Wednesday, February 22, 2012
And what would the Moms Council change about the town, if they could?
Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council takes your questions, gives advice and shares solutions. Our conversation starts today with a broad topic, but a good one. This week, we asked the Moms Council: From a parent's perspective, what makes Reading a great place to raise kids? And what is one thing you would change if you could? Here’s what they had to say: Alicia Botticelli-Tarasuk Reading is such a great town! I was born and raised in Reading, so I may be a bit biased, but nonetheless, it is wonderful. I live AND work in Reading. Having gone through the schools I saw first hand how great the schools were. I played sports and took part in the drama program so I saw that aspect of the schools too. I stayed in Reading to raise my children …
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tell us in the comments.
Have you heard about the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas? The place is proud of its name, according to CBS News, and warns customers that “This establishment is bad for your health.” And, for one customer, it apparently was. A YouTube video circulating around the internet shows paramedics handling a customer who apparently had a heart attack while consuming a 6,000-calorie “Triple Bypass Burger.” Which got us thinking: we here at Reading Patch usually attempt to eat healthy, but occasionally want a greasy sandwich.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The family, from Acton, alleges their children are being discriminated against.
The Pledge of Allegiance is back in court this week, after an atheist family from Acton sued the local school district, claiming their children are being discriminated against because the pledge contains the words “under God,” according to the Boston Globe. On Monday, a lawyer for the family asked a Middlesex Superior Court judge to have the phrase removed. The family are identified only as John and Jane Doe, and have three children—one in high school and two in middle school. The pledge “defines patriotism according to a particular religious belief,” the family’s attorney told the judge, saying the children are being marginalized and discriminated against, according to the Globe. According to an attorney for the school district, the …
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Valentine's Day is approaching, and, unless you like sleeping on the couch, don't screw this up!
Well, now that the grievous wounds and insults our local professional football franchise suffered on Sunday have, at least slightly, subsided from memory, it’s time to get down to the business of Valentine’s Day. Welcome to the “bring me the head of the man who invented those awful little candy hearts” edition of Patch Picks! Listen up guys: we know the football season is a marathon, not a sprint, and you know who else realizes this? That special lady in your life. She put up with those flecks of Doritos and Cold Cuts spewing from the corners of your mouth as you screamed at referees and clueless defensive backs all season long, and you know what? She deserves all the bells and whistles come Valentine’s Day. But where to start? You’ve got …
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Rep. Brad Jones recaps what went on at the State House over the past few months.
Welcome to the December/January edition of “What’s Going on at the State House,” a newsletter I write to stay in touch with you and keep you posted on what I’m working on in the Legislature and in the 20th Middlesex District. I apologize for the brief hiatus from my email updates. I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing and joyful holiday season with your loved ones. Now that the holidays have come and gone, the action here on Beacon Hill has picked up again. Governor Patrick recently filed his Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal, officially kicking off the budget cycle at the State House. This year’s budget, similar to years past, will be extremely challenging as Massachusetts continues to feel the effects of a struggling local and national …
Sen. Katherine Clark writes about the necessity of protecting public transportation.
It is clear that our current system of funding and operating our public transportation network is inadequate and untenable. The MBTA recently projected a $161 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year, with structural deficits projected to grow through 2016 and beyond. According to the T, these deficits are the result of increased operating costs, debt payments, and lower-than-projected sales tax revenue. Dedicating a portion of the state sales tax to the T’s operations was a decision made by the legislature in 2009 to head-off massive service cuts at that time. However, due to higher costs and the continued economic recession, the problems have persisted. To address its massive shortfall and restore the T to sound financial footing, …
Monday, February 6, 2012
We asked and you answered. Here's what you told us.
[Editor's Note: Article updated to address multiple vote issue] Last Monday, we ran a poll asking readers what they thought the Reading Municipal Light Department should do with its Renewable Energy Certificates, after the issue had touched off some vibrant debate on the Reading Patch comment boards over the past week. We got quite a few responses to the poll—186 votes, all told—and it went right to the wire, but, in the end, Reading Patch readers agreed with the RMLD’s decision to hold on to the RECs, 99 votes to 86, or 53 percent against 46 percent. We also received one “who cares” vote, and quite a few excellent comments. So there you have it, in our unofficial and wholly unscientific poll, 53 percent of Reading Patch readers favor …
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
RMLD Board of Commissioners candidate Marsie West takes issue with the rebuttal to her previous letter from current board member Mary Ellen O'Neill.
RMLD Commissioner (Mary Ellen) O’Neill continues to oppose the sale of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to raise an estimated $31.6 million to offset rates. Her Jan. 27 letter contains basic math errors and factual inaccuracies. It is critical to provide accurate facts in a complete context, particularly in a rebuttal. RMLD Commissioners are elected to act in the best interest of ratepayers, accurately represent and use financial data at their disposal and remain open to new input from stakeholders. It is essential that the RMLD Board fully disclose facts and solicit participation by all impacted parties in this critical decision. As candidate to Reading’s Municipal Light Board, I will bring a focus on ratepayers and a sense of …
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
State Rep. Brad Jones urges seniors to look into the 'Senior Circuit Breaker' tax credit.
Families all over the Commonwealth continue to struggle as we endure the most difficult economic times since the Great Depression. Because times are so tough, it’s imperative that state government works to provide assistance to many groups of people, including senior citizens. Seniors continue to have the opportunity to get some much needed relief under a state property tax program known as the “Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit.” The program has the potential to help seniors stay in their homes, but also limit their tax expenses. The “Senior Circuit Breaker” is a refundable tax credit which means that if you do not have a state income tax liability, you can still receive a onetime payment from the state for up to $980. This program …
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sen. Katherine Clark on "middle-skills" job training.
Massachusetts has lost one third of its manufacturing jobs since 1990, and yet it has become conventional wisdom that the key to our competitive growth is increasing highly paid jobs performed by college graduates. But as the 2010 report "Massachusetts Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs" demonstrates, it is actually “middle skills” occupations, jobs that require more than a high school diploma but not a four-year degree, that make up the largest segment of job growth nationally and here in Massachusetts. Middle skill jobs represent 44 percent of all jobs in the Commonwealth and are predicted to grow with demand in sectors like healthcare, biotechnology, renewable energy, information technology and high-tech manufacturing. As the "Middle Skills…
peter lucci
6:22 pm on Friday, February 24, 2012
Hey look, Christine the fraud has re-emerged!! Why don't you & your wife head on back to Brockton. Just keep bashing your old home town anonymously, someday maybe you'll come back, if your wife let's you of course. more ›