I have a little something extra to be thankful about this year. At Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting (before all the broohaha about the Swap Shop), the selectmen issued an official proclamation to acknowledge my work on this blog. I’m told it had been in the works for weeks, but the proclamation came as a complete surprise to me. My family even turned out to hear the selectmen read some very kind words.
They credited the blog with providing a place for residents to share their voices, particularly those who might not otherwise choose to get involved. They acknowledged the role the site played in getting information out during the last two major weather events. And they called me a local hero.
I was humbled. I grinned from ear to ear. I blushed.
I’m not sure I would characterize myself as a hero, but the truth is I’m very proud of this blog and the role it has played in our community. But I also know that the success of the site has just as much, if not more, to do with you than it does with me. Without you reading and participating, this blog would be nothing more than a bunch of pixels. It’s you who have created the community.
So, thank you to the selectmen for honoring me, and for their own hours and sacrifices on behalf of the town. Thank you to my wonderful sponsors who keep this site afloat. Thank you to those who join me in bringing Southborough stories to light: Linda Hubley of southboroughnews.com, reporters from the Metrowest Daily News (Brad) and Community Advocate (Kathryn and your colleagues). Thank you to my family for their understanding, patience, and babysitting help during all those committee meetings.
And mostly, thank you to you, for joining me on these pages, for sharing your stories, for loving Southborough as much as I do, and for working to build an ever better place to live and raise our families.
May you enjoy the blessings of family, friends, and food today. Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours.
Thank you Susan,
I have not commented on the swap shop issue as so many people have covered most of the issues. The voices of the towns people would have not been heard so clearly if this blog was not here.
Thank you for your hard work.
Congratulations Susan! You are more than deserving of any and all praise that is bestowed upon you! The service you provide to this town is, indeed invaluable, and the time and effort you put this blog, is enormous. I only wish I was there on Tuesday! Now, I believe there is a chain across the “dump” today saying “Closed on Thanksgiving”, and I think you should get the rest of the day off! Thanks again! Karen
Dear Susan,
We are so grateful for all of your hard work and positive town coverage. You ARE a local hero. We all look to you for the most current event coverage. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Enjoy this special day!
Melissa & Bill Shields
A well-deserved congratulations. Your blog has continued to be a primary source for local events, issues and topics for my family. It was especially useful during the outages. There was an expectation that the news updates would break here first. I’m glad that you provide such a great resource and that our community continues to support it. I realize that it takes a lot of effort to maintain. You can rest assured that it pays off.
Happy Thanksgiving.
David
You rock. Seriously. Thanks for all your work. What would we do without you???
Susan, you deserve every bit of praise. This blog is a wonderful service to our community. Thank you!
Great job Susan. The hard work and subsequent recognition is a wonderful thing for the town and for you personally.
Congratulations on well-deserved accolades!! In this age of technology, your blog provides an invaluable tool for all of us to keep informed, keep in contact, and keep together. Thank you for everything you do! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. :-)
Congratulations Susan! I always look forward to your posts. Thanks for all of your hard work.
Woo and Hoo!!
A well earned recognition. More later…lol…too late to frame appropriate thoughts…
You deserve the recognition, Susan – congrats!
Good for you Susan!
Congrats Susan and thank you for all that you do! You provide a wonderful service for our town and do it so well. I so enjoy all the local news you bring us but just as much…..I enjoy all the gorgeous photos you capture of our beautiful town. We are lucky to have such a talented and fair journalist in our midst.
Kudos to our selectmen for honoring you and your work.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Mazel tov! You provide an important service for the town and your readers salute you!
Susan, I’m so glad that you were recognized by the town for all that you do. You have become the voice of Southborough. You provide a great public service and I am among those who truly appreciate all you do – on your own time and without compensation, too. You ARE a local hero!
Everyone has said it all. You deserve it Susan. So great that the Town gave you the recognition. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
A well-deserved honor, Susan. As a former journalist of 20+ years, I constantly marvel at your good news sense, even-handedness, and commitment (all those night meetings!), as well as your way with words and beautiful photographs. Bravo to the selectmen, too, for recognizing the importance of a free press – and the free speech it prompts.
I LOVE this blog! It really IS a wonderful forum, a steady source of local information as well as a place to check immediately for “breaking news”!!
Congratulations Susan! Thank you for reminding us all through your blog why Southborough is such a great place to live and raise a family. Your consistent hard work and efforts are appreciated each and every day!!!
Congratulations Susan! It’s hard to remember what I even did to keep up on local news and events before your wonderful blog. Looking forward to many, many more posts!
Congrats Susan! A well deserved honor, I can’t imagine how much time you’ve spent on this blog, and it definitely serves as the voice of the people!