Though RD deserves partial credit for many improvements, there are many areas of basic management in the city and of the infrastructure that are not good at all. Start with the water & sewer rate mess that is literally hurting everyone. Move onto the disgrace of a police station and the chronic dismissiveness by the Executive Branch when it comes to taking the needs of the police department with any degree of seriousness. As someone elsewhere pointed out, the cemetery is not at all in good shape. Look closely at many of the overarching areas of management and you will not find anything approaching competent oversight, starting with the legal matters. That office is another that is totally a disgrace. The financial management (if one can call it that) is all smoke and mirrors, with anything but transparent and straightforward operations. There is so much general rot in how the executive branch operates in terms of immature, nasty, below-the-belt conduct and politicizing of virtually everything now. Melrose is anything but "Open to All" in the current climate as set by this administration, with the "hater" name-calling that signifies how RD treats anyone with differing views. So no, would have to disagree with MFD in his assessment that except for the schools that things are run well. That only works if one doesn't look beyond the surface as constructed by RD's team of obfuscaters and spinners.

You want better schools for Melrose's children?. You expect school committee members and the Superintendent to obey the law? And you dare to say this at school committee public comment period? Then that makes you a Melrose hater in the eyes of Thorpe, Dolan and the MEF "status quo huggers" and their lackeys. If you think we can do better than mediocre for our kids, guess what? These guys call you a Melrose hater. Go figure.

This is really the crux of the problem in Melrose right now. Without a major culture change, it won't really matter who runs for office or what policies are enacted because all those actions will emanate from a troubled culture that starts at home. The public has disenfranchised itself by allowing its public officials and elected representatives to behave in such poor fashion, or at a minimum to expect/demand so little. Where other communities would have protested effectively, immediately and consistently in the face of bad conduct, Melrose lets it pass and even sinks to blaming or scorning/shunning the whistleblowers.

After the mind-blowing front page article last week about the despicable conduct of the school administration in denying a school committee member documents and being called out by the top state officials for breaking the law, where were the letters from the community demanding corrective action? Where were all those pro-Override parents who flooded the press (with their pre-scripted talking points)? Do they even care that their school administration behaves thus or do they join with the power abusers in chalking this up to the "haters"? Where was the Weekly News "reporting" (which instead published the administration's propaganda about "Improved AP Results" as its front page).

Public Participation actually means something in other places. Here it seems to mean that stepping up is only okay if it is pre-sanctioned and/or requested by those in power--like the well-organized Override effort, based on what so many can see are the flimsiest of pretexts but stridently sold by those who earnest believe what they've been fed about this tax hike being necessary "to improve the schools." The rest of the time it's "go along to get along" and don't look too closely or you (and your kids) might just end up being shunned, too. That is a very messed-up culture.

If I were to post a comment like: " I'm a senior citizen, and I've lived in Melrose all my life, but I am deeply troubled about the disgraceful state of our 'educational system'. I'm also getting to the point where I, being on a fixed income, can no longer afford to absorb any more increases. The water and sewer rate system is patently unfair, trash fees and the like really hurt, taxes are sky high, and now I might be forced to deal with an override on top of everything else. As much as it pains me to do so, if this override passes, I will have no other choice but to leave the city I love. Melrose is surely not 'one community open to all' any more. It's only open to those that have the money.", how long do you think it would take for some nitwit to reply with "Good. We don't want people like you here anyway. You're nothing but a 'hater'."? That's the kind of "culture" that exists in Melrose today, and to be honest, money issues aside, I want no part of it. It's a disgrace, and we should all be ashamed to have sunk so low.

Has anyone heard if our illustrious city solicitor has responded for Cyndy Taymore and Kristen Thorpe to the Secretary of States office's demand that they give up the public documents our school committee member requested? before spending another dime of taxpayer funds for these idiots to pay for legal services to defend themselves after repeatedly breaking the law, it would be nice to see what they are defending themselves against, aside from the OML violations and Federal Civil Rights investigation. Is the city solicitor's response considered a public document??

Found this article in the Melrose Mirror on line about the Melrose City Solicitor:

Van Campen's Role in Casino Talks Needs Clarification
http://melrosemirror.media.mit.edu/servlet/pluto?state=303034706167653030375765625061676530303269643030353230393934

If I were Carrie Kourkomelis, I wouldn't have high expectations that I would ever see the public documents she has requested regarding the out of control spending on legal fees relating to misbehaving school administrators.

You'll get a kick when you see this.

http://melrosecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=15&ID=1825&Inline=True

Only in Melrose!

