Above: Connor Jenks displays his talent on the saxophone. The hometown boy won a national grand prize for his solo skills. (from Jenks’ YouTube channel)
Southborough residents have been making making news again. Here are a few stories worth sharing.
Southborough native establishes charity in Africa – Southborough Wicked Local:
Universal Promise, a nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by Southborough native, Martha T. Cummings, provides much needed educational and medical resources, as well employment opportunities, to hundreds of impoverished individuals in the Eastern Cape town of Nomathamsanqa (pronounced No-ma- tom-son- ka) in South Africa. (read more)
Southborough’s Maley saw it all as the longtime Red Sox photographer – Southborough Wicked Local:
Life-long resident Jack Maley was interviewed last month. In addition to his memories working with the Red Sox, Maley recounts his service in WWII:
Jack Maley, 93 years old but with a smile and a twinkling eye, occasionally likes to pull off his signature gag.
It’s usually when he’s out to dinner. He’ll arbitrarily ask a group of people if they’re Red Sox fans. If the answer is yes, Maley’s follow-up question is, “Ever see a World Series ring?” Well, no. At which point he reaches in his pocket and pulls out Red Sox championship rings, vintage 2004 and 2007. Eyes pop. The strangers’ dining experience is a success and they haven’t even ordered yet. (read more)
Musical native wins national Jazz competition:
To a certain segment of Southborough residents, Connor Jenks is a famous musician. As members of the Neary School band know, Jenks composed the school’s theme back when he was a student. At Neary’s Holiday Concert, band instructor Stephen Curtis proudly shared with the audience Jenks’ newest accomplishment. I followed up with his family for details:
Last month, recent Algonquin graduate Connor Jenks won the grand prize in a national jazz competition for musicians aged 13 to 18 that was hosted by renowned Big Phat Jazz Band leader Gordon Goodwin. Connor’s winning saxophone solo earned him a trip to Boulder, Colorado later this month for a masterclass with Goodwin, as well as a trip to Los Angeles in April to perform with Goodwin’s Little Phat Band.
A lifelong Southborough resident, Connor graduated from Algonquin last June and now attends Berklee College of Music in Boston. You can hear more from Connor on his YouTube channel.
