Government Greater Gardner MA Local News

Government Around Greater Gardner MA

  • Cyber Secure (3/17/2024)
    Cyber Security Gardner MA

  • Clearing Record (3/17/2024)
    Clearing up the Record
    Kazinskas on Marijuana Article

  • Welfare 3-7-24 (3/8/2024)
    Gardner Public Welfare Committee 3 7 24
    Welfare 3-7-24
    Airport Commission 3-6-24

  • Update 3-8-24 (3/8/2024)
    Nicholson Update 3 8 24
    Mayor’s Update 3-31-24

  • Brad Heglin (3/6/2024)
    Brad Heglin Sworn In 1200

  • Aging 3-4-24 (3/6/2024)
    Gardner MA Council on Aging 3 4 24

  • Rickity Shed (3/5/2024)
    Rickity Salt Shed 3 4 24 Collage
    DPW Trucks 3 4 24 1200

  • Council 3-4-24 (3/5/2024)
    Gardner City Council collage 3 4 24
    City Council March 4, 2024

  • Zlotnik 3-4-24 (3/5/2024)
    Zlotnik Address 3 4 24 rev
    Jonathan Zlotnik March 4, 2024

  • Welfare 2-29-24 (3/3/2024)
    Gardner Public Welfare Committee 2 29 24 rev
    Public Welfare 2-29-24

  • Week 3-3-24 (3/3/2024)
    Gardner Magazine This Week March 3 2024 with the Chair Man
    This Week March 3, 2024

  • Council 3-4-24 (3/2/2024)
    Gardner City Council 3 4 24 Before the Meeting
    Appointments Committee 3-1-24

  • Update 3-1-24 (3/1/2024)
    Mayors Update March 1 2024
    Mayor’s Update March 1, 2024

  • Health 2-26-24 (2/28/2024)
    Board of Health Michah Blondeau 2 26 24
    Board of Health 2-26-24

  • Hotline Radio (2/24/2024)
    Hotline Radio 2 24 24 with tower
    hotline radio 1200

  • Elections 2024 (2/23/2024)
    Elections 2024 with flag and map

  • Planning 2-20-24 (2/22/2024)
    Planning Board Collage 2 20 24
    Planning Board 2-20-24
  • Double Council 2-20-24 (2/21/2024)
    City Council Double Feature 2 20 24
    Informal City Council 2-20-24
    City Council 2-20-24

  • 1000 Videos (2/21/2024)
    City of Transparency Gardner MA 1200 rev wider res

  • Council 2-20-24 (2/18/2024)
    City Council 2 20 24 rev
    Finance Committee 2-14-24

  • Winchendon 2-12-24 (2/18/2024)
    Winchendon Meeting 2 12 24
    Winchendon Select Board, School Committee, and Finance Committee 2-12-24

  • Sunday M.A.R.T. (2/17/2024)
    MART Sunday Schedule Route
    Sunday Route 1
    Sunday M.A.R.T.

  • Ashburnham Master Plan (2/16/2024)
    Ashburnham MA Master Plan

  • Update 2-16-24 (2/16/2024)
    Mayors Update on February 16 2024
    Mayor’s Update 2-16-24

  • Interesting Rules (2/14/2024)
    Interesting Rules in Gardner
    Colonel Thomas Gardner 1200
    Crystal 11
    You Can’t be in a City Park from Sunset until 8am without permission from Director of Public Works.
    Interesting Rules in Gardner – 2-14-24
  • Templeton 3-13-24 (2/14/2024)
    spotlightontempleton-1200

  • Hotline 2-10-24 (2/10/2024)
    Hotline Radio WGAW Saturdays Noon to 2pm
    Hotline Radio Guests 2 10 24
    Commentary on the Border – Werner Poegel

  • Airport Boost (2/10/2024)
    Economic Benefits of a regional airport
    Airport Commission 2-7-24

  • Garage Payoff (2/9/2024)
    Parking Garage 2 to 4 floors Gardner MA

  • Appointments 2-9-24 (2/9/2024)
    Appointments Committee 2 9 24 1
    Appointments Committee 2-9-24

  • POEDM Launches (2/9/2024)
    poe dm logo 1380
  • Council 2-5-24 (2/6/2024)
    City Council 2 5 25 collage
    Swearing in and Chief taking picture
    Swearing in and Fire Chief Lagoy taking a picture

  • About Ron (2/4/2024)
    Better Ronald F. Cormier

  • Update 2-2-24 (2/2/2024)
    Mayors Update 2 2 24 Reflecting on Councilor Cormier
    Mayor’s Update 2-2-24

