Massachusetts Joins New Regional Public Health Collaborative

WORCESTER – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced on Thursday, September 9, that the state joined with six others to create the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. The collaborative includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York State, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and New York City.

The seven states and one city began collaborating in early 2025, though the formal announcement did not take place until now.

The purpose of the collaborative “is to work together in new ways–optimizing the use of shared resources, innovating and reimagining core services – to ensure trust in public health, respond to public health threats, advance community health and strengthen confidence in vaccines and science-based medicine.”

The groups’ shared goal “is to protect the health, safety and well-being of all residents by providing information based on science, data, and evidence, while working to ensure equitable access to vaccines, medications and services.”

The collaborative says it has formed inter-jurisdictional working groups to identify opportunities for collaboration and shared planning. Those groups cover the areas of Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Vaccine Recommendations, Data Collection, Infectious Disease Management and Laboratory Services.

In August, the group met in-person for the first time in Rhode Island.

Worcester City Council’s Important Business of 22 Minutes

The Worcester City Council met on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The councilors last met on September 9.

What’s Going on Here?

The light agenda played itself out. The city council meeting lasted 22 minutes. The first 8 of those minutes were:

• The pledge of allegiance
• The national anthem
• A proclamation for a Weeek without Driving organized by WalkBike Worcester for the week of September 29th through Oct 5th
• A proclamation for the local Salvation Army and American Red Cross in Worcester for September as Emergency Preparedness Month.
• All of the items were sent to committee or to the manager.
• The drone report, and the fire blanket report were sent to Public Safety without comment.

-The report on sidewalk and street construction had two total comments from Councilor Russell and Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson. Their criticism of the Public Works Department led to this report. It was sent to committee.

Remember This

If you remember when the city council meeting was interrupted by protestors in June, Mayor Petty made the rounds of local media complaining about how much work needed to be done. As the heading on our preview mentioned, the city council has now met 5 times since July 1st. 3 of the meetings lasted until well after 10 o’clock, which means maybe those meetings could have been reduced with work shifted to this meeting.

I would also remind you that dozens of citizen petitions have been denied. I recently submitted one, which was denied by the Clerk’s office (through the City Solicitor) and was directed to email my councilor or the at-larges to bring it up for me. As was predicted here, no one has answered. In this case, I, like many Worcester voters, and now disenfranchised locally. My representatives do not respond to their own process, only to sustained public shame.

It is what it is.

22 Minutes. Is this the regularly scheduled programming? Is this what the voters want?

Worcester $30 Million Dispute with Holden to Supreme Court

WORCESTER – The City of Worcester applied for review by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in its dispute with the Town of Holden over sewage charges.

The case dates back to 1999.

In 1999, Holden and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) contracted for transport of Holden’s sewage through Worcester. The contract said that DCR would charge Holden “proportionate applicable transit costs” to use Worcester’s system.

Worcester and DCR entered into an agreement in 2000, which included the rate DCR would pay Worcester for transport of Holden’s sewage.

Holden never executed that agreement, claiming the rate charged Holden for costs unrelated to sewage transport. However, DCR billed Holden every quarter since 2000 based on the fees in the Worcester contract. Holden paid those fees for over 13 years.

The case went to a civil, jury trial in 2022. The jury found that DCR breached its contract with Holden by charging it more than the costs outlined in the 1999 contract. It also found those breaches excused by “waiver, condition precedent, contract modification or impossibility,” according the the background info provided with the judgement of a Superior Court judge in 2922.

The same jury found that Worcester “knowingly received a valuable benefit from Holden, and that it would be unfair for Worcester to retain that benefit.”

The jury awarded Holden $14.6 million in damages for the difference in what it was charged and the services it actually used.

In December 2022, a Superior Court judge rejected both Worcester’s motion to set aside the jury verdict, and Holden’s motion to amend the jury decision with respect to DCR.

Worcester filed for review by the Appeals Court of Massachusetts. on Aug. 18, the court released its opinion, affirming the decision of the Superior Court.

