Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on June 17: Eat Your Veggies

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

Today is Monday, June 17. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham:  1. 80s: The temperature is forecasted to return to the 80s on Monday, with mostly cloudy skies most of the day. There will be a chance of a shower or thunderstorm in the afternoon. 2. Rec Board: The Hamilton-Wenham Recreation Board meets on Monday night at 6:30 p.m. at its offices next to the Hamilton-Wenham Library, where the board is scheduled to hear a presentation about the Recreation Master plan and also get some recommendations about the Patton Park pool. 3. Bunker Hill Day: Arguably the most unique holiday of the year in Massachusetts is Bunker Hill Day, which marks the anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, also known as the Battle of Breed'…

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on June 10: Discount Ends Monday on Summer Programs

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

Today is Monday, June 10. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Clouds: Monday will be a cloudy day, with rain expected to move in later in the day. Temperatures will get into the 70s. 2. Wenham Museum: Wenham Museum is running a two-day special that ends today that offers a 15 percent discount on certain sessions of its “History Alive!” summer program. Just on Monday, the discount applies to the “Historical Kids” and “Civil War” programs. You can sign up online, by phone or in person at the museum. 3. Student Loans: Two federal legislators who both represent Hamilton and Wenham will hold an event Monday in Boston that hopes to push to keep student loan interest rates steady. U.S. Rep. John Tierney (D-Salem) and …

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Does Pirie Vote Pit 'Wealthy' Versus Residents Who Want Hamilton 'A More Affordable Place'?

Do both sides of the issue regarding whether the town should purchase the Pirie farm fit into simply categories?

Next Tuesday, Hamilton voters will decide whether the town should exercise its first right of refusal and purchase the 80-acre Pirie property on Bay Road for $3.9 million. The Special Town Meeting to vote on it is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Winthrop Elementary School. The warrant for the meeting is attached to this story as a PDF. In recent coverage of the issue in the Boston Globe, it was suggested that opinions about the purchase are split along lines of "the wealthy against those who want to make Hamilton a more affordable place to live." Do you think this is correct? Do you think this accurately portrays the way people feel about the issue? Let us know in the comments.

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ann minois

3:59 pm on Tuesday, June 4, 2013

HI LR - Thank you so much for your comments. The School Committee is working on a District-Wide Master Plan that will hopefully consider options just as you have described, including the possibility of a new school and consolidating the elementary schools. They will be reaching out to the community for its input, so stay tuned. The next step for the SC is to determine the design firm that will …   more ›

Pirie Purchase to Go Before Town Meeting Voters

In a split vote, the Hamilton Board of Selectmen have decided to have voters at a Special Town Meeting decide whether the town should purchase the so-called Pirie property on Bay Road.

Voters will head to a Special Town Meeting in Hamilton next month to decide whether the town government should buy an 85-acre horse farm. The meeting will happen on June 11 after a 3-2 vote by the Hamilton Board of Selectmen on Thursday evening. The purchase for the so-called Pirie property, or Aquila Farm, will go before Special Town Meeting voters. Chairman Marc Johnson and Selectmen Scott Maddern and Jennifer Scuteri voted to put the purchase before voters and Selectmen Jeff Hubbard and David Neill voted against it. Some of the possible uses for the property including selling a portion of it to a developer, which would build a cottage-style housing development, plus use a portion of it for an athletic field and keep much of it as open …

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Rick Sprenkle

5:54 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013

For - lower tax rate due to significantly increased tax revenues (~300K/yr), several athletic fields (fix Lax field shortage?), affordable housing (esp. teachers who want to walk to work), senior housing and open space set aside (back portion near Miles River), additional space for cemetery. Against - financial risk (interest on 3.9M note between time of purchase and resale), minor traffic …   more ›

Hamilton Could Use Housing for Young Couples, Seniors

Hamilton's latest update to the town's housing production plan says that the town should focus on creating housing for young couples without children and senior citizens.

Housing construction in Hamilton should focus on homes for young couples without children and senior citizens, according to the town's latest housing production plan. The plan, which has received an OK from the Planning Board and - on Monday - from the Board of Selectmen, is required by state law. If a young couple, who at some point plan to have children, move to Hamilton six years before their children enter the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District and move out six years after their youngest child graduates, the town will "break even" on the taxes paid and the cost to educate two children. That's what Fred Mills told the Board of Selectmen on Monday night before the plan was given the board's OK. Mills is a member of the town's …

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on May 20: Storytelling for Seniors in Wenham

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

Today is Monday, May 20. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Clouds: The sky will be dominated by clouds on Monday, but it will be relatively warm. The high temperature should get up into the 70s.  There will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms all day. 2. Magic Moments: A storytelling program called “Magic Moments to Treasure” arrived at the Wenham Senior Center on Monday.  Storytelling with Sylvia Reilly Collins starts at 10 a.m. with light refreshments. 3. Student Loans: U.S. Rep. John Tierney, who represents Hamilton and Wenham in Congress, is one of the hosts of a roundtable discussion on Monday about student loan debt. Tierney and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren will meet students, professors, college …

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Property Purchase Opinions to be Aired Thursday Night

A public hearing on Thursday night will be a chance for the public to speak about a plan to purchase at the Pirie property on Bay Road in Hamilton.

Should the town of Hamilton buy the 85-acre Pirie property on Bay Road? Town leaders will hear opinions from the public on Thursday night during a public hearing at Winthrop Elementary School. It starts at 7 p.m. The Board of Selectmen has not taken a vote on whether it supports the town's purchase or not. A special Town Meeting is scheduled for June 11 where two-third of voters would need to approve of the purchase. The Board of Selectmen - as well as other boards and committee - have been considering the town's first right of refusal of the property, which is also known as Aquila Farm. The farm's owner has a purchase and sales agreement to sell the property for $3.9 million and the developer that hopes to buy it plans to subdivide it …

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on May 13: Lots of Kids Want to Learn the Guitar

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

Today is Monday, May 13. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Sun: Monday is forecasted to be a wonderful sunny day with temperatures in the 50s. Winds will blow from the west up to 15 miles per hour. And get ready tonight – temperatures will get down into the 30s by early Tuesday morning. 2. Guitar: Apparently there are a lot of youngsters in the two towns that want to learn to play the guitar. The Community House’s guitar class for youth gets started on Monday and registration has been filled for quite a while. 3. MCAS: Fourth-graders will be continuing the spring MCAS testing on Monday with the first session of their math tests. 4. Bikes: You’ve always been able to take bicycles with you on MBTA commuter rail…

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Five Things to Know on April 29: Final Chance to Request an Absentee Ballot

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

Today is Monday, April 29. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham:  1. Sun: Monday will be a sunny day – but not as warm as Sunday – with temperatures into the low 60s with a southeast wind. 2. Living on One Dollar: The film “Living on One Dollar” will be shown during the day on Monday at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School and again at night for a community showing. The film “provides a unique look into the hardship and hope of life in extreme poverty,” according to Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus. It will be shown starting at 7 pm. In the auditorium at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School. 3. Absentee ballots: Monday at noon is the last time you can request an absentee ballot for Tuesday’s special election primary. …

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