Above: There’s less going on in town over spring break than most weeks. But there are still special programs for the community to enjoy. (images of cropped flyer, promo photo, and contributed photo)

Here are highlights of what’s happening around (or related to) our town this long weekend through spring break week.

(The gray font below is for previously established long running events that take place weekly or bi-weekly.)

Friday evening, April 17, 2026

• Live Music with Mojo Ride (8:00 pm) @ Owen O’Leary’s, 50 Turnpike Rd: Live music performed by the blues & classic rock band out of Worcester. For more details, click here.

Saturday, April 18, 2026

• Sit & Knit (2:00 – 4:00 pm) @ Southborough Library: Semi-monthly program for ages 18+ to drop in and work on your latest knitting or crochet projects while you enjoy the company of fellow yarn crafters in a relaxed social setting. All levels are welcome but no formal instruction will be given.

Monday, April 19, 2026, Patriot’s Day

• Town Closures: Town offices, Southborough Library, and the Senior Center are closed for the state holiday. This is also the first day of the public schools’ weeklong spring break.
• Boston Marathon: 18 Southborough runners are participating in the big annual race that starts in Hopkinton this morning. For more details, see related posts.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

• Spicy Ladies Club (11:00 am) @ Southborough Senior Center: A monthly social group for seniors. New members are welcome to drop-in. For details, see related post.
• Bridge (12:00 pm) @ Southborough Senior Center: A weekly card group, welcoming new participants. For details, contact the Senior Center at 508-229-4453.
• Trottier’s Uhlman’s fundraiser (3:30 – 8:30pm) @ where: Show the fundraising flyer at the window when you make a purchase, and Uhlman’s will donate 10% of your sale to the Trottier Middle School 8th Grade Class. For details, see dedicated post.
• Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night (8:00 – 10:00 pm) @ Owen O’Leary’s, 50 Turnpike Rd: Weekly Trivia game night with prizes. For details, see dedicated post.

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

• Walking Group for Seniors (8:30 am) @ Southborough cemetery, 11 Cordaville Road: Free weekly walking group organized by the Southborough Senior Center. (Dependent on weather conditions.) Walkers generally go for an hour, but continue for as long as you wish. The location is a loop, so feel free to join late.
• The Southborough Design Prix (3:00 pm) @ Southborough Library: 4th-6th graders can sign up for this free hands on Lego robotics challenge event put on by Fay School. For details, see dedicated post.
• Live Blues Jam n’ Open Mic (8:00 – 11:00 pm) @ Owen O’Leary’s, 50 Turnpike Rd: Come play or sing with the house band and fellow musical talent, or just enjoy the show. For details, see related post.

Thursday, April 23, 2026

• Mah Jongg (10:00 am) @ Southborough Senior Center: The weekly program would love new players to join. Feel free to stop by to watch or talk to one of the players to see if you would be interested. For details, contact the Senior Center at 508-229-4453.
• Senior Conference (8:30am – 2:00 pm) @ Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, 215 Fitchburg St, Marlborough: The 45th annual conference for senior residents in the Middlesex and Worcester District, put on by our State Senator. Free food and entertainment, activities, and information on programs and resources. For details, see dedicated post.
• The Awesome Robb Magic Show (4:00 – 4:45 pm) @ Southborough Library: Free magic show for kids. No registration required. Sponsored by The Friends of the Southborough Library.
• Karaoke (9:00 – 11:00 pm) @ Owen O’Leary’s, 50 Turnpike Rd: Weekly Karaoke night. For details, see related post.

Friday, April 24, 2026

• Wizards (10:00 am) @ Southborough Senior Center: New weekly drop-in social club for senior men. This one is geared for men interested in discussing topics related to science and tech. For details, see related post.
• Dull Men’s Club (10:00 am) @ Southborough Senior Center: Casual social club for senior men. New members are always welcome to drop in. For details, see dedicated post.
• Rhyme Time (11:00 – 11:30 am) @ Southborough Library Children’s Room: Weekly drop-in program for babies and toddlers (and parents/caregivers). Join Ms. Jenny for rhymes, songs, and more fun.
• Canasta (11:15 am) @ Southborough Senior Center: A weekly card group playing “Hand & Foot”. For details, contact the Senior Center at 508-229-4453.
• American Mah Jongg Meetup (1:00 – 3:30 pm) @ Southborough Library, Main Floor Stacks: Biweekly opportunity. Drop ins are welcome, but groups of 4 are generally necessary to play. For details, see related post.
• Live Music with Dave Parker (8:00 – 11:00 pm) @ Owen O’Leary’s, 50 Turnpike Rd: The singer/musician will entertain with a mix of classic hits and crowd favorites. For details, click here.

