CA Jan/7/22

2021 year in review: Westborough

Court documents detail police chase through Westborough

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Vol. 48 | No. 1 | January 7, 2022

Northborough officials project $561 tax increase in FY23

By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter NORTHBOROUGH - Northborough residents may be facing an average tax increase of $561 in the 2023 fiscal year, or 6.8 percent, according to a presentation to town boards and committees last month.

“The reason for that, overwhelmingly, is the increase in the single-family home values,” Town Administrator John Coderre said Dec. 20.

Coderre presented a financial trend monitoring system report to the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, and appropriations and financial planning committees that projected that the average single-family home in Northborough would be valued at $546,657 in the 2023 fiscal year. That would be a 10 percent increase over current values.

The town is further projecting values to increase by two percent each year to ultimately reach $591,719 in the 2027 fiscal year.

Those values are based specifically on Northborough sales data.

“We haven’t seen values pop up like this in a very, very long time,” Coderre said.

He said the town is hoping to get more funds through state aid and local receipts revenue, which he said the town hopes will rebound with the pandemic in the rearview mirror.

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Shrewsbury students raise money for Red Cross following tornadoes

By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor SHREWSBURY - A number of Shrewsbury students are thanking fellow community members who supported their efforts to raise money for tornado victims late last month.

Together, Louie Duke and his neighbors, Brenna and Brayden Kent, raised over $350 to be sent to the Red Cross.

Those efforts followed a separate fundraiser during Spirit Week at Sherwood Middle School. The school raised a total of $2,100 to go to the Red Cross.

“There was a lot of people [who donated],” Brenna said in a recent interview with the Community Advocate.

“It felt good to help others,” she added.

Tornados spanned multiple states More than 70 people were killed after a series of tornadoes ripped across the central and southeast United States overnight between Dec. 10 and Dec. 11.

The worst of the storms carved a more than 165-mile path across Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky, packing winds as high as 190 miles per hour and decimating towns like Mayfield, Kentucky.

Tornado | 19

Above: Louie Duke, Brayden Kent and Brenna Kent pose for a photo with their hot cocoa stand fundraiser last month in Shrewsbury.

Below: Students in Bethany Jones’ classroom at Sherwood Middle School pose for a group photo after raising money for tornado victims.

2 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 3

Southborough rallies to support family displaced by car crash, fire THE

By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor

PHOTO/TAMI WHITE

WESTBOROUGH - Drone photography shows property at 4400 Computer Drive in Westborough. Amazon bought this large parcel last month in a $65 million deal with the property owner. The purchase comes after the firm Atlantic Management garnered Planning Board approval in July for a 221,000 square foot ecommerce facility on the property. See additional coverage on page 27.

letters to the editor

All letters should be 350 words or less. Letters can be emailed to news@communityadvocate.com or mailed to Managing Editor, Community Advocate, 32 South St. Westborough MA 01581. Letters must have the name, address and phone number of the person submitting it (only name and town will be printed.) Letters will be reviewed and printed at the discretion of the Editor for suitability. Letters that are deemed slanderous, libelous or attacking a person or organization will not be printed. Opinions expressed in the letters to the editor are not necessarily the opinion of the Community Advocate or its advertisers.

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A charred car rests in place where it collided with a home in Southborough.

road and careened into the Cocomazzi’s home just before 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 18.

The crash injured both the driver and a passenger. It also ignited a fire that spread into the home.

The occupants of the home were able to escape without injury.

Marlborough and Westborough firefighters aided in the response.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, police said.

Those interested can donate to the aforementioned GoFundMe campaign by visiting https://gofund.me/5c9186c8.

Wine Tasting!

The Community Advocate’s Policy on Letters to the Editor

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR:

SOUTHBOROUGH - A GoFundMe fundraiser had collected nearly $30,000 as of Jan. 1 to be given to a Southborough family displaced when a car crashed into their home on Framingham Road in town last month.

The GoFundMe was created just a matter of hours after the incident to benefit the Cocomazzi family. It initially set a fundraising goal of $15,000, but blew past that as the community rallied around the family.

“The family is doing well, but certainly overwhelmed with the process of getting their lives back in order,” noted the description attached to the fundraiser. “The purpose of this fundraiser is to allow our community that wants to help their friend and neighbor an avenue in which to do so especially during the Holiday Season.”

A Milford female is facing three charges including negligent operation of a motor vehicle after her car left the

PHOTO/VIA SOUTHBOROUGH FIRE DEPARTMENT

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Ryan Maloney, owner

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The Community Advocate is a weekly periodical, (U.S.P.S. # 014-423), published by Bagdon Advertising, Inc., with offices located at 32 South Street, Westborough, MA 01581.

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

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The majority of Côtes du Rhône wine does not require aging, even if a few wines do improve with time. Côtes du Rhône wines are also easy to pair with a variety of foods, like beef, pork, game, lamb, sausage, veal, and Asian dishes. They also pair well with a wide variety of soft and hard cheeses. If you are looking for a fabulous bottle of Côtes du Rhône, stop by JULIO’S LIQUORS at 140 Turnpike Rd., Rt. 9 East.

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4 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS Shrewsbury grapples with COVID-19 case increase

By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter SHREWSBURY - Shrewsbury recorded just over 250 new positive COVID-19 cases between Dec. 17 and Dec. 27, town officials said in a release to the public last week.

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released Dec. 27, Shrewsbury’s twoweek positivity rate is 6.02 percent with an average weekly case count of 55.5 for the week ending on Dec. 18.

Town Administrator Kevin Mizikar warned during a Dec. 21 Board of Selectmen meeting that a surge in cases is ongoing.

“You can see that we’re on a very serious and significant increase just like most of the rest of the country and definitely the rest of the Commonwealth,” Mizikar said.

Shrewsbury still has a mask mandate in effect, requiring masks in town buildings and private businesses. Mizikar noted that in his comments, Dec. 21.

“We just ask everyone to wear their mask and cooperate with that [to] keep everyone safe,” Mizikar said.

Shrewsbury offices return to hybrid Shrewsbury’s town offices went back to a hybrid operations model on Dec. 20.

This means staff are divided into A and B groups and rotate on

a weekly basis.

Mizikar said there would be no impact to the public. However, he asked for residents to be patient with any delays at Town Hall because staffing is currently at 50 percent.

“Many of our offices have three or four employees, and [if] one individual positive in that office, [that] could mean we would have to shutter the whole office,” Mizikar said.

He anticipated that Town Hall will be operating in this hybrid mode at least through the end of January.

Schools note post-Thanksgiving rise in COVID-19 cases Outside of Town Hall, Shrewsbury school officials documented 57 positive cases among students and staff as of Dec. 17.

When the School Committee met on Dec. 15, there were 28 cases specifically among students, representing roughly 0.5 percent of the student body.

“So, [it’s] still a relatively low percentage of students who are testing positive for COVID, but

more than we would like to see, of course, and a rising number compared to previous weeks and other parts of the school year,” Superintendent Joseph Sawyer said.

He noted at that time that there had been over 100 cases since Thanksgiving.

Experts, he said, had cautioned that the combination of Thanksgiving, colder weather and other holiday gatherings could prompt additional cases.

“That certainly is coming to pass,” Sawyer said.

He noted that only about 25 percent of students and staff are participating in the district’s routine COVID-19 safety testing program.

Sawyer encouraged students and staff to consider participating.

During the School Committee meeting, Sawyer discussed the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.

On Dec. 29, during a White House press briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that, while Omicron may be highly transmissible, there’s indication that it’s less severe than the Delta variant, though he cautioned against complacency.

Officials publicize vaccination clinic dates As of last week’s Board of Selectmen meeting, 75 percent of Shrewsbury residents were fully vaccinated while 86 percent had received at least one dose.

“We saw positive news that these vaccination numbers continue to increase…” Mizikar said. “[It’s] very hard to avoid contracting COVID, but the vaccine is very effective in keeping symptoms very mild and definitely keeping you out of the hospital.”

Mizikar noted that vaccination rates are growing in the five- to 11-year-old age bracket.

As of the selectmen’s meeting, 23 percent were fully vaccinated while 52 percent had received at least one dose.

Public health officials and local leaders alike continue to encourage community members to get vaccinated.

See up-to-date listings of vaccine clinics through the state’s VaxFinder system at vaxfinder. mass.gov.

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 5

COMMUNITY NEWS

Engineers to remove water lilies from Northborough’s Solomon Pond

By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter NORTHBOROUGH - Plans to remove vegetation from Solomon Pond in Northborough were approved by the Conservation Commission during its Dec. 13 meeting.

There is no public access to Solomon Pond.

Commission discusses plans In November, Conservation Agent Mia McDonald asked if they could remove a floating island, which is located near the outlet to the pond. She said the outlet was getting clogged

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

Homeowners association commissions survey, vegetation management Environmental engineer Dominic Meringolo and SOLitude Lake Management were hired by the Pond View Homeowners Association in 2019 to survey and recommend management of vegetation in Solomon Pond.

