Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

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Family Fun Day and Fireworks ‘17 go off without a hitch

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On Saturday, July 1, Halifax celebrated Independence Day with a family fun day and fireworks display. The event was made possible by donations and sponsors only.

Family fun day lasted from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with many events for all ages. Volunteers, many students, helped staff the events. Fishing for rubber ducks, a corn hole toss, sack races, egg and spoon races, crafts, hula hoops, bounce houses, face painting, tie dying t-shirts, and a petting zoo were all activities that appealed to the large crowd.

Meanwhile, several contests were underway as well, including a bicycle decorating contest, a patriotic cake contest, a pie eating contest for several age groups and a patriotic baby contest (where everyone was a winner) for ages 0-2 were all popular.

Following the family fun day, crowds started gathering on the hill behind Halifax Elementary School, with children playing on the playground and running around everywhere beginning at around 6 p.m. Long lines began to develop at the various food vendors as people waited in excited anticipation of the fireworks at 9 p.m.

Before the evening got dark, pyrotechnic technicians were checking and double checking their equipment. Police wandered the crowd and helped people cross busy streets. The Halifax Fire Department prepared for any emergency.

Shortly after nine, to the strains of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” under cloudy skies and amongst fireflies, the fireworks spectacular began. As the show wore on, the bursts of light in the sky became larger and larger, ending in a mighty finale.

The only downside? Traffic getting home. But, the night was well worth the small inconvenience.

Adopt a mustang: this family now has three!

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Kathy Wright, of Hanson, Plympton’s Building Department administrative assistant, and her two children, Griffin and Kayleigh Webb, have adopted three mustangs as part of the Bureau of Land Management’s program to keep herds of wild horses to manageable number. Shadow, Hazel and Secret all live together on the Wright family property in Hanson, coming from Oklahoma and Oregon.

Only Shadow, at 4 1/2  is old enough to ride, and Griffin who just turned 18, said it takes a lot to train a mustang.  A lot of patience, time, strength, and faith that what you’re doing is going to get through and the animal will learn it can trust you.

Griffin first learned of the mustang adoption program at Norfolk Agricultural High School, where he graduated last month.  He has ridden horses practically since he could walk, his mom Kathy remembers.  “By 5 he was riding well, by 8 he was barrel racing! …  Horses have been his passion since I can remember.”

Why adopt a mustang?  Griffin said at first it was for the challenge.  Then it was for the bond that developed between horse and trainer, seeing for the first time that Shadow thought she just might be able to trust this young man not to hurt her.

When they went to Orange Extreme Mustang Makeover Adoption to see the horses two years ago, Kathy and Griffin chose Shadow, then a two-year-old. Getting her on and off the trailer was also an adventure.  She stood up, forelegs in the air, and wanted nothing to do with these people all around her.  “What have I done?” thought Kathy.  She was sure someone would get badly hurt.     

The Wright property had the required round ring for training, and Griffin would stand by the ring for hours, talking to Shadow, soothing her, but that little filly wanted nothing to do with him.  She wanted out.  But Griffin stayed the course; he actually spent the night beside the corral, letting Shadow know that he was there and wasn’t giving up.  When he woke it was to a curious Shadow nuzzling him.  He knew that he had won her trust.

With one hurdle conquered, the big one was yet to come – putting her under saddle!  That was another adventure, Kathy remembers.  Griffin got on, Shadow bucked him off!   “Then there was the time someone was leading her, but she broke loose and threw me into a tree,” Griffin said.  Best for mothers not to watch too closely …

The Bureau of Land Management gives its adopters 100 days to make progress with the mustangs.  In fact, they don’t turn over title to the animal for a year to be sure the horses have a good home.

Taking the mustang challenge to the extreme, Griffin entered Shadow into the Extreme Mustang Makeover Competition, where horses that have been with their adoptive homes for just 100 days, compete.  Griffin and Shadow also attended the Big E in Springfield; Shadow represented the BLM Mustang breed in the breed pavillion, where a representative of every breed of horse is shown. That was quite an honor!  Now Griffin works with Hazel, another two year old filly.

A family affair…

Everyone is involved with horses in this family. Along with the three mustangs, there are three other horses on the property. Kathy and both her children take care of them. Griffin plans to attend the University of New Hampshire in a dual pre-veterinary/pre-medical program. His sister Kayleigh seems to be following in his footsteps, and at 13 has adopted a mustang, too.  Hers is a baby, 9-month old Secret, a sweet little girl who already loves Kayleigh, though she’s only been at the Hanson home since March.  Kayleigh works with Secret, showing her how to lead, longe, and obey commands.  When Griffin goes to school in the fall, Kayleigh will take the reins and continue training Hazel and Secret.

