CA SUMMER GUIDE May 28 2021

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021 • 9

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10 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

Free outdoor concerts slated to return throughout the region Beatles for Sale, tribute band

By Ed Karvoski Jr. Contributing Writer REGION – Free outdoor concerts are synonymous with summer – except for in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions.

Now with relaxed outdoor guidelines, free musical entertainment is slated to return throughout the region from June to September.

At least one town is also offering free outdoor movies.

Guidelines and updates (mass.gov/reopening) The event organizers are following state guidelines, which are subject to change.

Concert-goers are encouraged to frequently check for updates on the organizers’ websites and social media. In addition to statewide safety guidelines, local concert updates could include the

St80um, 1980s rock tribute band

“It will be fun to see everything back in action.”

Grafton’s concerts’ site is also subject to change.

The past years’ concert series took place at Grafton Common, which is amid restoration.

Andersen explained, “We’d like to get the concerts back to the Common.

Our backup plan is Nelson Children’s musical performer Matt Heaton Park.”

Pe r f o r m a n c e s a re bands, the dates and inclement Wednesdays, beginning at weather cancelations.

6:30 p.m.: July 14, Beatles for Sale; July 21, Buzztones Rhythm Grafton Revue; July 28, The Midtown (graftonrec.com) Horns; Aug. 4, Boombox: the Last summer, Grafton Rec‘70s & ‘80s Experience; Aug. 11, reation presented one concert.

Band from UNCLE; Aug. 18, Big Recreation Director Jen AnderChief Band; and Aug. 25, Claflin sen is looking forward to the Hill Symphony. town’s seven performances The concert series is supthis summer. ported in part by the Grafton “Now, more than ever, peoCultural Council. ple want to come out and see Concerts | 11 some normalcy,” she noted.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021 • 11

Summer fun in ’21 SloGrass, acoustic Americana

Concerts | from page 10

Hudson (hudsonrecreation.recdesk.com) Hudson Recreation’s concerts are Wednesdays, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at Wood Park: June 23, The Keith Jacques Experience; July 7, The Midtown Horns; July 21, The Angry Bees; Aug. 4, Trak Down; and Aug. 18, Larry Bee and the Buzz.

Also taking place at Wood Park are music shows geared for young children: These family-friendly concerts are scheduled Thursdays, beginning at noon: June 24, Jeannie Mack; July 15, Matt Heaton; and Aug. 5, Rick Goldin with puppets.

Marlborough (marlborough-ma.gov, mrd.recdesk.com) Mayor Arthur Vigeant and the Marlborough Recreation Department traditionally present concerts Thursdays, from 7 to 9 p.m., at Union Common.

Trish Bernard, the mayor’s executive aide, confirmed by email, “We plan to hold outdoor summer concerts.”

Check for updates online.

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The Northborough Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) organizes a concert series, typically held at Ellsworth-McAffee Park.

NCAC Chair Suzy Familo Cieslica noted via email, “We are having a concert series this summer. … We are still arranging dates.”

Check for updates online.

Shrewsbury (shrewsburyma.gov/407/ Parks-Recreation) On Sunday, Sept. 12, from

2 to 4 p.m., Beatles for Sale will entertain concert goers at Dean Park. The performance is co-sponsored by Shrewsbury Parks and Recreation with Friends of the Shrewsbury Public Library.

Providing monetary support are the Shrewsbury Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Southborough (southboroughrec.com) S o u t h b o ro u g h Re c re ation’s concerts are Wednesdays, from 6 to 8 p.m., on the grounds of Margaret A. Neary Elementary School: June 30, Knock on Wood; July 14, SloGrass; July 28, Hit the Bus; and Aug. 11, Dan Gabel and the Abletones.

The concert series is supported by the Southborough Cultural Council. Food trucks are expected to be available.

Also scheduled at the Neary School field are free outdoor movies Wednesdays, beginning at dusk: July 7, “The Lion

King” (2019); July 21, “The Sandlot”; Aug. 4, “Onward”; and Aug. 18, “Raya and the Last Dragon.”

The movie series is sponsored by Main Street Bank, Friends of Southborough Recreation and Southborough Community Fund. An ice cream truck is traditionally onsite.

Westborough (westboroma.myrec.com) Westborough Recreation’s concerts are Tuesdays, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Bay State Commons: July 13, Throwback to the ‘60s; July 27, St80um, 1980s rock tribute band; and Aug. 10, The Midtown Horns.

A food truck is expected to be available.

