CA 231006

Final costs associated with community center remain unclear

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

WESTBOROUGH – Although most of the numbers for the proposed Community Center on Union Street are becoming clearer, some costs remain up in the air.

Over the past month, town officials have been refining the proposal, which will come before Town Meeting on Monday, Oct. 16, in two warrant articles.

Article 3 will ask residents whether to authorize the Select Board to acquire the property at 1500 Union St. for a price of $8.8 million (payable by a 20-year bond, at 5 percent interest). This article will require a two-thirds majority vote.

Article 4 will ask for funds to conduct due diligence, design costs, etc., for the proposed center.

While there is a better idea on costs associated with personnel and operations, there’s still one big blank — how much it would take to “fix up” the site should the town approve the purchase.

In her presentation to the Advisory Finance Committee on Sept. 14, Town Manager Kristi Williams said, “It’s difficult to calculate,” but once that fix-up number is determined, she said the hope is that the town could cover that expense out of its reserves.

Why $8.8 million?

According to a Frequently Asked Questions

Arts in Common brings the community together

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

WESTBOROUGH – It may have been gray skies above, but there was plenty of color at the 13th annual Arts in Common event at Bay State Commons on Saturday, Sept. 30.

At the event, sponsored by the Westborough Cultural Council, visitors checked out more than three dozen vendors and activities.

Those activities included a petting zoo hosted by David French Music; a caricature artist; henna designs; typewriter poetry; an art tent to make your own magnets; origami; and a Kid’s Corner. Vendors offered a wide range of products for purchase, from cigar-box guitars to handmade soaps, handmade knits, artwork and stained glass.

On the stage, there were performances

Spectrum seeks to enter Shrewsbury cable market

By Evan Walsh Reporter

SHREWSBURY – In Select Board meetings throughout August and September, Town Manager Kevin Mizikar announced that the cable provider Charter/Spectrum has applied to expand its coverage into Shrewsbury. Charter Communications is a broadband and cable

Dine in or Take out.

We offer great seafood, quality meats, deli, sandwiches, prepared hot and ready to heat meals.

operator that serves its customers through its Spectrum brand, according to its website.

SELCO — Shrewsbury’s longtime cable operator — is preparing for the possible competition. At the SELCO Commission’s Sept. 26 meeting, General Manager Christopher Roy addressed the possibility of Charter/Spectrum moving into Shrewsbury.

Scan QR code for full menu

PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

Members of the Ekta Dance Academy perform Bollywood dancing during

COMMUNITY LETTERS

To the editor:

I noticed the Community Advocate has quietly removed the long-form Police Log from its printed publication and replaced it with a scannable QR code. It appears below the fold in a 1 inch call-out with a vague direction to “scan the QR code to read this week’s police news” on

their website. This requires a standard reader to: own a device that recognizes QR codes, understand how to scan QR through a functioning camera app, and have access to the internet.

Benefit of the doubt suggests this updated format is to allow more ad space or an editorial choice for other articles of im-

port. In practice, however, this is an unnecessary barrier to the transparency of local police activity, a tax-payer funded department that receives on average 15% of the city’s budget, in cities and towns in Massachusetts and upwards of 30% in major cities across the country.

The tax-payer funded department is already granted

enormous privacy into internal matters and investigations at all levels; the police log is merely a public-facing report provided verbatim from this same department. The communities they ostensibly serve deserve what little transparency is offered. In a free, local paper, accessibility to this information is arguably even more important. Adding

FALL BEER FEST

barriers at this level is unacceptable.

Megan Lamattina Marlborough

EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, it is correct that police departments are taxpayer funded. However, the Community Advocate is a private entity, which provides its coverage at no cost to its readers. With growing costs in all areas, we do look for ways to cut costs, but this has nothing to do with transparency but space constraints. Most police logs can be easily accessed through our website or the respective police departments.

**************************

I met Samantha Perlman at the Marlborough/Hudson Climate Actions Summit in 2022. We got coffee and talked about what Marlborough could do better in terms of sustainability and environmentalism, which was so important to me because I’m a sustainability freelance worker and writer. Her commitment to a stronger Marlborough came out in the first mayoral debate between her and the other candidates. She excelled at answering the questions posed by the moderator and panelists, and then when she was questioned by the other councillors, she answered with poise and provided exemplary details in response. She is a dedicated and hardworking Marlboroughian and has had many work, volunteer, and educational experiences that have given her the knowledge to excel as the next mayor for the city.

Last night, Zarape Restaurant hosted Sam’s “Samtember” event. It was a beautiful space for the occasion, and I was impressed by the turnout. I was even more surprised when I was the first chosen to say a few words in support of Sam! I was glad to do it. It was amazing to see brave volunteer after volunteer come up and speak in front of the crowd after me, because they believe in Sam, her progressive platform, and her success as a Councillor-at-Large for the City of Marlborough. There is no question who I will be voting for mayor on October 10th during the Preliminary Election and in the General Election on November 7th.

John Walters Ward 3 Resident

MARLBOROUGH – Last month, the City Council held a hearing to determine whether this land should be rezoned from limited industrial to the Sasseville Way Residential Overlay District. The site is 23 acres and currently owned by Boston Scientific. If the zoning change is approved, it may potentially lead to a mixed-use housing development, including 286 units. The proposal has been sent to the city’s Urban Affairs Committee. Read more about the proposal at CommunityAdvocate.com.

letters to the editor

PUBLISHER/EDITOR: David Bagdon

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: 508.930.9022

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ADVERTISING DEPT: Diane Sabatini | 508.366.5500

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Assabet students building expansion for senior center

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

SOUTHBOROUGH – With

the help of students from Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, the senior center will soon have more space.

Assabet students are working on an expansion of the center; according to carpentry instructor

Wayne Coulson, “five trades in total” will perform work on the site.

“It’s an excellent job for the students,” said Coulson. “It’s a full, rounded project, [with] more variety for the students.”

In addition to carpentry, Assabet students will work on the electrical, plumbing, painting and HVAC.

Coulson said the project was supposed to begin three years ago, but it got sidetracked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been in the works for three years,” he said. “It’s great to be finally on the site and working.”

The project is scheduled to be completed next spring.

Senior Center Director Pam LeFrancois said the added space will be used for a “variety of things.”

“It will be a flexible room,” she said. The main function will be a “living room” for those wishing to read a book, watch TV or meet friends. Part of the room could be used as an extension of the kitchen; another part could serve as storage for puzzles or books.

“It’s a great intergenerational program,” she said. “It’s really neat.”

What Are Rickhouses?

The Community Advocate is a weekly periodical, (U.S.P.S. # 014-423), published by Bagdon Advertising, Inc., with offices located at 32 South Street, Westborough, MA 01581. Periodicals postage is paid at Westborough, MA 01581 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Community Advocate, 32 South Street, Westborough, MA 01581. Publication date is Friday. Deadline for R.O.P. advertising, local community news and classified advertising is Friday, noon, seven days prior to publication. Not liable for typographical errors, however, we will reprint that portion of the ad wherein error occurred if notified in writing within three working days of the publication date. All material included is the property of The Community Advocate and may include material produced under copyright or a syndicated ad service. Permission must be obtained in writing before reproducing any material from any issue of the Community Advocate.

32 South Street • Westborough, MA 01581

(508) 366-5500 • FAX (508) 366-2812

www.communityadvocate.com

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ADVERTISING: Cynthia Merchant | 508.736.4332

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Spirits such as bourbon, whiskey, and rye are stored and aged in the United States in warehouses called rickhouses. These buildings are made of brick, stone, or metal and are about seven stories high. Both the size and construction materials of a rickhouse affect the ambient temperature inside it. Temperature fluctuations, especially during the winter and summer months, help extract color, flavor, and aromas from the wooden barrels to enhance the spirits they contain. The location of barrels within the rickhouse can affect the aging process. Barrels stored on lower floors are cooler, thus whiskey ages slower and has lower proof. Barrels on the top floors are exposed to more heat, so whiskey ages faster and has higher proof.

The Spirits department at JULIO’S LIQUORS carries many hard-to-find items from single malt scotches to highend vodkas and gins. We also carry an extensive selection of wines. The Vigilant Smoke Shop is our state-of-the-art, fullservice smoke shop with a knowledgeable, well trained friendly staff to cater to all of your tobacco needs. Please call 508-3661942 for more information, or visit us at 140 Turnpike Rd., Rt. 9 East HINT: Rickhouses vary greatly in the number of barrels they contain. Some rickhouses hold hundreds of thousands of barrels.

If you like our

PHOTO/TAMI WHITE

Ryan Maloney, owner

Assabet Valley carpentry instructor Wayne Coulson instructs students in building the framework for the Southborough Senior Center’s expansion on Sept. 19.

PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

Final costs associated with community center remain unclear

Community Center | from page 1 sheet provided by the town, the purchase price of $8.8 million was based on several factors.

The total assessed value of the entire property is $18,874,300 for fiscal 2023, and the current assessed value of the apportioned property the town is interested in purchasing is $1,926,900. Westborough has hired an independent appraiser to appraise the property, which indicated an estimated market value of $6.04 million.

“The current owner also conducted its own market analysis, and the town and owner [Grossman Development Group] engaged in good faith negotiations to determine the purchase price. The parties agreed on a purchase price of $8.8 million,” according to the FAQ sheet.

During the initial presentation to the Select Board in early September, Williams said that based on input from local architects, it would cost up to $50 million to construct a new

building, based on an estimate of $800 per square foot.

This estimate comes from the construction of the library/ senior center in Upton; the 15,000-square-foot project cost $12.4 million, or $826 per square foot.

According to an article in the Worcester Business Journal in February, Bay State Commons was sold to BSC RE Owner LLC for $11 million.

As to why the town is asked to pay $8.8 million for the site, when the entire property was sold earlier this year for $12 million, Williams said, “The $11 million purchase price was not based upon the market value of the real estate at the time of sale, but rather a negotiated price

Town Meeting will vote on Oct. 16 whether to purchase the former Boston Sports Club for $8.8 million.

related to outstanding financing in lieu of foreclosure. This is common and is often tied to additional tax implications for one or both parties that may involve this and other properties related to the transaction.”

Westborough has released other annual cost estimates for the center, including $65,000 for maintenance, $160,500 for utilities and $157,400 for the common area maintenance agreement for activities like snow removal and landscaping.

This is in addition to potential staff that may need to be hired or have their hours extended: Community Center Manager (full time, estimated $65,000 annually, plus benefits); Program and Volunteer

Coordinator, Senior Center — additional hours, from 25 to 40 (estimated $23,400 annually); and Custodian (full time, $50,000 annually, plus benefits), along with part-time positions.

The total estimated tax impact to the annual average single-family tax rate would be $149.29 ($84.05 for the purchase, $64.24 for operating expenses).

Should the town decide to purchase the site, it would remove about $1.8 million, or $30,000 annually, from the tax rolls.

The town did consider leasing the site, but decided on purchasing because it plans to “invest a significant amount of money” on the project, and purchasing “guarantees that this investment will continue to benefit the town.”

letters to the editor

Letters | from page 2

I am pleased to officially announce that the DPW Labor Union proudly endorses Patrick Hogan as the next Mayor of Marlborough. Patrick is a lifelong Marlborough resident who possesses a deep understanding of the various improvements needed in our city. Recently, Patrick attended one of our Union meetings, where he attentively listened to our concerns and issues. We

were genuinely pleased with his response and the level of engagement he demonstrated. Patrick brings with him a remarkable 30-year career as a dedicated police officer in the city of Marlborough. He is not only a committed public servant but also a devoted family man. With his experience and values, we are confident that Patrick Hogan will excel as our future mayor.

