The Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting on Tuesday, August 13 began with Halifax Police Chief Joao Chaves introducing three candidates for special police officers.

Thomas William Reed, a West Bridgewater resident, had a long list of credentials including 27 years as an East Bridgewater police officer, several years with the Department of Corrections, 7 years as an armed security officer, and a MA in criminal justice. Reed also serves on the Board of Directors of Cops for Kids with Cancer.

Jay Guidaboni, a Plymouth resident, has a BS in business from Bridgewater State University and has spent the last two years at the Plymouth County Sherriff’s office as a reserve deputy in addition to being a branch manager in the private sector for over 20 years.

Herbert Wiltshire, an army veteran, comes to the table with 20 years of experience as a patrolman in Halifax.

Chaves explained, “All three candidates have had extensive experience in the law enforcement field and will bring a wealth of knowledge and training to the department and the residents of Halifax.” The selectmen joked with Wiltshire about returning to the town. Wiltshire said, “I enjoy working here. I enjoy the people and the community and I enjoy the people that I work with.” Vice chair Tom Millias said that he defers to the Chief’s judgement in these matters. The other selectmen agreed, voting to approve a motion to appoint the three men as special police officers in Halifax.

A continuation of the tree removal hearing from the previous meeting was held with contractor Ryan Kress speaking on behalf of National Grid.

Kress brought Millias on a tour of some of the work that had already been started in East Bridgewater to give an idea of the scale of the work to be done. Millias shared, “We did take a tour and I have to say that all the work that I looked at that had been done previously looked appropriate, nothing was done more than necessary. Some of the trees that we looked at on Elm St., I understand that it would make some people unhappy but at the same time you can see the load over the lines and some of those if they were to be trimmed quite that much it would destroy the tree. I think the work proposed is appropriate.

As far as the trees on personal property, that is something that they have to work out with the property owners.” Millias also added that as much as he would like to have the town grind stumps and replant trees for concerned residents, it just isn’t possible as doing it for some would likely mean needing to do it for all.

Kress estimated that it will be about two months before work commences in Halifax as Pembroke is scheduled to be completed first. Chair Troy Garron said he also took a drive down to look at the proposed trees to be cut and also felt that the work to be done is appropriate. Kress shared that National Grid will be removing any stumps that may interfere or pose a danger to snow plows in the winter. The selectmen approved a motion to move forward with the work once the tree warden signs the permit.

Fireworks Committee plans for next year

The Halifax Fireworks Committee also met with the Selectmen to go over this year’s firework display as well as some anticipated needs for next year. Garron addressed the committee smiling saying, “All I know is I had a nice seat in front of the library to watch the fireworks and it was great.” The committee said that the cost of this year’s event was $9,500 and that the cost for next year would likely increase by about 25% due to tariffs. The committee said that they are hoping to raise those extra funds through fundraising events at the town hall such as craft fairs, garage sales, and even a possible paint night. They are also looking into a wine and beer tasting at the country club.

Garron mentioned that while most people seemed pretty pleased with the fireworks, the biggest complaint was the lack of activities in the morning. The committee acknowledged the lack of morning festivities saying it just isn’t possible to do with a committee of only three people. Two new volunteers were present, however, and the committee asked the Board to approve their appointment to the Halifax Fireworks Committee. Mike and Susan Hill, who have lived in Halifax since ’95 said they felt it was time to get involved in the town. The Board unanimously approved their appointments.

Nips make up much of the litter on roads

Jeanne Kling spoke to the board on behalf of the Halifax Beautification Committee regarding the town’s issue with litter, specifically miniature beverage containers commonly referred to as nips. Kling said that the nips bottles are a big source of the litter found during town clean-up days and acknowledged that locals are likely not the only source of the problem as there are many roadways through town frequented by non-residents. Illustrating the extent of the problem, Kling shared that resident Shirley Graf has collected 908 of these bottles just since January, with 668 of them found just within her neighborhood alone. The committee feels strongly that the issue is one that cannot be addressed solely at the local level. There is currently a house bill sponsored by Representative Randy Hunt of Sandwich asking that the nips be added to the bottle bill. Adding these bottles to the bill would hopefully deter littering as they would have a refundable deposit. The bill is currently stuck in joint committee. The Beautification Committee sent letters to Representative Kathleen LaNatra, State Senators Michael Brady and Marc Pacheco, and Representative Josh Cutler requesting that nips bottles be added to the bottle bill. Kling requested that the Board of Selectmen also send a letter to the legislative delegation acknowledging the problem and requesting that they support the idea to add nips to the bottle bill. Millias said, “I know that the liquor store owners don’t like this idea but I agree with you.” The Board agreed, directing town administrator Charlie Seelig to send the aforementioned letters.

Kling also took the opportunity to publicly thank C-Mac for their work to fix up the the island on Route 58 and 106.

Retail marijuana facility inquiry

Gregory Conway, who grew up in Halifax and has a graduate degree in public policy, met with the board to get their thoughts on a retail marijuana facility in town.

The board and Seelig shared with Conway that the town had previously voted to allow facilities on land zoned industrial but not commercial. Conway questioned the board as to what kind of concerns were voiced by the residents in regard to the commercial zone.

Selectman Gordon Andrews said that many residents were concerned about a retail establishment’s proximity to schools or other locations where primarily children convene. Seelig added, “There are people who feel that 500 feet is not enough and just don’t want it even 1,000 feet away.”

