Published by The Boston Globe
NEEDHAM — Other Needham storefronts were dark and empty, but Harvey’s Hardware at 1004 Great Plain Ave. was bustling with customers who trekked through the snow and wind to mitigate their snowstorm needs.
Gary Katz, the owner, said he arrived at Harvey’s at 2:45 a.m. yesterday to clear snow for a delivery truck. The store opened promptly at 7 a.m., the regular opening time, with a half-dozen employees ready for the day’s commerce.
“Hey, we’re a hardware store, right guys,’’ said Katz. Sure enough, customers soon materialized.
Walter Schmid, 62, came in to get new shear pins for his broken snow blower. He had put off the repair last year, and it took him an hour to clear his driveway with his neighbor’s snow blower so he could drive to Harvey’s to get his own one fixed.
“And I have a big driveway,’’ said Schmid, who lives on High Street in Newton Upper Falls.
John Faggiano, a 43-year-old Needham resident, was checking out the sleds hanging on the brick wall outside the store. He was planning to buy a few for his four children to bring them to the hill at Needham High School.
“They don’t know; I’m going to surprise them,’’ said Faggiano, with a huge grin. “I’m just thankful I have the day off so I can take them.’’
Showing posts with label Needham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Needham. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sex ed update with 'Net in mind
Published by The Boston Globe
Needham parents praised a proposed new sex-education curriculum for the public schools that would include discussions on new social networking media and technology, but some worried that until the program takes effect certain students would be missing important lessons.
“I think it’s wonderful you’re doing this,’’ Pamela Rosin, who has two children in sixth and ninth grades, told district officials during a presentation on the proposal Monday at the high school. “I thought we were doing it already. It’s an eye-opener.’’
Kathy Pinkham, director of the school system’s wellness department, said she would try to find a way to fill the transitional gap between the old and new programs, but parents may need to teach the material to their children themselves. She is working on a website that will display the curriculum and give suggestions for ways that parents can talk to their children about sex, she said, with the goal of having the site up before Christmas break.
“We really looked at this as a relationship with parents,’’ Pinkham said.
She said that under the new program, which the School Committee will consider next month, older students would be given materials from the sex-ed classes to take home for their parents, helping them become more involved in the discussions. Pinkham has been offering outlines of the curriculum to parents all week. She will offer another presentation today at 9 a.m. in Needham High’s media center, with other sessions planned for after the winter break.
On Monday, Pinkham said the new curriculum would endeavor to help students develop mature attitudes toward sex in the Internet age, when sexual encounters often start with texting. Answering a parent’s question, she said the classes will promote abstinence but also confront the reality that some students will have sex before marriage.
“The culture has changed. It used to be people got married at 18, 19, 20 or 21. Now it’s later and later,’’ she said. “We will put it into context of what they want in life and their goals.’’
Needham does not offer much sex education in the schools, after cuts and changes in health programs multiple times over the years, said Pinkham. The district decided to reexamine the program in part because of new issues in teen sexuality brought about by changes in media and technology, she said.
The current curriculum provides lessons about puberty for fifth-graders, and limited courses in sixth, ninth and 11th grades. The proposed curriculum would expand the existing courses and add some sex-ed topics for students in seventh, eighth, 10th and 12th grades, said Pinkham.
The new program will focus on providing the skills to help students make good decisions, said Pinkham. For example, students more often are making plans via text message or online, taking away the thought that goes into asking someone on a date, she said.
“The risk is easy. . . Sometimes people end up with someone else because of happenstance,’’ she said. “We will emphasize the importance of face-to-face communication, and that spending time together is important.’’
Traditional sex-ed programs usually only teach about anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases, and abstinence, said Pinkham. Those elements will still be taught, but the new program will also look at delaying sex and giving students the tools for healthy sex and relationships when they are adults, she said.
Kari Hayden, who has children in fifth, eighth and 12th grades, said during the forum, “The safest sex is abstinence, and students need to hear it in the classroom.’’
Pinkham told her that the program would promote abstinence, but not as the only point of discussion. She said students who decide to have sex and those who become sexually active as adults both will need to know how to negotiate safe sex.
A subcommittee of the School Health Advisory Council that developed the program over the last two years will present it to the School Committee at the end of next month, said Pinkham. A pilot program might begin next semester, but probably only for freshman and sophomores. If approved, the entire program would be implemented next fall, she said.
Some parents voiced concerns that sixth-graders would miss out on crucial lessons in the new curriculum for their grade level if the program is implemented next school year rather than next semester. The sixth-grade program would include teaching the difference between sex and sexuality, cover behaviors such as oral sex, and discuss sexual identity, said Pinkham.
Pinkham said she hopes parents can use the website being developed to discuss some of these topics with their children. She said the homework assignments for parents will involve a series of questions to be discussed after their child covered the material in class. Similar assignments are encouraged and successful in the fifth-grade program, but the school wants to extend them, she said.
“I appreciate the homework assignments, the face-to-face time, and the way the questions were structured to develop a conversation over things that were a little unsettling,’’ said Jan Keeler, parent of an eighth-grader and an 11th-grader, as well as two high school graduates.
Keeler also suggested a partnership between parents and the schools to create guidelines for parents of even younger students. She said she was concerned with the messages her children are exposed to every day on television, even at a very young age.
Needham parents praised a proposed new sex-education curriculum for the public schools that would include discussions on new social networking media and technology, but some worried that until the program takes effect certain students would be missing important lessons.
“I think it’s wonderful you’re doing this,’’ Pamela Rosin, who has two children in sixth and ninth grades, told district officials during a presentation on the proposal Monday at the high school. “I thought we were doing it already. It’s an eye-opener.’’
Kathy Pinkham, director of the school system’s wellness department, said she would try to find a way to fill the transitional gap between the old and new programs, but parents may need to teach the material to their children themselves. She is working on a website that will display the curriculum and give suggestions for ways that parents can talk to their children about sex, she said, with the goal of having the site up before Christmas break.
“We really looked at this as a relationship with parents,’’ Pinkham said.
She said that under the new program, which the School Committee will consider next month, older students would be given materials from the sex-ed classes to take home for their parents, helping them become more involved in the discussions. Pinkham has been offering outlines of the curriculum to parents all week. She will offer another presentation today at 9 a.m. in Needham High’s media center, with other sessions planned for after the winter break.
On Monday, Pinkham said the new curriculum would endeavor to help students develop mature attitudes toward sex in the Internet age, when sexual encounters often start with texting. Answering a parent’s question, she said the classes will promote abstinence but also confront the reality that some students will have sex before marriage.
“The culture has changed. It used to be people got married at 18, 19, 20 or 21. Now it’s later and later,’’ she said. “We will put it into context of what they want in life and their goals.’’
Needham does not offer much sex education in the schools, after cuts and changes in health programs multiple times over the years, said Pinkham. The district decided to reexamine the program in part because of new issues in teen sexuality brought about by changes in media and technology, she said.
The current curriculum provides lessons about puberty for fifth-graders, and limited courses in sixth, ninth and 11th grades. The proposed curriculum would expand the existing courses and add some sex-ed topics for students in seventh, eighth, 10th and 12th grades, said Pinkham.
The new program will focus on providing the skills to help students make good decisions, said Pinkham. For example, students more often are making plans via text message or online, taking away the thought that goes into asking someone on a date, she said.
“The risk is easy. . . Sometimes people end up with someone else because of happenstance,’’ she said. “We will emphasize the importance of face-to-face communication, and that spending time together is important.’’
Traditional sex-ed programs usually only teach about anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases, and abstinence, said Pinkham. Those elements will still be taught, but the new program will also look at delaying sex and giving students the tools for healthy sex and relationships when they are adults, she said.
Kari Hayden, who has children in fifth, eighth and 12th grades, said during the forum, “The safest sex is abstinence, and students need to hear it in the classroom.’’
Pinkham told her that the program would promote abstinence, but not as the only point of discussion. She said students who decide to have sex and those who become sexually active as adults both will need to know how to negotiate safe sex.
A subcommittee of the School Health Advisory Council that developed the program over the last two years will present it to the School Committee at the end of next month, said Pinkham. A pilot program might begin next semester, but probably only for freshman and sophomores. If approved, the entire program would be implemented next fall, she said.
Some parents voiced concerns that sixth-graders would miss out on crucial lessons in the new curriculum for their grade level if the program is implemented next school year rather than next semester. The sixth-grade program would include teaching the difference between sex and sexuality, cover behaviors such as oral sex, and discuss sexual identity, said Pinkham.
Pinkham said she hopes parents can use the website being developed to discuss some of these topics with their children. She said the homework assignments for parents will involve a series of questions to be discussed after their child covered the material in class. Similar assignments are encouraged and successful in the fifth-grade program, but the school wants to extend them, she said.
“I appreciate the homework assignments, the face-to-face time, and the way the questions were structured to develop a conversation over things that were a little unsettling,’’ said Jan Keeler, parent of an eighth-grader and an 11th-grader, as well as two high school graduates.
Keeler also suggested a partnership between parents and the schools to create guidelines for parents of even younger students. She said she was concerned with the messages her children are exposed to every day on television, even at a very young age.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Needham weighs new sex ed program
Published by The Boston Globe
The Needham schools may devote more time to teaching sex education if the School Committee approves a proposed pilot program, the district’s wellness director said.
Kathy Pinkham, director of the schools’ Wellness Department, said she will introduce the new sex ed curriculum to parents and welcome feedback in three different presentations next week.
She has already met with some parents and is offering one-hour, open forums on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week.
Proponents hope to introduce the curriculum in a pilot program later this school year, and implement it permanently next fall.
Needham does not offer much sex education in the schools because health programs have been cut and changed multiple times, and sex ed has been lost over the years, said Pinkham. Needham has maintained education about puberty in fifth grade, but health classes in other grades devote less time to sex ed, she said.
The school district was aware of the missing component for some time and decided to study the sex education program because it has become a topic parents expect their children to learn about, said Pinkham.
Pinkham said students can be influenced or confused by new media such as cellphones and social networking. As an example of the changing landscape, she cited the controversial new website www.rateBU.com, where students can rate photos of their peers.
“Kids are maturing so much quicker at younger age,” she said. “They’re more interested in things. I think they need some language and some guidance to navigate life.”
The School Health Advisory Council spent two years comparing Needham’s program with those of other districts, holding focus groups with students and parents and conducting other research, she said.
The current health program teaches social and emotional learning skills related to drugs and alcohol, such as making good decisions, communication and healthy relationships, said Pinkham. The new health program will apply these same skills to sex-related contexts, she said.
The program will also introduce “homework” assignments for parents and families involving a series of questions to discuss after class lessons, said Pinkham. Similar assignments are encouraged and successful with the fifth grade program, but the school wants to extend them to sixth, ninth, and 11th grades, she said.
“We’re really trying hard to create partnership with parents around health,” said Pinkham. “The response has been fairly positive actually. Parents are very appreciative of the effort to include parents in the process.”
Monday’s forum is at 12:30 p.m. in the upstairs conference room of the Emery Grover Administration Building at 1330 Highland Ave.
Wednesday’s meeting will be from 7 to 8 p.m. at Needham High School, 609 Webster St., in room 728. On Thursday, Pinkham will present at 9 a.m. in the Needham High School Media Center.
Pinkham will meet with parents again after the winter break and present a pilot program to the School Committee for approval in January, she said.
The Needham schools may devote more time to teaching sex education if the School Committee approves a proposed pilot program, the district’s wellness director said.
Kathy Pinkham, director of the schools’ Wellness Department, said she will introduce the new sex ed curriculum to parents and welcome feedback in three different presentations next week.
She has already met with some parents and is offering one-hour, open forums on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week.
Proponents hope to introduce the curriculum in a pilot program later this school year, and implement it permanently next fall.
Needham does not offer much sex education in the schools because health programs have been cut and changed multiple times, and sex ed has been lost over the years, said Pinkham. Needham has maintained education about puberty in fifth grade, but health classes in other grades devote less time to sex ed, she said.
The school district was aware of the missing component for some time and decided to study the sex education program because it has become a topic parents expect their children to learn about, said Pinkham.
Pinkham said students can be influenced or confused by new media such as cellphones and social networking. As an example of the changing landscape, she cited the controversial new website www.rateBU.com, where students can rate photos of their peers.
“Kids are maturing so much quicker at younger age,” she said. “They’re more interested in things. I think they need some language and some guidance to navigate life.”
The School Health Advisory Council spent two years comparing Needham’s program with those of other districts, holding focus groups with students and parents and conducting other research, she said.
The current health program teaches social and emotional learning skills related to drugs and alcohol, such as making good decisions, communication and healthy relationships, said Pinkham. The new health program will apply these same skills to sex-related contexts, she said.
The program will also introduce “homework” assignments for parents and families involving a series of questions to discuss after class lessons, said Pinkham. Similar assignments are encouraged and successful with the fifth grade program, but the school wants to extend them to sixth, ninth, and 11th grades, she said.
“We’re really trying hard to create partnership with parents around health,” said Pinkham. “The response has been fairly positive actually. Parents are very appreciative of the effort to include parents in the process.”
Monday’s forum is at 12:30 p.m. in the upstairs conference room of the Emery Grover Administration Building at 1330 Highland Ave.
Wednesday’s meeting will be from 7 to 8 p.m. at Needham High School, 609 Webster St., in room 728. On Thursday, Pinkham will present at 9 a.m. in the Needham High School Media Center.
Pinkham will meet with parents again after the winter break and present a pilot program to the School Committee for approval in January, she said.
Needham parents barred from speaking on hazing allegations at meeting
Published by The Boston Globe
Parents of Needham High girls’ soccer players will not be allowed to present information related to an alleged hazing incident to the School Committee tonight as they had requested, the board's chairman said.
‘‘Details of student issues, we won’t discuss in public,” said Connie Barr, chair of the committee.
The Boston Globe reported last month that several members of the varsity girls' soccer team were suspended for hazing, but they returned to school while an appeals process began to determine whether to extend those suspensions.
Barr declined to comment on the appeals process.
At the last School Committee meeting, Mary Ellen Dunn, whose sophomore daughter is on the team, requested permission on behalf of the team’s parents to publicly present information related to the incident.
Dunn said parents are concerned that the soccer players’ civil rights may be violated if they are suspended. Dunn said that after she requested to present information at the committee meeting, Barr and Marianne Cooley, the committee’s vice-chair, offered to meet with her and other parents.
