HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005 Annual Report
May, 2006
TO: Residents of the Town of Reading
Dear Resident:
What a year! The following Annual Report for the Town of Reading for calendar year 2005 details the
significant progress made during the year on a number of issues.
Highlighting activities in 2005, the Town:
Completed the Barrows School renovation and addition, and moved the Barrows School community
back to Barrows from their temporary home at the Wood End School;
Completed and occupied the first section of the new Reading Memorial High School;
Completed significant water distribution improvements to West Street and Franklin Street;
Completed several major road projects including Summer Avenue and Willow Street;
Maintained the financial strength of the community;
Saw the completion of the development of the former landfill site as Walkers Brook Crossing;
Saw the beginning of construction on the Archstone 40B Development and the Johnson Woods
Development, as well as the Maplewood Village LIP project. These developments have significantly
expanded the Town’s supply of affordable housing - we now have 7.6% of our housing stock as
affordable, and continue to work towards the State mandated 10%;
Completed the process and received approval to purchase Summertime supplemental water from the
MWRA - the culmination of a five year process;
Continued the discussion on whether to purchase all of our water from the MWRA, or build a new
Water Treatment Plant.
For those who have need for detailed information, we hope this information will be complete and
valuable for you. It provides a good historical record of what has happened in the Town of Reading in
calendar year 2005.
Any questions, suggestions or comments that you may have with regard to this report, or to the provision
of the services within the community are very much appreciated. You can address them to me at
townmanager@ci.reading.ma.us, or call at 781-942-9043.
Sincerely,
Peter I. Hechenbleikner
Town Manager
PIH:lm
ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE DEPARTMENTS
Accounting Department:
The Accounting Department, under the direction of the Town Accountant, is responsible
for maintaining financial records. These records facilitate the preparation of financial reports and
schedules that provide meaningful, accurate information for comparability and for management’s
decision making process. The Accounting Department ensures that all financial transactions are
in compliance with legal requirements and are properly recorded on a timely basis.
The Town used the auditing firm of Melanson & Heath in FY 2005 for the third
consecutive year.
Finance Department:
The Finance Department, under the direction of the Assistant Town Manager/Finance
Director, supports a wide variety of financial and administrative functions. The Department is
divided into five divisions: Assessment, Collection, General Finance, Human Resources and
Technology.
Assessment Division:
Assessment of property is the first step in the process of tax revenue collection for the
Town of Reading. The Assessment Division’s function is to provide for the fair and equitable
assessment of all taxable real and personal property. The Assessors trend the values each year so
that the revaluations done every three years won’t result in substantial changes. The Assessors
must annually determine the tax levy and obtain State approval of the tax rate so that bills can be
issued in a timely manner.
Fiscal 2005 was a revaluation year. The tax rate for FY 2005 was set at $12.57 per
thousand, a 2.8% increase of $0.34 per thousand over the FY 2004 rate. The total assessed value
of all 8,700+ properties for FY 2005 is $3,362,233,820. The average house in Reading is now
valued at $420,000 - a 7.3% increase of $28,600 over the FY 2004 value.
The tax rate went up because of the first debt payments due on the two debt exclusions
passed February 25, 2003 for school renovations (primarily for Reading Memorial High School).
Once the MSBA begins to pay their portion of this excluded debt (estimated to be in time for FY
2009), this local tax burden should be significantly reduced.
The breakdown of Reading property for FY 2005 is as follows:
Residential $ 3,139,161,400 93.3654%
Commercial $ 186,339,900 5.5421%
Industrial $ 23,298,000 0.6929%
Personal $ 13,434,520 0.3996%
TOTAL $ 3,362,233,820 100%
Accounting and Finance Departments
Since the Town’s residential property is over 93% of the total value, the Board of
Selectmen voted to keep the tax rate the same for all classes of property. Shifting some of the
tax burden to commercial properties would result in incremental tax relief for individual property
owners at the expense of comparatively substantial increases for commercial properties.
At the classification hearing, the Board also decided not to shift the tax burden within the
residential class to non-residential owners, or to adopt a small commercial property exemption.
Collection Division:
The Collection Division is responsible for collecting all taxes and other charges
(including ambulance and water/sewer bills). This Division also receives and processes all
deposits (such as schools and recreation).
The Division added electronic payments in late calendar 2005 as a convenient method of
payment for real estate and excise tax bills. In the first few months, over 200 registered users
had made over 200 electronic payments. In the future, different types of bills beyond these two
mentioned will be able to be paid electronically.
Real estate collections increased from $38 million in FY 2004 to $41.8 million in FY
2005, reflecting the debt exclusion. Excise tax collections remained steady: $2.92 million in FY
2005 up slightly from $2.82 million in FY 2004. A total of 991 lien certificates were issued in
FY 2005 netting $28,327 to the general fund. These figures showed a marked decrease from FY
2004 when 1627 certificates resulted in $43,856 taken in to the general fund.
General Finance – Overview:
This Division is responsible for providing the cash for the operation of all Town and
School functions on a timely basis. In addition, it conducts all borrowing and investing activities
including those on behalf of the Town’s Trust Funds (at the direction of the Trust Fund
Commissioners).
The Finance Department support staff are designed to be flexible and experienced in
many functions (Assessments, Collections, Human Resources, Finance and Accounting) as work
flows vary throughout the year.
General Finance – Treasurer:
Interest earnings for the General Fund during the year were $1,045,027 with interest rates
ranging from 0.55% to 3.15%. As the year ended, the trend was clearly towards higher short-
maturity rates as the Federal Reserve began what is expected to be a long campaign of tightening
credit policies.
In January 2005, the Town borrowed $6.48 million in long-term bonds, and $8.686
million in temporary short-term BANs.
Accounting and Finance Departments
The bonds were for various purposes including $1 million for Water Treatment Plant
design (financed for 10 years), and $5.48 million in school construction debt (Barrows and Wood
End - financed for 20 years). The temporary borrowing (BANs) was for water main work
($997,000), and $7.689 million was for school construction (Barrows, Wood End and Reading
Memorial High School). This temporary borrowing for Barrows and Wood End will largely be
repaid by the MSBA. Once this repayment is known, the remainder of the school construction
debt will be permanently financed.
In May 2005, additional Water Enterprise Fund BANs were issued for the Water
Treatment Plant design (the remaining $500,000) and water main repairs ($900,000). The Sewer
Enterprise Fund borrowed from $418,385 from the MWRA for inflow/infiltration (financed for
no interest cost for five years).
General Finance - Trust Funds:
FY 2004FY 2005
Beginning Balances $ 7,150,072 $ 7,299,885
Contributions $ 86,492 $ 91,603
Disbursements ($ 290,910) ($ 307,191)
Interest $ 354,231 $ 299,108
Ending Balances $ 7,299,885 $ 7,383,405
The Trust Funds disbursed nearly $600,000 in the past two years as shown in the table
above. The Hospital Trust Fund continued to provide aid through the Reading Response
Program, which provides skilled health care services, respite care, medical transportation and
Lifeline Emergency call systems to Reading residents who meet specific health and income
guidelines. It disbursed $146,529 in FY 2004 and $176,250 in FY 2005. The next largest
distributor of funding was the Cemetery Trust Funds ($105,000 in FY 2004 and $81,000 in FY
2005).
Ending Balance FY 2005:
Cemetery $ 2,894,307
Hospital $ 3,766,224
Library $ 80,471
Scholarships and Awards $ 123,536
Veterans Memorial $ 90,974
Celebration $ 55,172
Historic Preservation $ 62,371
Elder Services $ 291,980
Loans $ 18,370
Accounting and Finance Departments
Human Resources Division:
The Human Resources Division supports the Town (under the direction of the Town
Manager), School (under the direction of the Superintendent), Light Department (under the
direction of the RMLD General Manager) and Retiree benefit activities.
Employee benefits administered through this Division include health and life insurance,
deferred compensation, disability insurance, Worker’s Compensation, the sick-leave bank,
cafeteria benefits, the Employee Assistance Program, personal leave and unemployment benefits.
Health insurance and Worker’s Compensation are premium-based programs through the
Massachusetts Inter-Local Insurance Association. Blue Cross/Blue Shield products offered to
Town employees and retirees increased 18% on March 1, 2005. A task force was formed to
attempt to ameliorate the recent increases in these costs. After an extensive RFP process, strong
cooperation between the Town and all of its unions, and modest benefit changes, near-term
future increases will be significantly lower.
Technology Division:
The Technology Division regularly interacts with all aspects of Town government,
including the schools, the Library, the Senior Center, Police, Fire/Emergency Management,
Public Works, Water and Sewer and the RMLD. It provides centralized computer network and
telecommunications services as well as distributed internet, audio/video, software and personal
computer support.
The network and telecommunications services include telephone systems and a wide area
network (under construction). These are designed to facilitate communication between all Town
government entities as well as to provide for emergency management communication with Town
residents.
The distributed services are designed to improve communication between residents and
Town government and to improve staff productivity.
Respectfully submitted,
Gail LaPointe, Town Accountant
Robert W. LeLacheur, Jr., CFA
Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director
TOWN OF READING
REPORT OF THE COLLECTOR
12 MONTHS ENDING JUNE 30, 2005
2005REAL ESTATE
Committed 2004-2005 42,298,207.85
Refunds 91,051.62
Interest and Costs Collected 50,081.36
Abatements and Exemptions 185,012.87
Paid to Treasurer 41,815,570.66
Subsequent Tax Title 95,048.22
Deferred Taxes 20,302.57
Uncollected June 30, 2005 _______________ _____323,406.49
42,439,340.83 42,439,340.83
2004REAL ESTATE
Balance June 30, 2004 205,518.42
Refunds 192,652.62
Interest and Costs Collected 39,222.44
Abatements 46,200.31
Paid to Treasurer 398,016.86
Uncollected June 30, 2005 _______________ _____-6,823.69
437,393.48 437,393.48
2005 PERSONAL PROPERTY
Committed 2004 168,872.02
Refunds 13,416.38
Interest and Costs Collected 395.64
Abatements 569.41
Paid to Treasurer 180,325.84
Uncollected June 30, 2005 ______________ _____1,788.79
182,684.04 182,684.04
2004 PERSONAL PROPERTY
Balance June 30, 2004 3,274.52
Refunds 31.29
Interest and Costs Collected 108.74
Abatements
Paid to Treasurer 1,009.93
Uncollected June 30, 2005 2,404.62
3,414.55 3,414.55
2005 MOTOR VEHICLE EXCISE
Committed 2005 2,556,684.46
Refunds 11,569.06
Interest and Costs Collected 9,739.20
Abatements 103,284.92
Paid to Treasurer 2,372,044.74
Uncollected June 30, 2005 102,663.06
2,577,992.72 2,577,992.72
2004 MOTOR VEHICLE EXCISE
Balance June 30, 2004 94,627.39
Committed 2004-2005 523,994.64
Refunds 23,664.79
Interest and Costs Collected 12,150.25
Abatements 41,145.46
Paid to Treasurer 574,449.35
Uncollected June 30, 2005 38,842.26
654,437.07 654,437.07
2003 MOTOR VEHICLE EXCISE
Balance June 30, 2004 34,394.76
Committed 2004-2005 16,399.82
Refunds 6,901.42
Interest and Costs Collected 7,050.82
Abatements 9,520.60
Paid to Treasurer 37,016.27
Uncollected June 30, 2005 ________________ ______18,209.95
64,746.82 64,746.82
2002 MOTOR VEHICLE EXCISE
Balance June 30, 2004 14,715.46
Committed 2004-2005 67.29
Refunds 45.42
Interest and Costs Collected 3,136.06
Abatements 394.79
Paid to Treasurer 7,964.21
Uncollected June 30, 2005 ________________ ______9,604.23
17,964.23 17,964.23
OLD EXCISE PRIOR TO 2002
Balance June 30, 2004 122,689.15
New Blanket Abatement 10,269.63
Interest and Costs Collected 2,211.95
Paid to Treasurer 3,938.74
Uncollected June 30, 2005 131,231.99
135,170.73 135,170.73
WATER CHARGES
Balance June 30, 2004 599,337.95
Committed 2004-2005 3,410,364.79
Charges 100.00
Refunds 2,207.69
Abatements 5,573.50
Paid to Treasurer 2,976,495.36
Discount for Timely Payments 281,363.69
Added to 2005 Taxes 79,234.64
Uncollected June 30, 2005 669,343.24
4,012,010.43 4,012,010.43
SEWER CHARGES
Balance June 30, 2004 727,459.10
Committed 2004-2005 3,795,122.23
Refunds 6,021.02
Abatements 13,347.64
Paid to Treasurer 3,374,761.35
Discount for Timely Payments 321,737.01
Added to 2005 Taxes 93,541.02
Uncollected June 30, 2005 725,215.33
4,528,602.35 4,528,602.35
ADDITIONAL WATER CHARGES
(SPMS, SPCS-SPRINKLERS)
Balance June 30, 2004 3,030.49
Committed 2004-2005 34,462.09
Refunds
Paid to Treasurer 34,750.70
Added to 2005 Taxes 1,242.14
Uncollected June 30, 2005 1,499.74
37,492.58 37,492.58
PERMITS
Permits Issued
Building 302,293.07
Electric 53,951.00
Gas 8,421.00
Plumbing 20,795.00
School 104,861.52
Paid to Treasurer 490,321.59
490,321.59 490,321.59
AMBULANCE FEES
Committed 2005 453,382.40
Refunds 475.31
Abatements 92,956.12
Paid to Treasurer 159,906.87
Uncollected June 30, 2005 200,994.72
____________
453,857.71 453,857.71
CERTIFICATES OF MUNICIPAL LIENS
Certificates Issued 28,327.00
Paid to Treasurer 28,327.00
28,327.00 28,327.00
BETTERMENTS ADDED TO TAXES
Committed 2005 19,889.74
Paid to Treasurer 19,889.74
19,889.74 19,889.74
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
Board of Selectmen:
Selectmen George Hines and Gail Wood did not run for re-election. James Bonazoli and
Ben Tafoya were elected to three-year terms. Camille Anthony was elected Chairman, Richard
Schubert was elected Vice Chairman, and Joseph Duffy was elected Secretary.
Selectman Joseph Duffy announced his intention to step down from the Board effective
April 4, 2006 so that another person could run for the unexpired term without having to have a
Special Election.
Personnel and Volunteers:
Major changes in personnel included:
Finance Director and Treasurer/Collector Elizabeth Klepeis retired in June 2005;
Town Accountant Richard Foley retired in September;
Nancy Heffernan was appointed as Treasurer/Collector;
Gail LaPointe was appointed as Town Accountant;
Bob LeLacheur was appointed as Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director;
Police Chief Robert Silva retired;
James Cormier was appointed to the position of Police Chief;
Library Director Kim Lynn left the employ of the Town;
Ruth Urell was appointed as Library Director;
To come into compliance with State regulations, the Town of Reading established a
Veterans’ District with the Town of Wilmington, and Lou Cimaglia was hired as the
Veteran’s Agent replacing Paul Farrell who retired.
The Town approved the hiring of a School Resource Officer beginning to work in the
schools in September 2006. This proposal was jointly supported by the Board of
Selectmen and the School Committee and School Administration.
In the area of Boards, Committees and Commissions, the Board of Selectmen:
Established an ad hoc Health Insurance Task Force to review options and efforts to
contain health insurance costs for the Reading employees and retirees, and to make any
recommendations about needed changes on a State or Federal level to stabilize the cost
of health insurance.
Established an Ad Hoc Committee on Nurse Advocacy for frail elders to explore the
need for a nurse advocate for frail elders in the Town of Reading.
Established a Cities for Climate Protection Committee.
Dissolved the Solid Waste Advisory Committee.
The Ad Hoc Hospital Development Committee submitted its final report that indicated
that there is no need for a hospital or hospital related facility in the Town of Reading.
The following individuals were either newly appointed or re-appointed by the Board of
Selectmen to the following Boards, Committees and Commissions:
Kathy Greenfield, Dorothy Casolaro, Susan Patterson, David Kruh and Michael Gray to
the West Street Historic District Commission;
Virginia Adams, Roberta Sullivan, Kathy Greenfield (Associate), Sarah Hilgendorff List,
George Doucette, Karen Gately Herrick (Associate), Linda Tuttle (Associate) and Sue
Patterson (Associate) to the Historical Commission;
Neil Sullivan and John Sasso to the Community Planning and Development Commission;
Community Services Department
Bill Hecht and Will Finch to the Conservation Commission;
Susan Miller and Paul Dustin (Associate) to the Zoning Board of Appeals;
Karen Flammia to the Housing Authority;
William Carrick, Lisa DiTrapano, Mark Staniul, Carl McFadden, Katyla Wheaton,
Joseph St. John and Michael Saunders to the Advisory Council Against the Misuse and
Abuse of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs;
Colleen Seferian to the Board of Health;
Sally Hoyt and Carey Porter as Constables;
Edwina Kasper, Stacy Bertocchi, Ruth Goldberg and Marquerite Bosnian (Associate) to
the Council on Aging;
Douglas Cowell, Domenic LaCava, Benjamin Ream (Associate), Erick Carpenter
(Associate) and Bill Cowie (Associate) to the Reading Telecommunications and
Technology Advisory Committee;
Anne Hooker, Karyn Storti, Valerie Alagero, Elizabeth Whitelam, Jennifer Martin
(Associate) and Janet Grace Hatherly (Associate) to the Cultural Council;
Margaret Soli, Bob Silva and James Cormier to the Human Relations Advisory
Committee;
Steven Sadwick and John Weston to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council;
Gail Wood to the Reading Access TV Board of Directors;
Elizabeth Klepeis to the Commissioners of Trust Funds;
Janet Baronian, Ronald O’Connell and Douglas A. Bruce to the Board of Cemetery
Trustees;
Jack Downing, Patrick Fennelly, Kate Kaminer, Michael DiPetro (Associate) and Chris
Campbell (Associate) to the Recreation Committee;
Louis deBrigard, Thomas Connery (Associate) and Alice Grau (Associate) to the Town
Forest Committee;
Richard Moore and Gail Wood (Associate) to the Water, Sewer and Storm Water
Management Advisory Committee;
Mary Ellen O’Neill to the Aquatics Advisory Board;
Ronald D’Addario, Gina Snyder, Stephanie Anderberg, Tracy Ellen Sopchak and
Stephen Goldy to the Cities for Climate Protection Committee;
Francis Driscoll as the Custodian of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Graves;
Mary Ellen O’Neill to the RMLD Citizens Advisory Board;
Stephen Herrick to the Audit Committee;
Richard Foley to the Contributory Retirement Board.
Community Development:
The Walkers Brook Crossing development was completed in 2005, with the occupancy of
the last remaining stores in the strip mall. This was a momentous event in the life of Reading,
and capped over 20 years of work to get the landfill properly closed, and have this property
appropriately used for tax generating purposes.
Community Services Department
W/S Associates presented a proposal for a Lifestyle Center at the former Addison-Wesley
site. The proposal will require rezoning. The Town has been working with the developer and
property owner to gather information including traffic studies about the impact of such a
development on the Town.
The Board of Selectmen approved revisions to the layout of the Harnden Yard Parking
Lot, and an easement agreement to accommodate the Walgreen’s plans for construction. The
result for the Town will be a much more effective layout for the municipal parking lot, and an
increase in the number of parking spaces.
Town Meeting in the Fall approved amendments to the Zoning By-Laws which allow
residential uses in upper floors of commercial buildings in Downtown – the “mixed use” bylaw.
As a result, the Town is beginning to see interest in redevelopment of parcels in Downtown,
including a renovation and upgrade of the MF Charles building and others.
The major development of a 30,000 square foot retail and office building known as
Haven Junction was completed and ready for occupancy at the end of 2005.
The Route 128/I-93 Interchange Project remained suspended, and the State Route 128/I-
93 Task Force continues to meet and do data gathering. Camille Anthony and Rick Schubert
from the Board of Selectmen, CPDC Member Jonathan Barnes and resident George Katsoufas
represent the Town, and are very active members and participants on the Task Force.
The Board of Selectmen approved a policy limiting the use of Memorial Park for team
practices. The Town continues to do research on the heirs of the initial donors conducted so that
the issue of use of the park may be permanently resolved. The Board of Selectmen also approved
Sunday hours for field use due to construction activity at the schools.
During the course of the year, the Board of Selectmen dealt with lighting issues at the
Walkers Brook Crossing Jordan’s Furniture site. This resulted in the hiring of a lighting
consultant who made recommendations to the Board of Selectmen and Jordan’s Furniture to
alleviate the problems.
Major advances in affordable housing include the beginning of construction of the
Archstone development on West Street, a 204 unit rental 40B project which will include 20% of
the units as low income units. Additionally, the Maplewood Village LIP on Salem Street next to
the Registry will be complete in 2006. This is an over 55 year-old condo development of 36
units, 25% of which are affordable. The Greystone 40B development off of Curtis and George
Streets is primarily complete, and 25% of the 12 condo units are affordable. Finally, the Johnson
Woods condo development on upper West Street is under construction. While this is not a 40B
development, 10% of the units will be affordable.
The Board of Selectmen joined in a LIP application with the Reading Housing Authority,
and authorized the Housing Authority to move ahead with construction of four of the six
affordable housing units on the property between 75 Pleasant Street and the Senior Center. This
includes a land swap between the Town and the Housing Authority which will retain the
municipal parking lot – but relocate it on the site.
Community Services Department
Infrastructure:
The Board of Selectmen spent countless hours on the license application for buying
supplemental water from the MWRA. The Board did approve tougher water restrictions, and
these restrictions were enacted to alleviate the strain on the Ipswich River during the late
Summer/early Fall of 2005.
Major road work included repaving of Woburn Street, and completion of the
reconstruction of Summer Avenue and Willow Street. Other road work included reconstruction
of Berkley Street, Gleason Road and Greenwood Road.
Major water line replacement work on West Street and on Franklin Street was completed
in 2005.
The I-93 containment was put on hold until the Town decides if they will buy 100% of
the water from the MWRA. The study identified several options with respect to providing
containment of any potential spill on I-93 in the area of the Town’s wellfield and the Ipswich
River.
Verizon applied for and negotiated an agreement to provide fiber Cable TV service to the
Town of Reading. This negotiation was concluded and a franchise awarded in January 2006,
thereby introducing competition in the Cable TV market in Reading for the first time. The
franchise agreement provides for a 5% of gross revenues payment to support PEG access, and a
lump sum up-front payment to develop the WAN (Wide Area Network) in the amount of
$245,000.
Major strides have been made and are being planned in the technology infrastructure of
the community:
The WAN is being expanded with the use of the Verizon Grant.
Upgrades in partnership with RCTV have been made in the cameras and a new
PowerPoint projector in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room.
A new phone system for the Downtown Town buildings has been leased and is
operational, and a parallel system is being implemented in the school system.
RCTV has greatly expanded the offerings of local government meetings being
broadcast – CPDC, ZBA and Conservation Commission are now on RCTV on a regular
basis.
Additional work is planned for the Town’s web page, and the Town now accepts
electronic payments for a number of Town bills.
Financial:
FY 2006 was a relatively good year financially. Although we were not able to convince
Moody’s to upgrade our rating, the Town did generate $2.6 million in free cash, having reduced
free cash to less than $30,000 the previous year. The Winter of 2004/2005 was a record one for
snow fall and for the first time, the Town spent more than $1 million on snow and ice control -- a
record that we hope will not be challenged soon.
The Town was successful in getting an $850,000 grant for the construction of Summer
Avenue, and a $15,000 grant for bringing the WAN to the West Side Fire Station and the Parker
Middle School. Also pending in a proposed supplemental State budget is funding for the
construction of sidewalks on Franklin Street in the amount of approximately $400,000.
Community Services Department
A Storm Water Management Enterprise Fund was discussed by the Board of Selectmen
to comply with this unfunded mandate. This was tabled at the Fall Town Meeting because of
legal questions but these questions have been resolved, and the proposal will move forward to
the Annual Town Meeting.
TOWN CLERK
Elections:
The Town of Reading’s Local Election was held on April 5, 2005. The Election included
six questions to amend Reading Home Rule Charter. All questions passed. We had 2621 ballots
cast (16% turnout) at the Election.
Voting was done at One Jacob Way (Addison-Wesley/Longman, Building E) due to
continued construction at the High School.
Board of Registrars:
Robert Cusolito, Gloria Hulse and Town Clerk Cheryl A. Johnson certified over 1500
voter and household changes to the community for 2005, certified petitions and nomination
papers, and offered assistance to voters on Election Day. We are currently looking for a
Democratic Registrar.
Census:
The Annual Town Census was conducted in January, entirely by mail, with a total of
9200 forms mailed to residences.
The local Census assists Town Clerks in putting together the Street List (resident book)
and the Jury List. Major functions served by an annual local census are:
Information collected for municipal purposes
School needs
Growth and planning needs
Resident identification for police and fire
Collection of dog information
Veteran Information
Information for the Jury Commissioners
Determining inactive voter status for voter purge as required by the National Voter
Registration Act.
Town Meeting:
The Annual Town Meeting in April was completed in four sessions, approving a budget
for Fiscal Year 2006 in the amount of $70,911,840. Town Meeting amended the Zoning By-
Laws regarding Carriage Houses, and amended the General Bylaws regarding the West Street
Historic District.
The Subsequent Town Meeting in November was completed in two sessions. Town
Meeting amended various sections of the General Bylaws and Zoning By-Laws.
Community Services Department
Vital Statistics and Licensing:
During the calendar year 2005, the following Vital Statistics were recorded in the Town
Clerk's Office:
Births – 291 Marriages – 86 Deaths – 405
In August, the Town Clerk’s Office starting using a new database to input, store and print
vital records and business certificates. During the rest of the year, we completed inputting all of
2005 birth, deaths, marriages and business certificates. We have also started inputting various
other years as customers request them.
Since the opening of the hospice house in Reading, our deaths increased by 57% in the
last two years.
Also issued were 1929 dog licenses, 147 business certificates, 27 renewals for under-
ground storage tanks and 44 cemetery deeds.
A total of 839 Fish and Wildlife Licenses and stamps were issued during the year for a
total of $9882.40. The Town of Reading issued 93 licenses free of charges to those citizens over
70 years of age. The Town retained $175.40 in fees from the sale of licenses. Sales increased
again this year due to Stoneham, as well as Wakefield and Melrose, no longer selling these
licenses.
Total receipts collected in the Clerk's Office for the calendar year 2005 amounted to
$91,331.93.
Respectfully submitted,
Cheryl A. Johnson, Town Clerk
TOWN COUNSEL
During 2005, Brackett & Lucas, as Town Counsel, addressed many diverse issues. The
Town is currently involved in a minimal amount of litigation. Most litigation involved appeals
of zoning decisions and litigation concerning the Revay Municipal Water Supply Well. A claim
for arbitration against Stearns and Wheeler, an engineering firm, was initiated on behalf of the
Town and will hopefully be negotiated to conclusion in 2006.
Attorneys Joan Langsam, Gary Brackett, Donna Gorshel Cohen and Yvonne Gonzales
provided legal assistance to most Departments and Boards of the Town. The legal services
provided concentrated in the areas of land use, School Department issues relating to the
construction of the new elementary schools and the High School, public records, Open Meeting
Law and contract review.
Other legal services that were provided to the Town by Brackett & Lucas were advising
the Town Clerk on Election issues, representation to the Board of Assessors on appeals to the
Appellate Tax Board, review and drafting of new and revised bylaws, and review and drafting of
Warrant Articles for Town Meetings during the year. Also, significant time was spent on
litigation involving the Conservation Commission.
Community Services Department
Two new bylaws were developed concerning door to door solicitation in the Town and
regulations concerning animal control, particularly the control of vicious dogs.
Gary Brackett and I conducted a training session for Town Boards and officials on
holding error free hearings and the Open Meeting Law and Public Records law. Of course, as
usual, we attended all Town Meetings in order to address legal issues and concerns voiced by
Town Meeting Members.
As Town Counsel, the firm of Brackett & Lucas also provided legal advice and assistance
to both the Board of Selectmen and School Committee relative to property issues and State
funding procedures concerning the renovation of the Reading Memorial High School.
In general, legal assistance in the way of rendering opinions and giving advice was
provided to most departments.
It has been a pleasure continuing to serve the Town of Reading and addressing its legal
concerns. We look forward to another active and fruitful year in 2006.
Respectfully submitted,
Joan E. Langsam, Town Counsel
CONSERVATION DIVISION
The Conservation Commission was established in 1960 under Section 8C of Chapter 40
of the Massachusetts General Laws for the promotion and the development of the natural
resources, and for the protection of watershed resources in Reading. The Commission has
worked since that time to acquire and maintain hundreds of acres of conservation land within the
Town for public enjoyment and resource protection.
In 1972, the Conservation Commission was given regulatory authority to administer the
new Wetlands Protection Act, Section 40 of Chapter 131 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Over the years, the Commission’s role in the administration of the Wetlands Protection Act has
been further defined through regulations and policies issued by the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection. In 1980, the Town adopted Section 5.7 of the Reading General
Bylaws, the Wetlands Protection Bylaw. The Commission subsequently promulgated the
Reading Wetlands Protection Regulations under the Bylaw. From time to time, Town Meeting
has amended the Bylaw and the Commission has amended the Regulations, most recently in
January of 2002. The amendments serve to clarify the language, to make it consistent with
recent changes in the State law and regulations, and to assure revenues from filing fees.
Wetlands Protection Activities:
During 2005, the Conservation Commission reviewed 52 permit applications for
proposed work and wetlands delineation. The Commission held 122 public hearings and public
meetings, and performed 126 site inspections regarding the permit applications and construction.
The Commission also issued 102 decisions including permits, resource area delineations,
extensions and amendments. The Commission made final site inspections and closed 34 project
files in a concerted effort to update records. The Commission identified and resolved 25
violations, and successfully defended its position in three appeals to DEP. The Administrator
Community Services Department
reviewed and signed off on 746 building permits and 42 minor projects, and performed 481 site
inspections. The Commission collected $6,582.00 in filing fees under the Wetlands Protection
Act, and $24,219.14 under the Wetlands Protection Bylaw.
Major projects under permitting review and/or construction oversight by the Commission
in 2005 included:
Three multi-family developments that include affordable housing;
Two single-family Habitat for Humanity houses;
Three preliminary subdivisions and two under construction;
Major construction and renovations at Wood End Elementary, Barrows Elementary and
Reading Memorial High School;
Commercial property improvements off Walkers Brook Drive including Walkers Brook
Crossing, the Danis property, the Boston Stove property, the car dealership and the Shell
Station;
Mitigation and wetlands restoration work to correct impacts of the hazardous materials
spills at several sites;
Street and utility improvements including Town projects, the Tennessee Gas pipeline, I-
93 and I-95, Mass. Bay Commuter Rail and the RMLD transformer station;
Improvements in commercial properties on Main Street and Meadow Brook Golf Club;
Closure of firing ranges and preliminary plans for a vehicle maintenance facility at Camp
Curtis Guild, and also Town snow storage areas at the Camp; and
Preliminary plans for a new Water Treatment Plant.
The Commission and Administrator worked with the Recreation Department on Hunt
Park playground improvements, with Health officials to resolve a flooding problem caused by
beavers near Haverhill Street, with the Historical Commission on retention of historical homes,
and with Zoning officials on a propane storage proposal. The Administrator worked with other
Town staff on the I-93 risk assessment project, the Stormwater Phase II plan, design standards
for groundwater recharge systems in the Aquifer Protection District, and design work for West
Street improvements.
Natural Resources Conservation Activities:
In 2005, the Commission was awarded a MA Drinking Water Supply Protection Grant
for purchase of the Dividence Meadows parcel abutting Wood End School and the Town Forest.
We hope to complete the purchase in 2006. In 2005, we established an access easement over
Conservation land at the end of Longwood Road to formalize the access that has been used for
many years by several abutters.
