MAC: Bettinelli Nominated to the Naval Academy

DID YOU KNOW …

Congressman Stephen Lynch has nominated Peter Bettinelli of Canton to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. He is a senior at Xaverian Brothers High School and is the son of John and Patricia Bettinelli of Highland Street. MAC extends congratulations and best wishes to Peter and his family.

The non-profit Canton Choral Society has received a generous $5,000 grant from the Dedham Institution for Savings Foundation, which prompted the society’s founder and business manager Crosby Goshgarian, Jr. to remark how pleased the society was to receive the grant. At the same time, CCS artistic director Anne Tripp Miller said the grant will allow the group “to explore and offer a wonderful variety of music while planning our future seasons.” The Canton Choral Society is presently planning a May 22 spring concert, which will include works from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, as well as pieces from Brahms and by Eric Whitacre.

Congratulations to Karen Carroll of Canton who was recently honored by the National Fire Protection Association for her commitment to exceptional service. She is a NFPA customer support representative at its headquarters in Quincy.

The only U.S. president ever granted a patent was Abraham Lincoln. He was granted Patent Number 6469 in 1849 for a hydraulic device for lifting ships over shoals, but it was never manufactured.

The recent horrific Japanese earthquake and tsunami are not only affecting U.S. car buyers but buyers globally. They are all facing higher prices and fewer choices because distributors, plants, and parts manufacturers have either been shut down or are on reduced schedules.

The Forbes Annual Survey of the most valuable baseball franchises reports that the New York Yankees are on top of the list with an estimated worth of $1.7 billion, up 6 percent from last year. The Red Sox came in second with an estimated value of $912 million, up 5 percent. The Yankees have topped the list since 1998 whenBaltimore was second. According to Forbes, the average major league franchise is worth $523 million, which is an all-time high.

The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority recently voted to increase the weekday parking fees at the 1,300-space parking garage under the Boston Common, effective July 1. The charge for parking up to one hour, two hours and three hours will increase by $2 — to $10, $14, and $19, respectively. Parking up to 10 hours and parking up to 24 hours will rise $1 — to $23 and $28 respectively. The new parking fees will apply to drivers who enter between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. Evenings, weekend, and monthly parking rates will not be affected.

Article 93 in the Stoughton Town Meeting Warrant seeks a zoning change that will allow tattoo parlors in the downtown Stoughton Central Business District with a special permit. Tattoo parlors became legal in Massachusetts in 2000, and Quincy, Brockton, Raynham, Bridgewater and Abington are among the communities that allow them.

Now that the 2010 Federal Census is over, it was interesting to see that the population center for the continental U.S. has moved to the west, to a point two miles east of Plato, Missouri. Hispanics and Asians are our two fastest growing demographic groups; and for the first time, Asians had a larger numerical gain than African Americans, who remained the second largest minority group at roughly 37 million. MAC will have more census observations in the future.

The L.L. Bean Company, the popular Maine outdoor and clothing retailer, recently made news when it announced it will now waive shipping fees all the time, with no minimum order required. By offering the year-round, no-strings-attached free shipping, it is expected to put pressure on rivals. The offer applies to standard two- to five-day shipping via UPS to L.L. Bean customers in the U.S. and Canada. The offer does not apply to large items like canoes or furniture that have to be deliveredby freight.

The Knights of Columbus is holding its 6th annual Comedy Knight on Sunday, April 17. The show lasts approximately two hours and in the past has had at least six comedians. Some of the past stars include Larry Lee Lewis, Kenny Rogerson, Ira Proctor, Paul Nardizzi and Gregg Murphy. This year’s show will feature, among others, Artie Januario, Tony V, and Lenny Clarke. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m. at the K of C Hall, 500 Pleasant Street. Admission is $20 and all proceeds go to the Knights of Columbus Scholarship Fund.

A sure sign that we are getting older: “Baby Jessica” has turned 25. Many of you will recall that back in 1987, when she was an 18-month-old tyke in Texas, Jessica accidentally fell into an abandoned water well, and the nation breathlessly looked on for two-and-a-half days while rescuers worked day and night to extract her. Happily, she was saved, and she is now a 25-year-old, stay-at-home mother of two. What made this newsworthy now is that when she turned 25, she gained access to a fund of $800,000 that was donated to her by thousands of strangers who were sympathetic to her ordeal.

Finally, the winning team members from the Canton High School alumni trivia night run by DJ Gary Titus were Chuck and Diane Glenn, Fred Posner, Tim Sullivan, Archie Radden, and “MAC” Joe DeFelice. The team won with the help of Diane Glenn’s correct answer to the last question of the night: Who are Betty and Phil Gluckberg? The answer: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburg.

An attorney sent a past-due invoice to a client that included the note: “This bill is a year old.” A few days later, the attorney received a reply from this client. It read, “Happy Birthday.”

Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius.

This is all for now folks. See you next week.

Joe DeFelice can be reached at manaboutcanton@aol.com.

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Posted by Joe DeFelice on Apr 14 2011. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.