Public, that is one delusional rant.

1) What is happening is the democratic process, you simply don't like the results.
2) Melrose has been far from apathetic, just look at the Balfour candidacy, the Mroz SC candidacy, the Patti Wright SC/Mayor candidacy, and the Middle School override...the majority of Melrose voters are paying attention and will continue to do so. They simply don't share your views and you are p*ssed about it. It's not apathy, in fact, its the opposite. The tipping point occurred when Balfour got destroyed, the Middle School was built and PW and GM finished dead last.
3) Nothing will change in the next election. Melrose is electing the officials it wants.
4) The project clearly is about improving the high school.
5) The crassest and most cynical abuse of public trust in Melrose was either the tot lot scandal or the 12th hole scandal at Mt. Hood, both done by Republican mayors and the long held establishment in Melrose that Dolan threw out on their ears. You clowns should take a message from Dolan's play book. You want change you run for office, convince the public, and get elected.
6) My victory is enormous. I will gloat all I want. Hate? No. Ridicule, yes. You clowns are a pack of cowards.

10 - 0 Baby, gotta love it. I can't wait to walk through the new library space when Dolan is cutting the ribbon after another uncontested election.

I'm sorry I couldn't hear you all the way up there on your pedestal. You make fun of and instigate the people who think opposite of you and then act EXACTLY like them, way to go champ.

"0 Baby, gotta love it. I can't wait to walk through the new library space when Dolan is cutting the ribbon after another uncontested election....My victory is enormous. I will gloat all I want. Hate? No. Ridicule, yes. You clowns are a pack of cowards."

Such smugness, arrogance. And what's with the fascination with clowns?

"This project is about improving the high school"--NOT.

"Melrose is electing the officials it wants." apparently so

Also, apparently the officials it deserves.

The summations of this poster reveal the underlying arrogance (and concurrent insecurity) of those who feel they must behave this way. Not nice people, that's for sure. And not especially bright either. Whatever is counted as a "win" by these types may or may not have any real value, except in so far as it props up their pathetic need to thump their own chests. Real "proof" is not something they would ever even have the capacity to evaluate in a mature way. Really pathetic.

Due to the inherent cowardice of most of the politicians currently holding office here, this project will get swept along without the appropriate oversight it should have had from the beginning but clearly didn't. There will be lots more gloating while the real issues get shoved under that stained torn rug in the current resource center. At some point the real issues will continue to bubble up no matter how hard they are suppressed. Meanwhile a lot of Melrose kids are suffering the consequences of the perennial neglect that their community continues to allow and in fact support. This $5.3 million will create something that at least for a while may look nice and keep more of the chest-thumpers very busy impressing each other.

And Melrose kids will continue getting the same second class education they've been getting for the past fifteen years.

2nd-class education is far too kind.

Couldn't have said it better myself. This clown is obsessed with mocking people who chose to share their opinion and views on this board. It is very odd, I really do wonder if it is Mike or another in the corner office sometimes. No one is interested in your bets or challenges, give it a rest. We will continue to share our thoughts whether you like it or not.

You could be right, but whoever this fool is, he is absolutely typical of the attitude displayed by the Doughboy and his henchmen. They wouldn't know gracious if it walked up behind them and bit them on the a$$. And you are also right that despite the venom and bad behavior displayed by this bunch, it most certainly will not stop those with differing opinions from expressing them, unless some tyrant like that thing running the SC comes up with some plan to actual silence any dissent. Melrose is now Everett. Yhanks a lot , Doughboy.

And you of course are so classy and above it all by calling our Mayor Doughboy. Why don't you practice what you preach?

I decided to practice what he preaches instead.

Nothing makes me happier than to see the Melrose Messages crowd, who specializes in libel, slander and half truths directed at City employees and volunteers, cry foul about name calling. The biggest pack of cowardly hypocrites in Melrose. 11 - 0 last night. Not a single person in the audience showed up to oppose the order. Full steam ahead on the resource center renovation. Children of Melrose Public Schools win...Melrose Messages whiners lose, again. See you clowns at the ribbon cutting.

