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Water filtration plans at Dennett School sent to DEP after 27 months after funding

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PLYMPTON– On Tuesday, August 2, the Board of Health met and took on an agenda full of mostly old business, and heard status updates.

• There is forward movement in the sale of 59 Parsonage Road from the USDA to Richmond Poole. Town Counsel has reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that Poole and his attorney seek from the board drawing up the terms under which the BOH will lift conditions it has placed on the deed to the property. Town Counsel made only minor changes to the draft MOU from Poole’s attorney.

• Of the two Maple Street properties that the board has been trying to ascertain the number of bedrooms, the Assessors have not been able to enter one of the dwellings because it is not time for an assessment. The other is a four-bedroom home, and therefore it is in compliance with state septic codes as its septic system is designed for four bedrooms.

• There is no news on the Upland Road rat infestation. Board Chairman Art Morin agreed with the room that no news was good news on the infestation.

• A Center Street resident who is in dire need of a new septic system was able to obtain a loan to complete the work. The only other option for the resident was to sell the home.

• There are two outstanding complaints for rubbish that has piled up outdoors. One involves a Grove Street property, where a one-time intervention might help. “My dump-truck stands ready,” said member Ken Thompson, although the board is working with the Council on Aging to make sure this isn’t an ongoing problem. The other is a Mayflower Road foreclosure, where notice has now been sent to the bank that owns the property, ordering them to clean up the property. That lender is in Texas, meaning if they don’t have a local code compliance unit, the order may be fruitless.

• A couple from Forest Street came before the board because they realized that they unwittingly don’t have a proper septic system for the number of bedrooms in their home. The system is rated for three bedrooms and is quite old, while there are five bedrooms and five residents in the house. They are in the process of refinancing to pay for a new system. The board asked to be kept up to date.

• Nearly 27 months after it was funded at a Town Meeting, a design for the water filtration system at the Dennett Elementary School has been sent to the Department of Environmental Protection for final approval. The school uses bottled water for drinking due to a series of failed water safety tests and procedural failures by SLRSD officials over a period of about a decade.

D.A.R.E. program mixes fun, sobering safety messages

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There was a lot to be loud and proud about last week at the Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education (DARE) Summer Program held at host school Whitman-Hanson July 25-28 as more than 600 campers cheered for their teams and took over the grounds for fun and education in the sun.

With the temperature reaching 90 degrees nearly all week, campers had both in and outdoor activities where special guest performers and educators spoke to them about DARE and avoiding situations or substances that could potentially cause them harm.

Lead Camp Organizer Peter Veneto spoke to families, campers and staff at the closing ceremony on Friday as campers from 20 of the 27 communities within Plymouth County gathered to share a week of non-stop fun. The camp celebrated its 22nd year in Plymouth County and is sponsored by Plymouth County D.A Timothy J. Cruz., The Plymouth County Police Chiefs and Drug education and resource officers.

“Your behavior was fantastic,” Veneto said. “As campers you have earned your T-shirts — wear them proudly as leaders in the community. Let your friends know who you are: Leaders of a drug-free community. Be proud of yourselves.”

Host town DARE Officer Billy Frazier of Hanson asked for a moment of silence honoring law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty across the United States over the past few months, as well as three former DARE Officers who have passed away since the camp was established.

Awards honoring the former DARE Officers were presented to Peer Leader Liz Short of Hanson’s Team 5 in memory of Officer Robert Quigley of the Marshfield Police Department, student service awards were presented to Emma Wojag of Hanson in memory of Helen Gray and Brayden Ferguson of Whitman was presented with a student service award in memory of Officer Gerald Mont of Whitman police.

District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz pledged his efforts to continue the camp and reminded campers that it took many officers, and donations of food,  time, money and most of the things they were able to participate in were due to the generosity of so many local companies.

Cruz intends to see the camp grow and eventually have all 27 communities in Plymouth County have resource officers and participate in the camp.