Mustangs are wild horses that roam freely in herds in the American west, descendants of horses brought by the Spanish to the Americas.  In 1971, the United States Congress recognized that, “wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West, that continue to contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people.” The mustang population is managed and protected by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

How do I adopt a mustang?

There is information on the BLM website. See https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/

Monponsett Pond in bloom?

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Halifax– From June 6 to June 14, the contractor SOLitude Lake Management applied a phosphorus-limiting agent to West Monponsett Pond. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, feed on phosphorus. According to Dominic Meringolo, a senior environmental engineer with SOLitude,  aluminium sulfate and sodium aluminate have been applied in low doses as far back as 2012 to reduce cyanobacteria with only limited success.

This time is different, he says, because through a matching grant with the town of Halifax and the federal government’s Clean Water Act– administered by MassDEP– more money is available and the doses will be much higher, aiming to immediately block the bloom.

“No bloom is expected this summer,” said Meringolo.

To obtain the grant, the town and the contractor worked with the Natural Heritage Endangered Species program to develop a plan to not interfere with two endangered species, a type of freshwater mussel as well as a dragonfly that frequents the area. This will involve ongoing monitoring by SOLitude.

“It’s really hard to tell how long the treatment will last…we’re hoping for multiple seasons,” explained Meringolo. “But, phosphorus will leak back in through the watershed.”

Problems with the water quality in the West Monponsett pond go back decades. In 1964, during a drought, the state legislature passed special legislation allowing the city of Brockton to draw water from Monponsett Lake via Silver Lake, Brockton’s primary water source.

This effectively reversed the natural direction of the water flow, leaving West Monponsett pond stagnant and an excellent source for phosphorus to grow. Soon, cyanobacteria blooms were frequent in the summer, limiting recreational activity on the pond.

Residents and interest groups debate the sources of the phosphorous. Everything from fertilizers that cranberry bogs use to human sources such as leaking septic tanks have been blamed, yet it’s likely that a mixture of several sources have caused the problem.

Hopefully this summer will be cyanobacteria free.

Region remains under drought watch despite rain

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PLYMOUTH COUNTY– All of Plymouth County remains under a drought “watch” despite the recent rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine, with areas of the county under the more severe “warning” category.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, produced jointly by The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s National Drought Mitigation Center, the U.S Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, states that drought conditions are getting worse.

54.7% of the state is experiencing a “severe” drought, and 22.6% of the state is in an “extreme” drought.

“Drought conditions worsened in Massachusetts and surrounding areas,” officials stated, even despite recent rainfall.

State officials are continuing to urge the public to conserve water in light of the ongoing conditions.

The state is also planning to offer grants to struggling farms and is putting plans in place to provide enough water for firefighting and public safety.

Those plans include efforts to ensure mutual aid is in place to make sure there is enough water to go around should there be a major fire in one community that uses up a significant amount of water.

“Our Administration continues to support communities across the Commonwealth to work in unison as we prepare for the very serious ramifications that a prolonged drought can have on our economy and public safety,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito in a statement.

The previous five months have been abnormally dry. While 100% of the state is under some sort of watch or warning today, about 80% of the state was not under any sort of watch or warning at the beginning of March, according to the monitor.

South Coast rail public hearings

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PLYMOUTH COUNTY– The South Coast rail link, a long talked about project to connect Boston to Fall River and New Bedford by Commuter Rail, is in its early stages of development, and the public is being invited to participate in hearings regarding a possible alternate route to those originally proposed that would take less time to design and construct. As of now, the route would use existing Stoughton Commuter Rail line tracks. Design for this route is currently 15% complete.

According to MassDOT, a series of meetings will be held this fall to update the public on the status of all elements of the South Coast rail project, and to discuss the next steps. MassDOT and the MBTA are inviting all members of the public with an interest in this project to participate as they are seeking public comment and to answer questions.

The South Coast Rail project is intended to restore commuter rail service between Boston and the Massachusetts South Coast. Service to the region ended in 1959, leaving Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford as the only major cities within 50 miles of Boston lacking transit access to Boston and other communities, according to MassDOT.

“South Coast Rail is intended to reconnect this region to jobs while spurring economic vitality and attracting new business and investments.”

The MBTA received second year funding in September 2015 to continue the development of environmental permitting and preliminary design, with a mission to reduce environmental impacts.

Hearings are all at 6:30, beginning in New Bedford on September 7, followed by Taunton on September 12, Fall River on September 14, Easton on September 15, Canton on September 19, and Middleborough on September 22.

Choate given a chance

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HALIFAX– Jennifer Choate, owner of Tarawood Kennels which is the subject of an excessive barking complaint, will be given a chance to implement a noise mitigation plan, selectmen say after weeks of collecting evidence.

