City of Medford, Medford, MA 02155
Penelope Funaiole serves as Prevention and Outreach Manager for the City of Medford, Massachusetts, since September 2008, overseeing efforts to combat opioid misuse and prevent fatalities through a grant aimed at Medford and surrounding communities. Additionally, Penelope has contributed to underage drinking initiatives as Coordinator at Middlesex Community College from September 2011 to December 2015 and has experience as an Adjunct Professor. Penelope holds a Master of Arts in Community Social Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Community Health Education from the same institution.
City of Medford, Medford, MA 02155
The name Medford is thought to have come from "the ford by the meadow" or "Meadford" thus commemorating the importance of the fordable part of the Mystic River located just west of present-day Medford Square. The original area of Medford was owned by Mathew Cradock, the first Governor of the Massachusetts colonies. Although Cradock never saw it, he employed men to develop his land into a plantation. After his death, the plantation passed to his heirs and then was sold en masse in 1652 to Edward Collins. The area was designated a "peculiar" which signified that it was private property and not a properly incorporated town. Collins began selling pieces of land to others after 1656. In 1684, Medford was granted the right to raise its own money by the General Court. In 1892, Medford became incorporated as a city.