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WESTFORD — Welcome to the Sept. 25 edition of Weekend Wrap-Up. Here, we highlight the most important news you may have missed this week in Westford.
Electric bills in Westford could increase by 64% this winter, savings options available
National Grid and Eversource customers could see steep increases in their utility bills this winter.
Citing an increase in the price of natural gas and increasing demand for power, both companies are proposing sharp rate increases that could take effect this winter.
“In total, the monthly bill of a typical residential electric customer using 600 kWh (kilowatt hours) will increase from $179 in the winter 2021-2022 season, to approximately $293 for the winter 2022-2023 season,” National Grid wrote in a news release.
The change marks an approximately 63.5% increase year over year.
Serving quality a ‘top priority’ for new restaurant in Westford
A new restaurant has opened its doors in Westford, serving a variety of breakfast and lunch options on Littleton Road.
Nearly a month after Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Café closed its doors on Aug. 14 at its 175 Littleton Rd. location, Classic Kitchen Café officially opened its doors on Sept. 17. The restaurant is owned by Merrimack Valley locals Samantha Connor and her husband, Gabriel Dantas.
“I’ve been baking since I was about 16 years old,” Connor told WestfordCAT. “We’ve been looking around for a couple of years and it all worked out.”
Both Dantas and Connor have worked at a number of local restaurants, including Nashoba Bakery in Concord and Di Napoli Pizzeria in Littleton. After searching for their own place for a number of years, Dantas and Connor settled on serving breakfast in their 175 Littleton Rd. unit.
“We found this location – we felt it would be good for the community to have more options for breakfast,” Dantas told WestfordCAT.
Select Board approves supplemental funding for senior dental program
The Select Board recently approved supplemental funding for a longtime Westford program — financial assistance for dental work for uninsured seniors.
Seniors, when enrolled in traditional Medicare, do not have access to dental insurance through their plan.
The program provides financial assistance for minor dental work for seniors over 55 years old. This year, the Westford Health Department and Friends of the Cameron Senior Center have raised $3,000 for this fiscal year.
In a unanimous vote, the board approved $20,000 in spending for the program, which is typically funded through donations. The program typically raises between $8,000 and $10,000 per year to reimburse seniors in need, according to Health Director Rae Dick.
Westford Public Schools receives funding for electric mail van
Westford’s fleet is going green.
The state legislature recently secured $56,000 within the its recent budget for Westford Public Schools to replace one of the town’s 2014 Cargo Vans with an E350 Transit Van.
“As we continue into the 21st century, it’s vital we start implementing solutions to create a more sustainable, environmentally friendly district and Commonwealth,” Representative Arciero said in a news release. “These new electric vans are a way to make our town eco-friendlier while also still providing an essential service to the citizens of Westford.”
This purchase marks another step in the town’s progress in achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. So far, the town has already authorized the purchase of multiple hybrid vehicles for the Westford Police Department.
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