A quarter of Natick’s population vaccinated against COVID-19

April 8, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The share of Natick’s population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has jumped from 20% to 25%, according to weekly data released by the state.

Natick has close to 9,000 residents fully vaccinated, and the state is now up over 1.6 million fully vaccinated against the disease.

Natick now boasts 43% of its population with at least 1 dose, up from 37% a week ago. The percentage of those age 65-74 rose from 52% to 68%.

Natick’s Health Department last week finished up its second doses of vaccines for Natick Housing Authority residents and is now out of the COVID-19 vaccine game unless the state suddenly decides otherwise.

All Massachusetts residents can preregister to book an appointment at mass.gov/COVIDVaccine. Appointments will be offered based on eligibility and available appointments nearby. More sites will come online as part of the preregistration process in April.

Timeline for remaining groups:

April 19^th: General public ages 16 years of age and older

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Save the date: Natick Art in Bloom will be Sat., April 17th

April 7, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Natick Garden Club members will design floral arrangements inspired by the public art in Natick. There are many fantastic public art pieces to choose from like The Unconventional Garden, Wings of the Butterfly, various electrical boxes, the bus stop mural, and mosaics.

The event will take place on Adams and Court Street and will allow visitors to walk through and view these works of art with the corresponding floral arrangements. Other works of art that are not in the immediate area will be set on tables with a photo of the art next to the arrangement.

Natick’s Art in Bloom will be taking place during the Natick Center sidewalk sale. The Natick Garden Club will also have an information table and some sidewalk sale items, including wildflower seed packets, DIY sunflower seed pots, and notecards.

This will be an outdoor event and all social distancing protocols will be in place requiring masks and 6 feet of distance between groups.

Beyond Natick: a visit to see the Monet exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Natick Sons and Daughters of Italy events calendar getting crowded

April 6, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Natick Sons and Daughters of Italy lodge has an increasingly busy schedule.

Upcoming events include:

4/7/21: Pasta Night Take-out

Pasta Night Take-out kicks off with Chef Erin Anderson at the helm. Pasta and meatballs, chicken parmigiana, and other delicacies will be among menu items in weeks to come. Dinner costs $10 and orders can be placed via the phone or online at https://www.facebook.com/NatickSonsandDaughtersofItaly/ The lodge is working with the town to set up outdoor dining as well.

4/10/21: Contactless Pet Drive

The drive takes place at the Lodge at 37 Washington Ave., from 10am-2pm to recognize the critters who have gotten people through the pandemic. Donations will benefit these local shelters:

Items needed include:

Non-clumping cat litter, new/used clean bath or hand towels, assorted canned and dry cat & dog food – meat preferred, pet toys, puppy training pads, pill pockets, scratching posts, gift cards for local grocery stores and pet supply stores, paper towels, small paper plates (6″ size).

4/10/21: Public Bartender Training from 10am-noon

Get TIPS certification if you’d like to bartend in Massachusetts (the Lodge needs ’em). Call 508 756 8542 to confirm attendance. Costs $35 and takes place at the Lodge, 37 Washington Ave.

Limited seating, masks, and social distancing.

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Natick’s Net Zero Action Plan piles up support

April 6, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Natick has a plan to get to net zero by 2050, meaning that greenhouse gas emissions produced would be offset by moving to clean energy, growing the tree canopy, and taking other approaches to removing emissions from the atmosphere. While the town is cutting emissions in schools and municipal buildings, and working with local businesses to slash their emissions, the big target is residential energy use.

Natick’s net zero plan stems from a non-binding resolution passed by Town Meeting in 2018 to achieve net zero by 2050. Natick secured state funding to draft its plan, and town sustainability leaders—armed with their draft plan—have been taking a virtual tour of boards and commissions to seek their blessings.

Given that 2050 is still far away, this plan keeps things manageable by focusing on the years between now and 2025 to ready for accelerated progress in the years to follow. The plan targets 21 actions that are deemed achievable, with some higher priority than others.

The Office of Sustainability got the big Select Board endorsement for its plan in late March, following on the heels of approvals by the School Committee, Planning Board and others. The plan was drafted in partnership with many, including sustainability experts from other communities, and with input from the public.

That public will play a huge role in the ultimate success of the plan, which syncs up nicely with the state’s Decarbonization Roadmap and its new climate law.

“The most exciting piece of that bill, in my opinion, is the creation of a net zero energy stretch code that would be available to municipalities to adopt as early as 2022,” says Jillian Wilson-Martin, Natick Sustainability Coordinator. “This type of code will allow Natick – and all MA communities – to ensure new construction and major renovations are built with the future in mind. The thirty years between now and 2050 (our target for net zero) will come quickly and it is foolish to build buildings we will have to convert later.”

What’s more, Wilson-Martin told the Planning Board that a goal of the plan is not to tear down old buildings to “build swanky net zero” ones.

A net zero action task force is envisioned that would include reps from town boards and departments to help support implementation of the plan.

Residential emissions

Close to two-thirds of Natick’s emissions are generated by residents, while businesses account for most of the rest, with municipal emissions making up a relatively puny amount.

Wilson-Martin stresses that there’s no intention of putting most of the work “on the backs of Natick residents” just because that’s where the big emissions reductions could happen. She’s optimistic that state and federal efforts in support of sustainability will make adoption of everything from electric vehicles to home improvements more affordable.

There are some obvious targets in the residential sector, including the 28% of homes in town that use oil for heat. Natick and other communities will be pushing air-source heat pumps to satisfy heating and cooling needs in a more eco-friendly way.

net zero plan — Source: Natick’s Net Zero Action Plan

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Natick, Needham groups hosting youth addiction panel

April 5, 2021 by Admin Leave a Comment

The Natick 180 coalition is partnering with the Substance Prevention Alliance of Needham for an online
program called “The Tipping Point: When Youth Use Becomes Addiction.” The event is scheduled for
6:30pm-8:00pm (EST) on Tuesday, April 6.

The webinar features Michelle Lipinski, principal of North Shore Recovery High School, Maureen Cavanagh, author of “If You Love Me: A mother’s journey through her daughter’s opioid addiction,” and Cody Desmond, a graduate of North Shore Recovery High School.

Webinar attendees will have the opportunity to ask panelists questions at the end of the program. The program is free and open to the public. Preregistration is required.

For more information, please contact Nina Levine at 508-647-6623 or natick180@natickma.org.

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