  • Assessors 1-30-24 (2/1/2024)
    Board of Assessors 1 30 24
    kumar and burns disney image
    As could be depicted in a Disney Movie.
    Board of Assessors 1-30-24

  • Operation – 2024 (1/31/2024)
    Operation Projects 2024 Interview with Mayor Nicholson 1200
    Operation: Projects 2024 – Interview with Mayor Michael Nicholson January 30, 2024

  • Executive Aide (1/30/2024)
    Katie Jablonski and Mayor Nicholson
    mayor nicholson and interns
    Mayor Nicholson and interns

  • Cormier Passing (1/30/2024)
    Honoring City Councilor Ronald Cormier

  • Winchendon Meeting (1/29/2024)

  • Westminster Newsletter (1/29/2024)
    westminster south street sentinel 1200


  • Durant – Westminster (1/29/2024)

  • Warwick Elections (1/29/2024)

  • Durant – Templeton (1/29/2024)

    State Senator Peter Durant will be hosting district office hours at Templeton Town Hall, 160 Patriots Road, East Templeton from 11:30am to 12:30pm on Monday, February 12, 2024. Residents are welcome to stop by. For any questions, please contact the senator’s office at (617) 722-1540.


  • Rutland 2024 (1/29/2024)

  • Royalston Elections (1/29/2024)

  • Princeton Elections (1/29/2024)

  • Petersham Clinic (1/29/2024)

  • Orange News (1/29/2024)

  • Oakham Events (1/29/2024)

  • New Salem Meeting (1/29/2024)

  • Hubbardston Coffee (1/29/2024)
    Cup of Coffee

  • Hardwick 2024 (1/29/2024)

  • Barre Candidates (1/29/2024)

  • Ban 1-27-24 (1/27/2024)
    Winter Parking Ban 3 13 23

    In a communication to the Gardner City Council and the media, the Mayor wrote, “We ask that you please limit all travel to only that which is necessary during that time to allow crews adequate space to clear the roads. There will be a municipal parking lot ban from 6am to 9am on Tuesday, January 30th to allow crews to clear the lots after the streets are completed.” And in explaining the length of the ban, the Mayor wrote, “Due to the City being down 9 DPW staff members (ie 9 plows) and the significant length of the storm not just for snow but also for icing conditions that require salt, the ban is much longer than usual. We will be monitoring the weather and if the ban is able to be shortened, that call will be made on Monday. However, out of an abundance of caution and in the best interest of public safety, this timeline has been issued. “


  • Update 1-26-24 (1/26/2024)
    Nicholson Update revised image 1 26 24


  • Service 1-23-24 (1/23/2024)
    Public Service Committee January 23 2024

  • Trahan 1-23-24 (1/23/2024)
    Trahan Day in Gardner 1 23 24

  • Thibault-Munoz (1/20/2024)
    Ward 1 City Councilor David Thibault Munoz rev 2
    Thibault-Munoz Interview 1-20-24

  • Update 1-19-24 (1/19/2024)
    Mayors Update 1 19 24

    Mayor’s Update January 19, 2024

  • Hardern 1-19-24 (1/19/2024)
    Karen Hardern Gardner Magazine Cartoon
    OFFICIAL Gardner Magazine Cartoon – Karen Hardern – Gardner City Councilor Ward 4
    Karen Hardern 1-19-24

  • DeMeo Wrong (1/19/2024)
    DeMeo on Zoning Heath Hardern
    Interviews 1-19-24

  • State Address (1/17/2024)
    State of the Commonwealth Maura Healey 1 17 24
    State of the Commonwealth – 1-17-24

  • Triple Meetings (1/17/2024)
    Triple Meetings 1 16 24
    Cartoon Calvin Brooks transparent 1200
    City Council – School Committee 1-16-24
    City Council – Planning Board 1-16-24
    Regular City Council 1-16-24

  • Open Checkbook (1/17/2024)
    The Open Checkbook City of Gardner MA

  • Triple Feature (1/15/2024)
    City Council Triple Feature January 16 2024

  • Update 1-12-24 (1/12/2024)
    Mayors Update 1 12 24
    Mayor’s Update 1-12-24

  • Zlotnik Hours (1/8/2024)
    zlotnik office hours 2024

  • Kamuda Explains (1/7/2024)
    Hotline Radio Carolyn Kamuda 1 6 24

  • Zlotnik – Housing (1/5/2024)
    Jonathan Zlotnik on Housing 1 5 25
    Zlotnik Housing Interview 1-5-24

