Westford Student Honored For Prowess in Reading Braille

Eight-year-old Alan Quan was honored during Monday night's School Committee meeting.

For many folks, overcoming some of life’s obstacles can be daunting at times. But for eight-year old Alan Quan of Westford, there are no obstacles standing in his way. Quan, who is visually impaired, received a Special Recognition Certificate from Westford Public Schools superintendent Bill Olsen at this past Monday’s School Committee Meeting.  The Award honored Quan and his first place finish in the 2013 New England Braille Challenge which is put on by the Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, MA. The Regional Braille Challenge is a reading and writing competition for students who are in grades one through twelve.  Part of the competition included the reading of two passages and then the spelling of forty-five braille spelling words. …

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Hartley

1:36 pm on Tuesday, May 7, 2013

My bad -- I was reading the article and they kept saying "Quan". Alan GREAT JOB !!   more ›

Kimball Farms Outlines Proposed Utility Improvements

The popular ice cream and family destination highlighted plans for utility improvements in front of the local conservation board last week.

The head engineer of Kimball Farm outlined a proposal for underground utility improvements in front of the Westford Conservation Committee this past Wednesday night. Mark Donohoe, who is head of surveying and engineering of Kimball Farms, briefly spoke in front of the Committee about the Farm’s plan to relocate overhead wires to conduits. He also briefly outlined plans to install a new transformer. “We (at Kimball Farm) are going forward with a habitat study,” Donohoe told the Conservation Committee. “This is a needed upgrade, but we might want to hear from the (Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program) first.” The popular ice cream and family-entertainment location, which is located at 400 Littleton Road, owns two-hundred and ten …

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POLL: What Grade Would You Give Westford?

Is Westford making the grade as a town?

  Last night at the J.V Fletcher Library it was announced that the next joint strategic planning retreat held by the town will give residents a chance to grade Westford in a slew of categories. Today, Patch wants to help get you ready by asking you what Westford's grade is in one category....everything.

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Westford Rewind: From Gronkowski to Cornerstone Square

Taking a look back at the past few days in Westford

In case you missed the past few days on Westford Patch, you missed plenty of good stories from Westford Academy, Art on Main, Town Hall and beyond. Don't worry though, we've got you covered in this brief video recap, which also airs regularly on Westford CAT.

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Week in Review

VIDEO: Breaking in the New Year on Westford Patch

Here's what's been going on recently here on Westford Patch

From the approval of waivers for a new housing development, to higher gas prices there's been alot going on in Westford over the past few days.

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Things Westford Patch Readers Want Under Their Tree

We've been listening to things people here in Westford have been saying online and in person, and we've compiled a list of things that Westford would like under its tree.

If Westford residents could get everything they wanted under the Christmas tree, here's what we think they'd ask for. #1. Assurances of Safe School Food: The discovery of rat feces at the School food storage area on Town Farm Road was extremely controversial earlier this year. #2. A Parking Lot for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail...in Acton: Parking was awful near the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Westford earlier this year, and people wanted that alleviated, but residents near the trail wanted no parking lots in their back yards. #3. No More Multi-Day Power Outages: Will the town ask the legislature to create its own municipal power company to replace the now generally hated National Grid? The jury is still out, but it's a possibility. #4. …

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Five Reasons Why Westford Is Better Than Acton

Grey Ghost fans will be cheering for Westford Academy on Thursday, but here are five reasons to cheer for Westford every day.

Once again, Westford Academy is wrapping up its football season against hated archrival Acton-Boxborough as the two teams square off in their perennial Turkey Day showdown. The day marks a cresting of local pride throughout town, but we wanted to share some reasons why we think Westford is better than Acton not just today, but every day. #1. A Growing Business Sector: From Goodrich to Red Hat, Westford is quickly becoming a chic location for corporations large and small, with products from Westford-based companies ranging from sneakers to cosmetic lasers to the largest privately owned solar plant in the Commonwealth. #2. Lauded Schools: People come from far and wide to enroll their children in Westford schools, but despite the district’s …

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FULL VOTING RESULTS: Selectmen Wormell, Ross Re-elected

Selectmen Valerie Wormell and Kelly Ross were re-elected, as were School Committee members David Keele and Erika Kohl.

There were no surprises in today's election, with Selectmen Valerie Wormell and Kelly Ross winning back their seats in an uncontested race. All seven races in the election, in fact, were uncontested. Unofficial turnout was 3.2 percent, down from 4.4 percent in last year's election. Charts of unofficial vote totals:

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Quote of the Week

'Tragic' Fire

Westford's fire chief gives his condolences after a house fire burned a resident.

"This is a tragic fire and we extend our sincere regrets to the family during this time." -Westford Fire Chief Richard Rochon made that statement after a house fire seriously burned Jill Gallagher April 24. She was dragged out of the home by her daughters and a pair of Good Samaritans. She was listed in critical condition at UMass Memorial Medical Center but her condition improved to "good' late this week. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. PREVIOUS COVERAGE

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