At a meeting on Tuesday, August 30, selectmen unanimously voted to follow the board’s special investigator, Selectman Kim Roy’s ultimate finding of fact. She found that there was excessive barking at times at the kennel, corroborated by neighbor testimony and audio evidence.

The mitigation plan involves using sound proofing material both indoors and outdoors, adjusting the number of hours dogs can be outside, working with a trainer to discourage barking, and requiring a staff member to be outside with the dogs anytime they are outside, among other provisions. The plan is expected to reduce the noise by 7-12 decibels, according to a sound engineer hired by Choate.

Another provision is that no boarding or “puppy reunions” happen at the facility. Choate must follow the written permit as is, which allows her 50 adult dogs on the property and 26 litters per year. Puppies must be moved off the property within 6 months.

As the plan is being implemented, special investigator Roy stated, “I will be there from time to time to make sure it’s quiet…This is something we need to supervise pretty closely,” she said.

No mention was made of a possible error the ZBA made in 2012 in failing to notify neighbors when the number of adult dogs allowed on the property doubled from 25 to 50.

Selectmen Chairman Troy Garron stated that he wanted to focus on moving forward to, “hopefully make a decision that pleases the majority.”

“From my point of view, I don’t want to talk about what happened six years ago,” he said.

One point of contention was the number of hours the dogs could be outside, with neighbors originally pushing for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Choate campaigning for 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Selectman Roy wanted further input from the public, but only the attorney for Scott Clawson spoke, saying that it didn’t really matter as long as there wasn’t barking.

Garron agreed at one point, finally turning to Roy and under his breath saying, “Kim, I don’t think it really matters.”

The hearing was continued to September 27 to give Choate time to make the necessary changes, after the board unanimously voted to accept Choate’s plan.

The board warned that everyone would be back in the same place if drastic changes weren’t seen.

“I think we have to give them [the kennel] a chance,” said Selectman Tom Millias, as the meeting ended.

“It’s never fast enough but I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

Plympton permitting process to change

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PLYMPTON– During the regularly scheduled selectmen’s meeting on Monday, August 22, the majority of the meeting was taken up by a presentation to board and committee members, along with town employees regarding changes to the building permitting process.

At the behest of Selectman John Traynor, a workgroup was formed several months ago to address what was seen as a haphazard “loosey-goosey” system of moving building permits through the various departments, boards and committees. Builders have even been known to wander Town House trying to get various portions of a permit “signed-off” on.

The workgroup recommended having a single focal person in the Building Department, in this case Kathy Wright, to be the designated permitting coordinator, who will move permits through the new process.

Further security was another recommendation of the board, and each permit application will now be assigned a master control number as it moves through the system.

A further recommendation is that boards coordinate their schedules so that delays aren’t introduced due to posting requirements or conflicting schedules. A permit application will begin with the Building Department at step 1. The application will be reviewed in a timely fashion by the Permit Coordinator, who will determine what boards, offices and committees the project will need to pass through at step 2. Step 3 involves a check to make sure all taxes are paid on the property by the Tax Collector at which point a control number will be assigned to the application. Step 4 will have the Assessors assign a street number to a parcel if it doesn’t have one. At this point the Building Department will review the application with the input of the Fire Department and the Highway Department (steps 5, 6 and 7).

If the project needs to be reviewed by the Zoning Officer or the Planning Board, that will occur next (steps 8 and 9), finally moving to the Conservation Commission and the Board of Health in steps 10 and 11. If all requirements are met, a building permit is issued. At any step, an affirmative response moves the application along to the next step, but a negative response sends the application back to step 1.There are some notable exceptions. Some minor projects, according to Building Inspector Tom Millias, do not need extensive review outside the building department. Other projects may receive early Conservation Commission or Board of Health review if they involve locations near wetlands in the first case, or septic designs, repairs or wells in the latter case.

The proposal was agreed upon by those present, many of whom had participated in the workgroup and it will be implemented on a trial basis beginning September 6.

Drought watch: Tips to reduce water use

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HALIFAX/PLYMPTON– As of August 1, Plympton and Halifax are both under a drought watch, the middle of a 5-step scale to measure the severity of a drought. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has these tips to reduce water usage during this unusually dry spell.

• Abide by local water-use restrictions

Limits on outdoor water use help to ensure that enough water is available for essential needs, including drinking water and fire protection. State permits require public water systems to implement stronger restrictions based on drought conditions.

• Minimize landscape water needs through water-smart landscaping principles:

1) Maintain healthy soils (a minimum of 6-inches in depth, where possible).

2) Choose native plants or plants and turf that need less water.

3) Group plants according to their water needs to maximize

efficiency of irrigation.

4) Minimize areas of turf grass.

5) Use mulch to reduce evaporation and moderate soil

temperature.

6) Maintain turf grass at 2 1/2-3 inches to shade soil and deepen

roots.

