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Chloe Dubuisson (left) and Teddy Shuman (right) are this year’s Canton Citizen Winter Sports MVPs.

The Canton Citizen is pleased to announce its 2025-26 winter all-star selections. The full list, complete with write-ups for each athlete, appears in our annual winter sports wrap-up section, which is included in this week’s paper.

Girls MVP

Chloe Dubuisson (Indoor Track)

A senior captain, Dubuisson wrapped up her memorable indoor track career with another record-setting winter, advancing all the way to the National Championships as a hurdler while making an impact in a number of different events. Not only was she the team leader in points; she was a league champion in the 55m hurdles, a school record holder in the 300m, and one of the top shot putters in the Hock. She also set a record in the pentathlon and went undefeated in dual meets in the hurdles, high jump, shot put, 300m and 600m. “This shows elite versatility and a willingness to do what’s best for team success,” said head coach Anna Amico. “It’s a major reason we were able to go 4-1 in the always strong Hockomock League this season.”

Boys MVP

Teddy Shuman (Ice Hockey)

A senior captain and one of the most skilled defensemen to ever put on a CHS ice hockey uniform, Shuman capped off his memorable four-year varsity career with a second state championship while anchoring a defense that set a new program record for fewest goals allowed in a season. He was also an outstanding puck mover and a major weapon on offense, finishing as the team leader in assists for the second year in a row with 38 while adding five goals of his own. An indispensable team leader who served as another coach on the ice, Shuman not only took home Hockomock Davenport Division MVP honors; he was also recognized by HockomockSports as its 2025-26 Boys Hockey Player of the Year.

Citizen All-Stars

Boys Hockey: Teddy Shuman*, Ryan Elrick, Kellen Labanara, Joey Ryan, Matt Wright, Andrew Gillis

Girls Hockey: Rori Sasin, Lauren Raffetto, Georgia Campbell, Charlotte Eagles

Boys Basketball: Vlad Francoeur, Miles Jereb

Girls Basketball: Tori White, Brooke Connor

Boys Swimming: Ronin Ricks, Maris Veidis, 200 Medley Relay (Ricks/Carbone/Pham/Lee)

Girls Swimming: Anna Lamme, Caitlyn Reynolds

Wrestling: Matt Morin, Calvin Quinn, Owen Sasin

Gymnastics: Sophia Salvatori, Grace Collins

Boys Track: Joshua Saint-Vil, Tristan Grant

Girls Track: Chloe Dubuisson*, Grace Martinek, Nyomi Faulk, 4×800 Relay (Giannacopoulos/Piazza/Driscoll/Holland)

Bulldog lacrosse players celebrate after capturing the Grit Cup with a hard-fought win over Milton. (CHS Lax photo)

A thrilling tournament run for the boys and the start of a new winning streak for the first-place girls team highlighted another spectacular stretch for the Canton High lacrosse programs in what is shaping up to be a magical spring season.

The red-hot Canton boys squad, winners of nine of their last 10 games, added another one earlier this week against a very good North Attleboro team and remain locked in a battle with Mansfield (7-0) for the Hockomock Davenport Division crown. The Bulldogs are currently one game back with a 6-1 league record (9-2 overall), and they sit in the No. 10 spot in the MIAA Division 2 power rankings.

Last week, the Canton boys celebrated April vacation with three impressive nonleague victories to clinch the Grit Cup, a regular season tournament that spanned three rounds over five days. After knocking off Barnstable 12-5 in the opening round, Canton drew division rival Foxboro in the semis and after a ferocious battle through four quarters, the Bulldogs prevailed in double overtime 12-11 thanks to the heroics of seniors Jake Marcell and Cullen O’Brien, who connected on the game-winning goal off a turnover.

O’Brien finished with three goals in the game to lead all scorers, and he went on to register another hat trick two days later to help power the Bulldogs to the cup championship in a 9-6 victory over Milton, the No. 13 ranked team in Division 2.

Both Marcell and Cam Conley added two goals in the victory, and the stingy Canton defense held the Wildcats scoreless in the second half as the Bulldogs battled back to secure the comeback win. Head coach Tom Galvin said his biggest takeaway from their impressive run in the Grit Cup tournament was the resilience they showed in all three games.

