Annual Town Election - March 18

The Annual Town Election is scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2023 at the WHS Gymnasium. The deadline to apply for vote by mail is March 13^th. Additional information available at https://www.winchester.us/904/VOTE-in-Winchester

Registered voters who expect to be out of town on Election Day, between 7AM and 8PM when the polls are open, or who are unable to get to the polls because of illness or physical disability, may apply for an absentee ballot, which will be mailed to them as soon as an application is received by the Town Clerk.

Voters may also come to Town Hall during normal business hours to cast their vote in person prior to 12noon Friday, March 17, 2023. Requests for ballots must be in writing and signed by the voter or an immediate family member. A letter is sufficient, or applications may be downloaded from the Town’s Website.

Join the League of Women Voters at the Candidate Forum on Thursday, March 2 at 6:30pm. Come meet Town Meeting candidates prior to the debate between the Select Board candidates, Michelle Prior and Vince Dixon. This event is being held at the Jenks Center and streamed via WinCAM.

Why is part of the front entrance blocked off?

While doing an assessment of the Town Hall roof, we discovered a brick protruding from the clock tower. Out of an abundance of caution, we have block half of the walkway to front door at the Town Hall. Please do not walk around the barriers!

The clock itself is also broken. We are working with a vendor to have it repaired.

Spring Town Meeting

The warrant deadline for the 2023 Spring Town Meeting is Friday, March 10th at noon. All articles should be submitted to the Town Manager's Office in their final form on or before this deadline.

Please email the Town Manager's Office if you have any questions.

Construction/Capital Projects

On-going Construction projects:

Eversource 345kV Project – Limited work is on-going as weather permits on Cross and Washington Streets. Eversource has start work on Lake Avenue (near Horn Pond) in Woburn. Traffic will be restricted to one-lane alternating traffic in that area during construction.
Eversource 115kV Project – Eversource is currently completing cable pulling activities. They have committed to installing the speed tables on Woodside Road as designed by Toole and previously discussed by the Board.
Main Street Bridge Railing Repairs – Work is on-going to install the bridge rail caps. Work on the upstream side has been completed.
North Reservoir Dam – Construction is substantially complete and shut down for the winter. Final loam, seed, and plantings will be installed in the spring.
Transfer Station Renovation – Demolition of the incinerator building is scheduled for mid to late March pending Eversource schedule for transformer installation.
Muraco School Roof – All roof replacements are complete. Fascia and soffit work is on-going as well as other repairs. Work is scheduled to be complete by March.
Parkhurst Modular Classrooms – Triumph Modulars has been awarded the contract and are currently manufacturing the classrooms. Site work will start in April and classroom installation will begin in June for a September occupancy.

Projects currently out to bid:

Lake Street Bridge project – Bid opening March 9^th. Work expected to start in April/May and will require full closure of the bridge for at least two months. Weston & Sampson will be attending the Board’s meeting on March 6^th with a project update.
Winter Pond Water Quality Project – Bid opening March 8^th.
Parkhurst School improvements – Bid opening April 6^th.
South Reservoir Dam Aeration project – Bid opening March 22^nd.

Upcoming Construction projects:

Woodside Road and Wildwood Street – Construction was delayed to spring 2023.
Muraco School Electrical – The electrical bid was awarded and the contract is being executed for work to occur in summer 2023.

What's on the Town's Website?

The Government Calendar lists all public meetings held by town government. All meetings must, according to the law, be posted 48 hours in advance and include an agenda. On the home page, scroll to the calendar section and click on View Government Calendar. If you would like to be notified, via email, of any upcoming meetings, sign up for those notifications on Notify Me.

Community Calendar

The Winchester Coalition for a Safer Community has numerous upcoming events.

Chasing Childhood - March 1st and 15th. The world of childhood has changed and children spend less time engaged in genuine free play. What role does play have in meeting children's basic needs for autonomy, competence and connection? How does play impact social-emotional skill-building, mental health, learning and overall health? Let's discuss these questions together as a community.

The emotional lives of teenagers - Lunch with Lisa Damour, PhD. - March 22. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Lisa Damour back to Winchester! Lisa helps parents understand their teenagers' intense and often fraught emotional lives and how to support them through this critical developmental stage.

More information on these programs and other offerings can be found on the Town's website.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about this newsletter, please email the Town Manager's Office at townmanager@winchester.us. This newsletter is sent from a "do not reply" email list.