Saturday, April 25, 2026

• Earth Day Cleanup (8:00 – 11:00 am) @ where: Southborough’s 34th Annual event for volunteers to pick up trash along the Town’s roadways and public spaces. Sponsored by the Southborough Rotary Club and DPW. For details, see dedicated post.
• Earth Day Cleanup Volunteer Lunch (12:00 pm) @ in front of Southborough Library: Anyone who participated in the Earth Day Cleanup effort is welcome to join volunteers for a pizza lunch.
• DIY Gulbankian Workshop (1:00 pm) @ Gulbankian Florist, 40 Mt Vickery Rd: There is a registration fee and attendance is limited. This session is to make terrariums while enjoying tea. For details, click here.

Sunday, April 26, 2026

• St. Mark’s Messy Church (4:00 – 6:00 pm) @ St Mark’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 27 Main St: A worship experience for busy families of younger kids. Includes a Bible story theme with activities, crafts, and a shared meal. For details, see related post.

The post Events this week appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: Looking for something fun, but educational, for your tweens to do next week? Sign them up for the Design Prix (image of cropped flyer)

This Wednesday afternoon, in the middle of the public schools’ spring break, the Southborough Library is hosting a free, hands on program for 4th–6th graders.

The “high-stakes, 90-minute challenge” is put on by Fay School.

The Library promotes “The Southborough Design Prix”:

Does your child have a future in engineering or tech strategy? Working in specialized teams, participants will use LEGO SPIKE Prime robotics to design, code, and race a fully functional vehicle. This fast-paced session requires rapid iteration and strategic communication, providing essential experience in Computational Thinking and team dynamics. See your child step into a specialized role (Engineer, Coder, or Brand Manager) and walk away with a proven ability to deliver complex technical projects under pressure.

Registration is required for the limited space program on April 22nd at 3:00 pm. To sign up, click here. 

The post Design Prix — Code, Race, and Innovate on Wednesday. appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: A camp founded by a Southborough family is offering another chance for 2nd-9th graders to enjoy hands on learning about robotics this summer. (image edited from contributed photos and flyer, and logo from NERA website)

Last year, I shared news about a volunteer run Summer Robotics Camp organized by three young Southborough brothers. This spring, they are recruiting participants for this summer’s camp. 

Four the fourth straight year, the camp is being offered to children entering grades 2–9 and hosted Algonquin Regional High School.

NERA promotes:

Join the New England Robotics Association (NERA) for a hands-on summer experience where students design, build, and program robots, take part in fun team challenges and engineering projects, and develop creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

Organizers tout that campers will develop skills “in a supportive environment led by experienced student instructors and supervised by adult volunteers.”

Families can sign kids/teens up for 1, 2, or 3 weeks of camp this summer. Plus, half-day and daily options are also available. (You would need to reach out to them for those details.)

The camp runs on weekdays from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. (Extended morning and afternoon hours are available starting at 8:00 am and ending at 5:30 pm.) Field trips are planned for each Friday. Week 1 starts on July 27th and Week 3 ends August 14th. 

The first two weeks each cost $399, and the fourth week $499. But there is a $30 Early bird discount offered until April 30th. There is also a referral bonus. For an extra fee, campers can buy lunch.

Organizers write that the tuition is only collected to support camp operations. If there is any surplus, it will be used to “benefit a local school or other public facility”.

To sign kids up, go to the registration page here. 

Last year, over 30 area children participated in the camp. Below are some of the photo highlights organizers shared from 2025:

To read more about the family that founded the camp, and experiences kids had last year, click here.

To read about other summer camp options this summer, click here.

The post Register this month for NERA’s summer Robotics camp appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: A Planning Board Member tried to find balance between voters seeking to make zoning more enticing for commercial development and those worried about the potential risks of zoning changes. (images cropped from meeting video and presentation)

Earlier this week, I wrote that Annual Town Meeting passed everything Town officials asked for and rejected the only thing officials opposed.

It turns out, that’s not quite accurate — since not all officials were on the same page. A key example was the Industrial Park zoning changes proposed under Article 17.

It is true that Town Meeting approved all of the requests made by the committees/boards that sponsored each Article. That included rejecting attempts to amend the Planning Board’s overhaul of Industrial Park zoning.

One failed attempt, supported by the Select Board, sought to loosen some of the proposed restrictions. Another failed attempt sought to make them much tighter. (That version called for 19 times greater setbacks on all projects in the Industrial Park zone that abutted residential zones. Given zone layouts, it may have made most IP zoned parcels impossible to build anything in.)*

Planning’s Article to Update IP Zoning Bylaws

As I’ve previously written, the Planning Board proposed new modern uses in the Industrial Park (IP) zone. (You can read about the new uses here.) The intent was to help the Town attract and retain commercial development. That includes attracting the types of amenities residents want, and increasing tax revenue from businesses.

However, the board also prioritized ensuring that new uses wouldn’t result in harms to the Town and abutting residential neighborhoods. So the board added new restrictions and clarifications about regulations.

