This is how our appliance and lamp shelves looked this morning!  My job today was entering inventory and I only entered 2 lamps and 1 steam iron for appliances.  We are very low on dish sets (I counted 7) and cookware & bakeware.
    In the linens department we need queen and full size sheet sets, comforters and blankets and “throw” blankets for couches.  Also potholders, shower curtains, liners and rings.  And bath towels!
     We are low on end tables & bedside tables, storage cabinets & bookcases.
If you can help by donating these much-needed items, please see our website at www.freshstartfurniturebank.org for our location and hours for donations.
     Thank you!

Spend a day not a fortune at the Country Fair at 19 Foster St. in Littleton, Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 am to 2 p.m. Start with fresh homemade scones and coffee. Next, peruse a gigantic yard sale then go across the street for homemade jams, jellies and pickles and tables of gently used gems earrings, necklaces and rings. Inside there’s a huge used bookstore and a cafe with homemade BBQ with the sides along with old-fashioned hot dogs and modern gluten free and vegan entrees. Finish off the meal at the bake table. Ready for a break? Take a peek at your future with an expert Tarot card reader and head to the Reiki table.

“Free” is the name of the game for family activities, face painting, admission and parking according to Susan Tordella, chairperson of the event. “We create an affordable family-friendly event for kids and shoppers of all ages,” she said.
The Country Fair dates back to the late 1800s when Unitarian women started making and selling jam. “Since then, we have embraced our value of reduce-reuse-recycle with our pre-owned books, jewelry and the humongous array of household and kitchen goods, toys, tools, sporting goods, bric-brac, art, small appliances and furniture. We exceed the promise of ‘Spend a day, not a fortune,’” Tordella said.
Come early for the best selections at the yard sale and our famous homemade jams, jellies and pickles and crafts. The jewelry tables have a cluster of people around them from the opening bell and you are sure to find something that appeals to your style.

Yard sale donations from the community will be accepted Friday, Oct. 3 from 4-6 pm, and 8-10 am before the sale on Oct. 4. PLEASE NOTE: TVs, car seats, computer monitors and artificial Christmas trees will NOT be accepted.

All contributions are tax-deductible, to benefit First Church Unitarian of Littleton, which awards 10 percent of income to a Littleton non-profit. Email questions to fair@fculittle.org. Hope to see you there for a fun, frugal, delicious time.

Sounds of Stow Chorus welcomes all area singers to our Open Rehearsals on Monday evenings August 25, September 1 and September 8 at the First Parish Church in Stow Center (35 Great Road) from 7-9:15 pm. Come as early as 6:30 to meet and greet your fellow singers.

On Sunday November 23, 2025 our season opens with "Timeless Tidings." The Chorus, accompanied by full orchestra, and under the direction of Barbara Jones, will perform John Rutter's Gloria! In celebration of his 80th birthday, as well as seasonal works by Vaughan Williams, Faure, Bernstein and Britten. Other concerts in this season will be Sunday April 19, 2026 and Sunday June 7, 2026.

The Sounds of Stow Chorus is a friendly and welcoming group whose singers hail from 20+ towns in the Metrowest area and beyond. Membership is open to anyone who can match pitch, learn the music, and blend with the other voices. We particularly need some strong Tenors and Basses to balance our sound this upcoming year. Artistic Director Barbara Jones and Assistant Director Christina Kennedy promote serious musicianship at weekly rehearsals that are lively, challenging, educational, and always fun! We hope to see you at the open rehearsals (and beyond)!

Spend a day not a fortune at the Country Fair at 19 Foster St. in Littleton, Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 am to 2 p.m. Start with fresh homemade scones and coffee. Next, peruse a gigantic yard sale then go across the street for homemade jams, jellies and pickles and tables of gently used gems earrings, necklaces and rings. Inside there’s a huge used bookstore and a cafe with homemade BBQ with the sides along with old-fashioned hot dogs and modern gluten free and vegan entrees. Finish off the meal at the bake table. Ready for a break? Take a peek at your future with an expert Tarot card reader and head to the Reiki table.
“Free” is the name of the game for the family activities, face painting, admission and parking according to Susan Tordella, chairperson of the event. “We create an affordable family-friendly event for kids and shoppers of all ages,” she said.
The Country Fair dates back to the late 1800s when Unitarian women started making and selling jam. “Since then, we have embraced our value of reduce-reuse-recycle with our pre-owned books, jewelry and the humongous array of household and kitchen goods, toys, tools, sporting goods, bric-brac, art, small appliances and furniture. We exceed,the promise of ‘spend a day, not a fortune,’” Tordella said.
Come early for the best selections at the yard sale and our famous homemade jams, jellies and pickles and crafts. The jewelry tables have a cluster of people around them from the opening bell and you are sure to find something that appeals to your style.
Yard sale donations from the community will be accepted Friday, Oct. 3 from 4-6 pm, and 8-10 am before the sale on Oct. 4. PLEASE NOTE: TVs, car seats, computer monitors and artificial Christmas trees will NOT be accepted.
All contributions are tax-deductible, to benefit First Church Unitarian of Littleton, which awards 10 percent of income to a Littleton non-profit. Email questions to fair@fculittle.org. Hope to see you there for a fun, frugal delicious time.

Announcing Open Rehearsals on Tuesday, September 2 and 9. Open Rehearsals give potential new members a chance to sing with us and audition after the rehearsal if they are interested in chorale membership. You can experience the energy, talent and dedication of Heritage Chorale singers, our inspired music director Steve Lipsitt, and expert accompanist Kevin Neel. Now in our 89th season, we uphold the tradition of choral excellence established so many years ago in Framingham, MA.

We rehearse at Scott Hall, 24 Vernon Street, Framingham on Tuesday evenings from 7:15-9:45pm. Performing three concerts a season (September through May), we often include professional orchestras and soloists.

