Westborough
Tavolino Restaurant – Westborough – is sponsoring a
Memorial Day Festival
Wild Boar Roast
Monday, May 30th
3pm to 8pm
21+ All you can eat and drink for only $50
20 and under $20
Children under 12 ear for free
Live Music
Call for details and reservations
508-366-8600
www.tavolinorestaurant.us

Marlboro
Saturday, May 23
– Veterans’ Posts will be placing flags at the city’s cemeteries.
Sunday, May 24
– First United Methodist Church, Church St. will offer a veterans service at 11 a.m. Veterans will also travel to outlying cemeteries and monuments for flag placements, floral wreaths and honors. The bus will depart at 1 p.m. from ITAM Post 45.
Monday, May 25


Veterans will meet and assemble for the parade on lower John Street at 9:30 a.m. The Parade begins at 10 a.m. Veterans, scouting groups and marching bands will follow a route along Maple and Main streets in Marlborough. The parade will stop at Colleary Square, at the World War II, Korean and Vietnam War monuments near City Hall, and at the Spanish American war monument near the library before ending at the Civil War memorial on Monument Square at around 11 a.m. The keynote speaker will be State Rep. Danielle Gregoire.
Maple and Main streets will be closed during the parade.

Hudson
Hudson’s Memorial Day parade starts at 10 a.m. Monday at the AMVETS at 5 South Street. The parade will follow a route from South Street to Wood Square, where veterans and scouts will pay tribute to veterans of World War II, Vietnam and Korea. Joe Jacobs, commander of American Legion Post 100, will serve as master of ceremonies, and Bill Rivers will give the keynote speech.

Northborough
The first ceremony will be at the Civil War Monument at 12:00 pm at the
corner of Monroe and Main Streets. The parade will step off at 12:15 pm
and will proceed to the World War II – Korean War – Vietnam War
monument for the second ceremony. The third ceremony will be at the
World War One monument on Church and Whitney Street. The final
ceremony will be at the Howard Street Cemetery.
Following the ceremony in the cemetery, the crowd will be dismissed.
Parade participants are invited to the Vincent F. Picard Post 234,

Acton: Monday, 10 a.m.: Parade leaves high-school parking lot, proceeds along Hayward Road up to Main Street; wreath placing at town center, followed by prayers, muskets fired, grand marshal introduction, band concert; parade then proceeds to Woodlawn Cemetery for further ceremonies.

Ayer: Saturday, 9:45 a.m.: Parade starts on Bishop Road, continues to Main Street, stops for brief service at Town Hall before continuing to Pirone Park for American Legion ceremony.

Bedford: Monday, 8:30 a.m.: Ceremony begins at American Legion Post; 11 a.m.: parade.

Billerica: Saturday, 9 a.m.: Meet at Fox Hill Cemetery to decorate veterans’ graves with flags.
Sunday, 8:30 a.m.: Form at William Eggo VFW Post at Boston Road. March to Korean War Memorial and each of the town’s cemeteries for services

Monday,
10:15 a.m.: Service at Old Town Hall features guest speaker Chief of Police Dan Rosa, followed by walk across street to World War I, World War II memorials for wreath layings, reading of names of soldiers lost from 2010 to May 23, 2011.

Boxboro: Monday, 8:30 a.m.: Parade starts from Hill Road at Wetherbee Lane, pauses at North Cemetery, then proceeds along Middle Road to Town Hall for reflection, before continuing across Massachusetts Avenue and on to South Cemetery for final observance.

Burlington: Monday, 8 a.m.: Flag raising at Town Common flagpole; 9:45 a.m.: Gather on Fairfax Street for procession to Chestnut Hill Cemetery; 10 a.m.: Program commences featuring guest speaker Lt. Col. Brian Marshall, U.S.A.F., Ret., a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Carlisle: Monday, 9:30 a.m.: Flag raised at Town Common by Minutemen; 10 a.m.: Ceremony at Corey Auditorium, Carlisle Public School, featuring school band, Board of Selectmen, local clergy, guest speaker Hannalore Munson; parade led by Marshal Scott Evans follows from school parking lot, featuring visits to town cemeteries, war memorials, taps, wreath laying by Scouts, Minutemen volleys and echo volleys; ham and bean lunch at First Religious Society follows parade.

