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Vol. 12 No. 10 Free to Every Home and Business Every Month <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
TOPSoccer: A Special Program<br />
for Kids with Special Needs<br />
By Grace Allen<br />
It’s a typical sight on a Sunday<br />
morning: a soccer field<br />
brimming with activity while<br />
parents cheer from the sidelines.<br />
For families who have<br />
kids with disabilities, that experience<br />
once might have seemed<br />
out of reach. TOPSoccer is<br />
changing all that.<br />
The Outreach Program for<br />
Soccer, or TOPSoccer, was developed<br />
by US Youth Soccer<br />
for children and youth from<br />
ages 4 to 26 with physical and/<br />
or mental disabilities. The participants<br />
are paired with volunteers<br />
who teach them how<br />
to play soccer in a safe and fun<br />
way.<br />
A local TOPS chapter has<br />
been operating in <strong>Norfolk</strong><br />
since 2011, with participants<br />
from several surrounding communities.<br />
Starting in the spring,<br />
the program will move to King<br />
Philip High School in <strong>Wrentham</strong>,<br />
which is offering the field<br />
for free so there will be no cost<br />
for families.<br />
John Rainone, the director<br />
of the TOPS program, says the<br />
TOPS Director John Rainone and his daughter Kelsie, with TOPS<br />
athlete Jonathan Love.<br />
move to the high school is significant<br />
because the turf field<br />
will make it easier for kids with<br />
disabilities to play, without the<br />
worry of uneven terrain.<br />
“Our TOPS program has<br />
some of the highest numbers<br />
in the state,” explained Rainone.<br />
“We have multiple kids<br />
TOPSOCCER<br />
continued on page 2<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong> Town Charter<br />
Amendments Proposed<br />
Submitted by Jerry McGovern<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong>’s Town Meeting<br />
on <strong>November</strong> 13 will ask residents<br />
to vote on several proposed<br />
amendments to the <strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
Home Rule Charter. The Charter,<br />
first enacted on January 1,<br />
2015, codified the Town’s structure,<br />
authorities, and processes<br />
to help ensure operational consistency.<br />
The Charter requires that a<br />
special committee be established<br />
at least once every 10 years for<br />
the purpose of reviewing the<br />
charter and to make a report to<br />
the Town Meeting concerning<br />
any proposed amendments.<br />
The Charter Review Committee<br />
(CRC) met from May<br />
– October to develop proposed<br />
amendments and receive public<br />
feedback. Based on the reviews<br />
and feedback, a draft amended<br />
charter was finalized and provided<br />
for public review on October<br />
12.<br />
The Substantive Proposed<br />
Amendments<br />
The most substantive proposals<br />
are to change several elected<br />
boards and officials to appointed<br />
boards and officials. The affected<br />
boards and officials are:<br />
774-847-9846<br />
cirocorp104@gmail.com<br />
104 Pond St., <strong>Norfolk</strong> MA 02056<br />
www.norfolkmotors.net<br />
• Board of Assessors<br />
• Board of Health<br />
• Library Board of Trustees<br />
• Town Constables<br />
• Town Clerk<br />
PRSRT STD<br />
ECRWSS<br />
U.S. POSTAGE<br />
PAID<br />
PERMIT NO. 142<br />
SPRINGFIELD, MA<br />
Postal Customer<br />
Local<br />
The Election Trend<br />
Over the last six years (2018-<br />
<strong>2023</strong>) there have been 24 races<br />
for these positions (not including<br />
Town Clerk). Twelve of the 24<br />
races did not have a candidate<br />
and required a write-in vote to<br />
fill the office. The winning candidates<br />
averaged 20 votes (eight<br />
received less than 20 votes). This<br />
is less than half of the required<br />
number of signatures to get on<br />
the ballot.<br />
The Impact<br />
These are positions that have<br />
important regulatory and statutory<br />
requirements. The impact<br />
is an ever-increasing complexity<br />
and an associated need to<br />
have requisite competencies and<br />
qualifications for the positions.<br />
This is exacerbated by unchallenged<br />
elections and a reliance<br />
on write-in candidates. There is<br />
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VOTE<br />
continued on page 4<br />
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(508) 384-3531<br />
289 East Street, <strong>Wrentham</strong>, MA 02093<br />
www.pondhome.org | inquiry@pondhome.org<br />
Thank You<br />
from the<br />
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Page 2 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
TOPSOCCER<br />
continued from page 1<br />
in wheelchairs, multiple kids<br />
on crutches and leg braces, and<br />
a couple that are legally blind.<br />
The turf field will make the program<br />
even more inclusive.”<br />
Rainone has been involved<br />
with the <strong>Norfolk</strong>-based TOPS<br />
chapter since its start, and in<br />
2020 became its director. He<br />
runs the program with the help<br />
of his daughter, Kelsie, who<br />
began volunteering with TOPS<br />
when she was in 6th grade.<br />
According to Rainone, the<br />
primary goal of TOPS is to provide<br />
a fun, social outlet for special<br />
needs kids while learning to<br />
play soccer. But another, equally<br />
laudable goal, is to provide the<br />
parents of these kids with the<br />
opportunity to just sit and watch<br />
while volunteers take over.<br />
“Parents can relax, knowing<br />
their child is safe, having fun,<br />
and involved in a sport in a way<br />
they probably didn’t think would<br />
ever be possible,” said Rainone.<br />
Mark and Erin Botelho’s son,<br />
Leo, has multiple disabilities, including<br />
cerebral palsy, and is legally<br />
blind. Leo has participated<br />
in the TOPS program for twelve<br />
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From left, KPHS soccer players Lauren Obara, Natalie Seropian, and<br />
Halle Leblanc, with TOPS athlete Rowan Lee.<br />
years, beginning at the age of 3.<br />
He started out with a walker but<br />
now uses leg braces and walks<br />
independently. He enjoys playing<br />
goalie, says his mother.<br />
“The volunteers from King<br />
Philip are amazing and kind<br />
students,” said Botelho. “We<br />
are thankful our son has found a<br />
place where he is welcome and<br />
expected only to be himself.”<br />
Another parent, Lauren Love,<br />
says TOPS has provided her son<br />
Jonathan with the opportunity<br />
to practice the fundamentals<br />
of soccer at a level appropriate<br />
for him. Love says her son has<br />
participated in TOPS for close<br />
to ten years, and calls the experience<br />
rewarding for everyone involved<br />
in the program: players,<br />
parents, and volunteers.<br />
“It’s provided Jonathan with<br />
a wonderful social experience,<br />
and has given us a sense of<br />
community,” said Love. “It has<br />
allowed me to meet and share<br />
information with other parents<br />
who experience both the joys<br />
and the struggles of having a<br />
child with special needs.”<br />
Love says that another son,<br />
Ryan, plays soccer for King<br />
Philip High School, and this<br />
year is one of the TOPS volunteers<br />
who works specifically with<br />
Jonathan.<br />
“It’s heartwarming to witness<br />
how much they are learning<br />
from each other,” she said.<br />
Kayla Swedits is yet another<br />
parent who speaks highly of the<br />
TOPS program. Her 7-year-old<br />
daughter Riley has a rare genetic<br />
disorder and subsequent<br />
developmental delays. An attempt<br />
to play in her town’s recreational<br />
soccer program was<br />
disheartening for Riley.<br />
“We tried TOPS and it was<br />
a completely different feel,” said<br />
Swedits. “The volunteers meet<br />
Annual Meeting of the<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> Cable Corporation (NCTV)<br />
Monday, <strong>November</strong> 13, at 6:30 PM<br />
NCTV, Green Room, 158 Main Street, <strong>Norfolk</strong> MA.<br />
Election of directors and the transaction of such other<br />
business as may properly come before the meeting.<br />
Hybrid access to the meeting via Zoom will be provided.<br />
Link to the meeting on the NCTV webpage - nofolkcable.com<br />
KPHS football players Tommy Kilroy and Aiden Astorino with TOPS<br />
athlete Rowan Lee.<br />
her where she is, skill-wise. Riley<br />
loves it and I get to sit back and<br />
watch her play with a big smile<br />
on her face.”<br />
While anyone can volunteer<br />
with the program, the biggest<br />
group of volunteers are high<br />
school athletes, primarily from<br />
King Philip. The boys soccer<br />
team has been the backbone<br />
of the program, especially during<br />
the height of COVID, but<br />
this year all the fall sports teams<br />
have stepped up to help, says<br />
Gwen Prater, president of the<br />
King Philip Soccer Association<br />
(KPSA), which offers the local<br />
TOPS program. She expects<br />
all the spring sports teams also<br />
to volunteer when the program<br />
moves to the high school in<br />
2024.<br />
“The volunteers might even<br />
be getting more out of the program<br />
than the individuals playing<br />
in TOPS,” says Prater.<br />
Fine Jewelers since 1936<br />
Kelsie Rainone, now 24,<br />
agreed that the volunteers have<br />
embraced the program, learning<br />
along the way that the participants,<br />
even the kids with severe<br />
special needs, are typical kids<br />
too, with similar likes and dislikes<br />
as the volunteers.<br />
“When I first started volunteering,<br />
some of the TOPS kids<br />
were my age,” Kelsie said. “And<br />
they were doing the same things<br />
I was. I play soccer, they’re playing<br />
soccer. Yes, they play a bit<br />
differently but they’re still doing<br />
the same things I’m doing.”<br />
Prater says KPSA families<br />
have made financial donations<br />
to the TOPS program, which<br />
will enable the organization to<br />
get new equipment, including<br />
specialty balls, uniforms, and<br />
medals for the end of the sea-<br />
TOPSOCCER<br />
continued on page 3<br />
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Mother’s Luncheon Set for<br />
<strong>November</strong> 20<br />
Annual Gilly’s House Event Helps Grieving Mothers Move Forward<br />
By Grace Allen<br />
Losing a child of any age is a<br />
profound and painful experience<br />
for a mother, and the grief never<br />
ends. A yearly luncheon hosted<br />
by a local non-profit attempts to<br />
acknowledge that grief and offer<br />
a way forward through the oftencrippling<br />
sadness.<br />
The 4th annual Gilly’s House<br />
Mother’s Luncheon will be held<br />
at noon on <strong>November</strong> 20 at<br />
Chabad Jewish Center in Milford.<br />
The luncheon will include<br />
speakers, goody bags, and raffles.<br />
The event is free, with food<br />
provided by the Chabad Jewish<br />
Center.<br />
Barbara Gillmeister, cofounder<br />
of Gilly’s House, a sober<br />
home for young men, says the<br />
luncheon is for mothers who<br />
have lost a child for any reason<br />
but are still stuck in the grieving<br />
process.<br />
“It could be last week, it could<br />
be twenty years ago,” said Gillmeister.<br />
“We want to help mothers<br />
shift their approach to grief<br />
by demonstrating that something<br />
positive can come out of tragedy.”<br />
The yearly event features<br />
speakers who discuss how they<br />
found new purpose after losing<br />
a child. At this year’s luncheon,<br />
South Shore resident Robyn<br />
Houston-Bean will be one of the<br />
scheduled speakers. Her foundation,<br />
The Sun Will Rise, offers<br />
grief support groups for those<br />
who have lost a loved one to substance<br />
abuse disorder. Houston-<br />
Bean established the foundation<br />
after losing her own son to an accidental<br />
overdose in 2015.<br />
The mother’s luncheon is always<br />
held in <strong>November</strong> before<br />
the holiday season, which can<br />
be especially painful for mothers<br />
who have lost a child, noted Gillmeister.<br />
Her hope is that grieving<br />
mothers, by attending the event,<br />
will consider how they can move<br />
forward to honor the memory<br />
of their child by giving of themselves<br />
for others. She recounts<br />
the example of a woman who<br />
lost a daughter to suicide and<br />
now bakes cakes for the men at<br />
Gilly’s House.<br />
“It doesn’t have to be a big<br />
thing that helps you on your<br />
grief journey,” said Gillmeister.<br />
“Something that might seem<br />
small to you could be amazing<br />
to someone else. And it gives<br />
mothers a chance to help others<br />
when they can’t help their own<br />
anymore.”<br />
To register for the luncheon,<br />
or for more information, visit<br />
gillyshouse.com. The event is<br />
capped at 80 attendees, but there<br />
will be a waiting list if necessary.<br />
Sponsors of the event include<br />
Kim Williams Real Estate (<strong>Norfolk</strong>),<br />
Charles River Bank (Medway),<br />
SK Services (Walpole),<br />
Robert Roofing & Gutters (<strong>Norfolk</strong>),<br />
AG Maggiore Construction<br />
(Hingham), and the Holly<br />
Club of <strong>Wrentham</strong>. Contact<br />
Gilly’s House if your organization<br />
would like to help sponsor<br />
the event.<br />
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Rabbi Kivman of the Chabad<br />
Jewish Center addresses the<br />
mothers at last year’s luncheon.<br />
TOPSOCCER<br />
continued from page 2<br />
son. KPSA also funds an ice<br />
cream truck for the last day of<br />
the session.<br />
TOPS Director Rainone,<br />
who sits on the board of the<br />
Massachusetts Youth Soccer<br />
Association and serves as liaison<br />
for the state’s 27 TOPS<br />
programs, hopes to grow the<br />
program in new directions.<br />
He’d like to have enough participants<br />
so they can hold real<br />
scrimmages each week. This<br />
past fall session, he invited the<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong>, Plainville, and <strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
Police resource officers<br />
and their community resource<br />
dogs to a TOPS session, enriching<br />
the experience even<br />
more for the kids. Rainone also<br />
envisions having therapists in<br />
the program, working with the<br />
volunteers to better serve the<br />
TOPS athletes, and also engaging<br />
with the parents on the<br />
sidelines.<br />
“John is thinking big,” said<br />
Prater. “With Kelsie at his side,<br />
he has successfully run this<br />
program and KPSA has done<br />
ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TOWARD SCHOLARSHIPS IN HEATHER’S NAME TO KING PHILIP HS GRADUATES<br />
Trot/Walk 5k<br />
Thursday, Nov. 23, <strong>2023</strong>: 8:00 a.m. • Cost $25<br />
Start at <strong>Norfolk</strong> center Dunkin Donuts commuter lot<br />
Register online at:<br />
https://healthershungryturkeytrot.racewire.com<br />
This race is in honor of Heather Olivieri,<br />
who passed away in 2019. She was a<br />
41 year old mother who lived her life in<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> and loved running. In January<br />
2018 she accomplished a long-time goal by<br />
finishing the Disney World Full Marathon,<br />
with lung cancer. In <strong>2023</strong>, three $1500<br />
scholarships were awarded in her memory<br />
(over $17,000 to date).<br />
To see her story and donate to the scholarship fund:<br />
gofundme.com/f/heatherscholarshipfund<strong>2023</strong><br />
everything we can to support<br />
them. Every week I’ve watched<br />
them greet each TOPS player<br />
with a huge smile, and I literally<br />
find myself wiping tears<br />
away as I watch the kids play.<br />
It’s clear they’ve created more<br />
than a rec program. This is a<br />
community, and we want this<br />
resource to continue to grow<br />
and serve even more special<br />
needs families in the area.”<br />
Registration has opened for<br />
the spring session, which will<br />
run on Sunday mornings from<br />
10:30 to 11:30 a.m., starting<br />
on April 21, 2024 until June<br />
2. There are no restrictions<br />
regardless of physical or mental<br />
disability. Participants from<br />
area towns are welcome, and<br />
volunteers are always needed.<br />
Visit https://www.kpsoccer.<br />
org for more information and<br />
to register for the spring session.<br />
Email topssoccergold@gmail.<br />
com with any questions.<br />
To help support the TOPS<br />
program, which will need<br />
more specialty equipment and<br />
nets, donations can be made<br />
via Venmo: @kp-soccer with<br />
TOPS in the memo line.<br />
TROT/WALK 5K<br />
1123
Page 4 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
VOTE<br />
continued from page 1<br />
significantly less scrutiny and an<br />
increased risk to effective town<br />
operations and compliance with<br />
regulatory and statutory requirements.<br />
The Working Solution<br />
Currently, when a mid-term<br />
vacancy for an elected position<br />
occurs (which is common), the<br />
procedure to fill the vacancy involves<br />
a joint meeting between<br />
the affected board and the Select<br />
Board. This involves interviews<br />
