Stoughton Firefighters past and present gathered at the Central Street fire station this past Sunday morning for the annual Firefighter Sunday event.

It is a day to honor and thank those currently serving, as well as those who are now retired, and, it's a day to remember deceased firefighters or those who died in the line of duty. 

"It's not a profession, it's a calling," Board of Selectman Chair John Anzivino said during his remarks.

"I think about the common bond we share as firefighters," Chief Mark Dolloff said.  Chief Dolloff was honored for reaching 30-years of service with the department. 

One of the common themes shared during the June 9 event was the fact that firefighters are always on duty even when they are not on the clock, so to speak. 

Just some of the examples referenced at Firefighter Sunday was Tim Carroll helping to save the life of an 85-year-old while out to dinner; Chief Dolloff helping to save a man's life while on vacation in St. Thomas; or Captain Bob O'Donnell as a spectator at the finish line of the Boston Marathon springing into action after the bombings took place. 

Almost fittingly, in keeping with the theme of firefighters always being on duty, during the roll call, which pays tribute to fallen firefighters Edward Kelleher and Victor Melendy, as well as to past firefighters who have since passed away, a group of current Stoughton Firefighters had to leave and respond to a call. 

In addition to Chief Dolloff and Selectman Anzivino, Fire Lt. Jim Curtin, Firefighter Jeff Ledin, Acting Deputy Chief Greg Goldberg (who served as emcee for the ceremony) and retired Deputy Paul Roach, Jr. all spoke. Roach thanked the Department for all of its support after his father, former Chief Paul Roach, Sr., passed away this past October.

Mallory Breen, daughter of Stoughton Fire Captain Scott Breen, sang the National Anthem. 

The Stoughton Fire Department also honored Stoughton High Class of 2013 graduate Adam Lurie for his Eagle Scout project, which placed a flag pole at Frederick H. Pye Memorial Park at the intersection of Canton and Central Streets. Pye was a former Chief of the Department. 

Take a look at photos from Firefighters Sunday in the media gallery of this article.

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Can you describe what your dad has taught you in just one sentence? 

We posed that question to people around town...see what they had to say in the video posted in the media gallery of this article. 

What your dad taught you?

Father's Day this year is Sunday, June 16. 

Remembered for his warm and caring personality and devotion to his students, longtime Stoughton High teacher Alton Flynn passed away Saturday, June 8 after a long and difficult illness. 

Flynn, 68, lived in Hanson, and was formerly of Holbrook. He was at Stoughton High from 1983 until his retirement in 2007, teaching in both the Business Education Department, and the Social Studies Department. 

Prior to his teaching career, which included stops in Cohasset and Braintree before his two decades in Stoughton, Flynn served in the Army during the Vietnam War. 

While at SHS, Flynn wrote the curriculum for and started the popular social studies elective, The American War in Vietnam.

"As a veteran, he brought something special to that class," Social Studies department head John Gallivan said.

"He was the kind of guy who really cared about his students," Gallivan added, "and they reciprocated that."

Flynn served as a Class Advisor for many classes, and was a Peer Leadership Advisor. He founded the school's first Gay Straight Alliance. 

One of Flynn's former students, Melanie (Whittaker) Ingrao, who graduated SHS in 2000, now teaches in his old classroom. 

"I first met Mr. Flynn as a student in his 10th grade multiculturalism course and later did an independent study with him as a senior.  This was my first experience in the classroom as anything other than a student, and in 2007 when he retired I inherited his classroom where I now sit each day at a desk autographed by students who loved him," Ingrao said.  

"Through his multiculturalism and American War in Vietnam courses, his role as class advisor, advisor to the Peer Leadership club, and especially his founding of the school’s first Gay Straight Alliance, Al taught me that what we learn from history must be applied to the present world. That citizenship and social responsibility are of the most important lessons we can teach our students. He was a passionate teacher who deeply cared for the students at Stoughton High School," she continued.

Flynn was also one of the charter board members for the Kids Voting Stoughton program.  

"He was a warm, wonderful and caring man who really loved his students," Sharon Fradklin of Kids Voting Stoughton wrote in an email, noting how Flynn "worked so hard for [Kids Voting] even after he retired." 

