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Marlborough Hudson An edition of the Community Advocate
Hudson Select Board happy with finance plan By Paul Hopkins Contributing Writer HUDSON – The Hudson Select Board was pleased with a detailed plan to straighten out the town’s finance operations. Executive Assistant Thomas Gregory and Finance Director Neil Vaidya presented the plan Sept. 8, as requested two weeks earlier by the board. Board member Steven Sharek, who was the most pointed in his previous criticism, said Vaidya and Gregory clearly took the job seriously. “I’m extraordinarily pleased to see the document we received,” he said, adding “as far as I could tell, it addressed every single one of the things” the board had talked about, as well as concerns from the public. Other members were equally complimentary. A recurring theme has been staffing problems in the Finance Department. Board member Lauren DuBreuil asked if there is a plan to avoid such problems in the future. Vaidya said there will be more cross-training of staff to fill in gaps created by staff changes, and the department will quickly seek temporary staff for lower-level tasks. Next test is implementation Gregory said the plan as a whole “forms the basis for procedures for the entire Finance Department” going forward. The plan and updates to it will be made available on town websites and forums, said Gregory. Board Chair Scott Duplisea said he will still expect updates on finances at regular board meetings. Sharek added “from my point of view this Finance | 2
Vol. 51 | No. 38 | September 19, 2025
‘They just enjoy every minute of this’ Hudson AMVETS holds afternoon of fishing for veterans By Evan Walsh Managing Editor HUDSON – An afternoon of fishing is fun, but rarely is it this meaningful. On Sept. 7, dozens of veterans gathered at Hudson’s Riverside Gun Club for the annual Veterans Fishing Derby, an opportunity for veterans around the state to retreat into nature, spend time with like-minded individuals, and get away from day-to-day life. For four hours, veterans sat around the pond outside the Gun Club, waiting for fish to bite. The participants were bused in from medical centers throughout the state, and the fishing expedition served as a nice escape. The event has been taking place since the mid-1980s. “We’re getting the veterans out of the hospitals. All the veterans here today are from VAs all over the state. They bus them all out here, and we give them a fun day of
The event served as a relaxing escape for Massachusetts veterans. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
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Highland City Striders donates $14,000 to Hudson and Marlborough food pantries By Paul Hopkins Contributing Writer REGION – The Highland City Striders donated $14,000 to community food pantries in Hudson and Marlborough on Sept. 5, provid-
ing a big boost to the organizations. Donna Dupre, president of the Hudson Community Food Pantry (HCFP), and Barbara LaGrenade, director of the Marlborough Community Cupboard (MCC), accepted the donations.
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