Students, staff settle into Westborough’s new Fales School
Shrewsbury residents provide feedback on proposed Beal project
schools | 8
Region enjoys season’s first snowfall
news | 12
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Vol. 47 | No. 51 | December 17, 2021
Local communities to receive earmarks through state spending bill Ducts and other HVAC equipment sit on the exterior of Shrewsbury High School. The school district as a whole is receiving $50,000 for additional HVAC upgrades through a new state spending package. PHOTO/JESSE KUCEWICZ
By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor REGION - The region will receive nearly $2 million in investments through a $4 billion spending bill that Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law on Monday. The legislation combines roughly $1.45 billion in state surplus tax receipts with $2.55 billion in federal American Rescue Plan funding. It pays for large, state-wide projects, programs and initiatives, while also allocating $1.75 million in earmarks for projects and programs in area communities. “The final ARPA bill represents months of work, compromise, and advocacy from countless stakeholders, and I am very grateful to everyone who played a part in securing these massive investments Local communities | 7
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Santa delights with jet ski ride through Lake Quinsigamond By Jesse Kucewicz Contributing Writer SHREWSBURY - It was a perfect December day for a jet ski ride down Lake Quinsigamond, Dec. 12, at least according to one local Santa. After a successful first event a year ago, the Lake Quinsigamond Watershed Association hosted its second annual Santa Run this past weekend. Starting at the Corazzini Boat Ramp in Shrewsbury with a crowd of onlookers, Santa headed south down the lake while making stops at the Marine Corps. League, the Lake Park beach, and Regatta Point. The Watershed Association had organized drop offs for Toys for Tots at each of those stops. The addition of these three locations was one way in which Paula Collins, a member of the association and organizer of this event, changed the 2021 Santa Run to increase involvement throughout the community. “This year, we thought we should get more organized, and see if we could get some more stops for people who don’t live on the lake,” Collins said. “We also wanted to see if we could really encourage people who live on the lake to decorate their shores, make some noise, make some signs, and see who we could get out there.” Santa | 16
Santa waves to those on the shore at the Corazzini Boat Ramp in Shrewsbury on Dec. 12. Onlookers gathered at the Corazzini Boat Ramp in Shrewsbury to watch Santa make his jet ski run through Lake Quinsigamond, this year.
PHOTOS/JESSE KUCEWICZ
2 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021
COMMUNITY NEWS Shrewsbury talks post-secondary program for special education students By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter SHREWSBURY – The Shrewsbury Public Schools want to create a post-secondary program to support students ages 18 to 22 who require special education services. The program envisions starting a business in Shrewsbury where students can practice their skills. This would, in some ways, mirror Westborough’s BORO Program and the BORO Sugar Shack, which currently serves Westborough students by giving them the opportunity to gain experience in a functioning candy store in the downtown area. Program presents ‘community-based’ option In the past, School Committee Chair Jon Wensky said, Shrewsbury has typically referred these students to public
and private special education programs out of the district, such as Assabet Valley Collaborative’s Evolution program. “Ultimately, we feel that this community-based piece will be a stronger and more appropriate program,” Superintendent Joseph Sawyer told the School Committee at a meeting last month. The goal is for the students to get employment opportunities to the best of their ability, said Assistant Director Meghan Bartlett. “I’m very excited to see the work that you’re doing,” said School Committee member Jason Palitsch after the presentation at the board’s Nov. 17 meeting. “This is very ambitious, but I think it’s, frankly, high time that Shrewsbury went down this road. I think we’re a big enough school district that it’s time to explore offering this type of program to our students. I’m really excited
to see you guys beginning this work.” The district has applied for and received $344,000 in American Rescue Plan funding to support the program. What is currently offered? According to this Nov. 17 presentation, the annual tuition for a student in Shrewsbury’s current 18-22 program averages $54,000 without transportation. A student’s team recommends whether the student needs these services. Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Meg Belsito is projecting an increase in enrollment for out-of-district placements for existing transition programs. Next year, she said, the district is anticipating four students will need these services. That number will likely increase, though, to 14 students in 2024.
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“I think the initial sense, obviously, is that we think this [won’t] cost any more than what we’re already spending on the program and is likely to be more cost effective while also being a better quality program in terms of quality in the sense of having these opportunities right within our own community,” Sawyer said. Currently, Shrewsbury High School provides internships and vocational opportunities for students both with and without disabilities. The School Committee heard from senior Ryan Love, who said that his post-secondary vision is to work at McDonald’s, to give meals to customers and to someday live in an apartment with his friends. Love is one of the students in Shrewsbury’s MOVE Program, which is short for Mobile On-Site Vocational Exploration. The MOVE Program is a class that helps high school students be involved in a vocational training program. It is typically for juniors
and seniors, according to its website and operates at two Marlborough hotels. Shrewsbury High School Director Meghan DeLeon said most of their work, including in the school’s vocational opportunities, involved teaching soft skills like socialization with adults and the ability to be flexible and manage difficult situations. Some of the MOVE Program’s students would transition to this new program, if they’re eligible. Next steps Staff are planning on looking for space to house this new program in the coming months, getting input from realtors and town staff. They’ll also start searching for a program coordinator. Staff members plan to form an advisory group, which would include students. Down the road, staff members anticipate securing curriculum and space, planning for renovations and acquiring a vehicle with grant funds before finalizing staff plans next June.
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Westborough library to host award-winning storyteller WESTBOROUGH –The Japanese storyteller Motoko will share stories from Japan, China and Korea in an upcoming virtual event hosted by the Westborough Public Library. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 29 from 10 to 11 a.m. It is open to families with children of all ages. Families can register online at https://westborough.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/folktales-from-asia-with-motoko/. Registration is required.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 3
School meals for all should be permanent
THE
OVER TOP
For the past year and a half, thousands more Massachusetts youth have accessed free breakfast and lunch at schools statewide. As a professional in the public health space, I can attest to the importance of this vital resource for struggling families who now face an extreme benefit “cliff” when federal waivers enabling schools to serve meals to all students dissolve at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. According to Children’s HealthWatch, food insecurity costs Massachusetts $2.4 billion every year. But we know one thing that works: School Meals for All. School meals are one of the most powerful tools for ending food insecurity among children. California and Maine recently passed monumental legislation to make school meals for every student a reality. Allowing all students to receive free school meals will end the stigma around students’ economic status and ensure all youth are hunger-free and ready to learn. Providing school meals is a proven way to increase students’ attendance, improve behavior and academic achievement, and reduce childhood hunger and tardiness. California and Maine have shown us what is possible in the fight against childhood food insecurity. School Meals for All would be a game-changer for our state. We need our Massachusetts Representatives and Senators to pass H.714/S.714: An Act Relative to Universal School Meals during this legislative session. Hungry children can’t wait.
letters to the editor
PHOTO/TAMI WHITE
NORTHBOROUGH - Drone photography recently captured an aerial view of Northborough’s decorated tree overlooking downtown. Northborough celebrated its tree lighting earlier this month and continues to light the downtown area with the multicolored glow of the tree’s lights.
letters to the editor
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4 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021
COMMUNITY NEWS
Patrick Subaru plans move to Route 9, South Street intersection
Northborough Planning Board weighs changes to zoning density requirements
By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter SHREWSBURY - Patrick Subaru plans to relocate to a new site near the intersection of Route 9 and South Street. “We’re very excited about this move, as it will allow us to grow with our expanding customer base here in Central Massachusetts,” said owner Jim Patrick in a press release. The dealership is currently located at 247 Boston Turnpike. According to the press release, the new site, which spans about 15 acres, is about 2 miles away from that Route 9 home. “The dealership has outgrown its current facilities and is planning a state-of-the-art Subaru exclusive signature facility with over 50,000 square feet of building space,” that press release said. Subaru of New England Vice President of Market Development Bryan Dumais said
By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter
Patrick Subaru plans to move from its current location in Shrewsbury to a new site.
the new site will be one of the “largest and most advanced retail automotive destinations in New England.” It will allow Patrick Subaru to grow over the next 50 years, Dumais said. The site has been purchased and staff is working on the design plans, which call for a
PHOTO/LAURA HAYES
two-story vehicle showroom and about 40 service bays. The dealership is anticipating that it will employ about 100 people. The dealership plans to start Shrewsbury’s permitting and licensing process, and it is hoping to receive the town’s approval in the coming months.
NORTHBOROUGH - A conversation about proposed zoning bylaw changes led to a discussion by the Northborough Planning Board Dec. 7 about frontage requirements and increased density in Northborough’s residential districts. The conversation was sparked by former Selectman Aaron Hutchins on July 6. “I’m a father of three girls. In an ideal world, if I wanted to build a house for each of my girls, I couldn’t do it the way the current bylaws are written, even though I have almost five acres of land in this town,” he said. Hutchins’ property at 91 Brigham St. spans 4.7 acres with about 190 feet of frontage in the Residential C (RC) zoning district. He expressed interest in constructing a shared driveway with two to three houses.
However, Hutchins said, the current bylaw means that the lot for a new home behind his house would include most of his current land, leaving his existing home with less than an acre. Additionally, if he constructed a common driveway, he would have to give up 100 feet of frontage, he said. Frontage is the boundary that borders the street. Hutchins asked if the Planning Board would entertain changes to the bylaws when it came to frontage and lot size requirements. The board expressed interest in how many properties would be affected. During the Dec. 7 meeting, Town Planner Kathy Joubert said the Residential C zone is already the most dense zone in Northborough. MIS/GIS Director David Kane first looked for residential parcels with lots over 40,000 square feet and with over 100 Planning Board | 5
The Marlborough Commuter Shuttle is back in service! REGISTER ONLINE TO RESERVE A SPOT The 12 -passenger handicap-accessible shuttle connects local commuters between three stops at the Southborough MBTA Commuter Rail, the Apex Center of New England, and the business park located at 200 Forest Street. This option provides free public transportation for those who take the train to and/or from Boston and Worcester.
