Bonnie Crealese, 3, from Plympton, celebrated the 4th of July blowing bubbles!
Celebrating the 4th with Bubbles
Mudfest Halifax entertains on Father’s Day at Nessralla Farm
Ready for the next round Justin Masterson of Halifax, covered in mud, waits in line for the next heat.
Event Organizer Bob Bergstrom of Hanson at right enjoys the events throughout the day as the crowds cheered for their favorites.
Paul Barnes of Hanson ripped it up in the field andcheers back at the crowd after several rounds.
At right, Amy Troup of Halifax and the Zebrasky family look on from the VIP gate.
The crowd looks on from the side lines through the late afternoon finals.
A truck goes in for a mud bath .
Nathan Badger of Attleboro backs up before he lines up for the next heat.
Running for a Cause
Jocelyn Anderson of Plympton ran her first marathon Monday in Boston with Tedy’s Team, in support of the American Stroke Association. She raised almost $11,000 to help fund stroke research. She ran in memory of her father, John Anderson, who died after suffering a stroke 15 years ago. Tedy Bruschi, a member of the New England Patriots, suffered a stroke at the age of 31 and has committed himself to being an advocate and inspiration for stroke survivors everywhere. Jocelyn’s personal goal was to finish the race, raise awareness about stroke, help fund stroke research, and although it was dark when the finish line came into view, the light from her smile at meeting her goal was light enough.
Budget challenges for Public Safety Building project
By James Bentley
Express Correspondent
On November 30, the Plympton Public Safety Building Committee met to discuss plans for new police and fire stations. The committee expressed concern that actual cost will exceed the estimated cost the committee was initially given.
Historic Commission chairman Jon Wilhelmsen said, “When you look at the study that was done before, they did not suggest that we were going to build a police station for a million dollars. It did not say anything close to that.”
The committee directed much of the meeting toward addressing these challenges and trying to find a way to overcome them. Wilhelmsen says, “The question is whether the $1 million or $1.5 million that’s being thrown around was ever a realistic number.”
One of the concerns addressed was the cost of the sprinkler system. Because there would be cells in the basement of the new police station, a sprinkler system is necessary there. To save on the overall cost of the station’s system, the committee suggested potentially using one tank for both the police and fire station.
Another option the committee explored was decreasing the overall size of the station. Board of Health Chairman Art Morin mentioned the square footage may need to drop to around 6000 square feet.
Morin said, “We might like to have something, but they might not be practical within cost … It’s not that you’re trying to make everyone work out of a tiny space, cramped space, but there are some things that we are going to have to give up.”
The board discussed some of the items Police Chief Pat Dillon was willing to cut. He thinks the square footage can be brought down to between 7,200-7,500 square feet.
Morin believes the size can be cut more if no fitness center is included in the new police station. He did admit this would probably not be a popular decision.
The committee still has work to do to address these challenges, but they did discuss another plan that has the station at around 5,800 square feet. Options will continue to be explored at the next meeting scheduled on December 20, 2016.
Turkey Trot at HES
By Kimberly Cicone
Special to the Express
Most of the 593 students of Halifax Elementary School took to the fields Wednesday, October 26th, to participate in the 18th Annual Turkey Trot. Each year, the Turkey Trot focuses on healthy habits, school spirit, and recognition of a month-long food drive that benefits the Helping Hands of Halifax.
Students ran the Turkey Trot by grade level in a cross- country style run around the Halifax athletic fields culminating with a healthy snack provided by Nessralla’s Farm and hot chocolate courtesy of Halifax Walmart and Halifax Elementary School PTO.
Throughout the month of October, students, families, and local businesses have generously donated food items to be passed on to the pantry. Proudly, 1275 donations were made by the students. At the center of the donation are turkeys, an all-time high of 40 turkeys were purchased by the generous donations from local families, teachers and local businesses. Alex Meade, a Halifax parent and owner of Preferred Mechanical Services of Pembroke, pledged 15 turkeys for the third year in a row. Many thanks to all that donated!
In early November, the following Halifax Elementary School students, by virtue of their exemplary performances at the Turkey Trot, will help present our donation to members of the Helping Hands of Halifax.
1st Graders: Logan Hellisek, Riley Walkus, AJ Saba, Brielle Robinson, Leland Dowd, Jake Ledwell, Monica Rekford, Brayden Toon, Alyssa McPhearson, and Ryan Carroll.
