Letter: Former Stoneham Selectman Talks Budget Agreement

The following is a Letter to the Editor submitted by former Stoneham Board of Selectman R. Paul Rotondi.

[Editor's note: The following is a Letter to the Editor submitted by former Stoneham Board of Selectman R. Paul Rotondi.] Grab tight hold of your wallet taxpayers of Stoneham. The shell game is being played by School Committee members Shelly MacNeill and David Maurer to do away with the Budget Agreement (Rev 6) accepted by a majority of the Selectmen, School Committee and Finance board in March of 2011.  The reasons cited by them and some other elected and appointed officials, at the recent Tri-Board meeting, clearly indicates that they do not understand the Agreement or the Town’s fiscal restraints that drive it:   1. It was only a two-year Agreement. This is not true. The Agreement was voted on and approved as a four-year Agreement to be…

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Stoneham Middle School Plan, Budget the Focus of School Committee

The Stoneham School Committee addressed both topics during their Thursday night session at the high school.

The School Committee was pleased to announce that on election day Tuesday, voters approved moving forward with the estimated $40 million Stoneham Middle School project. The project narrowly passed, 2009-1688, according to the official voting results. The School Committee is encouraging the public to attend their Monday night meetings concerning the project to get more input from residents interested, because as committee member Jeanne Craigie put it, “The real work begins now.” The project will be discussed at the School Building Committee's session at 6 p.m. on Monday at the Stoneham High School Library. No Tri-Board Meeting, Informal Budget Talk Commences After a Tri-Board meeting between the School Committee, Finance and Advisory Board …

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Patch Facts

Five Things: Ravine Road One-Way, Tax Rate and Armed Robbery

Check the "Patch Facts" column for Nov. 29.

1. Informational meeting on Ravine Road: The town of Stoneham and city of Melrose will hold a joint informational meeting for residents at 7 p.m. tonight in Stoneham Town Hall’s Banquet Hall regarding the implementation – for a trial period – of one-way traffic on Ravine Road, from the Fellsway East to Woodland Road (with a “Do Not Enter” sign for Ravine Road at its intersection with Woodland Road). Ravine Road, which is split between Stoneham and Melrose, has been a contentious issue between the towns for a few years now. Stoneham Selectmen have pushed to make Ravine Road a one-way in the past because they said rush-hour commuters use the road as a cut-through and often travel well above the posted 25-mph speed limit – making it unsafe …

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School Building Committee Presents New Middle School's Plans

Thursday's meeting was the first in a series of meetings aimed at better informing the public about the project.

The School Building Committee updated the full School Committee and members of the public Thursday on the new middle school project. Although the School Building Committee has been working in open session since it was formed in May 2010, Thursday’s meeting marked the first real meeting intended to educate the public on the specifics of the project, since the project’s schematic design was approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in September. “This is really exciting,” Jeanne Craigie, chairwoman of the School Building Committee and a School Committee member, said at Thursday’s meeting in the Stoneham High School library. Public Awareness Campaign Craigie added that in the coming months, the School Building Committee …

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Patch Facts

Five Things: Sunny but Chilly Weekend

Check out the "Patch Facts" column for Nov. 18.

1. Weekend weather: It should be a sunny weekend but with some cold nights, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures today are expected to reach the high 40s but then drop down to the low 30s at night. Tomorrow, the projected high is 54, with an expected overnight low of 42, and, Sunday, temperatures should reach the low 60s during the day and drop to the low 40s at night. 2. School Building Committee presents preliminary plans for new middle school: The School Building Committee updated the full School Committee and members of the public last night on the new middle school project, which has been approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) but is still in its early stages. In the coming months, the …

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Patch Facts

Five Things: Middle School Plans to be Revealed

Check out the "Patch Facts" column for Nov. 17.

1. Middle school plans to be revealed: At 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Stoneham High School library, the School Committee, local politicians and the public will hear plans for the new middle school from the School Building Committee for the first time since the project was approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). 2. Obituary: Doreen McNulty: Doreen (Carrabino) McNulty, a Stoneham High School graduate and founder of the Learn to Figure Skate Club, died Monday, Nov. 14, after a lengthy and courageous battle with breast cancer. She was 49. McNulty was the wife of William “Bill” F. McNulty III, a Stoneham firefighter. Full obituary and funeral arrangements. 3. High school reunion: Stoneham High School’s Class of 1976 will …

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Patch Facts

Five Things: Selectmen's Recap, Important School Committee Meeting

Check out the "Patch Facts" column for Nov. 16.

1. Selectmen revisit treatment of town fields: After recently voting to use non-organic materials to treat the town’s fields, the Board of Selectmen changed its tune last night. After hearing from a professional turf consultant, who is offering his expertise to the town free of charge, and also youth coaches in town, the board directed the consultant to meet with the coaches in the coming months to see if they can come up with a cost-effective – and just plain effective – way to treat the town’s fields organically in the spring. The Selectmen – and the consultant – noted that the non-organic materials that the town had planned to use were not pesticides. However, the consultant said that the treatments could have led to the need for …

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Patch Facts

Five Things: Selectmen to Revisit Non-Organic Materials

Check out the "Patch Facts" column for Nov. 15.

1. Board of Selectmen: The Board of Selectmen will meet at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. According to the agenda, the board will revisit its recent decision to begin using non-organic materials to treat town fields. The board is expected to discuss the issue with the Stoneham Youth Coalition. 2. School Committee: The School Committee will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the high school’s Room 125. By looking at the agenda, it appears the majority of the meeting will be held in executive session, which is not open to the public. 3. Bridge Club and Senior Chorus and Tambourine Band: The Senior Center is hosting two get-togethers this morning – Bridge Club at 8:45 a.m. and the Senior Chorus and Tambourine Band at 9:30 a.m. For more information, check out this …

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School Committee Talks Social Networking Policy, Relay for Life

After speaking with Athletic Director David Pignone, the Stoneham School Committee discussed a revised social network policy and Relay For Life, a cancer benefit, being held at Stoneham High School in June 2012.

School Committee Meets with Athletic Director The Stoneham School Committee kicked things off Thursday night by discussing a variety of topics with Stoneham High School Athletic Director David Pignone. “We have a need and a wish list,” Pignone said, “unfortunately, nowadays, we only get what we need.” The School Committee requested an inventory summary from Pignone to better examine the “needs” and “wishes” and assess any changes to future budgetary actions. Pignone said that the athletic department is fully staffed, adding that the average gym class is roughly 20-22 students per teacher which he deemed, “satisfactory.” Uniforms (appropriate general gym ware) and cleanliness were then discussed. Pignone detailed that the policy for …

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