First Annual Westborough Energy Fair

- An Exhibition
- A Seminar

First Annual Westborough Energy Fair![]() The Westborough Energy Fair 2022 was held on Saturday, April 30th at the Mill Pond School. The Fair was jointly sponsored by Sustainable Westborough and the Rotary Club of Westborough. The Fair had two main focuses:
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Westborough Rotary Club seeks donations to help fund winter lights upgrade![]() By Stuart Foster, Community Advocate Contributing Writer WESTBOROUGH – The Westborough Rotary Club is seeking donations to help fund a new seasonal display of festive winter lighting, which will go up in the downtown area on Nov. 28. The Rotary Club has installed winter lights with the help of the Westborough Department of Public Works (DPW) for the last fifty years. This year, though, it has decided to hire professional decorating company Christmas Décor to help revamp and rework the lighting tradition. “A happy smile, hopefully, will be put on especially the children’s faces,” Rotary Club Lighting Committee Chair Jim O’Connor recently told the Community Advocate. “People will be proud of downtown Westborough, and it couldn’t come at a better time when we’re still struggling with COVID and other issues.” “Hopefully it will be a cheerful note going into the holiday season,” he continued.
O’Conner outlined much of the Rotary Club’s current plan back in March in a presentation to the Select Board. A few months later, in June, the Rotary Club announced a competition to design a new logo for the Winter Lights display. Now, the Rotary Club is beginning its fundraising push to support this new effort. “We are counting on the good graces and the good nature of the citizenry in Westborough and I think they’ll come through full-square,” O’Connor said. The new installation will include decorations on 24 of Westborough’s lamp posts with simulated garland, small white twinkle lights and a red bow by the light at the top of the post. |
WRC Spearheads Revival of Farmers' MarketIn early 2021, when Dismas Farms announced that they were no longer able to support the Westborough Farmers' Market, Heather Abraham of the Westborough Rotary Club (WRC) thought "Someone is going to take care of this; this is not going to just go away." Fast forward to the next Rotary Board Meeting and there it was on the agenda: Helping the Farmers' Market. Like Heather, the 7,000 other Facebook followers of the Westborough Farmers' Market were saddened to hear there would not be the annual town event this year. If you haven't had the chance to stop by the market, Westborough TV covered opening day in 2019 and you can just feel summer in the air. It's a classic New England scene, and one of the great charms of living in Westborough. |
WRC Announces Westborough Winter LightsTHIS IS A TEST It may feel strange to be thinking about the 2021 winter season already, but the Westborough Rotary Club (WRC) has been busy at work with their sights set on plans for the upcoming winter months. Many townsfolk may not know, but the WRC, in combination with the DPW, has been responsible for the downtown winter lights for the past 50 years. A volunteer effort by club members has grown signficantly over the years (as have the trees), and we realized a need for an overhaul. The limitations of our volunteer resources as well as the need for a more polished feel sent the WRC looking for outside help. |
Westborough Rotary Club lends hearts and hands to communities in GuatemalaCourtesy of Community Advocate, Mary Catherine Karcich Generosity and kindness can go a long way, literally. While the Rotary Club of Westborough is dedicated to serving its community, they are also committedtomaking adifference abroad. As part of their international work, the club has been giving backtothecitizensofGuatemala thanks to collaborations with GEMINI (Global Emergency Medicine Initiative) and the help of Jorge Yarzebski, a Rotarian member and native of the country. Over the years, they've sent personnel from UMASS to provide medical services like surgeries to those in need. But it doesn't stop there. In 2019, Rotarians went to install stoves made out of cinder blocks for better ventilation. Guatemalans cook on an open flame on the floor of their homes - similar to a campfire - causing respiratory issues and creating a hazard to children. Now,thanksto these new stoves, people are not getting sick like they used to. Despite the stark differences in what one of these stoves would look like next to something we might buy at our local Home Depot, residents were grateful. "A hands-on approach project affords a new perspective of what we value and what is important in life," said Rotarian David Kaiser. As the old adage goes, 'One man's trash is another man's treasure' |
