Norwood Selectmen Notes: Board Discusses Upcoming Holiday Extravaganza, 'Strong Chief' Revocation

Successful Fall for Recreation Dept., Looking Forward to Holiday Season

Gerald Miller, Superintendent of the Norwood Recreation Department, addressed the board of selectmen at their Tuesday night meeting to deliver his monthly report.

Miller said the Halloween season was great for the Recreation Department, including events such as pumpkin painting, parents' night out and the new "Trunk or Treat" event on Oct. 20 - which he described as an alternative to trick-or-treating. Miller said hundreds of kids showed up and, in the words of one of those kids, it was nice to have an excuse to wear their costumes again.

"It was a huge success," he said.

The next big event for the department is the Holiday Extravaganza, to be held Sunday, Nov. 25 starting at 1:30 p.m. This year the event will include a reindeer dash for kids to start the afternoon, and the first 100 kids who show up will be given antlers.

There will also be a petting zoo this year, right on the Town Common, said Linda Berger, Program Director, who was also present at the meeting.

The Board expressed excitement over the event, and approved a request to close Central St. from Nahatan St. to East Cottage St. from 1:30 p.m. until after the conclusion of Tree Lighting ceremony on Sunday.

"I can't wait for our Christmas celebrations here," Selectman Allan Howard said.

Board Discusses Placing South Norwood Representative on Rink Committee

Norwood resident Patty Bailey submitted a request to the Board to be appointed to the Rink Study committee as a representative of South Norwood.

"I think we kind of discussed that before," Selectman William Plasko said, noting that the Committee does not yet have a particular neighborhood picked out yet and is examining all options. When the committee was first formed, the Selectman placed Allan Howard, former South Norwood resident, on it to see that the interests of the area were represented, Plasko said.

Selectman Paul Bishop said he would support the request, and asked that when the Committee does settle on a location and that location remains in South Norwood, the Board reconsider Bailey's request. The board voted unanimously to file the request until that time. (Unanimous by a vote of four - Selectmen Helen Abdallah Donohue was not present at Tuesday night's meeting).

'Strong Chief' Revocation and What Happens Now

Town Manager John Carroll told the board that Tuesday morning he wrote a letter to all Norwood Firefighters regarding the Town Meeting's revocation of the "Strong Chief" law and the process moving forward.

Carroll said that obviously a major change happened Monday night, and he does plan to meet with each group after the Thanksgiving holiday for a more detailed discussion.

A copy of the letter was given to the board as well.