Archive for the ‘News’ Category

SMWs Unite!

21Jun18

If there’s anyone more insufferable than a Social Justice Warrior, it’s a Social Media Warrior. However irritating they may be, at least Social Justice Warriors can usually parrot some tired talking points in defense of their positions. All Social Media Warriors care about is being one of the cool kids. They’ll say whatever they think […]


Memorial Hall in Melrose was “All Shook Up” last Saturday night as the Polymnia Choral Society presented its “Tribute to Elvis, the King of Rock.” Polymnia and the King share a historical timeline. Polymnia was founded in Wakefield in 1953, the year Elvis Presley recorded his first demo at Sun Studio in Memphis. In 1956, […]


I’ll resist calling it “entertaining,” but it has been fascinating to watch the ongoing feud between the Wakefield Farmers Market and The Bread Shop. A year ago, Farmers Market manager Wendy Dennis initially denied The Bread Shop’s application to have a table at the Wakefield Farmers Market but later grudgingly relented after The Bread Shop […]


The vaping lot

24May18

It’s been an open secret for some time that vaping is a serious problem at Wakefield High School and at high schools everywhere. Vaping, if you don’t already know, is short for “vaporizing,” in which cartridges containing nicotine or even THC concentrate from marijuana, are vaporized rather than smoked. This is what e-cigarettes do. There […]


WAKEFIELD – The Board of Selectmen passed away with little fanfare this week after a bout with a virulent strain of political correctness. It was 371 years old. Born in 1647, the Board of Selectmen was the child of Lynn Village and Redding. It was later adopted by Reading, South Reading and Wakefield. The Board […]


Terms that perfectly capture their intended meaning sometimes end up as clichés. They get overused because no other words serve the purpose quite so well. The term “politically correct” is a perfect example. It’s status as a cliche is used as cover by those accused of politically correctness. They dismiss the charge on the grounds […]


There was a time, not so very long ago, when Wakefield residents of sound mind would hear about towns like Concord banning plastic water bottles, roll their eyes and think, “There but for the grace of God…” Then Wakefield Town Meeting banned plastic bags. And as long as they had the troops mustered, the forces […]


Being a panelist on two local candidates’ debates last week got me thinking about the role that local media plays in town. Televised debates for political office in Wakefield go back to the days before WCAT, to what I call the Dark Ages of public access TV. That was my first brush with local media […]


He, him, his

22Mar18

A fleeting moment of sanity gripped our state lawmakers last week. One state rep wanted to remove or change the “General Hooker Entrance” sign at the State House. The entrance is named for a Civil War hero, General Joseph Hooker. A statue of General Hooker astride a horse also stands near the doorway. Apparently, during […]


Since when have one-sided political protests been sanctioned during class time in Wakefield Public Schools? Next Wednesday at 10 a.m., at least some students plan to “walk out” of Wakefield Memorial High School “to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods.” […]