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Vol. 49 | No. 49 | December 8, 2023

Plans to reconstruct multi-family destroyed by fire denied by ZBA

Shrewsbury celebrates the holidays

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor NORTHBOROUGH – An application to reconstruct a building destroyed by a fatal fire in 2021 was denied by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) in late November.

What was proposed The project at 129 Maple St. was proposed

by David Cooley.

“I think my team has done a great job taking a building that had a fire in it where someone was killed, and coming up with a plan and rebuilding it in a safe manner with a full firesuppression system in it,” said Cooley during the Oct. 24 ZBA meeting.

The plans called for the existing residence — a 2.5-story building with five one-bedroom apartments — to the razed. In its place would be a five-unit multi-family building. The first floor of each unit would contain the living room, kitchen and dining area; the second floor would include a bedroom. There would also be unfinished basements.

The project was first presented to the ZBA in June, and project engineer Brian Marchetti presented changes to the plans to the board on Oct. 24.

During the October hearing, Sandy Howard, who lives on nearby Johnson Avenue, said she didn’t want the project on the property, ZBA | 6

Community members flocked to Shrewsbury’s Town Common for the annual Light the Common and Yultide Market.

By Evan Walsh, Reporter SHREWSBURY – Shrewsbury ushered in the holiday season in style.

On Dec. 2, thousands of community members gathered at the Town Common for the annual Yuletide Market and Light the Common event. The fun started at 4 p.m. and by 4:45 p.m.,

the common had been illuminated by over 31,000 lights.

Danielle Boland and Nick Lupo — the owners of Shrewsbury-based Control Point Mechanical, Inc. — pulled the lever to light the display. Mike Riley, the public address announcer at Gillette Stadium, lent his voice to emcee the event.

Holidays | 6

Westborough to keep single tax rate

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor WESTBOROUGH – The town has decided to maintain a single tax rate.

During the Select Board tax classification hearing on Nov. 28, Town Assessor Jonathan Steinberg presented the latest figures on residential, commercial and industrial property values.

Factoring in new growth, debt exclusion and levy capacity, Steinberg said the total valuation for fiscal 2024 is $5,751,717,385 – about $469 million, or 8.8%, over last year.

He said the estimated single tax rate for the 2024 fiscal year would be $16.41 per thousand, or $0.43 over the 2023 fiscal year.

Steinberg added that property values have

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2 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Welcoming the Community As Hudson kicks off December with The Holiday Stroll December 2, so, too, does the First United Methodist Church with their Christmas Country Fair from 9 - 3 that day at 34 Felton Street, over the hill from the rotary. This year we celebrate Peace, Love & Community, which feels evermore appropriate with each passing day.

Please come and join us for a cup of coffee and bagel or muffin at the

start of the day or for hot lunch after 11:00. Bring your gift list to shop, shop, shop! You’ll find practical, consumable, affordable options for every teacher, coach, neighbor, coworker, friend, scout leader, book club member and hard-to-buy-for person on your list. We will have plants, cute crafts, delicious baked goods, candles, Silent Auction items, sharp cheese chunks, a bit of bling & holiday décor, homemade sweets and upcycled creations,

all along with our ever-popular themed gift baskets for sale. There will be a Children’s Corner Shop where kids can purchase gifts for siblings, friends and parents at kid’s ‘pocket money’ prices.

Be sure to bring your phones as you will need those cameras! A visit from Santa, the big man himself, is sure to occur from 11 – 1. We’ll also have holiday backdrops & Christmas props with staff willing to use your phone’s camera to take family

and friend group photos for your holiday gifting. Before leaving, children 3 – 12 can pickup a small, free holiday art ‘kit’ to bring home and make. Everyone can take a specially crafted Peace Crane with them to carry peace into the new year.

As we gift these experiences to our local community, we’d like everyone to join us in recognizing the community of deployed veterans. We will have a wide choice of Christmas cards to select from for

We will be popping corks and unleashing millions of tiny bubbles for your pleasure. Elevate your bubble awareness with us as we taste and compare wines sourced from California, USA to Champagne, France to Italy to Australia and Tasmania. Quest after your special find as you “drink the stars” with us! See you there!

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you to write a message of cheer and thanks to a veteran who will not be spending this year’s holidays with their family. Coloring and message sheets will be provided so children can also join in.

We’ll see you all December 2!

Warmly, Elaine Gjeltema, Hudson Dear Editor, God gave man the power to manage the environment. How we manage it affects all the creatures he put on this earth. Worldwide we are now exterminating thousands of species.

As we continue to selfishly fill our open spaces here in Grafton and surrounding towns with scores of buildings to house hordes of humans, consider that we are destroying the homes of thousands of animals that now have nowhere else to go. They can’t attend town meetings or cast votes, but they have a right to be here just as you and I. I ask that the town of Grafton, and especially the Conservation Commission and the Land Trust, reconsider the development of 59 Pleasant Street. That 12 ½ acre field abuts conservation land that includes wetland, a pond and forest. It is home to meadowlarks, bobolinks, fox, deer and scores of other animals. We are stewards of this land and have a responsibility to protect the lives of the creatures that live on it. Their survival depends on our choices at this critical time.

Thank you for your consideration, Wendy Reid, Grafton

A

sincere Thank You from the Friends of the Hudson Senior Center for your thoughtful donation to our 2023 Annual Fall Fair: Brothers Pizza, Checkerboards, Mooyah, Mullahy’s Cheese Shop, Napa Auto Parts, Ninety-Nine Restaurant, Robinsons Hardware, Stop & Shop, Victors 50 Diner, Vintage Café, Welly’s, WKHB, INC, J&K Tire, 641 Café, Expo Nails, Nail Essence, All Occasions Florist, Bacons, Serendipity, Rail Trail, MicroCreamery, Beyond the Barn, and Market Basket.

This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and the proceeds are used to support various programs and purchase items that are beneficial to our senior community.

In the past the Friends have purchased the Senior Center transport buses, a professional printer to print the Monthly Newsletter and 2 regulation size pool tables.

We are currently in the process Letters | 3

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 3

Letters | from page 2

to purchase awnings for the handicap ramp.

I hope you appreciate how much your donation enables us to continue our mission to provide support to the Hudson Senior Center and our senior community.

With sincere gratitude to these local businesses: FRIENDS OF THE HUDSON SENIOR CENTER OFFICERS President, Jackie Kapopoulos Vice President, Deb Deluca Secretary, Harriett McCarty Treasurer, Dottie Parker

THE

OVER TOP

PHOTO/TAMI WHITE

SHREWSBURY – Drone photography shows the crowd gathered at the Shrewsbury Town Common for the Yuletide Market and Light the Common on Dec. 2. Check out more photos from the event on pg. 6.

letters to the editor

PUBLISHER/EDITOR:

business........................ 19 obituaries...................... 21 legal notices.................. 23

David Bagdon

MANAGING EDITOR: Laura Hayes ASSISTANT EDITOR: Maureen Sullivan PROJECT EDITOR: Brett Peruzzi REPORTER: Evan Walsh EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Debra Roberts

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Letters must be signed with a name, address and telephone number for verification (only name and town will be printed). Letters should be sent to news@communityadvocate.com or mailed to Managing Editor c/o Community Advocate, 32 South St. Westborough MA 01581. The editor reserves the right to reject letters on the basis of length, libelous content, suitability and space constraints. Multiple letters from the same person will not be accepted within a 30 day period. “Form letter” submissions, in which the content of one letter is essentially duplicated, will not be accepted. Letters should be 350 words or less. Deadline is 12 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Opinions expressed in the letters to the editor do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Community Advocate management or its advertisers.

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news............................... 5 holiday guide .................. 7 homes & more............... 18

Diane Sabatini | 508.366.5500 Cynthia Merchant | 508.736.4332 Mary Ellen Cyganiewicz | 508-366-5500 Barbara Clifford | 508-769-6259 Cynthia Merchant | 508.736.4332 Ellen Bishop Lynne Fountain Tracy Nickerson Bookkeeping Dept. | ext. 19

schools.......................... 25 police & fire .................. 27 sports............................ 30

Freedom of Speech at MIT! I was very fortunate to have heard about an event that took place on November 30th sponsored

by MIT Students for Open Inquiry, whose charter begins as follows: “We support and affirm the MIT Free Expression Statement, as well as the Chicago Principles. We further believe you have a right to offend, and no right to be free from offense; a right to be wrong, and no right or expectation that you will be shielded from views you dislike…

As MIT students, we are uniquely positioned to challenge the prevailing censorship-educational complex. The youth are MIT and America’s future. Will we let the

Institute and the country be run by censorious tyrants, or by defenders of our heritage of liberty and free thinking?”

The guest was Steve Kirsch, a 1978 MIT graduate who was, until now, not welcomed to speak on campus, despite his having donated enough money to have an auditorium named after him.

This courageous group of students sought to live up to their charter and invited Steve to discuss his research regarding the Covid-19 safety and efficacy data – which, to say the least, was very difficult to hear. Steve’s data corresponds to data recently released by the Data Base Administrator/Whistleblower from New Zealand. With a population or 5.2 million, New Zealand is the only government in the world for which Covid 19 vaccine data is available to the public, due to this courageous hero, who came forward for no other reason than to save lives. The data irrefutably show that the vaccines are not safe.

I would encourage everyone who took the time to read this to do your research. You may have to dig a little due to the censorship that these MIT students are fighting, but if I found it, you can too.

Jodie T. Chapin, Northborough

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Remember that great shop in the center of town or the strip mall? You know the one where you were always greeted by the friendly shopkeeper or the owner. The place that always went out of their way to make sure you got what you wanted.

The place that you turned to your spouse or friend and said, “yeah, that place was fantastic, whatever happened to them?”

Well, lots “happened to them.” Sure, some just retired, while others really didn’t keep up with the times and progress just passed them by or Covid and government mandates did them in. But others did compete, they sharpened their pencils, they added technology and adapted their business model around the new “normal”. Yet still you asked “whatever happened to them?” since they too are gone.

The lure of low prices and fast delivery from all encompassing mega retailers got them, even though they offered delivery and curbside pickup. And after those great small shops left, so did many of the low prices offered by the big box stores.

Sadly, much of that great service left too!

Now ask the question again “whatever happened to them?” You, we, us is what happened to them! We stopped shopping there, we stopped realizing that they were offering more than just a fair price, we stopped recognizing that they were part of the fabric of the community.

Saturday is “Shop Local Saturday” and many of you will answer the call and buy from your great local small store, but don’t forget them the other 364 days of the year. It maybe hard to believe, but many stores cannot survive with you remembering them only one day a year.

This holiday season I’m challenging you as local consumer to do your part to support small business...

Please show your community pride through social media this season…when you stop into a local store you love, post a photo ON YOUR FACEBOOK/ INSTAGRAM PAGE with the hashtag #shopsmallbuybig.

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4 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 5

COMMUNITY NEWS

Northborough adopts single tax rate of $14.28

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor NORTHBOROUGH – Following the annual tax classification hearing, the town will retain its current single tax rate for fiscal 2024.

The hearing was held during the Nov. 20 Select Board meeting.

The tax rate will be $14.28, which will result in an increase of $342 for the average singlefamily tax bill. The average single-family tax bill will be $8,917.

According to Principal Assessor Lee Keomanivong, cities and towns certified by the state as assessing property at full fair cash value have the option to shift the tax burden. During the hearing, the board adopts a residential factor that is then used by assessors to determine what percentage of the tax levy will be borne by each class of property.

The Select Board weighed four options — a small commercial exemption, residential

exemption, open space discount and a single or split tax rate. The board did not adopt the exemptions or the open space discount.

If the town adopted a split, or dual, tax rate, the amount of the tax levy borne by residential properties would decrease while the commercial, industrial and personal property’s share would increase.

