According to a recent report in the Boston Globe, the Blue Hills Ski Resort on Route 138 in Canton has been operated by Ski Blue Hills Management, LLC for the past six years. The company’s five-year contract expired this past season. According to the Globe report, Vero Piacentini, the company’s general manager, said they would like to return, but with a long-term contract.

The Globe story also noted that the official name of the Blue Hills Alpine Ski Run is the William F. Rogers Ski Slopes, named by the Metropolitan District Commission in 1951 after William F. Rogers, a longtime Braintree town moderator who loved the area so much he was nicknamed the “Father of the Blue Hills Reservation.” The ski slope was first developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and improved in the 1960s by widening the two slopes and adding a third. A lodge was built and man-made snow was introduced to extend the skiing season. Edward M. Lambert Jr., commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, told the Globe that the state is considering extending the term of the contract. He describes the Blue Hills Ski area in Canton as a “great amenity to the region.”

John Friel recently resigned as the Council on Aging chairman. John has been involved with Canton seniors for over 15 years and has been a driving force in obtaining a new senior center.

The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department has been doing a great job picking up roadside debris along the entrance and exit ramps of Route 128, 138, and along Route 95 in Canton with inmate labor. Some suggestions have been made that the state should clean up the strip of land between the north and southbound lanes of Route 95.

AAA offices are now carrying E-Z pass transponders. New account transponders are free, but a credit or debit card is needed for the initial load of $20 and future reloads. The closest AAA offices to Canton are in Westwood and Rockland.

Canton High School placed three hockey players on the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic boys’ hockey team: seniors Rich Nee and Pat Ward and junior Brian Brooks. CHS finished the season 16-4-2 and made it to the Division 2 south sectional semifinals.

Brothers Josh Edwards and Nic Edwards of Blue Hills Regional School in Canton also made the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic team. John, a senior, finished his high school career with 230 points while his brother Nic, a junior, has 184 points with a year to go. They led Blue Hills to a 14-4-4 record and a 14^th straight Mayflower Athletic Conference title.

The property at 519 Washington Street was recently sold to the T&B Company for $625,000 by Sarra Properties. For years, the building that was once home to Mario’s Restaurant and Rosario’s Restaurant was owned by Richie Sarra. Today, T&B Pub occupies the building.

It has been estimated that Massachusetts consumers make over $6 billion a year in online purchases. It has been estimated that the state lost $387 million in state tax revenue.

Wrigley Gum Company recently introduced a new caffeinated gum called Alert Energy Gum, a product that includes as much caffeine as a half a cup of coffee in one piece and promises the “right energy, right now.” The eight-piece package equates to four cups of coffee in your pocket. Wrigley labelled the product for adult use only. However, on May 9, Wrigley “temporarily” stopped the production, sale, and marketing of its gum because of the Food and Drug Administration’s investigation into foods with added caffeine. We’ll see what happens.

A bill recently passed by the state senate would increase funding for local roadwork under the state Chapter 90 program. According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the town of Canton will receive $1,155,480, an increase of over $340,000 from last year’s allocation.

The 2014 Massachusetts state budget is listed at $34 billion.

Meghan Lennon and Meaghan McKenna made the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic girls’ hockey team. Lennon, a four-year starter, finished her career with 119 points while McKenna, a three-time All-Scholastic, wrapped up a brilliant high school career with 136 points that included 98 goals.

Canton High School junior Sam Larson made the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic boys’ basketball team. The 6’2” captain averaged 17 points per game and shot a team-high 77 percent from the free-throw line. Larson’s teammate and co-captain this year, senior forward Andrew Mansfield, was listed as a Patriot Ledger honorable mention.

Facebook has over one billion users worldwide. It is the most widely used social media site by individuals. MAC is on Facebook so he can keep in touch with his son, daughters, their friends, his friends, and the rest of the world.

The chuckle of the week: All day long the employees of a construction crew had to endure the boasts of one of its more physically fit workers. “I’ve been lifting weights since I was 10. That’s why I can carry these heavy loads without getting tired,” the man said. A scrawny kid holding a broom then said, “Here’s 50 bucks that says I can push a load in this wheelbarrow to the back gate that even you won’t be able to push back.” “It’s a bet,” the muscular worker said as he threw down his money. The two shook hands, the kid grabbed the handles of the wheel barrow, rolled it toward his nemesis, and said, “Get in.”

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

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

The town of Canton may become only the second community in Massachusetts to raise the legal age to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21. As first reported by the Canton Citizen last month, the Canton Board of Health verbally agreed to increase the age after hearing about the hazards of underage smoking from Dr. Jonathan Winickoff, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Lester Hartman, a senior associate with Westwood-Mansfield Pediatrics and a self-proclaimed antismoking crusader. MAC agrees and has always been completely against smoking. Needham, the first town in the state to raise the legal age to purchase cigarettes to 21, saw the high school smoking rate drop from 13 percent to 5.5 percent since implementing the age increase in 2006.

It looks like it worked in Needham; however, on the other hand, research is replete with explanations for why some people start to smoke and others do not, and none of it relates to the age limit. Research found that peer pressure, a youngster’s social group, and the influence of friends, particularly for girls, is the single most important factor in the decision to smoke. Public health officials and antismoking advocates still agree that by raising the minimum age to 21, it will drop the number of cigarette users, and that is a good thing.

