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Residents get chance to walk through White Cliffs By Shealagh Sullivan Reporter NORTHBOROUGH – For the first time in over 10 years, Northborough residents got to walk through the doors of the White Cliffs Mansion on Main Street. Northborough officials opened the mansion to the public on Sept. 19. Historians, town officials, and representatives from Elegant Banquets LLC., the Connecticut-based wedding venue company vying for the mansion’s lease, were there to answer questions and show residents around. Most residents have not stepped foot in the building since the doors shut in 2014. Though the town purchased the property in 2016, it has sat vacant. With the possibility of Elegant Banquets leasing the property for up to
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Vol. 51 | No. 41 | October 10, 2025
How a group of friends turned a card game into a lifeline for Shrewsbury families
Popular Westborough retail plaza sold for $10 million
westborough | 6 For local veterans, this art show is more than just an exhibit
northborough | 13 Meet the Shrewsbury Historical Society
shrewsbury | 19
White Cliffs | 7
Retailer seeks clarity on cigar regulations By Paul Hopkins Reporter WESTBOROUGH – The Westborough Board of Health will adjust language in its regulations around cigar sales. The issue — a potential ban on the sale of individual tobacco products – drew protests from local businesses, which claimed the measure would hurt sales of individual high-end cigars and ultimately cost them upwards of $10,000 of potential sales. Ryan Maloney, owner of Julio’s Liquors on Route 9, presented a united front with owners of a number of other shops in town. He said their customers Cigars | 7
Youngblood dominant as Grafton defeats Shrewsbury
These Shrewsbury residents are “pitching in” to help others. (Photo/Courtesy)
By Evan Walsh Managing Editor SHREWSBURY – It started as just fun among the friend group. On weekend nights, a group of Shrewsbury residents would frequently gather, have a beer, and pull out a deck of cards to play “Pitch.” As the night progressed, friends would throw a few dollars into the mix, and soon enough, the pots got quite large. So large that the people started to wonder if they could channel this competitiveness for good. “It was a bunch of guys having fun, tossing a few dollars in, having a great time. A lot of fun. There’s a lot of money that would get in some of those pots, and we thought, ‘Imagine if we just took who-
ever won, and none of us had to give each other any trouble, and gave it to someone who could really use the money,’” said Chris Coghlin, a founding member of the event. “That was really the catalyst.” Now, once a year, the friend group and hundreds more gather at the Scandinavian Athletic Club for “Shrewsbury Pitches In,” a card tournament that has raised over $200,000 and lifted local families through some of their hardest moments. “It’s remarkable that a bunch of card players have turned a fun night into helping our community and raised a significant amount of money that can go a long way for people that need it. I think the people that attend it appreciate that part of it, but they’re also competitive,” said Pitch | 7
grafton | 25
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