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July/August 2023

NOTE: DUE TO THE LENGTH OF THIS NEWSLETTER, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO CLICK "VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE" AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN IN ORDER TO READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER OR CLICK HERE to View as Webpage .

Hello Neighbors and Friends - We had a blast at the annual July 4th Block Party in Westborough. It seemed like everyone who was in town that night was there, smiling faces greeting people of all ages with fun activities and great music. It was a great way to usher in the summer as a community. Thank you to Westborough Recreation, the Town of Westborough and all the sponsors and people who made it happen. I am sad to share the news that one of our incredible volunteers, Alyssa Bloom, passed away in June after a courageous battle with cancer. Alyssa (pictured below at our Cheers to 5 Years event last year) first joined our Volunteer Team in 2019. She joined our annual MLK Community Celebration planning team and was part of the team (along with Kate Storm, Nuray Wallace and Heena Suratwala) who created the monthly Racial Justice Toolkit in 2021. Alyssa was a kind and beautiful soul. She continued to come out to our events and stay in touch with many Westborough Connects team members, lifting us with her sweet smile and positive attitude even when she wasn’t feeling well. We will miss her. Please take care and enjoy some special summer moments with the people you care about! Yours in community, Kelley Petralia Executive Director, Westborough Connects kelleyconnects1@gmail.com

Noteworthy

A curated selection of articles, videos, audio and resources that we find worthy of sharing each month. Looking to enjoy some simple time away from your phone? Try an "awe walk." You can read about it and learn how in this mindful.org article, "How to Take An Awe Walk." One of our previous speakers, Dr. Dan Tomasulo, recently released a TEDx Talk on the 7 Habits of the Most Hopeful People. Locally focused items centered on resources and announcements in Westborough. The Westborough Town Manager, Kristi Williams, has launched a newsletter. Check out the most recent edition HERE, with some great updates and reports from various municipal departments. Westborough Public Library has a full line up of summer programming available throughout the summer for various ages. Some events are listed further on in this newsletter. You can find the full schedule of events HERE. Due to a lack of lifeguards, the Lake Chauncy beach (Lyman Street) will be open during Westborough Town Hall hours – Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Click HERE for more information.

Thank you for the support!

We are honored to be the beneficiaries of a recent "Share the Plate" collection among members of the UUCSW.

Thank you Westborough Civic Club for financial support of our upcoming Westborough for Life! Stay. Connect. Thrive. event.

Upcoming Westborough Connects Event

We need YOU! Want to join our planning team? Reach out to Laura Cerniglia (lauraconnects3@gmail.com) to learn more. Interested in exhibiting at our event? Please email westboroughconnects@gmail.com.

A New StoryWalk Installation

WESTBOROUGH CONNECTS PRESENTS: A StoryWalk® featuring the book Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Hayelin Choi The latest installment of our StoryWalk® is here! We are excited and grateful to announce that Nourse Farm (located at the corner of Jasper Street and Nourse Street) is our host for this self-guided StoryWalk®. It is open to the public and will be displayed through the end of the summer. It's for all ages and we hope you take some time to experience it. About the book: Chef Alice Waters has always been friends with food. The search for good food led Alice Waters to France, and then back to Berkeley, California, where she started Chez Panisse restaurant and the Edible Schoolyard. For Alice, a delicious meal does not start in the kitchen, but in the fields with good soil and caring farmers. (from goodreads.com) This book aligns with the goal of Catherine Nourse and her team in offering an accessible way to learn how to grow and cook nutritious and healthy food to students in our community.

Opportunities for Connection, Civic Engagement, and Helping Others & the Environment

The Town of Westborough has re-launched its Westborough Civic Leadership Academy for the fall 2023. The Westborough Civic Leadership Academy aims to provide Westborough residents with a greater understanding of their local government and to stimulate future interest in serving on boards and committees, increase resident participation and build relationships with Town government. This will be a 9-week program held on Wednesday evenings beginning September 13 – November 8. Class times will run from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM and will be held at various locations around Westborough to be determined by presenting departments. Applications are due to the Town Manager's Office by Noon on Friday, July 28. For more information, click HERE.

The Westborough Senior Center is looking for an original logo to use on their flyers and other promotional items. The contest is open to any Westborough resident, but especially our Seniors. Winner will be chosen in August and announced in the September Senior Scene. The WSCS is providing a $100 prize for the winner! Guidelines for entry are: All artwork must be original, not computer generated. Color is good! The Westborough Senior Center name must be incorporated into the design. When duplicated onto small spaces, it should be easy to read. Submissions should be made to the Westborough Senior Center, 4 Rogers Road or by email to ademanche@ town.westborough.ma.us All entries should be at the Senior Center by Monday, August 14. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number with your submission. Artwork of the winner will become the property of the Westborough Senior Center/Council on Aging with credit given to the artist when appropriate. Good luck!!

Local CONNECTions

Have you ever wondered what Social Emotional Learning looks like in the Westborough Public Schools? Check out this WPS Superintendent Spotlight video featuring a discussion on the topic with WPS Superintendent Amber Bock, WPS Wellness Director Roger Anderson and WPS SEL Clinical Director Kim Tynan. You can watch it HERE (41mins). Read about the Westborough July 4th Block Party in the Community Advocate HERE and watch Westborough TV's recap HERE.

Community Programs and Events in Westborough

Get ready for a fun family night with these two great events back to back at Bay State Commons. First, come and play Be Like Buddy starting at 6:30 pm- a game show that is part Price is Right and part Minute to Win it! Then stay and watch “Elf” at 8:30. Bring a blanket, chairs, picnic dinner, and for dessert, Uhlman’s Ice Cream will be available for purchase! For more information on the Be Like Buddy game show activity, click HERE. Hosted by Westborough Public Library. ADDITIONAL SCREEN ON THE GREEN MOVIES: July 20: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory July 27: Hocus Pocus August 3: Monsters, Inc.

LOCATION: Congregation B'nai Shalom, 117 East Main Street, Westborough

Hosted by Westborough Public Library 55 West Main Street Monday, July 17th Two different sessions for two different programs, both with goats! Click HERE for Goats and Giggles and HERE for Baby Goat Yoga tto learn more and register. NOTE: both sessions are currently full but there is a waiting list you can add your name to.

A photographic exhibit at Westborough Public Library on display through August. For more information, click HERE.

Hosted by Westborough Public Library, 55 West Main Street

Acoustic Afternoon with Luanne Crosby Sunday, July 23rd, 1-2pm Hosted by Nourse Farm Location: Jasper Street off corner of Nourse Street Enjoy an afternoon at the farm with local singer/songrwriter Luanne Crosby. Luanne Crosby has performed her original music for many years, beginning as a young teen, solo on acoustic guitar, and later, belting out her blues/rock originals in local bars, with her Stratocaster slung over her shoulder. A songwriter who writes in many different styles and genres, she is difficult to categorize – but that is part of what makes her such an interesting and exciting artist. Luanne will play an extended set of original songs and favorites on her guitar and tenor ukulele covering a spectrum of styles from folk to jazz to rock and blues from the past century up to the present. Enjoy her music from under our tent or in the sun on the lawn after picking berries, having lunch, or perusing the farm store. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, click HERE.

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention” -Oscar Wilde

Community Sponsors

2022 Grant Sponsor

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.

westboroughconnects@gmail.com www.westboroughconnects.org ‌ Give