The Canton Rotary Club will hold a 75^th anniversary gala on June 11 at the Blue Hills Country Club. This year, retired Fire Chief James Fitzpatrick will be honored with Rotary’s “Service Above Self Award.” Tickets are $40 per person and available at the Canton Fire Department, Pratt Realty and Maxie’s Deli, or by calling 781-575-6557.

The second annual Canton Lions Club Yard Sale will be held this Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to noon at Galvin Insurance, 1209 Washington Street.

The Electrical Workers Union recently picketed the new $30 million South Shore YMCA facility being built in Quincy. Sean Callaghan, business agent for IBEW Local 103, said the winning $1.6 million bid submitted by Suburban Electric of Canton includes substandard wages and benefits while Y officials say it was simply the best deal. The initial Local 103 bid was $2 million while Aspire Electrical, also from Canton, a union contractor, came in second with a bid of $1.7 million. Some people say that the union crosses the line into bullying and intimidation when picketing business and job sites. Last year, Local 103 of the IBEW also questioned the construction of the solar farm built in Canton on the property of the old town dump off Pine Street. Canton townspeople, as well as the Board of Selectmen, and in particular its chairman at the time, John Connolly, had to endure weeks of letters to the editor and postcards sent out by the IBEW Local 103 denouncing the construction of the solar farm by non-union contractors. Today, the project has been completed and is up and running — and the town seems to be reaping the benefits.

On April 24, the Federal Reserve unveiled its redesigned $100 bill complete with several new security features. The coolest part of the new bill is the 3D vertical ribbon just to the right of Ben Franklin. You will see little bells inside it, but if you tilt the note up and down, they change to “100” images. You can also get the bells and 100s to move side by side or up and down. It is interesting to note that two out of every three $100 bills are believed to be held overseas, and that several million dollars worth of bogus “Benjamins” are smuggled into the United States yearly by our good friends in North Korea. The new $100 bill will go into circulation starting on October 8, 2013.

The General Motors battery-powered Chevrolet Spark mini-car can travel up to 82 miles on a single charge. It will go on sale in July for about $30,000.

The price of oil has dropped this past month due to lower-than-expected demand in the world’s largest economies, the United States and China. According to oil experts, a decline of 10 cents per gallon translates to $13 billion in savings at the pump.

Absolute Landscaping of Canton will be cleaning up and taking care of the flower beds in the center of Canton. The company will donate their time and materials to beautify downtown Canton.

Most of us probably never heard of Stanley A. Dashew, an inventor and entrepreneur who recently died at the age of 96, but MAC is sure that most of us carry in our wallets his invention: the plastic credit card. Mr. Dashew and a team of engineers developed a machine with a keyboard that could emboss plastic cards with a customer’s name, account number, and an expiration date. They also built an imprinting machine that could capture all the information contained on the card and print out a receipt to be signed by the customer. Mr. Dashew holds 40 patents. At the age of 94, he instilled his insights about life and business in a book entitled “You Can Do It: Inspiration and Lessons from an Inventor, Entrepreneur and Sailor.”

Mr. Dashew once said, “It is about whether you pick yourself up after a failure and proceed forward anyway. Anything is possible with the right attitude and a dose of hard work.”

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

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

A $754,000 project to replace windows at the Hansen Elementary and Galvin Middle School skyrocketed to $2,345,000 following the discovery of toxic contaminants and asbestos found in the window caulking at both schools.

According to Canton School Superintendent Jeff Granatino, and thanks in large part to Canton Finance Director Jim Murgia and School Business Manager Ken Leon, the Massachusetts School Building Authority will pay 45 percent of the cost. The contaminants do not pose a danger in their present dormant state. Construction to replace the windows will begin at the end of the school year in 2014, with an expected completion date of September 2014.

The new chairman of the Canton School Committee is Cindy Thomas. Reuki Schutt is the new vice chairman.

The last day of school in Canton will be Friday, June 28, due to the many snow days this past winter.

The town of Canton’s fiscal year 2014 operating budget general fund is $74.7 million, an increase of 3.3 percent over last year. The school operating budget for fiscal year 2014 is $33.32 million, a 4.3 percent increase compared to the current year’s budget.

The town of Canton will hold its annual household hazardous waste collection day on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DPW garage at 150 Bolivar Street. Collections will include tires, batteries, motor oil, oil paint, solvents, and other hazardous waste.

The Canton Garden Club will also hold its annual plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Canton Public Library on Saturday, May 11. Proceeds will benefit the club’s scholarship fund and town beatification projects.

The Canton CPA tax surcharge of 1 percent will begin in fiscal year 2014.

The Canton Public Library is looking for a custodian.

According to Don Rodman, president of the Rodman Ride for Kids, in 2012, “Our fundraising collaborative raised over $10.3 million” to support the at-risk children our affiliated charities serve. Over 100,000 children received services in 2012. The Rodman Ride for Kids is ranked number one in the United States among all single-day athletic fundraisers benefiting kids.

An article titled “Ginger and Me” by Jeanette Lehman of Canton appeared in the April/May edition of Reminisce Magazine on Page 24.

Voters at annual town meeting will be asked to approve borrowing $810,000 to replace a fire department ladder truck with the ambulance fund paying for the debt service.

The Community Preservation Committee will ask town meeting voters to exclude $100,000 of assessed value for each commercial taxpayer (similar to residential taxpayers), subject to ballot approval.

In case you missed it, National Licorice Day was on April 10 and National Arbor Day was on April 26. Also in April were National Pest Management Month, National Pecan Month, National Soy Food Month, and National Physical Therapy Month, according to the Boston Herald. In addition, April 22 was Earth Day and April 24 was Administrative Professionals’ Day.