The Commission is grateful for the completion of Conservation restrictions granted by
Carter & Coleman at 248 Main Street, and a private residence on Van Norden Road. The
Commission commends Erik Flower, his Boy Scout Troop, and the Ipswich River Stream Team
for completion of a new picnic area and canoe launch at Lob’s Pound Mill. We also commend
Tom Conley and his Boy Scout Troop for improvements in the Kurchiam Woods trail system,
and Sam Horn and his Boy Scout Troop for a new trail from Franklin Street into Bare Meadow
Conservation Area. And we commend the Reading Open Land Trust and the RMHS National
Honor Society for helping the Commission clean up ROLT land on Scotland Road. Maps of
trails in Town Conservation Areas and regulations for use of these areas are available at Town
Hall.
Community Services Department
Membership and Office Management:
During 2005, Harold Hulse retired after more than 20 years of service as a Commissioner
and a consultant. His contributions will be missed. Doug Greene, Will Finch, Becky Longley,
Bill Hecht and Jamie Maughan continued in service along with and Leo Kenney, our consultant.
Mark Wetzel and Steve Goldy accepted appointments to complete our seven-member roster. Bill
Hecht continued as Chairman and Mark Wetzel became Vice Chairman. Fran Fink continued in
service as Conservation Administrator. Commissioners and the Administrator attended various
workshops and courses during the year to stay current with open space protection and wetland
regulation practices.
The Commission’s Office is located in the Community Services Department on the first
floor of Town Hall. The phone number is (781) 942-6616.
Respectfully submitted,
Frances Fink, Conservation Administrator
ELDER/HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION
The Division of Elder/Human Services provides social services, activities, transportation,
educational programs, and a meal site for Reading residents aged 60 and over. Home-delivered
meals are available for homebound elders through Mystic Valley Elder Services. In addition, the
Division offers information, support and referrals to the adult children, friends and caregivers of
elders about a variety of aging concerns.
This was a year of transition for the Division. A consultant was hired by the Town to
assess the Division’s services and organization and to recommend improvements. The
consultant’s report was completed and approved by the Board of Selectmen in December of
2004. In April 2005, a new Administrator began the process of implementing the consultant’s
recommendations. These changes will be explained below.
Social Service:
Our Social Worker addresses the needs and concerns of Reading families and individuals.
Assistance for those under the age of 60 often involves crisis intervention, goal-setting,
information and referrals about financial, housing, mental health and disabilities-related
concerns. For those aged 60 and over, assistance includes crisis intervention, case management,
answering housing questions, mediating in intergenerational disputes, intervening in cases of
neglect, loneliness or depression, coordinating appointments with area medical and social service
agencies, as well as providing information and referrals with regard to nursing home placement
and eligibility screening for State and Federal services. Assisting relatives and friends of seniors
is an additional, important service of our Social Worker.
Our Social Worker also provides eligibility screening for, and assistance with,
applications for Fuel Assistance and the Reading Food Pantry. In 2005, the Social Worker made
23 referrals to the Reading Food Pantry, and assisted 39 households with their Fuel Assistance
applications. Each year, the Division coordinates the Adopt-A-Family Program which matches
low income Reading families with confidential donors of food and gifts for children.
Community Services Department
During the year, our Social Worker had over 2500 contacts with over 1200 people who
required assistance of some kind. In addition to all this, our Social Worker leads a monthly
support group for caregivers.
The Division is committed to providing quality, up-to-the-minute information to our
citizens on matters important to their lives. In 2005, Reading Elder/Human Services sponsored a
variety of lectures and educational programs on topics ranging from Estate Planning to Medicare,
from Healthy Diets to Reverse Mortgages.
Senior Center:
As can be seen from the following chart, our Senior Center provides a location for many
activities.
Cribbage Bingo Billiards Blood Pressure Chess
Clinic**
Movies Caregiver’s Bingo Book Discussion Free & Sober*
group*
Open Computer Computer Bridge Line Dancing
Computer Lab Lessons Lessons
Tai Chi In-Town Walkers Drop-in Space Congressman Open Computer
Tierney’s Office Lab
Motion to Music Game Day In-Town Walkers Party Bridge
Movies Knitters Line Dancing Strength
Training
Open Low Vision* Motion to Music
Computer Lab
Visit with the NARFE* Open Computer
Town Manager Lab
Open Computer Podiatry Clinic
Lab
Quilting Scuttlebutt*
Watercolor
Painting Class
* Support and educational groups that meet monthly are: The Caregiver’s Group, the Low
Vision Group, Scuttlebutt Veterans’ Group and NARFE (National Association of Retired Federal
Employees). Free and Sober AA meets weekly.
** The Blood Pressure Clinic is provided by the Reading Health Department.
Support Groups provide participants with an opportunity to express their feelings, and to
gain insights from other participants’ experiences. Often, guest speakers are invited to present
their views.
Community Services Department
Advocacy services available through Reading Elder/Human Services include Serving the
Health Information Needs of Elders (SHINE), and the Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS).
SHINE assists people with Medicare and related health insurance questions. Our Social Worker
is a SHINE counselor, and she meets with people throughout the year to assist them with
insurance questions.
Examples of the educational seminars and programs held at the Senior Center are:
Diabetes Management sponsored by Neighborhood Diabetes
Wellness in Music sponsored by Boston Organ and Piano Company
Property Tax Info sponsored by Reading Town Treasurer and Assessor’s Offices
Health Screenings sponsored by Life Line Screenings of America
See A Piece of Sports History sponsored by Senator Richard Tisei and Rep. Brad Jones
Real Estate Options sponsored by Colonial Manor Real Estate
Heart Healthy Eating sponsored by Winchester Hospital
Cooking without Salt sponsored by Mystic Valley Elder Services
Probate Wills and Estates sponsored by The Registrar of Probate
Reverse Mortgage sponsored by Reading Cooperative Bank
Bonds Can Help You sponsored by Edward Jones
Elder Law Education program sponsored by Attorney Janice Nigro
Fall Prevention & The Rehab Experience sponsored by Wilmington Health Center
Investing for Women sponsored by Edward Jones
How to Talk to Your Doctor sponsored by PrimeCare
Financial and Medical Assistance for Veterans sponsored by Reading Veterans’ Division
Breast Cancer Awareness sponsored by Winchester Hospital
Health Plan Options sponsored by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MA
Brown Bag Check-up(Re: Medications) sponsored by Hallmark Home Care
Virtual Assisted Living sponsored by Best Home Care
Let’s Talk about Sugar sponsored by Mystic Valley Elder Services
Healthy Holiday Meals sponsored by Winchester Hospital
Holiday Blues and Depression sponsored by Visiting Nurse and Community Health
Examples of social programs held at the Senior Center are:
Monthly Special Lunch sponsored by Mystic Valley Elder Services
Monthly Birthday Lunch sponsored by Reading Elder Services
Red Hat Tea sponsored by The Red Hat Society
St. Patrick’s Day Dinner sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
Annual Lion’s Italian Dinner sponsored by Reading Lion’s Club
Mason’s Annual Cookout sponsored by Reading Masons
Square Dancing with RMHS Students sponsored by RMHS Student Council
Community Games Show Night sponsored by Reading Recreation Division
Texas Hold’em Style Poker sponsored by Reading Recreation Division
Ham and Bean Supper sponsored by Reading Police Department
Halloween Party sponsored by Edward Jones
Scarecrow Creations sponsored by Reading Elder Services
Winter Solstice Celebration sponsored by The Rotary Club
Community Services Department
Examples of programs held off-site are:
Pasta Supper sponsored by Coolidge Middle School Peer Leaders – School
Grandparents Day Special –Folk performer sponsored in part by the Reading Cultural
Council – Library
Birthday Bash sponsored by The Red Hat Society – North Reading Congregational Church
thth
Lunch With 4 and 5 Graders sponsored by Birch Meadow School - School
Elk’s Summer Cookout sponsored by the Wakefield Elk’s - Wakefield
Volunteers:
The Division recognizes the importance of volunteers. Few of our programs would run
smoothly without volunteers from the community. The volunteers themselves learn new skills,
meet new people, and enjoy an increased sense of self-worth. For these reasons, the Division
places great emphasis on offering a variety of volunteer opportunities for a diverse set of skills,
abilities and interests.
Our Coordinator of Volunteers matches volunteers to community service positions --
many of which specifically aid Reading’s older population. At our annual Volunteer Reception,
70 volunteers were recognized for their contributions. The following is a few of the positions
our volunteers fill: Senior Center Receptionist, Adopt-an-Island gardeners, Bingo callers,
computer instructors, kitchen helpers, shoppers for the homebound, snow shovelers, leaf rakers
and medical escorts.
Lunchtime Meals:
The Daily Nutrition Program is provided through cooperation with Mystic Valley Elder
Services, Inc. (MVES). MVES also provides Reading residents with homemakers, home health
aids, legal services, protective services, information and referrals on a variety of topics and
respite care.
In previous years and through most of 2005, the Nutrition Program Coordinator
employed by the Town of Reading managed the meal site, and coordinated the Meals-On-
Wheels Program overseeing more than 60 volunteer drivers who delivered a hot, noon-time meal
to clients’ homes.
As recommended in the Consultant’s report, an evaluation of the Meals-On-Wheels
Program was conducted. The evaluation revealed the cost-effectiveness of using MVES’ hired
drivers to deliver the meals as opposed to having an all-volunteer delivery team. This change was
implemented in October of 2005.
Following another of the Consultant’s recommendations, we re-evaluated the cost-
effectiveness of the Nutrition Program Coordinator’s position, and discovered that a substantial
savings could be realized by following the model of neighboring towns and contracting with
Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) to employ their own Meal Site Manager responsible for
noon meals at the Senior Center. This change was also implemented in October of 2005.
The resources freed up by these changes allowed the Division to hire a full-time Senior
Center Coordinator. Placing a full-time staff person at the Senior Center was also one of the
Consultant’s recommendations. Reading residents have long been vocal about their desire to
have a full-time staff person at the Senior Center and today we have one.
Community Services Department
The Senior Center Coordinator’s primary responsibility is to manage the daily operations
of the Senior Center including the care of the facility and the coordination of activities.
Since October 2005:
The Meal Site Manager, a MVES employee, now oversees the congregate meal program.
She works from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. In addition, the Meals on
Wheels (MOW) Program is delivered by three MVES employees. Reading Elder/Human
Services no longer employs a Nutrition Program Coordinator.
There are 12 meal site volunteers who help serve and clean up after the noon-time meal at
the Senior Center. In 2005, a total of 219 seniors had lunch at the Senior Center and consumed
3,912 meals. Many of our seniors make it a point to meet at the Senior Center for lunch.
Socialization is an important component of this program.
In 2005, the Meals-on-Wheels Program delivered a total of 17,597 meals to 140
participants. The roster of participants changes as people become well enough to prepare their
own meals or move to other levels of care. A variety of meals are delivered including lunch
meals, evening meals, clinical diets, and frozen meals for the weekend. Many kinds of “clinical
diet” meals are provided which include no concentrated sweets, diabetic, low fiber, high fiber,
low lactose, renal or pureed.
Van Transportation:
The Van Transportation Program provides a vital service for those seniors who cannot
get around otherwise. Transportation is provided in Town for the following purposes: Banking,
grocery shopping, medical appointments, personal appointments, pharmacy appointments and
visiting the Senior Center. In 2005, the van made 7,066 one-way trips transporting an average of
66 (unduplicated count) passengers per month.
The Division was awarded a grant from the Executive Office of Transportation for a new
van. The grant will cover 80% of the cost of the new van (approximately $51,040) and the
Burbank Trust Fund, with the Council on Aging’s approval, will provide the remaining 20%
(approximately $12,760).
The new van will seat 15 passengers and be equipped with a wheelchair lift. The delivery
date has yet to be determined. As stipulated in the grant proposal, this van will provide
transportation to out-of-town medical appointments.
Burbank Trust:
In 2005, the Council on Aging approved expenditures from the Dorothy L. Burbank Trust
to pay for the following: Monthly entertainment, cake and Gift Certificates for the Senior
Center’s Monthly Birthday Lunch, two full-page advertisements of our programs in the Reading
Recreation Community Guide, a CD player for the Senior Center, a cash box for the bridge
group, the monthly printing costs of the Pleasantries Newsletter, and the postage cost for three
bulk mailings of the Newsletter. 3,156 senior households in Reading receive the Newsletter
during these bulk mailings. The goal of the Newsletter is to increase awareness among
Reading’s seniors of the programs and services available to them.
Community Services Department
The Council on Aging also approved the expenditures of the Burbank Trust to fund of the
Senior Property Tax Program for Fiscal Year 2005 for a total of $15,750. This program allows
21 seniors to work a total 111 hours annually, and to earn in total $750.00 which is applied
directly towards the participants’ property taxes. Participants in this program provide important
assistance to various municipal departments.
Donations:
Many individuals and organizations have generously supported the Elder/Human
Services programs and services by providing money, gifts and in-kind services. Donations have
included postage stamps for the “Sunshine Card” Program, card tables, a small refrigerator, a
coffee table, food, knitting supplies, games, magazines, food baskets and more.
In 2003, the Hitching Post published a cookbook titled “Recipes to Remember.” Each
year, they donate the yearly proceeds from the sales of this cookbook to Reading Elder Services.
This year’s donation was $328.00.
Adopt-A-Family:
Each year, Elder/Human Services coordinates the Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program.
Reading businesses, out-of-town businesses that employ Reading residents, [local?]
youth organizations, school groups, nursery schools, churches and municipal departments join
together to make this program a success. This past year, 90 donor groups and families made
donations of food and gifts to the Adopt-A-Family Program.
RecipientsFamily UnitAdults/Children
Thanksgiving Food 47 175
Christmas Food/Gifts 58 184 (82/102)
The Division has two revolving funds: The Elder Services Revolving Fund covers
emergency situations for persons aged 60 and older who lack financial resources to cover basic
needs, and the Human Service Revolving Fund is for persons under age 60 who lack financial
resources for emergency situations.
During 2005, the Council on Aging experienced some changes. Stacey Bertocchi was
newly appointed to the Council and Kristen Kinsella resigned.
Respectfully submitted,
Dawn Folopoulos, Elder/Human Services Administrator
Community Services Department
MYSTIC VALLEY ELDER SERVICES
Listed below is a detailed inventory and value of services delivered to Reading’s older
residents by Mystic Valley Elder Services during the past year. I believe this accounting
demonstrates in a concrete way how your local contribution assists us in returning a substantial
amount of direct support to Reading. Without Reading’s assistance and that of the other seven
participating cities and towns, Mystic Valley Elder Services would be unable to continue to
provide the level of crucial supportive services currently available.
I want to personally thank the Town of Reading for their continued support of MVES’s
programs and services through good and bad economic times. We will always be there for the
residents of Reading who need help at home.
Respectfully submitted,
Daniel J. O’Leary, Executive Director
Mystic Valley Elder Services, Inc.
19 Riverview Business Park
300 Commercial Street
Malden, Massachusetts 02148
Title III-B (Social Services) and Title III-C (Nutrition Services) provided to Reading elders in Fiscal
Year 2005
Title III-C
Meals Value of
Nutrition ProgramServed Services
Home Delivered Meals 17,466 $57,319
Congregate Meals 4,176 $16,374
Site Managers (Wages/Benefits) $7,459
Home Delivered Meals Drivers $19,386
(Wages/Benefits)
Driver's Mileage $2,479
TOTAL TITLE III-C VALUE$103,017
Title III-Supportive Services
Clients Total Value of
Legal ServicesServedValueServices
Greater Boston Legal Services, Inc.
Total Cases/Consults 202
Total Reading Residents Served 8
Budget 10/04-09/05 $49,000
% in Reading = 4.0%
Reading's Cost (Budget x 4.0%) $1,941
Clients TotalValue of
Medical Transportation ServedValueServices
Total Residents Served 79
Total Reading Residents Served 1
Amount spent on Reading elders $480
Services to Blind Elders
Vision Foundation
Total Residents Served 79
Total Reading Residents Served 24
Budget 10/04 - 9/05 $7,000
% in Reading = 30.4%
Reading's Cost (Budget x 30.4%) $2,127
Title III E Family Caregiver Program
MVES Caregiver Support
Cost 10/04-09/05 $196,680
% in Reading = 8.3%
Reading's Cost (Budget x 8.3%) $16,324
Minority Outreach Service
The Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center
Total Residents Served 195
Total Reading Residents Served 3
Budget 10/04 - 9/05 $14,000
% in Reading = 1.5%
Reading's Cost (Budget x 1.5%) $215
Title III Health Promotions
Title III Health Promotions Funding Subgrants for managing Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Cost 10/04-09/05 $8,301
% in Reading = 6.2%
Reading's Cost (Budget x 6.2%) $513
Friendly Visitor Grant:
Awarded to Reading Senior Center $1,299
TOTAL OF TITLE III SERVICES $125,916
PROVIDED TO READING ELDERS
STATE HOME CARE PROGRAM
224 Reading residents received home care services for the year
ending June 30, 2005. These services included intake and referral,
case management, chore, transportation, social day care, adult
day health, personal care, home health aides, laundry, personal
emergency response, companionship, homemaker and respite care
TOTAL SERVICES PROVIDED TO READING ELDERS $1,079,835
Community Services Department
HEALTH DIVISION
Public Health continues to employ the varying sciences of its discipline to improve and
protect the well being of Reading citizens, and to protect the environment from pollution and
damage. Epidemiology and infection control, food science, toxicology, vector control,
immunization and medical screening, emergency preparedness, and the legal responsibilities of
enforcement through regulations are some of the many fields of study used each day by the
Health Division to meet the goals created by the mission of the Board of Health. The Health
Division, under the direction of the Board, develops programs and services to respond to
emerging health issues. The accomplishment of these programs is done in collaboration with the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Department of Homeland Security, the
Department of Environmental Protection, and local agencies and other Town departments.
The Board of Health (BOH) continued with a stable membership operating under the
leadership of Colleen Seferian as Chairman, Barbara Meade as Board Secretary and Dr. David
Mitchell Singer. The Board of Health’s work was wide and varied this year. The members
actively reviewed the progress of building plans and the opening of Walkers Brook Crossing,
Phase 2. As a governing board, they reviewed housing issues and met with landlords and
tenants to assist in the enforcement of housing orders (105 CMR 410.000) issued by the Health
Administrator. They toured the Water Treatment Plant to better understand the Town’s safe
water distribution system. Members of the Board stayed knowledgeable of the responsibilities of
Reading’s public health emergency response program as a dynamic document to enable response
to any public health emergency. The full Board became certified in the Incident Command
System as the common management system used nationally to respond to emergencies natural
and man made.
The Health Division continues its role as liaison to the Substance Abuse Prevention
Advisory Council. Chairman Karyn Storti and the 11-member Council worked throughout the
year with the School and Police Departments to educate the general population of the Town
around the issues of addiction. Substance Abuse is a major public health issue which affects the
Nation, State and community. The mission of this Council is to use prevention as a major tool in
an effort to prevent addiction due to the lack of knowledge. As members of Project Alliance, the
Council met their annual education goal by presenting, in cooperation with the School
Department, expert programs on positive parenting methods and the consequences of alcohol and
drug use. Project Alliance is a coalition organized by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
The Town has been a member of this organization through the Drug Free Schools and
Communities Grant for 18 years. The Council effectively presented a joint meeting of the
School Committee and the Board of Selectmen at the request of the School Committee.
Following the schools interest and concerns have been supportive in all endeavors of SAPAC.
Emergency Preparedness and the response to bio-terrorism has become a National State
and local focus to prepare for any man-made or natural disaster. The preparation for the Reading
Health Division has been extensive and continues to be a plan in motion. Reading belongs to
Region #3 of the public health sections, the Division is a part of the local emergency planning
council. The preparedness for Reading’s Health Division is as part of The Greater Lawrence
Coalition with North Reading, Lynnfield, Andover, North Andover, Methuen, Lawrence.
Community Services Department
The Health Directors meet bi-monthly preparing for regional and local emergencies. All
communities would respond for an infectious disease outbreak such as Hepatitis-A outbreak,
Anthrax exposure, smallpox, large-scale food contamination, or a large chemical spill to lend
staff and public health expertise to be used for purposes of triage, medicine dispensing and other
operations. In the future, a formal mutual aid agreement will be presented to each town/city
governing body for approval. The coalitionentered into the third year CDC grant to be used to
further plan and make ready each public Health Department’s infrastructure for any emergency
natural or man-made. Withthe evidence andconcern of Avian flu and the potential for a flu
pandemic, planning now for this potential event is a major role and responsibility for the Reading
Health Division.
Tobacco Control Program called Healthy Communities remains a grant funded program
which Reading continues its membership along with Andover, North Andover, Middleton,
Lynnfield, North Reading, Methuen, Haverhill, Dracut, Stoneham, Newburyport and Haverhill.
The Tobacco Control Program operates within the guidelines of a Massachusetts Department of
Public Health grant. Andover is the fiscal lead for the project. The coalition grant funds have a
Tobacco Control Coordinator. This individual performs with a trained student quarterly
compliance checks at all tobacco vendors checking to see if sales are made to minors. Reading
establishments have done poorly this past year. Six of the 24 vendors have sold to minors. One
of those six sold during two compliance checks. The Board of Health has become proactive in
placing the names of the establishment in the local newspaper along with the usual $100 and
$200 fines in an effort to change this behavior. Reading Memorial High School continues to
have three Administrators as agents of the BOH giving them the legal authority to issue non-
criminal disposition tickets for adults and/or students caught smoking on school grounds.
The Public Health Nursing Service has been limited this year. The Health Administrator
as a Nurse was covering both her position and that of the Public Health Nurse position from
January 2005-April 2005. The position was filled in April 2005 by Trish Faulkner after 13
months of vacancy. Ms. Faulkner has been an active and professional addition to the staff, and
brings many clinics and other services back into full operational capacity. Blood Pressure clinics
are now run six times per month, cholesterol and glucose screening twice a month, and
tuberculosis screening every Tuesday. The re-establishment of the Reading Health Division
immunization clinics and full referral services are back in operation. Trish is a positive addition
and as a 26 hours a week position, she offers the Town an immeasurable service in public health
nursing.
The annual flu clinics immunized 2,132 citizens. There were also 103 homebound
immunizations given by the Public Health Nurse to total the flu immunization at 2,235 in
comparison the 2,004 at 1200 immunized. 2004 was low due to the vaccine shortage which was
corrected this season giving the Health Division the opportunity to bring out immunization level
back in the normal range for a local Board of Health.
The Inspectional Services has completed 999 inspections. These were responses to
housing, food establishments, schools, noise, trash complaints, rodents, unique complaint issues.
Food inspections continue to be within the State requirement at 2-3x per year a total of (567).
Besides the routine food establishment inspections this year, the Health Administrator reviewed
plans for nine (9) new restaurants, met with the owner managers, and then the Inspector com-
Community Services Department
pleted pre-opening inspections on these new establishments. Also, the continuous inspections of
the school projects, Barrows Elementary School and Reading Memorial High School were
extensive and demanding. The Barrows project Camp and pool was completed with all
.
requirements by December and the High School project continues
The Health Inspector is a certified pool operator and inspects two indoor pools
(monthly) and five season pools. Massage therapy establishments (8) and tanning establishments
(6), all churches, nursing homes and private clubs are inspected. Twelve animal inspections and
one kennel have been inspected with proper documentation sent to the State Department of
Agriculture. The local and State regulations dealing with inspectional issues keep the community
healthy through this diligent effort.
The Health Administrator as a Title-5 Inspector has the authority to inspect individual
subsurface waste (septic) systems. Thirty-eight systems were inspected for abandonment to be
connected to Town sewer or inspected for repaired. Education, the real estate market and the law
have influenced this number of repairs or Town sewer connections.
Indoor Air Quality complaints are on an increase - responding to both public and
private entities. The Massachusetts Environmental Bureau has been very responsive to the Town
assisting in these very complex investigations.
Contractual Services: The largest contractual service is mosquito control. The Town is
part of the Eastern Middlesex Mosquito Control Project that provides mosquito wetland
surveillance, larval and adult mosquito control, and public education.
The heavy, early Spring rains caused an increase in the number of mosquitoes early
in the season. The dry, hot Summer changed the volume and species of mosquitoes trapped in
the five monitoring locations. The risk of the mosquito borne of Eastern Equine Encephalitis
(EEE) increased in late Summer in southern New Hampshire causing increased calls and
questions to the Health Division. The project responded in Reading by collecting and identifying
mosquito species that may cause West Nile Virus or EEE in five different traps in Reading - 30
times on nine different nights. The mosquitoes were tested by the Massachusetts State
Department of Public Health. The information only indicated large quantities of mosquitoes - no
disease. Also, in July and September, the Division treats all storm drains (stagnant water) with
Vextolex WSP - this reduces the mosquito larvae formation in the standing water. In 2005, all
2700 storm drains were treated twice.
The control of adult mosquitoes is through larvacide bacillus thuringiensis var.
israelensis (Bto) which is classified by EPA as relatively non-toxic. In April, a helicopter
sprayed an application of Bti over 1.5 acres of wetland. To control adult mosquitoes, resmethrin
was applied at night by truck mounted sprayers at 2,379 acres only when traps were surveyed
and the spraying was indicated.
Another contractual service offered through the Division to the community is
Riverside Mental Health. The agency offers mental health counseling and substance abuse care
for children, adolescents, adults and families who have limited financial resources. In FY 2005,
the agency offered $25,000 of free care to Reading residents. The agency has responded by
request of the Health Division to assist in managing difficult situational crisis.
Community Services Department
Eastern Middlesex Association of Retarded Citizens (EMARC) served clients. The
regional program offers training for the individuals to work at local businesses. The Health
Services Administrator participates inquarterly Board Meetings to assure Reading‘s needs are
met.
Dead animal disposal continues through contractual services. This contractual service
prevents the transfer of disease such as rabies. In 2005, a total of 369 animals were removed
from public ways and disposed of properly.
Environmental issues handled by the Division include the annual rabies immunization
programs with the support of the local veterinarian. Sixty-six dogs and cats were immunized on
one Saturday afternoon. This rabies immunization clinic is the prevention offered for the 1600
registered dogs in the Town. The Clerk’s Office provided registration for the first time at 2005
clinic. There were two bats that tested positive for which the Division responded appropriately.
Well permits continue to be issued by the Division. 2005 issued 10 permits - none in
the aquifer district. The total number of wells both types is 204. The Board of Health voted to
institute a well installation moratorium from August 3 to October 31, 2005.
Removing hazardous material from the environment include the use of syringe
sharps box collections, and mercury exchange program. Mercury fever thermometer exchange
continues at the Division. In 2005, there were only 40 thermometers collected. This is a
program with Covanta Waste Management and has been in operation for four years. The slow
but continued success of the program remains a positive educational effort.
The Division issued 238 burial permits.
The Sealer of Weights and Measures under a grant from the State Department of
Consumer Affairs for $40,000 checks accuracy in scanner pricing in Reading, Stoneham, North
Reading. The other functions are to respond to consumer complaints, to seal all scales for
accuracy used in physician’s offices, pharmacies and in retail food establishments, to check
accuracy of gasoline pumps, and all items weighed and measured a total of 362 devices - 248 of
these devices are gasoline pumps for accurate delivery of a gallon for a gallon and the proper
octane is delivered. Sealing fees total $11,057 plus $2,500 in citation. The Sealer spent many
hours preparing Linen’s N Things and Staples to meet compliance before the stores opened.
Revenues for Calendar Year 2005:
Programs and License Fees:
Citations
$192,000
Grants
63,000
TOTAL
$255,000
Respectfully submitted,
Jane Fiore, Health Administrator
Community Services Department
THE ARC OF EAST MIDDLESEX
Listed below is a detailed analysis of the number of individuals serviced during FY05 by
the Arc of East Middlesex in Reading as well as the surrounding cities and towns. A financial
summary for the same time period is also included.
Program Statistics for FY 2005:
Program ReadingTotal
Other
EMI Vocational 11 86 97
Recreation 55 209 264
Residential
Range Heights Road, Lynn 4 4
Cliffside Commons, Malden 6 6
Lebanon Street, Melrose 8 8
Main Street, Melrose 8 8
Haven Street, Reading 10 10
Hopkins Street, Reading 4 4
Pitman Drive, Reading 4 4
Newcomb Avenue, Saugus 4 4
Albion Street, Wakefield 6 6
Nahant Street, Wakefield 7 7
Total Residents 18 43 61
TOTALS 84 338 422
Income:
For FY 2005, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contributed approximately 79% of
program expenses. The remainder came from the following sources:
Client Rents and Fees 10% Grants 2%
City and Town Support 4% Donations and Gifts 2%
EMI Vocational Income 2% Miscellaneous Income 1%
Total expenses for this period accounted for 99.78% of income.
EMI Vocational Programs:
East Middlesex Industries (EMI) provides workshop services and training as well as
follow-up case management to clients placed in gainful employment worksites within the area.
The goal of EMI is to provide individuals with the vocational skills and training to become
independent, tax-paying members of their communities. Additionally, EMI provides vocational
opportunities through the Center for Emerging Artists (CEA). Products produced by many of the
individuals attending CEA are featured in several exhibitions in the area each year. Many items
produced are for sale, and the artists receive commission income for each piece sold.
Recreational Programs:
The Arc of East Middlesex provides recreational services throughout the year for children
and adults with developmental disabilities. The funding to run these programs is raised through
fundraising efforts and individual attendance fees. Although these programs are staffed by
Community Services Department
employees, not all of them could be run without the assistance of volunteers. Several dances are
held throughout the year, and it should be noted that approximately 50 Reading residents have
volunteered to assist in these very successful programs.
NewJourney to Independence Program
this year is the which will teach teens and
young adults with developmental disabilities necessary skills such as personal health care,
money handling, cooking, cleaning, employment, leisure and personal safety at an offsite
location called the Real World House. This program operates on weekends and school vacations
and provides a safe, fun, overnight learning environment for individuals to learn the skills they
will need to succeed in the future.
Residential Services:
Residential services are currently provided at several sites throughout the area to 61
adults who have developmental disabilities. Residential programs are funded primarily by the
Department of Mental Retardation (DMR). Room and Board fees charged to the residents are
used to offset DMR funding. The goal of residential services is to provide individuals with an
opportunity to live and participate in the local communities that we serve.
Additional Services:
Advocacy services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families
Parent Resource Counseling
Information and Referral Services
Internships and Work Study Programs for students
Various Support Groups
Resource Library
Family Education and Training
Individual Centered Planning
Supported Living
Sib-Shop groups for siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities
Home Away from Home temporary living arrangements
Respite Services
Partners in Play Recreational Programs
Host agency for the Northeast Chapter of Mass. Families Organizing for Change (FOFC)
Host agency for Building Community Bridges
Family Resource Center
Listed below are the details of the number of individuals serviced and the financial
support received from the cities and towns for FY 2006 and the amounts requested for FY 2007.
All support from these cities and towns includes both EMI Vocational support and Recreational
Program support.
WakefieldStonehamReadingMelrose
EMI Vocational 18 8 11 14
Recreation 72 39 55 60
Family Support * 91 75 128 175
FY 2006 Actual $15,620 $7,535 $15,777 $8,460
FY 2007 Request $18,000 $9,973 $15,993 $15,215
* Provided for informational, comparison purposes only.
Community Services Department
The Arc of East Middlesex is grateful for the continued support that the Town of Reading
has provided to its residents with developmental disabilities.