On Tuesday, July 26 Cruz and Sherriff McDonald presented two Hanson natives — Chief Warrant 3 pilot Scott Landis and Anthony Celia — with recognition awards for their decade of service in the Army flying Black Hawk helicopters. The pair talked with campers after landing on the soccer field, giving a tour of equipment and allowing the kids to explore the aircraft.

Kudos

DARE Camp organizers thanked Fire Chief Jerome Thompson Jr. and the Hanson Fire Department for its help in making the Thursday, July 28, foam and water day a success as well as the following: Plymouth County Police Chiefs: Christopher Delmonte of Bridgewater; John Crowley of Brockton; Marc Duphily of Carver; Matthew Clancy of Duxbury; Scott Allen of East Bridgewater; Walter Sweeney of Hanover; Michael Miksch of Hanson; Glenn Olsson of Hingham; Robert Sawtelle of Hull; Frank Alivihiera of Lakeville; Philip Tavarers of Marshfield; Theodore Ross of Norwell; Richard Wall of Pembroke; Michael Botieri of Plymouth; Patrick Dillon of  Plympton; John Llewellyn of Rockland; Michael Stewart of Scituate; Kevin Walsh of Wareham; Victor Flaherty of West Bridgewater and Scott Benton of Whitman. Thanks were also extended to Chief Christopher Cummings of the Massasoit Community College Police and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald Jr.

CPCWC just getting their feet wet

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PLYMOUTH COUNTY– On Wednesday, August 3, the Central Plymouth Water Commissioners met at Plympton Town House. They were widely expected to approve a letter appealing directly to Brockton residents regarding the Brockton water supply that was to run as an advertisement in the Brockton Enterprise, but the three present commissioners who wrote and edited the letter ended up disagreeing on the language of the letter and tabled it to their next meeting. The commission also discussed how they had discovered they were not a county entity in the county’s eyes and discussed reorganizing, but in the end voted to remain in the same positions.

Letter to residents

A direct appeal to the residents of Brockton has been in the works for weeks, and although commissioner Patrick Quinn agrees that the final purpose of the letter is to educate residents on their shared water resources; he didn’t think the letter gave enough “bang for its buck.” He also expressed that it was too long and disagreed with several factual points. All present commissioners described ways that the letter could be improved, with graphics or punchier one-liners at the prompting of audience member and Jones River Watershed Association member Pine DuBois. Commissioner Paul Collis appeared disappointed, but Chairman Jack O’Leary recognized that there was a lack of unanimity in how to move forward with the letter, and the commission unanimously voted to table the matter to the next meeting.

County entity?

In an attempt to access money appropriated to the commission, the County treasurer determined that the commission was not a county entity, and furthermore could not use the county seal. The commission is now confused as to whether they are a state entity or a county entity, and want to set up their own bank account to use the money that they are appropriated, rather than submit reimbursement forms after putting up their own personal money for expenses, as they’ve been told to do.

Whether or not they use a state seal or a county seal, or their own logo, is not the main issue though; it matters only in the sense of whether their money comes directly from a state agency, or is passed through an agency on to the county, where it is then disbursed. The commission has just received another $50,000 earmark, and wants it directly under their control.

Commissioners expressed frustration at the bureaucracy and red-tape, and Collis articulated that this issue would probably have stymied efforts to move the newspaper advertisement along faster, even had the commissioners agreed on the language that night.

Reorganization

The commission receives its authority from a 1964 special act of the legislature and is required to yearly reorganize– or consider reorganizing. The commission did consider reorganizing, but all present voted to stay in their current positions for the upcoming fiscal year. Jack O’Leary will remain chair, Paul Collis, clerk, Patrick Quinn, member, and Brian Creedon, member. Creedon was not present at the meeting.

The commission did go “off agenda” and talk about the various issues in the district towns in general terms at times, but it was apparent that the commission was experiencing growing pains as it is newly revived and that the greatest hindrance to their work may be bureaucratic hurdles at this point in time.