"His demise was slow and probably uncomfortable for him but he had loving family around all the time, based on [Facebook] posts regularly from his sister," Fradkin added.

"He was a passionate educator, whose teaching had an impact on many," current SHS principal, and former SHS student and teacher Julie Miller said. 

"He was a real sweet man," Stoughton School Committee vice chair Joyce Husseini said at the June 11 School Committee meeting. Flynn had taught Husseini's daughter Lisa. 

Flynn had a "lifelong love of all things automotive, and found peace in working on his immaculate cars," according to his obituary. He also enjoyed exercising, taking long bike rides and going to museums.

He was the beloved husband of Ena M. (Bell) Flynn, loving father of Leslie O’Neil of Kansas, and devoted brother of Evelyn Mavilia of Holbrook, Kathy Flynn of Braintree and Marion Flynn of IL, according to his obituary. He was also the grandfather of two and had many nieces, nephews, great nieces, aunts, uncles and cousins.

A wake will be held at Cartwright Funeral Home (69 South Franklin Street in Holbrook) on Thursday, June 13, from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., followed by a funeral at St. Joseph's Church (153 South Franklin Street in Holbrook) at 10 a.m. Burial will take place at 2:15 p.m. at the VA National Cemetery in Bourne.

Donations in his memory may be made in his name to Colony House Scholarship Fund, 277 Washington St., Abington, MA 02351. 

The Stoughton Fire Department extinguished a fire in the attic of a single story home on Ash St. in Stoughton Wednesday night, SFD Lt. Jackson Macomber said.

The SFD received a call reporting a house fire at 46 Ash St. at 7:48 p.m. 

Upon arrival, crews did not see fire, but there was smoke showing from the roof of the home in both the front and rear of the structure, Macomber said. 

Firefighters located the fire in the attic and immediately extinguished it, according to Macomber. 

The three occupants in the home - a husband, wife and daughter - got out of the home. There were no injuries to the occupants or to the first responders. 

While the fire damage was contained to the attic, the main dwelling space received extensive water damage from crews extinguishing the fire in the attic above, Macomber said. A building inspector and electrical inspector determined the home was unfit for habitation for the time being as a result of the damage.

"Firefighters did an outstanding job identifying where the fire was immediately," Macomber said. 

"The ability to identify where it was and extinguish it probably saved the house," he said, noting that fires in older structures can quickly get out of hand, so locating the exact spot of the fire is key. 

Engines 2 and 4 and Ladder 2 from the Stoughton Fire Department were on scene. The Stoughton Police Department also responded. Avon Fire provided mutual aid. Canton Fire covered Station 1 during the call. 

TOWN MEETING, SESSION 4: On Wednesday night, those suffering from ailments for which marijuana might be a helpful aide, got bad news at the fourth session of Stoughton's Annual Town Meeting. 

On Nov. 6, 2012, voters here in Stoughton and statewide overwhelmingly backed a law that approved the cultivation, distribution, possession, and use of marijuana for medical purposes.

But, the approval of this ballot initiative left municipalities in a bind trying to figure out how best to address the law's impact.   

The State Department of Public Health is required to provide new regulations to govern this new business.  

Town Planner Noreen O’Toole moved to adopt a moratorium on medical marijuana treatment centers in Stoughton, which would prevent any from opening until at least June 30, 2014. 

This will allow the town to "look closely at the issue through the planning process to address the potential impacts of medical marijuana in the Town and consider the Department of Public Health regulations regarding Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and related uses," before taking any zoning actions, according to a memo from O'Toole. 

Planning Board Chairman Joe Scardino said the “template for this article is adopted from wording approved by the attorney general’s office.”  

It will give the town a year to adopt zoning bylaws for these non-profit entities. 

Town Meeting member Paul Smith opposed the article.  “The voters approved medical marijuana. This article goes against their wishes,” he said.  

But, Town Meeting passed the moratorium overwhelmingly, 78-2. 

Much of the discussion on Wednesday night centered on two proposals from Stoughton Human Resources Director James “Jamie” Kelley.  

