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Vol. 50 | No. 40 | October 4, 2024
Shrewsbury · Westborough · Northborough · Southborough · Marlborough · Hudson · Grafton
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DPW facility upgrade initial budget is $26.8M
Westborough opens part of BWALT trail
Split vote recommends new fire station
By Evan Walsh Reporter
Northborough | 4
SHREWSBURY – The Municipal Facilities Optimization Committee (MFOC) on Sept. 23 recommended to the Select Board a new project design to renovate the town’s Department of Public Works facilities. The recommended budget for the project came in at $26.8 million. Of the $26.8 million, $22.3 million would be construction costs. Formed by the Select Board in April, the five-member MFOC has been meeting since June to recommend plans to solve the ongoing space deficiencies at the town’s 207-211 South St. DPW facilities. The 13.75-acre parcel includes an
Bacon selected to be next town administrator
northborough | 10 Southborough narrowly approves MBTA zoning
DPW | 11
Cummings asks for $8.3 million override for Grafton schools By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor GRAFTON – For the third time since 2015, James Cummings is asking for an override to help keep Grafton Public Schools operational. The superintendent came before the School Committee on Sept. 24 to discuss the financials and plan for the next five fiscal years. The request — $8.3 million — would be spread from fiscal 2026 to 2030, and it would help cover anticipated deficits within the school budget. It would be similar to overrides passed in 2015 and 2020. For example, the preliminary school budget for the 2026 fiscal year is estimated to be $46.5 million, about $2.1 Override | 18
Christopher Egan, center, president of Carruth Capital, cuts the ribbon formally opening a portion of the BWALT trail along West Park Drive on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Left to right: Ian Johnson, Christopher Egan, Rep. Kate Donaghue, Shelby Marshall and Don Burn. (photo/Maureen Sullivan)
By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor WESTBOROUGH – A new path along West Park Drive, off Flanders Road, marks the part of what will eventually be a 12mile, multi-use trail. On Wednesday, Sept. 25, local officials and sponsors gathered at a nearby office park to celebrate the completion of a portion of the Boston-Worcester Airline Trail (BWALT). State Rep. Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury) praised the project, recalling a dirt trail behind her childhood home in Maine. Walking that trail “helped turn off every piece of noise in your head,” said Kane. She added that the value of trails rose during the COVID-19 pandemic. “You cannot overlook the mental health benefits” of a trail system, she said.
Southborough | 17
Kane and state Rep. Kate Donaghue (D-Westborough) presented a State House citation to Christopher Egan, president of Carruth Capital Inc., one of the project’s major sponsors. “I’m proud to be part of the BWALT project,” said Egan. The trail was constructed with help from the state’s Department of Transportation, MassWorks, MassTrails and the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Committee. What’s next? Portions of the BWALT are in various stages of study and/or development. On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the Planning Department held an informational meeting related to Section 2 of the trail. The section begins at Otis Street and ends at Park Street — a distance of 1.67 miles.
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Saint John’s football exacts revenge on Shrewsbury
shrewsbury | 27
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