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Wood Ave getting some TLC, Neponset Trail shaping up in HPFor the full story, go to:https://bulletinnewspapers.weebly.co...
10/05/2025

Wood Ave getting some TLC, Neponset Trail shaping up in HP
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By Jeff Sullivan

The Belnel Neighborhood Association (Belnel) met last week with residents in a virtual setting and discussed upcoming improvements to Wood Avenue with District 5 City Councilor Enrique Pepén.

The improvements come after 4-year-old Ivan Pierre was struck and killed on Wood Avenue in 2023. Since that time, debates have gone back and forth about road improvements on the street, including several flex posts that were designed to help slow down traffic (though many times, they were struck and taken out by drivers).

Pepén said the design process has now started on a new round of safety improvements on Wood Avenue.

“As many of you may know, last year I was able to get $2 million for safety improvements to Wood Avenue, because there has just been endless accidents,” he said. “Folks are speeding and not thinking about pedestrians.”

The city has a web page for the improvements and recordings of past meetings. Go to https://tinyurl.com/vuafnv8y for more information. Pepén said they are continuing to meet with residents during the design process.

“My team had a walk-through with a few residents about two weeks ago now and we’re already starting to see some of the progress happening,” he said.

Pepén added that the city has implemented several other street improvements, including new crosswalks at all intersections at the Chittick School, repaving of the side streets in the neighborhood and playground was also recently renovated at the Chittick.

Boston Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services Hyde Park Liaison Zoe Petty added that she has been meeting with school parents and faculty about road safety issues at the Renaissance School, the New Mission High School, Another Course to College and more.

“We’re also making sure our schools are good,” she said.

Belnel Chair Helena Tonge also discussed upcoming improvements to the Neponset Greenway Trail and park system. The full trail is slated to stretch from Fowl Meadow in Hyde Park along the Neponset River up to Dorchester and Quincy.

Tonge said construction will start soon on a section of the trail from about Kennedy Playground in Mattapan down to Osceola Street in Hyde Park, where it will cross the Neponset to Milton and the Neponset Esplanade Park. Tonge said crucially, this is to give the neighborhood access to the trail along the river, as well as give access to the Esplanade Park from across the river, whenever the bridge gets built.

Westerly Burying Grounds updatedFor the full story, go to:https://bulletinnewspapers.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/4/8/11483257...
10/05/2025

Westerly Burying Grounds updated
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By Ariane Komyati

The year was 1683. This was 53 years after the City of Boston was founded, 48 years after Boston Latin School was established, and nearly a century before the United States declared its independence.

That year, Westerly Burying Ground was designated as West Roxbury’s local burying ground.

Nearly 350 years later, this historical plot of land rests peacefully between an apartment building and Trader Joe’s, enclosed by a stone wall with iron and vinyl fencing. Westerly Burying Ground received a Community Preservation Act (CPA) grant in 2022.

“In December 2022, we were awarded $200,000 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, which significantly expanded the work we could undertake,” a spokesperson from the Boston Parks and Recreation Department (BPRD) stated. The project began with design work in May 2022. Construction began in May 2024 when funding and approvals were finalized. Phase 1, which included wall, tomb, and fence repairs along with grading, was completed earlier this year. Phase two, gravestone conservation, is currently underway and 75 percent complete.

Work at the burying ground included repairs to sections of the stone perimeter wall, replacing a rusted chain-link fence with a new black vinyl fence, and restoring the ornamental front gate. In addition, cast-iron plot fences were repainted, and tomb doors and roofs were repaired. Crews also re-graded areas around the tombs and fencing. There are many difficulties when restoring an old site like Westerly Burying Ground.

“Because there are no historic site drawings, plans, or records, we often had to uncover conditions as work progressed. For example, large sections of mortar in the perimeter wall needed full replacement rather than partial,” explained the BPRD staff. Marble headstones also present challenges because they are less durable than slate headstones. Many of them are fragile, broken into pieces, or have worn off inscriptions. Unlike the landscaped, park-like cemeteries that emerged in the 1800s, colonial-era graveyards were simple and unplanned. Graves and tombs are set irregularly without formal pathways.

