PATCH FACTS

5 Things Dec. 21: Softball Clinics, Holiday Travel and More

Your Patch Facts for the day.

Things You Need to Know Today is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Check back later for more, and let us know what you think of the feature in the comments section. 1. Winter softball clinic registration open Registration is open for two 2013 winter softball clinics. Everyone who registers will receive a certificate, which can be used for Holiday gifts or stocking stuffers. Skills and Drills will be offered for 10 weeks Sundays Jan. 15 through March 18. Cost is $75. Pitching Clinic will be held for nine weeks Tuesdays Jan. 15 through March 19. Cost is $75. These programs are on a first come, first served basis. For more information contact Mike Pietrasiewicz at petro2020@comcast.net or John…

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PATCH FACTS

5 Things Aug. 11: Trip Tips, National Farmers Week and More

Your Patch Facts for the day.

Five Things You Need to Know Today is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Check back later for more, and let us know what you think of the feature in the comments section. 1. Thunderstorms likely There is a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms today. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall. It will be humid with highs in the lower 80s. South winds will be 10 to 15 mph. Tonight there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. There will be areas of fog. Lows are expected to be in the mid 60s. 2. Tween Night at Frenzy Saturdays are Tween Night at Frenzy from 6 to 9 p.m. Ages 11 and older can stop by for inflatable fun. Admission is $10. 3. National Farmers Market Week …

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Future of Route 123 in Norton on the Table

Plans in the works to decrease speeding, increase visibility not to start until 2016 in Norton.

The Route 123 transportation improvement project, extending from the sewer line “hump” to the Route 495 overpass, will not be underway until at least spring of 2016, but it is already proving to be a challenge, both in planning and cost. Norton Highway Department superintendent Keith Silver told selectmen this week he hopes to have preliminary plans drawn up by municipal consultants from Vanasse Hangen Brustlin available for viewing at a public information meeting sometime this fall. Issues the VHB project planners will address include some serious visibility problems for motorists coming off Route 495, the dangerous North and South Washington Street intersection, the bike path crossing, excessive speed and the height of the “hump” where …

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MUSINGS ON MOTHERHOOD

The Art of Packing

Getting there is half the fun!

When planning a trip, we make lists of all the things we need.  I know that we bring too many things when we go on trips. We have the—I need this "just in case" mode. How many outfits, shoes, will I need where I’m going? The answer to these questions may depend on one’s gender. Though I think as Americans, we have a tendency to always bring too much with us when we go places. We might say well I can always buy deodorant when I go to Canada—but why do that? Why have an experience as mundane as looking for something in another country? Why experience something like that when we have to go to the art museum and find a nice restaurant? The funny thing is that those simple things are just plain fun. Sure, you can go to the museum and be a …

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VIDEO: Roads Wet But Driveable

May freeze overnight.

Only two motor vehicle accidents were reported in Norton by the police department today. Neither had injuries. "However we had a few motor vehicles off the road," police lieutenant Todd Jackson said. "We also had several branches and wires down, with some power outages in town." According to National Grid, 192 customers are without power. In this video, Norton Patch editor takes a round trip from Mansfield to Norton to see how the roads were.

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AN INSIDE LOOK

Christmas Celebrations Change With the Years

You can't always have things they way you'd like them.

Christmas is a lot of things to a lot of people. We all know it is a religious holiday for Christians, but it has become more than that (dodging lightning bolt) throughout the country and the world. Christmas has become a time for family, a time for valuing your loved ones and a time for reflection – which is pretty much in line with the whole religious philosophy. And Christmas changes as you get older, as does the way you celebrate it. As a kid growing up in Norton, Christmas was always about family coming to our house. Our Christmas dinners routinely meant 25 to 30 people gathered around our big dining room table, including some we only saw once or twice a year.  Our turkey was always over 30 pounds. My grandparents had a farm in …

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