Goldblatt, Thompson End Public Service

The first vote of the night for the Board of Selectmen was to approve a ten minute cake break. The vote came shortly after the 6 p.m. start time on Tuesday, Feb. 28. The cake offered to a full meeting room in honor of selectmen Lydia Goldblatt and George Thompson, both ending their public service to the town, 24 and 12 years respectively.

“It’s a special but bittersweet night for all of us,” said State Rep. Carolyn Dykema, D-Hollison. She presented a citation from the governor for each of them.

State Rep. Matt Beaton, R-Shrewsbury, presented a citation for each selectman on behalf of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Middlesex and Worcester, presented citation on behalf of the Massachusetts State Senate.

Also offering congratulations and thanks to the pair was former State Rep. Karen Polito, R-Shrewsbury; School Superintendent Marianne O’Connor; and Town Moderator Joe Harrington.

was notably emotional as he thanked numerous people with whom he had worked through the years, rolling through a list of names of both living and past elected officials and town employees.

He offered three pieces of advice to the new members of the board: keep an open mind, honor the town charter and show the upmost respect for fellow board members and town employee.

Quoting a poem from Lord Alfred Tennyson, Thompson ended by saying, “Part of me is all those I’ve met.”

was also moved as she spoke of many people with whom she worked over the past 24 years of serving Westborough. “Like most things in life, other people make you look pretty damn good,” she said.

She stressed her appreciation for Chief Alan Gordon, Chief Nick Perron and Westborough Manager John Walden.

In closing, Goldblatt said, “I always say that if I touched one family or one person in the past 24 years, I will have felt I had done my job.”

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on the latest Westborough news, or simply hit the "like" button at the top of this page. If you'd like to receive the Westborough Patch newsletter with our top stories, click here.