Join us for the third annual Maynard Jazz Fest on Saturday, June 15th between 1-6 PM!  Make your way to Maynard’s lively downtown and enjoy an afternoon of live jazz in the Cultural District! The concert will take place on the main stage in Memorial Park right in the center of town.  This Maynard Cultural District event is FREE and “open air” allowing you to come and go as you please while you experience the buzzing life that surrounds Maynard’s downtown storefronts and restaurants. Be sure to bring a blanket or some lawn chairs and come early to reserve your spot!
Listeners will be entertained by a wide variety of talent on the main stage featuring Portrait  in  Jazz, The Gravel Project, Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, and headlining this year: Latin  Logic salsa band! Between the mainstage sets, enjoy musical performances by the MHS Jazz Band, JazzHers, Interlude Music and other local student musicians on the adjacent Education Stage on Summer St.
Mark your calendars, and expect to experience the best that Maynard has to offer this summer on June 15th from 1-6 PM! If you have any questions, feel free to email us at maynardjazzfest@gmail.com. For updates, follow us on facebook.com/maynardjazzfest or check the Events Calendar on discovermaynard.com.
In case of inclement weather, this event will be held indoors and the venue will be announced closer to the date.

On Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 3:00 PM, the Lincoln-Sudbury Civic Orchestra (LSCO) presents its spring concert of its 51 st season, “Symphonic Potpourri” at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. The concert is indeed a potpourri – a collage of great music, opening with two concertos with soloists Emil Altschuler, violin, and Dave McLellan, guitar. Works by two great Englishmen whose lives spanned the 19th and 20th centuries, Ralph Vaughan-Williams and Edward Elgar, are featured. The program’s biggest work is Antoin Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony. A special treat of tango by Astor Piazzolla will be performed by the soloists together. Completing his second season, Alfonso Piacentini, a charismatic, young conductor and percussionist leads the all-volunteer community orchestra. In an unusual programming twist, Piacentini is joined by two soloists: Violinist Emil Altschuler returns for his fourth performance with LSCO, and guitarist Dave McLellan – normally LSCO’s timpanist -- for his third. Altschuler will perform Niccolo Paganini’s Concerto #1 for violin, and McLellan will offer the Concerto #1 for Guitar by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Altschuler and McLellan will also perform together in selected movements of Astor Piazzolla’s History of the Tango. The second half of the program highlights two great masterworks of the English orchestral repertoire: Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, the Norfolk Rhapsody #1, by Ralph Vaughan-Williams. The program will close with Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony #9, known as The New World Symphony. Acclaimed violinist, Emil Altschuler, performs with incredible technique, magnificent expression and a profound artistry across a wide-ranging repertoire. The Boston Globe writes “top notch” of Altschuler’s performance. The Strad praises “Passion and portamento from a young American violinist”, and The Whole Note writes “There’s a decidedly old-style feel to…very reminiscent of Heifetz.” Erick Friedman, master violinist and protégé of the legendary Jascha Heifetz, wrote “…a truly outstanding violinist of his generation…and sound and accuracy of intonation that are truly extraordinary.” Dave McLellan has performed in the U.S., South America, Great Britain, and Europe since 1976, including debut and chamber appearances in Jordan Hall, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Wigmore Hall (London). Beginning in 1981, he lived a double life as software engineer and concert guitarist with duo partner Neil Anderson. The Anderson-McLellan Duo gave several hundred concerts throughout the 1980’s, including two concert tours of Great Britain, and festival performances in the US and South America. Mr. McLellan’s collaborators include the late guitarist/composer Frank Wallace, the Serata Quartet, soprano Rebecca Grimes, soprano Rebekah Alexander, contralto Emily Marvosh (Handel & Haydn Society, Lorelei), flutist Tracy Kraus, violinist Judith Eissenberg, and guitarist Edward Flower.

 

10 AM, Sunday, May 26th. We will begin with a procession led by Scouts of America Troop 1 from the church, 673 Main St, Bolton, to the War Memorial on Wattaquadock Hill Road. In case of bad weather, the service will be held in the church sanctuary. Those who cannot join the procession can drive over and meet us at the Memorial (ball field). Reverends Ginger Bove and Bea Manning officiating.  All are welcome to Coffee Hour following the moving service.  Any questions, please reach out to us at (978)779-6427 or admin@firstparishofbolton.org.

