By Matt Lynch/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Aug 27, 2008 @ 09:25 PM
MARLBOROUGH —
The head of the city's Democratic committee blasted the mayor yesterday for crossing party lines to endorse a Republican candidate in the race for the area's state House of Representatives seat.Mayor Nancy Stevens, who was elected to a second term last year with more than 70 percent of the vote, has thrown her support behind City Council President Arthur Vigeant, a Republican, rather than Democratic candidates Matt Giancola and Danielle Gregoire.
``I was totally surprised by the endorsement,'' said Tom Hill, chairman of the city's Democratic committee. ``She's forgetting she ran with Democratic support and (is) turning her back on us.
''Vigeant said yesterday that Stevens and seven of his 10 fellow councilors have endorsed his bid for the 4th Middlesex seat vacated earlier this year by Stephen LeDuc.
``No one is more dedicated, committed and knowledgeable of our community than Arthur Vigeant,'' Stevens said in a statement from Vigeant's campaign. ``His passion for our city is unsurpassed. I look forward as mayor (to) having Arthur represent this city on Beacon Hill.''
Stevens served on the City Council with Vigeant prior to being elected mayor.
In an event last week in front of City Hall, Vigeant also received endorsements from fellow councilors Patricia Pope, Steven Levy, Michael Ossing, Joseph Delano, Paul Ferro, Scott Schafer and Robert Seymour.
``The city benefits when officials from both sides of the political spectrum work together for what is best for their constituents, leaving politics behind,'' Vigeant said.Hill, however, argued that electing Vigeant will get the district shut out of a State House dominated by Democrats.
``If we have a Republican representative, he won't even get to the table,'' Hill said. ``We haven't had a Republican representative since the '50s. If you want to waste a vote, vote Republican.''
``While I respect the mayor's endorsement, I believe Marlborough deserves a full-time legislator,'' said Giancola, who lists former independent candidate Joseph Valianti in his camp. ``I've been more focused on hearing the thoughts of the public than soliciting endorsements.''
Gregoire said she wasn't surprised by Stevens' choice.
``Mayor Stevens and my opponent have a longstanding relationship,'' said Gregoire, who has support from Democratic state Sen. Pam Resor as well as the state AFL-CIO chapter and the Massachusetts Teachers Association. ``I am really proud of the support I've drawn from across the district.''
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Casinos in the future for Milford and Marlborough?
By Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Aug 23, 2008 @ 11:23 PM
Casinos could be in the cards for Milford and Marlborough, but local and regional officials aren't exactly starry-eyed over the idea.
While casinos have yet to be approved by Massachusetts lawmakers, Marlborough City Council President Arthur Vigeant is skeptical of billionaire Sheldon Adelson's rumored interest in bringing gambling to his city.
"I'm open-minded to talk about it, but I'm not real excited about it," said Vigeant, who is running for state representative. "...I'd still rather attract some good clean industries - biotech and high-tech and medical pharmaceutical companies. I think that's a better way to go."
Meanwhile, about 15 miles south on Interstate 495, Colorado real estate developer David Nunes is exploring Milford as a host community for a casino he wants to build.
Milford Selectman Bill Buckley says it's too early to talk about the plan, which was made public last week, but he said it would be "terrible" if a casino opened in a neighboring town.
"Anything that would keep me up at night would be that scenario," Buckley said, worrying about traffic and other secondary affects. But if a casino came to Milford, officials say the town could reap about $50 million a year in taxes and payments in lieu of taxes, and benefit from negotiated infrastructure improvements.
Last week, Nunes called his plan "very, very, very, very" preliminary, especially considering Milford can't bring in blackjack, baccarat and craps games until the state legalizes casinos.
Nunes, who has worked with Donald Trump and the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe, said he is searching the area. He met with selectmen in executive session last month, and has reportedly taken options on up to 500 acres of land in Milford.
As for Adelson, his spokesman, Ron Reese, last week declined to comment on his boss's intentions in Massachusetts.
Vigeant noted Marlborough officials have never spoken to Adelson nor representatives from his company, Las Vegas Sands.
