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The Smoking News Opens in Bellingham

Nov 29, 2019 06:00AM ● By Pamela Johnson

Roberta Mastrogiovanni, owner of The Smoking News

This new retail shop has opened just in time for the holiday gift-giving season. “We offer something for everybody,” explains owner Roberta Mastrogiovanni. “We have five humidors full of imported cigars, and high-end cigar accessories, traditional pipes and pipe tobacco, roll your own tobacco and equipment, a wide array of CBD products, handmade glass pipes, hookahs, candles, incense, sage, tapestries, a wide variety of rolling papers and wraps, drinks, snacks, newspapers and much more.”

“CBD has been getting the most attention.” Roberta says, “It’s an area of great growth.” The Smoking News has approximately 50 brands of CBD on sale in capsules, edibles, tinctures and topical applications. “We have several cottage brands from local farmers—names you can trust.”

Roberta has owned The Corner News in Keene, NH, for over 20 years, where she has a unique line of products based on the needs of her local patrons.

And last month, she brought her expertise to Bellingham. The Smoking News is located in the plaza on Mechanic Street (Route 140) between Plaza Mexico and Rapid Refill.
Plaza owner George Levine also owns property in Keene, NH, where The Corner News is located. She shares another connection with him: her family and his are both from nearby Medfield.

Roberta grew up in Medfield, graduated from Medfield High School and eventually went to work in Boston as a professional photographer. She moved to New Hampshire to open a camera store but had to sell it when the “digital revolution” caused her business to slow way down. She sold it and opened The Corner News. “I never thought I’d be in this business,” she adds, “but it’s been great! We are involved in the community in Keene and want to do the same thing in Bellingham.”

Her son, Ben, will be joining the local family business and together they have expansion plans to include a glass- blowing booth and gallery area where local glass-blowing artists can come and do demonstrations and art shows.  

“We also plan on having a sizeable selection of Discs and Disc golf supplies,” says Roberta. “Disc golf is a very popular sport that Ben has played, and he knows of many leagues in the area that will benefit from having a nearby storefront, since the only place to purchase them has been for the most part online.”

Vaping products, while a big seller in NH, are not currently available here because of a statewide ban. “When and if the ban is lifted,” says Roberta, “we will have an extensive  selection of products to choose from.”

The Smoking News is open weekdays from 9:00am to 9:00pm and will be looking into extended hours on Friday and Saturdays and will open on Sundays from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm.
The Smoking News is located at 191 Mechanic Street. You can learn more by visiting the Facebook page or calling (508) 657-0960. A new website is in the works: www.thesmokingnews.com and you can e-mail [email protected].

story & photo by Dave Dunbar, Contributing Writer
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