The Reading ARPA Advisory Committee (RAAC) voted 6-0-1 on Tuesday to recommend that the Select Board allocate $900,000 of the $7.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support services for senior citizens. This came one week after a $2 million recommendation for a literacy curriculum was forwarded to the Select Board.
Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios outlined the request, reminding the RAAC that seniors make up about 25 percent of the population of Reading and have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Delios also shared the results of past studies regarding the 140-year-old Pleasant Street Center’s inability to meet the needs of seniors in the community, which led the Select Board to establish the Reading Center for Active Living Committee (ReCALC) this past winter. [Read More]
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Monday, May 30, 2022
Please join us as Reading remembers the service and sacrifice of all men and women who have died in service to our country
Reading will be returning to our pre-pandemic Memorial Day services with a parade beginning at 9:00 AM on Monday, May 30, 9:00 AM. The Parade begins at the American Legion on Ash street and proceeds down Main Street to Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Services will be held in each of Reading’s four cemeteries. Decorating of the 2,300+ Veteran’s graves will begin on Wednesday, May 25, 9:00 AM at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Volunteers are needed to place a flag holder at each Veteran grave. If you are interested in assisting please email Kevin Bohmiller at kbohmiller@ci.reading.ma.us or call 781-942-6652. Thank you. [Read More]
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Two of Reading’s most prominent memorials at Laurel Hill Cemetery recently completed a transformative restoration by Rob Surabian from Gravesite Preservation. Surabian began the work last week, donating the labor and materials as well, on both the Civil War Memorial and the Town’s War Memorial honoring men and women of Reading who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
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It only happens once a year! Reading is gearing up for its fourth annual Porchfest on Saturday, June 25 and you won’t want to miss it. Free live music will be playing all afternoon on front lawns, driveways, and porches all over Reading. Make sure to mark your calendar and start planning your afternoon.
Long-time Porchfest fan Jeanne Borawski says, “I got involved in promoting Porchfest during the Reading 375 celebration in 2019. Since then, I’ve made it a point to get to several venues every summer. I can’t believe the quality of the music – there are some really great bands performing for free all over town. Even better is seeing neighbors get together outside and enjoy the summer weather, live music, and each other’s company. It’s fun to see how some hosts really get into it.”
Don’t miss out on the fun. Sign-ups are happening now. Are you part of a band or musical group? Sign up today! Do you have a front lawn or porch and want to invite your neighbors over for some free live music on Saturday, June 25? Sign up today!
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Plate honors fallen Massachusetts service members and their families |
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The Registry of Motor Vehicles is now accepting applications for the newly-created Medal of Liberty license plate, which seeks to honor fallen Massachusetts residents who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the US military and their families.
The new plates were unveiled by Registrar Colleen Ogilvie during a ceremony held at the Wilmington RMV branch on May 23. Also participating in the official unveiling were State Representative Brad Jones (R-North Reading), who authored the legislation creating the new plates and filed it with the support and co-sponsorship of State Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn); Reading resident Arthur Vars, a 2019 Medal of Liberty recipient who first approached Representative Jones with the idea of creating a special plate; and Colonel Jason D. Oberton, representing the Massachusetts Adjutant General, Major General Gary Keefe. [Read More]
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GROUNDBREAKING FOR READING’S FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION |
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L-R in the photo are: Coleen O’Brien, Hamid Jaffari, Karen Herrick, Brian Smith, Erin Schaeffer, Greg Phipps, and Carlo Bacci
Three EV charging stations are planned for Reading:
- Main Street and Haven Street (today’s groundbreaking)
- Lincoln Street at MBTA Train Station
- Reading Public Library
The sites should be up and running by early June. [Read More]
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HIGHLIGHTING TIES BETWEEN LOCAL SENIORS AND LOCAL YOUTHS |
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100-Year-Old Pearl Street Resident Jean Bates Participates in Opening Kick-Off Ceremony
The Residence at Pearl Street assisted living community located at 75 Pearl Street, Reading, MA, owned and operated by LCB Senior Living, LLC hosted the Grandparents Day event at the youth soccer field located on the community’s campus Saturday morning, where more than 50 people gathered to watch the day’s events.
