Local year in review
Published on December 31st, 2003
The 12 months of 2003 in Stoneham were dominated by a fiscal crunch that has been heard througout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and for which the local municipal and educational leaders continue to contend with. Through the talks of cuts, overrides and expenditures, though, there were many other stories garnering headlines in town. Here is the first of a 3-part year-in-review:
January 2003
Jingling the alarms
By Joe Haggerty
The epic story of a town, a 26,000 square foot parcel of land that sounds like it was named after a sidekick to Willie Whistle (Jerry Jingle) and an alleged "sweetheart deal" took a new turn this week in its capricious destiny of raising both pulse rates and suspicion.
According to Stoneham officials, the town of Stoneham now alleges it can prove the "sweet" part of the sweetheart deal after town engineers measured out the site (using Land Court documents and plans, other existing plans and measurements taken of the property) per the request of Attorney General Thomas Reilly's office.
In a letter dated January 2 and addressed to Reilly, the Board of Selectmen contend that over one-third of the present Jerry Jingle Park resides on property owned by next-door neighbor and former owner Super Petroleum.
The park currently contains a grassy area and a white gazebo, but the bulk of the MDC owned land is being used for parking by J.J. Grimsby's restaurant.
"We really feel like this was an injustice at the state level to spend $600,000 on a parking lot for a restaurant," said Ciccarello.
Running for a cause
By Nancy Donahue
When Stoneham resident David Rosenberg crosses the finish line of the Boston Marathon this year, he will likely experience a feeling of deja vu along with his fatigue and runner's high.
This is Rosenberg's first attempt at the 26.2 mile course that is as much a fixture around these parts on that third Monday in April as any outfitted Patriot in Lexington or Concord. But Rosenberg did lend his support in last year's race as he cheered on his daughter Gia and accompanied her in the final six miles to the finish line.
Now, the Rosenberg father and daughter are training together to run the 2003 Boston Marathon while they work just as hard to spread word about and raise funds for cancer research. Their training is personal. In 2001, Rosenberg's nephew Paul was an active 4 year-old who was suddenly stricken with leukemia. Instead of school, play dates, and soccer in the back yard, little Paul's world for the ensuing year and a half consisted of hospital stays and chemotherapy treatments.
"He was very courageous, very tolerant with all that had to be done to him," Rosenberg recalled.
Thankfully, the now 6 year-old Paul is in remission and is evaluated monthly to make sure the disease has not returned.
February:
Stirring up the pot
By Dan Margarita,
Area college hockey fans are aware that the first two Monday's in February are a special time of the year. That's even more true this year for Stoneham native Bernie Corbett, whose new book "The Beanpot: Fifty Years Of Thrills, Spills and Chills" is garnering rave reviews.
The 1978 Stoneham High graduate has been making the rounds for various book signings, and recently got an assist from legendary B.U. Coach Jack Parker at the B.U. bookstore.
Corbett, now in his 18th year as a radio broadcaster for Terrier hockey, has B.U. blood, his parents and his grandfather all having attended B.U.
Let it snow, and snow, and snow
By Joe Haggerty
The white stuff just keeps on coming down as Stoneham suffered its worst snowstorm in five years on Presidents Day, Monday, February 17. Though it coincided with a federal holiday and February vacation for the Stoneham public schools and allowed many to sit home and watch, the approximately 17 inches represented the largest snowfall since the April Fool's Day blizzard of 1997 (a positive though for those waiting for an early spring).
The snow, as always, represented a challenge to the snow and ice removal forces of the Department of Public Works. The sanders began running at approximately 11 a.m. on Monday morning, and many of the 48 town employed (24) and sub-contracted plow operators (24) were on the road by 1 p.m.
"Village" gets continuance; ZBA grants three months
By Patrick Blais
Amidst the frustrated whispers and animated chatter of residents gathered to voice their protests over a townhouse development at Isabella and Christopher Streets, the Stoneham Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to grant a three month continuance for a state-mandated public hearing.
