History of Dedham, Massachusetts, 2000–present

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Organizations
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The history of Dedham, Massachusetts from 2000 to present begins at the third millennium and continues to the present day. Notable events include several large commercial and residential developments, municipal building projects, and changes to the Charter.

Development

Major developments in Dedham include the Jewish Rashi School, a $30 million building on the 162-acre campus of Hebrew SeniorLife's NewBridge on the Charles in the fall of 2010.^[1] The 82,000-square-foot LEED-certified school opened in the fall of 2010 with 300 students in kindergarten through eighth grade and room to grow the population.^[1] The first of the 700^[1] residents of NewBridge on the Charles moved in on June 1, 2010.^[2]

After Legacy Place, a shopping mall with 80 stores, restaurants, and a 15-screen movie theater opened, businesses in Dedham Square suffered.^[3] Legacy Place opened in 2009, with the first movie being shown to the public on August 27, 2009.^[4] The first film was Inglourious Basterds, and the first film was Shutter Island, a movie partially filmed in Dedham.^[4]

There are police substations at NewBridge and at Legacy Place.^[2]

Municipal building projects

Town Meeting created a School Building/ Rehabilitation Committee (SBRC) in 2000.^[5] In 2006 the new Dedham Middle School was opened next door to the existing Dedham Middle School, which previously served as Dedham High School from 1915 to 1959.^[6] The 130,000 square feet (12,000 m²) Certified Green School cost $22,353,209.^[7]

In 2012 a new 61,000 square feet (5,700 m²) Avery Elementary School was opened at a cost of $19,285,949.^[8] Like, the Middle School, it was designed by the firm of Dore and Whittier.^[8] In 2015 the SBRC was considering where to build a new Early Childhood Education Center.^[9]

Town Meeting rejected a $40 million proposal in November 2014 to buy a 490,000 square feet (46,000 m²) portion of the former Rust Craft Greeting Card building at 100 Rustcraft Road for use as a Town Hall, Senior Center, and Police Station.^[10][11] The Town had already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in due diligence when Town Meeting rejected the plan.^[11]

At the 2014 Annual Town Meeting it was voted instead to purchase the 33,000 square feet (3,100 m²)^[11] Ames Schoolhouse for $5.85 million and renovate it to be used as a Town Hall and Senior Center.^[12] An additional $1 million was appropriated to relocate the tenants of the schoolhouse,^[11] which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.^[13] After most of the Town's administrative offices move into the Ames Schoolhouse, the Police Department is expected to renovate the old Town Hall for their use at a cost of $9.5 million.^[11] Town Meeting Representatives and other supporters of a Senior Center, a building discussed and debated for more than 30 years,^[11] "wooed and applauded loudly,"^[14] and were dancing in the aisles after the article passed.^[15]

Government

Charter changes

In March 2012 the Board of Selectmen created a Charter Advisory Committee to review the Town's governing document and to recommend changes.^[16] The committee consisted of Thomas R. Polito, Jr., Joseph Pascarella, Kevin Mawe, Jay Donahue, Brian Keaney, Cherylann Sheehan, and Camille Zahka,^[17] and met more than 25 before presenting their findings to the Selectmen in August 2013.^[16]

The Selectmen sent the recommendations on to Town Meeting, who presented them to Town Meeting. The Town Meeting approved all but one, calling for term limits. At the 2014 Town Election, voters approved five of the six amendments, with the only exception being an increase in the term of the Town Clerk from three to five years.^[18]

Selectmen elections

2015

One seat for a full three year term available.

SELECTMEN 3yr[19]	Pct.1	Pct.2	Pct.3	Pct.4	Pct.5	Pct.6	Pct.7	TOTAL	TOTAL
Blanks	149	136	90	109	134	140	167	925	35.81%
JAMES A. MACDONALD	220	267	157	198	275	272	254	1,643	63.61%
Write-ins	3	1	0	1	3	5	2	15	0.58%
TOTAL	372	404	247	308	412	417	423	2,583

A separate election was called for when Carmen Dello Iacono stepped down as Selectman to becoming the Town's electrical inspector.