“The levy itself does not change. You’re actually shifting who pays what,” said Keomanivong.

He estimated that for every dollar saved for residential properties, the commercial tax bill would increase by about $6.85.

Residents, businesses advocate for single rate During the tax classification hearing, the Select Board unanimously voted to retain the single tax rate. Prior to the meeting, the town received numerous letters from residents, businesses and the Corridor 9/495 Chamber of Commerce

Trex awards bench for successful film plastics drive WESTBOROUGH – The Westborough Rotary Club’s environment committee recently announced that a Trex bench was installed in front of 57 W. Main St. This is one of the benches that was awarded by Trex for reaching the goal of A Trex bench was recently installed in front of 57 collecting 500 pounds W. Main St. of film plastics from the local community.

The committee is grateful to Jin Huang, owner of the property, for granting permission, and to Derek Saari and Chris Payant of the Westborough Department of Public Works for installing the bench.

This bench will serve as a place to rest for passersby, including senior citizens who ambulate between the senior center and the shopping areas around the Westborough rotary.

The most recent Trex Challenge film plastics collection was held on Nov. 4 at Kohl’s Northborough. The collection added up to 295 pounds.

After a hiatus for the winter holidays, the next collection is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, from 8 to 9 a.m. at Kohl’s Northborough.

Volunteers may sign up for various tasks using the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AAA72CA4F8C52trex#/ If you have any questions, email cote@westboroughrotary.org.

urging the board to maintain the town’s single tax rate.

“I know you’re looking at strongly revitalizing your downtown, and I truly believe this is the right direction to go to,” said Corridor 9/495 President and CEO Karen Chapman during the meeting.

Select Board member Kristen Wixted said, as the town worked on downtown revitalization and bringing in businesses, “I think right now would be a bad time to change the tax rate.”

She was echoed by Laura Ziton.

“I think, similar to Kristen, right now with so much uncertainty in the economy — as much as I love the idea of finding creative ways to save money — I don’t think this is the right time to further burden our businesses,” said Ziton.

During the meeting, Select Board member Lisa Maselli read a letter from a resident advocating for dual tax rate, which they said is needed to ensure that residents of all ages and financial means could live comfortably.

Maselli said she was “very happy” with keeping the single tax rate.

“I’m sometimes surprised at how much emphasis and questions are put on this dual tax rate every year,” she said.

Maselli added that next year may be different “with a lot of new things coming on the board.”

Resident and former Select Board member Jason Perreault advocated for preserving the single tax rate.

“I’m a little puzzled by the comments of the board members because I think in other venues, at times, they have

NOW LEASING

suggested looking at a dual rate, and that has spurred some reaction among the business community and some residents,” Perreault said. “If there’s some lack of understanding about that, I would say it comes from that past representation and past positions that they may have taken in that regard.”

If consideration of a dual rate comes up in the future, he said it couldn’t be evaluated and decided upon in the context of a single tax classification hearing.

“It’s certainly much more complex than other undertakings that the town has done and requires something on the order of a year-long study to fully understand any effects that would accrue from that, positive or negative, and then make a policy decision based on that,” said Perreault.

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6 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

COMMUNITY NEWS

Plans to reconstruct multi-family destroyed by fire denied by ZBA ZBA | from page 1

Deliberations The public hearing was closed on Oct. 24, and the board made their decision on Nov. 28.

The residence was built in 1849 and predates town zoning. However, multi-family dwellings aren’t permitted in the Residential C zoning district, and the structure and its use are non-conforming.

According to ZBA Chair

Paul Tagliaferri, the town has protections in its zoning bylaws that if there is a fire, the applicant could rebuild and use the pre-existing nonconforming structure as long as the size of the footprint and volume aren’t expanded. The applicant wouldn’t need to go before the ZBA for approval to rebuild what currently exists and could apply for a building permit, he said.

“The applicant has chosen to expand both the use and the structure, and that is why we are presented with this case,” said Tagliaferri.

He said he made the decision was based on the information presented during the public hearing, including the size, scope, style and character of the pre-existing building compared to the proposed building.

“You had an 1850s-style farmhouse of roughly 3,900 square feet, and the new structure is two- to three-times [that size],” Tagliaferri said.

He also argued that it set a bad precedent for other projects in town.

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hood of Worcester, and she attended Catholic schools until graduating from Ascension High School.

“We all grew up together,” said her niece, Mary O’Malley, who lives in Worcester.

She married her first husband, Carl, in 1945. They owned and operated the Holiday Donut Shop in Worcester for many years. They had twin daughters, one of whom has since died.

In addition to her surviving daughter, Tricia Gallivan, there

are also three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, with a fourth great-grandchild expected soon.

Her first husband died in 1978, and Anastasi lived alone for more than 30 years. During that time, she and her friends would take road trips to Cape Cod, Hampton Beach and other locations.

“Back and forth, here and there, all of us in my Buick … those were great times,” she said.

event.

Moira Miller, the president of the Shrewsbury Town Center Association, addressed the excited crowd at the start of the event before the common was officially lit.

PHOTOS/EVAN WALSH

Wonderfully appointed 2nd floor space ideal for office or medical tenant. 1st floor features fully built-out space for medical use.

Building features underground parking.

Tess Anastasi celebrated her 102nd birthday on Nov. 24.

Shrewsbury celebrates the holidays Community members have enjoyed the holiday lights at Town Common for the last five years. This was the town’s fourth Yuletide Market after COVID-19 canceled the 2020

24 Lyman Street

2 Vacancies

WESTBOROUGH – She was born in the era of Prohibition, when the latest electronic craze was radio, and an inventor from Worcester named Robert Goddard was experimenting with something called rockets.

On Nov. 24, Tess Perodeau Anastasi celebrated her 102nd birthday at the Highlands on East Main Street, her residence for the past five years.

Although she has some difficulty remembering things, Anastasi said she’s had a wonderful life. Anastasi – whose favorite activity was driving around New England with friends — drove until she was 95 years old.

“She’s remarkably independent and healthy,” said Cheryl LoPresti, her neighbor for 16 years and a regular visitor.

Anastasi was born and raised in the Vernon Hills neighbor-

Holidays | from page 1

4 Vacancies

Mark Rutan voted to grant a special permit with site plan approval to reconstruct a non-conforming, pre-existing multi-family structure that was destroyed by fire while Tagliaferri, Brad Blanchette and Suzy Cieslica voted against.

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

Beautiful contemporary building located directly above bank tenant.

33 Lyman Street

site that is now larger because of the consolidated lots,” she said. “I don’t see how a larger structure is detrimental to the neighborhood. … It’s just a different style of rental property that is more current and modern and more desirable.”

Ultimately, Bakstran and

Westborough resident celebrates 102nd birthday

8 Lyman Street

1 Vacancy 795 SF

4 floors of first class office space with a soaring atrium foyer and ample parking.

Member Fran Bakstran said the proposed project was also a five-unit rental property and argued that there wasn’t an expansion of use.

“The size of the building is bigger. The units themselves are bigger, but they are still one-bedroom, five units on a

PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

saying she didn’t think it fit the neighborhood.

“I chose this area because of the aesthetics, because it was quaint. I don’t want townhouses, apartments right on my corner,” Howard said.

Cooley responded that the property had been a multifamily home for nearly 200 years.

“It’s an absolute disaster and embarrassment to the town [with] the condition that it’s in. Here I am as an investor taking multi-million dollars and coming here and building something beautiful like this,” said Cooley.

Women of Note performed at the event.

“I want to thank you all for coming out to celebrate the holiday season and to support vendors, our performers, and to enjoy a fun evening at the town center,” she said.

The Yuletide Market featured dozens of local food trucks, vendors and shops. The community had an opportunity to get ahead on holiday shopping, support local business, and enjoy the picturesque December night.

From mulled wine to artisanal gifts, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 7

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 11

COMMUNITY NEWS

Select Board establishes 300th Anniversary Celebration Committee

By Evan Walsh Reporter SHREWSBURY – Shrewsbury will celebrate its 300th anniversary in 2027, and preparations are already underway.

The Select Board on Nov. 28 unanimously voted to establish the town’s 300th Anniversary Celebration Committee.

“I think this is so exciting that we’re finally at this point where we’re going to be celebrating the 300th anniversary of Shrewsbury,” Select Board Chair Beth Casavant said at the meeting. “[2027] may seem like a long way off, but planning these things [takes] time.”

Shrewsbury was officially incorporated on Dec. 19, 1727, according to the Shrewsbury Historical Society.

The town is looking for nine members to fill the new committee.

“This is going to require several, probably dozens, of community members to make it a

success. So, these nine members would be responsible for being the steering committee and then organizing other volunteers in the community who would want to participate in the work behind making our 300th anniversary celebration something really spectacular,” said Casavant.

The committee members will serve two-year terms.

To apply for the committee, visit https://shrewsburyma. gov/1225/Board-and-Committee-Vacancies. Applications are due by Jan. 12.

“More people have asked me when this committee was being formed than any other committee,” said Town Manager Kevin Mizikar.

“This is exciting. I’ve been waiting for this,” said Casavant.

The board reviewed documents from Southborough and Lexington — which both recently celebrated major milestones — to form the committee.

Westborough to keep single tax rate Tax rate | from page 1

risen — 9.03% for residential, 4.3% for commercial, 4.58% for industrial and 22.90% for personal property.

For the average single-family homeowner, that means the property value would rise from $656,738 in fiscal 2023 to $711,740, with the average tax bill rising by $621 to $11,680.

For the average commercial property owner, the property value has risen 3.36% to $2,373,389; the average tax bill would increase by $278 to $38,947.

The average industrial property value would increase 5.93%, to $4,017,856; the tax bill would increase to $65,933, or 3.22%.

Residential taxes cover about 70% of the town’s levy, with commercial and industrial taxes covering about 23% and personal property the remaining 7.45%.

Steinberg said that new growth — mainly from residential developments — has generated an additional $3 million in taxes for the town.

Discussion on split tax rate While splitting the tax rate would lead to a break for homeowners, shifting more of the tax burden on commercial and in-

dustrial property owners could lead to problems in the long run.

“It sends the wrong message to local businesses,” said Karen Chapman, president and CEO of the 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We urge you to keep the single tax rate.”

Several speakers said the commercial sector is hurting, with companies using less office space, leading to a decline in rent being collected.

Add to that additional costs coming from the town’s new stormwater utility program, as well as from the town’s Community Preservation Act, and a split tax rate becomes even less appealing.

Several Select Board members said they would like to keep the single rate, and encourage more commercial development and growth.

“Shifting would only make it worse,” said board member Ian Johnson.

“We need to be focusing on commercial development and growth,” said board member Shelby Marshall. “I have a grave concern over the split tax rate…”

The board voted to maintain the single rate, with a single residential factor of 1. It also voted not to add any residential or commercial exemptions.

Veterans, Mill Pond celebrate successful clothing drive

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor WESTBOROUGH – On Nov. 21, Mill Pond Elementary School served up breakfast to local veterans, with a side of generosity.

For the past several years, the breakfast has served to cap the annual winter clothing drive sponsored by Mill Pond and the town’s Veterans Advisory Board. This time, the drive expanded to the police and fire stations; the Senior Center; Westborough Public Library; and every public school in town.

The results were crowded into a room down the hall from the cafeteria — bag upon bag of winter clothing, socks, gloves and toiletries.

According to Mill Pond Principal Peter Guellnitz – himself an Army veteran – the donations were scheduled to be picked up and delivered to Worcester on Monday, Nov. 28; the donations will benefit homeless veterans.

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Local veterans select their items during the annual veterans breakfast on Nov. 21 at Mill Pond Elementary School.

ever,” he said, adding it was “quite impressive” for a twoweek drive.

Mill Pond’s parent group provided the breakfast of bagels, fruit, muffins and breakfast pizza. That breakfast was shared by members of the Veterans Advisory Board and sixthgrade leaders from the Student Council.

