You Ask...Patch Answers

Where and When Do I Vote on Thursday?

The annual town election is being held in both Hamilton and Wenham on Thursday. Find out where and when to vote.

Thursday is election day in both towns. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in both towns. Hamilton votes at Winthrop Elementary School. For the first time at the annual town election, Wenham votes at Wenham Town Hall. In Hamilton, two members will be elected to the Board of Selectmen. Wenham voters will election one member of its Board of Selectmen. In both towns, voters will choose three new members of the School Committee. To see what the ballot will look like and see all the candidates who will appear on the ballot, check our story from Wednesday.

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Michelle Bailey

11:21 am on Thursday, April 11, 2013

~~You can give up 10 minutes to vote, right?~~...The candidates are willing to give up hours of their time over the coming year. Turn-out is low right now, polls open until 8pm.   more ›

Get a Sneak Peak of Thursday's Town Election Ballots

Here's what the ballots will look like for Thursday's town election in both Hamilton and Wenham.

Voters in both Hamilton and Wenham will choose three members of the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School Committee on Thursday. Additionally, voters in Hamilton will select two members of the Hamilton Board of Selectmen and a in Wenham voters will choose one member of its three-member Board of Selectmen. Hamilton polls are open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. at Winthrop Elementary School. The Wenham polls are open from 7 a.m.- 8 p.m. at Wenham Town Hall. This is a change in both date and location for Wenham voters, who had traditionally voted at Buker Elementary School on the Saturday morning before the Annual Town Meeting. This year marks the first time that polls are open on the same day and at the same time in both towns. The four candidates for three three-…

• Photos (1)
• Documents (2)

Hamilton Voters OK Full-Time Council on Aging Director, $25.6 Million Budget

All of the articles on the Hamilton Town Meeting warrant on Saturday were approved by voters.

Each of the 142 registered voters that entered Hamilton's Annual Town Meeting on Saturday in the auditorium at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School was handed a voter card to be used in the case of a close vote. But those cards were not needed. Each of the warrant articles brought before voters passed in the 2-1/2 hour meeting - all all on a voice vote and many without any opposition. The $25.6 million fiscal 2014 budget was approved that includes funding for a full-time Council on Aging director and a stand-alone emergency dispatch center for only Hamilton, after Wenham leaves by July 1. An estimate based on the approved spending would mean the average tax bill next year would go from $6,748 to $6,995, said John McWane, chairman of the …

• Videos (1)

Letter to the Editor: Great Strides Made in Eliminating 'Us-Them' Attitude

School Committee member Bill Dery writes about the collaboration between school and town officials and his run for the Hamilton Board of Selectmen.

To the Editor: Two years ago the citizens voted me in to the School Committee. From the start I have advocated that we need to remove the adversarial relationship that was prevalent at the time. I think with the first effort to collaborate with the town on maintenance, coupled with the new working School Committee relationship, got us started. We have made great strides in eliminating the old “us–them” attitude. Further, we the School Committee were elected as representatives of the community, of which we are an integral part. As Roger Kuebel has pointed out, this year’s budget reflects this change in relationship. I should like also to also point out the (Superintendent) Dr. (Michael) Harvey, through his due diligence, has cleaned up the …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)

Jay Burnham

6:48 am on Tuesday, April 2, 2013

I've read and re-read the letter Bill submitted, and for the life of me I can not find where he refers to members of the School Committee as "You people". In fact, he says "we the School Committee". He also says, "we are an integral part" (of the community). He talks about nurturing "a level of trust". So the real question seems to be, Michelle... How are YOU correcting the divide? Serving on the…   more ›

Letter to the Editor: Maddern Has 'Leadership, Thoughtfulness and Ability to Get the Job Done'

The former president of the Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School Sports and Activities Alliance writes in support of Scott Miaddern for Hamilton Board of Selectmen.