“Winning the second game in OT and coming back from a 6-3 deficit at half in the finals showed what this team is capable of,” he said. “We were able to not allow a goal in the second half and come back against a strong Milton team and goalie.”

Galvin said one of the keys to the team’s success so far this season has been the play of senior goalie Jack Levis and the entire defensive corps, led by Marcell, Nick Crowe, Brannen Morris, Oisin Brogan, Will Doucette, John Flood and Paul Mellon. “The ability our defense has to cause turnovers has turned into goals on the other end,” he said. “The offense has done a great job capitalizing on the chances we create.”

Conley is again on pace to lead the team in scoring for a second straight season, while O’Brien and Brayden Dickie are not too far behind.

As for the girls’ team, they too have a multitude of weapons on offense, although none more lethal than senior captain Nora Giannacopoulos, who recently surpassed the 200-goal mark for her career. On Monday, she paced the Bulldogs with five goals and an assist to lead the team over North Attleboro 13-8. Freshman phenom Grace Starr added four goals in the victory while junior Shannon Lane had a hat trick and four helpers. Also chipping in were freshman Kate Giannacopoulos (2 goals), Cassidy Lyons (1 goal), Kalynn Souza (1 goal), and Tabitha McCready (2 assists).

With the victory, the girls improved to 8-1 overall while staying even with Foxborough as co-leaders of the Davenport Division. In the MIAA power rankings, the lady Bulldogs occupy the No. 16 spot in D2 and have several opportunities to improve on that number, starting with a game this week against 11th-ranked King Philip.

A group of Hansen Elementary students witnessed what school leaders characterized as a “very difficult and disturbing” scene on Tuesday morning after an irate parent boarded his child’s school bus and physically assaulted the driver.

The incident occurred on Bus C10 at the Prynne Hills apartment complex (formerly Avalon), which is located off Randolph Street on the Canton/Randolph line.

Randolph Police responded to the scene and are leading the investigation with assistance from the Canton Police Department. Firefighters/paramedics from Randolph also responded and treated the injured driver at the scene before transporting him to a local hospital. An alternate driver was dispatched by the bus operator, First Student Inc., to complete the route, accompanied by a CPS school resource officer and a member of the CPS administrative team.

In a letter to Hansen families, Principal Tami Olsen and Superintendent of Schools Derek Folan indicated that while no students were involved in the incident, they did “witness the altercation and alleged assault of the driver.”

“As such, our number-one concern was the safety and well-being of the students for the remainder of the bus ride and their arrival at Hansen,” school leaders said.

Acknowledging that the incident had a “significant impact” on the students who witnessed the attack, Olsen and Folan said the Hansen counseling team provided one-on-one support and care to students upon their arrival at school while Hansen administrators followed up with phone calls to the affected families.

In an effort to ensure the continued well-being of the students, school officials said administrators will be riding the C10 bus for the remainder of the week, and Canton Public Schools will “continue to collaborate with both the Randolph and Canton police departments.”

Witnesses told WCVB NewsCenter 5 that when the driver opened the door to allow the student onto the bus, the parent followed and began “yelling and swearing before he repeatedly punched the driver in the face.”

The mother of another student who was on the bus told NewsCenter 5 that there were “a lot of swears and bad words” used, and students on the bus were crying.

“We commend our students for responding so well in a very difficult and disturbing situation,” stated Olsen and Folan in their letter to families. “A heartfelt thank you to the administration, counselors, nurses and educators for their work in supporting the students and families.”

Members of the Hansen community who have any questions or concerns related to the incident are being advised to contact the school administration.

UPDATE: Randolph Police arrest alleged attacker

In a media released issued on Wednesday evening, Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag announced that they had arrested the chief suspect in the alleged attack — identified as 31-year-old Aaron J. Whitehead of Fall River — after locating him in Stoughton.

According to Chief Marag, an investigation revealed that Whitehead had stopped his vehicle in front of the bus while it was picking up students in Canton and attempted to have his child board at a location that was not their assigned stop. The driver told the child they could not board at their unscheduled stop under company policy and Whitehead allegedly became angry, following the bus to its next stop on Avalon Drive in Randolph.

