Question: What's going into the new building being put up on Main Street next to Supercuts? Answer: Driving down Main Street in Wilmington, you may have noticed a new building going up next to Supercuts at, 335 Main Street.  According to Planning Director Carole Hamilton, a Honey Dew Donuts could be filling the newest building on Main Street.  Hamilton said it was her understanding that a Honey Dew Donuts would be occupying the building, although she was unsure if the company had signed a lease yet.  Would you like to see a Honey Dew Donuts go in on Main Street? Let us know in the comment …

  Question: When is Rep. Miceli holding office hours in Wilmington? Answer: Representative James Miceli will be holding office hours for the Town of Wilmington, Monday, May 13th from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00am at the Wilmington Senior Center and also from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00pm at the Wilmington Town Hall.

  Question: Who were the seniors of the month at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School? Answer: Two Wilmington residents claimed the honor of Seniors of the Month at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School. Daniel Giorlando and Rebecca McLaren, both of Wilmington, were recently honored as the Seniors of the month for March by Shawsheen Valley Technical High School, according to a release from the school.  McLaren is in the top of her class in both athletics and academics, currently 12th in her class academically with a 3.9 GPA, according to the release.  Outside of the classroom, McLaren is …

Question: I'm trying to clean out my garage and I've got a big, second refrigerator that I need to get rid of. It doesn't work anymore so I can't sell it. Do I have to take it to a dump? Answer: Good news, you do not have to borrow your pal's pickup truck and haul that refrigerator to a dump. The town's curbside pickup service covers this. Refrigerators are what is called "White Goods." This does NOT mean your refrigerator must be white to be picked up. In fact, it would be better to get rid of as many of those awful pea-green refrigerators as possible ... but I digress. Here is the …

Question: I heard that the Board of Appeals denied a permit for the July 4th carnival. Does that mean it's cancelled or is there some type of appeal process? Answer: Your information is correct. Earlier this week, the five-member Board of Appeals denied a special permit needed for the carnival to take place this year. The problem is connected to the construction of the new high school. Because of that construction, the July 4th Committee put forth a plan to hold the carnival in the parking lot adjacent to the Fourth of July Building. As is the case each year, the committee needs Board of …

Question: Are the apartments at the new Burlington Avenue development ready to be rented yet. It seems like there is still work being done. Answer: "METRO @ Wilmington Station" is definiely in its home stretch. According to information on its web site, tenants will start moving in on June 1. Applications for leases are being accepted now. Upon completion, METRO @ Wilmington Station will feature 78 apartments priced at market value along with 30 moderate affordable income rentals, totaling 108 apartments. There are also 35 garage units on the property.

Question: What is going on over at the former Dinette World building on Middlesex Ave.? I saw a lot of activity going on there. It looked like wither someone was moving stuff in or moving stuff out. Do you know anything about this? Answer: Actually, we know quite a bit about it. The former home to Dinette World at 353 Middlesex Ave. is one of the largest and highest-profile retail vacancies in Wilmington. but it will soon be vacant no more. Burgess properties recently announced that it had brokered a deal for the 32,676-square foot space to be leased by a Malden-based company called Art of …

Question: When will the groundbreaking ceremony take place for the new high school? Answer: After numerous delays and appeals, which saw the project pushed back a year, the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Wilmington High School has been scheduled for Thursday, April 25, at noon. The event will begin with a ceremony on the Town Common before attendees walk over to the site of the construction project on Church Street for the actual groundbreaking. Members of the Wilmington Legislative delegation, along with representatives from the state's School Building Authority are expected to…

Question: How much did snow and ice removal cost Wilmington this winter? It has to be a deficit, right? Where are they going to cut to make up for the deficit? Answer: The short answer is that we got a heckuva lot of snow and it cost a lot to get rid of it. According to Town Manager Jeff Hull, the town had budgeted $547,540 for snow and ice removal in Fiscal Year 2013. The actual costs, as of Friday, March 22, was $627,759. The resulting deficit is $80,219. The good news is no cuts are likely needed to make up for the deficit. Rather, Town Meeting voters will be asked to transfer excess funds…

Drivers who are considering a switch to electric vehicles or current vehicle owners looking for a place nearby to charge their rides have a couple of places to find their outlet. In Wilmington, there are no electric car charging stations. However, there are two in Tewksbury and one in Billerica, according to crowd-sourced websitecarstations.com. Tewksbury locations are at the 99 Restaurant, 401 Main St., and Ira Nissan, 623 Main St. In Billerica, the location is at the 99 Restaurant, 160 Lexington Road. Carstations allows users to upload new car charging locations to a Google map and (when …

Question: I just found out that Big Joe's closed down and now it looks like Greg's Roast Beef is closed too. I thought the economy was supposed to be getting better. Answer: Fear not, fan of roast beef. Greg's isn't going anywhere. Well, they are, but they aren't leaving Wilmington. Greg's is actually in the middle of a move from their old location at 296 Shawsheen over to 101 Main St. (Route 38), right across from Silver Lake Dental. The ownership of Greg's has not yet set an opening date for the new location. But we'll let you know as soon as they do.