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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 5
COMMUNITY NEWS
Firefighters battle boat, car, structure fire in Shrewsbury Fire spreads around a pair of cars in Shrewsbury. Firefighters from Shrewsbury, Westborough and Northborough all responded to this incident.
SHREWSBURY - Local firefighters faced a complex scene Dec. 9 as they responded to a series of “vehicle and structure fires” all on Fifth Avenue in Shrewsbury. Two cars and a boat went up in flames. Fire also damaged the side of a house, according to a social media
post by the Shrewsbury Fire Department. Photos included with the post showed major damage to both cars in particular. “The house and boat sustained minimal amount of damage due to a quick knock down by the Engine 2 fire crew,” Shrewsbury Police said
in their post. Fifth Avenue splits off North Quinsigamond Avenue in town near Lake Quinsigamond itself. The Northborough and Westborough Fire Departments provided mutual aid support, Dec. 9, according to the Shrewsbury Fire Department.
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feet of frontage within the Residential C district. His research found 417 parcels met that criteria and that, of that number, 280 were single-family residential properties. Those properties might be able to add new homes if these regulations were to change. “David and I both were very surprised that there were this many parcels that would be affected by a density change,” Joubert said. Hutchins further reduced that number, though, saying 54 properties were over two acres and 23 were over three. He suggested that the bylaw change for these 54 properties could let them have as many homes as desired on a lot as long as each home had an acre of that lot allocated to it. That would possibly create 178 new homes in town, under Hutchins’ calculations. “Would that devastate Northborough?” he asked. “Would that cause the creation of a new school building, an
additional police force? I don’t know. I haven’t gone into that detailed analysis.” Planning Board member Michelle Gillespie responded that, if the board was to allow reduced frontage in this district, the bylaw would also have to be adjusted for the Residential A and B districts. Gillespie said residents with two acres could raise concerns about why they were excluded. “Land is very valuable now,” she said. “If they want to sell it, they want to profit as much [off] of it. You have to be really cautious because you could really be opening a lot up.” “This is a very complex situation,” said Planning Board member Anthony Ziton. “RC is one thing, but if you want to look at RA and RB and then the impacts it could make on town—this is really something you’d really have to dig into to understand the ramifications as a result of it.” The board decided to further look at numbers and offer feedback at a later date.
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6 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021
COMMUNITY NEWS
Westborough mask, COVID-19 vaccination advisory followed discussion at Board of Health meeting By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter WESTBOROUGH - The Westborough Board of Health issued an advisory last week, strongly encouraging community members to wear facial coverings while indoors regardless of their vaccination status. The advisory also recommended that individuals get vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive a booster. The board voted to send the advisory during its meeting on Dec. 6, which focused on a surge in COVID-19 cases in Westborough and the topic of masking. Westborough saw 78 new cases between Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, according to the Board of Health’s most recent case update. That includes 38 breakthrough cases. There were two individuals in the hospital, which Board of Health member Alan Ehrlich said made this the first time that anyone in Westborough needed to be hospital-
ized for COVID-19 “in a very long time.” “It’s actually approaching the highest level that we’ve actually seen here in Westborough in terms of the number of cases per day,” Chair Nathan Walsh said. Walsh originally raised the idea of enacting a mask mandate. However, the board opted to send the advisory instead after additional discussion. Walsh had said that if the board decided to implement a mask mandate, the day it would actually go into effect would be flexible to let the community know it was coming. “I’m not sure that a mask mandate for our town is needed right now,” said Board of Health member Melissa Mahr. “I certainly don’t agree with the schools being unmasked or flex masking, and I do wish there was another way to have the schools masking without recommending a full town mask
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“
It’s actually approaching the highest level that we’ve actually seen here in Westborough in terms of the number of cases per day. Nathan Walsh Chair
mandate.” Walsh cautioned against implementing his proposed mandate specifically to have an effect on the schools, which began implementing flexible masking at Westborough High School and Gibbons Middle School on Dec 6. “That is not what I want at all,” Walsh said. “If we go ahead with this proposal, I want it to be based on the town and the town numbers and what’s best for the town. Town Manager Kristi Williams said she was unsure if the town saw the conversation coming beyond discussion at the schools. She brought up the option of an advisory. “I think that your engagement with the community has been really strong, and people are really listening to these meetings and to your guidance,” Williams told the Board of Health. “I do think some sort of advisory would actually yield some of the desired results.” Cases at schools Walsh said the Board of Health received a total of 177 emails and several messages sent through other means ahead of this Dec. 6 meeting. Most of those discussed the schools, board members said. “Unfortunately, this is being portrayed as one board versus another,” Walsh said. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Each of us is acting with the information we have at the time that we’re making our decisions and making the best decisions we can at the time.” Schools superintendent Amber Bock attended the meeting alongside School Committee president Kristen Vincent. Together, the board and those school officials discussed a number of topics when it came to the schools, including testing and masking after exposure. Bock recommended on Nov. 17 that the School Committee vote to implement flexible masking to take effect on Jan. 10. At their next meeting, the
School Committee opted to make the transition on Dec. 6. During the Board of Health meeting last week, Vincent said the Dec. 6 date seemed acceptable to many, including the Board of Health. “It wasn’t that we were OK with flex masking starting on Dec. 6. It was, ‘What were we going to advise if that were to happen,’” Mahr said. Mahr said that, according to Bock, the plan was to implement flexible masking Jan. 10, which meant the board had time to examine the numbers before the implementation date. Mahr also said there have been changes since the Board of Health’s last meeting, such as the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and increased COVID-19 case numbers. According to Mahr, the guidelines from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that allowed the flexible masking state that local decisions on masking are to be made in consultation with local health officials. “I felt like our School Committee members, last week, did not follow these guidelines by DESE by going against both the superintendent and the Board of Health to decide to flexible mask starting today,” Mahr said. Ehrlich, who spoke after Mahr, said it’s “easy” to feel like people who have different perspectives aren’t following science. He said that science can report the cases or transmission rate or effectiveness of masks. But he said mandatory masking in public buildings or flexible masking in schools aren’t strictly science questions because they involve values. Masks are one tool, he said. Sometimes, all available tools are needed while, sometimes, only some are needed, he said. “My feelings last meeting was that the School Committee is in the best position to balance the risks and benefits of the policies around masking. To a certain extent, I still feel that
way,” Ehrlich said. When that last Board of Health meeting took place, COVID-19 data was “bouncing around,” he said. Since then, though, case counts have gone up “quite substantially” both in Westborough and elsewhere. “That’s the kind of thing that I would hope the School Committee was taking into consideration when they were making their decisions, and obviously I’m anxious to hear what the representatives from the School Committee or superintendent have to say in that regard to help explain so that people understand what’s the rationale,” Ehrlich said. Bock, Vincent respond Vincent said the School Committee was “clear” that it planned to use the waiver it had received from the state’s mask mandate for local control of policies at WHS and Gibbons. The question, she said, was when that would happen. Vincent said she was comfortable with coronavirus mitigation measures in place under flexible masking, including test and stay protocols and contact tracing. She said the School Committee was committed to placing resources where needed, such as nursing staff and helping with additional hours or additional staff as needed. “We can always adjust together,” she told the Board of Health. “We can always remask a class or building, like Superintendent Bock said. We are going to take this day by day and work together with you and look to your guidance, and as Superintendent Bock said, move to daily meetings if needed to keep an eye on the data and make adjustments as needed.” The town previously implemented a mask mandate for municipal facilities including Town Hall, the Forbes Municipal Building, the Westborough Public Library, the Senior Center, the Fire Department and Department of Public Works Facilities. That mandate will remain in effect until Jan. 10. “We will continue to monitor the data and make adjustments to this plan as appropriate,” Williams wrote in a message to the Community Advocate earlier this month.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 7
COMMUNITY NEWS
Local communities to receive earmarks through state spending bill Local communities | from page 1
for the benefit of the Commonwealth,” Rep. Hannah Kane said in a joint statement following the legislature’s passage of the spending bill earlier this month. “I am glad that after such a long process we have now passed legislation that will make vital funds available for communities and individuals who have been especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sen.Michael Moore said in the same joint statement. Local communities receive earmarks Shrewsbury Kane secured $75,000 to support efforts to establish a food bank “and related programs” in Shrewsbury, according to that press release. She also secured $50,000 for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades at Shrewsbury Public Schools. Moore added $205,000 for Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services. That money will support short term crisis and treatment planning for those on waitlists for high level care. It will also fund partnerships to identify and provide case management for families in need. Westborough The Westborough house delegation of Carolyn Dykema, Kane and Danielle Gregoire helped the Westborough food pantry get $25,000. “This legislation lays the framework for broad public health and economic recovery, particularly targeting communities that have faced extensive public health and financial impacts from the pandemic,” Dykema said of the broader spending bill on Dec. 3. Southborough The New England Center for Children (NECC) in Southborough will get $1 million to offset unreimbursed COVID-19 expenditures thanks to the work of Dykema and Gregoire, who both noted their advocacy on that matter in recent statements. Dykema celebrated the NECC earmark in addition to a $100,000 payment to help Southborough upgrade heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment in public buildings. Dykema also worked with Sen. Jamie Eldridge to get $70,000 to repair a collapsed
culvert under Northborough Road in Southborough. “Southborough has had previous difficulties with this culvert and has attempted lower cost temporary solutions, which unfortunately haven’t been successful,” Eldridge said in a press release. “This funding will ensure that the culvert can be repaired immediately, and should provide
a permanent solution to this vexing problem.”
that heating and ventilation funding in a press release from November after the House of Representatives passed its version of this bill.
