What were the top Grafton stories of 2019?
A gold rush-style race to grab Grafton’s two marijuana licenses. An unexpected overhaul of the Board of… excuse me, Select Board. A insect with the power to shut down post-sundown activities. A school funding crisis that will ripple into the next decade.
These are the stories that shaped Grafton in 2019. It seems odd to create a definitive list of top stories on a website that went live only on Oct. 15, 2019— I may be missing stories, and I’m sure readers will let me know — but darn it, it’s tradition.
Introducing Zita — When the Grafton Police Department hired Joseph Coggans, they received a bonus officer — Coggans’ partner on the Paxton police force, a 6-year-old German shepherd. Zita is Grafton’s first K9 since the 1980s and is trained as a tracker.
Stop & Shop goes on strike — Back in April, some of Grafton’s most familiar faces walked out of work and joined a picket line outside of the town’s only grocery store. They were among the 31,000 United Food Workers who were on strike for 11 days, costing the chain $224 million in lost sales and $90–100 million in lost profits. Few in Grafton crossed the picket lines.
Ricky Duran — It was a story literally made for Hollywood: Grafton native Ricky Duran auditioned for “The Voice,” earned the rare four-judge chair turn, and became a weekly sensation. After choosing country singer Blake Shelton as his mentor, Duran commanded the stage to the very end, when he came in second. A recording contract is almost assured, and Duran hasn’t lack for performing opportunities since — he performed at halftime Sunday for the Carolina Panthers with fellow Voice finalist Katie Kadan and Voice winner Jake Hoot.
Mosquitos — A Grafton man was among 12 confirmed cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and it completely changed the way the town viewed the threat of mosquito-borne illnesses. All outdoor activities after dusk were canceled, entire sports schedules for Grafton High School and surrounding towns were altered, and aerial spraying commenced — twice. In the end, Grafton Town Meeting voted to join the Central Mass Mosquito Project, a move which had been voted down in previous years.
Marijuana — There are only two retail marijuana licenses up for grabs in Grafton, and three companies — Resinate, MJ’s Market, and Noble Manna — are in a race to be first. With the town in need of a new revenue source and the first retail outlets bringing giant crowds, town opinion ranged from enthusiasm to concern. It also changed the face of the Select Board in an unexpected way, as Chairman Bruce Spinney unexpectedly resigned in the fall to pursue a license for Noble Manna.
Select Board — First, the town adopted the title of Select Board for its top legislative body. Then the first female majority proved there needed to be a change to the moniker “Selectman.” In May, Peter Carlson and Doreen DeFazio won the two open seats on the board, defeating incumbent Sargon Hanna. In October, in the wake of Spinney’s resignation, Donna Stock captured the remaining few months of his term, which ends in May 2020.
Grafton Common — Speaking of the May 2019 town election, longtime journalist Jennifer Lord Paluzzi impulsively ran for town clerk, lost to incumbent Kandy Lavallee, and ended up back in the news business. After Grafton News editor Richard Price left his position to care for family matters, Paluzzi became concerned about a decided lack of news coverage and launched Grafton Common in October. Paluzzi (that’s me, by the way) last covered Grafton from 2008 to 2013 as the author of the Greater Grafton Blog and the now-defunct Central Mass News/The Daily Voice.
New highway department/Grafton Public Library — A new Highway Department is taking shape off Old Westboro Road, replacing the decaying Upton Street barn. Construction unfortunately hit shale, creating a cost overrun the town fixed by diverting about $1 million from the Grafton Public Library renovation. The library project itself is now underway, with the town in 2020 turning an eye toward what Upton Street might look like after the projects are complete and the highway department property becomes available for new development.
Override — The town’s top story of the year is likely among the top for the year to come. Grafton’s schools are facing a financial crisis that may cut 40 positions in the next five years, primarily teachers, and create considerable cuts to athletics. The Select Board and School Committee met early in December to begin funding talks, raising the issue of an override. They meet next on Jan. 14, 2020.
