I am hosting a presentation and exercises entitled “Freeing Ourselves from Blame and Shame” here in Maynard next week.  Here are the specifics:

• Thursday, October 17, 6:45 to 8:45 PM
• at the Maynard Public Library, Trustees Room
• FREE, but please RSVP as the room has a maximum of 20 people.
The link to RSVP is: https://tinyurl.com/MRLink02 (through EventBrite)
The link to the event announcement is: https://www.messagerain.com/upcoming-events.html
The link to the a detailed description is: https://www.messagerain.com/workshops.html

During Maynard Fest, I handed out cards to promote the event with some text on the back.  It reads:

“When we blame, we have the illusion that all bad things could have been prevented, “if only ...” someone had acted differently.  But we all make mistakes, emotions can overwhelm us, and we have limited time and resources.  Life is unpredictable!  No one has perfect foresight.  There are always risks.
I invite you to join me as we learn to replace blame with love and forgiveness, within ourselves, whenever we can.

I have hosted a similar event at a few different conventions, back before the pandemic, but this is the first time I’m doing so for the general public.  Please RSVP and I hope to see you there!

Note: This is not an official Library event.  The Library is only permitting me to use the room.

Yes, I'm just getting the word out about this, now that I have the room reserved and Maynard Fest is over.  I know it's somewhat short notice (10 days after I'm posting this), so I hope you can attend!

Maynard, MA - This Saturday, Oct. 5th, 2024, at Maynard Fest, residents of Maynard can see how far Artspace has come since leaving their previous building, back in the Summer of 2023.

According to Executive Director Suchitra Mumford, "In the summer of 2023, ArtSpace moved to 74 Main St. in downtown Maynard. As an arts organization we almost didn't survive. It took the dedication of our community and Board Members to make sure we continued and we have!"

"We continue to offer art studios for rent as well as opportunities to engage and promote the arts." according to Director Mumford.  In addition, the organization is now running classes and workshops for anyone age 16 or over.  "Through the help of grants, donations and program income, we are on our way to becoming a sustainable arts center in Maynard," she explained.

Carolyn Wirth, ArtSpace's Administrative Arts Manager on staff, authored an article in Artscope Magazine about the revitalization of ArtSpace in Maynard, in the September/October issue. Although the bulk of the article is behind a paywall, the first few paragraphs can be seen at the magazine's web site here:
https://artscopemagazine.com/2024/09/determination-rewarded-artspace-returns-to-downtown-maynard/
(See the Background section, below for more.)

ArtSpace has it's own web site with more complete information about the organization:
https://artspacema.org
The show "Source" that opens this Saturday is also highlighted on the Discover Maynard web site:
https://discovermaynard.com/event/source-the-artspace-fall-exhibit/2024-10-03/

Maynard Fest runs this Saturday, 3 October 2024, from 9:00 AM until 3:30 PM in downtown Maynard, along Summer, Nason, and Main streets.  All three streets will be closed to traffic during extended hours, in order to allow organizations to set up their tables and booths, as well to take them down at the close of the festival.
The festival is sponsored by the Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce.  More information about the festival is also posted on the Discover Maynard web site:
https://discovermaynard.com/event/14145/

For many years, the word "ArtSpace" was synonymous with the building at 61-63 Summer Street, where it was housed.  The organization was permitted to use the building, the former Fowler School, by the town, essentially for no cost, as long as the organization took care of maintenance and utilities.
The building, built in 1911 clearly had some significant problems but the artists, along with the Acme Theater, managed to work within the building's limitations.
Then, some time in 2022, an attempt to do renovation work on the building exposed numerous fire code violations and the building was eventually declared uninhabitable.  In mid 2023, the artists and staff had  to vacate the building.

(See https://www.bradfordmill.com/artscape-studios for details.)

With all these setbacks, the board had to work diligently to find new space.  There was nothing as big as the Summer Street building, so they had to start small and go from there.

Maynard, MA - Maynard’s planning department recently added a page to the town’s web site asking for comments about a proposed housing development, to be built on a large parcel of available land within the town.  The page, entitled, “Maynard Kanso 40B (2024),” can be found at this link:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/536/3854/Maynard-Kanso-40B-2024
The page contains a brief description of the project, followed by a form in which residents may enter comments.  Below that is a list of 25 various documents that describe the project.  The deadline for comments is this Friday, October 4th.