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12 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

A journey of healing through art

Neary Elementary School art project once again chosen for Art on the Trails 2021 - Mending

By Cindy Zomar Education Coordinator SOUTHBOROUGH - Denise Johnson, Southborough’s Neary Elementary School art instructor, is proud to share that her students’ art project was once again chosen for the Art on the Trails 2021 presentation at the Elaine and Phillip Beals Preserve. Hosted by the Southborough Open Land Foundation, this juried exhibition is an outdoor display held annually with the theme changing year to year. For 2021, the theme is MENDING, asking for projects that depict how we can mend a fractured world of relationships or our communities through art. This year’s juror is Sarah Montross, the Interim Creative Director and Senior Curator at the deCordova Sculpture Park

Above: Neary Elementary students Ashwika Dandu and Hannah Varghese are busy working on their knitted cords for the Art on the Trails 2021 exhibit.

Right: Cousins Stephen Murphy and Nathan Glaser enjoy the spring sunshine as they work on their knitted cords for the Art on the Trails 2021 exhibit.

Art on Trails | 13

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Neary Elementary did not submit an idea last year due to COVID-19. “We are so excited that the two prior years our entry was chosen, and now this year as well, so each time we have submitted! Considering it’s a juried exhibit, that’s good,” she exclaimed. Sixty-three entries were submitted and only eighteen were accepted. She and her students brainstormed an idea, ‘Together We Weave,’ and then Johnson had to do a rough drawing to submit it. “We began knitting right away because if we waited until selections were announced, we’d never have it ready in time! The extra challenge was the two stand-alone remote classes…teaching knitting on ZOOM!”

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021 • 13

Summer fun in ’21

“

Art on Trails | from page 12

The entire school of 4th and 5th grade students had the option to join in, with 256 students each knitting a skein of yarn into a narrow cord about one foot long. Several students decided to go longer, or to make more than one, as well. Additionally, students were encouraged to recognize the symbolism in art and perhaps choose a color based on a cause. “The theme is Mending, so it could represent a relationship, the environment, endangered species, etc.,” Johnson continued. “Some chose green for ecology, some blue for water or air pollution, and there’s a variegated brown symbolizing that whether we are white, brown or black, we are all people and need to be accepting and respectful of one another.”

Parent volunteers coordinated wrapping thread around pieces of cardboard and making homemade looms of toilet paper rolls, masking tape and popsicle sticks for each student.

Johnson envisioned a large needle as a focal point and former

It is such a good theme this year, and so appropriate, that we hope to incorporate the needle and thread idea into something in the building in the fall.

Denise Johnson Neary Elementary art instructor

Former Neary Elementary School student James Henebury and his father, Ryan, created a large wooden needle to be used as a focal point in the Art on the Trails 2021 exhibit.

Neary student James Henebury worked with his father, Ryan, fashioning a five-foot-long needle out of wood. “It will be suspended overhead on heavy fishing line, like it is levitating, with thread through it and then the thread will be looped around the trees,” explained Johnson.

The installation is scheduled for June 12 from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through September 26, so it has to be able to withstand the forces of nature for about three months. Johnson is sewing all the individual pieces together, mainly at home. The installation event will be livestreamed on Facebook, but she expects

a lot of parents to come out to watch in person.

As Johnson told the Community Advocate, “This is such a different experience with art. I am really grateful that we have it right here and have been chosen each time we’ve submitted. It is such a good theme this year, and so appropriate, that we hope to incorporate the needle and thread idea into something in the building in the fall.”

The 55-acre Beals Preserve features hiking trails, a skating pond, and meadows, offering a quiet place to fish, hike, ice skate, snowshoe, walk the dog, or just enjoy nature. It is located off of Route 30 in Southborough.

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14 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

Sudden COVID-19 reopening news shakes up summer programming plans

By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor GRAFTON - As quickly as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down public life, sudden decisions this month to loosen mask mandates and other coronavirus restrictions came as a curveball to local officials planning public events and programs for the summer.

Simply, many of the guidelines and restrictions that have been in place for the better part of the last year are now falling away, giving new freedom to program leaders, coaches and others who have long had to tailor their plans according to the pandemic.

“We had everything kind of lined up to go, no matter what; it’s just now obviously we don’t have to put as many restrictions in place,” Grafton Recreation Director Jen Andersen said in a recent interview.

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It’s almost harder right now with how fast things are opening versus the way they were closing down before.

Jen Andersen Grafton Recreation Director

After having to cancel a number of programs last year, Grafton’s Recreation Department had already planned a summer full of activities for this year.

Their list includes day camps for local youth, a slate of summer concerts and youth sports, among other things.

In Grafton and neighboring communities, people like Andersen had to plan around capacity limits, social distancing guidelines and a universal mask mandate. Though recent news has changed the landscape, Andersen said plans are largely finalized.

“It’s too late for us to kind of add some more of the stuff that we would have normally done,” she said. “But, but we’ll be getting ready for the upcoming fall schedule with our popular events that are coming back.”

She said the Grafton Recreation Department is also excited to bring more staff on board.

As exciting as the COVID-19 reopening is, however, Andersen said that recent announcements have, indeed, caught some off balance.

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it goes,” she said. “...It’s almost harder right now with how fast things are opening versus the way they were closing down before. We were trying to follow those rules. So it’s been

interesting.”