On Sept. 8, attorneys at Prince Lobel Tye, LLP, the firm representing the City of Worcester, filed a Further Appellate Review (FAR) application, asking the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court for review.

According to the Massachusetts Appellate Court website, no further activity occurred on the case since that time.

Should the state supreme court rule against Worcester, and the cases continue through the end of 2025, Worcester will owe Holden just short of $30 million, including interest.

City Council Preview for September 16 2025

The Worcester City Council meets on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The councilors last met on September 9. Tuesday marks just the fourth meeting of the council since July 1.

What’s Going on Here?

The council has a much lighter agenda this week, despite Mayor Petty and others declaring there is a huge amount of work to be done, during the week after the last protest. So much work it would hinder the ongoing work of the city. But the agenda is a bit light on the docket. Hmmmm.

Chief of Police Saucier has a report on the agenda:

Transmitting informational communication relative to a quarterly report regarding the Worcester Police Department’s small Unmanned Aircraft System.

This is with regard to the smaller of the two drones the police department owns. The department originally hid this drone from public view, and then claimed it as a training drone. It is small enough to enter buildings.

This report has 8 uses of the equipment during the quarter. One use was for a flyover during the annual police versus fire baseball game at Polar Park. I am not sure how much that cost, but it seems to be an interesting use of the equipment.

The report seems to be pointing to how much the drone helps, but is light on the details on how it helped during its use. Here’s hoping the councilors will in fact ask about the drone usage in detail.

This is really the only issue of substance because this meeting is a city manager-led agenda. There are other reports there, but only a few.

Elm Park Playground Do-over

It is not on the agenda, but the Elm Park playground is once again undergoing repairs because the contractor made an error. The city worked with this contractor in the past. I am waiting to see if any councilor asks questions about this.

Campaign Season

The campaign is on us, and there are a ton of upcoming events. Check in with This Week in Worcester as we cover as many debates and forums as we can! See you Tuesday!

Level-2 Drought Declared in Central Massachusetts

WORCESTER – The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), Drought Management Task Force declared a level 2 significant drought for the central region of Massachusetts, including Worcester.

The declaration triggers water-use restrictions that are effective immediately.

All water users are restricted from all nonessential outdoor water use. Exceptions include watering of ornamentals and flower gardens with drip irrigation, hand-held hoses, or watering cans.

According to the City of Worcester, current reservoir capacity sits at just below 74 percent.

Low rainfall throughout August impacted drought conditions. The 24-year average for rainfall in August is 4.55 inches. In August, just 1.78 inches of rain fell.

See the Neighborhood Meetings This Week in Worcester

WORCESTER – The Worcester Police Department is encouraging residents to attend their neighborhood watch meetings to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in their neighborhoods and to share any concerns or questions they may have. Representatives from the city also regularly attend these neighborhood meetings.

There are over 50 Neighborhood Watch Groups in Worcester. Meetings are held regularly — often once a month in various locations in the city.

Contact the Worcester Police Department’s Neighborhood Response Team at (508) 799-8664 for more information.

Here are the neighborhood meetings this week in Worcester.

Wednesday, Sept. 17

• Indian Lake Neighborhood Meeting, Worcester Business Center 67 Millbrook St. – 6 PM

Thursday, Sept. 18

• Mill St Area Neighborhood Meeting, Stearns Tavern, 72 Coes St. – 6 PM

Wednesday, Sept. 24

• Whittier Terrace Neighborhood Meeting, Whittier Terrace, 86 Austin St. – 4 PM
• Quinsigamond Neighborhood Crime Watch Meeting, Journey Community Church, 46 Greenwood St. – 6 PM

Thursday, Sept. 25

• Columbus Park Neighborhood Meeting, Stearns Tavern, 72 Coes St. – 6 PM
• Union Hill Neighborhood Meeting, Worcester Academy: Walker Hall, 81 Providence St. – 6 PM

Monday Sept. 29

• Green Hill Neighborhood Meeting, Saint Bernard's Church, 236 Lincoln St. – 6:30 PM

Wednesday, Oct. 1

• Seabury Heights Apartments Neighborhood Meeting, Seabury Heights Apartments, 240 Belmont St. – 4 PM

Thursday, Oct. 2

• Lincoln Village Neighborhood Meeting, Victoria Building, 116 Country Club Blvd. – 4 PM
• Webster Square Neighborhood Meeting, Our Lady of Angels 1222 Main St. – 7 PM

Charlie Kirk, Public Schools Teaching 9/11, Debate in District 4

This Week in Worcester Podcast, Sept. 14, on:

• The Charlie Kirk Murder
• Gov. Healey’s order for public schools to teach 9/11
• D4 Debate earlier today

And some comments on Terence Crawford and Ricky Hatton.

Old Grumbly Fan’s Week 2 Patriots Preview

In Week One, my preview and prediction fell short. Grumble, grumble.

Coach Vrabel had a questionable call in the fourth quarter. Down 2 scores, the Patriots punted twice in the fourth. True, they were not moving the ball well at all, but what does punting do other than signal defeat that late in the game?

Our young QB-savior, Drake Maye, did not have a good game at all. The stats are ok, but the team was bogged down the majority of the game with 6 drives ending in punts, and another in an interception. The Raiders are not slated for huge glory this year, so as of today this looks bad.

He can still throw it a mile, but so could Jeff George (if any of you remember him).

Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels looked like he does most of the time without Tom Brady. No commitment to the run, nothing imaginative, and lets promising first sets of downs go to waste. This seems like a bad fit for a young QB.

Defensive Coordinator Terrell Williams’s defense looked pretty good, despite being on the field a LOT thanks to the poor showing by the offense. He is out this week with a health issue, but I think the defense will be their best unit this year.

Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs had a decent game with six catches, but the overall offense was poor, so we didn’t see any really explosive plays. Hopefully that will change.

Old Grumbly Guy Predictions

The Pats catch a break in that the early Miami game is in Foxboro, which means they will pay for it with Miami in January, their true 50 year house of horrors. This Dolphins teams got smoked by Indy in Week 1, but that doesn’t always mean a trend.

Both teams need a win, so I expect a slugfest. Tua is undefeated against the Patriots in his career, but streaks always have an end.

Pats 14 – Miami 13 with a missed extra point sealing the game for the home team. See you next week!

Mosquito Spraying in Worcester After West Nile Detected

WORCESTER – After the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced mosquito samples collected in the Burncoat area, rhe Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP) scheduled a truck-mounted pesticide spraying in the area areas scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11, after 7 PM, weather permitting.

DPH has not elevated its determination of the risk level of WNV in Worcester, where it remains at moderate.

Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms, although some may experience fever, flu-like illness, and—in rare cases—more severe illness.

Find maps of the area and a list of streets where spraying will occur at the bottom of this page.

Precautions to Take and Additional Information

Residents in the areas planned for spraying should take the following precautions.

• Close street-facing windows and turn off any “outside air” settings on air conditioners.
• Keep pets inside between sunset and midnight, and do not let children play near or behind truck-mounted applicators when they are in use.
• Remain inside during the application and for 15-20 minutes afterwards.
• Wash off any vegetables from home gardens after spraying and before consuming them.

Residents may opt-out of spraying of their property by visiting the Massachusetts state website.

To avoid mosquito bites and the diseases they can transmit, residents are encouraged to practice the 5 Ds:

• DRESS in long sleeves and pants when possible. Cover up during periods of mosquito activity.
• DEET is an effective insect repellent. Always follow the label instructions.
• DAWN & dusk are mosquitoes’ most active periods.
• DRAIN water from containers weekly. Avoid standing water, such as rain collecting in open bins, buckets, or toys.

Clothing treated with insect repellent is also available, and permethrin—the repellent commonly used—can be applied to treat clothing manually. Installing and repairing screens will help to keep mosquitoes out of homes.

See the state website, or call the MDPH Division of Epidemiology at 617-983-6800, for more information from MDPH, including all WNV and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) positive results in the state,

If an animal is suspected of having WNV or EEE, owners are required to report it to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health by calling 617-626-1795, and to MDPH by calling 617-983-6800.

