The Melrose Blog

Wishing luck to the Class of ‘08

Posted on June 11, 2008 by pchianca
Filed Under Schools | Leave a Comment

Could it really be that members of the class of 2008 began their public school careers in 1995? That seems like just yesterday. Next thing you’re going to tell us that those Pearl Jam albums we bought that year aren’t cool anymore. Yes, I just said “albums.”

Anyway, to us geezers it may seem like the blink of an eye, but for the class of 2008 it’s been a long road — often fun, sometimes tough — that culminated in a moving commencement ceremony this past weekend. Find our coverage and the remarkable speeches from that event here, along with some other highlights:

And include your own congratulatory shout-outs to the grads in the comments section.

Latest on rec. director firing

Posted on May 8, 2008 by pchianca
Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments

This week’s Free Press features the latest follow-up on the dismissal of former recreation director Chuck Person. In it, Mayor Rob Dolan defends his decision:

Dolan said, “Although for some people when they read it in the Thursday paper in may seem abrupt, every employee in this city that has performance problems goes through a very lengthy process of counseling, of improvement plans, of meetings with department heads, myself and human resources.”

Person, however, says he was basically given an impossible task and then punished for not being able to achieve it:

“I’ve been asking for three years, saying we need two or three employees to run Memorial Hall,” he said. “Only having one employee at Memorial Hall and a Recreation staff in the summer, it’s hard to handle, to run two departments with just one employee. The first time I was written up it was, quite simply, that Memorial Hall was taking its toll.”

Share your thoughts here.

Recreation director firing gets tongues wagging

Posted on May 2, 2008 by pchianca
Filed Under Uncategorized | 42 Comments

The firing of Recreation Department and Memorial Hall manager Chuck Person has certainly become a hot topic in the city. In fact, commentary on our most recent story on the issue was coming in fast and furious — until it started to become personal, mean-spirited and filled with rumor and innuendo. (Remember, just because someone works or worked for the city does not necessarily make that person a “public figure.”) Unfortunately, at that point we had to turn off the comment function on stories and letters pertaining to that topic.

But the city’s actions in that case is a legitimate issue — and we invite you to comment on it here on the blog, once you’ve registered and given us a legitimate e-mail address. We’re hoping that having to take that extra step will give the more vociferous commenters pause and encourage them to follow our so-called “pool rules,” which we’ll rehash here:

Keep it clean.
Stay on topic.
Be honest and accurate.
No personal attacks.
Don’t say anything here you wouldn’t say in front of your mother at the dinner table.
Use the ‘Report Abuse’ button when you spot a rule violation. (Don’t report comments just because you disagree.)

How we manage reader comments on our website is a work in progress, and we think the function can be a valuable tool. It can also be used for evil. We’ll keep trying to walk that find line between valuable and evil, and meanwhile, let’s keep the conversation going.

BOSTON MARATHON 2008: Who will you be cheering on?

Posted on April 15, 2008 by cball
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

The Boston Athletic Association has 31 Melrosians registered to participate in the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21 (which is Patriot’s Day, in this part of the country). The oldest registered runner is 56; the youngest, 26, and of the 31 registered marathoners 14 are men and 17 are women.

Do you have a sister, uncle, daughter, husband, father, aunt, neighbor, wife, best friend, son, mother - or even a grandparent - who’ll be taking on Heartbreak Hill on Monday? Or, perhaps you’ll be tackling the streets yourself? Tell the Free Press who you’ll be cheering on, and let us know if they’re running to fundraise for a particular organization, charity or non-profit. We’ll publish their race results here post-marathon, unless they’d prefer otherwise!

What’s your best Melrose pothole story?

Posted on March 4, 2008 by cball
Filed Under Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Do you dodge an especially deep pothole every day? Is there one near your home or place of employment that’s particularly nasty? Based on our recent story about the pothole situation in Melrose, we’re asking Free Press readers to share their stories about the most aggravating asphalt crevasses they must navigate every day … until repairs are made by the DPW. Share your pothole story! Photos welcomed!

Who’s your choice for 32nd Middlesex District State Rep … and why?