For more information about rehearsals, auditions, membership, and Covid precautions, please see www.heritagechorale.org and click on "Sing With Us."

Marlborough, MA — The Highland City Striders, a local non-profit running club, in collaboration with the Friends of Woodlands and Waters, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and protecting the Assabet River. Great Meadows, and Oxbow National Wildlife Refuges, announces a new race, the Race for the Refuge, debuting on Sunday September 28, 2025 at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury, Mass.

This event aims to raise awareness about the ecological, historical, and recreational value of the Refuge and raise funds to help the staff increase access to and enjoyment of the Refuge for the local community. The race offers a range of events, including a one-mile walk guided by the Friends of Woodlands and Waters, 10K and 30K running races, and 3-hour and 6-hour running events.

“We are thrilled to present this exciting opportunity for people in our community to come and experience the Refuge in this new way,” says Judy Proteau, vice president of the Highland City Striders and co-race director for the Race for the Refuge. “It is one of my favorite places to run and enjoy nature’s beauty and we can’t wait to share it.”

The Highland City Striders is dedicated to promoting health and fitness through the sport of running. The club hosts weekly training runs, camaraderie events, and supports local charities. In 2024, over $19,500 and five truckloads of canned items were donated to the Marlborough and Hudson food pantries in an effort to combat food insecurity.

Race for the Refuge builds on this success and aims to highlight the Refuge and to help the staff fund a volunteer coordinator position who will work to build interpretive programs that increase access to and enjoyment of the Refuge for our community. Funds from the race will also support improvements at these three local National Wildlife Refuges – Assabet River, Great Meadows, and Oxbow – all of which are part of the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“One of the goals of our Friends group and the entire refuge system is to create outreach, environmental education, and volunteer opportunities that foster appreciation for the value of healthy habitats that support native plants and wildlife, and to help people connect meaningfully with these protected natural spaces,” says Paula Goodwin, President of the Friends of Woodlands and Waters. “We hope this event will introduce many new people to the natural beauty and remarkable history of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.”

Centuries ago, the Assabet National Wildlife Refuge lands were hunted and fished by Nipmuc Tribes. Later, they were farmed by colonists, intersected by a railroad, and used for military training. Those who join the race will run past military bunkers that were in use when the area was known as the Sudbury Training Annex, which was part of Fort Devens. The U.S. Army transferred the land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000, establishing the Refuge.

Since then, the Refuge has become home to freshwater wetlands, oak and pine forest, and shrubland that support many types of wildlife, including wading birds, songbirds, raptors, beaver, bobcat, white-tailed deer, and various reptiles and amphibians.

Each registrant will take home a collapsible cup. These are lightweight and easy to pack along on runs and hikes so you can grab a quick drink of water without creating waste. A post race celebration at Clover Road Brewing will include snacks, music, and one free beer ticket for race registrants.

Visit the Race for the Refuge web site  (https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Sudbury/RaceForTheRefuge) to learn more and register.

Visit the Assabet National Wildlife Refuge web site (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/assabet-river) to learn more about the refuge.

WESTFORD, MA:  The Parish Center for the Arts (PCA) is kicking off its monthly Coffeehouse Series on September 12 (7:30pm) with dynamic folk duo Paul Rishell and Annie Raines! This Series, sponsored by Enterprise Bank, has cabaret seating (tables), and audiences should feel free to “BYOB” and snacks to complete their evening.  Tickets are $20 for PCA Members; $22 for non-members; $25 at the door (if available). For more information, visit https://parisharts.square.site/shop/pca-coffeehouse/13.
Paul Rishell and Annie Raines are an acoustic, country blues-inspired musical duo that met in 1993 during the recording of Paul's album "Swear to Tell the Truth." They have released four albums as a duo. Raines is primarily known for her harmonica playing, but also plays mandolin, zither, and keyboard instruments. Rishell's primary instrument is guitar. Both sing on their recordings. They have also recorded and performed as members of John Sebastian's J-Band, and appeared on the soundtrack to "A Prairie Home Companion."

Individually, Annie Raines played on Susan Tedeschi's first three albums, was a member of the Tarbox Ramblers, and worked with Pinetop Perkins, Louis Myers, and James Cotton among others, and has taught at the Club Passim school of music.

Paul Rishell's debut album was 1990's "Blues on a Holiday." In 2008, he released a guitar instructional video disc, "Dirt Road Blues," and he has taught at Berklee College of Music. In 2013, Rishell was nominated for two Blues Music Awards - one in the Acoustic Album category for his album "Talking Guitar," and another for Acoustic Artist.
For more information about the PCA and their season of events running September through June, visit pcawestford.org, email admin@pcawestford.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram!

Summer in New England! It’s steamy outside and we really need our donations to heat up!  We are low on so many things that our clients need.  Please help if you can.  We accept donations in good used condition or new (but no furniture)on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9-noon.  We accept furniture donations on Saturdays from 8:30-10:30 and smaller items until noon.  Check our website for information on what we do and where we are.  And, please - spread the word!
At present we need:
Couches & loveseats
Kitchen items:  DISH SETS,  kitchen knives, colanders, medium & large sauce pans, baking pans, cereal bowls, mixing & serving bowls, food storage containers, cutting boards, platters, can openers and MORE SAUCE PANS!  Also non-slotted spoons, measuring cups, measuring spoons, spatulas and cutting boards.  We are low on toasters and toaster ovens.
Linens: we need fitted sheets, throw blankets, bathroom towels, & shower liners.  We are also very low on crib sheets & blankets.
Finally - we need ribbon (Clark) to wrap the linens.  Our linens volunteers do such a nice job of wrapping sheet sets for our clients.