2nd Graders: Wiley Makepeace, Max McEwan, John Lindsay, Lilliana Parmeggiani, Jaelyn Guimares, Emily Keegan, Kylie Walsh, Quinn Pomella, and Aubrey Quirke.
3rd Graders: Kylie Soucie, Thomas Powers, Ava Carroll, Tyler Carroll, Mason Gilcoine, Alivia Phillip, Caitlin Snow, Ashton Rosano, and Zachary Peach.
4th Graders: Cassidy Conroy & Michael Delaney
5th Graders: Katie Dyer, Nick Najaulis, and Jack Quigley.
6th Graders: Megan Laliberte and Daniel Sullivan.
Walmart gives HFD $2,000 donation
The Halifax Fire Department would like to graciously thank the Halifax Walmart for their generous donation of $2000.
Every year the fire department applies for local, state and federal grants and puts the money to good use in purchasing state of the art equipment, protective gear and training.
Like anything else the purchase of advanced equipment and gear weighs heavily on department budgets and we rely on the grant process to supplement our capital and operating budgets.
This money will be used in purchasing a new SCBA mask with a built-in Thermal Imager camera. The SCBA mask (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) is what we use to enter hostile and hazardous environments. The Thermal Imaging component of it further enhances our operational capability by giving us the ability to see radiant heat signatures in a smoke filled environment.
These heat signatures are used to detect other people or firefighters who may be in danger or in need of a rescue. This mask will be put to use right away on our front line piece of apparatus and will help give us another cutting edge that we need to effectively do our jobs.
Captain Jeffrey Cuozzo, Halifax Fire Department
Tick-borne Diseases: Be Aware Special health program outlines prevention and treatment
What do you know about ticks and what diseases they may carry? The health agent from Halifax Board of Health and the public health nurse from NVNA and Hospice address awareness needs and concerns of tick-borne diseases in a special health program scheduled later this month. Offered free to the general public in Halifax on September 20 and September 28, the program addresses personal protection measures to prevent tick bites as well as signs and symptoms of tick-borne illnesses and measures to take if you have been bitten by a tick. A question and answer period follows the presentation.
People can choose from two presentation dates: Tuesday September 20, 2016 at 1pm and Wednesday September 28, 2016 at 6:30 pm. Both are offered free at the Holmes Library in Halifax. For more information or questions, please contact the Halifax Board of Health at 781-293-6768.
Area is deemed “low risk” for EEE and West Nile Virus
As of August 15, Halifax and surrounding towns are listed as a “low risk” community for EEE and WnV.
The Halifax Board of Health has been notified about a mosquito with EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) in Middleborough (July 12) and one in Kingston (August 15). It was found in a Culex mosquito, the Culex restuans. Natural and artificial containers are the preferred larval habitat of this mosquito. It feeds almost primarily on birds but has been known to bite humans on occasion. This species is typically collected from May to October but can be found year round as it readily overwinters in man-made structures.
Cx restuans has been implicated as a vector of WNV. Take this bird biter as a warning. People have control over stagnant water in containers: buckets, tarps, tires, etc. Rinse them out, turn them over.
Rinse bird baths at least twice a week.
Residents should continue to take precautions including removing all containers with standing water such as accumulating junk in the yard, not maintaining swimming pools and allowing them to sit with green stagnant water, along with toys, tarps and tires.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health wrote:
Although there has been less evidence of EEE activity this year than in some recent years, the late heat and humidity this summer are perfect conditions for mosquito activity.
The peak time for transmission of EEE will continue through at least some of September.
The types of mosquitoes most likely to carry EEE are considered to be active dusk to dawn but the timing of that activity can be impacted by temperature, humidity, cloud cover and day length. In addition, active participation in outdoor sports increases our availability to mosquitoes. Physical exertion and sweating may also change individual attractiveness to mosquitoes and may decrease the time that repellents are effective.
DPH is writing to ask you to help us get the word out to residents, schools and athletic groups, that it is important to take steps to avoid mosquito bites. Know the drill – mosquito repellents, clothing and limiting outdoor activity during peak mosquito activity hours.
Also, keep in mind that our residents travel between cities and towns regularly and some of those may travel from areas not familiar with EEE. They may not be mindful of the importance of preventing mosquito bites. Please remind them.
To call for ground spraying of your property, call Plymouth County Mosquito Control at 781 585 5450.
