WESTFORD — Welcome to the March 19 edition of Weekend Wrap-Up. Here, we highlight the most important news you may have missed this week in Westford.
What to expect at the 2023 Annual Town Meeting
Annual Town Meeting is just over one week away, with two dozen articles up for consideration by residents.
This year, the town is offering free transportation to and from the meeting, as well as free child care on-site. A food truck will be on-site for meals.
Annual Town Meeting will be held at 10 a.m in the Westford Academy Gymnasium.
For a breakdown of each article appearing on the Warrant, click here.
Living with Tourette syndrome: a Westford student’s perspective on education and advocacy
A “one size fits all” approach to curriculum may neglect the needs of some students, forcing them to seek alternative programs to fit their learning style.
An estimated 350,000-450,000 children and adults are living with Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes tics that range from repetitive physical gestures to uncontrollable vocal and physical behaviors.
Matty Tricca, 19, a student with Tourette syndrome, noted that the condition impacts how he processes information and his education in Westford.
“The way I learn is different from everybody else. I had to force myself to learn the way they [neurotypical students] learn,” Tricca told WestfordCAT in an interview. “College was off the list for me. It was hard to bear [that I couldn’t go].”
He continued, “it was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.”
Tricca hopes to promote inclusivity and understanding within communities on how to better serve and advocate for the neurodiverse.
“Observe how the person acts and talks and speaks and observe that. Then, hopefully by doing that they’ll find some thing in their brain that says ‘they get it.’”
He continued. “don’t put labels on people. Some people may think the [neurodiverse] person has behavioral issues, but they don’t. It can just come out.”
51 Main St., Indigenous Peoples Day among approved town election ballot questions
The Select Board approved ballot language for the May 2 Town Election.
Voters will decide whether or not to authorize a debt exclusion for the new town center building, to authorize a debt exclusion for the Blanchard Middle School roof replacement project and whether or not to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day.
The Select Board voted unanimously to approve the proposed language of each ballot question.
Question 1: Authorize a debt exclusion for 51 Main St.
Shall the Town of Westford be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition 2‐1/2, so‐called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued for the construction of a new municipal building located at 51 Main Street, including demolition of the existing building, constructing, furnishing and equipping a new building, rerouting and extending fiber optic cables and equipment to 30 Patten Road and 39 Town Farm Road, and securing the current technology offices at 1 East Prescott Street, and all other costs incidental and related thereto?
Question 2: Authorize a debt exclusion for the Blanchard Middle School roof replacement
Shall the Town of Westford be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one‐half, so‐called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds to be issued in order to pay the costs of replacing the roof at the Lloyd G. Blanchard Middle School, 14 West Street, Westford, MA 01886?
Question 3: Indigenous Peoples Day
Shall the Westford Select Board declare the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day, superseding local references to Columbus Day, and recommend that it be observed by the people of Westford, with appropriate exercises in the schools and otherwise, to acknowledge the history of genocide and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, and to recognize and celebrate the thriving cultures and continued resistance and resilience of Indigenous peoples and their tribal nations?
How much snow fell in Westford on March 14?
More than two feet of snow fell in some regions of Massachusetts on Tuesday, marking the largest storm of the season so far.
Westford and surrounding communities were spared from the brunt of the storm, but the region still received over 12 inches of snow in some communities.
Below are the latest snowfall reports from the National Weather Service as of 10:30 a.m. on March 15.
- Westford – 6″
- Littleton – 8.7″
- Pepperell – 14.9″
- Chelmsford – 6.5″
- Acton – 6″
- Lowell – 6.2″
- Tewksbury – 5.9″
- Carlisle – 4.6″
- Billerica – 5″
- Tyngsborough – 12.9″
