Selectmen to Continue Look at Next Steps for Patton Estate

The Hamilton Board of Selectmen meet on Monday night.

The next steps for the Patton estate is on the agenda Monday night for the Hamilton Board of Selectmen. The town accepted the Asbury Street estate at Town Meeting last spring and a town committee continue to look at the best way to use the estate. On Monday night, the Board of Selectmen are planned to discussed the responsibilities and future direction of the committee. It is one of the items on the agenda for the board, which meets at Hamilton Town Hall at 7 p.m.

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Patton Named 'North Shore Distinguished Leader'

Joanne Patton has been named a North Shore Distinguished Leader, a honor announced Thursday for eight prominent North Shore residents.

Joanne Patton, who earlier this fall completed the donation of her family’s homestead to the town of Hamilton, is one of eight winners of this year’s North Shore Distinguished Leader Award. The winners were announced on Thursday morning by the Danvers-based North Shore Chamber of Commerce. They will be honored on Wednesday, Nov. 28 from 5-8 p.m. during a dinner event at Danversport Yacht Club. The award is designed to honor “distinguished leaders in business, industry, community and profession” on the North Shore. It is the second year that the award has been given out. Other award winners include Carlton Berry of C.P. Berry Homes, retiring state Senator Frederick E. Berry (D-Peabody), Henry and Donna Bertolon of Beverly, Tim Collins of …

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Jay Burnham

6:18 am on Friday, November 9, 2012

Precisely.   more ›

Patton Estate Gift Agreement Likely to be Signed Monday, Closing Date to be Set

The gift of the Patton estate moves closer to being final will the expected signature of a gift agreement by the Board of Selectmen on Monday.

A gift agreement between the town of Hamilton and Joanne Patton is scheduled to be signed on Monday night – one of the final steps toward making the gift of the Patton estate final. In May, Annual Town Meeting voters accepted the gift and work has been underway since then to complete the gift. The 27-acre estate, off Asbury Street near the Topsfield town line, was home to General George Patton and his son, Maj. General George Patton. Major General Patton’s widow, Joanne Patton, offered the property as a gift to the town last winter. A committee was formed to examine to consider uses for the property, which could include playing field and a bed and breakfast. The gift does not include neighboring Green Meadows Farm, which will continue to …

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Borings to Determine Quality - and Value - of Patton Soil This Week

Borings will be taken this week from soil on the Patton property that could possibly be valuable septic gravel.

It should be clear by the end of the week the value of some of the fill on the Patton property, which is soon to be owned by the town government. The estate, off Asbury Street near the Topsfield town line, was home to General George Patton and his son, Maj. General George Patton. Town Meeting voters overwhelming voted in May to accept the 27-acre property. The town is on schedule to close on the property by Aug. 15, the deadline set in the gift agreement, Town Manager Michael Lombardo told the Board of Selectmen on Monday night. On Monday, Lombardo said he met with attorneys representing Joanne Patton, who made the donation to the town, and discussed “modest things that need to be cleared up.” The prospect that valuable septic fill gravel …

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Town May Have Struck Septic Fill 'Gold' on Patton Land

The Patton Family Gift Advisory Committee is both excited and cautious about opportunities for the 27-acre Patton tract presents for Hamilton.

Hamilton Selectman Jennifer Scuteri may feel a bit like a Beverly Hillbilly. Instead of striking oil in the Tennessee hills, Scuteri and other members of the Patton Family Gift Advisory Committee have been recently told that under the tall hill on the Patton property there is a large amount of septic fill gravel. An early estimate was that the gravel might be worth $1 million to $2 million. Joanne Patton, who is donating her family's home on Asbury Street along with 27 acres, brought the potential windfall to the committee's attention. The town accepted the donation of the property during a Town Meeting vote last month. Several members of the committee immediately dampened the initial enthusiasm, warning that extracting the gravel would …

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Hamilton OKs $420K School Budget 'Giveback,' $5 Million in Water System Improvements and Sidewalk Study

Hamilton Town Meeting voters approved a school budget number with a "giveback" on Saturday morning, in addition to several other measures.

