Friday, April 12, 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.
GIBBONS SALUTE TO THE MILITARY GOES OVER BIG! The Gibbons Elementary School Annual Fair, which was held last Saturday, April 6, was a huge success! When David "Spanky" Sousa decides to do a school fair, he does a school fair, and this one had a patriotic theme honoring our local police and fire departments and military. The Fair turned out to be a lot of fun for all ages. DJ Gil 33 Valadao played patriotic music outside all day with a grand salute to the Flag at close of the Fair. The pie eating contest was very competitive, Army vs. the Navy and Mr. Cancellieri vs. Spanky (we won’t publicize who won); moonwalks, professional temporary tattoos, hair wraps, lots of arts and crafts, many games, raffles, and a very successful book fair. …
Friday, January 18, 2013
See Stoughton's active firearms licenses as well as licenses from surrounding towns. Since 2008, the number of active firearms licenses in Stoughton have increased by almost 200.
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden unveiled a number of efforts this week aimed at curbing gun violence in the United States. Massachusetts is home to some of the toughest gun control laws in the country, with local members of Congress urging the federal government do more to prevent tragedies like that in Newtown, Conn. Wondering how many firearms licenses are in Stoughton? The state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security provided Patch with a summary of active firearms licenses in Stoughton from 2008 through 2012. Here are the numbers for Stoughton and the surrounding area: STOUGHTON BROCKTON CANTON 947 EASTON Total FOXBOROUGH MANSFIELD NORWOOD RANDOLPH (numbers don't include Resident Class B Non-Large Capacity …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled legislation on Wednesday that would tighten gun control laws in Massachusetts while increasing funding for mental health services and enhance background checks. Is this sensible, or reactionary?
Are new proposed laws regarding guns in Massachusetts and mental health services sensible and pragmatic steps, or reactionary measures that won't increase safety? Gov. Deval Patrick introduced new legislation Wednesday along those lines in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, CT. "I am encouraged by the palpable consensus in our Legislature that the time for action is now. All of us must pull in the same direction to bring about real change in this state and across the country," Patrick said in a press release. The bill would require gun purchasers to undergo background checks at gun shows, reduce access to high-powered rounds of ammunition, and limit licensed individuals to purchasing a maximum of one gun per month. Punishments …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Does the massacre at Newtown, CT, signal the need for a political debate on gun regulations?
Before officials had even held their first press conference Friday, Facebook was abuzz with status updates about the Newtown, CT, massacre. The statuses were split between those sending their condolences and those asking if the country would finally deal with the issue of gun control. Some fought back, asking for respect and mourning before political debate began. Others remained fierce in their belief that stricter gun control regulations would have prevented such a mass killing, saying the victims were shot multiple times and with semi-automatic weapons, according to Fox News. The guns were not illegal and were, in fact, owned by the shooter's mother. Among them were a semi-automatic .223 caliber bushmaster rifle and two handguns. Those …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
A Massachusetts gun owners group is lobbying for passage of a bill that would confer lifetime gun licenses — no renewals necessary.
Way too much red tape. That's the complaint of the Gun Owners’ Action League of Massachusetts, a group that is urging passage of a law that would abolish the requirement of having to renew a gun permit every six years, according to the Boston Herald. For comparison, Massachusetts vehicle drivers' licenses need to be renewed every five years. But the league says local police cannot keep up with timely gun permit renewals, and legitimate gunowners go license-less until the cops get time to do the paperwork. The law now allows 40 days for turning around license applications. In Boston, almost 1,000 people have applied for gun permits so far this year, with waits running about 10 weeks, the Herald quotes police spokeswoman Cheryl Fiandaca as …
DJ
8:53 am on Sunday, April 14, 2013
Really LT? Perhaps you missed: Spanky told About Town he wanted to thank the entire community for the support with their donations of cash, food and drink products, mascots, prizes for the raffle tables, moonwalks, and all the volunteers from friends to family members to parents of the Gibbons' children. Sousa added, "None of this would be possible without everyone working as a whole for the … more ›