Boxborough News is committed to independent, neutral reporting of town news and information
Next Week at Town Hall
On Tuesday September 17, the Finance Committee will hold a hybrid meeting starting at 7 p.m. They will discuss the actual versus budgeted amounts in the FY24 budget as well as the FY25 Dashboard budget process and enrollment in the vocational schools.
Click here for a list of all agendas for the upcoming week, including Zoom links.
Visit boxborough-ma.gov for other calendar and agenda items.
This Week's News
(12-Sep-24) At their meeting on August 29, the Boxborough Economic Development Committee (EDC) voted to open the third and final round of the Boxborough Business Grant Program, a program funded by Boxborough’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) appropriation that provides up to $20,000 in matching funds as a forgivable loan to small Boxborough businesses that meet the requirements of the program.
The committee issued a revised Notice of Funding Available (NOFA) and will accept applications on a rolling basis through October 31. It is expected that $20,000 to $40,000 will be available for this final round of the program...
(11-SEP-24) At their meeting on Monday, September 9, the Boxborough Select Board authorized the Boxborough Conservation Commission to accept land donations to the town by two Boxborough property owners. The first donation is a 0.52-acre parcel at 654 Rear Hill Road, offered by Margaret Delano. The second donation is a 0.92-acre parcel at 342 Hill Road and a 0.57 acre parcel at 342 Rear Hill Road, offered by the Estate of John R. Erikson. Both land donations are adjacent to existing conservation land.
The Town Administrator presented the calendar for the 2025 Annual Town Meeting (ATM), expected to commence on Monday, May 12, 2025. Per the calendar, the 2025 ATM warrant will open for articles on November 12 and close on December 9, with final warrant article language due February 13. The Select Board approved the calendar unanimously. The town is also planning to hold a Special Town Meeting on February 10, 2025...
(11-SEP-24) At their meeting on September 5, the School Committee conducted a “first read” of the School Resource Officer (SRO) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). A “first read” allows the Committee to discuss and ask questions before they are expected to vote.
In December 2023, after a year of work by an SRO subcommittee, the School Committee voted to continue the SRO program and authorized Superintendent Peter Light to negotiate an MOU with the Acton Police Department. The School Committee also voted a set of recommendations, developed by the subcommittee, to be incorporated into the MOU...
(updated 12-SEP-24) On Thursday, September 5, the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health (NABH) announced that the Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) risk was raised to “high” in Boxborough, as well as in neighboring NABH towns of Ayer, Littleton, and Harvard.
On Friday September 6, Boxborough Town Administrator Michael Johns made several announcements about closures of town property: the transfer station will close at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning September 11, and town fields, including Flerra Field, Fifer’s Field, and Liberty Field, will be closed from dusk to dawn. In coordination with Blanchard School Principal Michael Votto, the town also announced the closure of the Blanchard School fields from dusk to dawn...
(5-SEP-24) The Acton-Boxborough School Committee is seeking parents, students, educators, and community members to serve on a new Elementary Budget Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force will work with consulting firm New Solutions K12 to “review, endorse, and validate information” gathered by the consultant and “recommend to the school committee 2-3 priority options for budget strategies that balance the needs of our students, staff, and taxpayers.”
The Task Force will meet five times between October 8 and December 10, and will present final recommendations to the School Committee on December 19...
(5-SEP-24) At their meeting at Town Hall on August 15, the Boxborough Housing Board (BHB) discussed roof replacements at Boxborough Meadows, the recent availability of an affordable home, and the town’s Rental Assistance Program.
The Homeowner Opportunity for Preservation Extension program (HOPE), a program designed to assist the owners of affordable homes with the preservation of their aging units, will undertake its first project in mid-September: the replacement of roofs of affordable units in Boxborough Meadows...
(5-SEP-24) After opening the Boxborough Planning Board meeting on August 26, the Board voted to meet in executive session to discuss pending litigation pertaining to a violation of the stormwater bylaw at 984 Massachusetts Avenue. The Board returned to open session and reopened the public hearing for 50 Taylor Farm Road, which had been continued from August 5. Glen Kaufmann, the owner of the property, was seeking the necessary approvals to build another home on Taylor Farm Road. After the public hearing was reopened, Kaufmann requested to withdraw the application without prejudice, and the Planning Board voted unanimously to accept the withdrawal and close the public hearing...
(5-SEP-24) On August 20, the Water Resources Committee (WRC) held a virtual meeting to interview Weston and Sampson to discuss their proposal that had been submitted in response to the WRC's RFP for "Townwide Water Resources Planning Services."
According to the RFP description on the town website, the town solicited “proposals from licensed professionals for the development of a town-wide water resource plan… that will address long-term water and wastewater needs.”...