A Boston crime writer, Casey Sherman, has sold the rights to his 2005 Boston Strangler book, Search for Boston’s Most Notorious Killer, and plans are to develop it into a television series. Canton native Chad Hoffman, former ABC network drama head, plans to turn it into a miniseries or a full TV series. Hoffman produced a number of hits for ABC, including “Twin Peaks,” “China Beach,” and “Thirty Something.”

Congratulations to CHS freshman Stephanie Milne for making the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic gymnastics team.

CHS juniors Chris Sullivan and Quinn Merrigan both made the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic wrestling team. Quinn won the Division 3 state championship in the 138-pound class while Chris placed second in the Division 3 states in the 132-pound division. Both are repeat All-Scholastics.

Canton is not alone when it comes to candidates (or lack thereof) running for office. The town of Whitman also had no contested races. In fact, for two seats on the School Committee, only one person came forward to run, while three Planning Board spots drew only two candidates … another sad state of affairs.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, the average income per person in 2010 in the state of Massachusetts was $34,330.

One of MAC’s favorite high school coaches, John Lee of Walpole (MAC worked in Walpole for 20 years), will be memorialized with the construction of the John E. Lee Press Box at Turco Field. Former players and friends raised $200,000 for the project. Groundbreaking will take place in June, and the facility will be ready for the 2013 football season. The legendary Hall of Fame coach amassed a career record of 212 wins, only 33 losses, and seven ties between 1968 and 1993. It included six Super Bowl appearances with four victories. Lee, who will turn 80 in October, still lives in Walpole.

We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies.

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

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

At the annual town meeting to be held on Monday, May 13, voters will be asked to approve a zoning change that will allow the construction of a senior housing community in Canton. The “SHOD” (Senior Housing Overlay District) zoning articles, submitted by attorney Richard Staiti on behalf of Brightview Senior Living, will result in a new building made up of 175 units composed of independent living units, as well as assisted-care and memory-care living units, on land located at 125 Turnpike Street.

The three articles will amend the bylaw, amend the map, and add new definitions under the title “SHOD.” This special type of housing would be reserved for seniors age 62 and older. The land is the present site and operation of AA Will Sand and Gravel. It consists of about 32 acres of land, half of which is wetland. The new building will only use about 10 percent of land and will leave a vast amount of the present land open and untouched.

The land is zoned for residential B and could be built as of right by a developer for single-family homes. In fact, 20 to 35 single-family homes could be built on the property, and with the increasing costs to educate students and already crowded classrooms, senior housing makes sense. Brightview will pay over $235,000 in taxes to the town and also make a one-time cash contribution of over $300,000 to the town in lieu of setting aside affordable units.

Brightview Senior Living owns and operates many senior housing communities in the state, with two others under construction, the nearest one being New Pond Village in Walpole. Both the Canton Planning Board as well as the Canton Finance Committee voted unanimously to support the SHOD zoning articles. MAC urges you to vote yes on Articles 16, 17 and 18 for the senior housing community!

The Canton Rotary Club will celebrate its 75^th anniversary on Tuesday, June 11, at the Blue Hills Country Club in Canton. Retired Canton Fire Chief Jim Fitzpatrick will be the guest honoree.

The Stoughton Zoning Board of Appeals recently approved the expansion of the IKEA furniture store by adding 60,000 square feet for a new warehouse.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the percentage of minority students in Canton schools is 23. Milton and Sharon are 30 percent, while Randolph is close to 70 percent.

Former Cantonite Greg Timilty is running for the District 8 spot on the Boston City Council. Greg is the son of Joe Timilty, a former state senator from Canton. Greg’s opponent, Joshua Zakim, is also the son of another famous local politician, the late civil rights activist Leonard P. Zakim. His father is the namesake of the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge.

A sure sign of spring in Boston is the return of the swan boats to the Public Garden. The boats began running for the 137^th consecutive year on Saturday, April 13, and will continue to run through September 15.

The Boston Red Sox public address announcers for 2013 will be operated by a three-man PA rotation system. Dick Flavin, former WBZ-TV host, will work the day games. Longtime sportscaster, also at WBZ-TV, Bob Lobel, will handle most Saturday games, while a newcomer to the sport scene, Henry Mahegan, a 31-year-old Charlestown High School teacher, will be the workhorse, taking most of the night games.

The CBS Sports Scene at Patriots Place in Foxboro was recently named 2013 sports bar of the year. The sports bar has 147 HD TVs.

The Ford Focus was the world’s top-selling car in 2012 with over one million sold. More than a quarter of all Focuses were sold in China, the model’s largest market. The Toyota Corolla was the second best selling vehicle.

The U.S. Department of Energy said it expects gasoline prices at the pumps to average $3.60 per gallon through the summer driving season, which runs from now through September.

If the state budget is approved, the gas tax would rise to 24 cents per gallon starting in July. The three-cent hike would bring an estimated $100 million a year into the state treasury.

The average U.S. state gas tax is 23.44 cents per gallon. In New England, Connecticut has the highest gas tax at 46 cents per gallon.

Robert J. Murphy, the former Canton conservation agent, was paid an annual salary of $48,960 by the town of Canton. Murphy was the conservation agent for Canton for 22 years. He left in November 2012 amid conflict of interest allegations.

The new conservation agent for Canton will be Cynthia O’Connell. She will share her duties with the town of Dedham where she is presently employed as its conservation agent.

