The Finance Committee (FinCom) voted 6-0 to recommend all twenty-eight line items of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget to Town Meeting on March 15. This recommendation includes $29,787,050 in shared costs, $32,015,975 in municipal spending, and $51,783,363 for the Reading Public Schools. In total, FinCom recommended a budget of $114,336,318 from the general fund. Additionally, FinCom voted 6-0 to recommend $17,225,072 for the water, sewer, stormwater, PEG access, and landfill enterprise fund budgets. FinCom recommends a combined total budget of $130,811,410 for FY 2023. Town Meeting will vote to approve the shared costs, municipal, school, and enterprise budgets under Article eighteen as Town Meeting begins on April 24.
Additionally, FinCom voted 6-0 to recommend eight other warrant articles to Town Meeting. These include Article four, amending the Fiscal Year 2022 capital plan; Article five, amending the FY 2022 budget; Article seven, transfer of funds to the Other Post Employment Benefits Trust Fund; and Article eleven, the establishment of a Community Garden revolving fund. FinCom will present its reports to
Town Meeting on each article as they are introduced.
Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) Director of Business and Finance Wendy Markiewicz shared the past and projected future above the line and below the line payments to the town for the coming years. The above-the-line payment is mandatory and consists of 2% of the total kilowatt-hour sales in each community each year. [Read More]
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Reading Local Election - APRIL 5, 2022
Location: Hawkes Field House at RMHS 7am - 8pm
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After seven hearings and by a vote of 5-0, the Community Planning and Development Commission (CPDC) approved the 40R development plan for 6-16 Chute Street, to be known as 45 High Street. The current building on the 17,986 square-foot site, built in 1974, is a one-story commercial building that houses several businesses, including the Last Corner Restaurant, The Green Tomato, and a laundromat.
The proposed building will create two commercial spaces on the first floor facing High Street with 3,622 square feet of retail space and an enclosed first-floor parking garage to be used by residents. The garage will be accessed via a Chute Street entrance which will contain thirty-nine spaces, twenty-eight percent of which will be compact spaces. Project Architect Jeffrey Olinger explained that the upper three floors would house twenty-nine apartments. Eight of these will now be designated as “affordable,” up from seven at the last hearing. The addition of the one affordable unit brings the percentage of affordable units to twenty-seven percent, which is above the twenty-five percent needed for the town to designate all the apartments as part of the town’s affordable inventory.
Speaking for the applicant, Attorney Brad Latham praised the proposal, reminding the commission that the development fits exactly into what the town was thinking when it created the 40R district. “[The building] could not be closer to public transportation if it were on the tracks,” Latham commented. [Read More]
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The Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce hosted Winterfest on March 10 and the evening was enjoyed by thousands of members of the community. The Chamber missed hosting the Tree Lighting Celebrations last November, and this sparked the idea to instead host a Winter community event on the Common to bring residents and visitors downtown. This event was largely put on by the Chamber’s volunteer board, and their work transforming the common did not go unnoticed.
The Reading-North Reading Chamber would like to thank Board Members Jenniffer Rogers of Leader Bank, Brian Lindmark of Total Mortgage, Mike Kirmes of Doyon’s Kitchen and Appliance, Catherine Barton Rossetti of Barton Rossetti Law, Sheila Clarke of M+H Interiors, Phil Clarke of St. Killian Importers, Steve Rogers from Dracut Window and Door, and the Town of Reading DPW.
Chamber Board Member Michelle McNall was dressed as Olaf and in her spare time works at ABC Healthcare and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Commonwealth as a Realtor. [Read More]
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The contest has provided important electrical safety education to students for over 25 years
Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) recently honored 36 students from twelve local elementary schools in Reading, North Reading, Wilmington, and Lynnfield for their winning entries into RMLD’s elementary student art contest. Virtual award ceremonies were held on March 3 and 10. The awards ceremonies were presented by General Manager Coleen O’Brien and RMLD Board members including Chair Robert Coulter, Commissioner Philip Pacino, and Commissioner David Talbot.