The parents met with Barr and Cooley, then with Superintendent Daniel Gutekanst, before the Thanksgiving break, said Dunn. She said she does not know whether the information she gave administrators has made an impact on the appeals process.
“We have provided them with all the information we have, including the information we have regarding the due process and civil rights violations that occurred with the suspensions,” said Dunn.
Dunn said the parents are not opposed to taking action against hazing behavior, but they believe the athletes should have had appeals before facing suspension. She said other punishments less harsh than suspension would have conveyed the message.
“We certainly agree they should investigate it, and there should be some consequences,” she said. “I would support a no tolerance message; every parent would, short of suspension from school.”
Parents of Needham High girls’ soccer players will not be allowed to present information related to an alleged hazing incident to the School Committee tonight as they had requested, the board's chairman said.
‘‘Details of student issues, we won’t discuss in public,” said Connie Barr, chair of the committee.
The Boston Globe reported last month that several members of the varsity girls' soccer team were suspended for hazing, but they returned to school while an appeals process began to determine whether to extend those suspensions.
Barr declined to comment on the appeals process.
At the last School Committee meeting, Mary Ellen Dunn, whose sophomore daughter is on the team, requested permission on behalf of the team’s parents to publicly present information related to the incident.
Dunn said parents are concerned that the soccer players’ civil rights may be violated if they are suspended. Dunn said that after she requested to present information at the committee meeting, Barr and Marianne Cooley, the committee’s vice-chair, offered to meet with her and other parents.
The parents met with Barr and Cooley, then with Superintendent Daniel Gutekanst, before the Thanksgiving break, said Dunn. She said she does not know whether the information she gave administrators has made an impact on the appeals process.
“We have provided them with all the information we have, including the information we have regarding the due process and civil rights violations that occurred with the suspensions,” said Dunn.
Dunn said the parents are not opposed to taking action against hazing behavior, but they believe the athletes should have had appeals before facing suspension. She said other punishments less harsh than suspension would have conveyed the message.
“We certainly agree they should investigate it, and there should be some consequences,” she said. “I would support a no tolerance message; every parent would, short of suspension from school.”
Monday, November 29, 2010
Powder puff game lives up to towns’ rivalry
Published by The Boston Globe
WELLESLEY — Clad in blue shirts, goldenrod shorts, and black leggings, the Needham girls powder puff football team stood along the sideline yesterday, hopping up and down, as much from adrenaline as from the chilly weather.
“I’ve been waiting all four years of high school for this,’’ said Courtney Steeves, 18, staring across the field at the rival Wellesley High team.
The Wellesley girls, wearing red shirts and black pants, were screaming so loudly they drowned out the Needham players across the field. They had nothing to lose. Needham had beaten them three years in a row, hanging on to a powder puff trophy Wellesley was determined to win back.
“We’re really competitive,’’ said Erin Baker, 18, of Wellesley. The Needham-Wellesley powder puff football game has been held the day before the boys’ Thanksgiving Day matchup since the 1980s, a boys’ rivalry that the towns contend is the nation’s oldest public-school sports rivalry.
Until the past decade, however, the powder puff games were secretly held by students in the woods and would attract underage drinking and violence between the schools.
“It was very unorganized and wasn’t very safe,’’ said Officer Tim Barrows of the Wellesley police. “It got pretty carried away to the point where police were called every time the game was played to break up fights.’’
It got so bad that the towns’ police departments volunteered to take over the tradition and coach the senior girls to compete for a trophy each year. Now the game is quite a bit more peaceful, but no less passionate.
At yesterday’s game, a group of shirtless boys with blue paint on their faces and chests spelling “NHS!’’ cheered on the sidelines, blowing blue plastic horns. “I love this,’’ said Tyler Reilly, 17, a Needham High senior.
Said Christina Gagosian, 17, “It’s a women-bonding thing, a rite of passage’’
Wellesley played Needham to a 6-6 tie in regulation time, with Needham’s Katherine Rayner scoring a touchdown with only 20 seconds remaining. Then, the two teams had a sudden-death “kick-off,’’ won by Wellesley.
“There was so much more community as a group,’’ said Leah Dowd, 17, who scored Wellesley’s touchdown. “We got really good at our positions and were really able to excel.’’
The Wellesley team, with about 30 girls, was smaller than usual this year. Needham’s team had about 50 girls.
The Wellesley girls will take a victory lap with the trophy at Needham High School’s Memorial Field during the football game today.
Yesterday’s game was a far cry from the pranks of years ago.
In 1991, some Needham students planted a rocket on the Wellesley field to show support for their mascot (the Needham Rockets), but officials at first thought the device was a bomb and the Thanksgiving game was delayed a day.
The Globe reported the rocket incident at the time, along with fans’ concerns that the prank and the powder puff “rumbles’’ were taking the rivalry too far. The Globe quoted one graduate as saying that students looked forward to the powder puff fight more than the game.
“We were chasing them through the woods,’’ said Officer Mike Schlittler, who coaches the Needham team. “The kids were put into a situation where they were going to get injured.’’
Now-retired Holliston Police Chief Tom Lambert, who was a sergeant in Needham at the time, led the effort to get the police involved with the game in 2000, said Schlittler. The first couple of years had a low turnout, but participation has grown ever since, he said.
The organized games now attract family, friends, and even teachers in the stands, although the event is still not school-sanctioned and the football team is not supposed to attend, said Barrows.
“They’ve really taken what could’ve been a bad experience for many people and turned it into something great and positive,’’ said Diana Parkhurst, a wellness teacher at Needham High.
WELLESLEY — Clad in blue shirts, goldenrod shorts, and black leggings, the Needham girls powder puff football team stood along the sideline yesterday, hopping up and down, as much from adrenaline as from the chilly weather.
“I’ve been waiting all four years of high school for this,’’ said Courtney Steeves, 18, staring across the field at the rival Wellesley High team.
The Wellesley girls, wearing red shirts and black pants, were screaming so loudly they drowned out the Needham players across the field. They had nothing to lose. Needham had beaten them three years in a row, hanging on to a powder puff trophy Wellesley was determined to win back.
“We’re really competitive,’’ said Erin Baker, 18, of Wellesley. The Needham-Wellesley powder puff football game has been held the day before the boys’ Thanksgiving Day matchup since the 1980s, a boys’ rivalry that the towns contend is the nation’s oldest public-school sports rivalry.
Until the past decade, however, the powder puff games were secretly held by students in the woods and would attract underage drinking and violence between the schools.
“It was very unorganized and wasn’t very safe,’’ said Officer Tim Barrows of the Wellesley police. “It got pretty carried away to the point where police were called every time the game was played to break up fights.’’
It got so bad that the towns’ police departments volunteered to take over the tradition and coach the senior girls to compete for a trophy each year. Now the game is quite a bit more peaceful, but no less passionate.
At yesterday’s game, a group of shirtless boys with blue paint on their faces and chests spelling “NHS!’’ cheered on the sidelines, blowing blue plastic horns. “I love this,’’ said Tyler Reilly, 17, a Needham High senior.
Said Christina Gagosian, 17, “It’s a women-bonding thing, a rite of passage’’
Wellesley played Needham to a 6-6 tie in regulation time, with Needham’s Katherine Rayner scoring a touchdown with only 20 seconds remaining. Then, the two teams had a sudden-death “kick-off,’’ won by Wellesley.
“There was so much more community as a group,’’ said Leah Dowd, 17, who scored Wellesley’s touchdown. “We got really good at our positions and were really able to excel.’’
The Wellesley team, with about 30 girls, was smaller than usual this year. Needham’s team had about 50 girls.
The Wellesley girls will take a victory lap with the trophy at Needham High School’s Memorial Field during the football game today.
Yesterday’s game was a far cry from the pranks of years ago.
In 1991, some Needham students planted a rocket on the Wellesley field to show support for their mascot (the Needham Rockets), but officials at first thought the device was a bomb and the Thanksgiving game was delayed a day.
The Globe reported the rocket incident at the time, along with fans’ concerns that the prank and the powder puff “rumbles’’ were taking the rivalry too far. The Globe quoted one graduate as saying that students looked forward to the powder puff fight more than the game.
“We were chasing them through the woods,’’ said Officer Mike Schlittler, who coaches the Needham team. “The kids were put into a situation where they were going to get injured.’’
Now-retired Holliston Police Chief Tom Lambert, who was a sergeant in Needham at the time, led the effort to get the police involved with the game in 2000, said Schlittler. The first couple of years had a low turnout, but participation has grown ever since, he said.
The organized games now attract family, friends, and even teachers in the stands, although the event is still not school-sanctioned and the football team is not supposed to attend, said Barrows.
“They’ve really taken what could’ve been a bad experience for many people and turned it into something great and positive,’’ said Diana Parkhurst, a wellness teacher at Needham High.
A prosperous turkey day for other local purveyors
Published by The Boston Globe
While some family-owned turkey purveyors are struggling this Thanksgiving season, others are still booming with business.
“We sell out every year,” said Don Owen, who runs Owen’s Poultry Farm in Needham. “We’ve actually done a little better because of the recession. People aren’t going out as much and are entertaining at home more.”
Owen’s, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, sells about 4,000 local turkeys strictly by order every Thanksgiving, he said. The company has two turkey farms in the state, and they expect to attract more customers next year with other nearby farms closing down.
“We’ll pick them up, too, because they’re used to the same type of quality,” said Owen. “During the holidays, people tend to splurge on food.”
Owen said his turkeys taste better than store-bought birds because they are killed the week before they’re delivered, and Owen’s local poultry carries more fat for the cold New England climate than Southern birds sold at grocery stores.
A couple of towns over, Natick Organic Community Farm raises its own turkeys from spring to October and has so far sold about 180 birds, said Trish Wesley Umbrell, farm administrator. Most customers ordered their turkeys in October, which are transported to another site to be slaughtered and frozen, but the farm had a little over a dozen left for sale last week.
Local meat is more expensive—the Natick farm sells turkeys for $4.50 a pound—but customers are happy to pay the price because they taste better and they know where the food is coming from, said Umbrell.
“They see the birds in June and the care and love that go into them,” she said. “It makes you appreciate every bite.”
The farm is certified to sell organic vegetables, but the turkeys aren’t officially organic, said Umbrell. The birds are, however, raised humanely, roam free and are fed organic grain, she said.
“It’s a better flavor because of the meatier texture. They’re naturally moist; our birds don’t have to be brined to be delicious,” said Umbrell.
Lynda Simkins, the farm’s executive director, said she knows families may find local meat expensive in the current economy, but she is encouraging customers to put at least one local product on their Thanksgiving table this year.
“We’re a cranberry state—you don’t have to import those,” she said. “But farms are shutting their doors.”
Indeed, this Thanksgiving season has been a long, tearful goodbye for Gerard Farms Kitchen and Deli as the 80-year-old Framingham institution prepares to close for good.
Though the restaurant’s owner, Michael Gerard, said financial woes have forced him to close the kitchen, customers expressed sadness to hear they can no longer get their Thanksgiving turkeys and favorite sandwiches at Gerard’s.
While some family-owned turkey purveyors are struggling this Thanksgiving season, others are still booming with business.
“We sell out every year,” said Don Owen, who runs Owen’s Poultry Farm in Needham. “We’ve actually done a little better because of the recession. People aren’t going out as much and are entertaining at home more.”
Owen’s, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, sells about 4,000 local turkeys strictly by order every Thanksgiving, he said. The company has two turkey farms in the state, and they expect to attract more customers next year with other nearby farms closing down.
“We’ll pick them up, too, because they’re used to the same type of quality,” said Owen. “During the holidays, people tend to splurge on food.”
Owen said his turkeys taste better than store-bought birds because they are killed the week before they’re delivered, and Owen’s local poultry carries more fat for the cold New England climate than Southern birds sold at grocery stores.
A couple of towns over, Natick Organic Community Farm raises its own turkeys from spring to October and has so far sold about 180 birds, said Trish Wesley Umbrell, farm administrator. Most customers ordered their turkeys in October, which are transported to another site to be slaughtered and frozen, but the farm had a little over a dozen left for sale last week.
Local meat is more expensive—the Natick farm sells turkeys for $4.50 a pound—but customers are happy to pay the price because they taste better and they know where the food is coming from, said Umbrell.
“They see the birds in June and the care and love that go into them,” she said. “It makes you appreciate every bite.”
The farm is certified to sell organic vegetables, but the turkeys aren’t officially organic, said Umbrell. The birds are, however, raised humanely, roam free and are fed organic grain, she said.
“It’s a better flavor because of the meatier texture. They’re naturally moist; our birds don’t have to be brined to be delicious,” said Umbrell.
Lynda Simkins, the farm’s executive director, said she knows families may find local meat expensive in the current economy, but she is encouraging customers to put at least one local product on their Thanksgiving table this year.
“We’re a cranberry state—you don’t have to import those,” she said. “But farms are shutting their doors.”
Indeed, this Thanksgiving season has been a long, tearful goodbye for Gerard Farms Kitchen and Deli as the 80-year-old Framingham institution prepares to close for good.
Though the restaurant’s owner, Michael Gerard, said financial woes have forced him to close the kitchen, customers expressed sadness to hear they can no longer get their Thanksgiving turkeys and favorite sandwiches at Gerard’s.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Needham High parents want to address school committee about hazing controversy
Published by The Boston Globe
A parent of a sophomore on the Needham High girls’ soccer team tonight asked to address the town's school committee about the hazing controversy that led to the suspension of several girls earlier this month.
Mary Ellen Dunn, a parent of a girl on the team that was allegedly involved in hazing incidents last month, said she was speaking on behalf of the team when she addressed the committee during the public comment period of the meeting tonight. She said the group would like to make a presentation when the school committee meets again on Dec. 7.
Dunn, echoing other parents' comments on the matter over the last several days, said the hazing occurred on Oct. 29 outside of school and was resolved among the girls involved before the next school day.
The decision by the school administration to suspend senior girls involved was “a misjudgement,” she said.
“There was no intention to harm, nor was any harm perceived by our children,” said Dunn. “The school has come to a hasty, erroneous interpretation of the event.”
Dunn said the parents have unsuccessfully tried to give the administration information about the incident, and they would like to present an account of what happened to the committee at their next meeting.
