The town of Reading celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 16, at the Reading Memorial High School (RMHS) Performing Arts Center!
The day starts with a joyous community breakfast at 9:30 am, and is followed by an Interfaith Invocation by Reading Clergy Association, performances by the RMHS Jazz Band, Mixed Choir, and other student groups. There will be a Trees of Peace interactive art exhibit and more. Our guest speaker, Lynnette Marshall, is the co-founder and Director of Learning and Collaboration for The Flourish Collective, a racial and social justice organization based in Danville, CA. This year’s program theme is “True peace is the presence of justice.” Everyone is welcome to attend this commemoration of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his ongoing influence in the world.
For more details, contact the Office of Equity & Social Justice, oesj@ci.reading.ma.us. The event location is wheelchair accessible and ASL translators are available on request. [Read More]
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Anser Advisory Project Manager Nicole Lambert shared the proposed Housing Production Plan with the Select Board on Tuesday. The Housing Production Plan aids in creating a strategy to enable the town to reach its affordable housing goals. The plan, which must be updated every five years, contains a proactive strategy to understand current housing conditions and determine projected housing needs in town. Massachusetts currently mandates that 10% of the housing stock of each town and city be rated as affordable. Reading currently rates 10.5% of its housing as affordable.
Anser used a survey, census data, and public input sessions to help prepare the plan. Lambert reported that there were 753 responses to the survey, which indicated that residents would support rehabilitation of vacant and foreclosed properties, development of town-owned land, and the development of mixed-use buildings to meet housing goals. Residents also support affordable single-family housing, two-family homes, communities for those who are fifty-five and older, and accessory dwellings on existing homes. [Read More]
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Superintendent of Schools Thomas Milaschewski and Director of Finance Susan Bottan presented four cost centers of the Superintendent’s Recommended Fiscal Year 2024 budget to the School Committee on Thursday. Bottan shared that the budget was built beginning with the School Committee guidance on issues such as progress towards full-day kindergarten, support of the Reading Memorial High School (RMHS) Pathways initiates, increased time on learning in the elementary schools, and class size. She also indicated that the budget was built upon making progress towards the school district’s strategic objectives of supportive and safe environments, coherent instructional systems, and operational efficiencies.
Bottan reminded the committee that the Finance Committee had provided guidelines for a FY 2024 budget of $53,725,393. This is an increase of $1,942,000 over FY 2023. The town manager has also allocated $131,260 in anticipated savings to the schools along with $150,000 for the community priority of working towards full-day kindergarten. This leads to a total budget increase of $2,223,260 over FY 2023. [Read More]
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The School Committee continued to examine the Superintendent’s recommended fiscal year 2024 budget on Monday night. Superintendent of Schools Thomas Milaschewski presented the final two cost centers, regular day and special education, to the committee as well as a looked at how new “investments” will aid towards the district’s strategic goals.
The Regular Day cost center is the largest of the budget line items and comprises 59.1% of the overall budget. Milaschewski is recommending a $31,954,246 budget to the committee, which is a 7.6% increase over FY 2023. Most of the increase, $2,249,073, is for personnel, while only $36,333 of the increase is for non-personnel. [Read More]
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TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2023
Nomination papers for the following elected positions are now available at the Town Clerk’s Office. Candidates for elected offices must obtain at least fifty (50) certified signatures to qualify for placement on the April 4th ballot. Town Meeting candidates must obtain at least ten (10) certified signatures within their own precinct. Nomination papers are available until 5:00 PM on Monday, February 13, 2023.
Nomination papers must be submitted to the Town Clerk for certification no later than Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
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The Public Works Department announces that the ice rinks at Sturgis Park will be closed and drained due to vandalism to the rinks.
