This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page please perform a WhoIs lookup on kobi5.com and contact the registered owner A gun was fired during a fight involving Patchogue-Medford High School students that took place in an off-campus parking lot Sunday afternoon District officials and police were on high alert Monday at Patchogue-Medford High School following an off-campus gunfire incident late Sunday afternoon that is believed to have involved multiple students from the district in a fight in a parking lot Suffolk County police said the incident occurred in a lot on Academy Street and said it was reported in a 911 call at about 5:10 p.m police said a "group of teens met up to engage in a fight" at the location "an unknown person fired shots," striking a vehicle Police said Fifth Squad detectives were investigating the incident In a statement late Sunday to the school community Patchogue-Medford district superintendent Donna Jones wrote: "The District was notified this evening by the Suffolk County Police Department that an incident took place in the community involving gunfire and multiple Patchogue-Medford School District high school students." The correspondence said the district had requested police presence Monday at the school on Buffalo Avenue in Medford Follow the latest developments in the Gilgo Beach killings investigation By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy Jones also informed the school community all AP exams would go on as scheduled the District will put in place additional security measures to ensure the security of our building and the safety and well-being of students and staff." Check back for updates on this developing story Trump's influence on NY's future .. Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months Copyright ©2025 Newsday. All rights reserved. 2025 2:54 p.m.A viral podcast spotlights a Medford doctor’s research into possible telepathic communication in some autistic children — but the real controversy centers on a spelling method and whether it reflects the users’ own voices.00:00 / In a quiet Medford living room clicks play on a video she’s watched countless times showing the image on it — a triangle — to the camera holding an electronic letter board that resembles an iPad She presumably types out “triangle,” which is correct “You can see the therapist is not moving this device,” Powell noted Haley repeats the feat over and over again slowly typing out words that match the image on the cards It’s the kind of footage that has made Powell a source of hope for some parents — and a target of sharp criticism from others Powell is drawn to some pretty fringe topics: savantism people with incredible and unexplained abilities those who suddenly possess talents for languages or mathematics She also researches extrasensory perception — ESP “I thought maybe ESP is another savant skill,” Powell said “Or maybe savant skills are just a form of ESP.” Powell wrote a book on her findings, "The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena." Her most recent focus is on children like Haley collecting data on people with autism and limited communication — and what she believes may be signs of telepathy That claim, featured in the podcast "The Telepathy Tapes," helped push Powell’s work into the national spotlight earlier this year The podcast reached the top of Spotify’s charts briefly bringing an influx of attention from scientists “It’s hard for me to keep up with my emails,” Powell said “It’s scientists who want to collaborate with me It’s parents of children that say… ‘Thank you for doing this work.’” But the most urgent questions around Powell’s research have little to do with mind reading Diane Powell researches whether people with autism have telepathic abilities Powell’s telepathy work doesn’t convince everyone But a surprising controversy around the research isn’t just the claims of telepathic autistic children but the way nonverbal individuals are being asked to communicate The debate comes down to that therapist in Powell’s video holding the letterboard while Haley spells out words Supporters say it’s a breakthrough for many with autism It’s doing it independently,” said Jaime Van Echo associate director of clinical issues at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association The organization is generally against communication practices involving heavy assistance from another person That could be someone touching the nonverbal individual’s arm prompting them in certain ways or even holding a letterboard in front of them “The main difference here is that… they’re holding the board is communicating with the support of another person,” Van Echo said “And what ASHA really does strive for is independent communication.” Someone using a letter board that’s lying on a table is perfectly fine when someone else is involved in the conversation It might seem like a small distinction. But the group has gone as far as saying another assisted practice “effectively strips people of their human right to independent communication.” The organization has spoken out against teaching a similar method But proponents of these assisted methods argue many with severe autism struggle with motor skills or focus the opportunity to communicate may be lost Both sides of this debate claim science is on their side A 2022 Frontiers in Psychology article cited more than 100 peer-reviewed studies confirming people with autism are the ones communicating while using assisted methods The International Association for Spelling as Communication cites a study that tracked the eye movements of non-verbal individuals It