  • Update 1-5-24 (1/5/2024)
    Inauguration Collage 1 4 24
    Complete Inauguration Ceremony 1-4-24
    Kazinskas 1-4-24
    Zlotnik Remarks 1-4-24

  • Airport 1-3-24 (1/4/2024)
    Gardner Airport Commission 1-3-24

  • Calvin is… (1/3/2024)
    Calvin Brooks 1200

  • Driver Drive (1/3/2024)
    Plow Trucks Collage 1200

  • Gavel Retained (1/3/2024)
    Gardner City Council 1 2 24
    City Council 1-2-24

  • Meetings – Hearings (1/2/2024)
    Meetings January 2024

  • Dog Licenses 2024 (1/1/2024)
    Dog License Time 2024

    Dog License Information for Greater Gardner MA Communities


  • Review 2023 (12/31/2023)
    Year in Review 2023
    Year in Review – 2023

  • Update 12-29-23 (12/29/2023)
    Mayors Update 12 29 23
    Mayor’s Update 12-29-23

  • Sludge Resolution (12/27/2023)
    Sludge Landfill article December 2023
    whats going on topper
    Interview with Mayor NIcholson
    Fitchburg City Council December 2023

  • 102nd Year (12/27/2023)
    The Year Ahead 1200
    Happy New Year 2024 1200

    Here’s our page of Gardner MA Top 40 Hit Projects.

    Calendar 2024

  • Affordable Homes (12/26/2023)
    Affordable Homes Act Massachusetts

  • December News (12/26/2023)
    December News 2023 Gardner Magazine
    What’s Going on Interview with Mayor Nicholson
    Zoning Board of Appeals 12-19-23
    Golf Commission December Meeting
    Public Service 12-15-23
    Gardner City Council 12-18-23
    School Committee December meeting
    Planning Board 12-12-23
    Council on Aging December meeting
    Conservation Commission December meeting
    Airport Commission December meeting

  • Happened 2023 (12/25/2023)

  • Update 12-22-23 (12/22/2023)
    Mayors Update 12 22 23 with Tree

    Mayor’s Update December 22, 2023

  • Going On (12/22/2023)
    Whats Going On Interview with Mayor Nicholson 12 22 23
    What’s Going On Interview 12-22-23
    What’s Going On Interview 12-22-23

  • Statesman Walsh (12/19/2023)
    Councilor James Walsh 40 years of service Statesman
    James Walsh 12-18-23

  • Council 12-18-23 (12/18/2023)
    Gardner City Council 12 18 23 long
    City Council 12-18-23
    Councilor Jim Boone 12-18-23

  • Update 12-15-23 (12/15/2023)
    Mayors Update re Hotline Radio 12 15 23
    hotline radio 1200

  • Planning 12-12-23 (12/14/2023)
    Planning Board 12 12 23

  • Hotline 12-9-23 (12/8/2023)
    Hotline Radio 12 9 23 Nicholson rev
    Hotline Update – Nicholson 12-9-23

  • Assessors 12-5-23 (12/7/2023)
    Board of Assessors 12 5 23 Grinch

  • Council 12-4-23 (12/5/2023)
    Gardner City Council 12 4 23 revised
    City Council 12-4-23
    City Council 12-4-23
    appointments committee 12 4 23 1200
    Appointments Committee 12-4-23

  • Update 12-1-23 (12/1/2023)
    Mayors Update December 1 2023

    .

    Mayor’s Update 12-1-23

  • Deploying Robots (11/29/2023)
    Humanoid Robot

  • Colin Leaves (11/27/2023)
    Colin Smith One of Gardners Finest

  • Update 11-24-23 (11/24/2023)
    Mayors Update 11 24 23 1
    Mayor’s Update November 24, 2023

  • Zoning 11-21-23 (11/22/2023)
    Zoning Board of Appeals 11 21 23
    Zoning Board November 21, 2023

  • Council 11-20-23 (11/19/2023)
    Gardner MA City Council 11 20 23

  • Tax Classification (11/18/2023)
    Tax Classification 2023
    assessments and percentages of value 1200

  • Pillar Rx (11/18/2023)
    Pillar RX Gardner MA

  • Election Change (11/17/2023)
    Official Election Results 2023

    In the Mayor’s Race: New totals are Nicholson: 2,459 or 65.8%, Blake 1,189 or 31.8%, Write-ins 14 or .4%, and Blanks 73 or 1.9%.