Committee Meeting Minutes Thursday, 8 October 2009
Aldermanic Chambers, Melrose City Hall 7:30 p.m.
- 1 - 1
Appropriations Committee
Chairman Mortimer, Infurna, Brodeur, Tramontozzi, Forbes, Wright, McAteer-Margolis, Medeiros, Conn, Boisselle Absent: Seaboyer In attendance: City Solicitor Robert Van Campen
Appropriations Committee called to order by Chairman Mortimer at 8:05 p.m. Order No. 10-37, APPOINTMENT Of: Robert J. Van Campen, Esq., City Solicitor to serve as the liaison of the City of Melrose to the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission in accordance with Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2009. Atty. Van Campen says the state legislature enacted changes to the Conflict of Interest Law. Each municipality must appoint a liaison to the State Ethics Commission to coordinate training to all municipal employees. Training is online and must be completed by April 2, 2010. Alderman Medeiros says she is sure there are costs associated with this and asks if people can do the training at home. Atty. Van Campen says yes. The Commission suggests group training but the wrinkles are being worked out. The Massachusetts Municipal Association has stressed that the state must pay for costs associated with training. Alderman Medeiros asks for highlights of the law. Atty. Van Campen says the law itself remains unchanged but online training is required every two years, and all municipal employees are required to receive a summary of the law. Alderman Medeiros asks if this position will interfere with his other duties as City Solicitor. Atty. Van Campen says no; he can handle it. Alderman Brodeur says as City Solicitor Atty. Van Campen already has significant duties dealing with this. He asks if under the reform package his only responsibility is being the liaison. Atty. Van Campen says yes. President Boisselle asks how he will know when an employee has completed the online training. Atty. Van Campen says the employee has to sign a form and present it to the City Clerk who in turn submits it to the SEC. Alderman McAteer-Margolis asks if special municipal employees must also take the training. Atty. Van Campen says yes, as well as the Board of Aldermen and contractors hired by the City; it’s pretty broad. On the motion to recommend, All in favor. Alderman Brodeur motions to adjourn, 2nd by Alderman Forbes. All in favor.

This has a long way to go at this time.It is what it is.It is summer .

Melrose Ethics Handbook 101:

Chapter I: "Don't do what I do, do what I say."

Chapter III: Using your City Solicitor for cover.

Chapter IV: Strategies for Violating Open Meeting Laws

Chapter V: Skirting Mass Public Records Laws

Chapter VI: Other Strategies to Close the Blinds on Transparency

The schools refuse to tell the truth about what should be basic disclosure about a simple public process. They already duck and cover from every question Ms. Kourkoumelis asks in the meetings. At least they're consistent not giving her documents,

They fight against every information request. They spend tens of thousands of public funds on lawyers instead of just turning over a few documents, which would cost taxpayers nothing. They violate open meeting laws and spend tens of thousands more on lawyers fighting that.

Imagine if they applied all that effort and all that money to improving the schools!

"It's never been about the schools - it's been about "power" and "influence"! And until we change this formula and to get our politicians and administrators to have the courage and commitment to change it - nothing will ever change.

Glad to see that more are seeing the truth. Where are the letters to the editor or more people showing up at Public Participation? Plenty of adults in the community know about this corrupt administration and don't have any children in the schools to worry about retaliation. Where are they? Where are the parents of recent grads but who know first-hand just how bad this school administration is? How come parents and community members show up in Stoneham, in Malden, etc., to speak openly at public meetings, but here so few show up except as the wind-up shills with their formulaic talking points when the administration wants a raise for itself or a bogus override to pad its slush funds for future raises and lawsuit money?

Apparently Melrose is content to let things continue downwards, as it's been over and over again. Remember that exodus of almost every single administrator just 3 years ago? That outrage was pitiful and lasted a couple of weeks before most everyone left for the beach and gave up even the appearance of concern. Remember how some of those selfsame "outraged" parents were the very ones who praised Casey to the hilt? Well look at the ones who aren't saying a word now (after their emphatic calls and letters during the superintendent search to hire CT during another of those pre-scripted efforts to manipulate the public process with effusive pro-forma comments before the vote, punctuated by a certain local pompous opportunist HR "expert" telling us dummies in the public just how "excellent" this "hire" of his is/was, making sure to cast a pointed eye at the one member who had the courage to disagree right from the start with a lone vote for another candidate). Maybe things would still be bad if the committee had hired Mark Kaufman or Dr. Kelleher instead of the two it chose instead, but it's hard to imagine it could have been this awful had Melrose hired superintendents who already had a proven academic track record, two real educators who could speak (and think) in complete sentences and actually cared about students. There is still an available record of these things in the media archives, and it was quite instructive to do some background reading recently.

