News Briefs

2019 Annual Report Photo Contest

Enter a Winthrop photograph to be considered for the cover of the Town’s 2019 Annual Report. The winning submission will be featured on the cover of our report to be published early this fall. Attached is last year’s winner TK Morgan’s winning submission! Photos can be of anything and children’s photographs and art is also encouraged. This is a beautiful time of year in Winthrop so get out there and take some pictures! 

Boncore Helps Pass Bill to Protect Public Unions

Last week Sen. Joseph Boncore and the Massachusetts Senate passed An Act Relative to Collective Bargaining Dues.

The bill helps protect a public unions’ ability to effectively represent all workers in labor agreements following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case Janus v. AFSCME.

“Today’s vote, which comes exactly one year after the misguided Janus ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, makes clear that the Senate will always put working families of Massachusetts first,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Public workers are the backbone of our economy and deserve the ability to fight for fair wages, access affordable health care and work in safe conditions. I look forward to seeing this legislation become law.”

In its 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the ability of public sector unions to advocate for workers — both members and non-members — in contractual and collective bargaining activities. The decision significantly limited a union’s authority to charge fees of non-members, potentially cutting off critical resources used in the effort to fairly represent all workers at the negotiating table.

“The Constitutional right to organize and collectively bargain is a basic tenant of our democracy. Last year, conservative activists on the Supreme Court curbed this right in the Janus decision,” said Transportation Committee Chair Sen. Joseph Boncore (D-Winthrop), who sponsored a version of the legislation last session. “Today, the Senate corrected this injustice and took action to ensure workers across the Commonwealth have the ability to fight for a better quality of life for their families.”

An Act Relative to Collective Bargaining Dues would enable public sector unions to charge reasonable fees of non-members for costs related to representation. The decision to charge workers who choose not to pay union dues would be optional and left to the organization’s discretion. The legislation would also ensure the union has access to appropriate worker contact information and codifies a union’s ability to meet with newly hired employees on worksites.  

After enactment by the House and Senate, the legislation moves on to the Governor’s desk.

DeMato Named President of the Mass. Justice of the Peace Association

On June 9, in Marlborough, a meeting of the Massachusetts Justice of the Peace Association was held and assistant Town Clerk of Winthrop, Joanne M. DeMato, an Everett resident, was nominated and elected president of this prestigious organization.  

Massachusetts Justices of the Peace Association, Inc., was founded in 1975, as a non-profit, professional and educational association which assists Justices of the Peace in fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of their commissioned office.

DeMato has been a Justice of the Peace for seven years in which she has officiated over 220 wedding ceremonies. 

In all these years DeMato has been able to perform some of her ceremonies in exciting and unusual places.  She has joined couples by the water, on the water, on roof tops, in front of monuments, at hospitals, in parks, and in lavish and beautiful venues. 

But her favorite place to pronounce a couple has been at Winthrop Town Hall in one of her lovely, and heartfelt civil ceremonies.  

She admits that this is a great joy for her to be able to provide this service to the community and to be a small part of someone’s very special day and that she does it for the happiness it brings.  She is highly recommended and has done ceremonies of family and friends of previous couples that she’s married.  When asked for a written recommendation to re-apply for her justice of the peace license one man wrote, “Joanne DeMato equals love and she is the perfect Justice of the Peace for your special day.  We can’t thank her enough.” – Brian Herlihy

Mystic Valley Elder Services Looking for Healthy Aging Group Leaders

Mystic Valley Elder Services offers a variety of free, evidence-based workshops to promote health, wellbeing, and happiness. Healthy Aging Group Leaders advance the mission of the Healthy Aging Program by helping people with chronic medical conditions to manage their medical problems and disabilities by leading the workshops that support, educate, and nurture a greater control over their lives.

Healthy Aging programs at Mystic Valley Elder Services include:

• My Life, My Health-Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP)

• My Life My Health Chronic Pain Self-Management

• My Life, My Health Diabetes Self-Management

• Tai Chi for Arthritis Self-Management

• Matter of Balance

• Healthy Eating

Healthy Aging Group Leaders lead workshops at various locations across the 11 cities and towns served by Mystic Valley Elder Services. They encourage interactive discussion, as well as socializing, idea sharing, and problem-solving among the participants. New leaders attend a two to four day Leader Training for the program(s) that they would like to facilitate. Ideal candidates for this role have strong communication, interpersonal and listening skills. Leaders should be comfortable teaching, facilitating group discussion and role play. A leader is responsible for teaching the six-to-eight- week classes to participants in a community setting. Most importantly, the group leaders have fun!  Interested? Contact our Healthy Aging Program Coordinator at 781-388-4867 about