Millbury Awarded $229,293 State Grant to Build Municipal Fiber Network
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has awarded Millbury a $229,293 Community Compact Fiber Grant to build a municipal fiber network, the largest single funding announcement to cross the town's News Flash in this cycle and a potential leap forward for how town departments connect and communicate.
TOWN HALL
The grant comes through the state's Community Compact Cabinet program and will go toward constructing a municipal fiber network for Millbury. The town called the award exciting in its announcement, though a buildout timeline and scope details were not included in the release.
On a lower-stakes but time-sensitive note, the town is reminding dog owners that registrations must be completed before July 1 to avoid a late fee.
The Town Manager Screening Committee is scheduled to convene Monday, June 15 — worth watching as the committee works through the town's leadership search process.
SCHOOLS
With the school year in its final stretch, Millbury Public Schools is urging families to retrieve any medications their children have stored in school health offices before the year ends. Shaw Elementary families are also being asked to support the school's annual 6th-grade Nature's Classroom fundraiser, which helps students participate in an outdoor environmental and teamwork learning program the district runs each year.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
The Millbury Public Library is flying a "Victory in the Fight for Federal Funding" banner on its homepage — a signal that the branch came out on the right side of a push to preserve library federal funding, though the specific funding source and dollar amount were not detailed in the available post.
The library's Summer Reading program opens for registration June 22, with a pair of kickoff events the following days: a petting zoo on June 23 and a murder mystery event on June 24, both requiring separate registration. The program serves all ages — children, teens, and adults — with prizes tied to reading milestones.
Residents planning a library visit should note that the branch will be closed Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
No new coverage from Patch, MetroWest Daily News, or The Boston Globe in this cycle.
COMING UP
- **Mon., June 15:** Town Manager Screening Committee meets; Cemetery Commission and Board of Fire Engineers meetings are cancelled that day. - **Tue., June 16:** Dog Park Committee meeting. - **Wed., June 18:** Millbury Farmers Market opens for the season at the Asa Waters Mansion — local wares and live entertainment. - **Fri., June 19:** Millbury Public Library closed for Juneteenth. - **Sun., June 22:** Library Summer Reading registration begins; all ages welcome. - **Mon., June 23:** Library Summer Reading kickoff — Petting Zoo (register separately). - **Wed., June 24:** Library Summer Reading kickoff — Murder Mystery (register separately). - **July 1:** Dog registration late-fee deadline.