CHRISTMAS PARADE ATTRACTS LARGE CROWD:  Sunday, December 9, the Annual Stoughton Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Community Events Committee, drew a large gathering in Stoughton Square.  Over 100 hundred people got involved in a trivia game before the parade, an dozens won gift certificates to Papa John's Pizza, The Last Shot, and games provided by PMPNetwork, Inc.  That was the fun BEFORE the parade. At 2 p.m., the first blaring of the sirens could be heard, and with the Stoughton Police Department's motorcycles, cruisers, SUV's, followed by Engine 4 and Ladder Truck 2 from the Stoughton …

CHAMBER PARTY HELPS PJ CAMPAIGN: 140 business leaders celebrated at the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce's 10th Annual Holiday Party Monday night at the Portuguese National Club.  There was entertainment by Chris Zienko from Men in Black DJ service.  Joanne Schneider, the Chamber's membership director, as always, did a fantastic job putting it all together. There was an incredible array of food, from places ranging from Outback to Chinatown, from Stelio's Pizza to Smokey Bones. The Prone Family Foundation dropped $1500, which considerably boosted the Chamber's coffers.  The night featured a live…

GIANT FLAGPOLE MAKES DEBUT! You might have noticed a huge flagpole flying Old Glory at Stoughton's Evergreen Cemetery across from the Town Spa. The new pole stands 70-feet high and sits on the American Legion Post 89 lot at the final resting place of so many Stoughton military men and women. This 70-foot flag pole replaces the old 60-foot pole, which was showing signs of age. This new one is thicker, and more sturdy, in addition to being taller. A spotlight will be installed this week by National Grid so that the flag will be illuminated very soon. Rad Williams, President and Trustee of the …

MURDER AT TOWN HALL!  Tickets have just gone on sale for the Support Our Library Association (SOLA) fundraising theatrical production in January, titled "Murder at the Library." This "Murder at the Library" will actually be held at the Great Hall on the third floor of Town Hall on Friday, January 18 (with a snow date of the January 25.)  The fun starts at 7 p.m. There is limited seating, so get your tickets early! Tickets are $15 before December 15, and $20 per ticket after that, and at the door (if available). This murder mystery is for those over 21, as beer and wine will be available for …

DON'T MISS THE CHRISTMAS PARADE!  Stoughton always has a great Christmas Parade, and this year is no exception! On Sunday, Dec. 9, the Parade kicks off at 2 p.m. The parade will be leaving the Stoughton High School parking lot, taking a right on Pearl Street, going through the center, and ending at Faxon Park. Starting at 1:30 p.m., I'll be at the reviewing stand in front of the old Pacheco Hardware building, giving out some great prizes for trivia!  You can win gift certificates kindly donated by The Last Shot and Papa John's, plus some goodies donated by PMPNetwork.com, the internet's …

THE BEST THREE DOLLAR DINNER ANYWHERE! The Friends for Seniors held their Annual Christmas Dinner at the Immaculate Conception Church Hall on Saturday, December 1, and 300 grateful and very happy seniors enjoyed a delicious chicken dinner, with stuffing, baked potato, green beans, and a cake from Costco for dessert. The seniors got charged only a nominal $3 for the dinner, which also featured raffles. The Friends for Seniors do a fundraiser each year to supplement the cost. The food was prepared by Mike Sammarco and the Sons of Italy Crew - Donald Interrante, Dennis Gada, Alan Veterosa, Steve…

CHIEF SHASTANY IS BACK: Next Step - Hiring a Deputy Chief for the Stoughton Police Department. Stoughton Police Chief Paul Shastany has had a tough few months. He underwent surgery on his back on August 21, and has had a slow, painful recovery. He'll be returning to full-time duty on Monday, December 3, and will start the process of filling the position of Deputy Police Chief. The last Town Meeting overwhelmingly voted to create the position of Deputy Police Chief, at the recommendation of Chief Shastany. Since then, the State Legislature and Governor Deval Patrick have signed off, and now …

THE LONGEST REALITY DOCUMENTARY EVER! Tom Fitzgerald is a Stoughton documentary photographer who has been pursuing his craft for over 40 years.  He will have his works on display in the upstairs gallery at the Stoughton Public Library starting December 1. This exhibit, which will be displayed throughout the month of December, will feature a group of Irish musicians Fitzgerald met in the early 1970s.  He tells About Town, a documentary photographer takes pictures of what he observes and then attempts to tell a story with these images. He hopes the images will introduce the viewer into a world …

Stoughton's Matt Anastasi was informed last week that he has been selected as a member of the Brockton Enterprise All Scholastic Football Team. The Cardinal Spellman High School sophomore proved why during his team's Thanksgiving Day game Wednesday night by running for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-23 victory over Archbishop Williams. This earned him the MVP of the game for Cardinal Spellman (6-4).   Anastasi ran for 1,435 yards during the regular season and scored 10 touchdowns in an amazing year for a high school sophomore. He also added hundreds of offensive yards for his …

CLERGY GET TRAINING ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE PREVENTION: More than 60 clergy members from across Norfolk County, including Rev. Jean Lenk from the First Congregational Church in Stoughton, Rev. Stanley Schultz from Faith Baptist Church in Stoughton and Rabbi Joseph Meszler of Temple Sinai in Sharon, attended a training session hosted by Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey last week to learn how best to recognize even subtle signs of domestic violence, child abuse and elder abuse – and how to tap into the right resources when a member of their congregations needs help…

