AI-generated transcript of Medford Inaugural Ceremony 12/31/17

[Roy Belson]: Good morning and welcome to the Marsha Caron Theater here at Medford High School for the inauguration of our Mayor, City Council, and School Committee. An inauguration is a ceremony that provides us with an opportunity to rededicate ourselves, our leaders, our citizens, to the promotion and achievement of a high quality of life for all. In Medford, we have a firm foundation of quality that can be built upon to meet the challenges and aspirations of the future. My name is Roy Bellson. I'm your Master of Ceremonies for this program today. At this time, we would ask the Medford Police Honor Guard to present the colors. At this time, let's have a warm welcome for Deacon Mark Rumley of St. Raphael's Parish, Pastor Bell of the Baptist Church, and Reverend Wendy Olapade of the Sanctuary UCC. And now it is my privilege and pleasure to welcome our honored guests. His Excellency, the Honorable Charles D. Baker, Governor, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, The Honorable Edward J. Markey, U.S. Senator. The Honorable Marion Ryan, Middlesex District Attorney. The Honorable Maria Curtatone, Middlesex South Register of Deeds. The Honorable Michael A. Sullivan, Clerk of Courts. The Honorable Patricia Jalen, Assistant Majority Leader, Massachusetts State Senate. The Honorable Paul J. Donato, Assistant Majority Leader, Massachusetts House of Representatives. The Honorable Christine Barber, Massachusetts House of Representatives. The Honorable Fred Lasky, Executive Director of Massachusetts Water Resource Authority. It is now my privilege to introduce the leaders of our various city departments in the schools and in the city. Please enter. Kathleen P. Kreatz, Mia Quinn Mustone, Paulette H. Vanderkloot, Michael C. Ruggiero, and Paul R. Russo. Ladies and gentlemen, the members of the Medford City Council. Richard Caraviello, Frederick N. Dello Russo Jr., John C. Falco Jr., Adam Knight, Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Michael J. Marks, and George A. Scarpelli. Joining us is Edward Finn, our city clerk. Ladies and gentlemen, a warm welcome to the mayor of our city, Stephanie Buccini-Burke. She is escorted by her husband, Ryan Burke, her son, Ryan, with his fiancée, Sarah Punicelli, her son, Connor, and her daughter, Brianna. Seated in the audience, in the first row, is the mother of our mayor, Lee Muccini. Please remain standing. We'll call upon Deacon Mark Rumley to provide us with the invocation.

[Mark Rumley]: As we stand for the invocation, I ask that we be mindful of the many freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. freedoms which have been protected at such great cost by the women and men who have served us in the military. And among those freedoms, primary is the freedom of religion, the freedom to worship, so that when we gather together today for the invocation, We will hold in our hearts each one of our distinct faith traditions, and all of our beliefs, all of our personal beliefs, and we are respectful of those personal beliefs, because we are Americans. And I am a Catholic, and when I begin to pray, I pray with a sign. I begin in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Gentle and loving God, we thank you for the gift of this day. As we begin a new year and undertake the responsibilities of school and government, we ask your guidance, your wisdom, and your assistance so that we can better nurture the bonds of our community, engage in meaningful discussion, understand when change is needed and when change is not, to know when to speak, when to ponder, and when to share. Allow us, O Lord, the joy of having the ordinary and unnoticed tasks of each day go well. And in those moments of challenge, bring us your wisdom, and your strength. In a special way, oh God, remind all those elected officials who take their oaths today of the truth that each one of them is a servant. For as Jesus said, if anyone seeks to be first, they must be the very last. They must be the servant of all. Almighty God, be with us as we serve the city that we love, and keep us mindful that here on earth, your work must be our own. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

