The Norfolk Times

KP High School 4th Quarter Honor Roll

Mrs. Lisa C. Oliveira, principal of King Philip Regional High School, has announced the names of students who earned honor roll status for the fourth marking term.  To earn high honors, it is necessary to maintain class grades of all A’s or Pass in courses; for honors standing, class grades of all A’s and/or B’s or Pass in courses; for commended students, all A’s and/or B’s or Pass and one C in courses.  There can be no grade of Failure or Incomplete in any course.

Click to view the list of students in Grade 12 on the honor roll.

Click to view the list of students in Grade 11 on the honor roll.

Click to view the list of students in Grade 10 on the honor roll.

Click to view the list of students in Grade 9 on the honor roll.

 

John "Jack" Phelps Haehnel (June 25, 1935 - July 22, 2012)

John “Jack” Phelps Haehnel, 77, of Campbell St., Norfolk, died peacefully surrounded by his loving family on July 22, 2012. Born on June 25, 1935 in Springfield, MA he was a loving son of the late Herman Augustus and Margaret (Mix) Haehnel. 

He was a graduate of the Wrentham Centre High School. A lifelong area resident, he lived in Walpole prior to moving in 1963 to Norfolk, his home for many years.

Having suffered from the effects of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, he never lost his spirit and it enabled him to overcome many challenges in life for which he was greatly admired. Choosing vocations of intense labor, his positive nature and “can-do” attitude helped him in all things he set out to do. As an equipment operator and foreman with the Town of Norfolk, his handiwork and mastery can be witnessed in many of the stone walls that he built along the byways of the community. 

Jack always put family first in his life. His greatest pride and joy were his children and grandchildren who were the beneficiaries of his great love and courage. He was also an avid fan of NASCAR, motorcycles, and vintage airplanes. 

He loved Norfolk and enjoyed not only his employment with the Town, but also serving for many years as a volunteer with the Norfolk Fire Department. 

He is survived by his loving children, Constance and her husband Gary Wyllie of Attleboro, Anne and her husband Tom Salamone of Niskayuna, NY, Leda and her husband James Notchey of Attleboro, and John and his wife Jennifer Haehnel of Franklin. He was the dear and devoted grandfather of Christopher “CJ”, Elizabeth, and Nicholas Wyllie, Cathryn and Tyler Salamone, Margaret and Josephine Notchey, and John and Jessica Haehnel. He was the dear brother of Robert “Dick” Haehnel of Sabattus, Maine, and of the late Robert Haehnel. He was the former husband of Bonnie (Ellsworth) Haehnel.

Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the RJ Ross Funeral Home, 135 South Street, Route 1A, Wrentham Centre, on Thursday from 4-8 PM. His Funeral will be Friday at 11 AM in the Sanctuary of the Norfolk Federated Church, 1 Union Street, Norfolk. Burial will follow in Norfolk Cemetery.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, PO Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168, or by phone at 1-800-525-4669.

Arrangements are in the care of Richard Ross and the RJ Ross Funeral Home, Wrentham Centre.

Town Says Goodbye to Freeman-Centennial

The final days of Freeman-Centennial will be memorable according to Lisa Altham-Hickey, the school's principal. "We had the opportunity to greet young and old as they came by to walk down memory lane before the school [was] demolished," Altham-Hickey said. "The last days of the Freeman-Centennial school will go down with history, pride, education, and incredible memories."

Students that attended the school in 1951 returned with their teachers to visit classrooms. Many visitors took pictures. "I am sad to see the old school go but know in my heart that we will all keep the memories alive for years to come," she said. "As we close one door, we are delighted to open the new Freeman-Kennedy School.  This new school will provide students, parents, and the Norfolk community with many educational opportunities."

 The grand opening of the Freeman-Kennedy school is scheduled for Saturday, September 8th. 

Summer Fun with Norfolk Playground Program

The Summer Playground is more than just one of the many programs Norfolk Recreation offers, according to the department’s director, Ann Proto. It’s a program that she believes really makes Norfolk Recreation a big part of the community. “Summer playground is something we work on all year to make sure it works,” Proto says. “We really feel it’s what makes Norfolk Rec special.”