DPW Union Laborers

PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

What could be housed in new Community Center

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

WESTBOROUGH – As residents mull whether to support the purchase of 1500 Union St. for a community center, they are also discussing what could go into that space.

During the Select Board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26, Town Manager Kristi Williams, along with Recreation Director Jenn Kirkland and Senior Center Director Alma DeManche, provided more information on what could be housed in the center, should it be approved during the Oct. 16 Town Meeting.

Kirkland said that under the current arrangement, where the Recreation Department rents space from Westborough Public Schools, programs cannot be offered before 6 p.m., holidays and weekends.

With a community center, programs could be expanded; with a pool, children’s swim classes and water aerobics could be offered. There could also be community programs

such as movie nights and teen programs.

For the Senior Center, a community center — which would be about three times the size of the present Senior Center — would mean running more programs at the same time. The Senior Center would also be able to collaborate more often with the Recreation Depart-

ment. There has also been discussion about have some Westborough Public Library programs at the site, such as a teen center.

Possible next steps

Should Town Meeting approve the purchase of the site, the town wants a community engagement process to get a

better idea about what the center can offer.

That process is scheduled to late fall/early winter.

In the spring of 2024, the town wants to close the deal for the site, and engage a consultant for the community engagement process.

A request for funding to fit up the site could be presented

at the Fall 2024 Town Meeting. Should that be approved, construction could take place from late 2024 into early 2025.

Check out the entire package of information, including the FAQ sheet, at https://www. westboroughma.gov/home/ news/westborough-community-center-proposed-facilityinformation

seeks to enter Shrewsbury cable market

Charter | from page 1

Roy described “important talking points that need to be conveyed to the community,” stressing that SELCO needs to ensure residents are well informed about how the company works and what SELCO does.

“In a constructive way, the knowledge of the role that the citizen has with respect to SELCO seems to be limited,” Roy said. “So, our effort is now to increase that awareness to say, ‘How do we differ? … How does our business construct differ from theirs?’ ”

Roy listed several differences between SELCO and Charter/ Spectrum during the meeting. For instance, SELCO prides itself on having a “localized workforce,” whereas Roy characterized Charter/Spectrumas “outsourcing” customer service support from “somewhere far away.”

“It starts to highlight the advantages and values that SELCO has versus a major corporate conglomerate and whether or not that’s the value stream that Shrewsbury wants to maintain for this community,” said Roy.

“In the end, it goes back to [a] locally-owned, locally-operated community [business], versus a for-profit company that has no linkage to Shrewsbury,” he added.

Commission members voiced concerns that Charter/Spectrumcould undercut SELCO, drive SELCO out, then raise rates two years later. The members indicated Charter/ Spectrumhad done this before to other towns.

SELCO doesn’t currently have any competition similar to Charter/Spectrum, although

the commission argued that SELCO has “substantial competition” and loses subscribers to services like YouTube TV, Hulu and Netflix.

Charter/Spectrum said it would be able to fiber the entire town in 12 months, though commission members didn’t seem to believe the timeline was realistic. The work would include pole replacements, wire transfers, road openings and trench work.

The Select Board will ultimately decide whether to accept Charter/Spectrum’s application.

Jason Batista

Jason is a lifetime Massachusetts resident who resides in Raynham, MA. He has experience working with the senior citizen community here in Massachusetts. Jason has been part of the team for over 20 years and now one of the owners of Legacy.

In his free time, Jason enjoys spending time with his two sons and wife traveling in their new RV, as well as vacationing in Vermont.

Northborough library asks for ARPA funds for health, wellness projects

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor

NORTHBOROUGH – The Northborough Free Library is seeking a total of $27,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for health and wellness projects.

The funding requests went before the Select Board on Sept. 18.

While the Select Board voiced their support of the proposals, some of the members requested to wait on

allocating the funds, wanting to wait until a building assessment came before the board and a chance to review other potential ARPA projects.

Ultimately, no vote was taken on allocating the funds.

Resource guide, consultant

Library Director Jenn Bruneau said the requests came out of her work through Be Well Northborough. As the Be Well Northborough working group was winding down

Southborough Gardeners to be at Heritage Day

SOUTHBOROUGH – With Heritage Day right around the corner, make sure to stop by the Southborough Gardeners’ booth on Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Mark’s Field.

The Southborough Gardeners are selling packs of five “Marieke” Daffodil bulbs for $10. Also, pick up a free raffle ticket to win a picnic basket filled with picnic essentials and a $50 Roche Bros. gift card.

their work, the Northborough Free Library was taking responsibility for some items that came up.

The first request was for $7,000 for a limited reprinting of the Northborough Community Resource Guide, which was sent to all homes last year.

“When the library assumed responsibility for editing and updating the resource guide, what we realized very quickly was many of the pages were slightly out of date,” Bruneau said.

Among the updates was the creation of the 988 suicide and crisis hotline. In other cases, phone and crisis numbers changed and some of the groups have restructured.

The library has updated all of the entries, and Bruneau said they were working on a “better” online format of the guide.

Instead of sending the guide to all of the residents, Bruneau proposed a limited printing of the guide that

would be available at Town Hall, the library, Senior Center and other locations. She also proposed printing magnets with a QR code directing people to the online version of the guide.

The second request was for $20,000 for a consultant with a health and wellness background.

Since the pandemic, Bruneau said it became clear that the library was one of the places in the community that saw and served everyone.

The consultant would conduct a needs assessment, research and deliver a strategic plan centered on health and wellness initiatives.

This request is in response to an increase in the number of questions the library has been getting that library staff may not be trained to answer.

“For whatever reason, we are getting an increase in the number of people who are in crisis and need help right now,” Bruneau said.

Voicing her support, Select

Board member Kristen Wixted noted that health, wellness and mental health programming was prioritized during an ARPA community meeting.

“I like this in some ways because … I view the library as the most retail-focused department within the town,” said Chair Mitch Cohen. “It is where people of all walks of life go to for all sorts of different things.”

This proposal would meet people where they already were, he said.

Select Board member Lisa Maselli said she appreciated forward thinking, but her first tendency would be to call the health or police departments if she was in crisis. Maselli said she wondered if the resource guide would be better suited for Youth and Family Services. Bruneau said the library has historically done resource curation.

“This resource guide specifically is something that is really in our wheelhouse,” she said.

Aging

by MariAnn Paladino, Dir.

of Admissions, Notre Dame Long Term Care

Gracefully ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES

One of the most critical decisions an older person will make when preparing for retirement is where to live. Many people immediately think of assisted living facilities or a continuing care community, and there are good reasons for this. Such senior housing options o er peace of mind for families and improved quality of life for their occupants. Residents receive the support they need. ere are immense bene ts, including round-the-clock medical care. Other services and amenities may include social activities and outings, housekeeping and laundry services, mobility assistance, nutritious meals, beauty salons, and barbershops. One of the most important bene ts, however, is the strong bonds formed with sta members and neighbors, which can combat loneliness and depression. e typical resident lives in assisted living for two to three years, and many then move to nursing homes. Individuals who require a wheelchair for locomotion, have a severe cognitive impairment, or show behavioral symptoms such as wandering are discouraged from becoming residents of an assisted living facility. To learn more about our long-term care center, please call NOTRE DAME

LONG TERM CARE CENTER at (508) 8523011. We are located at 559 Plantation Street.

P.S. Assisted living residents are generally active and remain relatively independent, but may need support with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Notre

Seniors on the

e Briarwood Community and Pets: Perfect Together!

Research studies have proven what animal lovers have known all along: relationships between people and pets are good for you! Interacting with our animals lowers blood pressure, gives a sense of calm, counters depression, and raises feelings of well-being. These benefits enhance all social interaction, a prime factor in enjoying life at any age. In this time of the coronavirus pandemic, pets are providing even more solace.

At the Briarwood Senior Living Community in Worcester and West Boylston, pets are welcome residents, and animals are frequent guests in

various community programs. Knollwood Nursing Center has on campus two very popular resident cats and a large aquarium with exotic, brightlycolored sh, a feature also in the Assisted Living program.

In all areas of the Community, the presence of pets is a delight. Pat Foley-Martel, Knollwood Administrator, says, “We’ve had a long relationship with pet visitors from Paws for People at Tufts Cummings Veterinary School. You can see clearly the positive impact on residents from encounters with dogs, cats – at one time, even a miniature horse.

caring community for elders

Shrewsbury’s latest 40B project takes step forward

By Evan Walsh Reporter

SHREWSBURY – On Sep. 12, the Select Board voted to sign the letter of support for the Local Initiative Program (LIP) for Emerald Run. The board also signed the development agreement with Pulte Homes, the project’s developer.

LIP is a program through the state Department of Housing and Community Development that encourages the development of affordable housing. As part of other proposed projects in town, officials have said the program would give the town more say into the development and its impact on the surrounding neighborhood and the community as a whole.

Emerald Run is currently proposed for 33-69 Green St., land between Green Street and South Street in the southeastern corner of Shrewsbury. Pulte Homes plans to build six fourstory buildings on the 36 acres. The 40B project will have 300 total homeownership-units,

25% of which (75 units) will be affordable.

The state’s 40B law allows developers to sidestep many local zoning regulations as long as 25% of the units are affordable. Communities with at least 10% existing affordable housing stock are immune from 40B, but Shrewsbury doesn’t meet this requirement.

In the last six months, Pulte Homes worked with Town Manager Kevin Mizikar to adapt the project. Additions include clubhouse space, pickleball courts and extra patios.

Additionally, Pulte Homes will be giving Shrewsbury a strip of land toward the northern edge of the property to develop and construct a connecting road between South Street and Green Street. The connection — which would run parallel to Route 20 —would give residents of southern Shrewsbury easier access to Green Street’s traffic light-protected intersection with Route 20.

That connection was first conceptualized in February by

former Select Board Chair Moe DePalo.

Pulte Homes said that — according to traffic studies — the surrounding roadways have the capacity for the cars associated with the development.

“I know that there’s always going to be members of the community that are frustrated when they hear of a housing development community, especially one that’s 300 units. But, at the same time, we also

know that we’re also facing a housing crunch and that this is a price point we don’t necessarily have in Shrewsbury. It’s an ownership opportunity,” Select Board Chair Beth Casavant said.

Shrewsbury Police Department holds inaugural Community Night

By Evan Walsh Reporter

SHREWSBURY – On Sept. 21, the Shrewsbury Police Department held its first annual Community Night. The event served as an open house for the new police station, an opportunity to foster relationships between the police department and community members, and the unofficial kickoff for Spirit of Shrewsbury weekend.

“We wanted to make an event that was welcoming for the community. We wanted to get everyone out here to see — not just the building — but how we interact with folks. We’re showing tours of the station, how we’re policing, and how we do business,” Chief Kevin Anderson told the Community Advocate.

Community Night functioned much like National Night Out events.

Anderson hoped the Community Night would give people an opportunity to interact with the police more casually.

“We’re members of the community,” said Anderson. “If you look around here, you’ll see everybody interacting, everybody talking in a non-enforcement

environment. We’re just regular people, and sometimes we have to be guardians of the community.”

