[John Petrella]: Hello, everyone, and welcome to Medford Happenings, a show for and about the city of Medford. And I am John Petrella. And the purpose of this program is to give Medford citizens facts and information to help you make informed choices and to discover city services or businesses you may not have been aware of. And our guest today is Laura O'Neill, the executive director of the Method Chamber of Commerce. Welcome, Laura, and thank you for joining us again.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Thanks, John. Happy to be in your studio.
[John Petrella]: It's great to have you here. All right, so we'll get right into things, Laura. We'll get right into everything with the chamber. Give us an update. on what the Chamber of Commerce, what's been going on? How's it?
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: A lot.
[John Petrella]: As usual.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: As usual, we're really busy. And you know what? When you were giving your introduction, I was like, wait, you and I do the same thing. My job here at the Chamber is trying to inform businesses about what's going on in Medford, give them the information so that they can increase their client base, If there's anything that's giving them a roadblock, let's get it out of the way. Let's see what we can do to fix it. We're basically informing the business community as a whole. One of the things we just did is we launched a new website. I'm really happy with it. It's much better for people looking to learn about Medford. It highlights all that we have here. So I'm very excited about that. And it's also good for the businesses because they can upload their social media, their current events, and when easier for people to find them, people can email the businesses right through our website.
[John Petrella]: Oh, nice.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So really happy about that big change at the chamber. And then recently we were here at Medford High School with Bill Cummings, who was our 2025 Citizen of the Year, and he gave it to Marie Cassidy from Medford Family Network, who was our 2026 Citizen of the Year, and we did it all at the Bistro.
[John Petrella]: Oh yeah, that's right. That was a great idea doing it there, by the way. I love that. Thank you.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I have to give credit to my old boss, who's still on my board, Andrew. And he's like, reach out to them. And it really worked. And so many businesses had never been here. And it's a great spot to host a lunch.
[John Petrella]: Sure.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And they all loved it, but they were blown away by the food.
[John Petrella]: Food, yeah. It is good. I've eaten there. Okay. People should become more aware of it. They do a great job. They absolutely do.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Things like that, we're happy to introduce people to all that Medford does. You know, they've been doing it. It's just letting people know.
[John Petrella]: So you're doing what we do. You're promoting Medford in a big way. Bigger than us. You are. That's great. All right. So I want to get into the redevelopment. A lot of talk. Medford Square. What role, if any, will the chamber take part in?
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So I've been immersed in zoning now for the past year and a half, two years. And before that, we were pumping out the charter to let people know about the charter. We have a government affairs committee, and their job is to look at these issues regarding regulations such as zoning and see if the chamber wants to take a formal position what we can what um recommendations we have what items we think are really gonna hurt medford businesses okay you know we're not it's just our input we have no say in it i understand but we i mean our goal is if everybody thinks something is not going to work that we get that opinion and put it out there and really, we have the data to prove it, right? I have these businesses who have said, this is not going to work. Let's think of something else. So my old job, I actually am a lawyer. I actually like this stuff, but it's a lot to digest. And I know it's hard for the businesses who are doing their day to day. And who think, well, it doesn't really if there's a five story building next to me or a 10 story building next to me, it doesn't really make a difference.
[John Petrella]: Right.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: But our job is to just get them the information in a format that they can process. so that they can make the determination if there's an issue.
[John Petrella]: So you are offering a lot of advice, and I've seen redevelopment, I used to work in Waltham years ago, and I've seen that all get redeveloped from when I worked there. But the key with them was the government, people that ran the city of Waltham, the companies that were doing the, everybody worked together.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And we're trying.
[John Petrella]: Yeah, I mean, to me, that's huge that they listen to the business owners, because I can tell you, Waltham, it's incredible what they did.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: You know, I work a lot with the Waltham Chamber of Commerce.
[John Petrella]: Oh, okay. So you know.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: It's amazing the growth that they have had.
[John Petrella]: Yes, it's incredible. It really is.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And they did such a good job on Moody Street.
[John Petrella]: Yes.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, we want that type of growth in Medford. I don't want it you know sometimes when we argue with city hall it's like well you're the chamber you're anti-growth we are not we are we are for growth but we want it to be responsible and we don't want it to leave out the businesses that are here right you know they need to be able to work through this construction they need to know that their current routes to their business are gonna remain open.
[John Petrella]: Yes, that's a key.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I mean, there's a lot we can do to make it easier for them as we have this growth.