From 2008:
http://melrose.wickedlocal.com/article/20080403/NEWS/304039661/0/SEARCH?template=printart
"Over the last two years, the Melrose School Department has dealt with significant administration turnover, with all but one of the city’s five elementary schools hiring replacement principals. Since 2006, there have been seven principal changes in the district"

or this:
http://melrose.wickedlocal.com/article/20070308/NEWS/303089759/0/SEARCH?template=printart
"The mayor called Casey “dynamic” and “a great communicator,”
“That’s what accountability is and I think the public schools have to be in accountable in why are these people leaving,” he said. “I’ve spoken with some of them and it’s not all about the need for programming. It’s about how they feel they’ve been treated, what type of vision they’re getting at the local elementary school.”
Dolan said the kids leaving for charter schools are not high school age students attending private schools such as Malden Catholic or St. John’s Prep, but elementary age students.
Casey said some parents may have their opinion swayed by stories that have floated around the community about the public school system, and that those stories may be a “misperception.”
“You used to hear all sorts of stories about the high school, that there’s trouble up there and the kids are doing crazy things … I walk the halls everyday, you’re walking the halls — are you seeing anything crazy out here? I’m not,” he said."

or this:
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/melrose/2012/06/melrose_loses_five_school_admi.html

or this:
http://melrose.wickedlocal.com/article/20120621/News/306219258
"Dolan, who said MHS means more to him than anything else he deals with on a daily basis, was shocked to hear Richards would not be returning for the upcoming school year. “I never saw this coming and I’m usually pretty good at seeing things happening,” he said. “I am profoundly disappointed and I have to use the word, betrayed. I think I speak for a number of people, that there is a real, human, deep sense of betrayal.” However, Dolan said that in his 10 years as mayor, Richards’ departure does not make the list of the top 20 challenges the city has faced." " Over the last several months, four of the five elementary school principals announced they will leave for other districts, in addition to Richards. The most recent announcement came from Mary Alise Herrera, who will move to Tyngsborough...Despite the explanations from city and school leaders, many residents have questioned whether there’s an underlying issue."

or this:
http://melrose.wickedlocal.com/article/20060413/NEWS/304138407/0/SEARCH
"Casey's the Guy"
"The Melrose School Committee anguished over a decision Tuesday night, but each member voiced that it was the best possible type of difficult choice to face. After a stressful month that has seen a principal suspended and reinstated, and a superintendent released, the School Committee on Tuesday night interviewed two finalists to assume the superintendent position."
"The day after the meeting, School Committee chairwoman Christine Casatelli said that Casey's salary will be determined after contract negotiations, but will fall in the range of $120,000 to $145,000. According to Stoneham Town Treasurer Tom Cicitelli, Casey currently earns $105,373." "Wendy Golini [Mother Mary in the Cutting Board] referred to a quote from Casey, when he told her, "a great leader to me becomes successful by teaching others to become leaders through shared expectations."

or this:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2013/04/10/after-over-melrose-students-skip-school-some-question-punishment/dU57M790HVDoayEepsw3FI/story.html
"Mayor Robert Dolan, who also serves on the School Committee, said Senior Skip Day is a longstanding tradition in the city, but he didn’t condone the party. He also said teens learn by making mistakes, and he backed Claymore’s decision to not suspend any of the party-goers."

or this:
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/melrose/2012/01/the_following_was_submitted_by_29.html
"this committee has already decided outside a public meeting that they wish apparently to expend more of your tax dollars denying any wrongdoing."

or this:
http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/articles/2011/05/08/substance_abuse_photos_cost_11_melrose_high_athletes/
"In September, school officials received photos of 37 students drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, but the pictures could not be identified as being recent, according to Casey. School officials informed parents but took no disciplinary action."


Many of those people who insisted the SC had to hire CT know just how disastrous that decision was but are now just counting the days/years until they "are done" and their last child is "out," with zero sense of civic responsibility to speak up on behalf of all of the community's children, AND its chronically misspent tax dollars! These parents know exactly and personally that the administration is not telling the truth and has been grossly incompetent since the start. The truth is in the eyes of their children who have lost any love of learning or achieving, many of whom are just marking time until they are "done," where in a better school system they would be energetically pursuing everything they can get out of their education. Some of these parents have had to pay a lot for extra help or even psychological counseling for their children, and still they opt to stay silent or fool themselves into thinking that they are making a difference when they "speak up" at coffees or PTO meetings. They resentfully write checks for all the dozens of things the district duns them for, and some even volunteer. But they just keep perpetuating the system instead of speaking up when it counts.

It's the same cast of characters (several of whom sat on that superintendent search and the various principal searches) who flooded the chamber to give Mr. 26% his raise and who are now manipulating the process again, always currying favor for themselves in their social climbing and in their delusion that this somehow benefits their children (and with no care about everyone else's). Some have already had plenty of evidence right under their noses, with their kids who are struggling or who have lost the stars in their eyes, but these parents really don't care what the truth is (even when it is actually irrefutable). Even if their own children are suffering or not achieving appropriate to their abilities, these parents are mostly interested in their social and political agenda, regardless of the failed educational results.

