On the market this week

by susan on May 17, 2012

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Above: This home at 5 Peggy Lane went on the market for $599,000 (MLS photo)

Here’s what went on and off the market this week. Thanks to Doug McClain (email) of Century 21 Commonwealth Realty for supplying the listing information.

New on the market

Sale pending

  • 30 Meeting House Lane (map) – 8 room, 2 bed, 2f 1h bath Townhouse – 75 days on market, Listed at $489,900
  • 37 Carriage Hill Cir (map) – 8 room, 2 bed, 2f 1h bath Townhouse – 416 days on market, Listed at $525,000
  • 15 Pine Hill Road (map) – 7.09 Residential acres – 149 days on market, Listed at $899,900

Sold

  • 149 Southville Road (map) – 4 room, 2 bed, 1f 0h bath Ranch – 59 days on market, Listed at $150,000, Sold for $155,000
  • 35 Oak Hill Rd (map) – 15 room, 5 bed, 3f 1h bath Colonial – 315 days on market, Listed at $1,225,000, Sold for $1,100,000
  • 8 Metcalf Lane (map) – 12 room, 4 bed, 4f 1h bath Colonial – 411 days on market, Listed at $1,299,000, Sold for $1,200,000

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Post image for Neil Simon comedy opens at Algonquin on Thursday

Above: Algonquin students rehearse “The Good Doctor” (contributed photo)

The Algonquin spring play opens on Thursday, and this year’s selection is Neil Simon’s comedy “The Good Doctor.” Directed by Algonquin English teacher Tom Alera, the show features Zach Lusk, Alex Lafreniere, Brittany Price, Max Ludwig, Sarah Gittins, and Andy Hamilton.

Here’s a synopsis of the show from Amazon.com:

This Broadway hit is a composite of Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov. In one sketch a harridan storms a bank and upbraids the manager for his gout and lack of money. In another, a father takes his son to a house where he will be initiated into the mysteries of sex, only to relent at the last moment and leave the boy more perplexed than ever. In another sketch, a crafty seducer goes to work on a wedded woman, only to realize that the woman has been in command from the first overture. Let us not forget the classic tale of a man who offers to drown himself for three rubles. The stories are droll, the portraits affectionate, the humor infectious and the fun unending.

Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00 pm in Algonquin’s Small Performance Theater. Tickets are $7, or $10 for a show ticket plus three raffle tickets. You can reserve your seat by emailing ARHStickets@gmail.com.

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Every year our school committees vote on whether to allow out-of-district students to attend our schools as part of the state’s school choice program. The K-8 School Committee has never voted to accept the option in the past, and this year was no different.

The school choice program enables a district to allow out-of-district students to attend their schools. Students are chosen by lottery and once accepted, are entitled to stay in the district throughout their schooling, regardless of whether the district decides not to take part in school choice in the future.

If it participated in the program, Southborough would receive a maximum of $5K per student in tuition, with more funding provided for those students requiring special education services. Superintendent Charles Gobron said the tuition payment doesn’t come close to covering the cost of educating a student in the K-8 district.

In recommending against adopting school choice, Gobron also said given current class sizes, the schools don’t have room for out-of-district students.

“We don’t have room without adding additional staff,” Gobron told the School Committee at a public hearing last week. “It would negate any financial gain.”

The School Committee agreed and voted unanimously not to take part in the program.

“If we’re considering closing a school, it would be almost irresponsible to bring in students through school choice,” School Committee member Kathleen Harragan Polutchko said, referencing the ongoing debate about whether to close one of Southborough’s four schools in response to declining enrollment.

The Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee is expected to vote on whether to open up Algonquin for school choice at a meeting tomorrow night. While the K-8 School Committee has always opposed the option, the Regional School Committee has been more open to the idea, going so far as to form a study group to evaluate the pros and cons.

They’ll vote after a state-mandated public hearing on the topic at their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday. You can see their full agenda here.

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It’s competition season for Trottier music ensembles, and as they have in past years, the groups are earning accolade after accolade: honorable mention at the University of New Hampshire’s prestigious Jazz Festival in March. Silver at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductor’s Association last month.

But Trottier Music Director Jamie Clark says for his student musicians, it’s never been about the medals. And that’s particularly true this year after the death of band member Eric Green earlier this year.

“We did not want to go in there and ‘win this for Eric’,” Clark said of the school’s recent performance at MICCA. “We wanted to go in and do our best, which is exactly how Eric approached things…We felt we honored Eric and his memory and the way he lived his life.”

Clark said music has helped his students cope with the loss of their classmate. A seventh grader at Trottier and trumpet player in the school’s Big Band and concert band, Eric passed away suddenly after a seizure at home in January.

“We’re a very close-knit group. It was devastating in January,” Clark said. “The way they have rallied around each other has been phenomenal.”

Clark said Eric was a popular student among his peers. “He was quiet until he laughed. He had one of those laughs that made you laugh.”