with interested individuals<br />
in open meeting. It has the effect<br />
of providing more rigorous scrutiny<br />
on experience and qualifications<br />
than occurs with write-in<br />
votes.<br />
Under the proposed amendments,<br />
this appointment procedure<br />
would expand to all the<br />
above positions except for the<br />
Town Clerk. This is already<br />
the procedure for the Appeals<br />
Board, Conservation Commission,<br />
Council on Aging, and<br />
Recreation Commission. They<br />
are all highly effective and<br />
maintain the necessary independence<br />
of action even though<br />
appointed. This appointment<br />
practice provides increased<br />
scrutiny and is beneficial to the<br />
affected board as it allows them<br />
to recruit highly qualified volunteers<br />
and provide their recommendation<br />
to the Select Board.<br />
The Biggest Challenge<br />
Changing the Town Clerk’s<br />
position from elected to appointed<br />
is significant. This is a<br />
position steeped in history and<br />
tradition. But the job is much<br />
more demanding in <strong>2023</strong> than<br />
it ever was before. As an elected<br />
position, the only requirement<br />
is for the individual to<br />
be a registered town voter. No<br />
background or experience is required.<br />
Our current Town Clerk has<br />
done an absolutely terrific job,<br />
and even more so when considering<br />
all that has changed in<br />
the last four years. But the next<br />
Town Clerk will not be entering<br />
a “clerks” job. The position has<br />
grown such that it would more<br />
appropriately be titled “Director<br />
of Elections and Public Records.”<br />
This is not an entry level<br />
position. The need to direct and<br />
manage all the changes to election<br />
procedures (early voting,<br />
mail in voting, etc.) as well as<br />
increased provisions for properly<br />
maintaining and providing<br />
public records alone presents a<br />
risk to the Town unless properly<br />
done. This is not a job that allows<br />
a learning curve.<br />
For full disclosure, the CRC<br />
is not unanimous on this proposal.<br />
But the majority of the<br />
CRC believe that by making the<br />
position appointed, it not only<br />
opens the field of applicants beyond<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong> residents, more<br />
importantly it enables the town<br />
to hire someone with experience<br />
and a proven record. It is meant<br />
to safeguard our election procedures<br />
and your public records.<br />
Summary<br />
The proposals to change<br />
elected boards and officials are<br />
meant to be thought provoking.<br />
In discussions thus far, the<br />
primary argument against the<br />
proposals is that they reduce the<br />
opportunity for residents to vote<br />
on important positions. There is<br />
merit to this argument.<br />
But the trends show that<br />
there are fewer people that want<br />
to run for an elected office at<br />
the same time as these positions<br />
are becoming increasingly complex.<br />
With so many elected positions<br />
requiring write-in votes,<br />
and with the elected member<br />
so often being chosen by a<br />
number that is less than the required<br />
number of signatures to<br />
get on the ballot, this opens the<br />
Town to a risk, especially when<br />
considering the knowledge and<br />
experience needed to adhere<br />
to statutory and regulatory requirements.<br />
Quite frankly, the<br />
CRC would be extremely remiss<br />
to not offer an alternative, especially<br />
since the alternative is already<br />
in practice and proven to<br />
be effective.<br />
Appointments for these offices<br />
are becoming increasingly<br />
common for towns in our<br />
Commonwealth. Every new or<br />
amended town charter that we<br />
have researched for the past<br />
five years has included these<br />
changes. At least 130 towns have<br />
transitioned from an elected<br />
town clerk to an appointed position,<br />
and the numbers are also<br />
in line with the other boards<br />
included in the proposals. The<br />
CRC has received strong feedback<br />
that the transitions have<br />
been highly effective and have<br />
become widely accepted once<br />
implemented.<br />
The proposals are intended<br />
to provide and safeguard what<br />
is best for effective, professional,<br />
and compliant town management<br />
going forward. The proposed<br />
amendments are not a<br />
reflection on past or current<br />
performance but are to address<br />
current trends and increasing<br />
complexities going forward. It is<br />
not about the last 10 years, it is<br />
about the next 10 years.<br />
This does not sacrifice tradition<br />
or the right to vote. Our<br />
town government is based on<br />
Town Meeting as our legislative<br />
body. Nothing in these proposals<br />
changes that.<br />
The proposed amendments<br />
will be decided by the voters at<br />
Town Meeting.<br />
More information is at:<br />
https://www.wrentham.gov/<br />
government/boards_committees/charter_review_committee/<br />
.<br />
The CRC consists of Kevin Sweet,<br />
Town Administrator; Cindy Thompson,<br />
Town Clerk; Jim Anderson,<br />
Select Board; Mike King, Town Finance<br />
Director; and Jerry McGovern,<br />
Chairman and Citizen-at-Large.<br />
Thomas L. Beatty<br />
M.D.<br />
Karie DeVries<br />
M.D.<br />
Ann Dolloff<br />
M.D.<br />
Afarin Greiger<br />
M.D.<br />
Katherine Johnson<br />
M.D.<br />
Elizabeth Konig<br />
M.D.<br />
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307 West Central Street<br />
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111 <strong>Norfolk</strong> Street<br />
Walpole<br />
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<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 5<br />
OPINION: Why We Oppose <strong>Wrentham</strong> CRC’s Attempt to<br />
Eliminate Voting Rights<br />
By Edward Goddard and<br />
Michelle Rouse<br />
In assessing the Charter Review<br />
Commission’s (CRC) proposals<br />
for Town Meeting, we<br />
recall Winston Churchill’s admonition<br />
that “Democracy is<br />
the worst form of government,<br />
except for all the others.” The<br />
CRC suggests removing many<br />
elected positions, such as Town<br />
Clerk, Boards of Assessors and<br />
Health, and Library Trustees,<br />
into Town-appointed roles. This<br />
would eliminate residents’ rights<br />
to elect these representatives,<br />
and further concentrate power<br />
within the Town Administrator/<br />
Selectmen roles. The CRC argues<br />
eliminating elections would<br />
broaden available talent, with<br />
the Town Clerk, for instance, no<br />
longer required to be a <strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
resident. The CRC also<br />
warns that the voters might elect<br />
a poor candidate as Town Clerk.<br />
And they cite lack of contested<br />
elections as additional support.<br />
We have both served as Selectmen<br />
and on the <strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
Elementary School Committee;<br />
Ed has also been Town Moderator<br />
for the past seven years.<br />
We emphasize that CRC members,<br />
who are our colleagues and<br />
friends, act in good faith. Still,<br />
their arguments lack persuasion<br />
and must be challenged. First,<br />
the CRC concedes that the<br />
Town Clerk and affected boards<br />
are all operating efficiently, even<br />
with unprecedented changes to<br />
voting laws since the Covid-19<br />
pandemic. Second, if no one<br />
steps forward to run for the affected<br />
positions, the Selectmen<br />
appoint the boards, essentially<br />
replicating what the CRC is proposing<br />
now. Third, we remain<br />
confident, given recent history,<br />
that a locally elected Town Clerk<br />
can handle further election law<br />
changes, which we expect will<br />
not rival Covid-era changes. Finally,<br />
we take serious issue with<br />
and challenge the notion “Government<br />
knows best” that CRC<br />
relies upon to take away voting<br />
rights to protect us from ourselves<br />
for a possible poor Town Clerk<br />
candidate choice. Yes, democracy<br />
is messy, and a lesser candidate<br />
could possibly be elected.<br />
So too may our unelected Town<br />
Administrator appoint an equally<br />
poorly equipped friend from outside<br />
of <strong>Wrentham</strong>, without any<br />
oversight or checks and balances<br />
from voters.<br />
In the end, the attempt to<br />
end-run voters and concentrate<br />
power with the Town Administrator/Selectmen<br />
is a bridge too<br />
far for us, however well-intended.<br />
Including the Boards of Health<br />
and Assessors and the Library<br />
Trustees instead of a stand-alone<br />
vote on the Town Clerk position<br />
suggests this is an attempt to<br />
make lives easier for them and in<br />
the process implicitly questions<br />
the judgment of <strong>Wrentham</strong> voters.<br />
We are unwilling to support<br />
this autocratic approach to town<br />
government.<br />
If you believe similarly, attend<br />
Town Meeting and vote against<br />
these changes. Utilize social<br />
media, reach out to friends, and<br />
engage with your elected officials<br />
to voice your concerns about<br />
eliminating your right to vote.<br />
This is a once-in-a-decade vote<br />
in <strong>Wrentham</strong>.<br />
We close with a recent quote<br />
from Israel Supreme Court Justice<br />
Amit: “Democracy dies in a<br />
series of small steps.” Defeat the<br />
CRC’s proposals at Town Meeting<br />
and reinforce that <strong>Wrentham</strong>’s<br />
authority rightly derives<br />
from the votes of the residents,<br />
not Town Administration or the<br />
Board of Selectmen.<br />
Guest Column<br />
Death by Dogma<br />
By G. Gregory Tooker<br />
It seems a supreme irony,<br />
Religious faiths deemed so pure,<br />
Spur bloody conflict, misery,<br />
Man cannot long endure.<br />
Dogma embeds in youthful minds,<br />
Prisoners before age of reason,<br />
Marching forward, thought in bind,<br />
Question not, risk charge of treason.<br />
Perplexing, yes, this mental slavery,<br />
Logic says, just break the chains,<br />
Purge choking edicts from memory,<br />
Intelligence will produce true gain.<br />
But who will lead the real crusade,<br />
Bring us back from looming brink,<br />
Expose flawed logic, halt the parade,<br />
Before mankind forever sinks?<br />
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Around the globe the crimson creeps,<br />
Someone must step forward soon,<br />
Or dark hooded fate will grimly reap,<br />
Each blindly marching elite platoon.<br />
Author’s Comment<br />
Throughout the history of mankind, religious strife has<br />
plagued human civilization. Each faith that has evolved<br />
staunchly maintains it is the genuine explanation for all<br />
that exists in the universe and the formula for man’s salvation.<br />
So far, it doesn’t seem to be working. Who will step<br />
forward to resolve these disputes and stop the carnage?<br />
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Page 6 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Local Deacon Pens Children’s Book<br />
By Grace Allen<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> resident Ron Tibbetts<br />
is a deacon in the Episcopal<br />
Diocese of Massachusetts. He’s<br />
now a children’s book author,<br />
too. His book, “The Whimsical<br />
Adventures of Marvin,” is a<br />
collection of short stories about<br />
a 4-year-old rhinoceros named<br />
Marvin. The stories take place<br />
during the time of the birth of<br />
Jesus Christ and offer hope to<br />
readers of all ages.<br />
Tibbetts, 70, has been active<br />
in the battle against substance<br />
abuse disorder and is one of<br />
the people behind the #2069<br />
movement. For many years he<br />
was also the director of Neighborhood<br />
Action, an outreach<br />
program in Boston for poor and<br />
homeless people.<br />
He agreed to answer some<br />
questions about his book for<br />
readers of Local Town Pages.<br />
Did your work with marginalized<br />
people inspire this book?<br />
Nothing about the book is accidental.<br />
Growing up in a small<br />
town like <strong>Norfolk</strong>, poverty, addiction,<br />
and homelessness were<br />
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We may not have been rich, but<br />
we were not the kind of poor<br />
you see in the cities. When I<br />
worked in Boston, I discovered<br />
there were two types of people<br />
living on the streets: some who<br />
had grown hopeless and those<br />
who remained hopeful. And the<br />
hopeful had a dream that things<br />
could get better. They believed<br />
in better. Later, when I served<br />
at Trinity Church in <strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
and started the #2069 movement,<br />
I saw again, in suburban<br />
folks, that those who navigated<br />
their addiction with the courage<br />
and certainty that they could<br />
overcome it were those who had<br />
the ability and hope to imagine<br />
things being different.<br />
Tell us about Marvin. Is he<br />
based on anyone?<br />
I was serving at the All Saints<br />
Episcopal Church in Attleboro<br />
and it was Christmas time.<br />
We were getting ready to start<br />
the children’s procession to fill<br />
the creche at the front of the<br />
church, populating it with the<br />
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Deacon Ron Tibbetts has written his first children’s book.<br />
things that might be in a manger.<br />
I looked in this little basket<br />
and I saw a small plastic rhinoceros.<br />
I picked it up and looked at<br />
the priest, and she shrugged her<br />
shoulders and said, “Why not?”<br />
So we brought the rhinoceros to<br />
the manger and I turned around<br />
and said to the congregation, “I<br />
want to introduce you to Marvin.”<br />
And that was the beginning<br />
of the story.<br />
It seems like the target audience<br />
for the book isn’t just<br />
children. What would you like<br />
readers to take away from<br />
these stories?<br />
These are children’s stories<br />
for adults too. My background<br />
is Christian; therefore, my frame<br />
of reference is around Christian<br />
teaching. In the Gospel of Matthew,<br />
Jesus says it’s easier for a<br />
camel to pass through the eye<br />
of a needle than for the rich to<br />
get into heaven. But he doesn’t<br />
say it’s impossible. Jesus goes<br />
on to say that with man, these<br />
things are impossible but with<br />
God all things are possible. So I<br />
am grounded in that belief, that<br />
things we think are impossible in<br />
this world—enough food for all,<br />
housing, education—it’s all possible,<br />
with hope and with God.<br />
So the real takeaway would be<br />
to never let somebody tell you<br />
something is impossible.<br />
“The Whimsical Adventures of<br />
Marvin” is a collection of short<br />
stories offering a sense of hope<br />
for the world.<br />
This is actually your second<br />
book.<br />
Yes. I wrote a book in 2006<br />
called “One Point of View,”<br />
and that was a series of essays,<br />
poems, and reflections, mostly<br />
on what my work with the marginalized<br />
community had taught<br />
me.<br />
Is there anything else you’d<br />
like readers to know?<br />
In our life together, my wife<br />
Vicky and I have faced some<br />
real health and financial challenges,<br />
challenges that are not<br />
uncommon in this world. But it’s<br />
been imagination and belief in<br />
the possibilities that have served<br />
us well and kept us together and<br />
working together, and now enjoying<br />
time with our children<br />
and our 10 grandchildren.<br />
Where can people buy your<br />
book?<br />
“The Whimsical Adventures<br />
of Marvin” is available at<br />
Barnes and Noble and Amazon,<br />
in hardcopy, paperback, and<br />
eBook form.<br />
Health and Wellness Vendor<br />
Fairs this Month<br />
The Metacomet Public Health Alliance<br />
Nurses will be hosting the 3rd annual Health<br />
and Wellness Vendor Fair in both <strong>Norfolk</strong> and<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong> this month. Admission is free.<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong>’s fair will be held on Thursday,<br />
<strong>November</strong> 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the <strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
Senior Center, 400 Taunton St. in <strong>Wrentham</strong>.<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong>’s fair will be held on Tuesday, <strong>November</strong><br />
7 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the <strong>Norfolk</strong> Senior<br />
Center, 28 Medway Branch in <strong>Norfolk</strong>.<br />
The fairs will focus on the needs of the senior<br />
citizens in both towns. Over 20 local agencies<br />
and companies will be available to discuss<br />
their services, including HESSCO, physical<br />
therapists, home care companies, medication<br />
pre-packaging companies, podiatrists, adaptive<br />
home equipment companies, assisted living facilities,<br />
and more.<br />
Flu shots and health screenings will be offered,<br />
and the Lions’ Eye Mobile will be on site.<br />
Complimentary massages, giveaways, and numerous<br />
raffles will be available.
