MAC: A Questionable Resignation

Did you know …

Tori McClain, a Planning Board member for the past three years, abruptly resigned with two years still remaining on the five-year seat she won as the only candidate in 2013 when then incumbent Gary Vinciguerra withdrew his papers at the last moment. A native of Tennessee, McClain has been a resident of Canton for the past five years. In the past two years, she has missed more than half of the board meetings, citing “personal priorities and untenable board members’ behaviors.” MAC questions her sudden departure at this time. If she had done it two months ago, someone could have run for her seat in the town election. Now the Planning Board and the selectmen will work jointly to appoint an adequate replacement. Whoever is chosen will only serve until April 2017. The final year of her expiring term will then be placed back on the ballot and will be open to any interested candidate for a one-year term. Then, the following year, a five-year term would be on the ballot. As frustrated as McClain sounds, not attending Planning Board meetings and abruptly resigning as she did now leaves the town high and dry.

According to Canton’s Human Resources Director Jody Middleton, health insurance rates for town employees and retirees will rise 5 percent.

The Canton Memorial Field turf will be replaced and the track will be resurfaced over the summer months, pending approval of the capital plan at annual town meeting.

The last on-street parking space in front of the Canton Public Library, 786 Washington Street, has been eliminated for safety reasons.

The Canton Planning Board recently held a public hearing on a petition by Greenlodge Street, LLC for a proposed three-lot subdivision entitled “McKendry Grove” on 4.7 acres of undeveloped land behind 10, 12, and 20 Greenlodge Street.

The Brophy family, owners of a house at 20 Mechanic Street, have petitioned the Canton Zoning Board of Appeals to raze the structure and construct a two-family dwelling on the property.

MAC congratulates Edward Marinilli, an eighth grader at the Galvin Middle School, for winning the 106-pound division at the 2016 Youth New England Wrestling Championship. Canton High School has produced a number of wrestling champions over the years, and hopefully Marinilli can help CHS with his wrestling skills.

There were originally 28 applications for the position of Canton’s superintendent of schools. It was narrowed down to eight interviews before the hiring of Dr. Jennifer Fischer-Mueller to be Canton’s new school superintendent beginning July 1, 2016. Dr. Fischer-Mueller was the town of Brookline’s deputy superintendent and will receive a salary of $183,000 per year.

The state’s newest vanity license plate commemorates the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage to Plymouth. Getting the Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue the commemorative plate was the culmination of a two-year effort by organizers of “Plymouth 400, Inc.,” involving paid pledges from at least 1,500 drivers, which is the minimum required by the RMV in order to put the plates into production. Plymouth 400, Inc. spearheaded the event leading up to the 400th anniversary to be celebrated in 2020. The specialty plate depicts a blue silhouetted Mayflower approaching a Wampanoag Native American standing on the Plymouth shore.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the national median single-family home price is $222,700. The most expensive markets were all in the west, led by San Jose, California, with a median of $940,000, while among the cheapest was Youngtown, Ohio, with a median of $81,200. Home prices in Massachusetts continue to climb.

The cost of mailing a first-class letter went down 2 cents from 49 to 47 cents on April 10.

Selectmen recently accepted the resignation of firefighter Kate Howarth, who transferred to her hometown department in Norfolk.

Selectmen voted to recommend the transfer of $10,000 from free cash for the creation of a formal substance abuse committee and $95,000 to fund the recommendations of the Canton Blue Ribbon Traffic Committee, including a study of the intersection at Washington and Randolph streets. Both requests are subject to approval at the annual town meeting.

From MAC’s trivia file: President Franklin Roosevelt spent the most time in office, 12 years, while William Henry Harrison spent only 32 days in office before he died.

Now for some upsetting news, Rev. Thomas H. Maguire, a popular Catholic priest who was at one time the assistant pastor at St. John’s in Canton, has been defrocked after the Archdiocese and the Vatican determined that Maguire sexually abused a minor decades ago. He was accused by others, but the statute of limitations had expired in most cases. In addition to St. John’s, Maguire also served in Dedham, Watertown, Stoughton, Westwood, Bridgewater, and Needham. Those assignments included the now-closed Our Lady of Rosary in Stoughton.

When in doubt, look intelligent.

That 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=33239

Posted by Joe DeFelice on May 5 2016. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.