Wetlands Bylaw Program Tonight, Families for Recreation Group Issues Call to Action

Plus a nominations watch update and Spring Home Show coming to our area

Select Board candidate Chris Moncada has returned enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, according to Town Clerk Denise Graffeo. There are no new candidates as of close of business yesterday.

Proposed Tewksbury Wetland Protection Bylaw & Regulations Update is tonight. Residents whose homes are near wetlands are advised to join the meeting via Teams.

“The Select Board asked Town Staff to conduct some resident outreach on this topic before it goes to Town Meeting in May, so here’s your chance, folks,” says Select Board member Jayne Wellman. “Get the skinny right from staff about how these changes are intended to work and let them know exactly what you think.”

Learn more and get links to a marked up document with changes and the login number for the meeting here.

Tewksbury Families for Recreation co-founder Kate Bugda Gwilt is asking for residents’ help in getting a staff recreation coordinator position funded.

“As you may have seen, there was a decision not to hire a Recreation Director or Recreation Coordinator in FY2025,” she wrote in a call to action on the group’s website. “We crunched some numbers last night, and based on the average salary of a Recreation Coordinator in MA at $52,000, plus overestimations of overhead costs to support said employee, our town is telling us that they are unable to accommodate approximately $105,000 a year to support our community. I’m perplexed by this, given our town has over $6 million in free cash allocated for one-time expenditures. Surely, we can allocate such a small portion of that budget to help keep our community thriving!”

She asks residents to call or email Town Manager Richard Montuori at 978-640-4300 or rmontuori@tewksbury-ma.gov and ask him to put a coordinator position in the FY25 budget that will come before Town Meeting in May. Learn more.

Finally, our neighbor site the Wilmington Apple reminds residents that The Suburban Boston Spring Home Show will take place at Wilmington’s Shriners Auditorium (99 Fordham Road) on Saturday, January 20, 2024 (10am-8pm); and Sunday, January 21, 2024 (10am-5pm). Admission is free with advance online registration or $10 at the door. Parking is free.