Man About Canton: June 7 Edition

Did you know …

Thomas J. MacDonald of Canton, who goes by the nickname “Tommy Mac,” spent seven years filming himself at his workshop in Canton center and at the Draper Brothers building (and on many occasions with the assistance of Canton’s Al D’Attanasio) while he built fine wooden furniture. According to an article in the Boston Globe, Tommy Mac posted videos online for his weekly webcast, “The Rough Cut Show,” during which he developed a following of over 2 million viewers. Eventually, WGBH-TV picked up the show, inking a deal with MacDonald to host a television show called “Rough Cut: Woodworking with Tommy Mac,” which ran for seven seasons on WGBH, with the last show airing in December 2016.

MacDonald and his fans believed the series was over then; but it wasn’t. Last fall, MacDonald was surprised to find out that WGBH was promoting Season 8 of “Rough Cut” with a new host named Tom McLaughlin. MacDonald is now suing WGBH for trademark infringement. In a lawsuit recently filed in federal court in Boston, MacDonald alleges that WGBH pirated his name and image “to produce a counterfeit show.” A motion was also filed seeking to stop WGBH from promoting the new show as “Season 8” and from using photographs of MacDonald and the phrases “rough cut” and “Tommy Mac.”

Massachusetts drivers can expect to pay an average of more than $3.00 for a gallon of regular gasoline during the summer months this year, according to AAA, who also stated that the worst case scenario is $3.15 to $3.20 a gallon.

Also taking a big jump was the long-term 30-year U.S. mortgage rates, increasing to 4.61 percent, the highest average rate since May 2011.

The most popular baby boy names in Massachusetts in 2017 were Benjamin (six years in a row), Mason, Ryan, William, and Jacob. The top girls names were Emma, Sophia, Olivia, Isabella, and Ava.

Andrea Berardi has been appointed by the selectmen as the town’s new assistant Parks and Recreation director. Berardi replaces Nick Pirelli, who resigned earlier this year.

Former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis will be the guest speaker at Temple Beth David at 1060 Randolph Street in Canton on Saturday, June 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dukakis will give a talk regarding gun control. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 781-828-2275.

The State Chapter 90 Roadway fund for the town of Canton totals $786,743, which will be used to pave York Street, Indian Lane, Wayside Lane, Helen Drive, and Lamb Lane. Canton streets to be crack-sealed are Waterman Road, Thoreau Road, Emerson Road, Aldrich Road, Spruce Lane, and Laurel Lane.

Canton Police Sergeant Rob Gooley has retired after 25 years of service.

According to a recent article in the Canton Citizen, Canton’s annual town meeting voters authorized a rezoning of the former Cumberland Farms property at 777 Dedham Street, paving the way for a $30 million development by TopGolf Entertainment, which will include a restaurant. The site currently generates $110,000 annually in property taxes, but that figure would balloon to $800,000, making it the fifth largest taxpayer in the town. It is estimated that the development would be up and running within 18 months.

Major League Baseball is going to change their baseballs. Since 2014, homeruns have averaged over two a game. To start with, baseballs will now be monitored to take account of the temperature and humidity of each storage location in all 30 ballparks. The balls will also be changed. The Rawlings Baseball Company will work with MLB to make updates in their production of the balls and “develop additional specifications for the aerodynamic properties of the ball.”

In 2017, opioid overdoses officially became the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. More than 2 million Americans are addicted to opioids with costs for their care and treatments exceeding $55 billion annually. According to federal data, more than 64,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States in 2016, including 2,083 confirmed deaths in Massachusetts, six of which were in the town of Canton.

There isn’t anything in your life that cannot be changed.

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=39078

Posted by Joe DeFelice on Jun 8 2018. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.