Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

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Plympton CPC accepting applications for FY20

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PLYMPTON – The Plympton Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is currently accepting applications for FY2020 funding. The deadline for completed applications is October 15.

Projects funded in prior years include a safe in the Town Clerk’s office to archive important historical records; installation of a chairlift and new insulation for the “Old Town House” building at 189 Main St.; a comprehensive drainage system to solve a chronic wet basement in the Plympton Library; funds to acquire and improve the 11 acre parcel on Main Street now known as Churchill Park which offers access to the abutting 87 acre parcel known as Cato’s Ridge thereby forming a large natural preserve with walking trails;  improvements at Harry Jason Park to make it more accessible for family and recreational use; the installation of a chairlift in the Plympton Historical Society Building; renovation of the old Winnetuxet swimming hole into a recreational area; and facilitating the donation of O’Neil Marsh on Ring Road which offers additional access to Cato’s Ridge.

More recent projects include clapboard painting and window restoration and replacement at the “Old Town House”; repair and restoration of Town Green gazebo; creation of the 150 acre “Two Brooks Preserve” off Prospect Road; and funding for improvements to the playground at the Dennett Elementary School.

The CPC takes very seriously its responsibility to administer Community Preservation Act funds and is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve and improve the town through acquisition and protection of open space, historical preservation, community housing and increased recreational opportunities. New projects selected by the CPC for further consideration will voted on for approval at the 2019 Annual Town Meeting.

Project guidelines and applications can be found on the Plympton town website at http://www.town.plympton.ma.us/community-preservation-committee. Click on “Documents” at the left hand side of the web page to bring up the Plympton Community Preservation Plan which includes the application and criteria. The CPC Plan and application are also available at the Town House and at the Plympton Public Library. Questions can be addressed by contacting CPC Chair Mark Russo at Mrusso2@msn.com.

Finance Committee members wanted in Halifax

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen seeks Halifax residents interested in serving on the Halifax Finance Committee.

The Committee’s primary role is to recommend an annual Town budget covering all town and school departments to be presented at the annual town meeting in May. This recommended budget is based on the revenues available to the Town along with the needs of residents and businesses for Town services.

In addition, the Finance Committee makes recommendations on all other matters to be voted on at town meetings including the capital budget and proposed by-laws. The Finance Committee generally meets twice a month from June to December on Monday nights except for August (usually no meetings) and then every Monday (except for holidays) from January to May.

Residents interested in serving on the Finance Committee should complete a Talent Bank form available at http://www.halifax-ma.org/town-clerk/files/board-committee-volunteer-form and send it to the Halifax Board of Selectmen, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338 or call the Selectmen’s Office at 781-294-1316 for a copy of the form.

Currently, there are three vacancies on the seven-person Committee and members are needed to review budgets and to
ensure that there are a sufficient number of members attending each meeting in order to have a quorum.

More information is available through the Selectmen›s Office.

70th Annual East Middleboro 4-H Fair is a Labor Day weekend tradition

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The 70th annual East Middleboro 4-H fair was held on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, at the 4-H Fairgrounds on Thompson St. It has been a great family friendly event that kids and parents enjoy!

This true, old-fashioned fair has plenty to do for everyone. On Saturday afternoon there was an old tyme country auction, followed by the animal costume parade and then the tractor parade.

The East Middleboro Fair is sponsored and presented solely by volunteers. Most of our volunteers are members of the East Middleboro Community Committee or 4-H members and their families.

Three generations of Chandlers

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The 152nd Marshfield Fair opened last weekend, bringing back the exhibits, the 4-H animals, the award-winning produce and flowers, and the best of local crafts for all to see.  What would a day at the fair be without fried dough and all the fun the midway rides have to offer?  People from all over Plymouth County and beyond enjoyed the fair, that closes on Sunday after another successful season.  If you haven’t been, don’t miss it.  Their schedule is online at marshfieldfair.org

Spraying to continue for mosquitoes

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Cathleen Drinan
Special to the Express

With two human cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and one goat that has died from it, and twelve towns at critical risk, it was time for the Department of Public Health to have a conference call for health agents to be informed.

A second round of aerial spraying for mosquitoes in areas of southeastern Massachusetts was scheduled to begin Wednesday evening, August 21, and to continue for several evenings. It remains crucially important for people in communities at critical, high and moderate risk for EEE to continue to take personal precautions against mosquito bites. These steps include using EPA-approved bug-spray, wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors to reduce exposed skin, and cancelling outdoor activities in the hours from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

Please be aware that while the count of live mosquitoes lessens after an aerial spraying, our risk stays the same. The virus is still out there in remaining mosquitoes!

The ability to spray any area is weather dependent. The pilot must have maximum flexibility to work with changes in the weather. As a result, we will not know for certain which towns will be sprayed on which night. A map will show the areas of spray the following afternoon.

The list of communities entirely within the spray zone (except for exclusions, such as organic farms and surface water supplies):

Bristol County: Acushnet, Berkley, Dighton, Freetown, Norton, Raynham, Taunton.