Chelmsford: Saturday, 9:15 a.m.: Franco-American war vets MOH Joseph Ouellette Memorial Service at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Riverneck Road; 2 p.m.: Vietnam veterans and Veterans Memorial Park Committee hold ceremony, service at Veterans Park on North Road.
Chelmsford High School students and staff are gearing up for an annual overnight relay event that raises money for Chelmsford organizations.
The 24-Hour Relay takes place May 28 to 29 this year (Memorial Day Weekend) and is organized by the CHS club Leaders in Motion Everywhere, or LIME.

Sunday, 1:30 p.m.: Korean War Vets service at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Riverneck Road.
Monday, 8 a.m.: Armenian American Veterans breakfast at Radisson Hotel; 9 a.m.: Armenian American Veterans service at grave sites of past members; 9:15 to 9:30 a.m.: Assemble for parade at American Legion Post, 90 Groton Road; 10 a.m.: Parade from American Legion Post featuring Posts 313, 312; ends with ceremony at Vinal Square, North Chelmsford Center.

Concord: Monday, 9 a.m.: Muster at Rideout Field, continues to Kenny Dunn Square; 11:30 a.m.: Muster, followed by march along Bedford Street with stops at three cemeteries for ceremonies, followed by reading of Roll of Honor, music, poetry in Concord Center.

Boxboro: Monday, 8:30 a.m.: Parade starts from Hill Road at Wetherbee Lane, pauses at North Cemetery, then proceeds along Middle Road to Town Hall for reflection, before continuing across Massachusetts Avenue and on to South Cemetery for final observance.

Burlington: Monday, 8 a.m.: Flag raising at Town Common flagpole; 9:45 a.m.: Gather on Fairfax Street for procession to Chestnut Hill Cemetery; 10 a.m.: Program commences featuring guest speaker Lt. Col. Brian Marshall, U.S.A.F., Ret., a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Carlisle: Monday, 9:30 a.m.: Flag raised at Town Common by Minutemen; 10 a.m.: Ceremony at Corey Auditorium, Carlisle Public School, featuring school band, Board of Selectmen, local clergy, guest speaker Hannalore Munson; parade led by Marshal Scott Evans follows from school parking lot, featuring visits to town cemeteries, war memorials, taps, wreath laying by Scouts, Minutemen volleys and echo volleys; ham and bean lunch at First Religious Society follows parade.

Dracut: Monday, 11 a.m.: Dracut American Legion parade starts from Greenmont Avenue School, proceeds to high school monument for ceremony at Frederick Street and Lakeview Avenue; guest speaker is Army Maj. David Brouillette, executive officer of 86th Infantry Brigade combat team.

Dunstable: Sunday, 1 p.m.: Parade starts at library.

Groton: Monday, 9 a.m.: Parade and ceremonies at Main Street Common, Old Burying Ground, Groton Cemetery and Sawyer Common; no parking on parade route.

Harvard: 5/30 @ 10:00 15th ANnual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast before the  parae, 8:00-9:30 at Harvard UU Fellowship Building, all proceeds to benefit Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry (Ayer – services the region)

Hudson, N.H.: Monday, 1 p.m.: Parade lines up at shopping mall parking lot on Derry Street; 2 p.m.: Step off, followed by services at gazebo; parade continues on to American Legion Post 48 on Central Street.