New trees were planted at the site, along with updated signage. The signs highlight the history of the Westerly Burying Grounds, notable individuals/families buried there, and the symbolism carved into the gravestones. The signs were designed by Viamonte design, while the research and writing was done by Nancy Kelleher.

Capital Projects list finalized fall Town Meeting set for Nov. 13For the full story, go to:https://norwoodrecord.weebly....
10/05/2025

Capital Projects list finalized fall Town Meeting set for Nov. 13
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By Jeff Sullivan

The Norwood Capital Plan spending requests are filed for the Fall Special Town Meeting, the date confirmed for Nov. 13, tentatively scheduled at the Norwood High School Auditorium.

The full Town Meeting Warrant has not yet been finalized, at least at the date of publication. All documents will appear on the Town website at https://tinyurl.com/mpbwbm7w sometime before the actual meeting.

Relative to capital improvements, the Capital Outlay Committee submitted its final recommendations, and those projects include several big ticket items. The most expensive project being funded through water rates/borrowing for $4.5 million to reline the Town’s remaining water mains. This is year six of a 10-year plan to bring all water lines into the 21st century.

The second-most expensive project is a tie; first is the replacement of the roof at the Willett School, which will be changing from a kindergarten school to a K-8 next year. The replacement is expected to cost $3 million, and will hopefully stop the water leaking through the roof now.

The second $3 million is for a new ladder truck for the Norwood Fire Department. The current ladder truck is 12 years old and has had several breakdowns in the past year. The breakdowns have put the truck out of commission for months at a time, however because of the lead time for building a new fire truck – three years – the Town will continue to use this one for a bit longer. For more information on the possible reasons as to why it takes this long to build a truck, go to https://tinyurl.com/4w9bubrk

Right behind those is the facade repairs at the Morrill Memorial Library at $2 million. The repairs will address water coming into the building. Stopping those leaks will allow a previously approved painting project to continue, as well as extend the life of the structure that was built in 1899 and last fully renovated in 2001.

Just under $1 million is for resurfacing of about 13 miles of sidewalks, the start of an annual project to replace all of Norwood’s 140 miles of sidewalks, mostly with hot mix asphalt.

Dumplings unite the worldFor the full story, go to:https://bulletinnewspapers.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/4/8/114832579/wr_ro...
10/05/2025

Dumplings unite the world
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By Dilani Yogaratnam

The main takeaway beyond the deliciously-packed doughy goodness of dumplings is the fact that almost all people, globally, love dumplings, or at least, something similar to a dumpling.

From Jamaica to China, each culture has their own spin on the hand-sized comfort food heated in water or oil that goes well with savory dipping sauces.

On the summer-like Saturday this past weekend, hundreds gathered at Adams Park in Roslindale’s cultural heart to experience a wide array of vendors such as Matilda Empandas, Wild Fox Pierogi, Jamaica Mi Hungry and Shanti.

You might not think Indian cuisine, like that served at Shanti, equates to dumplings, but Jebin Tuladhor, operations manager for Shanti, explained samosas are dumpling-like. Technically, any hot filling encased in a dough-like shape could be considered a dumpling. , for their second year in the festival, Shanti offered up momos, an Indian street food which is closer to a typical dumpling and usually comes with a spicy red chutney.

Last year’s debut of the dumpling festival asked patrons to prepay for their tickets. Unfortunately, too many people simply arrived for the event and the vendors were not prepared for the massive crowds they would need to feed. A bartender at nearby Napper Tandy’s even admitted that vendors were asking to use his fryolator and while he sympathized, health codes prevented him from intervening.

“We learned a lot from last year,” Steven Marcelin, event manager for Roslindale Village Main Street RVMS said. Patrons paid vendors directly and were encouraged to donate $5 for the festive experience. “This year, we are confident and excited to share different forms of dumplings from empanadas to steamed buns. All cultures mesh.”

Marcelin said his favorite foods were the Jamaican beef patties and anything from Mei Mei’s.