Data Center zoning & Related Amendment

The restrictions included at least doubling the setback for projects that abut a residential/conservation district. The minimum setbacks would increase from 50 ft to 100 ft. But for an abutting “Small Clean Energy Infrastructure” or Data Center, the Planning Board decided the setback should be much greater — increasing to 1,000 feet. They also capped the size of Data Centers to 50,000 sq ft.

Planning Vice Chair Marnie Hoolahan explained that the board was taking a cautious approach based on the rise of AI (Artificial Intelligence) Data Centers:

We want to be able to open the doors for data centers. But we also want to be very cautious since we don’t know how they impact our natural resources, particularly electric and water resources, and what impact they might have on just human beings in existence. 

Sam Stivers proposed an amendment to remove the extra setback for Data Centers and double the maximum size to 100,000 sq ft. He argued that Planning’s zoning would make it unattractive to a potential business. And he wanted to encourage the use:

Data centers are useful because they generate good commercial tax revenue. They’re high value buildings and filled with expensive equipment and few people on site, no traffic and no impact on town services typically.

He pointed out that a current Data Center in town generates over $600K in taxes annually, “more than that we expect from the Costco facility that’s going in.”¹ He urged voters who want tax relief to support his amendment.

Stivers noted that he understood that the Planning Board wasn’t expecting his amendment. But Hoolahan’s long rebuttal (using written remarks) made clear that she had come fully prepared for an amendment along those lines.

In her response, she stressed that the existing Data Center Stivers referred to isn’t an AI center. She told the hall:

Traditional data centers were designed for moderate power density, air based cooling, and predictable demand. New AI scale facilities operate at dramatically higher electrical loads, increasing rely on liquid or hybrid cooling systems with water implications and behave more like continuous industrial infrastructure than conventional commercial development. . . zoning exists to anticipate impact before it becomes permanent.

Setbacks are not obstacles to development. They are risk management tools. Reducing them increases exposure to . . . impacts that directly affect residents. Once a building is constructed at scale and closer to homes, the town loses leverage. If unintended consequences emerge, those impacts are absorbed by the community, not the applicant. . .

Tax benefit alone cannot outweigh irreversible siting decisions. The zoning we crafted does not prohibit AI data centers. It allows them, but with caution.

During the amendment debate several voters and officials sided with Stivers, echoing his belief that the restrictions were overkill and exclusionary zoning. Most focused on the size limit, arguing that 100,00 sq ft is a reasonable size for a data center.

Jim Colleary warned voters to keep in mind the danger that the Town is facing a Proposition 2½ override next year. He argued that a setback that is more than three times the size of a football field is too restrictive.

Early in the discussion, Jon Green told the hall that he planned to propose his own amendment. He was seeking to increase setbacks for any types of IP projects abutting Residential or Conservation zones to 2,000 ft. (He was forced to wait on that debate until the original amendment was dealt with.)

Green later asked voters to be empathetic to residential abutters. He argued that supporting a low setback is selfish.

Some voters discussed the worries they had about Data Centers based on news reports and what they’ve read. Diana Bell worried that they might bring initial money but leave residents paying more for water and electric rates.

Select Board member Al Hamilton argued that water isn’t an issue with MWRA seeking more water customers. Paul Desmond said the trend in Data Centers is to recycle water and he pitched that they seek to be as energy efficient as possible to save money.

Freddie Gillespie worried that the centers would generate a lot of heat and noise. She said she kept reading about towns that had let Data Centers in and are now “freaking out”. She noted that only a majority support was needed to pass it, but that opponents to lowering the Data Center restrictions could stop the overall zoning amendment, which requires 2/3 approval.

Mary Tinti, Kristen Lavault, and Paul Carter argued that supporting the Planning Board’s original Article, would still leave the door open for future changes. Tinti pointed out that amending the Article could tank passage of the zoning improvements in the overall Article. And she suggested that if people wanted to decrease the protections that should first be a larger community-wide conversation.

That was echoed by Lavault who pointed out how few voters were in attendance. She believed that if people knew there would be an in depth debate about zoning for AI Data Centers, more would have turned out. She warned that passing the unexpected change would “piss off our town” without better representation.

And Carter noted that if a Data Center wanted to come to town and needed larger buildings and less setbacks, the Town could still do what it did with Costco and customize zoning revisions for the project.

In arguments against the zoning, Carter and Tom Gittens incorrectly referred to it as lowering the setback to 50 ft. No one corrected them, but Stiver’s amendment actually would have reduced it to 100 ft.²

On a different note, Jonathan Gibson pointed out that Data Centers don’t create many jobs for the town.

The Select Board favored the amendment 4-1, but the hall disagreed. The amendment failed with a vote of only 50 in favor and 73 opposed.

Argument to Make All Setbacks Greater for Residential Abutting Projects

Green then made his motion to make a more extreme change to the zoning regulation in the opposite direction. It would have added to the IP zone a 2,000 ft setback to any type of project (not just Data Centers and Energy Infrastructures) if it abuts a residential zoning district. 

