Thursday, April 18, 2013
As the picket-happy church threatens to come to Boston, we thought it's worth clarifying that it has absolutely nothing to do with Westborough.
Editor's Note: This story originally ran in February 2012, when the Westboro Baptist Church was planning to picket Whitney Houston's funeral. We are republishing, lest someone reading about the church's threat to picket at Marathon bombing victims' funerals be confused about where the church is located. Whatever your politics or religious beliefs, chances are you have heard of the Westboro Baptist Church. One reader had asked Westborough Patch last year about this church, which she presumed to be in Westborough, MA. However, to be clear, the Westboro Baptist Church is located in the western suburbs of Topeka, KS. In our poll question today, we want to know how you feel about Westborough, MA sharing a name with the Westboro Baptist Church…
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Weighing the pros and cons of a hybrid cars.
Hybrid cars have come a long way since the Honda Insight became the first hybrid for sale in North America in late 1999. For one, the styling has gone from futuristic insect to more traditional looks. And while once the sight of a Prius rolling by would turn heads, hybrids seem ubiqutious now. (The more traditional looking models also don't turn as many heads.) There are the well-known pros to hybrids, starting with cutting down on trips to the gas station. The miles per gallon these cars get is the first specification that jumps out at most people, and what many customers are looking for when shopping for a hybrid. For city-dwellers, the fuel economy of hybrids is often better for city driving than for highway driving, flipping the …
Monday, March 25, 2013
A blog by Kim Comatas, a mother and educator, about the lessons to be learned from the Steubenville crimes.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
A Patch reader suggests shopping at local hometown stores instead of big box stores.
Dear Editor: I have a suggestion for all those who are lamenting the closing of Lord’s Department Store in Medfield and are looking for ways to honor the store and its owners, its tradition and its memory: Stop shopping at the big box stores. Make no mistake about it: of the many factors that I'm sure went into Tom's and Nancy's decision to close, there can be little doubt that competition from chain stores at the malls and especially the huge-volume players like Walmart may have been the biggest. But if you ever find yourself complaining about the way those stores make you feel as a customer - about being forgotten and left on hold when calling for information, about store personnel who know nothing about the items they're selling, and …
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Do you agree with the governor's decision or was it too drastic?
All non-emergency drivers were ordered off the roads on Friday when Gov. Deval Patrick issued an executive order banning travel during the blizzard. (Editor's note: The ban is lifted statewide as of 4 p.m. Saturday.) Patrick's executive order is being praised by some and bashed by others, reported The Boston Globe. While former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who was in charge of the commonwealth during the Blizzard of ’78, praised the governor’s move, others called the order “tyrannical” and say the strict ban and hefty fines were too much, according to The Globe. Those caught violating the ban would face up to a year in jail and a $500 fine. What do you think? Do you agree with the governor’s decision or do you think the travel ban …
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Our strange police news round-up this week includes a 911 caller who made an inappropriate request.
I'm guessing I know where this woman falls in the "women serving in combat" debate... A woman called Milford police to report her car would not start outside of Kohl's. A dispatcher told her several times that she needed to call a tow truck. A female officer responded, and reported back that the caller requested a male officer. The woman was advised that 911 is for emergencies only, and provided her with a business number for police. They may have gotten away with it, if not for the suspicious behavior... Workers at the Shaws Supermarket in Shrewsbury called police after seeing two women "acting suspiciously near the coin return machine." Officers found the women were drunk, and trying to cash out coins they'd allegedly stolen from an …
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Also in unusual police news this week, a house was egged thrice and a failed attempt to use a Dumpster caused problems.
Who doesn't talk to their cat? A Milford man reported his neighbors, a man and a woman, were yelling in an apartment near him. Police reported back that the woman said she talks loudly sometimes, and she said she was talking to her cat. Elusive eggers. Yet-to-be-identified suspects egged a house not once, not twice, but three times in one night in Shrewsbury. The egg-throwers evaded police. Customer flips out over Dumpster I'm not sure why someone would think it'd be cool to use a business' Dumpster to discard their trash, but apparently, a visitor to a gas station in Holliston took great exception to being denied such access. An employee at the station called police to report that when a customer was not allowed to use the Dumpster, he/…
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Also in unusual or quirky police news this week, we took note of a driver who had no hope of avoiding arrest, a mother and son duo and a case meant for ghostbusters.
Isn't one of the lessons in Crime 101 to leave no trace? Milford Police had their job made easier this week when a hit-and-run suspect left a trail. A caller said a vehicle struck his car and took off: police were able to follow a trail of antifreeze to the suspect's vehicle. But, even if they hadn't found the antifreeze, the suspect had given them another clue: her license plate. One of the quickest ways to get yourself arrested... ...is to attempt to run down a cop. A driver pulled over for erratic operation in Shrewsbury became even more erratic when she drove away from the stop, making contact with (but thankfully, not injuring) the officer. The woman was arrested later the same day when police spotted her vehicle and deployed stop …
Friday, January 18, 2013
A weekly column by Town Historian Richard DeSorgher. This week focuses on the burning of town hall 90 years ago this week.
It was exactly 90 years ago, on Jan. 17, 1923, that the Medfield Town Hall burned for the second time in 50 years. That morning dawned bitter cold and all of Medfield was covered in a blanket of white from a recent snowstorm. It was just before 7 a.m. when the first alarm came in that Medfield’s seat of government was on fire. Before the day was over, the entire inside of Town Hall was gutted, leaving only a partial shell standing. The blankets of snow on the nearby buildings kept the fire from spreading. Hot embers were reported to have fallen up to two miles away. A defective chimney was thought to have been the cause. Luckily the town had installed a fireproof cement vault which saved many of the town records. This was a lesson learned…
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Also in unusual police news, a caller tracked the whereabouts of a curious turkey.
Pantless man not included. A Realtor received an unexpected surprise in Holliston recently. Upon arriving at a house that was going to be shown to prospective buyers, the Realtor found a man who was passed out and wearing no pants. (The man was taken to the hospital for evaluation.) Friendly's is closed, you Turkey! If this turkey's aim was to gobble up some ice cream, he shouldn't have gone to the Medfield Friendly's, which is closed. A caller in Medfield was on the phone with police reporting first seeing a turkey at CVS, then at Friendly's. Violence is not the way to handle a customer service issue. Even when said issue is super frustrating. Verizon reported a Milford man threatened to hit him because he was not able to help him …
Francis P. Ardito,Sr
2:23 pm on Thursday, April 25, 2013
I'm tired of the Minister of that Kansas church. He is comparable to the Muslims that preach Sharia law. He and the congregation should be ashamed of themselves. more ›