Man About Canton: No Money for Trailside Museum Again
By Joe DeFeliceDID YOU KNOW …
For the second year in a row, the Blue Hills Trailside Museum will have no money in the state budget; however, officials say they will be able to keep the state-owned and privately managed museum going with the help of volunteers, private money, program fees, and by an anticipated capital grant from the state. The museum is located on Canton Avenue (Route 138) in Milton and serves as the center for the 7,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation. The museum is owned by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and is run by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
The post office is also having money problems. Claiming massive losses and declining mail volume, the U.S. Postal Service is requesting another rate hike, which will increase the cost of stamps by 2 cents to 46 cents starting in January. The cost of an additional ounce of mail would go up by 1 cent to 10 cents, and a postcard would increase 2 cents to 30 cents.
The Savings Bank Life Insurance Company is the largest life insurer in Massachusetts. The 103-year-old SBLI was founded in 1907 by Louis Brandeis and sells billions of dollars of life insurance each year.
Opponents of the so-called affordable housing law (Chapter 40B) will get a chance to abolish the controversial law in the upcoming November state election. The repeal question has finally qualified to be on the ballot.
Speaking of the upcoming November state election, in addition to the Chapter 40B question, there will also be two other questions on the ballot. One measure will seek to eliminate the sales tax on alcohol that was imposed last year, and the other measure will seek to reduce the state sales tax to 3 percent from the present 6.25 percent. Proponents and opponents are already gearing up for an intense campaign.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the smoking rate in the United States dropped 50 percent from 1965 to 2006, going from 42 percent of adults to 20.8 percent. Unfortunately, the declining rate has been offset each year with the addition of about one million young American smokers.
Published reports say the town of Canton is negotiating to obtain a long-term contract to lease the old town-capped landfill on Pine Street in order to install a “solar farm,” which the last town meeting approved. The town hopes to obtain a yield of $250,000 to $450,000 in revenue each year or obtain a reduction of town energy bills or energy credits for the next 20 years. Town Administrator Bill Friel says he hopes negotiations can be completed by this summer with construction to begin soon thereafter.
DPI-Mid Atlantic has signed an extension for its 102,000-square-foot lease at 135 Will Drive in Canton. The company stores and distributes Starbucks dairy products.
It looks like the “Village People” will have to modify their popular hit song “YMCA” because, according to the New York Times, the non-profit Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) has decided to officially adopt a new name and henceforth will be simply known as “The Y,” a name by which they have long been known.
The Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency has named the Bank of Canton as the top producer of first mortgage loans through Mass Housing for the second consecutive year, and they have also received a special achievement award for being the top lender to minorities for the fourth consecutive year. Congratulations go out to the Bank of Canton.
Five area high schools were recently recognized by Newsweek Magazine’s list of the top high schools in the country. There were 27 Massachusetts high schools on the list. Cohasset was ranked 8th, Norwell 12th, Milton 13th, Sharon 19th, and Hingham 26th.
A Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurant is slated to open at the Village Shoppes at 95 Washington Street at Cobb’s Corner. The Virginia-based chain also has other area stores in Randolph, Walpole, Dedham, and Foxboro, and some of their customers have expressed an outstanding rating to MAC.
Now that the zoning board has approved it, it appears the Canton DPW can begin work on the new driveway at the Luce Elementary School. It is estimated that the work will be completed by the start of the school year in September.
Finally, MAC extends congratulations to Jill Stevens of York Street for her 10-month interim appointment to the Canton School Committee. She will complete the term of Tim Brooks, who resigned because of increased job responsibilities at Cumberland Farms. Let’s hope Ms. Stevens will bring a new perspective to the School Committee and that they somehow manage to find a solution to the school system’s serious fiscal problems.
Draw from the past, live in the present, and work for the future.
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=3187
Posted by Joe DeFelice
on Jul 29 2010. Filed under Man About Canton, Opinion.
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