Grafton Grafton will get $125,000 to pay for security upgrades in schools. The schools are also getting an extra $100,000 to fund their own heating and ventilation upgrades. Rep. David Muradian particularly noted his work to secure
Signing caps ‘long process’ Outside of local earmarks, this new law allocates millions to health care, housing and infrastructure initiatives, among other things.
Baker’s administration had filed its own legislation in June in an attempt to quickly generate a plan to dole out money that ARPA allocated to Massachusetts. Both houses of the legislature eventually finalized their own spending bills before reconciling them and sending the package to Baker on Dec. 3.
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8 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021
COMMUNITY NEWS
Students, staff settle into Westborough’s new Fales School By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter
PHOTOS/LAURA HAYES
WESTBOROUGH - Community members have eagerly kept an eye on the Annie E. Fales Elementary School over the past two years, watching as a new school was constructed a stone’s throw away from the former school. Now, the school is open and crews are entering “phase two” of a multi-step process that will involve demolishing the old Fales building. “Students and staff couldn’t be happier,” Principal Maryann Stannard recently told the Community Advocate. “We’re all just feeling very grateful for this beautiful new school.” Construction on the new school began in March of last year. All of the school’s students eventually signed a beam, which was added to the building during that construction process. Students then had their first official day of classes in the new school on Nov. 15. “The kids have been fascinated with it,” Stannard said.
Students’ first day in the new Annie E. Fales Elementary School was Nov. 15.
Students in Patricia Gallo’s second grade class pose for a photo.
Principal celebrates staff It was noisy at some points in this process, such as when crews drilled geothermal wells associated with the new school building. Stannard said, however, that, for the most part, both the old school and its abutting construction site coexisted well. “I think my staff did an incredible, incredible job to pack and move and set up in a very
grade with an enrollment of just over 350 students, according to Stannard. While staff and students loved the original Fales, Stannard described it as “more compressed.” For example, art and music programs shared a classroom. Now, art and music teachers have their own rooms. There are new decorations as well.
short span of time,” she said of the mid-year transition to the new building last month. “It was amazing. They were all in. “I couldn’t be more grateful to them for making that happen for our students,” she said. The Westborough community previously had a chance to say goodbye to the old school at the back in October. Fales is open to students in kindergarten through third
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Themes of nature run throughout the new school, with leaves decorating the floor. Fales’ mascot is Annie the Hedgehog. While the original Fales mural that was funded by the Westborough Cultural Council will be moving over, additional grade level murals will also feature Annie. Visitors may see Annie hiking through the woods, snorkeling in a pond or parachuting into a field. “It’s got an elegance to it as a building, but it is also very much an elementary school vibe,” Stannard said. Building implements solar panels, geothermal wells Any visitors entering the school are able to view solar panels on the roof of Fales. “It is designed to be a net zero building,” Stannard said. In addition to the solar panels, there are those geothermal wells. Together, the solar panels and the wells handle the electrical, heating and cooling needs of the school. Project continues Now that the project is officially in phase two, a demolition company will soon dismantle the old Fales structure. Stannard said once the building comes down, its footprint will be repurposed for additional parking and a bus loop. That space will also house a hardtop playground space, fields and a pavilion. “My hope is, at the start of next school year, we are having an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at some point either in August or September where we’re celebrating the final completion of the project,” Stannard said.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 9
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10 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Northborough schools lay out $26.9 million preliminary budget By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter NORTHBOROUGH - Superintendent Gregory Martineau presented a preliminary budget of $26.9 million to the Northborough School Committee during their Dec. 2 meeting. It called for a $1.1 million increase over the Fiscal Year 2022 budget. “At this point in time in the budget process, we have a lot more work to do moving forward, but the preliminary FY23 budget is $26,934,864, which reflects the 4.4 percent increase over FY22,” Martineau said. Martineau said some of the increases come, in part, from increases in costs associated with contracted custodial cleaning and trash removal services. According to Martineau’s presentation, the two largest increases in this preliminary budget are associated with out-
of-district and collaborative tuitions as well as both salary and cost of living increases. The district wasn’t aware of any potential faculty retirements, Martineau said. District ‘monitoring’ variables There are also several outstanding variables, such as inflation and out of district special education funding. “We are seeing an impact to our FY22 budget, and we do anticipate that to continue in FY23,” Martineau said of inflation. “So, it’s something we’re monitoring closely.” Initial budget requests from principals and directors came in at about $28.8 million, translating to an 11.73 percent increase for this upcoming fiscal year. Martineau said that is the largest percentage the district will see in the budget process. The district’s leadership
“
At this point in time in the budget process, we have a lot more work to do moving forward. Gregory Martineau Superintendent
team reviewed initial requests and found just under $2 million in reductions, leading to the preliminary budget presented on Dec. 2. “Part of the work that we do as a leadership team is really thinking about, what if there were no fiscal constraints what would we want to see in terms of the asks for the budget,” Martineau said. Among the initial budget requests were a number of proposed positions that were not included in the preliminary budget presented on Dec. 2. Those may be added to the budget as this process moves
forward. According to Martineau’s presentation, a total of 8.2 fulltime equivalent (FTE) positions were requested, including everything from two instructional technology specialists to a 1.5 FTE team chair. Staff said during a previous School Committee meeting on Nov. 23 about the budget, that the team chair would be a special education position. Currently, there is one team chair spread across the four elementary schools. This would add a second individual, creating a new situation where each chair would handle two schools.
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“What we’re doing now as a leadership team is really prioritizing these positions and really thinking about, if we can only request one or two new positions, what would they be. Those conversations are underway,” Martineau said on Dec. 2. The School Committee has prioritized its Elementary Strings Program which would benefit from a requested 0.4 FTE addition. “I’m very excited to see that the Elementary Strings 0.4 position is something that’s being considered,” said School Committee Chair Lauren BaileyJones on Dec. 2. Bailey-Jones is also part of Northborough’s music task force. She said one of that group’s recommendations was to include a strings program at the elementary level in Northborough. During the School CommitBudget | 11
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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 11
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Northborough schools lay out $26.9 million preliminary budget Budget | from page 10
tee’s Nov. 23 meeting, School Committee member Joan Frank asked if a 0.4 FTE increase would mean a new person would be hired. Martineau said that this would “most likely” be a new hire “especially because of the specialized instruction that would need to take place.” Frank asked if the district
would be able to find someone to work for 0.4 FTE. Martineau said the district has had past success, including hiring specialized music teachers at Melican Middle School. Committee discusses Northborough, Southborough budgets During the Nov. 23 meeting, School Committee Member
Erin Tagliaferri asked how Northborough’s school budget compared to Southborough’s. Martineau said he hasn’t done a line item analysis, but said that the two budgets were comparable in terms of special education funding, class sizes and services. One of the differences was the configuration of neighbor-
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lived didn’t put them ahead. “When you get to the high school, all those fears or those concerns you have are [brushed] aside, and the kids all come together as one,” she said. Martineau will present his recommended budget to the School Committee in the coming months. There will be a public hearing on March 2.
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hood schools and allocation of resources, he said. “I think both the budgets support the operations well in both communities,” Martineau said. “I wouldn’t say one community is off balance with the other, in terms of budget requests.” Frank said she had previously had similar concerns, but found that where students
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12 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Shrewsbury residents provide feedback on proposed Beal project By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter SHREWSBURY - Residents had a chance to weigh in and ask questions, Dec. 7, about a proposed mixed-use project at the former Maj. Howard W. Beal school. Some advocated for a community center in Shrewsbury while others supported more open space. Some residents expressed concerns about traffic and the number of apartments included in the proposed development, known as “Beal Commons.” “I think we like what we see, but I think we’re a little concerned at the overall volume of it,” said resident Karin Holovnia. “It seems a little overwhelming.” Civico and Greenly was the only developer that responded to Shrewsbury’s request for proposals to redevelop the old Beal school. They presented their proposal to the Board of Selectmen in May and have since been in negotiations
with the town. Those negotiations culminated in this public hearing. “We’re excited to present this project simply because we believe it will make a significant and positive impact to the town,” said Board of Selectmen Chair John Samia. He said the town believes the project will serve as a “catalyst” for future investment and development of the downtown area. Assistant Town Manager Kristen Las said the project is estimated to add $23 million in initial investment in Shrewsbury’s Town Center and generate annual revenue between $150,000 to $200,000. However, Las said that doesn’t include revenue from motor vehicle excise tax or meals tax from a proposed restaurant or brewery that might operate in a completed Beal Commons. Plans explained The project would include 8,000 square feet of retail
space — such as a brewery, cafe or specialty market — and 65 apartments in an L-shaped building, according to conceptual images. The building would be set about 40 feet back from Maple Avenue. The developers plan to maintain the World War I memorial currently on the property. There will be 142 parking spaces, 20 of which would be public parking spaces. Developers proposed an additional 11 parallel spots on Hascall Street, next to Beal. Vehicle access to the site would be off Hascall Street, though pedestrians would be able to access it off Maple Street. There would be a 0.4-acre public park near the back of the site off Wesleyan Street. Samia discusses residential component “The market is not willing to invest in just retail without a residential component,” Samia said.
