Bob Holmes

Boston

Freelance Writer and Editor at Freelance

Freelance writer, editor, and former high school sports editor of the Boston Globe.

Articles

School Com won’t further consider Joshua Eaton renaming proposal

2 weeks ago | homenewshere.com | Bob Holmes

READING – The members of the Students of Color and Allies for Equity, Justice, and Inclusion (SOCA4EJI) worked almost four years to get their proposal to change the name of the Joshua Eaton Elementary School before the School Committee. They made their pitch last week. Thursday in the RMHS library, the School Committee responded.
Reading ends Notre Dame (Hingham)’s Division 2 girls’ lacrosse dynasty with stunning semifinal upset - The Boston Globe

2 weeks ago | bostonglobe.com | Bob Holmes

Division 2 will have a new girls’ lacrosse state champion this year. Fourth-seeded Reading (20-3) held off No. 1-ranked, No. 1-seeded, and three-time defending state champion Notre Dame (Hingham), 8-7, in the D2 semifinals Tuesday at Victory Field in Watertown. Reading will play second-seeded Walpole (24-1) Friday (5 p.m.) at Babson for the title.
Council on Aging breaks out the champagne after debt exclusion vote

1 month ago | homenewshere.com | Bob Holmes

READING – Karen Pinette brought champagne to the Pleasant Street Center. Nora Bucko brought candy. Karen Janowski brought a reminder that the group she chairs had much to contribute. In their first meeting since the May 13 vote in support of building a new Reading Center For Active Living, the Council on Aging (COA) made it clear that they intend to be involved in every step of the process going forward. The mood may have been celebratory, but it also reflected how much work lies ahead.
Reading’s Bill Brown - a tireless advocate for town’s veterans

1 month ago | homenewshere.com | Bob Holmes

READING – He’s 94 years old with signs of cutting back but don’t think for a minute Bill Brown has lost an ounce of energy when it comes to Memorial Day and recognizing the town’s veterans. It was the last week of April and the caller ID said it was Bill Brown. It could have been to talk about the town budget, the Select Board, or even life at his new home on Pearl Street. But with Memorial Day rapidly approaching, the subject was the town’s Flower Fund.
ReCAL proponents worry about split vote at May special election

2 months ago | homenewshere.com | Bob Holmes

READING – It’s a scenario that Nancy Ziemlak understands could play out. On May 13, the parents of Reading’s roughly 4,000 school children will flock to the RMHS Fieldhouse, likely in overwhelming support of the $130 million Killam School project. As the lawn signs suggest, they’ll vote yes for Killam. It’s what happens next that concerns Ziemlak, the chair of the Council on Aging.
ReCAL proponents worry about split vote with Killam project also on May ballot

2 months ago | homenewshere.com | Bob Holmes

READING – It’s a scenario that Nancy Ziemlak understands could play out. On May 13, the parents of Reading’s roughly 4,000 school children will flock to the RMHS Fieldhouse, likely in overwhelming support of the $130 million Killam School project. As the lawn signs suggest, they’ll vote yes for Killam. It’s what happens next that concerns Ziemlak, the chair of the Council on Aging.
Huh? The Valuable Role of Interjections

2 months ago | sapiens.org | Bob Holmes

This article was originally published at Knowable Magazine and has been republished under Creative Commons. ✽LISTEN CAREFULLY TO a spoken conversation and you’ll notice that the speakers use a lot of little quasi-words—“mm-hmm,” “um,” “huh?,” and the like—that don’t convey any information about the topic of the conversation itself.
Town officials lay out $157.9M case for Killam, ReCAL projects

2 months ago | homenewshere.com | Bob Holmes

READING – Maybe it was just a coincidence that on the day the fourth quarter tax bills arrived in resident’s mailboxes, Reading held a joint community forum on the Killam School and the Reading Center For Active Living projects at the RMHS Performing Arts Center. The purpose of Wednesday’s forum was to inform residents why Reading is asking them for $130 million to build a new Killam School and $27.9 million to build a new senior/community center.
Killam/ReCAL projects would cost typical taxpayer around $1K per year

Mar 27, 2025 | homenewshere.com | Bob Holmes

READING – Tuesday’s third Reading Center for Active Living Forum was filled with assurances to the senior community that they were top dog in the new center. It also had numbers to show the effect of what a new senior/community center and a new Killam School would do to resident’s taxes. “There will be 60-plus activities all day, every day,” said Community Services Director Jenna Wood.
Town officials need to update community’s master plan

Mar 21, 2025 | homenewshere.com | Bob Holmes

READING – While the arcade game whack-a-mole isn’t normally a big part of Select Board meetings, you can thank Mark Dockser for using the 50-year-old Japanese game as a launching point to discuss Reading’s future. Tuesday night the board discussed the need for a new Master Plan, how best to prioritize the Capital Plan, and what to do with the Pleasant Street Center.