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Mary murphy

Marlborough Public Schools Selects Next Superintendent

MARLBOROUGH: Marlborough’s School Committee has named Mary Murphy as the district’s next superintendent. Murphy is currently serving as Marlborough’s Assistant Superintendent and will transition to the role of Superintendent beginning July 1, 2022 pending contract negotiation. 
 
School Committee member Katherine Hennessey stated, “If I'm making a decision about what I want for the kids of Marlborough, and for the improvement for our students, I can tell you that Mary Murphy is going to be committed and dedicated to every single student…And I will then extend that to every single staff member.”

The search for Marlborough’s next superintendent began with 23 applications leading to 4 finalists. School Committee Member Denise Ryan chaired the Superintendent Search Sub-Committee and Mayor Arthur Vigeant began the voting process by reaffirming the committee’s nominees and stating, “I think what was put forward by the committee gave us four candidates that all could be a superintendent."

Ryan also strongly supported Mary’s move to the role of superintendent by stating, “She knows this district inside and out. She IS Marlborough, and I think she would do anything to see this district succeed.  She's shown her dedication. And I think that she has the capabilities to lead this district and keep the momentum going.”

Mary Murphy was a critical leader on a team that returned students to full-time, in-person learning in August 2020 for grades PreK-Grade 2, English Learners and Special Education while other students returned in the hybrid-model during the pandemic.  At the same time, she was equally committed to staff learning and supported them designing professional development as they adjusted to teaching in different learning models and transitioned to full-time, in person learning.  She will continue to lead the district forward in closing the achievement gap.

Says Murphy, “I am honored that the School Committee has appointed me to the position of Superintendent of Schools. We all know there is a lot of work to be done as we continue to complete the goals and actions embedded in the Strategies for Improvement. I look forward to leading the team whose main goal will be to provide  all of our students academically rigorous and engaging content in supportive and inclusive environments.”
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Give Your Stuff Away Day - May 21

BERLIN: Sawyer Hill EcoVillage will celebrate Give Your Stuff Away Day (an international environmental holiday) on Saturday, May 21.  Residents will give away toys, clothes, books, media, computer gear, sports equipment, housewares, furniture, and much more - just as in a
multi-family yard sale, but all free.  Giveaway hours will be 9am to 1pm.

Residents will lay out giveaway items in several designated areas outdoors; other possessions are off-limits. If it rains lightly or rain is threatening, giveaway items may be consolidated at certain spots under outdoor canopies or a porch roof. (If heavy rain or severe thunderstorms are expected, a rain date will be posted on the webpage at http://mosaic-commons.org/gysa-2022 .)

Service animals are welcome, but pets must be left at home.

Because the event is often crowded and local COVID rates are rising, pandemic restrictions remain in place to keep both visitors and residents safe:
 
  • Close-fitting FACE MASKS ARE REQUIRED (except for children under 2) and must cover the mouth and nose. If extra disposables are available, they will be offered, but unmasked visitors will be asked to leave.
  • Visitors will be asked to maintain some distance from others not in their group.
  • Hand sanitizer stations will be available.

To find out how to reach Sawyer Hill EcoVillage, see www.sawyerhill.org/directions.
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Symphony Pro Musica Hosts Spring Concerts

HUDSON & SOUTHBOROUGH: Symphony Pro Musica, conducted by Mark Churchill (pictured), presents its final performances of its 2021/22 season on Saturday, May 14 at 7:30pm at the Hudson High School, and on Sunday, May 15 at 3:30 pm at the Putnam Family Arts Center at St. Mark’s School, Southborough. The program is titled “Joyous Celebrations!” and features the twin daughters of Mark and Marylou Churchill, Emma and Julia.

The program opens with the Academic Festival Overture by Johannes Brahms. The Overture captures the excitement and expectation of the graduation season with infectiously exuberant music, four popular drinking songs of the time in fact! The major work is Beethoven's Symphony No.1, built on the achievements of Haydn and Mozart.  It’s a work of youthful passion and charm, but with plenty of the composer’s own voice and the clear promise of the great things to come.
 
Emma and Julia will have just completed their professional music studies and have chosen two stunning, shorter works to perform. A staple of the violin repertoire, Ernest Chausson’s poignant Poeme for Violin and Orchestra is his most-loved composition, and Darius Milhaud’s Cello Concerto No.1 is a raucous piece drawing from jazz and Brazilian musical influences whose last movement is titled “Joyeux!”  Mark Churchill adds, “This will be the second time Emma and Julia have performed with the orchestra—they were 11 years old for their SPM debut!”
Emma and Julia are receiving master’s degrees from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.  For undergraduate studies Julia attended the Eastman School of Music and Emma the Oberlin Conservatory.  Daughters of Boston Symphony principal second violinist Marylou Speaker Churchill and SPM conductor and cellist Mark Churchill, they grew up in a musical household and started music lessons at age 3 and a half, studying strings, piano, composition and music theory, and participating in numerous orchestras, chamber ensembles and summer programs.  Notable among these were 14 years at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, 9 summers at Greenwood Music Camp, and 4 years as members of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.  They appeared as soloists with SPM in a performance of Vivaldi’s Double Concerto for violin and cello when they were 11 years old. 

SPM continues its long tradition of performing at Hudson High School, which began at the orchestra’s founding 39 years ago. The orchestra returns to St. Mark’s School, where SPM last played in February 2020. Churchill adds “It’s wonderful to return to the Putnam Family Arts Center. It’s a beautiful space designed with superb acoustics in mind.”

Students are always able to attend SPM concerts at no charge. Adult tickets are $25, senior tickets are $20, and group rates are available. First-time SPM concertgoers may also attend free of charge. Tickets to the performances may be found on Eventbrite (www.symphonypromusica.eventbrite.com), or online at www.symphonypromusica.org.  For information, call 978-562-0939 or email spmoffice@symphonypromusica.org.
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Native Plant Trust Announces 7th Annual Trillium Week, May 9-15, 2022; Registration for Twilight Trilliums After-Hours Event Open Now

FRAMINGHAM: Native Plant Trust, the nation’s first plant conservation organization and the only one solely focused on New England’s native plants, will celebrate its seventh annual Trillium Week at Garden in the Woods May 9-15. 

“There are few wildflowers as charismatic as trillium. Instantly recognizable and widely cherished by gardeners and wildflower enthusiasts alike, they are a wonderful part of spring flora,” notes Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust. “And, like so many things in nature, you must have patience to enjoy trillium, as they grow slowly. From seed it may take five to seven years before the first bloom; clumps with six blossoms may be 50 years old or more. Our collection of trillium at Garden in the Woods became a Nationally Accredited Collection in 2013 through American Public Gardens Association because of the breadth of taxa and the quality of our specimens. It is an honor to be recognized for this collection. Please join us during Trillium Week, when these plants take center stage.” 

Trilliums are uniquely beautiful, with three leaves, three petals, and colors ranging from a deep scarlet to snow white. Relatively easy to cultivate, trilliums do require patience and a steady hand as they are slow growers that build strength and reserves year after year.

Program highlights during Trillium Week include guided tours of the Trillium collection (May 11, 13, 14 and 15) and special workshops (May 10 and 12) with expert advice on how to select trilliums, prepare a site for planting and how to care for them once they are in the ground. A self-guided audio tour of the trillium collection at Garden in the Woods is available on the Native Plant Trust website for download at: www.NativePlantTrust.org. 

Twilight Trilliums is the signature event celebrating trilliums and provides an opportunity to stroll the gardens after hours while enjoying beverages and light refreshments from Decanted Wine Trucks, a local, women-owned business and live music by Carlos Odria, a guitarist, music researcher and university professor living in Massachusetts. “Carlos Odria is a breathtakingly talented musician, fusing elements of Latin American folk music, Spanish flamenco, jazz and Afro-Peruvian rhythm in a fascinating melange. …it’s impossible not to be struck by the lush sound, the immense technical skill and sheer beauty he creates…” (Worcester Telegram, April 2022). Tickets $30 members, $36 nonmembers. For more information and to register for Twilight Trilliums, visit: www.NativePlantTrust.org.
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Discover the Values That Shape Judaism’s Civil Code

SUDBURY: Beginning Tuesday, May 10 at 7:30pm, the Chabad Center of Sudbury will offer a fascinating course on personal ethics in the light of Jewish Civil Law. Beyond Right, a groundbreaking, new six-session course by the acclaimed Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI), explores ethical questions big and small.
Can you help yourself to someone else’s possessions if you are sure they won’t mind? Must you forgive and accept a repentant antisemitic tormentor? If your neighbor blocks your sunlight with a two-story fence, do you have legal recourse? Do you have a legal obligation to report someone’s plans to commit a violent crime?

“Many people are surprised to discover the attention Jewish law devotes to disputes between neighbors, ethical dilemmas involving the workplace, and maintaining a peaceful and moral society.” Rabbi Yisroel Freeman who will be teaching the upcoming course. “They assume Jewish law mostly addresses religious practice.”

The course, approved for Continuing Legal Education in many states, will explore six foundational Jewish values that underlie the practical application of Jewish civil legislation, translating abstract principles into detailed guidance on common real-life scenarios.

“The JLI course Beyond Right explores fundamental topics that are of vital importance for any just society in light of the profound teachings of the Jewish legal tradition,” said Professor David Flatto of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty of Law. “It highlights the central values and commitments that are at stake in addressing these issues. I commend JLI for developing this rich and illuminating course.”

