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Wingbusters take Drone Racing competitively

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Most people don’t use drones for spying.

In fact, many who fly them competitively prefer the term multirotor because of the negative connotation attached to the word “drone”. And in Halifax, the Wingbusters Rotor Racers, are establishing themselves as a go-to spot for competitive “drone racing”, as some may call it.

They are members of the MultiGP (Grand Prix) and they keep standings on a points system dependent on how many laps one finishes in any given meet. They wrapped up their regular season this past Sunday at their home field off River Street in Halifax.

Originally though, the group started out with remote control airplanes. But when the opportunity for a first-person experience came about, they could not pass it up.

“I would say the biggest appeal of what we’re doing now is it feels like you’re sitting in the aircraft flying around,” race coordinator Adam Proulx said.

“You put the goggles on your face and it seals off the outside world. Some of the drones even have microphones; you could even have the sounds of it. It’s a completely immersive experience. It’s about as close to flying an aerobatic aircraft as you can get.”

Their average event this year had around 15 to 20 competitors. But an event to qualify for regionals had 27. And the top four finishers from the event advanced.

While the racers tend to be local, not all of them hail from the South Shore.

“Pilots come from all over,” Proulx said. “We get a guy who comes from Uxbridge. Pretty much from Western Mass, up north and down to the Cape. We even get guys from Connecticut coming in.”Proulx said they have even had people join who had no experience flying remote control aircrafts.

“They see these things flying around on YouTube, on ESPN even and they want to do it,” he said. “And they can start doing it. There’s a lot of resources to help people get started.”

“It’s still in its infancy right now,” Proulx added of multirotor racing.

“But it’s growing very quickly. And I’m very excited to see where it goes. I mean, ESPN has picked this stuff up. Who knows who else will come on board.

“They’ve got some big sponsors like Mountain Dew and Red Bull,” he added. “It’s a real rush when you’re going back and forth with somebody. It’s a lot of fun.”

For more information on the Wingbusters including upcoming events, contact information and event locations, visit Wingbusters.org.

Page 1 photo credit: Steve Grenon

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.

Lakers 4-0 after Hingham shutout; will meet Duxbury Dragons Friday

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You’d have to look back to last year to find the last time the Silver Lake High School football team lost.

The Lakers have started this year off at 4-0. In their most recent bout, they shutout a Patriot League foe, Hingham, 39-0, at home last Friday night.

“It was a great win against a very good team,” Lakers second year head coach Chris DiGiacomo said. “Some things went our way. We had a really good game plan and all the kids bought into it. They went out there and executed.”

Of course, DiGiacomo was pleased with his team’s defensive play as they prevented Hingham’s high-speed no-huddle offense from finding the end zone.

And he noted defensive lineman Matt Cook, linebackers Matt Powell and Liam Kelliher as well as defensive backs Max LaFerrara and Carson Snell had particularly strong days defensively. LaFerrara had an interception and two receiving touchdowns on offense.

Phil Lashley led the team’s effort on the ground. He had 13 carries for 99 yards. And cumulatively, the Lakers rushed for 208 yards on 33 carries. Under center, Alex Snell led the way as he completed five of his 12 passes for 158 yards. Three of his five completions were touchdown passes. And wide receiver Drew Neal, who played strong two-way football, had one of those grabs.

Snell also had nine carries for 37 yards.

Josh Chapman had a 49-yard punt return for a touchdown in the win. In their past two contests, the Lakers have outscored their opponents, 79-7.

Their offense is clicking and their defense is clicking, but they face their biggest challenge yet this season this upcoming Friday.

They face the Duxbury Dragons, who are ranked No. 1 in the state by ESPN Boston — a team who has averaged 46.5 points per game this season. 

“It will be a challenge,” DiGiacomo said. “But we’re definitely excited to compete. We’re going to give it our all and fight for each other.”

DiGiacomo was quick to compliment the Dragons talent — specifically quarterback Bobby Maimaron and their running back Devin DeMeritt

But he also said he is not focused on the possibility of an “upset” win and that his team will take it one play at a time on game day.

The game is set for Friday, Oct. 7 at Duxbury High School. Kickoff is at 7:00. p.m.

Halifax-Plympton Senior job-seekers

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For job-seekers aged 50 and older, job fairs today can be noisy and intimidating.

“It’s scary,” said Halifax Council on Aging Director Barbara Brenton.

Brenton said she feels empathy for older job-seekers. She said she remembers seeing fright on some job-seekers’ faces during a career fair held back in June at Halifax Town Hall.

It can be hard to know how to negotiate a job fair.

“Where do you go? What do you say? How do you do this?” she said.

Fortunately, there is a proven path to success for older job applicants.

