The Press., 1922-08-10
ASHR0R.Ih

 has held no meetings for several
 months Deaths in the families of
 some of the leading officers last win ter, and the removal from town of others, caused a cessation of activities
 Then there was a feeling on the part of the association that perhaps the members and the community had been
 more interested in fine meetings and
 entertainments than in considering
 real community plans, and so the as- sociatiOn has been allowed to drift to see whether anybody really missed it.
 But now there is an awakening. The
 membership was renewed in good
 numbers last January and February,
 as over 60 members paid their dues without a membership canvas, and had there been a push for it, no doubt the
 list would have gone beyond hun dren. The association now has $193 in
 it's treasury. The awakening has come from certain happenings which
 raise the question as to whether the
 people of the town are going to sit back and see the region grow up to trush with rocks prOtruding where the highways once were. Even the state highways have been allowed to I deteriOrate and it is felt that 1t is mistake for the state to allow that. But in this connection it is said that it is necessary to await action by the next legislature to see what can be done hy cooperation between town and state to keep the chief highways in condition and to complete the con- structiOn of the two main thorough fares already projected through the town by state plans. But the imme- diate problem is the miserable condi- tiOn of some of the cross town roads, or lack roads, as they are called. The recent heavy rain storm so ripped mp the roads along the route of R. F. D. No. 3 which comes from Stafford Springs over Rockwell Hill, down by Roaring Brook school house, then over Westford Village, that portions be- came impossible, and the carrier has had to give up his usual rounds in part and is now leaving WestfOrd mail at the post office and the people have to call for it. Worse than that, the government has sent notice that unless these roads are made passable the R. F, D. will be discontinued This puts the problem right up to the town of Ashford. The selectmen say that there is no money available to make adequate repairs, and that they do not feel warranted in going ahead without authority from the town. LO- cal taxpayers are averse to increasing the rate, while others reply that the present wretched condition of the roads costs the people of the town more by it's inconvenience to every body and it's damage to all vehicles than suitable repairs will cost, and in fact tends to make the town unhabit- able. Others say that the back towns must be eventually abandoned unless the state comes to the rescue. A good many believe, however that more of bugbear is made of this problem than the facts warrant, and that real public sentiment could wake up the town fathers to action, or elect some new fathers who will be more alive to the situation, It is even sug- gested that perhaps some of the live l town mothers may take an interest in 1 the problem, through their new pow | CTS of citizenship. It is understood | that plans are on foot for a big com | munity meeting to be held in Bucks 1 grove, WestfOrd, the latter part of Au- | gust, probably on the 25th, with speakers to discuss ''Ashford's Prob | lems"
 WarrenVille
 Mrs. E. A. Rossiter is entertaining | guests from New York.
 Charlie Baileygates of Hartford is visiting his uncle, Father Dunn.
 The James boys attended birthday | party at Coventry one afternoon last week.
 Mrs. Ellen Kendall is entertaining her granddaughters, the Misses Jen- ney, of Greenfield, Mass.
 While the rains have kept haymak- DTS guessing, they have kept pasturage good and crops flOurishing.
 Mrs. Edward Marble of Worcester, and members of the family near and lar, are at their old homestead for the month.
 The roll call of the church brought ,Ogether gOOdly number on Sunday. The evening hour was in charge of ). P. Durkee.
 The Bible society will hold it's an- lual meeting in the grove at the home )f Frank Green at Ashford Town next Wednesday. This Old Home day al ways brings together large crowd.
 Among our elderly citizens to be in 'ather feeble condition in late months, s Dwight Shippee. In the days when sheep raising was a main industry in he used to shear hundreds 'f sheep every spring.
 This summer marks an even fifteen 'ears since infirmity compelled Miss Della A. Clifford of this place, to re- ire from active life and join the ranks # the "shut-ins." Few people con- lected with this town are as widely ,nOwn as Sister Della" In the days 'efOre her sensibilities became paral- zed and sight failed her, her personal ettePs and gifts to friends penetrated III quarters of the nation. Unlike Martha of old, Encountered with much serving" during these years of nvalidism she has had time to reflect IpOn those finer sentiments of life. which make for saintliness. Always lad to see her hundreds of friends. he still welcomes all callers.
 SOMERS
 Mrs. Fred E. Field has returned rom weeks vacation spent at