Week in Review: Verizon, Bonds, LeVar Burton, South Medford Man Charged in Conspiracy

Here's some of the top stories from around Medford this week:

LeVar Burton visited Tufts University's campus on the Medford/Somerville line Friday to be recognized for his contributions to children's media. Burton was given the 2012 Eliot-Pearson award at Distler Performance Hall Friday morning. Burton told the audience that he believed it was in his genetics to teach and inspire others - his mother being a teacher and his father a pastor. He also said that Fred Rogers - better known by most as Mr. Rogers - was one of the three great men he has ever known.

A Medford man recruited two men with lengthy histories of armed robbery and bank robbery whom he touted as being "from Charlestown" to attempt to rob a Norwood check-cashing store, according to an FBI affidavit. Before his arrest on a conspiracy charge last week John Salvucci of South Medford allegedly told a confidant that his co-conspirators were "real serious guys" who would die before going back to prison, according to an FBI affidavit. But Salvucci didn't know the confidant, whom he recruited to help rob a check-cashing store in Norwood, was cooperating with the FBI and recorded the conversation. "(They will) never go back," Salvucci allegedly said in a recorded conversation. "They'll end up dead before they go back."

Mayor Michael McGlynn signed off on bonds to fund school technology improvements and renovations to Hormel Stadium Friday morning, and also signed an agreement with Verizon to bring FiOS internet and cable to parts of the city. "It's unbelievable, there's a lot to celebrate," McGlynn said during a press conference at Medford High School Friday. "The papers are piling up." The agreement with Verizon opens up 71 percent of Medford residents to the option of FiOS internet and cable.

The days of 4 a.m. practices for the Medford High School swim team may soon be over. The city council approved requests from Mayor Michael McGlynn in total of $2.4 million to reconstruct the high school indoor pool, which has been closed since 2008. The request received no opposition, with all councilors voting in support of it, except for Fred Dello Russo, who was absent from the meeting. For Mary Judge, head coach of the girls swim team, the battle to re-open the pool began July 13, 2008, when it closed due to corrosion. "We have haunted the mayor ever since," Judge said Tuesday. "He likes us. I'm glad he does."

The Archdiocese of Boston has released a plan to consolidate a total of 290 parishes into 125 collaborative parishes. Under the current proposal, St. Joseph Church in Medford Square and St. Francis of Assisi in North Medford would operate under one pastoral staff. Medford's third catholic church, St. Raphael, would remain its own parish.