The Wrentham Times

Registration for Holly Club Hustle is Open

The Holly Club will once again hold its annual 5K Fundraiser race on April 7. The Holly Club Hustle starts and ends at The Tavern at Wrentham, 263 Shear St. The starting gun is set to go off at 10 a.m. and participants are welcome to run or walk the 3.1 mile course around Wrentham Developmental Center. Awards, raffles, and music are all planned for race day. Register by March 16 and receives a free face t-shirt and raffle ticket. To register online, visit the Racewire.com.

Town Updates: Road Work Planned on Route 121

MassDOT plans to work on the potholes on Route 121 from Sheldon Road to Rhode Island State Line. The work should take a day, startingt at 7 a.m. on January 30 and run until 3:30 p.m.

A rabies clinic will be held on Saturday, February 9th from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the rear of the Public Safety Building (Fire Dept.). Dogs must be on leashes and cats must be in carriers ($20 each animal). For your convenience, the Town Clerk will be on hand to license your dogs at the same time.

The 2019 Dog Licenses are available in the Town Clerk's office. Licensing period ends February 28th.

Ring Owner Sought

In a Tweet from Twitter user (@jpillard), he says he found a ring near Wrentham Premium Outlets. Engraved on the ring are initials and a wedding date. If this is your ring, contact him via Twitter.

 

	Jean Pillard (@jpillard)
1/25/19, 9:08 AM Lost and found. Wedding band found near ⁦‪@wvpremoutlets‬⁩ engraved with initials and wedding date of 2010. HELP locating owner!!! ⁦‪@BostonGlobe‬⁩ ⁦‪@wbz‬⁩ ⁦‪@7News‬⁩ ⁦‪@WrenthamMAPatch‬⁩ ⁦‪@WrenthamTimes‬⁩ #lostweddingband

Area Lions Sponsor Youth Speech Competition

Five local high school students placed in the Norfolk, Plainville and Wrentham Lions speech content held last month. The participants delivered speeches on the topic of integrity and the winners move on through multiple levels of competition ending several months later with the statewide contest, where five district winners vie for the title of Best in the State.

This year the event was held Novatos Bar & Grill, Route 1A, Norfolk. The restaurant accommodated the competition on short notice after an emergency prevented the use of the Norfolk Public Library.  

The participants developed and delivered speeches 5 to 8 minutes in length on the topic of integrity. Tricia Constantine, Connie Uriot and Jim Lehan served as judges scoring each speech on delivery, effectiveness, and text. The final results were reportedly very close. 

This year the Lions awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, along with two runners-up.  The first three places continue on to the next level of competition, with the runners-up available to step in should any of the other contestants be unable to participate. 

The winners are:
1st place: Hunter Cohen – King Philip HS Senior
2nd place: Samantha ElMassih – King Philip HS Senior
3rd place: Benjamin Campanella – King Philip HS Junior
1st runner-up: Stephen Patel – King Philip HS Junior
2nd runner-up: Sam Woodward – King Philip HS Freshman

Details about future competitions can be found on online at www.norfolkmalions.org.

Wrentham Senior Public Health Nurse Judy Fenton Retiring

Senior Public Health Nurse Judy Fenton plans to wrap up her 16 year career with the Town, retiring on February 6.

Fenton began her career as a nurse in the 1970s and worked at three local hospitals doing medical/surgical nursing. She has also worked with multiple doctors in private practice in the fields of internal medicine, dermatology, gynecology and urology during her career.

During her time in Wrentham she focused on several health topics, including substance use disorder and addiction. In 2017, Fenton put together an informative forum at King Philip Regional High School where a doctor who specializes in addiction medicine spoke about substance use disorder, addiction, teen brain development and how the addiction process occurs. In 2014, Fenton obtained grant funding for a sharps/needle disposal kiosk, located in the Wrentham Public Safety Building. The town currently collects about 50 pounds of sharps waste every six weeks, removing those hazards from potentially ending up in the streets or in the waste stream. "To me the most important thing is our residents and their individual physical or emotional needs, whether it is providing assessments for an illness someone is dealing with, helping with medication management or the need for an advocate or referral resource," Fenton said. "Our office is available, with the goal of keeping our residents healthy, safe and happy in their own homes for as long as possible. This to me is the most satisfying accomplishment in my career in Wrentham. Caring about all of our residents, helping when we can and hopefully making a small difference in their lives."

Over the years, Fenton, along with her fellow public health nurses in town, has been involved with public health emergency dispensing site planning for Wrentham. The Wrentham Public Health Nurses Department works closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for guidance and planning purposes in regard to its emergency planning. Her department has also maintained a volunteer call list of local medical and non-medical professionals and paraprofessionals to utilize in the event of an emergency dispensing site being activated during a public health emergency.

Wrentham Names New Veterans' Agent

Mike Hennessy is Wrentham's new Veterans' Agent, replacing the recently retired Ken Oles, who served in the position since March 2011.

In his new role Hennessy, like Oles before him, will help veterans submit applications for financial and medical benefits. He will also serve as a resource to explain state and federal Veterans' programs.

Hennessy was a medic in the Army from 2000-2006. During his service he was stationed at bases in New York, Wisconsin and New Jersey. He was also part of a protective detail for a U.S. Senator and received the Army Commendation medal.

He is pursuing a degree in nursing at the University of Massachusetts Boston, through his VA benefits.

Hennessy, age 37, lives in Bellingham with his wife and three children.

His office hours will be Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Wrentham Senior Center, 400 Taunton St. Appointments can also be made by calling 508-808-8431.

Hazardous Waste Day & Donation Event

Wrentham Bobcat Caught on Video

It is no secret that bobcats call Wrentham home but most avoid populated areas and often disappear before a cell phone can capture a picture of the mysterious animal. This video of a Wrentham bobcat is courtesy of Paul Trapani's trail cam. The wild cat was in the wooded areas near the Fox Run neighborhood off Park St last week. The video is a good reminder that we have a diverse wildlife population in Wrentham and, while bobcats typically avoid populated areas, they can prey on small animals including pets.