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 7<br />
Southwood Hospital Redevelopment Options<br />
Discussed at Meeting<br />
By Joe Stewart<br />
On Tuesday, October 11, the<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> Planning Board held a<br />
public meeting and presentation<br />
on the Southwood Hospital redevelopment<br />
scenario analysis<br />
performed by the Metropolitan<br />
Area Planning Council (MAPC),<br />
the regional planning agency<br />
serving the cities and towns<br />
of Metropolitan Boston. Josh<br />
Fiala, Principal Planner, summarized<br />
the analysis and results.<br />
The Southwood Hospital site<br />
is an 88-acre parcel on route 1A<br />
near the Walpole border comprising<br />
the abandoned Southwood<br />
Hospital complex (vacant<br />
for 20 years), wetlands and open<br />
space, and polluted areas requiring<br />
substantial remediation before<br />
the site can be developed.<br />
The property is owned by GFI<br />
Partners through its subsidiary<br />
111 Dedham Street Inc.<br />
Last year, a community workshop<br />
and survey were conducted<br />
by <strong>Norfolk</strong> and the MAPC<br />
which concluded that <strong>Norfolk</strong><br />
residents prefer use of the property<br />
as open space followed by<br />
restaurant, retail, clean energy<br />
production, mixed use, and senior<br />
living while the majority<br />
do not support housing (ranging<br />
from single family homes<br />
through large scale multi-family).<br />
This year, the MAPC conducted<br />
scenario analysis to help<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> understand potential<br />
redevelopment options. Mr.<br />
Fiala discussed how the 15 analyzed<br />
scenarios were selected,<br />
organized, and evaluated. He<br />
went on to explain the factors<br />
selected for the analysis, including<br />
three factors that determine<br />
development viability: financial<br />
feasibility, market potential, and<br />
environmental remediation.<br />
The analysis concluded that<br />
there are five scenarios that are<br />
both viable and aligned with<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong>’s preferred uses:<br />
• Light industrial/warehouse<br />
• Light industrial/warehouse<br />
with residential<br />
• Assisted living<br />
• Major residential (more<br />
than 400 units)<br />
• Modest residential (more<br />
than 300 units)<br />
The analysis also uncovered<br />
that current zoning would prevent<br />
development of the site for<br />
those uses and there are uses that<br />
are simply not feasible. Among<br />
them are a solar farm, hospital,<br />
retail, office park, open space<br />
only, and single-family homes.<br />
In other words, zoning changes<br />
are required to redevelop the site.<br />
Bill Buckley, GFI Partners’<br />
Project Manager, said that they<br />
are embarking on additional<br />
testing at the site because extensive<br />
cleanup and remediation<br />
is required before any development<br />
can take place. The testing<br />
will involve additional borings<br />
and new groundwater monitoring<br />
wells, both of which require<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> Conservation Commission<br />
approval. The testing will<br />
provide additional data which<br />
will be used to assess the scope<br />
and scale of remediation. And<br />
that, in turn, will inform which<br />
scenarios are viable. He wrapped<br />
up by noting, “We all want a<br />
good product that will clean up<br />
the site.”<br />
A longtime <strong>Norfolk</strong> resident<br />
attended the meeting, Mr. Roy<br />
Hamlin, who founded Hamlin<br />
Cabinet with his wife Eileen in<br />
1964. Mr. Hamlin noted that<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> needs new sources of<br />
revenue and recommended that<br />
the town prioritize tax revenue<br />
when assessing development options.<br />
In a subsequent conversation,<br />
Richard McCarthy, Jr., <strong>Norfolk</strong>’s<br />
Town Planner, said that the site<br />
has development challenges including<br />
a deed restriction that<br />
the Massachusetts legislature<br />
would need to lift, water issues<br />
as <strong>Norfolk</strong> needs to secure additional<br />
supply to support ongoing<br />
growth, and no wastewater treatment<br />
facilities. Mr. McCarthy<br />
also shared that the town is in the<br />
midst of its Master Plan review<br />
that will likely inform future development<br />
of the site.<br />
Mr. Fiala highlighted that<br />
there are multiple “tracks” involved<br />
in redeveloping the<br />
Southwood Hospital site: future<br />
site uses and zoning are in one<br />
track while the contamination<br />
and remediation are in another<br />
track. Interested residents are<br />
encouraged to stay informed on<br />
both tracks.<br />
The <strong>Norfolk</strong> Planning Board<br />
has organized an online folder<br />
in which presentations, reports,<br />
and related documents are available<br />
to the public: https://bit.ly/<br />
SouthwoodHospital.<br />
Heather’s Hungry Turkey Trot<br />
Set for Thanksgiving Day<br />
Registration is now open for<br />
the <strong>2023</strong> Heather’s Hungry Turkey<br />
Trot. The annual 5K will take<br />
place on Thursday, <strong>November</strong> 23<br />
at 8 a.m. The race will kick-off<br />
at 132 Main St. (commuter rail<br />
parking lot next to Dunkin’.)<br />
Register online at https://<br />
heathershungryturkeytrot.racewire.com,<br />
or at 7 a.m. on race<br />
day. Cost is $25. Race medal included.<br />
Awards for the top three<br />
finishers.<br />
The race is held in memory<br />
of Heather Olivieri, who passed<br />
away in 2019 at age 41 with nonsmokers<br />
lung cancer. She was a<br />
life-long <strong>Norfolk</strong> resident and<br />
King Philip graduate who loved<br />
running. In January of 2018,<br />
Heather accomplished a longtime<br />
goal by finishing the Walt<br />
Disney World Marathon while<br />
battling cancer. The 5K Thanksgiving<br />
Day race is the route she<br />
used multiple times while training<br />
for the marathon.<br />
Proceeds from the 5K will go<br />
towards a scholarship established<br />
in Heather’s name. For more information<br />
about Heather or to<br />
donate to the scholarship, visit<br />
https://www.gofundme.com/f/<br />
heatherscholarshipfund<strong>2023</strong>.<br />
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Page 8 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
College-Prep: To-Do List for High School Juniors<br />
Junior year in high school<br />
sneaks up on families quickly.<br />
Students are now at the halfway<br />
point and in less than 2 years,<br />
many students will be heading<br />
off on a new adventure - college!<br />
Junior year is a critical time to<br />
put a college prep plan in place.<br />
Creating a timeline now, versus<br />
waiting until senior year, will<br />
definitely alleviate some of the<br />
college stress, and will set your<br />
student up for a successful college<br />
admissions experience their<br />
senior year.<br />
Robert D. McCaig, Monmouth<br />
University Vice President<br />
for Enrollment Management,<br />
sums it up perfectly when he said,<br />
“The most important thing students<br />
should do when applying<br />
to college is pace themselves and<br />
prioritize. Starting early certainly<br />
helps students with the pacing,<br />
and knowing when to put time<br />
into SAT prep versus studying for<br />
an exam versus visiting another<br />
college, for instance, is an important<br />
part of prioritizing.”<br />
@Students: Here are some<br />
helpful tips to get you moving in<br />
the right direction this fall:<br />
1. The #1 question an admission<br />
rep will be thinking<br />
when they are reviewing<br />
your college application:<br />
“Did you take the most rigorous<br />
courses you could,<br />
and did you earn good<br />
grades?” GPA and course<br />
rigor, without question,<br />
are the 2 most important<br />
factors. Make your studies<br />
a top priority. Other<br />
factors like leadership activities,<br />
strong SAT scores,<br />
and athletic prowess are<br />
secondary considerations.<br />
They will help- but you still<br />
need good grades!<br />
2. If your grades start to<br />
slide, don’t wait until you<br />
are drowning. Raise the<br />
red flag immediately and<br />
meet with your teacher or<br />
tutor and ask what can be<br />
done to help. Asking for<br />
help is not a sign of failure<br />
- but of strength.<br />
3. Visit your guidance counselor<br />
early junior year. Determine<br />
the courses you<br />
should take to put you on<br />
the right track for college<br />
admission. Course selection<br />
is important. Colleges<br />
like to see growth in<br />
a student’s transcript. If<br />
you have 2 years of A’s in<br />
College Prep Math - think<br />
about taking Honor’s<br />
Math the following semester<br />
or year. A good question<br />
to ask- “How much<br />
can I push myself without<br />
being shoved.”<br />
4. Plan early for the PSAT,<br />
ACT, and SAT. You’ll need<br />
to register 5 weeks before<br />
the exam. Many students<br />
opt to take the test more<br />
than once and a student<br />
should plan accordingly.<br />
5. Start building your activity<br />
resume and update<br />
it throughout the year.<br />
Make a list of your extracurricular<br />
activities, accomplishments<br />
and work<br />
experience with a short description.<br />
It’s never too late<br />
to begin an activity or join<br />
an organization. Colleges<br />
are looking to build a wellrounded<br />
class with students<br />
that show depth and<br />
commitment in a few activities<br />
that interest them.<br />
My advice: Do what you<br />
love and do the work (engage<br />
and create impact).<br />
6. Begin visiting colleges as<br />
early as possible and definitely<br />
by the fall of your<br />
junior year. I recommend<br />
Maryline Michel Kulewicz and<br />
Tracy Sullivan of College 101<br />
Admissions Consultants<br />
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Vaughn (R-<strong>Wrentham</strong>) recently<br />
opposed a major gun reform bill,<br />
saying it will do nothing to reduce<br />
crime and will instead have<br />
a negative impact on lawful gun<br />
owners in the Commonwealth<br />
by infringing on their Second<br />
Amendment rights.<br />
House Bill 4135, An Act<br />
modernizing firearm laws, was<br />
engrossed by the House of Representatives<br />
on a vote of 120-38<br />
on October 18. In voting against<br />
the bill, Representative Vaughn<br />
cited a number of concerns,<br />
including the process used to<br />
bring the bill to the House floor,<br />
the lack of information on how<br />
much it will cost, and the restrictions<br />
it will place on law enforcement<br />
officers that will severely<br />
compromise their ability to perform<br />
their job.<br />
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The gun bill has drawn strong<br />
opposition from the Massachusetts<br />
Chiefs of Police Association<br />
(MCOPA), whose members<br />
recently voted unanimously to<br />
oppose the bill. The Gun Owners<br />
Action League (GOAL) also<br />
opposes the bill.<br />
According to Representative<br />
Vaughn, House Bill 4135 would<br />
establish a gun registration database,<br />
impose restrictions on ghost<br />
guns, expand the state’s extreme<br />
risk protection order (ERPO)<br />
law, and increase the number of<br />
“prohibited areas” where firearms<br />
would not be allowed. Additionally,<br />
House Bill 4135 would<br />
require the Department of State<br />
Police to auction certain firearms<br />
surrendered or seized due<br />
to a suspension or revocation of<br />
a license or permit, rather than<br />
dispose of them, while also requiring<br />
State Police officers to<br />
conduct inspections of licensed<br />
gun dealers.<br />
One of the biggest concerns<br />
cited by the MCOPA is that the<br />
touring local colleges first,<br />
even if you think you may<br />
want to attend college outof-state.<br />
It will help determine<br />
the factors that are<br />
important to you in selecting<br />
a future college. A few<br />
factors to consider: rural,<br />
urban, or a suburban setting;<br />
small or large student<br />
body; public or private<br />
school.<br />
bill’s “prohibited areas” provision<br />
– which was included in response<br />
to last year’s Supreme Court decision<br />
in the case of New York<br />
State Rifle & Pistol Association v.<br />
Bruen – contains no comprehensive<br />
carve-outs for off-duty and<br />
retired police officers. An amendment<br />
adopted during floor debate<br />
only partially addressed this<br />
issue in a very narrowly defined<br />
manner.<br />
Retired Chief Mark K.<br />
Leahy, who currently serves as<br />
the MCOPA’s Executive Director,<br />
also noted that the gun registration<br />
requirement included in<br />
House Bill 4135 “will do nothing<br />
to reduce gun violence or reduce<br />
gun deaths,” and instead emphasized<br />
the need to focus on “the<br />
swift and vigilant prosecution of<br />
the criminals engaging in these<br />
felonious acts, and a renewed<br />
embracing of what ‘mandatory<br />
minimum sentences’ means.”<br />
Representative Vaughn noted<br />
that Massachusetts already has<br />
some of the strictest firearms<br />
7. Create a college list that<br />
includes affordable choices.<br />
As a family, determine<br />
early your available finances<br />
and what/if any<br />
loans will be necessary. It<br />
is important that your family<br />
is all on the same page.<br />
Research the availability<br />
of merit or need-based<br />
aid that will support the<br />
student throughout their<br />
four college years. Excellent<br />
financial aid resource:<br />
studentaid.gov. And It is<br />
never too late to start saving<br />
- 529 plans!<br />
8. As a family, determine early<br />
on if you need assistance<br />
from an outside source.<br />
Independent Educational<br />
Consultants (IEC) have<br />
broad experience in navigating<br />
the many aspects<br />
of the college admissions<br />
process. Some consultants<br />
offer comprehensive packages<br />
beginning sophomore<br />
and junior years as well as<br />
hourly work for specific<br />
pieces of the application<br />
process.<br />
Good luck and enjoy the<br />
journey!<br />
College 101 Admissions Consultants<br />
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laws in the country, along with<br />
the lowest rate of deaths associated<br />
with gun violence. He said<br />
the vast majority of gun-related<br />
crimes are committed with illegal<br />
weapons and not with legally<br />
owned firearms, adding that the<br />
focus of the bill should be on<br />
punishing those who break the<br />
law rather than targeting lawabiding<br />
citizens.<br />
Representative Vaughn criticized<br />
House leadership for doing<br />
an end-run around the joint<br />
legislative committee process by<br />
attaching the gun bill to a supplemental<br />
spending bill in the<br />
House Ways and Means Committee<br />
and reporting it “in part”<br />
with only the gun bill language<br />
included. He also criticized the<br />
lack of a fiscal note detailing the<br />
costs of the legislation, which is<br />
required under House Rules for<br />
any proposal that is expected to<br />
cost more than $100,000 to implement.<br />
House Bill 4135 now moves to<br />
the Senate for its consideration.
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 9<br />
Your Money, Your Independence<br />
Stop Making Sense: Massachusetts Updates Estate Tax Laws<br />
It’s taken 2 years, but Massachusetts<br />
lawmakers finally provided<br />
legislation for Governor<br />
Healey to sign on October 4th<br />
impacting the lowest (worst) U.S.<br />
estate tax threshold as part of a<br />
“$1 billion tax relief package.”<br />
There are several positives<br />
in this package. Benefits for expanded<br />
childcare credit (over<br />
30% of package), seniors, renters,<br />
septic systems, low-income<br />
housing, commuters, and shortterm<br />
capital gains reduced from<br />
12% to 8.5%.<br />
Recall an estate tax may be<br />
owed based on net value of the<br />
estate of a deceased person before<br />
distribution to non-spousal<br />
heirs. To calculate net value, add<br />
all assets (real estate, investments,<br />
IRAs, small business, life insurance<br />
proceeds, personal property<br />
etc.) minus liabilities.<br />
Key facts on MA update:<br />
• Estate tax exemption rises to<br />
$2 million from $1 million,<br />
first increase since 2006.<br />
• Provides a uniform credit of<br />
$99,600.<br />
• Eliminates “the cliff effect”<br />
when all assets were taxed if<br />
over threshold.<br />
Glenn Brown, CFP<br />
• Retroactive for estates of<br />
decedent’s death on or after<br />
January 1, <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
• Filed <strong>2023</strong> estate tax returns<br />
or estimates paid are entitled<br />
to a refund.<br />
This Must Be The Place<br />
(Naive Melody).<br />
Before celebrating a victory<br />
for the Commonwealth by echoing<br />
legislators that this “doubles<br />
the previous threshold,” understand<br />
there are only 12 states in<br />
the U.S. that still tax estates.<br />
Yes, you can live in 38 other<br />
states and pay $0 state estate tax<br />
regardless of your wealth.<br />
Furthermore, the federal<br />
estate tax exemption is now<br />
$12.92 million, over 6X greater<br />
than MA. For most, there’s little<br />
concern of having a life’s work<br />
of earning, planning and saving<br />
being taxed upon death by the<br />
federal goverment.<br />
Same As It Ever Was,<br />
Same As It Ever Was…<br />
The new $2M threshold<br />
moves MA from tied for 49th<br />
worst to 48th of U.S. states.<br />
Consider actions of other<br />
states since 2018 per taxfoundation.org.<br />
New Jersey and Delaware<br />
eliminated their estate tax.<br />
Vermont raised to $5M,<br />
Maine $6.4M, New York<br />
$6.58M and Connecticut now<br />
aligns to federal government’s<br />
$12.92M.<br />
Additionally, Illinois ($4M)<br />
and Oregon ($1M) legislators<br />
have proposals to increase to the<br />
federal government’s $12.92M<br />
or higher.<br />
Take Me To The River (or<br />
another state)?<br />
How quickly can one’s estate<br />
exceed $2 million in MA?<br />
Consider the median single-family<br />
home sale price in<br />
Middlesex County is $845,000.<br />
Add savings, 401(k), 403(b), any<br />
insurance proceeds, value of a<br />
small business, maybe a generations<br />
Maine lake house… it can<br />
add up.<br />
Connect with an estate planning<br />
attorney. New laws and<br />
life events are opportune times<br />
to connect as well as provide an<br />
updated net worth and review<br />
your process. Remember, revocable<br />
living trusts bypass probate,<br />
not estate tax laws.<br />
Know your net worth. Run<br />
updated estate tax estimates<br />
after $99,600 credit applied.<br />
MA is still a graduated tax rate<br />
starting 0.8% up to 16%. For<br />
example, $3M is now ~$82,400<br />
in MA estate taxes, $5M is<br />
~$292,000 taxes, and $10M is<br />
~$968,000 taxes.<br />
Plan to be agile in retirement.<br />
Connection to seasons, family<br />
and friends can be strong. However,<br />
proper planning can create<br />
alternatives for residency in 38<br />
