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.
|
|
Hello Neighbors and Friends -
Spring is here and we have lots of exciting things to share with you this month. Westborough Connects has several things coming up and you'll also find information about many additional Westborough events below.
April marks several dates of note. It is Earth Month, Autism Acceptance Month and Global Volunteer Month. Muslims are in the middle of the month of Ramadan, which concludes with Eid al-Fitr on the evening of April 21st. Jews celebrate Passover this week and next, and Christians will celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 9th. For those celebrating, we hope you enjoy the traditions that are important to you.
We've introduced some formatting changes for this monthly newsletter, so please bear with us and also feel free to share your feedback!
Yours in community,
Kelley Petralia
Executive Director, Westborough Connects
kelleyconnects1@gmail.com
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 .
|
|
 |
Please Take Our Community Input Survey |
As a grassroots nonprofit, it is important to listen and respond to the needs of our community. Our annual Community Input Survey helps us better understand what YOU want and need from Westborough Connects.
Will you take some time to complete our survey? The survey takes only 5-10 minutes and your responses will be completely anonymous. Thank you!
|
|
|
|
Noteworthy Reads and Resources |
A curated selection of articles, videos, resources that we find worthy of sharing each month.
|
|
|
|
|
Support Stephanie Garrett's Ironman race to benefit Westborough Connects |
Stephanie Garrett is a beloved Westborough Public Schools teacher and long-time fan of Westborough Connects. On April 22nd in Texas, Stephanie will compete in her 9th full Ironman, raising funds for Westborough Connects! Please support her race, if you can. |
"I want to compete in Ironman Texas knowing each and every stroke, pedal, and step I take is for an organization that has touched so many lives. Your donation will go to strengthening the Westborough Community and with your donation, you will fuel me for 140.6 miles from the wee hours of my first swim stroke into the murky waters of the Woodlands canal with 3,000 other competitors, to the long, lonely bike portion on the Hardy Toll Road Highway; to the evening crowds lining the marathon course and finally, to the finish line. Your donation to Westborough Connects will fuel positive ripple effects throughout Westborough and fuel me." |
|
|
|
Join us for an upcoming Connect Over Coffee |
Our Connect Over Coffee initiative provides an opportunity for informal meet-ups with fellow community members.
This month's dates:
-
April 13th: 9-10:30am @Red Barn, 17 South Street
-
April 25th, 4-5:30pm @Leduc Art & Antiques, 5 Milk Street, Suite 1
Please drop in for conversation and snacks with Westborough Connects staff, volunteers, friends and interested community members. A special thank you to Red Barn Coffee Roasters for generously providing coffee and pastries for our Connect Over Coffee events. Feel free to bring a friend! Please bring your own mug, if you can!
|
|
|
|
Thank you to our newest sponsors! |
|
Central One Federal Credit Union is our newest Community Sponsor!
|
After supporting Westborough Connects over the past several years, we are thrilled that Central Once Federal Credit Union is deepening its commitment! We loved getting the "big check" from them!
|
|
Pictured (left to right): David Kaiser, CFCU Sr. VP of Retails Services; Kate Storm, Westborough Connect Board Chair; Devon Lyon, CFCU President & CEO; Kelley Petralia, Westborough Connects Executive Director
|
|
Thank you to our two newest
Friend of Westborough Connects sponsors!
|
|
Upcoming Westborough Connects Programs |
|
Your attendance will benefit others! How?
Thanks to the generosity of Dolan & Maloney Insurance Agency and Thomas Financial Associates, a $20-per-attendee donation to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) StigmaFree campaign will be made on behalf of each of the first 50 people to come to this event. That's a total of $1000 to the fight to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health!
|
|
Visit our website for more details on our upcoming programs.
|
|
Upcoming SPARK Kindness Program |
|
Westborough Connects is a member of the SPARK Kindness network and we are pleased to share their programs with you!
|
|
April 13, 2023, 7-8pm
via Zoom
In this talk, author Devorah Heitner, PhD, will share pragmatic, research-based advice on how we can mentor our kids on cultivating a healthy online presence. She will address why character and learning how to navigate relationships are most important and how parents can stop stressing and focus instead on helping young people become responsible digital citizens.
|
|
Get to know a little more about some Westborough Connects' sponsors! |
|
Founded forty years ago in Westborough by a father and son, Dolan & Maloney Insurance Agency still embodies the small town feel of a local business.
All three owners of Dolan & Maloney live and work in town and enjoy participating in community events. From coaching local Little League teams and volunteering on town committees to donating to local organizations, the guys at Dolan & Maloney believe in the importance of giving back to Westborough.
“Living and working in Westborough is something I truly enjoy. We share a strong sense of community. We have neighbors from all walks of life heading in many different directions, but we share a common center. Our town’s roadways provide a beautiful metaphor. Navigating our way around the rotary isn’t always an easy task, yet somehow, we make room for one another,” says Tom Dolan, one of the owners of Dolan & Maloney.