Adam Dziki, representing Wild Fox, a Polish/Portuguese pierogi company appearing at farmers markets and pop ups, also has a restaurant Fox Den where patrons can enjoy dumplings hot and fresh in a cozy bar atmosphere. Sheri Boyce, who is a patron of Fox Den, and volunteers for Wild Fox said she felt so at home at Fox Den she even got married there simply to enjoy the pierogi. What distinguishes Wild Fox is their emphasis on the fillings, i.e. spicy sausage, which, according to Dziki, tastes just like Fenway Park.

“Dumplings are a subset of food…. It’s a great way to bridge multiple cultures: bao, pan-fried, pierogi. They’re different, but everyone has a touch point.”

The four main pierogis of Wild Fox are: potato cheddar scallion, mushroom marsala (Boyce’s favorite), jerk chicken, and spicy sausage.

“Polish food is going through a renaissance and the dumplings helps tie together the through line of the dumplings cross cultures,” Boyce said.

Plans filed for Phase four of Mildred Hailey Apartments For the full story, go to:https://bulletinnewspapers.weebly.com/...
10/05/2025

Plans filed for Phase four of Mildred Hailey Apartments
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By Richard Heath

The next phase of the transformation of 6.9 acres of Mildred Hailey Apartments at Jackson Square was released in a project notification form (PNF) on Sept 12.

But the phasing in the PNF seemed out of order: as Phase One is nearing completion visible from the Jackson Square T stop, phases 2 and 3 -already approved – appear to be skipped over to Phase 4.

Phase 4, developed like Phase 1 by The Community Builders (TCB), was approved by Reuban Kantor of the Boston Planning Department on Aug. 14.


It will be two buildings, named 4a and 4b, and require the destruction of one building, 275-279 Centre St., a seven-story, 74-unit apartment house.

The destruction of one building and the construction of two buildings are the result of “following a review of the project and funding opportunities as well as discussion with the city. The project team determined it more appropriate to spread Phase 4 into two buildings in two phases.”

Originally, Phase 4 was one, six-story building of 225 units; it is now a total of 179 apartments, however the Section 8 income-restricted units remain the same at 78.
The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) added clarification to The Bulletin on Sept. 23.

“There will be no loss of affordable units at Mildred Hailey including in Phase 4: 74 public housing units at 275-279 Centre will have 78 replacement units.

“We are not skipping 1a and 1b. [Phase one] are nearing completion now and phases 2 and 3 [built by JPNDC Urban Edge] will start within the coming year. Phase 2/3 demolition will happen in the coming months: new construction will begin upon financial closings within the next years.”
The site, at 960-964 Parker Street, in the Phase 2/3 area, “is currently vacant and we may be able to start demolition on that building a bit sooner than the other two in Phase 2/3 in a matter of months.

“Residents currently living at 275-279 Centre St. will be relocated (Just as at 265-267 Centre and 50 52 Lamartine for Phase 2/3] will be),” Boston Planning wrote. “We have many new apartments coming on line in the brand new 2 and 6 Lamartine St. (building) and we expect many residents will opt to move to one of those new buildings… all households that need to be relocated will ultimately be offered newly constructed apartments at the Hailey redevelopment.”

Planning Board mulls changes to Commerce CenterFor the full story, go to:https://norwoodrecord.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/4/...
10/05/2025

Planning Board mulls changes to Commerce Center
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By Jeff Sullivan

The Norwood Planning Board voted unanimously to continue a hearing on a proposal from the Norwood Commerce Center (NCC).

The NCC, better known to residents as the Winsmith Mill, is asking for a Major Project Special Permit and Site Plan Review that, if approved, would allow new businesses to open at the site at 61 Endicott St. without having to get approval from the Norwood Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

Right now, the zoning at Winsmith requires a special permit for any new business tenant from the ZBA, as the types of uses at the site are restricted. This has caused some friction in the past, as the ZBA has some discretion over what goes in there with applications judged on criteria that may not have been under the direct purview of the ZBA. Parking has come up in the past, like a Crossfit proposal years ago that was continued for six months during which time ZBA members continually asked for more and more improvements, finally voting against the proposal after several meetings – https://tinyurl.com/42p58nzm

Proponent Daniel Jones expressed frustration with the process back in 2019: “This is my last shot at opening my own business,” he said. “I have extended this, just with this place alone, for six months and I have no more resources. I held out in good faith, and I’ll never be back in this position again. This is my one shot, and that’s extremely unfortunate, because I had faith in the system, and the fact that it kept going in continence gave me hope, so it’s just very unfortunate.”

