ALERTWorcester, the City's automated emergency notification system, is available in 23 different languages: English, Catalan, Chinese (Simplified, PRC), Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong, S.A.R.), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan), Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French (Canada), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (General), Spani

Opportunity Zones became part of the federal tax code by way of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed Census Tract where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment with regard to capital gains tax liability.

Below is a list of policies and procedures for all City employees.

As colder weather approaches and we head into Fall and Winter, it's important to prepare for flu season, which usually peaks between December and February. Getting the flu vaccine in addition to other basic preventive measures can greatly reduce the risk of you and your family members coming down with the flu.

The River and Other Ecosystems Are Connected

Amphibians and reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates (animals with backbones) that usually lay eggs and are inactive from late fall until spring. With its rich variety of habitats, the river and forests are home to many different frogs, snakes and turtles. Frogs need wetlands and shallow water to lay eggs, while adults live in woodlands and wet meadows. Some can freeze solid in water. Most snakes in this region are non-venomous, lay eggs on land, hunt in rivers and wetlands and spend the winter underground in hidden cavities below the frost line.

As in most of New England, the dominant living organisms of this park are trees. At the river's edge are species tolerant of wet soils and occasional flooding, like red maple, black tupelo and alder. Species such as black oak, black locust and gray birch can be found on drier parts of the park. While we often take them for granted, trees provide numerous benefits by taking up carbon dioxide and other pollutants, releasing oxygen, providing wildlife habitat and creating visual and sound buffers.

The Middle River flows slowly most of the year but can flood with tremendous force, rising to just below the height of the deck you are on now. This river was dammed to power the wire mill that once stood nearby, and since then sediment has built up to form the riparian wetland through which the river flows today. The wetland is home to a diversity of plants and animals with important roles to play in the ecology of the river.

Audio Tour

Identifying animal tracks and scat can open up an unseen world, a window into the lives of shy and elusive animals. Tracks, scat, signs of feeding, beds, scent marking, trails and other types of animal signs point to which animals passed by, what they did, where they went and much more. Seemingly empty ground becomes alive with fascinating information.

Audio Tour