Respectfully submitted,
Daniel C. Sheridan, Chief Financial Officer
INSPECTIONS DIVISION
The Inspections Division is responsible for carrying out inspectional services on
commercial and residential construction in the areas of building, gas, plumbing and wiring. In
addition, the Division is responsible for enforcing the Town’s Zoning By-laws and providing
staff to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Statistics: Year End 2005Previous Year End 2004
Building
Building Permits issued 814 950
Inspections 1,703 1,742
Fees received $274,302.80*$363,260.35*
Occupancy Permits 249 209
Fees received $8,450* $2,800*
Wiring Wiring Permits issued 661 697
Inspections 1,232 1,130
Fees received $50,279* $59,189*
Plumbing/Gas
Gas Permits issued 294 265
Gas Fees received $7,895* $8,116*
Plumbing Permits issued446 489
Plumbing Fees received $15,405* $20,900*
Combined Inspections 1,183 925
Gas/Plumbing
TOTAL FEES $347,881.80* $469,553.35*
* Totals do not include permit fees for Walkers Brook Crossing, Johnson Woods and
Archstone-Reading that were deposited in revolving building account.
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
The Zoning Board of Appeals met 23 times in 2005. The ZBA heard and decided on 33
petitions for Variances, Special Permits and appeals. ZBA Members are Chairman Susan Miller,
Full Members Robert Redfern and John Jarema, and Associate Members Paul Dustin, Mark
Gillis and Michael Conway. Town Planner Chris Reilly and Commissioner of Buildings Glen
Redmond provide primary support to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Community Services Department
PLANNING DIVISION
The Planning Division currently contains the office of Town Planner Chris Reilly who is
the Town's chief planning and development review staff. Responsibilities include economic
development, advising the Planning Commission and ZBA, coordinating Town staff regarding
planning issues, Town planning and site plan and zoning review.
The Town Planner strives to:
Support and inform the policies of the Selectmen
Protect natural resources
Address property-owner and resident concerns
Address zoning issues
Review proposed development
Improve the quality of life in Reading
Preserve and enhance the built environment
Support the economic climate of the Town
Planning Division Activities:
During 2005, the Planning Division reviewed 52 applications for which Community
Planning and Development Commission (CPDC) site plan review, subdivision, special permit or
Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Chapter 40B or planning-related decisions were rendered
including extensions and modifications. Eleven applications for Certificates of Appropriateness
issued for approved signage in the Downtown Business B Zoning District were processed by the
Town Planner, and four Design Reviews were conducted for the Planned Unit Developments
(PUD) located at Walkers Brook Crossing and Johnson Woods.
As sole staff in the Planning Division, the Town Planner performed over 170 site
inspections regarding applications or compliance with previously approved projects and
conducted 21 Design Review Team meetings with staff and applicants, working a weekly
average of 47.8 hours.
As Clerk to the CPDC, the Town Planner attended 22 CPDC meetings consisting of 25
public hearings, 20 zoning workshops and 44 administrative reviews, and also attended five ZBA
meetings regarding Chapter 40B and zoning cases. The Town Planner also served as staff for the
Master Plan Advisory Committee (MPAC), attending 26 meetings related to the ongoing update
of the 1991 Master Plan, and during three separate meetings gave various reports to the
Selectmen on the status of the master plan update and public hearing proceedings.
Financial:
The Planning Division collected $3,426 in filing fees under Subdivision Applications,
$700 for Subdivision Approval Not Required (ANR) Applications and $22,550 in fees for Site
Plan Review and PUD filings. Additional funds of $340,000 were processed through the
Planning Division for public works mitigation associated with the Archstone-Reading
development.
Community Services Department
Below is an abbreviated list of project-specific responsibilities of the Town Planner in
2005 which were in addition to representing the Town as planning staff to outside organizations
and general staff and customer support:
Department Projects
CPDC Subdivisions
Administrative/Record Keeping Streamlining
Adams Way Administration/Construction
Building Inspector/Code Support
Ashley Place (Pondview Lane)
Community Services Webpage
Administration/Construction/Extension
Compliance/Enforcement Review
Baldwin Lane Administration/Extension
CPDC Minutes
Dwight Road/Sailor Tom’s Way Definitive
CPDC/BOS zoning initiatives
Subdivision
Department of Housing and Community
Kylie Drive Definitive Subdivision
Development (DHCD) Tracking
Kelly Lane Piper Gen Way Definitive
Design Review Team Meetings
Subdivision
Downtown Streetscape Design
Downtown Signage Review Streamlining
CPDC Site Plan Permitting & Compliance
Building Dept. Forms Revision and Distribution
1 General Way (Danis Realty Trust)
Governors Drive LIP
10 Haven Street (Haven Junction)
Housing Certification
32 Lincoln Street (Century 21)
Master Plan Advisory Committee/Update
110 Main Street (Shell)
Master Plan Presentations
137 Main Street (Gilbert Insurance)
Master Plan Questionnaires
143 Main Street (Avellino Well) Modification
Master Plan Webpage Development/Maintenance
335 Main Street (K-9 Performance)
Parking, Traffic & Transportation Taskforce
454 Main Street (Jimbo’s)
Permit and Peer Review Tracking
15-17 Pierce Street
Planning Webpage
87 Walkers Brook Drive (Texaco) Modification
Pre-Application Consultations
239 Woburn Street (Unitarian)
Public Inquiries and Feedback
Salem Street LIP
CPDC Special Permits
School Projects Review Coordination
Johnson Woods PUD-R
Site Plan Review Regulations and Procedures
Walkers Brook Crossing Modifications
Review
Zoning Board of Appeals Permitting
Subdivision Regulations Review
and Compliance
TIP Tracking
1375 Main Street Comprehensive Permit
Working Group Sessions
32 George Street Comprehensive Permit
Zoning Workshops – Addison, Mixed Use
42-70 West Street (Spence Farm)
By-Law and Historical Commission
Comprehensive Permit
Salem Street Comprehensive Permit
Community Services Department
Planning-Related Boards, Committees, Commissions and Division Management:
During 2005, the five-member CPDC continued to receive experienced, dedicated and
valued service from members Richard Howard, Jonathan Barnes, Susan Dematteo and John
Sasso who assumed the Chair in 2005 after exemplary service from Mr. Sullivan. The Town
Planner continued to serve as staff when needed for ongoing Selectmen, ZBA and MPAC
business.
Under supervision from Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner, Chris Reilly continued
service in his third year as Town Planner and Recording Secretary for the CPDC while located in
the Community Services Department on the first floor of Town Hall.
Among 2005’s major accomplishments designed to streamline services and expand
information for Town residents, the Town Planner continued to maintain and improve the Town
Planner webpage (www.ci.reading.ma.us/planning), which serves as a comprehensive reference
for most activities under the purview of Community Services. Customer Service questionnaires
designed to solicit feedback on the CPDC’s and Town Planner’s performance were implemented;
however, no responses were received. The Planning Division’s phone number is (781) 942-6612
and the e-mail is creilly@ci.reading.ma.us. Members of the CPDC and the Town Planner
attended various workshops and courses during the year to keep apprised on current land-use
regulations, established and innovative planning practices, and existing and evolving trends and
policies.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Reilly, Town Planner
VETERANS’ SERVICES DIVISION
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts does more for its Veterans than any other State in
the Nation. The Department of Veterans’ Services has a representative in each city and town.
The Reading Veterans’ Service Officer is Louis Cimaglia and his office is located at the Reading
Town Hall.
The Department of Veterans’ Services office hours are Monday – Friday, 1:30 to 5:00
p.m. The VSO is there to find veterans and advise them of their rights and benefits, and assist
them as they apply for and receive State and federal benefits.
Veterans’ Services is governed by Chapter 115, as amended, of Massachusetts General
Laws. With strict compliance to this chapter, the rules and policies of which govern the
disbursement of aid. State benefits include public assistance for indigent veterans and their
dependents, tuition waivers at State colleges and universities, and applying for bonuses and
annuities. In the past year alone, the Veterans’ Services Division of Reading has assisted over 30
Veterans applying for enrollment in the VA health care system as well as filing for SSI, SSDI,
fuel assistance and housing. Federal benefits also include filing for VA compensation and
pension, life insurance, burial and survivor’s benefits.
Additional benefits expended by the Veterans’ Affairs Administration directly to the
Veteran population of Reading were $1,922,147.00 for the fiscal year that ended June, 2005.
Community Services Department
DOWNTOWN STEERING COMMITTEE
The Downtown Steering Committee is happy to report that the Downtown revitalization
has been funded by Mass. Highway, and the project will be put out to bid late Spring or early
Summer 2006. If all goes well with the bidding process, the project should be under way late
Summer or early Fall 2006. The job is projected to last two construction seasons at a cost of
over $5 million.
Respectfully submitted,
Peter Simms, Downtown Steering Committee Chairman
HISTORICAL COMMISSION
The Historical Commission’s activities during 2005 followed its mission “to identify and
record the historic assets of the Town, and for developing and implementing a program for their
preservation.”
The Commission produced a Carriage House-Stable-Barn Preservation section to the
Town’s bylaws to encourage the conversion and reuse of such structures built before 1910 which
was adopted at Town Meeting. The same Town Meeting also established the first Local Historic
District in Town designating a portion of West Street as a district. Two Commission members
were appointed to serve. Work commenced on a Preservation Zoning Relief By-Law based on
Andover and North Reading’s similar bylaws but was suspended until a more thorough study is
undertaken.
Documentation of several historic houses took place when homeowners allowed
Commission members to examine attics and cellars with tape measures and cameras. Data was
compiled for comparisons to help establish dating and the building practices in Reading. The
Commission was allowed to document the former Harnden Mansion before its demolition for the
building of Walgreen’s.
Threatened historic structures required a variety of actions. The Commission generated
design guidelines for the adaptive reuse of Pierce Organ Factory in anticipation of a change in
use. The future of 75 Pleasant Street, an historic property, owned by the Reading Housing
Authority remains a work in progress after several meetings. The large Emerson Barn on
northern Pearl Street was slated for dismantling and removal to N.H. early in 2006. The
Demolition Review Bylaw administered by the Commission serves as a tool to seek alternatives
to threatened buildings but does not offer complete preservation protection.
Education is an important component of historic preservation and the Commission
members shared their expertise with a well attended walking tour of Reading Square. The
purpose was to enhance the public’s appreciation of the Common and the Downtown built
environment. The Commission contributed to the Master Plan Study Committee both with
representation and input particularly in regards to the character and identity portions.
Community Services Department
Members, themselves, were educated during an in-house training session by a staff
representative from the Mass. Historical Commission who instructed the numerous new associate
members and provided a review for the regular members. Additional training in archives
management was attended by three members.
The Town archives are maintained by Commission volunteers at Town Hall. Additional
data entry was performed through the Senior Property Tax Work Program and two young people
worked as a public service. The Commission continues to answer inquiries from other
governmental bodies and the general public as well.
Membership in 2005:Associates:
Virginia Adams, Chairman Kathy Greenfield
Mark Cardono, Secretary Karen Herrick
Roberta Sullivan, Treasurer Susan Patterson
Wilbar Hoxie Linda Tuttle
Sharlene Reynolds Santo Sally Hilgendorff List (resigned)
LAND BANK COMMITTEE
During 2005, the Land Bank Committee provided assistance with identifying and
documenting Town-owned property. The Committee provided the historical documentation to
the Town manager, Board of Selectmen and the Town Planner.
This year, Mr. Benjamin E. Nichols did not apply for reappointment to the Land Bank
Committee. We wish Mr. Nichols well in his retirement from over 40 years on the committee.
There is still a position available for appointment to the Land Bank Committee.
Respectfully submitted,
George B. Perry, Chairman
Edward G. Smethurst, Secretary
METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COUNCIL
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is the regional planning and economic
development district representing 101 cities and towns in Metropolitan Boston. In addition, the
Council shares oversight responsibility for the region’s federally funded transportation program
as one of 14 members of the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The Council’s legislative mandate is to provide technical and professional resources to
improve the physical, social and economic condition of its district, and to develop sound
responses to issues of regional significance. The Council provides research, studies,
publications, facilitation and technical assistance in the areas of land use and the environment,
housing, transportation, water resources management, economic development, demographic and
socioeconomic data, legislative policy and interlocal partnerships that strengthen the operation of
local governments. More information about MAPC is available at www.mapc.org.
Community Services Department
The Council is governed by 101 Municipal Government representatives, 21 gubernatorial
appointees, and 10 State and three City of Boston Officials. An Executive Committee composed
of 25 members oversees agency operations and appoints an Executive Director.
The agency employs approximately 30 professional and administrative staff. Funding for
Council activities is derived from contracts with government agencies and private entities,
foundation grants, and a per-capita assessment charged to municipalities within the district.
In the past year, the Council has focused on initiatives that respond to regional challenges,
some of which include:
MetroFuture -- Making a Greater Boston Region:
State law requires that MAPC prepare,
from time to time, a comprehensive regional plan. This planning process is now underway and is
called the MetroFuture initiative. It started by asking the people of Greater Boston about their
aspirations for the future of the region, and continues with a comparison between those visions
and the future that will arise if our current trends continue unchanged. We are finding both
exciting prospects and interesting challenges lie ahead if we continue our current pattern of
growth and development. Here are just a few of the results, out to the year 2030:
Population will grow slowly while the number of households will grow more quickly.
By 2030, the region’s population will have increased by 10%, approximately a third as fast as
the projected U.S. population growth (29%). The number of households is projected to
increase by 19% for that same time period at a greater rate than the population due to a
continued decline in household size.
Consumption of land continues apace.
Fifteen percent of land that was open in 2000 will
be developed by 2030.
An older population will demand more homes and health care.
There will be declines in
all age groups under 55 and substantial increases in empty-nesters and elders, creating
demand for different housing and contributing to an expected near-tripling of health care
costs from 2000 to 2030.
Water in short supply outside the MWRA.
Communities with public water systems not
connected to the MWRA system will face serious water constraints by 2030, approximately
half will exceed their permitted withdrawal rates.
These are among the results that will serve as a starting point for discussions across the
region about alternative paths the region could take, beginning with a series of briefings early in
2006. Visit www.MetroFuture.org to learn more about the project, and contact
MetroFuture@mapc.org to learn about how to host a briefing about the region’s future.
Municipal Planning:
MAPC continues to assist municipalities in implementing Smart Growth
Principles through local zoning changes. Under the Vision 2020 Program, MAPC provided
zoning analyses or draft bylaws to the towns of Duxbury, Stoughton and Hanover. Through FY
2005 funding from Smart Growth Technical Assistance Grants, MAPC assisted Topsfield in
developing a Low Impact Development stormwater and erosion control bylaw. Under funding
secured through the Priority Development Fund, MAPC is developing mixed use or multi-family
bylaws for the towns of Bedford, Stow, Millis, Southborough and Stoughton.
Community Services Department
Just recently, MAPC received notice of approval of its application for Smart Growth
Technical Assistance funds to assist the towns of Hopkinton, Ashland and Southborough in
examining alternative futures for the 900 acre Weston Nurseries property. MAPC also continues
to provide information to municipalities regarding the Smart Growth Overlay Districts enabled
under Chapter 40R.
Metro Mayors Coalition:
MAPC works with the Mayors and City Managers of 10
municipalities in the urban core on issues such as group purchasing, employee health insurance,
regional public safety and municipal public finance. Through this work, MAPC staffed the
Statewide Municipal Finance Task Force which reached consensus on a variety of public policy
changes to reinvigorate the partnership between local and State Government. We also
formulated an $11 million grant program to fund inter-local and multi-disciplinary approaches to
stemming the tide of youth violence, drug use and gang activities in the region. This program
became law late in 2005.
The Metro Data Center
, an official US Census affiliate, provides in-depth analysis of trends in
the region, and conducts research on emerging issues that will strengthen the Council’s ability to
plan for the future. The Center works to increase public understanding of and access to
demographic, social, economic and land use data and trends that affect the Boston metropolitan
area. The Center also releases regular publications to maintain a general awareness about how
growth continues to impact communities. The Center provides current accurate data to
legislators, municipalities, public and private agencies, and the general public about growth
trends in the communities and subregions of the greater Boston area.
Transportation Planning:
MAPC staff played an active role in helping to revise the Mass.
Highway Design Manual now known as the Project Development and Design Guidebook. As
Vice Chair of the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization, MAPC worked to develop the
annual Transportation Improvement Program, including transportation spending priorities for the
region. We also developed population and employment projections to the year 2030 to be used
in scenario modeling in the new Regional Transportation Plan and MetroFuture (see above) in
2006.
Legislative Advocacy:
The Legislative Committee has worked to promote legislation that is of
regional interest and is informed by smart growth principles. (Please visit
http://www.mapc.org/regional planning/MAPC Smart Growth.html to view the list of
principles.)
At the beginning of the legislative session, the Committee recommended for endorsement
a full legislative agenda which was subsequently endorsed by MAPC’s Executive Committee.
Among many items, the priorities include reform of the State’s surplus land disposition policy,
recapitalization of the brownfields redevelopment fund, reform of the State’s antiquated zoning
laws, and repeat offender legislation. Contact Legislative Director Joel Barrera at
jbarrera@mapc.org to learn more about the committee’s priorities, and how your community can
get involved in regional advocacy efforts.
Community Services Department
Metropolitan Highway System Advisory Board:
MAPC staffs this Board established in 1997
by the Commonwealth to advise the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority on issues relative to land
use, air rights, zoning, and environmental impacts associated with development of land owned by
the authority. In 2005, the Board reviewed a number of Requests for Proposals and development
proposals for various parcels along the Central Artery surface.
Regional Services Consortiums:
The Regional Consortiums Project collectively procured more
than $3,000,000 in office supplies for 32 municipalities, and highway maintenance services
valued at $16,000,000 for South Shore and MetroWest cities and towns. The project also
facilitates collegial forums among members’ Chief Administrative Officers that focus on
collective problem solving and resource sharing. MAPC, in partnership with the Greater Boston
Police Council, assists over 300 units of local government in procuring police, public works and
general use vehicles along with various public safety supplies.
Public Safety and Homeland Security:
MAPC provides planning and fiduciary services to the
Northeast Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council (NERAC), the Northeastern Law
Enforcement Council (NEMLEC), and the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council
(METROLEC). Activities include procurement, research and planning to enhance the delivery
of public safety services, and to ensure the region is prepared for either a terrorist attack or
natural disaster.
Hazard Mitigation:
Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) plans help communities prepare for natural
disasters such as floods, winter storms, wind and geologic hazards. In 2005, MAPC completed
PDM plans for 10 communities on the North Shore and 10 communities on the South Shore.
MAPC is also developing PDM plans for nine Inner Core communities including Boston and
neighboring communities which will be completed in 2006. FEMA has awarded a grant to
MAPC to develop PDM plans in 28 towns in the MAGIC, MetroWest and North Suburban
subregions beginning in 2006.
495/MetroWest Water Resources Strategy:
Working with the 495/MetroWest Corridor
Partnership, MAPC completed three major components of a comprehensive water strategy for
the corridor:
Massachusetts Low Impact Development Toolkit
The , available at
http://www.mapc.org/lid.html, was published and two regional workshops were held to
present the toolkit to the public. The toolkit recently received the 2005 Outstanding Planning
Project Award from the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association;
Once Is Not Enough
, a guide to water reuse in Massachusetts, was published. It is available
at http://www.mapc.org/regional_planning/waterreuse.html; and
Two regional contracts for Leak Detection Services were developed for both the
495/MetroWest communities as well as all the entire MAPC Region. Learn more about leak
detection services that are available to cities and towns in MAPC’s January edition of the
Regional Record, our electronic newsletter, located at www.mapc.org.
Community Services Department
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy:
Every five years, the Metropolitan Area
Planning Council is responsible for developing a Comprehensive Economic Development
Strategy (CEDS) in partnership with the Economic Development Administration. The 2005
Insuring GreaterBoston’s Prosperity
CEDS, , contains an analysis of economic trends and
conditions and highlights five challenges to economic well-being. It sets a context for inviting
regional participation that moves toward a regional response to the challenges. The report is
included in the January edition of MAPC’s Regional Record available at www.mapc.org.
Wind Power:
Using a grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, MAPC recently
completed a project to help 10 North Shore coastal communities understand opportunities and
obstacles to siting land-based wind turbines on municipally-controlled properties. The project
helped the communities to identify regulatory barriers to wind, and the environmental and
financial impacts of a wind project. Area residents took part in a web-based energy survey and
each community received wind information and siting maps. MAPC hosted two wind
educational forums as part of the project, helped the city of Lynn to draft a wind turbine siting
ordinance, and facilitated the creation of Alternative Energy Committees in Gloucester,
Swampscott and Rockport to advance the siting of wind turbines in their communities.
Information about the North Shore Wind Project is also included in the January Regional Record
at www.mapc.org.
MEPA Project Reviews:
MAPC reviews projects under the Massachusetts Environmental
Policy Act (MEPA), and submits comments on projects with significant regional impacts. In
2005, MAPC reviewed 166 MEPA filings (Environmental Notification Forms, Environmental
Impact Reports and Notices of Project Change), and submitted comments to EOEA on 58 of
these. One of the most significant reviews of the year was a “Peer Review” conducted by MAPC
and the Old Colony Planning Council on the proposed Village Center Plan for the former South
Weymouth Naval Air Station.
Visit http://www.mapc.org/whats_new/SWNAS/SWNAS_Summary_Document.pdf to
view our comments.
North Suburban Planning Council (Burlington, Lynnfield, North Reading, Reading,
Stoneham, Wakefield, Wilmington, Winchester, Woburn)
In 2004, the North Suburban Planning Council (NSPC) was involved in a wide range of
activities from community development planning to transportation issues. MAPC completed
Community Development Plans under Executive Order 418 for Burlington, Reading and
Woburn. Wilmington also prepared a plan using a consultant. After completion of these plans,
each community was given an opportunity to make a presentation to the subregion as a whole to
present the findings and recommendations.
As a follow-up to Executive Order 418, MAPC presented information on changes the
State was making to the Commonwealth Capital Fund application process, and also presented
information on the final regulations for Smart Growth zoning under Chapter 40R.
The major areas of concern in transportation planning were the annual review of the TIP
and the UPWP, and the work that CTPS did on Phase II of the North Suburban Transit
Opportunities Study.
Community Services Department
In addition, the subregion was briefed on the regional bicycle/pedestrian plan that MAPC
is preparing. The March 2005 meeting was devoted to setting subregional priorities for TIP and
UPWP projects. The subregion was also kept apprised of the on-going review of the subregions
that is taking place in conjunction with the MAPC strategic planning process.
Beginning in July, 2004 and continuing over the next several months, MAPC made
presentations to the subregion and to individual communities concerning the opportunity to apply
for a Multi-Hazard Mitigation Planning grant. At the end of the process, seven out of the nine
NSPC communities (excluding North Reading and Winchester) sent letters of interest indicating
that they would participate in the grant and would provide a match of $3,000 in staff time.
MAPC submitted a grant application and was notified in October, 2005 that they had received
the grant.
Respectfully submitted,
Marc D. Draisen, Executive Director
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION ADVISORY COUNCIL (SAPAC)
The Advisory Council Against the Misuse and Abuse of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other
Drugs, commonly known as SAPAC, has had an active and productive year. This first in what
we hope will become an Annual Report serves to both summarize and highlight the
accomplishments of our group over the past 12 months.
The Fall of 2004 SAPAC Meetings were devoted to planning a January program to be
presented by staff from Project Alliance, a coalition organized through the Middlesex County
District Attorney’s Office. We also welcomed a new member, Corey Porter, to our 11 member
group, and learned that Carl McFadden was our newly designated liaison from the Reading
School Committee.
In addition, our School liaison, Gary Nihan, explained to our group the nature and extent
of the two grants that the School Department has received. These grants will implement a
Wellness Curriculum in Grades 3-8 and a Life Skills Training Curriculum. Our group offered
formal support to Mr. Nihan in his plan to administer the Youth Risk Behavior Survey later in
the academic year. This instrument provides valuable information about the behavior and
attitudes of our young people.
On January 20, 2005, a parent workshop “Drugs and Alcohol: Perilous Choices,
Dangerous Consequences” was held at the Coolidge Middle School. Nora Mann of the Project
Alliance staff spoke to an audience of more than 40 people, and answered questions from many
concerned parents.
Topics ranged from the temptation of drugs and alcohol, to the cheap cost and easy
access of certain drugs, to the danger of prescription drugs available in the family medicine
cabinet, to parents wanting to know how to talk to their children about drugs.
Community Services Department
This was a well attended program for SAPAC (despite the frigid temperatures), and one
audience member suggested that we offer brief presentations on drug abuse at regular PTO
meetings in the Reading schools.
Our subsequent Winter meetings were given to offering to attend PTO meetings, meeting
Carl McFadden, and being invited to make a presentation before a joint meeting of the Board of
Selectmen and the School Committee. On March 14, 2005, Karyn Storti, Bill Carrick and Mark
Staniul gave a Power Point presentation to both the Selectmen and School Committee members
at the Coolidge Middle School.
Karyn Storti introduced the SAPAC members and then spoke of the mission and the
goals of SAPAC. Bill Carrick and Mark Staniul, both of whom work in the field of substance
abuse recovery, then spoke eloquently of their experiences in treating young people and stressed
the critical need for prevention. RCTV aired this program live and many of our group received
comments from community members as to how informative the program was. We hoped for
many additional airings on RCTV as a public service but were disappointed to see it rerun only
once or twice.
Subsequently, there were invitations from two PTO’s to our group. On March 16, 2005,
Bill Carrick spoke at the Reading Memorial High School PTO Meeting and on April 5, 2005,
Karyn Storti, Gary Nihan and Jane Fiore did the same at the Parker Middle School PTO Meeting.
Spring meetings focused on planning to have a booth at Friends and Family Day on June
th
25, a discussion of the extensive liquor displays at the Atlantic Food Mart, and welcoming our
newly designated student members, Kayla Wheaton and Joseph St. John, both of whom will be
seniors at RMHS in the Fall.
Several members of our group contacted a member of management at the Atlantic Market
to express our displeasure at the intrusive displays of liquor. The Atlantic voluntarily withdrew
the ancillary displays after an outcry from many customers. SAPAC sent Mr. Arnold Rubin a
letter thanking him for responding to the concerns of the community.
At our June Meeting, we were delighted to have two members of the public attend. Both
were concerned about drug abuse -- one as a parent concerned about her child transitioning to
middle school, and one as a young adult seeing contemporaries in the grip of drug abuse. Our
student members filled us in on the last day of school for seniors at RMHS during which some
members of the Class of 2005 arrived at school in an intoxicated condition.
On June 25, 2005, SAPAC’s booth at Friends and Family Day were staffed by Bob
Brown and Corey Porter in the morning, and Lisa DiTrapano and Karyn Storti in the afternoon.
Officer Michelle Halloran of the Reading Police Department also volunteered to join us for
several hours to allow visitors the use of goggles that simulated a .08 blood alcohol level. We
handed out our newly designed brochures that Health Administrator Jane Fiore wrote along with
other educational, resource and referral material. On an extremely hot and humid day, we were
well visited by many members of the Reading community.
Community Services Department
Throughout the year, Officer Matt Edson, our Reading Police Department liaison, has
kept us informed of police activity related to both drug and alcohol abuse and underage alcohol
use. He noted trends and spikes in the number of offenses, and offered suggestions on how
SAPAC and the community at large can join together to help our youth make smart, not risky
decisions. Jane Fiore, our Town of Reading liaison, has offered invaluable support to our group
during the course of the year.
SAPAC has received more press coverage this year than in years past both from the
Chronicle and the Advocate. On July 7th, Karyn Storti, Bill Carrick, Jane Fiore and Bob Brown
were interviewed by Jason McEntire, Editor of the Advocate, for an article he is preparing on the
topic of drug abuse in Reading. Mark Staniul was interviewed at a later session by another
Advocate staff member.
In summary, SAPAC feels that its mission and goals of offering the community
awareness programs, parent and student education, and offering support to the School and Police
Departments were met during this past year. There is more to be done and we are committed to
continuing our effort.
Respectfully submitted,
Karyn Storti, Chairman, SAPAC
READINGHOUSINGAUTHORITY
“Equal Housing Opportunity”
22 Frank D. Tanner Drive
Reading, MA 01867
(781) 944-6755
From the Chair:
It is with great pleasure that I share with you the activities and accomplishments of the
Reading Housing Authority over the past year.
The start of the new year has seen a continued growth in our economy and somewhat
stabilized but nonetheless high values in real estate. The pressure on the real estate market has
continued to create a critical challenge for poor and lower income families to find, keep and
maintain their housing. As the real estate values escalated over the past few years, it was
certainly felt most dramatically at the low-income levels. Rental units had been at a greater
premium in this area, however, only recently, we have begun to see a slight increase in
availability. Landlords have been able to ask for and receive high rents, which historically prices
the poor and lower income families out of the rental market. Again, we are beginning to see a
slight change in the rental market area.
The Reading Housing Authority (Authority) strives to assist these families to see and
obtain housing that is decent, safe and sanitary. In an effort to ameliorate this impact, the
Authority has attempted to develop and purchase several new units. The Authority continues
with its efforts to expand affordable housing by renovating a two-family structure and building a
four-unit structure on a present site. That process is a slow one. We continue to support private
developers and the Town in their efforts to set aside units for low/moderate income families in
their proposed developments. We reach out to owners of multi-family units who would like to
work with us to serve our clients.
As always, the Authority goes beyond the bricks and mortar and provides assistance to
families, elderly and handicapped persons to obtain the services they need. We work closely
with Mystic Valley Elder Services and our home care agency to meet the needs of the elderly
residents as they strive to remain independent and age in place. With budget cuts affecting all of
us, we strive to maintain our programs, work with other supportive agencies and still offer a safe
and decent place for our seniors, disabled and families in need.
On behalf of the Board, we want to thank Executive Director Lyn Whyte and her staff
for their continued dedication, commitment and service to the Reading Housing Authority. We
look forward to working with them as we meet the new challenges that lie ahead.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen L. Flammia, Chair
Reading Housing Authority
Organization:
Organized in 1963 to address the housing needs of the Town’s low and moderate income
residents, the Reading Housing Authority (Authority) is “a public body politic and corporate”
duly organized and authorized by Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), Chapter 121B, s.3. The
Authority receives its funds from the State and Federal government to assist our clients with their
housing needs.
Although the Authority does not receive any local funding, five unpaid Reading residents
compose the Board of Commissioners. Four of these board members are appointed by the Board
of Selectmen and one is the Governor’s appointee. Each member serves for a five year term.
The Board is responsible for the overall operation of the Authority. The day to day
responsibility is delegated to the Executive Director.
The Board meets regularly and has scheduled their monthly meetings for the first
Monday of each month. The Annual Meeting of the Board is currently scheduled for the month
after the Selectmen make their annual appointment of a Board member. Currently, the Board
Members and their term of office are as follows:
Karen L. Flammia Chair
19 Vista Avenue Term expires 6/30/2005
Diane Cohen Vice-Chair and State Appointment
51 Redgate Lane Term expires 5/03/2006
Timothy J. Kelley Treasurer
84 Woburn Street Term expires 6/30/2009
Mary Connors Assistant Treasurer and Tenant Representative
52 Sanborn Street Term expires 6/30/2007
John A. Coote Member
332 Summer Ave Term expires 6/30/2008
Lyn E. Whyte Secretary and Executive Director
41 Shore Road, Saugus
Administrative Staff:
The Board contracts an Executive Director who manages the day-to-day operations of
the Authority. Within State and Federal guidelines and other budgetary limits, the Executive
Director hires the supporting staff necessary to achieve the goals and responsibilities of the
Authority’s programs. The Executive Director, Lyn Whyte, is in a five-year contract that expires
August 29, 2010.
