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KNOW WHERE IN TOWN THIS IS?

NOVEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 1, 2010
wickedlocaldedham.com | GateHouse Media New England Vol. 2 No. 9 75

INSIDE
SPORTS, 11

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

DEDHAM SCHOOLS

LETS TALK TURKEY Bake

Coakley toughs way through hard senior year

CAN WE BUILD IT?, 3

sales near end?

School nurse pushes for strict allergy rules
By Edward B. Colby
STAFF WRITER

Community helps create new playground

READER CALL OUT, 2

PHOTO BY SEAN BROWNE

Volunteer, Cookie Duncan left, 8, of Dedham, looks through the table of bread while her mother Meg Duncan, looks on during the Dedham Food Pantrys turkey dinner giveaway at First Church and Parish in Dedham on Sunday, Nov. 21. For more photos check out WickedLocalDedham.com.

he Dedham Food Pantry gave away turkeys and all the fixings to about 115 clients at its Turkey Day at First Church and Parish on Sunday, Nov. 21. The fixings were a turkey pan filled with 5 pounds of potatoes, carrots, gravy, stuffing, squash, and brownie mix, all wrapped in cellophane, said Lindsay Barich, the pantrys co-president. A Norwood business, Personal Best Karate, made the turkey pans and donated all of the food, including the birds, Barich said. We didnt have to spend any money this year, which was great, and it saved us all the labor from volunteers putting together the fixings bags, he said.

Mark Downey, who donates his services every Thanksgiving, drove down to Mansfield to pick up the baskets and turkeys with his truck. It was about six pallets worth of food, Barich said. First Church parishioners and local students helped out, and Mocha Java donated baked goods and coffee for clients and volunteers to have, he said. The Dedham Food Pantrys next big day is Saturday morning, Dec. 18, when Dedham Police will hand out Christmas meals that they are donating, Barich said. That event will also be held at First Church.
EDWARD B. COLBY

Q&A WITH ROBERT MANCUSO

As the school districts health director cracks down on lifethreatening allergies, the School Committee is considering a move that would ban bake sales during school hours in Dedhams preschool through elementary grades. Gail Kelley, the districts director for health services, said she is not trying to put a squash on fundraisers, but kids safety must come first in an era when an increasing number of children have allergies to peanut and dairy products. Its a big change. It basically is eliminating food fundraisers at the elementary level, such as bake sales, Kelley told the school board as she presented a revised version of the allergy policy that was approved four years ago. She said there are almost 120 students with life-threatening food allergies in Dedhams public schools, and its just getting more and more difficult to man-

OCCUPATION: Executive chef, The Country Club in Brookline

ALLERGY, PAGE 6

Want to send a letter to Santa?

PHOTOS, 18
STAFF WRITER

Tips from the master

By Edward B. Colby

More on Robert
Dedham neighborhood he lives in: Near the Endicott Estate, on one of the presidential streets Age: 41 Name two chefs who inspire you, and why: Paul Prudhomme, has an unbelievable pallet and is so humble. Heston Blumenthal, has done so much for the modern chef through research and development.
KEITH FERRIS/THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA

Dedham celebrities fill the squares

NUMBER TO KNOW

Robert Mancuso of Dedham just passed an eight-day cooking exam at The Culinary Institute of America, gaining him the coveted title of Certified Master Chef. A dozen chefs took the exam and five were successful, including Mancuso. With their additions, there are 66 Certified Master Chefs in the U.S. The practical exam covered eight categories, including healthy cooking, freestyle cooking, global cuisine, Continental/Northern European cuisines, and market basMANCUSO, PAGE 7

No bake sale is worth anybodys life. If (stopping bake sales is) what they need to keep the children safe, then thats what they need to keep the children safe.
Deirdre Zaferacopoulos

Greenlodge scare
Inside: Parent talks about sons allergic reaction during school fundraiser/ page 7

Robert Mancuso of Dedham during his cooking exam at The Culinary Institute of America, where he earned the title of Certified Master Chef.

Favorite contestant on Top Chef: You stumped me there, I had to Google the contestants and Im still not sure who I like.

LIBRARY TRUSTEES

MIT ENDICOTT HOUSE

117

million: Number of households across the nation all potential gathering places for people to celebrate Thanksgiving. Census.gov

Slicing into holiday baking

By Andrea Salisbury
STAFF WRITER

But Wait, Theres More

Photos: Havent been to the MIT Endicott House? Take a photo tour of it at WickedLocalDedham.com. Video: Catch a few highlights from the cooking weekend at WickedLocalDedham.com.

