Foxborough Year-in-Review: Flag Controversy, Survivor Champion, Remembering Danny Nickerson and Sam Berns

In December, a mother of a Foxborough High School senior accusing the school of rejecting a photo of her daughter for a yearbook advertisement because of the use of the American flag in the background. While the school would say they were uncomfortable with the girl standing on an American flag, the Facebook post ended up going viral, appearing on dozens of websites and at one point was trending on Facebook.

That story would go on to become the most viewed post on Foxborough Patch in 2015.

In 2015, readers of Foxborough Patch clicked on stories about a football player involved in a hit and run, the Gillette Stadium concerts, one man’s quest to win Survivor, and the effort to remember Sam Berns.

Here are the top 10 stories for 2015 on Foxborough Patch:

1. American Flag Pic Banned from Yearbook, But There’s More to the Story - A firestorm of controversy began after a Foxborough mother accused the high school of rejecting a yearbook photo because her daughter was behind the American flag. School officials defended their decision, stating that they felt a photo of someone standing on an American flag backdrop was disrespectful for the flag. A compromise would be agreed upon about a week later.
2. Brandon Spikes, Former Patriots LB, Charged in Hit-and-Run - In June, Former New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes was charged with crashing his luxury car into another vehicle in on Route 495 in Foxborough then fleeing the scene. The crash injured three people with Spikes ditching his car on the highway and telling his car’s onboard assistance service that he hit a deer. Spikes, who just signed with the Patriots, was released the next day and was not signed by another team for the 2015 season.
3. Danny Nickerson Passes Away - The young Foxborough boy became known to the world after for birthday cards for his sixth birthday. During 2014, Nickerson received thousands of cards and gifts from well-wishers. Sadly, Nickerson lost his battle with cancer in April. On the day of his funeral, mourners released balloons as the pump truck carrying the young boy left for his final resting place.
4. Foxborough’s Jeremy Collins Wins Survivor - For 39 days Foxborough’s favorite contestant fought his way to the finals of the 31st edition of Survivor. Competing for the second time, Collins would win the grand prize in a clean sweep, earning all 10 votes from the jury.
5. The Gillette Stadium Concert Series - Over the years, Foxborough has become the place to be for the biggest music acts in the world. This year, Foxborough played host to Taylor Swift, AC/DC, One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Kenny Chesney, and Jason Aldean. Chesney has already promised a return to the stadium next year with more announcements on who will rock Foxborough in 2016 to come.
6. Mitchell Wins Selectman Seat, Coppola Reelected - In May, the Foxborough Board of Selectmen welcomed a new member to the board. First time candidate Chris Mitchell and incumbent Ginny Coppola both won seats in the 2015 Town Election. Chairman Lorraine Brue would be the odd person out, losing her seat in the three-person race. The results also included the most improbable of results - a tie on a ballot question to grant tenure to Town Clerk Bob Cutler.
7. Who is the Selectmen Chairman? - A new board meant a new vote for leadership positions. During a May meeting, Selectman David Feldman nominated Jim DeVellis for chairman, while Ginny Coppola nominated Vice-Chairman John Gray. With DeVellis winning the vote 3-2, it appeared that the board was willing to vote against tradition and not named the vice-chair as the head of the board. The processed sparked a heated discussion over whether who should be the chair, with DeVellis voting for Gray in a revote to attempt to settle the issue. The next day, many were left wondering if the motion was legal due to the lack of a second on the motion that may Gray the chair. At the next meeting, the board would vote again with town council describing the previous votes as legal, but inconsistent. In the final vote, DeVellis was named the chair, Feldman was named vice-chair, and newcomer Chris Mitchell was named clerk.
8. Town Planner Sharon Wason Passes Away - In May, Foxborough Town Planner Sharon Wason suddenly passed away after becoming sick at home. The town planner came to Foxborough in 2011, previously working as a transportation planner for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. In memory of Wason, a pavilion is planned at the Payson Road Recreation Complex, one of Wason’s signature projects.
9. Remembering Sam Berns - Despite his short life, Sam Berns left an impact not only on his classmates but on the entire town of Foxborough. In April, the Foxborough High School Class of 2015 announced plans for a memorial in honor of Berns at the field named after him. The memorial was officially opened in November.
10. Foxborough Native Reunites Marine with Family for Christmas - A U.S. Marine from Massachusetts was surrounded by his family for Christmas thanks to the assistance of a Foxborough native. After two years away from home, U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Benjamin Bauman surprised family members in Medway last weekend when he appeared at a family function unannounced. Efforts to fund Bauman’s trip home were spearheaded by Lauren Eliopoulos, a Foxborough native now living in Mansfield and founder of Hero Helpers.

Honorable Mentions

• Firefighters Respond to Roof and Building Collapse at Foxboro Terminals
• Foxborough Man Killed in Route 495 Road Rage Incident
• New England Patriots Super Bowl Parade
• Patriot Vince Wilfork Helps Police Save Woman in Rollover Crash