Maybe this year will be different. Maybe more parents will come forward now that this sick and deceitful administration and committee have had the audacity to go directly after everyone's wallets. Maybe the fall will show that Melrose actually does care, that there is power in numbers, and that the truth actually does matter. Gotta hope!

Weel said and well documented! No excuse for not knowing what's going on in the schools!
Learn, educate yourself, and then vote no for the Override - you have a choice, our students don't.

Van Campen's role in Casino talks needs clarification

... Melrose City Solicitor is also three-time president of Aldermen in Everett, a location under consideration for a casino

by Joe Sullivan


A front-page story in the January 17 edition of the Melrose Weekly News reported that Mayor Dolan would be asking the state Gaming Commission to consider the impact that proposed casinos for Revere and Everett would have on Melrose.

The city had petitioned the Gaming Commission to make Melrose a designated as a “surrounding community” of the casinos now proposed for Everett and Revere. Melrose's petitions were successful and the city has negotiated agreements with both proposed casinos. The agreements are to compensate Melrose for the negative effects that either casino could have on our city.

Only one of the casinos will receive a gaming license. Which casino is selected will have a huge impact. Malden's agreement with Wynn is for an upfront payment of $1 million plus $1 million annually. After the casino's 6th year of operation Malden gets an additional $1.2 annually with a increase 2.5% each year. Also included are hiring preferences for permanent jobs. But Malden only gets this arrangement if Wynn gets approval for a state gaming license. This agreement was reached in October 2013.

Wynn not receiving a gaming license may not be a calamity for Malden. A January 28, 2014 story in Malden Patch said that Malden had also reached an agreement with Mohegan Sun for its proposed Suffolk Downs casino. Malden has 30 days to "fine tune" the agreement so there has been no public description of it.

Melrose also designated a surrounding community of both casinos

Not every city shares in the big money. The January 29 posting of the online publication Patch covered Mayor Dolan's announcement that Melrose will be a "surrounding community of the proposed Mohegan Sun proposed Suffolk Downs casino. Under this arrangement Melrose would receive $50,000 annually along with some other benefits.

Later, the January 30 edition of The Melrose Free Press said the city had also reached an agreement with Wynn's proposed casino in Everett. The agreement does not contain a $50,000 annual impact payment that Mohegan Sun's does.

What is surprising about the agreements is how quickly they were reached. Mayor Dolan petitioned the Gaming Commission on January 10. By the end of the month the petitions had not only been approved but agreement had been reached with two different casino companies.

In his announcement of the Mohegan Sun payment Mayor Dolan said that the Melrose Legal and Planning departments had done a great deal of work in advocating for Melrose's interest. When did they have time to do the work and who did it?

City Solicitor Robert Van Campen is Melrose's top Legal Counsel. What was his role in preparing the petitions and how is he participating in the work of advocating for Melrose interests? Was he a member of the group working for these Melrose interests in the petition to the Everett casino?

The questions are important because Melrose City Hall is not Van Campen's only relationship with city government. He maintains a high political profile in his nearby home town of Everett where he is an Alderman. It is hard to see why holding offices in both cities is not a conflict of interest when it comes to the casinos.

Can our City Solicitor be impartial as to which casino gets a gaming license? How can he support the payments to Melrose that will come only if there is no casino in Everett?

Not only is Van Campen ineligible to negotiate for Melrose he cannot be an adviser to, or plan for anyone who will be a negotiator. It is surprising that he is writing letters to the Melrose Aldermen and Paul Brodeur our state representative about Mayor Dolan's reasons for submitting the petitions according to the January Melrose Weekly News story. Additionally, it was Van Campen's emails explaining issues with the agreements that the Free Press quoted in its January story.

In Everett politics since 1999

Van Campen has a long history in Everett politics. In 1999 he was elected to the Common Council and in 2001. At age 26, he was one of the youngest candidates ever to be elected to the Board of Aldermen. He has been elected three times to be its president.

In November last year he ran for Mayor of Everett losing to incumbent Carlo DeMaria. Although a proposed casino for Everett had a high level of interest to the voters it was not an issue in determining the mayoral race. That's because in a city wide referendum in June of the same year 86% of the 6,153 voters approved Wynn’s proposal to build a casino. Only 833 people voted against it.

A casino was a very popular proposal and the only meaningful debate between the mayoral candidates was “What to do with the city’s share of the casino haul?” as the headline said in the Everett Independent, the city’s weekly newspaper.

Big win for Everett if Wynn gets okay

The “haul” for Everett is enormous. There will be a $30 million payment to the city if Wynn gets the gaming license.

