Happy Birthday to Town Meeting member Paul Gaydar. Paul recently did five hours spinning for the Strong Kids campaign at Striar Old Colony YMCA in their successful fundraiser. Paul and his wife Elsie are quite proud of their son Matt. Matt,  student at Skidmore College, recently released an album, "Tastes Like Wintergreen" on I-Tunes. And Happy Birthday to Kathy Hannon, who is also celebrating her 25th anniversary this year as owner of the Stoughton Motel. CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGE TEAM TAKES FIRST PLACE: The Stoughton High School Construction Challenge team traveled to Whitman-Hanson Regional …

I'LL HAVE A "WELL DONE" TOWN MANAGER, PLEASE: The Stoughton Chamber of Commerce is doing an interesting fundraiser: A ROAST OF TOWN MANAGER FRANK CRIMMINS.  In what is sure to be a sellout, the event takes place on May 6, 2011 at the Portuguese National Club, at Wyman and Railroad Ave.  The festivities start at 7 p.m. sharp.  There will be a panel of roasters who will certainly be "very busy!" The cost is $25 per ticket, or $225 for Table of 10. Limited Seating! Reservations can be made at www.stoughtonma.com.  The price includes entertaining "Roasting" of Town Manager & Former Stoughton …

KNOW THE CANDIDATES: You should become an educated voter before filling out your ballot on April 5. A Candidate's Night was held last night at Town Hall, and most of it will be on cable television. I'm hoping that SMAC will provide the Stoughton Library with a copy or two to lend out to those without cable.  There are currently two copies of the Stoughton School Committee Debate (held last Wednesday) available for take out at the library.  The Snyder's Stoughton School Committee debate will air this Thursday night at 8 p.m., and Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.  The Candidate'…

STOYAC CROWNS CHAMPIONS: The annual STOYAC "CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY" was held in the Stoughton High School gym on March 19 and the place was packed to see the teams compete for the coveted STOYAC basketball divisional championships. The morning started with the Peewee Boys division. Both teams battled back and forth and at the end of regulation time the score was 32-32 requiring an overtime period.  When the final buzzer sounded the B & D Automotive team captured the victory by defeating Tri County Pediatrics by a score of 36-34. Championship trophies were presented to the players by Bruce …

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY to Stoughton resident Jenn Barucci, an Endicott College grad, who teaches in Canton; and Richard Schiffer, Jr., owner of Canton Fence, and a resident of Stoughton, who both celebrated their birthday's yesterday. A WONDERFUL GARDEN PROJECT: Seventh grade O'Donnell Middle School teacher Shannon Ventresca is starting a Garden Project. Ventresca writes, "I want to break down the barriers and the stigma between 'regular education' students and students with severe special needs. They are amazing, diverse, and funny.  I teach about 100 students life science on a daily basis. …

BRUINS HONOR SHS STUDENT: Brian Ziegler, of the Stoughton High School hockey team, was selected as a 2011 Boston Bruins/MIAA Sportsmanship Award winner. According to the press release, "for nine years, the MIAA and Boston Bruins have partnered to honor one worthy student-athlete from each boys and girls ice hockey league in the state." Ziegler is the Hockomock League recipient. He will be honored on Tuesday, March 22 at the TD Garden during the second intermission of the Boston Bruins game against the New Jersey Devils. A senior center, Brian Ziegler is a four-year member of the Stoughton …

THE COSTS ARE NOT HEALTHY: Stoughton is spending more than 11 million dollars a year on health insurance for employees and retirees, according to information revealed this week at the Selectmen's meeting.  There are 577 active employees townwide, and 286 retired municipal employees.  In addition, the retired teachers--who are all in the G.I.C. (Group Insurance Commission)--have their health plan costs (a total of two-plus million dollars) deducted directly from the town's cherry sheets, so those costs are "invisible."  Town Treasurer Tom Rorrie said that the National Healthcare Reform (a/k/a …

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:  Yesterday, we had FOUR birthdays, and I found out that I forgotten several more.  So, belated birthday wishes to Robin Zoll, an active member of the the Sharon/Stoughton League of Women Voters. Her husband Stan is the Chairman of the Board of Assessors. Belated birthday wishes also to accountant Paul Lafleur, owner of LaFleur Financial Services in Stoughton. And, yet another belated birthday to Thomas P. "Tiny" O'Connor, of Atlantic Coffee and Provisions. He is the president of the Men's Associates at N.E. Sinai Hospital in Stoughton.  Happy Birthday TODAY to: Dale Appel, an…

Stoughton High Hires New Assistant Principal  With the retirement of Stoughton High Assistant Principal Paul Jacobs, there was a hole in the administrative staff of SHS Principal Matthew Colantonio. But, after an extensive search, Mike O'Neil has been hired for the Assistant Principal position at the high school. O'Neil is a Stoughton resident, who is well known in the community. A long-time coach (with the Orioles) and Director for Stoughton Little League, he is also a South School parent. He is currently a Social Studies teacher at Norton High School, where he has acted as Interim Assistant…

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS: To Rick Kaplan, immediate past Chairman of the Board of the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce. Rick is the CEO of AT&T/Cellco, which has phone stores in Massachusetts and Florida. The closest is in Avon, near the Christmas Tree Shops. Rick is a Randolph native who now resides in Stoughton; To Jack Raeke, a Commercial Sales Executive at Malcolm and Parsons Insurance Agency in Stoughton. He is the lead singer of The Standards, and has been extremely active in youth sports in town; To Lester Davis, owner of All Care Home Health Service in Stoughton. He is a member of the Stoughton …

