March 29, 2024

From the Town Clerk

Posted

After wringing out the dampness we endured during the month of June and most of Spring we finally welcome in July and the warmth of Summer.

That famous painting of all the founding fathers huddled together at the first Continental Congress and Continental Congress presenting the first draft of the Declaration of Independence for July 4, 1776 signing, isn't quite how things happened.
While it’s accepted that the Declaration of Independence wasn't signed on the Fourth of July, that's just the day it was formally dated, finalized, and adopted by the Continental Congress. The founding fathers voted for independence on July 2nd. Which was the date John Adams always thought we should celebrate as our Independence Day.

The earliest copies of the Declaration were signed by John Hancock and Secretary Charles Thomson and given to military officers and various political committees. The rest of the 54 people that signed the official document signed it on August 2nd.

Special Town Election June 10, 2019 Results
At the Annual Town Meeting May 13, 2019 the Town voted on Articles, 22 & 23, both passed with a 2/3 majority to go to ballot for a special Town Election to held on June 10, 2019. Article 22/ Question one on the ballot was to see if the Town would appropriate $10,500,000 for design, renovation, construction and furnishing of the Mildred Aitken Elementary School Expansion project. Article 23 Question 2 on the ballot was to see if the Town would appropriate the sum of $ 1,750,000 to design, renovate or reconstruct and furnish the Mildred Aitken Elementary School air conditioning in the existing building, including all incidental and related costs. 

Other News
One of the many jobs of the Town Clerk’s office is to keep up with new information from all sources particularly from the State. This helps us keep current so we can better serve the town. On June 13th we went to the Massachusetts Town Clerk’s Association Spring Conference in Plymouth, MA. The morning class we attended was titled: What do you need to know to manage your office? A Potpourri of important topics in a Clerks world, presented by Attorney Lauren Goldberg, Managing Attorney KP Law. This class covered a variety of topics involving all aspects of the Town Clerks office.

The afternoon class we attended was: Local Election Officials as IT Managers, presented by Michelle Tassinari, Director/Legal Counsel, Elections Division, Ryan Macias of EAC, Matt Masterson, Sr. Cybersecurity Advisor, DHS, David Noonan, Cybersecurity Mgr, SOC

This class covered, how whether we like it or not Town Clerks/election officials have become IT managers. The class covered how to protect our technology and plan for the worst.

The Town Clerk’s office is constantly updating census data and will be sending out white post cards to the residents in town who did not answer the census this past winter. If you receive this postcard please mail it back so we can update your information. Just a reminder that failure to respond to the census mailings for two consecutive years will result in the removal from the active voting list and may result in removal from the voter registration rolls per MGL Ch. 51 4c.

Just a reminder to those people who are thinking about having a yard sale. Please be advised you need a yard sale permit. You can get them online on the town web site www.seekonk-ma.gov under the Town Clerk page. It is $5.00 a day with a total of 4 per year. There is a sign by-law in town concerning yard sale signage. It is not permitted to use telephone poles to post any type of sign. If you are going to have a yard sale please abide by the rules of the town. Thank you.

We get a lot of requests for birth records, please note if your child was born in a Rhode Island Hospital we will not have the birth record here in Seekonk, even if you live in town. The birth record will be in the Rhode Island city/town your child was born in. For example if your child was born at Women & Infants Hospital you would request a copy of the birth record from Providence vital records. Rhode Island and Massachusetts at one time did reciprocate but that ended in the early 1970’s. If you are looking for an older birth record from before the early 1970’s we would have the birth record provided the parents lived in Seekonk at the time.

We have also been getting requests for marriage certificates because of the new REAL ID being issued in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Real ID is a Federal ID that can be used beginning October 2020 to fly within the US or enter Federal buildings. For more information on the requirements please visit: Massachusetts Identification (ID requirements) Mass.gov and for RI residents: www.dmv.ri.gov

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4th of July. Enjoy the summer weather and remember the Town Clerk’s office welcomes inquiries from all citizen seeking assistance, or information in relation to services provided by the Town of Seekonk.

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