Mass. State Police said it all started when troopers stopped a stolen Toyota Camry on I-495 south in Tewksbury. A male driver got out of the car, and when he did, a female driver took control, backing into a police cruiser and almost hitting another trooper before taking off. Troopers followed the car south on the highway, but lost sight of it around exit 88 in Chelmsford.
Troopers later found the car in a parking garage off Technology Park Drive in Westford, police said. The driver, identified as 29-year-old Melissa Giuliana of Lynn, was found at a nearby hotel.
Giuliana was charged with unlicensed operation, failure to stop for police, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a Class A drug, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, and other driving violations.
She was also wanted on a felony warrant, according to police.
More details, including what happened to the man involved in the original traffic stop, were not immediately available.
Last year 10 of the 15 area girls lacrosse teams qualified for the Massachusetts state tournament, but no team got past the Round of 16. Six Sun All-Stars return and will try to help their teams advance further in state tournament play – Westford’s Kassidy Carmichael (311 career points) and Evie Weber, Billerica’s Sara MacLeod […]
A natural goal scorer, MacKenzie finished the season with 34 goals and eight assists, giving her career totals of 86 goals and 36 assists for 122 points. That point total puts her first among Wilmington players and second all-time in the history of the co-op program, which also draws players from Stoneham and North Reading. She scored 34 of the team’s 58 goals this season. A two-time Sun All-Star, MacKenzie helped lead the team to three straight state tournament berths, including an 11-9-1 mark this season. She is also a member of the WHS softball team.
Lily MacKenzie
Giovanna Gulinello
Billerica/Chelmsford
A Billerica junior, Gulinello led the co-op team in scoring with 14 goals and 16 assists, giving her 68 career points. She was named the team’s MVP and to the MVC/DCL Division 1 All-Conference team. Gulinello helped Billerica/Chelmsford qualify for the state tournament, losing in the first round in a 1-0 double-overtime thriller to Belmont. Gulinello is also a member of the Billerica soccer and lacrosse programs.
Giovanna Gulinello
Kat Schille
Tewksbury/Methuen
Also a two-time Sun All-Star in field hockey, Schille helped lead the Red Rangers to a 15-5-2 overall record, including a first-round state tournament win over Wellesley. A talented goal scorer, she finished the season with 13 goals, nine assists and 22 points and finished her career with 30 goals, 16 assists and 46 points. Named the MVP of the team, Schille is also among the top of her class academically and the senior has listed UMass as her top choice for college.
Kat Schille
Lyla Chapman
Tewksbury/Methuen
Just a freshman, Chapman has made a big impact on the ice hockey and soccer teams. This winter, the puck-moving defenseman helped lead the Red Rangers to a 15-win season, including advancing to the second round of the state tournament. She was a big part of the team’s power play and was always on the ice for penalty kills. She finished the season with one goal and 14 assists, which comes after her debut season as an eighth-grader when she had three goals and four assists, giving her 22 points in two years.
Lyla Chapman
Kailey Hannon
Westford Academy/Littleton
A two-time Sun All-Star, Hannon finished the season with 13 goals and nine assists, helping the co-op team upset Winthrop in the first round of the state tournament before losing to Malden Catholic. Last year she finished with 22 goals and 10 assists. A team captain, a two-year MVC/DCL All-Conference selection and a three-time league all-star, Hannon is also a member of the Littleton High field hockey and lacrosse teams. Academically, she is on the Principal’s List, is a High Honor Roll student and a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.
Kailey Hannon
Maddie Sainato
Wilmington/Stoneham
A two-time Sun All-Star and only area goalie to make this year’s team, Sainato was instrumental in leading the co-op team to an 11-9-1 overall record and three straight state tournament appearances. She posted two shutouts on the season and gave up two goals or less in 10 games, including terrific performances against Woburn, Reading and Arlington. Sainato, who comes from five generations of athletes at WHS, has also spent time playing softball, lacrosse and softball.
Chelmsford High junior Thomas Brown has been named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Wrestler of the Year.
The 285-pound Brown shared the honor with Haverhill senior Brent Nicolosi (165) and Central Catholic senior Nate Blanchette (175).
A total of 11 athletes were named to the league’s all-conference first team.
