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Quinn Middle School Color Run raises $22,400 REGION | 17
Girls’ soccer players volunteer coaching the town’s youth
HUDSON | 14
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Marlborough Hudson An edition of the Community Advocate
Marlborough elects two new City Councilors By Paul Hopkins Reporter MARLBOROUGH – Marlborough voters returned incumbents to their seats on the City Council on Nov. 4, but there will still be two new faces on Jan. 1. Heather Gould was elected to the vacant Ward 4 City Council seat without opposition (416 votes), and in Ward 7, candidate Matthew Sargent defeated Greta Lofgren, 399 votes to 277. Sargent fills the seat left vacant by the death of Donald Landers. Ward 2 Councilor David Doucette was sent back for another term, defeating John Ryan, Jr., 438-310. Councilors-at-Large Sean Navin, Mark Oram, Michael Ossing, and Kathleen Robey were re-elected from a field of five. Richard Aldrich was not successful. Council President Ossing, elected with 3,069 votes to a 14th term, said he is interested in serving another term as president but noted that any councilor is eligible to seek the seat. He told the Community Advocate that he wants to continue pursuing fiscal responsibility, working toward “stable and predictable” annual tax adjustments, ensuring public safety positions are filled, expanding the City’s green footprint, and ensuring funding for the new Richer School and West Side Fire Station. He also said he would continue to push the city administration to “find innovative ways to improve services” and reduce tax burdens. Councilors | 15
Vol. 51 | No. 46 | November 14, 2025
A new belfry for Marlborough’s First Church By Shealagh Sullivan Reporter MARLBOROUGH – The First Church in Marlborough dedicated its new belfry on Oct. 19 after members raised over $10,000 for it to be restored. The First Church was founded in 1666 and the congregation is now in its fifth meetinghouse. The original belfry was destroyed in a 1938 hurricane. According to Pastor Kaz Bem, the congregation built a small replacement a year later, which has remained until recently. The replacement hadn’t held up with age, and the church often had “squatters,” like a raccoon that would sometimes be hiding in the tower. Now, the belfry is newly constructed and features a new gold-plated weathervane. “When we dedicate things in church, we actually say thank you to God and to the community for the work. So I think this was a project that brought the church community Belfry | 15
The First Church was founded in 1666 and the congregation is now in its fifth meetinghouse. (Photo/Shealagh Sullivan)
Hudson residents envision town’s future By Paul Hopkins Reporter HUDSON – More than 40 residents spent an evening talking about what they want their town to look like in the coming years. At the first of two public forums to guide the Master Plan, town officials welcomed people to use Post-It notes to indicate preferences for recre-
ation, economic development, town services and facilities, and transportation options, among other things. Director of Planning and Community Development Kristina Johnson said, “It’s important that residents set the vision for a lot of different focus points. These all wrap into the strategic plan.” She noted that the
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