“Tell Scott Brown to stop obstructing progress on global warming.”
“Tell Scott Brown to stop voting with Wall Street.”
“Tell Scott Brown to Release $700 million in Federal Relief Money to Massachusetts.”
“Tell Scott Brown to Extend Unemployment Insurance.”
Those are just a few of the advertisements that have run on TV, radio and the Internet since Scott Brown was elected to the United States Senate last January. Somebody tell Scott Brown that he sure is causing certain special interest groups and unions to spend a ton of their members’ money.
Continue reading ‘A “Telling” Time for Sen. Scott Brown’
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Tags: ad, ads, advertisements, boat, boating, boats, canoe, Climate Change, Edward M. Kennedy, election, elections, Global Warming, John Kerry, Kennedy, Martha Coakley, Massachusetts, political ad, political ads, political advertisement, Politics, Rhode Island, RI, row boat, rowboat, Scott Brown, Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Scott Brown, Senate, Senator John Kerry, Senator Kennedy, Senator Scott Brown, special interest group, special interest groups, Ted Kennedy, Unemployment Insurance, union, unions, United States Senate, US Senate, Wall St., Wall Street, yacht, yachts
The Nuns Next Door
Nunsense at Next Door Theater in Winchester
Greater Boston residents now have another space where they can see professional theater artists ply their trade. Nunsense, the current offering at Next Door Theater in Winchester, MA is a good-natured energetic musical comedy with a clerical bent.
Continue reading ‘The Nuns Next Door’
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Tags: actor, actors, actress, actresses, Aimee Doherty, Brian Milauskas, Caylin Campbell, Dan Goggin, Erik Fox, John Henry Burns, Meredith Stypinski, musical, musical theater, musicals, Nancy Curran Willis, Next Door Theater, nun, nuns, Nunsense, Sarajane Mullins, Shana Dirik, show, sister, sisters, song, songs, stage, theater, theaters, theatre, theatres, Tim McShea, Winchester, Winchester MA, Winchester Mass, Winchester Massachusetts
All aTwitter
As recently as a few weeks ago, my resolve was holding firm. There was no way that I would ever be on Twitter.
About a year ago, I finally caved to virtual peer pressure and signed up for a Facebook account long after most of my eventual FB friends had been updating their statuses for years. But I was drawing the line with Facebook. I would not Tweet.
In my personal life, I have been slow to adopt electronic technology. I was one of the last people in North America to get a VCR. Once I did, I wore several of them out in quick succession. When the technology migrated to DVD players, once again I held the line. My VCRs worked perfectly well, I reasoned. When one of them breaks, maybe then I’ll get a DVD player, I resolved, but not one day sooner.
Eventually, of course, I caved once again. One can stand the peels of laughter only so long. I now own two DVD players. Full disclosure: I still have two VCRS too. (For the record, they are VHS – it’s not like I’m running Betamax or something. I’m no Luddite, after all.)
When home computers came along, again I held off. It might just be a fad, I reasoned, and if it wasn’t, I’d at least wait until they perfect them. By the mid-‘90s, I was satisfied that the personal computer was here to stay and took the plunge.
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Filed under: Columns & Essays, Humor, Opinion | 2 Comments
Tags: Anneli Rufus, Beta, Betamax, blog. blogs, blogging, cable, cable television, cable TV, Comcast, computer, Daily Item, dial up, dialup, electronics, flickr, hermit, hermits, high-speed Internet, home computer, home electronics, Internet, journalist, loner, loners, Luddite, modem, MySpace, Party of One, Party of One: the Loners' Manifesto, PC, personal computer, social media, technology, Twitter. Facebook, VCR, VHS, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield Item, web, writer
Parade of Pols
Maybe I’m the only one, but I like seeing the politicians in the Wakefield (MA) July 4th Parade.
The marching bands are great, and they provide an element of entertainment relief in what would otherwise be an endless stream of pols. But the main reason I go to the parade every July 4th is to see which politicians will show up.
My interest in the parade of politicians likely started when I was a young kid in the late 1950s and saw John F. Kennedy march in the Wakefield, Massachusetts parade. At the time, I had no idea who JFK was, but I remember to this day the buzz of excitement among my adult family members as Kennedy marched past us. He embodied my parents’ generation’s hopes of seeing the first member of their generation elected President of the United States. I suspect that for me, going to see the parade every Independence Day is at least partly rooted in a wish to recapture that faded memory. Continue reading ‘Parade of Pols’
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Tags: 4th of July, 4th of July Parade, Alley Oop, Anthony Guardia, Bill Hudak, candidate, candidates, clown, Craig Spadafora, Daily Item, David Lucas, Donald Wong, election, elections, Eric Estevez, Fourth of July, House of Representatives, Independence Day, Independence Day Parade, JFK, John F. Kennedy, John Tierney, July 4 2010, July 4th, July 4th Parade, July Fourth, Katherine Clark, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Senate, Michael Day, Monica Medeiros, Parade, parades, Paul Brodeur, politician, politicians, Richard Tisei, Scott Brown, Senator Scott Brown, Steve Grossman, US Senate, Wakefield, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield Independence Day Parade, Wakefield Item, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Mass, Wakefield Massachusetts
“You too?”
“You too?”
That may have been the most frequently uttered greeting among survivors at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life held last weekend at the Beasley Oval behind Wakefield High School. Survivors were easy to identify at the Relay by their purple t-shirts. All other Relay participants got white t-shirts when they checked in.
As soon as I arrived and donned my t-shirt, I was greeted by Richard, a man I’ve known for years. He was wearing a purple t-shirt.
