City of Attleboro Friendly reminder that State Mandated Outdoor Water Restrictions begin in May, and continue through the summer until September 30th. All non-essential outdoor water use is prohibited between the hours of 9 AM - 5 PM seven days per week per State water management recommendations. Water uses considered non-essential include:

- irrigation of lawns and ornamental gardens;

- filling swimming pools;

- outdoor washing of vehicles, except in a commercial setting;

- washing exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement.

Should drought conditions occur, the hours of these restrictions may be expanded.

For questions, please call 774-203-1850, or email dmorton@cityofattleboro.us.

For updates, please see our website at https://www.cityofattleboro.us/295/Water-Department

Mayor Cathleen DeSimone - Last night I presented a $201.65M FY27 general fund operating budget to the Municipal Council.

The budget is balanced as required by law, but to close a $2.5M deficit we will be laying off several staff members, not filling several vacant positions, reducing library hours, and using $937K in free cash. (Free cash is monies left over from the prior year’s budget that normally used for one-time expenses (i.e. capital improvements and equipment) and not used for personnel or other recurring costs.)

The Council now has 45 days to approve, reduce, or reject the proposed budget but it cannot increase the total budget amount.

Our budget deficit was largely driven by an 8.4% health insurance increase, decreasing aid from the state, a 10% increase in school transportation costs, and increasing fuel, equipment, and material costs across the board.

The impact of these increased costs and staffing reductions will require adjustments in a number of city operations, programs, and events and we ask for your patience and grace as we work through these changes in FY27 and beyond.

We will be going into the budget details at the public hearing on June 2 which will be followed by Council committee meetings with each city department head.

You can find the FY27 budget book here: https://www.cityofattleboro.us/DocumentCenter/View/14016/FY27-General-Government-and-Enterprise-Funds-Proposed-Budgets?fbclid=IwY2xjawRxQEVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeJ_X6wmV4TtRF0_9oLbaqVUiOKmkZZvhf7d_1g9nQPd-7Hjb9AZrC6V4f7xw_aem_l3gjt9A6xOczoH10v-7khA

Attleboro Arts Museum Student artists from 13 Massachusetts and Rhode Island high schools have been working hard to create sculptural installation art for our upcoming High Art Exhibition – REVOLUTIONARY ART! Sponsorships by local businesses and cultural councils make this exciting opportunity possible. Thank you for supporting our next generation of artists! Tuesday, May 12th. Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony on Wed, May 13th from 6:30-8pm. Free and open to all.

Attleboro High School

Barnstable High School

Bridgewater Raynham Regional High School

Dayspring Christian Academy - Attleboro, MA

Dedham High School

Dover-Sherborn Regional High School

Hope High School – Providence, RI

Mansfield High School

Norton High School

Norwood High School

Seekonk High School

Sharon High School

Silver Lake Regional High School

City of Attleboro Road Work Update: The N. Main St. resurfacing project will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12. Please be advised that detours will be in place to keep motorists out of the work zone.

All work is weather dependent. Please use caution when traveling through the N. Main St. area and consider alternate routes if necessary.

Capron Park Zoo - As a special thank you to all mother figures, enjoy FREE admission for 1 mother figure with 1 paying child. Spend the day making memories, visiting your favorite animals, and celebrating the amazing people who do so much every day.

We look forward to celebrating with you! 

Capron Park Zoo - We are so very grateful to be the recipient of this donation from the New England Herpetological Society! NEHS is a nonprofit dedicated to conserving reptiles and amphibians, advancing herpetological education, and fostering a welcoming community for both lifelong enthusiasts and those newly curious about the natural world. Founded in 1972, NEHS has grown over 50 years into a regional organization, supporting herpetology through field events, educational programs, research and conservation grants, resources, and advocacy for responsible practices that protect native species and their habitats.

Jet and Ollie Studios is located next to the Union Theatre. Stop by for something special for Mom!

The Veteran Services Office cordially invites you to honor the fallen by replacing cemetery flags at numerous cemeteries throughout the city. Flags and bags will be provided on site. In addition, the annual Field of Flags event at the city Commons will also be taking place. Please refer to the schedule below. Thank you and let’s have a great Memorial Day!

5/11/26 Monday 6 PM St. John's Cemetery

5/12/26 Tuesday 6 PM St. Stephen's Cemetery

5/13/26 Wednesday 6 PM Hillside Cemetery

5/15/26 Friday 6 PM North Purchase

5/22/26 Friday 10 AM Field of Flags Commons

5/23/26 Saturday 10 AM Field of Flags Commons

5/30/26 Saturday 10 AM Flag Pull-Up Commons

Attleboro’s first Miyawaki Forest -"The effort has been a long time coming, ever since Rob Moir, a Cambridge-based environmental scientist and executive director of the non-profit Ocean River Institute, approached the city with the idea in 2024."

"Roughly 550 saplings spanning 50 species were planted Friday and Saturday, including oaks, chestnuts, red maples, birches, cherry trees, crabapple trees, holly trees, and mountain ash, among several others."

"On Friday, the high school students were tasked with finding the tagged saplings and transporting them on wheelbarrows back to the field."

“It was bubbling,” said Mike Davis, Attleboro Sustainability Commission chair. “All these people kept showing up, I just didn’t expect it ... I figured there’d be about 10 of us working into the night.”

"Another motivation for Moir in implementing more forests around the state, is to help protect North Atlantic right whales, an endangered species off the Gulf of Maine, where contaminated water is severely diminishing phytoplankton, their main food source. Even though Attleboro is not a coastal area, runoff from the city can still make its way to the ocean, he said." Reported By Rhianwen Watkins rwatkins@thesunchronicle.com

Across their range in Asia and Africa, leopards are threatened, with only around 10,000 individuals remaining in the wild. There are 8 recognized subspecies of leopards.

Lacey at the Capron Park Zoo is an Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), one of the rarest big cat species in the world. She is a female who serves as an ambassador for her critically endangered species, which is native to the border region of Russia and China.

The Amur leopard is threatened by poaching, both of the cats themselves and their prey, as well as habitat loss and deforestation. These pressures, along with forest fires in their natural habitat, caused the population to plummet to roughly 25 individuals in the wild. Today, there are approximately 130 in Russia alone, according to a recent report from the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Latest estimates for 2025–2026 suggest there are about 70 or more Amur leopards in China and around 120–130 in Russia. In addition, roughly 200–300 individuals are maintained in accredited zoos worldwide as part of carefully managed breeding programs to preserve genetic diversity. Because the wild population is small and isolated, it remains vulnerable to genetic issues such as inbreeding, which could reduce long-term survival if not managed, even in the absence of direct human threats.

Water, John, Elizabeth, Milk, Hodges, Leroy, Hope, Bicknell, Benefit, Bank, Oak, and High streets will all be affected.

Capron Park Zoo will host:

- Local Veterinary Clinic Booths

- Animal Enrichment Demonstrations

- Wildlife Clinic Stations

- Animal Training Demonstrations

All activities included with admission! We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

"DeSimone said rising health insurance costs — up 8.4% — are the primary driver of the deficit. Health insurance expenses are tied to full-time employees."

"The city currently pays 75% of each employee’s insurance premium, with employees covering the remaining 25%. She told the council six or seven full-time employees will be let go."

"Mayor Cathleen DeSimone says layoffs are planned as the city faces a $2.5 million budget deficit."

"She declined to name the affected departments or positions, saying the city must wait until impacted employees are notified." Reported By Rhianwen Watkins rwatkins@thesunchronicle.com