[Roy Belson]: Thank you, Deacon. Our opening speaker, please be seated. Our opening speaker today has significant and substantial leadership expertise and experience in both the public and private sectors. He comes from a family with a rich and distinguished career in public service. Here in Medford, we are particularly appreciating his commitment to career and technical education. This year, a $500,000 grant for capital skills helped create Bistro 489, which you will all enjoy at the conclusion of these ceremonies. He has had a strong support for substance abuse prevention, facing the crisis of opiates in our Commonwealth. His actions have helped DCF with staffing and clinical services so needed by the children and families of the Commonwealth. His Washington advocacy for sensible health care legislation provides needed expertise. His recent extension of the group insurance discount that supports homeowners and vehicle owners provides relief to all of us on a financial way. It is a great pleasure and privilege to introduce His Excellency, the Honorable Charles D. Baker, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you very much. So let me just start first of all by thanking the superintendent for that sterling introduction. My parents, my dad would have liked it, my mom would have believed it. Can I take you with me for the next 12 months or so? I'm really pleased and honored to be here today for a couple of reasons. The first is, I'm fond of reminding people that Lieutenant Governor Karen Polito and I both started our elected careers in local government. We both served on our boards of selectmen, she in Shrewsbury and me in Swampscott. And we used to joke about the fact that there's really nothing quite like the accountability that comes with serving the communities you live in. Everybody knows where you live. Everybody knows where you buy your coffee and when on the weekends. They know what sports your kids play and what fields you're likely to be on. And most of the time, when they come to pay you a visit, it's not usually because they're happy about something that you've done. But it's a wonderful lesson in true representative government and the beauty that comes from the proximity that exists between local elected and appointed officials and the people who put them there and that they're there to serve. And in the case of the newly reelected mayor here in Medford, I just want to say how much we have enjoyed our opportunity to work collaboratively with her and with the members of your local government. Superintendent talked about that $500,000 skills and capital grant for the culinary program here at this technical school. This wasn't something we cooked up on our own. This whole program in capital skill building, yeah, I know, that was a pretty bad pun. I appreciate somebody providing me with that local response right away. That wasn't something that just kind of came to us. That whole notion of creating that capital skills program came because of conversations and dialogue we had had, both during the campaign and afterward, with folks in the vocational and technical community, with local officials, with local school committees, about the fact that we could do some really great things for our communities, for our students, for our faculty, and for our employers, in many cases, who were looking for young adults who had experience on what I would call the latest and greatest technology whether it's in hospitality or culinary arts or robotics or advanced manufacturing. This came through a dialogue and a conversation with a lot of folks in local government. We then pitched the idea to your colleagues in the legislature, and thankfully, they agreed that this was a good idea, and they appropriated about $50 million to be spent over several years on programs just like this one. But whether it's that program or it's the Complete Streets program, which Medford has also participated in, which makes it possible for the state to work with local communities on how to improve infrastructures in downtowns and sidewalks and other local infrastructure, or it's the work we've done on green communities, where again, Medford is a leader here in the Commonwealth, or the simple things we do with respect to our shared assets, There's a lot of state land in Medford. I'm sure you all know that. We work collaboratively with our colleagues in local government to ensure that we're doing the things that make it possible for people here to benefit from those properties. And we also have property that in some cases we're just not using, which is an asset that really isn't generating a heck of a lot of activity, which in Medford led to a conversation about what we could do with the DOT property that if we could figure out a way to move it would make it possible for Medford to create housing. I may work in state government, but I'm a big believer that a strong Commonwealth is built on the backs and on the work and the sweat of 351 cities and towns. And for us as an administration, part of my presence here today is about sending a message to all of you and to the people who are here on the stage with me that we believe in collaborative government. We believe that if we succeed, it will be because of the work we do with our colleagues in local government and with the private sector and with the citizens of Massachusetts to push this state forward. And that's why you're going to see the Lieutenant Governor and myself attending a number of these events over the course of the next couple days. And by the way, does municipal government have to have every single inauguration on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and the day after? At least she didn't do it in the middle of the Patriots game. But I know for many folks here today, this is a very special occasion, but the interesting and the important stuff starts when the clock turns from 17 into 18. And I know I speak on behalf of the Lieutenant Governor and our whole team when I say how much we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively and productively with Mayor Burke and with her team here in Medford to continue to make this place the great community that it can be. Thank you very much.

[Roy Belson]: I would now call upon our City Clerk, Edward Finn, to administer the oath of office to our Medford School Committee. Please stand.

[Clerk]: I install me a firm According to the best of my ability, and understanding, agreeable to the rules and regulations of the Constitution,

[Roy Belson]: Ed, the only thing missing from that oath was their pledge to obey everything the superintendent tells them to do.

[Unidentified]: All right, we'll work it in the next time.

[Roy Belson]: At this time, it's our pleasure to introduce a musical interlude by the Medford High School Band Ensemble under the direction of Haley Redlow. The band played from Phil Collins, you'll always be in my heart. And now I'd like to call upon our city clerk once again to administer the oath of office to the city council.

