7/29/2019 Dedham Transcript Feb. 11, 2010 Helping create the perfect arrangement

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HOCKEY, 17

Teams qualifyfor tournament

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Studentsexplore writingat Greenlodge

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Cable Schedule 5

News 2-3

Opinion 8-9

Pets 29

Police News 11

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FEBRUARY 11 FEBRUARY 17, 2010 wickedlocaldedham.com | GateHouse Media New England Vol. 1 No. 17 75

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By Edward B. Colby

STAFF WRITER

The School Committee hasadopted a tentative schools op-

erating budget of $32.6 millionfor next year a plan thatwould allow the district to pro-vide the same programs and is,as one board member put it,pretty bare-bones.

At its meeting last Wednes-day, the School Committee ap-proved a fiscal 2011 budget

How sweet it is

By Victoria Groves

CORRESPONDENT

For those who made a New Years res-olution to cut out sweets, it might be timeto make an exception.

Whole Foods Market at Legacy Placeheld its Chocolate Fest last Friday, a spe-cial pre-Valentines Day sampling eventmeant to showcase all of the ways to en-joy the sweet treat.

From beer and wine pairings, to choco-late covered corn nuts to cocoa dusted scal-lops, the samples were perfect for choco-holics, as well as those who enjoy more sa-

By Andrea Salisbury

STAFF WRITER

Roses may be red, but this Feb. 14 hasone Dedham florist a little blue.

Its not going to be that busy this yearbecause (Valentines Day falls) on a Sun-day, Ann Praught, owner of DedhamFlower Shoppe on High Street, saidMonday. So people who send flowers totheir wives at work, wont send them. And

its also Presidents Day so a lot of the peo-ple, the young kids, who tend to spend alot of money, will go away for the week-end, because of the long weekend.

The Whole dealon chocolate

Helping create theperfect arrangement

DEDHAM TRANSCRIPT PHOTOS BY ERIN PRAWOKO

Valentines Day is in full bloom in Dedham this week, from the displays at Dedham Flower Shoppe on High Street, top right andleft, to the Chocolate Fest at Whole Foods Market, top center. Above, Annie Hatami, 2, of Plainville tries a chocolate covered

strawberry at the chocolate fest. Below, Ann Praught, owner of Dedham Flower Shoppe, says the singing balloons are big hit.

By Edward B. Colby

STAFF WRITER

Marion DeMers said whatupset her the most about RitaKalcos firing was the secrecyof the whole thing, when it re-ally was dealing with us as se-nior citizens.

Were the ones that lost a

beaut iful direc tor, DeMerssaid, and lost what she calledthe best instructor she has hadin Dedham senior exercise

BOARD OF SELECTMEN

Seniors

takea standMany demand thatRita Kalcos is rehired

SCHOOL BUDGET

Smallboost

in theworksCommittee proposes2.25 increase; moves tothe Finance Committee

SCHOOL BUDGET, PAGE 15

FLORIST, PAGE 13 SENIORS, PAGE 15CHOCOLATE, PAGE 12

PHOTO BY BEAR CIERI

Brad Cajar, left, Joey Shagoury, center, and Eva Murphy work on aLego creation during a parent-run play group at the Dedham Parksand Recreation dance studio.

New kids on the block

By Edward B. Colby

STAFF WRITER

After three decades , Anthony JuJuMucciaccio Jr. is just about done as Ded-hams parks and recreation director.

Mucciaccio said he plans to step away fromhis job in June, after exactly 30 years incharge of the Parks and Recreation De-partment. Counting his vacation days, he willremain in his position until September.

I cant stand the winters over here anymore, said Mucciaccio, who in the comingyears plans to spend January, February, and

March in Fort Lauderdale.He said he is a very young 72 at times.

Mucciaccio said the Parks and Recre-ation Commission, at its meeting last Mon-day night, talked about the steps that willneed to be taken once he leaves. He said anacting director would probably take over inmid-September, before a permanent new di-rector is hired.