Green argued for bigger buffers to protect residents, and claimed that even 2,000 ft wasn’t enough. Green lives on Tara Road, a neighborhood that abuts the IP zoned Park Central. He told the hall that he’s not an IP zone abutter, but he’s an abutter to an abutter, and was thinking of his neighbors.

He argued that for a homeowner, the idea of a large project 100 ft from their property line was “pretty scary”.

Hoolahan appeared to have also prepared for an argument like this one. She read aloud her position that a setback that large is exclusionary zoning that is:

disproportionate, undifferentiated, and inconsistent with sound zone sound zoning practice

She described by-right uses under the IP zoning as including many with “low impact commercial activity”. She noted that the board’s proposed zoning change does include new, “strict performance standards”. And she pointed out that many of the uses are “routinely permitted adjacent to residential districts” throughout the state.

Hamilton said that looking at the GIS Map, he didn’t think a setback that large would be remotely possible to allow any project. Others agreed. Green argued that it only relates to the distance from residential districts.

No one spoke in favor of the Green’s amendment. The motion failed.

Back to the Main Motion

Tyler Oakleaf asked the Planning Board about the impact of their changes to ground mounted solar PV projects. Chair Meme Luttrell clarified that the current setback is 50 ft. Then she confirmed that the new zoning “Small Clean Energy Infrastructure” projects does include solar projects.

Oakleaf said he wasn’t sure he could support the Article. He argued the new requirements 1,000 ft setbacks, and requirements like submitting an emergency operations plan and decommissioning plan “seems completely ridiculous for someone who wants to put solar PV on their land”. He also worried that it would have an unintended impact on standalone electrical vehicle charging stations getting “swept up” into the category based on their use of lithium ion batteries.

No one addressed his point. With no other public comments, the meeting voted on the original Article. It passed 90 to 32 (73%).

Now the zoning change will need to be forwarded to the Attorney General’s office for vetting. An attorney will need to verify it complies with the state laws and constitution.

*[Editor’s Note: Based on past zoning bylaw discussions, I’m unsure how the setbacks will be interpreted. (For example, ones that don’t directly border residential zones but are less than 1,000 ft from residential neighborhoods.) Once I have the answers that I’m seeking from Town officials, I’ll update this post with more details — and potentially post a new story clarifying the changes.]

The post Town Meeting debates line between balanced and exclusionary Industrial Park zoning appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: A reader invited me to share this image of a lovely 50 year old weeping cherry tree in her yard. (image cropped from photo by Elaine Russo – click here for a larger uncropped pic)

Some of the stories I’m still working on are taking a long time for me to finish. So, I’m using a photo shared by a reader as an excuse to kick off an open thread.

What’s on your mind this spring, Southborough? 

It’s been ages since I’ve posted one of these. For those of you unfamiliar — 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

Reminder, you must be a registered user to post a comment.

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.

The post Open discussion thread appeared first on My Southborough.

Monday is Patriots’ Day. That means, once again, a bunch of Southborough runners (and families cheering them on) are heading to Hopkinton for the Boston Marathon.

I’m sharing information about Southborough runners who will be part of the pack. Plus, other race related details — including an event in Southborough (kind of) the night prior.

This year, Southborough has 18 participating runners.

I’ve been highlighting those running for a cause. But, today, I’m going to spotlight some of the residents who are just in it for the challenge or the love of the run.

Lauren Ames has a track record as Southborough’s fastest marathon runner. She finished first for our town the last three times she participated — in 2022, 2023, and 2025. (She also raced at least one prior time, in 2017.) This year, she qualified to run in the 2nd Corral of the 1st wave.

Yun Gao seems to be Southborough’s most steadfast runner. She ran her first marathon in 2010. This Monday will be her 14th time in 16 years.

Other runners who are making a repeat effort at the big run include the following:³

• Penelope Hauck (at least her 7th time)
• Ramprasad Shetty (at least his 5th time)
• Matthew Vogel (at least his 4th time)

Grant Gattuso is a first time participant, but the only Southborough runner who qualified for the 1st corral of in the first Wave of the race. (He’s listed as a Cambridge runner. But his proud Southborough mother reached out to inform me that is just his college address.)

