MAC: Vote Yes for New Senior Center

DID YOU KNOW …

The annual town meeting is being held on Monday, May 13, and Canton seniors need your help and support. They need your vote so they can renovate the old Knights of Columbus building at 500 Pleasant Street into a new senior center that they desperately need. MAC has been closely following this new senior center project and concludes that Canton seniors deserve your support and vote at the town meeting.

The Canton Council on Aging has worked long and hard to put this project together, and it’s been vigorously studied, so it’s time to get on with it. The present senior center has been located in the cellar of the old Hemenway School since 1982, and with only 2,940 square feet of space and only 11 parking spaces, there is no question that Canton seniors have outgrown it to a point where, each day, they never know if there will be room for them there. MAC cautions you to avoid giving credence to the vocal letter writers who, for one reason or another, are actively trying to shoot the project down.

As the COA said in its recent letter to the editor: “The most exciting part of having this renovated property is that a majority of the funding is available without any additional tax burdens to Canton taxpayers.” For many years, Canton seniors have paid the taxes that supported the town, and it’s time for us to show our gratitude and empathy by giving them the new senior center they desperately need so they can enjoy their retirement in relative comfort.

The architect has been working on plans to make efficient use of the existing space, and they include a movable partition for an expandable dining room, an exercise room, and a meeting room. Other planned rooms will possibly include a library, card room, and a pool room.

There is no question that this property on Pleasant Street would be the best option for the Council on Aging to move out of their inadequate space. There are over 5,000 seniors in Canton, a figure that is much larger than the number of school children we educate in town, and the number of seniors continues to grow by leaps and bounds each year. The Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee have endorsed this project as have a host of other town officials. MAC will be voting “yes” at town meeting, and thousands of Canton seniors hope you will, too.

The Council on Aging is planning a trip to the Boston Pops on June 5. Conductor Keith Lockhart has planned a fun-filled evening with the sophistication and romance of the music from the 50s and 60s. A price of $72 includes the show and transportation. For additional information and reservations, call COA Director Diane Tynan at 781-828-1323.

Also, on June 23, the COA is planning a trip to the Reagle Music Theatre in Waltham to see the Tony-winning Broadway musical Chicago. Songs from that musical include “All That Jazz,” “Mr. Cellophane,” and “Razzle Dazzle.” This matinee will be followed by dinner at the Chateau. Seats are limited! Tickets for the show, dinner, and transportation are only $77 each.

This past indoor track season, Canton’s All-American high school soccer player, Lauren Berman, ran the fastest mile in the Hockomock League with a time of 5:10.14. Lauren placed third in the Davison 3 state meet.

CHS senior Meghan Lennon recently scored six goals to lead Canton over North Attleboro 21-6 in a girls’ lacrosse game. Going into this season, Lennon had scored 133 career goals, which included back-to-back 50-goal seasons.

The Canton Historical Society held its annual meeting on Sunday, April 7. At the meeting, member Carol Munson presented the story behind the gift to the society of Elsie Poole Hays’ upright piano. Hays (1895-1989) studied and taught piano in Canton for 63 years. Among her over 500 students were society members Carol Munson, Ann Galvin and Diane Glenn, who entertained the members by playing tunes on Elsie’s piano. Society member George Comeau followed with the story of Elsie’s father and his life in Canton.

The Canton Historical Society is open to the public the second Sunday of every month from 2-5 p.m.

The state legislators have scaled back Governor Patrick’s transportation funding plans and have put the expansion of rail service to Fall River and New Bedford on the “back burner” for now.

Betty Chelmow, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Canton Public Library since 1977, decided not to run this year. Betty will be missed.

The Canton Zoning Board of Appeals recently approved the expansion of the Hansen School Playground Project.

President Obama makes $400,000 a year. In 2011, Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported adjusted gross income of $789,674. The president and his wife donated $172,130, or nearly 22 percent of their adjusted gross income, to charity.

Some good news: Home prices rose over 10 percent in February 2013 compared to last year. It was the biggest gain since 2006. Prices have now increased for 12 straight months.

The proposed $1 tax increase on a pack of cigarettes would increase Massachusetts’ cigarette tax from $2.51 to $3.51 a pack, which would be the second highest in the nation after New York’s $4.35 tax. The revenue received by the state is estimated at $165 million. Massachusetts last raised the tax in 2008 by $1 to $2.51. It is now the ninth highest in the country. It has been estimated that 14 percent of Massachusetts adults are smokers.

The Canton Men’s Softball League reigning champs, Hanningtons, sponsored by Attorney Glen Hannington, participated in the recent Sandy Hook Memorial Tournament in Wallingford, Connecticut. They were among the 16 teams invited throughout New England to participate in this charity tournament, and Hanningtons made it through four games over two days before being eliminated.

MAC would like to extend his sincere best wishes and prayers to all those hurt in the needless 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy on April 15 and sends sincere condolences to the families of the four people killed.

Former Canton High School athlete Christopher Klucznik, age 30, ran in this year’s Boston Marathon. He finished the race with a very impressive time of 2 hours and 37 minutes. Klucznik is a member of the Somerville Road Runners Club.

Alexis Regan, a 2006 Canton High School graduate, also ran the marathon and was feet from the finish line when the first bomb went off. She can be seen flinching on the news footage when the explosion went off to her left. Another Canton resident, Jen Teahan, had completed the marathon several minutes ahead of Alexis and was waiting at the finish line, but thankfully was not injured. Kelly Wells Beckett (’91), her sister, Kristin Wells Souza (’94), and Alex Wade (’06) also ran and trained hard for the race but were all stopped short of the finish line because of the tragedy.

Ernest Hemingway once said, “The best way to find out if you trust somebody is to trust them.”

This is fall 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 25 2013. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.