Making the squad were Tewksbury sophomore Jack Lightfoot at 106, Tewksbury sophomore Nicholas Desisto at 113, Billerica sophomore Peter Rincan at 120, Lowell sophomore Emmett Logan, Lowell senior Chris Dubey at 132, Lowell senior Hussein Alobaidi at 150, Chelmsford senior Jose Bethel at 190 and Tewksbury junior Manny Mengata at 215.
On the girls side, picked for the first team were Tewksbury sophomore Brooke Lightfoot at 114, Lowell junior Amanda Moundele at 165 and Lowell junior Amelyiah Martinez at 235.
Nine locals were selected to the second team.
They were Tewksbury sophomore Ben Barrasso at 120, Tewksbury sophomore Sean Callahan at 132, Billerica freshman Jackson Gearin at 138, Lowell senior Jordan Seng at 144, Tewksbury senior Cameron Heichman at 144, Chelmsford sophomore Michael Canada at 150, Tewksbury senior Hunter Johnson at 157, Billerica senior Jizaiah Candelario at 165 and Chelmsford senior Ian Mwangi at 215.
Boys track
Billerica’s Shaun Corum has been named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Division 2 Coach of the Year.
A total of 15 local athletes were named to the first team.
From Billerica, Dhaethmy Dorival (4×200), Gryffin Bordeau (4×200), Jacob Peck (4×200), Patrick Hall (two mile, 4×800), Ryan Leslie (two mile, one mile, 4×800) and Tyler Fortune (4×200).
From Chelmsford, Will Larsen (600, 4×800) and Nathan Hart (600, 4×800). From Dracut, Sam Botsis (long jump, 300). From Lowell, Alex Rodgers (4×800), Jack Courtney (4×800, mile, two mile), Jovani Ubri (4×800), Khai Yin (55 high hurdles, 4×200) and Timothy Schribman (4×800).
From Tewksbury, Colby Mengata (shot put).
Fourteen locals were selected to the second team.
From Billerica, Mason Niles (4×800) and Shane Leslie (1000, 4×800). From Chelmsford, Marco Lombardo (4×800), Xavier May (4×800, two mile) and Luke Tremblay (600, 4×800).
From Lowell, Abdul Jalloh (4×400, 4×800), Denzel Kisekka (4×400), James Kelly (two mile), Andrew Kieng (4×200), Nana Opuku (long jump, high jump), Raymond Dafe (600, 4×400, 4×800), Ryan Conley (4×400, 4×200), Samuel Ansah (300, 4×200) and Victor Duong (two mile).
Girls track
Cullen Hagan of Billerica has been named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Division 2 Coach of the Year and Billerica received the Sportsmanship Award.
A total of 10 local athletes were selected to the all-conference first team.
From Billerica, Brianna Phelan (4×800, 1000, 4×400), Caitlyn Donahue (4×800), Gianna McGowan (two mile, 4×800, mile), Kylie Donahue (4×800, two mile) and Nyrah Joseph (55 high hurdles, high jump, 4×400).
From Lowell, Anneliese Nogueira (4×200), Britney Ogiegor (4×200, 55 high hurdles), Drea Defreitas (4×200, long jump), Ella Machado (mile, 4×800) and Quinn Petzold (4×200, 300, long jump).
Making the second team were 17 local standouts.
From Billerica, Anabelle Mendez (4×400), Grace Carter (4×800), Hartlie Siegal (mile, two mile), Keelin Foye (shot put), Lilian Mackwell (4×800), Lily Bower (long jump, 4×400) and Sabrina Gorski (4×800).
From Chelmsford, Naomi D’Souza (300, 4×400), Kate Leonard (1000), Sophie Lamar (4×400), Sophia Kukla (4×400) and Amelia Stroud (4×400). From Dracut, Lindsay Grier (55 high hurdles). From Lowell, Jacqueline Peirce (4×800), Sabrina Cady (4×800) and Serena Nguyen (4×800).
From Tewksbury, Cassidy Paige (55).
College track
Camara honored: Fitchburg State indoor track senior Makany Camara (Lowell) was named to the 2024 USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field All-Region East Team.
Camara collects her third USTFCCCA accolade in the high jump after finishing third overall in the event at the 2024 DIII New England Championships with a season-best mark of 1.66 meters on Feb. 25, while adding a second place mark of 1.66 meters at the 2024 MASCAC Championships. In addition, Makany placed fifth at the 2024 Tufts National Qualifying Meet earlier this year (1.64 meters).