During his mayoral campaign Van Campen set up a web site to inform the voters of his positions. The site carried the title “Robert Van Campen A Mayor for a Better Everett." He emphasized the importance of the thousands of jobs that Steve Wynn said the casino would provide for Everett citizens. Another benefit he praised was the tax revenue stream created by the casino. He also cited the increase in customers coming to visit the casino and companies and that entrepreneurs will look to Everett as an optimal place to relocate or open new businesses.

Winners and losers not confined to casino gambling

At least some of the anticipated benefits for Everett or in Revere will be coming from some other community which will lose them. The petitions to be a “surrounding community” deal with the privations that will result when a community’s jobs and businesses are affected by the benefits that will occur when a neighboring casino opens.

It doesn’t appear that one person can promote the benefits that an Everett casino provides and, at the same time, ask for payments to Melrose for privations that these benefits cause. But that’s what happens when you’re Alderman in the city where the benefits occur and when you’re City Solicitor in the city where the benefits will be detriments.

This is not an issue about Robert Van Campen’s personal integrity. It’s what happens when two issues conflict with one another. Mayor Dolan should relieve Van Campen of this conflict and appoint someone else to deal with the casinos.


February 7, 2014

I agree with everything but the first sentence of the last paragraph. He is subject to the same ethics and conflict of interest regulations as every over public employee and should know better.

City solicitor Robert Van Campen is actually the City's liaison to the State of Massachusetts Ethics Commission... go figure.

Hello folks, seems that our city has something to hide. Mayor Dolan what are you hiding? Public records are public records. The buck stops at you because you seem to know everything that's going on, comes back to you. Isn't it amazing, that you are hiding behind all this. When you are going to let the superintendent take the heat for this. I'm not sticking up for the superintendent, but you're playing a silly game now. All that you have to do is print the checks, copies of all those checks that the Melrose tax payers dollars that you are spending. But then again you think you can do whatever you want. Maybe you can at this time, or sooner or later it will come back to you. Of course you will blame everybody else but yourself. You sit on the Melrose School Committee, so that you have a say on how the money is spent and also because of the City Charter. Maybe you don't like being called out, but I'm paying your salary, I'm a tax payer, and your insurance and all the other benefits that come with your job require tax payers money. Now lets talk about the superintendent of schools a little bit. She must think that the folks here in this community are stupid but they are not. She says that she has the best legal team around, but she sure is hiding what it is costing her, and she doesn't want anybody in the community to know. It's the tax payers dollars, not hers. And the city of melrose is looking for an override? To hire a few police officers and use the rest of the money for schools? And what's sad about this is that our superintendent isn't being honest with us and is hiding by using every legal menuever that she can find. And then she's asking for an unreasonable amount for an unallocated official, that she wouldn't have to pay anything. Maybe this is going to cost her, her job once word is out, contract or no contract. I think that what we have going on here is that Mayor Dolan and our superintendent have no respect for the tax payers of Melrose. There is no clear transparency here, just smoking mirrors, everything is well. Bring it on Mayor Dolan, I'm ready for your bloggers to try to discredit what I have said. The truth is the truth, you were the first one to complain about when somebody files an open law complaint because of what it cost the tax payers. How much money is the mayor and superintendent costing us to fight this? It's pretty funny, what the mayor on the school committee has a total cover up to this on regards to this. You may disagree with me, but as a tax payer I am entitled to my opinion remember that. We probably wouldn't need an override if the melrose public schools operated openly. But instead it's hiding secrets.

As the City's liaison to the State of Massachusetts Ethics Commission, isn't Robert Van Campen responsible for investigating and calling out bad behavior of municipal employees, rather than defending them??

It is what it is.Nothing new.

Are you typing just for the sake of typing, since your comment means nothing?

It is what it is Willie, get over it.