To the Editor: With the Hamilton town election only a few weeks away, I would like to express my support for an outstanding member of our community, Scott Maddern. Having worked in the high technology and financial services industries for over 30 years, it is easy for me to say that I have never met anyone more thoughtful, energetic or accomplished as Scott Maddern. He is a family man, first and foremost. Our families lived in the same neighborhood and it was clear that his devotion to his family was the driving force behind all the activities he undertook as a resident of Hamilton. As we make decisions for Hamilton town officials on April 11, many residents will find themselves not knowing the candidates in any great depth. I am lucky …

• Videos (1)

Letter to the Editor: Maddern is a 'Fair-Minded and Far-Sighted Leader'

Annette Janes writes in support of Scott Maddern for Hamilton Board of Selectmen.

To the Editor: Hamilton is fortunate to have good, qualified people running for the office of Selectman this year. For several years, as a member of the Joint Library Committee, I worked closely with Scott Maddern during the planning and construction of the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library. Scott Maddern was the chairman of this vast, multifaceted and unprecedented project that required unique and exceptional diplomatic skills. Throughout all the difficult negotiations I found Scott to be a cool-headed, fair-minded and far-sighted leader with a sense of humor and always a gentleman. These same skills will serve well for the office of Selectman. The Hamilton-Wenham Public Library is still the only two-town library in the Commonwealth of …

• Videos (1)

Hamilton DPW Has Interim Leader

A permanent director will be hired later this year to replace John Tomasz as director of the Hamilton Department of Public Works.

The Hamilton Department of Public Works has an interim director until the position is permanently filled, the Salem News reports. David Hanlon is working part-time as the interim director. He is the former director of the North Reading Department of Public Works. He takes over for John Tomasz, who has become the new director at the Salem Department of Public Works. Hanlon was scheduled to be introduced to the Board of Selectmen on Monday night but had a scheduling conflict. The deadline to apply for the director position was last Friday, according to a job ad on the Massachusetts Municipal Association website. Lombardo told the Salem News that about 24 candidates applied and that the field will be narrowed down over the next few weeks.

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Bob Gray

6:26 am on Friday, March 22, 2013

Let's hope even more that the "Challenge Innovations Grant study" shows that merging the Hamilton and Wenham DPW's is the way to go! Just think how much the towns could save by sharing personal and equipment !!! And also include the schools maintenance !!!   more ›

Patch Facts

5 Things To Know on March 18: Info Session for Kindergarten Parents

A great way to start the day with a quick look at the events and happenings in town.

Today is Monday, March 18. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Sun: Monday is forecasted to be a sunny day – plain and simple. It should be cool, though, with a high temperature in the mid-30s. 2. Kindergarten: Parents who have enrolled their child in kindergarten next year in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District have an information session scheduled for Monday night.  It runs 7-8 p.m. at Buker Elementary School. 3. Officers: If you want to be a State Trooper, MBTA police officer or police officer in a community that is under civil service, Monday is the deadline to apply for the next exam. The exam is coming up on April 20 and you can apply online. Neither Hamilton or Wenham use civil service, but …

• Photos (1)

Hamilton Selectmen Candidates Outline Experience in Race for Two Seats

Hear from the four candidates for the Hamilton Board of Selectmen.

The four candidates for two seats on the Hamilton Board of Selectmen went before voters on Wednesday at a candidates forum hosted by the League of Women Voters. The event at Buker Elementary School was attended by more than 100 residents and also taped to be played later on HWCAm leading up to the Thursday, April 11 from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Hear from candidates Bill Dery, Marc Johnson, Scott Maddern and Jack Hauck in the attached videos as they introduce themselves.

• Videos (4)

Panel to Consider Town's Purchase of 80 Acres

The town of Hamilton has the first right of refusal on the Pirie property on Bay Road.

A group will meet to examine the prospect of the town of Hamilton buying the 80-acre “Pirie property” on Bay Road. The town government has the “right of first refusal on the property” and it is for sale. Some town leaders, including Selectman Jeff Stinson, think it is a good spot for a new high school. Stinson told the Hamilton Board of Selectmen last week that he thinks that it would be a good location for a new high school. If a new high school is built on the property, and the existing high school is used for a new elementary school, it could free up downtown property for senior housing - a need that town leaders have identified as being in short supply in Hamilton. The Cutler and Winthrop properties could be sold for a "considerable …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (3)