A community driven source for information
ACM Affordable Housing CACHE City Council Candidate Condon Shell Deep Cuts Events Calendar Friends of the Medford Public Library Podcast fundraiser George Scarpelli Gotta Know Medford independent candidates Jonathan Fagen Medford Brewing Company Medford Charter Medford City Counci Medford Farmers Market Medford Happenings Medford Historical Society Medford Jazz Festival Medford Public Library Medford School Committee Candidate Medford Soap Company Melanie Tringali Milva McDonald Mrs. Murphys Mystic Players Revival Nate Merritt Nick Giurleo Oktoberfest Page Buldini Patrick Clerkin Paul Donato Jr. Pilot Program Rick Caraviello Sam Sednek Terry Carter The Ford Tavern Things to do Tufts Community Day Tufts University Week Ahead West Medford Community Center yART Sale Zoning
You can see videos of all the candidates here – https://www.youtube.com/@medfordhappenings
We had Rick Caraviello on last Friday and just uploaded to our youtube channel. We have also included Milva McDonald’s interview as well for some reason we did not get this in a timely manner. Our apologies to Milva!
Rick Caraviello
Milva McDonald
Today is the day to vote! Please see the info which was gathered from Gotta Know Medford – https://www.gottaknowmedford.com/election-2025-in-person-voting-is-tuesday-sept-16/
Polling locations are as follows:
Ward 1 – Precinct 1: Andrews Middle School, 3000 Mystic Valley Parkway
Precinct 2: Firefighters Club, 340 Salem St.
Ward 2 – Precinct 1: Roberts Elementary School, Park St. & Court St.
Precinct 2: Roberts Elementary School, Court St.
Ward 3 – Precinct 1: American Legion, 321 Winthrop St.
Precinct 2: Temple Shalom, 425 Winthrop St.
Ward 4 – Precinct 1: Tufts University, Gantcher Center, 161 College Ave.
Precinct 2: Walking Court Fondacaro Center, Auburn & North St.
Ward 5 – Precinct 1 & 2: Missituk Elementary School, 37 Hicks Ave.
Ward 6 – Precinct 1: West Medford Fire Station, 26 Harvard Ave.
Precincts 2 & 3: Brooks Elementary School, 388 High St.
Ward 7 – Precinct 1: Mystic Valley Towers, North Building entrance
Precincts 2 & 2A: McGlynn Public School, 3004 Mystic Valley Parkway
Ward 8 – Precinct 1: Senior Center, 101 Riverside Ave.
Precinct 2: South Medford Fire Station, Zero Medford St.
Please get out an vote for the candidates listed above.
What a great weekend we had. You saw the review of Real Gusto, we’ll be reviewing Deep Cuts soon! Some highlights for this coming week. First, is in person voting for your new city councilors! That is tomorrow, this is for the primary with the top 15 moving on to the general election. Early in-person voting begins Saturday October 25th. Consult the city’s website for more details – https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1744290727/medfordmaorg/am1ygg6wum3jbqcja5dv/2025_Medford_elections_calendar-FINAL.pdf
On August 27 the candidates for city council were gathered at the Medford Public Library to give a 3 min presentation of why each should be chosen in their bid for city council. Gotta Know Medford posted the transcript for this event – https://www.gottaknowmedford.com/20250905_election-2025-medford-city-council-candidates-have-their-say/
If you didn’t get a chance to see them live, the video is below:
Speaking of elections, if you or someone you know hasn’t registered to vote please do so, it only takes seconds. As for where you would cast your ballot please check the state website for details. That you can find here – https://www.sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA/wheredoivote
Showcasing another popular event, starting this Friday Sept 19th is the Medford Public Library Book and Bake sale. Reminder, if you are interested in attending the Book Fair on Friday evening, you must be a member, membership only cost $20 and worth every dime. For more details check out – https://friendsofmedfordlibrary.org/Membership The book and bake sale happens three times a year, so don’t miss out!