Hamilton Town Meeting voters approved a school budget with a “giveback” to taxpayers of $420,000 on Saturday morning. Hamilton’s share of that “giveback” is $286,000 and that was part of the budget number that voters supported while approving its $15.1 million share of the fiscal 2013 school budget. School Committee Vice-Chairman Roger Kuebel said the “giveback” number has the OK from three of the School Committee members – Chairman Alexa McCloughan and Larry Swartz in addition to him. The full committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Center School building. Finance Committee Chairman John McWane said he brought the number to Town Meeting after "11th hour" negotiations with some members of the School Committee. If …

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Anne Sweeney

1:08 pm on Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Yes Michelle, it's good to know that our little serfdom in Hamilton is alive and well. Which is why the shelves at Accord are always empty. As the old saying rings true, even today about the rich getting richer and the poor poorer. Our children graduate high school and Universities throughout our great Nation to enter a bleak job market. How peachy. $5 million might not be a drop in the bucket …   more ›

Should the Town Accept the Patton Property Gift? And How Can it Be Used?

The Patton Family Gift Advisory Gift Committee is hosting a public forum on Wednesday night to hear from residents about the gift of the Patton estate to the town.

The public can hear more on Wednesday night about the town of Hamilton’s plans to use the Patton property if voters choose to accept the gift. And they can then provide their two cents about what they think about those plans. The Patton Family Gift Advisory Committee plans to hold a public forum on Wednesday night. The committee meets at 6 p.m. at Hamilton Town Hall but plans to open it up to the public forum at 7 p.m. “The vote at Town Meeting is whether or not we should accept the gift,” Board of Selectmen Chairman Jennifer Scuteri said about the 27 acres of land and home off Asbury Street that has been offered to the town by Joanne Patton. If accepted, the transfer has to happen by Aug. 1 under the terms of the gift offer, Scuteri said…

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Janet Collett

3:30 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012

I'm assuming you are now mocking the discussion.   more ›

Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: March 28

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Wednesday, March 28. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Cloudy: We’ll see less of the sun on Wednesday than we’ve saw to start the week, but it will be warmer. Temperatures will get into the 50s under cloudy skies, 2. Kindergarten: If your child is going to attend kindergarten in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District next year, this week is the time to submit the paperwork. Completed registration paperwork can be dropped off with Registrar Donna Bunk at the schools central offices all week from 9 a.m. to noon. On Wednesday, too, the paperwork is being accepted from 2-6 p.m. 3. Gas: Most gas stations in Hamilton and Wenham are selling gas this week for less than the state average of $3.76 per gallon for regular. The …

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Three Town Government Newcomers Named to Patton Committee

The Hamilton Board of Selectmen chose three residents without any prior experience on a town board or committee to become part of the committee that will determine the future of the Patton property.

Three newcomers were selected Monday to fill the remaining three spots on the committee that will come up with a plan for the Patton estate. Joanne Patton announced in December that she is donating her home and surrounding land on Asbury Street to the town. Ideas ranging from a museum and restaurant to a housing development or board launch on the Ipswich River have all been discussed as possible uses for the property. The committee will make it recommendation prior to Annual Town Meeting in May, when voters were be asked to accept the donation. Phil Tocci of Farrington Lane, Bob Baker of Goodhue Street and John Vanderwilden were all named to the Patton Family Gift Advisory Committee in a unanimous vote by the Board of Selectmen on Monday …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: Feb. 1

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 1. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Warm: February arrives with temperatures – strangely - forecasted to get well into the 50s on Wednesday. There’s also a chance of rain showers and there will be some wind gusts at times. 2. Poetry: Hamilton-Wenham Library’s Second Annual Poetry Contest Kicks off on Wednesday for students in grades 6 to 12. The deadline to enter in April 30 and winners will be announced in May. Teenagers may enter up to three poems each, and there are some other important rules. 3. Gas: Three gas stations in Hamilton and Wenham are selling gas for almost the same price on Tuesday. G & M Motors had a gallon of regular for $3.48 while downtown at Hamilton Convenience and Oliver Gulf, a …

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Robert Gates

1:29 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Thank you for adding that Beverly. So you know, any Patch user can add events to our calendar quickly, easily and for free on this page: http://hamilton-wenham.patch.com/events/new   more ›