“Overall, the pond is in pretty good shape,” Meringolo told the Conservation Commission back in November. “There’s no invasive or non-native species aside from some purple loosestrife plants on the shoreline, but in the water itself there’s no nonnative species.”

He noted that the entire littoral zone, which is the shore area of the pond, has had heavy growth of water lilies.

The engineers plan to use mechanical hydro-raking and limited herbicide treatment in front of the Pond View properties, at least initially. Meringolo said it could be beneficial to expand this use throughout the pond.

Mechanical hydro-raking, he explained, uses a floating backhoe with a rake on the hydraulic arm that’s paddle wheel driven.

This will remove water lily root systems and plant materials in about a quarter of an acre in the pond.

“Really, our goal here is to slow the eutrophication of the lake and thin out some of the native vegetation,” Meringolo said.

Solomon Pond in Northborough abuts the Casta Diva restaurant and a number of private residences in town.

regularly.

That month, the commission and Meringolo further discussed the off-loading area for this project, and he later explained that they planned to have the removed vegetation dewater for a few hours before placing it either in a dumpster or a truck.

It was originally proposed to

be located near the outlet, but the town expressed interest in moving it to a nearby restaurant’s parking lot that was located next to the pond.

“It’s the only outlet to the pond [right] there. So, having a landing area right next to the outlet, we were worried about sedimentation,” McDonald said.

Additionally, the equipment has to be able to move around, she said.

Meringolo said the parking lot may not work because there’s a treeline between it and the water.

He said they would stay as far away from the outlet as they could, but that they would use the general area and fine tune it when they begin work.

McDonald asked for protection downstream. So, Meringolo suggested installing a turbidity curtain in front of the outlet, which the commission and McDonald voiced support for.

The floating barriers are commonly seen in construction projects in or around bodies of water, functioning to help contain stirred up silt, sediment, or other debris.

Although the commission ultimately issued a notice of intent for managing the vegetation in Solomon Pond, they asked for the engineers to submit plans for the dewatering area before they started work.

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6 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS

Southborough forms pocket park working group

By Susan Gonsalves Contributing Writer SOUTHBOROUGH - A working group to develop Southborough’s planned St. Mark’s Street pocket park will be composed of seven at-large members following a vote by the Southborough Board of Selectmen last month.

Initially, Selectman Andrew Dennington, who was charged with creating recommendations for the group, suggested two at-large members and one representative each from the Board of Selectmen, Historical Commission, Library Trustees, Cultural Arts, and Planning Board/ Community Preservation.

Dennington suggested a deadline of April 15 for the working group to present recommendations for what should be sited in the space that was formerly going to be a playground.

He noted that the area consists of a circular space in the middle of the property and does not affect already

A proposed pocket park within a larger intersection relocation project in Southborough has been the topic of considerable discussion in recent months.

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

planned winding walkways and plantings.

The park is part of a larger project on Marlborough Road involving added sidewalks, fixed drainage and the creation of a turn-around for school buses and fire trucks.

The park’s creation is a component of a $290,000 Shared Streets grant from the state, Department of Public Works Superintendent Karen Galligan said at a previous meeting prior to this discussion on Dec. 7.

Board Chair Lisa Braccio said the space presented “an amazing avenue for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.” She noted that its proximity to the library al-

lowed for more inclusive participation in programs.

Selectman Martin Healey said he noticed that Southborough’s noise bylaw committee is composed of unfamiliar faces — people who do not serve on other governmental boards.

“I find that incredibly refreshing,” Healey said.

He added that groups focused on public safety and work along Main Street were also mostly made up of citizens rather than government board members.

He said it would be better to explore why people are interested in the project rather than “stacking” the committee with politicians.

Also, Healey said that, while having a deadline gives people an end date to work toward, some flexibility should be allowed.

Selectman Sam Stivers recommended language be added calling for three meetings where public participation is “solicited and permitted.”

He was in favor of having representatives from the Historical Commission and Board of Library Trustees included in the makeup as well as five atlarge members.

Having more at-large members was preferred over possibly leaving out certain boards, said Selectman Chelsea Malinowski. Braccio supported having the group composition include representatives from the Board of Selectmen, Historical Commission and Board of Library Trustees.

Following a 2-2-1 split in preferences, Stivers agreed to a group consisting completely of at-large members instead, making the vote 3-2.

Dennington said

representative(s) from St. Mark’s School could be encouraged to get involved in a non-voting capacity, while Healey noted there may be a history teacher who wants to serve in the group and “throw his/her hat in the ring.”

Once the group is formed, members can decide whom they may want to consult with from the Nipmuc tribe and to what degree, Dennington said.

This project has prompted discussion at recent Board of Selectman meetings.

Though Board of Selectmen approved cutting six of nine trees in the area last month, town Historical Commission Chair Micthael Weishan had asked to halt the project altogether.

This, he said, would allow time to study any possible impact to gravesites at the nearby Old Burial Ground.

Likewise, he said the Historical Commission was disappointed in a decision to remove a proposed historical walk from the project plans.

The Marlborough Commuter Shuttle is back in service!

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 7

COMMUNITY NEWS

Shrewsbury selectmen discuss diversity, equity and inclusion consultant following report was structured.

She expressed concerns about a possible situation with the five selectmen in a room with a consultant and none of the stakeholders from the task force.

“To me, we’re still trying to determine what’s best in an arena where we have all admitted we’re not comfortable and we don’t know what’s best,” she said. “I’m just not able to square how we don’t somehow connect the people who have worked on the task force … or others who might have some background and experience in this area, even in their professional life, and look to those people in an advisory capacity as we work to form this committee.”

Samia said the selectmen have an end goal, but the board was grappling with how to get there. The consultants have experience in implementing measures in other communities, and they will be an objective voice to help the board move forward, he said.

“It’s actually good that we don’t have the answers now, but that is what, I think, a consultant [will] provide because no one has done this before in this community,” he said.

Both DePalo and Flynn expressed interest in having a path forward by their last meeting in January.

“I think we do need several weeks to look at what other towns are doing and what best practices are and see if there are others we want to get input from, whether it’s a consultant or other experts,” Flynn said.

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SHREWSBURY - After receiving a 38-page report from the town’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, the Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen weighed its next steps at a Dec. 14 meeting The task force presented its report to the selectmen in October, noting a number of suggestions, including one to establish a permanent committee.

The Board of Selectmen has reached out to consultants since it received the report.

Chair John Samia said on Dec. 14 that the board was waiting on a cost estimate from one consultant and an assessment of the scope of work from another.

Samia said the consultants were booked through 2021, but they had availability in 2022. He saw the process as concurrent with Shrewsbury’s ongoing work on a strategic plan.

His expectation was that the selectmen would move forward in early January.

Throughout the meeting Dec. 14, the selectmen discussed next steps, like engaging with a consultant and forming a permanent committee.

“I just don’t want too much time to pass before we really get started on this,” Selectman Beth Casavant said.

Selectman Maurice DePalo voiced his support for working with a consultant and tying the work into the strategic plan. The selectmen need to decide whether to take such a step with a consultant, he said.

“Maybe we could do some preliminary background work before that, but I would be inclined not to do too much until we’ve talked to the consultant and get their advice in a formal way that we haven’t gotten yet so we can start and get this thing done correctly from the beginning and not have to go back and redo something in the process,” he said.

Selectman Theresa Flynn said she wasn’t opposed to using a consultant to “bounce ideas off of.”

“I agree that we can drive the process in terms of establishing the committee, but

I think it’s important to the town and community that we’re clear about what we intend the committee to do,” she said.

Casavant said she saw the rationale for having a consultant help implement the recommendations in the final report.

“I guess my concern is that the more time that passes, I think the less goodwill we’re going to have from the community that we’re acting expeditiously on this,” Casavant said.

“I understand what both of my colleagues are saying, but speed is not necessarily the best way to move forward,” DePalo said.

When forming the task force, the selectmen learned they didn’t have as much knowledge to put it together, he said. The consultant can help guide the selectmen, he continued.

“I do not see the value of setting up a committee before this board has a good sense of really what we want done,” DePalo said.

Flynn countered that the committee would help the selectmen determine the path forward, which she said is the intent.

“We’re not going to know everything that we’re going to do. I think that this committee would engage with us to help us decide what the path forward is with DEI in Shrewsbury,” Flynn said.

Casavant, who served on the task force, said she felt the community had provided input from how the task force

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By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter

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8 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

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What everyone wants to know: Will home prices decline in 2022?

I

f you’re thinking of buying a home in today’s housing market, you may be wondering how strong your investment will be. You might be asking yourself: if I buy a home now, will it lose value? Or will it continue to appreciate going forward? The good news is, according to the experts, home prices are not projected to decline. Here’s why.

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With buyers still outweighing sellers, home prices are forecast to continue climbing in 2022, just at a slower or more moderate pace. Why the continued increase? It’s the simple law of supply and demand. When there are fewer items on the market than there are buyers, the competition for that item makes prices naturally rise.

