Second Term Selectmen Takes Helm in Hamilton

The newly reorganized Hamilton Board of Selectmen has chosen a new selectmen.

Marc Johnson has started his second term on the Hamilton Board of Selectmen as its chairman. The five-member board unanimously selected Johnson as its new leader when it met on Monday night at Hamilton Town Hall, the first time after the town election where Johnson was reelected and Scott Maddern was elected to the board. David Neill, who had served as a selectmen in the 1990s, was elected to the board last spring in an uncontested election. At his first meeting, the board elected him chairman of the Board of Selectmen. “Whether that was a good decision or not, history will decide,” Neill said on Monday night, before the board vote. The board split 3-2 between Neill and Johnson in 2012. This year, Neill said it was important that the …

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Town Leaders Consider Push for School Budget 'Giveback'

The fiscal 2013 Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District budget underwent the scrutiny of more than two dozen town officials from Hamilton and Wenham on Thursday night.

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School Committee on Thursday night was looking for feedback on its plan to spend $900,000 on capital projects. While it may not have left with solid feedback on its capital spending, it heard a variety of feedback on its 2013 budget from about 25 public officials from the Hamilton and Wenham Boards of Selectmen plus the Finance Committees from both towns. The School Committee has voted to support a $28.3 million budget for fiscal 2013, which starts on July 1. Expenses are up 4.12 percent over 2012, but without the capital expenses as part of the calculation it is up about 1 percent. It includes capital spending on projects such as making Cutler Elementary School compliant with the American with Disabilities Act…

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Jim Smith

12:01 pm on Sunday, May 6, 2012

@Richard Boring, Could it be that they don’t really care about actual education performance? As far as they are concerned, they are doing a fine job because our school system stopped being places for learning a long time ago and became a method of indoctrinating our nation’s children to the progressive socialist platform. Other than that, the liberal answer is to spend more money on it. Of course…   more ›

The Top Stories of 2011 on Hamilton-Wenham Patch

Looking back at 2011 in Hamilton and Wenham, here's a look at the most popular stories on Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

The most popular stories of 2011 on Hamilton-Wenham Patch included coverage of the new trash and recycling program in Hamilton, the school and town budget debate in the spring, the snow that accumulated on school roofs and a top ranking of the school district. 1. UPDATED: Police Search for Two Teen Runaways Who Took Cab from Wenham Dec. 4  The pair of runaway teenagers who were gone for two days before turning themselves in near “Occupy Newark” in New Jersey captivated local residents. 2. Hamilton Leaders Approve Biweekly Trash Pickup, Weekly Townwide Recycling and Organics Oct. 20 The Hamilton Board of Selectmen voted to overhaul the town’s trash collection, by limiting collection to one barrel every other week along with weekly recycling…

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Selectmen Have Free Lunch Riding on Super Bowl Result

The chairmen of the boards of selectmen in Hamilton and Wenham have a friendly bet with their counterpart in Bourne - a former Wenham resident and selectman himself - that will award a free lunch based on the outcome of Saturday's Super Bowl game.

There’s a free lunch on the line at Saturday’s Super Bowl matchup between Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School and Bourne High School. The chairmen of the Boards of Selectmen for each school have bet that their team will win. The loser will pay for lunch for the winner. Wenham Town Administrator Jeff Chelgren, who contacted Bourne Board of Selectmen Chairman Don Pickard after the Generals big win Tuesday night, organized the friendly bet. As it turns out, Pickard is no stranger to Chelgren or Wenham – he served as a Wenham Selectmen from 2003 to 2006. “The idea came from up your way,” Pickard said in a cell phone interview on Friday afternoon. Since there are five Bourne Selectmen and a combined eight selectmen in Hamilton and Wenham, the …

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Newest Trash Plan is a 'Very Workable Solution'

The newest plan to handle trash in the two towns was called a compromise by Hamilton Selectmen on Monday night.

The newest plan designed to reduce trash collection costs and increase recycling was hailed Monday night by several Hamilton Selectmen as a excellent compromise. But some residents say they want the issue to go to a town vote and a former Selectman says the success of the plan is falsely predicated on the expectations that the recycling rate will double. Jennifer Scuteri, chairman of the Hamilton Board of Selectmen, said the town’s tax rate needs to be controlled and doing things the same way will not help control taxes. The latest plan will enhance services, lower costs and “moderate the (tax) increase significantly.” Several months ago town leaders in both Hamilton and Wenham began discussing the possibility of going to a pay-as-you-…

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bill knopp

10:17 am on Thursday, October 6, 2011

let's see... better practices, a savings of $90,000. to the budget vs. laying off a teacher. This inconvenience makes sense.   more ›

Remembering Sept. 11

VIDEO: 'Our Collective Wound' to be Honored at First Church on Sept. 11

The community is invited to a service at First Church in Wenham on Sunday to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2011.