The first was a personnel by-law which sets basic standards for the administration of personnel policies, for the definition of basic employee rights and working conditions, and for the management of certain employee benefits. 

Kelley made a power point presentation to town meeting members, stressing that these articles would modernize the town's labor relations practices. 

"The personnel by-law provides the foundation for the relationship between the Town and all of its employees, both union and non-union," according to the warrant. "It sets basic standards for the administration of personnel policies, defines basic employee rights and establishes town-wide working conditions."

Scardino said that “this will provide a better morale for employees...It’s another step in the best practices on our road to becoming first class.”  

But, Stoughton Fire Lt. Jim Curtin, the local firefighter’s union president the last six years, railed against it.  “The board of selectmen are going to implement this whether you vote for it or not. It’s bullying.  Collective bargaining works...I’m not here for me, I’m here for you. I represent one of seven unions. I live or die by that contract. This by-law hurts us."

He pointed it out that "the town of Sterling has revised it regularly, since adopting it in 2008.”  

Kelley defended the by-law, saying it evens the playing field, and is fair to all employees.  

Curtin said that “Kelley was picking and choosing pieces of the contracts for information purposes. When he says no employee will be harmed by that.  I oppose that view. It’s also the first time I’ve heard him use the term ‘red-lined.’ It sounds like they are implementing a salary cap.”  

Town Meeting members voted to support the article, 66-43.

Kelley’s other proposal, a classification and compensation plan, also got a lot of discussion. The article “establishes a town-wide comprehensive plan classifying positions, other than those filled by popular election or under the control of the school committee, into groups and classes. It seeks to pair up those doing similar work or having substantially equal responsibilities, and to establish minimum and maximum salaries to be paid to employees in positions so classified.”  

Kelley said that both articles would save the town money, but he had no estimates of how much that might be. 

Town Meeting member Jeff Blacker, who works in the private sector with a company with a human resources department, said, “If you have rules in place, it’s less likely that there would be litigation. It protects everyone.”  

Scardino added that, “this provides for equal pay for equal work.”  

Finally, town meeting member Peter Murphy said, “It’s well spelled out. We have a human resources director who is also an attorney (Kelley). If employees don’t feel their pay is fair, they can look elsewhere for another job.”   

The current system of granting step increases and cost of living increases will "bankrupt the town," Kelley said. He said the new classification/compensation still gives employees "room to grow" salary wise. He said he thought it would be better for all those involved to go with predictable wage enhancements, rather than what was in place.

Town Meeting member Barry Crimmins felt both articles were "putting the cart before the horse" and wondered if the town should wait to see if the unions adopted these changes during contract negotiations. 

But, members supported the compensation and classification plan as well, 63-42.

Five of the town's municipal unions are still in the process of negotiating contracts. Two - the library employees and police department's superior officers - have already settled contracts with these new stipulations in place. 

In an effort to try to get Town Meeting to get more done, member Lou Gitto made a motion that Annual Town Meeting be gaveled each night by 7:15 p.m. (instead of 7:30 p.m.), and that no new articles be taken up after 10:45 p.m. (instead of 10:30 p.m.). In essence, he was getting another 30 minutes of work in each night.  The article passed easily on a voice vote.   

Town Meeting also passed customary articles to “accept and contract funds for town roads” and “Apply for and accept federal and state funding.”

Annual Town Meeting continues on Monday, June 17 at the Stoughton High School auditorium at 7:15 p.m.

***

The following is from the Farley Funeral Home website:

Ronald J. Wheeler, 76, died unexpectedly Monday, June 11, 2013, at the Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton.

He was the husband of 44 years of Jean (MacDonald) Wheeler. Born in Boston, he was raised in Jamaica Plain and Hingham and was a graduate of Hingham High School. He attended Northeastern University.

He was a resident of Stoughton since 1971. Mr. Wheeler worked as a Warehouseman at BJ's in Stoughton for several years, retiring seven years ago. Prior to that, he worked for Bird & Sons in Walpole and Foxboro Terminals. He was an avid reader of books and the Boston Globe.

