Friday, August 29 ~ 7:00 p.m.
Movie Night at the Park
Disney Pixar Cars
FREE Movie Night at the Park!
Speed over for a night of fun with Disney Pixar's Cars under the stars!
Gates open at 7:00 p.m., movie starts at dusk
Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and little Lightning McQueens for a family-friendly evening full of laughs, heart, and high-speed adventure!
Fuel up with Party with the Pauls--Cars-themed drinks, candy & cotton candy!
FREE admission - all are welcome!
Let's cruise into another unforgettable summer night!
At Winchendon Community Park, 86 Ingleside Drive
Presented by Winchendon Parks & Recreation
This Week's Winchendon News
Winchendon CAC Awarded Activation Fund Grant to Expand The Hub and Fully Launch Winchendon Works Youth Workforce & Service Learning Program
Photo courtesy of Miranda Jennings
Photo courtesy of Miranda JenningsThe Winchendon Community Action Committee (WCAC) is proud to announce that it has been awarded an Activation Fund grant to fully activate The HUB and scale up Winchendon Works - Youth Workforce & Service Learning Program. This milestone builds on momentum from last year's T-Mobile Hometown Grant and the longstanding partnership of the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, a backbone supporter of WCAC and major funder of the first phase of The HUB's remodel. Together, these investments are transforming The HUB into a vibrant, sustainable center for opportunity, health, and equity in Winchendon.
Through its programs, WCAC currently serves over 10 percent of Winchendon's population each year. With this new support, The HUB will expand its reach as a co-located community center connecting education, workforce, food access, housing, transportation, and social services under one roof.
Renovations and Expansion
The Activation Fund will support ADA-accessible renovations to classrooms and event spaces and add new features that expand both impact and sustainability. Planned upgrades include:
- New commercial-grade flooring for the food pantry.
- ADA-compliant ramps and doors throughout the facility.
- Indoor/outdoor classrooms and event spaces.
- Installation of a solar array, reducing energy costs and making the building more environmentally sustainable.
Youth Workforce & Service Learning
This summer, Winchendon Works launched with 15 local youth, each completing real-world job experiences and training in areas such as:
- Automotive basics (changing a tire, checking oil)
- Public speaking and resume building
- Customer service and cleaning
- Cooking and food safety (ServSafe® and allergen certification)
- Running the food pantry
- Supporting seniors at the Winchendon Senior Center
With the Activation Fund, Winchendon Works will expand into a year-round program integrated with schools, community partners, and businesses--ensuring every Murdock High School student has access to workforce readiness, leadership, and service-learning opportunities before graduation.
Participants described the program as "life-changing," giving them first jobs, certifications, and real skills like customer service, car maintenance, food safety, and public speaking. Many spoke about confidence and leadership growth--from learning to run the food pantry to leading debates and tackling fears of public speaking. Others highlighted how small acts of service ripple out into
big impacts for families at the pantry, seniors at bowling, or teens at the Sunshine Café. As Liam put it, "Simple small actions and the work of the community can make such a difference in a person's life."
Expanded Programs at The HUB
The newly renovated spaces will also allow The HUB to host:
- After-school tutoring and mentorship in partnership with Toy Town Elementary School and The Winchendon School.
- Free teen cooking classes in partnership with Growing Places.
- Senior Bowling & Lunch Fridays for intergenerational connection.
- Teen drop-ins and Teen Nights on Fridays, in collaboration with the Winchendon Youth Commission.
- Sunshine Café, operating year-round as a youth-led café and employment program, providing teens with job skills, leadership development, and a safe, welcoming hangout space.
The Activation Fund, combined with longstanding support from the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, ensures both youth opportunity and family services continue to grow in sustainability and scale.
"The Activation Fund grant allows us to take The HUB to the next level--connecting education, workforce, food access, and social services in one vibrant space," said Ms. Jennings. "This investment builds on the foundation of the T-Mobile Hometown Grant and the incredible success of our summer youth workforce program, where local teens gained skills, certifications, and even job offers from local businesses. We are forever grateful to our donors, staff, and volunteers who make this happen. It takes a community to run The HUB--and we have the best community! THANK YOU to the Health Foundation of Central Mass for making this a reality."
About the Winchendon CAC
Founded in 1976, the Winchendon Community Action Committee (WCAC) enhances community well-being by providing vital services to over 1,000 households in Winchendon and surrounding areas. Through its partnership with Heywood Hospital's HEAL Collaborative and a wide network of community partners, WCAC tackles the root causes of health and economic inequities. The HUB--WCAC's revitalized community center--centralizes food access, youth leadership, economic empowerment, and social services in one accessible, collaborative space.
