Above: In May 2009, Hollywood took over a little piece of Southborough (Photo by Susan Fitzgerald)
I took a little stroll down memory lane through Susan’s blog post from 5 years ago this month. I came across some moments worth remembering. I also discovered that I missed a 5 year anniversary from a big happening the month earlier.
A discussion about Southborough’s character
In this year’s debates about the Main Street reconstruction project, much has been made of protecting the town’s character.
A post from June 2009 reveals a related effort by a town committee:
There’s no arguing the fact that Southborough has changed since I was a kid growing up here, and there’s probably no arguing it will continue to change. Through all the change, I’ve always heard people say that it’s important to preserve the “character of Southborough.”
But what exactly do we mean by that? Just what is Southborough’s character anyway?
That’s the topic for the last in a series of three public meetings sponsored by the Zoning Advisory Committee. The committee is undertaking a comprehensive review of the town’s zoning code, which ultimately has a pretty big impact on what the town becomes or doesn’t become. (read more)
Southborough police are well armed
A surprising look as our armed police force.
The Metrowest Daily News surveyed local police departments to find out which have semi-automatic assault rifles as part of their arsenals. Turns out most do, including Southborough.
According to the article, Southborough police have five AR-15s, which can have an effective range of up to 600 yards and a bullet speed up to 3,200 feet per second.
The article quotes Sgt. Sean James, who says the rifles are used in “extreme circumstances” like the 2006 standoff on Route 495. (read more)
Finn one of first in nation to receive prestigious accreditation
Finn School passed rigorous standards and “nerve wracking” evaluation to earn bragging rights (and protect about $80,00 worth of grants.)
After a nearly two-year process, Finn became one of the first early childhood development centers in the nation to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) under stringent new rules.
“We’re very, very happy,” Finn principal Mary Ryan said. “It validates that what we’re doing is best practice.” (read more)
Hollywood comes to Southborough
For many of you this may be a fond memory. Others may have been irritated by the disruptions. And some, newer to town, may not even realize Southborough was the filming site for a major motion picture.
In May of 2009, Adam Sandler and co-horts came to town to film a scene for the “Lake House” aka Grown Ups . Although critically panned, the film grossed more than $217 million, enough to spawn a sequel.
Funeral scenes were filmed at Pilgrim Church. Some money was paid to the town. Some money was spent downtown. And residents were swept up in the excitement of getting autographs from or just spotting Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider.
Susan’s posts covered a lot of ground, including money paid to the town, spending downtown, Sandler shooting hoops at Woodward, and lots of pics.
To see all the posts, click here.
