Above: This home at 5 Peggy Lane went on the market for $599,000 (MLS photo)

Here’s what went on and off the market this week. Thanks to Doug McClain (email) of Century 21 Commonwealth Realty for supplying the listing information.

New on the market

• 121 Northborough Rd (map) – 1.2 Residential acres – $199,900
• 18 General Henry Knox Rd (map) – 7 room, 3 bed, 1f 0h bath Raised-Ranch – $349,900
• 4 Pearl St (map) – 9 room, 4 bed, 2f 0h bath Colonial – $389,000
• 5 Peggy Drive (map) – 8 room, 4 bed, 2f 1h bath Colonial – $599,000
• 121 Northborough Rd (map) – 9 room, 4 bed, 2f 1h bath Colonial – $599,900
• 12 Southwood Dr (map) – 10 room, 4 bed, 3f 1h bath Colonial – $649,000
• 27 Pine Hill Rd (map) – 11 room, 5 bed, 3f 0h bath colonial – $799,900
• 10 Metcalf Lane (map) – 13 room, 5 bed, 3f 1h bath Colonial – $1,330,000

Sale pending

• 30 Meeting House Lane (map) – 8 room, 2 bed, 2f 1h bath Townhouse – 75 days on market, Listed at $489,900
• 37 Carriage Hill Cir (map) – 8 room, 2 bed, 2f 1h bath Townhouse – 416 days on market, Listed at $525,000
• 15 Pine Hill Road (map) – 7.09 Residential acres – 149 days on market, Listed at $899,900

Sold

• 149 Southville Road (map) – 4 room, 2 bed, 1f 0h bath Ranch – 59 days on market, Listed at $150,000, Sold for $155,000
• 35 Oak Hill Rd (map) – 15 room, 5 bed, 3f 1h bath Colonial – 315 days on market, Listed at $1,225,000, Sold for $1,100,000
• 8 Metcalf Lane (map) – 12 room, 4 bed, 4f 1h bath Colonial – 411 days on market, Listed at $1,299,000, Sold for $1,200,000

Above: Algonquin students rehearse “The Good Doctor” (contributed photo)

The Algonquin spring play opens on Thursday, and this year’s selection is Neil Simon’s comedy “The Good Doctor.” Directed by Algonquin English teacher Tom Alera, the show features Zach Lusk, Alex Lafreniere, Brittany Price, Max Ludwig, Sarah Gittins, and Andy Hamilton.

Here’s a synopsis of the show from Amazon.com:

This Broadway hit is a composite of Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov. In one sketch a harridan storms a bank and upbraids the manager for his gout and lack of money. In another, a father takes his son to a house where he will be initiated into the mysteries of sex, only to relent at the last moment and leave the boy more perplexed than ever. In another sketch, a crafty seducer goes to work on a wedded woman, only to realize that the woman has been in command from the first overture. Let us not forget the classic tale of a man who offers to drown himself for three rubles. The stories are droll, the portraits affectionate, the humor infectious and the fun unending.

Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00 pm in Algonquin’s Small Performance Theater. Tickets are $7, or $10 for a show ticket plus three raffle tickets. You can reserve your seat by emailing ARHStickets@gmail.com.

Every year our school committees vote on whether to allow out-of-district students to attend our schools as part of the state’s school choice program. The K-8 School Committee has never voted to accept the option in the past, and this year was no different.

The school choice program enables a district to allow out-of-district students to attend their schools. Students are chosen by lottery and once accepted, are entitled to stay in the district throughout their schooling, regardless of whether the district decides not to take part in school choice in the future.

If it participated in the program, Southborough would receive a maximum of $5K per student in tuition, with more funding provided for those students requiring special education services. Superintendent Charles Gobron said the tuition payment doesn’t come close to covering the cost of educating a student in the K-8 district.

In recommending against adopting school choice, Gobron also said given current class sizes, the schools don’t have room for out-of-district students.

“We don’t have room without adding additional staff,” Gobron told the School Committee at a public hearing last week. “It would negate any financial gain.”

The School Committee agreed and voted unanimously not to take part in the program.