And while the number of homes for sale today is expected to improve with more sellers getting ready to list

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their houses this winter, we’re certainly not out of the inventory woods yet. Thus, the projections show continued appreciation, but at a more moderate rate than what we’ve seen over the past year.

Here’s a look at the latest 2022 expert forecasts on home price appreciation:What’s the biggest takeaway from the graph? (Fig. 1). None of the major experts are projecting depreciation in 2022. They’re all showing an increase in home prices next year.

And here’s what some of the industry’s experts say about how that will play out in the housing market next year: Brad Hunter of Hunter Housing Economics explains: “. . . the recent unsustainable rate of home price appreciation will slow sharply. . . . home prices will not decline. . . but they will simply rise at a more sustainable pace.”

Danielle Hale from realtor. com agrees: “Price growth is expected to move back toward a normal range, but this is on top of recent high prices, . . . So prices will [still] hit new highs. . . . The pace of price growth is going to slow notably . . . ”

Fig. 1

What Does This Mean for the Housing Market?

While home price appreciation is expected to continue, it isn’t projected to be the recordbreaking 18 to almost 20% increase the market saw over the past 12 months. Overall, it’s important to note that price increases won’t be as monumental as they were in 2021 – but they certainly won’t decline anytime soon.

What Does That Mean for You? With motivated buyers in the market and so few homes available to purchase, the imbalance of supply and demand will continue to put upward pressure on home prices in 2022. And when home price appreciation is in the forecast, that’s a clear indication your investment in homeownership is a sound one.

Bottom Line It’s important to know that home prices are not projected to decline in the new year. Instead, they’re forecast to rise, just at a more moderate pace.

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 9

COMMUNITY NEWS

New analysis projects impact of proposed MGB expansion on health care costs

By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor REGION - A long-awaited independent cost analysis (ICA) says a proposed Mass General Brigham (MGB) clinic in Westborough would lead to a slight decrease in the overall costs for the services offered at the clinic.

That assessment comes as a part of a more than 90-page document produced by the firm Charles River Associates. It, in turn, comes after the state Department of Public Health had required MGB to commission such an analysis as part of its review of MGB’s proposal.

“The predicted changes in Mass General Brigham’s shares in the service areas of the Proposed Ambulatory Care Centers are modest and unlikely to meaningfully change the system’s bargaining leverage with health insurers,” notes an executive summary attached to the analysis.

Expansion would add clinic in Westborough MGB first pitched plans to open a series of new clinics as part of a larger expansion effort earlier this year.

One such clinic would be built in Westborough, occupying space in the Westborough Office Park off Route 9.

Local officials in Westborough have supported the project, eventually approving a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Agreement in September.

As local and regional backers of MGB’s expansion have argued for its merits, others have raised concerns, discussing fears that a new MGB facility would drive up local health care costs, among other things.

Mass General Brigham reacts to analysis MGB responded to the release of this independent cost analysis in a statement on Tuesday.

“Mass General Brigham’s effort to address two important issues for our patients in Massachusetts: provide greater access to care and reduce their costs is confirmed today by the Independent Cost Analysis,” that statement noted, in part.

The analysis said health care costs could still fluctuate.

Overall, though, it predicted a decrease of at least 0.1 percent in Westborough.

“For these reasons, we believe that the proposed project is consistent with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ health care cost-containment goals,” the analysis concluded.

Opponents of expansion respond A number of groups opposed to the MGB expansion joined forces earlier this year to form the Coalition to Protect Community Care.

The coalition shared its reaction to this ICA this week in a statement published by State House News Service.

“By only analyzing how the proposal will affect the costs of

MGB’s present patient panel and ignoring cost-drivers, such as the recruitment of commercially insured patients from low-cost providers and increased referrals to the state’s most expensive doctors and hospitals, the ICA inadequately examines long-term implications for the entire state and leaves residents of the Commonwealth with an incomplete picture of how this ill-advised proposal would alter the state’s

ers of the expansion react to this analysis, the Determination of Need process, which evaluates hospital expansions and transactions, remains ongoing.

“We look forward to moving ahead with the [Determination of Need] process, because now more than ever, Mass General Brigham patients want and need more access to health care, closer to their homes, at lower cost,” MGB said in its statement.

healthcare landscape,” a coalition spokesperson said.

Executives at UMass Memorial - Marlborough Hospital had separately shared their concerns on multiple occasions this year.

They specifically noted that they were worried the independent cost analysis would not be broad enough to present a comprehensive picture of the impacts of MGB’s expansion.

As opponents and support-

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10 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Westborough Schools administrators discuss response to hateful graffiti at WHS

By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor WESTBOROUGH - A series of incidents of hateful graffiti in Westborough High School prompted a range of emotions both within the school and the community at large last month.

As the district’s response to these incidents continues, administrators are condemning these actions while asking that conversations about them be contextualized.

“These are horribly upsetting incidents,” Superintendent Amber Bock told the Community Advocate on Dec. 22. “Westborough is focused on responding quickly and appropriately. We recognize the importance of keeping the community informed.”

WHS grapples with hateful graffiti The first of two separate

“

Westborough is focused on responding quickly and appropriately. We recognize the importance of keeping the community informed.

Amber Bock Superintendent

incidents took place in late November when the N-word was found written in a school stairwell.

A second incident then took place on Dec. 20, with school staff confirming that swastikas had been drawn in a boys bathroom.

A third incident took place on Dec. 21, with photos shared with the Community Advocate documenting additional hateful graffiti targeting a number of different marginalized

groups.

Westborough High School parent Renee Thompson said on Dec. 22 that she felt “shock and disbelief” following the swastika incident.

She then described the reaction her daughter and one of her daughter’s friends had to this latest instance of graffiti.

“They can’t believe this is happening in their school and feel disgusted and awful that it’s happening,” Thompson said.

Administrators detail response The Westborough Public Schools sent communication to parents following the late November and Dec. 20 incidents at Westborough High School.

The school initiated investigations and most recently held a series of discussions with students on Dec. 21 following the swastika incident the day before, Bock said.

Bock said that an additional investigation is ongoing regarding the third incident on Dec. 21.

“I feel protective, because I want to be able to be in this place of complete transparency and honesty, and yet I also feel that sometimes we’re in the middle of active investigations, and it’s not productive to be speaking about things,” she said in response to a question about that Dec. 21 graffiti.

“I think we can be clear that

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things are being done and that we have a very stringent and thoughtful and intense…investigation process that includes police when necessary and thoughtful investigation, interviewing [and] photographing,” she continued. “We’re very thoughtful, and we don’t sidestep those responsibilities.

We take them very seriously.

And we make sure that we’re very systematic about it.”

Bock said the district has “a very good history of solving issues like this” and credited that to the care with which she said it handles such situations.

She noted that graffiti cases can be inherently hard to solve and said that Westborough has seen “very few” such cases over the years. Still, she said, each incident is upsetting and has an impact on the community.

In terms of its recent response, Bock described the district’s “stop and pause” conversation with Westborough High School students on Dec. 21, which included discussions about actions the district can take going forward.

Westborough Assistant Superintendent Daniel Mayer said central office administrators were in contact with Westborough High School Principal Brian Callahan throughout the day on Dec. 21. As such, he said, they heard feedback from ongoing discussions at the high school.

“There was a very strong consensus among the students that they were embarrassed and disappointed in the fact that these two incidents had happened,” Mayer said. “And they wanted to make sure that they’re not associated with those kinds of attitudes.”

District conducted survey on school climate The Westborough Public Schools previously conducted a survey last year examining perceptions of race, racism, diversity and inclusion in school communities.

Administrators then presented the results of that survey to the School Committee, highlighting areas and issues that the district, indeed, needed to address.

Graffiti | 11

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 11

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Graffiti | from page 10

Mayer discussed recent incidents, noting those in the context of district efforts and conversations in schools.

“Students will do things that they shouldn’t do,” he said. “We need to have discussions about it. But just because we have two incidents of graffiti, we have to be careful about how we go about responding to that, and not, sort of making it seem as if there’s a global problem when it might be just one or two people that are trying to get the attention of members of the community.”

Bock noted in a Dec. 20 email to parents that the district had already planned a student feedback session “to discuss ways in which students and staff can work to make our school as the respectful place we want it to be and that it needs to be.”

This event had been scheduled prior to these most recent graffiti incidents. It is another part of ongoing district efforts to improve school climate, among other things, Bock said.

Hate speech challenges schools, society All this does take place amid larger issues of hate speech in schools and in society.

A number of other districts across the state and the country have grappled with such incidents.

Locally, beyond graffiti, Westborough officials have called for increased civility in community debates around everything from Columbus Day, to masking in schools during COVID-19.

“Permission has been given by adults in the last several years to make these kinds of comments,” Mayer said. “Our children are just mimicking what they see in society.

And the reason why you’re seeing an uptick in this kind of behavior in schools is not mysterious, given what we’ve seen in the world over the last several years.”