SELECTMEN 1yr[19]	Pct.1	Pct.2	Pct.3	Pct.4	Pct.5	Pct.6	Pct.7	TOTAL	TOTAL
Blanks	14	7	15	8	17	17	10	88	3.41%
STEPHEN M. BILAFER	210	89	66	104	114	171	157	911	35.27%
BRENDAN KEOGH	146	308	166	193	278	227	255	1,573	60.90%
Write-ins	2	0	0	3	3	2	1	11	0.43%
TOTAL	372	404	247	308	412	417	423	2,583

2014

Two seats for full three year terms were available.

SELECTMEN[20]	Pct.1	Pct.2	Pct.3	Pct.4	Pct.5	Pct.6	Pct.7	TOTAL	Pct
Blanks	183	215	170	139	226	217	245	1395	15.2%
BRENDAN KEOGH	167	422	97	188	221	198	176	1469	16.0%
MARY E. GILBERT	375	88	75	124	129	151	112	1054	11.5%
DENNIS J. TEEHAN, JR	295	196	163	261	289	292	301	1797	19.5%
CHERYL A. SCHOENFELD	186	104	130	97	157	167	264	1105	12.0%
KENNETH P. GILCHRIST	8	23	47	15	19	31	15	158	1.7%
DENNIS J. GUILFOYLE	88	236	298	220	409	330	318	1899	20.7%
DANIEL JON O'NEIL, JR	19	32	33	16	36	39	26	201	2.2%
THOMAS M. BONCEK	13	10	23	12	17	18	12	105	1.1%
WRITE-INS	2	0	2	0	3	1	1	9	0.1%
TOTAL	1336	1326	1038	1072	1506	1444	1470	9192

2013

Two seats for full three year terms were available.

SELECTMEN[21]	Pct.1	Pct.2	Pct.3	Pct.4	Pct.5	Pct.6	Pct.7	TOTAL
Blanks	277	170	173	191	288	310	286	1695
CARMEN E. DELLOIACONO, JR.	232	179	154	231	256	292	286	1630
MICHAEL L. BUTLER	247	165	134	204	246	287	270	1553
Write-ins	2	4	1	2	6	5	6	26
TOTAL	758	518	462	628	796	894	848	4904

2012

One seat for a full three year term available.

SELECTMEN[22]	Pct. 1	Pct. 2	Pct. 3	Pct. 4	Pct. 5	Pct. 6	Pct. 7	TOTAL	Pct
Blanks	137	58	61	93	83	116	65	613	32.1%
JAMES A. MACDONALD	182	163	151	152	180	240	203	1271	66.6%
Miscellaneous Write-ins	2	1	0	4	5	6	6	24	1.3%
TOTAL	321	222	212	249	268	362	274	1908

2011

Two seats for full three year terms were available.

SELECTMEN[23]	Pct.1	Pct.2	Pct.3	Pct.4	Pct.5	Pct.6	Pct.7	TOTAL	PCT
Blanks	107	128	105	192	122	150	146	950	14.3%
ROBERT B. O'CONNELL	25	59	66	141	88	62	82	523	7.9%
SARAH MACDONALD	407	216	140	389	233	223	270	1,878	28.3%
GEORGE PANAGOPOULOS	224	127	98	200	158	128	220	1,155	17.4%
PAUL REYNOLDS	341	220	147	418	200	255	267	1,848	27.9%
SABINO J. CELATA	24	46	30	46	36	42	44	268	4.0%
Miscellaneous Write-ins	0	0	0	2	1	0	1	4	0.1%
TOTAL	1,128	796	586	1,388	838	860	1,030	6,626	100.0%

Athletics

In 2015, Declan Harris won the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's state wrestling championship at the 145 pound weight class, and Eric Reyes won at the 160 pound weight class. Reyes had won at 145 pounds in 2014, and at 126 pounds in 2013.^[24]

Commemorating its 30th year, the James Joyce Ramble in 2013, 2014 and 2015 was the host for the USA Track & Field National Masters 10K Championship.^[25]

References