Maynard town officials first learned of the proposed project on August 27th, only about a month ago, so there hasn’t been much time to prepare. Likewise, there has been little time for residents to become familiar with the project and the issues raised by the proposal.  However, the current comment period is just the first in a series of steps that must take place before the project can go forward.

The town is seeking comments from residents who expect to be directly impacted by this development.  I recently talked with Bill Nemser, Planning Director for Maynard.  He emphasized that general comments critical of affordable housing, taxes, or population density in Maynard are not what is needed at this stage.  That's because the comments collected are likely to go directly to the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (known as MHP), a quasi public organization that acts as a clearing house for projects of this type, state wide.  The MHP is already familiar with the overall situation with housing and land availability in Maynard, but wants to hear from residents who actually live near the property, who frequently drive on the roads near it, or otherwise would be directly impacted by the development.

In a recent letter, Planning Director Bill Nemser asks that commenters, "... please give an extra thought to ensure that initiatives the community has adopted are not unintentionally cast in a negative light that may hurt the town (i.e. creation of affordable housing, economic development efforts etc.)."
(for further information, see The Town's Role section, below.)

This news story is divided into individual sections, below:
• The Land - its location and characteristics
• The Proposed Development - what the development company wants to build
• The State's Role - How Massachusetts State Government is involved
• The Town's Role - What the town is doing to manage the situation
• Background and History - The story behind the law and affordability
• Commentary

The land, known to long time residents of Maynard as the "Cutting property," was recently put on the market by the family that owned it, members of whom previously resided in the single family house that is still standing there. As that house is set way back from the road, the parcel appears just to be open land.  This is in contrast to other recent projects in town, such as "Maynard Square," the new building now replacing the old Gruber furniture store, at 115 Main Street, right next to the CVS Pharmacy. From the time that building was torn down in May of 2022 (video here) (Beacon Villager story here), the public has had a close hand view of the progress there.

The land has been on the market for some time, but as the price was over $3 million, the town declined to purchase it, as no financial resources were available for an amount that large.

The project being proposed by developer, AvalonBay Communities, is currently known as "Kanso Maynard" in the documents they have submitted thus far. Despite the title of this news story, the project would consist of not one, but a cluster of buildings.

The developers are interested in having their project approved under a provision in state law, known as "Chapter 40B," enacted decades ago in an attempt to streamline the creation of more housing units throughout the Commonwealth (see details in the Background section, below).
The purpose of the law is to alleviate the housing shortage that has persisted for over 50 years by now.  State law also defines what is meant by "affordable housing."  Towns with an insufficient percentage of affordable units, based on the law, must allow developers to build new housing with only minor oversight by town officials, if they qualify.  Towns with sufficient affordable units are exempt from the requirements under Chapter 40B, and are thus able to require developers to meet their local requirements as usual, instead.

According to town officials, the town is nearing the 10% level of affordable units necessary to keep such projects under the town's control.  Even if the town can't reach that level now, if we can at least prove significant progress toward that goal, then we may qualify for a one year exemption from the Chapter 40B requirements.  This is known as establishing a "safe harbor."  For that to happen, enough new affordable units need to be deeded and on the market as soon as possible. Some units currently under construction may be completed in time to qualify, but this remains uncertain.

So, why would the town be so concerned?  We could use more affordable housing units, right?  A new development would bring new tax revenue, at least initially.
In fact, Maynard has worked diligently over the years to develop a Master Plan, which already provides for more affordable housing.  There is an entire section of the town's web site devoted to the plan:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/229/Master-Plan
The overall idea is to manage development projects with the future in mind, rather than just build whatever comes along.  According to Planning Director Nemser, we have plenty of other areas that are suitable, as laid out in the plan.  The zoning map on the town's web site has the specific details:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/232/Town-of-Maynard-Zoning-Map-PDF
The goal of the town is not to block developments such as this one, but to ensure that they are compatible with the overall layout of the town and it's supporting infrastructure.

The land where this project is proposed to be built is currently zoned for single family housing, whereas there are other areas that are zoned for multi-unit housing.  These zones take into account a number of factors, such as ground water levels, as well as the capacity of existing storm drains that feed into local streams and rivers, the water and sewer lines available, and traffic congestion on local roads.  A development project sited in an inappropriate zone risks straining this infrastructure unnecessarily.

