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Church that could draw thousands targets Westborough parcel
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Vol. 52 | No. 18 | May 1, 2026
Hear from the Shrewsbury candidates
‘Can’t take your eyes off this kid’ Theater-minded Algonquin student selected for Kristin Chenoweth bootcamp
shrewsbury | 13 Northborough BoH tables possible poultry regulations
Pastor Deryck Frye
Northborough | 21
By Leighah Beausoleil Assistant Editor WESTBOROUGH – A sizable Christian church is looking to come to Westborough. Three parcels totaling 28 combined acres were sold for $14.175 million to Connect United, Inc. in January, according to records from the Worcester Registry of Deeds. The currently forested parcels within Westborough Office Park — which sit adjacent to Route 9 and Interstate 495 — may be the new location for Connect Church’s new broadcast center. For years, Connect Church has broadcast from its Ashland location, with congregation members also meeting at its second location in Framingham (purchased in 2021) to view the sermons of second-generation Connect Church | 5
Major mixed-use project in Downtown Northborough appears before ZBA By Evan Walsh Managing Editor NORTHBOROUGH – A project that would transform Downtown Northborough is before the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). On April 14, a two-building mixeduse project slated for 1 Church Street — formerly known as 9 Church Street, 13 Church Street, and 40 West Main Street — officially went before the board. Located in the Downtown Business Zoning District and the Groundwater Mixed-Use Project | 15
How Patrice Peris found her voice
Westborough | 31 O’Dowd siblings are pillars of Westborough lacrosse
Colton Piontkowski (Photo/Evan Walsh)
By Evan Walsh Managing Editor NORTHBOROUGH – When Terri LeComte went into the CVS in Northborough to pick up a prescription, she was startled when, moments later, her son, Colton Piontkowski, came running into the store shouting. “I thought somebody just crashed into our car,” she said. What had actually happened was far better news. While waiting for his mom, Colton got an email without a clear subject line. So he opened it, scrolled to the bolded text, and then it hit him: He’d just been admitted to Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Bootcamp, a monumental achievement. “I opened the door and bolted to CVS,” he said. “I just ran to tell my mom.” The 11-day bootcamp, run by Tony Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth, is a prestigious program, with hundreds throughout the world audi-
tioning for around 70 spots. With such competition, Colton, a lifelong Northborough resident and sophomore at Algonquin Regional High School, told himself not to expect anything. LeComte said he tried to “brace himself for the disappointment.” But that disappointment never came, much to Colton’s delight. “I thought it was such a longshot – I thought I’d never get in. I just thought that you miss 100 percent of the chances you don’t take, so I might as well do it,” he said. “Every time I think about it, my face just lights up.” In addition to Chenoweth, the camp has welcomed guests like Idina Menzel and Kevin Chamberlin. The bootcamp will be a hands-on opportunity for Colton, already a member of the Broadway Artists Alliance, to learn first-hand from industry veterans. A groupchat among participants has already formed. Colton’s excitement is palpable. It’s a huge accomplishment — Colton | 5
Westborough | 39
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