Above: It’s a beautiful day out, if you don’t look down at the grimy snow. (Photo by Beth Melo)
It’s time for another open thread. What’s on your mind this week, Southborough?
For those of you new to the blog, the open discussion thread is your place to ask questions, sound off on town issues, or share information with other readers. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
- Ask questions about programs in town or the town itself
- Post a note about things that you’re selling or giving away, or things that you want
- Share notices about upcoming events (Southborough or otherwise)
- Register your thoughts on town issues or news stories
- Point out interesting or helpful resources
You can add comments to the thread throughout the week. Check back often to see new comments. (If you read the blog via email or RSS, you might want to check the site from time to time for new comments.)
To view past open discussion threads, click here.
Anyone know when the transfer station will have a day we can drop off old tube tv’s? It’s a big 37 inch heavy one. Still works (non-hd) if anyone wants it!
Or is there any other place I can recycle/dispose of it?
The Transfer Station day is an annual fall event – generally held in October. Hopefully, someone else has a tip on where else you could bring it.
I believe Best Buy will recycle them for free. I would call to confirm they still do it, but a few years ago, you could just take a TV to the service desk for recycling… no purchase required.
I believe best buy still takes them for free
I recently brought a big old tv to Best Buy near Solomon Pond to recycle. I pulled up front and an employee took it out of my car. I did have to go in side after to tell them what exactly it was. Super easy! They also take computer monitors, computers, pretty much any electronics.
Can someone update me on the sign bylaws? If I remember correctly realtors as well as other companies can not stick signs on telephone poles or town owned property. I have noticed several realtor signs, from a local realtor, posted on poles around town. Has the law changed?
Wondering when all the HUGE potholes on Rt 85 are going to be filled in?? Going both ways on Rt 85 from Center of town ( going South) is horrible and tough to avoid them when traffic is heavy on both sides especially in the earlier morning hours.
Here is a novel idea – pick up your phone and call the DPW and ask! I even found the number for you on the town’s web site: 508-485-1210.
I have observed on this blog several times people reporting or complaining about an issue and hoping like magic that after someone reads it the situation will be corrected.
It never ceases to amaze me how people are afraid to use the telephone and call and actually TALK to another human being about their report or complaint! Ah, technology…..
yes, i did call on my own and of course you don’t speak to anyone!!
This is related to Mary’s question. A company called Clean N’ Seal has been posting signs around town without permission. One day my family came home to one placed on top of a giant snow bank on the corner of our property. (Not reachable without climbing) Yesterday while driving I noticed another sign on a telephone pole on Woodland Road. Internet research indicates that this is a Minnesota-based company. Does anyone have any information about their local presence? I am very much against someone trespassing and placing commercial advertisements on my property without my permission, but I do not want to waste police resources on this either. Does anyone have a suggestion of how to get this company to respect private property (and potentially local sign ordinances)? I have tried calling the company but they do not answer their phone. I am new to town and am not sure where to turn.
Hi Erin,
Here is a link to a Boston Globe article I recently read. I think this is the company you are referring to that has signs on Woodland Road.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/2015/03/05/minnesota-crews-rescue/JaKgEgceZTijvr6cwrqbnN/story.html#
I don’t like these signs either but my real grip is with local businesses who know about the sign bylaws and still post signs!
And welcome to town!!!
Saints be Praised. A record breaking snowfall this Winter wasn’t enough to warrant it. But with the gradual warming trend and Mother Natures glorious past 4 days allowing a bit of the outer edge of the sidewalk to show so it’s not quite a suicide walk to the train station or Fitzi’s, now someone finally decided it would be the perfect time to do the sidewalks on Southville Rd. East. How no one was killed or maimed the over course of the Winter is truly a Blessing. How this MAIN road between Ashland, Hopkington and Westboro was overlooked many storms over is beyond me. Maybe if the DPW Supt. stayed off S.A.M. and in her office, day to day functions would improve…
Yes, just as the curb was starting to show, the sidewalk on Boston Rd. (rt 30) was cleared. A little humorous, but I’m so glad it’s been done.
So was Parkerville Road near Neary. Kids have been walking to school on the side of the road. It is amazing that nobody was killed. For all the money the head of the DPW makes you would think she would be held accountable for her LACK of action on this. I don’t care what is going on at her office, she needs to get off her butt and do her j-o-b!!
What do you want her to do, shovel the sidewslks by hand? Maybe you are unaware that the town’s sidewalk plow was in need of repair and the needed part was on order. Why didn’t the kids hop on the bus? Parkerville is very busy in the morning, putting the kids on the bus would have been the sensible thing to do.
No need to be rude. I was just pointing out as the other posters said that now that the weather has melted the snow, they decide to plow the sidewalks. Yes, I know that the sidewalk plow was broken again this year, conveniently. The kids are not my kids so I don’t know why they didn’t hop on the bus. I do know that there were kids walking to school every day all winter long, perhaps you could ask their parents. It is too bad that you couldn’t get your point across nicely instead of trying to attack me. I am entitled to an opinion, just like you but mine may differ than yours. There is never a need to be rude, impolite or nasty to anyone on the board, and as a matter of fact, I think there is a rule against that. Oh, and by the way what I want her to do it HER JOB. That is what we pay her to do.
Momof2, I personally feel that the tone and inflection of your post “she needs to get off her butt and do her j-o-b!!” IS rude and condescending. Unfortunately, with electronic media, one does not hear the tone and inflection, but only sees the words and forms an instant opinion when it is read! I would be offended by that if it was directed at me.
