Above: The Southborough Food Pantry is seeking neighbors willing to help neighbors. (images cropped from website and Facebook)

Earlier this month, the Southborough Food Pantry added more community members in need to their “client” list. As of mid-May, they are serving “200 people and counting” which they described as the highest number they have had “in quite a long time”.

That detail was from a Facebook request for food donations. But more recently, organizers reached out to ask me to let readers know that they also are in great need of more helping hands.

Volunteers are needed to support organizing and distributing food to the Food Pantry’s clients. There are a number of activities volunteers could select from. You could sign up for a regular shift for one of them — or multiple roles.

The work they need the most helpers with is helping the clients during their “shopping hours” Thursday evenings and/or Friday mornings. (Setup help is needed starting 45 minutes prior for setup, and after for breakdown. The shopping hours are Thursdays from 6:00 – 7:00 pm and Fridays from 9:00 – 10:00 am.)

Other work the pantry needs help with includes dating food items, bagging groceries, and restocking. (Restocking work could be done on flexible hours Monday or Tuesday.)

Drivers are needed to deliver orders, and on Wednesdays to fetch items from the Worcester County Food Bank and pick up donated bagels from the New York Bagel store, etc.

The pantry also needs support with computer work (which can include placing express & delivery orders).

If you’re interested in helping out, please reach out to their volunteer coordinator Cathy Kea at cathykea@yahoo.com.

If you don’t have the time to help, you can also donate food to support their clients. You can find the latest needs list here.

The post The Food Pantry is seeking volunteers appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: Auditions are open for the next adult musical to be held in town this fall.

A local community theater group is promoting auditions for its next production. While the play is fun family-friendly musical, they are seeking cast members ages 18+.

Casting will take place June 10-16. Once cast, actors are expected to begin rehearsals in mid-August for the early November production.

Rehearsals for Shrek the Musical will take place in Westborough (at Skyrise Theater Studio A, 76 Otis Street.) The public performance is slated for Friday, November 6th, in Southborough (on the Trottier Middle School stage). 

The production team for the musical includes Southborough residents Christopher Kent (Director), Alexis Nodiff (Producer) and Tiffany Steinke (Producer).

The auditions will be held at Skyrise both evenings. Pre-registration is required for two timeslots (for both a musical and “movement” audition). 

If you can’t make the auditions in person, good news:

Video Submissions: While we prefer you come to the live auditions, we will also be accepting video submissons. Please email your audition to curtainuptheater@gmail.com no later than Friday, June 12th.

More details on auditions and necessary preparation, plus links for the signup sheets are here.

If you’re somehow unfamiliar with Shrek — the musical is based on the Dreamworks animated romantic comedy. Shrek is an ogre who lived a life in solitude until his swamp is suddenly overrun with fairy tale creatures.

Guided by an annoying talking Donkey, Shrek seeks out Lord Farquaad who had exiled the creatures to the swamp. Farquaad agrees to relocate the creatures if Shrek rescues Princess Fiona from a dragon guarded castle. (The lord hopes to marry her in order to one day become a king). Adventure, comedy, and romance ensue.

The post Curtain Up is holding adult auditions for Shrek the Musical in June appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: ARHS’ annual pops style concert is a fun celebration of all of the school’s musical ensembles. (images were cropped from the event flyer and NCAT’s video of last year’s concert)

Algonquin’s annual Pops Night is the school’s end of year concert and the final NSBORO performance for graduating seniors. This year’s musical celebration is a week from tonight.

The event will be held Wednesday, June 3rd at 7:00 pm in the high school’s gymnasium.

The concert features every instrumental and vocal ensemble in the school.

For the occasion, the gym is transformed into a “Boston Pops” style venue with seating for several hundreds of guests, including reserved round tables on the floor. (Those tables are already sold out, but there is plenty of room in the bleachers.)

It’s a bit more light and colorful than the school’s usual formal black and white affairs. According to a prior year’s announcement, “The musical selections are also different from a typical school concert. Pops Night features music from movie soundtracks, musical theater, and pop tunes ranging from rock to jazz.”

(For a taste of last year’s event, scroll down to the video.)

In addition to offering a good time, the event raises funds for the Northborough-Southborough Music Association*. That group is also currently recruiting parent volunteers to help setup, cleanup, ticket sales, etc. Click here to sign up.

NSMA Gold Members are each entitled to two free tickets. General admission for bleacher seating is $10 per person. (Tickets can be purchased at the door.)

