Town Notes
Published on May 29th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - Town unions sign
Town Administrator David Berry said all eight municipal unions have agreed to one year contracts for fiscal 2003.
The last of the unions signed contracts this week.
Employees will receive 2.5 percent raises as of the July 1 start of the fiscal year and an additional one percent raise as of Jan. 1. The eight unions in agreement represent the police lieutenants, police sergeants, patrolman, firefighters, traffic directors, public works employees, Town Hall staff and Library staff.
Because Berry had calculated these anticipated raises into the town budget approved at the Annual Town Meeting on May 9, a Special Town Meeting to appropriate additional money is unnecessary.
Highway interchange forum
Mass Highway is holding an informational meeting about work planned for the interchange of routes 95 and 93.
The meeting is open to the public and scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4, in the Stoneham High School auditorium.
Mass Highway spokesperson Doug Cope says the state wants to discuss several alternatives with area residents.
Voke won’t budge
Kellyann Sergi of Woburn cannot walk with her graduating class because Northeast Regional Metropolitan Vocational High School Principal Patricia Cronin will not make an exception from a student handbook policy.
The policy says, “All seniors must have completed all work and have a passing grade by May 24, 2002, in shop and related (sic) to be allowed to participate in graduation.” Sergi was in a car accident in December, and due to her injuries she couldn’t finish her required shop hours. She passed all her academic requirements but owes 80 hours in the culinary arts shop.
Sergi asked if she could walk and receive a blank piece of paper and then make up the shop classes this summer and next fall. Cronin said Sergi could make up the classes, and Cronin even said she would throw Sergi a little party with a cake when she did graduate, but Cronin would not make an exception to let Sergi walk with her classmates because Sergi had not completed shop.
“Who am I to change the rules,” Principal Cronin said.
Sergi’s mother Joanne Bruyette said she cannot understand why a medical exception is not warranted.
“She’s not asking for the shop certificate, just a blank piece of paper. Why should this memory be taken from her just because she got hit by a truck?” Bruyette said.
Students agreed, circulating a petition, asking the school administration to let Sergi walk. More than 200 students signed, but as of press time the Voke still says the rules are the rules, without exception.
If a student passes shop but fails an academic class, the student can walk and receive his certificate but no High school diploma; that’s another rule.
Parents can impact student handbook rules through discussions with their town’s Vocational School Committee representative; Stoneham’s is Anthony DeTeso.
Democratic Convention
The Democratic State Convention is May 31 to June 1 at the Worcester Centrum.
Stoneham delegates will be part of the action, endorsing the Party’s choices for state office. Anyone can attend the Convention as an observer for $20 or watch coverage on NECN.
(The Republican State Convention was in April. The primaries are in September, and the general election is in November.)
Helpful hint
Resident Don Hutcheson of Hancock Street has suggested that Selectmen keep a date card on the table during meetings so TV viewers can tell if the meetings are live or taped.
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