Hello Melrosians, how are you all doing tonight? In a couple more weeks school starts up. Before you know it, we'll be hearing all kinds of things about this override thing that we need for the schools and hiring a couple police officers. It's amazing how quiet it's been, just the administration knows that nobody is paying attention to this override because most people are on this 'vacation mode' but even saying that, we have public records request that a school committee member can not get because they want to charge her for it, a lot of money. But I bet anybody else on the school committee can get the records and it wont cost them a dime. Is it possible, that they are afraid that the truth will come out, because somebody is willing to speak it? I think so. The question it has been all along, is how much is it going to cost us, tax payers to offend this. Elected officials should be able to get the records, never cost them a penny. The Mayor you're elected, superintendent you have a contract, city solicitor you're hired, and of course we have a school attorney, and we've hired a law firm to deal with this federal investigation. And for some reason a chair person has a lot of power and chooses who's going to get information. It's no longer funny, because you're elected by the people. Changing the rules only hides what's really going on. There's no real transparency so why do we need an override? So nobody else in the community knows what the school committee is doing, our mayor is doing, our superintendent is doing. So you can ask for money and spend it however way you want? Seems to me there is no accountability here. Yes it is an election year, and we know the Mayor is running but has no opponent. But some of you will have an opponent. So what are you all hiding? It seems to me to have an override at this time is almost giving the city money to spend however way they went. Because it would be very hard to hire teachers in November, December or even January. All the good teachers will be gone, they got good positions, not saying that the other ones aren't good. The Melrose School committee and all the elected officials on the school committee have done a poor job on promoting the override. They're not even saying what it will do or how it will effect the children. All you're saying is that everything will be fine. You're not even talking about laying off teachers. Or eliminating programs. What kind of bull crap is this? Is this all about making each department have more money to spend over the school year? Is this about addressing special ED and keeping children in our community? Is this about addressing the drug issues, that exist in the Melrose Public schools system. A lot of people won't talk about this, but I sure as hell will. It's time that the melrose public school system, our superintendent starts talking about what's going on. But maybe that may scare you all. How about the parents filing complaints about their children not getting the services they need because of the lack of money. I'm talking about music, band, special ED, and all the other things that we are supposed to provide. There's talk in this community, that when a parent complains about the services that the children is supposed to be receiving, the district goes out of the way to make sure it may cost the parent some money one way or the other. Or make them worry about what they have complained about, because they care about there kids. Does the district really care about the kids? Or is the district more concerned about shipping the kids out of the community, so that the problem goes away and whatever it cost the district is gone too to another district. The tax payers are on the hook because we've done nothing to really address the issue. And yes of course there are those out there who will disagree. Bring the bloggers on Mr. Mayor, and superintendent and anybody else. Truth always speaks for itself. There's plenty of stories in the community about what's going on. But remember our mission here is to educate the children here, the tax payers pay a lot of money. And the school department needs to be more honest, the parents should be able to talk to the principle in regards to their children, and not feel that they will be retaliated against. You may not like those words but freedom of speech, keep that in mind. It's only an opinion. I know for fact I've been here for 20 years. I've heard a lot of stories, about the Melrose School system, and there's always three sides to the story. Some stories are very successful and some kids fell through the cracks. It wasn't because the parents gave up, it was something else. It makes you wonder, I think the only thing that i can compare it to at this moment would be band and orchestra making these kids make a decision that may have an impact on their lives. I dont know if this problem has been resolved, probably the only person who can resolve that problem is the principle of that school. Because the school committee said it's up to the principle. This shows you that there are so many things wrong so why do they really want an override? Thank you all, enjoy the rest of the summer. School starts soon.

It is what it is nothing good at this time.But in time we all will know.

This site is great reading. I love coming here when there is another positive article about Melrose and watch everyone twist and turn and agonize over the publicity Melrose is getting. I think it is fantastic.

It says a great deal about you when you think an article that has to do with a teacher humiliating a minority student, and our school system wasting a great deal of money to "defend" itself for a Civil Rights violation is a "positive" article. I am glad for my house prices that there was a survey that was positive about the city. This string is not about that. I am sad that we have to spend so much time hiding our faults to keep our zip code looking good, instead of fixing the problem. The fact that the teacher in question had no reprimand or consequence is outrageous, and that is the problem. We would rather ignore a real problem for our own sense of community pride than deal with it.

Well said...To Vermont.....now if only .....Vermont...can comprehend what you just said!

Well stated. No, Vermont does not have the intelligence to comprehend. Say, can we impeach Taymore with a petition? If so, I'll draft one. Well stated at the SC meeting last night CKK. The only honest one there.

I couldn't make the meeting last night but look forward to viewing it on MMTV when they put it up. I did get a chance to see CKK's evaluation of Taymore and it is
devastating - 20 pages of documentation to back up every one of the 9 Unsatisfactory and 4 Needs Improvement ratings she gave her. Everyone should read her evaluation - it is an absolute indictment of Taymore's incompetence!

I have read it as well. Way to back up the ratings of CT with well documented evidence. Please continue to stay strong CKK.

As she stated during the meeting, if you want her to send you a copy, write to her directly (since heaven only knows when or where that monster of a chair will put it online, and we know they all want anything from CKK buried so that no one can access it).