Lawrence: Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. in Bellevue Cemetery, 100 Reservoir St., with guest speaker Luther McIlwain, a Tuskegee airman, music by the Lawrence High School Girls Ensemble, remarks by U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas and others and a gun salute. Followed by a walking tour of the cemetery by the Lawrence Civil War Memorial Guard dressed in authentic period uniforms at 10:45 a.m. Tour begins at Needham Post 39 GAR with a service honoring soldiers and sailors serving overseas. People who want to hear about the role that Lawrence played in the Civil War should go to the Red Brick Barn, 100 Reservoir St. Refreshments will be served.

Littleton: Monday, 9:30 a.m.: Parade starts from Donelan’s parking lot; units march to Westlawn Cemetery for ceremony with stops at World War II, Korean and Vietnam Memorials at the Common, Blue Star Memorial at Old Burying Ground, World War I Memorial, Civil War Memorial and bridge over Beaver Brook for naval tribute; Parade Marshal is Lt. Walter S. Crowell, Army Air Corps, World War II; Color Guard and Firing Squad provided by Littleton American Legion Post 249, music by Littleton High School Band; marching units include local officials, veterans, scouts, Littleton Garden Club and sports teams; refreshments for marchers at fire station, provided by Donelan’s and Sunny Delight. All veterans asked to join in march (uniforms not required). Veterans who need a ride can call veterans agent at 978-540-2485. In event of inclement weather, program held at Town House Great Room at 10 a.m.

Lowell: Saturday, 10:15 a.m.: Reading of soldiers lost in past year at Ladd-Whitney (front of City Hall); 11 a.m.: Polish-American veterans service at Polish American Post, 210 Coburn St.; 12:30 p.m.: Line up for Greek-American Legion Post service at 228 Worthen St.; 1 p.m.: Event starts.
Monday, 9 a.m.: Veterans of St. Louis Parish service at Veterans Park, Ennell Street; 11:30 a.m.: Portuguese-American veterans Memorial Day Service at St. Anthony’s Church, followed by procession to Charles Street (tentative).

Methuen:
9:30 a.m. Parade forms at American Legion Post 122, 200 Broadway. Coffee and Doughnuts served.
10:00 a.m. Parade steps off from American Post 122 and proceeds to Charles Street Monuments for services. Parade then proceeds to Walnut Grove Cemetery, Grove Street for services. Parade returns to American Legion Post 122 at 200 Broadway via Lowell, Barker, Pelham, Hampshire Streets and Broadway.
11:45a.m. Carpool to Veterans Lot in Elmwood Cemetery on North Lowell Street for services. Veterans of Foreign Wars Arnold F. Greenwood Post 8349 will conduct services at noon.
All Active Duty Service Members, Reservists, National Guardsman and Veterans are invited to march in the parade.

Nashua: Monday, 8 a.m.: Veterans grave site visits at Holy Cross Cemetery, Ledge Road; 8:15 a.m.: proceed to St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Derry Road; 8:30 a.m.: Proceed to “Lefty” Dumais Field, Atherton Avenue, north of Lock Street; 8:45 a.m.: Proceed to Robert Gardner Field, Bowers Street; 9 a.m.: Proceed to Spring Street and Main Street.

Pelham: Monday, 9 a.m.: John H. Hargreaves VFW Post 10722 hosts ceremony at Veterans Park on Mammoth Road; 10 a.m.: Form up at Village Green for parade.

Pepperell: Saturday, 9 a.m.: Meeting at D.A.R. building, followed by ceremony at Bunker Hill Memorial, wreath laying at Col. William Prescott grave site and flag placement on vets’ grave sites by Scouts.
Monday, 9 a.m.: Parade begins, followed by ceremony at Community Church featuring USAF F-15 flyover.

Shirley: Sunday, 9 a.m.: Service at Shirley Common; 11:30 a.m.: Parade starts with ceremony at bridge over Phoenix Pond; 11:45 a.m.: Ceremony at Shirley Village Cemetery; 12:15 p.m.: Ceremony at St. Anthony’s Cemetery; 12:30 p.m.: Ceremony at Shirley Center Cemetery; 1 p.m.: Service at Shirley Common; 2:15 p.m.: Gather at War Memorial Building; 2:30 p.m.: Parade starts at Whitely Memorial Park on Front Street.

