Eagles Boys Cross-Country Team Walking Tall

An improved Sharon squad heads to Saturday's Hockomock League Championships.

Opponents may notice the Sharon High School boys cross-country team walking taller during Saturday's Hockomock League Championships. "We're a lot better than we were at the beginning of the year. We have more confidence. And we've already matched up against most of the teams in the Hock, and we've done pretty well. So, we know what to expect," says senior Ben Ryter, who captains the Eagles with classmate Danny Scribner. Sharon is 5-3 (3-1 in its division) entering Saturday's meet, at the 3.1-mile course at Borderland State Park in Easton. "Borderland's a really nice course. It's fast, and we should do pretty well there," Ryter says. Scribner says the Eagles roster is "a lot stronger than it's been" in recent years. "The past few years, we'…

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need To Know Today, Oct. 8

Enjoy the weather: hike at Moose Hill or Borderland.

"Five Things You Need To Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. 1. Attend a yard sale A yard sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 34 Essex Road. 2. Explore Borderland State Park Borderland State Park is open from 8 a.m to sunset. 3. Explore Chinese culture A Chinese Culture Club meets from 10:45 a.m. to noon in the Sharon Public Library's Cynthia B. Fox Community Room.  4. Explore Moose Hill The Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary trail hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 5. Participate in the Victory Assembly of God Prayer Corps The Victory Assembly of God Church holds a Prayer Corps -- one hour of prayer -- every Saturday, from 6 to 7 p.m.

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need To Know Today, Oct. 1

Support the SHS varsity football team.

"Five Things You Need To Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. 1. Attend the YMCA's Oktoberfest The YMCA Strong Kids Oktoberfest, featuring local singer/songwriter Lori McKenna, is from 8 to 10:30 p.m. at the Sharon Community Center. Tickets are $21, and are available to ages 21 and up. The proceeds will help provide local children and families access to life-changing, confidence-building programs and scholarships. 2. Support the Sharon High School varsity football team The Sharon High School varsity football team plays at Stoughton at 3 p.m. 3. Borrow a library book The Sharon Public Library is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 4. Learn about birds The Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary …

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Five Things You Need To Know Today, Sept. 30

Go for a walk today.

"Five Things You Need To Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. 1. Remember: School is out today The Sharon public schools are closed today for Rosh Hashanah. 2. Go Wii Bowling The Sharon Adult Center and Council on Aging's Wii Bowling co-ed league meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The cost is $1 per month, which goes into a pool for the first perfect score. 3. Borrow a library book The Sharon Public Library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 4. Explore Moose Hill The Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary trail hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 5. Explore Borderland State Park Borderland State Park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset.

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VIDEO: Borderland Mansion Celebrates 100 Years

State promises to dedicate $500,000 towards mansion in next 18 to 24 months.

It was a reason to celebrate Saturday as residents, park-goers, staff members and state officials gathered to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Borderland State Park mansion, which formerly housed Easton socialites Oakes and Blanche Ames. "We are very fortunate that the Ames family had the foresite to purchase this land and manage it as a wildlife preserve," Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Edward Lambert Jr. said in front of a large audience. The commissioner promised $500,000, courtesy of the state, to go towards restoring the mansion. According to the commissioner, the century-old building was in need of a facelift. "When you get to be 100, who doesn't need a little work done?" he said. The …

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The Outside View

Bicycle Trip To Borderland Becomes Game Of Chicken

Taunted by hawk at the start, he leaves the bird eating dust.

I go over my checklist one more time as I stand over my bicycle: fishing rod, plastic worms, sharp hooks, needle nose pliers, pen and paper.  I am ready.  It has been a while since I pedaled into the ponds of Borderland State Park.  When I first bought my house in Sharon almost 20 years ago, I would often enter the Borderland wilderness by bicycle, holding my fishing rod across the handle bars, which interferes a little with braking, so I would use my feet to help slow me down.   I am looking forward to the challenge and the memories it should bring. As I leave my driveway, the high-pitched shriek of a sharp-shinned hawk pierces through the air, and I imagine she is telling me how much quicker she can get to the ponds than I can. Down …

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Patch Passport

Venture Out

Revisit your younger days when you hopped in the car, started the engine and drove off in search of something fun. The Sunday Patch Passport maps out where you can go on a 15-, 30- or 60-minute drive from your home. You won’t want to miss these unique sto

If you’re looking to get out, enjoy nature, play a game of Frisbee golf or go for a run while taking in a piece of history at the same time, Borderland State Park is the perfect place for you. Located on Massapoag Avenue on the Easton-Sharon line, the park is the former estate of local socialites Oakes and Blanche Ames, whose stone mansion still remains the centerpiece of the property. Purchased by the Commonwealth in 1971, the former 1250-acre estate has grown to encompass nearly 1800 acres and is open to the public for any recreational activity. There are long hiking trails, fishing ponds, frisbee golf course, open fields and woods. Staffed by four full-time employees, the park also hosts a variety of programs, such as morning bird walks…

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