Good Morning, Burlington!

I hope the week is being kind to you. Yesterday around 4:30 I received a text that my street was flooding, and I was very confused because it hadn’t even been raining. Turns out a water main had broken, sending thousands of gallons down my hill and toward the wetlands. Thanks to the DPW for getting out here and working through the night to get it fixed.

Also, since I have you: I learned a fun fact yesterday - when the Board of Health performs its livestock inspections (mostly chickens, here in Burlington), an animal control also comes to take a count for the state; this is to keep track of how many heads of livestock are in a town in the case of a natural disaster or emergency, so they’ll know what kinds of resources to send to safely evacuate the animals. How thoughtful!

Oh, and one final thing—I got carried away yesterday and assigned the police station feasibility study a price tag that was off by an order of magnitude. Town meeting (I should know; I was there!) approved that study for $150,000. Not $1.5 million. The study was a very different process, as it didn’t involve the state, and the project will be smaller, costing closer to $45 million according to one preliminary estimate. Sorry for the confusion!

Food Pantry + BHS Varsity Sports Almost Halfway to Goal

Burlington High School Varsity Athletics has partnered up with the food pantry, People Helping People, for the month of October to bring 1,000 lbs of food to Burlington residents who need it most. At varsity games this month, teams from field hockey to soccer have asked players and attendees to bring a donation of much-needed items to fight hunger and meet basic personal needs.

A little more than midway through the month, the school made its first dropoff, which weighed in at nearly 450 lbs. There are 12 days to go in October, and the teams and pantry are counting on their players, families, and spectators to come through in a big way. This Friday, bring your nonperishable foods to the varsity football game at 6:00 PM.

Here’s a list of what they’re collecting:

• Pancake Mix & Syrup
• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Coffee, tea, cocoa
• Condiments
• Salad dressing
• Cooking oil
• Kids’ snacks
• Tissues
• Baby Wipes
• Shampoo
• Bars of soap (individually wrapped)
• Other toiletry items

Thanks to the community for supporting our neighbors!

Today in Burlington

Municipal Meetings and Community Events

• 9:00 AM - Dual Enrollment Parents’ Breakfast (BHS)
• 10:00 & 10:45 AM - Young Artists in the Park (The Park at Burlington Mall; Register)
• 12:30-3:00 PM - Bridge club (Human Resources Building, 2nd floor)
• 5:00-8:00 PM - Live music on the Green at 3rd Ave.
• 6:00 PM - Financial Aid Event for Senior Parents (BHS)
• 6:00 PM - Free Cornhole Tournament on the Green at 3rd Ave.
• 6:30 PM - Planning Board will continue discussing the request for a minor engineering change at Life Time Fitness and start a new conversation with Nordblom developers around changes at Fourth Ave. They’ll also open a public hearing for Salem Five Bank, who seeks a special permit for a drive through and “discharges from a manmade structure into the wetlands” at 36 Cambridge Street. (Town Hall & Virtual)

Sports and Activities

Boys lost their soccer game against Watertown yesterday by a score of 1-4, bringing their record to 0-15. Girls scored two Ws, with JV going 3-0 and varsity besting the Watertown team 2-0. On Monday, boys won their cross-country meet against Watertown by a score of 19-44.

Another all-girls lineup, today against teams from Melrose, kicks off with freshman soccer at Memorial School. Volleyball is next, playing 4:15 and 5:30 games at Melrose High School. The field hockey team is at MHS as well, with varsity playing at 4:15 and JV at 5:45.

I hope your mid-week is going great, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Nicci

Share this Buzz with someone who will be going to this Friday’s football game.