North Reading News
Local Stop & Shop workers join strike
Published April 18, 2019 By MAUREEN DOHERTY NORTH READING — Dozens of North Reading Stop & Shop employees have been walking the picket line for the past week, after contract negotiations reached an impasse and 31,000 workers represented by five locals of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) union walked off the job. As of 1 p.m. on April 11, the company went to limited store hours. The Stop & Shop at 265 Main Street is currently open 12 hours per day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.,...
read moreNew home on horizon for Food Pantry
Published April 18, 2019 By MAUREEN DOHERTY NORTH READING — The North Reading Food Pantry has been a point of civic pride for many decades. Run entirely by volunteers who know how to stretch dimes into dollars, there is virtually no segment of the North Reading community that has not stepped up to donate non-perishable items to one or more of its year-round drives, such as the town-wide USPS letter carriers drive held every Mother’s Day weekend. Perhaps you’ve written a check or helped organize a food drive for...
read morePolice arrest 17-year-old armed with handgun
Seize $4,000 in THC oil cartridges Published April 18, 2019 NORTH READING — North Reading police officers are calling attention to the startling rise in youth marijuana use and the dangerous rise of a black market for marijuana. Both trends were evident on April 9, when a Lynnfield juvenile was arrested by local officers with a loaded handgun, after he offered to sell concentrated THC products to an undercover officer through social media. North Reading police officers had been investigating the target for nearly a month after learning he...
read moreIRCC to perform ‘Many Sides of Music’ May 4-5
Published April 18, 2019 NORTH READING — The Ipswich River Community Chorus is busy rehearsing for its upcoming spring concert, “Many Sides of Music” so save the date for May 4 and 5. Music can provoke different feelings and have a variety of meanings depending on the time period when songs were released or how different artists perform a piece. “I’m Still Standing” and “True Colors,” chart-toppers in the ‘80s, became popular with a new generation hearing the songs in the movies “Sing” and “Trolls.” Other songs included in this show that will audiences...
read moreOpen invitation to help plan the town’s 300th birthday celebration
Published April 18, 2019 NORTH READING — North Reading will celebrate a 300th birthday in 2020. The town’s earliest beginnings date back to 1713 at Sadler’s Neck when the land from the Ipswich River to Andover was set off as a parish known as The North Precinct of Reading (which then comprised Wakefield, the First Parish, and today’s Reading, the Third Parish). In order to qualify as an established town, it was required of the parish to “build a suitable house of worship and procure and settle a learned Orthodox minister and make provision for his support.” The...
read moreCandidates’ statements due Friday
Published April 18, 2019 By MAUREEN DOHERTY NORTH READING — In the interest of public information and to promote good government, the Transcript continues its long-standing tradition of accepting candidates’ statements from all office-seekers, not just those in contested races. The deadline to do so for the May 7 election is tomorrow, Friday, April 19, at noon. The statements may be either biographical or issue-oriented (why you are running, what you hope to accomplish on behalf of the town, etc.), at the discretion of the candidate. Also, include a...
read moreBernard to retire as Superintendent
Published April 11, 2019 By JILLIAN STRING NORTH READING — Superintendent Jon Bernard announced his impending retirement to staff and families on April 4 and 5, respectively. “My decision to retire is not made lightly, nor is it an easy decision for me. I have made many wonderful friendships over the years; have enjoyed immensely my daily interactions with students and adults as a high school English teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, and now Superintendent; and have come to respect greatly the important work of all of the many people...
read moreReconciling town budget is a marathon, not a sprint
Published April 11, 2019 By MAUREEN DOHERTY NORTH READING— Now that the various town departments have wrapped up their presentations to the Select Board and Finance Committee on their budget needs and wants for FY20 over a series of weeks, the real hard work begins – determining what the town can afford to fund. This year, the department heads were asked to be realistic in assessing their true needs as opposed to being limited to designing budgets more closely aligned to level services or modest increases since this type...
read moreSchool budget gap at $401,614
Little interest in hearing for $32M budget Published April 11, 2019 By JILLIAN STRING NORTH READING — Director of Finance and Operations Michael Connelly, Superintendent Jon Bernard, and the members of the School Committee held a public hearing for the fiscal year 2020 (FY20) budget on Monday evening. Connelly presented the recommended budget to Finance Committee member Don Kelliher, who was the only person in the audience at the hearing. According to Connelly, there are four budget drivers for FY20. “Contractual salary obligations are always a driver of the...
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