White Cliffs Series: The Exterior Architecture Northborough | 7
Difference after child safety policy implemented at library Shrewsbury | 13
special section Valentine’s Day page 18
Locally owned and operated since 1974
Your community. Your news. Your paper. Shrewsbury · Westborough · Northborough · Southborough · Marlborough · Hudson · Grafton
Vol. 50 | No. 5 | February 2, 2024
Rachel Carpenter eats, sleeps and breathes basketball
Residents weigh in on Whitney St. purchase
By Evan Walsh Reporter
By Laura Hayes Managing Editor NORTHBOROUGH – Efforts for the town to consider purchasing a parcel on Whitney Street are moving forward. During their meeting on Jan. 22, Select Board members formally expressed an interest in exercising the town’s right of first refusal to purchase 432 Whitney St. The site is owned by Santo Anza, who was convicted in 2013 on charges that he was operating an illegal solid waste dump at nearby 429 Whitney St. Right of first refusal The town has the ability to exercise the right of first refusal to purchase the property because it is enrolled in the Chapter 61 Program. According to Planning Director Laurie Connors, the program gives property owners the opportunity to reduce their property taxes in exchange for keeping their land undeveloped for a specific period of time. The Whitney Street parcel has been enrolled in the 61A program since fiscal 2015, which Connors said is for agricultural and horticultural purposes. According to Connors, Northborough has the right to match the bona fide offer to purchase or assign that right to an eligible conservation organization. The site is 23.77 acres of undeveloped land, and it is proposed to be sold to Howland Development Corporation for $1.7 million. According to the statement of proposed use, the developer would use it for a 40,000- to 60,000-square-foot Whitney St | 2
WESTBOROUGH – While most students “catch some z’s,” Westborough’s Rachel Carpenter is hitting threes. As early as 7:15 a.m., roughly an hour before school officially starts, Carpenter is in the gymnasium, dribbling around, putting up shots and perfecting her craft. The 5-foot-8-inch shooting guard practices relentlessly, and she estimates that between all her different workouts, she shoots over 1,000 shots per week. Carpenter dedicates almost all of her time to basketball — she admitted her life is “pretty much basketball 24/7” — and although her around-the-clock practice schedule can be exhausting, she never truly grows tired of the sport. “I just genuinely love basketball. Basketball is my whole life, so everything that I do — it’s never something that I have to do, or that I’m Carpenter | 20
Westborough High School junior Rachel Carpenter began playing basketball when she was in elementary school. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
Westborough braces for potential jump in tax bills By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor WESTBOROUGH – The average single-family household’s property tax bill could jump by nearly $1,000 in fiscal 2025. During the public hearing on the town’s 2025 fiscal year budget on Jan. 23, Town Manager Kristi Williams said the proposed budget is sug-
gesting “a significant increase” of $979 for the average tax bill. “The 979 is scary,” said Select Board member Allen Edinberg. “But now is not the time to panic.” Williams said the increase could change depending on several factors, including state aid, the assessment from Assabet Valley, the
We Do All The Work! Private apartment – 24/7 staff – All-inclusive worry-free pricing AN ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY
99 Pleasant Street • Marlborough, MA 01752
508-281-8001 • www.christopherheights.com
Tax bills | 2
Apply Online Today!