Mansfield Visions for Vacancies: What Building Should Go at 670 East Street

What do you think should go here?

This week, we're looking at the commercial at 670 East St, Mansfield. The location could be ideal for a brand new retail store or boutique. It used to be the consignment store New to You. An area that has unique commercial oppertunities; it has the location to service people from Mansfield, Easton, Attleboro, Foxborough, Norton and Sharon. Last year, there was talk of developing a Greek restaurant at this location, but nothing has yet to materialize.  If you had your way, what would you like to see there? What would be the best use for the community?  

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New Horizons

A Bridge and a Budget too Far in Mansfield for the Election

A retrospective look at the town meeting.

It looks like Mansfield residents have been sold a bill of goods. Or sold down the river. Or maybe sold a bridge they have never laid eyes on.  Whatever they were sold, they bought the farm for sure, voting in a town budget last week that every member of the board of selectmen said they did not want. With 14 more people in the hall at Town Meeting, the whole thing could have gone down in flames. Passing by only 13 votes, it was the closest vote for a town budget any of us has ever seen. At Wednesday’s selectmen’s meeting, board members were visibly rattled by the aftershocks of last week’s walkout of the finance committee the day after Town Meeting; the finance committee’s most seasoned members were understandably angered and frustrated …

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Letter to the Editor: Vote No on Article 40 in Mansfield

The following is from Leonard Flynn.

Article 40 of the Mansfield Annual Town Meeting asks the voters to “REPEAL, ABOLISH or DELETE from the Mansfield General Laws Chapter 15, “Conservation Commission Rules and Regulations the Wetland Protection By Law” This is a dangerous and ill-conceived Article. The purposes of the Mansfield Wetland Protection By Law are: All of these purposes are critical to provide a healthy and safe environment for the citizens of Mansfield.  Mansfield receives all its drinking water from ground water wells that are thirty to fifty feet deep. The wells rely on wetlands for storage and recharge of the aquifer. Without this recharge the wells could not provide public drinking water during peak demand and could create permanent damage to our water supply. …

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Fenway Park Takes us Back in Time

A trip to Fenway Park gets the memories flowing.

  It's really not about the actual structure. Truth be told, the place looks every bit of its 100 years. After nine innings, your body is a crooked mess. Unless you are under 5 feet 5 inches and weigh less than 140 pounds, you are going to be very uncomfortable for three or so hours. It costs a fortune to attend a game these days. Hot dogs come with a loan application to purchase them. You know not to even try to drive there. Still, Fenway Park is what it is. With all its warts, it's ours. After all, Fenway is a place where memories live on. How many things is our lives are still even standing 100 years later? Places like that are few and far between. In a way, Fenway is really our own fountain of youth, a place where we go to remember …

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New Horizons

Buying Time in Mansfield

Mansfield chocolate wars part 2.

Like most people, I love bar charts, particularly those that illustrate something I am interested in. A fascinating example of the chart phenomenon is the “Snapshot” statistical feature that appears regularly in the South section of the Boston Globe – it compares characteristics of more than two dozen nearby towns, looking at a wide range of community trivia – real estate values, educational levels of residents, average number of cars per family, the length of the daily commute, crime rates, you name it. Mansfield usually tends toward the middle of the pack, except when it comes to one thing -- school issues. I was not surprised to see in the April 5th edition that our town ranked the highest, by quite a bit, in the percentage of families …

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Letter to the Editor: Mansfield Mural

The following is from Mansfield resident Nancy Wall.

During the strategic planning sessions recently, led by consultant John Mullin, it was agreed that something, actually many things, need to be done to bring new life and energy into our downtown area. He saw great potential for the downtown and referred to the Route 106 and North Main Street intersection, as the Gateway to downtown Mansfield. When I think of a gateway, I think of a large granite archway with meaningful words carved across the top or fierce growling lion heads on either side, or perhaps columns adorned with flowers and pineapples. But, alas, there is nothing that announces with pride and confidence that this is Mansfield, a town that has something to offer and is worth a visit. The proposed mural depicting the history of …

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Bob Havey

12:08 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012

Nice article, Nancy. I no longer live in town, but I agree that a mural would 'cheer up' those drab walls and make a positive statement about Mansfield.   more ›

Going to the Movies Baseball Style

Top 10 baseball movies of all time are listed. What are your favorite baseball movies of all time?

  With another baseball season under way, it's time to go to the movies with our bats and gloves. Here's a look at the top 10 baseball movies in this scribe's opinion. 10- For the Love of the Game (1999)- Kevin Costner is an aging all-star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, who has one last game in his right arm, facing the New York Yankees. Vin Scully says, "he isn't pitching against the Yankees, he's pitching against time." Through nine innings, Costner traces his life and his relationship with Kelly Preston. Guys, the women in your life, will like this one. 9. Fever Pitch (2005)-This movie was a little over the top. Us, you know, Red Sox fans, are nothing like the Jimmy Fallon character. That's absurd. Of course, as I write this, I have a …

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Matty W. Kelley

8:37 pm on Monday, April 16, 2012

I'd like to agree with you but I can't, because it was re-made in 2005 starring Billy Bob Thornton... Not nearly as good as the original but still, a strong enough movie for Hollywood to re-make it.   more ›

Mansfield Visions for Vacancies

Mansfield Visions for Vacancies: What Building Should Go Here?

We're asking you what type of establishment would make the most sense in that spot.

Mansifled Patch is starting a new weekly column that will feature vacant properties in town and ask you the reader what you think should be down with them. This week, we're looking at the commercial space in between Casey O'Conors and Gourmet Pizza on North Main Street. The location could be ideal for a brand new retail store or boutique. If you had your way, what would you like to see there? What would be the best use for the community?

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College Decision Time!

Columnist Steve Davis tells his advice for the class of 2012 in Mansfield.

For Mansfield's high school seniors, it all comes down to just one month.  For the past 12 years they have been going to school learning, growing and working toward their high school diploma.  And now, it is college decision time.  These students have studied, taken the SAT exams, written essays, completed the rigorous admissions process and now have just 30 days to make a decision about which college to attend. Schools have mailed their acceptance letters and almost every college expects a response by May 1. So how should a student make that final choice? Based on where their friends are going? How great the football team is? How much financial aid the school is providing? According to Todd Weaver, a Senior Associate with Canton-based …

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Steve Davis

10:28 pm on Monday, April 9, 2012

While preparing to write this article, I attended a workshop Todd presented in Easton. it was informative and very well attended. If you are at all interested in this subject, be sure to go to the event at Harbor One U.   more ›