Barry Feingold, president and CEO of the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce, said it is difficult to speculate on how a casino would affect the area. He noted Nunes and his associates haven't even given selectmen a proposal to host a Foxwoods-type destination in their working class town.
"I think we're in a wait-and-see mode. The ball is in their court, or I suppose you could say, the chips are on their table," Feingold said.
State Rep. John Fernandes, D-Milford, was one of a majority of legislators who rejected Gov. Deval Patrick's hotly debated proposal in March to license three casinos in the cash-strapped Bay State.
The governor's idea was "too many casinos too fast," Fernandes said.
"Do we want to start with three and have six? What culture are we trying to create?" asked the freshman lawmaker.
Fernandes said it's way too early to discuss a casino going in any specific city or town in Massachusetts. The focus now is creating legislation that will get enough support at the State House to pass - preferably for one "high class" casino that is very carefully regulated with strong local control, Fernandes said.
"My position all along has been, we ought to start with a casino, a single casino," he said.
Fernandes expects new casino legislation to be filed next year, if nothing more than a "motivator."
The Mashpee Wampanoags, granted sovereignty by the federal government last year, are proceeding with their plans to build a tribal casino in Middleborough, 45 minutes southeast of Milford on I-495, near the South Shore. The Indian tribe has an $11 million-a-year agreement with Middleborough, and promises to provide $250 million in infrastructure improvements and has submitted a land-into-trust application to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
"It's going quite well and it's going very quickly," tribal spokeswoman Gayle Andrews said last Thursday, noting Indian Affairs was taking a tour and evaluating the tribe's properties. The Wampanoags must also strike a deal with the state.
Trump Entertainment, owned by billionaire Donald Trump, last winter expressed interest in the Plainville Racecourse in Plainville for a casino. Any possible plans, town officials said at the time, would hinge on the state's casino legislation.
Meanwhile, Susanne Morreal-Leeber, president and CEO of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce, just doesn't see how a casino could work in the city.
For starters, "aside from taking buildings down," there isn't enough open space, Morreal-Leeber said. "The theory is it'll bring money into the state, but it also brings other issues that you have to bear in mind. The transportation is a huge, huge, huge thing."
The 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership's Paul F. Matthews agrees, seeing potential plusses but also disadvantages if a developer were to roll the dice in Milford or Marlborough.
"A casino proposal is neither black nor white; it would be a whole host of grays," said Matthews, executive director of the Westborough-based development and advocacy organization.
Negotiations could be worked so a developer would make improvements to I-495 and prevent major tolls on communities. But the big unanswered question, Matthews said, is what the casino would really mean for the region, its resources, and its transportation and infrastructure needs.
"Until there's some specifics it's impossible to say," he said.
"It's not a silver bullet by any means," Matthews said of a casino and any promises from a developer. "We still need continued state investment and federal investment."
Fernandes emphasized that there's a long way to go before a casino or two or more could even become a reality in the state.
"I'm certainly committed to making sure no community has imposed on it such a dominant feature without that community's willingness," he said.
Danielle Ameden can be reached at 508-634-7521 or dameden@cnc.com.
GHS
Posted Aug 23, 2008 @ 11:23 PM
Casinos could be in the cards for Milford and Marlborough, but local and regional officials aren't exactly starry-eyed over the idea.
While casinos have yet to be approved by Massachusetts lawmakers, Marlborough City Council President Arthur Vigeant is skeptical of billionaire Sheldon Adelson's rumored interest in bringing gambling to his city.
"I'm open-minded to talk about it, but I'm not real excited about it," said Vigeant, who is running for state representative. "...I'd still rather attract some good clean industries - biotech and high-tech and medical pharmaceutical companies. I think that's a better way to go."
Meanwhile, about 15 miles south on Interstate 495, Colorado real estate developer David Nunes is exploring Milford as a host community for a casino he wants to build.
Milford Selectman Bill Buckley says it's too early to talk about the plan, which was made public last week, but he said it would be "terrible" if a casino opened in a neighboring town.
