Legislature’s Unfair Earmarks

Posted on July 29, 2024 | 1 comment

The legislature’s earmarks process of doling out state monies in the annual state budget to good projects in each municipality is manifestly unfair and shortchanges most, yet it persists because our legislators annually adopt legislative rules that cede all power to the legislative leadership. Our legislative leadership then award/take home millions of dollars via earmarks in the annual state budget for admittedly good projects in their districts, while the bulk of districts are shortchange by getting little $$$ for their admittedly good projects.

Here is a link to a good recent Boston Globe article on the subject that details how the legislative leadership divvied up the spoils this year, and unfortunately the article is bound to make you cynical about the operation of your state government: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/09/metro/massachusetts-house-democratic-leaders-earmarks-5-million/?s_campaign=breakingnews:newsletter

A few Mass. Democrats put $5m into the budget for dog parks, a castle, and more. And they did it in secret.

House leaders tucked dozens of their own earmarks into sweeping budget amendments assembled in private

By Samantha J. Gross and Matt Stout Globe Staff,Updated May 9, 2024, 5:44 a.m.

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People are silhouetted behind closed doors inside a lawmakers-only hallway off the House chamber.
People are silhouetted behind closed doors inside a lawmakers-only hallway off the House chamber.JESSICA RINALDI/GLOBE STAFF

 | STATE SECRETS | 

After months of preaching fiscal restraint, five of the Massachusetts House’s highest-ranking Democrats slipped at least $5 million in earmarks into the chamber’s spending plan in late April, fattening their own districts’ haul far beyond that of most others and almost entirely out of public view.

1 Comment

Posted in Budgets, Legislature

Starbucks renovations

Posted on July 25, 2024 | 3 comments

The last two days I had to walk back and forth to the downtown. Both days I asked the people working on the Starbucks why the place was being renovated, and today I struck paydirt. Today I happened to have asked the store manager for the last five years as he was retrieving things from one of the two massive containers out front.

The answer was that Starbucks started as exclusively a coffee place, without any food at all, but that now half of its business is cold drinks, including many fruit juices. Secondly, they now are also selling lots of foods. Thirdly, this particular store turned out to be a lot busier than it was originally projected to be. So the renovation was done to service both the broader and greater demands of the current customers.

BTW, the first person I asked yesterday had no idea – he was likely one of the workmen for a contractor.

3 Comments

Posted in Buildings, Development, Downtown

Medfield Gazebo Players next weekend at Bellforge – 5PM Sat. & Sun.

Posted on July 22, 2024 | Comments Off on Medfield Gazebo Players next weekend at Bellforge – 5PM Sat. & Sun.

I saw the Medfield Gazebo Players’ performance of Two Gentlemen of Verona last night next to the Lee Chapel as the sun set. I loved the Shakespeare with 50’s Doo Wop music and actors in poodle skirts and doing 50’s dance numbers. Medfield’s Small family crushed it, playing almost half the roles and Steve directing. Cynthia Small played the Duke and even had her own song – the “”Duke of Earl” played for each entrance.

I highly recommend that people share the fun and attend next weekend, 5PM on both Saturday and Sunday. This is quality local theatre, outside as the day ends – delightful! Bring your own snacks or dinner. The couple next to me really knew how to live – they brought drinks, dinner, chairs, and a small table – sweet.

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Posted in Bellforge Arts Center, Cultural, Entertainment, Events

Democrats State Rep Debate – recording available

Posted on July 17, 2024 | Comments Off on Democrats State Rep Debate – recording available

You can listen to yesterday’s debate by the three Democratic candidates seeking to replace Denise Garlick as our State Representative via this link. The debate was organized by the Charles River Regional Chamber and its President and CEO Greg Reibman did an excellent job of moderating the debate and getting information from the candidates.

https://youtu.be/qayzIm1O15I

Bill Dermody of Needham is also running as an unenrolled candidate. Bill attended our Select Board meeting last night and introduced himself to us at the end. Bill will face the winner of the Democratic primary in the November election.

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Posted in Elections, Legislature

State Rep debate is 7/16

Posted on July 12, 2024 | Comments Off on State Rep debate is 7/16

The Charles River Regional Chamber noticed that I published the wrong date for its debate for the Democratic candidates seeking to replace Rep. Denise Garlick, and was kind enough to alert me.

That debate is at noon on July 16, as per its publicity copied in below. See this posting for the details.

Meet the candidates for the 13th Norfolk House seat: Patrick A. Gatto, Kenneth Ruetenik, and Joshua Tarsky

July 16, 2024 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (EDT)

Description

Join us for the virtual debate between the three candidates — Patrick A. Gatto, Kenneth Ruetenik, and Joshua Tarsky — competing in the Sept. 3 Democratic primary for the open state representative seat in the 13th Norfolk district currently held by Rep. Garlick, representing Needham, Dover and part of Medfield.

Our focus will be issues related to economic development, housing, workforce, and the environment. Other general topics may be discussed as well. Questions from the business community in advance are welcome. This event will be recorded and shared later.

Pricing

Free, open to members & nonmembers

Contact Information

Name: Charles River Regional Chamber
Phone: (617) 244-5300
Email: info@charlesriverchamber.comr newsletter 

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Posted in Elections, Legislature

Office hours tomorrow, 7/12/24

Posted on July 11, 2024 | Comments Off on Office hours tomorrow, 7/12/24

Select Board Office Hours this Friday


I am holding my monthly office hours tomorrow at The Center, because The Center was closed last Friday.

I hold the office hours on the first Friday of every month from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. 

