If you have received this email as a forward and wish to subscribe to the Westborough Connects mailing list, please click HERE. For previous newsletters, click HERE.
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Hello Neighbors and Friends -
Happy (belated) Fourth of July! I hope this summer affords each of you some moments of sunshine and smiles, and time to recharge with activities and people you love.
We had a BLAST at the Westborough Block Party a few weeks ago. Thank you to many of you who stopped by to chat and paint a Kindness Rock. Those opportunities to get out and be together as a community for fun are PRICELESS.
Read on to learn about our exciting September event Westborough for Life! Stay. Connect. Thrive. as well as many other fun things happening over the rest of the summer.
I want to wish a Happy Eid to those of you who celebrated Eid al-Adha this past week!
Yours in community,
Kelley Petralia
Executive Director, Westborough Connects
kelleyconnects1@gmail.com
P.S. We have welcomed a number of new subscribers over the past few months. If you are one of them and wish to catch up on any previous newsletters, you can view them HERE. They do include events that have past, but some things remain relevant - e.g. opportunities to get involved in the community, articles that we find worthy of sharing, Westborough Connects announcement/initiatives, and examples of connection, kindness and resilience. For most of the year, we publish monthly. This edition will take us through the end of August, when we will publish our September edition.
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Our social fundraiser raised $3,252.53, which will help fund our work as a community connector with a mission to help build a thriving, kind, and connected community where everybody belongs.
Looking back over the past 5 years, the Westborough Connects team has been full of pride and excitement to reach this milestone anniversary. We had so much fun reflecting, celebrating and connecting on a beautiful late spring evening with many friends, family and neighbors.
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We wish to thank Tavolino Westborough and General Manager Abby Winant for generously hosting this special occasion for us!
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Thank you to our small but mighty Fundraising Committee for their work and efforts to make this a special celebration. The evening was also made possible thanks to contributions from the following businesses and individuals: |
Kristy Showstead
Kathy Ferrecchia
The Storm Family
The Hanson-Marshall Family
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1-4pm
Westborough High School
90 W. Main Street
Through a community clubs and organizations expo, a variety of mini courses, and "funtivities," Westborough for Life! will celebrate all the ways to connect and live well in Westborough. Our goal is to showcase Westborough organizations and clubs, civic opportunities and recreational choices while also providing a variety of adult learning opportunities. We aim to connect community members to each other, to the vast possibilities in town, and to resources in the community. Westborough For Life! is sponsored, in part, by Westborough Civic Club and Westborough Women's Club.
DID WE MISS YOU? Do you know of an organization or business that offers opportunities for Westborough residents to connect - through community service opportunities, organizational membership, or via services that promote health, recreation, lifelong learning, belonging or resources among community members here? If so and you are unsure if we invited them to participate, please email westboroughconnects@gmail.com.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS EVENT TO FOLLOW.
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Community Programs and Events |
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PLEASE NOTE: A goal of this newsletter is to highlight free, community-focused events that are open to all and bring us together. We do our best to keep up with all the great things going on around town, but we need your help! Please reach out and let us know about any events that would be important to include! Email us at westboroughconnects@gmail.com. Thank you.
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Hosted by Westborough Public Library
55 West Main Street
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Put your knowledge of music to the test with this fun program geared for ALL ages. Put together your musical team of experts, bring a blanket or some lawn chairs, and get ready for a great time. There will be a special intermission dessert for all who are registered. Registration is required; please let us know how many members will be part of your team so that we can prepare accordingly.
Registration is required for this all-ages event. Register HERE.
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The Westborough Farmer's Market is BACK
Happening every Thursday through mid-October
from 2-6pm. For more information, you can visit them on Facebook HERE.
Westborough Connects will be there a few times over the season - stop by our table when you see us. We'd love to catch up and invite you to paint a Kindness Rock for a community garden we are planning!
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NEW LOCATION:
Congregation B'nai Shalom
117 East Main Street
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Concert on the Common with Jumpin' Juba
Thursday, July 14th
7-8:15 PM
Westborough Bay State Green
Jumpin' Juba plays blues-based roots-rock and classic rock for your listening and dancing pleasure. The group features Steve Hurl on electric finger-style and slide guitar plus vocals, Jim Gildea on bass and Paul Giovine on drums. More at www.stevehurl.com
This program is supported by a grant from the Westborough Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, and by the Friends of the Westborough Public Library. It is free and all are welcome. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, and stick around afterward for the first Screen on the Green movie of the summer, Mama Mia (see below).
