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Vol. 46 | No. 48 | November 27, 2020
An act of heroism
Shrewsbury Town Moderator will not seek reelection in 2021
Northborough teens save neighbor from allergic reaction after bee stings (l to r) Mike Cashel, Gregory Stern and Johnny Meschisen pose for a photo after the boys received their certificates of heroism from the town of Northborough as a thank you for their actions saving’s Stern’s life.
By Melanie Petrucci Senior Community Reporter SHREWSBURY – Shrewsbury Town Moderator Christopher G. Mehne has decided that he will not seek reelection in 2021 The Moderator presides over town meetings and is responsible for appointment to the Finance Committee, Christopher G. Mehne Personnel Board and Shrewsbury’s representative to the Lake Quinsigamond Commission. In a letter to town officials, he wrote: “Serving as Moderator during the past 12 years has been a most enjoyable and rewarding experience for me.” “I am proud of all of my appointments to these boards and grateful to each of the members involved Moderator | 39
inside this issue: news .....................4 business ...............10 people & places .....12 homes & more ........30 schools ...................31
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By Liz Nolan, Contributing Writer NORTHBOROUGH - When Northborough resident Gregory Stern was mowing his lawn on Aug. 19, he hit an underground yellow jacket nest. Being stung is never pleasant, but when you have an allergy, it can be life threatening if left untreated. Stern credits neighbors Algonquin Regional High School ninth graders and friends Johnny Meschisen and Michael Cashel for saving his life. Stern and his son Chris honored the boys on Nov. 14 with certificates of heroism from the town of Northborough Board of Selectmen and with authentic jerseys from their favorite teams - Cashel is a Duke fan; Meschisen a Bruins fan. “If they were not there when my dad was stung he would not be alive today,” said Chris. “I am forever grateful to each of them for their life saving act.” Heroes | 9
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COMMUNITY | News believe
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REGION - Although the pandemic has stolen a great deal from our lives, there have been a few silver linings. Among them is a deeper appreciation of the things we may have taken for granted. The adversity we have experienced has served as a reminder of how blessed we are to be part of a loving family and a close-knit community. The Community Advocate’s “Buy • Believe • Local” initiative is designed to shine a light on the local businesses and organizations that make our communities great. This pandemic has pushed local businesses to the brink and we must all do our part to support them if they are going to make it through. Over the next several months you will see the Buy • Believe • Local logo attached to events and offers designed to bolster local businesses. In fact, in this edition (page 39) you will see the Buy • Believe • Local partnership we have with the Corridor Nine/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce. It is just another reminder that we all win when we “Believe in Community” and work to support local business.
CommunityAdvocate
SHREWSBURY - Central One Federal Credit Union recently honored 18 employees for their combined 220 years of service, including President and CEO David L’Ecuyer, who is celebrating 30 years of service. Due to COVID-19 precautions, a virtual acknowledgment was held at a recent staff meeting. The David L’Ecuyer honorees include: • Janet Iocco, Shrewsbury Asst. Branch Manager-25 years, • Michael Thompson, Consumer Loan Processor-20 years, • Andrea Pageau, Senior MSC Agent-20 years, • Judith Misener, Northborough Asst. Branch Manager-15 years, • Cynthia Zilioli, Westborough Relationship Specialist-15 years, • Jeffrey Dunn, Sr. Vice President of Lending -15 years, • Rebecca Niemiec, Core Administrator– 15 years • Eva Polymeros, Director of Card Services – 15 years • Karen Mills, SVP of Operations & Information Systems– 10 years • Stephen Georgeson, Administrative Clerk – 5 years • Kaitlin McCarthy, Accountant – 5 years • Michelle Sauriol, Administrative Assistant – 5 years • Erin McKinley, Oak Tree Insurance CSR – 5 years • Kevin Sanavage, Senior MSC Agent – 5 years • Jeffrey Singer, W.F. Financial Investment Advisor – 5 years • Deepshikha Dutta, Data Operations Specialist– 5 years • Heather Forchilli, Northborough Branch Manager– 5 years For more information visit www.centralfcu.com.
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4 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
COMMUNITY | News
Let the good times roll Tony Soul Project’s frontman strives to perform until he’s 80 M A R L BO RO UGH – By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
D
uring the same time period when some workers consider retiring to get rest and relaxation, Tony “Soul” Parente of Marlborough relaunched his professional singing career at age 64 in 2011.
Parente adopted the stage name Tony Soul when he began his first singing stint as a teenager. After a lengthy hiatus, he returned to performing and ultimately formed the Tony Soul Project. He plans to continue singing into the foreseeable future. “I want to keep this up until I’m at least 80 years old,” he declared. “Right now, I’m in the best shape of my life.” A Milford native, raised in Framingham, Parente first heard soul music in his early
teens on WILD-AM when the radio station was devoted to airing rhythm and blues, and its subgenres. “The vocals, the style and down-home dialect of this music that these guys were singing fascinated me,” Parente recalled. The teenage Parente worked an after-school job and hitchhiked from Framingham to Boston to buy 45-RMP records. He shopped at the now-closed Big John’s Oldies but Goodies Tony Soul | 7
Above: Tony “Soul” Parente Right: The Tony Soul Project: (l to r) guitarist Mike Kalenderian, saxophonist Marcus Washington, vocalist Tony “Soul” Parente, drummer James Thomas, bassist Henry James and slide guitarist Danny Clark.
PHOTO/SHERRY MARIE PARENTE & EFFECTS/BUBBA SQUATCH
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SHREWSBURY - Shrewsbury Fire recruit and Call Firefighter Jonathan Evangelou graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy’s Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Training Program Nov. 5. Graduates were recognized in a ceremony at the Department of Fire Services’ headquarters in Stow. “On behalf of the entire department, I want to congratulate Firefighter Evangelou for completing this rigorous training program, which will make him abundantly prepared to further serve the Shrewsbury community,” Chief James Vuona said. “We are looking forward to the day when he will join our full-time ranks.” Evangelou has been a call firefighter with the Shrewsbury Fire Department since last November, and is first in line on the department’s civil service reserve list, which will result in him being appointed as a full-time firefighter when a position becomes available. During the 16-week training, firefighters learned the basic skills they need to respond to fires, including how to contain and control fires, public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquid control, stress management, firefighter selfrescue and vehicle extrication. In order to graduate, firefighters completed 240 hours of training, all on nights and weekends, while demonstrating proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack in situations ranging from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multi-room structure fires. Evangelouwasoneof38graduates representing the fire departments of Athol, Ayer, Barre, Berlin, Carlisle, Dover, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Holden, Hopedale, Leicester, Millville, Oxford, Pepperell, Princeton, Sherborn, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Stow, Tyngsborough, Upton, Uxbridge, West Boylston and Weston.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 7
COMMUNITY | News
Tony Soul Project’s frontman strives to perform until he’s 80 Tony Soul | from page 4
Land, located on Washington Street in the now-defunct adult entertainment district known as the city’s Combat Zone. “Big John’s had all the soul releases that I couldn’t find in the suburbs,” Parente relayed. “This guy turned me on to the musical giants back then – Eugene Pitt and the Jive Five, James Brown, Wilson Picket and Otis Redding. All my money went to buying records.” Several years later at age 19 in 1966, Parente began working next door to Big John’s at the Intermission Lounge as lead singer of Tony Soul and the Midnight Hours. Their repertoire was primarily soul music along with British rock ‘n’ roll. They performed at the club on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and a Sunday matinee. “We worked ourselves to the bone,” Parente noted. “We were young and stupid – and there were drugs everywhere. There were also go-go dancers, who couldn’t be onstage at the
The Tony Soul Project: (l to r) vocalist Tony “Soul” Parente, drummer James Thomas, lead guitarist Mike Kalenderian, bassist Henry James, and slide guitarist Danny Clark; not pictured saxophonist Marcus Washington
PHOTOS/SHERRY MARIE PARENTE
same time as us.” The band abruptly disbanded in 1969 after their lead guitarist, John Smith, was killed in an auto accident following a gig. Smith was one of Parente’s best friends and a buddy from Framingham. “It hit me really hard – I cried for weeks,” Parente recounted. “We had a very close
relationship and did everything together. That’s when I stopped performing.” The soul singer became a national sales representative with Bekins Company based in Hillside, Illinois. A chance meeting in 2011 with a musician who recognized Parente as Tony Soul led them to perform together in
a short-lived band known as Rico Moon. “They were older cats with some miles on them,” Parente said of his former bandmates. “We’d rehearse and develop songs, and then they’d forget them the next week. I’d get frustrated.” At the same time, Parente frequented venues where vo-
calists and musicians took part in jam sessions. While jamming at Acton Jazz Café, he met lead guitarist Mike Kalenderian and they formed the Tony Soul Project in 2012. Soon afterward, they started performing eight to 14 gigs monthly throughout central and eastern Massachusetts. “It was still a jam band,” Parente explained. “We’d bring in musicians here and there. It was me and Mike and a bunch of other guys.” Their current bandmates are bassist and musical director Henry James, slide guitarist Danny Clark, drummer James Thomas and saxophonist Marcus Washington. “This is the tightest band that I’ve ever played with in my life,” Parente raved. “Every time we play, it gets better and better. These guys are absolutely unbelievable.” Find more information about the Tony Soul Project at easyepk.com/artist/tsp and facebook.com/tonysoulproject.
