Greetings folks and folkettes-

Question One on the ballot this year - the elimination of the income tax: good or bad? I say bad, bad, bad. While I do agree their is waste in the government, their has to be a better way to eliminate that waste besides cutting forty percent of the state budget. Eliminating our income tax will have a devastating effect on every city and town in the Commonwealth from A to Z. We will most likely see the sales tax increase, my guess will be it will double. Fee's for services will increase. Do you think paying $100 a year for trash pick up is outrageous? Wonder if that quadruples? I am voting No on question One.

Another Two Thumbs Up

Two thumbs up to the Town of Braintree for opening a police substation at the South Shore Plaza. The effort is a result of a partnership formed with the town and Simon Properties, owners of the Plaza. With funding from Simon Properties, 2 police officers will be on duty from 2pm to 10 pm. This is good news for shoppers as the Plaza has been the target of pickpockets, scammers, thugs and persons of the icky acky persuassion.

The Security Guards who regularly patrol the Plaza had to call the police to make an arrest. Now, the police are on location and this will make the security of the Plaza more effecient and effective.

Thanks, Town of Braintree and Simon Properties, for your dedication to public safety.

Two Thumbs Up

Two thumbs up for the Weymouth Fire Department and their rescue of the guy who fell thru the ice while crossing Whitmans Pond last Sunday morning. That guy is so lucky someone heard his screams and called the fire department. Next time you see a fire fighter, be sure to thank them for what they do for this town. We are very lucky to have such a dedicated group of men and women protecting Weymouth.

While I am passing out "thumbs up" the Weymouth Police deserve recognition for their recent drug related arrests. While it may seem the police are doing nothing to combat the drug problem in this town, they are on the job following up on leads and providing surveillance in know drug areas. Until they make an arrest, their work is confidential in order to not undermine their efforts. Be sure to thank the police for protecting our town and their effort to help make our neighborhoods a safer place to live.

Stop The Insanity!!!!

Here's the story. Kfc/Taco Bell want to build a new store. That's fine and dandy and all but they want to relocate to Winter Street. Winter Street is off Main Street at the route 3 interchange and travels to Middle Street.

The project has been approved by the Conservation Commission and is now before the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The traffic at those 2 intersections is horrible. The traffic engineer for the applicant even said so himself at the ZBA hearing on 23 January. The level of service at those 2 intersections are D during the week and E on Saturday. To add another entity generating traffic to that area is insane. The location of the drives to the proposed Kfc/Tb are just feet from where the free right off Main Street (north bound traffic) and the traffic from Main Street merge. Their is only one word that describes that merge point: "crash!

The applicant contends that this type of business is an impulse business and most of the customers will be generated from the existing traffic. I think it is true that some of the existing traffic will turn into Kfc/Tb for a wing and a taco but their will be those customers that patronize the Washington Street store will go to Winter Street that don't normally drive in that area. And what about the signs for restaurants we see out on the highways alerting travelers a nearby Kfc/Tb? I'll bet my lucky mouse pad their will be a sign out on route 3 advertising the Winter Street location.

What it come down to is traffic. Additional traffic on Winter Street and the intersections of Winter and Main and Winter and Middle is the same as adding more water to an already overflowing bucket of water. This is a huge negative impact to the neighborhood and will be detrimental to the driver and pedestrian safety of the area.

While the applicant can build a restaurant in accordance with the current zoning rules and regulations, they need a special permit for the drive thru. In order to be granted a special permit, the applicant must demonstrate a hardship by not having a drive thru. The applicant has failed to do that.

To support a project that introduces more traffic to an already traffic choked neighborhood is insane. A few neighbors have spoken out against the project already. If you have concerns about this project, the ZBA hearing has been continued to 05 March 2008 at the Whipple Center conference room at 182 Green Street. Let's stop the insanity.

Fire!

On the evening of Sunday 06 January 2008 their was an awful, awful house fire on Worcester Terrace in the Landing. No one was home at the time of the three alarm fire that drew mutual aid from Braintree and Quincy. Abington, Rockland and Hanover (?) provided fire truck coverage for the Weymouth stations. The two family house was pretty much gutted and arson is suspected. Fire Chief Leary, the Weymouth, Braintree and Quincy Fire Department did an outstanding job keeping the fire contained to the one structure, given the close proximity of other houses and the surrounding trees and brush.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everybody! I hope everyone has a most excellent 2008.

Tomorrow is the big day - the day Sue Kay officially becomes the Mayor of Weymouth. Good luck, Sue! You have a huge task ahead of you but you are more than up to the task. "Weymouh will be oKAY with Sue KAY"

Anyone utilizing the Greenbush commuter rail? I took the train one day to an appointment in Boston. It was a very convenient way to get from the Landing to South Station to Park Street and back. Right now the trains are running light but in the near future this means of transportaion will catch on and become a very popular way to go.

How about the new Sacred Heart Church? What a beautiful place of worship it is! It is very simple but yet very elegent. It is very reminiscent of the old church and brand new at the same time. It is very comforting to drive thru the Landing and seeing Sacred Heart Church back in its rightful place.

That is all I have to report at this time.

Winter is officially here!

The snow has arrived. It arrived last for the first time last Thursday (13 December) mid day. It accumulated quickly and made for a slippery ride home. During my 2.5 hour drive home I saw numerous plows. What I don't get is why were they traveling blade up? Hey plow trucks, if you can drive on the roads, you can plow it.

Despite lack of plowing and sanding at the onset of the storm, Weymouth did an above average job of plowing this time around. Corners at intersections were pushed back, sand was applied very liberally and streets were plowed curb to curb. The following Saturday the town trucks were out and about sanding and clearing sidewalks.

It is now Sunday morning (16 December) and the next storm is upon us. It is snowing at the rate of an inch an hour but the snow is supposed to turn to rain at some point in time.

The innaugration for mayor elect Sue Kay is set for 02 January 2008. The event will take place at Abigail Adams Middle School and the public is invited. Seating is first come, first seat and the doors open at 9:30 AM.

That is all I have to report at this time!