Plymouth County: Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Carver, Hanson, Halifax, Lakeville, Middleborough, Pembroke, Plympton, Rochester, West Bridgewater, Whitman

Communities partially in the spray zone:

Bristol County: Attleboro, Dartmouth, Easton, Fairhaven, Fall River, Mansfield, New Bedford, Rehoboth, Somerset, Swansea.

Plymouth County: Abington, Brockton, Duxbury, Hanover, Kingston, Marion, Marshfield, Mattapoisett, Norwell, Plymouth, Rockland, Wareham

The following towns are at critical risk for EEE:

Middleborough, Carver, Lakeville, Wareham, Rochester, Acushnet, New Bedford, Raynham, Norton, Easton, Freetown

Please see the following links for more information:

www.mass.gov/dph/mosquito 

https://www.mass.gov/guides/aerial-mosquito-control-summer-2019#-latest-spray-updates-

Finding your way through the night skies

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At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13, Plympton Public Library hosted an astronomy presentation put on by Barry and Carolyn Decristofano.

An engineer and lecturer at Northeastern University in Boston, Barry brings a collegiate approach to the study of astronomy.

Describing himself as a “hobbyist astronomer,” Barry says his passion for the science came about at a young age, citing his first memories of the stars from when he was just a small boy.

Carolyn works as a science educator, and has published several books related to astronomy and other STEM topics.

Together, the two delivered a learning experience to their audience by working in synergy. “It was awesome. He was awesome. Barry makes it fun,” said one of the attendees.

The presentation kicked off with a brainstorming activity, in which Carolyn asked the audience to shout out some different aspects of the universe that they had interacted with that day. The first few included, “rain,” and “clouds,” and these were followed up by some shout outs from the kids, the more notable were “cheeseburgers,” and “my hot wheels set.”

Following this activity, Barry asked the group to consider the things that come up when one is thinking about the night sky, and asked participants to draw these things. Among the most popular were drawings of the moon, and Jupiter.

Barry went on to introduce the concept of constellations, and provided the group with a worksheet depicting the night sky to design their own constellations out of patterns they see themselves. Participants were then called up to the front and asked to draw their self chosen patterns on the projector for the group to see. This introduced an important take home point from the presentation: everyone is free to interpret and enjoy the sky in their own way. The collection created by the entire group was then labeled “The Plympton Library Star Map.”  After establishing an understanding of constellations, he then went on to provide historical insight into the concept, offering examples of many Greek constellations, such as Hercules, Scorpius, and others.

The discussion led up to the final activity of the evening, which was creating “big dipper finders,” a small paper device that can help one find the big dipper in the night sky in real time (which can be helpful for determining what direction is north). Along with the materials to build them, a guide for using these devices was handed out. The group struggled with the concept at first, but many managed to get a grasp on the idea.

This event marks the third astronomy-related visit to the Plympton Public Library for Barry. Once before, he gave another presentation similar to this, and has also set up a telescope on the lawn for stargazing, as well as to see views of the moon, jupiter, and more celestial objects. Following the end of this presentation, Barry & Carolyn gathered the opinions of the attendees about the best days and times, so a future presentation can likely be expected.

COA Director Barbara Brenton honored with surprise party

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“It was a total surprise,” said retiring HalifaxCOA director Barbara Brenton.  Her staff and volunteers, with the help of her friends, put together a surprise lunch, complete with a beach theme cake, and even an entertaining skit on Wednesday.

Brenton has been in the position for almost nine years,coming from Avon, Old Colony Elder Services, and Hanson.

“I’ll miss the people,” Brenton said, “and the relationships we’ve formed…..The hardest part is having to say goodbye.”

Detterman graduates from Clerks’ Institute

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Plympton Town Clerk Patricia Detterman recently completed her third year of studies at the New England Municipal Clerks’ Institute at Plymouth (NH) State University. Year Three is the final year of the Institute program, continuing its emphasis on public relations, parliamentary procedure, decision-making, personal development, management, computers, public speaking and professionalism.

Detterman was further honored by election by the student body to receive a scholarship to attend an advanced Academy class next summer.

The New England Municipal Clerks Institute is a three-year program, that assists clerks in developing and maintaining the high level of administrative expertise needed for the successful operation of increasingly complex municipal governments. Completion of the three-year Institute program entitles graduates to apply for the International Institute of Municipal Clerks’ coveted Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) designation.

NEMCI&A is the only program of its kind in the country, run exclusively by and for city and town clerks and their office staff. The Board of Directors consists of two representatives from each of the six New England states and meets year-round with faculty and University personnel to develop the best possible week of intellectual stimulation, personal growth and challenges for attendees.

Begun under the direction of the Rhode Island Department of Community Affairs and the guidance of the New England Association of City and Town Clerks, NEMCI&A has grown from one class with 32 students to the point where it now offers three Institute classes and several advanced Academy classes. More than 500 cities and towns have sent Clerks to the New England Municipal Clerks’ Institute and Academy over its forty-four year history.

Academy is a continuing education program designed for clerks who have completed their Institute training or have already attained their CMC certification. Academy courses are more in-depth and intensive, fostering the development of high-level administrative and executive-level management skills.

