Regional Roundup: Foxborough Establishment Receives 4th Liquor License Suspension and Stoughton College Student Dies in Fire

Mansfield Family Receives National Attention After Photo Goes Viral 

When the children of Mansfield resident Ryan Cordell asked if they could get a new puppy on the condition that a picture of them on Facebook asking for one got a million likes, he didn’t expect that it would only take 13 hours to reach that goal.

The photo, which says “Hi world, we want a puppy! Our dad said we could get one of we get 1 million likes!” has been liked almost 1.7 million times on Facebook as of the evening of January 18. The popularity of the photo has turned the story into an internet sensation and has even caught the attention of the national media.

Waxy O’Connor’s Liquor License Suspended 16 Days for 4th Violation

Despite four liquor license violations in less than two years, Foxborough’s Board of Selectmen agreed Tuesday to a settlement that would allow Waxy O’Connor’s to continue its business in town – but not without penalty.

As part of the settlement agreement, Waxy’s liquor license has been suspended 16 days, beginning Wednesday, Jan. 23 and lasting through Thursday, Feb. 7. The suspension includes no alcohol service on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 3).

In addition to the suspension, the Main Street pub will also gift the town $2,000 in legal fees and $8,000 in police/public safety training.

The pub failed a compliance check administered by Foxborough police on Sept. 27, 2012 when a bartender served a 19-year-old female operative a beer at the bar. 

Andrews Bakery in Easton Building More than Bread For Over 30 Years

Julie Andrews, co owner and operator of Andrews Farm and Bakery, has been making repeat customers out of the town for over 30 years.
“Construction was really big at the time and I still remember someone bringing in a two-by-four with the list of sandwiches they wanted made,” she said.

Andrews said she originally went to school at Stonehill College for Sociology and taught at Brockton High School for a number of years. At the time, she and her husband Robert had a dairy farm and sold raw milk, but thought opening a retail space may better suit the business.
“It evolved into Andrews Bakery,” she said.

Andrews said that despite moving twice ,she has seen some of the same customers at her store for decades. She thinks it’s the small touches that keep people coming back.

Norton Student to Take Part in Project 351

Hannah John, an eighth grader at Norton Middle School, will join other students from across the Commonwealth Saturday, Jan. 26 for the day of service. 

Hannah was selected for Project 351 by principal Michael O'Rourke and vice principal Ronnie Goldstein because of her academic and leadership qualities.

Chaired by Governor Deval Patrick, the non-profit organization enlists eighth grade ambassadors from cities and towns across the Commonwealth, and together they celebrate the power of young people as a force for positive change in their communities. 

Stoughton College Student Dies in Amherst Apartment Fire

Jake Hoffman, 21, of Stoughton, was identified as the UMass Amherst college student who died in an early morning fire in an off-campus apartment building in Amherst Jan. 21.

Hoffman, a 2009 graduate of Stoughton High School, was in his senior year at the UMass Amherst, studying Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Fire crews responded to a three-alarm fire at the Rolling Green apartment complex in Amherst around 4:45 a.m. on Monday. The fire, which caused severe damage to the building, displaced 32 people, 22 of whom are students at UMass, according to The Republican of Springfield. 

Hoffman was the only reported fatality. The State Fire Marshal's Office said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the fire is believed to have started in the unit where Hoffman was found.

Click here to read an in memoriam column.