Leominster Offers Free Coffee For Reporting Potholes
(Luis Diaz Devesa/Getty Images)
LEOMINSTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Leominster is taking a new approach to fixing their deteriorating streets: offering a free coffee to those who report a pothole.
Mayor Dean Mazzarella told WBZ NewsRadio's Ben Parker the city is teaming up with Aroma Joe's to provide anyone who reports a pothole to the Department of Public Works with a coupon for a free hot or iced coffee—one coffee for every pothole they report.
"We are encouraging people to let us know where those potholes are, because a., we don't want anyone to ruin their car, it's very expensive, and b., we're looking for the public to help us out," he said. "There's 500 miles of street, it's a lot of pavement, a lot of area to cover."
But what happens if multiple people report the same pothole?
"We are very diplomatic in the coffee world and in Leominster, so we'll give out as many as we possibly can," Mazzarella said. "If multiple people report it, that's good—we'll get the thing repaired, and that's the most important thing."
Those who report the potholes—via a call to the Department of Public Works at 978-534-7590 ext. 3635, over social media, the city's SeeClickFix website, or any other method—can stop by the mayor's office to pick up their coupon.
"Any which direction they wanna get us, by whatever vehicle they can, we'll get them that free coffee," Mazzarella said.
The mayor added that there are plans to deal with the potholes more permanently.
"We're actually paving as we speak," he said. "We have a summer paving program and then another fall paving program."
Leominster has had issues with potholes in the past. Just last week, a Twitter user captured one that was so big, someone came along and planted flowers in it.
In an October 2017 Sentinel & Enterprise article about the poor state of some of the city's roads, one resident told the paper, "I can't drive down the road with a cup of coffee without spilling it all over myself."
Now, at least, she'd be able to get a coupon for a new one.
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WBZ NewsRadio's Ben Parker (@radiobenparker) reports