For the contest, fourth-grade students were asked to design a poster demonstrating their knowledge of topics presented in an educational video produced by the RMLD including electrical safety, how electricity gets to the home, and electricity and the environment.
A first, second, and third-place winner was selected from each participating school based on the artwork and message. Each winning student was awarded a Barnes and Noble gift card. [Read More]
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The Reading PorchFest Committee announces the return of the popular music festival, this year slated for Saturday, June 25.
PorchFest is just as the name implies. It is an afternoon of music literally on porches or, maybe, driveways or front lawns all over town. As in past years, the organizers are looking for as much diversity in the types of music as possible: anything from jazz to pop to rock, country, rap, and anything in between.
The website, ReadingPorchFest.com, is up and running with information, and within two weeks, the registration site for both musical acts and host venues will go live. News and announcements also can be found on the Reading PorchFest 2022 Facebook page.
The PorchFest tradition in Reading sprang from the town’s 375th anniversary in 2019. It was so popular that it was decided to make it a permanent part of the local cultural scene. That first edition was held in June during the anniversary festivities. The pandemic caused the second year’s festival to go virtual in a special presentation on RCTV, Facebook, and Youtube over the Fourth of July weekend. In 2021, the pandemic again caused problems, delaying PorchFest until the fall, but this year it springs back to its roots in June.
In keeping with the tradition of PorchFests everywhere, the Reading event is an all-volunteer affair: from the bands and the host porches to the organizers. [Read More]
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Video Production for Ages 9-13
In this 8-week course, students will get hands-on experience with video cameras and editing software while producing PSA’s, commercials, and/or short scenes.
Instructor: Angela Merrill
Tuesdays, 4:00-5:30pm March 29th-May 24th (No class 4/19: Make-Up if needed, 5/31) 8 weeks.
Cost: $190
Screen Acting for Ages 7-11
In this 8-week course, students will work together to learn improvisational skills, as well as acting on camera through commercials and small scenes.
Instructor: Angela Merrill
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30pm March 30th- May 25th (No class 4/20: Make-Up if needed, 6/1) 8 weeks
Cost: $190
Intermediate Video Production for Ages 10-14
In this 8-week course, students will add on to the skills they learned in Video Production and learn what it takes to create a full episode or short film. Instructor: Angela Merrill
Thursdays, 4:00-5:30pm March 31st – May 26th (No class 4/21: Make-Up if needed, 6/2) 8 weeks
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In our first return to in-person events, Whitelam Books is thrilled and honored to host the book launch party for Reading author/illustrator Scott Magoon as he presents his new graphic novel, “The Extincts: Quest for the Unicorn Horn (The Extincts #1)” on Sunday, March 27 at 2:00 pm.
Whitelam Books is located in downtown Reading at 610 Main Street, near the intersection of Haven Street and Main Street. Books will be available for purchase and signing. This event is free and open to the public – all are welcome to help celebrate the newest book of a Reading author!
A team of genetically enhanced extinct animals embark on top-secret missions around the world in this new graphic novel series.
Meet Scratch, Martie, Lug, and Quito, members of a secret organization called R.O.A.R., or the Rescue Ops Acquisition Rangers. When their boss, Dr. Z, finally calls on them for their first big mission, the team heads to Siberia to retrieve an ancient unicorn horn from the thawing permafrost. Scratch is thrilled at the chance to prove his worth to Dr. Z—but as soon as they land, the team runs into a mysterious enemy determined to take them down.[Read More]
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CHRISTINA SACCO Class of ‘22
Favorite Book: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Favorite Quote: “Do good and good will come to you.” (Unknown) Favorite Subject: AP U.S. Government and Politics
Athletics/Clubs/Activities/Employment: RMHS Volleyball, Letters for Soldiers, Habitat for Humanity, Cradles to Crayons, Tutor, Student Teacher, Babysitter
Plans After Graduation: Christina plans to attend the College of the Holy Cross in the fall.
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Highlights from the Reading Police & Fire Logs
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