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Vol. 51 | No. 39 | September 26, 2025
‘You look like my cousin’
Northborough municipal fees to increase
Northborough residents build memorial for longtime volunteer
How one remark at the Westborough Farmers Market uncovered a lost family bond
By Shealagh Sullivan Reporter
NORTHBOROUGH | 8
NORTHBOROUGH – From inspections to licenses, municipal fees in Northborough are getting an increase for the first time in over 35 years. At the Northborough Select Board’s Sept. 8 meeting, members approved an increase to certain fees in the fire department and town clerk’s office. The board also reviewed potential fee increases for the building inspector’s office, but will have a final vote during its next meeting. The approved fee increases will go into effect on Oct. 1. “Many of our departments have not increased their fees for years. And
New home for the Recreation Department
SHREWSBURY | 9 Northborough gathers for annual Applefest weekend
Fees | 4
Adjusting zoning to curtail development? By Evan Walsh Managing Editor SHREWSBURY – Amid feedback from residents about an increasing amount of development along Route 9 and Route 20, the Shrewsbury Select Board on Sept. 9 expressed an interest in adjusting zoning around the town’s key commercial corridors. The move could help Shrewsbury stop developers seeking to bend the existing rules regarding mixed-use properties to make a profit. Shrewsbury’s main commercial corridors, Route 9 and Route 20, have overlay zoning districts – the Lakeway Overlay District and the Route 20 Overlay District, for example – designed to promote commercial development, Zoning | 14
NORTHBOROUGH | 10 Shrewsbury girls’ soccer ekes out win over Grafton
This reunion was years in the making. (Photo/Courtesy)
WESTBOROUGH – Patrons come to the Westborough Farmers Market for fresh produce, not necessarily a family reunion. But on Sept. 11, that’s exactly what happened. The market became an unexpected setting for a heartwarming reunion that left bystanders with tears in their eyes. Chief is a beloved and loyal fixture at the market. The retired longtime Westborough Fire Chief brightens every Thursday with his stories of growing up in town, his late wife, and his family. He lives for the camaraderie, the music, and the chance to chat with anyone who crosses his path. On Sept. 11, Chief was engrossed in conversation with a group from a local training and rehabilitation center (MAB/ TRC & Artful Learning). These individu-
als, all living with brain injuries, attend the market weekly to be part of the community. As Chief chatted with the group, he looked at a new participant and remarked, “You look like a cousin of mine.” The man, a little unsure of how to respond, gave a nervous laugh. But Chief, recognizing something deeper, added, “You sound like him too.” Intrigued, the gentleman asked for the cousin’s name. Chief replied, and the man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s my name,” he said. What followed was a revelation. It turned out this gentleman was indeed Chief’s cousin through marriage, a connection forged decades ago. Chief and his late wife spent years going dancing with this man’s parents. Even more as-
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Reunion | 14
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SHREWSBURY | 26
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