Drop your ballot in Natick’s patriotic new box at Town Hall

October 14, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

If you’ve received your ballot by mail for the Nov. 3 election, Natick is ready for you to drop it off in its shiny new ballot box to the left of the front door at Town Hall.

Natick, like other communities, found that with so much early voting its previous ballot collection lockbox would easily get filled throughout the day.

The new $3,000 box, paid for using grant money, holds upwards of 1,000 ballots. Town Clerk Diane Packer and colleagues check it throughout the day to process ballots and keep up.

“It is working out great!!” Packer says.

Natick has laid out details on how to register (by Oct. 24) and how to vote, whether you want to do it by mail, early in-person at Morse Institute Library, or on Nov. 3.

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Natick fall hydrant flushing in process

October 10, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Hydrant flushing went down the drain in Natick during spring 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but is back for the fall.

The Department of Public Works Water Division will be conducting its Hydrant Flushing Program throughout town through October and November. The work will be done nightly Monday through Thursday. Flushing of water mains is conducted to improve water quality and ensure proper valve and hydrant operation. The work may cause some discoloration/sediment in residents’ water. If affected, residents are directed to run the cold water faucet (preferably tub or outside spigot) until the water runs clear.

More information here on Natick hydrant flushing.

Please contact 508-647-6557 with questions or concerns.

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Natick Community-Senior Center offering virtual volunteer fair

October 5, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Natick Community-Senior Center is hosting a free virtual volunteer fair, via Zoom, on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Volunteering on a Town of Natick Board or Commission

3-3:30pm

RSVP to skirby@natickma.org to register or call 508-647-6540.

Join Frank Foss, town of Natick moderator, to find out how you can volunteer on a town board or commission.

Finding Your Best Volunteer Fit

3:30-4pm

RSVP to skirby@natickma.org to register or call 508-647-6540.

Join longtime resident Jeanette Szretter as she helps you identify what might be the best volunteer fit for you.

Virtual Volunteer Fair

4-4:40pm

Meet with non-profits in Natick to see how you can give back to your community.

RSVP to skirby@natickma.org to receive Zoom links and talk to representatives from various organizations and also a listing of descriptions of volunteer opportunities.

Enter to win gift certificates to local businesses after your meeting by giving your name and e-mail to the hosts in the chat.

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A better way to snake through Natick

October 3, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The state this past month granted Natick $55,000 through its Shared Streets & Spaces program.

Natick’s grant is to be used for creating a separated bike/shared-use lane by making use of the shoulders on a segment of Route 30 connecting the Snake Brook Trail at Cochituate State Park on the east (in Wayland) with the commercial Speen Street area on the west (in Natick).

The program provides “technical and funding assistance to help Massachusetts cities and towns conceive, design, and implement tactical changes to curbs, streets, on-street parking spaces and off-street parking lots in support of public health, safe mobility, and renewed commerce.”

Over the summer, Natick received funds as well through this program to expand outdoor dining.

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17 apply for new Natick Equity Task Force

October 1, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Update: Natick appoints Equity Task Force members.

Update: 10/6/20. Natick Pegasus recorded the interviews with Equity Task Force applicants.

The Natick Select Board has on its Oct. 5 agenda interviews with prospective appointees to its new Equity Task Force.

The Natick Select Board, which recently gave the go-ahead to forming an Equity Task Force, with applications due Sept. 1.

The Equity Task Force will be an 11-member public entity appointed by the Select Board and whose task will be to recommend to the Board “the mission, scope, charge, composition, term of service, and authority of a town entity to advance equity in the Natick community and town government, and to recommend a set of responsibilities for any professional staff needed to help the town pursue this aim.” Natick might bring in a consultant to work with the Task Force.

The Task Force will include the Town Administrator or designee, two Select Board members, the Human Resources Director, the Superintendent of Schools or designee, a member of the School Committee or designee, and five members at large. Preference will be given to those who have professional or life experience with equity issues, background in community engagement, experience in municipal government.

The Select Board will seek to have the at-large spots represent shall “members of historically marginalized communities.”

Those vying for the at-large spots include familiar names, including a former Natick Board of Selectmen member, a Babson College educator, and the town’s current director of veterans’ services.

The applicants:

Jay Ball
Cynthia Bracciale
Paul Carew
Guimel DeCarvalho
Natali Gingrasfield
Eric Nguyen
Cathal Nolan
Tina Opie
Marilyn Park
Karen Partanen
Kristen Pope
Christine Robinson
Linda Valentin
Emily Warmington
Anne Wilson
Noel Winslow
Ian Wong

The Task Force shall research the experience of other municipalities’ equity-related government entities, as well as what the town and community are doing in the equity sphere. It shall recommend a set of responsibilities for any professional staff needed to help the town advance equity.

The Task Force will be dissolved once it issues its report to the Select Board.

More: Natick among 6 racial equity plan grantees

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