Massachusetts
6 Massachusetts communities impacted by trash strike file lawsuit against Republic Services
Six communities across Massachusetts impacted by the ongoing trash collector strike filed a complaint in Salem Superior Court Thursday morning asking a judge to put an end to it.
“We filed a suit to try and get some relief from the court to require Republic to pick up our trash and recycling,” said Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill.
Strike began on July 1
The complaint included Canton, Danvers, Gloucester, Beverly, Peabody and Malden. Thursday marked 17 days since the communities received regular trash removal services after union workers walked off the job July 1, demanding better pay and benefits from Republic Services.
“Residents can’t do this any longer. Our cities and towns can’t handle this any longer,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. “It’s a public safety issue. Republic’s got to get back to the negotiating table.”
In response to public scrutiny, Republic Services released a statement Thursday emphasizing their commitment to reaching a strong labor agreement that benefits employees and customers.
“Regarding the lawsuit filed today, it is disappointing that these six communities have taken this route as we continue to work with our municipal partners to address their needs,” the statement said.
Residents, businesses impacted
For nearly three weeks, Beverly resident and business owner Alex Weatherup says his trash has been piling up. “It does not smell good in my apartment right now. It’s hot, it’s smelly, and it’s not great,” he said.
Paul Guanci echoed that sentiment saying, “It has affected our business; we’ve actually rented a big dumpster out back for just our recycling.”
Back in June, Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga and Beverly Mayor Mike Cahlil say Republic warned them of a potential strike.
Promises “unfulfilled” mayor says
However, Cahill says, “They said they were trying their best to avoid it but if one happened that we didn’t have to worry. They promised that they were a big national company, that they would have resources in our communities to pick up our trash and recycling.”
“There were promises made leading up to the strike and there have been promises made and unfulfilled since the strike,” Verga added.
Both mayors told WBZ that they’ve been in contact with local reps from the company but have yet to hear from the CEO directly.
“Our health director went around yesterday with our inspectors and took pictures of about 25 dumpsters that were full and overflowing,” Cahill said.
To get rid of the trash, Weatherup hired a private collection service. “We had to call junk removal services to take out trash for the condos, the shop, the restaurant,” he said.
And while the extra business has benefitted Jared Epstein’s junk collection service, he says “You know, not ideal for our community.”
It’s helpful for now, but Mayor Cahill says it’s no permanent solution. “Fourteen thousand customers. There’s no way any small businessperson can do that,” he said.
A hearing for the lawsuit is expected to be held on Monday at 2 p.m.
Massachusetts
A magical holiday village is tucked inside Massachusetts’ most famous candle store
Yankee Candle is a staple in the Bay State, famous for its colorful jars full of fragrance and warm light.
And while its candles can essentially be bought from anywhere, the mothership of the iconic candles lies in South Deerfield at Yankee Candle Village.
The flagship store, known for its ginormous collection of Yankee Candle scents and retail goods, is a winter holiday destination for those in New England.
- This is the most popular candle scent in Massachusetts, according to The Loupe
Leading up to Christmas, the store turns into a complete holiday stop.
Now on prominent display are the brand’s many different winter scents, including such classics as Red Apple Wreath and Balsam & Cedar, and such holiday scents as Christmas Cookie and North Pole Greetings.
Bavarian Christmas Village, arguably the most festive room in Yankee Candle Village, is Christmas all year. Guests will stroll through an enchanted forest featuring a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree, nutcrackers, winter village displays and even indoor snow that falls every 4 minutes.
- ‘Disneyland’ Leverett estate of Yankee Candle founder Michael J. Kittredge II for sale at $23 million
But scattered throughout the flagship store are hints of Christmas and a winter wonderland — from the home section filled with holiday kitchen decor to the Toy Shop filled with jolly trinkets.
Santa even pays a visit to the Yankee Candle Village, hosting a storytime with kids every Monday through Thursday at 11:30 a.m.
And if the shopping and holiday joy become overwhelming, the store even has cafes that offer a bite to eat. Guests can also indulge in sweet treats in its candy store or try freshly made fudge.
Yankee Candle Village is located at 25 Greenfield Road in South Deerfield. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Yankee Candle will close 20 stores; parent to lay off 900 employees
Massachusetts
Two stranded dolphins rescued from Massachusetts marsh
It swims in the family.
A mother and calf wandered off the beaten path and got stranded in a Massachusetts marsh, forcing an emergency mammal rescue crew to save the wayward dolphin pair.
On Dec. 8, the Wareham Department of Natural Resources responded to a report of two stranded dolphins in the area of Beaverdam Creek off of the Weweantic River, a 17-mile tributary that drains into Buzzards Bay, which directly connects to the Atlantic Ocean.
When crews arrived, two common dolphins were located alive and active, but partially out of the water stranded in the marsh, according to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources.
Responding authorities alerted the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team, based in Cape Cod.
IFAW team members put the dolphins on stretchers and brought them to safety, where they conducted preliminary tests on the wayward dolphins.
“Our teams were easily able to extract the animals and transport them via our custom-built rescue vehicle,” Stacey Hedman, senior director of communications for IFAW, said.
The dolphins were weighed; the smaller of the two weighed approximately 90 lbs, and the larger mammal around 150 lbs.
Upon further analysis, it was revealed that the dolphins were an adult female and a socially-dependent juvenile female, a mother and calf pair.
According to Hedman, IFAW had some concerns over the mother’s decreased responsiveness and abnormal blood work, though it was deemed the pair was healthy enough to release back into the ocean at West Dennis Beach in Dennis, Mass.
“By releasing them into an area with many other dolphins around, this would hopefully increase their chances of socialization and survival. Both animals have satellite tags that are still successfully tracking,” Hedman said.
Massachusetts
Man seriously injured after being thrown from moving vehicle during domestic dispute
A 19-year-old Massachusetts man was seriously injured after he was thrown from a moving vehicle he had grabbed onto during a domestic dispute Thursday morning.
Duxbury police said they responded to a report of an injured male who might have been struck by a vehicle on Chandler Street around 5:22 a.m. and found a 19-year-old Pembroke man lying in the roadway with serious injuries.
Through interviews with witnesses, officers learned that the man had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s residence on Chandler Street to confront her current boyfriend. An altercation ensued, during which police said the 19-year-old appears to have jumped on the hood of a vehicle and was then thrown from the moving vehicle.
The incident remains under investigation, police said. At this time, they said no charges have been filed.
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