Hey hey hey,

Here’s your Buzz for the week of January 16, 2023. Don’t forget to learn more about running for office and pull your papers before February 8 so you’ve got time obtain signatures (10 for precinct-wide offices and 50 for town-wide offices) by the February 11 deadline!

A list of open seats, as well as a catalog of who has taken out papers as of 1/14, can be found on the Town Clerk’s website and in the Buzz post here.  About this information, there’s some good news and bad news.

The good news is that most town-wide seats look to have enough candidates for the available seats. It looks like School Committee will be contested again, with incumbents Carl Foss and Katherine Bond having taken out papers as well as challenger Jeremy Brooks, who lost last year’s election.

The bad news, however, is that most races are uncontested so far, and that there are far fewer candidates for Town Meeting than there are open seats. Also, Library Trustees and Recreation Commission are, so far, short on candidates. Uncontested races are boring and send the message that this work isn’t important. (IT IS!)

It’s still early, though! So I guess that’s the bottom good news bun in the news sandwich. Also, incumbent Town Meeting members will be able to sign up to re-run at the January Town meeting, which is next week on January 23. so we’ll see those slots get filled up after that time.

There are still several weeks until the deadline. So read up (information about Boards and Commissions on the Town Website and in the Buzz’s Local government section, ask questions, pull your papers, and get some signatures!

This Week in Burlington

Meetings and Events

Town offices and the library will be closed this Monday for the Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday holiday. Otherwise, just your average week in Burlington.

Monday, January 16

• Town Offices closed

Tuesday, January 17

• 12:00 AM - Unknown author releases overnight bestseller. (This is aspirational, but wouldn’t it be cool? In case you haven’t seen my bombardment of self-promotion, my book comes out on Tuesday! More about it here and here and on Tuesday.)
• 5:30 PM - Medicare IRMAA Info Session at the library
• 7:00 PM - Board of Appeals executive session, followed by public hearings at 7:30. Basement meeting room, 29 Center Street
• 7:00 PM - Land Use Meeting at Town Hall Annex
• 7:00 PM - Friends of the Library Annual Meeting (Register for this Zoom event)

Wednesday, January 18

• 2:30 PM - Shawsheen School Council Meeting
• 4:00 PM - Board of Assessors at Town Hall
• 6:00 PM - Recreation Commission at the BHS School Committee Room
• 6:00 PM - Youth and Family Services - Board of Directors at 33 Center St and online
• 7:00 PM - Historical Commission
• 7:00 PM - Ways and Means Committee at Town Hall
• 7:00 PM - Winter Pruning: Why, When, and How to Prune your Shrubs from the library. (Register for this virtual event)

Thursday, January 19

• 6:00 PM - Rules Committee at the Town Hall Annex
• 7:00 PM - Planning Board at the Town Hall Main Hearing Room

Friday, January 20

• 10:30—11:00 AM - Toddler Story & Craft at the library (REGISTER)
• 11:30 AM—12:00 PM - Preschool Story & Craft at the library (REGISTER)
• 4:00—5:00 PM - Teen Event: DIY Handwarmers at the library (REGISTER)

Saturday, January 21

• Nothing yet!

Sports and Activities

Winter sports continue rolling on with hard work and improvement from all athletes. This week we’ve got wrestling, hockey, basketball, gymnastics, and swimming on the agenda. If you or your kids are a part of a sport or activity that I’m not already covering, reach out!

Our record-setting week continues, with senior Grace Hanafin winning the long jump at the Northeast Invitational yesterday with a school record 17’10” jump. Junior Cora Laverty set a PR and took 4th place with a 5’2” high jump, and that is just one of many personal records set this weekend. Great work, team!

In wrestling, Senior captain Ahmad Kiswani took second at the Weymouth invitational.

Our Varsity boys’ hockey team won out against Bridgewater-Raynham with a score of 3-2, and our girls trounced Melrose 9-2.

Today, JV Boys’ hockey plays Masconomet here at the Ice Palace at 4:30 PM. Nothing on the agenda tomorrow, but we come back on Tuesday to a full schedule. Be on the lookout!

That’s all I’ve got for you today. With the holiday tomorrow and Tuesday’s book launch, I might take tomorrow off to be sure everything is settled. So, if I don’t see you tomorrow, I’ll see you on Tuesday!

Nicci