Above: Town Meeting voted to borrow for a 5-year plan to improve many heavily travelled roads across town. But it will still need support at the ballot to move forward. (image edited from presentation)

Only 207 voters checked in to participate in Saturday’s Town Meeting. Based on the timing of who left mid-meeting, it seemed many of them were there to weigh in on the request to borrow up to $25M to invest in improving roads and sidewalks.¹

The funding Article is the largest single borrowing bill ever passed by Town Meeting. But while an attempted amendment was made on one detail, and multiple voters asked questions, no one spoke against borrowing the funds.

(There were votes in opposition. But enough voters supported the borrowing that the Moderator didn’t need to use the clickers to call the 2/3 approval.)

The funding will still need to pass muster with the majority of voters in the Town Election. The May 12th ballot will include a question asking to exclude all future debt payments on the borrowing from the annual cap on the Town’s tax levy. (Otherwise, it would be included in the calculation for capping taxes under proposition 2½.)

For voters who want to better understand what the borrowing would pay for, here’s my recap of the Town Meeting discussion.

On Saturday, DPW Superintendent Bill Cundiff walked voters through the Town’s proposed sidewalk projects, and the 5 year Pavement Management Plan. The Treasurer followed to explain the financial picture.

Road Management Program presentation

The majority of the presentation focused on the $22,255,000 for roads. Cundiff explained that the borrowing is intendent to allow the Town to invest in simultaneously fixing roads that are in terrible shape, while also conducting work to extend the life of other roads to keep them from deteriorating.

Historically, the town has taken the approach of worst first. We would basically focus on the failing portions of roads which is a large capital investment. So they would draw that capital improvement out of the operating budget and that would not allow us to put any kind of protection mechanisms into the other roads that aren’t in that bad condition.

He likened some of the work to the sealing residents do to extend the life of their driveways.

The work is broken into four categories. The “Routine Maintenance” deals with sealing cracks to avoid the cycle of freezing and thawing in cracks that leads to bigger cracks and potholes. The “Preventative Maintenance” is a full width overlay, similar to sealing a driveway. “Minor Rehabilitiation” is “typically milling and overlay or cold in place concrete”. That’s still just surface work.

“Major Rehabilitation” is the full depth reconstruction needed to fix the roads in the worst shape. It’s the most expensive. And, as noted later in the discussion, there can be additional costs not estimated in the budget if the DPW discovers there are bigger infrastructure issues under the road. (Failing drainage, etc.)

The intent of the Town’s plan is to include enough work under the first two categories that, eventually, the list of roads that need minor or major rehab shrinks over time.

He used tables and graphs to demonstrate how much more expensive it is to deal with failing roads. He also shared details about the number of roads that are in need of work. (See images below.)

In his presentation, Cundiff described work done by the Town’s contractor Beta, to score the road conditions. (For readers who want more details on how that was done, I’m including two slides below from the consultant’s presentation to the Select Board in 2024. You can read their full presentation and report here.)

Cundiff used the road scores to create a 5-year road plan, but it wasn’t the only factor. He prioritized highly travelled roads. And, to get started quickly, the first year only includes Major Rehab of roads that don’t have underlying drainage issues. By pushing more complicated jobs to years 2 to 5, it gives the DPW time to do the advance prep work to be ready in those project years.

During the presentation, Cundiff noted that if an agreement moves forward for Hopkinton to interconnect to the MWRA water system through Southborough, Hopkinton will be expected to pay for repairs to the roads being dug up. That would change the timeline for impacted roads, which could be moved off the current road plan.

Given unknown costs for projects, especially with rising oil prices that impact asphalt and diesel costs, the Town may not be able to tackle all of the projects on the plan. Each year, Cundiff will return to the Select Board with an updated road plan.

Currently, the planned schedule is:

You can read Cundiff’s full presentation here and my prior coverage with more details here.

Sidewalks

Only 11% of Article’s 13 funds are dedicated to sidewalk projects — $2,745,000 But all 4 of those sidewalks would be tackled in the first year.

