News Nearby: Green Line Expansion to Medford Discussed

Each Saturday, Melrose Patch will run a round-up with links to stories from surrounding communities that are of interest to Melrosians.

MEDFORD—Medford City Councilors were shown how the area around Boston Avenue and Mystic Valley Parkway could be redeveloped if the Green Line were brought there.

They also heard from residents, some who critiqued the development vision, or the possibility of the project in general, and others who supported it. In all, redevelopment around a station could bring over 100,000 square feet in new retail and office space, create as many as 240 new jobs, over 100 new residential units, double tax revenue and create about $25 million in added home equity, planners said.

But those benefits would have drawbacks, too, like added congestion and increased property tax bills, the planners said.

STONEHAM—After recently voting to go the non-organic route due to budgetary concerns, the Stoneham Board of Selectmen changed its tune Tuesday, after hearing from Chip Osborne, an organic landscaper and natural turf consultant from Marblehead who has agreed to advise the town for free.

The town began organic-only treatments in 2005 after hearing from the Stoneham Environmental Action Committee, and now it appears that practice will continue for a seventh year.

WAKEFIELD—The Galvin Middle School project took another step forward on Wednesday, Nov. 16: The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) approved the preliminary design for the new middle school, sending the project into the schematic design phase.

"The schematic designs that will be produced will give us our first look at the proposed new middle school," said State Treasurer Steven Grossman. "They will help us narrow the scope and budget of the project so that we can be sure the final product is efficient, sustainable and affordable.”

READING—Reading native, Brig. Gen. John A. Hammond, commander of Task Force Yankee, 26th "Yankee" Brigade, Massachusetts Army National Guard, spoke to customers of a shop opened and operated by women before cutting the ceremonial ribbon on Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The shop is the first of its kind in the Kabul Base Cluster and Hammond hopes to expand women-owned and operated shops to all 11 bases in the cluster.