Carrie Kourkoumelis

It was very nice to see Carrie Kourkoumelis speak about what's going on here, maybe the rest of the folks on the school committee and our mayor they only see and hear what they want to see and hear. As a parent tax payer, the truth was spoken last night, it's to bad that the rest of the members on the school committee continue to rubber stamp everything saying that everything is fine and everything is good. There has been so many different stories in this community about what's going on with the grammar school, middle school and high school. We all know the truth, but the rest of the members of the Melrose School committee including mayor Dolan seem to have forgotten what the truth is. As tax payers and parents of students we're lucky to have Carrie Kourkoumelis. Atleast she stands up for the truth, the Melrose School committee has done everything it can, including the mayor, and the superintendent to make her job hard, let me put it to you this way. When the superintendent is executive secretary for all elected members of the school committee, basically these elected officials is the superintendents boss. As tax payers we're paying her salary. When she chooses to hold information back Carrie Kourkoumelis you have to start to wonder what she is hiding. For her to say 'just send me a letter and I'll give you all the information that you want from Carrie Kourkoumelis' sounds like from the public point of view she is full of hot air. Maybe she is getting a lot of pressure now, from the attorney generals office on public records request, which follows under the secretary of the states office which is available online. By the way the folks in this community have to start asking the question is our superintendent really doing the job? And are the members on the school committee covering up for her? You can read about any string on here, and speaks for itself. You can go to the meetings, you can watch the meetings on tv, or you can try to talk to her in person. The questions becomes, for all of us in Melrose, what road is this superintendent leading us down? And when is all members on the school committee going to start to take more responsibility to what's going on here? It's important to realize nobody can make this up, everyday we turn around it's a new chapter. Thank you all, I'm looking forward to any of you bloggers who is trying to discredit this, bring it on. PS enjoy the rest of the summer school starts real soon, thank you all.

What happens next in the quest to get the documents from Taymore & Co?

Have asked around. More "review" by the state officials of the contemptuous district response. More obfuscation by the administration (no mystery there). More things being concealed, ever more egregious. But Wait, for $19.99.....! Actually for $7,600 the administration "offered" to send some of the documents (redacted and improperly at that), of course.

So disgusting, so tedious, and such a perfect reflection of what matters to this administration and this School Committee (and Mayor!). What a waste! Am grateful to and in awe of CKK for the tenacity to persist on our behalf.

Her is CKK's original request:

1. Office of Civil Rights Notice of investigation sent to Melrose Public Schools. (Finally received with much effort, improperly redacted info)

2. All communications between and among members of the School Committee, the
Superintendent and legal counsel surrounding the Office of Civil Rights Investigation. (CKK already entitled to receive this as member of school committee as it concerns deliberation between SC members)
3. All communications (email, US Mail) between Superintendent Taymore and/or
Melrose Public Schools staff and/or any members of Melrose School Committee and
all attorneys representing the Melrose Public Schools resulting in billable hours from
January 2014 through the present. (Already entitled to this info as member of SC committee, having fiduciary responsibilities to the citizens of Melrose for the proper spending of tax payer dollars, as well as being required to vote on the superintendent's frequent requests for additional budget $ for legal fees.)

4. Superintendent Taymore's phone log indicating contact with any and all attorneys
representing the Melrose Public Schools resulting in billable hours from January 2014
through the present. ( A phone log of calls made/received is readily available from the School Department's phone service provider).

The phone logs she's probably asking for are the ones the superintendent or her secretary Diane Hogan would keep as a matter of course. No legitimate office operates without phone and appointment logs. I don't think she's looking for records from the phone company. Those could prove useful if the superintendent tries to redact them in her log.

Hello Melrosians how are all of you doing? It's Monday evening and we're getting closer to opening day of school isn't that exciting? So let me get to my point, it is so strange that our superintendent, the city solicitor, school attorney are using every excuse in the book, not to give up the public records request that Ms. Kourkoumelis is looking for. It should concern all of us, we're not only talking about our superintendent, were not only talking about our mayor, the school attorney, what is so hard about producing these records? What is the real privacy here. I know I would like to know how much is cost us so far. And these pending law suits, that may be tide, to this federal investigation. Why is it, that a Melrose school committee member, Ms. Kourkoumelis cannot get these records? Is it because the city attorney, I believe he is an elected official in Everett. Does that raise a question, I don't know the answer to that right now, but I will tell you that I will look into it. Do we have a conflict here? It's amazing that a Melrose school committee, our superintendent, and the mayor think they can do whatever they want and continue to hide information. Maybe the bigger question here, is it possible that we have an open meeting law violation here? I'm trying to figure out where they're getting the money to pay these bills. It's only a thought of what I've read in the news papers and seen on tv. But nobody can give me a straight answer on what they've spent. And you still have to wonder, can we trust the mayor? Can we trust the school committee? Can we trust the city solicitor, and can we trust the school attorney? So what are some of the thoughts out there folks? We all read the board, but for some reason, we are footing the bill, for all this legal action, that our superintendent has hired nothing but the best. How come she is able to hide all of this, and nobody and I want to repeat the word nobody, is holding our feet to the fire, is this because our mayor, and our superintendent, city solicitor, and the school attorney thinks its none of our business how much it is costing us? They are wrong if they think it is none of our business, what is this going to turn into a public request record for what it's cost Melrose tax payers for this federal investigation. The only question that will be on there is how much has it cost? If that doesnt get the answer, it shows this current administration, yes Mr. Mayor you, are afraid of what the people will say, maybe that might embarrass you, and it should. You're about transparency but the way that I look at it, you pick and choose. Yes Mr. Mayor I used the words pick and choose. It's like when you want to be in the paper and have your picture taken when you've done something great. But Mr. Mayor you have done nothing great by hiding this. I'm not making this up, all that you have to do is go online and look it up, the attorney generals office, secretary of states office, public records. Maybe you don't respect that people are looking for information in regards to what this is costing us. Mr. Mayor it is not your money, it's the tax payers money, so you're basically telling the tax payers to pound sand. That's an opinion, these are nice words that I am using. Mr. Mayor how in the hell do you expect to get an override in November if you're holding information back about the tax payers money being spent? This is not about the name, it's only about the dollars. Isn't that amazing. So Melrosians what do you all think about this tonight? Do you all have the extra $260 a year for this override forever? And we can't get city government to answer questions that should be answered truthfully. Well folks that all that I have to say, bring on the bloggers that are trying to discredit me. I stand by the truth, and I think that every melrosian that lives in melrose believes in the truth. Good or bad. Good night to you all and enjoy the rest of the summer, thank you very much.

