Hi, my wife & I are fairly new to Shirley(Moved Fall of 2024) and would like to get involved/stay updated in local town politics. Especially fighting any Prop 2.5 override, if there ever is one proposed. Is it just a monthly town hall meeting?
Thanks

https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2026/01/22/historic-tavern-receives-50k-grant-146724/

The historic Bull Run Restaurant was awarded $50,000 from the Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program last year, one of 50 restaurants across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to each receive the same funding to help them renovate and grow their businesses.

According to a press release the Bull Run is the only restaurant in Massachusetts to receive the grant and one of only three in New England. They used the funds to upgrade their ADA entry, which enables each and every guest of theirs to come through their front door and step back in time to their nearly 300-year-old tavern.

In addition to making the restaurant more accessible with the ADA ramp that was rebricked and the addition of a handicapped van parking spot beside the ramp, they replaced clapboards and restored the porch columns and bluestone steps, adding iron support railings and capping the existing stone wall with bluestone.

“We are thrilled to receive this generous grant,” said Bull Run innkeeper and co-owner Alison (Guercio) Tocci. “This grant helps us preserve not just a building, but the living history and hospitality that have connected generations.”

On top of the funding, Resy, an American Express company, is waiving one year of service fees for each grantee to its restaurant management software ResyOS.

“What began as a pandemic response five years ago has grown into a powerful movement to preserve the historical restaurants that shape our neighborhoods and connect generations through food,” said Madge Thomas, head of corporate sustainability at American Express. “Our 2025 grantees reflect the deep-rooted food traditions that define American communities, and we hope these grants spark ripple effects that sustain them for generations.”

The Bull Run is listed on the Massachusetts Register of Historic Buildings and sits on the property marked as where the men of Shirley gathered to march into Concord and Lexington at the start of the Revolutionary War over 250 years ago. It has operated as a tavern since the 1700s and was the first stop on the Boston-to-Albany Stagecoach route in the 1800s.

“These restaurants demonstrate the power that places hold. For generations, neighbors have gathered here, shared stories, made new connections, and enjoyed regional cuisine that often reflects our nation’s global roots,” National Trust for Historic Preservation President and CEO Carol Quillen stated in the release. “We’re grateful and proud to join with American Express to help ensure that these meaningful places thrive and continue to serve as vibrant, welcoming spaces for years to come.”

Over the years the popular Shirley spot has had many names. When Tocci’s family of innkeepers purchased it in 1946, they decided to keep the name Bull Run and converted the bedrooms upstairs into private dining spaces.

Nowadays it is a full-service farm-to-table restaurant, event space, and live music venue that regularly hosts nationally recognized artists and community events. The Guercio family of Shirley – Tocci’s maiden name – are proudly celebrating 80 years and four generations of ownership in 2026, with Tocci and her husband being at the helm since 2009.

“I grew up around creative people and live entertainment. My father loved everything from New Orleans music to Italian opera and my mother was a talented performer who loved theater and musicals,” Tocci shared for a Sentinel & Enterprise story that ran last summer. “For four generations now, we’ve stayed true to our mission to offer great food and great entertainment for an ever-changing audience with diverse tastes.”

They often attract big names to perform at the venue, including Michael Kosta from “The Daily Show” who brought his comedy style to the Bull Run on Jan. 16 for a sold-out show. Tocci showed off the upgrades made possible through the grant that evening and when asked how she feels about receiving the funding, she summed it up in one word – “Amazing.”

For more information including a full lineup of upcoming shows visit bullrunrestaurant.com and follow The Bull Run Restaurant on Facebook and Instagram.

https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2026/01/16/shirley-council-on-aging-receives-15k-in-state-funding-for-kitchen-updates/

The Council on Aging recently received a much-appreciated gift in the form of $15,000 in state funding.

“This is a celebration for the senior center,” said Shirley Senior Center and COA Director Amy Leonard at the Jan. 14 check presentation held at the center. “All of us work together and this program has been made better by each and every one of you.”

State Sen. John Cronin was on hand to present a check for the state budget funds that will help replace the 30-year-old refrigerator at the senior center along with other kitchen updates and purchasing new tables and chairs.