[SPEAKER_03]: I, Richard Caraviello. I, Frederick N. Dello Russo, Jr.

[Clerk]: I, John C. Falco, Jr. I, Adam Niter.

[SPEAKER_08]: I, Breanna Lungo-Koehn.

[Mark Rumley]: I, Michael Grimox. I, George Scott.

[Clerk]: You solemnly affirm. You solemnly affirm. That I will faithfully and impartially. That I will faithfully and impartially. Discharge or perform. Discharge or perform. All the duties. All the duties. Coming upon me. Coming upon me. As city councilor. As city councilor. According to the best of my ability. the rules and regulations, the Constitution, the laws of this commonwealth, and the ordinances of the city of Medford.

[Roy Belson]: It's now my pleasure to call upon the President of the Medford City Council, Richard Caraviello, for remarks.

[Richard Caraviello]: Thank you, Roy. It's my pleasure and honor to be here with all the local, state, and federal officials that are with us today. In 1936, my grandfather moved his family from the north end of Boston to Medford. Little did he know, that he was coming to, he was bringing his family to the eventual fourth hottest city in the country, perilla.com. According to their assessments, Medford has the it factor. What is the it factor? The real estate website goes on to say, once overlooked as a sleepy city northwest of downtown Boston, Medford is now known for its lively dining options, and for recreation opportunities at Rice Pond along the Mystic River, and the annual Mystic River Celebration devoted to the arts. The area is home to the renowned Tufts University, and the T provides easy public transportation access to downtown Boston. and residents also enjoy a low tax rate compared to the other cities in our region. The it factor is what people outside of Medford have discovered and see the beauty and encompass all the things that I have just mentioned, but are the same things we as Medfordites have taken for granted over the years. Since this article, our story continues to get better. New management team has taken over Chevalier Auditorium and will be bringing 50 named shows to Medford in 2018, which in turn will help our businesses in and around the square. In addition, the revitalization of the Meadow Glen Shopping Center and the buzz that has created around the community. In this social media driven world, we tend not to always focus on the positive. We debate many issues. Old Medford versus new Medford. Develop, don't develop. What direction is our city going? Somerville does it better. Cambridge does it this way. All the way down to the way we decorate City Hall at Christmas time. I ask that we all take a step back, open our eyes, and truly see what a great and remarkable community we live in. You may think the grass is greener on the other side, but if you take the time to water your own grass, it'll be just as green over here. Method is not perfect. But together, as your leaders, the mayor, city council and school committee, we can help guide the city to even greater heights. Andrew Carnegie said it best, teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. It is a fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. I know we can come together on behalf of all of those who have sent us here. In these days and months ahead, we will be asked to bring judgment on matters both large and small. The bottom line is the residents of Medford want results and it's up to us in this room to deliver them. Let us be honored and humbled by our responsibilities. Be innovative and determined in their execution. Our role is not to fight the future, but to be the future. So, 82 years later, I stand here, a father, a grandfather, who followed in my grandfather's footsteps, choosing to raise my family in Medford. And hopefully my children and grandchildren will continue to live in Medford and strive to make Medford the number fourth rated city in the country into the number one rated city in the country.

[Roy Belson]: And now it is my pleasure to introduce the Medford Public Schools String Ensemble under the direction of Fine Arts Director Anthony Sickney playing Masterpiece from J.J. Moray.

[Unidentified]: Music Music Music Music

[Roy Belson]: Our next speaker has served Medford for many years in Congress of the United States since 1975. In 2013, he was elected to the United States Senate. This individual has played a very active role in substance abuse prevention, passing legislation that will help us prevent illegal substances from entering this country. He has also been a staunch advocate of climate control, environmental protection, and communication protection. His work on communications and the internet and net neutrality and all of these matters are critical to all of us. as we move forward into the future and become more dependent upon communications done through the internet and done through cyberspace. He has played an active role in advocating for stiffer sanctions against North Korea and serves on the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate. In education, I like to steal one of his quotes on a regular basis. where he says, children may only be 24% of the population, but they are 100% of the future. It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you the Honorable Edward J. Markey, United States Senator.