found that they appeared to focus on the correct letters before selecting them — proof that people with autism But other researchers disagree. A 2001 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders reviewed studies on a related method known as Facilitated Communication it’s safe to say that the science around this debate isn’t settled Although the Telepathy Tapes and Powell’s work have led to more parents learning about their method or similar systems, advocates think being associated with mind reading is hurting their efforts to gain wider acceptance for assisted communication. One of the parents drawn to Powell’s work is Janna Champagne is autistic and was nonverbal until the age of 10 “While she was diagnosed by the school district in second grade as unable to learn I had seen some clear indicators that she was highly intelligent,” Champagne said One of those indications for Champagne was coming across her daughter researching amusement parks on the family computer came across the Telepathy Tapes a few months ago and says it immediately resonated “Another thing my daughter has shown me… is that she can clearly read my thoughts and respond to my thoughts,” she said And right as Champagne had the thought that her daughter had finally dozed off Champagne was deciding whether to pack a grapefruit in her daughter’s lunch and Ginny — unprompted — yelled “grapefruit” from another room “I literally got to the point where if I don’t want her to read my thoughts But she has trouble communicating with her daughter — even with the mind reading That’s why she wants to teach her to use a letterboard as far as her purpose here in this life,” Champagne said is why her research resonates with so many parents ”To really help these people recognize that these children are in there that they do have far more capacity than people give them credit for.” Correction: The name Ginny was originally misspelled in this story Justin Higginbottom is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page Tags: Southern Oregon, Measure, Autism, Children Stand with OPB and protect independent journalism for everyone Listen to the OPB News live stream (opens new window)Streaming Now By: 7:00 am on April 20 Construction has officially begun on Medford Gardens, a 66-unit affordable senior housing development located in the hamlet of Medford in Suffolk County Spearheaded by Governor Kathy Hochul and developed by the WellLife Network the $40 million project is designed to provide supportive housing for seniors with half of the units reserved for individuals in need of additional services The development is expected to be completed by summer 2026 Medford Gardens will serve residents aged 55 and older earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income Thirty-three apartments will be designated for seniors facing homelessness or mental health challenges with on-site services including case management The three-story building will be fully electric and incorporate sustainable features such as energy-efficient appliances Financing for the development includes $19 million in equity from Low Income Housing Tax Credit programs $6.7 million from the Supportive Housing Opportunity Program $3.6 million from the Federal Housing Trust Fund and nearly $800,000 from the NYS HOME Program Additional support comes from the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program and operational funding via the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative “Medford Gardens is a welcome addition to our community and we look forward to its new residents,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano supportive housing will transform their lives.” Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews Translation the taxpayers is on the hook again thanks kickback Kathy ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/www.newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/www.newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/www.newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC That’s what The Great American Beer Hall in Medford is calling an event it's planning for Saturday, June 14 — a beerfest combined with what will be like a Coachella music festival with seven live music performances providing entertainment over two sessions “It’s not just going to be an IPA fest,” said Joe Bruno beverage director for The Great American Beer Hall we’re going to have other offerings like cider wines and hard seltzers 'Medford is underserved': Large-scale beer hall planned for Mystic Avenue All participating breweries will have multiple offerings “You should expect to try beers you never had before from some great great live music and just good vibes,” Bruno said Jameson Visconte, entertainment director for The Great American Beer Hall, is excited about Beerchella's lineup of bands and disc jockeys. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. with popular Boston disc jockey Armando the Truth in the outdoor beer garden “He’s kind of the vibe setter,” Visconte said JAM'N 94.5 DJ Axis Pro will also entertain during the day in the beer garden “He’ll create some electricity in that outdoor area.” Guess Method is a Wakefield, Rhode Island-based band that will perform on the main stage inside The Great American Beer Hall, playing a funky, jazzy blend of music. Boston vocal rock band Charing Cross will close out the daytime session 'Fairness and equity': Mass. breweries can sell beer at farmers markets in 2025 “All of the music and bands are really for everyone," Visconte said For the nightcap, the headliner is New York-based Jimkata super entergetic for a hard-hitting dance party Other entertainers slated for Beerchella's evening lineup include DJ Jinx in the beer garden and DJ Inkognito on the main stage Tickets to Beerchella are $60 for the daytime session and $80 for the evening session. To purchase, visit eventbrite.com/e/beerchella-at-the-great-american-beer-hall-tickets-1262864936019?aff=oddtdtcreator MEDFORD — The Roseburg softball team rebounded from a 6-0 loss in the first game winning the nightcap 11-2 to earn a split with North Medford in a Southwest Conference doubleheader on Friday 10-2 SWC) remained a half-game ahead of the Indians (16-5 North Medford won two of three games in the series The Tornado rallied to a 4-3 victory at Roseburg on April 8 "The girls were really flat in the first game today," Roseburg coach Dave Blevins said "But I was really happy about the second game The girls came out and played like they're capable of." North Medford's Julia Edwards tossed a three-hitter in the opener Roseburg was shut out for the first time this season Maili Hamlin went 4-for-4 with two runs for the Tornado Becca Tuivana was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs Ella Martinez and Masyn Tabor had singles for the Tribe Roseburg got 14 hits off Edwards and Malia Baker in the second game taking the lead for good with four runs in the top of the second inning giving up four hits and no earned runs with three strikeouts and four walks over seven innings "We found a few pitches that were working for Jas and stuck with them," Blevins said Terra Singleton finished with four hits in five at-bats for the Indians Ciera Singleton was 3-for-4 with three runs Danika Opp was 3-for-4 and Cambria Bachmeier went 2-for-3 with a double and four RBIs Maleyah Thoele went 2-for-2 for North Medford Roseburg is scheduled to travel to Eugene Saturday to face Sheldon in a doubleheader Tom Eggers is the sports editor for The News-Review. He can be reached at teggers@nrtoday.com or 541-957-4220 Local journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber at nrtoday.com/subscribe. Email notifications are only sent once a day Read the e-Edition here Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Would you like to receive our Daily Briefing? Signup today Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Nine candidates are fighting for three seats on Medford’s School Board so the district needs to search for a permanent replacement For position 1, candidates include Angela Zbikowski, Cheyla Breedlove and Curt Ankerberg who declined to participate in Wednesday's forum He has previously run for a variety of positions For position 2, the candidates are Logan Leverette Vaughan, Sandra LaNier McHenry and Donovan Donnally For position 3, candidates are Erik Johnsen, Taryne Saunders and incumbent board chair Cynthia Wright who was out of town and unable to participate in the forum McHenry said her experience in marketing and communications would be an asset to the board "I think everybody wants more communication," she said "The community wants to better understand what's going on with the school board." there's been a breakdown of trust and mutual respect among some of the board members and members of the administration," he said "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Breedlove said she would like to see a new approach to the curriculum "I could bring to the Medford School Board some fresh ideas about homesteading and things that get us kids and our kids back into the outdoor curriculums that I think really help us grow them as human beings," she said who has previously run unsuccessfully for county commissioner and mayor "We need to get common sense back in the school and leave the rest of the nonsense at home." included whether religious ideas should be the basis of instruction in public schools and whether the district should ensure LGBTQ staff and students are welcomed and fully included "I do recall being a child in the Medford school district from K-12 and this was never a subject," Saunders answered the latter question and I don't know why we're talking about it now What people do in their own home and in their own bedroom is their business and I don't know why we're talking about it in schools." She has previously filed a complaint against a school board member and been removed from a school board meeting "I have myself been accused of being the cause of a lot of issues at the school board but I think the biggest issue is that the current board doesn't listen to any of the complaints that are coming forward," she said at the forum Candidates also strove to highlight how their individual backgrounds would strengthen the board "The local school board is the first and last line of defense to make sure that every child has access to a fair and appropriate public education," Zbikowski said "I bring a unique background as a foster parent who helped to raise kids who had lots of different challenges with the school system Donnally said his top priorities if elected would be finding a new superintendent improving school nutrition and "giving access back to the parents letting them be involved without feeling like they're going into a prison and they have to go through some sort of Fort Knox." The event was sponsored by ORD2Indivisible, a movement formed in 2017 to oppose Trump’s first administration, promote civic engagement and hold elected leaders accountable. District residents will vote for school board candidates in the May 20 special election. Sorry, you have been blocked. You are unable to access kobi5.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. If you feel this has is an error, please perform a WhoIs lookup on kobi5.com and contact the registered owner. 