Selectmen seek revisions and clarifications to open space plan By Melanie Petrucci Contributing Writer SHREWSBURY – Town Planner Bernard Cahill, Mimi Kaplan from the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission and members of the Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) committee met with the Board of Selectmen at their Nov. 10 meeting. They presented their final draft of the updated Open Space Recreation Plan with the hopes of gaining approval to forward the plan to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation Services. The process began in 2019 with the purpose of articulating the “community’s vision and strategies to preserve and enhance the town’s open space.” A committee was formed which collected data and constructed a community profile. Environmental and water quality issues were identified, and open space was inventoried. A survey of the community was conducted, and a public forum was held on August 31. “Plans need to be updat-
ed every seven years to be current and approved by the state. Having an approved plan makes a community eligible for land and park grants,” Kaplan noted. She explained that in this plan open space refers to conservation forest, recreation and agricultural land and parks but it can also refer to undeveloped land with an interest in conservation or passive and active recreation. Since the plan was last updated in 2012 several of the goals had been met such as the creation of a Trails Committee but others were not which have been included in this updated version. One of the provisions of the updated plan called for the formation of an OSRP Implementation Committee which would meet with nonprofit conservation organizations relevant to open space activities and identify and prioritize unprotected land. While the draft was met with general praise, the Board agreed that considering the recent adoption of the Community Preservation Act (CPA)
in the Nov. 3 presidential election, they shared concerns of overlapping committees. Towns that have adopted the CPA must form a Community Preservation Committee to assess community needs including open space and recreation. Kane said that he didn’t support the creation of another committee that would strain town resources. He suggested perhaps adding two additional persons to the Parks & Recre-
ation Commission. In commenting on several items, he noted relative to water aquifer protection: “I think we’ve established a pretty good track record as recent as this past Town Meeting of undertaking an effort to protect the land around the various well heads…I think you can put that in an accomplishment column as well.” “There could be a lot of overlap here and until we have some clarity on what’s hap-
pening with the CPA, I think we should be holding off,” added Selectman Moe DePalo. Cahill replied that the intent of the OSRP plan was not to create a whole new committee per se but to make sure that action items of the plan were implemented. He assured that Board that he will take into consideration the Board’s feedback and will come back with a revised plan for them to review and vote at their Nov. 24 meeting. Family owned & operated for over 60 years
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COMMUNITY | News
Westborough Center for History and Culture Exploring town’s past, documenting the present for future generations By Brett Peruzzi Contributing Writer WESTBOROUGH - Anthony Vaver, local history librarian for the Westborough Center for History and Culture, a department of the Westborough Public Library, originally planned to become a professor after he obtained his Ph.D. in English literature. But lack of jobs led him to become a librarian, a profession in which he could pursue his interest in the relationship between culture and history. “People often confuse me for being the town historian, but I am really a librarian,” said Vaver. “My job is to direct people to resources that can help answer their questions about Westborough and its history.” When Vaver joined the library in 2015, he inherited the “Westborough Room,” which housed the library’s local history collection. “I felt like the name of the room was too generic and did not adequately describe what I saw as the potential for its collections and what they represent to our community,” he recalled. “We introduced the new name to the local history program beginning in 2017. We chose ‘Center’ to indicate that the local history room is a welcoming place where people can explore where they live in a variety of ways, and then share what they learn with other members of our community,” Vaver explained. “Our valuable historical records form the core of the program’s holdings, so ‘History’ was an obvious addition. But we also added ‘Culture’ so that we could develop program-
Maureen Amyot is one of the Westborough residents who has submitted a face mask selfie for the center’s digital archive.
ming that both fosters a more self-conscious understanding of who we are today, and creates collecting opportunities for the archive so that we can document our present for the future.” The Westborough Center houses an archive of historical town records, but it also helps residents create, share, and collect the stories, memories and culture of the town today, which will be of interest to history tomorrow, according to Vaver. “By documenting and collecting important elements of our present that represent who we are, what we do, and why we do them,” he affirmed, “we can help future residents and historians better understand how the decisions we make and the lives we lead today affect them.” With library access and services currently limited due to the pandemic, the center is closed, but Vaver is still hard at work. “I have been so busy creating online content and ways for
Anthony Vaver is the local history librarian for the Westborough Center for History and Culture, a department of the Westborough Public Library
“
Our town’s history belongs to all of us, so I am interested in creating a platform where people can freely explore this history and be involved in its caretaking. Anthony Vaver
people to submit digital content directly to the Westborough Center,” he said. “In the spirit of believing at the beginning of this crisis that people would be bored out of their minds while being stuck at home, I started a weekly newsletter posted to the Westborough Center’s blog called ‘Westborough History Pastimes.’” The center has also campaigned for residents to submit “selfie” photos of themselves wearing face masks. “What took me by surprise is how interesting these selfies
turned out to be,” said Vaver. “In addition to submitting a selfie, I also ask people to describe what it is like to wear a face mask and how it felt when they first put one on. What is fascinating is that even though people’s faces are half-covered, their personalities come shining through in their photographs.” Westborough residents can contribute to this collection at https://westboroughdigitalrepository.omeka.net/contribution by selecting “Face Mask Selfie” from the drop-down menu.
Vaver is documenting the pandemic in other ways as well. “A friend in town started offering to make face masks for people she knew, so I asked her to make one for me so that I could put it in our archive,” he explained. “The Westborough Historical Society and I collaborated on a project asking people to write about their experiences during this time, so those will also go into a collection devoted to this pandemic.” Even with the center closed, Vaver emphasizes that there is plenty of content online for people to explore at www.WestboroughCenter.org) and www. WestboroughArchive.org. “We also work closely with the Digital Commonwealth, which offers free digitization services to libraries across Massachusetts,” said Vaver. “They digitized our historical town records after I organized them, and more recently our official town records from 1717 up to 1930. We have also digitized all of the microfilm for our historical newspapers going back to 1849, which has vastly improved access to this rich content of Westborough history.” Vaver ended his explanation of the center on a philosophical note. “In many ways, I see the entire town of Westborough as having a role to play in the Westborough Center,” he said. “Our town’s history belongs to all of us, so I am interested in creating a platform where people can freely explore this history and be involved in its caretaking. As residents, we are also creating history by virtue of the fact that we are living in Westborough.”
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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 9
COMMUNITY | News
Reincarnated Antiques: Gray’s Carpet Center Submitted by Norman Corbin, Northborough Historical Commission NORTHBOROUGH - Welcome to “Reincarnated Antiques.” With the demolition of antique properties in Northborough a fairly regular occurrence, this series recognizes owners who have found creative reuse options for their antique properties. Today’s property is 60 Main St., currently known as Gray’s Carpet Center. The first occupants of this home were Dr. Henry A. Jewett (1820-1895) and his family. The building housed his office and his family home. It was built around 1850. Dr. Jewett’s practice in Northborough continued from 1849 until his death in 1895. He also held several town offices, including trustee of the public library, member of the School Board and medical examiner for three
terms. The Northborough Historical Society has two ledgers that record his appointments. These ledgers contain patient information, their ailments and his fees. Fees varied widely from 50 cents to several dollars but payment could be made with fresh produce and farm products. Robert Gray and his wife Betty Proctor Gray started their carpet business from this address in 1943. Betty was a descendant of Dr. Jewett. The property was both their business address and their family home. In a recent Facebook posting, their daughter, Judith Gray Tibert, mentioned how it was a wonderful house to grow up in. The property is currently owned by members of the Stone family who are also descendants of Dr. Jewett. The property is quite unique because it has remained in the same family for some 170 years.
Dr. Henry A. Jewett (1887)
Dr. Jewett and his daughter Anna at the 60 Main St. property
I had the opportunity to speak with James Stone, who currently runs the business with his siblings. The building provides significant advantages for running the business as it is a large facility with a highly visible location and
Northborough teens save neighbor’s life Heroes | from page 1
Stern said one sting is usually no problem, but he was stung six or seven times at once and knew he was starting to have an anaphylactic reaction. “It’s terrifying if you are allergic,” he said. He knew he had an epinephrine pen (adrenaline) in his car, but he felt his face getting warm and his chest tightening, and he knew he needed help quickly. Meschisen and Cashel were outside when Stern came over and said he was stung and wasn’t feeling well. “I went and got my mom, and she held Greg’s hand and walked him back to his garage,” said Meschisen. “All of a sudden my mom starting yelling for me. I went over and Greg was laying on his garage floor. My mom told me an EpiPen was in his car. I found it, and my mom didn’t know how to use it. We started yelling for Michael. I stuck the pen in Greg’s thigh, and then Michael came over and did the same thing, because he knew for sure how to use it. My mom called 911, and then the ambulance came.” Stern remembers Johnny coming over, but must have passed out because the next thing he remembers is being picked up from the ground.
“They literally saved my life,” said Stern. “The EpiPen is pure adrenaline; it takes over your system. The powerfulness of the adrenaline keeps the throat from shutting down. If you don’t have the EpiPen, your throat will constrict and you can’t breathe.” Stern ended up in the hospital for five nights. “I previously knew how to use an EpiPen due to an allergy of my own,” said Cashel. “I then proceeded to inject the medicine in him while waiting for the ambulance. I do not wish to receive full credit, for I could not have done this with-
out my best friend, Johnny. He stayed with Greg through the attack and helped him through it. I am just happy that I could do something to contribute to saving someone’s life.” The boys did not realize that Stern had such severe allergies. “I do not consider myself a hero,” Cashel said. “I was just doing the right thing.” “I felt very relieved, but we didn’t know if he was going to be ok until later that night,” said Meschisen. “I think it’s important that I learn how to use an EpiPen better, and I think that everyone should learn how to use one.”
First thing
First
PHOTO/NORMAN CORBIN
Gray’s Carpet Center
plenty of parking. The first floor is the showroom, a large room is used for rug cleaning and drying and the old barn is used for equipment storage. The building is very sturdy and the grounds are well kept. Probably the biggest challenge of maintaining this property is the winter heating expense. Nevertheless, the Stone family would never want to see it torn down. So here we are today, with
a successful local carpet business that has existed for some 77 years, maintaining the same street view from its original construction with owners who appreciate antique buildings. This example of “Reincarnated Antiques” reveals how long-term ownership and an appreciation of historic nature can retain a successful business within an antique. Thank you, Gray’s Carpets, for preserving a piece of Northborough history.
But seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness and then all these things taken together will be given to you. --Matthew; 6:33
Too often we spend all of our time seeking God for possessions, for blessings, for answers to our problems, when all we really need to do is just seek God. The more we seek God because we simply want to be in a relationship with Him, the more everything else in our life fall into place. --Joyce Meyer, 'Closer to God Each Day', Sept. 18 Devotional
Graphic Sponsored by Chief Joseph.Robert J. Terkanian, P.O. Box 808 • Northborough, MA 01532 design by
10 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
COMMUNITY | Business
Avidia Bank
Providing superior customer service to consumers and businesses as a well as a commitment to its communities H U DS ON By Bonnie Adams Managing Editor
A
t Avidia Bank, the motto is “Honest to Goodness.” Although the bank is well-known for their superior commitment to their customers, whether they are consumers or businesses, they truly exemplify that motto now more than ever, internally and externally. Headquartered in Hudson, Avidia is a $1.9 billion community bank with 251 employees. There are additional locations in Westborough, Framingham, Leominster, Clinton, Shrewsbury, Northborough and Marlborough.