According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey, almost 50 percent of Canton residents age 25 or older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Sharon and Westwood top the list on the south shore at almost 70 percent, while neighboring Stoughton and Randolph check in at 30 percent.

The town of Westwood will hold a special town meeting within its annual town meeting on May 6 on seven warrant articles related specifically to the University Station construction project. The project borders the town of Canton at University Ave.

If you make a decision for the right reasons, it is never wrong.

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

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

The annual town meeting is being held on Monday, May 13, and Canton seniors need your help and support. They need your vote so they can renovate the old Knights of Columbus building at 500 Pleasant Street into a new senior center that they desperately need. MAC has been closely following this new senior center project and concludes that Canton seniors deserve your support and vote at the town meeting.

The Canton Council on Aging has worked long and hard to put this project together, and it’s been vigorously studied, so it’s time to get on with it. The present senior center has been located in the cellar of the old Hemenway School since 1982, and with only 2,940 square feet of space and only 11 parking spaces, there is no question that Canton seniors have outgrown it to a point where, each day, they never know if there will be room for them there. MAC cautions you to avoid giving credence to the vocal letter writers who, for one reason or another, are actively trying to shoot the project down.

As the COA said in its recent letter to the editor: “The most exciting part of having this renovated property is that a majority of the funding is available without any additional tax burdens to Canton taxpayers.” For many years, Canton seniors have paid the taxes that supported the town, and it’s time for us to show our gratitude and empathy by giving them the new senior center they desperately need so they can enjoy their retirement in relative comfort.

The architect has been working on plans to make efficient use of the existing space, and they include a movable partition for an expandable dining room, an exercise room, and a meeting room. Other planned rooms will possibly include a library, card room, and a pool room.

There is no question that this property on Pleasant Street would be the best option for the Council on Aging to move out of their inadequate space. There are over 5,000 seniors in Canton, a figure that is much larger than the number of school children we educate in town, and the number of seniors continues to grow by leaps and bounds each year. The Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee have endorsed this project as have a host of other town officials. MAC will be voting “yes” at town meeting, and thousands of Canton seniors hope you will, too.

The Council on Aging is planning a trip to the Boston Pops on June 5. Conductor Keith Lockhart has planned a fun-filled evening with the sophistication and romance of the music from the 50s and 60s. A price of $72 includes the show and transportation. For additional information and reservations, call COA Director Diane Tynan at 781-828-1323.

Also, on June 23, the COA is planning a trip to the Reagle Music Theatre in Waltham to see the Tony-winning Broadway musical Chicago. Songs from that musical include “All That Jazz,” “Mr. Cellophane,” and “Razzle Dazzle.” This matinee will be followed by dinner at the Chateau. Seats are limited! Tickets for the show, dinner, and transportation are only $77 each.

This past indoor track season, Canton’s All-American high school soccer player, Lauren Berman, ran the fastest mile in the Hockomock League with a time of 5:10.14. Lauren placed third in the Davison 3 state meet.

CHS senior Meghan Lennon recently scored six goals to lead Canton over North Attleboro 21-6 in a girls’ lacrosse game. Going into this season, Lennon had scored 133 career goals, which included back-to-back 50-goal seasons.

The Canton Historical Society held its annual meeting on Sunday, April 7. At the meeting, member Carol Munson presented the story behind the gift to the society of Elsie Poole Hays’ upright piano. Hays (1895-1989) studied and taught piano in Canton for 63 years. Among her over 500 students were society members Carol Munson, Ann Galvin and Diane Glenn, who entertained the members by playing tunes on Elsie’s piano. Society member George Comeau followed with the story of Elsie’s father and his life in Canton.

The Canton Historical Society is open to the public the second Sunday of every month from 2-5 p.m.

The state legislators have scaled back Governor Patrick’s transportation funding plans and have put the expansion of rail service to Fall River and New Bedford on the “back burner” for now.

Betty Chelmow, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Canton Public Library since 1977, decided not to run this year. Betty will be missed.

The Canton Zoning Board of Appeals recently approved the expansion of the Hansen School Playground Project.

President Obama makes $400,000 a year. In 2011, Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported adjusted gross income of $789,674. The president and his wife donated $172,130, or nearly 22 percent of their adjusted gross income, to charity.

Some good news: Home prices rose over 10 percent in February 2013 compared to last year. It was the biggest gain since 2006. Prices have now increased for 12 straight months.

The proposed $1 tax increase on a pack of cigarettes would increase Massachusetts’ cigarette tax from $2.51 to $3.51 a pack, which would be the second highest in the nation after New York’s $4.35 tax. The revenue received by the state is estimated at $165 million. Massachusetts last raised the tax in 2008 by $1 to $2.51. It is now the ninth highest in the country. It has been estimated that 14 percent of Massachusetts adults are smokers.

The Canton Men’s Softball League reigning champs, Hanningtons, sponsored by Attorney Glen Hannington, participated in the recent Sandy Hook Memorial Tournament in Wallingford, Connecticut. They were among the 16 teams invited throughout New England to participate in this charity tournament, and Hanningtons made it through four games over two days before being eliminated.

MAC would like to extend his sincere best wishes and prayers to all those hurt in the needless 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy on April 15 and sends sincere condolences to the families of the four people killed.

Former Canton High School athlete Christopher Klucznik, age 30, ran in this year’s Boston Marathon. He finished the race with a very impressive time of 2 hours and 37 minutes. Klucznik is a member of the Somerville Road Runners Club.

