This letter to the editor from residents Bonnie Phaneuf and John Butler to publicly urges the Select Board “not delay in honoring the nearly unanimous request of Town Meeting that the Town withdraw from the current IMA agreement” for the regional dispatch center in Westborough. Read the full article → from Letter: Select Board shouldn’t wait to withdraw from Dispatch IMA (Updated)
News
Obituary: Maryjayne (Pessini) Carey, 69
Maryjayne (Pessini) Carey, Of Southborough, Died Sunday, April 3, 2023, at her home in Southborough. She was the devoted wife of John J. Carey for 31 years. Read the full article → from Obituary: Maryjayne (Pessini) Carey, 69
2023 Marathon: Peng Yin for Michael Lisnow Respite Center
Between now and Patriots Day, I’m featuring stories of residents donning Boston Marathon bibs for a cause. Read the full article → from 2023 Marathon: Peng Yin for Michael Lisnow Respite Center
42nd Annual Senior Conference (Updated)
Free services, workshops, food, and door prizes are offered at the annual regional conference for seniors.
Every year, area senior citizens are welcomed to a special conference hosted by state officials. This spring, the conference will be back in-person for the first time since 2019. Read the full article → from 42nd Annual Senior Conference (Updated)
The week in sports
Highlights from last week’s competitions and what’s on tap this week in high school sports. Read the full article → from The week in sports
The week in government
Planning Board and more
Here is a selection of the committee and board meetings for the week along with my selected highlights from the agendas. Read the full article → from The week in government
Police launching Body Cams
Monday will be the first day of a test period for officers wearing a/v recording devices. Here are the details on the launch and policies about when and how officers will use them.
The Southborough Police Department’s Body Worn Cameras (BWCs) are in, staff trained, and officers will begin donning the devices on Monday. For the first 30 days, the program will be in a test period to allow the department to work through any glitches.
For some members of the public, this may be welcome news. But since some readers might be concerned about privacy issues and rights, I’m sharing the SPD’s official policy on how cameras and footage will be used. Read the full article → from Police launching Body Cams
Obituary: Robert William Donaldson, 68
Robert William Donaldson, 68, of Southborough, Massachusetts and Wantagh, New York, passed away on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at Marlborough Hospital in Marlborough. Read the full article → from Obituary: Robert William Donaldson, 68
New Building Commissioner hired
This morning, the Select Board voted to approve hiring a Building Commissioner to fill the position vacant since March 3rd. Casey Burlingame is expected to start work on April 24th. Read the full article → from New Building Commissioner hired
Volunteer opportunities on Town Committee
Several Town committees/boards have vacant seats.
Two discussions at Annual Town Meeting raised awareness of Town Committees that have vacancies (the Advisory Committee and the Southborough Public Accessibility Committee). So, I took a look at the current status and discovered over two dozen other vacancies. Read the full article → from Volunteer opportunities on Town Committee
Town Meeting’s vote to lower the voting age is just the first step (Updated)
A Citizen's Petition was supported by Town Meeting, but efforts by other towns haven't made it through the state legislature. Here's my recap of the TM discussion and the road ahead.
I’m writing up some highlights from the Annual Town Meeting discussion and potential implications of the Citizen’s Petition to lower the voting age in Town elections to 17 years old. I also followed up our Town’s representatives in the state legislature about their positions. Read the full article → from Town Meeting’s vote to lower the voting age is just the first step (Updated)
2023 Marathon: Fighting Cancer with Dana Farber
Between now and Patriots Day, I’m featuring stories of residents donning Boston Marathon bibs for a cause.
In this story, Nancy Gould, Susan Mahoney, and Dan Frank are all running to support the Dana Farber’s cancer research. Read the full article → from 2023 Marathon: Fighting Cancer with Dana Farber
ATM Voters disfavor Regionalization of Public Safety Dispatch
On Saturday, voters who stuck around long enough to hear the last few Citizen Petition Articles informed Select Board members that they weren’t happy with plans for regionalizing emergency communications. Read the full article → from ATM Voters disfavor Regionalization of Public Safety Dispatch
ARHS Swatting Hoax
Today, Algonquin Regional High School was among those that were targeted by a “swatting hoax”. A message from the Superintendent assures that students are safe. Read the full article → from ARHS Swatting Hoax