In an interview after the public comments, Dunn said the administration has jumped to conclusions without knowing all the facts of the incident.
Another parent, Todd White, said the parents have been meeting since the incident occurred, and they all disagree with the way the administration has handled the situation, even the parents of underclassmen. White said his daughter, who is an underclassman, never received a copy of the anti-hazing policy from her coach.
“If our children were aggrieved, we wouldn’t be all taking this position,” he said.
Another Needham resident, J.P. Pages, spoke during the comment period about the incident. He said the school suspended the girls under a statue forbidding hazing, but the same statue requires the school to give copies of the hazing policy to all coaches. The coaches, in turn, are supposed to relay the policy to each athlete, he said.
Pages said his two children who have attended Needham High never received the policy, and he has spoken with other parents who have said their children never received it, either.
“It seems to me an adult in charge of educating children can not hold them liable or responsible for conduct under law that they themselves violate,” he said. “[The administration] are the ones that failed students.”
Connie Barr, chair of the school committee, said that the committee does not respond to public comments, but the administration has made an effort to handle the situation in a way that is best for everyone involved.
Barr did not give any details of the hazing, and Superintendent Dan Gutenkanst did not mention the incident in his comments.
The Globe reported last week that two other parents said 10 girls on the team were suspended from school and 12 or 13 were prevented from playing in a district tournament game against Brockton.
Three parents, providing new details in separate interviews, said the seniors drove the girls around for a short time until they arrived at a field off school grounds where the team practices. They said the girls were told to remove their blindfolds on the field and were taunted. At least one was told to wear a dog collar and two were hit in the face with whipped cream pies. Others were made to sing songs or sing the praises of the seniors.
But each of the parents interviewed insisted that the episode was all in fun, a team-building exercise that might have gone too far but didn’t leave any of their girls harmed.
Late last week, Needham High School's principal said the students' actions "were not in keeping with the school's core values, mission, or code of conduct.''
A parent of a sophomore on the Needham High girls’ soccer team tonight asked to address the town's school committee about the hazing controversy that led to the suspension of several girls earlier this month.
Mary Ellen Dunn, a parent of a girl on the team that was allegedly involved in hazing incidents last month, said she was speaking on behalf of the team when she addressed the committee during the public comment period of the meeting tonight. She said the group would like to make a presentation when the school committee meets again on Dec. 7.
Dunn, echoing other parents' comments on the matter over the last several days, said the hazing occurred on Oct. 29 outside of school and was resolved among the girls involved before the next school day.
The decision by the school administration to suspend senior girls involved was “a misjudgement,” she said.
“There was no intention to harm, nor was any harm perceived by our children,” said Dunn. “The school has come to a hasty, erroneous interpretation of the event.”
Dunn said the parents have unsuccessfully tried to give the administration information about the incident, and they would like to present an account of what happened to the committee at their next meeting.
In an interview after the public comments, Dunn said the administration has jumped to conclusions without knowing all the facts of the incident.
Another parent, Todd White, said the parents have been meeting since the incident occurred, and they all disagree with the way the administration has handled the situation, even the parents of underclassmen. White said his daughter, who is an underclassman, never received a copy of the anti-hazing policy from her coach.
“If our children were aggrieved, we wouldn’t be all taking this position,” he said.
Another Needham resident, J.P. Pages, spoke during the comment period about the incident. He said the school suspended the girls under a statue forbidding hazing, but the same statue requires the school to give copies of the hazing policy to all coaches. The coaches, in turn, are supposed to relay the policy to each athlete, he said.
Pages said his two children who have attended Needham High never received the policy, and he has spoken with other parents who have said their children never received it, either.
“It seems to me an adult in charge of educating children can not hold them liable or responsible for conduct under law that they themselves violate,” he said. “[The administration] are the ones that failed students.”
Connie Barr, chair of the school committee, said that the committee does not respond to public comments, but the administration has made an effort to handle the situation in a way that is best for everyone involved.
Barr did not give any details of the hazing, and Superintendent Dan Gutenkanst did not mention the incident in his comments.
The Globe reported last week that two other parents said 10 girls on the team were suspended from school and 12 or 13 were prevented from playing in a district tournament game against Brockton.
Three parents, providing new details in separate interviews, said the seniors drove the girls around for a short time until they arrived at a field off school grounds where the team practices. They said the girls were told to remove their blindfolds on the field and were taunted. At least one was told to wear a dog collar and two were hit in the face with whipped cream pies. Others were made to sing songs or sing the praises of the seniors.
But each of the parents interviewed insisted that the episode was all in fun, a team-building exercise that might have gone too far but didn’t leave any of their girls harmed.
Late last week, Needham High School's principal said the students' actions "were not in keeping with the school's core values, mission, or code of conduct.''
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Parents, students react to Needham soccer suspensions
Published by The Boston Globe
Parents, students and former players reacted strongly to Needham High School's decision to suspend several players for an alleged hazing incident, with some Needham parents insisting that the school went too far.
The mother of a junior on the Needham High School girls soccer team says that the suspensions of several players on the team for alleged hazing were too severe for what she called a "misguided attempt at team building.''
In an email to the Globe, Needham parent Sharon Lund said that the team was supporting both the players and the team's coach, who also reportedly has been placed on leave. She said her daughter is a junior on the team who was not implicated in the incident.
Other supporters of the team, including the godfather of one of the players, also criticized the school.
"As the parent of an underclassman, I can safely say that the ENTIRE Needham Girl's Soccer team and parents are UNANIMOUS in supporting each senior who has been placed on suspension and the coach who has been placed on administrative leave, and assert that the event in question in no way warrants the issuing of suspensions by Needham High School,'' Lund said in the email. "In a nutshell, there was no intention to harm, nor was any harm perceived by team members, during a misguided attempt at team building.''
She continued:
"In my personal opinion, these girls have handled a serious mistake in a more mature fashion than either the NHS administration or the press has to date. This was an isolated intra-team issue that they resolved to everyone's satisfaction amongst themselves with active support from the coach, and in the process strengthened the bonds amongst them. As some of the parents have so aptly pointed out, aren't these the life skills that we want our daughters to have?''
Separately, Brendan Copley, a Needham High senior, said he thinks hazing is not as big an issue as bullying at Needham, because hazing is more like a ritual. He said his coaches have never talked about hazing before, and sometimes, underclassmen on his teams would get "picked on," but he thinks it may make some freshmen feel included.
"Some freshmen enjoy it; they're big kids now in the high school," he said. "Some take it a different way, and the seniors who do it should keep that in mind."
"The newscasters are brutal," he said of the news coverage of the Needham incident. "It's been blown out of proportion. Parents are overreacting because their kids just got to the high school, and they don't know what's going on."
Several members of the Needham High School girls’ soccer team were suspended before Monday night’s state tournament game for allegedly hazing younger players on the team.
WBZ-TV reported that the hazing victims had been blindfolded and led around on dog leashes, then hit in their faces with pies. The team’s coach, Carl Tarabelli, was put on administrative leave, the station said. He could not be reached for comment.
In an interview, a 1988 graduate of Needham High School who said he was the godfather of one of the suspended students said he was shocked and disappointed that the girls were suspended.
"This is something that has been going on for years. It is nothing major, and everyone jumped to conclusions so quickly," said Joshua Melia, a Needham resident. He said he was "angry and disappointed" on behalf of his goddaughter, a senior co-captain, and her teammates for "something so minor."
"This was not bullying and it was not hazing, but that's what they are calling it. To just label the kids in that way isn't fair," said Melia, who said he was a member of Needham High's wrestling team, and recalled that minor-league teasing of freshmen team members was common in his day.
In an email to the Globe, Benji Eisenberg, who identified himself as a Needham High graduate, said, "Hazing/initiation rites are one of the most important aspects of team building and bonding ... tryouts are almost a hazing experience in themselves.''
Parents watching the Lincoln-Sudbury varsity boys soccer playoff vs. Brookline today said they felt that, overall, Needham school officials had acted properly.
"Hazing is a form of bullying," said Nancy Childress, who said she was a teacher and the parent of a Lincoln-Sudbury freshman. "When you are put in a position of having to do something you didn't want to do, it's bullying."
School officials have said little to explain the suspensions.
“The Needham High School Community is saddened about recent events involving the girls’ soccer team,’’ said a statement from the superintendent’s office Tuesday afternoon. “The high school administration, staff, students, and families urge the local Needham community to support our team as they face Brockton tonight.’’
Parents, students and former players reacted strongly to Needham High School's decision to suspend several players for an alleged hazing incident, with some Needham parents insisting that the school went too far.
The mother of a junior on the Needham High School girls soccer team says that the suspensions of several players on the team for alleged hazing were too severe for what she called a "misguided attempt at team building.''
In an email to the Globe, Needham parent Sharon Lund said that the team was supporting both the players and the team's coach, who also reportedly has been placed on leave. She said her daughter is a junior on the team who was not implicated in the incident.
Other supporters of the team, including the godfather of one of the players, also criticized the school.
"As the parent of an underclassman, I can safely say that the ENTIRE Needham Girl's Soccer team and parents are UNANIMOUS in supporting each senior who has been placed on suspension and the coach who has been placed on administrative leave, and assert that the event in question in no way warrants the issuing of suspensions by Needham High School,'' Lund said in the email. "In a nutshell, there was no intention to harm, nor was any harm perceived by team members, during a misguided attempt at team building.''
She continued:
"In my personal opinion, these girls have handled a serious mistake in a more mature fashion than either the NHS administration or the press has to date. This was an isolated intra-team issue that they resolved to everyone's satisfaction amongst themselves with active support from the coach, and in the process strengthened the bonds amongst them. As some of the parents have so aptly pointed out, aren't these the life skills that we want our daughters to have?''
Separately, Brendan Copley, a Needham High senior, said he thinks hazing is not as big an issue as bullying at Needham, because hazing is more like a ritual. He said his coaches have never talked about hazing before, and sometimes, underclassmen on his teams would get "picked on," but he thinks it may make some freshmen feel included.
"Some freshmen enjoy it; they're big kids now in the high school," he said. "Some take it a different way, and the seniors who do it should keep that in mind."
"The newscasters are brutal," he said of the news coverage of the Needham incident. "It's been blown out of proportion. Parents are overreacting because their kids just got to the high school, and they don't know what's going on."
Several members of the Needham High School girls’ soccer team were suspended before Monday night’s state tournament game for allegedly hazing younger players on the team.
WBZ-TV reported that the hazing victims had been blindfolded and led around on dog leashes, then hit in their faces with pies. The team’s coach, Carl Tarabelli, was put on administrative leave, the station said. He could not be reached for comment.
In an interview, a 1988 graduate of Needham High School who said he was the godfather of one of the suspended students said he was shocked and disappointed that the girls were suspended.
"This is something that has been going on for years. It is nothing major, and everyone jumped to conclusions so quickly," said Joshua Melia, a Needham resident. He said he was "angry and disappointed" on behalf of his goddaughter, a senior co-captain, and her teammates for "something so minor."
"This was not bullying and it was not hazing, but that's what they are calling it. To just label the kids in that way isn't fair," said Melia, who said he was a member of Needham High's wrestling team, and recalled that minor-league teasing of freshmen team members was common in his day.
In an email to the Globe, Benji Eisenberg, who identified himself as a Needham High graduate, said, "Hazing/initiation rites are one of the most important aspects of team building and bonding ... tryouts are almost a hazing experience in themselves.''
Parents watching the Lincoln-Sudbury varsity boys soccer playoff vs. Brookline today said they felt that, overall, Needham school officials had acted properly.
"Hazing is a form of bullying," said Nancy Childress, who said she was a teacher and the parent of a Lincoln-Sudbury freshman. "When you are put in a position of having to do something you didn't want to do, it's bullying."
School officials have said little to explain the suspensions.
“The Needham High School Community is saddened about recent events involving the girls’ soccer team,’’ said a statement from the superintendent’s office Tuesday afternoon. “The high school administration, staff, students, and families urge the local Needham community to support our team as they face Brockton tonight.’’
Pollard renovations approved by Town Meeting
Published by The Boston Globe
Town Meeting members last night approved spending $325,000 for repairs to modular classrooms at the Pollard Middle School which would house Kindergarten students and pre-schoolers from the Newman Elementary school while the Newman undergoes renovations.
But members rejected $875,000 for a new parking lot and access road at the Pollard.
Town meeting members also approved a measure to swap the town-owned Hersey parking lot on the corner of Great Plain Avenue and Broad Meadow Road for the MBTA-owned Needham Heights lot on West. St. The Needham Heights lot is the location selectmen have endorsed for a new senior center.
A vote to provide funds for the design of a senior center on the Needham Heights lot is expected when Town Meeting resumes tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Newman School.
Town Meeting last night also approved a measure revising dog regulation bylaws, allowing for better enforcement of a law that bans dogs on Memorial Field on Rosemary Street and DeFazio Field on Dedham Avenue.
The debate over the Pollard School renovations was the longest last night.
Marianne Cooley, vice-chair of the Needham School Committee, said the proposed parking lot and access road off Dedham Avenue would provide spaces for parents to safely drop off their children. Some staff at Pollard and those staff members coming from the Newman will park on the street, she said.
But Town meeting members expressed doubt that the boards involved with planning the Pollard project were thorough enough in examining all possible options for additional parking spaces.
“We’ve heard a good case for why the modulers should be fixed for the kids coming in September,” said Ron Ruth, from precinct E. “I don’t think we’ve heard a case for why 60 additional parking spaces are necessary for 170 Kindergarten kids.”
Several Town Meeting members asked how many site options were considered for the parking lot and why details on the plan were not documented along with the Newman School renovations.
George Kent, chairman of the Permanent Public Building Committee, said the town hired an architect to choose a site for the new parking. He said a lot could not go behind the school because of the athletic fields, and the lot could not go on the east side of the school because the road would not be easily accessible.
“In my opinion, Town Meeting is not the place to do design,” said Kent. “It restricts the process.”
But Ruth submitted a motion to separate the funds for modulars from the funds for parking and the motion passed.
Then, at the urging of selectmen, Town Meeting voted to expedite the appropriation of the money for renovating the modulars so that the Newman School project would not be delayed.
Town Meeting members last night approved spending $325,000 for repairs to modular classrooms at the Pollard Middle School which would house Kindergarten students and pre-schoolers from the Newman Elementary school while the Newman undergoes renovations.