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A ‘customer first’ philosophy Janel Maysonet, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, noted that the bank is striving to provide its customers a top notch, personalized experience, both in person and online. Products
Janel Maysonet, Avidia Bank’s SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, chats with football star Stephon Gilmore as her husband Rey looks on. Gilmore partnered with Avidia Bank’s “Be a Champion for a Child” initiative to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest.
include checking, savings, and youth accounts as well as business loans, and mortgages and credit cards. Knowing that especially now many prefer to use digital services, Avidia has worked to
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strengthen their online offerings, she said. Much of what traditionally needed to be done in person can now be done through a streamlined online process, including opening accounts and applying for loans. Next year the bank will launch its redesigned website that will feature even more options to make the user experience easier to use, particularly on mobile devices. If you do prefer to do your banking in-person, you may visit one of the branches, which are all currently open with services available at their drivethroughs and in the lobby if needed, she added. And anytime a problem arises, it’s carefully monitored online and a branch manager will typically, personally reach out to help resolve the problem quickly. Assisting local businesses The past year has of course put so much stress on businesses, particularly small ones. As businesses scrambled to meet payrolls and pay their bills, they also had to invest in personal protection equipment (PPE) and many had to change how they operate. “The bank helped over 1,700 local businesses obtain more than $196 million in funding with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans,” Maysonet said. They also amped up their marketing, partnering with popular Boston sports radio station 98.5 the Sports Hub, to create radio spots highlighting how they helped local small
business customers with the Small Difference Big Difference program. Posts supporting those were also shared on Avidia’s social media pages. For their extraordinary efforts, Avidia was honored by the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) as its 2020 National Community Bank Service Award recipient. In a press release, the ICBA noted the bank “Worked nights and weekends to provide Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program assistance, processing $196,516,597 in loans to assist 1,719 businesses in the community.” Avidia also “donated resources to support essential workers, businesses, local charities, and those in need.” “People remember who was there in a time of crisis,” Maysonet said. “We were very strategic about where we were investing our dollars and resources.” Giving back to the community at large In April, during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, the bank donated $10,000 in matching funds to the United Way of Tri-County, a nonprofit that helps residents who live in the MetroWest area. The bank also made additional donations to food pantries in Hudson, Northborough, Westborough, Ginny’s Helping Hand, Inc. in Leominster, and the Worcester County Food Bank, which totaled $23,750. Avidia | 11
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 11
COMMUNITY | Business
Northboro Media Services
Converting your memories so they play again
What can your business do? “I convert older forms of media such as camcorder tape and film reels into new digital formats such as DVDs and CDs,” said Jeff Ward, owner of Northboro Media Service. “I can convert all formats. If I can’t convert it, you don’t have it. “Today, people like to put their programs on hard drives, and I can do that as well. “We also make slide shows with music for weddings, bar mitzvahs and other events using photos, slides, even frames from movie film and videos, whatever material you have.” How did you get started? “I’ve always been fascinated with music. As a teenager, I
PHOTO/NANCY BRUMBACK
Business name: Northboro Media Service Owner: Jeff Ward Contact Information: 508-393-9440 Google Northboro Media Service
Jeff Ward
took tape recorders apart and reassembled them because I was interested in their ability to record sound. One thing led to another, and I moved with the times through all the technologies that have followed.” What kinds of media do you work with? “All those video formats that came and went, that people don’t have the cameras and equipment to watch anymore. People even bring old reel-toreel audio tapes. One man had tapes of his father, a jazz musician in the ‘60s, and I converted
“
Future generations will be able to watch their great grandparents in color and sound. We can’t do that because our ancestors didn’t have the technology, but a couple of hundred years from now, families will be able to look back. Jeff Ward
them to CDs so he could listen to them,” Ward said. An exception, he added, is 35-mm slides. “People should preserve their slides, put them in zipper plastic bags and squeeze the air out. The images on slides are higher quality than converted images will be. I can put slides on a DVD for convenient viewing or to share.” Why convert this material? “It’s a good idea to convert tape and film to current formats to preserve the content as well as to be able to view and hear it on today’s equipment. Any kind of tape and film will deteriorate over time. “People overestimate how
long media will last. We expect DVDs to last about 25 to 30 years. No one knows for sure. But if you do your part today, your children and grandchildren can transfer the programs to the next form of media.” “Future generations will be able to watch their great grandparents in color and sound. We can’t do that because our ancestors didn’t have the technology, but a couple of hundred years from now, families will be able to look back. A colleague had a daguerreotype of his great grandmother that we compared to a picture of his daughter about the same age. The resemblance, four or five generations apart, was remarkable.”
Does conversion damage the originals? “Normally, no. If the film or tape is in fair to good shape, we can hand back the original exactly as we got it. There was one case where the film was in such bad shape it disintegrated when it came out of the projector, but we had captured the images, and actually saved the program.” How does someone get started? “Call or email me. I will pick up the material or you can bring it to me. I don’t recommend mailing or shipping the material because, if it gets lost or damaged, it’s irreplaceable. If it’s a sound recording, I convert it to a CD; if it’s video, I convert it to DVD, or I can put anything on a hard drive. “DVDs make great gifts, and Christmastime is a good time to look at them when the family is together.” For more information contact Ward at 508-393-9440.
Avidia Bank: Superior customer service and commitment to community Avidia | from page 10
In another initiative with 98.5 The Sports Hub, the bank collaborated with two local sports stars to help children in need. With Stephon Gilmore, New England cornerback, they sponsored the “Be a Champion for a Child” initiative to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest (BGCMW). This organization provides youth development, education, prevention, social, athletic and recreation programs to 3,200+
at-risk children and teens. They partnered with Brad Marchand, Boston pro hockey player, for the “Assists for Kids” program to support local youth hockey programs and make hockey more affordable. The bank also committed to supporting the BGCMW by serving as one of the sponsors for the organization’s 15th Annual Bids for Kids Auction & Gala, which was held virtually this year on Nov. 6. It is just not significant financial donations the bank
commits to in its communities. Avidia’s employees also donated over 2,000 hours over the past year, volunteering for such organizations such as Special Olympics of Massachusetts, United Way of Tri County, OUT MetroWest, Binkeez for Comfort, the Marlborough Senior Center and local Rotary Clubs, to name a few. For more information about Avidia Bank, visit www.avidiabank.com or call 800-5082265 and follow them on social media.
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tion process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in the field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. To be eligible for a 2021 ranking, a law firm must have at least one lawyer recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2021 Edition) for that particular location and specialty.
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12 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
PEOPLE
Scouts learn a lesson in flag etiquette
“
SHR E W S BURY By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
T
On November 14, 34 scouts ranging in age from five years of age to 17, from Shrewsbury’s Cub Pack 114 and Boy Scout Troop 114, assisted the Shrewsbury Cemetery Department to remove this year’s flags. “The scouts (now boys and girls) learn reverence and respect for both the flag and for the individual veterans that each flag represents,” commented Ian Gregory, troop leader and scout parent.
He estimated that over 1,000 flags were taken down this year, including one British flag. Gregory’s son Felix had the honor of removing that flag. The family is from the United Kingdom and Felix has dual American and British citizenship. Gregory then shared that the Scouts held a “Flag Retirement” ceremony later that same day. The Boy Scouts of
Ross Clark Troop scoutmaster PHOTO/SHREWSBURY BOY SCOUTS
he Shrewsbury Girl Scouts volunteer to place American flags on the graves of all Veterans before Memorial Day each year. However, it’s the Boy Scouts who volunteer to take them down in November, before winter sets in.
It was an opportunity for them to reflect on these veterans who epitomized the Scout Oath and Scout Law that our scouts live by in their daily lives.
meaning of the flag as a great symbol of freedom,” according to the Boy Scout Handbook: “As the symbol of America, it [the flag] stands for the past, present, and Desmond (left) and Garrett (right) Conlin from future of our country. It Cub Scouts Pack 114. represents our people, our land, and our many America is one of a handful ways of life.” of groups that have an official Traditionally, when the flag code for flag retirement. becomes “worn, torn, faded or “Conducting a flag retirebadly soiled,” the way to retire ment ceremony is a very meanit is by incineration. The proingful opportunity for Scouts cess involves cutting the large and Scouters to reflect on the
flags, so they don’t smother the fire and burn (retire) easier. The individual stripes are cut separately while the section of the blue with the stars is cut separate and kept whole. “I’m very proud of the respect and reverence each of our scouts displayed in handling the flags,” remarked Ross Clark, troop scoutmaster. “It was an opportunity for them to reflect on these veterans who epitomized the Scout Oath and Scout Law that our scouts live by in their daily lives.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 13
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PEOPLE
Shrewsbury teen participates in Boston International Kids Film Festival B OS T ON By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
B
udding filmmaker Deniz Akyurek recently made his debut at the Boston International Kids Film Festival (BIKFF) Friday Nov. 20, to Sunday Nov. 22. This year, because of the pandemic, it will be a virtual event. Akyurek’s five-minute short horror film, “Closet,” is about a boy who makes a harrowing discovery about his home. Eighteen-year-old Akyurek graduated from Shrewsbury High School last spring. He is now a freshman at Emerson College in Boston, where he is studying filmmaking.
“I am very excited to be a part of the Boston International Kids Film Festival this year,” he said. He explained that the film was shot with a couple of his
friends. Filming began last winter before quarantine. The lockdown presented logistical problems which he managed to overcome. “It was a simple exercise in technique…for entertainment purposes,” he noted. He shared that his interest in filmmaking evolved from his love of hockey and expanded from there. “…There was a point when I started making little sports edits, compilations of NHL players, Bruins highlights, stuff like that and putting them together and editing them together with a rhythm,” he said. He knew that making films had become more than just a
Northborough sewing group celebrates completing 1000th doll for girls in need
Deniz Akyurek
hobby when he invested in his first camera. His work has been included in other festivals, such as the Boston Streaming International Film Festival held in Arlington and the All-American High School Film Festival in New York City. When asked about his future plans, he replied, “…Obviously graduate from college…
and hopefully down the road move to L.A. and get a job directing.” The festival is a program of Filmmakers Collaborative with the purpose of introducing young people and their families to “the best that the world of independent filmmaking has to offer.” Now in its eighth year, the BIKFF will feature 70 films representing 17 countries with both professionally and student-made documentaries, animated shorts, and short narrative films appropriate for children of all ages. His film may be viewed on YouTube. For more information about the BIKFF, visit. https://bikff.org and for information about the Filmmakers Collaborative, visit www.filmmakerscollab.org.
Westborough Office Space
Members of the Dolls and More group
NORTHBOROUGH – Despite the pandemic, the women of the Dolls and More Boston chapter of the American Sewing Guild have continued their mission to donate 100 dolls each year to community groups and charities who serve girls who live in shelters or are in crisis. On Oct. 27, members gathered with masks and warm winter coats outside at the Northborough Senior Center to celebrate their 10th anniversary with a milestone accomplishment - their 1,000th doll and wardrobe. To date, they have donated to organizations such as A Place to Turn, Bethany Hills
Place, Hope Shelter, Northborough Family and Youth Services, Natick Service Council, Abby’s House women’s shelter. Each girl receives an 18-inch doll, similar to the American Girl doll, along with a hand-sewn wardrobe and tote. At their recent meeting, members of the group chatted, at a distance, about missing their Tuesday’s spent at the Northborough Senior Center, where they typically meet. “You would hear the machines buzzing and a lot of chatter, but somehow each year we managed to put together the wardrobes and receive the number of dolls
we need,” said Northborough resident Adrienne Cost, who spearheaded the group. Much of the fabric for the handmade clothing comes from donations. Donations can be made to American Sewing Guild-Boston Chapter, c/o Adrienne Cost, 18 Gates Lane, Northborough, MA 01532. The American Sewing Guild is a national membership organization that welcomes sewing enthusiasts of all skill levels to learn new sewing skills, network with others who share an interest in sewing and participate in community service sewing projects. For information on the Boston chapter, visit www.asg.org.