2020 - 2021 Fundraising AppealWE NEED YOUR HELP and WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! As you know, the past several months have been challenging to say the least. While we are all impacted by and responding to COVID - 19 in different ways, as a charitable organization the Rotary Club of Westborough has had to rethink how we raise funds to serve our Community. Without the ability to gather for in-person events, our fundraising opportunities have been drastically curtailed. We hope you can help! We’re sure you recall the good work we do by way of annual scholarships, youth leadership awards, supporting the Youth & Family Services Holiday Store, lighting downtown Westborough during the holidays, co-sponsoring programs to deal with substance use disorders and mental health issues. And during this pandemic, we’ve provided thousands of pieces of PPE gear to hospitals and first responders. Here’s a brief video that shows what we’ve been up to! [Video link] Without the ongoing support of local business like yours, none of this could be possible. While most businesses sponsor us in amounts ranging from $500-$5000, any amount you are able to contribute is greatly appreciated. We are excited to continue our service to the community. You can count on us to appropriately recognize your generosityat all virtual and in-person events, on our website, social media and all publicity opportunities for the remainder of 2020 and all of 2021. Ways to contribute: You may contribute here by credit card [link] or Mail a check to Rotary Club of Westborough, PO Box 903, Westborough MA 01581. Please include a memo of “2020-2021 Sponsorship”. If you need an invoice, have any other questions, suggestions, or needs, please email us at sponsorship@westboroughrotary.org. Thank you in advance for your support of our work in the Westborough community through your generous giving. |
2021 Rotary Scholarship ApplicationsWestborough High School students have big goals and a lot of hard work ahead of them. If you are headed off to a college, university, or technical/vocation school, we might be able to help you on your journey. This year, the Rotary Club of Westborough is providing up to $10,000 in Scholarship Awards to help with the first year of college for students who have a proven record of service to the community and an established level of academic achievement. The Rotary Club of Westborough’s Scholarships recognizes students who are contributing to a world vision where people unite and take action to create lasting change in our communities and across the globe. Rotary is a place where friends come together to find ways to make a positive impact in our local, national, and world community. In our scholarship application we are seeking your response to the following:
Applications are now being received for scholarships through a Google Form at this link. Any issues or questions regarding this application process may be directed Westborough Rotary's Scholarship Committee by sending an email to scholarships@westboroughrotary.org Deadline for application submission: April 23, 2021. |
2020 Rotary Scholarship RecipientsThe Rotary Club of Westborough is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2020 high school scholarship awards:
The purpose of Westborough Rotary Club scholarships is to recognize students who are contributing to the Rotary vision of a world where people unite and take action creating lasting change in our communities and across the globe. The students selected demonstrated strong academic achievement, leadership in school and community and spoke passionately about service as a key component of their post-high school experience. We congratulate all of these fine young people and wish them health and happiness in all of their future endeavors. ![]() |
Saying Goodbye to Charlotte![]() Contributions in her memory may be sent to the Charlotte Spinney Vision Scholarship, c/o Avidia Bank, 100 East Main St., Westborough, MA 01581 or Bristol First Responders, Bristol Fire Department, New Harbor, ME 04554 |
Nelson Ball - Our Club's Founding Father Interviewed![]() |
Member Spotlight - Peter Gardner![]() Peter is the president of Curry Printing with plants in both Westborough and Worcester. Curry Printing is not only one of the area's leading sources for printed communications, but the company is also a responsible environmental advocate. They have a well-considered Environmental Vision and Management Policy that includes the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset the energy used in their operations. In addition to Rotary, Peter is active in the community and is a board member of the Corridor 9 Chamber of Commerce and Printing Industries of New England. Peter lives in Westborough with his wife Kelly and has four children. |
Dave Kaiser Receives Paul Harris Fellow |
Going Up? Practicing Your Rotary Elevator SpeechMembership is always an important topic for any Club. When our September 12 speaker had to reschedule, membership chair Gary Kelley took the opportunity to address this topic by showing one of the new membership videos produced for Clubs in Zone 32 by Lawrence Furbish, Assistant Rotary Coordinator. For those of you who didn't have the opportunity to see this short but informative video, you can watch it here. Following the video, Gary asked each table to create a Rotary elevator speech. Dave Kaiser stole the moment with a statement that most felt epitomized the essence of Rotary: A place where friends come together to find ways to make a positive impact in our local, national and world community. |