Chapter 40B:
For most new buildings in Maynard, a builder would typically apply for a building permit, then get the required approvals from various town boards and departments before going ahead.  However, for larger projects, developers have the option to bypass many of the town's requirements under a state law, known as "Chapter 40B."
The state enacted this law way back in 1969.  It is so well known and controversial, that it has its own Wikipedia article :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Comprehensive_Permit_Act%3A_Chapter_40B
In essence, the state was trying to solve a huge problem:  Not enough housing units, causing prices to increase faster than the wages and salaries that were being earned by the state's residents.
So, what was preventing more housing units from being built?  The cause seemed to be that many towns had zoning laws that effectively blocked multi-unit housing in favor of single family housing.  There are 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, each one with it's own unique requirements.
The attitude among many people in the towns was, "Build multifamily housing somewhere else, we want to keep the 'small New England town" feel in our town.'  But this meant that many of the people that towns needed to thrive could no longer afford to live there.  People with middle-class incomes, such as teachers, shop clerks, restaurant workers, tradespeople, artists, the self-employed, the retired, and so forth, were all being priced out of the housing market.
The state decided to enact this law to give qualified builders a "fast track" to build multifamily housing, if they included "affordable" units in their projects.  That was the origin of Chapter 40B.

Affordable Units:
Potential home buyers who cannot afford to buy housing at market rates may apply to purchase a unit designated as "affordable." This means that they can purchase at a reduced price, in exchange for certain restrictions.  Applicants must have income and financial resources that fall below established thresholds in order to qualify, but still robust enough to qualify for a home loan and cover the typical expenses of home ownership.  Most such buyers are "middle class" who have local jobs but whose salaries are insufficient to afford market rate housing in the area.
Once they buy a property, they must sign a deed that restricts them from selling it later at market rate, which would otherwise gain them a substantial profit.

From what I can determine from the conversations I've had with public officials, the intent of town government is to continue the support for creation of a reasonable number of affordable housing units within the town.  The main question is how and where to build them, so that they work well in the town overall.
Certainly there will be some impacts from a slight increase in population.  We must be careful to avoid overtaxing our fresh water system, for example.  On the other hand, we have enough capacity in our school system for more students.  Our cost per pupil could actually decrease slightly.  We also have enough additional capacity at our wastewater treatment plant.

As I see it, there are many advantages to have a reasonable supply of affordable housing. The people who are waiting for a chance to live here are likely to contribute to the overall vitality of Maynard as a whole.

by Glenn C. Koenig, Webmaster at Town Wide Mall

Maynard, MA - For a few hours, this Saturday afternoon,(21 September) the downtown area will likely be serving as a movie set.  At various times, Nason Street and Main Street will be closed to traffic to allow the crew to record images for a television show.  A flyer distributed to businesses downtown gives the details (see photo below).
A traffic detail from the Maynard Police Department will be on hand to direct traffic and detour signs will be up.  Although driving and parking along Nason and Main Streets will not be allowed, local businesses will be open and pedestrians are welcome to shop.  The main parking lots will be open.
Note that the flyer gives their "current plan" but in the production business, last minute changes can occur.
(I have not contacted the representative listed on the flyer for this story, in the interests of getting it posted quickly.)

Because of the situation, the bridge was temporarily closed in both directions.  Personnel on site this evening told me that the hole, although significant in size, did not appear to extend all the way through the bridge deck.  If the inspection underway shows that the bridge will be safe once the hole is filled in, later during the night, the work should be completed by morning.  However, if more serious damage is found, the bridge may have to be closed for a longer time.

Alternatively, drivers could to turn left, head up Walnut Street, then turn right on Thompson Street, and work their way back around to Main Street on the other side of the Mill Pond.

The photo below was taken from the Assabet River Rail Trail pedestrian bridge just a few yards up river from the Memorial Bridge. You can see the river as it passes directly under the bridge, at the center of the image. (Story continues, below)

The photo below, shows the work getting underway.  I took it from the opposite direction, with the Post Office behind me and Mill & Main to the right.

According to Maynard Public Works Director, Justin DeMarco, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Mass DOT) has sole responsibility for the maintenance, repair, or replacement of this bridge.   Therefore, our local Public Works department was not involved in the repair and local taxes are not impacted.  DeMarco stated that Mass DOT has implied that the bridge will be replaced some time in the near future, but at this point, "... we have no confirmation of when, and what the impacts or implications will be for the Town of Maynard."

Construction to replace the Florida Road bridge began in early 2022 and was completed by the end of 2023, just under two years.  However, there is much more to the story because of how long it took before that to "get in line" on the state's roster of bridge replacements, work up the design, apply for the necessary permits, and finally secure the funding to go ahead.
The world is a very different place from what it was in 1922, when the Memorial Bridge was constructed. In general, towns can no longer afford to fund the replacement of bridges such as this one, so the state has assumed responsibility for all aspects of the cost, scheduling, design, and construction.