Another concern mentioned particularly in regard to abutters, was odor. Currently there are two petition articles that have been referred to the Planning Board for a public hearing.

The articles would be to 1) allow recreational marijuana facilities on commercially zoned land and 2) prohibit such facilities within 300 feet of any land zoned agricultural/residential.

This hearing will likely occur sometime in September with the board making a recommendation and the vote being taken at town meeting. Garron said, “Bottom line is, it’s up to what the people decide they want.”

The board also discussed the search for a new director for the Council on Aging. Applications for the position were due this past week and at the time of Tuesday’s meeting, 12 had been received thus far.

Seven people including two representatives from the Council on Aging, two town officials, and three residents were appointed by the Board to the search committee.

The Board also requested that Seelig ask the search committee to provide them with four applicants for review. Brenda Fitzgerald was named as the interim COA director.

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.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has announced that Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus and West Nile virus (WNv) were detected in mosquitoes collected from Halifax, Carver, and Lakeville on July 22.  Kingston mosquitoes tested positive for WNv.

In response, the Plympton Board of Health, Arthur Morin, Chairman, issued a directive cancelling all outdoor activities on town-owned property between sunset and sunrise when mosquitoes are most active, and Halifax has issued an advisory from Health Agent Cathleen Drinan, detailing what steps Halifax is taking and what steps our readers can take to avoid mosquitoes and their bites.

Drinan says, “July is early for EEE.  We expect it to spread.”  She continues that it is being found in mammal biting mosquitoes, so there is the potential for humans being infected.

While EEE is considered rare, it is still a “dire or deadly” disease, and can kill people, especially young and old.  Those who survive often end up severely impaired.

WNv, Drinan continues, is not as rare as EEE and is usually mild but can be deadly to those over the age of 50.

Halifax will request additional spraying around the school, walking track, and soccer fields.

Due to the recent four samples of mosquitoes testing positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and five samples testing positive for West Nile virus (WNv) in the town of Halifax, the whole town was sprayed July 29 by the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project. Halifax residents don’t need to contact the Project to request spraying at this time.

Residents may request their property be sprayed by the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project, PCMCP, up to eight times in a summer. Requests are accepted via fax, phone, walk-in or by mail.  They recommend faxing spray service requests, including resident’s name, address, town, phone, and email.  Phone requests are difficult to handle as they are serving all of Plymouth County.  The fax number is 781-582-1276.  They are located at 272 South Meadow Road, Plymouth, MA 02360, and the office hours are 7:30-2:30 Monday – Friday.

To see a list of the towns and streets to be sprayed, go to their web site, www.plymouthmosquito.org/home then click on “About Us” located at the top of the page, and scroll down and click on “Spray Routes” to see daily the towns and streets to be sprayed and the date the spraying will occur.

PCMCP collects samples of mosquitoes and tests them for viruses between July and September.  In addition to disease surveillance, PCMCP is also monitoring for the Asian Tiger Mosquito, an introduced insect capable of transmitting diseases such as Zika and Dengue.  According to the PCMCP web site, the Asian Tiger Mosquito has been identified in Mattapoisett and Wareham.

Drinan’s Halifax advisory cautions to avoid mosquito bites by considering rescheduling outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, the peak biting time for many mosquitoes.  Otherwise, take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing to help reduce mosquito bites.  Use insect repellent with DEET, (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to the instructions on the product label.  Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.  Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.

There are many things to do at home reduce the number of mosquitoes in the yard. It is possible to generate large amounts of mosquitoes with small amounts of water.

Mosquitoes can have many generations in one year and in the heat of the summer they can go from egg to adult in about a week. The best way to prevent mosquito production is to remove any objects that hold water from your yard.

Below is a list of common objects or places that produce mosquitoes.

Tires. Old tires are notorious for producing large numbers of mosquitoes. If you are storing tires, put them in a shed or garage. If you have a tire swing, put a hole in the bottom of it so it cannot hold water.

Gutters.  Rain gutters on houses tend to fill up with leaves and other things that clog the gutters. This material can cause gutters to hold water long enough to produce mosquitoes.

Swimming pools. Any unmaintained pool is large enough to produce ample mosquitoes to bother the whole neighborhood. Keep children’s pools full of clean water and make sure all swimming pools do not become full of algae or leaves.

Tires. Old tires are notorious for producing large numbers of mosquitoes. If you are storing tires, put them in a shed or garage. If you have a tire swing, put a hole in the bottom of it so it cannot hold water.

Flower pots. Old flower pots or saucers underneath the flower pot can hold enough water for mosquito larvae.

Gardening tools such as wheelbarrows or shovels.

Toys left outside can collect water.

Bird baths should be emptied and cleaned once a week to prevent mosquitoes.

Garbage cans and lids.  Make sure there are holes in the very bottom of your garbage can.

Tarps. Frequently people use tarps to cover items such as wood, boats or to make a fort.  Always keep the tarp tight and drain any water that collects in the tarp.

Boats. Any boat, or tarp covering a boat can hold water.  Make sure the plug in the bottom of the boat is open so water can drain from it.

Other. Buckets, soda cans, pet dishes, washing machines, old cars, refrigerators, watering troughs, bath tubs and basements.

For more information about EEE and WNv, see this week’s column by Health Agent Cathleen Drinan on page 8.