To further support the fundraiser, NSMA has partnered again with Yummy Mummy. And it looks to me like there are a couple of individual treat options for those who don’t have a table. Those who already paid to reserve a table are encouraged to buy an entire platter of goodies for their group. The deadline for placing those orders is this Monday, June 1st — click here. But there will also be a refreshment table to buy from that night.

Thanks to Northborough Cable you can enjoy a look back at Pops Night 2025:

 
*NSMA is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the talented music students, faculty, and programs, at Algonquin and the Middle Schools of Northborough and Southborough. Proceeds from POPS NIGHT go to these communities through grants, music enrichment awards, and senior scholarships

The post Pops Night concert at Algonquin – June 3 appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: Rotary is bringing food trucks back to Southborough soon. (images bottom row L-R edited from Rotary Facebook post and photo by Beth Melo, scroll down for credits on food vendor offerings in top row*)

Reminder — Tonight is the second night of the Rotary Club of Southborough’s popular Food Trucks series. The “Festival” runs for four Wednesdays each spring.

On the afternoons – evenings, of Wednesdays through June 10th, attendees can head downtown to purchase dinner, dessert, ice cream and more from visiting food trucks. The trucks are scheduled for 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm.

The vendors will be parked on the downtown Southborough field. That’s St. Mark’s School’s field at the corner of Routes 85 & 30. (For more details on the vendors, scroll down.)

Rotary’s main purpose for organizing the annual festival is as a feel good, community event — with no admission fee. But, as usual, they will also use it as a platform for a charitable initiative.

The Fundraiser

They are partnering again with Main Street Bank to incentivize donations to a good cause. Main Street Bank will generously provide a $10 voucher for each $20 donation made to the fundraiser. Vouchers can be used to make a purchase at any of the food trucks. 

This year’s partnership is for a town cause that Rotary helped to support four years ago.

The Cash4Campers fundraiser will donate to the Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission, the non-profit focused on helping Southborough Youth and Family Services. The funds will be used for camp scholarships awarded by SYFS to Southborough families in need.

SYFS’ goal is to raise $50K this year based on the increases in both demand for camperships and camp costs. Rotary Club 2026 Co-President Joyce Fukami explains why Rotary is supporting the cause:

With town budget cuts to Southborough Youth & Family Services and the rising cost of food and fuel, more families are struggling.  Without community support at the Rotary Food Truck event, this may be the last year the Southborough Youth and Family Services can offer affordable day camp for families in the summer when after school programs are unavailable.

At the festival, stop at Rotary’s table to purchase a voucher (or just make a donation). You can also swing by the Friend’s of SYC’s table for more information about the Cash4Camperships program.

If you want to support the effort (and don’t care about getting a food voucher), you can also make a tax deductible donation to the initiative at any time here.

Enjoying the Festival

There will be a few tables put out for the public to use. But most families take advantage of the grassy field, using picnic blankets and/or chairs.

Below are photos I took in past years:

There are no rain dates posted for the event. I’ve been told in the past years that events are rain or shine, but I’m guessing that’s within reason. (If weather for one of these events is forecast for torrential rain/thunder for the entire three hours, I’d look for news on cancellation/postponement.)

The Food Vendor Lineup

As promised, here is the planned food vendor lineup for tonight and the remaining nights. (Note: Sometimes there are last minute cancellations or adjustments):

*(Food images cropped from Facebook posts by food truck vendors:: L-R Off the Hook, Teddy’s Lunch Box, Easy Street Tacos, Travelin’ Bones, and Trombetta’s Ice Cream)

The post Reminder: Food Truck Festival tonight (and next two Wednesdays) appeared first on My Southborough.

The regular spring season is done, but several, ARHS varsity teams are competing in tournaments or championships this week.

With only one season loss, Boys Rugby earned top seed for their Division 2 state tournament. They’ll host 8th seed Chelmsford in the Round of 8 playoffs this Thursday, May 28th at 6:00 pm.

Photographer Jeff Slovin posted photo highlights to Instagram from their 36-26 win over Brookline on Senior Night last week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Jeff Slovin Photography (@jeffslovinphoto)

As I posted last week, Girls Rugby’s 0-6 record didn’t qualify them to compete.

Boys & Girls Tennis teams will both enter playoffs at the Round of 32 this week. And they’ll both be hoping to break the multi-year curse of falling out in that round. Neither have made it further since MIAA eliminated the regional tourneys that used to feed into the state championships.

Boys Tennis appears to have the best chance at breaking the streak. The team is #10 in the D2 playoffs. They’ll host #23 Quincy in the Round of 32 on Thursday at 4:00 pm.

The Girls team will be the first to compete. The 21st seed Titans will head to Westborough tomorrow to play in the Division 1 bracket against the 12th seed Rangers. That’s Wednesday, May 27th at 4:00 pm.

