DPW and Roads
Essex trash pays for itself. Here is what a household pays, and how it compares
By Kerry Jane How we work
Sticker and bag fees brought in more than the Essex transfer station cost to run last year. Essex households pay the most up front on Cape Ann, but almost nothing through taxes. Compare with Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Hamilton and Ipswich.
Gloucester's trash bill jumps to $4.9 million. Here is who pays, and how it compares
By Kerry Jane How we work
The city's trash and recycling budget rose 69% with the new Casella carts. Fees will cover about half. Compare what a Gloucester household pays with Rockport, Essex, Manchester, Hamilton and Ipswich.
Manchester's new trash carts: who pays more, who pays less and how the neighbors compare
By Kerry Jane How we work
Orange bags are gone from the curb. Most homes now pay $100 a year for a 35-gallon cart. Light users pay more than before, heavier users less, and taxes cover a bigger share. Price your household, compare Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Rockport and Essex, and look up where anything goes.
Rockport's transfer station costs $804,000 a year. Here is what a household pays, and how it compares
By Kerry Jane How we work
Rockport has no curbside trash pickup. A $140 sticker and blue bags pay for the dump. See how that stacks up against Gloucester's and Manchester's new carts and the towns that put trash on the tax bill.
The drought eased. Why did Rockport ban outdoor watering?
Cape Ann Current Staff How we work
The state's regional rating improved, but Rockport's reservoirs kept falling. How both can be true, what neighbors are doing, what would end the ban and how far saving water goes.
Gloucester carts bunched at the curb on Casella's first pickup day. Here's how to set them out
Cape Ann Current Staff How we work
On day one of automated collection, many trash and recycling carts around Gloucester sat side by side with little or no space between them. Casella and the city ask for 3 feet. Try our interactive guide, sort your recycling and price a bulk pickup.
New no-parking zones near Gorton's and overnight truck ban on Washington Square
Cape Ann Current Staff How we work
The Gloucester City Council approved four traffic rule changes Sept. 22, from Rogers Street to a downtown loading zone.
Manchester lifts its outdoor watering ban as drought eases to Level 1
Cape Ann Current Staff How we work
The Select Board voted Sept. 21 to end the town's outdoor water restrictions after the state downgraded the region to a mild drought.
Cape Ann water rules: Rockport bans outdoor use, Gloucester limits it, Manchester lifts its ban
Cape Ann Current Staff How we work
Rockport bans all outdoor water use and Gloucester allows hand watering only, while Manchester has dropped its restrictions and Essex asks only for voluntary conservation.