Man About Canton: WHERE ARE THE CANDIDATES?
By Joe DeFeliceDID YOU KNOW…
Where are all the candidates for local town offices? Where are all the budding politicians? Has voter apathy become our fate and destiny? Once again our town election will be a quiet, lackluster affair. This time, we have only one contest, and that is for one seat on the Canton Housing Authority. In a surprise development, CHA member and retired college professor Ron Grinnell is being challenged by newcomer Jason Dupre, who lives in the CHA Rubin Court housing complex. If he is elected, CHA resident Dupre raises some interesting legal and ethical questions about what he can and cannot vote for.
As usual, longtime Selectman John Connolly, who is seeking his eighth three-year term, is running unopposed, as is state Representative Bill Galvin, who is seeking reelection as assessor, and Planning Board member George Jenkins. Connolly has been a selectman since 1989.
Speaking of John Connolly, we see his election committee held a fundraiser at the Brookmeadow Country Club on February 28. Since he is running unopposed, he must be getting a jumpstart on a ninth term in 2013.
As expected, School Committee member Reuki Schutt is running unopposed, and due to the unanticipated retirement of Robert Barker, former School Committee member (2002-2008) John Bonnanzio is running unopposed to take his seat and get back on the committee for the third time. All the other incumbents are also running unopposed. Boring.
The national champion Canton Pop Warner A Team cheerleaders will hold a silent auction tomorrow evening, March 5, from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Canton American Legion Hall. There will be food, dancing, and a lot of fun. The proceeds will go to the cheerleaders to help fund their Walt Disney World trip.
On to other things, in January 2010, Boston was warmer and drier than last January. The average temperature for the month in 2009 was 24.8 degrees, while in 2010 it was 29.6 degrees, which was 0.3 degrees above the January average. As for snowfall in January 2009, 23.7 inches fell, while this past January there were just 13.2 inches of snow.
Congratulations to Skip Pfeffer, the founder and owner of the Canton Plumbing and Heating Company, who was recently installed as the president of the 2009-2010 Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractor’s National Association (PHCC) at their recent convention in New Orleans.
Finally! The state Highway Division recently advertised a public hearing on its proposed highway and sidewalk improvements on Turnpike Street (Route 138) between Randolph and Sassamon streets. The town has been demanding a sidewalk there ever since a pedestrian was killed several years ago.
The Canton Garden Club is planning a busy season again this year. There will be a tree planting on Arbor Day in April, and the annual geranium/perennial sale will be on May 8. There will be a tour of several outstanding Canton gardens on June 5 and 6. The club will also continue beautifying Canton by planting thousands of daffodil bulbs and maintaining several traffic islands and flower boxes at the library, the Canton Historical Society, and the Welcome-to-Canton boxes. For more information, check out the club’s website at www.cantongardenclub.com.
In case you’re interested, the DPW has exhausted the $175,000 snow and ice removal line item in the town’s budget. But don’t worry: the town overspends this line item every year, and because public safety is involved, the law allows the town to continue paying for snow and ice removal by deficit spending, and the amount spent in excess of the original budget figure will be added to next year’s tax rate.
Because of the winter season, the Canton Fire Department will allow open burning between January 15 and May 1. Permits must be obtained from the Fire Department.
According to Town Administrator Bill Friel, 32 articles were submitted for the Annual Town Meeting Warrant, including two zoning articles.
The selectmen have approved a new common victual license for the New Seoul BBQ Buffet at 100 Washington Street at Cobb’s Corner.
State Senate President Therese Murray has appointed state Senator Brian A. Joyce to be the acting vice chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education.
The Canton Men’s Over 30 Sunday Morning Softball League is looking for teams for the upcoming 2010 season. For details, contact Ron Morganelli at richmorgie@aol.com.
Nordstrom, Inc. announced it is looking to hire 250 employees for the department store it plans to open in late March at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree. Headquartered in Seattle, Nordstrom operates 184 stores in 28 states.
Finally, free income tax assistance is available again to low and moderate income senior citizens through the Tax Aid Program by the AARP. A trained volunteer will be at the Council on Aging office beginning February 9. Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling the Council on Aging at 781-828-1323.
When noting the plethora of pizza places in town, MAC mistakenly left out several of the town’s best including Finbarr’s, which serves its famous Irish pizza, complete with sour cream, mashed potatoes, Irish bacon and pizza cheese as well as a variety of other pizzas.
Worry doesn’t help tomorrow’s troubles, but it does ruin today’s happiness.
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=1626
Posted by Joe DeFelice
on Mar 4 2010. Filed under Man About Canton, Opinion.
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