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WESTFORD — Welcome to the Feb. 19 edition of Weekend Wrap-Up. Here, we highlight the most important news you may have missed this week in Westford.
Speed limit changes to take effect on select roads
Updated speed limits are coming to select roads in Westford.
Proposed speed limit reductions, which were approved during Town Meeting in June, are slated to take effect in the coming weeks.
Following a long-standing recommendation from the Pedestrian Safety Committee, the Select Board unanimously voted to establish a 25 miles-per-hour speed limit on sections of Main Street, West Prescott Street, Pleasant Street and Patten Road during a Jan. 24 meeting.
This changes comes after a majority of voters authorized the Select Board to establish speed limits at Annual Town Meeting last summer.
The changes will impact the entire length of Patten Road, two sections of West Prescott Street and Pleasant street from approximately 25 Pleasant St. to 30 West Prescott St. Office and Main Street from 33 Main St. to 117 Main St.
The sections of West Prescott Street, Pleasant Street and a portion of Main Street have 25 mile-per-hour speed advisories, which are currently unenforceable by the Westford Police Department.
These roads were chosen as they are considered “thickly settled” areas, where homes are within 200 feet of each other and have high pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Northeast Mass under ‘normal’ conditions, state recovers from drought
Following above normal precipitation in January, the Northeast Region of Massachusetts, which includes Westford, has been upgraded to normal conditions.
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Bethany Card announced the upgrade from a mild drought to normal conditions on Feb. 13. She cited a an abundance of rainfall events that caused conditions to improve across the region.
As of Feb. 13, groundwater, streamflow, lakes and impoundments have recovered to acceptable levels. All regions in the state are now under normal conditions.
“Even in winter months it continues to be important to save water, which can be achieved by ramping up indoor use considerations,” wrote the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs in a statement.
These include fixing leaks, limiting water use habits and upgrading fixtures and appliances.
Meet Lisa Gizara, a nationally-acclaimed Westford artist
Expressive, sensitive, and liberating are a few words to describe Lisa Gizara’s work.
With a focus on abstract paintings and black and white film photography, Gizara has caught the eye of several celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence and Bruce Dern.
Today, she works out of her studio in Santa Monica, California it all began in the heart of Westford.
Her photographs, exhibited in the San Francisco Airport, the Annenberg Space for Photography and the G2 Gallery in Venice, California. Her work has been featured in Variety, People, and Entertainment Weekly magazines. A Portfolio of her work was also put in gift bags in the 2014 Oscar Nominees.
Despite her recent successes, she struggled throughout her career. She landed her first successful job as a real estate photographer in Los Angeles, later landing a new job as a public relations photographer. Through these experiences, she continued work as a photographer for several films and commercials.
