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Pelham's newest bylaw officer hits the street

Melissa Grodesky is Pelham’s newest bylaw officer, replacing Greg Young, who is now the fire training officer for Pelham Fire Services.
New bylaw officer Melissa Grodesky. DON RICKERS

Melissa Grodesky is Pelham’s newest bylaw officer, replacing Greg Young, who is now the fire training officer for Pelham Fire Services.

Having spent a couple weeks learning the ropes, one of Grodesky’s first solo duties is training the Town’s new seasonal bylaw officer, Ceara Obdeyn, who serves the community from May through September. Grodesky is also responsible for marshalling the safety crossing guards during the school year.

She grew up Niagara Falls, where she still resides. Grodesky earned a diploma in law and security from Fanshawe College in London, and for the next 20 years was employed in the security department for Niagara Casinos, working her way up the ladder from security officer, to investigator, and finally supervisor.

“I wanted to make a career change, and when the job opened up in Pelham, I was immediately interested,” she said. “Pelham is just beautiful. My grandparents had a seasonal trailer at Bissell’s, so I was here annually for part of the summer while growing up.”

Grodesky concedes that there's a lot to learn, especially in the midst of a pandemic.

“Sometimes you’ve got to wait until a situation happens before you can train for it, and each day brings different challenges. But everybody has been very helpful and welcoming,” she said.

Having heard about some of the popular Pelham events like Summerfest and the Thursday Night Experience at Peace Park (comprised of the Farmers Market, Supper Market, and Bandshell concert series) Grodesky is keen to participate.

“That’s what I love about this little town, being a city girl. Pelham organizes these great events where everybody seems to come together.”

   


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Don Rickers

About the Author: Don Rickers

A life-long Niagara resident, Don Rickers worked for 35 years in university and private school education. He segued into journalism in his retirement with the Voice of Pelham, and now PelhamToday
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