Get the latest on COVID-19, state restrictions, and the ongoing reopening process... mass.gov/info-details/covid19-updates-and-information.

Westborough Library to host six week outdoor yoga program beginning June 1 WESTBOROUGH - The Westborough Public Library is hosting The Westborough Wellness - Yoga on the Lawn with Release Well-Being Center. This six week course will run every Tuesday from June 1 to July 6 from 6 to 7 p.m. on the front lawn of the library, 55 West Main St., Westborough.

Classes are designed for attendees of all levels of fitness and yoga experience. Registration is required for each class separately and will be open two weeks before each class begins. Attendees may register for multiple sessions when registration opens for each session. Attendance at the previous session is not required to attend the next one.

To register visit www.westboroughlibrary.org and click under Events. Participants are asked to bring a yoga mat. Additional recommended items are a yoga block, water bottle and bug spray.

In the event of inclement weather, the class will be rescheduled.

For more information call 508-366-3050 or email mbalbresky@ cwmars.org.

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021 • 15

Summer fun in ’21

Mass Audubon receives half million-dollar bequest from noted Shrewsbury scientist

By Melanie Petrucci Senior Community Reporter SHREWSBURY/WORCESTER – The Mass Audubon/Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary and Conservation Center located at 414 Massasoit Rd. in Worcester recently received a gift of roughly $.5 million from the estate of noted scientist Dr. John Aitkin McCracken of Shrewsbury who passed away at the age of 84 in January of 2019.

Lasting Legacy “It’s a pretty nice way to leave a legacy and John was a member of Mass Audubon since 1967 so that’s pretty special,” reflected Deborah Cary, community engagement and coordinator at Mass Audubon.

The gift will go towards their $2.5 million endowment.

Cary said that McCracken was always interested in nature, wildlife and bird watch-

months ago.

“And I had no idea that John was leaving us such a generous gift,” she noted.

Dr. John McCracken circa 1970s

ing. In 2010 he lent his voice to a study conducted by the sanctuary called “Vision 2010” detailing what should be the focus for Broadmeadow Brook and Mass Audubon going forward.

“He was a very jolly person and quite forthright and that’s why I really appreciated his advice and involvement because he told me what he thought,” Cary remarked.

When asked when they learned of the gift, her reply was that it was only a few

The 1960s “Brain Drain” Originally from the UK., McCracken received his Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine in 1963.

His dissertation described his discovery of progesterone in cow’s milk.

In 1963 he joined Professor Ian Bush at the Univ. of Birmingham to continue his post-doctoral studies. In 1964 he was one of many key British scientists that immigrated to the U.S. looking for better research conditions in what was then known as the “Brain Drain.”

His team of 13 from the Univ. of Birmingham, led by Professor Bush, set up new research facilities at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in Shrewsbury, Mass.

McCracken retired after 34

“

He was a very jolly person and quite forthright and that’s why I really appreciated his advice and involvement because he told me what he thought.

Deborah Cary

years in 1998 from the Worcester Foundation as Principal Scientist Emeritus.

McCracken’s Long-term Impact Dr. Martha Gach, Ph.D., education manager and conservation coordinator at Broadmeadow Brook shared some of the lasting impact that McCracken’s gift will have.

She said that public programs for all ages from preschool story hours, family nature programs, to bird walks for adults (which are her favorite) are quite popular during the “COVID age”.

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Their school programs, e.g., Habitats, Exploring Pond Life and the Real Math Real Science series for 7th grade will also benefit from the bequest.

“Our school programs are priced affordably so as to be available to all. John’s gift helps make up the cost gap,” she said.

“We believe in mentoring high school and college youth who are exploring environmental careers…,” she continued.

Gach also shared that they’ve received social media accolades recently for accessibility and trail maintenance Wildlife | 17

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16 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

Walking on the railroad Trail through Marlborough and Hudson was once part of the robust Fitchburg Railroad PHOTO/JOHN PHELAN, WIKIMEDIA.ORG

By Brett Peruzzi Contributing Writer REGION - Most local residents just think of the Assabet River Rail Trail as a tranquil, paved pathway for a walk, run, or a bike ride. But in the middle of the nineteenth century, its construction as the Marlborough Branch of the Fitchburg Railroad was a turning point in the industrialization of the communities it serviced.

Trains serviced local industry and carried passengers Prior to being incorporated as a separate town in 1866, Hudson was called Feltonville. It was a neighborhood and unincorporated village of Marlborough, where several dozen shoe factories would

Railroads | 17

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021 • 17

Summer fun in ’21 Railroads | from page 16

Rail trail resurrects a long-neglected resource After languishing for more than a decade, in 1992 two Hudson residents had an idea for repurposing the old railroad bed. They proposed creating a paved recreational trail that would connect Marlbor-

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ough, Hudson, Stow, Maynard and Acton. As much of the rail bed runs along the Assabet River, the volunteer group that formed around the concept came up with the Assabet River Rail Trail (ARRT) name.

