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Nearly 50 beaches closed in Massachusetts on Sunday, Aug. 31

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Nearly 50 beaches closed in Massachusetts on Sunday, Aug. 31


Nearly 50 beaches are closed across Massachusetts on Sunday, Aug. 31.

There are 49 beaches closed, most due to excessive bacteria levels, according to the state Department of Public Health.

One of those is the main beach at Walden Pond State Reservation, which will remain closed for the entirety of summer 2025 as a new, state-of-the-art $6.1 million bathhouse is constructed. Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open, but without lifeguards.

Here is the full list of beach closures and reasons for closing on Sunday:

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  • Ashby: Damon Pond Beach — excess bacteria
  • Ashland: Ashland Reservoir — Main Beach-excess bacteria
  • Beverly: Woodbury — excess bacteria
  • Billerica: Nutting Lake, Micozzi Beach at North and South — excess bacteria
  • Braintree: Smith Beach — excess bacteria
  • Brewster: Cliff Pond at DYS and Main — harmful cyanobacteria bloom
  • Chicopee: Chicopee Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom
  • Concord: Walden Pond – Main, due to construction
  • Danvers: Sandy Beach — excess bacteria
  • Essex: Centennial Grove beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom
  • Franklin: Chilson Beach — excess bacteria
  • Georgetown: American Legion Park — excess bacteria
  • Harwich: Seymour Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom
  • Holden: Eagle Lake — excess bacteria
  • Lynn: Kings on Eastern Ave., Kimball Road and Pierce Road — excess bacteria
  • Mashpee: Santuit Pond at Bryants Neck and Town Landing — harmful cyanobacteria bloom
  • Nantucket: Sesachacha Pond — excess bacteria
  • Natick: Memorial Beach (Dug Pond) at Wading — excess bacteria
  • North Andover: Frye Pond Beach and Stevens Pond – Center – due to excess bacteria
  • Oxford: Carbuncle Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom
  • Salem: Children’s Island, Back and Wally, and Ocean Avenue — excess bacteria
  • Saugus: Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation — excess bacteria
  • Sharon: Community Center Beach and Sharon Town Beach at Central — excess bacteria
  • Sherborn: Farm Pond — harmful cyanobacteria exceedance
  • Southwick: South Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance
  • Springfield: Bass Pond at Right — cyanobacteria bloom, Camp Wilder at Right — excess bacteria and Paddle Club at Right— cyanobacteria bloom
  • Templeton: Beamans Pond closed for campground and day-use activities — excess bacteria
  • Tisbury: Hilman’s Pond — excess bacteria
  • Townsend: Pearl Hill Pond Beach — excess bacteria
  • Upton: Upton Town Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom
  • Wareham: Shangri-La — harmful cyanobacteria bloom
  • Westborough: Lake Chauncy Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom
  • Wilmington: Wilmington Town Beach at Center and Right — excess bacteria
  • Winchendon: Lake Dennison State Park at North Camp Beach — excess bacteria
  • Winthrop: Donovans and Halford — excess bacteria

What are the risks?

Swimming in beach water that has high levels of bacteria can be risky and can result in illnesses, including:

  • Gastrointestinal symptoms- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain
  • Respiratory symptoms- sore throat, cough, runny nose and sneezing
  • Dermatological symptoms- skin rash and itching
  • Eye and ear symptoms- irritation, earache, itching
  • Flu-like symptoms- fever and chills

Stay aware of any warnings or beach closures that indicate that the water is not safe. Check the weather forecast, avoid swimming after heavy rain, watch for signs of water pollution like discolored, fast flowing and strong smelling water, do not swim near trash or litter floating in the water, avoid swallowing the water and swim in areas designated as “swim beaches.”

Although a beach could be posted, the public can still visit the location and take part in other activities that do not involve contact with the water. This can include anything from playing sports like volleyball or frisbee to sunbathing or collecting seashells or sea glass, DPH stated.

The public can also help to reduce contamination and pollution at the beach by:

  • Cleaning up after pets
  • Not feeding the birds as it encourages them to hang around the beaches, which increases fecal matter
  • Using public restrooms
  • Picking up and throwing away trash using public restrooms or properly disposing of it at home
  • Not entering the water when sick or feeling unwell
  • Changing diapers and putting plastic or rubber pants, known as swim diapers, on diapered children before they enter the water
  • Not dumping anything down storm drains, as water moving through these drains does not get treated at a wastewater facility and flows directly into lakes and streams
  • Avoiding the use of fertilizers and pesticides in yards since these chemicals can easily carry into the surface of waters during rain events and snowmelt
  • Use walkways and avoid walking on dunes to prevent erosion and preserve vegetation that filters out pollutants from runoff before they reach the beach

More details from the DPH can be found here.

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Massachusetts

French-Mediterranean Eatery Charts Opening In Boston

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French-Mediterranean Eatery Charts Opening In Boston


BOSTON, MA — An international restaurant group with locations across the globe is preparing to open its first Massachusetts restaurant this year.

LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French Riviera-inspired restaurant founded in London, is set to open on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street in Back Bay, according to Four Seasons. The hotel lists the restaurant as “Opening Summer 2026,” while the Boston Business Journal reported the restaurant plans to open in September.

The Boston restaurant will mark LPM’s debut in the Northeast and its third U.S. outpost, following locations in Miami and Las Vegas, according to a Four Seasons announcement.

LPM, also known as La Petite Maison, was founded in London in 2007 and is known for French-Mediterranean food, Mediterranean ingredients and dining rooms influenced by Belle Époque design.

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The business operates locations in London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, Mykonos, Kuwait, Boston, Maldives and Bangkok.

Four Seasons said LPM will take over the space that formerly housed One Dalton’s breakfast concept, One + One. The restaurant will join other dining options at the hotel, including Zuma and Trifecta.

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Massachusetts high school under investigation after teachers diagnosed with breast cancer

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Massachusetts high school under investigation after teachers diagnosed with breast cancer


A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.

The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.

Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.

“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”

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“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”

The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.

Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”

“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”

Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.

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The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”

“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”

They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.

“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”

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Gov. Healey backs bill to keep Mass. bars open until 3 a.m. this summer

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Gov. Healey backs bill to keep Mass. bars open until 3 a.m. this summer


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The legislation would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026.

The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.

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In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.

“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.

The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.

“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”

The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.

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“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.

She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”


  • Rhode Island bill proposes 24-hour bar hours during World Cup

In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.

Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.

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Profile image for Annie Jonas

Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.

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