Sign up to Run/Walk or Help at the Gobble Wobble 9:57 AM (5 hours ago)

Above: Goofy hats are always welcome on the Turkey Day run. (images cropped from photos by Chris Wraight and flyer)

The 19th annual Gobble Wobble walk and run will take place on Thanksgiving morning.

Registration is already open. And organizers are hoping a flock of volunteers will also sign up to help make their feel good fundraiser run smoothly.

For those not familiar, the Gobble Wobble combines a 5K timed race with a 2 mile family-friendly walk.

The annual event is offered to support “community health, togetherness, and spirit”. But is also the Friends of Rec’s big annual fundraiser. Proceeds help support community recreation (facilities, programs, etc.)

Again, this year, No dogs will be allowed on the course.

The walk and run start at 8:30 am on Thanksgiving (November 27th). Check in at registration begins at 7:00 am, with an early check in also available the day prior — 12:30 – 5:30 pm on Wednesday, November 26th.

Early Bird registration costs are $35 per adult and $25 per child (ages 1-18). (In person registration for the 5K run is higher on Thanksgiving morning.) A discount is available for “Immediate family in same household of 5 or more”.

As always, medals will be awarded for overall Male and Female runners, plus by age group.

And speaking of the honors by age group. . . A special new detail this year for families with children attending Neary School. For just $10, Neary students can sign up for a one-day after school program on Tuesday, November 25th — the Neary Gobble Wobble 5K Prep Run. Kids will use Trottier’s outdoor track for practice. Preregistration is required (and due at least a week prior). You can learn more and sign up here.

As for the Thanksgiving Day event, that course begins and ends outside of Trottier Middle School at 49 Parkerville Road using area roads. For more details or to register, click here.

To volunteer for a shift helping out the day prior to the event or morning of, click here.

Thank you to the sponsors of this year’s event. (See image right.)

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Job listings 5:57 AM (9 hours ago)

The Town of Southborough is recruiting for full time administrative support in the Select Board and Treasurer/Collector’s office. As always, I checked in to find the latest listings for our Southborough and regional public schools.

If you’d like to share your company’s Southborough based job openings in future weeks, email mysouthborough@gmail.com.

To look for previously posted jobs in Southborough, click here.

Town of Southborough

Business Admin for Select Board and Treasurer/Collector (full-time)

The Town of Southborough seeks applicants for a shared position between the two offices. This 34 hours/week benefited position requires a dynamic and diplomatic employee with excellent customer service, superior organizational & astute computer skills.

Candidates should have 3-5 years of progressive administrative experience or related field and advanced experience with MS Office software and social media outlets. Candidates with an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree are preferred. Starting pay range is $30.06-$34.54 per hour.
- Note: Town Meeting approved two changes to non-union Town employees’ Salary Administration Plan (SAP) on Monday night (under Warrant Articles 4 & 5) that positively impact this position but aren’t yet reflected in the posted version of the SAP:
  - The job classification was upgraded to Grade 5 — a consolidation of Business Admin 1 & 2 positions into a single Business Admin classification. (While the posting still states Grade 4 Business Admin 1, the advertised pay does already reflect the upgraded salary range.)
  - Starting vacation benefits is now three weeks per year (Pro-rata) for Town employees (0-7 years).
- Resumes received by November 10, 2025 will receive preference. Click here for more details.
For previously advertised Town opportunities, including part time Regional Public Health Nurse, click here.

Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough (NSBORO)

Here are the new district/Southborough/Algonquin positions listed since my previous post:

Special Education Teacher (Long Term Substitute), Woodward School
Special Education Preschool Teacher (Long Term Substitute), Finn School
Technical Support Specialist, NSBORO Schools
Boys and Girls Winter Indoor Track Assistant Coach, Algonquin Regional High School Athletics
Coordinator for Special Projects, NSBORO Schools Superintendent’s Office

For other NSBORO opportunities (previously advertised or in Northborough K-8 schools) click here. [Note: The schools advertise the need substitute positions throughout the school year for teaching, food services, cafeteria, custodians, and nursing.]

