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Town Hall will be closed for the following recognized Holidays:
- Monday, February 20th - Presidents Day
P.S. - Trash will be delayed by one day this week.
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Have some free time on your hands? Ever considered volunteering? The Town of Reading relies on many volunteers to collaborate with staff to help achieve community goals. We have over 20 boards and committees with varying interests, responsibilities and commitment levels.
Current Vacancies include but not limited to:
- Finance Committee
- Cultural Council
- CPDC
- Conservation Commission
- Zoning Board of Appeals
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SENIOR CENTER PUBLIC FORUM |
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ATTENTION DOG PARENTS.... |
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License your pooch! Dogs need to be licensed by the Town Clerk's Office by the end of March! |
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Nomination papers are now available for the April 4th election. The deadline to pick up papers is February 13th, 2023 at 5 PM. |
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SELECT BOARD OFFICE HOURS |
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Winter is here!
- Basketball hoops can break mirrors, costing the Town time and money to repair.
- Hoops are a safety hazard since side mirrors are essential to safe operation of a plow truck during a storm. Broken mirrors lead to delayed snow removal.
- In an attempt to avoid damage, trucks cannot plow close to the edge of roads, sometimes being forced to stay as much as 5 feet from the curb.
- If trucks do get too close, hoops in the Right-of-Way are likely to be severely damaged, and the Town would not be at fault.
- Plow truck drivers work the entire storm, whether it is 4 hours or 34 hours. It is critical that roads are free from obstructions to ensure the safe drivability of the road during every storm.
- We are requesting that all residents pull their basketball hoops off the roads and sidewalks so as not to impede with Snow and Ice removal. Please make sure that all basketball hoops are at least 10 feet from the roadway. Please don’t let your basketball hoop be the reason the street didn’t get adequately cleared of snow.
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The Town of Reading has contracted with Tough Stuff Recycling to pick up and recycle mattresses and box springs for a fee. Residents have two options available:
Pricing is for EACH mattress or box spring being disposed
$55.00 for curbside pickup
$33.00 for drop off at DPW garage (resident brings mattress or box spring to the DPW garage with proof of payment).
For more information on what is acceptable for this program, please click here.
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With winter weather approaching, the Department of Public Works would like to remind residents that their cooperation is needed to keep our streets clear and safe. The Town of Reading’s General Bylaws prohibit depositing snow or ice on a portion of any street or sidewalk that has been plowed or cleared for travel. Violation of this General Bylaw is punishable by a fine of up to $300. The owner of the property is responsible for the violation, even if it was done by a contractor hired by the owner or a tenant of the property. We appreciate your cooperation in our efforts to clear all the streets, including sidewalks in both the school and business districts. |
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Since September, the Food Service Department of Reading Public School District has made notable improvements to its student lunch program guided by feedback from middle and high school students and their families through a survey conducted in October. The responses received have steered our initiatives this year toward returning to more of a scratch-cooking model by offering freshly made menu options, which has resulted in higher participation rates across all schools.
We know that healthy students make better learners, and our schools play a significant role in shaping lifelong healthy eating habits. The schools’ food service program provides a welcoming and an inclusive environment where all students dietary needs are met. We have partnered with local farms and businesses in the New England area to put forward more local produce and proteins. Our elementary and secondary school menus include farm fresh fruits, vegetables and salad bars, locally sourced fish, and gluten-free and vegetarian meal choices. We have integrated an educational element to our cafeterias by sharing nutritional fun facts about the menu items offered. We are also looking to offer field trips to local farms so that students may learn more about the origin of their food.
Operationally, we have implemented many changes by expanding professional development opportunities for our staff, such as through conducting Chef-led cooking trainings, and by shifting to a more sustainable operation. We have transitioned to reusable flatware and plates to reduce waste and piloted a composting program during the fourth and fifth grade lunch periods at Birch Meadow Elementary School, which was student-initiated implemented through a collaboration of the school principal, parent volunteers, the district’s STEM Coordinator, and Facilities Manager. This spring, as we look to scale up the composting program to become district-wide, we will reinvigorate our teaching gardens by incorporating a freshly grown item onto the school lunch menu. We hope these healthy changes offer families peace of mind and help students to feel excited about participating in school lunch.
We are excited about all the positive changes that are happening and look forward to the future! To learn more about the Reading Public Schools Food Services Program, follow us on Instagram @reading_food_services or view our website at Reading Public Schools School Nutrition.
Catherine Franzetti
Food Service Director
Reading Public Schools
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Family Concert
We’re so excited about our Family Concert with Sulinha's Trio on Wednesday,
your feet to tunes influenced by traditional Brazilian music played on berimbau, cuica, pandeiro and surdo. Be ready to sing and dance along to this award-winning group! Tickets for the program will be distributed starting at 9:15 am on the day of the event. This program is generously funded by a grant from the Reading Arts
Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council in
collaboration with the North Suburban Child & Family Resource Network.
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Vacation Week - Just for Teens! If you’re a teen, the library is a great place to be
during school vacation week. We’ve got fun activities planned, and as always, snacks
will be provided!
Registration is encouraged.
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Tune up your job search with a virtual workshop facilitated by Career Coach Gary Gekow.
Call the Research and Reader Service desk at
781-942-6703 to set up an appointment or for help registering for this or other workshops in this new series.
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On Thursday, February 16, we’ve got a virtual presentation with The Princeton Review dedicated to improving SAT scores. At this SAT Strategy Session, you’ll learn some tips and strategies to help prepare for your next practice or official exam.
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For more information about the Reading Garden Club and its activities and town wide initiatives, please visit our website: www.readinggardenclub.org
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The Reading Garden Club is pleased to announce a fundraising partnership with the Mandarin Reading Restaurant for an event on Friday, February 3, 2023. Members, families and friends are invited to dine in or take out using a coupon available at the door or online at www.readinggardenclub.org. Please present the coupon to your server and 20% of your food purchase’s value will be donated to the Reading Garden Club, a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization.
If ordering by phone, please mention that you are supporting the Reading Garden Club and then bring the coupon with you when you come to pick up your order. Additional coupons will be available at the door.
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We’re thrilled to be recognized by our insurance provider, MIIA, for our employees’ participation in training programs that help reduce risk. Our thanks to the town’s staff for being leaders in safety.
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Reading Named Website of the Year at MMA Conference |
Reading, Mansfield, Weston, and Avon won the MMA’s annual municipal website awards, which were announced during the MMA Annual Meeting on Jan. 20 in Boston.
The awards recognize excellence in customer service, functionality, convenience, and government transparency delivered by a municipal website in Massachusetts. Awards are given in four population categories.
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A PREVIEW INTO MARCH EVENTS: |
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Town Hall Hours
Mon, Wed, Thurs 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Tues 7:30 am – 7:00 pm
Friday - CLOSED
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