And though the ceremonies and traditional ways that we have gathered to honor and remember the sacrifices of our service members have necessarily changed this year, our commitment to doing so has not.

I have had the honor of participating in both the Shrewsbury and Westborough Memorial Day observances in past years. In Shrewsbury I welcomed the parade participants each year at the Soldier's Statue and in Westborough I have had the honor of speaking at the Forbes Building.

My heart always fills seeing our streets lined with residents of all ages gathered to solemnly and purposefully stand united in respect to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. I see a community that comes together to pay tribute and to honor those who walked among us before their noble sacrifice ended their earthly being. I see a community united to remember so that no one ever forgets.

I think of the young Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts marching in the parade, knowing that they may not fully understanding the enormity of all the sacrifice, yet each of them appreciating their role and marching tall, observing the rituals of honor intently to learn more.

I see the faces of all those standing along the route in honor of a family member or friend, whose loss still aches despite many years gone by, and I see the outpouring of gratitude from those who have never felt the personal loss of a fallen family member, but who understand the greater loss our society grieves when our men and women in the armed forces pay the ultimate price for our freedom.

And I see the veterans and active-duty military members who stand knowingly, who have seen the intimate, terrible loss of brothers or sisters in arms next to them in battle as they fought in noble service to keep our nation safe and free.

The limitations placed on us this year that prevent us from gathering have also made me more aware of how the brave men and women in our military are impacted by their physical distance from friends and family, and how they have had to rely on the power of their own memories in times of great strife and in some cases their last moments, to feel connected and cared for.

And I think of our many veterans who have passed during this pandemic who were also unable to be physically connected to their family members, and I say a prayer that they too know that their loss weighs on our community and Commonwealth and that we grieve for them.

While this year we will not be able to stand together in Mountain View cemetery or at Forbes building, among the sea of American flags that serve as beacons for our brave patriots, I do see all of you and I feel your presence and solidarity as we reflect on the grave sacrifice of so many. 

Regardless of physical limitations imposed due to the pandemic, we are together, we are committed to honoring and remembering the sacrifice. I pray God's blessings on our country and on all who have fallen on behalf of our great nation and for ensuring that our collective and individual freedom reigns.

Memorial Day Observances

The Town of Shrewsbury will be broadcasting a Virtual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 25th on SPAC-TV Channels 28/328 at 9:30am, 3pm, 7pm and 10pm, on Facebook at 9:30am and on the Shrewsbury YouTube channel all day  here .

 

The Town of Westborough produced a prerecorded Memorial Day program to honor the fallen. The program will air Memorial Day, Monday, May 25 on any Westborough TV Channels:  Verizon 24, 26, 28 or Charter 191, 192, 194 or online here. It will play at 9:30am and then again throughout all of Memorial Day.

 

Thank you to the Shrewsbury Memorial Day Committee and Shrewsbury Media Connection and the Westborough Veteran's Advisory Board and Westborough TV and the Central MA Veterans Service District for your collaborations ensuring that all in our communities can connect and remember our fallen.

 

The Commonwealth is also hosting a number of virtual events to commemorate Memorial Day and Sunday the Burns Bridge spanning Shrewsbury to Worcester will be illuminated in gold to honor Gold Star Families.

$15.4 Million Investment for Route 20 in Shrewsbury

 

Last week I received the exciting news that a project that I have long been advocating for with town officials had received $15.4 million in funding from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MADOT) to address safety concerns on the Route 20 corridor in Shrewsbury. Additionally, MADOT also completed a study to understand what changes in speed limits should be made to increase safety. This project and the speed limit study came about from the  Shrewsbury Route 20 Corridor Study , which was completed in January 2020and aims to address community and town officials concerns related to safety and increased congestion along the corridor.  

 

The $15.4 million project includes improvements along the eastern section of Route 20, from the Route 9/Route 20 interchange to just west of South Street. The approval of this project means MADOT can now bring a consultant on board to begin design, using the recommendations made in the Route 20 Master Plan as a baseline. The proposed improvements will include pavement rehabilitation and box widening, reconstruction of the existing signal at South Street, construction of a new signal at Valente Drive with construction of an access road from Walnut Street, construction of a shared-use path on both sides of Route 20, and other related work.

 

To address safety concerns and the prevalence of crashes, MADOT also conducted a speed study to gain a better understanding of what the most appropriate speed limit is on this section of Route 20. Based on the evaluation, which included recording the speeds of hundreds of vehicles, MADOT concluded the speed limit of the eastern 3-mile section of Route 20 can be reduced from 50 MPH to 45 MPH. The remaining section of Route 20 in Shrewsbury to the west is currently posted at 40 MPH and will remain 40 MPH.

 

Over the next few months, a lot of work will be done to bring a consultant on-board and MADOT will begin to survey Route 20. The MADOT Project Development Section expects to have a better idea of the design schedule for the project by the fall of 2020. I will continue to work with town officials to advocate for the swift advancement of this project and provide updates as milestones are met.

 

15-40 Connection

The 15-40 Connection knows that early detection of cancer saves lives and that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many to not seek healthcare despite noticing changes in their own health. I had the opportunity to speak with  Alicia D'Agostino, the Education Program Manager at 15-40 Connection, last week about the safety precautions hospitals have in place to protect people, the ease of using tele-health to have important conversations with your doctors and my own family's experience of accessing the healthcare system during this public health crisis. If you or a loved one are experiencing a subtle and persistent change in your health please do not hesitate to contact your doctor - early detection saves lives. Please watch this quick conversation to learn more.