In Girls Lacrosse, The 22nd seed Girls team will play in the D1 Round of 32 this Thursday, May 28th. They’ll travel to challenge 11th seed Billerica Memorial at 6:30 pm.

Other, ARHS Teams that aren’t making the cut for this year’s playoffs are Boys Lacrosse, Baseball, and Boys Volleyball. And neither the Girls Golf or any Westborough/Algonquin students was listed as a player in the North/Central/West Divisional Championships that took place this morning.

After 2 years of being shut out, ARHS Softball will be in this year’s playoffs. So stay tuned for that bracket to be posted. (You can check here tomorrow.)

The Outdoor Track & Field teams competed in the Division A Mid-Wach League Meet on Saturday. As a team, the Girls placed third and the Boys 5th. Trent Bedard won the 800 Meters for the Boys. For the Girls, Tanvi Mehta won the 400 meter Hurdles, and Niamh O’Sullivan the High Jump. (For full results, including other high achievers, click here.)

O’Sullivan will compete in the Division 2 Pentathlon this week for the Gonk Girls. The Boys will be represented by Charles Brandon. That will take place alongside the D2 Track & Field Championships, which members from both teams will compete in. The competitions open at 3:00 pm on Friday, May 29th at Merrimack College.

The post ARHS sports Post-Season Update appeared first on My Southborough.

The Town posted news about roadway lines scheduled to be painted between 9:00 pm tonight and 5:00 am tomorrow morning.

The notice warns drivers:

the Town’s pavement marking contractor will be performing roadway line painting operations on several streets throughout Southborough as part of the FY26 Pavement Markings Program. Motorists are asked to use caution, reduce speeds, and avoid driving over freshly painted lines whenever possible. Temporary lane impacts and slow-moving paint trucks may be encountered during overnight operations.

Roadways scheduled for pavement marking include:

Framingham Road
Southville Road
Boston Road
Marlborough Road
Cordaville Road
Richards Road
Flagg Road
White Bagley Road

Please follow all traffic control signs and pavement marking crew instructions.

If you want a better look at the map, you can open a zoomable version here.

The post Roadway lines being painted across town tonight appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: Memorial tributes included honoring veterans who died within the past year and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Civil War. (photos by Beth Melo)

On Memorial Day, Southborough residents honored the town’s veterans, especially those lost in battle. The event concluded with a surprise for the VFW Commander who led the ceremonies. Steve Whynot was honored for his service to the country and long commitment Southborough’s veterans.

Traditionally, the Memorial Day event consists of a parade to two cemeteries and two memorials, with honors paid at each spot. Due to the weather forecast, the event was reorganized to take place indoors. (Whynot, who has been involved for years, noted that this was the first time in his memory.)

Whynot led the ceremony, assisted by American Legion Post Commander Dan Kolenda. It included most of the traditional elements. As always, special recognition was given to the 13 residents who were Killed in Action.

Speeches focused on the importance of Memorial Day and honoring service members, an invocation (by St. Mathew’s Church’s Father Flynn), the naming of veterans laid to rest in Southborough over the past year, and remarks honoring all who served and recognizing those who long ago gave their lives in battle. A Trottier Middle School 6th grader (Story Holtshlag) read the Gettysburg Address. Veteran John Minucci, one of seven brothers who all served in past wars, recited the poem Flanders Field. And Andrew Dennington spoke on behalf of the Select Board.

Standing throughout the ceremony were a contingent of veterans in uniform, town scouts, and the Southborough Fire Department’s Color Guard.

Given the indoor venue, there were some program tweaks this year.

The Trottier Band didn’t participate. (Frankly, I don’t think the members and their famlies could have fit in the Senior Center’s hall which was full without them.) And activities that are repeated at each stopping place only took place once (e.g., the color guard flag ceremony and playing of Taps). Plus, unsurprisingly, there were no gun salutes in the hall.

But the trio of Algonquin singers who perform patriotic songs towards the end of the ceremonies were also able to entertain prior to the start, and led the National Anthem early on.

In his prepared remarks, Whynot again reminded community members that Memorial Day isn’t meant to be about sales and celebrating the kickoff of summer. He urged recognizing that the BBQs and other fun that residents would be able to enjoy later in the day is thanks to the service and sacrifice of veterans and service members.

When Whynot tried to close the event, Kolenda surprised him by informing him there was one more thing.

Minucci returned to the stage and happily turned the tables on the man who has so often paid tribute to veterans and community members for their support. The Commander became visibly emotional as Minucci explained that he was presenting a certificate from Southborough’s American Legion Post 161 to Whynot in honor of his “Distinguished Service”.