Mr. Wheeler had a passion for baseball and football and had a gift for gardening and grilling. However, his greatest pleasure was being at home and spending time with his family and grandchildren.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Jodi E. MacPherson and her husband Donald of Randolph, Rebecca J. Wheeler of Stoughton and Jeffrey A. Wheeler of NYC and Stoughton.

He was the brother of the late Ralph, Richard, Raymond, Russell, Robert and Roger Wheeler and Mary Antinarelli. He is also survived by his three grandchildren, Madison Brooke MacPherson, Derek James MacPherson and Mark D. Wheeler and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral will be held from the Farley Funeral Home, 358 Park St. (Rt.27) in Stoughton on Saturday, June 15, at 8 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Bernadette's Church, 1026 N. Main St., in Randolph at 9 a.m. Visiting hours will be Friday, June 14, from 5-8 p.m. Interment will take place at Knollwood Memorial Park in Canton.

Donations in his memory may be made to Fr. Bill's Place, 422 Washington St., Quincy, MA 02169 or at www.helpfbms.org.

After a particularly tough year for the West Nile virus in 2012, Massachusetts health officials are bracing for what could be another busy summer for the mosquito-borne illness.

Although, with so many factors playing into the problem, the track of West Nile is not an easy one to predict, said Kevin Cranston, director of the Bureau of Infectious Disease for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

“We can’t pin down all of the elements that go into why one season is bad and another season is not,” Cranston said.

But if this summer is similar to last summer—marked by extended periods of very hot weather—some parts of the state could see a high number of cases as occurred in 2012.

To give residents a sense of West Nile’s prevalence in Stoughton, Patch has pulled together county-level 2012 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Different factors play into outbreaks 

Long periods of warm weather can help accelerate the maturation of the type of mosquitoes known for spreading West Nile virus, Cranston said. Rainfall also might play a part in the problem, as these mosquitoes thrive in pools of stagnant water.

But there are other factors, too, related to mosquito abundance and activity and the amplification cycle of the virus.

The West Nile virus “season” lasts from around mid June until the first “killing frost”—when temperatures drop below 32 degrees for several hours in the local environment, effectively killing that area’s mosquito population, Cranston said.

Testing to begin soon

The Bureau of Infectious Disease begins collecting and reporting on mosquito samples the week of June 17 and continues testing throughout the season, Cranston said.

West Nile virus is reported through two main processes. First, the bureau works with the local mosquito control projects to trap and sort mosquitoes by species—different species are known for spreading different viruses. A pool of about 10 to 15 mosquitoes is then tested for the presence of viruses such as West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE.

“If even one mosquito in that pool has the virus it is considered to be a positive pool. We assemble that data over time to show how a given region of the state is more or less likely to have infected mosquitoes in the environment,” Cranston said.

Information also comes in from physicians when patients report symptoms that may be caused by West Nile virus. Samples are taken from the individual and tested at the state lab in Boston's Jamaica Plain. This not only helps the physician make a diagnosis and treat the patient but also assists the state in establishing risk levels.

“Clearly if one person got West Nile virus in a certain area, other people are likely to get it as well,” Cranston said.

The bureau compiles all this data and shares that information on a map on its Web page, identifying the risk level on a scale of one to four, from “low” to “critical.”

How to protect yourself from West Nile

“We consider West Nile virus essentially here to stay. It’s endemic in the environment, not just in Massachusetts but in many parts of the United States,” Cranston said. “West Nile virus has become a fairly consistent summertime reality.”

To help protect against the virus, the state works with local boards of health and mosquito control projects to conduct ground-level spraying of low-toxicity chemicals designed to kill adult mosquitoes.

But individuals can also do a lot to protect themselves against the insects that spread the West Nile virus.

Stagnant water supplies are perfect breeding grounds for these mosquitoes. Old tires, flower pots, bird baths that are not changed regularly and even storm gutters in need of a cleaning are possible places for the insects to breed.

“We urge folks to take a look around their environment and get rid of all the places mosquitoes might breed,” Cranston said.  

The mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus tend to come out at night, so people should avoid spending extended periods of time outdoors without protection—wearing long sleeves and pants and applying insect repellent. More information about the type of products recommended by the Bureau of Infectious Disease can be viewed on the bureau website.