[John Petrella]: Right.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And then the other thing is with the new businesses, who are we gonna attract? Like, you know, I'm fighting to get on those calls. Like, I wanna be there.
[John Petrella]: Sure, absolutely.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: You know, we have ideas what we think would be, so we wanna work with the city of Medford on that.
[John Petrella]: And I hope they listen. They're a great partner. Well, you've got a lot of good, I'm not just saying it, but in Medford, there's a lot of long time, good, solid citizens that are also business owners. And I think, you know, most of them do belong to the chamber, almost all of them. And I think they should have a lot of input. And I think it's worthwhile to listen to you guys.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And that's what we're actually, so what we've suggested, and it hasn't, come to fruition yet is a working group made up of business owners. Because these are the people, let them in before it gets to the point where you're voting on something at the last minute and there's no time for change. Let's get these working groups behind the scenes and coming up with ideas before these policies are drafted. So that's our goal.
[John Petrella]: And I hope it comes to fruition because a lot of good can come out of this if it's done the right way. I believe that. It will be a lot of good if it's done right. All right, so let's talk about your membership. How is that going? How does one become a member? Can an individual join? And what if you don't own? I'm asking a lot of questions. What if you don't own a business?
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So, it is for business owners or not-for-profits. Right. I'll start with the last question. If you don't own a business, feel free to follow us on social media.
[John Petrella]: Okay.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: You know, we have a Facebook page, a website. Go to our website, see what's going on. But our group is for businesses. Right. You know, so if you are a business, whether you're non-brick and mortar or have a storefront, We'd love for you to be part of the chamber. And we keep our membership dues low for that reason. Your first year, if you have under five employees, is $100. And then your second year, it only goes up to $200. So we're fortunate that we can afford to operate on that because number one, we only have one employee, and that's me. And we have, you know, we keep our expenses low. We'd love to get more members so that we could grow, but we're also fortunate that we have a tier of membership called our platinum members. So we have these 21 members who pay $1,000 in addition to their membership dues, and that helps us.
[John Petrella]: That gets you started every year.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: You know what, and it helps us with the smaller business, keep them low. But really what's been extremely beneficial to us is we started another tier. We have two premium members. Tufts University. I can't say enough about Tufts. We're so fortunate to have them in our community. I just got my first intern from Tufts. He started Monday.
[John Petrella]: It's good to hear someone promoting Tufts. I like that, I like that.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And I went to, before getting this intern, I went to an intern meeting group. And the people I met in this room, the networking that I was able to do, the people that Tufts brought together to receive these scholars, was so beneficial to me. You know, I practice what I preach. In-person networking is how you get things done. I met two people there who are now going to display at my event, Oktoberfest.
[John Petrella]: Awesome.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So it's so beneficial. So Tufts is a premier partner and so is Transom Properties and a huge shout out to them. They're developing over at Wellington and they got in touch with us and they know they're working in MedFed and they wanted to join the chamber so that they could contribute. So those two businesses, you know, fortunate to have them in our community and really That's how we're able to help the other businesses, and that includes the not-for-profits as well.
[John Petrella]: Right, yeah. No, that's a good thing. That's great to hear that they're coming in and doing that. I mean, that's nice. It's very nice. All right, so, you know, what are the benefits? What benefits is there for being a member of the Chamber of Commerce?
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I gotta ask that question every day. And every day my answer is different, depending on who I'm talking to. And one of the myths, and one reason I think some businesses don't join, is because they're like, I have no time for another group. I can't make another meeting. There is not another organization I can belong to. And that's not what we are. That's not what our membership is. Our membership is opt-in. You know, do what you want. If you wanna come to every event I am hosting, I am so happy to see you. Come to a networking thing. It'll be great. If that's not what your business needs and that's not what fits your model, you don't attend, right? We offer morning, evening, afternoon. We're catering to the small. We're hitting our large businesses. For our bigger businesses, we're showing them who's in Medford. They'll come to me and say, Laura, you know, we wanna do a local flair, who should we have cater? Well, I'm going to give them a number. Like, let's be clear. I mean, I have, there's a lot of restaurants in Medford. I have about 36 of them, right? So those are the 36 I talk about. Those are the 36 I can say to them, You know, if you're looking for this, this would be a great option on social media. Those are the businesses we promote. We're going to work hard to try to comment on your post, share them. And the other thing that we can do for you is sometimes people will come to us or not even know that they need someone. This happened recently. I had done a coffee on our patio, and we had heard from one of our not-for-profits, the Samaritans, because September is Suicide Prevention Month. And a lot of people there learned some information about ways they can distribute information on this important topic very easily, so they were happy. And after the discussion, people were just chatting, and one of our new members met someone who sells insurance and he's like, well, I don't really need insurance, but he was a great guy. Literally a month later, someone came to him and said, okay, for this event, you're going to need to insure yourself. So this guy came to me and he said, wait, I know somebody. I met him at your event, Laura. He goes, I thought insurance people like, you know, we're behind the phone, you know, we met them in person. So, you know, um, it was someone meeting up with Papio insurance. And it was great to make that connection in person. So the rest is up to them. They go about their business, but it's those kind of communications that we love to foster. And so it's sort of hard to tell you what your benefit is going to be. And then the other thing in the end is, if you're part of us, you can help steer where we push Metra. I can only make recommendations on what I know.
