Leaf Bag Crisis

To the Editor:—

I have tried to buy leaf bags at Price Chopper, Stop and Shop and at Home Depot with my son this week, and to no avail they are all out of them. As I drive around town and in my own neighborhood, I am seeing many lawns with leaves still left on them. I am wondering if other neighborhoods are having the same problems due to the leaf bag shortage. If the leaves are left on lawns and in the street, it will become a big road hazard during the rain and sleet this winter.

I asked my friend of mine who lives in Worcester about their leaf bag policy. Worcester allows the residents to dump the leaves along the curb for their special trucks to pick them up during the season. I am wondering if Shrewsbury had these trucks picking up leaves would it be a savings to property owners or not. However, in fairness to Worcester, residents do have to bring their leaf bags to the landfill if they miss the deadline for putting their leaves along the curb during the pick-up season.

What do residents think of having special trucks picking up the leaves during the season as opposed to having to buy bags and put them out instead?

Robbin Miller

Medical Waste Facility in Shrewsbury?

November 19 @ 7 PM there will be a public hearing at town hall in meeting room B to discuss a special permit for Daniels Sharpsmart, Inc. to construct a solid waste facility at 263 Cherry Street and 609 Hartford Pike.

Access Daniels Sharpsmart's website by clicking here

Hours of operation: 24 hours, 365 days per year

Daniels Sharpsmart, Inc (DSI) will pick-up wast from generators off-site and bring it to the facility during normal business hours. What are normal business hours?

What type of medical waste will be trucked though our town? What type of health risks, if any, could this pose?

DSI will wash the waste and recover reusable sharps and pharmaceutical containers.

What exactly will be going down our drains? What affect does this washing have on water usage and the waste treatment facilities? Both water usage and the waste treatment have been big issues for Shrewsbury. Can this get into our water ssupply?

Non-reusable containers of biomedical waste will be placed in bins. The bins go through a steam sterilization process. The waste then goes into a compactor. Once the compactor is full the waste will go to an approved sanitary landfill for final disposal.

Where are the compactor's located and how long will waste be sitting in them? Is it the Shrewsbury landfill that will be the approved sanitary landfill? If so, what impact will this have on the landfill?

Any waste not able to be processed at the facility will be shipped to an approved treatment facility.

What could come to this site that could not be treated? Again, what type of waste is trucked through our town to the site and then through our town again to where?

The site will have trucks, washing equipment, boilers, compactors, and forklifts. What will the noise level be given that the operation is 24 hours a day 365 days a year?

Cleaning will be done to minimize odor. Does not say eliminate odor, so what level of odor will be left?

What size will the facility be?

What are the traffic impacts?

What impact will there be on Shrewsbury property values if the medical waste facility is approved and we have medical waste trucked though our town and in our landfill?

These are my questions, what are yours?

Please come to the public hearing on Thursday evening, November 19 at 7PM

2010 SYFS Gala

To the Editor:—

Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services Gala committee is pleased to announce the Annual Gala Celebration will be held Saturday, February 27, 2010 in the Salem Commons at St. Johns High School.

This evening event will mark the 6th year that a group of Shrewsbury’s leadership and citizen volunteers will come together to celebrate and support the amazing work done by Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services administration, staff members, interns and community volunteers.

The Gala has become a highly anticipated event for Shrewsburians to meet and socialize while helping to raise needed funds to support the critical programs that SYFS provides to children and families in our community.

The evening begins with a cocktail reception and includes live music, a silent auction, a gourmet dinner, presentation of the Harry S. Cutting and the Outstanding Youth of Shrewsbury Awards. There will be a live drawing for a fabulous grand prize and new this year a dessert and coffee bar after hours!

For the third year David and Kim Long are graciously co chairing the Gala. For more than 25 years, Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, a private, non-profit community social services agency, continues to provide professional support and social services to children, parents and individuals in times of need, regardless of their ability to pay.

New volunteers to the committee are always welcome, business sponsorships and item donations are sought for the event as well.

To volunteer for the committee, offer a business sponsorship or donate an auction item contact Kelly Marcimo kpmarcimo@townisp.com. Nominations for the Youth of Shrewsbury Awards click here. For more information about Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services and/or the Gala please contact Jeff Chin, Executive Director, at 508-845-6932 jchin@townisp.com. Visit Shrewsbury Youth & Family Services website www.syfs.cfsites.org. See us on Facebook, become a fan!

How Do You Picture Shrewsbury's Future?

How Do You Picture Shrewsbury’s Future?

Shaping the Future Workshop,

Tuesday, November 10 at 6:30pm Shrewsbury Public Library

During this Tools and Techniques Session, participants will explore opportunities and learn effective strategies in working with local officials to help guide development, ensuring a high quality of life for years to come.

The workshop will provide guidance for crafting and implementing effective strategies to:

· Update and implement community plans

· Identify and protect the highest priority land and water supplies

· Provide incentives for well-planned growth

· Establish and apply standards to minimize the impacts of development

Speakers and Topics:

Stephanie Elson, Mass Audubon
Communications Strategies and Scenic Roadways Bylaw

Melissa Cryan, Mass Exec. Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Updating Shrewsbury’s Master Plan

Donna Williams, Mass Audubon
Stormwater Management in the Blackstone River Watershed

Brad Stone, Shrewsbury Conservation Agent
Shrewsbury’s Efforts to Manage Stormwater and
Past Efforts to Pass a Local Wetlands Protection By-Law

Inquiries: Donna Williams 508/753-6087 or dwilliams@massaudubon.org