Reading Housing Authority
Administration:
Lyn E. Whyte Secretary and Executive Director
Catherine Sutherland Office Manager
Kathleen Rolli Federal Program Coordinator and Assistant
Executive Director
Michelle Hudzik State Program Coordinator
Karin Keyser Family Resource Coordinator for Section 8 FSS
Resident Service Coordinator for State Programs
Maintenance:
Thomas Stapleton Maintenance Supervisor
Frank Veglia Maintenance Staff
Robert Howe Maintenance Staff
Supporting Services Affiliations:
Home Care:
Jacqueline Carson Sanborn Home Care Director
Daniel J. O’Leary Director, Mystic Valley Elder Services
Dawn Folopoulos Town of Reading, Elder Services Administrator
Financial Institutions:
Bank of America
Reading Cooperative Bank
Massbank
BankNorth
Mass. Municipal Deposit and Trust – State Street Bank
Affiliations:
National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)
Massachusetts Chapter of National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials
(MassNAHRO)
New England Regional Council of National Association of Housing and Redevelopment
Officials (NERC/NAHRO)
Section 8 Administrators Association
North Shore Housing Executive Directors’ Association (NSHEDA)
Adult Literacy Committee of Reading/Wakefield YMCA
Reading Housing Authority
Consultants:
Accountants: Fenton, Ewald & Associates
Legal: John L. Greco, Esq. and DHCD Legal Counsel, Lori
McBride
Contractors:
Hiltz Waste Disposal Woodbury Electrical
Wilwerth Plumbing John’s Sewer & Pipe Cleaning
Viking Oil Company Powers Plowing Service
Roberto Bros. Landscaping Atlas Alarm
Automatic Laundry Home Depot
Maintenance:
We do it all – from the beautiful paint job to the new appointments before you move into
your new apartment. The maintenance staff meets the challenges on every occasion and has
done an excellent job.
With the four seasons here in New England, maintenance has to be ready to take it all in
stride. They do the Spring clean-up and plantings, the Summer mowing, watering, weeding and
trimming, the Fall leaf pick-up and Winter’s snow and ice removal. The maintenance staff
works tirelessly to keep our developments looking beautiful. We have been lucky enough to
have the assistance of the Work Release Program from the Middlesex Sheriff’s Department.
They have been exceptional in the work that they have done with our landscaping and painting
projects. These programs are cost effective and have become a critical component to maintaining
our properties. During the course of this past year, this program enabled us to paint the exterior
of six State family units and two additional homes that are part of our RHA owned properties.
This project changed the look of these properties and it greatly enhanced their appearances.
Additional plans are already scheduled to refurbish the entire administrative offices along with
the resident community room at Frank Tanner Drive early in 2006.
The Authority is responsible for 108 individual units located on 10 different sites. It is
no easy task to keep each one looking in its top form. The maintenance staff is also responsible
for the daily work orders and any emergency work that has to be done. The Authority has an
extensive preventative maintenance program for all major components and has a cyclical paint
schedule for all units.
2004 Grants Received:
Each year, the Authority applies for several grants to improve our properties and better
serve our residents and the community. Included in this year’s awards were:
Modernization of State Housing
No funding available.
Reading Housing Authority
Supportive Services Grant – HUD
Funding of Family Self-Sufficiency Program Coordinator unfortunately expired on March
31, 2005 with no additional funding presently available.
Supportive Services Grant – State
Funding of Resident Service Coordinator to address elderly/non-elderly needs at Frank D.
Tanner Drive Complex.
Audits:
The Authority has a Single Audit of all programs by an independent auditor each year.
Walsh and Associates, PC of Concord, MA were engaged to perform the latest review of the
Authority’s programs for fiscal year end June 2005. The audit was completed in December 2005,
and final submissions expected to be completed by mid-January 2006. The Authority had no
findings or additional recommendations as a result of this latest audit. The Authority’s financial
position is adequate to meet the needs of the operation and development of the programs and we
are fortunate to maintain a retained revenue agency status.
Management Review:
The Authority has had a current Management Review done of all State programs. The
Asset Managers from the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development
reviewed all the operations of the State programs to insure compliance in the daily operation of
the Authority’s budget, occupancy, administration, maintenance, services and tenant
participation. The Authority received an excellent review with minor comments.
In regard to our Federal program, the Authority submitted its annual Section 8
Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) reports for fiscal year end June 2005 to HUD for
review and subsequent scoring. The purpose of SEMAP is to measure public housing authority
performance in key areas of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program management. It is a
tool used by HUD to effectively monitor and assist PHA’s.
It is our pleasure to report that the Reading Housing Authority received an overall score
of 86 percent for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005. As a result of this score, the Authority is
designated by HUD as a “standard performer” with credit going to Section 8 Program
Coordinator, Kathy Rolli for her continued efforts in administering an ever-changing federal
program. We will not submit additional SEMAP reports until fiscal year June 2007. These
assessments are now performed every two years for an agency of our size per latest HUD
changes.
State Programs
:
The Authority currently manages the three programs under the State’s Department of
Housing and Community Development: 667 Housing (elderly/handicapped housing), 705
Housing (Family housing), 689 Housing (Special Needs Housing).
We encourage applicants to apply for our elderly/handicapped (667) housing. The wait
list for our State family development is presently closed.
Reading Housing Authority
Housing for Elderly/Handicapped Persons (667):
80 units: Frank D. Tanner Drive Complex
Eligibility: 60 years of age or disabled
Income:1 person - $46,300
2 persons - $52,950
Housing for Families (705):
6 units Waverly and Oakland Road (six 3BR units)
4 units Pleasant and Parker Street
Two 2BR units, one 3BR unit, one 4BR unit)
Eligibility: Family of two or more depending on bedroom size
Income:2 persons - $52,950 3 persons - $59,550
4 persons - $66,150 5 persons - $71,450
6 persons - $76,750 7 persons - $82,050
8 persons - $87,350
Federal Programs:
The Authority manages 125 subsidies for persons of very low income under the Federal
Section 8 program. Currently, the RHA participates in a centralized waiting list administered by
the MASSNAHRO organization. Applications for this wait list are available at the administration
office building at 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive, Reading. The income limits are:
Section 8 Rental Assistance
Income limits: 1 person – $28,950 2 persons - $33,100
3 persons - $37,200 4 persons - $41,350
5 persons - $44,650 6 persons - $47,950
7 persons - $51,250 8 persons - $54,600
RHA-Owned Properties
The Authority presently owns and manages eighteen family units located in various
locations throughout the Town of Reading. We continue to pursue opportunities to expand low
income housing units within the Town whenever possible. Plans are in design stages to add four
.
three-bedroom units to our present housing stock
Applications:
Elderly/Handicapped Housing (667)
The Authority manages 80 one-bedroom units of housing for elderly/handicapped
persons at our Frank D. Tanner Drive complex in Reading. To qualify for this housing, a single
person or couple must meet the eligibility guidelines and be 60 years of age or older or
handicapped. The Authority sets aside 13.5% of these units for non-elderly handicapped
persons.
The wait list is currently open for all seniors 60 years of age and older. We encourage
Reading residents to apply and are making special outreach efforts to elderly of minority
representation. The 13.5%non-elderly handicapped requirement has been fulfilled but
applications are still being accepted for our wait list. Non-elderly applicants will be served after
the Authority has placed all qualified applicants if the 13.5% requirement has been met.
Reading Housing Authority
You may obtain an application at the office of the Authority, 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive,
Reading, MA 01867.
Family Housing – State (705)
The Authority operates the State’s Family Housing Program with two different
developments. The first family housing development that was built by the Authority is located at
Oakland and Waverly Roads and is called Waverly Oaks. There are six 3-bedroom units. This
wait list is currently closed. If we do reopen the wait list, this opening would be advertised in the
local paper, and we would notify area churches, human service agencies and any local veterans’
agencies.
Section 8 Federal Housing Assistance Program
Currently, the wait list for our Section 8 Program is open. We now participate in the
centralized wait list program initiated in December 2002 and administered by Mass NAHRO.
Applications are available at our administrative office or online at www.mnahro.org. An
application can be downloaded from that site and submitted to any agency participating in the
centralized wait list program. There are currently about 55 member agencies.
The State maintains a wait list for its programs through the Metropolitan Boston Housing
Program (MBHP). Anyone seeking an emergency application should contact MBHP at (800)
272-0990 to obtain an application. The local area service agency for emergency applicants is
Community Service Network. You may contact them at (781) 438-1977.
Summit Village First Time Homebuyers Program
The Authority continues to oversee the maintenance of the wait list for qualified and
eligible applicants for the affordable units at Summit Village through the First Time Homebuyers
Program. We presently have nine potential buyers on our waitlist. During the past year, one
affordable unit was made available and subsequently sold at an affordable price to a family on
our wait list. The “affordable” owners must have a fair market appraisal done, the Authority
reviews the appraisal and if accepted, provides the owner with the maximum resale price for the
affordable unit. If the owner has a friend who would be eligible and income-qualified, then the
Authority reviews their qualifications and provides them with an “Eligible Purchaser
Certificate.” If the owner wishes to select an applicant from the wait list, the Authority would
send the next available and eligible buyer’s name to the owner to negotiate the sale.
Interested applicants may pick up applications packets at the Town Clerk’s office in
Town Hall, at the Reference Desk at the Reading Public Library, or at the office of the Reading
Housing Authority, 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive. When making an application, a $10.00 fee made
payable to the “Reading Housing Authority” must be included along with all pertinent
documentation. If the family applying for the affordable unit is headed by 2-persons, both parties
must execute the application as applicant and co-applicant. Income from all family members age
18+ is included in family income for eligibility. However, if the income of one of these persons
is from a dependent (not spouse) who is a full-time student, then a deduction for out of pocket
expenses for books, tuition, fees and/or travel is allowed. Documentation from the school must
be provided and verification for employment and expenses must be provided with the
application. All persons must sign a “Release of Information” to have their documentation
verified by the Authority.
Reading Housing Authority
Highlights of the program are:
First Time Homebuyer
Cannot have owned a home within the last three years;
divorced persons cannot currently own home but three year
restriction is excused.
Maximum Family Income
Currently, the maximum family income is $82,600 (effective
1/28/04) for all persons in the family from all sources (wages,
interest, dividends, etc.)
Family Housing
The two bedroom units must have a minimum family size of
two persons. The maximum number of persons that can
qualify for a two bedroom unit would be four persons.
The three bedroom units must have a minimum of three
persons with two being minor children living in the household.
The maximum number of persons that would qualify for a three
bedroom unit would be six persons.
Affordable Price
The affordable price is based on a 20% discount from the
current fair market appraisal of the unit, which must be verified
by the Authority.
Deed Restriction
Anyone wishing to purchase an “affordable” unit should be
aware that a permanent deed restriction would be recorded with
their deed. This restriction states that the unit must be sold to a
qualified and eligible purchaser at a 20% discount from the fair
market value as approved by the Reading Housing Authority.
Single Persons
Applications are accepted from single family households but
persons on the single person wait list will be chosen only after
all the eligible family applicants have been served.
Local Preference
Applicants from the Town of Reading are given preference
over other applicants if their application is made on the same
day. This local preference is given if a person is employed in
the Town of Reading, has a business or enterprise in Reading
which has been established for one or more years, if they are
parents of a school child in Reading, persons who were
residents of Reading for five or more years.
Conclusion:
The Reading Housing Authority is proud to provide this information to you. Anyone
interested in obtaining an application for elderly/handicapped housing should contact the
authority at 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive or by calling the office at (781) 944-6755. Please look in
the local papers for the opening of our family wait list for the State 705 Program and the Federal
Section 8 Rental Assistance Program.
READING PUBLIC LIBRARY
Vision and Mission:
The Reading Public Library is at the heart of an involved, articulate and literate community.
To be the best public library we can be, we
Anticipate the ever changing needs of the community,
Seek innovative ways to provide and enhance library services,
Lead the way in building a diverse and vibrant community.
Goal I - Lifelong Learning:
The Reading Public Library serves the community from birth
through old age. Through its collections, programs and outreach activities, it supports and
encourages reading and learning, intellectual curiosity, personal growth and development.
In 2005, Reading citizens borrowed 372,456 print and audiovisual materials from the
Library - almost 16 books for every man, woman and child in Reading! That makes the Reading
Public Library the busiest Library per hour in its population group in the Northeast Region. We
cleared out expired patron cards in 2005, and discovered that 17,381 Reading residents, 74% of
the Town, have current Library cards!
Consistent with its goal to promote lifelong learning, the Library collects, preserves and
promotes the study of local history. In 2005, with State grant funds, we hired an archivist to
conserve and catalog rare and unique documents pertaining to Reading’s history. Many items
were added to the catalog and are accessible for the first time. Local History efforts continue
into 2006 as a post card and photograph digitization and cataloging project takes shape.
The Library borrows and shares
resources with libraries throughout
Massachusetts to provide materials for
lifelong learning needs: 22,639 books
were borrowed for local residents and
loaned without charge to Library
patrons.
Reading Public Library
The Children’s Room presented 321 programs to 14,184 children in 2005. Chess,
filmmaking, poetry writing, Harry Potter parties, live theatre productions, live animals,
Valentine-making for the elderly, and Vehicle Day were educational as well as fun!
200 storytimes and singalongs this year
fostered the love of language and stories in
children from 0-6 years of age. Especially in
our Lapsits for ages 0-2, librarians helped
caregivers learn the basics of early literacy
and what they can do to best help their
children develop good reading skills in the
future.
To encourage personal growth and
community involvement, our
Summer Volunteen Program for
middle schoolers helped 75 students
help others by their work in the
Library.
Goal II - Information Literacy:
The Reading Public Library teaches adults and children how
to find, evaluate and use information effectively in all formats.
The Library provides fast and easy access to traditional and electronic resources
throughout the Library. In 2005, reference staff updated all 24 public internet and catalog
computers so that patrons would find the same “Welcome” page wherever they chose to access a
Library computer. The children’s computers were also updated with user-friendly and fun
programs and home pages. Eight of the oldest computers were retired, and patrons expressed
satisfaction with the faster, newer PC’s that were installed.
Reading Public Library
Reference staff provided individual and group instruction in using Library resources and
reference databases. A series of free evening classes kicked off with instruction in “Mousing
Around,” using the Internet for making travel plans, shopping and accessing reliable sources for
Health Information. “Geek Out, Don’t Freak Out!” provided patrons an opportunity to bring
their newest gadgets to the Library and work with staff to figure out how to use them. Digital
cameras were definitely the most popular and most challenging new toy!
Geek Out - Don't Freak Out! at the Library
The Library provides a learning environment for the digital world and the equipment,
connections, and resources to ensure an excellent learning experience. Many patrons took
advantage of the Library’s Wireless connectivity to log in to the Internet using their own laptops
in the Library.
Librarians provide instruction in Library resources in formal classes, through individual
one on one teaching and with local school groups. Every eighth-grader in the Parker and
Coolidge Schools participated in the annual “Cookie Tours” given by the Young Adult librarians
with funding provided by the Friends of the Library and with the cooperation, support and active
encouragement of school faculty and administration.
Reading Public Library
Goal III - Formal Education Support:
With the addition of the new elementary school and many new school staff members this
year, children’s librarians held a number of outreach meetings. New teachers learned about
Library resources and signed up for teacher cards, often meeting one-on-one with the children’s
librarians to discuss individual needs.
Youth services librarians meet with the School Media Specialists a number of times each
year and participate in the joint Reading School/Public librarian listserve. This new initiative
keeps everyone informed in a more immediate manner and has brought about additional
opportunities for resource sharing.
A committee of elementary school and public librarians created the annual Summer
Reading List which complements the Summer Reading Program. The lists were made available
online and the suggested books circulated very well from a special display in the Children’s
Room.
Signing Up for Summer Reading Club
To promote the Summer Reading Program, "Read Round the World," public librarians
presented a short "commercial" to each class in the elementary schools. The visits were arranged
by the school media specialists who also helped promote Summer reading. 1234 children
participated in all, reading 18,520 hours. In September, children’s librarians sent reports of
participation results back to each school, where children were congratulated in various ways.
The Reading Library has made it possible for a number of the elementary schools to
participate in the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Program more fully this year. By
buying large numbers of the nominated books, we could lend some directly to school libraries
and make the rest available to children visiting the special display in the Children’s Room.
Reading Public Library
In 2005, Reading children’s librarians assembled 96 collections of curriculum-related
materials for teachers to use in their classrooms. Reading teachers borrowed 2107 items from
RPL to supplement their curriculum.
Goal IV - Reliable Resources:
The Reading Public Library provides collections that are
current and respond to community needs to help fulfill community residents’ needs for
education, entertainment and enlightenment.
The Library monitors trends and new formats, and balances the need for traditional and
emerging formats. The Reading Public Library hosted a gathering of area libraries to investigate
the feasibility of providing Reading patrons with downloadable audio books for MP3 or IPOD
players.
We track circulation statistics to respond to a changing environment. For example, while
the overall circulation of Library materials remains stable, the circulation of video and audio
materials locally has soared from 11% of total circulation in 1995 to 30% in 2005.
Want to know what’s hot in Reading this year? Books on home
additions, finance, cooking, knitting, mysteries and “chick lit!”
Book Clubs continue to be popular and generate renewed interest
in some older favorite authors.
We inform the community about resources through creative merchandising and marketing. This
year, a local bank provided bookmarks with the Library schedule and phone numbers for patron
convenience. Our librarians excel at creating imaginative, no-cost displays to highlight
collections. We publicize our services through Town newsletters, direct mailings by the Friends
and Foundation, and through our weekly electronic newsletter “Off the Shelf.”
Reading Public Library
Goal V - Cultural and Community Center:
The Reading Public Library provides an
environment for people to meet and interact with others in the community, and to participate in
public discourse about community issues. We strive to make everyone in the community feel
welcome and well-served at the Library.
15,878 adults and children took part in 446 Library programs in 2005.
Waiting for midnight and the new Harry Potter
By providing resources and programs for people of all ages, the Library contributes to the
vitality of the community, supports education, and functions as a place for family enrichment.
This year’s Summer Reading Program, “Read Round the World” used the multicultural
theme to highlight the Chinese, Hindi, Spanish and ESOL materials purchased with the
Community Languages Grant. In connection with this, children’s programs included World
Music, traditional Chinese puppets, traditional Indian dance, a family fiesta, and a world travel
club with “trips” to Peru, Tanzania and India.
One of the highlights of the past year was the
appearance of Pulitzer Prize winning author
Tracy Kidder in November, sponsored by the
Reading Public Library Foundation, that drew
several hundred people. Other authors presented
by the Library in the past year include Tom
Perrotta (author of the bestseller Little Children)
and Mitali Perkins who spoke to an audience of
young adults about her life and work as a person
of Indian American heritage.
Reading Public Library
The Library reached out to new populations in 2005
through a federally funded grant to develop a book and
audio visual collection for people who read Chinese,
Hindi and Spanish. We have added 522 books, tapes,
newspapers and magazines that have circulated 1,793
times to date. The Community Languages Grant also
provided funding to purchase an ESOL (English for
Speakers of Other Languages) collection and for
programs to enrich cultural awareness. In addition to
sponsoring Mitale Perkins, the Library offered a program
featuring traditional dances of India, and children's
programs featuring the customs and culture of China,
India and Peru.
Goal VI - Information and Reference Services:
The Reading Public Library offers
outstanding reference and information services and resources on a broad array of topics related to
work, school and personal life.
The Library strives to provide state of the art equipment for public use, and to make it
easy to use Library resources through user-friendly catalog and website. The Library offers
topical programs and information for everyday life, like programs on electronic shopping, health
information, and the Active Older Adults Fair in cooperation with many community partners and
agencies.
Volunteers Help With Taxes
In 2005, staff librarians at the Reference and Children’s desks answered an astonishing
52,158 questions in person, on the phone and through e-mail. Where else but at the Reading
Public Library can you find a resource like that?
Reading Public Library
Thank you
The Library is generously supported by the people of Reading and the Selectmen, Town
Manager, and the Library’s Trustees, Foundation, and Friends. Books, programs, outreach
services, and special performances are underwritten by the gifts and hard work of many kind
supporters and benefactors. We thank you all for your essential contribution to the community.
Without your generosity, our success in serving Reading would be impossible!
Reading Public Library Board of Trustees
Victoria V. Yablonsky, Chairman
David P. Hutchinson
Susan Hopkins Axelson
William Anthony
Karen Brown
Karyn Storti, Vice Chairman
Reading Public Library Foundation, Inc.
Officers:
Bruce Austin, President
John Brzezenski, Vice President
Neil Cohen, Secretary
Amy Coumounduros, Treasurer
Friends of Reading Public Library
Officers:
Lynne Freeman and Lynn O’Brien, Co-Presidents
Heidi Bonnabeau, Vice-President
Kathy Vaccaro, Treasurer
Kim Peacock, Recording Secretary
Reading Public Library
Reading Public Library Personnel
Director – Ruth S. Urell
Assistant Director – Elizabeth Dickinson
Technical Secretary – Nancy Smethurst
Reference Division
Division Head – Lorraine Barry
Adult & Elder Services Librarian – Nancy Aberman
Local History Librarian – Rachel Baumgartner
Young Adult Librarians – Susan Beauregard, Amy Lannon
Promotional Services Librarian – Kathleen Miksis
Librarians – Andrea Mercado, Eileen Barrett
Technical Services
Division Head – Jamie Penney
Senior Library Associate – Allison DaSilva
Senior Technician – Candace Ralto
Pages – Mary DeSisto and Matthew O’Donnell
Circulation Division
Division Head – Michelle A. Filleul
Technicians – Dawn Didham Colford
Maureen Conwell
Mary Ellen Downey
Madeleine Gillis
Susan R. Haggerty
Mary Kraft
Carol Macomber
Patrice A. O’Donnell
Christine Rutigliano
Julie Barry, Danielle Kimerer, Ann Skladany
Pages – Neftali Gonzalez, Nancy Hunt, Lisa Li, Teresa A. Penney, Amy Saw
Children's Room
Division Head – Corinne Fisher
Children's Librarians – Brenda Wettergreen, Rachel Baumgartner, Stephen Conner
Library Associate – Mary McIntire
Pages – Usha Bhimsimha, Meaghan F. Kinton, Judy A. Newton, Stephen Penney
Custodian – John Davis
Respectfully submitted,
Ruth Urell, Library Director
FIRE DEPARTMENT
,
For the year 2005 we have seen the trend for an increased demand for our services
continue. The volume of development of residential, commercial and school projects has
strained the administrative areas of the Department. World events have increased our emergency
responses, impacted our Emergency Management System, and the trend of increased requests for
routine Fire Department services has continued.
The Reading Fire Department is responsible for fire suppression, fire prevention, the
emergency medical system and emergency management. The emergency management function
identifies hazards to the community. Plans are then developed and tested to create a coordinated
response to any type of disaster in the community. This Department is also responsible to
coordinate and apply for all reimbursement for State and Federal disaster declarations. This
year, the Town of Reading received $148,452 reimbursement for snow removal costs incurred
during a snowstorm of January 22-23, 2005.
The Reading Fire Department provides emergency medical care and treatment at the
Advanced Life Support level (ALS) to sick and injured patients. This is the highest level of pre-
hospital care available.
Emergency Activity:
In 2005, this Department responded to 4,620 requests for emergency assistance. A brief
overview of emergency activity reveals that there were 67 reportable fires broken down as
follows: 57 structure fires, 10 vehicle fires and 26 outside fires. There were 13 Hazardous
Materials incidents, two of which required assistance from the State HAZMAT Team. The
Department responded to 1,862 requests for emergency medical treatment and transported 1354
patients. Of the patients transported, 621 required Advanced Life Support treatment. Below are
some examples of the incidents that the Department responded to in 2005:
On Monday, March 14, 2005 at 1:39 a.m., a three-alarm fire broke out at an occupied
three family home located at 16 Sanborn Street. This was a very difficult fire due to the
building construction (balloon frame), length of time the fire burned prior to our
notification and the icy conditions. A Wilmington Fire Lieutenant suffered a fractured
clavicle fighting this fire.
On Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at approximately 5:00 a.m., fire broke out in an occupied
Washington Street home. Reading and Wakefield Firefighters were successful in
confining the fire to the porch, kitchen and bedroom of the home.
On Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 8:14 a.m., the Reading Fire Department responded to
the Reading Memorial High School to investigate an ammonia-like odor in an interior
stairwell. Our investigation determined the odor originated from several boxes and five-
gallon pails containing chemicals from the science laboratories. The odor indicated that
there had been a release from one or more of the chemical containers due to a contractor
improperly moving and boxing chemicals from the science classrooms. This required a
significant response from the Reading Fire Department and from the State HAZMAT
Team. The incident took approximately 12 hours to completely resolve.
On Wednesday, July 27, 2005, a contractor fell approximately 20 feet into a shaft at the
High School project. The depth and small size of the shaft made this a unique rescue and
required the equipment carried in our Technical Rescue Trailer to be used to extricate the
patient.
Fire Department
Emergency Medical Services:
The Reading Fire Department has provided high quality Emergency Medical Services to
the community since 1971. November 24, 2005 marked the second-year anniversary of our
upgrade to the Advanced Life Support Level. The Advanced life Support Level is the highest
level of pre-hospital emergency medical care available to sick and injured patients, and allows
Reading Firefighters to treat patients with a wide variety of medications and sophisticated
treatment techniques. This level of care is essential to patients who are experiencing a medical
emergency that is an immediate threat to their lives.
In 2005, the Reading Fire Department has responded to 1,862 medical incidents and
transported 1,354 patients. Of the patients transported, 621 (46%) required Advanced Life
Support treatment. The five highest categories of medical conditions requiring A.L.S. treatment
for the Town of Reading are: Cardiac events 26%, respiratory emergencies 14%, neurological
emergencies 13%, unable to ambulate 11%, and injury by trauma 10%.
On Thursday, November 3, 2005, the State Ambulance Inspector thoroughly examined
our EMS System and commented that we are among the top services in the State. This is due to
the hard work of EMS Coordinator Sean Devlin and EMS Liaison Eric Blackman.
In an effort to reduce teenage drinking on prom night, Firefighter Devlin created and
delivered a program that featured a “Mock Car Accident.” The program was delivered at the
Reading Memorial High School on Wednesday, May 11, 2005, and was highly successful in
highlighting the impact of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Fire Prevention:
Lieutenant Paul Jackson is assigned the position of Day Officer. The Day Officer is
responsible to ensure all life safety systems for new construction and renovations are designed
and installed properly. This requires pre-construction meetings, plan review, code research and
continual site visits to ensure proper installation. For existing buildings, the Day Officer is
responsible to ensure that all life safety systems are maintained properly. Other areas of
responsibility include ensuring the safety and code compliance of flammable and combustible
product storage, overseeing the maintenance of Department facilities, vehicles and equipment.
The new school construction projects, development at the landfill, and other large-scale
projects have been a very large undertaking. This year, several major projects came online.
Examples include: Barrows School, Walkers Brook Drive Phase II, portions of Maplewood
Village on Salem Street, Johnson Woods and the new High School,
To ensure that all school buildings provide a safe environment, all school buildings
received a safety inspection prior to opening for the new school year. All businesses received an
annual in-service fire prevention inspection.
SAFE and Community Education:
Firefighter John Jenks coordinates the Reading Fire Department’s S.A.F.E. Program.
This fire safety education program is delivered in the Reading Public School system, and
continues to receive a high level of support from School Administrators and children. This
program is funded by a $4,188 grant provided by the State, and features an in-house developed
Fire Department
age appropriate curriculum for each grade level K through 5. Reading Firefighters trained as
S.A.F.E educators visit each school classroom of Kindergarten through Grade 5 to deliver the
fire prevention and anti-smoking message.
Firefighters use a specially designed trailer provided by the Metrofire District to present a
very real fire scenario to the students. Using this training aid, the children are taught life saving
skills in a controlled setting that is not possible to duplicate in the classroom. The S.A.F.E. trailer
is available to the Reading Fire Department and 33 other communities in the Greater Boston
Area free of charge.
Fire Alarm:
The municipal fire alarm system in Reading is in excellent condition. This is a direct
result of the planning, care and maintenance given to the system by our two dedicated Fire
Alarm Technicians, Michael Holmes and Peter Vincent. When appropriate, we are connecting
new and remodeled buildings to the municipal fire alarm system to ensure a rapid response to an
incident.
Reading Emergency Management Agency:
As a result of recent world events, Emergency Management has become more active than
ever before. Housed within Reading’s Emergency Management Agency are two separate
functions -- Emergency Management and the Local Emergency Planning Committee.
The primary goal for Emergency Management is to identify threats to the community,
and to prepare for all disasters whether natural or manmade, coordinate the response of a wide
range of agencies and assist in the recovery phase. A secondary goal is to ensure the Town of
Reading is in compliance with all Federal and State requirements to enable the community to
remain eligible to receive reimbursement for Federal and State disaster declarations. The Town
of Reading is and has always been in full compliance with all Federal and State requirements.
For the Town of Reading, the Fire Chief is the Emergency Management Director.
The Town of Reading received a reimbursement from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency for costs incurred during the blizzard of January 22-23, 2005. The Federal
Disaster Declaration provided for a 75% reimbursement of eligible expenses. As a result, the
Town of Reading received $148,452 reimbursement, and the funds were received prior to the end
of the fiscal year.
The Town of Reading received a $12,000 Local Preparedness Grant in 2005. This grant
allowed the purchase of respiratory protection for the Police Department, the installation of radio
equipment at Central Dispatch to expand our communication capability to include the
Department of Public Works and the Reading Municipal Light Department.
The purpose of the radio equipment will allow direct communication with all Town
Departments in the event of an emergency.
Federal and State legislation requires every community in the country to have a Local
Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). The LEPC identifies areas where the population is
most at risk from a hazardous materials release, facilities and transportation routes that contain
Fire Department
hazardous materials and resources that would be used to mitigate an incident. The Reading Fire
Department has developed a Hazardous Materials Emergency Plan to meet both Federal and
State statutory planning requirements. For the Town of Reading, the Fire Chief is the Local
Emergency Planning Committee Chairman.
The primary purpose of the plan is to provide a framework and methodology to
efficiently respond to a hazardous materials emergency. To pool resources, the Town of Reading
has joined with 11 other communities and formed the Mystic Regional Local Emergency
Planning Committee. This association permits each member community to share resources in
the event of an emergency.
The President of the United States signed a Presidential Directive that required all cities
and towns in the Nation to train a significant portion of their staff in the in the National Incident
Management System (NIMS). The purpose of the requirement is to provide a framework and
system for all levels of government to work together in an emergency. Lieutenant Nelson
created and delivered two incident command training programs to 154 Town Employees, NIMS
100 and NIMS 700. Introducing the NIMS 100 puts Reading ahead of the Federal requirements.
Significant Events:
Firefighter Sean Devlin was selected as the Reading Fire Department’s Firefighter of the
Year for 2005. FF Devlin was overwhelmingly selected by Department members and was
recognized at the Reading/North Reading Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year Awards
Dinner on Saturday, November 26, 2005.
Due to the efforts of Captain Philip Boisvert, we received a grant from Federal
Emergency Management Agency under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for the sum
of $39,300. This has allowed us to update our fire prevention codes and standards, purchase
modern computers, software and connect the West Side Fire Station to the Town of Reading’s
wide area network.
Captain Gordon Sargent has planned to retire in January of 2006. As a result of his
retirement, Lieutenant Peter Marchetti has been promoted to Captain and Mark Dwyer was
promoted to Lieutenant. To fill vacancies, we hired three new Firefighters who were certified as
paramedics. They completed a 19 day in-house training program prior to completing the
Massachusetts Firefighting Academy.
Training:
The Reading Fire Department participated in several large scale training programs with
our neighboring communities. On Sunday, November 6, 2005, the Reading Fire Department
participated in a large scale exercise with the City of Woburn. The incident involved a collision
of a passenger train and a freight train and resulted in a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) consisting
of approximately 20 to 30 injuries, a fire involving the train, and the need to extricate victims
through the windows of the train. Participants included Woburn Fire and Police, Cambridge
Fire, Winchester Fire, Burlington Fire, Medford Fire, Lahey Clinic, Winchester Hospital and
Action Ambulance.
Fire Department
Group 1 completed the Massachusetts Fire Academy’s Flashover Simulator Training.
This was a joint training program with the Town of Wakefield, and completes the training of all
four Groups on the simulator.