But members rejected $875,000 for a new parking lot and access road at the Pollard.
Town meeting members also approved a measure to swap the town-owned Hersey parking lot on the corner of Great Plain Avenue and Broad Meadow Road for the MBTA-owned Needham Heights lot on West. St. The Needham Heights lot is the location selectmen have endorsed for a new senior center.
A vote to provide funds for the design of a senior center on the Needham Heights lot is expected when Town Meeting resumes tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Newman School.
Town Meeting last night also approved a measure revising dog regulation bylaws, allowing for better enforcement of a law that bans dogs on Memorial Field on Rosemary Street and DeFazio Field on Dedham Avenue.
The debate over the Pollard School renovations was the longest last night.
Marianne Cooley, vice-chair of the Needham School Committee, said the proposed parking lot and access road off Dedham Avenue would provide spaces for parents to safely drop off their children. Some staff at Pollard and those staff members coming from the Newman will park on the street, she said.
But Town meeting members expressed doubt that the boards involved with planning the Pollard project were thorough enough in examining all possible options for additional parking spaces.
“We’ve heard a good case for why the modulers should be fixed for the kids coming in September,” said Ron Ruth, from precinct E. “I don’t think we’ve heard a case for why 60 additional parking spaces are necessary for 170 Kindergarten kids.”
Several Town Meeting members asked how many site options were considered for the parking lot and why details on the plan were not documented along with the Newman School renovations.
George Kent, chairman of the Permanent Public Building Committee, said the town hired an architect to choose a site for the new parking. He said a lot could not go behind the school because of the athletic fields, and the lot could not go on the east side of the school because the road would not be easily accessible.
“In my opinion, Town Meeting is not the place to do design,” said Kent. “It restricts the process.”
But Ruth submitted a motion to separate the funds for modulars from the funds for parking and the motion passed.
Then, at the urging of selectmen, Town Meeting voted to expedite the appropriation of the money for renovating the modulars so that the Newman School project would not be delayed.
Monday, November 8, 2010
1902 time capsule reveals glimpse of Needham's past
Published by The Boston Globe
When Needham built its town hall over a century ago, officials buried a copper time capsule in the cornerstone.
Emery Grover, namesake of the school administration building, and others sang hymns, recited prayers, and presented tools to the architects. They poured corn, wine, and oil over the burial as a symbolic blessing, according to a program surviving from the ornate Sept. 2, 1902 ceremony.
In a final touch, they made ‘‘an application of jewels to the corner-stone.’’
On Saturday night, during the kick-off weekend for the town’s yearlong tercentennial celebration, the capsule was finally opened.
Thoughout the day, residents speculated what would be inside, from buried treasure to old grocery lists. They wondered what the mouldered keepsakes might reveal about Needham at the turn of the 20th century.
“I’m curious to know what people 100 years ago thought we’d find interesting,” said Jill Oetheimer. “It’s not that old, just a third of our history, but it’s interesting nonetheless.”
Ten-year-old Evan Anderson, however, thought he knew what the capsule held.
“There’s probably going to be a newspaper about the time then,” he said. “There wasn’t as many electric things.”
Before the opening, hundreds of residents sat around a stage on the high school football field watching a group of dancers donned in silver sequins and red, white, and blue hats. State Senator Richard Ross congratulated the town for turning 300 and read a piece of Senate legislation recognizing the importance of Needham’s historical landmarks.
Finally, officials took the stage.
Board of Selectmen chairman John Bulian and Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick held the faded grayish green box, 7 by 10 inches square and 6 inches deep, with protective gloves and invited people to move closer.
The crowd ran forward, children sprinting to the front of the stage and adults shouting they couldn’t see. Then, after everyone settled down, the capsule was opened.
The first item to come out was a copy of The Needham Recorder, a 4-cent newspaper in crisp condition.
Another newspaper called the Needham Chronicle, which cost 5 cents, came next. The paper was dated May 31, 1902, signed by the editor and included stories about the new town hall, the cornerstone, and a soldiers’ monument dedication.
‘‘There is a question among printers as to the quality of this paper,’” Bulian read from a paper in the capsule to laughs from the audience. The original papermakers will never know that the programs, envelopes, and cards placed in the capsule were quite well preserved.
A map of the town, crumbling books of Town Meeting records, and a telephone catalogue listing the first phones came out, one by one. Bulian held up a directory of all the phone numbers in town, which was a single page long and contained numbers like “G. A. Adams, 44-2.”
Programs for clubs and societies around town included the Monday Club, the Sons of Temperance, and the Tea and Toast Club for women.
When a list of residents qualified to vote in town, county, and state elections came out of the capsule, people in the crowd shouted, “Are there any women on that list?”
“Only men,” said Bulian. “But wait… there’s a separate list…”
Bulian pulled out a list of women in town qualified to vote that year, and everyone clapped and cheered.
“…the list is of women qualified to vote for school committee only,” said Bulian. Everyone laughed.
The time capsule was removed Oct. 28 from inside the cornerstone of Town Hall, which is currently undergoing $18 million in renovations, said Sandy Cincotta, assistant to the town manager.
The town knew about the time capsule from the program, “Order of Exercises for the Laying of the Corner-stone of the Town Hall,” and old newspapers in the Needham Historical Society library, said Cincotta.
The cornerstone was hidden behind the wheelchair ramp at Town Hall, but workers were able to cut the date out of the stone and remove the box during renovations, she said.
The items from the time capsule will be on display for the public, but officials aren’t sure where yet. The Needham 300 committee plans to bury a new time capsule in the new Town Hall sometime this year.
They are still planning what to put inside.
When Needham built its town hall over a century ago, officials buried a copper time capsule in the cornerstone.
Emery Grover, namesake of the school administration building, and others sang hymns, recited prayers, and presented tools to the architects. They poured corn, wine, and oil over the burial as a symbolic blessing, according to a program surviving from the ornate Sept. 2, 1902 ceremony.
In a final touch, they made ‘‘an application of jewels to the corner-stone.’’
On Saturday night, during the kick-off weekend for the town’s yearlong tercentennial celebration, the capsule was finally opened.
Thoughout the day, residents speculated what would be inside, from buried treasure to old grocery lists. They wondered what the mouldered keepsakes might reveal about Needham at the turn of the 20th century.
“I’m curious to know what people 100 years ago thought we’d find interesting,” said Jill Oetheimer. “It’s not that old, just a third of our history, but it’s interesting nonetheless.”
Ten-year-old Evan Anderson, however, thought he knew what the capsule held.
“There’s probably going to be a newspaper about the time then,” he said. “There wasn’t as many electric things.”
Before the opening, hundreds of residents sat around a stage on the high school football field watching a group of dancers donned in silver sequins and red, white, and blue hats. State Senator Richard Ross congratulated the town for turning 300 and read a piece of Senate legislation recognizing the importance of Needham’s historical landmarks.
Finally, officials took the stage.
Board of Selectmen chairman John Bulian and Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick held the faded grayish green box, 7 by 10 inches square and 6 inches deep, with protective gloves and invited people to move closer.
The crowd ran forward, children sprinting to the front of the stage and adults shouting they couldn’t see. Then, after everyone settled down, the capsule was opened.
The first item to come out was a copy of The Needham Recorder, a 4-cent newspaper in crisp condition.
Another newspaper called the Needham Chronicle, which cost 5 cents, came next. The paper was dated May 31, 1902, signed by the editor and included stories about the new town hall, the cornerstone, and a soldiers’ monument dedication.
‘‘There is a question among printers as to the quality of this paper,’” Bulian read from a paper in the capsule to laughs from the audience. The original papermakers will never know that the programs, envelopes, and cards placed in the capsule were quite well preserved.
A map of the town, crumbling books of Town Meeting records, and a telephone catalogue listing the first phones came out, one by one. Bulian held up a directory of all the phone numbers in town, which was a single page long and contained numbers like “G. A. Adams, 44-2.”
Programs for clubs and societies around town included the Monday Club, the Sons of Temperance, and the Tea and Toast Club for women.
When a list of residents qualified to vote in town, county, and state elections came out of the capsule, people in the crowd shouted, “Are there any women on that list?”
“Only men,” said Bulian. “But wait… there’s a separate list…”
Bulian pulled out a list of women in town qualified to vote that year, and everyone clapped and cheered.
“…the list is of women qualified to vote for school committee only,” said Bulian. Everyone laughed.
The time capsule was removed Oct. 28 from inside the cornerstone of Town Hall, which is currently undergoing $18 million in renovations, said Sandy Cincotta, assistant to the town manager.
The town knew about the time capsule from the program, “Order of Exercises for the Laying of the Corner-stone of the Town Hall,” and old newspapers in the Needham Historical Society library, said Cincotta.
The cornerstone was hidden behind the wheelchair ramp at Town Hall, but workers were able to cut the date out of the stone and remove the box during renovations, she said.
The items from the time capsule will be on display for the public, but officials aren’t sure where yet. The Needham 300 committee plans to bury a new time capsule in the new Town Hall sometime this year.
They are still planning what to put inside.
A huddle to celebrate Needham's 300th
Published by The Boston Globe
Walter Cardinali and Ed Eastman can’t remember a fonder moment during their year as cocaptains of Needham High’s football team in 1952 than the Thanksgiving Day game when they defeated Wellesley High, 51 to 0.
A mischievous smile creeps across Cardinali’s face when asked how it felt to beat Needham’s biggest foe in the oldest public high school football rivalry in the country.
“It was good,’’ he said with a nod.
The famous match, first played in 1882, is just one aspect of Needham football’s rich history.
High school sports have been such a part of the town’s fabric over the years that the Needham 300 Committee will kick off a yearlong celebration of the town’s tercentennial with a football game, Needham vs. Dedham, tomorrow night. The committee has also commissioned a documentary, “100 Years of Needham Football,’’ in which Cardinali, Eastman, and other old- and not-so-old-timers talk about the glories of past Rockets squads. It will be shown at 6 p.m. on a drive-in-movie-sized screen at Memorial Field, with the game to follow at 7 p.m.
For the film, alumni who played football for Needham between 1940 and the 1970s shared their stories in front of a camera set up at the Village Club on Morton Avenue last month.
“Needham High football games bring the whole community together,’’ said Kathy Walker, who worked with her husband, Jamie, on the documentary. “It’s a cool thing to do on a Friday night.’’
Needham football players and cheerleaders, past and present, will be invited onto the field to be recognized tomorrow night, she said. Walker, whose four children have all played football or been cheerleaders for Needham High, said the games are a chance for all generations to gather.
And the committee’s documentary is sure to capture a span of generations. One former player featured in the film, Bob Giumetti, 70, is part of the only known father-son pair of captains in Needham history. Giumetti coached his son, Rob, on a Pop Warner team, and Giumetti Jr. went to become captain of the high school squad in 1993.
“I didn’t push him into it, but he became a great athlete,’’ Giumetti Sr. said. “He has a bunch of trophies; I’m really proud of him.’’ Giumetti Jr. said having his father for a coach made him work even harder in Pop Warner, and as captain he tried to live up to his father’s accomplishments.
“At one point, you just want to be the best you can be,’’ he said.
Giumetti Sr., who played from 1956 to 1958, said one of his favorite football moments was speaking as captain at the Friday night pep rallies, back when the games were played on Saturday afternoons.
“We didn’t have lights then, so we’d get the team motivated on Friday night,’’ he said. “Having your own teammates looking up to you . . . it’s an honor I’ll never forget as long as I live.’’
Charlie Wright, who used to work on Needham’s local-access cable TV system and made a short documentary about the Needham-Wellesley rivalry in 1987, was chosen to help with the film project. His old videotape, however, had been lost, so Wright began his research from scratch.
“I thought, let’s see if we can get some old-timers to come; they know this stuff,’’ he said.
Eastman and Cardinali were witnesses to many landmarks in the team’s history during their stint playing for Needham, from 1950 to 1952. Legendary physical education teacher Mario “Mike’’ DeFazio was the team’s assistant coach, the Booster Club was formed, and, Eastman said, the team’s nickname went from the Hilltoppers to the Rockets.
Back in their day, the rivalry between Needham and Wellesley was a respectful one, said Eastman, 75, and Cardinali, 76.
They even visited the Wellesley High pep rally the night before the Big Game when it was being played in Wellesley, and spoke in front of the opposing student body.
“We demonstrated what a nice relationship we had. Weren’t you taken with one of the Wellesley cheerleaders?’’ Eastman asked Cardinali, who laughed.
Cardinali, however, said the seriousness of the rivalry could be seen at every Needham practice, when DeFazio would place the names and numbers of Wellesley players on the tackling dummies.
It all began when the section of town known as West Needham broke away in 1881 to form Wellesley, said Gloria Greis, executive director of the Needham Historical Society. In November 1882, the Wellesley team’s captain, Arthur Oldam, issued a challenge to continue the East Needham-West Needham game as an intertown match, she said.
“They all knew each other; it was easy to make the challenge,’’ said Wright. “And the original games were mad chaos . . . it was more like rugby. They played with ringers, their older brothers who had graduated, and Wellesley even claimed once Needham was using [someone’s] father.’’
The Needham football team didn’t become official until 1904, when the high school introduced rules of academic eligibility, said Roy Johan, a current assistant coach at Needham. The name back then was the Needham Athletic Association.
The reason behind the shift from Hilltoppers to Rockets is a bit uncertain.
Johan said the nickname was changed in 1954 to recognize the military’s new Nike missile site in town. Eastman, however, said a father of one of his hockey teammates dubbed Needham’s hockey players as “Rockets’’ in 1951, and then the name was adopted by the other teams three years later.
The nickname wasn’t the only change the team has seen: Equipment has evolved, the team’s games moved from Greene’s Field to Memorial Park, and the players have gotten bigger, said Cardinali.
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the strength of the football program’s involvement with the community, said Ralph Toran, who played from 1958 to 1960. Toran, whose wife is a former Needham cheerleader, remembers watching the older players and looking forward to his turn on the field.
“Three-quarters of these guys still live in Needham, and they continue to give their time and effort to building the community,’’ said Toran, 67. “And in these hard times, young folks pushed to get appropriations and raise money for the turf field, and that tradition is continued.’’
