Community Corner

Wakefield Schools Cut 7 Positions; Stoneham Man Honored for Stopping Assault

A round-up of articles this week from Melrose's neighbors.

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

  • Calling it a “difficult” and “educationally unsound” decision, , including five teaching positions, from its fiscal 2012 budget in order to bring a balanced budget to Monday night’s town meeting. The cuts became necessary to balance the budget after it was determined $460,000 had to be cut from the overall town’s budget last week. The Board of Selectmen cut $170,000 last Monday, leaving the School Committee to cut $300,000 from its budget.
  • Reading Public Schools suffered a cut of about $250,000 in next year’s budget after two years of level funding. According to Superintendent John Doherty, that squeeze has resulted in the At Town Meeting on Monday night, members of the assembly tried three times to restore funds to the schools. Town Meeting rejected the third motion, which would have added $150,000 to the district’s budget, by a vote of 62-68. An earlier vote to increase the budget by $50,000 also drew strong support, but a second motion—to raise the school’s budget by $994,693—failed by a wide margin.
  • Stoneham resident Robert Casey was jogging with his dog through Middlesex Fells Reservation when he heard a women scream. Reacting to the screams he ran toward them and saw a woman being pulled into the woods by a man. He helped the woman escape her attacker and assisted the woman until police arrived. For his actions, alongside other award and medal receipients at the State House on Friday morning in a ceremony on behalf of the Massachusetts State Police.
  • In anticipation of funding cuts, Medford is planning a budget for , officials said Tuesday night. The city initially anticipated about an 8 percent reduction in block grant funding after President Barack Obama announced plans to cut back on the grants, DiLorenzo said. Now the cuts are up to 16 percent and could go higher, she said. A total block grant budget for 2011-2012 in Medford of $1.59 million was approved by the city council by a 6-0 vote. The budget is down from about $1.9 million last year.


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