In honor of Eric, the Trottier musicians donned small bits of green when they took the stage at MICCA: green ties gracing concert attire, green ribbons woven in hair and around instruments.

Clark said all three Trottier ensembles that performed at MICCA – the 7th and 8th Grade Concert Band, 6th Grade Concert Band, and Orchestra – performed incredibly well. Each ensemble earned a silver medal from the judges.

“It wasn’t about the getting gold. They felt they were doing this one for us, and Eric was part of us,” Clark said. “They’re proud of themselves and of us as a family. They’re just remarkable people.”

The Trottier Big Band will perform this afternoon, and the Stage Band tomorrow, in the Massachusetts Association of Jazz Educators festival. Both performances start at 3:00 pm in the Trottier auditorium and are open to the public.

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For reason we can debate in the comments, town elections in Southborough don’t have a particularly big draw. At Monday’s election, only 21% of the town’s voting population cast a ballot. Historically speaking that’s about average. Have a look.

(click to enlarge)

 

Since 2000, the average turnout has been 22%. It’s interesting that the turnout was significantly higher from 2000 to 2004 than it has been in recent years. I wasn’t living in town during that time, so I don’t know what was driving turnout. Any theories? Share in the comments below.

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Fire department logs for the week

by susan on May 16, 2012

Tuesday 5/8/12
10:08 Unintentional alarm system activation, Cordaville Road

Wednesday 5/9/12
00:21 Gasoline or other flammable spill, Turnpike Road
06:55 EMS call, Cherry Street
10:04 EMS call, Newton Street
17:02 EMS call, Newton Street
21:42 EMS call, Ramblewood Drive, Ashland
22:40 Carbon monoxide detector activation, no carbon monoxide, Pine Hill Road

Thursday 5/10/12
04:43 Unintentional alarm system activation, Cordaville Road
11:13 EMS call, Southville Road

Friday 5/11/12
01:06 EMS call, Carriage Hill Circle
10:44 EMS call, Boston Post Road, Marlborough
17:31 Vehicle accident with injuries, Turnpike Road

Saturday 5/12/12
No calls reported

Sunday 5/13/12
14:13 Service call, Turnpike Road
17:08 EMS call, Lincoln Street, Hopkinton

Monday 5/14/12
01:26 EMS call, Main Street
01:55 EMS call, Main Street
05:35 Vehicle accident with injuries, Woodland Road
10:06 EMS call, Newton Street
15:23 Unintentional alarm system activation, Deerfoot Road
17:06 Vehicle accident with injuries, Main Street
18:45 Vehicle accident with injuries, 495 North
21:32 EMS call, Leonard Drive

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Open discussion thread: Ask questions, share opinions

May 15, 2012 04:23:51 PM
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The open discussion thread is your place to ask questions, sound off on town issues, or share information with other readers.

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Southborough police logs (5/10/12 – 5/13/12): Rocks thrown through windows and a Porta-Potty accident

May 15, 2012 02:07:43 PM

The latest logs from the Southborough Police Department

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Reminder: NSPAC Go the Distance awards ceremony TONIGHT

May 15, 2012 11:45:05 AM

Tonight the Northborough/Southborough Special Education Parent Advisory Council (NSPAC) will host its second annual Appreciation Awards evening at Algonquin. The organization’s Go the Distance awards recognize those who have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of children with special needs.

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Southborough voters let Boland and Mills keep their seats

May 15, 2012 09:22:52 AM
Thumbnail image for Southborough voters let Boland and Mills keep their seats

It will be another three years on the Board of Selectmen for Bill Boland, who won his reelection bid yesterday. Boland won what in recent days had become a contentious race against challenger Leo Bartolini. Boland got 942 votes (65%) versus Bartolini’s 509 (35%).

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Why flags are at half staff today – Tuesday, May 15

May 15, 2012 07:11:02 AM
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Flags in Southborough and across the nation are flying at half staff today in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week. This is an annual recognition of the sacrifices public safety officers make and the dangers they face in protecting citizens.

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Breaking news: Boland and Mills win at the polls

May 14, 2012 08:57:10 PM

The votes are in, and Bill Boland has won reelection to the Board of Selectman. Boland received 942 votes to challenger Leo Bartolini Jr’s 509. In Southborough’s other contested race, Andrew Mills was awarded a seat on the Planning Board over Sam Stivers by a margin of 903 to 463 votes. Town Clerk Paul Berry

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4th Annual Billy Webber Memorial Golf Tournament to be held June 1

May 14, 2012 04:21:35 PM
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The Fourth Annual Billy Webber Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at Juniper Hill Golf Course in Northborough on Friday, June 1. The tournament is in honor of Southborough’s former police chief William Webber who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in 2008 at the age of 53.

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High school sports this week (5/14/12 – 5/20/12)

May 14, 2012 02:01:48 PM
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Here’s what’s on tap this week in high school sports.

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