Hello Westford! November is quickly approaching, and that means it's time for state and federal elections. And on that note, today we're introducing our Westford Election Guide topic page, which will make it easy to keep up with this fall's election and future elections as well. Here are just five topics that we've covered in part so far and expect to cover in greater detail soon, among others. Presidential Race in Westford Patch was there for the Super Tuesday results here in town, and we'll aim to bring you stories moving forward that involve President Obama and Governor Romney from a …

  The race between incumbent Republican Scott Brown and expected Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren came to Westford on Thursday as former Democratic Geoff Hall announced his endorsement for Brown outside of Kimball Farm in an impromptu press conference. Hall, a life-long Democrat who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009, knew Brown when he represented Wrentham in the House and developed a respect for the eventual state and U.S. Senator. “The issues that were important to me were important to him were important to him, (such as) economic issues, but his …

Results are unofficial as of 9:55 p.m.,Tuesday Updated as of 9:11 a.m., Wednesday   PRECINCT 1 PRECINCT 2 PRECINCT 3 PRECINCT 4 PRECINCT 5 PRECINCT 6 TOTAL Board of Selectmen               Blanks 32 18 17 16 12 16 111 James M. SULLIVAN 120 78 84 62 53 44 441 Write Ins 4 0 1 2 1 3 11 TOTALS 156 96 102 80 66 63 563                 Board of Health               Blanks 37 17 15 18 13 14 114 Joanne E. MARTEL 119 79 86 62 52 48 446 Write Ins 0 0 1 0 1 1 3 TOTALS 156 96 102 80 66 63 563                 Housing Authority               Blanks 37 18 16 16 10 17 114 John Scott HAZELTON 119 76 86 63 54 …

For those driving around Westford's main roads, it might be difficult to discern that there's actually an election coming up on May 1 due to the fact that there are almost no signs out on lawns. Don't tell that to Terence Ryan though. A newcomer to Westford politics, he's the third candidate for three slots for the School Committee election on Tuesday and he's been making his name visible across town. On the Friday before the election, Westford Patch sat down with what, excluding an unprecedented write-in campaign, will be the next member of the Westford School Committee for a one-on-one …

.

Here's the overview of the Westford 2012 Annual Town Meeting on Saturday. The meeting was adjourned halfway though and will continue on Monday night at 7 p.m. For more, check out our live blog of Saturday night, as well as video of the meeting on Westford CAT and the meeting's documents on the town website. # Purpose Result Time 1. Acceptance of Town Reports Approved unanimously 10:08 to 10:11 a.m. 2. FY '12 Supplemental Appropriations Approved unanimously 10:13 a.m. 3. FY '12 Budget Transfers Dismissed unanimously 10:14 a.m. 4. Unpaid Bills from Previous Years Dismissed unanimously 10:14 a.m…

.

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time for part four of our five part series on the 2012 Annual Town Meeting, being held this Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Abbot School gymnasium. Today we take a look and some bylaw amendments on the warrant and the rest of the items we haven’t touched upon yet. Article 29: As touched upon in part one, this article would amend the town bylaws to allow more latitude to the Selectmen regarding legal affairs such as accepting settlements in litigation. In a report to the entire board, Selectman Valerie Wormell noted that after looking at several other towns in the…

  Today, part three of our five part series on this Saturday’s Westford Town Meeting looks at the five warrant articles having to do with the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Articles 14 and 15: These two articles are identical, and Article 14, which was brought forth by the Selectmen, is likely going to be dismissed so there are not duplicate votes on the same issue. Article 15, which came from a citizens’ petition, asks the town to appropriate a sum of $5,000 for surveying and technical work to develop parking inside Westford near the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. The view of supporters is that every …

Hello Westford! Welcome to the second portion of our five part look at the 2012 Annual Town Meeting. This year’s Town Meeting will take place on Saturday, March 24 at 10 a.m. in the Abbot School gymnasium, and will continue on the evening of Monday, March 26 if needed. Yesterday, we began with an overview on Town Meeting itself along with a look at some of the financial warrant articles. Today, we take a look at the administrative articles. Article 22:  This article addresses a request by the Nashoba Valley Technical High School District to allow Ayer in as a new member along with the current…

  It's time for Town Meeting once again in Westford, and Westford Patch has a five part series on everything you need to know if you plan on going to the Abbot School gym on Saturday, March 24 at 10 a.m. Today, we begin the first part of the series with an overview of what Town Meeting is, where to find more information so you can be an informed voter when you get there, and the financial articles being brought forth.   Resources and Things to Know The Westford Finance Committee, a group of citizens appointed by the moderator, has put together a booklet with a list of all the line items being…

