Friday, June 14, 2013
Patch offers mosquito prevention tips, and the map below shows the number of West Nile cases last summer.
After a particularly tough year for the West Nile virus in 2012, Massachusetts health officials are bracing for what could be another busy summer for the mosquito-borne illness. Although, with so many factors playing into the problem, the track of West Nile is not an easy one to predict, said Kevin Cranston, director of the Bureau of Infectious Disease for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “We can’t pin down all of the elements that go into why one season is bad and another season is not,” Cranston said. But if this summer is similar to last summer—marked by extended periods of very hot weather—some parts of the state could see a high number of cases as occurred in 2012. To give residents a sense of West Nile’s prevalence in …
Monday, June 3, 2013
The Senate candidates will face each other in a live, televised debate Wednesday.
The Republican and Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate special election later this month are set to conduct their first of three scheduled debates Wednesday night. According to an Associated Press article printed in the Boston Herald Monday, Republican businessman Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset and Democratic Congressman Edward Markey of Malden will debate at the WBZ-TV studios Wednesday in a debate sponsored by the TV station and the Boston Globe. WBZ previously reported the debate will take place and air live from 7 to 8 p.m. WBZ political analyst Jon Keller will moderate. According to the Herald, subsequent debates will take place on June 11 in western Massachusetts and June 18 back in Boston. The campaigns reportedly spent weeks "…
Friday, May 24, 2013
From Memorial Day parades to holiday fender benders, this live map shows delays and diversions on Boston area roads right now.
If you're on a mobile device, click here to view the map. When you're done getting gas and packing the car, check out the live results from MapQuest above to see what's standing between you and the start of your three-day weekend. Mapquest scans for parade routes, ongoing construction, block parties and traffic jams. If your route is green, your good. If it's red, you may be headed into a line of rubbernecking fools. Good luck!
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Five Things You Need to Know Today: Deadline to Register to Vote; Stoughton High Construction Challenge Fundraiser at Stelios; Teddybear Storytime at the Library; And More...
"Five Things you Need to Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance: 1. Deadline to Register to Vote Both the Annual Town Election and the Special State Primary for U.S. Senate will be held Tuesday, April 30. The deadline for any resident wishing to register to vote, change their party enrollment, change their address, or name (due to marriage, etc.) for these two elections is Wednesday, April 10. You can register at the Town Clerk's Office (first floor of the Town Hall), which will be open until 8 p.m. on April 10. 2. Stoughton High Construction Challenge Fundraiser at Stelios Stelios on Central St. in Stoughton (across from the Hansen School) will be donating a percentage of sales …
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Tom Grenon of Stoughton is directing a local production of "8", a play which deals with Proposition 8 and marriage equality for same-sex couples. The play will be held at the Christ Congregational Church, 1350 Pleasant St. in Brockton, April 6-7.
He's not an actor and hasn't been involved with theater since his college days, but after seeing an online production of "8 The Play," Stoughton's Tom Grenon was moved to action. "8," which premiered on Broadway in September of 2011 and in Los Angeles in March of 2012, deals with the issue of marriage equality for same-sex couples. It chronicles the legal effort to overturn California's Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot proposition passed by voters in that state, which defined marriage in California as only between a man and a woman, even though California had previously recognized same-sex marriage. Grenon, who married his long-time partner, Bill Bunce, shortly after Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage, saw the play on YouTube this past …
Saturday, March 9, 2013
On Sunday, March 10 at 2 a.m., Daylight Saving Time begins and we "spring ahead."
Before you go to bed on Saturday, be sure to set the clock ahead by one hour. Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10, when we “spring ahead” one hour. When we “spring ahead” we technically lose an hour of sleep and we might feel sleep deprived when we wake up Sunday morning. But, in return, there will be more sunlight at the end of the day. Daylight Saving Time ends this year at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, when we “fall back” one hour. Click on the link below for some suggestions as to how you can help make this annual “spring ahead” transition easier for your families: http://stoughton.patch.com/articles/losing-zzzs
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Massachusetts native Gina McCarthy is President Obama's nominee to become next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. She was Stoughton's first town Environmental Officer in the 1980s.
President Barack Obama's nominee to become next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy, started her career locally, first in neighboring Canton, and then here in Stoughton as this town's first Environmental Officer. Obama announced during a Monday morning press conference, from the East Room in the White House, that he nominated McCarthy to lead the EPA. She is currently the Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. McCarthy grew up in Canton and has degrees from UMass Boston and Tufts University, according to her bio on the Connecticut State website. "She began her career in 1980 as the first full-time Health Agent in the town of Canton, Massachusetts," her bio states. "After …
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Congressman Stephen Lynch is deciding on whether to run for John Kerry's Senate seat.
Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch said he is definitely considering running for John Kerry's senate seat. The South Boston Democrat was on the Joe Ligotti Show on WTKK Radio Saturday afternoon and said he would be honored to be a Senator. Kerry has been nominated by President Barack Obama to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state and is expected to be confirmed. Kerry, a Democrat, has served as one of Massachusetts' Senators since 1985. If Kerry is confirmed, Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to appoint an interim Senator until a special election can be held. The Boston Herald is reporting Barney Frank is the leading candidate for the interim position. Frank didn't seek reelection to Congress after redistricting was finalized. …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Danisha Dumornay is one of 28 members on the Governor's Youth Council. Members were sworn in last Friday, Nov. 30.
Last Friday, Nov. 30, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick swore in members of the statewide Youth Council at a ceremony at the State House. Stoughton's Danisha Dumornay is one of just 28 members to serve as part of this third Youth Council class. The 28 members represent all 14 counties in the state. While this is still Dumornay's first term on the Council, this is actually her second year serving. "They always have a "carry-over" representative so we can maintain consistency between each council and always have someone who has an understanding as to how our meetings should run and how to get things done efficiently," she explained. The Governor also welcomed 28 alternate members to the Council, including Imani George from Stoughton. …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
77-percent of Stoughton registered voters went to the polls for the Nov. 6 presidential election, compared to 73.3-percent statewide. But Stoughton's total is down from the 2008 percentage when 82-percent cast a ballot in town.
A record number of Massachusetts voters went to the polls this past presidential election, with almost 3.2 million votes cast on Election Day, Nov. 6, 2012. The 3,184,196 votes cast represents 73.3% of registered voters in the Bay State, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. Stoughton exceeded the statewide turnout percentage with 77-percent of Stoughton voters heading to the polls, with 13,989 of 18,149 registered voters in town casting a ballot on Nov. 6. Voters preferred Democratic Party candidates Barack Obama/Joe Biden for President and Vice President and Elizabeth Warren for U.S. Senate both here in Stoughton and statewide. The statewide vote total this November was about 81,000 more than the turnout from the November 2008 …
Deborah J. Sovinee
4:47 pm on Friday, June 14, 2013
Please take this seriously. A very close friend of mine in Newton was infected last summer, hospitalized for a week, and is still recovering her health. It has been 9 months. She believes she was bitten while walking her dog one evening in her very suburban neighborhood. more ›