entering natick sign

entering natick sign

Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

  • Subscribe to daily email
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Summer Camp
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Redhawks sports schedule & results
  • Embracing diversity
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Events
  • Kids
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Top 10 things to do
  • The Swellesley Report
  • Beyond Natick
  • History
  • Government
  • Seniors
  • Support independent journalism
  • Natick Nest articles
  • Fire & police scanner
  • Town Election 2023


Natick dog park update: let’s keep it safe out there

December 16, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Eddie’s Park at Middlesex Path in Natick, simply referred to as “the dog park” by most visitors, is usually one of the happiest places in town. At its best the facility is a place where pups play with their doggy pals while attentive human friends keep an eye on the fun. Open since summer 2020 to all comers, Natick residents or not, the park boasts separate areas for dogs both small (under 25 lb) and large; a leash-free, enclosed environment; and a community of folks who love dogs.

Eddie Park dog park FIDO

There’s no doubt the place is much-loved, but sometimes more love means more problems. Right now according to Natick Animal Inspector Kimberly Condon, the new recreational area is going through a few growing pains that must be addressed—parking, social distancing, and dog safety. In a social media post on Fun, Informed Dog Owners (FIDO), a group that raises funds for ongoing dog park maintenance and educational events, Condon acknowledged that dogs are being injured at the park. “My heart is very heavy tonight with a great sadness, talking to owners who have injured dogs,” Condon posted. “Some folks that go to the park with their dogs do not follow the rules or recommendations that have been vetted by professionals.”

Things get rough sometimes

Condon’s position as Animal Inspector, which falls under the Natick Health Department, as well as being on the board of FIDO, gives her a unique and extensive view into not only the joys of the park, but the issues. In a phone call with Natick Report, Condon confirmed that there have been several recent incidents at the park of dogs biting other dogs. She notes that per Massachusetts law, every time there is a bite, all parties involved must exchange identifying information.

A hard part of her job as Animal Inspector is going to peoples’ homes to inform them that their dog must quarantine for ten days after biting another dog, even if the biting dog is up to date on its vaccinations. “People don’t understand that part, but vaccines aren’t 100% effective, so precautions have to be taken by law,” she explains. “The rabies vaccine is not 100% effective, that is why we must watch the biting dog. Meanwhile, the bitten dog is going through a lot.”

Ongoing trauma after a biting incident usually plays out in private. In the aftermath, a family is often dealing with feelings of distress right  along with their injured pet. What the affected parties go through when a beloved member of the family has been hurt is unseen by all but a few. Often the dog must undergo extensive veterinarian care—even surgery—in order to heal from an event that occurred in perhaps only seconds, but that can result in long-term healing and care needs.

The long road of healing

After a dog gets bitten, Condon says, “we’re working with people who have had a traumatic event, and most of the time a very high bill from the vet. It can be pretty intense. It’s really hard on the animal, of course, and there are major parts the owner has to go through that nobody thinks about.”

Sometimes, she says, the owner of the biting dog is in denial, even though there were multiple witnesses who have identified their dog as the biter. “The owners of the dog who was bitten then have to go through that,” she says.

Still, the dog park is a big draw for dog lovers who enjoy the community support of hanging out with others who are there for the joy their pets experience. Most of the time, a visit to the park is a high point of the day for all.

What it comes down to, Condon says, is that, “We all need to make the dog park a safe and happy place. We must take ownership for our own dogs and for the safety of all dogs.”

More on Natick dog park safety

During a Tuesday, Dec. 15 zoom meeting of the FIDO officers, park safety was a major part of the agenda. Parking issues; keeping park users to 25 humans at a time due to state-mandated social distancing guidelines; dogs allowed to move unleashed through the parking lot; and children being allowed by their adults to enter the dogs’ enclosure were all expected to be part of the discussion.

Natick dog park rules. Be sure to read them and explain them to your pups:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Animals, Health, Volunteering

Advertisements





You are not alone—Natick to hold Interfaith Vigil on Dec. 13th

December 4, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

If you or someone you love has struggled with addiction, the organizers of the 7th annual Interfaith Vigil want you to know that you are not alone.

