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Cardinal O’Malley visits New Horizons at Marlborough
Richer about to begin feasibility study phase
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Residents celebrate their 70th anniversary
marlborough at a glance
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Marlborough Hudson An edition of the Community Advocate
City Council approves funds to digitalize records By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor MARLBOROUGH – In the basement of the Walker Building, there are dozens of boxes from several municipal departments. The paper documents within the boxes represent years’ worth of transactions, memos and things that keep a city running. The current storage system has several problems, including staff’s time and effort to physically retrieve records; the boxes are a fire hazard; and the possibility of damage from water or mold. “They’re not in great shape at the Walker Building,” said Tin Htway, the city’s building commissioner and zoning enforcement officer. Htway is among the administrators backing a proposal to have these records digitalized. The Inspectional Services Department has requested $300,000 for the imaging and conversion of nearly 600 boxes of inspectional services records, assessor property record cards, and conservation/zoning records. Once they are in a digital format, the records would be inputted into a database that would be accessible to staff, developers and residents. During the City Council’s Finance Committee meeting on Monday, April 29, Mayor J. Christian Dumais joined Htway in fielding questions about the proposal. “With this effort, we will have all records digitized, filed and accessible for these requests,” said Dumais in a letter to the City Council. “In addition to public record requests, Records | 10
Vol. 50 | No. 19 | May 10, 2024
American Heritage Museum honors World War II veterans By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor HUDSON – Ralph Hardy and Roger Wonson served in different branches, and in different places, during World War II. Both are Beverly residents, both recently turned 100, and both were honored during a special ceremony at the American Heritage Museum on May 1. Both veterans were presented with plaques from the Mass. National Guard. Hardy served 1943-45 with the Marines’ 395th Armored Field Artillery Battalion in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. A private first class, he was part of the liberation of the Philippines, and he took part in the Battle of Luzon. He presented several artifacts to museum founder and Financial Director Rob Collings – a sword from a Japanese officer; dog tags from a Japanese soldier; and a leaflet of rules presented to Filipino residents by the Japanese occupation forces. Hardy said he obtained the leaflet while in the Philippines. He kept the leaflet in his wallet
Veterans | 9
Retired Brigadier Gen. David Stewart, center, chats with World War II veterans Ralph Hardy, left, and Roger Wonson during a ceremony at the American Heritage Museum in Hudson on May 1. (Photo/Maureen Sullivan)
Select Board hopefuls speak at candidates’ night By Sarah Freedman Contributing Writer HUDSON – When Hudson residents go to the polls on May 13, they will be voting for candidates to fill two seats on the Select Board. The residents vying for those seats this year are Diane Bemis, Steven Sharek and Brian White. All three candidates had a chance at candi-
dates’ night at the Hudson Senior Center on May 1 to speak about why they were running and their views on the issues important to Hudson voters, such as the budget and schools. The Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters sponsored the event. Bemis shared her experience with public service. She has a bachelor’s degree in biolCandidates | 8