The challenges facing the replacement of the Memorial Bridge are greater than they were for the Florida Road bridge because of the amount of traffic it handles and it's critical location for Maynard's traffic flow.  Florida Road was more of a "shortcut" for drivers, heading up to Summer Street.  The detour was inconvenient, but we managed.
However, Main Street carries Route 62 traffic between Concord and Acton, to the East, and on to Stow, and Route 495, to the west.
But that's not all.  As the state has grown in population over the last century or so, more and more bridges were built that now need replacing.  This story explains some of the challenges we face in getting this work done:
https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/08/31/its-not-just-the-t-analysis-finds-unusually-large-backlog-in-commonwealths-bridge-repair-needs
In the mean time, we're stuck paying for necessary repairs (from state funds) until a replacement can be scheduled.

The work will continue for about a month or so, although the streets involved will be passable after each workday, for the most part.
Fortunately, both Mayfield Street and Randall Road have relatively light traffic volumes.  Along with Brooks Street, they lead into an area of Maynard known as "the maze," with a varitey of intersections, unusual curves, and dead ends.  The area is purely residential and does not provide a way through to any other major route in town.

The work is being conducted based on a cooperation between Maynard's Public works department and Eversource Gas, as underground utility upgrades must be completed before the street above can be repaved.  Without this coordination, there would be the risk that newly paved streets would have to be dug up too soon, resulting in an uneven surface, cracks, pot holes, and accelerated deterioration.

(this is a developing story; stay tuned for further details in this report.)

Maynard, MA - On August 7th, Maynard residents who signed up for notifications from Town Hall received a message regarding a survey on health needs in the town. The Public Health department initiated the alert to ask residents to fill out the survey as soon as possible.

When I talked with Maynard's Public Health Nurse, Moira Carter, she explained that a link to the Public health page of the town's web site was supposed to be included in the notification broadcast, but was accidentally omitted by the time the message went out.

identifying future priorities, existing strengths and assets upon which to build, and areas for further collaborative efforts."  Public Health Director, Ivan Kwagala adds that the survey will also help us understand the problems people are facing in town and the strengths to prioritize needs and advocate for resources.

Ms. Carter explained that she divides her time between Maynard and Concord, as both towns employ her part time.  Thus, the survey is designed to gather information for both towns, but is posted and will be tallied separately for each town.
Using the same set of questions for both towns saves time and taxpayer funds.  The project involves developing the survey questions, creating the web based form (and the printed paper version), and analyzing, the entries to summarize the results.

I filled out the survey, which took me about 15 minutes, although most people are likely to go a bit faster than I did.  When I got to the end, a web page of "Community Resources" appeared.  It had a list of  organizations that are ready to help with various health and mental health concerns.  I recommend taking a screen shot of that page to save for later.  If you save a "web archive" of the page, it may save a copy of the whole survey, so a screen shot is a better alternative.  Otherwise, if you accidentally close your browser window before recording the information, you can contact someone at the Public Health Division to obtain a copy.  There are more links to resources on the Public Health Nurse page, as well, if you scroll all the way down to the last section on that page.
If you fill out the paper version of the survey, the last page has this same list of community resources, so be sure to tear it off and keep it, before dropping your completed survey in the collection box.

Both employees in the Public Health Department in Maynard are relatively new.  The director, Ivan Kwagala has been in the position less than two years, and Moira Carter, the public health nurse, started only last fall, in 2023.
As no true health assessment had been done for quite some time, they wanted to get a better assessment of community needs, along with residents' health priorities.
The project has not received any grant funding, however, they are getting help from an intern, referred to the town by the Massachusetts Department of Health, Local Health Internship Program.
Both towns are part of shared public health groups, each of which covers a group of towns and supports their public health departments in various ways.  Maynard is part of Metro West Shared Public Health Services, and Concord is part of the Great Meadows Public Health Collaborative.  Both groups cover specific geographic areas, which is why the two towns happen to be covered by two separate groups.

When people think of "democracy," we often think first of elections and the candidates who are running for public office.  But there is a lot more too it than just that. This is just one example of how we all can have an impact on what government does for us, without waiting for election day to come around.
True, it takes a little time and effort to make our priorities known, but in order for government departments such as this to serve us, it makes sense for us to have a voice in what they do.

