sm
Since 1974 fo r
rs
Supp or
Locally owned and operated since 1974
cal Journ g Lo ali tin
ea O ver 5 0 Y
Your community. Your news. Your paper.
Shrewsbury · Westborough · Northborough · Southborough · Marlborough · Hudson · Grafton
Board of Health votes to restrict sale of oral nicotine pouches
100% FREE
Vol. 51 | No. 34 | August 22, 2025
‘I’m literally living the dream’
Saint Anne’s Food Pantry stays ready for Shrewsbury
Westborough native walks 230 miles across Ireland, spreading cancer awareness along the way
By Adri Pray Reporter
SHREWSBURY | 7
SOUTHBOROUGH — The Southborough Board of Health voted unanimously last week to restrict the sale of oral nicotine pouches and flavored products in town in an attempt to crack down on the sale of such commodities to minors and align with state law. Under the new regulations, adultonly tobacco retailers are the only establishments allowed to sell oral nicotine products, like ZYN, in Southborough. Currently, no such establishments exist. “Effectively, we are eliminating those [items] from being sold in town,”
page | 11 Big Y officially opens Westborough supermarket
Nicotine | 4
Amid Market Basket opposition, Route 20 gas station nears Planning Board vote By Evan Walsh Managing Editor SHREWSBURY – It’s been a year, and debate over a proposed gas station is ongoing. On August 7, the Planning Board continued its hearing regarding a proposed gas station at 193 Hartford Turnpike, a 3.9-acre industrial lot on the corner of Lake Street and Route 20, directly across the roadway from Edgemere Crossing and Market Basket. Marlborough-based Yatco Energy is the applicant. Plans call for a 7,000-square-foot building, which would include a convenience store, drive-through window, quick-serve Gas Station | 4
WESTBOROUGH | 14 ‘The Fist Bump Kid,’ a Northborough celebrity, continues to inspire
McGrath spent July 4 in Boston, Ireland.
By Adri Pray Reporter WESTBOROUGH — In his lifetime, Dave McGrath estimates he’s taken over 1 million steps across Ireland. The Westborough native and author completed his second voyage across the country, going from Shannon to Derry over the course of just over three weeks. But these were no ordinary expeditions: McGrath walked every single step of the journey, posting updates on Facebook to keep his friends from Massachusetts informed. In all, McGrath has seen 500 miles of Ireland by foot. His first grand walking tour of the country in 2023 took him 200 miles, from Dublin to Dingle, and he wrote a book about the experience called
“500,000 Steps Across Ireland” that was published earlier this year. “I think [the first trek] was harder because I didn’t know what to expect,” McGrath said in an interview. “I hadn’t done it before, and like anything, once you’ve done it, you know what to expect.” The book outlines McGrath’s fourweek journey and touches on personal anecdotes based on the people he met in his travels. These trips are deeply personal and important to McGrath, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 14 and then was diagnosed with brain cancer at 18. He uses them to educate himself about the world, but also to raise money and awareness for the causes closest to his heart. Though he’s been cancer-free for Ireland | 5
NORTHBOROUGH | 19
Stay up to date with all the news!