New Tri-Community Greenway breaks ground in Winchester

In the Spring of this year, there was a ground-breaking ceremony for the new Tri-community Bikeway/Greenway. Construction has started in Winchester and the entire pathway into Stoneham will be finished by October 2018.
Watch this video of the ceremony, Senator Jason Lewis presents the history and all the participants who made this 30 year project happen.

It will unite the three towns: Stoneham, Woburn and Winchester. The 6.63 mile multi-use trail  will be for walking, jogging, biking, and more. This $5.4 million project is fully funded through state and federal grants. Much of the path follows the old Boston & Maine Railroad tracks and will be at least 16 feet wide allowing for 2-way traffic. There will be a special path from Wedgemere Station in Winchester that will use local streets and parks through Winchester to connect to the recreational land at Horn Pond in Woburn.

This project is all about community: it will be a valuable resource for recreation and commuting as well as, providing economic opportunity for the business along the trail.  Here is a map from the Friends of the Tri-Community Greenway.

THE TRAIL
The Stoneham portion of the trail starts at Gould Street, next to Recreation park and follows the route of the old Stoneham Branch of the Boston & Lowell Railroad into Woburn just before going under I93.  The trail starts at Gould and connects to Pomeworth Field by the Central School. After crossing Main Street at Elm it connects back up to the rail line just behind Walgreen’s.  In this section, there is an open brook and wetland that is we hope to turn into a nature preserve for all to enjoy.  After crossing Montvale Avenuew, the trail takes a straight shot down to I-93.

path along Aberjona RiverOnce out of Stoneham, the trail changes transitions from the old rail line to a series of enlarged side walks connecting parks and public land. In Woburn, the trail turns south behind the Calvary Cemetery in Winchester towards Davidson Park and continues to wind its way down behind the Winchester High School to the Wedgemere station, skirting the edge of Wedge Pond. Then follows along the Mystic River Valley towards Wedgemere Station, on to Arlington and the Minuteman Trail to Cambridge, Lexington and beyond. In addition, there is a spur that goes northwest up to Horn Pond where there are additional walking trails.

Winchester Farmers Market 2017 Season

winchester farmers market logo

Mark your calendars for June 10th, the second Saturday of June,  Opening Day of the new 2017 Winchester Farmers Market. You can expect fresh local vegetables and fruits, flowers and locally made products. Once again this year the Market is sponsored by Winchester Co-operative Savings Bank and the music program is sponsored by our local Craft Beer Cellar.

Meet your friends under the town’s big oak tree, spread out the blankets and relax. The Kids Table will offer kids, creative fun as they learn about a seasonal veggie. We hope to see you there! Starts at 9:30 and ends at 1:30pm.

 

Here is a video from last year’s market.

Winchester Farmers Market’s 2016 Review

shukelele singing at the market

The Winchester Farmers Market 2016 season came to a close after a very full year with new popular vendors like Del Sur with their empanadas and Butternut’s pastries. International Day co-sponsored with the Winchester Multicultural Network and Art in The Park Day co-sponsored by the Winchester Cultural were big successes.

New events: in August they had the Iron Chef Contest where local chefs created dishes using the products from the market, and they expanded the lineup of musicians performing each Saturday to 3 performers per market which was sponsored by local business, Craft Beer Cellar Winchester.
This season we had volunteers document our community – the vendors and musicians in a video series called “At The Market“.  A must watch during these cold winter months  where you go back to those warm summer days.

Their vendors shared hardships starting with the failure of the peach crop across the state, and then the drought that reduced the quantity and the size of some of the produce coming to market. In the winter, we will have a speaker series that will address the drought situation this summer.

We hope that you have enjoyed the market this season! And thank all the volunteers that made it happen!

Winchester’s WinSAVES Home Energy Program Ending Soon

WinSAVES2016

Have you signed up for the WinSAVES2016 home energy audit? It’s not too late to start saving on energy costs. WinSaves2016 is a partnership between the Town of Winchester, National Grid, and HomeWorks Energy that encourages residents to save energy in their homes through the Mass Save program.

Energy Manager Susan McPhee along with several community organizations will be working with home performance contractor HomeWorks Energy to connect Winchester residents to no-cost home energy assessments, rebates, and incentives through state energy efficiency programs. WinSaves2016 is a collaboration between the town of Winchester, Cool Winchester, HomeWorks Energy, and National Grid to increase energy efficiency in Winchester.

The town’s goal is to complete 405 no-cost home energy assessments in 2016. If Winchester residents reach the WinSaves2016 goal, residents who took action will collectively save at least $38,000 in energy costs, while the town of Winchester will earn up to $29,900 from National Grid for community projects.
Senior Green Energy Grants. After completing an assessment, seniors can access additional incentives up to $800 through Senior Green Energy Grants to help them complete energy-efficient projects in their home.

EcolibriumTV – Net Positive Energy House & WinSaves Program from EcolibriumTV on Vimeo.

Watch this locally produced show by EcolibriumTV and listen to Winchester neighbors talk about their home energy audit.
Find out more or sign up for the WinSAVES2016 Program