Longtime card holder on board

By Edward B. Colby
STAFF WRITER

INDEX
Around Dedham 17 Bulletin Board 16 News 3, 13, 18 Opinion 8-9 Our Town 2 Sports 11-12

At first the room was quiet that is, except for the snap, snap, snap of apple skins as knives pierced the green flesh, and the inevitable thuds when the knives hit the chopping board. After watching executive chef Eddie Cerrato flawlessly create an apple pie complete with cheddar cheese piecrust nearly 20 participants in the Chef for a Day themed weekend at the MIT Endicott House in Dedham rolled out their newly-learned baking skills and got to work. Though from the crowd, one participant voiced her concerns because he makes it all look so easy. From the back of the room, Denise Carroll, food and beverage director at the house, explained that the themed weekends started about four years ago. And theyve been taking off in a good direction.

The Endicott House is a historic mansion on Haven Street in Dedham and is owned by MIT. In his opening speech outlining a brief history of the home, General Manager Michael Fitzgerald said everyone working at the 25-acre estate is an MIT employee. Most of the year the house hosts business conferences, but on select weekends it offers get-away packages. Each weekend has a theme like cooking, writing or gardening. It is a great secret that we like to share,
MIT, PAGE 6

STAFF PHOTO BY ANDREA SALISBURY

Eddie Cerrato, executive chef at the MIT Endicott House in Dedham, gives tips on brining a turkey during a recent cooking weekend at the Haven Street house.

Dedhams new library trustee says he reads about 50 books a year, both fiction and nonfiction. One recent title: Work Song by Ivan Doig, who mostly writes about the West. Thats a story about copper mining in Butte, Montana. Its a novel about that. And being a mining engineer, I enjoy things like that, said Brad Bauer, who was selected by library trustees and selectmen for the board last week. I bring engineering experience with all the project management and things that Ive done in the past, said Bauer,

BAUER, PAGE 4

Thursday, November 25, 2010 Dedham Transcript wickedlocaldedham.com

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

MIT
From Page 1

FOR BREAKING NEWS during the week visit wickedlocaldedham.com.

Carroll said of the packages. During the various weekends, participants get hands-on lessons from experts and spend one night at the home. Prices vary, depending on the weekend. The chef s weekend started at $199 a person and the Aspiring Writers Weekend hosted by author Jane Cleland, carries a price tag of $495 a person. Carroll said the classes are kept small and attract a variety of people. You will get VPs in here, Carroll said. And one minute later they are all crushing garlic together. Although most of the participants at the chef weekend held Nov. 13-14 were in some way connected to MIT, there was a boisterous group of women from Mass General hospital Christine Kennedy, Trisha Luberto and Eleanor Cotter. The women laughed as Luberto attempted to create a rose out of excess piecrust a technique Cerrato demonstrated only minutes earlier. Over a table, Stephanie Keeler and Mark Hansen, of Belmont, pinched the crust on their creation. I dont think we are there yet, she laughed and explained

STAFF PHOTO BY ANDREA SALISBURY

Participants in the Chef for a Day weekend at the MIT Endicott House learned how to shape a rose for an apple pie.

that Hansen is more of a baker. As the day progressed with a guided tour of the greenhouse (featuring an orange tree and potted pineapple tree) by head gardener Andy Turcotte, and a mulled wine demonstration the crew found themselves back in the kitchen with Cerrato. You will see lots of garlic to-

day, Cerrato said about his recipes. Garlic in everything except for the desserts. From brining turkey, to tips on creating mouthwatering butternut squash soup with apples, the chefs in training were guided through the dos and donts of holiday cooking. The next themed weekend is an Aspiring Writers Weekend and features author Jane Cle-

land. The weekend, held Jan. 14-16, runs $495 a person and includes overnight accommodations and meals. For more information on the MIT Endicott House, visit www. mitendicotthouse.org.
Dedham Transcript editor Andrea Salisbury can be reached at 781-433-8322 or asalisbu@cnc.com.
STAFF PHOTO BY ANDREA SALISBURY

Denise Carroll, food and beverage director at the MIT Endicott House teaches how to make mulled wine during a recent cooking weekend at the Haven Street house.

ALLERGY
From Page 1

age during the school day without some of these things being in place.

