Posts Tagged ‘Wakefield MA’
School choice
Most of us know at least one person who grew up in Wakefield, attended Wakefield Public Schools and then had to reluctantly leave his hometown as it became increasingly unaffordable. Well, living in Wakefield is about to get even more expensive, if the current plans for a new high school go through.
Filed under: Columns & Essays, History, Humor, Opinion, Politics, Wakefield | 4 Comments
Tags: 1960, Andy Bray, ballot committee, building, building project, cost, Dolbeare School, economy, Galvin Middle School, inflation, Ken Duval, Mark Sardella, Massachusetts, Michael Scollo, Opinion, Politics, Robert Bradley, senior citizens, taxes, Television, Town Election, Town Meeting, TV, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield High School, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Public Schools, WMHS, Woodville School, working families, Yes for WMHS
A revolting development
A Boston University study recently found that municipal zoning boards, planning boards and redevelopment boards are dominated by white male homeowners. Wait. Men are more interested in construction, development and zoning than women are? What’s the next bombshell revelation – male drivers won’t ask for directions? Fight the urban planning patriarchy! Speaking of zoning and […]
Filed under: Columns & Essays, History, Humor, News, Opinion, Politics, Wakefield | 1 Comment
Tags: American Mutual, Board of Appeals, building, business, Comverse Technologies, construction, development Cabot Cabot & Forbes, elitism, Facebook, Humor, Lake Quannapowitt, Malden MA, Mark Sardella, Massachusetts, Opinion, Politics, public hearings, public transit, smart growth, social media, Town Meeting, urban planning, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield MA, ZBA, zoning, Zoning Board, Zoning Bylaws
Sentimental journey
So, it’s settled. A majority of the Wakefield Town Council gets to define what “Official Town Sentiment” is. The Council voted earlier this month to give itself the power to determine what constitutes Official Town Sentiment, at least in terms of which flags can be flown from town flagpoles as an expression of such sentiment. […]
Filed under: Columns & Essays, Community, History, Humor, News, Opinion, Politics, Wakefield | 1 Comment
Tags: American Flag, Boston, Christian Flag, election, First Amendment, flag, flagpoles, flags, Humor, Juneteenth, Mark Sardella, Massachusetts, Mehreen Butt, News, Official Town Sentiment, Old Glory, Opinion, Politics, POW-MIA, Pride flag, Stars and Stripes, Supreme Court, symbol, Tom Mullen, US Supreme Court, veterans, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield Human Rights Commission, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Town Council, Wakefield Veterans Advisory Board, Wakefield Warrior, Warrior logo, WHRC
High school math
Let’s start by stipulating that there will be a new Wakefield Memorial High School. And it will be fabulous. We know this because the local education lobby is very motivated and highly coordinated. We saw it in the recent Town Election. The three School Committee winners were all educators or former educators. And all three […]
Filed under: Columns & Essays, Humor, News, Opinion, Politics, Wakefield | 4 Comments
Tags: ageism, debt exclusion, Douglas Lyons, economy, education, electric, energy, environment, fossil fuels, Galvin Middle School, gasoline, groceries, Humor, inflation, Mark Sardella, Massachusetts School Building Authority, Mike Conley, MSBA, Opinion, override, Phyllis Hull, Politics, schools, sustainability, taxes, taxpayers, townies, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield High School, Wakefield MA, WMHS
The naked and the masked
With COVID on the wane, last week everyone in Wakefield was finally liberated from the imperative to cover their faces. Everyone, that is, except those least at risk from the virus: school children. That’s what’s known as “following the science.” The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) lifted the state’s indoor mask mandate last week, […]
Filed under: Columns & Essays, Humor, News, Opinion, Politics, Wakefield | 3 Comments
Tags: Ami Wall, Amy Leeman, Anthony Chui, children, COVID, data, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Public Health, DESE, DPH, education, Families, health, Humor, illness, kids, mandate, Mark Sardella, mask mandate, masks, Massachusetts, nurse practictioner, Opinion, pandemic, Politics, schools, students, Suzy Veilleux, testing, Thomas Markham, unvaccinated, vaccinated, vaccination, vaccine, vax, virus, Wakefield, Wakefield Board of Health, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield MA, Wakefield School Committee, Wakefield Town Council
Magic bus
Like most of you, I had never heard of “transportation equity” until a week or so ago. It’s one of those terms that members of the Woke Community toss around in casual conversation believing everybody knows what it means, because everybody they know does. You probably thought “equity” was the value of your home minus […]
Filed under: Columns & Essays, Community, Humor, News, Opinion, Politics, Wakefield | 4 Comments
Tags: Amesbury, Boston, bus, Cambridge MA, Cambridge Mayor, electric vehicles, equity, Everett, EVs, fare-free bus service, free bus service, Humor, Jonathan Chines, letter, Malden, Mark Sardella, Massachusetts, MBTA, Medford, Mehreen Butt, Melrose, Newburyport, Newton, Opinion, pilot program, Politics, public transportation, Rowley, Somerville, Sumbul Siddiqui, taxpayers, Town Councilor, Town Meeting, transit, transportation equity, Wakefield, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Town Council, Watertown, Winchester, Worcester
Honorable mention
It leapt out at me as I drove past the marquee sign in front of the high school. I wasn’t annoyed so much as bemused. I took a picture and posted it on Facebook with the light-hearted comment, “Did they run out of letters?” The responses from the local “Kindness is Everything” community were anything […]
Filed under: Columns & Essays | 5 Comments
Tags: Christmas, Easter, holiday, Mark Sardella, Massachusetts, Opinion, patriotism, School Committee, schools, sign, Spring Break, veteran, Veterans' Day, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield High School, Wakefield Junior High School, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Memorial High School, WHS, Winter Break, WMHS
Happy fall celebration!
When we spoke of a war on Christmas, they rolled their eyes. They told us to “grow up” when we wanted to keep our high school logos. They said cancel culture was a myth. Now, they can’t believe that the forces of diversity, equity and inclusion want to cancel Halloween.
Filed under: Columns & Essays, Community, Humor, News, Opinion, Politics, Wakefield | 4 Comments
Tags: cancel culture, Columbus Day, COVID, Critical Race Theory, culturally responsive teaching, diversity, equity, fall celebration, groupthinkHalloween, Humor, inclusion, Julie Kukenbergerger, Mark Sardella, Massachusetts, Melrose, Melrose Public Schools, Opinion, Politics, School Committee, schools education, social justice, students, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield Human Rights Commission, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Warrior Logo, War on Christmas, Youth Council
Policy of truth
“We’re only getting rid of the Warrior logo. The Warrior name can stay.” How many times did we hear those soothing words of assurance over the last year? I didn’t believe it the first time I heard it and I don’t believe it now. Even before they cancelled the logo, I said, “They’ll be back […]
Filed under: Art, Columns & Essays, Humor, Opinion, Politics, Wakefield | 18 Comments
Tags: Cyrus Wakefield, definition, dictionary, Eagle Feather, Hiker, Humor, immigrants, Indian, Lakers, logos, Mark Sardella, Massachusetts, Native American, Opinion, policy, Politics, Richard Bayrd, School Committee, schools, team names, violence, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield High School, Wakefield Human Rights Commission, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Public Schools, Wakefield Warrior, war, warrior, wicker, Youth Council
Mark Sardella 