Don’t bet against U. S. Rep. Tran in the 3rd District race in Congress

U. S. Rep. Lori Trahan will definitely have a Republican opponent in the next election cycle.

The race in the state’s 3rd Congressional District became official this week, now that former state Sen. Dean Tran has filed the required number of signatures to be on the November ballot.

“The people in the district deserve a voice, someone who will represent them with integrity and transparency, and I look forward to representing them,” Tran, of Fitchburg, stated in his announcement release.

Trahan’s team said Tran represents the extreme wing of his party.

“The last thing families, particularly women, in the Third District need is an antichoice representative whose sole focus is joining Kevin McCarthy and Marjorie Taylor Greene to reverse the decades of progress we’ve made,” a spokesperson for Trahan, a Democrat from Westford, said via a text message.

Tran’s announcement, meanwhile, paints Trahan as supportive of the failed leadership embodied by President Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

“The people of the Third Congressional District are suffering from record inflation and gas prices, with many facing their economic breaking point.”

Trahan, who won the spot on the Democratic ballot in 2018 by winning that hotly contested primary by just 145 votes, faced no opposition in either the primary or general election in 2020.

This upcoming congressional race will give Tran the opportunity to rehabilitate his somewhat sullied political reputation.

The embodiment of the American Dream, Tran, a refugee from Vietnam, was a rising star in the state Republican Party before running afoul of some ethics lapses in the Legislature.

Tran previously served on the Fitchburg City Council from 2005 to 2017 and in the state Senate from 2017 to 2021.

He became the first person of color elected to the City Council, and the first Vietnamese American elected to the state Senate.

An undeniable longshot to crack the state’s exclusively Democratic congressional delegation, Tran need look no further than last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby for inspiration.

That’s where Rich Strike, a horse that gained entry after a last- minute scratch, overcame 80- 1 odds to win the 148th

Run for the Roses.

Apple Blossom Fest in full bloom again

While COVID- 19 remains a concern, it’s encouraging to see this Leominster rite of spring return from its pandemiccaused hibernation.

We’re referring to the 21st Sholan Farms Apple Blossom Festival, which takes place from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. this Saturday, after a two- year pandemic hiatus.

Friends of Sholan Farms President Joanne Dinardo said preserving the longevity of the farm and festival has been “a truly amazing journey for the Friends of Sholan Farms and the City of Leominster.”

“I love the fact that we get to host a community event that is sure to bring joy to everyone who attends and everyone who has had a hand in saving this orchard,” she said.

The free festival at the Pleasant Street layout will feature food trucks, local crafters, entertainment, raffles, kids’ activities, wagon rides, and a new activity, scavenger hunts for kids and adults.

And of course, the main attraction is those beautiful and plentiful apple blossoms.

Visitors will have the option to release a butterfly as part of a parade in celebration of spring, or in honor of a loved one for $ 5 and purchase goodies from the candy shop.

The large- scale event requires a plethora of volunteers to make it happen and the generosity of local sponsors.

Longtime Friends of Sholan Farms board member Patti Lagrassa is handing over the event chair reins to Roxanne Chamber after a decade of spearheading the festival, though they’re co- chairing this year’s event.

With temperatures forecasted to be in the mid- 80s on Saturday, Lagrassa said organizers anticipate a good turnout for the festival.

It appears that even Mother Nature can’t wait to get this party started.