Informative, practical, and insightful, Beyond Right is sure to generate an appreciation for Jewish law as a distinctive Jewish system that can be utilized as a source of guidance and clarity when one is faced with professional or personal dilemmas. Mr. Martin Pritikin, Dean of Concord Law School at Purdue University, has praised Beyond Right as a course that “helps shine a light on what it means to be a nation living under the rule of law, and indeed, what it means to be human.”
The course is designed for people at all levels, including those without prior experience or background in Jewish learning. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated.

The course will be offered in-person as well as over Zoom. Sign-in information will be provided upon enrollment. Interested students may call 978-443-0110  or visit www.chabadsudbury.com for registration and for other course-related information.
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Maypole Dancing on the Sudbury Town Common

SUDBURY: Join First Parish of Sudbury in dancing around the Maypole, on May 1 at 9am, on the Sudbury Town Common, across from First Parish, 327 Concord Road. For more information, contact 978-443-2043 or office@fpsudbury.org for further information or see fpsudbury.org.
 
First Parish of Sudbury has been dancing around the Maypole for 30 years—and we'd like to invite the community to join us in this joyful tradition— the coming of summer! Maypole dancing is a centuries-old tradition celebrated on May Day. It is believed to have started in Roman Britain around 2000 years ago, when soldiers celebrated the arrival of spring by dancing around decorated trees, thanking their goddess Flora. These days, dancers weave ribbons around a pole rather than a tree, celebrating the arrival of spring.

There are many various traditions about the meaning of the Maypole throughout Eastern Europe. The British May Day tradition of dancing around a maypole is around 600 years old and is shared with different communities, simply celebrating the coming of summer. In Scotland and Ireland, the day was a festival called Beltane, one of four important festivals in the Gaelic year, celebrating the fertility of spring.

Traditionally the dancers position themselves in pairs, each holding a ribbon and facing. When the music begins they walk in opposite directions from each other and weave a pattern that creeps steadily down the pole. The dancers then reverse their steps to undo the ribbons. This is said to represent the lengthening of the days as summer approaches.
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Sudbury Garden Club’s Annual Plant Sale

SUDBURY: This year, Sudbury Garden Club's Plant Sale will be both online and in-person on Saturday, May 7, 9am-Noon at the Sudbury Town Hall. Perk up your garden with our member-grown perennials, add some color to your yard with annuals, or find a gift for someone special. Mother's Day is May 8th! You can also select from an assortment of colorful hanging baskets. The Plant Sale is the Club's major fund raiser and proceeds benefit the community through our civic activities, town-wide beautification efforts and scholarships to high school seniors. Visit www.sudburygardenclub.org for details.

PHOTO: SGC member, Patti Walch, digs perennials in preparation for the Club's Plant Sale on Saturday, May 7th.

Prayer Gathering Planned at First Baptist Church 
To be held on the National Day of Prayer

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MARLBORO: First Baptist Church is extending an invitation to Christians of all denominations in Marlborough to join together in a spirit of unity for a local prayer gathering on the National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 5 at 7pm. “National days of prayer have been a part of our nation’s heritage since the days of our founding,” noted First Baptist Pastor Logan Loveday. “With so much unrest and division in our country today, there is a desperate need for we in the Church to ask forgiveness for our sins, and seek God’s mercy and healing for our land.”
 
Days of national prayer in America trace back at least to 1775, when less than two months after the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Continental Congress President John Hancock declared June 12th as a “Day of Public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, that we may with united hearts and voices … confess and deplore our many sins.” Hancock further proclaimed, “It is recommended to Christians of all denominations to assemble for public worship and to abstain from servile labor and recreations on said day.”
 
While there is a modern notion that the United States was established as a secular nation, there are numerous landmarks in the nation’s capital city that tell a different story. Perhaps most notable are these words engraved on the Jefferson Memorial. “Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?”
 
As another example, the words, “Laus Deo!” are found at the very top of the Washington Monument, which was the tallest structure in the world at the time. The words translate, “Praise be to God.”
 
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln are among many notable leaders who declared specific days during which people should gather to pray in a spirit of repentance for the nation. Many decades later, President Harry Truman was the first to establish a National Day of Prayer that would repeat annually. “In times of national crisis when we are striving to strengthen the foundations of peace … we stand in special need of Divine support,” declared President Truman.
 
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan officially established the observance of a National Day of Prayer to be held on the first Thursday of May and it has been held on that day ever since.
 
“This is a unique opportunity for local Christians to obey the Scriptural admonitions to unite together in love, and devote ourselves to prayer,” commented Pastor Loveday. “We are looking forward to join  with our Christian neighbors and pray for our city and our nation on May 5th.”
 
First Baptist Church is located at 22 Mechanic Street, Monument Square in downtown Marlborough, next to the Marlborough Public Library.
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Save A Dog's Paws in the Park May 15

SUDBURY: Save A Dog Inc. of Sudbury is hosting its annual Paws in the Park fundraiser event on May 15 from 10am-3pm on the beautiful grounds of Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury.  Rain or shine, this is the place to be for a fun day where dogs and dog lovers can meet and have fun while raising funds to save the lives of homeless dogs and cats.  There will be lots of dog games in the main ring, a dog agility try-out ring, bake sale, retail booth, kids games, raffle/silent auction, food court for humans and dogs, several vendor booths, an adoptable dogs parade at noon featuring dogs from other rescue organizations as well as Save A Dog, and an optional group pledge walk at 11am.  The first 50 dogs get a goody bag!  Admission is $10/adult, $5 children 5-12, and children under 5 are free; or bring in $10 or more in pledges and get in free.

These past two years have been difficult ones for rescue.  Many dogs and cats passed through the shelter since March of 2020.  Happily, the number of animals being adopted soared, even with all of the restrictions.  With all of the fundraisers and events being cancelled, the shelter's ability to raise money was greatly diminished.  Fundraiser events like Paws in the Park help them raise the funds they need to continue doing what they love - rescuing and re-homing unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats. For more information about this event, visit  www.saveadog.org.  
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Sonic Liberation Players to Perform Free Concert at First Parish of Sudbury

SUDBURY: Join First Parish of Sudbury in the Sanctuary for a concert on their newly restored Steinway piano on May 1 from 3:30-5pm. This spring musical celebration will feature the Sonic Liberation Players (SLP) in “(Re)Opening.”

The core members of the SLP met and performed together at the California Institute of the Arts in the early 2000s. A decade later, having migrated independently to the East Coast (Boston and New York), they reconnected and began this new musical journey together, launching as SLP in 2016.

Players explore new ways of encountering sound. To offer this experience to a broad range of listeners, they play uncommonly heard works and commission new works that investigate the area between “academic/intellectual” and “pop-influenced” classical. The CalArts “sound” is varied yet finds roots in the music of John Cage and Morton Feldman. Likewise, the Sonic Liberation Players approach a prismatic variety of composers and music in search of new languages and adventurous musical possibilities. They seek to help our audiences to discover more of what their ears are capable of hearing and to help them expand their conception of beauty.

The program will include the following works:
 
  • On a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam (2012) — Jordan Nobles
  • Buffalo Jam (1982) — Pauline Oliveros
  • A Maze (with Grace) (1979; rev 2003) — Thomas Albert
  • Selected Preludes for violin and piano (1999; rev 2003) — Lera Auerbach
  • Ariadne (1987) — Lou Harrison
  • Nadiya (2017) — Reena Esmail
  • Drumlin Sunset (2020) —Trevor Berens
 
There is no fee to attend this program.  For more information, contact the First Parish Office at office@fpsudbury.org or 978-443-2043, or visit fpsdubury.org.
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Town of Sudbury Board and Committee Openings 2022

SUDBURY: A number of Town of Sudbury Board & Committee appointments expire each year. Below is a list of these expiring appointments  for 2022. Please click on a board/committee to learn more. Residents interested in serving on these committees are encouraged to apply via the Appointment Application form. 2022 Committee Openings:
 
Applications are due by Friday, May 13, 2022. Any remaining vacancies may be applied for on a rolling basis until positions are filled.
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MCC in Sudbury Hosts Electronics Recycling & Shredding Event

SUDBURY: Many of us have continued to spend more time at home and therefore may have spent more time cleaning out old stuff! We have accumulated piles of documents that need to be shredded; we may also have some old TVs and computers or other electronics that we would like to properly dispose of.  Memorial Congregational Church in Sudbury is again coming to the rescue! On April 30 from 9am – 1pm, they will hold their semi-annual electronic recycling and document shredding event - and you don’t even have to get out of your car!

The event is open to all communities and will be held rain or shine. At the electronics recycling truck, prices vary from $25-40 for a TV, $15 for a computer, $15 for a computer monitor, or $5 for a box of electric cords. Workers will remove the items from your vehicle and place them in the recycling truck which is operated by a state-licensed electronic recycling company who will properly dispose of all items. They will accept ANYTHING WITH A CORD (including washing machines, air conditioners, etc.) as well as any type of battery, printer ink cartridges, and toner cartridges.

The fee for shredding continues to be just $8 per copy paper box or brown grocery bag, and a worker will remove your boxes or bags of documents from your car and shred the documents as you wait. The truck is equipped with closed-circuit TV so you can actually watch the shredding if you wish. You may pay in cash, check, or by VENMO.

MCC is located at 26 Concord Road, just across from Goodnow Library in Sudbury. For more information, call (978) 443-3885, or email recycle@MCCSudbury.org or shredding@MCCSudbury.org.