All Halifax STM articles pass unanimously

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HALIFAX– The Town of Halifax held a Special Town Meeting Monday, July 25, in the Halifax Elementary School Gym. There were six articles on the warrant, all of which passed unanimously.

Article 1 funded an increase in staffing for the fire department in the amount of $210,000. This money was found through an increase in ambulance fees approved at the last Town Meeting.

Articles 2 and 3 had to do with dispatching. Article 2 funded a new agreement with the dispatcher’s union, while Article 3 combined various line items for the communications center into one line item.

Article 4 involved the first step in the Elementary School renovation and repair process, and appropriated $140,000 towards the process.

Articles 5 and 6, the former asking for money for additional work on Monponsett Pond and the latter to renovate the HOPS playground were passed over at the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen.

Fieldstone Farms consent agreement finally signed: More trouble on horizon for Tarawood Kennel

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HALIFAX– Despite Halifax Selectmen finishing the bulk of their seemingly brief agenda in about 10 minutes on Tuesday, July 26, the agenda actually contained many scheduled appointments which kept the board busy for hours. Among the appointments were the ninth meeting with Fieldstone Farms proprietor Scott Clawson, a hearing on no-parking signs on Brandeis Circle for the purpose of discouraging access to Silver Lake and a continuation of a dog hearing for Tarawood Kennel.

Fieldstone Farms consent agreement signed

Finally, after nine lengthy meetings with Scott Clawson, a contentious update to the legal consent agreement under which he operates horse shows was signed by Clawson and the board.

There was a sense of relief in the room as the lengthy process, which had been adversarial at times, is coming to an end. The agreement still needs legal review.

The update to the 20-year-old legal agreement came after Clawson set off red-flags among town officials by advertising more shows than were allowed in the agreement for this summer, but Clawson turned the chastising he received from the board for that transgression into a discussion about changing the contract.

Lawyers for the town and for Clawson worked out the details of the changes that Clawson wanted to see, up until past 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Clawson will see an increase in the number of shows, an increase in the number of RVs on site to house show security and other personnel as well as an increased number of horses counted by entries, not heads.

He had to compromise on several issues, including the number of RVs, whether they could have generators or not– they cannot– and concerns that various public safety officials had, especially regarding the on-site medical staff.

He will also be able to ask for an extra date if he gives the Board sufficient notice.

The agreement was renegotiated line-by-line in painstaking detail over the course of the process.

Brandeis Circle

The board rejected a proposal to put up “No Parking” signs on Brandeis Circle in order to prevent access to Silver Lake via a property that is no longer in use and has a trail to the water’s edge.

Reportedly, many recreational users of Silver Lake leave their vehicles in front of the property, and Jeffrey Bolger, a neighbor, suggested “No Parking” signs to discourage this illegal trespassing.

Yet, despite a recent drowning, neighbors expressed their disapproval for the signs, saying that they would prevent get-togethers where extra parking is required.

Police Chief Edward Broderick stated that his department stood ready to assist neighbors if they called in what they believed to be parking violations, or trespassing on the parcel or their property, at any time.

Although the board will continue to monitor the situation, they were not prepared to have signs installed.

Silver Lake is a public water supply and is not open for recreational use, although due to a lack of enforcement and unclear jurisdictions, people often use it for recreational purposes.

Tarawood Kennel

Tarawood Kennel, at 7 Plymouth Street, is owned by Jennifer Choate. The board called her back before them for the third part of a dog hearing to address on-going barking issues.

Last week the board ordered her to take remedial action immediately to reduce barking that neighbors say they can hear at all times of day and night and to hire a sound engineer to look into fixing the problem in a more permanent way.

Although the board, Choate, her attorney and some of her supporters were speaking back and forth, no one in the room from the public was recognized to speak by Chairman Troy Garron. Neighbors turned out in droves, to the point where extra chairs had to be found by Town Administrator Charlie Seelig.

Choate has spoken to a sound engineer, and began moving around some dogs within the facility in an attempt to reduce barking, she said.