Outside groups, individuals respond to Westborough incidents Central Massachusetts Connections in Faith de-

nounced recent hateful graffiti in a letter to the editor published in last week’s Community Advocate.

The Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts issued its own statement on Dec. 20 following news of the swastika graffiti that day. They commended the actions of Westborough school officials and said they had reached out to the district to offer support.

Sen. Jamie Eldridge weighed in as well, responding to these incidents while also praising the actions of district administrators to address them.

Bock said she was proud of her district’s actions following these graffiti incidents as she was proud of Westborough students, themselves.

“We also don’t want to minimize the incredibly good behavior of the vast majority of our students, down to feeling that this incident defines them,” she said. “They want to condemn that behavior publicly and step out against it.”

Melican Middle School gives students a musical send-off to the winter break

By Cindy Zomar Education Coordinator NORTHBOROUGH - The Melican Middle School music department defied frigid temperatures on Dec. 23 to keep up a holiday tradition of performing a musical “send off” for students before the winter break from classes.

The music department gathered outside the school entrance

to play a mini holiday concert as students were released from school at the end of the day.

According to Guidance Counselor Julie Morancy, the musical send-off has been a tradition at Melican for over 30 years. The smiles and cheers from the students resonated with music staff members Dave Daquil, Averi Parece and Kate Getchell, making the cold temperatures bearable.

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12 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Shrewsbury talks future athletic facilities projects

By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter SHREWSBURY - Shrewsbury High School (SHS) athletic leaders have identified a series of potential improvements, ranging from replacing the school’s press box to improvements to the baseball and softball fields.

“We had some major damage and issues with our press box,” Director of Athletics Jay Costa told the School Committee last month.

This discussion of improvements was part of a report on Shrewsbury’s athletic programs presented by Costa and SHS Principal Todd Bazydlo.

The process of replacing the press box is estimated to cost $250,000, according to Costa.

That’s substantially lower than a $500,000 assessment generated by engineers about three years ago.

“I think we could go to more of a [prefabricated] type [of] press box that is more user friendly than the one that we have now, which brings the cost

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down,” Costa said.

Costa identified several projects for the future, including adding more storage near the school’s stadium for equipment and adding fencing and netting around the lower soccer fields.

He also noted the possible addition of screen protectors around the tennis courts.

He continued, discussing improvements to the fences, dugouts and storage facilities at the high school’s baseball and softball fields.

“We’re very grateful for the booster organization and the students raising money. They were able to fix and repair the infields of the baseball and softball fields, which made a major difference in our playing ability,” Costa said.

Work on the dugouts is estimated to cost between $30,000 and $40,000 per field, he estimated.

Other considerations included establishing boys and girls soccer at the middle school level and reviewing and implementing a five-year strategic plan to

replace shells and equipment for the SHS crew team.

Costa said that Shrewsbury High School is the second largest public school in Central Massachusetts behind Wachusett Regional High School.

“If you look at both Wachusett Regional, Shrewsbury High School and even Algonquin Regional High School and you look at our athletic programs, we’re built more like a Division

By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter SOUTHBOROUGH - The Southborough School Committee got a first look last month at the district’s preliminary budget for the 2023 fiscal year, which is calling for an

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could help with crowd control and other needs during games.

“It would not surprise me if some time in the not too distant future that we try to have another capital campaign to continue to improve the facilities,” Superintendent Joseph Sawyer said after the presentation.

He said some of the other elements — like the human resources — are part of the budget process.

Southborough school district proposes $22.8 million preliminary budget

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Three college with the offerings that we’re providing for our students,” Costa said.

As the school grows, he suggested looking into either fulltime or part-time athletic trainers, particularly at events at the middle school level as football programs expand.

Costa also suggested more coverage from either an assistant athletic director or seasonal site supervisor position, who

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increase of 4.75 percent from the FY2022 budget.

The Public Schools of Southborough’s preliminary budget is being proposed at $22,767,484.

“It’s early on in the budget season, and there’s a lot of work to move forward with,” Superintendent Greg Martineau said.

Inflation one of several variables influencing budget Martineau said there are three variables in the budget.

Two of the variables — Chapter 70 funding and new legislation and out of district special education funding — are typical in the school department’s budget process.

The new third variable is inflation.

“We are seeing rising costs in goods and services, and that inflation is something we are concerned about when we think about fiscal year [2023],” Martineau said.

In October, the school principals and administrators worked to create their preliminary budgets. Those initial requests came in at $23.9 million, which would be a $2.1 million increase from the 2022 fiscal year.

That was later reduced to the $22.8 million preliminary budget.

According to Martineau’s presentation, the district is anticipating just over $1 million in increases for instructional hardware, the maintenance of the buildings and grounds, collaborative tuitions and increases for salaries and cost

of living.

Southborough is anticipating over $1 million in budget offsets coming in the form of retirements and offsets from the state’s Circuit Breaker reimbursements for Special Education and out-of-district placement-related transportation.

However, Martineau said the number of people who may be retiring is still unknown.

This preliminary budget does not include request for new positions, which totaled 5.6 full time equivalents (FTE) from principals and directors.

Those positions include a 2.0 FTE request for reading tutors, a 1.0 FTE request for an English language development tutor, a 1.5 FTE request for a Special Education teacher and a 0.5 FTE request for a team chairperson.

Additionally, staff requested 0.3 FTE for a human resources generalist and 0.3 FTE for a board certified behavior analyst. Those positions would be shared across Southborough, Northborough and the regional district.

Officials plan next step The next step is for the Southborough leadership team to meet and identify priorities, including prioritized positions.

In this step, the team will examine where there may be additional savings.

In the upcoming months, Martineau will present his recommended budget to the School Committee.

The School Committee will then hold a public hearing during its March 9 meeting.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 13

HELP US HELP YOU STAY HEALTHY IN THE NEW YEAR. STAND WITH US AGAINST COVID‑19.

At UMass Memorial Health, we are committed to bringing health and healing to you, our community. This is what we stand for. We stand up against pain and pandemics. We’re doing everything we can to protect our patients, our employees and our community from the harm of COVID‑19. Despite our best efforts, we continue to see so much avoidable illness and death caused by this horrible pandemic.

We can’t succeed without you.

Our hospitals are overflowing with patients, many of them critically ill. The COVID‑19 pandemic has strained our ability to provide you and your loved ones with the immediate care you may need. Every day, amidst the crush of patients with COVID‑19, we’re working relentlessly to care for patients suffering from strokes, heart attacks, cancer, and car accidents. It’s not sustainable.

COVID‑19 is seriously threatening your access to health care, and we can’t end the pandemic on our own. We need your help to stop the spread of this terrible disease. So much is at stake.

We urgently need you to: • Get vaccinated and boosted.

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14 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS

2021 year in review: Westborough

By Dakota Antelman, Managing Editor

WESTBOROUGH - As 2021 winds down, the Community Advocate is taking a look back at major stories that shaped the past 12 months.

From COVID-19, to a new school, 2021 has been an eventful year in local news.

Read on for our recap of this year’s top Westborough stories…

New Fales School opens, demolition begins at old school Students transitioned from the old Fales Elementary School building to a new structure on the same property this past fall, marking a major step forward in a long-running effort to replace the old Fales school.

The new building boasts a number of renewable energy measures, including geothermal systems and solar panels on its roof.

Students are now settling in as demolition crews work to dismantle the old school.

PHOTO/TAMI WHITE

PHOTO/COURTESY MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM

Mass General Brigham proposes Westborough expansion Health care giant Mass General Brigham first pitched plans for a new ambulatory care clinic in Westborough in the spring of 2021.

The clinic would be situated in the Westborough Office Park and would be part of a larger expansion effort by MGB involving other facilities in Massachusetts and New

Hampshire.

Westborough public officials have voiced support for the expansion, joining others in the community in celebrating MGB’s efforts.

MGB has also faced opposition, though, with many arguing the expansion would lead to an increase in health care costs in the region.

Year in review | 15

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 15

COMMUNITY NEWS Year in review | from page 14

COVID-19 lingers through 2021

E.L. Harveys acquired by Waste Connections

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

The community navigated another year of COVID-19 in 2021 playing a major role in the region’s vaccine rollout before handling later coronavirus case surges and local debates about masking and other virus precautions.

Westborough was, indeed, the host of a vaccine clinic through parts of the spring and summer. Operating out of the DoubleTree hotel off Route 9, that clinic came together through the collaboration of several area towns.

Community members celebrated a major dip in case rates

over the summer before seeing such rates rise through the fall and into this winter.

Westborough High School and Gibbons Middle School briefly transitioned to a flexible masking model last month, acting on a state waiver that gave Westborough local control over its school-masking policies.

The schools transitioned back to mandatory masking prior to the holiday break, though.

This week, the Board of Health took its response a step further, instituting a mask mandate for Westborough.

The family-owned E.L. Harveys & Sons was acquired by the much larger Waste Connections in September.

E.L Harveys boasts a 110-year record in town, providing a number of waste hauling, transfer and recycling services in area communities.

