Tropical Storm May Hit New England Early Next Week

A system likely to become Tropical Storm Sandy is on a track toward the East Coast.

Do you remember that snowstorm that dumped snow and left large areas without power for days last October?  Well, get ready for another potential Halloween storm. This time it likely won't bring snow to New England, but it could bring heavy rain and damaging winds early next week.  A tropical depression in the central Caribbean may strengthen to become a tropical storm by today, Oct. 23. Tropical Depression 18 had maximum sustained winds of only 30 mph on Monday afternoon, but the system is expected to intensify quickly and could be near hurricane strength (winds of at least 74 mph) as it approaches Jamaica on Wednesday. The tropical storm would be named Sandy, the 19th named storm of 2012 in the Atlantic Ocean. National Hurricane Center …

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Notes from Youville

Notes from Youville: When Something Bad Becomes Good, Becomes Very Good

Bob Short, director of mission and pastoral care at Youville Assisted Living, shares the story of how the October storm resulted in one woman trading isolation and the burdens of daily life, to live the remainder of her life in a safe and caring environme

  Apart from the crystalline beauty of a first snow, the surprising October storm brought upheaval to large swaths of the Northeast, more even than the formidable hurricane Irene did on her visit several months earlier.  As these thoughts were being put to paper, the unrelenting, muffled growls of chain saws still rumbled in the near distance and, of more concern, many thousands of households from New Jersey to Maine had neither the heat to warm themselves nor lighting to read these words. This is the story of an elderly woman in Lexington, a visiting nurse and the staff and residents of Youville Place Assisted Living who came into her life (it seems fair to say, changed her life) when the aftermath of that late October storm made it clear…

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Looking Back on 2011: Six Feel-Good Stories

As is the case every year, 2011 had its share of ups and downs in Lexington. With this list, we're recalling some of our favorite feel-good stories from the past year. Let us know what you think and share your own in the comments section below.

Carnival Opens Early for Good Cause [VIDEO] Each year, before the public pours through its gates the Lexington Lions Club opens its annual Fourth of July Carnival to a couple hundred special guests – children and young adults from the Perkins School, the Carroll Center for the Blind and the Cotting School, along with their family members. Patch tagged along this year and captured the 55th grand opening on video. An Electric Announcement [VIDEO] The Commonwealth’s clean energy revolution took hold of Lexington’s Battle Green Friday, July 22 as energy conscious officials mustered to announce the award of 105 electric vehicle charging stations to 25 Massachusetts cities and towns. Lexington landed three electric-vehicle charging stations in …

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Looking Back on Last Year's Post-Holiday Storm

Remembering the blizzard of Dec. 26, 2010.

Seems hard to believe, given the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been experiencing of late, but this time last year Lexington was buried deep under a post-Christmas snow. Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm, which shut down or delayed town operations, save for the police, fire and Public Works departments. By that Monday morning, photographer Sue Bruce braved the cold, icy conditions and was out taking photos of after-the-storm cleanup. The surprise October Storm and maybe a few flakes Christmas morning, we haven't seen much of the white stuff yet this season. Back in August, the Farmers Almanac predicted a wet and stormy winter with above average temperatures, so much of the precipitation "will likely …

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Week in Review: Nov. 6 to Nov. 12

A look back on the week that was in Lexington.

The days got a little bit shorter the beginning of this week, as Daylight Saving Time ended Sunday, Nov. 6.  On Monday, we got the week started with local photog Sue Bruce's photos from Saturday’s townwide trick-or-treating and a bit of winter health advice from Youville Place. And Sunday into Monday, news broke that a pair of young men from Lexington were among the frat members charged in a drug bust at the University of New Hampshire. Patch columnist Denise Dube provided coverage of a Civil Rights discussion over the weekend and, Monday night, the Board of Selectmen revealed a plan for townwide storm debris collection, among other business. On Tuesday, we told you about Concord Selectman Greg Howes’ plans to kick off his campaign for the…

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Town Manager Tuesdays

Town Manager Tuesdays: On Emergencies, Tests and Recycling Awards

Recycling Award, Code Red and Remember, 'This is an Alert of the Emergency Broadcast System...

With the worst of last week's storm mostly behind us, I can return to some other important events going on. 1.) Emergency Alert System: At 2 p.m. this Wednesday, Nov. 9, for the first time ever, the Emergency Alert System will be tested nationwide. Virtually all broadcast and cable programming in the United States will be interrupted at once with that alert tone we are all so familiar with. What is the big deal and why do we need to be made aware of this? Can you imagine the calls that will be received from all those citizens who are not aware of the test, change their radio or cable channel to find the alert tone on all channels? Further, it will be lasting longer than the normal test most are familiar with. Federal, State and Local …

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Week in Review: Oct. 30 to Nov. 5

A look back at the week that was in Lexington.

Last week's biggest newsmaker arrived eight days ago in the form of a pre-Halloween nor'easter that downed tree limbs and powerlines, knocked out power, closed streets, sidewalks and schools and nearly blew trick-or-treaters into next week.  It took the town the better part of the week to recover from the storm as work crews cleared impassable streets and sidewalks a NSTAR plugged away at returning power to the thousands of customers without it. On Sunday and Monday, places like the library and local coffee shops and even the comfort center set up at the high school were packed with people looking to warm up and charge cell phones. By Tuesday, things were looking well enough that officials suggested that trick-or-treating Saturday night …

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Question of the Day

Share Your Storm Experiences on Patch (POLL)

Take our poll, post your pics and share your storm-related stories in the comments section.

It's been a nearly week-long recovery after last Saturday's October storm struck Lexington, littering sidewalks and roadways with downed tree limbs and leaving thousands powerless. But the town had begun to bounce back by Wednesday and was overrun with trick-or-treaters during the Lexington Retailers Association's event yesterday afternoon. To Recap: The early season snowfall knocked many sidewalks, streets and traffic signals around town were offline and, according to NSTAR estimates, left as much as 70 percent of the town without electricity. That led to officials calling off school for Monday and Tuesday and advising parents against taking their children trick-or-treating around town on Oct. 31, Halloween night. A shelter was set up at …

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