Vendors and town organizations lined the police station parking lot. SkyRise Theater provided face painting for the younger crowd.

Then there were all the police-related activities. The community rushed to pet two horses from the Worcester Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit; some residents caught a glimpse of Mikah, the canine officer sitting in one of the police cruisers. One of the Massachusetts State Police helicopters touched down at the event at around 6 p.m.

The police department also

put its boat, jet ski, cruisers, and other vehicles on display for the community.

Of course, all the fun activities were held around the brand-new police station. The event marked the first glimpse inside the new building for many community members. Town residents — eager to see the latest and greatest town building — quickly booked all the available tours the Police Department offered.

I’m so proud [to show this building to the community]. It’s an example of how well we’re supported by the community. What’s more important is to see the people in it. The most important part of that building are the people in it,” said Anderson.

The inaugural Community Night drew over 2,500 people.

PHOTO/EVAN WALSH

NIGHT LIGHTS

NIGHT LIGHTS

NOVEMBER 24 – DECEMBER 31, 2023 / DAILY 4–10 PM

Celebrate the season with a spectacular light display at New England Botanic Garden! Enchanting landscapes, fun experiences, and thousands of lights await. Visit nebg.org/nightlights for information.

Enjoy early access to Night Lights tickets and a 25% discount if you become a member today! Tickets go on sale for members on October 16 and on sale for the general public on October 30. Member benefits can be enjoyed year-round and include:

• Free general admission and discounted special event admission

• 10% discount at the Garden Shop and 30 partner businesses

• Reciprocal admission privileges to 340 gardens countrywide

• Savings on classes and workshops

• Invitations to member-only events

JOIN AND SAVE ON MEMBERSHIP NOW!

Take 10% off your membership using promo code NLM23 at nebg.org/membership or in-person during your visit to the Garden. The discount is valid now through 11/30/23.

HOMES MORE&

Are More Homes Coming onto the Market?

An important factor shaping today’s market is the number of homes for sale. And, if you’re considering whether or not to list your house, that’s one of the biggest advantages you have right now. When housing inventory is this low, your house will stand out, especially if it’s priced right.

But there are some early signs that more listings are coming. According to the latest data, new listings (homeowners who just put their house up for sale) are trending up. Here’s a look at why this is noteworthy and what it may mean for you.

More Homes Are Coming onto the Market than Usual

It’s well known that the busiest time in the housing market each year is the spring buying season. That’s why there’s a predictable increase in the volume of newly listed homes throughout the first half of the year. Sellers are anticipating this and ramping up for the months when buyers are most active. But, as the school year kicks off and as the holidays approach, the market cools. It’s what’s expected.

But here’s what’s surprising. Based on the latest data from Realtor.com, there’s an increase in the number of sellers listing their houses later this year than usual. A peak this late in the year

isn’t typical. You can see both the normal seasonal trend and the unusual August in the graph below:

New Listings Tick Up

As Realtor.com explains:

“While inventory continues to be in short supply, August witnessed an unusual uptick in newly listed homes compared to July, hopefully signaling a return in seller activity heading toward the fall season . . .”

While this is only one month of data, it’s unusual enough to note. It’s still too early to say for sure if this trend will continue, but it’s something you’ll want to stay ahead of if it does.

What This Means for You

If you’ve been putting off selling your house, now may be the sweet spot to make your move. That’s because, if this trend continues, you’ll have more competition the longer you wait. And if your neighbor puts their house up for sale too, it means you may have to share buyers’ attention with that other homeowner. If you sell now, you can beat your neighbors to the punch.

But, even with more homes coming onto the market, the market is still well below normal supply levels. And, that inventory deficit isn’t going to be reversed overnight. The graph below helps put this into context, so you can see the opportunity you still have now:

New Listings Count in August Each Year

Bottom Line

Even though inventory is still low, you don’t want to wait for more competition to pop up in your neighborhood. You still have an incredible opportunity if you sell your house today. Let’s connect to explore the benefits of selling now before more homes come to the market.

COMMUNITY HISTORY

Old neighborhoods of Hudson have colorful names

HUDSON

THEN NOW

By David Bonazzoli

History Columnist

HUDSON - In the early days, much of what we call Hudson was Nipmuck territory, and was known as the Indian Plantation. This was the land from about Tower Street, east to the town line. On Pope’s Hill, Belleview Street, there was an American Indian burial ground containing about 60 graves.

The name Back Bay is still familiar to many. It’s Apsley Street, from Lincoln to Central and over to Packard Street.

The Back Bay was like a little village, with a bakery, barbershop, grocery stores, laundromat, restaurants and bars. Many still remember the Lisbon Club, Sloppy Joe’s bar on Howe Street, and the N&M Market and Hackey’s Variety. Paul and

Jerry’s remains today.

Follow Central Street to where it curves toward Berlin and you’re at Brown’s Corner. Both the railroad and the streetcar lines had stations there. Stand on Loring Court and you’re in Cat Alley. Old timers have fond memories of their friendly neighbors and how everyone helped each other out. Steps away was Henry Valcour’s store, and the Rimkus Market. Speaking of cats, Cat Rock is the area behind the Rod and Gun Club.

Coolidgeville is a section of Central Street near Laurel Drive. Many members of the Coolidge family were respected citizens of Hudson, and they lived there.

Gospel Hill got its name because one of the town’s earliest churches was on the top of the hill.

Far up Manning Street is Indian Hill. Many arrowheads have been found there.

Many years ago, Deacon Peters lived where the Apsley

The Marlborough Commuter Shuttle is back in service!

mansion stands today. Across Lake Street along the water was a wooded picnic area known as Peters Grove.

Washington Street is Nobility Hill. A wide variety of fine old homes are there, many built by early Hudson businessmen.

O’Neil’s Crossing is where Whispering Pines is today. Here, where the railroad crossed Main

Street, stood an old white house owned by Mr. O’Neil.

Potash Hill is off the south side of Coolidge Street. It’s the second highest point in town. Soap was made here using potash found in the area. Potash Brook runs under Main Street in the center of town. It connects Bruce’s Pond to the Assabet River.

Skeeterville is an area of Wilkins Street before the Rod and Gun Club. A large railroad trestle known as the Skeeterville Bridge was there.

Squirrel Hollow is the section of Manning Street beyond Cox Street.

Tin Can Alley is a very old name. It refers to a path near Wood Square where early residents would dump their trash and cans.

Triangle Cove is where Brook Street joins lower Main Street. In the 1940s there was an open-air canopy where dances took place. A popular band was Cellucci’s Orchestra. Italians came all the way from the North End in Boston to enjoy these dances.

Town Farm Crossing is where the railroad crossed Main Street in front of the Poor Farm.

And finally, Wood Square, or simply “The Square,” one of Hudson’s best-known landmarks, got its name from Solon Wood’s store, which was located there.

In the 1940s there was an open-air canopy in the Triangle Cove section of Hudson where dances took place, attracting people from as far away as Boston.

PHOTO/DAVID BONAZZOLI

Arts in Common | from page 1 through the afternoon. Dancers from Ekta Dance Academy demonstrated the basics of Bollywood dancing, with the audience encouraged to participate.

Other acts included singer/ musician Paul Courchaine; Hung Gar Kung Fu and Lion Dance Academy; We & the Dawg (soul and R&B music); Henry the Juggler; and the Worcester Jazz Orchestra.

Near the stage, the council dedicated a bench to Lynn S. Watts, who was active with the organization for 16 years, including six years as chair.

After a slow start because of the weather, the crowds began to pick up around lunchtime. Just beyond the tents, several food trucks served up pizza, vegetarian fare, baked goods and other items.

“I’m thrilled with the attendance so far,” said Michelle French, the council’s secretary and a member of the Arts in Common Committee. “The Bollywood performance and dance drew a lot of participation.”

Additional event sponsors included Avidia Bank, Cumulus Global, Central One Federal Credit Union, Cornerstone Dental Care Inc., Curry Printing Co., David French Music Company, Aallanco Service Company, DCU, Dolan & Mahoney Insurance, Dr. Richard Irwin, Emily Hendricks-Bramley, EMSEAL, Grossman Development Group,

James N. Ball & Co., Jody and Lester Hensley, Main Street Bank, Mathieu Newton Sotheby’s International Realty, Maureen and Ian Johnson, Mirick O’Connell, Rep. Hannah Kane Charitable Foundation and Roche Bros.

Grant applications

The council is accepting ap-

plications for the 2024 grant cycle. Deadline is Oct. 17. The activity must take place in Westborough, be advertised and open to the public, and be handicapped accessible. The venue and date must be scheduled before submitting the application.

Applications are open to the following categories: in-

Near the stage, and within site of the Arts in Common event, the Westborough Cultural Council dedicated a bench to Lynn S. Watts, who was active with the council for 16 years, including six years as chair.

dividuals, private nonprofit organizations, unincorporated associations that can establish a nonprofit objective, schools, libraries or other public agencies, religious organizations (with some restrictions), and the local cultural council itself. For information, visit https:// www.westboroughma.gov/ cultural-council

is the day the Lord has

Let us rejoice and be glad

I was doing when I divided time

Jeff Weinstein plays on one of his handmade cigar-box guitars during the annual Arts in Common event.

PHOTOS/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

Crowds plug in to Regional EV Expo

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

WESTBOROUGH – The sun came out just in time for the annual “Get Charged Up” Regional EV Expo on Sunday, Oct. 1, at Amazon Robotics on Otis Street.

More than three dozen electric and hybrid vehicles were on display; their drivers were on hand to field questions about usage, mileage, expenses and more.

Kathy Dunbeck, wife of Peter Dunbeck of Sustainable Westborough, showed off their wheels — a hybrid Chrysler Pacifica and an electric Chevy Bolt.

“I love it. It gets great mileage,” said Kathy of the Pacifica. They recently went on a trip to Maine, and she said the vehicle used “half gas, half electric” there and back.

Of the Bolt, she said, “It’s a great ‘be bopping around’ car.”

Nearby, Andrew Koenigsberg of Westborough showed off his 2012 Toyota RAV-4 hybrid.

“It goes 1,000 miles on a tank of gas,” he said. “I’ve had no mechanical issues.”

According to Peter Dunbeck, the expo is staged to “encourage people to consider EVs for their next car.”

In addition to the vehicles, there were vendors providing information on the latest makes, models, programs and accessories.

Joey’s Cannolis and Nourse Farm’s Veg Out provided snacks. In Veg Out’s case, Tim Nourse provided free samples of smoothies, energy bites and “goosebumps chili” from the back of the farm’s Rivian electric truck.

The smoothies and chili were made with appliances plugged into the truck’s battery.

“It has great power, good range and it’s a comfortable car,” said Nourse. “It’s a good tool for the farm as well.”

The expo was co-sponsored by Sustainable Westborough, Rotary Club of Westborough, Sustainable Northborough, Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee, and the towns of Grafton and Upton.

For more information, visit www.sustainablewestborough.org.

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

WESTBOROUGH – A building that once housed a rollerskating rink could soon become a self-storage facility.

Representatives from WDA Design Group showed plans for 161 Milk St. and 220 Turnpike Road to the Planning Board on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

According to the application, the current property owners are Lyman Realty Trust and Paulini Loam LLC, both out of Milford; the petitioner is Mark Johnson of 161 Milk St. Nominee Trust; he is the owner of MA Restoration on Fisher Street.