A former Mill Pond student

PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

was also in the crowd — Brooke Rosenshire, now a senior at Westborough High School and one of the drive’s organizers.

“I helped organize and coordinate with the other schools,” she said. “I also serve as a kind of mentor to the sixth-graders.”

The winter drive was also part of Kindness Week sponsored by Westborough Connects.

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12 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

COMMUNITY HISTORY Downtown Hudson’s Christmas lights display was a beloved tradition for decades Downtown Hudson’s last full Christmas lights display took place in 1967.

HUDSON THEN

NOW

By David Bonazzoli History Columnist HUDSON - Fortunate indeed are those who can remember downtown Hudson’s old Christmas lights. The display was started by Hudson Light and Power manager Leland Wood in 1927, and it grew in size every year.

After suspending the display during World War II, the 1950s were the golden years.

People came from miles away to see our beautiful lights.

In Liberty Park, “Welcome to Hudson” was spelled out in large red and green letters. The cartoon character Reddy Kilowatt hung on the Odd Fellows building. The fire station was

During its heyday in the 1950s, people traveled from miles around to see downtown Hudson’s Christmas lights display.

gayly decorated, and an electric American flag hung in Cox Square. Wood Square looked like a carousel, with lights strung in all directions. Red bells, golden diamonds, green wreaths and silver stars were seemingly everywhere. The

Look up into the branches of tall trees, and remember they grow slowly.

rotary circle itself resembled a lighted merry go round.

Many of these, including the flag, were hand made of wood right here in Hudson by Harry Schneider, Hudson’s premier cabinet maker. His old shop still stands today along Bruce’s Pond behind J&K Tire. Many of us fondly recall the three red bells in front of Durand’s and the Central Street Market, the Santa Claus in front of the Catholic High School, and the candy cane near the Hudson Diner.

The town hall was breathtaking. Large candles ad-

journed both sides of the entrance, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year were spelled out, and lighted Christmas trees were on the grounds.

Strings of colored lights ran down both sides of Main Street, and an Advent wreath with four candles hung near J&K Tire. The total effect was nothing short of incredible.

Christmas 1967 proved to be the last year of the display.

Suddenly in 1968 the lights failed to appear, and sadness hung over the town. The VFW assumed the job of hanging the flag, using G. Bonazzoli and Son’s bucket truck and the flag was stored in their garage.

Attempts were made to return the display. Meetings were held in the 70s, and in the ‘80s a “Bring Back The Lights

Mayor’s Mural Project completed The mayor’s mural along South Bolton Street is now complete.

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Committee” was formed. For a couple of years part of the rotary carousel returned. But unfortunately nothing permanent came to fruition.

Almost 60 years have passed since we last saw our beautiful display. Most of the old decorations are still stored by the Hudson Light and Power Company. Photos and information, including a few pieces of the old display can be seen at the Hudson Historical Society museum.

The Hudson Historical Society and the citizens of Hudson are very grateful to VFW Post 1027 for continuing to display our beautiful 1953 electric flag.

Seeing it recalls a simpler time, and it imparts a feeling of pride for our town and our nation.

May it continue to shine!

PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

MARLBOROUGH – Mayor Arthur Vigeant, along with local muralist Melissa Stratton, have announced the completion of the Mayor’s Mural Project along the concrete wall across from the Dollar Tree at 75 S. Bolton St. In early September, residents were invited to paint squares with guidance from Stratton for the project, and ultimately those squares make up the face of the mural.

The mural illustrates some of Marlborough’s important history including the John Brown Bell, Howe Shoe Fac-

tory, apple orchards as well as concerts on Union Common and City Hall.

“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Ms. Stratton for bringing our vision to life. This vibrant mural reflects the different eras of Marlborough and embraces our past and present. This busy thoroughfare is now beautified to welcome folks into our wonderful city,” said Vigeant.

“Murals are something that grows with communities, encapsulating a time and memories and projecting our hopes into the future. They become

landmarks and the backdrop for people’s lives. In short, they are some of the most accessible arts in a community. The Mayor’s Mural Project was a joy to work on. From the paint party through the installation, the people of Marlborough made us feel welcomed. We really enjoyed the process of getting to know the history and landmarks of the city,” said Stratton.

This project was sponsored in part by a grant from the Marlborough Cultural Council.

If you have any questions, please call the mayor’s office, 508-460-3770.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 13

COMMUNITY NEWS

Santa takes helicopter to Northborough kicks off the holidays visit Southborough

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor

PHOTOS/EVAN WALSH

By Evan Walsh Reporter SOUTHBOROUGH – Santa Claus gave the reindeer a welldeserved day off, choosing to visit Southborough on another — much more technologically advanced — mode of transportation: a helicopter.

Hundreds of eager families gathered at St. Mark’s Field on Dec. 2 to take pictures with Santa, witness Santa’s unique entrance, and double check whether they made it on the nice list.

The crowd waited for the helicopter before the unmistakable roar of rotors could be heard. The helicopter flew over the crowd of elated children several times, and before long Santa popped out of the chopper. The children could hardly contain their excitement; some started singing Christmas carols.

After he touched down, Santa waded through crowds and headed to the Southborough Community House for photos with families. Food, entertainment, and arts and crafts were also available at the event.

Santa’s visit was just one of several different holiday-oriented events in Southborough last Saturday.

At St. Anne’s Church, members of Boy Scout Troop 92 gave

children the opportunity to do some holiday shopping for adult loved ones. The Southborough Public Library held several events and St. Mark’s Church hosted its Christmas Bazaar.

Above: The fifth grade alltown community chorus performed carols at the tree lighting.

Right: Mary Kate Pezzillo performed the National Anthem at the tree lighting, which is in honor of her uncle Neil Ellsworth.

PHOTOS/LAURA HAYES

Santa Claus landed in St. Mark’s Field on Dec. 2 as part of Santa Day.

NORTHBOROUGH – With a flip of a switch, Northborough welcomed the holiday season with the annual Tree Lighting on Dec. 2.

“We love bringing community together for events like this, and we love to plan fun in Northborough,” said Rebecca Mihopoulos.

The tree lighting was held by the Northborough Community Affairs Committee and sponsored by the Northboro House of Pizza, which provided pizza; Wegmans, which supplied cookies; Starbucks, which provided hot cocoa; and Raising Cane’s, which gave coupons to the chorus.

The tree lighting was held on the corner of Route 20 and Blake Street in honor of Neil Ellsworth, a Northborough resident who lost his life during the Vietnam War. His niece, Mary Kate Pezzillo, performed the National Anthem.

Select Board member Laura Ziton, who spoke on behalf of the board, said that she was honored to participate in the event.

“Many thanks to the Community Affairs Committee for

all they do throughout the year to make these fun events possible,” she said.

Ziton recognized the Department of Public Works, police and fire departments, honor guard and “everyone who joins these events to share the holiday spirit in our community.”

“While it’s always impor-

tant for us to come together, the holidays are a time when we can truly express our gratitude for the opportunity to share the special times,” said Ziton.

After the tree was lit, the fifth grade all-town community chorus sang carols.

The Northborough menorah lighting will be held on Dec. 13 at 5 p.m.

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 15

COMMUNITY NEWS

Marlborough, Hudson welcome the holiday season Santa waits for the next child during Home for the Holidays on Dec. 1

PHOTOS/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

MARLBOROUGH/HUDSON – The city welcomed the first day of December with its annual Home for the Holidays at Union Common.

Despite the occasional shower, hundreds turned out to welcome Santa Claus, enjoy performances by Marlborough High musical groups, check out animals in a petting zoo, and have some popcorn and hot chocolate.

The Marlborough High choir, directed

by Caleb Whelden, kicked things off with a repertoire of holiday favorites.

By the time it finished, the city’s brandnew ladder truck had arrived at the common with a police escort. Santa rode shotgun, while Mayor Arthur Vigeant rode in the cab. As Santa made his way to his chair in front of the tree, he handed out candy canes to the crowd of children.

“It’s one of the best crowds,” he said.

As he sat and began to listen to children’s wishes, Vigeant counted down and lit the tree with help from his grandson and granddaughter.

The tree itself was “new;” it was transplanted from another part of the city earlier this year to replace the tree that was dying.

“It’s just one of those great nights,” said Vigeant in his final tree-lighting ceremony as mayor. He will step down on Jan. 1.

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Church Congregational hosted Marlborough High’s symphony orchestra (directed by Angie Crockwell) and the jazz ensemble (directed by James Verdone) in its sanctuary.

According to those working the Recreation Department booth, more than 1,000 bags of popcorn were distributed, and the hot chocolate (courtesy of Kennedy’s) was popular, too.

Nearby, Cub Scout Pack 31 sold wreaths, while Enchanted Animal Parties brought in several farm animals — including a young cow named Morri and Adam the alpaca — for children to pet.

Hudson Holiday Stroll Hudson also got into the holiday spirit last weekend.

Community members gathered downtown for the annual Holiday Stroll on Dec. 2 where they could partake in numerous festive activities.

In the Avidia lot, some attendees gathered around the fire to roast marshmallows with the Hudson Rotary Club.

Around the corner at Town Hall, Santa was on hand to take pictures with kids and listen to what they wanted underneath their tree.

Near Main Street Bank, there was a petting zoo and the opportunity to enjoy carriage rides.

The stroll was presented by the Hudson Business Association and the Downtown Business Improvement District.

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16 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

COMMUNITY NEWS

Local students share global stories with documentary

By Evan Walsh Reporter

Western world.

REGION – On March 25, 2020, ISIS raided a Sikh place of worship in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 25 people.

ISIS’s attack was just one of the many attacks on religious minorities dating back to 1996.

Facing religious persecution, religious minorities — Sikh, Hindu, and Jewish people — were forced to leave their longtime homes and find asylum.

While ISIS’s resurgence was well-documented by mainstream media, stories of the exodus of religious minorities in the region remained largely untold. Now, an ambitious group of local students are ready to put the immigration of religious minorities into the limelight.

After months of work, the group produced “Baywatana: The Untold Stories of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus,” which delves into people’s emigration from Afghanistan and journey to the

Starting production Baywatana — which means “without country” in Pashto — was produced by six teenage students from Central Massachusetts: Aekem Singh, Sahej Singh, Jaskeerat Singh, Jasratan Chopra, Tanisha Kaur Kapoor and Suner Kaur Chopra. The students attend Shrewsbury High School, Worcester Academy, St. John’s High School and Algonquin Regional High School.

The group was mentored by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Harbaldeep Singh.

The group operates under the name Nishkam TV, a nonprofit founded by Harbaldeep Singh in 2016. Nishkam — which means “selfless” — is an online television channel created in partnership with the New England Sikh Study Circle, New England Khalsa School and Westborough Gurdwara Sahib. According to its website,

“Baywatana: The Untold Stories of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus” was produced by students from Shrewsbury High School, Worcester Academy, St. John’s High School and Algonquin Regional High School.

the group focuses on “building [dialogue], increasing understanding, and promoting interactions between different faiths and cultures to ultimately bring us closer as one humanity and enhance our lives.”

Nishkam TV students work

on one of seven “teams” in the organization: the production team, the content team, the talent team, the marketing team, the newsletter team, the social media team and the production design team.

As Aekem Singh described it,

it’s not all about filmmaking and the camera. He’s a member of the content team, whose work involves research and conducting interviews.

“For me, when I go into the future I want something involved with writing and research and being around people.

I really use what I’m passionate about when working with Nishkam TV. I put my interests in that,” said Aekem Singh.

In 2021, Nishkam TV produced “Declaration of a Revolution,” which followed the farmers’ protests in India. The documentary won awards and entered film festivals. The group’s sophomore documentary, entitled “SEVA,” highlights Sikhs during the COVID-19 pandemic. SEVA was recently sold to PBS. With such success producing documentaries, Nishkam TV attracted the attention of some large groups.