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14 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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PEOPLE
John Brown Bell is tied to some of the nation’s darkest days M A R L BO RO UGH By Brett Peruzzi, Contributing Writer
W
hile Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell may be better known, the John Brown Bell in Marlborough has a compelling history of its own, given its association with the abolitionist movement and the Civil War. In 1859, abolitionist John Brown and his followers seized the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to inspire a revolt of enslaved persons. But the revolt failed and Brown and others were tried and executed for treason in an act that was later seen as a major prelude to the Civil War. In the early days of the Civil War, in September, 1862, a company of Union troops from Marlborough was sent to Harpers Ferry to guard against Confederate troops crossing the Potomac River and advancing towards Washington, D.C., less than 70 miles away. The Union soldiers were also ordered to
salvage anything of value from the arsenal. Since some of the men had been members of the fire company in Marlborough, they decided to seize the bell in the arsenal’s fire house, the very building John Brown had been captured in, whose bell he supposedly had wanted to use to alert local enslaved people that his revolt was underway and inspire them to join his cause. The Marlborough soldiers hoped to bring the bell home to their fire house, but the war intervened when they were sent into battle, and the bell remained hidden near Harpers Ferry for decades. Thirty years after its seizure,
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Above: The John Brown Bell at its former home on the G.A.R. building in Marlborough Right: The John Brown Bell at the Union Common on Main Street in downtown Marlborough
some of the surviving soldiers from Marlborough visited Washington for a national encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), the fraternal organization of Union veterans. They traveled to the Harpers Ferry area and located the bell and arranged to have it transported to Marlborough, where it adorned the exterior of the G.A.R.’s building on Main Street for many decades, tolling for the funeral of every Civil War veteran in the city. The last veteran it rang for was Stillman Wood, who died in 1937, a full 72 years after the war had ended. “The Marlborough soldiers who took the bell thought of it as a symbol of freedom,” said Paul Brodeur, a member of the Marlborough Historical Society who has researched and lectured on the bell’s history. “Of the 16 men who took the bell, seven died during the war, and one shortly thereafter.” One aspect of the John Brown bell that is not widely known is its role in enslaved people from Harpers Ferry relocating to Marlborough during and soon after the war. Several of them left Harpers Ferry with the Union regiment that the Marlborough soldiers belonged to, as “camp followers” who worked as laborers and hired servants for U.S. forces. “While Marlborough had little to do with the subject of John Brown or his raid on Harpers Ferry, it had everything to do with the object of the raid, which was to bring
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARLBOROUGH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
the slaves from Harpers Ferry to the safety of the north,” Brodeur proclaimed. “In Marlborough, they found housing, employment, education, and a place in the community.” “In the late 1960s, the G.A.R. building was considered beyond repair and it was torn down,” Brodeur explained. “A group of citizens arranged to build the present tower on Union Common in 1968.” In 1978 there was a tenth anniversary celebration of the
bell’s relocation. One of the bell ringers at the ceremony was the granddaughter of 1st Lt. David L. Brown, one of the Union soldiers who was responsible for the bell coming to Marlborough. More recently, the bell was rung on October 16, 2009, the 150th anniversary of John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry. “The bell that sits at the Union Common is a national treasure with national symbolism,” said Brodeur.
Flaherty Physical Therapy supports St. Anne’s Giving Tree and Northborough Food Pantry NORTHBOROUGH - This holiday season Flaherty Physical Therapy, located at 411 W Main St., Northborough, will have a Giving Tree set up to benefit St. Anne’s Human Services in Shrewsbury. The public is invited to stop in and take a tag from the tree with a child’s name. Gift cards ranging from $20 - $50 from local stores, in lieu of gifts, will be accepted in order to adhere to new contactless guidelines. Due to the challenges from COVID-19, a gift card program will better meet the need of families struggling financially. Deadline for the gift cards will be Friday, Dec. 4 so that card may be given to parents and/or caregivers on Monday, Dec. 7. Flaherty PT is also collecting nonperishable items and selling face masks for $10 each, with all proceeds going to the Northborough Food Pantry. This collection will continue through Christmas. For more information call Flaherty PT at 508-393-9000.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 15
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By Morgan Hume Contributing Writer HUDSON - With the coronavirus pandemic keeping some businesses closed, most people are on the lookout for other ways to stay occupied and have fun outdoors. The Hudson Historical Society’s newly expanded walking tour will help you get some fresh air and look at the town through a different lens. Back in 2016, the town celebrated its 150th anniversary. The Hudson Historical Society participated in the festivities by creating a walking tour of the town. They put together a colored map of Hudson that highlighted a few dozen historical landmarks, and a brief description of each. Richard Gelpke, one of the trustees of the Hudson Historical Society, decided there was more history to share than what was included on the map. “Because I didn’t have anything else to do in my old age, I thought well, let’s expand on that,” said Gelpke. With some help along the way, Gelpke expanded the double-sided map into a 156page book, titled, “Historical Tour of Downtown Hudson.” Filled with facts, maps and images, the book takes the reader through 72 places in the heart of Hudson. The stops are located along South Street, Washington Street, Main Street and Broad Street. Each location includes a description about the history of the building and nearby area. Each location also includes “then” and “now” photos of the location. “It is a before and a present, not a before and after,” Gelpke explained. In addition to stops along the walking tour, the book
includes a few chapters that delve deeper into some of Hudson’s most historical events. One chapter discusses the great fire of 1894, which wiped out many buildings and acres of land. Although Hudson eventually recovered, it permanently changed the landscape of downtown. Another chapter explores how the rotary has changed over time, and what was there before it was recently redeveloped. Gelpke said with stops like the Victorian-style town hall and well-preserved church buildings, it’s hard to pick the best part of the walking tour. But regardless of which stop becomes your favorite, Gelpke said the tour can help people learn more about where they live. “We wrote it to give people a background in their town. So, they have an idea of what came before,” said Gelpke. “You often think the town always looked like this, but it clearly did not.” For those looking to learn even more about the town, Gelpke put together a companion book, titled “Hudson History and Recollections.” Instead of landmarks, the second book focuses more on the people who once lived in Hudson. It compiles diary entries and memories from those who lived there in the late 1800s and early 1900s, such as Fred Welsh, born in 1852, who worked as town clerk and described people who lived there at the turn of the century. Another example is Florence Brett, a teacher and caregiver born in 1849. Since she lived in Hudson for decades, she knew her neighbors very well, and wrote about them in detail. Copies of both books ($15 each) may be ordered through the Hudson Historical Society, http://hudsonhistoricalsociety. org.
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16 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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Shrewsbury high school sophomore creates COVID-19 tracker that has gained national notoriety By Melanie Petrucci Senior Community Reporter SHREWSBURY – When Shrewsbury High School sophomore William Wu’s sister, Athena, went away to college at Georgia Tech in August, he noticed his mother was constantly checking the school’s COVID-19 dashboard for cases of the virus, multiple times every day. “I also remember that there was a Georgia Tech Facebook group where a lot of people were talking about coronavirus cases as well,” he said. “I began to realize the importance of the cases and how people really wanted this data.” He then thought how great it would be to have this information not just from local schools but from the whole country in one place. He created a COVID-19 data aggregator with a website that collects data as it’s published from states and school systems across the nation.
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William Wu with his COVID-19 tracker
“At the time, Massachusetts had not opened schools yet, but I was beginning to wonder if data like this was available to the public and where to find it,” he noted. He then began collecting data and by the middle of September, he had enough to
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begin working on his website. After learning that the state of Texas would be releasing data to the public, he began to search other state’s websites for similar information. He reached out to various states’ departments of public health and education. The data he was beginning to accumulate included the number of cases per school, but he quickly found that each state reported the data differently, sometimes by school but often by county or zones. “The website helps to track coronavirus cases in public schools and sometimes private schools and colleges – it depends on the state,” he commented. Wu’s work has gained attention nationwide and has been featured in the Washington Post as well as other local newspapers and new outlets. He updates the website as often as the information comes out from each state. And his goal is to keep the website going as long as possible. Currently, Wu collects data from 29 states, having hit some roadblocks from some states who have not yet released detailed data to the public. Wu continues to diligently monitor their dashboards. Wu has chosen the hybrid model of learning for his sophomore year. While he has many interests, including the Colonials Team 467 Robotics Team, he has not yet decided what he would like to pursue beyond high school. To view or subscribe to Wu’s website, visit www.covidschooltracker.com.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 17
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18 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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City’s first female draftsman defies gender bias M A R LB OR OU G H Submitted by Linda L. Rennie, Marlborough Historical Society
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anet Doucette Licht is a shining example of what young women could do in a time when many things were unacceptable for them because of their gender.
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Janet Doucette Licht
for many years. She left briefly when her children were young and returned at the company’s request. Later she worked at Riley Stoker in Worcester, where she participated in designing power plants for paper mills. She rose to the position of drafting supervisor there. While her children were still young, Licht decided to complete her education beginning at Northeastern University and finishing at Central New England in Westborough. She graduated with an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering. Upon retirement, Licht joined the Board of Trustees of the Marlborough Historical Society, serving as president for 10 years before retiring because of poor health. During her tenure she made many changes to the society and supported its growth. Marlborough is proud that she excelled in our city and is a true role model for young women today. Janet Doucette Licht, the city of Marlborough thanks you.
Westborough Scouts to sell holiday wreaths
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In 1966, Janet Doucette Licht became the first female graduate from the two-year post graduate study program of the Marlborough High School Vocational School (now the Assabet Valley Regional Technical School). Licht, a 1964 Marlborough High School graduate, decided to complete her studies in drafting after she had excelled in the mechanical drawing classes. In 1960, she registered for art classes at the high school, then located on Main Street, now the Walker Building. She was interested in the art classes that included mechanical drawing. When the principal realized that a woman had signed up for these classes, he immediately brought it to the attention of the teacher and her parents. Licht’s father was very supportive of her desire to take these classes, so for the next four years she was the only woman to participate in mechanical drawing and completed the study at the top of her class. While she attended classes full time at the vocational school, she worked three parttime jobs to contribute to the support of her family. Upon graduating, Licht was offered a drafting position at General Electric in Ashland. Before accepting this position, she was also considered for a drafting one at Digital Corporation; however, there were no other women in the Digital drafting department and they had to withdraw their job offer. Licht worked at General Electric
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WESTBOROUGH – Boy Scout Pack 100 in Westborough is selling holiday wreaths this year as a fundraiser for their activities. The balsam wreaths may be purchased with or without a handmade bow and may be purchased online at http://www.pack100westborough.org by clicking on the Quick Links section. The Scouts will deliver the wreaths to any household in Westborough.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 19
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20 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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‘Ho-Ho’ holiday magic Hudson man spreads cheer as Santa for three decades H U DS ON By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
G
alen “Red” Isaacs of Hudson has owned five Santa suits and traveled on at least 20 fire engines as Mr. Claus over the past three decades. Along the way, he has observed awestruck expressions on the faces of countless children. he rented a Santa suit at the longtime Hudson mainstay Robinsons Hardware. The Hudson Fire Department provided a fire engine to transport Isaacs as Santa along with his then-3-yearold son, Joe. Together, they made a grand entrance. “My favorite memory is holding my son’s hand and walking into the building,” Sana | 21
PHOTO/EMILY JOY ASHMAN, THE ILLUSTRATED ROOM
“There’s nothing like that look from a kid when they think you’re the real thing,” he shared. Isaacs first played Santa Claus after a chance meeting at a supermarket in 1990 with Janice Taylor, his former math teacher at Hudson High School where he graduated in 1971. After accepting her invitation to play the guest of honor at a holiday fundraiser,
Galen “Red” Isaacs as Santa gets a wish list from Iris at 2019’s Hudson Downtown Holiday Stroll.
