I agree that the election results are very disappointing, in addition to the fact that only about 35% of the registered voters make the 'decisions' for everyone.
It appears Melrosians basically want the "same ole same ole". And so it goes.

Melrose is disgusting. This "quaint," "nice" town is ignorant and actually backwards. This is still the city that let a rapist savage its children, basically in the open (in the center of the city at the Y) for 14 years and was more concerned with protecting those who allowed it to happen than in forcing accountability to bring justice and real change for the children who were irreparably harmed, as was the soul of the city (if there even can still be said to be one, except for its fairs and football games, for which it will still come out in force).

Someone like JMcA getting the top number of votes (considering both SC and BOA) is just plain dumb, and revolting besides. She is a bullying, nasty individual who lied to try and shove her (fortunately) failed override down our throats. What a short memory Melrose voters have. But then she has the ear of all the dumb, gullible parents, particularly those of young children, along with the lockstep and rabid support of the fake Dems running this mini-Alabama. Actually, even in Alabama the voters are questioning the status quo and starting to hold accountable the full-blooded fascists who should never have been able to get such a foothold in a country of "the free and the brave...." But here in Backwards Melrose, "We the People" only amount to a tiny portion of the population that even cares enough to get to the polls. Disgusting and unpatriotic. Think how many have died to protect the right to vote, and yet here in Melrose they care more about getting to their yoga classes, golf courses, football games, nail salons, and lattes.

Those supporting JMcA have conveniently forgotten her diehard support of a school administration that is still violating civil rights laws and could not care less about ethics or actual Democratic values. Those supporting that candidate have forgotten that their local despot is a consummate tantrum-throwing bully who has zero respect for democratic checks and balances, just like the head of the SC, and just like the failed fascist Trump (who is already seeing his many spectacular failures unfold in everything he touches).

Sadly the local repugs have failed to distance themselves from their fascist ignorant president, and they are unfortunately guilty by their own association to party, which deserves no support. Even Monica, who has always operated on the highest ethical values and never thrown partisan politics into local governance paid a big price last night, coming in third to a couple of political hacks who are paper thin. Her willingness to carry water for the Teaparty et al has hurt her, as is reasonable. Same with Julie, who is a good person and who helped Melrosians immeasurably by mounting the enormously successful anti-override movement. Don C is paying the biggest price of all, and that isn't just about his lackluster (and often spineless) approach but also as a repudiation of all things Trump, again an appropriate reaction in the large scheme where our entire world is now suffering the consequences of American ignorance and hateful politics but also an unfortunate reality check for a dedicated and long-serving public servant of Melrose who deserved a better showing of support.

Melrose is just so dumb. But it will just keep doing this stupid stuff, and then give itself endless self-congratulations and awards. It's "The Best," after all. Self-reflection and humility are absent in Melrose. Small-minded officiousness, tunnel-vision politics, and parochial process is what got the big votes last night. Anti-Trump got the big Anti-Vote, for which one can be thankful, except in this case, it took out some decent, hard-working public servants who actually do have the best interests of Melrose citizens at heart. Shame on stupid Melrose.

I just hope someday we all can achieve the moral and intellectual superiority of Political Reality.

In Melrose? I know you're being sarcastic, but it's 90-10 against that ever happening. As of yesterday we're further in the hole than ever.

A good point made above. I suspect that a good portion of that 65% who did not exercise one of the most important of our freedoms that our brave countrymen and women fought to protect, are the same ones “ shuddering in disgust” about not standing for our flag.

With the amount of your tax dollars they control, you'd better care about the SC. If you thought it was a disaster before, wait until McAndrew and Razi-Thomas get their fingers in the pie. Frightening.

Pants on Fire...time to cash out. Spare yourself. Escape while you can make a buck. This SC will ruin the school system and send house prices plummeting. Remax will have your house sold by the end of the month to a family that desperately wants to live here. Some family from Lexington or Westchester County that each have two degrees, great jobs and nice kids...but obviously they are not as smart as you are...so you can dupe them into a nice tidy profit for yourself.