CMMCP offers a variety of services such as ditch maintenance and abandoned swimming pool treatment. Residents may access forms for all service requests on the CMMCP website, or call 508-393-3055, Monday through Friday between 7 AM – 3:30 PM.

Information about the products and Integrated Pest Management program used by the CMMCP is available at its website.

CMMCP also publishes is spraying schedules, and specific areas to be sprayed will be posted both on its website and phone system (508-393-3055) each day after 3:30 p.m.

Streets expected to be sprayed in Worcester on Sept. 11:

• Ashburnham Road
• Barnard Road
• Belvidere Avenue
• Burncoat Park Road
• Burncoat Street
• Burncoat Terrace
• Clearview Avenue
• Davidson Road
• Kenwood Avenue
• Merton Road
• Millbrook Street
• North Parkway
• Park View Drive
• Wawecus Road

Worcester City Council Recap: Fire Sprinkler Law Rejected

The Worcester City Council met on September 9th and it was a Doozy!

Public Safety Chair Leads Rejection of Fire Chief and City Manager Recommendations

The city opting into MGL Ch. 148, § 26I was in the eye of the storm in the Esther Howland on Tuesday night. In the end, councilors rejected opting into the state law by a six to four vote. As I said in my preview earlier this week, I did not understand why this was an issue.

The law only applies within municipalities that opt-in and requires fire sprinklers installed in new residential buildings, and in residential buildings where renovations made the property as good as new.

Fire Chief Martin Dyer and City Manager Eric Batista both said that if the building code enforcement division and the fire department work well together, opting into this law, which both supported, would not have much of an impact.

Staggered renovation could be one way property owners avoid sprinkler requirements. Renovations done in stages, like one unit in a four-unit building being renovated at a time (when tenants move out, for example), could be a way to avoid compliance with sprinkler requirements.

Had councilors voted to to opt-in, the city could enforce sprinkler requirements in staggered renovation situations.

For example, in buildings with four or more units. the owner could renovate one apartment at a time (as tenants leave or are priced out, for example), would not be subject to the current version of Worcester’s codes. Opting in would trigger sprinkler enforcement. regardless.

Declining to opt into this law is a strange political risk. If a fire does happen in a building like I just described, I don’t know how this doesn’t come back to haunt the folks who voted not to support the Fire Chief and City Manager.

Passion From the City Manager

An item that appeared innocuous at first became a moment of fierce pushback from City Manger Batista.

Councilor Bergman spoke about his item 12i, regarding the double rotary project near Worcester State University at the intersection of May Street and Chandler Street. During his comments, Bergman questioned whether there had been any hearings about the project, and associated it with the Mill Street redesign.

Councilor Haxhiaj objected to Bergman’s characterization and laid out a series of events and meetings related to the project, run by the state DOT, which involves parking and two different rotaries. She also said that Councilor Colorio, the City Manager, and his staff attended meetings on the project.

Councilor Russell rose to talk about his fear that Massasoit Street would be subject to the same “secret” meetings and process, and he criticized the City Manager and his staff.

Speaking to the council, City Manager Batista took exception to the characterization of his administration’s communications.

My takeaway: it is election season. Similar to the sprinkler item, it is an all-hands-on-deck attack on Councilor Haxhiaj. The double rotary project is over 8 years old. Many celebrated the project then,  as the state it paying for the project.

This Week in Worcester reported on one meeting held by MassDOT in 2022 related to this project.

The city has a webpage dedicated to the project here: Chandler-May Improvements

I find it hard to believe that Councilor Bergman just discovered this, and that the reference to Mill Street was just a coincidence.

The Legacy of Bill Coleman

Councilors unanimously approved two items related to Bill Coleman, who recently died.

The first sought an honorary street name on Gardner St. from Main St. to Hollis St. The second item made Coleman an honorary member of the city council for a day.

I look forward to celebrating his life at the event for the street renaming, but I still have a bit of a hole in my heart that he was not recognized prior to his passing.

Heres to Bill.

Join me next Tuesday for the City Council meeting at City Hall.