EVENT FOOTBALL TRINITY CHURCH SUPER BOWL FESTIVAL OF TREES SEQUEL PAGE B3 PAGE B1 Thursday, December 3, 2015 Melrose.WickedLocal.com Vol. 118, No. 28 ■ $2 MORE INSIDE NATIVE SON SCHOOLS, A2 Melrose remembers Garrett Swasey By Aaron Leibowitz save,” President Barack Obama former Olympian Nancy Ker- [email protected] said in a statement, “and may He rigan, who is from Stoneham. grant the rest of us the courage After school, David Swasey Before he was a police of cer, a to do the same thing.” would pick up Kerrigan and pastor, a champion fi gure skater Swasey was born in Melrose drive her and Garrett to the rink, and a hero, Garrett Swasey was and grew up at 24 Park St. with Kerrigan told Wicked Local’s a boy with big dreams. his parents, David and Sheila, news partner, WCVB. “Watch 96 Olympics,” Swasey and his sister, Kimberly. Every In June of 1991, Swasey left BLUE RIBBON told his classmates in the 1989 morning, Swasey would wake up Melrose for Colorado Springs Melrose High School yearbook. early to skate in Stoneham. By to train with Christine Fowler- “See you there.” the time he got to school each Binder, according to the U.S. PROFILES, A3 Swasey, 44, was one of three day, he was exhausted. Figure Skating website. On Jan. people killed last Friday, Nov. 27, “A few of our science classes 11, 1992, the pair won gold at the by a shooter at a Planned Parent- early in the day, he was always U.S. junior ice dancing champi- hood Clinic in Colorado Springs. tired,” said Melrose Police Sgt. onship in Orlando. Ke’Arre Stewart and Jennifer Chuck Byrne, a fellow Class of “I kind of was pushing him, Markovsky were also killed, and ‘89 graduate. “He was so driven probably over the edge at times, nine others were wounded. and committed to his sport.” and he always had the patience The Swasey family, including Garrett, wife “May God bless Of cer Swasey Figure skating led Swasey to Rachel, and children Elijah and Faith. COUR- and the Americans he tried to forge a close friendship with SEE SWASEY, A9 TESY PHOTO ‘THE EXERCISE ALDERMEN NUTCRACKER’ New tax PHOTOS, A4 rate is approved By Aaron Leibowitz [email protected] The Board of Aldermen YOUR NEWS voted Tuesday to approve a new tax rate for Fiscal Year 2016. CALENDAR, B7 The average single- family home – assessed at about $466,000 – will pay $5,746 in property taxes, an increase of $197 or 3.6 per- cent from the previous year. This increase will be reflected on third- and fourth-quarter bills, start- ing with the one sent out at the end of December. HI-RAILERS Commercial proper- ties, meanwhile, will pay QUOTE OF an average of $12,554, an Andrea Isabelle Lucas, Melrose resident and owner of Barre & Soul Melrose. COURTESY PHOTO increase of $313 or 2.6 per- THE WEEK cent from last year. “That we would read For residential properties, attentively, that we the new rate is $12.33 per would pray attentively, $1,000 of assessed value. recognizing just what a For commercial properties, precious gift You are.” the rate is $18.78. — Garrett Swasey, In studio, online Rates for both residential from his fi nal sermon and commercial properties at Hope Chapel on actually decreased from Nov. 15, less than Barre & Soul launches virtual Skype-based workouts two weeks before his Fiscal 2015, but residents death. will pay more in property By Matthew Reid perfect solution for those wish- Melrose. “All our virtual classes taxes because assessed [email protected] ing to take part in a full mind and are only 45 minutes and there is values rose signifi cantly. body workout experience but who no commuting time. We’ve had The total value of all tax- ndrea Isabelle Lucas is may be unable to make it to the a great response from those who able property in Melrose is INDEX using modern technology Main Street studio. have to travel for work, or those about $4.2 billion, accord- to allow people to enjoy “For many people, the big- with small children at home who CALENDAR ... ...............................B7 A ing to Chief Assessor Chris LIBRARY ... ....................................B4 tried-and-true workouts from the gest draw is just the convenience may not have childcare available.” Wilcock, by far the highest MMTV ... ........................................B8 OPINION ... ...................................A6 comfort of their own home. and ease of fi tting it into a busy Lucas said the studio already it’s ever been. POLICE ... ......................................A5 Barre & Soul Melrose launched a schedule,” said Lucas, a Melrose SENIORS ... ...................................B9 SPORTS ... .............................. B1-B2 new virtual schedule recently, the resident and owner of Barre & Soul SEE YOGA, A8 SEE TAXES, A8 YOUR NEWS ... .............................A4 FUNDRAISING The MELROSE FREE PRESS (USPS 338-340) is published Thursdays by GateHouse Media New England. Known ‘Pay-for-Play’ raises money for junior class of ce of publication: 254 Second Ave., Needham, MA 02494. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, Mass., and at additional mailing of ces. Annual subscriptions: $61 By Aaron Leibowitz way to covering the cost of Supporters can, for exam- Pay-for-Play is the idea that and give everyone a feeling in-town, $85 out-of-town. An additional [email protected] one time activation fee of $4.95 applies. junior prom. ple, agree to donate five we have a really talented that they’re contributing to POSTMASTER: Send address corrections That’s the idea behind dollars each time a member class,” Class President the class?’” to Melrose Free Press, GateHouse Media New England, 400 Crown Colony Drive, If the Melrose High a new “Pay-for-Play” pro- of the Class of 2017 scores Rachel Freed told the Free Freed chose to use a Quincy, MA 02169. School Class of 2017 had a gram, which allows parents a touchdown, or wins a Press last week, fresh of the website called GiveStep to dollar for every touchdown and alumni to pledge money girls soccer game, or sinks juniors’ fi rst ever powder- execute her plan. Founded scored by running back each time a member of the a three-pointer for the boys puf football game victory. by 2001 Melrose High Mike Pedrini this season, junior class achieves an ath- basketball team. “We were thinking, ‘What’s they’d be well on their letic feat. “The driving force behind a good way to showcase that SEE FUNDRAISER, A8.