College softball
White honored: A strong relief showing against George Mason has earned UMass Lowell senior Ryley White (Wareham), a former Dracut High star, America East Pitcher of the Week honors.
White made a relief appearance in the second game of a doubleheader against George Mason, pitching 3.2 innings to secure a comeback victory. She registered a 2.18 ERA, allowing three hits and striking out five in the effort.
White is now 3-4. She leads the River Hawk staff with 47 strikeouts, while holding opposing batters to just a .285 batting average.
The Lowell High boys basketball team will be big underdogs when it takes the court Friday.
The Red Raiders have enjoyed a terrific season in the powerful Merrimack Valley Conference, but the No. 9 seed (16-6) will be playing in enemy territory against the top team in Massachusetts.
North isn’t just the defending Division 1 state champions. The top-seeded Polar Bears (21-0) are undefeated and rarely tested.
Lowell will attempt to pull off the upset in a round of 8 game in Worcester at 6:30 p.m.
Lowell has eliminated Beverly, 83-57, at home and then MVC rival Andover on the road, 54-45, thanks to an impressive third quarter.
Tzar Powell-Aparacio and Xavier Rivera has been dominant in the postseason for the Red Raiders, as they were in the regular season.
Not surprisingly, North has cruised to two state tournament victories over King Philip, 90-64, and Waltham, 78-40. The Polar Bears seem to play at a different tempo than their opponents, the faster the better.
Here are other state tournament games involving local teams this weekend.
Friday: The Littleton girls basketball team will play in Division 4 round of 8 action. The No. 5 Tigers (17-5) and senior star Victoria McCoy will play at No. 4 Millis (17-7) at 6 p.m.
Saturday: Tewksbury and Shawsheen Tech will play in Division 2 and Division 3 final 4 games, respectively, at Stoneham Arena.
No. 1 Tewksbury (20-3), which has outscored opponents 22-3 in three tournament games thanks a dominant first line, will face No. 4 Woburn (15-5-1) at 7 p.m.
In the game before, No. 2 Shawsheen Tech (22-1-0) will face No. 6 Marblehead (15-9-1) at 4 p.m. The Rams and goaltender Mike Cedrone have been stingy in three tournament wins and are coming off two shutout performances.
In a Division 4 round of 8 girls basketball contest, No. 2 Tyngsboro (21-1), sparked by Gianna Donato and Carly DiMento, will entertain No. 7 Bourne (20-2) at 5 p.m.
Sunday: The Pelham boys basketball team will attempt to net its second straight state Division 2 championship. The top-seeded Pythons, led by Zach James and Dom Herrling, will clash with No. 2 Hanover at 1 p.m. at Lundholm Gymnasium on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.
LOWELL — Buckle in high school sports fans. It’s state tournament time in Massachusetts.
The MIAA released tournament pairings for boys and girls basketball, and boys and girls hockey on Saturday.
A total of 39 area teams – 21 basketball teams and 18 hockey squads – will begin their pursuits for state championships next week.
Locally, one team earned a No. 1 seed, the Tewksbury boys hockey team. Led by veteran coach Derek Doherty, the Redmen are the top seed in Division 2.
Two teams are seeded second – the Tyngsboro girls basketball team in Division 4, and the Shawsheen Tech boys hockey team in Division 3.
Boys hockey
Division 1: In the 33-team field, set to get going is No. 9 Westford Academy and No. 20 Central Catholic.
Both teams drew preliminary round byes and will open in the round of 32. Westford (14-3-1) will host No. 24 Braintree (8-11-1) on Thursday (7:10 p.m.) at Skate 3 in Tyngsboro.
Central (7-13-2) will play at No. 13 Saint John’s (10-8-2) on Wednesday (6 p.m.) at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro.
St. John’s Prep (17-3) is the top seed.
Division 2: There figures to be plenty of local interest in this 33-team field as Tewksbury, Billerica and Lowell Catholic all qualified.
All will open play in the round of 32.
Leading the pack is No. 1 Tewksbury (17-3), which is looking to atone for last season’s early exit. The Redmen have 100-point scorers in Matt Cooke and Jeremy Insogna. They will host the winner of No. 32 Agawam (11-8) and No. 33 Minnechaug (11-9) on Thursday (7:10 p.m.) at the Breakaway Ice Center in Tewksbury.