This school committee is out to lunch.

No....they are just plain "out" - out of touch with teachers, out of touch with parents, out of touch with the residents of Melrose - they are just plain "out of touch"!

MFD hit the nail on the head. The school committee has no idea what really happens. They 'touch' no one but the superintendent. They accept her version of reality(fantasy) that her admins spin time and time again.

Teachers don't have a professionally safe way to tell the school committee what's really happening that hurts students in Melrose. There is no real two-way communication. Admins should be the solution, but they're the biggest problem here.

After every latest spin, school committee members proclaim how 'wonderful' everything is and how 'wonderful' the admins are making it 'even better.' They demonstrate either complete ignorance or complete conspiracy - it can only be one or the other. Things aren't 'wonderful.' They're ugly here.

Open your eyes and ears, people. Don't fall for the incessant spin of superintendent and principals. Don't act surprised or outraged when the truth finally comes out, usually after they leave. You know some of the real truth today. Mrs. Kourkoumelis may understand elements, but it's clear even she doesn't know the full extent. They absolutely hide some of the things from her.

No matter how much global warming, the snow always flies thick from the Melrose schools, school committee and Mayor's office.

You have it right. Another year, another Snow Job.

No one is looking forward to Monday when admin starts it up all over again, blaming us for their failures. Even so, they'll go to school committee in September and say, again, how wonderful a job they're doing.

This is not good.The job that is being done is like being out to lunch.

Kourkoumelis filed a second appeal. According to Brian McNiff, a spokesman for Galvin’s office, that appeal was opened Aug. 12. State officials are looking into the matter, he said.

At the beach house for the long weekend, but compelled to add my two cents.

It's no surprise that the schools don't improve when the superintendent appears more concerned with hiding bad acts than sharing information with the school committee.

Let me rephrase that - Apparently, the superintendent has long been conspiring with most of the school committee to hide bad acts throughout the school system. They keep information away from the one school committee member who cares enough about students to try to protect them.

To Rob, Mayor Dolan - You have spent years tightening control over Melrose by playing your political games. It's by your hand that the school system has violated a basic tenet. The school system has harmed children. You are responsible for that. You are personally responsible for the poor schools, the abuse to all these students and the coverup(how many now?). Your inability to make a responsible comment to the paper betrays your culpability in this matter. After all these years, you're still too immature to admit when you've done wrong.

Please, whoever you are, send this to the local papers. While you're at it, please send it to that excellent Boston Globe reporter who has broken the case to the region: Brenda J. Buote may be reached at brenda.buote@gmail.com

Just curious: How is it that it would meet ethical guidelines for Melrose City Solicitor Robert Van Campen to accept $1500 for his 2012 City of Everett Mayoral Campaign from the family that owns LaRovere Insurance Agency in Everett, who just happens to provide the lucrative Liability Insurance Policy for the City of Melrose? As City Solicitor, isn't he fully involved in that selection process?

http://www.ci.everett.ma.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/71

The motto at city hall is, "You grease my hand and I'll grease yours!" And people wonder why there is so much slipping and sliding going on in some of the city departments.

It cannot be in compliance with the state ethics guidelines for this to have occurred, weak as those rules and enforcement are. Go online someone and file this. It's very simple and fully anonymous as far as anyone in Melrose knowing.

http://www.mass.gov/ethics/commission-services/complaints/file-a-complaint.html

From the Office of Campaign and Political Finance
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, municipal campaigns:

A political committee may not solicit or receive a
contribution on behalf of a candidate who is a public
employee if the contributor has an interest in any particular
matter in which the employee participates or which is the
subject of his official responsibility.

Looks pretty cut and dried.