Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: June 27

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

Today is Monday, June 27. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Weather: Monday will be a perfect day – weatherwise. The forecast calls for sun with temperatures into the upper 70s. 2. Quiet Car: A quiet car is being rolled out to every MBTA commuter rail line on Monday, including the Newburyport line that serves the Hamilton-Wenham train station. Plus, as part of the promotion of the full expansion of the quiet cars from a handful of trains to the full commuter rail system, mimes will be in North Station handing out information cards about the new quiet cars on Monday evening. 3. Special Town Meeting: Monday was the day that Hamilton would have held its Special Town Meeting - it is now no longer needed. After the School Committee last…

• Photos (1)

Week in Review

Top Five Local Stories Last Week

A look back at the past week in news in Hamilton and Wenham.

Here's a look back at the top five stories in the past week in Hamilton and Wenham. Special Town Meeting in Hamilton Averted: The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School Committee endorsed a $500,000 so-called “giveback” unanimously on Thursday night, a budget number equal to what Hamilton Town Meeting voters supported in May. That meant that a Special Town Meeting scheduled for Monday night was no longer needed and the 2012 school budget was approved. Wenham War Memorial: The War Memorial Committee and Town Hall-Police Station Building Committee met together on Thursday morning at the urging of the Board of Selectmen in hopes of having the two group work together to come up with a design for the memorial. Wenham Town meeting voters said the …

• Photos (1)

Special Town Meeting Averted, School Committee Endorses $500K 'Giveback'

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School Committee on Thursday night unanimously supported a $500,000 so-called "giveback" in the 2012 school budget, meaning a Special Town Meeting in Hamilton will not be needed on Monday night.

A Special Town Meeting in Hamilton has been averted after the School Committee on Thursday night endorsed a so-called “giveback” of $500,000 to the taxpayers of both towns from the 2012 school budget. The move was in the spirit of moving ahead to face the “most pressing needs in the district,” said committee member Dacia Rubel, referring to the process of finding a new middle school and high school principal plus a superintendent and director of student services. Rubel later said that she hoped that the committee’s vote, which was unanimous, “sets a new tone for the debate in our towns that is more constructive.” One of the School Committee members to support the $500,000 giveback when the committee voted earlier this month, Bill Dery, …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)

Bruce Wadleigh

11:00 am on Sunday, June 26, 2011

Bill, You are absolutely spot on. If even 50% of the cost savings recommendations from the Operational Audit are implemented by the School Committee / School Administration there will be NO need for any type of override request next year. A significant number of the other recommendations will also in the long term save additional dollars if they are also implemented. Bruce Wadleigh   more ›

'One Final' School Budget Discussion Planned for Thursday Night

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School Committee will continue to discuss the school budget when it meets on Thursday night in advance of the Special Town Meeting in Hamilton on Monday night.

There will be “one final discussion about the budget” at tonight’s School Committee meeting, according to Hamilton Town Manager Michael Lombardo. The Hamilton Board of Selectmen met Thursday morning with the possibility that Finance Committee and School Committee members would discuss the school budget, which is headed to a one question Special Town Meeting in Hamilton on Monday night. Lombardo said that several School Committee members had planned to attend the Selectmen’s Thursday morning meeting – which lasted about 20 minutes – but since it was agreed that the budget would be discussed on Thursday night, everything was held off until that time. Lombardo called the promise of a continued budget discussion on Thursday night "very …

• Photos (1)

Voting Machines to Make Town Meeting Debut on Monday

Moderator Bruce Ramsey said that two voting machines will be used to tally the vote at Monday night's Special Town Meeting in Hamilton.

Votes will be tallied using a voting machine for the first time ever at Town Meeting next Monday night in Hamilton. Moderator Bruce Ramsey told the Board of Selectmen on Monday night that the cafeteria at Winthrop Elementary School, where the Special Town Meeting will be held, will be arranged to have voters pick up a ballot that simple has a “yes” and “no” box to fill in. The only question will be to approve or disapprove a school spending number. “We’ll get a much, much quicker count,” Ramsey said, adding that the tally will be more accurate too. The ballot vote will also eliminate any concerns about voters trying to move around in the room to be counted twice by the tellers – a problem that arose last fall and Ramsey addressed in May by…

• Photos (3)

Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: June 13

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

Today is Monday, June 13. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Weather: Last Thursday’s sweltering heat will be a distant memory on Monday – the forecast calls for clouds and temperatures that will not even make it to 60 degrees. 2. Blood Drive: The American Red Cross is in town on Monday at the Hamilton American Legion from 2-7 p.m. for a blood drive. To make an appointment to give blood, call 1-800-Red-Cross. 3. Freshman Sports: The restoration of freshman sports at the high school is in the works for this fall, at least for soccer. Last Thursday, middle and high school Principal Matt Fox told the School Committee that at least a partial freshman soccer schedule is being worked out now. The Hamilton-Wenham Recreation Commission …

• Photos (1)

Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: June 8

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

Today is Wednesday, June 8. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Weather: You’ve probably heard all about it – some hot weather is headed our way. The forecast for Wednesday calls for temperatures close to 90 with sun. 2. Tennis: Both high school tennis teams are playing Wednesday afternoon versus Bedford High School in semifinal tournament action in the Div. 3 North semifinals. It’s just a coincidence that both squads are facing the same opponent in the same round of the tournament. The boys are home at 3:30 at Pingree Park (rescheduled from Tuesday) and the girls play at 3:30 p.m. at Bedford High School. 3. Early Release: It’s Wednesday and that means it is early release days at the schools. Elementary schools get out at 12:45 p.m. …

• Photos (1)

'New' School Committee to Decide on 2012 School Budget

The School Committee will wait until at least one new member is elected on Thursday before deciding on a 2012 budget to send before Hamilton voters.

The School Committee will at least one new member before coming up with the school budget number that will be put before Hamilton voters later this summer. Hamilton still needs to approve a 2012 school budget and the School Committee now is in the midst of “recertifying” a new budget number. It has until June 13 to recertify a new budget. While Wenham voters approved the School Committee’s budget at Town Meeting earlier this month, Hamilton Town Meeting voters turned it down. On Wednesday night, the nine-member committee agreed to have the “new” committee vote on a new budget. On Thursday, there are three School Committee seats up for grabs and at least one new member will be elected because Lauren Prior is not seeking reelection. Even if …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Mary

9:25 pm on Friday, May 27, 2011

That's a great idea. Roger has done a great job with the Wenham Fincom...and it certainly wouldn't be the first time that a newbie was appointed chair!   more ›