The group made numerous presentations to government officials and civic organizations in the communities the trail would run through, but it wasn’t until six years later, in 1998, that all the municipalities had voted to begin the project. The groundbreaking for the Marlborough-Hudson section of the ARRT was held in September 2003, and it was completed exactly two years later.

For over fifteen years now, the quiet whirring of bicycle tires and the soft slap of running shoes on asphalt have greeted users of the ARRT. In a place where long ago immense steel wheels screeched down the rails below heavily loaded boxcars, and train whistles once blew.

Mass Audubon receives half million-dollar bequest from noted Shrewsbury scientist Deborah Cary at Mass Audubon/ Broadmeadow Brook in Worcester.

PHOTO/MELANIE PETRUCCI

in Charlestown, but several branch lines and extensions would be added over the years.

Transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau of Concord was apparently not a train enthusiast, particularly because the Fitchburg Railroad ran close by his cabin at Walden Pond. He famously complained that he could walk to Fitchburg faster for free, considering the amount of time he would have to work to earn the cost of the fare, and enjoy the journey more. Eventually, the Fitchburg Railroad would expand into New Hampshire and Vermont, all the way to Canada, with over 450 miles of track that it controlled.

The Marlborough Branch was incorporated in 1852 and began service in 1855. It started from a rail junction in South Acton that had already extended southwest into what would later become Hudson.

The branch was 13 miles long and included stops in South

Acton, Maynard, Lake Boone, Gleasondale, Feltonville and Marlborough. The first passenger depot in Marlborough on Prospect Street was later replaced by another one at Lincoln and Mechanic Streets in 1893 to accommodate the increase in passenger traffic. But the growing popularity of automobiles in the 20th century had increasingly more impact on business, and passenger service ended in 1939. The rise of commercial trucking and the decline of the shoe industry caused a decrease in demand for freight trains in the decades that followed, and the last train rolled down the tracks of the Marlborough Branch in 1980.

Wildlife | from page 15

– “it can be hard to get external funding for routine maintenance, which is an important aspect of support that endowments such as John’s gift provides.”

Hope for Inspiration Cary is very grateful for McCracken’s gift and she hopes it will inspire others to consider making similar gifts to organizations that they care about because “a gift like this is such a boost to an organization.”

For more information about the Mass Audubon/Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary and Conservation Center, visit https:// www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/broadmeadow-brook.

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18 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

Area farmers’ markets return for 2021 REGION - A handful of farmers’ markets are back this year after an abbreviated season in 2020 due to COVID-19.

In Hudson, vendors have already gathered for a hotly

anticipated Spring Market.

Elsewhere, organizers are gearing up for events starting later this summer.

Get the latest on plans across the region…

A vendor helps a customer at the Hudson farmers market back in 2019.

SHREWSBURY Organizers of Shrewsbury’s annual farmers’ markets have rolled out plans for weekly markets this summer.

Those will run on Wednes-

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

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of the rehabilitation organization, Dismas House for more than a decade.

This new Farmers’ Market, Rotary Club organizers say, will pick up where that familiar iteration left off with a start date next month.

“This is going to be a big adventure for the Rotary club,” the Club’s April 30 statement read. “We ask for your patience as we learn how to run a farmers’ market.”

Learn more by searching “Westborough Farmers’ Market” on Facebook.

WESTBOROUGH The Westborough Rotary Club has taken over the job of organizing the town’s farmers’ market, this year.

In an announcement made on April 30, the Rotary Club celebrated the news.

“Rotary Club of Westborough is happy and excited to announce that we will be picking up the reins of the Westborough Farmers’ Market,” the Club wrote on Facebook.

The Farmers’ Market has operated under the leadership

HUDSON The Hudson Farmers’ market kicks off on June 15, running on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. through September 28.

The markets will take place on Hudson’s Town Hall lawn.

They follow a successful Spring Market in town earlier this month and are slated to feature live music alongside familiar vendors from past markets.

Learn more by searching “Hudson, MA Farmers’ Market” on Facebook.

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Summer fun in ’21 Grafton offers kayak, canoe tours of Silver Lake

By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor

The sun shines on Silver Lake in Grafton.

A paddling program will give local residents an opportunity for a unique look at their community this summer.

reation Director Jen Andersen said in a recent interview with the Community Advocate.

Tours showcase Silver Lake The tours cost $5 per person. There is also a boat rental fee for those who don’t already own a kayak or canoe.

As this event moves forward, Andersen said she hopes it offers a gateway into a new form of physical activity for community members.

Grafton, after all, is rich with open space for boating, between Silver Lake, Lake Ripple and other nearby waterways.

