MassDOT Announces the Winners of the Name A Snowplow Contest

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BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced the winners of the second annual, "Name A Snowplow" contest for statewide elementary and middle school students in Massachusetts. 
 
The winning plow names are Flower Plower, Edward Blizzardhands, Glacier Gobbler, Polar Pathmaker, Snow B Wan Kenobi, The Snolar Express, Sleetwood Mac, Snow Place Like Home, Snow-hemian Rhapsody, The Mayplower, Snow Monstah, Fast and Flurryous. 
 
This contest received entries from public school classrooms from across Massachusetts. The contest chose names for 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during this 2023/2024 winter season. The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to help recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during the winter season.? 
 
"Keeping our roads across Massachusetts clear and safe every winter is a tough job. We are glad to see educators engage their students in a fun competition that pays tribute to this essential public service," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "I want to congratulate the winning classrooms and look forward to seeing all of the snowplows in the field." ??? ? 
 
The 12 winning classrooms are listed below. 
 
Winning Submissions for K through 4th Grade 
 
District 1 
 
Chester Elementary School 
 
Chester 
 
4th, Mikayla Menin  
 
Flower Plower 
 
District 2 
 
Franklin Avenue Elementary 
 
Westfield 
 
1st, McKenna Mortimer  
 
Glacier Gobbler 
 
District 3 
 
Heritage School 
 
Charlton 
 
3rd, Beth Simoncini 
 
Snow B Wan Kenobi 
 
District 4 
 
Linden STEAM Academy 
 
Malden 
 
4th, Katie Carter 
 
Sleetwood Mac 
 
District 5 
 
Brookfield Elementary School 
 
Brockton 
 
4th, Catelynn Maloney 
 
Snow-hemian Rhapsody 
 
District 6 
 
UP Academy Dorchester 
 
Boston 
 
4th, Katherine Brea 
 
Snow Monstah 
 
Winning Submissions for 5th through 8th Grade 
 
District 1 
 
Buckland Shelburne Elementary School 
 
Shelburne Falls 
 
6th, David Conlon 
 
Edward Blizzardhands 
 
District 2 
 
Mahar Regional 
 
Orange 
 
8th, Kyle Magoffin 
 
Polar Pathmaker 
 
District 3 
 
Burgess Elementary School 
 
Sturbridge 
 
5th, Melissa Forni 
 
The Snolar Express 
 
District 4 
 
William Diamond Middle School 
 
Lexington 
 
8th, Cecilia Vosland 
 
Snow Place Like Home 
 
District 5 
 
Orleans Elementary School 
 
Orleans 
 
5th, Cirrus Farber 
 
The Mayplower 
 
District 6 
 
Pollard Middle School 
 
Needham 
 
7th, Ken Lundberg 
 
Fast and Flurryous 
 

Applications for the Snowplow Naming Contest were submitted by Friday, December 1, 2023. There was no limit to the number of applications that could have been submitted per school.? 

A selection panel composed of MassDOT employees chose two elementary school classroom winners that are located within each of the six Highway Division districts.? The winning submissions were evaluated based on two grade-level categories: 1) kindergarten through fourth grade, and 2) fifth grade through eighth grade.? 

 

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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