The councils on aging in Halifax and Marshfield are working together to co-host and offer a “50+ Job Seekers Networking Group” program to support and assist people ages 50 and older who are looking for a new job, career direction or encore career. The program is funded and supported by the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging, and is open to all Massachusetts residents aged 50 and older.

The group will meet every first and third Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m., with the first meeting to take place on Thursday, Oct. 6 at Halifax Town Hall, and the second meeting to take place on Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Marshfield Council on Aging, 230 Webster St., in Marshfield.

Meetings are run by a certified career coach and include presentations and workshops on topics relevant to career transitions and job searches, such as developing a resume, creating an elevator speech, creating a LinkedIn profile, and working a career fair.

The meetings also offer ample opportunity to network with peers and one-to-one coaching guidance.

The Halifax Council on Aging ran a similar 50+ networking group from February to June, and drew more than 175 participants to the June career fair, Brenton said.

“We get a little bit of everything, someone looking for a part-time job, or a bread-winner,” she said.

“It’s growing. There is such a huge need,” she said. “People got jobs. They were successful.”

Brenton said it can be difficult for seniors to deal with telephone calls with voice prompts and using computers and social media. Some people aged 50 and older do not own computers or have an e-mail account.

A desire to learn how to use the computer is good, and seniors can turn to their children and grandchildren for help.

Seniors can also get computer help at the library and senior center, Brenton said. 

“There’s a lot of challenges,” she said.

For more information on the 50+ Job Seekers Group, call the Council on Aging at 781-293-7313.

50+ Job Seekers Networking Group Meetings

1.) Marshfield Council on Aging, Oct. 20. Topic: Developing a resume.

2.) Halifax Town Hall, Nov. 3. Topic: Creating STARS/PARS.

3.) Marshfield Council on Aging, Nov. 17. Topic: Creating an elevator speech using STARS/PARS.

4.) Halifax Town Hall, Dec. 1. Topic: Creating a LinkedIn profile. 

5.) Marshfield Council on Aging, Dec. 15. Topic: Using LinkedIn as a networking and job search tool.

6.) Halifax Town Hall, Jan. 5, 2017. Topic: Networking 101.

7.) Marshfield Council on Aging, Jan. 19, 2017. Topic: Developing a marketing plan for job search.

8.) Halifax Town Hall, Feb. 2, 2017. Topic: Job search portfolio/tools.

9.) Marshfield Council on Aging, Feb. 16, 2017. Topic: Interview preparation and strategy.

10.) Halifax Town Hall, March 2. Topic: Boot Camp: How to work a career fair or other networking event.

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.

Silver Lake improves to 3-0 on the gridiron after 40-7 defeating Quincy

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Everything seemed to be clicking on Friday evening as Chris Digiacomo’s Silver Lake Lakers routed the Quincy Presidents, 40-7 to remain undefeated.

It was a game to remember for the entire Lakers squad as they picked up their most decisive victory of the season.

Alec Snell led the Lakers aerial attack, completing nine of 17 passes for 220 yards, in their Patriot League opener. 

The Lakers’ (3-0, 1-0 Patriot League Keenan Division) defense came to play from the first snap in this one—forcing a three-and-out on the Presidents’ (0-3, 0-1 Patriot League Keenan Division) first drive.

A fumble on the punt return would give the Presidents the ball back, but the stout Silver Lake defense, led by junior linebacker Liam Kelleher, would hold them to another three-and-out to regain possession.

Though on the Lakers’ first offensive play of the game, they would turn the ball over again, giving the Presidents excellent field position.

This time the turnover would be costly, leading to 35-yard touchdown strike as quarterback Colin Keaveny would connect with Shorn Hawthorne for six.

That would be all the Presidents were able to muster up all game. It was all Lakers until the final whistle.

On Silver Lake’s ensuing drive, A. Snell would hit Kelleher for a 32-yard pickup, advancing the ball to the two-yard line. The completion set up a two-yard touchdown burst by running back Phil Lashley (PAT good), to tie it at seven.

With time running down in the first quarter, C. Snell (four catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns) would haul in a 54-yard touchdown from to put his team in front, 13-7.

The Presidents’ first turnover early in the second quarter, would lead to the Lakers’ third consecutive score as Max LaFerrara (81 receiving yards) would come down with a 41-yard touchdown catch from A. Snell.

Senior running back Cy Kenku would join the scoring action with a four-yard touchdown run to make it a 28-7 game at the half.

On the Lakers’ first play of the second half, LaFerrara would use his arm to connect with C. Snell on a 46-yard score.

Kenku’s second touchdown of the game, with 5:03 reaming in the third, pushed the Lakers ahead 40-7.

In the Lakers’ three wins this year, they are outscoring their opponents 93-36. 

Silver Lake has won six out of its past seven games, dating back to last season.

The Lakers will be at home next week, as they continue conference play, against the 2-1 Hingham Harbormen. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

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.