Man About Canton: New Hotel Opens

DID YOU KNOW …

Homewood Suites by Hilton, the international brand of all-suite, residential-style hotels, announced on December 20 the opening of its newest property at 50 Royall Street in Canton. The four-story, 98-suite hotel is owned by Benderson Development Company and managed by Buffalo Lodging Associates.

The hotel offers studio, one-, and two-bedroom suites, daily complimentary full hot breakfast, full evening meals, and a 24-hour, onsite pantry called the Suite Shop. The hotel also offers a fully equipped fitness center, indoor pool with a hot tub, a 24-hour executive business center, and a board meeting room. While it is designed for extended-stay guests, the spacious suites are perfect for business and leisure travelers, according to General Manager Bill Hines.

Not only did Massachusetts have an unseasonably warm November and December, but also, according to the National Weather Service, our fall season was the warmest on the record books, which date back to 1872.

Talk about being politically correct, congressmen in the House of Representatives are not allowed to wish voters a “Merry Christmas” or “Happy New Year” by mail and email. Happy Holidays is permissible, according to the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards. What is this country coming to?

The Canton Senior Men’s Club is looking for new members. They meet monthly on the third Tuesday at the Canton library. Coffee and donuts start at 9:30 a.m., and a short business meeting begins at 10 a.m. followed by an always interesting guest speaker. For further information, contact Club President Frank Meissiner at 781-828-6723. It is a fun group of senior men offering good fellowship.

The Boston Globe recently gave a five-star review of The Chubby Chickpea Restaurant in Canton Center. It offers authentic Middle Eastern food with an Israel accent, and as the Globe article said, “If you’re craving a fast inexpensive meal that’s bursting with flavor, then look no further than the Chubby Chickpea.” The 12-seat restaurant is located at 588 Washington Street and is owned by Avi Shemtov, a 27-year-old Sharon native who now lives in Canton. The headline in the Boston Globe read, “Middle Eastern Food Done Right,” and it ended its story by stating, “The Chubby Chickpea serves up fresh, tasty food fast and at prices that won’t put a dent in your wallet.” MAC recommends that you give it a try; you won’t be disappointed.

Jerome Collins and Aspect Realty Group are seeking a special permit and a variance from the Canton Zoning Board of Appeals so that they can change the use of the existing building at 9 Pequot Way from Warehouse Space to a kid’s activity center (indoor amusement).

According to the State Election Division, 52 percent of Canton voters are unenrolled in a political party, which is about the same as the state median of 51.6 percent.

According to the Census Bureau, 15.1 percent of Americans are living in poverty, about the same rate as in 1993; and according to recent reports, the number of Americans on food stamps has increased by 74 percent since 2007, and current projections are that 50 percent of all children will be on food stamps at some point before they reach age 18. Another grim statistic is that, nationwide, about a quarter of the students who enter ninth grade won’t graduate high school, which translates into more than one million students who fail to earn a diploma each year. It seems that poverty is marching on in America. Most of the above statistics were taken from a letter printed in the Boston Herald by Thomas P. O’Neill, III.

Many Canton motorists have noticed a dip in some of the major roadways in Canton due to below grade manhole covers and sewer grates, especially along Dedham Street and Route 138.

One of the country’s largest manufacturers of manhole covers and sewer grates, Neenah Foundry of Wisconsin, has opened a distribution yard at 1595 Central Street in Stoughton. It is Neenah’s first distribution center in New England. The company has supplied products to nearly 90 New England municipalities since the yard opened in the summer of 2011.

Dick Dawson on the Fenway mound

This past July, MAC let readers know that Canton resident Dick Dawson was scheduled to throw the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park. Mr. Dawson seized the moment and dazzled the Fenway crowd by throwing the pitch behind his back. If you would like to watch a video of this unique pitch, you can go to YouTube.com and type into the search box the name of the Dawson video: “Fenway Behind Back First Pitch.”

Years ago, at local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint- and quart-sized containers. A barmaid’s job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in “pints” and who was drinking in “quarts,” hence the phrase “Minding your p’s and q’s” … and now you know the rest of the story.

If you can’t admit you’re on the wrong path, you’ll never get on the right path, and you’ll end up someplace you never wanted to go.”

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

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

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=10555

Posted by Joe DeFelice on Jan 4 2012. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.