According to Kaur Chopra, the Parliament of World Reli-

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 17

COMMUNITY NEWS gions, one of the world’s largest interfaith conventions, reached out to Nishkam TV. The convention told the group that the theme of the parliament this year was defending freedom of religion and human rights and, having seen their previous work, asked them to create something that fit that theme.

“We eventually brainstormed and spent a while coming up with different topics, and something that really stuck with us was the topic of Afghanistan,” Kaur Chopra said.

The group said Afghanistan stood out because the littleknown story of religious migrants could make a big impact.

Filming begins After nailing down the subject of its documentary, the Nishkam TV group began planning and fundraising. The money for the documentary was primarily sourced from the local community.

“It’s a community effort for us because we fundraise within our Gurdwara community.

Everyone supports us with this because they know what we’re doing is contributing to

The students travelled around the world for their interviews, including Vancouver, London, India and New York.

our community. It’s not like we have all this money — we obviously don’t have all this money as a student-run team with a couple parents advising us. The community comes together to help us with these big projects,” Kaur Chopra told the Community Advocate.

The generosity of the community gave the students around $350,000 to work with.

Nishkam TV students, though they are in high school, used the most sophisticated equipment. Harbaldeep Singh said the group wanted to

“break the perception” of poorquality teenage productions.

“We’re trying to get the highest-quality footage we can. There’s been many other people who will do it, but they won’t go high quality... We used Netflix-grade cameras, professional lighting equipment, professional sound equipment,” said Sahej Singh.

“We’ve worked on previous documentaries. The quality of this one — it’s not really comparable.”

The group traveled around the world for interviews, in-

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cluding trips to Vancouver, London, India and New York.

At one point, the group visited New York back-to-back weekends to get footage for the documentary. In total, the students conducted 65 different interviews and compiled 170 hours of footage. Condensing the hours of footage into an 80-minute documentary took intense editing; the students said they edited 12 hours per day for several months.

“Our first priority is not to get it on Netflix or anything, but it was to bring these stories into the media however we can. We wanted to get the bestquality materials to give these people the justice they need, to make a high-quality production that tells these stories, and to bring that emotional impact.

For us, as we’re trying our best to get our names out there and get these stories heard, it’s a mini-goal to get these stories on Netflix, but our first priority is to get these messages across,” said Kaur Chopra.

“There’s not much light shed onto this topic, and so we want to bring it out and bring it to life,” said Jaskeerat Singh.

Documentary complete After months of travel, editing, interviewing, and everything else associated with producing a professional documentary, Baywatana premiered at the Parliament of World Religion conference in Chicago on Aug. 15. The auditorium was full — the group reported hearing people cry during the emotional documentary.

“During the process, we were very overwhelmed and we went through lots of struggles… but when it was done, there was this relief. We made it. We presented our product,” Jaskeerat Singh said.

“We felt so proud and so emotional… I teared up a little bit. The actual product itself was so emotional and so sad, and on top of that I had my own emotions when I was watching it [because I worked on it]. It came together well,” said Kaur Chopra.

For more information on Baywatana, visit https://www. baywatana.org/. For more information on Nishkam TV, visit https://nishkam.tv/

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Parents often want to help, and I remind them you can get loans for a house, and there are no retirement loan options (although sometimes you can take a loan on a 401K and pay yourself back. It’s the paying yourself back part some struggle with).

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great real estate agent and an even better loan officer. The loan officer can help with loan products & requirements (like zip codes) and the realtor can help scout out the products.

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The mortgage companies t h e m s e l ve s o f te n h a ve programs. For example, Brad Avergon of Fairway Independent Mortgage has a program for “heroes.”

Fairway will cut the first years mortgage rate by 1% for active duty military, veterans, first responders (police officers, firefighters, EMTs), medical professionals, and school faculty and staff.

There are many other programs to reduce early loan amounts…. with various companies.

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The main thing is this…. if you’re looking for a home… it’s my view you need to get connected with a loan officer and realtor. There are local loan officers, and ones working remote. My view is you need to be able to sit with someone and go over your specific situation. Sorry… you need to get out from Google and talk your own case face to face.

In this season of giving, please enjoy your family and holidays whatever you celebrate…. Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Merry.

Need tools for home search: MoveWithGary.com Gary is heard on WCRN AM 830 and/or seen on WMCT-TV and Westborough Community Television discussing “All Things Real Estate.”

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COMMUNITY BUSINESS

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 19

Flaherty Physical Therapy offers individualized, fun approach to exercise Practice will soon offer four-week health programs

By Evan Walsh Reporter REGION – When Kevin Flaherty started his own physical therapy practice in 2015, he said he wanted to “provide care the way it should be provided.”

Today, Flaherty Physical Therapy, located in Northborough and Hudson, continues to offer top-notch, individualized, and personal care to people of all ages.

“We have the ability to work with patients one on one. If you’re a patient in our office, you’re seeing one therapist.

It’s you and the therapist,” Flaherty told the Community Advocate. “There’s nothing more empowering than the relationship that’s built between the client and therapist. It’s all about creating those personal relationships with people.”

People are more than mere

Flaherty Physical Therapy was started by Kevin Flaherty in 2015. Today they have locations in Northborough and Hudson.

appointments at Flaherty Physical Therapy — Flaherty said that the practice’s therapists work to get to know the “whole” person. They build personal connections that inspire trust with the patient

and therapist.

Flaherty Physical Therapy’s earned trust helps therapists accomplish one of the practice’s main missions: education. The practice seeks to educate patients about their own

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Wellness for Today’s Woman: Self Care Starts with You. 4 week program starting Monday 1/22/24 at 6:30 pm in the Northborough office. The following topics will be addressed: •Learn stress management techniques •How to gain strength in your core through Pilates •Intro to yoga stretching •Learn the importance of recovery Program is $299 for 5 weeks, 4 weeks of exercise training and a 5th BONUS week: Navigating Women’s health in Midlife through Nutrition by Beverly Mazza BSN, RN. Learn the right exercises from the trained professionals at Flaherty PT Northborough – 508.393.9000 Hudson – 978.875.7500 w: www.flahertyphysicaltherapy.com

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Men’s Health 101: Introduction to Fitness for the Active and Healthy Man 4 week program starting Saturday 1/13/24 at 11 am in Northborough office. The following topics will be addressed: •How to learn to do a proper stretching program •How to gain strength through your core •Learn stress management techniques and ergonomic tricks to help you at work •Learn the importance of recovery Program is $299 for 5 weeks, 4 weeks of exercise training and a 5th BONUS week: Navigating Men’s health in Midlife Through Nutrition by Beverly Mazza BSN, RN. Learn the right exercises from the trained professionals at Flaherty PT Northborough – 508.393.9000 Hudson – 978.875.7500 w: www.flahertyphysicaltherapy.com

problems and how physical therapy’s treatment, effective exercise techniques and much more can help them.

“I wanted to do a lot of education with people in the community about what physical therapy is all about. It’s a relatively low-cost, high-value product that they can use for health and wellness,” Flaherty said.

“People also come to us with problems, and they aren’t too sure how that problem occurred,” said Flaherty. “We spend a lot of time educating people how they got to where they are, and what they can do to fix their own problem.”

Flaherty Physical Therapy offers many different services, including exercise training, fall prevention, sports rehabilitation, post-surgery rehabilitation, post-concussion therapy, dry needling, pelvic health and other effective physical therapy techniques.

Physical therapy is for people of all ages; Flaherty Physical Therapy offers both pediatric programs and services for seniors up to 100 years old.

“We have the ability with our training and our profession to provide a wide range of care to the entire community.

That’s part of the beauty of it.

Nowadays, our focus is about keeping people active, keeping them healthy and keeping them well,” Flaherty said.

Flaherty Physical Therapy further demonstrates commitment to education by periodically holding educational

workshops for the community.

The practice will soon hold two programs meant to help teach individuals different exercise techniques.

The practice will hold “Men’s Health 101 — An Introduction to Fitness for the Active and Healthy Man,” and “Wellness for Today’s Woman — Self Care Starts With You” in the coming months. Both four-week-long programs will get participants moving, and people will learn stretching, core-strengthening activities, ergonomics, and more.

“The perfect person for this program is someone who wants to get exercising, but they’re not sure what to do, or they have an exercise routine that’s not working for them,” Flaherty said. “I want participants to feel like they’re getting an education. What are the proper ways for people to live their lives so they remain strong and healthy? Right now, many adults in the 45- to 60-year range spend lots of time sitting in front of the computer. This is a way for them to learn different techniques they can implement in their lives immediately to make themselves healthier.”

Both programs will have an optional fifth week focusing on nutritional counseling.

Flaherty Physical Therapy is both effective and fun. While exercise can be boring, Flaherty — who calls himself the company’s “chief mojo officer” — makes movement exciting.

“We find ways to help people exercise creatively. We’re always trying to find staff that are dynamic, fun, and energetic. The staff creates the culture — they’re the ones that create the individual plans for our patients,” said Flaherty.

Flaherty Physical Therapy is located in Northborough (411 W Main St.) and Hudson (43 Broad St.). For more information (or sign up for workshops), visit https://www. flahertyphysicaltherapy.com/ or email info@flahertyphyiscaltherapy.com Business Profiles are advertising features designed to provide information and background about Community Advocate advertisers.

20 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

COMMUNITY NEWS

Clinton Savings Bank holds sock drive CLINTON – Clinton Savings Bank employees recently held a sock drive.

The bank was able to donate 1,600 pairs of socks to WHEAT Community Connections.

“As a community bank, the outpouring the generosity among all of our employees demonstrates our commit-

ment to helping our neighbors,” said President and CEO Robert J. Paulhus Jr. “The need for socks natural increases in the colder months, so this sock drive was the perfect time for our employees to give a measure of comfort and provide this much-needed resource to individuals and families.”

WHEAT is a direct service

Grafton welcomes the holidays Before Santa’s arrival, Grafton’s Girl Scout troops perform some holiday favorites.

program of the United Way of Tri-County and has been serving residents in the greater Clinton area since 1982. The organization offers programs and services, including the WHEAT Community Cupboard, WHEAT Community Café, WHEAT Outdoor Marketplace and various seasonal programs.

PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

Juniper Hill’s Turkey Day a success NORTHBOROUGH – Juniper Hill Golf Course’s 25th annual Turkey Day was a great success.

Turkey Day was held on Nov. 17, and participating golfers donated a turkey or gift cards.

According to Juniper Hill, 307 of the donated turkeys went to Worcester County Food Bank, and 64 turkeys went to the Northborough Food Pantry through the Northborough Helping Hands Association. Additionally, $2,875 in supermarket gift cards were donated to the Worcester County Food Bank and $2,046 in golfer donations were awarded in lieu of green fees.

For more information on Juniper Hill, visit https://www.juniperhillgc.com/.

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Local businesses and nonprofits offered programs, discounts and more during the annual “Grafton Celebrate the Holidays.”

Many started their day at the Craft Fair at the Municipal Center gym. Dozens of vendors had ornaments, winter clothing and other items available for purchase.

At Grafton Community Television’s studios, visitors could stop by and record a holiday

message.

“Frosty Stops” stretched from one end of town to the other. The Willard House & Clock Museum was decorated for a Victorian holiday, courtesy of the Grafton Garden Club; Unibank on Worcester Street hosted a showing of “The Polar Express.”

Closer to the Common, all three churches hosted special programs about winter.

Santa started his day at Homefield Credit Union before hitching a ride with the Fire Department to the Common. When he arrived, the jolly old elf high-fived several young visitors, then helped light the decorations at the Common.

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COMMUNITY OBITUARIES Scan QR code to read all of this week’s obituaries on our website.