[SPEAKER_03]: Thank you, Superintendent Belson, for your lifetime of dedication to the children, to the future of the city of Medford. It has been your life's work. Thank you for everything that you have done for them. We thank the governor for being here today and all of the other dignitaries who have joined us here today. And it is a great honor for me to be here with someone who I admire greatly, the mayor of the city of Medford, Mayor Brooke. Thank you so much for inviting me. to be here with you today. You have done a phenomenal job, and that's why today is such a great day. When Lyndon Johnson was asked about being president, he said that when the burdens of the presidency seem unusually heavy, I always remind myself that it could be worse. I could be the mayor of a city. Because no one is more accountable than the mayor and every person here is a part of this effort to make Medford as great as it has become. Because being a mayor today is more challenging than it has ever been. Budgets are tight, the need for services are high, and then there is Twitter. That is a level of accountability which mayors in the past have not had to have dealt with and in just two years She has made it look easy She has done a phenomenal job of moving of Medford on this path of progress, securing funding for a new police station, adding nine new programs at the vocational high school, overseeing Medford's development during the Green Line extension, hiring Medford's first full-time addiction recovery coach to help combat the opioid epidemic. Stephanie Burke is a mayor on a mission. And Medford is already home of so many great things, but it can and will become the home of so many more, because she has spent the last two years moving towards that goal. Just look at the Chevalier Theatre. It is a great resource that the city has had for many decades. And now, through the efforts of Mayor Burke and the Chevalier Theatre Commission to bring in top management, it is poised to become a prime time venue right here in Medford Square. Medford is going to be the place to be with renowned acts like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons coming here to Medford. Just this week, President Bush's daughters, Jenna and Barbara, will be here. And Vice President Joe Biden is coming in February. So, not a mayor. She's like the Ed Sullivan now of mayors in the city and in the Commonwealth. And I know that you are working to improve the quality of every single neighborhood from West Medford to Wellington. She has the vision to see what is possible and the political skills to make it happen. And we are in very tricky, perilous times for mayors with a tax law that has just been changed and fundamentally is going to alter the way in which state and local taxes are deducted. And the impacts on cities and towns could be very profound, which is why it is so great that we have here in Medford, the only mayor in America with a master's degree in taxation and is a certified public accountant. We will need you, Madam Mayor. We can loan you out to the other cities and towns over this next two year period. So we thank you for everything which you have done because under you, CPA doesn't just stand for Certified Public Accountant, it stands for Commitment to Progress and Action. And that is what this city has as her mayor. So we thank you for everything that you have done. It is the home of great businesses, of great families, of a great university, a center for scientific and technological change, a place where job growth is amazing, 2.8% unemployment, the lowest unemployment rate in the history of the city of Medford. This is the place where the mayor has been a leader ensuring that we have all of these incredible opportunities before us. Paul Revere famously made his midnight ride through Medford Square. saying that there was a revolution that was on its way. And Mayor Burke is creating her own revolution here in Medford, making her own history in the same way that Paul Revere did. And it is all of our honor to be here with you at the swearing in of your second inauguration. So if you would, Madam Mayor, Please come forward so that I can administer the oath of office to you. And if the mayor's family would please come up onto the stage so that you can join with her in this historic moment.

[SPEAKER_08]: Please raise your right hand and repeat after me.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: I, I, Stephanie Mutini Burke, do solemnly swear, do solemnly swear, that I will faithfully and impartially, that I will faithfully and impartially, discharge and perform, discharge and perform,

[SPEAKER_03]: all the duties incumbent upon me as the Mayor of the City of Medford. according to the best of my ability and understanding, agreeable to the rules and regulations of the Constitution, the laws of this Commonwealth, and the ordinances of the City of Medford. So help me God. Congratulations.

