WHITMAN – The town center has been gifted with another retail business – just in time to help shoppers find a gift for the particular people on their lists.

Mimi’s Closet Boutique – co-owned by Michele Allen, who lives on a nearby street, and her daughters Julie Taylor, 30, and Nicole Walls, 26, – opened at 83 South Ave., off Day Street in September, just in time to take off in time for the holiday shopping season.

Allen said the shop’s name is a loving nod to her own mother in-law, who loved clothing and accessories.

“She would have loved this store,” Allen said.

Part of their marketing strategy has been to direct customers to the door – as the store’s entrance is off Day Street, as they were searching for it on the South Avenue side.

“I have had a couple of in-home businesses, Town Pride Candles is one of them, I started that about eight years ago, and Two Sisters Design,” Allen said. “The person who was in this [space] before me was a photographer and she contacted me and said she had to give up the lease and did I want her space.”

Traveling in New Hampshire at the time, Allen asked her daughters to look at the space and see if they liked it.

“We really didn’t have an idea of what we wanted to do,” she said on Saturday, Dec. 2, a morning when Taylor and Walls were off. “So we did this, beginning in September.

The shop offers a lot of selection in a small space, and that is by design.

“It’s been great,” said Allen, whose day job is as an executive assistant at Voya Financial as well as a recording secretary for the Select Board. “It’s all new.”

While there have been a couple people stopping by on the assumption that Mimi’s Closet is a consignment shop, Allen stressed it is a boutique which they stock through a couple of wholesale vendors from which each of the three do their own buying.

And variety is their stock in trade.

“We have all generations doing the buying, so we attract all age groups,” Allen said. “We don’t show each other what we’re buying, we just all buy.”

Sizes range from extra small to 3X and designs that appeal to all ages.

The selection of plus sizes alone has motivated a lot of positive reviews both in the store and online, as well. In fact, the first thing Allen always asks new customers is, ‘How did you hear about us?’”

Most, it turns out, have heard about the shop from Facebook.

“A lot of them have said, ‘I came in because I heard about your plus sizes,’” she said.

Another “plus” is the price range.

“We try to keep everything $35 and under,” she said. “Our average price is $22 and we have a lot of things that are $17. Our rent is reasonable, so we can keep our prices low.”

The store also places items on hold from customers online, who either pay by Venmo or when they pick up.

“If people can’t get in during our working hours – between the three of us, we do four-hour shifts – my daughters both have kids, I work from home, so we post a lot of pictures of things we can hold.”

Taylor Swift’s line being extremely popular, when Allen posted that the brand’s slippers were back a few days ago, she said “The door kept opening.”

As Allen spoke a woman and her teenage daughter came in the store to browse.

“You should see on half days how many teenage girls are in here,” she said. “Then they’ve come in with their moms. … We’re grateful for the community support. It’s just been amazing.”

The owners hold shopping events quite often, including a “Sip and Shop” on Thursday, Nov. 30 that attracted about 40 to 50 people, during which tables were stacked with merchandise for customers to shop, including holiday sweatshirts and slippers which are part of the Taylor Swift brand.

“It kind of cleared us out a little bit,” Allen said.

The next event is a Mimosa Sunday from 10 a.m. To 2 p.m., on Dec. 17 and have decided to have a guest vendor at shopping events from now on.

Another new promotion gives customers a scratch-off for percents off or free items. if they’re shopping within five days of their birthday.

“It’s really been fun,” Allen said.

The shop has held four fundraising shopping events for local football and cheer teams.

“We like to give back to people who support us,” she said. “They get cash back for their teams and brought people in to introduce us to the community. We’ve met so many nice people.”

A lot of those people have already become repeat customers.

(Editor’s note: This updates a version of the story with an incorrect address. The boutique is at 83 South Ave.)

