Man About Canton: More Deer Hunting

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The final numbers are in from the first deer hunt in the 122-year history of the Blue Hills Reservation. Over four days, hunters killed 64 deer, 47 of them female. State wildlife officials praised the hunt as a success, saying the effort will thin the growing population by at least 120 deer and serve as a model for future hunts in the overrun forests. The state’s deer management plan for the Blue Hills proposes four days of hunting next year, followed by six days each year from 2017 to 2023.

Correction: In last week’s column, MAC erroneously mentioned that the January 19 meeting of the Canton’s Men Club would be held at the Canton Public Library. The meeting will actually be held at the Canton Senior Center at 500 Pleasant Street. As previously mentioned, the guest speaker, Bruce Beckham, will present a program on the proposed reuse of the historic buildings on the Paul Revere Heritage Site at the old Plymouth Rubber property. Coffee will be available beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The Canton School Committee recently decided that its long-term projects for the next fiscal year would be replacing the turf field and track at Memorial Field at an estimated cost of $610,000 and replacing the phone and voicemail system, estimated at $259,000.

At $3.51 per pack, Massachusetts has the fourth highest cigarette tax in the United States. New York is the highest at $4.35 and is followed by Rhode Island at $3.75 and Connecticut at $3.65. The lowest is Missouri at 17 cents per pack followed by Virginia at 30 cents and Georgia at 37 cents per pack.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew recently issued a statement saying that the country will have to wait until sometime in 2016 to find out who will become the first woman on U.S. paper currency in more than a century. The woman will replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill.

Colbea Enterprises is looking for a site plan approval from the Canton Zoning Board of Appeals so that an existing gasoline filling station, repair facility, and convenience store at 725 Washington Street can be substantially razed and replaced with an upgraded gasoline filling station and a 5,400-square-foot convenience store.

According to Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey, the number of people who have died from opioid overdoses in Norfolk County in 2015 was 151. In 2013, 63 people died from opioid overdoses, and that number increased to 94 in 2014. The number in 2015 has more than doubled from just two years ago. Morrissey said that the number of deaths is likely higher when adding people who died in a hospital or under a doctor’s care.

Morrissey also said that one person a week is killed in a car crash on average in Norfolk County while the death toll from opioid overdoses averages three people a week.

Bartolo Colon, the entertaining 42-year-old major league pitcher, has agreed to a $7.25-million, one-year contract to remain with the New York Mets. Last year, Colon had a 14-13 record with a 4.16 ERA in 31 starts.

Former Boston Red Sox star Mike Napoli has agreed to a $7-million, one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians. The deal includes $3 million in performance bonuses.

The Massachusetts and national average price for a gallon of gasoline has dipped to $1.99, its lowest level since March 25, 2009. According to AAA, Americans have saved more than $115 million on gas in 2015, or more than $550 per licensed driver.

Registration for Canton Little League baseball and softball is open until January 22 for ages 9-11 (minors) and ages 10-12 (majors). The cost is $165 for the year. For T-ball (ages 5 and 6), the cost is $85 with a registration closing date of April 1, 2016. For instructional (ages 7 and 8), the cost goes up to $150 with a registration closing date of February 1, 2016. This year, Little League International has made changes to age date determination. Children must be born on or before September 1, 2010, in order to be eligible to play Little League. For information on Canton Little League, contact league president Lou Tarmy at ljt164@comcast.net. Online registration is open for new and returning players at www.cantonlittleleague.org.

According to School Business Manager Barry Nectow, the estimated cost for a full-day kindergarten program in Canton is $743,000 for the first year, but that figure would be reduced to less than $140,000 in subsequent years due to an increase in Chapter 70 funding.

Former President Bill Clinton’s real name is William Jefferson Blythe, III.

Canton Housing Executive Director Mark Roy reported that the Bank of Canton made a $6,500 donation for the installation of replacement outdoor signs at both the Hagan and Rubin Court senior complexes.

The town of Canton is one of the few municipalities in the commonwealth of Massachusetts that has met the requirements of Mass. General Laws Chapter 40B, which mandates that a minimum of 10 percent of a municipality’s housing stock must be in the affordable category in order to avoid the imposition of housing developments that do not conform to the town’s zoning bylaws. As of September 2014, Canton’s affordable housing percentage was at 12.2 percent.

The Canton Lions Club is hosting Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey at its dinner meeting on Wednesday, January 20, at 7 p.m. The Lions meet at the Chinatown Restaurant, 103 Sharon Street (Route 27) in Stoughton. DA Morrissey will discuss the opioid crisis in our area. The public is welcome, but reservations are required. Contact Bob Lash at rlash36972@gmail.com or 617-686-5533, or Charlie Penders at 617-281-1365. Attendees must RSVP by Monday, January 18.

Rule number one of life: Do what makes you happy.

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=32101

Posted by Joe DeFelice on Jan 14 2016. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.