It's common for people with health issues to hesitate to speak up or ask for help.  It's easy to feel alone or isolated with problems that are hard to talk about.  Since this survey is anonymous, this is a good opportunity to open up about your concerns.  The more the town understands what's going on for residents, the better it can act to help out where help is needed and offer resources that may be useful.

I urge you to find a few minutes to fill out the survey.  If you have questions about the survey or other issues relevant to public health, the Public Health Division web page has a "Contact Us" list in the right hand margin, with names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers.
If you know of anyone who does not have good access to the internet, or may not see notifications of this news story on Facebook or other social media, please help by letting them know how they can participate, either by using computers at the library or by visiting the department to complete the survey on paper.

This project is being done to help prevent accidents and injuries at the intersection, which have become more frequent in the last few decades as the volume and speed of traffic has increased significantly.
Recently, I contacted Lieutenant Brian Cushing of the Maynard Police Department for some background information regarding this story.  He and his staff compiled accident data covering the past three years (since January 1st, of 2021) at this location.  They found records of ten accidents, with four of them considered to be serious collisions, where drivers or pedestrians were injured.
One long time resident of Maynard contacted me last year, urging me to report on the hazards at this location.  Her car was struck by another vehicle some years ago.  The other vehicle had turned left from Haynes Street unexpectedly, just as she was entering from Concord Street.  Fortunately, she was not injured, but both vehicles were heavily damaged and her car was totaled.  Other residents I interviewed told me that they simply avoid this intersection altogether and use other routes instead.

The town's web site has a Project Page: 
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/510/Project-Page
... which has links to a variety of documents describing the full design, in detail, along with others that describe the steps taken by the town to get the project funded.

(To better organize the rest of this story, I'll use a question and answer format from here, down.)

Question:  Why are we having two traffic disruptions like this within only a few months?
Answer:   Eversource gas had been planning to replace old gas mains in this area for some time, as some of the original pipes were so old that they were more prone to leaks.  The town did not want to install a new intersection with new pavement, updated sidewalks, etc., only to have Eversource come along and dig it all up a short time later, so the town arranged with Eversource to do their work ahead of time.

Question:  Will there be dedicated left turn lanes?
Answer:  No. The timing of the signals may be arranged to provide "delayed green" opportunities for turning traffic, but that has yet to be finalized.  As for lanes themselves, there is simply no room to expand the width of the roadway to create additional lanes. The rail trail and park are at one side and private homes line the other side.  Not only that, if we were to substantially change the layout of the roads, the cost of the project would be much higher.  A previous plan, years ago, proposed changing the location and width of the roadway, but that was never implemented (see "Why did it take so long" below).

Question:  What other impacts will occur during construction?
Answer:  A clerk at the Cumberland Farms convenience store told me that they lost $7,000 during the Eversource project last spring, due to all the detours.  However, my calls to Cumberland Farms headquarters were not returned, so I was unable to confirm this figure with them.

Question:  What is all this going to cost the town?
Answer:  The project, when completed will be somewhere around one million dollars.  However, approximately half that amount is coming from grants from state government, some of which is federal money that was earmarked for funding projects of this type (see Why did it take so long for details).

Today's traffic volume has increased dramatically.  People are more likely to drive faster these days and we don't have enough police to effectively prevent most of them from doing so.  When traffic is heavier, pedestrians have to wait longer to cross safely, and sometimes people get impatient and start taking more risks.  So now we have pedestrian signals, push buttons, and sound signals for the sight impaired.  In general, we now have more federal and state requirements for pedestrians with various kinds of disabilities to be able to cross safely.
Although this may seem like needless government regulation to some people, it's good to remember that any one of us could become a "person with a disability" at any time, either through an accident or illness.
To get some idea of the complexity of the project, here is just one page from the plans that the contractor must implement.

Question:  Why did it take so long to finally get this done?
Answer:  There are essentially two reasons:  Funding, and disagreement on what to do.  Recently, I talked with David Mark, a long time resident in Maynard.  He told me that around 20 years ago, there was some federal grant money available, so the town developed a plan to change the course of Brown and Haynes Streets by moving them both to the west, to improve the “sight lines,” for drivers coming up Route 27 from Maynard Center, as described, above.  The intersection would end up very close to (or in place of) the “Cat Cottage” building, which is still there now.
At that time, the Assabet River Rail Trail had not yet been created.  The railroad had long since been abandoned, after the last trains ran in the 1960s, so that was not a factor.

