Water Restriction Extended

The Northampton Board of Public Works (BPW) at its September 22, 2010 meeting voted to extend the water restriction until November 30, 2010 after discussing the current water supply and its capacity. The BPW may approve an earlier date based on the capacity to serve the community. Please conserve.

Free Paper Shredding

On Saturday, October 2nd, a free regional paper shredding event will be offered to residents and small businesses in Western Massachusetts at the Smith Vocational High School, 80 Locust Street, Northampton from 9am-noon. ProShred’s mobile shredding unit will provide confidential destruction of sensitive documents on site. Participants can deliver up to two recycling bins to be securely recycled. Pre-registration is not required. For more information contact Karen at the Northampton DPW (413-587-1059).

Roundabout Weekly Construction Schedule

Work scheduled for the week of September 27th includes pavement markings, construction of sidewalks, driveway aprons, connection of bike path and hydroseeding.

The DPW wishes to thank those who endured the one day detour last Wednesday. While inconvenient, the final construction product was worth the effort.

Special Drug Collection

The Northampton Police Department and the Department of Public Works will hold a free regional collection for unwanted medications on Saturday, September 25th from 10:00am to 1:00pm at the Jackson Street Elementary School at 120 Jackson Street in Northampton. Other local collection sites can be found at www.dea.gov.

No preregistration is required for Pioneer Valley residents, the program is anonymous, and all materials collected will be disposed of safely. All solid prescription and over-the-counter medications (i.e. pills, tablets or capsules) will be accepted, with no limit on volume. No lotions, liquids, needles, medical wastes, thermometers, illegal substances (e.g., marijuana or methamphetamines) or medications from commercial sources will be accepted.

For more information, call 413-587-1059, email kbouquillon@nohodpw.org, or click on the title of this post.

Roundabout Videos

Learn about the Roundabout by watching educational videos on television! Channel 15 is airing the videos Mondays at 12:45 PM and Fridays at 10:45 PM over the next two weeks. Watch and learn how to use the new single lane Roundabout on Route 9 by Look Park in Northampton, MA.

City Pavement Marking

The Northampton Department of Public Works will commence painting pavement markings City wide starting Monday September 20th. Some of this work will take place during the normal work day and heavy traffic areas will be done on the midnight shift. All work is expected to be completed by September 24th.

Roundabout Weekly Construction Schedule

Work scheduled for the week of September 13th includes installation of granite curbing,placement of loam and sidewalk construction.

Final paving is expected to occur during the week of September 20th - expect delays - seek alternate routes.

Roundabout Detour During Final Paving Operations

On September 22, 2010 (Wednesday), the MassDOT Roundabout Project located on North Main Street (Route 9) and Bridge Road at the entrance to Look Park will receive the final pavement course. In order to avoid substantial delays over several days, the intersection will be closed to all traffic for one day while this work is performed.

There will be truck detours in Haydenville and Florence centers, while smaller vehicles will be directed by Police Officers to other alternate routes. Please remember to account for the extra travel time (approximatelty 10 more minutes) to your destination.

The VAMC and Look Restaurant will be open and access to Look Park will be through the Sunoco Gas Station for this day.

For a detailed road map click on the title of this post.

Former BPW Chairman to Recieve Engineering Award

Former Board of Public Works Chairman David Reckhow, Ph.D. will receive the 2010 Lester Gaynor Award at the Boston Society of Civil Engineers awards dinner on September 16. This award is "presented to a BSCES member or registered Professional Engineer for his or her part-time elected or appointed service as a city of town official, whose reimbursement for service has not been more than an honorarium."

In 1994, Dr. Reckhow was appointed by Mayor Mary Ford to be a member of the BPW. He resigned from the BPW in March 2009. As a member, and then chairman of the BPW, Dr. Reckhow volunteered his engineering expertise on all policy and contractual matters relating to water and wastewater systems, solid waste management, streets, park and cemeteries and other public works operations. He was the BPW appointed member to the City’s Transportation and Parking Committee and was also an important contributor to the Bicycle-Pedestrian subcommittee that meets to address issues in these transportation areas. His engineering contributions to the City were made while also being a professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where he is a renown international expert in water supply treatment processes.


The BSCE was established in 1848 and is the oldest engineering society in the United States and supports more than 2,500 members throughout Massachusetts. The mission of the BSCE is to excel in its technical programs, enhance the professional growth of its members, advance engineering knowledge, and work to improve standards of practice.

Roundabout Weekly Construction Schedule

Work scheduled for the week of September 6th includes installation of granite curbing,placement of loam and signage. The project is beginning to take definition and when traveling through the construction area one can really get the feel on how this will safely move vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.

Final paving is expected to occur during the week of September 20th - expect delays - seek alternate routes.