THE FIRST PARISH OF BOLTON, 673 Main St, Bolton, will be on the Bolton Common, Saturday, June 1st from 1-5 PM to celebrate the Nashoba Valley Pride Festival.  Please stop by our booth and meet us, including our two ministers, ask questions and learn about the services of our congregation. Specifically, we are actively engaged in an educational and policy process that will allow us to be designated as an Open and Affirming congregation, already living as "an ecumenical congregation". If you have any questions, please call us at (978)779-6427 or email us at admin@firstparishofbolton.org.

Join us for Thrifty Thursdays every Thursday from 3-6pm at the West Acton Baptist Church. This Pop-Up Thrift Shop is sure to have a little something for everyone. We are located at 592 Massachusetts Ave in West Acton and the Pop-Up Thrift Shop is in our coatroom, entrance next to the elevator & Mini Food Pantry.

Join the Sounds of Stow Chorus at 4:00 pm on Sunday, June 2, at the First Parish Church in Stow, for a trip to the British Isles. Under the direction of Christina Kennedy, the chorus and instrumentalists will present songs of love and laughter inspired by Celtic musical traditions. The chorus will be joined by Karen Burciaga, fiddle, and Matthew Wright, guitar and other instruments. Both are members of Ulster Landing, a Boston-based band specializing in folk music of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Cornwall. Other special guests include the Artemis Circle Choral Project, a project-based chorus for sopranos and altos in the Rt. 495 corridor of Massachusetts from North Andover to Stow and beyond, as well as David Cymbala, bodhrán, and Polly Oliver, piano. Please support our effort to help local food pantries by bringing a non-perishable food item to the concert. All donations collected at the concert will go to the Stow Food Pantry. The church is located at 353 Great Road in Stow, MA. Seating at the church is limited and will be first come, first served. For tickets and further information, please visit www.soundsofstow.org. Sounds of Stow is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural

Council as administered by the local cultural councils of Stow, Littleton, Acton-Boxborough, Bolton, and Hudson.

Maynard's Relay for Life event will take place on Friday, May 31st at the Maynard-Clinton Lodge of Elks at 34 Powdermill Road in Maynard. Opening ceremonies will begin at 6:30 pm.  We have many family events planned including kids crafts, games (including the Wheel of Fortune!), movie, music from WAVM, possibly a scavenger hunt led with kazoos! Throughout the night there will be make your own sundaes, pizza and water for sale.  We will of course have many great raffles to take chances on, including a Kobalt 40-watt cordless lawn mower!
Relay is a time to honor cancer survivors to show them they're not alone.  We invite all cancer survivors to register at www.relayforlife.org/maynardma
Our opening ceremony will begin around 6:30 pm. A dinner will follow for all survivors and caregivers. A luminaria ceremony will be around 9:00 pm, where we remember those we've lost and those we support with lit luminaria bags around the parking lot.  You may purchase a luminaria bag at Relay, to honor and/or remember a loved one.

It's not too late to participate in our Relay as a team or an individual.  If you have any questions, please call Kim at 978-897-9907. See our Facebook Page - Maynard Relay for Life - for updates and photos of our beautiful raffles!

All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society for research, Hope Lodges and more.  Help us help people celebrate more birthdays!

Concord Library book sale on the lawn, 129 Main St. Concord. The annual sale is back on Saturday, June 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sponsored by the library Friends. Proceeds help pay for programming, music, children’s events and more. Cash and cards accepted. Rain date June 9.

The Acton Community Chorus is celebrating its 40th season! Celebrate with us as we perform hits from the last 40 years on Saturday, June 1 at 7pm and Sunday, June 2 at 4 pm at the Nashoba Brooks School, Tucker Auditorium, 200 Strawberry Hill Road, Concord, MA. Tickets can be purchased on our website www.ActonCommunityChorus.org or at the door. This season, we are excited to partner with Open Table’s Food Pantry to collect 40 bottles of cooking oil at our concerts. This is a high demand item, so please help by bringing a bottle to donate. Don’t miss this wonderful community event!

Join us in honoring our veterans, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom. Bedford's Memorial Day events begin at: 8:30am American Legion/VFW Memorial & Shawsheen Cemetery:  Ceremonies begin at the American Legion Post on the Great Road
10:00am Old Burying Ground Ceremony
10:45am BHS Fallen Veterans Memorial Tribute by Bedford HS JROTC cadets
11:00am Town Parade - Great Road parade route. Starts from Mudge Way with brief stop at
WWI Memorial on Town Common
11:15 Veterans Memorial Park (next to Bedford Funeral Home): Town Ceremonies

Contact Chair Peter Ricci for more information: 781-838-1253 (C)
Note: In case of heavy rains, outside activities will be canceled. Veterans Memorial Park ceremonies will be moved to Bedford High School Auditorium starting at 11am.