Music
Please check out the following sites to see who will be playing locally. See why Medford is the new cultural center of MA!
Deep Cuts Featuring Maximum Rock n Roll – open tue-thurs 12pm-9pm, fri & sat 12pm-11pm
HOURS MAY CHANGE FOR EVENTS
21 MAIN ST MEDFORD, MA 02155
(781) 219-3815 – https://www.deepcuts.rocks/events
Medford Brewing Company – The best community bar in Medford! They just wrapped up a wildly successful Books and Brews event this past Sunday. They feature different events and that info can be found below. OPEN MON – THURS 3PM TO 10PM, FRI/SAT 12PM TO 10PM AND SUN 12PM TO 8PM
https://medfordbrew.com/events/
30 HARVARD AVE. MEDFORD MA 781-874-0406
Mrs Murphys Live Irish music every day! 25 SALEM ST. MEDFORD MA 781-874-0527 – https://www.mrsmurphs.com/
The Ford Tavern – Live Irish music. The Ford also features Trivia night every Wednesday from 7pm – 9pm. 61 LOCUST ST. MEDFORD MA 781-874-0406 https://www.thefordtavern.com/
ART
Arts Collaborative Medford – OPEN Tuesday – Thursday: 12-3pm
https://artscollabmedford.org/ – This weeks events are on the main page of the website.
162 MYSTIC AVE Medford, MA 02155
The Coalition for Arts, Culture and a Healthy Economy (CACHE), their venerable calendar can be found here – https://www.cacheinmedford.org/event-calendar/
The Medford Public Library – featuring Arts, Crafts, Book events, they literally host all events. https://medfordlibrary.org/events/ Summer hours end August 31st. They are OPEN MON – THUR 9AM to 9PM, FRI 9AM to 6PM and SAT 9AM to 1PM. 111 HIGH STREET MEDFORD 781-395-7950
Yes, our first review of a restaurant was this one, Real Gusto. Why do this again? Things change and while I would love to spend the day eating everything that Real Gusto serves, I can’t be that fat man doing fat things. Last time I had the Toscana Pizza – https://medfordhappenings.com/2025/06/24/real-gusto/
I had fully intended to get a pasta dish this time around so I ordered the Chicken Lemon. Before we jump into the main course, I went full pig and ordered the appetizer of meatballs and polenta. This side was outstanding! Perfectly cooked meatballs and sauteed in brown gravy paired with a triangle of polenta. The polenta itself was pan fried and it was cooked perfectly, which gave you the correct amount of crunch when biting into it. This was a good start to an overall oustanding meal.
Next up was the main dish which was the Chicken Lemon. I am a big fan of this dish, for some of us old timers, you may remember first eating this dish at the former Polcaris in the North End. This dish was served a little differently, maybe because I may not have been paying attention. I thought this dish traditionally came with either angel hair pasta or linguine. This dish came to me with mashed potatoes, string beans and steamed carrots. The vegetables were cooked well. Its clear they weren’t sitting in water for a long time. I would have preferred my carrots cooked a little longer but that is nitpicking. The mash potatoes were perfect, neither mushy or too “rustic”. Despite my preference being pasta, this was still a good second. The chicken itself was cooked well, it wasn’t dry and it was easy to cut. The lemon sauce with capers can be a bit of a challenge for lesser restaurants but RG hits it out of the park. There was just the right amount of sauce without the dish swimming in it. This was a solid dish!
My son had the pepperoni pizza. As I’ve had this pizza too, I can say without hesitancy, this pizza is the perfect size. Its oven cooked and the personal size is just the right amount so you’re not feeling piggish if you eat the whole thing. The pizza is never greasy however I prefer the crust to be a bit firmer enough without being overcooked or burnt. That is just nitpicking. The taste is what separates good pizza from outstanding pizza and this is simply outstanding!