Witnesses say Whitehead struck the 65-year-old driver multiple times, then took the driver’s cellphone and threw it before leaving the scene. Marag said several young children were on the bus at the time of the assault, and upon their arrival at the scene, Randolph officers observed multiple parents in the parking lot who appeared “visibly shaken and upset.”

In addition to facing a charge of assault and battery on a person over the age of 60, Whitehead has also been charged with witness intimidation, malicious destruction of property, and disorderly conduct. He was due to be arraigned in Quincy District Court on Thursday.

“School bus drivers perform an important job every day transporting children safely to and from school, and this type of violence will not be tolerated,” said Chief Marag. “We wish the driver a full and speedy recovery, and I want to thank the Canton Police Department and the Stoughton Police Department for their assistance during this investigation and arrest.”

These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Select Board member Julie Beckham marches in the parade with Pre-Rookie League softball players. (Moira Sweetland photo)

Canton Little League kicked off a new spring season with its annual opening day parade on Saturday, April 25. The celebration continued on the grounds of Canton High School with a cookout, games, and opening day festivities for players of all ages and their families.

See this week’s Citizen for more opening day photos by Moira Sweetland. Click here to order your subscription today.

Fire Lt. John Hutchinson said Fire Captain Jamie Meier requested a Boston MedFlight helicopter while Deputy Chief Andy Morgan responded to Devoll Field to secure a landing zone.

Canton paramedics transported the patient to the landing zone and he was airlifted to Boston Medical Center.

Lt. Hutchinson said the patient’s condition remained uncertain as of Wednesday morning. The accident is under investigation by the Canton Police Department.

CFD responds to 3-car crash on Rte. 138

Two people were hospitalized with minor injuries and traffic was reduced to one lane following a significant, three-car collision that occurred around noontime on Thursday, April 23, in the Ponkapoag Hill area of Route 138. One vehicle sustained heavy damage and landed on the steps of Christ’s Ambassadors Ministries, a church located at the historic Ponkapoag Chapel.

The driver was able to self-extricate prior to firefighters’ arrival, and although he was injured, Fire Lt. John Hutchinson said the fact he was wearing a seatbelt and the airbag deployed definitely contributed to a favorable outcome. That driver was transported to Boston Medical Center South, while another driver was transported to Milton Hospital, also with minor injuries.

Building Commissioner Ed Walsh responded to the scene to inspect the chapel steps and foundation and determined that it was structurally sound. Canton Police were also on scene for traffic control.

Woman charged in string of B&E incidents

Canton Police arrested a Boston woman last week in connection with break-ins at two commercial buildings and a residence in town. On Friday, April 25, at approximately 11:30 a.m., officers responded to a residence on Washington Street after receiving a report that a woman had broken into an apartment. Officers responded and located a woman inside the apartment. A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, a 31-year-old resident of Roxbury Crossing, had picked the lock and entered the apartment. She did not have permission to stay and had allegedly threatened violence against the resident on a previous day.

Through an on-scene investigation, officers determined that the woman matched the description of a suspect wanted for two break-ins early Thursday morning — one at the office building for a town-owned cemetery at 1600 Washington Street and another at a restaurant at 515 Washington Street.

Items recovered by officers at the scene of the residential break-in were consistent with items the suspect was seen with on surveillance video during the prior break-ins.

The suspect was charged with two counts of breaking and entering during the nighttime with intent to commit a felony, as well as misdemeanor B&E, possession of a burglarious instrument, threatening to commit a crime, and trespassing. She was scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Brockton District Court, and the investigation remains ongoing.

“Officers responded quickly and conducted a thorough on-scene investigation that allowed us to identify the suspect and connect the incidents,” said Canton Police Chief Michael K. Daniels. “I want to recognize the officers involved for their attention to detail and their work to resolve these cases.”

See this week’s Citizen for more News Notes by Mike Berger. Click here to subscribe today!

