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Rep. Tom Sannicandro Files Bottled Water Bill

MA Rep. Tom Sannicandro, (D-Ashland)

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Massachusetts State Rep. Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland) filed a bill Friday that would prohibit the use of public funds to purchase bottled water, a bill that would reduce waste, energy use, and costs.

“There is no reason we should spend taxpayers’ money on a product that is unnecessary, expensive and harmful to the environment when there are clean and cheap alternatives”, Representative Sannicandro said. “It is important that we lead by example and do our part to reduce bottle waste and save the Commonwealth money.”

In December, the MetroWest Daily News ran a story about how the state had expended $300,000 in half the fiscal year on bottled water to staff events and meetings, often at buildings that have clean drinking water available.

“Not only is state spending on bottled water wasteful at a time when our state can ill afford unnecessary expenses, it broadcasts the absolute wrong message about the value, quality and importance of our public water systems,” said Kristin Urquiza, a spokesperson for Corporate Accountability International.

Click logo (above) to download a copy of Corporate Accountability International’s “Getting States Off the Bottle: Second Edition” (in Adobe .PDF format)

While tap water could cost pennies for a gallon, bottled water could be between 250 and 10,000 times more expensive.[2] And compared to a liter of tap water, a liter of bottled water requires as much as 2,000 times as much energy, according to one study. That study also found that bottled water consumption in America alone sucked up between 32 and 54 million barrels of oil last year.

This bill would recommit state agencies to use our public water supplies. Rep. Sannicandro believes it makes no economical or environmental sense for Mass Water Resource Authorities to host meetings with bottled water on the table when reservoirs connected to state of the art water purification systems sit directly behind those buildings.

This bill does not affect Massachusetts residents’ ability to purchase bottled water.

For more info about MA State Rep. Tom Sannicandro, or to contact Tom, visit his website at: www.tomworksforus.com

For more information about Corporate Accountability International’s “Think Outside the Bottle” campaign, visit: www.stopcorporateabuse.org

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January 22, 2013
Sannicandro and Walsh Stop at Jack Abby’s Brewery

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…)

August 23, 2012
Rep. Tom Sannicandro Promotes Citizen Lawmaking

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…)

November 2, 2011
A Bad Week of Bad Government

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…)

October 23, 2011
Sannicandro Encourages High-Schoolers to Go Public!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at Framingham High School – Learn what UMass and other Massachusetts public universities and community colleges offer.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Representative Tom Sannicandro, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, is hosting Go Public!, an event geared toward students and parents interested in learning more about what public universities and colleges offer. Go Public! will take place Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at Framingham High School, 115 “A” Street, Framingham, MA.

“We have a terrific public higher education system in Massachusetts,” Rep. Sannicandro said. “This event will show our young people and their families how much our public universities can offer.”

Go Public! will focus on helping students understand the transition to higher ed while also providing resources for parents. There will be (more…)

September 23, 2011
Sannicandro Moderates Single Payer Health Care Forum

Rep. Tom Sannicandro, (D-Ashland)

FRAMINGHAM, MA – (From Press Release) – Rep. Tom Sannicandro, (D-Ashland), will be moderating a forum, “Spotlight on Health Care: Exploring Single Payer Option” from 6:30p.m until 9:30p.m., Tuesday, July 26th, 2011 in the Forum Room of the D. Justin McCarthy Center at Framingham State University, 100 State Street, Framingham, MA.

Rep. Sannicandro will moderate a four person panel featuring Senator Jamie Eldridge, the chief sponsor of single payer legislation in the Massachusetts legislature; Ben Day, the executive director of Mass-Care, a single payer advocacy organization; Dr. Gerald Friedman, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst; and Alex Robbins, a small business owner.

In advance of the forum, Tom will be accepting questions from the public via his Twitter account, @TSannicandro

Other “tweets” on the subject (more…)

July 25, 2011
Sannicandro Bill Supporters Give Gov 100 Foot Petition

Supporters and Rep. Tom Sanicandro present Gov. Patrick with petition at State House, June 21, 2011.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – State Rep. Tom Sannicandro, (D-MA 7th Middlesex District), who represents constituents in Framingham and Ashland, met with supporters this morning before a hearing on House Bill No. H159.

The legislation if approved will amend Massachusetts General Law, (MGL Ch. 71, Sec. 38G) to define a special “Transitional Services” teacher license.

Those teachers would be trained to assist and guide the successful transition of students with disabilities to activities after graduating high school including; furthering (more…)

June 21, 2011
Redistricting Hearing at FSU, Saturday June 18th

Map of Massachusetts Congressional Districts (2011)

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Following the results of the 2010 Census, the State of Massachusetts is losing one congressional district. District lines need to be redrawn to reduce the total from ten districts to nine.

The current legislators representing Framingham; State Sen. Karen Spilka, (D-Ashland), a Member of the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting, along with State Reps. Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland), and State Rep. Chris Walsh (D-Framingham), US Rep. Ed Markey (MA-7th), and several other other MA legislators will be holding a public forum to discuss redistricting, Saturday, June 18, 2011, (more…)

June 16, 2011
French Biotech Company CYTOO Opens U.S. Subsidiary in Framingham, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray and other state officials participated in ribbon-cutting ceremony

FRAMINGHAM, MA (Dec. 11) – CYTOO Cell Architects, a French biotechnology company focused on applications in cell based assays, high content analysis and cell screening for life sciences research, announced today that it is expanding its operations to serve researchers in the United States by opening a U.S. subsidiary headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts.