Comments from Youth Participants:
"What I found most inspiring was how many people come to the CAC's food pantry--it shows the impact we make on so many lives. One small action, like offering a few extra groceries, can mean the world to someone."
"I thought about how far the Sunshine Café has come. Even after I move on, it will still be a safe place for teens to be themselves. I'm proud to be part of something that will last and make a difference in our community."
"Public speaking has always been tough for me, but this program pushed me outside my comfort zone. By the end, I was shouting out orders with confidence. It showed me I can grow if I keep trying."
"The program gave me so many life skills--from changing a tire to customer service--and the chance to serve people in my community. It helped me see what it's like behind the scenes of a business, and gave me memories and skills that will last."
"What inspired me most was how well everyone worked together. There were no cliques, no distractions--just youth who cared about what we were doing. It showed me the kind of workplace I want to be part of in the future."
Photo courtesy of Miranda Jennings
Photo courtesy of Miranda Jennings
Photo courtesy of Miranda JenningsGreat Weather and Classic Cars Add Up to Another Successful Event at Winchendon Community Park
Vintage car owners, vendors and residents who enjoy classic rock were blessed with perfect weather on Saturday, August 23 as they gathered at the Winchendon Community Park from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. for the Parks & Recreation event "Classic Cruise Night."
Although the cars stood still rather than "cruisin'" like the teens in American Graffiti, they were arranged on the game field by the amphitheater with no barriers, allowing visitors to get up close and examine the immense hard work, love and personal investment their owners put into keeping them maintained and in mint condition. Many of the cars had their hoods wide open to display their pristine and well-tuned engines--some of them nearly 100 years old. All of them were still running and some sported current state inspection stickers.
Cars ranged from several 1930s models, complete with running boards, to long sleek sedans from the 1960s. The owner of a glossy, showroom-quality ivory-colored 1965 Plymouth Fury coupe told the Courier that it had been his grandfather's car--and it was still on the road.
Along with the cars, attendees enjoyed classic oldies played by the Fred Ellsworth Band and the Reminisants. Numerous vendors and organizations included local crafters, Home Fruit Wine, an information table about becoming adoptive parents, the Parks & Rec table, and the Youth Changemakers selling food and beverages. Maddy's Ice Cream truck offered ice cream treats. Kids were doing sidewalk chalk art on the walks at the top of the amphitheater tiers.
The volunteers at the gate told the Courier that by about 6:00 p.m., they had seen 119 adults buying tickets, along with about 50 kids and some 70 car owners and vendors. More folks were still arriving and the overflow parking in the soccer field had at least two rows of cars.
Below are some photos of the cars on display--a fascinating historical snapshot of one of America's most unquenchable loves and defining technologies: the automobile.
The Reminisants playing Chuck Berry from the Performing Arts Amphitheater
Photo by Inanna Arthen
An appreciative audience enjoys the Reminisants
Photo by Inanna Arthen
A local crafter is one of several vending their wares
Photo by Inanna Arthen
Home Fruit Wine from Orange, MA, offers visitors free tastes of locally produced wine
Photo by Inanna Arthen
A vintage truck-turned-hotrod has a matching dirtbike in the bed
Photo by Inanna Arthen
Something Elliot Ness might have driven--a 1932 Ford sedan
Photo by Inanna Arthen
The Willys cars, made until 1942, were stylish and affordable. Some models were called "Americars"
Photo by Inanna Arthen
The La Salle was mentioned in the theme song of the TV show "All in the Family" (this looks like a 1937)
Photo by Inanna Arthen
Spaces Still Open For the 21st Charles E. Grout Memorial Golf Tournament on Sept 13
Sponsored by Fidelity Bank, and benefiting youth programs at the Clark Memorial YMCA, the 21st annual Charles E. Grout Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, September 13 at the Templewood Golf Course in Templeton, MA, beginning at 8:00 a.m. and continuing to mid-afternoon. Sponsorships and entry spaces are still available!
The entry fee includes:
Tournament Gift
Golfer's Grab Bag
Green Fees
Cart Fees
Post Play Luncheon
Prizes
A $10,000 prize will be awarded for the Hole-in-One contest, courtesy of Beauvais Insurance. There will be chances to win prizes at all par 3 holes. Lunch is sponsored by Broadview Inc. Assisted Living Community.
The Corporate Entry & Hole Sponsor Fee is $600; Team Entry Fee is $500; Individual Entry Fee is $125.
