The Norfolk Times

Eleanor Spellman Receives President’s Volunteer Service Award

Eleanor Spellman, a student at King Philip Regional High School, has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a President’s Volunteer Service Award.

The award was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), recognizes middle and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service.

“The recipients of these awards demonstrate that young people across America are making remarkable contributions to the health and vitality of their communities,” said John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. “By recognizing these students and placing a spotlight on their volunteer activities, we hope to motivate others to consider how they can also contribute to their community.”

Prudential Spirit of Community Award applications were distributed nationwide last September through middle level and high schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Hands On Network affiliates. These schools and officially-designated local organizations nominated Local Honorees, whose applications were advanced for state-level judging. In addition to granting President’s Volunteer Service Awards on behalf of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards selected State Honorees, Distinguished Finalists and Certificate of Excellence recipients. Volunteer activities were judged on criteria including personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.

Norfolk Students Earn Boston College High School Honors

Marcus Lespasio, class of 2019, of Norfolk achieved High Honors for the Second Quarter at Boston College High School. For High Honors student needs a 3.8 QPA and all grades C+ or higher.

Joseph Kulesza, class of 2018, and Richard Lovaas, class of 2020, achieved Honors. For Honors an upperclassman needs at least a 3.2 QPA and all grades C- or higher. Freshmen need a 3.16 QPA and all grades C- or higher.

Boston College High School is a Jesuit, Catholic, college-preparatory school for young men founded in 1863. The school enrolls approximately 1600 students from more than 100 communities in eastern Massachusetts.

KP Alumna Named CAA Swimmer of the Week

Carly Schnabel is all smiles after her record breaking performance. Photo by Kierstin Chu.

By Devan Horahan

RICHMOND, Va. – After shattering Northeastern University's record in the 1000 freestyle, Wrentham native Carly Schnabel was named Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Swimmer of the Week. The Northeastern sophomore and King Philip alumna swam a blistering 10:03.95 in the race, re-writing Colleen McCormack's 10:12.25 record from 2014. This is Schnabel's first CAA nod of her career and Northeastern's first CAA Swimmer of the Week award this season.

Prior to the meet at Harvard, Schnabel's fastest time this season in the 1000 was 10:20.16.

As conference championships approach, Schnabel is expected to be a major contributor on the scoreboard for the Huskies. During the regular season, she raked in a team leading 210 individual points on 19 first place finishes, seven second place finishes, three third place finishes and one fourth place finish.

On the Husky relay teams, Schnabel has contributed on eight first place teams, four second place teams and two third place teams.

Schnabel is also a member of two school record relay teams, the 200 and 400 medley squads that raised the record bar to 1:40.70 and 3:41.44 in the races and placed second and third at 2016 championships respectively.

The Huskies will hit the water for CAA Championships on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center in Christiansburg, Va.

Marijuana Legalization Seminar Attended by Local Police

More than 160 regional public health, law enforcement, education and municipal leaders – including Wrentham Detective Sgt. James Barrett, Norfolk Police Detective Michelle Palladini, and Plainville Police Lt. James Floyd – joined District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey at his “Marijuana Legalization – Community Strategies” seminar last week to learn about the public health, safety and governance issues and problems related to the new law.

“The ballot question was designed to maximize corporate profit, without regard for graceful or efficient implementation. That leaves towns and cities with a lot of unanswered questions,” said District Attorney Morrissey, whose office organized the seminar in partnership with the Canton Alliance Against Substance Abuse, Needham Public Health, Walpole Police and Stoughton U-Knighted.

Attorney Katherine Laughman from the firm Kopelman & Paige led with a presentation on regulation and taxation of marijuana, including the steps towns need to take to regulate employees getting high at work – since marijuana will no longer be defined as a controlled substance – and ways to zone where pot shops can locate.

With an audience that was almost half police officers, Attorney John Scheft from Law Enforcement Dimensions detailed the intricacies of enforcing the new hodgepodge of law, where a citizen can grow 6 marijuana plants at their home legally, but to do so at a second home or rented space is a crime. A landscape where minors can be charged with possession for the marijuana inside their bodies after they consume it -- unlike any other drug.

Walpole Police Chief John Carmichael, whose personal research into the impacts marijuana legalization has included visiting Colorado manufacturing and selling facilities, and Needham Health and Human Services Director Timothy McDonald joined Scheft and Laughman to field questions from the group.

We may not have been able to answer every question for the towns, and there are many things that will be fleshed out through the courts in the years to come,” District Attorney Morrissey said. “But if we pool our resources and work together, the coming changes can be less chaotic and less disruptive to public safety and quality of life.”