Residents are welcome to stop by to talk in person about any town matters. Residents can also have coffee and see the Council on Aging in action (a vibrant organization with lots going on).

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Posted in Select Board matters

More Dwight-Derby House input

Posted on July 5, 2024 | Comments Off on More Dwight-Derby House input

The email below and images are from Goeff Sauter, President of the Friends of the Dwight-Derby House, Inc. this afternoon –

Hi Pete,

Thanks again for making yourself available this morning.   Attached are three pictures as follows:

  1. The sketch by George Horatio Derby, the “father” of satire in the United States.  Electa Kane Tritsch uncovered this sketch in the archives on Derby family at West Point.  It was probably drawn as a teenager and shows his view of the meeting house from an upstairs bedroom. I interpret this drawing to be showing the Meeting House which is now the Unitarian Church facing North Street.   Sometimes when conducting fast-paced tours, we neglect to also point out a drawing that George did on the inside of the door leading to our gift shop.  The sketch is clearly the Dwight-Derby House itself, and it is a credit to both the many owners of the house and preservation contractors that the sketch was not inadvertently removed! Please tell your readers to stop in if they missed seeing it on a previous tour.
  2. One of the most expensive rare artifacts on our list for the East Parlor Project is an early 18th century women’s sewing table. These tables are unique because the bottom drawer has a large pouch or bag underneath where a seamstress could easily store an uncompleted project with all of the component pieces in a convenient place.  It occurred to me that someone who reads your blog might have one of these tables or know someone who does. We are not expecting a donation of a sewing table but plan to procure one at the best possible price.
  3. In the same vein, we are seaching for an early 18th century cabinet where Mary Derby would have stored, ribbons flowers, and other raw materials for making hats an bonnets. The picture I have enclosed was taken in the general store at Old Sturbridge Village. We will be working with antique dealers, flea markets, Craigslist, Ebay, estate sales, and all possible sources to find something like it.  

Best, Geoff

NB, by OLP: I just noticed a couple of more differences in the sketch from the current existing First Parish Meeting House:

  1. there is no front porch in this sketch
  2. the steeple today is flush with the front of the building
  3. today there is no side window that is not rectangular.

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Posted in Downtown, Dwight-Derby House, History

G.H. Derby’s historic drawing of First Parish Meeting House from the Dwight-Derby House

Posted on July 5, 2024 | 2 comments

As part of my Select Board office hours this morning I met with Geoff Sauter, the President of the Friends of the Dwight-Derby House, Inc. Geoff shared with me the drawing below that Geoff said George Horatio Derby drew when a youth from his bedroom window in the Dwight-Derby House.

What becomes clear as one looks at the drawing is that the First Parish Meeting House building was then facing North Street. At some point the building was rotated 90 degrees to its current orientation – I wonder why? Other changes I noted were the different steeple, the bump out behind the alter that is no longer exists, and no town clock. I heard that the church’s steeple blew down in the 1938 Hurricane and was reconstructed.

I like seeing the model sailboat on the pond, as it reminds me that I sailed model boats in large fountains or artificial ponds in parks in London as a kid.

2 Comments

Posted in Community Preservation Act (CPA), Downtown, Dwight-Derby House, History

Office hours 7/12, where COA closed tomorrow

Posted on July 4, 2024 | Comments Off on Office hours 7/12, where COA closed tomorrow

This is from the COA website –

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS        

The Center is Closed Thursday, July 4 through Saturday, July 6 in observance of Independence Day.

Select Board Office Hours Friday, July 12

I hold regular monthly office hours at The Center on the first Friday of every month, but tomorrow the COA is closed, so I will hold office hours on July 12 instead, from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. 

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Posted in Select Board matters

MPD’s Sergeant Francis M. Thisse

Posted on July 2, 2024 | Comments Off on MPD’s Sergeant Francis M. Thisse

Getting to Know The Medfield Police Department

This is the 2nd in a series of short bios featuring members of the Medfield Police Department.

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Posted Wed, Jun 12, 2024 at 8:37 pm ET

Sergeant Francis M. Thisse
Sergeant Francis M. Thisse (Image Courtesy of the Medfield Police Department)

Medfield Police Department

“Getting to Know members of the MPD” will attempt to put unity in Comm“unity” by highlighting the members of the MPD by featuring short bios.

The MPD hope these bios will give Medfield residents the opportunity to get to know them better, and strengthen the relationship between the police department and our citizens.

Sergeant Francis M. Thisse

Sergeant Francis M. Thisse was born in Newton Massachusetts and raised in Millis Massachusetts where he attended High School. Francis lived in a very family oriented home as the second born of four boys. Francis’s large family came from the Adirondacks in New York and all are avid motor sports enthusiast as well as international conservationists. Throughout High School and to this day, he enjoys living an extremely active lifestyle, playing sports of all types and spending time with his friends and family.

Francis began to work labor jobs at 14 years old to save money for college where he attended Plymouth State University to ultimately achieve a Bachelors of Science degree in Exercise Sciences. After working in the health and fitness industry for some time, Francis followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he served as an Infantry Riflemen and indoctrinated successfully into a Scout Sniper platoon. Upon return from a pacific tour and deactivation into the reserves, Francis gravitated toward a structured and uniformed profession much like the military. As a result, Medfield Police welcomed him into the patrol division after attending his first academy in 2020.

Francis was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in March of 2024 and is happily serving our community in a leadership role. Sgt. Thisse takes advantage of any training opportunity presented to him so he can best provide to the community he serves for.

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Posted in People, Police Department