GRAFTON LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS

Grafton - Leo R. "Rab" Laflamme Sr., 71, passed away at home Tuesday, May 12, 2015 after an illness. He leaves his loving wife of...

Grafton - Grafton voters approved a budget of $50,747,109 at the Annual Town Meeting May 11. Group Health Insurance for Unclassified Town Personnel was budgeted at $3,708,925, down from $3,876,121 the previous year. The Grafton Council on Aging listed year’s expenses at $179,741, up from the previous year’s $173,897. Retirement of Debt was to be $2,315,000, up from last year’s $2,237,000, and Debt Interest was $1,431,275, down from $1,535,463. The budget was passed with little dissent.

Grafton - Registration is open for Apple Tree Arts summer theatre arts programs, early childhood music, ensembles and private music lessons this summer. The nonprofit community school of the arts based in Grafton offers year-round music and theatre arts programs for children, youth and adults.

Grafton - Grafton voters met to complete both a Special Town Meeting (STM) and Annual Town Meeting (ATM). Of approximately 14,380 Grafton residents, 212 voters showed up to participate. The STM dealt with 14 articles in just 11 minutes, while the ATM covered all 42 articles in another three and a half hours. The articles which generated the most controversy dealt with the future of the proposed Super Park and whether dogs should be banned from town cemeteries and other public places.

Grafton - John N. Ouellette, of Grafton, passed away Sunday, May 10, 2015 at the age of 88. He was born Oct. 18, 1926...

North Grafton - Lena E. (DiMarzio) Cornacchioli, 92, of Forest Lane in North Grafton, died Thursday, May 7, 2015, peacefully surrounded by her loving...

Grafton - Anita Dora (Bourassa) Tower died peacefully Wednesday, May 6, 2015, surrounded by her family, in her home. She was born Feb. 21, 1926...

Grafton – Residents and visitors gathered May 9 at Grafton Common for the annual Grafton History Day. Co-sponsored by the Grafton Historical Society and the Grafton Garden Club, the five-hour event celebrates the town’s 1735 incorporation.

Grafton - Sylvia E. (Soderberg) Wahlstrom, 77, died Thursday, May 7, 2015 at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester after a short illness. She was...

Grafton - Olive L. (Maynard) Quartulli, 91, passed away at home Wednesday, May 6, 2015. She leaves her husband of 64 years, Armando Quartulli; her...

Grafton – On Saturday, May 2, at 11:00 a.m. Grafton officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for Phase II of the Grafton Town House Full...

Grafton - One of the losses to Grafton upon the construction of the new high school was an area near Town Hall that had been dubbed “Super Park”. In its original configuration, Super Park was a rather undistinguished area of set tunnels, ladders, slides, and other obstacles arranged near several benches and tables at which adults could sit and supervise children at play. Since then, a new Super Park Committee has been created to oversee the construction of a newer, more ambitious park.

Grafton - Library Director Beth Gallaway briefed the Board of Selectmen during its meeting May 5 on the town library’s many successes during 2014. The numbers tell an optimistic story. During the year, books out were up 28 percent to 142,300, while digital items out were up 40 percent. The library entertained 64,377 visitors, up 35 percent, compiled by using an automatic door counter. New for children are “build kits” that can be checked-out. Visitors buying coffee ($1.00) at the library and using the WiFi access accounted for a large part of the visitor upsurge, as the library provides the only WiFi available to many townspeople.

Grafton - Alicia M. "Alice" Makowiecki, 83, of Grafton, died peacefully in her sleep Friday, May 1, 2015 in Worcester. She was born in...

Grafton - Yvonne C. (Dion) Leeman, 75, passed away at home Saturday, April 25, 2015, surrounded by her family. Her husband, Albert "Bushey" Leeman,...

Grafton - Robert J. Kell, 73, passed Friday, April 24, 2015 from complications of recent illness. He leaves his wife of 52 years, Karen R....

Grafton – Under brilliant blue skies, town officials and residents gathered at the back of Grafton Town House located at 1 Grafton Common May 2 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the historic landmark’s Phase II Accessibility Project. The project, which is a venture between the town and the building’s lead tenant, the nonprofit group Apple Tree Arts will bring the building into compliance with Massachusetts Architectural Access Board standards as well as meet current fire safety standards.

Grafton – During its April 21 meeting, the Grafton Board of Selectmen again reviewed the proposed articles to be included in the warrant for the Town Meeting scheduled for Monday, May 11.

Grafton – Country-rock singer-songwriter Josh Briggs immediately jumped into the Grafton area music scene at the young age of 14. His family moved from upstate New York to Massachusetts the summer before his freshman year at Grafton High School (GHS), where he graduated in 1992.

Grafton - Grafton Recreation is offering Zumba toning classes each Tuesday up to May 26, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Grafton Municipal...