I get it Melrose has changed when I was young the old timers in Melrose said the same to me that was almost 45 years ago. Melrose's strength was always that it was a community where blue collar and white collar folks could live together side by side, (we were not Lexington) to be on the wrong side of the tracks was a joke but was true to some extent. But we all got along on, those that golfed at MT HOOD VS Bellevue didn't hate each other a beer down the fish and game which would tie together folks from different economic means.
I get that Melrose is changing I first noticed it when bike lanes started showing up in areas that made no sense, Franklin Square is a Kill zone now you pull out of Greenwood street from Wakefield and your in the oncoming lane bike lanes seem to be more important I don't see many bikers. As kids we just rode our bike no lanes needed thank you. I guess adults need a lane. That's when I thought Melrose was going Somerville/Cambridge. But now I see Lexington/Belmont/Cambridge envy.
When budgets got busted in the 45+ years I have been here we just belt tightened there was no talk of keeping it the way it is we just cut we tightened our belts like every family does when faced with financial issues. There were no scare tactics we just did it and when we had a good mayor and a good administrator came along and fixed everything we moved on( Mayor Milano was was an excellent mayor). It makes it very easy for our elected to do their jobs with a great budget to work with, it takes a real leader to work within a budget that knows limits and how to project and plan right now there has been no planning.
There's no plan in Melrose just reaction. We have Katheryn Clark who lives in Melrose is our representative to the US congress she spends her days hating Trump and thinking of ways to help everyone but Melrose residents and our local budget problem maybe she needs to focus on her district. Our are State and Federal reps fighting for us and helping our schools? No, So instead of Clark and state representatives doing some legwork for their constituents we are just going to lazy soak the local tax payer why because its easy and we are stupid. No Federal grants from Clark for Melrose schools ? Nothing from Clark? Nope she hates Trump, so doesn't half of Melrose but we still need a rep in congress? Help us. Whats the point of having a congresswoman in are midst do something for us locally???? No grants? Just Trump hating.
I get it folks are moving into Melrose I remember my mothers excitement when I was 4 years old when she came from the city she thought she had finally made it and wanted the best for her kids she may have even voted yes for an override years ago if it benefited her children she was so young, I get it. The city was run so much better then though, nobody noticed all these things the city is threating to take away if they don't get their money. Because we didn't have them then. And everything was fine.
My Mom still lives here and someone said here if you don't have 50 bucks extra a month to pay for the override your doing something wrong, my mom is on a fixed income 50 bucks here 50 bucks there what if her prescriptions go up, her roof goes, boiler goes, and then next year her taxes go up again 2.5 percent. She makes the same money. Melrose is inclusive to all except those that lived here their whole lives get old then you need to get out of the way.
When my mom was young My Mom made me take the trash out and do chores for the elderly in my neighborhood the new folks coming to Melrose are not concerned with the elderly and want to push them out not knowingly but a yes vote is going to push a lot of families and elderly to reconsider staying in Melrose and the Gentrification process continues. Have fun at Whole Foods, but a lot of us are still Johnies Food Master, Gallahues and Cerratanis shopers and I hope we all vote no.
Thank you for that, sometimes I do feel like we're supposed to "get out of the way". And this coming from people who are literally less than half our ages!
Maybe it’s because I’ve grown very cynical, and I hope I’m wrong, but sometimes I think that there are people writing letters to the Patch, pretending to be seniors, and warning “us” how much we’ll lose if “no” wins! It’s either that, or some seniors are actually drinking the kool aid.
It will be interesting to see tomorrow whether there will be people holding signs at the voting locations. I can’t imagine either side would think that someone walking in to vote is still “undecided”, and that glancing at a sign will be ‘the decider’.
They will be out there. It’s done more to remind passersby/driversby that there is an election and to demonstrate strength in numbers for a candidate/issue, not to make up or change minds at the last minute.
I suppose that if anyone REALLY needs to be reminded, then I get it, but the the strength in numbers thing doesn’t seem to apply to an “issue vote”, except of course for ‘sheep’!
You can feel however you need to feel about the reasons but those are the facts and I promise you’ll see them all tomorrow.
Wow, just making conversation. Does any type of dialogue now have to be contentious?
Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!
The override is dividing residents, school employees and the local businesses. Many believe this will hurt local businesses. You should vote NO to save the locals.
"I would like to be clear," If this passes in Melrose you will unilaterally harm our first responders, and break commitments we have made to police officers, firefighters, and others who have committed their lives to Melrose. This will hurt families on fixed income.
"They're putting a liability on the backs of the most vulnerable people, which to me is unconscionable," Taymore, should be shamefaced of what she has caused with all her secondrate hires.
School Board members need to fire the superintendent and the two assistant superintendents, PWL and Adams.
Most people, lie for a reason they feel either they will benefit from the lie or they can avoid something they dont want to do with the lie. But either way there is an obvious self serving motivation behind it.
Do not hurt the elderly again. It's pathetic.
Please, get out and vote tomorrow. Thank you for your time.
From a concerned daughter.
The SC is to blame for this chaos. You need to vote No or this will change Melrose for the worst. This will cost more then the lies you have heard $50 dollars.
Where is voting at the schools or city hall? My family of 5 are NO way.