Samia said the project will provide additional affordable housing units in Shrewsbury, which is one of the selectmen’s goals. The town said about eight of the apartments will be affordable, accounting for 12.5 percent of the development’s residential units. The town is expecting the apartments to have little impact on Shrewsbury’s schools and municipal services, Samia said. Town Manager Kevin Mizikar said the current plan is to sell the building to Civico and Greenly for $250,000. “$250,000? Half the price of a single-family home in Shrewsbury?” said resident Paul Zekos. Samia later responded that there are other components besides the cash purchase price, including the cost for remediation, which was estimated at over $16 million. “So $250,000 – it’s $250,000 plus a development of a $23 million investment, conservatively, of $150,000 to $200,000 in tax revenue every year, plus
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excise tax on vehicles, plus meal taxes on a regular basis,” Samia said. “The property right now is tax exempt.” Residents weigh in Some residents voiced support for a community center. Shrewsbury children don’t have access to a lot of activities in town, said Resident Jen Luke, who has middle schoolers and who formed a committee exploring a community center. “They’re constantly walking to the Town Center, going to Dunkin’ Donuts,” Luke said. “They’re exhausting the businesses and there’s nothing for them to do.” James Nagengast’s family goes to Beal’s playground and fields several times a week. “We actually met some of our best friends at the playground when my child [was] stealing the other child’s toy,” he said. Nagengast and others asked if the plans could expand the open space. “Green space is something you’ll never get back,” said Richard Ricker. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone. We’ve learned that in various ways in this town over the years.” Resident Julie Ross has a commercial driver’s license. “Having a commercial driver’s license, I’m looking at that parking lot, and I’m saying where are the trucks going to go to make deliveries,” Ross said. Resident Jennifer Michalik is with the project’s future property manager, Madison Management. On a typical Saturday, she said, she’ll get coffee in Shrewsbury before leaving to go out to breakfast or walk around shops with her children or friends in other towns. “I’m not finding myself staying in Shrewsbury and doing those types of things,” Michalik said. “I’m super excited about the probability of having some fun stuff right downtown,” she added. Next steps In the foreseeable future, the developers will be meeting with town boards and working through the permitting process. They’re hoping to break ground next fall, with their building being completed and leased in spring 2024.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 13
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Southborough School Committee delays decision on extended day program By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter SOUTHBOROUGH - The Public Schools of Southborough is recommending that the district start its own extended day program next school year. However, the Southborough School Committee did not take action on Superintendent Gregory Martineau’s recommendation at a meeting on Dec. 8 and expressed interest in holding a special meeting in the coming weeks to make a decision. A nonprofit organization, the Southborough Extended Day Program (SEDP), currently serves Southborough families. “We pride ourselves on running a fun, warm, and safe environment for these kids, and we do everything we can to maintain that for the community,” SEDP board president Katie Karmelek said at this recent Dec. 8 meeting. SEDP will “cease to exist” SEDP’s contract was slated
to end in August. The district extended it for an extra year though after it rejected proposals from providers, and it expressed interest in taking on the program itself. Karmelek said that if the district decides to move the program in house, SEDP will support it. However, she said their “ideal goal” is for SEDP to be an independent program and operate as it has for decades. “If the recommendation and decision is to bring it in house, we will do what we can to work with the school and to support that decision. But it’s important to know, and I think everybody here needs to know, that the program that we know here today will cease to exist indefinitely,” said Karmelek. Proposed program The new program would continue at Neary, Finn and Woodward Schools with the same schedule, according to Martineau. It would offer programming
during school vacations, most state and federal holidays, professional development and most early release days as well as over the summer. Martineau said one of the greatest benefits of absorbing the program was that it would extend its access to district resources, expertise and professional development. There would be no change in fees from this year to next. If rates were to increase, such a change would have to be approved by the School Committee. Martineau said it was recommended that any profits (which are projected to be between $90,000 to $250,000) would be used for supplies, to upgrade spaces and to maintain a three-month reserve. The district would form an advisory committee to oversee a new extended day program. If Southborough took this task on, Martineau said it would “immediately” begin searching for a director. Martineau said current SEDP staff
would be a hiring priority. If the School Committee does not opt for the program to be in house, the district will have to start the RFP (request for proposals) process once again. Residents’ concerns Several residents expressed a variety of concerns, ranging from what they called a profit margin to claiming feedback from people who use the program was ignored. “As a parent in the district of two children, as a former alumni of the school district myself, and as a former employee of SEDP, the value of the program as it is today is wonderful for the families, and I just would ask the School Committee to really look at what the true difference and benefit of bringing it in house would be,” said Christine Rehlander, who is on SEDP’s board. “I didn’t really see anything tonight that would make me jump out of my chair to make this change.” School Committee member
Jennifer Primack said there was “a lot of emotion in the community” about SEDP and its meaning for families. “I think we’re — all of us here — have heard those sentiments from families. We’ve heard the phrase ‘If it’s not broken, why fix it?’” Primack said. She asked what Martineau’s response would be. Martineau said SEDP has served the community well and the district can continue having parents in a key role in extended day in an advisory role. Caring for kids is their area of expertise, he said. “Every day parents entrust their children with us, and I think Southborough Public Schools is an exceptional school system,” he continued. “[We’re] not perfect, but we do a great job. And I think we can do an exceptional job with the extended day program and truly use our resources to provide students what they need in the program.”
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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 15
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Westborough parents, students react to new school flexible masking policy at protest By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter
School Committee vote The School Committee voted on Dec. 1 to implement flexible masking for vaccinated students and staff at both Gibbons Middle School and WHS, effective Dec. 6.
PHOTOS/LAURA HAYES
WESTBOROUGH - Westborough High School (WHS) staff participated in a brief “walk out” on Dec. 6 in response to the Westborough School Committee’s decision to implement flexible masking at the High School and at Gibbons Middle School. Staff reentered the school after gathering near an outdoor classroom. Nearby, on the sidewalk along West Main Street, parents and other community members gathered, holding signs and voicing their support. “We’re pretty shocked by the School Committee’s decision to pretty rashly start with flex masking today,” parent and organizer Danielle Jordan told the Community Advocate. “So, we wanted to try to prevent that from happening as much as we can.” It’s not the time, Jordan said, citing rising cases and people traveling. She was joined by her son Sawyer, who attends Gibbons. “I just think that we should support masking because the pandemic isn’t over, and I don’t want people to get hurt and a lot of people are going to be traveling during the holidays,” Sawyer said. “People could get sick and other people could get sick from that.” Individuals stood in front of Gibbons earlier in the day, holding signs and voicing their support for teachers.
more supportive of Bock’s Jan. 10 option than today, she said she was “most in favor” of watching the case numbers and adopting flexible masking when all students could be fully vaccinated. Shazia Ali, meanwhile, has children in elementary school. “I just don’t want them getting sick, and my youngest is not vaccinated and the numbers are going crazy,” she said. “I know whatever happens at the high school and middle school is going to trickle down to siblings at different schools.”
Community members held signs outside of Westborough High School responding to the recent decision to implement a flexible masking policy at Gibbons Middle School and Westborough High School.
Under the new flexible masking policy, students will transition back to mandatory masking for a week following winter break. The School Committee’s decision came after Superintendent Amber Bock had previously recommended Jan. 10 as a date to transition to flexible masking. Schools with vaccination rates over 80 percent can apply for a waiver from the state to allow for local control over masking policies. WHS and Gibbons both received such waivers earlier this year, allowing the district to make these decisions. While Jordan said she was
WALDRON’S
bers to know. “We’re very reasonable,” said junior Julio Varella. “We’re not kids anymore. We clearly see the issues here. We clearly see the benefits of masking. We should be listened to.” Sophomore Nason Hubbard said most students at Westborough High School were wearing masks today, calling that a “nice surprise.” “I didn’t even remember in the beginning that we were doing flexible masking already because I don’t think anyone in the first half the day was not wearing them,” junior Harshita Srivastava said. Freshman Abigail Northrup said, however, that she was anxious in the classes where a lot of the students weren’t wearing masks. “Luckily, most of my close friends are wearing masks at school. So, I was sitting with them and I felt comfortable with them,” Northrup said. “But, in the hallways and stairwells where it’s crammed to the classrooms that are smaller, it was very difficult.”
WHS students react About half a dozen students joined the protest on Dec. 6. Though the flexible masking policy has numerous supporters in town, those in attendance on Dec. 6 were either opposed to it altogether or concerned about the choice to implement it ahead of Bock’s initial Jan. 10 date. “Listen to your students,” one student said when asked what they want administrators and School Committee mem-
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PEOPLE
Westborough Lions Club announces Peace Poster contest winners WESTBOROUGH - The Westborough Lions Club announced winners of its 2021-2022 Peace Poster contest last month, honoring local students Anish Karthick and Arushi Vora. Karthick, who attends Mill Pond Elementary School, was the first-place winner. Gibbons Middle School student Arushi Vora placed second in the competition. The Peace Poster contest encourages students to express their visions of peace and inspire the world through their art and creativity, the Lions Club explained in a statement earlier this year. Their 2021-22 poster theme was “We are All Connected.” A local art teacher judged the posters based on originality, artistic merit and expression of a theme, a press release noted. The contest was open to Westborough students ages 11
will move on to the District 33A competition to compete against posters submitted from the other 44 Lions Clubs in Worcester County. “We wish Anish the best of luck as his poster competes at
Santa delights with jet ski ride through Lake Quinsigamond
From left to right: Arushi Vora, Anish Karthick, and Lion Susan Ash, Peace Poster Chairperson pose for a photo.
to 13. The posters, likewise, were on display at the Westborough Library for viewing between Nov. 1 and Nov. 12. The posters are still available for viewing through Vimeo at https://vimeo. com/640733273. There are a total of four levels of Peace Poster competition beginning with the local club competition before proceeding
the higher levels,” that press release noted. “The Westborough Lions are very proud of the students who entered the contest and wish them much success in their artistic pursuits.”
