SHREWSBURY – Shrewsbury residents have found a groovy way to spend their summer days.
On July 8, musicians took the stage at Dean Park’s pavilion as part of the Shrewsbury Recreation Department’s Summer Concert Series. The Mental Math Syndicate was the first group to perform.
The concert was well attended by the community. Many brought lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets, enjoying the beautiful weather and taking the opportunity to spend time with friends and family.
The concert was well attended by the community. Many brought lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets, enjoying the beautiful weather and taking the opportunity to spend time with friends and family.
“I’m personally such a strong believer in the power of music and how it can bring people together. It was really important for us to offer those types of opportunities to the community … Music has such a power to connect people with others,” said Carly Morin, the town’s recreation events coordinator.
The event was sponsored by Casella Waste Systems, which recently became a larger part of the community after taking over the town’s trash and recycling services on July 1. Sponsoring the event was a no-brainer, said Kyle Orr, Casella’s division manager.
“We thought it was a good opportunity to spend some time in the community getting to know the residents, having them get to know us. We wanted to engage with the residents as their new provider,” he said. “That’s one thing that company has really strived for as we’ve grown and expanded — we still keep that local feel. We always want to keep local. We want to be active in the community.”
“We are so deeply grateful for their support. We were absolutely floored by their generosity. We’re really glad that they’re really, truly part of our community. I’m glad that people will know that they’re investing in our community so this can continue to be an incredible event,” said Morin.
Casella has now completed over a week’s worth of trash and recycling collection. Adjusting to thousands of new residents can be logistically challenging, but the company is proud of how the transition has gone, Orr said.
He indicated that Casella has heard good feedback from the town and community members.
“The first week went really well. We’re pleased with it, and we’re still trying to get better,” said Orr.
SELCO, Thrive Real Estate Specialists and the Mass. Cultural Council also sponsored the event.
Looking for the next summer concert? Concerts are held every Monday at 6 p.m. at Dean Park. On July 22, 4EverFab will take the stage, followed by Hit the Bus on July 29, Tom Knight on August 5, and the Compaq Big Band on August 12. The events are free.