Waste Connections is a publicly traded waste management company.

Though it also has headquarters in Texas, it has listed its facility in Ontario, Canada as its primary headquarters on federal Form 10-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

PHOTO/LAURA HAYES

Volleyball team makes playoff run

PHOTO/LAURA HAYES

The Westborough High School girls volleyball team won its way into a state championship match against Hopkinton this past fall.

Though the Rangers lost that final match, the team captured the attention of many in town, not only winning games, but doing so in near-perfect fashion. They racked up at least 17 3-0 shutout wins over various opponents and claimed other honors such as the CMADA tournament championship on their way to the state title game.

16 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

REGION

Court documents detail police chase through Westborough

By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor WESTBOROUGH - A car chase and foot pursuit led to an arrest on a charge of a “possession of counterfeit notes” near the Westborough/Grafton town line on Dec. 17, according to Westborough Police.

Police addressed this matter in a statement on Dec. 23.

Court documents viewed by the Community Advocate on Dec. 27 now provide additional details about that chase and police efforts to make their arrest.

This Dec. 17 incident began around 6:15 p.m., police say, when a Westborough officer saw a lone female walking on a dirt access road between the Primrose Car Wash and Target store off Route 9 in Westborough.

The officer saw a man who was following the woman and calling out to her.

“Believing that a domestic incident may have occurred, the Westborough Police Officer attempted to identify both the

Willard Street splits off Westborough Road just inside Grafton at the Westborough/ Grafton town line. Police arrested a man in this area last week after he led them on a car chase and a foot pursuit.

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

male and female party,” police wrote in a statement Dec. 23.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Westborough District Court, the officer spoke with the suspect before activating his vehicle’s lights to arrest him.

The suspect, who was later identified as Yamahi Hogarth, 36, of New York, fled the scene however, leaving the Target parking lot and turning onto Route 9 police said.

Police broadcasted a description of Hogarth’s vehicle

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and later received calls from drivers reporting a vehicle “operating erratically toward Westborough Center” that matched the description of his car, according to the complaint.

An officer found the vehicle on West Main Street and activated his lights and siren to try to pull him over.

However, Hogarth continued, eventually turning his vehicle lights off and crossing into oncoming traffic, according to the complaint.

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“Yamahi displayed a blatant disregard for the safety of the motoring public during this reckless manner of escaping law enforcement in his vehicle,” Officer Christopher Traynor wrote.

Police clocked Hogarth’s vehicle traveling at 45 miles per hour in a “well posted 30 mph zone.” Officers eventually deployed spike strips, prompting Hogarth to get out of his car and flee on foot after crossing into Grafton, the complaint said.

Grafton and Westborough police worked together, reportedly using Westborough K9 Lukas and a drone to find Hogarth in a dark wooded area near Willard Street in Grafton.

“K9 Lukas was able to track and apprehend the suspect with his handler,” police wrote in their statement.

Police found “a large sum of US currency” in a handbag on Hogarth’s person during the booking process, according to the complaint.

Lukas and his handler also recovered currency “during an

article search,” the complaint said.

Police seized this money along with receipts for stores and a cell phone. They also seized Hogarth’s vehicle and its contents, according to their complaint.

All told, police found $7,251 on Hogarth, including $5,300 in $100 bills “all believed to be counterfeit,” officers said.

Police said in their statement on Dec. 23 that the Secret Service confirmed these bills were counterfeit.

They added that the counterfeit money and stolen merchandise they seized was worth a total value of $9,000.

Hogarth has been charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, possession of a counterfeit note and intimidation of a witness. Hogarth is also facing a marked lanes violation, a lights violation, and offenses for speeding and failing to yield.

He was due to be arraigned on Dec. 20.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 17

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he Shrewsbury Town Center Association would like to acknowledge the following sponsors of the 2021 Light the Common and Yuletide Market event. Without their commitment and those of more than one hundred individuals and families, the event would not be the success that it has become.

Photo credit: Lauren Hamm

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18 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS

Northborough officials project $561 tax increase in FY23

“

Tax | from page 1

The reason for that, overwhelmingly, is the increase in the single-family home values.

an average of $184 per year between 2011 and 2022. However, Coderre said, such figures will be unlikely moving forward.

“All the pressure because of what’s happening with state aid, the fact that we’re reaching build out — all of these $24.4 million on general govthings factor into additional ernment. pressure on the single-family home tax bill,” Coderre said.

How Northborough got Continued commercial and through the pandemic industrial development will As part of Coderre’s presenhelp mitigate some of this tation, he reviewed the town’s impact on taxpayers, as will financial health, saying Northefforts to minimize budget inborough is in “relatively good creases, working to maintain financial condition.” services without significant Coderre said Northborough staffing or service increases, moved through the COVID-19 Coderre said. pandemic with “flying colors.”

The town is anticipating a “We weren’t slashing and 3.39 percent increase in the cutting services,” he said. “The budget for Northborough’s oncepts general government and eduschools were able to continue tal Group doing what they do. Public cation services. safety had the resources they That translates to spending Revised about $41.9 million on eduneeded. We had an appropriate, if not stellar response to cation, including payments the pandemic. We still conto Assabet Valley Vocational DENTAL tinue to be a leader statewide Technical High School, and

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John Coderre Town Administrator in terms of vaccination rates and clinics and outreach and information.”

Northborough’s planning and execution went perfectly, he said.

According to Coderre, Northborough cut increases in its operating budgets to one percent in the 2021 fiscal year, and it also constrained its increases in the 2022 fiscal year. The town used $378,000 in free cash in its 2021 operating budget.

Coderre said the town did stop contributing to its savings account. Normally, Northborough places $200,000 every year into its Stabilization Fund. It did not do that in the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years.

Additionally, during the pandemic, Northborough stopped contributing to its Other Post Employment Benefits Trust Fund (OPEB), which pays for other benefits that people who retire receive besides their pensions.

In order to phase OPEB back into the operating budget, the town is proposing first phasing it into the 2023 budget using excess levy capacity. The town will continue to phase it in during the 2024 fiscal year.

Northborough also postponed over $800,000 in capital plans and projects in 2021.

Because the town didn’t end the 2020 fiscal year with a lot of surplus funds, Northborough had less free cash to fund such pay-as-you-go projects.

“The result of that is we have a bubble of capital projects,” Coderre said.

He added that some federal aid that is now available “is a perfect use” to deal with these capital projects.

“The whole point of mak-

ing these maneuvers and why we put ourselves in this position was so that we could deal with a budget surprise, a pandemic, a storm, a recession and buy ourselves a fiscal year to come up with more longterm strategies or to wait for federal and state assistance,” Coderre said.

Board of Selectmen Chair Jason Perreault thanked staff members for their work at the end of the presentation.

The methodologies served the town well through the pandemic, he said.

“I’m just feeling very fortunate that we have this expertise at our disposal here to help our town get through this circumstance,” Perrault said. “Certainly, many other towns are facing much greater struggles and trying to make it through, and I think it has a lot to do with the people we have in place here who understand this and know…how to solve problems not just recognize problems, but how to find solutions to problems.”

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 19

COMMUNITY NEWS

Shrewsbury students raise money for Red Cross following tornadoes Tornadoes | from page 1

Duke, who is in fourth grade, said he heard about the devastation and immediately wanted to help.

“I was like ‘oh my gosh, we need to help,’” he said.

He initially planned to set up a lemonade stand to raise money. But his father suggested selling hot cocoa instead.

Brayden, in fifth grade, and Brenna, in third grade, joined in the effort.

At Sherwood, meanwhile, students in Bethany Jones’ classroom helped organize the school-wide fundraiser.

Paraprofessional Gail Merloni had the initial idea for the fundraiser and approached Principal Jonathan Kelly about it.

“A tornado could come here.

And wouldn’t it be nice if somebody helped us?” she said. “So, why can’t we help somebody even though it’s kind of far away?”

Merloni initially suggested a food drive, she said. But Kelly noted concerns about actually

“

I personally felt that we all did a good deed and really wanted it to do well so that we could help the people.

Louie Duke

transporting supplies to the disaster area.

So, the school and its students moved forward with a fundraiser, initially aiming to raise $1 for every student at Sherwood.

Fundraisers moves forward Sherwood students prepared a short script to announce the fundraiser to their classmates through their school’s morning announcements at the beginning of the vacation shortened week of Dec. 20.

The school rallied from there, producing a flood of donations.

“It was just so delightful,” Merloni said.

Louie, Brayden and Brenna’s fundraiser was delayed first by weather and later by illness as

Duke got sick just as the group had initially planned to hold their cocoa sale.

By Dec. 27, though, everything had come together once again.

“All of a sudden we did really well,” Duke said.

Passersby bought hot cocoa and contributed funds for the cause.

After the fact, Duke’s mother, Alissa shared a photo of the cocoa sale to Facebook, drawing a separate, large response there.

They pulled in new donations, this time through Venmo as neighbors saw and celebrated the work of these local students.