They all agreed to continue the hearing until August 23rd at 8 p.m. until some more work can be done.

Further complicating matters, though, was a citizen’s petition that Selectmen are obligated to take up, giving them authority over the entire kennel operation, not just the barking issue. Since 25 residents signed, they must hold a hearing. That hearing is scheduled for Aug. 9 at 8 p.m.

This may obviate the Aug. 23 hearing, but Seelig recommended that the two processes run parallel to each other.

Choate is currently seeking an increase in the number of dogs she can have on premise from the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Selectmen will now have authority superseding that of the ZBA in all aspects of the kennel.

Water Risk Rises for Brockton & Monponsett Pond

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By State Representative Tom Calter (12th Plymouth District)

Fifty-two years ago, neighboring communities of Brockton came together, despite concerns, to provide a stopgap measure to supplement Brockton’s insufficient water supply during a time when drought left the City at risk of burning from fire.

Yet, as we face a looming public health crisis with the continued degradation of Monponsett Pond, and cyanobacteria counts growing more hazardous by the week, Brockton water officials continue to refuse to change their irresponsible practices that have defined their management approach for over five decades.  In fact, they won’t even acknowledge their role – as dominant as it is.  Recently, Brockton Water Commissioner Chair Ossie Jordan, claimed that there is “no problem” with water quality or quantity for residents of Brockton and challenged people to “get the right information”. With that in mind, I’m writing this article to provide some important facts that he omitted. 

In 1964, the passage of emergency legislation, Act 371, authorized Brockton to access Monponsett Pond in Halifax and Furnace Pond in Pembroke as part of their supply, which already included Silver Lake.  The fact is: hand-in-hand with granting this access, Act 371 also established the Central Plymouth County Water District Commission as the legal water management authority charged with ensuring that practices promote safe and sustainable drinking supplies for all of central Plymouth County, as well as protecting the ponds’ pre-existing recreational and economic uses.

Following years of closure of West Monponsett Pond due to spikes in unsafe cyanobacteria levels and negative ecological impacts on the pond and Silver Lake, the CPCWDC and I have been working diligently with Brockton officials for over 3 years to get all parties talking about solutions.  Originally we had hoped that with the sharing of facts and data, Brockton would show interest in the same common good that delivered them a drinking water supply amidst their own crisis.  However, the fact is, despite scientific research and data presented, Brockton continues to keep the sluice gate at Stump Brook closed, ignoring the authority of the CPCWDC in the process.  In doing so, they keep West Monponsett Pond stagnant, all-the-while knowing that such action is a significant contributing factor that makes conditions ripe for cyanobacteria blooms to grow and flourish. And flourish they have.

The Mass Dept. of Public Health sets the safe contact standard for cyanobacteria at 70,000 cells per liter.  The fact is that a sample collected from West Monponsett on July 11th came in at over 1 Million cells per liter. Over 1 Million –that’s 15 times the public health threshold for contact.  Certain strains of cyanobacteria can manufacture toxins and these toxins can produce adverse health effects.   Physical ingestion can cause illness and research now shows that these toxins can even become airborne, with a range of miles, bringing respiratory problems and increased rates of ALS and Alzheimer’s with it.  Residents who live around the pond are often afraid to open their windows or leave their homes when the cell counts are high.  The notion made by Brockton Rep. Michelle DuBois that residents of Halifax want their beaches back to sunbathe is beyond offensive.

While disregard for their neighbors’ health is bad enough, perhaps what’s worse is disregard for their own responsibility to ensure a sustainable and safe water supply for residents of the great City of Brockton into the future. Many times over many years, Brockton has been advised that reliance on Silver Lake for the majority of its water source was inadequate and that additional supplies must be developed to ensure a sufficient water supply in the event of a drought.  This prompted the use of Monponsett in the first place, and now that source may be ruined.  Yet, they evidently continue to view Silver Lake as ‘theirs’, when in reality Brockton doesn’t own Silver Lake, any more than any municipality can.  The fact is – it is a Great Pond and is owned by all people in the Commonwealth. The privileged rights of access Brockton enjoys absolutely do not give them the right to destroy it. 

