Hubbardston Cultural Council scores 36 grant bids against $7,717 budget

HUBBARDSTON — November 5, 2025 — Hubbardston Cultural Council begins scoring 36 grant applications worth $59,850 against a $7,717 budget for 2026. At the November 5 meeting at 48 Gardner Road, the five-member council worked through every application in a single sitting, evaluating each against eight local-policy criteria including venue, age range, community connection, and whether programs are free and open to the public. Nine of the 36 applications came from a single proxy filer for the Sound Bites events series, with a combined ask of roughly $33,000, most of it for events outside Hubbardston. Three 2025 grantees — the Hubbardston Historical Society, the Halloween children's parade, and performer John P. Fortino — have not yet submitted reimbursements; the Halloween parade organization also missed the 2026 application deadline due to a reported change in personnel and was advised to submit a hardship letter to the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Members agreed unanimously to reopen the council's public survey around June 1, 2026, moving the window earlier to capture responses at summer events, and will submit individual rankings of all 36 applications to member Connie Stripmanor before a November 11 follow-up meeting at the senior center.