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Vol. 52 | No. 26 | June 26, 2026
‘It’s a magical place’
Northborough radio fails frequently, putting officers in danger
Two men worked for 20 years to create Shrewsbury’s favorite garden By Evan Walsh Managing Editor SHREWSBURY – Twenty-three years ago, Shrewsbury’s Garden of Sweet Remembrance was a memory itself. Maybe less than a memory – a wreck. Once part of a sprawling estate, the garden was an afterthought, a remnant from a bygone era. Wisteria vines made the historic garden impassable. “This entire area, all of it – it looked as though God had spilled a gigantic bowl of brown spaghetti on it. The trees were draped with vines. It enveloped everything. Trees died. You couldn’t move. It was chaos,” said Christopher Kirk. But starting in 2003, Kirk and longtime friend Bill Davis began working to turn the piece of forgotten earth into something. After decades of effort from Kirk and Davis, the Garden of Sweet Remembrance has re-emerged from its unsightly past, becoming one of the most beautiful outdoor spots in Shrewsbury. The history of the garden goes back a century. In 1912, Matthew Whittall purchased over 100 acres of land on Meetinghouse
NORTHBOROUGH | 2 Grafton Planning Board approves 57-unit development
grafton | 11 Shrewsbury’s Garcia earns 2026 Pride Award Hill and constructed Juniper Hall, an elaborate mansion. In 1922, vice-president Calvin Coolidge visited the landmark property. Gardening was one of the Whittall family’s favorite pastimes, and the public was invited to the estate for “Lilac Weekend.” The property’s gardens were elegant, with a reflecting pool and pergola, and a selection of flowers said to be among the
TOP: Bill Davis and Christopher Kirk (Photo/ Evan Walsh) BOTTOM: Gardens on the property in the 1920s. (Photo/ Friends of Prospect Park)
shrewsbury | 13 LeDuc honored as Marlborough Baseball rededicates field
marlborough | 22
Prospect | 12
Demolition permit pulled for Westborough Regal Cinemas By Evan Walsh Managing Editor WESTBOROUGH – Heavy machinery has been visible in front of the former Regal Cinemas location at 231 Turnpike Road in Westborough. According to public records, a permit has been filed to do “interior demolition in preparation for future renovation work.” The scope of work includes the removal of non-structural finishes, fixtures, ceilings, flooring, partitions, and associated materials.
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It’s the latest update in a nine-year saga involving the 12-theater cinema, once a popular spot to watch the latest releases. The building, which opened in 1997, closed on Oct. 29, 2017, just one month before its 20-year lease ended. A single sheet of office paper with a short message was taped to the doors, thanking moviegoers for their patronage over the past decades. Since then, the property had been in limbo. Westborough unsuccessfully tried to locate the property’s owner, and in 2018, the town accepted a $5 million bid from LAX Media to redevelop
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Regal | 9
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