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Vol. 51 | No. 46 | November 14, 2025
Over 45 years of protecting residents
Starbucks gets drive-thru on Route 9 By Leighah Beausoleil Assistant Editor WESTBOROUGH – The Starbucks slated for 210 Turnpike Road has got its drive-thru. Back in March, the Westborough Planning Board voted 3-2 in favor of the special permit required to build a drive-thru in the Highway Business Zoning District. However, it required four votes for a two-thirds majority. The decision followed several weeks of public hearings, with residents from the adjacent Park Street neighborhood attending. Most of these residents opposed the special permit, citing the possible impact from traffic along Park Street.
Annual Holiday Guide
Lt. Robert Ljunggren is Shrewsbury’s longest-tenured firefighter
REGION | 17 Spelling of ‘Westborough’ has changed several times
Westborough | 5 Teen bikes every street in Grafton
Starbucks | 15
Northborough school budget may increase over $3 million
Grafton | 27 Rawson Hill Trail System opens in Shrewsbury
Lt. Robert Ljunggren stands in front of a fire engine. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
By Evan Walsh Managing Editor
By Shealagh Sullivan Reporter NORTHBOROUGH – The Northborough Public Schools budget for the 2026–27 school year could increase by over $3 million, preliminary budget discussion suggests. The school district is still in the early stages of budget development, said Rebecca Pellegrino, the director of finance and operations for Northborough and Southborough schools. The increases are driven by multiple factors, including special education costs and a possible reduction in federal grants in 2027. Budget | 15
SHREWSBURY – LaFlamme, Duhamel, another LaFlamme, Gaucher, Vuona, and Colby. Those are the six chiefs that Lieutenant Robert Ljunggren has served under in his 45-year tenure at the Shrewsbury Fire Department. A third-generation firefighter – his grandfather, Ivar, and father, Robert “Red,” both served in town – Ljunggren is officially the department’s most senior member, always using his expertise to protect others, whether that’s residents or his colleagues. “I wanted to be a firefighter. I saw my father doing things, I used to hang around at the Fire Station – it was fun,” Ljunggren told the Community Advocate.
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“Staying in Shrewsbury, it’s just in my blood. It’s a good town. It’s changed over the years, but it’s just a really good place.” Ljunggren worked his way through the ranks, starting as a callman in 1981, later being promoted to full-time and, eventually, to lieutenant. There are the everyday tasks – the hundreds of blazes, numerous hazardous materials incidents, rescues, and other common calls, for instance – but there’s also the opportunity to interact with the community. It’s something Ljunggren takes very seriously. “I’ve seen a lot of tragedy in this job, but I’ve seen how much good the Fire Department could do for the community. We go to schools, I work with the children, and I work with the elderly.
Shrewsbury | 36
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Ljunggren | 15
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