Needham Council for Arts and Culture announces 2024 grants
Needham will soon be looking for a poet laureate. A $500 stipend for the position is one of 29 grants awarded by the Needham Council for Arts and Culture to support artistic and cultural programming.
“The Poet Laureate will encourage the reading and writing of poetry by creating programs and holding events, such as workshops for writers, poetry slams, readings and similar events throughout the town and in the schools,” town Director of Communications and Community Engagement Amy Haelsen said in an email. The laureate will also write poems for local events and holidays. It’s a one-year job. Town officials are still working out a process to select the laureate, who must live or work in Needham.
The 29 grants total $17,865, including $8,300 from the town. The rest came from the Mass Cultural Council, which is funded by the Legislature. It’s the second straight year the town has chipped in, reflecting what NCAC says has been a significant increase in applications the past few years.
“Projects and performances like those supported by these grants are a key component of making Needham a welcoming, fun and interesting place to live,” Select Board Chair Marianne Cooley said in a news release.
The NCAC said it will seek applications again in the fall. For more information go to needhamma.gov or email needhamartsandculture@gmail.com.
The 2024 grant recipients are:
Rep. Garlick to host community report at Town Hall
State Rep. Denise Garlick will hold her annual Report to the Community public meeting on Monday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. at Powers Hall.
As Needham’s representative in the General Court she will discuss public policy issues of both general interest and those of particular concern to residents of Needham. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns of their own.
The meeting will be live streamed. Those who wish to attend online are asked to register.
Chestnut Street detour remains in place
The detour along Chestnut Street from South Street to the Dover line will remain in place for the foreseeable future as crews continue their cleanup efforts from a late December spill from an Eversource transmission line.
According to a report from the state Department of Environmental Protection, Pipe-Type Cable (PTC) transmission fluid continues to be released from a high-voltage Eversource line that runs near the Charles River. The material is being released at the rate of about 12 gallons per hour and is reportedly being captured by crews from Clean Harbors, the environmental services firm engaged by Eversource to mitigate the damage.
Officials from both Eversource and the Charles River Watershed Association have said they do not expect the spill to have long-term impacts on the river. Eversource also said customer service has not been impacted by the issue or any of the related work.
Multiple Clean Harbors vehicles have been on site since the spill was discovered just before Christmas. A second Clean Harbors worksite also has been in place further north on Chestnut Street since last week.
The cleanup has necessitated the closure of the southbound lane of the street, starting at its intersection with South Street. That section is open to only one lane of northbound traffic from the Dover line to South Street.
According to an Eversource spokesperson, repairs must be completed before traffic patterns can return to normal. The Mass. Department of Transportation conducted an inspection last week of the work that has been completed to date.
“Once we receive the results of that inspection, we can begin the necessary work to backfill,” Eversource reported.
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