Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Golfers tee off at Natick’s Sassamon Trace to save Pasta Night

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You know the Natick Sons and Daughters of Italy. They’re the people who have brought you a nice meal at an affordable price every Wednesday since the 1970s at the Washington Ave club, with breaks in service for only two reasons—COVID, and kitchen woes. They figured out work-arounds to the former. But it took a golf tournament, among other fundraising efforts, to upgrade the equipment that makes Pasta Night happen.

If we must golf, we must golf

To that end, over 70 golfers teed off at Sassamon Trace golf course last week to help the Sons and Daughters of Italy fund the final part of the kitchen project—the installation of fire prevention equipment. Once this last punch-list item is complete, and the kitchen passes inspection, the Club will resume Pasta Night, perhaps as early as this fall. “Pasta Night is what keeps us going and we definitely need to reopen…we are 96 years old, and hope to reach 100!” Club president Cathy Washburn said.

The competition was friendly, but it was still a competition, so let’s hear it for the winners (photos by Beth Bomarsi):

1st place team

Sons & Daughters of Italy, Natick

2nd place team

Natick Sons & Daughters of Italy

3rd place team

Natick Sons & Daughters of Italy

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The fake grass is now greener at Natick sports field

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Natick’s Memorial Field, the West Street complex near the high school that underwent a facelift in July, is open again to the public.

The artificial turf has been replaced and a colorful Redhawks logo has been added to the middle of the field, replacing the plain old red, white & blue “N.”  A $550,000-ish contract award was made earlier this year, with funds approved during 2021 Spring Town Meeting.

The turf field was about 9 years old, and typically synthetic fields like this last 8-10 years, according to the town.

When I swung by the field there was a lone football player zigging and zagging backwards very fast and practicing spectacular invisible grabs.

Next up, pending Fall Town Meeting approval, will be a resurfacing of the track next year.

Before

memorial field natick

natick football field logo

After

memorial field upgrade

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Add 1 more to list of things you can’t do at Natick’s Memorial track & field: Enter

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The Memorial Stadium & Track at Natick High School features a long list of things you can’t do there, as outlined on this intimidating sign:

no sign at natick track

Now you can add “entering the facility” to that list. The complex will be closed through the end of July for renovations that should be welcomed by the public.

Director of Public Works Jeremy Marsette says:
“The first phase of this project is the replacement of the artificial turf surface.  The funding for this work was recently appropriated by Town Meeting and the Town has completed a competitive bid process to hire a contractor to perform the work (with completion by the end of July).

“The next phase of the project will be the resurfacing of the perimeter running track.  We plan to seek funds at the Fall Town Meeting for the resurfacing, which would then take place next year.”

Natick High School Memorial Football Field and Track

Tour de Natick was a fun Father’s Day ride, not an intense race

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As over 250 cyclists readied themselves for the Natick Rotary Club-organized Tour de Natick at the starting point between the post office and the Common Street Spiritual Center, a police officer shouted out a friendly directive: “Remember, this is a ride, not a race.”

The goal: have fun and keep the action on the 6-mile Tour de Natick course as unlike the Tour de France as possible—no crazy speeds, no glaring at the upstart about to pass you, no hyper-competitive peloton groupings. The annual Father’s Day tradition (except for two bye years due to that pesky pandemic) went off without a hitch, and raised nearly $10,000 to fund college scholarships for Natick students through race entrance fees and the event’s  20+ generous sponsors.

Tour de Natick

 

Tour de Natick

Rotary Club president Mark Canegallo said, “We’re super thankful to our sponsors. Middlesex Savings Bank has been with us every single year for 19 years. TJX stepped up as a new corporate sponsor for us, and Bernardi Auto is a major sponsor as well. Coach & Carriage Auto Body has always been a sponsor.” In addition, Wegman’s donated the food for the post-race bar-b-que.

 

Natick Rotary Club, Tour de Natick

In addition to the scholarship program, the Club gives a dictionary to each of Natick’s approximately 300 third graders. Over the past 15 years over 8,000 dictionaries, each one personalized with the receiving student’s name, have been donated.

Tigers in two: Natick Little League champs

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The Natick Little League Tigers team, No. 1 through the regular season in the majors bracket, stayed that way until the end of the playoffs by topping the Nationals 2 games to none. We just missed the end of the game, but managed to snap a photo of the winners.

Congrats to all of this season’s players.

natick little league champs tigers

More: Natick Little League parade (April, 2022)

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