Moreover, the bacteria cell count in Monponsett Pond far exceeds the safety standards for swimming and yet this water is dumped by the billions of gallons into the Silver Lake drinking water supply, with a nod from Commissioner Jordan that they “might increase some of the chemicals we put in if that became a problem.”  I’m not a chemist, nor a doctor, but I’ve learned enough about the harm of chemical exposure on the human body to be weary of that as a go-to solution for an ongoing problem.  Prior to becoming a legislator, I spent 30 years in the environmental remediation industry, I know an environmental blight when I see it, and I know that knee-jerk chemical treatments are merely masking the problem.

Brockton officials deny the risk to public health and to the sustainability of their water supply.  Monponsett’s degraded water quality is fueled by excessive nutrients and the presence of cyanobacteria cells.  During the non-summer months Brockton diverts that highly degraded water into Silver Lake.  It is only a matter of time before Silver Lake is also pushed over the edge and mirrors the dangerous conditions in Monponsett.  So, while Rep. DuBois and others mistakenly believe that this is purely a recreational problem, it could soon be Brockton’s drinking water crisis.  Brockton’s citizens and the residents around Silver Lake cannot afford this destruction of a precious resource.   

The towns of Halifax and Hanson, the CPCWDC, and local watershed associations all recognize that there are multiple contributing factors to the cyanobacteria problem. They are all doing their part, spending significant money and time in upgrading septic systems, water treatments, public education on fertilizers, and working with the agricultural industry to stem the problem. The one significant contributing factor that remains unhindered is the water stagnation. That is controlled by Brockton water officials and they must do their part.

The fact is, the City of Brockton has an alternate water source readily available through its contract with Aquaria, yet they rarely use it and when they do, it is minimally.  Water from Silver Lake is “free” after all and Aquaria water is not. I represent constituents of 6 towns, all of whom pay for the precious resource of clean water. We’re not asking Brockton to do anything we aren’t already doing. Tying in to the MWRA is another solid alternative with hook up points in neighboring Stoughton that make it a very viable option. The cost of responding to a water crisis far exceeds a proactive approach and if these existing sources are lost due to water safety and poor management, there is no predicting how expensive that “free” water will become.   

The MA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has long been aware of the draw-down impacts on Silver Lake and the deterioration of Monponsett Pond, and at my urging eight months ago, began preparing a new Administrative Consent Order for Brockton to comply with. However, I am extremely disappointed that several months of negotiation with Brockton has not resulted in any work product, and the heat of the summer is now upon us.

I’ll remind readers that the water crisis in Flint, MI was borne out of prioritizing cost savings over water safety. Citizens of Flint repeatedly raised concerns about the quality of the drinking water, and repeatedly, these concerns were dismissed. The water crisis in Toledo, OH, caused by a massive cyanobacteria bloom, left a half a million residents without safe drinking water despite continual advance warnings from the EPA about its vulnerability and the Toledo’s lack of preparedness.

Similar to the crises in Flint and Toledo, the warnings about Brockton’s water supply are being voiced and dismissed.  No one wants to see this evolve into a public health emergency and yet, the path to that end is visible. If Brockton officials choose again to look the other way and not take meaningful action, I will file legislation requiring them to hook up to the MWRA as a sustainable and reliable water resource.  For the sake of meeting basic water needs for the people of Brockton, AND for the sake of the health of residents living in proximity to Monponsett Pond and Silver Lake, it is time for Brockton Water Commissioners to finally change their ways and do what is right – for the common good.

SLRSD pulls special legislation fast one: Did CPC postcard before Town Meeting break the law?

