Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

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South St. Halifax crash claims 25-year-old East Bridgewater man, formerly of Halifax

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Funeral services will be held Monday, Oct. 24, for Kevin Michael Reed, Jr., 25, of East Bridgewater formerly of Halifax, who died in a tragic automobile accident Sunday, Oct. 16, on South St., Halifax. The passenger in Reed’s vehicle, Michael Ambrose, was transported to South Shore Hospital.  The driver of the other vehicle was Daniel Norvish of Halifax.  He was transported to Brockton Hospital.

The  two-car accident remains under investigation, according to Chief Ted Broderick.

Born in Brockton in 1991, Kevin was the first son of Kevin Reed, Sr. and Karen (Reid) Reed of Halifax, and graduated from Silver Lake High School with the Class of 2009.

Kevin spent the next seven years working at the Reed HVAC business with his father and brothers.

Kevin was the fiance for eight years to Violet Vargas and the future brother-in-law of Vinny Vargas of Halifax. Kevin and Violet together lived in East Bridgewater. They enjoyed concerts and trips together, with their favorite destination being Maine with family. Kevin also enjoyed watching endless Bruins and Cowboys games with his father and brothers and had many heartfelt moments fishing with his Mom, Karen. These are just some examples of the things that made Kevin the “Giant Teddy Bear” that everyone loved.

In addition to his parents Kevin and Karen and his fiancé Violet, he is survived by his siblings Austin and Kyle Reed of Halifax and Paul Francis Hart, Jr., of Holbrook; his maternal grandparents, Janet Reid of East Bridgewater and the late Harry Reid; his paternal grandparents, Kenneth and Barbara Jones “love you squeaks” of East Bridgewater; his aunts and uncles, Harry and Sharon Reid of Palm Coast, FL, Kim Ferranti of Holbrook, Robert Reid of Randolph, Kristen Reid Pauze (KeKe) of Carver, Kerry Reid of East Bridgewater, John Pauze of Hanson, Brenda Ambrose of West Bridgewater, Kenneth and Susan Reed of East Bridgewater, Brent and Susan Bratti of East Bridgewater, Kenneth and Ann Jones of Abington, and Michael J. (Mikey) Forni, Jr of Halifax; his cousins, Daniel Ambrose, Jr., Michael Ambrose, Allyson Arseneau, Meghan Bratti, Emma Bratti, Haleigh Reed, Sherry Cotnoir, Harry Vangelist, Daniel Bushi, Cody Pauze, Kayla Ferranti, Macy Reid, McKenzie Pauze, Samantha Reid and Brent VonMagnus. He is also survived by many loving friends, including the “Four Quarters,” Vinny Vargas, Danny Ambrose, Paul Hart and Chief.

His funeral service will be held Monday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. in the Blanchard Funeral Chapel, Plymouth St., Rte. 58 at the rotary circle, Whitman. Burial will follow in St. James Cemetery, Whitman. Visitation will be held Sunday Oct. 23, from 2 -6 p.m.

Lawsuit filed against Halifax : ZBA cited for not properly notifying Tarawood Kennel abutters

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The Town of Halifax Zoning Board of Appeals members and Jennifer R. Harmon, also known as Jennifer R. Choate, have been named in a lawsuit brought by neighbor Scott M. Clawson citing improper notification regarding special permit changes and increases, at the dog breeding kennel operated by Harmon, Tarawood Kennels, 7 Plymouth St., Halifax.

ZBA members Robert Gaynor, Kozhaya Nessralla, Peter Parcellin, Robert Durgin, and Gerald Joy were named in the suit, not personally, but as members of the Board of Appeals. Also named is Jennifer R. Harmon, who is also known as Jennifer Choate, Tarawood Kennel owner.

According to Clawson’s suit, on the many occasions since mid-2010 up to this year, the ZBA did not notify parties in interest about hearings that were scheduled to change or substantially modify the terms of the kennel license and neighbors were denied their chance to appeal or to be heard on the permit renewal. 

