News Briefs

4th of July Information For Town of Winthrop Residents

The annual Winthrop fireworks display is scheduled for Tuesday July 4, at 9 p.m.. The fireworks will be launched from Coughlin Playground in Point Shirley.

The annual Horribles Parade will begin at 9 a.m..  The parade will start at the Public Landing and end at Coughlin Playground.  The parade will take its traditional route, and there will be events at Coughlin Playground at the conclusion.

No outdoor fires will be tolerated.  All fires will be extinguished by the Fire Department. There is no sanctioned Bonfire.

There will be no consumption of alcohol in any public area. Public intoxication will be dealt with accordingly.

All Point Shirley residents hosting parties are asked to have their guests arrive early and park off the street or in public lots.

Point Shirley will be closed to traffic around 6:00 p.m. on July 4.

Bayview Ave. and Grandview Ave. will become a one-way loop from Bayview Ave. west to Grandview Ave. south.  All motor vehicles should be parked facing in those directions.

There will be no parking allowed on the west side of Shirley St. from Bayview Ave. to Siren St. This is the side of the street near the Holy Rosary Church.  Signs will be posted.

At the end of the fireworks, all cars will follow the loop back on to Shirley St. and out of Point Shirley.  Cars will not be allowed to travel out of Bayview Ave. on to Shirley St.

Motorists may be diverted to other streets to ensure a continuous flow of traffic out of Point Shirley at the conclusion of the firew orks.  Motorists are asked to follow the directions of the Police Officers directing traffic.

Residents and other motorists are advised that there may be significant delays getting in to the Point Shirley area at the conclusion of the fireworks.  Non-residents may be diverted away from the area until the flow of traffic has returned to normal.

The Winthrop Police and Fire departments will have extra personnel assigned to the Point Shirley area on July 3 and 4 in order to manage the large number of people and events in the area.

Art at Crest Ave. Park in July & Aug

Come and enjoy The Winthrop Art Association’s “Art at Crest Ave. Park” in the Highlands on the following Saturdays in July and August:

July 13, July 27

Aug. 3, Aug. 24

Sign up with Chuck via text or by calling 1-802-626-5021.

For more info, contact Dawn at 617-846-2644.

Town Manager’s Tips on Recycling

Here are a few tips and explanations about the town’s waste disposal and recycling efforts from Town Manager Austin Faison.

What is Going on With Recycling in Winthrop?

Recently, the Town learned that the contracted waste disposal vendor has been commingling solid waste (non-recyclables) and recyclable materials. This means that although Winthrop residents have continued to do their part by recycling, the materials are not getting where they used to.

Why?

Recycling is based on the commodities market, where the materials we recycle – paper, cardboard, some plastics, and glass – are purchased, processed and reused in other products. Recently, the commodities market has adjusted and the companies that purchase and process the recycled materials are no longer buying, removing the economic incentive to recycling.

But don’t we Have a Contract?

Yes, but that contract – which is set to expire next year – does not specifically require that the vendor recycle everything that we put out. The Town Manager will be appointing a special committee of town staff and residents to review the current contract, more up-to-date contracts and policies from other municipalities, and solid waste best practices to include in a new contract.

What Can the Town do?

Keep recycling! The commodities market may change quickly, making Winthrop’s recyclables desirable and reusable.

Stay involved! We will continue our outreach in the coming months to get your priorities on recycling, materials reuse, composting, and other solid waste related issues.

Please reach out to the Town Manager’s Office at townmanagersoffice@town.winthrop.ma.us to share your thoughts!