“If we’re considering closing a school, it would be almost irresponsible to bring in students through school choice,” School Committee member Kathleen Harragan Polutchko said, referencing the ongoing debate about whether to close one of Southborough’s four schools in response to declining enrollment.

The Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee is expected to vote on whether to open up Algonquin for school choice at a meeting tomorrow night. While the K-8 School Committee has always opposed the option, the Regional School Committee has been more open to the idea, going so far as to form a study group to evaluate the pros and cons.

They’ll vote after a state-mandated public hearing on the topic at their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday. You can see their full agenda here.

It’s competition season for Trottier music ensembles, and as they have in past years, the groups are earning accolade after accolade: honorable mention at the University of New Hampshire’s prestigious Jazz Festival in March. Silver at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductor’s Association last month.

But Trottier Music Director Jamie Clark says for his student musicians, it’s never been about the medals. And that’s particularly true this year after the death of band member Eric Green earlier this year.

“We did not want to go in there and ‘win this for Eric’,” Clark said of the school’s recent performance at MICCA. “We wanted to go in and do our best, which is exactly how Eric approached things…We felt we honored Eric and his memory and the way he lived his life.”

Clark said music has helped his students cope with the loss of their classmate. A seventh grader at Trottier and trumpet player in the school’s Big Band and concert band, Eric passed away suddenly after a seizure at home in January.

“We’re a very close-knit group. It was devastating in January,” Clark said. “The way they have rallied around each other has been phenomenal.”

Clark said Eric was a popular student among his peers. “He was quiet until he laughed. He had one of those laughs that made you laugh.”

In honor of Eric, the Trottier musicians donned small bits of green when they took the stage at MICCA: green ties gracing concert attire, green ribbons woven in hair and around instruments.

Clark said all three Trottier ensembles that performed at MICCA – the 7th and 8th Grade Concert Band, 6th Grade Concert Band, and Orchestra – performed incredibly well. Each ensemble earned a silver medal from the judges.

“It wasn’t about the getting gold. They felt they were doing this one for us, and Eric was part of us,” Clark said. “They’re proud of themselves and of us as a family. They’re just remarkable people.”

The Trottier Big Band will perform this afternoon, and the Stage Band tomorrow, in the Massachusetts Association of Jazz Educators festival. Both performances start at 3:00 pm in the Trottier auditorium and are open to the public.

For reason we can debate in the comments, town elections in Southborough don’t have a particularly big draw. At Monday’s election, only 21% of the town’s voting population cast a ballot. Historically speaking that’s about average. Have a look.

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Since 2000, the average turnout has been 22%. It’s interesting that the turnout was significantly higher from 2000 to 2004 than it has been in recent years. I wasn’t living in town during that time, so I don’t know what was driving turnout. Any theories? Share in the comments below.

Tuesday 5/8/12
10:08 Unintentional alarm system activation, Cordaville Road

Wednesday 5/9/12
00:21 Gasoline or other flammable spill, Turnpike Road
06:55 EMS call, Cherry Street
10:04 EMS call, Newton Street
17:02 EMS call, Newton Street
21:42 EMS call, Ramblewood Drive, Ashland
22:40 Carbon monoxide detector activation, no carbon monoxide, Pine Hill Road

Thursday 5/10/12
04:43 Unintentional alarm system activation, Cordaville Road
11:13 EMS call, Southville Road

Friday 5/11/12
01:06 EMS call, Carriage Hill Circle
10:44 EMS call, Boston Post Road, Marlborough
17:31 Vehicle accident with injuries, Turnpike Road

Saturday 5/12/12
No calls reported

Sunday 5/13/12
14:13 Service call, Turnpike Road
17:08 EMS call, Lincoln Street, Hopkinton

Monday 5/14/12
01:26 EMS call, Main Street
01:55 EMS call, Main Street
05:35 Vehicle accident with injuries, Woodland Road
10:06 EMS call, Newton Street
15:23 Unintentional alarm system activation, Deerfoot Road
17:06 Vehicle accident with injuries, Main Street
18:45 Vehicle accident with injuries, 495 North
21:32 EMS call, Leonard Drive

Time for another open thread. For those of you new to the blog, the open discussion thread is your place to ask questions, sound off on town issues, or share information with other readers. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Ask questions about programs in town or the town itself
• Post a note about things that you’re selling or giving away, or things that you want
• Share notices about upcoming events (Southborough or otherwise)
• Register your thoughts on town issues or news stories
• Point out interesting or helpful resources

You can add comments to the thread throughout the week. Check back often to see new comments. (If you read the blog via email or RSS, you might want to check the site from time to time for new comments.)

