WESTBOROUGH – Some caught weeds, some caught the rocks along Sandra Pond.
And some caught fish – rainbow trout, bass, pickerel and perch.
On Saturday, May 13, the Civic Club sponsored its annual Fishing Challenge, a chance for young and old alike to spend a sunny morning along the shores to try their luck.
As of mid-morning, nearly 200 anglers had found a spot to cast their lines.
For Henry Solfiell, a 7-year-old with several years of fishing already in his tackle box, the morning was quite successful. Before noon, he had already caught three fish, including a rainbow trout that would soon make a fine family dinner.
“He’s been fishing since he was little,” said Margaret Solfiell, Henry’s grandmother. “He’s an avid fisherman.”
Henry’s part of a family that’s been fishing at Sandra Pond for 45 years. According to Margaret, her four sons have fished at the pond.
“It’s so pretty here,” said Margaret.
A few fishermen away, Henry Tyrrell and Jimmy Cullen were trying the sport for the first time. They had an unusual companion with them – Humphrey, a toy hamster from Henry’s school, Armstrong Elementary.
They didn’t catch anything, but did learn how to place a worm on the hook, cast the line and master the value of patience.
For those whose patience was rewarded with a catch, they got their names on the leaderboard (once their catch was measured by Civic Club volunteers). The top catches qualified for prizes, including gift certificates and $100 in cash (for the catch of the day).
“It’s been a successful day,” said Bill Kohler, vice president for the Civic Club and chair of the fishing committee. “We had wonderful weather, and they’re all out there enjoying nature.”
Kohler thanked Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife for providing extra rods and reels.
The Civic Club raised the funds for the fishing challenge from its sale of Christmas trees. For more information on the club, visit http://westborocivicclub.com/home.html.
New bench at cemetery
The Civic Club, along with the Westborough Historical Society, recently had a memorial bench installed at Memorial Cemetery at West Main Street.
The bench is in honor of Nahor Rice, a 5-year-old boy killed during a raid by native Americans in 1704. Rice is the first person buried in the cemetery, but the exact location of his remains is unknown.
His four brothers were captured and taken to Canada. One of the brothers came back to Westborough, while the other three remained with the native Americans.
A stone marking the attack is on West Main Street, near the high school.