Please join Natick 180; the Natick Interfaith Clergy Association; the Natick Police, Fire, and Health departments; Spark Kindness; Soar Natick, the Journey Bereavement Group; and others on Sunday, December 13th at 7pm for the 7th Annual Interfaith Vigil in memory of all lost and all who still struggle with substance use disorder. This year will be virtual. The link to join is in the flyer and posted below.

Natick Interfaith Vigil

Link to the 7th Annual Interfaith Vigil.

Filed Under: Community, Health, Holidays



Free CPR classes in Natick for December

November 25, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

When someone suffers a heart attack, seconds count.

natick fire station

Please contact the team coordinator: Firefighter Alan Gentile at agentile@natickma.org

The location is TBA and will be emailed out approximately one week ahead of the scheduled class time.

December 2020 CPR training dates

    • December 3rd       CPR/AED    6:30 – 9:00 pm
    • December 16th     CPR/AED    3:30 – 6:00 pm

Filed Under: Firefighters, Health

Natick Superintendent issues COVID update on a return to school

November 16, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Natick Public Schools (NPS), in collaboration with the Natick Board of Health, in response to community members’ questions about when schools will reopen for full-time in-person learning has issued an update about likely next steps, along with an update of COVID cases in the schools.

The NPS currently are running on a hybrid learning model.

Natick High School

Although COVID cases continue to climb across the state, schools have been getting the message from Gov. Charlie Baker that they should move toward reopening full-time for in-person instruction.

In a letter to the community, Superintendent Anna Nolin said, “Certainly, bringing all students back would improve instruction, but that was not feasible in June and it is still not feasible at this point. Positive COVID cases in Massachusetts have risen to well over 1,000 daily. To return the students would mean to relax the standard of six feet of social distancing.”

Nolan says to undo safety protocols at a time when the Center for Disease Control continues to recommend six feet of social distancing would be premature.

Additional challenges the district faces are staffing classrooms when teachers are out as they await everything from  COVID-19 testing results, to taking care of more garden-variety illnesses such as the common cold, to caring for their own children when they get sick. And finding substitute teachers? Forget about it. We saw one Facebook post for an out-of-state district in which the superintendent explained that the high school would be closed for the day because there would not be enough adults in the building to staff the place.

Meanwhile, everything from testing to hand sanitizer going forward will be on the school district as the last of the CARES money is allocated.

“Please know that we recognize the immeasurable value in having all students in our schools, and it is truly our goal to see their return as soon as it is feasible and safe,” Nolan continues. “However, given the challenges that we are presently facing, I hope this letter helps to explain the reasons that are preventing a full and immediate return to school at this time. I know that this perhaps renders disappointment for those who want a full-time return, and perhaps brings relief for those who wish to carry on with remote instruction.”

You can see Supt. Nolan’s letter in its entirety here.

COVID-19 updates for NPS

COVID updates, Natick Public Schools

Note: the State and the Governor have made changes to the leveling and metrics system for the state and to that end, the complete data that for NPS is not yet complete.

The COVID dashboard is updated weekly in conjunction with the Natick Board of Health.

The next School Committee meeting is Nov. 30. You can email the School Committee with any questions, concerns, or comments: schoolcommittee@natickps.org

Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email

Filed Under: COVID-19, Education, Health

Natick Business Buzz: Select Board rejects split tax rate; Natick represents on Influential Business People of Color list; The Bagel Table, Achieve TMS East arrive

November 14, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Select Board rejects split tax rate

The Natick Select Board mulled, as it does annually, whether to vote for different tax rates for businesses vs. residents during its meeting this week, and unanimously decided to stick with a single tax rate. “The idea of frankly punching our commercial and retail partners in the gut at this point is something that I can’t really get comfortable with,” board member Michael Hickey said. The tax rate ($13.61 per $1,000 of assessed property value) remains the same for FY2021 as for FY2020, said Eric Henderson, director of assessing, in a presentation to the board. With assessed property values steadily rising, this will mean higher taxes for most residents (about a $288 increase), though still a smaller average tax bill ($8,700) than in many surrounding communities such as Needham and Sherborn. natick assessed values

Natick represents on Influential Business People of Color list

influential business people of color

  • Prepped and Polished‘s Alexis Avila (South Natick, close enough…longtime Swellesley supporter)
  • Guimel DeCarvalho of Wayside Youth & Family Support Network and a member of Natick’s new Equity Task Force
  • Beverly Edgehill, a senior VP at TJX in Natick
  • Melissa Patrick, founder of Equity & Expectations in Natick
  • Kristen L. Pope of Pope Productions in Natick