Facilities: school buildings need summer break tooFor the full story, go to:https://norwoodrecord.weebly.com/uploads/1/1...
10/05/2025

Facilities: school buildings need summer break too
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By Jeff Sullivan

The Norwood School Committee met last week with Town-wide Facilities Director Paul Riccardi and Business Manager Mary O’Brien for an update on school buildings after the summer break.

Riccardi gave several updates regarding the buildings’ readiness and status, but the big issue Riccardi kept bringing up was the continued use of the buildings over the summer, including summer caps, summer school and extended day programming.

“We had eight buildings open this summer… and six of the eight buildings had some kind of camp or program in them between extended day, the Rec Center and the schools,” he said. “It’s an eight-to-10-week summer we have to get these buildings ready (gfor the next school year) and we seem every year to be using the buildings for more and more stuff which is, in the long run from my perspective, is not sustainable to be able to maintain these buildings at the level we want them maintained, and the level we believe the students, faculty and staff deserve. It’s something that really needs to be looked at.”

Riccardi said this year was tough getting classrooms ready while there was still programming happening in them, and next year will have even greater challenges, as the Willett School will need to be reorganized from a kindergarten to a full K-8 school.

“We had to relocate two classrooms, one at the Callahan and one at the Cleveland; they were classrooms that had partitions in them and the principals opted, for whatever reason, to move them around,” he said. “We moved the library at the Cleveland too. It was kind of a jam-packed summer. We are looking forward to next summer when the Willett closes, but there are logistical issues with that. The Willett is the home of several programs over the summer and I know they’re not going to be able to be in the building, and so there has to be a real hard look at how much is offered and where we put them.”

Riccardi also pointed out that the custodial staff stays later to clean up after the camps, and since many of the school buildings were built before central air conditioning, that can be a problem.

“I want us to be aware of the camp complexes that are going on and the impact they have on the building and the custodians in the building,” he said. “They all have to stay later, and they’re already in buildings that are 80 or 90 degrees. And they’re staying there much later, and it gets to a point where it’s really not fair.”

WFH discusses neighborhood safety, BPD to hold Community CompStat meetingFor the full story, go to:https://bulletinnewsp...
10/05/2025

WFH discusses neighborhood safety, BPD to hold Community CompStat meeting
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By Matthew MacDonald

On Monday, Sept. 29, the West Fairmount Hill Community Group (WFHCG) resumed its monthly meetings after a summer break during which it remained active – primarily in response to two tragedies that unfolded a few blocks from each other and less than four months apart.

The more recent of these – a mid-morning double shooting that resulted in one fatality – occurred on Faraday Street on Aug. 13. Jonathan Hernandez of 117 Faraday St. was arrested by responding police officers and was arraigned the next day in West Roxbury District Court.

During the police report, it was announced that the case is still being investigated by the Area E-18 homicide unit and by the District Attorney’s office.

“We have no further update on the shooting at this point,” Captain Joseph Boyle added in response to an inquiry from Marcia Kimm-Jackson, who was leading the meeting. “Hopefully, at some point, the DA’s office will come out with more information about what happened with that. We know how concerning that is to you and to the entire neighborhood, so we have been keeping additional patrols up there.”

Following up on that, Kimm-Jackson brought up nearby auto thefts and asked for comment regarding breaking and entering incidents that she had been monitoring. “I’m imagining that these are anomalies that are happening that – because they’re so close in proximity to our homes, and because they’re in the forefront, it does make it feel like it’s a thing,” she said.

E-18 Community Service Officer Matt Conley responded that both burglaries and violent crime are down from a year ago, and that the majority of auto thefts – which is the only district crime statistic that is not trending downward – were due to either key fobs left in cars, or to cars left running while unattended.

“We would be down much more if it wasn’t for those crimes of opportunity,” he explained.