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PLYMPTON– Selectmen met in Plympton on Monday, July 25, and discussed a variety of topics, including a report from Finance Committee Chairman Susan Ossoff on the proposed sale of land to the Town of Kingston for the purpose of a police station, a post card created by the Community Preservation Committee before Town Meeting discouraging residents from voting to put a question on a future ballot to eliminate the CPC and whether it broke the law, and the fact that the town cannot find proper records documenting an earth removal operation by Jeff Randall, of Ring Road, and what to do about it.

SLRSD special legislation

According to Susan Ossoff, of the FinCom, the Silver Lake Regional School District pulled a fast one on Plympton and Halifax.

Officials from the Town of Kingston have wanted for some time to place a police station on a parcel of land owned by the Silver Lake District. During last town meeting season, all three towns composing the SLRSD were going to vote on whether to sell a parcel of land to Kingston. Articles were on the warrants in all three towns.

At the last minute, possibly sensing a lack of support, says Ossoff, Plympton (and Halifax) were asked to pass over the article, with the explanation from the SLRSD’s attorney that although the district can purchase land independently, it cannot sell it. Plympton and Halifax passed over the warrant articles.

Kingston did not, and narrowly voted against their own project.

Representative Tom Calter (D– Kingston) was asked to craft special legislation to allow the district to sell the property. Ossoff says this could have gone one of two ways, the first allowing a unilateral sale on the part of the district, and the second requiring the component towns to weigh-in on the matter.

For reasons unclear at this time, Calter chose the unilateral sale of the land.

“My problem with this is lack of process,” said Ossoff. “It’s a jointly held asset.”

The FinCom will write a letter expressing their displeasure. Halifax officials are expressing their displeasure as well.

Can CPC post card

be paid for by

CPC funds?

Can you use public funds in support of educating the public to promote a warrant article at town meeting? Yes, says CPC Chairman Mark Russo– although there is a cutoff. What about in a general or town election? No is the clear answer, he says.

But when a post card was mailed out by the CPC to ask residents not to vote at town meeting to put a question on a general election ballot to eliminate the CPC (and promote what the CPC does for the town), well, things become murkier.

“This is my fault,” said Russo. “I’m very sorry this even has come before the board…[w]e did do our due diligence.”

The CPC may have crossed a line when they mailed out an educational post card shortly before Town Meeting promoting the CPC. At the time, there was a citizen’s petition on the town meeting warrant that asked residents if they would vote to eliminate the CPC on a future general election ballot.

Four different state agencies could not determine if this was appropriate or not, including the Department of Revenue and the State Ethics Commission.

For the future, Town Counsel will be consulted for an opinion since there is no clear line in the sand at this time, even though the situation is not unique.

Randall Paperwork

The town cannot find appropriate records for the earth removal operations for Jeff Randall, of Ring Road, and they’re placing the burden on him to find them. They are also pressuring him to continue to “separate” his composting operations from his earth removal operation.

Randall isn’t taking this lying down, though. In polite terms, he stated that the town’s lack of record keeping should not be his problem.

“What you guys do is on you,” he said. “That’s not on me.”

He agreed to look into the matter, in a cooperative manner, though.

The board wants to know when he will finish excavating the earth, which he says he cannot estimate due to fluctuating market costs. He is in the process of building two bogs, but says they will not be operational until he knows he can sell the cranberries he produces.

“This never came up until I proposed a medical marijuana facility [on my farm],” Randall mentioned wryly.

No one present responded to the comment.

Choate of Tarawood Kennels told to hire sound engineer

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HALIFAX– At the continuation of a dog hearing on Tuesday, July 19, Jennifer Choate, proprietor of Tarawood Kennels, was ordered by selectmen to hire a sound engineer in order to keep her kennel license.

Neighbors, at a hearing that began last week but which Choate could not attend, complained of near constant barking that could be heard at all hours.

Choate says the dogs are indoors from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., in an insulated barn– although the roof is not insulated.

The public did not testify as much as public officials debated Choate.

Selectman Kim Roy, who has been doing her own research on the barking by showing up at random times throughout the day and night, along with a dozen or so neighbors, say that there is a barking problem.  Neighbors say that they have put up with it for years.

