Supporters of Tuesday’s town-wide referendum question—which asks voters to approve converting the former Aaron Guild School into a new Civic Center—are launching a high-gear campaign this weekend to counter opposition and secure approval.
Pro-Civic Campaign Mobilization and Financial Clarifications
Walter Grady, a town meeting member and leading proponent of the $2.2 million project, announced that 8,000 informational leaflets will be distributed door-to-door starting today, backed by an intensive telephone outreach campaign.
“We’re going to present them with the real truth. There have been a lot of misrepresentations made,” Grady stated, criticizing pamphlets recently mailed to 10,000 Norwood residents by the Mylod Civic and Charitable Foundation of Walpole—which urged voters to defeat the referendum and instead support joining a regional YMCA in Walpole—as well as opposition brochures circulated by selectmen and the Finance Commission.
Grady emphasized several key points regarding the project:
- Senior Citizen Accommodations: The new Civic Center will include dedicated space for senior citizens, alongside an office for the director of senior citizen activities. “The senior citizens have not been thrown out of the new Civic,” Grady said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
- Funding Source: The $2.2 million conversion cost will not draw upon tax revenues, but will instead utilize capital realized from selling the original Civic Center site to Norwood Hospital for its expansion.
- Swimming Pool Costs: Addressing circulated figures, Grady clarified that a swimming pool at the proposed new Civic Center would cost $200,000, not the $2 million claimed by opponents, citing official architectural estimates.
Majorities of the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Commission oppose the conversion, arguing in an official Sept. 10 mailing that the former elementary school should be sold and returned to the tax rolls. However, pro-Civic members of town government—including Selectman Thomas Riolo and FinCom member Joseph Adakonis—support the project.
Town meeting previously approved the $2.2 million conversion by a 66-50 vote, but opponents successfully petitioned to force a town-wide referendum. Overturning the town meeting’s decision requires a simple majority, provided at least 20 percent of registered voters cast ballots against the proposition.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More Town Meeting Stories
-
Town Meeting Votes to Replace Both Water Towers-November 1, 2023
Town Meeting members approced a major infrastructure project to replace its two aging water storage tanks, located between Highland Cemetery and Norwood High School. These tanks, a 4-million-gallon steel reservoir from 1958 and a smaller elevated steel tank built in 1939, are essential for local water storage. However, recent inspections have identified significant rehabilitation needs,…
-
In Memoriam-Gary M. Lee
A Life of Service and Faith On April 30, 2023, the town of Norwood, Massachusetts, suddenly lost a dedicated community leader, family man, and professional with the unexpected passing of Gary M. Lee at the age of 67. Gary’s life, rooted deeply in the soil of his hometown, was a model of civic engagement, multifaceted…
-
Norwood Voters Approve Tax Increase To Build New Coakley Middle School-April 10, 2022
Norwood residents delivered a decisive vote, choosing to raise local taxes in order to fund a long‑awaited new middle school. The ballot question passed by a wide margin — 2,365 to 831 — clearing the final hurdle required under Proposition 2½ for the town to take on additional debt. The vote followed a Special Town…
-
Parade Committee Targets Self-Support-July 10, 1992
Even as the echoes of the Fourth of July parade faded, the organizing committee in Norwood wasted no time in looking toward the future. On July 10, 1992, ⠀ it was reported that the parade committee, led by co-chairman Paul Wasil, had set a primary goal of making the annual celebration entirely self-sufficient. ⠀ Wasil,…
-
Norwood Conservation Commission Approves Father McAleer Playground Soccer Fields-July 17, 1985
With $110,000 in Town Meeting funding secured, the Recreation Department plans to complete the project within a year while creating new wetlands.
-
Town Meeting Approves Neponset Street Traffic Lights and Additional Municipal Appropriations-September 25, 1984
Town Meeting approves $75,000 for traffic lights at the Wedgewood Drive intersection on Neponset Street, alongside funding for municipal vehicles, sidewalk adjustments, and civic center completion.
-
Selectmen Grant Cost-Of-Living Pay Raises For Non-Union Town Staff-June 24, 1983
Town Clerk Robert M. Thornton notes that independent municipal boards plan to implement the matching salary adjustments via a $1.1 million town meeting fund.
-
Town Meeting Member Proposes Charter Amendment Requiring Incumbent Nominations-September 2, 1982
In an effort to foster greater accountability and civic engagement among local legislators, a Norwood town meeting member is spearheading a proposed amendment to the town charter. Thomas C. Coen of District 4 announced plans to present an article at the upcoming September 20 special town meeting requiring incumbent town meeting members to gather ten…
-
Referendum Drive Seen Well Underway-June 23, 1981
A rapid grassroots signature campaign aims to stall a major town development project through a public ballot referendum.
-
Civic Center Future Up For Vote-June 15, 1981
A high-stakes special town meeting agenda features a multi-million dollar Civic Center relocation choice and the $325,250 sale of Winslow School.
Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.