Barry Yaceshyn, senior civil engineer for WDA, said the plans are focused on 161 Milk St. The building with the rink was constructed sometime in the late 1970s and closed years ago.

The plans call for the conversion of the building into a fully automated self-storage facility. There will also be a new, 20,000-square-foot building — a two-story office and a single-story warehouse. The proposed new building would be used by MA Restoration.

There were several questions from the Planning Board about the driveway connecting 161 Milk to 220 Turnpike Road. Yaceshyn said there are no immediate plans for the site itself, but the driveway will remain in place.

In the traffic plans, tractor-trailers will enter from Turnpike Road and exit onto Milk Street; passenger vehicles and box trucks may use either road to enter and exit.

Talk about “electric blue” — this is one of the electric models from Mercedes.

PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Local non-profit organization created by students for students

By Tyler Charpentier Contributing Writer

WESTBOROUGH – Westborough and Hopkinton High School students recently created a non-profit organization called Learn It in order to assist fellow students with career paths and college applications.

Sunaina Pal, Piyusha Majgaonkar and Aryan Das founded this program and are assisted by their Communications Coordinator, Merav Sriram, and Social Media Manager, Mariah Boyce.

Learn It strives to provide high school students with academic support and knowledge when it comes to their career plans after graduation. This support consists of virtual oneon-one tutoring and webinars with various host volunteers from differing career fields and academic backgrounds. They

are able to give specific information to students regarding which college suits them best and what career they might be interested in.

“We noticed that there weren’t very many free and affordable resources available

for these kids so we decided to create resources for them. A lot of these students knew that they wanted to go to college but they just didn’t know how to go about starting the process,” said Majgaonkar.

When originally starting

Care and Camaraderie

are people who work in college admissions as well as college advisors. Yet, Learn It also incorporates some hosts who are industry professionals from different career backgrounds to give students a better insight into that specific field.

the program, Majgaonkar, Pal and Das had no idea how much of an impact they were about to have on students worldwide. Learn It officially launched this past March and has already amassed over 200 participants, including members from over 20 states and five countries.

A typical webinar will consist of a 50 minute presentation from a host, then concluding the session there is a 10 minute section carved out for Q&A’s from participating members. Since this program focuses on college prep, the hosts usually

“When we started the program we were hoping we could impact at least 50 people, but now we have over 200 consistent members. We have gotten feedback from members who have said these webinars are really helpful and are now applying to colleges. Our program’s biggest accomplishment is definitely just helping students realize what they want for their future,” said Majgaonkar.

Learn It is planning on expanding even further in the future. They are looking to partner with other organizations and apply for grants in order to receive additional funding for members to host workshops at their local libraries. This can assist in them reaching a wider audience consisting of younger students in middle and elementary school.

Learn It is always looking for new members, as well as more volunteers. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to apply.

Grafton High Class of 1968 holds reunion

New Horizons’ Men’s Club meets weekly for socialization and activities including gardening on raised flowerbeds and games on the putting green. For couples, New Horizons offers a second occupant fee of just $100 that includes three homestyle meals daily and access to all amenities, including our 86-degree heated indoor lap pool

Back row: David Glispin, Scott Rossiter, Diane (LeBoeuf) Rutkiewicz, Diane (Poirier) Brooks, Nancy (Shulenburg) Bielecki, Janet (Gengel) Crispen, Janice (Kuras) Zawada, Pat (Daniels) Lessard, Alan Harvie, Elizabeth (Rawinski) Weeks, Ron Leger, Paul Gibree. Sitting: Ronny Pichette, Karen (Hudson) Siemaszko, Sandra (Legassey) Beaudoin, Debbie (Foto) Taylor and Peter Kallin

GRAFTON – The Grafton High School class of 1968 held its 55th reunion on Sept. 20 at the Grafton Town House Tavern. It was a cozy, relaxed venue where classmates reconnected with dear friends. Everyone had a great time catching up, reminiscing and sharing some precious time together over drinks and food.

The three co-founders of Learn It are Sunaina Pal, Aryan Das and Piyusha Majgaonkar.

5.

New Horizons retirement community in Marborough offers a welcoming, supportive environment for couples and for men and women living alone.

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor

NORTHBOROUGH – After breaking ground on the Algonquin Regional High School “Gonkplex” earlier this year, high school students celebrated the opening of the tennis and pickleball courts on Oct. 1 with a pickleball tournament.

“I like seeing everyone here,” said organizer Renee Gauthier. “We were kind of worried at first that not a lot of teams would sign up, but we got a good amount of people coming. It’s nice to see everybody out and about and passionate about something that we’re doing.”

Gauthier was one of the senior class leaders who organized the tournament along with Cass Melo, Riya Mahanta, Cole Gowdy and Cam Arcona.

According to Gauthier, Principal Sean Bevan had approached two of her friends and asked if they would be interested in starting a pickleball tournament.

The students jumped at the opportunity and got busy planning the tournament. After rain postponed their original date for the tournament, it was held on Oct. 1.

“It’s a gorgeous day outside. We’re really excited,” Gauthier said.

The winners of the tournament received gift cards to Pickle Haus Deli.

It’s great to see the courts open, she said, noting that the old courts had cracks and were overgrown.

“It’s fun because have more things to do than just tennis courts like there’s a basketball court there. It’s more inclusion. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport right now,” she said. “It’s exciting.”

Bevan said the students and families have been patient waiting for the opening, “but I think their enthusiasm and ours are shared.”

“This is just evidence of that kind of enthusiasm. We’re really excited about it,” he said.

According to Superintendent Greg Martineau, there’s been a slight delay for the basketball court, which is located near the tennis and pickleball courts. The district decided to have a phased in approach when it comes to access to the facility, he said.

The Gonkplex project was approved by Northborough and Southborough Town Meetings this spring. In addition to the new tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, the project will include artificial turf stadium and multipur -

pose fields, a new track and amphitheater and Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant grand stand. Moving forward, the next phase of the Gonkplex will be the turf multipurpose field followed by the stadium field

at the end of October.

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for our community,” Martineau said.

He recalled driving by the courts and seeing community members playing pickleball and tennis.

“This is a community asset, and also it greatly benefits our students. We’re very excited. We’ll be even more thrilled once the project is wrapped up and completely accessible to all of the community,” Martineau said.

Cass Melo, Riya Mahanta, Renee Gauthier, Cole Gowdy, Cam Arcona and Principal Sean Bevan cut the ribbon, officially opening the pickleball courts.

Students took to the courts to compete in a pickleball tournament.

PHOTOS/LAURA HAYES

SALMON, Infinityy partner for online tour experience COMMUNITY BUSINESS

REGION – Infinityy — a revolutionary technology platform for buying, selling and leasing real estate — is collaborating with SALMON Health and Retirement to bring its comprehensive, personalized online tour experience to residents

and their loved ones.

Through this integration, current and future residents and their loved ones will be able to explore their options in a customized Infinityy Room. Once they are in the Infinityy Room, visitors will be able to

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

Your Money, Your Independence

tour the SALMON campus anytime, anywhere, with anyone.

“At SALMON, we are committed to leading the industry in providing the best experience for our future and current residents and their loved ones, whether they’re on one

Changes to 2024 Catch Up 401(k) Contributions

Since 2019, Congress continues to place a growing number changes as well as restrictions on Americans’ retirement planning.

Passed in December 2022, Secure Act 2.0, which stands for “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement,” was designed to further improve retirement-saving opportunities.

One would believe expanding personal choices would be an enhancement.

Think again.

Planned changes for 2024

It gets complicated

Beyond employers, plan administrators and plan/ payroll service providers having to update capabilities at additional costs, there are several unanswered questions on how to execute.

For example, what’s in place to allow an employer to verify a new employee’s FICA wages made the previous year at a former employer? Or what of those who don’t have FICA wages and are omitted from the new law, like state and local government employees or partners at a law firm? Ironic or mistakenly omitted?

of our campuses or visiting us online,” said SALMON’s Chief Future Officer Andrew Salmon. “Infinityy’s platform supports our forward-thinking approach to senior living while upholding our long-standing tradition of providing valuebased care and meeting the individual needs of our current and future residents wherever they are.”

SALMON at Medway was the first campus to launch Infinityy. It showcases their two senior living communities — The Willows Independent Living and Whitney Place Assisted Living with Tapestry Memory Care.

Residents and their loved ones will be able to explore the entire campus, communities and premium amenities, including the available apart-

ments and cottages, bar and lounge, spa, library, billiards and game room, arcade, art studio, greenhouse and more.

“Infinityy provides visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in and interact with all that SALMON at Medway has to offer through our unique, shared virtual experience,” said Infinityy CEO and Co-Founder Jim Schoonmaker. “As the very first senior living community to offer Infinityy, SALMON at Medway will undoubtedly enable residents, future residents and their families, caregivers and other loved ones to benefit from the enhanced experience.”

SALMON also has senior living communities in Northborough and Westborough. For more information, visit https:// salmonhealth.com/.

For Secure Act 2.0, when lawmakers drafted changes to 401k catch-up provisions (currently $7,500 additional to 401k plans by those over age 50) they “mistakenly” left out specific language. As a result, under their original Section 603, no participant could make catch-up contributions whether on a pre-tax or Roth basis starting in 2024.

This led to over 200 entities made up of Fortune 500 companies, firms, and public employers, plus the American Retirement Association and plan administrators including Schwab, Vanguard, and Fidelity to ask Congress for a two-year delay to the Roth catch-up rule to 2026.

IRS delays changes until 2026

Clinton Savings Bank, WXLO 104.5 fundraise for Coolidge school

Glenn Brown, CFP

This was a big problem.

Congressional leaders said this was not the intended outcome, but instead to broaden the amount of employers offering a Roth option in their 401k plans. Interesting, cause simply mandating a Roth option in 401k plans does this and provides more choice for everyone.

Instead, Congress determined it was best to require individuals who earned more than $145,000 in FICA wages the previous tax year to make all catch-up contributions on a Roth basis only. Meaning, it eliminated the choice of taking upfront tax break on catch-up contributions for “higher earners” by only allowing these deposits in after-tax Roth accounts.

With this as the only catch-up option available, lawmakers know this pressures employers to update both retirement plans to allow the Roth option AND align payroll service capabilities with retirement plans to identify those who earned more than $145,000 in FICA wages the previous year.

The cynic in me asks:

• Why is this link being established?

• What’s in future laws given these new aligned capabilities?

• When did $145,000 become the new $400,000 for “high earners”?

On August 25, 2023, the IRS released Notice 202362 which pushed enactment of Section 603 out to January 1, 2026.

Thus, it is business as usual for 2024 and 2025, while stakeholders work behind the scenes to get compliant. It also gives time for revised Congressional legislation.

Your next steps

If over age 50, you can continue making catch-up contributions to 401k plans based upon your personal choice of what’s best for you now and later in retirement, regardless of income.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the Roth 401k selection can have tremendous benefits.

Furthermore, I’ve actively illustrated to clients the potential benefits and drawbacks to switching to the Roth 401k option. But in the end, it should be about choice for the individual to do what is best for them in planning for their retirement.

If you don’t know which choice is right for you, talk to your Certified Financial Planner.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

Glenn Brown lives in MetroWest and is owner of PlanDynamic, LLC, www.PlanDynamic.com. He is a fee-only Certified Financial Planner™ helping motivated people take control of their planning and investing, so they can balance kids, aging parents and financial independence.

