Top 10: Basketball Star's House Fire, Car Crash and Real Estate Activity

Here are the top 10 most-read stories on Hamilton-Wenham Patch last month.

What have they been reading in the two towns in March? Here's a look back at the top 10 most read stories on Hamilton-Wenham Patch for March: 1. Syracuse Basketball Star Leads Team to Victory While His Mother's Hamilton House Burns 2. Firefighters Ordered Out of the Building at Hamilton House Fire 3. Three Alarm Fire Reported at Cutler Road Home 4. Sports Illustrated Cover Features Hamilton Player 5. Dozens of Firefighters Focused on Fire as Basketball Star Played Strong Defense 6. 'One of my Best' Sends MCW and 'Cuse into Final Four 7. Driver Crashes, Snaps Pole for Second Time in a Year 8. Wenham Man Faces Rape Charges for Alleged Sexual Acts During Massage 9. Wenham Deck House and Hamilton Ranch Among Recent Home Sales 10. Expressing …

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Expressing Lost Confidence with the Budget Process, Wenham FinCom Chairman Resigns

The chairman of the Wenham Finance Advisory Committee resigned on Monday night - a month before Town Meeting - because of concern about the budget process this year.

The chairman of the Wenham Finance Advisory Committee resigned on Monday night after "losing confidence in the integrity of the (budget) process." Catherine Harrison said in her resignation letter that her resignation was effective Tuesday - about a month before the Annual Town Meeting. Her concerns have developed over the past 4-5 months, she said. "It has been a struggle to balance my desire to fulfill my obligation as a FinCom member (“to advise and make recommendations to town meeting on the budget and other areas of finance…”), with my dissatisfaction with the process," she said. Harrison said that one of two guiding principles, both as a professional and a volunteer, is to follow "a good process that is carefully crafted, and then …

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on Feb. 27: Presenting Summer in Paris

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

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 27. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Rain: Wednesday will be a rainy day, with more than an inch of rain expected by the end of the day. The temperature will be in the 40s and winds will blow from the east up to 20 miles per hour. 2. Paris: “The Traveling Librarian” Jeff Klapes comes to Hamilton-Wenham Library on Wednesday evening with his “Paris in the Springtime” program. Klapes will talk about food, the sights and deliver a tour of the countryside starting at 6:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public. 3. Fair: The Topsfield Fair may be eight months away, but the fair is looking for college interns this summer, according to a recent post on its Facebook page. 4. Senate: Wednesday…

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on Feb. 15: Girl Scout Cookie Day Includes Raffle for Free Case

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

Today is Friday, Feb. 15. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. 50s: The temperature is expected to get above 50 on Friday with mostly sunny skies. It will be windy too, with gusts up to 25 miles per hour out of the southwest. 2. Girl Scout Cookies: Friday is Girl Scout Cookie Day, rescheduled from last Friday because of the blizzard. Check Twitter for a lot of the action on Friday with the #onemorebox hashtag to win dome prizes and follow @GirlScoutsEMass to find out the location of the Girl Scout Cookie booths that will be putting contests to win a case of Girl Scout cookies. 3. Perfect Pitch: Are you a business owner looking for tips for the “perfect investor pitch”? There’s a free session on Friday morning at…

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Robert Gates

11:34 am on Friday, February 15, 2013

Trudy, that was my error. The story has now been corrected.   more ›

Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on Jan. 23: State Budget to be Unveiled

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

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 23. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Colder: Some of the coldest weather in two years will hit us on Wednesday, with the temperature sticking to the teens all day. The windchill could be as low as -10 and the west wind will gust up to 20 miles per hour. 2. Flu: The spread of influenza seems to have slowed, but flu season is far from over. If you are still looking to get a flu shot, Addison Gilbert Hospital is hosting a flu shot clinic on Wednesday. The clinic will be held from 9-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. in the cafe at Addison Gilbert Hospital at 298 Washington St. in Gloucester. The clinic is open to anyone 4-year-old and up and is free. 3. Bridge: If you want to learn how to play Bridge…

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on Dec. 19: Leaf Collection is Over

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

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 19. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Maybe Sun: There’s the possibility that sun will return on Wednesday. The forecast calls for the day to start out with some precipitation but later give way to partly sunny skies with temperatures well into the 40s with gusty winds. 2. Christmas Party: The Hamilton Council on Aging always has an “open house” on Wednesday at its headquarters at The Meetinghouse/Old Library, but on Wednesday it will be a Christmas party. It runs 10 a.m. to noon. 3. Leaves: The roadside collection of leaves has ended for the season in Wenham. It was scheduled to finish up last Friday and the second round of collection through town actually ended ahead of schedule. …

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know Today in Hamilton and Wenham: July 25

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

Today is Wednesday, July 25. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Pick of the Week: Meteorologists are calling Wednesday the “pick of the week.” The forecast calls for the temperature getting into the low 80s with sunny skies. That sure sounds perfect to us. 2. Awesome Robb: Awesome Robb returns to the two towns on Wednesday to perform for kids. “Captain Robbie Bones” brings his Pirate Magic Show to Hamilton-Wenham Library at 6:30 p.m. The performance includes a rabbit, a skunk, and cannon in an “unusual show.” No registration is required and it is free and open to the public. 3. Wenham FinComm: There has been some recent discussion by Wenham officials about making improvements to the town government’s website. On Wednesday night, the…

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Wenham Tax Rate on Hold Pending State Certification

The Joint Selectmen and Finance Advisory Committee met on Monday to approve sending the Board of Assessors' tax rate recommendation to the State Department of Revenue. The final rate will be announced pending certification.

The Wenham Joint Selectmen and Finance Advisory Committee met Monday night to continue tax classification discussions from its Dec. 6 meeting but the public hearing was closed pending state certification of the proposed rate. In fiscal year 2011, residents paid $17.17 per $1,000 of home value. The mean home value was $536,100. FY12’s mean home value remains unchanged according to a presentation made by Jeff Chelgren to the Joint Committees. The Board of Assessors’ analysis and determination of valuation of homes is based on sales as of January 1, 2011. Chairman of the Board of Assessors Tom Tanous and Principal Assessor Steve Gasperoni were present as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Molly Martins signed off on the paperwork to submit …

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