Read on for a list of the most popular stories for April 2013.
As a new regular feature at the beginning of each month, we'll bring you a list of the last month's most popular stories on Patch. That way, if you missed anything, it'll be easy enough to catch up.
In this Article:
Concord's annual Town Meeting on Wednesday voted down a petitioner's article seeking to repeal the town's bylaw prohibiting the sale of unflavored, non-sparkling drinking water in single-serving plastic bottles.
The third and final night of Concord’s annual Town Meeting included votes for acquiring a family farm and against repealing the town’s water bottle bylaw and instituting cat registration and a cat bylaw.
Here’s a quick rundown of the action from the third and final night of Concord’s annual Town Meeting for 2013, held Wednesday, April 24, at Concord-Carlisle High School. Read about night one here and night two here. Article 40, Zoning Bylaw Amendment – Public Service Corporation Overlay District By more than the required two-thirds majority, Town Meeting approved a public service corporation overlay district for 79 acres of the WR Grace property abutting Acton and the Assabet River off Main Street in West Concord. According to the article’s presenter, Mark Bobrowski, the overlay district would allow uses such as a large-scale solar installation, peaking power plant or wastewater treatment. Now approved, the overlay district will be …
In this Article:
Statement says, 'Liberty loses in Concord on bottled water ban.'
The following was provided by Robin Garrision, the petitioner for Article 30 and co-founder of Concord Residents for Consumer Choice, a group of Concord residents seeking to repeal the town's bylaw prohibiting the sale of drinking water in single-serve PET bottles. At the Concord Town Meeting on Wednesday night, Article 30 to repeal the ban on single-serving PET bottled water was narrowly defeated by just 66 votes out of the more than 1,300 cast. Members of Concord Residents for Consumer Choice (CRCC), a grassroots advocacy group of Concord citizens seeking to repeal the ban, organized a townwide effort to draw attention to the adverse effects of the ban which has been in place since January. The “Free the Water” campaign, as it had …
In this Article:
By a very close vote on Wednesday, April 24, Concord's annual Town Meeting has voted down an attempt to repeal the bottled water bylaw.
Bottles are still banned in Concord. Concord's annual Town Meeting has voted down Article 30, a petitioner's bid to repeal the town's landmark bylaw banning the sale of single-serve bottled water, which was approved last year and took effect Jan. 1. Depending on how you look at it, the vote came either after a little less than an hour of debate, or a little more than three years and one hour of debate. Either way, 1,333 voters turned out for Concord's annual Town Meeting on Wednesday, April 24 as the town's legislative body considered a bottled water ban for the fourth consecutive year. Article 30 failed by 66 votes. Read the response from the proponents of Article 30. Almost immediately, dozens of residents lined up behind microphones to …
In this Article:
11:39 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Hopefully Concord water supply does not become contaminated when all water companies have gone belly because more towns and people have decided to follow Concord bottle water by laws.... You can't pick and choose when to support businesses based on individual need ....it is communities responsibility to recognize the importance of companies such as Poland Spring for states of water crises. Not … more ›
Concord's annual Town Meeting is voting on a motion to repeal its bottled water bylaw.
Concord resident Bob Lawson, in some kind of character, spoke in favor of upholding the town's landmark bylaw banning the sale of single-serve bottled water during annual Town Meeting on Wednesday night. As of 9:15 p.m., the vote is being counted. Stay tuned to Patch -- we'll let you know the results as soon as they're in.
11:32 pm on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Let's be honest and admit that there are flawed arguments on both sides of this issue, some minor and some whoppers. The whole 'assault on freedom' argument is as bad as the 'big corporation' one; there are countless laws that regulate our 'freedom' that haven't destroyed our country yet...for example, you cannot got to a gas station in Concord and fill up milk jugs (16oz or otherwise) with … more ›
A quick look at what you need to see, do and know on April 24 in Concord.