Captain Boisvert coordinated a joint training program with the Reading, Wakefield,
Stoneham and Woburn Fire Departments on the hazards and operating features of Liquefied
Natural Gas tank trucks. Trans Gas supplied an instructor and an LNG tank truck for the
program.
This year, all Emergency Medical Technicians at the Basic level completed a 24-hour
recertification class. The course was instructed and coordinated by Firefighter Sean Devlin.
Also, the Technical Rescue Team completed a four-day exercise program created and delivered
by Lieutenant Nelson.
Conclusion:
Over the last year, we have made significant advancements in all areas of the
Department. This has been achieved through higher levels of training for our personnel and the
addition of new technology and equipment. Through the active pursuit of public safety grants,
we have been able to upgrade our computer technology, improve radio communications, and
provide safety equipment to the Police Department. The Advanced Life Support Program has
continued to surpass our expectations on every level, and represents a significant upgrade in the
quality of emergency medical services provided to the community.
I would like to thank all Town Officers, Boards, Departments, members of the Reading
Fire Department, and especially the citizens of Reading for their continued support and
assistance.
Respectfully submitted,
Gregory J. Burns
Chief of Fire Department
Statistics for 2005
Permit Fees Collected $16,270
Ambulance Fees Collected $582,461
Bell Alarms 371
Still Alarms 2,387
Emergency Ambulance Calls 1,862
Inspections 821
Fire Department
2005 FIRE DEPARTMENT ROSTER
:
CHIEF
Gregory J. Burns
FIRE PREVENTION:
Lieutenant Paul D. Jackson
CAPTAINS
:
Kenneth N. Campbell Jr.
Gordon E. Sargent
Paul F. Guarino
Philip B. Boisvert
Peter L. Marchetti~
LIEUTENANTS:
David T. Ballou
Richard A. Puopolo
Richard L.S. Nelson
Dwyer Mark~
FIREFIGHTERS:
McSheehy Matthew DelSignore Anthony Linda Polcari
Cahoon Daniel Gentile David Tom McCarthy
Holmes Michael Belmonte Michael Sean Devlin
Roy David VanHorn William Chris Finnegan
McCarthy Robert Palermo Lisa Scott Myette
Wallace Patrick Wood Michael Scott Wade *
Ryan Brian Dole Scott Bruce Ayer
Pelrine Stephen Jenks John Tricia Richard
Beck Robert Blackman Eric Paul Dalton
Murphy Stephen Paul Roy Ryan Buckley
Jutras Robert Derek Loftus Joseph Lapolla
Robidoux David Dana Ballou Daniel Pouliot
~ Promoted to fill vacancy
* Resigned
Cynthia Keenan, Secretary
Peter Vincent, Fire Alarm
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Mission and Value Statement:
The Reading Police Department is committed to providing the highest level of public safety
and service to the citizens and business people within the community. The members of the
Department are empowered to enforce the Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and bylaws
of the Town of Reading to ensure that the peace and tranquility of our neighborhoods are maintained,
and that crime and the fear of crime are reduced. We emphasize and value integrity, honesty,
impartiality and professionalism from our members in order to create an environment that values
differences and fosters fairness and flexibility in our mission. We encourage citizen input and
interaction that will assist us in developing sound partnerships between the community and police.
Working together, we can protect our future and enhance the quality of life for everyone within the
Town.
The past year in many ways has been historical for the Reading Police Department and the
community as a whole. We are experiencing unprecedented growth and in many ways transformation.
We are dealing with changes in social norms and culture in regards to alcohol and drug use. Your
Police Department is aware of these changes and monitoring the growth, and its impact on public
safety services. This report summarizes the participation, activities, sponsorships, enhancements,
accomplishments, and other notable events of the Reading Police Department in calendar year 2005.
Personnel Changes:
The Police Department experienced significant personnel changes and adjustments in 2005.
In February, Officer Peter R. O’Brien retired after serving the community for 29 years.
In March, Officer Charles J. Lentini passed away unexpectedly at home after serving the
community for 23 years.
In April, Chief Robert J. Silva retired after serving the community for 33 years.
rd
On April 23, Sgt. James W. Cormier was promoted to the rank of Chief of Police. Chief
Cormier will be the final civil service Chief for the Town of Reading.
In April, Officer David Clark was promoted to the rank of Sergeant filling the vacancy created
when Chief Cormier was promoted.
In April, the Department began the hiring process to fill the three vacancies created by the
departures of Officers O’Brien and Lentini and Chief Silva. In August, Recruit Officers Sean
Wilson, Ian Nelson and Richard Abate entered the Lowell Police Academy for their six months
of training. They are expected to graduate in January, 2006.
During most of 2005, the Department was without the services of three other officers due to
long-term disabilities.
Detective Michael Saunders moved from his position in the Detective Bureau to the Patrol
Division, and assumed the responsibilities of Armorer/Fleet Maintenance Officer. Officer
Christopher Voegelin had maintained the Department’s fleet for approximately 15 years before
vacating the position this year.
Town Meeting in November approved funding for a new position of School Resource Officer
to be assigned to the Reading Memorial High School in September of 2006. Officer Matthew
Edson has been selected to be the School Resource Officer, after an interview process
involving members of the Police Department and School Department.
Interviews were held to fill the Detective position vacated by Detective Saunders. Officer
Mark Segalla was selected to replace Detective Saunders. He is expected to be placed in the
position in early 2006.
Police Department
Interviews were held to fill the Safety Officer position as Officer Tom Murphy requested a
leave of absence to attend the Massachusetts State Police Academy slated for early 2006.
Officer Michelle Halloran was selected to replace Officer Murphy as Safety Officer. She is
expected to be placed in the position in early 2006.
Awards and Recognitions:
In July, Lieutenant Detective N. Kevin Patterson was awarded the Massachusetts State Police
Superintendent’s Commendation. Lt. Patterson and Major Mark F. Delaney MSP received the
award for their work on a 1975 murder case where the victim was discovered on the Meadow
Brook Golf Course. A manslaughter conviction was the result and David Jones received a 19-
20 year prison sentence.
In November, Officer Keith Hurley was honored as the Reading Police Department’s Officer of
the Year at the Reading/North Reading Chamber of Commerce dinner.
In April, the Board of Selectmen recognized the Public Safety Dispatchers during National 911
Telecommunications Week.
In May, the Board of Selectmen recognized National Police Memorial Week.
Community Policing:
The Reading Police Department continues to work closely with the community and other
Town Departments, as well as State and Federal Agencies. The Police Department strongly
promotes the philosophy of “working with the community.” The Department sponsors or
participates in the following community events and/or programs:
The Police Department is represented on the Substance Abuse Prevention Advisory Committee.
(SAPAC) Officer Saunders.
The Police Department is represented on the Human Relations Advisory Committee. (HRAC)
Chief Jim Cormier.
The Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Program, which is a self defense course designed
specifically for women, has been and continues to be a very successful program. Sgt. Clark,
Officer Iapicca, Officer Sullivan and Officer Halloran.
The Citizens Police Academy has been very popular and will continue to be a base program for
the Department. Lt. Cloonan.
In May, the Police Department sponsored its annual Open House and welcomed the community
to come and tour the Police Station to see our equipment and meet our Police Officers.
Prior to High School graduation, the Police Department, Fire Department, School Department
and Students Against Destructive Decisions presented a Mock Car Crash demonstration at the
High School to present to students the very real dangers of drinking and driving. Lt. Robbins,
Officer Kyle, Officer Iapicca and Officer Caturello.
In June, the Department’s Honor Guard participated in the Challenger Softball game where the
officers are afforded an opportunity to interact with children with special needs in a relaxed and
fun atmosphere.
Also in June, the Department participated in Friends and Family Day held on the Town
Common. Detective McKenna, Officer Holmes and Officer Halloran.
The Department participates annually in the Libraries’ Vehicle Day in August where children
of all ages get to enjoy the vehicles of the community.
In collaboration with the Reading Adult Education Office, we were able to sponsor a parenting
workshop that was very successful and received by 40 parents.
Police Department
Throughout the year, the Department participated in the Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau’s
“Click-it or Ticket” Program. Lt. Cloonan and Sgt. Stamatis.
In collaboration with the Elder Services Program, we began working on the SPICE Program.
(Seniors and Police in Cooperative efforts) Lt. Robbins.
In October, the Department, in conjunction with its labor unions, organized its annual Senior
Ham and Bean Supper at the Senior Center. Officer Kyle.
In November, the Department participated with the Free Masons (Reading Lodge) to offer the
Child Identification Program (CHIP) at the Old South Methodist Church. Over 80 children
were provided with identification kits. Officer Kyle, Officer Caturello and Officer Voegelin.
th
Annual
In December, the Department, in conjunction with its labor unions, organized the 25
Children’s Holiday Party at Austin Preparatory School.
The Police Department, in conjunction with the Governors Auto Theft Task Force, brought the
Auto Glass Etching Program to Reading. This program etches the vehicle identification
number of the car on all the glass surfaces making it a deterrent to car thieves. Officer Kyle,
Officer Voegelin, Officer Segalla, Dispatcher Aldrich and Head Dispatcher Avery.
The Department’s Website www.ci.reading.ma.us/police is very successful, and offers a variety
of information for the public. Sgt. Stamatis.
The Communication Center enhanced its abilities with Reverse 911 this year. This allows the
Department to telephone residents with messages of importance. This tool has been used for a
variety of reasons including alerting residents of detours, car breaks and parking regulations.
The Police Department was able to use grant money to equip the Police Cruisers with laptop
computers. This ability greatly enhances officer safety, and the offices’ ability to quickly
access information including license photos in the cruiser.
Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau free Bicycle Helmet Program. Officer Kyle.
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Program. Lt. Robbins.
Detective Division:
The Detective Division of the Police Department is responsible for a number of investigative
responsibilities. They possess advanced technical expertise and experience that enables them to
investigate and solve a number of serious crimes. The Division works very closely with a number of
agencies to provide the best possible services and intelligence gathering abilities to the community.
The Division is the liaison of the Police Department with the Reading Public Schools. It is
important to point out that, at all levels of both the School Department and the Police Department, the
degree of cooperation and unity to bring the absolute best level of services to the community has rarely
been better. We applaud the School Department’s commitment to working with the Police Department
in order to provide the best services possible to the community.
Outlined below are a number of the Detective Division’s activities for 2005:
Actively participate in the Criminal Based Justice System - this system brings together multiple
Town agencies with the District Attorney’s Office to share information.
Member organization of Project Alliance - this is a program sponsored by the District
Attorney’s Office that provides educational opportunities for law enforcement, schools and
other professionals in the areas relative to school and juvenile issues.
Member organization of the Woburn Court Substance Abuse Initiative, linking the seven
communities that fall under the jurisdiction of Woburn District Court to combat the substance
abuse issue in the area.
Police Department
Member of the NEMLEC Detective Group, a regional Detective group incorporating over 40
cities and towns in the region that freely exchanges information of interest.
Member of the NEMLEC Drug Task Force, a regional drug task force.
Participating member of the Domestic Abuse Roundtable, a meeting of the District Attorney’s
Office, and the seven Woburn District Court agencies to exchange and update information
regarding domestic violence.
Participating member of the Juvenile Fire Setters, educational information regarding juvenile
fire setters.
Public Safety Dispatch:
The Reading Public Safety Dispatchers provide through communications a lifeline for the
community, Police Officers and Firefighters. Seven full-time Dispatchers and two part-time
Dispatchers are under the direct supervision of the Head Dispatcher and under the command of the
Night Police Commander. Dispatchers receive requests for information and services, they triage those
requests based on available resources, and disseminate those requests to the emergency personnel in
the field. Dispatchers greet the public entering the Police Station and provide a valuable service to our
community. Dispatchers recorded 19,322 calls for service in 2005 and issued 3,049 Community
Access Stickers. We are grateful for the professional service provided by the Reading Public Safety
Dispatchers.
The Public Safety Communication Center experienced a significant upgrading of its radio
systems during 2005. This communication upgrade will enable our Dispatchers to communicate with
more reliability and offers greater flexibility to coordinate many agencies. Looking to the future, we
explored technology that would be flexible and allow us to adapt to potential changes in
communication requirements. Our Dispatchers do an outstanding job and deserve recognition for a
position that is extremely important and when done well is often overlooked.
Crossing Guards:
The School Crossing Guards are part-time civilian personnel. Currently, there are 17
permanent Crossing Guards and two spares who fill in when a regular Crossing Guard is unable to
cover their post. They are under the direct supervision, coordination and control of Safety Officer
Thomas B. Murphy. Each Crossing Guard plays an essential role in ensuring the safe commute of
children to and from school. They also serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for the Police Department
and the community as well. These Crossing Guards have proven to be devoted to their duties and are a
great asset to the Town of Reading.
Animal Control:
The Animal Control Officer is Ronald Burns - he works 13 hours per week and is on call for
emergency situations. There were more than 600 calls for service received by the Animal Control
Officer. There were 13 dog bites over the year resulting in injuries to humans. There were nine bites
over the year resulting from animal to animal. One tested positive for rabies and were quarantined for
45 days. Those that tested negative for rabies were quarantined for 10 days.
Over 200 fines and citations were issued to residents for failure to keep their dog on a leash,
failure to license their dog and for biting. A majority of the calls were received from neighbors
complaining about other dogs. One dog was killed by a motor vehicle. One hearing was held at
Woburn District Court for people protesting citations.
Police Department
The Animal Control Officer is authorized to isolate and confine domestic animals suspected of
being exposed to rabies. Acting according to State regulations and guidelines, the Animal Control
Officer must:
Investigate reports of domestic animals exposed to rabies.
Determine if the domestic animal has or may have been exposed to a rabid animal, and if the
domestic animal has been properly vaccinated.
Make an evaluation of the exposure of the vaccinated animal and prescribe the appropriate
action according to State regulations.
Obtain permission to euthanasia exposed, unvaccinated animals from their owners or from the
MDFA.
Carry out euthanasia permitted by the owner of MDFA.
Collect the head of the euthanasied animal and deliver or send it to MDPH State Laboratory
Institute, if the animal has bitten or otherwise exposed a human or domestic animal.
Ensure that vaccinated domestic animals receive a booster vaccination if needed, and that the
animal remains under appropriate strict confinement or isolation.
Contact local officials when exposed domestic animals have exposed humans.
Parking Enforcement Officer:
The Parking Enforcement Officer is Ronald Burns. He works 18 hours per week, covering four
days in the work week. The major responsibilities of the Parking Enforcement Officer are:
Identify and cite motorists who violate Reading’s parking regulations and reduce opportunities
for violations to be committed through preventive patrols of all parking areas.
Tally and inventory tickets daily.
Identify parking problem areas within the Town and forward this information to the Safety
Officer.
Perform related duties as required.
Total citations issued by the Parking Enforcement Officer in 2005 are 2,930.
Total income from parking citations is $45,205.
The following is the Department Roster, a statistical analysis of our enforcement efforts and a
record of revenues generated by our department.
2005 POLICE DEPARTMENT ROSTER
CHIEF:
James W. Cormier
Robert J. Silva (Retired)
LIEUTENTANTS:
Lt.-Detective N. Kevin Patterson
Executive Officer Michael P. Cloonan
Night Commander Richard W. Robbins
Police Department
SERGEANTS:
Bruce F. Russell David M. Stamatis
Mark J. O’Brien Peter C. Garchinsky
David J. Clark Francis G. Duclos
Sgt-Detective Patrick M. O’Brien
DETECTIVE DIVISION:
Patrol Officers Robert F. Flynn, Michael D. Saunders and John McKenna
SUPPORT SERVICES:
Community Service Officer: Jack Kyle
Safety Officer: Thomas Murphy
Armorer: Christopher J. Voegelin
PATROL OFFICERS:
David Savio Larry E. Frederick Ian Nelson
Sean Wilson Salvi Lavita James P. Collins
Anthony F. Caturello Pasquale Iapicca Matthew C. Edson
Richard Abate Mark D. Segalla Derek Holmes
Christopher R. Picco Joseph Belmonte Michael Lee
Michelle Halloran Michael Nickerson Keith Hurley
Kevin Brown Michael Fitzgerald Leone Sullivan
Peter O’Brien (Retired) Charles Lentini (Deceased)
2005 ANCILLARY PERSONNEL
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER:
Ronald Burns
CLERKS:
Administrative Assistant Victoria Cummings
Principal Clerk Joanne Power
DISPATCHERS:
Head Dispatcher Victoria Avery
John Rawcliffe Mathew Vatcher Stephen Duke
Michelle Aldrich Susan Tapley Ryan Mahoney
Regina Benoit-Saunders
SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS:
Cindy Ashi Mildred Barton Reggie Benoit
Fred Dyment Tom Esposito Cheri Costa
Ernie Gisetto Gerry Intonti Lucy Intonti
Joseph Lopiccola Tina Lantz Robert Dewolfe
Marsha Leighton Luann McKinnon Edward Harradon
William Fisher Jim Rodger
Police Department
Spare Crossing Guards:
Arthur Dickinson
Peggy Faulkner
The following are the arrests and services performed in 2005:
Arrests: 177
Persons held in Protective Custody: 33
Motor Vehicle Violations: 5,370
Parking Violations: 3,889
Juveniles Apprehended: 6
Detective Criminal Investigations: 181
Auto Accidents Investigated: 643
Fees Collected in Fiscal 2005:
License to Carry: $2,150.00
Firearms Identification Cards: $1,400.00
Police Reports Copied: $1,815.00
Parking Fines: $95,175.00
Court Fines: $9,030.00
Administrative Fees for Details: $43,887.53
Commuter Parking Permits: $15,195.00
Community Access Stickers: $81,280.00
Civil Infractions: $37,632.50
Rent for Community Room: $435.00
MV Lease or Surcharge: $1,765.20
Conclusion:
To summarize our Mission Statement, we are empowered to enforce the laws of our land but in
order to do this appropriately and adequately, we have to work with the community. Providing the
community with the highest level of police service is a goal that will require dedication, hard work and
a strong commitment to and from our community.
The year 2005 presented many unique and difficult challenges for the police department. We
experienced significant personnel changes and adjustments and operated understaffed due to
retirements, death, and injuries. Moving forward the department is anxious to continue working
closely with our fellow town employees and the citizenry, to provide the highest quality of life in
Reading.
I want to thank the citizens of our community for their support and cooperation. Working with
the community, your Police Department will accomplish its mission.
Respectfully submitted,
James W. Cormier
Chief of Police Department
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
Director’s Comments:
Department personnel were actively involved as members or liaisons of many Boards and
Committees. We have also assisted other Departments throughout the year on many projects and
programs, and have been fortunate to have the cooperation and support of the Town Manager and other
Departments within the Town.
The Department has developed long-term capital improvement plans to upgrade and maintain
the important infrastructures in the community. This would include the water distribution system,
roadway and sidewalk, and the sanitary sewer system. More than 7900 feet of water mains have been
added in new developments throughout the community, and approximately 9000 feet older, undersized
water mains have been replaced to improve fire flows throughout the Town. Major water main
replacements included portions of West Street and Franklin Street. We have begun the development of
GIS layers for the water distribution and sewer distribution system expected to be completed in
October 2006. In addition, more than 20,000 feet of sewer mains were cleaned, joint tested and sealed,
and 117 manholes were sealed to prohibit ground water from infiltrating the sanitary sewer system.
House-to-house inspections were performed by our consultant CDM to identify existing sump pumps
that may be connected into the sanitary sewer system. DPW staff is working with these homeowners to
relocated discharge from the sump pumps to drainage systems throughout the Town as part of a rebate
program which was made available to the homeowners.
After a five year effort, the Town has received approval to purchase up to 219,000,000 gallons
of water from the MWRA to supplement our Ipswich River Basin supply from May through October.
The Town will be using only 1 million gallons a day from the Ipswich River Basin during a six month
period, a reduction of 1.2 million gallons per day. The Board of Selectmen has instructed staff to
investigate the feasibility of obtaining 100% of our water supply from the MWRA.
There are a number of roadway improvement projects throughout 2005. These included the
reconstruction of Willow Street and a major portion of Summer Avenue. Overlays were done on
Berkeley Street, Gleason Road and Greenwood Road by contract. DPW staff did overlays on Warren
Avenue, Park Avenue, Winthrop Avenue and Fulton Street, and skim coats on portions of High Street,
Franklin Street, Libby Avenue, Wentworth Road, Pearl Street and Lincoln Street.
The Engineering Division designed a revised parking lot at the new Wood End Elementary
School. The existing parking lot was removed and the new parking lot was constructed by staff in the
DPW Highway Division in time for the opening of school in late August.
The Department had an extremely busy year in 2005. We assisted other Departments in
procurement efforts, major one for DPW being the Town-wide water meter and radio frequency
reading system. A major effort has been required for the Water Conservation Program and rebate
program for low flow toilets, high efficiency washing machines, irrigation rain sensors and rain
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barrels. Through the efforts of the Parks, Forestry and Cemetery Division, the Town received its 20
consecutive Tree City, USA designation in 2005. The Recreation Division offered more than 180
recreational programs in 2005. After a great deal of effort by staff and the Water, Sewer and Storm
Water Management Advisory Committee, the Board of Selectmen approved the establishment of an
Enterprise Fund for Storm Water which will be brought to Town Meeting for approval.
Public Works Department
We have been fortunate to welcome the following employees to the Department: Ryan
Percival, Jim D’Entremont and Jordan Cancela in the Engineering Division and Aron Overberg, Adam
Shibles, Igor Shaulskiy and Nathan Gardiner in the Forestry, Parks and Cemetery Division. Senior
Engineer William High, an employee for 44 years in our Engineering Division, has given his notice
and will retire in January 2006. Bill has been an asset to his fellow employees, the Department of
Public Works and the Town of Reading. He has been a mentor to many of us and will certainly be
missed.
There continues to be a good cooperative effort on planned and emergency projects by the
Divisions within the Department. Because of the efforts of the staff, we are able to provide good
quality service to other Town Departments and to the general public.
It is a pleasure working with the dedicated and devoted staff in the Department of Public Works
and the appointed Committees, in particular the Water, Sewer and Storm Water Management Advisory
Committee. I thank them all for their support and effort.
Respectfully submitted,
Edward D. McIntire, Jr., Director
ADMINISTRATION DIVISION:
The Administration Division supported the Department with procurement administration, water
and sewer billing, budget preparation and coordination, departmental personnel and payroll services,
accounts payable processing, cemetery administration services and responses to public inquiries, and
concerns over all Public Works areas of responsibility.
Significant projects included:
Procurement and project support for various water and sewer main projects including sewer system
rehabilitation and water main construction on Franklin Street, and the second phase of West Street
(Willow Street to County Road).
Coordination of the acceptance and approval process to the Massachusetts Water Resources
Authority as a supplemental source of Town water.
Procurement and contract administration for the town-wide replacement of water meters, and our
radio frequency Automatic Meter Reading system.
Coordination of cooperative Household Hazardous Waste Day collection events with the Town of
Wakefield.
Providing procurement assistance to other Town Departments and Divisions including contracts for
a new ambulance and parking violation collection services.
Coordination of appointment scheduling for the rebate program for the installation of high-
efficiency washing machines, low-flow toilets and irrigation system rain sensors.
Emphasis continued on providing public information, responding to inquiries and concerns, and
improving all areas of public communications.
Public Works Department
CEMETERY DIVISION
To the Board of Cemetery Trustees:
The following is from office records for calendar year 2005.
Interments – 127 Interments for all years – 13,623
Markers set – 53 Foundations – 41 Monuments re-set –9
Sale of Lots:
Forest Glen
– 6 lots, 1 single grave – Total for all years: 2036 lots, 796 single graves.
Charles Lawn
– 9 lots, 3 single and veterans’ graves – Total for all years: 455 lots,
225 single and veterans’ graves.
Wood End
– 23 lots and 1 single grave – Total for all years: 240 lots, 22 single graves.
Cooperation from other Divisions of Public Works was outstanding and much appreciated. The
Board of Cemetery Trustees has been very supportive of all the numerous programs and goals of this
Division. I thank them for all their assistance.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert L. Keating, Supervisor
CUSTODIAN OF SOLDIERS’ AND SAILORS’ GRAVES
Interments: WWII – 14 Korea – 3 Vietnam – 2 Peacetime – 1
Total of all veterans’ interred – 1637
As has been the custom for many years, all veterans’ graves were decorated with a flag and a
potted flower for Memorial Day.
Respectfully submitted,
Frank Driscoll, Custodian of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Graves
ENGINEERING DIVISION
The Engineering Division provides engineering services to all Departments within the Town of
Reading. The Division is responsible for preparation of plans, specifications, estimates, survey layout,
inspection and supervision of Town construction projects, review of subdivision plans for accuracy and
conformance with the subdivision rules and regulations, inspection of subdivision construction,
administration of the Chapter 90 Program, maintenance of all records concerning the subdivision of
land, roadway construction, and water, sewer and drainage construction, and issuance of various
permits.
Public Works Department
Construction activity continued at a very high level in 2005. Major construction projects that
were active during the year included the West Street and Franklin Street water main replacements,
Summer Avenue reconstruction (Woburn Street to Main Street), Willow Street reconstruction, Woburn
Street repaving and reconstruction projects on Berkeley Street, Gleason Road and Greenwood Road.
The Engineering Division spent significant time on the inspection of private development projects
including the Archstone and Johnson Woods projects on West Street, Maplewood Village on Salem
Street, Phase II of Walkers Brook Crossing, and the traffic signal installation associated with the 128
Market Place redevelopment. Changes to the parking lot at the Wood End School were designed and
laid out by the Engineering Division for construction by the Highway Division.
Significant progress has been made on the planning and design of upcoming projects. The
100% design plans for the Downtown project have been submitted to Mass. Highway, and the project
is programmed on the Transportation Improvement Program for FY 2006. Construction is expected to
start in the Spring/Summer of 2006. A contract was awarded to Greenman-Pederson, Inc. to develop
the design plans for the West Street reconstruction. The 25% design plans will be submitted in
February of 2006. Contracts were awarded for the 2006 roadway construction projects, and sidewalk
and curb construction. Design plans and specifications have been prepared for the 2006 water main
replacement projects on High Street and Auburn Street.
Work continued on several studies. Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, Inc. completed a study of the
risks associated with hazardous cargoes using I-93. This study identified potential sources of
contamination and alternative solutions that will help prevent the release of hazardous materials into
our wellfield such as the gasoline spill that occurred in 1992. Camp, Dresser & McKee completed the
field work associated with the House-to-House Inspection Program. The purpose of this program is to
locate sump pumps that are connected to the sewer system and identify ways to remove them. Over
140 improper connections to the sewer system were identified as part of the program.
The second annual report was submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency
demonstrating compliance with the NPDES Phase II Storm Water Permit issued to the Town in 2003.
The Engineering Division, in conjunction with the Water, Sewer and Storm Water Management
Advisory Committee, developed a plan to implement a Storm Water Enterprise Fund. This plan was
brought to the Subsequent Town Meeting in November of 2005 for approval but was tabled until the
Annual Town Meeting in April, 2006.
Engineering reviews were performed for the Community Planning and Development
Commission, Conservation Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals on several development
projects. These included redevelopment of the Danis property on General Way, site plan review for
the Unitarian Universalist Church, subdivisions on Franklin Street, Wakefield Street and Avon Street,
and revisions to the Johnson Woods and Archstone developments. Numerous other reviews were
performed on lesser projects.
The Engineering Division issued permits and inspected construction of 35 new connections to
the Town sewer system, and two permits were issued for sewer repairs or reuse of existing
connections. There were 74 Street Opening Permits issued to Keyspan Energy for repairs and new gas
services. There were 40 Street Opening/Occupancy Permits issued to other parties for underground
utility work and construction within Town right-of-ways. Seven Public Hearings were held for new
utility installations within Town owned rights-of-way.
Public Works Department
HIGHWAY DIVISION
The Highway Division at the Public Works Facility consists of 15 employees, four are
Mechanics, one is a Dispatcher, and the 10 that are left maintain the infrastructure of the Town of
Reading.
The regular projects such as street sweeping, catch basin repair, roadside cutting, sidewalk and
street maintenance, tree lawn repair, mixing and sifting loam and compost, traffic control and cleaning
of catch basins continued by priority and need. Street sweeping was started on April 4, 2005 and
finished on June 2, 2005.
Miscellaneous:
The Division placed and filled planters for the Adopt-An-Island Program, and placed mosquito
control tablets in the catch basins and detention areas for the Health Department, and also held
Hazardous Waste Day, and had Adopt-A-Family in November and December.
Vehicle Maintenance:
The Division repaired and serviced the equipment from Police, Fire, School, Building
Maintenance, Council on Aging and Public Works Departments, and continued to take waste oil from
the public during the week and on Saturdays.
Snow and Ice:
During the Winter season of 2004-2005, the Division plowed twelve (12) storms and sanded
twenty seven (27) times.
Special Projects:
The Division tied in downspouts, installed flag pole, poured concrete pads and constructed new
parking lot and sidewalks at Wood End School; dug and installed conduit for lights at the new practice
football field at the High School; installed handicap ramp at Birch Meadow School; paved Warren
Avenue, Park Avenue, Winthrop Avenue, Tower to Hartshorn Street and Fulton Street and skim coated
a section of High Street, Franklin Street, Libby Avenue, Wentworth Road, Pearl Street and Lincoln
Street.
TOWN FOREST COMMITTEE
This year, the forest was again a very busy place -- people hiking and scout groups camping.
Through the generosity of the Public Works Department, we were able to maintain the
roadways and culverts. Some roadside brush clearing was also done.
The Boy Scouts repaired the boardwalk and cleared brush from the trails.
The Committee wishes to thank the Public Works Department, Fire Department, Police
Department, Conservation Division and the Boy Scouts for their help.
Respectfully submitted,
George B. Perry, II, Chairman
Louis E. Debrigard, Jr., Vice Chairman
Benjamin E. Nichols, Secretary
Public Works Department
FORESTRY-TREE WARDEN’S REPORT
One hundred and eighteen shade trees were removed. These trees were dead or in a dangerous
condition as to be a threat to public safety. One tree was braced for preservation and safety. Ninety-
eight hazardous tree stumps were removed from the tree lawns, parks, schools and playgrounds for
public safety. One hundred and forty-six trees were trimmed. Dead wood and low branches were
removed from the public trees as requested or observed. Tree trimming has continued as aggressively
as possible, but a lack of personnel has continued to hinder this program. Planted one tree on Warren
Avenue that was donated as a replacement for a tree removed. Also were additions to school plantings
as donations for dedications. Trees included Kwansan Cherry and a Linden. Forty trees were planted
at the newly constructed Wood End School. Four trees were planted for the Barrows School
reconstruction. Seventeen trees were planted so far at the High School reconstruction project. Tree
species included Oaks, Spruce, Red Bud Cherry and Maples.
The Compost Center on Strout Avenue continues to accept brush and leaves from residents.
46,117 cars entered the Compost Center in 2005. Residents are required to purchase stickers for use of
the Compost Center.
The holiday lighting put up by the tree crew in the Town Square was once again very
successful. There were 15,500 colored bulbs installed on the Common.
The Town of Reading was awarded “Tree City USA” for the 20th consecutive year by the
National Arbor Day Foundation. Five hundred Colorado Spruce trees were purchased and distributed
to all the fifth graders. Thanks to the Reading Rotary Club who have sponsored and assisted in this
program to make “Arbor Day 2005” a success in Reading.
A special thanks to all the Committees and Commissions working toward the preservation of
Reading’s public shade trees.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert L. Keating, Forestry-Tree Warden
PARKS DIVISION
The Parks Division continues to maintain 64 acres of grassed area throughout the Town, and
the facilities within the parks and schools. This includes the renovation as well as continued
maintenance of all the ball fields on school or parks grounds. The Division maintains 16 tennis and
basketball courts, the tot lots and the skating rinks, and maintains the grounds for all municipal as well
as school buildings.
