Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Sitting committee and board members will take their seats again for another term.
The incumbents prevailed this year at the Norton town election. Selectmen Bob Kimball and Robert Salvo held their positions in the board. Kimball received 1,386 votes and Salvo received 1,141. Challenger George Gillis received 474 votes. School committee incumbent Andrew Mackie received 943 votes, and Valerie Desmond received 1,141 votes, taking Beth McManus’ seat after she resigned. Mark Powers received 523 votes and Daniel Sheedy received 345 votes. “First I certainly want to get a good handle on what’s going on currently,” she said. “I want to work in a real collaborative way. That would be top on my list right now. I’m excited, it was my first time running for public office." Desmond added she is very grateful to the town for the large…
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
If a new town meeting warrant article is approved, the Yelle Gym will be getting more repairs.
The Norton School Committee has requested a town meeting warrant article designed to allow them to fund repairs needed in the Henri A. Yelle gym floor. According to committee members, a pipe underneath the gym floor burst and water damaged the wood in the floor. “Steam and water does significant damage to wood,” school director of finance and operations Barry Nectow said. “We tried to dry it out, but it didn’t work.” This is the second time Norton has needed to repair the gym floor in two years. “It was a very similar problem, the pipe that runs from the gym floor underneath the stage,” Nectow said. Nectow said like last time, the school’s insurance company is paying for the damages. Last time, it was $98,430, and this time he said it …
Meet the four candidates up for election on April 30th.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
After six years, school committee member Beth McManus said she is leaving the Norton School Committee.
Norton School Committee member Beth McManus announced on Monday she is leaving the committee after six years. “The past six years have flown by and they’re some of the most rewarding in my life,” she said. “I have served with people I hold in the utmost respect.” McManus also worked in the schools as a school department employee. “It allowed her to bring perspective to the school committee,” said committee chair Andrew Mackie. “When she was in the school committee, she didn’t just limit her work to the school committee. She reached out and was involved in a lot of other things in the town.” School committee members gave McManus a heartfelt goodbye from the committee and wished her the best. “We’ve served together for five years, an amazing…
Andrew Mackie is running for the Norton School Committee
Name: Andrew Mackie Age: 49 How many years have you lived in Norton? 15 years. How many children do you have in the Norton public schools? I have two daughters and they are both at the high school, a freshman and a senior. Both have attended the Norton schools since kindergarten. What is your current involvement with the school district (PTO membership, volunteering, etc.)? I’ve served 3 terms on the school committee, for which I am currently the chairman, and am also a member of the building committee for the high school renovation project. My wife has been heavily involved with the PTOs as our children have progressed through the schools and she’s often “recruited” me to help with various efforts in those groups. I also served on the …
Valerie A. Desmond is running for the Norton School Committee
Name: Valerie A. Desmond Age: 51 How many years have you lived in Norton? 17+ years. I moved here with my husband David and three children, Diana, Brian and Joseph in 1995. How many children do you have in the Norton public schools? Do you have any children who previously attended Norton public schools or plan to send children to the Norton Public schools in the future? I have 3 children; my daughter graduated from NHS in 2007; my son graduated from NHS in 2009; my youngest son is currently a student at the May Center. What is your current involvement with the school district (PTO membership, volunteering, etc.)? I most recently served on the Superintendent of Schools Search Committee (12/12) who successfully chose Joseph Baeta as Norton…
Mark Powers is running for the Norton School Committee
Name: Mark Powers Age: 37 How many years have you lived in Norton? 4-1/2 years How many children do you have in the Norton public schools? Do you have any children who previously attended Norton public schools or plan to send children to the Norton Public schools in the future? Two. Daughter AnnCatherine, Age 9, 3rd grade. Daughter Karalyn, Age 7, 1st grade. Both at Solmonese. What is your current involvement with the school district (PTO membership, volunteering, etc.)? I'm a member of the NHS Building Committee, so I'm actively involved in managing the project. I'm also on the JC Solmonese Site Council, which is a small group of parents, teachers, and Principal Riitta Bolton that meets monthly to guide the School Improvement Plan …
Dan Sheedy is running for the Norton School Committee
Name: Dan sheedy Age: 32 How many years have you lived in Norton? 10 How many children do you have in the Norton public schools? Do you have any children who previously attended Norton public schools or plan to send children to the Norton Public schools in the future? 2 in the school system 1 entering kindergarten in the fall What is your current involvement with the school district (PTO membership, volunteering, etc.)? Nys board of directors 5 yrs focusing on fundraising. Sponsorships and the nys summer camp What is your day Job? If you are retired, what was your former job? Inventory analyst at EMC Why are you running for school committee? I am running to bring a new voice to the school department. I hope to bring some new ideas to …
Monday, April 22, 2013
The FY '14 Budget is just one item on the agenda.
The Norton School Committee will discuss the FY '14 budget tonight at it's meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Norton Middle School library. Below is the full agenda: 1. Minutes of April 1, 2013 Open Meeting 2. Warrants 3. Transfers 4. Public Hearing and Vote on School Choice Program 5. Vote to Approve Revision to Physical Exam of Students Policy – Mrs. Doreen Browne 6. Vote to Approve Town Meeting Article for NHS Building Project for Submission to Selectmen – Mr. Barry Nectow 7. Vote to Approve Town Meeting Article for Yelle Gym Floor Insurance Proceeds for Submission to Selectmen – Mr. Barry Nectow 8. FY ’14 Budget – Mr. Barry Nectow 9. Personnel 10. Other Business
Thursday, April 11, 2013
New England League of Middle Schools honors Norton Middle School.
Wednesday afternoon, Brenda Needham of the New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS) presented Norton Middle School with a banner in recognition of the recent Spotlight School Award. Norton Middle School is one of 13 middle schools in the state to receive this distinction. According to the New England League of Middle Schools website, Spotlight Schools recognize student outcomes and effective teaching practices. To be considered as a Spotligh School, officials submit data to NELMS which is then reviewed. Following the initial selection, one or two representatives of NELMS will visit the school before being chosen and recognized. Spotlight Schools may host other middle schools allowing them the see how a Spotlight School works.
Amy
10:20 am on Tuesday, May 7, 2013
“We want to rebuild our infrastructure,” he said. “As the economy gets better hopefully we can make some improvements on some of the buildings we’ve neglected in the past five years. We need to look at our public safety, police and fire, perhaps we can try to bring in some more people and cut down the overtime. I think we should also work on weed control in our public water bodies, before our … more ›