The "Tee Sponsor" level is $200 and includes Tee Sponsor Sign, Program Book Listing, and Annual Report Listing. The "Clubhouse Sponsor" level is $100 and includes Table Recognition at the Clubhouse, Program Book Listing, and Annual Report Listing. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Mike Quinn at m.quinn@clarkymca.org or 978-297-9622.
To register for the tournament, come to the Clark Memorial YMCA, 155 Central Street, Winchendon, with your entry fee. Checks should be payable to "Clark Memorial YMCA" with "Charles E. Grout Golf Tournament" in the memo line.
Check-in will begin at 8:00 a.m.; opening remarks will be at 8:45 a.m.; the "shotgun start" will be at 9:00 a.m., and the luncheon and awards ceremony begin at 1:00 p.m.
The Clark YMCA had more than 1,600 youth participants in its 2025 programs. Your support helps the Clark offer basketball, soccer, swim lessons, gymnastics, day camp, before- and after-school child care, STEM classes, robotics, summer learning programs and teen employment opportunities.
The late Charles E. Grout, World War II Veteran, Advocate, and local icon, passed away on September 20, 2003, at the age of 85. A kind and generous man who devoted so much to the community through his volunteer efforts with the American Legion Post #193, his commitment to the town, and his church, Mr. Grout set numerous examples to inspire all of us to become more involved in our community.
Today, his legacy lives on through the many causes he supported over the years, his daughter Coral M. Grout, and the Charles E. Grout Memorial Golf Tournament, a tribute to a man so dedicated to the quality of life for so many people in our area.
New Swarm mascot, leadership and advanced courses at Sizer School
It was a warm and welcome return for students at Sizer School this fall, as the 2025-26 school year kicked off with the buzz of transformation--new faces, new flavors, new opportunities, and a brand-new mascot.
"We're so excited for the new school year. We've got new Frazzle slush drinks in the café, new courses like AP Seminar for 10th & 11th grade, a new mascot, new sports uniforms, and some incredible new staff," said Director of Community Development, Communications and Recruitment, Lindsay Alweiss.
New Leadership
Joining Sizer School this year is Dr. Marc Gosselin as Executive Director. Gosselin brings more than two decades of experience as a superintendent, principal, district administrator, and teacher, having led schools in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. Most recently, he served as Interim Superintendent in Winchendon.
"Throughout his career, Dr. Gosselin has championed equity, student voice, and academic excellence. His leadership philosophy aligns deeply with Sizer's mission--to know students well, challenge them intellectually, and empower them to act with purpose and compassion," said Sizer School Board of Trustees Chair Michelle Brennan.
"This year is an opportunity to build on Sizer's strong traditions while embracing new classes, new staff, and even a new mascot, all of which symbolize fresh energy in our community," added Gosselin. "My goal is to deepen Sizer's commitment to learning that values depth over breadth, mastery over memorization. I want every student to feel that they belong here, that their voice matters, and that they are part of a school where authenticity and respect guide everything we do. Sizer thrives because of the support and partnership of our families, alumni, and community. Together, we will make this a year of curiosity, creativity, and growth--one where every student has the opportunity to discover their authentic self."
A Mascot That Reflects Community
It was a desire for authenticity that sparked the search for a new mascot. "Our students felt it was time for a change. They wanted a mascot that reflected our mission and who we are as a learning community," explained Alweiss.
After "Retiring the Tiger" at the start of the 2024-25 school year, students led a community process to select a replacement. Following multiple rounds of voting, the choice was clear: the Sizer Swarm.
"Bees represent community, teamwork, communication, and intelligence. Bees work together to help each other thrive, and when they swarm, their enemies retreat," said Alweiss.
"The Sizer athletic department and athletes are excited to begin their first full season competing as the Sizer Swarm," added Athletic Director Chris Foley. "The 'Swarm' epitomizes the relentless spirit with which all our sports teams compete. Last year's basketball teams kicked off the buzz, with student fans literally buzzing during exciting moments. We look forward to continuing that energy throughout the 2025-26 seasons."
Advancing Academic Opportunities
Sizer is also expanding academic opportunities this year. 10th grade ELA Teacher Laurel Kelly is leading the school's first AP Seminar course, offered to sophomores and juniors.
"Students have been asking for more challenging classes," said Kelly. "AP Seminar gives them the chance to build analysis, research, writing, synthesis, and presentation skills. It's a perfect fit for Sizer's mission and will strengthen preparation for Junior and Senior Projects while challenging students both academically and personally."
Apply Today
Families still have the chance to join the Swarm. Sizer School will fill the remainder of its open seats for the 2025-26 school year in September. Applications are still being accepted for grades 7, 8, and 9 online at forms.rediker.com/sizerschool.
