection tips and suggested activities. As they complete activities, classes advance through three levels of participation.

Each class that takes the Green Team Pledge receives a Certificate of Recognition and is eligible to win prizes, including mini-recycle bin planters, assembly presentations by recycling professionals and participatory musical concerts. Students, teachers and school recycling coordinators can join the Green Team by clicking on www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/kidsteac.htm.

Like to share your good news? Send it to: nwsrecord@yahoo.com or The Record, 156 Church St., Clinton, MA 01510.

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINES: (1) Monica Mansfield received the Award of Excellence for her music show, `Mostly Rock N' Roll,' that airs on SPAC-TV 28 in Shrewsbury. (2) Lilly Stevens (left), 9, and her sister, Abbie, 7, both of Medway, pick out painted pumpkins at a self-service stand on Ball Road, in Northboro, on a recent day. The girls were visiting with their grandparents who live in Shrewsbury.

PHOTOG: Record file photo; (2) Record photo/JERRY CALLAGHAN