The program costs $1 a day plus a onetime registration fee of $20. The fee is $12 if registration is done before June 8th.  Norfolk children entering grades 2 through 6 are able to stop in any day to take part in a host of summer camp style activities such as crafts and games. The fee includes a t-shirt that children will have an opportunity to tie-dye. At any given time there could be between 80 to 125 kids dropping in to enjoy the Summer Playground. The flexible nature allows families to take advantage of the summer and still have fun activities for their children to participate in when they are in town. “It’s a way to be outside and supervised and it's open to everyone in Norfolk,” Proto explains.

The supervision mainly comes from college students, but there a few in high school. Proto says she requires all the counselors to volunteer first. “I can’t say enough about my counselors. They’re terrific and multi-talented,” she explained.

Each day the children will have an opportunity to do something that is summer camp inspired such as making picture frames, playing sports, or participating in scavenger hunts. Recently, the group made items like wallets only using duct tape.

This year the program turned to the local community for support. “We asked businesses to partner with us and become Donors-of-the-Day,” Proto says. “We had a wonderful response.”

Many of the businesses and organizations that have contributed include, Norfolk Arena, Eagle Brook Saloon, Norfolk Baseball, Norfolk Youth Basketball, Acorn Animal Hospital, Carpentry by Tom Antonellis, Crowley's Power Equipment, Foxboro Federal, Taylor Rental, AmVets, and Norfolk Power Equipment. Also, Dunkin Donuts, along with Norfolk Lions, donated their road race proceeds to help sponsor a week of the summer playground. Norfolk Lions and the Norfolk Community League made donations to help fund crafts, supplies and staff costs.

The summer playground will run through August 15th  closing with a big barbeque complete with a bounce house from Taylor Rental. The playground is held weekly, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is still time to participate in the fun.

The Pats are Coming!

The King Philip Boosters are sponsoring a celebrity basketball game featuring players from the New England Patriots on March 19, 2013 at 7 p.m. at KP High School. The game will feature current members of the team who will face business owners, residents and students of the King Philip Regional School District of Wrentham, Norfolk, and Plainville. A special autograph session will be part of the game. Residents may receive a phone solicitation during the next few weeks.

The King Philip Boosters are looking for people to purchase tickets or place an ad in the souvenir program book which will be given out at the game. Net proceeds will be used to support the many endeavors of the King Philip Boosters. To get tickets or find out how to play in the game, call 508-298-0182.

Town Hill Summer Concerts Continue this Thursday

Norfolk Recreation launched its 2012 Summer Concert Series on July 5th with the Sharon Concert Band and continued with oldies from the Reminisants last week. Destination Dreamland will perform this Thursday and is co-sponsored by Norfolk Public Library.

The rest of the summer schedule is:

July 19
Franklin School for the Performing Arts: Electric Youth!

July 26
Black and White Band-Swing/Rhythm and Blues

August 2
Garden Party- Rock Band!

August 9
The Locals - Irish Family Fun!

The Concert Series is funded by Norfolk Recreation with a contribution from the Norfolk Cultural Council.

State Surveys Bats, Rabbits, & Turkeys

Photo by Jackie Gately.

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife  (MassWildlife) is asking for a little help as it monitors the populations of bats, turkeys and rabbits. The state agency conducts regular surveys of animal populations in an effort to help biologists understand what’s happening with different animal groups, and, in some instances, develop strategies to improve the population numbers. In the case of bats and rabbits, the survey data is being collected as both populations are experiencing a decline in numbers and this may see both ending up on the endangered species list. In regards to turkeys, their population has grown since the 1970s effort to increase their numbers.

 

The bat population is the most troubling to state officials and biologists because of a relatively new and deadly white fungus that forms on the muzzle of the animal. Called White Nose Syndrome, it was
first found in New York six years ago and soon cases were found in New England. "We're very concerned with bat populations,” says Marion Larson, chief of information and education at  MassWildlife. “Bat populations have crashed due to White Nose Syndrome. In some places in the winter where bats have been hibernating there used to be thousands, now there are dozens.”