WHAT DO PAJAMAS & FROZEN YOGURT HAVE IN COMMON? Not much! But the Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt at Cobbs Corner in Canton is collecting donations from customers this holiday season as part of the Orange Leaf Pajama Drive. Locally, the drive will benefit Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS), the leading provider of emergency shelter, housing and supportive services in the South Shore area. FBMS helps people struggling with homelessness or at risk of homelessness to achieve self-sufficiency. Of course, Father Bill’s MainSpring also owns the Evelyn House on Prospect Street in Stoughton. Customers who …

A CRAPPY CONTEST! The student-athletes on the Stoughton High football and Canton High football teams will be the featured players on the SHS football field Thanksgiving morning, but a couple days later, on Saturday, Nov. 24 cows will take over Stoughton High School's football field! At 1 p.m., the field will be divided into grids and tickets are being sold allowing you to purchase one of these special squares of grid, grass and soil. Cows will then be allowed to wander on the field, and whoever owns the grid that the cow poops on first is the big winner of $3,000. The second cow's deposit …

DROWNING IN DEBT? HOME UNDERWATER? YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Stoughton has 1,282 homes that are valued less than their mortgage. The "underwater" report comes from Zillow.com, which estimates that about 23% of all owner-occupied single family homes in Stoughton are "underwater." In contrast, 47% of Brockton homes in the 02301 zip code are "underwater," while 46% in the 02302 zip code are. Randolph is at 36% and Holbrook at 27%. On the flip side, Sharon has 9%, Walpole is 11%, Canton is 13%, Avon is at 19%, and North Easton (02356 zip code) is 15%. South Easton (02375 zip code), however, is at 28%. …

WHERE'S THE GAS? - A SHELL GAME EXPOSED: The About Town email box and Facebook private message file have been clogged with requests from readers to try to find out just what is going on at local Shell Service Stations. For instance, the one located near me on Central Street, almost at the Avon line/Route 24, hasn't sold gas in a couple of months. When I ask the clerk there, what's going on, he groans, "soon." They still sell soda and newspapers, and do car repairs there. There's a similar situation at the Shell in Cobb's Corner, at the Stoughton/Sharon/Canton line. So, I tried to reach …

SHS GRAD RAISING FUNDS FOR GIRLS' CHARITY:  Jenna Policow, a 2010 graduate of Stoughton High School, is a junior at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She will be running in the Philadelphia Half Marathon this weekend, raising funds for Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run, according to its website, is a "non-profit prevention program that uses the power of running to help prepare preteen and early teen girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. The program focuses on building self-esteem and improving emotional and physical health, recognizing that every girl is special, that …

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE! The Stoughton Public Library's Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts program was saluted last Wednesday night (November 7) with a potluck dinner and recognition night, held in the Library's Wales French Room. Despite snow, rain and howling winds, the room was full of tutors, students. and leaders of the community. The Literacy Program, which gets some of its budget from taxpayers, and other from grants, was instituted at the Stoughton Public Library in 1998. The Sharon Literacy program, which is connected with Stoughton's, started in 2005. There are currently 110 active …

STOUGHTON SALUTES ITS VETERANS: The Veterans Day Parade began exactly at 10 a.m. on Sunday, November 11 from VFW Post 1645 on Washington Street. The Town Hall ceremony started about 15 minutes later, and featured the patriotic music of the award-winning Stoughton High School Marching Band, an excellent speech by Stoughton Veterans Agent and Vietnam Veteran Mike Pazyra, and a wreath laying at the Memorial Bell. Of course, there was also the reading of the names of every Stoughton soldier who gave their lives for their country in America's wars. World War II veteran Charlie Large, who has been …

NEW BURGER RESTAURANT OPENS IN STOUGHTON: After much anticipation, Jake's Wayback Burgers has opened at the corner of Washington Street and Central Street, in the building last occupied by Little Caesar's Pizza, and before that Zoots Dry Cleaning. The cozy restaurant features music, fresh cooked food, and a friendly atmosphere. It is owned by the Lopes Family of Stoughton. Owner Amantino Lopes told About Town that he was very happy to finally be open. He credited the accommodating employees of the Town of Stoughton. "It took us about two months after filing all our paperwork. The inspections …

VETERANS DAY PARADE: The Annual Stoughton Veterans Day Parade will begin at 10 a.m. sharp from VFW Post 1645 on Washington Street on Sunday, Nov. 11. The parade will proceed through the square to the Stoughton Town Hall via Washington, School and Pearl Streets for a ceremony and wreath laying at the Memorial Bell. The parade will then reform on Pearl Street and proceed back through the square to Faxon Veterans Memorial Park (across from the library near the Charles Large Gazebo) for two ceremonies at the two memorials there. The parade will then proceed down Walnut Street to Washington Street…

STOUGHTON MOURNS ANNE HAVLIN: Stoughton lost one of its most dynamic citizens Monday night, November 5, with the death of Anne Havlin. Anne was the Director of the St. Anthony’s Free Market, a food pantry located inside the religious education department of Immaculate Conception Church. She had waged a three year battle against cancer, always wearing a smile, and the face of courage.   Her husband Tom told me that, “It ended the way she wanted it. She was surrounded by her children.” Tom also shared how important that Christmas was to Anne. She had already wrapped all of this year’s gifts for…