As an independent agency, Dolan & Maloney can pair clients with over a dozen different insurance companies. They can shop your policies with multiple companies and make sure that you aren’t leaving any money on the table.
Dolan & Maloney Insurance Agency is a big fan of dad jokes! Drop them a line at jokes@dmia.com to share your favorite joke or call 508-366-4894 to get a free quote on your insurance policies.
|
|
Community Programs and Events in Westborough |
|
Hosted by the Westborough High School SKY Club |
|
Westborough Public Library
upcoming events
For more details and to register for these and other events, click HERE.
|
|
Poetry Night: Open Mic!
April 12th, 6:30-8pm
For National Poetry Month, come out to celebrate the spoken word--join the Westborough Public Library for an Open Mic Night! Snacks and drinks will be available for all! Teens and adults welcome.
Star Wars Trivia: Fun for all ages!
April 20th, 6:30-7:45pm
|
|
Westborough Community Land Trust
upcoming events
For more details, click HERE.
|
|
Evening Woodcock Walk
April 14th, 6:30-8 pm
As the sun sets in spring, the American Woodcock performs a spectacular mating ritual. Join WCLT to walk gentle trails with Laura Lane of the Forbush Bird Club to listen for the Woodcock’s unique call and watch its amazing sky dance.
Early Morning Bird Walk #1
April 27, 2023, 6-8 am
Join WCLT to walk the trails at Lake Chauncy in search of migrant warblers with Nick Paulson of the Forbush Bird Club.
This is the first of three Thursday morning walks in this very productive area.
|
|
Dedication Ceremony
Monument honoring the 101 Westborough Men who responded to the Lexington Alarm of April 19, 1775 during the Revolution War
April 15th, 10am
Minuteman Park
Westboro Road, Upton
|
|
All are welcome to attending the dedication ceremony for this new monument in Minuteman Park honoring the 101 men of Westborough who responded to the Lexington Alarm of April 19, 1775. Senator Michael Moore and Representative Kate Donoghue are expected to attend as are members of the town's Select Board and its department heads. Members of the WHS choral group will sing and there will be a military salute by members of VFW 9031.
This monument is authorized by the Westborough Trustees of Soldiers' Memorials. The Westborough Civic Club, Westborough Historical Society and Rotary Club of Westborough all contributed to the cost of the bronze plaque. The boulder on which the plaque is mounted is from Nourse Farm. The plaque states that it is erected by citizens of Westborough.
David Nourse appeared on Westborough TV's The 01581 Let's Talk (around minute 12) to share the background and details.
|
|
Open and free to all. Registration preferred but not required. RSVP HERE.
|
|
Opportunities for Connection, Civic Engagement, and Helping Others & the Environment |
|
Project Graduation 2023 needs YOU!
We are less than 2 months from graduation(!) and looking forward to Project Graduation sponsoring the all-night celebration for our graduating seniors.
This alcohol-free/drug-free event provides our graduates with entertainment, food, games, and a chance to have an exciting, fun, and safe overnight with friends. Our proud 30+ year tradition is only possible thanks to the generous financial donations and volunteer hours from the entire Westborough community. We need and appreciate your support in keeping another year of proud Ranger graduates safe and sound.
Visit HERE to see how you can help.
|
Arbor Day is April 28th and the Westborough DPW has launched an Adopt A Tree campaign. In support of the town’s efforts to improve the natural environment and promote the value of trees, the DPW invites residents to participate in our Adopt a Tree Program. Trees are planted at no cost to the resident other than a commitment by the property owner to take responsibility for watering and maintaining the tree. For more information and to sign up, click HERE.
|
|
Earth Day Town-Wide Cleanup &
Cleanup Volunteers’ Picnic
Hosted by Westborough Community Land Trust
Advanced online signup required
NOTE: Clean your chosen area any day or time before noon on April 15. Picnic takes place on April 15th, 11:30am-12:30pm.
|
Join the annual town-wide litter clean-up sponsored by WCLT, and enjoy a drop-in Earth Day Volunteers’ pizza picnic lunch afterwards! Come on your own, or rally your family, co-workers, or neighbors and form a team to beautify our town!
Families and individuals register HERE to sign up and choose an area to clean. Trash bags will be dropped off at participants’ homes, or if necessary, you can arrange to pick up. Leave closed bags by the road in the area you cleaned, and they will be removed on April 15.
|
|
Register for this free training HERE.
|
|
-
You'll find a new podcast series from Westborough TV, called "The 01581: Let's Talk," hosted by Shelby Marshall. The goal is to provide listeners (and viewers!) with information on a variety of topics that are of interest to the Westborough community. You'll find episodes on Westborough TV. For broadcast details or to access it on-demand, visit the Westborough TV website HERE.
-
The Town of Westborough has issued its first What's New Westborough, a quarterly newsletter from Town Manager Kristi Williams designed to keep residents up to date on the many things going on in various town departments. You can read the first edition HERE. You can also sign up to receive it and other town notices via email HERE.
|
|
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
-Leo Buscaglia
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
