Selectmen Notes: Board Talks Norwood Day Success, Need for Regulation of Food Trucks in Town

Recreation Superintendent Talks Norwood Day Success, Upcoming Events

Superintendent of the Norwood Recreation Department Gerald Miller attended Tuesday night's Board of Selectmen meeting to give a monthly report to the Board.

Miller started out by noting the success of last weekend's Norwood Day festivities, including the fireworks Friday and Saturday's fair on the Town Common.

"It's just a great day," Miller said. "Norwood Day has become a tradition that I never envisioned."

The annual presentation of the Ann Lydon Volunteer of the Year award also happened Saturday, with Peggy Thorn this year's winner. Miller said Thorn is someone you always see helping at local events.

With Norwood Day behind them, the Recreation Department is now looking forward to the Halloween season, Miller said. There are several new events planned, including a costume swap, pumpkin festival and "trunk or treat" event which will offer local residents an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating.

"In a lot of areas trick-or-treating is, I wouldn't say frowned upon, but it's a scary time," Miller said. The "Trunk or Treat" lets people decorate their vehicles in a public space, where costumed kids can go from car to car collecting candy rather than house to house in a neighborhood.

Miller said this is not an attempt to do away with the usual trick-or-treating, but simply offering an alternative.

"It's a fun time to be a kid," he said of the season. "It's a fun time to be a Recreation Director."

Board Discusses Influx of Food Trucks in Town, Need for Regulation

Selectmen Chair Michael Lyons noted the small influx of food trucks and carts in Norwood, and suggested that the Board look into some sort of regulation so the trucks can be welcome but not conflict with area businesses.

"It's something I think we should embrace," Lyons said, for football games or down by the town pools especially. However Lyons said he feels like there should be some level of control over such trucks parking in the public way or putting up signage in front of other businesses.

"It's something I think we need to start looking at," he said.

Selectman William Plasko said that he believes the issue can be handled with simple regulation - nothing that would be too onerous to the Town, local businesses or the truck owners.

Selectman Helen Abdallah Donohue said that there is a difference between food carts, such as the hot dog cart that was parked near the Town Common for most of the summer, and a food truck.

"It's like a mobile restaurant," she said. "It was too big for Norwood Center."

Plasko offered to draft regulation to be read by the Board and discussed at a later date, and his suugestion was unanimously approved.

Meghan Kelleher Reappointed to Cultural Council

The Board unanimously approved a request by Meghan Kelleher to be reappointed to the Norwood Cultural Council for second three-year term, to expire Sept. 8, 2015.

Board Has No Objection to KENO To Go at One Stop Market

Upon receiving notice from Paul R. Sternburg, Executive Director of the Mass. State Lottery Commission that One Stop Market on Washington St. had applied to have KENO To Go game in the establishment, the Board voted unanimously to send the "normal" letter to the Commission stating no objections as long as there is no seating in the business.