Gerald J. Frazier, 92

Jul 30, 2020 by

Published July 31, 2020 MELROSE — Gerald J. Frazier, 92, a resident of Melrose, passed away peacefully at Sunrise at Lynnfield, on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Gerald was born in Somerville on January 2, 1928, the last remaining of 10 children of the late Edward C. Frazier and Mary R. (Peers) Frazier. Raised and educated in Medford, Gerald served his country faithfully in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He was honorably discharged and forever remained proud of his service. Gerald worked as an automobile mechanic for Ford Motor Co. for 20 years, and later worked as a gunsmith at his store on Main Street in Melrose, G.J. Frazier. In his free time, Jerry enjoyed fixing and tinkering with clocks of all sizes. He also was a flying enthusiast and enjoyed piloting small aircraft around...

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Bernice A. Galvin, 94

Jul 30, 2020 by

Published July 31, 2020 MELROSE — Bernice A. “Bunny” Galvin, 94, a resident of Melrose, passed away peacefully at the Courtyard Nursing Care Center in Medford on Thursday, July 23, 2020. Under hospice care for her last days, she was fortunate to have family members visit and spend precious time together.   Born on November 23, 1925 in Boston, Bernice was one of two daughters of the late Bertha and Lt. Col. Adolf Belcovsky. Raised and educated in Dorchester. Bunny married Malcolm P. Galvin, December 27, 1947, and they settled in Braintree. After the tragic loss of her husband, February 4,1960, she moved the family to Winchester where she raised her four children with loving determination and selfless care.   Known as “Bunny” from her childhood, she worked for over 25 years as an executive assistant...

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Roland J. Harrington, 86

Jul 30, 2020 by

Published July 31, 2020 NAPLES, Fla. — Roland Joseph Harrington, 86, departed this life on July 23, 2020 in Naples, Florida after a lengthy battle with dementia and blood cancer. He was born in 1934 in Everett, Mass. to the late Nelson Harrington and Eleanor (Lee) Harrington.   Roland grew up in Melrose, Mass. He attended Melrose High School, and as a young man was famous for his pink Ford convertible, and the fact that the local press once described his play on the football field as “untapped dynamite.” His fame, however, did not extend to the classroom, and after graduating from Melrose High School, he completed a post-graduate year at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. He spent two years at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. Upon the sudden death of his father, Roland began working...

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School return concerns are many...

Jul 30, 2020 by

Published July 31, 2020 MELROSE — Parents had plenty to say about the local schools’ reopening proposal released last weekend by the city’s new chief educational officer Dr. Julie Kukenberger. The plan, which must be submitted July 31 to the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, calls for a couple of options in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kids can learn remotely one week and physically go to school each day until lunchtime the next. Or they can learn completely at home. The choice is up to the caregivers. And things are always subject to change. The superintendent and her administrative team explained their reopening vision to the School Committee, about two hours after 481 people participated in the public input portion of Tuesday night’s meeting. Several parents said the hybrid model — one...

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Melrose Grad Night will be Friday, August 7...

Jul 30, 2020 by

Published July 31, 2020 MELROSE — Research has shown that the time surrounding Prom and Graduation is the most dangerous time in a teenager’s life. According to recent statistics from the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, one in three children under age 21 who died in alcohol-related accidents died during prom and graduation season. Melrose Grad Night was established in 2013 by a city-wide collaboration of public health and school officials, parents and other community members committed to reversing that statistic. Melrose Grad Night is a substance free, fully chaperoned, celebration for Melrose High School seniors. For the past six years, it has been an all night event, held inside of MVMMS. This year, due to the COVID 19 crisis, an indoor event is not possible. But we know that despite COVID 19,...

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On racial equality, there’s more to do here...

Jul 30, 2020 by

Published July 31, 2020 MELROSE — Not long after the Memorial Day murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis, many in America realized it was past time for a serious discussion about how to become more racially just and fair. In Melrose, under the direction of Mayor Paul Brodeur, an “exercise” among city departments was performed. Last week, Brodeur’s administration released the findings of that initiative.  “While Black communities have been consistently calling for change for decades,” the report’s summary begins, “the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks (and others) and subsequent demonstrations have captured the attention of non-Black Americans in communities all across the country. As a result many, especially white Americans, have begun to learn more about their own biases, the ways public and...

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