Who's at risk?

Most people who contract West Nile virus won’t even know they have it. About 80 percent of cases are “very mild” and may not even involve a trip to the doctor’s office, Cranston said.

About 20 percent of people affected will have the typical viral symptoms—headache, sore throat, muscle aches, a mild or even high fever. But even these symptoms can be hard to diagnose as being caused by West Nile virus, Cranston said.

However, a small group of people who contact the virus—less than 1 percent—will experience more serious neurological symptoms and can end up with meningitis or encephalitis, Cranston said.

These more serious issues tend to occur in people over the age of 50, he noted.

“Many people have had a West Nile virus infection and not known it,” he said. “If a person has signs of illness and is really feeling lousy, and certainly if there are signs or symptoms of brain involvement—headaches, high fever, difficulty looking directly at light—they should contact their physician.”

“We don’t expect widespread serious illness in this or any season, but the risk is always there,” Cranston said.

The Cases and Incidence Rates

You can see how counties across the state compare by using the interactive map above, which shows the number of West Nile cases in humans and the infection rate. West Nile – named after the district in Uganda where the virus was first discovered – spread to New York City in 1999, and has been migrating across the United States ever since.  Last year was the deadliest year so far for West Nile in the United States, with more than 5,600 "confirmed and probable" cases, and at least 286 related deaths. 

Local predictions for 2012 are very difficult to make. But nationally, "the number of humans with West Nile virus disease continues to rise in the United States," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. 

No Vaccine, Little Reporting, But a High Cost

While there is a West Nile vaccine for horses, there isn't one for humans, according to Purdue University Professor Richard Kuhn. Furthering the problem is the fact that cases of West Nile often go unreported. 

“It's always underreported because if someone has a mild case they might not report it; they might think it’s a cold,” said Judith M. Lavelle, Health Communications Specialist at the CDC. 

There is currently no comprehensive treatment for someone infected by West Nile, which makes severe diagnoses all the more frightening. Patch spoke to one Texas man who survived a West Nile infection in 2006, and has dedicated himself to educating the public about the potentially debilitating disease.

“I was told point blank that I would never walk again - to forget it,” said Donnie Manry, of the Bryan County Police Department in Texas. “It was devastating.”

Manry, who was 43 at the time, said that within five days of being stung, encephalitis and meningitis left him paralyzed. Through rehabilitation, Manry was able to regain control of his body again, and now uses a cane to walk. 

From Birds to Bugs to Humans

West Nile has also been detected in bird populations, notably in Central Michigan. “Certain types of birds serve as a reservoir for West Nile Virus,” Kuhn said. An infected bird can pass the virus along to an uninfected mosquito when bitten. That’s why Wisconsin has launched a hotline for people to report dead birds in the area. 

Many states have begun testing mosquitoes for West Nile, with Pennsylvania, Illinois and California all reporting positive detection in certain counties. After the virus was detected in California, LA County began overnight aerial spraying to stop the spread. Residents are cautioned to remain indoors during the spraying.

Prevention and Symptoms

The CDC recommends using an EPA-certified mosquito repellant if you’re going to be outdoors, and lists some additional prevention tips on their website, including:

• When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors.
• Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when you are outdoors.
• At least once or twice a week, empty water from flower pots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels, and cans.

With the 2012 mosquito season was the highest on record, health officials are cautioning people to take immediate action if you believe you’ve been infected. The CDC website lists varying degrees of symptoms, including: 

• Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness, including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, and paralysis.
• Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back.
• No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people  infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.

Looking for a new house in Stoughton? Here's a list of open houses in the area. If you are on a mobile device this feature needs to be viewed on desktop/web version. To find out when each open house is, click on the "more info" button within each listing. 

Just a few hours after the conclusion of the Stoughton High commencement exercises for the Class of 2013, the new graduates made their way to the O’Donnell Middle School for Party All Night Long, the annual alcohol-free and drug-free post-graduation bash.

