Daily Current, Wednesday, October 14

Daily Current · Wednesday, October 14 · 4:53

Heating oil prices jump 74 percent, and finance committees meet on Cape Ann

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Transcript

Good morning. It's Wednesday, October 14. This is the Daily Current, free public information for Cape Ann from the Cape Ann Current. I'm Kerry Jane. Today we look at a sharp jump in heating oil prices, and we preview finance committee meetings in Essex and Manchester by the Sea.

Heating oil in Massachusetts costs 6 dollars and 18 cents a gallon this week. That is a 74 percent jump from a year ago, when the price was 3 dollars and 56 cents, according to the state's weekly survey. For a typical Cape Ann home that burns about 800 gallons a winter, the season will cost roughly 4,900 dollars. That is an increase of about 2,100 dollars. State data show prices jumped more than a dollar in early March 2026 after the war in Iran drove up world oil prices, and they never came back down. To help residents plan, the Cape Ann Current built a heating oil calculator from public price data. You can find it on our website to estimate your costs.

In Gloucester, the city opens a dumpster today at the Public Works yard, 28 Poplar Street, for old trash carts and recycling bins that are not Casella carts. It is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of October, and on Saturdays, October 17, 24 and 31, from 9 a.m. to noon. Drop off is free.

In Rockport, this Sunday, October 18, is the transfer station's last Sunday of the season, opening at 8 a.m., the town's Public Works department says. After that it is closed on Sundays. It stays open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

In Essex, fire officials will present their plan for a full time chief to the Finance Committee tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. On September 28, the town told the Fire Department to show how it can pay for a full time chief and two weekday shifts without a bigger budget. According to the agenda, the Board of Fire Engineers will review a plan to make offsets in the fiscal 2028 budget. The meeting is open to the public in person and by phone. Voters will have the final say on switching to a full time chief at the fall town meeting in November.

In Manchester by the Sea, the Finance Committee meets tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Town Hall and on Zoom. The committee will take up four money articles headed to the November 16 special town meeting. The articles include a new fire engine, which town officials said on October 5 would use 710,927 dollars from the town's free cash. The committee will also review water meter debt, borrowing for a senior and community center, and the new Essex Elementary School. On October 5, school leaders told town boards that Manchester's share of the new school would be about 50 million dollars after state aid.

Several public boards meet today. In Manchester by the Sea, the Council on Aging Executive Board meets at 4:30 p.m., and the Harbor Advisory Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. The Essex Open Space Committee also meets at 5:30 p.m. The Gloucester School Committee meets at 6 p.m., followed by the Rockport Affordable Housing Trust at 6:30 p.m.

There are a few events around Cape Ann over the next couple of days. Today, Beauport Cruiselines in Gloucester hosts a lobster lunch cruise from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tomorrow, the Cape Ann YMCA in Gloucester holds a free talk on connecting with 9 to 11 year olds from 5:30 to 7 p.m. And on Friday, the Cape Ann Museum offers a free tour of the Captain Elias Davis House from 2 to 2:30 p.m.

In high school sports, seven Tuesday finals are in from the state association. Gloucester field hockey won 6 to 3 over Beverly. Gloucester volleyball won 3 to 0 over Winthrop. In golf, Gloucester won 38 to 34 over Winthrop, while Hamilton Wenham won 148 to 130 over Manchester Essex. In boys soccer, Manchester Essex won 6 to 1 over Lynnfield, and Newburyport won 5 to 1 over Rockport. Finally, in girls soccer, Lynnfield won 4 to 0 over Manchester Essex.

The National Weather Service expects patchy fog this morning, then a partly sunny afternoon with a high near 72. There is a chance of showers between 3 and 5 p.m. Tomorrow is expected to be sunny and cooler, with a high near 57. Rain is expected on Friday. In Gloucester Harbor, today's afternoon high tide is predicted to crest at 2:14 p.m. at 9.4 feet.

That's the Daily Current for Wednesday. Everything you heard, with its sources, is at capeanncurrent dot com, along with short editions for each town. I'm Kerry Jane, the Cape Ann Current's host. Everything we share is free public information from public records and government data, and every source is listed on our website. Catch the Daily Current again tomorrow. Keeping Cape Ann current.

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