Medfield moved back to Barney Frank’s Congressional District

Posted on November 7, 2011 | Comments Off on Medfield moved back to Barney Frank’s Congressional District

The Medfield Press just called me for a comment on the fact that Medfield has been re-assigned to the congressional district covered by Barney Frank.  Barney was our congressman when we moved to town in 1989.

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Posted in Political

Underground utility lines

Posted on November 7, 2011 | 2 comments

Banker & Tradesman published an article today title Digging For Truth On Why We Can’t Bury Power Lines.  The article notes studies have said that underground lines mean 35% fewer outages, that Massachusetts municipal utilities generally seem to have fewer outages, and points to the muni in Concord burying lines each year, and now being up to 40%.  From the article –

“A few municipal utility companies, including Concord’s, have begun to put their local power lines underground – taking away, in one fell swoop, the danger of massive outages after snow, ice and wind storms. “The key is you don’t have these massive outages because the network is protected,” said Patrick Mehr of the Massachusetts Alliance for Municipal Electric Choice.

No Big Dig

OK, it’s great that the good folks in upscale Concord can spring for this, but what about the rest of us?

Well yes, it’s an extra cost, but hardly a crazy one – about $600,000 to put a mile of lines underground each year. Even so, Concord residents still pay 40 percent less on their electric bills than neighboring towns that get their power from big utility companies, according to Mehr.

And this is far from a crazy idea – in fact, New England and our country as a whole is a backwater when it comes to power delivery, with many European companies having put much of their electric grids underground.

No one is advocating another massive Big Dig, this time to bury all the region’s power lines. But Concord has hardly done it overnight – it is slowly but steadily doing it on a decades-long timeline, with 40 percent of the town’s power lines now running underground.

Interestingly, the idea invoked a less than enthusiastic response from a spokesman for National Grid, one of the state’s trio of big power companies. He cited the expense of putting lines underground, while also noting that if there are problems, it’s much more difficult to fix, since you have to dig up the lines to make repairs.

Still, he acknowledged an industry study that found a 35 percent decrease in outages when lines were put underground.”

2 Comments

Posted in Utilities

Medfield Day 2011 cost town $5,472.24

Posted on November 7, 2011 | Comments Off on Medfield Day 2011 cost town $5,472.24

Medfield Day cost the town a total of $5,472.24 this year – $4,373.76 for the services of police and $1,098.48 for overtime of DPW employees, per the Chief and Superintendent.  I had asked if either department received anything in return and did not get any figures ( I heard that MEMO did pay the police $1,000 a year ago).

Since MEMO makes ten of thousands of dollars from the event, my simple suggestion has been that MEMO reimburse the town for the costs to the town for town employees to assist, that Medfield Day be “revenue neutral” to the town.  In 2010 my BoS colleagues originally agreed with the logic of MEMO doing, only to return at the next meeting to indicate that MEMO would not agree to pay the costs, and so my colleagues then changed their votes – and so the town residents continue to pay MEMO’s tab.

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Posted in Medfield Day

Weekly Political Report – Week Ending November 4, 2011

Posted on November 7, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending November 4, 2011

Massachusetts Legislature and Gov. Patrick Approve Redistricting Plan
On Tuesday, both the House and Senate voted in favor of the revised legislative maps drawn by the Joint Redistricting Committee, and on Thursday Governor Patrick signed the redistricting bills into law. According to the House and Senate Chairs of the Redistricting Committee,  Representative Michael Moran (D-Brighton) and Senator Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst), the committee is still considering how to merge the state’s 10 Congressional districts into 9.

 

Gambling Bill Negotiators Close Meetings to Public
On Tuesday, the six members of the conference committee tasked with negotiating a consensus gambling bill voted unanimously to close their meetings to the public. The committee members are hoping to complete all negotiations before the seven-week legislative recess that begins on November 16th. Representative Joseph Wagner (D-Chicopee), Chair of the conference committee, indicated on Tuesday that he will oppose the Senate proposal to prohibit lawmakers from working in the casino industry for up to a year following their departure from public office.

 

House Passes Pension Reform Legislation

On Wednesday, the House voted unanimously in support of major pension reform legislation. The bill aims to save the state $5 billion over the next 30 years by raising retirement ages and reducing benefits for future public employees. The Senate’s version of the legislation, which passed in mid-September, differs substantially from the House version, and will require a conference committee process to reconcile the two versions. The House appointed Reps. John Scibak (D-South Hadley), Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill) and Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) to the six-member conference committee that will try to reach agreement on the legislation.

 

House and Senate Pass Supplemental Budget

This week the House and Senate passed nearly identical versions of a $52 million supplemental spending bill. The budget bills allocate an additional $39 million to the state’s “housing first” homeless shelter program, $10 million for Tropical Storm Irene assistance and $308,000 for veterans services to prepare for troops returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill also includes a provision requested by Secretary of State William Galvin that moves up the date of the 2012 state primary election from Sept. 18 to Sept. 6. The bills are based on a $161 million spending bill proposed by Gov. Patrick but do not include many of the spending initiatives sought by the governor.

 

Massachusetts Business Confidence Slips again
According to an index calculated by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, business confidence in Massachusetts continued to decrease in October. The index shows weak consumer spending, problems in the housing market and a lack of confidence in national political leadership. The results were compiled before positive economic developments in Europe and the United State were reported. This year, Massachusetts has gained 37,900 jobs dropping the unemployment rate to 7.3% compared to the national rate of 9.1%.