states to no longer deal with state<br />
estate tax or 5% MA state income<br />
tax (make that 9% if earning<br />
over $1M).<br />
At $10M net value, does one<br />
put $1M towards a new or 2nd<br />
home in another state, declare<br />
residency so heirs receive this<br />
value? Or stay in Massachusetts<br />
to pay ~$1M in estate tax?<br />
As a fiduciary, it’s a responsibility<br />
to educate on the possibilities<br />
for those interested.<br />
The opinions voiced in this<br />
material are for general information<br />
only and are not intended to<br />
provide specific advice or recommendations<br />
for any individual.<br />
Glenn Brown is a Holliston<br />
resident and owner of Plan-<br />
Dynamic, LLC, www.PlanDynamic.com.<br />
Glenn is a fee-only<br />
Certified Financial Planner<br />
helping motivated people take<br />
control of their planning and<br />
investing, so they can balance<br />
kids, aging parents and financial<br />
independence.<br />
Sponsored articles are submitted by<br />
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Annual Camy 5K Run to be held<br />
on <strong>November</strong> 11<br />
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The 23rd annual USATFcertified<br />
Camy 5K Run & David<br />
5K Walk will be held on Veterans<br />
Day, Saturday <strong>November</strong> 11<br />
at the Walpole Italian-American<br />
Club, 109 Stone St., Walpole.<br />
The Camy 5K Run starts at<br />
10 a.m., the David 5K Walk<br />
starts at 9:50 a.m., and the free<br />
Rosina Fun Run of 50 yards for<br />
kids 11 and under starts at 9:30<br />
a.m.<br />
The event benefits local charities<br />
and is named in honor of<br />
Camilio “Camy” Clerici and<br />
his grandson, David Clerici,<br />
longtime Walpole residents and<br />
members of the I-A Society,<br />
who both died in 2000.<br />
Register online at https://<br />
www.active.com/walpole-ma/<br />
running/distance-runningraces/23rd-annual-camy-5krun-and-david-5k-walk-<strong>2023</strong>,<br />
by<br />
email at www.paulclerici.com/<br />
camydavid5k, or on race day.<br />
For more information, email camydavid5k@yahoo.com<br />
or call<br />
508-668-2249.<br />
The Medfield Foodservice Department is<br />
now hiring! Substitute worker positions<br />
available with flexible hours, as well as<br />
full time, benefited positions.<br />
For more information please contact:<br />
Caitlin Fahy at cfahy@email.medfield.net<br />
or 508-242-8897
Page 10 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
8 Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid<br />
Estate planning can be complicated,<br />
and it’s not uncommon<br />
for people to make mistakes with<br />
their plans. But financial advisors<br />
make errors, too, so here are the<br />
most common mistakes I have<br />
encountered from other financial<br />
and estate planners.<br />
1. Improper beneficiary designations<br />
I frequently see advisors<br />
improperly completing<br />
beneficiary designations.<br />
Examples: not changing<br />
the beneficiary due to divorce<br />
or a death, or listing<br />
a special needs child<br />
or grandchild directly as a<br />
beneficiary, rather than a<br />
trust FBO (for benefit of),<br />
thereby affecting their eligibility<br />
for Social Security<br />
disability benefits.<br />
Financial Planning<br />
Estate Planning<br />
Insurance<br />
Investments<br />
Accounting<br />
Bookkeeping<br />
Payroll<br />
Income Tax Preparation<br />
For Individuals & Small Businesses<br />
2. Not changing asset titles<br />
to trusts<br />
Incorporating revocable<br />
living trusts into a client’s<br />
estate plan but forgetting<br />
to update all the account<br />
titling to the name of the<br />
trust. Not changing titles<br />
creates problems that include<br />
having to pay additional<br />
probate costs, losing<br />
the private nature of settling<br />
the estate, etc.<br />
3. Incorrectly assuming clients’<br />
goals<br />
Many advisors assume a<br />
client’s main goal is to save<br />
estate taxes, for example.<br />
However, when really connecting<br />
with a client, we<br />
might find that taxes are<br />
only a small aspect of their<br />
objectives. Sometimes, in<br />
Updated<br />
Your<br />
Estate Plan<br />
Lately?<br />
667 South Street Route 1A Wampum Corner<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong> MA<br />
800-560-4NFS www.nfsnet.com<br />
Jeffrey Schweitzer<br />
listening to the client, we<br />
realize that their fears are<br />
more about their heirs’<br />
ability to manage the inheritance<br />
as well as decisions<br />
such as trustees, etc.<br />
4 Naming minor children as<br />
account beneficiaries<br />
Letting clients name minor<br />
children outright as<br />
primary or contingent<br />
beneficiaries of life insurance<br />
or retirement plans.<br />
When minor children inherit,<br />
a court must appoint<br />
a guardian who must be<br />
bonded and must file a laborious<br />
annual accounting<br />
with the local court.<br />
5. Wrong choice of executors<br />
and trustees<br />
Naming a financial institution<br />
as successor executor/trustee<br />
after surviving<br />
spouse or instead of surviving<br />
spouse. In some cases,<br />
this is to the detriment<br />
of the spouse and other<br />
beneficiaries because large<br />
institutions usually follow<br />
their fiduciary responsibilities<br />
with a less personable<br />
approach than another<br />
trustee could provide.<br />
6. Failure to address medical<br />
directives<br />
Many attorneys will draft<br />
a health-care power of<br />
attorney (POA) and living<br />
will. If the two documents<br />
co-exist, they may<br />
conflict since the POA allows<br />
another to make decisions<br />
while the living will<br />
already states what is to<br />
be done. Absent statutory<br />
(or document) direction,<br />
health-care providers may<br />
experience a conflict in<br />
what to do.<br />
7. Ignoring state estate and<br />
inheritance taxes<br />
Many states follow the<br />
federal $5 million-plus<br />
exemption for taxable estates,<br />
but the states do not<br />
always exempt this larger<br />
amount. For example, in<br />
Massachusetts, estates over<br />
$1,000,000 that are not left<br />
to the surviving spouse are<br />
subject to a Massachusetts<br />
estate tax.<br />
8 Failure to address asset<br />
protection<br />
Most couples fear losing<br />
their assets to nursing<br />
homes. For couples nearing<br />
retirement, strategies<br />
that protect assets should<br />
be explored. Strategies include<br />
lifetime credit shelter<br />
trusts, life estate deeds, gifting<br />
and other techniques<br />
that make assets available<br />
for use but beyond the<br />
reach of creditors. We<br />
have a great FREE guide<br />
entitled “Planning Your<br />
Estate”. Please feel free to<br />
contact me and I will send<br />
you a copy right away. My<br />
number is below.<br />
Jeffrey N. Schweitzer, EPA, CEP,<br />
ATP, RTRP can be found at Northeast<br />
Financial Strategies Inc (NFS) at<br />
Wampum Corner in <strong>Wrentham</strong>. NFS<br />
works with individuals and small businesses<br />
providing financial and estate<br />
planning, insurance, investments and<br />
also offers full service accounting, bookkeeping,<br />
payroll, income tax preparation,<br />
and notary public services. For<br />
more information, stop by the office,<br />
call Jeffrey at 800-560-4NFS or visit<br />
online - www.nfsnet.com<br />
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Exhibit Commemorates Boston<br />
Tea Party Anniversary<br />
The Massachusetts Historical<br />
Society (MHS) has announced<br />
its newest exhibition, “The Dye<br />
is cast: The Interest and Ideals<br />
That Motivated the Boston<br />
Tea Party,” commemorating the<br />
250th Anniversary of the Boston<br />
Tea Party. The special show<br />
delves into this pivotal event in<br />
American history through the<br />
perspectives of six Bostonians<br />
from diverse backgrounds and<br />
features a collection of artifacts<br />
and documents from MHS’s collection.<br />
The exhibition will be<br />
on view through February 29,<br />
2024, in the second-floor gallery<br />
spaces.<br />
“We are thrilled to bring<br />
forth this exhibition and celebrate<br />
an event that had a significant<br />
role in shaping the path<br />
toward American independence,”<br />
shared Catherine Allgor,<br />
President of the Massachusetts<br />
Historical Society. “Visitors will<br />
have the chance to explore the<br />
historical context, understand<br />
the participants’ motivations,<br />
and gain a deeper appreciation<br />
for the lasting impact this incident<br />
had on shaping the United<br />
States.”<br />
By examining the tea crisis<br />
of 1773 through the eyes<br />
of six Bostonians, each with<br />
their unique experiences and<br />
circumstances, this exhibition<br />
offers a fresh perspective on<br />
the events that unfolded that<br />
fateful day. Featured individuals<br />
include Paul Revere, Joseph<br />
Warren, Phillis Wheatley, Prince<br />
Hall, John Rowe, and Thomas<br />
Hutchinson, whose stories give<br />
insight as to why the Boston Tea<br />
Party happened.<br />
The exhibition will showcase<br />
historical artifacts, including<br />
the Tradesmen’s Protest against<br />
EXHIBIT<br />
continued on page 15
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 11<br />
Notable People and Places of <strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
As part of <strong>Wrentham</strong>’s 350th<br />
anniversary celebration, the committee<br />
planning this year’s events has<br />
asked residents to submit memories<br />
of significant people and places in the<br />
town’s history. Following is a submission<br />
the anniversary committee shared<br />
with Local Town Pages. Visit wrentham350.com<br />
to see the complete story<br />
and photos.<br />
The Heartwarming Story<br />
of Two <strong>Wrentham</strong>s<br />
In January of this year, <strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
community member, Kristine<br />
Brown, reached out to us<br />
to share a wonderful story. She<br />
and her British husband, Barry,<br />
had visited <strong>Wrentham</strong>, England,<br />
some 35-40 years ago and had<br />
the pleasure of meeting with the<br />
town’s mayor. It’s worth noting<br />
that <strong>Wrentham</strong>, MA was named<br />
after <strong>Wrentham</strong>, England, where<br />
John Thurston and other settlers<br />
hailed from. After Barry’s<br />
recent passing, Kristine came<br />
across postcards that they’d received<br />
from <strong>Wrentham</strong>, England,<br />
along with articles from an<br />
English newspaper and the Sun<br />
Chronicle. We were thrilled to<br />
meet with Kristine where she<br />
fondly recalled sharing a glass of<br />
wine early in the morning with<br />
the mayor and visiting a local elementary<br />
school to answer questions<br />
from the students.<br />
We’d like to express our gratitude<br />
to Kristine for sharing the<br />
news clippings and postcards of<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong>, England, with all of<br />
us today.<br />
Compiled by Grey Almeida,<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong> 350 Anniversary<br />
Committee Member.<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong> K of C 5K Planned<br />
for <strong>November</strong> 5<br />
The 6th annual <strong>Wrentham</strong> Knights of Columbus<br />
5K will be held on Sunday, <strong>November</strong><br />
5 at 9 a.m. The 5k Run/Walk will start and end<br />
at Parker’s Pub, 303 Shears Street, <strong>Wrentham</strong>.<br />
The USATF-certified flat course will loop<br />
around scenic country roads. Cash prizes will be<br />
awarded to the top three male and female finishers,<br />
and other valuable prizes will be awarded for<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
Launches Town<br />
News Portal<br />
Town Administrator Kevin Sweet has announced the<br />
launch of <strong>Wrentham</strong>’s News Portal.<br />
The town of <strong>Wrentham</strong> News Portal, https://wrenthamnews.com,<br />
features a modern, interactive design with<br />
a categorized news blog for users and visitors to explore.<br />
Users can subscribe to the news portal to receive notifications<br />
via email. In addition to email notifications, the<br />
news portal is linked directly to social media, so residents<br />
are encouraged to follow the Town of <strong>Wrentham</strong> on Facebook,<br />
Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.<br />
Additionally, users can view a photo gallery of various<br />
landmarks around <strong>Wrentham</strong>.<br />
“Our town news portal will allow residents to remain<br />
in the know about what’s going on in and around town,”<br />
said Town Administrator Sweet. “I encourage everyone to<br />
visit and explore the new site, subscribe to categories and<br />
follow us on social media.”<br />
The town of <strong>Wrentham</strong> News Portal was designed by<br />
John Guilfoil Public Relations.<br />
the top finishers in each age group. There will be<br />
a DJ, sponsor tents, and fun for the entire family.<br />
Register for the event at http://wrenthamkofc.racewire.com.<br />
The council has raised over<br />
$20,000 to date from the annual 5K race, all of<br />
which has been donated back to the community’s<br />
charitable causes.<br />
Holiday Toy<br />
and Children’s<br />
Book Swap<br />
The Fiske Library in <strong>Wrentham</strong> will<br />
hold a toy and children’s book swap on<br />
Saturday, <strong>November</strong> 25 from 10 a.m. to 1<br />
p.m. Everything at the swap is free. Please<br />
bring your own bags.<br />
Have items to donate? Toys and children’s<br />
books in good condition can be<br />
dropped off at the Fiske Library on Tuesday,<br />
<strong>November</strong> 21 from 4 to 8 p.m., or on<br />
Wednesday, <strong>November</strong> 22 from 10 a.m. to<br />
noon.<br />
Please no clothing or linens. Donations<br />
will be accepted the morning of the event,<br />
but people are encouraged to drop off<br />
items on the designated donation days if<br />
possible.<br />
Contact Alex at acassie12@gmail.com<br />
with any questions.<br />
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Page 12 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Community Ties and a Commitment to Customer Service:<br />
Affordable Junk Removal<br />
There are plenty of reasons<br />
to call a junk removal service.<br />
Maybe you’re planning to move<br />
and need to clear out the basement<br />
and attic before your open<br />
house. Maybe you’ve spent way<br />
too much time at home lately<br />
and are feeling the need to declutter.<br />
But figuring out who to call<br />
can be a pain. If you contact<br />
one of the big haulers, they<br />
route you to a phone center<br />
where they’ve never even heard<br />
of your town, plus their pricing<br />
seems vague and full of extra<br />
fees. No wonder you’ve let the<br />
stuff pile up—it’s too much of a<br />
hassle to get rid of it!<br />
Or you can call Affordable<br />
Junk Removal and let a local<br />
small business with deep community<br />
roots take care of everything.<br />
Jay Schadler started his business<br />
in 2003. Back then, it was<br />
just him and a beat-up pickup<br />
truck taking small jobs and<br />
working nights and weekends<br />
when he could. As the years<br />
rolled on, his business grew, but<br />
his commitment to customer<br />
service never wavered. Now he’s<br />
got a staff of ten, along with<br />
ten trucks, servicing eastern<br />
and central Massachusetts and<br />
northern Rhode Island.<br />
Affordable Junk Removal<br />
specializes in house and estate<br />
cleanouts. If your garage, attic,<br />
or office is overflowing with<br />
stuff, take back your space and<br />
let the pros do the heavy lifting.<br />
Jay and his team have handled<br />
it all. They’ve dismantled<br />
above-ground pools, hauled<br />
away ancient hot tubs, taken<br />
down old fencing, and stripped<br />
away worn carpeting. They’ll<br />
come for a single item, or they’ll<br />
clean out an entire house. And<br />
they can take almost anything.<br />
They can’t accept hazardous<br />
materials, brush, dirt, or concrete,<br />
but everything else is fair<br />
game for them to take away.<br />
Not everything ends up in a<br />
landfill—not if Jay can help it.<br />
He first tries to either recycle or<br />
donate items. Only after he tries<br />
to repurpose items do they end<br />
up at the transfer station.<br />
Working with Affordable<br />
Junk Removal is simple. First,<br />
you can load stuff yourself if you<br />
want by renting a 15-cubic-yard<br />
dumpster for a week and chucking<br />
up to a ton of your unwanted<br />
stuff. If you need to get rid of<br />
more weight, then Jay prorates<br />
that tonnage—you never pay for<br />
what you don’t use.<br />
If you don’t want to be bothered<br />
with the dumpster, they’ve<br />
also got a driveway special where<br />
they’ll take away a truckload of<br />
your unwanted things if you pile<br />
it up. Or if you don’t want to lift<br />
a finger, then you can point at<br />
the items, and the team will fill<br />
up their truck and haul away<br />
your unwanted things. However<br />
you do it, you’re left with more<br />
space and more peace of mind.<br />
Jay and his team beat the big<br />
waste haulers on both price and<br />
customer service. When you call<br />
Affordable Junk Removal, you<br />
aren’t connected to an anonymous<br />
call center. Your phone<br />
call goes right to Jay.<br />
And speaking of pricing, Jay<br />
is upfront about it. His website<br />
shows the truck sizes and prices,<br />
so you can save time knowing<br />
your costs before you call for<br />
an appointment. There aren’t<br />
any hidden costs or surprise fees<br />
with Affordable Junk Removal.<br />
Affordable Junk Removal is<br />
fully licensed and fully insured,<br />
and they’ll treat your property<br />
with care and respect.<br />
They also have a thriving<br />
commercial business, working<br />
with contractors and roofers to<br />
clear away debris and keep the<br />
job site clean. They can even<br />
handle commercial and residential<br />
emergencies with same-day<br />
service.<br />
Jay and his family are deeply<br />
involved in the community. He<br />
and his wife, Christine, run the<br />
Corner Market restaurant in<br />
Holliston as well as Resellables,<br />
a thrift store in Bellingham. It’s<br />
not uncommon for someone to<br />
reach Jay at the restaurant, order<br />
a sandwich, and then schedule a<br />
junk removal appointment. Yes,<br />
the local small business really can<br />
handle everything!<br />
For more information, contact<br />
Jay Schadler at (774) 287-1133 or<br />
visit Affordable Junk Removal online<br />
at www.takeawayjunk.com.<br />
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resident who is not registered or will become<br />
16 years of age on or before <strong>November</strong> 13 may preregister/register<br />
to vote.<br />
The registration will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.<br />
at the Town Hall located at 79 South Street. Voter<br />
Registration forms may also be downloaded from the<br />
Town Clerk’s page of the Town’s website. Please call<br />
the Town Clerk’s office at (508) 384-5415 with any<br />
questions.