This year, the theme for PANL was under the sea and the halls of the OMS were transformed to look like an oceanic wonderland. There was even a large pirate ship in the cafeteria, which housed numerous Vegas-style casino games, games of Simon Says, tattoo artists (they were temporary tattoos), artists drawing caricatures, DJ entertainment, and an endless array of late night snacks, including ice cream and slush from Daddy's Dairy.

Students entered by walking on a surfboard situated on a paper mache wave. 

In the gymnasium there was an inflatable pedestal joust ring and an inflatable bungee run course set up.

The highlight of the party came at 3 a.m. with hypnotist Jim Spinnato making his annual appearance at PANL. He had close to 20 graduates shouting in excitement, throwing tantrums, smelling one another, and dancing to a number of hit songs as their classmates laughed along. A full photo gallery of the hypnotist show will be posted this weekend.

Take a look at photo highlights from PANL in the media gallery of this article. 

Here's what's playing in theaters around the area this weekend, plus showtimes. If you are on a mobile device this feature needs to be viewed on desktop/web version.

His was not the story of Deval Patrick, or Mitt Romney or Bill Weld. 

Argeo Paul Cellucci started local on the Board of Selectmen in his beloved town of Hudson and worked his way up: state representative, state senator, lieutenant governor, governor, ambassador. He was the Calvin Coolidge of his time, according to former Minority Leader Richard Tisei, and Democrats, Republicans and Canadians, alike, loved and respected him for it.

Cellucci passed away last weekend after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 65, and on Thursday he became the 13th public figure to lie in state under the State House rotunda. The memorial service and public viewing for the former governor drew a who's-who to Beacon Hill, including Romney, Michael Dukakis, Jane Swift, faces from the Weld and Cellucci administrations who haven't seen the inside of the capitol since the late 1990s, and even William Bulger and his old Senate rival David Locke.

Above all, Cellucci was remembered as a classy public servant, one who put people before party (as Gabriel Gomez is prone to say), worked across party lines, and helped define what it is to be a successful Massachusetts Republican. He never lost a political race, had a memorable affinity for movies and played a mean game of bocce, even if his talent for the game remained in question.

Among the faces in the faces in the crowd on Thursday was Bulger, the former Senate President. 

While jurors in the murder and racketeering trial of his brother Whitey Bulger heard about a gun cache the alleged mobster kept close to Billy Bulger's South Boston home, the aging pol quietly took in the Cellucci ceremony before venturing back into the chamber he led for 18 years to watch as Linda Dorcena Forry was sworn into the Senate.

A daughter of Haitian immigrants, Forry's swearing in was routine, but symbolic of the changing face of Boston. She takes over as the representative of a Senate district that includes Mattapan, Dorchester and South Boston, the traditionally Irish stronghold from which Bulger drew his power for 26 years. 

Ironically, Forry began her political career 17 years ago as a State House aide to former Rep. Charlotte Golar Richie, who is trying to make her own history running to become the first minority, female mayor of Boston. Forry mentioned her early work for Golar Richie during remarks to the Senate after she was sworn in by Patrick.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones may gotten caught up in the Cellucci nostalgia when he left the door open, if only a crack, to supporting a minimum wage hike this session in exchange for some pro-business unemployment insurance and overtime reforms.

As the Globe's Scot Lehigh noted, Cellucci supported an effort in 1998 to hike the minimum wage after he and Weld opposed the move three years earlier. Cellucci came to the new position after Democrats pushed through the wage hike over Weld's veto, and the feared dire effects on the economy never came to pass.

The Labor and Workforce Development Committee took hours of testimony on the minimum wage this week, bombarded by supporters who flooded the hearing to try to convince lawmakers that $8 an hour is no longer enough to support a family. 

Senate President Therese Murray, who has pushed the issue so far this year, didn't need convincing on that point, but has yet to pick the over-under on an $11 line currently set by Sen. Marc Pacheco and Rep. Antonio Cabral.

Murray, Gov. Patrick and Treasurer Steven Grossman may be reluctant to lock themselves into specific new minimum wage level, but Republican Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez suffers from no such indecision.