Parks and Recreation Commission Chair-man Sal Ledda said a working committeeof commissioners James Maher and DonReisner will begin the process to replace

PARKS AND RECREATION

JuJu to make his exit in JuneDirector ready to move to a warmer climate

JUJU, PAGE 11

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I didntsee any ofthe choices25%

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Up inthe Air

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7/29/2019 Dedham Transcript Feb. 11, 2010 Helping create the perfect arrangement

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For a florist, the best day foreb. 14 to fall is on Tuesday,Wednesday or on a Thurs-ay, she said.In a good year, Praught said

he sells roughly 700 arrange-ents for Valentines Day,

nd with roughly 10 delivery

rivers, the shop typicallyakes special deliveries toowntown Boston. She said inhe past, her delivery peopleere required to wear tuxedos

o add to the arrangement, butith over 30 years in theusiness, shes come to alterome of her business practices.ut one thing hasnt changed,raught said, the personalervice.Lilies mix with roses to cre-

te a scent of spring inside theedham Floral Shoppe on aay when Praughts deliveryan is bundled up for winter.nd thats another problemith Valentines Day, Praught

ays - its always in the winter.Perhaps the worst sale sea-on she can remember fellnly a few months after theedham shop opened.raught had previouslyorked at a Stoughton flower

hop, but after a little pushingrom her father, she decided,t 21, to open a shop in Ded-

ham Square. And at the timeit made sense, Praught said,because she lived in Dedham.

But Old Man Winter had adifferent plan. That year,roughly 28 inches of snowcoated New England in whatwould be remembered as theBlizzard of 78, or for a florist,the worst Valentines Day shecan remember.

Oh, it was awful, it was adisaster, she said, There was

so much snow you couldnt doanything. It was unbeliev-able.

Praught was stuck inStoughton because the high-way was closed.

There werent any planescoming in, so there wasntany deliveries, she said.When we finally got the flow-ers, you couldnt deliver thembecause you couldnt see peo-ples houses There were peo-ple out, but it was just a night-mare.

Despite the frigid tempera-tures and snow, Praught saidthere are the Valentines Daystories filled with dozens of

roses, romance and a littlebit of weird.(One year) we delivered

an engagement ring tied ontoa rose. That was exciting. Itwas hanging off of a rose,Praught said, reaching for along stem rose in a vase nextto her. She said yes.

Praught said she has one

regular customer who likes tothink a little outside of the boxwith his arrangements.

We do have one customerwho likes the weirdest thingwe could possibly make shesaid, pausing. I mean weird.

Most recently he asked fora birdhouse on a sick. Praughtgestured to the size of theproject, holding her handsabove her head. An actualbirdhouse on a stick she said.

He comes back all the time.We have to think of somethingthats really weird.

But it is the big arrange-ments, with the singing My-lar balloons, brown teddybears and mixed flowers thatmake Feb. 14 special, Praughtsaid, and there are ways topersonalize your gift.

She suggests bringing inyour own vase; not only doesit cut down on the cost, butyou ll also know it will fit thespace. In the end, you have toknow your clients, Praughtsaid.

We do more flowers in cutglass than we do in baskets or

in containers now, she saidAnd its easy to take care ofthem.

While roses are the Valen-tines Day flower of choice,Praught said stargazer liliesare a close second and whenmixed with roses can make fora nice arrangement. The av-erage arrangement at Ded-

ham Floral Shoppe is any-where from $35 to $45 andwith over 30 years of experi-ence, Praught says she canhelp with the card.

I hate it when they sayHappy Valentines Day, LoveJack, she said. They shouldsay something more involved.

Dedham Transcript editorAndrea Salisbury can bereached at asalisbu@cnc.comor 781-433-8322.

FOR BREAKING NEWS during the week visit wickedlocaldedham.com.

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

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Make your flowerslast longerDedham Floral Shoppe ownerAnn Praught says it is easy tomake your Valentines Dayarrangement last.

Remember, roses are livingthings. Praught says roses needcool temperatures and cool wa-ter. The cooler your home, thelonger the flowers will last.

Dont keep it on the TV.The television set generates heatand that can kill the flowers, shesays.

Thin the water. Addsugar, aspirin, or even a bit of 7-up to the water to thin it. The wa-ter needs to travel up the stem.

Change the water everythree days. Dont let the waterget mucky. Make sure to changeit with cool not cold water.Cold water will shock the flowers.

FLOWERFrom Page 1

DEDHAM TRANSCRIPT PHOTOS BY ERIN PRAWOKO

Ann Praught, owner of Dedham Flower Shoppe, says she hasseen a trend towards glass vases this Valentines Day season.

TM

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