Melrose Express? New Nickname Options Revealed

MELROSE, MA — Ladies and gentlemen, introducing your Melrose ....

Express?

Red Hawks?

Red & White?

Trailblazers?

Highlanders?

Those are the options the Melrose High School Mascot & Nickname Steering Committee are recommending to the School Committee, according to a presentation sent to school families.

While the School Committee in December said it's not a done deal, the district is expected to move on from the Raiders, the high school's longstanding nickname that in recent years has been blasted as offensive to Native Americans. The most recent push was sparked by High School Principal Jason Merrill.

The steering committee was tasked with coming up with replacement options for the School Committee to consider. The recommendations came from suggestions provided in a community survey.

Please fill out a survey at the bottom of this story

Here are the options presented, along with their descriptions:

Express: "Connected to the history of trains in Melrose. Many of the homes were built around the ability to commute via train from our 3 commuter rail stations."

Highlanders: "Highlanders comes from the City of Melrose's roots as it was named after a town in Scotland. The Melrose Highlands train station opened in 1845. This name ties to our city's namesake and rich history of train travel. Mascot ideas have included the highland cattle."

Red & White: "Simply stated. The school colors. 'Here comes the Red & White of Melrose High School." This is perhaps our original nickname dating back to the early 1900s. As mascot can be added later."

Red Hawks: "Red-tailed Hawks are native to Melrose and are often seen throughout the city and surrounding area. This idea is popular with both the school stakeholders and the community. It also keeps the Red in the name."

Trailblazers: "Trailblazers ties to our history with the Middlesex Fells. The Fells was initiated as a reservation in 1891. First a location for granite, timber, ice, and rubber production due to the abundance of water power, the Fells now has over 100 miles of hiking trails."

The options came with logo examples, but they are not intended for final selection.

Whatever the decision is, the Melrose "Block M" will remain a logo, and the school colors will stay red and white.

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi and Instagram at Melrose Happening. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook