HOLDEN — The White Oak Land Conservation Society invites all to its annual meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Holden Senior Center, 1130 Main St. The keynote speaker will be Jason Stolarski, Ph.D., Watership Project Leader with Mass Wildlife’s Fisheries Section, who will present “Ecological linkages between land, water, and fish.”

FIRE LOGS Sterling Oct. 14 9:19 a.m.: Boutelle Road, community policing.

Above: HOLDEN - A visitor to the Red Barn stuffs pants in preparation for building a scarecrow. Right: HOLDEN - Aftertrick-or-treating through Halloween in Holden on Saturday, Oct. 29, many families headed to the Red Barn for its annual holiday events. Kristen B. Payson photos

HOLDEN — If onlookers at the CMADA (Central Mass Athletic Directors Association) field hockey semifinal matchup noticed an extra bounce in the step of the Wachusett Regional players this past Friday, don’t blame them for comporting in such a celebratory demeanor. After all, wins over visiting Nashoba High have been fleeting over the years. That’s why the Mountaineer girls were ecstatic carrying off a 2-0 shutout over the Wolves, making Class A Wachusett primed and ready to meet their next opponent, Shrewsbury, in the tournament finals Nov. 1.

PAXTON — Goals for the year are a work in progress as the Select Board discusses its list. Among goals, the board would like to appoint a charter review commission by March 2023, aiming for an interim report by December.

RUTLAND - “I was always a fan of good food,” A1 Maykel said. With a quarter century of experience in the food industry, he is showcasing that expertise in a mobile pizza business, Fired Up, which features a traditional Di Fiore oven from Italy.