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On May 17th the Buzz Project Team consist of three High School Students from Holliston and Hopkinton envisioned combining live performance, music, visual art, storytelling, technology, entrepreneurship, and community engagement to make pollinator conservation relevant and accessible to people in their community. The Buzz Pollinator Project is a community-centered program combining hands-on learning and theater with environmental action to educate people on the importance of pollinators.
Alara Hendekli, Holliston High School Junior, Aarav Nadkarni Hopkinton High School Sophomore and Abhinav Pillai Hopkinton High School Freshman participating in Imagine Corps recently held an event at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts promoting the benefits of pollinators on local ecosystems.
Imagine Corps, a youth innovation and community service program that equips teenagers to tackle authentic community challenges through creativity, collaboration, and human-centered innovation. Unlike traditional classroom experiences, Imagine Corps places young people in diverse teams, experientially teaches them, asks them to work on real issues identified by community partners, and challenges them to transform ideas into initiatives that create meaningful community impact.
Alara, Aarav and Abhinav have been equally important in moving the Buzz from an Imagine Corps summer internship concept toward a genuine youth-led enterprise.
Alara initially emerged as the team’s visual designer. She created marketing materials, flyers, and the official website. Her teammates would articulate what they hoped to communicate, and Alara would listen, synthesize their input, and turn those collective ideas into actual communication materials. She also took on the technical challenge of setting up the project’s crowdfunding page. Her multilingual abilities, technical aptitude, artistic eye, and musical talents give her an unusually broad creative toolkit.
Her creativity has also extended to the team’s community Variety Show. Alara contributed to the development of skits, acted in several scenes, and played guitar in one of the show’s most tender and impactful musical moments as well as she organized a bake sale to raise funds for the Pollinator project.
Aarav Nadkarni and Abhinav Pillai have been equally important in moving TheBuzz from an Imagine Corps concept toward a genuine youth-led enterprise. Aarav led the development of TheBuzz Garden app and wrote and directed the variety show. Abhi, the youngest of the three, pitched in wherever helpful, including participating in ideation, direction setting, and, for the performances, acting and running crew. Together, the three have assumed responsibility not simply for generating ideas, but for determining what the project could become, organizing the work required to move it forward, and engaging many others in bringing that vision to life. Their complementary talents and willingness to work collaboratively are among The Buzz’s greatest strengths.
The Buzz Pollinator Project represents an unusual approach to youth-led environmental action.
Rather than simply telling people that pollinators are important, these teens are experimenting with creative ways to help people care for and participate. Their Variety Show uses theater, music, humor, storytelling, and performance to engage audiences emotionally. Their Pollinator Garden App seeks to extend that engagement beyond an event and help people translate awareness into tangible action in their own communities.
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Mike Shaine
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Michael Shain the president and founder of Thanks To Yanks a local charity that serves our military community is pleased to announce that the organization has a new Director of marketing, Ms. Hiran Jani. She says the following .”I’m Hiran a proud resident of Franklin for 12 years. I truly love the town, my greatest strength and inspiration comes from my loving husband and son
I have a deep love of my town, my community and my country, I believe in giving back and supporting one another to, help build a kinder community, I am very grateful to have the opportunity to serve our military families and make a positive impact, in their lives today and in the future . For more information on Thanks To Yanks, please “Like” them on Facebook.
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Zoe Moreau
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In Holliston Drug & Alcohol Awareness Coalition, Local Happenings |
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Each September, communities across the country recognize National Recovery Month, a time to celebrate the strength of those in recovery, increase awareness of substance use recovery, remember the lives lost to substance use and overdose, and remind individuals and families that support is available.
Here in Holliston, the Holliston Drug & Alcohol Awareness Coalition (HDAAC) is recognizing Recovery Month through several community initiatives focused on remembrance, hope, connection, and recovery.
358 Purple Flags: A Symbol of Hope and Remembrance
Community members may notice 358 purple flags displayed on the lawn of the First Congregational Church. Each flag represents one of the 358 fewer opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts in 2025 compared with 2024. Opioid-related overdose deaths declined from 1,336 in 2024 to 978 in 2025.
This progress gives us hope that prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery efforts are making a difference. At the same time, 978 lives were still lost last year. Behind every number is a person, a family, a friend, and a community forever impacted.
The flags represent both sides of that story: hope for the lives being saved and remembrance of the lives still being lost. They also remind us that there is more work to do to prevent overdose and ensure that people affected by substance use have access to support and opportunities for recovery.
*insert picture*
Honoring Those We’ve Lost
Throughout Recovery Month, HDAAC is inviting community members to help us honor those whose lives have been lost to substance use and overdose. Families and friends are welcome to share a loved one’s name, photo, or story with HDAAC. These submissions will help us thoughtfully recognize members of our community through future remembrance efforts and activities.
On Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30 PM, community members are invited to an Interfaith Recovery Service at the Fatima Shrine. The service provides an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to come together, support individuals and families affected by substance use, honor those we have lost, and recognize the hope and strength found in recovery. No registration is required, and refreshments will be served.
Supporting Recovery Year-Round
While Recovery Month provides an important opportunity to raise awareness, Holliston’s work continues throughout the year. Since July 2024, opioid settlement dollars have helped fund local prevention, harm reduction, remembrance, and recovery initiatives through HDAAC and Holliston Youth & Family Services[2].
This includes the Community Action Fund (CAF)[3], which provides financial assistance to Holliston residents and families affected by opioid use. Funding can help address barriers to recovery such as housing, sober living, transportation to treatment, legal services, and other needs.
Looking ahead, HDAAC hopes to continue strengthening local recovery supports while providing more opportunities to hear directly from residents impacted by the opioid crisis. Community members can always learn more about our opioid initiatives and share feedback at HDAAC.org[4]
National Recovery Month reminds us that recovery is possible, support matters, and communities have an important role to play. Whether you are in recovery, supporting a loved one, remembering someone you have lost, or simply want to help create a healthier Holliston, there is a place for you in this effort.
This September, we invite our community to join us in remembering those we have lost, celebrating those in recovery, and supporting individuals and families affected by substance use, not only during Recovery Month, but throughout the year.
Connect with us at moreauz@holliston.k12.ma.us or winerj@holliston.k12.ma.us.
Posted By
Zoe Moreau
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In Holliston Drug & Alcohol Awareness Coalition |
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When you’ve lived in a town for a number of years, it’s easy to overlook the hidden gems that surround you every day. Alternately if you’re new to town, you might not be aware of all that Holliston has to offer. This summer, five members of the Holliston Drug & Alcohol Awareness Coalition’s (HDAAC) high school youth group, the Youth Action Team (YAT), aimed to change this by creating a photography project celebrating the positive spaces and people in our community.
Inspired by Grace Burgett, HHS graduate of 2024 and HDAAC intern, Photographing Positivity is a social media-based project sharing collages of photographs taken by high school students. Each collage highlights a different business, organization, or public space that helps Holliston feel a little more like home. This project is designed to highlight not only familiar places, but also resources and experiences that community members may not know about. In order to make the project accessible to as many people as possible in town, the collages will live on HDAAC’s Instagram and Facebook pages so residents can find these special spots around town anytime they’re looking for something to do or somewhere to go.
With the help of the bus and drivers from The Center, we spent more than 14 hours over the course of six days traveling throughout Holliston. We were able to capture more than 37 different locations, including parks, town resources, schools, faith organizations, public safety, and local businesses. Every spot was unique, each with its own stories and crucial role in the community.
The project gave us the opportunity to explore parts of our community from a new perspective while meeting many business owners and collaborating with Coalition partners. Each stop reminded us of the importance of the people behind the businesses and organizations, without whom they would not exist. We saw dedicated and passionate individuals who make it their mission every day to foster a more caring and engaged community, creating safe spaces to spread positivity. Jasleen Kaur, one of the Youth Action Team photographers, observed, “I never knew there could be so much in a small town like ours, but it felt great seeing so much positivity within our community.”
Beginning Wednesday, September 2nd, we will be sharing a new Photographing Positivity collage through HDAAC’s Facebook[5] & Instagram[6] pages every other Wednesday through June 2027. We hope the project inspires residents to explore somewhere new, support a local business or organization, meet new people, and appreciate the many positive things happening right here in our community. Be sure to follow along!
Healey-Driscoll Administration Expands Joint Active Shooter Response Training Statewide
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More than 1,000 police, fire and EMS professionals have completed joint active shooter response training across Massachusetts this year as the Healey-Driscoll Administration expands efforts to prepare first responders to act quickly and work together during a crisis.
One of the latest Active Attack Integrated Response courses brought approximately three dozen first responders to Tufts University for two days of classroom instruction, hands-on exercises, and realistic scenarios. Participants included personnel from the Massachusetts State Police, Arlington Police, Lexington Police, Lexington Fire, Medford Fire, Somerville Fire, Somerville Police, Stoughton Fire, Cataldo Ambulance, and the police departments of North Shore Community College, Tufts University, and Worcester State University.
“Massachusetts was the first in the nation to adopt an internationally recognized framework for consistent, statewide active shooter response training,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina K. Kwon. “Our law enforcement, fire service, EMS, telecommunicator, and emergency management personnel are training together in courses like this one so they can work together in a real-world crisis.”
