Byline Stories - News

Shrewsbury – When Shrewsbury resident Bruce deGraaf decided to attend a public bird walk at Dean Park in 2003, he didn's know the outing would be so fascinating

Westborough – When gas prices rose dramatically in 2005, Ellen Gogul of Westborough, always an avid cyclist, decided not to give any more money to oil companies and began riding her bike whenever possible instead.

Region - With millions of homeless cats nationwide and 50 to 150,000 homeless cats alone living in central Massachusetts, the Second Chance Fund for Animal Welfare (SCFAW) is helping to decrease these numbers by offering affordable and accessible services such as spaying and neutering at a lower cost to their owners.

Westborough – Selectman Lydia Goldblatt has always been interested in politics, even as a girl.

Shrewsbury - Shrewsbury is often overlooked as only a suburb passed through on the way from Worcester to Boston.

Ed Wilson, a Meals-on-Wheels volunteer at the Senior Center in Shrewsbury, first heard about the Peace Corps in the early 1960s. At that time he had finished a stint in the Army, was involved in his career and raising a family.

Northborough – An iconic Northborough business for 59 years, O"Brien's 5 & 10, closed its doors for good Aug. 8, according to the store's co-owner Bruce Terry.

Marlborough – Hockey is known primarily as a winter sport, but not at the New England Sports Center (NESC) in Marlborough. At this facility, located at the crossroads of routes 290 and 495, hockey is a sport played all year long, especially for the Boston Junior Bruins, who call the NESC home. And for the first time, this summer the program hosted a special four-day overnight boarding camp for 32 young players from July 17 to 21.

Westborough - If one local business owner has his way, Westborough will once again have a local hardware store in town. And if things go according to plans, within a year, Doug Curving will be opening just such a store at the same site where another hardware store - Village Lumber - stood for over 50 years.

Shrewsbury - On Sept. 11, 2001, the day two terrorist-piloted airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center towers, plummeting New York City into chaos and carnage, Shrewsbury Fire Department Cpt. William Cummins, along with the rest of the fire crew, watched helplessly as the events unfolded on television.

Shrewsbury - For a person suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or dementia, the world can be a confusing, lonely place. Often a voice or music can bring to mind a pleasant memory. But sometimes it's a wet nose attached to the face of a dog that can offer the most comfort and gently jog a person's memory back to an earlier, happier time.

Shrewsbury – When Lindsey Cobb left Feb. 10 to fly to New Zealand for spring semester of her junior year, little did she imagine what would happen in the next month.

Westborough - After 25 years, Happy Feet Kids, the children's shoe store in Westmeadow Plaza, will be closing its doors, going out of business after one last chance for customers to buy great shoes.

Shrewsbury - Concerned residents who want to remind motorists to drive cautiously in one Shrewsbury neighborhood will get their way after the town's Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the installation of caution signs in the area.

Hudson - A three-member Board of Selectmen voted to take no action Aug. 1 to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Santino Parente.

Marlborough – The City Council voted unanimously Aug. 1 to grant Marlborough Hospital a special permit to build a new cancer wing. The council approved the measure with little discussion.

Hudson – Citing new work obligations, Santino (Sonny) Parente has decided to step down, after serving nearly eight years from his position on the Board of Selectmen.

Westborough – As the country's boomer population ages and people live longer than ever, Dr. Gary Moak feels there will soon be a "massive crisis."

Summer heat drives many local residents to area beaches; fortunately no one has to drive too far to find a place to cool off during the long, hot and humid days.

Westborough – Libraries across the country have been trying to find ways (and funds) to serve their patrons who want the option to read books the traditional way as well as reading them on their electronic devices.