The Wrentham Times

Thanksgiving Tales of Old

It's Thanksgiving so it's time for a little nostalgia. Here are a few Wrentham related Thanksgiving tales.

Eagles for Thanksgiving

Football and Thanksgiving certainly go well together and that was the case back in 1926 when Boston College's football team set up camp in Wrentham in preparation for a showdown with its rival, Holy Cross. The team was holding practices in Franklin at Dean Academy, known today as Dean College, and staying "safely and quietly quartered 'somewhere in Wrentham,'" according to the Boston Globe.

After a Thanksgiving Day workout, the football players returned to Wrentham for a turkey dinner and party. According to the news report, "The Boston College men are enjoying themselves at Wrentham for they are away from all bother. The squad will make the trip from Wrentham to Boston Saturday morning in limousines, with speeding tabooed."

It seems the stay in Wrentham didn't help the BC Eagles offense. The game was played at Braves Field in Boston and ended in a 0-0 tie.

Huskies for the Holidays

Last year we remembered Edmund Nolan and his trained lions which made a fuss out in Brighton back in 1962. Well, he wasn't the first person to have a trained animal act from Wrentham. Back in the 1930s, Dr. Bill Bloomberg reportedly had a Dog Academy in town where he trained huskies. And on Thanksgiving night in 1935, his dogs were part of an unusual carnival at the old Boston Garden.

The exhibit combined a wrestling bout with an exhibition by trained dogs. In addition to showing the huskies' ability to haul a large load, Bloomberg's dogs would perform acrobatic tricks. Totem, a 91 pound black and white husky, could do somersaults reports said. Another Bloomberg dog reportedly could do a side twist and turn. Other dogs in his act would swing on ropes.

Traveling on a Budget

And while it's not specifically a Thanksgiving story, it is a November travel story from way back. But in 1826 if you needed to travel from Providence to Boston, you could take an accommodation stagecoach which would stop in Wrentham and Walpole. The fare for the trip was $1.50. The stage ran every day except Sundays.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Norfolk DA Morrissey Working with KPHS and Wrentham Police to Keep Students Safe

Preventing targeted violence, responding to dangerous behaviors, safely re-integrating students following mental or behavioral health treatment, visitor threat assessment and securing large spaces during crisis were all explored by local and national experts at Norfolk DA Michael W. Morrissey’s “Assessing and Responding to School Threats” training conference last week.

More than 200 teachers, administrators, school nurses and police officers from across the county attended the all-day seminar held in the auditorium at the Bank of Canton’s headquarters on Nov. 20th. Wrentham Police Chief James Anderson attended with Lt. William McGrath, Lt. George Labonte, and School Resource Officer Stephen Hearon; staff from King Philip included assistant principals Bill Chaplin and Nancy Fischer and school psychologists Allyson Esposito and Angela Sheble.

“There is significant research and work being done on the best ways to keep schools safe, both here and across the county,” District Attorney Morrissey said. “We are fortunate to have been able to bring some impressive experts to Norfolk County to share that information with nurses, teachers and superintendents, patrol officers and police chiefs. There was something here for every level of these organizations.”

Three members of the Secret Service addressed research-based strategies for preventing targeted violence in grades Kindergarten through 12: Boston Field Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Marks, the National Threat Assessment Center Chief, Dr. Michelle Keeney and NTAC Research Psychologist Lina Alathari. United States Attorney Carmen Ortiz joined DA Morrissey and ASAC Marks opening the program.

Director of School Health Services for the state Dept. of Public Health Mary Ann Gapinski presented for an hour on the growing phenomenon of needing to craft safe and successful school re-integrations for students who have been removed for their behavior, undergone treatment or been absented for other cause.

State Police Sgt. John Suyemoto, from the MSP Special Tactical Operations (STOP) team talked about both visitor threat assessment and techniques for securing large spaces in the event of a disturbance. Attorney Matthew W. MacAvoy from the firm of Nuttall & MacAvoy, P.C., addressed responding to student threats and dangerous behaviors within the state laws and regulations.

DA Morrissey partnered with the Mass Teachers Association to provide continuing education credits to teachers.

“When there is a traumatic event at a school anywhere, the media is saturated with the details and the story,” DA Morrissey said. “But every day, there is thoughtful work done in school houses and police stations to prevent major events, but also to stop more modest problems before they grow. I commend King Philip High School and Wrentham Police Department’s demonstrated dedication to this work.”