Wilmington Apple Daily E-Newsletter
Monday, September 28, 2026
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WEATHER: Day — Showers. High near 60. Northeast wind 11 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Night — Showers, mainly before 3am. Low around 52. North wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
@ TOWN HALL: The Wilmington Select Board meets at 7pm in the Hearing Room at Town Hall. Notable agenda items include the MBTA Communities Act (of which Wilmington is still in non-compliance); Wildwood School Demolition; West Intermediate School’s Window Project; Town Manager Contract Negotiations; and a $65,000 Grant Agreement Between The Town and Wilmington Community Television. (WCTV, by the way, recently quietly parted ways with its Executive Director Sam Perkins.) Read the agenda HERE. Watch the meeting live on WCTV and wctv.org.
@ THE LIBRARY: Bookends Book Club Meeting at 10am. Wilmington Community Playgroup at 10am. Drop-In Tech Help at 2pm. Ready, Set, STEAM! for Grades 1-5 at 6pm. Needleworkers at Night at 6pm. [Details HERE.]
LIBRARY’S HALLOWEEN COSTUME DONATION DRIVE DEADLINE: The Wilmington Library’s Costume Craze Collection ends TODAY at 5pm. It’s the final day to donate new or lightly worn youth Halloween costumes. Donation bins are located on the first floor across from the Circulation Desk and on the second floor next to the self-checkout. The costumes will then be distributed for free to interested Wilmington families this Saturday, October 3, from 10am to 4pm, at the Library. [Details HERE.]
@ THE SENIOR CENTER: Tai Chi at 9am. Pickleball at 9am. Special Exercise at 10:30am. Wii Bowling at 11:30am. Aerobicize at 11:30am. Women’s Billiards at 12:30pm. Cribbage at 1pm. Yoga with Mel at 1pm. Nancy Wake World War II Presentation at 1pm. Book Club at 1:30pm. Reiki Sessions at 2pm. Strength & Stretch at 2pm. Vivian’s Just Stretch at 3pm. [Details HERE.]
@ REC. DEPARTMENT: Today at noon is the deadline to register for Twilight Zumba with instructor Ellen Grinder. Classes run on Monday nights (5:15pm to 6pm), from September 28 to November 9, with no class on October 12. Register HERE.
PUMPKIN PATCH TO OPEN SOON, BUT NO LONGER TODAY: The Pumpkin Patch on the front lawn of the Wilmington United Methodist Church (87 Church Street) was scheduled to open TODAY at 1pm, but has been postponed due to the weather to this Wednesday at 1pm. Operating hours will be Monday-Friday, 1pm-7pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 9:30am-6:30pm. The fundraiser will benefit the Methodist Church, Troop 56, and St. Elizabeth’s Church.
OBITUARY: Condolences to the family and friends of Carol Hanke. Hanke, of Dracut, and formerly of Tewksbury, worked at T.J. Maxx in Wilmington for decades before retiring in 2017. Read her obituary HERE.
POLICE LOG HIGHLIGHTS: On Wednesday, September 23, at 12:21pm, Police and Fire responded to an illegal outside burn on Ainsworth Road. … At 1:34pm, the MBTA Police handled an unruly passenger who exited the train at the Wilmington station on Main Street. … At 2:20pm, an e-bike struck a light pole on Middlesex Avenue. Fire Department transported driver to Lahey Hospital. … At 5:39pm, a caller in the Target parking lot reported someone purposely pushed a shopping cart into his vehicle. Police determined the incident was an accident, resulting in one little scratch. [Read the full log HERE.]
MEMORIAL INSTALLED AT WHS FOR STUDENT WHO PASSED: Last week, Wilmington High School held a dedication ceremony for the Class of 2023’s Memorial to Ceili Kinneen. Ceili would have graduated with this class, but passed away in 2017 when she was a seventh grader at Wilmington Middle School. The memorial in the school’s courtyard includes a Cherokee Brave Dogwood Tree, planted with the help of the WHS Garden Club, which will have light pink flowers in the Spring. The stone and plaque were generously donated by McVey Stone Co. of Watertown. WHS Class of 2023 officers Mia Vestal, Patrick Stokes, Ava MacGilvray and Julia Kane helped plan the memorial along with their advisors, WHS teachers Meghan Burns and Tara Ettinger.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE NEWS — NEW ASST. DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION ANNOUNCED: At its most recent meeting, the Wilmington School Committee was introduced to the district’s new Assistant Director of Special Education, Kellie Alessandro. She brings five years of administrative experience in special education, most recently serving as a District Special Education Team Chair Administrator at Wilmington Middle School. Prior to this role, Alessandro was a Special Education Administrator at Methuen High School. Earlier in her career, she worked as an Autism Resource Room teacher, providing comprehensive services for students in grades K–8 in Methuen Public Schools, and began her career as a special education classroom teacher with Merrimack Special Education Collaborative and SEEM Collaborative.
