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Shrewsbury - As senior custodian at the Floral Street School community, David Poe is an integral part of keeping the school running smoothly. Not only does he daily complete a full slate of duties, he also serves as an unofficial "go-to person" for each staff member and student in the 800-student school. That dedication and loyalty has earned him a nomination for the John P. Collins Award for Excellence.

Hudson ??" The Pinewood Derby is a Cub Scout tradition that dates back more than 60 years, but Hudson's Pack 4 is doing something to make it extra special. The Second Annual Unified Pinewood Derby, which welcomes children with special needs, will be held Feb. 1 at Joseph L Mulready School. The Unified Pinewood Derby seeks to provide a fun, free activity for children who may have special educational, physical, or development needs, according to Steve Walsh, cubmaster of Pack 4, which is organizing the event. Both boys and girls in kindergarten through high school school are welcome.

Hopkinton - It has been just over a year since a 4-foot cement statue of the Virgin Mary was unearthed at the Golden Pond Assisted Living Facility during a 38,000 square foot expansion project. The construction has since been completed as has the statue restoration. Recently residents and staff gathered in Golden Pond's newly renovated chapel to celebrate the transformation. The restoration was completed by Upton resident Rita Kozel who heard about the statue discovery from friend and Golden Pond resident, Bill Wood. Graciously, she offered to donate her time to restore it.

Region – The Starhawks Youth Hockey program has had a successful season culminating with two of its teams winning a championship and three others coming very close. The PeeWee 1, PeeWee 2, PeeWee 3, Squirt 3 and Mite 1 teams all traveled to Groton School and Lawrence Academy to play in the Tourney in the Woods. The PeeWee 1 team went 2-0-1 in divisional play and in the finals won the title game with an impressive 4-2 win.

Northborough - Although he is only 26 years old, Northborough resident Matt Bruce is facing the challenge of a lifetime – a diagnosis of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. In spite of that, his friends note that he has a "never give up" attitude.

Marlborough - The Marlborough High School Panthers hosted the Westborough High School Rangers for a boys' basketball game Jan. 17. The league-leading Rangers jumped out to an early lead but the Panthers fought back and in a sloppy second quarter for both sides, briefly took the lead. The Rangers came right back however and led 33-26 at the half.

Worcester - Before the Shrewsbury High School Colonials boys' hockey team played the Algonquin Regional High School Tomahawks at the DCU Center Jan 11, Shrewsbury resident and long-time hockey coach Art Ward was recognized. Ward, who suffered a stroke in 2011, was a standout player at St. John's High School and Fairfield University and continued to coach hundreds of other young players in the area.

Northborough ?Employees of the Northborough Wegmans store recently contributed nearly $54,000 to be donated to two local United Way branches.

By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer Westborough – For the last two decades students at the Sarah W. ?Gibbons Middle School have participated in an annual...

Marlborough - City Councilors welcomed the newest police "officer" in the Marlborough Department – K9 "Kaiser" – who was escorted into council chambers Jan. 13 by Patrolman Ken McKenzie, administrator of the new K9 Unit. The surprise visit by the two drew a standing ovation and congratulations on completing several weeks training.

By John Swinconeck, Contributing Writer Northborough - Red Sox fans got a chance Jan. 14 to get up close with the team's 2013 Major League...

Shrewsbury - Doug Thomson is keenly aware of the space left by Anthony Borgatti. It's evident by the cavernous, now-empty Spag's building off Route 9 in Shrewsbury, and it's evident by the tales of Borgatti that Thomson has collected from locals over the past year. Thomson said he wants to capture some of the Borgatti spirit when he opens Spags" Antique Mall on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the site of the former department store of the same name.

Westborough - The Westborough High School Rangers girls' gymnastics team hosted the Algonquin Regional High School Tomahawks at the Massachusetts Gymnastics Academy Center Jan. 9. The Rangers swept all four events: Vault 34.25 to 33.45, Bars 67.35 to 65.95, Balance Beam 101.75 to 99.55, and Floor Exercise 36.05 to 34.70 which allowed Westborough to win the event 137.80 to 134.25.

Worcester – Throughout the month of January, 10 local high school varsity boys" hockey teams and four varsity girls" hockey teams will play a game at the DCU Center directly before a Worcester Sharks game. Fans of the school teams are invited to come and cheer their favorite high school team and then stay to watch a Sharks game. Fans will receive a reduced ticket price in advance for each participating school, with one ticket to garner entry into both games. A portion of the proceeds will be donated back to each school with each ticket purchased.

Westborough ??" Frank DeSiata will have capped off what could be his final months as Westborough Recreation Director with an award named for one of the children DeSiata once coached. The Greg Montalbano Award is named for the late Spinners' alumnus and former Red Sox top prospect, according to the Spinners official website. DeSiata was to be honored Jan. 11, during the Roberts Highlights Hot Stove Dinner to raise money for Lowell Spinners charities.

Shrewsbury - When Gail and Joe Aslanian tackled the award-winning restoration of their 1776 barn in the late 1990s, they were determined to reinvent the space to suit their needs. They had no plans to milk cows or store hay for barnyard animals. Instead, this space has become a second home for hobbies, gatherings, and their guests.

By Chris Wraight, Contributing Writer Shrewsbury - The Shrewsbury High School Colonials hosted the St. John's High School Pioneers for a boys' basketball non-league game...

Marlborough - Zoe Norris, a second-grader at Kane Elementary School, glides down a snowy hill Jan. 5 at Ghiloni Park. She was among area...

Northborough - A fundraiser featuring Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman was held Jan. 4 at Algonquin Regional High School as part of the Boston Strong Classic USA Gymnastics Region VI meet. Raisman, a Needham, Mass. resident, signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans.

Shrewsbury – The children were not the only ones to receive surprises at this year's annual Santa breakfast Dec. 21 at the Shrewsbury Knight of Columbus. Special guests Jennifer Tevekelian and her sons Andrew, 11, and twins Derek and Kyle, 9, also received an early Christmas present. For the Shrewsbury family, it was a bright spot in what has been a dark past few months. In August, the family lost husband and father Kevork "Kev" Tevekelian, who passed away after an eight-year battle with Multiple Myeloma, an incurable form of blood cancer.