Wakefield Daily Item
Friday, July 9, 2010
copyright VII IV, MMX
Weather: Today: Hi 87 deg., lo 73 deg., sunny. Tomorrow: Scattered showers in the afternoon. Hi 80 deg., lo 71 deg. ... with fresh southeast brz.
Ravell speaks in favor of town expansion
-WAKEFIELD
-Bradley Ravell remarked Thursday that he is in favor of a recent proposal to extend the southern border of Wakefield further south by 0.3 miles.
"It would be a very valuable expansion for the town, and I back it 100%," said Ravell Thursday.
Some of his close allies and counterparts, however, have opposed the idea, saying that such an expansion would hurt Wakefield-Melrose relations and would put additional strain on the town budget for water, power, and other similar efficiencies.
Others, such as Ravell, see the political and economic impacts of going through with such an expansion as positive: that it would bring more citizens and business into the town, who in turn would bring more revenue to the town's budget. It would also equalize the Melrose-Wakefield population balance, which Wakefield is a couple thousand heads behind in. As for Wakefield-Melrose relations, Ravell says he is confident they could be maintained despite the fact that the town would cut into Melrose land.
"Melrose has to lower their population by a few hundred heads to apply for state government grants, which could be achieved with such an expansion. It would create a virtuous circle."
If it happened though, it wouldn't be soon: by 2017 or 2018 at the earliest.
Hull hospitalized with gallbladder problems; gallbladder removed
-COUNTY LINE TERRACE, FL (WOMC)
-Friends of the bodacious, loud, mouthing-off, pushy Phyllis Hull say she remained her normal self after having her gallbladder removed early Thursday. Hull was hospitalized at 6:12 a.m. at Your Servicing Methodist Hospital four miles outside of Hull's Boca Raton, FL, summer home, in County Line Terrace, FL.
Hull was admitted on complaints of sharp stomach pains and a fever. Hull was immediately diagnosed with gallbladder inflammation and was sent into a 51-minute surgery to have her gallbladder removed, after which she was listed in good condition.
Hull plans to go back home in a few days after she is discharged and continue planning her 2011 campaign.
The pushy, insulting, boisterous former Selectwoman remained pushy, insulting, and boisterous yesterday even after her surgery. "Whoever thinks that a little illness is going to hold me down and keep me from planning my campaign needs to get real."
Cong catches fire
Blaze quickly extinguished
-WAKEFIELD
-The First Parish Congregational Church caught fire in its kitchen Friday afternoon when a match was accidentally ignited. Church officials rung the fire department, who rushed immediately to the site of the Church, where the fire was now overtaking the main hall. The fire was extinguished summarily, and there was, thankfully, little damage.
"The Will of the Lord was with us, throughout this whole incident, and His Will prevailed and our beautiful church remained intact," said Head Pastor William Staywell of the incident.
"The Cong is a beautiful building, but very old," said Fire Marshal Stanley Pierson. "We had serious concerns about the building burning down, and we are extremely grateful it didn't."
Small damages were listed: one microwave; six books; one toilet; two wooden bookcases, empty; one pew.
"We're very lucky it didn't turn into a lot more damage than that, said Staywell.
OF YALE D.L., ONE IS WHS GRAD. BENTON, FREDERICK, FOR SPRING SEMES. 2007 WHS GRAD.
Big band sounds to resonate throughout town
-WAKEFIELD
-The annual Wakefield Summer Band Concert Series begins on the Common tonight at 7 p.m. as the sweet melodies of the band will echo all throughout the center of town.
The Band kicks off their season with a bang, as they harbor the famed town native and successful drummer, John Moynhann behind the stand. "To be here again, behind the stand for my fourth consecutive year, is a great joy and a true honor," he said.
He brings a professional air to the band, having toured globally with several major groups. Moynhann says it is a "huge pleasure" to be pleasing the appreciative ears of a Wakefield crowd.
Other concerts are July 23, August 6, and September 3, but Moynhann will only be here for tonight's, so be there or be square on the Lower Common bandstand at 7 p.m.
The concert will move inside to the Cong Church should weather interfere.
Special dinner to be held honoring E. Baker
-WAKEFIELD
-The Wakefield Arts and Crafts Society will hold a formal reception Tues., Jul. 13 to honor its longtime member and former president, Mrs. Eleanora Baker. Baker, 95, now has severe dementia and has not submitted a work to the Society since 2005, but they say the time when she was capable of making needlepoint was glorious for the whole Society. Cong Church will host the reception.
