If you haven't already heard, a City employee who's salary is funded with your tax dollars, publicly slandered a sitting School Committee member/resident of Melrose who has worked tirelessly to expand public input and transparency within the ethically challenged sitting School Committee. She also publicly ridiculed honorable members of our community who have dared to speak during the ever shrinking SC comment period, a violation of the SC public comment rules. Meanwhile, the sitting SC chair (who recently had to publicly apologize to the community for violating the State's Open Meeting Laws (OML) in an attempt to coverup an active Civil Rights investigation of the Melrose School Department and it's related escalating legal costs) permitted this brazen violation to continue without gaveling the city employee to order, a clear violation of the public's trust who elected her to abide by the City's rules, regulations and ethics guidelines.
A video of the violation is available at http://www.mmtv3.org/index.php?categoryid=28 at approximately 6 minutes and 35 seconds into the meeting.
A record of her statement can be found in the May 1 edition of the Melrose Weekly News/Letters to the Editor, page 4.
There is real injustice here, and it's being propped up and fueled by the likes of that MG woman who is not a city employee but also the Officer/Treasurer of the Melrose Ed Foundation, which is using our tax dollars (those that the mayor doles out to the MEF from the tax rolls) to reward those they choose personally though they are not qualified to do so.
http://melroseedfoundation.org/who-we-are/
I wonder if CKK is getting embarrassed by all of this support. If you read these threads it sounds like her supporters are a bunch of crazy people. Why don't you write to her and ask if she wants or needs this much defending of her honor and integrity? I am thinking at this point that she would ask you all to time it down. Read all of these threads - you are beginning to border on fanatical. I can't believe one public comment has sent you all into such a crazed tizzy.
She's not the one who should be embarrassed.
What do you mean by "our tax dollars being used by MEF to reward those they choose personally"? MEF is a non-profit entity. The city is not permitted by law to make contributions using city tax revenues to non-profit groups to make "grants" for any purpose, particularly using education funds. Only school committee can authorize the programming of education budget funds. Who approved this, and when did this start?? And if so, has the AG's office been alerted?
I do not understand why it is okay for someone to come week after week, month after month , year after year and publicly bash everyone but this resident speaks her mind and everyone is horrified. I stopped watching because I just could not listen to the rant every week. She has every right to speak her mind.
It's not "one public comment." It's the whole picture. Thorp reading an apology for violating the Open Meeting Law (which she didn't do by accident) that was about covering a federal civil rights violation, then this same chair allowing a directed personal attack towards citizens and a sitting member of the school committee, in combination with the massive amount of concealing where the budget is concerned as a Mack Truck moves on down the road towards their goal of positioning the community for the Override announcement next week, combined with really poor things happening educationally (covered by copious amounts of jargon and airspace and online materials devoted to the promotion of it), combined with the worst overall state of the district staff in its history (including the '99 Work to Rule chaos), combined with a dumbed-down board of aldermen (with a couple exceptions) and an even more stupified and largely silent citizenry.
Only an administrative sycophant would try to characterize those who are disturbed by Ms. Grover's comments as crazed fanatics. Not a nice try. Just more of the same toxic BS.
"I stopped watching because I just could not listen to the rant every week."
No, the real reason is that you don't care, nor do you want to understand what really happened or what led to this. You "cared" only just enough to post something derogatory about the "rant" (and by extension, Mr. Mroz, whom you are slamming) that you find objectionable, but beyond that, you are content to buy the BS. There in a nutshell is why the district is in such a mess.
Here are some selected snippets from Ms. Grover's embarrassing diatribe at the last SC meeting. A blatant attempt by a city employee to intimidate Melrose residents from speaking at the SC public comment period. So much wrong here.
Regarding current resident attendees of SC meetings: "...resulted in giving more time to the same tired voices of the regular meeting attendees who just say the same things over and over again"
Regarding the elite MEF crowd who packed budget meeting at the Mayor's urging "I saw new faces-people who want the district to move forward. They are not people who are stuck in the past holding the current administration responsible for past shortcomings."
We get the message Ms. Grover. As a mouthpiece for your boss, the Mayor, you do not appreciate Melrose Residents having the opportunity to speak publicly at SC meetings. You have disdain for those citizens who pay your salary with other opinions other than yours, the people who are fed up with the rapidly deteriorating transparency of the current administration, school committee and school district. We get the point.
And, "They are not people who are stuck in the past holding the current administration responsible for past shortcomings." Well I was a Hoover parent who had to listen to MG rave about how wonderful the previous superintendent and principals were, and at the same time heard her trashing CK way back then. Now MG goes right along with CT in blaming the prior administration (getting a bit old and pathetic now at the end of CT's third year!) for all kinds of catastrophically bad administrative decisions. MG is a total toxic hypocrite who doesn't even hold herself accountable, let alone an administration that has obviously much damage to answer for (let's start with why there is a federal civil rights investigation!).
If only MG heard the things the powers that be say about her behind her back. I actually know the woman, she is honestly a nice lady who does care about the city. I'm sure she is doing what she thinks is right (while admittedly gaining some favor from RD, yes.) The real problem here is RD let her do this; a leader with any integrity would say it is not appropriate for a city employee to politicize a school budget meeting in this way, or discourage political dissent. She does have every right as a citizen, taxpayer, and parent to speak at such a public meeting. However, she, along with the administration, have an obligation to maintain the integrity of their public positions of power and ensure a fair, unbiased, and open environment of dialogue and ideas. They failed miserably at that in this instance. Make no mistake that RD knew full well that she would be speaking, and knew EXACTLY what she was going to say. I promise that him, Brigid, and Mikey reviewed her write up, if they didn't craft it themselves. I hope MG reads this and realizes the truth, that they are not her friends and say nasty and immature things about her behind her back.