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 13<br />
Celebrate the Holidays with FPAC<br />
Holiday Productions<br />
FPAC Holiday Productions<br />
will present two shows as part of<br />
its annual holiday season.<br />
December kicks off with the<br />
holiday classic: The Nutcracker,<br />
presented December 2 and 3 at<br />
the Franklin High School Auditorium.<br />
Experience all the festive<br />
magic and colorful splendor of<br />
The Nutcracker as FPAC stages its<br />
cherished annual production of<br />
the holiday classic with live orchestra,<br />
special guest artists and<br />
more than 100 area dancers. The<br />
Nutcracker remains a highly anticipated<br />
and treasured part of<br />
the FPAC season - a popular<br />
holiday tradition for more than<br />
20 years. The world-famous ballet,<br />
set to Tchaikovsky’s beloved<br />
score, delights the imaginations<br />
of audiences young and old with<br />
a professional production at a<br />
reasonable price. The production<br />
is staged by Cheryl Madeux of<br />
American Ballet Theatre, Hartford<br />
Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet.<br />
Madeux is currently director of<br />
BalletFranklin- the ballet conservatory<br />
at the Franklin School for<br />
the Performing Arts.<br />
The FPAC Holiday Productions<br />
December season continues<br />
as Humbug! returns December<br />
16 and 17. A family favorite since<br />
debuting as part of FPAC’s 2008<br />
season, Humbug! is an original<br />
musical retelling of Charles<br />
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,<br />
starring the script’s writer, Nick<br />
Paone, as Ebenezer Scrooge.<br />
With musical hits of every genre<br />
and live accompaniment by a<br />
10-piece band of professional<br />
musicians, Humbug! transports<br />
audiences from Dickensian England<br />
to contemporary America<br />
as the novel’s iconic characters<br />
and storyline are cleverly reimagined<br />
with modern setting<br />
and dialogue. Humbug! delivers<br />
a holiday gift of hilarity with a<br />
timely – and timeless – message.<br />
FPAC Holiday Productions<br />
are presented at the Franklin<br />
High School Auditorium.<br />
For tickets and more information,<br />
visit www.FPAConline.<br />
com or call the box office at<br />
508-528-3370.<br />
Seth Glier to Perform at Circle<br />
of Friends Coffeehouse<br />
Seth Glier returns to the Circle<br />
of Friends Coffeehouse on<br />
Saturday, <strong>November</strong> 18.<br />
Glier is a seasoned troubadour,<br />
a singer-songwriter, producer<br />
and multi-instrumentalist<br />
who averages over 250 live performances<br />
annually. He’s shared<br />
the stage with artists as diverse<br />
as James Taylor, Ani DiFranco,<br />
Edwin McCain, Martin Sexton,<br />
Emmylou Harris and Ryan<br />
Adams, and has quickly become<br />
known for his passionate live sets<br />
and powerful command of both<br />
piano and guitar.<br />
His new album, “Everything,”<br />
is a collection of eight<br />
songs inviting us to imagine a<br />
future in which humans and the<br />
planet are re-aligned into mutual<br />
restoration. The album is an<br />
acknowledgement of the sacred<br />
connections that exist between<br />
all living things and is an active<br />
questioning of what might<br />
be possible collectively. “Everything”<br />
is a reminder that the<br />
future is something we always<br />
have an influence over.<br />
Paste Magazine notes<br />
“Grammy-nominated musician<br />
Seth Glier continues to gain momentum,”<br />
while USA TODAY<br />
says, “Singer with an exquisite<br />
tenor echoes Bruce Springsteen<br />
and Billy Joel.”<br />
The Circle of Friends Coffeehouse<br />
is a non-profit organization<br />
affiliated with Franklin’s<br />
First Universalist Society.<br />
Concerts are presented in a<br />
smoke free and alcohol-free<br />
environment at the Society’s<br />
handicapped accessible Meetinghouse,<br />
262 Chestnut St. in<br />
Franklin, and begin at 8 p.m.<br />
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Beverages<br />
and gourmet desserts will<br />
be available. Admission for this<br />
performance is $20. Please visit<br />
https://www.circlefolk.org/ to<br />
purchase tickets or for more information.<br />
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Page 14 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
The b.LUXE beauty beat<br />
Big Thanks…<br />
By Gina Woelfel<br />
I recently sat down with<br />
Heather Cohen, the owner of<br />
b.LUXE Hair and Makeup Studio<br />
in Medway. We had a chance<br />
to catch up and reflect on <strong>2023</strong><br />
and what a crazy, wonderful year<br />
it’s been, with so much to be<br />
grateful for!<br />
During our talk, Heather<br />
shared that one of her favorite<br />
things to do in the fall is to take<br />
long walks with her dogs. “I hike<br />
my dogs most mornings, but our<br />
autumn hikes are my favorite.<br />
The air is crisp, and my pups love<br />
playing in the crunchy leaves.”<br />
She also shared that it’s her time<br />
to disconnect from her “salon”<br />
brain and focus on other aspects<br />
of her life beyond the day-to-day<br />
operations of her studio. The<br />
beginning of <strong>November</strong> is the<br />
calm before the busy holiday<br />
season, and Heather likes to take<br />
this time to reflect on how grateful<br />
she is for everything in her<br />
life. “Well, I’m blessed with my<br />
family, friends, and dogs. I have<br />
a tight-knit group of people who<br />
really support and love me, and<br />
that’s allowed me to work as hard<br />
as I have.”<br />
As a child, Heather’s family<br />
sometimes depended on their<br />
local church and community<br />
services to make ends meet. Despite<br />
their financial struggles,<br />
she never went without or felt<br />
ashamed of needing assistance.<br />
“In hindsight,” she explains,<br />
“that helping hand was a blessing<br />
in disguise because it taught<br />
me the importance of taking an<br />
active role in my community and<br />
giving back. I didn’t know the<br />
significance of it at the time, but<br />
now, those acts of kindness speak<br />
volumes, and I’m extremely<br />
grateful for them. We organize<br />
volunteer opportunities at the<br />
salon for our staff to participate<br />
in, cutting hair for the Franklin<br />
Senior Center, packing food and<br />
raising money for The Franklin<br />
Food Pantry, working with PAWS<br />
New England, and donating<br />
yearly beauty scholarships to our<br />
sister school in Cancun, Mexico,<br />
who we visit each year to bring<br />
new supplies and teach classes.<br />
I’m really impressed with how<br />
our staff always joins in. If it’s<br />
important to our community, it’s<br />
important to b.LUXE.”<br />
During our conversation, we<br />
discussed the keys to running<br />
a successful beauty salon with<br />
over 30 talented and influential<br />
women. Heather expressed her<br />
gratitude towards her employees:<br />
“They’re the backbone and<br />
heart of b.LUXE. I’m fortunate<br />
to have the creative and management<br />
teams that I do! They are<br />
the best in the business, and their<br />
incredible talent and work ethic<br />
inspire me to set the bar higher<br />
and consistently exceed expectations.<br />
We didn’t become Massachusetts’<br />
most highly-rated salon<br />
just by chance! We made that<br />
happen together.”<br />
Heather also expressed her<br />
gratitude towards John Green,<br />
the owner of Medway Mills,<br />
where her salon is located. This<br />
historic, eight-acre complex is<br />
surrounded by wooded grounds,<br />
with Chicken Brook flowing<br />
directly underneath the salon.<br />
“John has done an excellent job<br />
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preserving the property’s natural<br />
charm while incorporating beautifully<br />
landscaped grounds, stone<br />
walls, and flower gardens to welcome<br />
visitors to the Mill. This<br />
year, he added an upper parking<br />
lot to accommodate the overflow.<br />
Our customers love the timeless<br />
atmosphere here.”<br />
Heather has great affection for<br />
the whole Medway Mills family.<br />
“The businesses here work well<br />
together, and it’s a great place to<br />
work.” Three beauty and wellness<br />
businesses located at the<br />
Mill have provided Heather with<br />
an enormous amount of support<br />
and inspiration - Chat Noir Nails,<br />
whose owner is Jillian Lustgarten<br />
Cohen, Molly’s Apothecary,<br />
owned by Ann Fisher, and Drift<br />
and Oak Yoga, whose owner is<br />
Bianca Fantoni. “We share many<br />
of the same customers and work<br />
together to grow each other’s<br />
clientele.” She praises these businesses<br />
for helping women understand<br />
their worth and enhancing<br />
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the community. “To me, they define<br />
Girl Power, and I’m so proud<br />
of that. I couldn’t ask for better<br />
women to work alongside.”<br />
“The Local Town Pages” deserves<br />
a HUGE shoutout, too!”<br />
exclaims Heather. “We love our<br />
BEAUTY BEAT column, and<br />
without this community paper,<br />
we’d lose our direct line to our<br />
customers. “We’ve really enjoyed<br />
these conversations with existing<br />
and potential clients, especially<br />
those who’ve never visited our<br />
studio. It’s been a friendly opportunity<br />
to introduce ourselves and<br />
connect with so many wonderful<br />
people.”<br />
Happy Thanksgiving from<br />
our family to yours.<br />
The b.LUXE Team<br />
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“I need a book to list how<br />
many people I’m grateful for!”<br />
says Heather. “But I guess it really<br />
just boils down to community.<br />
I’m really very, very grateful<br />
to this community for bringing<br />
b.LUXE into the fold and embracing<br />
it the way that they have.<br />
Thank you…”<br />
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<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 15<br />
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the Proceedings of the Merchants,<br />
<strong>November</strong> 3, 1773, and<br />
the Edes family punch bowl, as<br />
well as immediate reactions to<br />
the event, among others. These<br />
items provide tangible connections<br />
to the past and allow<br />
visitors to immerse themselves<br />
in the historical context of the<br />
Boston Tea Party.<br />
The exhibition is being held<br />
at the Massachusetts Historical<br />
Society, located at 1154 Boylston<br />
Street, Boston. Admission is free<br />
and open to the public during<br />
the following hours: Monday<br />
and Wednesday through Friday,<br />
from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Tuesday<br />
from 10 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.;<br />
and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3<br />
p.m. Please note that the last admission<br />
for exhibition visitors is<br />
45 minutes prior to closing.<br />
For more information about<br />
the “The Dye is Cast: The Interest<br />
and Ideals That Motivated<br />
the Boston Tea Party” exhibition,<br />
please visit the Massachusetts<br />
Historical Society’s website<br />
at www.masshist.org.<br />
About the<br />
Massachusetts Historical<br />
Society<br />
Founded in 1791, the MHS is<br />
an independent research library<br />
and manuscript repository dedicated<br />
to collecting, preserving,<br />
and sharing the history of Massachusetts<br />
and the nation. The<br />
Society serves as a vital resource<br />
for scholars, educators, and the<br />
general public, offering a wide<br />
range of programs, exhibitions,<br />
and publications that illuminate<br />
the past and inform the present.<br />
Call Jen Schofield at 508-570-6544<br />
jenschofield@localtownpages.com<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong> to be Recognized as a<br />
Purple Heart Community<br />
Medal Recipients Asked to Contact Local Veterans Services Office<br />
By Angela Weicherding-Fitton<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong>, home to 500 veterans,<br />
is becoming a Purple Heart<br />
community.<br />
The designation means the<br />
town recognizes the sacrifice of<br />
people who have served their<br />
country, particularly those who are<br />
Purple Heart recipients and their<br />
families. As a Purple Heart community,<br />
there will be signs on all<br />
main roads leading into or out of<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong>, including Route 140,<br />
Route 1A, and Route 152. The<br />
signs will serve as a visual reminder<br />
to drivers that others have paid a<br />
high price for their freedom.<br />
Veterans Agent Stephen Travers<br />
handles veteran support<br />
services for North Attleboro, Plainville<br />
and <strong>Wrentham</strong>. He’s working<br />
with <strong>Wrentham</strong> Assistant Town<br />
Administrator Greg Enos on the<br />
effort to designate <strong>Wrentham</strong> as a<br />
Purple Heart community.<br />
“I’m pleasantly surprised by<br />
the ways that Massachusetts honors<br />
its Purple Heart recipients,”<br />
5<br />
STAR<br />
Travers said, while discussing the<br />
project. “Some towns have parking<br />
assigned specifically for Purple<br />
Heart recipients. There are Purple<br />
Heart specialty plates available at<br />
no cost through the DMV and<br />
those folks have no annual registration<br />
renewal costs.”<br />
Travers said that Purple Heart<br />
recipients don’t look for recognition,<br />
noting he is a veteran who<br />
retired five years ago.<br />
“In general, Massachusetts<br />
treats all its veterans great, but<br />
Purple Heart recipients are extra<br />
special,” he said. “We recognize<br />
Purple Heart recipients as the<br />
wounded that made it home. They<br />
are the heroes that walk among us,<br />
most without us even knowing.”<br />
In 1782, George Washington<br />
issued the first ever Purple Heart.<br />
It was considered a Military Badge<br />
of Merit, which was a simple heart<br />
made from purple cloth. One hundred<br />
and sixty years later, in 1942,<br />
the Purple Heart, now a medal,<br />
became an award for military personnel<br />
who had been wounded<br />
in combat. However, the Purple<br />
Heart is not limited to members<br />
of the military any longer; civilians<br />
wounded in combat are also<br />
eligible for the medal.<br />
Travers, who used to be a recruiter,<br />
also pointed out that <strong>2023</strong><br />
marks 50 years since the military<br />
became an all-volunteer organization.<br />
This means that every member<br />
of the military now is a man or<br />
woman willing to put everything<br />
on the line for our freedoms. The<br />
last war to have draftees was the<br />
Vietnam War.<br />
There is currently no database<br />
or way to perform an online query<br />
to determine who has received a<br />
Purple Heart. <strong>Wrentham</strong> veterans<br />
who are Purple Heart recipients<br />
are urged to contact Travers at<br />
(508) 699-0100 if they’d like to<br />
participate in upcoming events.<br />
Any <strong>Wrentham</strong> veteran in<br />
need of support or services can<br />
also contact Travers.<br />
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Page 16 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
DURYSTA - A Game-Changer in Glaucoma Treatment<br />
By: Roger M. Kaldawy, M.D.<br />
Milford Franklin Eye Center<br />
Introduction<br />
Imagine a world where a tiny<br />
implant can help prevent vision<br />
loss and improve the quality of<br />
life for millions of people suffering<br />
from glaucoma. This vision<br />
is becoming a reality with<br />
the introduction of DURYSTA,<br />
a groundbreaking treatment<br />
option that is changing the<br />
landscape of glaucoma management.<br />
In this article, we will<br />
delve into what DURYSTA is,<br />
how it works, and its potential<br />
impact on the lives of glaucoma<br />
patients.<br />
Understanding Glaucoma<br />
Glaucoma is a group of<br />
eye conditions that can lead to<br />
damage of the optic nerve, ultimately<br />
resulting in vision loss.<br />
It is often referred to as the “silent<br />
thief of sight” because it<br />
typically progresses slowly and<br />
Living Healthy<br />
without noticeable symptoms<br />
until significant damage has<br />
occurred. The most common<br />
type of glaucoma is open-angle<br />
glaucoma, which accounts for<br />
around 90% of all glaucoma<br />
cases. In open-angle glaucoma,<br />
the drainage system within the<br />
eye becomes inefficient, leading<br />
to increased intraocular pressure<br />
(IOP). Elevated IOP is a major<br />
risk factor for optic nerve damage<br />
and vision loss.<br />
Traditional Glaucoma Treatments<br />
Traditionally, the primary approach<br />
to managing glaucoma<br />
has been to lower intraocular<br />
pressure. Several methods are<br />
used to achieve this, including<br />
eye drops, laser therapy, and surgical<br />
interventions. While these<br />
treatments can be effective, they<br />
often require frequent administration,<br />
leading to compliance<br />
issues. Additionally, surgical<br />
procedures carry certain risks<br />
and may not be suitable for all<br />
patients.<br />
Enter DURYSTA<br />
DURYSTA (bimatoprost<br />
implant) is a revolutionary development<br />
in the field of glaucoma<br />
treatment. Approved by<br />
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration<br />
(FDA) in March 2020,<br />
DURYSTA offers a novel and<br />
sustained approach to lowering<br />
intraocular pressure in glaucoma<br />
patients.<br />
MILFORD - FRANKLIN<br />
EYE CENTER<br />
Welcome Dr. Dan Liu - Accepting new<br />
patients starting <strong>November</strong> 1, <strong>2023</strong><br />
Comprehensive Eye Exams<br />
Back to School Exams<br />
Full Optical Shop<br />
Eye Glasses - Contacts<br />
New Patients Receive a<br />
Free Pair of Select Glasses<br />
Optical<br />
Shop<br />
On-Site<br />
FRANKLIN OFFICE<br />
750 Union St.<br />
508-528-3344<br />
SMILEFORVISION.COM<br />
Roger M. Kaldawy, M.D. | Jorge G. Arroyo, M.D. | Dan Liu, M.D<br />
Saturday &<br />
After Hours<br />
Available<br />
Michael R. Adams, O.D. | Shalin Zia, O.D. | Donald L. Conn, O.D. | Dr. Purvi Patel, O.D.<br />
MILFORD OFFICE<br />
160 South Main St.<br />
508-473-7939<br />
MILLIS OFFICE<br />
730 Main St.<br />
508-528-3344<br />
SURGERY CENTER MILFORD<br />
145 West St.<br />
508-381-6040<br />
How DURYSTA Works<br />
DURYSTA is a tiny implant<br />
that is placed directly into the<br />
anterior chamber of the eye<br />
through a minimally invasive<br />
procedure. This implant releases<br />
a medication called bimatoprost,<br />
which is a prostaglandin analog.<br />
Prostaglandin analogs are<br />
known to be effective in reducing<br />
intraocular pressure by increasing<br />
the outflow of aqueous<br />
humor from the eye. What sets<br />
DURYSTA apart is its sustained<br />
release mechanism, providing<br />
consistent IOP reduction for an<br />
extended period.<br />
Advantages of DURYSTA<br />
Long-Lasting Efficacy:<br />
DURYSTA is designed to provide<br />
sustained IOP reduction<br />
for up to twelve months after a<br />
single implantation. This means<br />
fewer office visits and a reduced<br />
need for daily eye drops, improving<br />
patient compliance and<br />
quality of life.<br />
Minimally Invasive: The procedure<br />
to implant DURYSTA is<br />
minimally invasive and typically<br />
takes a few seconds. Patients can<br />
usually return to their normal<br />
activities shortly after the procedure.<br />
Efficacy Across Glaucoma<br />
Types: DURYSTA has shown<br />
efficacy in reducing IOP across<br />
various glaucoma types, including<br />
open-angle and angleclosure<br />
glaucoma, making it a<br />
versatile option for a wide range<br />
of patients.<br />
Reduced Side Effects: Unlike<br />
eye drops, which can cause side<br />
effects such as stinging, redness,<br />
and allergies, DURYSTA is delivered<br />
directly to the eye’s target<br />
site, minimizing systemic side effects.<br />
Preservative-Free: Many eye<br />
drops contain preservatives that<br />
can irritate the eyes over time.<br />
DURYSTA is preservative-free,<br />
reducing the risk of irritation.<br />
Improved Quality of Life:<br />
With fewer daily eye drop applications<br />
and sustained IOP<br />
reduction, DURYSTA can enhance<br />
the quality of life for glaucoma<br />
patients, allowing them to<br />
