Taunton crossing guard loves her job; Rehoboth man an arm wrestling champ: Top stories

Before we begin the new week in earnest, we're taking a look back at the week that was, and the stories that led the news with Taunton Daily Gazette readers.

Top stories this past week included:

Taunton taking a look at several city-owned parcels on Harvey Street near Beaufort Court that could have two or three single-family homes built on them. Taunton Redevelopment Authority Chairman Ed Correira said an engineer would reassemble the land parcels and that they'd go before the city boards for all necessary approvals should plans get the green light. The City Council has agreed to have the Committee on Public Records meet with TRA officials.

Over the summer, the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School Committee voted not to renew its membership with the state advocacy group the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), making it the only school committee, out of 300-plus member districts in the state, not to belong to the group. Is the reason financial? No. Is the reason political? Yes.

These were the Top 5 stories of the past week, according to Gazette readers:

Taunton crossing guard on the job 40 years still looks forward to every single morning

After 40 years on the job, Taunton’s Jacqueline Coute still looks forward to work every day.

She'll be celebrating her 40th anniversary as a crossing guard for Taunton Public Schools on Nov. 7 and she has no plans to retire.

Coute, 75, who currently and for a large part of those 40 years has been at the Mulcahey School on Clifford Street, but also at the Hopewell School, says she still looks forward to seeing the students every day, welcoming them to the school in the morning and seeing them off in the afternoon.

“I have seen so many faces, so many students over the years,” Coute said. “And their children have had children and their children have had children. So many kids. And they come back and see me sometimes, too."

Still smiling:Taunton crossing guard on the job 40 years still looks forward to every single morning

World champion arm wrestler Jerry Cadorette also sells campers in Berkley

Rehoboth resident Jerry Cadorette is the general manager at Camping World in Berkley, but he's got another title up his sleeve:

Cadorette is also a world champion arm wrestler.

This summer, he returned from an almost two-year pandemic hiatus that dropped him out of the world rankings to defeat the highly-regarded Gendai Kvikvinia for the superheavweight/right hand world title at the East vs. West 4 in Istanbul.

He's been among the best arm wrestlers in the world since 1996, and finds himself in a nice position to finish his career strong, on top, in a blaze of glory, with another match shaping up for spring in Dubai.

Grip on glory:Jerry Cadorette is a world champion arm wrestler. He also sells campers in Berkley.

Some Massachusetts taxpayers can expect a check in the mail

Some Massachusetts residents are now eligible for some extra cash.

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has started the distribution of $2.941 billion in tax refunds (from taxable year 2021) in accordance with Chapter 62F.

"Chapter 62F is a Massachusetts law enacted by voters in 1986 via a ballot question that requires the DOR to issue a credit to taxpayers if total tax revenues in a given fiscal year exceed an annual cap tied to wage and salary growth in the Commonwealth," according to Mass.gov.

In the coming weeks, three million taxpayers should be receiving refunds.

Who is eligible?:Massachusetts taxpayers can expect a check in the mail, here's what you need to know

A new 20-mile trail aims to put Fall River's Bioreserve 'on the map' for hikers

Fall River recently marked the opening of a new hiking trail in the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve — a 20-mile path taking visitors on a tour through all the natural landscapes found in the city’s forested eastern half.

This coincided with the Bioreserve's 20th anniversary.

From the Watuppa Reservation headquarters on Blossom Road, what's now known as the Bioreserve Loop Trail winds its way through the forest and past old stone walls in a massive 20-mile circuit. Go ahead, explore.

Into the woods:A new 20-mile trail aims to put Fall River's Bioreserve 'on the map' for hikers

Last call for Spooky Season: Haunted sites in and around Taunton

This past Monday was of course Halloween, and accordingly, there were plenty of spooky stories to go around.

A roundup of some haunting stories from around the Greater Taunton area was one of our most-read stories this past week, showing that plenty of Gazette readers weren't afraid of no ghosts.

Chilling tales:Haunted sites in and around Taunton

Taunton Daily Gazette/Herald News copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at kfontes@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton Gazette Top 5 Jacqueline Coute Jerry Cadorette tax refund