I-90 moving ahead despite $327 million fed lossFor the full story, go to:https://bulletinnewspapers.weebly.com/uploads/1...
09/27/2025

I-90 moving ahead despite $327 million fed loss
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By Jeff Sullivan

The MassDOT Allston I-90 Multi-Modal Task Force met last week and took a more optimistic point of view on the project than one might expect.

MassDOT Project Manager Susan Harrington said that while the federal government rescinded about $327 million in grant funding from the proposal – a proposal that has been in planning for at least 10 years – the project is moving ahead. Much of the meeting focused on what needs to be done to overcome that funding gap and what’s being done now in the interim to help move the project forward.

The meeting ended in a question-and-answers session, and while much was dedicated to heavy detail and ideas for future discussion, Allston Civic Association President Tony’ D’Isidoro laid out a somewhat more simple point: it’s going to get tougher, but the momentum needs to keep up and the project needs to get done.

“We want to make sure that the public knows there is momentum on this project,” he said. “And we have a responsibility to do whatever we can to move the process along… It’s been a long road, and I think we’ve all learned a lot. I certainly have learned a lot along the way, but I am not interested in going through this process for another 10 years. We need to be grown up, we need to stay focused and we need to start taking issues off the table. We need some sort of reconciliation. We’re not all going to get what we want, but we have to be grown up enough to recognize that keeping this project moving forward is the number 1 priority. That requires us, at some point, to compromise if we want to keep the momentum going.”

In terms of what those compromises look like, Harrington said that the project is pausing its submission of filings to the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency (MEPA) and its national equivalent at this time because the change in funding will likely change the project, and therefore would likely have to be redone once those changes are implemented.

“What this pause does is allows MassDOT to determine the updated cost of the project elements and assess construction based on available funding streams,” she said.

Harrington said they will still however be working on what they can work on.

“That’s not to say the project is paused along with it,” she said. “MassDOT, the MBTA and our design team are still working towards good and reasonable solutions to ongoing topics for discussion.”

Harrington said they are still working on immediate issues surrounding the preservation of the Cambridge Street Bridge from Soldiers Field Road to Memorial Drive, the layover yard and the Grand Junction.

NAC starts RFP process for Airport’s Verizon LotFor the full story, go to:https://norwoodrecord.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/4...
09/27/2025

NAC starts RFP process for Airport’s Verizon Lot
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By Matthew MacDonald

After what amounted to a summer break, the Norwood Airport Commission (NAC) met last Wednesday, Sept. 17 for the first time since May. The session ran about 15 minutes, with relatively little accumulated business to address and only one regularly scheduled appointment.

The main order of new business concerned what is commonly referred to as the “Verizon Lot” located at the southeast end of the Airport near the intersection of Access Road and Route 1.

As NAC Chairman Michael Sheehan explained it, that 20-year lease will end in about a year and a half. Consequently, he entertained a motion for the Commission to approve the Airport Manager, Town Manager, and legal counsel to work together with him in order to begin the RFP (Request For Proposals) process for either the next lease of the lot, or possibly the sale of it.

The RFP process would first entail the lot’s appraisal and so was also part of the motion.

Prior to its unanimous approval, Vice Chairman John Corcoran asked if the next lease would also be for 20 years, to which Sheehan replied that this would probably not be the case. He added that any potential new lease would include language more beneficial to the Town, specifying that – in a sublease scenario – any additional rental income beyond what is agreed to in the lease with the NAC/Town would be split, rather than going entirely to the sublessor.

Sheehan also addressed the possibility of selling the land, noting the confirmation of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) that it can be used for non-aeronautical purposes.

The lot is roughly parallel to Runway 17/35 and the take-off path for Runway 10/28 is to the northwest of it, but helicopters frequently fly over it as they’re landing and taking off. The lot’s buildability – or lack thereof, due to safety issues – came up in discussion, with the presumption that there would be language in any lease agreement maintaining the land in its current state.

The meeting’s only appointment brought Mark Goodrich of DuBois & King before the Commission to present an update on the ongoing Airport Improvement Program (AIP) projects.