“We actually didn’t think it would be this crazy,” Alissa said. “We were just hoping for $50 to be honest. We posted it

Water Mitigation

on the town page and everybody has been donating. We’re blown away by the generosity of Shrewsbury. It’s been wonderful.”

Students proud of fundraising work Having helped marshal some of that badly needed financial support, Louie Duke and both Brayden and Brenna Kent are proud of their efforts and their community.

“I personally felt that we all did a good deed and really

wanted it to do well so that we could help the people,” Duke said. “...It was more than one town, so we really wanted to help.”

At Sherwood, the school community is similarly excited about the success of the fundraiser there.

“I was not thinking that we would raise that kind of money,” Merloni said. “...It was unbelievable.”

Those interested can support recovery efforts by donating to the Red Cross online.

Friends of Shrewsbury Senior Center plan ventriloquist show SHREWSBURY - The Friends of the Shrewsbury Senior Center are gearing up for a ventriloquist show, Monday, Jan. 10 at the Shrewsbury Senior Center.

Slated to take place at 1 p.m., the show will feature entertainer and musical ventriloquist Kevin Driscoll. “[Driscoll] will engage you in a program that will have you

wondering who the real dummy is,” notes a flyer promoting this event.

Driscoll’s performance will feature audience participation, comedy and, of course, ventriloquism.

Refreshments will be served.

“When was the last time you saw a ventriloquist?” that flyer asked. “Well, wait no longer.”

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20 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

COMMUNITY OBITUARIES The Community Advocate will post obituaries online (and in print, as space allows) at no charge as a courtesy to our readers. Please send information (and a picture if desired) to tracy@communityadvocate.com.

Here is a complete list of individual obituaries posted on the Community Advocate website (www.communityadvocate.com).

DEATHS Callahan, Edward of Shrewsbury Connors Jr., John formerly of Southborough DiPilato, Libro of Shrewsbury Drasher, Ethel of Chelmsford, formerly of Hudson Flaherty, Thomas of Lake Placid, Fla. and North Grafton Flint, Grace formerly of Marlborough Flynn, Ruth of Shrewsbury Garavente, Alfred of Southborough Giannino, David of Shrewsbury Jakubiak, Ruth of Shrewsbury Joyce Eileen of Grafton Laakso, Randy of Shrewsbury Parker, Ann of Hudson Richard, Paul of Northborough Robbins Jr., Richard of Northborough Sharon Jr., Peter of Marlborough Singer, Gerald of Westborough Starkey, Donald of Northborough Sullivan, Mark formerly of Hudson Tedford, Kay of Northborough Thibault, Donald of Marlborough and formerly of Hudson Webber, Marian formerly of Shrewsbury

Ethel L. Drasher, 92 CHELMSFORD - Ethel L. (Huttenstine) Drasher, age 92, a resident of Chelmsford, passed away at Sunny Acres Nursing Home on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 surrounded by her loving family. She was the beloved wife of Henry J. Drasher Jr. with whom she enjoyed 55 years of marriage.

She was born in Cunningham, Pennsylvania on December 16, 1929 and was the daughter of the late Peter and Iola (Heller) Huttenstine.

Ethel was raised and attended school in Pennsylvania. She was a former parishioner of St. Luke Episcopal Church in Hudson. Ethel loved to crochet and was always making something, from tissue box covers or Christmas ornaments to crosses for her children’s cars. She will always be remembered for her Sunday dinners. She cherished her time with family and will be dearly missed.

Ethel is survived by her sons; John Henry Drasher III of Worcester, Gene E. Drasher and his wife Debbie of MN, Jeffrey L. Drasher and his wife Barbara of FL, Gerald P. Drasher and his wife Joanne of GA, Joseph D. Drasher and

Colleen Sweeny of NJ, her daughters; Joan L. Downer and her husband Roger S. of Chelmsford, June L. Hellman of PA, JoAnn M. Pettorini and her husband Mark of TX and Joy Lynn Drasher of FL, her brother, Bruce Huttenstine and his wife Gayle of PA. She also leaves behind 34 grandchildren, 43 great grandchildren, several great-great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Ethel was sadly predeceased by her son David H. Drasher, her siblings; Edith Quirion, Gladys Roberts, Jane Prusell, her son-in-law, William Hellman and her cherished companion, Francis Bellaveau.

Funeral Directors Paul A. Hardy, Jr. & Jennifer Hardy.

Blake Chelmsford Funeral Home assisted with arrangements.

Kay E. Tedford, 83 NORTHBOROUGH – Kay Elizabeth Tedford passed away peacefully in her beloved home on Tuesday morning, December 21, 2021; she was 83 years old. Kay was born and raised in Manchester, CT, one of four children to the late John G. and Janie K. (Harris)

Stoutnar. Kay and Bruce were married in 1958. In October of this year the couple celebrated their 63rd year of marriage.

In addition to her husband, Kay is survived by a son, Raymond S. Tedford; Daughter-in-law Desiree Tedford; 5 grandchildren Katherine Tedford and her wife Danielle Tedford, Joshua Tedford, Aaron Keith Melton, Dusten G. Stewart and Jeffrey A. Tedford; 10 great-grandchildren; her sister Nancy Walters; her brother John Stoutnar and several nieces and nephews.

Kay was preceded in death by her son Jeffrey B. Tedford (May 2021) and by her brother Robert Stoutnar (November 2021).

Hays Funeral Home of Northborough assisted with arrangements.

David Giannino, 67 SHREWSBURY - David Giannino, 67 a lifelong resident of Shrewsbury, and retired town employee passed away unexpectedly Monday December 20th, 2021, after being stricken ill.

David was born in Worcester, the son of the late Angelo Giannino who passed away this past September and Vir-

ginia (Schiavone) Giannino.

Raised in Shrewsbury, he graduated from Shrewsbury High School, and Worcester Industrial Technical Institute in Worcester. David then accepted a position with the Town of Shrewsbury in the water and sewer department for over 36 years retiring 4 years ago.

David is survived by his wife and soulmate, Carole D. (Veshi) Giannino; three children he loved deeply, and was so proud of, Kerri M. Consigli and her husband Adam of Grafton, Nicholas M. Giannino and his wife Lauren of Worcester, Lynn M. Penta and her husband Jay of Watertown; a sister, Linda Forand and her husband Charles; four granddaughters, Ellen, Abigail, Victoria and Madison; Many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

The Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel of Worcester assisted with arrangements.

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

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.

Southborough

Monday, Dec. 20 7:34 p.m. Leonard Dr. Larceny/forgery/ fraud.

Tuesday, Dec. 21 1:27 p.m. Turnpike Rd. MVA property damage only.

5:10 p.m. Turnpike/Oak Hill Rds. Motor vehicle accident.

Westborough

Monday, Dec. 20 1:54 p.m. Turnpike Rd./Otis St. Road/ tree.

6:19 p.m. Arrested, Rony Antar, 37, of 12 Dearborn St., Worcester, for op MV with license suspended (criminal

subsq. off.), no inspection sticker.

7:42 p.m. Turnpike Rd./Otis St. Road/ tree.

9:18 p.m. Arrested, Arturo Jose Roldan, 31, of 33 Bartlett St., Avon, on straight warrant.

Tuesday, Dec. 21 2:59 a.m. Arrested, Edimael Rodriguez, 24, of 46 Esther St., Apt. 1, Worcester, on default warrant.

10:07 a.m. Otis St. Assault.

10:21 a.m. W Main St. Larceny.

Wednesday, Dec. 22 6:56 a.m. Sassacus Dr. Accident – personal injury.

9:13 a.m. Turnpike Rd. Accident property damage.

9:25 a.m. Otis St. Accident property damage.

10:22 a.m. Flanders Rd. Threats made.

12:07 p.m. W Main St. Accident property damage.

Thursday, Dec. 23 9:06 a.m. Fisher St. Accident property damage.

1:16 p.m. Turnpike Rd. Accident property damage.

Friday, Dec. 24 8:21 a.m. Turnpike Rd./Computer Dr. Accident property damage.

12:50 p.m. E Main St. Road/tree.

Monday, Dec. 27 9:04 a.m. Turnpike Rd./Otis St. Road/ tree.

11:28 a.m. Milk St. Larceny.

2:24 p.m. Turnpike Rd. Accident property damage.

Tuesday, Dec. 28 10:05 a.m. Turnpike Rd. Larceny.

10:11 a.m. Turnpike Rd./Otis St. Road/ tree.

5:15 p.m. E Main St. Accident property damage.

Northborough

Friday, Dec. 17 1:51 p.m. West Main St. Accident: P.D. 5:12 p.m. Otis St. Shoplifting.

Saturday, Dec. 18 2:04 a.m. Arrested, Patrick Kevin Bradley, 26, of 361 Main St., Apt. 2, Northborough, for fail to dim headlights, OUI-liquor or .08%.

7:05 p.m. Hudson St./Solomon Pond Rd. Accident: P.D. Sunday, Dec. 19 4:26 a.m. Belmont St. Accident: P.D. 2:14 p.m. Saddle Hill Dr. Fraud.