In the years since, no one was able to come up with an alternative source of funding.  Then, after the pandemic hit, Congress passed legislation known as the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (also known as the "ARPA spending bill").  Funds were allotted to the various states, including the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Maynard town government officials submitted documentation for the need of such a project to the state Department of Transportation. They decided that this project was "in line with the intent" of the ARPA Spending Bill, and earmarked $500,000 to be awarded to Maynard, in June of 2022.
In the two years since then, the design had to be worked out, a request for bids was sent out to contractors, the bids had to be received back and evaluated, and the project awarded to the winner.  Some changes were made to the original plan to add specific safety features during the process, and to adjust for increasing costs of construction during that time.  The additional funds required were voted at Town Meeting this year, in order to fully fund the project.

(OK, just two more, I promise!)

Question:  What's the deal with Haynes Street?
Answer:  Haynes Street is perhaps the shortest street in all of Maynard.  In the mid 1800s, prior to the creation of Maynard as a town, Warren A. Haynes purchased a tract of land in the area, originally owned by Ezekiel Brown.  He laid out Brown and Tremont streets, and Haynes Street was named after him.  This is according to the book, “A brief History of Maynard Mass.” by William H. Gutteridge, published in 1921 by the Town of Maynard.

Question:  Why does this news story have so much technical detail?
Answer:  Right now, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is a big thing in education, but why should we just limit that to young people?  Don’t we all live in a world where these aspects are major influences in our lives?  When it’s time to set public policy, and we focus on the politics but leave the technology to the “experts,” aren’t we just cheating ourselves?

The myth is that most scientists, engineers, and mathematicians are as bad at communicating as most political science majors are at understanding something like magnetic induction.  Isn’t it time we found more ways to help each other understand these concepts, across the board?  Can’t we actually put some work into explaining things in the language of the person listening as well as that of the person talking?

I’ve read numerous news stories in the past that left me feeling cheated when the author glosses over the very technology that I find important.  Young people are born with a thirst for knowledge and experience, so let's give them as many options as we can to satisfy that yearning.  Perhaps a 10 year old isn't old enough to drive ... yet.  But if they read this story, it may help them be a better driver when the time comes.  This is certainly not an "R" rated story!

So, here’s my invitation to you, dear reader.  Read what you want and skip what you don’t want, as you wish.  Alternatively, if you want to understand more, please don't be afraid to ask.  As I see it, the more we all know, the better we'll be that much more prepared to live in this highly technological world.

Temperatures are high enough to cause significant health problems, especially for anyone without adequate cooling indoors.  Regional radio and TV news programs have been carrying stories about cooling centers in major cities, but Maynard is one of many small towns too numerous for them to cover.
For example, Boston has declared a heat emergency and has opened numerous cooling centers, as well as splash fountains and swimming pools.  Cities like Boston can end up with a "heat island" effect, where extensive expanses of asphalt pavement and roof materials soak up heat from the sun, creating even higher temperatures, so these facilities are essential.
Here in Maynard, we have a lot more open space with trees and other plant life, which can help absorb sunlight and slightly reduce the heat build up.  However, being a much smaller town, we only have a few options for cooling off.  Still, when it's this hot, it's important to be cautious, no matter where you live.

I checked Maynard's town web site and found an announcement regarding the heat wave here:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=227
On that page, three cooling centers are listed, although when I contacted both the Police and Fire departments, I could only confirm that the Fire Department actually has one available.

The Fire Department has a web page with extensive information about not only their cooling center, but other tips for surviving in the heat:
https://maynardfd.com/2024/06/18/maynard-police-and-fire-departments-share-tips-for-staying-cool-amid-heat-advisory/
On their site, it says that temperatures, such as we're now experiencing, "...can be extremely hazardous and at times fatal."  This may be common knowledge by now, but what seems to catch many people off guard is how the effects can develop slowly, while we aren't noticing, then become severe suddenly.  Because of this, it's very important to reduce exposure in the first place.
Although the 911 emergency phone system was offline for a few hours earlier in the week, the problems have now been fixed, so if someone appears to be struggling, get them to a cooler place right away, and call 911 for help.

During a heat wave such as this, where even temperatures and humidity at night are too high for most people to sleep comfortably, just using window fans is not recommended.  However, there are many times during the summer when the air outside at night is even cooler than it is in an air conditioned room.  In that case, using a fan can save electricity and provide fresh air for better sleep, as well.

