Man About Canton: Canton Seniors

DID YOU KNOW …

The Canton Council on Aging had a very successful holiday party at the Canton Town Club on December 12. Entertainment was provided by the eight-piece Dixie Diehards Band, and great food was provided by Foley’s Backstreet Grill. Over 180 seniors attended this event. MAC attended along with selectmen Sal Salvatori, Avril Elkort, and Bob Burr, who took the mic and gave a fine rendition of “Hello Dolly.” The Council on Aging is attracting more and more people. In fact, the holiday party had a waiting list of 20 people. It’s a good thing a new senior center is in the works; it is greatly needed to accommodate the growing number of Canton seniors.

Talking about the Canton Senior Center, last May, town meeting voters approved $450,000 to purchase the Knights of Columbus building at 500 Pleasant Street for a new senior center. There is currently $451,000 in the account for expansion and renovations, but according to town officials, an additional $1 million is needed. The town would have to go before voters at the next town meeting in May and request the additional money. If the project is approved, construction would begin in October 2013 with an anticipated completion in April 2014.

The Canton Council on Aging and the Blue Hills Regional Wellness Center on Randolph Street offer seniors a discounted membership of $15 per month, which includes use of brand-new treadmills, elliptical machines, stair steppers, bikes, and weights. A full schedule of fitness classes is also offered. Exercises specifically geared toward seniors are held Mondays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

The Canton Senior Men’s Club will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, January 15, at 10 a.m. at the Canton Public Library. The guest speaker will be from the University of Massachusetts Boston. The speaker will discuss a special program that is offered for people over the age of 60 that are interested in lifelong learning. They typically offer well over 70 classes each semester in a variety of topics.

The Canton Council on Aging Women’s Club has been invited to the Canton Public Library for their next meeting on Tuesday, January 15, at 1 p.m. Library Director Mark Lague will be the host and guest speaker. His topic will be “The Future of Books and the Public Library.” Lague has served the library since 1979 and has been the director since 1984.

Under the Fuel Assistance Program, if your total household income is $31,171 or less (individual) or $40,893 (couple), you may qualify for a one-time subsidy to help with your heating bill. If your income does not fit into those categories, there still may be other programs available. Call Robin at the Senior Center to schedule an appointment at 781-828-1323.

The Canton Association of Business and Industry contributed $64,245 to various Canton organizations in 2012, including $5,000 to the Canton Fire Department, the Canton Police Department, the Mass. Hospital School, and the Canton Food Bank.

The Canton Food Pantry serves approximately 85 clients per week.

Many Cantonites question the selection of the Canton DPW Water/Sewer Division meter reader position by the Board of Selectmen. Norwood resident Brian Levitsky was chosen by the selectmen from a field of 63 applicants for the position. Why did the selectmen have to go out of town to fill the position?

According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the percent of minority students in the Canton public school system is 23.2; the town of Sharon is at 30.3 percent. The diversity gap is a statewide issue with minority students in Massachusetts accounting for 33 percent of enrollment. Both Canton and Sharon have seen an influx of Chinese, Southeast Asians, and African-Americans over the past 10 years.

Finally, many of you will be celebrating New Year’s Eve on December 31 in one form or another. If you plan to have a few drinks to celebrate the arrival of 2013, MAC suggests you make arrangements to have a designated driver take you home. Meanwhile, many of you will be watching the ball come down at New York’s Times Square and watching the festivities on TV. MAC still misses the tradition of the New Year’s Eve music of the late Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadian Orchestra. So, we say goodbye to 2012, and we will soon be entering the new year of 2013, and MAC hopes it will be a good year for all of you.

MAC wishes you and yours a happy and healthy New Year and hopes you have a safe and prosperous 2013.

This is all for now folks. See you next year!

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

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=18035

Posted by Joe DeFelice on Dec 27 2012. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.