Month: April 2019

Join @NA_Box_Vets at the @MiddlesexGWOT Veteran’s Monument Dedication Ceremony, June 8th at 10AM!

Sarah Brush

Middlesex G.W.O.T. Veteran’s Monument Dedication Ceremony

June 8th ~ 10AM
 
Middlesex GWOT
1 Hollis Street
Pepperall, MA 01463
All Military, Fire and Police are encouraged to wear your uniforms and participate in our procession kicking off the dedication.
(Please contact middlesexgwot@gmail.com for details)
 
About Middlesex GWOT: The Middlesex GWOT Monument Committee is dedicated to the construction and preservation of a public monument honoring those veterans who served in the Global War on Terror (GWOT) post 911, including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraq Freedom, New Dawn, Inherent Resolve and Freedom Sentinel.

We honor all veterans who have served in the United States Military.

About the Monument Design:  This monument was created by designer Lee Rich, project manager at Drumey Rosanne Anderson Architects of Waltham, MA. The granite monument’s carefully chosen symbols are from the artist’s conversations with GWOT veterans’ and inspired by their stories.

The design for the monument is a 5 point star, with a circular walkway around it. Each point of the star represents a branch of the service: Army, Navy, Marines, Air force and Coast Guard. At the tip of each point the emblem of each specific branch will be displayed embedded into the stone.

In the center of the star is a pentagon with a granite slab that will rise 7 feet. On each side of this granite wall there will be a relief of Iraq and Afghanistan and a life-size, cut out silhouette of a soldier walking away from the countries toward the American flag. Viewed from either side the soldier is walking away from each of those counties, headed for home.   In the middle of the pentagon are combat boot prints in concrete the color of desert sand.  The footsteps will journey toward the American flag traveling away from the country to symbolize the journey home.  Not all of the footprints will extend all the way across the pentagon to represent those solders who did not return home.  The color of the monument will be sand, as these veterans said “Sand was everywhere”.  Read more…

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Town Meeting Child Care Service for North Andover School Age Students (K-5th). Registration Required.

Sarah Brush
TOWN MEETING
CHILD CARE SERVICE
5/14/2019
Community Programs, at the request of the town moderator, will be offering a child care service to
families attending the Annual Town Meeting at the High School on Tuesday May 14, 2019. It is
provided to all North Andover school age students (K — 5th grade). Students will have the opportunity
to complete homework assignments and participate in a variety of games / activities. Please be
advised that this is not a drop in program and you must pre-register for a spot in order for us to
properly staff the program. Drop off will begin at 6:55PM and we ask that you pick up your child no
later than 10:00PM. Please look for signs as you enter the high school that will direct you to our 
location. *Please send your child with a peanut free snack and drink!
Registration deadline: Friday May 10, 2019
Location: High School
Time: 6:55PM — 10:00PM
Cost: Free
To register on line, please visit:

Click on the Excel Enrichment page to find the link to the Community Pass registration site!
Questions?
Community Programs
566 Main St.
North Andover, Ma. 01845
Fax: 978-738-1320 / Phone: 978-794-3080

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The 47th annual North Andover Sheep Shearing Festival, sponsored in part by Pentucket Bank & Wheelabrator, Inc., will be held on the Town Common on Sunday, May 19th from 10 am to 4 pm. Free admission, parking & shuttle from Franklin & Middle Schools.

Sarah Brush

The 47th annual North Andover Sheep Shearing Festival, sponsored in part by Pentucket Bank and Wheelabrator, Inc., will be held on the Town Common on Sunday,May 19th from 10 am to 4 pm.Events include sheep herding and shearing demonstrations, music, Cow Pie Bingo, blacksmithing demonstrations and much more. There will also be pony rides, food vendors and crafters.Free admission, parking and shuttle from Franklin and Middle Schools.For more information, contact Jeff at 978-490-6505.

 

2019 Sheep Press Release

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Town Meeting Voting Survey

Sarah Brush

Town Meeting Voting Survey

May 14, 2019 Annual Town Meeting

North Andover continues to be a laboratory for what Town Meeting may be like in the future.  One sometimes hears that Town Meeting does not represent the opinion of the citizenry at large.  In order to test this presumption we will be conducting a survey inviting the public to state their opinion on each article whether they attend Town Meeting or not. The survey will launch electronically via the town web site a full two weeks prior and be live through Town Meeting until its adjournment.  Comparative results will be published post the adjournment of the meeting.  The votes in this survey will not count but merely be an expression of opinion of the people who choose to make that opinion known. Completing this is not a substitution to attending Town Meeting as all deliberative benefits and power is in the room.  You are invited to do both – express your opinion here AND come to Town Meeting on May 14th at 7PM in the North Andover High School auditorium.  

Take the Voter Survey Here.

Read the full Warrant Here.

northandoverma.gov/tmsurvey 

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Message From the Town Moderator Regarding 2019 Town Meeting

Sarah Brush
Dear Neighbors:
Once again I have the privilege of inviting all citizens to North Andover’s upcoming Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday evening May 14, 2019 commencing at 7:00PM in the North Andover High School auditorium.
It has been an honor to preside at Town Meeting, the legislative branch of our government, these past seven years. It has been our mutual effort to endeavor that this 17th Century tradition remains relevant to our 21st Century needs and population. I remain committed to testing, refining, and instituting initiatives to modernize the functions, rules, reach, and conduct of Town Meeting while being deliberate to preserve those worthy practices and procedures that both work and are required by Town Charter and By-Law. This effort is in service to my obligation to conduct a fair, open and efficient Town Meeting.
A frequent question I get around town throughout the year is “So Mark, what will be different at the next Town Meeting?” My answer this year is “Not much.” All the now common services and innovations of past Annual Town Meetings in my tenure will remain, including electronic check-in, child care provided by the North Andover Community School Program, Citizen Advocate support, enhanced audio and visual aids, and the remote question participation program for those who cannot attend. The meeting will continue to be live broadcast and live streamed. The recently instituted three minute time limit for speakers, other than those presenters with preassigned time limitations, will remain. I will continue to conduct the meeting in a manner that offers appropriately informal but respectful discussion among participants for the purpose of informing better voter understanding of the issues to be decided during our annual community dialogue.
One somewhat different initiative will be test piloted before and during our meeting. As Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Moderators Association 2040 Committee tasked how Town Meeting will look in that year, we recognize that the prospect of a full virtual Town Meeting experience will not likely be allowed for many years. One sometimes hears that Town Meeting does not represent the opinion of the citizenry at large. In order to test this presumption we will be conducting a survey inviting the public to state their opinion on each article whether they attend Town Meeting or not. The survey will launch electronically via the town web site a full two weeks prior and be live through Town Meeting until its adjournment. Comparative results will be published post the adjournment of the meeting. Read More…
Mark S. DiSalvo
Town Moderator
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