Needham Sen. Denise Garlick to Host Seminar on Senior Tax Credit Program

The Circuit Breaker tax credit is open to eligible taxpayers age 65 and older.

Sen. Denise Garlick will join fellow legislators next week for an informational seminar on the Senior Circuit Breaker tax credit.  The seminar will be held at the Stephen Palmer Senior Center on Monday, Feb. 25 at 11:30 a.m. Garlick will be joined by Senators Richard J. Ross (R-Wrentham) and Michael F. Rush (D-West Roxbury) and Brian Lynch of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. "This seminar is one of the many ways we demonstrate that seniors are valuable members of our community," said Representative Garlick in a press release. The Senior Circuit Breaker is open to seniors (65 and older) whose property payments exceed 10 percent of their annual income. Eligible seniors receive a credit on their state tax return for every dollar their…

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Attleboro Councilor Seeks State Senate Seat

Sara-Lynn Reynolds will run in 2014 for the seat occupied by Sen. Richard Ross.

For the first time since 2010, a republican state senator with a few districts each in Needham and Wellesley may be given a run for his money.  Since winning a special election to succeed Scott Brown as state senator, republican Richard Ross's term has renewed twice with no opposition. This will not be repeated in 2014 because at least one other person would like to represent the Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex District. Attleboro City Councilor Sara-Lynn Reynolds, who two weeks ago changed her voter registration status from independent to democratic, said Tuesday that she will run in the election. Reynolds stressed she has not made a formal announcement, but there were rumors about her interest in being a Senate candidate, and she …

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Needham Officials Submit Concerns to NSTAR

A letter sent Friday, July 27 outlines questions and issues about the company's tree removal project as raised by local representatives at a meeting held last Thursday.

A letter Needham officials submitted to NSTAR last week asks that the electric company "make a good faith effort" to ensure that every property owner has adequate notice about the tree removal work that will be done in the area in the coming weeks. The letter, sent on Friday, July 27, outlines nine requests raised at a summit meeting held on Thursday, July 26 and attended by local legislators and representatives from town departments and state agencies. "The town asks that NSTAR make a good faith effort to assure that every property owner has actual notice of the type of work planned on or adjacent to his or her property, as well as the approximate date that the work will be performed," states the letter, which is addressed to NSTAR …

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Senate Jobs Bill Proposes Sales Tax Holiday in August

The bill was approved this week by the State Senate and will now go before the governor for final approval.

A new jobs bill designed to "stimulate economic growth and promote business in the Commonwealth" was passed this week in the Massachusetts State Senate and includes a proposed sales tax holiday for the weekend of Aug. 11-12. On those days, the state's 6.25 percent sales tax would not be charged on purchases of up to $2,500. "The holiday, which has become a summer staple in the Commonwealth over the last nine years, will allow consumers to save nearly $20 million," according to a statement released Friday by State Senator Richard Ross, who voted for the legislation. Last year, several Needham businesses offered special deals to promote the tax-free weekend. “Individuals and families across the Commonwealth continue to struggle financially, …

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Needham Asks NSTAR to Halt Tree Clearing Plan

Selectmen, state legislators and local residents voiced serious concerns Tuesday night about an upcoming project that would remove hundreds of trees from the right of way.

Needham residents, selectmen and legislators asked NSTAR representatives to slow down plans to clear hundreds of trees and vegetation from the public right-of-way at a meeting held Tuesday, July 10 at Town Hall. The meeting comes a few weeks after similar plans in towns such as Sudbury and Wayland resulted in public outcry from residents there. Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick said NSTAR representatives were open to the idea of coming to talk with Needham residents before crews arrive in town in an attempt to answer questions and address some concerns. “It’s our obligation to our customers to ensure the most reliable electrical service we can deliver. It’s also our obligation to you to be the very best corporate neighbor we can be,” said …

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Photo Gallery: Senior Center Groundbreaking

Officials celebrated the start of construction for the long-awaited town building.

Needham Breaks Ground on New Senior Center

State and local officials, volunteers, seniors and others from around town gathered on May 3 for a ceremony marking the start of a long anticipated construction project.

A little rain and mud didn’t keep people from coming to see the first ceremonial shovel of soil lifted on the site of the Senior Center Thursday morning. More than 50 people—including state officials, selectmen, Senior Center staff and members of the Council on Aging Board, Friends of the Needham Elderly and the former Needham Senior Center Exploratory Committee—stood on the edge of the former MBTA lot at the corner of Hillside Avenue and West Street at 9 a.m. to celebrate the start of a construction project that has been about 20 years in the making. “I think it’s a wonderful testimony to how excited everyone is, to see how many people showed up on a very nasty day and how many people walked over, and that people took time out of their …

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Got Something To Say About The MBTA Proposals?

Additional hearings scheduled in Waltham, Brighton; public comment can be submitted by e-mail through March 12

If you missed the Needham Transportation Committee's public hearing on Monday, Feb. 27, there are still a few opportunities to have your voice heard. At the hearing held at Needham Town Hall, state legislators Sen. Richard Ross and Rep. Denise Garlick both said they felt the Massachusetts legislature was listening to residents' concerns and would not support either of the MBTA's two scenarios, which attempt to address a $161 million budget gap in fiscal year 2013. The NTC's public hearing was not officially on the record for the MBTA but served as a local forum to help the NTC develop its recommendation to the Needham Board of Selectmen as to how to proceed on the matter, committee chairman Richard Creem said. Garlick said she had spoken …

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Legislators Share Budget News With School Committee

Rep. Denise Garlick and Senator Richard Ross visited the School Committee on Tuesday night.

The Needham School Committee was visited by two members of the Massachusetts State Legislature on Tuesday night, when Rep. Denise Garlick and Sen. Richard Ross discussed matters involving schools across the commonwealth. Garlick, a resident of Needham, said she was happy to speak to the School Committee directly and felt strongly about the way Needham’s schools are being run. “I am so proud of my hometown,” Garlick said, noting that she was especially proud of the community's leadership. Garlick started the discussion by giving an update on the budget, saying that the news was serious but not grim. While it is still a difficult economic time, she said,  all indicators point toward a level-funded state budget, or better. Garlick said that …

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