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SMALL FRIENDS AWARDED GIFT, GRANT The Small Friends on Nantucket Building Dreams Capital Campaign was recently awarded a second gift from the Schwab Charitable Fund, both made possible by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, and a $500,000 matching grant from an anonymous donor. The grant is being given to Small Friends after the campaign successfully matched an initial grant of $250,000 in four months. With these grants Small Friends has raised $3 million toward their final goal of $4.2 million in just 15 months. The Capital Campaign is benefiting the building of Nantucket's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified "green" building for Nantucket's early childcare and education center.

NANTUCKET SCHOOL REQUEST PUT ON HOLD BY STATE Although Nantucket was not on the list to receive the first state funding for school projects in four years, with 83 other schools in the Commonwealth moving on to the next round for potential funding, schools superintendent Dr. Robert Pellicone said the island is not out of the running by any means.

A sketch of Small Friends' new home on Nobadeer Farm Road.

"We're very much alive in the process," Dr. Pellicone said yesterday. "The reason we did not get any money at this time is that they did not visit us."

Schools selected for the special funding went through a review process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority who conducted on-site evaluations. According to the Massachusetts School Building Authority Web site, the schools chosen for funding met the "criteria of having the worst physical condition or overcrowding contributing to poor educational environments in the Commonwealth."

Nantucket's request was put on hold, while the selected schools qualified for a "feasibility invitation," "repair assessment," or "project scope invitation."

Pellicone hoped to use the state funding to expand classroom space at Nantucket Elementary School which has 623 students in pre-school through grade five. The school committee and administrators discussed using temporary, trailer-like classrooms at the elementary school this year, but decided against it. According to the state report, 585 students were registered in the elementary school last year.

Dr. Pellicone said the Massachusetts School Building Authority will visit the island this spring. Schools who made the preliminary list for potential funding include Holbrook, Blue Hills and West Bridgewater. Barnstable and Harwich also applied for the funding but were not selected at this time.

The school aid to be given is part of a $2.5 billion aid package the state will award schools over the next five years. Dr. Pellicone said the state typically funds projects up to 50 percent and that Nantucket's request will be around $13 million.

ASSOCIATION HONORS INDEPENDENT COLUMNIST Jan Jaeger, a member of the Cat Writer's Association and weekly columnist for The Nantucket Independent, was honored with the Hartz Glamour-Puss Award at CWA's 14th national conference held in Foster City, Cal. earlier this month. Jaeger received the award for an article she wrote for her column, Pet Tracks.

The Hartz Glamour-Puss Award was for the best single entry on the topic of feline skin and coat care. Jaeger's article, "The Cat Bath, Part I," was published January 3, 2007, and is republished on page 26 of this week's Independent. It describes bathing her geriatric cat, Jezebel, in particular, and cat bathing in general. The Hartz Mountain Corporation contributed both a commemorative plaque and a monetary award. Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd. of Nantucket.

A DRIVE TO WARM UP FAMILIES ASafe Place is holding its second annual holiday donation drive for Nantucket's neediest families. New and used winter jackets, gloves, hats, scarves, pajamas, sweaters, sweatshirts, boots and socks are all being accepted for adults and children. All items must be clean and in good condition. Donations can be dropped off at 24 Amelia Drive from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until December 17. For further information, contact A Safe Place at 228-0561.

BARRETT, BERGERON TAKE FIRSTS Christina Barrett and William Bergeron competed in the second annual 10K Lake Norman Turkey Trot in North Carolina, with Barrett taking first place overall in the women's division and Bergeron finishing first in his age group.

On Oct. 6, the couple completed the 25th annual Applefest half marathon in Hollis, N.H., finishing in the top five percentile out of 1,300 runners. Barrett placed tenth overall in the female division. The two plan on running the

Hyannis half-marathon in February. I