  • Update 11-17-23 (11/17/2023)
    Mayors update 11 17 23 1200

  • Finance 11-15-23 (11/16/2023)
    Finance Committee 11 15 23 Collage
    Ovila Case Concept
    Ovila Case Concept
    Finance Committee 11-15-23

  • Planning 11-14-23 (11/15/2023)
    Planning Board 11 14 23 Collage
    strategicplanning-600

  • Update 11-10-23 (11/12/2023)
    Mayors Update 11 10 23
    Mayor’s Update 11-10-23

  • Update 11-10-23 (11/10/2023)
    Gardner Magazine Update 11 10 23
    Gardner Magazine Update 11-10-23

  • Council 11-6-23 (11/8/2023)
    City Council 11 6 23 Public Service 11 3 23
    Gardner City Council 11-6-23
    Finance Committee 11-6-23
    Gardner City Council 11-6-23
    Public Service 11-3-23

  • Future Now (11/7/2023)
    Future Path The Next Term 1200

  • Super Mayor (11/7/2023)
    Super Mayor Michael Nicholson 1200

  • Results Nov. 23 (11/6/2023)
    Election 2023 Complete Results

    Gardner Magazine Election Center Tuesday November 7,2023

    Complete Results of the November 7, 2023 Gardner MA Municipal Election on this page, CLICK HERE.

    Be sure to VOTE so yours will be counted!


  • Liz the Wiz (11/4/2023)

    Liz the Wiz Hotline Radio 11 4 23

    City Council President Elizabeth Kazinskas is a frequent guest on WGAW’s Hotline Radio, heard Saturdays from 12:10 to 2pm on WGAW AM 1340, 98.1 FM, and livestreamed to anywhere in the world

    Dubbed “Liz the Wiz”, the Council President is known for orderly, fast-paced meetings.

    Gardner MA City Council President “Liz the Wiz” Interviewed on WGAW Hotline Radio

    WGAW Host Steve Wendell spoke with City Council President Elizabeth Kazinskas on Hotline Radio, Saturday, November 4, 2023. Kazinskas reminded citizens of Gardner that “11 city councilors represent all of those people on the legislative side of the city. And we want to be able to connect them with getting good information. We want to be able to connect them with people who make the decisions in the department or provide the information. That’s part of our job as city counselors. And when, you know, the mayors and that the administrative executive branch of the city government, you know, when he presents … to us, I want them, I want them to be confident that we are really are a check and balance and that we are checking out the information before we vote on it. And we do check in with the department heads who the mayor oversees.”

    Steve Wendell complimented the Council President stating, “Over the last couple of years, you have done a great job leading the City Council in many, many important issues and sensitive issues here in the City of Gardner.” Kazinskas stated, “It’s been an absolute pleasure and joy for me personally to have the responsibilities and hold the office that I do in the city, representing a place that I really care about a lot, people that I care about a lot, and be able to do good, important work to make our city move forward.”

    Thanks to Steve Wendell of WGAW for giving us permission to air the interview on Gardner Magazine. Council President Kazinskas goes over the budget process, checks and balances and more… Listen on any device. CLICK PLAY

    Elizabeth Kazinskas on Hotline Radio 11-4-23

  • Update 11-3-23 (11/2/2023)
    Colin Smith Update 11 3 23

    Gardner MA Executive Aide Colin Smith Updates the Chair Cityconcludes with warm sentiment

    Colin Smith had a number of reminders in the update. Listen to the complete update on any device. CLICK PLAY.

    Colin Smith Update 11-3-23

    Municipal Election is Tuesday, November 7th from 7am to 8pm. Polling Locations, CLICK HERE.

    City Hall is closed on Friday November 10th in honor of Veterans Day and there will be no trash or recycling.. Veterans Day exercises will be held in Perry Auditorium on Saturday, November 11th at 11am.

    Yard Waste pickup in November is November 7-11 and November 21-25.

    Daylight Savings Time starts Sunday November 5th at 2am – Clocks get turned back one hour.

    Colin concluded with, “I look forward to speaking with you again next time. However, if that uncertainty is just too much to bear, please feel free to reach out to me directly. In the mean time, stay warm, be kind and take care.”


  • Before – After (10/31/2023)
    Before and After Gardner MA

    Answer to what happened in August, September, October 2023 – the largest table of data we’ve ever posted on Gardner Magazine.

    Objective Data: More achieved in last 3 months since our interview than some Mayors achieve in a year. We took the information straight from our news articles, so if you want to read all the details, just select an archive page from the top of this page.

    Before and After 2020 to 2023 – The Interview

    Gardner Mayor Nicholson agreed to talk to us about the Before and After from Spring 2020 to Fall 2023 in great detail. Listen to the interview on any device. CLICK PLAY.