Below is the full list of runners with links to dedicated posts for those who are raising funds:

• Matt Amedeo, Bib # 28519, Wave 6 – Orange/Corral 3
• Lauren Ames, Bib # 2116, Wave 1 – Red/Corral 2
• Dianna Bell, Bib # 13769, Wave 3 – Blue/Corral 4
• Grace Bellefeuille , Bib # 7986, Wave 1 – Red/Corral 8 — Raising funds for Journey Forward (fundraising page)
• Andy Brookes, Bib # 31667, Wave 6 – Orange/Corral 6
• Elizabeth Debroczy , Bib # 28791, Wave 6 – Orange/Corral 3 — Raising funds for NECC (fundraising page)
• Pedro Elexpuru Zabaleta, Bib # 32971, Wave 6 – Orange/Corral 8
• Yun Gao, Bib # 15192, Wave 3 – Blue/Corral 7
• Grant Gattuso, Bib # 442, Wave 1 – Red/Corral 1
• Madhura Gosavi , Bib # 31196, Wave 6 – Orange/Corral 6 — Raising funds for The Michael Lisnow Respite Center (fundraising page)
• Penelope Hauck, Bib # 30641, Wave 6 – Orange/Corral 5
• Nicholas Haugen , Bib # 27092, Wave 6 – Orange/Corral 1 — Raising funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (fundraising page)
• Joe Laursen, Bib # 28169, Wave 6 – Orange/Corral 2
• Amy Ludovici, Bib # 14152, Wave 3 – Blue/Corral 5
• Kathryn McCarthy, Bib # 17656, Wave 4 – Yellow/Corral 3
• Ramprasad Shetty, Bib # 23717, Wave 5 – Green/Corral 4
• Elyse Venne, Bib # 32976, Wave 6 – Orange/Corral 8
• Matthew Vogel, Bib # 6830, Wave 1 – Red/Corral 7

You can also read about New England Center for Children’s full team here.

If you’re thinking of heading to the starting line in the morning, check out Hopkinton’s travel information (and helpful links) here.

Or, if you are interested in biking the race route, you can check out the 18th annual Boston Midnight Marathon Bike Ride on Sunday night. Riders can actually begin (on the hour) starting at 6:00 pm. Midnight is final allowed start time.

The Southborough connection to this event is that cyclists are encouraged to park at the Southborough commuter rail. That means the first leg of the journey for many of the participants is the 3.2 miles from the Southborough train station to the start of the race. 

Of course, Southborough residents could just start from their own homes. (But obviously, the station on the town line is closer to the marathon route than most Southborough homes.)

You can read the details for that event here.

The post Southborough runners headed for Heartbreak Hill appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: The Annual Town Report for 2025 is out, with a dedication to a resident’s service, recognizing other residents’ service. Plus, Town Meeting recognized her and three other residents for their service. (images cropped from report, meeting video, and Facebook)

During the 2026 Annual Town Meeting, a few Southborough residents were recognized for their contributions to the community. One of those tributes also pointed voters to the Town’s Annual Report.

Outgoing Planning Board Chair

Prior to presenting zoning Articles Vice-Chair Marnie Hoolahan took a few minutes to pay tribute to Planning Board Chair Meme Luttrell (pictured right).

Luttrell is retiring after 25 years of volunteer service on Town committees, including 15 years on the Open Space Committee and nearly a decade on the Planning Board. Her term ends in mid-May, following the Annual Election.

On Saturday, Hoolahan told the hall why she felt they should applaud Luttrell for extraordinary dedication to the town:

Meme commands a strong and nuanced understanding of Southboro’s bylaws, but more importantly, she understands their purpose. She’s consistently led with a commitment to balanced decision-making that protects public health, safeguards environmental resources, and ensures long-term capability between growth and community character. Her fingerprints are on some of the most important planning work our town has undertaken. . . and guiding complex discussions toward thoughtful outcomes.

What often goes unseen is the time for all of us really. The preparation, the quiet, the late nights, the quiet perseverance that comes with volunteer service done well. For 25 years, Meme has shown up for Southboro, not for recognition, but because she believes deeply in this community and its future.

Peggy Tuttle Award

Library Director Ryan Donovan named the winner of the annual Peggy Tuttle Award for Library Service Distinction. Bert McCue was recognized for his service to the library for nearly a decade:

He came to the library as a participant of the senior tax workoff program. He went on to learn the ins and outs of library services and materials, including a begrudging acceptance of how popular graphic novels are for our juvenile patrons.

Donovan noted that McHue shared that his weekly shift was an “important part of his physical and mental health”.

(You can read more about the annual service award here.)

Moderator Recognizes Service

At the start of the meeting, Moderator Paul Cimino spotlighted two residents who he believed deserved special recognition.

He told the hall that the Girl Scout Troop who had just helped with the opening ceremony were led by Carol Saunders. He highlighted that Saunders has led local Girl Scout troops for 37 years, starting in 1989.

Troops she led included both her daughters’ and their daughters.

Cimino also asked the hall to “a little bit of love” to resident Anita Reeder.

Saturday was Reeder’s birthday. But more importantly, he wanted to recognize here efforts supporting the Quilts of Valor initiative. You can see photos of the quilts she handmade and presented to veterans at the most recent Veterans Day ceremony here.