No. 6 Billerica (9-7-2) will host No. 27 Westfield (11-11) on Wednesday (7 p.m.) at the Hallenborg Pavillion in Billerica. No. 29 Lowell Catholic (9-8-3) has a tough challenge at No. 4 Woburn (12-5-1) on Wednesday (7:15 p.m.) at O’Brien Ice Rink in Woburn.
Division 3: Four local squads – Shawsheen Tech, North Middlesex, Dracut/Tyngsboro and Nashoba Tech – are in the 40-team field.
No. 39 Nashoba Tech (12-8-1) will play a prelim at No. 26 Middleboro (13-7), the details to be announced. Shawsheen, North Middlesex and Dracut/Tyngsboro drew preliminary round byes into the round of 32.
No. 2 Shawsheen (19-1-0) will host the winner of No. 34 Somerville (10-8-2) and No. 31 Hopedale (5-13-2) on Thursday (7 p.m.) at the Hallenborg Pavillion in Billerica. No. 18 North Middlesex (11-9) will visit No. 15 Blackstone Valley (17-3-0) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.) at the Ice Plex in Hopedale. No. 22 Dracut/Tyngsboro (13-5-2) will play at No. 11 Methuen (15-3-2) on Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Methuen High.
Nauset Regional (18-1-1) grabbed the top seed.
Division 4: Making the 32-team field were Wilmington, Lunenburg/Ayer Shirley, Littleton/Bromfield and Groton-Dunstable. All advance to the round of 32.
No. 7 Wilmington (6-12-2) will host No. 26 Fitchburg (11-9) on Wednesday (7:15 p.m.) at the Breakaway Ice Center in Tewksbury. No. 14 Lunenburg/Ayer Shirley (15-4-1) will host No. 19 Littleton/Bromfield (11-9-0) on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.) at the Wallace Civic Center in Fitchburg.
No. 30 Groton-Dunstable (1-18-1) will try to pull a major upset at No. 3 Norwell (15-5-1) on Wednesday (7:20 p.m.) at The Bog in Kingston.
Winthrop (15-3-2) is the team to beat.
Girls hockey
Division 1: Four of the 32 teams in the field hail from the area – Methuen/Tewksbury, Billerica/Chelmsford, Westford Academy and Shawsheen Tech/Bedford. All advance to the round of 32 action.
No. 6 Methuen/Tewksbury (14-4-2) will host No. 27 Wellesley (8-9-3) on Wednesday (5 p.m.) at Methuen High. No. 19 Billerica/Chelmsford (6-9-5) will visit No. 14 Belmont (13-2-3) on Thursday, time to be announced, at John Ryan Rink in Watertown.
No. 20 Westford (7-10-3) will play at No. 13 Winthrop (13-3-2) on Tuesday (6:10 p.m.) at Larsen Rink in Winthrop. No. 28 Shawsheen/Bedford (13-6-0) will travel to No. 5 Hingham (16-5-1) on Wednesday (6 p.m.) at Pilgrim Arena in Hingham.
The top seed is Notre Dame of Hingham (14-4-2).
Division 2: The lone local representative in the 32-team field is No. 20 Stoneham/Wilmington (11-8-1), which will play at No. 13 Sandwich (10-10-2) on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) at Gallo Arena in Bourne.
Boys basketball
Division 1: Not surprisingly, the powerful Merrimack Valley Conference is represented by four teams in the top 10 in the 42-team bracket.
No. 7 Central Catholic, No. 8 Andover, No. 9 Lowell and No. 10 Lawrence have all had outstanding seasons.
Lowell (14-6) will play the winner of No. 41 Beverly (10-10) and No. 24 Durfee (13-7) in a round of 32 game, the details to be announced.
Lowell’s Tzar Powell-Aparicio makes an aggressive move to the basket against Lawrence’s Francisco Santanna. Lowell was a 68-54 winner in the regular-season game. (James Thomas photo)
Undefeated North (19-0) is the No. 1 seed.
Division 2: There are no local squads in the 41-team bracket, but there is interest in No. 12 Burlington (14-6) and No. 14 Bedford (16-3). The favorite in the field is No. 1 Malden Catholic (11-9).
Division 3: In a 40-team field, the team to beat is Boston City League champion Charlestown (18-2), the top seed.
Among those in the bracket are local teams Shawsheen Tech and Lowell Catholic. No. 26 Lowell Catholic (9-11) will host a preliminary round game against No. 39 Monty Tech (15-5), details to be announced. No. 12 Shawsheen (14-6) and big man Matt Breen will play at No. 14 Watertown (13-7), details to be announced.
