This, That And The Family Thing

In Her Day, Prom-Posals Would Have Been Uncool

The new fad has her reflecting on when 'inclusiveness was groovy.'

There is new word for a new fad among teenagers. Prom-posal.  High school kids are elevating the tradition of the prom invitation to new heights. Literally and figuratively. Some kids are hiring airplanes to fly banners in the sky to pop the question to their intended dates. This service goes for an all-inclusive fee of $600. Naturally, the cost does not include the price of the prom tickets.   Modeled after increasingly popular pumped up, public wedding proposals, prospective prom goers try to outdo each other with the most creative prom-posals. YouTube videos feature original prom asking songs. Prom invites are written in icing on cakes or in pepperoni on pizza. One Tennessee boy knelt on bended knee before his girlfriend in front of the…

• Photos (1)

OP/ED: Property Tax Deferral is Lasting Mother's Day Gift

Sharon had 20 deferrals in 2011.

By Laura Henze Russell How long until the flowers are wilted and the candy eaten? Want to give mom or grandma a more lasting Mother's Day gift this year, and in years to come? How about a break from property taxes, if she’s struggling to keep up with, or getting behind on bills? The Massachusetts Senior Property Tax Deferral Program has been on the books for years, but it is one of Massachusetts' best-kept secrets. Participation rates are very low and eligibility rules vary by city and town. Many seniors who qualify do not take advantage of it. Here are the basics. Qualifying homeowners, 65 years old (age may vary by community), can defer all or part of their property taxes each year, by filing a property tax deferral form with the local …

• Photos (1)

Opinion

OP/ED: National Police Week a Time For Reflection

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial includes more than 19,000 names.

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 Police Officer Stratford B. Allen was struck by an automobile while directing traffic at a Fourth of July carnival at Deborah Sampson Park and …

• Photos (1)

This, That And The Family Thing

She'll Defer to Anna M. Jarvis on Mother's Day

What is the true spirit of the holiday?

You know how you think you remember the reason for celebrating a national holiday until someone asks you for an explanation? You mumble a vague answer. On a whim, you Google it and find out you're wrong. This happened to me with Mother's Day.  I've always thought greeting card companies and florists invented the holiday to cash in on the guilt fathers feel about under appreciating the goddesses who gave birth to their children. On Mother’s Day, I welcome cards, as well as no cooking, no housework, and no saying mean things to mom. This translates to a day of liberation from kitchen drudgery and teenage backtalk. The flowers, I can take or leave.   During my research about the roots of Mother's Day, I discovered I wasn't far off the mark …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Counsel Corner

State's New Regs for School Food Unappealing

The state should have tested the regulations before implementing them, he says.

It's the end of the world as we know it. On August 1, state regulations will set new standards for food and beverages sold in public schools, including those items sold at "bake sales" and other fundraising events. Schools shall be required to offer fresh fruit and non-fried vegetables. Foods prepared in fryolators will be prohibited. With some exceptions, foods shall not exceed "200 calories per item." Beverages also will be regulated. All vegetable and fruit juices must be 100 pure, with no added sugar. After a phase-in period, milk and milk substitutes will be fat free or "low fat," which is defined as 1 percent fat or less, and entirely unflavored. "Potable water" must be made available to all students, all day, at no cost. Established…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Blaustein Thanks Sharon Residents

Wednesday marks his last school committee meeting.

To the Editor: I would like to thank all of the residents of Sharon for allowing me to serve for over 18 years on the school committee. This Wednesday is my last meeting. I have seen all five schools renovated, watched over 4,000 students at their graduations, served with 24 other school committee members, and made countless new friends, if we agreed on issues or not. Some years, many people ran and others just enough run for school committee. At next Tuesday's election, I congratulate Veronica and Katie in advance, and wish them well. I'm not leaving Dodge and my number's in the book. Good luck, Mitch Blaustein Sharon

• Photos (1)

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Set Rules for Kids to Go Online

Sharon Police recommend safety tips.

To the Editor: Allowing kids to go online without supervision or ground rules is like allowing them to explore a major city by themselves. The Internet, like a city, offers an enormous array of entertainment and educational resources, but also presents some risks. Kids need help navigating this world. As parents, we want our children to be safe and responsible while using technology. We will have succeeded when each child can recognize and minimize the three main risks associated with all forms of technology that connect to the Internet (i.e., computers, iPods, cell phones, game consoles). The three main risks are: Inappropriate Contact- Teach kids how to recognize and protect themselves against contact with cyber-bullies, hackers, …

• Photos (1)

This, That And The Family Thing

Maine Thruway Trip Reminds Her: Timing is Everything

Daughter's 60-minute driving experience was memorable.

White knuckling the car door, I am holding on for my life. "Mom, stop doing that, you're freaking me out," she pleads.  My daughter is freaking me out by driving on the Maine Thruway acting as though she's driven it 100 times, when it is time Numero Uno. She inches closer to the white line. "Practice keeping the car in the center of the lane. Smack in the middle." Smack. Not my most inspired word choice given the circumstances. I keep one eye on the road and the other on our daughter, a student with five more lessons to go at her driving school. My third eye, the one I've grown expressly for this trip, fixes on the dashboard clock. Time moves with the swiftness of soup approaching a boiling point. My fear simmers while I watch the digits …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Elissa C. Rosenthal

9:07 am on Thursday, May 3, 2012

Now that I think about it, that ride is a metaphor for parenthood... there are near collisions, close calls, but in the end we all survive. Thanks for the nice comment, Cindy.   more ›

Counsel Corner

California Case Raises Questions About Lying About One's Past

Should the federal government prosecute such cases?

One of the more entertaining movies of the last decade or so is Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me If You Can." The film tells the more or less true story of Frank Abagnale, a man that confounded authorities for years by successfully impersonating, among other things, an airline pilot, state prosecutor and emergency room doctor, all the while creating false identification papers and passing bogus checks worth millions of dollars. No one could seriously dispute that people like Abagnale deserve to be punished with criminal prosecution. Abagnale was more than a braggart. His actions put airline passengers, hospital patients and law clients in jeopardy. And his counterfeit check-writing schemes cost companies a fortune. On the other hand, Xavier …

• Photos (1)

This, That And The Family Thing

College Tour Leads to Lesson in Parent 'No Nos'

Here's what parents should avoid doing while they and their kids visit schools.

Last week during spring vacation, many college-bound juniors joined the caravans of high school students trekking to big cities, quaint towns, and campuses in the middle of nowhere. Their mission: uncover the college of their dreams. Their parents' mission: cover up the college dreams we dream for them. We fall in love with a school; they fall out of love with it. When parents walk onto a college campus, they walk the wavy line between being cheerleaders and acting as undercover agents. The mission's success hinges in part on keeping our opinions to ourselves. My family visited a modest two colleges in one week. We heard tales of three colleges in one day. Whether you shop for colleges as frenetically as a bargain hunter on Black Friday or…

• Photos (1)