1. Bottle Bylaw On Tap at Town Meeting Tonight: An article seeking to repeal Concord's landmark single-serve bottled water banning bylaw will be taken up at annual Town Meeting tonight, and has a time certain of 7:30 p.m. at Concord-Carlisle High School. 2. Chris Curtis, Tornado Chaser: The West Concord 5 & 10's own Chris Curtis will speak about his 10 years as a tornado chaser and hurricane interceptor at 7 p.m. tonight at Concord Free Public Library. 3. Have Something to Say? Why not start a blog on Patch! Click here for more information on how to get started. 4. Like Us on Facebook: For even more information and engagement, like Concord Patch on Facebook. Over there, we'll be asking questions, looking for feedback and continuing the …
In this Article:
Encouraging a 'No' vote on Article 30, Annursnac Hill Road resident Katie Lebling writes, 'Choosing tap water instead is a minor change for an individual that sends a much larger message.'
To the Editor, Bottled water definitely has convenience going for it, but beyond that momentary benefit it has little to offer the consumer and the global community. In terms of human health and environmental effects, as well as its larger impacts on equity and environmental justice, it is undeniably damaging. As residents of not only one of the most developed nations in the world, but one of the most affluent towns within that nation, we have a responsibility to both future generations and to the rest of the global population to maintain the environmental quality we were given. The amount of plastic and other externalities dumped into our environment throughout a bottle’s lifecycle is staggering, especially considering the same product …
1:47 pm on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The survey was conducted by locals right here in Concord. It was a survey to ask how people feel about repealing the ban, not an effort to change your mind. A group of local Concord citizens made hours of phone calls around town to identify others also in favor of repealing the ban. All the calls were made by people in your neighborhood and not the bottled water industry. more ›
Ripley Hill Road resident Adriana Cohen explains why she's in favor of repealing Concord's bottled water bylaw at annual Town Meeting.
To the Editor, I am a member of Concord Residents for Consumer Choice (CRCC), a coalition of Concord conservationists and consumer choice advocates who believe in having the liberty to buy legal, safe products without government interference or penalty. I am a recycler, a tap water drinker and a bottled water drinker. Believe it or not, this is not a contradiction. Bottled water and tap water can and should co-exist. Neither the government nor the private sector should have an exclusively monopoly on the water supply. Hence the reason we have anti-monopoly laws in this country. Giving either sector a monopoly on water simply affords too much control and power over the masses as water is a life critical resource. Remember that our …
12:51 am on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
50 billion bottles of water per year (only 26% recycled) getting into our landfills, oceans, parks and 17 million gallons of oil to make them, when we already spend our tax money for delicious drinking water here in Concord. Send a message to big corporate: we want our water fountains back, and we want our infrastructure for clean drinking water back, I want the freedom to have clean tap water … more ›
Concord's annual Town Meeting begins at 7p.m. tonight, April 22, at Concord-Carlisle High School.
Hot-button issues aplenty at Concord's annual Town Meeting and at least couple of them could come up tonight. After the early-agenda budget business comes a cluster of high-intrest articles that could impact school transportation in the immediate future. In Article 12, which the Walden Woods Project has been pushing pretty hard on of late, Town Meeting could authorize the selectmen to sell a land-use restriction to Walden Woods along with a commitment to limit future activities at the landfill site. Following that is Article 13, which would authorize the use of monies to develop a transportation building on the former landfill site – a use that wouldn’t fly if Article 12 is approved. Sticking with the schools, Article 15 is a petitioner’s …
9:02 am on Monday, April 22, 2013
Patrick, The water bottle ban sets such a good example; the practice should be institutionalized at Town Meeting. In other words, the Selectmen should pronounce this week that something will be banned at each Town Meeting; it will be up to the citizenry to pick the item. We should not waste time banning no-brainers such as nuclear weapons. Like single-serve water bottles, the selections should … more ›
john kacher
8:03 pm on Friday, May 3, 2013
I never said tap water is already free (re-read my comment). but know that you bring it up it is clean and safe and relatively inexpensive compared to bottled water. you can chose a safe healthy beverage also. concord now sells boxed water. you still have sealed "regulated" water in a single serve size and at the same time you are protecting the environment. The bylaw does not promote unhealthy … more ›