Minucci read from the certificate:

In profound gratitude and sincere appreciation for your unwavering dedication, patriotic spirit, and outstanding leadership in service to our veterans, our community, and nation. A proud veteran of 4 years active duty in the United States Navy, 13 years in the United States Coast Guard Reserves and 7 years in the United States Navy Reserves. You retired as an E-6 Petty Officer First Class. You have continued your lifelong commitment to country through your tireless efforts in persevering and honoring the memory of those who sacrificed for the freedom we cherish.

Through your leadership and devotion all these many years, you have faithfully organized and inspired our town’s annual Memorial Day observances and Veteran’s Day commemorations. Your thoughtful planning of memorial dedications has inspired the legacy of our servicemen and women who are remembered with dignity and honor.

With deepest respect and honor, we Veteran brothers proudly present this citation in recognition of your extraordinary service to veterans, community, and country.

Presented this Memorial Day Monday May 25, 2026

In an off-the-cuff thank you speech, Whynot remembered when he happened across veterans gathering to march in the Town parade many years ago. He rushed home to change into his uniform, then stood with onlookers on the streetside. As the parade passed, a veteran convinced him to march with them. (And it sounds like he’s been with them, pretty much, ever since.)

Updated (5/26/26 1:25 pm): I added more detail about the Certificate of Appreciation and the name of the student who read the Gettysburg address.

The post Photo Gallery: Memorial Day 2026 <i>(Updated)</i> appeared first on My Southborough.

I’ve ben told that a skittish rescue dog ran off a few days ago and into the woods in the area of Graystone Way/Pine Hill Rd., near Callahan State Park.

She is still missing as of this morning.

Scarlett is a black, 9 year old, 80 lb dog. If you spot her, please call 617-515-4776.

The post Missing Dog: Have you seen Scarlett? appeared first on My Southborough.

Here are the posted open, public Southborough committee and board meetings for this week* along with my selected highlights from the agendas.

It’s looking like a very quiet week. But, as always, be aware that changes to the meeting schedule (and agendas) are known to happen throughout the week. (Scroll down for details on any meetings that popped up after last Monday’s post.) For an updated list of meetings, visit the Town website.

These days, most (but not all) meetings, can be participated in, watched live, and replayed from home.)**

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

• Board of Assessors Meeting, 4:15 pm @ DPW Meeting Room (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Elect officers; sign excise tax abatements; Sign contract for AP-5 and Axis GIS integration (CAI Technologies); Update on newly taxable property and cyclical inspections

Friday, May 29, 2026

• Select Board Meeting, 8:30 am @ zoom only (agenda with packet) Agenda Highlights: Appointment of Joseph Lindberg as Probationary Officer for Southborough Police Department

Looking Back:

Below are meetings from last week that were posted after I ran last week’s list:

Thursday, May 21, 2026

• Planning Board Meeting, 2:00 pm (agenda and packet, video) Agenda Highlights: Letter of Support for One Stop Grant Application – Letter of Support for 495/Route 9 Gateway Initiative by Westborough & Southborough

Friday, May 22, 2026

• Affordable Housing Trust Meeting, 9:00 am (agenda, video not posted yet) Agenda Highlights: Discuss potential financing, housing strategies, and parcels for acquisition

*I don’t list meetings that are only closed Executive Sessions unless the agenda indicates the possibility of some action in an open public session at the opening or closing of the meeting.

**Details on watching meetings remotely:

• Town Committee/Board Meetings:
  • If in-person meetings don’t also advertise a zoom option, assume that it won’t be broadcast or captured on video.
  • To remotely participate in meetings that allow zoom, click here.
  • To live stream (or view later) remote or hybrid meetings (even those covered by Southborough Access Media) over the internet, use the Town’s YouTube Channel for Remote Meetings. (The meetings covered by SAM can also be streamed on their website here, and eventually on SAM’s YouTube Channel.)
  • Cable Access — Southborough Access Media broadcasts the regular evening meetings for the Select Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals that take place in the Town House Hearing Room. (Those meetings will still allow zoom participation.) View SAM’s live and replayed broadcasts via their Government cable access channel (Verizon-37 and Charter-194).
• School Committee Meetings:
  • Subcommittee meetings and some special meetings are only available to attend/view live (in person or by “webinar”) with no later rebroadcast.
  • Regular Southborough School Committee meetings are generally broadcast live by Southborough Access Media here and on Verizon-37 and Charter-192. (Video replays are also usually made available through their YouTube channel within a couple of days.)
  • Regular Regional School Committee meetings (or Combined meetings based at Algonquin) are live broadcast by Northborough Cable Access here and YouTube channel, and on Southborough’s Education Channel (Verizon-29 and Charter-194). The meetings are also eventually rebroadcast and available on demand through NCAT’s VideoOnDemand player and YouTube (though that can take several days).
• Other:
  • Southborough does participate in some regional collaboratives hosted in other towns. Those committees follow their own rules and may not offer a way to re-watch zoom meetings.

