By Sandy Meindersma CORRESPONDENT Worcester Telegram
WEST BOYLSTON­ The West Boylston Bicentennial Web site is counting down the days, minutes, hours and seconds until the town’s 200th anniversary. With 91 days to go, the plans for a yearlong celebration are coming together.

The town was created out of parts of Boylston, Holden, Lancaster, Shrewsbury and Sterling after 30 families led by Ezra Beaman built a church on what is now the Common so that they would not have to travel to Boylston for church services and town meetings.

The Bicentennial Committee’s goal is to have at least one event each month that honors or recognizes the town’s bicentennial in some way. “We’ve been working on things for a couple of years,” said Valmore H. Pruneau Jr., chairman of the committee.

The events will include a Founders’ Day, Incorporation Weekend, a Revolutionary War re-enactment, and of course, a parade. Activities Committee member John McCormick said the committee is working with the post office to develop a special postmark in honor of the bicentennial.

In recognition of his accomplishment, Ezra Beaman Day will kick off the year of celebration on Jan. 30. Mr. McCormick said the day will include proclamations from the Statehouse and speeches from local dignitaries. The winner of a high school essay contest will be announced and the winner will read his or her essay as part of the day.

“We are also trying to find a student who will dress up like Ezra Beaman,” Mr. McCormick said.

In honor of the town’s incorporation, the town will re-enact its first town meeting on March 7 as part of Incorporation Weekend.

“There were 17 articles, and it’s the same stuff that we’re talking about 200 years later ­ Memorial Day, repair of roads and bridges, alcohol licenses, the library and the Fire Department,” Mr. McCormick said. “I only have the warrant ­ I still need to get the minutes to see how they voted.”

Mr. McCormick said the Beaman Oak Garden Club is hosting a Grand Ball at the Wachusett Country Club on March 8.

“We’re going to ask the churches in town to include the town in their services on Sunday morning,” Mr. McCormick said. “And there will be a brunch at The Manor.”

In June, a weekend-long Revolutionary War re-enactment will be held that could have as many as 1,000 soldiers from both sides, complete with cavalry and cannons. “It’s going to be a living, breathing history lesson,” committee member Gail Radcliffe said.

Mrs. Radcliffe said the re-enactors are willing to go to the schools and provide a “living, breathing history lesson” to the students and to allow the students to help put up the campsites.

The fall highlight will be a Sept. 21 parade, which will begin on Route 12, travel north to Central Street and end at Goodale Park with a fireworks display.

“It will be between two and three hours long,” Mr. Pruneau said. “The police, the Fire Department and the DPW are all involved.”

Mr. Pruneau said that while many plans are coming together, there is still a great need for volunteers and funding.

“I’ll take as many volunteers as I can get. We don’t have anywhere what we need,” he said. “Anyone willing to donate time or money should contact Kim Hopewell in the town clerk’s office or Nancy Lucier in the town administrator’s office.”

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