Updated: 46,002 Meals Packaged

Volunteers from 12 groups, primarily from Westborough, supported Sunday's event.

There are 46,002 macaroni and cheese meals ready to go to Worcester County families. Several dozen volunteers packaged the meals over four hours Sunday at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. The groups partnered with Kids Care, Outreach Inc.’s food packaging division. Outreach Inc.-Kids Care Regional Manager Matthew Martin said Monday night it was the seventh-largest event he has done, of 134. Besides Good Shepherd and Holliston's Christ the King Lutheran Church, the event was to include volunteers from Chapel of the Cross in Westborough; Congregation B’nai Shalom in Westborough; the Congregational Church of Westborough; the First United Methodist Church in Westborough; St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church in Westborough; St. Stephen’s …

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Local Effort to Package 41,800 Meals

Volunteers from 12 groups, primarily from Westborough, are involved.

“Just in this county, there’s 86,000 hungry folks,” Matt Martin says,  and “30,000 of them are children.” In two weeks,  volunteers from 12 groups, primarily from Westborough, will package 41,800 macaroni and cheese meals together toward helping fight hunger in Worcester County. Westborough’s Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will host the event, from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 9. The groups are partnering with Kids Care, Outreach Inc.’s food packaging division. The Rev. Jeffrey Goodrich, Good Shepherd’s associate pastor, says he’s finalizing the meals’ destination, but “hoping they’ll go to the Worcester County Food Bank.” Martin, Outreach’s regional manager of New England, says that “until about two or three years ago, all the meals went overseas like…

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Snow Closes Westborough Schools

NWS: 3 to 5 inches expected today.

Snow has closed the Westborough public schools today. School Superintendent Marianne O'Connor posted the announcement on the school district's website. The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church also is closed, church officials announced in an e-mail. The Westborough Senior Center is closed. Readers are asked to send their event cancellation and closing announcements to Westborough Patch Editor Michael Gelbwasser at Michael.Gelbwasser@patch.com. The National Weather Service in Taunton is forecasting 3 to 6 inches of snow for Westborough. A winter weather advisory is in effect until 7 p.m. Westborough Patch will update this story as information becomes available. Readers are encouraged to submit their snow photos below.

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Church Bell to Toll for Newtown Victims

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church has expanded Sunday's annual Blue Christmas service.

A bell at Westborough's Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will toll 28 times at 3 p.m. this Sunday in memory of the Newtown, Conn. school shooting victims. The tribute, including prayers and candle lighting, will be part of Good Shepherd's annual Blue Christmas service, which "gives permission for people who need to mourn during a time when our world wants everyone to be happy," church officials said today in a press release. Good Shepherd has expanded the service in response to the tragedy, church officials said. The church has set aside 2:30 to 3 p.m. for individual prayer. Good Shepherd is the second Westborough church to publicly invite community members to pray for the Newtown victims. The First United Methodist Church held a prayer …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: May 5

The Patch Puppy has prizes for you today at the Westborough Spring Festival!

  Each morning, Westborough Patch presents “5 Things You Need to Know,” a collection of announcements, events, reminders and odd little ditties to help you organize your day. What will you be doing today?   1. The Spring Festival takes place on Bay State Green today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stop by and give a hug to the Patch Puppy! 2. A Spring rummage sale takes place at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 183 West Main St. beginning at 9 a.m. Open to the public. 3. The Westborough Civic Club invites to the 2012 Fishing Challenge. The fun starts at 9 a.m. at Minuteman Park, Upton Road. All ages are welcome. Children should be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 4. There is a hanging basket sale taking place at Westborough High School from 9 a.m…

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Camps Gear Up for Summer; Awesome List of Options

With just over 30 days left of school until summer vacation, it’s time to plan the summer.

  If you are trying to find the right camp for your child this summer, here are some suggestions—some tried and true and a few out of the box. Please contact the individual camps directly with specific questions, to arrange a visit to the facility, or to confirm schedules and fees. Westborough Recreation continues to offer a wide array of classes, camps and activites for all age levels. The popular playground camp, which runs weekly from June 25 to July 27 has openings for ages 3.5 to 13. Class offerings can be found for crafts, sports and other activites. Visit the website for more information. Ecotarium Discovery Camp offers science- and nature-based day camps Monday through Friday from 9 a.m  to 4 p.m. (kids ages 5 and 6 have a half day…

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Whiz Kids

Cub Scouts Invite Patch Editor to Speak About Media

The third graders had a lesson in reporting.

On Monday, April 9, six Cub Scouts in Westborough Pack 4, Den 3 invited Westborough Patch editor MaryJo Kurtz to speak about communications and reporting. The group met in the basement of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, where Kurtz told the Scouts how to gather information to report a story. She then put them to work. The boys, students at Hastings and Fales elementary schools, were armed with reporter's notebooks and learned the five W's of reporting: Who? What? When? Where? Why? Each boy reported on the jobs of the parents in the room and then interviewed each other about their weekend. "That was impressive," said Kurtz after hearing the boys' reports. Based on their outstanding reports, It is safe to say that Westborough has a new den of…

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: April 6

Let's all join in and sing a round of Barney's 'I Love You, You Love Me!'

  Each morning, Westborough Patch presents “5 Things You Need to Know,” a collection of announcements, events, reminders and odd little ditties to help you organize your day. What will you be doing today?   1. An ecumenical Good Friday service will take place at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church today at noon. All are invited. 2. Runners interested in joining the Dana-Farber team to run the 40th Annual Falmouth Road Race are asked to visit www.RunDanaFarber.org or call 617-632-1970. The team will run the 7 mile route through Cape Cod’s coastal community to raise funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. 3. The Westborough School Department posted an immediate vacancy for an adapted physical education teacher (.1 FTE) to work …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: Oct. 26

Take the kids and head out to support Rangers field hockey today.

Each morning, Westborough Patch presents “5 Things You Need to Know,” a collection of announcements, events and reminders to help you organize your day. 1. The Westborough High School Rangers varsity field hockey team hosts Marlborough today at 3:30 p.m. at the high school This is a free game and open to the public. Go Rangers! 2. Local crafters, artists, designers and small businesses are invited to rent a booth at the Christmas Market and Craft Fair at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. The event takes place on Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information contact the church at 508-366-7095. 3. This is Pastoral Care Week, a chance for all of us to recognize clergy of all faiths who provide pastoral care.  4. Good Shepherd Lutheran …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: Sept. 26

Westborough resident donates $8,000 to charity.

Each morning, Westborough Patch presents “5 Things You Need to Know,” a collection of announcements, events and reminders to help you organize your day. 1. Mark Silverman of Mark’s Moving in Westborough donated more than $8,000 to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation, which provides financial assistance to cancer patients and their families and funds pediatric brain cancer research. He presented the check during the company’s Family Fun Day at Fenway Park. 2. The Friends of the Westborough Senior Center will hold its annual fall membership meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. at the Westborough Senior Center. An annual membership costs $5. The nonprofit group helps to raise funds for items not provided by the town or state. For more information…

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