The Parks Division also assists all Town Departments, Committees and Commissions with tree
maintenance, snow and ice removal and Election set-up.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert L. Keating, Supervisor-Tree Warden
Public Works Department
RECREATION DIVISION
The mission of the Recreation Division is to provide the community with year round
recreational activities. Recreation programs are broad based to meet the recreational needs of all
segments of the population. The Division must continually update and modify its programming to
meet the current needs of the community. As the community’s participation and awareness of local
recreational programs increases, so does their expectation of Recreation Division programs. The
Division must be ready to anticipate and adapt to these growing expectations and trends.
The Division recognizes that sports, recreation and leisure activities are important for the well
being of the community. The use of leisure time for enjoyable sport and recreation provides personal
benefits to the individual and for society in terms of health, quality of life, and a range of related
economic outcomes. The objectives are to ensure that people throughout the Reading community
share in the benefits of participating in active sports and recreation.
The Division offers a variety of programs to residents of all ages. A direct programming
emphasis has been placed on Reading Middle School and Elementary School aged youth. The
Recreation Revolving Fund continues to fund all programs for 2005. The Recreation Committee, with
nine members and three associate members, provides guidance and support to the Recreation Division.
Programming
Winter/Spring:
Reading Recreation ran the following programs for the Winter/Spring season:
Spring Soccer Doctor Clinic
Biddy Basketball 101
Big Sticks Golf Academy for Youths and Adults
Spring Basketball Clinic with H.S. Basketball Coach Kim Penny
Reading Baseball School – Pitching and Hitting Sections
Spring Tennis Clinics for Youths and Adults
Recreation Sports and Games – April Vacation
THE Farm – Horseback Riding
Challenger Basketball for Children with Special Needs
Tai Chi Class for Adults
Cooking Lessons with SMART Cookies
Reading Recreation Egg Hunt
Piano Lessons
Rocket Robotics Workshop
Baby Sitting Course
Crafts Programs for Adults
Winter/Spring is the lightest season for programming as it is the bridge between a very busy
Fall season with the facilitation of Travel Basketball scheduling and the planning of Summer
programs. It is also the season where time is allocated to field scheduling for the many youth and adult
sports organizations. The Division saw continued success with both the February and April vacation
programs for 2005. Biddy Basketball 101 would prove to become one of the staples of our Fall and
Winter/Spring line-up.
Public Works Department
The Spring season saw many successful programs including the popular Reading Baseball
School which is run by Peter Moscariello. The Egg Hunt was again a huge success with close to 200
kids on hand. The location of Memorial Park has worked out very well for the past two years.
The Division continues to offer programs such as a Baby Sitting Class from the nurses of
Winchester Hospital as well as the Sciensational Workshops for kids ages 8-12. The Division believes
that recreation is more than just sports and can include enrichment type programs. We continue to
explore other “art” activities and new programs that might be of interest to members of the community.
Summer:
The Summer of 2005 was very successful. Despite the inability to utilize the RMHS Field
House, the Summer programs were very successful. Creative planning and flexibility by the Clinic
Directors helped aid the program’s success. Reading Recreation Summer Camp numbers averaged
over 90% capacity for the entire Summer – this was our best year to date. The enrollment numbers
have increased each Summer for the past two years. The return to Coolidge Middle School has made a
significant difference on the perceived cleanliness of the program. Also, a strong Summer Camp staff
had kids coming back week after week. For the first time in four years, Summer Camp had a new
Director. Matthew Morrison was hired as the Camp Director in March. Jamie Walsh, the former
Sports and Games Counselor, was hired as the Assistant Director. Both did an excellent job managing
a solid returning camp staff. This year’s camp staff saw approximately 75% returning staff.
Other successful clinics and programs included:
Challenger Little League Baseball
Volleyball Clinics
Young Guns Lacrosse Clinic
Tiny Tot Soccer
Basketball Clinics for Boys and Girls
Reading Baseball Clinics
Super Sports (3 Sessions)
Kids Crafts
Tennis Clinics
Track and Field Clinic
The Division also had some very successful trips in conjunction with Celebration Tours. The
trips for Summer 2005 included 33 people going to Martha’s Vineyard, Red Sox vs. the Yankees at
Yankee Stadium (72 people) and Block Island Tour (18 people). All three of these programs reached
maximum capacity to what was allocated to the Recreation Division by its travel company Celebration
Tours.
The Division continued to run one of our other popular programs – the All Comers Track
Meets. This program is facilitated by the Recreation Coordinator Dan McGrath and RMHS Girls
Track and Field Coach Ken Fiet, along with current and former members of the RMHS track teams.
This past Summer, the program took place at the North Reading High School track due to the
construction of the RMHS track. The Track Meets are every Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. Each
Track Meet features four events in which participants can register. There are also age brackets set up
for a number of seats for each event. The cost for this program is minimal and provides families of
Reading a night of entertainment. It is believed that by returning the program to Reading in 2006, the
program will be better suited and, hopefully, be better attended.
Public Works Department
The Division also continued its tradition for our two concert series “Theater on the Green” and
“Touch of Class.” “Theater on the Green” had a successful turnout this Summer each Wednesday
afternoon, five concerts highlighted by “Wayne from Maine,” a children’s sing-a-long, and Marcus
Gale’s interactive sing-a-long. These concerts are very well attended by anywhere between 75–125
people each Wednesday. The “Touch of Class” concerts included Reading staple “Bob Bachelor’s
Totem Pole Orchestra,” “The Continentals,” and Reading’s own “Steven Savio” among the seven
concerts. Between donations that were collected during each of the concerts and sponsorships from
local businesses and organizations, the Recreation Division is able to run these concerts at minimal
cost. We will look to introduce a family movie series beginning next Summer.
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Finally, the Division held its 15 Annual Reading Tennis Open. The Tournament was a
success once again this year. All proceeds go back to the RMHS Tennis Program and new equipment
for the Town courts. Gregg Luongo again served as the Recreation Tennis Pro and he did an
outstanding job working with kids and adults. Tennis enrollment was consistent with the numbers of
the year before. Many kids enjoyed the clinics so much that they signed up for more than one week.
Gregg also continued a Tennis Travel team in which Reading competed against other towns at the
developmental level. Private lessons were also offered and conducted by Gregg or Matt Williams.
Fall/Winter:
The Fall/Winter marked an era of new programming for the Recreation Division. The Division
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offered a new Jr./Sr. Volleyball Program for 4 – 8 grade students. The program had close to 40
participants and went very well, and was run by Dan McGrath, Michelle Hopkinson and Christine
DiPietro. We will continue to look for ways to enhance this program, and possibly branch out into a
travel program.
Another new program entered the Recreation Division into the realm of extreme sports – Rock
Climbing. The Division offered a four-week Rock Climbing Program at Metro Rock for elementary
and middle school students, and was well received.
The Division offered a great new Drama Program during the Fall season called “Once Upon a
Time.” This program was extremely successful with over 40 participants at the elementary school
level. At the end of the seven week Drama Program, each class put on a show. This past Fall, we had
productions of “The Little Mermaid” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and both were very
successful.
The final new program presented by the Recreation Division was the Saturday Morning Sports
Series. This program is a compilation of different introductory sports including T-Ball, Soccer,
Basketball and unorganized sports. These programs are for four and five years olds, and have been a
huge success. The classes are run by Recreation Program Coordinator Dan McGrath and student
workers from RMHS.
Recreation again offered Field Hockey in the Fall. Once again, this program was very
successful and was run by Christine Gallagher. Other successful programs included Challenger Soccer
run by Ralph D’Amico, Big Sticks Golf, Kids Crafts and Recreation Sports and Games.
The Division continues to run a Travel Basketball Program that is concurrent with the private
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leagues in Reading. The Travel Basketball Program features boys 6, 7 and 8 grade teams, and the
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girls program has 6 and 8 grade teams.
Public Works Department
These teams are selected by coaches with input from the Recreation staff after a two-day
competitive try-out, and are coached by volunteer parents and friends of the Recreation Division.
Sunday Basketball enrollment has been strong for 3rd – 6th grade players, and Matt Morrison
and Rachel Pothier were hired to be the supervisors. They have done an outstanding job showing the
ability to run clinics, work with kids and supervise the referees. Sunday Basketball has approximately
300 participants each year, and continues to be the “bread and butter” program of the Department.
The Division continued with the second season of Recreation Hoops. This program was
designed as a repackaged Sunday Basketball type program with a Travel Basketball feel, and was
developed to bring the kids back to the gym. One of the patterns that we noticed was middle school
students started shying away from Sunday Basketball. There seems to be a trend of kids either wanting
to play Travel Basketball or nothing at all. Our hope is that Recreation Hoops will become the
program that kids will want to participate in.
The After School Learn to Ski Program will be run again this Winter starting in January. The
elementary program had 37 participants. Coolidge and Parker Middle School continue to be successful
with the Middle School program. The Coolidge side of the program filled up to more than 50 kids this
year, and the Parker side filled to 50% capacity. The total of 59 kids for the Middle School program is
comparable to the total of 2004.
The Division again has sponsored Destination Imagination in 2005. This year, we have two
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teams competing, one team in the 3 - 5grade level, and one team for the 6th – 8th grade level. The
program is run completely by volunteers and basically breaks even in the end. Each team will
participate in an end of the year DI Tournament in March.
Special Needs Programming:
Special Needs programming this year was offered by EMARC Recreation in conjunction with
the Recreation Division. Programs such as Ring Hockey, social club and swimming classes were
offered. EMARC offered successful programs such as Special Olympic training, bowling, teen groups,
and social clubs to name a few. The participants are asked at the end of each session to fill out an
evaluation form to give feedback. Margaret Veronelli ran the Challenger Little League Program this
past Summer. The program, as always, did very well with participation. Margaret also ran Challenger
Bowling for the second straight year. The Division also began offering a Challenger All-Sports
Program that has been a very big hit -- it is run by Lynn Mahoney and is completely volunteer driven.
The Division continues to look for other programming areas in which to expand.
Brochure and Advertising:
Reading Recreation continues its mailing of the Community Guide to every household in
Reading three times a year. The Division is also continuing to include the following participating
agencies in this publication: Recreation, Police Department, Fire Department, Library Services, Elder
Services, YMCA, Creative Arts and various in-town organizations.
In September 2005, the Division published a newly designed and updated website. The address
is www.ci.reading.ma.us/recreation. There is information on all current programs as well as upcoming
events, contact information including links to many of the sports organizations websites. The site is
maintained by Recreation Administrator John Feudo and is updated on a weekly basis.
Public Works Department
The Division continues to have success with “Notes from the Reading Recreation Division” out
to the schools bi-monthly. These flyers have received a positive response from the community. We
will continue with this undertaking as well as continue to send Press Releases to our local media
outlets.
Personnel:
Dan McGrath continues as the Program Coordinator. He has proven to be invaluable to the
Division as he has helped with the administration of Summer Camp, Sunday and Travel Basketball and
the Learn to Ski Program, as well as the development of The Saturday Morning Sports Series and
Recreation Sports and Games. Dan’s main responsibility of his position is to create, organize and
supervise recreational programs. With the assistance of the Program Coordinator, the Recreation
Division was able to increase the amount of programs run by the Recreation Division staff.
Carol Quinn continues as the Recreation Division Principal Clerk, and has become a very
important part of the Division. She has also become proficient in many areas of the DPW operation,
selling stickers, preparing bill roll and helping out where needed. She is responsible for most of the
data input into the Recreation Database Rec. Trac, and is also responsible to reconciling receipts at the
end of the day.
Administration:
John Feudo begins his fourth year as Recreation Administrator. John, under the direction of
the Recreation Committee, continues to manage the scheduling of all Town fields. Permits are issued
for every field in Town. Reading Recreation will continue to work with the local Youth and Adult
sports organizations in maximizing field space.
The new synthetic turf fields were both finished by September 2005. The Town can also
expect to add the field at the Wood End Elementary School as a multi-purpose facility. The addition
of these three facilities should help the issue of the field crunch.
The development of the Good Sports Partnership Commission began in October of 2005. The
group consists of the Recreation Administrator, Community Service Office from the Police
Department, and representatives of each of the youth sports organizations. The goal is simple -- be
proactive against violence in youth sports through education. The first event will take place in early
2006 when Bob Bigelow will come to Reading to speak about Youth Sports.
The Recreation Committee continues to monitor the permitting policy of the Imagination
Station Playground. Imagination Station facility permits help the Recreation Division control facility
usage. It is recommended that Imagination Station be renovated within the year -- the facility is as
popular as ever.
Reading Recreation is continuously looking for available land for the development of new
recreational facilities. The Division has leased the baseball field owned by Addison-Wesley and used
it for Soccer, Lacrosse and Pop Warner Football. The Town currently has the lease until September
2006.
The Recreation Division and the Recreation Committee continue to develop policies that will
increase the effectiveness and efficiency of each Reading Recreation program.
Public Works Department
The Division has been glad to offer the public over 180 recreational programs throughout the
past year, and hopes to meet the communities changing recreational needs while providing them with a
combination of safe, fun and educational programs. Suggestions of new programs are welcomed and
encouraged.
WATER DIVISION
A total of 62 new water services were installed, the Water Division replaced 29 old water
services, repaired 16 water service leaks, repaired 11 broken water mains, replaced 18 old hydrants,
repaired 10 broken hydrants, rebuilt 26 hydrants, a total of approximately 7,900’ of new water mains
and 19 new hydrants were added to the distribution system, replaced approximately 6,000' of old 6"
and 8" water main with new 8" water main on West Street, replaced approximately 3,000’ of old 6”
and 8” water main with new 12” water main on Franklin Street disconnected 25 water services for
house demolition, Inspected the installation of water mains at the High School, Barrows School,
Greystone Way, Johnson Woods, Archstone, Maple Village and Walgreen’s projects, conducted water
main flushing in southern ½ of Town, inspected hydrants in northern ½ of Town, continued cross
connection control program, performed hydrant flow tests for Camp Curtis Guild and Damco property,
all drinking fountains and Town irrigation systems turned on in Spring and turned off and winterized in
Fall, replaced one old drinking fountain, two seasonal laborers painted and lubricated hydrants over 1/4
of Town, completed annual water inventory, loam and seed on all water jobs, hot topped water and
sewer trenches, checked and maintained two water booster stations daily, cleaned and maintained the
grounds, cutting grass, etc. at the Auburn Street tank site, lowered and raised water gate boxes for
construction jobs, conducted a leak detection survey, assisted Highway Division during snow plowing
operations, removed snow from business district, churches and schools, shoveled snow from hydrants.
The Water Distribution Division is developing a distribution system layer for the Town’s GIS
system.
Meter Room:
The regular quarterly water meter reading cycle was supported, 551 work orders were received
and completed, 372 bills to date readings were taken, three meters were removed, 56 outside radio
units were installed, five meters were reset, meters tested correct six, meters tested incorrect 0. The
Water Division will be installing a new radio reading system and new water meters starting in 2006.
SEWER DIVISION
Approximately 20,656’ of sewer mains were cleaned and T.V. inspected, 117 sewer manholes
were sealed and lined, approximately 18,660’ of sewer mains were joint tested and sealed, performed
root treatment on approximately 9,222’ of sewer mains, replaced eight sewer manhole frames and
covers, cleaned wet wells at all sewer stations, checked and maintained 12 sewer stations daily,
cleaned approximately 1/4 of the sanitary sewer main system, cleaned and maintained the grounds,
cutting grass, trimmed bushes etc., around the sewer stations, completed work orders re: leaks, broken
gates etc., exercised emergency generator weekly, completed the annual sewer inventory. Assisted the
Highway Division during snow plowing operations, removed snow from business district, churches
and schools, and shoveled snow from hydrants.
The Sewer Distribution Division is developing a collection system layer for the Town’s GIS
system.
Public Works Department
LOUANIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT
General:
A total of 685,651,000 gallons of water was delivered to the distribution system in 2005.
The highest single days' consumption was 2,935,000 gallons on July 25, 2005. The highest
weeks' consumption was for the period July 24, 2005 to July 30, 2005 with an amount of 18,991,000
gallons, and the highest month was July with an amount of 76,184,000 gallons.
Average daily pumpage for 2005 was 1,878,496 gallons.
The average daily per capita use (use by each individual) for 2005 was 55 gallons per person
per day.
The operation of the residuals handling tank allowed the Treatment Plant to recycle 28.8
million gallons of water.
The seventh annual drinking water report was mailed to all customers in June.
The Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Drinking Water Program congratulated
the Reading Water Department for scoring within the top 5% in the 2005 Public Water System Awards
Program. The Honorable Mention status is based on the Water Department having won a Drinking
Water Award for each of the past three years and, therefore, not eligible to receive an award in 2005
but will be eligible again next year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the Reading DPW – Water Division in
2005 that it was awarded Water Fluoridation Quality Awards for calendar years 2003 and 2004. These
awards are presented to communities and towns across the country who are dedicated to providing
community water fluoridation to their citizens, and who constantly maintain fluoride levels in the
optimum range.
Design of the new state of the art 3.75 million gallon per day membrane filtration water
treatment facility by consulting engineers CDM came to a halt when 10 blue spotted salamanders (a
species of special concern) were discovered on the proposed site of the new facility, opposite the
existing facility along Strout Avenue. Three alternative sites, the former compost area behind Well #3,
the existing compost area off Strout Avenue, and the existing plant site on Strout Avenue were
identified and acceptable for construction.
The Town Manager and the Board of Selectman at this time decided to investigate the
feasibility of not constructing a new facility, abandoning the existing supply, and purchasing 100% of
the Town’s water supply from the MWRA.
CDM and the Water Department continued the $1 million Water Conservation Program which
incorporated emphasis on rebates for low flow washing machines, toilets and irrigation rain sensors.
The program continued into the educational design phase for the school system. There has been over
$97,000.00 in rebates to residents since the programs inception.
Public Works Department
The application for the interbasin transfer to purchase 600,000 gallons of water per day
(annualized) up to 219 million gallons from the MWRA to supplement our supply in the Summer to
help protect the Ipswich River received final approval by the MWRA Board of Directors at their
meeting on November 16, 2005. Service from the MWRA is scheduled each year during May –
October.
The Board of Selectman instituted outdoor, odd/even, hand held only water restrictions (6:00
thst
a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) from August 15 through October 31 due to low flows
experienced in the Ipswich River.
Supply:
In May, high winds felled trees causing damage to the high voltage power lines for Wells #2, #
13 and #15. Again, in October, a severe Nor’Easter felled trees causing major damage to the high
voltage power lines feeding Wells #2, #3, #13 and #15.
Production Wells #2 and #3 were cleaned and redeveloped.
Work continued with consulting engineers, Weston & Sampson, on the issue of the low level
chlorinated volatile organic contaminants found in the Revay Well, which have been attributed to the
AGFA facility on Industrial Way in Wilmington. Revay Well was voluntarily taken out of service in
2001 when the contaminants were detected.
Water Treatment Plant:
The Treatment Plant was operating for four (4) months at half capacity beginning in October,
while parts for the obsolete flocculation basin equipment were being manufactured and replaced.
Wiring to the #2 aerator failed and was completely replaced.
A new magnetic flow meter (mag meter) was installed on the raw water line feeding the
Treatment Plant, replacing the failed venturi style meter.
On March 31, 2005, the temporary ammonia system installed to convert the secondary
disinfection of the drinking water from chlorine to chloramines to meet the new trihalomethanes
regulations. The system was shut down as a new, unregulated contaminant n-Nitrosodimethylamine
(NDMA) was detected at levels above the California action level of 10 parts per trillion. An
investigation into the formation of NDMA was initiated. Chlorine is again being used as the secondary
disinfectant.
Public Works Department
2005 Pumping Records
MonthPumpageDaysAverage Day
January 51,914,000 31 1,674,645
February 48,906,000 28 1,746,643
March 53,544,000 31 1,727,226
April 53,418,000 30 1,780,600
May 55,984,000 31 1,805,935
June 69,024,000 30 2,300,800
July 76,184,000 31 2,457,548
August 68,823,000 31 2,220,097
September 53,707,000 30 1,790,233
October 52,300,000 31 1,687,097
November 49,463,000 30 1,648,767
December 52,384,000 31 1,689,806
TOTAL685,651,000 365 1,878,496
2005 Rainfall Records
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/waterSupply/rainfall/
PrecipitationAccumulatedDcr Normal
Month
InchesTotal PrecipitationPrecipitation
January 4.43 4.43 3.64
February 3.43 7.86 3.24
March 4.38 12.24 4.04
April 4.43 16.67 3.65
May 5.37 22.04 3.41
June 1.55 23.59 3.43
July 2.62 26.21 3.41
August 1.59 27.80 3.54
September 1.16 28.96 3.58
October 12.03 40.99 3.52
November 4.60 45.59 4.01
December 4.12 49.71 3.81
TOTALS49.71 49.71 43.28
Total rainfall in 2005 as measured at the Louanis Water Treatment Plant was 49.71", which
is 6.43" above the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) composite normal for the
Northeast Region as posted on January 30, 2006. Monthly normal values computed by DCR are
based on averages for the entire period of record for Northeast Region stations having the longest
period of record and are located in Concord, Lawrence and Waltham.
READING PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Patrick A. Schettini, Jr. John Doherty
Superintendent Assistant Superintendent
Mary DeLai
Director of Human Resources and Finance
School Department:
This report represents the activities, accomplishments and events of note that occurred in the
Reading Public Schools during the 2005 calendar year.
Leadership Changes:
Robert Spadafora was elected Chair of the Reading School Committee for the 2005-2006 school
year.
Elaine L. Webb was elected Vice Chair of the Reading School Committee.
Craig Martin was appointed Interim Principal at the Coolidge Middle School to replace John
Doherty who became Assistant Superintendent.
Marie Pink was appointed as Interim Assistant Principal of the Coolidge Middle School to replace
Craig Martin who became Interim Principal.
Patricia de Garavilla was appointed Principal of the Joshua Eaton Elementary School.
Richard Davidson transferred to the position of Principal of the newly opened Wood End
Elementary School.
Thomas Daniels was appointed to the position of Principal of the Birch Meadow Elementary
School to replace Richard Davidson who became Principal at the Wood End Elementary School.
Notable Events:
The Wood End Elementary School officially opened as Reading's fifth elementary school.
In support of the Reading Public School District Improvement Plan Instructional Initiative, the
School Department offered many professional development opportunities for district
administrators and staff members that included: An Administrative Institute, The Skillful
Teacher Course, Prentice Hall Math Course, Smartboard Training, John Collins Writing
Program Workshops, Massachusetts Elementary School Principals' Association (MESPA)
Math Instruction, AP Vertical Teams in Mathematics Workshop, History Alive Workshop,
Technology Workshops and Junior Great Books Training. In addition, the District has engaged
other initiative by pursuing a grant to research expanded learning time.
All of the elementary schools are entering the sixth year of the Language Arts Program:
Scholastic Literacy Place, John Collins Writing Program and Junior Great Books at the K-5
level. Wilson Fundations Phonics was recently implemented to supplement the Scholastic
Program in K-2.
The Social Studies Program called Horizons, from Harcourt School Publishers, is now in its
second year of implementation in the fourth and fifth grades.
The Reading Memorial High School construction has been proceeding on schedule with the
Math/Science wing and the locker room additions to the Field House scheduled for completion
in July 2005. In July 2005, the existing “C” building furniture and equipment was relocated to
the new Math/Science wing. Construction and renovation of the existing “C” building, new
Library, and Auditorium began in the Fall of 2005 and continued in the Field House.
School Department
The Class of 2005 experienced an extraordinary level of success in their efforts to matriculate
into our nation’s most academically challenging programs.
The following is a report on their plans: 82.5 % - Four Year Colleges, 9.9% - Two Year
Colleges, .6% - Business/Technical/Prep Schools, 4.0% - work, .3% Armed Services and
2.7% - Other.
Once again, the Reading Memorial High School students have attained scores that place the
school within the top echelon of all high schools in the Commonwealth. Most notable all of the
seniors in the Class of 2005 met the MCAS graduation requirement.
Coolidge Middle School established a new vision which focuses on several key areas:
"Twenty-first Century classrooms" with technological tools to improve instruction, the social
and emotional well being of every student, assessment strategies that yield valuable data to
inform our decisions, and even greater communication and collaboration among our school
partners.
There is a new Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) at Coolidge that has the capability
for computers and digital musical instruments to talk to each other. It is being utilized by all
three grades in the general music and music composition elective courses.
Coolidge is piloting a new Student Support Program focusing on "bullying," and how to create
a school culture where every student can feel emotionally safe and secure.
The Coolidge Middle School was named a "Lighthouse School" by the Blue Ribbon Schools of
Excellence organization. According to Blue Ribbon Schools, their "Lighthouse Schools"
program is an effort "infusing education, business and government with the objective of shining
a positive light on America's best schools and programs."
The Parker Middle School is in its second year of membership to the National Turning Points
Network, and committed to developing new structural leadership to address school change.
The Turning Points assignment for this year is focusing on teaching methodologies to build a
collaborative grade level and team culture, and to create "lab classrooms" to increase their
repertoire of skills in the classroom in a collaborative way.
Parker is in its third year of focusing on Core Values with a twofold goal to revise the existing
Core Values and practice them when working together collaboratively. Two teams met to
discuss social issues and bullying and have created a plan to have regularly scheduled whole-
school lessons designed to teach children the language of conflict resolution.
The Alice M. Barrows School renovation continued through the first half of 2005 and came to
completion in August. A Public Open House was held prior to the opening of school.
In keeping with the former Bullying Prevention Program, the students and staff of the Barrows
school embrace the philosophy of "Respect for themselves, Respect for each other and Respect
for their school" through assemblies, enrichment program and theme days.
The Barrows School Community has committed to a monthly outreach project and provided aid
to St. Jude's Hospital, Math-A-Thon, Read-Across-America, victims of Hurricane Katrina, the
Reading Adopt-A-Family Program and various food drives.
The Birch Meadow School is in its third year of implementation of a Bullying Prevention
Grant. They trained staff and school community members in the areas of recognition and
prevention by holding classroom meetings, involving by-standers, role playing, and by
providing strategies to students and staff for acceptance and tolerance. This year, the focus is
on parent communication.
Unique to Birch Meadow is the Birch Meadow Publishing House which is celebrating its 16th
year of publishing books written and illustrated by students.
School Department
Birch Meadow is now in its 10th year of offering after school enrichment programs for
students.
Joshua Eaton School kindergarten teachers implemented the use of a new literacy assessment at
their level called DIBELS. This assessment is used as a predictor for students who would
benefit from additional instruction and services.
The Joshua Eaton PTO raised thousands of dollars to support enrichment activities for student
learning, and provided many enjoyable social events for Eaton families.
The Eaton School Advisory Council focused on the importance of communication within the
school community, addressing website use and other areas of technology.
It was a year of significant change for the J.W. Killam School community. Redistricting
greatly impacted the school population. The Killam School PTO was instrumental in helping
to welcome new families working together with school administration to host parent programs,
and hold Open House orientation sessions for new students and their families.
Professional Development and instructional improvement was the focus of the Killam staff in
2005. Staff members took part in "The Skillful Teacher" and "Investigating Obstacles to
Achievement" courses offered by the district from Research for Better Teaching.
The Pillars of Character Program continued to play a major part of the life of the Killam School
community focusing on Citizenship, Responsibility, Fairness, Respect, Trustworthiness and
Caring.
The Wood End School, Reading's fifth elementary school, officially opened this year. The
addition of a new school required a great deal of organization and transitioning. To meet this
challenge, the Principal organized a "Transition Team" of staff and parents to plan several
social events for students, parents and staff including a family open house, ice cream social,
parents only night, field day and move-up night.
The Wood End School is committed to the physical and mental health of all children, and to
that end has formed a steering committee to develop and oversee a program that supports,
educates, and celebrates positive decision making by students in a climate that practices zero
indifference to bullying and teasing.
Reading School Committee
Chairman Robert Spadafora
Leadership:
There were several changes in leadership of the Reading School Committee. Lisa Gibbs and
Carl McFadden were re-elected for a three-year term.
At the Committee’s annual reorganization in June, Rob Spadafora was elected Chair and Elaine
Webb Vice Chair. Other members of the Committee are Harvey J. (Pete) Dahl, John Carpenter, Lisa
Gibbs and Carl McFadden.
School Construction Projects:
In 2005, the Reading School Committee continued to move forward with the Barrows
Elementary School project, and the renovation and additions to Reading Memorial High School
(RMHS).
School Department
The renovation of the Barrows Elementary School was completed in the Summer of 2005. At
that time, the Barrows equipment, some furniture and materials were moved from Wood End to the
newly renovated school.
The Reading Memorial High School construction has been proceeding on schedule with the
Math/Science wing and the locker room additions to the Field House scheduled for completion in July
2005. In July 2005, the existing “C” building furniture and equipment was relocated to the new
Math/Science wing. Construction and renovation of the existing “C” building, new Library and
Auditorium began in the Fall of 2005 and continued in the Field House.
Budget:
The School Committee engaged in a comprehensive process of establishing budget priorities
for FY06. One of the priorities funded in FY06 was the staffing of the newly opened Wood End
Elementary School. Reducing class size was another budget priority that was addressed in the FY06
budget through the addition of three classroom teachers. The need to provide support to improve
teaching and learning instruction resulted in reinstating an elementary Instructional Specialist position,
and the need to develop a strong technology infrastructure resulted in increasing the Network Manager
position to 1.0 FTE.
At the Annual Town Meeting that commenced on April 25, 2005, Town Meeting approved a
Budget for the Reading Public Schools of $31,727,841.
Reading Public Schools
Budget Summary
Fiscal Year 2006
Recommended
Budget
Administration 877,088
Regular Day 19,078,862
Special Needs 7,616,270
Other School Services 917,283
Custodial/Maintenance 3,238,338
Total 31,727,841
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS):
Reading’s Statewide prominence in the MCAS rankings continued in 2005 as Reading placed
in the top 20% of all Massachusetts districts in MCAS performance. This represents a significant
accomplishment for a system that continues to spend almost $1,300 below the State average on per
pupil spending. This achievement continues to define Reading as a school system that always gets
more performance for less money. We continue to be a frugal district that sets high expectation, and
achieves these goals through a collaborative effort of the administration, the teachers, the students and
the parents. This is certainly a model to be envied throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The School Committee is very proud of our accomplishments in this regard and sees this as the
standard for accountability…high scores, low cost.
School Department
Student Enrollment
As students returned to school in September of 2005, it is apparent that while trending upward,
enrollment has begun leveling off. Student enrollment in the Fall of 2005 (FY2006) stood at 4,213
students. See chart below.
Reading Public Schools
Student Enrollment FY2006
Elementary Schools K-5 2,000
Middle Schools 6 – 8 961
High School 9 – 12 1,210
Special Education *42
Total 4,213
* This is the number of enrollees in our “substantially separate”
Special Education classrooms. Reading students who receive full-
time Special Education services outside of Reading are not counted
in this chart.
Achievements:
Reading Memorial High School graduated 303 young men and women in 2005. While many of
our graduating seniors are attending some of the most prestigious universities in the country, all are
moving into the future with a solid portfolio of skills which will help their success in any environment
they choose. While we naturally point to acceptances at schools like Northwestern and George
Washington University as an indication of our system’s success, it is the goal of the School
Committee, and a better measure of success that we find appropriate placements for all of our students
that will further prepare them to be productive, contributing citizens of our country.
In addition to the success of our graduates, we can continue to take pride in the success of our
students at all levels. Our athletic programs continue to be one of the best in Massachusetts with our
student athletes demonstrating athleticism, intelligence and, above all, sportsmanship. Our students
take part in a number of Statewide competitions including the Science Olympiad Program, National
History Day, Drama Fest and numerous Band competitions. Our success at all levels is almost too
numerous to repeat but continues to reflect on the efforts of the students, staff and parents. We are
always indebted to those in the community who provide the additional support when the School
Department cannot. It is this support from our PTO’s, the Boosters, the Band and Drama Parents
support organizations, the Technology Fund, just to name a few, that provide the added support and
encouragement which fosters a sense community and promotes participation and success.