Community
(16-Sep-24) The Boxborough Council on Aging (COA) will again host its popular MBTA Senior CharlieCard signup on Monday, October 21 at the Boxborough Community Center. There will be an MBTA info session from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., with the CharlieCard signup from 2:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. Attendees may attend either or both activities.
Available free to those 65 and older, the cards entitle holders to half-price fares on all T transportation. So, for example, a Commuter Rail round-trip between South Acton and North Station, regularly $21, is only $10.50 with a Senior CharlieCard...
(16-Sep-24) A Friend in Need (AFIN) is a small, all-volunteer organization dedicated to offering financial aid to people in need. AFIN’s mission is to offer one-time financial help to people with significant and compelling need in the greater Acton/Boxborough/Maynard area.
The idea for AFIN came about in the early 1990s when a teenage boy and his mother had a serious discussion about a concern of his. He had noticed that some neighbors were having a hard time financially and wondered what could be done to help.
His mother shared these concerns with others, and two of her friends offered to help. One of those people was Gladys Foreman of South Acton Congregational Church (SACC). Within a short time, Gladys became a force behind AFIN...
Perkins Woods Sargent Rd Ribbon cutting Sept 23 2024-BUS.pdf(12-SEP-24) On Monday, September 23, the town will celebrate the protection of Boxborough’s newest conservation land at 95-105 Sargent Road, “Perkins Woods,” with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m.
Speakers will include Tom Bieber of the Boxborough Conservation Trust, Becky Harris of the Town of Boxborough, Owen Neville of the Boxborough Agricultural Commission, Sam Anderson of the Boxborough Conservation Commission, and Meredith Houghton of the Sudbury Valley Trustees.
The ceremony will be followed by a walk of the trails...
Adventure IRL Flyer Boxborough 7.23.24.pdf
(10-Sep-24) The Acton Boxborough Family Network (ABFN) has announced a discounted membership rate for new families through October 15, as well as the date of their Annual Halloween Spooktacular–October 26.
ABFN is a non-profit group of local parents working together to increase and improve local resources for families with young children. More than 200 families in Acton, Boxborough, and neighboring towns are active members of ABFN, and the group is managed by roughly 25 volunteer board members...
(10-Sep-24) The League of Women Voters – Acton Area chapter (LWV-AA) will be participating in a National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) voter registration event at the Sargent Memorial Library in Boxborough on Tuesday September 17, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
League members and Acton-Boxborough high school student volunteers from the “Dear Asian Youth” organization will be available to assist eligible voters who want to register to vote or update their registration if they have moved...
(10-Sep-24) Registration is live for three Boxborough Recreation programs available to students this fall. Registration information can be found on https://boxboroughma.myrec.com.
JUMP’s “Adventure IRL (In Real Life)” is a five-week outdoor program for fourth through sixth graders that focuses on naturalist and outdoor skills. The program will take place on five consecutive Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. on September 12, 19, 26, and October 3 and 10. Participants will meet on the lawn of the Sargent Memorial Library at 427 Massachusetts Ave. The cost is $125 per student...
(5-SEP-24) On Friday, September 13, the Boxborough Grange will host a “Harvest Night,” including an educational program and sunflower contest, at 7 p.m. at Boxborough Town Hall, 29 Middle Road.
All are welcome to attend this free program and bring their largest sunflower bloom for the contest.
The educational program will be a talk on “seed saving” presented by Gretel Anspach, a Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association...
(4-Sep-24) Boxborough, MA: On Sunday, September 15, the Boxborough and Acton Democratic Town Committees will host their 37th annual picnic and food drive. Local elected officials as well as candidates for elected office are expected to attend.
The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Boxborough Community Center at 30 Middle Road, Boxborough...
(4-Sep-24) The Boxborough Company of Minutemen will hold a Company meeting on Sunday, September 15 at the Boxborough Community Center at 30 Middle Road starting at 8 p.m. For information, please contact Captain Bob Lucas at captain@boxboroughminutemen.org, or
978-263-1540.
The Boxborough Minutemen Company is open to anyone of least 18 years of age, regardless of gender or town of residence, who is interested in service to the Town and/or perpetuating the memory of the Minutemen of 1775. You do not need to be a marcher or revolutionary war re-enactor to join the Company...
Outside the Box
Looking for more local news? Curious about issues and events outside of our ten square miles? Our new “Outside the Box” page points you to community newspapers in surrounding towns:
The Acton Exchange
The Harvard Press
The Stow Independent
The Westford CAT
The Concord Bridge
Carlisle Mosquito
The Groton Herald
We look forward to connecting and collaborating more with these publications in the coming year!