Man About Canton: Memorial Day Parade
By Joe DeFeliceDID YOU KNOW …
The Canton Memorial Day Parade is scheduled to step off on Monday, May 28, at 9 a.m. from the front of Canton High School. This year’s co-marshals of the parade will be George McPhail and John Jennison.
Karen Ronayne, with the help of the Canton Girl Scouts, put American flags on all of the veterans’ graves in Canton cemeteries.
The Canton Lions Club elected Dr. Alan Rapoport president for 2012-2013. John Friel was elected first vice president; Paul Tilley was elected treasurer; and Bob Lash was elected secretary.
The Canton High School Alumni Association is working with Harris Connect to produce an alumni directory scheduled for publication in late 2012. In the coming months, CHS alumni will receive postcards, emails, or phone calls from Harris asking for updated information for the directory. Alumni of CHS should be on the lookout, and the association is asking you to respond to update your contact information.
The Canton Association of Business and Industry (CABI) is sponsoring its 6th annual Tom Clark Golf Outing on June 11, starting at 3 p.m. at the Milton Hoosic Golf Club, 70 Greenlodge Street in Canton. For further information, contact Paul Hannigan at 781-828-2555.
The city of Brockton was the largest U.S. producer of shoes during the Civil War, earning it the nickname “The Shoe City.” Today, Brockton has a new moniker, “The City of Champions,” reflecting its high school sports teams and hometown boxing greats, Rocky Marciano and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. The Brockton Planning Board recently approved a $100 million downtown construction project in hopes of drawing shoppers from surrounding towns, like Stoughton, Canton, and Avon, to its new retail and commercial stores.
The town of Canton has approximately 13,500 registered voters, yet less than 2 percent attended the annual town meeting to decide on the approval of a $73.9 million operating budget for fiscal year 2013. Maybe it’s time for Canton to go to town meeting members like most other towns in the state. Only 220 voters attended this year’s annual town meeting.
Derek Folan is the new principal of Canton High School, replacing Dr. Doug Dias, who has served as the CHS principal for the past five years. Dias has accepted the principal position at Medway High School. Folan is currently a vice principal at Franklin High School. He will start work in Canton on July 1.
State lawmakers voted to overrule a strict nutrition guideline that would have banned junk food (e.g., pizza, cupcakes, and even bake sales) at all Massachusetts public schools. Under the new bylaw, local school committees can decide whether to accept the Department of Public Health’s guidelines due to be imposed on August 1. State lawmakers claimed the DPH had taken absurdity to a new level. Even the state representative from Concord (the town that banned water bottles), Cory Atkins, said that banning bake sales “is the stupidest thing I’ve seen in my career.” Of course, in MAC’s opinion, banning the sale of water bottles is right up there with it.
The Hyatt Place in Braintree opened for business on May 15 at the site of the old Sheraton Hotel. The new 204-room hotel replaces the 374-room hotel across from the South Shore Plaza. The new site will also include 32,000 square feet for retail and restaurants to be opened this summer.
Anheuser-Busch beer has 48 percent of the American market while Miller/Coors has 20 percent. Americans have increased their wine consumption by 22 percent in the last 10 years.
The Chubby Chickpea food truck from Canton received one of the highest grades (A-) by the Boston Herald mobile taste test auditors. Owner Avi Shemtov mans the truck at lunchtime near the John Hancock Tower. According to the Herald, the Chubby Chickpea is a little expensive by food truck standards; but considering the quality, it’s worth the price.
On a sad note, Carl Beane, the Red Sox public address announcer, suffered a heart attack on May 9 while driving and died. He was only 59. Mr. Beane was the guest speaker at attorney Glen Hannington’s sports banquet in 2010. Beane was only the fifth PA announcer in Red Sox history, and for the last 10 years, his baritone voice started each home Red Sox game, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls…” Carl Beane will be missed.
And on another sad note, retired Massachusetts state trooper Richard J. Clemens, Jr., immortalized in the famous 1958 Norman Rockwell painting of “The Runaway,” died at the age of 83. The portrait had the wise and caring police officer sitting on a diner stool, giving good advice to a little boy thinking of running away.
Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
This is all for now folks. See you next week.
Joe DeFelice can be reached at manaboutcanton@aol.com.
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