Flu shots recommended
The Board of Health is recommending flu shots for everyone. Flu season has arrived early and hit hard, district sanitarian Ira Grossman told the Board of Health. “Some hospitals are cancelling elective surgeries to make room for flu patients,” he said.
Former Harvard Inn: The perils of being first
It’s not always easy being first. The former Harvard Inn at 11 Fairbank St. will be the first user of the new town center septic system, when its connection is operational. In the meantime, all four condominium units of the recently remodeled historic building are sold, but occupancy permits are on hold and the building is in limbo between the Board of Health’s jurisdiction on septic systems, to which the structure is no longer connected, and the Sewer Commission, which is ironing out the regulatory process of inspections and permits to use the system.
“Nobody really knows how everything will go down,” said Harvard Realty owner Rhonda Sprague, who thought other town center property owners shared her confusion about the process.
State grant could assist homeowners with failed septic systems
The Board of Health will seek approval from Annual Town Meeting to establish a Community Septic Management Plan, which could qualify income-eligible town residents for state assistance to remediate failed septic systems.
HES K-1 wing assessment safe to pursue
The board assured School Committee member Keith Cheveralls and interim Superintendent Joe Connelly that a proposed structural assessment in 2015 of the kindergarten and first grade wing of Hildreth Elementary would pose little health risk if done properly and during the summer before school opened. The wing, the oldest part of the school, was remediated several years ago for mold and improper drainage. Connelly and Cheveralls expressed a desire to bring the older classrooms to “equality of quality” with the other classrooms. An underlying concern is that any work in that part of the building could open interior cavities that may harbor dormant mold. Board member Sharon McCarthy recommended the School Committee specify that the assessment contractor hire a mold specialist during the analysis. According to Connelly, on-going air quality tests have all been positive and there are no current health issues.
