WESTFORD — Welcome to the Feb. 11 edition of Weekend Wrap-Up. Here, we highlight the most important news you may have missed this week in Westford.
Apple Blossom Festival saved, parade to be held this May
Amid fears of cancellation late last year, an outpouring of volunteer support has saved this year’s Apple Blossom Festival.
“We got several, about 20, volunteers that came out to help,” Kiwanis member Bill Pozerycki told WestfordCAT. “This year we divided it into four teams.”
Westford Kiwanis divided their efforts into four teams to assist with marketing, the parade, parking and crowd control and the festival. Each team is led by current Kiwanis members.
“Some of these things don’t need help right away, but people are signed up and are getting knowledge on how to run that particular team,” Pozerycki said.
Pozerycki, who runs the marketing team, says he hopes to build audience engagement through weekly posts on Facebook and their website.
“You’ll start to see, hopefully, weekly posts and as well as other items to get people to know what Kiwanis is all about besides the festival. We have a plan in place to get people up to speed on what we’re all about,” he said.
He says building this foundation of engaged residents and team members could translate to additional programs within the community.
“We can do more when we get more help. If these people stay with us and join Kiwanis, we can do more. Our mission statement is about helping children. So what other events we can do in town to help children and seniors,” he said.
He added, “What can we do for an extra scholarship? Is there a non-profit in town that could use some money?”
He says Kiwanis aims to maintain its momentum and grow its membership as it continues into 2024.
“Right now with the limited number of people we couldn’t do that. Now we have the parade, but now we want to keep the momentum going and think of what else we can do,” he said.
Pozerycki emphasized that it is “never too late to volunteer.”
The Apple Blossom Festival will be held from May 15 to May 19, with a parade on May 18 at 10 a.m.
Residents who wish to get involved can sign up online.
Printing business seeks donations for equipment
A local printing business is seeking donations for new equipment ahead of a grand reopening in March.
Printing Solutions, Inc., a Westford staple since 1990, shuttered in December after a new landlord informed the company that their lease would not be renewed. Maudrivia, Inc., a newly registered LLC based in Boston, purchased the building in September.
“At the end of November, Printing Solutions received notice that the new landlord wanted our units for his business. He gave us 30 days to vacate. We asked for a 30-day extension and he did accommodate us,” a GoFundMe page from former employee Kathy Mendell reads.
Rather than reopen the business under its current name, Mendell will open ProPrint, LLC with the help of former PSI owner Darlene Lagasse-Winn.
“I don’t want to work with anyone else,” Mendell wrote.
She added, “I talked with Darlene about opening my print shop and she thought it was a great idea. I asked her if she would consider coming to work for me and without hesitation, she was on board.”
Lagasse-Winn told WestfordCAT that she will join in-office “at a later date.”
“I do love the people, I love the town. 34 years of printing that’s all I know,” she said.
Mendell is seeking up to $50,000 in donations for computers, printers and additional office equipment. The business will open at 224 Littleton Rd., in the former Westford Insurance office.
$600 has been raised at the time of reporting. ProPrint, LLC is scheduled to open on March 1.
F45 Training to open studio in Westford
A new fitness studio will open at Westford Valley Marketplace this Saturday.
F45 Training is a fitness studio that focuses on functional group fitness with certified personal trainers, according to the company’s website.
“It’s group training with a personal training aspect. We have two coaches that can be one to one with everyone,” Head Coach Emily Machado told WestfordCAT.
She added “you can do any workout here, we cater to every demographic. We make it so its inclusive for everyone.”
The studio’s classes run between 45 minutes and 60 minutes several times a week with Machado and Studio Manager Arch Mitchell. Classes are typically cardio or resistance-based, allowing members to “come four to five days a week without feeling like you’re overdoing it,” according to Machado.
Mitchell says the classes are “team-oriented.”
“It’s usually the members versus the coaches. You’re doing it as a team,” he said.
Machado and Mitchell emphasized that they hope to be involved in the community help residents reach their fitness goals.
“We’ll get your goals and help you reach them,” they said.
F45’s soft opening was on Feb. 10 at 174 Littleton Rd., next to Starbucks. Memberships range from $42 to $50 per week, with the ability to freeze for travel and medical reasons.
“The freeze is situational, we can make accommodations for you,” Mitchell said.
Survey available for Town of Westford website redesign
The Town of Westford’s website could soon get a makeover.
A survey now live through Feb. 29 to field resident feedback on the current Town of Westford website and to find areas of improvement for access and ease of use.
“We are transforming our website into an efficient information disseminator that is easy to navigate for the residents and visitors of Westford,” a press release from the town reads. “Your contributions will significantly influence our approach, acting as primary inputs in our decision-making process, and reinforcing our democratic credentials.”
This process is funded through $25,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding approved at a June 6, 2023 Select Board meeting.
Residents can take the survey online.
