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NORTHBRIDGE, Mass. – A trip to jail was an exciting adventure for children
who took part in Read Around The Town, which last week was held at the Northbridge
Town Hall. A tour of the historical building taught students all about running a town and
the town's rich history.
Town Manager Mr. Ted Kozak started off the morning by reading the book “Strega Nona
Takes A Vacation” by Tomie dePaola. The book is about an elderly lady who helps her
fellow villagers out with their troubles. Kozak asked the 15-20 students in attendance
where they had been on vacation this summer. Some replies from the young readers were whale watching, the beach, and camping.
Following the story, Kozak asked the children what they thought a town manger
does. Tyler Ladd, 7, replied: “They keep everything in order and make sure things
don’t get wild.” Kozak agreed that that was a good description of what his job is
like. He spoke about making sure everything runs smoothly and making sure we have a
great town.
After talking about town government, the children and their families headed off on a
tour of the historical Town Hall building, which was built in 1874. Sharon Susienka,
executive assistant to the town manager, showed the group where all the town’s bills
are paid, and the Great Hall, which used to host town meetings and high school dances.
Families had a chance to look through the large land maps of the town to pinpoint where
they lived.
However, the highlight of the tour was the old jail on the bottom floor where
the police station used to be located. Even though the space is currently a storage closet, the children were able to walk into the old cells and see where prisoners were held.
Families are invited to West End Creamery on Purgatory Road today at 10 a.m. for
the last Read Around The Town event of the summer.
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