SGC Hosts Spring Program: “Perennial Color, Spring through Fall”
Presented by Suzanne Mahler

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SUDBURY: Join Sudbury Garden Club members for “Perennial Color, Spring through Fall” on April 13 at 10:30am at the Memorial Congregational Church to explore ways to design a perennial border that creates the illusion of an entire garden in bloom throughout the growing season.  Considering the limited bloom span of each plant, Suzanne Mahler uses colorful images of tried-and-true perennial favorites and the hottest new cultivars for both sunny and shady sites, to create tinted and textural foliage for multi-season interest.

Mahler has been sharing her passion for gardening for more than 30 years.  She has spoken at the Boston, Rhode Island, and New England Spring Flower Shows, Art in Bloom at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Environmental Protection Agency, and garden clubs and organizations throughout the New England area. She was Past President of the New England Daylily Society and an Overseer for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. An avid collector of woody plants and perennials, Suzanne’s 1.5-acre property features more than 300 daylily cultivars and 250 varieties of hostas.

This event is open to the public, free-of-charge.  The Social Get Together is from 9:30 to10am, followed by the Business Meeting.  The program begins at 10:30am.  Masks are optional.  For more information, please visit www.sudburygardenclub.org
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Special Education Parent Group to Host "Go the Distance" Awards Night

NORTHBOROUGH: The Northborough Southborough Special Education Parent Advisory Council (NSPAC) will host its 12th annual Go the Distance Awards Night on May 19 at Algonquin Regional High School cafeteria, 79 Bartlett Street, from 6pm-7:30pm. The evening strives to recognize district staff and community members who have made a difference in the life of a special needs student in the Northborough/Southborough school district. NSPAC is pleased to resume hosting the event in person this year, following the event cancellation in 2020 and the virtual event in 2021. All are welcome.

The nomination window will be open from April 1-15, 2022. NSPAC is a volunteer-run, positive and solution oriented organization of parents of students ages 3-22 with special needs, medical challenges, and learning differences in the Northborough and Southborough School Districts. For up-to-date event information, visit  www.nspac.org/gtd, or follow NSPAC on Facebook.

Whether your child is already receiving support services or you are trying to determine if your child needs services, NSPAC is dedicated to providing information, resources and friendships to families as you navigate the special education process.

The Thursday Garden Club of Sudbury hosts Neal Sanders: Gardening Is Painless… and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

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SUDBURY: On April 14, The Thursday Garden Club of Sudbury will have their general meeting at the Grange Hall 326 Concord Road at  9:30am. Laugh a little while Neal Sanders answer these questions:
 
  • Why do we need celebrities to tell us the difference between a spade and a shovel?
  • Why should you never give a gardener a flower show ticket? 
  • Why is your perfect squirrel deterrent an animal’s dream-come-true amusement park ride? 
  • Why do rock walls keep growing long after they’re supposedly finished? 

These are the questions that keep Sanders awake at night while downing Costco-size quantities of ibuprofen.  As the spouse of an avid gardener with no ‘real’ responsibilities other than to dig holes and move rocks, Neal has lots of time to observe gardeners and their foibles. 
 
Neal is the author of 15 mysteries, seven of which involve horticulture and several of which use garden club settings.  He writes the popular ‘The Principal Undergardener’ blog, which addresses gardening as a non-gardener who loves gardens.  His talk is adapted from those essays.  He and his wife, Betty, live in Medfield where, for the past six years, they have created a new garden from scratch. Many of the examples he will discuss during his talk are taken directly from his association with that garden.
 
The Thursday Garden Club of Sudbury meets the second Thursday from Sept-May. For more info, email  TGCSudbury1776@gmail.com or contact find Thursday Garden Club Sudbury on Facebook.
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Chambersingers in Concert at St. Mark’s

SOUTHBOROUGH: A choral concert, “How Can I Keep From Singing?” will be presented by the Assabet Valley Chambersingers, April 3 at 3:30pm at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 27 Main Street. This entertaining collection of short choral songs will welcome spring and brighten your spirits. The program will include madrigals, vocal jazz, folk songs, humorous songs, love songs, and much more.
 
The Assabet Valley Chambersingers is an 18 voice ensemble from the Assabet Valley Mastersingers. Organized in 1983 by Artistic Director Robert Eaton as a civic outreach program in the greater Worcester and MetroWest area, the Chambersingers provide entertainment for a variety of audiences. They have performed at venues such as the Arts in Common Westborough, Tower Hill Botanic Gardens, Northborough and Marlborough Libraries, and First Night Worcester, as well as assisted living facilities throughout the area.

The Assabet Valley Mastersingers has provided the Central Massachusetts area with performances of great choral masterworks since May 1978.  The ensemble performs regularly with professional orchestra and soloists, featuring some of Massachusetts’ most outstanding musicians.  In addition to commissioning four major choral/orchestral works, AVM has been highly acclaimed for its variety of programming, including not only familiar choral literature but also American Premieres, contemporary compositions, and new editions of great works. 

For more information go to www.avmsingers.org, email manager@avmsingers.org, or write AVM, PO Box 911, Northborough, MA 01532.

This free program is sponsored in part by a grant from the Southborough Cultural Council which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency and by the Southborough Community Foundation.
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SVT Announces Spring Programs

SUDBURY: Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) has released its Spring Program Calendar of nature-themed outings and programs.  SVT is a non-profit land trust that conserves open space and farmland in 36 communities around the Sudbury,  Assabet, and Concord Rivers. Through its wide assortment of programs, SVT encourages area residents to explore the region’s beautiful natural areas and gain an appreciation for the plants and wildlife that live among us.

In the upcoming weeks, SVT will lead nature walks at properties in Littleton, Berlin, Upton, Acton, and Wayland.
Plus, on Earth Day, April 22, staff members are offering free group walks in Framingham, Harvard, and Wayland to encourage everyone to celebrate nature and its countless benefits. For those looking to explore on their own, SVT provides free maps for its 65 miles of trails at www.svtweb.org/maps.

The organization also recruits volunteers to care for its trails and conservation lands, and SVT has planned several projects for National Volunteer Week, April 17–23. Anyone interested in helping to clear trails, build bridges, or pull invasive plants is invited to visit the SVT website to learn more. Complete information about SVT programs and volunteer projects is available at www.svtweb.org/calendar.

Earth Day Town-Wide Cleanup &  Volunteers’ Picnic
(Online Signup Only—No Walk-In Registration)

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WESTBOROUGH: Join the annual town-wide litter clean-up sponsored by the Westborough Community Land Trust (WCLT), and enjoy a Volunteers’ Earth Day picnic lunch afterwards! Families and individuals go to https://westboroughlandtrust.org/earth-day-signup between April 1-8 to sign up and choose an area to clean. Trash bags will be dropped off at participants’ homes by the 9th, or if necessary, you can arrange to pick up. Clean your chosen area any day or time between April 9 and noon on April 16. Leave closed bags by the road in the area you cleaned, and they will be removed on April 16. Then on April 16, 11:30am-12:30pm, volunteers can head over to Bay State Commons for an appreciation picnic of pizza with all the sides! For the cleanup, wear gloves, long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy shoes. For questions, contact earthday@westboroughlandtrust.org .
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Sen. Eldridge, Rep. Gregoire, and Rep. Gentile Announce $174,577 Grant to J&J Machine Company in Marlborough

MARLBOROUGH: State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), Representative Danielle Gregorie (D-Marlborough), and Representative Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury) announced that the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has awarded J&J Machine Company a $174,577 grant through the Workforce Training Fund Program.
 
Funded by Massachusetts employers via unemployment insurance contributions, grants through the program aim to help companies improve productivity and competitiveness by creating new jobs, increasing skills and opportunities for workers, and maintaining the economic strength and viability of the Commonwealth’s businesses.
Marlborough-based J&J Machine Company offers precision prototyping and production for the military, medical, and commercial industries. The company manufactures high-quality, American-made products with industry-leading certifications.
 
“J&J Machine Company is a capable manufacturer led by extremely talented engineers,” said Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). “I thank the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development for their approval, and I am confident that the grant for J&J will take their business to an even higher level across all sectors.”
 
“This funding will allow the incredible folks at J&J to grow and train their workforce while continuing to manufacture high-quality products for a number of industries,” said Representative Danielle W. Gregoire (D-Marlborough).
 
“The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has made an excellent choice in providing this grant to J&J,” said Representative Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury). “The creation of good manufacturing jobs, like those that J&J offers, will benefit Marlborough and ensure that great products are being made in the Commonwealth.”
 
The Workforce Training Fund Program allows companies to provide training for workers and create additional job roles. J&J Machine Company’s grant is used to provide training to 12 workers; 2 additional jobs are expected by 2023.
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Volunteers Sought for April 8 Financial Reality Fair at Nashoba Regional High School

The Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley is running its annual financial Reality Fair for Nashoba Regional High School sophomores on April 8 from 7-11:30am. The club is seeking volunteers to bring a taste of financial literacy to the students in a fun and engaging way. Interested volunteers should contact info@nashobarotary.org or leave a message at 978-627-4135.

The Reality Fair is a financial management event for the high school’s sophomores, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, Nashoba Regional High School, and Clinton Savings Bank. The objective is to give students a better understanding of the financial responsibilities they will face in the real world. Students pick a career, get a monthly paycheck, and have to maintain a lifestyle within their budget.

