Transformer moving out Rte 109 this Sunday evening

Posted on January 5, 2012 | Comments Off on Transformer moving out Rte 109 this Sunday evening

This from the mover –

Subject: Transformer Wide Load Transport Scheduled for Conley Terminal in Boston to NSTAR substation in Medway, MA – Scheduled to Start 1am Sunday January 8th, 2012

 

NSTAR Transformer Transport Update – We are still on schedule and will be planning to start our move on Sunday morning as outlined below.      

 

Schedule: 

First Leg:              Start at 1 AM Sunday, January 8th from Conley Terminal in Boston  / Stage Sunday morning:  South of Dedham at intersection of Washington St and Gay Street until evening

Second Leg:        Start 9pm Sunday January 8th and arrive at Medway early Monday morning

 

Support Services:

Stop Light heads and poles that need to be moved during this move will be handled again by Republic ITS (They were the contractor that assisted with the exact move in February of 2011)

 

                Police Escorts:

First Leg:  Boston Transportation Police will be escorting us along with MA State Police.    Dedham police will assist with traffic control through the town and to our staging area south of town

Second Leg:  MA State Police will escort the remainder of the trip.  We will have support services from Dedham, Westwood, Millis, and Medway as we pass through these jurisdictions.

 

 

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this move.   We will be contacting each of you to see if you have any questions prior to the move.

The route can be found at the end of this message.   I thank you in advance for your support.

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Posted in Information

Weekly Political Report – Week Ending December 30, 2011

Posted on January 4, 2012 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending December 30, 2011

The Weekly Political Report is prepared by a political consulting group, Rasky/Baerlein, and shared with me by John Nunnari.

Economic Development Planning Council offers Five-Step Plan

The Economic Development Planning Council, chaired by Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki, submitted a plan to the Legislature on Wednesday, to support innovation and entrepreneurship and address the state’s cost competitiveness issues. The plan was developed over eight months and was submitted to meet a mandate included in an economic development law approved last year. Initiatives in the plan include advancing education and workforce development for middle-skill jobs through coordination of programs and supporting regional development through infrastructure investments and local empowerment. Also included in the plan are steps to simplify the tax structure making it more competitive and predictable while establishing standards for of existing tax credit programs that are more effective.

 

Loans Approved for Three Life Sciences Companies

Life sciences companies based in Cambridge, Waltham, and Wellesley were approved for state loans under the Accelerator Program, an investment program that matches other capital sources for life science companies looking to advance and create jobs. The Massachusetts Life Science Center Board voted to authorize loans of $710,000 to Paragonix Technologies of Cambridge. Paragonix is working to commercialize a single-use, portable organ preservation and transport device. The board authorized a loan of $750,000 to Intelligent Bio-Systems Inc. of Waltham, a DNA sequencing company.  A loan of $750,000 was authorized to Allurion Technologies of Wellesley. Allurion is developing and testing a weight loss method that accomplishes results by displacing volume in the stomach.

 

Cape Wind Encouraged in Power Purchase Case

Cape Wind president, Jim Gordon, is hopeful that the awaited offshore wind facility will be up and running and producing energy within a year. The Supreme Judicial Court rejected an effort to reopen a decision by state regulators to permit National Grid to purchase half of Cape Wind’s power. The Supreme Judicial Court also rejected claims that the Department of Public Utilities decision approving the National Grid contract violated the U.S. Constitution’s commerce clause by restricting out-of-state bidders from the Project. The remainder of the Cape Wind project’s power is yet to be bought. The Associated Industries for Massachusetts and some lawmakers have argued that Cape Wind could create billions of dollars in new energy costs for Massachusetts ratepayers. The Cape Wind project to build 130-turbines in Nantucket Sound has been under development for over 10 years. It is estimated to create 1,000 jobs and generate 420 megawatts of electricity, enough to power three-quarters of Cape Cod.

 

Corporate Tax Cut Schedules, Business Prevent Unemployment Insurance Increase

Business owners will receive a tax relief on January 1, 2012. However, these savings could be offset by a spike in the unemployment insurance tax. The corporate tax rate will decrease to 8% from 8.25%. This is the last of a three-step process of lowering the rate from 9.5% as part of a law in 2008 that Governor Deval Patrick signed aimed to bring additional revenue to the state from Massachusetts companies. Business would collectively save about $15 million in 2012 as a result of the corporate tax reduction. Gregory Bialecki, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, stated that the reduction to an 8% corporate tax rate could improve Massachusetts’ status as a business-friendly state.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA

Executive Director, AIA MA

jnunnari@architects.org

617-951-1433 x263

617-951-0845 (fax)

 

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects

290 Congress Street, Suite 200, Boston MA 02110

http://www.architects.org

 

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Posted in Weekly Mass Political Summaries

Respite care at The Center

Posted on January 4, 2012 | Comments Off on Respite care at The Center

Roberta Lynch, Director of the Council on Aging, reported to the Board of Selectmen at our meeting last night that the COA received a grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation for $32,676 to implement a respite program at The Center.  She hopes to open the program by 2/1, operating on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM to 3 PM, providing care to up to eight individuals, in order to assist both the care givers and the care recipients.

If the initial phase works well, and if there is both a greater need and demand, she said that she hopes to ultimately expand the service.  Preference will be given to Medfield residents.

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Posted in Council on Aging, Town Services

State budget #s pick up

Posted on January 4, 2012 | Comments Off on State budget #s pick up

I am reading the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s January Beacon with my lunch, and it says that the state’s 12/12/11 annual consensus revenue hearing  agreed that FY12 revenues will be up an additional $53m. (revenue estimates were already raised $395m. in October), and that state revenues are expected to increase 3% in FY13 ($560m. – $683m.).  Better state revenues should assist Medfield’s state aid expectations, and therefore relieve our reliance on our property taxes.