The Bagel Table arrives

Congrats to The Bagel Table for opening. We paid an early visit to snap a few pics and eat a couple of muffins, but will be back for a more thorough review. bagel table

Achieve TMS East opens in Natick Center

A new depression treatment center called Achieve TMS East held its virtual grand opening this week at 209 West Central St. The facility offers Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, which sort of translates into the acronym TMS, and provides an alternative treatment to those finding medication ineffective. TMS sends magnetic signals to mood centers of the brain. It is a drug-free treatment. On staff is Dr. Kiran Lulla, who is board-certified in adult, child, and adolescent psychiatry.


Got business news to share? Email us the details: natickreport@gmail.com

Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email

Filed Under: Business, Embracing diversity, Health, Real estate

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • …
  • 27
  • Next Page »

Tip us off!

Please send news tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

If you’d like to contribute $ to support our independent journalism venture, please do….

Advertisements

Categories

  • Animals
  • Art
  • Bacon Free Library
  • Beyond Natick
  • Books
  • Boston Marathon
  • Business
  • Camps
  • Charity/Fundraising
  • Charles River dam
  • Community
  • Construction
  • COVID-19
  • Education
  • Election
  • Embracing diversity
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Fashion
  • Firefighters
  • Food
  • Gardens
  • Government
  • Health
  • History
  • Holidays
  • Kids
  • Letters to the editor
  • Media
  • Military
  • Morse Institute Library
  • Music
  • Natick Election 2022
  • Natick Historical Society
  • Natick History Museum
  • Natick Nest
  • Natick track
  • Neighbors
  • Obituaries & remembrances
  • Opinion
  • Outdoors
  • Parents
  • Police & crime
  • Real estate
  • Recycling Center
  • Religion
  • Restaurants
  • Schools
  • Seniors
  • Shopping
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Theater
  • Town election 2021
  • Town Election 2023
  • Transportation
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Vacation
  • Veterans
  • Volunteering
  • Voting
  • Weather
lion publishers
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Get our email newsletter

* indicates required
Our newsletter is free, though we gladly accept contributions to support our work.

Most Read Posts

  • One high school student’s push to save Natick ballroom hidden in plain sight
  • Natick business buzz: Mr. Nice Dog coming to Rte. 9; Dairy Queen is back; The Hive readies to reveal
  • Natick Select Board gives affordable housing plan nod at 5 Auburn
  • Sign up now for summer camp in Natick (and beyond)
  • 5 Auburn St. is back on Natick Select Board agenda

Click image to read The Swellesley Report

The Swellesley Report

Upcoming Events

  • There are no upcoming events.

Pages

  • Letters to the editor on Natick Report
  • Guidelines for Natick Report letters to the editor
  • Natick election 2023—guidelines for promoting candidates and ballot questions
  • Natick’s 2023 Boston Marathon charity runners
  • Natick, Massachusetts libraries
  • Comment Policy
  • Bacon Free Library in Natick, hours for winter 2023
  • Morse Institute Library in Natick—hours for winter 2023
  • Resources for seniors in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick Report corrections policy
  • Scenic Roads in Natick
  • Where to stay in Natick, Mass. (hotels, inns)
  • Private Schools in Natick (and beyond)
  • Natick Summer Camps (and beyond)
  • Where to eat in Natick, Mass: more that 70 dining options
  • Natick, Mass., history
  • Natick government
  • Natick No-Nos
  • Embracing diversity in Natick
  • Where to worship in Natick
  • Kid stuff (sports, clubs, activities in Natick, Mass.)
  • Contribute to Natick Report
  • Natick Little Free Libraries
  • Natick public schools
  • Where to sled in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick COVID-19 & vaccine news
  • Natick’s zip code & post offices
  • Natick charitable and community action groups
  • Top 10 things to do in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick Arts/Entertainment
  • About Natick Report
  • Advertise on Natick Report
  • Natick rules: Chickens yes, roosters no
  • Natick Election 2023, political candidates advertising
  • Natick election 2022—candidate interviews

© 2023 Natick Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login