“On the day of the fair, students get a paycheck based on a career that they select,” explained Glen Bunnell, President of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley. “The paycheck shows their monthly salary and deducted taxes. With the remaining money, they need to pay for essentials like housing, utilities, insurance, transportation, clothing, and food. They are also tempted with “nice-to-have” luxuries, such as pets, travel, and entertainment, and they must spin a Wheel of Fortune that will help them understand life’s unexpected expenses or windfalls. It’s a real eye opener for most of them, and we can use more help for this learning experience. Besides, it’s a ton of fun!”

After students visit the various tables at the fair, they will balance their budgets and review their spreadsheets with a credit counselor. The completed ledgers are then sent home to the students for further discussion. As a result, each student should gain greater financial literacy and appreciation for future financial decisions.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, visit www.nashobarotary.org and www.facebook.com/nashobarotary.

"Celebrating our Newly Restored Steinway Piano"
Sunday Concert with Trevor Berens

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SUDBURY: Join First Parish of Sudbury in the Sanctuary for a concert on their newly restored Steinway piano with Trevor Berens on March 20 at 3:30pm. On the program of this Solo Piano Recital is Clara Schumann — Soirées Musicales (1836); Leos Janacek — On an Overgrown Path, Book 1 (1911); Harry T Burleigh — From the Southland (1910); and Claude Debussy — L’isle Joyeuse (1904).

Trevor Berens is a pianist, composer, and music therapist. He holds degrees from Loyola Marymount University (BA: Music and Psychology, specializing in piano and composition), California Institute of the Arts (MFA: Performer/Composer), and Lesley University (MA: Expressive Therapies, specializing in Music Therapy). As a pianist, he enjoys playing in a variety of styles, including avant-garde classical music, traditional classical music, and free improvisation and as a collaborator, he enjoys working with a wide variety of individuals and ensembles, including solo vocalists and instrumentalists, chamber groups, dancers, and choruses. From 2006-2008, Trevor ran the Los Angeles Wholesale Orchestra, which commissioned and premiered multiple new works, and he is now the founder of the Boston-based new music group, Sonic Liberation Players. Currently, Trevor runs the Berens Voice and Piano Studio out of Lincoln, MA, with his wife, Jessica. He works as a music therapist working with young children and with the elderly. He is also an accompanist for the Halalisa Singers.

There is no fee to attend this program. Contact the First Parish Office at  office@fpsudbury.org or 978-443-2043 for additional information or visit fpsdubury.org.

First Parish of Sudbury, located at 327 Concord Road, is a diverse and welcoming community of spiritual seekers who strive to learn together and support one another as they celebrate life’s important moments and serve the larger community. The First Parish was founded in 1640, and the congregation worships in the historic meetinghouse that was built in 1685.
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B'nai Torah Hosts 6th Annual Women's Seder

SUDBURY: Congregation B'nai Torah of Sudbury will host its sixth annual Women's Seder on March 26, 1:30-3pm, in-person at the synagogue. Embark on a special journey and annual tradition. This year, they are again working with the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable and its Show for Shelters Program. Just as the Jews left Egypt to escape persecution and death, survivors of domestic violence also face their own journeys to freedom. They must often leave their homes, families, and jobs behind in order to find safety and freedom from abuse. They have to resettle in new places and begin their lives over again.

Rabbi Lisa Eiduson and Cantorial Soloist Jodi Blankstein lead in exploring the relationship between the two journeys to freedom. Please register ($10 donation) at bnaitorah.com and consider making a donation to the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable.

B’nai Torah is a reform temple that welcomes all families, including interfaith families, and offers Hebrew School programming to students in K-Gr. 12. It is located at 225 Boston Post Road.  See bnaitorah.com or contact the office at admin@bnaitorah.com or 978-443-2082 for further information on all services and programs.
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Shir Joy Chorus presents “Light, Love, & Hope”—a Virtual Concert 

WESTBOROUGH: Shir Joy Chorus will ring in spring with its final fully virtual concert on March 20 from 7pm-8:30pm on Zoom. The theme — “Light, Love, & Hope” — reflects the group’s love of music and hope for a brighter future.  The concert will feature selections in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, and Ladino. The concert is free, but registration is required.

The concert makes use of live recordings made under prevailing Covid-19 safety protocols. Masking and distancing kept singers safe, while multiple cameras provided views attendees don’t usually get at concerts. The end result is the best technological adaptation to distanced singing and the next best thing to being there.

Throughout the pandemic, Director Nan AK Gibbons has helped Shir Joy navigate through uncharted musical waters:
 
  • The chorus participated in Zoom rehearsals, where they could sing along with fellow members but couldn’t hear them because of the limitations of the technology.
  • Singers recorded their parts alone at home, and Nan wove all the parts together into virtual chorus videos.
  • Chorus members gathered in their rehearsal spot parking lot and sang into wireless mics, listening to their fellow singers on their car radios. This was a great improvement in singing together, but singers couldn’t really see each other because rehearsals were in the evening. Nan and the chorus accompanist led the rehearsals from the front, with portable lights.

“It has been a long journey through the pandemic, but we think we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” says Director Gibbons. “We are grateful to have been able to sing together safely this season and to be able to share our love of music.”

Donations are appreciated but not required. Preregistration is required to obtain a Zoom link:  www.shirjoychorus.com/reservations. For more information about the concert, please contact Shir Joy President Karen Rothman at ShirJoyMA@gmail.com or Shir Joy PR Director Laura Logan at ShirazAtidah@gmail.com. Photo available on request.
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Benefit for the Arts: Golf Outing & Dinner/Concert Announced by AVM

BOYLSTON: Assabet Valley Mastersingers is hosting its 2022 AVM Golf Outing and Dinner/Concert benefit on May 23, 2022, at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club. Golfers will enjoy the Mark Mungeam-designed championship course which has received national recognitions and numerous awards. Players will compete for a $10,000 Cash Prize for a Hole in One on the targeted hole, with ancillary prizes on non-targeted holes.

The Golf Outing includes an 18-hole scramble, contests, prizes, raffle, lunch and dinner, gifts, a team photo and an optional concert! Additional contests include: First and Second Place Foursomes, Most Honest Foursome, Longest Drive Men, Longest Drive Women, and Closest to the Pin. The single golfer fee is $150 and $580 for a foursome. Golf registration and event information is available at www.avmsingers.org/golf through May 8, 2022.

This popular event entertains both golfers and dinner/concert guests. Guests will enjoy appetizers, raffle, and dinner followed by a lighthearted concert called “Passport Not Required!” which takes the audience around the world through music. The Chambersingers, an 18 voice ensemble, will perform in the Music Room. Dinner/Concert pricing is $50 per person. Dinner reservations are required and available at www.avmsingers.org/golf through May 8, 2022.

Money raised at this event enables AVM to continue to bring quality programming to the community while enhancing the area’s cultural offerings. All proceeds from this benefit event will support the operating expenses of the Assabet Valley Mastersingers, a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization.

For more information and/or sponsorship, visit www.avmsingers.org/golf or contact Deb Wallace, Event Chair, 2022 AVM Golf Outing and Dinner/Concert at golf@avmsingers.org.
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Free Live Animal Show: Snakes of New England and the World 

WESTBOROUGH: On Saturday, March 26 at 9am and 11am, bring the family for the Westborough Community Land Trust's always-popular spring free live animal show - Snakes of New England and the World!  Meet some fascinating, harmless reptiles you may find while out walking in Town, as well as some impressive specimens from around the world. Learn to identify, respect, and protect these fragile creatures.  You will be allowed to touch the animals—this show is always a big hit with the young and the curious of all ages! Plan to arrive early as seating is limited.  The show will take place at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 17 Willow Street.  Parking is available in the rear.  Overflow parking is in Arturo’s parking lot, 54 East Main Street. There is no parking along Willow Street.

This event is presented by Rick Roth of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team. No reservation required. Free; donations gratefully accepted at the door. An in-person indoor event, masks required for those over age 2. For questions,  contact events@westboroughlandtrust.org

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Westborough Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.  Also supported in part by the Westborough Newcomers Club. 
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Friends of the Goodnow Library to Host Parisian Cafes & Impressionist Paintings

SUDBURY:  Join the Friends of the Goodnow Library for a virtual visit to Paris when Jane Oneail presents her wonderful program that will explore the works of Impressionist artists depicting the cafes, bars, and nightclubs of Paris. This program will explore images by Monet, Renoir, Degas, and others and will consider how the hub of activity in Parisian cafes inspired some of the world's most famous artists. This program, free and open to the public, will be held on Zoom on Sunday, March 20 at 3pm.

Oneail holds a master’s in Art History from Boston University and a master’s in Education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She is a NH native and has worked at some of the state’s most esteemed cultural institutions, including the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served as Executive Director, and the Currier Museum of Art, where she held the role of Senior Educator. She has taught Art History at the college level for more than a decade, most recently at Southern New Hampshire University.

To register for this event please click here, or you can visit www.eventbrite.com/e/parisian-cafes-and-impressionist-painting-tickets-272455962117.
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Sudbury Garden Club to Host Spring Program

SUDBURY: The Sudbury Garden Club will host a presentation at 10:30am on March 9 at the Memorial Congregational Church. Joan Butler and Jana Milbocker will present a timely program on Spring Ephemerals. These stars of early spring gardens include native woodland wildflowers, such as Bloodroot, Jeffersonia and Hepatica. You will learn more about their habitats, ideal growing conditions and unique adaptations!

