Thank You to Outgoing Councilors
Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my appreciation for the public service given by outgoing Town Councilors Tracey Honan, Stephen Ruggiero and Barbara Flockhart. For the past four years, they have given terrific representation to the residents of our community.
Councilor-At-Large Honan has been a leading voice on issues concerning the environment, public health and human rights. She was always a thoughtful presence on the Council.
Council Vice President Ruggiero has offered tremendous guidance to his fellow Councilors in his role as Chair of the Rules and Ordinance Committee and as a member of the Finance Committee. He has been a role model known for his hard work and preparation before every meeting.
Councilor Flockhart has been willing to take on the nitty gritty details of many issues before the Town Council. She performed her duties with grace and wit.
All three Councilors will be missed, but hopefully they will continue to be involved in the town’s affairs. Fortunately, their successors – Max Tassinari, John DaRos and Suzanne Swope – are worthy replacements.
Max Tassinari will be a strong presence on the Town Council given his experience with public finance in state government.
John DaRos will be a thoughtful and eloquent spokesman for his constituents on the Town Council given his presentations at candidate forums during the recent campaign.
Suzanne Swope has already demonstrated her commitment to our town given her six years of service on the School Committee. She will be an advocate on the Town Council for the school system and all members of the community.
William Schmidt
FYI For Winthrop Residents
Dear Editor,
Did you know that your hometown is being forced to zone for 880 additional residential units? Are you aware that we are being forced to do this by threat of withholding our money. The money you work hard for every day. The tax percentage that goes to the state and the spread out to state agencies like the MBTA. Yeah that money.
If we don’t comply with 3A of the MBTA communities act, by the end of this year the MBTA can withhold grant money from US grant money, again, that we fund with our hard-earned dollars.
Draconian? Given how heated our political discourse has become over the years, I’m afraid to use that word. However, I don’t know how else to describe this.
The Town Council is moving as quickly as it can, under the alleged guidance of the precinct 5. Councilor Joe Aiello who is the former chairman of the fiscal and Management control board of the MBTA perhaps a conflict of interest?
For those of you who don’t know me, I am a lifelong Winthrop resident, former school committee member, and recently ran, and lost, for the precinct councilor at large seat in our most recent election. I also have a weekly show on Facebook called Winthrop Votes. If you simply go to Winthrop Votes on Facebook, look in the feature section and search up January 8 meeting. My partner Scott and I break down what we know so far about the 3A mandate.
I strongly encourage all Winthrop residence to attend the next council meeting on January 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Harvey room at Town Hall.
If you are against this proposal, you need to be heard. There are for sure six councilors were going to vote to zone for this project. Get involved and be heard.
And for the record, the money that they’re threatening us with is money that we’re not already receiving, it would be future Grant money.
I do not believe this will hold up in court if any municipality has the courage to stand up to it. Winthrop deserves a hardship on this. We can’t keep adding more and more people into our community when we only have two ways in and out.
What happens if one of those MWRA trucks carrying the hazardous material down to the Point gets into an accident? And then we have a hazmat situation? How do we evacuate? Does the Town even have a plan? The chemicals that their trucking transports through our town are very dangerous and no one talks about it.
I hope to see you all there next week expressing your concerns. Winthrop is hurtling at light speed at this point at becoming Cambridge, Massachusetts. These 880 units will seal the deal..
Todd Sacco