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tions,” he noted. “They’ll always ask me, ‘Where’s the NEW PATIENT EXAM & NEW he recalled. “Joe was very sleigh?’ I tell them that I Creating BITEWING X-RAYS excited.” PATIENT parked my sleigh at the school Even since Isaacs’ Santa deSPECIAL ONLY $1* Healthy Smiles – and, of course, they think but, he has had a natural full DENTAL DENTAL DENTAL Call today for your FREE consultation it’s at their school. It’s never Through beard. In 1990, however, his GROUP GROUP GROUP not worked because there’s beard was solid red – hence, ZOOM WHITENING of PaxtonSINGLE $ of GardnerScience and of Northborough always a school somewhere.” his nickname, “Red.” He relied IMPLANT $ Likewise, Isaacs figured Artistry New Patient All Covid-19 precautions are on hair-dye spray to transform Special how to coax fidgety children to taken for safety of the patients. Submarks: Stylized Taglines: his red beard to white. pose with him when he does For several years, the spephoto shoots at businesses Gentle FAMILY DETISTRY cial destination of his many and community events. “I ask DENTAL A beautiful SMILE them ifDENTAL they GROUP GROUP Beautiful, private setting SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOU. h OPEN HOUSE SUNDAYS 11AM TO 1PM g wouldN otake a rthb rou Gardner o LET US HELP YOU Single family living with picture with cherish it. 2 Bedrooms, 2 baths and me so I can 2 car attached garage. show it to Family Mrs. Claus,” DENTAL Hardwood floors, tile Fonts: Claudia GROUP he revealed. AVENIR ROMAN baths, 14 X 12 Four Season Paxton Calisto MT Bold “It works Upgraded Sunroom and most of the fully appliance kitchen. time because Large master bedroom with they don’t double closets, Natural gas want to dis(Morgan Circle is a new road and will not come up on your GPS, appoint Mrs. and much more! put in Abbey Road and we are across the street.) Claus.” Among Call listing agent for details and plans! Jim Haynes (774) 535-1331 his Santa Galen “Red” Isaacs as Santa meets A.J. Wade at stints in re2018’s Hudson Downtown Holiday Stroll. cent years are Hudson Business Asfire engine rides was the Massociation’s annual Hudson sachusetts Statehouse for a Downtown Holiday Stroll, as SEE WHY WE’RE THE tree lighting followed by a feswell as merchants’ visits orgative gathering with children. nized by Hudson Downtown Those appearances began Business Improvement Disafter Isaacs’ surprise visit as trict. Also in Hudson, he has Santa on Christmas Eve to the done photo sessions at Avidia Hudson family home of thenBank’s main branch. Gov. Argeo Paul Cellucci and His nearby appearances his wife Jan. have included Slater’s in Isaacs’ statehouse apBolton for over 20 years, Sudpearances continued into the bury Fire Department’s holiterms of former governors day party and Stow Women’s Jane Swift and Mitt RomClub’s Breakfast with Santa. ney. Throughout those years, Last year, Isaacs invested in his mode of transportation a custom-made Santa suit creranged from a golf cart camated by Pierre’s Costumes in ouflaged as a sleigh to a particPhiladelphia. He was pleased ularly distinctive fire engine. to wear the new suit at his “I was brought in once on hometown’s 2019 downtown a 1966 American LaFrance stroll. fire engine from the Boston Like many major events, Fire Museum,” he recounted. the usual multi-activity stroll “Waiting for them to bring me won’t take place in 2020 due up to the statehouse, we were to pandemic safety concerns. parked on Charles Street for a “Last year was my best year half-hour while people passed ever because I was so comfortby and took pictures.” able in that beautiful suit,” Also for several years, IsaaIsaacs noted. “Hopefully, I’ll cs appeared as Santa at The be back next year.” Paper Store in Hudson. His Instead of the stroll this other appearances have inyear, Isaacs as Santa will SEE HOW WE LIVE UP TO OUR NAME. cluded private house parties, spread holiday cheer with fundraisers and community a drive-by Saturday, Dec. 5, Schedule your tour or visit BranchesMarlboro.com and corporate events. from 5 to 7 p.m., in downtown Assisted Living “Over the years, I’ve learned 421 Bolton Street I Marlboro I 508-283-9193 Memory Care Hudson. how to answer the kids’ ques-
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22 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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Shrewsbury Cultural Council seeks online grant proposals
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SHREWSBURY - The Shrewsbury Cultural Council has set a deadline for organizations, schools, and individuals to apply for grants that support a range of cultural activities; including exhibits, festivals, field trips, workshops, lectures, short-term artist residencies and performances. Last year, the council distributed about $13,100 in grants. Applications for this year’s cycle should be submitted online by Monday, Dec. 14 at https://www.mass-culture. org and clicking on “Applicants.” The Shrewsbury Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community. Previously funded projects include: Worcester Chamber Music Society, Fitchburg Art Museum, author visits by April Jones Prince for Spring Street School, and United Sound program for Shrewsbury Music Department. S h re w s b u r y C u l t u ra l Council members for 20202021 are: Chair, Neena Mohanka; Brian Clark, Kalaimangai Saravanan, Shiwen Chen, Sandra A.Weed and Sarah Lividini.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 23
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24 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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Limit 6 gift cards per member at the member rate ©2020 Elements Therapeutic Massage, LLC (“ETM”). Each Elements Massage® studio is independently owned and operated. Restrictions may apply; see participating studios for pricing and other offer details. Massage session includes time for consultation and dressing. Elements Massage® and Elements Massage + design are registered trademarks owned by ETM.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 25
Holiday Gift Guide CELEBRATING OUR 37th YEAR TEACHING SAFE & FUN GYMNASTICS!
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26 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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Come visit the extraordinary American Heritage Museum. Featuring one of the world’s largest collections of tanks, armor and historical artifacts. Immersive exhibits and displays highlight our military history from the Revolutionary War up to current time. Plenty of room for social distancing and all COVID protocols are in place. Museum store and Tank Driving certificates - make great gifts for the holidays!
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28 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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Marlborough firefighters participate in early cancer detection and prevention program MARLBOROUGH - Two leading organizations in firefighter health and safety, RedLine Gear Cleaning and 15-40 Connection, recently came together for a first-of-its-kind Early Cancer Detection and Prevention Program for firefighters. RedLine works with first responders to professionally clean and inspect contaminated personal protective equipment and 15-40 Connection is an education and advocacy organization teaching first responders how to detect cancer early and how to be active partners in their healthcare. At the program’s Nov. 6 session at the Marlborough Fire Department, Ed Kelly, Boston firefighter and general secretary-treasurer of the International Association Firefighters (IAFF), and Mark Buchanan, district chief of Health Safety and Wellness of Boston Fire Department, joined the group. “When you think about our job and the exposures we have, the likelihood that we are going to have cancer, we all have friends who have died of can-
cer, every one of them wishes they caught it earlier,” said Kelly. Cancer is the most dangerous threat to firefighter health. According to IAFF, cancer caused 61 percent of career firefighter line-of-duty deaths between 2002 and 2016. Recent research sponsored by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health found that firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of developing cancer and a 14 percent greater Ed Kelly (l) and Mike Matros risk of dying from cangreater than when detected in cer than civilians. late stages,” said 15-40 Con15-40 Connection presented nection President & Executheir “3 Steps Detect” educative Director Tricia Laursen. tion, which teaches firefighters “Teaching firefighters, who are how to identify early sympat risk because of exposure to toms of cancer, gives a timesmoke and chemicals, as well frame for action, and empowas from their equipment, about ers them to collaborate with symptoms to watch for and their doctors for best health how to work with their doctors outcomes. to get the necessary care and “When detected early, the screenings is critical to improvsurvival rate for cancer is much ing their cancer survival rates.” The program was sponsored by The Last Call Foundation and also included RedLine • Kitchen Cabinets • Counter Tops & Refacing on-premise cleaning of the Marlborough firefighters’ gear. “It is imperative that we continue to make progress with developing and enforcing policies to clean and care for PPE and also that we keep our members clean and decontaminated after every exposure,” said Marlborough Fire Chief Kevin Breen. Those interested in bringing ! D E V O 15-40 Connection’s life-saving M WE’VE 3 Steps Detect education to their fire department should 298 Boston Tpke., Suite #5, Shrewsbury contact info@15-40.org or 508.842.6677 | nufacekitchens.com 508-826-9442. New Studio By Appointment Only
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Holiday Gift Guide Retired Westborough teacher and principal honored by Women’s Club By Serena Howlett Contributing Writer
personal and administrative skills as a teacher and principal in Westborough schools. Her first teaching job in Westborough was at the Armstrong School. In 2002, she left Armstrong to teach at the newly opened Mill Pond School. When asked to take on the assistant principal job, Hatherley could not refuse. She achieved
“That first year not in a school was very hard,” she recalled. Before long she was back at work. This time as an itinerant consultant for “co-teaching partnerships” which paired special education and classroom teachers in a co-teaching model. “Consulting saved me,” she mused.
WESTBOROUGH - In 1868 poet, playwright, peace advocate and suffragist Julia Ward Howe co-founded the New England Women’s Club, a forerunner of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC). Last spring, Reene Hatherley, president of the Westborough Women’s Club, received a phone call from GFWC. Heatherley was “shocked” to learn she had been chosen to receive the Julia Ward Howe award in recognition of her service and dedication to her club and local community. “When the Women’s Club asked me to be president,” Hatherley recalled, “I was backed against the wall. They said it would be easy.” Reene Hatherley Julia Ward Howe Although working with volunteers was not easy, certification as an educational After five years of consultHatherley excelled and after administrator and became the ing, Hatherley finally had time two years, the Women’s Club Mill Pond head principal. for the Women’s Club. She asked her to stay on for another “I loved working with kids,” “needed something to fill the term. she told me. “I never thought I void.” “I do none of this alone,” she would be a principal!” This year, as president, Hasaid. “There’s always a cast of One of Hatherley’s proudtherley is brainstorming with supporting people. I am the est accomplishments was members about ways for the conductor who makes sure introducing and leading the Women’s Club to stay vital to everyone is doing their part.” Mill Pond School’s participathe community. They have alAs president, Hatherley intion in the Character Educaready dived into collaborations creased membership, used tion Partnership developed with local organizations such social media to promote the by the National Center on Safe as the food pantry. club, and engaged members in Supportive Learning EnvironReflecting on her journey, club activities. For the “Holiday ments. Hatherley said people chose House Tour,” members open “This program involved her for leadership roles betheir homes, decorated for the whole school - students, cause they knew she would the holidays, to visitors. “Lateachers and guidance counmeet the challenge. dies Night Out” is a popular selors,” explained Hatherley. “I put 100 percent of my efannual show. The club uses The program culminated in fort into every job,” Hatherley funds raised to award college “The Mill Pond Touchstone” said. “People know I will do scholarships to outstanding which to this day embodies the any job until it isn’t my job. But high school seniors. school’s spirit. I couldn’t have done any of my Hatherley honed her interHatherley retired in 2013. jobs without support.”