Santa | from page 1
Watershed Association President Barbra Kickham said that the community turnout at the takeoff point this year was better than last year’s turnout. The additional stops would certainly bring in even more people, she continued. “This year we did a lot more advertising, and we have four viewing locations that we told people about as well,” Kickham said. “I’m very excited with how many people showed up just here alone.” Santa also made some improvements to his outfit in this second year of trading a sleigh for a jet ski. That included adding a dry suit underneath his traditional red and white apparel to keep warm and dry throughout the ride. The Shrewsbury Fire Department launched a boat and followed behind Santa in case of any emergency, Dec. 12.
Anish Karthick poses with his poster.
to the district competition, the state contest, and, finally, an international competition where the winner receives a $5,000 prize and a trip to the United Nations. (508)-234-6333 Karthick’s winning poster
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NORTHBOROUGH - Residents will soon finalize their decisions on which houses in town have the best holiday decorations. They’ll do so through Northborough’s Light Up the Town contest, which has returned this year for a second year. The Community Affairs Committee is running the contest and recently published a list of houses whose owners all registered as competitors in the contest. Competing houses must
remain lit until 9 p.m. through Sunday, Dec. 19 as community members select their favorite three displays by voting online at the Community Affairs Committee’s website. Residents of the three winning homes will receive prize baskets from local businesses. Light Up the Town ran for the first time last year amid lingering COVID-19 restrictions and precautions. “We felt we should come up with a fun, socially distant
event for the holiday season,” then Committee chair Lisa Hodge said in a press release at the time. Last year’s winning display, at 7 Greenwood Rd., drew over a hundred votes. A display at 31 Winter St. came in second place while displays at 2 Washburn Rd. and 12 Mulligan Way tied for third place. See this year’s list of competing homes by visiting northboroughcac.weebly.com/ index.html.
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WESTBOROUGH - The Westborough Civic Club recently donated $500 to the BORO Program to help support social activities for the BORO’s students. Civic Club members Tom Dwyer and Mark Lippitt got a tour of the program and the BORO Sugar Shack facility from BORO Program teacher Angelina McCarthy. Through that, they saw Westborough students hard at work. “The Westborough Civic Club is very happy to support you and the work that you do for the community,” Dwyer said. The club’s only fundraiser is its annual tree sale, which is currently being held at Hastings Elementary School. See pg. 20. The Civic Club takes a number of priorities into consideration when determining where to make donations. That includes considerations of whether a project or group benefits the town.
Mark Lippitt, Ben Simpson, Hunter Tompkins, Peter Alam, Nikita Sologab, Tom Dwyer, Lydia Ferreria and Gia Bellofatto pose with a check from the Westborough Civic Club.
The club has funded a number of organizations and events, like Eagle Scout projects and the Westborough Turkey Trot. The BORO Program is short for Bridging Over Right Opportunities. The program and the BORO Sugar Shack are operated through the Westborough Public Schools, training students ages 18 to 22 who have special needs to help them get jobs after high school. The program also teaches students independence. According to McCarthy, helping students access social activities in the community was one of the areas where the
BORO needed financial support. “Really, our goal too is to get the students out there, teach them what’s available for clubs and activities within their community and help them access it,” McCarthy said. McCarthy said staff has been thinking of ways to help the students outside of the school day, such as holding cookiedecorating events or karaoke nights. Staff members were also considering a group trip to a trampoline park. Those efforts will help the students work on their social Donation | 19
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skills, McCarthy said. They also serve as teaching moments on how to plan social events. Staff recently took the students to Fun and Games in Framingham. But that cost $20 per student. “That’s where my brainstorming and thinking came from. We’re trying to do more
and more … and as it becomes more and more, that becomes a financial burden on the families,” McCarthy said. McCarthy and BORO Sugar Shack Manager Kristen DadahWall reflected how the students have grown since the start of the program, particularly in confidence. One student recently had
his first real job interview in Westborough, McCarthy said. Students are having and initiating more conversations with customers, Dadah-Wall said. “We have a couple that have really almost come out of their shell a little bit in the last year and done more communicating with the public,” Dadah-Wall said.
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REGION - The region woke Dec. 9 to some of this winter’s first accumulated snowfall. Though not a major storm, flurries drifted in Dec. 8 and cleared from the area overnight. That left anywhere from a coating to an inch of snow in local communities. The National Weather Service’s Boston office did warn, Dec. 9, of black ice that could impact the morning commute for some. “Drive with caution,” it wrote in a statement on social media. “Expect conditions to improve by mid-morning as temps rise above freezing.” Do you have photos of the snow you would like to see shared in the Community Advocate? Send them our way to news@communityadvocate.com!
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By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter WESTBOROUGH - For families, picking out a Christmas tree together is a tradition. At the Westborough Civic Club’s annual Christmas tree sale outside Hastings Elementary School, Civic Club members say they enjoy that tradition every single day.
“A lot of people, especially in Westborough, know what we do,” George Grosner recently told the Community Advocate. “...We appreciate them coming out to help us and support us.” The tree sale, which wound down this past week, begins after Thanksgiving each year and runs until the club runs out of trees. Civic Club president David
Webber said one woman has been coming to the club’s tree sale for 20 years. As it turns out, the club had previously donated money to the family to help out her son. “She was so impressed by the kindness that she’s come back here every year for 20 years to buy a tree,” Webber said. Trees | 21
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The tree sale is the club’s only fundraiser. Funds raised go toward groups including the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts as well as the Westborough Food Pantry. Business has been booming of late especially after the Civic Club sold out by midDecember last year. They increased the number of trees purchased from their supplier this year. Even so, Grosner and his tree sale colleagues have said they expected inventory to run out soon.
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George Grosner Civic Club member “We might not have trees for much longer,” club member Mark Lippitt said last week. The Civic Club gets two deliveries of the trees, wreaths and roping each year. The club sells a variety of sizes of balsam fir trees from Nova Scotia, sourcing from a
Northborough Boy Scouts to conduct tree pickups NORTHBOROUGH – Boy Scout Troop 101 is hosting its annual Christmas tree pickup next month on Jan. 8. The Northborough Boy Scouts have been hosting this fundraiser for the past 19 years. Troop 101 is expecting to pick up over 500 trees, similar to the amount collected last year. Northborough residents can arrange a tree pickup by completing an online form and payment before 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan 7 at scoutsales.org/?560.6.1499 or by calling 508-281-9972. The pickup cost is $10 per tree. Trees should be placed near the curb before 8 a.m, Saturday, Jan. 8. For more information, email Nborotroop101Treepickup@ gmail.com or call 508-281-9972.
familiar supply of trees there. Lippitt and Grosner both said demand for trees has been strong this year. As news outlets have reported a Christmas tree shortage, Lippitt said the club also hasn’t had any issues with supply. That, Grosner said, is likely due to the Civic Club’s relationship with its tree supplier. “Talking to them, they definitely had some challenges on their side,” he said. “But they were really working hard to serve their big and longtime customers. We’re definitely one of those.” “If we didn’t have that long relationship and we needed to try to find a new one, that would have been really kinda tough,” he added. The sale was still open as of Dec. 13, operating at Hastings Elementary School on weekdays from 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. There were less than a dozen small trees left, however.
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REGION - A report from state Attorney General Maura Healey last month highlighted elements of the ongoing debate over a proposed Mass General Brigham (MGB) expansion in Westborough. Released on Nov. 17, the report takes no explicit position for or against the expansion. Instead, it details information for the state Department of Public Health and the state Health Policy Commission to consider in their ongoing review of MGB’s proposal. “We recommend that HPC and DPH consider this information as part of robust and transparent analyses of MGB’s proposed expansion, including the extent to which these projects contribute to or threaten the state’s goals for cost containment, and their impact on the state’s goals of health care access for all and health equity,” the report says, in part. Expansion proposal would add clinic in Westborough Mass General Brigham is looking to open a new ambulatory care clinic in Westborough as part of a larger expansion plan. Hospital executives have argued that “services are needed and wanted,” saying their proposal would benefit patients and allow doctors to charge lower prices. “By delivering primary care, behavioral and mental health care, and specialist care along with imaging and day surgery, this ambulatory center will lower costs and increase access to care closer to home,” MGB President John Fernandez wrote in a letter to the Community Advocate earlier this year. “These centers will provide lower-cost options and improve overall health outcomes.” Opponents of the expansion, however, say it would actually lead to an increase in health care costs while hurting “safety net hospitals” that rely on payments from patients on private insurance plans to offset lower payments from programs like Medicare or Medicaid. Executives at UMass Memorial Health Care, which operates Marlborough Hospital, have
specifically expressed concerns about MGB pulling those private clients to a new facility in Westborough. Those executives, likewise, have also noted concerns about ongoing labor shortages. Many nurses in particular have been moving into short term and/or out of state jobs, Marlborough Hospital president and CEO Steve Roach said on a call with state and local public officials back in October. The Attorney General’s report touched on that latter topic. “Primary care staffing is especially important given the current environment of workforce shortages and the fact that primary care providers often bring their patient panels with them if they move to a new system,” it said. AG report offers data on expansion plans MGB, the attorney general said, plans to add 22 new primary care physicians to its system across its three proposed expansion sites. All this, the report continued, would “contribute direct margins to the MGB system of approximately $385 million per year.” “Our examination and the projections described above speak to the importance of a broad analysis of the cost impacts of these proposals, including the likely shifts in hospital commercial volume and migration of primary care physicians and specialists from lower-cost systems to MGB,” the attorney general’s office wrote. Hospitals respond MGB has already finalized a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the town of Westborough, wrapping up negotiations earlier this year. MGB would send just over $900,000 to Westborough over 20 years under the terms of the deal, which is known as a PILOT agreement. This was Westborough’s first ever PILOT agreement, town officials said. It won’t take effect, though, if and until MGB obtains a certificate of occupancy for the property it’s eyeing for its Westborough expansion. Contacted by the Commu-
nity Advocate, Mass General Brigham shared its response to Healey’s recent report. “The Attorney General’s report and its specific focus on Mass General Brigham’s proposed ambulatory sites in Woburn, Westwood and Westborough ignores the health care needs of 227,000 of our current patients who are looking for lower cost health care options, close to where they live from their chosen provider,” the statement said. “At a time when more health care is needed we should focus on providing the care, services, and capacity Massachusetts sorely needs. It is what our patients and the public want and deserve.” UMass Memorial Health also provided a statement following the Attorney General’s report. “The attorney general’s report is a devastating blow to MGB because it reveals that their true motives are not to serve existing patients, but rather to take commercial market share from local safety net institutions like Marlborough Hospital,” Roach wrote on Nov. 22. “While that motive is not consistent with MGB’s deceptive multimillion-dollar marketing campaign,” Roach continued, “it is entirely consistent with its statements to investors at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, where it described its goals as being to ‘Increase network lives and secondary and tertiary commercial referral volume.’” “Such drastic commercial expansion of the largest and costliest system in Massachusetts will increase costs for all residents and destabilize safety net providers that care for all community members, including the most vulnerable,” Roach said. This process remained in its Determination of Need phase as of Dec. 1. That process involves an independent cost analysis, reviewing the impact of MGB’s proposed expansion on local health care costs. MGB wrote in its statement last week that it expected the analysis would be “formally filed soon.” “We look forward to continuing to work with policy makers after reviewing that filing,” the statement concluded.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 23
COMMUNITY BUSINESS Tavolino: a restaurant that brings the community together By Jeff Theodore Contributing Writer WESTBOROUGH - Abby Winant wants diners to feel at home when they enter Tavolino, a popular restaurant in Westborough in operation since 2009. “We want to be the place where people gather for bar mitzvahs, wedding parties and bereavements — a space for people when they need that special event in their lives catered to,” Winant said in a recent interview. She started working at the restaurant in 2011 as a part-time bartender and rose through the ranks to become general manager. Winant now additionally foresees the restaurant becoming a hub for private events. “We want to expand our patio and add a deck,” she said. The patio has about 20 tables that can accommodate 60 guests. Occupancy for the restaurant
Tavolino is located at 33 East Main Street in Westborough.