The first license application approved by the ZBA on or about July 20, 2010, was for a special permit for a kennel for the breeding or boarding of dogs at 7 Plymouth St., Halifax with conditions, according to the filing.  The special permit was granted to allow “a kennel for the breeding or boarding of dogs.”  The permit cited nine conditions in addition to all the rules and regulations and codes of the Town of Halifax.  These conditions included no boarding of outside animals.  The dogs must all be licensed to Jennifer R. Harmon. No breeding of outside animals allowed on the premises.  The special permit is not transferrable.  Puppies not sold within six months must be removed from the property.  Only two (2) litters allowed per year per breed. Only 15 adult dogs on the property.  Applicant must provide and maintain soundproofing, and dogs must stay within the property line.  The applicant must license all adult dogs.

The special permit in 2010 was granted based on the presentation and plans presented at the hearing.  Any changes from what was presented and approved must be brought back before the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The special permit also required that once the decision has been without appeal for 20 days, it be recorded with the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds, or with the Assistant Registrar of the Land Court for Plymouth County, and a certified copy indicating such registry recording has been done be filed with the board.

Feb. 15, 2012, Harmon (Choate) met with the Zoning Board of Appeals at Harmon’s request to revisit conditions, asking that the number of dogs be increased to 23 adult dogs and the number of litters allowed be increased to three per year per breed, in addition to the original conditions set forth  in 2010.  That permit will not take effect until it is registered with the Plymouth County Registry of  Deeds and a  receipt for that filing is at the Registry is filed with the Zoning Board of Appeals.

In April, 2013, Harmon (Choate) was back before the ZBA requesting that her special permit be amended to allow up to a maximum of 50 dogs, and 26 litters of puppies, 20 litters for the German Shepherds and six litters for the Pomeranian breed.  This amendment was granted May 1, 2013.

In May 2014, the permit was amended to allow a maximum of 26 litters of puppies among three breeds: German shepherd, Pomeranian, and Jack Russell terrier, keeping to a maximum of 50 adult dogs on the premises.

In the 2015 permit renewal application, the total number of adult dogs was still 50, and litters of puppies still at 26, although now spread between only two breeds, German shepherd and the Pomeranian.

In short, in five years, the number of dogs allowed at Harmon’s (Choate’s) Tarawood kennel has grown from 15 adult dogs and two litters of puppies per year to 50 adult dogs and 26 litters of puppies.   In September of this year, there was before the ZBA a revision which would allow 100 adult dogs and unlimited litters of puppies.  That application has since been withdrawn, it was announced at last week’s Halifax Board of Selectmen’s meeting.

Clawson alleges in his filing that concerned parties were not notified by the Zoning Board of Appeals or by Tarawood Kennels about the special permit applications or their modifications allowing as many as 50 adult dogs and 26 litters of puppies. 

Clawson contends that the ZBA granted Harmon’s special permits and revisions without notice to parties-in-interest and seeks to have the special permit annulled and if not annulled, to ask the court to order further relief deemed just and proper.

Clawson has been before selectmen and the ZBA on many occasions with concerns of dogs barking at all hours of the day and night, seeking relief from the noise.  Selectman Kim Roy has investigated the charges on behalf of the board and found noise to be substantial.

At the Sept. 27 selectmen’s hearing, Choate was ordered to reduce the number of dogs in her kennel to 25 in order to help keep the noise to a minimum.  Roy also found that soundproofing which has been one of the conditions of her permit since the first permit given in 2010 has not been done. 

Clawson, who was a member of the audience Sept. 27, appeared dissatisfied at the ruling, saying that he (and others in the area) have been waiting for something to be done for years and expected something more substantial to solve the problem.   

Getting ready for the 4th Annual Ryan Benjamin Nicotri fundraiser

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Ticket sales are brisk, but there are still some left for the Fourth Annual Ryan Benjamin Nicotri Memorial Comedy Night Fundraiser to be held at the Upland Sportsman Club, Upland Road, Plympton.

Last year’s fundraiser was a huge success and this year’s promises to be even better. Comedian Jessica Casiano will be performing to keep the night filled with laughter and good memories.

A buffet dinner is included and there will be a cash bar. The Olive Garden will provide salads and bread sticks and Grill 58/Lyonville Tavern will provide the main meal.

