Volume 13 | October 2019
Notes on Connection From Around Westborough
Welcome to the October 2019 Westborough Connects newsletter. The goal of this periodic communication is to shine a spotlight on the positive things going on in our community, including upcoming/recent events from Westborough Connects and other Westborough community organizations, interesting interviews with local people, examples of "connection" across our community, and noteworthy resources in Westborough and beyond. We welcome your input and would love to highlight the things that matter to you, so please send ideas/comments to WestboroughConnects@gmail.com.
Exciting Newsletter Update! We just surpassed 1,000 subscribers to this newsletter. If you've received this newsletter as a forward and wish to subscribe on your own, click HERE to be added to the list. It's free! To view previous editions of this newsletter, visit our website - www.westboroughconnects.org/newsletter
Smoke and Mirrors Event Re-cap: Over 180 people attended last week's Smoke and Mirrors panel presentation and community discussion on vaping and e-cigarettes, which was grant-funded by Rotary Club of Westborough. We are grateful to our panelists, Jason Verhoosky and Dr. Safdar Medina for leading such an informative and timely program. You can view their slide presentations HERE .

We also wish to thank District Attorney Joe Early and State Representatives, Hannah Kane, Carolyn Dykema and Danielle Gregoire, for their support and attendance. Each of them are hard at work protecting youth from the dangers associated with vaping.

Thank you, also, to the adult and youth community members who came out during a busy fall season to take part in this important event.

If you missed the program, Westborough TV was there and filmed the entire event. You may watch that HERE . The Square One team also compiled several articles and resources on vaping HERE .

We are already planning our next two Square One events (topics include having difficult conversations and handling stress). We are also exploring the establishment of a formal substance use awareness and prevention task force in Westborough, similar to what many surrounding towns are doing. If you are interested in being part of planning these events or exploring a task force, please reach out to westboroughconnects@gmail.com or Cara Presley at cpresley@town.westborough.ma.us. We welcome (and need!) community members to be part of these efforts.

Thank you,
The Square One Team
Rotary Club of Westborough, Westborough Youth & Family Services, Westborough Public Schools and Westborough Connects
Upcoming Events from Westborough Connects
NEXT WEEK - over 70 people already registered!
Parents and caregivers of elementary and middle school students are invited to our second in a series of free workshop events focusing on important topics for parents and caregivers. Workshop themes include: social-emotional learning, approaches to dyslexia, stress management, youth behavior risk, mindfulness for parents/caregivers, nutrition in children, having difficult conversations and handling conflict . For a detailed description of workshop topics, click HERE .
Registration now open! We are really excited for this event, focused on social, recreational and educational opportunities for adults in Westborough. We've taken this initial step in creating an event to explore what does and can make Westborough a great place to live our lives. We hope you will join us!

Who should come to this event?
  • Adults.
  • Those who want to learn more about social, recreational and educational opportunities in Westborough.
  • Those who want to share ideas about how to build and enhance connection within our community.

Why? Whether you've just moved here, recently become an "empty nester," or been here all your life, so many of us crave connection to the community and each other. This event provides a forum to showcase what is here and a platform to explore what else we might want as we continue to grow and live here.

  • Our Local Speakers will inspire us to continue to live our best lives - beyond our 20s, 30s and 40s - RIGHT HERE IN WESTBOROUGH! Click HERE for speaker bios.
  • So many local organizations make this an incredible place to live and several of them will be on-hand for our Resource Fair - come learn about and talk with them.
  • An Ideas Cafe will offer a casual atmosphere for attendees to share thoughts on future programs and ideas for building community connection.
  • Food is always a crowd-pleaser - Light Refreshments will be served.

This event is free and open to all!
Opportunities for Involvement
in Westborough Connects
We've heard from many people that they aren't sure how to get involved in Westborough Connects. Here are some easy ways:

Volunteer at Upcoming Events
There are several ways to volunteer for Westborough Connects events - from hanging flyers, to greeting people as they arrive for a program, to compiling feedback. It's an easy, low-commitment way of learning a little more about Westborough Connects and helping out in the process.
  • Click HERE to see volunteer opportunities for the night of the October 17th Hot Topics event.
  • We are also in need of support and volunteers for the November 3rd Aging Enjoyably in a Connected Westborough. Please email Heena Suratwala (heena.ankurs@gmail.com) or Kelley Petralia (kelley_click@hotmail.com) to learn about volunteer opportunities, including promotion of the event and onsite support.