SELECT BOARD NEWS — FLOCK CAMERA CONTRACT CANCELED: At the most recent Select Board Meeting, Town Manager Eric Slagle shared a memo from Police Chief Brian Pupa announcing the cancellation of the Police Department’s contract with Flock Safety. Wilmington had two flock cameras — one at Main Street & Bridge Lane (since June 2024) and one at Middlesex Avenue and Federal Street (since March 2023). The Department has requested a $2,500 refund under the terms of the contract, which was set to expire on February 7, 2027. The Chief requested the cameras be turned off immediately, and the equipment be removed as soon as possible.
The Chief acknowledged the Department received “concerns regarding the privacy rights of individuals, and the way in which the data was being used by the company.” He added, “The use of ALPR cameras in law enforcement has been instrumental in investigations and beneficial to the Wilmington Police Department. However, the privacy concerns in the community at this moment outweigh the continued use of Flock Safety equipment.”
Since Wilmington’s cancellation, the Tewksbury Police Department followed suit, the Lowell City Council suspended use of Flock, the Dracut Police Department clarified its no longer using Flock after conducting a trial period, and Krampus visited the Billerica Select Board advocating for Flock.
WILMINGTON TO BE REPRESENTED AT JIMMY FUND WALK: Good luck to the 13 Wilmington residents — including Hayden Kane, Lanesha Joseph, and António Lucas — who are participating in the 2026 Jimmy Fund Walk for Dana-Farber this Sunday, October 4, 2026. The Walk, conducted along the Boston Marathon Route, raises funds to support all forms of adult and pediatric care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. To register for the Walk or to support a walker, visit JimmyFund.org/Walk or call 866-531-9255.
THIS WEEKEND — COMEDY NIGHT @ SHRINERS: The Aleppo Shriners Cycles Unit is holding a Comedy Night fundraiser this Friday, October 2, 2026 at 7pm in the Fez Room at the Shriners Auditorium (99 Fordham Road). The show will feature acts from comedians Joey Voices and Paul D’Angelo, with host Mike Viscelli. Cash bar and food services will be available. The evening will include door prizes, raffle table and a 50/50 raffle. Tickets cost $25 per person. Full 10-seat tables are available for $250. For tickets, call or text Cesar at 808-226-9429. Proceeds will benefit the Aleppo Shriners Cycles Unit.
SAVE THE DATE — TRUNK OR TREAT AT SHAWSHEEN TECH: Wilmington families are invited to a Trunk or Treat at Shawsheen Tech (300 Cook Street, Billerica) on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 2pm to 5pm. Organized by the School’s National Honor Society, the event will feature children’s activities, games, crafts, a DJ, food, and lots of decorated trunks with candy. Contact National Honor Society Advisor Kerry O’Brien at kobrien@shawtech.org with any questions.
WILDCATS ROUNDUP: Yesterday’s games — None. Today’s games — The WHS Golf Team (2-5) plays North Reading at Hillview at 3:30pm. The WHS Girls Volleyball Team (1-6) travels to Belmont High at 5:30pm. The WHS Girls Field Hockey Team (1-4-1) also travels to Belmont High at 6pm.
VIDEO — HISTORY OF WHS FOOTBALL: In the latest episode of Wilmington Community Television’s “Wildcat Sports Update,” host Jim Boyle interviews Jamie Pote, former longtime sports editor of the Wilmington & Tewksbury Town Criers, to discuss his new book, Tales From the Wildcats: 90-Year History of Wilmington High School Football. Learn more about the book HERE. Watch the interview, courtesy of WCTV, HERE.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Wilmington High senior Ethan LaConte recently received the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents’ Certificate of Academic Excellence. LaConte was recognized for his high level of academic achievement and passion for for design and engineering, serving as Mechanical Lead for the WHS Robotics Team and as a volunteer teacher in the school’s summer enrichment robotics program. He also fulfills the roles of Equipment Manager and Section Leader with the WHS Marching Band, and volunteers with We’re One Wilmington, Junior WOW, Wilmington Little League, and Middle School Running Club. LaConte also plays on the WHS Varsity Baseball Team.
LOTTERY WINNER: Colonial Park Liquors sold a $10,000 scratch ticket (the $500 CA$H ticket) on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. [See other recent Wilmington lottery winners HERE.]
WILMINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE HIRING: Wilmington High School’s Athletic Department is hiring a Part-Time Winter Facility Manager. …. The Wilmington Middle School is hiring a Long Term Substitute Full-Time Special Education Teacher. … The Wilmington Middle School is hiring a Long-Term Substitute Full-Time Administrative Assistant.
Contact Editor Robert Hayes at wilmingtonapple@gmail.com or 978-604-8933 (cell) with corrections, comments, questions, concerns, news tips, story ideas and press releases.
