Man About Canton: Welcome Rabbi Levine

Did you know …

Rabbi Navah L. Levine was recently appointed by Temple Beth Abraham of Canton as the congregation’s first female rabbi. She graduated from Yale with a BA in economics and political science and received her rabbinic ordination and a master’s degree in Judaic studies from the Hebrew College Rabbinical School in Newton. She has served as rabbi educator at Temple Emeth in Chestnut Hill and as rabbi at Temple Beth El in Quincy. She has lived and studied in Israel. Rabbi Levine is on the board of directors of GLAD, a legal advocacy group that brought the two landmark cases that legalized gay marriage in Massachusetts. A very active lady, she has traveled extensively around the world, including working at the South Pole Antarctic Station, bicycling across the United States, and climbing a 20,000-foot peak in Nepal. Temple Beth Abraham is entering its 100^th year as a congregation. Founded in 1914, it has served Canton and its surrounding areas as a center of Jewish living and learning. MAC welcomes and wishes the very best to Rabbi Navah Levine in her new Canton position.

Holly and Emily Swinamer, daughters of Canton High School graduate Mike Swinamer, combined to capture one gold medal and two silver medals in the ISI Figure Skating World Championship held in Marlborough last month. The ISI Worlds features over 2,000 of the best young skaters in the United States as well as a number of other countries such as China, Philippines, Germany, and Ireland. Next up for Holly and Emily is the State Games of America to be held in July 2015 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Both girls qualified for the State Games by winning medals in the Bay State Games this past winter.

According to numbers recently released by the secretary of state’s office, more than 53 percent of voters in Massachusetts have registered as independent. A little more than 35 percent of voters are registered as Democrats while fewer than 11 percent are registered as Republicans. There are more than 4.2 million registered voters in Massachusetts.

The general election in Massachusetts is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4.

According to the Boston Herald, players to watch in this high school football season include Canton High School senior Wavol Prentice, a 5’9” defensive lineman listed at 275 pounds, and CHS junior Joe Bires, a 6-foot, 200-pound linebacker.

A story on the life of boxing legend Rocky Marciano, the only heavyweight boxing champion to retire undefeated, will be coming to the big screen. Hollywood plans to film the story, which will include scenes from his hometown of Brockton.

There is a horse farm on West Street in Stoughton. The Dry Water Farm has a barn, which is home to as many as 43 horses. It also includes indoor and outdoor training areas. Stonehill College’s equestrian team trains at the farm.

CVS, the nation’s second-largest drugstore, has stopped selling tobacco products. It has also changed its official name from CVS Caremark to CVS Health.

A “seat” at the CHS Memorial Field in honor of the late William Cravens Sr., “Canton’s Super Fan,” was recently named in his honor. Mr. Cravens attended countless CHS athletic contests over the past several years.

The Canton School Committee plans to replace four modular classrooms at the Hansen School with eight permanent classrooms.

Yuengling Beer, which recently became available on store shelves and bars in Massachusetts, is the oldest brewery in the United States, still being brewed by the same family since 1829.

Former Cantonite Charlie Stevenson Jr. is entering his 21^st season as head coach of Xaverian Brothers High School. Charlie led his team to the Division 1 Super Bowl last year, losing to Central Catholic. Xaverian was ranked No. 1 in the latest Boston Globe Top 20 poll.

The state Department of Transportation recently awarded a 10-year, $220-million contract to a joint venture of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin of Watertown and Boston-based HNTB Company to oversee the South Coast Rail Project through construction. The Stoughton Straight Rail Alternative, the option the state had chosen for the new transit link between Boston, Canton, Fall River, and New Bedford, will cost an estimated $2.3 billion. The proposed rail line would extend the existing line that ends in Stoughton southward along an inactive rail bed and a proposed 1.5-mile trestle over the Hockomock Swamp in Easton and Raynham, south to Taunton, and then split with a main branch to New Bedford and a secondary branch to Fall River, both using active freight tracks.

MAC congratulates the 2014 Canton Men’s Softball League playoff winners, Hannington’s, sponsored by Attorney Glen Hannington. It was the team’s ninth championship in the past 11 years. Hannington’s won several close games over Canton Junction to capture the title, including wins of 20-17, 22-19, and 19-15 in extra innings.

Use your brain to find the facts. Use your heart to face them.

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=27066

Posted by Joe DeFelice on Oct 2 2014. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.