Year in Review: The Top Foxborough Stories of 2014

As 2014 comes to a close, we look back at some of the top stories from the past 12 months.

It was certainly an interesting year for Foxborough. Major stories included the arrival of Splitsville, a local boy receiving 100,000 birthday cards and the passing of Sam Berns.

And while we understand there are many news stories that hit Foxborough this year, we’re bringing you the headlines that had the most readership. Tell us in the comments section below what you think the year’s biggest Sharon news story.

Before we look at the top 10, here are some honorable mentions that just missed the list:

• Nine Establishments Fail Liquor License Compliance Checks
• Matthew McConaughey Is In Foxborough Filming A Movie
• David Feldman unseats Selectmen Chairman Mark Sullivan
• Foxborough Teacher Named One of the Best in Massachusetts

Here is Foxborough Patch’s top 10 stories of 2014:

10. New Town Hall Plans Underway

After years of gridlock and debate, Foxborough officials now have the green light to create the plans and cover the soft costs for a new town hall.

Residents at Monday night’s Special Town Meeting supported the article 162 to 57, allowing the town to hire an architect and project manager to create the blueprints and plans for the new building to be located in the parking lot of the current building on South Street.

The article calls for the town to use over $557,000 in funds, mostly from the Library Capital Fund with some funding coming from free cash.

The vote reflects a contrast to last year’s results which saw the town hall proposal plan unable to obtain the two-thirds majority needed for approval.

Unlike last year’s proposal, the new building would be smaller than earlier proposals at 15,500 sq. ft. The current building is 14,000 sq. ft.

9. A Surprise Wedding Gift From Robert Kraft to North Street Patriots Fans

Two days after getting married in a Patriots themed celebration, North Street newlyweds Jerry and Amy Pajotte had one more gift to enjoy.

Back in their wedding attire before the Patriots’ game against the Bears in October, the Pajottes received a pair of VIP passes and club seats from Patriots owner Robert Kraft to their North Street home.

“Words cannot describe what all of this has meant to me and my wife,” Jerry said. “We obviously didn’t expect all of this, but we are very thankful for it and this is exactly why we love Mr. Kraft and the Patriots so much.”

Recently, Jerry wrote a letter to Kraft to share the news of their marriage and the details of their Patriots-themed wedding.

Appreciative of their dedication and creativity, Kraft invited Jerry into his office prior to his wedding to surprise him with the passes and tickets. On his way to the gram, Kraft stopped by the home of Jerry and Amy to congratulate the two on their new life together.

8. The Igo School Gets a New Playground

Recognizing everyone involved in the creation of the new community playground, the Igo School brought together 400 students to say thanks during the official grand opening and dedication ceremony in September.

“There is not another playground like this in the world,” principal Mike Stanton told students during the ceremony.

In May, it was announced that the school received a NFL Play60 grant worth $30,000 for the new playground. In addition, Kraft and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation added an additional $30,000 during the initial announcement during a Play60 event in May.

The playground was not the only contribution from the Patriots owner. The high school chorus will also receive new audio equipment as announced at the May event. According to superintendent Debra Spinelli, Kraft was given three different levels of support to choose from for the equipment. In what Spinelli called, “typical Kraft fashion,” Kraft chose the highest level of support to fully fund the chorus’ new audio equipment.

7. Foxborough on Survivor

A local couple was selected to take part in the 29th installment of the hit CBS reality TV show Survivor.

Jeremy and Val Collins of Foxborough competed in the latest edition of the long-running series, playing to stay in the game the longest and win the $1 million grand prize.

The season was played under the blood vs. water banner, meaning that pairs of loved ones were split into separate tribes and placed in direct competition with each other.

While Val was eliminated in the second episode, Jeremy made it past the tribal merge to the ninth episode of the series.

6. MBTA Proposes Foxborough Commuter Rail Stop

In November, the selectmen and the public heard the first details for a proposed full-time commuter rail platform at Gillette Stadium.

According to MassDOT officials, there would be five round trips on weekdays from Foxborough to Boston by way of the Fairmount line.

While the town was identified as an area with a need for commuter rail service by MassDOT, the selectmen were unsure if there is demand or a need. In addition, officials from Walpole have vowed to fight the new service which would go though their town to reach the Fairmont line.

More is expected to be discussed on the issue well into 2015.

5. A New Town Manager

After more than a decade of serving as Dedham’s Town Administrator, Bill Keegan was selected as the new Foxborough Town Manager in February.

“I’m very fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to be at this stage,” Keegan said at the time. “It’s a great opportunity.”

The Foxborough Board of Selectmen named Keegan among three finalists for the role in January, with Norfolk Town Administrator Jack Hathaway and former Wayland town administrator Frederic Turkington listed as other finalists for the position.

4. The Arrival of Splitsville

After months of contentious negotiations and selectmen meetings, one of the most anticipated establishments to come to Foxborough arrived at Patriot Place in August. With bowling, live music from Howl at the Moon, and a dining experience like no other, Splitsville has been one of the most hopping places in town as partrons dance and bowl the night away.

3. A 100,000 Birthday Cards

Danny Nickerson only wanted one thing for his birthday - birthday cards. What wasn’t expected was the amount of cards he would receive in the mail. Nickerson, who turned six and suffers from an inoperable brain tumor, found himself with over 100,000 cards from all over the world. While Nickerson still fights the tumor, it is clear he has a lot of friends to support his battle from his visits with public safety officials to cutting the ribbon at the Igo School playground with Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

2. The Fall and Rise of Lakeview

No one could have guested or predicted the horrible moments when Lakeview Pavillion caught on fire and burned down during a function in April. If the owners cut their losses and moved on, no one would have blamed them. Only days later, Lakeview owners Anastasia Tsoumbanos and Natalia Kapourelakos promised to build again and followed through on their promise with the groundbreaking ceremony in September. With weddings lined up and a promise of a new and improved Lakeview, the function hall right of Route 140 is sure to make new memories for families in 2015.

1. Farewell Sam Berns

The passing of Sam Berns was not a mourning of his death but rather a celebration of his life. The boy who became the face of Progeria thanks to his documentary Life According to Sam inspired everyone he came into contact with whether it was his classmates or New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

With the new turf field at the high school named after him as one of the many tributes to him, Berns’ name and legacy will live on for years.