At the onset of last Thursday's scheduled public hearing for the proposed 20-unit Highland Village, an attorney representing Malden based developer R. Donato & Sons requested that the board grant a continuance until May 8th for the hearing, citing that various engineers and architects could not be in attendance.
After immediately voting to accept the request for an extension, zoning board chairman William Sullivan attempted to calm the dense crowd of residents, saying that the continuance acted in the best interests of all involved parties.
"We had to have this meeting before 30-days. There's an awful lot of information to go over," said Sullivan of the board's decision. "I understand that a lot of you guys are frustrated but we have to do what's in the best interests of this town...It's not going to be just one meeting. It's going to be many," the chairman added after quieting a resident who demanded to know why the developer wasn't prepared.
March:
Officials face FY04 budget crunch
By Patrick Blais,
Looking out at the approximately 200 residents dotting the high school's nearly vacant auditorium at Monday's public meeting on the town budget, town administrator Dave Berry listed the only two dreadful figures he could count on with certainty - $57,036,044 and $2,094,803.
The first number, the town's projected budget for the upcoming fiscal year, seems harmless enough. But the second figure, a projected $2 million plus deficit, will devastate town services, potentially resulting in layoffs equivalent to fifty-five full-time positions, the cutting of various health, emergency response, and educational programs, and the utilization of nearly all the town's rainy day funds.
And as if those inauspicious announcements didn't create enough of a challenge, Berry spoke of another looming likelihood? the town's budget will face similar, if not worse deficits in the years to come.
In fact, according to finance and advisory board member Rich Gregorio, with the use of one-time savings funds and projected cost increases in pensions, the deficit could likely reach $4 million dollars by 2005.
"For '05, I'm currently showing a $59 million budget. The largest facet of that increase is in the retirement system? I get a reduction in revenue by $186,000 [because] we're using one time funds that won't be available next year," said Gregorio.
Todd ready to take baton at library
By Patrick Blais
The library's newest director should be celebrating her recent promotion. But faced with some of the most debilitating budget shortfalls since the library came into existence, Mary Todd has little time to enjoy the benefits of her new job.
And although Todd is grateful and excited for her recent promotion, the burden of impending layoffs follows her everywhere.
"Well, it's been a great challenge," said Todd of her new job responsibilities. "I have a terrible time leaving the job here? I feel a tremendous responsibility for the workers. It follows me everywhere. I find myself walking down the aisle of the grocery store crunching budget numbers," she added.
Three involved in area brawl
By Joe Haggerty
A pair of Stoneham residents and a Reading man were arrested last Thursday night after a Pond Street melee devolved into individuals allegedly brandishing furniture as a dangerous weapon. Moises Castro, 26, of 506 Summit Ave., Reading, allegedly struck a partygoer at 3 Pond Street with a beer bottle, and, according to Stoneham police reports, Castro was then attacked with a knife and a chair in separate attacks.
Stoneham Police reported to the Pond Street scene at 10:47 p.m., and attempted to then untangle the snarled details of the brawl. Castro was arrested at the scene for assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, but was also transported to Melrose/Wakefield Hospital after he was allegedly cut in the chin with a knife.
Police also arrested Christopher Snow, 26, of 3 Pond Street, Stoneham, for a series of outstanding warrants for breaking and entering and malicious destruction of property. Snow's girlfriend then came to the Stoneham police station, presumably to bail him out, and Stoneham police discovered that she also had warrants out for her arrest.
Shannon Riga, 21, of 3 Pond Street Stoneham, was jailed for outstanding arrest warrants stemming from charges of assault and battery of a public employee, breaking and entering in the nighttime, and larceny over $250.
April:
Disparate reactions color election results
By Patrick Blais
Upon hearing Town Clerk John Hanright read aloud the results of last night's election, he emotionally staggered across the room, tears streaking underneath his thick-framed glasses as he embraced several town officials.
Swaying uneasily on his feet as a small crowd walked up to congratulate him, Town Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello plopped down on another chair as if exhausted, carefully removing his glasses to swipe the tears out of the corner of his eyes. Winning the largest number of votes in the race, he had reached a milestone, being elected to his post for seven consecutive terms.