While it wasn’t highlighted, three of the sidewalks will connect far more neighborhoods to walkable access to Finn School, it’s playground and adjacent recreational facilities.) The following new sections will connect to the existing sidewalks in front of the School.

• Parkerville Road (Middle Rd to Finn School)
• Richard’s Road (Cordaville Rd to Woodland Rd)
• Woodland Road (Richards Rd to Oregon Rd)

Cundiff specified that those sidewalks will be concrete with curbs. And he noted that a crosswalk on Richards Road will include a flashing beacon. (From prior communications, one is planned for the area where sidewalks switch from the south side of the street to north side of the street, at Moulton St & Killam Farm Rd.)

In his overview of the projects, Cundiff corrected an error in the Warrant (and presentation). A sidewalk planned for Oak Hill Road should have been described as running from the existing sidewalk to Walnut Drive. (Not to Woodland Rd, which is nowhere near there!) The project will extend the existing sidewalk using “basically asphalt” with no curb or berm.

The Financials

Town Treasurer Brian Ballentine acknowledged that his role in the meeting was to share the bad news. He focused on the Town’s debt landscape. He noted that debt is currently low. If approved, the road and sidewalk projects are forecast to add debt payments that peak in 2032. He presented (right) the impact for homeowners with varying house values.

Ballentine also shared the cost that would be added for every additional $10M of borrowing if other capital projects are approved in the future. (Like a big Neary renovation project.) The table is the cost per household for every $10M of borrowing. (So multiply it by 5 for a $50M project, etc.) 

You can view the full fiscal presentation here.

An Unsuccessful Motion

On behalf of the Open Space Preservation Commission that she chairs, Freddie Gillespie made a motion to insert the following language:

and that all work on these road and sidewalk maintenance, construction and improvement projects be done in in compliance with Mass DOT general recommendations for invasive plant management and that imported soils and material for backfill and site stabilization or any use related to these projects shall be certified weed-free and meet minimum standards provided by the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NISMA) and that any required seeding or planting shall adhere to Mass DOT landscape design and roadside maintenance guidance and shall use a seed mix recommended by Mass DOT.

She spoke to the hall about the problems and expenses caused by Japanese Knotweed. She explained how easily an infestation can spread:

You break off a little bit. It spreads. It creates new plants all the way down the road

She shared photos of giant infestations. She told voters that knotweed spreads under pavement, comes up through cracks and is strong enough to break through walls. She said the OSPC is worried about the large expense the Town could incur if they don’t take steps to avoid the project causing new infestations.

Cundiff responded that they don’t currently have a standard for the request. He said that when he asked Gillespie who would certify that soils were weed free, she didn’t have an answer. He was reluctant to support the proposed restriction without understanding what it entails. But he was willing to work with the OSPC and other committees on best practices.

Select Board Chair Andrew Dennington objected to the last minute proposal to the OSPC, after the Select Board and Cundiff spent a long time preparing to present the Article. He also raised a potential Open Meeting Law issue. He noted that while the OSPC had purportedly voted on the motion, the item wasn’t included on any of their posted agendas.

In contrast, Joyce Greenleaf supported the request. She told the hall about an infestation in her yard that forced her to spend $5,000 to hire a licensed specialist to get rid of. And she highlighted that residents are prohibited from spraying the edge of the road in front of their homes, which are in the right of way owned by the Town.

Marnie Hoolahan also supported the motion, noting that it called for abiding by Mass Dept of Transportation Rules and Regulations. Cundiff responded that local roads aren’t required to follow their rules. And he clarified that the motion is actually about following MassDOT’s “best standards” which even their agency doesn’t always follow. He also reiterated that he was willing to work with Town boards and committees.

Andrea Hamilton suggested that voting against the motion doesn’t mean that it can’t be addressed or adopted later. It could be brought to a future Town Meeting when more is known. And Advisory member Andrew Pfaff noted that the issue could be better addressed through a DPW or Select Board policy.