Open to all seniors/free
Visit with Bodacious, a handsome golden-doodle, and his handler Dick each Wednesday at the Senior Center. Bodacious and Dick are members of Therapy Dogs International, a non-profit volunteer group whose tagline is “Paws Awhile for Love.” Bodacious is gentle, affectionate, and hypo-allergenic. Visiting with a therapy dog is known to increase emotional well-being…and it’s free!

Thursday, May 30th, 1:30-2:30 pm
Acton, Littleton, Boxboro seniors age 60+ only
Who says ice cream is for kids?! Join in for a free small ice cream in a cone or cup as well as some conversation! To receive your voucher, meet at the silo near the cow at Kimball’s at 400 Littleton Road, Westford. RSVP required no later than May 23rd to the Council on Aging at seniorcenter@actonma.gov or 978-929-6652. This outing is a collaboration between the towns of Acton, Boxborough, and Littleton and is administered by the Acton Health Division. It is funded by a grant from CHNA (Community Health Network Area) through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s determination of need process.

Tuesday, May 28th, 6:00 pm
Open to all/free
Lina, Erin, and Hyunho, Acton Boxborough Regional High School students, will perform a selection of classical and other genres of music on piano, cello, and flute. Please support these young, talented performers by coming out to enjoy an evening of beautiful music.

Tuesday, May 28th, 3:00-4:30 pm
Open to all caregivers of older adults/free
Join Julie Norstrand for this group that meets twice a month via Zoom. New participants are always welcome! Being a caregiver can be very challenging. You may feel stretched thin with the many demands you face, including work and family life, which can leave you feeling physically exhausted, isolated and alone. Julie has found caregiver groups provide tremendous practical and emotional support to the members. If you are new to the group, please sign up with the Council on Aging at seniorcenter@actonma.gov or call 978-929-6652

Tuesday, May 28th, 1:00-2:30 pm
Open to all seniors/free
Our first meeting of the month uses online/computer tools to find answers to family history questions. This month's online focus will be on software for recording ancestor data, charting, and generating family narratives. This month’s second meeting topic is about identifying, labeling, and preserving old family photographs (June: Focus on Novice Genealogists).

Tuesday, May 28th, 12:00-1:30pm
Open to all/free
A Memory Café is a welcoming place for people with memory impairment and their care partners /caregivers. Cafés are a place to talk with others, enjoy lunch and an activity or entertainment together. We do ask attendees to bring their care partners. Lunch will be provided. Sponsored by Acton COA, Concord Park and Cooperative Elder Services. Please let us know if you plan to attend by May 21st.

Many families struggle to offer their children the joyful birthday celebrations they deserve. First Parish Church of Stow & Acton (FPC) and FPC volunteer staff are offering 3 free parties, to occur between July 2024 and June 2025, to families that might not otherwise be able to have a party for a child. The youth at FPC have helped build a party “escape room” chest that’s available for birthday rentals. The parties are best suited for children and youth between 8 and 17. This includes the use of FPC’s Vestry, including tables and chairs for up to 20 people (though the escape adventure is recommended for 5 to 10 participants), and access to a small kitchen. The parties also include an FPC volunteer who will open and close the building and act as “games master” for the escape adventure. Pirate-themed Escape Room in a Chest: ● 12 puzzles to solve (suited to ages 8 to adult) ● A 60- to 90-minute adventure (approximately) ● Teams of 5 to 10 people Typical Party ● 2 hours total ● Up to 90 min in Escape Game ● Remainder of time in Vestry Cafe for any food, cake and beverages you bring The value of the party is $300 ($250 rent and $50 sexton fee). Low-income families and foster families are encouraged to apply using the URL below. At least one adult must be present throughout the party. Tinyurl.com/FPCpiratebday. Applications will be reviewed by FPC’s minister. Requests will be accepted until May 30. Recipients of the parties will be contacted by June 10, 2024. FPC is located at 353 Great Rd., Stow. Its facilities are wheelchair accessible.