To view past open discussion threads, click here.

Here’s the latest from the Southborough Police Department (via Facebook).

Thursday, May 10, 2012

• 12:13 am – A resident of MacNeill Drive requested an officer to respond to their home, after their car alarm began sounding in their driveway. The responding officer did not find any sign of a break-in.
• 12:49 am – A Framingham motorist was issued a Criminal Application for Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle.
• 4:33 am – Officers investigated a burglar alarm at a Cordaville Road business.
• 4:43 am – A medical was reported at a Cordaville Road residence.
• 4:52 am – A Marlboro Road resident reported hearing an audible alarm in the area. The alarm was determined to be coming from a business in the Town of Marlborough. Marlborough PD was notified.
• 8:32 am – An officer investigated a parking complaint at Woodward Elementary School.
• 10:26 am – A coyote was reported to be in the parking lot of St. Anne’s Church. The Animal Control Officer was notified.
• 11:13 am – A medical was reported at a Southville Road residence.
• 12:45 pm – A restraining order was served to an employee of a Coslin Drive business.
• 1:43 pm – Officers investigated a burglar alarm at a Cordaville Road business.
• 4:07 pm – Officers investigated a parking complaint at a residence on Leonard Drive.
• 5:50 pm – Officers investigated a report of two males riding dirt bikes at Neary School. The two individuals had left the area prior to the responding officer’s arrival.
• 7:48 pm – ARRESTED: A Walnut Drive resident was arrested and charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicating Liquor.
• 8:17 pm – Officers investigated a one car, motor vehicle accident in the parking lot of a Turnpike Road business.
• 8:25 pm – The Officer in Charge of the shift reported a manpower shortage, as no officers were available to handle a disabled motorist on Turnpike Road. Westborough Police handled the disabled motorist for Southborough.

Friday, May 11, 2012

• 12:02 am – Officers checked on a suspicious motor vehicle parked at a Turnpike Road business.
• 12:05 am – Officers checked on another suspicious vehicle parked at a different Turnpike Road business.
• 1:06 am – A medical was reported at a Carriage Hill Circle residence.
• 4:03 am – Officers checked on a report of a suspicious male at a Turnpike Road business. The male party had left the area prior to the responding officer’s arrival.
• 8:09 am – Officers assisted with traffic on Turnpike Road after a Porta-Potty fell off the back of a truck and landed in the roadway.
• 8:40 am – Officers assisted a Sears Road resident with a domestic issue.
• 10:28 am – A Jericho Hill resident reported seeing a hunter on their property. The hunter left before the officers arrived on scene.
• 11:16 am – A Parkerville Road resident was issued a Restraining Order.
• 1:13 pm – Officers investigated a burglar alarm at an Overlook Road residence.
• 3:12 pm – Officers assisted a Sears Road resident with a domestic issue.
• 4:37 pm – Officers assisted a disabled motorist on Turnpike Road.
• 5:31 pm – Officers investigated a three car, motor vehicle accident on Turnpike Road. No injuries were reported from the scene of the accident.
• 5:48 pm – Officers investigated a two car, motor vehicle accident on Marlboro Road. No injuries were reported from the scene of the accident.
• 8:30 pm – Officers investigated a burglar alarm at a Boston Road business.
• 9:01 pm – Officers investigated a motor vehicle vs. deer accident on Framingham Road. No injuries were reported from the scene of the accident.
• 11:12 pm – Officers investigated a burglar alarm at a Southville Road business.
• 11:57 pm – Officers investigated a vandalism report at a Kennedy Lane residence. A rock was thrown through a second story decorative window at the home. Responding officers responded and will be investigating the incident.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