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COMMUNITY | Schools Marlborough-based band nominated for Boston Music Award By Catherine Twing Contributing Writer MARLBOROUGH - 2020 has been a disappointing year for fans of live music, and even harder on bands and venues. But an alternative rock group from Marlborough has something to celebrate. Local band Circus Trees is up for Rock Artist of the Year in the 2020 Boston Music Awards, sharing the category with some of their idols like the band Caspian. The band is made up of three sisters from Marlborough: Giuls McCarthy, a recent graduate of Marlborough High School (MHS), and Fin and Edmee McCarthy, current MHS students. They proudly describe their music as “sad.” “Our genre that we actually play is post rock,” Fin said. “It’s an underground genre that not a lot of people know. Circus Trees are trees people bend into cool shapes...I thought it sounded cool, looked cool, and we’ve always had a thing with nature.” They mostly perform locally, but have received positive feedback from critics in Mexico, Germany and Italy.
Giuls, Fin and Edmee McCarthy Marlborough High School students Edmee (l) and Fin record music as part of their family band, Circus Trees.
In 2019 they played some big festivals including the Lowell Town and City Festival, Post New England in Manchester, N.H., and Post Festival in Indianapolis, Ind. Due to the pandemic, they have not been able to perform for almost a year. After having to cancel a show earlier this year there was more disappointment when several of their favorite music venues closed for good. Although live performances
have paused, the sisters have been hard at work recording new music and working on their family record label, Two by Five Records. Their album, Delusions, was released in August and is available to stream on Spotify, Band Camp and Apple Music. Two By Five Records is run from the family home where they have a recording studio and represent five local bands. “We all have our jobs on the label,” Giuls said. “Our older
Westborough sixth-grader wins Lions’ Peace Poster Contest WESTBOROUGH Mahi Bijoriya, a sixthgrader at the Mill Pond School in Westborough, was this year’s winner of the Westborough Lions’ Peace Poster Contest. Sarah W. Gibbons Middle School student Alvin Bobby was chosen as first runner-up. The competition was open to all Westborough students, ages 11 Mahi Bijoriya and Susan Ash through 13. The theme out the world. As a part of the of this year’s contest was Lions International Positive “Peace through Service.” The Youth Development Initiative, posters were judged on artistic the competition promotes merit, originality, and expresstudent engagement and selfsion of the theme. This local development. contest is part of the larger Mahi’s poster will now Lions International Peace compete for the Lions DisPoster contest with students trict 33A prize, where it will participating from through-
brother Eoghan has gotten big into sound engineering; Fin’s gotten really into video. Edmee built the whole Five By Two website. Our dad [Robert] runs the record label.” Although music is a family business now, it wasn’t always that way. “Our dad is not musical at all; we don’t have musical people in our family. But when we were super young our older brother was like, ‘I want to play the bass’ and everyone kind of freaked out because nobody does that in this family,” Fin said. “After that we all fell in line and started playing different instruments.” Before they formed Circus Trees in 2018, the sisters and their two brothers played in a band together and played in groups outside of their family. While some people may think it would be challenging working with family, the McCarthys enjoy it. “I really like my family,” Fin
noted. “We hang out all the time, just us, and fool around and joke, make fun of each other. We have a really tightknit family and being able to work together is super cool.” Giuls and Edmee agree that it’s easier to work with family because they aren’t afraid to share opposing ideas. “It’s definitely nice getting into a big fight and the next day to wake up and be perfectly fine,” Edmee said. Another artist on the label, Aaron Garcia who performs as Pillbook, is also very involved in the creative development of the record label. He received three nominations in the Boston Music Awards this year: New Artist of the Year, Pop Artist of the Year and Vocalist of the Year. The Boston Music Awards are set to take place virtually Friday, Dec. 11, and voting is open now. Anyone can vote at bostonmusicawards.com/ vote.
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32 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
COMMUNITY | Schools
New obstacle course provides fun for Westborough kids By Bonnie Adams Managing Editor WESTBOROUGH – Although some children have returned back to in-person classes this fall, the school environment is just not the same. For the youngsters at the J. Harding Armstrong Elementary School, that meant they could no longer play on their beloved playground. But thanks to the kindness and generosity of a local company, CertaPro Painters of Shrewsbury, the kids now have a beautiful, colorful obstacle course painted on the school grounds that they can enjoy safely. John Mendes, the school’s principal, explained that due to COVID-19 concerns, the school’s playground equipment was not deemed safe for the kids to use. And normally the school’s PTO, so often so generous, would help raise funds for extra projects and activities. But the coronavirus has affected their efforts this year as well. So when Raymond Valdez, the owner of CertaPro, stepped in and offered to donate his company’s services to paint an obstacle
“DIRECTLY ON TOP”
The kids enjoy their fun new obstacle course.
A CertaPro employee paints the course.
course for the school, Mendes was thrilled. “This was such an incredible gesture,” he said. “We were excited to do this,” Valdez said. “It’s something different from what we normally do. It was a way to use our creativity and challenge ourselves, too. We hope the kids will love it.” The crew first power washed the asphalt next to the playground before stenciling the pattern Mendes and his team had designed. Using paint donated by Nal’s Paint
Center, they then painted the course, (although it was a bit delayed due to inclement weather, including a surprise Oct. 30 snow storm). But finally the work was completed, to the delight of the entire school community. “We are so grateful to Raymond and his team for donating their time for this project,” Mendes said. “This is so important for the kids to have this done for them – its definitely adding some fun and excitement to this very different kind of year!”
SUPER CROSSWORD
Answers to puzzle located on p. 34
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 33
Obituaries Claudia DiPilato, 76 BOYLSTON - Claudia (Scott) DiPilato, 76, of Boylston, passed away peacefully Nov. 3, 2020 at UMass Medical Center. Claudia was born in Worcester on June 4, 1944, the only daughter of eight children to the late Thomas F. and Barbara Jean (Plympton) Scott. Claudia leaves her beloved husband of 54 years, John M. DiPilato; her four children, Marc DiPilato and his wife Laura of Westborough, Amy Sarsfield of Putnam, Conn., Alison Corcoran and her husband Jason of Cumberland, R.I., and Matthew DiPilato and his wife Christine of Boylston; seven brothers, Alan Scott and his wife Angela of California, Frederick Scott of Oxford, Brian Scott of Jaffrey, N.H., Duncan Scott and his wife Maura, Jon Scott and his wife Jeanne, all of Shrewsbury, Jay Scott of Millbury and Dana Scott and his wife Candace of Georgia; 12 grandchildren, Ethan, Aaron and Nicholas DiPilato, Luke Sarsfield and his wife Melissa, Isiah and Jordan Sarsfield, Moriah, Jadon and Caleb Corcoran, Israella, Aria and Austin DiPilato; two great-grandchildren, Samantha and Ezra Sarsfield; two sisters-in-law, Donna DiPi-
lato of Boylston, wife of the late Vincent DiPilato, and Nancy Germain of Bourne; and several nieces and nephews. A period of calling hours was held Nov. 8 at the Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel of Worcester, with private funeral service held Nov. 9. Burial followed at Pine Grove Cemetery of Boylston.
Thomas Sturiale Jr., 83 SOUTHB O RO U G H - Thomas Sturiale Jr., 83, of Southborough and formerly of Framingham, passed away Nov. 14, 2020 at Massachuetts General Hospital. He was the beloved husband of Diane (Vassallo) Sturiale for over 48 years. In addition to his wife he is survived by his three daughters, Lauren Dymek and her husband Terry, Stephanie Franklin and her husband Shan, and Nita Taibi and her husband Giuseppe, and his adored grandchildren, Maeve Dymek, Tommy and Jack Franklin, and Ella and Gaia Taibi. Visiting hours were held Nov. 17 at Morris Funeral Home of Southborough, with a Mass of resurrection held Nov. 18 at St Matthew Church and burial at
the Southborough Rural Cemetery.
Sandra M. Gallen, 72 WESTBOROUGH - Sandra M. “Sandy” Gallen, 72, of Westborough, passed away Nov. 11, 2020 at UMass Memorial Hospital, Worcester. Born in Worcester, she was the daughter of the late James and Phyllis (Crowley) Joyce. Sandy is survived by one son, Thomas P. Gallen and his wife Anna of McKinney, Tx.; one brother, James Joyce and his wife Susan of Northborough; and one grandson, Max Gallen. Her funeral Mass was celebrated Nov. 16 at St. Luke the Evangelist Church of Westborough. Burial will be private. The Pickering & Son Westborough Funeral Home assisted with arrangements.
Alan S. Carlson, 73 WESTBOROUGH - Alan Stuart Carlson, of Westborough, and formerly of Londonderry, N.H., passed
away Nov. 12, 2020 after battling Parkinson’s disease. Al died at home surrounded by his loving family and dogs. He was 73. Al is survived by his son, Andrew (Drew) Carlson and his wife Christina; daughter Ashley Hall and her husband Leon; grandchildren Jonah, Elliott, and Rachel Carlson, Luka Hall and a future grandson who will be born in January; and shelties Ghost and Quinn. He was predeceased by his wife, Margaret “Peg” Anderson, who passed away in 1990. Funeral services and burial will be private. Pickering & Son Westborough Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.
Rachel Blum, 63 GRAFTON - Rachel was born in Utica, N.Y., and grew up in Massachusetts, Maryland, and the Netherlands. She graduated from Boston University with a BFA in costume design in 1981 and worked in professional theatre including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Santa Fe Opera. Rachel was the daughter of Irene Blum and Harry Blum. She is survived by her older sisters, Flo Blum of Salt Lake City, Utah and Hannah Blum of Boston, as well as her children and their father, Stephen Greene of Amherst, and many beloved cousins and friends. All are welcome to share
photos, songs, and videos, and memories the Roney Funeral Home of North Grafton web site, https://roneyfuneralhome. com, as a virtual memorial. An in-person memorial service will be held in March with details to come to be posted here and on CaringBridge (https:// www.caringbridge.org/visit/ toughasamother).
