Tin Bucket has become a staple small business in Reading over the last several years. Tin Bucket is a gift shop and creative space for people to learn artistic skills on their own through a variety of different opportunities.
Owner Pam Keating opened up Tin Bucket on Woburn Street in 2015. As an art and graphic design major in college, Keating has always had a passion for creating and a flair for aesthetics. [
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After starting her family, Keating stayed at home to raise her children but always talked about opening her own store. In the meantime, Keating completed projects from her home for herself or for others.
She began her journey after her youngest child started kindergarten. Keating began conducting paint parties out of a Corre Barre studio. Paint parties are events at which those attending are provided with the materials to make a painting and learn new techniques and simple ways to make a somewhat complicated piece from the instructor.
When the owner decided to shut down the studio, they had suggested that Keating take over the space, and she went for it, feet first.
In 2015, Keating turned the store into a creative space and a gift shop for local residents to express themselves and find homemade products and is essentially a “one-woman show,” Keating said. “It’s been better than I expected,” Keating said. Read More]
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Covid Update
Board of Health chair Dr. Richard Lopez reported that there are 350 active COVID cases in Reading as of Thursday, though Reading’s daily incidence rate is lower than contiguous communities. He also shared that feedback from the recent indoor mask mandate has been about 50% in favor and 50% against and shall be reviewed monthly.
Health Director Adetokunbo Solarin reported that 75% of all Reading residents have been vaccinated, with 42% having been “boosted.” The next vaccination clinic will be on January 24 at Coolidge Middle School. FinCom has authorized $80,000 of its reserve funds to purchase 15,000 COVID tests for Reading residents.
Select Board Reviews Economic Development
Erin Schaeffer, Economic Development Director for the Town of Reading, reported to the Select Board on January 18 regarding economic development activities in town during 2021. Since the creation of the downtown smart growth district, Schaeffer shared that redeveloped properties have increased in assessed value from $5.11 million to over $74 million, providing $958,000 in new growth tax revenue to the town. [Read More]
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The election cycle for the April 5, 2022, the local election is underway, and Town Clerk Laura Gemme has released a list of potential candidates who have pulled nomination papers for the various available town-wide positions that will be on the ballot this year. Nomination papers for town-wide offices require fifty signatures and need to be returned to the clerk by February 15. The last day candidates may pull nomination papers is February 13.
Three persons have pulled nomination papers for the two available seats on the Select Board. Incumbent Mark Dockser of Beaver Road, Nancy Tawadros of Libby Avenue, and Jacqueline McCarthy of Beacon Street have all pulled their papers as of January 11. At this time, incumbent Anne Landry has not pulled nomination papers for reelection. Also, as of January 11, only Tawadros has returned those nomination papers to the Town Clerk’s office for certification. [Read More]
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Before the School Committee continued its review of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, student representative Smritha Srinivasan shared some student opinions on the new one-on-one laptop incentive to be implemented at Reading Memorial High School. Srinivasan shared that while in favor of giving students who may not have access to laptops to use, many were not in favor of ending the current “bring your own device” program and not being able to use their own laptops and other devices in school. “I have not yet met a student in any grade who is happy with this decision,” Srinivasan declared.
As the committee turned its attention to the budget, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Sarah Hardy shared some of the new initiatives in the $29,704,746 budget for regular day expenses. This represents an increase of $1,244,623 or 4.4% over FY 2022. This increase will fund a reduction of the tuition for full-day kindergarten from $4,450 to $3,000. It will also increase English language instruction by one full-time equivalent. Hardy explained that the increase would also fund a pilot program using teaching fellows in grade four classrooms at the Joshua Eaton and Killam Elementary Schools. [Read More]
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District Election – January 25, 2022, 11AM-6PM
Tuesday — January 25, 2022
Polls Open 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Reading Memorial Field House – 62 Oakland Road
The Special Election seeks to appropriate funds to build a new regional vocational school for this District. There are 12 member communities in this District.
Woburn, North Reading, Saugus, Stoneham, Reading, Chelsea, Malden, Melrose, Revere, Wakefield, Winchester and Winthrop A majority vote throughout the District will determine the result. For information on this Building Project: https://northeastbuildingproject.com/ [Read More]
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House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading), State Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn) and Senator Jason M. Lewis (D-Winchester) recently joined with the Baker-Polito Administration to announce the Reading Fire Department has been awarded a Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant totaling $18,001.82 from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.
Reading was among 306 Massachusetts fire departments to be approved for funding under the program, which is designed to assist communities with the purchase of personal protective and safety equipment that meets the safety standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Under the grant program, 118 different types of equipment are eligible for funding, including personal protective clothing, thermal imaging cameras, hazardous gas detectors, and extrication equipment. Some of the most popular items funded through the program include helmets, hoods, gloves, coats and boots. [Read More]
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Mark your calendars!! Join the Reading Trails Committee and Walkable Reading for the Tenth Annual Winter Walk on February 6, 2022. This year’s walk will begin at 1:00 PM at the entrance to the Town Forest across the field from the Wood End School. Come out, get some exercise, and enjoy the fresh air. There will be refreshments and a chance to warm up near the campfire. Learn more about the Reading Trails Committee, their past projects, and how you could support and be involved in future projects.
The walk is suitable for all ages. Be sure to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for walking in the winter woods. If there is enough snow on the ground, then strap on your snowshoes. We might even find tracks of some of the critters that frequent the area. [Read More]
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Jack Stathoulopoulos
Class of ’22
Favorite Book: The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara
Favorite Quote: “Do Your Job.” Bill Belichick
Favorite Subject: Chemistry
Clubs/Activities: Soccer, Lacrosse, Letters to Soldiers
Plans After Graduation: Jack plans to enroll at a four-year college in the fall.
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Metro Credit Union, Massachusetts’ largest state-charted credit union, today announced the opening of its latest branch on 470 Main Street in Reading, Mass. The location is Metro’s 15th branch, adding to its overall network in Middlesex, Suffolk, and Essex counties.
The branch offers Metro’s full suite of consumer and business products and a 24/7 ATM. Complete with teller line and drive-up window service, the branch lobby features a non-traditional open space area allowing for more convenient access to Metro representatives. In addition, the Reading location includes dedicated resources for mortgage lending, commercial banking, and investment services, as well as a coin counting machine.
With extensive financial services experience, Ilva Velmishi, Branch Manager and Greg Allen, Assistant Branch Manager, are the leadership team at the new site.
“We are excited to further expand our branch network to offer more access and better serve Reading and its surrounding communities,” said Robert Cashman, Metro President and CEO. “It’s yet another milestone in our close to 100-year history that we continue to provide a positive banking experience with those who bank with us.” [Read More]
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Highlights from the Reading Police & Fire Logs
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