Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The farewell party for Mayor Bonfanti has been canceled out of respect for family of fallen firefighter.
Mayor Michael Bonfanti's office says the farewell reception at City Hall that was planned for Bonfanti this Thursday has been canceled "out of respect for the family of firefighter Jim Rice." Rice died Friday in the line of duty after becoming seriously injured in a three-alarm fire at 5 Hancock St. A wake is planned Thursday afternoon with the funeral Friday morning. Bonfanti's office says he asked to cancel the reception in his honor. Both Bonfanti, who is stepping down from the corner office at the end of the year, and Mayor-elect Ted Bettencourt were both at the scene Friday afternoon, and later alongside fire officials as they confirmed Rice's death and briefed reporters on the fire investigation. Bonfanti has spent 10 years as …
42.526272
-70.92818
Peabody City Hall
24 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/mayor-cancels-farewell-party-in-light-of-city-jake-s-death
775596
/locations/6082960
42.52031
-70.931944
5 Hancock St, Peabody, MA
/articles/mayor-cancels-farewell-party-in-light-of-city-jake-s-death
/locations/6082961
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Fire Chief Steve Pasdon on a mission to fill eight funded positions before overtime drains his budget.
- POLICE & FIRE
- Dan Baer
-
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Fire Chief Steven Pasdon said this week that he hopes to add up to eight new firefighters by the start of June, using already budgeted funds to fill out slots vacated by recent retirements. Under funded and under staffed, the Fire Department is currently employing 89 firefighters, 14 men short of full strenghth. With City Hall short on cash, the fire department budget has been level funded at around $7 million for four straight years. As a result of the short staffing, the city has lost 38 percent of local aid funding and has been forced to keep Engine 1, based out of the Central Street Station, out of service. “We have been running short due to the economy for awhile now,” said Pasdon. “It isn’t anyone’s fault, it is just they way it is …
42.526272
-70.92818
Peabody City Hall
24 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/peabody-fire-department-wants-to-hire-more-firefighters
775596
/locations/4157133
42.526537
-70.929079
Peabody Fire Headquarters
41 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/peabody-fire-department-wants-to-hire-more-firefighters
774776
/locations/4157134
Monday, April 25, 2011
Mayor Michael Bonfanti has requested a white sticker fee increase from $10 to $20 that would be effective July 1, if approved by City Council.
The city Finance Committee will weigh a proposal Thursday seeking to increase appliance disposal fees from $10 to $20. Mayor Michael Bonfanti submitted the proposal and, if approved by the Finance Committee and the City Council, it would go into effect on July 1. "As you know, the city allows Peabody residents to purchase stickers that enable them to have appliances including refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, televisions and CRTs picked up curbside and disposed of, for the current fee of $10" Bonfanti wrote in a letter to Finance Committee members. Bonfanti noted that in most cases, the actual costs associated with the disposal of these appliances "greatly exceeds the minimal…
42.526272
-70.92818
Peabody City Hall
24 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/finance-committee-to-weigh-fee-hike-for-appliance-disposal
775596
/locations/4126924
42.55231
-70.981179
Jrm Hauling & Recycling Services
265 Newbury St, Peabody, MA
/articles/finance-committee-to-weigh-fee-hike-for-appliance-disposal
774693
/locations/4126925
Sunday, April 24, 2011
New eatery will offer Italian pastries, sandwiches and other unique fare.
- BUSINESS
-
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The Little Italy Cafe on Main Street will hold a ribbon cutting on Monday to celebrate its opening. Mayor Michael Bonfanti, Deanna Healey, executive director of the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce and others are scheduled to cut the ribbon with the eatery's new owners at 11 a.m. The new restaurant is located next to P.J. Woods Insurance and will provide patrons with a great place to enjoy coffee, Italian pastries, and lunch. The new cafe features authentic Italian cuisine from Bari, Italy. Conveniently located in downtown Peabody, the cafe has seating for 14, homemade Italian pizza, daily specials, coffee and pastries. It's hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
42.525131
-70.925595
PJ Woods Insurance Agency
40 Main St, Peabody, MA
/articles/little-italy-cafe-to-hold-ribbon-cutting
774197
/locations/4113133
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
If approved, House Ways and Means provision could give municipalities more control over how much they pay for public employees' benefits.
- GOVERNMENT
- Dan Baer
-
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
A proposed provision in the House Committee on Ways and Means fiscal year 2012 budget could help cities and towns control rising health care costs going forward and give local mayors more authority over the benefits municipal employees receive. The Ways and Means budget released last week included a provision that would allow municipal leaders to decide locally whether to join the state’s Group Insurance Commission or remain with independent insurance providers who have equivalent benefits to the GIC. This would allow leaders to have more power in making a financially sound health care decisions for their communities. It also comes at a time when state leaders are attempting legislation that would require all communities to join the GIC. …
42.526272
-70.92818
Peabody City Hall
24 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/peabody-mayor-supports-state-healthcare-reform-proposal
775596
/locations/4083497
If Zellen chooses to run, the field for mayor would grow to three candidates.