Many families struggle to offer their children the joyful birthday celebrations they deserve. First Parish Church of Stow & Acton (FPC) and FPC volunteer staff are offering 3 free parties, to occur between July 2024 and June 2025, to families that might not otherwise be able to have a party for a child. The youth at FPC have helped build a party “escape room” chest that’s available for birthday rentals. The parties are best suited for children and youth between 8 and 17. This includes the use of FPC’s Vestry, including tables and chairs for up to 20 people (though the escape adventure is recommended for 5 to 10 participants), and access to a small kitchen. The parties also include an FPC volunteer who will open and close the building and act as “games master” for the escape adventure. Pirate-themed Escape Room in a Chest: ● 12 puzzles to solve (suited to ages 8 to adult) ● A 60- to 90-minute adventure (approximately) ● Teams of 5 to 10 people Typical Party ● 2 hours total ● Up to 90 min in Escape Game ● Remainder of time in Vestry Cafe for any food, cake and beverages you bring The value of the party is $300 ($250 rent and $50 sexton fee). Low-income families and foster families are encouraged to apply using the URL below. At least one adult must be present throughout the party. Tinyurl.com/FPCpiratebday. Applications will be reviewed by FPC’s minister. Requests will be accepted until May 30. Recipients of the parties will be contacted by June 10, 2024. FPC is located at 353 Great Rd., Stow. Its facilities are wheelchair accessible.

UU Mass Action is a statewide social justice organization for Unitarian Universalists (UUs). Its first directors were members of First Parish Church of Stow & Acton (FPC). On Sunday, May 26, FPC welcomes the Rev. Jo Murphy, Executive Director of UU Mass Action, to tell us more about its ongoing campaigns. The nonprofit organizing and advocacy group has been working since 2006 to help organize and mobilize the 142 congregations in Massachusetts, consisting of some 20,000 UUs, to address social justice issues at the state level. UU Mass Action has five primary campaigns: Climate & Environmental Justice; Decarceration & End Solitary; Economic & Housing Justice; Immigrant Justice; and Indigenous Justice. All are welcome to this service to learn more about these social justice campaigns in our state. The service will take place both in person and virtually on May 26 at 10 a.m. Masking is optional. Child care is available for ages 3 and under, and children over 3 are welcome to join religious education classes. For information about those classes, contact FPC Director of Religious Education Rayla D. Baldwin-Mattson at dre@fpc-stow-acton.org. To enter the virtual room, go to tinyurl.com/22-23fpc. FPC warmly welcomes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The church is located at 353 Great Rd., Stow. Its facilities are wheelchair accessible. For more information, visit www.fpc-stow-acton.org.

Acton Memorial Library will be closed on Sunday, May 26, for carpet cleaning and Monday, May 27, for Memorial Day.
The library will reopen at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28.

The Memorial Day Parade Maynard this year will take place on Monday, May 27th. It will be forming in the Town Hall parking at 10:30 am, stepping off at 11:00. It will stop at the Main Street bridge to honor those lost at sea. Then continue to Memorial Park for the main ceremony. After the ceremony, it will reform and continue back to the Town Hall. Come out and remember the sacrifices our veterans made for our freedom.

What if you received a knock on your door tonight and were told you had to leave? You had no more than a month to do so, and you could only take what was not nailed down. Eighty Massachusetts families faced that predicament on March 25, 1942. The Ammo Dump: A Taking of Heritage tells their story.
Join us at 1:00 on May 18 at the Fort Devens Museum for an afternoon of local lore and history with the authors of The Ammo Dump. Co-authored by Maynard historian Paul Boothroyd and his sons Paul Boothroyd, Jr. and Todd Boothroyd, the book explores the U.S. Army's seizure by eminent domain of some 3,100 acres of land spanning Maynard, Stow, Sudbury and Hudson in the spring of 1942. At the breakout of World War II, the U.S. government required four square miles to create an ammunition depot. The purpose was to create this munitions storage at a distance from Boston harbor, so that if German battleships appeared off the Massachusetts coast, the munitions facility would be too far inland to be shelled from the sea. An extensive network of railroad tracks and widely spaced 'bunkers' (earth-covered warehouse buildings) would hold munitions until ships docked at harbor to take on supplies for transportation to Europe. Eminent domain was ordered, and the land taken, forever. However, that's only the surface of the tale...
Explore the who, how, and why. Learn about close-knit families in Maynard, Stow, Sudbury, and Hudson, Massachusetts, who lost their farms, their livelihoods. They not only had to find new places to live and work, they had to deal with the loss of all they had built.
The Fort Devens Museum is located at 94 Jackson Road, Devens, MA, on the third floor and is wheelchair accessible. The museum is open on May 18 from 10 AM to 3 PM with the program at 1:00.  This event is free and open to the public with donations gratefully accepted. Thanks to the Harvard Cultural Council. More information at www.fortdevensmuseum.org.