So I looked up her employment - it looks like she is the Energy Commissioner? So she deals with stuff like solar panels? Why on earth is it a conflict of interest for her to speak up about the process of defining a school budget? She isn't lobbying for a certain light fixtures in the schools or anything. She is saying that she likes the way that the previous budget process was deliberated. I think you are all really grasping at straws to think there is anything unethical about what she did. She is also a parent of 3 kids in the schools, and as a parent, she has every right to express her opinion. Why is everyone going so crazy over this? I really don't get it. I agree with the other thread that if I was CKK, I would be very embarrassed by this level of retribution for a person who is speaking during public comments. My understanding is that CKK is always looking for more dialogue. To publicly and anonymously trash someone who is speaking up goes against everything that she has been lobbying for all of these years.
Sorry, but misbehavior like this needs to be called out by the public, anonymously or otherwise, to ensure it doesn't happen again. There is good reason why School Committee rules do not permit slander and personal attacks against anyone, including citizens of Melrose who speak during open session. It is to protect the sanctity of the public SC process and to ensure bullies will not intimidate people from speaking up at public meetings. If K Thorpe continues to violate the public trust and permit this misbehavior, and her own misbehavior, the public will step in and officiate.
The residents is not in violation of SC Rules.When is the last time any of you spoke?
Read the Public Comment rules on the SC web page. MG violated the rules, plain and simple.
The School Committee is resembling a cat fight in a sorority house. Sad
Okay you are right.But have you been to a meeting and spoke? Yes or No ?
Is that a prerequisite to comment here??
Okay you are right.But have you been to a meeting and spoke? Yes or No ? So you have not spoke at a meeting. So that is no.
Have you been to an English class lately? Or ever? You should change your name to Lawrence Douchehat.
Sorry, your wrong - you are weak. You are claim in your post "If K Thorpe continues to violate the public trust and permit this misbehavior, and her own misbehavior, the public will step in and officiate." You call anonymously posting on MM publicly stepping in and officiating? Pathetic. Show the same type of courage Grover displayed and sit down before a school committee member and criticize their behavior. That's all Grover did, and its fair game. CKK is a publicly elected official. Equally, it would be fair game for you to sit down in front of Thorp and criticize her behavior...this crowd just doesn't have the courage...or the brains to realize Grover handled it correctly while the mewling cowards of MM hide behind the board and do the exact same thing.
Hey, tough guy! You are not listening. Ms. Grover's "courageous" behavior (we call it bullying) is not permitted by the School Committee's public comment rules. Most of us here in Melrose have a certain amount of tact and civility and are not willing to violate the SC rules and embarrass ourselves as Ms. Grover did on television and in the press(you appear to be an exception). I am sure she will regret her poor behavior in years to come, if she doesn't already. By the way, weakness would be if the citizens cowered back and did nothing to expose this nasty behavior for what it is.
Very easy for people whose job was created by the mayor and answers to the mayor to speak publicly (albeit incorrectly) in support of the mayor's minions and to slam the only person with backbone standing up to him.
When you call out the mayor or his minions in public, they will and have come after you and your kids. They will resort to any dirty trick imaginable. So any talk on here about MG's "courage" or the cowardice of others is so outrageous, it defies the truth and reason.
He's imploding. The sad part is how weak it shows a leader to be to be so obsessed with countering and silencing every voice of dissent. Sound management needs no defenders nor defense. What once was a promising career in politics is now at sunset. The Governor's office is forever lost; once powerful allies now decidedly defeated or humiliated. Even greater enemies created in state pols and offices. Here is all that is left for a castle. Holding on to it is all that matters now. The very behavior and methods being used to desperately keep a hold on it may be the ultimate cause of its loss. Time will tell.
Our pity rightly belongs to the students and their families who have had to deal with the consequences of the negligence and/or downright viciousness of Mayor and minions (especially on the SC). They have damaged the education- academics, experiences and memories of countless children who have passed through MHS during RD's reign.
Delusional Clown Patrol at it again. Too cowardly to intervene on their own the Melrose Messages Bozo's are now calling for Dolan's friends and family to intervene? Best joke ever. Did you squeeze the red ball on your nose after typing that? Maybe squirt some water out of a flower at your computer screen. Have the courage of your convictions and go down to a SC meeting and tell the SC how you feel. Stop making excuses.
Even more delusional is "Pity" You won't need to wait long to see Dolan run unopposed in November...and don't forget, Dolan is right where he wants to be...and he has 125,000 good reasons to stay. Long live the King.
If it's anonymously posted on an Internet message board, it must be true.
I am right. Just go back in time and read the posts. Aside from the snarky comments, the raw information you see here is correct. Check for yourself. The irony is that as much as the current administration complains about this site, the current administration actually created the need for a place where information and opinions could change hands without retaliation from this administration. Perhaps they should stop the nonsense we have been witnessing with the school committee over the last couple of years for example, where public information is intentionally and illegally withheld by the superintendent and SC chair from certain school committee members as well as Melrose citizens. Then maybe there won't be a need for Melrose messages, the only current resource for hard news and opinion in Melrose. Or you can keep reading the fluff in the Weekly and Free Press and be an uninformed resident..