“This is the most public body of water in town...so that’s why we were operating [at Silver Lake],” Andersen said. “Hopefully it’s just getting people started and then making them aware of other locations.”

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

GRAFTON - Area families and outdoor enthusiasts will get a unique chance to gain a new perspective on one of the area’s pristine bodies of water this summer, in the form of a guided paddling tour hosted by the Grafton Recreation department.

Scheduled to take place Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m., July 13, July 27 and August 10, these paddling tours will take between 15 and 20 attendees on a trip around Grafton’s Silver Lake.

They’ll launch from the town’s Silver Lake Beach and will be hosted by experienced guides.

“It’s been just a great opportunity for people to get introduced to [paddling] and to get out and do something fun for a low cost,” Grafton Rec-

Paddling program grows in Grafton This is not necessarily a new program.

The Recreation Department actually started offering paddling events in 2019, growing a family program out of an existing outdoor adventure program for area youth.

Children were already fishing, kayaking and building fires through that opportunity.

The vendor in charge, meanwhile, was looking to expand and worked with town

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officials to pilot what was originally a traveling tour program.

That first year saw tours in Grafton, as well as outside of town, in places like Flint Pond in Shrewsbury.

Quickly, though, feedback dictated a more local approach.

“People wanted to be a little bit closer and so we’ve just kept it here,” Andersen said. “...We really came to learn that people just like to do something in town and learn about what’s in town.”

Kayak, canoe tours bring families together Though COVID-19 disrupted some of last year’s programming, Andersen and others in her department are excited to see the paddling program grow this summer.

Already, since switching to a more local approach, organizers have seen their events reach capacity as community members snap up boat rentals and “welcome the opportunity” to see their town from the water.

There are lots of tandem kayaks in use, Andersen remarked, as families turn out to explore nature together.

“It’s not just a single person or a couple,” she said. “They’re mixing it up with a canoe or a kayak and...really making a family outing of it.”

Learn more about the paddling nights and see how to register at GraftonRec.com.

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20 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

Volunteers clear Hudson’s Danforth trails

By Laura Hayes Contributing Writer

PHOTOS/LAURA HAYES

HUDSON - Carrying planks of wood and drills, about a dozen volunteers ventured to Danforth Falls on May 8 to clear the trails and stabilize the path.

“There’s an old trail that has fallen into disrepair that runs along the side of the brook,” said Gregory Opp, President of the Hudson Land Trust.

The Land Trust, which is a nonprofit founded by Hudson residents, and Hudson Conservation Commission organized the project.

With fallen branches and brush growing on the trail, it was hard for hikers who wanted to along Danforth Brook to know where they’re going.

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A trail runs alongside Danforth Brook. Volunteers worked to clear the trail May 8.

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people to follow so that they don’t go wandering through,” Opp said.

Opp has been involved with the town and Land Trust for years.

Opp said the main purpose of the land trust is to be the independent agency that holds conservation land or land purchased with Community Preservation Act funds, including Schofield, Fossile, Albertini/Meers and Old North Road.

The Danforth trails are one of several hiking trails in Hudson.

The path runs through the Danforth Conservation Area, which, according to the Land Trust’s website, is an 80-acre tract of land owned by the town and managed by the Conservation Commission. Besides the waterfall and a summit on Volunteers | 21

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the top of Philips Hill, the conservation area also includes Danforth Brook, which is stocked for fishing in the spring.

Last fall, they did work on the main trail, including installing footbridges to get hikers out of the mud, Opp said.

The project was funded by a donation and money from the Land Trust and Conservation Commission, and Opp is estimating the materials for the project cost about $900.

Volunteer Brenda Haggerty measures the “It’s the most pop- boardwalk. ular site in Hudson for people to hike. So we’re The volunteers constructtrying to make it accessible,” ed boardwalks totaling apOpp said. proximately 60 feet.

Early that Saturday mornParker led another voluning, the volunteers gathered teer down the trail, where at the trailhead off Lincoln he marked with white spray Street where Brandon Parker, paint what low-hanging who is a member of both the branches and brush needed Land Trust and the Conserto be removed. vation Commission, laid out For several hours, the their plans for the trail. volunteers cleared the trail. All of the work was done using manual labor.

As they were busy drilling the boardwalks together, hikers wove through the volunteers and planks of wood to make the trek up to Danforth Falls and Philips Hill.

“It’s the ruggedness of the terrain and the quietness of the brook,” said Parker, when asked what he liked about Brandon Parker explains the plans for the trail to the trail. volunteers.

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22 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21 Welcoming back the fun Southborough Recreation’s summer programs return

By Liz Nolan Contributing Writer SOUTHBOROUGH - Summer camp, summer concerts, and summer movies are all returning this year as part of programs being offered by Southborough Recreation. Director Tim Davis is excited to get the department back to regular programming, which is already seeing high registration rates.