Evelyn A. Ducharme, 84 SOUTH GRAFTON - Evelyn A. DiRienzo Ducharme, of South Grafton, passed away Nov. 11, 2020. Evelyn was born in Worcester, the daughter of Carlo A. DiRienzo and Natalie F. (Parella) DiRienzo. She leaves her nephews, Michael J. Dean and his wife Darlene, Robert J. Dean, and James J. Dean and his wife CarolAnn. She is survived by their eight children and 11 grandchildren. She is also survived by her devoted, caring, loving cousins and best friends, Arlene A. Army and Cindy Casella, who were always available. Her parents, brother Carl J. Dean, and sister-in-law Barbara (Brown) Dean, all predeceased her. A calling hour was held Nov. 19 at Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel of Worcester, followed by her funeral service. Burial in St. John’s Cemetery was held privately.
POLICE LOG The information in the police log is obtained directly from the official records maintained at each police station in our circulation area. Those arrested are innocent until proven guilty. The Community Advocate will publish news of acquittals upon notification and a copy of court issued documentation.
Northborough
Friday, Nov. 13 11:05 p.m. Arrested, Paul J. Nickerson, 24, of 38 Whitcomb St., Webster, for motor carrier safety violation, speeding/rate of speed exceeding posted limit, negligent operation of motor vehicle, OUI-liquor or .08% 2nd offense, marked lanes violation.
Shrewsbury
Monday, Nov. 9 9:36 a.m. Arrested, Sean Patrick Wogan, 27, of 352 Grafton St., Shrewsbury, on warrant. Tuesday, Nov. 10 9:49 p.m. Arrested, Dennis Javier Baez Jr., 20, of 6 Joyce St., Apt. 1B, Webster, on warrant. Wednesday, Nov. 11 10:08 a.m. Arrested, Adam J. Salame, 45, of 55 Woods Ln., Lancaster, for possession Class B substance. Friday, Nov. 13 2:36 p.m. Arrested, John G. Wright, 55, of 284 Redemption Rock Trail, Sterling, for possession Class B substance, and John Charles George, 60, of 27 Lake View Ave., Shrewsbury, for distribution of Class
B substance. Saturday, Nov. 14 6:56 p.m. Arrested, Brianna Katherine Kondroski, 25, of 50 Vernon St., Apt. 3R, Worcester, on warrant. Monday, Nov. 16 11:24 a.m. Arrested, Roberto M. Tirado, 26, of 25 Queen St., Worcester, for shoplifting by asportation 2nd offse., conspiracy, receive stolen property -$1200, and Timothy J. Strapponi, 28, of 25 Queen St., Worcester, for shoplifting by asportation 2nd offse., conspiracy, receive stolen property -$1200. 7:25 p.m. Arrested, William Roberts, 30, of 845 Hartford Tpke., Apt. 114, Shrewsbury, on warrant.
Westborough
Tuesday, Nov. 10 4:45 p.m. Arrested, Julia E. Stratton, 21, of 41 Windermere St., Springfield, on warrant. Wednesday, Nov. 11 2:48 a.m. Arrested, Fred Giovaninni, 36, of 28 Alton Dr., Dudley, for op MV with license suspended, number plate violation. Friday, Nov. 13 1:54 a.m. Arrested, Jean Senat, 40, of 44 Matheson Dr., Marlborough, on warrant. 3:58 a.m. Arrested, Isabel Marie Guimaraes, 19, of 300 Oxford N St., Auburn, for OUI-liquor or .08%, negligent operation of motor vehicle, marked lanes violation. Tuesday, Nov. 17 2:05 a.m. Arrested, Pablo
Jose Rivie, 24, of 155 Myrtle Ave., Apt. 3F, Fitchburg, on warrant.
Marlborough
Sunday, Nov. 15 11:38 a.m. Arrested, Nicole St. Pierre, 34, of 112 Henry Law Ave., Apt. A, Dover, N.H., for OUI-liquor or .08%, marked lanes violation. 8:19 p.m. Arrested, Charles A. Morse, 30, of 11A Fisher St., Natick, for OUI-liquor or .08%. Tuesday, Nov. 17 12:37 a.m. Arrested, Kelly A. Bennett, 56, of 8 Cotting Ave., Apt. 32, Marlborough, for A&B to intimidate, A&B, vandalize property. 4:25 p.m. Arrested, Luis S. Orozco, 34, of 10 Redbud Way, Apt. 32, Marlborough, on warrant.
34 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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A release of oil and/or hazardous material has occurred at this location which is a disposal site (defined by M.G.L. c. 21E, Section 2, and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) (310 CMR40.0000). An Initial Site Investigation has been performed at the above-referenced location pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0480. Based on the investigation results, this site has been classified as Tier II pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0500. Response actions at this site are being conducted by Pulte Homes of New England LLC (Pulte), who has employed Ransom Consulting, LLC to manage response actions in accordance with the MCP. M.G.L. c. 21E and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan provide additional opportunities for public notice of and involvement in decisions regarding response actions at disposal sites: 1) The Chief Municipal Officer and Board of Health of the community in which the site is located will be notified of major milestones and events, pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1403; and 2) Upon receipt of a petition from ten or more residents of the municipality in which the disposal site is located, or of a municipality potentially affected by a disposal site, a plan for involving the public in decisions regarding response actions at the site will be prepared and implemented, pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1405. To obtain more information on this disposal site and the opportunities for public involvement during its remediation, please contact Timothy J. Snay, LSP, Ransom Consulting, LLC, 12 Kent Way, Suite 100, Byfield, Massachusetts, at (978) 465-1822.
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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 35
COMMUNITY | Sports Westborough hockey player joins Worcester Railers By Matthew Dunne Contributing Writer WESTBOROUGH - Westborough’s Jordan Smotherman has navigated the twists and turns of a professional hockey career for years, and now finds himself playing a short drive from the town he grew up in. Smotherman is now a member of the Worcester Railers, an NHL affiliate team and member of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), and he is excited to have the opportunity to take the ice in front of his family and friends. “I still have a number of friends that live in the Westborough area I’m very close with,” he said. “All my Westborough friends are very excited to be able to come to games at some point.” A true Westborough native, Smotherman still finds himself
involved with the city his family has called home for over 20 years. “I play in the Westborough men’s softball league every summer, and all my teammates are excited to be able to watch the games,” Smotherman said. Smotherman’s hockey career has brought him far and wide, being drafted in 2005 by the former NHL Atlanta Thrashers. Making multiple starts for Atlanta, Smotherman also played in the AHL. His career has included stints in Europe, with the Manchester Monarchs in New Hampshire, with Ireland’s Belfast Giants, and now the Worcester Railers. “I played my first five years in the American League - Chicago, Syracuse, Providence, and then moved over to Europe and played a little bit over there,” Smotherman explained. “In
Jordan Smotherman
2016, I came home and had heart surgery, then played for the Manchester Monarchs, and then most recently in Belfast.” The Worcester Railers’ season is scheduled to start in January, and all players and staff remain hopeful no further delays will be encountered. The months-long period of rest due to the ongoing pandemic,
however, has allowed players to fully recover from the demanding schedule of a professional hockey player. “The first three or four months, r i n k s w e re n ’ t open at all so there was no time on the ice – and at first I was kind of worried about that, but after three or four months of actually giving my body some rest all of those bumps and bruises started going away. He added: “It’s the first time since I was about 16 years old, I had the time to recover between seasons, so I’m looking forward to seeing what good the long break will do.” Smotherman knows there will be life after hockey, and is
considering his future career paths that will hopefully allow him to remain in the greater Boston area. “I’m about to finish my master’s degree in sports management, which was part of playing in Belfast,” he said. “I’ve also done some coaching and was an assistant coach in Manchester and a playerassistant coach in Belfast last year,” Smotherman said. “I’m definitely interested in staying in the Boston area, close to family and friends.” Smotherman’s future with the Worcester Railers looks bright, as he adds a strong veteran presence to the team and looks to build upon his years of experience. Despite the unusual circumstances of the 2020-2021 season, it’s safe to say that Smotherman is happy to be home.
A Partnership Based on Trust. ZAWADA INSURANCE Andrew Zawada of Zawada Insurance has a lot on his plate. That’s why he greatly values his relationship with Cornerstone Bank. “Having them as a partner takes a lot of stress off me—and allows me to focus on what I need to do to make my business successful and grow; I don’t have to worry about all the distractions in the background.” Adds Andrew: “I consider my contacts at Cornerstone to be my good friends. I’m able to reach out whenever I need to; they’re always very quick to respond. Our community bank of choice is Cornerstone because we can count on them.”
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36 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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N O RTH B OR OU G H By Morgan Hume, Contributing Writer
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er name is Allison Goldman, but you may know her simply as Alli G the photographer. The local photographer took a handful of art classes in school, which help build her background in arts and crafts. But her real love for photography sparked in 2009 when she started using her boyfriend’s point and shoot camera. After a few clicks, she was hooked.
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PHOTOS BY ALLI G
Later, she got her own camera and hasn’t stopped shooting since. She enjoys taking photos on her lunch break or whenever she’s out for a walk. “You’ll never see me without my camera. I can forget everything else, but my camera is my life,” said Goldman. Her photos gravitate towards food, real estate and nature. Some people have said her photos of blooming flowers remind them of modernist paintings by Georgia O’Keefe. Goldman enjoys photographing nature not only because it is beautiful, but
because it is interesting to observe. Like this past year, when she discovered a robin living outside her bedroom window with a nest of hatchlings. By simply observing the birds, the photographer learned robins actually change diapers when caring for their young. Goldman said living in New England means robin sightings are a typical sign of spring, and she was surprised that she didn’t know this fun fact before. “It’s very fascinating that if you take a moment to smell the flowers and take a look at nature, you can learn something Alli G | 15
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 37
&PLACES
PEOPLE
Alli G – ‘My camera is my life’
Alli G Alli G | from page 14
by it that you’re not taught in school or by your family or loved ones.” said Goldman. Besides observing what’s currently around her, Goldman also enjoys photography because she’s able to permanently record a moment in history. That’s the same reason she enjoys looking back at old photos. Similar to the effect of a time machine, she wonders what was happening in the scene and what people in the shot were thinking at the time. In her own photography, in addition to documenting a moment in time, Goldman enjoys putting a positive spin on her work to make others smile. “People love seeing positive things rather than negative,” said Goldman. “I do think that photos of flowers and birds makes us forget about what’s really kind of going on.” Goldman’s photography is a source of positivity for both her viewers and herself. After going through an experience with bullying in the workforce several years back, she turned to photography and the flute as an outlet to release the heavy emotions she was feeling. She said taking the time to dive into hobbies she was passionate about helped her feel better. Goldman’s photos have
WATER SOFTENING, FILTRATION & TESTING been displayed in different communities. Last year, she showcased over 30 photos at the Northborough Public library during a month-long exhibition. She’s also had some of her photos hung up at the Natick Senior Center and featured in different community newsletters. “It’s not a matter of making money off of it, it’s more of a hobby. And as long as I get photo credit, I’m very happy,” said Goldman. To anyone out there who wants to be like Goldman, her advice to beginners is to just keep practicing and shooting. She said there’s a lot to learn from simple equipment, and you don’t need the newest technology or editing software to create something great. She also advises people to develop their photos, even if they are ones from a cell phone, because there’s something special about seeing it printed out.