[John Petrella]: I love that part, yeah.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I don't know construction, I don't know. UMass came in here and they said Medford has the largest amount of plumbers. Like that's our biggest business by industry.
[John Petrella]: I would have never thought that.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I didn't either, plumbing companies, right? So I don't know what they need. And I mean, we have a vocational school here that to this day, some people still say to me, there's a voc in Medford. So, you know, there are ways we can make these connections and It's only if you're a member that we can have these conversations.
[John Petrella]: And you're constantly promoting. I mean, that's obvious.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I'm trying.
[John Petrella]: Yeah, no, you are. I know you are.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to see myself on Instagram again.
[John Petrella]: No, no, I understand that. I'm just like, it's nice to know. And that's, I mean, that's huge benefits. Just people getting to meet people. and everything else. That's great. You mentioned Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest. I go every year. I think it's great.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: My big sign.
[John Petrella]: There it is.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Oktoberfest.
[John Petrella]: Plan on attending if you live in Medford. That's all I can say.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: October 3rd.
[John Petrella]: Bring it back up. Let's take another look at that.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I'll do it on the correct side.
[John Petrella]: Make sure, yeah.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: October 3rd.
[John Petrella]: 12 to 4 p.m. Riverside Ave, Medford Square.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: In Medford Square.
[John Petrella]: The place to be. mark it on your calendar if you want to be somewhere and meet people and have a great time and we'll get into what's going to be there but it really is a nice time it's incredible uh what you have put together the the chamber yeah the chamber is put together yep yep our event chair so what what's going on with Oktoberfest this year what what's going on what do you got planned i mean it's always big gets bigger and bigger every year
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Like anything, that's what we try to do, right? Build on what we've done before. So our event chair is Tina Caruso. She's at Everett Bank, and we have a whole event committee. And as a board, it serves a lot of purposes, Oktoberfest. It's MedFed version of a town day, right? I mean, the city provides us so much assistance with this event. It wouldn't be possible to do without them. They know they don't do anything like that, and they're happy that we're doing it. And so they lend us the support. The DPW, the electricians, we get everyone. We shut down the road. So it's a combined space, I'm sorry, enclosed space. And we have so much going on. We have a beer garden. And we've now improved our beer garden, so it's a beer slash food garden. Mrs. Murphy's Pub and the Ford Tavern. Barry Rafferty is on our board. And he totally assists us with this. We get the bear truck and we're gonna be selling alcohol that you can walk around with as you enjoy the festival as well as hang out in the bear garden. We have food vendors who are made up of our member businesses. So we have Dean's Concessions. He's there with his massive truck with the cotton candy, the hot food. We have Goldilocks bagels. So yeah.
[John Petrella]: Everyone likes Goldilocks bagels. I love Goldilocks.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So it's your time. They're right there with all their bagels. Simple Fair Catering. They're in West Medford. They're amazing catering, but honestly, it's so great to have them selling at Oktoberfest. Businesses who are in the square, Wellington Pizza, Wellington's is there. Tanoka's there. It's a great setup. And then we have, I'm so excited for this, the Traveling A Coffee Carrie is there. Oh, okay. She's a member.
[John Petrella]: Yes.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And it's a coffee truck that her iced coffees, her pumpkin iced coffee. I wish, I wish she was, I wish I saw her more.