Tickets are by advance sales only,  as they sold out quickly last year. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by contacting Sarah Nicotri through a Facebook private message, via email at             sarahnicotri@yahoo.com or by cell phone 339-832-0799.

Those who are unable to attend but would like to make a donation, can mail it to: Ryan Benjamin Nicotri Memorial Fund @ Santander Bank 157 Summer St., Kingston MA 02364

Donations of any kind will help us continue to move forward and grow. Businesses are encouraged to donate gift certificates for services or products.  All of the donating businesses names and logos will be displayed for attending guests to see. In addition, there will be a list of participating businesses on each guest table for all to view. We can’t do our work without your support. A follow up email or letter will be sent to all attendees and supporting businesses to give an update on the how the funds are used.

The following is a summary of last year’s event:

The 2015 Fundraiser raised approximately $9,300 after expenses, which was used as follows:

• For the Christmas holiday, we purchased 75 gift cards from Target, each worth $50.00 (total cost = $3,750). These were distributed to Plympton families in need through the Silver Lake School system, including the Elementary School, Junior High and High School. Each family receives one card for the family and one for each of their school age children. The schools work together to provide us the number of cards required as all family names are kept strictly confidential. The schools distributed the cards to these recipients so they had them before Christmas.

• In June, we presented three – $1,000 scholarships through the Silver Lake Regional High School to deserving students. The baseball scholarship is available to a varsity player from any of the three towns, and the two remaining awards are for a boy and a girl from Plympton. The baseball scholarship was awarded to Jason Johndrow from Halifax, and the other two scholarships went to Sarah Cook and Peter Lavigne from Plympton.

• The food drive allowed us to fill 8 boxes with nonperishable items that were donated to the food pantry at St Joseph’s Church in Kingston prior to Thanksgiving.

We are very happy to provide these to the local community in Ryan’s name. This fundraiser is a place to focus our positive energy. We aim to make it a success and have it grow in the coming years in an effort to help others and keep Ryan’s memory alive.

Halifax in the dog house again

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Tuesday night’s meeting of the Halifax Board of Selectmen went to the dogs once again, even though chief dog bark investigator Kim Roy was at a conflicting event.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the board that he had received another barking dog complaint from a neighbor of Tarawood Kennel on Plymouth Street.  Selectmen chairman Troy Garron said the statute is clear and they would have to investigate and would have Kim Roy put on her investigative hat once again to check into the complaint.

Seelig also told the board that he had received notice that a lawsuit is pending: Scott Clawson v Town of Halifax and Jennifer Choate, owner of Tarawood Kennel.  Details of the filing were not available at press time, but should be innext week’s Express edition.

Continuing in the doghouse, selectmen held a hearing for a dog attack on another dog.  The attacking dog’s owners, Lisa and Chris Watson, and Halifax Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan were present.  The injured dog was being walked past the Watsons’ Summit Street home while leashed and the Watson’s dog, outside in its own yard with its owners, ran through the electric “invisible” fence because the battery had evidently failed.  The Watsons were able to get their dog back under control.  The injured dog was bleeding from a wound on its tongue; it had evidently bitten its own tongue, according to ACO Callahan.  No other injuries were evident on either dog.

This is the first incident with this dog, Chris Watson told selectmen.

ACO Callahan told the board that her concern was making sure that the 65 pound dog was kept under control at all times when outside so that a situation such as this could not happen again.  The Watsons assured the board that they would see to it.  Selectmen Chairman Troy Garron told the owners that the board would send them an official letter putting them on notice that the Town of Halifax does have a leash law and enforces it.

“Another failure is a concern,” ACO Callahan said.  She also noted that she quarantined both dogs as a precaution, even though all shots were up to date.

Resignations

From COA

Seelig told the board he had received two resignations: Sharon Hartz and Joy Marble, chairman and vice-chairman of the Council on Aging.  Garron instructed the secretary to the board, Pam McSherry, to send a letter from the Board of Selectmen thanking them for their service to the town.

Seelig also noted he had received a talent bank form from Corrie Merritt which he will pass along to the appropriate parties.

