MAC: Where are the Snow Shovelers?

DID YOU KNOW …

MAC admits that some of our snowfalls are not only spectacular, but they also can (and do) cripple normal activity. Although there is a growing number of vehicles with snowplows attached to their front ends and expensive snow blowers in use, there is a serious shortage of snow shovelers to manually shovel walkways, driveways, and to clean off snow from cars.

There was a time when, following a snowstorm, you could count on a small army of neighborhood kids seeking to make some extra money by going around their neighborhood, offering their snow shoveling services for a reasonable price; however, it seems those days are gone and those kids of yesteryear are missing in action.

After snowstorms today, you cannot seem to find a kid to do your shoveling no matter how much you offer to pay. Are kids these days too busy at home watching TV, playing videogames, or spending hours on facebook or cell phones that their parents pay for? Many of today’s kids have no knowledge of what a snow shovel is for or how to use it.

One Beacon Insurance Company, which acquired the former EquiServe headquarters campus at 150 Royall Street in 2005, is looking for a new tenant to occupy as much as 125,000 square feet of office space in the nearly 200,000-square-foot complex. After renovating the building to meet their initial needs (One Beacon originally had almost 900 employees working there), they have now sold off part of their business, and their workforce has been reduced to roughly 400 employees.

Former Canton High School goalie Jon Donaruma, who helped lead Canton to the Division 2 state championship in 2010, is the starting goalie for the Tampa University hockey team. Jon is the son of Ralph and Mary Anne Donaruma and the brother of CHS students Marissa and Brianna.

It appears the foreclosure crisis has only just begun. Lenders are reportedly poised to take back more homes this year than any other since the U.S. housing meltdown began in 2006. About 5 million homeowners are at least two months behind on their mortgages, and industry analysts say more people will miss payments because of job losses and loans that exceed the value of their houses. It is estimated that about 1.2 million homes will be repossessed in 2011, which will top 2010 when a record 1 million homes were lost.

If you are getting tired of all the winter snow we have been getting and shoveling, you can be comforted by the fact that the Red Sox pitchers and catchers will be checking into spring training in a couple of weeks, and the remaining players will be checking in shortly thereafter. You can also be comforted by the fact that the Sox will open their 2011 season on the road with a three-game set against the American League champion Texas Rangers beginning Friday, April 1, and their Fenway Park home opener will be against the New York Yankees on Friday, April 8.

Attorney Glen Hannington reports that two very important consumer protection laws have been signed by the governor and will be in effect this spring. The Homestead Exemption will now automatically be given in the sum of $125,000 (without having to record it at the Registry of Deeds). Those who still seek the statutory $500,000 exemption must record it at the Registry of Deeds to take advantage of the larger exemption.

Attorney Hannington also reports that creditors that routinely seize vehicles to satisfy civil judgments must now be aware that the vehicle exemptions have been changed. They have been increased from $700 to $7,500, and automobiles of the elderly or disabled now have an exemption of $15,000.

Finally, we hate to report that according to an Associated Press story in the Patriot Ledger, Social Security is in trouble, apparently due to several years of a struggling economy. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reports that Social Security has permanently slipped into the red and will run at a deficit until the trust funds are drained by 2037. This year, Social Security will pay out $45 billion more in retirement, disability, and survivors’ benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. More than 54 million Americans are now receiving Social Security benefits averaging $1,076 per month.

The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory in Canton has already recorded more than 80 inches of snowfall this winter.

After an evening of partying, an inebriated fellow in Montana was recently stopped while riding his horse down the road to his home. Upon investigation, the police officers who stopped him were surprised to learn that riding a horse while under the influence is not illegal.

Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere (1735-1818) lived in Canton from 1801 until his death in 1818. Revere was married twice and fathered 16 children, but only five survived him. Paul Revere owned and operated a copper mill and foundry in Canton. As a matter of fact, the original mill room still exists within the closed Plymouth Rubber plant.

Spike Lee once said, “It doesn’t really matter what happens at the beginning; it’s where you end up. And I think it’s important that you know that today.”

This is all for now folks. See you next week.

Joe DeFelice can be reached at manaboutcanton@aol.com.

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Posted by Joe DeFelice on Feb 10 2011. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.