Holden Board Approves Turkey Trot Permit, Moves July Meeting to Accommodate Holiday Weekend

HUDSON — June 1, 2026 — Holden Board of Selectmen approves Be Like Brit turkey trot permit and hears that the town's Proposition 2½ override may levy significantly less than its $5.5 million ceiling. The board voted unanimously Monday, May 18 to grant the parade permit — which includes required fire department resources for what the fire chief classified as a mass gathering of more than 1,000 people — for the Be Like Brit Foundation's Thanksgiving turkey trot on November 26, 2026, which also benefits three local food pantries. Town Manager John Lukes told the board that because two Wachusett Regional School District member towns rejected the district budget, Holden's school assessment will come in lower, and that ongoing health insurance reform in his administration could produce further mid-year savings. Lukes said the Finance Committee's adjusted FY27 budget — which restored three police officers, three firefighter-EMTs, and three public works employees that had been slated for cuts — was submitted to Annual Town Meeting, set for June 8 at the high school. The board also shifted its July meeting from July 6 to July 20 after a member noted the original date falls on the Independence Day holiday weekend.