Volume 11 | August 2019
Notes on Connection From Around Westborough
Welcome to the August 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.
Where in the Community is Westborough Connects this Summer?
We hope you are enjoying the sunny and hot summer as much as we are. We have been out and about meeting many new people at some of the fun community events over the past month, including the Fourth of July Block Party, Screen on the Green and the Farmer's Market.
COMING SOON! Coffee Connections

Coffee Connections will be informal opportunities to learn more about Westborough Connects and meet some of our volunteers. Watch for our Coffee Connections announcement of dates & locations and join us for coffee and conversation!
Save the Date: Upcoming Program
Smoke and Mirrors: A Square One Panel Presentation on Vaping and E-Cigarettes

Please save the date for the evening of October 3rd . This program is designed for adults and adolescents. More details and registration information to follow.

Co-hosted by Rotary Club of Westborough, Westborough Youth & Family Services, Westborough Public Schools and Westborough Connects.

If you are interested in volunteering to help plan this or other upcoming Westborough Connects events, please click HERE .
Updates from Westborough Connects Committees

  • Community Engagement Committee: We are very excited to welcome Stephanie Stuchlik and her passion for fostering positive community relationships to the Community Engagement leadership team! Stephanie will join Kathy Ferrecchia and Kristin French as a committee chair focused on increasing our visibility and volunteer participation in the many community events that happen throughout the year in Westborough. 
  • The Diversity & Inclusion and Programming Committees have no new updates this month. For their most recent updates, view the June newsletter HERE.
We (always) welcome new members and volunteers. Interested in Westborough Connects, but you haven't signed up or aren't sure how you want to be involved? Here are some options:
  • Subscribe to our mailing list to receive our newsletters, invitations and information.
  • Join one of our committees. Click HERE for an UPDATED description of our current committees and HERE to sign up for one of them.
  • Contact 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.
Remembering Charlotte Spinney

With the passing of Charlotte Spinney , Westborough lost a true local hero. Charlotte dedicated her life to her community, first as an educator in the schools and then with the establishment in 1995 of the Charlotte Spinney Vision Scholarship (CSVS). She was also a member of the Rotary Club of Westborough for many years as well as other local service organizations.

Charlotte embodied kindness and connection, key values in the mission of Westborough Connects. Over the years of Charlotte's life, Westborough has grown and changed a lot. Lifelong residents like Charlotte are gold because they carry forward the stories and traditions of the past while connecting with the community today. Communities need connection between their history and the "here and now" to foster pride, strength and resilience, not only for ourselves but for our children and community members who will come to plant their roots here. It appears she understood that as well as anyone.

If you're looking for ways to give back - either with your time or money - you can look at the types of organizations that Charlotte dedicated her time and energy to and know that they are worthy of your support. Rotary Club of Westborough and CSVS quietly and consistently do amazing work to build a strong community.

Thank you and rest in peace, Charlotte.

Did you know? The CSVS offers extra support by school and community mentors to students who, for any number of reasons, might fall through the cracks. They are identified and chosen at the end of grade seven and mentored through the next five years of their public school experience. During the junior, senior, and college years, designated sums of money are awarded to help them meet their financial needs.

The community is invited to join in a Celebration of Life for Charlotte Spinney on August 10th at 10 am in the Westborough High School auditorium.
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.




We know August will be hot! Take a break from outdoor activities for some air-conditioned fun! Several games are on-hand at the library or feel free to bring your own to play.

Tell your friends and bring them along - the more the merrier!

Thank you to Westborough Youth & Family Services for this sweet and simple event, and thank you Westborough Public Library for hosting!
RE-SCHEDULED FOR
THURSDAY, August 8th at 8:30 pm
Bring a lawn chair or a blanket, some friends and join neighbors for this highly anticipated and final movie of the summer.

In case of rain, check the library's website or Facebook page for information.