- ELECTIONS
- Dan Baer
-
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The race for Peabody’s next mayor may not be a duel for long. With two young gun local politicians already in the mix for the city’s top government seat, set to be vacated by retiring Mayor Michael Bonfanti when his term ends this year, longtime public servant Thomas Zellen confirmed that he, too, is toying with the idea of a campaign push. Zellen, 70, said Tuesday that after 33 years of service to the city he is seriously considering challenging Councilor-At-Large Edward Bettencourt and former mayoral aide Sean Fitzgerald for the position this fall, but won’t have any formal decision on the matter for another week or so. “We, that being my wife and I, have been thinking about it but we haven’t made a decision yet,” he said. “It is …
42.526272
-70.92818
Peabody City Hall
24 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/former-councilor-tom-zellen-may-enter-mayors-race
775596
/locations/4083379
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Mayor Michael Bonfanti blasts figures; Municipal Light Plant Commission defends high payouts.
- BUSINESS
- Dan Baer
-
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
While the city continued to struggle through another year of budget cuts, a quartet of Municipal Light Plant higher ups collected big in 2010, combining to take home nearly $625,000 in total income. The four employees, Light Plant Manager William Waters and engineers Michael Conwell, Ronald D’Andrea and Russell Dunn, topped the city’s annual list of highest paid employees last year, sparking outcry from both the public and leaders at City Hall. While Waters saw an increase of just under 5 percent of his annual salary due to scheduled raises, jumping from just under $166,000 in 2009 to $174, 354 in 2010, the other three light plant employees enjoyed significant increases over their 2009 salaries thanks to a one-time payment of retroactive …
42.526272
-70.92818
Peabody City Hall
24 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/peabody-light-plant-employees-among-top-wage-earners
775596
/locations/4007374
Monday, April 11, 2011
Candidate tells supporters Friday night his experience as a town manager in Plaistow, N.H., make him very qualified to lead city.
Sean Fitzgerald used his campaign kick-off party Friday night to stress his experience as a town manager in New Hampshire make him the best qualified candidate to be Peabody's next mayor. With his wife Jenni and their two-year-old son, Myles, looking on, Fitzgerald told several supporters and friends at the Ancient Order of Hiberians hall on Lowell Street he is ready to lead Peabody to a brighter future. “I am truly excited to discuss with you my vision and my plans for Peabody, a Peabody that gets better and brighter with every day, a Peabody that can continue to inspire the best in each of us, as students, as residents, and as citizens.” Fitzgerald said he has served as town manager in Plaistow, N.H., since 2008 has given him real …
42.526806
-70.929904
Ancient Order of Hibernians
58 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/fitzgerald-kicks-off-run-for-peabody-mayor-with-campaign-party
774487
/locations/3956264
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Mayor Michael Bonfanti asks City Council to purchase land on May Street for $10,000.
Mayor Michael Bonfanti wants the city to purchase land at the end of May Street as open space. Bonfanti submitted a letter to the City Council dated March 16 where he requested a Fiscal 2011 appropriation of $10,000 to purchase 27,000 square feet of land located at the end of May Street. The mayor's letter noted the Community Preservation Committee voted to request the funds fro the group's space fund balance. The mayor wrote that the parcel adjoins the Meadow at Peabody Golf Course and Sydney's Pond. If approved, Bonfanti wrote the purchase "will provide the city with additional open space and access to our recreational resources." In a letter dated March 14, Bonfanti noted the while the parcel is small in size, it has strategic …
42.515355
-70.941301
/articles/peabody-mayor-wants-more-open-space
/locations/3837287
42.515167
-70.939907
The Meadow at Peabody
80 Granite St, Peabody, MA
/articles/peabody-mayor-wants-more-open-space
1733605
/locations/3837288
42.526272
-70.92818
Peabody City Hall
24 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/peabody-mayor-wants-more-open-space
775596
/locations/3837289
42.5373
-70.940572
Peabody Bikeway
15 Northshore Rd, Peabody, MA
/articles/peabody-mayor-wants-more-open-space
1733396
/locations/3837290
Monday, March 28, 2011
We Are America, Inc., and several city officials perform together at fifth annual show at the high school.
City officials, businessmen, performers, and music fans gathered at the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Saturday night for the fifth annual "Dueling Duets: Tanner Style competition." The events paired “high profilers” in Peabody with performers in a light-hearted musical competition. This year’s “high profilers” were Higgins Middle School teachers Vincent Raponi and Nicole Kouroubacalis, School Committee members Ed Charest and Tom Rossignoll, Councilor at Large candidate Tom Gould, the Mayor’s Administrative Assistant Mary Bellavance, Executive Director of Travel Leather Michael Orgettas, Marketing and Communtiy Outreach Rep. Michael Wheeler, Men’s Warehouse Manager Larry Levine, New England Meat Market Manager Charlie Silva, Peabody…
42.541929
-70.975004
Peabody Veterans Memorial High School
485 Lowell St, Peabody, MA
/articles/peabody-officials-strut-their-stuff-in-dueling-duets
1733457
/locations/3819246
PeabodyCitizen
9:31 am on Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Stop. Raising. Our. Fees (Taxes). Here's some public education: Peabody (i.e., the taxpayers) have been FORCED to pay more for JRM's services ($700,000 more) due to a MANDATE by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that says the hourly rate for JRM's trash collectors must match the average rate of the public Teamsters' union contracts. Worse yet, the City of Peabody doesn't even have a say in those … more ›