NORTHBOROUGH — Dawn Rand was 19 when she began her career in local government.
She took a civics course while she was in Algonquin Regional High School. As part of the class, the teacher had the students attend Town Meeting.
Rand loved it — the atmosphere, how decisions were made, and the interchanges between the Town Meeting Members.
There’s two sides to every story on how people view things, she explained.
“It was always interesting to try to see both sides, and then to try to make your own decision from what you were hearing from other people,” Rand said in a recent interview.
Now, after spending 50 years in local government, Rand, who runs Dawn’s School of Dance, is being honored as the Applefest Grand Marshal. Former Police Chief Kenneth Hutchins will serve as honorary Grand Marshal.
“It’s quite an honor,” she said. “There’s so many deserving people.”
Rand continues decades-long career in town government
Rand was elected and served as a selectmen until 2020.
Rand had nominated Hutchins, who passed away in July, to be Grand Marshal.
She had many interactions with Hutchins, sometimes talking with him and former Northborough Fire Department Chief Brian Duggan about issues in town over lunch.
“We had a great relationship,” Rand said. “We didn’t always agree, especially when it came to budgets. But Ken respected my view as well as I respected his.”
Hutchins’ son, Aaron Hutchins, had started a campaign for his father to be Grand Marshal in the spring. He knew his father’s health was failing and hoped he would make it to the festival.
When he passed away, Applefest fell off Hutchins’ radar until he was contacted by Applefest Committee Chair Michelle Gillespie.
The news made him happy, but also sad because he wasn’t around to appreciate it.
“One of the things that my dad really loved was interacting with people, and I know that he would have just been over the moon to interact with people at the events and festivities,” Hutchins said.
Applefest is scheduled to take place from Sept. 17 to 19.
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