“The focus is to make sure operation gets back to where it needs to be,” Davis said. “We are not here to make money, but ensure residents are out having fun, and kids are staying healthy and with friends.”

Downtime last year used wisely Davis said the department used the program shutdown

Southborough Summer campers enjoying the outdoors.

last summer to work on capital projects, such as refinishing a soccer field, installing new basketball courts, and completing two athletic lighting projects. Additionally, the playground behind the Town

House was replaced with new equipment and is ADA compliant.

“With schools being closed (last year), it gave us an opportunity to get site projects underway,” he said. “Overall,

we switched gears and instead of programs, we put effort into facilities.”

Some programs ran well virtually over the last year, such as yoga. The annual Gobble Wobble Road Race for

Thanksgiving was held virtually and was an overall success.

However, nothing replaces on-site programming, which is now the focus of the department.

Recreation | 23

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Summer fun in ’21 Recreation | from page 22

Summer camp returns Summer camp will run full days, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., beginning the end of June. Registration is on a week-by-week basis and children will be grouped by age (3-6 and 7-11).

New this year, camp for both age groups will be held at one site at Woodward Elementary School. This will be more convenient for parents and eliminate the need for drop-off at two different locations.

Summer camp is open to non-residents and available spaces are filling up quickly.

Davis said it was also purposeful to offer camps this summer at a low, affordable rate given the pandemic and the realization that financial hardships are present in the town.

In July, a new program, Viking Sports Ninja, is being offered for a Warrior Week.

“It’s a unique obstacle course and is athletic based, gets kids moving, and is health focused,” Davis said.

New programs not in the brochure are being added so Davis encourages people to check the website frequently.

Family summer fun Another true sign of summer normalcy is the return of eight weeks of the Southborough Recreation’s summer concert series and movies in the park.

The concerts and movies are free and will be held on alternating weeks starting on Wednesday, June 30 with a performance by Knock on Wood. Concerts will be held from 6-8 p.m. at Neary School Field and the movies will begin at dusk at Depietri Field at Neary School.

Left: Newly constructed outdoor basketball court at Fayville Playground located on Central Street in Southborough.

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24 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

Colonial Garden Club delights Ghiloni Park visitors with gnome villages “Gnome houses” wait for gnome visitors at Ghiloni Park in Marlborough.

By Nance Ebert Contributing Writer MARLBOROUGH - At first, the sightings were sparse but now the gnomes and their dwellings are creating a buzz and delighting all who come in contact with them while strolling through Ghiloni Park.

“Yarn Bombing” installation and was inspired to add yarn flowers to the gnome villages.

“My daughter, Rhiannon, has designed the gnomes that we place in the garden. They are all based on the native plants. The Jack in the Pulpit looks like the plant,” said Karen McEacherns, Beautification Chairperson of the Colonial Garden Club.

Each year the gnomes get laminated and adhered to a stick.

Then they magically appear in the garden to delight all who spot them while spending time along the public trails. Winter takes its toll on the gnomes and

addition to Ghiloni Park, “said Jakubowski Russ.

A family affair Her husband, Chris, built some of the doors and houses that the gnomes “live in.”

This year he also added stairs.

Deborah recently visited the Tower Hill Botanical Garden’s

Inspiration for idea One of the Colonial Garden Club members, Deborah Jakubowski Russ, had this idea several years ago while walking her two Labradors in Framingham parks and other towns where they have these gnome villages.

“It was so much fun to unexpectedly see a garden gnome while taking a walk through the woods. The sightings automatically bring a smile to anyone who spots one. I thought this could be brought to Marlborough and be a wonderful

Garden Club | 25

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Summer fun in ’21 Colonial Garden Club delights Ghiloni Park visitors with gnome villages Garden Club | from page 24

A joyful surprise for visitors of all ages “The attention the gnomes have brought to the garden is unbelievable. The gnomes bring joy to multi generations.

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their villages and so each spring, they need to be given some attention before they will be placed back on the trail.

There are nine garden sites but this garden within the Colonial Garden Club has been a family project. The spouses of their members have gotten involved trimming trees, watering, placing rocks to protect the plants and the gnome homes and more.

President of the Colonial Garden Club.

People take a moment of reflection and laughter can be heard once a gnome and their dwelling has been spotted.

“Everybody laughs and although it might seem like such a simple thing, it is purely joyful,” said Jakubowski Russ.

The gnomes get moved around each week so that each time a visitor comes, they will still be surprised by a discovery where there might not have been a sighting the last time.

“The gnomes have become a civic engagement. They have a fan club,” said McEacherns.

The Colonial Garden Club started in 1959 and celebrated its 60th anniversary. The club works closely with the DPW and credits this wonderful partnership with many beautiful garden areas.

Westborough’s Lake Chauncy reopens this summer

(l to r) Caitlyn Blanchard, Sam Kowalchek, and Marcus Blanchard enjoy kayaking on Lake Chauncy.