Butler and Millbocker are avid gardeners, plant collectors, garden designers and writers.  They are past presidents of the Holliston Garden Club and are active in the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts and other horticultural societies. They have presented programs at the Boston, Connecticut and Maine Flower Shows, as well as numerous garden clubs, community groups and libraries. Jana Millbocker is a garden designer and owner of Enchanted Gardens, a landscape design firm in Holliston. Her new book, The Garden Tourist’s New England, A Guide to 140 Outstanding Gardens and Nurseries was published in 2020. Joan Butler is a Master Gardener and a retired Horticulturist. She currently serves on the GCFM Board. Joan is a former Chairperson of the Massachusetts Landscape Design Council, a member of Garden Consultants Council and an accredited Flower Show Judge.

Masks will be required. For more information, visit www,sudburygardenclub.org and follow the Club on Facebook and Instagram.
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Wayside Inn Virtual Program on Native American History

SUDBURY:  Before the landing of the Pilgrims in 1620, the land that became known as Massachusetts was home to tens of thousands of Native Americans, and the Nipmuc, Massachusett, and Wampanoag peoples lived in, farmed, and traveled through what is now Sudbury. What was life like for these Indigenous peoples before the Puritans arrived?

On Tuesday, March 15 at 7pm, historian Richard Smith will present a FREE virtual program for The Wayside Inn Foundation (TWIF) that explores the world of 17th-century Sudbury. “‘For Indian Deeds, There Must Be Indian Memory’: Native Peoples of 17th-Century Sudbury Before European Contact” will delve into the daily life of the Native Americans of Sudbury, including their food, clothing, and languages. He will also offer insight into how their lives changed after European contact and what archaeological finds on the Wayside property from 1975 might tell us about the people here before the Puritans.

Richard Smith has lectured on and written about United States history and 19th-century American literature since 1995. He has worked as a public historian in Concord since 1999 and has written six books for Applewood Books. He is the current TWIF Scholar-in-Residence.

This program is funded by TWIF's Fund for Diverse Programming, which aims toward the broader inclusion of and engagement with the growing diversity of the communities served by The Wayside Inn Historic Site. This fund enables TWIF to develop and support programming that specifically addresses the historical roots and cultural contributions of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) at the site, in the community, and around New England, in furtherance of and within the scope of TWIF’s mission and the corporate charter.

To register, please visit http://tinyurl.com/Richard-Smith

EMASS Senior Softball League Opens Registration for 2022 Season
Plans Expansion with Two New Divisions

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Eastern Massachusetts Senior Softball (EMASS) is opening its annual registration campaign for slow-pitch softball players age 50 and over. With over 400 members, the league attracts players from towns across Eastern Massachusetts with games played on fields in Wayland, Medfield, and Framingham. The EMASS season opens in early May with 18 weeks of regular season games scheduled through Labor Day and year-end playoffs completed in early October.

“We are preparing for growth by  rebalancing our Saturday divisions and adding a new weekday division to expand from 35 teams to over 40 teams,” said Walker Royce, Commissioner of EMASS. “EMASS Senior Softball was a welcome outdoor escape from the lifestyle disruptions of the COVID pandemic over the last two years. We had 70 new players last year and with more seniors looking for a healthy outlet, we feel confident we will see similar growth in 2022.”

“In 2022, we are restructuring our younger Saturday division where the average age across 5 teams will be around 60,” explained Dan Jolly, the new Colonial division coordinator. “With 5 teams, we can use shorter rosters so players get more playing time, and more at-bats. Our Saturday players prefer an occasional bye week for summer holidays.”

“Our most popular weekday division is being split primarily to offer more opportunity for players who want to play multiple times per week,” said Jeff Allan, the new Monday division coordinator. “The Atlantic division had grown to 12 teams. To accommodate more growth, we decided to split into a six-team Monday division and an eight-team Thursday division.”

“The weekday division scheduling supports a day off between play dates for players who choose to play in multiple divisions,” said Bill Cerrato, the new Thursday division coordinator. “It will help us better balance the skills, improve safety and provide more flexibility for those who want to play more than one day a week.”

“EMASS shuffles up team rosters in every division each year to enhance connections across our large softball-loving community,” said Don Gould, the National division coordinator. “Our members enjoy competing with and against their friends.”

EMASS players cherish their weekly double-headers playing with their softball-loving buddies. EMASS has many younger seniors in their fifties and sixties who can still hit a ball over the 300 foot fences or run down a deep line drive in the outfield. They are also inspired by elder players who can still play ball into their late seventies and eighties. That three-hour escape is a weekly high point of camaraderie, teamwork and healthy outdoor competition. When they are out on the field, players feel and act 20 years younger, and when they get home, those stiff joints and sore muscles are mostly perceived as joyful pain.

EMASS will open the 2022 season with over 40 teams competing in 6 different divisions. The league employs paid umpires and has recently invested in team manager training, umpire clinics/ certification, new equipment and a rich website to ensure a safe, well-managed and competitive league.

“Our board members, team managers and division coordinators do a very professional and collaborative job of operating this league. Our players appreciate the fun and camaraderie enabled by our volunteer leadership team.” said Royce.

EMASS was founded in 1995 and offers active seniors of all skill levels a safe, well-organized opportunity to play competitive slow-pitch softball. EMASS members range in age from 50 to 90. Skill levels range from casual recreational players to those who play on nationally competitive tournament teams. Players of any skill level will find a spot with teams of similar abilities in one or more of EMASS’s six divisions. There are two Saturday divisions and four weekday divisions. All divisions play a double-header each week and many members play on different teams in multiple divisions. For more information about EMASS Senior Softball League, visit www.e-mass.org.

‘Community’ is Lenten Focus at St. Stephen Lutheran Church

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MARLBOROUGH: “Community” is the theme for Wednesdays in Lent at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, beginning with Ash Wednesday worship on March 2 at 7pm at the Church at 537 Bolton Street. Wednesday worship continues through Lent on March 9, 16, 23, 30 and April 6.

“After two years of being kept apart, and as we’re increasingly able to gather again, this Lent we focus on what brings us together,” said pastor Joseph Graumann. The prayer service will explore community with creation, all the saints, our neighbors, the marginalized, and community with Christ. At this time, masks are still required at worship.

Wednesday services will follow the format of Holden Evening Prayer. Written in 1985-
86 by Marty Haugen during a musical residency at Holden Village, a scenic Lutheran camp in the mountains of Washington State, Holden Evening Prayer is a simple Lutheran vespers service
that follows traditional form while using contemporary and inclusive language. Since then, the service has been adopted around the world. Haugen is a composer of liturgical music for Lutheran, Roman Catholic and other denominations, with over 400 compositions.

“God creates each of us for community with others, and so we’re never truly alone," pastor Graumann added. “If you’re feeling lonely and isolated after two years of pandemic living, come make friends at church.”

As Lent draws to a close, St. Stephen will mark Palm Sunday on April 10 at 10am, hold a Maundy Thursday worship and soup supper on April 14 at 7pm, and Good Friday worship April 15, also at 7pm. The Saturday April 16 Easter Vigil at 7:30pm will focus on seven Bible passages, with insight and interpretation by parishioners. On Sunday, April 17, festive Easter worship will take place at 10am, followed by a potluck brunch.

For more information about St. Stephen Lutheran Church, visit www.saintstephenlutheran.com or the church’s Facebook page. Saint Stephen is a member of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (www.elca.org). The church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, inviting people of every gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, marital status, or class.  Parishioners come from Marlborough, Hudson, Berlin, Northborough, Southborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, Sudbury, Stow and Bolton.

The Thursday Garden Club of Sudbury to host " Native Plants" with Neela de Zoysa

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SUDBURY: The Thursday Garden Club of Sudbury will be hosting Neela de Zoysa at their next General  meeting at St John's Lutheran Church,16 Great Road on March 10 at 9:30am.  (Masks will be required.) Bring a friend or neighbor to hear Neela explain native plants and the complex connections between native plants and a healthy landscape.

de Zoysa is a professional botanist, avid gardener, long time instructor at the Native Plant Trust and she is actively is involved with the Sudbury Valley Trustees and Friends of the Assabet River Wildlife Refuge.  She leads a series of popular walks on Sudbury conservation lands through the LS Adult and Community Ed programs.
 
The Thursday Garden Club of Sudbury sponsors monthly meetings in flower arranging, horticulture, and landscape design, provides scholarship money for a graduating L-S senior, and participates in a number of beautifying projects in Sudbury, including the Daffodil Trail, community traffic island gardens, Grinnell Park, Town Center and Hosmer House Holiday Decoration, library arrangements, Emma's Tree, and much more.  Founded in 1951, and a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, The Club meets the second Thursday of every month Sept to May.  For membership information contact TGCSudbury1776@gmail.com.

Domestic Violence Roundtable to Host Virtual Program: Transforming the Culture of Dominance

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SUDBURY: The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable presents “Transforming the Culture of ‘Power Over’: Compassionate Accountability” on Tuesday, March 8 at 7pm. The virtual event will help participants make key distinctions among safe relationship cycles and the dynamics that occur within relationships based on abusive values of dominance and superiority. The presentation will be led by JAC Patrissi (pictured), Jason Patrissi and Regi Wingo of Growing a New Heart, an organization that aims to facilitate respectful and ethical power relationships and communications in families, workplaces and communities.

“Power is the ability to do something or act in a particular way, the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others, or the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. We all have power over our own actions, thoughts and ability to influence others for good and ill, but the need to maintain power and control over another can lead to imbalance, dysfunction and even abusive behavior,” said Sue Rushfirth, president of the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable. “I look forward to learning how the power dynamic in all our relationships – personal and professional – can play a key role in the effectiveness and quality of these relationships.”