The celebration joined together youth soccer players from Reading with their families, grandparents, and residents of the assisted living community to recognize the richness of intergenerational experiences for all age groups. Players from the opposing Somerville and Medford Youth Soccer teams also participated in the day’s event. [Read More]
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JOINT STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE ALICE PEISCH AND SENATOR JASON LEWIS
On behalf of the Joint Committee on Education, we are pleased to announce that today the Committee is releasing An Act to expand access to high quality, affordable early education and care. This bill represents a significant step forward in the multi-session implementation of the recommendations made by the Early Education and Care Economic Review Commission, which filed its report in March. Along with substantial new investments in early education and care made in the House of Representative’s FY23 budget and the Senate Ways & Means Committee’s FY23 budget proposal, this legislation when fully implemented will be transformative in expanding access to high quality, sustainable, and affordable early education and care for young children and families in Massachusetts. We are grateful to the many legislative leaders and early education stakeholders who have been active participants throughout this process, and we look forward to continued collaboration in the months ahead as we build on the critical progress we have made supporting the Commonwealth’s students and families.. [Read More]
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Planning for a future Reading Center for Active Living
Get involved in planning for Reading’s Center for Active Living (ReCal)! Join the conversation at the next public forum scheduled on June 1, 2022, 7:00 p.m. at the Reading Public Library. This is the third public forum, hosted by the Town of Reading together with the team from the UMass Gerontology Institute, to get feedback on how the Town should be planning for a potential new Senior/Community Center otherwise known as the Center for Active Living.
The existing Senior Center, the Pleasant Street Center (PSC), has served the community well but can’t meet the need of the town’s current senior population. A 2017 needs assessment conducted by the UMASS Gerontology Institute concluded that the PSC could not meet the needs of seniors due to limitations associated with the building. A key recommendation of the UMASS study was to explore the feasibility of significant expansion of space for the PSC and the Elder/Human Services division. The study noted that the senior population is growing, and many seniors are choosing to age in place, pointing to the need for a larger facility designed to meet the needs of a growing population of people age 60+. [Read More]
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Favorite Book: “Band of Brothers” by Stephen E. Ambrose
Favorite Quote: “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” Michael Scott, The Office
Favorite Subject: History
Athletics/Activities/Employment: Lacrosse, Golf, Class Office, National Honor Society (Officer), Salem Country Club, Reading Cooperative Bank Teller
Plans After Graduation: Will plans to attend Auburn University in Alabama in the fall.
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Video Production: Students will gain video recording experience using RCTV’s professional camera equipment, as well as gain post-production skills such as; Celtx, Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop. All of these skills will culminate into their own masterpiece worthy of television and/or YouTube. This class can be altered to fit the needs of intermediate and advanced video students.
Photography: Students will learn (or refresh themselves with) the basics of photography including; camera settings, depth of field, shot composition, and movement. Students will navigate through many styles of photography including; street photography, portraits, and food, to name a few! This class can be altered to fit the needs of intermediate and advanced photography students.
Filmmaking: Students will learn all the key elements of creating a film, such as; scriptwriting, shot composition, lighting techniques, cinematography and so much more as you develop the skills of all the great filmmakers! This class can be altered to fit the needs of intermediate and advanced filmmaking students. [Read More]
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The Reading Cultural Council (RCC) Annual Survey is now open. Let your Cultural Council know how you want us to allocate your funds.
The Mass Cultural Council receives an annual appropriation from the Commonwealth, as well as support from the National Endowment for the Arts for support of the arts in Massachusetts. The Reading Cultural Council is one of 329 local councils who are responsible for disbursing that money to local programs and events. Last year we disbursed $23,500 in grants to local individuals and organizations to support art and culture in Reading.
In order to know what types of programs you would like to see supported we reach out to the residents of Reading with an annual survey. You can fill out our survey by clicking on the link below to let us know what you think. [Read More]
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Highlights from the Reading Police & Fire Logs
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