Author Archives: Sue Aldrich

In Winchenden, Massachusetts and Brattleboro, Vermont, food waste generates many $100,000s in revenue. In Sterling, waste management is on track to cost us over $1,000,000 by 2025. Why are we using our resources this way? Garbage is certainly gold for somebody. Why not us? Ten years ago, we were doing a pretty good job ofContinue reading “The Gold in the Garbage”

If garbage collection in Sterling is the same in coming years as in recent past, we may find ourselves spending as much as $705,000 next year for the service. That’s not the biggest town expenditure, but it ain’t hay. If it were hay, we could compost it or feed it to my neighbor Dave’s cows.Continue reading “Is Trash Eating Too Much Cash?”

It was a long time in the writing – and more than a year of reviewing and revising — but Sterling’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) is complete, state-approved, and available at the town website and Conant Public Library.  That’s actually kind of exciting for all of us, in addition to being a bigContinue reading “Sterling’s Own Encyclopedia”

What makes Sterling strong?  Where is Sterling vulnerable? What are the most important actions to take to keep Sterling strong?  How are the answers to those questions affected by our changing climate? In September of 2020, 33 of us in Sterling participated in a workshop to answer these questions about our strengths, vulnerabilities, and priorities.Continue reading “MVP: Keeping Sterling’s Future”

When we put something in the trash, we have decided we’re done with it. We’ve used it up and worn it out. But we are not truly done with it, because trash has to be taken somewhere, by someone, and dealt with in some way. Can we “reuse” that garbage instead?  In fact, trash canContinue reading “Composting in Sterling”

Here in Massachusetts, we didn’t need Coolidge or Eisenhower to remind us of our Yankee mantra: “Use it up, wear it out, make do, do without.”  This mantra contains the twin concepts of sustainability and resiliency. Sustainability and resiliency are related, but not the same. Here’s the difference. Imagine a town on the Cape thatContinue reading “Keeping Sterling Strong”

I think we can all agree that food should be: safe to eat, delicious, easy to prepare, and safe and easy to shop for. Up until March this year, each of us had our own idea how to get fed. For most, this involved restaurants, take out and frequent trips to the grocery. Now howContinue reading “Farm Fresh, Farm Safe”

In 1911 electricity arrived and made Sterling a great location for cider mills. The mills in turn caused a bloom in orchards in our town, orchards we still enjoy today. Fifty years ago, Sterling was known as the Gem of Worcester County. We produced nearly all the Virginia Hams sold on the east coast. WeContinue reading “Keeping Sterling Farms”