Winchester Hosts Cal Ripken Tournament

Throughout this week, Winchester is hosting the 12 year old New England Regional Tournament. In addition to Winchester, the teams participating are Gorham, Maine, Nashua (West), New Hampshire, North Country, Vermont, South Meriden, Connecticut, West Warwick, Rhode Island, Marlboro, Massachusetts and Marshfield, Massachusetts. The winning team will advance to the national world series in Van Buren, Arkansas.

The tournament is held at the West Side Field complex. Opening night festivities on Friday were exciting and the play is expected to be outstanding. The Town is pleased to host the players, families and fans during the tournament. A special note of recognition to Bob Nutile, long time coach and League official. The Bob Nutile Field was dedicated last year at West Side, and Bob continues to be the driving force in hosting the tournament in Winchester.

Washington, DC

I recently spent a couple of days in Washington, DC with my family. It is impossible to visit the nation’s capitol without appreciating the unique history and contributions our founding fathers made in creating the United States of America. The democratic form of government established by the Constitution was a bold move that has endured many challenges and crises, not the least of which was a devastating civil war between the states. In my lifetime, there have been many other challenges to our government and society, including the Cold War, Vietnam, Watergate, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Today, our country is in crisis with a war in the Middle East, a controversy over immigration policy and a pervasive economic and social milieu that has created a second class of citizens. Still, the Constitution remains as strong and relevant as ever, and there are many achievements and success stories to celebrate.

Serving in local government provides a solid understanding about the nature of our federal and constitutional system of government and the ability of citizens to influence and control the direction of public policy and programs.

I am proud to be an American citizen from a state that was so influential in the founding of this great country.