The Select Board voted 5-0 and Advisory Committee 6-1 to Not Support the amendment.

In a vote by hand, the motion was shot down. (That doesn’t mean the issue is dead. This could come up for discussion at a future Select Board meeting, especially as the board seeks to ensure voters support the debt exclusion on the ballot.)

Discussion of the Original Article

No one urged voting the Article down. But even among voters who spoke in general favor of the Article, there were some embedded critiques.

Answering voters’ questions, Cundiff explained that even roads that aren’t on the list will still receive the normal routine maintenance – filling potholes and dealing with drainage issues.

As for roads shown in red (in need of major rehab) that aren’t on the plan, they weren’t travelled enough to make the cut for the first five year plan. They might be added to a future round.

Mike Dillon expressed upset that the sidewalk projects linked to the roads project. As a 23 yr resident of Ted Lane, he described the danger for families walking down Woodland and Richards Rd. He worried that if the road borrowing failed, that the ability to address the “imminent” need for sidewalks would fail with it.

As a resident of Lovers Lane, Jamie Mieth supported the Article that would eventually fix her road (in 2028). She pointed out that for her street, the road is their sidewalk. She worried about a pedestrian getting killed when a car hits a pothole.

Still she wasn’t thrilled with the financial situation:

I’ve lived at Lovers Lane for almost 20 years, pay excise taxes for five cars and over $20,000 a year in property taxes. And I, you know, I will say I’m shocked we’re here having to ask for more money to do all these roads. I mean, I would ask the people in charge of the budget to make some hard choices going forward. And I did just approved the budget we had. And it would be very hard to make choices. I admit that. But we have to get these roads in shape.

Paul Carter strongly advocated for investing in the road plan. But his comment also noted that:

The sidewalk plan is old. The important thing is we’ve inventoried our sidewalks and we’ve located our accessibility handicap ramps locations and this is not specified in the plan but an important part of the overall plan to do sidewalks in town.

Next Steps

For details on voting in the Town’s Election, see my related post.

The post $25M for Roads & Sidewalks appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: This coming Tuesday, a fundraiser gives you a great excuse to treat yourself to something sweet. (image cropped from flyer)

If you’re going to be in town over spring break, Trottier 8th graders hopes you’ll take part in their “restaurant fundraiser”.

For their sake, I hope the weather is as nice this coming Tuesday as it is today. Their restaurant of choice is actually a nearby ice cream stand.

The fundraiser is at Uhlman’s Ice Cream on April 21st, from 3:30 – 8:30 pm. Show the flyer (right) at the window for 10% of sales from your purchase to be donated to Trottier Middle School 8th Grade Class.

(I’m guessing the funds are to support the end of their big end of year celebration for the end of their Southborough K-8 journey. It’s a big milestone, since kids either merge with Northborough students at Algonquin, or head to a different high school.)

The post Save the Date: Trottier’s Ice Cream Fundraiser appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: The DPW shared the schedule for hydrant flushing across town next week.

Every spring, Southborough “flushes” is fire hydrants for maintenance. This year, that work is slated to start at the end of this month.

If all go as scheduled, work will run Monday, April 27th through Friday, May 1st between 7:30 am and 4:00 pm.

The Dept. of Public Works has confirmed the schedule will follow the same pattern as usual. (See image right, or click here for a pdf with the streets listed.)

They also confirmed that all of the details I shared last year are the same this year. Those are. . .

Note: Weather or unforeseen issues can shift the dates further out, extending into the following week.

When Public Works flushes hydrants in your neck of the woods, you may experience a drop in water pressure and/or notice discolored tap water.

DPW Superintendent Bill Cundiff confirmed some important details to keep in mind when flushing happens in your area:

• Running hot water might pull sediment into your hot water tank. That’s why to avoid it. 
• You should also avoid doing laundry because it can stain your clothes.

