Welcome to You Ask...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about Christmas tree disposal. Patch readers want to know when their Christmas trees will be picked up. Here's your answer. It's that time of year again. The holiday season is officially coming to an end, and residents in Reading and North Reading are taking down their Christmas trees. Here is information on Christmas tree disposal in both towns. North Reading Christmas tree pickup in North Reading will be on Jan. 12, according to the Department of Public Works. Make sure your trees are …

Welcome to You Asked...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions asking when the schools in both Reading and North Reading close for the holiday. Here's your answer. The last day of school for students before the holiday in both Reading and North Reading is Dec. 21. North Reading students return to school on Thursday, Jan. 3 and students in Reading return to school Wednesday, Jan. 2. The next day after vacation that students have off is Jan. 21 for Martin Luther King Day.

Welcome to You Asked...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about certain streets in Reading. Readers want to know when they will be repaved. Here's your answer. A reader asked when Haverhill Street from the North Reading line to Wakefield would be resurfaced. According to the DPW they plan to start work next spring. They installed a new water main and have to wait about six months before they can start work to make sure the trenches settle. They are also considering putting in a bike path. Another reader asked about West Street. According to the DPW…

Winter can be tough on the emotions. The cold weather can be difficult to deal with, snow can be a pain (though also fun) but what really seems to get people down is the short days. There is something about the sun going down before most people get out of work that is depressing. So when can we expect longer days? The days will begin to get longer after the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day of the year.  According to timeanddate.com the December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees is normally on Dec. 21, but the actual shortest day can…

Welcome to You Asked...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about leaf pickup. Patch readers want to find out when they can get rid of their leaves. Here's your answer. It's that time of year when everyone is raking the leaves in their yards and filling bags with them. Find out when your town will pick up leaves, and where to drop them off if you can't wait. North Reading Curbside leaf pickup is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1. Residents can bring branches and debris to the DPW complex to dispose of them on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. …

Welcome to You Ask... Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the changes at the Thomson Country Club. Patch readers want to find out more about the facility, memberships and restaurants. Here's your answer. Owner of Teresa's Italian Eatery in Middleton Nick Yebba, Sr. is taking over the restaurant, function facility, pool, tennis court and driving range at the Thomson Country Club. Yebba purchased parts of the club, meaning everything except for the golf club itself, for $2.2 million and is doing $3 million in renovations, he said. The pool and …

Welcome to You Ask... Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about a dog park in North Reading. Patch readers want to find out more about dog parks in town. Here's your answer. According to Parks and Recreation Operations Director/ Department Head Maureen Stevens, "We've never had an official one." However, years ago residents brought their dogs to a park on Park Street that was fenced in to let them run and play without a leash. It was never an official dog park, but residents and their furry friends still enjoyed it. That was closed about three years…

Welcome to You Ask... Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the new sidewalks on Main Street. Patch readers want to know why the town is able to build sidewalks, but not paint crosswalks on state roads. Here's your answer.  The town is not able to paint crosswalks on state roads such as Route 28 because they need, and do not have, permission from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to do so. They did, however, have permission to build the sidewalk, according to the Director of Public Works Richard Carnevale. "We work with …

Welcome to You Asked...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the Old South Church. Readers want to know why it looks different. Here's your answer. Changes were recently made to the Old South Church steeple and bell tower, shortly after a fundraising campaign was launched to keep them standing. Old South's steeple and bell tower are known as a Reading landmark and have issues such as bug infestation and moisture problems. The beams are their main concern, said Co-Chairperson for the fundraising effort Suzy Axelson. According to the American …

Welcome to You Ask...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the fire engine that caught fire in Reading. Here's your answer. Back on July 5, a Reading fire engine caught fire on Lowell Street. According to Reading Fire Chief Gregory Burns, he is working with town's insurance company to get the engine fixed. The insurance company will have to examine the engine to determine the cause of the fire. The engine also has to be examined in the presence of a representative from Caterpillar and Seagrave, the manufacturer. The cause should be determined …

