Man About Canton: Stoughton adopts new internet police log

DID YOU KNOW…

As a new service to residents, the Stoughton Police Department has begun posting a daily police log on its web page at www.stoughton.org. The log details when the initial call came in requesting assistance, the assistance taken, the names of the responding officers, what kind of incident they responded to, and what action was taken. The log also gives the name, address, date of birth, and charge(s) for any person arrested. Although all of the information is public and available at the police station, it is a lot more information than is generally published in Canton papers.

Several of MAC’s readers are complaining to MAC about the condition of the downtown streetscape area, and they say they’re embarrassed by the weeds growing everywhere as well as the trash, untrimmed trees, and messy flower beds. The outspoken critics say we need a weekly downtown cleanup crew of two to four men who would spend one or two days cleaning, mulching, trimming, etc., and the town street sweeper should make weekly passes.

If you are interested in the question of whether or not to allow the installation of slot machines in the existing race tracks in Massachusetts, you may want to know that the state of New York isn’t as timid as we apparently are. They are in the process of licensing about 4,500 video slot machines at the Aqueduct Race Track in the New York City Borough of Queens. On the subject of slot machines, the two Connecticut casinos reported lower slot revenues in August. Foxwoods was down 6 percent to $59.2 million and Mohegan Sun was down 3 percent to $67 million.

Canton seniors can get a flu shot at the Senior Center at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19, or on November 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Health Fair at Canton High.

Canton native Chuck Hogan, a 1985 graduate of Canton High, and the author of Ben Affleck’s hit movie “The Town,” is married to the former Charlotte Bright, the daughter of Canton’s retired police chief, Peter Bright. Incidentally, the Hogans now reside in Sharon.

We hate to say it, but we are really getting old. For example, former child star Mickey Rooney turned 90 a couple of weeks ago. It doesn’t seem that long ago when he was starring as a high schooler with Judy Garland.

The National Retail Federation estimates Americans will spend an average of $68.28 on Halloween costumes, candy, and decorations, compared to $56.31 last year.

You may have noticed that the old Zoots dry cleaner store at the intersection of Central Street and Route 138 in Stoughton has been reopened as a Little Caesar’s Pizza store, complete with a drive-up window, which is a service that is unique to our area. Pizzas are made from scratch each morning, and continuously baked throughout the day. The pizza then sits in a warming oven for 30 minutes at most before it is replaced by a fresh pie. Little Caesar’s is a Detroit-based chain, and this new Stoughton franchise is owned by Bay State Pizza, Inc.

The Board of Selectmen has announced that the town’s reverse 911 notification system has been upgraded and now enables the town to contact residents faster during an emergency. The new and improved system is internet-based and will enable the town to contact approximately 7,800 households in 40 minutes, instead of two days under the old system. A three-year contract for the service will cost the town about $7,000 a year.

The state election is rapidly approaching and will be held on Tuesday, November 2. In addition to voting for a political candidate of your choice, voters will also be asked to vote on three ballot questions. William Galvin, the secretary of the commonwealth, has mailed out information booklets on the three questions, and you should have received yours by now. Mark your calendar, and make an effort to vote on Election Day. It’s your civic duty and obligation.

Bay State Gas is changing its name to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, and the change should be completed by the end of the year. Even though the name is being changed, there will be no change in the services, products, or employees.

Finally, if you suffer from the pain of arthritis in your hip or knees and take glucosamine or chondroitin for it, you may be wasting your money. A European research study involving ten trials and 3,803 patients has concluded that neither supplement, taken separately or together, was any better than a placebo.

A Zen monk was seen by his disciple by the sea, where the tide had washed ashore hundreds of starfish. It was clear that they would soon die from exposure. The monk was tossing the starfish, one at a time, back into the sea, in a slow and meditative manner. “Why are you bothering?” the disciple asked the monk. The young disciple looked at the large number of starfish that were succumbing. “It won’t make any difference.” The monk stopped for a moment and looked down at the starfish in his hand. “It will to this one,” he replied. The moral of the story is “Do what you can for those you can.”

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=2281

Posted by Joe DeFelice on Oct 14 2010. Filed under Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.