Participants will leave with a sense of next steps for imagining community-based transformative justice interventions that address problematic behaviors, without necessitating expulsion or exclusion. The event will also feature break-out discussion groups.

The event is inspired by the White Ribbon Campaign, which raises awareness about the prevalence of men's violence against women and brings to the table those crucial to ending relationship violence – men. It's presented by the Roundtable's White Ribbon Group and follows the group’s successful event in March 2021, “A Call to Families: Discussing Healthy Masculinity with Young People.”

“By attending an event like this we don't just learn about risks associated with unhealthy relationships but we also learn about ourselves and how we can challenge our own thinking and the ways we unconsciously support patterns of behavior that lead to abuse and violence,” said Colm McGarry, chairman of the White Ribbon Group. “Accountability with compassion gives hope to everyone involved in stemming abuse. We have much to learn from other cultures and the ways those communities challenge harmful behaviors without excessive reliance on methods of exclusion such as imprisonment.”

While the Domestic Violence Roundtable has planned awareness events about the White Ribbon movement for years, the local White Ribbon group formed in 2019. The group of men aims to promote healthy and positive attitudes and behaviors, and to create an environment free of fear and violence by advancing equity, justice and dignity. For more information about how to get involved in this effort, please contact the Roundtable at infodvrt@gmail.com.

Register for the Zoom meeting at
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrde2qpz8sH9N0NLvKblxyJY7l1PVvwbVf
To promote equitable access, this event is offered free of charge. Donations to support the ongoing work of the White Ribbon Group are greatly appreciated. To donate, please visit www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org/don-form.
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Northborough Garden Club Accepting Scholarship Applications

NORTHBOROUGH: The Northborough Garden Club is accepting scholarship applications for students enrolling in college who will be majoring in one of the following fields: Horticulture, Environmental Studies, Land Management, Conservation Management, Wildlife Management, Agriculture, Botany, Biology, Floral Design, Landscape Design or related fields. Qualified applicants must be a high school senior, in good standing, and a resident of Northborough for at least two years.  A $1000 scholarship will be awarded, payable to the student upon completion and receipt of his/her first-semester transcript. The deadline for application submission is Friday, April 1, 2022.   The application is available at local high school guidance departments and can be downloaded at www.northboroughgardenclub.com/scholarship.  For more info about the Club, visit www.facebook.com/NORTHBOROUGHGARDENCLUB.
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Marlborough Rotary Club Scholarship Applications Deadline April 9

MARLBOROUGH: The Marlborough Rotary Club would like to remind any graduating high school seniors that the deadline for submitting scholarship applications to the club is April 9.  The club awards scholarships to Marlborough residents graduating from Marlborough High School, Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School (AVRTHS), The Advanced Math and Science Academy (AMSA) and a student who resides in Marlborough but attends another area secondary school.  Each candidate must be a senior graduating from high school in good standing and be accepted to a two- or four-year college.
 
In addition, the club awards a $250 grant to an AVRTHS graduate in vocational studies to use to buy the tools of his/her trade.
 
Applications are available from the students’ respective high schools, directly from the Marlborough Rotary Club, P.O. Box 186, Marlborough, MA 01752, through any Marlborough Rotarian, or the website www.marlboroughrotary.org.
 
“Youth service is a major component of the Marlborough Rotary Club’s community service, and education is the keystone for the future of our young people” noted club president, Aaron Aykanian.  “It’s in the best tradition of Rotary’s motto, ‘Service above Self'’.”
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Scholarship Offered in Westborough

WESTBOROUGH: The Westborough Community Land Trust (WCLT) is offering two scholarships of $1000 each, to be awarded to the winners of its annual Earth Day Essay Contest, which runs March 1 – April 11. The contest is open to graduating Westborough High School (WHS) seniors and to graduating seniors who reside in Westborough but attend a different high school. To apply, students can get contest details and scholarship application forms from the WHS guidance office as of March 1 OR online on the Westborough Community Land Trust website at www.westboroughlandtrust.org. The deadline is Monday, April 11, 2022 for receipt of the essays and applications. Students may submit their Earth Day essay and scholarship applications on paper to the WHS Guidance Office, OR on paper by mail (in time to be received by the deadline) to WCLT, P.O. Box 838, Westborough, MA 01581, OR electronically by email to scholarship@westboroughlandtrust.org.

Students do not have to be planning an environmental emphasis in their future studies or career in order to be eligible for the scholarships. The Westborough Community Land Trust (WCLT) is a private, member-supported, nonprofit organization that preserves, protects, and promotes open space in Westborough. Since 2004, WCLT has encouraged environmental awareness among high school students by offering scholarships to the winners of its Earth Day Essay Contest.
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The Assabet Valley Mastersingers Sing Into Spring

LINCOLN/SUDBURY: Are you interested in teaching a class or have a topic you would like to learn?  Lincoln Sudbury Adult & Community Education classes are open to residents of Sudbury and surrounding towns.  Classes are offered at Lincoln Sudbury High School or online, and include topics such as flower arranging, musical instruction, chocolate tasting, financial and legal issues, and more!  Visit lsrhs.net/community/adult_ed to find a class that interests you, or email adult.ed@lsrhs.net for information about these or other class offerings:
 
  • Boating Skills and Seamanship: (Wednesdays, 3/2-5/25, 7-9pm, $50) This introductory course is for both sail and power boaters and includes instruction on safety afloat, legal responsibilities, aids to navigation, rules of the road, charts and compass, engines, knots, weather, boat handling, radio procedures, and navigation electronics. Completion certificate helps reduce boat insurance fees. Families are welcome. Course materials are $56 and are paid directly to the USCG in class.
  • Gnocchi: (Sunday, 3/6, 4-6pm, $39) Learn how to make pillowy authentic Italian gnocchi at home in this interactive online cooking class. During this live virtual class, you will learn the trade secrets to preparing authentic Italian gnocchi (Ricotta based), including how to add those hallmark ridges to catch the sauce. We will prepare a simple/traditional red sauce and an alternative white/cream sauce for serving. A recipe/ instruction/ shopping packet will be sent ~ 1 week before the class.
  • Badminton: (Wednesdays, 3/9-6/1, 7-9pm, $199) Badminton is the most popular and fastest racquet sport! It’s a fast, fun and social game that can be played and enjoyed by people of all ages. If you have never played badminton before, you will quickly learn the basics and join other experienced players in 12 weeks of exciting games! If you are looking for a great way to have fun while getting in shape, this is the place to be! Bring your racquet and we will provide the birdies.
  • Make an Adirondack Chair: (Saturdays, 3/12-4/9, 9am-12pm, $199) In 5 weeks, from start to finish, make your own Adirondack chair. In this hands-on, step-by-step class you will develop an understanding of woodworking and furniture making skills. All tools will be provided. Approximately $90 materials fee, payable at the first class. No experience necessary.
  • Spring Wreath: (Tuesday, 3/22, 7-9pm, $69) Have you seen those gorgeous faux flower wreaths made on a base of grapevine at florists, farmers markets, and online? Learn how to make one! Can be a great gift or used to add some spring cheer to your own home. You may opt to take the course in-person or pick up a kit (you'll need your own hot glue gun) and take the course online via Zoom. All materials are included. No Senior/Staff Discount.

Time for a new skill or a fun night!
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The Assabet Valley Mastersingers Sing Into Spring

NORTHBOROUGH: Singing into spring, The Assabet Valley Mastersingers will present Songs of Ecstasy featuring For a Breath of Ecstasy by Michael J. Trotta and Carmina Burana by Carl Orff at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough on Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 3:30pm. Dr. Robert P. Eaton will conduct the ensemble and soloists accompanied by two pianos, an oboe and five percussionists.

Each of the movements of For a Breath of Ecstasy chronicles poet Sara Teasdale’s search for solace amidst life’s many storms. Composer Trotta’s tapestry of different vocal forces set against the backdrop of an oboe, played by Joe Halko and the piano with Judy Yauckoes, reveals moments of yearning, love, joy, and peace. Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, called a “dramatic cantata”, is performed here as a concert work.  It is based upon twenty-five 13th century poems written by itinerant scholars, minstrels, and runaway monks.  The theme running through the work is that of the wheel of Fortune, the goddess of fate who rules our lives.  The poems touch on all aspects of life, the defects of the church, state and manners; complaints on the power of money and the decline of moral values; the sensual joys of food, drink, and physical love.

Tickets may be purchased from www.AVMsingers.org or at the venue the afternoon of the concert. The price is $25 and $20 for seniors and students. All concert attendees are required to present proofs of vaccination.  Masks are required with social distancing by attendee unit (family, friends with them).

It is an AVM core value to be responsible and community-minded. As such AVM will follow all public health guidelines provided by Federal, state, and local health departments and those of concert venues. For further information, reference www.AVMsingers.org.

Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable Provided Valentine Gift Bags to Survivors of Domestic Violence

Fay farber and diane seligman with 2022 valentines day bags
SUDBURY/MAYNARD: This year, despite the continuing circumstances created by Covid 19, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable held its annual Valentine Collection at Sudbury Wine and Spirits and Spirits of Maynard. Although community members could not be invited to help fill the Valentine bags for families affected by abuse, two members of the Roundtable - Fay Farber and Diane Seligman - gathered to fill the bags and delivered them to clients of REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence. Due to the generosity of our local communities, the Roundtable was able to provide 70 gift bags to recipients aged 9 months to 71 years old.