[Roy Belson]: In two short years, our mayor has made great strides moving Medford forward. She has touched all the bases. Public safety, health, education, economic development, arts and culture, preservation of the environment. But perhaps most importantly, she has worked diligently to ensure that Medford is a safe and welcoming environment, a home for all, rejecting hate and discrimination in all its forms and promoting constructive dialogue and community building. It is my great pleasure to introduce to you our mayor, Stephanie Muccini-Burke.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you so much. Happy New Year, everyone. Welcome to the Honorable Governor Baker, Senator Markey, all elected officials, clergy, family, and friends here today. Congratulations to the elected officials taking their oath of office this morning, especially to those newly elected. May our oaths be indicative of a common commitment to present our varied viewpoints with civility and willingness to listen. That is the hallmark of democratic discourse. Two years ago in this same theater, I began my administration with a call to service by saying, it starts today. Certainly within this call was a recognition of past accomplishments, but it was also a reminder to our residents that we are embarking on a fresh start, a new vision, and an invitation to creativity as we work together for the good of our precious Medford. Much has been done. The building blocks of a better tomorrow have been put in place. We stand on a firm foundation of open government and a willingness to work cooperatively so that change is made where change is needed, and we can foster a future that is both fluid and deliberate. It is a firm foundation centered on planning, such as the master plan for Medford Square. This plan was crafted with the input of many. It will showcase and embrace our historic Mystic River and is aimed at enhancing and refreshing our downtown area in many ways. including taking steps to address traffic flow so that High Street, Riverside Ave, and Salem Street no longer become a slingshot to get to the other side, but the center of our city to be repurposed to serve the businesses and the residents of the square. The plan is challenging, but my administration is up to execute this plan and will work in full collaboration with the city council, stakeholders, and developers to create a dynamic mixed-use area. It is a firm foundation characterized by prioritized investment. We continue to progress through the City's five-year capital plan. Working with the City Council, my administration has systematically invested in the City's infrastructure and equipment needs. At the center of this investment is a new police headquarters. The team has been meeting weekly to develop the layout, space needs, and features for this state-of-the-art facility. Their hard work continues and we are growing closer to having a schematic design and then the demolition. This resilient project will be solar ready and meet the high demands of attempting to be carbon neutral. It is a firm foundation enhanced by collaboration. Governor Baker initiated an office called Open for Business. With the assistance of this office, a parcel of state land along Mystic Avenue has been made available for development. Assistance of this type will greatly aid the City of Medford to create a Mystic Ave corridor that we can rightly call the gateway to Medford. Consistent with this effort, the city has received a grant from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and Mass Housing to assist in drafting a zoning amendment that will take into consideration the current businesses along the corridor and make recommendations to reshape zoning to allow for development that fosters responsible growth and at the same time acknowledges and preserves the residential character of our city. Of course, the city council will play a pivotal role in this action, and I look forward to this collaboration. In the same way, I have committed, along with the metropolitan mayors and our governor, to embrace housing initiatives and significantly increase the residential housing stock in our city and the metro region. Medford is the place to live. It is a firm foundation that is based on results. But change requires more than words. It requires work that bears results. This very day, the Chevalier Theater will host its first performance under the stewardship of Bill Blumenreich Presents. This is the result of months of collaboration between the administration, the city council, the Chevalier Auditorium Commission, the licensing commission, and our state delegation, and so many others, all working toward the goal of utilizing our beautiful theater to raise the profile of the arts and benefit the life of our downtown businesses. It is a firm foundation that is comprehensive. I am very proud of our Complete Streets program, with the assistance of the Governor's Office once again. They have been fabulous to the City of Medford, I might say. We've put an emphasis on multimodal transportation and it is being implemented as we speak. To date, we have completed four projects from the priority list. The most visible are on High Street in West Medford and the Winthrop Circle. Through this program, pedestrians and bicycle access has been and will continue to be addressed in every municipal road project in the community and also private projects that come into our city. For this, we say thank you, Governor Baker. He claims to be a Republican, but I don't really know for sure. It is a firm foundation whose key ingredient is the dedication of its public servants. Bricks, mortar, infrastructure and the needs of public safety will always be central municipal concerns. But these concerns are addressed by real people. They are people who serve day in and day out. Many are with us today and I thank you for your dedication, the department heads of the City of Medford and those employees that are here today. Thank you. In this new year, we will experience the retirement of two key figures in our city government. Our esteemed Superintendent of Schools, Roy Belson. And our respected Chief of Police, Leo Badisacco. Both of these individuals have devoted their entire professional careers to serving the citizens of Medford, and they have both set and met extraordinary high standards. They are leaders of vision and mentors to their department. To them, we say with all our heart, thank you so very much. I also want to say a word about our women and men who participate in our senior tax abatement program, led by the Vivian Wright, who's in attendance today. The benefit that they derive from this program is much less than the benefit that the various departments receive from their years of experience, their pleasant demeanor, and obvious love of our city. We are blessed with their contributions of time and talent. Thank you. It is a foundation so firm that it will not suffer hate or judgment, but will embrace understanding and justice. At the start of my comments today, I said that civility and listening are the cornerstones of democratic discourse. This is true for many reasons, but the primary reason is that civility and listening have the effect of erasing fear. They erase the fears which feed bigotry and racism. They level all playing fields to ensure that inequality and entitlement will not prevail. Medford embraces the ideals of equality in so many ways through the big table led by Reverend Wendy, community coalition, the Medford Health Matters conversations. We endeavor by action to continually make Medford a better and welcoming community. And as I look out, I see advisors, directors, and students from our CCSR program, which stands for Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility. They have committed their time and talents to form themselves as global citizens and thus make Medford a place of responsibility, invitation, and inclusivity. The students are our future leaders and I could not be prouder of you today. Thank you. So this day, I say again, happy new year. Let us begin anew, filled with optimism, hope, and a sense of pride in our community, our city, our Medford, to plan its future and to bring the plan into reality. It starts today. May God bless you, your families, and God bless this precious city of Medford. Thank you very much. Thank you.