    Before and After – Mayor Nicholson 11-2-23

    We covered everything in every category in this interview. We spoke about what people notice coming in to Gardner and how that came about.

    Mayor Nicholson told us of some of the common sense changes he has made to handling various matters and what the results have been. The Mayor has stated that “People are Policy” and he spoke in great detail about the focus in the City of helping to make the lives of people better.

    Our interview includes a discussion of positive changes in Gardner education.

    Mayor Nicholson explained what has transpired in terms of long-term infrastructure.

    The Mayor outlined efforts regarding the environment. Progress with respect to business and industry in the Chair City was discussed.

    We went over transparency and learned that some of what Mayor Nicholson does is being adopted by other communities due to Gardner’s strong record in communicating with the public in various ways he outlines.

    The Mayor spoke about finances and his efforts on keeping taxes as low as possible. We went into great detail on how the City of Gardner is practicing sound fiscal policy. Listen to the interview on any device. CLICK PLAY.

    Before and After – Mayor Nicholson 11-2-23

    Before…, …After, – What’s happened since our July 2023 Interview

    So what’s happened in 3 short months since our July 2023 interview with Mayor Michael Nicholson during which we spoke of the last 3 years of success? First, listen to the original interview on any device. CLICK PLAY. (Then listen to the November 2, 2023 Before and After Interview where we go over everything.)

    JULY 2020 to July 2023

    The theory we explored is that past performance is a predictor of future behavior, and that if reelected, Mayor Nicholson would continue to excel. So let’s put this to an objective test. In August, September, and October 2023, let’s list out what happened.

    3 months of August – September – October 2023
    Oct. – Uptown Rotary Project Work begins
    Oct – Progress on Paving – Promise Kept
    Oct. – Grants: Funding for Development and for a new Master Plan for the City
    Oct. – Nicholson’s DPW Director and City Engineer Come up with Dog Park Piping Plan
    Oct. – Promised Landscaping and Playground at GES showcased
    Oct. – Facade Work in Downtown Gardner to a number of buildings
    Oct. Growing Places reaches Licensing Agreement and opens Kitchen at Waterford
    Oct. Citizen Dialog regarding Policing in the City
    Oct. Mayor makes effort to recognize 3 important national months in Gardner
    Oct. Team member Assessor Christine Kumar gets no questions from DOR on values submitted – Job well done
    Oct. Team member Paul Topolski and Mayor brief City Council on Disaster Response Plans
    Oct. Lower electric rates on City Plan take effect 11/1
    Oct. Higher Reading Scores Announced and Progress on Training Staff for Medical Emergencies
    Oct. Airport Master Plan Takes Next Steps
    Oct. Governor Chooses Gardner to Announce Tax Cuts – Nicholson deemed a partner in cutting taxes
    Oct. – Free cash certified at earliest time in about 4 decades
    Oct. – Enterprise Funds healthy
    Sept. – Mayor prominent participant at Oktoberfest
    Sept. – Bailey Brook Park Amenities Announced
    Sept. – MART announces selection of Mayor Michael Nicholson for another term as Chair of Advisory Board
    Sept. – Waterford St. School Active Construction Site
    Sept. – Team members at Gardner PD have a new drone
    Sept. – Downtown Festival and Oktoberfest now officially combined event – Festival Committee bringing community together.
    Sept. – Mayor receives endorsement for Environmental Work
    Sept. Team Member Lynette Gabrilla appointed by Governor to Veterans Equality Review Board and process started to honor Goldstar families
    Sept. Mayor honors Hispanics for 3rd year in a row with Mariachi Band
    Sept. – Mayor waives Yard Sale Permit Fee
    Sept. – Successful Centennial Parade gets compliments
    Sept. Gardner shines during storm offering aid to neighboring Leominster
    Sept. Acclaimed hire Tom Zuppa as Building Commissioner announces progress at Public Safety Committee meeting
    Sept. Mayor continues with unprecedented transparency with Video and written material regarding charter changes
    Sept. Education Progress announced – Gardner way ahead on various programs – Great news on grants
    Sept. Effort to increase dedicated support to infrastructure projects explored re DIF
    Aug. – Initial Idea of West Street Parking Garage announced
    Aug. – CDBG Grant Awards Announced ($1.65million) also Helps Homeless and After school programs, funding towards elimination of athletic user fees
    Aug. – New grocery store, Aldi, gets green light
    Aug. – Gardner Hosts Open House re updating 100+ year old Electric Transmission lines which run through Gardner.
    Aug. to Oct – More businesses open, Nicholson’s end of year estimate of 12 already exceeded.
    Aug. – Nicholson demonstrates commitment to affordable housing with visit of Cabinet Secretary Ed Augustus.
    Aug. – First window goes in to historic Garbose Building
    Aug. – $200,000 fiber optic grant announced – huge tech upgrade for City
    Aug. – Nicholson at National Night Out – highlights in weekly update at location
    Aug. – Wood’s Plus starts service – states idea born out of conversations with Mayor Nicholson about transportation needs in Gardner.