"That's a hard thing to do, winning so many times as a selectman, especially in trying times," commented Hanright after a joyous Ciccarello left the room.
Few shocks in poll results
A quick check of the polls early on Stoneham Election Day, Tuesday April 1, certainly gave Town Clerk John Hanright no April Fool's Day joy.
"I have one word to describe this election: Boring," said John Hanright as only 520 of a possible 14,650 registered voters had cast their ballots at 11:30 a.m. "This election is on pace to be one of the lowest turnouts in the history of Stoneham."
The voters eventually proved to be late bloomers as the pace picked up around Stoneham Town Hall, and 2,029 voters had marked their votes by 8 p.m. The 2029 votes represented 14 percent of the registered voters in Stoneham, and continued a downward trend in voter turnout.
"The candidates did a great job of getting on the phone and getting people to come out," said Hanright after the votes had all been counted.
In the only two contested races on the entire local ticket, incumbent Selectmen Cosmo Ciccarello (1451 votes) and Bob Sweeney (1320 votes) bested Dennis Bain (644 votes) by a more than 2-1 margin for the two open Selectman seats. Ciccarello topped the Selectmen ticket and will have served 21 consecutive years as a Stoneham Selectman when his newly elected term comes to an end. According to election results, there were 628 blank votes and 15 write-in choices for Selectman.
Project Honor Our Troops
By Patrick Blais
Hundreds of people weathered last Sunday's frigid afternoon in a show of their support for U.S. armed forces overseas. Gathered on the town common around representatives from local veteran's groups, the crowd endured a fierce icy breeze that whipped and tossed the scores of small American flags citizens clenched in their hands.
Sponsored by Stoneham's American Legion post 115 and the Stoneham Elks Lodge 2211, organizers of the support-the-troop rally had originally hoped for a citizen turnout of at least 1000 people. Although only 350 people showed up according to official estimates, Stoneham firefighter and American Legion member Mike Flynn said he was very satisfied with the turnout.
Article may spark new fire house
By Joe Haggerty
The first phase of a possible Stoneham Fire Station relocation could come to fruition next Monday night, May 5, if Stoneham voters decide to approve Article 19 at the Annual Town Meeting. The article would potentially appropriate $60,000 to obtain appraisal information on each of the five properties on South Main Street, Spencer Street and Hancock Street designated for the new station, and to obtain a preliminary design for the roughly $7-8 million new station.
During an informational presentation to Stoneham business and community leaders last Monday night, engineers from the Maguire Group explained the two projects.
Stoneham Fire Chief Lawrence Lamey, before the presentation, disagreed that endorsing Article 19 necessarily equals an endorsement for the new location, but instead simply provides firmer numbers to the residents of Stoneham.
"Right now we are basing our numbers on the assessed values of the properties, and we all know that assessed and actual property values are two different things," said Lamey. "We need to get this done to get some real numbers, and move ahead."
Praying for a local hero
By Joe Haggerty
The Patterson family dog, a Yorkshire terrier and a bit of a chubby one at that, runs around yipping and yammering at visitors to their Pine Street home. The dogs pants excitedly and wags its tail merrily as she gets a rewarding pat on the head for her exuberance in greeting guests.
"She's a real meanie," says Pam Patterson of the tiny dog with the big personality.
It's little exchanges like this that might, for a minute, take Patterson away from the reality that her son, Marine Corporal Richard Darragh, is serving as a crew chief in an Amphibious Assault Vehicle unit perilously ferrying infantry back and forth through the war-torn Middle-Eastern Country.
"It's been a very difficult time," said Patterson with more than a touch of both motherly pride and parental concern. "I just do a lot of positive thinking and praying that everybody comes home safely...I could cry just thinking about it right now."
"I watched a lot of news coverage during the first weekend," said Patterson. "But I just couldn't watch anymore. I needed to get back into my routine, and try to maintain a sense of normalcy."
Ricky, as his mom calls him, is a 22 year-old graduate of Stoneham High School (Class of 1999) who joined the Marine Corps shortly after receiving a diploma from Stoneham High.
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