This past Saturday (June 25), the fourth edition of Reading Porchest presented 51 separate acts at 25 locations throughout the town. From noon to 6 pm, residents and visitors traveled from porch to porch, driveway to driveway, or lawn to lawn to hear a wide range of genres – everything from classic rock, to a capella, to bluegrass and blues, to Appalachian fiddles, and more.

The day was hot, but it did not stop or slow down the throngs who showed up at each venue to listen.
Not only were there those who offered up their properties as temporary music stages for the afternoon, but nearby neighbors were seen toting out chairs and beach umbrellas to make the revelers and performers comfortable and offer water on a warm day.
The caliber of the music at this free event was stellar. One resident was heard to say that he could have listened to a particular performer all afternoon, then added that he felt that way about every session he’d seen.

The style of each residential venue varied. Some were quiet affairs with neighbors stopping by for a song or two, while others evolved into block parties with scores of attendees, complete with the aroma of hot dogs and hamburgers wafting down the street.

The PorchFest Committee members were extremely pleased with both the outcome and the reaction to this year’s event and have already announced that Readingites should be on the lookout during the next several months on word of PorchFest V, slated for next June. [Read More]
Professional Fireworks Displays Near Reading
Police Chief David Clark and Fire Chief Gregory Burns would like to provide an update on the situation from earlier today involving the evacuation of approximately 66 senior residents from a senior living facility in town.

On Monday, June 27, at approximately 11:50 a.m., Reading Police and Fire Departments received a report that a pipe had burst sending water cascading into an electrical box at The Residence at Pearl Street, an assisted living and memory care community at 75 Pearl St.

As of 9:15 p.m. Monday evening, police and fire crews had cleared the facility and all residents from that wing of the facility have been relocated.

“I commend the quick work by the members of Reading Police and Reading Fire in responding to this incident, ensuring no one was hurt as a result,” Chief Clark said.

The evacuation was conducted methodically to ensure the continued safety of residents. There was no ongoing danger to residents of the building during the response, and no injuries resulted from the incident.

“We would like to thank the staff at The Residence at Pearl Street for their full cooperation during this response,” Chief Burns said, “as well as the Reading Health Department for their assistance.”[Read More]
Although it is just the beginning of summer, one group of Reading residents is already looking ahead to autumn. The Reading Rotary Club is gearing up to host the 14th annual Reading Fall Street Faire on Sunday, September 11. Members of this committee are hoping to host the biggest, best Fall Street Faire yet.

Under the leadership of YMCA Executive Director, Rotarian and Fall Street Faire Chair John Feudo, the fourteen-person committee has already started meeting and planning for the town’s biggest annual downtown event. According to Feudo, “This would be way too much work for one person to do alone. We have an incredible team. Some of the members are relatively new and bring great energy and enthusiasm. Some of the members have been doing this for years and just know how to get the job done. At the end of the day, we’re all proud to be able pull off an event of this scope for the whole town to enjoy.”

Among the challenges are the logistics of closing down several blocks of downtown Reading for an entire Sunday to accommodate food vendors, multiple stages with live entertainment, amusements, activities, games, and more than one hundred booths. Rotarian Gregg Johnson of Lee Kimball Design and Build, has been involved in planning logistics for the Fall Street Faire for years. He says, “It would be impossible without the partnership we enjoy with the Town of Reading. We work well with the Town Manager, Department of Public Works, and Police and Fire Departments to ensure that this huge event is fun and safe.” [Read More]
The House of Representatives has given initial approval to a policy initiative by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) to establish a student stakeholder advisory commission on mental health. 

The proposal, which was inspired by a recent meeting between Representative Jones and students from Lynnfield High School, was adopted as an amendment to House Bill 4879, An Act addressing barriers to care for mental health, which seeks to improve access to mental health services and to establish parity between behavioral and physical health care insurance coverage. 

“When I met recently with a group of sophomores at Lynnfield High School to discuss their civics project, I was very impressed with their thoughts on mental health issues and how Massachusetts can better address those issues in our schools,” said Representative Jones. “This amendment grew out of the brainstorming we did on how we can work together to ensure that students’ mental health needs are being met and to make sure students have somewhere to turn if they or someone they know needs help.” [Read More]
House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) recently cast his 7,750th consecutive vote as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. 

Representative Jones achieved this voting milestone on June 16, when he voted to support the engrossment of House Bill 4879, An Act addressing barriers to care for mental health. The bill seeks to improve access to mental health services and to establish parity between behavioral and physical health care insurance coverage. 

Since he was first elected as a state legislator, Jones has never missed a roll call. He continues to maintain a perfect voting record to this day. [Read More]
Located in Reading and Wilmington, Level 2 Charging Stations Expand Public Charging Infrastructure
The Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) has completed the installation of five dual-port level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in its service territory. The installations were partially funded through a Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP) Public Access Charging (PAC) grant through the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), which was awarded to RMLD in July 2021. Three of the stations are located in Reading and two are located in Wilmington. 

“Increasing the availability of public charging infrastructure adds convenience for EV owners and helps broaden EV adoption,” said Coleen O’Brien, RMLD General Manager. “The RMLD thanks the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources for this innovative grant program as well as Town leadership, Reading Garden Club members, and all those who helped make this successful collaborative effort possible.” [Read More]
Run with us! The Reading Lions Club & Friends of Reading Rec host the 5k Journey for Sight Run to benefit the Mass Lions Eye Research Fund. Thurs, July 21, 6:30pm at Memorial Park, Reading.
The course is fast and flat – we’ve got prizes for top runners in each category, music and pizza! Register today at Reading Lions Journey For Sight 5K. [Read More]
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