Interestingly, Mike Sullivan reported to the contrary at the Board of Selectmen meeting last night.  Mike’s information may be newer, or it may just factor in that the state’s costs/expenses may rise faster than the revenues.

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Posted in Budgets

Recognize extraordinary volunteers

Posted on January 4, 2012 | Comments Off on Recognize extraordinary volunteers

Medfield Foundation now accepting volunteer award nominations

Do you know Medfield residents who dedicate countless time and energy to a worthy community cause or initiative?  If so, now is your chance to nominate someone for a Medfield Foundation volunteer award. This year’s nomination form, due Feb. 10, is now available on the Medfield Foundation Web site.

To help determine award recipients, the Foundation seeks to capture information about the volunteer’s work using these general criteria:

* Action — What does the nominee actually do in his/her capacity as a volunteer?
* Need — What community need(s) does the nominee address?
* Impact — How is nominee’s volunteer work making a difference?
* Inspiration — What makes the nominee unique or special?

* Verification – Who else can serve as a reference for the nominee’s volunteer work?

Anyone interested in submitting a nomination for one of the 2012 Medfield Foundation volunteer awards can download the official form from http://www.medfieldfoundation.org/volunteer.html. Completed nomination forms should be e-mailed as Word or PDF attachments to MFIVolunteerAward@gmail.com no later than Friday, Feb. 10.

In 2011, Bob Luttman received the Volunteer of the Year award, and Deirdre Walsh received the Youth Volunteer of the Year award. Additionally, more than 20 other nominees also received recognition at last spring’s reception.

The Foundation’s 2012 volunteer recognition event is scheduled for Sunday, March 18 at The Center at Medfield on Ice House Road. More details will be available in the months ahead.

Questions or requests for more information can be sent to the committee at MFIVolunteerAward@gmail.com.  To learn more about the Medfield Foundation, go to www.medfieldfoundation.org.

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Posted in Medfield Foundation, Teens, Volunteers

Casino bill regs seem to point to RR proposed through town

Posted on January 4, 2012 | Comments Off on Casino bill regs seem to point to RR proposed through town

This email came from Representative Daniel Winslow’s aide –

1/04/2012 10:41AM
Casino Bill – Access to Multi Modal Means of Transportation
“Muti, Joanne (HOU)”
===========================================================
Good Morning,

Please take a look at the following language included in the casino bill H3807:
Section 5. (a) The commission shall promulgate regulations for the implementation, administration and enforcement of this chapter including, without limitation, regulations that:
(1) prescribe the method and form of application which an applicant for licensure shall follow and complete before consideration by the commission;
(2) prescribe the information to be furnished by an applicant or licensee concerning an applicant or licensee’s antecedents, habits, character, associates, criminal record, business activities and financial affairs, past or present;
(3) prescribe the criteria for evaluation of the application for a gaming license including, with regard to the proposed gaming establishment, an evaluation of architectural design and concept excellence, integration of the establishment into its surroundings, potential access to multi-modal means of transportation, tourism appeal, level of capital investment committed, financial strength of the applicant and the applicant’s financial plan;

http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2011/Chapter194

Joanne Muti
Legislative Aide
Office of Representative Dan Winslow
Phone: 617-722-2060
Fax:     617-722-2849

State House
Room 33
Boston, MA 02133

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Posted in Development, Information, Planning, Political, Transportation

Radon

Posted on January 3, 2012 | Comments Off on Radon

I had asked Superintendent Maguire whether the schools had been tested for radon, and he tells me that they all tested below EPA guideline levels for radon in the 1989.

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Posted in Schools

Model Airplanes

Posted on January 3, 2012 | Comments Off on Model Airplanes

1/1/12 turned out to be the biggest day I had ever seen at the Bill Martin airfield, off Hospital Road at the Charles River (it is on one of my jogging routes).  Sunday morning there were maybe fifteen cars, and two to three times that number of model planes.  I saw the usual variety of regular model planes, plus all electric powered planes, a model of a WWI German biplane that looked longer than a Smart car, and helicopters that could fly upside down.

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Posted in Information

Dale Street School tour

Posted on December 30, 2011 | Comments Off on Dale Street School tour

Ann and I took an hour and a half tour  of the Dale Street School with Bob Maguire and Tim Bonfatti this morning to see the issues that need attention first hand.  Excellent bones to the building, but serious problems with the mechanical systems and space needs for the ancillary programs that we are required to run.  The town is fortunate to have in the two individuals with the interest and expertise to undertake the needed conversation with the state and the town about what is needed and how we can best make it happen.

My favorite piece of information was that the heat is controlled by the head custodian just knowing by experience when to physically turn the boilers on and off – i.e.  there is no automatic control of the temperature via thermostats, as we are used to elsewhere.

Ultimately the Dale Street School will be one part of what is being conceived of as a Town of Medfield municipal campus along Dale Street that will also address the public safety and Medfield Park & Recreation Commission needs.  The Building Committee is meeting next at 7PM on 1/5/12 to proceed with the master plan for that campus idea.

In reviewing the 40 odd pages of materials Bob Maguire prepared about the Dale Street School for the state’s School Building Assistance people, I learned that the school’s address is actually 45 Adams Street, so shouldn’t we call it the Adams Street School?

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Posted in Buildings, Downtown, Planning, Schools

Bluebirds

Posted on December 30, 2011 | Comments Off on Bluebirds

We had a flock of bluebirds (6-8 of them) checking out our two bluebird houses in front of the house this week.  Nice to see them around.  I hope they

 

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Posted in Nature