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26 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

Westborough dedicates newly purchased open space to Zwicker family

By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor WESTBOROUGH - The Zwicker Farm Conservation Area in Westborough is rich in history.

While dedicating the space

Left: Attendees gather at an event dedicating the Zwicker Farm property to Dorthy and Albert Zwicker of Westborough.

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“The conservation commission is both proud and privileged to steward this land in

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Last fall, Westborough voters approved a deal to purchase the land from the Zwicker’s granddaughter Deb HouldenEngvall at a price tag of $1 million.

As voters celebrated the purchase, Pastor John Wellesly Taylor, who counted the Zwicker’s as part of his congregation before they passed away, imagined they would be happy with their property’s new life.

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Summer fun in ’21 Zwicker property to be linked to Westborough Charm Bracelet bone of their project. From there, they want to complete a “network of side trails to interconnect every open space, recreation area, school, and neighborhood.” Then, they want additional trails connecting Westborough to its neighboring communities.

Zwicker Farm sits just to the northeast of the Bowman Conservation Area, which is already listed as part of the Charm Bracelet.

As others delved deep on specific plans for the Farm’s future, Koenigsberg reiterated the Conservation Commission’s commitment to its

maintenance.

“The Conservation Commission will do its very best to be good stewards of the property, to work with other organizations and the town to manage the land to make sure that it can be enjoyed by everyone in every season forever,” he said.

Boys and Girls Clubs offer summer programming Dedication attendees take a brief walk through the trails of the Zwicker Farm Conservation Area.

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These days, the farm is open to the public and under the management of the Conservation Commission. As they promote the space as a place to connect with nature, town officials are planning to link Zwicker Farm into the larger

Westborough Charm Bracelet.

The Charm Bracelet, in turn, is a town-wide trail system aimed to connect open spaces in Westborough. Work on the Charm Bracelet has been ongoing since 2000, focusing on a three tiered approach.

Officials want to maintain a 28-mile loop as the back-

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MARLBOROUGH - The Boys and Girls Clubs of MetroWest will be hosting summer programs starting on Monday, June 28.

Camps will run through Friday, August 20 at the Hudson Clubhouse on Church Street, as well as at the Marlborough Clubhouse on Pleasant Street. The Boys and Girls Club will also run it’s Discovery Club at Kane Elementary School in town on the same dates.

Limited financial aid is available to students thanks to donations from a number of area businesses and organizations, including the Hudsonbased Avidia Bank.

Families can learn more at bgcmetrowest.org.

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28 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

Eagle Scout project to provide outdoor seating at St. Rose of Lima

By Liz Nolan Contributing Writer NORTHBOROUGH - Algonquin Regional High School sophomore and Northborough Troop 101 Scout James Ares is not just sitting around.

In fact, for his Eagle Scout project he built four, 8-foot wooden benches for others to sit and be used around the fire pit located at St. Rose of Lima in Northborough.

The fire pit, also an Eagle Scout project by fellow scout Noah Long, is often used for church youth groups and activities. Although use was limited this past year due to gathering restrictions, the benches are already a welcomed addition.

St. Rose of Lima holds its 10 a.m. Sunday mass outdoors if weather permits, and the benches were installed to make their debut on Easter

Eagle Scout James Ares tests out one of the benches made for St. Rose of Lima.

Sunday.

Building and creating have always been of interest to Ares.

“I always wanted to build something for my Eagle Scout project,” Ares said. “The idea of building some form of seating so people can enjoy the fire pit was suggested.”

Once the bench idea was established in October 2020, the process began. The project proposal, planning, fundraising and receiving approval from the Boy Scout Council are Eagle Scout | 29

The final set up of the benches around the fire pit.

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Summer fun in ’21 Right: Project volunteers: (sitting) Alex Nascimento, James Ares, Cameron Kane; (standing) Brian Rabideau, Thomas Rabideau, St. Rose of Lima Pastor Fr. Jim Houston.

portation,” said Ares. “The actual building process was a lot faster than I thought it would be.”

The benches were completed and delivered to St. Rose on April 3.

Ares is relieved that the project is completed.

“It felt like an accomplish-

ment the second the benches were delivered,” he said. “It will feel good to see people using them.”

Troop 101 has been holding some outdoor meetings, but Ares can’t think of a better way to celebrate his accomplishment than to have the next Troop meeting at St. Rose.

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James Ares in bench construction mode.

Eagle Scout | from page 28

all part of the process. Once approved, he found easy-tofollow online construction directions and obtained the necessary tools for the project.

Ares said business donations were a crucial part of the project. Lowe’s Home Improvement donated supplies, and funds were donated

by Central One Federal Credit Union and Moe’s Northborough Auto Service.

Leadership, communication and project and time management skills are all developed during the Eagle Scout project process.

The fundraising portion was new to Ares, and he is appreciative of the generosity.

“I never asked for money from big companies before,” he said.