Misc thoughts
It must be noted, that I have never had good coffee at restaurants. In fact I generally make my own at home and just order water or an occasional coke because it tends to be terrible. Not so at Real Gusto. I had the Americano, although I could have opted in for an expresso but I’d rather not speed through the afternoon. Hands down, they serve the best coffee! Paired with the bread basket they provided, I just wish I had room for desert. Perhaps next time. I’ve mentioned this in the previous post and it bears repeating. This place is for people who are looking for a clean, elegant place to eat that has great ambiance as well as a pristine dining experience. They have a fully stocked wine selection, this would be a great place for formal gatherings or even the occasional date night. The noise level, even at its busiest allows you to carry on a conversation without the fear of the crowd noise drowning you out. I love this place and you will too. If you haven’t been, why not today? Next time I order the Chicken Lemon, I will request linguine pasta!
Check out their site for more info.
Real Gusto’s website – https://www.realitaliangusto.com/
Tufts Daily published an article about the sale of the former Anheuser-Busch site to the MBTA. The transaction has come under fire not only due to a lack of transparency, but also because the land is considered highly valuable. Critics argue that the city could have used the site to generate much-needed revenue—or better yet, to develop rent-controlled housing, which current city councilors frequently claim the city desperately needs.
Nate Merritt, pictured above, weighed in on the article and raised tough questions that remain unanswered by the mayor.
From the article:
Nate Merritt, a candidate for City Council who lives near the Riverside Avenue site, expressed concern about the potential financial loss for the city. He criticized the project’s lack of transparency, noting that Mayor Lungo-Koehn’s failure to communicate between her initial statement about ongoing sale negotiations involving the MBTA and Market Basket, and the final sale itself, left him searching for answers.
“What is the net benefit for having the MBTA with a bus garage at that 21-acre property? The [transfer of] the car barns don’t make up for it,” Merritt said.
As it was a private sale, Lungo-Koehn had limited power over the final decision. Lungo-Koehn serves as Vice Chair of the MBTA Advisory Board, which makes recommendations over planning and allocation of funds for MBTA operations and capital projects. The Advisory Board, composed of city leaders from 187 municipalities, does not make any final decisions on behalf of the MBTA.
Merritt suggested that in addition to the property’s lack of direct neighborhood benefit is a missed opportunity, noting it could have housed a recreational center for children, among other uses. He believes that more could have been done to encourage a business, rather than a city agency, to purchase the property.
“Did we actually reach out? Because [with] a property developer, ‘if you build it, they will come’ doesn’t always work,” he said.
Full article can be read here – https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2025/09/residents-officials-concerned-over-sale-of-21-acre-medford-property-to-mbta-for-bus-facility
Nate’s facebook page can be found here – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577914151614
From Paul Donato’s facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/Donato4Medford
Paul’s official website – https://www.donato4medford.com/
Looking for a family breakfast location before facing the day with the kids? Come by the Elks from 9-11 and let’s kickoff the school year and campaign season together.
From Melanie’s facebook site – https://www.facebook.com/TringaliforMedford
Melanie’s official web site – https://www.tringaliformedford.com/
Yesterday at City Hall, I overheard a young woman asking about her parking tickets. But the real issue wasn’t the fines—it was the lack of parking – she had no where to park.
After speaking with her I learned that she rents on Salem Street in Medford Square, works overnight as a nurse at Mass General, and gets home around 7/8 AM. With meters in the square and residential-only side streets, she has nowhere to park. She used to park near the post office, but that’s no longer allowed. Her only option now? Setting an alarm every two hours to feed the meter after working all night.
This is what happens when we remove parking and assume people won’t need cars. The reality is—many still do. Not everyone can rely on public transit or long commutes.
We need to protect parking, not take it away. Residents—whether homeowners or renters—deserve the peace of mind that they’ll have a place to park when they come home.
Thank you to Colleens Ice Cream Shop in Medford Square for making their shop the center of the political universe. You will not get a better chance to speak to these candidates and voice your concerns and questions. There are a lot of issues for both the city council candidates and the school committees.
