Clark and Brodeur Unopposed In Fall Election

Melrose's state legislators, Sen. Katherine Clark and Rep. Paul Brodeur, don't have any challengers in their 2012 re-election campaigns.

Editor's note: This article was corrected at 11:35 a.m. on Thursday by adding the Winchester Wards now included in the 5th Middlesex Senate district. While the presidential campaign between incumbent Democrat Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney will heat up this year, the 2012 election will be a little sleepier on the Melrose front. Neither Sen. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, nor Rep. Paul Brodeur, D-Melrose, the city's representatives in the state Senate and House respectively, will face a challenger in this fall's election on Nov. 6, 2012. Would-be candidates for district and county offices, which includes the state Legislature, had until the end of the day on May 1 to submit nomination papers to local election …

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POLL: Does Mass. Need Its Own Stimulus Bill?

Make your opinion known by taking our poll.

Lawmakers in the Massachusetts House of Representatives put forth a bill recently to stimulate the state economy through investments in research, manufacturing and tech startups, according to a report by masslive.com.  The sponsors of the bill, according to the report, said the state would contribute $12.5 million to the University of Massachusetts and direct $2 million in casino revenue to job training in manufacturing and grants for other industries.  Read the whole report here. With that news in mind, tell us what you think of this idea by taking our poll and expanding on your choice in the comments section. Look for a roundup of the results of the poll next Tuesday at 3 p.m. 

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Poll Results: Don't Ban Bake Sales

That's what the majority of people said when voting in this past week's poll.

Last week, we asked you whether or not bake sales should be allowed on school grounds, either during the school day or at all times. The question arose while Massachusetts' departments of public health and education were considering banning schools from selling high-calorie food like baked goods and pizza to raise money.  Between Wednesday and Tuesday morning, 58 people voted in the poll.  The results?  Charlotte Osgood wrote in the comments section that "This is the most absurd thing I have ever heard...well so far today. Bake sales have been done for years in the schools."  Betsey Benagh said that while she applauded "the effort to teach healthy habits, I disagree that completely banning all treats is the way to go." "I'd rather teach …

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You Ask, Patch Answers

What Caused the Pine Banks Track Construction Delay?

Solid waste discovered under a portion of the new track required construction to halt until contractors can make sure the ground beneath the track will not settle over time, causing instability.

You Ask, Patch Answers is a new weekly column for Melrosians who have questions about something they've spotted around the city or wondered about. Submit your question to danield@patch.com. Jeff emailed Melrose Patch asking, "What's causing the delays at Pine Banks? The softball field is finished, but the rest of the project has gone nowhere for months. It just seems that with all the good weather we had this year the project should have moved on faster." Solid waste discovered in the late fall by contractors under a portion of the track caused the construction delay, according to Melrose City Planner Denise Gaffey, who said nevertheless the project remains on track for a Nov. 15 opening. Contractors discovered the solid waste in the area …

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City Hall and School Meetings: May 14-18

Link to PDFs of agendas for this week's Melrose City Hall and school meetings.

Poll Results: Readers Speak Out About Brown/Warren Controversies

Indian claim stirs outrage among some Patch readers against US Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren.

The controversy over US Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's claim to be part Native American is not going over well with Patch readers in the Greater Boston area, according to an unscientific Patch poll. As of Thursday morning 52 percent of the 304 Patch readers who took our unscientific poll said they believe US Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is more of a hypocrite than incumbent Republican US Senator Scott Brown. Meanwhile some 19 percent who took the poll said they believe Brown is more of a hypocrite for voting against President Barack Obama's health care law while taking advantage of a key provision in it: the provision that allows him to keep his elder daughter on his congressional health insurance plan. 30 Comments Left on May 3 …

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Ravine Road, School Turnover and More: Highlights from Mayor's Chat

Mayor Rob Dolan took a variety of questions from Melrose residents in Wednesday's monthly live chat.

Yesterday on Melrose Patch, Mayor Rob Dolan joined us for our monthly live chat, taking questions about the Ravine Road one-way experiment, turnover with school principals, turnover in the business community and more. You can read a full transcript of the chat; below are highlights from the Q&A session sorted by subject. Questions are in bold, followed by Dolan's response. Walter Greelish: Good afternoon. While it's only been a couple of days since the Ravine Road "experiment" has been implemented, indications are that it is creating a traffic nightmare on Woodland Road and at the bottom of Pond Street. If the issue is speeding on Ravine Road in Stoneham, why not just implement speed mitigation measures there? Right now, even though all …

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Read the Transcript of the Mayor Live Chat [May 9]

Mayor Rob Dolan took your questions live on Melrose Patch today—see the questions and read his responses below.

Mayor Rob Dolan took your questions live on Melrose Patch today. To read a transcript of the live chat, click on the chat room above. Check back tomorrow for an article pulling out highlights from today's chat.

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