Chorus to offer singing valentines
St. Mary School holds clothing and book drive
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Shrewsbury | 13
Applications received for next WPS superintendent westborough | 14
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Vol. 50 | No. 4 | January 26, 2024
McInerney settles in as Northborough town administrator
Toblin Hill Drive bridge completed, neighborhood reunited
By Laura Hayes Managing Editor
PHOTO/EVAN WALSH
The Toblin Hill Drive bridge is back in operation.
By Evan Walsh Reporter SHREWSBURY – It took years of of planning and construction, but the Toblin Hill neighborhood has been reunited. Toblin Hill Drive — which is located off Walnut Street, close to Floral Street — leads to a neighborhood of roughly 40 homes. The road heads east, winding around, connecting to several cul-de-sacs en route. Roughly 500 feet from the start of Toblin Hill Drive, it passes over a low-lying stream with a bridge connecting both sides of the neighborhood. In 2016, the bridge — constructed in the 1990s — was closed indefinitely. The concrete was cracked, a large sinkhole opened under the bridge, and pieces of the 50-foot-long structure fell into the stream below. The bridge was deemed unrepairable, and chain link fences soon surrounded the crumbling infrastructure. Bright orange signs were put along Walnut Street advising passersby of the broken bridge. The residents who lived on the other side of the bridge weren’t stranded — they could leave the neighborhood by using Nursery Drive, which connects Toblin Hill Drive to Walnut Street — but the neighborhood was split nonetheless. The street was home to many middle-school-age children, and with the bridge closure, they could no longer walk across the bridge to Toblin Hill Park. The Toblin Hill Drive houses located closToblin Hill | 12
NORTHBOROUGH – It’s been over a month since Tim McInerney began serving as town administrator. “There are great people who work for this organization. It makes my job so much easier,” he said. The staff carry themselves with professionalism and are courteous and aware of democratic principles and the New England form of government. Those attributes are critical, he said. Since he joined the town, McInerney has been introducing himself to the various Northborough boards and committees. He said the level of volunteerism in town was “impressive.” “Going around and meeting the boards and committees has been amazing just because of the level of commitment,” McInerney said. McInerney | 9
Tim McInerney is Northborough’s new town administrator.
After water damage, Westborough seeks to replace Hastings Elementary School roof By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor WESTBOROUGH – The heavy rainstorms that inundated the region earlier this month has led Westborough Public Schools (WPS) to add a request to this spring’s Town Meeting. The roof at Hastings Elementary School “has basically failed,” Superintendent Amber Bock told the School Committee during its meeting on Jan. 17. During the first heavy rain on Jan. 9, Bock went to Hastings to inspect the damage. She said that when she arrived and entered the building, “six-seven tiles” had landed on the floor, and “water was pouring through.” Walking through the building, there were multiple areas of water entry and damage. “We were fortunate that the majority of
damage was contained to the middle area of the building and hallways areas, which saved us from classroom damage,” said Bock. The roof was cleared of snow and emergency repairs were made. After a second heavy rain on Jan. 13, Bock said there were “no new leaks.” Bock said the main cause is the rubber used to protect the roof from the elements. “It breaks down over time,” she said. In addition to filing insurance claims, WPS is seeking an override with the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, and it is preparing a draft warrant article for Town Meeting. Bock said the schools will seek funds to replace the roof. The Hastings roof is the same age as the Armstrong roof, which also Hastings | 14
PHOTO/LAURA HAYES