DEATHS Afonso, Jose of Marlborough Arakelian, Robert of Shrewsbury Arvidson, Joanne formerly of Westborough Bevans, John of Marlborough Boyd, Marilyn of Marlborough Carelli, William of Shrewsbury Chartrand, Lilith of Hudson Cusson, Carol of Westborough DiNitto, Nickolas of Marlborough Drago, William of Grafton Falcone, Marion of Shrewsbury Heinsohn, Rosi of Northborough Hu, Jiewen of Southborough Lewis, Miriam formerly of Westborough McAtee, Philip formerly of Shrewsbury Polanik, Edna formerly of Southborough Reifowitz, Aaron of Hudson Roy, Joyce of Shrewsbury Smerlas, Christine of Westborough Souza Jr., Frank formerly of Hudson Sussman, Sylvia of Westborough Thompson, Norma of Westborough Weiner, Joyce formerly of Hudson

TRIMMING UP

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).

Rosi M. Heinsohn, 98 N O RT H B O R O U G H , M A/ POTOMAC, MD - Rosi M. Heinsohn, caring mother and grandmother and good friend, passed away peacefully at the age of 98 years on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Rosi, born in Schweinfurt, Bavaria, Germany as Maria Rosa Bohnengel, was the youngest of four children to Andreas and Margareta (Drescher) Bohnengel.

Surviving Rosi is her daughter, Ingrid H. Molnar, and husband John of Northborough; her son, Gerd J. Heinsohn, and life partner Virginia Tippie of Annapolis, Maryland; five grandchildren, Christine Rogers, Lauren Heinsohn, Eric

Heinsohn, Alexandra Molnar, and Zenya Molnar; and three great grandchildren, Benjamin, Donovan, and Miles Rogers. Also surviving Rosi are numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews residing in Germany. Rosi’s three siblings, Margareta Klarowicz, Ludwig Bohnengel, and Otto Bohnengel, preceded her in death.

There are no planned public services at this time. However, the family plans to host a celebration of life in 2024.

Hays Funeral Home of Northborough assisted with arrangements.

Miriam M. Lewis, 102 WEST HARTFORD, CT - Miriam M Sidelinger Lewis died Nove m b e r 21 at the Hoffman SummerWo o d i n West Hartford, CT at the age of 102. Her husband, Edward Sterling, predeceased her. She leaves her son Edward, his

wife Jody and three grandchildren Drew, Jack and Ella, all of West Hartford.

Miriam lived her first 100 years in Massachusetts until 2021. She was born in Malden and graduated from Reading High School. She attended Boston University and then went to work for the Shawmut Bank where she met her husband. After moving to Westborough, she volunteered 41 years at Memorial Hospital.

Molloy Funeral Home of West Hartford, CT assisted with arrangements.

Marion C. Falcone, 91 SHREWSBURY - Marion C. (May) Falcone, 91, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Tuesday, November 21, after a period of declining health.

Marion was the sixth of twenty-two children of John F. and Anna Grace (Kelliher) May of Millbury.

She is survived by her beloved and grief-stricken husband, Louis A. Falcone, Jr., with whom she would have celebrated their sixty-seventh wedding anniversary on November 24. A devoted mother and grandmother, she is also survived by her children and their families: Ginny; Linda; Cathy Riebesehl and her sons, Nick and his wife Sarah Samel, and Derek; Terri; Sandy Barakian and her husband Mark and their daughters, Samantha and Nicole; Louie and his wife Maureen, and their daughters, Meg and Anna; and Charlie and his wife, Julia.

She is also survived by siblings Betty Coleman, Grace May, Kay Lapointe, Mary Congdon, Marty May, Sheila Courchaine, Barbara Boria, Regina Bleau, Maggie May, and Maureen May Manners, and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Marion was predeceased by siblings Sister Virginia May OSF, Pat Norton, John, Lonny, Billy, Frankie, Howie, Bobby, Kevin, and two infant brothers.

SUPER CROSSWORD

Obituaries | 22

Answers on page 28

22 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

COMMUNITY OBITUARIES Obituaries | from page 21

Wednesday, November 22, at The Reservoir Center for Health and Rehabilitation in Marlborough. He was 88 years old.

He is survived by his four children: Carolyn, Christine Caulfield and her husband Brian, Jonathan and his wife Rebecca, and Jason; his grandchildren Benjamin, Allison, Sean, Elena, Celia, and Nickolas; his nephew Phillip and his wife Holly, their child Anna;

Mulhane Home for Funerals of Millbury assisted with arrangements.

Nickolas J.DiNitto, 88 MARLBOROUGH - Nickolas Joseph DiNitto of Marlborough passed away peacefully on

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niece Rina and her husband Dan, their children Danny and Sandra; his brother-in-law, Anthony; and lifelong friend, Nunzio Donato. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Fay Marie, and his sister, Anna Lucy.

Slattery Funeral Home of Marlborough assisted with arrangements.

William B. Drago, 91 GRAFTON - William B. “Bill” Drago, 91, passed away at h o m e Thursday Nove m b e r 23, 2023 following an illness. His wife of 59 years, Jean (Hurley) Drago predeceased him in 2016.

Bill leaves his children Vin-

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Living longer doesn’t happen by accident or by the grace of genetics alone. “Study after study has shown that our lifetime of decisions about what we eat, whether we exercise or whether we’re managing stress have a considerable impact on how well we age,” said Dr. Andrea Klemes, chief medical officer at MDVIP. Another thing to consider is that extending your lifespan shouldn’t be the only goal. You want to focus on maximizing the number of healthy years of your life. By increasing your “healthspan” how many years you live without serious disease - you can enjoy your life well into your 80s and beyond.

Here are three simple but essential habits you can incorporate into your life to help improve your healthspan.

1. Invest in your health like you do your finances According to the survey, 54% of Americans admit they plan more for their financial future than their health. To invest in your health, you need to learn more about your family’s medical history and how lifestyle changes can improve your healthspan.

“Just like you start saving for retirement in your

20s, you need to start investing as early as possible in your health,” said Dr. Klemes. “Try taking a ‘portfolio’ approach to longevity and make sure you have a primary care doctor who will help you build the right mix of healthy habits based on your history, risk factors and goals.”

Investing in your health doesn’t require overhauling your life in one night. You can talk with your doctor about your current health status and work with them on setting realistic goals and benchmarks you can work toward over time. By creating a plan and making small incremental changes to your lifestyle, you can reap dividends in healthier years now and in the future.

2. Prioritize socializing and happines When you think about your health, you likely think about what you, as an individual, can do to improve your wellness and longevity. However, your health can be greatly impacted by the relationships you form and maintain throughout your life. That’s because having healthy, stable and strong relationships positively impacts your happiness.

According to an 85-year-long study by Harvard University, there is a direct correlation between social connections and longevity. People who have strong social ties with their friends, family and community are happier, healthier and live longer than those who are less well-connected.

Make it a point to schedule regular calls, meetups and activities with people you care about so you can be happier and help contribute to their happiness and health, too.

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3. Find a primary care physician Establishing a relationship with a primary care physician (PCP) and getting annual check-ups is vital to improving your healthspan. A PCP will get to know you and monitor any changes to your health that could otherwise be missed if you don’t have a regular doctor.

Another advantage of having a PCP is that you can talk about your risk factors and ways to prevent disease instead of reacting only to health problems as they appear. MDVIP-affiliated physicians focus on personalized care, early detection and preventive medicine. These PCPs have smaller practices, so they can spend more time and partner with patients to improve their health.

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 23

LEGAL NOTICES Scan QR code for rate information or to email your legal notice.

HUDSON TOWN OF HUDSON SELECT BOARD NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE RENEWAL OF CABLE TELEVISION LICENSE OF VERIZON NEW ENGLAND INC. Monday, December 18, 2023 at 7:00 P.M. Hudson Police Station (Community Room) 911 Municipal Drive, Hudson MA The Select Board, as the Cable Television License Issuing Authority, will hold a public hearing on Monday, December 18, 2023 at 7:00 P.M. at the Hudson Police Station (Community Room), 911 Municipal Drive, Hudson, MA, pursuant to 207 C.M.R 3.05 and Section 626(h) of the Cable Act (47 USC Section 546(h)), regarding the regarding the renewal of the cable television license of Verizon New England Inc. The public is invited to attend or join and pose questions and/or provide comments.

Any applications, reports, statements and/or amendments, including a copy of the Renewal License as proposed and/ or agreed upon by the parties at that time will be available for review, download and/or reproduction at a reasonable fee from the Office of the Executive Assistant, including by e-mailing the office at tvickery@townofhudson.org or telephoning (978) 562-9963 Ext. 402.

SELECTBOARD TOWN OF HUDSON

MARLBOROUGH ZBA Case # 23-1500 Location: 553 Elm St. Applicant: David & Katherine Mason Representative: Christopher Flood NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING RELIEF REQUESTED Notice is hereby given that the Marlborough Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public meeting on Tuesday December 19, 2023 at 7:00 PM at Marlborough City Hall, 140 Main St. – 3rd floor Memorial Hall.

Petition: This is a request for relief taken under M.G.L. Ch 40A § 10, 13 and 14 to the Zoning Determination of the City’s Building Commissioner dated November 9, 2023 as said determination affects

premises at 553 Elm St. The applicants requested a zoning determination of the Building Commissioner as to whether the proposed 19’x32’ addition can be built by right in the Zoning District A2.

The Building Commissioner determined that the applicant requires relief from Chapter 650, Article 41, “Table of Lot Area, Yards, and Height of Structures”, of the City Code of Marlborough.

The applicant is seeking relief in the form of a Variance to construct an addition replacing the existing patio which exceeds the minimum rear yard setback requirement of 40 feet. The proposed rear yard setback is 32.6 feet.

For further assistance, please contact the Zoning Board of Appeals at 508460-3768. All interested persons are invited.

Applicant or representative must be present Ralph Loftin Chairman

PUBLIC NOTICE: CITY OF MARLBOROUGH PUBLIC AUCTION Under the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 60, Section 79, the City of Marlborough, through its Tax Title Custodian, will sell at public auction on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at 11:30 a.m., the following described parcels located in Marlborough, Massachusetts: • Howe Street (Parcel ID: 82-283) • Spring Lane (Parcel ID: 7-33A) • DeSimone Drive (Parcel ID: 10350) Registration for the auction to begin at 11:00 a.m. at Marlborough City Hall, Comptroller/Treasurer Office on the 4th Floor, 140 Main Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752.

For further details and information about the auction, please contact the City of Marlborough, Treasurer’s Office at (508) 460-3731.

SHREWSBURY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS PUBLIC HEARINGS RICHARD D. CARNEY Municipal Office Building 100 Maple Avenue Shrewsbury, MA December 18, 2023 6:30 PM To hear the appeal Matthew Mrva of 103 Holman Street, Shrewsbury MA 01545 Shrewsbury MA for two Variances to the Shrewsbury Zoning Bylaw Section VII.C-Table III to construct a fire place and pergola in the front yard, forty two and eight tenths (42.8’) feet from the front yard setback where these accessory structures are not allowed upon property located at 103 Holman Street in the Residence B-1zoning district.

The subject premise is described on the Shrewsbury Assessor’s Tax Plate 17 Plot 045000.

December 18, 2023 6:30 PM

Call 508.366.5500 to advertise your legal notice To hear the appeal of Michael Connors 621 Main St, RemodelWerks, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, for two Variances to the Shrewsbury Zoning Bylaw Section VII.B. Table II to allow for an addition to a pre-existing non-conforming building to be constructed twenty – nine and two tenths (29.2’) feet from the rear yard setback where fifty (50’) feet is required and an easterly side yard setback of thirty – two (32’) feet where fifty 50’ feet is required and a Special Permit to the Shrewsbury Zoning Bylaw Section IV.B for the westerly side yard setback of twenty eight (28.5’) feet where fifty (50’) feet is required upon property located at 779 Hartford Turnpike in the Limited Industrial zoning district. The subject premise is described on the Shrewsbury Assessor’s Tax Plate 43 Plot 025000.