First Church in Wenham will open its door to the community, in conjunction with Hamilton and Wenham town officials and public safety responders, on Sunday to honor the victim of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2011. Rev. Michael Duda said that anyone, from any faith - or even those with no faith at all - are invited to remember the victim from the terrorist attacks 10 years ago in a special service at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday. The service wil begin at the Wenham Fire Department before moving across the street to the church, Duda said.

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Towns Moving Closer to Same Day Town Meetings [POLL]

Members of the Boards of Selectmen from both Hamilton and Wenham this week considered the pros and cons of holding Town Meetings for both towns on the same day.

Town leaders from both Hamilton and Wenham are considering whether or not to schedule both Town Meetings on the same day this fall. Members of the Boards of Selectmen from both towns said they think on merit it is a good idea at a joint Selectmen's meeting held at the Hamilton-Wenham Library. “There are some joint articles that would benefit having the meetings simultaneously,” said Molly Martins, chairman of the Wenham Board of Selectman. Jennifer Scuteri, chairman of the Hamilton Board of Selectman, agreed and asked other selectmen if it was possible to decide in time for this Fall’s Special Town Meeting. “Our bylaw sets our date for the third Saturday in October,” said Scuteri. Hamilton Town Manager Michael Lombardo confirmed the Town …

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Wenham Selectmen Push for Regular Meetings With Hamilton Counterparts

The Wenham Board of Selectmen on Tuesday said they favor coming up with a regular schedule to meet with Hamilton Selectmen about shared issues.

Wenham Selectmen are pushing to set up regular monthly meetings with their Hamilton counterparts. Molly Martins, chairman of the Wenham Board of Selectmen, proposed the idea Tuesday. Martins said town officials from both communities might be surprised if they looked at a complete list of all the “collaborative items” that are in the works involving both towns. “I know it is hard to think about more meetings,” she said, but stressed that the meetings could help more efficiently complete the various initiatives that are underway that proposed further partnerships between the two towns. Last year, both towns agreed to share a Council on Aging director and grounds maintenance functions began to be done cooperatively earlier this year. A plan …

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Michelle Bailey

8:18 pm on Saturday, August 6, 2011

Yes, it was a shame the police department could not be studied to see if there was savings in a joint arrangement. Perhaps that should be topic number one at these joint meetings.   more ›

Scuteri to be Hamilton Selectmen Chairman Again

The Hamilton Board of Selectmen on Monday unanimously selected Jennifer Scuteri to serve as chairman for a second year.

Jennifer Scuteri will serve as chairman of the Hamilton Board of Selectmen for another year. The five-member board unanimously made the decision on Monday night. Marc Johnson, who was first elected to the board when it expanded from three members to five members last year, was unanimously chosen as vice-chairman. Scuteri’s selection came after she said that she wanted to serve another year as chairman to finish some of the work she started in the past year. She first began as chairman in June 2010. Scuteri did note that the position comes with an added workload and she estimated she puts 30 hours a week towards town business – calling it a “very large commitment” - making it hard to balance it with work and family responsibilities. “I …

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Robert Foringer

2:10 pm on Wednesday, June 8, 2011

time to buy new curtains!!!   more ›

Talk of the Towns

Voters Unhappy With Events at Selectmen's Meetings

Voters in both towns are not happy with the lack of TV coverage at a Wenham meeting and board policy that's out in the open at a Hamilton meeting.

Keep thinking spring as it's working and the so-called snow showers have either gone away or just been a few sprinkles and that’s it. In happenings in both towns, the selectmen’s meetings in both Hamilton and Wenham, and their proceedings, ended up causing some unhappy voters, and generated quite a few comments in stories in local newspapers and the local websites. Over in Wenham, town folk who tuned in to watch the meeting on local cable TV on Tuesday found that this meeting was not airing live on TV. The live broadcast had been cancelled by the town administrator, and the reason given was it was a working meeting and they would be discussing some articles for the warrant list for the town meeting. More than one person has told me that …

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