Stoneham Honors 3 Residents With Inaugural Sapphire Awards

STONEHAM, Ma. - When Select Board member Raymie Parker brought up the idea of honoring Stoneham residents who've gone above and beyond, Tuesday night was what she had in mind.

The Select Board recognized the three winners of the inaugural Sapphire Awards, given to residents or town employees who have contributed much to the town of Stoneham. The first winners, Jim Prior, Maureen Canova, and Maureen Buckley, were all nominated by fellow residents and were on hand to receive their awards.

Prior, who was nominated by his two daughters, is a founding member of the Stoneham Hall of Fame. He established the girls in-town basketball program, which now has 142 players and 18 town teams. Canova is Director of the Stoneham Senior Center and works with the Council on Aging. Buckley is co-chair of the Memorial Day Parade and head of the Stoneham Girl Scouts.

In addition to the award, Buckley received more good news as she sat in the Select Board Hearing Room. She received a text that she became a first-time grandmother to a baby girl, making it a night she'll certainly remember.

"They're all really good people," said Parker. "All three of the winners, they don't like the spotlight and they don't like the pat on the back, they don't like recognition, but for other people to feel that they're important enough to recognize them, I think it's great. They are all well-deserving people. They do a lot for this town."

The awards continued Tuesday.

The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award may not sound as sexy as a Sapphire Award but Assistant Town Accountant Al Rego was happy to be on hand and share his award. It was presented to him for his budget work by the Government Finance Officers Association.

Not all the board's agenda ended with cake. The board voted 4-1 to raise parking fines. Most Stoneham parking fines are $15 and after looking at what surrounding communities charged for the same offenses, the board agreed with the Traffic Committee and raised its fines. Caroline Colarusso objected, asking the board to delay the increase to allow for public input and further discussion.

The board also approved a waiver to allow the Stoneham Community Development Corporation to hold the first Taste of Stoneham event on the Town Common Aug. 25. The inaugural event will bring local restaurants to the common from 12 to 4 p.m.

The Taste of Stoneham also offered a taste of what's to come. Town Administrator Dennis Sheehan questioned the overall use of the Town Common. Basically, how much is too much? Ever since the common went from a heated discussion in the mid '90s to a reality in 2001, the Town Common has been a popular place to hold events. But the rules for events are strict, including prohibiting for-profit groups on the common. The CDC is a non-profit, but the restaurants are for-profit, thus a gray area that often surfaces with various events and Sheehan wanted to discuss it more in future meetings.