Reading Memorial High School
Principal Joseph L. Finigan
The Town’s High School continues to enjoy a strong reputation for its academics, activities and
athletics. All aspects of our students’ educational experience are expected to be enhanced with the
completion of the new building project with its new classrooms, activity spaces and playing fields.
School Department
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (N.E.A.S.C.) Report did much to
recognize the school’s strengths and make specific recommendations to enhance future goals. The two-
year Follow-up Report documented the school’s compliance to achieve more successfully the goals and
expectations of its mission.
RMHS students continue to achieve above State averages on the MCAS with 100% passing
rate. Our students also scored above the national average on the various SAT tests. Last Spring’s
graduating class, as is expected, distinguished itself with many acceptances at outstanding colleges and
universities. The professional development of RMHS has been focused on the incorporation of new
technology into the instructional and administrative facets of the classroom; however, other
opportunities for teachers supported the district’s instructional emphasis in delivering strong curriculum
and creating small learning communities.
The vast majority of our students are involved with their school beyond the classroom, many
participating in the large drama and band organizations as well as many taking part in athletics, and an
array of both academic and recreational clubs. To be emphasized is the strong parental support that
serves as a mainstay in the success of the school’s policies and programs.
In conclusion, with all the changes and challenges of an ambitious construction project, all
parties to the educational process, including Town departments, are to be commended for their
understanding and cooperation in making this past year a successful one for RMHS students.
Building Project:
Reading Memorial High School moved into Phase II of the three-phase building project. Phase
I saw the completion of the Science/Math building where classes this year are making use of the new
instructional facilities and technology. The other major building under construction in Phase I, the
Field House, saw the construction of Physical Education equipment rooms, locker rooms and team
rooms, and the installation of a new roof. Besides new bleachers and press box, two new turf fields
have been installed and actively utilized for classes, practices and competitions.
Phase II will see new boys’ and girls’ main locker rooms completed as well as health
classrooms and fitness facilities on the second floor. All water, HVAC and electrical conduits have
been installed in readiness for the completion of the Field House floor and furnishings over the
Summer. At the other end of the facility, demolition of the south wing was completed. The complete
gutting and first steps in refurbishing both the C-Building (the former Science and Math areas) and B-
Building (the Media/Library, Fine Arts areas) are in process.
Staffing:
There were 10 additions to the RMHS staff this year. Some of these were because of
retirements from the 2004/2005 school year, some were due to staff personnel seeking other career
pursuits, and some were created by eliminating Special Education Aide assignments, and creating
teaching positions in the Special Education Department.
One new department chairperson position was added to form the Health and Physical
Education Department. Mr. Gary Nihan, who is also the Coordinator of Health and Physical Education,
K-12, and is the Director of Adult and Community Education in Reading, returned to the High School
to assume this position. He also is coordinating an elective program for upperclassmen called Critical
Health Issues which addresses substance abuse.
School Department
Wilma Frazier, the long-time District METCO Coordinator, whose office was located at the
High School, retired. Jesenia Castro was hired as her replacement, and her office is also in the High
School.
Michael Bunting has been hired as a Chorus Instructor in the Practical and Performing Arts
Department, and will serve in a shared teaching capacity with the Wood End School faculty.
It should be noted that a veteran teacher has mentored each new teacher in order to help the
protégés make the transition to RMHS as smooth as possible.
Class of 2005:
The Class of 2005 experienced a very successful year in their efforts to matriculate into some of
the most academically challenging programs. Our top students were accepted at institutions of higher
learning including: Yale, Cornell, Brown, University of Rochester, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Tufts (7),
Oberlin College, Boston University and Boston College. A complete breakdown of post-graduate plans
include the following:
(303 students in class)
Four-year Colleges 82.5 %
Two-year Colleges 9.9 %
Prep School 0.3 %
Technical School (1) 0.3 %
Business (1) 0.4 %
Armed Services/Service Academy 0.3 %
Work (12) 4.0 %
Undecided 2.3 %
NEASC Accreditation Progress Report:
Reading Memorial High School received the coveted rating of “Continued Accreditation” with
many commendations for the students, parents, staff and administration. The visiting committee was
impressed with the pride and respect exhibited by everyone related to the school, the successful
realization of a $4.5 million budget override, and the planned construction of the new $54 million High
School facility.
The school’s continued accreditation is based on satisfactory progress in following up on the
recommendations of the visiting committee. These directives included implementing and adequately
funding a comprehensive technology plan, providing communication technology, and ensuring funding
to maintain and clean the school. Several recommendations have already been met, including the two
new department leadership positions.
MCAS Testing :
The sophomore class performed exceptionally well on both the English Language Arts and
Mathematics examinations compared with other sophomore students throughout the Commonwealth.
In addition, it should be noted that every member of the Class of’ 2006, the senior class, has met the
State requirements of passing both the MCAS English Language Arts and Mathematics examinations
either during their sophomore year, or by means of the MCAS Retest format during their junior year.
School Department
Two senior students who have never taken the MCAS because they lived out-of-state and
entered RMHS in September took the Retest in November. Their testing results have not been made
known as of this report.
Most assuredly, the commitment and dedication of the faculty and staff, the diligent,
conscientious effort on the part of the students, and the high quality of the academic program are all
factors in helping the students surpass the goals for improvement established by the Massachusetts
Department of Education.
2005 MCAS Grade 10 Results:
Math English
State RMHS State RMHS
Advanced 34% 58% 23% 38%
Proficient % 27% 28% 42% 48%
Needs Improvement 24% 12% 25% 13%
Warning 15 % 2% 10% 1%
Academics:
The most important development is the use of SmartBoards and LCD projectors in our
everyday instruction. Although both our Science and Math teachers enjoy this technology as part of the
new building, several teachers from the Foreign Language and Social Studies Departments have
effectively incorporated the Smart-Boards and LCD projectors in their classrooms. Science and Math
teachers, as part of the new technology, are also piloting the Edline program on their computers, a way
of providing many opportunities for communicating with their students and parents. Finally,
concerning communication, the whole school has been enhanced with a new phone system which has
obvious benefits for everyone.
District-wide Instructional Initiative:
Reading Memorial High School is a major supporter of the district-wide initiative on classroom
instruction. In the first stage of this long-term emphasis on instruction, the school has 14 professionals
(all administrators and four teachers) participating in the Research for Better Teaching course,
Investigating Obstacles to Instruction. Several teachers have signed up for the next part of the initiative,
which is another RBT course, The Skillful Teacher. A key part of the High School professional
development this year was to create an all-faculty study group program. Learning communities are
formed in each one of these 20 small groups, each one taking up a specific perspective on instruction to
research and utilize the findings. These steps are only the beginning of a long-term commitment to
classroom instruction which will support the achievement of our students.
Extra and Co-curricular Programs:
With approximately 80% of the student body involved with the extra and co-curricular
programs, it is highly impressive to see so many students affiliated with clubs, groups and athletic
teams.
The success of the band continues to be clearly evident as the band received a silver medal in
the Massachusetts Marching Band Championship Finals, the Norwood Jazz Festival, the IAJE
Massachusetts State Finals and gold medals in the Northeast District Jazz Festival and the New England
th
Scholastic Band Marching Band Championship Finals. The band performed at the Walt Disney 50
School Department
Anniversary Celebration representing the State of Massachusetts, and similarly was selected to
represent Massachusetts at the Memorial Day Parade Celebration in Washington, D.C. Certainly, the
success of many of the musicians who have received awards, citations and accolades, the large number
of students who are availed the opportunity to showcase their talents, and the numerous engagements
the various band groups consisting of the Marching Band, Concert Band and Jazz Band, get involved
with including football games, parades, Town celebratory functions, jazz festivals and local and State
competitions should be credited to Mr. Bunten, his staff, and the support and affiliation of the Band
Parents.
The Drama Program has displayed continued success as over 160 students have had the
opportunity to display their theatrical talents both on stage and backstage. The two main performances,
“Crazy for You” and “Aladdin,” received outstanding reviews and were well attended.
The athletic program afforded a significant number of students to participate. The hockey team
qualified for the Super 8 Hockey Tournament and advanced to the Final Four Competition. Michael
Gilbert was recognized as an All-Scholastic by the Boston Globe and Boston Herald, and Michael
Hubbard was cited All-Scholastic by the Boston Herald. The gymnastics team won the Middlesex
League Championship and finished second in the State Finals. Diane Blume was recognized as the
Boston Globe Winter Coach of the Year, and Kimberly O’Donnell and Rebecca Silva were selected to
the Boston Herald All-Scholastic Team. Kimberly O’Donnell was also a Boston Globe All-Scholastic.
The boys’ and girls’ indoor track teams were Middlesex League Champions. The boys’ team was the
State Division II Relay Champions and received the M.I.A.A. Team Sportsmanship Award. The
wrestling team won the Middlesex League Championship. Justine Lyons was selected to the Boston
Globe All-Scholastic Girls’ Basketball Team after leading her team to the second round of the post-
season tournament. The softball team advanced to the North Sectional Finals. Jill McElroy was
selected Boston Globe Coach of the Year. Danielle Pandolfo was cited as a Boston Globe and Boston
Herald All Scholastic, and Emily Hildreth was recognized as a Boston Herald All-Scholastic. The girls’
swim team won the Middlesex League Championship. Lois Margeson was selected the Boston Globe
Coach of the Year. Erica Smotrycz set school records in three different swim events.
The school’s activities and clubs provide over 35 different opportunities for student
involvement. New clubs this year include the Miscellaneous Club, Samantha’s Harvest and the Chess
Club.
Arthur W. Coolidge Middle School
Principal Craig Martin
A Professional Learning Community:
The Arthur W. Coolidge Middle School is maintaining its overall goal of continuing to operate
as a “professional learning community.” Such a school is often defined as having a shared mission and
vision, valuing the collective inquiry that accompanies a constant striving to improve, working within
the structure of collaborative teams that share a common purpose, maintaining a willingness to try new
approaches, and assessing efforts by examining results. As we continue to strive to be a school that
successfully addresses the social, physical, intellectual and emotional needs of all its students, we look
forward to accomplishing the new goals set forth in our School Improvement Plan - while at the same
time, we celebrate our successes of the previous year. Below are a few of the highlights…
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One Vision Attained…A New Vision is Written:
As Coolidge received both regional and national recognition in the last couple of years, our
school community realized that our original vision statement (originally adopted in 2001) had been
attained - what was once a description on paper of what we would like to be, had become a reality. The
st
NELMS Spotlight School Award, and the 21 Century School of Distinction Award seemed to be
testaments to that. Our community felt, however, that as a “professional learning community,” we
must continue to move forward, and so we set forth to create a new vision of what we would like to be
within the next few years. With the help of staff, parents and community members, we drafted a new
vision for the school, and our School Council officially adopted that vision last Spring. This new
vision focuses on several key areas: “Twenty-first Century classrooms” with technological tools to
improve instruction, the social and emotional well being of every student, assessment strategies that
yield valuable data to inform our decisions, and even greater communication and collaboration among
our school partners. In order to attain these goals, the new vision statement has already become the
“compass” that guides us in all our decisions.
MIDI Lab - Music and Modern Technology:
With the generous help of private donations, the new MIDI is now in place at Coolidge Middle
School. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and it is the capability for computers
and digital musical instruments (like keyboards) to talk to each other. Currently, the MIDI Lab at
Coolidge is being utilized by all three grades in the general music and music composition elective
classes.
In the sixth grade, general music classes are using the music notation software PrintMusic to
write our first melodic compositions. By using the keyboards to process the sounds, the students can
choose whatever instrument they want to play their composition - from a banjo, to overdriven guitar to
an entire orchestra. In the seventh grade, general music classes are also using the MIDI Lab to write
melodic compositions using PrintMusic. This year, they are learning to write music in traditional
forms such as Rounded Binary and Rondo form. These are the same forms that composers like Mozart
and Beethoven also used. In seventh grade, all of the students learn how to play piano – this year on
the new keyboards in the MIDI Lab. They then are taking their knowledge of piano to try
improvisation using the C Blues Scale. One new piece of software we have in the MIDI Lab is Sonar
Home Studio - this software lets you record different tracks of music on top of each other using the
keyboard exclusively to enter in the notes. We’ve created a jazz band accompaniment and the students
were able to improvise and record a melody on top of that accompaniment to get a feel for playing jazz
music.
In the eighth grade Music Composition elective classes, great things are happening with the
new equipment as well. In addition to using the PrintMusic notation software to learn and write
Theme and Variations, Percussion Ensemble music and Music Theory via writing music for piano,
students are starting an arranging project using Sonar Home Studio. The students are finding video
clips that are of interest to them, inserting them into Sonar, and are composing a new soundtrack to
accompany the videos. This is a wonderfully creative project that wouldn’t have been possible at all
without the new equipment in the MIDI Lab.
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Student Support Program: “Life Skills:”
As part of our effort to effectively address the social and emotional needs of our students,
Coolidge is piloting a new student support program. In conjunction with the Wellness teachers and
their curriculum, our counselors are also meeting with small groups of students on a rotation basis. In
our student support rooms, students have been able to engage in great discussions and activities about
important issues faced by adolescents. A focus of the pilot program has been “bullying” and how to
create a school culture where every student can feel emotionally safe and secure. Thus far, we have
been extremely pleased with how the program has been going. As the recent Youth Risk Behavior
Survey indicated, bullying was seen as a major issue at the middle level. We are optimistic, however,
that this program, especially as we continue to expand it to all grades, will help to eliminate that issue -
as well as remove what can often be a major obstacle to some students’ success in middle school.
Presidential Award for Excellence:
Coolidge Math teacher, Amy Lena, was selected as one of the State finalists for the Presidential
Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. According to the National Science
Foundation, winners "serve as models for their colleagues, inspirations to their communities, and
leaders in the improvement of Mathematics and Science education." Ms. Lena was honored at a State
House Ceremony in November. Teachers chosen as State winners in March will receive $10,000, as
well as a trip to Washington to receive a citation from President Bush.
NMSA Distinguished Educator Award:
Principal Craig Martin received the “Distinguished Educator Award” from the National Middle
School Association. According to NMSA, the award was designed “to recognize outstanding middle
level practitioners…[W]inners impact the lives of our young adolescents on a day-to-day basis. They
are the leaders in reform and change in their respective schools and districts, …[and] they provide
knowledge, advocacy and support to the middle level movement by providing exceptional leadership
as team members and administrative leaders.”
Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence “Lighthouse School:”
Coolidge Middle School was proud to be named a “Lighthouse School” by the Blue Ribbon
Schools of Excellence organization. According to Blue Ribbon Schools, their “Lighthouse Schools”
program is an effort “infusing education, business and government with the objective of shining a
positive light on America’s best schools and programs …Lighthouse Schools will focus on locating
successful best practices and programs that work in education to serve as a marker for schools that
desire to be high performing beacons for our educational culture…The Lighthouse Advisory
Committee was established and charged with discovering educational practices that may be customized
and replicated, thereby charting the future course of education. Lighthouse, along with its
partnerships, will shape the future of education by facilitating alliances and creating an environment of
positive change for all schools.”
Coolidge Middle School was also again invited to present at the Blue Ribbon Schools
“Blueprint for Excellence” Conference in South Carolina - and was even featured in the opening
general session. In addition to our own presentations, Coolidge staff members had the opportunity to
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attend numerous workshops, to visit exemplary schools in the area, and to connect with professional
colleagues from outstanding schools across the nation. As we continue to learn and to improve by
collaborating with other schools, it is also a great honor to be recognized by and to contribute to such a
respected organization in education.
Final Thoughts and Thanks:
As we continue to strive toward new goals, we are proud to welcome several new teachers to
our team…Connie DeBenedetto (Science), Jim Henerberry (Math and Social Studies), Amy Kasprzak
(Math), Sarah Marchant (Science), Darrell Siciliano (Special Education) and Gretchen Webster
(Special Education). Their talents and contributions will help us in all our future endeavors.
We also express our heartfelt thanks to Stan Quinlan (who retired in December) for his many
years of dedicated service to the children of Reading.
W.S. Parker Middle School
Principal Linda Darisse
Introduction:
The W. S. Parker Middle School continually works to improve through a process which
addresses three main areas of need: Curriculum, instruction and assessment, school climate and shared
leadership. Staff, parents, students and community members are working together to build a school
community which focuses on the needs of pre-adolescents and adolescents, educationally, socially and
emotionally. Part of this process is to reach out to the Reading community and beyond as we continue
the Parker tradition of being a school that values life-long learning and service to the community.
School Improvement Plan:
The School Improvement Plan (SIP) was written by the School Council in the Spring of 2005
and revised in September. The revisions were made to correlate the plan with the new District
Improvement Plan (DIP) written in August by the Administrative Council. Activities to address the
main goals were added as well as a column that clearly shows the correlation to the DIP. The SIP
consists of three areas of focus and four goals. The focus areas are: Improve Learning, Teaching and
Assessment for All Students, Build Leadership Capacity and Professional Collaborative Culture, and
Create a School Culture to Support High Achievement. The goals are: To develop and teach
lessons/units to address the learning needs of all students, to learn and exercise teaming strategies
among teachers and support staff, to communicate effectively with staff, parents, students and the
community, and to cultivate ‘Core Values’ among staff and students. The School Council, comprised
of five parents, three teachers and the Principal, meet regularly to provide the structure and direction
for the accomplishment of the goals outlined in the School Improvement Plan.
Turning Points:
Turning Points 2000 (TP) is a report from the Carnegie Foundation that is a result of over 10
years of research done in middle schools on how pre-adolescents and adolescents learn best.
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The report has a list of Recommendations that middle schools should adhere to if they are to
address the needs, educational, social and emotional, of students who are “in the middle” between
elementary school and High School.
Parker Middle School is in its second year of membership in the National Turning Points
Network located at the Center for Collaborative Education in Boston. Last year, with funds from the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we worked with a TP coach to develop a new structure within the
school that would allow us to form a leadership team made up of staff representatives of all grades and
departments, to learn more about TP, to collect data from our students and school, and make key
decisions on how the school should change to address the recommendations in TP. Some of the
changes that resulted from this work include a revised schedule, intact teams with no part-time
teachers, math teachers on team, and common planning time for teams and departments.
The Turning Points work for this year is in two parts and is being funded in part by the
Carnegie Foundation as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. School-wide data was
collected and a report written which focused on teaching methodologies. Using the report as a guide,
one TP coach is working with the Leadership Team to train and assist members to build collaborative
cultures on their grade level and department teams, and help them lead their teams to improve
curriculum, instruction and assessment. A second coach is working with teachers to create “lab
classrooms” to increase their repertoire of skills in the classroom in a collaborative way, with teachers
taking on the roles of hosts and observers. They will also look closely at student work.
Core Values:
We are in our third year of focusing on Core Values. The 2005 goal was twofold: Revise the
Core Values that have been in place for quite some time (honesty, integrity and critical thinking), and
practice our Core Values when we do collaborative work together. The staff met regularly throughout
the 2004-2005 school year, gathering data from staff, students and parents. Much time was spent
discussing and analyzing data, narrowing down the suggestions for the CV’s. At the same time, two
teams of stakeholders met around two issues.
A group of staff and students met about social issues in the cafeteria. As they saw it, students
were having problems with only having eight students able to sit at a table. They surveyed staff and
wrote a proposal to replace some of the round tables in the Cafeteria with longer tables that would fit
more students. Using tables donated by the High school, the Cafeteria was redesigned in September.
The second group that met consisted of teachers, counselors and parents concerned about bullying that
was taking place at the school. They analyzed data, made suggestions to the PTO for speakers, and
created a plan to have regularly scheduled whole-school lessons designed to teach children the
language of conflict resolution.
Starting in September, the CV team met regularly to make the decision on what the CV would
be, how they would be introduced to the community, and plan the whole-school lessons. The CVs
were chosen: Kindness, Community, and Personal Best. All students and staff participated in a lesson
that began with a brainstorming session and ended with the creation of large paper quilts depicting
scenes that addressed the core values. Future lessons will focus on the first core value, kindness and
will use the Get Real Program to develop an anti-bullying curriculum.
School Department
Research for Better Teaching:
Staff members are taking advantage of a course offered by the district, The Skillful Teacher,
from Jon Saphier’s Research for Better Teaching. What is learned during these sessions is brought
back to the school and shared. We look for trends, identify obstacles, make hypotheses, and look for
strategies to use in the classroom. This work will continue throughout the year to develop teaching and
management strategies to use in classrooms and on teams.
Middle School Curriculum Development (Coolidge and Parker):
District-wide, grade level department teachers have been working to coordinate curriculum.
This is done through a procedure called “mapping.” After completing a chart which gives an overview
of the content and skills covered monthly, teachers are completing curriculum maps that include key
terms, essential skills, core knowledge, assessment, and correlation to the State framework. This work
is being completed and turned into the Principal as the units are completed. Teachers have a chance to
discuss their maps with their teams and administrators at key points throughout the year.
In addition, departments from both middle schools have been meeting regularly with
consultants to increase their knowledge base in pedagogy. Math teachers have been working in several
areas including using Math manipulatives, understanding the new Prentice Hall Algebra program,
using Scantron as a diagnostic tool, and vertical teaming with the High School. The Social Studies
teachers have been trained in a newly adopted program called History Alive. Other departments that
meet regularly to improve pedagogy include Science, Art, PE, ELA, Music and Foreign Language
teachers.
Leadership Team:
The Parker Leadership Team is in its second year advising the school in areas of curriculum,
instruction, assessment and collaborative work. Teams, departments and other stakeholders met and
came to consensus on who would represent them on the team. Seventeen staff members, including the
coach, both Principals and teachers are on the team which meets monthly to deepen their knowledge of
the TP Principles, plan staff development, and come to consensus on school change. They have raised
questions about current situations or practice, reviewed data to clarify situations and re-frame
questions, and identified problem areas or questions to be investigated. They are currently developing
hypotheses to address problem areas or questions, and will create and implement an action plan by the
end of December. This will mean that in January, we can begin to do the hard work of networking
with other schools, having difficult conversations with each other about change, and doing analytical
work in the areas of curriculum, instruction and collaborative culture.
Review of Special Education and Guidance Procedures and Services:
Using data from a report from an internal audit, changes were made in how Special Education
Services were provided to students and families. Schedules were changed so that students were
assigned to certain staff, both regular and Special Education to provide continuity within the school
day. All pullout programs were revised to be inclusion programs. ‘Group’ periods were redesigned to
provide extra academic help to those who received "warning" or "needs improvement" on the MCAS.
Three grade-level Learning Centers were created with a new philosophy which combined skill-
building mini-lessons with work from regular education classrooms.
Guidance services were also redesigned. The Student Support Center (SSC) was moved to the
guidance suite to be in close proximity to the school psychologists. The SSC teacher was replaced
with a School Psychologist who works closely with an Educational Assistant and the other School
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Psychologist to provide assistance to those with social, emotional or behavioral needs. In addition, two
interns from Tufts University, one full-time and the other part-time, assist in the guidance suite to help
students and families.
Technology Plan:
In the 2004-2005 school year, a technology team oversaw the growth and use of technology at
Parker. A prioritized list of needs was developed with the most important being the purchase of state-
of-the-art computers for each classroom. A plan to integrate the use of the new computers into the
curriculum, create a curriculum document that will outline sequential skill development in Grades 6-8,
provide staff development in the use of new technologies, communicate effectively with parents and
each other, and purchase more hardware and software.
In September, after a sixth grade pilot program, we began to use Edline as a tool to
communicate with parents. Homework, notices, progress reports and schedules were posted on the
Internet so that parents could access them at home. Teachers continue to be trained in the various
capabilities of the program. In addition, we have purchased Smartboards and continue to train
teachers in their use. Staff and students have also learned other skills including computer research,
databases, Microsoft Office, Inspiration, etc.
Improved Home/School Communication:
With the help of the School Council and the PTO, we have improved communication with
parents. A new Parent Handbook was written by the School Council and completed in time for it to be
included in the Summer mailing. Parent coffees, a chance for teachers to talk informally with parents,
were expanded from sixth grade to all grades. Student schedules were mailed to all homes and
uploaded onto Edline during August, instead of students having to wait until the first day of school.
The PTO and School Council worked together to communicate safety issues to parents, particularly in
the areas of pick-up, drop-off and speed limits. We have expanded our listserv to more than two thirds
of our parents who receive the school newsletter by email, and now offer a link to the NELMS (New
England League of Middle Schools) Parent Newsletter. And finally, due to the upgrading of all
teacher computers and staff development, we now have access to Edline, a piece of software that
provides opportunities to communicate with parents.
Increased Educational and Enrichment Activities:
Three Summer programs were held at Parker this Summer, created and implemented by Parker
staff. One was Pragmatics Camp where students learned social skills for classroom use. The second
was an introduction to Parker, an activity based program where incoming sixth grade students learned
about the school and its programs. The third was an algebra class. Also, staff and parents met
regularly to provide enrichment and health assemblies for students. In addition, this group planned an
overnight, science-based field trip for the Spring of 2005 (to be repeated in 2006) while the French
teacher planned a trip to Montreal and Quebec scheduled for the Spring of 2006. Peer leaders and
School Council continue to work as key members of the school community who work to improve
school climate and do community service. The after-school enrichment program has expanded this
year as well and includes Art Studio, Basketball, Board Games, Clay Club, Color Guard, Crocheting
Basics, Field Hockey, Flag Football, Floor Hockey, French Club, Gymnastics, Hip Hop Jazz Club,
Homework Club, Math Team, Science Creativity Club, Scholastic Art Preparation, Science Club, Sim-
City Science, Spanish Club, Stamping & Scrapbooking, Talent Show Preparation and Whiffleball.
School Department
New Staff:
We would like to welcome Rebecca Bennett as our new eighth grade Social Studies teacher and
Constance Quackenbush as the eighth grade Science teacher who both come to Parker with experience
from other school districts. In the seventh grade, Ellen Niciewsky is the Special Education liaison,
having transferred from the High School. New Grade 6 teachers coming to us from other school
districts include Steve Olivo (ELA and Reading), Elisabeth Shanley (Social Studies), and Julie
McCarthy (LLD). First year teachers in Grade 6 include Jeanne Duran (Special Ed Liaison) and
Rebecca Flint (ELA and Reading.) New teachers in the Foreign Language Department include Leah
Duggan, a transfer from Coolidge, Susan Olsen, a first year teacher, and Richard Ham, retired
Department Head from the High School who is teaching one class of Grade 7 French. Jennifer Strom
is the new Librarian with experience in both school and public libraries. New guidance staff include
Kate Wildeman, a School Psychologist, and Kim Davidson and Justin Mattison, School Psychologist
interns from Tufts University. We also have some new Educational Assistants who will be working in
the classroom, assisting teachers, Joan Reeve who comes to us from the High School, and Peter Dolan
who worked previously at a middle school in VT. Laura Nichols, a second year Math teacher, is the
new Title I Math tutor.
Alice M. Barrows Elementary School
Principal Karen Callan
2005 was a year of “New Beginnings” for the Barrows community. The year began at Sunset
Rock and ended at 16 Edgemont Avenue. The year was eventful and exciting for all participants.
Building Project:
The Barrows School renovation continued through the first half of 2005. Weekly updates, slide
shows, and finally tours in June kept the staff abreast of changes that were taking place. The project
came to completion in August, when the temporary building permit was issued. August 16 and 17
were momentous days when the moving trucks arrived at Wood End to move books, materials,
furniture and technology back home. New classroom and office furniture began to arrive the following
week. A public Open House was held prior to school opening in late August. Students and their
families were able to view the entire building, including the new Gymnasium and Media Center.
Opening day went without at hitch and we have moved along successfully since then. We welcomed
new families to Barrows either due to moving to Town or redistricting. Our enrollment on opening
day was 375.
Staffing:
Barrows saw minimal changes in staffing this year. Due to redistricting, Crystal Hudson,
Kindergarten teacher and Stacy Durand, Art Educator, stayed at Wood End. Christina Papanikolaou
joined the Barrows ranks as the new Art Educator. Gary Nihan, Physical Education teacher, moved to
the High School and Sarah Atwood became the new Barrows PE teacher. Catherine Giles became the
Assistant Principal position and moved from first grade to the DLC as a SPED teacher. John Laracy
joined the DLC staff as a part-time teacher.
Respect Initiative:
In keeping with the former Bullying Prevention grant, Barrows continues to emphasize
Respect. In 2005, students and staff embraced the philosophy of “Respect for ourselves, Respect for
each other and Respect for our school.” Projects such as assemblies, respect jar, enrichment programs
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and theme days continue to remind everyone of our goal. Barrows also chose school colors and
emblem to mark our return to Barrows and our goal of Respect. The Barrows’ Shining Stars in blue
and yellow became the thread running through all our projects.
Technology:
The new Media Center is up and running with the Lab in constant use. The staff has embraced
e-mail as a viable and needed method of communication. In-focus machines, laptops and video are in
constant use. Each classroom is equipped with connections for video and data. As our technology
hardware continues to grow, so too will the professional use of such hardware. Training sessions have
taken place in e-mail use, video streaming, software applications, and other useful tools to enhance the
learning process.
Community Outreach:
In the spirit of giving, the Barrows Community committed to a monthly outreach project. The
St. Jude’s Hospital Math-A-Thon, Read-Across-America, and various food drives all marked the first
half of our school year. This Fall, the generosity of our families aided the Red Cross during the
Katrina Hurricane disaster, and Adopt-A-Family was an overwhelming success during December.
Continued donations to the Reading Food Pantry were spearheaded by our fourth grade students.
Barrow’s first participation in the Technology Festival of Trees won us first place for the tree entitled,
‘It’s ShowTime.’ The students, staff and families continue to reach out and help those in need.
Parent Teacher Organization and School Council:
The PTO supported the school learning environment by providing countless enrichment
opportunities for our students. The curriculum-related programs included Science programs, authors,
the Star Lab, plays, musicals and field trips. The BI-annual Book Fairs allowed the students to increase
their reading abilities by having additional literature at home. The PTO also helped in the packing and
unpacking of Wood End and Barrows. A cadre of parents, quickly and efficiently, unpacked the
plethora of boxes that were in the halls, Media Center and Cafeteria. The fifth grade was well
recognized in June through the efforts of the PTO. The annual field day, the fifth grade assembly, the
cookout, and field trips rounded out the year.
As 2005 came to a close, the Barrows community was a stronger family unit. Our goal of
Respect continues to grow in all areas including educational, social, emotional and physical being. We
will continue to grow and flourish back at 16 Edgemont Avenue.
Birch Meadow Elementary School
Principal Tom Daniels
There are many exciting and important learning experiences that are available to all children at
Birch Meadow School. Community members are urged to feel free to visit our school and talk with
parents, staff, and administration.
Curriculum:
This year, at the K-2 level, the school is entering its sixth year of the Language Arts program.
Scholastic’s Literacy Place was implemented four years ago at the K-2 level, and this year marks the
fourth year of implementation at the third, fourth and fifth grade levels. In addition, the K-2 level has
continued its refinements of the John Collins Writing Program and the Junior Great Books Program.
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These programs were also implemented at the upper grade levels three years ago. Two years ago, a
new phonics program called Fundations was implemented to supplement the Scholastic Program at the
kindergarten and first grade level. This year, the program is being implemented at the second grade
level and is in its second year.
The Social Studies Program from Harcourt School Publishers called Horizons is now in its
second year of implementation in the fourth and fifth grades. It is a text-based program for these grade
levels, and is rich with resources and supplemental materials.
Unique to Birch Meadow, our Birch Meadow Publishing House is currently celebrating its 16th
year of publishing books that are written and illustrated by our students. The students over the years
have over ten thousand published books to their credit. The school’s annual celebration of student
writing through Young Authors’ Days continues to be a favorite event of students, staff and parents.