The tightened-up new policy maintains the current practice of providing annual training to all school personnel, and stipulates that an individualized health care plan, including the accommodations for preven-

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tion, management, and emergency response, is developed for each student with a medically diagnosed, life-threatening emergency, Kelley said. Using food as a reward or incentive during the school day would be banned. We just feel that thats inappropriate in this day and age with the number of students we have with allergies, Kelley said. But the biggest change would be ending the time-honored practice of bake sales, and prohibiting all such sales of competitive food or beverages that are not sold or provided through the school breakfast or lunch program. They are not permitted at the secondary level during the school day, but are allowed afterward, said Kelley, who explained that by middle and high school, students know exactly what they can and cannot have to eat. She proposed eliminating bake sales during and after school at the elementary schools. School Committee Chairman Thomas Ryan suggested allowing them after school hours between K-12, however. So if you had Oakdale family night and youre serving some food, its not that youre in violation of the policy, its just that we have to make sure that every student who is on file to have an allergy, the parent would be contacted and have some kind of menu, bill of fare provided to say this is whats going to be there, Ryan said. He said he doesnt want to preempt family fun night or the Avery Spooktacular, but said the School Committee needs to adopt a more stringent policy as peanut allergies explode in number. Another important change states that parents and guardians are responsible for managing their childs lifethreatening allergies during par-

ent- or community-sponsored events that are held on school properties beyond school hours, Kelley said. That is an expansion from the previous policy, which only addressed the school day on that issue, she said. For such events held after school, the expectation is that parents and guardians are responsible for their child and will be attending with them, Superintendent of Schools June Doe said. After talking with the School Committee, Kelley said she would make revisions to her draft. Overall, however, she stuck to a strict, cautionary stance. When School Committee member Dimitria Sullivan asked about the grandmas coffee cake fundraiser Riverdale just held, Kelley referred to another section which says that food is allowed at a curriculum-based event if it is approved by the school nurse and principal. I have no problem with grandmas coffee cakes as long as the kids are bringing home the order form, the parents are filling out the order form, and the parents are picking up grandmas coffee cake, and the kids arent carrying grandmas coffee cake home with them, Kelley said. She added a short time later, I really think that for the most part we need to try to keep our elementary kids away from the food, even carrying the food home. Sullivan agreed that kids need to be protected, but suggested making the policy more flexible, and giving PTOs more flexibility. I work extensive hours, and if I got a note home that said if youd like to purchase a coffee cake but you have to come between 8 and 3 to pick it up or you cant participate in this, Im not going to participate in it, she said. I need some extension on the other end, maybe to 5 oclock, to be able to pick that up.

Ryan suggested that the policy subcommittee have a meeting for people to voice their concerns. After making some tweaks, the School Committee could hopefully take up the policy again at its next meeting, he said.
Parents say precautions are justified

Lori Purdy says something needs to be done, especially at the elementary school level. Her son, who goes to Greenlodge, has dairy and egg allergies. During the school day, when everybody is involved in something, I dont think theres any reason why the allergy kids should be singled out, because they cant participate, Purdy said. Is my son (having) lifethreatening peanut allergies? Absolutely not. But he breaks out into hives, he throws up. Purdy said that unfortunately parents with kids who do not have allergies just dont get it. It just doesnt even come across their radar, she said. Parents complain that kids with allergies are ruining things for everyone else, but these few kids with allergies could die from their allergy, she said. Purdy said one reason she is on the Early Childhood Education Center PTO, where she is president, is to make sure that at functions where cookies and cakes are served there is also food that kids with allergies can have. At the ECECs annual Polar Express book event, I will have cookies that all the kids can eat peanut-free, dairyfree, egg-free, she said. The end of bake sales is the passing of an era, said Riverdale parent Meg Duncan, but she has tremendous sympathy for parents whose children have allergies. Theyve already been heading in that direction for awhile. Over the last few years theyve eliminated being able to bring in food for your childs birthday,

she said. So I think this is just extending that policy. Avery PTO Co-President Mary Von Schoppe took the opposite view. Weve already lost the classroom party. Theyve taken away what was a fun event, the classroom party, and now theyre so controlled, she said. The school is a place where education is, and I think it would be better if they educated the children with allergies. Von Schoppe emphasized that the Averys bake sales are only held during parent events. She was happy to hear that the ban would only apply to school hours but she also said that she did not see why they would have to lose the bake sale they were planning for the Christmas concert. For the holiday concert, we would just start the bake sale right at 3, I guess, she said. Von Schoppe said she understands the nurses concerns, but making the individual child aware of their own allergies, to me, is assisting them more. Food allergies is a way of life, and adapting to them does not have to prohibit others from enjoying those things. Deirdre Zaferacopouloss daughter has already had to adapt. The Avery student loves peanut butter, but Zaferacopoulos said she wont send her daughter to school with the sandwiches because of the danger to other kids. (Think of hands with the nutty substance on them.) A peanut butter sandwich doesnt seem worth it to me to put someones life in danger, Zaferacopoulos said. No bake sale is worth anybodys life, she added. If thats what they need to keep the children safe, then thats what they need to keep the children safe.
Dedham Transcript staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336.

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