ORDER-2016-38 : Announcement of appointment of James Muschett, 17 Conrad Road, and reappointment of Robert Driscoll and Anne Hackett as members of the Veterans Services Advisory Board

Transcript (~7 min @ 17:23)

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▶ 17:06 Speaker 7: and license order 2016-37 appointment of Francis Paglia one nascent Drive apartment 519 to the Melrose Housing Authority Board of Commissioners to fill the unexpired term of Anna Marie de Filippo said term to expire on the first

▶ 17:24 Speaker 3: Monday of March 2018. That order will go to the Committee on Health Education

▶ 17:29 Speaker 7: and Welfare. Order 2016-38, announcement of appointment of James Mouchette, 17 Conrad Road, and reappointment of Robert Driscoll and Ann Hackett as members of the Veterans Services Advisory Board. Motion for

▶ 17:46 Speaker 3: immediate consideration, Mr. President. Alderman Boisselle asks for immediate consideration of Order 216-38. Is there an objection to immediate consideration?

▶ 17:55 Robert A. Boisselle: Motion to suspend the rules to have the Director of Veteran Service and the candidates come forward just to introduce themselves.

▶ 17:59 Speaker 3: Second. Alderman Boisselle moves to suspend the rules. Motion to suspend is seconded by Alderman Forbes. On the motion, all those in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? For anybody who's watching at home so you understand this order and the procedure that we're going through tonight, the Veterans Advisory Board is not an ordinance body, it is an advisory board to the mayor. And the mayor is informing us as to individuals who are being reappointed and appointed to this body this evening. If you folks would like to come forward to the center of the room, please. Or whatever is easier for you.

▶ 18:45 Speaker 6: I can't count.

▶ 18:54 Speaker 6: Thank you for having us tonight. On behalf of the mayor, I just wanted to introduce some very important people. Ann Hackett is being reappointed. I would feel silly telling you about her because you all know about her. just a quick story though when I came here she was in this job four years ago she was calling me every week and checking on me and I thought oh that's nice you know she's she's making sure I'm okay and settled and she told me later that no she wanted to make sure that the veterans were being taken care of so she's not only very nice but tough as well and has done so much for veterans to include Memorial Day her work with people who need food at our food drives and at our new veteran mobile food market she she's absolutely amazing. It would be impossible to list her accomplishments. The man to my left, who would be too humble to share his accomplishments, is going to be promoted soon in the Air Force after 30 years of service, and I'd be hard-pressed to find anybody who's done more for veterans anywhere, never mind just in Melrose. Then Bob Driscoll, who's been chairing the committee for a while, has worked with me in my office to make me better and push me to try and help the community i hope i was able to do that for him but the work he does organizing events and programs to include our trips to dc taking care of veterans making sure the office is open and visible and and helping veterans is just unbelievable so i think he deserves more than those few words and the new appointment my friend jim machette just to give you a little background on him he is a highly decorated vietnam war veteran a couple bronze stars with valor which they do not give away those are those are earned for your courageousness under fire he also did almost everything he could to make sure that he was ready for vietnam and i respect not only his service but his commitment to making sure that he did it the right way only matched by his service and willingness to help in the community he volunteers in several organizations to help feed the poor he has been coming and helping me with the veteran mobile food market and that the thing i admire the most is is anybody that comes in whether they're a volunteer or a young person or a veteran in need he takes the time to speak to every one of them and make sure that they are comfortable secure and and know that they are being taken care of and i really respect that about him he's been coming to the meetings just on his own just to see what he can do to help the community and it's very nice to have him formally recognized here in the appointment to the board I feel lucky to

▶ 21:35 Speaker 3: be back in the United States and that it's my honor and privilege to do as much as I can for the community and and also specifically veterans in need good

▶ 21:50 Speaker 11: evening I just want to say a few words I just completed ten years of being on the Veterans Advisory Board since its inception in 2005 and I look forward to the next ten years of doing even bigger and better things for the veterans here in Melrose just want to advertise quickly a couple of our upcoming events this month on the 24th we have the veterans food drive at Shaw's supermarket from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. where we collect food for the two food pantries here in the city our drives are usually the number one contributors to the food pantries so just get that out there we also this Wednesday Ryan McLean and Jim Keene who's another member of our board will be going into the State House and talking before the Massachusetts Senate on a bill that the veterans advisory board here Melrose proposed to expand veterans benefits it's it's Senate bill 669 so that's this Wednesday and then later in the month we have the veterans in the classroom where we team up with the Melrose veterans memory project and we'll be doing the vets in the classroom next door at Memorial Hall and that's on October 28th so those are our events coming up in a

▶ 23:19 Speaker 3: very near future great thank you on discussion Alderman Inferno thank you

▶ 23:23 Speaker 9: could I just ask you Bob if you could repeat the date of the shots drop food

▶ 23:26 Speaker 11: yes that's October 24th Saturday October 20 I just want to say last year when you

▶ 23:29 Gail Infurna: had it I thought it was a great event it was like a scavenger hunt going through shots yes good job made a little fun as you were doing something very good

▶ 23:41 Speaker 11: for for the community it's overwhelming the kids that come out the Boy Scouts Girl Scouts that help us with that and everything so it's a it's a real community event now so it's great thank you all the Forbes hi I don't have any

▶ 23:52 Scott M. Forbes: questions I think I could speak on behalf of the whole board when I say thank you very much for your service and all the outstanding work that you do on the adventure and the veterans advisory board I know that Melrose has set the example especially in the last few years when it comes to veteran services and community outreach, and the reason is because of the outstanding leadership we have in place. So I just do want to say thank you very much for the outstanding efforts that you do represent the community very well. And I wish you all the continued success in the future. So thank you very much and congratulations on your appointment, Jim. And you as well.

▶ 24:27 Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you, Waldemar. Motion to place on file. Second. Alderman Boisselle moves to place this order on file. The motion is seconded by Alderman Mortimer. there any discussion on the motion all those in favor of the motion please indicate by saying aye aye anyone opposed motion passes thank you