The company officially opened its United States headquarters in Framingham today. The company’s main offices are in Grenoble, France. Company officials were joined at the ribbon cutting ceremony by Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center President and CEO Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, Massachusetts Department of Business and Technology Director George Ramirez representing the Massachusetts Office of International Trade & Investment, MassBio Economic Development Director Peter Abair, Senator Karen Spilka, Representative Tom Sannicandro, Representative Pam Richardson and Selectmen Ginger Esty, Laurie Lee and Dennis Giombetti.

“It is outstanding that CYTOO, an international company on the cutting edge of Life Sciences research, has sought out Framingham for its US headquarters,” Representative Pam Richardson said. “Framingham is already home to a host of Life Sciences companies and I am pleased to welcome yet another.”

CYTOO provides innovative enabling technologies and products for high content cell analysis. CYTOO chips streamline cellular analysis by decreasing cell variability. The chips are composed of four square inches of 20,000 concave geometric micropatterns, which standardize cell position, shape, and organization when the cytoskeleton architecture and organelle morphology adapt to the shape of the micropattern. By April 2010 the company hopes to release a new technology, CYTOO plates, which hold up to 384 wells of 1,000 micropatterns. The company is the first to offer a technology that standardizes cells, streamlining analysis and speeding up discoveries. By opening a US subsidiary in Massachusetts, the company hopes to better address the worldwide market for cell-based assays in life sciences research.

In June of 2008, Governor Patrick signed into law the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative, a ten-year, $1 billion commitment to maintaining and strengthening the life sciences as a major economic engine for the Commonwealth. Conversations with CYTOO began at the BIO International Convention, held in Atlanta in May, 2009. Company officials cite their meetings with MOITI and the Life Sciences Center, and subsequently with Governor Deval Patrick directly, as having been key to their decision to locate in Massachusetts.

“It is terrific to see our state’s Life Sciences initiative, and our presence at BIO International, bringing new companies to Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. “We warmly welcome CYTOO to the Commonwealth, to Framingham and to the diverse group of pioneering companies that make Massachusetts a global leader in the life sciences industry.”

CYTOO’s decision to locate in Framingham is part of a growing trend of foreign life sciences companies locating their regional headquarters in Massachusetts. Last week Systagenix Wound Management, a British company, opened its headquarters for the Americas in Quincy, Massachusetts. Biocell Center, an Italian company, recently opened their US headquarters in Medford, Massachusetts. The companies have cited the state’s Life Sciences Initiative as a key factor in their decision to locate here.

“CYTOO’s decision to locate in Framingham is a direct return on investment for our state’s presence at the BIO International Convention in Atlanta this past May,” said Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the quasi-public agency charged with implementing the state’s Life Sciences Initiative. “Massachusetts is a great place to do business for life sciences companies, both international and domestic, and we welcome CYTOO to the world’s leading life sciences Supercluster.”

December 21, 2009
Route 126 Corridor Transportation Improvement Study Approved

FRAMINGHAM, MA – On May 20, 2009 the Metrowest Legislators announced that the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has approved a Route 126 Corridor Transportation Improvement Study that will encompass the towns of Bellingham, Medway, Holliston, Ashland and Framingham. Work is set to begin immediately.

The objectives of the study are to identify mobility, access, safety, and other transportation-related problems at selected locations along Route 126 and to identify and evaluate multimodal transportation solutions to the problems, with the goal of improving accessibility to the towns’ shopping, commercial, educational, and service centers.

“Route 126 is extremely important to the towns included in this study, as well as the greater MetroWest region, connecting as it does to 1-495, Route 16, Route 109, Route 135, and Route 140,” stated Senator Karen Spilka. “This study is great news for these towns and the region as a whole, as we continue our efforts to grow smart and grow strong.”

The first step in the project will be the formation of an advisory task force that includes town officials, affected residents, members of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the Massachusetts Highway Department, and the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works, as well as local Senators and Representatives. This task force, which is scheduled to meet once in mid-June and once again within twelve months, will participate in the study by offering advice and input on data, study location selections, and recommendations.

“The Route 126 corridor is a main thoroughfare in the Town of Framingham,” stated Representative Pam Richardson. “It is a crucial component in the economic development and revitalization of our downtown. I am looking forward to working on the task force, the outcome of the study and the subsequent improvements to this important corridor.”

The end result of the study will be recommendations for geometric, traffic control, and other changes for improved traffic operations, with special emphasis on the effective and safe accomodation of pedestrians and bicyclists. Bus service improvement recommendations may also be developed. A long-term vision for the Route 126 corridor compatible with the land use and economic development in the area is also expected.

“The development of Route 126 is a quality of life issue for the people of my district” stated Representative Tom Sannicandro. “The jobs and economic development that will come from these proposed transportation improvements will not only transform much of Ashland and Framingham, but all of Metro West.”

All results will be presented for discussion and input at the second meeting of the advisory task force. A final report documenting all of the project’s tasks and products, including its recommendations, will be submitted to the Transportation Planning and Programming Committee of the MPO for final approval.

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May 27, 2009