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Guys & Dolls next week 28 Oct 1:54 PM (yesterday, 1:54 pm)

Above: Curtain Up’s cast is in rehearsals to entertain the community next week with a “high energy feel-good musical”. (images cropped from Instagram)

Curtain Up will return to the Trottier stage next week with another musical production. This time, area residents are getting ready to croon and dance as 50s era “Guys & Dolls”.

Organizers promote:

Join us for an unforgettable ride through 1950s New York City, where high-stakes gamblers, dazzling showgirls, and unlikely romances collide!

Guys and Dolls follows the charming but irresponsible Sky Masterson, who takes a bet that he can woo the straight-laced mission worker Sarah Brown. Meanwhile, lovable gambler Nathan Detroit tries to keep his long-running craps game afloat—while dodging both the police and his fiancée of 14 years, the ever-patient Miss Adelaide.

Packed with unforgettable songs like “Luck Be a Lady” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” this Tony Award-winning classic is a hilarious and heartwarming tale of love, luck, and the thrill of the gamble.

Evening performances will be held Thursday, November 6th through Saturday, November 8th at 7:00 pm. The run will end with a 2:00 pm matinee on Sunday, November 9th.

Purchase tickets here for $10/child, $15/senior, and $20/adult.
TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased on our website here

They asked me to share thanks with local Southborough sponsors including Middlesex Bank, Southborough Community Fund, Main Street Bank, Annie Phaff REALTOR, McDonald and Associates, and Haranis & Company.

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Town Meeting voters supported both zoning Articles 28 Oct 1:29 PM (yesterday, 1:29 pm)

Above: Last night, two Articles were about zoning changes, but most voters were focused on the business the first Article was targeted to attract to town. (Images from Costco promotions and Planning Board handout)

According to Town Clerk Jim Hegarty, 801 voters checked into last night’s Special Town Meeting. That’s the 4th highest turnout in the past 25 years of Town Meetings. (The third highest was this past May.)

There 18 more voters than votes cast on the Article that drew a crowd. But it wasn’t the only Article that every Town Meeting attendee cared about. According to the Town “several” voters arrived after Article 1 was voted on. It’s also possible that some voters left that decision to voters who were more passionate about the issue than they were.

Today, my recap of last night’s Special Town Meeting will focus on the two zoning articles that passed. (Look for other meeting highlights in a post tomorrow.)

Article 1 for Highway Major Retail Use

Select Board Member Al Hamilton made the presentation I previewed in prior coverage. He emphasized the need to attract more commercial development to help ease residents’ tax burdens. He called the effort to work with the developer and business an important “first step”. He summed up “when opportunity knocks, you got to open the door.”

Matt Probst told voters that when voters answer the annual survey for the Town (issued by the committee he chairs), they ask to attract grocery stores, retail and restaurants. He said that Consumer Reports Costco has best prices in the area, and touted their pharmacy prices, hearing aids, and food court. As for impact on small businesses, he said that he buys discounted supplies from his small business from Costco, which has a dedicated visa for small businesses. And he noted that other towns compete to attract a Costco by waiving taxes.

Karen Shimkus asked Town Counsel how they could be sure that zoning to allow the use only on the parcel at 21 Coslin Drive is legal. Attorney Elizabeth Leiden responded that overlaying an additional zoning use is legal, as long as the Town can establish that there is “a legitimate interest” in the use and it’s not arbitrary. The Planning Board’s report supports that. Upon further questioning, she referred to, then listed case precedents that support the legal opinion.

Shimkus pushed, how could we know the Town wouldn’t be sued by the owner of another Industrial Park zoned parcel for it being prejudicial zoning? She answered, “you can never guarantee that you won’t be sued with anything”.

Answering other concerns that Shimkus raised about traffic and infrastructure, Hamilton reminded that those are the types of details that are considered during the special permit process by the zoning authority. (In this instance, that’s the Planning Board.)

