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COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Marlborough’s CSF Scholar Bee makes return

By Jim Ash General Manager MARLBOROUGH - There was a mix of high school students, teachers, administrators, business people and professionals on hand for the Citizens Scholarship Foundation (CSF) Scholar Bee held in the Apex Entertainment function room on April 29. However, it was the youngest group present, a team of seventh graders from Northborough’s St. Bernadette’s School who outlasted everyone else to claim first place honors. Twenty teams of three competed in this year’s iteration of the popular CSF spelling challenge. They were divided into groups of four teams that competed in five preliminary rounds with the winner of each

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CSF Scholar Bee winners Aayush Kumar, Alexander Krolewski and Dylan Burke celebrate.

PHOTO/JIM ASH

round advancing to the finals.

During each round, every team was given the same word to spell correctly within twenty seconds. Misspelled words resulted in immediate elimination unless no other team spelled the word correctly. Additional words were provided until only one team remained.

In the end, the seventh grade students named, “The Word Warriors,” claimed first place by correctly spelling “languorous.”

The team included Aayush Kumar, Alexander Krolewski and Dylan Burke. They were each awarded a $50 gift card to 110 Grill plus a $50 gift card to Apex Entertainment for their achievement.

The event began with a tribute to Debbie Giroux, a tireless CSF supporter, who passed away last year. She was a lifelong Marlborough resident, business owner, and active volunteer, having served as CSF President and Vice President and on several committees.

“Debbie always put in more than one-hundred percent effort in securing sponsors for our events,” CSF Co-Founder Mary Jo Nawrocki said. Nawrocki also noted that she was very grateful for the kindness of business owners and individuals in Marlborough who have generously supported CSF scholarships over the years.

“Debbie just had a special way of getting people to join in,” CSF’s Mariym Snediker added. “She gave her whole heart and soul to CSF.”

Snediker and Giroux had been close friends ever since high school.

“Anybody who ever met Debbie felt like she was their best friend,” Snediker continued.

The Scholar Bee was sponsored by Joseph Shay, Jr., Milford Stone and Affiliates. The emcee for the evening was Bob Socci, radio voice of the New England Patriots on 98.5 FM, the “Sports Hub.”

Judges included Advanced Math and Science Academy (AMSA) Assistant Principal Amanda Cence, AMSA Principal Mike Nawrocki, and Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School Principal Mark Hollick.

For more information about CSF, visit marlborough.dollarsforscholars.org.

Stop heel pain and go back to pain free movement without medication, injection or surgery - Workshop

By Dr. Donald Pelto Podiatrist

Walking, staying active and going back to a normal life without heel pain IS possible.

Strategies to reduce heel pain, its three most common causes and the biggest mistake pain sufferers make will be the focus of a FREE Workshop on May 11, 6 p.m., at Central Massachusetts Podiatry, in Westborough.

The event will be limited to the �irst 25 people that register at https://linktr.ee/centralmass podiatry or call 508-757-4003.

Symptoms

This free workshop is for those who suffer with pain on the bottom of the foot or back of heel while standing or walking; have stiffness or tightness in the morning, making it hard to take those �irst few steps; and for those who avoid being on their feet for long periods due to pain.

And for those who have tried EVERYTHING and just want to get back to pain free movement.

If you have heel pain and want to be seen by a specialist, call 508-757-4003 for an appointment. Our team of doctors have over 1000+ �ive star reviews on Google. In Westborough, our of�ice is located at 24 Lyman St, Suite 180.

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Saturday May 21st Hudson location 9 a.m. Northborough Location 11 a.m.

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Westborough’s Armstrong School roof needs repairs, district says

By Laura Hayes Senior Reporter WESTBOROUGH - A special Town Meeting may be on the horizon in Westborough to replace a section of the Armstrong Elementary School roof that has failed.

The roof has been a topic of discussion at recent School Committee and Select Board meetings, with town and schoolt leaders recently emphasizing a need to move quickly as material costs rise.

“To me, the evidence is there,” Select Board Chair Ian Johnson said on April 26. “We need to do this. We need to move forward.”

Roof issues

Superintendent Amber Bock told the School Committee back on April 13 that one of the sections of Armstrong’s roof had failed. That section of the roof dates back to 1996.

“The roof is well beyond its life,” Bock said.

Specifically, Bock said there was a 20-foot tear.

A consultant from the Garland Company was “clear” that the repairs to and maintenance of the roof had been excellent, she said.

“But it’s basically a structural failure of the PVC material and it’s just breaking down at this point,” Bock continued.

There are four sections of the building’s roof. This section in question spans about 22,500 square feet.

