Aldermen Roundup: Beckley Honored, Additional $250K in Borrowing Approved for City Yard

Jack Beckley is retiring after 23 years as the executive director of the Melrose Council on Aging and on Monday night, the Melrose Board of Aldermen honored Beckley with a resolution.

Presented by Ward 3 Alderman Frank Wright, the resolution noted that Beckley is also a founder of The Bridge: A School/Community Partnership and has volunteering for many city organizations, including the Melrose Recycling Committee, the Affordable Housing Task Force and the Master Plan Committee. He is also a board member and past president of Mystic Valley Elder Services and past president and secretary of the Melrose Chamber of Commerce.

"During his tenure, Jack has influenced and improved the lives of the city's elder citizens by providing programs and activities at the ," the resolution reads. "Over the course of his career, Jack's accomplishments include successful grant writing and fundraising, resulting in awards and donations used to preserved and expand the Milano Senior Center, enhance essential services, and support outreach and transportation programs."

Ward 5 Alderman Gail Infurna added that through her day job at EPOCH Senior Healthcare, she's periodically at the Milano Center and "to see the warmth and excitement that Jack brings to those seniors is really very nice." Ward 7 Alderman Bill Forbes noted "of course, he's (Beckley) a Ward 7 resident" and that Beckley had a "very difficult job" meeting the various needs of seniors in Melrose.

"You loved to get up and go to work. That speaks highly of you," Forbes said.

Beckley said that he was "very lucky" to have his job and "humbled that you would read this" resolution.

The Milano Center will host an open house to celebrate Beckley's retirement on Friday, March 26 from 2-6 p.m., with a program and presentation taking place at 4 p.m.

In other news from Monday night's meeting:

• The board unanimously approved an additional $250,000 in borrowing for renovations to the DPW City Yard. .
• The board unanimously approved $18,000 to Golf Management Company, which holds the contract for Mount Hood Golf Course, due to the terms of the company's contract and based on the golf course revenues last year.
• An order requesting information about flashing, illuminated signs in business windows was returned to committee. Alderman at-Large and Board President Don Conn, Jr. said that according to Denise Gaffey, Melrose City Planner, the Planning Board's subcommittee has met several times about this issue and aims to submit proposals to the aldermen in mid-May. .