  • Update 10-27-23 (10/27/2023)
    Mayors Update 10 27 23
    Mayor’s Update 10-27-23

    Gardner MA Mayor Nicholson Updates the Chair City of Gardner

    Mayor Nicholson took several minutes at the beginning of the update to speak about the tragedy which occurred in the City in the last week which left a mother dead, 4 children without parents, and a father on the run. He indicated more information would be disseminated once it is appropriate as investigation is ongoing. Listen to the Update on any device. CLICK PLAY

    Mayor’s Update 10-27-23

    Events: Heywood Healthcare 5k – October 28, vendor tables open at 8am, race kicks off at 9am at the Heywood Hospital campus. —- Trick or Treat – October 31 from 5 to 7pm —- Municipal Election November 7th —-Regional Household Hazardous Waste Day is Saturday November 11th from 9 to noon at the Gardner Landfill and Transfer Station on West Street —- Veterans’ Day Exercises on November 11th at 11am at Perry Auditorium at Gardner City Hall.

    Reminders: 2nd quarter tax bills are due November 1st. —- Unpaid excise taxes should be paid to avoid additional fees. —- Water, sewer, trash bills are coming out

    Projects: Work has begun on the Uptown Rotary – it’s an 18 month project – drainage and utility work is beginning now. Elsewhere in the City: Various paving gets started on October 30th. See other article detailing streets.

    Grants: Funding for development in the Downtown and for a new Master Plan for the City.


  • Fall Paving (10/26/2023)
    Paving Updates Fall 2023

    Gardner MA City Hall Announces Paving Updates

    Gardner City Hall announced, “Lot of work being done in Ward 3 in the next few weeks. If you travel on any of these roads, please be sure to remember this when planning your commute.

    Beginning on Monday, October 30, crews will be out on Parker Street (From House Number 491 to the Templeton Town Line), Fredette Street, Wilkins Rd., Coleman Street on both sides of Fredette Street, and Industrial Rowe to lower metal structures in the road. Milling Crews will be out shortly after that with the goal of having the base coat of pavement on before the winter.”

    In a recent interview, “The Conductor” Mayor Michael Nicholson stated regarding paving, “This one’s always tough because there’s always more that we could do or would like to do than our funding allows us to do. If we have paved 20% of our City’s roads in the three-year-time period, its really an investment that were making in the future and one I hope we can continue.” Complete Interview, CLICK HERE.

    The City of Gardner has made paving a focus of thinking and of action in the last couple of years. Here are the results of a “paving” search on Gardner Magazine and the volume of articles containing paving. CLICK HERE.


  • Park Solution (10/26/2023)
    Dog Park Mud Solution Found
    Pile of rocks generated by AI. Stone Culvert and pipe generated by AI. Actual culvert will match what is needed at the Gardner Dog Park.
    3 dogs saying thank you
    Dogs Say Thank You to Dane Arnold and Rob Oliva

    Once Again, Gardner MA DPW Coming Through with Smart Solution

    Putting their heads together, DPW Director Dane Arnold and City Engineer Rob Oliva have come up with an appropriate solution to the puddling and mud issues at the Gardner Dog Park which have frustrated owners with an estimated project completion date of before winter if it is possible. (Will depend on what else comes up, DPW is still short-handed.) Various people including this publisher have suggested red-neck solutions such as putting a pile of rocks on top of the mud. Turns out our uninformed ideas were a little dumb as that could have caused injury to dogs paws and the rocks would get shot out from the lawn mowers. The solution: a stone trench and perforated pipe to take care of problem long-term and properly.

    Here’s what Dane Arnold stated,”The City Engineer and I both looked at it today. The park is actually in pretty good shape other than the area in the dog play area and a wet area along the fence. We are going to install a stone trench and perforated pipe from the play area entrance the entire length and tie it into a catch basin on the other side of the park. When this will be done – I cannot give a date, but we will try and get it before the winter. The drainage in the park does work, but the entire park is a low-lying area and the ground is saturated and becomes muddy and causes pooling in some areas.I am not just going to dump a load of stones in the park. I’ll then hear complaints that the stones hurt the dogs feet and the lawn mowers are shooting across the park.”