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Screen on the Green is back with a great line-up of movies!
For 4 Thursdays this summer, starting July 14th at 8:30 pm, come and enjoy a movie on the green at Bay State Commons (the last movie will play on the Westborough Golf Course!).
Screen on the Green is brought to you by Westborough Public Library, Westborough Fire Department and the Westborough Recreation Department. It is *sponsored by the Westborough Cultural Council, an agency supported by Mass Cultural Council and the Westborough Friends of the Library.
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All movies start at 8:30 pm at Bay State Commons unless otherwise noted.
The movie line-up is as follows:
July 14 – Mama Mia (concert at 7:00 by Jumpin Juba*, a blues-based and classic rock band)
July 21 – Encanto
July 28 – A League of Their Own
August 4 – High School Musical 2 (playing at Westborough Golf Course)
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WCLT 25-mile Trail Challenge
ongoing, 2022
Join the WCLT 25- Mile Trail Challenge!
Help the Westborough Community Land Trust celebrate its 25th anniversary by hiking 25 of the 60+ miles of Westborough trails during 2022.
Keep track of your mileage and when you reach 25 miles, email your contact info to 25miles@westboroughlandtrust.org so we can add you to our list of 25-milers and send you a cool commemorative patch.
For more information, visit HERE.
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Upcoming SPARK Kindness Program - YOU are invited! |
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August 18th, 7-8pm
Online Event
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After more than two years of living with COVID, this back to school season poses unique challenges for children, teens and families. In this presentation, school counselor and author Phyllis Fagell will describe specific strategies parents and caregivers can employ during the back to school transition to help children manage stress, promote connection and develop enduring resilience. |
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Opportunities for Connection, Civic Engagement, and Helping Others & the Environment |
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Town of Westborough Master Plan Implementation Committee Members Needed
The Westborough Master Plan Implementation Committee is charged with keeping the town enthusiastic and engaged in its 2021 Master Plan. It is anticipated that the Committee will meet twice per month for the first quarter and then evaluate its meeting schedule going forward.
If you are a resident of Westborough and want to be involved, please send a letter of interest to the office of the Planning Board by August 17, 2022. Click HERE for more details. (For links to the full Master Plan and all supporting documents, click HERE).
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If you drove through the Westborough rotary over the past few weeks, you would have noticed the beautiful display of American flags in honor of July 4th. This is a 2-step community effort each year - to set-up the display and then to take it down. It involves a lot of groups and people and is a beautiful example of community service and connection. To make this all happen, Westborough Veterans Advisory Board partnered with Veteran Service Officer (VSO) John Gallinagh, board members Paul Freeman, Andy Toorock, Ken Gagnon, Westborough Girl Scouts & Brownies, Westborough Cub Scouts, Boy Scout Troops 100 and 382, The Knights of Columbus, Rotary Club of Westborough, Westborough Police Department Members, WHS National Honor Society Members, Town Clerk Wendy Mickel, Select Board member Shelby Marshall, and several other community members and Veterans.
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The Westborough Economic Development Committee is developing an online business directory - Shop Westborough - a tool that will help Westborough’s residents and visitors who want to shop local. If you are a business owner, you can complete the intake form HERE. If you frequent a local Westborough business and are unsure if they are aware of this initiative, please share the news!
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Noteworthy Reads and Resources |
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The podcast Hidden Brain from NPR, described as "a conversation about life's unseen patterns, explores so many interesting topics related to the human brain. A recent one worth sharing, Mind Reading 2.0: The Double Standard, offers a discussion about self-judgement vs. how we judge others when it comes to bias.
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"...when we strengthen our connection with one another, we are healthier, more resilient, more productive, more vibrantly creative, and more fullfilled."
-Vivek H. Murthy, MD, U.S. Surgeon General
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About Westborough Connects
Westborough Connects, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN # 84-1751472), is a community connector with a mission to help build a thriving, kind, and connected community where everybody belongs. By listening and responding to the needs of the community, we connect people to resources and to each other. We foster meaningful relationships through events, collaborative partnerships and communications.
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2022 Westborough Connects Grant Sponsor |
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westboroughconnects@gmail.com l www.westboroughconnects.org |
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