Posted on January 22, 2008 by cball
Filed Under Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Time is running out in the campaigning of four Melrose residents vying for the 32nd Middlesex District State Representative’s seat, representing Melrose and Precincts 3-6 in Wakefield.

Democratic candidates include Katherine Clark, Guido Federico and Ron Seaboyer. The lone Republican candidate is Mark Hutchinson. The Democratic candidate will be determined by voters at the state primary on Tuesday, Feb. 5 (please remember to vote), and that person will then go head-to-head against Hutchinson, the Republican, at the polls during the special state election on Tuesday, March 4 (again, remember to vote).

Who are you backing, and why? Share your thoughts here at The Melrose Blog with other Melrosians.

Do you have ‘Super’ plans?

Posted on January 21, 2008 by cball
Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment

One more step is all that remains. The question is: Are you one of those New England Patriots’ fans who will go to absurd lengths to attend Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3 when the Pats attempt to become the first team in National Football League history to complete a perfect 19-0 season?

For a mere $230,000 you can order up a 20-person suite on one Web site. Another site offers packages that start at $5,995 per person and top out at $19,550 apiece. So you get the picture - if you want to bear witness to potential history in the making, it’s going to cost you.

And we know there are Giants’ fans out there as well. Some of you may be transplanted New Yorkers. Others of you grew up in the 1950s and ‘60s watching the Giants play every Sunday in the National Football League while the Boston Patriots were a curiosity in the upstart American Football League.

And for those select few who became and remained fans of both teams for more than 40 years, you now have the dream Super Bowl you thought you’d never see. Will you make the trip?

Regardless of your allegiance, we’d love for you to share your Super Bowl Sunday plans with us at the Free Press.

Have you shoveled your sidewalk?

Posted on December 20, 2007 by cball
Filed Under Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Seems that some Melrosians aren’t being diligent about removing the snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of their homes and driveways. Parents walking their children to school are complaining that their kids are being put in harm’s way due to the treacherous sidewalk conditions, yet city officials say clearing the sidewalks isn’t their responsibility — after all, sidewalks are on private property. To that end, the mayor announced two new “snow programs” this week, hoping to get city teenagers to step up and earn some money as occasional shovelers (click here to read the story). Think this will work? Do you step up and help elderly or infirm neighbors by shoveling their sidewalks for them? Do you have neighbors who don’t maintain their sidewalks? It’s only December, folks, and there’s a lotta winter ahead of us …

Should Melrose build a skate park?

Posted on November 29, 2007 by cball
Filed Under Uncategorized | 10 Comments

How do you feel about the mayor’s plans to build a skate park in the city? The proposed location for such a park is the corner of the Lynn Fells Parkway and Tremont Street, adjacent to the Lewis Monk Baseball Field. Professional input on the park’s design would come from Jay Brown and Josh Sacco, owners of Coliseum Skateboard Shop in Melrose, and the mayor says he’d like to see the skate park built and ready to open by mid-July next year. Are you at all concerned about the city’s liability for incidents at the proposed skate park? Perhaps you’re worried about crime and vandalism that might occur there? Or, are those concerns secondary to building a place where Melrose youth can gather and enjoy skateboarding in a park specifically sanctioned for that activity? If built, will your kids go there?

Threat at Melrose High School

Posted on November 13, 2007 by cball
Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments

In our report this week, the Free Press informed Melrosians that a written threat received Friday, Nov. 9 — indicating that a gun would be brought to Melrose High School Tuesday, Nov. 13 — lead school and police officials to have students leave their backpacks home on Tuesday and enter the school only through the front door - where metal detectors and wands were used to scan each person entering the building. Parents and students were informed of the incident — and the no-backpack rule – on Monday night, Nov. 12, via an automated message from Principal Joe Dillon delivered through the school’s Connect-Ed phone system.

Were your kids impacted by this? How did you feel sending them to school at MHS today? How about the rest of this week? Do you think school and law enforcement officials have done enough to ensure the safety of Melrose students? What should be done to the perpetrator(s) when and if they are caught?

Share your feelings with fellow Melrosians about this disturbing turn of events at Melrose High School here on The Melrose Blog.

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