Board of Health is busy
Lars Unhjem of Safer Quieter Needham asked the Board of Health at its Jan. 12 meeting to review possible health effects of train noise in anticipation of a possible warrant article funding Quiet Zone improvements at May Town Meeting. Unhjem noted that 13,000 of Needham’s nearly 33,000 residents live within a half-mile of a train crossing. Board members said they are aware of data on this subject and will prepare a letter. Health effects of insufficient notification of an approaching train are also an important consideration, and if changes are made, mitigation procedures must be considered.
The first stages of community engagement from the national opioid settlement are underway, led by Regina Villa Associates, a consulting firm hired by the town using money that has started to flow from the town’s Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund. Small group meetings with stakeholders will occur in February, followed by a large community forum in March-April. A peer recovery counselor has been hired.
Data on COVID-19 cases are becoming more challenging to track due to more people using home testing. Wastewater tracking in the greater Boston area shows the highest levels since the Omicron surge in January 2022. Fewer people are being hospitalized during this surge, which may be due in part to vaccination and antiviral therapies such as paxlovid.
The Jan. 12 meeting marked the end of the tenure of board member Kathleen Ward Brown, who voluntarily resigned ahead of relocating from Needham.
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