[John Petrella]: It's worth coming for the pumpkin iced coffee alone. Come for the pumpkin coffee. Yes, there you go.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So you have these great food vendors. And then any business can display a table. And we have a great assortment of tables. Some of them are doing activities. We have Page Aesthetics and Mystic Valley Travel, they do face painting. Which is such a good take for the kids. We have Hairspace is a Method Square salon, they do the hair painting. so fun, Medford Recreation is there with games. We have Friends of Medford Rowing, they're gonna be there with their ergs. We have, the fire department brings their smokehouse, police department brings a police truck. So we have the climb on activities for kids. So there's something for all ages. We also have two stages. One has your traditional Oktoberfest band.
[John Petrella]: That's right, yep, yep.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: they are they were great yeah they're good no they are they're worth it yeah they're worth it to come come see them they really are right they come every year and they're a great group of guys yeah um so we're happy to have them and then we'll have school of rock medford is managing our other stage so they'll be performing as well as we have the mystic valley players there
[John Petrella]: The Mystic Players, I know them pretty good. They do a great job too.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I'm very happy to have the Mystic Players doing Mean Girls. We have a Magician, Luan Topp is going to be there. We have Sigma Martial Arts there doing karate. We have Extreme Fitness there doing karate. We have a dance studio, so the entertainment is varied. And something we've done every year, but this year I recruited some great helpers, we do a pet parade. A pet costume parade.
[John Petrella]: Wow, so that's getting bigger and bigger. It is getting bigger.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So Pet Supplies Plus, which is in Medford, they donate all, a lot of goodies for anyone, any pet owner who's there. And then I have two members who do different services with animals. I have Tello's Dog Walking. Tracy Tello is helping us promote this, which is fantastic. She's a member. And then Pride and Joy Dog Training. Katie's a member and she's helping us promote this. And the big thing is, they're gonna run the parade.
[John Petrella]: So that's nice.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm always running around and they know dog. So now I have someone to really run the parade. We're dedicating a stage at 2 p.m.
[John Petrella]: Nice.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Every dog gets to get up on stage. It's a show off. There's no best in show.
[John Petrella]: It's just a fun time.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: It's a fun thing.
[John Petrella]: Dress your dog in a costume. And everyone enjoys it. That's the main thing. And like I say, there's something for everybody. There really is. There's so many different things. The muse, it's on and on and on. There's always something.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And I forgot to mention our sweet treats. We have Colleen's there.
[John Petrella]: Oh yeah, that's right. For our ice cream.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So you don't have to leave, you know, you don't have to leave Oktoberfest to get all your Medford treats.
[John Petrella]: Right. Everything's there.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: It's all there. And we're setting up a lot more tables so you can just relax, you know, take in the music and have a good time.
[John Petrella]: All right, I'm gonna ask you one more time. Can we hold that sign up one more time? Sure. Just so they get it.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I'm not great at being Vanna.
[John Petrella]: Yeah, there you go.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: I need to work on my Vanna skills.
[John Petrella]: No, you're a grace. There it is. There you go. Oktoberfest, October 3rd, 12 to 4. You live in Method. Even if you don't live in Method, you gotta come. And it's free. It's free. It's free. Everything's free. That's right, you get in for free.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: You get in for free.
[John Petrella]: Yep, yep. And it's a good take, it really is. All right, so we know you're celebrating 100 years, you know, 100th birthday, which is great. We know Oktoberfest is coming. Anything else planned or?
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So I'd love to milk this birthday because 100, you know, I did a big casino party.
[John Petrella]: Casino party was absolutely incredible. I'm glad you had fun. I had a blast. It was like all of us did. All of us went. That was just a great night. I got to be honest. And everybody I met so many people I haven't seen in a few years there and everything else. And it was like a great reunion.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: That's what we wanted it to be.
[John Petrella]: Oh, my God. It was a blast.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: It was at the Great American Beer Hall.
[John Petrella]: Yes.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: We utilized a casino company. You know, it was professional.
[John Petrella]: It was great. It was like, yeah, yeah.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And we're looking forward to doing something like that again. But the birthday theme is something I just can't let go of. So before the year is out, we're just going to do a general birthday party for our members.
[John Petrella]: Oh, that's nice.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Because so many of them, LaCashia's turned 100.
[John Petrella]: Oh, yeah, that's right. LaCashia's was this year also.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Pizzeria Regina turned 100.
[John Petrella]: Yep, another one.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Last year, Kiwanis Rotary. Kiwanis Rotary. I mean, they're both over 100.
