By Sharon Deputy Police Chief J.J. McGrath The week of May 13 to May 19 is National Police Week, a time to honor and remember our country's law enforcement officers that lost their lives in the line of duty. Presently, there are more than 19,000 names inscribed on the granite walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., 163 of those names were deaths occurring in 2011 and 40 more names have already been added for 2012. Each officer's death is a true tragedy and a reminder of the extreme danger that comes along with wearing the badge. In 1966, Sharon Auxiliary …
To the Editor: What is more important -- sun tanning or health? The Sharon High School junior and senior classes seem to think that health takes precedence over beauty when it comes to using tanning booths. Sharon Public Health Nurse Sheila Miller and Curry College nursing student Amy Comeroski brought the facts about tanning to the high school so students could learn about the dangers of using tanning booths, the importance of sunscreen and decide whether or not they wanted to take the No Tanning Pledge. Thirty-three percent of the junior class and 53 percent of the senior class took the …
by Amy Comeroski While the days of lathering up in baby oil and baking in the sun for hours have ended, indoor tanning, an even more dangerous trend, has taken its place. It is popular among teens and young adults and it puts users at risk for developing skin cancer. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. And according to the Melanoma Foundation of New England, rates are increasing faster than any other type of cancer, especially in people ages 25 to 32. Hopping into a tanning booth may seem harmless, but spending 20 minutes unprotected in a tanning bed is equivalent to spending three…
By Paul Bergeron To whom and how do I make donations to veterans?The question normally arises after a person has been contacted by someone asking for a donation.The Sharon veterans agent frequently responds by suggesting to those interested in giving money for veterans, "Consider making a donation to the volunteer services office at the Brockton Veteran Affairs Hospital or the V.A.hospital of your choice." A person desiring to assist veterans in a V.A. hospital can obtain information on www.boston.va.gov/giving. If one intends to give cash, speak to a staff member before sending a check. The…
By the Neponset River Watershed Association It's one of the oldest prank phone calls—"Is your toilet running? Then you'd better catch it!" But, a running toilet is no joke. If you can hear the water in your toilet making noise, even when no one flushed recently, you have a running toilet that could be wasting 200 gallons of water or more every day. (Keep in mind that it's also possible to have a silent toilet leak.)According to the U.S. Environmental Agency, minor water leaks from toilets anddripping faucets account for more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year in U.S. homes. Due…
Starting soon, millions of children around the country will take to the streets to get to and from school. For many children, this experience will be a new one, and they may not know some basic safety rules. Young children do not have the same frame of reference for safety as adults do. They may not look before they leap, which is why it is so important for families to practice safety skills with their children. The tips below will help prepare them for a safer journey. Instruct your children to always take a friend with them and walk and never take shortcuts or go into isolated areas. When …
It’s hard to believe that the midpoint of the summer - the Fourth of July - is just one week away. It’s a time for parades, fireworks, and flag waving. It’s a great holiday to celebrate with family, friends and good food. Since the fourth falls on a Monday this year, there is ample time to enjoy the festivities in Sharon (www.sharonjuly4.org ) or your weekend destination. And whether you are staying home, traveling to near or far locales, take a moment to remember the reason for our celebration: the independence and freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States. At any summer …
Jars of prepared salsa are wonderful, versatile condiments to keep on hand. It is tasty "as is" served with chips for a quick snack, or a perfect addition to recipes when you need a little spice or flavor. While salsa can be any sauce made with vegetables or fruit, the combination of tomatoes, onions, peppers and seasonings found fresh or jarred in grocery stores is the most common and traditional. Pico de gallo, Picante sauce and salsa are very similar; some may be thicker, chunkier or spicier than others, but any of them can be used interchangeably in the following recipes. Three-Minute …
The week of May 15 to May 21 is National Police Week, a time to honor andremember our country's law enforcement officers that lost their lives in the line of duty. Presently, there are more than 19,000 names inscribed on the granite walls ofthe National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., 152 of those names were deaths occurring in 2010 and 67 more names have already been added for 2011. Each officer's death is a true tragedy and a reminder of the extreme danger that comes along with wearing the badge. In 1966, Sharon Auxiliary Police Officer Stratford B. Allen was struck …
To the Editor: In 2003, the United States Department of State stopped designating new passport acceptance facilities that also issued primary birth documentation, unless the twofunctions were physically separated and acceptance agents could not create, amend or issue birth documents. At that time, the Sharon Town Clerk’s Office was “grandfathered” into the Passport Acceptance Program pending future action, as we had been accepted into the program in 1999.On Nov. 3, 2010, a letter from the United States Department of State was received outlining new requirements for town clerk’s offices to …
The Sacred Heart Reuse Committee has five new members, appointed by the Board of Selectmen at their meeting on March 15. "We had a very strong group of applicants," chairman Joe Roach said. He expressed the board's appreciation of townspeople's prompt response to the selectmen's call for augmenting the four-member committee. The committee now has its full complement of nine members.Appointed were Larry Seggelin, Karen Friedman, Carl Gladstone, David Straus and Michael Ginsberg. They join current members John Davis (chair), Ed Keenan, Valeda Britton and Jim Michaels.At its next meeting, …
As I step outside on this cool foggy March evening, rolling my garbage barrel down the driveway, I am immediately taken back by one of nature’s most unpleasant odors, “skunk musk." Although part of me is excited because the smell of skunk is a definite indicator that spring cannot be far away, the more rational part of my brain is totally disgusted by this horrific odor, most probably caused by the striped skunks need to expel the six tablespoons of yellow musk that was building up after hibernating underground for a couple months. Whatever the reason the animal sprayed didn’t matter, the …
Local shopping opportunities include Patriot Place, Legacy Place, Westgate Mall, South Shore Plaza, Walpole Mall, Mansfield Crossing, Wrentham Village, Cobb's Corner, Rte. 1, Shaw's Plaza, Heights Plaza, Foxboro Center and Post Office Square. The proposed Westwood Station mall will have 30 acres of retail floor space. And we can already order just about anything we want online, including groceries. The CO2 sequestering services of approximately 30 acres of forest were lost when the Sharon Commons Lifestyle Mall site was stripped of trees over three years ago. This site was NHESP-designated …
