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  • New McAuliffe Branch Library Building Nixed by Town Meeting

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Article 2 on the March 15th Special Town Meeting Warrant, asking for Town Meeting to vote in favor of funds to build a new McAuliffe Library building in Pinefield Shopping Center failed to receive the two thirds majority required to approve such funding.

    Despite the support of most town committees, and the Board of Selectmen, a $ 1.6 million dollar grant, and funds spent on the plans and feasibility study, and public support, and an aging building in need of significant repair, there weren’t enough town meeting members convinced that the project was to be supported at this time. Unfortunately, the grant will expire May 15th and it is estimated that it will be another 8 years before Framingham might receive another one.

    During the discussion, moderator Ed Noonan collapsed, knocking over the podium. He quickly revived, but handed off the running of the meeting to Joel Winett, and was taken to the hospital by EMT’s. After a brief recess, discussion of the library article continued, but many would-be speakers were disappointed as the stand-in moderator allowed the vote to be called.

    Before the vote on the library funding, a motion by the Standing Committee on Public Works (SCPW) to refer the library article back to sponsor was voted down.

    The Town will be facing significant expenditures to make the current building accessible, as well as replacing the HVAC system and the roof and addressing plumbing problems.

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  • Vote on Proposed New McAuliffe Library Building set for March 15

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – McAULIFFE LIBRARY NEWS: New Date set for a special Town Meeting to again vote on funding for proposed new McAuliffe Library Building: March 15th, 7:30 p.m. in Nevins Hall.  Asecond try by Library Trustees.

    On Wed., Jan. 12th, Framingham Town Meeting voted to buy the land on Water St. for the proposed new McAuliffe library, but voted down, by a small margin, to allocate funds to build it.

    If funds aren’t voted by mid-May, the town will lose the state grant money.

    How Town Meeting Members voted is available on the framinghamma.gov site. Many Town Meeting members reported that they voted in favor of the new library because so many of their constituants called them and urged them to do so.

    (For more info on the McAuliffe Branch Library, see www.framinghamlibrary.org/mcauliff.htm)

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  • Retiring Esther Hopkins Honored

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Dr. Esther A. H. Hopkins, retiring member of the Board of Selectmen, was honored by the Human Relations Commission of the Town of Framingham and the Board of Selectmen for her long career of public service on Thurs. March 10 in Nevins Hall. In 1999 Dr. Hopkins made history as the first African-American to be elected to the Framingham Board.

    Guest speakers included Senator Karen Spilka, Reps Debbie Blumer and Thomas Sannicandro, and Town Manager George King.

    Yours for Humanity presented an enactment of the return to Framingham’s Harmony Grove of the 19th Century Abolitionist and Women’s Rights Activist, Abby Kelley Foster, portrayed by actress Abby Lynne McKenney Lydick.

    (Sponsored by the Worcester Women’s History Project and the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities).

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