Tewksbury: Monday, 9:30 a.m.: Veterans gather at VFW Hall, then march to Knights of Columbus for wreath laying at Shawsheen River and 21-gun salute; 12:45 p.m.: Service at East Street Cemetery, featuring guest speakers; 2 p.m.: Parade featuring Korean War vets and others starts in town center and proceeds along Main Street, ending at former Rite Aid parking lot.

Townsend: Sunday, noon: Chicken barbeque at Town Common; 1 p.m.: Ceremony starts at West Townsend VFW Park, followed by another ceremony at Dudley Road Cemetery; 2:35 p.m.: Parade starts from Spaulding Memorial School at town center, followed by band concert at Town Common.

Tyngsboro: Monday, 9 a.m.: Motorcade departs from Old Town Hall, visiting all town cemeteries, veterans’ graves decorated; 11 a.m.: Parade from Old Town Hall, Kendall Road, followed by service at American Legion Post 247, Pawtucket Boulevard, featuring essay awards. If weather not suitable to march, ceremonies held at American Legion Post 247 at noon.

Westford: Saturday, 4 p.m.: Ceremony led by Commander Bill Vullo at St. Catherine’s Memorial.
Sunday, 8 a.m.: Veterans assemble at Cameron Senior Center, 20 Pleasant St.; 9 a.m.: Ceremony at Forge Pond/Pond Street Freedom Park, followed by ceremonies at Forge Village Honor Roll (W. Prescott), Graniteville Monument (North Main), Nab Lake (Byrne Avenue. Dam); noon: Ceremony at Town Common, followed by parade; 12:25 p.m.: Speakers begin.

Wilmington: Saturday, 8 a.m.: Decorating of veterans’ graves at Wildwood Cemetery.
Sunday, 9:30 a.m.: Parade forms at Market Basket parking lot; 10 a.m.: Parade steps off, continues along Middle Street, to Church Street, to Middlesex Avenue, to Wildwood Cemetery; 11 a.m.: Ceremonies at veterans lot and soldiers monument. 

Cities and towns across Western Massachusetts will celebrate Memorial Day to pay tribute to men and women who lost their lives during military service to their country. 

Events featuring parades, ceremonies and speeches are taking place during the weekend and on Memorial Day, May 26. Here is a listing of events:

Agawam: Sunday, memorial service for veterans, 9:30 a.m., Agawam Baptist Church. Monday, ceremonies at 7 a.m. at World War I Memorial, at Springfield Street Cemetery, at Granger School and at South Westfield Street Cemetery; 8:45 a.m. ceremony at Agawam Center Cemetery, followed by 9 a.m. ceremony at Agawam/West Springfield Bridge; parade assembles at 10:30 a.m. at the middle school and proceeds down Main Street to Veterans’ Green for a ceremony. 


On Monday, from 9 to 9:15 a.m. a veteran’s salute to the veterans interred at South Cemetery will be held; the public is invited. The parade and ceremony will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at the Town Hall and Town Common.

Belchertown: In Belchertown, on Saturday the American Legion Auxiliary will sell poppies at businesses from 8 a.m. until noon, and on Sunday the Veterans Council of Belchertown, in conjunction with the Friends of the Quabbin, will hold its traditional memorial services at Quabbin Park Cemetery. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m.
On Monday at 8:30 a.m. at South Cemetery in Belchertown, there will be a salute to the veterans interred there.

* Brimfield: Sunday, 2 p.m., Town Common. 



Chicopee: Sunday, parade steps off at Exchange and West streets at 12:30 p.m., proceeds down to Center Street, onto Front Street and ends at new Chicopee High School; 7 p.m., Vietnam Veterans of America ceremony at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park. Monday, 8:30 a.m. post ceremonies begin, followed by 10:30 a.m. ceremony at Veterans Memorial Plaza. 