Daniel Borsari came before selectmen to be sworn in as an Associate Member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.  Borsari told the board that he now has the time to invest in the position and is looking forward to it.  Borsari said he holds a real estate license.  Garron joked that Borsari is a detail–oriented guy and has probably read the bylaws from cover to cover already.  Borsari nodded and affirmed that he had.

New Town Hall

fragrance policy

Seelig told the board that he is ready to implement the new “Fragrance Policy” for the Town Hall, asking those coming into the Town Hall to refrain from wearing strong fragrances as some people working there are sensitive to them.   

Seelig assured the board that there would be no “fragrance police;” it is a voluntary program and those working in Town Hall would like to make the public aware.

In other business, selectmen

• approved 16 additional recycling abatements, although Selectman Thomas Milias told the board that he would like a little more information about these private haulers and to be sure that they are doing what is required.  Susan Johnson, Recycling Coordinator, is looking to get stronger regulations for private haulers to be sure they are doing what they should by way of recycling.

• signed an addendum for Howland Disposal Service which would see a 1 1/2% increase.  Millias told the board he understood that there should be a net decrease in the total.  Seelig told him that while there was probably a decrease in tipping fees, there was likely an increase in other areas such as labor.

• noted that the Fire Department has opened an EZPass account which would be useful in cases where FD personnel were attending seminars outside of Boston.  Seelig told the board that there is no charge for the transponders and that the Town of Halifax should have transponders for several of the town’s vehicles that would go into one account for the Town.

• noted that the next meetings of the Board of Selectmen will be Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.

• adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

Halifax heroes make save in auto inferno

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HALIFAX – Brian Jenkinson met his guardian angel last Wednesday night when the vehicle he was operating hit a tree on Thompson Street in Halifax.  The vehicle erupted into flames with Brian trapped inside.

Matt Savastano saw the vehicle in flames, grabbed his fire extinguisher, called 911 and went into action, dousing the flames and helping Jenkinson from the inferno, bringing him to safety.

Capt. William Palma of the Halifax Fire Department, said, “It was a severe accident and his actions were truly heroic.”

The Halifax Fire Department  credits Savastano with likely saving Jenkinson’s life. Jenkinson was treated at a Boston trauma center.

On Thursday, Captain Palma brought some t-shirts from the Halifax Fire Department to show the department’s appreciation to them for their bravery.  He also brought  the thanks of his department to Savastano who helped save a life.

Jenkinson told his grandfater that he thought surely with his injuries and being trapped inside his truck that he would die there.

But it seems that what goes around comes around and this time Savastano was able to help

Two years before, Jenkinson had saved a man from drowning. This time it was his turn to be saved.  Perhaps there is some cosmic justice.

Plympton tax rate proposed is $18.06: Taxes to increase 2.21% over last year pending DOR certification New

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The FY17 real estate tax rate will not shift between resident and business properties.   

Plympton selectmen heard the recommendation of the Board of Assessors and agreed that to split the tax, asking Plympton’s businesses – all 19 of them – to assume a greater tax burden and the residents to assume a lesser burden, might cause businesses looking to settle in Plympton to look elsewhere.  The tax rate being submitted to the Department of Revenue for certification will be $18.06 per thousand assessed valuation.  This is a 2.21% increase over the FY16 tax rate of  $17.67.

Assistant Assessor Deb Stuart told the board that several towns near Plympton do shift the tax burden to businesses: Hanover and Middleborough have a slight 1.05% business tax assessment to a .9866% residential tax assessment.  Carver has the greatest business to residential shift in the examples chosen – 1.399% business percentage to .9076 residential percentage of the tax burden.

Commonwealth law allows communities to shift up to 1.5% to businesses giving relief to residential tax rate.

The estimated tax levy for FY17 is $8,644,994 from a value of $478,704,690.  Divide the levy by the assessed value then multiply by 1000 to compute the tax rate.

Stuart told selectmen that the projected average single family home to have an assessed value for 2017 is $341,200.  This is a 2.2% increase over FY2016.

The projected average tax bill for the average single family home for FY 2017 is $6,613, an increase of 3.95% over FY2016.  This compares to the 7.25% increase in the FY2016 average tax bill over FY2015.  The CPA tax of 1.5% increases the projected total average tax bill to $64.