Walter Cardinali and Ed Eastman can’t remember a fonder moment during their year as cocaptains of Needham High’s football team in 1952 than the Thanksgiving Day game when they defeated Wellesley High, 51 to 0.
A mischievous smile creeps across Cardinali’s face when asked how it felt to beat Needham’s biggest foe in the oldest public high school football rivalry in the country.
“It was good,’’ he said with a nod.
The famous match, first played in 1882, is just one aspect of Needham football’s rich history.
High school sports have been such a part of the town’s fabric over the years that the Needham 300 Committee will kick off a yearlong celebration of the town’s tercentennial with a football game, Needham vs. Dedham, tomorrow night. The committee has also commissioned a documentary, “100 Years of Needham Football,’’ in which Cardinali, Eastman, and other old- and not-so-old-timers talk about the glories of past Rockets squads. It will be shown at 6 p.m. on a drive-in-movie-sized screen at Memorial Field, with the game to follow at 7 p.m.
For the film, alumni who played football for Needham between 1940 and the 1970s shared their stories in front of a camera set up at the Village Club on Morton Avenue last month.
“Needham High football games bring the whole community together,’’ said Kathy Walker, who worked with her husband, Jamie, on the documentary. “It’s a cool thing to do on a Friday night.’’
Needham football players and cheerleaders, past and present, will be invited onto the field to be recognized tomorrow night, she said. Walker, whose four children have all played football or been cheerleaders for Needham High, said the games are a chance for all generations to gather.
And the committee’s documentary is sure to capture a span of generations. One former player featured in the film, Bob Giumetti, 70, is part of the only known father-son pair of captains in Needham history. Giumetti coached his son, Rob, on a Pop Warner team, and Giumetti Jr. went to become captain of the high school squad in 1993.
“I didn’t push him into it, but he became a great athlete,’’ Giumetti Sr. said. “He has a bunch of trophies; I’m really proud of him.’’ Giumetti Jr. said having his father for a coach made him work even harder in Pop Warner, and as captain he tried to live up to his father’s accomplishments.
“At one point, you just want to be the best you can be,’’ he said.
Giumetti Sr., who played from 1956 to 1958, said one of his favorite football moments was speaking as captain at the Friday night pep rallies, back when the games were played on Saturday afternoons.
“We didn’t have lights then, so we’d get the team motivated on Friday night,’’ he said. “Having your own teammates looking up to you . . . it’s an honor I’ll never forget as long as I live.’’
Charlie Wright, who used to work on Needham’s local-access cable TV system and made a short documentary about the Needham-Wellesley rivalry in 1987, was chosen to help with the film project. His old videotape, however, had been lost, so Wright began his research from scratch.
“I thought, let’s see if we can get some old-timers to come; they know this stuff,’’ he said.
Eastman and Cardinali were witnesses to many landmarks in the team’s history during their stint playing for Needham, from 1950 to 1952. Legendary physical education teacher Mario “Mike’’ DeFazio was the team’s assistant coach, the Booster Club was formed, and, Eastman said, the team’s nickname went from the Hilltoppers to the Rockets.
Back in their day, the rivalry between Needham and Wellesley was a respectful one, said Eastman, 75, and Cardinali, 76.
They even visited the Wellesley High pep rally the night before the Big Game when it was being played in Wellesley, and spoke in front of the opposing student body.
“We demonstrated what a nice relationship we had. Weren’t you taken with one of the Wellesley cheerleaders?’’ Eastman asked Cardinali, who laughed.
Cardinali, however, said the seriousness of the rivalry could be seen at every Needham practice, when DeFazio would place the names and numbers of Wellesley players on the tackling dummies.
It all began when the section of town known as West Needham broke away in 1881 to form Wellesley, said Gloria Greis, executive director of the Needham Historical Society. In November 1882, the Wellesley team’s captain, Arthur Oldam, issued a challenge to continue the East Needham-West Needham game as an intertown match, she said.
“They all knew each other; it was easy to make the challenge,’’ said Wright. “And the original games were mad chaos . . . it was more like rugby. They played with ringers, their older brothers who had graduated, and Wellesley even claimed once Needham was using [someone’s] father.’’
The Needham football team didn’t become official until 1904, when the high school introduced rules of academic eligibility, said Roy Johan, a current assistant coach at Needham. The name back then was the Needham Athletic Association.
The reason behind the shift from Hilltoppers to Rockets is a bit uncertain.
Johan said the nickname was changed in 1954 to recognize the military’s new Nike missile site in town. Eastman, however, said a father of one of his hockey teammates dubbed Needham’s hockey players as “Rockets’’ in 1951, and then the name was adopted by the other teams three years later.
The nickname wasn’t the only change the team has seen: Equipment has evolved, the team’s games moved from Greene’s Field to Memorial Park, and the players have gotten bigger, said Cardinali.
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the strength of the football program’s involvement with the community, said Ralph Toran, who played from 1958 to 1960. Toran, whose wife is a former Needham cheerleader, remembers watching the older players and looking forward to his turn on the field.
“Three-quarters of these guys still live in Needham, and they continue to give their time and effort to building the community,’’ said Toran, 67. “And in these hard times, young folks pushed to get appropriations and raise money for the turf field, and that tradition is continued.’’
Garlick wins in 13th Norfolk House District
Published by The Boston Globe
Democrat Denise Garlick beat out Republican John O’Leary for state
representative in the 13th Norfolk district, which covers Needham,
Dover and Medfield.
Garlick will replace Democrat Lida Harkins, who is leaving the seat
after 22 years.
Garlick received 10,642 total votes to O’Leary's 8,589 votes, according to unofficial results.
“I believe the voters trusted me,” said Garlick. “I feel like these
are most serious challenging times we’ve faced as a Commonwealth in
several generations, and there’s important work to be done.”
O'Leary conceded around 8:45 p.m., less than an hour after the polls closed.
“I commend Denise Garlick and I wish her the best representing the
towns of Needham, Dover and Medfield, and thanks to all who supported
my candidacy,” he said.
According to the results provided by Garlick's campaign, Garlick won every precinct in Needham with 8,271 votes while O’Leary received 5,433 votes.
In, Medfield Garlick won precinct 1 but lost precinct 2. She took a total of 1,367 votes in Medfield. O’Leary picked up 1,435.
Garlick lost in Dover, however, with 1,004 votes. O’Leary received 1,721.
Garlick is a nurse at Wellesley College and a Needham Selectwoman. She
has advocated for protecting local aid and social services, especially
for seniors and education. She has also said she would promote green
technologies as a way to improve the economy and fight climate change.
O’Leary is a researcher at Harvard University who worked for three
state agencies under former Gov. Mitt Romney. He has argued throughout
his campaign that Beacon Hill is inefficient because Democrats enjoy
special interests as an overwhelming majority. He has promised to make
the state more efficient and cut the income tax to 5 percent.
The last time a Republican was elected to the seat was in 1986 when Ellen
M. Canavan of Needham was elected, said Brian McNiff, communications
director for the Secretary of State. She was the state representative
right before Harkins.
Both candidates named creating jobs, improving the economy and
containing healthcare costs as top priorities.
O’Leary voiced support for casinos, provided that the town
where the casino is built welcomes the development, and he is in favor
of charter schools.
Garlick has argued against both, stating that casinos hurt local
business and charter schools drain resources from the public school
system.
Democrat Denise Garlick beat out Republican John O’Leary for state
representative in the 13th Norfolk district, which covers Needham,
Dover and Medfield.
Garlick will replace Democrat Lida Harkins, who is leaving the seat
after 22 years.
Garlick received 10,642 total votes to O’Leary's 8,589 votes, according to unofficial results.
“I believe the voters trusted me,” said Garlick. “I feel like these
are most serious challenging times we’ve faced as a Commonwealth in
several generations, and there’s important work to be done.”
O'Leary conceded around 8:45 p.m., less than an hour after the polls closed.
“I commend Denise Garlick and I wish her the best representing the
towns of Needham, Dover and Medfield, and thanks to all who supported
my candidacy,” he said.
According to the results provided by Garlick's campaign, Garlick won every precinct in Needham with 8,271 votes while O’Leary received 5,433 votes.
In, Medfield Garlick won precinct 1 but lost precinct 2. She took a total of 1,367 votes in Medfield. O’Leary picked up 1,435.
Garlick lost in Dover, however, with 1,004 votes. O’Leary received 1,721.
Garlick is a nurse at Wellesley College and a Needham Selectwoman. She
has advocated for protecting local aid and social services, especially
for seniors and education. She has also said she would promote green
technologies as a way to improve the economy and fight climate change.
O’Leary is a researcher at Harvard University who worked for three
state agencies under former Gov. Mitt Romney. He has argued throughout
his campaign that Beacon Hill is inefficient because Democrats enjoy
special interests as an overwhelming majority. He has promised to make
the state more efficient and cut the income tax to 5 percent.
The last time a Republican was elected to the seat was in 1986 when Ellen
M. Canavan of Needham was elected, said Brian McNiff, communications
director for the Secretary of State. She was the state representative
right before Harkins.
Both candidates named creating jobs, improving the economy and
containing healthcare costs as top priorities.
O’Leary voiced support for casinos, provided that the town
where the casino is built welcomes the development, and he is in favor
of charter schools.
Garlick has argued against both, stating that casinos hurt local
business and charter schools drain resources from the public school
system.
Garlick, O'Leary run for state rep
Published by The Boston Globe
Needham residents Denise Garlick and John O’Leary will be on the ballot for state representative in the 13th Norfolk district, which includes Needham, Dover and parts of Medfield, on Tuesday.
Garlick, a Democrat, is a Needham Selectwoman and a nurse at Wellesley College. O’Leary, Republican, is a researcher at Harvard University and former bureaucrat for former Gov. Mitt Romney.
Democrat Lida Harkins is leaving the seat after 22 years after an unsuccessful bid to replace U.S. Senator Scott Brown, a Republican, as state senator.
Republican Richard Ross, who defeated Harkins, is running for re-election unopposed.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in all three towns. Needham will have polls in three locations. To find your precinct, click here.
Voting in Dover will happen at the Town House in the Great Hall at 5 Springdale Ave.
Medfield polls will be at the Adult Community Center at 1 Ice House Rd.
The general election also includes the gubernatorial race between Democratic incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick, Republican Charles Baker, Independent Timothy Cahill and Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein.
For Attorney General, James McKenna, Republican, will challenge incumbent Martha Coakley, a Democrat.
Stephen Lynch is running as a Democrat for re-election to Congressional Representative for the Ninth District against Republican Vernon Harrison and Philip Dunkelbarger, an Independent.
A Needham resident, Democrat John Coffey, is running for District Attorney in the Norfolk District against Independent Michael Morrissey.
Ballot questions this year will address eliminating the sales tax on alcohol, Question 1, changing the permit process for affordable housing which currently encourages affordable housing in wealthier areas, Question 2, and reducing the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 3 percent, Question 3.
There is also a non-binding fourth question on marijuana regulation.
For more information on the candidates running and ballot questions, visit the Elections Division website at www.sec.state.ma.us.
Needham residents Denise Garlick and John O’Leary will be on the ballot for state representative in the 13th Norfolk district, which includes Needham, Dover and parts of Medfield, on Tuesday.
Garlick, a Democrat, is a Needham Selectwoman and a nurse at Wellesley College. O’Leary, Republican, is a researcher at Harvard University and former bureaucrat for former Gov. Mitt Romney.
Democrat Lida Harkins is leaving the seat after 22 years after an unsuccessful bid to replace U.S. Senator Scott Brown, a Republican, as state senator.
Republican Richard Ross, who defeated Harkins, is running for re-election unopposed.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in all three towns. Needham will have polls in three locations. To find your precinct, click here.
Voting in Dover will happen at the Town House in the Great Hall at 5 Springdale Ave.
Medfield polls will be at the Adult Community Center at 1 Ice House Rd.
The general election also includes the gubernatorial race between Democratic incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick, Republican Charles Baker, Independent Timothy Cahill and Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein.
For Attorney General, James McKenna, Republican, will challenge incumbent Martha Coakley, a Democrat.
Stephen Lynch is running as a Democrat for re-election to Congressional Representative for the Ninth District against Republican Vernon Harrison and Philip Dunkelbarger, an Independent.
A Needham resident, Democrat John Coffey, is running for District Attorney in the Norfolk District against Independent Michael Morrissey.
Ballot questions this year will address eliminating the sales tax on alcohol, Question 1, changing the permit process for affordable housing which currently encourages affordable housing in wealthier areas, Question 2, and reducing the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 3 percent, Question 3.
There is also a non-binding fourth question on marijuana regulation.
For more information on the candidates running and ballot questions, visit the Elections Division website at www.sec.state.ma.us.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Garlick outspends O'Leary in state rep race
Published by The Boston Globe
Democrat Denise Garlick has outspent her Republican opponant John O'Leary in the race to succeed state Rep. Lida Harkins in the 13th Norfolk District, which covers Needham, Dover and parts of Medfield.
According to reports filed Monday with the state, Garlick has spent $22,537 on her general election campaign compared to $14,162 for O'Leary. As of Oct. 15 she had $4,452 left to spend. O'Leary had $12,452.
Garlick started the general elction campaign with with $6,778 leftover from the September primary election. She raised $20,211 in additional funds from the end of August to Oct. 15.
O’Leary had $7,235 on hand after the election and raised an additional $19,380 through September and October.
The state Democratic Party did not provide Garlick with money, but state Republicans offered O'Leary $2,999 in in-kind donations for printing and mailings. He also received a $200 in-kind donation for a database from the Scott Brown for US Senate Committee. Brown, a Republican, won his Senate seat in a stunning upset earlier this year.
O'Leary's total in-kinds, which also include shared space at the Needham Harvest Fair with the Needham Republican Town Committee and $500 worth of GOTV advertising, are worth $4,303.
Garlick had $132 total in-kinds for a Medfield event and primary night supplies.
Garlick’s major expenses include postage, advertisements, printing, and food and beverages for rallies.
Most of O’Leary’s expenditures were for printing, mailing, and party supplies. He also spent $3,275 on a campaign event at the Charles River Country Club and $352 on books from Amazon.
Garlick loaned her campaign $3,000 in the reporting period on top of a $5,000 loan she made to her campaign in March.
O’Leary did not make any loans to himself this time, although he did loan $3,293 to his campaign in August.