NORWELL – Though it’s been a program that had a slow start, the Plymouth County Comfort Dog Program has quicky gained advocates as one by one, police departments have gone to the dogs.
District Attorney Timothy Cruz developed the program to offer additional services to county communities, providing emotional support for the well-being of drug endangered children, students with adverse childhood experiences and others in need of emotional support in the county community.
“The schools, to me are really [important] now, as our kids are facing challenges that they’ve never faced before, whether it be from COVID issues, mental health issues,” Cruz said in his opening remarks at the event. “The kids were locked out for a while. Now they’re coming back, and a lot of schools are dealing with a lot of issues with the kids. The dogs have been a tremendous asset.”
Hingham was the first town to adopt the program, seeing some initial reluctance from the School Committee, but was quickly warmed to by educators who have seen its value in action. Now there are 14 departments employing the program.
Cruz credited the success of Hingham Chief David P. Jones and resource officer Tom Ford in really getting the program going a little over one year ago with that department’s first dog – Opry.
To celebrate that success, and provide more information about it, Cruz’ office held a meet and greet Wednesday, Nov. 8, featuring the dogs and their handling officers at JBS Dog Park at 106 Longwater Drive in Norwell. There was pizza, soda and cake for the humans and all-natural specialty dog biscuits provided by Polkadog Bakery in Boston.
But first, there was some mingling on the part of both officers and canines.
As Hanson therapy dog Ziva rolled over for belly rubs from handler and school resource officer Derek Harrington and Chief Michael Miksch, Hingham’s Opry, a mix-breed rescued from a Southern kill shelter, showed off her skateboard skills a bit with Ford. But, as more dogs arrived, Opry gave the skateboard a dismissive kick, sending rolling back to bounce off a wall. The arrival of the aptly named Star, a harlequin Great Dane from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, who grabbed all their attention as she sauntered in with Dennis Desrochiers.
Miksch said he had some hesitation about the comfort dog program, but that Ford, in fact, was a huge help to Hanson’s adoption of it,
Concerns about funding and the union’s willingness to take on the project were soon discovered to be unfounded. As soon as he mentioned interest in the program, Hanson provided funding mid-year even though there was no budget for it.
“The next thing, somebody’s calling me saying, ‘Hey, can I deposit $1,000 to the town for the dog?’” Miksch said, adding that Deputy Chief Michael Casey raised the initial funding on top of Hanson’s grant money. The union also bought right in and overcame a rough start when their dog, Lucy, had to be euthanized due to a kidney ailment.
“We unfortunately lost our first dog, but the support from the community kind of brought back the impact that she had. There was a lot of messages, a lot of support. … Lucy was worth her weight in gold to us to start off and Ziva’s showing the same [qualities].”
The handlers are the ones who make the program successful, however, Miksch said.
“The dog, in a lot of ways is the easy part, but you need the right handler,” he said.
Harrington advised to those averse to dog hair, this program is not for you.
“But, they make lint rollers, it’s all good,” he said. “We all have stories about how this effects our school, our community, our kids.”
Ziva helps with kids who don’t want to go to school by walking with them to class, he said.
When a W-H student took their life last May, Harrington said he was able to call on several other officer/dog teams in the program to help.
“That happened late at night,” he said. “The school, and the kids – her friends – didn’t find out until they showed up at school the next day and it was a disaster, however we were prepared because we have this network of community resource dogs. … It helped a lot of kids get through the day and open up and talk and have those conversations that they didn’t want to have.”
Jones said Ford’s work with Opry at Hingham High School, too, has impressed just about everyone.
“Opry’s not only the most-recognized ‘person’ in the school, but also in my department,” Jones said. “The connection that’s been made with students at the high school has been incredible.”
She’s got a weird personality, Ford said, but that seems to appeal to students. He said if there is a negative to Opry it’s that he can’t go anywhere without her.
“If you show up someplace without the dog – leave and come back with the dog,” he said.
While the Hingham School Committee had some reluctance to agree to the program, but results are speaking for themselves.
“It was a long road, but we’re having fun,” he said. Opry’s trainer makes time to go to the school the next day if there are any issues with the dog, Ford said. “The path is so much clearer [now] if you want to do this,” he advised departments considering the program.
In Halifax, Officer Paul Campbell is one of the newest participants in the program, having just completed the two weeks of training officers undergo with his dog, Roxie. They now transition to once-a-month in-service training.
“I participated in DARE Camp, and I saw the impact [the dogs had] on the children,” he said. “They loved the dogs. So that just attracted me to the program and how much it has a positive impact on children.”
He said Roxie, at six months, is an awesome dog.
“She has so much energy, a really good dog,” Campbell said. “I look forward to working in the community, getting in the schools and we’ve already had a big fundraiser.”
Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr. spoke of the impact the dogs have on people’s lives – something, he said, anyone who grew up with dogs in their lives could understand, comparing it to the old expression, with negative connotations “going to the dogs.”
“Looking around here, I can say this – I think we’ve all gone to the dogs, but I want to thank you all for making that something positive,” he said.
Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office provides a mini grant to Plymouth County Police Departments to assist with costs associated with acquiring, training and caring for their comfort dog.
“The funding that we get – we’re able to utilize drug forfeit money, to put it back into our community – I think that makes a difference,” Cruz said.
Among the dog trainers on hand to speak about the program was Michael MacCurtain, owner of Hanson’s Five Rings training and day care business.
“The need [for the program] over the last several years has increased tremendously,” said MacCurtain, who worked on Whitman Fire for 20 years and had been asked to work with UMass, Boston, Abington and Hanover in training their dogs. Working both on an ambulance crew and alongside law enforcement, he also said the mental health of officers can also benefit from the dogs.
“We’d love to get them in all of our schools and also in our Boys’ and Girls’ Club,” Cruz said. “These dogs are making a difference.”