Lazy police day
-WAKEFIELD
-It was a relatively quiet day for the P.D. Thursday, with only several calls logged. One, which came from a Rockland Street resident, reported that his credit card had charges for three nights' stay at our local Lord Wakefield Best Western, which he said made absolutely no sense as he lives here. Police are investigating the matter. The fraudulent card was reported at 1:06 p.m.
Also Thursday:
- At 7:43 a.m. a man on Colanwood Drive reported he was mildly assaulted when a youth threw an egg at the back of his head. Police investigated and found the man was wearing a Yankees hat. Police told the man, "Well, what do you expect?!" then left the scene.
- At 10:46 a.m., youths engaging in an extreme food fight on Pitman Avenue were disbanded.
- At 12:43 p.m., a man on Wicker Lane reported a man in a damp red shirt and scruffy beard was pacing outside of his house and ringing his doorbell at intervals. When police arrived, they found the man to be homeless and deported the man to Spruce Street.
- At 1:59 p.m., a man suffering from heat exhaustion on the Common was taken to Melrose-Wakefield hospital, where he was given fluids, and, found to be hydrated, discharged summarily.
- At 2:51 p.m., a romping dog on Tamworth Hill Avenue was returned to its owner.
- At 3:37 p.m., youths at Yueull School were reportedly egging the facade of the facility.
- At 5:28 p.m., a 10-year-old boy was denied the right to buy four cartons of a dozen eggs at Shaw's, as it was believed they were to be used for further youth mischief pertaining to the destruction of persons and property, as evidenced throughout recent police logs.
- At 10:46 p.m., an Auburn Street resident reported someone had smashed the front window of her home and stolen her laptop computer.
- At 11:59 p.m., a Brewster Road resident reported a group of youths in the area making "extremely loud and bothersome" noise.
What happened in town on this date years ago...
1910--100 YEARS AGO--Mr. Jack and Mrs. Minnie Pudzey won this year's Wakefield Pumpkin, Squash, and Eggplant Contest in the event's Eggplant division with 79 ripe eggplants.
1925--85 YEARS AGO--Ms. Lilah Mudge set a town record by giving birth to her ninth and last child, Phyllis.
1955--55 YEARS AGO--Mr. John and Mrs. Jackie Junkwell watched happily from the stands as their son, Buddy, 10, blasted a title-winning 3 run homer for the Nats in their championship game against Reading.
1970--40 YEARS AGO--Mrs. Phyllis Mudge broke her mother's own record by giving birth to her tenth and last child, Suzie, on her 45th birthday.
1990--20 YEARS AGO--The Wakefield Arts and Crafts Society welcomed a mother-daughter threesome in needlepoint artist Phyllis Mudge, 65, and two of her five daughters, Minnie Pidgey-Mudge, 28, and Suzie Datzwell-Mudge, 20.
SPORTS: ONE WIN, ONE LOSS
Ts win, L loses
Townies brush off Danvers; 14 inning game goes 'til Midnight
-DANVERS
-Thursday night was a slick night for the Towies in Danvers as they posted a 5-4 victory over Danvers in 14 innings. The game started at 7 p.m. Pete Zoiszonia of Wakefield and Steven Hilary of Danvers both had three run jacks in the 4th to knot the score at 3-3.
John Wallace and Bryce Pierce of Danvers combined two doubles to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom 8th. In the top 9th, Adam Liepzig crushed a solo homer to send the game into extras. There was little offense for either team until Ken Stafner came to the plate for the Townies with Adam Liepzig on base in the top 14th. Liepzig stole second on one pitch, then stole third on the next, leaping over the Danvers shortstop to avoid the pickoff. Stafner then dribbled in a single o drive Liepzig in.
Then, putting Danvers away on defense was easy and the final out was recorded at 12:05 a.m. to give Wakefield the win.
Legion drops Quincy game
-WAKEFIELD
-The Wakefield American Mens' Legion Team settled comfortably, or shall we say uncomfortably, in to second-to-last place in the League standings after dropping their game against Quincy Thursday evening. Quincy rallied for a five run scoring rally in the bottom 8th to best Wakefield, 5-2. Wakefield had scored a couple in the 3rd and 5th off RBI hits from Jake Wainwright and Pete Atoll, and held the 2-0 lead coming into that dreadful inning.
Legion pitching then just fell apart, giving up 11 hits to rally for 5 runs and to give Wakefield yet another loss. Wakefield plays Quincy again Monday in Quincy and they play Stoneham Wednesday.
