By: Philippe Thibault – 3/24 Massachusetts House Bill 4138 goes by the moniker “the Affordable Homes Act.” This is being layered on top of the recent MBTA Communities bills passed by the legislature in 2020. The MBTA Communities, now law, requires those communities served by or adjacent to communities served by the Massachusetts Bay Transit […]
By: Philippe Thibault ~ Feb, 2024 I now have proof the Town of Dracut never ratified the United States Constitution. And with the likes of Alison Genest, Joseph DiRocco, and Jennifer Kopcinski, I don’t hold much hope for it in the future. At a Zoning Bylaw Review Committee meeting on January 11th, the Chairman […]
By: Philippe Thibault, Jan. 2024 The greatest philosophical questions in the world are often passed off as a gag line. What is the sound of one hand clapping? If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a noise? There are academic discussions that can be made from these […]
By: Philippe Thibault – Nov. 2023 Maybe it is the crisp air, the smell of fallen leaves, the sound of a crackling fire, the long shadows on midafternoon walks, or the plastic Santa Clauses that have been in stores since Labor Day, but this time of year brings out philanthropic qualities of goodwill that we […]
By: Philippe Thibault 10-23 All communities serviced by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and those communities adjacent to this public transit provider will be required to create zoning supporting the production of housing. A total of one hundred and seventy-seven communities in eastern Massachusetts are required to comply. Boston is exempt from the regulation. […]
By: Philippe Thibault 9-23 I occasionally like to say, tongue in cheek, that the Constitution of the United States was never ratified in Dracut. All the rights and privileges afforded by that document cease to have validity and relevance within the town borders. I find it humorous and laugh, until it is true. There is […]
Philippe Thibault – 7.23 “All politics is local” is most strongly associated with former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tip O’Neill. There would still be national issues that would spark conversation at the local coffee shop and diner. These were discussions between friends and colleagues that may not agree politically but were bound by […]
Philippe Thibault, 6-23 You can hear the iconic music all ready, can’t you: dee, dee, DEE, dee. Such is life in a small bucolic hamlet in northeastern Massachusetts, but appearances can be deceiving when the light is dim. A dim light from the twilight zone. Let us cast a brighter light on the zoning bylaw […]
By: Philippe Thibault, 5-23 The first Monday in the month of June is Dracut’s Spring Town Meeting. All the articles for the warrant are in and recorded. There are forty-five articles this year on an array of topics. The Spring Town Meeting by Town Charter is supposed to be predominately related to fiscal matters, budgets, […]
By: Philippe Thibault – 3-23 I have had several people approach me over the past few years in Dracut to “pick my brain” prior to running for office. I am more than willing to sit down with anyone over a cup of coffee to engage on the topic of local government. Coffee is generally the […]