  Dear Editor, My name is Matt Lewin, and I am running for the Westford Planning Board. The moment I set foot in Westford, I knew it was where I wanted spend my life, raise my children, and build a community.  When work forced us to move to Los Angeles, I was crushed -- I’d found Nirvana, and I was leaving it for Hell. After three arduous years of smog, traffic, and in-laws, I changed to a job that was 100% remote.  Within days, we announced we were moving back to Westford. The seven years since our return have seen the dream come true.  During the day, I work from home, my son and daughter …

  Setting the tone for a fiscal budget presentation that emphasized balancing fiscal discipline and continued district achievement through difficult decisions, Westford Public School superintendent Bill Olsen says he will forego a bonus for the next Fiscal Year. The announcement came during Monday night’s School Committee meeting “open forum” agenda item, shortly after School Committee chairwoman Angela Harkness announced the a tentative end to the drawn out teachers’ contract negotiations, which goes to a vote of the union that will be likely be announced later this week. Olsen closed his …

Many questions remain for this year’s Town Meeting, but the League of Women Voters attempted to provide some answers last week at the Millennium Building. Here are the highlights from the event that organizers hoped would serve as a preview for what voters can expect on March 24 at the Abbot School gym. Articles 1 to 4 The first two articles, (accepting Town Reports and Fiscal Year ’12 Supplemental Appropriations) are uncontroversial and expected to pass easily. Articles 3 and 4 (Fiscal Year ’12 Budget Transfers and Paying Unpaid Bills from Previous Fiscal Years) were placeholders that were …

  Republican Presidential Preference Precinct 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Mitt ROMNEY 331 284 298 291 332 230 1,766 Ron PAUL 40 41 36 36 30 19 202 Rick SANTORUM 36 32 37 25 30 32 192 Newt GINGRICH 12 22 14 7 18 9 82 Jon HUNTSMAN 2 0 2 2 3 2 11 No Preference 0 0 2 1 1 0 4 Michele BACHMANN 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 Rick PERRY 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 Republican  State Committee Members (One Man, One Woman) Precinct 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Georjann A. McGAHA 276 246 277 230 246 182 1,457 Richard R. GREEN 260 233 251 246 261 182 1,433 Susan S. SLADE 69 69 53 71 73 52 387   Republican Town Committee Members (35 Seats) Precinct 1 2 3 4 …

If there's one symbol of Westford Academy's Trustees Field, it's the wooden bleachers opposite from the school itself. A petitioned warrant article on the town spending $475,000 for new bleachers will be brought to the voters at the 2012 Town Meeting on March 24. Due to the town's current financial situation, if the article passes, putting out a bond may be necessary. Earlier this month, the Selectmen voted 4-1-0 to approve bonds for a new boiler at the Abbot School and a new ambulance that had been on the capital expenditure list. Selectman Robert Jefferies spoke in favor of bonding during …

Westford resident Tom Weaver has announced that he will seek the Republican nomination for Massachusetts’ third Congressional District in the hopes of unseating Congresswoman Niki Tsongas this fall. “Our business owners are suffocating, taxes and fuel prices continue to rise, conflicts around the world are being fueled by a broken foreign policy, Veterans’ care is slipping and Congressional spending and political gridlock is at an all-time high,” said Weaver. In addition to his work with the Boy Scouts and local Republican groups, Weaver’s main political cause according to his candidacy …

As the countdown to the 2012 Westford Town Meeting continues, today we ask for your take on Article 36 on the Town Warrant, a citizens' petition asking the Board of Selectmen to establish a bylaw governing the placement of outdoor "drop boxes." These boxes, which range in size from smaller metal bins to dumpsters, are often used as distribution points for charity items across town in places like Forge Village near Spinner's. The article states that any boxes would be required to be clean, in good repair, and with consideration taken for historical areas. So, we ask you, are these boxes found …

Nice weather like today's usually attracts voters to the polls, though that did not appear to be the case midway through today's municipal town election. Few voters were seen at several polling locations throughout town. The fact that all seven races are uncontested was the biggest factor in the low turnout so far.

The annual municipal election will be held today from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. at various polling locations in town. None of the seven races are contested this year. Voting will be held at the following locations: Precinct 1 Abbot School Precinct 2 Blanchard Middle School Precinct 3 Abbot School Precinct 4 Robinson School Precinct 5 Stony Brook School Precinct 6 Miller School A PDF file is attached that shows which precinct you are in based on your address. Zoom in on the first page to find your street and corresponding precinct. Here are the candidates appearing on the ballot: OFFICE CANDIDATES ON …