Thursday, May 9, 2013
Congressman leads Gabriel Gomez by 17 points.
A new Suffolk University/7NEWS (WHDH) poll shows a strong lead for Democratic U.S. Congressman Edward Markey over Republican businessman and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez in the race for the U.S. Senate special election. The poll of 500 likely voters has Markey at 52 percent and Gomez at 35 percent. Eleven percent of voters in the poll were undecided. A third-party candidate, Richard Heos of the Twelve Visions Party, got 1 percent and another 1 percent refused to respond. David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in Boston, said along with the announcement of the poll that Markey has "a large lead over his Republican opponent who voters are unsure about." Indeed, 32 percent of those polled said …
The selectmen were in favor of a moratorium Tuesday evening.
Last Fall, Town Meeting voted for a zoning bylaw that prohibited medical marijuana dispensaries in town. However, Attorney General Martha Coakley did not approve the bylaw given that it conflicts with state law. The selectmen are now in favor of imposing a temporary moratorium for dispensaries. The Community Planning and Development Commission and Town Meeting will have to be in favor of the moratorium as well before it is finalized. After Coakley's decision to overturn the zoning bylaw, the town had four choices, according to Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner: Selectman Daniel Ensminger was not in favor of joining Wakefield in the appeal. "I would not want to see us join the law suit," he said. He was leaning toward the zoning …
Donate food items to the food pantry this weekend.
Reading's Stamp Out Hunger event is this Saturday, according to the Chronicle. Residents can make a donation to the Reading Food Pantry without leaving home. Place your groceries outside near your mailbox and your mail carrier will bring them to the food pantry at Old South United Methodist Church. Once mail carriers drop off the donations at the food pantry, the food will have to be sorted and shelved. If you would like to volunteer to help, stop by the food pantry between 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m, the Chronicle said. Refreshments will be available. Here is a list of items that are most needed:
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Legislation filed in aftermath of John Burbine arrest aims to fix weaknesses in the state's sex offender registry system.
Local lawmakers and Wakefield’s chief of police were among those calling for changes to the state’s sex offender laws during a Tuesday hearing at the State House. State Senator Katherine Clark, who represents Reading, chaired the Joint Committee on the Judiciary hearing, focused on a bill she and Rep. Paul Brodeur are sponsoring. The legislation aims to address weaknesses in the sex offender registry system that were brought to light by the John Burbine child sex abuse case. Wakefield Police Chief Rick Smith testified at the hearing and was quoted in a Boston Herald report talking about how last summer a parent came to the station asking for information Level 1 sex offenders – and was unable to do so. “They came to the window and asked, ‘…
Saturday, May 4, 2013
The two will face off on June 25 in the U.S. Senate special election.
After months of campaigning we now know who is going head to head in the June 25 special U.S. Senate election. Democratic Congressman Edward Markey (D-Malden) took the Democratic vote in the Tuesday election over fellow Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston). Political newcomer and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset came out on top of a field of Republican candidates - including more seasoned opponents former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and State Rep. Dan Winslow of Norfolk. With a month and a half of campaigning still to come we wanted to stop and ask you this question. If the Special Election were today - who would you vote for right now? Markey or Gomez? Tell us in our comments section below.
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
In case voters weren't paying attention, and turnout suggested many weren't, his name is Gabriel Gomez. And now only Ed Markey stands between him and the United States Senate. "My name is Gabriel Gomez, and I'm a proud Republican," Gomez said, reciting his full name for the second time during a five-minute chat with reporters outside the new go-to, post-election Broadway T stop in South Boston Wednesday morning. The reporters already knew who he was, but part of Gomez's strategy now is to make sure everybody else does too. The newly minted face of the Republican Party captured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday by defeating two better known names in Massachusetts Republican politics. Former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Gives standing ovation to Retiring Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner.
After passing a town budget of almost $91 million for fiscal 2014, which starts this coming July 1, and three of four proposed instructional motions Monday night, annual Town Meeting ended – after giving retiring Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner a standing ovation. Hechenbleikner has been at the town helm for 26 years, since the position was created. He will retire June 1. Assistant Town Manager Robert LeLacheur will succeed him. During the preceding two hours, Town Meeting reviewed town and school budgets. Only one amendment was proposed. The vote on the budget of $90,719,561, which is up 2.9 percent over the approved budget of $88.1 million for this fiscal year, passed unanimously; 138 Town Meeting members stood to be counted in favor…
Here are the Reading numbers from Tuesday's primary.
Out of 17,624 registered voters, 3,186 or 18.1 percent voted Tuesday in the U.S. Senate primary. Take a look at the unofficial Reading results: Democrat Republican
The former Navy SEAL and the longtime Congressman will face off June 25 to fill John Kerry's former U.S. Senate seat.
A political newcomer will face a long-time Massachusetts politician in the race to be the Bay State's next U.S. senator. The Associated Press has declared Republican businessman and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset and Democratic U.S. Congressman Edward Markey of Malden the winners of their U.S. Senate special primary elections, according to tweets from Fox 25. The call for Gomez came approximately one hour after the polls closed in the statewide primary while a call for Markey came moments later. Gomez defeats his more seasoned opponents, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan of Abington and state Rep. Dan Winslow of Norfolk. Markey beat fellow U.S. Congressman Stephen Lynch of South Boston. Brett Rhyne of Needham ran an …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Vote today at RMHS before 8 p.m.
Residents can vote today in the U.S. Senate primary at the Reading Memorial High School field house. Polls are open until 8 p.m. According to Town Clerk Laura Gemme, the polls are "very slow and very calm." There are more poll workers than voters, she said. As of 12 p.m., 1,072 or six percent of residents voted. "Everyone is really enjoying themselves," Gemme told Patch. Check in with us later tonight for the results.
Matt w.
8:22 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2013
"This town has millions" The town of Reading absolutely does not have "millions" to spend on a frivolous lawsuit that will almost certainly fail and will accomplish nothing in the long run. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts voted to approve "medical marijuana" including many people in Reading and it's residents must be willing to accept the consequences of that vote. As Michael stated many teens … more ›