focus on their daily activities<br />
without the burden of frequent<br />
medication administration.<br />
Clinical Trials and Results<br />
The approval of DURYSTA<br />
was based on the results of clinical<br />
trials that demonstrated its<br />
safety and efficacy. In a pivotal<br />
Phase 3 clinical trial, DURYSTA<br />
was shown to significantly reduce<br />
intraocular pressure compared<br />
to a placebo, with the<br />
effect lasting for an extended period.<br />
The trial also highlighted<br />
the low rate of adverse events<br />
associated with DURYSTA implantation.<br />
Real-World Impact<br />
Since its approval,<br />
DURYSTA has made a significant<br />
impact on glaucoma management<br />
in clinical practice.<br />
Patients who were previously<br />
struggling with the inconvenience<br />
of daily eye drops and<br />
the fear of surgical procedures<br />
now have a more convenient<br />
and effective option for managing<br />
their condition.<br />
DURYSTA has particularly<br />
benefited individuals with poor<br />
adherence to medication regimens,<br />
as it eliminates the need<br />
for daily eye drop administration.<br />
This can be especially crucial<br />
in preventing vision loss in<br />
glaucoma patients, as consistent<br />
IOP control is essential to preserving<br />
vision.<br />
Furthermore, DURYSTA<br />
has the potential to reduce the<br />
healthcare system’s burden by<br />
decreasing the frequency of<br />
office visits and surgeries for<br />
glaucoma management. This<br />
can lead to cost savings and improved<br />
resource allocation in<br />
healthcare.<br />
Challenges and Considerations<br />
While DURYSTA presents a<br />
promising solution to many of<br />
the challenges associated with<br />
glaucoma management, it is not<br />
without its considerations:<br />
Cost: The cost of DURYSTA<br />
may be a barrier for some patients,<br />
as it is a relatively new<br />
treatment and may not be covered<br />
by all insurance plans.<br />
Implantation Procedure:<br />
While minimally invasive, the<br />
implantation procedure for<br />
DURYSTA still requires a<br />
skilled ophthalmologist. Access<br />
to specialized care may be limited<br />
in some areas.<br />
Long-Term Data: As<br />
DURYSTA is a relatively new<br />
treatment, long-term data on<br />
its safety and efficacy beyond<br />
the three-year mark is still being<br />
EYES<br />
continued on page 17
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 17<br />
Living Healthy<br />
It’s More Than Just a Click or a Pop!<br />
TMJ is a condition characterized<br />
by pain in the jaw joint and<br />
surrounding tissues accompanied<br />
by a decrease in the range<br />
of motion of the joint itself.<br />
There may be clicking or popping<br />
and a noticeable swing of<br />
the lower joint. Currently more<br />
than 12% of American’s suffer<br />
from TMJ symptoms.<br />
There are many causes of<br />
TMJ. These include dental procedures,<br />
autoimmune disease,<br />
biting into a large sandwich or<br />
bagel, injuries to the jaw area<br />
and infection. Once the biomechanics<br />
of the joint has been<br />
altered, the function becomes affected<br />
and the pain ensues. Traditional<br />
treatments include pain<br />
medication, muscle relaxers and<br />
dental appliances. These are effective<br />
resources for some but<br />
not for all, especially long term.<br />
Stephanie B. suffered from<br />
TMJ pain for over two years<br />
Dr. Rochelle Bien & Dr. Michael Goldstein<br />
since the removal of her braces.<br />
Chewing certain foods would<br />
aggravate her jaw and intensify<br />
her pain. In the beginning, she<br />
felt she could handle the problem<br />
on her own by giving up<br />
chewing gum, eating oversized<br />
sandwiches, chewy meats and<br />
certain fruits. However, she noticed<br />
that over time just yawing<br />
and even singing, could cause<br />
an exacerbation. She was becoming<br />
disillusioned with the<br />
idea that she could fix this on<br />
her own and decided to call The<br />
Holistic Center at Bristol Square<br />
and made an appointment to<br />
see the doctors.<br />
Upon exam , the swing was<br />
noted in Stephanie’s jaw as she<br />
both opened and closed her<br />
mouth, indicating a dysfunction<br />
in the biomechanics of<br />
her TMJ. After several weeks of<br />
treatment, the clicking and popping<br />
were gone and the swing<br />
in her jaw was stabilized. She<br />
no longer suffers from the TMJ<br />
pain and has noticed that the<br />
headaches she thought were unrelated<br />
had gone away as well.<br />
If you are suffering from<br />
TMJ pain, do not hesitate to<br />
contact The Holistic Center at<br />
Bristol Square, located at 1426<br />
Main Street, Walpole. Call<br />
(508)660-2722 and make your<br />
appointment today.<br />
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EYES<br />
continued from page 16<br />
collected.<br />
Conclusion<br />
DURYSTA represents a significant<br />
advancement in the<br />
field of glaucoma treatment. Its<br />
sustained release mechanism,<br />
minimal invasiveness, and potential<br />
to improve patient adherence<br />
make it a game-changer for<br />
glaucoma patients. As further<br />
research and real-world experience<br />
accumulate, DURYSTA’s<br />
role in preserving vision and<br />
enhancing the quality of life for<br />
those with glaucoma is likely to<br />
become even more pronounced.<br />
While challenges and considerations<br />
remain, DURYSTA offers<br />
new hope and a brighter<br />
future for individuals living with<br />
this sight-threatening condition.<br />
Our center and ophthalmologists<br />
have state of the art equipment<br />
to diagnose and treat<br />
many eye problems, including<br />
glaucoma. We offer DURYSTA<br />
in our state-of-the-art surgery<br />
center in Milford. 7 dedicated<br />
eye care providers here to help<br />
you in 3 facilities in Franklin,<br />
Milford and Millis. We are<br />
available and have Saturday and<br />
after-hours appointments. From<br />
the basic eye exam to the hightech<br />
surgeries performed locally<br />
in Milford, our center is now<br />
able to better recognize glaucoma<br />
and manage this disease<br />
with many interventions including<br />
DURYSTA. We continue to<br />
provide world class eye care for<br />
the entire family.<br />
Offering both Center-based and Tele-therapies<br />
Serving the children, adolescents and adults<br />
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Page 18 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
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Dean College Brings AIDS Quilt to<br />
Campus in Conjunction with “RENT”<br />
Display is Part of Thoughtful New Programming Around Theatre Shows<br />
Dean College is<br />
proud to display a section<br />
of the AIDS Memorial<br />
Quilt on campus<br />
from <strong>November</strong> 14-15,<br />
<strong>2023</strong>, leading up to the<br />
premiere of the School<br />
of the Arts production<br />
of “RENT” on <strong>November</strong><br />
15.<br />
The AIDS Memorial Quilt<br />
is a living memorial to a generation<br />
lost to AIDS, an important<br />
HIV prevention education tool<br />
and the largest community arts<br />
project in history. Individuals<br />
and groups create Quilt panels to<br />
honor, remember and celebrate<br />
the stories and lives of those lost<br />
to HIV/AIDS. Displayed for the<br />
first time during the National<br />
March on Washington for Lesbian<br />
and Gay Rights on October<br />
11, 1987, today the Quilt is an<br />
epic 54-ton tapestry that includes<br />
nearly 50,000 panels dedicated to<br />
more than 110,000 individuals.<br />
The Quilt display will provide<br />
powerful context to the College’s<br />
production of “RENT,”<br />
Jonathan Larson’s iconic musical<br />
that follows a group of impoverished<br />
young artists and musicians<br />
struggling to survive and<br />
create in New York’s Lower East<br />
Side, under the shadow of HIV/<br />
AIDS.<br />
“In moments of crisis, at times<br />
of great conflict and trauma,<br />
people turn to art as a way to<br />
share their love and their fear<br />
and their anger,” said Patsy Collins<br />
Bandes, dean of the School<br />
of the Arts. “The AIDS Memorial<br />
Quilt was built out of one of<br />
these moments of protest and demand<br />
for those lost to be remembered.<br />
We at Dean College are<br />
honored to display this work of<br />
art in parallel with our students<br />
lifting their own voices to create<br />
a story of survival, hope and<br />
love onstage in our production of<br />
‘RENT.’”<br />
The AIDS Memorial Quilt<br />
will be on display to the public<br />
on Tuesday, <strong>November</strong> 14 and<br />
Wednesday, <strong>November</strong> 15 from<br />
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the<br />
Dr. Paula M. Rooney Student<br />
Center Concourse. Dean students<br />
will also be tabling with<br />
interactive educational materials<br />
during the display. The School<br />
of the Arts at Dean will present<br />
“RENT” from <strong>November</strong> 15-19,<br />
<strong>2023</strong>.<br />
The display is part of the<br />
College’s thoughtful new programming<br />
series to create more<br />
context around each of the theatre<br />
shows this season. Titled<br />
“Continuing the Conversation,”<br />
the College will hold post-show<br />
discussions with the creative<br />
teams and experts in the field<br />
about the performance and the<br />
themes, context or history it explores.<br />
The series is co-sponsored<br />
by the Franklin Public Library<br />
and will offer library patrons a<br />
discount on tickets if they would<br />
like to attend the show<br />
prior to the discussion.<br />
The post-show discussion<br />
for “RENT”<br />
will take place on Saturday,<br />
<strong>November</strong> 18.<br />
Continuing the conversation<br />
from the Quilt<br />
display earlier in the<br />
week, this event will<br />
discuss the legacy of the AIDS<br />
epidemic 40 years later and its<br />
influence on queer identity in the<br />
21st century. Guests will include<br />
Dr. Kristin Holster, professor of<br />
sociology at Dean College, and<br />
Dr. Helen Lewis-Michelson, associate<br />
professor of theatre at<br />
The Boston Conservatory at<br />
Berklee.<br />
“Continuing the Conversation<br />
allows us to deepen the exploration<br />
of the shows we are producing,<br />
and it is thrilling to be able<br />
to partner with the Franklin Public<br />
Library on this project,” said<br />
Collins Bandes, who oversees the<br />
College’s performing arts programs<br />
in arts and entertainment<br />
management, performance,<br />
production and design, theatre<br />
studies, and new BFA programs<br />
in acting and musical theatre. “It<br />
gives us an opportunity to explore<br />
with both our students and<br />
the community what impact our<br />
art has on the world, and how<br />
theatre is a powerful tool for cultural<br />
engagement.”<br />
For more information about<br />
the AIDS Memorial Quilt, visit<br />
www.aidsmemorial.org. For more<br />
information about “RENT” and<br />
the Continuing the Conversation<br />
series, visit www.dean.edu/boxoffice.<br />
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Annual Burn<br />
Awareness Video<br />
Contest Underway<br />
Department of Fire Services Invites<br />
High Schools to Take Part<br />
The Department of<br />
Fire Services’ annual<br />
Burn Awareness Video<br />
Contest is underway, and<br />
schools with communications<br />
courses that focus on<br />
media design and production<br />
are encouraged to take<br />
part.<br />
State Fire Marshal Jon<br />
M. Davine said the annual<br />
contest is a way to raise<br />
awareness of the painful,<br />
lifelong consequences<br />
of misusing fire and to<br />
counteract dangerous<br />
stunts and challenges that<br />
young people may see on<br />
social media. The contest<br />
is sponsored by DFS, the<br />
Massachusetts Property<br />
Insurance Underwriters<br />
Association, and Shriners<br />
Children’s.<br />
The winners will be announced<br />
during Burn Prevention<br />
Week, which runs<br />
from Feb. 4 to Feb. 10,<br />
2024. This year’s grand<br />
prize is a digital video camera<br />
for the winning students’<br />
school, courtesy of<br />
the Massachusetts Property<br />
Insurance Underwriters<br />
Association. The secondplace<br />
team will share $100<br />
in gift cards from Best Buy,<br />
courtesy of Shriners Children’s.<br />
The third-place<br />
team will share $50 in gift<br />
cards from Best Buy courtesy<br />
of Shriners Children’s.<br />
The contest is open to<br />
students in grades 9-12<br />
who are enrolled in Massachusetts<br />
schools. Submissions<br />
must be from<br />
school-sponsored communications<br />
courses or<br />
extra-curricular groups.<br />
Communications teachers<br />
or faculty sponsors are<br />
required to review and approve<br />
all storyboards before<br />
filming starts.<br />
Videos should explore<br />
burn prevention topics in<br />
one to three minutes. They<br />
should be well researched,<br />
educational, and informative,<br />
and they must not<br />
demonstrate risky or unsafe<br />
behavior. Fire may<br />
only be depicted through<br />
royalty-free stock footage,<br />
and not through images<br />
recorded by students.<br />
For the complete contest<br />
rules, scoring rubric,<br />
and submission form, visit<br />
https://www.mass.gov/<br />
info-details/high-schoolburn-awareness-videocontest.
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 19<br />
Sports<br />
KP Girls Soccer Team Aiming for Long Playoff Run<br />
By Ken Hamwey<br />
Staff Sports Writer<br />
The King Philip girls soccer<br />
team was No. 10 in the MIAA<br />
power rankings at Local Town<br />
Pages deadline and it was No. 6<br />
in the Boston Globe’s statewide<br />
ratings. Those numbers suggest<br />
that coach Gary Pichel and his<br />
Warriors are well-positioned for<br />
what could be a lengthy run in<br />
the playoffs.<br />
KP’s overall record at the paper’s<br />
deadline was 11-3, numbers<br />
that put the Warriors in a tie with<br />
Franklin for the Kelley Rex Division<br />
title. KP’s three losses were<br />
to Hingham, the defending Division<br />
1 state champion, Bishop<br />
Feehan and Franklin.<br />
“Our goals at the start of the<br />
season were to develop impact<br />
players, win the division crown<br />
and aim for a state championship,’’<br />
said Pichel who’s guided<br />
the Warriors into the playoffs in<br />
10 of his 11 seasons at the helm.<br />
The veteran coach, who earlier<br />
in his career led Nipmuc<br />
Regional to a pair of state championships<br />
in 2005 and 2006,<br />
admits his goals are lofty but realistic.<br />
“To win a state title a team<br />
needs to be skilled and have great<br />
team chemistry,’’ Pichel noted.<br />
“And, a little luck also helps.’’<br />
The Warriors, who have eight<br />
starters back from last year, are<br />
skilled and their team chemistry<br />
is terrific. But, they also possess<br />
other key strengths. “The girls<br />
have a high soccer IQ, they’re<br />
fundamentally sound, their mental<br />
toughness helps them to be resilient,<br />
they’re athletic and have<br />
a strong will to succeed,’’ Pichel<br />
said.<br />
KP’s captains personify the<br />
team’s attributes for success and<br />
Pichel says they all lead by example.<br />
They include seniors Heidi<br />
Lawrence (striker) and Rylie Wesley<br />
(defender) and juniors Addisyn<br />
Lamothe-Vaughn (defender)<br />
and Rhianna Mason (defender).<br />
“Besides leading by example, our<br />
captains all speak up, are supportive<br />
and set the tone for our<br />
younger players,’’ Pichel said.<br />
Lawrence is the team’s leading<br />
scorer with 19 goals and 8<br />
assists. “Heidi is one of our fastest<br />
players and she has a strong<br />
desire to keep improving,’’ Pichel<br />
said. “She fires a well-developed<br />
The <strong>2023</strong> King Philip girls soccer team hopes to go deep in the state tournament.<br />
Coach Gary Pichel has set some<br />
lofty goals for the King Philip girls<br />
soccer team.<br />
accurate shot with either foot.”<br />
Wesley, whose speed and skills<br />
made her a top-notch defender,<br />
suffered a season-ending injury<br />
in KP’s third match of the<br />
season. “Unfortunately, we lost<br />
Rylie in our match against Oliver<br />
Ames,’’ Pichel offered. “She<br />
was in a collision on defense and<br />
fractured her ankle.’’<br />
Lamothe-Vaughn and Mason<br />
are not only leaders, but also<br />
prime-time defenders. “Addisyn<br />
has been recruited to play at Division<br />
1 Iona,’’ Pichel revealed.<br />
“An offensive outside back, she’s<br />
got great endurance and is skilled<br />
in containing opposing players.<br />
She’s also one of the best slide<br />
tacklers I’ve coached. Rhianna<br />
wears her heart on her sleeve.<br />
She’s passionate about the sport<br />
and she’s a motivating force in<br />
the defensive zone.’’<br />
Two juniors — center forward<br />
Dani Lomuscio and forward/<br />
striker Mikayla Thompson —<br />
have been dynamic contributors.<br />
At Local Town Pages deadline,<br />
Lomuscio had 9 goals and 8 assists<br />
and Thompson had 10 goals<br />
and 7 assists.<br />
“Dani is one of the greatest allaround<br />
players I’ve coached, ‘’ Pichel<br />
said. “She can play defense,<br />
midfield and any offensive position.<br />
She’s got a high soccer IQ<br />
and is one of the hardest workers<br />
on the team. Mikayla has played<br />
soccer most of her life and mostly<br />
as a defender. She’s got great offensive<br />
skills, speed and strength,<br />
and she can finish a play.’’<br />
Pichel labels junior Ally Pochay<br />
(center back) and senior Ally<br />
Smith (outside back) as “pleasant<br />
surprises.’’<br />
“Ally Pochay can be one of the<br />
premier backs in the Hockomock<br />
League,’’ he emphasized. “She’s<br />
got outstanding quickness and<br />
tenacity. Ally Smith is consistent,<br />
hard-working and underrated.<br />
Starting with her sophomore season,<br />
she’s improved every year.’’<br />
Sophomore goalie Lauren<br />
O’Bara had a 0.71 goals-against<br />
average and 8 shutouts at Local<br />
Town Pages deadline. “Lauren<br />
was our backup keeper late last<br />
year,’’ Pichel noted. “She got<br />
into a playoff game last year and<br />
played well. Her punting average<br />
is 50 yards. A natural athlete,<br />
she’s got quick hands and is instinctive.’’<br />
Three midfielders — seniors<br />
Eilish McGowan and Kylie<br />
Menendez and junior Bridget<br />
Scott — have played key roles<br />
and excelled in transition.<br />
“Eilish is a feisty left-footed<br />
offensive weapon,’’ Pichel said.<br />
“She’s got a cannon for a shot.<br />
Kylie has good field vision and is<br />
a great play-maker. Bridget is aggressive<br />
and tenacious and has a<br />
long-ball shot.’’<br />
The 65-year-old Pichel relies<br />
on an athletic philosophy<br />
that combines winning, reaching<br />
one’s potential and having<br />
fun. “Those ingredients are all<br />
related,’’ he said. “If a player enjoys<br />
competing and is having fun,<br />
then she’ll reach her potential<br />
and that leads to winning.’’<br />
Life lessons can be learned<br />
in sports and Pichel hopes soccer<br />
has taught his players some<br />
valuable tenets going forward.<br />
“Sports teach athletes how to<br />
overcome adversity, how to be<br />
good teammates and how to<br />
solve problems,’’ he offered.<br />
“Other good lessons are how to<br />
build relationships, how to manage<br />
time and how to sharpen<br />
one’s work ethic.’’<br />
Pichel, a native of Springfield<br />
who was raised in Milford, favors<br />
an up-tempo, aggressive style.<br />
“We’ll be aggressive no matter<br />
what our opponents’ strategy<br />
might be,’’ he said.<br />
Tourney time has arrived and<br />
Pichel knows that being flexible,<br />
adjusting on the fly and staying<br />
healthy are crucial to a deep<br />
playoff run. His best playoff advance<br />
came in 2017 when KP<br />
lost to Westford Academy in the<br />
state semifinals.<br />
<strong>November</strong> is an important<br />
time of the year for KP girls<br />
soccer. Its coach and its players<br />
are aware there’s been a 22-year<br />
drought since the Warriors last<br />
won a state title in 2001.<br />
The <strong>2023</strong> season, however,<br />
could be very special and very<br />
memorable for the program.
