Community Member Interviews: Maurice "Mo" Tremblay

Maurice Tremblay Interview - October 17, 2024

0:00
My name is Maurice Tremblay.

0:02
"Mo" Tremblay.

0:04
And how long have you lived in Pepperell?

0:07
Since 1975, So almost 50 years.

0:14
And what brought you to Pepperell?

0:19
It was, it was more like Chelmsford, which is where I grew up.

0:26
Chelmsford was a nice small town, but during the 60s and 70s it it increased in population.

0:34
And so when we were getting married that we came out this way and looked around and it was nice and quiet and reminiscent of the old days.

0:44
So, yeah, that's what brought me.

0:47
So when you say the old days, can you describe that a little more on what what you mean?

0:51
Well, just that when I was growing up in a smaller town, just things are more personal.

0:59
You you knew your neighbors more, certainly weren't stop lights or anything.

1:06
And I guess less populated and just more rural.

1:14
Yeah, that's what I liked about it.

1:18
So what do you love most about living in Pepperell?

1:28
Well, the small town feel and the small town people.

1:34
It's, it's just seems more personal.

1:39
Get to know your neighbors more and it's not crazy crowded.

1:46
That's what I like.

1:48
So can you expand a little bit more about small town feel what what you think of when you're thinking about that term.

2:01
Smaller roads, it's less, it's easier to get around, you know, you get to know the people in the stores that are local stores and you, it's easy to become friends with more people.

2:21
So that's what I like.

2:25
And Marilyn wanted me to ask about the schools.

2:27
So can you tell me a little bit about what you do with the schools?

2:30
And yeah, we do.

2:33
What we do is pen pal program where the seniors from the Senior Center become pen pals to different, I guess 3rd grade I think it is.

2:52
So it, it's good for them and it's good for us.

2:55
It's it makes a connection between older folks and younger folks, probably helps them not be so scared of us.

3:11
When did that program start?

3:14
I'm not sure when it started, but we've been doing it for four or five years now that we write probably 3 or 4 letters back and forth through the year, throughout the year.

3:28
And then in the spring we get together with them and it's amazing how how excited they get about doing something like that.

3:41
The kids or the adults, the kids and the adults.

3:43
But, you know, I'm surprised that the kids are that excited about doing something with with adults.

3:52
So yeah, it's, it's very rewarding.

3:55
And then a few years ago we started on the program where we go in and read a book to one of the classes.

4:05
So that that's been that's been fun.

4:08
It's they're so attentive, like first grade is what I have.

4:15
And, you know, they're sitting on their carpet and they're, they're riveted to, to the story and they ask questions.

4:25
They're pretty engaging.

4:26
And yeah, it just feels good to do it to, you know, be a part of their education.

4:37
You have a favorite memory that you could share on one of those experiences with the pen pals.

4:48
A year or two ago, I was with a young fella and he's he told me that he that I reminded him or I was like his a grandfather that he didn't have.

5:02
So that was that made it pretty special.

5:09
And we've even we even continue to write after the program ended and I have some of school events that that that we had gone to.

5:24
He was, he was there and he would come up to me and be very happy to see me.

5:33
And he was in a play here last fall.

5:35
And when it was over, you know, we, we got together and he was just very excited to see me.

5:43
And I was excited to see him 'cause it's, you know, it's almost like another grandson.

5:52
So you never know where these kids are coming from.

5:54
So it's a it's a chance to make a good positive influence on them.

6:01
You have a lot of volunteers for that program.

6:05
Yeah, there's probably 12 or 15 I would think.

6:11
Yeah.

6:12
Or the reading.

6:13
There's a lot for both programs.

6:15
There's a lot pretty good turn out.

6:17
That's wonderful.

6:23
That's a really sweet story.

6:24
Yeah.

6:24
I'm sure you make a a difference in a lot of kids lives.

6:28
Well, I hope to make a little bit of difference even would be good.

6:32
Makes a difference in the senior citizens lives as well.

6:36
Yes.

6:38
Oh yeah, right.

6:38
Both ways.

6:38
They remember that someone cares.

6:41
Yep, Yep.

6:43
Is there anything in Pepperell that you would change, Even a small, small change If you're driving through and you you think, wow, I wish Pepperell had this.

7:01
Not really.

7:04
I even like the new Rotary.

7:12
I'm I'm pretty content with the way things are actually.

7:16
So no new restaurants?

7:20
No, I'm surprised there aren't more, but we're not far from from any place that you, you know, you can go to Nashua and get anything and but I kind of like it the way it is here actually.

7:43
Yeah.

7:44
Can you give more detail on on what you like about the community?

7:49
I know we talked a little bit about before, but give more details like when you think of Pepperell or how I sometimes I pose the question is if someone was interested in moving to Pepperell, what would you tell them about the community?

8:10
What would I tell them?

8:18
Well, I think for the most part the folks in charge of the in in the government part do care about the people.

8:31
They maintain their, you know, roads and things well.

8:40
Police force is great.

8:43
Fire department's great always, you know, good response time.

8:50
I think the schools are good too.

8:55
Certainly plenty of opportunity.

8:57
There's a lot of work that you a person could could do locally.

9:07
Places like this thrift shop certainly benefit everybody.

9:18
Again, it's just that small town feel.

9:22
So you know, I don't, I don't need a lot from the town, but I get everything I do need.

9:30
So do you think Pepperell has changed a lot since the 1975 when you moved this town?

9:40
I don't really think it's changed a lot.

9:43
No, I don't.

9:48
It still feels the same to me.

9:49
Really.

9:50
This this certainly been changes downtown and things, but for the most part I still feel the same way about it.

10:00
I don't think, you know, we haven't gone over that line of being too urban or overcrowded.

10:13
It still has plenty of farms and space and yeah, it's just, it still feels, feels like home.

10:48
What would you like to see for the future of Pepperell either in the near future or something for future generations?

10:59
Oh Gee, maybe a new Senior Center.

11:10
That would be good, I suppose.

11:14
More housing for affordable housing 'cause that is such a big issue nowadays is having a place you can live.

11:30
I'm not not sure what that answer to that is, but some sort of housing or in at least in thinking that way about providing housing for people who are struggling to find housing.

11:57
Yeah, you know, and continue to take care of the of public services and things providing enough funding for police and fire cause those things are pretty important in your time of need.

12:16
They're very important.

12:19
So and we do have the best here.