Friday, May 10, 2013
There are several options available for people who want to start clearing out their mailbox.
One good thing about bulk mail is that unlike its distant cousin, the telemarketer, it can’t wake you up or interrupt your dinner. But that said, it does have a way of clogging up your mailbox in any given week with lots of paper and not necessarily much else of interest. So what can you do about unwanted bulk mailings? You can head to the post office on Littleton Road or the satellite offices in Forge Village or Nabnasset and put yourself on the “Do Not Mail” list to go along with the “Do Not Call” list. The Federal Trade Commission has a page with various links for people to use, depending on what kind of mail they wish to stop receiving. For example, OptOutPreScreen.com, an official credit industry site, will allow you to stop receiving…
Thursday, April 25, 2013
You asked, now Patch answers.
For anyone driving down Boston Road during the past week or so, there's been a an unexpected development: Eric's is now gone. What happened? Well, you asked Patch, and we found an answer. Recently, the first Eric's, down in Reading, was sold, along with the name "Eric's." So, the Eric's here in Westford reverted to Drew Gardens, a name purchased by Eric's owner Tom Goddard when he purchased the property from Drew Farms about 12 years ago. All this time, Goddard owned the Drew Gardens name, but didn't use it according to staff we talked to at Eric's, now Drew Gardens. And, in case you didn't notice the sign (pictured), Drew Gardens is indeed open! Also, Drew Farms is still around too, but it's completely separate from Drew Gardens, and it…
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
You asked, now Patch answers.
A while back, a reader asked us where Westford's trash went to, and today we finally have the answer. According to town staff and members of the Westford Recycling Commission, Westford's trash goes to an incinerator in Haverhill owned by a company named Covanta. Recyclables go to a facility in North Andover, excluding electronics picked up at the Highway Garage recycling days, which go to a facility in Holliston.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
We double checked with the Fire Department yesterday afternoon, here's what we found.
Yesterday afternoon, Patch doublechecked with the Westford Fire Department for what happened at Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting versus the First Article 30 Board of Selectmen meeting, and here's what we were able to confirm. These two incidents were not the first time the Board of Selectmen faced overcrowding during specific topics, with debate last year on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail also drawing overflow. Coincidentally, an agenda item on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail updating the conservation restriction at the Vose Parcel was on the docket on Tuesday as well. Town hall itself was renovated just a few years ago (plaque commemorating the renovation pictured).
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
You asked, now Patch Answers.
Recently a reader asked us what is the busiest intersection in Westford, and we have the answer, although there is a little wiggle room for debate. Every few years, the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments does traffic counts for busy intersections in each of their towns, including Chelmsford. When it comes to the Annual Average Daily Traffic Count (AADT), or the daily average of vehicles over a 24-hour period in a specific spot over a particular year, the busiest "intersection" is on a highway. In 2012, the little sliver of Route 3 that is in Westford had under 98,000 AADT. When it comes to surface roads, here were the busiest according to the NMCOG traffic counts. Keep in mind, this isn't every single intersection in town, only …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
We always welcome letters to the editor. Here's how you can send yours this election season, and into the future!
It’s a question we get asked a lot: “How do I submit a Letter to the Editor?” Well, there are two ways. 1. As a local voices column, also known as a blog post. Submitting a Letter to the Editor that way is easy, and.... All you need is a free Patch e-mail account. Once you've got that and you've signed in, just click here or click on the "start a blog" button on the home page and then push the "Post on Patch" button. 2. By emailing it to westford@patch.com. We definitely prefer the first method, but we can accept e-mailed letters if absolutely necessary. However, please note that we strongly prefer letters submitted by the first method. Any e-mailed letters will be published at a time of the editor's discretion. Any letters provided …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Welcome to our latest "You Asked, Patch Answers"
One reader told us that they love the Westford Police Logs here in the Patch, but were curious how many arrests Westford Police officers made in 2012. The answer? 149. You can see it for yourself, the Westford Police Department puts all of their logs online at the town website, just go to Public Safety, then Police Department then Police Activity Log. On Westford's logs, all arrest reports have a name that uses the last two numbers of the year, the number that arrest was during the year and "AR". For example, the details with the 149th arrest of 2012 can be requested by asking for "12-149-AR" That same system is used for the most part with non-arrest reports (there were 3,128 of those in 2012) and traffic accident reports (553 of those …
Saturday, March 9, 2013
When do we "Spring forward"?
You know the old saying "Fall back, spring forward." Well, it's almost time to spring forward. We received a reader question on the date Daylight Saving begins this year. Well, you ask, Patch answers. This year we move the clocks overnight on Sunday, March 10. Don't forget to move your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed Saturday night (Don't worry, we'll remind you again). Officially Daylight Saving is 2 a.m. on Sunday. Yes, moving the clocks ahead does mean we all lose an hour of sleep, but in return it will be light later in the day.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
The Saturday suspension of mail delivery debate applies to today: but not because of USPS budget problems!
Neither rain, not sleet...except for blizzards. Westford residents be wondering if there'll be any new mail in your mailbox today (that is, if you can even make it to your mailbox, with all this snow.) The answer is that mail service in all of New England — not just Massachusetts — has been suspended, according to the Huffington Post. The ban extends throughout all six New England states. The unusual decision was made due to safety concerns, according to Postal Service spokeswoman Christine Dugas. The decision came after over two feet of snow falling throughout much of New England made many roads impassable, she said. Dugas reminded people to clear around their mailboxes or paths to their homes by Monday, when mail delivery will resume.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Not all meteorologists accept the name game, or acknowledge this storm as Nemo.
You've probably heard occasional—but perhaps not frequent—references to this winter storm as "Nemo." While it makes for some good jokes about that cute little orange fish, Nemo is not the brainchild of the Disney Corporation, but rather, a pre-determined name The Weather Channel gave to this latest storm. If you missed it: The Weather Channel in November announced it would name "noteworthy winter storms" in the 2012-2013 winter season. Sure, snowstorms have been informally named after the fact (remember Snowtober?) This is the first season, however, that The Weather Channel is naming them as it does hurricanes and tropical storms. The rationale? According to the Weather Channel, names raise awareness, make it easier to follow a weather …
RHM
3:50 pm on Monday, April 29, 2013
Will the phone number (978-692-9019) be the same for Drew Garden's as it was for Eric's? Will there be a different web site or will it still be http://www.ericsfloweremporium.com more ›