The Town received reports of vandalism over the weekend through SeeClickFix and, upon inspection today, determined that the ice is unsafe for skating due to branches, rocks, a trash bin, dog refuse bags, plastic bottles, and sundry other items thrown onto the ice and embedded within it. Crews will drain the rinks in order to safely clean the area, then reopen on a future date not yet determined. If you have any knowledge about these acts, or have doorbell camera footage of these events, please call the Police non-emergency line (781-944-1212), and our dispatchers will assign a working patrol officer. Thank you. We will be here. [Read More]
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Bobbie Botticelli of Team Botticelli from Colonial Manor Realty, once again presented all 50 firefighters and staff with gift certificates for lunch. This year they chose Fat Larry’s on Haven Street. Bobbie has been a staunch supporter of the fire dept dating back 34 years when she did the fundraiser placing defibrillators on emergency vehicles.
Bobbie Botticelli and team member Alicia Botticelli Tarasuk wish these brave men and women a safe, healthy New Year. [Read More]
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Mark your calendar! The Reading Community Singers are pleased to announce that our Spring Season will begin with our First Rehearsal on Tuesday, January 31. RCS is one of the longest-running non-audition groups in the United States. Registration is now open on the RCS website.
Or, you can try RCS out in person, first ~ Sign-In on January 31 will start at 6:45 PM, with Rehearsal to follow at 7:30. In-person Registration is open for the first three rehearsals.
Rehearsals are every Tuesday from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at Old South United Methodist Church, 6 Salem St., Reading, MA. [Read More]
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Legislation will provide savings to local residents for another three years |
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Governor Charlie Baker has signed legislation to extend the Town of Reading’s popular means-tested senior property tax exemption program for another three years.
Filed by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading), State Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn) and State Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester) after a vote of approval at the November 17 Town Meeting, House Bill 5405 was signed into law on January 5 as Chapter 412 of the Acts of 2022.
Established in 2017 following the passage of Chapter 343 of the Acts of 2016, the Reading senior property tax exemption program offers financial relief to qualifying residents who are 65 and older and mirrors the eligibility guidelines of the Massachusetts Senior Circuit Breaker tax credit. The original program ran on a three-year trial basis from 2017-2020 and was reauthorized for a three-year extension under Chapter 50 of the Acts of 2020. With the passage of Chapter 412, the program will continue to be offered through June 30, 2026. [Read More]
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Allows Anthony Del Signore to serve one year past mandatory retirement age |
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The Reading legislative delegation has secured the passage of legislation allowing the Town of Reading to retain the services of Assistant Fire Chief Anthony Del Signore for up to one year after he reaches the state-mandated retirement age for firefighters in February.
Originally approved by voters at the November 17 Fall Town Meeting, House Bill 5403 was enacted by the House of Representatives on December 29 and by the Senate on January 3, the final day of the 2021-2022 legislative session. Governor Charlie Baker signed the bill into law on January 4 in one of his last official acts as Governor.
Under Massachusetts law, firefighters must retire once they turn 65. With the passage of House Bill 5403, Reading can continue to employ Del Signore in his current position until February 29, 2024, provided he is deemed mentally and physically capable of performing his duties. [Read More]
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Before Rent woke up a generation, there was tick, tick… BOOM! the autobiographical musical from the late Jonathan Larson about his struggles to achieve his big break in theatre.
Containing fourteen songs, ten characters, four actors, and a band, Colonial Chorus Players’ production of tick, tick… BOOM! will run February 3–12, 2023, at the Old Hose House, 1249 Main Street, Reading. Directed by Caitlin Beckman with musical direction by Kristin Killian. Starring Jeff Mitchell (Jon), Sean Donnelly (Michael), Kara Chu Nelson (Susan), and Melissa Paz (Karessa).
General admission tickets $25/$22. In keeping with Larson’s wishes to make theatre accessible to everyone, the February 5 performance will have tickets available for Pay-What-You-Can at the door with cash, check, or Venmo. [Read More]
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TIMOTHY FAILLA Class of ‘23
Favorite Book: “The City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau
Favorite Quote: “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars
Favorite Subject: History (World War II: The European Theater)
Clubs/Activities: Video Game Club and community service
Plans After Graduation: Timothy plans to attend a community college in the fall to pursue a degree in Veterinary Technology / Animal Care.
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Highlights from the Reading Police & Fire Logs
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