    For those who don’t know: It was Dane Arnold and the DPW who came up with the implementation of the fountain at Orpheum Park after the Mayor saw a similar fountain elsewhere. DPW also increased the safety of the intersection near Heywood Hospital. City Engineer Rob Oliva is also often involved in various planning to make sure things are engineered properly in the best long-term interests of the City of Gardner.


  • Nicholson Success (10/24/2023)
    Success Collage 1200

    Documenting 3 Years of Success under Mayor Michael Nicholson of Gardner MA

    Chronicling the last 3 Years of Success under Nicholson with Evidence. A long list with links documenting transparency, focus on needed housing, bringing in business, and turning blight into promise. Articles, Interviews, and more… It’s overwhelming and so has been the level of success…

    Gardner’s Progress over the years has been incremental until Accelerated Development began to occur 3 years ago under the current administration of Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson. Success is chronicled as Gardner has become a Model City for America. Most of the links below contain the actual interview as well as text.

    Here’s the overwhelming evidence and links: https://ModelCityforAmerica.com Articles on Weekly Updates: https://gardnermagazine.com/mayors-update-audio-page/ Efforts on store fronts: https://gardnermagazine.com/operation-storefront/ 1000 building permits for first time in 2021:https://gardnermagazine.com/gardner-growth/ April 2022: Future of the Chair City: https://gardnermagazine.com/future-of-the-chair-city/ July 2022: “We Not Standing by Twiddling our Thumbs” – Gardner’s Success: https://gardnermagazine.com/gardner-success/ – July 2022: Various Projects outlined: https://gardnermagazine.com/projects-interview/ August 2022: Citizen Concerns Addressed and Department Functions Explained:https://gardnermagazine.com/gardner-ma-mayor-michael-nicholson-citizen-concerns-and-city-departments-interview/ September 2022: Gardner Going Forwardhttps://gardnermagazine.com/go-forward-with-gardner-ma-interview-with-mayor-michael-nicholson-september-12-2022/

    Accelerated Development, October 2022. We spoke with the Mayor about the unprecedented partnership of Government, Business, Community and Private Collaboration to achieve an expedited properity. https://gardnermagazine.com/accelerated-development/ The page on Gardner’s Top 40 Projects from October 2022: https://gardnermagazine.com/chair-city-of-gardner-ma-top-40-hit-projects/ November 2022: What’s Next – https://gardnermagazine.com/whats-next-interview/ The Good News of 2022: https://gardnermagazine.com/local-good-news-of-gardner-massachusetts/ The Mayor explains plans for the future – December 2022: https://gardnermagazine.com/turn-of-the-century-interview/ Mayor Nicholson spoke about the various Lessons of Gardner History in January 2023 and there’s a 62 page ebook: https://gardnermagazine.com/lessons-about-gardner-history-gardner-mayor-michael-nicholson-interview/ In February 2023, Colin Smith spoke about how the City supports Gardner’s Non-profits: https://gardnermagazine.com/have-a-heart-supporting-gardners-non-profits/ March 2023: Projects and Progress; https://gardnermagazine.com/march-to-success-projects-and-progress/ April 2023, Gardner Going Great: https://gardnermagazine.com/gardner-ma-going-great/ Accomplished: 2 Dozen Categories of Accomplishments covered in a 68 minute interview. All text of questions and answers provided. https://gardnermagazine.com/accomplished-in-gardner-ma/ In September 2023, we spoke with Mayor Nicholson about the serious business of government. https://gardnermagazine.com/the-conductor-the-serious-business-of-government/CONCLUSION: Gardner is on the map because the last 3 years under Mayor Michael Nicholson have been an overwhelming success by any objective measure. We thought you’d like to see the list of documentation.


  • Hotline 10-21-23 (10/21/2023)
    Hotline Radio Gardners Hit Interview Show 10 21 23

    Hotline Radio is an interview program aired by Gardner Radio Station WGAW on AM 1340, 98.1 FM, and streaming to anywhere in the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. LISTEN LIVE NOW. – Hotline Radio airs Saturdays from 12:10 to 2:00pm

    Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson is usually the first guest on the program and answers questions posed by host Steve Wendell.

    Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson speaks about Community Center on WGAW Hotline Radio

    Big News as Growing Places will be utilizing the kitchen at the Waterford Community Center under a licensing agreement with the City of Gardner. The Mayor explained that Growing Places gets excess produce from different sites in the area and “they process it to make things like zucchini noodles or different types of carrot chips or things like that…” The Mayor also once again explained that the monies approved for Waterford are being used for structural issues, energy efficiency issues,and “there were some roof leaks and things like that. We have to fix those items that keep the building going.”