The steep decline of bat populations is being seen throughout New England and in the Midwest. MassWildlife is asking that if people see a summer colony of ten bats or more on their property to report that information to agency biologists. Little Brown Bats and Big Brown Bats are the most likely species to be found in buildings. Please report the colony's location, what kind of place it is in, and about how many bats are in the colony, by calling (508) 389-6300 or email mass.wildlife@state.ma.us. “We’re passing the information onto Boston University as part of a multistate effort to monitor what's happening with bats with this catastrophic decline,” Larson said.

New England Cottontail Rabbit

Since 2010, MassWildlife has turned to the Massachusetts residents for skulls and carcasses of rabbits. The grisly request was necessary since the two rabbit populations in the state can only be told apart by the sutures in the skull of the rabbit or through DNA testing. The issue at hand is the population of the elusive New England cottontail. A native of the area, its numbers have been declining while, the more commonly found Eastern cottontail, continues to be seen regularly around homes on yards and in gardens.

The New England cottontail is found in in very thick, shrubby areas that are hard to pass through and are covered in brambles and in young forest habitats. These types of habitats are less prevalent in Massachusetts resulting in a less attractive habitat for the New England cottontail. As a result, this rabbit is a potential candidate for listing on the US Endangered Species list. “The New England states and New York have been trying to figure out where the New England cottontails are,” says Larson. “We're looking to see how we can create habitats on properties we own and we're going to work with landowners interested in creating that kind of habitat on their land as well.”

Carcasses or cottontail heads should be placed in a plastic bag and frozen until they can be dropped off at a DFW District Office. The closest offices to Plainville, Norfolk and Wrentham are either Westborough or Bourne. The bag should include the exact location the animal was found and contact information. “We're asking people to be kind enough not to be grossed out and take the animal to one of our offices,” Larson said.

Turkey Survey

 The annual turkey survey is conducted to help  MassWildlife biologists see how well the spring hatch of young turkeys are doing. This data is then used to look at population trends. “We're asking people to count turkey broods,” Larson says. “We're looking for groups of 10 turkeys with their poults. We're asking for how many hens do people see in a flock," Larson says. "Several hens will get together with their young ones and feed. Kind of like a Mom's group."

MassWildlife also wants to know the size of the poults since this helps determine when the animals were born. “It helps give us an idea how well the spring hatch went and it gives our turkey biologists help determining what the population for turkeys is every year. We look for trends over many years. That's why we ask people for information.” The survey form is available online.

The survey data is being collected through the end of August. For more information, visit the MassWildLife web site or call (508) 389-6300. 

 

Photo by Jackie Gately.

 

Autofest Moved to Cracker-Barrel

The Norfolk based Mass Cruisers Auto Club is moving its Autofest to the Cracker-Barrel Fairgrounds at the Wrentham Developmental Center. For the past two decades it was held at the VFW in Medway, but the event needed a bigger venue. "We've just outgrown the space, " says Patrick Touhey, a member of the auto enthusiast group.

The new location will allow the event to have over 500 cars as well as 120 vendors. In the past, Autofest was limited to having the event on Sunday mornings and it could only hold 300 cars. "The Cracker-Barrel
space will work out better," Touhey says.

Autofest will also feature two live bands, Fat Cat Blue and the Throw Down Band and DJ Bruce Palmer. There will also be southern cooking provided by Texas Bar B Que, as well as a flea market and different
prizes for best cars in different categories such as retro, muscle and hot rod. The group will hold kids' activities, coloring contests and valve cover racing.  "It will be a great day," says Touhey.

Autofest will be held on August 18, starting at 2 p.m. and running through 8 p.m.

Mass Cruisers Auto Club also runs the Thursday Cruise Night over at Patriot Place. There are seven Cruise Nights left starting at 4:30: July 26, August 9, 23, September 6, 20, and October 4, 18.

The Mass Cruisers Auto Club is a non-profit social organization dedicated to furthering the enjoyment of motor vehicles of all types. Although the primary focus of the membership may be on preserving, restoring or modifying older vehicles, ownership of a vehicle is not required. The club membership provides a forum to develop activities throughout the year for social and charitable activities
www.masscruisers.com.

KP Dare to hold Fund Day

The KP DARE Support Group is holding a Family Fun Day on Saturday, July 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wrentham Sportsmen’s Club, Seven Madison St., Plainville (East of Route 1). There will be free fishing, bouncing houses, games, hay rides and entertainment, as well food.