* Little League opening day coverage by Moira Sweetland

* Recap of the April 28 Select Board meeting

* Preview of the fifth annual Canton Heritage Festival

* Educators host panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence

* Annual Winter Sports Wrap-Up (special inside section)

* ‘Autoneers’ to visit Canton’s Tilden House

* Candidate announcements for state rep. and Norfolk district attorney

* NCL Blue Hills Chapter recognizes Class of 2026

* FPUU to host World Laughter Day celebration

* Garden Club celebrates Arbor Day with tree planting

* Athlete of the Week and more CHS spring sports

Also, don’t forget to check out our many weekly features, including:

* Police & Fire News Notes

* Senior Corner and letters to the editor

* Cable Guide, Citizen Around Town, and much more

* House of the Week and more local real estate resources

Not a subscriber? Click here to order your subscription today, or check out our new digital edition, the e-Citizen.

Victor Del Vecchio and Rep. Bill Galvin display a replica of a new highway sign promoting the Revere Museum of Discovery and Innovation.

Del Vecchio has a long and distinguished record of public service in Canton. He served on a variety of local boards and committees, including 15 years on the Select Board (2002-17). In 2014, while serving as chair of the Select Board, Del Vecchio led the negotiation of the development agreement that spearheaded the preservation of the historic Revere Barn and Rolling Mill and enabled the creation of the scenic nine-acre public green now enjoyed year-round by residents.

In 2015, he assumed leadership of the newly formed Paul Revere Heritage Commission, helping to guide the rehabilitation and repurposing of the site and its historic buildings.

In 2020, Del Vecchio co-authored the special legislation that created the Revere & Son Heritage Trust Corporation and has guided the organization since inception. Under his leadership, the trust not only developed and enhanced the historic site, but also oversaw all aspects of the Paul Revere Museum of Discovery & Innovation (MoDI) — from concept and design to its opening and ongoing operation.

Del Vecchio’s determination and leadership over the last 10-plus years turned an ambitious idea into a remarkable reality. His work has not only preserved an important piece of Canton’s history but also created a dynamic space that will inspire generations to come.

“I’m humbled by the recognition, but this was truly a partnership — so many hardworking and committed members of our community, working in concert with the Select Board, achieved something wonderful here,” said Del Vecchio. “I’m just proud to have been a part of it.”

The dedication of the Revere Heritage Site in his honor stands as a lasting tribute to his impact on the community.

A public dedication ceremony hosted by the Revere & Son Heritage Trust will be held at the Paul Revere Heritage Site on Sunday, May 3, at 2 p.m. Community members are invited to attend and celebrate this milestone occasion.

For more information, please contact John Morton, MoDI executive director, at jmorton@paulreveremuseum.org or 781-828-1845.

CHS senior Eli Weaver improved to 7-0 on the season with his latest match victory. (Mike Tureski photo)

The Bulldogs have now won four matches in shutout fashion and continue to maintain a slim lead in the Hockomock Davenport Division standings ahead of Mansfield, who they have yet to face.

Last season, the Canton boys finished two wins behind the Hornets in the division title chase, but they appear to have a great shot to get over the hump this spring behind a trio of impressive seniors anchoring the singles positions.

“Our top three singles players are neck and neck with each other,” noted head coach Bill Donovan. “I knew we would have a solid year because those guys are so experienced and so dedicated. They’ve worked really hard since last year and they’re just so driven.”

In last Wednesday’s match against Taunton, all three of them cruised to easy wins, with Bharat Ramanathan only dropping one set at first singles (6-0, 6-1) and Matt Wright rolling 6-2, 6-2 at second singles to go along with Weaver’s 6,0, 6-0 result at third singles.

In the doubles matches, the top pairing of sophomore Luke Erickson and junior Spencer Reich also made quick work of their opponent to improve to 5-1 as a duo this season, while the second doubles team of seniors Aiden McCloskey and Alvis Huang also prevailed 7-5, 6-0 to run their record to 4-2.

Weaver and Wright are still perfect on the season (7-0), and Ramanathan is a very impressive 5-2 despite going up against each opponent’s strongest player.