In his continuing attempts to appeal to moderate independent and Democratic voters, Gomez during his second debate with U.S. Rep. Edward Markey came out in direct support for a $10 federal minimum wage, $2.75 higher than the current federal minimum and $1 more than President Barack Obama called for in his State of Union.

Gomez heads in the final week of the campaign looking at multiple polls that show him within single digits of Markey. Surveys released this week by Suffolk University and WBUR showed Markey leading Gomez by seven points as the two race toward June 25.

Obama's campaign stop in Boston Wednesday for Markey and former President Bill Clinton's visit to Worcester on Saturday are an attempt by Democrats to drive home a simple, but important factor in the race: voters need to pay more attention because they're not accustomed to late June elections.

"I need Ed Markey in the U.S. Senate, so this election's going to come down to turnout," Obama said at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury. "You can't just turn out during a presidential election. You've got to turn out in this election."

The Suffolk poll that showed Markey's lead dwindling also showed that Patrick is a resilient brand, even in the face of continued negative attention on his welfare agencies and wasted public benefits. Sixty-five percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the second-term governor, and 66 percent approve of the job he is doing.

If Suffolk had polled municipal officials instead of likely voters, Patrick's numbers may have been decidedly lower. The tension between the two sides has risen to an all-time high, and gone is Tim "I'm a mayor like you" Murray to try to smooth things over. 

"I have to register with you a real sense of disappointment, confusion, bewilderment, a level of upsetness in terms of where we are today versus where we thought we were a few weeks ago," Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan told Secretary Glen Shor, referring to the administration's decision to withhold $150 million, or half, of the local road funding approved by the Legislature.

Shor said the governor is still worried that without substantial new revenues from a tax bill being negotiated between the House and Senate, the increase in Chapter 90 funding was be unaffordable. More likely - in the minds of selectmen, mayors and city councilors - is that Patrick is playing politics with their road money to gain leverage within the tax conference committee.

STORY OF THE WEEK: Who can unite four Senate presidents, two speakers, a White House chief of staff, a foreign ambassador and five governors, including two former party presidential nominees? Argeo Paul Cellucci (1948-2013).

A week from Tuesday, Massachusetts voters will decide who to elect in the special election to fill the seat vacated by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. 

What we at Patch want to know is - if the election was today - who would you vote for?   

Candidates Democrat Ed Markey and Republican Gabriel Gomez have been pullling out all the stops in the last two weeks as the latest polls show the gap is narrowing between the two. 

After weeks of relative quiet, the negative ads have started to clog the airways and both candidates have had high-profile folks stumping for them. Rudy Guiliani was in town last week putting his support behind Gomez and President Obama came to Boston this week showing his support for Markey.

So tell us, if you had to vote today who would be your choice, Markey or Gomez? Tell us in the comments section below.

The Stoughton Farmers Market is back this Saturday, June 15, bringing fresh produce, baked goods, crafts and entertainment to downtown Stoughton. 

The Farmers Market will run every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Trackside Plaza (2 Canton Street) from June through October.

Every week vendors like Akin-Bak Farm, Langwater Farm, Oakdale Farm, Bridgewater Village Bakery, O'Brien's Bakery, Stoughton Bakery, Foxboro Cheese Co., Giovanni's Italian Ice, Jordan Bros. Seafood, Nella Pasta and Next Step Living will set up stands at the market.

This week, Marshfield Trading Post, Puppy Luv Bakery, Sheldonville Soapworks and Simpson Springs join the standing vendors at the market. 

This week's musical entertainment is All-Ireland champion harpist Kathleen Guilday.

There will be a kids' tent (weather permitting), with farm and train toys. 

And, there will be a library book sale, with books only 25 cents each. 

There is no admission to the market, which is held rain or shine. Market goers are asked to keep their pets at home.

Stoughton's Civil War Parade & Remembrance Event is also being held Saturday, June 15 in the downtown, from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. Click here for more details. 

The Stoughton High athletic community gathered Monday evening, June 10 at the SHS auditorium to celebrate the end of the spring sports season, and the end of the 2012-2013 year in sports at Stoughton High.

More than 30 student-athletes were honored for their performance on and off the field this spring season.