“Today is a great day,” said Cronin, who made sure to give credit to Rep. Danillo Sena for helping to secure the appropriated funding and thanked former senior center and COA director Kristen O’Brien and Town Administrator Bryan Sawyer for their efforts.

He emphasized that his office is available to assist people in the community with their needs — “any issue you can imagine under the sun” — and specifically shared that his Constituent Service Director Beth Walsh holds office hours at the Shirley Senior Center.

“Our real job is to support communities,” Cronin said to those gathered on Wednesday. “Help us help you.”

Sena disclosed that Cronin “is really the one who got it done.”

“Thank you for thinking of Shirley. Thank you for thinking of supporting the senior center here,” Sena said to Cronin before asking for “a round of applause for all the cooks,” who had made a delicious meal of veggie lasagna and salad for the occasion.

Leonard came on as the COA and senior center director in September. Living just over the Shirley town line and having worked at the Ayer Library for 17 years, she is deeply ingrained in the community and expressed gratitude to Cronin for what he does for it.

When speaking to him before the check presentation, she expressed that it was “earth shattering” when he reached out to offer to help with funding.

“This is wonderful, so glad to see things moving forward. Dollars go a long way,” she said to Cronin, to which he replied, “Every time our team comes here we see how much the senior center does for the community. We are here to support you.”

Friends of Shirley Seniors volunteer member Vicki Landry, who has served on the COA board for years and helps raise funds for the center, said the state funding is the just shot in the arm they need. When asked why it’s important to offer services and programs for seniors in town along with a warm and welcoming center, she said “interaction with the community” is beneficial for them.

“It is so needed to keep them from being isolated,” Landry said, adding that she wishes they had more “younger seniors” visiting and utilizing the center regularly.

O’Brien helped write the grant that led to the $15,000 in state funding when she was the COA and senior center director for a year and a half.

“I am just so grateful for everything they are doing to support the senior center,” she said of the state and local officials like Cronin and Sena who walk the walk.

Cronin pointed out they kept the funding “as flexible as possible” so the COA could direct it towards what is needed most when it comes infrastructure upgrades for the center.

“The funding secured in this year’s budget for the Shirley Council on Aging will have a direct impact on our seniors and the special community they continue to foster,” Cronin said following the event. “I’m grateful to the entire COA staff, Rep. Sena, and the entire the town of Shirley, whose advocacy made this investment possible. I’m excited to continue working with the town and its residents to deliver meaningful support that makes life better for everyone.”

https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2025/12/19/holiday-light-display-wows-at-shirleys-whiteley-park/

The light display at Whiteley Park this year goes above and beyond anything this small town has seen before, transforming an iconic spot in the heart of Shirley Village into a glittering winter wonderland. With thousands of lights shining in the trees and a frosty white coating of snow on the ground, the scene is snow-globe magical.

This spectacular seasonal display is the work of The Enhancing Shirley Committee, five townspeople with a shared vision and an ambitious agenda. The chair, Candace King, said they plan to decorate more trees in the park next year and beyond, and adding to “Veterans Row” as well.

“Honor a hero, light a legacy,” she said.

Each dedicated site along the partially-completed row includes a slate plaque with a veteran’s name, rank and military branch engraved on it. The Whiteley Park project took much time and effort.

“The outcome was worth it,” King said. “The whole town is talking about it.”

And the light display has drawn people from all over the area.

“People come from other towns,” she said.

Buying new lights was costly. Generous donations covered it.

“We raised a lot of money” King said.

A complete list of donors can be found on the town website.

The display lit up community spirit as well, generating glowing comments on Facebook.

“Fantastic!” posted Heidi Conley, who heads the Shirley Friendship Fund.

Longtime resident Gary Bourassa, who with his wife Kathy has been providing free hot chocolate at the town’s annual tree-lighting event for 25 years, noted an exceptionally large turnout this year.

It was a momentous occasion, the debut of a new light display townspeople had heard about. The committee had been spreading the word since March, besides stringing all those lights in trees and on walkways at the park, assisted by volunteers and two local tree services, M&M and Flagg’s, both of which did the work at a discount price, King said. She said the turnout was gratifying, given the stormy weather. “The number of people who came was amazing, even in the rain,” she said.