Page 20 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Coming in December! Reservation deadline is <strong>November</strong> 13th!<br />
Holiday Guide<br />
and<br />
Kids Activity Pages<br />
Local Events!<br />
Recipes to make<br />
with the kids!<br />
Songs! Games!<br />
Coloring Pages!<br />
Jokes!<br />
And More!<br />
Reserve your space today<br />
by contacting Jen Schofield<br />
at 508-570-6544 or by email at<br />
jenschofield@localtownpages.com<br />
localtownpages
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 21<br />
Good Deeds: We Remember Our Veterans<br />
By William P. O’Donnell<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> County Register<br />
of Deeds<br />
Many Americans will never<br />
know what it is like to serve in<br />
the armed forces, risking lives<br />
for our country and facing the<br />
harsh realities of combat. The<br />
men and women who choose to<br />
join the military make incredible<br />
sacrifices, leaving behind their<br />
families and putting their own<br />
lives on the line to protect our<br />
freedom and way of life. This is<br />
something that we, as Americans,<br />
can sometimes take for granted.<br />
However, it is important to recognize<br />
and appreciate the immense<br />
courage and dedication<br />
that these individuals possess.<br />
Having worked with the Veteran<br />
Affairs Boston Healthcare<br />
System in Brockton, West Roxbury,<br />
and Jamaica Plain through<br />
the “Suits for Success” program,<br />
I have seen first-hand how much<br />
it means to veterans when we do<br />
show our appreciation for their<br />
selflessness and commitment to<br />
serving our nation and recognize<br />
the sacrifices they and their fellow<br />
veterans have made for our<br />
collective well-being. It is our<br />
duty as citizens to honor and support<br />
our military members in any<br />
way we can.<br />
On Wednesday, <strong>November</strong> 8,<br />
the <strong>Norfolk</strong> County Registry of<br />
Deeds will celebrate the veterans<br />
of <strong>Norfolk</strong> County with an open<br />
house and the release of our<br />
third volume of Notable Lands<br />
Records titled “We Remember<br />
Our Veterans.” The open house<br />
will run from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.<br />
at the Registry of Deeds in Dedham.<br />
Admission is free and each<br />
person attending will receive a<br />
copy of the booklet.<br />
This edition of Notable Lands<br />
Records is a tribute to the brave<br />
men and women of <strong>Norfolk</strong><br />
County, from the Revolutionary<br />
War to present-day peacekeepers.<br />
The booklet features detailed<br />
stories of veterans throughout<br />
the 28 communities that make<br />
up <strong>Norfolk</strong> County. These individuals<br />
have led remarkable lives:<br />
Diabetes on a Budget<br />
Milford Regional Physician<br />
Group and Milford Regional<br />
Medical Center will present a<br />
class on diabetes management<br />
on Thursday, <strong>November</strong> 2 at<br />
7:30 p.m. The class will be held<br />
at Milford Regional Medical<br />
Center, 14 Prospect St., Milford.<br />
This free class will discuss<br />
how expensive treating diabetes<br />
can be and how the cost<br />
of testing your sugars, eating<br />
healthy and buying medications<br />
adds up quickly. However, wellcontrolled<br />
diabetes is less likely<br />
to have costly health complications.<br />
This class will also discuss<br />
new technology covered by<br />
some insurance that makes<br />
caring for yourself easier. Registered<br />
dietician Christina<br />
Morrison and registered nurse<br />
Caron Grupposo will share<br />
several are Medal of Honor recipients;<br />
one was an experimental<br />
aircraft pilot; another served<br />
in three wars. The booklet outlines<br />
a history of the military<br />
branches as well as the four<br />
United States Presidents born in<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> County who served as<br />
commander-in-chief.<br />
There will be much to celebrate<br />
that evening. Patriotic<br />
music will fill the air. Guests can<br />
stroll the Registry’s Great Hall<br />
and view the fascinating storyboards<br />
detailing the history<br />
of the various branches of the<br />
armed services, the contributions<br />
of veterans, and the significant<br />
ways a grateful nation<br />
honors its veterans. There is also<br />
a storyboard that lists the <strong>Norfolk</strong><br />
County Medal of Honor recipients.<br />
If you have any questions<br />
about the event, please contact<br />
Jonathan Thomas at (781) 234-<br />
3305 or by email at jthomas@<br />
norfolkdeeds.org. The Registry<br />
of Deeds is located at 649 High<br />
Street in Dedham Center.<br />
some tips and tricks to help you<br />
save money while taking care of<br />
your health.<br />
Pre-registration is required<br />
as seating is limited. View milfordregional.org<br />
and select Classes<br />
and Events on the homepage or<br />
call 508-422-2827. Additional<br />
information will be provided to<br />
attendees via email prior to the<br />
date of the class.<br />
Encore Students to<br />
Receive Regional Gold<br />
Medals in New York City<br />
Encore Music Academy and<br />
Recording Studios, located in<br />
Franklin, MA, is proud to announce<br />
that two students have<br />
been awarded Regional Gold<br />
Medals of Excellence for academic<br />
year 20022-<strong>2023</strong> from the<br />
Royal Conservatory of Music<br />
Certificate Program. To achieve<br />
this award, students must have<br />
attained the single highest score<br />
for their level on their instrument<br />
in the region which includes the<br />
following states: MA, RI, CT,<br />
ME, VT, NH, NY, NJ, PA, DE,<br />
MD, and WV.<br />
Congratulations to the following<br />
students and their instructors<br />
for the talent, hard work, dedication,<br />
and perseverance it takes<br />
to achieve such a tremendous<br />
honor:<br />
Amelia Piercy, 16, Franklin,<br />
student of Carl Scheinman,<br />
Level 4 saxophone<br />
Sunehri Verma, 15, Franklin,<br />
student of Lisa Ostrow, Level 6<br />
voice<br />
As a result of their tremendous<br />
achievement, these students<br />
have been invited to perform at<br />
the annual Celebration of Excellence<br />
in New York City on January,<br />
28, 2024!<br />
Sponsored articles are submitted by<br />
our advertisers. The advertiser is solely<br />
responsible for the content of this article.<br />
Save the Date for<br />
Candy Give-Back<br />
The <strong>Norfolk</strong> Community League (NCL) will hold its annual<br />
Halloween candy give-back event on Monday, <strong>November</strong> 6<br />
from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Freeman Kennedy School’s loop road, 70<br />
Boardman St. in <strong>Norfolk</strong>.<br />
NCL is also looking for high<br />
school student volunteers<br />
to help man the event<br />
and earn service hours.<br />
Contact Laura Joyal at<br />
president@norfolkcl.org<br />
for more information.<br />
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Page 22 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Dean College Football to<br />
Join MASCAC in 2025<br />
The Massachusetts State<br />
Collegiate Athletic Conference<br />
(MASCAC) Council of Presidents<br />
and Commissioner Angela<br />
Baumann are excited to<br />
announce the addition of Dean<br />
College as a football affiliate beginning<br />
during the 2025 season.<br />
Dean will join Anna Maria<br />
College, Bridgewater State<br />
University, Fitchburg State<br />
University, Framingham State<br />
University, Massachusetts Maritime<br />
Academy, Plymouth State<br />
University, UMass Dartmouth,<br />
Vermont State University-Castleton,<br />
Western Connecticut,<br />
Westfield State University and<br />
Worcester State University as<br />
football programs in the MAS-<br />
CAC.<br />
“The MASCAC and the<br />
Council of Presidents are<br />
delighted to welcome Dean<br />
College to the conference in<br />
football,” MASCAC Council<br />
of Presidents Chair and Salem<br />
State University President John<br />
Keenan said. “It strengthens<br />
our conference footprint and<br />
the conference brand. We look<br />
forward to enhancing studentathlete<br />
opportunities.”<br />
“This is a momentous time<br />
for the MASCAC as we further<br />
solidify our competing teams<br />
in the sport of football,” Commissioner<br />
Baumann said. “We<br />
are excited to welcome a Massachusetts<br />
team like Dean to the<br />
MASCAC and look forward to<br />
the kickoff of a long-term football<br />
partnership with us beginning<br />
in 2025.”<br />
The Dean College football<br />
program is led by 2007 alumnus<br />
Andrae Murphy who is in<br />
his second year at the helm.<br />
The team last won a conference<br />
championship in 2019<br />
and played in the New England<br />
Bowl. The program, along with<br />
the rest of Dean’s athletic teams,<br />
officially joined the NCAA in<br />
the fall of 2020 as a full member.<br />
“While we have cherished<br />
our time in the ECFC, join-<br />
MASCAC<br />
continued on page 23<br />
Celebrate the Holidays with<br />
FPAC Holiday Productions<br />
FPAC Holiday Productions<br />
will present two shows as part of<br />
its annual holiday season. December<br />
kicks off with the holiday<br />
classic: The Nutcracker, presented<br />
December 2 and 3 at the Franklin<br />
High School Auditorium.<br />
Experience all the festive magic<br />
and colorful splendor of The Nutcracker<br />
as FPAC stages its cherished<br />
annual production of the<br />
holiday classic with live orchestra<br />
conducted by Austin Davy, special<br />
guest artists and more than<br />
100 area dancers. The Nutcracker<br />
remains a highly anticipated<br />
and treasured part of the FPAC<br />
season - a popular holiday tradition<br />
for more than 20 years. The<br />
world-famous ballet, set to Tchaikovsky’s<br />
beloved score, delights<br />
the imaginations of audiences<br />
young and old with a professional<br />
production at a reasonable<br />
price. The production is staged<br />
by Cheryl Madeux of American<br />
Ballet Theatre, Hartford Ballet,<br />
and Joffrey Ballet. Madeux is<br />
currently director of BalletFranklin-<br />
the ballet conservatory at the<br />
NEW<br />
CONSTRUCTION<br />
VILLAGE ON THE GREEN in HOLLISTON<br />
NOW<br />
ACCEPTING<br />
RESERVATIONS!<br />
Schedule<br />
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CALL 774-217-2072 or<br />
EMAIL votgholliston@gmail.com<br />
Franklin School for the Performing<br />
Arts.<br />
Lucy Stewart of Complexions<br />
Contemporary Ballet will<br />
appear as The Sugar Plum Fairy.<br />
Stewart grew up in a suburb of<br />
Denver, Colorado, where she<br />
spent her early years dancing at<br />
a small studio in the mountains<br />
and then at Colorado Ballet.<br />
Originally training in all forms<br />
of dance, her primary areas of<br />
study included ballet, contemporary<br />
and jazz. She spent her<br />
summers training with American<br />
Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey<br />
Ballet, COMPLEXIONS, and<br />
Colorado Ballet. Lucy has studied<br />
the last two years at The Juilliard<br />
School in the dance division<br />
where she had the opportunity to<br />
study with various leading artists<br />
in the dance world, including<br />
Ohad Naharin, Tiler Peck, Rena<br />
Butler, and James Whiteside, as<br />
well as the opportunity to perform<br />
Set and Reset by Trisha<br />
Brown. For the last several years,<br />
Lucy studied regularly with John<br />
Gardner and Amanda McKerrow<br />
from ABT.<br />
Jacopo Calvo, also of Complexions<br />
Contemporary Ballet,<br />
will join Stewart as her Cavalier.<br />
Calvo was born in Asti, Italy. He<br />
began his dance training at the<br />
age of 11 at his hometown school,<br />
Ritmo Danza. At 18, he moved<br />
to NYC where he attended The<br />
Ailey School on scholarship. He<br />
has worked with choreographers<br />
such as Marcus Jarrell Willis,<br />
Brice Mousset, Ray Mercer, Earl<br />
Mosley, Francesca Harper, and<br />
artist Nick Cave in The Let Go<br />
at the Park Avenue Armory. He<br />
has attended summer intensives<br />
with American Ballet Theater<br />
and Complexions Contemporary<br />
Ballet, and RESET 2021 with<br />
Studio Wayne McGregor. Jacopo<br />
has performed with Alvin Ailey<br />
American Dance Theater for<br />
their 60th Anniversary Season<br />
in Memoria at New York City<br />
Center and for the Ailey Spirit<br />
Gala. This is his 2nd season with<br />
Complexions.<br />
FPAC Holiday Productions are<br />
presented at the Franklin High<br />
School Auditorium. For tickets<br />
and more information, visit www.<br />
FPAConline.com or call the box<br />
office at 508-528-3370.<br />
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 23<br />
Craft Fair Set for<br />
<strong>November</strong> 18<br />
The 48th annual Franklin Newcomers & Friends Craft<br />
Fair will be held on Saturday, <strong>November</strong> 18, from 9 a.m. to<br />
3 p.m. at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High<br />
School, 147 Pond St., Franklin.<br />
This popular and well-established event features handcrafted<br />
items by artisans from throughout New England.<br />
Browse and shop a great selection of items for the home<br />
and gift-giving, including specialty foods and more.<br />
The entry fee is $3 for 12 years of age and older. Donations<br />
for the Franklin Food Pantry are welcome.<br />
Questions? Email franklincraftfair@gmail.com. For more<br />
information about the Newcomers, visit the group on Facebook.<br />
“Celebrate <strong>Wrentham</strong> 350” at<br />
the Franklin Historical Museum<br />
The Franklin Historical Museum will host neighbors<br />
and friends from <strong>Wrentham</strong> for its Second<br />
Sunday Speaker Series on <strong>November</strong> 12. Doors<br />
open at 1 p.m. and the presentation starts at 1:15.<br />
Admission is always free.<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong> has had a yearlong celebration of the<br />
incorporation of the town in 1673. Ed Goddard,<br />
head of the <strong>Wrentham</strong> 350 Committee, will share<br />
information on the committee formation, fundraising,<br />
merchandising, and events over the past year.<br />
Celebrations have included a brunch at the Senior<br />
Center, St. Patrick’s Day party, William Sweatt<br />
Day, the town’s birthday party on the common, a<br />
Grand Parade, a time capsule burial, and the upcoming<br />
Gala Ball in December at Lake Pearl Luciano’s.<br />
Goddard will present photos of the various<br />
events, and share lessons learned as well as the ins<br />
and outs of planning the momentous year.<br />
Historians know Franklin was once part of<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong>, known as <strong>Wrentham</strong>’s Western Precinct,<br />
before breaking off and establishing Franklin<br />
in 1778. This event will be of interest to all who<br />
want to wish our <strong>Wrentham</strong> neighbors a Happy<br />
Birthday and specifically to any civic-minded folks<br />
from Franklin interested in learning more about<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong>’s celebration as we look ahead to our<br />
250th in five years’ time.<br />
When attending a museum event, please consider<br />
donating a non-perishable food item to be collected<br />
at the museum and donated to the Franklin<br />
Food Pantry.<br />
<strong>November</strong> Program Highlights at the <strong>Norfolk</strong> Senior Center<br />
RSVP to 508-528-4430 or<br />
register at the <strong>Norfolk</strong> Senior<br />
Center, 28 Medway Branch<br />
Road, <strong>Norfolk</strong>. For a full list of<br />
activities, visit the Senior Center<br />
page on the town’s website: norfolk.ma.us.<br />
Tuesday, <strong>November</strong> 7 from<br />
noon to 2 p.m. Nicky’s Lunch Trip<br />
Meet us for lunch at Nicky’s Family<br />
Dining, 460 Franklin Street in<br />
<strong>Wrentham</strong>. RSVP by <strong>November</strong><br />
3 so that we can reserve tables.<br />
Tuesday, <strong>November</strong> 7 from<br />
1 to 4 p.m. Health and Wellness<br />
Vendor Fair Over 20 local agencies<br />
and companies will present<br />
MASCAC<br />
continued from page 22<br />
information. Get flu shots and<br />
health screenings, as well as eye<br />
screenings with the Lions’ eye<br />
mobile. There will be free giveaways,<br />
complimentary massages,<br />
and numerous raffles. Hosted<br />
by Metacomet Public Health<br />
Nurses.<br />
Wednesday, <strong>November</strong> 8 from<br />
noon to 2 p.m. Veterans Appreciation<br />
Luncheon Join us for a<br />
celebration to honor and recognize<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> veterans. Luncheon<br />
of roasted turkey dinner with fixings<br />
and sides as well as dessert<br />
is provided by the Friends. Resident<br />
Phil Salamone will sing and<br />
ing the MASCAC represents a<br />
great opportunity for the next<br />
phase of our football program,”<br />
said Dean College President<br />
Kenneth Elmore, J.D. “With its<br />
deep-rooted traditions, storied<br />
history, and competitive landscape,<br />
this is an ideal union for<br />
our student-athletes.”<br />
“Dean College is thrilled to<br />
become an affiliate member in<br />
the MASCAC for the sport of<br />
Football,” said Dean College Director<br />
of Athletics George Martin.<br />
“We would like to thank the<br />
MASCAC President’s Council<br />
and Commissioner Baumann<br />
for the invitation to join this<br />
group of outstanding institutions,<br />
and we are honored to<br />
accept. Beginning in the fall of<br />
2025, our student-athletes will<br />
benefit from this new partnership,<br />
and we will look forward to<br />
joining in the spirited competition<br />
this conference has exhibited<br />
for many years.”<br />
Dean College is a private,<br />
residential New England college<br />
grounded in a culture and tradition<br />
that all students deserve the<br />
opportunity for academic and<br />
personal success. A uniquely<br />
supportive community for more<br />
than 150 years, Dean has woven<br />
together extensive student support<br />
and engagement with<br />
exceptional teaching and innovative<br />
campus activities. Our<br />
graduates are lifetime learners<br />
who thrive in their careers, embrace<br />
social responsibility and<br />
demonstrate leadership. This is<br />
The Dean Difference.<br />
The Massachusetts State<br />
Collegiate Athletic Conference,<br />
the nation’s oldest Division III<br />
men’s and women’s playing conference,<br />
has a rich and storied<br />
tradition of competitive success<br />
lead us in patriotic songs. Special<br />
guest appearances by State<br />
Representative Marcus Vaughn<br />
and Legion member Lori Scholl.<br />
Masters of Ceremony are veteran<br />
residents Bill Crane and<br />
Duane Weiss. There will be raffle<br />
prizes including an American<br />
Flag blanket. Lunch free for <strong>Norfolk</strong><br />
veterans. Cost: $2 for Friends<br />
members and $5 for non-members.<br />
RSVP required.<br />
Monday, <strong>November</strong> 13 from<br />
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. <strong>Wrentham</strong><br />
Outlet Holiday Shopping Trip<br />
Get your holiday shopping in<br />
early before the rush. RSVP by<br />
while celebrating excellence in<br />
the classroom. MASCAC member<br />
schools include Bridgewater<br />
State University, Fitchburg<br />
State University, Framingham<br />
State University, MCLA, Massachusetts<br />
Maritime Academy,<br />
Salem State University, Westfield<br />
State University and Worcester<br />
State University. Two other<br />
institutions, the University of<br />
Massachusetts Dartmouth and<br />
Plymouth State University, are<br />
affiliate members of the conference<br />
in the sports of football and<br />
men’s ice hockey, while Western<br />
Connecticut State University<br />
joined the conference as a football<br />
affiliate member in 2013<br />
and Vermont State University-<br />
Castleton in 2024. Springfield<br />
College joined as a men’s golf affiliate<br />
in 2019. Anna Maria College<br />
will join the conference as<br />
the ninth core member in 2025.<br />
<strong>November</strong> 9 for a ride from the<br />
Senior Center.<br />
Tuesday, <strong>November</strong> 14 at 10<br />
a.m. Town Clerk Meet & Greet<br />
Besides administering elections,<br />
what does the <strong>Norfolk</strong> Town<br />
Clerk do? Meet Carol Greene<br />
and ask all your questions. RSVP<br />
required.<br />
Thursday, <strong>November</strong> 16 at<br />
2 p.m. Before the Mayflower<br />
Presented by Paolo DiGregorio.<br />
The Mayflower arrived in Plymouth<br />
403 years ago and marked<br />
a collision of cultures, peoples,<br />
and worlds. But what happened<br />
before that fateful journey? This<br />
lecture will explore the world of<br />
native New England, Puritan<br />
England, and the road to 1620.<br />
Presenter Paolo is a historian/archaeologist/educator<br />
with a passion<br />
for telling the stories of our<br />
past. RSVP required.<br />
Tuesday, <strong>November</strong> 21 from<br />
1 to 2:30 p.m. Thanksgiving<br />
Cornucopia Arrangements <strong>Norfolk</strong><br />
Garden Club member Rick<br />
will lead us in making beautiful<br />
Thanksgiving cornucopias with<br />
a liner and oasis. We will use live<br />
greens, flowers, artificial decorations,<br />
and a holiday ribbon. Bring<br />
a pair of sharp scissors, rose bush<br />
type cutters, and a small bottle<br />
of water. Space limited. RSVP<br />
required.