Awards for team MVP, sportsmanship, scholar athlete, Hockomock League All-Star and Hockomock League Honorable Mention, as well as awards for Outstanding Freshman and Triple Crown were presented.

The players on each respective team vote for the team MVP and for the sportsmanship recipient. The Scholar Athlete award goes to the athlete on the team with the highest grade point average. The Hockomock coaches vote for League All-Stars and Honorable Mentions.

The Outstanding Freshman award is presented to a male and female in the freshmen class who have had a promising start to their SHS athletic career.

And, the Triple Crown is presented to seniors who have participated in one sport for every season they were at Stoughton High; three sports per year over their four years at the school for a total of 12 seasons of competition. Sixteen students were recognized as Triple Crown athletes this year. 

The 2013 spring sports season was another successful one for Stoughton, highlighted by the baseball team's run to the Division 2 South Sectional Final and the boys' track team's Davenport Division championship, posting an undefeated 5-0 record against Davenport competition. 

Additionally, the boys' tennis team and girls' track team both received the Hockomock League sportsmanship award in their respective sport. 

Triple Crown Athletes:

• Jordan Angelos; Lauren Carmichael; Megan Crimmins; Jack D'Addieco; Niamh Fennessey; Megan Flaherty; Nicole Kerman; Aaron Mack; Carson McGrath; Marcus Middleton; Susanna Noe; Ariene Ohimor; Kerry O'Neil; Mike Romaine; Victoria Tran; Emma Zuk  

Hockomock League All-Stars: 

• Malachi Baugh (boys' track); Mike Connelly (baseball); Megan Flaherty (softball); Pat Jackman (baseball); Kiana Kountze (girls' tennis); Will McGrath (baseball); Samir Sofi (boys' track)

Hockomock League Honorable Mentions

• Emily Cramer (softball); Jalen Joseph (boys' tennis); Aaron Mack (boys' track); Kerry O'Neil (girls' track); Jovani Pires (baseball); Victoria Tran (girls' tennis)

Outstanding Freshman Award:

• Jake Gibb and Marissa Williams

Team MVP:

• Baseball - Pat Jackman
• Softball - Emily Cramer
• Boys' Track - Andrew Valle
• Girls' Track - Ariene Ohimor
• Boys' Tennis - Jalen Joseph
• Girls' Tennis - Kiana Kountze

Team Sportsmanship:

• Baseball - Brett Hoffman
• Softball - Michelle Bisbee
• Boys' Track - Matt Mack
• Girls' Track - Katie Daly
• Boys' Tennis - Mike Holmes III
• Girls' Tennis - Marie Maillet

Team Scholar Athlete:

• Baseball - Will McGrath
• Softball - Emma Sinkus
• Boys' Track -  Alec DeNapoli
• Girls' Track -  Niamh Fennessy
• Boys' Tennis - Sheldon Oliveira
• Girls' Tennis - Beth Sloane

A Stoughton man was arrested for allegedly robbing a pharmacy in town at knifepoint this past Wednesday.

The incident took place June 12 around 5 p.m. at the Rite Aid on Washington St. in Shaw's Plaza.

"Within hours of the event, Stoughton officers developed a suspect and began searching," according to a post on the Stoughton Police Department's Facebook page.

The suspect, 39-year-old Richard Stone, of Lincoln Street in Stoughton, was eventually located in North Attleboro with the help of the North Attleboro Police Department, according to the SPD Facebook page.

Stone was placed under arrest and was charged with armed robbery.

Dads come in all different sizes, shapes and temperaments. One thing they seem to have in common, though, is this: They just love to give advice, and they tend to be pretty good teachers, too.

Patch reporters throughout the country posed this to the sons and daughters of these men: What did your father teach you, and what advice did he give?

Take a look at the responses in the video embedded in this article (if you are on a mobile device, this feature needs to be viewed on desktop/web version).

Click here to see the Stoughton version of the video.

Happy Father's Day, Dads. And thanks.

We feature homes for sale on the site, but there are also rental opportunities in the Stoughton area.

Click on the homes in the map to get more information about the available rental properties in the Stoughton area (need to be viewing from the desktop version of the site).