Join a Committee (or just attend a meeting!)
Committees are a great way to get involved with Westborough Connects. We currently have three committees: Programming , Community Engagement , and Diversity & Inclusion . Our committees meet periodically and ALWAYS welcome new people. Click HERE for a (recently updated) description of our current committees and click HERE to sign up for one of them.

Upcoming Committee Meetings:
  • The next Diversity and Inclusion Committee meeting will be held on October 29, 2019 from 6:30-8 pm at Mill Pond School. We invite you to join us and share your valuable input as we move on with our strategic planning. Christine Guthery, Founder and Executive Director of SPARK Kindness will be facilitating this meeting. Click HERE to sign up for the meeting.
  • The Programming Committee will hold a meeting on November 14th from 7-8:30 pm at the Westborough Library top floor meeting room to begin planning for Kindness Week 2020 (March 29th-April 3rd). Click HERE to RSVP.

Still unsure how to get involved?
Email our Board President, Maureen Amborsino (maureenconnects@gmail.com) or one of our Board Co-Vice Presidents, Kelley Petralia (kelley_click@hotmail.com) or Heena Suratwala (heena.ankurs@gmail.com) with questions. We love face-to-face connection and welcome opportunities to meet new people in the community.
Upcoming Community Events
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.
FREE Community Trail Walk

Mid-October Monday Morning Bird Walk, October 14th, 7-9 am

Look for uncommon sparrows and warblers in the fields north of Lake Chauncy. Everyone is welcome and new birders are encouraged to participate. Binoculars strongly recommended. Presented in partnership with the Forbush Bird Club (Worcester County’s bird club since 1931) by expert birder Nick Paulson. Take Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Way [formerly Hospital Road] off Lyman Street in Westborough. Park and meet just before the yellow gate at the end of the road near the water. No registration needed. Trail map HERE .
Westborough Secrets Exposed
October 28th, 7 pm
Westborough Fire Station
Sponsored by the Westborough Historical Society

Historian and former Fire Captain Phil Kittredge will present vintage photographs of Westborough spanning 1850 to 1950. A highlight will be the first-time showing of the original crime scene photos of the infamous 1919 “Baby Doll murders” on South Street. The event is free to attend and all are welcome.
Photo: Lake Chauncy was a popular amusement park in the early 1900s.
Our Community Cares
CONNECTion Spotlight
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Check out these recent and upcoming examples of (and opportunities for) connection in our town.

  • The Westborough Veterans Advisory Board produced this short video highlighting their recent packing event to send care packages to a unit of the 25th Marine Regiment from Fort Devens currently stationed in the Middle East.
  • The Boroughs Loop Trail officially opened last week. There are several guided walks on the trail planned for this fall. For more details, click HERE.
  • As we mentioned last month, the Generation Bridges program at Westborough Senior Center has begun its fall meetings and drawn great interest from the student and older adult participants. They are looking for a few more older adults to join them for this awesome program that brings together generations for conversation. This ongoing program is free and open to all interested community members. If you are interested in learning more, please call the Senior Center at 508-366-3000.
Noteworthy Articles & Resources
  • We shared this article last year at this time and it is worth sharing it again. "The Soul of Halloween Is More Important than You Ever Imagined" offers a great perspective on the history of Halloween and its role as a community bonding event.
  • We included this in last month's newsletter, but it's worth repeating - Westborough residents now have access to INTERFACE, a mental health resource and referral helpline to help children, adults and families become connected with mental health and wellness resources. Call 1-888-244-6843 Monday-Friday between 9 am and 5 pm to consult with a mental health professional about resources and/or receive personalized, matched referrals. For more information about INTERFACE, click HERE. We are thrilled to have this critical resource available to the Westborough community!
  • The Westborough Public Library is launching FOUR QUICK THINGS, a periodic digital communication. In their words, it will cover "four quick library-related things you'll want to know about at a given time! From program announcements, new breakout book alerts, fun facts about the library, and other interesting tidbits, these e-mails will be informative and take only a couple of minutes to read! If you signed up at the Open House, you were added to the list automatically." If not, sign up HERE.
  • We are excited to share this month's Westborough Public Library WORLD Language book title. HAPPY READING to our community members! Agustus and His Smile By Catherine Rayner, Available as: آوگسٹس اور اس كي مسكراهٹ (Urdu), অগাসটাস ও তার হাসি (Bengali), Augustus et son Sourire (French). From the publisher: "After searching mountains, forests, oceans, and deserts to find his smile, Augustus the tiger finds it when he looks in a puddle, and realizes that "happiness is everywhere around him."’
"A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference." 
- Winnie the Pooh's friend, Eeyore
About Westborough Connects