Monday, Dec. 20 11:27 a.m. Belmont St./Southwest Cut. Accident: P.D. 12:05 p.m. Shops Way. Hit and run.

Tuesday, Dec. 21 2:13 p.m. Crawford St. Fraud.

4:57 p.m. Southwest Cut/Hitching Post Ln. Hit and run.

5:24 p.m. Crawford St. Accident: P.D. Wednesday, Dec. 22 9:07 a.m. Solomon Pond Rd. Scams.

1:06 p.m. Shops Way. Shoplifting.

Shrewsbury

Tuesday, Dec. 21 11:57 a.m. Rt. 140/290. Road rage.

3:30 p.m. Main St. Accident with injury.

Wednesday, Dec. 22 5:05 p.m. Colonial Way. Larceny.

Thursday, Dec. 23 12:00 a.m. Boston Tpke. B&E motor vehicle.

11:33 a.m. Hartford Tpke. Threats.

3:38 p.m. Boston Tpke. Larceny.

Friday, Dec. 24 4:39 p.m. Round Table Rd. Identity theft.

8:24 p.m. Boston Tpke. B&E motor vehicle.

Saturday, Dec. 25 7:51 a.m. Hancock St. Road hazard – trees/wires/debris.

Sunday, Dec. 26 6:19 p.m. Arrested, David Charles Michaud, 54, of 74 Rocky Rd., Whitins-

ville, for OUI liquor, negligent operation of motor vehicle, red light violation, obstruct stationary emergency vehicle (civil).

Monday, Dec. 27 4:57 p.m. Joseph Rd. Identity theft.

Tuesday, Dec. 28 1:48 a.m. Arrested, Swaroop Kumar Gurijala, 23, of 430 Whalley Ave., Apt. 1, New Haven, Conn., for speeding in violation of special regulation, fail to signal, fail to stop for police.

11:17 a.m. Spruce St. Identity theft.

2:02 p.m. Walnut St. Threats.

3:05 p.m. Williamsburg Crt. Larceny.

5:53 p.m. Hartford Tpke. Accident with injury.

Wednesday, Dec. 29 1:02 p.m. Hartford Tpke. Larceny attempt.

2:20 p.m. Moulton Ave. Larceny.

4:36 p.m. Sheridan Dr. Larceny.

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

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 21

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22 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

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ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

GRAFTON SELECT BOARD/FINANCE COMMITTEE/AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST

Answers to Super Crossword (puzzle on page 21)

Find us on Facebook Instagram and at Community Advocate.com

The Town of Grafton is accepting applications for the full-time position of Administrative Assistant to the Select Board/Affordable Housing Trust/Finance Committee under the supervision of the Town Administrator. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: agenda preparation; attendance at evening meetings; preparation of minutes & correspondence; trouble shooting resident issues and complaints. Position involves considerable interaction with the public, Town departments, and provides support to office staff as required. This position assists all Town Committees with scheduling virtual and hybrid meetings on Zoom. Qualifications for this position include an Associate’s Degree and/or a combination of municipal government experience and education.

This is a 35 hour per week position with a salary range of $17-$22 per hour.

The successful applicant must be able to work independently to ensure that time sensitive projects are completed.

Knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite, as well as knowledge of Town government operations are required. Must have the ability to plan and prioritize work while multitasking. Strong customer service skills are crucial in this position.

Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to: Town Administrator’s Office, 30 Providence Road, Grafton, MA 01519 or by email to Christa Marot at: hr@grafton-ma.gov.

The Town of Grafton is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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First Church in Marlborough is seeking a person for a part time hourly position as church sexton. This job requires physical stamina and a great deal of time flexibility. Duties include, but are not limited to, maintaining the church premises (inside and outside), managing all work projects, preparing the church for services, interacting with church groups on event needs, etc. Must have transportation for occasional local errands. Qualified candidate will need to pass a CORI check.

For further information contact the Church at office@firstchurchmarlborough.org.

BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. seeks Senior Application Development Analyst in Westborough, MA. Responsible for design & development of ETL solutions for BJs Enterprise Data Warehouse using Talend, Amazon Redshift while providing hands-on technical leadership to other team members. Bachelor’s’ degree plus 5 yrs., exp. as Software Developer or related plus 5 yrs. exp. with ETL tools, including Talend, Python, Java, SQL, DBMS, Cloud Technology including AWS, Operating Systems like UNIX, data modeling including Data Warehouse.

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 23

COMMUNITY SPORTS Hudson gymnastics edges out Shrewsbury in season opener REGION - The Hudson High School gymnastics team beat Shrewsbury on Dec. 28 by some of the narrowest of margins.

Indeed, the Hawks won by a score of 128.4 to 128.2, winning in their first meet of the year while dealing Shrewsbury its first loss this winter.

The win also marked a milestone for Hudson coach Kate Rouleau who notched her first victory as a high school coach with this result.

“Congratulations to the team and Coach Kate Rouleau,” Hudson High School Athletic Director Jessica Winders wrote as she shared the final score on Twitter that night.

A Hudson gymnastics team member performs her floor routine during last week’s meet against Shrewsbury.

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Hudson gymnastics team members clap following the conclusion of the national anthem before their meet with Shrewsbury last week.

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24 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

COMMUNITY SPORTS

Grafton athletic trainer reflects after responding to serious hockey injury

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By Kevin J. Stone Contributing Writer GRAFTON - Grafton High School (GHS) athletic trainer Sarah Mealy found herself in a position earlier this winter where instinct meant more than any previous training she had before facing that moment.

When the Grafton/BVT boys hockey team was playing the Milford/Hopedale co-op team, Milford/Hopedale player Aiden Collins had an opponent’s skate severely slice his wrist.

Having played hockey herself growing up, Mealy knew time was of the essence when she saw the injury happen.

“Drawing on that background of myself being a hockey athlete, when you see something like that, you just go,” Mealy said in a recent phone interview.

She was one of several people to rush to Collins’ side to address what his father recently told the Worcester Telegram was a life-threatening injury.

Drawing on that background of myself being a hockey athlete, when you see something like that, you just go.

Sarah Mealy GHS athletic trainer

Sarah Mealy works as an athletic trainer at Grafton High School.

Athletic trainer takes unique path to role Mealy is only 26 years old and in her fourth year at GHS. But she is already showing she’s one of the best in the state at what she does.

Mealy grew up going to King Philip Regional High School, playing hockey, field hockey and lacrosse before going to UConn.

While there, Mealy got invaluable experience working with the women’s basketball team, which made her fall in love with being an athletic trainer even more than she already had.

Mealy was on the proverbial big stage with UConn’s women’s basketball team.

From there, though, she realized she would rather work in high school settings.

“To be completely honest, it wasn’t for me,” she said. “I was obviously extremely fortunate to have that experience. But I’m from a really small town and it was kind of a shock to the system to be in a cut-throat, business-like position at that high level.”

She gained experience at the high school level and said she feels like she can connect with athletes in that age group well.

She said she values the opportunity to be a liaison between coaches, guidance counselors, parents and physicians in her role as an athletic trainer.

“It’s a huge spider web of communication that needs to happen, and I think my personal skill sets and personality just fit better,” she said. “At that college level, I can’t tell you how many athletes I saw that were kind of forced out or forced to transfer because they weren’t performing for one reason or another and that was kind of harsh for me.”

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Athletic trainer adapts to changing demands Mealy said she has seen her job description change over time, adapting to now include a focus on mental health for student athletes.

Mealy has embraced that, but said she wishes there was more support for the kind of work she does.

She said incidents like the skate cut suffered by Aiden Collins underscore that need.

“Our country does such an amazing job with academic support; we have guidance counselors and all these counselors necessary for all the academic support, but there’s not a huge emphasis on the athletic side which baffles me,” she said.

“We have such a huge emphasis on the value of sports at every level — youth, high school, club, college, professional; you name it — but it’s insane to me that we don’t place that same value on a role that’s actually looking out for those athletes across the board,” she added.

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 25

COMMUNITY SPORTS

Facing low numbers, Algonquin wrestling works to build foundation for future

By Kevin J. Stone Contributing Writer NORTHBOROUGH/SOUTHBOROUGH - These are some strange times for the Algonquin wrestling team.

Long a perennial powerhouse in Central Mass, the squad is currently facing low numbers, with just 13 students in the program this year.

Head coach Brian Kramer has been at it since 2011

and understands that this season is going to be different compared to some of the more dominant ones in recent memory.

“In reality, we have two kids who are very talented and very strong and then the rest of the guys are just young and inexperienced,” Kramer said in a recent interview with the Community Advocate.

