The 40th Anniversary of Shriver's Job Corps
Devens Shriver center
By C. David Gordon
DEVENS Area residents and local and state officials joined students and staff at the Shriver Job Corps Center in a celebration of the national Job Corps' 40th anniversary.
Shriver center Director Peter LaFleur, who acted as master of ceremonies for last week's event, praised the "great turnout from the community."
The dedication of a time capsule to be opened in 40 years was part of the open house at the center.
LaFleur said the concrete time capsule with its colorful lid painted with the center's logo had been "a real team effort" by the cement masonry shop and the painting shop.
Topping the formal capsule dedication festivities was the reading of a letter from Sargent Shriver, who helped found Job Corps in 1964 and in whose honor this center was named at its opening in 1999.
Shriver wrote the letter to mark the occasion since he no longer makes public appearances.
Matthew Stone, president of the Shriver Student Government Association, read aloud the letter.
"I extend my thanks to the over 2 million Job Corps graduates who have proved that the Job Corps works, that Job Corps graduates pay back more than our government puts into their Job Corps education!" Shriver wrote.
"Our Job Corps graduates are proof that our original dream, our vision, was realistic!" he continued. "We proved that all of us could work together, successfully, to provide the necessary skills to thousands of young Americans who had neither jobs nor skills! Our program was a "no-fault program.' Nobody was blaming anyone for where we, the lucky ones, were, or where they, the unlucky ones, the unemployed, were!'
He characterized Job Corps since its inception as "not then, and never has been, a federal government program imposed on an unwilling and uninterested economic system."
"From the start it was a joint venture by business, labor, the private sector and government persons dedicated to the proposition that all Americans who want to work deserve a chance to prepare themselves, voluntarily and energetically, for a job," he wrote. "Not "forced work,' not holier than thou "work fare,' but genuine voluntary work for a freely chosen employer under truly human working conditions.
"Our combined efforts succeeded!" Shriver wrote. "The Job Corps has survived and prospered. It has served our nation well."
Speaking for the Ayer Board of Selectmen, Chairman Paul Bresnahan said, "The town of Ayer is delighted to have Job Corps here." He noted that former Ayer Selectman James Fay is on the Shriver center staff. "Ayer has been pleased to have used Job Corps students," he said, to assist in the work of providing government services.
State Sen. Pamela Resor, D-Acton, said she had attended several Shriver center graduations and had been "very impressed with the program." She presented an official citation from the state Senate.
A proclamation came too from U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, read by his aide Julie Ryder. In the letter he recalled being present six years ago for the Shriver center dedication.
"I wish I could be here today," he wrote. "Job Corps gives students hope."
In the message from U.S. Rep. John Olver, D-Springfield, read by his aide Eladia Romero-Rodriguez, the congressman promised "strong support for full funding" for Job Corps in the face of President George Bush's indication he wants to cut its budget.
Gov. Mitt Romney and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey also sent a proclamation. The described Job Corps as "deserving of recognition by all the citizens of Massachusetts."
Fay read the official citation from the state House of Representatives signed by Rep. Robert Hargraves, R-Groton.
Esperanza Watkins from the office of U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan, D-Lowell, presented Meehan's proclamation.
LaFleur indicated copies of the proclamations and letters were to be placed in the time capsule. "All these gifts!" he said. "It's just wonderful."
The celebration of Job Corps's anniversary countrywide, LaFleur said, "is a year-long celebration to recognize the accomplishments of Job Corps."
Open house visitors had the opportunity to see displays of some of what has been accomplished. They could view a display on the history of Job Corps and enjoy good food prepared by the culinary arts students.
This reporter toured the applied academic program.
Students in one classroom were completing artistic pages for a scrapbook to be placed in the time capsule, one page would contain a dedication to Shriver.
A social studies class was winding up a discussion of Present Lyndon Johnson and his War on Poverty and the work of Shriver for the Peace Corps and Job Corps.
In the painting program shop, Jose Colon, of Lawrence, one of those who had worked on the time capsule, demonstrated plastering.
In the cement masonry program shop Adam Berberena, of Gardner, also one who put together the capsule, conducted a tour of the shop. He explained how another student, August Erickson, had used an engraving tool to incise the Job Corps logo into the capsule's lid.
Conducting this tour of the campus was student Stacey Ellesson, of Fitchburg, who will be leaving for work in June. She was one of many guides, each proudly wearing the distinctive Job Corps blazer.
"Job Corps has taught me a lot," she said.
