Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Town Meeting representatives voted last year to establish the position of deputy police chief. Robert Devine has been with the Stoughton Police Department since 1999, most recently serving as executive officer.
The newly accredited Stoughton Police Department has officially filled its newly created deputy chief position. Steadily climbing the ranks of the Stoughton Police Department since his arrival in 1999, Robert Devine was appointed Deputy Chief of Stoughton Police on Tuesday. Devine, who has in effect been Chief Paul Shastany's right-hand man while serving as Executive Officer, is now officially second in command in his new position. On the opening night of Stoughton's Annual Town Meeting last year, town meeting representatives voted to establish the position of deputy police chief. The state legislature also signed off on creating the position. "Obviously, I'm thrilled," Devine said. "We work very hard here. It says a lot about how far …
Friday, March 29, 2013
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.
STOUGHTON POLICE CHIEF: MY DAUGHTER, THE DOCTOR! Stoughton Police Chief Paul Shastany is mighty proud of all three of his daughters. His oldest, Amanda, is a successful mortgage broker. His youngest, Heather, is a registered dietitian and nutritionist. But, Shastany's middle child will soon officially be a doctor! Lauren Shastany studied audiology at Northeastern University (where she was the recipient of one of the two most prestigious scholarships there, the Henry Warren 1/2 Tuition Scholarship). Lauren also received an Academic Excellence Scholarship at Northeastern, saving dad some hard-earned cash. Study requirements were recently changed from Master level to Doctorate level for Audiologists. So, in addition to her four years …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
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.
FINALLY, DOWNTOWN BUILDING GETTING REBUILT: After years as a public eyesore, the former home of Cheng Du on Washington St. in downtown Stoughton, owned by the Parsons family of Malcolm and Parsons, will soon be rebuilt. The building first suffered a fire a few years ago back in October of 2009, and then the roof collapsed under snow the following winter, in January of 2011. The roof collapse also caused damage to the adjacent building and put a Stoughton restaurant, Kabob House, out of business. That building, which also houses Olivio's, has since been repaired and Chicken Kebab recently opened where the Kabob House once was. But the old Cheng Du building, which suffered the brunt of the damage, was enclosed in fencing for a time, which…
Friday, November 30, 2012
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.
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 position is officially approved and waiting to be filled. When asked about the process, Shastany told About Town that only internal candidates from…
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The contract for Stoughton Police Chief Paul Shastany, unanimously approved by the Board of Selectmen August 28, is retroactive to July 1 of this year and expires June 30, 2015.
Gathered in the community room of the Stoughton Police Station, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday evening to give Chief Paul Shastany, the man largely credited with reforming the Stoughton Police Department, a three-year contract to continue leading the SPD. Usually the Selectmen meet at the Town Hall, but with the elevator there out of service, the Board met at the Police Station, which provided an appropriate setting to make the announcement. "The contract recognizes the Chief for the work he has done...and the work that he is looking to do going ahead," Board of Selectmen Chair John Stagnone said. "I am very happy to lead the best law enforcement [department] in Massachusetts," Shastany said. "The future is very bright!" …
Thursday, August 23, 2012
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.
WHO WILL CATCH THE RAIN? Residents can now purchase rain barrels through the town. The barrels can be used to collect rainwater from roofs to be used on gardens and house plants, saving residents money on water bills. The barrels come in three colors, red, black and blue. They cost $75 and can be ordered through the engineering/conservation department on the second floor of Town Hall. Checks should be made out to Sky Juice, the company making the barrels. Sky Juice has partnerships with a number of other Massachusetts towns such as Sharon. The barrels are 65 gallons and made from recycled plastic. They are fully screened to keep mosquitoes and debris out of the water. *** FREE CAT - WITH CARE! A little feline needs a home! He was found …
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office sponsored a three-day basketball camp for Stoughton Youth, which drew a number of guest speakers.
About two dozen Stoughton youth, ranging in age from third grade to eighth grade, recently took part in a three-day basketball camp sponsored by the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office in partnership with the Stoughton Recreation Department. The cost of the camp was only $10, essentially the cost of the t-shirt given to the children. The funding for the camp came from a unique source - forfeiture police confiscate from drug dealers, including cash, cars and sometimes even homes. The forfeiture helps to fund this camp as well as other drug preventative programs in the county. "The bad people in Norfolk County paid for the fun," Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey told the attendees of the camp. The skills-oriented …
Monday, April 9, 2012
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.
A SHOCKING DEVELOPMENT: Last year, Stoughton Police Chief Paul Shastany got Tasered as part of his extremely effective presentation to Town Meeting to get Tasers for the protection of his officers and the residents of the Town. That VIDEO has received over 15,000 views since then. Chief Shastany promised that Tasers would not be in the hands of the officers of the department until everyone was properly trained to use them. Well, Stoughton Police Executive Officer Robert Devine announced on the SPD's Facebook page that Officers Jay Owens and John Gagne have completed a course that certifies them to become the department's first-ever Taser Instructors. Congratulations! But, "Don't Tase Me, Bro!" *** OLD COLONY YMCA LOOKS TO PREVENT …
Friday, March 23, 2012
Stoughton Police Chief Paul Shastany recently completed a 10-week training session at the FBI’s National Academy in Virginia. He shares his experiences from the “Land of Oz” in this in-depth feature.
Most would not associate the FBI National Academy with the classic tale of The Wizard of Oz. That is, unless they are one of the few law enforcement professionals who have been invited to attend the FBI's prestigious academy. Stoughton Police Chief Paul Shastany is one of these elite individuals and recently discussed his journey to and from the "Land of Oz" (the FBI National Academy). Like Dorothy, the iconic protagonist from the Wizard of Oz, Shastany says his story is “like a dream.” He described waking up in his own bed last Saturday as, “being back in Kansas.” The Chief attended the 10-week elite FBI training program at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA, departing for “Oz” in January. He graduated last Friday, March 16. While …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Police Chief Paul Shastany has concluded his 10-week training session at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA.
Friday marks a “momentous day” in the history of the Stoughton Police Department, as Chief Paul Shastany becomes the first-ever member of the SPD to graduate from the FBI National Academy, Executive Officer Robert Devine wrote in a statement posted on the town’s website and the department’s Facebook page. Chief Shastany departed for this invitation-only, elite law enforcement training session at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA back in early January. While there, the Chief was unanimously elected as a section leader, serving as one of just six section leaders representing the 260 law enforcement officials attending this session of the FBI Academy. He also completed a grueling fitness test—a 6.1 mile run through a hilly, wooded …
Michelle Antonia Nalli
10:32 am on Thursday, May 2, 2013
Congratulations are in order. Great guy that takes pride in his work, I respect that. Well deserved. Thank you for all your efforts & continued persistence in keeping Stoughton safe. more ›