Welcome to You Ask...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the black bunting on the police station and the flags at half mast. Here's your answer. The black bunting is on the police station and flag at half mast for retired Reading Police Chief John "Jack" Beaudoin who passed away Monday. Police say, the bunting and flag position are both ways to honor the retired chief.  According to Boston.com, Beaudoin died at age 91. He was a married to the late June Beaudoin for 63 years. He was a father of five, grandfather of 14 and great grandfather of …

Welcome to You Ask... Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the North Reading teacher's contract. Patch readers want to know how much of a pay raise teachers will get each year. Here's your answer.  The new contract for North Reading teachers was ratified at the last School Committee meeting and will extend from this year to 2015. The teachers will receive a two percent increase in pay each year, but their step increases will no longer start at the beginning of the year. This change is designed to save tax payers money. According to …

Welcome to You Ask... Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the North Reading school building project. Patch readers want to know how Gilbane Building was chosen for the project. Here's your answer. According to Secondary Schools Building Committee (SSBC) member Janene Imbriano, Gilbane was chosen over five other companies that submitted a proposal for the school building project. An advertisement was placed for qualified companies in early March. Six companies submitted proposals that were evaluated by a subcommittee, and Gilbane was chosen. “…

Welcome to You Ask... Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the vacant lot on Park Street that was once North Reading Service. Patch readers want to know if the building was sold. Here's your answer. North Reading Service, formerly Lew's Mobil, on Park Street was opened by Lew Vorrilas 47 years ago, and stayed open until last Spring. The building finally has a buyer. According to Century 21 Spindler and O'Neil, they have the listing on the property at 160 Park St. and they have signed a purchase and sale agreement with the buyer, making the …

Welcome to You Ask... Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about why the flags were at half staff yesterday. Here's your answer. Flags were at half staff yesterday because Governor Deval Patrick ordered American and Commonwealth Flags lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week.  According to Patrick, the order applies to town and city halls, other state-owned or state-controlled buildings and all state military installations.

Welcome to You Ask... Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the condition of North Reading roads. Patch readers want to find out more about the town's plan to fix certain roads. Here's your answer. According to the Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Richard Carnevale, the first section of Country Club Road is the only road that is going to be fixed, however, the department does have plans to fix other roads if funding becomes available. "The only street we are definitely doing at this point is the first half of Country Club Road; We have …

Welcome to You Asked...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the condition of Reading roads. Patch readers want to find out more about the town's plan to fix certain roads. Here's your answer. According to DPW Director Jeffrey T. Zager, the town has a formal three-year road improvement program in place. "This past year our engineering division, with the help of a consultant, did an actual road by road survey/ update analysis, which aided us in putting together a prioritized program which is funded by both local as well as state aid funds," Zager…

Welcome to You Asked...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions from readers regarding tickets issued by police. Patch readers want to know how many tickets were issued last year. Here's your answer. According to Reading Police, last year they gave out 4,432 tickets. North Reading Police gave out 322 tickets. Here are some specific violations: Reading Violation Number of Tickets Speeding and speeding in violation of a specific regulation 908 Red light/right on red/stop sign 753 Lane 198 Defective Equipment 786 Insurance 119 Operating with Suspended/ …

Welcome to You Ask... Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about the "pink slime" or beef trimmings used in beef. Patch readers want to find out if those trimmings are used in school lunches. Here's your answer. North Reading According to the school food services department in North Reading, beef trimmings are used in their lunches. However, they plan to use the rest of the trimmings before the end of April and do not plan to reorder. "The food industry has been using what is more correctly called boneless lean beef trimmings for many years. These …

Welcome to You Asked...Patch Answers where we answer readers questions. We recently received questions about verbal warnings given out by police. Patch readers want to know why some get a verbal warning while others get a fine. Here's your answer. According to Reading Police, they write warnings because they like to educate drivers. When drivers end up with a monetary fine, it could be because police did not feel that the driver was receptive to what happened or because they were pulled over more than once for the same offense. North Reading Police had a similar response. The circumstances …