Alexis Regan, a 2006 Canton High School graduate, also ran the marathon and was feet from the finish line when the first bomb went off. She can be seen flinching on the news footage when the explosion went off to her left. Another Canton resident, Jen Teahan, had completed the marathon several minutes ahead of Alexis and was waiting at the finish line, but thankfully was not injured. Kelly Wells Beckett (’91), her sister, Kristin Wells Souza (’94), and Alex Wade (’06) also ran and trained hard for the race but were all stopped short of the finish line because of the tragedy.

Ernest Hemingway once said, “The best way to find out if you trust somebody is to trust them.”

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

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

Dan Berardi is a true Cantonite. Born of immigrant parents, Candido and Mary Berardi, and raised in Canton, he lived on Revere Street and later moved to 38 Mechanic Street with the rest of the Berardi clan. Danny is the oldest of seven brothers that included Frankie, Gino, Dickie, Bobby, Joey, and Eddie and two sisters, Mary and Anna. He grew up during the Great Depression in the 1930s. After graduating from St. John’s Elementary School, he went to Canton High School where he graduated in 1941. He was an outstanding lineman on the CHS football team.

On February 12, 1943, during World War II, he was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corp. One year later, his unit, the 816^th bomber squadron, was stationed in Italy. From an air base in Italy, he took part in 50 air missions over targets in Belgium, France, Germany, Romania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. During a mission in 1944, Danny, as a tail gunner on a B-17 flying fortress, was awarded the Silver Star for bravery and gallantry in action while remaining aboard a shot-up and crippled B-17 bomber with wounded crew members. Amazingly, Danny survived all 50 missions. Having risen to the rank of staff sergeant, he was discharged in late 1945.

After the war in 1948, Danny became employed at the Canton Post Office where he remained until he retired in 1987.

In 1950, he married his lovely wife, Dolly, and built a house on Leonard Street before moving his four sons (Dan Jr., Paul, David, and Mike) and one daughter, Sandra, to 612 Chapman Street where the family remained for the next 28 years. In 1983, Danny downsized, moving to 49 Kenney Street, where he still resides today.

In 2003, after 53 years of marriage, Danny lost his beloved wife. Today, he keeps himself busy with his garden, eating out at the 99 Restaurant in Canton, playing with his grandchildren and one great-grandchild, and taking frequent trips to the Canton American Legion to discuss the town and world events. At the birthday party, Freddy Gladstone of the Canton Legion presented Danny with a specially made jacket that included the Silver Star emblem. MAC congratulates Danny Berardi on his 90^th birthday, his service to his country, and his life as a true Cantonite!

Selectmen in Sharon recently approved a 40 percent increase in ambulance rates. The base rate will be $1,048.45 for emergency service with basic life support, and $1,245.05 for emergency service with advanced life support.

On the subject of the town of Sharon, 14.4 percent of its population of 17,612 are people of Russian descent, which is the highest proportion in Massachusetts. Sharon High School’s enrollment of 1,195 students includes 74.1 white students and 25.9 minority students with 16.0 percent Asian students, also one of the highest proportionally in the state.

And while on the subject of Russia, the country recently passed a law prohibiting smoking in public places, which includes schools, universities, hospitals, playgrounds, sports arenas, restaurants, government buildings, and public transportation. This is an extraordinary measure in a country where approximately 60 percent of adult men smoke cigarettes.

The Wampatuck Country Club recently petitioned the Canton Zoning Board of Appeals to construct a 2,100-square-foot steel building to replace a collapsed storage facility on its property at 95 Pleasant Garden Road.

The Sky 8 Shrimp farm will produce about 1,500 pounds of shrimp this year at an industrial park building in Stoughton. The operation is the first of its kind in New England. The number 8 in the name comes from the fact that this is the eighth such shrimp farm in the United States. Shrimp is the most consumed seafood in America. The new company is owned by James Tran and Peter Howard.

JP Scott was recently appointed by CHS Athletic Director Danny Erickson as the new head baseball coach, replacing Junior Medina, who resigned after leading the program for three seasons. Scott was the assistant coach for the past three years.

Selectmen recently appointed Cynthia O’Connell of Sharon as the town’s new conservation agent, replacing longtime conservation agent Robert Murphy, whose contract was terminated in December 2012 by the selectmen. O’Connell previously worked as a part-time conservation agent in Dedham.

Selectmen voted to fund the Canton Fourth of July celebration as part of the Recreation Department’s annual budget.

An expert is a man who tells you a simple thing in a confusing way in such a fashion as to make you think the confusion is your own fault.

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

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

Canton Town Clerk Tracy Kenney was hoping to save the town a portion of the estimated $8,000 to $10,000 in associated election costs by combining this year’s town election on April 2 (which had no contests) with the April 30 special state primary election for the U.S. Senate. The state legislature offers this “dual election” option to any community whose municipal election falls within 30 days of a state primary. According to Kenney, she recommended this option to Town Administrator Bill Friel, but it fell on deaf ears as the Board of Selectmen chose not to consider Kenney’s request. Only 233 voters turned out to vote in the town election on April 2, which was less than 2 percent of the 14,240 registered voters. It cost the town an estimated $40 a vote.

Combining the two elections was, in MAC’s opinion, a no-brainer. This was a waste of time to the 233 voters, a waste of time for the town clerk and her workers, and a waste of money to the town of Canton. There is no excuse for not combining both elections, period. The town of Stoughton combined their election with the state primary, like Canton should have.

The average life of a car battery is three to five years, and if you are a member of AAA, they will install an AAA battery for $119, and it will include a three-year free nationwide replacement warranty.

The average state pension in the year 2000 was $15,445 compared to $26,363 in 2010.