Selectman’s Room at Shrewsbury Town Hall, 100 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

December 18, 2023 6:30 PM To hear the appeal of Pulte Homes of New England, LLC., 1900 West Park Drive, Suite 180, Westborough, MA, 01581 for a Comprehensive Permit pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 40B, Sections 20 to 23, of the Massachusetts General Laws, to permit the construction of a 300 unit multifamily residential development upon property located at 33-69 Green Street, Shrewsbury MA. The subject premises are described on the Shrewsbury Assessor’s Tax Plate 43 Plot 007000.

A public hearing will be held on the above notice at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday Evening, December 19, 2023, in the Selectman’s Room at Shrewsbury Town Hall, 100 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

Peter C. Mulcahy, Clerk December 1st & December 8th

LEGAL NOTICE 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 the Town of Shrewsbury Wetlands Bylaw and Regulations that Kevin Mizikar, Town of Shrewsbury, 100 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA, 01545 has filed a Notice of Intent for the establishment of a Landscape 1 Cemetery including the removal of trees and construction of cemetery infrastructure at 65 Prospect Street.

site of http://sta.ibidsmart.com the following motor vehicles will be sold to satisfy our garage keeper’s lien thereon for storage, towing charges, care and expenses of notices and sale of said vehicles. Starting December 5, 2023 at 9 am, vehicles can be viewed at http:// sta.ibidsmart.com.

This is not an absolute auction we reserve the right to set a minimum on all auction vehicles. If a particular vehicle is not listed on http://sta.ibidsmart.com call 508-485-0503 for bidding instructions.

SHREWSBURY CONSERVATION COMMISSION Kenneth Polito, Chairman

LEGAL NOTICE 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 the Town of Shrewsbury Wetlands Bylaw and Regulations that William Blaine Stine, 18 Quail Hollow Drive, Shrewsbury, MA, has filed a Notice of Intent for the construction of a garage at 18 Quail Hollow Drive.

2009 Honda Civic VIN: 2HGFA16679H331242 Owned by Luiz H Lopes Lima 2007 Honda Accord VIN:1HGCM56797A161374 Owned by Nicole Colon 2009 Toyota Rav4 Vin: JTMBF31V39D005850 Owned by Siah J Foday 2007 Mercedes Benz E350 VIN: WDBUF87X4X209940 Owned by Neysiauris Y Pichardo 2021 Stoughton 53’ Trailer VIN: 1DW1A532XNBA70657 Owned by: Aluna Trucking Inc

SHREWSBURY CONSERVATION COMMISSION Kenneth Polito, Chairman

2012 Chevrolet Cruze VIN:1G1PC5SH5C7299253 Owned by Frednel Bissainthe 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt VIN: 1G1AK15F077236353 Owned by Abner Quinones

SOUTHBOROUGH

2004 Lincoln LS VIN: 1LNHM86S84Y681316 Owned by Michael Direeno

LEGAL- TED’S OF FAYVILLE-AUCTION NOTICE- 12-01-23

1989 Galaxy 225 Weekender VIN: GALWE130D989 Owned by Anderson Sandes

Notice is hereby given by Ted’s of Fayville, 300 Turnpike Road., Southborough, MA 01772, pursuant to the provisions of G.L. c. 255, section 39A, that on Wednesday December 20, 2023 at 10 am an auction sale on the web based

This notice has been given under the provisions of G.L. c. 255, Section 39A. Publication Friday December 1, 8 and 15, 2023 Community Advocate.

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LEGAL NOTICES?

A public hearing will be held on the above notice at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday Evening, December 19, 2023, in the Selectman’s Room at Shrewsbury Town Hall, 100 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

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SHREWSBURY CONSERVATION COMMISSION Kenneth Polito, Chairman

Our core communities include:

LEGAL NOTICE 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 the Town of Shrewsbury Wetlands Bylaw and Regulations that Charles Pietrwicz, 23 Eaglehead Terrace, Shrewsbury, MA, has filed a Notice of Intent for the construction of pool deck and patio at 7-27 Eaglehead Terrace.

A public hearing will be held on the above notice at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday Evening, December 19, 2023, in the

Established in 1974, the Community Advocate is a weekly paper that has grown ce noti to become one of the most well-respected and best-read community gal ur le e yo ertis newspapers in the Central Massachusetts area. adv 0 to A

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CommunityAdvocate.com

CALL 508.366.5500 TO PLACE YOUR LEGAL NOTICE ____

24 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

COMMUNITY NEWS

Westborough Select Board honors longtime residents

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor WESTBOROUGH – Two longtime residents were honored during the Select Board’s meeting on Nov. 28.

The Veterans Advisory Board presented Paul Freeman with its Veteran of the Year award.

A 20-plus-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, Freeman has served on several local committees, including the MIA/ POW committee and the multicultural committee. He was a 25-year member of the Veterans Advisory Board until his retirement from that role in 2023. Freeman has continued to be an active member of Vet-

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Paul Freeman Jr., left, has been selected as Westborough’s Veteran of the Year.

erans Outreach Metro West.

He was also instrumental in starting the Veterans Corner at Westborough TV, was on the design committees for the Veterans Grove Memorial in Pine Grove Cemetery and the Persian Gulf memorial at Forbes, and has provided designs for the new Nourse Street Cemetery.

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PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

Freeman received a plaque, along with citations from the state House of Representatives and Senate.

“I am very humbled and very honored to receive this,” he said.

Soon after the presentation, the Select Board approved a motion to name the athletic fields at the former state hospital at Lake Chauncy after Earl Storey.

“He takes care of it like his own backyard,” said Jen Kirkland, director of the Recreation

Department.

Bill Linnane made the request on behalf of Storey, who converted former farmland into athletic fields.

The town’s Employee of the Year in 2022, Storey recently retired from the Department of Public Works and the Recreation Department.

“I’m blown away by this,” said Storey after the vote. “It’s a great honor for you to do this.”

According to Kirkland, a formal dedication and ceremony could be held this spring.

Northborough Police Department participating in gun buyback program NORTHBOROUGH – The Northborough Police Department is participating in the 22nd Guns 2 Gardens gun buyback program.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. is urging people to participate in the program, which is sponsored by his office, UMass Memorial Medical Center, the city of Worcester, the Worcester Police Department and Worcester Department of Health.

“Our goal is, and has always been, getting unwanted and unsecured guns out of the house,” said Early. “We want to reduce the tragic loss of life that can occur because of these unwanted guns. This buyback program helps to avoid such devastating casualties and the high public cost that comes from treating gunshot victims. Reducing accidents and tragedies the Worcester County benefits us all.”

According to a press release from Early’s office, over 4,000 guns have been turned in since the program began in Worcester in 2002. As part of the program, people who live in Worcester County can turn in their unwanted firearms to City Welding and Fabrication at 10 Ararat St., Worcester, or participating police departments in North-

borough, Charlton, Fitchburg, Milford and Worcester.

Medical Director of Worcester’s Division of Public Health Michael Hirsh has spearheaded a program to turn the destroyed weapons from the buyback program into garden tools to be used in UMass’ community garden.

People who turn in their fire arm will receive gift cards in the amount of $50 for a rifle, $100 for a pistol and $150 for an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. Replica guns will also be accepted, and free trigger locks are also available.

Early will relax the enforcement of the law that prohibits the carrying of firearms for people who are participating in the buyback program. Participants should bring their unloaded weapons wrapped or in a bag.

Ammunition will also be accepted, but should be separately bagged.

On Dec. 9, people can turn in their firearms to the Northborough department between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Firearms can be turned into Milford between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Charlton and Fitchburg from 9 a.m. to noon; and Worcester and City Welding and Fabrication from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 25

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

School Committee ponders AP course adjustment

By Evan Walsh Reporter SHREWSBURY – The School Committee on Nov. 29 discussed the possibility of allowing ninthand 10th-grade students to take AP courses.

The district currently permits only 11th- and 12th-grade students to take the more-rigorous courses.

AP, or Advanced Placement, courses are created by the College Board, an organization that also offers the SAT and PSAT standardized tests. AP courses are college-level classes that allow students — should they pass a cumulative exam at the end of the year — to earn transferable credit at many highereducation institutions.

According to Shrewsbury High School Principal Todd Bazydlo, 436 high school students recently took AP exams, completing 916 tests. Approximately 31% of those tests resulted in a

score of 5, the highest possible score on an AP exam.

While presenting information on students’ performance on standardized tests, Bazydlo addressed new College Board Honor Roll standards. The College Board now assigns “college optimization” scores to high schools, which rewards schools for allowing freshmen and sophomores to take AP exams.

With ninth- and 10th-grade students unable to take AP courses, Shrewsbury scored bronze in the college optimization category. It scored silver and platinum in other areas of the Honor Roll.

“We could have conversations about our thoughts about the College Board’s college optimization and what that might mean for providing student opportunities. We’ve held firm that… preparing students for what we think is college-level work in freshman or sophomore year might not be the best,”

“

We have to continue to consider what makes sense for our children and their course of studies.

Bazydlo said during his presentation.

In an age of increased competition regarding college applications, AP tests have become an attractive option for people who want to stand out to top colleges.

Students who wish to attend highly-selective universities might take multiple AP courses.

At the meeting, School Committee member Rachel Sharifipour asked Bazydlo whether students are taking AP courses to be more competitive on college applications, or if students are taking them as preparation for college. Bazydlo acknowledged that AP courses — as academically-challenging classes — add weight to an application but also

Joe Sawyer Superintendent mentioned that the school has other ways to get a “leg up,” including dual-enrollment courses and Project Lead the Way. Other committee members were skeptical of the College Board’s motives with the college optimization score. After COVID-19, many colleges no longer require College Board’s SAT, and the company could be looking to expand the volume of AP tests taken to compensate.

“It might also be a marketing piece and cost piece for the [College Board] as well,” said School Committee Chair Sandra Fryc. “I think this is very good information to have, but it’s very interesting how things have changed over time and what col-

leges look at.”

Superintendent Joe Sawyer called the new measure “interesting,” noting that the College Board, now incentivizing schools to offer AP courses to freshmen, has previously cautioned districts about providing the classes to ninth-grade students.

“We know we have some brilliant students. Shrewsbury — like other districts do as well — has students who academically could probably succeed in an AP course when they’re in sixth grade, seventh grade, or eighth grade,” said Sawyer. “It doesn’t mean it’s an appropriate level… in terms of the rigor or the pace or whatnot.”

“We’re trying to make sure we’re providing enriching, appropriately-challenging coursework, regardless of what it’s labeled. We have to continue to consider what makes sense for our children and their course of studies,” he said.

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26 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Select Board, school and finance committees review school budget

By Sarah Freedman Contributing Writer HUDSON – The School Committee met with the Select Board and Finance Committee on Nov. 28 to take a first look at the 2025 fiscal year budget for the Hudson Public Schools.

Superintendent Brian Reagan said as the leader of one

of the town’s largest departments, which is the beneficiary of “approximately 50% of the town’s resources,” he views the budget through the lens of both the superintendent and as a resident.

Through his meetings with community leaders and members, he said school finances come up as a topic, specifically responsible

“

So these things together really create this gap between revenue and expenses that we’re looking at right now at about $2 million.

Brian Reagan Superintendent

spending.

“I took that seriously and took a really deep dive into how dollars have been spent by the school department,” said Reagan.

Reagan said 2025 would be a tight year for the school budget, which was the reason for partnering with the Select Board and Finance Committee, as well as Executive Assistant Thomas Gregory, during the process. He said there was an unfortunate convergence of events, including participating in a bid

Information session on Westborough dog park WESTBOROUGH – The Westborough Recreation Department will host an information and input session about the proposed dog park project at Chauncy (state hospital) fields on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. at Memorial Hall.