2025 6:45 p.m.Call them the Medford Emeralds A Minor League Baseball team may be moving to the city.Eugene Emeralds players celebrate in this provided photo from 2024 The Emeralds are considering Medford as a future home for the team The 70-year-old Eugene Emeralds baseball team wants to move to the Rogue Valley after they failed to secure funding for a new stadium to meet current league requirements The team currently shares PK Park with the University of Oregon team and it’s not up to the new standards that took effect this season At a Medford City Council study session Wednesday night Emeralds General Manager Allan Benavides said Minor League Baseball has changed since the Medford A’s left the city in 1999 the Medford A’s played in a small stadium and under a loose system with few standards,” said Benavides Major League Baseball controls the entire minor league structure Benavides touted the Giants affiliate’s ability to engage with the Eugene community That includes partnering with the local Boys & Girls Club and holding special cultural events Medford is the team’s first pick if they had to leave Eugene “You’ve built world-class facilities that rival almost anywhere in the country,” he said “Rogue X is just the latest example of the grit and determination you guys bring to bettering the lives of your citizenry.” city-owned indoor recreation and aquatic center built for $76 million Benavides said bringing the Emeralds to Medford would be a valuable economic engine for the city especially amid its goals to revitalize the city’s downtown An economic feasibility study paid for by the city found that this new stadium could stimulate a little over $30 million in economic output in Medford It could also generate over half a million dollars in extra tax revenue for the city While Medford City Council members were excited about bringing a Minor League Baseball team to the city the costs of building a stadium are a concern that’s kind of the long and the short of it,” said Councilmember Nick Carr A new stadium the team had proposed in Eugene was estimated to cost around $90 million One initial proposal for Medford is that the city and county would fund 50% of the construction as a loan The stadium could be a major economic driver for the city But Carr said the city needs to pay for other major projects like a wastewater treatment facility and a new jail I know you just paid a bunch of money for a jail The city hasn’t yet examined all of the options for funding construction Medford city staff are going to be looking at those in the next few months The Emeralds are hoping to make quick progress on this because they’re already in violation of the league rules and planning and construction of a new stadium would likely take one to two years Tags: Sports, Southern Oregon, News, Medford, Eugene Stand with OPB and protect independent journalism for everyone. 2025 12:48 a.m.FILE - An entrance to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford Asante faces new lawsuits over ex-nurse Dani Marie Schofield’s alleged fentanyl tampering with potential damages exceeding $477 million Three new lawsuits have been filed against Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford The hospital could now face over $477 million in damages Alleged victims and their surviving relatives filed three new civil lawsuits against Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and former nurse Dani Marie Schofield last week according to attorneys representing the plaintiffs The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office charged Schofield with 44 counts of second-degree assault last year Authorities accuse her of swapping patients’ liquid fentanyl with non-sterile tap water Jill Baylor and Kevin Jay Hughes as being under the care of Asante and Schofield when they developed bacterial infections according to the complaint filed by his estate The lawsuits seek from $6 million to over $9 million in damages Geear was not named as a victim in the criminal indictment Related: Asante faces over $488 million in damages with new drug diversion lawsuit to similar civil lawsuits until after Schofield’s criminal trial arguing that requiring the nurse to testify violates her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination David Linthorst with the Medford law firm Andersen & Linthorst is representing the plaintiffs in the latest civil complaints “We don’t think that stay should apply to all information that’s applicable to this situation particularly what happened at Asante,” Linthorst said which will file four more lawsuits in the coming weeks wants to know what protocols were followed at Asante during the period of patient infections “It doesn’t make any sense that we have to wait years for the criminal case to resolve like what was going on at Asante,” attorney Marco Boccato said the hospital could face over $477 million in damages from civil complaints Schofield’s first pre-trial criminal hearing is scheduled for April 28 Her defense has delayed that hearing three times before Linthorst said the statute of limitations to file civil lawsuits could soon run out for many of the alleged victims “We are probably about two to three years away from a lot of Ms Scofield’s conduct as set forth in the indictment,” Linthorst said “So we’re at a point where… we have to do something.” Tags: Medford, Southern Oregon, Criminal Justice, Health Care This work, Oregon Army National Guard Brings Helicopter Experience to Medford High Schools, by MAJ Wayne Clyne, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. 