Cimino noted that Reeders’ efforts are recognized in the Town’s Annual Report. That report included details of an additional quilt that Quilts of Valor “angel” Reeder presented after Veterans Day:

Later that weekend a quilt was also presented to US Army Captain Kerry Kendall. Captain Kendall’s quilt was of special note since it was the first Ms. Reeder made for a female veteran. It was given to her in a ceremony at the Public Safety Complex where her brother Nate serves in the Southborough Fire Department [of which her father John is retired].

The two page dedication also recognizes the service that Southborough veterans have provided the nation. As for Reeder’s work, it sums up:

Mrs. Reeder is emphatic that this act of volunteerism is not about her and all about saying thank you more often for the sacrifices each veteran has made. Her truest wish is that these quilts are a symbol of care, comfort and healing for
our celebrated veterans and not put on a shelf for display but used lovingly in every season.

The 2025 Annual Report also lists the 60 community members who died last year. (Town Meeting gave a moment of silence to remember then.) 

The report also provides an overview of Town Departments, the financial year, ending last June, and more. You can read it here.

The post Town Meeting & Annual Town Report recognized community members for their service appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: A Southborough resident (in the highlighted photo) is one of ten team members using the 2026 Boston Marathon to raise funds for NECC. (image edited from fundraising page and charity website)

[The Boston Marathon always includes a pack of runners from our town. Between now and Patriots Day, I’m featuring stories of resident runners donning bibs for a cause this year.]

The Southborough-based New England Center for Children is always successful in organizing a team of Boston Marathon runners to support autism education and research. This year, the ten member team includes Southborough resident Elizabeth Debroczy.

Debroczy is Southborough’s youngest runner this year. Her fundraising page for the marathon promotes:

I have chosen to support Team NECC because of the incredible work they do each day. My greatest role model in life is my sister, and she has worked at NECC for almost a year and a half now. Much like the incredible students at NECC, I look up to my sister every day for support and guidance. Helping and supporting the kids at NECC is Hana’s greatest joy, and all I want to do is support her, her passion, and NECC’s mission.

Last May, I had the privilege of meeting several NECC students at NECC’s 5k and running the Boston Marathon in their honor has been on my mind ever since. . .

I am so passionate about making a difference at NECC and doing everything I can to raise as much money as possible to help NECC continue to make such positive impacts in their students’ lives.

If you know me, crossing the finish line on Boylston Street has been a dream of mine for a long time. Following my December graduation from Clemson University, I am excited to dedicate the next four months to making a difference at NECC while achieving one of my lifelong goals.

My goal is to raise $10,000 to fund the critical student programs, resources, and support at this leading center for autism care and education. Every dollar directly impacts the students and their growth.

NECC’s other team members include an NECC teacher (Caroline Stevenson) and runners travelling from other states (and even Canada), to take on the famous Heartbreak Hill in support of the cause.

To support Debroczy’s fundraiser, click here. To learn more about the non-profit, click here.

[Note: If you are a Southborough resident using the Marathon to raise funds/awareness for a cause, please reach out with your information. Email mysouthborough@gmail.com.]

The post 2026 Marathon: Elizabeth Debroczy with Team NECC appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: This home at 28 Sadie Hutt Lane went on the market this week for $1,772,888 (MLS photo)

Here’s what went on and off the market this week. Thanks to Gail DuBois (email) of William Raveis Real Estate for supplying the town’s new listing information for the week.*

New on the market

• 36 Fisher Road (map) – 7 room, 3 bed, 2f 1h bath Colonial, Antique, Farmhouse – $865,000
• 3 Foxhill Drive (map) – 9 room, 4 bed, 3f 1h bath Colonial – $1,599,000
• 28 Sadie Hutt Lane (map) – 12 room, 6 bed, 5f 1h bath Colonial, Contemporary – $1,772,888

Sale pending

• 43 Flagg Road (map) – 8 room, 4 bed, 2f 1h bath Colonial – 20 days on the Market, Listed at $799,000
• 30 Ward Road (map) – 10 room, 4 bed, 2f 1h bath Colonial – 19 days on the Market, Listed at $899,900
• 4 Latisquama Road (map) – 10 room, 4 bed, 2f 2h bath Victorian – 28 days on the Market, Listed at $1,150,000
• 8 Rock Spring Lane (map) – 12 room, 5 bed, 3f 2h bath Colonial – 133 days on the Market, Listed at $2,395,000
• 14 Wolfpen Lane (map) – 16 room, 5 bed, 6f 0h bath Colonial – 16 days on the Market, Listed at $2,595,000

No newly sold listings*
*Listings for the week are based on data pulled from MLS on Thursday mornings. Occasionally, that includes “sold” info that isn’t captured by MLS until a week (or more) following the sale. [Listings don’t include houses that weren’t publicly listed through MLS.]

