Monday, February 11, 2013
Some are praising the work, others have less-than-kind words to say.
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, February 11
We are nearly two full days removed from the winter storm (tentatively known as the Blizzard of '13, we're not going to use that fish name), but the cleanup effort is not finished. Although there are several features of the recovery, the one that gets the most attention is snowplowing. Residents' opinions on how that is going, at least of those who post on Attleboro Patch's comments section and Facebook page, are mostly negative, although there are some defenders. "Pretty sad surrounding towns where residents pay much lower tax rates have impeccable roads," wrote Jen Crowder on Patch's Facebook page. "'Epic fail' is too nice to say about Attleboro's response." Never miss a good Attleboro story. Get all your information, including breaking …
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Attleboro Public Schools will be closed. The library and zoo will be open.
The following press release was submitted by Attleboro Mayor Kevin Dumas: ►Attleboro Public Schools are closed tomorrow. Central Office staff will report to work. ►Rubbish and Recycling pick-up is delayed by one day all week. ►City Hall and Government Center will be open tomorrow at 8:30 am. All employees are to car pool or be dropped off to work due to parking restrictions until further notice. ►Library & Zoo facilities will be open tomorrow. ►Senior Center will be open for essential employees only - all programs and activities have been cancelled tomorrow. No meals will be served. ►Meals on Wheels are cancelled tomorrow but will resume on Tuesday. ►Parking Ban will remain in effect until further notice. We are asking for your help! …
The closure is due to the aftermath of the winter storm.
- SCHOOLS
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Sunday, February 10
The Attleboro Public Schools will be closed Monday, Mayor Kevin Dumas says. Bishop Feehan High School will also be closed, according to several sources. We will provide information on other closures as soon as we learn about them. If you know of any closures, please post them in the comments section below or contact us at attleboro@patch.com.
He asks that people stay off the roads so the city's cleanup crew can do its work.
Mayor Kevin Dumas released the following statement this morning: As of 9:10 a.m., there remain 765 customers without power out of the 19,000 National Grid customers in Attleboro. The largest area without power encompasses the following area: Peckham, Pike, Wilmarth and Slater Streets. All streets located off of these streets are without power. It is expected that this area be restored by this evening per National Grid. Please make sure that you have reported your power outage to National Grid at 800-322-3223. However, residents may come to the emergency shelter at Attleboro High School through the Principal's Lobby to warm themselves. This shelter remains open, has food, and is pet friendly as long as animals are brought with cage or …
Light, fluffy snow on rooftops can act as a sponge for rain, which is in the forecast for Monday. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency offers these tips.
With rain in Attleboro's forecast for Monday, the Blizzard of '13 may not be finished wreaking havoc in Massachusetts. While temperatures dropped overnight Friday resulting in light, fluffy snow, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) warns that fluffy snow piled high on roofs can act as a sponge, absorbing rain and adding additional stress to structures. Relatively flat roofs are particularly vulnerable, MEMA says. In other cases, roof ice dams have formed causing water build-up, leading to interior damage. These conditions can accelerate the snowmelt. To minimize the risk of over-stressing a building roof due to accumulated or drifting snow: Information from a release by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) …
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Ten customers are without power as of 8:30 p.m.
8:30 p.m. Update: As of 8:30 p.m., National Grid is reporting 10 customers remain without power. Those customers are expected to get their power back by 11:45 p.m., according to the company. 7 p.m. Update: National Grid released a statement that power restoration is ongoing in Attleboro, and the final customers are expected to receive power by the end of Sunday. "Wind-whipped snow and hurricane force wind gusts tore through the state beginning on Friday afternoon and continuing through Saturday afternoon," National Grid wrote. "National Grid's transmission system sustained significant damage, and there were more than 2,000 reports of wires down, mainly in the hardest hit communities. Impassable roads and blowing and drifting snow …
Do you agree with the governor's decision or was it too drastic?
All non-emergency drivers were ordered off the roads on Friday when Gov. Deval Patrick issued an executive order banning travel during the blizzard. (Editor's note: The ban is lifted statewide as of 4 p.m. Saturday.) Patrick's executive order is being praised by some and bashed by others, reported The Boston Globe. While former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who was in charge of the commonwealth during the Blizzard of ’78, praised the governor’s move, others called the order “tyrannical” and say the strict ban and hefty fines were too much, according to The Globe. Those caught violating the ban would face up to a year in jail and a $500 fine. What do you think? Do you agree with the governor’s decision or do you think the travel ban …
The Saturday suspension of mail delivery debate applies to today, but not because of USPS budget problems!
You may be wondering if there'll be any new mail arriving 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 has been suspended, according to the Huffington Post. The unusual decision was made due to safety concerns, according to U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Christine Dugas. The decision came after more than two feet of snow fell throughout much of New England, making 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.
The trains were running in the Blizzard of '78 and they should be today.
I can't help but compare the governmental response to today's storm to how it was 35 years ago, when, during the (real) Blizzard of '78, the trains continued to function and operate throughout that storm and afterward. I remember that well because my wife Ann Mary and I took a very early train on the Saturday after the '78 storm, and took a cab to Logan Airport on the first day it opened after the storm that lasted from Monday to Wednesday. On top of that, the trains ran a Monday-Friday schedule that Saturday. One crewmember told us they had been working for 36 hours straight because there was nobody available to replace them. But the trains ran! Today, Gov. Coupe de Ville shuts down the MBTA, including its commuter trains, saying they …
Friday, February 8, 2013
Let's measure the blizzard through lawn ornaments!
We at Patch like to have fun – even when we’re covering a story as big as the Blizzard of ’13! So when the biggest storm in years (potentially in the history of Boston weather) is headed our way, we get into battle mode – and even get a little silly. That’s what this idea is about – and we want you to take part too! A fun way we want to track the storm across Massachusetts is through lawn ornaments. They serve a purpose in the spring and summer, but often feel left out in the cold of winter. Not anymore. We are posting photos of lawn ornaments throughout Massachusetts to highlight snowfall across the commonwealth during and after the storm. All you need to do is hit the Upload Photos and Videos button and upload your own. If we’re stuck at…
Erin
1:46 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
I bet as a community we could come up with a system to help the elderly get their sidewalks cleared. And I have a feeling that most of the properties I have seen uncleared (including businesses or the district courthouse) are not elderly residences. more ›