Jack Bartolini said he believed one reason it wasn’t spot zoning was because it also applied to abutting properties, though at a smaller scale. Planning Chair Meme Lutrell clarified that the new Highway Major Retail Use is just at the one lot, but ancillary uses are allowed on abutting lots. (To be clear, the new use would allow permitting a business with a minimum 125,000 gross square feet at 21 Coslin Drive, while permitted abutting parcel retail/restaurant use would be capped at 50,000 sq ft.)

Elyse Ocnos, who grew up in town, worried about impacts to mom and pop stores that “donate to our schools” and town and whether a liquor license would be taken from one of them. She also worried about the safety impact on biking and walking in the area of the south side of Parkerville Road. She lamented the Town’s lack of action in doing anything to make “that side safer over the years”:

Is it going to be have to somebody gets hit unfortunately to now make it so we do something about the epic traffic that’ll be going through those side roads to get there so they bypass Route 9?

Hamilton’s responses included that the permit process requires conducting traffic studies, Town Meeting voters may be asked to vote on a future liquor license, and that “we cannot freeze the way the town is.”

Jim Colleary, a “4th generation” townie spoke about the deterioration of the Town and the need to bring in more tax revenue to fund the things we need, like a new school. He spoke about the people who can’t afford to downsize in town because of the tax rate. And he summed up:

if we don’t get it in our head then you better be very wealthy, or I said was willing to say, “Put up shut up and write the check,” because that’s where we’re going.

Brian Thornock told voters that he and his family had relocated to Southborough last summer from a small suburb outside of Austin, Texas. He recapped his experience from when a Costco was built about 1½ miles from his old home. He said that the community had similar worries as those voiced last night. But in the five years that Costco was a neighbor, the traffic was less than feared, and there was an “overwhelmingly positive experience” including bringing in “the types of businesses” to his area that wouldn’t before. He followed:

you’d get the weekend rush on a Saturday at 11:00 a.m. where everybody shows up to Costco from the outlying 20 miles. But the benefit is you had everyone from those outlying 20 miles coming in and spending money in your suburb, in your little town, which went a really long way towards providing for the things that we needed. . .

if we kill the zoning now, we guarantee that we cannot have that opportunity in the future. If we pass the zoning tonight, all we’re saying is that we now get a chance to see what gets brought to the table later on by the interested parties.

As I wrote last night, the zoning passed 771 to 12.

Article 9 – ADU Bylaw Update

Planning Board Member Marnie Hoolahan made the board’s presentation on their proposed changes to eliminate discrepancies between the Town bylaws and state laws for by right Accessory Dwelling Units.

She also mentioned that the changes lifted a cap on the number of units allowed by Special Permit. Upon questioning, she explained that was in the spirit of the state law to encourage people to add more housing options. And she noted that the Town hadn’t been tracking the number that were previously approved.

Michael Carroll suggested that in the future the Town should track it. Hoolahan quipped, “Many things we need to track in this town.”

Zoning Board of Appeals Member Michael Robbins raised to voters the potential to use the bylaw change to improve upon the state law by increasing the size of ADU permits allowed by right for smaller homes. He acknowledged that people can still seek a Special Permit, but felt the current law adversely affects smaller homes by not allowing them to have the 900 sq feet that larger homes are entitled to, and he believed less likely to need.

Hoolahan said that she was willing to consider a zoning overhaul to make improvements, but believed that should be done in the future through public hearings and discussions. Robbins replied that he didn’t have an issue with that approach.

The Article passed overwhelmingly. (Under the state law for the ADUs, the compliant zoning change didn’t require a 2/3 vote, so the clickers weren’t used.)

Updated (10/29/25 8:40 am): My second mention of the address accidentally stated Highland St instead of Coslin Drive. I guess I went on autopilot from writing about so many Southborough Rec programs! Sorry!

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Missing them? 28 Oct 7:43 AM (yesterday, 7:43 am)

Someone reached out to me to alert readers about a Beagle discovered in Westborough ten days ago whose owner still hasn’t been located. She wondered if he could have come from Southborough.

