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people & places
Bandleader looks forward to performing Westborough hometown gig
By Ed Karvoski Jr. Contributing Writer WESTBOROUGH - Greg Kojoyian began honing his musical skills while in grades four through 12 in Westborough public schools. Several decades later, he’s now the founder, bassist and bandleader of The Midtown Horns.
In recent years, Kojoyian’s band has endured multiple concert cancellations due to inclement weather, the EEE threat and pandemic restrictions. Nevertheless, he is hopeful that The Midtown Horns’ show will go on as scheduled on Tuesday, Aug. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Westborough’s Bay State Commons.
“Playing in my hometown is special for me,” he noted. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Westborough’s instrumental years
Kojoyian learned to play trumpet as a fourth-grader inspired by the late Larry Forand. A professional trumpeter, Forand also worked full-time as the music director for Westborough’s entire school district.
“He was a great guy with an infectious ability to get everybody excited to do music,” Kojoyian said of his mentor.
In high school, Kojoyian also learned to play bass guitar. Then, his inspiration came from pop culture.
“You saw The Beatles running down the street with girls chasing them — but the girls weren’t chasing trumpet players,” he recalled. “I started getting into rock bands.”
Among his teen-era endeavors was a rock band called Pulse, which included horn players. They covered hit songs of bands such as Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Pulse’s performance venues ranged from dances at the Westborough Town Hall to high school graduation parties.
Continuing with a horn-based band
Kojoyian describes The Midtown Horns as the “direct descendant” of Pulse.
“Probably because I was
PHOTOS/ED KARVOSKI JR.
The Midtown Horns’ founder and bassist Greg Kojoyian performs July 15 at the Wood Park Music Shell in Hudson.
originally a trumpet player, I’ve always liked the big sound of bands with horns,” he explained. “Pulse spurred my lifelong passion for horn-based bands.”
The Midtown Horns typically includes 14 to 16 musicians. Their repertoire features contemporary, Motown, funk, rhythm and blues, soul and Latin genres.
They debuted at a Southborough summer concert in 2017.
Also in 2017, the band performed at Bay Stay Commons following the grand parade to celebrate Westborough’s 300th anniversary. Performing the concert was a chance for Kojoyian to represent his family’s town pride.
“I only wish my dad could have seen us play at the celebration,” he said. “My dad loved Westborough.”
His late father, Sarkis Kojoyian, had served on the Westborough Planning Board as well as other town boards and committees.
Gigging year-round
In addition to outdoor summer concerts, The Midtown Horns entertain year-round at various venues.
“The summertime concerts are essentially our showcase,” Kojoyian noted. “We perform at weddings, benefits, corporate events and hotels. Very few nightclubs can fit us on their stage.”
Despite several unavoidable summer 2019 cancellations, Kojoyian considered it “a banner year” for the band.
As a favorite 2019 gig, he cites their concert at Gloucester’s annual Labor Day weekend celebration. The Midtown Horns performed amid the Schooner Festival’s Boat Parade of Lights and fireworks over Gloucester Harbor.
“It’s a really great event,” Kojoyian said of Gloucester’s holiday festivities. “We’re doing it again this year — thankfully!”
Their busy 2019 schedule culminated with a show in December at the Encore Casino in Everett. Pandemic restrictions canceled the band’s 2020 gigs.
Entertaining audiences again
The Midtown Horns’ return to the stake took place at Wood Park in Hudson. After getting rained out July 7 and 12, they entertained an appreciative audience under clear skies on July 15.
“It felt great,” Kojoyian said of their first live show in 18 months. “It’s almost like a dream that a whole year and a half went by.”
Another dream job for Kojoyian is The Midtown Horns’ upcoming concert in Westborough — his hometown.
“My musical roots are in Westborough,” he added.
Learn more about The Midtown Horns at themidtownhorns.com and facebook.com/ themidtownhorns. For more photos, visit communityadvocate.com.
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COMMUNITY NEWS Chapter 90 bond bill unanimously passes both houses of Mass. Legislature
By Stuart Foster Contributing Writer REGION - Gov. Charlie Baker has signed an annual Chapter 90 bond bill that will provide nearly $5 million in road and bridge funding to area municipalities.
The Chapter 90 program is used to provide state funding for capital improvements such as highway construction, road resurfacing and roadside drainage. The 2021 bill sends $200 million to communities across the state while also increasing funding for small bridge grants from $70 million to $95 million. These grants are used to build, repair and improve non-federally funded bridges.
The funding allocation given to each municipality is based on an algorithm that takes into account the population, employment and total road areas of each town or city. For fiscal year 2022, Shrewsbury will receive $989,636. Westborough will receive $795,144 while Northborough will receive $512,972. Southborough will get $434,688, Grafton will get $497,547, Marlborough will get $1,158,351 and Hudson will get $577,900.
Versions of the bill unanimously passed the State House of Representatives on June 22 and the State Senate on July 1 before a finalized version was unanimously approved by both houses on July 15. The bill was then sent to Baker, who signed it.
