Region Roundup: Man Shot Answering Doorbell, Local Family Trying to Avoid Eviction, Infant Swim Class & More

Foxborough Family Awaiting Approval on Loan to Buy House Back; Avoid Eviction

Since losing their house to foreclosure and having it auctioned off to a bank in September of last year, John and Julie Hazeldine have been working to buy back their 27 Spring St. home that John has lived in for over 60 years and his grandparents built in 1926.

Having suffered two strokes in 2008 and undergoing hip replacement last year, John walks with a limp in his right leg and his right arm is paralyzed. Out of work, he and his wife could not afford the house payments on Julie's salary alone.

Word spread quickly about the Hazeldine's plight from Foxborough to around the world and donations began pouring in, with up to over $42,000 raised as of last week.

Good news for the Hazeldines and all of their supporters is the Foxborough family has been pre-approved by Boston Community Capital for a loan of about $117,000 to buy their house back.

“Nothing has been finalized," John said. "We went in Monday and we had their attorney with us. We did some paperwork and the attorney called us last night and asked us what we wanted to do. It’s kind of looking good. It’s just a matter of time. We’re trying to get it done before the 15th.”

Friday, March 15th is the deadline that Direct Federal Credit Union of Needham, who currently owns the Spring Street property, has given the Hazeldines to move out of their Foxborough home.

The deadline has been extended multiple times after Attorney General Martha Coakley's office stepped in and brokered an agreement between the Hazeldines and the bank.

“It’s just been a long, ongoing painful process,” John said. “There’s been a lot of praying going on in this house in the past few years.”

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Canton Man Shot After Answering Doorbell

Canton police are searching for an individual suspected of shooting a man in Canton early Friday morning, according to reports.

A Chapman Street resident was shot in the neck around 2 a.m. Friday after he opened his front door and someone started shooting, according to a WHDH report.

The victim was allegedly shot in the neck but was flown to Boston Medical Center and is expected to survive, according to the report.

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Infant Swimming Class in Norwood Helps Save Lives

Have you ever worried about what would happen if your young one fell into a pool when you weren't looking?

Mothers and fathers at the Hampton Inn in Norwood can ease that worry a little more each day they take their child to swim with Deborah Rossetti, an instructor with Infant Swimming Resource.

ISR, founded in 1966, is a program that teaches children from six months to four years old skills to survive a fall in the water.

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Sharon Resident Commends WCVB Meteorologist for Communicating Climate Change

Sharon resident Paul Lauenstein was among a handful of WCVB viewers to visit the network's Senior Meteorologist Harvey Leonard this week.

Lauenstein, along with Lexington resident Nancy Nolan, delivered a card to Leonard, celebrating his climate change communications.

Leonard appeared in a segment in early February to explain the connection between global warming and severe weather patterns, and to discuss how global warming is driving more drought, more heavy precipitation and stronger storms.

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Stoughton's own singer-songwriter, nationally-acclaimed Lori McKenna, is releasing her six full-length album, "Massachusetts," officially on April 23.  

It will kick off with two pre-release shows at Club Passim in Cambridge, on April 4th and 5th.

McKenna received national recognition when she penned "Fireflies" and a couple of other songs for Faith Hill a few years back, and was also featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Her career has taken off since, but she still lives in Stoughton, raising her children.

There's a special track on the this new CD for her hometown called "Love Can Put It Back Together," which was written with Stoughton native Mike Viola about the “the aging and currently vacant Stoughton Theatre.”

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Mansfield Town Manager Names New Chief of Police

After an extensive qualification and testing process, a new Chief of Police has been selected for the Town of Mansfield.

Sergeant Ronald Sellon, who is currently in charge of the detective division of hte Town of Mansfield's Police Department will replace Chief Arthur O’Neill, who will be retiring effective March 31, 2013 while Sellon will take over the position April 1.

William Ross, Town Manager of the Town of Mansfield was the Appointing Authority for the position. The process of hiring the new chief included a full day of assessment center activities that were undertaken by Mark Morse and Associates, under contract with the Town of Mansfield, and through the auspices of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Human Resources Division.

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Norton Might Have a Bike Path in the Near Future

Principal transportation planner for the Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District Adam Reccia met with Norton officials and townspeople on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of expanding the World War II Memorial Trail bike path into Norton.

Reccia said though he and the SRPED are very optimistic about the proposed expansion, the plan is only in its infancy at the moment. 

Issues brought up during the meeting were equestrian accommodations, abutter’s issues and crossing safety.

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War of Words over Meeting No-Show

Councilor Richard Conti said he was disappointed and had been informed at the last minute they would not be in attendance. This led to a war of words among local leaders

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Walpole Public Schools Superintendent Lincoln Lynch said at Thursday's school committee meeting that he has not yet heard anything to make him change his mind about installing surveillance cameras in the hallways of the high school.

In the past two weeks, Lynch has met with students, including the student protest group Students Opposing Surveillance (SOS), and faculty to discuss concerns and comments about the proposal.

The recommendation is an article on the warrant for May's Spring Annual Town Meeting to install 20 cameras in the hallways of the high school at a cost of $37,000.

SOS believes the cameras are an invasion of privacy and have been circulating a petition around the high school against the installation of the cameras. According to the group's Facebook page they have collected over 500 signatures.

"We have over 500 signatures from students and are no longer being ignored. Administration and Dr. Lincoln Lynch know we mean business," the Facebook post said.