I have been meaning to record a video on how to make one of these, but somehow, something else yet again interrupts me, and I have to put it off.  Since we had a heat pump installed after I made this video, we don't use window units in our house anymore, so I need a volunteer who still uses one, to show how it's done.  Ideally, the location would be a bedroom, in someone's home, where there is another window for cross ventilation. My plan would be to record the video on how to make one, do the actual work in my shop, install it, then leave it in place for the homeowner to use afterward.

There are many efforts to convert to sustainable energy sources for society as a whole. Some of them are very big and impressive, such as giant battery systems, pumping water up into lakes to flow down through hydro dams when needed, and so forth.
As impressive as they may be, conservation is often the forgotten factor.  There are no big headlines, no photos of impressive technology, and so forth.  Conservation is often based on the efforts of millions of people, taking the initiative to change habits and adopt new ways of living that can make a big difference.
With energy as plentiful and low cost as it has been over the previous decades, our culture adapted to what was available.  However, now that we realize what the impact of our energy use is, we must take the responsibility to adjust.
Although conservation may seem to involve sacrifice, the truth is, many ways to save energy and lighten our impact on the planet do not require extraordinary measures.  Often, simple change in habits or adjusting our lifestyles in minor ways can help a lot.  The Window Bar is just one idea of something simple that can be done, yet save a significant amount of energy.  There are many more.  I have a few articles on my web site https://energystories.org but they are only a few of what's available.

Although this may seem far fetched at first, this is exactly what 200 cities and towns in Massachusetts have already done, starting as far back as 2012. That’s well over half of the total of 351 municipalities in the Commonwealth.  Those that have already created such plans are listed on the state's web site:
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/municipal-aggregation

Maynard is now in the process of creating such a plan, known as “Maynard Power Choice.” The town has a dedicated web page with more details here:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/511/Maynard-Power-Choice

Maynard’s Select Board will host a presentation about the plan on Tuesday, June 4th at 7:00 PM.  Residents can attend the meeting in person at town hall (195 Main Street), or online by copying and pasting the link provided in the agenda.  Following the meeting, there will be a public comment period, extending from June 4th through July 8th.  The notice for the meeting and the agenda is here:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06042024-1147
(Maynard Power Choice is listed under item #9)

This process is known officially as "Community Choice Aggregation" or “Municipal Aggregation.”
• Aggregation means that a town can gather thousands of households into a single group, giving it bargaining power, in order to obtain electricity at a “bulk rate,” or a quantity discount, on behalf of electric customers in town who have joined the program.  The result can be a better deal when compared to an individual homeowner choosing an alternative electric supplier on their own instead.
Local governments are free to create these plans under the existing state Department of Public Utilities program mentioned on the web site linked above.
• Choice means that, under the program, participation for individual households is voluntary.  That is, residents in a given town are free to choose to join in or say “no thank you” (opt out).  Those who opt out remain with the same standard electric supplier they now have (see item #3 in the “Overview” section on the state's web page).

Most Municipal Aggregation programs typically provide different “tiers” of electric rates, depending on the percentage of renewable sources providing the electricity.  For example, those willing to pay a slightly higher rate can obtain “100% renewable” power, eliminating their dependence on fossil fuels altogether.  Other tiers may provide a mix of renewable sources and others, such as fossil fuels, or nuclear.

Recently, I contacted the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities while researching this story.  Alanna Kelly, official spokesperson for the DPU, provided the following statement on behalf of the department:
"Municipal aggregation is an important tool for communities to utilize clean energy while providing flexibility to ratepayers. The DPU continues to work through pending applications to ensure provision of electric service for aggregated customers is compliant and consistent with its focus to protect all ratepayers."

• There is an article on Wikipedia that gives more details on how this all works, and what's being done in other states:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Choice_Aggregation

The electric power system faces an inherent conflict:  On the one hand, it exists in a free market economy, where competition is supposed to help control prices and quality.  On the other hand, having multiple competing companies each install their own utility poles and string wires along our streets proved to be quite impractical, early in the last century.  With only one set of wires leading to our homes, competition is out of the question, so we were stuck with a monopoly, initially.

Over decades, the federal government, along with state governments, enacted laws to regulate the industry.  Unfortunately, this approach suffered from a variety of problems.  

