5 Things to Know the Week of August 22: Last Call for Tennis, Tewksbury Democrats Gather and Market Prepares for a Move

Post-Henri and pre-back-to-school, it’s a quiet week in Tewksbury. Residents may want to take a moment and catch up on some significant meetings that happened last week. We’ll recap. 

The Friends of Tewksbury Tennis will hold their 10th Tewksbury Open on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3 to 6, and it’s last call to register — director and TMHS coach Mary MacDonald will issue a tournament schedule next week. The Friends invite all players, of all skill levels, to participate in events including junior singles for boys and girls, singles for women and men, doubles for women and men and mixed doubles.

MacDonald is excited about seeing the tournament return after a one-year hiatus due to COVID. “It will be nice to welcome back our returning players, and especially any newcomers looking to play some awesome tennis while meeting other local players,” she said.

“This tournament has grown from a small Tewksbury event at the two Livingston Park courts, to a multiday event at the beautiful five courts at the Tewksbury Public High School,” adds FoTT president Christian Panasuk. “In recent years, the field has grown to include multiple skill and age levels, attracting players and sponsors from across the Merrimack Valley.”

The cost to participate is $35, and all players must be available on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. Semi-final and final matches will be played on Sunday, Sept. 5, with Monday as a rain date. More information and an entry form are available on the group’s website.

UPDATE: The Outdoor Concert Series featuring Counterfeit Cash scheduled for tonight has been POSTPONED to next Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. on the library’s back lawn. This the SECOND time this concert has been postponed due to rain. Mother Nature does not appear to be a fan of the man in black, per Robert Hayes!

These popular shows take place on the library’s back lawn, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early and bring blankets or chairs. The concert series is cosponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Tewksbury Cultural Council, and the Friends will be on hand with snacks, raffle tickets and information.

Beyond the concert, the library has a full slate of events this week, from a job seekers’ networking meetup to the latest installment of the Corning Author Series: ‘The Woman Who Stole Vermeer’ with Anthony Amore. 

The Tewksbury Special Education Parent Advisory Council (TSEPAC) gathers remotely this week on Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. Residents who are interested in the opportunity offered for public comment need to connect via Zoom as TSEPAC meetings are neither televised nor recorded. Find an agenda and instructions for joining here. 

On Wednesday, the Tewksbury Democratic Town Committee will hold its annual Summer Social in the back room at TJ Callahan’s, beginning at 7 p.m. Apps will be provided, along with a cash bar. This is a great opportunity to chat with local elected representatives and learn more about the TDTC.

Those who can’t make the social but are interested in the committee can download an associate member form from the TDTC website or attend the next scheduled meeting, on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 10 a.m. at Town Hall. That meeting will be followed by the rescheduled  “Show Your Pride, Tewksbury” event at 2 p.m. on the Town Common.

The TDTC is also sponsoring a 2021 Unity Breakfast on Sunday, Sept. 26 at the Tewksbury Country Club, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Tickets are $40 and are available at the door, by emailing the committee or at the Summer Social. 

On Thursday, visit the Tewksbury Community Market from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for its last hurrah at the current location, next to the Tewksbury Public Library. The market will move to its new digs at Livingston Field for the five Thursdays in September. The August 26 market will feature 30+ vendors, including food trucks Thwaites Market (handheld meat pies), Wanderlust (ribs, corn, chorizo, cheesy focaccia, beet hummus), The Cookie Monstah (ice cream cookie sandwiches, cookies), Kona Ice of Mass (shaved ice) and The Whoo(pie) Wagon (whoopie pies). 

This week’s market will also host charity lemonade stand Lemons Bring Love. Let’s hope that good karma translates into a dry day.

For more vendors and updates, visit the Tewksbury Community Market’s website or its Facebook (@TewksburyMarket), Twitter (@TewksburyMarket) and Instagram (@TewksburyCommunityMarket.

Looking ahead, crafters, food trucks and other vendors may now apply to take part in the 7th Annual Tewksbury Fall Harvest Festival, planned for Sunday, Sept. 26 from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Finally, last week saw a packed slate of consequential town board and committee meetings. If you missed one or more, you can find many recordings at Tewksbury TV’s YouTube station.

To recap:

On Monday, the Planning Board received a presentation on planned major changes to Sycamore Hall, across from Town Hall, and expressed its opinion of a citizen’s petition destined for Special Town Meeting. Video | Carnation story

On Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen heard from attorney Mark Bobrowski, and BoS chair Jay Kelly advised residents that Hanover has abandoned the “friendly 40B” process and intends to pursue a standard 40B for its proposed complex at Ames Pond. Video | Carnation story

On Wednesday, the Board of Health at a special meeting voted 3 – 2 not to recommend masks when students return to the classroom on Sept. 1. Video

Also on Wednesday, the School Committee voted 4 – 1 to follow the recommendation of Superintendent Chris Malone and require students and staff to wear masks for at least the first 60 days of the new school year. Malone offered that guidance based on direction from DESE, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other expert sources. Video | Carnation Brief | Lowell Sun coverage

Residents who would like to get involved in town government have a variety of opportunities to do so. Tewksbury is in need of a Town Meeting Moderator and members for the Finance Committee, the Zoning Board of Appeals and a number of other boards and committees. Find a full list of openings and applications here.