The Active Attack Integrated Response (AAIR) course was coordinated by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, the Municipal Police Training Committee, and the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, with support from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
The course was held August 18–19 in partnership with Tufts University and the Tufts University Police Department. Tufts also hosted AAIR courses in June and July.
“We significantly ramped up AAIR deliveries to meet increased demand after last winter’s active shooter event at Brown University,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “So far this year, we’ve delivered 35 classes for first responders across Massachusetts, from Provincetown to North Adams. That’s more than 1,000 police, fire, and EMS professionals ready to stop the killing and stop the dying.”
“The AAIR curriculum provides life-saving training to first responders at every level of experience,” said Captain Amy Fanikos (Ret.), Deputy Executive Director of the Municipal Police Training Committee. “From classroom instruction to hands-on exercises to increasingly complex scenarios, it builds the skills necessary for law enforcement and fire/rescue to work seamlessly together when every second can be the difference between life and death.”
“I received great feedback from the Somerville firefighters who took part in this course,” said Somerville Fire Chief Charles J. Breen, Jr. “It builds on many of the emergency medical skills we already use, and it provides a strong foundation for working with our police partners. Trainings like this one could help save lives in a crisis most people don’t want to contemplate.”
“Massachusetts is doing some of the most aggressive AAIR training in the country,” said John Cantarella, Northeast Regional Manager for the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University.
In 2022, Massachusetts became the first state to adopt NFPA 3000, Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response Program, as a statewide framework for active shooter response training through the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, Municipal Police Training Committee and State Police Academy.
Developed following the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, NFPA 3000 emphasizes the importance of law enforcement, fire, EMS, and other public safety partners planning, training, and coordinating before an emergency.
AAIR puts that framework into practice. The curriculum uses plain language and common terminology to help first responders establish command, stop an attacker, and reach injured people as quickly as possible. It also trains participants in the Rescue Task Force model, in which law enforcement protects fire and EMS personnel as they provide immediate medical care and evacuate patients.
The Department of Fire Services and Municipal Police Training Committee also offer Active Attack Incident Management, a course for chiefs and senior officers focused on command-level strategies, and Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events, which teaches civilians how to protect themselves and others until first responders arrive.
Together, these interagency training programs have reached more than 7,000 police officers, firefighters, EMS providers, public safety dispatchers, and other participants across Massachusetts.
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Doreen Martel
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Property: 1 Fisher Street Price: $600,000 Sellers: Mark J. Nelson TR & Nelson Living Trust Buyers: Nelson Raquel Santander TR & Tatyana Gerasimova
Property: 65 Woods Crossing Price: $950,000 Sellers: Michael & Nicole Marino Buyers: Connor William & Casey Fuller
Property: 31 Robert Road Price: $660,000 Sellers: Edith & Wilhelmina Howell TR & Wilhelmina Ann Murray Revocable Trust Buyers: Abigail Mary & Evan James Stuart
Property: 0 Birch Road Price: $262,000 Seller: Turning Point Home Buyers LLC Buyer: Paulo Dematos Note this is an empty lot and being excluded from comps
Property: 23 Bonney Drive Price: $836,000 Sellers: Matthew & Mary Goodwill Buyers: Michael Manser & Melanie Charwat Manser
Property: 100 Marilyn Street Price: $689,000 Sellers: William Randall Shearer TR & Shirly J Shearer Irrevocable Trust Buyers: Daniel M & Kimberly A Cannata
Property: 361 Winter Street Price: $980,000 Seller: Jacob C Rahmier Buyers: Levit Family Revocable Trust, Lev Yureivich Levit TR & Allison Daley Hoskins Levit TR
Property: Prentice Street Price: $240,000 Sellers: Thomas W. Murch TR & Prentice Murch Realty Trust Buyers: Prentice Street LLC Note: Excluded from Comps – Lot
Property: 40 Maple Street Price: $350,000 Sellers: Mikulsiki Living Trust, Laurie S Mikulski TR & Christopher V Mikulski TR Buyer: Eduardo Loja LLC
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Mark Ahronian
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The farm was established in 1982 by Peter and Helen MacArthur and became a beloved staple of the local community, operating 12 greenhouses and cultivating a variety of vegetables, flowers, and potted plants.
MacArthur Farm was most famous for its award-winning tomatoes; Peter MacArthur, affectionately known as Holliston’s “Tomato King,” consistently won or placed in the top three spots at the annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest from 2004 onward. The farm ceased operations in January of 2026.
Governor Maura Healey Declares September College Fire Safety Month
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Governor Maura Healey today proclaimed September College Fire Safety Month in Massachusetts as thousands of students return to campus and move into dormitories, apartments, and other student housing.