The session will include presentations by the Recreation Department and the architect designing the park.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions and provide input.

For information, email westbororec@westboroughma.gov.

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process for a new transportation contract.

He said they have seen significant escalation in cost over the past five years. Specifically, the gap between the typical cost for transportation and what the district is paying is hitting them with a 30% increase to that budget.

They have also seen an increase in out-of-district student tuition, and the COVID-19 relief funds will end with the 2024 fiscal year budget.

“So these things together really create this gap between revenue and expenses that we’re looking at right now at about $2 million,” said Reagan.

Director of Finance and Operations Dan Gale said the district is projecting to use $3.7 million from School Choice funds to balance the 2025 fiscal year budget, with only $1 million of the funds coming from recurring revenue.

Gale did note that they got an additional $756,000 in Chapter 70 funds in the 2024 fiscal year, and he called the funding source a “permanent increase that we can rely on” as the amount can never decrease each year.

Chapter 70 funding information should be available to municipalities in late January, according to Gale.

Strategic objectives Reagan said that the community’s support for the schools with the budget and capital projects is what compelled him to stay and work in Hudson.

He spoke about the three strategic objectives that drive their work on the budget, such as high quality instructional practices, educating the whole student and the culture of the schools, which refers to promoting equity

and eliminating opportunity gaps.

Reagan said some initiatives in the school currently include a review of the elementary literacy curriculum, the K-12 dual language program and forming a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Acceptance and Belonging Committee.

The committee would be a result of the equity audit done at the district last year.

One area they are focusing on is enrollment, as some students are choosing to attend Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School or the Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School.

“We’d really like to make Hudson a better choice for more parents,” said Reagan.

In terms of the special education component, he said Hudson has done a good job building in-district programs “so we can keep more kids here.”

Reagan said, “These programs have been developed and implemented at all levels.”

Where the district tries to be efficient with the allocated funds from the town is adding personnel for student support in the area of social and emotional learning with adjustment counselors and school psychologists.

The goal is to add funding “where the kids are” and follow the changes in student populations. Reagan noted that a decline in enrollment is something that affects schools across the state, not just in Hudson. In 2013 –14, the overall enrollment was 2,947 and in 2022-23, the enrollment was 2,323.

However, he noted the district has gone from being 20 percentage points behind the state average to “catching up” in terms of retaining high-needs students, such as students in special education and the English language learner programs, and meeting their needs through programming.

He said there has been a shift in having educators meet the needs of high-needs students. Despite an overall decrease in enrollment, there is not a decrease in staffing.

There has been a repurposing of educators to a less traditional classroom instead.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 27

&FIRE

POLICE

Apparent murder-suicide under investigation in Marlborough

Court documents detail fire in Westborough police station

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor

MARLBOROUGH – An apparent murder-suicide that occurred in Marlborough on Nov. 29 is under investigation.

Marlborough Police Chief David Giorgi and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan confirmed the investigation in a press release.

Ryan’s office has identified the two as Kethlen Paula Alves Trindade DaRocha, 28, of Marlborough and Marlon Moreira Costa, 29, of Marlborough.

According to the release, at

about 10:05 a.m. Nov. 29, Marlborough police were called to a shooting at a residence on Rice Street. When officers arrived, there were two females and a child outside, and they told police that there was a shooting of a female roommate inside the home.

Police said they located Alves Trindade DaRocha, who lived in the home, and Moreira Costa dead from apparent gunshot wounds inside the residence.

Ryan and Giorgi said the preliminary investigation indicated that the two had been in a relationship. According

to police, Moreira Costa had threatened Alves Trindade DaRocha at his home the prior night. That morning, she returned to her home.

“Shortly before 10:05 a.m. the male came to the female’s home, forcing entry through a window. Once inside the male again threatened the female before shooting her and then himself,” the release said.

According to the release, the investigation is ongoing and is being led by Ryan’s office and State Police detectives assigned to her office along with the Marlborough Police Department.

POLICE LOG The information in the police log is obtained directly from the official records maintained at each police station in our circulation area.

Those arrested are innocent until proven guilty. The Community Advocate will publish news of acquittals upon notification and a copy of court issued documentation. 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 Monday, Nov. 20 11:06 a.m. Kallander Dr. Larceny/ forgery/fraud.

2:22 p.m. Boston Rd. MVA property damage only.

2:24 p.m. Turnpike Rd. MVA property damage only.

4:52 p.m. Constitution Dr. Vandalism.

Wednesday, Nov. 22 5:51 a.m. Oak Hill Rd. MVA property damage only.

1:39 p.m. Woodland/Breakneck Rds. MVA property damage only.

3:41 p.m. Sears Rd./Sadie Hutt Ln. Tree/limb down in roadway.

5:56 p.m. Turnpike/Middle Rds. Road hazard.

Thursday, Nov. 23 1:06 a.m. Arrested, John B. Rivera Jr., of Interfaith Ter., Framingham, for OUI-liquor or .08%, negligent operation of motor vehicle, speeding.

Monday, Nov. 27

8:20 a.m. Southville Rd. Animal complaint.

11:33 a.m. Flagg Rd. Tree/limb down in roadway.

Grafton Sunday, Nov. 19 8:52 a.m. Brigham Hill/Crosby Rds. Animal complaint.

7:34 p.m. Worcester St. Accident – with animal.

Monday, Nov. 20 7:14 a.m. Follette St. B&E – past.

5:20 p.m. Main St. Accident – with animal.

9:53 p.m. Brigham Hill Rd. Larceny/ theft.

Tuesday, Nov. 21 8:21 a.m. Mass Pike W. Fire – motor vehicle.

2:05 p.m. Brigham Hill Rd. Accident – no injuries.

3:18 p.m. Worcester St. Fraud/ identity theft.

Wednesday, Nov. 22 10:59 a.m. Institute Rd. Threatening.

3:50 p.m. Orchard St. Fraud/identity theft.

Thursday, Nov. 23 11:04 a.m. Main St. Accident – personal injury.

4:33 p.m. Providence Rd. Annoying phone call.

Friday, Nov. 24 1:31 p.m. Providence Rd. Fraud/ identity theft.

1:45 p.m. Main St. Wires down.

Saturday, Nov. 25 4:54 p.m. Old Westboro Rd. Accident – with animal.

8:23 p.m. Mass Pike W. Accident – personal injury.

Northborough Wednesday, Nov. 22 6:13 p.m. Coolidge Cir. Animal calls.

Thursday, Nov. 23 6:39 p.m. South/West Main Sts. Accident: P.D. Friday, Nov. 24 6:56 a.m. Avalon Dr./Shops Way. Dog compliant.

10:31 a.m. West Main St. Assault.

Saturday, Nov. 25 9:36 a.m. Belmont St./Southwest Cutoff. Accident: P.D. 5:59 p.m. Arrested, Abdulrahman Yussuf IV, 18, of 29 Laurel St., Apt. 16, Worcester, for larceny over $1200 by single scheme.

Sunday, Nov. 26 2:16 p.m. Brewer St. Dog compliant.

4:00 p.m. Coolidge Cir. Animal calls.

Monday, Nov. 27 11:39 a.m. Scott Ln. Fraud.

12:15 p.m. Boundary St. Fraud.

3:08 p.m. Main St./Patty Ln. Accident: P.D. 4:14 p.m. Church St. Animal calls.

Tuesday, Nov. 28 5:18 p.m. Arrested, James Riley Barnett, 41, of 246 Brewer St., Northborough, for negligent operation of motor vehicle, OUI-liquor or .08%, possess open container of alcohol in MV, child endangerment while OUI, child under 8 years & under 58 inches without car seat, use electronic device while operating MV 1st offense.

6:11 p.m. Patrick Dr. Animal calls.

7:40 p.m. Sterling Ct. Fraud.

Wednesday, Nov. 29 11:50 a.m. St James Dr. Fraud.

2:03 p.m. Berkley Rd. Fraud.

WESTBOROUGH – A cardboard box that was set on fire led to a fire in the Westborough Police Department lobby, according to the statement of facts filed in Westborough District Court.

Theresa Abichaker has been charged with three counts of burning a public building, three counts of attempting to burn a public building, vandalizing property and fire negligence.

The Westborough Fire Department was dispatched to the report of a fire in the lobby of the police station at 8:19 p.m.

Nov. 26.

Three officers responded to the station from the scene of a crash on East Main Street. Abichaker, who had been a passenger involved in the crash, had been taken to the lobby to wait for a ride right before.

When police arrived at the station and opened the door to the lobby, “we were met by heavy smoke and water flowing from the lobby,” police

Shrewsbury Wednesday, Nov. 22 1:51 p.m. Main St. Accident with injury.

4:41 p.m. Arrested, Neil P. Callahan, 41, of 6 Follette St., Grafton, for OUI liquor, neg operation of MV (operate to endanger).

Thursday, Nov. 23 1:47 a.m. Holden St. Illegal dumping.

4:05 p.m. Grafton St. Road hazard – trees/wires/debris.

5:39 p.m. Old Mill Rd. Harassment.

Friday, Nov. 24 1:54 a.m. Arrested, Christiana M. Connolly, 32, of 11 Rawson Pl., Shrewsbury, on warrants.

11:36 a.m. Mercury Dr. Animal complaint.

11:42 a.m. Hapgood Way. Animal complaint.

3:54 p.m. Grafton St. Road hazard – trees/wires/debris.

Saturday, Nov. 25 1:56 p.m. Hartford Tpke. Assaults.

6:26 p.m. Boston Tpke. Road hazard – trees/wires/debris.

6:45 p.m. Arrested, Guirvens Kris Bayard, 21, of 182 Greeley St., Apt. 182, Clinton, on warrant.

wrote in the court documents.

An officer reported seeing Abichaker in the lobby at the time of the fire. According to the statement of facts, there was an attempt to set fire to a cardboard box, an American flag and a wreath located on the door of the lobby. Police said that the cardboard box was the only item that caught fire, and the wall near the box was also charred.

The fire department said that there wasn’t anyone inside of the lobby, and Westborough police set up a perimeter.

According to the statement of facts, there was a 911 call around 9 p.m. from a woman “reporting she was pregnant, running from the cops and was lost.”

The call was reportedly traced near Beach Street.

Police said they located Abichaker about 100 yards from any residences in the woods.

She was arraigned in Westborough District Court on Nov. 27 and ordered held pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Dec. 4.

Sunday, Nov. 26 8:36 a.m. Walnut St. Road hazard – trees/wires/debris.

9:34 a.m. Hapgood Way. Animal complaint.

2:40 p.m. Holden St. Road hazard – trees/wires/debris.

4:42 p.m. Holden/Bow Sts. Road hazard – trees/wires/debris.

5:56 p.m. Maple Ave. Hit and run accident.

Tuesday, Nov. 28 8:51 a.m. Hartford Tpke. Road hazard – trees/wires/debris.

2:27 p.m. Arbor Dr. Trespassing.

2:55 p.m. Main St. Animal complaint.

Thursday, Nov. 30 10:03 a.m. Tuscan Place. Animal complaint.

10:15 a.m. Laurel Ave. B&E motor vehicle.

10:52 a.m. Hartford Tpke. Larceny by check.

10:58 a.m. Laurel Ave. Vandalism.

12:24 p.m. Main St. Threats.

6:38 p.m. Arrested, William Joseph Boria, 57, of 20 Nelson Point Rd., Shrewsbury, on warrant.

Friday, Dec. 1 6:02 a.m. South Quinsigamond/ South Brook St. Road hazard – trees/wires/debris.

28 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

COMMUNITY CLASSIFIED Interested in placing a FOR SALE • SERVICE • YARD SALE • RENTAL • PRAYER • CAREER MARKETPLACE ad?