"Anything that would keep me up at night would be that scenario," Buckley said, worrying about traffic and other secondary affects. But if a casino came to Milford, officials say the town could reap about $50 million a year in taxes and payments in lieu of taxes, and benefit from negotiated infrastructure improvements.
Last week, Nunes called his plan "very, very, very, very" preliminary, especially considering Milford can't bring in blackjack, baccarat and craps games until the state legalizes casinos.
Nunes, who has worked with Donald Trump and the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe, said he is searching the area. He met with selectmen in executive session last month, and has reportedly taken options on up to 500 acres of land in Milford.
As for Adelson, his spokesman, Ron Reese, last week declined to comment on his boss's intentions in Massachusetts.
Vigeant noted Marlborough officials have never spoken to Adelson nor representatives from his company, Las Vegas Sands.
Barry Feingold, president and CEO of the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce, said it is difficult to speculate on how a casino would affect the area. He noted Nunes and his associates haven't even given selectmen a proposal to host a Foxwoods-type destination in their working class town.
"I think we're in a wait-and-see mode. The ball is in their court, or I suppose you could say, the chips are on their table," Feingold said.
State Rep. John Fernandes, D-Milford, was one of a majority of legislators who rejected Gov. Deval Patrick's hotly debated proposal in March to license three casinos in the cash-strapped Bay State.
The governor's idea was "too many casinos too fast," Fernandes said.
"Do we want to start with three and have six? What culture are we trying to create?" asked the freshman lawmaker.
Fernandes said it's way too early to discuss a casino going in any specific city or town in Massachusetts. The focus now is creating legislation that will get enough support at the State House to pass - preferably for one "high class" casino that is very carefully regulated with strong local control, Fernandes said.
"My position all along has been, we ought to start with a casino, a single casino," he said.
Fernandes expects new casino legislation to be filed next year, if nothing more than a "motivator."
The Mashpee Wampanoags, granted sovereignty by the federal government last year, are proceeding with their plans to build a tribal casino in Middleborough, 45 minutes southeast of Milford on I-495, near the South Shore. The Indian tribe has an $11 million-a-year agreement with Middleborough, and promises to provide $250 million in infrastructure improvements and has submitted a land-into-trust application to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
"It's going quite well and it's going very quickly," tribal spokeswoman Gayle Andrews said last Thursday, noting Indian Affairs was taking a tour and evaluating the tribe's properties. The Wampanoags must also strike a deal with the state.
Trump Entertainment, owned by billionaire Donald Trump, last winter expressed interest in the Plainville Racecourse in Plainville for a casino. Any possible plans, town officials said at the time, would hinge on the state's casino legislation.
Meanwhile, Susanne Morreal-Leeber, president and CEO of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce, just doesn't see how a casino could work in the city.
For starters, "aside from taking buildings down," there isn't enough open space, Morreal-Leeber said. "The theory is it'll bring money into the state, but it also brings other issues that you have to bear in mind. The transportation is a huge, huge, huge thing."
The 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership's Paul F. Matthews agrees, seeing potential plusses but also disadvantages if a developer were to roll the dice in Milford or Marlborough.
"A casino proposal is neither black nor white; it would be a whole host of grays," said Matthews, executive director of the Westborough-based development and advocacy organization.
Negotiations could be worked so a developer would make improvements to I-495 and prevent major tolls on communities. But the big unanswered question, Matthews said, is what the casino would really mean for the region, its resources, and its transportation and infrastructure needs.
"Until there's some specifics it's impossible to say," he said.
"It's not a silver bullet by any means," Matthews said of a casino and any promises from a developer. "We still need continued state investment and federal investment."
Fernandes emphasized that there's a long way to go before a casino or two or more could even become a reality in the state.
"I'm certainly committed to making sure no community has imposed on it such a dominant feature without that community's willingness," he said.
Danielle Ameden can be reached at 508-634-7521 or dameden@cnc.com.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Westboro RTC BBQ
On August 3rd Arthur attended the Westboro Republican Town Committee's Cookout. Arthur, along with several other Republican candidates, were present to meet and address constituents.
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