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Northborough eyes Town Meeting changes after ‘chaos’
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Vol. 51 | No. 29 | July 18, 2025
At Dinky’s, breakfast served with a side of community
No lifeguards at Lake Chauncy (again)
WESTBOROUGH | 2
By Shealagh Sullivan Reporter
Northborough musician appears on Netflix show
NORTHBOROUGH – After a recordlong Town Meeting, Northborough officials are looking to make changes for next year. The 2025 Annual Town Meeting went for four nights. A year prior, the meeting went for three nights. “We had feedback from residents, from town staff. People want to be there to vote on the articles, but they’re having to get sitters, and they can’t go four nights,” said Town Administrator Stephanie
NORTHBOROUGH | 10 On Lake Quinsig., veterans experience water-skiing
Town Meeting | 7
Harvey’s wins approval to move transfer station By Adri Pray Reporter WESTBOROUGH – E.L. Harvey’s won approval from the Board of Health on July 8 to move the Westborough transfer station across its property to streamline the trash dumping process and address safety concerns. The board unanimously approved a plan that would allow Harvey’s to relocate a handful of municipal solid waste (MSW) dumpsters from its current location to its own private entrance away from truck traffic. The Harvey’s trucks would not be impacted by the change. “We support the change in location for the transfer station for town resiHarvey’s | 7
SHREWSBURY | 13 With hidden clay courts, it’s Roland Garros here in Grafton
Bruce Trotto behind the counter at Dinky’s. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
By Evan Walsh Managing Editor SHREWSBURY – “Dinky” isn’t usually a compliment. But it is here. Back in 1992, when Shrewsbury native Bruce Trotto was searching for spots to open a restaurant, he came across a property located on the corner of Clinton Street and Holden Street. By Trotto’s own admission, the building wasn’t particularly impressive. It actually wasn’t much of anything at all. “My father walked in here and said, ‘This is a dinky little place,’” Trotto remembers. “And that just stuck with me.” As small as the space may have been, over the course of 33 years, Trotto turned it into a Shrewsbury institution. As decades have passed, the hole-in-the-wall
restaurant has become a centripetal force for the area’s residents – a spot for the community to congregate and enjoy an excellent breakfast. “It’s very satisfying. And that’s why I keep doing it: It’s so much fun. You’re never alone. If you want to be alone, get an office. But I’m a chatty guy. People have been coming since 1992, our regulars. Now, I’m watching families bringing in their kids, and they’re bringing in their kids,” said Trotto. “We have so much freakin’ fun here.” Fun has been the name of the game since the start. An electrician by trade, Trotto fell into the food industry by accident – “mainly so I could eat,” he said. Dinky’s originally opened as “Dinky’s Dogs and Cones,” a glorified takeout win-
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Dinky’s | 6
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