The Easter Party held this year on Saturday, March 30, at Canton High School was such a huge success that they ran out of candy bags for the kids.

The Canton Choral Society will hold its annual spring concert on Sunday, April 28, at 3 p.m. in the United Church of Christ Sanctuary at 1541 Washington Street. This season’s theme will be “Sun, Moon, Stars, and Rain.” The program will feature texts of poets Emily Dickinson, Henry Longfellow, EE Cummings, and Sara Teasdale, and the music of American composers. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for students. For further information, call 781-821-8860.

The Canton Recreation Department has advertised for summer employment that includes playground leaders, lifeguards, day camp positions, and sports instructors. Applicants must be 16 years or older to apply. Applications are available at the Recreation Department, 92 Pleasant Street, or online at www.cantonrec.com. Applications close on Friday, April 19.

The town of Canton’s Pine Street leaf and yard waste facility reopened for Canton residents on Monday, April 1. It is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Canton’s Tucker Donahoe, a 2012 graduate of Middlebury College and captain of its hockey team, is now playing professional hockey in Paris, France. Last year, Tucker played for the Boston Bruins farm team in Reading, PA. Tucker’s brother, Robbie Donahoe, was recently elected the captain for the 2013-2014 season for Middlebury College.

The Canton High School Class of 1976 will sponsor “The Bulldog Madness Golf Classic” on Monday, September 9, at the Wampatuck Country Club in Canton. Competition from Canton High School alumni classes can put together teams to challenge for the “Spirit Cup.” For more information, go to www.bulldogmadness76.com.

The Blue Hills Regional High School girls’ basketball team has compiled an impressive record over the past two years of 47 wins and only five losses. This year, the team won 23 straight games before losing in the Division 4 south semifinals to eventual state champs Greater New Bedford. One of the stars on the team was Margarita Delaporta from Canton. The team is coached by Tom McGrath.

Another standout athlete from Canton is Kyle Darrow, a senior at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood. Darrow won the long jump in the Tri-County League Championships and topped the field in the Division 1 State Championship. Kyle placed second in the All-State Championship and the New England Indoor Track and Field Championship.

Congressman Stephen F. Lynch has nominated Canton High School senior Brendan MacDonald to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Attorney George T. Comeau, a Canton Citizen columnist, was recently appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to serve on the nine-member Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Westwood Station properties off University Road on the Canton/Westwood town line was sold last year for $45 million. A partner in the original plan, New England Development, is proposing a scaled-down version as part of a new collaboration with Eastern Real Estate, National Development, Charles River Realty Investors, and Clarion Partners. The new plans for University Station, as it will be called, includes a Target Store, a Wegmans grocery store, and 450 units of one- and two-bedroom housing, with a goal of attracting young professionals and empty nesters, rather than families.

Like what you do; if you don’t like it, do something else.

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

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

This year, for the second time in three years, there were no contests for any of our town offices, and all incumbent candidates got another free ride back into office. While it is true the incumbents have generally done a credible job, the need for competition is obvious, as the lack of political competition is not healthy in a democracy.

Plenty of people complain about government, but apparently they do not want to step forward to do something about it. Canton residents are leaving the job of government and managing town affairs to a select few, and that is too bad. Crucial issues will not get the kind of voter scrutiny and management they need. At this rate, what if we had an election and nobody, including incumbents, bothered to run? Judging from what has occurred the past three years, it appears it may come to that.

MAC and many other Canton political observers were extremely disappointed when Planning Board member Gary Vinciguerra waited until the last minute before announcing his decision not to run for reelection, leaving political newcomer and Canton resident of only two years Tori McClain a free ride to the Planning Board. Vinciguerra should have known better than that! This does not help Canton.

Did you notice the flip-flopping done by members of the Canton School Committee? Incumbents John Bonnanzio and Reuki Schutt have opted to run for the one-year seats that were created by the resignations of Liz Salisbury and Jill Stevens. David Emhardt and Robert Golledge, who replaced Salisbury and Stevens, will, in turn, run for the three-year terms held by Bonnanzio and Schutt.

Emily Prigot is the new library trustee, replacing longtime member Betty Chelmow.

Richie Crowley of Canton is an assistant captain on the Brown University hockey team.

Canton’s Gerard McEleney was a member of the Norwich University hockey team that lost to Oswego University in the Division 3 national semifinals 6-3. McEleney, a sophomore forward who prepped at St. Sebastian’s in Needham, had six goals and four assists for the Norwich Cadets, who ended the season with an excellent record of 24-4-1.

The Canton High School Alumni Association will hold its annual trivia night with Gary Titus on Friday, April 5, from 7-11 p.m. at the Canton Town Club. There will be cash prizes for the winning team. (MAC erroneously wrote Saturday in last week’s column; please note the correction.)

The Canton Town Club will host its 2013 Scholarship Golf Tournament in memory of Bill Duggan at the Wampatuck Country Club on Monday, May 6. The tournament, which benefits the Town Club’s Scholarship Fund, commences with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. The format is five-member teams, Florida-style. The entry fee is $100 per person, which includes green fees and golf carts. For more information, call Mike Logan at 781-828-9232 or 339-987-1193.

Eighth grader Brandon Pho represented the Galvin Middle School in the annual South Shore Regional Spelling Bee held at Derby Academy in Hingham. Brandon almost won it all, finishing as the first runner-up out of 25 schools. Congratulations Brandon!

According to Canton Finance Director Jim Murgia, there is approximately $3.2 million in the town’s free cash reserve account.