[8-)] Mel the buzz word is "dupe"

All the realtors need to be is an Actor or Actress and most are. The city is so over crowded and the water bill is hurting residents, along with local business.[Expressionless]

Agreed, it has always amazed me how these multiple degree holding couples making 6 figures each don't know how stupid they are when they drop $800,000 and move to a community 7 miles from Boston. Come on, don't they know that the high school educated townies in Melrose know the truth and tell like it is on Melrose Messages? Imagine their ignorance, you can get a degree from an Ivy League school, go on to get your masters, get hired by the best firms in Boston...but they are so stupid when they decide to buy into Melrose. I don't get it. It is really that they just don't know how truly bad Melrose is. OML violations, paraprofessional scandals, evil dictator in the corner office, incompetent school committee. Its just terrible. Anonymous blogs should be mandatory viewing before any bank decides to finance a mortgage for a Melrose house. Pants on fire needs to sell to one of these morons right away before MM makes it big on the man stream news circuit.

It's not about being smarter than the transplants. The quality of most of the housing stock in Melrose and the land you get is worth no where near what is being paid right now. Worse than other towns. Even the die hard Melrose supporters must laugh when they see some of the asking prices. I blame that Boston magazine article for this. It is a fantastic time to sell.

The schools are OKAY. Not awful but not great. You can argue all day giving examples to show how good or bad they are but in the end how they serve the average student is adequate but not more than adequate. You really shouldn't move to Melrose FOR the schools.

The newcomers who want to ban plastic bags, have a million bike routes, and have lowered the speed limit on certain streets that didn't need it irk me. As does the Women's Commission. I am female and I think it's a step backwards since whatever issues they have should apply to all genders.

There are endless ideas being enacted to save us from ourselves. The kicker is that most of these good new ideas cost money. Money that I am expected to pay in some form.

It's not about being smarter but about being left alone and not being told what to do by some ill informed sanctimonious individual.

I hope the city will honor Mr Conn for his years of service to our city. Great guy!

I'm thanking Mr. Conn too.

Yes, families were much bigger here in the 70s. Loads of children were common. But walking was also common. Not every family had 2 or more cars. Many had one. Some had none & did errands with the grandparents.

So you had a house, 5 kids & 1 car. Now you have a condo which is one of many in the building & you & your partner have 2 cars. Congestion.

The days of Leave It To Beaver are over. No more 1 Mom 1 Dad families with Dad working and mom managing the household. No more days of 1 car in the driveway and streets wide open for the kids to play touch football, street hockey, etc. Gone are the days of 1 income that could buy that house and 1 car and support a family. Gone are the days of students respecting teachers and teachers not afraid to teach and discipline. Gone are they days of kids respecting adults and elderly and the adults acting like adults in front of the kids. Gone are the days where newly arrived immigrants try to conform with the existing society. It's chaos out there folks.

Those days of full-blown McCarthyism and Red Scare were just great. Men/priests/movie stars could rape children without concern that anyone would notice or care. (In Melrose they still can apparently, if the Y rapist is/was any indication.) The local repugs could gorge themselves and plot their next bullying moves at Caruso's without concern that anyone would hold them accountable or even care. They prided themselves on the building of a true dump (then and now), MHS, while other school districts cared enough to invest in quality for their community's children. That generation thought it was just fine to have the likes of Mateus "teaching" for decades in Melrose. Sure, kids could be ruled with a stiff hand (or worse) back then, and but no one incompetent or abusive gets fired in today's MPS, but rather is celebrated with self-concocted awards duly sanctioned by the sanctimonious and crooked SC. In fact the more incompetent and abusive, the better when it comes to the public schools. Attention to civil rights or social justice was only done for show, as is obviously still the case in Melrose. But at least the golf courses were and still are a number one priority, as is football, keeping Melrose great, after all. Kids don't have Yik-Yak for online bullying anymore, but they and their equally nasty parents can still count on the Melrose forces that be to look the other way at heinous abuse perpetrated by officials right in full view, all the while gathering for their quaint little fairs and Kumbaya vigils and hypocritical October Walks. Yeah, those out-of-control kids these days with all their costly "social-emotional" issues came out of nowhere, raised by all those upstanding boomers who understood what made a "True Melrosian" great.

WE are paying for that useless channel 3???

I wasn't aware of that. I'd like to save some $$$ on my cable bill

I can't think of the last time I saw anything relevant or from the last five years broadcast on that channel.