2025 12:07 a.m.The National Weather Service is suspending some weather balloon launches because of staffing shortages.The Medford office is temporarily suspending evening weather balloon launches because low staffing levels are affecting launch safety Mitchell Erickson launches a weather balloon in South Dakota on April 7 Medford and other local offices were already facing staffing shortages but the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce have made the issue more serious Weather balloons are typically launched twice a day from 100 stations across the country gathering critical data about the upper atmosphere used in weather forecasting The radiosonde, a small instrument dangling from the balloon, gathers and transmits the data back to the ground. This method of gathering upper-air weather data has been used since the 1930s, according to the weather service. The Medford office covers all of southwest Oregon and part of Northern California Representatives from the weather service declined to be interviewed the agency said special launches will still occur in response to unusual or severe weather events “To mitigate potential impacts, the NWS is actively pursuing alternative sources of upper-air data and adjusting internal staffing and procedures to maintain continuity of service,” the statement reads There’s currently no timeline on when weather balloon launches will return to normal Roman Battaglia is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio Tags: Medford, Weather Parking restrictions in effect as of 6PM on Feb The City of Medford is declaring a snow emergency to go into effect at 6pm on Saturday Parking restrictions will go into effect at 6pm you may park on a secondary road even if it is permit parking as these restrictions are temporarily lifted during a snow emergency parking enforcement will resume as usual.  residents must clear their sidewalks within 8 hours of daylight after snowfall.  Keep the sidewalks clear of snow and ice to a minimum passage of 36 inches and treat the sidewalk with calcium chloride pellets or other suitable material to prevent ice build-up.  Clear area within 36 inches of fire hydrants within or abutting the sidewalk that abuts the owner’s property  curb cuts and fire hydrants so pedestrians and emergency personnel can access areas efficiently.  DO NOT shovel snow or ice into the street.  or by calling the Medford Council on Aging at 781-396-6010 so please refrain from using this list unless you or a loved one are elderly and/or are physically unable to shovel.  For all snow information, visit www.medfordma.org/snow.  Contact Us This work, Oregon Guard Soldiers Restore Veterans' Graves at Historic Medford Cemetery, by MAJ Wayne Clyne, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. 2025 10:38 p.m.The Holly Theatre facade and interior was restored to what it looked like when it opened in 1930 The historic Holly Theatre in downtown Medford plans to reopen its doors Thursday after a $13 million fundraising campaign The theater originally opened in 1930 to provide entertainment during the height of the Great Depression The large theater showed movies as well as live performances and its 1,200 seats could hold around one-tenth of the population of Medford at the time General Manager Tiffany Maude said the theater was forced to close in 1986 because of competition “Having one theater that was dedicated to just one screen was not something that was sustainable in our market,” she said “There was just too much competition with multiplex theaters.” Related: The future looks A-OK for the Old OK, a century-old theater in Enterprise, Oregon The theater fell into disrepair and was condemned despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 The building was bought in 2011 by the JPR Foundation which financially supports Jefferson Public Radio This is the second theater the foundation has restored the first being the Cascade Theatre in downtown Redding More than 12 years of restoration and $13 million in fundraising have returned the venue to what it looked like in 1930 “It really should take you back to that time and make you feel like you are in an Italian plaza in Venice on a gondola,” said Maude Local artisans recreated woodwork and hand-painted elements of the theater It was originally designed by local architect Frank C who worked on a large number of historic buildings in the Rogue Valley Related: After nearly 20 years, a theater restoration project in Northeast Oregon gets closer to completion The Holly will now be focused on live performances The Piano Guys will be performing on Thursday followed by Jim Belushi and The Sacred Hearts on Friday Maude said they plan to have lots of future performances This republished story is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs Tags: Medford, Southern Oregon, History, Theater to the late Claude Avery Medford and the late Marie Shelton Mahfet  As we remember Terry we recall how he loved spending time outdoors This was where he found great peace and solace  Terry had been employed in the construction industry as a master painter for many dedicated years and his work was always outstanding and greatly admired He was also a gifted and creative wood crafter designing many beautiful and unique furniture pieces Most important in Terry’s life was his great love for his family He so enjoyed being together with his family members and all of his numerous nieces and nephews who referred to Terry as their second “Dad” Terry’s precious memory will forever remain in the hearts of his loved ones We give thanks for his life and what he has meant to his family and many friends throughout