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38 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020
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uring SALMON’s International Series Mexico event, Marilyn Lyle enjoyed freshly prepared, tableside guacamole at The Willows at Westborough. Several staff members overheard her describing another time she was served tableside guacamole during an actual trip to Mexico with her husband many years ago. “The dinner at The Willows was really special - the food was great, and I loved the music; it was really fun,” she said. As it turns out, Marilyn has experienced many adventures in addition to that trip to Mexico she remembers so fondly. She and Marilyn and Jerry Lyle her husband, Jerry, have been married for 59 years, and their life has been “extraordinary.” Jerry graduated from medical school in Washington D.C. in 1965 and accepted an opportunity as a general practitioner on a Navajo Native American Reservation in Northern Arizona. “There were duplex homes right next to the medical center, [and that’s] where we lived - it was a wonderful experience. We were right near Gallup, N.M., and used to drive to Mexico for vacations frequently,” Marilyn recalled, noting that their daughter was born on the reservation. Jerry decided to pursue another position in the medical field with the desire to become a pediatrician. During his pediatric residency, the Lyles welcomed their second child and made several more moves, spending one year in Anchorage, Alaska, on another Native American Reservation. “We were able to travel to St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. We met indigenous people there; it was incredible,” Marilyn said. Over the years, the Lyles also lived in Claremore, Okla., serving Cherokee Native Americans and eventually returned to the same Lyle | 39
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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, November 27, 2020 • 39
&PLACES
PEOPLE
Shrewsbury Town Moderator will not seek reelection in 2021 Moderator | from page 1
for their service to our town,” he remarked. Mehne has served on the executive committee of the Massachusetts Moderators Association for the past five years and was president during the 2018-19 year. Because of the pandemic, he most recently guided the Town’s Annual Town Meeting through a difficult year including unprecedented rescheduling and format changes to comply with state public health guidelines. Having made the decision a few months ago, he said that it was the right time for him, and four terms was plenty. “I think six months is a good amount of time for people to think about it and for hopefully some good people to think about running for the job,” he said. Meanwhile, the 68-yearold is at the stage in his career
where he is putting together a transition plan to retire. He is a partner with the law firm Bowditch & Dewey in Worcester. “This year is the year that I really need to start planning seriously for that aspect of my job,” he noted. And he would like to have more time with his family which is very much a priority for Mehne. He and his wife Jayne will soon be marking their 45th wedding anniversary. They have two adult children, four grandsons and another on the way. “It has been a real honor to serve in this role and there haven some wonderful experiences and terrific people that I have been able to work with,” Mehne commented. Mehne plans to stay involved with the town. Particularly he will continue to serve on the Shrewsbury Public Library Foundation which is “very near and dear” to him.
SALMON’s international series sparks memories of adventure Lyle | from page 38
Native American Reservation in Northern Arizona where Jerry took his first doctoral position. Marilyn was a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader, and Jerry continued as a pediatrician there for another six years. Their daughter forged many memorable friendships on the reservation. “We received a card from one of her friends on our 50th wedding anniversary,” Marilyn recalled. The SALMON International Series Mexico event wasn’t the only SALMON stay-cation that sparked the Lyles’ memories - Hawaii was another. Jerry was born on the island and was a toddler during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He went to live with his maternal grandparents during the war but returned years later to visit his first home. The Lyles vacationed there with their children as well. “SALMON’s International Series has brought up a lot of fond memories for Jerry and I; we’ve enjoyed it very much,” Marilyn said. At the end of Jerry’s career, the Lyles moved to the East Coast, where he worked in the public health field in Virginia. After their daughter moved to Massachusetts and had children, the Lyles decided to join her to be closer to family. They’ve been at The Willows at Westborough since January 2015. Their apartment is decorated with traditional Native American pieces - pleasant reminders of their travels and experiences. “We’ve thoroughly enjoyed living here,” said Marilyn. “The staff is great, the activities are wonderful and the food is outstanding.” Staff members recently asked the Lyles if they’d be willing to discuss and share photographs of their past adventures with other residents. “Jerry wants to,” Marilyn noted. “We’ve been able to do so much together, and [we] fully enjoy where we are now.” To learn more about SALMON’s continuum of care, visit www. SalmonHealth.com or call 508-217-6490.
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Wishing you and your family aMichelle Safe and HappyREALTOR Thanksgiving Gillespie ® CA LL 508-934-9 818REALTORS ® Michelle Gillespie Michelle@MichelleGillespie.com 10 Main Street, Northborough MA 01532 Michelle@MichelleGillespie.com www.michellegillespie.com 10 Main Street, Northborough MA 01532
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FEATURED HOME - Colonial Home Northborough - Beautifully updated Colonial home that is move in ready! Open concept floor plan which includes remodeled spacious kitchen with soap stone counters, kitchen island, stainless steel appliances, abundance of cabinets, dining area and access to patio. Family room with cathedral ceilings & wood burning stove. French doors lead to dining room with hardwood floors. Living room with vaulted ceiling, fireplace and hardwood floors. First floor master suite with bedroom, walk-in closet and beautifully remodeled bathroom… a must see! Second floor has three bedrooms all with updated carpet and closets. Two additional bathrooms on second floor. Private wooded lot. This property will be subdivided – call listing agent for more details. FEATURED • Northborough Colonial
located on a private 6-acre setting, just minutes from major highways, train station and shopping. Featuring 12 rooms lower level), multi-level back deck overlooking woods, central air and more. Visit: www.438howardst.com.
PENDING Northborough - Located in a neighborhood setting, 3 BRs, 3 baths updated home is ready to move into. Open LR & DR with gas FP & updated bay windows. Kitchen w/ breakfast bar, dining, plenty of cabinets. 1/2 bath w/front end W&D. Mstr suite w/double closets, ceiling fan & full private mastr bath. 2 other BRs w/closets & access to updated full bath. Fin LL w/lg oversized bonus rm, bathrm & addl shower. Plus 2nd kitchen area w/dining area, pantry closet & gas FP stove. Lg Colonial LL workshop w/walk out access to back Northborough yard. Spacious garage w/storage rm & shed Updates incl roof (5yrs), windows Stunning, updated 4 bedroom Colonial in (10yrs), Int paint (Recent), vinyl siding,water heater. Close proximity to shops, restaurants and major highway. $399,000
Northborough - Renovated Colonial home. This 3 BR and 2 full bath has a LR with HW floors. Updated eat-in kitchen w/maple cabinets, tile backsplash, granite counters, SS appl. FR w/access to deck. 1st floor laundry & full bath. 2nd floor home office and 3 BRs. Large master BR w/ walk-in closet. Full bath w/tile floor, shower/tub and closet. Lower Level has finished rooms & utility room. Town water & sewer. New appliances, lighting. Major renovation – 2005. 2 car garage. Roof - 2005. Interior Northborough Two Family painting 2020. Seal Coated driveway 2020. Backyard with shed. Deck for Great investment property. 2 units with 2 bedrooms. bbq’s. Close to highways for commuting. $449,000 Excellent location within walking distance to town center and close to major highways for commuting.
SOLD IN 4 DAYS $15,000 OVER SALE PRICE
SOLD IN 4 DAYS $15,000 OVER SALE PRICE
Northborough - Updated Colonial has 4 BRs, 2.5 baths w/finished LL. Front to back living rm w/shiplap fireplace & HW floors. Formal DR w/HW floors. Updated kitchen w/granite counters, island, SS appliances, recessed lighting & tile floor open to bonus room w/access to deck overlooking Northborough Condo backyard. 1st floor half bath & laundry. Remodeled 1stdistance Floor MSuite w/ Condo located within walking to downlarge walk-in closet, ceiling fan, & HW floors, along w/stunning MBath w/ town Northborough with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathcustom designedrooms, tiled shower & dual sinks. 2nd floor BRs w/closets & HW living room, dining room and kitchen. floors. Remodeled 2nd floor bath w/custom tiled shower. 2 car garage w/ access to LL. Landscape lot & front entrance w/custom stone work. Town water & sewer. $535,000 $550,000
Northborough - Updated 4 BR/2 bath raised Cape home w/outstanding architectural detail. Updated kitchen w/custom red birch cabinets, SS appliances, granite counters, tile backsplash, gas cooking & ctr island. 1st floor w/newly refinished HW floors. concept DR, LR w/recessed lights & surround sound. Clinton – Open Condo French doors to screened porch w/cathedral ceiling. 1st floor 2 BRs both w/HW floors &5closets. 1st floor bath w/tiledand shower/tub, 2 sinks & tile floor. 2nd floor rooms, 2 bedrooms 2.5 bathrooms. MBR w/updated MBath w/tiled shower, 2 sinks & air tub. Add’l 2nd floor BR w/ double closets, skylights & desk. Finished LL family rm/office w/great natural light & new carpet. Closet w/wine rack. 2 car garage w/room for storage. Central vac. & air. Viessmann gas boiler. Custom shed. $525,000 $540,000
Berlin - Young Colonial nestled on 5 acres in country setting within walking distance to Mt. Pisgah trails. This 4 bdrm. / 2.5 bath colonial style home has Master suite w/ master bdrm., bath and walk-in closet. 2nd floor w/addl 3 bdrms., all with hardwood flrs and 2nd floor bathroom. First floor with hardwood floors has living room, family room & open concept dining room and kitchen with access to back deck. Full finished basement w/ bathroom & Northborough Colonial office area. 2 car garage. Private setting with large yard. Close to Located in neighborhood setting this sprawling major highways for commuting. $525,000 Colonial with 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Many updates throughout this home.
SOLD IN 2 DAYS $20,000 OVER SALE PRICE Northborough - Updated 3 BR/2 full bath Cape style home on country road. Remodeled kitchen w/central island, cooktop, granite countertops, tile backsplash, HW floors, recessed lighting & open concept w/DR. Front to back LR w/FP, built-in bookshelves, HW floors, recessed lights & french door to deck. 1st floor BR w/closet Berlin – Land & HWbuildable floors. 1st flrlots full bath w/HWon floors. 1st floorroad laundry mudrm. 2nd flr MBR Two located country in&Berlin. w/HWlot floors & 2 closets. BR w/new carpet & walk-in closet w/builtOne is 5.97 acres2nd and the other lot2 closets. is 6.07Lg.acres ins. 2nd floor full bath w/tiled shower, tile floor, granite counter & linen closet. Full basement w/workshop, ample space to finish & lg. storage area. 2 car garage w/more storage. New septic system. Young roof, windows & siding. Updated lighting & deck. Professionally landscaped w/lg.back yard. $519,000 $539,000
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