Since I’m sharing that news, I decided to check if any other dogs had been reported found in directly bordering towns in the past month. It appears a Husky was found in Framingham. So I’m sharing details and pics on both.

The Facebook page for Missing Dogs Massachusetts is seeking to find the missing owners of the following two dogs. Please call 774-556-4713 if you have information about either:

The Beagle was located in the area of Lyman/South St near the Westborough Wildlife Management Area on October 18th. He is about 3 years old and 30 lbs with Black with white paws and belly.

The message I received also included the following two pics:

The Husky was located on October 2nd in the area of Old Connecticut Path near Walgreens in Framingham. It’s a black & white female adult, about 50 lbs.

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Obituary: Margo L. “Findley” Walter, 89 28 Oct 5:00 AM (yesterday, 5:00 am)

[The obituary is being reshared now that the funeral arrangements are complete.]

Margo (Findley) Walter, died peacefully at home on October 4, 2025, at the age of 89.

Born on August 16, 1936, in Des Moines, Iowa, Margo was the daughter of Orville and Maxine Findley. She grew up as the oldest of six children, graduated from Martensdale Community School, and attended Drake University.

Margo married the love of her life, Jacob (Jake) J Walter, in 1955 and after living in Northborough, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Illinois, they settled in Southborough in 1966. They shared 67 wonderful years together before Jake’s passing in 2023. Together, they raised six children, who were the joy and pride of Margo’s life. She was known for her warm heart, quick wit, and boundless generosity. Her home was always open, her table always full, and her love unconditional.

Margo was a compassionate and spiritual woman. After losing her mother to cancer, she spent years volunteering to drive cancer patients to and from appointments. She had a passion for books, movies, storytelling, music and travel. She enjoyed her annual trips with Jake to summer at Cape Cod and winter in Arizona, and especially travelling to the south of France. She enjoyed the absurd and silly things in life and passed that on to her kids and grandkids who will forever remember the eccentric movies she introduced them to.

She is preceded in death by her husband Jake, her parents, her brother John and daughter-in-law Kristin. She is survived by her siblings Jim and Sherry Findley of IA; Dennis and Marie Findley of AZ; Nancy Sells of IA; KC and Holly Findley of MO; and her children Conan Walter and his wife, Mary of Southborough, Timothy Walter of TX; Caitlin Walter of Southborough; Robert Walter and his wife, Jennifer of Westford; Susanna Walter and her partner Jose Ayala of Waltham; Jacob Walter and his wife, DenaRae of Southborough; sixteen grandchildren; four great-grandchildren.

Visiting Hours for Margo will be held on Friday, November 7, 2025, from 4:00-6:00PM at the Morris-Johnston Funeral Home, 40 Main St., Southborough, MA 01772. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 11:30AM at St. Matthew Church, 105 Southville Rd., Southborough, MA. A graveside service will follow at Southborough Rural Cemetery, 11 Cordaville Rd., Southborough, MA.

Memorial contributions may be sent in Margo’s memory to Friends of the Southborough Library, 25 Main Street, Southborough, MA 01772 or at https://southborough.cwmars.org/friends

May that make up for a lifetime of late library loans!

(Photo and Obituary via Morris-Johnston Funeral Home)

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Town Meeting Recap 27 Oct 6:04 PM (yesterday, 6:04 pm)

783 Special Town Meeting Voters weighed in on a zoning change that would allow Costco to seek a special permit to open a store at 21 Coslin Drive. Only 12 of them opposed the change proposed under Article 1.

The meeting started about 30 minutes late to allow voters who were still arriving to check in. But the discussion for Article one only took about a half hour, and the count was in by around 8:05 pm.

Following the vote, a flood of voters left the building. By the time the final vote of the night was tallied, only 346 residents were still using their clickers.

The Select Board moved to postpone Article 2. They explained that their recommendation to change how the Golf Course revolving fund is handled will wait for the spring to allow their Golf Course Committee to first come up with a 5-10 year capital plan.

From there Articles 3 to 9 passed with flying colors. There were a few comments and questions, but things moved pretty rapidly.