7) Leave grass clippings on lawn to shade and return nutrients

to soil.

• Most years, Massachusetts receives enough rain to supply all the water needed for a healthy, drought- resistant mature lawn or landscape, without the need for irrigation. Most lawns can survive extended dry periods without watering – they will turn brown, but revive once the rain returns. To keep an established lawn green, a maximum of one inch of water per week is enough. If there has been an inch of rain in the week, you don’t need to water. (Inexpensive rain gauges can be used to measure rain.)

• Irrigate efficiently, and only if necessary

1) Know plants’ water needs and avoid overwatering.

2) Don’t water 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

3) Water deeply and less often to encourage deep root growth.

4) Regularly inspect and maintain irrigation systems.

5) Use “smart” irrigation controllers that adjust for weather.

6) Use rain barrels to capture and reuse rainwater.

• Cover swimming pools when not in use to prevent evaporative losses.

• Sweep driveways, walks, patios, and other outdoor areas with a broom rather than hosing them off.

• Wash vehicles using a bucket and sponge, employing a hose with a shut-off nozzle for rinse only, or, if available, use a commercial car wash that recycles water (most do).

• Choose high-efficiency plumbing products and appliances.

• Fix leaks! Dripping faucets and leaking toilets, pipes, and appliances can add up to hundreds of gallons of water lost per week.

• Collect and reuse clean household water (water running while you wait for hot water to reach your faucet or shower; leftover water from steaming vegetables or boiling eggs, etc.) and use this to water plants.

• Create a kitchen compost bin as an alternative to using the garbage disposal.

• Turn off water while brushing teeth or shaving.

• Use water-saving showerheads and take shorter showers.

• Wash only full loads of laundry.

Heatstroke or Sunstroke: two different medical issues

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HALIFAX/PLYMPTON– With several weeks of summer left, public safety officials are warning of the proper first aid for both heatstroke and sunstroke. Although similar in cause, the two conditions must be distinguished between as each requires different treatment.

With heatstroke, the skin becomes cold, moist and pale. Body temperature is lowered, lower than normal. A victim’s pulse is rapid, but weak, and breathing is quiet and shallow. They may be perspiring excessively and experience dizziness, faintness, loss of consciousness and cramping.

First aid for heatstroke involves loosening the clothing of the victim and putting them in a relaxed, reclining position. Lowering the head and body temperature should help. Call 911 or a doctor for professional medical care.

With sunstroke, the victim will usually have hot, dry and red skin and a raised body temperature, even a fever. Their pulse will often be rapid and strong and their breathing will be loud and rapid. They may not be perspiring at all. They may also experience nausea, vomiting, thirst, drowsiness, or unconsciousness.

First aid for sunstroke involves loosening the clothing of the victim and putting them in a relaxed, reclining position. Raise the head. Do not attempt to lower the body temperature or apply cold water.

Both sunstroke and heatstroke can be medical emergencies. Do not hesitate to call 911 or a doctor for professional medical care.

MOU signed for Parsonage Rd: One step closer to closing on the property

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PLYMPTON– The Plympton Board of Health held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, August 16. Several status updates were heard and new business was signed off on. Most notably, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the board and Richmond Poole so that he can close on the property owned by the USDA at 59 Parsonage Road.

• An MOU was signed between the board and Richmond Poole– conditional on some minor paperwork on Poole’s part– outlining the conditions under which the board will lift the letter on the title to the property. The property was re-inspected, and the only issues other than the trailers on the property involve securing a bulkhead. Mr. Poole’s attorney was present.

Board will monitor

Upland Road rats

• A rat infestation on Upland Road continues to seem to have abated itself. The board wanted to monitor the situation until the end of August, and will inspect the property once more before closing the matter.

• A resident on Elm street with multiple septic tanks on his property wants to reuse one of them. The board will write him a letter stating that he needs to have what is currently there inspected so he knows which one is in the best shape.

Rubbish on Grove St

And Mayflower Rd.

• A resident on Grove Street is working with the Council on Aging and the Board of Health to remove a dumpster’s worth of rubbish from her property. Since the resident hasn’t purchased a transfer station permit, even offers to volunteer to haul the trash– as board member Ken Thompson had offered– cannot be taken up. The board wants the resident to find a permanent solution to the trash problem. “She’s got to take care of it,” said Art Morin, board chair. “That’s the end of the story.”

• A property on Mayflower Street that was foreclosed by their bank and left with rubbish out front is being ordered by the board to clean up the mess. Since the lender is in Texas, the response hasn’t been adequate, but health board staff has found a phone number for the lender and will contact them again.

• Three Building Department permits were signed off on prior to the meeting: one for a Main Street renovation, one for a Main Street handicap ramp, and one for a Prospect Road rebuilding of a collapsed post and beam barn.