The Screen on the Green movie series is brought to you by the Westborough Public Library and the Westborough Recreation Department through generous sponsorship by Central One Federal Credit Union, Sohum Yoga, Westborough Recreation Department and the Friends of the Westborough Public Library.
For more information on this wonderful celebration of the rich and diverse culture in our community, email metrowestcommunity2018@gmail.com. Event organizers welcome new partners and participants.
Upcoming FREE community trail walk sponsored by Westborough Community Land Trust

Hocomonco Pond: Past, Present, and Future, September 29th 1:30-3:30 pm

Visit a little-known Westborough site on this informational walk. Discover how Hocomonco Pond, a “great pond,” was formed by melting glacier ice 11,000 years ago. You’ll then hear about use of the pond by Native Americans, and learn the legend explaining why it is named for a Wamesit Indian evil spirit. Finally, find out about a period of industrial use, when telephone poles were treated with creosote at this site to make them resistant to rot and insects, contaminating the soil, the groundwater, and the bottom of Hocomonco Pond. Meet at the Otis Street gate, GPS address approximately 24 Otis St., Westborough. REGISTRATION REQUIRED, email events@westboroughlandtrust.org

View the trail map HERE
Arts In Common, sponsored by the Westborough Cultural Council, is celebrating it’s 10th Anniversary with a new look, and a day full of fun! This annual fundraiser, celebrating all mediums of creative expression, will raise money to bring more arts based programming to Westborough, will support local art, and bring together people from Westborough and beyond!

Thanks to event sponsors, the event will feature several free activities such as face painting, a community mural project and more!
Getting Ready for Back-to-School?
We absolutely LOVE these two programs designed to ease the financial burden on families getting ready for their kids to go back to school!
CONNECTion Spotlight
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Check out these recent and upcoming examples of (and opportunities for) connection in our town.

  • Boston 25 News recently visited Westborough for its Zip Trip series. It was a fun and exciting morning, as people gathered on Bay State Green to show some hometown pride. The program highlighted several people and businesses in town. You can view the video segments HERE.
  • Did you know Westborough Public Schools offers FREE English language classes for families of WPS students? Classes take place on Thursday nights and the first session of the 2019-2020 school year begins on September 26th. Free childcare provided for children ages 3+. Click HERE for more information (including informational flyers in several languages).
  • Summer Tuesdays at the Westborough Senior Center afford older adults an opportunity to gather together and enjoy a meal and some music. Each week features a different menu and entertainment. While there is typically a nominal fee for the events, August 13th will be free, with Wise Guys Trivia and make-your-own ice cream sundaes, beginning at 6pm. For more information, call the senior center at 508-366-3000. For more events and updates from the senior center, read their July/August newsletter HERE.
  • Westborough TV unveiled a new series called "Go Local, Westborough," which will showcase local businesses and owners. The short videos will encourage support of local Westborough businesses, "reinforc(ing) the idea that shopping locally builds community and builds our local economy." Look for them on local channels or visit the website.
  • During its recent Zip Trip to Westborough, Boston 25 News honored the Westborough Fire Department during its First Responder Friday segment. Chief Pat Purcell stressed the importance of community engagement and reminded viewers that we have an emergency alert program to communicate with residents in a time of need. Here's an easy way to enroll in that program.
Noteworthy Articles & Resources
  • The Foundation for Metrowest is a philanthropic organization guided by the philosophy, "You can make a world of difference in your own backyard." The foundation is in the midst of a project called Impact MetroWest, a comprehensive community needs assessment of MetroWest to better understand the strengths and challenges we face as a community. As part of this initiative, they want (and need!) individuals of any age who live or work in Westborough or the greater MetroWest community to share their thoughts and opinions through their Community Survey. They want to hear from as many community members as possible. The survey is a quick 5-10 minutes and is completely anonymous. It is available in three languages (click on the links for the survey): English, Portugese, Spanish. We hope you will consider participating in the survey.
  • If you're interested in stories that will brighten your day, try NPR's Kind World- a podcast series focused on storytelling that make you feel good about humanity.
  • The Westborough Public Library continues to build its collection of non-English titles. With the help of the library staff, we will periodically highlight titles in our newsletter, This month, we're sharing a children's title: Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen, available in: 穿毛衣的小镇 (Chuan maoyi de xiao zhen) (Simplified Chinese), Hilo sin fin (Spanish); From the publisher: “With a supply of yarn that never runs out, Annabelle knits for everyone and everything in town until an evil archduke decides he wants the yarn for himself.” You can check out this and other titles from the world language collection at WPL.
  • In our last newsletter, we shared an article on building empathy in ourselves. Curious about how to do that? Read 5 Tips for Cultivating Empathy from Making Caring Common. While the article aims at helping parents and caregivers develop empathy in children, it is applicable to all.
"The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life." 
- Rabindranath Tagore
About Westborough Connects