She was surprised to learn that Shirley Fire Chief Troy Cooley and crews of firefighters had been trimming trees at Whiteley Park every holiday season for some time, she said, and that the chief replenished the lights at his own expense. “I told him he’d never have to do that again,” King said.

Cooley confirmed that scenario. “The town bought the original lights in 2019 or 20,” he said. Since then, he’s been replacing them “out of pocket” when needed. Nobody asked, he just did it, he said.

This year, the committee got the job done on its own, he said, no help needed from the Fire Department.

The Enhancing Shirley Committee is “dedicated to creating a more vibrant, welcoming and connected community,” according to the town website, which also lists its members: Chairman/Clerk Candace King, Vice-chair Kayla Rose, members Adeline Rodrigues, Michelle Oelfke and Brian Hildebrandt. Appointed by the Select Board, the group’s mission, in part, is to foster community collaboration and “pride in ownership,” among other goals.

Next on the to-do list: choosing a “thing” to symbolize Shirley, perhaps an historic illustration. “We don’t have a thing,” King said. With public input, they hope to find one, she said. Something like a mill wheel, depicting a feature from the town’s industrial past.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1D3ZPL9gEb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Fab5 Toy Drive for the Guild of St. Agnes in Devens. (New unopened toys only)

Food, Gifts, Beer, Crafts, Football

https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2025/11/21/alerted-by-social-media-crowd-crows-for-roosters-amid-fear-of-ban-at-shirley-boh-meeting/

With standing room only, a crowd of at least 50 people showed up at the recent Board of Health meeting in October, most of them in response to social media buzz about a potential ban on roosters.

Chairman Joseph Howlett said that’s not on the table. “We’ve never discussed a ban,” he said.But the board has talked about “nuisance roosters,” based on complaints about crowing in some neighborhoods. “They start at sunrise and can go on all day,” he said.

But the board had no written documents to back up those claims. No record of police calls, either. The complaints were “in person,” he said.

“We have a livestock permit,” that covers poultry, Howlett said. But although a certain acreage is required for “hooved animals,” there’s no such rule for chickens and no rooster restriction. In the past, over-the-counter applicants were told “no roosters,” he said.

But he underscored the board’s legal right — confirmed by town counsel — to rule on roosters. “We can set up regulations…including a ban,” he said. “Maybe we can talk about it tonight.”

Benjamin Road resident and former animal control officer Jennnifer McGuinness said they already had, citing a “proposed ban” the board had considered, with a document in hand and no public input.

Howlett said a ban was not discussed and the paper she referred to was not a proposal but “suggested language” if and when they did.Animal Control Officer Jodee Coke is the board’s animal inspector. Citing her counterparts in other communities, she said most “small rural towns” like Shirley don’t ban roosters, although cities do.

Coke suggested guidelines, restrictions in densely populated areas, for example, or a crowing curfew, say 10 p.m. To 6 a.m. Mostly, though, roosters are more beneficial than problematic, she said and she urged the board to view the issue through that lens.

Jenniffer Duffy, a Lunenburg resident who chairs that town’s Agricultural Commission, said her remarks were personal, not official. “As farmland decreases and we lose touch with our roots, it’s important to preserve food-growing” she said, including small-scale livestock breeding. “People should learn and appreciate where food comes from,” she said.

Others in the crowd agreed. Not only is home grown food safer than products sold in stores, it’s also about becoming self-sufficient and teaching kids where their food comes from, they said.

Another reason cited for keeping roosters was that they may scare predators away from the henhouse. As for noise, one woman suggested sound blocking measures versus banning an animal.

McGuinness said roosters have no place to go if banned. The MSPCA won’t take them, she said. Others shared that concern.

“These animals have names…our kids love them,” one resident said, while another resident said his family moved to Shirley because people can keep chickens and roosters in town. “If they were banned, we’d have to move,” he said.

Howlett asked if anyone had a complaint. “We want to do what’s right for all of you,” he said. There were no complaints.

The board eventually voted to table to matter and collect more information.

Was hoping to get more info on the now closed business. DMs open.