If you discover your water is discolored:

• The discoloration of the water is only temporary and does not indicate a problem with the water.
• Run your COLD WATER ONLY for a period of time and it should clear up.
• The water should run clear in 10-20 minutes (unless your service is very long, then it may take longer).
• A faucet or spigot closest to your meter is the best choice.
• High flow faucets such as an outside spigot or a bath tub faucet are also good choices.
• If you have aerators on your faucets you might want to rinse them out in case the screen caught any debris.
• If your hot water is discolored, it means that you pulled the sediment into the water tank. You should flush out your service with the cold water faucets and then, when you are sure you have purged the pipes in your home and everything is running clear, you should run your hot water and try to clear that up.

If you have any questions or concerns, call the DPW at 508-485-1210.

Updated (4/15/26 12:18 pm) As noted in the headline, work starts on the 27th. (Initially, I somehow typed 22 instead of 27 in the story. Sorry!)

The post Save the Date for Hydrant flushing the week of April 27th <i>(Updated)</i> appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: The public schools are looking to engage the entire Northborough-Southborough community in an effort to improve Wellness. (images cropped from flyers)

We’re midway through NSBORO’s Wellness Week, and I have more details on an event taking place tonight. So, I’m posting a reminder of the activities that the community can still participate in.

As I previously posted, every year, Northborough-Southborough Public Schools celebrate Wellness Week, encouraging students to improve their health/wellness. This year, they’re making a bigger public push to engage the entire community.

There are special events and challenges. Plus, the Wellness Week promotions includes a prize drawing to incentivize participation.

Everyone who completes at least one activity for each of eight Wellness categories or wedges of “the wellness wheel” can enter the drawing for prizes that include a new bike.² The wedge categories are: Learn, Eat Healthy, Be Active, Go Outside, Relax, Sleep, Create, and Socialize.

The contest entry form lists examples for each of the categories. And the schools have worked with other groups to organize a series of relevant events and opportunities throughout the week. Only one requires pre-registration with a fee — the CPR Certification Course on Monday evening. The others are on-going or drop-in and free to all.

Below are more details on the Wellness Week activities with links:

All Week (Monday – Friday, April 13-17)

• Get Outdoors
  • Daily Sunrise Wake Up and Walk (6:30 am each day) @ Algonquin Regional High School track
  • Northborough Trails
  • Southborough Trails
• Participate in a challenge (or two)
  • Sleep Challenge
  • Nature Sensory Scavenger Hunt or Earth Day Bingo
  • Track your Screen Time
  • Eat a Rainbow Healthy Snack Challenge (a different color each weekday)
  • Weigh Your Backpack Challenge
  • Family Physical Activity Challenge
  • Design a bike helmet
• Check out your local library
  • Northborough Library
  • Southborough Library
  • Enjoy the Peace in the World Art Exhibit (at Northborough Library)
• Take Time for Yourself

Special Events

Below are the events still coming up this week, with more details than I initially had on tonight’s program:

Wednesday, April 15:

• Wellness Fair (5:00 – 7:00 pm) @ Northborough Library:

Something for everyone – learn, connect, and have fun!

• Connect with 15 local health & wellness resources
• Free blood-pressure checks
• Hands-only CPR demos.

Overflow parking is available next door at C’est La Vie, 30 Main Street.

Note: If you’re interested in this event, you might also be interested in a different kind of Wellness Fair in Southborough this Sunday.

Thursday, April 16:

• E-BIKE presentation (6:30 – 7:30 pm) @ Northborough Library: Join Safe Routes to School, Landry’s Bike Shop, and local police to learn about e-bikes and e-bike safety. They hope that all riders of e-bikes, including students with their parents, will attend.

The post Reminder: NSBORO Schools’ “Wellness Week” is in progress appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: A Southborough resident is using the 2026 Boston Marathon to raise funds for The Michael Lisnow Respite Center (images cropped from fundraising page and charity website)

[The Boston Marathon always includes a pack of runners from our town. Between now and Patriots Day, I’m featuring stories of resident runners donning bibs for a cause this year.]

