News Briefs

WHS Food Drive Continues

Members of the Winthrop High School chapter of the National Honors Society are running a Food Drive from now until March 5. The students are collecting for the local food pantry to provide food for those in need within the community. If you wish to donate, please drop off canned goods and nonperishable items at one of the collection bins around town. The locations are Town Hall, the Meat Market, the Winthrop Police Department, and Winthrop Marketplace.

The students will also be out front of St. Michael’s after each mass on March 25 and 26 to collect.

MWRA To Temporarily Shut Down Fluoride System

Starting in late February, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority will be replacing portions of the equipment that feeds fluoride into its drinking water. During this period, MWRA will not be adding fluoride to the water. This work is expected to take about three months to complete.

MWRA has worked closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on this issue. While fluoride is important for dental health, health officials believe that this short-term shutdown will not pose any risk to dental health and will not require any special action by consumers.

Fluoride has been added to the region’s water since the 1970s. The US Centers for Disease Control recommends its usage for reducing tooth decay and promoting community public health. MWRA also consulted with the Department of Public Health Oral Health Office and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, both of which approved this temporary fluoride shutdown.

MWRA treats drinking water from the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs at the John J. Carroll Treatment Plant in Marlborough. In addition to fluoride, water is treated with both ozone and ultraviolet light for disinfection, and the pH is adjusted to make the water less corrosive and less likely to leach lead from home plumbing.

If you have any concerns, check with your dental care provider. For more information on your drinking water, please visit www.mwra.com or call MWRA at 617-242-7283.

Belle Isle Annual Meeting

The Friends of the Belle Isle Marsh will be holding their annual meeting on March 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Joh’s Episcopal Church located at 222 Bowdoin Street.

Melanie Gerate from the Boston Harbor Now and Emma Gildesgame from the Nature Conservancy will be on hand.  The event is free and open to the public.

Walk for Hunger Returns

One of Massachusetts’ most iconic events is back! Project Bread’s The Walk for Hunger, the Commonwealth’s largest and oldest day of community action against hunger, is seeking walkers for a new 3-mile route. Back in-person for the first time since 2019, the one-day fundraising event is set for Sunday, May 7 at the Boston Common, featuring plenty of family-friendly activations along the 3-mile loop. The Walk for Hunger is a fundraiser that supports Project Bread’s work to raise awareness for food insecurity and increase food access for people of all ages in Massachusetts. In its 55th year, Project Bread invites you to help us raise more than $1 million to support food assistance resources and sustainable policy solutions to end hunger. Likeminded anti-hunger organizations can enroll in our co-fundraising program, The Commonwealth, forming teams to raise money to support their own work, while also furthering the statewide effort. To register for the event and create a personal or team fundraising page for the Walk for Hunger or to make a donation, visit projectbread.org/walk or call (617) 723-5000.