Mosquito spraying begins!

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After finding positive larvae for both Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile virus, earlier in the season than is usual, according to Halifax Health Agent Cathleen Drinan, mosquito spraying is being conducted beginning yesterday, and continuing for several nights over Halifax and Plympton. She also notes that the mosquito population infected with both EEE and WNv are expected to grow.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) will conduct and monitor aerial spraying in specific areas of Bristol and Plymouth counties which is anticipated to have begun on Thursday, August 8, and continue over several evenings, weather permitting.

So far this year, 22 communities in southeastern Massachusetts have been found by the Department of Public Health (DPH) to be at high risk for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus.

EEE is a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages. No human cases of EEE have been detected so far this year.

The ability to spray is weather dependent and may change. Not every community in Bristol and Plymouth County will be sprayed, please see a comprehensive list below. MDAR is encouraging residents to visit DPH’s website http://www.mass.gov/guides/aerial-mosquito-control-summer-2019 for the latest updates on spraying in their specific communities.

• Communities entirely within the spray zone:

o Bristol County: Raynham, Taunton, Dighton, Berkley, Freetown, Acushnet

o Plymouth County: Halifax, Plympton, Kingston, Whitman, East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Hanson, Bridgewater, Carver, Middleborough, Lakeville, Rochester

• Communities partially in the spray zone:

o Bristol County: Easton, Norton, Rehoboth, Swansea, Fall River, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Fairhaven

o Plymouth County: Brockton, Rockland, Hanover, Pembroke, Duxbury, Plymouth, Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett

For the most updated information on EEE risk and aerial spraying, contact the DPH Division of Epidemiology at http://www.mass.gov/guides/aerial-mosquito-control-summer-2019 for updated mosquito results, maps and incidence of positive mosquito samples and http://www.mass.gov/dph/mosquito for other information.

Please note that:

1) Spraying will occur over several evenings. That means that it is not known, as of yet, which communities will be sprayed on which days.

2) The spraying schedule is dependent on the weather and other factors.

The Town will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available.

The Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project continues to spray areas of Halifax. You can contact the Project at Office: (781) 585-5450 or Fax: (781) 582-1276. The office is located at 272 South Meadow Rd., Plymouth, MA 02360.

The Project is accepting requests for residential spraying. Requests are accepted via fax, phone, walk in or USPS.  It recommends to fax, mail, or come in as they are serving all of Plymouth County and doing their best to answer your requests by phone.

Service requests should include name, address, town, phone, and email. You may request spraying up to 8 times during spray season and you need to contact us ALL 8 TIMES that you are requesting spraying. The office hours are 7:30 a.m-2:30 p.m Monday – Friday.

The product used for town-wide spraying is the same as used for routine requests. From the PCMCP website http://www.plymouthmosquito.org/pesticides.html – Duet-Dual Action Adulticide is a synergized synthetic pyrethroid consisting of 1% Prallethrin (ETOC), 5% Sumethrin, 5% Piperonyl Butoxide, and 89% other ingredients such as mineral oil. Duet’s EPA Reg. No. is 1021-1795-8329. The product breaks down quickly when exposed to sunlight. Therefore, residue on plants and other treated surfaces should be short-lived.

Plymouth County Mosquito Control applies this chemical using truck mounted ULV (Ultra Low Volume) sprayers. The Project uses an application rate of 0.62 fluid ounces per acre.

All spraying is between 2 a.m and sunrise. Please close street-facing windows if possible, to allow a more thorough application.

The spray machines are electric and very quiet – you may not hear the application. Please note the product will drift up to 300 feet.

Halifax Asst. Town Clerk completes Clerks’ Institute

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Halifax Assistant Town Clerk, Susan Lawless, recently completed her third year of studies at the New England Municipal Clerks’ Institute at Plymouth (NH) State University. Year Three is the final year of the Institute program, continuing its emphasis on public relations, parliamentary procedure, decision-making, personal development, management, computers, public speaking and professionalism.

The New England Municipal Clerks Institute is a three-year program, which assists clerks in developing and maintaining the high level of administrative expertise needed for the successful operation of increasingly complex municipal governments. Completion of the three-year Institute program entitles graduates to apply for the International Institute of Municipal Clerks’ coveted Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) designation.

NEMCI&A is the only program of its kind in the country, run exclusively by and for city and town clerks and their office staff. The Board of Directors consists of two representatives from each of the six New England states and meets year-round with faculty and University personnel to develop the best possible week of intellectual stimulation, personal growth and challenges for attendees.

Begun under the direction of the Rhode Island Department of Community Affairs and the guidance of the New England Association of City and Town Clerks, NEMCI&A has grown from one class with 32 students to the point where it now offers three Institute classes and several advanced Academy classes. Over 500 cities and towns have sent Clerks to the New England Municipal Clerks’ Institute and Academy over its forty-five year history.

Academy is a continuing education program designed for clerks who have completed their Institute training or have already attained their CMC certification. Academy courses are more in-depth and intensive, fostering the development of high-level administrative and executive-level management skills.