his lifetime and he will be deeply missed each and every day Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 46 years and Cameron Medford; his sister Sheila Marie Toole; his brother The Medford family welcomes everyone blessed to know Terry to join them at 3:00 pm Sunday at Crawford / Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service to honor and celebrate his life with a brief service led by Reverend James “Dorval” Messer The family will be receiving friends at the funeral home from 2:00 until 3:00 pm prior to the funeral service Burial will be in Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park in Waynesville with the committal service led by Reverend Phillip Pressley A fellowship dinner will be held following the services at Full Gospel Holiness Fellowship Church The family kindly asks that flowers and memorial donations in Terry’s memory be sent to Crawford / Ray Funeral Home Crawford /Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service is deeply honored to be caring for the Medford family The Medford City Council passed a Welcoming City Ordinance on Jan 14 with a 6–1 vote to establish Medford as a welcoming city for immigrants and to ensure the Medford Police Department continues its policy of non-involvement with federal immigration enforcement “No City funds, resources, facilities, property, equipment, or personnel may be used to assist or participate in the enforcement of federal immigration laws…” the ordinance reads.  Under the new ordinance, Medford personnel are not permitted to ask about a person’s immigration status and may not aid operations led by federal immigration agents. The city cannot take legal action against people based on immigration status with the exception of criminal activity separate from the enforcement of federal immigration law “No officer or employee of the Medford Police Department may initiate an investigation or take law enforcement action on the basis of actual or perceived immigration status or an arrest,” another portion of the ordinance reads “No officer or employee of the Medford Police Department may participate in or assist with an operation led by a federal immigration agency to detain persons for civil immigration enforcement purposes.” The ordinance stems from existing policy that had been in place at the Medford Police Department since 2019 according to Medford City Councilor Matt Leming. Leming said the move to formally set police policy into law was spurred by a desire to solidify its protections “There was some discussion during the committee meetings about the difference between this being just police policy and this being an ordinance,” he said then it could potentially be chipped away at over time Medford City Councilor Justin Tseng echoed Leming’s reasoning arguing that an ordinance incorporating the department’s non-involvement policy might let Medford residents feel safer “A problem that we started to foresee with that policy was just that not a lot of people knew about it,” Tseng said the effects were there … for that lived experience there was still a lot of fear about interacting with the police department.” “I think inherent in that difference is the worry that it’s not permanent and that any mayor in the future or police chief in the future could revoke that policy.” Tseng said that while he first proposed the ordinance in 2022, the change only began to move through the council in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election victory in 2024 “We were suddenly confronted with the reality that a lot of people would feel much more unsafe under this new administration,” he said These are people who play an integral role in who we are as a city.” Leming said that passing the ordinance was partly a proactive measure to clarify the city’s stance on immigration “Part of it is just easing fears,” he said “It doesn’t change the police department policy We’re still doing what we were doing before But it does give assurance that that policy is less likely to change even with pressures from the Trump administration.” The process of codifying police policy into law involved discussions between the Medford City Council lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union and Medford People Power While the specific language of the ordinance classifies Medford as a “welcoming city,” Tseng and Leming both defined the law as a way to make Medford a sanctuary city “This is essentially sanctuary city legislation,” Tseng said but noted the varied connotations of the term “I think ‘welcoming city’ is a better descriptor of what we’re trying to do here in terms of stating our values but also the intended feeling we want to give our residents.” the only member of the council to vote against the ordinance argues that a lack of transparency with the police department and potential ramifications from the federal government are causes for concern Leming said he reached out to Police Chief Jack Buckley for revision suggestions to the ordinance but never heard back. The Medford Police Department did not respond to the Daily’s requests for comment “My reservation was for two very simple reasons,” Scarpelli said making sure that we left our police department with the authority that they needed to move forward within their day-to-day processes The other piece was the financial ramifications … and how [it would] negatively affect our federal financial picture moving forward.” would face heightened scrutiny on funding from the federal government He also suggested that the council’s quick process in passing the ordinance left many citizens unheard “Sometimes you press the fast forward