O'Leary received $500 from the Massachusetts Republican House PAC and $250 from the National Federation of Independent Business of Massachusetts PAC. He has also received $100 from Republican State Senator Richard Ross.
Other major donations include $500 each from Associated Builders and Contractors; Michael Choe of Private Equity Charlesbank Capital Partners; Peter Brine, a retiree; David Cowles, an insurance broker; attorney Charles Long from Dover; attorney Paul Popeo from Needham; Margaret Royston, an advertising executive, and Ray Stata, chairman of Analog Devices.
Garlick received $500 each from 1199 SEIU MA PAC, the American Federation of Teachers, the Professional Firefighters of Massachuetts People's Committee and the Massachusetts State Labor Council Political Action Committee.
She also received $150 each from the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties People's Committee and Painters District Council #35 PAC and $100 from UFCW Local 1459 People's Committee.
Garlick also received $250 from Harkins and from $250 from Maria McTernan, director of development at the Charles River Center in Needham. She also got $200 each from Teana Gilinson, a registered nurse at Brigham and Women’s and Susan Wright Thomas, a registered nurse at Cambridge Hospital.
Several teachers gave small donations to Garlick, and she received $400 from Stephen McKnight, a Northeastern University professor and $300 from John Burns, a Boston College administrator.
Democrat Denise Garlick has outspent her Republican opponant John O'Leary in the race to succeed state Rep. Lida Harkins in the 13th Norfolk District, which covers Needham, Dover and parts of Medfield.
According to reports filed Monday with the state, Garlick has spent $22,537 on her general election campaign compared to $14,162 for O'Leary. As of Oct. 15 she had $4,452 left to spend. O'Leary had $12,452.
Garlick started the general elction campaign with with $6,778 leftover from the September primary election. She raised $20,211 in additional funds from the end of August to Oct. 15.
O’Leary had $7,235 on hand after the election and raised an additional $19,380 through September and October.
The state Democratic Party did not provide Garlick with money, but state Republicans offered O'Leary $2,999 in in-kind donations for printing and mailings. He also received a $200 in-kind donation for a database from the Scott Brown for US Senate Committee. Brown, a Republican, won his Senate seat in a stunning upset earlier this year.
O'Leary's total in-kinds, which also include shared space at the Needham Harvest Fair with the Needham Republican Town Committee and $500 worth of GOTV advertising, are worth $4,303.
Garlick had $132 total in-kinds for a Medfield event and primary night supplies.
Garlick’s major expenses include postage, advertisements, printing, and food and beverages for rallies.
Most of O’Leary’s expenditures were for printing, mailing, and party supplies. He also spent $3,275 on a campaign event at the Charles River Country Club and $352 on books from Amazon.
Garlick loaned her campaign $3,000 in the reporting period on top of a $5,000 loan she made to her campaign in March.
O’Leary did not make any loans to himself this time, although he did loan $3,293 to his campaign in August.
O'Leary received $500 from the Massachusetts Republican House PAC and $250 from the National Federation of Independent Business of Massachusetts PAC. He has also received $100 from Republican State Senator Richard Ross.
Other major donations include $500 each from Associated Builders and Contractors; Michael Choe of Private Equity Charlesbank Capital Partners; Peter Brine, a retiree; David Cowles, an insurance broker; attorney Charles Long from Dover; attorney Paul Popeo from Needham; Margaret Royston, an advertising executive, and Ray Stata, chairman of Analog Devices.
Garlick received $500 each from 1199 SEIU MA PAC, the American Federation of Teachers, the Professional Firefighters of Massachuetts People's Committee and the Massachusetts State Labor Council Political Action Committee.
She also received $150 each from the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties People's Committee and Painters District Council #35 PAC and $100 from UFCW Local 1459 People's Committee.
Garlick also received $250 from Harkins and from $250 from Maria McTernan, director of development at the Charles River Center in Needham. She also got $200 each from Teana Gilinson, a registered nurse at Brigham and Women’s and Susan Wright Thomas, a registered nurse at Cambridge Hospital.
Several teachers gave small donations to Garlick, and she received $400 from Stephen McKnight, a Northeastern University professor and $300 from John Burns, a Boston College administrator.
State rep candidates debate in Needham for final time
Published by The Boston Globe
Candidates for state representative in the 13th Norfolk District traded charges in heated exchanges last night during the third and final debate in the campaign to replace state Rep. Lida Harkins.
Democrat Denise Garlick fended off accusations from John O’Leary, the Republican candidate, that Garlick enjoys the support of special interests groups. He claims her ties to these groups would prevent meaningful change at the Statehouse.
Garlick, meanwhile, asked O’Leary to explain why he would not support local aid for seniors and other social services and why he denounced hard-working unions.
Both candidates are from Needham and are running to take the place of Harkins, who is leaving the Legislature after 22 years. The election is next Tuesday. The district includes Needham, Dover and parts of Medfield. Harkins was in the audience of about 100 people at the debate, which was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Needham at the Broadmeadow Elementary School in Needham.
In the debate, both candidates agreed that most voters have lost trust public officials and change is necessary to fix the state’s economy.
"The air is full of criticism.” said Garlick, a Needham selectwomen, in her opening statement. She asserted, however, that she will make independent decisions that are best for her constituents.
But O'Leary questioned whether Garlick could act independently. “My opponent Mrs. Garlick is a wonderful person who has done a lot for the town,” said O’Leary in his opening statement. But he said that Garlick, "shares the same philosophy that has governed our state'' in recent years.
O’Leary, a researcher at Harvard University, said he is very concerned about the budget shortfall for next year, and he would take legislators off the pension system, repeal a law that prevents state offices from outsourcing more efficient services and reform the civil service system.
“Unions oppose those reforms, and those organizations endorsed Denise,” said O’Leary. “Unions act in own best interests.”
Garlick, a nurse at Wellesely College, responded that she was proud to have endorsements from teachers and nurses unions, as well as endorsements from nonunion workers.
“I’m working hard to represent people who have no jobs at all,” she said. “You can’t say jobs are important but disparage workers who do that work.”
Two years after the presidential debates made “Joe the plumber” famous, the sparring over unions and government workers by O'Leary and Garliock came down to a nameless unionized janitor. O’Leary said while he was working at a government agency, a janitor had a two-day hearing for a three-day suspension. He called the process “ridiculous.”
Garlick said anyone facing suspension should have a fair hearing, but O’Leary said the union grievances available to the janitor were sufficient and a long hearing was wasteful.
Moving on to healthcare cost containment, both candidates admitted the problem was too complicated for anyone to know the right solution. Garlick, however, said direct care providers had to be part of the conversation. She said she would make sure 90 percent of funds go to direct care if a provider raised rates, and she would protect local hospitals.
O’Leary said he would remove municipal healthcare plans from collective bargaining, make prices transparent and separate insurance from employment.
The candidates were much less in agreement on topics related to education. For example, O’Leary supports charter schools in communities that need them, while Garlick thinks they are a drain on the public school system.
O’Leary expressed concern with the newly adopted national education standards, which he thinks are too low, while Garlick said the national standards were based on those proven successful in Massachusetts.
O’Leary, who is a member of the Needham School Committee, said Needham schools decided to forgo its share of federal education funds because the paperwork was too expensive.
“This is a pattern with federal government,” said O’Leary. “Massachusetts had a pretty good thing going with its [education] reform, and now it’s at risk.”
Garlick said federal education funds would stabilize school budgets and help close the achievement gap.
“I’m shocked we would forgo $40,000 because there was too much paperwork,” said Garlick. “Every dollar counts.”
Before the forum closed, the candidates came back to a discussion on aid and social services. In response to a question asking what the candidates would do for seniors, O’Leary said government is spending and providing more services than it can afford.
“We don’t have the resources to play Santa Claus anymore,” he said. “This isn’t something like, this mean Republican guy doesn’t want to give nice things to people. There’s no money there, people.”
Garlick requested a rebuttal, arguing that social services are funded by tax dollars and citizens decide how to spend that money.
“The money we spend on children in our system on education and human services, individuals with disabilities and seniors are not gifts from Santa Claus,” she said. “We decide where we’re going to cut.”
Candidates for state representative in the 13th Norfolk District traded charges in heated exchanges last night during the third and final debate in the campaign to replace state Rep. Lida Harkins.
Democrat Denise Garlick fended off accusations from John O’Leary, the Republican candidate, that Garlick enjoys the support of special interests groups. He claims her ties to these groups would prevent meaningful change at the Statehouse.
Garlick, meanwhile, asked O’Leary to explain why he would not support local aid for seniors and other social services and why he denounced hard-working unions.
Both candidates are from Needham and are running to take the place of Harkins, who is leaving the Legislature after 22 years. The election is next Tuesday. The district includes Needham, Dover and parts of Medfield. Harkins was in the audience of about 100 people at the debate, which was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Needham at the Broadmeadow Elementary School in Needham.
In the debate, both candidates agreed that most voters have lost trust public officials and change is necessary to fix the state’s economy.
"The air is full of criticism.” said Garlick, a Needham selectwomen, in her opening statement. She asserted, however, that she will make independent decisions that are best for her constituents.
But O'Leary questioned whether Garlick could act independently. “My opponent Mrs. Garlick is a wonderful person who has done a lot for the town,” said O’Leary in his opening statement. But he said that Garlick, "shares the same philosophy that has governed our state'' in recent years.
O’Leary, a researcher at Harvard University, said he is very concerned about the budget shortfall for next year, and he would take legislators off the pension system, repeal a law that prevents state offices from outsourcing more efficient services and reform the civil service system.
“Unions oppose those reforms, and those organizations endorsed Denise,” said O’Leary. “Unions act in own best interests.”
Garlick, a nurse at Wellesely College, responded that she was proud to have endorsements from teachers and nurses unions, as well as endorsements from nonunion workers.
“I’m working hard to represent people who have no jobs at all,” she said. “You can’t say jobs are important but disparage workers who do that work.”
Two years after the presidential debates made “Joe the plumber” famous, the sparring over unions and government workers by O'Leary and Garliock came down to a nameless unionized janitor. O’Leary said while he was working at a government agency, a janitor had a two-day hearing for a three-day suspension. He called the process “ridiculous.”
Garlick said anyone facing suspension should have a fair hearing, but O’Leary said the union grievances available to the janitor were sufficient and a long hearing was wasteful.
Moving on to healthcare cost containment, both candidates admitted the problem was too complicated for anyone to know the right solution. Garlick, however, said direct care providers had to be part of the conversation. She said she would make sure 90 percent of funds go to direct care if a provider raised rates, and she would protect local hospitals.
O’Leary said he would remove municipal healthcare plans from collective bargaining, make prices transparent and separate insurance from employment.
The candidates were much less in agreement on topics related to education. For example, O’Leary supports charter schools in communities that need them, while Garlick thinks they are a drain on the public school system.
O’Leary expressed concern with the newly adopted national education standards, which he thinks are too low, while Garlick said the national standards were based on those proven successful in Massachusetts.
O’Leary, who is a member of the Needham School Committee, said Needham schools decided to forgo its share of federal education funds because the paperwork was too expensive.
“This is a pattern with federal government,” said O’Leary. “Massachusetts had a pretty good thing going with its [education] reform, and now it’s at risk.”
Garlick said federal education funds would stabilize school budgets and help close the achievement gap.
“I’m shocked we would forgo $40,000 because there was too much paperwork,” said Garlick. “Every dollar counts.”
Before the forum closed, the candidates came back to a discussion on aid and social services. In response to a question asking what the candidates would do for seniors, O’Leary said government is spending and providing more services than it can afford.
“We don’t have the resources to play Santa Claus anymore,” he said. “This isn’t something like, this mean Republican guy doesn’t want to give nice things to people. There’s no money there, people.”
Garlick requested a rebuttal, arguing that social services are funded by tax dollars and citizens decide how to spend that money.
“The money we spend on children in our system on education and human services, individuals with disabilities and seniors are not gifts from Santa Claus,” she said. “We decide where we’re going to cut.”
O'Leary, Garlick debate issues, records in run for State House
Published by The Boston Globe
Candidates for state representative Denise Garlick and John O’Leary squared off Thursday night in the first of three debates in the race for the 13th Norfolk seat, which represents Needham, Dover and Medfield.
O’Leary, a Republican who held several posts during Mitt Romney’s administration, and Garlick, a Democrat who serves on Needham’s Board of Selectmen, met at the the Dover Town House for a forum with panelists from YourTown Needham, the Community Newspaper Company, and Needham Patch.
In their opening and closing statements, the candidates reemphasized their commitment to improving the state’s economy, creating jobs and improving education. O’Leary, a researcher at Harvard University, promised to correct what he called corruption and inefficiency in the State House. Garlick, a nurse at Wellesley College, pledged to maintain local aid.
When asked about closing the achievement gap in Massachusetts schools, O’Leary proposed charter schools as a solution. He did not talk about charter schools in the primary race against Joshua Levy.
“A holistic approach to education is helpful, but I’d recommend in a lot of places that the parents are the first line of defense,” said O’Leary. “Challenges in schools come from problems in the home.”
Garlick praised the recent switch to national core education standards in Massachusetts and the receipt of federal funds, saying the aid would help train teachers and alleviate strain on school budgets.
Garlick also said affordable housing is necessary for closing the achievement gap, and would not support ballot Question 2, which would repeal the state’s affordable housing law known as Chapter 40B.
“It’s a very powerful tool to use to increase diversity,” said Garlick. “It’s a strength for all communities.”
Chapter 40B gives extra muscle to developers trying to build housing in towns where less than 10 percent of the housing stock is considered affordable. It allows builders to bypass many local zoning rules and boards in a streamlined approval process.
O’Leary agreed that Chapter 40B should remain, but only because there would be no more efficient law to replace it that would encourage affordable housing. He said the law is flawed because the limits on developers’ profits are not enforced.
Both candidates said they supported the recent legislation that requires public schools in Massachusetts to create anti-bullying policies, citing work in Needham schools to craft an anti-bullying plan as important.
Asked about handling adversity on Beacon Hill, O’Leary said he had the courage to vote as a member of the Needham School Committee against an override that included funds for the construction of the High Rock Middle School, a difficult decision given the priority Needham families give to their schools.
Garlick pointed out that O’Leary abstained from the override vote rather than voting no, but O’Leary said that abstaining sent a strong message of disagreement with unnecessary spending.