SHREWSBURY – Clinton Savings Bank and WXLO 104.5 recently teamed up and held a lemonade stand at Clinton Savings Bank’s Shrewsbury branch at 200 Harford Turnpike to provide a bright start to the school year for Coolidge Elementary School’s teachers and students.

“The members of our community have huge hearts, especially when it comes to helping our local schools,” said President and CEO of Clinton Savings Bank Robert J. Paulhus Jr. “We’re thrilled to see the contributions used to help this important cause and to be a part of benefitting students in our service area.”

Bank staff and morning show hosts Frank Foley and Jen Carter were in the parking lot of the bank with lemonade that was donated by Florida’s Natural Lemonade from Market Basket.

The group was accepting monetary donations and schools supplies to support the

Coolidge students. They raised over $2,000 in school supplies.

WXLO 104.5 General Manager Bob Goodell said they were thrilled to see many people come out during the event, including Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis, who dropped off backpacks and supplies from his office.

“One of the most important things we can do is help children be successful in school,” said Goodell. “We are excited to partner with Clinton Savings again next year so that we can make this an annual event.”

President and CEO Robert J. Paulhus, Jr., WXLO 104.5 General Manager Bob Goodell and hosts Frank Foley and Jen Carter served up lemonade.

COMMUNITY OBITUARIES

DEATHS

Ahlquist, Christopher formerly of Grafton

Bryant, Barbara of Grafton

DuFries, Curtis formerly of Westborough

Dulaney, Sandra of Marlborough

Gaudette, Marilyn of Marlborough

Hannan, RoseAnn of Hudson

Harrington, Gail of Shrewsbury

Heskey, James of Marlborough

Keddy Sr., Alan formerly of Hudson

Lehane, John of Marlborough

Mann, Walter formerly of Southborough

Mason-Jones, D. Frizelle of Hudson

Mossman, Margaret of Marlborough

Newman, Ronnie formerly of Westborough

Patel, Sharadaben of Marlborough

Ryan, Amy of Grafton

Searles, Rose of Grafton

Sheehan, Paul formerly of Marlborough

Simone, Richard of Shrewsbury

Tucci, Jennifer of Marlborough

Wing, George of Marlborough

Woodin, Sandra formerly of Hudson and Marlborough

D. Frizelle

Mason-Jones, 70

HUDSON - D. Frizelle MasonJones, 70, of Hudson, Massachusetts passed away September 19,

STARTING SUBGENRES

2023, after a lengthy illness. He was a writer of television and movie scripts, winning many new writer awards.

Frizelle leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife of 42 years, C. Mae Mason-Jones, siblings Lance Stokes and Rita M. Dady, nieces Kofi Jones, Keely Jones and Rose Dady, a greatnephew Jazz Washington and great-niece Trinity DeHoyos, along with a devoted best friend Nancy Sweeter and endless extended family and friends. Preceding Frizelle in death were his mother, Ruth Stokes, his father William Jones, and his brother Arthur L. Jones.

The Twomey, LeBlanc, & Conte Funeral Home of Newburyport assisted with arrangements.

Sharadaben M. Patel, 94

MARLBOROUGH – Sharadaben

M. Patel, 94, passed away peacefully on September 12th, 2023, with her loving family by her side. Shardaben was born 09-021929 at Bhatera, Gujarat, India.

Shardaben was beloved wife of late Manibhai Motibhai Patel, who died August 21st 1974. Shardaben leaves her four sons, Navinbhai and wife Purnima-

ben, Nareshbhai and wife Mandaben, Dilipbhai and wife Ranjanben and Hasmukhbhai and wife Kaminiben along with her 10 grandchildren.

Slattery Funeral Home of Marlborough assisted with arrangements.

James P. Heskey, 47

MARLBOROUGH/FRAMINGHAM - James Paul Heskey, 47, a resident of Marlborough and a talented musician, passed away unexpectedly due to an acute medical condition in the early morning hours of September 22, 2023. At the time of his passing James was doing what he loved, quietly playing his guitar.

In addition to his parents, William and Dorothy (Hamilton) Heskey, James is survived by his older brother Kenneth W. Heskey, all who reside in Northborough. He also leaves a niece, Alexzandria D. Heskey, his aunts, Jeannie Zabchuk of Newton and Charlotte Hamilton of Billerica. Family and friends will remember James for his serious yet shy and loving personality.

Hays Funeral Home of Northborough assisted with arrangements.

The Community Advocate will post obituaries online (and in print, as space allows). 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).

Barbara Bryant, 88

GRAFTON - Barbara Bryant, 88, passed away on September 20, 2023 at the Lydia Taft House in Uxbridge, MA following a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Barbara was born July 3, 1935, and her roots were in Grafton.

She leaves her sister Betty Cahill of Uxbridge, her nieces Linda Morse and her fiancé Scott Wood of Spencer, Melissa Cormier and her husband Roger of Northbridge, her great-nephew Nicky Morse and his wife Aimee of Millville and her great-nieces Ashley Morse of Dennis, Haley Cormier of Northbridge and great-great niece Audree Noell Morse. She was predeceased by her niece Kimberly Cahill.

Roney Funeral Home of North Grafton assisted with arrangements.

Amy Ryan, 46

GRAFTON - Amy (Provasoli) Ryan, 46, passed away September 22, 2023 at Rose Monahan Hospice in Worcester following complications from pancreatic cancer. Amy was born February 18, 1977 in Framingham, MA and her roots were in Marlborough. She and her family lived briefly in Montana and locally in Hop-

week’s obituaries on our website.

kinton before settling in Grafton several years ago.

She leaves her loving husband of 14 years, Marc Ryan, her daughters Ava and Anna, her parents Sharon (Gomes) and James Provasoli, her brother Richard Provasoli and sister Lisa Blanchard, her mother and father-in-law Judy and Jack Ryan and several nieces and nephews. Roney Funeral Home of North Grafton assisted with arrangements.

Paul F.D. Sheehan, 68

WEST BOYLSTON - Paul F.D. Sheehan, 68, of West Boylston died Wednesday September 20, 2023.

He was born in Tokyo, Japan the son of the late Paul F. and Jeannette (Martin) Sheehan and was a graduate of Marlborough High School Class of 1973. He later attended Wentworth Institute.

He leaves his daughter Shannon Russell and her husband Chris Strange of Marlborough; a brother Charles “Alan: Tingstrom of Annville, PA; nephews and nieces.

The Collins Funeral Home of Marlborough assisted with arrangements.

SUPER CROSSWORD

Answers on page 20

LEGAL NOTICES

Hudson Planning Board

Robert D’Amelio, Chairman

HUDSON NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING HUDSON PLANNING BOARD

Notice is hereby given of a Public Hearing to be held by the Hudson Planning Board on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, 2nd Floor Town Hall.

At this time, the Hudson Planning Board will consider the application of Intel Massachusetts, Inc. for a Definitive Subdivision Plan Approval showing the creation of lots and the streets and ways providing access and utilities thereto as shown in plans entitled “Definitive Subdivision Plans for Digital Drive 75 Reed Road Hudson, Massachusetts”, prepared by Beals Associates, Inc. of Boston, MA dated September 20, 2023, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 41, Section 81-T and 81-U, M.G.L. The subject property is located at 75 Reed Road, Hudson, MA, within the M-6 Industrial District Zoning District, Assessors’ Map 41, Parcel 33. All petition materials are available for review in the Town Clerk’s Office during regular business hours, on the Town of Hudson website at http://go.boarddocs. com/ma/hudsonma/Board.nsf/ goto?open&id=CVVH6L46F13F and can be requested by calling (978) 562-2989 or by sending an email to kjohnson@ townofhudson.org.

Hudson Planning Board

Robert D’Amelio, Chairman

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING HUDSON PLANNING BOARD

Notice is hereby given of a Public Hearing to be held by the Hudson Planning Board on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at 7:00 PM. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, 2nd Floor Town Hall.

At this time, the Hudson Planning Board will consider the application of David Rykbost for Site Plan Approval to build a mixed-use development at 469 and 479 River Road, Hudson, MA. Associated improvements include ten (10) mixed-use, commercial or industrial buildings, paved vehicular and pedestrian areas, gravel contractor yards, landscaped areas, stormwater management systems, onsite septic systems, and other utility services; proposing to improve the existing stormwater management system at 469 River Road, pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.1.7 of the Town of Hudson Zoning By-laws. The subject property is located at 469 and 479 River Road within the M-7 Industrial District, Assessors’ Map 71 Parcels 4 and 5.

All petition materials are available for review in the Town Clerk’s Office during regular business hours, on the Town of Hudson website at http://go.boarddocs. com/ma/hudsonma/Board.nsf/ goto?open&id=CQLQW96B4301 and can be requested by calling (978) 562-2989 or by sending an email to kjohnson@ townofhudson.org.

On September 12, 2023, the Hudson Board of Health voted to enact a new regulation entitled “Restricting the Sale of Tobacco Products and Smoking Accessories, Regulation # 23-1”. This regulation included updates to the former tobacco-related regulation that include, but are not limited to, implementing new state requirements, setting a uniform fining structure, allowing for sale of business/permit transfers, and retail density guidelines. The regulation will go into effect on November 1, 2023. For a copy of these regulations, please call or email the Board of Health at (978) 562-2020 or health@townofhudson.org. The new regulations are also available on the Health Department website at https://www.hudsonhealthdept.org/tobacco-control.

SHREWSBURY TOWN OF SHREWSBURY

The Select Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 7:05 pm in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room to accept public comment on the issue of allocating the local property tax levy among the four classes of real property and of personal property for Fiscal Year 2024 pursuant to MGL Chapter 40, Section 56. Upon the conclusion of this public hearing, the Select Board will determine the percentages of the local tax levy to be borne by each class of real property, as defined in General Laws Chapter 59, Section 2A and personal property for Fiscal Year 2024.

At this hearing, the Board of Assessors will be present to provide all information and data relevant to the Select Board in making such determination and the fiscal effect of the available options.

Interested taxpayers, citizens, and/or residents are encouraged to attend this public hearing to offer any written or oral comments, email selectboard@shrewsbruyma.gov, or mail any comments to the Select Board, 100 Maple Avenue, to be received by noon on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.

Information related to this matter can be viewed and copies obtained pursuant to application statutes and regulations in the Office of the Select Board during normal business hours.

Beth N. Casavant, Chair Select Board

NOTICE OF HEARING - G.L. CHAPTER 131, S. 40

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of General Laws, Chapter 131, s. 40 and Article 29 of the Shrewsbury General Bylaws, that Michael Connors, 779 Hartford Turnpike, Shrewsbury, MA, has filed a Notice of Intent for the construction of an addition off of existing showroom at 779 Hartford Turnpike.

A public hearing will be held on the above notice at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday Evening, October 17, 2023, in the Selectman’s Room at Shrewsbury Town Hall, 100 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

SHREWSBURY CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Kenneth Polito, Chairman

NOTICE OF HEARING -

CHAPTER 131, S. 40

G.L.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of General Laws, Chapter 131, s. 40, that Meletios D. Chacharone, 1 West Boylston Street, Suite LL05, Worcester, MA, 01605, has filed a Notice of Intent for the construction of two commercial buildings with parking, driveway and commercial loading areas as well as two stormwater BMPs at 369 Holden Street.