Here is my opinion, which is not meant to be offensive, only fact-based from research that I have conducted thus far:
The town’s sidewalk plow, which is old and apparently hard to find parts for (it in not like your average Home Depot-purchased snow blower) broke down. Then it snowed. Lots of snow. Record-setting snowfall in a short period of time. Then the town rented a machine to clear the sidewalks. I have personal knowledge of the frustration of trying to clear snow that has accumulated and sat for days and weeks in spaces this winter. Because of some warming and deep freezing cycles, the snow core has hardened like ice. I know my snow blower would not go through it at all until the snow recently started melting. I can only imagine that the rented machine is having similar problems and probably going through shear pins faster than anything.
Granted, I don’t know 100% of the facts, but from what I have gathered, I can understand why the snow was not cleared from the sidewalks any faster.
Ms. Galligan’s (“her”) j-o-b, like every other manager’s job in town, it to run their department with the funds they were provided as best as they can. Operational challenges arise where plans change (equipment breakdowns, unexpected long-term personnel injuries and illnesses, record-breaking weather events, etc.) – it happens frequently in my business.
Yes, one can say that we should have two sidewalk plows, and we should have more employees to to the job, and we should plan for the worst. But the fact remains that there is only so much of the pie to go around, and I for one do not want to contribute any more in taxes for the worst case weather scenario every winter!
I know I will take a bashing for this, but I want to thank the men and women of the DPW for all of the hours they put in and for the job they did in keeping the roads open through this record-breaking snowy winter! Was it a perfect job? No. But considering all of the circumstances and the constraints I hope that lessons were learned and things will improve and not repeat in the future.
I don’t know how you thought I was being rude. I didn’t criticize you. I just thought you might be unaware of the inconvenient fact that the plow was broken. I drive down Parkerville just about every morning around 7:45. The road was narrowed and slippery due to weather conditions. The driveway to the school is always very busy. I see kids walking and wonder why they are walking under such bad conditions when all students in Southborough are entitled to ride the school bus.
We had a record snow fall this year. But it’s over now and everyone can be stop being cranky about the sidewalks.
We have great town employees who work hard to keep up with everything. I feel they don’t deserve to be criticized for situations beyond their control.
Actually, the town rented a replacement sidewalk plow quite a while ago.
Can I make a suggestion to the blog? There needs to be a search button. I browsed page by page looking for a specific article. After a few frustrating minutes I just googled it, and it was the first thing to show. I enjoy reading the blog, but I vote for a search button!
There is one. But I understand why you didn’t see it.
The search field is under Recent Comments in the right margin.
Yep, i forget it’s there sometimes.
Is it possible to move the search button, or add a second one at the top somewhere?
Unfortunately, no. (At least, not anytime soon.) I’m using the WordPress blog model that was setup by Susan.
I don’t know if it could be tweaked to allow that by someone who knows what they’re doing. But I’m not that person!
Thanks so much! I’ve never noticed it before.
Cell Phone Privacy – Great and easy to follow article!
I recently read a terrific article concerning the lack of privacy when we use our cell phones and the amount of data the cell phone companies share. This article has easy to follow suggestions to reduce what your cell phone companies share.
“What cellphone companies don’t want you to know” http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2015/03/13/cell-phone-privacy/70202468/
I doubt there is even one person in town who has ever read or fully understands every piece all of the fine print on every part of your cell phone company’s privacy and personal information sharing. I used the information in this article to block Verizon’s practice of using supercookies which basically identifies me to every site I visit. Personally, I’d rather not have every site I visit track me so advertisers can send me unwanted information.
Jim Hegarty
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2015/03/13/cell-phone-privacy/70202468/
Very funny message on the Neary/Trottier driveway message board this morning! I actually turned around and drove by it a second time to be sure of what I saw!!! You got me :)
Many thanks to the clever person who set up the April Fools joke, you started my day with a good chuckle :)
Can you share what it said?
Just found it myself. For those of you interested in Neary and Trottier’s joke signs, you can see them here:
Neary – https://twitter.com/KAVprincipal/status/583228915507961857
Trottier – https://twitter.com/KAVprincipal/status/583229500193927169
I did get an image of Mr. Lavoie sitting at a sewing machine with students gathered around! But of course the real question is, what is going to happen to the Family Consumer Science Department when our beloved “Mrs. I” retires next October? Will this awesome deptment continue or will the sewing and cooking rooms be turned into regular classrooms and we will no longer have Family Consumer Science class?
Curious if anyone has experiences good or bad with some of the car mechanics in town. I have been going to one for a while, but am looking at alternatives. Nearby towns as well would be interesting.
Tony at BP gas station east bound on route 9 right by the pike onramp.
Friendly, convenient, open Saturday and even has a “crappy” loaner.
MJ Auto Service in Marlborough. Very good mechanics. You will not find a better shop to mount and ballance tires. One of the owners, Jim, lives in Southborough I think.
I’m wondering when people will take down their Christmas decorations.
Wayne we have been using Fran and Sons on Rte 85 in Marlboro for many, many years. It is across the street from the Dunkin’ Donuts just north of the light with South St. He lives in Southboro. He does great work and fixes what needs to be fixed and his prices are very reasonable. My kids, now young adults, say, “Everyone needs a Fran.”