• 12:41 am – An officer checked on a suspicious male party on a bicycle on Main St. The individual checked out o.k.
• 2:09 am – Framingham Police requested a Southborough Officer to assist with removing a group of unwanted parties at Motel 6 in Framingham. The responding officers were able to remove the parties involved.
• 2:14 am – An officer checked on a suspicious vehicle parked in front of a Turnpike Road business. The motorist reported that their vehicle was over-heating.
• 2:50 am – An officer assisted a motorist with an unknown medical condition. Southborough requested mutual aid from Westborough Police, due to an additional call assignment.
• 2:53 am – A Southborough officer, along with officers from Marlborough Police, responded to a Sears Road residence for a report of gunfire. The Marlborough units were called off when it was determined that a window at the residence was smashed with a rock. A vehicle parked in the driveway of the residence was also vandalized. The incident is currently under investigation.
• 12:59 pm – An officer attempted to serve court paperwork at a residence on Turnpike Road.
• 3:13 pm – A resident of Southwood Drive called to report a parking complaint in the neighborhood.
• 3:55 pm – Officers assisted a disabled motorist on Turnpike Road.
• 6:39 pm – Officers investigated a larceny from a motor vehicle at a Turnpike Road business. A GPS unit was taken from a vehicle parked at the business.
• 8:29 pm – Officers investigated a report of an erratic operator on Southville Road. The vehicle had left the area prior to the responding officer’s arrival.
• 8:29 pm – Officers assisted a disabled motorist on Turnpike Road.
• 8:45 pm – Officers responded to Walnut Drive for a report of a suspicious male walking up and down the road. Officers located the male party, and reported back that the individual checked out o.k.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

• 12:48 am – Officers checked on a suspicious motor vehicle on East Main Street. The vehicle and the operator both checked out o.k.
• 12:10 am – Officers assisted a disabled motorist on Cordaville Road.
• 10:39 am – Officers checked on a suspicious vehicle parked at the Transfer Station. The vehicle checked out o.k.
• 11:59 am – Officers attempted to serve a warrant at a Turnpike Road residence.
• 1:58 pm – Officers assisted a resident with a domestic issue at the police station.
• 2:13 pm – Officers assisted a disabled motorist on Cordaville Road.
• 7:50 pm – Officers investigated a burglar alarm at a Killam Farm Lane residence.
• 8:22 pm – Officers assisted Marlborough Police with an OUI Alcohol stop at the town line.

Tonight the Northborough/Southborough Special Education Parent Advisory Council (NSPAC) will host its second annual Appreciation Awards evening at Algonquin. The organization’s Go the Distance awards recognize those who have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of children with special needs. Check out the flyer for more information.

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Above: Selectman Bill Boland (right) taking the oath of office from Town Clerk Paul Berry last night

It will be another three years on the Board of Selectmen for Bill Boland, who won his reelection bid yesterday. Boland won what in recent days had become a contentious race against challenger Leo Bartolini. Boland got 942 votes (65%) versus Bartolini’s 509 (35%).

After Town Clerk Paul Berry announced the results at the Town House last night, Boland said he was thrilled to be reelected and congratulated Bartolini on a good campaign.

“I’d like to thank my supporters and everyone who worked hard for me,” Boland said. “I have my work cut out for me for another three years.”

In Southborough’s only other contested race, Andrew Mills will get to keep his seat on the Planning Board for another year after beating former Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman Sam Stivers by a count of 903 (66%) to 463 (34%). Mills was appointed to the Planning Board last June after member Mary Hynes retired. His elected term will expire next year.

All other races were uncontested and there were no surprises. You can see a full tally of the results posted on the town website. Note that the results are unofficial until certified, but Berry said last night he does not anticipate any significant changes.

At the end of the day, 1,461 Southborough residents – 21% of the voting population – turned out to cast a ballot. Historically speaking, that’s not a great turnout, but it at least beats last year’s dismal 12%.