Individuals can call the Project, between 8:00am and 3:00pm on Monday through Friday, to request that their property be sprayed. The Project’s phone number is (781) 585-5450, fax (781) 582-1276 or mail us at P.O. Box 72, Kingston, MA 02364. To find out where the spray routes are going to be, call (617) 582-6219 (during spray season). Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project
For more information on EEE and WNv, please see DPH’s site at: http://www.mass.gov.
Early voting preparatons in Plympton
The Town of Plympton Residents will be accommodated by the Town of Plympton Town Clerk, Tara J. Shaw, to “Early Vote” in the November 8th Election based on the terms provided in M.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (950 CMR 47.00: EARLY VOTING PROCEDURES).
Qualified voters may vote early in person at the Town of Plympton Town House or by mail and only in the town in which he or she is registered to vote. The deadline for the last day to register to vote for the November 8, 2016 Election is Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. The designated polling location is the same as all other Town of Plympton Elections located at the Plympton Town House, Community Meeting Room, 5 Palmer Road, Plympton, MA 02367. The mandated early voting period is Monday, October 24, 2016 and Friday, November 4, 2016. (Guideline specifics are as follows: The voting period for early voting shall run from the eleventh business day preceding the general election until the close of business on the business day preceding the business day before the election; provided, however, that if the eleventh business day before the election falls on a legal holiday the early voting period shall begin on the first business day prior to the legal holiday.) To help clarify this law, and in the case of the Town of Plympton, Early Voting hours will be limited to the normal business hours of the Plympton Town Clerk which are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Monday evenings 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The specific dates are October 24-27 and October 31 – November 4.
“Generally, keeping polls open under normal circumstances is expensive, and that is true for early voting as well. This is the reason we are conducting early voting using the Town Clerk’s Office regular business hours within the time period mandated by the state. Back in January when meeting with the Finance Committee for the FY17 Budget, the specific guidelines for Early Voting had not been ironed out by the state, therefore, I did my best to predict costs for at least one additional Election Worker in addition to myself and my Assistant Town Clerk to accommodate Early Voting. In an effort to not put a strain on the already tight budget needed to perform all of the tasks in my office mandated by the state, and in a lot of cases, unfunded mandated costs, I am prepared to put in additional time if needed to help streamline the process and to keep the residents of Plympton informed. More informative material will follow by way of Town of Plympton website News and Announcements and Plympton-Halifax Express updates. Thank you for your patience as we launch ourselves into a new era that includes Early Voting!”
~ Town Clerk Tara Shaw.
Troubled waters ahead for Brockton: Calter calls on Brockton to ‘come clean’ about drastic situation
SILVER LAKE – State Representative Thomas Calter (D-Kingston) today (August 17) said that residents of Brockton face the very real prospect of running out of water within the next several weeks if the drought continues and Brockton officials do not develop a backup plan.
Calter, who recently wrote a column that appeared in the Kingston Reporter and Plympton-Halifax Express, said that the Brockton Water Department needs to come clean about the drastic situation that the city faces and develop a plan to protect the city in the event that Silver Lake is unable to meet Brockton’s water demands.
Calter noted that Silver Lake, which is the water source for the City of Brockton, is in imminent danger of falling below the level where it can provide water to Brockton.
“The water level in the lake has dropped to historic lows.”He further noted that West Monponsett Pond, which is a backup source of water to Silver Lake, cannot be used to make up the deficit because the level of cyanobacteria is 10 times the health standard.
“There is a real concern because of the drought, which has brought the water to a dangerous low. The levels today are comparable to 1986 when Brockton declared a water crisis.”
Recently, representatives of the Jones River Watershed Association were invited to discuss the crisis at a Brockton City Council meeting. However, that presentation was thwarted by the City’s Legal Counsel who demanded that the public presentation be cancelled.
“People may think that Brockton’s desalinization plant can meet their water needs. However, it can only provide 30% of Brockton’s daily needs,” Calter said. He added, “There is an option for Brockton to hook up to the MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority) in Stoughton, but that action would require several months of construction.” He said, “We don’t believe that Brockton has researched that or any other option.”
“We are concerned that the city will run out of water without warning and without a backup plan.” Calter said. He has briefed the Governor, the Secretary of Environmental Affairs and the Brockton Legislative delegation of the current water shortage and of the serious health concerns related to the poor quality of water in Monponsett Pond.
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