With the start of school less than a week away, summer is nearly over for kids in Southborough. Teachers return on Monday, and classes begin on Wednesday, September 2 in all Southborough schools. If you’re a parent scrambling to get organized before the school year starts, here are some links to help you out. All Read the full article → from Some helpful back to school links
News
Board of Selectmen recap
I wasn’t at the Board of Selectmen meeting last night, but the Metrowest Daily News has a recap. Selectment added some new blood to the Municipal Facilities Committee by appointing three new members and nearly doubling the size of the committee to seven. The Municipal Facilities Committee is working on plans for a new police Read the full article → from Board of Selectmen recap
Flags at half staff in honor of Ted Kennedy

Governor Deval Patrick ordered them lowered until further notice in honor of Senator Ted Kennedy who died today after a battle with brain cancer. Read the full article → from Flags at half staff in honor of Ted Kennedy
What the fire department has been up to
Tuesday 8/18/09 10:14 EMS call, Alexandra Circle 10:15 Unintentional smoke detector activation (no fire), Presidential Drive 15:01 Vehicle fire, Turnpike Road 15:13 Unintentional smoke detector activation (no fire), Main Street 17:58 Vehicle accident with injuries, Main Street 22:29 EMS call, Pine Hill Road Wednesday 8/19/09 14:50 Smoke detector activation due to malfunction, Village Path Pt Read the full article → from What the fire department has been up to
Senior picnic tomorrow with Rep. Carolyn Dykema
Representative Dykema will host her annual Senior Picnic tomorrow from noon until 2:00 pm at the New England Laborer’s Training Center located at 7 Laborers Way in Hopkinton (map). There will be food, entertainment, and the chance for prizes, including gift certificates from area restaurants. Seniors interested in attending should contact the Senior Center at Read the full article → from Senior picnic tomorrow with Rep. Carolyn Dykema
Business relocates, leaves vacancy downtown
For a while now, FitSense Technology has occupied the red building at 21 Boston Road between Lamy Insurance and Falconi Bros. Just recently the company jumped ship and moved to Westborough. I’ve always thought that property was a prime piece of downtown real estate. I have no information on the owner and what plans he Read the full article → from Business relocates, leaves vacancy downtown
Report: Ten percent of Southborough property is tax-exempt
The Metrowest Daily News did an article on PILOT contributions in Metrowest towns, Southborough included. The article presents some interesting figures I haven’t seen elsewhere: Southborough has $2.2 billion worth of taxed properties and $243 million worth of tax-exempt properties. If I did my math right — all those zeros make me dizzy — that means Read the full article → from Report: Ten percent of Southborough property is tax-exempt
Special town meeting in September to feature some big issues
I’ve mentioned it before, but here’s your official save the date for the special town meeting this fall. It will be held on Tuesday, September 29 at 7:00 pm at Trottier, so get your babysitters lined up. There are 15 articles on the warrant, several of them — like purchasing a new ladder truck — are Read the full article → from Special town meeting in September to feature some big issues
Southborough school bus routes posted
Figure out when you need to get the kids out the door. The 2009-2010 bus routes (.pdf) for Algonquin, Trottier, Neary, Woodward, and Finn have been posted on the school district website. (Did you know Algonquin pick-up starts at 6:35 am? All I can say is – yikes.) You can also check out an electronic Read the full article → from Southborough school bus routes posted
The week in government
Here’s the list of meetings for the week. On Tuesday, selectmen meet to discuss the salary range for the new police chief, among other items. The Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday talk about Woodland Meadows. Also on Wednesday, the Police Chief Search Committee meets in an executive session (closed to the public). Applications for Read the full article → from The week in government
Getting real about 150 Cordaville Road
When the news broke that the building at 150 Cordaville Road was up for sale and town officials were eying it as a potential public safety building, many of you on this blog were excited about the prospect. But while selectmen have asked the Municipal Facilities Committee to evaluate the feasibility of purchasing 150 Cordaville Read the full article → from Getting real about 150 Cordaville Road
Sports tryouts, band camp, freshmen orientation and more at Algonquin
The Algonquin Parent Teacher Organization (APTO) passed along some important start-of-year dates. You can find more information on preparations for the school year — along with advice especially for freshmen and their parents — in the APTO August newsletter. 8/24 – Sports physicals, 8:00 am 8/24 – Football tryouts, 8:00 am 8/24-26 – Band camp, 6:00 Read the full article → from Sports tryouts, band camp, freshmen orientation and more at Algonquin
Another day, another power outage
My house was one of about 360 in Southborough that lost power this afternoon. The electricity went out at around 4:20 and came back shortly before 5:00. Perhaps it was all those air conditioners running at full blast. I’ve complained before about the number of power outages we have in Southborough. A while ago I Read the full article → from Another day, another power outage
Tough questions about a new ladder truck
One of the items you’ll get to vote on at the special town meeting next month is whether to appropriate money for a new ladder truck. The precise amount of money and where the funds would come from are still to be determined, but total cost estimates are in the $900K range. About $350K has Read the full article → from Tough questions about a new ladder truck