Work to repair the roof is one of three roof projects in the town’s capital planning cycle, having been planned for the 2022 fiscal year following a 2021 district roof assessment report.

The district submitted replacing the whole roof into the capital plan for 2023 as a top priority project, but it was later bumped to Fiscal Year 2025 to focus on roof repairs at Westborough’s Hastings Elementary School.

All roof items were then passed over and moved further down the capital planning list, though.

According to Bock’s presentation, staff made initial emergency repairs with sealcoating when water began leaking into rooms through the deteriorating Armstrong roof.

“The thing that’s the most concerning about it is it didn’t occur for any specific reason,” Bock said. “It wasn’t put under stress. There wasn’t anything that particularly happened. We weren’t running around up there. We didn’t drop anything on it, and it’s just breaking down. It’s a pretty large tear.”

Bock noted that staff responded “very quickly.”

As officials have noted the urgency of this situation, in later meetings, staff also said that mold tests have come back clear.

“I want to be reassuring to our families that their classrooms are in good shape,” Bock said.

Addressing the roof

During the April 13 School Committee meeting, Bock proposed fixing about 5,000 square-feet of the roof, which she estimated would cost between $38,000 and $50,000.

Bock suggested funding this emergency repair could be followed by a Town Meeting article in the fall to replace the full 22,400-square-foot section of the roof, which is estimated to cost about $1.1 million.

At that time, some School Committee members expressed concerns about repairing only part of the roof and wasting funds when the whole section of the roof is replaced.

“Inflation right now is killing us,” said member Stephen Doret during an April 26 Select Board meeting.

Doret also noted that, under the proposed timeline, the roof may not be fixed until some time between March and June of next year, allowing more water to potentially leak into the Armstrong school’s insulation.

Garland’s Adam Silun told the School Committee on April 27, one day after that Select Board meeting, that insulation, which is part of roof projects, is scarce.

“It’s like gold right now,”

The Armstrong School is located at 18 Fisher Street in Westborough.

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

Armstrong | 26

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Shrewsbury Middle School student wins Law Day Essay contest

By Stuart Foster Reporter SHREWSBURY – The Worcester County Bar Association (WCBA) presented an award to St. Mary School eighth grade student, Liam Collins, for Law Day on May 1.

The award recognizes Collins’ win in the Bar Association Law Day Essay contest, which was held for eighth-grade students throughout Worcester County.

The essay prompt, “Moving Towards a More Perfect Union,” asked students to describe “the next great moment…that would help move our nation towards becoming a more perfect union.” The contest drew over 80 essay submissions.

Association President Geoff Spofford and Law Day Committee Chair Courtney Mayo went to St. Mary School last Monday to inform Collins that he had won the contest.

Collins received a $100 prize in addition to the award itself.

Collins dedicated his winning essay to the need to address climate change and global warming.

The award was formally presented by Spofford at the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester last Sunday.

The Bar Association runs its Law Day essay contest each year, recognizing students for their work in response to a given prompt.

Learn more about the Bar Association by visiting https:// www.worcestercountybar.org.

Liam Collins poses with teachers and Worcester County Bar Association officials after being told he had won the Bar Association’s essay contest. From left to right are Liam’s mother and St. Mary religion teacher Helen Collins, St. Mary teacher and essay contest coordinator Kathryn Edmunds, WCBA President-Elect Courtney Mayo, Liam Collins and WCBA President, Geoff Spofford.

Westborough’s Armstrong School roof needs repairs, district says

Armstrong | from page 25 Silun said. “You can’t find it. They’re naming their price when people go to place their orders.”

The quicker bids are received, the more money will be saved, he said.

When the project was presented to the Select Board on April 26, members expressed support for moving forward quickly and developing a bid package for the project.

The Select Board also voiced support of replacing the whole section and calling a special Town Meeting to consider approving the project once a bid is acquired.

The Dance Center Offers A Variety Of Programs Throughout The Summer...

“A Royal Affair” Join us for an adventure through

your favorite Disney stories. We will dance our way through beloved stories like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Princess and the Frog, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Moana! We will dance, play, craft, and most importantly make new friends and have fun!

We will be offering a variety of classes for beginner thru advanced dancers ages 2 and up.

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Northborodance@gmail.com Visit our website for more information 386 West Main Street , Northboro NorthboroDance.com or call… 508-873-5944

The Marlborough Commuter Shuttle is back in service!

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.

REGISTER ONLINE TO RESERVE A SPOT

Monday through Friday

Morning Trips: 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Afternoon/Evening Trips: 3:45 p.m. to 6:46 p.m.

Any questions or concerns, please contact us at 508-229-2010 or info@marlboroughedc.com

For a complete schedule and link to registration, go to marlboroughedc.com/commuter-shuttle