“You too?” he said.
Continue reading ‘“You too?”’
Filed under: Columns & Essays, Community, Opinion, Wakefield | 1 Comment
Tags: American Cancer Society, Daily Item, Mark Sardella, relay, Relay for Life, survivors' lap, Wakefield, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield High School, Wakefield Item, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Mass, Wakefield Massachusetts, Wakefield Relay for Life
The Better Part of Valor
At least two candidates for State Representative are happy that they kept a safe distance away from any and all podiums on Memorial Day in Wakefield. Two others are probably now wishing they had.
At the time, getting up and speaking at an event that was likely to draw town officials and the media probably seemed like a politically sound idea to Melrose Alderman/State Rep. candidate Monica Medeiros and her competitor from Wakefield for the seat, Eric Estevez.
Republicans Medeiros and Estevez, along with David Lucas, are running for Katherine Clark’s 32nd Middlesex District seat, while Clark runs for the senate seat of Richard Tisei, who is running for Lt. Governor. The winner of the Sept. 14 Republican Primary will face the only Democrat in the race for Clark’s seat, Melrose Alderman Paul Brodeur.
Continue reading ‘The Better Part of Valor’
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Tags: Anthony Guardia, Bill Walsh, Daily Item, Donald Wong, Eric Estevez, holiday, Katherine Clark, Mark Falzone, Mark Sardella, Melrose, Melrose MA, Melrose Mass, Melrose Massachusetts, Memorial Day, Monica Medeiros, Northeastern University, Paul Brodeur, Politics, Richard Tisei, state representative, Wakefield, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield Item, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Mass, Wakefield Massachusetts
Crowds Turn Out for Memorial Day Observances
A bright, sun-filled sky and seasonable temperatures greeted those who attended yesterday morning’s Memorial Day observance at the West Side Social Club and the afternoon ceremonies on Wakefield Common.
“Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the sacrifices and service of American soldiers and veterans,” Chief Warrant Officer John McCune told those in attendance at the WSSC’s morning program at Mouton Field.
As keynote speaker at yesterday’s WSSC event, Wakefield native McCune talked about the significant meaning that Memorial Day had for him as an Army Reserve officer attached to the Pentagon.
He recalled arriving at the Pentagon just 18 hours after the 9/11 attacks. “All I have to do is close my eyes and see the Pentagon and the World Trade Center,” McCune said. “Now I understand how soldiers in World War II felt when they talked about Pearl Harbor.”
Continue reading ‘Wakefield, Massachusetts Honors Its War Dead’
Filed under: Columns & Essays, Community, Feature stories, News, Wakefield | 3 Comments
Tags: 2010, 9/11, 9/11 attacks, American Legion, Bill Walsh, Ed Muse, Edward Muse, Eric Estevez, Islamic terrorism, Jack McCune, John McCune, John T. Meuse, Katherine Clark, Mark Falzone, Memorial Day, Memorial day 2010, Monica Medeiros, Patric Glynn, Pentagon, Richard Tisei, soldier, soldiers, Thomas Rawson, Tom Rawson, US Army Reserve, veteran, veterans, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Mass, war wars William J. Walsh Jr, West Side Social Club, Word War I, World War II
My Commencement Address
I read with interest an article in last Friday’s Boston Globe about the intense competition faced by schools at this time of year as they try to land the most in-demand commencement speakers. My interest turned to eager anticipation when I got to the part where it said that some high-profile commencement speakers, like Rudy Giuliani, are paid up to $100,000 per appearance and are transported to and from graduation exercises by private jet.
At long last, I have found my calling.
I’m not kidding myself. I know I’m not in Rudy Giuliani’s league. But the Globe goes on to say that in this economy, some schools can’t afford the top tier talent. That’s why I’ve decided to make my services available at a steep discount. I’m willing to accept a mere $50,000 to deliver a commencement address anytime, anywhere. At that rate, I can deliver one or two speeches each spring, and spend the rest of the year doing what I do best – whatever that is.
Continue reading ‘My Commencement Address’
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Shakespeare with a Twist
Wakefield, Massachusetts is well-represented in Quannapowitt Players show
The cast of “The Curate Shakespeare As You Like It,” the current Quannapowitt Players production, features three Wakefield actors portraying actors playing multiple roles in As You Like It. Wakefield resident Donna Corbett also directs the play-within-a-play.
Continue reading ‘Shakespeare with a Twist’
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Tags: As You Like It, Brian Sensale, comedy, community theater, community theatre, Curate, Don Nigro, Donna Corbett, drama, Elizabeth Sheeran, Hugh Metzler, Karen Dervin, Kathleen Dalton, play, Quannapowitt Players, Reading, Reading MA, Reading Massachusetts, Shakespeare, Shawn Maguire, Shayne Doherty, stage, theater, theatre, Wakefield, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Massachusetts
Total Recall
Massachusetts town solves voter apathy problem
Outraged that only 145 voters showed up at Wakefield‘s Annual Town Meeting session to vote on the town’s $67 million FY’11 operating budget, a group of local citizens has filed a petition to recall Wakefield’s remaining 16,301 registered voters.
Continue reading ‘Total Recall’
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Tags: apathy, budget, budgets, Daily Item, election, elections, government, Mark Sardella, municipal budget, municipal government, municipalities, municipality, Open Town Meeting, recall, recall effort, recall efforts, recall election, recall petition, recall petitions, tax, taxes, town, Town Meeting, Town Meetings, towns, vote, voter, voter apathy, voters, voting, Wakefield, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield Item, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Mass, Wakefield Massachusetts
Mark Sardella 