After about 20 years of running, Southborough’s Madhura Gosavi ran in Boston’s half marathon last year to support a worthy cause. This year, she’s doubling down on her commitment.

On Monday, as part of Dell’s Boston Marathon team, Gosavi  will run her first full marathon. The team is supporting The Michael Lisnow Respite Center.

She writes:

I am deeply connected with the cause of the Respite Center which provides physical and emotional care and support to individuals with disabilities and their families. They never say no to anyone who needs care and try to figure things out for families who need help. So many families with disability individuals have gotten support through the center, and the center provides this support through all the money raised from charity programs. Boston marathon is one of their biggest fundraisers which Michael’s Miracle marathon team is raising money for.

Please help me raise funds for the Respite Center while I put my best efforts forward in crossing the Boston Marathon finish line in April 2026! Thank you!

The non-profit center is a facility in Hopkinton that:

provides emotional and physical support for individuals with disabilities and their families.

According to their website, the center’s programs include providing specialized childcare for infants and toddlers from birth to three years old who have significant disabilities. And for adults with disabilities, they offer social day programs and employment support. 

​To support Gosavi’s fundraiser, click here. To learn more about the non-profit, click here.

[Note: If you are a Southborough resident using the Marathon to raise funds/awareness for a cause, please reach out with your information. Email mysouthborough@gmail.com.]

Updated (4/15/26 9:38 am): I messed up the fundraiser link. You can find that here.

The post 2026 Marathon: Madhura Gosavi for The Michael Lisnow Respite Center <i>(Updated)</i> appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: NSBORO Asst. Superintendent of Operation Keith Lavoie tried to carefully make his case to voters on school security system upgrades. (image cropped from meeting video)

As is often the case, a subject that sparked controversy at Annual Town Meeting wasn’t one I was expecting.

A funding request for a $1.4M upgrade to security systems for Southborough’s PreK-8 public schools prompted questions, a motion to amend, and many public comments.

The funding request turned out to be the topic that prompted the most engagement from public commenters at Saturday’s meeting.

At the heart of the issue was school administrators’ reluctance to publicly share details about why they believe the system needs upgrading and what improvements the upgrades would provide.

In the end, voters did approve the funding in full. (Even the voter who originally moved to block the spending came around.)

I don’t want to be responsible for accidentally highlighting any security gaps, so I’m not going to get into too much detail here. But below is my overview of the debate.

Article 12 proposed funding for:

A. $810,000 – Finn Classroom Floor Replacement

B. $1,400,00 – PreK-8 Security System Upgrades

C. $365,000 – PreK-8 Technology Equipment (classroom projection & presentation systems)

Assistant Superintendent Keith Lavoie said that item B had been discussed in Executive Sessions with the School Committee and the fire and police departments, who all support the project. He described the funded work as intended to:

build continuity between the schools and municipal departments as well. Typically we are doing these types of projects piecemeal, but this would be a holistic approach to really get us to where we want to be  with safer schools.

That led to questions from residents Rob Lorenson and Jim Waddell. The answers led to more questions and their apparent perception that the investment was a high cost for insignificant or unnecessary improvements.

During the discussion, Lavoie and Superintendent Gregory Martineau noted that their explanations were limited by what they could safely reveal in public.

Rob Lorenson moved to strike item B from the budget.

That prompted several residents to comment in strong support of the spending. Sprinkled in were also comments from those who believed that more clear answers were needed on what the $1.4M covered.

Among the commenters in support were Police Chief Newell who supported the school’s planned upgrade. He described it as a good system that would make it easier and faster for the police to respond to a situation. It would also make the schools safer for the people inside them.

One resident, Margaret Sangiorgi responded to an earlier comment questioning if improvements for easier radio and video inter-school connections are really needed. She told the hall that there was a school shooting in her elementary school (in another state) when she was a child. She stated:

And the first person they shot was the secretaries who were in charge of the phones. So, when somebody asked, “Are the phones still going to work?” Yeah, they are. But that doesn’t mean people are going to have access to them.