Although fellow scouts

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“It took about four to five hours straight of working and a rented UHaul for trans-

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30 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021

Summer fun in ’21

Eyeing Assabet Park renovations, Northborough Rec director excited for future

By Liz Nolan Contributing Writer NORTHBOROUGH - Northborough Recreation Department Director Allie Lane is excited as plans for the summer are coming together after a long programming slowdown due to COVID-19.

Programs have largely filled up, Assabet Park construction plans are being finalized, and on May 1, town meeting voters approved an effort to build new pickleball courts.

Assabet Park construction to begin in July Lane is excited for the end result of the planned renovation at Assabet Park located on South Street near the center of town.

Voters at last year’s town meeting approved the project to improve accessibility issues and to bring the park into compliance with the Americans with

The old gates to Northborough’s Assabet Park stand near downtown.

The park will undergo renovations starting in July.

Disabilities Act. The playground area will be open until construction begins in early July. But, once work starts, it will remain closed until crews complete the project in the fall.

“We really want that park to be for ages eight and under,” Lane said. “It will be all playground space.”

There will be a safe area for kids to ride bikes.

Splash Pond to close due to park project Due to that construction, the town will have to also close the popular Splash Pad next to Assabet Park this summer.

“There is no safe way to open it while construction is going on,” Lane said.

This is the second consecutive summer in which the Splash Pad will be closed after COVID-19 restrictions forced the town to shut it down last year.

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

Town Meeting approves new pickleball courts The proposed pickleball courts project at EllsworthMcAfee Park came to a vote at Town Meeting on May 1, passing at that time.

The town will draw the necessary $290,250 in construction fees from its Community Preservation Act account of tax funds reserved for projects, such as recreation.

Rec Director offers reminders to park visitors As kids return to local sports fields and recreation areas this spring and summer, Lane has reminders for members for the general public.

“People need to know that they need to leash their dogs and clean up after their dogs,” she said. “We need to make sure the fields are clean for the kids.”

The walking track at Ells-

worth is used by all ages, including senior citizens. As such, Lane said bikes, scooters and rollerblades are not allowed on the track to keep all walkers safe.

“It has really become a popular walking track,” Lane said. “I am asking people to use good judgement. I love this community and I want people to be as healthy and happy as they can.”

Pavilion use permits required A permit issued by the Recreation Department is required for the use of the pavilion at Ellsworth for gatherings or parties.

Last year, the area was not rented out due to COVID. This year, the permit fee for residents is $50 for four hours of use. Nonresidents must pay $65 for the same window.

View all information at www.northboroughrecreation.com, email recreation@town.northborough.ma.us or call 508-393-5034.

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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE SUMMER GUIDE • Friday, May 28, 2021 • 31

Summer fun in ’21 Northborough Community Garden marks 10 year anniversary

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

“The Community Gardens are open for business,” the Northborough Recreation Department proclaimed in a Facebook post on May 18.

The Garden opened in 2011 with just 10 plots. Over the past decade the Garden has grown now boasting 40 raised beds protected by chain link fencing.

Ten of those were added just this year.

While all available plots have been reserved, this year interested gardners can learn more by searching “Northborough Community Garden” on Facebook.

Elsewhere, gardners are hard at work at community gardens in Hudson, Southborough and at the St Rose of Lima Church in Northborough among a number of other locations.

A well tended garden plot sprouts part of this year’s harvest within Northborough’s Community Garden.

NORTHBOROUGH - Flowers, the Community Garden is one and garden decoof several spaces like it across rations already fill Northborthe region. ough’s Community Garden For Northborough though, plots off Valentine St. in town. this year’s harvest will be esOffering space for compecially unique as the Commumunity members to plant and nity Garden there is celebrating DENTAL tend small crops each year, 10 years of operation.

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SHREWSBURY - Normal operations at Shrewsbury’s sprawling Dean Park will slowly return this summer as the COVID-19 reopening process continues.

In a notice published on May 18, the town confirmed that it is accepting July and August picnic permit reservations for the pavilions at Dean Park.

The park’s picnic grove, the notice said, will become available for public use on select days beginning in July.

Capacity will be limited to 100 people.

Meanwhile, the picnic pavilion will further see its capacity increased back to its normal size around that time.

While the Park won’t be hosting large scale events this summer, the town is inviting small scale event planners

to inquire about use of the Bandstand and other Dean Park facilities.

Those planners will still need to submit a COVID-19 management plan with the town.

As some spaces will be open for use, the Dean Park upper baseball field will be closed for renovations starting “on or about” June 28.

Outside of Dean Park permits, picnics and events, the Shrewsbury Parks and Recreation Department is planning a number of programs for local families.

“The Parks & Recreation Division looks forward to keeping people active and safe summer and enjoying the outdoors,” the May 18 notice read.

Learn more at shrewsburyma.myrec.com/info.

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