 

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
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

 

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Posted in Weekly Mass Political Summaries

Medfield’s committee to study BCRT – volunteer by 11/15

Posted on November 7, 2011 | Comments Off on Medfield’s committee to study BCRT – volunteer by 11/15

Medfield’s Board of Selectmen will appoint to its own committee to study the Bay Colony Rail Trail at our 11/15 meeting.  Interested individuals should submit expressions of interest to Evelyn Clarke and/or me, along with a description of their qualifications and/or a CV.

This was what appeared in the Globe’s West Weekly about the Town of Dover seeking people to serve on its similar version of the same sort of committee:

===========================

Trail panel seeking members

  November 06, 2011

The town is looking for volunteers to serve on a committee overseeing plans for a local recreational trail. According to Carol Lisbon, who chairs both the Board of Selectmen and the Rail Trail Committee, the panel already has three citizen members but could use three or four more members, including some skeptics. “I firmly believe that on an issue like this we need to have people who are neutral, who are proponents, and opponents,” Lisbon said. The committee will be explore having Dover link with Medfield and Needham along the proposed Bay Colony Rail Trail. The 7-mile stretch is owned by the state, and leased by the MBTA to the Bay Colony Railroad, which no longer uses the tracks. A citizens group has been pressing for the creation of the regional recreational path since 2009, and Lisbon said she recently met with Medfield and Needham officials to discuss collaborating on the project. “Why should we all reinvent the wheel on this?” she said. “We need to get this committee together to work out the issues, which are many.” Interested applicants should contact the Board of Selectmen at 508-785-0032, ext. 221, or e-mail selectmen@doverma.org. – Jose Martinez

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Posted in Medfield Rail Trail

“First Thursdays have started!”

Posted on November 4, 2011 | Comments Off on “First Thursdays have started!”

The Library reports “First Thursdays of the month are a time to come downtown and check out the Zullo Gallery, restaurants and the library for events and activities. The Library is open until 10 so you can see the Zullo gallery artworks and get half off any fines you may have. Come on down!”

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Posted in Downtown, Library, Zullo Gallery

Library invites whole town to read the same book

Posted on November 4, 2011 | Comments Off on Library invites whole town to read the same book

The Medfield Memorial Library has initiated a plan to have the whole town read the same book, and to build programs off of that shared experience right through the spring.  Details are at http://medfieldpubliclibrary.org/2011/11/medfield-reads/

Have people noticed how many things the library seems to be doing all the time now?

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Posted in Library

FEMA test to interrupt TV & radio for 3 minutes around 2PM next Thursday

Posted on November 3, 2011 | Comments Off on FEMA test to interrupt TV & radio for 3 minutes around 2PM next Thursday

FEMA message follows –

===========================

On Wednesday, November 9, at approximately 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the country’s first nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) test.

While in progress, programming will be temporarily interrupted during this three-minute test.  As a result, cable providers have been working diligently to make this experience as least impactful for their customers as possible by informing and preparing them for the test through multiple channels.

What is it?
This national-level EAS is a national public alert and warning system that enables the President of the United States to address the American public during extreme emergencies.  The purpose of the test is to assess the readiness and effectiveness of the EAS and identify incremental improvements to better serve our communities in the preservation of life and property.

How are customers impacted?

  • All EAS participants, including broadcast radio and television, cable, satellite radio and television and wire-line video services will participate. Thus, the test will be seen on all local, cable, and satellite TV stations across the country and heard on the radio.  For Comcast customers – during the three-minute test, all channels in each of the cable systems will force tune to the EAS messaging channel.

As a result of the test interruption, any scheduled DVR recordings during this time will be interrupted, and in some cases, lost.  However, as soon as the test ends, customers will be returned to their regularly scheduled programming.  Additionally, Video OnDemand will be interrupted as well during the test, but customers can continue viewing where they left off following the test by accessing their programming clicking “resume PLAY.”

In some rare cases, customers may need to use their remote control to channel up and then channel down or power down their set top box to fully restore programming.

Customers will be notified of this national test through multiple customer channels to include, bill messaging, IVR messaging, On Demand, email, as well as through our social media channels.  But, we can also use your help with being in the know.

Help us Help Customers – Be Prepared and Informed
In your daily interactions, if a customer approaches you with concerns about returning to their regular programming after the test on November 9, be prepared.

Here are two easy steps to help customers resume service after the test.  They can:

1. Use their remote control to channel up and then channel down to restore programming

2. Power down their set top box to restore programming

 

Megan T. DiPrete, AICP

Manager, Community Dev. and Planning

Central Mass. Regional Planning Commission

2 Washington Square – Union Station

Worcester, MA 01604 – 4016

 

Ph: 508-756-7717 ext 115

Direct:   508 459-3315

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Posted in Information, Safety

BCRT – 3 towns to meet with Newton

Posted on November 3, 2011 | Comments Off on BCRT – 3 towns to meet with Newton

The ad hoc three town group meeting to study the issues relative to the Bay Colony Rail Trail proposal will meet with a representative from the City of Newton next Thursday.  Since there will be common issues for all the towns, Dover selectman chair convened the ad hoc three town group this past month to discuss those common issues.

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Posted in Medfield Rail Trail

CRWA wins international river award

Posted on November 3, 2011 | Comments Off on CRWA wins international river award

The Charles River Watershed Association won this year’s “2011 International Riverprize, the world’s most prestigious environmental award, the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) announced. The International RiverFoundation’s (IRF) Thiess (pronounced “Teese”) International Riverprize, is awarded for visionary and sustainable excellence in river management.”

http://www.stormh2o.com/the-latest/charles-river-prize.aspx

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Posted in Environmental, Open space