She warned that if voters rejected the spending and someone got hurt in the future, they would regret it.

Then, Sangiorgi asked for clarification if Algonquin would be included in the project. Martineau said that the entire project would link all of the NSBORO Schools. The ARHS piece is included in their FY28 spending plan.

During the back and forth with voters, Lavoie clarified that the investment is for a 10 year contract and a long term, comprehensive plan for the systems and updates.

Some voters noted the need to address new cybersecurity concerns the schools’ hadn’t needed to worry about in the past. Based on his professional experience, Robert Reeder said he appreciated the answers the administration was giving:

I now have a clearer understanding of what they’re doing and understand why it’s 1.4 million. . .

I can tell you as a security officer, we’re not worried about hackers anymore. We’re worried about AI hacking into our system because it’s so much faster. And I don’t know the details of what they’re doing specifically because the first rule of security is you don’t give the details because then that tells somebody how to get through it. But I can say what he listed and what they’re trying to do is spot on for where technologies going and what we have to do.

Regional School Committee member (and former Southborough School Committee member) Paul Desmond said that security is something the schools had been looking at for 15 years. The students have been doing their part, participating in safety drills the whole time: 

We have to deal with the threat that some guy with a gun is going to come into one of our schools and we need to be able to react in time.

Then referring to the immediately preceding Article for a $1M looping the water mains between Presidential Drive and Fisher Road.³, he followed:

We just passed a million dollars to make water flow a little bit better. We’re asking for a little more than that to protect our kids. That’s it.

In the end, Lorenson told the hall that based on what he learned through the additional back and forth, he had changed his position. He planned to vote against his own motion to strike the spending.

The motion to amend failed. And the motion to support all of Article 12 got the 2/3 support needed to authorize borrowing all of the funds.

Prior to the debate on the security spending, there had been one voice of opposition to a smaller item under the Article.

Advisory member Howard Rose questioned why the spending on classroom technology was pulled out of the regular operating budget. He argued that it should have been included under the school’s budget for technology, and spread out over multiple years. He advocated tackling 20 classrooms per year.

Despite his criticism, Rose didn’t make a motion to amend the Article.

Later, Mike Szczepanski of the Capital Improvement & Planning Committee responded:

We were going back and forth whether or not to push it back to the school budget. But we decided taxpayers are going to pay for it. It’s here. Let’s just get it moved forward.

It’s worth noting that pulling the spending out of the regular budgets allows departments to communicate a lower year over year budget increase, without highlighting the growing debt burden for taxpayers.

The post Town Meeting debates school security spending appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: Whether you tackle a street by yourself or team up with a group, Rotary hopes you’ll help out with the community’s annual roadside Earth Day Cleanup. (images cropped from contributed photo and last year’s flyer)

The Southborough Rotary asked me to promote the annual Earth Day Cleanup event. As usual, they’re teaming up with Southborough’s DPW and encouraging the public to pitch in on cleaning up Southborough’s roadsides.

The annual event takes place the Saturday following Earth Day. This year, that’s Saturday, April 25th. (As usual, that’s at the end of the public schools’ spring break week.)

The public is invited to come by the DPW office on the morning of Saturday, April 26th (8:00 – 11:00 am) to grab safety vests, the yellow bags for collecting trash, and gloves.

If you haven’t already reserved a route, the DPW will help you select a road to clean up that day.

The morning event is capped off with a social lunch:

Following the morning’s efforts, volunteers are invited to gather at noon in front of the Southborough Library to enjoy pizza and connect with fellow community members and Rotary Club participants.

DPW trucks will make the rounds that afternoon to pick up the stuffed yellow bags left on the side of the streets. 

Have a favorite spot that needs TLC? To adopt a favorite street in advance, call Southborough’s Department of Public Works at 508-485-1210 or visit the office to look at their map. 

The DPW office is at 147 Cordaville Road (off the driveway for the Transfer Station).

The effort is sponsored each year by the Rotary Club of Southborough in honor of Earth Day. Rotary promotes:

This long-standing community tradition is a great opportunity to help keep Southborough clean while contributing to a shared sense of civic pride. All are welcome to join.