button without looking at the big picture,” Scarpelli said Tseng noted that the council solicited feedback from Medford residents “I don’t think there’s much disagreement in Medford about this policy I think that Medford as a whole is very accepting of our neighbors wants to protect our neighbors and wants to make people feel like they’re included.” Tseng addressed concerns about a potential loss of federal funding and highlighted his belief in the ordinance’s intrinsic value “Our neighbors’ lives are worth more than a few pennies here and there,” Tseng said “That’s an important statement that we are making with this Welcoming City Ordinance.” A stoplight on Mystic Valley Parkway is pictured on Saturday Concerns are growing over pedestrian safety among Medford residents and elected officials after two elderly men were fatally struck by vehicles in recent months passed away in January after being hit by a car on the Mystic Valley Parkway while walking his dog in December 2024. More recently Arthur Webber died in February when he was struck by a vehicle in the Salem Street rotary near Medford Square according to Medford City Councilor Emily Lazzaro the Medford City Council unanimously passed a resolution honoring Dill and expressed their “hope that this senseless tragedy will not be in vain and will not be repeated.” has taken up traffic safety as a key issue and says simple additions like speed bumps and crosswalk signs could go a long way in curbing the number of vehicle-related accidents we can put a sign in the middle of a crosswalk It’s crazy how much that does to slow people down,” she said A letter from many of Dill’s neighbors was attached to the resolution and asked the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation — which maintains the parkway — to “urgently and meaningfully fix the safety gaps without further delay.” Residents have called on the state to make several safety improvements including implementing speed limit enforcement signs adding road markers and increasing speed enforcement by state police “It’s a life and death issue,” Lazzaro said “We can prioritize this above a lot of other things where death is not the result of inaction.” She added that improving safety on Medford’s centuries-old roads is challenging particularly with vehicles that are built to protect drivers over pedestrians The Department of Conservation and Recreation’s limited budget and cautious spending can prove especially difficult for the city’s many state-controlled streets like the Mystic Valley Parkway “It is still a road that is managed by a parks department when it should be managed by a transportation traffic department we have a traffic department that would happily make some changes to intersections and road design to make it safer,” Lazzaro said Nonprofit organizations are aiming to use public improvement projects as mechanisms for advocating for and bettering pedestrian infrastructure The Mystic River Watershed Association launched the Mystic Shoreline Initiative which plans to enhance pedestrian areas along the Mystic Valley Parkway by constructing footpaths and upgrading crosswalks The current parkway’s wide design — which weaves through the wooded and residential bank of the Mystic Lakes — makes it easy for drivers to pick up speed and fail to see pedestrian crossings according to Karl Alexander, the senior manager of Greenways Programs at MyWRA He said that when it comes to pedestrian safety the MyWRA’s project centers around two goals: safe routes to schools and parks The initiative must receive approval from the Department of Conservation and Recreation which will fund the project to begin development and construction Alexander adds that the cost and amount of work to be done have slowed the process That’s not something they can just snap their fingers and do and they’ve yet to adopt it formally” he said ‘We’re going to adopt it as a project in our capital plan.’” The department plans to improve the area near the accident involving Dill but Alexander hopes that efforts to improve pedestrian safety will become more proactive “They’re reacting to death right now,” he said Locals are also sharing their fears online about the safety of the Salem Street rotary which provides access to Interstate 93 and Medford Square started a Facebook thread that became an outlet for neighbors’ outrage over the fatal February accident. Her husband Christian Nachtrieb, has been injured in multiple vehicle-related incidents while walking and on his bike “There have been so many times where I’ve been mid-crosswalk and I’ve had cars angrily swerve around me and honk as if I had the audacity to be crossing the street,” Montgomery said “Having more pedestrians and cyclists lessens the amount of vehicular traffic on the street She says the area lacks sufficient signage and information for both pedestrians and drivers “There needs to be a sign that says stop for pedestrians,” she said “We need to make sure that pedestrians and drivers alike know the rules of the road.” A lack of oversight of state resources and the city’s makeup makes it difficult for local resources to be fully utilized There isn’t much commercial tax base and as a result you don’t have a lot of money to work with as a municipal budget,” he said The city of Medford has made several efforts in its partnership with the Massachusetts Legislature to implement pedestrian-friendly safety measures. More pedestrian signals including countdown signal heads and flashing beacons as well as a raised crosswalk and speed tables “It can be pretty complicated to make changes but I do think progress is being made,” Lazzaro said.