Division 4: Making the 48-team field were Tyngsboro, Littleton and Ayer Shirley. Playing preliminary round games are Littleton and Ayer Shirley.
No. 31 Littleton (10-10) will host No. 34 Roxbury Prep Charter (14-5), details to be announced. No. 35 Ayer Shirley (16-4) will play at No. 30 Uxbridge (12-8), details to be announced. Advancing to the round of 32 is No. 12 Tyngsboro (12-8).
The Tigers will host the winner of No. 44 Bromfield (11-7) and No. 21 Greenfield (14-6), details to be announced.
The top seed is Wareham (18-3)
Division 5: Representing the area in the 46-team field are Innovation Academy of Tyngsboro and Collegiate Charter of Lowell (8-8).
Both will play preliminary round games. No. 25 Innovation (14-6) and 1,000-point scorer Derrick Twum will host No. 40 North Brookfield (13-5), details to be announced. No. 38 Collegiate Charter (8-8) will play at No. 27 Salem Academy (11-9), details to be announced.
Hoosac Valley (18-2) is the No. 1 seed.
Girls basketball
Division 1: Two local squads are in the talented 39-team field, Central Catholic and Chelmsford.
Both will open in the round of 32. No. 6 Central (16-4) will host the winner of No. 38 Malden (13-7) and No. 27 King Philip (9-11), details to be announced. No. 18 Chelmsford (12-8) will play at No. 15 Braintree (10-10), details to be announced.
The top seed is undefeated Bishop Feehan (20-0).
Division 2: Billerica and Tewksbury of the MVC qualified for the 38-team field. No. 35 Tewksbury (10-10) will play a prelim at No. 30 Westwood (6-14), details to be announced. No. 8 Billerica (18-2) will host a round of 32 game against No. 25 Middleboro (11-9), details to be announced.
Billerica’s Maggie Jones drives the ball past Andover’s Kiera Lenihan during MVC girls basketball action. Billerica won the regular-season game 44-42. (James Thomas photo)
Medfield (18-2) earned the top seed.
Division 3: Qualifying for the 40-team field were Wilmington and Lowell Catholic. No. 39 Lowell Catholic (11-9) will play at No. 26 Hudson (12-8), details to be announced. In a round of 32 game, No. 17 Wilmington (10-10) will visit No. 16 Fontbonne (12-8), details to be announced.
Powerful Foxboro (19-2) is the No. 1 seed.
Division 4: Making the 49-team bracket were Tyngsboro, Littleton, Ayer Shirley and Nashoba Tech.
No. 27 Ayer Shirley (10-10) will host a prelim against No. 38 Blackstone-Millsville (10-10), details to be announced. No. 42 Nashoba Tech (9-9) will play a prelim at No. 23 Mashpee (8-11), details to be announced.
In round of 32 games, No. 2 Tyngsboro (19-1) will host the winner of No. 34 Mystic Valley (14-6) and No. 31 Leicester (10-10), while No. 5 Littleton (15-5) will entertain the winner of No. 37 Bromfield (9-9) and No. 28 New Heights (9-3), details to be announced.
Cathedral (14-5) is the team to beat.
Division 5: The lone local squad in the 45-team field is No. 39 Collegiate Charter of Lowell (9-8), which will play a prelim at No. 26 Holbrook (13-7), details to be announced.
TEWKSBURY — The Tewksbury Select Board met on July 18, 2023 at town hall.
The board approved a common victualler license application for Brothers Sports Bar & Grille at 553 Main St. Brothers has a location in Dracut and is purchasing the Skybox Sports Bar and Restaurant. The restaurant will be more family-style than Skybox, and will seek a liquor license in the coming months.
The board set Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, as the date for special Town Meeting. The warrant will be open through Friday, Aug. 18, at 12:30 p.m.
The board discussed openings on various town committees and boards. Residents can apply on the town website to serve on the Conservation Commission, Economic Development Committee, Green Committee, Historic Commission, Local Historic District Study Committee, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Beautification Committee, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
The board voted to designate firefighter Michael Donovan as a special municipal employee to work as a traffic control guard for the Tewksbury Police Department.
