Community Corner
ABOUT TOWN: Memorial Squares for Stoughton Veterans Callanan and Sears Approved (And More…)
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
TWO BRAVE SOLDIERS TO GET THEIR SQUARES: Veteran's Agent proposed two Memorial Squares be approved for Memorial Day ceremonies and both got unanimous approval from the Board of Selectmen Tuesday night, April 24.
The first square will be dedicated to James Albert Callanan, who lived in Stoughton from 1952 .
Callanan was the owner of a business in Stoughton, and was named "Man of the Year" by the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce in 1991. He served in the military from 1950-1952.
Find out what's happening in Stoughtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Callanan was best known as the founder, organizer and chairman of Stoughton's . He was also the one who came up with the concept of naming the streets in Stoughton after those killed in action, while serving in the military. He was a generous philanthropist to numerous organizations in town.
His square will be at School Street and West Street.
Find out what's happening in Stoughtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The other ceremony on Memorial Day will honor , who served in the Marines from 1959-1963. His was among the first troops to serve in Vietnam.
He was a Stoughton resident from 1967 until his recent death. He served as the Commander and for 20 years in the VFW Post Honor Guard. He was a familiar face at all of Stoughton's parades.
Sears was man who got the Girl Scouts involved in the Memorial Day re-flagging ceremonies, and served for the last ten years as co-chairman of the VFW Voice of Democracy scholarship program.
Selectman Cynthia Walsh, who serves on the Memorial Square Committee, said that, "No one has given more of themselves to the VFW than David Sears."
His square will be at Cedar Street and Independence Avenue.
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CIVIL WAR PARTICIPANTS: As part of the Stoughton Reads Together Program, the Stoughton Public Library held a in town on April 21.
Pat Basler, who heads up the , as well as the program, sent About Town a thank you list for the Civil War reenactment activities of last weekend.
She thanked the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers, Company A, which includes Lt. Benny White, Sgt. Emmett Bell-Sykes, Pvt. Herman Anderson, and Pvt. Harel Broderick; The 12th Massachusetts Volunteers, Company I, led by Sgt. Mark Nickerson, and including Cor. Eric Andrews, Pvt. Larry Cain, Pvt. Marshall Cain, Pvt. Jordan Cain, Pvt. Jeremiah Grossman, Pvt. Lee Biederman, Pvt. Zachary Henry, Maureen Cain, and Sandra Nickerson, and Pvt. Andrew Volpe from Salem Zouaves.
Basler also thanked President Abraham Lincoln (Robert Grover), Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln(Denise Lochiatto) and the behind the scenes volunteers: Paul Flynn for setting up sound system; Carma and Ariene Ohimor for hanging Civil War Posters in the Art Gallery; and Heather Wallace for managing the tables.
And, The Boston Fife and Drum, featuring Lee Caron, Carmin Calabrese, and Donald Heminitz; Roger Hall, for a Civil War Music Demonstration with recorded music at the gazebo; Dwight MacKerron for a lecture on Civil War Diaries of Pvt. Alfred Edward Waldo from Stoughton; and Dixon’s Gold Band, including Jill Gross, Dan Keller, Bruce Millard, John Moriconi, and Scott Shetler;
And finally, Basler thanked the Stoughton Reads Together Committee: Barbara Canavan, Dolores Cummings, Mary Lou Giordano, Denise Lochiatto, Dwight MacKerron, Jean & Leo Mellyn, Josh Olshin, and Cynthia Walsh.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY: to Stoughton podiatrist Dr. Scott Aronson. He recently got engaged to Michelle Silk.
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