itself is about 150 guests. Emphasizing the need for more private spaces, the restaurant shuttered its pizza bar and transformed it into a private room in 2020 after a $1 million renovation. Remodeling work at the restaurant had taken place af-
Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce honors 2021 award winners By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor REGION - The Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of its year-end awards earlier this month recognizing businesses and individual contributors to the area business community. The list of winners included everyone from UMass Memorial - Marlborough Hospital to Community Advocate Publisher Dave Bagdon. Marlborough Hospital, indeed, won the Chamber’s Community Service Award alongside Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital. Ben Colonero won the Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s the former Executive Director and Community Liaison for the Willows at Westborough and has remained closely involved with the Chamber itself, serving on its board while also contributing to the Applefest 5k race in Northborough and the Chamber’s golf tournament fundraiser. Vincent Servello III won the honor of Outstanding Young Professional of the Year roughly seven years after he opened his business, Servello CPA, in Westborough. A Westborough High School graduate, he’s supported
the community in Westborough, working with the Chamber and sponsoring various community events and programs. Martha Bernard Welsh won the Chamber’s Business Forward Females Leadership Award. Welsh is the Board President of Dress for Success Worcester, which helps women learn job skills for job readiness. She’s also been involved with the Chamber’s Business Forward Females steering committee, helping run programming associated with that committee’s mission. Bagdon was recognized as this year’s Chamber Champion. The longtime publisher of the Community Advocate, Bagdon has also been involved with the Chamber for 35 years, aiding in various initiatives and promoting local businesses through efforts like the Community Advocate’s “Buy, Believe Local” campaign. Meagan Jackson’s M. Jackson Accounting and Bookkeeping, meanwhile, was noted as the 2021 Small Business of the Year. “What has been truly remarkable is the personal growth and success story of this selfproclaimed reluctant networker,” Chamber President and CEO Karen Chapman wrote in a statement announcing Jackson’s award.
ter a faulty water heater erupted and caused severe water damage in 2019. “We’re encouraging people who haven’t been here in a while to try us again,” Winant says. “We have a new HVAC system and our air circulation is on point. We have new management, new chef and a whole new staff. We’ve
freshened up the place quite a bit.” Tavolino may have relatively new digs, but its menu still retains a tried and true Italian flavor with entrée favorites such as spicy seafood Cioppino, a stew that consists of clams, cod, mussels, shrimp, scallops with a side of grilled crostini. There’s also piccata, a dish that features sauteed chicken or veal with garlic, capers, lemon and white wine. Don’t forget the restaurant’s hand-made Bolognese sauce, a well-known creation from Bologna, Italy which is served with pappardelle ribbon pasta. Winant says the restaurant has quite a few vegetarian dishes. It is also exploring the possibility of more vegan food options. “We’re getting many more requests for vegan,” she said. The restaurant can fulfill just about any requests for wine, with an extensive listing that can be served by the glass or by the bottle. “We hand pick every single
wine on our list,” Winant said, citing that some of Tavolino’s 100-plus wines hail from places as far away as Sicily and Argentina and as close as Napa and Sonoma Valley in California. For those who aren’t ardent drinkers, Tavolino has an ample supply of non-alcoholic beverages and fun “mocktails.” Those include a cranberry and honey zinger, which consists of a housemade rosemary fig honey reduction, cranberry juice and a splash of ginger beer. Whether it’s to enjoy a meal or a drink, Winant is anxious to keep connecting with regulars and new customers. “I live in the town of Westborough, so I’ve come to know many of the people who come in,” she said. Tavolino is closed on Mondays but it is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 1 to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
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24 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021
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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 25
HOMES
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By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor SHREWSBURY - Dean Park in Shrewsbury is getting a new garden of pollinator-friendly plants thanks to a grant and the help of local Girl Scout Troop 30993. Shrewsbury Parks & Recreation’s Keep Shrewsbury Beautiful is a local chapter of the larger Keep Massachusetts Beautiful organization. They recently received a “Plant Something Bee-eautiful” Grant to help plant a new pollinator garden. These grants, worth $250, specifically support the planting of pollinator-friendly plants and trees in public spaces. Shrewsbury Superintendent of Public Facilities and Parks Angela Snell recently met with members of Troop 30993 to tell them about the grant. “I look forward to working with the troop to plant new pollinator plants this spring which will help Keep Shrewsbury
A bumble bee climbs into a flower at in Northborough earlier this year. Nearby Shrewsbury will soon have its own pollinator garden at Dean Park thanks to a grant.
PHOTO/COURTESY SANDY HOWARD
Beautiful,” she said. The Troop, under the guidance of Colleen Corbett, already began working on their pollinator garden earlier this year. They collaborated with Missy Hollenback of the Worcester Environmental Community Agricultural Network and will work with Hollenback further as they select plants for the project. Outside of Shrewsbury, Keep Massachusetts Beautiful has distributed nine other grants this year after receiving 24 applications. Locally, Marlborough was one of those other winners as it will soon add a similar pol-
linator garden at Ghiloni Park. Conservation Commission member Karin Paquin helped coordinate an application. “Native bees are on the decline, and our current urban and suburban landscaping practices are eliminating many native plants that support our native bee populations,” Conservation Officer Priscilla Ryder wrote in a letter to the City Council helping announce that grant win. “This demonstration garden will help to educate the public about what plants to add to their own landscapes to help support native bees,” the letter continued.
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26 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021
COMMUNITY NEWS
Northborough Town Planner will retire at the end of the year By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter
SCREENSHOT/VIA TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH
NORTHBOROUGH – Longtime Northborough Town Planner Kathy Joubert announced her retirement during a Dec. 7 Planning Board meeting. That marked her last meeting with the Planning Board. “I think most people have
heard,” Joubert said. “Once you start talking about it, it spreads faster than you can get ahead of it, but it’s all a good thing.” Her last day will be Dec. 31. She has worked in the public sector since she finished graduate school and has been in Northborough for over 30 years. “I think it’s just in my blood
Inspector of Buildings Bob Frederico applauds as Kathy Joubert announces her retirement in a meeting with the Northborough planning board.
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to work with the public and volunteers,” she said. “It’s been wonderful being here in Northborough and working with the Planning Board and all of the other boards. I absolutely appreciate all of the work that you do.” She received the Northbor-
ough Rotary Club’s Pride in Workmanship award back in 2016. Both of her parents were avid volunteers, and her father was a public servant for the Town of Shrewsbury, the Community Advocate noted at the time.
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“I still love getting up every morning and coming to work,” Joubert said at the Rotary event. “I still love my job.” She also serves as staff liaison for other Northborough boards, like the Zoning Board of Appeals. She joked that, once retired, she will be free from night meetings. “I don’t even know what’s that going to be like,” Joubert said. The board joked that she can still watch their meetings on TV. Inspector of Buildings Bob Frederico applauded following Joubert’s announcement. Town Engineer Fred Litchfield pretended to cry. The Planning Board thanked Joubert and wished her the best. “It’s hard to believe,” said Planning Board member Amy Poretksy. “It won’t be the same.” Planning Board member Michelle Gillespie said Joubert is “truly admired” throughout Massachusetts as a town planner. “It’s a huge loss to the Town of Northborough, but you’ve certainly worked hard and you deserve this,” Gillespie said. “I would just say, she’s on the same level as [Town Administrator] John Coderre for his fiscal responsibility throughout the state. People truly admire Kathy and what she’s done. You will be missed.” Joubert said Coderre’s office has advertised for the position. “Hopefully, it won’t be too long before the position is filled and you’ll have another person to work with,” Joubert said.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 27
COMMUNITY OBITUARIES The Community Advocate will post obituaries online (and in print, as space allows) at no charge as a courtesy to our readers. Please send information (and a picture if desired) to tracy@communityadvocate.com. Here is a complete list of individual obituaries posted on the Community Advocate website (www.communityadvocate.com).