[Roy Belson]: At this time, I would like to recognize the family members of the various elected officials. Will all the family members who are here today of the Medford School Committee please stand up and be recognized. I'm sure they really appreciate your support because I'm going to keep them really busy the next six months. And now I'd like to have the family members of the Medford City Council stand up and be recognized. Thank you. I plan to keep them busy too. At this time, I would like to call upon Pastor Gerald Bell of the Shiloh Baptist Church for an invocation.

[SPEAKER_00]: For the benediction, let us all stand, please. First Timothy chapter 2 says, I urge then first of all that petitions and prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God, our Savior, who wants all people to be saved, to come to a knowledge of the truth. Let us bow our heads. Eternal God, our Heavenly Father, we pray for wisdom. for light, and for boundaries to protect our city, to protect our leaders, and to protect our families. We pray from the least of these to the greatest. May our city be open and welcome. to all and any persons who would join our common purpose to serve all of humanity. We thank you for the opportunity to serve. We thank you for the mayor, the senator, the governor, all of our elected officials and their families who support them. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Give us favor in 2018. We bless your name and we pray in the mighty matchless name of Jesus. Amen.

[Roy Belson]: I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those who've participated in making this day and making this ceremony a meaningful and important event in our community. I'd like to start by thanking our band from the high school and our string quartet. Music always inspires the soul, and we've got great music in Medford. And thank you, Anthony, for your work and your dedication as Director of Fine Arts. We also want to thank all the people that donated non-perishable goods for the food pantry in Medford, in the area. Appreciate that. There's so many people out there who absolutely need this. And the more we can do in that account, the better off we are in helping our neighbors and friends. I want to thank Wegmans for their support of our collation which will take place at the close of this ceremony at Bistro 489. You're all invited to see this great facility funded in great part by our governor. Thank you. It's good. It's a great place. It's a great place. It's going to be a great place for the community to gather and for our young people to develop culinary arts skills that will give them the opportunity to earn successful jobs in the future. It's a terrific opportunity. We really appreciate it. I also want to thank all the volunteers who helped to make today special. The mayor's staff, the buildings and ground staff of the public schools, Corey Barrasso, the chef instructor of the Bistro 489, and Chad Fallon, the director of the Vocational Technical School for preparing the collation. And to all of you for coming out in the cold and braving it to be part of an important community event. At this time, I would ask the police honor guard to retire the colors. Please stand. You may be seated. As we close today's ceremonies, we leave with renewed commitment and hope and confidence that our community will move forward. The first and last task of any leader is to keep hope alive and I think today you know that hope is alive and well in Medford and we are moving forward under the leadership of our mayor, our school committee and city council, as well as our state government, the governor, our congressmen, our leaders in the state legislature and the United States Senate. We have terrific people leading us and all we need to do is get with it and support them so that we can continue to make Medford a great place. As we allow our city officials and honored guests to leave, please remain seated so they can leave the hall. And then afterwards, you're all invited to Bistro 489 on the second floor. We'll have guides to show you there. Come and join us. They've prepared a wonderful collation for us. Thank you very much.

Roy Belson total time: 25.09 minutes total words: 1551	Richard Caraviello total time: 4.09 minutes total words: 567	Stephanie Muccini Burke total time: 10.55 minutes total words: 1336