A public hearing will be held on the above notice at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday Evening, October 17, 2023, in the Selectman’s Room at Shrewsbury Town Hall, 100 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

SHREWSBURY CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Kenneth Polito, Chairman

NOTICE OF HEARING - G.L. CHAPTER 131, S. 40

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of General Laws, Chapter 131, s. 40, that Steve Corriveau, 57 North Street, Shrewsbury, MA, has filed a Notice of Intent for the demolition of an existing home and tennis court and the construction of single family home and associated grading, infiltration system, deck, and site work at 17-19 Lantern Lane.

A public hearing will be held on the above notice at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday Evening, October 17, 2023, in the Selectman’s Room at Shrewsbury Town Hall, 100 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

SHREWSBURY CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Kenneth Polito, Chairman

NOTICE OF HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Shrewsbury Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing to discuss and vote on the Wetland Rules and Regulations associated with Article 29, the Wetlands Protection Bylaw, approved by the State Attorney General on the 14th of September 2023.

A public hearing will be held on the above notice at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday Evening, October 10, 2023, virtually over Google Meet.

To view the Town of Shrewsbury Wetland Bylaw please access the following link: https://www.shrewsburyma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15140/

To view the Town of Shrewsbury Wetland Regulations and Fee Schedule please access the following link: https://www. shrewsburyma.gov/DocumentCenter/ View/15139/

For any questions or comments relating to the Bylaw and Regulations or attending the meeting, please email conservation@shrewsburyma.gov or call 508841-8502

SHREWSBURY CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Kenneth Polito, Chairman

Date: October 2, 2023

cc: Kevin Mizikar, Shrewsbury Town Manager Andrew Truman, Shrewsbury Town Engineer

NORTHBOROUGH

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

NORTHBOROUGH ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

In accordance with the provisions of MGL Chapter 40A, Section 9, the Northborough Zoning Board of Appeals will hold public hearings on Tuesday, October 24 at 7pm to consider the applications below.

Pursuant to Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023, An Act Relative to Extending Certain COVID-19 Measures Adopted During the State of Emergency, signed into law on March 29, 2023, this meeting will be conducted via remote participation. No in-person attendance by members of the public will be permitted. To participate in the public comment portions of this meeting from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Android device, please click this URL to join: https://town-northborough-maus.zoom.us/j/84075375325 Or join by phone: +1 646 876 9923 Webinar

ID: 840 7537 5325 Passcode: 311390 Live Stream link YouTube: https://www. youtube.com/channel/UCRdBrw3HeEAMB_KFKasrgXA. These applications can be viewed in the Planning Department or online at https://www.town.northborough.ma.us/zoning-board-appeals/ pages/currently-under-review-zba.

To consider the petition for a modification to an existing Site Plan Approval and Special Permit in the Groundwater Protection Overlay District, submitted by Lilika Grooming Spa, Inc., to eliminate the office use limitation and allow the use of a pet grooming business on the property located at 440 West Main Street, Map 80, Parcel 33, in the Business West Zoning District and Groundwater Protection Overlay District Area 3.

To consider the petition for a Special Permit and Special Permit in the Groundwater Protection Overlay District, submitted by Hannah Chen, for the accessory use of a home personal service on the property located at 29 Wilson Road, Map 100, Parcel 51, in the Residential C Zoning District and Groundwater Protection Overlay District Area 2.

Brad Blanchette, Clerk

MARLBOROUGH

ZBA Case # 23-1498

Location: 67 Simmons St.

Applicant: Joseph Barton

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING APPEAL

Notice is hereby given that the Marlborough Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public meeting on Thursday October 19, 2023 at 7:00 PM at Marlborough City Hall, 140 Main St. – 1st floor Committee Room, City Hall.

Petition: This is an appeal taken under M.G.L. Ch 40A § 8, 13 and 14 to the Zoning Determination of the City’s Building Commissioner dated August 18, 2023 as said determination affects premises at 67 Simmons St. The applicants requested an opinion of the Building Commissioner as to whether the premises as constituted is zoned for a single story addition at the rear of the existing structure. Located in Zoning District RR it does not comply with Chapter 650, Article 28E(3), “Table of Lot Area and Yard Requirements for Open Space Development,” & “Mini-

mum rear yard setback requirements” of the City Code of Marlborough. The applicant is seeking relief in the form of a variance in order to construct an additional room which would exceed maximum lot coverage and minimum rear yard setback requirements.

For further assistance, please contact the Board at 508-460-3768. All interested persons are invited.

Applicant or representative must be present.

Ralph Loftin, Chairman

CITY OF MARLBOROUGH OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS 01752 LEGAL NOTICE

Public Hearing –Special Permit

Applicant: Somar Landscape, Inc. Locus: 59 Airport Boulevard, Unit 16 Map(s) 73, Parcel(s) 52

Notice is given that the City Council of the City of Marlborough will hold a PUBLIC HEARING on Monday, October 2, 2023, at 8:00 PM in City Council Chambers, 2nd floor City Hall, 140 Main Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts, on the Application for Special Permit from Attorney Brian Falk, on behalf of Somar Landscape, Inc., to construct and operate a Landscaper’s Yard at the Airport Industrial Park, 59 Airport Boulevard, Unit 16. The application materials and plans are available for viewing in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 140 Main Street, Marlborough, MA 01752, Telephone 508-460-3775. In addition, the plans and application will be available online at www.marlborough-ma.gov/city-council under Public Hearing Notices.

Per Order of the City Council #23-1008965

This Legal Advertisement will be published on www.communityadvocate.com and http://masspublicnotices.org.

CITY OF MARLBOROUGH OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK LEGAL NOTICE

Public Hearing – Proposed Zoning Amendment to Chapter 650 “Zoning” to amend §22 “Retirement Community Overlay Districts” to include Map 39, Parcels 5 and 26B located on Robin Hill Street.

Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Marlborough will hold a PUBLIC HEARING on Monday, October 23, 2023, at 8:00 PM in the City Council Chamber, 2nd floor, City Hall, 140 Main Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts to amend Chapter 650, §22 “Retirement Community Overlay Districts” to include Map 39, Parcels 5 and 26 B on Robin Hill Street.

THAT, PURSUANT TO § 5 OF CHAPTER 40A OF THE GENERAL LAWS, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MARLBOROUGH, HAVING RECEIVED FOR ITS CONSIDERATION CHANGES IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MARLBOROUGH, AS AMENDED, TO FURTHER AMEND CHAPTER 650, NOW ORDAINS THAT THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MARLBOROUGH, AS AMENDED, BE FURTHER AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

1. By amending the Zoning Map established by Section 650-8, “Boundaries Established; Zoning Map”, by superimposing the Retirement Community Overlay District, RCO-D/T and RCO-MF, over

LEGAL NOTICES

Assessors Map 39, Parcels 5 and 26B; and

2. By amending certain provisions of Section 650-22, “Retirement Community Overlay Districts”, as follows (new text underlined, deleted text in strikethrough):

§ 650-22. Retirement Community Overlay Districts.

A. Purpose. The purpose of the Retirement Community Overlay District shall be to advance the public health, safety and welfare by providing for the development of retirement communities that provide housing choices for persons aged 55 or over on sites which are otherwise zoned for other purposes but which, because of the size of the parcel being developed and its proximity to other residential neighborhoods and/or residential amenities and supportive services, will provide an appropriate environment for a retirement community.

[Amended 4-8-2019 by Ord. No. 18/191007452G]

B. Location. For the purposes of this section, a Retirement Community Overlay District shall be considered superimposed on the other districts existing at the time that any land in any said underlying district is also included in the Retirement Community Overlay District. The rezoning of any or all of the land included in the Retirement Community Overlay District from one underlying zoning classification to another shall not affect its inclusion in the Retirement Community Overlay District, unless said land is specifically removed from the said Retirement Community Overlay District.

C. Permitted uses. All permitted uses must comply with the appropriate provisions of Article V and Article VII, except as otherwise specified herein or as otherwise approved by the City Council as part of the Special Permit process. In addition to those uses which are allowed, either as of right or by special permit, in the underlying district of any land which has been included in the Retirement Community Overlay District, the City Council may, by special permit in accordance with § 650-59, permit a retirement community-detached and townhomes or and a retirement community-multifamily, as defined in § 650-5 except as otherwise set forth herein, consistent with the following provisions:

[Amended 3-10-2003 by Ord. No. 039944B; 4-25-2011 by Ord. No. 111002806-1A; 4-8-2019 by Ord. No. 18/19-1007452G]

(1) Retirement community - detached and townhomes (RCO-D/T).

(a) No building in an RCO-D/T community shall be more than 2 1/2 stories in height.

(b) Each building in an RCO-D/T community shall face either upon an existing street or upon a public or private way constructed within said RCO-D/T community and shall have a minimum front yard of no less than 20 feet from the edge of the paved way to the closest point of the structure and a side yard of not less than 10 feet from the edge of the paved way to the closest point of the structure. Each building, whether principal or accessory, shall be at least 10 feet distant from any other building by airline distance between the nearest points of the buildings.

(c) No dwelling in an RCO-D/T community shall contain less than 1,000 square feet of living area or more than 2,400 square feet of living area.

(d) All dwelling units in an RCO-D/T community shall be detached from the others or attached only along side walls in the

so-called “townhouse” style.

(e) The lot or lots on which an RCO-D/T community is located shall contain, on a consolidated basis, at least 7,000 square feet per housing unit.

(f) No part of any principal building in an RCO-D/T community shall be less than 25 feet from any exterior lot line or less than 50 feet from the side of any public way.

(g) Each dwelling unit in an RCO-D/T community shall have its own attached yard area.

(h) Required off-street parking for each dwelling unit in an RCO-D/T community shall be adjacent thereto. Each unit shall be required to provide at least one parking space inside a garage and an additional space in front of a garage, said garage to be attached to said unit. The City Council may, as a condition of its special permit, require additional offstreet parking areas to be used in common by dwelling unit owners and their invitees. In addition, the City Council may, as a condition of the special permit, require the adoption of legally enforceable condominium bylaws or other similar regulations to limit or prohibit the presence in an RCO-D/T community, either entirely or except in designated locations, of boats, boat trailers, campers, or other recreational vehicles.

(i) Maximum combined lot coverage in an RCO-D/T community shall not exceed 40% of the total lot size.

(j) Each lot or contiguous lots upon which an RCO-D/T community is located shall have total frontage on an existing public way of at least 250 feet. Each lot or combination of lots shall have a total size of not less than 10 acres. The underlying zoning district for all said land shall be either Industrial or Limited Industrial.

(k) The City Council may, as a permit condition, require that all proposed condominium bylaws or similar binding RCOD/T community regulations which may be relevant to the issuance of the permit, including but not limited to bylaw provisions prohibiting the presence of children residing in an RCO-D/T community and limiting or prohibiting the presence in a RCO-D/T community of boats, boat trailers, or recreational vehicles, be made a part of the special permit and that any change to or failure to enforce said provisions shall be a violation of said special permit.

(l) The City Council may, as a permit condition, require that a proposed RCO-D/T community be constructed entirely on one lot, and that, from and after the date of the issuance of the building permit for said community or any portion thereof, no subdivision of said lot shall be allowed without the express approval of the City Council; provided, however, that the recording of a condominium master deed and the conveyance of condominium units within the area covered by said deed shall be allowed.