The Roundtable would like to thank Joseph Saia of Sudbury Wine and Spirits and Spirits of Maynard for hosting the collection baskets and the students at Sudbury Extended Day for decorating the gift bags. Also thank you to Wayland Creative Preschool for partnering with us again this year. The pandemic has been especially difficult for families in an abusive situation, and these Valentine’s Day bags brighten the lives of families living in domestic violence shelters and transitional housing and let them know that they are supported in their efforts to rebuild their lives free from abuse.
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February Winter Walks along the Panther Trail Scheduled

MARLBOROUGH: Would you like to get a “sneak peek” of the future Panther trail along the Sudbury Reservoir, well then, this hike is for you. The official opening of the entire 26.2-mile trail is planned for later this yearm but February walks are being held to introduce people to this great trail and build excitement:

Saturdays, February 12 & 19, 2022: 10am-12pm (4-mile roundtrip)
Sundays, February 13 & 20, 2022: 1pm-3pm (2-mile roundtrip)
Rain/Snow dates: February 26 & 27, 2022.

Join in for one or all of these guided walks along the northern shores of the reservoir.
As we enjoy the crisp winter air and remarkable water views along the reservoir, you’ll hear about the history of the Sudbury Reservoir, why protection of the reservoir land is so important and also learn about the creation of this marathon length Panther trail – entirely in Marlborough.

Saturday morning walks park along Danjou Drive and meet your walk leader here. Walk together to the Sherman Road trailhead to begin. This is a 4-mile roundtrip walk which will take about 3.5 hours.  To register, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/winter-walk-on-the-panther-trail-tickets-257977476577.

Sunday afternoon walks park at the Callahan State Park lot off Broadmeadow Street. Meet there and walk to the Broadmeadow Road trailhead near the Parmenter Road intersection. This is a 2-mile round trip which will take about 2 hours. To register, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/258075600067.

Please dress warmly. These walks are good for anyone who would enjoy a walk in nature and is comfortable walking on unpaved ground. If the ground is snow or ice covered, you may prefer to also use micro spikes on your shoes and/or walking poles. If snow is deep, you are welcome to bring snowshoes. Check out the Marlborough Recreation Department Facebook page for free snowshoe rentals for Marlborough residents: www.facebook.com/Marlboroughrecdept.

Contact Karin Paquin at 978-337-9418 with questions.
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The Friends of the Goodnow Library Donate More Than 1,000 Books to Local Preschools

SUDBURY: We may be in the midst of a pandemic, and it may be cold and snowy outside, but members of the Friends of the Goodnow Library continue to be very busy working on behalf of members of the Sudbury community.  Over the past several weeks, volunteers for the Friends  have sorted through the myriad of preschool books donated to the Friends and have boxed up donations for numerous local preschool classrooms. More than 1,000 books have been delivered to various pre-schools that serve the youngest members of our community.  Staff at Aruna’s Place, Bright Horizons, Sudbury Extended Day, Sudbury Cooperative Pre-school, Next Generation and Wright Farm Child Care all shared their delight and gratitude when board members delivered boxes of books. Also, in support of a local diversity program, the Friends gathered books with diversity themes for a special program created by the Sudbury Cooperative Pre-School and the Children’s Department of the Goodnow Library.

The Friends of the Goodnow Library is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. For more information about the Friends, visit www.friendsofgoodnow.org or contact friendsofgoodnow@gmail.com.
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Assabet Valley Mastersingers Announce Grace Choi as Assistant Director

The Assabet Valley Mastersingers is proud to announce that Grace Choi has been selected as its Assistant Conductor.  Ms. Choi is highly respected as a conductor, composer, and pianist. She has conducted choruses, bands, and orchestras in Virginia, Nevada, Georgia, Indiana, and New York among others.  She studied choral conducting with Dr. Harold Rosenbaum at New York Virtuoso Singers and Prof. Marguerite Brooks at Yale University. She is presently the Music Director at First Baptist Church of Lexington.

Grace grew up with Classical music loving parents and started learning piano when she was 6 !/2.  She enjoyed playing with her siblings and making songs together with various instruments. . Recently she began learning piano tuning, medieval harp, and gardening, in addition to her teaching piano and music theory. 

Founded in 1978, the Assabet Valley Mastersingers is a regional chorus with performances in Shrewsbury, Westborough, Northborough, Southborough, and Marlborough, Massachusetts.  With a commitment to performance excellence and innovative programming, these talented local vocalists with professional instrumentalists and vocal soloists perform celebrated masterworks, lesser-known masterworks and commissioned compositions. For more information contact us at www.AVMsingers.org.
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Making Maple Syrup at Home 

MARLBOROUGH: Do you think you have a sugar maple tree in your yard? Have you ever wondered if you could make your own natural maple syrup, but didn’t know how to get started? Or maybe you thought the equipment would be too expensive and hard to find? You can do this! On Sunday, February 13, 2022, 1:30-2:30pm, find out how to identify a sugar maple, how to collect sap using a few dollars’ worth of equipment from any hardware store, and how to boil the sap to make syrup, candy, and more. Presenter Janet Anderson of the Westborough Community Land Trust has been making maple syrup from her backyard trees in Westborough for over a decade, and has made all the mistakes so you don’t have to! Samples will be offered. Dress to go outdoors, as the talk will conclude with a demonstration of tapping a nearby sugar maple tree. No reservation needed. Location: Tatnuck Bookseller meeting room, 18 Lyman Street. For questions, contact events@westboroughlandtrust.org.
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Friends of the Goodnow Library Present Made for Each Other: Famous Couples of the Art World

SUDBURY: The art world is fueled by passion and competition. This program looks at famous artist couples throughout the history of art and examines how they inspired, pushed, and influenced each other. The program will include Dutch Baroque artists Judith Leyster and Jan Molenaer, early modernists Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz as well as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Join the Friends of the Goodnow Library on Sunday, February 13, 2022, at 3pm as they welcome Jane Oneail who will be presenting this program on Zoom. This program is free, but registration is required at www.eventbrite.com/e/made-for-each-other-famous-couples-from-the-world-of-art-tickets-252007389887.  A Zoom Link will be sent to all registrants a few days prior to the program.

Oneail holds a master’s in Art History from Boston University and a master’s in Education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She is a NH native and has worked at some of the state’s most esteemed cultural institutions, including the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served as Executive Director, and the Currier Museum of Art, where she held the role of Senior Educator. She has taught Art History at the college level for more than a decade, most recently at Southern New Hampshire University.
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Pre-order Period for At-home Covid-19 Tests Has Begun

The Biden Administration is offering free rapid tests to all residents in the United States. The pre-order period for the at-home COVID-19 tests via www.covidtests.gov has begun. Every household in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free and will usually ship in 7-12 days. Please visit www.covidtests.gov to submit an order and learn more.

Senator Eldridge & Representatives Gregoire and Gentile Announce Marlborough Schools Receiving FY22 Math Acceleration Academies Grants
Grants amount to $197,200 and will be allocated to Advanced Math and Science Academy and Marlborough Public Schools 

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MARLBOROUGH: Last week, Massachusetts Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley announced that two educational programs in Marlborough will receive FY22 Math Acceleration Academies Grants. Advanced Math and Science Academy will receive $70,000, and Marlborough Public Schools will receive $127, 200. 

The purpose of this competitive grant is to fund the implementation of a specific strategic initiative, the Acceleration Academies, to help accelerate the learning of students most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.This grant will provide funding to local education agencies to implement math-focused Acceleration Academies for students in grades 3 through 10. 

“With the rise of COVID cases in the past couple of months, it is crucial that we continue to invest in our education system in Massachusetts. This grant comes at a critical moment and will serve to keep impacted students on the right track. Thank you to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for supporting our local schools,” said Senator Eldridge.

“I am grateful to see DESE’s investment in our local schools,” said Representative Gregoire. “Our students faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic and these grants will go a long way in ensuring that they are supported as they continue their education in these extremely difficult circumstances.” 

“The Advanced Math and Science Academy and Marlborough Public Schools have worked incredibly hard to provide a quality education to all students during the pandemic,” said Representative Gentile. “I am delighted to see that both of them are receiving this additional grant funding to further ensure that no students are being left behind during these challenging times.”

An Acceleration Academy is a week-long academic program designed to accelerate student learning through engaging, standards-aligned lessons.

Implementation of the program will adhere to strict guidelines outlined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
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Tower Hill Botanic Garden Presents 'Prismatic, An Orchid Exhibition'

WEST BOYLSTON: Tower Hill Botanic Garden invites the public to experience “Prismatic, an Orchid Exhibition,” which runs February 11 thru March 20. This exhibition celebrates the interplay of color and light with dazzling plant displays and vibrant art installations. Pre-purchased tickets are required for admission to Tower Hill. For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.towerhillbg.org. Tower Hill requires masks for all indoor events.

From the moment they enter the lobby, winter-weary visitors can feast their eyes on gorgeous arrangements of over 1,400 orchids and 800 tropical plants as they pass through an entrance bathed in all the colors of the spectrum. In the Limonaia, a massive upside-down pyramid of Plexiglass panels captures incoming light, creating hundreds of sparkling prisms that shimmer over towers of orchids. A George Sherwood chandelier graces the café, while in the Milton Gallery and the Orangerie, visitors can walk through and under rainbows.