[John Petrella]: We've had them both on the show, too. Yeah.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So we, I love that, this is what I love about Medford. You have these businesses who have been here so long, right? And then I have these businesses who are on their first year, third year, and they're just as pumped. Like they've made it three years.
[John Petrella]: Yes.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So they want to celebrate.
[John Petrella]: Absolutely.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So I'm going to do a birthday party theme. Everybody gets a number on their hat.
[John Petrella]: Nice.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: However old you are, it's everybody's birthday. So that's how we're going to be closing out our hundredth. is by this big birthday celebration.
[John Petrella]: Okay, that sounds good. You're always coming up with good stuff. I gotta give you credit, really. But, you know, going back to that casino night, that was the night of nights. I mean, anyone who didn't, who missed that, I don't know if you're gonna do it again. I hope you, I pray and you do it again. It really was, it was just a, Everything about it was just fun. It was just a fantastic night.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And you know what, that's what we wanted to make it. I said, you know, and I sort of had to fight a little on this. No speeches. No, I know. And, you know, I love when I'm in front of businesses, it's really hard for me not to talk about the chamber. Like I want to talk about membership right say join us if you're not a member, but even for me I was like there are no speeches that night. It is really It was just fun to just get together. Yeah, you know the mayor came we were so happy she was there We appreciated all the support and the sponsorship we received that night. And I told everyone going in, it's just a party.
[John Petrella]: And that's exactly what it was. And it was a great one, too. Oh, good. It was. It was a great one. I just, so much fun. Good memories, too. A lot of good memories from that one night. That's all I can say. Are there any tables or spaces, like if someone wanted to get in on the Oktoberfest?
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
[John Petrella]: Still have tables left?
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: There's still spots available. Okay. We will squeeze everybody in. The information is on the website.
[John Petrella]: Okay.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Officially, we're shutting down, you know, September 17th. But if you call me after that or email us after that, we'll try to fit you in if we can.
[John Petrella]: Okay. Can you give us the contact information?
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: It's our website and my email.
[John Petrella]: We're going to put it on the TV.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Oh, perfect. Yeah. It's www.MedfordChamber.com.
[John Petrella]: There you go.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: And my email, loneal at medfordchamberma.com.
[John Petrella]: Yeah, we just like to get around. One more time, one more time.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Our Instagram is the big, you know, if you really want to see what's up to date, go to at med, M-E-D, chamber, M-A. I hate to have to even mention this, but I will. There is an old Instagram account out there. If you go to an Instagram account and you're looking at Gordon Ramsey, that's not us.
[John Petrella]: That's not you.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: That is not us. Instagram is not letting me, fighting with meta, meta is, uh, it doesn't work.
[John Petrella]: You don't win. No, you don't. Of course not. You don't.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: So, um, you know, you'll know you're on the right Instagram when you see my face or, or a comment or Oktoberfest or anything that is happening within the past year.
[John Petrella]: All right, so that's the information. If they wanted to still get a table, there are still a few tables left so they could still get on there. That sounds great. You know, it's that time, you know, I could talk, I could talk for a long time. But it is that time again. I want to thank Laura O'Neill, the director, the Method Chamber of Commerce for joining us. And of course we wish the chamber continued success. Thank you so much for joining us.
[XXXXXX00105_SPEAKER_00]: Thanks, John, and thanks, Method Happenings. You're a member.
[John Petrella]: Yes, we are. Showing. Yes, yes, we are. We will. We are and we will. We will, definitely. That's next. All right, so I also want to take a few minutes to thank everyone who has been watching the show. Thank you for your feedback. If you would like to appear on the show, all you got to do is contact us. at method happenings 02155 at gmail.com and you'll be able to watch replays of this program on method community media access channel and you can check out our website method happenings.com where you can now either view or listen to the podcast of this program and the podcast is doing really good Uh, you can find all of our shows on YouTube. You just gotta go to YouTube.com, search for Medford Happenings, it's that easy. Uh, please like and subscribe, uh, to our channel and videos, of course. Uh, you can also find us on Facebook at Medford Happenings. We also have our own subreddit, which you can find us at reddit.com slash R slash Medford Happenings. So there's no excuse for you not to be watching this show and listening to us. It's all about Method, giving you the information you need to have. So for the Method Happenings team, Paul, Marco, Bruce, and James, and of course me, John Petrella, remember Method. Stay informed. Thank you.
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