(m) No unit in an RCO-D/T community shall have more than three bedrooms.

(n) If an RCO/DT community is proposed which contains at least 30 acres of land, the following provisions shall supersede those found elsewhere in § 650-22:

[1] The lot or lots on which an RCO/DT community is located shall contain at least 5,000 square feet per unit in the RCO/DT community;

[2] Maximum lot coverage in the RCO/DT community shall not exceed 50% of the total lot size, excluding from the lot size any land which, prior to development of the site as a RCO/DT community, would be defined as a “resource area,” as that term is defined in MGL c. 131, § 40.

[3] Each lot or contiguous set of lots upon which a RCO/DT community is located shall have total frontage on an existing public way, or on a private way laid out by the City Council pursuant to MGL c. 82, § 21, of at least 250 feet; provided, however, that said frontage need not be continuous.

(2) Retirement Community - Multifamily (RCO-MF).

(a) The total area of the tract of contiguous parcels to be developed as an RCOMF shall not be less than 10 acres. The underlying zoning district for all said land shall be either Industrial or Limited Industrial and be located: (i) within the area that lies within the perimeter of the following roadways: commencing at the Fitchburg Street intersection at the Route 85/290 Connector Road; then west along the Route 85/290 Connector Road to the intersection of Route 495; then south along Route 495 to where it passes over the intersection with Berlin Road; then southeasterly along Berlin Road to the intersection with West Hill Road; then easterly along West Hill Road to the intersection with Pleasant Street; then north along Pleasant Street to the intersection with Fitchburg Street; then north along Fitchburg Street to the intersection with the Route 85/290 Connector Road, all of said land being in reasonable proximity to the UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital and the interstate highway intersection of Route 495 and Route 290; or

(ii) within an area designated by the City Council through an amendment to the Zoning Map

(b) An RCO-MF may contain one- and two-bedroom units and studio units for independent living persons, and may include services and amenities for its residents, including but not limited to, dining facilities, in-unit kitchens, common rooms, activity rooms, exercise rooms, theater, chapel, library, pharmacy/gift shop/convenience store, beauty salon, barbershop, personal banking services, offices and accessory uses or structures, concierge and valet services, third-party vendor services, and recreation facilities.

(c) No building in an RCO-MF shall be more than three four stories in height. Subsurface parking levels shall not be considered a story, and there shall be no limitation on building height beyond the maximum of four stories.

(d) The total number of multifamily dwelling units in an RCO-MF shall be limited to 12 units per acre, which may be located in multiple multifamily buildings within an RCO-MF and on a single parcel.

(e) No part of any principal building in an RCO-MF shall be less than 50 feet from any exterior lot line or less than 100 feet from any municipal public way.

(f) Maximum combined lot coverage in an RCO-MF, including any permitted accessory structures, shall not exceed 40% of the tract or contiguous parcels.

(g) The tract or contiguous parcels upon which an RCO-MF is located shall have a minimum total frontage on an existing public or private way of at least 200 feet.

(h) The City Council may, as a permit condition, require that all proposed condominium bylaws or similar binding RCOMF regulations which may be relevant to the issuance of the permit, including but not limited to bylaw provisions prohibiting the presence of children residing in a retirement community and limiting or prohibiting the presence in a retirement community of boats, boat trailers, or recreational vehicles, be made a part of the special permit and that any change to or failure to enforce said provisions shall be a violation of said special permit.

(i) The City Council may, as a permit condition, require that a proposed RCO-MF be constructed entirely on one tract and that, from and after the date of the issuance of the building permit for said community no subdivision of said tract shall be allowed without the express approval of the City Council; provided, however, that the recording of a condominium master deed and the conveyance of condominium units within the area covered by said deed shall be allowed.

(j) A minimum of 1.0 parking space per dwelling unit shall be provided in an RCO-MF. Attached and detached garages shall count toward this parking requirement.

(k) No dwelling unit in a multifamily building with three or more stories in an RCO-MF shall contain less than 500 square feet of living area or more than 1,300 1,600 square feet of living area.

(l) No building in an RCO-MF need be located or placed further from the exterior line of any street or public way than the average distance from such street or way line of the dwellings or other principal buildings located on the lots adjacent thereto on either side. In determining such average, a vacant side lot having a frontage of 50 feet or more shall be considered as though occupied by a building having the required setback, and a lot separated from the lot in question only by a vacant lot having a frontage of less than 50 fee shall be deemed an adjacent lot. The point of measurement of the average distance shall be from the closest point of the principal building to the street or public way regardless of parcel ownership.

(m) In an RCO-MF, there shall be provided with each multifamily building a landscaped area equal to the greatest single floor area of the building, provided that such landscaped area may include undisturbed natural areas, such as (n) vegetated areas, woodlands, wetlands and floodplain areas.

(3) Retirement Community – Combined RCO-D/T and RCO-MF.

(a) The City Council may, by special permit, authorize a retirement community development with combined RCO-D/T and RCO-MF components on a single parcel or more than one contiguous parcel.

(b) The City Council may, by special permit, elect to vary the dimensional, parking, design, open space, and landscaping requirements applicable to a combined RCO-D/T and RCO-MF retirement community development upon finding that such change shall result in an improved design and will not nullify or substantially derogate from the intent or purpose of this section (§650-22 et seq.). This authority continues subsequent to occupancy.

Per Order of the City Council #23-1008964

This Legal Advertisement will be published on www.communityadvocate.com and http://masspublicnotices.org.

NICIPAL ELECTION, to assemble in their respective polling place, as designated by the City Council as follows:

WARD 1: Precinct 1 and 2

Francis J. Kane School, 520 Farm Road

WARD 2: Precinct 1 and 2

Francis J. Kane School, 520 Farm Road

WARD 3: Precinct 1

Senior Center, 40 New Street

WARD 3: Precinct 2

Raymond J. Richer School, 80 Foley Road

WARD 4: Precinct 1 and 2

Senior Center, 40 New Street

WARD 5: Precinct 1 and 2

Masonic Lodge, 8 Newton Street

WARD 6: Precinct 1 and 2

1LT Charles W. Whitcomb School, 25 Union Street

WARD 7: Precinct 1 and 2

Hildreth School, 85 Sawin Street

On TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2023, then and there, for the purpose of casting their votes for the candidates for the Office of Mayor who are as follows:

J. Christian Dumais, 134 R South Street

Michael A. Baker, 25 Gibbon Street

Patrick M. Hogan, 6 Sawin Street

Samantha Perlman, 15 Belmont Street, #2

It is further ordered that the polling place legally designated by the City Council be opened at 7:00 o’clock in the forenoon and be closed at 8:00 o’clock in the evening. The City Clerk be and hereby is authorized to cause notice to be given by publication of this Order in a local newspaper and by posting a copy of the same in a conspicuous place in the office of the City Clerk.

Per Order of the City Council

Michael H. Ossing

City Council President

This Legal Advertisement will be published on www.communityadvocate.com and http://masspublicnotices.org.

FAMILY AND PROBATE LAW

INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE

Docket No. WO23C0458CA

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Trial Court

Worcester Division Probate and Family Court

A Petition to Change Name of Adult has been filed by Emy Kiggundu Ddiba of Westborough, MA

Requesting that the court enter a Decree changing their name to:

Manuel King Ddiba

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Any person may appear for purposes of objection to the petition by filing an appearance at:

Worcester Probate and Family Court before 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 10/24/2023

The City Clerk be and is hereby authorized and directed to warn and notify the VOTERS of the City of Marlborough, duly qualified to vote in the PRELIMINARY MU-

This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance if you object to this proceeding.

Witness, Hon. Leilah A Keamy, First Justice of this court

Software Engineer Opportunities

Intuvie Holdings is recruiting. Work Locatn: Natick, MA. Send rés w/code to HR at 177 Pine Street, Natick, MA 01760. Software Engineers (HAL001) –Desn, devlp, test, & impl software code for medical device server s/w apps & systms. Req MS in CS, Comp Engg, or Electricity & Electr Engg+ skills & knwldg in JavaScript, MySQL DB, Spring Boot, Algorithm analysis, HTML/CSS, Machine Learning. Range $113k~$115k.Software Engineers (SHX001) – Desn, devlp, & impl s/w solutns for Medical Device Server s/w. Req MS in CS, Comp Engg, Electrcl & Comp Engg, or EE + skills & knwldg in SQL/ Databs, Algorithm analysis, Network Securty, Data structure, Big Data Analytics, Multithreading. Range $113k~$115k.

ST. JUDE’S NOVENA May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us. St. Jude, the helper of the hopeless, pray for us. Say this nine times a day, by the eighth day your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail. Publication must be promised. My prayers are being answered. ~ M.D.H.

A POWERFUL PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Holy Spirit you who solve all problems who light all roads so I can attain my goals, you who give me the divine gifts to forgive and forget all evil against me, in this short prayer to thank you for all things and confirm once again that I never want to be separated from you, even in spite of all material illusions. I wish you in eternal glory, thank you for your mercy towards me and mine. The person must say this prayer for three consecutive days. After three days the favor requested will be granted, even if it may appear difficult. This prayer must be published immediately after the favor is granted without mentioning the favor. Only your initials shall appear on the bottom. ~ M.S.

POLICE FIRE&

Suspect faces 23 charges following escape from police custody, incident

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor

MARLBOROUGH – Isaac Rivera, 24, faces a total of 23 charges related to his flight from police custody from Marlborough Hospital and the incident leading up to it.

Court documents detail the incident that lead to his arrest. At 1:36 p.m. Sept. 23, Marlborough police were dispatched to the report of a possible domestic in an apartment on Ames Street.

According to documents filed in Marlborough District Court, when police entered the

apartment, Rivera was “straddling” a woman on the couch and had his hands on her. The police officer said he ordered him to get away from her, and when he didn’t respond, police grabbed him and pulled him onto the couch.

According to police, Rivera resisted arrest and attempted to hit an officer, including with a vase and metal stool. The stool hit the officer in the arm, police said. Rivera allegedly charged at the officer, who deployed his Taser.

The officer wrote that he ordered Rivera to stay down, but he fled out of the apartment.

According to the court documents, he went to the bottom level and exited the building where the officer saw him on a chair vomiting and bleeding from above his eyes.

When the officer tried to handcuff him, Rivera resisted and picked up the chair as if he was going to hit the officer, police said. After a second officer arrived, Rivera fled, but police were later able to handcuff him.

Rivera was transported in a hospital to Marlborough Hospital. According to court documents, the ambulance stopped at one point in the route, and the paramedics told police that

Fire at Maplecrest Apartments kitchen

By Ron Ayotte Contributing Writer.

MARLBOROUGH – The Marlborough Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the Maplecrest Apartments at 64 Maple St. on Sept. 24.

Engine 1, Engine 2, Engine 4, Rescue 1, Tower 1 and Car 5 responded. Upon arrival, the building had been evacuated.

The box for a working fire was transmitted at 9:16 a.m. The fire was quickly extinguished and contained to the kitchen of an apartment on the second floor, but there was smoke damage to the building.

Engine 1 brought a hose line into the building. Tower 1 per-

sonnel placed ground ladders to the balconies and set up the aerial for roof access if needed. Car 3 arrived on scene, along with Hudson Fire Department’s Engine 5 and Hudson Car 1 on the working fire assignment.