Fire officials are offering guidance to help prevent fires and injuries during what is traditionally the leading month for fires in student housing.
“Massachusetts is proud to welcome thousands of students to our colleges each fall, and we want every one of them to have a safe and successful year,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Most fires in student housing can be prevented. Simple steps like staying in the kitchen while cooking, keeping exits clear and using batteries and chargers safely can save lives.”
“Move-in day comes with a long checklist, and fire safety needs to be on it,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Before families unpack the last box, check the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, identify two ways out and make sure everyone knows what to do if a fire starts.”
Massachusetts fire departments reported more than 2,500 fires in dormitories, fraternities, and sororities between 2021 and 2025. These fires caused six civilian injuries, 10 fire service injuries, and approximately $2.7 million in damage.
Fire officials are also emphasizing the importance of safety in apartments and other off-campus housing. Two Massachusetts college students died in separate, unrelated off-campus fires in 2013.
“College Fire Safety Month is an important reminder that keeping students safe is a shared responsibility,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “Colleges and universities, property owners, families, and students all have a role to play. As students return to campus and settle into new housing, we encourage everyone to review basic fire safety, make sure alarms are working, and know what to do in an emergency.”
Massachusetts law requires landlords to provide working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Students should test their alarms when they move in and immediately notify their landlord if an alarm is missing, damaged or not working.
Students should also check the manufacturing date printed on the back of each alarm. Smoke alarms should generally be replaced after 10 years. Carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced after five, seven or 10 years, depending on the make and model.
About 90 percent of fires in student housing are related to cooking, with unattended cooking the most common factor. Students should remain in the kitchen when using the stovetop, use a timer when cooking in the oven, and never cook while drowsy or impaired.
With September 1 marking the primary move-in date for students across Massachusetts, fire officials are also reminding students to keep escape routes clear. Boxes, furniture, bikes, and other belongings should not block windows, doorways, hallways, or stairwells.
Students should know two ways out of their building and, when possible, two ways out of each room. If an alarm sounds, occupants should leave the building, stay outside, and call 9-1-1.
Students can also reduce the risk of fire by following these precautions:
Smoking: There is no safe way to smoke, but if you must smoke then do it responsibly. Don’t flick them on the ground, where they can smolder and ignite debris, or grind them out on porches or steps. Use a heavy ashtray on a sturdy surface and put it out, all the way, every time.
Electrical: Always plug appliances like air conditioners and space heaters into wall sockets that can handle the current, not power strips or extension cords. Don’t overload outlets with multiple devices.
Heating: Turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to sleep. Never leave a space heater unattended.
Cooking: Stand by your pan! Don’t leave pots and pans unattended on a lit stovetop, and keep flammable items away from burners. In the event of a grease fire, smother the flames with a lid and then turn off the heat. Only cook when you’re alert, not when you’re drowsy or impaired.
Candles: Never leave candles burning unattended. Extinguish them before leaving the room. Even better, switch to battery-powered candles.
Lithium-Ion Batteries: Use the charging equipment provided by the manufacturer and disconnect it when the device is charged. Charge phones, laptops, e-cigarettes, e-bike batteries, and other devices on a hard and stable surface – never a bed, couch, or pillow. If you notice an unusual odor, change in color, change in shape, leaking, or odd noises, stop using the device right away. If you are able to do so safely, move it away from anything that can burn and call your local fire department.
For more fire safety tips for both on and off campus, visit www.mass.gov/dfs[7].
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Mary Ellen Harm, 79, of Holliston, passed away on Saturday, August 29, 2026. Born in Wilmington, Delaware, she was the daughter of the late Margaret (Corcoran) and Joseph Coughlan. She was the wife of 54 years to Matti Harm of Holliston.
Mary Ellen was a member of the Holliston Garden Club and the Holliston Mystery Club. She enjoyed playing Bridge, spending time at the beach, and was an avid Red Sox fan. Mary Ellen was also a loyal employee of Fabric Place in Framingham, where she worked for over 30 years.
In addition to her husband, Mary Ellen is survived by two sons, Alex Harm and Geoffrey Harm and his wife, Natalie; her siblings, Jerry Coughlan and his wife, Karin, Frank Coughlan and his wife, Susan, Michael Coughlan and his wife, Elaine, James Coughlan and his wife, Kitty, Kate Coughlan and her wife, Brenda, and Elizabeth Coughlan and her husband, Mario. She also leaves many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 9th from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston, 854 Washington St. www.ChesmoreFuneralHome.com[8] A funeral service will take place on Thursday, September 10th at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org[9]
