Susan Harrison, Vice Chair of the Select Board, opened the weekly town update with a celebration of the community's busy autumn calendar, highlighting several seasonal events and the grand opening of the Sale Home on Country Way. The new development will provide supportive housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, featuring assistive technology demos this Saturday. Harrison also pointed residents toward the upcoming "Harbor Haunts" at Gar Hall, which features local storytelling and musical accompaniment. Reflecting on the packed schedule of historical and cultural events, Harrison noted that Garh Hall is certainly busy this weekend, particularly with the addition of a celebration for the legacy of Amilcar Cabral on Sunday.

Town Administrator James Boudreau provided essential infrastructure updates, specifically warning of a significant water service disruption scheduled for Wednesday, October 22nd. Methuen Contracting will be shutting down the existing water treatment plant between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to connect the reservoir to the new facility on Route 3A. We ask residents to be aware of this shutdown and to refrain from using high volumes of water during this period, Boudreau advised. He also reminded the community that the Fall Special Town Meeting is set for November 3rd at 7 p.m., coinciding with the due date for second-quarter real estate and personal property taxes.

School Committee Chair Nicole Brandolini announced a major shift in the district’s administrative structure, moving toward a leadership model that integrates Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into a broader social emotional learning framework. The district expects to appoint a new leader for this expanded role in January 2026 following the departure of the previous director. To meet the evolving needs of students, we must shift resources to a more comprehensive and broader approach of social emotional learning, Brandolini explained. She also highlighted the success of the recent groundbreaking ceremony at the Cushing-Hallowell site and the upcoming "Credit for Life" fair designed to teach financial literacy to the high school junior class.