Only Article 10 proved to be controversial. Most commenters said they admired the goals of the Select Board in proposing a committee to come up with recommendations to make Town Government more efficient and “democratic”, including potential changes to Town Meetings. The debate was about the proposed approach.

A motion by Desiree Aselbekian to indefinitely postpone the Article passed 211-133. The meeting adjourned shortly after 9:00 pm.

I’ll provide more detail on the discussions around Articles 1 and 10 in a future post.

The post Town Meeting Recap appeared first on My Southborough.

Special Town Meeting Tonight 27 Oct 12:49 PM (2 days ago)

I’ve posted plenty about tonight’s meeting, but I just want to give a last minute reminder with links to relevant information.

The Special Town Meeting opens 6:30 pm at Trottier Middle School auditorium, 49 Parkerville Road. Article 1 has had the most buzz. (That’s the one that is intended to allow Costco to apply for a special permit to open a store in Town.) But there are also nine other Articles up for a vote.

The Articles on the Warrant are:

1. Amend Zoning Code – Add Highway Major Retail Use

2. Amend Town Code – Golf Revolving Funds

3. Appropriation for former Atwood Water Tank Site Remediation

4. Amend Town Code – Personnel Bylaw, Consolidation of BA Classification

5. Amend Town Code – Personnel Bylaw, Vacation Accrual

6. Appropriation for Market Adjustment for Tenured Non-Union Employees

7. Appropriation of Cable Funds for McAuliffe Hearing Room

8. Appropriation of Cable Funds for SAM Operating Budget

9. Amend Zoning Code – Update ADU

10. Creation of Governance Committee

Click links for:

my overview of the Articles
related coverage and letters
the Town’s dedicated page with handouts and other details
and the Advisory Committee’s report to voters

The post Special Town Meeting Tonight appeared first on My Southborough.

The week in sports 27 Oct 12:38 PM (2 days ago)

Here are my highlights from Algonquin varsity sports competitions last week and the schedule for this week.

The end of the regular season is almost here. Only Titans Soccer and Football have games on the schedule for this week.

Football scored its second win of the season last Friday, They beat Shrewsbury 32-21 in the Homecoming Game. They’ll travel to play Wachusett on Halloween night.

Boys Soccer improved its record last week with two wins (4-1 over Marlborough and 2-0 over Acton Boxborough) and a tie (1-1 with Nashoba). They’re now ranked #33 for D1. The good news is that even if they tank their game tomorrow, they’ll qualify for post-season play.

Girls Soccer lost to Auburn last week 0-2, but beat Tahanto 1-0 in their second win of the season. That update their record to 2-9-6. They’re currently ranked #30 for D1. As long as they can avoid slipping three slots in the rankings, they should make the tourneys this fall.

Field Hockey and Girls Volleyball are waiting for Division 1 state tournaments to be posted tomorrow. (As of Friday morning, it looks like Girls Volleyball will have made the tourneys by the skin of their teeth, and Field Hockey’s place in the brackets is secure.) If either team is scheduled to play before next Monday, I’ll post an update later this week.

Here are the ARHS varsity games on tap for this week¹:

[Note: Tickets for any Home Games which require them are sold here. (Some away game tickets may be found here.)]

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

6:00 pm – Boys Soccer vs. Chelmsford @ Chelmsford High
6:00 pm – Girls Soccer vs. Douglas High @ Algonquin

Friday, October 31, 2025

7:00 pm – Boys Football vs. Wachusett @ Wachusett Regional

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

Pumpkin Stroll 2025 Photo Gallery 27 Oct 11:55 AM (2 days ago)

Above: Once again, the community showed off its talent at converting pumpkins into fun art exhibits. (photos by Beth and Joao Melo)

Last night, Southborough Rotary and the Friends of the Southborough Library put on a rescheduled Pumpkin Stroll. The event drew a crop of more than 100 jack o’lanterns and decorated gourds, and a great crowd to admire them.

Below are my favorites and ones I found the most striking (including creepy). (You can see all of them on my Facebook post here.)