Man About Canton: The Everetts

Did you know …

MAC was very interested in the recent story by Canton Citizen columnist George Comeau, entitled “Tea Cups in the Attic.” The story was about a teapot and the 26-piece tea set that was given as a gift to Mrs. John Everett in 1847 and is now in the collection of the Canton Historical Society. What was really interesting to MAC was the story of the Everett family. Edward Everett, the original owner of the tea set, is mainly remembered for delivering the speech (two hours long) immediately preceding President Abraham Lincoln’s famous two-minute Gettysburg address. Edward was once the governor of Massachusetts, ambassador to England, and president of Harvard University. The tea set was eventually passed down to John Everett, who lived in Canton and was a selectmen residing at 455 Washington Street. That house is still standing and is today the Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home. The tea set will be on display at the Canton Historical Society.

On the subject of the Canton Historical Society, the board recently voted to spend up to $1,200 to copy an 1831 map of Canton and three 1887 bird’s eye maps. The society plans to sell prints of the maps in the future.

According to the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, the town of Canton received $94,080 in funds generated by the Community Preservation Act (CPA) based on recorded real estate filings during the 2017 calendar year.

The Community Preservation Act was signed into law on September 14, 2000. Today, there are 172 Massachusetts communities that have adopted the CPA. Just over $1.75 billion in CPA funds has been raised to date statewide.

Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana in 2016. Canton voters will now decide whether to ban retail sales of recreational marijuana at the annual town meeting in May.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin has proposed legislation to allow Massachusetts voters to register and vote on election day. Under current law, voters must be registered at least 20 days before an election in order to be eligible to vote in it. According to most town clerks, this proposal could cause confusion at polling places. Canton Town Clerk Tracy Kenney said that “it will be in the implementation of this new bylaw” to see if it will pass.

Congressman Stephen Lynch of Boston is being challenged for the Democratic nomination in the 8th Congressional District by Christopher Voehl of Milton. Lynch has served in Congress since 2001 and his district includes the cities of Quincy and Brockton, portions of Boston, and 21 southeastern Massachusetts communities, including Canton.

The state primary is scheduled for Tuesday, September 4, the day after Labor Day.

A public hearing was recently held on Beacon Hill that would allow vehicle owners to choose to put a license plate only on the back of their car. Current law requires Bay State drivers to have front and back license plates.

The Blue Hills Regional High School boys and girls basketball teams have a combined record of 28 wins and only one loss.

Our bodies need salt, just not too much of it. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams per day, with an “ideal limit” of 1,500 mg.

According to a recent article in the Canton Citizen, TopGolf is hoping to develop the vacant Cumberland Farms property on Dedham Street. If approved, they plan to invest upwards of $40 million. TopGolf is a premier entertainment and event venue with fun point-scoring golf games for all skill levels. TopGolf is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with 38 locations throughout the United States, none of them in New England. It uses microchipped golf balls that score themselves and provide players with instant feedback on each shot for accuracy and distance.

Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out.