With the retirement of Stoughton High Assistant Principal Paul Jacobs, there was a hole in the administrative staff of SHS Principal Matt Colantonio. But, after an extensive search, Mike O'Neil has been identified as the leading candidate for the Assistant Principal position at the high school. O'Neil is a Stoughton resident, who is well known in the community. A long-time coach (with the SLL's Major League Orioles) and Director for Stoughton Little League, he is also a South School parent. He is currently a Social Studies teacher at Norton High School, where he has acted as Interim Assistant…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kim Aronson Lazarian of Stoughton, best known for managing POSH in Easton.  Her brother Dr. Scott Aronson, is a podiatrist with a Stoughton office. And Happy Birthday to Dick Harrison, a longtime Coach and Director of STOYAC basketball, and a big part of the success of the Life Teen program at Immaculate Conception Church. SCHOOL COMMITTEE DEBATE!  Today's the day that incumbent School Committee members Deborah Sovinee and Dr. Erdem Ural take on their challengers George Dolinsky and Jeff Benson in a debate at the Studios of SMAC at 421 Page Street.  The debate, which will be…

ANY LOVED ONES SERVING OUR COUNTRY?   The Stoughton Veteran's Office wants to send them a little something from their hometown!  The Veteran's office was contacted by Carol O'Connell, troop leader for Brownie Troop #80517.  Along with troop leader Melissa Nelson, they have offered to donate dozens of boxes of Girl Scout Cookies for our troops overseas.  Stoughton Veteran's Agent Mike Pazyra tells About Town, "we sent out a number of 'care packages' over the holidays, but I can't be sure all the addresses are current. I'd ask anyone in Stoughton who has a loved one serving their country in any…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to noted photographer Helenita Morais, a fixture in the Portuguese community, and a native of Stoughton.  Some of her work has been published in Bate Papo Magazine, which is published by Stoughton resident Shirley Farber. FREE MOVIE:  Tonight at 7 p.m., the film "Stolen", about the Isabella Gardner Museum theft, plays at Stoughton Public Library, in the Wales French Room. This event kicks off the Stoughton Reads Together Program OMS SOCCER CLUB A HUGE SUCCESS! On Friday March 11th, the O'Donnell Middle School Soccer Club hosted its playoffs at the OMS Gym. In order to get to …

JUST WHAT WE DIDN'T NEED!  Woodbridge Crossing, Inc. has been granted permission to build 179 rental units (45 "affordable") on a 23.94 acre site across from the Hansen Elementary School and the Stoughton Water Works. The site, owned by Tom Kennedy, currently houses a couple of collapsed buildings and broken asphalt. Just what Stoughton needs---MORE apartments! As you all know, Alta at Indian Woods (150 units) has already opened on the Canton-Stoughton line. The Lodge at Stoughton (adjacent to the Marriott Courtyard) will have 240 units more. Who will pay for all the additional public safety…

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:  A belated one to Jerald Savage, president of the Stoughton-based CPA firm Wallace, Savage and Davis, who celebrated yesterday.  His wife Sheryl is the former president of the Curry College Alumni Association, and is Executive Director of College Advancement at Massasoit Community College. Happy Birthday today to Nancy Cianfarini, who lives in Brockton and was originally from North Randolph. So why is she included here? She been a waitress for MANY years at Linwood Cafe in Randolph.  Enough reason for you?   Happy Birthday to my friend David Milley, Milley attended Eastern …

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY to Amy Litwack, who celebrated yesterday.  The Stoughton resident is a Speech Language Pathologist at Good Samaritan Hospital.       GOOD FOOD & A GOOD DEED!  If you eat (dine-in or take-out) at The Halfway Café (Cobbs Corner in Canton) anytime on March 16th and present your donation ticket, the O'Donnell Middle School PTSO will get 10% to 20% (depending on total sales).  Visit www.oms.baseclasstech.com or http://www.snydersstoughton.com/charityevents.htm for a donation ticket.  Join the OMS gang after dinner for Trivia at 8:30 p.m. LAST VESTIGES OF WINTER: Blue Hills …

BETTENCOURT & SCHIFONE: TWO CHAMPIONS! Sean Bettencourt and Gerald Schifone are two local boxers from Stoughton who are making their mark in the ring world. Both defeated their opponents in the New England Golden Gloves Championships recently in Lowell, and move forward to the 2011 National Tournament of Champions in Indiana, from April 26-30. More than 10,000 spectators are expected during the week in Indiana. After all, this is the year to choose boxers to represent the United States in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Stoughton resident Ken Martin, along with many others like Brenda …

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite cousin, Eddie Walsh.  He's the coolest.  His amazing singing talents could be heard for years at Saint James Church in Stoughton, and at assorted weddings and Bar Mitzvahs over the years. The Canton resident is a very young 83!    BYE, BYE JONATHAN: March 17 is Jonathan Beder's last day as Assistant Superintendent of the DPW.  He's heading off to Plymouth to serve as their DPW Director. Those who wish to say goodbye to J.B. can go to a coffee and pastry meet-and-greet on March 17, from 9 a.m. to noon and shake Jon's hand and wish him luck. He will be working for …

At about 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, a bank robber got the surprise of his life. He had just robbed the Main Branch of the Stoughton Cooperative Bank at 950 Park Street (near Tenth Street) and was on his way out the door. The alarm had not been pulled yet. Coming into the bank to do some personal business, in plainclothes, was Stoughton Police Detective Erik Feist. After Feist got inside, bank officials told him they had just been robbed by the man who had passed by him on his way in. Feist, acting on his own, arrested the suspect at gunpoint on scene. This person is a suspect in other …