DEATHS Campbell, George formerly of Fayville and Hudson Cronan, Joseph of Grafton Gillis, Kathleen of Westborough Havener, Wingate of Shrewsbury Johnson, Gerald of Shrewsbury Lively, Clarence formerly of Hudson Manell, Jonathan of Marlborough McGuinness, Diane formerly of Hudson Page, Marsha of Northborough and formerly of Marlborough Payne, Dennis of Westborough formerly of Hudson Peloquin, Mary Ellen formerly of Marlborough Ryan, Anne of Marlborough Sawyer, Evelyn of Northborough Scott, Ann of Marlborough Smith, Phillip of Bridgewater and formerly of Westborough Thompson, Harry of Northborough Warner, Danny of Grafton Williams, Christine of Marlborough
Mary Ellen Peloquin, 88 LANCASTER/MARLBOROUGH - Mary Ellen (Pomphrey) Peloquin, of Lancaster, formerly of Marlborough, passed peacefully surrounded by her loved ones on the evening of Thursday, December 02, 2021. Known affectionately to her family as “Mary, Mel, Meme” Mary Ellen grew up in Marlborough. She was the daughter of William and Alice (Wiles) Pomphrey. She was predeceased by siblings Barbara, Jack, Thomas, Jeanne, William, and is survived by her sister Marjorie. Mary Ellen attended the Immaculate Conception Catholic Grammar school, and graduated from Marlborough High School, Class of 1950, where she excelled at cheerleading and basketball, and was the first female recipient of the Babe Ruth Award. During freshman year, she met the love of her life, fellow freshman Alfred Peloquin. After graduating from high
school, Mary Ellen attended Suffolk University where she developed her love of poetry and writing. She began her professional career at New England Telephone Company. Mary Ellen and Fred married in 1955 and raised their children in Marlborough. She later worked as an inventory controller at Digital Equipment Corporation for many years before retiring. Mary Ellen was an active member of St. Mary’s Parish in Marlborough where she taught CCD and served as President of the Lady’s Guild. She was an officer of the Ace of Clubs and a longtime Girl Scout troop leader where she founded THE DAISY, a regional Girl Scout newsletter. As a mother, she followed her children through hockey, 4H, soccer, and instilled in her children her love of all animals. She and Fred enjoyed endless summers on the beach in Kennebunkport, Maine. Throughout her life, Mary Ellen was a skilled cribbage player competing with Fred nightly for a dollar wager and
bragging rights. Her daily ritual began with the crossword puzzle, followed by bird watching, discussing news of her family, and tending to her beautiful gardens as an active member of the Lancaster Garden Club, having moved to Lancaster in 2001. Her family always said she made the best beef stew, meatloaf, Italian cookies, Christmas fudge, and legendary WHOOPIE PIES. She could be ready at a moment’s notice for road trips, thrift shopping, church fairs, yard sales and flea markets. Mary Ellen loved seasonal decorating with her carolers, slinging a paintbrush, and writing lengthy letters to friends and loved ones by postal mail. Inseparable, Mary and Fred shared the luxury of 66 years of marriage. She knew she had the best husband and friend in Fred. She cherished nightly conversations with her sister-in-law Jeannette. Above all, she was a proud matriarch of her family, a devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin and
9:18 p.m. Main St. Assaults. Wednesday, Dec. 8 12:02 p.m. Hartford Tpke. Larceny by check. 3:47 p.m. South St. Road rage. Thursday, Dec. 9 1:56 a.m. Edgemere Blvd. B&E residential.
Road hazard. 9:36 a.m. Buttercup Ln. Larceny/theft. 2:40 p.m. Providence Rd. Harassment. 3:46 p.m. Worcester/Hilltop Sts. Suspicious letter/package. Friday, Dec. 3 10:21 a.m. Main St. Larceny/theft. 2:18 p.m. Millenium Dr. Harassment. 2:53 p.m. Worcester St. Accident – hit & run. 7:54 p.m. Millenium Dr. Threatening. Saturday, Dec. 4. 12:48 p.m. Waterville St. Fraud/identity theft.
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. Scan QR code to read this week’s police and fire news on our website.
Northborough
Saturday, Dec. 4 1:13 a.m. Arrested, Josua Ian GonzalesNeal, 25, of 45 Pilgrim St., Apt. 201, Cambridge, for negligent operation of motor vehicle, OUI-liquor or .08%, marked lanes violation. 9:26 a.m. Arrested, Samuel Apau Gyamerah, 43, of 5 East Kendall St., Apt. E1, Worcester, on warrant. Monday, Dec. 6 4:56 p.m. Crestwood Dr. Larceny. Tuesday, Dec. 7 4:57 p.m. Southwest Cutoff/Davis St.
Accident: P.I. Wednesday, Dec. 8 12:20 p.m. Main St. Hit and run.
Shrewsbury
Thursday, Dec. 2 1:04 p.m. Boston Tpke. Larceny. Friday, Dec. 3 12:02 p.m. Boston Tpke. Vandalism. 1:33 p.m. Hartford Tpke. Larceny by check. Saturday, Dec. 4. 7:54 a.m. Bay View Dr. B&E residential. 9:48 a.m. Salisbury St. Larceny. 10:43 a.m. Main St. Vandalism. 10:44 a.m. Edgemere Blvd. B&E motor vehicle. 10:30 a.m. Edgemere Blvd. B&E motor vehicle. 12:38 p.m. Bay View Dr. B&E motor vehicle. 1:14 p.m. Bay View Dr. B&E motor vehicle. 1:44 p.m. Bay View Dr. B&E motor vehicle. Sunday, Dec. 5 5:46 a.m. Boston Tpke. Larceny. 6:24 p.m. Arrested, Sarah L. Trombley, 36, of 121 6th St., Apt. 3, Leominster, on warrant. 9:57 p.m. Arrested, Robert K. Laidlaw, 23, of 17 Pond View Dr., Shrewsbury, for OUI liquor 2nd offense, negligent operation of motor vehicle, red light violation, marked lanes violation. Monday, Dec. 6 7:10 a.m. Eaglehead Terr. B&E motor vehicle. 12:20 p.m. Eaglehead Terr. B&E motor vehicle.
Southborough
Friday, Nov. 26 12:39 p.m. Clemmons St. Weapons violations. Sunday, Nov. 28 1:08 p.m. Turnpike Rd. Vandalism. Monday, Nov. 29 5:23 p.m. Turnpike Rd./Central St. Road hazard. 5:45 p.m. Constitution Dr. Larceny/forgery/ fraud.
Grafton
Sunday, Nov. 28 10:09 a.m. Jay St. Fire – gas odor. 10:30 a.m. Magill Dr. Harassment. 2:48 p.m. Sartell Rd. Threatening. 5:18 p.m. Brookmeadow Ln. Fraud/ identity theft. 8:35 p.m. Main St. Fire – smoke – indoors. Monday, Nov. 29 1:56 p.m. Waterville St. Fire – smoke – indoors. Wednesday, Dec. 1. 8:30 a.m. Westboro Rd./Pine St. Accident – with animal. Thursday, Dec. 2 9:00 a.m. Providence Rd./Church St.
Westborough
Monday, Nov. 29 2:53 a.m. Arrested, Todd Jordan Major, 36, of 46 Pratt St., Apt. 2, Framingham, on warrant. 5:07 p.m. Arrested, Carlos Luciano Rivera Jr., 35, of 95 Edgell Dr., Framingham, for op MV with license suspended, number plate violation, warrant. Wednesday, Dec. 1 8:31 p.m. Arrested, Ulises Lopez Mendez, 27, of 135 E Main St., Apt. K3, Westborough, for OUI-liquor or .08%, op MV with license suspended (criminal subsq. offse), negligent operation of motor vehicle, marked lanes violation. Thursday, Dec. 2 2:02 p.m. Turnpike Rd. Larceny. 8:19 p.m. W Main St. Threats made. Friday, Dec. 3 9:06 p.m. Turnpike Rd. Larceny.
friend. Mary Ellen is survived by her beloved husband Alfred Peloquin; her four children and spouses, William Peloquin & Sharon of Sudbury, MA; Terry Sadler & Alan of Sterling, MA; Mary Ann Tunnera & Joseph of Marlborough, MA; and Catherine Sadler & Dennis of Lancaster, MA; grandchildren, Zachary, Hill, Layne, Erin, Joseph, Jared, Aubrey and Jack; great grandchildren, Remy & Florence. Philbin-Comeau Funeral home in Clinton assisted with arrangements.