Carver Urban Renewal Development

Selectman Christine Joy reported to the board that she had attended the Carver Urban Renewal Development Committee meeting last week where access to the proposed project at the Carver/Plympton town line was among the topics discussed.

Alternative 5 was introduced, which would close Montello Street to through traffic by way of a gate which could be opened in case of emergency.  The plan shows a modified turn from Montello onto Park Avenue in Carver .

“What was an interesting takeaway was that they were discussing acquisition of Melville property and the Cool property is going to be the primary entrance to the park.  I thought that was interesting that they hadn’t acquired that property yet,” Joy told the board.

The developer was in discussion with the property owners and felt confident that they would be able to come to some type of agreement to acquire the properties.

They are also very cognizant of the neighbors with the orientation of the properties in the park to reduce the impact  to the neighbors, with lights and noise, and to face the loading docks toward Route 44.

They spoke about the different designs and Alternative 5 was favored.  The feeling was that there would be too tight a left-hand turn off Montello which would prohibit truck traffic.  They were going to look at an alternative to accommodate a truck which went down Montello St. in error so they could turn around.  The developer mentioned the possibility of closing Montello St. to through traffic.  The neighbors were very happy. The closure would be within Carver but would require Plympton to agree.

Early Voting in Halifax and Plympton

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We are excited to announce that all registered voters will be able to vote before Election Day for the first time ever in Massachusetts. Early voting will begin on October 24 and continue through November 4.

Prior to the enactment of this new law, the only way a registered voter was allowed to vote prior to Election Day was through absentee voting. Although absentee voting will still be available for registered voters who qualify, only those who will be absent from their city or town on Election Day, or have a disability that prevents them from going to the polls, or have a religious belief preventing the same, are legally allowed to vote by absentee ballot.

Unlike absentee voting, early voting is for every registered voter. Registered voters do not need an excuse or reason to vote early. Regardless of whether a voter wants to take advantage of early voting, vote absentee or vote on Election Day, the first step is making sure you are registered. To check to see if you are registered to vote, and to find information on how to register to vote, you may visit the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website: www.sec.state.ma.us/ele.

If you need to register to vote, you may do it online by visiting: www.RegisterToVoteMA.com. All you need is a license or an I.D. issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles to apply online. To be eligible to vote in the November 8th State Election, you must register to vote or make any necessary changes to your voter registration by

October 19th, 2016.

Early voting can be done in person or by mail. In Plympton, early voting can be done in person at the Plympton Town House, 5 Palmer Road, Plympton, during the following dates and times :

First week:

Monday-Oct. 24

9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday through Thursday – Oct. 25 – Oct. 27

9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Second week:

Monday-Oct. 31

9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

and

Tuesday through Thursday – Nov.1 – Nov.3

9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also, registered voters have the option to request an early voting ballot through the mail. Simply fill out an application and mail it to Town Clerk, Town of Plympton, 5 Palmer Road, Plympton, MA 02367. You can find the application on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele.

In Halifax, early voting can be done in person at the Town Clerk’s Office during the following dates and times:  regular office hours (Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.) and on Friday, November 4th from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Also, registered voters have the option to request an early voting ballot through the mail.

Simply fill out an application and mail it to Town Clerk’s Office, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA  02338.  You can find the application on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele.

Please note, however, once a voter has cast an early voting ballot, the voter may no longer vote at the polls on Election Day.

For the first time in Massachusetts, the first choice all voters will make is which day to vote. Early voting will make the most fundamental right of our citizens more convenient than ever to exercise.

We encourage all of our citizens to exercise that right and take advantage of the opportunity to vote on their schedules.

Standing room only at Water Forum

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HALIFAX — Area residents filled the Great Hall of the Halifax Town Hall for a Water in Distress forum sponsored by Rep. Thomas J. Calter, D-Kingston, and Rep. Josh S. Cutler, D-Duxbury, Saturday, Sept. 24.

