Southborough tricentennial committee reports progress; Select Board appoints veteran Jamie Falcone
Summary
The Town of Southborough tricentennial committee told the Select Board on Oct. 21 that it has raised roughly $130,000 toward 2027 events and has scheduled several community activities. The board unanimously appointed veteran Jamie Falcone to the committee for a term ending June 30, 2026.
The Town of Southborough’s tricentennial committee reported steady progress toward 2027 events and fundraising during the Select Board’s Oct. 21 meeting, and the board unanimously appointed Jamie Falcone to the committee.
John Morse, chair of the tricentennial committee, told the board the group has met monthly since November 2023 and is using town and community input to shape a yearlong calendar of events. “We finished 2 years working on this and I think we’re making very good progress,” Morse said.
Morse said the committee’s fundraising arm, a newly formed 501(c)(3) Friends group, has brought total funding to about $130,000: $30,000 came from a town meeting appropriation in 2024 and roughly $100,000 has been committed by donors or sponsors. The committee has used a three‑phase fundraising approach directed at larger donors first, then mid‑level contributions, then smaller community donations.
Planned events include a drone show and fireworks, a house tour in June 2027, a July 17, 2027 fireman’s muster, historic activities including oral history interviews, a revived strawberry festival, and other community gatherings. Morse said the committee is also exploring a First Night/First Day celebration around Jan. 1, 2027, and informal ideas such as hayrides and a duck boat parade honoring championship teams.
Morse said volunteers and the committee are coordinating with town departments; he singled out work by Kathy Cook handling donations through the Friends nonprofit and outreach to the schools to increase student participation.
Jamie Falcone, who described himself as a Southborough native, veteran and local business owner, said he wants to involve veterans in the centennial events and help lead the firefighter muster. “Being the veteran, it’s, you know, I did hear about Mr. Harding’s absence, and it just came at the right time,” Falcone said in explaining his interest in the appointment.
Select Board Chair Andrew moved to appoint Jamie Falcone to the tricentennial committee for a term expiring June 30, 2026; another board member seconded the motion and the board voted in favor.
The committee continues to publish a monthly newsletter, hold pop‑up events (including recent successful ice‑cream giveaways and brick sales), and develop an archive of photographs and documents for exhibition during the 2027 year. Morse said working groups have been established for major events and fundraising will continue in phases to meet projected costs.
The board accepted the update and appointment without further condition.
Ending: The committee asked the board to appoint one more applicant at a future meeting; committee leaders said they will continue outreach to the schools and volunteers to finalize event details through 2026 and 2027.