The post The week in government appeared first on My Southborough.

Elizabeth “Betty” C. (Murray) Bigelow, the beloved youngest daughter of Edward and Ruth Murray of Framingham, passed away peacefully at home on May 23, 2026. A proud 1954 graduate of Framingham High School, Betty lived a life made full with family, friendship and community.

Betty married the love of her life, Harvey D. Bigelow Sr., on January 4, 1958. Betty and Harvey were active members of the Southborough community. One local organization that held a special place in their hearts was the Southborough Snowmobile Club. Betty and Harvey took great pride in helping organize the annual MetroWest “Day in the Snow,” a special day for developmentally disabled adults that brought people together for snowmobile rides, sledding, and bonfires. This event always ended with a shared meal at Betty and Harvey’s home, cementing Bigelow Road as a gathering place for friends and neighbors.

Betty’s proudest accomplishment was the large and loving family she and Harvey raised. She leaves behind four children: Donna Sergi (Rob), Harvey D. Bigelow Jr. (Paula), Susan Bigelow, and Beth Courtwright (Steve). Betty rarely missed her children’s activities, cheering them on through sports, scouting, and horseback riding lessons. She spent countless years as the beloved “cookie mom” for her daughters’ Girl Scout troops.

Betty and Harvey traveled the world together. Their favorite destinations included Hawaii, Aruba, Florida, and the Balsams in New Hampshire, and together they made many memorable trips across the country in their motor home. Walt Disney World held a special place in their hearts, and they were thrilled to share their love for “the mouse” – forever carved into the wood of their kitchen floor – with their grandchildren.

One of Betty’s fondest childhood memories was going to work with her grandfather when he worked for the Boston Braves, a story she loved to recall to her children and grandchildren. She later worked for many years at Framingham Trust Company before leaving to raise her family. In later years, Betty returned to work as a bookkeeper at PIE Trucking Company in Southborough and later at Burger King in Westborough, where she enjoyed connecting with customers.

In addition to her four beloved children and their spouses, Betty leaves behind thirteen treasured grandchildren, of whom she was endlessly proud: Daniel Bigelow, Brian Bigelow, Michelle Gaudreau (Tyler), Erica Bigelow, Jillian Wilson (Zach), Kayla Sergi, Kelley White (Brendan), KJ Walsh (Anna), Tommy Walsh (Julia), Sean Walsh, Allie Birnbaum (Cuba), Drew Courtwright, and Ryan Courtwright (Madolin). Betty’s grandchildren knew that their Nana was always their biggest fan.

Betty was also blessed to know her ten beloved great-grandchildren: Brayden, Landen, Austin, Reagan, and Cameron White; Sofia Walsh; Charlotte and Emma Walsh; Charlie Bigelow; and Henry Gaudreau.

Betty also leaves behind her best friend and sister, June Johnson. Betty and June shared almost nine decades of laughter – much of which was brought on by their sisterly teasing, which continued until the very end – and unwavering love. Their relationship continues to serve as treasured evidence that family and love are all that really matters.

Beyond her family, Betty’s favorite things included chocolate, Judge Judy and the New England Patriots. On game days, everyone knew that her phone was effectively out-of-order until the final whistle blew.

Betty was preceded in death by her beloved husband Harvey D. Bigelow Sr. in 2012, and her granddaughter-in-law Amy Kawazoe and great-grandson Louis Bigelow in 2023.

At Betty’s request, there are no calling hours. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, May 29 at 11:00am at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, 105 Southville Rd., Southborough, MA 01772. A private burial will follow.

In lieu of flowers, Betty asked that donations be made to the Oregon Health Sciences University Foundation, Box 29017, Portland, OR 97296, or to Southborough Youth & Family Services, 21 [Highland] Street, Southborough, MA 01772.

Betty’s family extends their gratitude toward all those who were involved in her care, particularly over the last several months, and all of the friends and community members (especially those she connected with through the Southborough Senior Center) who made her life so full.

(Photo and Obituary via Morris-Johnston Funeral Home)

The post Obituary: Elizabeth C. “Betty” (Murray) Bigelow, 89 appeared first on My Southborough.