The standing-room-only crowd came to hear the many facets of the water situation, with Cathy Drinan, health agent for Halifax and Plympton, also representing the Monponsett Pond Watershed Association; Marianne Moore, Executive Secretary of the Monponsett Watershed Association; Jack O’Leary of Plympton, Chairman of the newly activated Central Plymouth County Water Commission, and Pine DuBois, Executive Chairman of the Jones River Watershed Association.

Calter began with an overview of the emergency legislation during a drought in 1964 that allowed Brockton to increase the level of Silver Lake, which has supplied Brockton with water since 1899. To do this, West Monponsett Lake would be dammed at Stump Brook, its natural outfall to the Taunton River, to force the water to flow backwards, through East Monponsett Lake, then to Silver Lake. This unnatural flow appears to be a major component in the stagnation of West Monponsett and the algae bloom of toxic cyanobacteria. Coupled with the huge increases in water demand by Brockton over the five decades since 1964, damage to West Monponsett Lake may be nearing irreversible, he said

Calter said he wanted to bring together people who know the science behind the situation so a solution can be found.  Two Brockton city councilors also attended to learn about the concerns of Halifax, Hanson, and Pembroke citizens. Calter introduced Councilor at-Large Winthrop Farwell, Jr., and Ward 6 Councilor John Lally as friends of the negotiations.

Cutler, whose district includes Pembroke and Hanson told the assembly, we are all neighbors.  “We want to find a solution we can all live with,” he said.

Health Agent Cathy Drinan cited the the measures that the Town of Halifax has taken to reduce phosphates in West Monponsett Pond which feed the  cyanobacteria. 

Septic systems within 100 feet of the Lake must undergo complete Title V certification each year, cranberry growers have reduced the amount of fertilizer applied to the bogs when runoff goes into the lake; for cranberry growers to fertilize their bogs when the sluice gate is open to allow runoff to flow back to the Taunton River and not into the West Pond. Drinan outlined the grants she and the town of Halifax have applied for and received to treat West Pond with alum to bind with the phosphates and make them unusable as food for the toxic bacteria. DEP this year recommended a heavy alum treatment that will cost more than $400,000. The City of Brockton would need to contribute to the cost in order to make that happen, Drinan told the group.

Marianne Moore, who lives on the shores of East Monponsett Pond, is the executive secretary of the Monponsett Watershed Association, asked those present to become more active and aware, because even a small number of people can be heard, and legislators were very cooperative and eager to hear and help.

“Until four years ago, I had lived my busy little life – why would these legislators want to listen to me?” Moore said. “We reached out to them and they came to us — these four little people from Halifax. I believe the problem can be fixed.  I hope you all will become a little more active, more aware, of the active issues and try to keep moving the issue forward.”

Jack O’Leary, Chairman of the Central Plymouth County Water District Commission formed in 1964 encompasses eight communities: Brockton, East Bridgewater, Whitman, Hanson, Pembroke, Kingston, Halifax, and Plympton, to preserve the pre-existing recreational uses of the ponds … hunting, fishing, swimming, boating.

O’Leary has educated himself on the dangers of cyanobacteria and their toxicity.   

“What they are,” O’Leary said, “are single celled organisms mid-way between plant and animal.” 

They have some chlorophyll in them so they react to sunlight by blooming and they are present everywhere, in every pond. It’s when they “bloom” and grow uncontrollably, and reach cell counts above 70,000 cells per milliliter, that they reach what the DEP considers to be toxic or harmful to humans. 

O’Leary told the audience that stagnant water is a prime factor in cyanobacteria bloom.  He furthered that taking too much water from the ponds and reversing the flow of water from West Monponsett Pond leaves many areas in West Pond virtually stagnant, encouraging the algae bloom. If Brockton reduced its dependency on Halifax and Pembroke ponds by using other methods available to them, such as the Aquaria desalinization plant in Dartmouth, the ponds could be helped back to health. 

“Our commission is answerable to all of our communities,” O’Leary said, and is working to protect the ponds.

As far as the health affects of the toxic bacteria, it can cause rash where it touches the skin.  He also told that he has read about cows that died after being allowed to drink water laden with cyanobacteria. There is also a new potential health affect – it appears that in communities that live around ponds with cyanobacteria infestation some long-term health affects are appearing due to the algae becoming airborne,  “which only makes it more urgent that we address this problem.”