The board took up the long-awaited designation of retail marijuana establishment licenses. With three licenses potentially up for grabs, eight pro-ponents completed the Select Board application process and passed Planning Board review, some of whom had been working towards the licensure stage…
TEWKSBURY — The Tewksbury Planning Board met on Monday, July 17, 2023, at town hall to review several applications for proposed retail marijuana sites. The three proponents, all of whom attended the Select Board’s first round of licensing hearings, were the last remaining of initial eight applicants to receive approval from the Planning Board.
The number of retail marijuana licenses was calculated at 20 percent of the number of the town’s off-premises liquor licenses; with seven off-premises liquor licenses, the number rounds up to three marijuana licenses. Changes to the town’s zoning bylaw and general bylaw at Town Meeting last October allowed for the sale of retail marijuana with the Select Board as the permit-granting authority.
The state allows municipalities to impose a maximum three percent tax on retail marijuana sales; revenues generated from the tax would go to the town’s general fund. The zoning bylaw allows retail operations in four zones within the town: the General Business District (Lowell Line-655 Main St.), South Village Business District (1900 Main St. – Wilmington Line), Industrial 2 (Rockland/Hillman/Washington streets and East/Carter streets), and the Interstate Overlay District (Interchanges of Rt. 495 & 93).
The board revisited a discussion on a site plan review and land…
TEWKSBURY — The Tewksbury Planning Board met on Monday, June 26, 2023, at town hall. Members Jim Duffy and Vinny Fratalia were absent.
Town Planner Alex Lowder reported that Tree House Brewing Company plans to seek changes to its site plan review application in order to use a parking lot across the street. She noted that the taproom is open; food trucks have been on site for several weeks.
Lowder also added that the Select Board held retail marijuana licensing hearings throughout the month of June, and expects to revisit the issue at the board’s July 18 meeting.
The board reviewed and endorsed the town’s 2023-2027 Housing Production Plan draft.
The board endorsed an approval not required plan for 1167, 1177, and 1187 Main St. The proponents sought to combine the three lots, then split them into two parcels; an existing building will be moved and other buildings will be removed.
Anthony Catalno requested a continuance for a family suite special permit application to the board’s July 17 meeting.
Pure Tewksbury LLC, a retail marijuana applicant, requested withdrawal without prejudice of a site plan review application at 1699 Shawsheen St. to July 17.
A sign special permit application for 1438 Main St LLC was continued to the July 17 meeting.
Tree House Brewing Company requested a continuance for a site plan review and land…
TEWKSBURY — On June 12, the Tewksbury Select Board kicked off the first of three nights of hearings to review adult retail marijuana license applications for several companies vying for one of the town’s three retail marijuana licenses and a host community agreement with the town.
“The issue here is about the qualifications and the background of each of the applicants,” said chair Todd Johnson.
Sundaze, owned by Brad Tosto, Peter Wilson, and Stephen Doherty, presented a proposal for 2504 Main St. in the South Village District. The applicant highlighted their experience in business operations, financial accounting, and regulatory compliance. The company held community outreach meetings in late 2022.
The company submitted a business plan to the board, outlining its mission and community engagement strategy. The proponents highlighted plans to hire local employees and create an elegant storefront, along with a security and diversion plan that calls for a full-time security director. Tosto noted that the town has been trying to fill vacant storefronts. A traffic study found no significant impacts for the location.
Lazy River Products, owned by William Cassotis, Mark Leal, and Kevin Platt, presented a proposal for 553 Main St. in the Ocean State Job Lot plaza. The company held a community outreach meeting in fall of 2022.
TEWKSBURY — The Tewksbury Planning Board met on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, at town hall to address two retail marijuana proposals.
The board conducted a site plan review for The Stories Company’s proposed retail marijuana dispensary at 2122 Main St. “Donuts Village,” next to Donna’s Donuts, will include a 5,400 square foot building to be split between a dispensary and a retail or restaurant space.
The proponents’ presenting team included cannabis attorney Valerio Romano and former Boston police commissioner Ed Davis as a security consultant; Davis is a Tewksbury resident. The proponent plans to replace the sidewalk on Main Street and may add electric vehicle chargers in the future.
Board members largely responded positively to the plan.
“Do you think having a cannabis store would deter someone from moving in next to you?” asked member Vinny Fratalia.
Romano said that the proponent hoped to find an appropriate use to go next to the retail store.
“The downstream revenue for communities that host cannabis retailers is fairly significant,” he explained. “It could be something of a boon for that business as well as other ones… people come in and have money in their pockets to spend. Input from the board on what that use might be would be welcome as well.”