Firefighters checked the ad-

Rivera was spitting at and kicking them and the ambulance.

An officer stayed in the ambulance for the remaining journey to the hospital, police wrote.

After he was dispatched from the hospital, Rivera told police that he had been at the apartment because the victim’s boyfriend had been aggressive with her and he stopped the boyfriend from assaulting her.

Police allegedly located a firearm on the couch. In Rivera’s possessions, officers reportedly found large quantities of marijuana, bags containing a white powdery substance and a bottle bearing the name Farmpram

POLICE LOG

Marlborough firefighters battled an apartment fire at Maplecrest Apartments.

joining areas to make sure the fire had not spread to other units. Ventilation fans were set up to remove the smoke from the structure. The all out was sounded at 11:15 a.m. Damage estimates are being assessed.

Shrewsbury police charge three people with drug trafficking

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor

SHREWSBURY – Three people face charges after police say officers found a firearm, heroin and cocaine during a traffic stop.

On Sept. 26 at 9:32 p.m., a Shrewsbury officer stopped a vehicle for reportedly speeding near 1000 Boston Turnpike.

According to a press release from the Shrewsbury Police Department, the vehicle was occupied by three men. Police reportedly saw a bag of cocaine and a firearm magazine loaded with 19 rounds near the feet of

a passenger in the rear.

Other officers arrived. When they investigated, police located a Ruger 57 handgun in the backseat passenger’s waistband that was fully loaded with a 20-round magazine and one round chambered, according to the release.

Police reportedly also located 23 grams of crack cocaine, 10 bags of heroin, “multiple” bags of a substance that has yet to be tested and $8,100 cash.

Michael Diaz, 24, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island; Jerry Cartagena Jr., 32, of Worcester; and Steven Avila, 40, of Worcester

were charged with trafficking a Class B substance, possession of a Class A substance with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute and possession of a Class E substance with intent to distribute.

Diaz was also charged with two counts of possession of a large capacity firearm/magazine, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license and using a firearm in a felony.

Cartagena also faces charges of speeding and a marked lane violation.

with 71.5 pills.

At about 10 p.m., Rivera fled police custody while he was getting x-rays at the hospital.

Among his charges are strangulation; assault with a dangerous weapon; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; witness, juror, police, court official intimidation; possession of a large capacity firearm; firearm violation with one prior violent/drug crime and escape from a police officer.

He was arraigned on Sept. 25 and ordered committed without bail on Sept. 29. He will return to court for a probable cause hearing Oct. 30.

1:33 p.m. Arrested, John N. Coccia Jr., 42, of 11 Edgemere Blvd., Shrewsbury, on straight warrant.

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. The below is a representation of this week’s police log. Some calls lacking severity have been omitted due to space constraints.

Scan QR code to read this week’s police and fire news on our website.

Southborough

Tuesday, Sept. 19

7:32 p.m. Arrested, Jose Cunha, of Farm Rd., Marlborough, for op MV with license suspended, OUI-liquor or .08% 2nd offense, negligent operation of motor vehicle.

Wednesday, Sept. 20

5:50 p.m. Arrested, Fabio Gomes Caetano, of Maplewood Ave., Marlborough, for no inspection sticker, op MV with license suspended.

Northborough

Saturday, Sept. 23

11:12 p.m. Arrested, Kevin Moreno Santos, 18, of 6 Huntington Rd., Shrewsbury, for speeding in viol special regulation, negligent operation of motor vehicle, OUIliquor or .08%, marked lanes violation.

Sunday, Sept. 24

1:29 a.m. Arrested, Samantha A. Neary, 29, of 261 Massasot Rd., Worcester, for possess Class A drug, carry dangerous weapon.

Westborough

Friday, Sept. 22

5:30 p.m. Arrested, Neila Silva-Marcelino, 37, of 15 Willow St., Apt. 26, Westborough, for unlicensed operation of MV, number plate violation, default warrant.

5:56 p.m. Arrested, Dominque D. Moody, 36, of 675 E 4th St., South Boston, on straight warrant.

Saturday, Sept. 23

Marlborough

Thursday, Sept. 21

11:15 a.m. Arrested, Derek Royce Mills, 43, homeless, of Marlborough, for armed robbery, assault w/dangerous weapon +60, A&B on police office, resist arrest.

Friday, Sept. 22

5:47 p.m. Arrested, Michael Paul Roy, 41, of 63 East Dudley St., Marlborough, for OUI-liquor or .08% 2nd offense.

Shrewsbury

Wednesday, Sept. 20

10:49 a.m. Arrested, Shaquille C. McCoy, 31, 32 West St., Apt. 1, Milford, on warrant.

11:44 a.m. Arrested , Zachary James Noonan, 31, of 22 Bowers St., Apt. 509, Lowell, for reckless operation of motor vehicle, leave scene of property damage, fail to stop for police, speeding, fail to stop/ yield, marked lanes violation, resisting arrest, warrant.

Friday, Sept. 22

8:36 a.m. Arrested, Aaron Keith Jones, 60, 55 LeBeaux Dr., Shrewsbury, on warrant.

Saturday, Sept. 23

1:26 a.m. Arrested, David Joseph Smith Jr., 32, of 61 Summer Rd., Berlin, for OUI liquor.

4:51 a.m. Arrested, Keishla Soto, 33, of 72 Cabot St., Apt. 5, Beverly, for OUI liquor, drink alcohol from open container in MV.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

1:31 a.m. Arrested, Nicholas John Simon, 38, of 51 Baker Ave., Shrewsbury, for poss Class A substance subsequent offense, poss Class B substance subsequent offense, resisting arrest, warrant.

9:35 p.m. Arrested, Michael Jose Diaz, 24, 111 2nd Ave., Woonsocket, RI, for possess large capacity firearm or magazine, carry loaded firearm without a license, poss Class A w/intent to distribute, poss Class B w/intent to distribute (cocaine only), poss Class E w/intent to distribute, firearm use in felony; Jerry L. Cartagena Jr., 32, of 161 Mountain St., Apt. 4B, Worcester, for speeding, marked lanes violation, poss Class B w/intent to distribute (cocaine only), poss Class E w/intent to distribute, poss Class A w/intent to distribute; and Steven Benjamin Avila, 40 of 143 Lincoln St., Worcester, for poss Class B w/intent to distribute (cocaine only), poss Class E w/intent to distribute, poss class A w/intent to distribute.

PHOTO/RON AYOTTE

Marlborough field hockey falls short in hard-fought game against Doherty

By Evan Walsh Reporter

MARLBOROUGH – It came down to the wire, but Marlborough’s field hockey comeback bid fell short.

On Monday afternoon, the Doherty Highlanders traveled down I-290 to face the Marlborough Panthers at Charles W. Whitcomb Middle School. The Panthers eventually lost the hard-fought game 3-1.

“They played really hard… The things we’re working on in practice we’re seeing in games. We’re seeing improvements. This is just another close game we’ve had this season,” Marlborough Head Coach Michaella DaSilva told the Community Advocate after the game.

Marlborough started the game hot, spending much of the first quarter on Doherty’s side of the field. The Panthers threatened to draw first blood just three minutes into the game, but the early goal was called back by the referees. Although Doherty started to control the ball as the quarter went on, Marlborough goalkeeper Natalie Gulbankian made several heroic saves to keep the game scoreless through the first quarter of action.

“She’s done a really good job. She’s made a lot of great improvements. She’s being aggressive, she’s seeing the ball really well. She’s sacrificing her body. It’s not just the first shot — she’s reacting when there are multiple shots. There was a game the other day when she had 25 saves,” said DaSilva.

The game remained scoreless all the way until the fleeting seconds of the second quarter. Doherty’s last-second penalty stroke put the Highlanders up 1-0 going into halftime. Doherty opened the third quarter with another score to increase their lead to 2-0; Doherty had controlled the ball for most of the game.

However, Marlborough started to gain some momentum after Doherty’s score.

With 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Kacie Horn scored the Panthers’ first goal of the evening. Kacie, along with her sister Maggie, gave Marlborough an opportunity to get back into the game.

“They find each other really well in the middle of the field,” said DaSilva. “They have that sister sense I guess.”

The Panthers spent the fourth quarter trying to grab another goal, but the Doherty

defense was solid. The Highlanders scored again with two minutes left to put the game out of reach. Doherty won 3-1.

With the loss, the Panthers fell to 1-7-1. The team’s record can be deceiving; four of the team’s seven losses have been within one point. Marlborough has hung tight with tough competition (with the win, Doherty improved to 9-0), but DaSilva emphasized that the team must make ad-

justments and find ways to win close games.

“Hopefully when we see our league opponents the second time through they see a different team from us. Hopefully we make some adjustments to come out on top of some of these close games… They’re doing really well, and their record isn’t a good reflection of this team. [We’ve had] lots of one-score games,” DaSilva said.

Above: Marlborough players charge toward the ball. Top right and bottom: Marlborough and Doherty players fight to gain possession of the ball.

PHOTOS/EVAN WALSH

By Evan Walsh Reporter

HUDSON – Hudson knows how to cheer.

In mid-September, roughly 50 Hudson youth cheerleaders traveled to Lunenburg to compete. Hudson walked away from the competition with much to be proud of, including two third-place finishes.

6U Team

Some of Hudson’s youngest athletes competed on the big stage.

Inspired by numerous parents asking for activities for their young daughters, the 6U team is the first of its kind in Hudson cheerleading history. Athletes as young as 4 years old competed. Although the 6U league is considered to be an “expo division,” meaning no official scores are kept, the team found great success.

“I was so proud of these girls. It’s very scary — walking out onto the mat with hundreds of people who you don’t know,” said Hudson Youth Football and Cheer (HYFC) Cheer Director Sarah Krinopol. “The music is loud and they’re out there. They

could freeze up, cry, or run… These girls went out there with zero fears. I felt so excited for them. My heart couldn’t have gotten any bigger that day.”

8U Team and 12U Team Hudson’s 8U and 12 U squads secured third-place finishes.

Krinopol estimated 95% of the athletes on some teams were new to cheerleading. The athletes may go to different schools, but everyone was able

to work together and compete.

“[Cheerleading] gives these girls a chance to really meet other people — different ages too… They get along so well. In the beginning when we start working with them, we like to make it fun. It can’t be all about work right away — they need to bond and they need to trust each other,” Krinopol said.

“They just have fun and laugh together,” she added.

Camaraderie is of the utmost importance in cheerlead-

ing; athletes are flying through the air, relying on their teammates to support them in the heat of competition.

“It’s so gratifying as a coach to see where they start and how they’ve grown. You want these girls to grow together, to learn to trust each other… You’re trusting somebody else to push you up in a stunt. We all have to work together. I always tell the girls that every part of cheer is important. We can’t do anything by ourselves —

we all need to do it as a team,” Krinopol said.

Despite all the pressure of competition, Krinopol shared that the athletes “weren’t intimidated.”

The Hudson youth cheerleaders were lucky enough to receive demonstrations from the cheerleaders at Hudson High School. Mia Sullivan, Jane Yates, Gracie Keller, Kaylee Tryba, Lily Graca and Kylee Graca worked with the youth athletes to help them improve.

Left:The 8U team poses for a photo. The 8U team finished third.

Right: The 6U team was formed after parents asked for activities for their daughters.

The 12U team secured a third-place finish.