On and on and on about "libel, slander, and half truths," yet not once have you repudiated a claim with anything substantive. I don't even care much about this high school renovation; does seem like a high price tag for something that isn't a real issue at our schools, but I'm really not that passionate about it. You must be one of the jocksniffers or parents who kisses RD's ass only for him to make cruel jokes about you behind your back. I pity people like you. If nothing makes you happier than local politics, name calling, and gloating over a municipal decision, you are in desperate need of a life overhaul.

Yup. Now they have a nice new resource center to get their second class education in.

12 - 0, why would the winners bother repudiating anything the losers have to say. The Attorney Generals office, the elected body of the Board of Alderman & School Committee, and the public at large have already told the whiners that you have your heads firmly implanted up your @sses. Your crowd is ofer. The only thing you clowns could win is a losers contest. Winners write history, losers suck wind, and the cowards of Melrose Messages can't even get a single person to show up in the alderman's chamber to make their case. Don't pity the people like me, go look in the mirror and ask yourself why you and your friends don't have the b@lls to publicly advocate your position...pity that. You guys are called out and ridiculed. Big election coming up. Grow a pair.

I knew a guy like WInners in high school; a tough guy who talked a big game and thumped his chest a lot. He digs ditches for the DPW now.

He does? How can he see to do that with his face planted in the Doughboy's butt?

Big congratulations to the school committee, the BOA, the Mayor and the residents of Melrose. There really cannot be any complaints about the transparency of this project and the ability of the public to be heard. There were no secrets or backroom deals here; just a well thought out project that got unanimous approval by the BOA. Big win for this awesome city of ours!

I love how the BOA members who fully intended to approve this at the outset (let's all agree it was a done deal at the start) tried to act like they MIGHT not actually approve it without some good answers. It was a nice performance. I am sure that Jackie got very satisfying answers to her "needs" vs "wants" question... otherwise she would never have approved it, right?

I have less of a problem with JLB's questions and eventual vote than with all the bloviating of the majority and complete lack of interest in what these things mean to the taxpayers. JLB made a pragmatic decision since she knew that the majority would vote for approval; no medal of courage there, but realistically, who was there from the community to support her? It's Melrose's fault that the bullies win here and that the minority voices are treated with such open contempt. There was very poor transparency or oversight on this thing very simply because the administration has had a free pass from the voters to do anything RD wants. All the claims of "open process" because "so many" were involved are just bunk. These bums know full well that an open process is a simple matter, and they go to great lengths to avoid it, on everything, because they know they can (so far, maybe not so much from now on though). Those ramming these things through (and at great expense to the taxpayers) will get their reckoning at some point. They are baldfaced political opportunists, and their sincerity is about as thin as their commitment to real accountability to the citizens. Public engagement here is a total farce, and all these dog and pony shows only prove that.

If you are opposed to this and did not show up to any of the hearings and/or did not call your representatives then you only have yourself to blame. Complaining on this site is every bit as effective as it has always been.

"Politics in Melrose" is a typical MM Whiner upset at another loss. The City of Melrose has been on a steady infrastructure improvement plan for well over a decade. Streets, City Parks, Utilities, Playing Fields and Schools have been a main focus of attention from the Dolan Administration after decades of neglect from previous administrations. Well over $50,000,000 of aid has come from the State to help in this effort. The high school has seen a new roof, new HVAC system, New gymnasium and athletic facilities, new science lab, built out open space and the lockers have been painted, and now the resource center is being renovated...these improvements make the high school functional and a good place to go to school, the resource center is just another phase of the overall program...but the whiners hate all that is Melrose and would rather have the kids go to school in a sh*t box to make a political point. The whiners have been predicting the great "reckoning" for over a decade, but they can't even get someone to show up at a board meeting. Don't talk to me about the ballot box...it's a rout every election. You guys are a bunch of cowardly clowns. Come to the ribbon cutting and all 6 of you can pile out of your little clown car and take a look at the improvements over the past 10 years.