Easthampton: Monday, parade begins at 10:30 a.m. at Easthampton Community Center on Clark Street and proceeds to Emily Williston Memorial Library on Park Street for ceremony at 11 a.m. 



East Longmeadow: Monday, brief parade steps off at 10:50 a.m. from high school to high school’s flagpole for military honors, followed by a formal program inside the high school auditorium. 



Granby: Monday, parade steps off at 9 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and proceeds to War Memorial Monument at Granby Public Library for brief ceremony, then to West Street Cemetery for wreath laying. Participants will be bused to North Cemetery for another short ceremony, followed by refreshments at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. 



Granville: Sunday, noon services on the Town Green. 



Greenfield: Monday, parade steps off at 10 a.m. at middle school, with stops for services at Federal Street Cemetery, Greenfield Public Library, Town Common and Veterans Mall. 



Hampden: Monday, parade starts at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church and proceeds to the common across from Hampden Town House. 



Hardwick: Sunday, parade begins at 9:30 a.m. on Pine Street in Wheelwright village, with a rededication of the town’s World War II monument and a special ceremony. 



Holyoke: Monday, parade forms at 9 a.m. at War Memorial Building, leaves at 9:30 a.m. to proceed to John F. Kennedy Memorial for wreath-laying ceremony. At 10:30 a.m. marchers assemble at Chestnut Street and march down Appleton Street to High Street to place wreath at Korean War Veterans’ Memorial, then down High Street to Lyman Street to place wreath at war memorial there, ending at Veterans’ Park on Maple Street for a memorial service at 11 a.m. 



Ludlow: Monday, parade will form at 9 a.m. at Winsor Street, between Worcester and Newbury streets. 



Monson: Monday, parade steps off at 10 a.m. from Wing Medical Center on Main Street, proceeds to Memorial Hall for a ceremony. 



Montague: Monday, parade steps off at 10:15 a.m. from Second Street on Avenue A to War Memorial Plaza for ceremonies. 



Northampton: Monday, parade assembles at 9:30 a.m. at Trinity Row in Florence section of the city and proceeds to Park Street Cemetery for ceremony. 



Palmer: Monday, parade will form about 10:15 a.m. at top of Thorndike Street, near Lawrence Street, and continue to Converse Street for a ceremony around 11 a.m. at the War Memorial at Converse Middle School. 



South Hadley: Monday, parade steps off at high school at 11 a.m. and concludes at Town Hall for a ceremony. 



Southwick: Monday, parade forms at 9:30 a.m. at Southwick Plaza on College Highway and proceeds to town center for ceremonies. 



Springfield: Friday, noon flag-raising ceremony at City Hall esplanade; Monday, a ceremony at Veterans’ Monument at St. Michael’s Cemetery following the 9 a.m. Mass by Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell. 



Ware: Monday, parade steps off at 1 p.m. on Maple Street and proceeds to new Veterans Park on Main Street. In case of rain, ceremony will take place at Town Hall. 



Warren: Sunday, parade assembles at 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Cemetery. 



West Brookfield: Monday, parade steps off at 9 a.m. at Congregational Church and proceeds to Sacred Heart Cemetery for prayers. More services and food will follow at the American Legion. 



Westfield: Monday, parade steps off at 10 a.m. at Mestek Corp. and proceeds down North Elm Street, Elm Street, Broad Street to West Silver Street at Parker Memorial Park for a ceremony. 



West Springfield: Monday, parade begins at 9 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle School parking lot on Westfield Street and ends at Park Street Common for ceremony. 



Wilbraham: Sunday, ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at Glendale Cemetery.

A quick interview with volunteer extraordinaire and Kiwanis Person of The Year, Patty Mason.