Special Needs & The Four Way Test
As I thought about attending the RI Toronto conference in June I looked to see how accessibility issues were being addressed. What would I confront in terms of getting around and other mobility issues? The short answer is that I could find nothing except welcome comments from some hotels on their in-house accessibility features like grab bars in bathrooms. Rotary was totally silent. I therefore decided to stay home. Some fellow Rotarians repeated what I was told after a multidistrict conference in Providence last year. “You would not have been comfortable there, Ron. Just too much walking that was never described in advance.” |
Congratulations Maureen AmbrosinoWith thanks to the Community Advocate
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Rotarians Distribute Reusable Shopping Bags
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Lakeside Tree Planting and InstallationHaving been frustrated by bad weather several times this year, our hearty club defied high heat and humidity by holding its weekly meeting on the shores of Lake Chauncy to plant trees provided by Rotary International’s Plant a Tree Project. The trees were planted on grounds of the former Westborough State Hospital now owned by the town of Westborough. The opportunity was also taken to install new Rotarian Eileen Turcotte, a Grafton resident with strong international service involvement. Club members enjoyed food provided by Chick-fil-A and an event which addressed beautification, environmental improvement, and membership. ![]() |
The Rotary Wayback Machine |
Westborough Rotary Donates to Rangers on Track![]() |
Take a Deep Breath |
Welcome Scott Secrest & Forrest Musselman![]() ![]() Forrest resides in Southboro and is the CEO and creative director for MindBrew Creative, a brand strategy and design agency specializing in web, print and social media for a broad range of corporate and non-profit entities. In addition to his work with MindBrew, Forrest has volunteered with a number of charitable organizations and has made humanitarian trips to both Haiti and Guatemala. Forrest is shown center stage in the photo at right with Jason Camuti, Kathy Wilfert, Gary Kelley and Club Treasurer Paul Reilly. We're excited to have both Forrest and Scott as part of our Rotary family! |
Westborough Rotary Visits The Boro Program![]() During our visit, several students, including Allie, pictured here at left, told us of their day-to-day experiences at the BORO program. Several students used voice synthesis technology to relate their stories. Activities include cooking, searching for and preparing for job interviews, creating Powerpoint presentations, and reviewing their individual education plans (IEPs). Allie, who was particularly enthusiastic about welcoming her Rotary friends, told us how much she enjoyed interacting with students from other area programs, how she enjoys miniature golf and making quesadillas, and of her success with calculus and other advanced math courses at a local college. Scheduled to open this fall and colocated with the BORO in a dedicated space, The Sugar Shack, an operating commercial candy store, will provide students with vocational experience under the direction of BORO program staff. School officials are currently seeking both financial and advisory support for this aspect of the program. Our members were touched by the students and impressed by both the facility and staff. A committee has been formed to explore opportunities for our Club members to be a part of the BORO program. Contact Shelby Marshall if you'd like to be involved. For more photos of our visit to The BORO Program, please click here. Thanks to Shelby, Ron Goodenow, and Reina Rago for sending these along. |
Jim Tepper Memorial Day Parade Marshall![]() |
Welcome Joe Baldiga![]() |
Eight Scholarships Presented to Graduating SeniorsAt our meeting of May 30, we were pleased to welcome the recipients of the 2018 Westborough Rotary Club Scholarship Awards. This year’s recipients include Anthony Cai, Mariem Girgis, Rachel Bigelow, Johannah Bessell, Max Houle, Pooja Hingorany, Benjamin Riela, James Sommerville. Seven of the students are from Westborough High School and one is a Westborough resident attending Assabet Regional Technical High school. Darrell Potosnak, department head of business and computer science at Westborough High School, helped to present the awards and has assisted us with the scholar selection process for several years. Thank you to Darrell and the scholarship committee and congratulations to all this year’s recipients! ![]() |
Mt. Washington Summit an Inspirational Success![]() Among the highlights, Rotary International President Ian Riseley addressed the conference on Friday evening, underscoring the need for Rotary to adapt to the changing needs of its members in today's busy society. Later in the conference, Riseley's President's Representative, Past RI Director Karen Wentz, introduced Rotarians to Rotary's updated Vision Statement: "Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe and in our communities." ![]() ![]() |