“It hasn’t been pretty [record wise], but the guys are work-

Hockey teams stay busy during holiday schedule HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD ALGONQUIN

GIRLS’ GYMNASTICS – DEC. 28 Algonquin – 129.850, Marlborough – 133.050 BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 29 Algonquin – 2, Marlborough – 5 BOYS’ BASKETBALL – DEC. 30 Algonquin – 48, Oakmont – 61

GRAFTON

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL – DEC. 28 Grafton – 28, Hopedale – 46 BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 29 Grafton – 7, Holliston – 0 Seven different Gators scored in a dominant Grafton victory over Holliston. Lukas Petone opened the scoring early before a half dozen other teammates lit the lamp. The Grafton defense held strong, shutting out Holliston for the team’s second consecutive 7-0 victory after a similar rout of St. Paul on Dec. 22.

BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 30 Grafton – 2, Worcester – 3 Grafton’s win over Holliston the day before earned the Gators a chance to face Worcester High School in a game to decide the winner of both the annual Holiday Tournament and the Pennucci Cup. The Pennucci cup is named for Nick Pennucci, the longtime manager of Buffone Arena where Grafton and Worcester both play their home games.

SHREWSBURY

GIRLS’ GYMNASTICS – DEC. 28 Shrewsbury – 128.2, Hudson – 128.4 BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 29 Shrewsbury – 3, Mansfield – 6 BOYS’ HOCKEY – JAN. 2 Shrewsbury – 6, St. John’s – 5

ST. JOHN’S

BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 28 St. John’s – 1, Xaverian – 7 BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 29 St. John’s – 2, Framingham – 1 WRESTLING – DEC. 30 St. John’s – 43, Hanover – 27 BOYS’ HOCKEY – JAN. 2 Shrewsbury – 6, St. John’s – 5

WESTBOROUGH

BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 27 Westborough – 4, Shawsheen – 5 BOYS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 29 Westborough – 2, Groton-Dunstable –1 Westborough bounced back from their Dec. 27 loss to Shawsheen with a comeback victory over Groton-Dunstable two days later.

The Crusaders took an early 1-0 lead before Westborough tied the game in the second period and won it with a go-ahead goal in the final frame.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL – DEC. 30 Westborough – 46, Medway – 70

CO-OP

GIRLS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 29 Algonquin/AMSA/Marlborough/ Hudson – 1, Natick – 0 GIRLS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 30 Shrewsbury/Westborough – 4, Falmouth – 0 GIRLS’ HOCKEY – DEC. 31 Shrewsbury/Westborough – 0, Austin Prep – 3 GIRLS’ HOCKEY – JAN. 1 Algonquin/AMSA/Marlborough/ Hudson – 2, Pope Francis – 1 The co-op Algonquin/AMSA/ Marlborough/Hudson girls hockey team continued to win, last week, notching a narrow 2-1 victory over Pope Francis Preparatory High School on home ice. Emily Johns opened the scoring for the home team. Pope Francis tied the score in the third period, but the Algonquin/ AMSA/Marlborough/Hudson offense quickly answered, with Bryn Domolky punching in the game winner with just over 9:30 left on the clock.

ing hard.”

Those two individuals leading the team this year are senior Tim Goddard and junior Rafael Knapp. Both have some goals for themselves and their team that include both state championships and New England championships.

Knapp was a sectional champion in his freshman year, Kramer said, finishing third at the state tournament that year.

“Fast forward two years he’s at 160 and he’s an incredible looking athlete,” Kramer continued. “He’s wrestling really well.”

Knapp had just one loss as of Dec. 29, taking that defeat in the finals of the prestigious Lowell Holiday Tournament.

Goddard, meanwhile, is in his fourth season with the team. “[He] is as dominant as they come,” Kramer said.

Goddard’s older brother, Andrew, was a star wrestler for Algonquin in his time, winning a state championship

while on the team.

Goddard himself had a 12-1 record as of Dec. 29 with his only loss, like Knapp’s, coming in the Holiday Tournament this year.

“He’s been a great leader for us as well,” Kramer said.

Kramer talked about the balance both he and the members of his team need between focusing on the individual goals while also making sure the younger team members develop.

“Both of them are pretty new to being in the leadership position,” Kramer said of Goddard and Knapp. “For them, the easy thing is being strong at their skill.”

“To be good in wrestling you need to have a work ethic beyond a typical athlete, and both boys have that,” he continued. “Both boys have a goal to be New England champions and it’s a lofty goal, but certainly an attainable one.”

Through the challenges facing this year’s Algonquin squad, the team has been one

of the lucky programs that hasn’t had to shut down due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.

“We’re pretty much back to normal aside from a few caveats,” Kramer said. “A couple schools in the state are taking a temporary suspension [from] competing, so we’ve been lucky so far.”

This year’s team is currently well below .500 in terms of its winning percentage. But the team is pushing forward, looking to the future as it trains a new crop of Algonquin wrestlers.

“It’s a tall task trying to get some of the young guys to [not only] learn more moves to have in their tool belt but, most importantly, [to instill] confidence in them,” Kramer said. “They’re going to get beat up and that’s part of the process we have to go through.”

“It’s important for them to understand that two guys like Tim and Rafael — who seemingly can’t lose — took their lumps too,” he added.

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26 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022

COMMUNITY BUSINESS Yoong Tong Thai celebrates rebranding as La Miette La Mai Thai Bistro

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“People absolutely fell in love with our food over the years,” Executive Chef Wachira T. Sittikong told the Community Advocate shortly before last week’s ribbon cutting. “As the years went by, we built up an amazing customer base in Northborough and the Greater Worcester area.”

Still, he said, COVID-19 presented challenges for the restaurant, even prompting his aunt to consider selling Yoong Tong at one point.

“I was like ‘No way,’” he said.

Sittikong trained at Le Cordon Bleu before perfecting his craft in high end Boston dining destinations. He now works alongside business partner

Rush Sukto and the entire Sahasakmontri family to bring a breadth of experience to La Miette La Mai’s new slate of offerings.

Seeking to preserve and build on the identity they created as Yoong Tong, the restaurant’s staff is excited as they get to work under the new La Miette La Mai banner.

“It’s not a big corporate feel,” Sittikong said. “A lot of guests, when they come in, they really feel like they’re at home. We’re so happy to provide this experience for everyone.” La Miette La Mai is located at 278 Main Street in Northborough. It hosts live music while maintaining COVID-19 precautions for all guests and staff.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, January 7, 2022 • 27

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By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor WESTBOROUGH - Amazon expanded its presence in Westborough in December by buying a sprawling property at 4400 Computer Drive, off Route 9.

Documents filed with the Worcester South District Registry of Deeds confirm the $65 million sale.

This development comes after multiple meetings between the Westborough Planning Board and Atlantic Management, which filed plans for a 221,256-square-foot, single-story e-commerce facility at 4400 Computer Drive earlier in 2021.

Planning Board approved site plans in July The Planning Board approved Atlantic’s site plans on July 6, moving the project along after discussions about traffic impacts and noise, among other things.

The new facility will include a 12-foot sound wall to prevent the impact of onsite noise to abutters.

Vehicles won’t be allowed to idle for more than five minutes. And they’ll utilize backup warning systems that make “shushing” sounds as opposed to loud, high-pitched beeping.

The Community Advocate reported back in July that the applicant will need to revisit its sound wall after 18 months of operation to ensure that it is meeting set goals.

It will also be required to conduct a post-occupancy traffic study to evaluate the impact of this development on area roads.

The Planning Board’s approval was further contingent on the applicant spending $30,000 on a consultant to study and identify possible future infrastructure projects in the area around 4400 Computer Drive.

Lastly, the applicant will grant the town an easement and $20,000 to expand the existing Charm Bracelet trail network that runs through the 4400 Computer Drive property.

“That Charm Bracelet is an important project to the town, decades in the making,” Planning Board Chair Mark Silverberg said during a meeting on June 15, prior to the Planning Board’s approval of Atlantic’s site plan application.

Facility would neighbor nearby Amazon operations Amazon already operates a sorting center in Northborough as well as a newly opened robotics center at the old AstraZeneca facility at 50 Otis St. in Westborough.

Development in this part of Westborough would further mark the latest change to a busy corner of the town’s industrial region.

The BJ’s Wholesale Club headquarters off Route 9 is visible from the 4400 Computer Drive. parking lot. BJ’s is anticipating a move to Marlborough, and it is planning to vacate its current space.

Farther back in the Westborough Office Park, Mass General Brigham is looking to build a new ambulatory care clinic next to the recently completed Olympus corporate office, which prominently overlooks Route 9.

Central One Federal Credit Union makes holiday donations SHREWSBURY - Central One Federal Credit Union recently lent a hand this holiday season by making donations to a number of area groups.

The list includes Auburn Youth and Family Services, Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, Westborough Youth and Family Services, and Northborough Helping Hands.

Helping Hands coordinates programs to help families in need get food, Christmas gifts, medical equipment and emergency aid, among other things.

Each of the local Youth and Family Services programs provide varying forms of counseling and social services to community members.

Many at such agencies have been particularly vocal amid the COVID-19 pandemic as they discuss an increase in demand for their services.

“The pandemic will likely cause a spike in youth mental health problems, with long-term psychological fallout,” Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services (SYFS) wrote in one Facebook post back in September.

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