The town of Needham is in the process of constructing a new two-story, 20,000-square-foot senior center at an estimated cost of $8.5 million. The building is scheduled to open in October 2013. It will have a large, multipurpose area, a fitness room, a library, an office and a meeting room. The Center, as it will be called, will receive a donation of $200,000 from the Needham Bank toward its construction costs. Now, if only Canton can do something along these lines, even at a fraction of the cost. Again, there is over $3 million in the free cash reserve account!

The Canton Council on Aging had a great St. Patrick’s Day bingo game at the Hemenway Senior Center. The bingo caller, Dottie Morris, and her many helpers made those that attended have a wonderful time. Also attending were Selectman Avril Elkort, state Senator Brian A. Joyce, former Housing Authority member Ron Grinnell, COA outreach worker Robin Tobin, and Joe DeFelice (MAC). Dottie’s son, Adrian Morris, donated the food, enough for everyone and then some. The bingo game was another case made where more space is definitely needed for seniors. It was a full house with a waiting list to get in.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the proposed new flight paths for planes leaving Logan Airport that will fly over parts of Milton, Canton, and Dedham will have little effect, and the townspeople will not notice much difference. By the time the plane reaches those towns, it will already have reached 10,000 feet, a height at which relatively little noise can be heard on the ground. Residents are told “to wait and see and listen” before jumping to conclusions.

The Lamparelli Oil Company at 1026 Turnpike Street (Route 138) in Canton has opened a propane refill station on its property. The station is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. For a $2 off coupon, go to www.franklamparelli.com.

We Beat Cancer, a Gallahue/Rooney Family Foundation, held its second annual fundraising dinner dance on Friday, March 22, at Lantana’s in Randolph. The foundation, which has already raised thousands of dollars, provides assistance to patients and their families with their many needs while they struggle though this horrific disease. The foundation helps Boston-area cancer patients and their families who are struggling with issues faced during their battle with cancer, giving them financial and informational support. The foundation was started by Jeff and Pat Gallahue and joined by the Rooney families of Canton. For further information, visit www.webeatcancer.org.

In all human affairs, there are efforts and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the results.

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

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

The Canton annual town election will be held this coming Tuesday, April 2, between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., even though, sadly, there are no contests on the ballot. Although there are no contests, however, it is still our civic duty to vote. Many grumble about our town government and seemingly rush to criticize just about every important decision our incumbent leaders make, but when election time comes around, no one bothers to come forward to run for office to try to change things, which in a democracy, is a sad state of affairs.

The Canton High School Alumni Association will hold its annual trivia night with Gary Titus on Saturday, April 5, from 7-11 p.m. at the Canton Town Club. There will be cash prizes for the winning team.

The town recently received a check for $125,000 from the Southern Sky Renewable Energy Company. The company leases the former town landfill for its solar farm at $300,000 annually with payments increasing 2.5 percent each year. The $125,000 covers the period from August 15, 2012 to December 31, 2012. It sure looks like the town is making money on this project.

Canton Conservation Commission member Bruce Rohr has resigned for personal reasons. The selectmen appointed Jerry Carmichael to replace him.

Thanks to the Rooneys from Canton, the ProvidenceCollege men’s hockey team recently snapped an 18-game winless streak against BostonCollege. Freshman Kevin Rooney assisted senior Chris Rooney, who scored to put the game out of reach in a 5-1 win over BC. It was Providence’s first win over BC since February 29, 2008.

The Boston Bruins Alumni hockey team will be playing at the Canton rink on Saturday, March 30, at 8 p.m. The Canton Lions Club is sponsoring the hockey game between the Bruins alumni and hockey legends from Canton. Admission is free, but donations can be made at the door.

Harvard University was originally called New College. It was renamed Harvard College in 1639 for Clergyman John Harvard.

The Canton Police Department is one of 25 local departments participating in a program sponsored by the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office offering free disposal of over-the-counter drugs and other medications. Bring the medications to the police station lobby. All collected drugs will safely be destroyed.

Bob Lobel, former sportscaster for Channel 4 in Boston, is the leading candidate for the Boston Red Sox public address announcer position at FenwayPark. Lobel has been announcing some of the games during spring practice in Florida.

The Canton Housing Authority has awarded the Eagle Eyes Contracting Company of Medford the contract to replace the roofing on three buildings in Hagan Court at 203 Washington Street. The work was estimated at $60,000, and the Eagle Eyes Contracting Company was the low bidder at $39,665.

Congressman Stephen F. Lynch announced that he has nominated Ryan McClellan of Canton for appointment to the United StatesNavalAcademy. Ryan is the son of Bob and Stephanie McClellan and is a senior at XaverianBrothersHigh School.

MAC congratulates CHS head football coach Dave Bohane, who has been selected to lead the south team in the 35^th annual Shriners High School All-Star Football Classic to be played on June 22 at Bentley College. Congratulations also go out to CHS seniors Elias Camacho and Dexter Green for their selection to the south football team. The all-star game features the top 100 high school players in eastern Massachusetts.

The Blue Hills Observatory recorded 29.2 inches of snow during the storm of March 7-8. Canton recorded 28 inches. The weather forecasters predicted 4 to 8 inches.

The popular Richard Lewis Formal Wear and Kevin Michaels Men’s Fine Clothing are moving their business from 576 Washington Street to 626 Washington Street.

Believe it or not, two countries that require their citizens to have guns are Switzerland and Israel, who both have the lowest crime rate in the world.

