Winchester Girl Assaulted; Medford Commuter Rail Horns Silenced

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

• : MEDFORD— Silence has returned to West Medford and the Hillside. Following a petition from the City of Medford, Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail and MBTA, the Federal Railroad Administration agreed to re-instate the city's status as a rail quiet zone, ending nearly a week of constant horns sounding by passing locomotives, said Mayor Michael McGlynn in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. The last horn blew at 2 p.m. on Thursday, McGlynn said.

• : WINCHESTER—Winchester Police are investigating an indecent assault that occurred on Wednesday afternoon, when a 12-year-old Winchester girl was attacked from behind by a dark-skinned Asian man, who is believed to be in his 20s. The suspect is 6-1 with a crew cut. He was wearing a baseball cap, a grey hoodie, which was unzipped and red sweat pants. According to Winchester Police, the man jogged past the victim. He then tried to pull the girl’s shorts down. The victim fell to the ground trying to prevent the suspect from pulling her shorts down.

• : MALDEN—Beth Israel of Malden will soon offer observant Jewish women a custom that has been followed for 3,500 years. The only orthodox shul in the city will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, June 26 for its mikvah, a ritual bath that married women use for family purity. The immersion in the bath is seen by the Jewish faith as a kind of purification after each menstrual cycle and, according to the Bible, it marks the time – roughly after fourteen days -- when a wife is permitted to resume sexual contact with her husband.

• : WAKEFIELD—A new coffee shop opened in the Greenwood area of Wakefield, but Don't let the name fool you—Tootsie's Coffee Corner is not just a coffee shop. It's part bakery, part Italian creamery, and part bar—cupcake bar, that is. That's right, it features a "make-your-own" cupcake bar, where you can mix and match the cupcakes, frosting, and toppings to design exactly what you're craving. The store also features regular coffee blends and designer coffee blends—everything from Fluff-a-nutta to, of course, Tootsie Roll.