“This exhibit is the perfect antidote to winter. It offers guests of all ages a chance to appreciate the fantastic diversity and beauty of orchids as well as the power of light, since plants, including orchids, utilize the energy of light for  photosynthesis,” said Grace Elton, CEO of Tower Hill. “The play of light on the orchid towers and arches is nothing short of magical.”

Opening Weekend will feature activities for children, music, art, workshops, and vendors selling stained glass, floral collages, and crystal suncatchers. After-hours, on Fridays, Tower Hill will be hosting “Orchids After Dark,” which will include jazz and drinks with a cash bar and light bites. These special evenings run from February 18 through March 11; the cost is $20 for members and $28 for non-members.

Adult Education will offer a class on orchid care and repotting on February 26. There will also be guided exhibit tours—one with the exhibition manager and another with the conservatory horticulturist—to learn about orchid species and the design of the show on select days in February and  March. Youth Education will run “Color Crush” during February Vacation Week from February 21 through 27. Children can enjoy drop-in activities, where they can experiment with light and color and study orchids up close.  They can also take classes where they can create rainbow mosaics, make whimsical suncatchers, or do colorful science experiments.

Tower Hill is committed to connecting people to plants and nature. Its property contains 171 acres of woodland trails, formal gardens, and a Visitors Center. In addition to “Prismatic,” which is included with general admission, guests this winter will enjoy dramatic views of Mount Wachusett and ample photo opportunities. 
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Nashoba Symphonic Band Fifth Anniversary Concert - February 5

WORCESTER:The Nashoba Symphonic Band, under the direction of David Wayne Bailey will perform its 5th Anniversary Concert at 2pm on Saturday, February 5, at Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street. The concert is free and open to the public. General seating tickets are available through the Mechanics Hall box office, www.mechanicshall.org. Masking is required.
 
Highlights of the concert will feature organ soloist, Gavin Klein, and include a scoring for organ and winds of Bach's Fantasia in G-Major and the Finale from the Organ Symphony of Camille Saint-Saens. Other works on the program will be Psalm for Band by Vincent Persichetti, Polka and Fugue from “Schwanda the Bagpiper” by Jaromir Weinberger, and the rollicking Gumsucker's March by Percy Aldridge Grainger, as well as marches by Sousa and Fucik.

Organ soloist, Gavin Klein is an organist, pianist, and harpsichordist from Bolton, Ma. He is currently a senior at Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton. He first found his love for the organ after hearing some of the most famous organs of Europe on vacation when he was very young. With a  background in early music and keyboard studies since he was four, Gavin took on the organ at the age of 12, and is currently an organ student of C. Henry Mason, director of music at Immaculate Conception Parish in Worcester, Ma. Since then, he has given performances in both the US and Europe. He is a member of both the American Guild of Organists, and the Organ Historical Society.

The Nashoba Symphonic Band is a program of the Nashoba Regional High School Friends of Music and supported in part by grants from the Berlin, Hudson, Marlborough and Stow Cultural Councils, local agencies that are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
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ARC Comedy Night Benefit Rescheduled to April 8

HUDSON: The Addiction Referral Center (ARC) is hosting the 11th annual Comedy Night Benefit, featuring the area’s most popular and talented comedians was originally scheduled for February 11, but will now take place April 8 at the Hudson Portuguese Club, 13 Port Street.  Doors open at 6:30pm and the show begins at 7:30pm. The event, being held in support of the ARC of Marlborough, will include lots of laughs, food, and raffle prizes.

Entertainers include popular comedians Paul Nardizzi, Janet McNamara, and Dan Donahue. Host of the evening is local favorite comedian Dave Rattigan.
 
  • Dave Rattigan returns as host. Rattigan spent the pandemic launching two podcasts, both of which he co-hosts, Inside the Line: Real Stories by Real Cops, and Soccerheads New England. He has performed at Fenway Park, The Cape Cod Melody Tent, South Shore Music Circus, a lumberyard, the lobby of an ad agency, and a library. His CD has been played on Sirius Satellite Radio, and he’s performed on the Steve Katsos Show. He’s done commercials for Olympia Sports and iParty, and performed in Dublin and Kilkenny, Ireland and in Boston with Irish comedians Ardal O’Hanlon and Joe Rooney. He’s performed at the Hampton Beach Comedy Festival (NH), Boston Comedy Festival, Women in Comedy Festival, and Salem Comedy and Spirits Festival, and shared the stage with Bill Burr, Jeff Dunham, the Beach Boys, Steven Wright, Bob Marley, Nick DiPaolo and more. He also runs Scamps Comedy Productions, which produces live comedy shows.
  • Paul Nardizzi is one of the country's top comedians, with multiple standup appearances on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, and Fox Sports' Best Damn Sports Show Period, as well as regional appearances on NESN. A former winner of the Boston Comedy Festival, Nardizzi is in demand for theater shows, corporate functions, colleges, golf tournament, and fundraisers. His CD has been played on Sirius Satellite Radio and he’s a prolific author of humor books and co-host for a podcast focused on the world of soccer, Soccerheads New England, available at iHeart Radio.
  • Janet McNamara is a Boston-based comic with a conversational style and awkwardly charming energy. Earlier this year, she was selected to perform in the prestigious Hampton Beach Comedy Festival. The former finalist in the Boston Comedy Festival contest, McNamara won the 2014 BeanTown Comedy Riots and has been featured in Boston’s Women in Comedy Festival, the Ashville Comedy Festival and Burbank Comedy Festival.  You might also recognize her as being the 'Golden Idol’ winner for the worst audition of American Idol season 10, an appearance that introduced a national audience to her joie de vivre and infectious energy.  McNamara doesn’t speak French.  
  • Dan Donahue is an electrician by day, fast-progressing Boston comedian by night. Much of his humor comes from his experiences on the job. He has performed on Scamps Comedy-produced shows around New England as an opener and host, working with comedians including Juston McKinney, Mike McDonald, Christine Hurley, Paul Nardizzi and more.

For tickets or table reservations, call (508) 485-4357. Tables ($250) and individual tickets ($25) should be purchased in advance at the ARC.

The Addiction Referral Center (ARC) ranks as one of the most respected and active recovery service resources in Middlesex County.  As a nonprofit organization, the ARC provides individualized referral services, Recovery Coach appointments and daily peer-support meetings at no cost to those seeking recovery from substance use disorder. For more information, visit them online at www.theaddictionreferralcenter.org.

Domestic Violence Roundtable Collects Valentine Donations for Families in Shelter

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MARLBOROUGH: Bringing warmth to others in winter was a focus for the people of Saint Stephen Lutheran Church for the holidays and beyond, as they wrapped sweatshirts, and donated blankets, throws and cocoa. In December, the youth group wrapped 200 sweatshirts for the local Sweats for Vets program, and also shopped for gifts for teens in the Hope for the Holidays outreach. St. Stephen members and friends of all ages, in partnership with the Hudson-based Fresh Start Furniture Bank, collected more than 40 new blankets, throws, and comforters, including some quilted items, and added packets of cocoa to bring several kinds of warmth to the clients of Fresh Start in January.
 
“Thank you for dropping off all those blankets and some with Girl Scout cookies and hot chocolate, too,”wrote Fresh Start’s Sue Waudby to St. Stephen Lutheran Church Pastor Joseph Graumann. “We truly appreciate the generosity of your parish in helping to keep our families warm this winter.” She added that the volunteers “were so thrilled to see all these blankets come in when we were running so low. Thank you so much for being a community partner with us.”
 
For more information about the church, visit www.saintstephenlutheran.com or visit them on Facebook.
 
PHOTO: Marlea Dutt (Hudson) and Judy & Doug Kellogg (Marlborough) stack the more than 40 blankets and throws collected by St. Stephen Lutheran Church parishioners before they
are delivered to Fresh Start Furniture Bank.

Domestic Violence Roundtable Collects Valentine Donations for Families in Shelter

2018 roundtable valentines day bags decorated by children at sudbury extended day
SUDBURY: Each February, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable collects items for Valentine’s Day and fills gift bags for women, men and children temporarily living in local domestic violence shelters and transitional housing programs: REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence. The Valentine Bags are decorated by the children from Sudbury Extended Day.

Members of local communities are cordially invited to participate in this collection again this year. Donations are welcome, but due to Covid 19 restrictions and social distancing, donors will not be assembling the gift bags. However, this is still a great opportunity for civic organizations, workplaces, families, friends and neighbors to contribute to the Roundtable collection and to help make lives brighter for families affected by domestic violence. Small acts of kindness like the gift bags let families know they are supported in their decision to leave an abusive situation and brighten their day. These gestures are especially appreciated during the pandemic.

Some examples of needed items are gift cards for CVS, Target, Market Basket, Gas etc. For mothers and teens some items would include full size bath products, fuzzy socks, cosmetics, nail polish, hair products, journals, etc. Items for children could include playing cards, art supplies, small toys, small stuffed animals, matchbox cars, and educational items. Baby items may include toys, rattles, baby cups, baby socks, bibs, and baby body products.

In past years the Roundtable has provided as many as 125 bags for families in shelter and transitional housing. If you are interested in contributing to the Valentine’s Day collection and have questions, please contact the Roundtable at info@dvrt.org. Donations may be left in the collection baskets provided at Sudbury Wine and Spirits in the Rugged Bear Plaza Road, 410 Boston Post Road, Sudbury or at Maynard Spirits, (near Market Basket) 4 Digital Way, Suite 3, Maynard. The collections will start on January 22 and end on February 5.