    Mayor Nicholson also noted that this work will avoid Waterford becoming the next Greenwood Pool building which must be torn down or the next School Street School.. “This is our preemptive work which is being done.” The Mayor also addressed some of the nonsense allegations being made regarding use of the money allocated to the school – none are true. Monies will be used as intended period and no monies can even legally be used to reimburse any non-profits for improvements. The Mayor explained, “There’s actually an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution known as the anti-aid amendment that says cities and towns are actually legally prohibited from giving any of our public funding that’s not received as a grant from the federal government or the state government to any non profit ,to make sure that there’s no nepotism going on between nonprofits on the local level.”

    Regarding the Police Department and Calling Rather than Posting

    Mayor Nicholson also spoke of the meeting held at the Gardner Police Department to give residents a chance to discuss various issues. One important item: Migrants are not causing any increase in police calls in the area. The Mayor did mention a problem regarding people posting about police activity on Social Media. By mentioning that many officers are at one particular location, “actually you’re severely hindering the investigation on the other side, if you’re saying, oh, all of these police cruisers are over here.” The Mayor also stated, “Deputy Chief Maroni said at that meeting that I feel like is worth echoing…If you see something going on in the City, call the Police Department. Don’t post about it on Facebook and hope someone else called.” Apparently there was an item posted on Facebook last year and the Gardner PD found out about it 3 days later. People actually posted, “How come the City didn’t fix this? This has been like this for 3 days…because no one bothered to actually call the police and no one called the city….So make sure you making those calls directly to the Police Department.”


  • Update 10-20-23 (10/20/2023)
    Mayors update Collage 10 20 23

    From Opening a Kitchen, to Open Dialog, to the Budget, Varied Topics in Mayor’s Update

    Listen to the Update on any device. CLICK PLAY

    Mayor’s Update October 20, 2023

    Growing Places was approved by the Zoning Board and entered into a licensing agreement with the City of Gardner to utilize the kitchen at Waterford Street School for their new distribution center. They take produce from different farmers in the area and prepare for people in need. According to Mayor Nicholson, “they are now fully moved in to that section of Waterford Street School…So it’s great to see the first leg of our Community Center up and running over in that location….The construction on the rest of the building is happening and we’re excited to be able to open the first part there.”

    Gardner PD met with some citizens to go over various issues of concern after a few incidents occurred in a short period of time. “Deputy Chief Moroni pulled up some statistics that showed that we really are on par with the last five years of calls that we’re receiving in the city. Regarding the vetted refugees staying at two lodging locations in Gardner: “They are not undocumented…these are individuals who are not illegal.” Since these new arrivals, Gardner PD calls to the Super 8 have actually gone down.

    Mayor Nicholson indicated the supplemental fiscal year 2024 budget and the tax rate classification hearing will be before the City Council on November 20th. The mayor spoke about various matters relating to the subject.

    The Mayor described going on a 4 hour mission as a guest of the Air Force and Army National Guard to refuel f15’s – it was part of their Employer appreciation program. Nicholson attended along with the Mayor of Westfield and the Town Administrator of Rutland and others.

    City of Gardner Events mentioned in Update
    St. Paul’s Harvest Festival taking place Saturday October 21, from 11am to 2pm
    Chamber of Commerce Candidate Meet and Greet, Thursday October 26th from 6pm to 8pm at Perry Auditorium at Gardner City Hall.
    Falloween October 27th from 10am to noon – for Preschool Children in Downtown Gardner
    Heywood Healthcare Healthy Harvest 5k Saturday October 28th. More details, CLICK HERE.
    Halloween October 31st from 5 to 7pm – City of Gardner Trick or Treat Time


  • Assessors 10-17-23 (10/18/2023)
    Board of Assessors 10 17 23 1

    Exciting Board of Assessors Meeting Has Assessor Smiling over DOR Approval

    Beaming from ear to ear, Gardner MA Assessor Christine Kumar reported that the Department of Revenue did not have a single question on the values submitted – Values and New growth were approved. In the words of one of the members, “WOW.” Kumar stated that she had met with the City Auditor John Richard before the meeting and he’s “going to start answering things on his end for the recap sheet…”

    In another item, the Board of Assessors is once again recommending a single tax rate for Gardner’s property tax payers. “We’re trying to attract commercial and industrial.” This will be decided by the Gardner City Council with a classification hearing tentatively scheduled for November 20th. Listen to the meeting on any device. CLICK PLAY.

    Board of Assessors 10-17-23