Ah.. Maybe the "winnners" (you?) would repudiate the "losers" (us?) because you whine constantly about slander, half truths and libel? I have never asked you to repudiate, I stated that you don't, but that you complain. If you don't want to address issues with facts stop posting here just to name call. I guarantee the pols you so loyally protect on here name call and put you down behind your back, they see you as a lapdog and nothing more. I'm not interested in showing up to a meeting, this nonsense doesn't mean that much to me; I have a life and a job. All of these reasons is why I pity you. I virtually guarantee I am more highly educated than you, make more money, have more power and opportunities, and a higher quality spouse. That is why I pity you. I look forward to irking you on this site. You project constantly that we are ridiculed and embarrassed; no doubt that you obviously had much of that in your life. And for that I am sorry.

12 - 0, you are mighty impressed with yourself. Were you looking in the mirror with your pants around your ankles while you were praising your high intellect, great power and influence, high paying job and quality partner? Easily the most embarrassing couple of sentences ever on the MM whiner board. Stop making excuses and deflecting the obvious. You clowns whine and complain about Melrose behind the anonymity of a blog because you are a bunch of cowards with no ability to do anything but b*tch and moan.

Only because I'm mighty impressive, I promise! Embarrassment is in the eye of the beholder... You're projecting again! It is only embarrassing if it were made up, and I got you to respond to it just like I wanted you to! Not making any excuses or deflecting anything. I openly admit that I'm not interested in speaking publically, at least at this time, only in following the local happenings and occasionally commenting on this forum. It is really all I have time and enegry for at this point in my life. Data speaks for itself, no matter how many aldermen repeatedly fall in line and how many boot camp workouts and coffee shop hangouts the pols around here attend. The schools are in poor academic shape, the brand new MVMMS has more problems than Apollo 13, and water rates continue to go up with more talk of a tax override. The police station is decrepit and the City Yard is a dump despite plenty of "renovations." Is all this the Mayor's fault? Of course not. The parents have a lot of the responsibility for the poor performance of students here. And no doubt RD has great intentions with all these capital improvements, but they bite off more than they can chew resulting in poor management and quality. And I'll say one more time for good measure, you pathetic little sycophant, these "beautiful people" you so loyally and steadfastly defend against "clowns" on this site are without question mocking you the moment you walk away. But that is your problem, not mine.

Anonymous boasting followed by admitted cowardice is truly pathetic. Backpedaling has begun. Your responses are a desperate attempt to convince yourself you are not a coward and are doing this casually, when all of your ranting, posturing and pretending is an indication that the continuous victories and beat downs put on your crowd by the Dolan administration is driving you crazy. You and your crowd are to afraid to put yourselves out there. Keep beating your chest. You are accomplishing great things hiding behind the key board. 12+ years of seeing the administration the whiners hate achieve victory after victory with no end in site...keep your pants down in front of the mirror and keep telling yourself how wonderful you are...its all you got left.

It isn't backpedalling if I didn't make the claims to begin with. If you're associating every negative comment and complaint on here with my view, you're not only incorrect but also very simple minded. Dolan's administration's victories and beat downs(?) driving me crazy? Why would municipal minutiae drive me crazy? My comments are clearly upsetting you, because you respond to all of them. I just enjoy responding to you to pass the time. I don't need to convince myself of anything, I know what I've accomplished in life. My language composition and lack of juvenile commentary versus your very simplistic bloviations says a lot about each of us. You need a hero to rally around in the city administration. Is this you, Rob? Be honest. No one could be pathetic enough to KEEP blabbing about this stuff without a true vested interest. I kid, there is no way this is RD as he is well educated and is a far better writer than you are.

So please, why don't you stop imagining me with my pants down and stop pretending to protect your messiah from non-existant attacks and explain why $5.3 mil for the hs is a good investment.

The high school almost list accreditation because the infrastructure was so bad. Fixing the physical plant, and standardizing the curricula were the 2 biggest issues. So of course the issues in the high school need to be addressed. First the roof, then the ventilation, then the physical space inside the school. The science wing and the resource center go a long way to meeting this need. I hope the redo the lockers and the bathrooms too. And redesign the cafeteria because that is another huge awkward space. If anyone is to blame for this physical plan fiasco - it was anyone who designed and approved the original structure. Who was mayor then anyway?