Bullying Prevention Program Grant:
Three years ago, Birch Meadow applied for and received a second $50,000 Bullying Prevention
Grant from the Mass. Department of Public Safety. The grant provided funding for the training of staff
and school community members in recognizing and prevention of teasing and bullying. The emphasis
was on classroom meetings, involving by-standers, role-playing and providing strategies to students
and staff as we establish a culture of acceptance and tolerance. In the first year of the grant, a Birch
Meadow Code of Behavior was established. The code included student contracts and reflection sheets
that correspond to situations where bullying occurs. During the program’s second year, the school
focused on parent communication through the use of monthly newsletters about the program, training
for support staff, and involving bystanders in support of victims. Now in the fifth year of the program,
classroom meetings and role-playing have been emphasized. The school’s successful lunchtime
volunteer program has also continued.
Technology:
Technology continues to be used as a tool for learning and instruction at Birch Meadow
Elementary School. Four years ago, the PTO funded the purchase of 10 new Dell Desktop systems
that are being used to support the Language Arts Program. The mini-lab and its daily use have been
well established through the direction and support of the Library Media Specialist.
After School Activities Program (ASAP):
Birch Meadow is now in its 10th year of offering after school enrichment programs for
students. Courses are offered in six-week periods and range from active physical education games, to
computers, to drama, to science, to karate, to chess, and to several experiences in the arts.
Parent Involvement:
One of the major strengths of Birch Meadow continues to be its extremely high level of parent
involvement and support. The PTO is an outstanding organization which contributes to the quality of
life in so many ways here at Birch Meadow. While they do raise significant funds for enrichment
programs, field trips, library enhancement, to name a few, they also enhance the instructional program
by their involvement in their children’s classrooms, and by volunteering to be a part of our School
Council. They readily help on committees and offer support to teachers whenever the need arises.
School Department
Student Council:
The Student Council will change form this year. Two students a week from each of the fourth
grade classes will be invited to have lunch with the Principal to discuss any issues pertaining to student
comfort and adjustment or academics.
Open Invitation:
Members of the Reading Community are invited to Birch Meadow. Our Library Media Center
continues to be a great place to volunteer and work with children. Please feel free to call Principal
Tom Daniels at 781-944-2335 with any questions, comments or to arrange a visit. Thank you for your
continued support.
Joshua Eaton School
Principal Patricia A. deGaravilla
The 2004-2005 school year was a most productive one at Joshua Eaton from many
perspectives! There was a strong sense of community with parents, teachers, staff and administration
working closely together to promote a positive learning environment for all students. Mrs. Patricia de
Garavilla began the year as Interim Principal and later was appointed as permanent Principal upon the
resignation of the former Principal, Mrs. Lisa Cormier.
Curriculum and Instruction:
The staff at Joshua Eaton is most dedicated to providing effective instruction to their students,
and they devote much time for their professional development.
This was the initial year for the adoption of the new district-wide Social Studies program at the
fourth and fifth grade level. Teachers participated in staff development training for using the new
materials.
Joshua Eaton School Kindergarten teachers implemented the use of a new literacy assessment
at their level called DIBELS. This assessment was used as a predictor for students who would benefit
from additional instruction and services.
The last major component of the district’s multi-year elementary Language Arts Curriculum
Initiative was implemented with the introduction of the Wilson Language “Fundations” program to the
second grade level this year. This program combines phonics, spelling and handwriting in a systematic
way. In order to enhance teacher expertise, Joshua Eaton first and second grade teachers participated in
a 10-hour study group coordinated by Reading Specialist Debra Kwiatek and Special Education
teacher Stacy Kress.
Another group of teachers and Educational Assistants participated in a study group on dyslexia
that was facilitated by School Psychologist Carla Piper. Debra Kwiatek, Reading Specialist, conducted
another study group to review and identify best practices for the teaching of nonfiction reading
strategies.
The Joshua Eaton School received federal funding through the Title I Program and was able to
offer additional reading support with a part time Title I teacher at the school. Unfortunately, due to
eligibility criteria, Joshua Eaton will not receive continued funding next year.
School Department
Community Outreach:
Our 7th Annual Veterans’ Day Assembly was a wonderful success. Over 75 veterans enjoyed
the performances of the Joshua Eaton students and State Trooper Sgt. Dan Clark. The students sang a
variety of patriotic songs and recited poetry for the special guests. Cameron Dieselman, a first grader,
sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” to the great delight of the entire audience.
Over 200 grandparents and local senior citizens attended the Annual Senior Tea. Students were
most entertaining with their selection of lively songs under the direction of Music Specialist, Al
Mosier. Alicia McKenney, also a Music Specialist, conducted a performance by our Kindergarten
students during Reading’s Town Day in the Summer.
Through the efforts of our PTO, students support the less fortunate in the community through
contributions for Thanksgiving food baskets. They also raised over $3,000 to help the Tsunami victims
and over $7,000 for fellow classmates who lost everything through a house fire. The entire school
community is proud of the wonderful spirit of giving present at Eaton.
Parental Involvement:
With over 500 students, Joshua Eaton is most fortunate to have many dedicated parent
volunteers. The PTO, under the leadership of President Michelle Hopkinson, raised thousands of
dollars to support enrichment activities for student learning and provided many enjoyable social events
for families. From the Annual Pancake Breakfast and Snowflake Faire to the Ice Cream Social/Kids’
Raffle and the Variety Show in the Spring, enthusiasm and involvement ran high.
Our dedicated PTO Board and members supported the Joshua Eaton School through their
efforts in the area of fundraising. They were able to supplement the technology equipment at school
with the purchase of new computers, printers and a Smart Board.
The School Advisory Council (Principal, Parent and Teacher Representatives) focused on the
importance of communication within the school community. They addressed the website and expanded
its use and began work on other aspects of technology that included a grant proposal. The SAC also
researched and completed plans to implement the National Math Olympiad Program at Joshua Eaton in
2005-2006. The SAC also played a key role in monitoring the school’s safety plan and recommending
changes as necessary.
Faculty and Staff:
Our school welcomed many new staff members who each brought special expertise to Joshua
Eaton. The teamwork of veteran staff members and newer ones has strengthened the levels of teaching
and learning.
Parents were welcomed back to school at the Annual Curriculum Nights to meet their
children’s teachers and hear firsthand of the grade level curriculum and expectations. Teachers, staff
and students proudly displayed their writing, artwork and special projects to their families at the
Annual Open House in the Spring.
Joshua Eaton School continued as a vibrant school community and already has identified ways
to continue to expand opportunities and promote student learning for next year.
School Department
J. W. Killam School
Principal Paul A. Guerrette
The year 2005 was a year of change for the J. W. Killam School community. Redistricting to
accommodate the opening of the Wood End Elementary School had an impact on the Killam School
population. The school population dropped from 550 students in June to 450 students when it opened
for the 2005-06 school year in August.
The district boundaries moved south and Killam acquired students in the Ash Street area. The
Killam School Parent Teacher Organization was instrumental in helping to welcome new families. It
worked along with the administration to set up a host parent program and held Open House orientation
sessions for new students and their families.
The school also experienced the retirement of three veteran faculty, fifth grade teacher Joseph
Buckley, Library-Media Specialist Elaine Hondorf, and third grade teacher Rosemary Palmer. In
addition, veteran fifth grade teacher Karen Rickershauser left to become a Principal in the Burlington
Public Schools, and Dr. Christine Redford became Reading’s Elementary Instructional Specialist.
Professional development and work toward instructional improvement was the focus of the
faculty during 2005. Several teachers along with the administration took part in courses offered by
Research for Better Teaching entitled “The Skillful Teacher” and “Investigation Obstacles to Student
Achievement.” The lessons learned are being applied in classrooms throughout the school as well as
being shared with colleagues at all levels.
The use of technology to support instruction took another step forward at Killam due to the
generosity of the parent community and its support of the PTO Auction held in the Spring of 2005. As
a result of funds raised, 14 more computers, two Smartboards and an Infocus Projector were
purchased. This equipment has allowed teachers to incorporate on line resources and more interactive
teaching strategies into their teaching, and has allowed students greater access to technology as a tool
for learning.
The Pillars of Character program continued to play a major part in the life of the Killam School
Community. Assemblies focused on:
Citizenship
1. – Veterans were honored at our November assembly.
Responsibility
2. - In December, fourth graders produced and shared with the student body a
slide show entitled “Responsibility in Action.”
Fairness
3. - In January, Grade one students taught us about Fairness and how it begins at home
and impacts the whole world; students honored retiring Cafeteria Manager Mary Comeau at
this assembly and recognized her for her many years of dedicated service.
Respect
4. was the focus of the second grade April assembly. Killam students kicked off their
second fund raising effort to support a South African orphanage they learned about from
Killam alumni, Jill Macari, who worked at the orphanage during college. Jill presented a slide
show that demonstrated to students the positive impact their initial fund raising had on the
children at the orphanage.
Trustworthiness
5. - Our May theme focused on Trustworthiness and the theme “Leaders We
Trust and Admire.” Several students shared the qualities of the best leaders they knew and the
assembly concluded by honoring Associate Superintendent Dennis Richards who had recently
been appointed Superintendent of Schools in Falmouth.
School Department
Caring
6.- Kindergarten students focused on Caring by sharing ways they were caring in the
classroom. A slide show produced by parents and teachers captured the many ways students
showed their caring nature to others on a daily basis.
These assemblies taught the Killam student body lessons on how to become Pillars of Character in
the community.
Wood End Elementary School
Principal Richard E. Davidson
Wood End Elementary School is the fifth and newest elementary school to come on-line this
year and as its Principal, I want to thank you for this opportunity to tell you, the Reading community,
about the positive energy and excitement we share here with students, parents and neighbors. As a
school faculty, we also want to thank you for your support of the school over the last several years.
Indeed, the dream of so many has finally been realized, and we don’t take for granted the fact that it
wouldn’t have happened without your dedication to the children of Reading. I also want to encourage
any and all members of the community to visit your newest school and talk with faculty, parents and
administration.
Transition to New School:
As all of you know, the addition of our new school meant a transition for students, parents and
faculty. In planning for the change, a “Transition Team” was organized by the Principal. The team
consisted of staff and parents who planned several events for students and parents including a family
open house, ice cream social, a parents only night, a field day and a move-up night, where students met
their teachers for next year. Our initial PTO was also formed before the end of the school year and
immediately began planning for enrichment programs for the new school year, as well as the start of an
era of “new school traditions” such as our first Harvest Fair which was a wonderful family affair held
in October. The feedback I have received from parents and students has been very positive and
supportive of the planning and work done by the Transition Team and PTO. All of the parents and
staff involved in this four-month process deserve recognition and thanks for helping to make the
transition a smooth and positive experience for our children, parents and community.
Bullying Prevention Program:
As a school, we are committed to the physical and mental health of all children which includes
the prevention of any type of bullying and teasing. In order to hold true to this commitment, we have
formed a “Steering Committee” at our school with Principal, teacher, specialist, assistant and parent
membership. Our goal is to develop and oversee a program that supports, educates and celebrates
positive decision making by students in a climate that practices zero indifference to bullying and
teasing. We expect our initial “kickoff” for the program to be lead by our fifth graders in an all school
assembly in January 2006.
Curriculum:
As a district and as a school, we continue to be pleased about our continuing curriculum
enhancements. This year, at the K-2 level, we are entering our sixth year of the Language Arts
Program, Scholastic’s Literacy Place, and our second year of the Wilson’s Fundation Phonics Program
has proven to be helpful to beginning readers. The John Collins Writing Program continues to provide
consistency in terms of expectations and a common language and common framework for writing.
School Department
Our Math program continues to provide appropriate challenges for all students. It encourages
students to think mathematically and recognize applications of math concepts to everyday life. It is
also closely aligned with the Massachusetts State Frameworks.
Last year, we implemented a new Social Studies Program from Harcourt School Publishers
called Horizons at the fourth and fifth grade level. It is a text-based program for these grade levels and
is rich with resources and supplemental materials that strongly recognize the importance of technology
in everyday learning.
Our Science Program is a hands-on “kit” based curriculum that teaches important concepts of
physical, earth and life sciences. The program, at all levels, stresses observations, measurement,
journal writing, teaming and hands on experimentation.
Library Media and Technology:
As a new school, we are very excited about the startup of a new Library Media facility. It is
both beautiful and centrally located in the school. Indeed, the Library Media Center should be seen as
the hub and heart of a school setting. With a limited budget, we began the process last Spring of
meeting with representatives and developing an “Opening Day Collection” set of orders. Reading is
fortunate in that each school has its own full-time Library Media Specialist and at Wood End, we have
continued the use of flexible scheduling which allows all students and faculty access to the Library
when they have the need. At any time of the day, upon entering the Library, you will see our children,
library staff, teaching staff or parent volunteers interacting and supporting each other in various
research projects, reading a story to children, completing supervised internet searches, children reading
books, or simply checking books in or out. It is a very busy place and quickly has become a central
hub of learning at our school.
Professional Development:
As a district and as a school, we are committed to the concept of continued learning. We are
also committed to supporting our professional staff at all levels. Consequently, an enormous amount
of energy, planning and in-service is provided for teachers in Reading. The mentor program, for
example, provides support for new teachers and is an essential requirement if new teachers are to
succeed in Reading. In-service is also provided in all areas of the curriculum to all teachers on a
regular basis throughout the year and as well as during the Summer months.
Parent Involvement:
One of the major strengths of Wood End, as it is with all the schools in Reading, is the
extremely high level of parent involvement and support. Our newly formed PTO is an outstanding
organization which contributes to the quality of life in so many ways here at Wood End. While they
do raise significant funds for enrichment programs, field trips, library enhancements and technology,
they also enhance our instructional program by their involvement in their children’s classrooms and by
volunteering to be a part of our School Council and other important school based committees. They
readily offer support to teachers whenever the need arises.
School Department
Open Invitation:
In closing, I would like to extend and open invitation to members of the Reading Community to
visit our/your school. Our Library Media Center continues to be a great place to volunteer and work
with children. Please feel free to call me, Principal Richard E. Davidson at 781-942-5420, with any
questions, comments or to arrange a visit. Thank you for this wonderful school and for your continued
support.
Special Education
Director Stephen D. Gannon
The Special Education Department of the Reading Public Schools continued to meet the
challenges presented by the diverse learning population of Reading while working to meet its mandate
from the school committee to be cost effective. The achievements of the Special Education
Department are categorized below in the areas of budget, program and professional development.
Program Development:
The Special Education Department continued to work to improve district-based programs for
students with disabilities. Of particular note is the continuing expansion of the Integrated Learning
Program (ILP) at Wood End, Coolidge and R.M.H.S. These programs designed for student with
developmental and/or cognitive challenges experienced a 50% growth in student placement during the
2004-2005 school year. Many of these students in the past would have been tuitioned out. The
Developmental Learning Centers (DLC) at Barrows and Coolidge which are programs for students on
the autism spectrum were recognized for excellence by other local districts, some of which tuitioned
students into these programs. The DLC program at Barrows also broke new ground in Special
Education programming by offering the first integrated extended year program in the region (and one
of only three in the State). This innovative program welcomed more than 60 regular education, tuition
paying students who helped to defray the cost of the program, had a great time and supported their
friends with special needs. The Language based Learning Disability program (LLD) at Eaton, Parker
and R.M.H.S. continued to set a mark of excellence as shown by the students MCAS results being far
superior to similar students in any private school.
The RISE preschool had its largest enrollment in its history as it continued to develop cutting
edge Special Education programs. Of particular note was their development of a program of ABA
(Applied Behavioral Analysis). At R.M.H.S., the Special Education Department forged a community
partnership with the ARC of Eastern Middlesex who provided vocational assessment, vocational
exploration, job coaching and job placements that resulted in integrating a number of students with
special needs entering into the world of work. Additionally the Special Education Department
continued to support over 500 students who were successfully included in regular education programs
through the efforts of its Learning Center programs in each school within the district.
Professional Development:
Last years department professional development theme of “Show Me the Data” resulted in
improved placement discussions, IEP development and data to show student achievement. This year’s
theme of “Communication” hopefully will result in similar departmental improvement. Additionally,
in this years budget is a new part time position of Inclusion Specialist that focuses on assisting teachers
to develop skills to successfully include students with special needs in all aspects of the classroom and
school life.
NORTHEAST METROPOLITAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
100 Hemlock Road - Wakefield, Massachusetts 01880-3597
Outstanding Student Award
Lauren Robinson from Melrose, a senior in the Office Technology Program, was chosen as
Northeast's nominee at the State Awards Dinner for Outstanding Vocational Technical Students. The
event is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators and the
Massachusetts Vocational Association.
National Technical Honor Society
The Northeast Chapter of the National Technical Honor Society held its annual Induction
Ceremony in May. At the ceremony, nine seniors and 15 juniors were inducted. These students joined
the previously inducted members to bring the Technical Honor Society Chapter to 39 members for the
2004-2005 school year.
National Honor Society
The Annual Induction Ceremony to the Northeast Chapter of the National Honor Society
"Artisans" was held in May. At the ceremony, seven seniors, four juniors and four sophomores were
inducted for the 2004-2005 school year bringing the total membership to 25.
Skills/USA Awards
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At the State Skills/USA Competition, Northeast winners were from Malden Jenny Guevara - 1
place in Dental Assisting; from Saugus Alaina DiBiasie - State Officer; from Saugus Katie Labadini
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and from Winthrop Jessica Sterling. This team won 1 place in Bulletin Board. Also from Wakefield
ndnd
James Colleran - 2 place in Electrical; from Saugus Stephen Sangster - 2 place in Computer
nd
Maintenance and from Saugus Anthony Ragato - 2 place in Welding. Attending Skills/USA Summer
National Conference in Kansas City were Alaina DiBiasie, Jenny Guevara, Katie Labadini and Jessica
Sterling.
Student Advisory Rep to the School Committee
Angelina Barrasso, a senior from Revere, was elected as the Student Representative to the
School Committee for the 2004-05 school year.
Scholarship Committee
The Northeast Scholarship Committee awarded individual scholarships to 106 deserving
students at the Fifth Annual Senior Recognition Night. The total of $28,575 was given in scholarships
and awards.
Northeast students beginning work in their vocational field or entering trade apprenticeship
programs were included in the above awards. This money will enable the students to purchase tools
and equipment as well as entry level expenses toward trade education programs.
SCORE Peer Mediation Program
In September, Northeast began its 10th year affiliated with SCORE, a Peer Mediation Program.
The SCORE Program was developed by the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts to help
reduce the violence in schools. The Mediation process is successful in resolving conflicts of all types.
Northeast has a full-time Coordinator, 34 trained students and four trained staff members. A trained
mediator is a neutral person not involved in the dispute and, through the mediation process, helps
people come to their own agreement about how they want to resolve their conflict.
School Department
Professional Development
Professional Learning in 2004-05 focused on improving student achievement. To this end, the
following activities were conducted:
Mark Forget presented a workshop on Literacy Strategies Across the Curriculum. Heather
Boggs Sass presented a school-wide presentation on Developing Meaningful Course Syllabi. Both of
Increasing
these workshops were under the domain of the 2004-05 professional development theme “
Student Achievement.
” The School Improvement team attended two sessions in Atlanta with High
Fostering a Positive School Culture,
Schools That Work on “” the professional development theme
for 2005-06. High Schools That Work presented this two-session workshop.
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The 9 grade academy planning team attended the High Schools That Work Program on
Initiating a Smaller Learning Community. This workshop was held in Jacksonville, FL. The result of
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this workshop was the initiation of a 9 grade academy in the 2005-06 school year.
Northeast had 18 in attendance at the High Schools That Work Summer 2004 Conference in
Nashville, Tennessee. Joseph O’Brien presented “The Use of Data in the Decision-Making Process.”
Summer Enrichment Program
Two hundred twenty students participated in the Summer 2005 support program. Three
categories were involved:
Summer Transition
One hundred fifty incoming 9th graders were introduced to the school in a three-week support
orientation program. This experience involved:
Project-based Mathematics approach utilizing graphing calculators
Integration of literacy skills in English Language Arts
Hands-on experiences in the career/tech rotations of:
Culinary/Baking
Cosmetology/Plumbing
Graphics/Drafting
All academic classes in this program were co-taught utilizing two teachers per class.
Upper class students engaged in team-building activities through Physical Education, discrete
Mathematics through Social Studies exploration and Language Arts through literary applications.
These students also visited the Lowell Mills, the Battlefields at Concord and Fenway Park. English
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language Learners participated in an English Support Program. The 9th and 10 graders in this
program collaborated with their peers in the career/technical activities and the field trips, and at the
same time concentrated on English reading and writing skills.
Support Services
The Northeast Guidance Department staff offers support counseling through individual and
group counseling and specialized workshops and presentations. All faculty guidance counselors are
certified as school adjustment counselors and have either social work or school psychology
backgrounds to equip them to handle the wide range of student issues that come forth. One school
adjustment counselor is bilingual (Spanish-speaking).
School Department
A school psychologist supports the counseling staff, provides psychological testing, supports
the Special Education program, and maintains a small individual and group caseload. In addition, a
career counselor and a part-time non-traditional counselor round out the support staff with their focus
on career awareness and vocational development.
Support groups are established each year based on student needs. A teen issues group is
established in each grade to support students who have difficulties with peer issues. An anger
management group that is linked to the discipline system is offered in an effort to provide students
with an understanding of their own anger, and an opportunity to develop new tools to use to manage
anger more appropriately.
An after school substance abuse intervention group provides students with a second chance
when they have entered the discipline system with a substance abuse offense. A psycho-educational
curriculum and dynamic group approach are employed. Students participate for a minimum of 10
weeks, and must participate in a drug screening program throughout and after participation. The goal
of the program is to prevent loss of learning by providing students with the necessary interventions and
supports to address their substance issues while enabling them to remain in school during and beyond
this intervention phase.
Support groups for pregnant and parenting teens, grieving students, Latino students, Asian
students, gay students and others have all been offered at different times depending on need and
student interest. Individual counseling with students requires that counselors coordinate with doctors,
psychiatrists, outside therapists, social workers and counselors, court personnel, police and others.
The Peer Mentoring Program provides educational assistance to students having difficulty with
one or more academic subjects. Students who have been successful in specific subject areas and who
have participated in training volunteer their time to assist others in the Library two afternoons per
week. The mentoring program is designed to supplement after school assistance provided by the
academic and vocational teachers. The program benefits go beyond the student achievement as the
relationships formed by the mentors and students help to break down barriers between different grade
and age groups, and develop friendships that would not have had a chance to form. The mentoring
program is coordinated by a counselor and a Math teacher with other teachers offering support and
assistance.
Career counseling and the college application process are a large part of all of the counselors’
roles but specialized support is provided by a career counselor and a part-time non-traditional support
counselor. The career counselor has been integrally involved with a Career Awareness Program for all
students that involves monthly small group career advisement group meetings and large group
presentations. The curriculum focuses on career assessment, career information and requirements,
interviewing skills, portfolios and resume preparation. By providing assessments to evaluate skills,
interests and work values, the career counselor assists freshmen in their vocational selection process,
and upper class students with linkages to post-secondary education and employment opportunities.
The non-traditional support counselor provides specialized support to those students who are
enrolled in career areas that are considered non-traditional for their gender. By providing support
groups, specialized presentations and field trips, students are prepared to understand the benefits of
non-traditional choices and to appropriately handle any difficulties that they might confront. Special
workshops and presentations are offered through the year for different groups of students.
School Department
Each year, all freshmen participate in-group workshops focusing on harassment, bullying and
gender equity issues. Large group assemblies and presentations have been offered focusing on
substance abuse, drunk driving, teen dating violence, tolerance, character building and others.
Grants
Title I – Economically Disadvantaged Districts
– Funding from this grant provided for six Grade 9
and six Grade 10 English Language Arts classes for 180 students who exhibited reading
comprehension difficulty based on their Stanford 9 diagnostic testing, and Algebra/Geometry classes
designed to address the needs of 180 students identified as “at risk” or not passing the State
Assessment test.
Instruction in both the English Language Arts and Mathematics curricula in Title I were
enhanced by the use of technology in the Title I rooms, as well as by support provided by the teaching
assistants in these classes.
Title 2A – Teacher Quality
– This grant provided for the hiring of an MCAS Preparation Instructor;
the implementation of a teacher mentoring program whereby experienced teachers were assigned to
work with non-professional status teacher as advisors, and the funding for the two workshops that the
district provides as part of the two whole-staff professional development days in accordance with the
teacher contract.
Title 3 – English Language Learner Support
– This grant is used to institute a Summer English
Immersion Program for our English Language Learning students. Approximately 55 students are
engaged in this four-week program.
Title 5 – New and Innovative Programs
– Funds from this grant were used to hire two support staff
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members for the Summer Transition Program. These individuals worked with the incoming 9 graders
to develop a publication that represented the efforts of the summer program. The seventy-two page
document is available upon request at the school.
Perkins Occupational Education Grant
– Funds from this federal source provided for:
Vocational Coordinator Career Counselor
MCAS Remediation teacher Staffing for the Summer Transition Program
Rotisserie Oven for Culinary MCAS tutors for remediation
Non-traditional support counselor 1 MCAS Lab Specialist
Computers for Electronics Contract for High Schools That Work
3 ELL Teaching Assistants 1 Behavior Modification Specialist
Secondary School Reading Grant –
This grant established a school-wide Reading team to study the
literacy needs of students at Northeast. A plan of action calling for two thirty-minute periods of
Reading and Writing to occur in Grade 9 Exploratory was developed.
Smaller Learning Communities Planning Grant
– This grant called for the establishment of a team to
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plan a 9 grade academy of core academic subjects for students entering Northeast. This plan was
created and called for implementation in the 2005-06 school year.
School Department
Summer Programs
Northeast Metro Tech Summer Programs enjoyed another successful campaign since its
inception in 1988. Over the years, both the Summer School and Computer Camp have experienced
remarkable growth. This year, the Summer programs serviced nearly 400 students combined.
The Northeast Summer School serviced high school students in six different academic subject
areas including Math, Science, English, Social Studies, Vocational Related and Spanish while
continuing to expand into the vocational enrichment and certification program areas. The goals of
promoting a positive learning atmosphere, retention and promotion as well as providing skills to assist
each student at the next grade level are paramount objectives behind the philosophical makeup of our
summer school.
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The popular Northeast Computer Camp completed a successful 17 year. Its objective of
making learning fun had the counselors teach campers skills that they can use during their school year
while enjoying doing it. These programs can help strengthen Reading and Math skills, and expand
their general knowledge of the computer. An introduction to “Smart Board” technology along with
Power Point presentations became an exciting part of the camps program this year, concluding with a
computer “Jeopardy style” game show programmed and performed by the campers to the amazement
of their parents and families at the year end pizza party. The Computer Camp schedule consisted of a
three-hour rotating schedule of computer lab, swimming and sports and games.
Adult Education
Our goal is to provide as many educational services as possible to the 350,000 residents of the
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School District. In pursuing this goal, the Adult
Education staff maximizes utilization of the Northeast facilities, offering an extensive selection of
stimulating and practical programs Monday through Saturday during the school year, and Monday
through Friday during the Summer months.
Northeast offers a State Approved Auto Damage Appraisal Program as well as Journeyman’s
and Masters Programs in Electrical, Plumbing, Sheet Metal, Carpentry and Gas Fitting. As the
Number One apprentice training center in New England, we guide hundreds of young men and women
annually as they prepare for their journeyman or masters license in their trade. For the many senior
citizens enrolled, we offer a wide variety of programs designed to satisfy their interest in crafts,
hobbies, physical fitness, etc.
During the 2005 school year, the Adult Education agenda is the focus on the health care and
related fields that project high employment possibilities. Courses such as Computer Technology,
Anatomy and Physiology, Algebra (pre-nursing), Chemistry (pre-nursing) and Certified Nurse Aide, as
well as Medical Terminology and Medical Transcription, and Human Biology (Anatomy) all mirror
this trend.
School Department
2005 Graduates
The 2004-2005 school year represents the 35th class to matriculate at Northeast Metropolitan
Regional Vocational School. Northeast graduated 258 students in the Class of 2005. Breakdown of
graduates’ status after graduation is as follows:
Employed 130 Attending 4 year college 40 *
Entering Military Service 10 Attending 2 year college 52 *
Other 2 Apprentice school 24 *
*It should be noted that 45% of the graduating class went on to further their education
either in a two or four year college or in an apprentice program. 256 members of the
graduating class either entered military service, are employed or seeking further
education -- that figure represents 99% of the Class of 2005.
Special Needs Enrollment
Special Needs enrollment for the 2004-2005 school year continued to represent a fair share of
the total school enrollment with students. The 320 Special Needs students represent 26% of the school
population.
Athletic Records
The Northeast Baseball team was the Commonwealth Athletic League Co-Champions and
advanced to the M.I.A.A. State Tournament.
The Northeast co-ed Swim team won the State Vocational Tournament and four individuals
qualified for the State Tournament.
The Northeast Freshman Football team was the Commonwealth Athletic League Co-Champions.
The Northeast Hockey team was the Commonwealth Athletic League Co-Champions and
qualified for the M.I.A.A. State Tournament.
The Northeast Girls Softball team qualified for the M.I.A.A. State Tournament.
The Northeast Lacrosse team was the Commonwealth Athletic League Co-Champions and
qualified for M.I.A.A. State Tournament.
The Northeast Track and Field Team had two individuals qualify for the State Tournament.
District School Committee
The following Northeast District School Committee Members were elected to a four-year term
ending in 2008:
–
Michael T. Wall – Chelsea Earl Fitzpatrick Malden
Henry S. Hooton – Melrose Paul L. Sweeney – North Reading
Maura A. Looney – Reading Ronald J. Jannino – Revere
Peter A. Rossetti, Jr. – Saugus Anthony E. DeTeso – Stoneham
Vincent J. Carisella – Wakefield John J. Bradley - Winchester
James G. Wallace – Winthrop Deborah P. Davis - Woburn
School Department
District School Committee Election of Officers
At the Annual Organizational Meeting of the District School Committee on January 14, 2005,
the following members were elected Officers of the District School Committee:
Chairman Michael T. Wall of Chelsea
Vice Chairman Ronald J. Jannino of Revere
Secretary Peter A. Rossetti, Jr. of Saugus
Treasurer Paul L. Sweeney of North Reading
Asst. Treasurer Anthony E. DeTeso of Stoneham
Conclusion
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year of Vocational/Technical Excellence to its 12 member
As Northeast celebrates its 35
communities, its aim is to continue to offer the latest in vocational/technical and academic education
by maintaining a high level of performance. This high level of performance also encompasses
continued improvement in academic achievement with regard to MCAS. The Northeast Class of 2005
had a 99% pass rate of the MCAS Test by graduation. Northeast is continually updating curriculum
and has instituted MCAS Enrichment Classes along with Summer MCAS Academies. The school
continues to offer students the finest education with which to build a successful career through the
latest in equipment, software and technology offered in all vocational programs no matter which career
path they have chosen.
Evidence of our past success is reflected in the students who have graduated from Northeast
Metro Tech. The Alumnus stories of success and their readiness and willingness to help school
officials by speaking at recruiting sessions at the local schools as well as recruiting graduates for
employment is proof of their dedication to Northeast. Northeast currently has 22 alumni employed at
the school. Testimonials as to the success of our graduates continue to be received which makes us
proud to have contributed in some small way to their accomplishments.
Once again, I am proud to have represented Reading as a member of the Northeast
Metropolitan Regional Vocational District School Committee not only to serve as the guardian of
funds allocated from the community to this educational institution, but also to assist in and provide
counsel to the school in maintaining the highest standards of educational excellence possible.
Respectfully submitted,
Maura A. Looney
Northeast School Committee
Reading, Representative