We’ll all be a senior someday – support the new Foxboro senior center

by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 3/1997

“Dismiss that notion of the ancient senior in a wheelchair with nothing to offer the world anymore. Foxboro’s seniors are a lively, important group, and they WILL be heard.”

Those words were mine; I wrote them in my very first full length column for this newspaper back in March of last year. The column’s subject was one I am very passionate about: Seniors, and them having a place to call their own here in Foxboro.

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Even Computer Geeks Are Not Immune From the Dreaded, “Bad Technology Day”

Computer keyboardby Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 2/1997

Last week, I had a “bad technology day.”

It started innocently enough last Saturday morning, when I decided it was time to finally change the outgoing message on our answering machine and drop the words, “Happy Holidays” from the greeting.

Simple enough and a task done many times before. I approached Herbie, our answering machine, and began the reprogramming. (I should note here that I ordinarily don’t give names to household electronics, but the answering machine says cute little messages like, “Hello, you have three messages,” or “That was your last message.

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Ciao Italia!

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.

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When Hell freezes over (or, how to endure three months of ice, snow and cold)

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.

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1997 – Keep the Patriots in Foxboro — the open letter I wrote to Mr. Kraft

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. 

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You just gotta believe!

by Robert GillisKennebunkport - Christmas Display
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.

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Christmas Thoughts, 1996

Green Christmas Ornamentby 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.

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Gun Show! (The Gun Show Loophole)

10 Boston Other - Close the Gun Show Loopholeby 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.”

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Review: Star Trek: First Contact

Star Trek First Contact
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.

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Informed voters

12 America - US Flag flying at Hull Yacht Clubby 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.

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Dark shadows; bright future: Jaycees haunted house demonstrates a sense of community

img_1346By 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.

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This is an attempt to collect a debt!

06 Downtown - Jordan Marsh Entranceby 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.

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Welcome Colin! My sister’s first baby is born, 8/8/96

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.

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Why memories can be discarded, but never thrown away

by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 7/1996

38_dadThe 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.

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Seniors can show you secrets of eternal youth

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.

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