Evelyn R. Shaw, 93 NORTHBOROUGH - On the 6th of December we lost a wonderful woman. Evelyn “Amma” Sawyer passed in peace, at her home in Northborough, joining those who were waiting to welcome her. Evelyn was raised in Naugatuck, CT, daughter of James and Philomena (Gagliardi) Mariano. Besides her husband, Ernest “Junie” Sawyer, Jr., she leaves her loving daughter Debra and her husband Robert Reynolds, Jr. who know how fortunate they were to enjoy such a wonderful parent and friend. Catering to her every whim were her three grandchildren, Amanda Fallon (Peter), Stefanie Aspero (Kevin) and her favorite grandson, Jeffrey Reynolds (Paloma). Watching her greatgrandchildren, Sawyer and Lyla Fallon and Theodore and Benjamin Aspero play made her heart smile. In addition, Evelyn leaves her brother Robert Mariano and her sister-in-law Barbara, their children Lynn Berry (Dennis), Thomas Mariano (Marilyn) and their families. She loved her many nieces and nephews but had a special relationship with Kathy Hawley (who predeceased her), Lisa Wheeler, Sandra Arsenault, Janet Yellick and Nicole Hoffman, who she loved like daughters and who visited daily. The Pickering & Son Westborough Funeral Home assisted with arrangements. Scan QR code to read all of this week’s obituaries on our website.
28 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021
COMMUNITY SPORTS Algonquin gymnastics team prepares for first full season since pandemic began By Kevin Stone Contributing Writer
Debroczy, Gorman, Haven lead team as captains Lizzy Debroczy was a young phenom in that 2019-2020 season. Now, as seniors, Debroczy and classmate Mia Gorman form a dynamic duo at the top of Algonquin’s roster. McStay couldn’t be happier to have the two back together for one last run, along with fellow senior captain Anna Haven. “Hopefully those two make the Senior National Team,” she said. “Hopefully they make Individuals.” “Anna’s come so far since her freshman year,” McStay continued, noting Haven’s successes and strengths. “The three of them are really all great leaders
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NORTHBOROUGH/SOUTHBOROUGH - The Algonquin gymnastics team was in the process of making history when the world shut down due to COVID-19 two years ago. They had already won at sectionals, placed second at states and were heading to the New England round of postseason competition for the first time since 2012. Then, the pandemic hit and forced the cancellation of the event. The team had a few meets last year and ended up going unbeaten in them. But it wasn’t the same. Now, as tryouts began this fall, there was an overwhelming sense of joy and excitement about the prospect of having a full season again. “I’m so excited; it’s good to be back to normal and everything is pretty much the
same except we’re still wearing masks,” head coach Jordan McStay said in a recent interview. “We have a full season; we’re having leagues, sectionals, states. It’s just good to be back to normal.”
Algonquin’s Acacia Truong is hugged by teammates after completing her beam routine at Algonquin’s State Championship meet in 2020. Two years later, some of those 2020 team members have graduated, while others are returning in hopes of another deep postseason run.
and will be huge pieces to the puzzle for us this season.” “They’re very strong and their skill level is very high, but when it comes to the team aspect, they put that over their own individual competition,” she said. There are plenty of other seniors on this year’s team. Caroline Armstrong, Max Hanna, Olivia Lipman, Madison Maletta, Kirsty O’Grady and Luke Tegan are all part of the 2022 class along with Gorman, Debroczy and Haven. Coach optimistic ahead of 2021-2022 season McStay was on the team in 2012 the last time Algonquin had the kind of success that its 2019 - 2020 iteration did. She said the loss of the 2019 - 2020 season’s final playoff rounds was disappointing. “The girls were just ready to go and have the meet of their lives,” she said. McStay is optimistic, though, after her team was able to hone its craft in last year’s abbreviated slate of games. ‘Enjoy it’ Those postseason competitions remain months away. But as McStay works with her team this month, she’s reminding them of one thing in particular — “Enjoy it, because you never know when it won’t be part of your life anymore.”
“I even said that last year with the season being so weird, I could see them getting frustrated at times and I had to remind them like, ‘Listen, we
could have nothing,’” McStay said. “We could not be doing gymnastics at all, we could not have any meets at all, we could just be practicing. So, we just need to enjoy what we have.”
High School Scoreboard: Algonquin hockey teams dominate, Grafton postpones game HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD ALGONQUIN BOYS’ BASKETBALL – DEC. 10 Algonquin – 69, Shepherd Hill – 68 GIRLS’ BASKETBALL – DEC. 10 Algonquin – 56, Shepherd Hill – 45 BOYS’ SWIMMING – DEC. 10 Algonquin – 135, Bromfield – 34 GIRLS’ SWIMMING – DEC. 10 Algonquin – 16, Bromfield – 139 GIRLS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 11 Algonquin – 8, Lincoln-Sudbury – 0 Annie Biagini scored her first varsity goal in a dominant 8-0 victory for Algonquin over LincolnSudbury. The win kicked off a busy stretch in Algonquin’s schedule on a high note as the team was scheduled to be back in action on Monday and Thursday against Auburn and Franklin respectively. BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 11 Algonquin – 5, Hudson – 1 Andrew Hodge scored a hat
trick in Algonquin’s 5-1, seasonopening defeat of Hudson on the road at the New England Sports Center. Algonquin scored first, carrying a 1-0 lead into the game’s first intermission. They then preserved their shutout until the game’s final seconds, only allowing a lone buzzer beater goal by Riley O’Sullivan.
ST. JOHN’S HOCKEY – DEC. 11 St. John’s – 5, Duxbury – 2 WRESTLING – DEC. 11 St. John’s – 66, Algonquin – 12 WRESTLING – DEC. 11 St. John’s – 66, Quabbin – 6
GRAFTON BOYS’ BASKETBALL – DEC. 9 Grafton – 48, Bedford – 64 GIRLS’ BASKETBALL – DEC. 10 Grafton – 34, Notre Dame Academy – 33 BOYS’ BASKETBALL – DEC. 11 Hudson – 64, Grafton – 77 Grafton extended a 43-38 lead at Scoreboard | 29
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 29
COMMUNITY SPORTS
High School Scoreboard: Algonquin hockey teams dominate, Grafton postpones game
MidWach League announces 2021 fall all-stars Several members of the Shrewsbury field hockey team were recently recognized with MidWach all-star status.
A Grafton basketball player drives toward the basket against the defense of a Hudson opponent in a game last week.
PHOTO/JESSE KUCEWICZ
Scoreboard | from page 28
halftime with a strong third quarter, featuring major performances by Ethan McInerny and Rohan Ramesh. McInerny posted 33 points against Hudson, complementing Ramesh’s 14-point day. But they ultimately fell short, losing their season opener on the road. BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 11 Grafton – n/a, Hopedale – n/a Teams agreed to postpone their game after Hopedale’s Aiden Collins suffered a “serious injury” early in this season-opening game. The schools are in the process of rescheduling the game, Grafton Athletic Director Kevin Anderson wrote in a newsletter update on the
first week of winter sports action on Dec. 12. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Aiden Collins, his parents, his family, friends and teammates as he begins his road to recovery,” Anderson wrote.
SHREWSBURY BOYS’ SWIMMING – DEC. 9 Shrewsbury – 87, Tyngsborough/ Groton-Dunstable – 58 GIRLS’ SWIMMING – DEC. 9 Shrewsbury – 101, Tyngsborough – 47
WESTBOROUGH BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 11 Westborough – 3, Minnechaug – 1
Scan QR code to read the full list of all-stars on our website.
REGION - Well over 100 local high school athletes were recently recognized with allstar honors as the MidWach League released its finalized fall all-star list this month. Some teams and schools had already announced their all-stars. Many others, though, had not. Algonquin, Shrewsbury, Westborough, Marlborough
and Hudson High Schools all participate in the MidWach League. Therefore, they all saw players pick up all-star nods. Leading the way within the pack were stars like Algonquin football’s James Jankovich, who won his division’s defensive MVP award in addition to all-star honors. Kristin Wilichowski won
her division’s MVP award as a star player on this year’s Westborough High School girls soccer team while Maddie Mrva took home an MVP recognition with her performance this fall on Shrewsbury’s field hockey team. The MidWach League’s announcement of all-stars also noted several academic all-stars on area teams.
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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 17, 2021 • 31
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NOTICE OF INITIAL SITE INVESTIGATION AND TIER I CLASSIFICATION Residential Oil Spill 44 Pleasant Street, Northborough, MA RTN 2-0021436 A release of oil and/or hazardous materials has occurred at this location, which is a disposal site as defined by M.G.L. c. 21E, § 2 and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan, 310 CMR 40.0000. To evaluate the release, a Phase I Initial Site Investigation was performed pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0480. As a result of this investigation, the site has been classified as Tier I pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0500. On December 15, 2021, Mr. James Chapdelaine filed a Tier I Classification Submittal with the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). To obtain more information on this disposal site, please contact David Billo, LSP, Sovereign Consulting Inc., 9 Payson Road, Suite 150, Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Tier I Classification Submittal and the disposal site file can be reviewed at MassDEP – CERO, 8 New Bond Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 01606. Additional public involvement opportunities are available under 310 CMR 40.1403(9) and 310 CMR 40.1404.
INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE Docket No. WO21P3441EA Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Worcester Division Estate of: John Murray Schleyer Also Known As: John Murray Schleyer Date of Death: September 12, 2021
Church Sexton (Custodian) Position
First Church in Marlborough is seeking a person for a part time hourly position as church sexton. This job requires physical stamina and a great deal of time flexibility. Duties include, but are not limited to, maintaining the church premises (inside and outside), managing all work projects, preparing the church for services, interacting with church groups on event needs, etc. Must have transportation for occasional local errands. Qualified candidate will need to pass a CORI check. For further information contact the Church at office@firstchurchmarlborough.org.
WANTED HIGH QUALITY PEOPLE FOR OUR 1ST AND 2ND SHIFTS We recognize and reward talent with the highest wages in the industry. • CNC programmer Amada & Haas
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To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner: Christopher G. Schleyer of Henderson, NV a will has been admitted to informal probate. Christopher G. Schleyer of Henderson, NV has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond. The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure. A copy of the Petition and Will, if any, can be obtained from the Petitioner.
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