by Christine Galeone

Helen Keller once remarked, “Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see a shadow.”  Although she was speaking metaphorically, her words seem particularly appropriate this summer. 

Grafton has been soaking up the sunshine lately. And while some of those rays have been part of the season, some have emanated from recent community celebrations, the anticipation of future celebrations, joyful milestones, opportunities and more.  

On June 20, Town history was made. The first official Grafton public celebration of Juneteenth, the holiday that celebrates the freedom won for people who had been enslaved before and during the Civil War, was held. It was held at Mill Villages Park in South Grafton. The event, which included music, games, food, kite flying and a public art project, was sponsored by Grafton RISE (Racial Inclusion and Social Equality), a group focused on anti-racist actions and education, as well as intersectional racial justice.  

In the coming weeks, two cultural celebrations will be held. The Nipmuc Nation Pow Wow will be held Sunday July 31 beginning at 10 a.m. It will be hosted by the Nipmuc Nation Tribal Council at 25 Main Street in Grafton. Then, on Saturday Aug. 20, the Town will commemorate India’s Independence Day by hosting India Day festivities beginning at 9 a.m. in front of the Municipal Center.

From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the grounds of the Grafton Police Department on Tuesday August 2, for the 15th year and the first time since the pandemic began, the GPD will return to joining with many police departments across the country to hold a National Night Out block party to further strengthen the bond it has with residents. There will be family-friendly activities, kids’ activities, safety tips, food and music. 

A business that will be celebrating a milestone in August is Koopman Lumber. The hardware and paint store, which carries a wide variety of items for the home and backyard, as well as for contractors, is located at 82 Worcester Street in North Grafton. It was founded nearly 83 years ago by Pete Koopman. The family-owned company also has something else to celebrate. It just announced its ninth store, located in Springfield.       

Dr. Mary Ellen Curran Rancourt, an audiologist, is enjoying her business’s fourth summer in South Grafton. And she has some exciting news of her own. Hear Joy Audiology, which opened in July 2019, at 43 Main Street, offers a variety of hearing services and products for all ages (including infants). Recently, the business expanded by acquiring Twin Rivers Hearing in Smithfield, R.I. For appointments or more information, you can visit the business’s website, www.hearjoyaudiology.com.       

There are also opportunities available to people in Grafton and beyond. Small businesses that would like to receive free legal assistance can now apply for it through a program offered by the Western New England University Small Business Legal Clinic. Applications can be submitted through Aug. 15, and more information can be found at https://www1.wne.edu/law/centers/small-business-legal-clinic.cfm.  

There are opportunities for artists and photographers as well. Apple Tree Arts, the non-profit performing arts school on the Grafton Common, the Blackstone Valley Art Association, the Worcester County Camera Club, the Shakespeare Club of Grafton and Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra are calling for entries for their 2022 Small Stones Festival of the Arts. Submissions of fine art paintings and photography will be accepted until the night that the 500th entry is received. For more information, visit the festival’s website, smallstonesfestival.org.

 Finally, for people who would like to try planting a garden, it’s not too late. There are at least two Grafton businesses that have been having announcing summer sales on vegetable plants and annuals lately. Perreault Nursery & Landscape Supply in North Grafton and Pete’s Oasis at Blackstone River Farm in South Grafton might have just what you’re looking for.  

Many Grafton businesses and organizations have continued to stay focused on the sunshine.  And while doing so, they’ve helped the community to do the same. 

Contact Christine with your business news items at [email protected].