🔨 State Calls for Creative Concepts for Stearns Reservoir
Mayor Holds Meeting in D5 Tonight | We are the Champions | Logan Express to Expand | Early Voting Begins | 2 New Eateries Open | What I'm Reading | The Civic Week Ahead
Our student athletes are outstanding, Framingham! Take a read below on some of the latest achievements from our high school teams. The Flyers are soaring!
A reminder Mayor Sisitsky is holding his second community forum tonight in District 5. The meeting begins at 6:30pm at the Farley Building Auditorium, 19 Flagg Drive. The Mayor held his first forum in District 9 in January.
I’ll be there tonight. If you see me, say hello!
Have a comment or question? I’d love to hear from you. Email me at mkfeeney@gmail.com
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State Calls for Creative Concepts for Stearns Reservoir
Effort to expand open space: The Department of Conservation and Creation (DCR) put out a call for creative ideas for the preservation and management of the 10 acre section of DCR property located on Stearns Reservoir. The area is commonly referred to as Superintendent’s Point.
What is possible: Potential recreational uses for the space include boating, hiking, birdwatching, and picnicking.
What are they looking for: Ideas for public use and to provide for the rehabilitation, maintenance, and management of the historic buildings and surrounding landscape, while preserving the natural and cultural character of the site.
DCR has some plans: DCR is planning for the design and construction of a boat ramp on the eastern shore of the property, along with a parking area for recreational boaters.
How can people submit ideas: DCR put out a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) The RFEI provides organizations and the public the opportunity to propose a potential recreational use for the property, create a partnership; identify development concerns, challenges, and questions; and gather feedback from neighbors and other local stakeholders about potential uses.
What they said: “DCR is open to all ideas for recreational uses for the space including, but not limited to, a short-term use permit for part or all of the property for up to 10 years, a long-term lease through DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program for 10 years or longer, passive recreational opportunities, an integrated use that connects the buildings with the natural landscape or a separate use for the buildings that does not connect with the rest of the park, while maintaining public access and use for the remainder of the property.”
Where is Superintendent’s Point?: Located at 322 Salem End Road, right at the bridge over the reservoir, is the area that includes three historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Bullard House is set close to the road, the Barn, built between 1878 and 1898, and the Cottage, constructed sometime between the transfer of the property from the Bullard Family to the state in 1898 and 1945, is a small freestanding one room structure.
The history of Superindent’s Point: The peninsula was purchased by local machinist George Bullard in the early 1800s for construction of his family home. In 1878, the City of Boston acquired the property for the Boston Water Board as part of the Sudbury Aqueduct and Framingham Reservoir construction project, then in 1898 the property was transferred from the City of Boston to the Metropolitan Water Board, and to subsequent water supply management agencies.
Stearns Reservoir was built in the 1870s along the Sudbury River, but has not provided water to the area since the 1970s. In the late 1980s, traces of mercury and other toxic substances from the Nyanza Color and Chemical Company site in Ashland were found in the river, forever ending any chance of the reservoirs supplying drinking water again.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency has certified that the water is free from dangerous contamination from the Nyanza site.
Back in 2014, DCR was in talks with Framingham State for the college to purchase the property. The deal fell apart due to neighbors’ concerns.
What do you think? What would you do with Superintendent’s Point? Share in the comments below.
Flyers are Soaring!
Taking a break from politics for a moment to recognize some of our outstanding student athletes who are achieving great things!
Adriana DeGroat was named MIAA DI Girls All-State Champion in wrestling. DeGroat is not only the best in her weight class in Massachusetts, but has become Framingham’s first female All-State Champion as a freshman.
The boys ice hockey team are this year’s Cahoon Cup Champions. The Flyers seated Burlington to seize the cup. Senior Captain Noah Albright was the tournament MVP. The Flyers are headed to the MIAA D1 State Tournament.