“This is an incredibly popular program that the communities look forward to each year, and the fact that it was passed unanimously in the House certainly speaks volumes to the level of support that it has,” said State Representative Carolyn Dykema (D-Hollinston).
Dykema, whose district includes parts of Southborough, Westborough, Holliston and Hopkinton, said that this year’s bill includes additional grant programs for other priorities, including congestion management and access to transit. She said access to transit is particularly important to Southborough and Westborough, which have commuter rail stations.
Dykema added that the Chapter 90 bill is extremely flexible, saying that the funds included can cover things like walking trails if a community needs them.
“It really allows the community to determine where funds are most needed, and the program is flexible enough to meet those needs,” Dykema said.
State Representative Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury) said that the bill enables local communities to find important funds for road and bridge improvements.
“Overall, the investment is into every single community in the Commonwealth to help
Transit funding in this year’s annual Chapter 90 bond bill is particularly important in towns like Southborough and Westborough, which have MBTA commuter rail stations. Cars pass on the Route 9 state highway. This year’s annual Chapter 90 bond bill will send nearly $5 million in road and bridge funding to area municipalities.
PHOTOS/LAURA HAYES
repair roads and bridges, so it’s a support to municipal governments,” she said.
Kane’s district includes parts of Shrewsbury and Westborough.
Kane also said she was disappointed in the Legislature’s leadership over delays in passing this bill. Because Chapter 90 bills are passed each year, the Legislature should be able to pass this item sooner, she said.
Kane added that it is late in the year for communities
Chapter 90 | 17
SUPER CROSSWORD Answers to puzzle located on p. 23
COMMUNITY NEWS Draft document highlights Southborough ADA non-compliance issues
By Susan Gonsalves Contributing Writer SOUTHBOROUGH - The Southborough Board of Selectmen reviewed a draft document that identified areas of non-compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at town buildings, sites and recreational areas July 13.
The 202-page “Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan” was prepared by the Central MA Regional Planning Commission, Center for Living and Working, Inc. in Worcester and consultant James M. Mazik of Holyoke.
Mazik said that any construction solutions need to be designed by a qualified engineering and architectural professional. He outlined for the board how the projects could be broken down in terms, with immediate projects taking place this year and next year. Near-term projects would be completed between 2023 and 2026 while long-term ones would be completed between 2027 and 2030.
He said the town has to demonstrate a “good faith effort” that it is addressing the areas of non-compliance and “showing movement” on the plan.
In addition, Mazik said that not all solutions are “costbased,” involving making infrastructure changes. For example, a program being offered on the second floor of a building could be moved to the first level so that people with disabilities would have access.
It is crucial to provide “reasonable accommodation and an honest effort,” he said.
The consultant spoke of issues including sidewalk and curb ramp obstruction, deteriorated walkways or walkways with overgrowth causing a barrier, shortcomings in bathrooms and facilities like stall doors that don’t close and counters that are too high, lack of adequate signage and parking widths, protruding objects that pose a danger and the need to provide accessible routes to buildings and playgrounds with a firm surface that is stable and slip-resistant.
Mazik emphasized that the town could start out by getting some of the easier, less expensive fixes out of the way.
Other areas in the report highlighted how to, among other things, write job descriptions that are not discriminatory, to make provisions for emergency preparedness and notification and ensure that all polling places are accessible and provide privacy.
“It’s a big deal and thank all of you folks for putting it on our radar,” said Selectman Martin Healey. He noted that he is not deterred that a price tag may be in the range of $750,000.
Over the years, he said, the town has spent that amount of money “on things that aren’t as valuable as this.”
Healey said that he is in favor of working aggressively on projects and accelerating the process as much as possible.
Town Administrator Mark Purple, who is Southborough’s ADA coordinator, said the town could look at Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD), Complete Streets, Community Preservation and other grants to help with funding.
Board of Selectmen Chair Lisa Braccio said that they would work closely with the town’s ADA Committee to prioritize the needed work. While school improvements are being done, she said, the boards could get started between now and when the plan is finalized.
Healey noted the selectmen could also possibly prepare a warrant article asking for funding at Annual Town Meeting in 2022.
Connor Robichaud, regional projects coordinator for CMRPC, and Michael Kennedy, a representative of Center for Living and Working, were in attendance for the presentation.
Kennedy tried several times to speak about the report and give a presentation. But audio issues prevented selectmen from hearing him. He then deferred to Mazik.
James M. Mazik
Consultant
Chapter 90 bond bill unanimously passes
Chapter 90 | from page 16 to be waiting to hear how much funding is available to them before regional weather makes improvements more difficult.
“This is something that we should be able to do much earlier in the legislative calendar so that cities and towns have as much time as possible to be working on roads and bridges over the months in the year in New England when you can do so,” Kane said.
Dykema said that the legislation was put forward as quickly as possible, adding that this year’s bill’s additional grant programs would be very exciting to communities in Massachusetts.
“That may have added some limited time to the process, but this is certainly within the normal timetable that we would pass these funds,” Dykema said.
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