For the 2012-13 school year, the KP DARE Support Group is again funding the eighth grade DARE program at the KP Middle School.

Tickets may be purchased at the church offices of the Original Congregational Church in Wrentham, St. Jude Church in Norfolk and the Federated Church in Norfolk. Tickets may also be obtained by email or phone: Ken Graves at kengraves@gravesfa.org or 508-384-9338; Irene Levesque at 508-384-9145; or Russ Tupper at jrtupper@verizon.net.

via www.wrenthamtimes.com

Anyone for Tennis? How about Flag Football?

Join Norfolk Recreation to learn and improve your tennis game at the Pond St. Courts this summer.  The evening lessons are set up so you can play throughout the summer. The Recreation Department uses the new teaching methods adopted by the US Tennis Association (USTA) which make tennis fun for all ages! Plus each child who registers for Summer Tennis receives a free one year membership to USTA. Classes run Monday through Thursday with Friday as a weather make-up day. Racquets are available to borrow. Please no black sole sneakers allowed. Please bring a water bottle and a visor is suggested. Space is limited so sign up soon! Pre-registration is required. Register ON-LINE AT WWW.VIRTUALNORFOLK.ORG/REC. OR Register in person at the Town Hall, 1 Liberty Lane, Norfolk, MA. Hours are 9-6 M-Thursday.  Questions? Please call us at 508-520-1315 or email recreation@virtualnorfolk.org.

F.A.S.T. FLAG FOOTBALL – Ages 6-8 & 8-12 Flag Football gives kids the opportunity to have fun, get some great exercise, and learn valuable football skills and strategies along the way. Kids should dress comfortably and wear sneakers. Bring an extra shirt, water games will be played at the end of the week. Please bring a snack and water bottle. LOCATION: Pond St. Complex, RT 115

TIME: 9:00 – 12:00

FEE: $99 per week

DATES: Monday – Friday

Wk 5: July 23 – 27

F.A.S.T MINI-SPORTS – Ages 4-6 Come have fun playing soccer, basketball, t-ball and more! Children will be eased into learning the basics of all these great games. Please bring a snack and water bottle.

LOCATION: Pond St. Complex, RT 115

TIME: 9:00 – 12:00 FEE: $89 per week

DATES: Monday – Thursday Wk 3: July 9 – 12 Wk 5: July 23-26 Wk 9: August 20-23

F.A.S.T. SUPER SPORTS – Ages 6-8 - A variety of sports will be offered each day such as: basketball, baseball, soccer, and Flag Football will be introduced. Each day will end with a Round Robin Tournament. Please bring a snack and water bottle.

LOCATION: Pond St. Complex, RT 115

FEE: $89

TIME: 9:00 - 12:00

DATES: Monday – Thursday Wk 3: July 9 – 12

F.A.S.T. MULTI-SPORTS – Ages 8-12 Get up, get going, get active! Each week traditional and non-traditional sports will be played including: Ultimate Frisbee, Fort Knox, Army dodgeball as well as soccer, baseball and basketball. Please bring a snack and water bottle.

LOCATION: Pond St. Complex, RT 115

FEE: $99

TIME: 9:00 – 12:00

DATES: Monday – Friday Wk 3: July 9 – 12

SUMMER FIELD HOCKEY – Entering Grades 4-9 Join KP Coach Liz Hathaway along with KP Field Hockey Players in learning the fundamental skills of field hockey in a fun-filled summer program. Please bring mouthguard, shinguards, plenty of water, a healthy snack and wear cleats. Every player will receive a ball and T-shirt (state size on registration form).

LOCATION: Pond St. Complex, RT 115

DATE: July 30 – August 2 (Mon-Thurs)

TIME: 9:00 – 12:00

FEE: $95 without purchase of stick $115 with purchase of stick; please provide players height on registration form.

GIRLS INDOOR VOLLEYBALL – Entering Grades 4-6 & 7-9 - Have lots of fun in this instrumental program which will get you on the road to playing volleyball and improving your game. Kayla Marceau is a MetroWest coach and loves to bring the sport to as many girls as possible. We will be split according to age.

LOCATION: H.O.D./Gym (enter rear of building)

DATE: July 9 – 12 (Mon-Thurs)

TIME: 6:30-8:30

FEE: $79