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Category: Politics

  • Sannicandro and Walsh Stop at Jack Abby’s Brewery

    Sannicandro and Walsh Stop at Jack Abby’s Brewery

    Rep. Tom Sanicandro and Chris Walsh at Jacks Abby Brewery, Framingham, MA
    Sannicandro and Supporters Relax After Canvass, (L to R), Rep. Tom Sannicandro, Rep. Chris Walsh, Elsa Aviza (Framingham), Anne Manning (Ashland), Sandra Silcott (Framingham), Jack Hendler (Natick). Abby Brewery, Framingham, MA.

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Rep. Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland), Rep. Chris Walsh (D-Framingham), and supporters made a campaign stop Thursday evening to Jack’s Abby brewery in Framingham.

    Sannicandro, Walsh, and supporters toured the facilities following a door-to-door canvass, spoke with the owners, and tried some of the craft specials available from the growing company.

    “I thought this was a good place to take the team because it represents much of what this campaign is about and what this town is about,” Sannicandro said. “This is a small business that just emerged last year. They’re expanding. They’re benefiting from a growing economy. And most importantly, they brew good beer.”

    Sannicandro tasted the “Hoponious Union” craft and a couple others. Before supporters, he discussed several ways the legislature supported small businesses last (more…)

  • Board, Committee and Commission Positions Available

    Board, Committee and Commission Positions Available

    Framingham Town Hall, The Memorial Building
    Framingham Town Hall, The Memorial Building

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – One of the duties of the Framingham Board of Selectmen, (“BOS”), is to appoint residents to serve on various boards, committees, and commissions.

    The BOS has published the following list of vacancies that it is seeking to fill:

    • Agricultural Advisory Commission – 2 Positions
    • Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee – 1 Position
    • Board of Health – 1 Position
    • Cable Advisory Committee – Position
    • Community Development Committee – 7 Positions
    • Conservation Commission – 2 Positions (more…)
  • Spilka Named to Head-Up Finance Reform Committee

    Spilka Named to Head-Up Finance Reform Committee

    Sen. Karen Spilka Named to Head-Up Conference Committee on State Finance Reform, Modernizing and Improving Efficiency, Transparency, and Accountability of State Government

    Sen. Karen Spilka
    Senator Karen Spilka

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Today, Senator Karen Spilka announced that she was named to serve as the Senate Chair of the six member conference committee tasked with resolving the differences between the Senate and House versions of the state financial and administrative reform legislation.

    “This legislation improves efficiency and accountability by updating the Commonwealth’s finance laws and requiring our agencies and programs to start measuring performance and outcomes,” said Spilka. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with my colleagues on the conference committee on a final bill that will increase oversight and require smart and effective management of the state’s finances.”

    The provisions of the Senate bill include:

    • Requiring regular reviews and analysis of state agencies through (more…)
  • Rep. Tom Sannicandro Promotes Citizen Lawmaking

    Rep. Tom Sannicandro Promotes Citizen Lawmaking

    MA Rep. Tom Sannicandro, (D-Ashland)
    MA Rep. Tom Sannicandro, (D-Ashland)

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – A strong advocate for using technology to make government more transparent and accessible, Representative Tom Sannicandro was recently featured in The Economist for a website that asks his constituents and other interested parties to collaborate on and ultimately draft a bill to regulate net neutrality.

    The magazine featured an article titled Government by (all) the people, which looked at efforts around the world to include citizens in law making.

    The article references Rep. Sannicandro’s participation in the website lexpop. He also has his own wiki-style website that allows constituents to collaborate on new ideas for legislation in different topic areas, YourVisionForMassachusetts.wikistyles.org.

    “There are a lot of talented people and innovative thinkers here in the Commonwealth. These websites not only allow more direct participation (more…)

  • Framingham Building Commissioner Target of Investigation

    Framingham Building Commissioner Target of Investigation

    WBZ-TV4 I-Team Investigative Reporter Joe Shortsleeve
    WBZ-TV4 I-Team Investigative Reporter Joe Shortsleeve in front of Town Hall after finding what he called "fraudulent and bogus" expense reports and other documents submitted by Framingham Building Commissioner Michael Foley.

    FRAMINGHAM, MA– Starting in 2008, George Lewis, (a Town Meeting Member for Precinct 18), started making inquiries at the Town’s Building Department about properties in his neighborhood that appeared to be in violation of certain Framingham bylaws.

    George felt his property values and the quality of life in his South Framingham neighborhood near Waushakum Pond were in decline.

    Inspecting the alleged bylaw and building code violations is something Framingham Building Commissioner and Director of Inspectional Services Mike Foley should have done in the normal course of his duties.

