Man About Canton: Time for a Change
By Joe DeFeliceDid you know …
A recent headline in the Boston Globe South section read as follows: “Easton officials consider end to Town Meeting.” A handful of other south shore suburbs, including Braintree, Bridgewater, Randolph, Stoughton, and Weymouth, have made the switch, trading in the communities’ almost 300-year-old town meeting tradition for a more efficient town council/town manager and/or representative form of government. In the article, Easton Town Administrator David Colton said, “Times have certainly changed since New England’s early days when life revolved around town meetings. Today, families are busier than ever with parents often working more than one job, and everyone has children involved in multiple, time-absorbing activities.”
The challenges that Easton is facing are also being faced by the town of Canton. As one town official said, “Community life has changed … and the town meeting has not.” If the town of Canton had a 200-person meeting quorum, there would not have been a town meeting the last few years. It is a good thing that there is no quorum needed to hold a town meeting in Canton. Canton should also consider an alternative to the town meeting.
Brazil produces half of the world’s Arabica coffee beans, the variety used by the Starbucks coffee shops.
The town’s new 86-unit senior living community, Cornerstone at Canton, is expected to be completed in the spring of 2015. The building will be located on Revere Street across from the Plymouth Rubber site, which was the former parking lot for Plymouth Rubber employees.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the building of the Cape Cod Canal.
Selectmen recently extended the personal services contract of Cynthia O’Connell of Sharon as the Conservation Commission’s agent for another year.
Lou Raffetto, 32, of Canton, set the course record at the July 4th five-mile road race with an excellent time of 28 minutes, 52 seconds.
Andrea Widberg, 39, a Kennedy School kindergarten teacher, repeated as the first woman finisher with a time of 34 minutes, 56 seconds.
Ten-year-old Jay Kelleher of Canton also set a new record in the 1.6-mile Fun Run with the excellent time of 10 minutes, 9 seconds.
Germany, the winner of the World Cup in soccer, received $35 million in prize money, while the runner-up, Argentina, got $25 million. The third place team, Netherlands, received $22 million, while the fourth place team, Brazil, got $20 million. The United States received $9 million before losing in the round of 16. The Federation of the International Football Association (FIFA), which runs the World Cup, received nearly $4.5 billion in revenue from broadcasters, sponsors, and licensing deals. FIFA distributes just over $400 million to the 32 national federations that took part in the recent World Cup tournament. MAC wonders what happens to the rest of the monies, which amounts to nearly $4 billion?
Verizon Wireless is in the process of installing a wireless communication facility on the rooftop of the existing Bank of Canton office building at 490 Turnpike Street.
Crosby Goshgarian Jr., founder and managing director of the Canton Choral Society, recently played the role of Franz, the Von Trapp family butler, in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. The play took place at the historic Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford the last week in July.
Alfredo LoPilato has petitioned the Canton Zoning Board of Appeals so that an auto body repair business can operate in the business district at 239 Turnpike Street.
Most legislative and county candidates in the south shore are running unopposed in the November election. Senators James Timilty of Walpole and Brian A. Joyce of Milton, as well as state reps Bill Galvin of Canton and Louis Kafka of Stoughton, are running unopposed. Quincy residents Patrick McDermott, the Norfolk Register of Probate, and Michael Morrissey, the Norfolk District Attorney, also face no opposition in the fall.
The state Senate, by a vote of 37-2, approved a bill making juveniles convicted of first-degree felony murder or premeditated murder committed between their 14th and 18th birthday eligible for parole after serving 20 to 30 years in prison. The bill was filed in response to last year’s Supreme Judicial Court ruling that life sentences without the possibility for parole for juveniles were unconstitutional.
On Wednesday, July 30, Canton resident Dick Staiti was interviewed by Channel 4 at Fenway Park and asked about the then-potential trade of Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester. He was asked to give his reaction about the possible trade. Dick said, “Once you are out of the gate, you are usually gone!” The final scene in the segment shows him walking away in the sunset showing the back of his Lester jersey. Very true words, Mr. Staiti!
Congratulations to the family of baby girl Teagan Shay Pero, who was born on Saturday, July 6, 2014. With baby Teagan’s birth, there are now five living generations of her family, beginning with her great-great-grandfather James Igo Sr., 93, a World War II veteran. Teagan’s great-grandparents are Mike Hickey and Peggy (Igo) Hickey of Canton, and her grandparents are Shelly (Hickey) Powers and Gary Powers of Canton. Finally, Teagan’s proud parents are Jen Powers of Canton and Charlie Pero, a Dorchester firefighter. Again, congratulations on the birth of your newest family member!
Just because a job pays more dollars doesn’t mean it’s a better job. Never take a job just for the money.
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=26362
Posted by Joe DeFelice
on Aug 7 2014. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion.
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