The post Earth Day Clean Up — April 25th appeared first on My Southborough.

Above: While SOLF’s biggest preserve is still open sunrise to sunset, its biggest parking lot is currently off limits to even pedestrians during remediation. (images cropped from contributed photos)

Southborough Open Land Foundation asked me to share an updated announcement with readers.

Previously, I posted that they have temporarily closed the parking lot at Beals Preserve. Now, they are asking for the public to also avoid even walking through the lot this spring. The announcement also clarifies that the lot closure will go on much longer than I initially realized.

With the warm temps this week, you may be feeling a bit of spring fever and the desire to get out and roam open spaces. Don’t worry, SOLF still has you covered.

Beals Preserve is still open for visitors, as long as you follow the instructions for access. Plus, this month, SOLF has been encouraging the public to explore many of its other properties in town. Read about their puzzle challenge here.

Now here’s SOLF’s updated announcement about the status of the parking closure at Beals:

The Beals Preserve parking area on Main Street has been leveled, loamed, and seeded. PLEASE DO NOT WALK THROUGH THE PARKING LOT, PLEASE KEEP YOUR DOG ON LEASH AND OUT OF THE LOT! Visitors who wish to enter Beals Preserve from Main Street can park at the intersection of Northborough Road and Main Street or on the shoulder, and walk onto the field AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE. The grass will be kept mowed there. Thank you.

The lot will be closed until the grass comes fully in and rooted. It has been recommended that we give it a year. We just have to watch and see how it goes. After that it will be open seasonally (closed during wet periods) in order to keep the lot usable. It is a requirement of the conservation restriction that it stays grass. We know it’s inconvenient for people who used the lot, but it’s something we have to do.

Parking is also available at Hickory Rd and Red Gate Lane.

You can see my edited version of their trail map (right) to show where parking is currently closed and highlight where it is still available.

The post Please stay out of Beals Preserve’s parking lot appeared first on My Southborough.

The following letter is from Roger Challen (a member of the Southborough School Committee).]

To the Editor:

I found myself reading through the letter exchange among Al Hamilton (Letter: The debt we never talk about), Karen Shimkus and Erin McMurray, and I would like to comment.

I found Ms. McMurray’s information to be quite compelling.

But Ms. Shimkus made a statement regarding Town budget challenges that concerned me.  She said , “…that said, our superintendent makes more than the Governor of Massachusetts”.  Of course, I cannot say that this was intentionally misleading, but in my view it was, in fact, at best, misleading.

Southborough taxpayers’ allocation for the Superintendent’s annual salary is $96,000. 

The annual base salary for the Governor of Massachusetts is approximately $243,000 per year (as of 2025–2026 after recent increases).  Her total compensation can exceed $300,000 annually when including benefits such as housing and other allowances.

For any taxpayer that believes the $96K allocated expense for Southborough is excessive for a Superintendent of Schools, I advise them to compare this amount to the salaries of other Superintendents who work in similar communities.  You will find the Southborough cost to be one of the bargains.

Roger Challen
29 Oak Hill Road

The post Letter: Comment on Town Budget appeared first on My Southborough.

Highlights from last week’s competitions and what’s on tap this week in Algonquin Regional High School varsity sports.

Girls Tennis started its season with two straight wins last week — 4-1 over Shrewsbury and 5-0 over Grafton. But that was followed by a 2-3 loss to Hopkinton.

Boys Tennis scored only one win out of four matches. The team lost its opening game to Shrewsbury 1-4, but won their home opener against Grafton 4-1. That was followed by 3-2 losses to Wayland and Hopkinton.

ARHS Outdoor Track & Field also entered competitions last week. The Girls team hosted and lost its first meet against Wachusett on Wednesday. The Boys competed at Wachusett on Friday, but no results have been posted.

Girls Lacrosse is now 2-4 after racking up another loss, but also a win last week. They lost 6-18 to Nashoba and beat Leominster 17-4.

