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Good Morning, Burlington!

Amid the frenzy of the presidential primary, which will be held at the high school tomorrow from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, local election season is also kicking into high gear. Last week brought a handful of campaign kickoff events, and we’ll see a couple this week, as well:

• Adam Senesi for Town Moderator will hold his kickoff this Thursday, March 7, at the American Legion from 5:00-7:00.
• Meghan Nawoichik for School Committee will be having her kickoff on Thursday, as well, from 6:30-9:00 at Cafe Escadrille.

Be sure to check out these events to meet the candidates and get to know more about their platforms.

The final ballot will be ready soon, but there is one update: Niteen Khatra has withdrawn from the Planning Board race. Keep up with the latest updates here, and keep an eye out for Local Government Profiles and candidate profiles/interviews as well.

Eversource Continues With Plans to Build New Substation in Burlington

As the Buzz reported in April of 2023, Eversource is working with the town and its residents on plans to add a new electrical substation in Burlington within the next few years.

This substation would ease the pressure on the current substation on Middlesex Turnpike, which is working near full capacity, and would add supply in a more central location. It will sit at the intersection of existing transmission lines, near Marshall Simonds Middle School and Mill Pond. In addition to adding supply, the utility plans to upgrade the surrounding infrastructure, leading to more reliable service.

In case you’re wondering what a substation actually is, Eversource sent this in a recent email to their mailing list:

A substation is part of the electric system and is a crucial piece of equipment to bring electricity to homes and businesses. It plays a vital role in the transmission and distribution of electricity from generation sources – like offshore wind or solar farms or other electric generation stations – to end-users like homes and businesses. Substations take in high-voltage electricity from power sources and reduce the voltage so it can be safely utilized by homes and businesses on the distribution network. A substation is not a power plant and does not produce emissions.​

To learn more about this project, see this one-pager and this PowerPoint (map of proposed location on Slide 6), as well as the video below that explains how the power grid works and why it’s in such dire need of an upgrade. You can also sign up for the mailing list to be notified of updates and opportunities to engage in the process.

Today in Burlington

Municipal Meetings and Community Events

• 10:00 AM - Ways & Means Town Hall II Subcommittee will review the Management Information Systems Department budget for FY25. (Town Hall Annex; MIS Office)
• 10:30-11:00 AM - Baby Storytime -  Books, songs and puppets to engage your little one under 18 months. (Burlington Public Library; Drop In)
• 11:00 AM - Ways & Means Town Hall II Subcommittee will be back in session to discuss the Burlington Public Library buget for FY25. (Library: Director’s Office)
• 1:00 PM - Ways & Means Town Hall II Subcommittee is back at it to look at the Planning Department’s budget for the next fiscal year. (Town Hall Annex)
• 4:30 PM - Special Education OSEP Grant Information Meeting for Bay Path University (Virtual Webinar; Register)
• 6:00 PM - Recreation Commission - A full agenda tonight includes a discussion about the Fox Hill playground and fields, a vote to accept funds, and an opportunity to talk about pickleball! (BHS School Committee Room)
• 7:00 PM - Teen Event: Paint Chip Art - Kids in grades 6-12 use paint chips to create a piece of art. (Burlington Public Library, Register)

Sports and Activities

The first Burlington High School winter cheer team is now regional champs after taking home first place in Billerica yesterday. They’ll advance to the state championships in Worcester next weekend!

The boys’ basketball team and girls’ hockey team are no doubt getting in the zone for their playoff games this week: boys play at Mansfield this Wednesday at 6:30 PM (get tickets here) and girls play Marshfield at the John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown on Thursday at 7:30.

That’s all for today. See you tomorrow, Burlington!

Nicci

Share this Buzz with someone who would be interested in knowing how electricity is delivered to all Burlington’s homes.