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
ZBA approves 196-unit 40B development on South Street By Evan Walsh Managing Editor SHREWSBURY – A 196-unit project has been greenlit by the Zoning Board of Appeals. During a special meeting held Jan. 12, the ZBA officially approved The Residences at Friar’s Farm, a 40B development proposed for an 18-acre parcel at 409 South Street, located on the corner of South Street and Route 20. It will be a 196-rental-unit development split into eight buildings. Six of those buildings will contain 16 units, one will contain 52 units, and one will contain 48 units. There will be 25 studios, 89 one-bedroom units, 64 two-bedroom units, and 20 three-
100% FREE
Vol. 52 | No. 5 | January 30, 2026
‘It was just like coming home’
122-unit ‘The Griffin’ moves forward in Grafton after final signatures
Westborough High alumni return as faculty and staff
Grafton | 4 A week after crash, Shrewsbury Police Department recovering
SHREWSBURY | 10 Southborough PD finds loaded gun after routine traffic stop
Development | 6
Northborough landmark could be next for private development By Shealagh Sullivan Reporter NORTHBOROUGH — As the town continues negotiations on the White Cliffs mansion, officials are slowly turning their attention to another almost-vacant building in Downtown Northborough. 4 West Main Street, commonly known as the old Town Hall, has been home to several restaurants, health clubs, and a dentist office over the years. The current building is a replica of Northborough’s original Town Hall, which burnt down in the mid-1980s. T h e c u r re n t b u i l d i n g n e ve r Town Hall | 6
southborough | 16 Shrewsbury PD officers are helping Oak basketball reach new heights
Joseph Teevens and Allison Jané, Westborough High School Class of 2007 graduates, now teach at their alma mater. (Photo/Leighah Beausoleil)
By Leighah Beausoleil Assistant Editor WESTBOROUGH — Many never anticipated returning, but now, over a dozen alumni of Westborough High School (WHS) have found their way back in the building. Working as teachers and staff members, they couldn’t be happier. Now a guidance counselor, Amanda Ugrinow graduated from Westborough High in 2011. Her father graduated from the school in 1978. “When I was in school here, I didn’t have a lot of direction of what I wanted to do after I graduated,” Ugrinow said. After spending time as a teacher in
mental health hospitals, she learned more about school counseling and decided it was time to switch gears. That’s what brought her back to Westborough. “Students will still say that this place is called ‘West-Bubble’ – that nothing ever happens here and nothing ever changes. But I do truly love Westborough. It’s got some old-world charm to it that’s just really wonderful, but also things need to change, and my job … is to make sure that all of my students find success in whatever their plans are after high school,” she said. Recalling her own experience with Alumni | 5
shrewsbury | 23
Stay up to date with all the news!