Jim Arciero represents Westford, Littleton, and Chelmsford…all communities where RE/MAX Prestige agents live and work. We met up with Jim at the Westford Apple Blossom festival. Find out why he was there.

Our agents work and live in the Westford community so we took a stroll out to the Apple Blossom parade to share it with you!

We are incredibly proud of Al Choquette, an agent in our Groton office that is in Alabama helping people recover from the tragic storms of the past month. It’s humbling to know that there are heroes amongst us. When we asked Al, “What can we do to help,” he replied that the best thing anyone can do is donate clothing to The Salvation Army.

Are you taking advantages of all opportunities to buy a home with great financing. Ask your RE/MAX Prestige agent about FNMA Homepath properties and the financing you can get on those properties.

If you thought that your 620 credit score and tax refund for a down payment couldn’t get you into a home of your own, you may be wrong.

In honor of Mother’s Day weekend, we bought a special gift for everyone at RE/MAX Prestige and we will distribute them at next week’s sales rallies. A special little girl, Lily Guthrie, sent us a flyer not too long ago. She enjoys collecting rocks and painting special things on them and saving them for good luck. She was offering to paint rocks for our agents because she is raising money for her friend who needs a new heart. Andy and I were touched and we asked if she could handle an order of 250 painted rocks. She was so excited to raise so much money for her friend’s new heart that she said ABSOLUTELY! So, we bought a Lily Bee rock for every agent at RE/MAX Prestige. We will give them out at our sales rallies next week. Keep yours for good luck and know that because of you, Lily raised $500 from RE/MAX Prestige to help her friend.

We truly are your local real estate experts. Look around you! Your local RE/MAX agent is also your neighbor, your kid’s soccer coach, and your local community leaders. Great job, Steve!

After talking to several agents who told me Ephraim Gottlieb had promised and delivered on quick short sale closings on their listings, I decided to get the low down on short sales right from the horses mouth.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m an animal lover, and most people are.  However, when it comes to getting your home ready for sale there’s a silent but serious element that affects the value of your home, and it’s one that rarely shows up as a line item in a market analysis.  The culprit – pet odor.  Does pet odor really affect the value of the property, you ask.  The answer is yes, because some buyers in your price range will not consider your home simply because they don’t know how to fix the smell.   The value of your home is always determined by the size and scope of the buying pool.  If buyers are eliminated by the pet smell, your value goes down.  It’s also a good idea to eliminate pet order in advance of showings so that you don’t give potential buyers a reason to offer less than asking price.  That being said, here are some tips for eliminating pet odor smells.

1. Enzymatic Smell Removers: Get Serious is one such enzymatic smell remover; you saturate the area then blot it away (buy tons of paper towels if you have large area). You must blot and blot and blot and blot (with a fair amount of pressure). Once it’s as dry as you just leave it. It may not seem like it’s working for about 24 hours but once a day or two passes you will notice the smell is gone. OutSpot is another enzymatic smell remover that typically works well.
2. Kilz: If you are working on an enclosed area, like a finished basement, or a room where the animals typically spent a lot of time, the smell may have seeped into the drywall.  In such a case, many home owners have had great success painting the walls with a product like Kilz that seals the drywall so that the odors are no longer released into the area.
3. Carpet Removal: Sometimes if the odor is really strong, the real estate agent may recommend removing the carpet and replacing it all together.  Sometimes carpet cleaning can do the trick but if the carpet has been sharing space with the family pets for decades, the only way to get rid of the smell is through carpet replacement.  If you think that the cost for that is too high, just remember that a an offer that comes in 5% lower than asking price because of the pet odor may cost you a lot more.

Many home owners feel they can alleviate the situation by lighting candles and putting air fresheners in every room. Often times this makes the problem even worse.  Usually they do little, if anything, to cover the smell, and sometimes they even bring a spotlight to the problem. When it comes to pet odors, the best thing you can do is have a candid conversation with your real estate agent.  Your agent will talk to you about all of your options to get you the best possible price for your home.