Diane Guercio

Originally posted in the Towne & Country, Realtors blog:

Shirley MA:

October 26-6:30 PM - 7:15 PM HALLOWEEN MAGIC SHOW with TOMMY JAMES, Contact: Shirley Library 978-425-2620
TOMMY JAMES returns with his HAUNTED HALLOWEEN MAGIC SHOW (for children) This 45 minute performance has it all! A very spooky magic wand. A haunted Jack-O-lantern. A skull that takes on a life of its own and floats all over the stage! There are ghosts and goblins and a visit from his dear friend Bunnicula the Vampire Bunny, a real live bunny appearing from his magic castle! Also added into the performance are plenty of "Trick or Treating Safety Tips" to keep our children safe on their night of spooky fun. The show will begin promptly at 6:30. Attendance is limited to the capacity of the room. To avoid disappointment, please take careful note of the start time and plan your arrival accordingly. Children are invited to come to the show dressed in their Halloween costumes. A bag of candy treats will be given to each child at the end of the show. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Hazen Memorial Library.
Location: Hazen Library

Leominster MA : The Haunted Trail at Barrett Park- "Terror in the Woods" with ghosts, ghouls and other assorted creatures. Not recommended for young children, this haunting will happen on October 15 and 16 from 7:00 until 10:00. Tickets $7

Leominster Trick-Or-Treating : October 31 from 6-8

Fitchburg MA : Halloween Concert at the Public Library - Peter and Ellen Allard will be presenting a Halloween Concert; after there will be a costume parade and trick or treating throughout the library.Free - no costumes or registration required. October 19.

Trick or Treat Fitchburg Downtown: Saturday, October 30^th from 12-3pm - there will be three starting checkpoints this year; one on Putnam Street – Premier Subs; another near the intermodal station – Second Chance, and a third at Faith United Parish. Face painting, Halloween bags and maps will be available at each site upon sign-in. Face painting will also take place here.

Fitchburg MA trick or treating: Official Trick or Treat hours for Fitchburg will be on Sunday, October 31st from 5-7pm

For other events in the area: check our 365 Things to do in MA blog for a list of Spooky Halloween activities

Recent stats for Shirley MA- activity has fallen since the end of the tax credit:

Shirley MA is located off of Route 2 between Harvard and Leominster MA, and is bisected by Route 2A. A small town with a well-appointed library and new municipal buildings and middle school, 2000′s census claimed that Shirley was called “home” by more than 6000 people.

Shirley has a large historic district and was named Most Historic Small Town by ePodunk, based on:

the number of buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places

the size of National Register Historic Districts,

the age of housing, and

the number of projects awarded a federal preservation tax credit

Shirley boasts a recreation area with a small skateboarding park, a swimming pool and a playground.

You can see Shirley’s public school test results at the Massachusetts Department of Education site.

Some other links:
Shirley MA official site
Shirley MA School District
Shirley Historical Society
Benjamin Hill Recreation Area (town pool, playground), 93 Benjamin Rd., Shirley MA
Bull Run Restaurant, Route 2A, Shirley MA
Great Wall Chinese Restaurant, 7 Main St., Shirley MA
Hazen Memorial Library, 3 Keady Way, Shirley MA – or find them on Facebook

More local restaurants and libraries from my other site

Search free for 1000s of homes here. Need to sell your home? Call me; I can give you an idea of average Days on Market and help you set a price. Use the contact form to find out an approximate value for your home:

Here is a quick slideshow of office listings. We have homes for sale throughout Central MA, in Worcester and Middlesex counties. Right now, there are 6-7 months of inventory in most of our markets. This isn't huge. Even though sales are down in the state, so are new listings. Homes that are priced properly and are presented well to buyers ARE selling. Call us if you have any questions about your area.

Looking for open houses in Leominster, Fitchburg and Shirley? Check the links below. If you are interested in another town in our area, email me a couple of days ahead with the location, specifics, and price range, and I will email you back your own personalized list of open houses.

Open houses aren't just for buyers! If you are selling your home and want an idea of pricing or what similar homes look like, open houses are good sources of information for you! You might even pick up some staging ideas!

Fitchburg Leominster Shirley and Ayer

Originally published in my other blog. I give myself permission to use it here ;)

Too hot to do what you had planned? Check out these ideas for things to do in the local Central MA area, including Shirley.

Hang out for a couple of hours at the local library, Barnes & Noble or Borders. Libraries in our area: Fitchburg, Leominster, Shirley, Lunenburg, Ayer - links with hours and programs. The Ayer library has passes to Davis Farmland - see link.

Get Ice Cream - Visiting New England has posted a top 10 list, but all ice cream is cold, and that's what you want. I can remember going to Stone's Dairy Bar in the summer with my family - I still recall the time my sister quietly spilled an entire chocolate frappe down the back of the car seat and doused my poor mother.

Local beaches and pools: here is a State list of pools, with links to beaches and ponds on the upper right hand side. Local to us (and some of our favorites) is Leominster State Forest, Willard Brook, The Town of Shirley pool at Benjamin Hill, and Mirror Lake. The last thing I want on a hot day is a long trip to the beach in traffic, whether or not the car is air conditioned. Use plenty of sunscreen, and bring along a large thermos of iced water with lemon slices.

And from the mass.gov site:

During an Extreme Heat Emergency

• Slow down, avoid strenuous activity. Do not try to do too much on a hot day.
• Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect heat and sunlight and help maintain normal body temperature. Protect your face with a wide-brimmed hat.
• Drink plenty of water regularly and often, even if you do not feel thirsty.

• Limit intake of alcoholic beverages. They can actually dehydrate your body.
• Eat well-balanced, light, regular meals. Avoid high protein foods that increase metabolic heat.
• Stay indoors as much as possible.
• If you do not have air conditioning, stay on your lowest floor, out of the sun. Electric fans do not cool the air, but they do help evaporate sweat, which cools your body. Go to a place where you can get relief from the heat, such as air conditioned schools, libraries, theaters and other community facilities that may offer refuge during the warmest times of the day.
• Avoid too much sunshine. Sunburn slows the skin’s ability to cool itself. If you are outside, use sunscreen lotion with a high SPF (Sun Protection Factor) rating.
• Never leave children or pets alone in a closed vehicle.
• Check on family, friends and neighbors.