Pine DuBois from Kingston, Executive Director of the Jones River Watershed Association, said what we are trying to accomplish is to make people aware of the dangers of diverting too much water. 

Silver Lake today is 5 feet down. “As the lakeshore shrinks, the area with water in it is smaller. It is supported by groundwater wells.  It’s not infinite; it’s limited.  You can collapse those wells.” As you drain water, the natural well springs collapse and they are gone for good, she explained. 

“What we do to the environment day to day, matters to the people who come after us.  So we really want to straighten out this problem,” DuBois said.  “As I’ve explained to my friends over there from City Hall, Brockton does not have the ability to divert 30 million gallons a day from Monponsett Pond anymore.  They simply can’t. If the DEP allows them to do that, they will not be living up to its obligation to protect the people of the Commonwealth and the environment.” 

The drought is predicted to continue.

“So what can we do about it?  We cannot, nor should we, divert from Monponsett Pond or Furnace Pond into Silver Lake,” DuBois said. “Since 1964, there are so many more people living in this area, it’s not sustainable for them to be Brockton’s water supply any longer.”

Brockton spent an enormous amount of time, energy, and money – as did the rest of the Commonwealth – developing the Aquaria desalinization plant 20 miles south of Brockton on the Taunton River estuary.

From June 15 to Aug. 15, Brockton took 4 million gallons of water a day from Aquaria, then stopped.   

“In my humble opinion, they should be taking that 365 days a year,” DuBois said.  “Four million gallons a day would reduce the take from Silver Lake.  They take 10 million gallons a day each and every day from Silver Lake.” 

In 1909 it was less than 2 million. By 1955 it was 4 million. By 1964 it was almost 5 million. By 1981 it became 18 million. 

The issue was lack of attention to infrastructure, DuBois explained. The pipes are over 100 years old — and leaking

Brockton had 30,000 people then and now, 116 years later, a city of a hundred thousand people cannot count on drawing its water from these ponds.

“Brockton should be using Aquaria and Brockton should be working to tie into the MWRA and we should be doing everything in our power to help them do that,” she said, to a large round of applause.

Silver Lake, to support this effort, can give Brockton a couple of million gallons a day, she said.  Not much more than that.

“You can’t take 30 million gallons a day from a six square mile resource and expect to sustain your population. I believe that the City of Brockton needs to reassess their finances to save their water resource. They need to use Aquaria and in the long run it would not be more expensive than using Silver Lake.”

She stressed Brockton should also be working toward getting onto the MWRA involved. 

“Not a little bit in, but all in,” DuBois said. “Let’s start working on that now.”

Choate must reduce dogs to 25

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HALIFAX – Selectmen Tuesday night ordered Jennifer Choate, owner of Tarawood Kennels, 7 Plymouth St., Halifax, to reduce her adult dog population from the 50 she is now licensed for to 25 adult dogs on the premises.

Selectman Kim Roy, who was charged by her board to investigate the numerous complaints from neighbors about excessive barking, spoke for more than an hour about the history of complaints to the board, the first from 2010 and the remedial steps which were promised and never completed through Tuesday of this week.

Roy said that she and Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan made an official visit to Tarawood Kennel on Tuesday, the day of the hearing, to see if progress had been made on noise abatement, and to count the number of dogs present.  ACO Callahan found it difficult to get an accurate count as the dogs weren’t tagged individually.

When asked how many dogs were present, Choate replied she wasn’t sure.  When asked how many litters of puppies were on premises, she answered two.  Roy opened the door to another room and found another litter.  Choate appeared to have no idea how many dogs were in her kennel or kennel offices.

Roy read a damning letter into the minutes of the hearing from a former Tarawood kennel manager, who swore to its truthfulness and signed it.  Choate refuted its veracity.

Another ongoing concern Roy had was for the condition of the crates which housed the dogs, stating that most were chewed, with sharp edges, providing potential danger to the animals.

In some areas, dog enclosures were left open to the weather: sun, rain, or snow, and Ms. Choate was asked to provide some kind of shelter for them.  When Roy and Callahan made their visit on Tuesday, temporary tarps had been strung over the crates to provide a sort of shelter.  Soundproofing material which had been promised over the years had not yet been installed, nor had it been purchased to be installed.

