Monday, August 18, 2008

in the News - Center Commons, Sgt Pirelli

Franklin Center Commons moves forward

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

Developer John Marini isn't letting today's economy drag down his part of Franklin's $28 million downtown revitalization project.

"He's got a large amount of his own personal money involved in this," said Eileen Mason, a sales agent with Costello Realty representing the Marini property.

When Marini finished constructing the first of four buildings at 9 Summer St., last May, financial advisers, consultants, and a pain management company, among others, moved quickly to rent the professional offices on the second and third floors. Mason said retailers like Pretty is Pink and ARTBEAT moved in at the street level.

"It did not take long to fill out that professional office space," Mason said, noting the dual draw of the commuter rail and the high traffic. Every day, 22,000 cars travel downtown, she said.



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Pirelli scholarship fundraiser to be held in September

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff


Just like his "old man," Staff Sgt. Robert Ryan Pirelli loved kids, recalled his father, Robert Pirelli, a long-time TV announcer for Franklin Youth Hockey, coach and ice cream man.

While serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Pirelli played football and baseball with Iraqi kids, Robert Pirelli said, remembering with amusement how his son gave the children baseball mitts, but they didn't understand they were for catching the ball.

"He threw the ball to one kid, and the kid didn't use the glove, it just hit his chest," he said, so Pirelli taught them all what the glove was for and other baseball basics.

"He just loved working with kids over there. He saw the appreciation they had," Pirelli said. One child's mother made a bracelet and sent it to Rob's sister, Stacey, to thank him, his father said.



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Father reflects on fallen Green Beret

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff


For Robert Pirelli, the memories come one after the other, as time seems to collapse into vignettes of the moments he shared with his son, Staff Sgt. Robert Ryan Pirelli.

Rob's post office tree-house he ran with his brother, Shawn, and sister, "Postmaster Stacey," inspired by their father, a postal worker.

Rob on the ice, "accidentally" blasting a puck at the glass protecting the Franklin Youth Hockey commentator - his dad.

One of the first father and son bonding moments: little Rob walking out of the house, looking at his dad's ice cream truck and back at his dad, realizing, "My dad's the ice cream man!" Robert Pirelli remembers, breaking into a smile.

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