12 - 0, the ultimate MM bozo. Bragging and self promoting, explaining yourself and rationalizing your posts is pathetic behavior on an anonymous blog. No one gives a crap about you. Here is the only thing that matters: You and the rest of the cowardly clowns on this website are irrelevant. Dolan p*sses down your necks, gets every single thing he wants, and you are all to cowardly to do anything about it. Keep on beating your chest. I'll keep on calling you an irrelevant coward.

"Dolan p*sses down your necks, gets every single thing he wants"

Yeah, this is characteristic, this is the kind of thing he'd think and say. Really nice. And the person posting this thinks they are helping his cause, but in fact only proving that it's this kind of person and this kind of behavior that characterize the current administration. He cloaks himself in his "Melrosian" flag and says disgusting things even about the ones who are out there stumping his causes, with that ugly smirk of his.

And then people wonder why so many Melrose teens grow up to be bullying drunken nobodies.

Cowardly Clown

That's funny. Those cowardly clowns you speak of have put themselves out there for the benefit of Melrosians who are too afraid to speak up themselves during SC public comment period about the disturbing violations of law happening in our school district. Is it just a little embarrassing that the School Committee Chair had to admit publicly that OML laws have been violated yet again? Is it just a little embarrassing that The Melrose School Committee has been hiding the fact that they have been under Federal Investigation by the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights and spending thousands of taxpayer dollars to defend their reckless behavior? Do you think these things get exposed on their on? No. Good brave Melrosians have stepped up to the plate on behalf of residents too afraid to speak up and have filed formal complaints. I personally thank them for their vigilance.

Now THAT was an excellent post! And backed up with real data, no less.

"Now THAT was an excellent post! And backed up with real data, no less."

You're very busy this morning. Real data, eh? All those new toys (science kits, smartboards, labs) really improved science scores in the district, didn't they? Now nearly half of the district students are now failing science, but that's okay in your chromebook. Sell a few more flamingos and maybe you can create enough ether fog to convince all those kindergarten parents to buy that bridge (over troubled waters).

Yes. And while Detector Gadget claims "it's a rout every election," that is a different matter. First, "a rout every election" is not exactly correct, since somehow the voters reelected representatives like Conn, Medeiros, Bird who have often taken on the rest of the irresponsible rubber-stampers, and also reelected Mrs. K even when she didn't open a campaign account or hit the campaign trail. The lack of enough good candidates to shift the majority to one which requires real accountability points to general voter apathy in Melrose (and in the country, though not everywhere). It also points to the fact that the current administration has made serving in office a truly toxic atmosphere that requires extraordinary courage to enter UNLESS one is a confirmed unquestioning follower of the majority currently holding office. Further, there are a lot of young parents and new residents who are simply too self-absorbed to care about registering to vote (but boy do they jump in with their energetic demands to have the district cater to them above all others, a call RD answers and rewards constantly).

Getting two slates of good candidates is the key challenge for voters this next time around, regardless of whether the mayor is reelected, who has lost substantial good will in the community through his own poor conduct. Even if he's reelected, the concurrent election of enough good independent-thinking candidates will mean that RD will have his hands full. With counter-balancing officials/voices, he will know that he can't act as he has and instead will have to face some real accountability, which will mean better governance overall. Eventually we have to hope that someone decent will surface who will win the mayor's seat.

This isn't a blog. Also, I'm very relevant, but by definition not self promoting as I am anonymous... and must remain that way. And if Dolan or anyone for that matter urinated on me I'd have them arrested for assault and battery. You can't be cowardly if you really don't worry too much about what the guy is doing. You certainly care a lot more than I do. The guy can get all the political victories he wants, he still has to live with being him, and that's all I'll say about that.

I think you get the point

I do. Why don't we put all this behind us and grab a margarita down Mexico Lindo?

That's a great idea - actually that's where we all go to drink away our sorrows after watching school committee meetings!