Southborough Senior Center celebrates new addition

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Visitors check out the program for the ribbon-cutting of the new addition to the Southborough Senior Center on Wednesday, Sept. 18. (Photo/Maureen Sullivan)

Visitors check out the program for the ribbon-cutting of the new addition to the Southborough Senior Center on Wednesday, Sept. 18. (Photo/Maureen Sullivan)

SOUTHBOROUGH – On Wednesday, Sept. 18, the new addition to the Southborough Senior Center was officially opened.

“This was a passion project,” said Doug Peck, Council on Aging chair. “There’s a new energy … it shows that seniors are important to this town.”

Residents, along with local and state officials, celebrated the opening, which took about five years, and many hours of meetings and labor, to complete.

Most of the credit went to the students and staff at Assabet Valley Regional Vocational High School; they constructed the rooms, installed the lighting and plumbing; and even recorded a video, “Nailing It,” that chronicles part of the project.

The video is available on YouTube.

“We had a blast with the kids and teachers,” said Senior Center Director Pam LeFrancois.

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“The students just do such as amazing job across the district,” said state Sen. Jamie Eldridge.

The finished product features a flexible space to hold programs; it includes brand-new furniture and a big-screen TV.

John Parent, the town’s director of facilities, recalled the project’s beginning, when Bill Harrington, the Council on Aging’s vice chair, wanted to add an elevator.

Parent said, “Don’t think up, think across,” and “it was a lightbulb moment” for Harrington.

“It’s hard to believe that it was 20 years since we moved into this building,” said Harrington.

Parent also praised the Assabet students who worked on the project.

“They were polite, responsible and a plain joy to be around,” he said.

Harrington thanked Assabet, and $400,000 in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, for making this project possible and affordable.

He also credited Assabet instructor Wayne Coulson. 

“His fingerprints are on every detail,” Harrington said.

“I’m glad you will have this space to use,” said Town Administrator Mark Purple. “Pam gets her office back.”

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