Girls Indoor Track and Field placed second at MIAA D1 State Tournament. There were several individual achievements”
Abby Desmarias, Senior Captain: First place - 55 meter dash and the 300 meter dash. Desmarias was the anchor for the Flyer’s 4x400 for second place
Sasha Lamakina: First place in 600 meter dash
Emily Richardson, Senior Captain: Launched the shot put into a first place championship spot with a toss of 39 feet, 0.5 inches
Lastly, the Framingham Youth Football and Cheer U14 squad finished in second place this weekend at the YCADA Globals competition.
Congratulations to everyone! What a month for Framingham athletics!
Logan Express to Expand
Going up: Massport is planning to construct three additional floors on the existing Logan Express terminal in Shoppers World. Logan Express has gained significantly in popularity.
Built in 2015, the current structure contains 1100 spaces on four levels. Increasing the facility to seven floors will bring that number to 2100 spaces.
What they said: “Given the success of the Logan Express facility in Framingham, ridership has increased beyond expectations. The Authority is finding that the need for valet parking and overflow parking is increasing beyond peak travel periods. Given this consistent demand for parking beyond the garage’s capacity, the Authority will expand the facility to meet this need.”
Construction timeline: According to the Massport Supplemental Information Package, their completed construction goal is winter 2025 at an estimated cost of $35 million.
Early Voting Begins
Super Tuesday is here: Vote in the Presidential Primary election on or before Tuesday, March 5.
Early Voting Begins: If you cannot make it to the polls on March 5, early voting is available at the Memorial Building or the McAuliffe Library until March 1. See below for a schedule from the Clerk’s Office.
2 New Eateries Open
Attention foodies!: Two new Asian restaurants are open on Route 9.
Framingham House of Pho: Located in the former Welcome India Cuisine site, House of Pho is the newest place for a warm bowl of Vietnamese Pho. They are open Tuesday-Sunday from 11am-7pm
U Dumpling House: Located in the former Uncle Cheungs, U Dumpling House opened today and has a wide selection of dumplings along with other items on their menu.
What I’m Reading
Study says state faces growing teacher diversity challenge if action isn’t taken (Commonwealth)
Milton thumbs its nose at MBTA zoning law (Commonwealth)
Local sculptor honored for art depicting the African American experience (WCVB)
The state’s options with Steward on the brink (Commonwealth)
Firefighters are responding to more medical calls. Why that has fire chiefs worried (MetroWest Daily News)
The Civic Week Ahead
Monday, February 26
3:30pm: Board of Library Trustees Library Director Search Subcommittee Agenda
4:30pm: School Committee Unit A Subcommittee Agenda
5:45pm: School Committee Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Agenda
6:00pm: Council Ordinance, Rules & Coordination Subcommittee Agenda
6:30pm: Council Public Health, Safety & Transportation Subcommittee Agenda
7:00pm: Board of License Commissioners Agenda
7:00pm: Community Preservation Committee Agenda
Tuesday, February 27
Wednesday, February 28
Thursday, February 29
In Closing…
This Thursday is the First Annual Framingham Trivia Championship at Village Hall sponsored by the Framingham History Centre and Jack’s Abby. If you know me, you know I love history and Framingham (beer, not so much…). I am pumped for Thursday!
It doesn’t appear to be sold out (yet). So, if you are looking for something fun to do on Leap Day, get your team together and see you there!
Have a great week,
Mary Kate
The framingham high school girls varsity basketball team was ranked 11th in the state MIAA final rankings. They will play their first tournament game on Friday at 6:30 at Framingham high versus 22nd ranked Newton North. Local fans are encouraged to all wear white so we can have a “white out“
the game will be telecast on the Framingham educational channel FEC TV (Verizon , channel 41 RCN channel 15) comcast ??) and on YouTube at the Framingham high school GAMEDAY channel. I’ve been pleased to be the play-by-play announcer for the last three games and this tournament game. The team is terrific. They are A lot of fun to watch and there’s great energy in the large crowd. A Framingham win will likely give them a second game against central Catholic ranked the