Roy and Choate disagreed on whether there actually was a problem, with Choate stating that Roy was causing the dogs to “alert” with her very presence at odd hours, such as 4:51 a.m. as in one of her recordings. In that recording, one could argue that morning birds were louder than the barking, although barking could be heard.

“I wanted to disprove the barking, I really did,” said Roy. Choate “disagreed” with a lot that the board and her neighbors had to say.

Selectman Chairman Troy Garron relied heavily on the expertise of the Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan, but Callahan stated that her concern was primarily for the animals’ safety, which was not the issue at hand.

While the other board members seemed as if they wanted to “prescribe” some solution swiftly, Selectman Tom Millias said he wanted to get away from prescribing a solution for a person’s business, because if it fails, “we will all be back in the same position again.”

The board came to a somewhat odd solution, which was to order Choate to hire a professional sound engineer to come up with  or help Choate to come up with a plan to mitigate barking noise.

She will report back to selectmen in one week on her progress.

Plympton Board of Health Meets: Progress on 59 Parsonage Road

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PLYMPTON– The Plympton Board of Health met on Tuesday, July 19, and discussed a variety of topics, most notably:

• Progress has been made on the closing of 59 Parsonage Road between the USDA and Richmond Poole. An attorney for Mr. Poole was present, and all agreed that the board would first inspect the property to find out if any remaining orders need to be complied with, and then move forward with removing trailers that were left on the property. Now that the process has been agreed upon, it is just a matter of carrying it out.

• Assessors still cannot get access to two homes on Maple Street to determine the number of rooms, which is directly related to the septic system.

• Although rats have been seen in the area, the rat infestation on Upland Road seems to be under control and continues to be monitored.

• The sale of the home on Grove Street where a dumpster company dumped the refuse in the driveway because the dumpster fee went unpaid has fallen through. The dumpster company is unknown, and the garbage has been bagged and is in the backyard of the home now. Ken Thompson of the Board of Health volunteered, on a one-time basis, to help haul away some of the trash, but wanted to make sure that a plan for getting rid of trash was in place for the future.

• A home on Mayflower Road that went into foreclosure also has a rubbish problem; this time trash was just left in the driveway. The lender will be contacted and asked to comply with code.

CPCWC will appeal directly to Brockton water users

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PLYMOUTH COUNTY– On Wednesday, July 13 the Central Plymouth County Water Commissioners met to edit a letter they are sending as a direct appeal to Brockton water consumers.

Only two of the four commissioners were present, although the third appeared by cellphone and the Brockton Commissioner did not attend the meeting.

The thrust of the letter is to make Brockton residents aware of the consequences their water consumption is having on neighboring communities, and their officials’ lack of a response to the issue.

Brockton, which can divert water from the Monponsett Lake into Silver Lake and pumped out as Brockton’s supply, is under the microscope as their diversions are blamed for keeping Monponsett Lake, especially West Pond, stagnant and unhealthy, encouraging cyanobacteria to reproduce.

This summer cyanobacteria numbers have soared as the temperatures have risen, causing MassDEP to recommend closure of West Pond.

This has done little to stop recreational boaters from using the pond, even fishing in it, despite posted warnings that the West Pond of the lake is closed.

A test on Monday, July 11th was even more disturbing than previous tests. According to the MassDEP and local officials, the West Monponsett Pond samples showed cyanobacteria levels of 1,174,000 cells/ml, up from 613,000 cells/ml at 4th Avenue Beach the week before. Last week, 592,000 cells/ml were found at the state boat ramp, and 632,000 cells/ml were found at Ocean Avenue Beach.

This is much higher than the cutoff rate of 70,000 cells/ml that the state considers for human safety.

The East Monponsett sample, collected at the Rt. 36 boat ramp, showed a cyanobacteria level of 14,500 cells/ml, up from 950 cells/ml the week before.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends that the current advisory remain in place, and the town is abiding by that recommendation.

MassDEP plans to collect samples again this week.