O’Leary also asserted that Garlick voted against a referendum allowing towns to change healthcare plans because of special interests.
“The Statehouse is 90 percent Democratic,” said O’Leary. “They enjoy their support.”
Garlick said the referendum included other parts she did not agree with, and she worked to compromise on a rate-saving healthcare plan.
“For all present and future needs, I will stand up to make those changes,” said Garlick. “You have to find people who will work with you.”
Both candidates agreed that healthcare costs in Massachusetts need containment. Garlick said she would look at waste in the system and make sure payments go directly to care and not to insurance companies.
O’Leary said Massachusetts will need to make costs transparent, reform tort laws, and break the link between healthcare and employment.
Both candidates opposed ballot Questions 1 and 3, which would eliminate the tax on alcohol and decrease the sales tax from 6 percent to 3 percent. O’Leary said he would rather focus on cutting income taxes to 5 percent to boost the economy, and both candidates agreed the state would lose vital revenue streams if those taxes were repealed or decreased.
“To lower the sales tax to 3 percent is too far to go given the economic realities and budget challenge,” he said.
Asked about improving public transportation, O’Leary suggested a tax on gasoline as an incentive for people to use public transit, drive less, and use more efficient cars. O’Leary said he did not support building more transportation infrastructure or promoting clean energy and other sustainable technologies because he does not believe the state can afford such projects and should not focus on addressing climate change.
Garlick, however, said that constant commuter rail delays underline the need for revenue, especially for the MBTA. She also said that green technologies are a good way to create jobs in Massachusetts and are necessary to address climate change.
“There’s a great synergy between concerns for climate change and what Massachusetts is trying to do in terms of jobs and economic development,” said Garlick. “It can only help us to heal the planet.”
The candidates will debate again today at 1 p.m. at the Needham Senior Center at 83 Pickering St. They will also meet at a forum sponsored by the Women’s League of Voters of Needham on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Broadmeadow School, 120 Broad Meadow Rd. in Needham.
Candidates for state representative Denise Garlick and John O’Leary squared off Thursday night in the first of three debates in the race for the 13th Norfolk seat, which represents Needham, Dover and Medfield.
O’Leary, a Republican who held several posts during Mitt Romney’s administration, and Garlick, a Democrat who serves on Needham’s Board of Selectmen, met at the the Dover Town House for a forum with panelists from YourTown Needham, the Community Newspaper Company, and Needham Patch.
In their opening and closing statements, the candidates reemphasized their commitment to improving the state’s economy, creating jobs and improving education. O’Leary, a researcher at Harvard University, promised to correct what he called corruption and inefficiency in the State House. Garlick, a nurse at Wellesley College, pledged to maintain local aid.
When asked about closing the achievement gap in Massachusetts schools, O’Leary proposed charter schools as a solution. He did not talk about charter schools in the primary race against Joshua Levy.
“A holistic approach to education is helpful, but I’d recommend in a lot of places that the parents are the first line of defense,” said O’Leary. “Challenges in schools come from problems in the home.”
Garlick praised the recent switch to national core education standards in Massachusetts and the receipt of federal funds, saying the aid would help train teachers and alleviate strain on school budgets.
Garlick also said affordable housing is necessary for closing the achievement gap, and would not support ballot Question 2, which would repeal the state’s affordable housing law known as Chapter 40B.
“It’s a very powerful tool to use to increase diversity,” said Garlick. “It’s a strength for all communities.”
Chapter 40B gives extra muscle to developers trying to build housing in towns where less than 10 percent of the housing stock is considered affordable. It allows builders to bypass many local zoning rules and boards in a streamlined approval process.
O’Leary agreed that Chapter 40B should remain, but only because there would be no more efficient law to replace it that would encourage affordable housing. He said the law is flawed because the limits on developers’ profits are not enforced.
Both candidates said they supported the recent legislation that requires public schools in Massachusetts to create anti-bullying policies, citing work in Needham schools to craft an anti-bullying plan as important.
Asked about handling adversity on Beacon Hill, O’Leary said he had the courage to vote as a member of the Needham School Committee against an override that included funds for the construction of the High Rock Middle School, a difficult decision given the priority Needham families give to their schools.
Garlick pointed out that O’Leary abstained from the override vote rather than voting no, but O’Leary said that abstaining sent a strong message of disagreement with unnecessary spending.
O’Leary also asserted that Garlick voted against a referendum allowing towns to change healthcare plans because of special interests.
“The Statehouse is 90 percent Democratic,” said O’Leary. “They enjoy their support.”
Garlick said the referendum included other parts she did not agree with, and she worked to compromise on a rate-saving healthcare plan.
“For all present and future needs, I will stand up to make those changes,” said Garlick. “You have to find people who will work with you.”
Both candidates agreed that healthcare costs in Massachusetts need containment. Garlick said she would look at waste in the system and make sure payments go directly to care and not to insurance companies.
O’Leary said Massachusetts will need to make costs transparent, reform tort laws, and break the link between healthcare and employment.
Both candidates opposed ballot Questions 1 and 3, which would eliminate the tax on alcohol and decrease the sales tax from 6 percent to 3 percent. O’Leary said he would rather focus on cutting income taxes to 5 percent to boost the economy, and both candidates agreed the state would lose vital revenue streams if those taxes were repealed or decreased.
“To lower the sales tax to 3 percent is too far to go given the economic realities and budget challenge,” he said.
Asked about improving public transportation, O’Leary suggested a tax on gasoline as an incentive for people to use public transit, drive less, and use more efficient cars. O’Leary said he did not support building more transportation infrastructure or promoting clean energy and other sustainable technologies because he does not believe the state can afford such projects and should not focus on addressing climate change.
Garlick, however, said that constant commuter rail delays underline the need for revenue, especially for the MBTA. She also said that green technologies are a good way to create jobs in Massachusetts and are necessary to address climate change.
“There’s a great synergy between concerns for climate change and what Massachusetts is trying to do in terms of jobs and economic development,” said Garlick. “It can only help us to heal the planet.”
The candidates will debate again today at 1 p.m. at the Needham Senior Center at 83 Pickering St. They will also meet at a forum sponsored by the Women’s League of Voters of Needham on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Broadmeadow School, 120 Broad Meadow Rd. in Needham.
Monday, October 18, 2010
State House candidates debate Thursday
Published by The Boston Globe
As the campaign to replace longtime state Rep. Lida Harkins in the 13th Norfolk District enters its final weeks, the candidates will square off in three debates - one in Dover and two in Needham.
Democrat Denise Garlick and Republican John O’Leary will debate on Oct. 21 at the Dover Town House. The session will begin at 7:30 p.m. and last one hour. Former Dover selectman David Heinlein will moderate and media representatives from Boston.com/needham, Needham patch, and the Community Newspaper Company will form the panel that will question the candidates.
The debate is being sponsored by the Dover Republican and Democratic Town Committees and the Dover Board of Library Trustees.
The candidates will also debate at the Broadmeadow School at 120 Broad Meadow Rd. in Needham on Oct. 25 in a forum hosted by the Needham League of Women’s Voters. The session starts at 7 p.m. The Needham Council on Aging will also host a forum at the Senior Center at 83 Pickering St. on Oct. 22 at 1 p.m.
The candidates are competing in the Nov. 2 election to fill the post occupied for 22 years by Harkins, who is stepping down this year.
Both parties predict victory.
Democrats believe they can win again in the district, which covers Needham, Dover and part of Medfield.
“When someone like Lida makes the decision to move on, it creates a hole,” said John Walsh, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. “Denise brings a unique combination of experience, a pattern of very hard work for the things she cares about and a level of political courage.”
Republicans hope to ride a wave of anti-incumbent feeling this year to gain a spot in a state Legislature that is overhwelmingly Democratic.
“There’s definitely an appetite for some new leadership,” Jennifer Nassour, chairman for Massachusetts Republican Party,. “O’Leary is an amazing person … a great man who’s working really hard, is incredibly smart and would be a great asset to the legislature.”
O’Leary, 48, has been endorsed by U.S. Senator Scott Brown, whose upset victory earlier this year has turned him into a national polictical celebrity.
O’Leary, a Harvard University researcher, has campaigned on the promise of improving government efficiency and creating jobs by cutting taxes and streamlining regulation. He is emphasizing his experience in local and state government—he has worked at three different state agencies under former Governor Mitt Romney and has served on the Needham School Committee for the past three and a half years.
He recently wrote If We Can Put a Man on the Moon: Getting Big Things Done in Government, which analyzes how business management concepts could help improve the success of government projects. He has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business.
O’Leary said his first priority is improving the business climate in Massachusetts. He also pledged to cut waste on Beacon Hill, address the growing state debt and reduce the state income tax to 5 percent.
Garlick, 56, a nurse at Wellesley College and a Needham selectwoman, has emphasized containing health care costs and maintaining funding for education and social services. She has said she would create jobs through better business infrastructure, streamlining regulation and creating incentives. She has been endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts and the Sierra Club.
Garlick is finishing her first two-year term as a selectwoman and recently completed her job as a co-chair of the Senior Center Exploratory Committee by recommending new senior center locations to selectmen. She has served for the Government Affairs Council and was the president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, whose endorsement she has received. She has also been endorsed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
Garlick said, if elected, one of her first acts as state representative would be to streamline healthcare forms, suggesting a common application similar to the Common Application for colleges. She said voters don’t want a “career politician” but someone who understands their concerns.
Needham Selectman Dan Matthews, who is managing Garlick’s campaign, said Garlick has been campaigning door-to-door and meeting with residents. She is holding a rally Sunday at the Needham VFW Post 2498 at 20 Junction St. at 6 p.m.
Garlick has also been attending public events, distributing literature, sending out mailings, posting lawn signs and making phone calls, said Matthews.
Charles Chieppo, a spokesman for O’Leary’s campaign, said O’Leary has visited residents door-to-door and met with small groups of voters over coffee. The campaign plans to send out mail and make phone calls closer to Election Day, he said.
The next round of campaign finance reports is not due until Oct. 25, but at the end of the pre-primary report period ending Aug. 27, Garlick spent $26,032, leaving her with about $6,159, according to state campaign finance records.
At the time of filing his report, O’Leary had spent $9,180, leaving him with about $6,878.
As the campaign to replace longtime state Rep. Lida Harkins in the 13th Norfolk District enters its final weeks, the candidates will square off in three debates - one in Dover and two in Needham.
Democrat Denise Garlick and Republican John O’Leary will debate on Oct. 21 at the Dover Town House. The session will begin at 7:30 p.m. and last one hour. Former Dover selectman David Heinlein will moderate and media representatives from Boston.com/needham, Needham patch, and the Community Newspaper Company will form the panel that will question the candidates.
The debate is being sponsored by the Dover Republican and Democratic Town Committees and the Dover Board of Library Trustees.
The candidates will also debate at the Broadmeadow School at 120 Broad Meadow Rd. in Needham on Oct. 25 in a forum hosted by the Needham League of Women’s Voters. The session starts at 7 p.m. The Needham Council on Aging will also host a forum at the Senior Center at 83 Pickering St. on Oct. 22 at 1 p.m.
The candidates are competing in the Nov. 2 election to fill the post occupied for 22 years by Harkins, who is stepping down this year.
Both parties predict victory.
Democrats believe they can win again in the district, which covers Needham, Dover and part of Medfield.
“When someone like Lida makes the decision to move on, it creates a hole,” said John Walsh, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. “Denise brings a unique combination of experience, a pattern of very hard work for the things she cares about and a level of political courage.”
Republicans hope to ride a wave of anti-incumbent feeling this year to gain a spot in a state Legislature that is overhwelmingly Democratic.
“There’s definitely an appetite for some new leadership,” Jennifer Nassour, chairman for Massachusetts Republican Party,. “O’Leary is an amazing person … a great man who’s working really hard, is incredibly smart and would be a great asset to the legislature.”
O’Leary, 48, has been endorsed by U.S. Senator Scott Brown, whose upset victory earlier this year has turned him into a national polictical celebrity.
O’Leary, a Harvard University researcher, has campaigned on the promise of improving government efficiency and creating jobs by cutting taxes and streamlining regulation. He is emphasizing his experience in local and state government—he has worked at three different state agencies under former Governor Mitt Romney and has served on the Needham School Committee for the past three and a half years.
He recently wrote If We Can Put a Man on the Moon: Getting Big Things Done in Government, which analyzes how business management concepts could help improve the success of government projects. He has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business.
O’Leary said his first priority is improving the business climate in Massachusetts. He also pledged to cut waste on Beacon Hill, address the growing state debt and reduce the state income tax to 5 percent.
Garlick, 56, a nurse at Wellesley College and a Needham selectwoman, has emphasized containing health care costs and maintaining funding for education and social services. She has said she would create jobs through better business infrastructure, streamlining regulation and creating incentives. She has been endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts and the Sierra Club.
Garlick is finishing her first two-year term as a selectwoman and recently completed her job as a co-chair of the Senior Center Exploratory Committee by recommending new senior center locations to selectmen. She has served for the Government Affairs Council and was the president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, whose endorsement she has received. She has also been endorsed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
Garlick said, if elected, one of her first acts as state representative would be to streamline healthcare forms, suggesting a common application similar to the Common Application for colleges. She said voters don’t want a “career politician” but someone who understands their concerns.
Needham Selectman Dan Matthews, who is managing Garlick’s campaign, said Garlick has been campaigning door-to-door and meeting with residents. She is holding a rally Sunday at the Needham VFW Post 2498 at 20 Junction St. at 6 p.m.
Garlick has also been attending public events, distributing literature, sending out mailings, posting lawn signs and making phone calls, said Matthews.
Charles Chieppo, a spokesman for O’Leary’s campaign, said O’Leary has visited residents door-to-door and met with small groups of voters over coffee. The campaign plans to send out mail and make phone calls closer to Election Day, he said.
The next round of campaign finance reports is not due until Oct. 25, but at the end of the pre-primary report period ending Aug. 27, Garlick spent $26,032, leaving her with about $6,159, according to state campaign finance records.
At the time of filing his report, O’Leary had spent $9,180, leaving him with about $6,878.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Selectmen choose MBTA lot for senior center
Published by The Boston Globe
Needham selectmen voted Tuesday night to locate the new senior center at the MBTA Needham Heights parking lot on West Street despite several comments from seniors denouncing recommendations to put the center there.