The $2 million wildlife fencing project, which will install and replace approximately 15,000 feet of the Airport’s perimeter fencing – and for which the Town is responsible for 5 percent of the expense – is scheduled to begin in late October or early November, and it is anticipated to last five months. Sheehan asked Airport Manager Mark Raymond to notify the handful of bow hunters who are annually granted permission to be on the Airport’s outer conservation land in the early part of the year – of the work that will be going on. He also confirmed with Goodrich that the project workers will be wearing easily seen orange clothing.

The other AIP project concerned the planned extension of Runway 17/35 I order to add paved safety areas to both ends of it. The Airport is built on conservation land, and the paving is intended to prevent airplanes that may overshoot the runway from getting stuck in its soft terrain.

Karen Jones “Centre”-ing in on the arts sceneFor the full story, go to:bulletinnewspapers.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/4/8/114...
09/27/2025

Karen Jones “Centre”-ing in on the arts scene
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By Dilani Yogaratnam

Karen Jones has an artistic vision for West Roxbury where artists have a space to work while also showcasing their pieces on the walls for potential sale. This artist cooperative formally known as Arts on Centre just opened at 1766 Centre St. Though a grand opening is set for later this month, for right now Jones said she is working on generating artists and public awareness of the space, which will include workshops for anyone with an interest or passion in art.

Jones, a retired United States Agency for International Development worker and a staffer for former Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn, said she has been interested in art since she was a little girl. Living in West Roxbury for the last 16 years, one thing she said she noticed, to her dismay, was that while Jamaica Plain, Roslindale and Hyde Park had flourishing arts scenes, West Roxbury was more known for family-friendly places, like Rox Diner and so many other cozy eateries.

Jones noticed a lot of empty retail space and came up with an idea for a space for artists to flourish. She then presented her idea for an arts cooperative on Centre Street and her artist community location became a reality.

State Rep. Bill MacGregor, along with West Roxbury Main Streets Executive Director Lindsay Chase, helped Jones lease the space that was once Carole A. White’s real estate office; White was the sister-in-law of the late Hon. Kevin White, former mayor of Boston for four terms.

Carole White died in 2023 and the man who bought the building is interested in building condominiums, but has not found the right buyer as yet. Hence, Jones calls her new artist haven more of a pop-up concept.

“I will gauge the interest of artists and the public as they view neighbors’ artwork,” she said.

Jones hopes to get as many artists as possible and show their work by the holidays. If the outcome is successful she will stay, and if not she will relocate, hopefully to another space in West Roxbury.

For now, she wants artists to follow her contact information on the board in front of the building which reads, “Arts On Centre. Carole A. White, Community House of Artisans.” Jones is in the process of creating a website about Arts on Centre, artsoncentre.org. Also, an Instagram account is available.

BOH: Vaccines available, still required in schoolsFor the full story, go to:https://norwoodrecord.weebly.com/uploads/1/1...
09/27/2025

BOH: Vaccines available, still required in schools
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By Jeff Sullivan

The Norwood Board of Health (BOH) met last week and reassured residents that certain vaccines will still be available to residents who want or need them.

Health Department Director Stacey Lane said while the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) are now reducing requirements for certain vaccines, Massachusetts is not.

“You probably saw on the news that the CDC, and its advisory committee the ACIP, did not come forward yet to recommend vaccines, and you need that for insurance to cover it,” she said. “Massachusetts has been the first in the nation to work with insurance companies to guarantee that they will pay for the vaccines. It’s very important that people receive vaccines, especially the routine childhood vaccines.”

Lane said that the Health Department does have mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccines available for those who need them.

“So you can call (Norwood Health Department Nurse) Diana Hillary and she has been advertising that in the schools, and the school nurses know,” she said. “If you have anyone in the schools who is missing an MMR vaccine, Diane is happy to give it to them.”

“You can’t attend our schools without an MMR,” said BOH member Carolyn Riccardi.

“There are religious exemptions and also the homeless population, you have to give them some more time,” Lane said.

Lane said there have been some measles outbreaks recently. According to an analysis from NBCNews – https://tinyurl.com/bdzajr8k – Massachusetts is one of 10 states that had not reported cases of measles as of July 29. Texas had the highest number at 796 cases at that time.

“Measles, it’s extremely contagious,” Lane said.

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