Selectman Tom Millias told Ms. Choate that the problems seemed to occur after she increased the number of dogs through a special permit approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals from 15 dogs to 23, and then to 50.

The board was shocked to learn that she had yet another revision to her license before the ZBA asking to increase the number of dogs allowed to 100, and with an unlimited number of litters of puppies allowed!

Millias said he didn’t see how she could manage that number of dogs and obviously couldn’t, with the increased complaints of neighbors.

Roy played several recordings of dogs barking which she made from a neighbor’s yard at various times of the night, early morning, and during the day.  “I wouldn’t want to live next door to that,” Roy said.

Selectmen gave Choate 45 days to comply with the reduction order, to find homes or places for the additional dogs, and limited the number of litters of puppies she could raise to 12 per year.

Selectmen Chairman Troy Garron, a known animal lover on the board, told Ms. Choate that the barking problem is hers to solve; it is not up to selectmen to tell her how to solve it.

The board asked ACO Callahan to check on the progress of the reduction of dogs and report back to selectmen.

Selectmen will next meet on Tuesday, Oct. 11.

USDA names Plymouth County “primary natural disaster area”

By

By Colin A. Young

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, SEPT. 20, 2016…..Eleven of the state’s 14 counties have been deemed “primary natural disaster areas” by the United States Department of Agriculture due to substantial crop losses that began with a February deep freeze and continued though a summer marked by severe drought.

Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Worcester counties were designated as primary natural disaster areas, the USDA said, “due to losses caused by frost and freeze that occurred from February 14 through May 4, 2016.”

Farmers in those counties are eligible for low interest emergency loans from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, the USDA said. Farmers have eight months to apply for a loan to help cover part of their losses.

Farmers in Dukes, Nantucket and Suffolk counties — as well as several counties in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont — also qualify for the loan program if their farms are in counties contiguous to the primary disaster areas.

A deep freeze around Valentine’s Day wiped out almost all of the state’s peach crop, farmers previously told the News Service, and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said Tuesday that other tree fruits were affected as well.

On top of the deep freeze, Massachusetts farmers have been hit this season with an ongoing and widespread drought that’s been blamed for contributing to wild fires, an outbreak of gypsy moths, higher rates of ant infestation, smaller than usual apples, loss of crops, a shortage of cattle feed, and an elevated population of mosquitoes able to carry West Nile virus.

The state earlier this month launched its own $1 million emergency loan fund to help farmers who have struggled with the impacts of the drought.

“We appreciate the United States Department of Agriculture taking steps to assist farms across the Commonwealth,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement. “I encourage farmers adversely impacted by this year’s extreme weather conditions to explore the USDA programs and the state’s Emergency Drought Loan Fund.”

More than half of the state is experiencing an “extreme” drought, the second-most intense level of dryness on the federal government’s scale, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The 52.13 percent of Massachusetts in an extreme drought stretches from the Pioneer Valley to the Cape Cod Canal, and encompasses all of Metro Boston and northeastern Massachusetts.

“This year’s weather has been a great challenge to Massachusetts farmers; first with the winter freeze and now with a severe drought,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton said in a statement. “Despite that, our farmers have done a remarkable job at getting high-quality, nutritious food to market, and I urge Massachusetts residents to buy local to support our hardworking farmers.”

As of Aug. 19, when the application for a USDA disaster declaration was submitted, Massachusetts farmers had lost just shy of $14 million worth of crops, according to the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Massachusetts office.

The same 11 Massachusetts counties are also eligible for the USDA’s Livestock Forage Disaster Program, which compensates some livestock ranchers who have suffered “grazing losses on pasture land” due to the drought, EEA said.

“Our livestock and dairy industry is a significant contributor to the state’s economy, contributing over $70 million dollars annually,” Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner John Lebeaux said in a statement. “We appreciate USDA implementing a program to address this specific sector.”

Massachusetts farmers interested in applying for the USDA aid should contact their local USDA Service Center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures, the USDA said. More information is available at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

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09/20/2016