Boys Lacrosse finally came close to scoring a win last Tuesday before losing 7-8 to Nashoba in overtime. That updates their record to 0-4.

And Boys Baseball is also 0-4 after last week’s losses to Nashoba (0-2), Shrewsbury (6-8), and Wachusett (1-2).

Girls Softball’s record is halfway better. They had their second win last week, but it was sandwiched between losses. The Titans lost to Clinton 1-11, beat Groton-Dunstable 5-3, then lost to Nashoba 6-8.

In their home opener, Girls Golf* beat Auburn last Tuesday. But that was followed by two more losses to Nashoba and Wachusett. That updates their record to 1-4.

1-4 is also where Boys Volleyball now stands. Last week, the Titans lost 1-3 to both Ayer-Shirley and Shrewsbury.

Boys Rugby beat Catholic Memorial 53-12. Their record is now 1-0-1. Girls Rugby is 0-2 after losing 0-40 to Brookline.

Photographer Jeff Slovin posted photo highlights from the Boys’ match to Instagram:

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Jeff Slovin Photography (@jeffslovinphoto)

Now, here are the ARHS varsity games on tap for this week⁴:

[Note: Tickets for any Home Games which require them are sold here.]

Monday, April 13, 2026

• 3:30 pm – Girls Golf* vs Quabbin @ Quail Hollow Golf and Country
  Club
• 4:00 pm – Girls Tennis vs. Wachusett Regional High @ Algonquin
• 4:00 pm – Boys Baseball vs. Shepherd Hill Regional High @ Algonquin
• 4:00 pm – Boys Tennis vs. Wachusett Regional High @ Wachusett Regional High
• 4:30 pm – Girls Softball vs. North Middlesex @ North Middlesex
• 4:30 pm – Boys Volleyball vs. Nashoba Regional @ Nashoba Regional

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

• 6:00 pm – Girls Lacrosse vs. Grafton High @ Grafton High
• 6:00 pm – Boys Lacrosse vs. Grafton High @ Algonquin

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

• 3:30 pm – Girls Golf* vs Auburn High School @ Auburn High Pakachoag Golf Course
• 4:00 pm – Boys Tennis vs. Westborough @ Westborough
• 4:00 pm – Boys Baseball vs. Westborough @ Westborough
• 4:00 pm – Girls Outdoor Track & Field vs. Shepherd Hill Regional High @ Algonquin
• 4:00 pm – Boys Outdoor Track & Field vs. Shepherd Hill Regional High @ Algonquin
• 4:00 pm – Giris Tennis vs. Westborough @ Algonquin
• 4:30 pm – Girls Softball vs. Oakmont Regional @ Oakmont Regional
• 6:30 pm – Boys Rugby vs. Milton @ Milton

Thursday, April 16, 2026

• 3:30 pm – Girls Golf* vs Notre Dame Academy @ Westborough Country Club
• 4:00 pm – Boys Volleyball vs. Wachusett Regional High @ Algonquin
• 4:00 pm – Girls Tennis vs. Advanced Math && Science Academy Charter @ Algonquin
• 4:00 pm – Girls Lacrosse vs. Wachusett Regional High @ Wachusett Regional High
• 6:00 pm – Boys Lacrosse – Boys vs Wachusett Regional High @ Algonquin

Friday, April 17, 2026

• 4:00 pm – Boys Tennis vs. Saint John’s High @ Algonquin
• 4:00 pm – Girls Softball vs. Westborough @ Algonquin
• 4:00 pm – Boys Volleyball vs. Doherty Memorial High @ Doherty Memorial High
• 6:00 pm – Girls Rugby vs. Weymouth High @ Algonquin

Patriot’s Day — Monday, April 19, 2026 (no school)

• 1:00 pm – Boys Baseball vs. Saint John’s High @ Algonquin

*Girls Golf is a multi-school co-op program run through Westborough High.

The post The week in ARHS sports appeared first on My Southborough.