    Instead of thanking Mr. Lewis for taking his own personal time to alert Foley about the violations, Foley instead became (more…)

  • WBZ-TV Channel 4 I-Team Investigates Framingham Official

    WBZ-TV Channel 4 I-Team Investigates Framingham Official

    Joe Shortsleeve, WBZ-TV Channel 4 ''I-Team'' Reporter
    Joe Shortsleeve, WBZ-TV Channel 4 ''I-Team''

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Following an investigation over the past two months, WBZ-TV “I-Team” reporter Joe Shortsleeve has produced a segment regarding certain Framingham municipal government related personnel and financial issues.

    This afternoon Joe confirmed that the segment which was originally scheduled to air tonight, (Monday October 31, 2011), has been preempted due to the volume of storm related news from this weekend’s snow and will be broadcast during the CBS/WBZ-TV Channel 4 News at 11:00pm on Tuesday November 1st, 2011.

    Follow up rebroadcasts are also tentatively scheduled and video of the segment will appear on the I-Team’s webpage after the on-air broadcast.
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  • Julian Suso Says Farewell to Framingham

    Julian Suso Says Farewell to Framingham

    Framingham Town Hall, The Memorial Building
    Framingham Town Hall, The Memorial Building

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – After 5 1/2 years, Framingham Town Manager Julian Suso is leaving office this week after not having his contract renewed by the Board of Selectman.

    Suso, who was a candidate for the Town Manager position in Duxbury, MA and Chatham, MA earlier this year but lost out on his bid for those jobs has landed the Town Manager job in Falmouth, MA will begin his new job in that Cape Cod town next week.

    Suso’s “Concluding Statement” letter (below) thanks fellow municipal employees, Town Meeting members and residents — and even thanks the Board of Selectman who cited Suso’s lack of long term vision for the Town as one of the major reasons for not extending his contract earlier this year.

    (more…)

  • Second Pre-Halloween Snow Falls on Framingham

    Second Pre-Halloween Snow Falls on Framingham

    [photo] Framingham Snow Plow
    Snow plow parked, but ready to clean up after Nor'easter predicted to drop two to six inches of snow on Framingham, (Saturday, October 29, 2011).
    FRAMINGHAM, MA– Having snow even once in October is pretty rare for eastern Massachusetts, but for the second time in three days, snow fell on Framingham.

    As predicted, precipitation moving up the U.S. eastern seaboard combined with low pressure and declining temperatures resulted in a Nor’Easter dropping approximately 3″ of wet snow in town between 5:00pm and 10:00pm today, (Saturday October 29th, 2011).

    The small amount of snow which fell on Thursday, (October 27th, 2011), did not accumulate on roadways as the pavement was still warm from the day’s moderate temperatures.

    Today’s snow did accumulate — enough so that snow removal equipment was called out to plow commercial parking lots and some (more…)

  • Occupy Framingham

    Occupy Framingham

    Occupy Wall Street presentation at Framingham State University, November 3, 2011
    Part of a poster for an Occupy Wall Street presentation at Framingham State University, Hemenway Hall, Thursday, November 3, 2011 from 4:30p.m.-5:30p.m.

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – On Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30p.m. students and professors who have been the Boston protests will hold a “A Campus Speak-out and Discussion“ and engage in an “exciting dialog about the growing movement to empower the non-wealthy 99% of Americans (including you)!” at Hemenway Hall, Room G32, Framingham State University, 100 State St., Framingham, MA.

    The Framingham State University HRAC, (Human Rights Action Committee), is inviting anyone interested in hearing about and discussing the “Occupy” demonstrations which started with Occupy Wall Street, spread to Occupy Boston — and have since resulted in occupations in hundreds of other locations in the US and abroad.

    On September 17, 2011, the occupy movement, spurred by discontent with how (more…)

  • A Bad Week of Bad Government

    A Bad Week of Bad Government

    Framingham Town Hall, The Memorial Building
    Framingham Town Hall, The Memorial Building

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – This week Framingham residents witnessed a series of town government related issues that can’t be described as anything other than a train wreck that was waiting to happen.

    Days before the Special Fall Town Meeting, with seven articles she had sponsored or co-sponsored on the Warrant, and several others that had monetary implications, Framingham Chief Financial Officer, (CFO), Mary Ellen Kelley announced she had made a $1.5 million dollar mistake calculating the Town’s operating budget.

    While the majority of the Articles sponsored by the CFO had absolutely no supporting background material, a half dozen pages of extremely detailed figures were provided for a 1% COLA, (Cost Of Living Adjustment), pay raise for non-union municipal workers and department heads, followed by a one page “note” which explained how (more…)