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Despite deep public dissatisfaction, Westborough ‘peanut’ rotary redesign will not go before Town Meeting By Leighah Beausoleil Assistant Editor
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Vol. 52 | No. 17 | April 24, 2026
From Iraq battlefields to Westborough classrooms
Unsupervised children may be allowed at Shrewsbury Public Library again
One principal’s whirlwind journey, and why he’s about to be honored
SHrewsbury | 2 Grafton school roof could cost $5.3M to replace
WESTBOROUGH — Over 100 Westborough residents and businessowners gathered at the Forbes Municipal Building April 15 to voice their concerns and disapproval about the proposed peanut-shaped redesign of the downtown rotary. The public information session, hosted by town planning officials and Waltham-based consulting firm Kimley-Horn, provided an hour-long overview of the rotary redesign, addressing recent changes to the plan and answering questions. Residents’ comments spilled over the allotted 30 minutes following the presentation, and the meeting was subsequently extended by an additional hour.
GRAFTON | 13 Resident on horseback almost killed in Westborough
WESTBOROUGH | 18
Peanut | 8
Patrick Subaru wants to build new 50K-sq-ft dealership at Shrewsbury Nurseries
By Leighah Beausoleil Assistant Editor
SHREWSBURY — Patrick Subaru is once again looking to move, and the possible location may surprise you. About three years after the dealership received permission to construct a new facility at 701 Boston Turnpike, currently forested area across South Street from Price Chopper, Patrick Subaru is targeting a different site, according to documents from both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Community Advocate is first with the news. Patrick Subaru – currently located at 247 Boston Turnpike – is planning to move to another Route 9 parcel: 957 Boston Turnpike. It’s the site of Shrewsbury Nurseries, a mostly abandoned landscaping company, which is located across the road from
The polarizing emotions of war While many people think that the hardest part WESTBOROUGH — Everyone remem- of being at war is the fighting, shooting, and bers where they were on September 11, bombings, for Guellnitz, it could sometimes 2001, especially Mill Pond School Prin- be the opposite. cipal Peter Guellnitz. There would be times of “extreme intenStanding in an artillery training range sity” during combat, but then there would be in the middle of Oklahoma, he and his periods “where you’re almost in boredom and fellow army recruits were completing fighting the sadness of not being with your their basic training when the news came. family,” he explained. Though they weren’t sure exactly how Guellnitz spent the first half of his time in it would change the trajectory of their Iraq as a field direction officer, helping guide military careers, Guellnitz said they “defi- artillery by firing illumination rounds meant nitely had the same fear and alarm that to light up the sky at night. In the second half the rest of the world had.” of his deployment, he served as a platoon When joining the military at the time, leader, patrolling cities in Iraq and providing recruits didn’t necessarily think they artillery assistance. would be going into a combat zone, Separated from family and friends with Guellnitz said. The biggest conflict at the little to no communication, it was a difficult time had been in Kosovo, where Guellnitz time. He recalls many instances when he shed spent his first nine-month deployment, tears over the loss of his fellow soldiers. but the region had largely stabilized and As a platoon leader at only 24 years old, work was focused on peacekeeping. Guellnitz did his best to guide his soldiers After Sept. 11, training changed – with a through those low moments, trying to make prominent focus on counterterrorism – and them as enjoyable as possible. the overall feeling had shifted dramati“I think there’s a lot more happiness in cally. Guellnitz was deployed and spent 13 the army than people see,” he said, recalling months in Iraq. the workouts at 5:30 a.m. when his platoon
Patrick Subaru | 7
Principal | 7
By Evan Walsh Managing Editor
Shrewsbury softball conquers firefighter workout
(Left) From 2001 to 2009, Peter Guellnitz served in the U.S. Army. (Photo/Courtesy) Now, Guellnitz is serving the Westborough community as principal of Mill Pond School. (Photo/Leighah Beausoleil)
SHREWSBURY | 26
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