by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 2/1997 and the Boston City Paper 10/2006
Ciao and buongiorno! (Hello and good day!)
Sue and I have played “ambassador to the United States” these last three weeks, with the happy arrival of some of her family from Italy. Uncle, Aunt, and their nineteen year old daughter Angela arrived for a brief visit in early January along with Angela’s fiancée Franco, who has never been to the States before.
By Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro reporter January, 1997
The icy blast of the alarm clock jostled most of us out of our beds this morning. The browning Christmas tree that we worked so hard to make just right is (hopefully) at the Foxboro compost heap waiting to become so much chipper fodder. The holiday lights are put away. New Year’s hangovers have hopefully subsided.
Normal life has returned. For the past few weeks it’s been back to school, back to work, and for those of us who worked during holiday weeks, back to more formal attire.
by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 1/1997
Note: I’d been writing for the Reporter for only a year or so when I wrote this one — keeping the New England Patriots in Foxboro was BIG news back then. And this, my open letter to Mr. Bob Kraft, was very well received by folks in town. To this day (2014) I am so grateful that the Patriots call Foxboro home, and all that the Kraft family has done for our town.
by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 12/1996
In a week filled with an office Christmas party, two family tree trimmings, a movie with friends, picking up our own tree, addressing cards, more Christmas shopping, not to mention everyday life, my thoughts keep drifting back to a simpler Christmas time – and how I got back some of the childhood magic.
Over twenty years ago, Mom, Theresa and I would make our annual Christmas shopping trip into Boston an extremely enjoyable day.
by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 12/1996
A note from Bob, 1/2014: This is one of my very first columns for the Reporter and nowhere near anything I consider “good writing” it’s a bit too all over the place and has too many topics, but I include it here because it is one of the earliest efforts and shows my genuine gratitude for the privilege to be able to write for the Foxboro Reporter — something I still cherish to this day.
by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 11/1996 and the Boston City Paper in revised format 11/2006
“…A DANGEROUS “gun show loophole” continues to allow criminals and terrorists to legally buy and sell guns in the United States on a cash-and-carry, no-questions-asked basis.
At approximately 5,000 gun shows each year in 32 states, criminals and terrorists are allowed to purchase firearms from private gun dealers without an ID or background check. Although many gun dealers are federally licensed and therefore legally required to contact the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to ensure that a prospective purchaser is not prohibited from possessing firearms, private sellers have no such requirement.”
by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 11/1996
“They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn HERE!”
–Captain Jean-Luc Picard
As part of the 30th anniversary celebration of Star Trek, Paramount Pictures has just released the eighth Star Trek motion picture and the second to feature the cast of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” (ST:TNG). The movie is “Star Trek: First Contact,” and it stands on its own as one of the best Star Trek movies in the series.
by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 11/1996
One of the best movies in recent memory to depict our nation’s chief executive was, “The American President,” starring Michael Douglas. Andrew Shepherd, the widower president Douglas portrays, enjoys the highest popularity poll in decades; he is a wise, strong, compassionate, and fair. A great leader.
Shepherd’s only weakness (at least to his advisors) is his reluctance to attack Senator Bob Rumsford (Richard Dreyfuss), his opponent in the next election.
By Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro reporter, 9/1996
MEMORY LANE! THIS WAS MY FIRST COLUMN ABOUT THE FOXBORO JAYCEES HAUNTED HOUSE!
We are one dozen brave souls, walking through the dark passages, stumbling through the shadows. Unseen dogs bark at us as we cross a shaky bridge. Huge spiders grab at us as we make our way through cobwebs and fog. Rats squeak angrily as we slowly walk by them. In the distance, a train whistle shrieks.
by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter 9/1996
The mail box was bursting with the usual bills, catalogs, and sweepstakes entry forms. I ignored the shiny letter that told me I’d won a new car, ten gold bars, or a handy pocket comb, and junked the pre-approved credit card with the 26.5% interest rate, which I suspected was compounded hourly.
“Urgent, open immediately” on the next letter caught my eye, so I complied with the bright red instructions and tore it open.
by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 8/1996
A few years back, I gave Mom a videocassette containing a montage of over sixty family photographs set to music. The video began with a picture of Mom holding me as a baby, and then pictures of my sister Theresa as a baby three years later. As music by Tom Jones and Reba McEntire (Mom’s favorites) played, the video faded from one picture to the next, and Theresa and I magically grew up over thirty years.
by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 7/1996
The cellar was piled with things my father had discarded, but just couldn’t bear to throw away. Dad’s anniversary was last week, and once again I pause to reflect on how different my life is without. 12 years have passed since he lost his terrible battle with cancer. And as I grew older I find myself missing him.
For some reason, it was here in my grandmother’s house, particularly in this cellar, that I remember him most.
By Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter,7/1996
It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I have a great affection for seniors. Taking care of Nana for so many years and listening to her talk about her amazing life made a positive difference in my life. Nearly 3 years after her death, I find myself thinking about her often, and missing our talks.
Many other seniors – my mom’s mother, aunt’s and friends – have touched my life and made it a happier place to be.
By Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro reporter, 7/1996
Historians note: I include this here to be complete; this was one of my very first columns for the paper and this is REALLY not very good. Olympic sponsorship is very necessary to make the games possible. It does get annoying course, but it’s all part of the process. That said, all these years later, I just have to file this one away as, “Well, I guess it qualifies as an “op-ed!”
By Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter 6/27/1996
One of the nicer aspects of taking a vacation and staying home to work on the new house is that I have the opportunity to spend a little more time in Foxboro during the day. These summer days bring many pleasant traditions back to Foxboro joggers, power walkers, Founders Day, Frisbees, kids out of school, concerts, outdoor sports, and on the common, Susan Zakhary’s “Common Dog” hot dog stand.