Contact Cindy at 508-366-5500 or send an email to cindy@communityadvocate.com. We’ll design your ad for you!

CLASSIFIED DEADLINE IS FRIDAY AT NOON, ONE WEEK PRIOR TO PUBLICATION DATE

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Local BUSINESS

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 29

COMMUNITY NEWS

Marlborough mayor-elect announces transition program

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

PHOTO/MAUREEN SULLIVAN

MARLBOROUGH – With less than one month before the city welcomes a new administration, the incoming mayor has announced his transition program.

On Nov. 29, Mayor-elect J. Christian Dumais announced the formation of his 25-member transition team.

The team will serve as an allvolunteer advisory body for the mayor-elect in a wide variety of areas affecting the city, including community outreach, economic development, housing, recreational and green space, education and senior issues.

The transition team will be made up of a diverse group of volunteers who are Marlborough residents and business owners. Each member will represent different segments of the population. The team will include representatives from the senior community; parents and parent-teacher organizations; Brazilian and Hispanic communities; business owners; veterans; public library users; nonprofit leaders; local clergy; a west side fire station committee member; the disability community; and several at-large community representatives.

“The goal of our transition team is to ensure individuals from all walks of life have the opportunity to make their voice heard when discussing Marlborough’s future. We are transitioning from the longestserving administration in Marlborough’s history. It is time we reflect on what we have done well, what can be done better, and what can be done different.

I want to thank those who are willing to serve on the team for their commitment and time,” said Dumais.

Marlborough resident and former Ward 5 City Councilor Maura Navin was named as chair of the transition team by Dumais. In addition to her time on the City Council, Navin held previous professional roles at the American Heart Association and WhippleHill Inc. For the last eight years she has been the CEO and founder of LillaBlu Strategies, a holistic marketing company that assists small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Navin also serves on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest and as vice chair of the AMSA board of

J. Christian Dumais gets ready to vote on election day. The mayor-elect has now announced his transition program ahead of his inauguration.

directors.

“Maura brings a diverse background in marketing, communications and public service that will be invaluable to leading the committee in a variety of areas. In addition to her strong professional background, she is a resident who has a deep passion for the city and its success. I am extremely grateful to her service leading the transition team, and look forward to working with her,” said Dumais.

While not members of the formal transition team, former Mayor Nancy Stevens and incoming Chief of Staff Ryan Egan will be assisting the team over the coming weeks.

Egan will be serving as transition manager as well as chief of staff. He served as campaign manager for the mayor-elect’s election campaign.

For the last six years, Egan has served as a town councilor for the town of Randolph. He previously worked in the office of two mayors; most recently in the Office of Mayor Charlie Sisitsky in Framingham, and in the Office of Mayor Arthur Vigeant prior to that.

“I am confident that Ryan’s background in municipal government coupled with his familiarity of Marlborough will serve the office and residents extremely well,” said Dumais.

Egan’s work will include assisting the mayor with day-today city operations; managing initiatives and projects across city departments; coordinating media relations for the mayor, and providing guidance to the mayor on a wide variety of topics facing the city.

“It is my immense privilege to be asked to serve Mayorelect Dumais and the residents of Marlborough,” Egan said. “I greatly look forward to assisting

the mayor-elect in making sure Marlborough remains the top place in the Commonwealth to live, work and play.”

Since election night, both Dumais and Egan have been working on a productive transition with Mayor Arthur Vigeant and his staff.

Website and community survey Dumais also announced the launch of his official tran-

sition website. This site will provide updates on the transition; information about the inauguration; his transition staff and team; forms for scheduling and press requests; and a community survey for the public.

The purpose of the survey would be to solicit feedback from residents and business owners in Marlborough about the issues facing the city.

There are a few pointed ques-

tions, as well as an openended field where participants can share their thoughts on any issues they wish.

“I am extremely excited to announce both the transition website and community survey,” said Dumais. “Too often, residents and business owners not only feel left in the dark but have no outlet to share their concerns and ideas. Our website and community survey aims to solve both of those issues.”

Constituent services issues (specific potholes, individual cases, etc.) have their own section of the website. These types of issues should not be included within the survey.

Residents can visit the transition website and fill out the survey at www.MayorChristianDumais.com.

Dumais will be sworn into office on Monday, Jan. 1, at 10 a.m. at Whitcomb Middle School, 25 Union St. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

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30 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

COMMUNITY SPORTS Midland-Wachusett League announces 2023 fall all-star selections coverage area here:

REGION – The Midland-Wachusett League has announced the 2023 fall all-stars.

The Midland-Wachusett League includes Algonquin Regional High School, Shrewsbury High School, Marlborough High School, Westborough High School, Hudson High School and 25 other schools throughout Central Massachusetts.

The league recognized several football players in the Community Advocate coverage area. The Division B offensive (Andrew Pisciotta) and defensive MVPs (Joe Marino) came from Westborough. Hudson had both Division C MVPs; Jake Attaway took the offensive honor, while Garrett Giorgio claimed the defensive trophy.

Shrewsbury’s Cooper Ackerman (Division A, Defensive

FOOTBALL Shrewsbury (Division A) • Jarrett Ellis (Offensive Team) • Evan Romano (Offensive Team) • Josiah Spiegel (Offensive Team) • Cooper Ackerman (Defensive Team, Defensive Team MVP) • Casey Gingras (Defensive Team) • Ryan Keddy (Defensive Team) • Ethan LePoer (Defensive Team) • Billy Porter (Academic) Algonquin (Division A) • Owen Ellsworth (Offensive) • Liam Snyder (Offensive) • Aidan Callaghan (Defensive) • Kelvin Crispo (Defensive) • Dominic Frallicciardi (Defensive) • McKay Beckman (Academic)

PHOTO/EVAN WALSH

By Evan Walsh Reporter

Hudson’s Jake Attaway was named the Division C Offensive Team MVP.

MVP) was also recognized.

Shrewsbury had two Division A soccer MVPs (Kamden Carll and Meghan Dowd).

Marlborough’s Ava VanBuskirk took the Division B soccer MVP.

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Marlborough (Division B) • Miguel Borges (Offensive Team) • Tyler Moore (Offensive Team, Academic) • Pedro Ramos (Offensive Team) • Fernando Rodrigues (Offensive Team) • Akrif Semakula (Defensive Team) Westborough (Division B) • Andrew Pisciotta (Offensive Team, Offensive Team MVP) • Julian Cespedes (Offensive Team) • Dan Hackett (Offensive Team) • Cam Petralia (Offensive Team, Academic) • Aryan Bhatia (Defensive Team) • Thomas Cashman (Defensive Team) • Ben Friedberg (Defensive Team) • Addison Last (Defensive Team) • Joe Marino (Defensive Team, Defensive Team MVP) Hudson (Division C) • Jake Attaway (Offensive Team, Offensive Team MVP) • Brandon Figueiredo (Offensive Team) • Logan Luz (Offensive Team) • Joe Edie (Defensive Team) • Garrett Giorgio (Defensive Team, Defensive Team MVP) • Owen Nanartowich (Defensive Team) • Cam Yates (Defensive Team) 508-366-8302 • JJ Senske (Academic) BOYS SOCCER Shrewsbury (Division A) • Ben Barrett (1st Team) • Kamden Carll (MVP) • Brandon Curtis (1st Team) • Tedi Ajazi (2nd Team) • Brayden Mahoney (2nd Team) • Nate Nardella (2nd Team) • Harris Yang (2nd Team) • Shiv Patel (Academic) Algonquin (Division A) • Garrett Burns (1st Team) • Max Oelkers (1st Team) • Zach Ruthfield (1st Team) • Keenan Siao (1st Team) • David Downey (2nd Team) • Eric Sun (Academic) Westborough (Division A) • Saad Naseer (1st Team) • Max Aires (2nd Team) • Chris Deane (2nd Team) • Simon Bleier (2nd Team) Hudson (Division B) • John Kuhn (1st Team) • Nicholas Woodford (2nd

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023 • 31

COMMUNITY SPORTS Team) • Thomas Downin (Academic) Marlborough (Division B) • Isaac Meireles (1st Team) • Marcelo Silva, Jr. (1st Team) • Bruno Guimaraes (2nd Team) • Dominic Huerta (2nd Team) • Nicholas Labbe (2nd Team) • Stiven Virula (2nd Team) • Luiz Bernardes (Academic)

FIELD HOCKEY Shrewsbury (Division A) • Bridget McLaughlin (1st Team) • Allie Moore (1st Team) • Emma Heald (2nd Team) • Emma Keeley (2nd Team) • Madi Rubley (Academic) Algonquin (Division A) • Anna Bellville (1st Team) • Lindsey Brown (1st Team) • Taylor Mieth (1st Team) • Annie Harwich (2nd Team) • Meredith Wu (2nd Team, Academic) Marlborough (Division B) • Kacie Horn (1st Team) • Kyra Duane (1st Team) • Natalie Gulbankian (2nd Team) • Maggie Horn (2nd Team) • Catherine Seay (Academic) Westborough (Division B) • Cayla Ehrlich (1st Team)

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GIRLS SOCCER Shrewsbury (Division A) • Meghan Dowd (MVP) • Amanda Kalinowski (1st Team) • Paige McLaughlin (2nd Team) • Josie Sawyer (2nd Team) • Anya Pyro (Academic) Algonquin (Division A) • Mary Cate Megan (1st Team) • Dylan Lochhead (1st Team) • Kylie Tomasetti (1st Team) • Shaila Sehgal (1st Team) • Olivia Demember (2nd Team) • Ella Timmins (2nd Team) • Kate DiTullio (Academic) Westborough (Division A) • Molly Courchesne (1st Team) • Caroline Queenan (1st Team) • Brooke Rosenshine (1st Team, Academic) • Sadie Blumberg (2nd Team) • Sophie Boyd (2nd Team) • Addison Potenti (2nd Team) Hudson (Division B) • Erica Korowski (1st Team) • Layne Thomason (1st Team) • Anna Iacobucci (2nd Team) • Emma Leonardo (2nd Team) • Thuy-Tien Nguyen (Academic) Marlborough (Division B) • Meghan Deneen (1st Team) • Ava VanBuskirk (MVP, Academic) • Kaelyn Deneen (2nd Team) Abigail Healy (2nd Team)

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• Talia Bedar (2nd Team) • Abby Fiedler (2nd Team) • Shelly Hung (2nd Team) • Michelle Hung (Academic) Hudson (Division C) • Taylor Coyne (1st Team) • Lila Rice (1st Team) • Liv Connolly (2nd Team) • Avani Kashalikar (Academic) VOLLEYBALL Shrewsbury (Division A) • Gianna Boyers (1st Team) • Mackenzie Crandall (1st Team) • Lucy Marderosian (Academic) Algonquin (Division A) • Caroline Macaulay (1st Team) • Julianna Zimmer (1st Team) • Grace Chiota (2nd Team) • Lilly Morse (2nd Team) • Katherine Wu (Academic) Westborough (Division A) • Quinn Anderson (MVP) • Addyson Moore (1st Team) • Sam Norman (2nd Team) • Georgia Tyrrell (2nd Team) • Joyce Li (Academic) Hudson (Division B) • Addison Murphy (1st Team) • Lauren Shurling (MVP) • Jenn Yates (1st Team) • Ally Cassidy (2nd Team) • Kelsie Figueiredo (2nd Team) • Gillian Woodcome (Academic) Marlborough (Division C) • Juliana Aristizabal-Grisales (1st Team) • Ella Hobin (1st Team) • Lexi DeLeon (1st Team) • Alexis Ott (Academic) BOYS GOLF Shrewsbury (Division A) • Ryan Kelley • Syed Noorwez (Athletic and Academic) Algonquin (Division A) • Liam Dunn • Eddie Wen

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32 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 8, 2023

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