WHITMAN – While giving thanks is the central theme as well as the name Thanksgiving, being on the receiving end of such thanks is another feeling altogether.
Conley Elementary students began their annual basket assembly during the November all-school meeting by telling each other what made them thankful before singing “Happy Birthday” to all those with a birthday this month.
But giving was the main mission, with Student Council members carrying laundry baskets of donated food items for Thanksgiving meals being donated to the Whitman Food Pantry.
“It’s an honor for us to do this every year,” Student Council President Brooke Robins said of the basket assembly. “I know that when I donate just one thing I’m donating to a very important cause, and when I donate that one thing, and everybody else donates that one thing, there’s so many baskets this year, and they’re honestly pretty full.”
Dotty Conlon of the Food Pantry thanked the students on behalf of the pantry and on behalf of their clients, whom they stressed are neighbors.
“All our neighbors are very thankful for you also,” she said.
Animal Control Officer Laura Howe and Joe Kenney were surprised with a check for $950 gathered during the Pennies for Paws collection from Robins and Vice President Avery Nunes. Students’ spare change is combined to provide food and other supplies for the animals at the Animal Control facility.
Howe thanked the students, noting their generosity always makes her cry. She also had a message to the girls, as she was recently elected as only the third woman to be elected to the Select Board.
“I am going back to the next … meeting with such joy in my heart to share with my fellow selectmen, the kindness of this school and the hope that I have for the future because of you kids.”
The next day it was the WHRHS Panther football team having the opportunity to support their community, as they took part in another tradition – joining with the members of the Knights of Columbus Council 347 and Whitman auxiliary police – serving Thanksgiving dinner to seniors.
The 50th annual dinner was also a chance for the Knights to show off the newly renovated function hall and tout events there that also give back to the community. Bingo has been a staple fundraiser for more than 50 years.
“This is our 50th anniversary of having the senior dinner here,” Grand Knight Darron Benton said. “We happily do it.”
The dinner is in keeping with the Knights of Columbus’ founding mission. The organization began in New Haven, Conn., in 1882 to help people who were out of work or were hurt on the job.
“They used their donations and charity to help those in need, which is what we do to this day,” Benton said.
This is also an anniversary year for the Whitman Council. Founded in 1898, Council 347 celebrated 125 years in operation this year.
Those interested in supporting fundraising events, can drop by at 6 p.m., Mondays at 1195 Bedford St. Meat raffles are held the second Saturday of each month at 2 p.m.
“All these raise money to help out organizations in town, the food pantry, church, people in need,” Benton said. “People who can’t pay their rent, people who need oil – whatever people need.”
The Knights have already raised more than $60,000 this year.