About 45 people came to the selectmen’s meeting to hear their decision, and a few seniors used the public comment period before the meeting to request the center be located on Greene’s Field on Pickering Street.
The Senior Center Exploratory Committee, which the selectmen charged with the task of choosing a location, recommended three locations last month with the MBTA lot as its top choice. Greene’s Field, the committee’s second choice, has caused controversy throughout the town because some people don’t want lose open space at the downtown site, which includes a baseball field and a playground.
“How the seniors are thinking and feeling is not pleasant,” said Jim Hunter, a senior who was at the meeting. “Thousands of taxpaying seniors are not being treated with the respect they deserve.”
The third recommendation, Ridge Hill on Charles Street, was not discussed.
The seniors pointed out that the center would only use a third of Greene’s Field, with room left for the playground to remain. The seniors said a center there could offer outdoor activities, would be close to many area businesses and would promote intergenerational activities between toddlers on the playground and their grandparents at the center.
Susanne Hughes, chairman of the Council on Aging which runs the current Senior Center at 83 Pickering St., said the council supports the recommendations of the exploratory committee. She also said they recommend a size of 20,000 sq. ft.
Selectmen expressed doubt that a center located at Greene’s Field would pass Special Town Meeting Nov. 8. They voted unanimously to propose a warrant article at Town Meeting to appropriate funds for a further feasibility study on the MBTA site and to prepare designs.
They will also propose an article to swap the town-owned Hersey lot on the corner of Great Plain Avenue and Broad Meadow Road for the MBTA-owned Heights lot.
Selectmen said using the MBTA lot would create the least amount controversy of the sites, though not everyone in the town would be satisfied with the decision.
“There isn’t a magic site that pleases everyone,” said John Bulian, chairman of the Selectmen. “The goal of the town is to move forward and build the senior center.”
Selectman Denise Garlick, a co-chair of the exploratory committee, said the MBTA lot recommendation addressed many of the seniors’ main concerns. The seniors wanted a site located downtown, accessible from main roads and on a flat surface—all requirements which the MBTA lot fulfills.
“Your voices have not been ignored,” said Garlick, who is also running for state representative on Nov. 2. “We stayed true to the principles you wanted. We have a Board of Selectmen clear about our desire to make this happen.”
The Finance Committee will begin discussing the cost and financing of the project at their meeting tonight, she said.
Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick provided a preliminary estimate of costs and finance options at the meeting. At 20,000 square feet, the size most people involved in the issue have advocated, the center would cost about $7.9 million. At 18,000 square feet., a center would cost $7.4 million and at 16,000 square feet. the project would cost around $7 million.
The town can afford $5 million without a vote on a tax increase and the remaining balance could be financed through fundraising, reallocation of prior warrant articles, rearranging capital for fiscal year 2012 and grants, said Fitzpatrick. The project cost also might be lower than expected, she said.
Whether to use a property tax increase is another necessary decision in the financing of the project, she said.
“I don’t think I’ve seen an issue debated more hotly [in Needham],” said Selectman Jerry Wasserman. “A segment of the community isn’t happy, but we have to get this through. We’re going to make this work.”
Needham selectmen voted Tuesday night to locate the new senior center at the MBTA Needham Heights parking lot on West Street despite several comments from seniors denouncing recommendations to put the center there.
About 45 people came to the selectmen’s meeting to hear their decision, and a few seniors used the public comment period before the meeting to request the center be located on Greene’s Field on Pickering Street.
The Senior Center Exploratory Committee, which the selectmen charged with the task of choosing a location, recommended three locations last month with the MBTA lot as its top choice. Greene’s Field, the committee’s second choice, has caused controversy throughout the town because some people don’t want lose open space at the downtown site, which includes a baseball field and a playground.
“How the seniors are thinking and feeling is not pleasant,” said Jim Hunter, a senior who was at the meeting. “Thousands of taxpaying seniors are not being treated with the respect they deserve.”
The third recommendation, Ridge Hill on Charles Street, was not discussed.
The seniors pointed out that the center would only use a third of Greene’s Field, with room left for the playground to remain. The seniors said a center there could offer outdoor activities, would be close to many area businesses and would promote intergenerational activities between toddlers on the playground and their grandparents at the center.
Susanne Hughes, chairman of the Council on Aging which runs the current Senior Center at 83 Pickering St., said the council supports the recommendations of the exploratory committee. She also said they recommend a size of 20,000 sq. ft.
Selectmen expressed doubt that a center located at Greene’s Field would pass Special Town Meeting Nov. 8. They voted unanimously to propose a warrant article at Town Meeting to appropriate funds for a further feasibility study on the MBTA site and to prepare designs.
They will also propose an article to swap the town-owned Hersey lot on the corner of Great Plain Avenue and Broad Meadow Road for the MBTA-owned Heights lot.
Selectmen said using the MBTA lot would create the least amount controversy of the sites, though not everyone in the town would be satisfied with the decision.
“There isn’t a magic site that pleases everyone,” said John Bulian, chairman of the Selectmen. “The goal of the town is to move forward and build the senior center.”
Selectman Denise Garlick, a co-chair of the exploratory committee, said the MBTA lot recommendation addressed many of the seniors’ main concerns. The seniors wanted a site located downtown, accessible from main roads and on a flat surface—all requirements which the MBTA lot fulfills.
“Your voices have not been ignored,” said Garlick, who is also running for state representative on Nov. 2. “We stayed true to the principles you wanted. We have a Board of Selectmen clear about our desire to make this happen.”
The Finance Committee will begin discussing the cost and financing of the project at their meeting tonight, she said.
Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick provided a preliminary estimate of costs and finance options at the meeting. At 20,000 square feet, the size most people involved in the issue have advocated, the center would cost about $7.9 million. At 18,000 square feet., a center would cost $7.4 million and at 16,000 square feet. the project would cost around $7 million.
The town can afford $5 million without a vote on a tax increase and the remaining balance could be financed through fundraising, reallocation of prior warrant articles, rearranging capital for fiscal year 2012 and grants, said Fitzpatrick. The project cost also might be lower than expected, she said.
Whether to use a property tax increase is another necessary decision in the financing of the project, she said.
“I don’t think I’ve seen an issue debated more hotly [in Needham],” said Selectman Jerry Wasserman. “A segment of the community isn’t happy, but we have to get this through. We’re going to make this work.”
Friday, October 8, 2010
Needham schools receive EPA grant
Published by The Boston Globe
The Environmental Protection Agency announced today an Environmental Education Grant award to the Needham Public Schools of $44,510, according to a press release.
The grant will be used over two years to fund a program called the Eco-Explorers, which will bring fourth and fifth graders into outdoors spaces in the elementary school neighborhoods to learn about sustainability. Some of the sites will include a farm, a nature trail, school gardens and a courtyard learning center.
“We tend to be a society that’s indoors,” said Mary Rizzuto, director of the science center who is leading the program. “Having the environment be a part of a child’s learning from the very beginning and embedding it in all the things they do is really powerful for us as citizens.”
The Eco-Explorers program has established an Environmental Education Leadership Team, which met last month at the community garden at the Newman Elementary School, said Rizzuto. The team includes the Needham Science Center, teachers and volunteers from the community.
The program aims to train a core group of teachers who will then educate the rest of the school staff about incorporating environmental lessons into their curriculums, making the program self-sustainable, said Rizzuto.
The EPA has awarded seven grants worth $190,000 in total for environmental education throughout New England, according to the release.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced today an Environmental Education Grant award to the Needham Public Schools of $44,510, according to a press release.
The grant will be used over two years to fund a program called the Eco-Explorers, which will bring fourth and fifth graders into outdoors spaces in the elementary school neighborhoods to learn about sustainability. Some of the sites will include a farm, a nature trail, school gardens and a courtyard learning center.
“We tend to be a society that’s indoors,” said Mary Rizzuto, director of the science center who is leading the program. “Having the environment be a part of a child’s learning from the very beginning and embedding it in all the things they do is really powerful for us as citizens.”
The Eco-Explorers program has established an Environmental Education Leadership Team, which met last month at the community garden at the Newman Elementary School, said Rizzuto. The team includes the Needham Science Center, teachers and volunteers from the community.
The program aims to train a core group of teachers who will then educate the rest of the school staff about incorporating environmental lessons into their curriculums, making the program self-sustainable, said Rizzuto.
The EPA has awarded seven grants worth $190,000 in total for environmental education throughout New England, according to the release.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Senior Center committee ranks sites
Published by The Boston Globe
The Needham Senior Center Exploratory Committee decided after a heated discussion last night to recommend three of the five sites they have considered for a new Needham senior center location—the Needham Heights MBTA Lot on West Street, Greene’s Field on Pickering Street and Ridge Hill on Charles Street.
The committee voted to rank the three sites, with the MBTA lot as their first choice and Ridge Hill as their last choice. Rosemary Hill on Rosemary Street and Emery Grover on Highland Avenue were eliminated.
“Cost is an issue [with Rosemary Hill]. We have to build something we can afford,” said committee member Matthew Borelli. “Greene’s and the Heights give flexibility for future expansion; we can build upon them, and we can’t build on Emery Grover.”
The committee also voted to recommend a size for the new center as close to 20,000 square feet as possible, voicing concerns that funds may not allow for a center that large. Members of the Council on Aging, who run the current senior center on Pickering Street, have specified that 20,000 square feet would fit the programmatic needs of the center.
Finally, the committee included in their letter to the Board of Selectmen a request to construct the new senior center, if possible, without an property tax increase.
The committee will present their recommendations to the Board of Selectmen at the selectmen’s meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at 500 Dedham Ave. The Board is expected to vote on the recommendations on Oct. 12.
Needham has a borrowing capacity of about $5 million for the new center, said Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick. If the project costs any more than what the town can afford, the rest of the costs could be covered by reallocating town funds, changing the size of the project or fundraising, she said.
Jim Healy, committee co-chair, said all the sites the committee had been examining, except for Rosemary Hill, could be funded without a tax increase. Ridge Hill and Emery Grover could receive additional funds from the Community Preservation Act.
About 70 people attended the Exploratory Committee meeting at the senior center last night to watch the 11 members deliberate. Selectman Mo Handel argued for recommending all five sties and ranking them in order of preference, but he was overruled by most of the rest of the committee.
The committee recognized that the selectmen could possibly disregard their recommendations and choose a site they have eliminated, but several members expressed confidence that the selectmen will respect their two years of work.
“It makes a strong statement if we say some sites are not suitable,” said Mary Elizabeth Weadock, who is also a member of the Council on Aging.
Marianne Cooley voiced concern with eliminating sites because the remaining three include one that was very recently included—the MBTA lot—and one that has caused controversy. The consideration of Greene’s Field has brought opposition from some who say building on the field would take away needed open space in the town.
“My goal is to end up with a site we can build senior center on, not a site that’s going to divide the town,” Cooley said.
Healy, however, said the committee must choose sites they feel are in the town’s best interest without considering politics.
“I don’t think you should change what you in your heart believe is right just because you think end result is going to be more difficult,” he said.
The committee took two votes, first ranking the three choices in order of preference, then ranking the top two from the first vote. Healy said the method of voting would eliminate a minority winner.
In the first round of votes, the MBTA lot received 29 votes, Greene’s Field received 22 and Ridge Hill received 15.
In the second round, the MBTA lot received 20 votes, and Greene’s Field received 13.
The Needham Senior Center Exploratory Committee decided after a heated discussion last night to recommend three of the five sites they have considered for a new Needham senior center location—the Needham Heights MBTA Lot on West Street, Greene’s Field on Pickering Street and Ridge Hill on Charles Street.
The committee voted to rank the three sites, with the MBTA lot as their first choice and Ridge Hill as their last choice. Rosemary Hill on Rosemary Street and Emery Grover on Highland Avenue were eliminated.
“Cost is an issue [with Rosemary Hill]. We have to build something we can afford,” said committee member Matthew Borelli. “Greene’s and the Heights give flexibility for future expansion; we can build upon them, and we can’t build on Emery Grover.”
The committee also voted to recommend a size for the new center as close to 20,000 square feet as possible, voicing concerns that funds may not allow for a center that large. Members of the Council on Aging, who run the current senior center on Pickering Street, have specified that 20,000 square feet would fit the programmatic needs of the center.
Finally, the committee included in their letter to the Board of Selectmen a request to construct the new senior center, if possible, without an property tax increase.
The committee will present their recommendations to the Board of Selectmen at the selectmen’s meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at 500 Dedham Ave. The Board is expected to vote on the recommendations on Oct. 12.
Needham has a borrowing capacity of about $5 million for the new center, said Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick. If the project costs any more than what the town can afford, the rest of the costs could be covered by reallocating town funds, changing the size of the project or fundraising, she said.
Jim Healy, committee co-chair, said all the sites the committee had been examining, except for Rosemary Hill, could be funded without a tax increase. Ridge Hill and Emery Grover could receive additional funds from the Community Preservation Act.
About 70 people attended the Exploratory Committee meeting at the senior center last night to watch the 11 members deliberate. Selectman Mo Handel argued for recommending all five sties and ranking them in order of preference, but he was overruled by most of the rest of the committee.
The committee recognized that the selectmen could possibly disregard their recommendations and choose a site they have eliminated, but several members expressed confidence that the selectmen will respect their two years of work.
“It makes a strong statement if we say some sites are not suitable,” said Mary Elizabeth Weadock, who is also a member of the Council on Aging.
Marianne Cooley voiced concern with eliminating sites because the remaining three include one that was very recently included—the MBTA lot—and one that has caused controversy. The consideration of Greene’s Field has brought opposition from some who say building on the field would take away needed open space in the town.
“My goal is to end up with a site we can build senior center on, not a site that’s going to divide the town,” Cooley said.
Healy, however, said the committee must choose sites they feel are in the town’s best interest without considering politics.
“I don’t think you should change what you in your heart believe is right just because you think end result is going to be more difficult,” he said.
The committee took two votes, first ranking the three choices in order of preference, then ranking the top two from the first vote. Healy said the method of voting would eliminate a minority winner.
In the first round of votes, the MBTA lot received 29 votes, Greene’s Field received 22 and Ridge Hill received 15.
In the second round, the MBTA lot received 20 votes, and Greene’s Field received 13.
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