Question: Is Big Joe's closed? It looked boarded up today and signs were pulled back from the road. Answer: This is going to come as sad news to all fans of tasty sandwiches but all indications are that Big Joe's has closed for good. A visit to the restaurant at 433 Main St., shows signs that the building has been cleaned out. The restaurant roadside signs are leaning against the building and several fire extinguishers, a microwave oven and assorted trash are piled outside. Unfortunately, we were unable to contact owner "Big" Joe LaCreta to confirm the closing. For more on Big Joe's and "Big…

Question: I just moved to Wilmington a couple of months ago and now that the snow is melting off, I'm looking to take care of some brush in our backyard. What are the rules for burning brush here? How much is a permit? Answer: The good news is there is no fee for burning brush in Wilmington. However, you definitely need a permit from the Fire Department and could face a fine if you burn without one. Your timing is perfect, as the burning season runs from Jan. 15 through May 1. Burning can only be done from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. And hopefully you have some space in your backyard, because burning …

Question: Another winter storm is expected to dump another foot of snow Sunday. If Wilmington loses more days of school, when will the school year end? Answer: Interesting question. Having lost four days of school to snow already, the last day of school is presently June 18. However, as the questioner notes, there is more snow coming in Sunday, so it's possible the last day could be pushed back further.

You may be wondering if there'll be any new mail in your Wilmington mailbox today (that is, if you can even make it to your mailbox, with all this snow.) Several readers have asked that question, including Wilmington Patch Facebook follower Diane Cisto Breslin. The answer is that mail service in all of New England — not just Massachusetts — has been suspended, according to the Huffington Post. The ban extends throughout all six New England states. The unusual decision was made due to safety concerns, according to Postal Service spokeswoman Christine Dugas. The decision came after over two …

Where there's smoke, there's fire. But what about where there's no smoke, but plenty of firefighters? There was a large amount of firefighters on scene Monday and Tuesday at the Whitefield School on Middlesex Ave., and several readers have asked what they were doing there. Close to 20 firefighters from Wilmington, one came from Lexington, have been on hand for training that simulates conditions where a firefighter is trapped in a smoke filled building. Teams of four entered the building and crawled to the downed firefighter while wearing blacked out masks and oxygen tanks. For complete video …

If you're found with marijuana on you in Massachusetts, you're facing a stiff fine. But one reader wants to know. Is Wilmington's fine for marijuana possession higher than the state's? "Could you find out why Wilmington is charging a $300 fine for pot when the state fine is $100?," wrote one reader. "I just found out about this and dont understand how they are doing this legally." For the answer we turned to Wilmington Police Chief Michael Begonis, who said there is a key difference in the fines involving marijuana. Begonis pointed to Section 12A, which deals with public consumption of …

The Wilmington High School gymnasium will be coming down over February vacation. So what exactly will students do with no gym to run around in? That is one of the first questions many residents have, and for the answer we turn to the blog of WHS principal Eric Tracy. He provides some information in a blog post from Wednesday.  Tracy said that for at least the next two years, Physical Education and health teachers will have to get creative, utilizing outdoor space when the weather allows and larger indoor rooms when it's raining, snowing or cold. Health class will be taught during the first …

A parking ban is instituted throughout Wilmington throughout the winter months. But what exactly does that mean? For our latest You Ask… Patch Answers, we checked in with Town Manager Jeff Hull to answer a reader’s question about how the ban works. According to Hull, the ban begins on December 1 each year and runs through April 1. During that time, vehicles are banned from parking on the streets from 1 a.m. through 6 a.m. Hull said the enforcement of the ban is likely to only come when a snowstorm is underway or predicted. “If police or DPW find a vehicle parked on the side of the road, the …

Christmas has come and gone. And now that it's over, how do you dispose of your biggest decoration? One of our reader is looking to do a little winter cleaning, and e-mailed to ask the best way to do so. "When is Christmas Tree pick up?" the reader wrote. Jamie Magaldi, Department of Public Works assistant superintedent, provided the answer, and it seems like getting rid of your Christmas Tree is a simple process. According to Magaldi, all residents need to do to have their tree picked up is place it on the curb by January 11. "We got a lot of the trees picked up already," said Magaldi. "They…