Page 24 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
FPAC to Present Hilarious<br />
Comedy Buyer & Cellar Starring<br />
Paul Rescigno<br />
The Franklin Performing Arts<br />
Company (FPAC) will continue<br />
their <strong>2023</strong>-24 season with the<br />
hilarious comedy Buyer & Cellar<br />
starring Paul Rescigno <strong>November</strong><br />
17-19 at THE BLACK<br />
BOX. Directed by Nick Paone.<br />
Alex Moore has a story to tell.<br />
A struggling actor in L.A., he<br />
takes a job working in the Malibu<br />
basement of a beloved megastar.<br />
One day, the Lady Herself<br />
comes downstairs to play. It feels<br />
like real bonding in the basement,<br />
but will their relationship<br />
ever make it upstairs? Buyer &<br />
Cellar is an outrageous comedy<br />
about the price of fame, the cost<br />
of things, and the oddest of odd<br />
jobs. Winner of the 2014–2015<br />
Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding<br />
Solo Show.<br />
Paul Rescigno is a Los Angeles<br />
based actor who has previously<br />
performed on the FPAC<br />
stage in Something Rotten! (Nigel),<br />
The Drowsy Chaperone (Gangster<br />
2), and Sweeney Todd (Pirelli). He<br />
has written for The Late Show with<br />
David Letterman and appeared<br />
on TV in The Resident (FOX),<br />
The Other Two (HBO Max), Odd<br />
Mom Out (Bravo), Late Show with<br />
David Letterman (CBS), Unbreakable<br />
Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), Mozart<br />
in the Jungle (Amazon), Black Box<br />
(ABC). His theater credits include<br />
Boats And…, The Boys From<br />
Syracuse, and The Comedy of Errors.<br />
Rescigno studied at Shakespeare’s<br />
Globe in London and<br />
holds a BFA in Acting from Syracuse<br />
University. Along with his<br />
twin brother Robbie, he writes<br />
and performs their award-winning<br />
comedy show The Rescignos.<br />
FPAC is an Actors’ Equity<br />
Small Professional Theater company<br />
based at THE BLACK<br />
BOX in downtown Franklin.<br />
Each season, FPAC produces<br />
musicals, plays, ballets, and more<br />
featuring Broadway stars, professional<br />
actors, local artists, and<br />
students of the arts. Later this<br />
season, FPAC will present Bright<br />
Star, an immersive Tarzan starring<br />
Broadway’s original Tarzan<br />
Josh Strickland, and August: Osage<br />
County.<br />
Content Warning: Buyer &<br />
Cellar contains some strong<br />
language. Buyer & Cellar runs<br />
<strong>November</strong> 17-19 at THE<br />
BLACK BOX. For tickets<br />
and more information, visit<br />
FPAConline.com or call the box<br />
office at 508-528-3370.<br />
Nov. Event Highlights<br />
at the First Universalist<br />
Society in Franklin<br />
Unexpected Changes: An Existentialist<br />
Perspective<br />
Existentialism is the philosophy that life is what we<br />
make of it. Life, however, has a way of changing our<br />
plans when we least expect it. FUSF lay member Ann<br />
Parsley will talk about what it’s like to be an existentialist<br />
atheist, how that philosophy can help when things go<br />
wrong, and why an existentialist atheist might choose to<br />
join a UU church. Program will be held on <strong>November</strong> 5<br />
at 10 a.m.<br />
The Chestnut Street Review Variety Show<br />
The “Chestnut Street Review” is back after a two-year<br />
hiatus. The FUSF Community prides itself on its musical<br />
and artistic talent, and invites everyone to this jampacked<br />
evening of music, singing, storytelling and more.<br />
There will be something for all families and the young at<br />
heart to enjoy. Program will be held on <strong>November</strong> 11<br />
from 7 to 9 p.m. Desserts will be available. $10/person<br />
and $25/family.<br />
The First Universalist Society in Franklin (FUSF) is<br />
located at 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin. For more information,<br />
email info@fusf.org or call 508-528-5348. FUSF<br />
is a Unitarian Universalist Welcoming Congregation.
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 25<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> County’s Most<br />
Expensive Real Estate<br />
Sales 3rd Quarter of <strong>2023</strong><br />
During the summer of <strong>2023</strong>,<br />
ten properties, a mix of commercial<br />
and residential, sold for<br />
more than $11,000,000, with an<br />
average price of $34,887,000.<br />
These properties were sold during<br />
the period of July 31 through<br />
September 20.<br />
The ten properties were:<br />
10. 108 Bodwell Street, Avon,<br />
a 49,090-square-foot industrial<br />
warehouse built<br />
in 1970 on 6.33 acres of<br />
land, sold in August for<br />
$11,250,000.<br />
9. 85 John Road, Canton, a<br />
435,600-square-foot research<br />
and development<br />
facility on 10 acres, sold in<br />
August for $22,750,000.<br />
8. 206 Grove Street, Franklin,<br />
a 150,000-square-foot<br />
warehouse and distribution<br />
facility, sold in July for<br />
$28,000,000.<br />
7. Wheeler Circle, Stoughton,<br />
the 280-unit, 809-<br />
room apartment complex,<br />
known as Stone Ends<br />
Apartments, sold in July<br />
for $28,972,000.<br />
6. 176 Grove Street, Franklin,<br />
a 171,000-square-foot<br />
freight transportation<br />
center and warehouse,<br />
was sold in May for<br />
$29,500,000.<br />
5. 25 & 40 Kenwood Circle,<br />
Franklin, A multi-building<br />
storage and distribution<br />
center with a combined<br />
200,000 square feet of<br />
space was sold in July<br />
to Boston Infill LLC for<br />
$37,500,000.<br />
4. 57 Littlefield, Avon, the<br />
“Avon Business Center,”<br />
a multi-building rental<br />
unit complex for industrial<br />
companies and small<br />
businesses, in July for<br />
$47,250,000.<br />
3. Finnell Drive Industrial<br />
Park, the 5-building,<br />
246,625-square-foot industrial<br />
park located in<br />
Weymouth, sold on the<br />
last day of August for<br />
$51,000,000.<br />
2. Walpole Mall, which sits<br />
on 31 acres of land along<br />
the Boston Providence<br />
Highway, sold in July for<br />
$71,950,000 to LCR Walpole<br />
LLC.<br />
1. 29, 39, & 51 Trotter Road,<br />
Weymouth, known as the<br />
MIO Apartments, an upscale<br />
residential studio<br />
apartment complex, sold<br />
in July for $94,600,000.<br />
The top sales appear to have<br />
been a combination of apartment<br />
complexes, retail, industrial<br />
and warehouse space, and<br />
distribution facilities.<br />
“The industrial and commercial<br />
nature of these developments<br />
bodes well for the <strong>Norfolk</strong><br />
County economy, both in terms<br />
of employment and revenue,”<br />
said <strong>Norfolk</strong> County Register<br />
of Deeds William P. O’Donnell.<br />
“This also indicates that <strong>Norfolk</strong><br />
County is not only a desirable<br />
place to both live and work but<br />
is also a magnet for business, industry,<br />
and trade.”<br />
Excise taxes from these<br />
10 sales totaled more than<br />
$1,927,000 for the state and<br />
county.<br />
“Despite the overall decline in<br />
activity throughout the county,<br />
there are still pockets of the<br />
market here in <strong>Norfolk</strong> County<br />
that are seeing growth and stability,<br />
particularly in commercial<br />
real estate and certain neighborhoods<br />
and property types,”<br />
noted Register O’Donnell.<br />
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Page 26 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
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Monthly Property Sales Slump in September<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> County recordings in<br />
September <strong>2023</strong> show a significant<br />
decline in the total number<br />
of property sales compared to<br />
September 2022 recordings.<br />
This decline can be attributed to<br />
a limited inventory of new and<br />
existing property for sale and a<br />
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to struggle with higher interest<br />
rates relative to what they were<br />
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said Register of Deeds William<br />
P. O’Donnell. “Moreover, the<br />
higher interest rates have made<br />
it more challenging for potential<br />
homeowners, especially<br />
first-time homebuyers, to secure<br />
affordable financing options,<br />
further dampening the demand<br />
for properties.”<br />
The total number of deeds<br />
recorded for September <strong>2023</strong>,<br />
which reflects both commercial<br />
and residential real estate sales<br />
and transfers, was 1251, down<br />
12% from September 2022 and<br />
down 1% from August. However,<br />
this number also includes<br />
transfers of property within<br />
families and other non-market<br />
transactions. The total number<br />
of actual property sales for<br />
September was 668, down 21%<br />
from last year and down 5%<br />
from last month.<br />
“Property prices dropped<br />
significantly in September compared<br />
to last year, and the number<br />
of property transactions was<br />
also down, which may suggest<br />
that the property price alone is<br />
not the sole factor contributing<br />
to the decrease in the number of<br />
deeds recorded at the Registry,”<br />
said Register O’Donnell.<br />
The average sale price of<br />
commercial and residential<br />
properties for September <strong>2023</strong><br />
fell to $864,251, a 20% decrease<br />
compared to September 2022<br />
and a decrease of 29% from<br />
August <strong>2023</strong>. The total dollar<br />
volume of commercial and residential<br />
sales is down, decreasing<br />
37% from last year and 44%<br />
from last month.<br />
“Seasoned homebuyers are<br />
doubly affected by current market<br />
conditions, as they not only<br />
face higher borrowing costs<br />
but also have limited options to<br />
choose from. Additionally, with<br />
home loan interest rates exceeding<br />
7%, these same homeowners<br />
are also less likely to refinance,<br />
leading to a decrease in the<br />
number of mortgages being recorded,”<br />
said O’Donnell.<br />
For the month of August,<br />
lending activity overall continued<br />
to decline from last year. A<br />
total of 1,174 mortgages were<br />
recorded, which is 31% less than<br />
last year and 5% less than last<br />
month.<br />
“Those who took advantage<br />
of the lower interest rates<br />
in 2020 and 2021 are also less<br />
likely to refinance at current<br />
rates, and with property sales<br />
going down, this results in a<br />
more pronounced decline in<br />
the number of mortgages recorded,”<br />
said O’Donnell. “For<br />
individuals who are struggling<br />
to keep up with payments now,<br />
refinancing at a higher interest<br />
rate is not going to help, which is<br />
one factor contributing to the increase<br />
in notices to foreclose and<br />
foreclosure deeds. Also, many<br />
potential sellers who would need<br />
to borrow to purchase a new<br />
property have elected not to sell<br />
given the higher interest rates.”<br />
The <strong>Norfolk</strong> County Registry<br />
of Deeds continues to closely<br />
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continued on page 27<br />
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<strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Find us on Facebook | <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Town News Page 27<br />
SALES<br />
continued from page 26<br />
monitor the foreclosure market.<br />
In September <strong>2023</strong>, there were<br />
5 foreclosure deeds recorded as<br />
a result of mortgage foreclosures<br />
taking place in <strong>Norfolk</strong><br />
County, whereas in September<br />
<strong>2023</strong>, there were 4 recorded.<br />
Additionally, there were 33 notices<br />
to foreclose, the first step<br />
in the foreclosure process, more<br />
than the 25 recorded this month<br />
last year.<br />
For the past several years,<br />
the <strong>Norfolk</strong> County Registry<br />
of Deeds has partnered with<br />
Quincy Community Action<br />
Programs (617-479-8181 x376)<br />
and NeighborWorks Housing<br />
Solutions (508-587-0950) to<br />
help anyone facing challenges<br />
paying their mortgage. Another<br />
option for homeowners<br />
is to contact the Massachusetts<br />
Attorney General’s Consumer<br />
Advocacy and Response Division<br />
(CARD) at 617-727-8400.<br />
The <strong>Norfolk</strong> County Registry<br />
of Deeds is located at 649 High<br />
Street in Dedham. The Registry<br />
is a resource for homeowners,<br />
title examiners, mortgage lenders,<br />
municipalities and others<br />
with a need for secure, accurate,<br />
accessible land record information.<br />
All land record research<br />
information can be found on the<br />
Registry’s website: www.norfolkdeeds.org.<br />
Residents in need of<br />
assistance can contact the Registry<br />
of Deeds Customer Service<br />
Center via telephone at (781)<br />
461-6101 or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org.<br />
<strong>Norfolk</strong> Gets Road Safety Grant<br />
The town of <strong>Norfolk</strong> is getting $19,025 in<br />
federal grant money to support traffic safety<br />
enforcement and outreach programming. The<br />
Healy-Driscoll Administration announced<br />
Oct. 17 that 186 Massachusetts towns and<br />
cities would be receiving the federal awards.<br />
A total of $5,449,584.03 has been awarded<br />
through the FY24 Municipal Road Safety<br />
Grant Program. The program is administered<br />
by the Office of Grants and Research<br />
(OGR) and utilizes funds awarded by the National<br />
Highway Traffic Safety Administration<br />
(NHTSA). The annual program provides<br />
funding to municipal police departments who<br />
propose traffic safety projects in their community,<br />
including high visibility enforcement patrols,<br />
equipment to enhance road safety such<br />
as digital speed signs, pedestrian and bicyclist<br />
safety initiatives and public outreach campaigns<br />
intended to educate community members<br />
and youth about roadway safety.<br />
“Whether by vehicle, bicycle or foot, everyone<br />
has the right to travel safely through our<br />
communities,” said Governor Maura Healey<br />
in a statement. “Through this program, we<br />
were able to award grants to every community<br />
that requested funding. The education,<br />
enforcement and outreach initiatives supported<br />
through these grants will help ensure<br />
safer roads for all.”<br />
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Page 28 <strong>Norfolk</strong> & <strong>Wrentham</strong> Local Town Pages | www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
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