The post On the market this week in Southborough appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: Town Meeting voted to borrow for a 5-year plan to improve many heavily travelled roads across town. But it will still need support at the ballot to move forward. (image edited from presentation)

Only 207 voters checked in to participate in Saturday’s Town Meeting. Based on the timing of who left mid-meeting, it seemed many of them were there to weigh in on the request to borrow up to $25M to invest in improving roads and sidewalks.⁴

The funding Article is the largest single borrowing bill ever passed by Town Meeting. But while an attempted amendment was made on one detail, and multiple voters asked questions, no one spoke against borrowing the funds.

(There were votes in opposition. But enough voters supported the borrowing that the Moderator didn’t need to use the clickers to call the 2/3 approval.)

The funding will still need to pass muster with the majority of voters in the Town Election. The May 12th ballot will include a question asking to exclude all future debt payments on the borrowing from the annual cap on the Town’s tax levy. (Otherwise, it would be included in the calculation for capping taxes under proposition 2½.)

For voters who want to better understand what the borrowing would pay for, here’s my recap of the Town Meeting discussion.

On Saturday, DPW Superintendent Bill Cundiff walked voters through the Town’s proposed sidewalk projects, and the 5 year Pavement Management Plan. The Treasurer followed to explain the financial picture.

Road Management Program presentation

The majority of the presentation focused on the $22,255,000 for roads. Cundiff explained that the borrowing is intendent to allow the Town to invest in simultaneously fixing roads that are in terrible shape, while also conducting work to extend the life of other roads to keep them from deteriorating.

Historically, the town has taken the approach of worst first. We would basically focus on the failing portions of roads which is a large capital investment. So they would draw that capital improvement out of the operating budget and that would not allow us to put any kind of protection mechanisms into the other roads that aren’t in that bad condition.

He likened some of the work to the sealing residents do to extend the life of their driveways.

The work is broken into four categories. The “Routine Maintenance” deals with sealing cracks to avoid the cycle of freezing and thawing in cracks that leads to bigger cracks and potholes. The “Preventative Maintenance” is a full width overlay, similar to sealing a driveway. “Minor Rehabilitiation” is “typically milling and overlay or cold in place concrete”. That’s still just surface work.

“Major Rehabilitation” is the full depth reconstruction needed to fix the roads in the worst shape. It’s the most expensive. And, as noted later in the discussion, there can be additional costs not estimated in the budget if the DPW discovers there are bigger infrastructure issues under the road. (Failing drainage, etc.)

The intent of the Town’s plan is to include enough work under the first two categories that, eventually, the list of roads that need minor or major rehab shrinks over time.

He used tables and graphs to demonstrate how much more expensive it is to deal with failing roads. He also shared details about the number of roads that are in need of work. (See images below.)

In his presentation, Cundiff described work done by the Town’s contractor Beta, to score the road conditions. (For readers who want more details on how that was done, I’m including two slides below from the consultant’s presentation to the Select Board in 2024. You can read their full presentation and report here.)

Cundiff used the road scores to create a 5-year road plan, but it wasn’t the only factor. He prioritized highly travelled roads. And, to get started quickly, the first year only includes Major Rehab of roads that don’t have underlying drainage issues. By pushing more complicated jobs to years 2 to 5, it gives the DPW time to do the advance prep work to be ready in those project years.

During the presentation, Cundiff noted that if an agreement moves forward for Hopkinton to interconnect to the MWRA water system through Southborough, Hopkinton will be expected to pay for repairs to the roads being dug up. That would change the timeline for impacted roads, which could be moved off the current road plan.

Given unknown costs for projects, especially with rising oil prices that impact asphalt and diesel costs, the Town may not be able to tackle all of the projects on the plan. Each year, Cundiff will return to the Select Board with an updated road plan.

Currently, the planned schedule is:

You can read Cundiff’s full presentation here and my prior coverage with more details here.

Sidewalks

Only 11% of Article’s 13 funds are dedicated to sidewalk projects — $2,745,000 But all 4 of those sidewalks would be tackled in the first year.

While it wasn’t highlighted, three of the sidewalks will connect far more neighborhoods to walkable access to Finn School, it’s playground and adjacent recreational facilities.) The following new sections will connect to the existing sidewalks in front of the School.

• Parkerville Road (Middle Rd to Finn School)
• Richard’s Road (Cordaville Rd to Woodland Rd)
• Woodland Road (Richards Rd to Oregon Rd)

Cundiff specified that those sidewalks will be concrete with curbs. And he noted that a crosswalk on Richards Road will include a flashing beacon. (From prior communications, one is planned for the area where sidewalks switch from the south side of the street to north side of the street, at Moulton St & Killam Farm Rd.)

In his overview of the projects, Cundiff corrected an error in the Warrant (and presentation). A sidewalk planned for Oak Hill Road should have been described as running from the existing sidewalk to Walnut Drive. (Not to Woodland Rd, which is nowhere near there!) The project will extend the existing sidewalk using “basically asphalt” with no curb or berm.

