OPINION: A $5.4 Million Dollar Gift for Norwood

Norwood's Laurie Shea thinks the town has a very unique opportunity to make an investment in the community.

Norwood Awarded $5K for Student Fire Education

Representative John Rogers and Senator Michael F. Rush are pleased to announce that Norwood has been awarded $5,225 in grant funding through the Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) Program.

The following is a press release from State Sen. Rush's office: Representative John Rogers and Senator Michael F. Rush are pleased to announce that Norwood has been awarded $5,225 in grant funding through the Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) Program for the 2013 fiscal year. The funding will be used to implement fire safety education programs in the Norwood Public Schools. “It is important to educate children on Fire Safety Awareness and Prevention, funding for these programs are extremely beneficial inside and outside of the classroom,” said Senator Mike Rush.  “Keeping our school children safe is of paramount concern and I am happy this money helps our local public safety and education professionals to do just that.” said …

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Town Meeting Members Voice Concern Over Proposed Rink Location

The first night of Norwood's Special Town Meeting was dominated by a discussion of article 5, regarding feasibility and traffic studies on the proposed hockey rink project.

Of the 10 articles discussed during the first night of Norwood's Special Town Meeting on Thursday, it was article 5 - a motion by the Board of Selectmen for the members to approve the expenditure of a $45,000 donation on traffic and financial feasibility studies on a proposed hockey rink location - that garnered the most attention. After nearly two hours of discussion, the members approved the article. Representatives from the Recreation in Norwood Committee began the conversation with a presentation on the process up to this point and their findings regarding the specific proposed location (the current location of the tennis courts at the Coakley Middle School), the benefits to the town and the management of the rink. Bill Naumann (…

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Rep. Rogers: 'I Am Grateful for the Support of These Voters'

Rogers stood in Norwood center yesterday to thank the voters for reelecting him.

Editor's Note: The following was submitted to Norwood Patch by Rep. John Rogers' office. Newly re-elected state representative John Rogers stood in Norwood Center with a “Thank You!” sign, waving to Norwood residents as they drove by in their cars. Standing at the intersection of Nahatan and Washington streets as the early November nor’easter began to wind down, Rogers, a Norwood Democrat, was grateful to have received 9,224 votes from Norwood voters toward a total of 12,429 votes throughout the 12th Norfolk District. The district includes all nine precincts in Norwood and precincts 1,2,6, and 7 in Walpole. “I am grateful for the support of these voters and will work even harder in the upcoming term to earn the support of those who may …

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Josh Andrews

12:35 pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Note, he did the same thing in Walpole. http://walpole.patch.com/articles/rep-rogers-thanks-walpole-voters   more ›

RINC Presents Check for $45K to Town for Feasibility, Traffic Studies on Rink Location

The Recreation in Norwood Committee and Rep. John Rogers attended Tuesday night's Board of Selectmen meeting to discuss the donation and use of these funds.

At Tuesday night's Board of Selectmen meeting the Recreation in Norwood Committee (RINC) presented the town with a check for $45,000 to cover the expense of both a feasibility study and a traffic study on the proposed hockey rink construction project. Representative John Rogers - a strong supporter of the project who secured the state funding of $5.6 million for its construction - joined the Committee in this presentation. The rink would be a construction of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, and with the donation from the RINC for the required studies Rogers said moving forward would not cost the town of Norwood any money. RINC co-chair Sue Brown said that the funds - $20,000 for the traffic study and $25,000 for the …

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Rep. Rogers Amends Budget to Block Prisoner Sex Change Payments

State Rep. John Rogers said he is disappointed in a recent ruling in the U.S District Court where a judge ruled that the state’s taxpayers must pay for an inmate’s sex reassignment surgery.

A former chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, State Representative John H. Rogers (D-Norwood) today filed an amendment to a line-item in the state’s budget that pays out judgments for the state’s losses in court.  Rogers said he is disappointed in a recent ruling in the U.S District Court where a judge ruled that the state’s taxpayers must pay for an inmate’s sex reassignment surgery. The Rogers Amendment would block any payments unless the matter is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. “It is difficult for many to believe at a time when 225,000 of our state’s citizens are out of work and even millions more struggling to get by that they should be forced to pay for a sex change of a convicted murderer, who seemingly has more …

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RINC Committee: 'Proposed Rink is a Great Opportunity'

An open letter to the citizens of Norwood from the Recreation in Norwood Committee, regarding the proposed hockey rink and their meeting on Oct. 1

We members of RINC (Recreation in Norwood Committee) want to thank all the Norwood residents who turned out on October 1st to have a conversation regarding a future skating rink in Norwood. We particularly want to thank the South Norwood Committee for hosting our meeting that night. As many in the community already know, our RINC group has worked for several years – and has conducted an exhaustive site search – to find a home for a skating rink in Norwood. With guidance from professionals in the rink building industry, rink architects, consultants from the State’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and with the conceptual approval of both boards of Selectmen and School Committee, we have now concluded that the best location …

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Rep. Rogers Helps Secure Family Child Care Law

Rogers said the law empowers Norwood’s family day care providers.

Editor's Note: The following is from a press release from Representative Rogers office State Rep. John H. Rogers attended a bill signing ceremony last week with Governor Deval Patrick who signed into law a measure which Rogers says will empower small businesses providing day care and help ease the financial burdens of working families. “This law empowers Norwood’s six family day care providers that are affected by this new measure and any increased state funding they receive can be passed on to their Norwood clients as child care fee reductions, driving down the cost of child care for our families,” Rogers said in a statement. The new law affects only home-based child care providers who receive contract reimbursements from the state for …

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Rogers' Poll Shows Norwood Voters Concerned With Economy

Rep. John Rogers' recently released the results of his 2012 voter opinion poll.

Representative John Rogers (D-Norwood) recently released the results of a 2012 opinion poll distributed to voters during the Norwood Town Election in April. Of "hundreds" of polls handed out, according to Rogers' office, over 500 were returned. Rogers said in the accompanying letter that he was "encouraged" by the large response. The poll asked for voter opinion on several legislative issues, including the proposed soft drink and candy tax, the Right to Repair act, and assisted suicide, among others. Voters were also asked to rank six issues in order of importance: Jobs and the economy, education, health care, environment, public safety and tax relief. The majority of respondents ranked jobs and the economy first, education second. See the…

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Rep. Rogers Meets With Local Family About School Funding

The Fanizzi family of Norwood recently visited the State House to discuss school funding with Rep. John Rogers.

The Fanizzi family of Norwood were recently the guests of state Rep. John H. Rogers (D-Norwood) at the State House to discuss increased education funding for Norwood public school children. Paula Michel Fanizzi, mother of Mia and Dominic Fanizzi, lobbied Rogers for more state financial aid to the Norwood school system to help reduce class sizes. Rogers, who is a member of the House-Senate Committee on Education, reported that Norwood will receive a record amount of school aid from the state this year. Rogers helped to craft a state budget for fiscal year 2013, which began July 1. According to Rogers, the state will send $5,111,751 in education aid to Norwood and a total of $9,046,025, representing an increase of $587,000 over the amount …

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