Excitement is in the air for this upcoming Quilt Show! And what could be more beautiful than a room filled with hand crafted quilts?! Catch the enthusiasm and attend this local Quilt Show being held May 18 & 19 at Chelmsford Senior Center, 75 Groton Road (route 40) in North
Chelmsford, MA. Show hours are Saturday 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
The show features over 100 Traditional, Modern, and Art quilts made by members, a Members Boutique, Silent Auction of Mini Quilts, Themed Raffle Baskets, Quilting Demonstrations, and More! Show Vendors are Bits ‘n Pieces Quilt Shop of Pelham NH and blade sharpener National Sharpening Company. This year, our Charity Quilt Raffle will benefit Lowell Transitional Living Center.
Admission is $10 and free for children under 12; cash or check only as we are unable to accept credit or debit cards. Building is wheelchair accessible with plenty of free parking.
The group's Quilt Shows are held every two years and are always a highlight of Guild programming. If you are in the area, this show is a “must see” event!
For more information, visit  www.chelmsfordquiltguild.com

On Monday May 27 (Memorial Day) the Iris Society of Massachusetts invites you to an iris show – ‘Dancing with Irises’ – at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St., West Concord. You will see irises that society members grow in their local gardens and bring to the show to compete for awards. Admission is free, and the show is open to the public from 1-4 pm. The center is accessible and has easy parking. In addition to the array of beautiful, scented irises to which the judges have given awards, there will be tables of companion plants as well as floral arrangements that use irises and that reflect the show’s theme of ‘Dancing with Irises.’ You are encouraged to vote on your favorite iris in the show as well as your favorite companion plant. Rhizomes of spring blooming bearded irises and potted siberian irises will be on sale. They usually sell quickly. Society members will be on hand to answer general questions about irises as well as more specific horticultural queries. To find out more about the show and about the iris society, go to the website: massirises.org.

Lucie Hager was a remarkable woman of the 19th Century.  Though she was largely self-taught, she was a successful school teacher, bookkeeper and a prolific writer of poetry.
Late in the nineteenth century Lucie wrote the Boxborough section in a comprehensive history of Middlesex County containing histories of every city and town in the county. At that time Boxborough with its 325 inhabitants was one of the smallest towns in the County . Encouraged by this work and by her friends, she wrote a separate history of Boxborough alone. That book was published in 1891 as “Boxborough: A New England Town and its People”. The book is a treasure trove of lore of the Town and of its notable families.
Come hear Alan Rohwer of the Boxborough Historical Commission discuss the life and labors of this pioneering woman in the meeting room of the Sargent Memorial Library at 427 Massachusetts Avenue (route 111) on Thursday May 23 at 7 p.m.  The event is free and registration is not required.

First Parish Church of Stow & Acton (FPC) will hold a special Sunday service celebrating its religious education program, to include recognition of graduating high school seniors “bridging” to adulthood. The service will also feature our annual “RE Extravaganza”! The service will take place both in person and virtually on May 19 at 10 a.m. Masking is optional. To enter the virtual room, go to tinyurl.com/22-23fpc. FPC warmly welcomes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. The church is located at 353 Great Rd., Stow. Its facilities are wheelchair accessible. For more information, visit www.fpc-stow-acton.org.

June 9 at 3pm
The Umbrella Arts Center, Concord MA
A sing-along performance by the Music Makes Me Happy Chorus, a Concord-based non-profit chorus for adults with special needs.

Our concert will be in collaboration with Boston-based BEYOND THE NOTES and will feature:
• Violinist Sarah Whitney
• The barbershop quartet “Have Voices, Will Travel”
• Owen Leeuwis, tenor sax from Berklee College of Music
• Percussionist Mitchell Gordon
• Soprano Ella McGaunn Geiger
• Chorus pianist Devereux Geiger.
Admission is Free, All Ages Welcome (suggested Donation of $20

Boxborough Fifer's Day Volleyball Tournament: June 15
The Annual Boxborough Fifer's Day Volleyball Tournament will take place on
Saturday June 15 at Flerra Meadows in Boxborough.  This year there will again be three coed brackets: "Open", "Players" and "Backyard". All brackets will start at 1 p.m.
· The Open bracket is intended for teams of "serious" volleyball players who play or compete on a regular basis. The entry fee is $75 per team; a $200 cash prize and trophies will be given to the first place team.
· The Players bracket is for teams with some volleyball experience, who may be or have been competing in volleyball league play.  The entry fee is $65, and trophies will be given to the first place team.
· Backyard bracket is intended for teams of neighbors and friends who do not regularly play or compete in volleyball. The entry fee is $60 per team.
Total entrants are limited to 20 teams. Entry is first come first served.  Interested
teams should go to w
ww.fifersday.org  for information and an entry form. For
questions email volleyball@boxboroughminutemen.org