Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Teachers, students and volunteers team up to renovate outdated woodshop and classroom at Ottoson Middle School.
Over February break, volunteers, students and teacher Allison Oropallo teamed up to to renovate an outdated technology education woodshop and classroom at Ottoson Middle School. The project started when Oropallo, of "All American Handyman" fame, received a call from an old high school classmate, P.J. Davey, who runs New Hampshire nonprofit Paint It Forward. Together they are repainting the entire technology education wing, replacing the flooring and putting in improved lighting. All of this is to create a more usable and innovative learning environment for students, Oropallo said. Oropallo and Davey have one week to complete the classroom makeover. With more than a hundred volunteers from the community and Arlington Public Schools, the duo…
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Check to make sure your windows are insulated properly and your caulking has not cracked.
This winter we have been lucky with the mild weather, but temperatures have reached below freezing a couple times so far and we all know it’s coming. Now is the time to check to make sure your windows are working properly. I recently did a job where I removed the trim to a window and found that there was no insulation whatsoever. The homeowner was complaining about cold breezes throughout the winter across her living room. She indicated to me that her curtains would sway with the wind—in the winter. The homeowner also told me that there was ice build-up inside of the window glass. I was called in after the homeowner reached out to two other professionals who couldn’t figure out the problem. When I got to the house, I noticed there was wood…
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
A simple solution saves Ottoson teacher Allison Oropallo, of Stoneham, from delays in vacation to Hawaii.
Since it is the holiday season I know a lot of you will be travelling. With winter arriving Thursday, I wouldn't be surprised if on your trip home you hit snow. In any case I thought I would share a "MacGyver"-type moment I had while traveling this summer on a plane. This summer I traveled to Hawaii and on my way home I had some delays because of Hurricane Irene. I ended up staying in Hawaii for a week longer than I was supposed to (I mean who doesn’t want to stay in Hawaii for an extra week? But I did have to get home and back to reality). I was supposed to be back on a Monday, but due to Hurricane Irene plans changed. It took 2 1/2 attempts to fly home; the first being Irene, the second being a problem with the plane, and the half point …
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Your local handywoman explains what she did with her new tools.
After winning HGTV's "All American Handyman fan favorite", I was finally able to purchase some tools I have always wanted — tools I could never really let myself actually spend the cash to get. Growing up in the Adirondacks of New York, I realize how much Adirondack-style furniture has shaped my life. The timber look always reminds me of a warm, cozy cabin. Actually, I have always wanted to get into making Adirondack furniture, but I could never get myself to pay for the tenon bits to make this possible. These bits range from $150 to $350 each. With my fan favorite Sears gift card, I bought three of them. My first project was to make a dog bed out of raw timber. I built the bed out of hickory. The tenon bits need some power behind them; …
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Joe Curro becomes the first candidate for Board of Selectmen, police stop a drug deal near Arlington High School and Post Office closures to be pushed back.
Authorities this week identified the man whose body was found in Spy Pond on Tuesday. The deceased is Cameron Raudonis-Blicker, 23, of Derry, N.H. A cause of death has not been determined. School Committee member Joe Curro became the first candidate to take out papers to run for the Board of Selectmen. In an interview, Curro said he wants to be the voice of Arlington Public Schools parents, following the expected 2012 departure of Selectman Annie LaCourt. And Superintendent Kathleen Bodie has been asked to review the school district’s protocols on student confidentiality, after an official mistakenly distributed a redistricting map showing approximate addresses of special education homes. Here are more of this week's essential news from …
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A freezer that was "broken" for more than a year gets a quick fix.
[About this column: Stoneham resident and former HGTV "All American Handyman" contestant Allison Oropallo discusses home improvement projects. Check out her column on Wednesdays.] I was doing a variety of work for a friend last year – all sorts of odd jobs like installing a new GFI, fixing a porch, painting, hanging curtains, fixing blinds, and installing a new medicine cabinet. After completing all the general odd jobs, I went back to take a look at the smaller issues around the house to see if I could do anything else for my friend, who we'll call "Mallory." She walked me around the house pointing out the little things that she really wanted fixed. Let me preface this by telling you how great Mallory was to work for. She is hilarious and…
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Allison Oropallo teaches you to make a window seat to help man's best friend get a glimpse of the outside.
Have you ever thought about life through a dog’s eye? I did recently. I have a Bassett Hound and he is what I call a low rider—a full-size body with legs as long as my hand. He isn't athletic, so he can't just jump up on high things, and will never be able to see from a different point of view. He lives down where I’m sure the air smells of feet and dust. Windows aren't made so dogs can see the outdoors, except for Great Danes. My Basset Hound stands on his short hind legs with his front legs resting on the windowsill just to get a glimpse of the outside world. He has done this quite a bit for a long time, but this weekend I decided that I was going to make his dreams come true. I started by rummaging around the basement for scraps of wood…
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
It’s that time of year to extend our hearts out to others.
It’s that time of year again. You know, that time when most people extend their hearts out in some shape or form to others. Whether it is through gifts or acts of kindness, this time of year seems to open people’s hearts. And the awesome thing about the holidays is the way everyone feels: It doesn’t matter if you do the giving or receiving, caring always feels good. This year I have a challenge for you. If you are fairly handy or have ambitions to be handy, I challenge you to make gifts rather than buy them. I think we can all agree that there is something indescribable about putting your own sweat (and sometimes blood) into a gift for someone. I have been making gifts for family and friends since I can remember. And my parents still have …
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Nonprofit Paint it Forward vows to help transforming technology education classrooms into optimal learning environments for Arlington's middle school students.
Have you ever seen the movie “Pay It Forward?” If you haven't, you should check it out. And if you have seen the movie, I think you know where this is going. Ottoson Middle School is teaming up with nonprofit Paint it Forward to make the Technology Education classrooms optimal learning environments for Arlington's students. Paint it Forward takes classrooms and transforms them from white-walled cluttered spaces to warm, inviting, organized environments where kids love to go and learn. I thought we did a pretty decent job with what we had done with our generous donations. But after meeting with Paint it Forward founder PJ Davey, I was blown away with this nonprofit’s focus on networking and getting so many people to dedicate their time and …
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
After countless hours of work, sweat, designing and teamwork, they've finally done it.
After countless hours of work, sweat, designing, and teamwork, Ottoson Middle School technology engineering students finished renovating our room. It looks great and we can now fit everyone in the room. The students were given the chance to stay after school to work on the room. And even though no grades were given for this, students decided to help because they wanted to. They were a pleasure to work with and I am very thankful for their efforts. Students cooperated with each other and helped each other when in need. Those who weren’t directly involved with the project were very impressed the next day during class when they saw the result. “It's like a new room,” some said. I would like to sincerely thank all the parents and members of …
Melisa Passanisi Thorne
1:13 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Awesome Story! I bet the passengers were glad you were there! Merry Christmas. more ›