5+ Things to Know the Week of Sept. 6: Paving, TMHS Happenings, Outdoor Concert, Board of Health

Hopefully everyone had a great long weekend and is ready for a busy September in Tewksbury.

MassDOT will begin night paving at the intersections of Main Street, South Street and Salem Road tonight (Monday). Work will occur between 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. The work is expected to last two nights, so avoid that area.

A reminder to TMHS students that school picture day is on Thursday, Sept. 9. Additional order forms are available in the main office. Also on Thursday, the TMHS Students Against Destructive Decisions group meets after school in room B105. All students are welcome.

Know a veteran interested in owning an affordable home in Tewksbury? Soldier On together with Tewksbury Home Build and the Town of Tewksbury have teamed up to provide an opportunity to purchase a newly built three-bedroom, one-bathroom single-family home at 1047 South St. The 1,300 s.f. home on a 0.78 acre lot is earmarked for a veteran who is a first-time home buyer and is priced at $270,000. See the application form for information on income limits. An informational session will be held on Sept. 15 to answer questions about eligibility requirements and the lottery process, but the application is open now. The deadline is Oct. 27 at 3 p.m.

The Tewksbury Public Library hosts a few events this week, and the Community Market resumes Thursday at its new home at Livingston St. Check out the vendor lineup here.

Aspiring writers and lovers of local settings should check out the virtual Tewksbury Author Spotlight on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. A diverse panel of Tewksbury authors will discuss their work and offer practical advice and inspiration:

• Stephanie Callan will discuss her debut teen fantasy/steampunk novel, The Debt. Learn more about Callan’s writing HERE.
• Robert MacDougall, retired longtime Tewksbury High School history teacher and track coach, will discuss his non-fiction history books, including American History It’s More Than The Crap You Learned in High School. Learn more about MacDougall’s writing HERE.
• Cara Wade will discuss her steamy romances (“modern fairytales made naughty”), including Sugar and Spice and her Hollywood Lust series. Learn more about Wade’s writing HERE.

Register for the event here. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

On Wednesday at 6 p.m., we’ll all try again with twice (or thrice?) postponed Outdoor Concert Series featuring the premiere Johnny Cash tribute band, Counterfeit Cash. The band performs the songs that “The Man In Black” made famous, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire,” “Hurt,” “Big River,” and many more. If you close your eyes, you’ll swear you’re listening to Johnny Cash.

And we hear another country legend is expected to make a surprise appearance.

The concert will take place on the library’s back lawn. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be rescheduled. Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Tewksbury Cultural Council.

On Thursday at 6 pm. in town hall, the Board of Health will meet to follow up on reports of disturbing and unsanitary conditions at Oliveira Farm, which is located on Marston St. In particular, ducks roaming freely into the slaughterhouse on the property present an immediate threat to public health due to the risk of cross contamination. On Aug. 23, health director Shannon Sullivan ordered that the unlicensed ducks be removed and that farm representatives appear before the BoH. That hearing was held on Aug. 27 and is available on Tewksbury TV.

Residents may recall that owner Dinis Oliveira and an employee were charged in 2019 with egregious animal cruelty. Tewksbury Animal Control Officer Christine Gaultieri told the BoH at last week’s meeting that she has observed animals without food and water and living in unsanitary conditions.

“Someone needs to speak for those animals,” said Gaultieri. “If we find another deceased animal, how is that fair?”

Board member Maria Zaroulis agreed.

“There have been far too many instances of problems with the keeping of these animals,” said Zaroulis. “I think that this permit should be suspended immediately.”

Town counsel recommended against holding a vote to suspend the permit because that item was not on the agenda. The board advised Oliveira family representatives to retain counsel and required them to provide by Sept. 7 an updated operations manual and address all of the shortcomings brought to the attention of the board by Gaultieri, in advance of Thursday’s hearing, which is open to the public and carried on Tewksbury TV. Learn more.

Looking ahead, the Power of Flowers Project’s annual Spread the Joy Luncheon is scheduled for Wed., October 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Four Oaks Country Club in Dracut. There will be a basket raffle, gift card raffle, silent auction, wine pull and golden ticket drawing to win a $500 Visa Gift Card. For more information and to purchase tickets go to POFproject.org.