While Donovan is very impressed with what the team has shown to date, he was also quick to point out that it’s still early in the season. “I think we’ve done well for the first seven matches,” he told HockomockSports.com. “But we still have Mansfield, Franklin and King Philip in the coming weeks, and those will be tough matches.”

In addition to competing for the division title, Donovan said the team has set several other goals for itself this year, including qualifying for and advancing in the state playoffs. “We definitely want to win the first round for a change and we want to go deeper,” he said.

Currently off for April vacation, the team will be back in action on Monday with an away match against Stoughton.

They will then head to Franklin next Wednesday, April 29, followed by another road match against the defending Davenport champs from Mansfield on May 4.

A view of Canton, Massachusetts circa 1878, concentrating on the Heritage Site area

By Rich Trotto

The Paul Revere Heritage Site in Canton preserves history with roots going back to the creation of our country. When I heard that Paul Revere had a summer home in Canton where he expanded his businesses starting in 1801, it raised my eyebrows! Over the years it expanded into a large industrial site, notably by the Plymouth Rubber Company starting in the early 1900s. The entire area was purchased, and I believe it was called the Plymouth Rubber Redevelopment Project when town officials/historians entered into an agreement with the developer to utilize 2.5 acres to preserve the Revere Copper Rolling Mill and Revere Draft Horse Barn — now housing the Northern Spy restaurant and newly opened Museum of Discovery & Innovation — plus seven more acres for the park. Bernie Plante of Canton Holdings LLC (the developer) gave me permission to enter the work site to take pictures. I started doing so on May 4, 2015, and the photos are the foundation for this series of Paul Revere Heritage Site articles.

The inexpensive Kodak Brownie camera popularized photography in 1900. For a glimpse into Paul Revere’s time, we rely on formal paintings, drawings, printing presses and the written word. I use these resources — many from the collections of the Canton Historical Society — to tie my photos into the history of the site and the nation. The above photo is one-fourth of the horizontal width of a kitchen-table-sized 3D map drawing, titled “View of Canton, Mass 1878,” concentrating on the Heritage Site area. Let’s discuss this initial photo, but note that additional details will be presented in future installments:

Factory Pond extends below the bottom left corner. Below that is where the Boston & Providence Railroad passes over the Viaduct. The Canton River (East Branch of the Neponset River) feeds Factory Pond, and its power-generating potential is what brought Paul Revere to the site. Not only did the river supply power, but it “washed away” pollutants.

Just to the left of the bottom half of the Canton River is the railroad spur line, which was then called the Revere Copper Co.’s Railroad. Paul Revere and later the Plymouth Rubber Co. used the tracks to transport raw materials and finished products to and from the Canton Junction Railroad Station. Below the smokestack smoke is the copper rolling mill, among the many other newer structures that were removed during the development process. The smoke is “touching” the stand-alone draft horse barn that was moved a short distance closer to the mill during restoration.

In the center of the photo at the road intersection can be seen Revere’s summer home with his bell tower extending across the road. Happily, that survived long enough to be photographed! At the top center of the photo where the letter “P” is in “Private Way” is where the guard shack was located and where construction equipment entered the work site (and where I parked to take photos starting in 2015). This drawing predates Revere Street, which passes immediately to the left of the leftmost pond. Private Way is currently a lefthand branch just before the current Canton Fire Station, and houses there have Revere Street addresses!

In the bottom right corner of the photo is Railroad Street, which passes under the viaduct. It is now called Neponset Street, and the site’s current diversion channel was later directed beside that road around the Revere Heritage Site.

As the industrial site evolved, power was generated by waterpower and then coal-fired steam and electricity. When waterpower was no longer required, the Canton River was moved underground through a triple box culvert. After the Canton River overflowed its banks on multiple occasions, the river was directed underground through the culvert, and excess flow was directed around the current site along the diversion channel.

On April 11, 2017, during site development, the triple box culvert was exposed for inspection. In the photo below, you can see where the river passes underground next to the mill and barn:

In this next photo, you can see where the triple box culvert passes upstream toward the dams where the diversion channel begins:

More topics to come in future installments — save them for cross referencing.

Rich Trotto is a longtime resident of Canton and a frequent contributor to the Citizen.