The Financials

Town Treasurer Brian Ballentine acknowledged that his role in the meeting was to share the bad news. He focused on the Town’s debt landscape. He noted that debt is currently low. If approved, the road and sidewalk projects are forecast to add debt payments that peak in 2032. He presented (right) the impact for homeowners with varying house values.

Ballentine also shared the cost that would be added for every additional $10M of borrowing if other capital projects are approved in the future. (Like a big Neary renovation project.) The table is the cost per household for every $10M of borrowing. (So multiply it by 5 for a $50M project, etc.) 

You can view the full fiscal presentation here.

An Unsuccessful Motion

On behalf of the Open Space Preservation Commission that she chairs, Freddie Gillespie made a motion to insert the following language:

and that all work on these road and sidewalk maintenance, construction and improvement projects be done in in compliance with Mass DOT general recommendations for invasive plant management and that imported soils and material for backfill and site stabilization or any use related to these projects shall be certified weed-free and meet minimum standards provided by the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NISMA) and that any required seeding or planting shall adhere to Mass DOT landscape design and roadside maintenance guidance and shall use a seed mix recommended by Mass DOT.

She spoke to the hall about the problems and expenses caused by Japanese Knotweed. She explained how easily an infestation can spread:

You break off a little bit. It spreads. It creates new plants all the way down the road

She shared photos of giant infestations. She told voters that knotweed spreads under pavement, comes up through cracks and is strong enough to break through walls. She said the OSPC is worried about the large expense the Town could incur if they don’t take steps to avoid the project causing new infestations.

Cundiff responded that they don’t currently have a standard for the request. He said that when he asked Gillespie who would certify that soils were weed free, she didn’t have an answer. He was reluctant to support the proposed restriction without understanding what it entails. But he was willing to work with the OSPC and other committees on best practices.

Select Board Chair Andrew Dennington objected to the last minute proposal to the OSPC, after the Select Board and Cundiff spent a long time preparing to present the Article. He also raised a potential Open Meeting Law issue. He noted that while the OSPC had purportedly voted on the motion, the item wasn’t included on any of their posted agendas.

In contrast, Joyce Greenleaf supported the request. She told the hall about an infestation in her yard that forced her to spend $5,000 to hire a licensed specialist to get rid of. And she highlighted that residents are prohibited from spraying the edge of the road in front of their homes, which are in the right of way owned by the Town.

Marnie Hoolahan also supported the motion, noting that it called for abiding by Mass Dept of Transportation Rules and Regulations. Cundiff responded that local roads aren’t required to follow their rules. And he clarified that the motion is actually about following MassDOT’s “best standards” which even their agency doesn’t always follow. He also reiterated that he was willing to work with Town boards and committees.

Andrea Hamilton suggested that voting against the motion doesn’t mean that it can’t be addressed or adopted later. It could be brought to a future Town Meeting when more is known. And Advisory member Andrew Pfaff noted that the issue could be better addressed through a DPW or Select Board policy.

The Select Board voted 5-0 and Advisory Committee 6-1 to Not Support the amendment.

In a vote by hand, the motion was shot down. (That doesn’t mean the issue is dead. This could come up for discussion at a future Select Board meeting, especially as the board seeks to ensure voters support the debt exclusion on the ballot.)

Discussion of the Original Article

No one urged voting the Article down. But even among voters who spoke in general favor of the Article, there were some embedded critiques.

Answering voters’ questions, Cundiff explained that even roads that aren’t on the list will still receive the normal routine maintenance – filling potholes and dealing with drainage issues.

As for roads shown in red (in need of major rehab) that aren’t on the plan, they weren’t travelled enough to make the cut for the first five year plan. They might be added to a future round.

Mike Dillon expressed upset that the sidewalk projects linked to the roads project. As a 23 yr resident of Ted Lane, he described the danger for families walking down Woodland and Richards Rd. He worried that if the road borrowing failed, that the ability to address the “imminent” need for sidewalks would fail with it.

As a resident of Lovers Lane, Jamie Mieth supported the Article that would eventually fix her road (in 2028). She pointed out that for her street, the road is their sidewalk. She worried about a pedestrian getting killed when a car hits a pothole.

Still she wasn’t thrilled with the financial situation:

I’ve lived at Lovers Lane for almost 20 years, pay excise taxes for five cars and over $20,000 a year in property taxes. And I, you know, I will say I’m shocked we’re here having to ask for more money to do all these roads. I mean, I would ask the people in charge of the budget to make some hard choices going forward. And I did just approved the budget we had. And it would be very hard to make choices. I admit that. But we have to get these roads in shape.

Paul Carter strongly advocated for investing in the road plan. But his comment also noted that:

The sidewalk plan is old. The important thing is we’ve inventoried our sidewalks and we’ve located our accessibility handicap ramps locations and this is not specified in the plan but an important part of the overall plan to do sidewalks in town.

Next Steps

For details on voting in the Town’s Election, see my related post.

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