Government regulation, as well as industry infrastructure, is typically slow to change, whereas market conditions can fluctuate rapidly.  The “oil crisis” of the early 1970s is a prime example.  Fuel prices rose rapidly, squeezing utility companies, who fought for permission to raise rates substantially.  Customers were stuck on the sidelines; regardless of the result of the struggle between the companies and the government agencies, customers were left paying the bills each month.

In the 1990s, a new approach was developed.  The electric companies were made to “break up” into two parts: generation (supply) and distribution (delivery).

• Delivery: The existing company would handle distribution - as monopoly, yes, but as a regulated utility (the government controls the rates). That’s Eversource, here in Maynard.  They install and maintain the poles and wires, but this infrastructure changes slowly and predictably, so regulation is relatively practical.

• Supply: Customers could now choose who generated the electricity at the other end.  At first this seemed impossible; How could one choose a supplier without another set of wires to deliver the electricity?  The answer is based on where the money you pay goes. The portion of what you pay on the bill, designated as “supply,” is ultimately paid to the company that you chose to generate the electricity you use.  That supply company is connected to the same electric grid as all the others, which is how the electricity they generate reaches you, even though the electricity is "mixed in" with the electricity added to the grid by all the other suppliers.

For example, if you choose electricity generated by wind, then your money goes to the owners of the wind turbines.  Eversource is required to send the supply portion of what you pay to the wind farm owners.  That means less money goes to the companies using fossil fuels, which, in turn, means that they need to burn less fossil fuel, or operate fewer fossil fuel generating plants.

The reality is a bit more complicated.  Fossil fuel generating plants can’t just be shut down or started back up quickly. Nor can they be demolished and later replaced by new ones without an extraordinary lead time, spanning many years. Wind and solar generation depend on the availability of wind and sunlight, which varies throughout the day.  Of course, new ways are being developed to store energy when the wind is strong or the sun is bright, and send that energy back out to the grid during other times.  Some of that technology (to store energy) is already in place, but we have a ways to go before more of that is implemented.  Research is ongoing to find more commonly available materials with which to build better batteries, for example.  Meanwhile, we are in a transition period where we still have a variety of energy sources.  To give generating companies a bit more income stability, contracts are often set up for a period of a few years.

The other problem has been with the variety of supply companies to choose from, all with different multi-page contracts so sign.  Buried in the fine print there have often been guarantees for stable prices, but only for six months or so, after which the price can vary widely.  These companies add these provisions because nobody can predict the cost of generating in the future, base on fuel prices, or how many wind or solar panels go online, etc.  However, there were so many companies, operating in various states, that trying to manage them became an regulatory nightmare over the last decade or so.

Finally, we got to a point where the market was almost completely dominated by companies attempting to cheat customers.
This recent press release by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides some details:
https://tinyurl.com/TWMLink08

There is another report on this situation from WBUR radio, just this past March:
https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/03/28/massachusetts-third-party-energy-competitive-suppliers-electricity-regulators

The issue boils down to this:  Individual electric customers don’t have the resources for a legal team to evaluate contracts and compel companies to provide a fair deal.  But towns are big enough and have enough resources that, together with state oversight, can execute fair contracts and keep prices reasonable.  And, in turn, towns can give customers a real choice, including better access to electricity generated with renewable resources.

Having direct experience with community choice aggregation when I lived in Arlington, I wholeheartedly support Maynard's efforts to implement a plan here.  When I first moved to Maynard, back in 2019, one of the first things I did was to visit town hall to inquire about creating a similar program in Maynard.  I'm glad to see that we're finally on the way.
Although there are pros and cons to renewable energy sources (aka "Green" energy) right now, I fully support moving forward with plans to transition away from fossil fuels as soon as we can.  This is an effort that will take years of work, and yet is urgent at the same time.
Although there is currently political turmoil regarding energy sources, I don't see much use in pointing the finger of blame, back and forth.

That infrastructure also includes we, the customers, who benefit from using it's products, from the cars we drive, to the heating systems in our homes, as well as  the generating plants that produce our electric power.
At the same time, we must do what we can to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels as quickly and efficiently as possible.  As far as I am concerned, the evidence is clear - we are endangering all life on our planet, including our own.
Yes, we will have to help all those employees in the fossil fuel industry find new jobs elsewhere.  We will have to do our best to retire the old infrastructure and replace it with something new.  This will not happen all at once - some jobs will end when employees retire; some infrastructure will reach the end of its operational life over time.

In my opinion, we will have to do what we can to help each other make the transition away from fossil use and toward renewable sources, as we go forward.  But I have complete confidence that we can do this if we stay on task.