Locals Inducted into West Boylston Athletic Hall of Fame: More than 125 friends and family members gathered at the Franklin Manor on Saturday, November 29 to congratulate and support nine individual athletes and two teams as they were inducted into the West Boylston High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Standout athletes who competed in cross country, football, golf, basketball, or baseball were individually recognized while two field hockey teams were both inducted. 

Individuals inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame were:

Barry Lorge, Class of 1966 for professional sports writing; Mark Wilmot, Class of 1977 for cross country and track & field; Chuck Carelli, Class of 1989 for football, basketball, and baseball; Tim Curran, Class of 1999 for football, basketball, and baseball; Brian Clark, Class of 2002 for golf and basketball; Michael Lynch, Class of 2003 for golf; Cristal Bello, Class of 2007 for basketball; Alexa Hebb, Class of 2007 for soccer and basketball; Michael Cleary, Class of 2009 for golf, basketball, and baseball; Shane Sampson, Class of 2009 for football, basketball, and baseball. 

The 1970 field hockey team was the unbeaten Southern Worcester County League champion with a record of 12-0-2. The 1972 field hockey team was the unbeaten Southern Worcester County League champion with a record of 9-0-3. Both teams, coached by Bonnie Goodale, were inducted based on their undefeated seasons. The 1970 team was the first team to attain an undefeated field hockey season in the school’s history.

“What a wonderful event,” said Nancy Lagerstrom who played goalie for the 1970 field hockey team. “The event was so well organized, and it was great to see so many of my teammates after so many years.” 

Members of the West Boylston High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee who organized the event were Kevin Bjorklund, Ginny Ekblom, Dave Lindberg, Kelli McSweeney, and Rich Riley.

HOLDEN

• Grant Award Announcement. On November 8, Hope Lives Here (HLH) proudly announced it was awarded $10,000 from the MA Female Friends Giving Circle in Natick to start a Young Grievers Group. Last year, HLH started a Teen Grief Support Group, but it did not have the resources for a group for ages 5-11. This has been a longtime goal for board president Sheri Roaf. HLH would like to thank Michele Rosen for nominating Hope Lives Here, and for her moving presentation. The nonprofit now has the funds to make this happen. Stay tuned for more information about this exciting new program coming in 2026.

• Whichway? The Massachusetts Department of Transportation held a public hearing on Wednesday, December 3, at Worcester’s West Tatnuck Elementary School, 300 Mower Street, about a $4 million project that would add 5-foot wide bike lanes and sidewalks to a stretch of Pleasant Street (Route 122) that runs into Paxton. However, Worcester T&G reported it as the stretch running into Holden. Just to clarify, 122A runs from Worcester into Holden; 122 runs from Worcester into Paxton. 

PAXTON

• Robert Mortell Community Center?: At the November 24 Select Board meeting, discussions continued about the future of the town-owned building known as 10 West. While the ideas of selling it or renting it were broached, members nixed the ideas after discussing the downside of losing a town-owned asset and acknowledging that the Town is not a particularly good landlord. Chair Peter Bogren asked for a motion to consider turning it into a community center - and naming it for the former chief of police Robert Mortell, who was killed in the line of duty on February 1, 1994.

Mortell and his tracking dog were assisting Holden Police Department in apprehending three armed burglary suspects when Mortell was shot and killed in the woods near the Paxton/Holden town line. He left his wife Pamela and three children Amy, Erin and Elliot. 

Mortell was a 12-year veteran of the Paxton Police Department, served as the town’s D.A.R.E. Officer, and was an instructor at Mt. Wachusett Community College.

While select board members voiced their support for Bogren’s idea, the discussion that followed raised concerns over renovation costs. The board asked Interim Town Administrator Robert Birkbeck to research rehab expenses and report back to them.

• Volunteer extraordinaire: Before the December 1 Special Town Meeting began, Select Board chair Peter Bogren thanked Anita Fenton for 20 years of service to the Town of Paxton, citing countless boards and committees on which she has served. “If we miss the kick-off tonight,” Bogren joked about the Patriots game, “it’s because you have volunteered so much.”

“There should be 60 names here,” Fenton said, acknowledging the many people who have volunteered with her over the decades. She credits these countless volunteers who have selflessly given their time and the dedicated employees who make Paxton the wonderful town to live in. Fenton also thanked her husband of 55 years, Rich Fenton. “He has never said no to anything I have asked him to help with.”

• Special Town Meeting and the MBTA Communities Act: 112 of 3794 registered voters (3%) turned out on December 1 for the Special Town Meeting to act on various articles. Articles 1-6 passed with minimal discussion. Article 8, which addressed locating a multi-family zoning overlay district on 6 acres of an approximate 55+-acre parcel on West Street at the Paxton/Spencer line, received the most discussion. While some speakers felt the state was railroading the town and coercing it to create such zoning (currently, Paxton does not allow the construction of multifamily housing anywhere in town), the article passed on a 89 to 16 vote. The town is now in compliance with designating a 6-acre parcel as a multifamily overlay district by the December 31 deadline. No action was taken on Article 7, which would have considered 95 Asnebumskit Road as an alternative site for the overlay district.

RUTLAND

• Town Administrator Post: In November, after interviewing three candidates for the town administrator position, the Rutland Select Board voted unanimously to enter into contract negotiations with Heather Butler. Butler most recently has served as town administrator in West Boylston since April this year. She candidly admitted during her Rutland interview that it was not a good fit for her and is happy to take on the Rutland role. Butler had served as town administrator in Buckland for six years prior to the West Boylston post. Contract negotiations are ongoing, with an anticipated start date in early January. You can watch candidate interviews on Rutland’s YouTube Channel on Rutland Community Television.

Fire Chief Seth Knipe, who has served as Interim Town Administrator since the abrupt departure of former Town Administrator David DeManche (who served June to September this year), will continue to serve in that role until the position is filled. By all accounts, town department heads enjoyed working with Knipe, and commended him for making the time to meet with them shortly after his appointment. 

• Special Town Meeting request: A citizen’s petition, signed by the requisite number of registered voters, was filed with the Rutland Town Clerk’s office requesting a Special Town Meeting to consider street acceptance requests for Woodside Avenue, Pioneer Circle, and Arrowhead Way. These roads are located within Brice Estates and Bear Hill II Estates. The Select Board has called a Special Town Meeting for Monday, January 5, 2026, at 6:30 pm at Naquag Elementary School.

• Citizens Police Academy graduation: On November 17, more than 30 Wachusett-area residents graduated from the Rutland Citizens Police Academy after completing 12 weeks of classes, lectures, and hands-on experiences. Organizer Rutland Police Officer Brendan McShea included local, state, and federal law enforcement representatives, a tour of the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction, and a visit from the Massachusetts State Police helicopter – among other interesting subjects - in the curriculum.

Preceding the graduation, several police officers and their K-9 partners provided demonstrations of their work including Rutland Police Officer Justin Lawlor and K-9 Storm who were assisted by Rutland Police Officer Patrick Patenaude (in the bite suit); Princeton Police Officer Holly Doyle and comfort dog Cruiser; DCR Ranger Lt. Rebecca Barnonoski and her comfort dog Nikos; and State Police Sgt. Daniel Riopel and his accelerant-detection dog Remington who are assigned to the fire explosion investigation service.

 Police Chief Monaco and Lt. Daniel Collinge Jr. handed out diplomas and a challenge coin to each graduate. If you missed this year’s academy, keep your eye open for information about next year’s class, which should be available in late summer/early fall. Or email Officer Brendan McShea at [email protected] W