Finally, one of MAC’s favorite newspapers, the Boston Phoenix, closed its door on March 15 after 47 years. It started in the 1960s as an alternative voice with an audience made up of baby boomers, war protesters, rock music lovers, and members of the feminist movement. The tabloid newspaper was alterative journalism at its best. It is too bad … another case of the changing ways of today’s newspaper business.

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

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

The first annual Foley’s Backstreet Grille 5K Road Race to benefit the Mass. Hospital School will be held on Sunday, April 21, at 12 noon, starting and ending at the Mass. Hospital School, 3 Randolph Street in Canton. There will be a post-race party at the finish line. To sign up, go to www.coolrunning.com or www.racewire.com. The first 500 people to register will get a free race t-shirt.

Foley’s Backstreet Grille will also hold its second annual Backstreet Open Golf Tournament on Monday, May 6, at the Easton Country Club in Easton. It will be a Florida-style format. Shotgun start is 9:30 a.m.; check-in is at 8 a.m. The cost is $125 per person/$500 per team of four. Dinner and an awards banquet will immediately follow at Foley’s Backstreet Grille in Stoughton. All proceeds go to the Mass. Hospital School. Register at Foley’s Backstreet Grille or at www.backstreetgrille.com. The deadline to register is May 1. For further information, contact Dave Foley at 781-297-0100 or backstreetgrille@verizon.net.

The Blue Hills boys’ hockey team recently won its 14^th straight Mayflower League title. The other teams in the league must be getting tired of it.

The Blue Hills girls’ basketball team also coasted to the Mayflower title this season, finishing 14-0 in the league and 22-0 overall in the regular season. The Lady Warriors, led by Canton resident Margarita Delaporta, defeated Hull in the Division 4 south sectional tournament before falling to eventual champion Greater New Bedford in the tournament semifinals.

The general consensus around town is that the Canton Public Works employees have done an outstanding job plowing and handling all the snow we have been getting this past month; and recognizing that the DPW workers have had their hands full, the downtown merchants have been especially complimentary. It took only two days after the 2013 blizzard of February 8-9 to completely clear the center of town of all the snow.

Holly Swinamer, age 10, daughter of CHS graduate Mike Swinamer, and Brianna Cummings, age 13, captured bronze and silver medals for freestyle figure skating in their respective age groups at the Bay State Games held in Williamstown February 15-17. Holly and Brianna, skating for the Franklin Finesse Skating Team, each earned berths in the State Games of America to be held in July in Hershey, Pennsylvania. For Holly, it was her 15^th medal in six competitions, eight of which have been gold medals. The Bay State Games have been held yearly since 1982 and feature more than 12,000 athletes from Massachusetts ages 8 and above, covering over 30 different summer and winter sports.

It is interesting to note that the boys’ and girls’ CHS hockey teams ended the season with almost identical records. The boys’ record was 15-3-2 and the girls’ record was 16-2-1, which are very impressive records for the regular season.

The CHS boys’ basketball team made the Division 3 south sectional tournament even though their final record was 7-13. Dedham also made the tournament despite an overall record of 3-17. According to MIAA rules, teams that finish .500 or better within their own division are eligible to make the tournament, and both Canton and Dedham accomplished that feat.

MAC congratulates Canton High School junior Quinn Merrigan, who rallied from a 6-2 deficit late in the second period and went on to pin Hudson High’s Pat O’Connell to win the Division 3 state wrestling championship in the 138-pound class. Teammate Chris Sullivan (132 pounds) lost his first match of the season to undefeated Abbas Tamaradze of Hampton Charter in the finals of the Division 3 state championship.

Towns in Massachusetts are beginning to impose zoning restrictions on medical marijuana dispensaries. Some of the zoning bylaws proposed are “prohibiting medical pot shops from opening within 1,500 feet of a residential neighborhood, schools, other dispensaries, and sites licensed to serve alcohol.” Perhaps it’s time that Canton officials look at putting zoning restrictions on marijuana shops.

In the meantime, voters will be asked to consider a temporary three-year moratorium on medical marijuana treatment centers at the upcoming May town meeting. The proposal was submitted by the Board of Selectmen (not the Planning Board as MAC had incorrectly reported in his February 28 column).

On Friday, February 15, Canton police made the largest marijuana bust in the department’s history when they apprehended Thomas Kim of Brooklyn, New York, and seized about 300 pounds of marijuana valued at approximately $1 million. The drugs were believed to have originated in California and shipped to R&L Carriers Company, off Route 138 in Canton. A shipping clerk at the company opened a suspicious package, found the marijuana, and called the Canton Police.

Centerfield’s Bar and Grill at 2 Forge Pond in Canton has been shutdown for various reasons, including allegedly unpaid rent and taxes.

Veteran Channel 7 reporter Victoria Block, who back in 1991 interviewed MAC for a lengthy story on the Canton Little League, is hanging up her microphone after working for the station for 32 years.

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. Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling 781-828-1323.

The Canton Police Department is one of 25 local departments participating in a program sponsored by the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office offering free disposal of over-the-counter and other medications. Bring medications, including pet medications, to the Police Department lobby. All collected drugs will be safely destroyed.

Finally, Sophie Kurys, 87, recently died. Sophie, nicknamed the “Flint Flash,” played in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. She played for the Racine Belles, one of the teams featured in the 1992 move “A League of Their Own.” In 1946, Kurys stole 201 bases out of 203 attempts. She led the league in steals for seven straight years, swiping 1,114 bases in her career.

The race is not always to the swift but to those who keep on running.

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

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