Wakefield News

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — The annual budget process continued last night as the Finance Committee scrutinized more FY 2016 departmental budgets, including the Police Department, DPW and Group Insurance budgets.

With Police Chief Rick Smith alongside, Town Accountant Kevin Gill presented the numbers for the $4,633,285 Police budget, which he said overall was down…

WAKEFIELD — The April 28 municipal election ballot is set and there are two contested races this year: for a three-year term on the School Committee and for a five-year seat on the Planning Board.

Robert A.E. Tiro of Collette Road, currently a student at The College of the Holy Cross, will run against incumbents…

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — It appears that Dollar Tree will be able to meet its goal of a May 1 opening for its downtown Wakefield store in the former CVS building at 376-378 Main St.

The Zoning Board of Appeals agreed last night to allow building owner Robert Santonelli to proceed with upgrades to…

WAKEFIELD — A very minor incident involving a threat to some Galvin Middle School mates yesterday morning prompted a cautious Supt. Dr. Stephen K. Zrike and Police Chief Rick Smith to make parents throughout the entire district aware that it happened.

In an e-mailed message to families, Zrike writes, “We wanted to make you aware…

Colleagues disappointed as Evan Kenney dissents in 6-1 vote

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield School Committee last night voted to bring to Annual Town Meeting a $34,787,085 FY 2016 School Department budget, including a $3,558,357 (11.4 percent) increase over the current year’s budget.

But the vote was not unanimous, a fact that…

NORTH ANDOVER — A Wakefield native, Rev. James McFadden Andrew Wenzel, OSA, had the…

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By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — The town-wide overnight parking ban will soon be a thing of the past, as the Board of Selectmen last night voted 5-1 to eliminate the ban after this winter despite the strong objections of DPW Director Richard Stinson.

While technically a year-round ban, it has traditionally been enforced only from…

WAKEFIELD — Two would-be abutters to a proposed 130-unit Brightview Senior Living facility in the Square have filed a civil suit against the town seeking a clarification of the parking requirements associated with the project.

Crescent Street’s Andrea Sullivan and Ann Fandel, who lives at the corner of Crescent and Main streets, allege that an…