Questions to Consider:
Every aspect of city governance deserves open and honest discussion. Please remember: Medford’s city elections are non-partisan. State and national politics have no bearing on how Medford is run.
There have been claims circulating on social media accusing some candidates of racism. Let’s put that to rest. None of the candidates—regardless of affiliation—fit that description. Everyone running has the best interests of Medford residents at heart. Some may be more passionate than others, and those candidates are easy to spot. Get out there and talk to them—all of them. You can’t make an informed decision without doing so.
How many times have you walked into the voting booth unsure of who to vote for? There are plenty of resources available to help you become informed. Visit candidate websites. Attend public events. Don’t be afraid to speak with them—they’re just as interested in hearing from you as you are in learning about them.
While this site has primarily focused on independent candidates, there’s a reason for that. You already know the incumbents, but you may not know the challengers. To be clear: the independent candidates are not a slate. Each brings their own views and solutions to the Council. They’re not interested in wasting taxpayer dollars on feel-good resolutions that don’t directly benefit Medford residents.
As a voter, you must decide: do you want to work with the candidates to help make Medford a better place, or continue down a path where City Hall operates with your silent “consent”? Don’t underestimate the power of your vote.
Much more to come in the days and weeks ahead.
As we embark upon another election year, we have not had a chance to look at the school committee and its candidates. Those will be added in another post.
To Build New or Renovate?
The knee-jerk reaction from many candidates—both on the city council and the school committee—is to build a new school. But is that truly necessary? The current school structure has a solid foundation. Is it an eyesore? Absolutely. But in the grand scheme of things, shouldn’t the quality of education take precedence over aesthetics?
The city would do itself—and its residents—a favor by exploring all options, including renovation versus a full rebuild. Does it make sense to commit $280 million if there are no students attending that school? This isn’t a “if you build it, they will come” scenario.
It’s worth noting that many prominent city officials do not send their children to Medford public schools. As these officials and residents pay taxes to support the public school system, shouldn’t they take the time to fix what they’re actively funding?
School Budget
Last summer, the school committee suffered a self-inflicted public relations disaster. They initially announced a $2.5 million shortfall in the upcoming school budget—only to revise that figure three days later to just $200,000. That’s a staggering discrepancy.
As one city councilor remarked, a mistake of that magnitude would likely cost someone their job in a corporate setting. One would expect the outgoing superintendent to have demanded an immediate investigation into how such an error occurred. It’s clear the school committee is not maintaining accurate financial records.
As a result, the incoming superintendent should call for an independent audit, including a line-item review. This audit should be presented not only to the school committee but also explained publicly in full. The goal isn’t to shame anyone—it’s about maintaining transparency for the residents of Medford.
Poor School Ratings
Current school ratings in Medford are deeply concerning according to Public School Review. However, not all schools performed poorly. The vocational-technical school in Medford stands out as one of the city’s strongest educational offerings.
The Robotics team, for example, finished second in state competitions last year, and the lab remains one of the best in the region. Bistro 489—a student-run restaurant—is another highlight. If you haven’t eaten there yet, you’re missing out!
A Call to Action
The incoming superintendent of Medford schools faces a significant challenge: developing a clear plan to improve the school system. Yes, funding will be necessary—but that doesn’t mean the city should hand out blank checks. The new superintendent will be tasked with addressing the missteps of the previous administration, and while some decisions may be painful in the short term, they must be made with long-term improvement in mind.
This burden should not fall solely on the superintendent. School committee members must also share responsibility. Their role is critical, and the future of our children is at stake. If elected officials aren’t committed to meaningful change, it’s time to vote in those who are.
There has been a lot of focus on the Medford City Council, however equally important if not moreso is the school committee for Medford. The school committee for the large part have been under the radar given the current fallout regarding the city’s botched attempt to force through zoning.
We hope to have Dr. Lisa Kingsley on our show soon. Her website can be found here – https://www.electlisakingsley.com/
Medford Happenings 