Town to receive state Cultural Council grant
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Northborough - The Northborough Cultural Council (NCC) learned recently from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) that it will receive $4,000 from the state to be used on grants for programs that will support cultural activities in town.

Applications for a grant, which can be used to support a variety of artistic projects and activities, are available at Town Hall, the Northborough Free Library and the Senior Center. All grant applications must be postmarked by Monday Oct. 15.

Some of the artistic projects and activities that can be helped out by grants that will be approved by the NCC include exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies and performances in schools, workshops and lectures.

State Rep. Harold P. Naughton Jr., D-Clinton, is a member of the MCC. More than $40,000 in state funds has been allocated to towns in his area, including Northborough, Clinton ($6,120), Boylston ($23,600), Lancaster ($4,000) and Sterling ($4,000).

Boylston's amount is much larger because it includes a $19,600 grant to the Worcester County Horticultural Society. That grant, also through the MCC, is dedicated to the Organized Support Program, a grant program that provides unrestricted operating funds to nearly 400 arts, humanities and science organizations with track records of education and community service. Organized Support Program grants must be matched, dollar-for-dollar, over the ensuing three-year period.

NCC Chair Terry Crean said the state money, along with the $500 the NCC receives from the town annually, will be used for cultural activities for 2008.

"Our main criteria for approving a grant application is the overall benefit to the community of the program being discussed," Crean said. "But in addition to that, there are specific points of criteria that we're looking for programs to address, including family programs, specific children's programs, programs that benefit seniors and the Senior Center, library programs and Applefest events."

Crean, who said that 12 grants were approved last year, said the NCC will gather and review the applications it receives beginning late this month. She said the NCC has until the end of the year to decide what programs will receive grant monies.

"Once we choose the grant recipients, we notify those who submitted grant application requests that were not selected," Crean said, "and give them the opportunity to appeal our decision, if they wish. Once the appeal process is over, some time in mid-January, we notify the people who submitted grant applications that were accepted. If all goes well, by mid-February we will be announcing the next list of Northborough Cultural Council grant recipients."

The NCC is part of a grassroots network of 329 local councils that serve every city and town in the state.

Application forms and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available at www. mass-culture.org.