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Driving us buggy Gypsy moths begin egg-laying

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Motorists may have noticed lately that they’ve been driving through flurries of moths on the region’s roadways — the latest stage of what entomologists are calling the worst gypsy moth infestation since the early 1980s.

Those moths are now laying masses of beige eggs before they die off, leading experts to fear a worse infestation next year.

Hanson and Kingston are among the state’s communities seeing spotty damage from the moths that, in their caterpillar stage, can irritate more than one’s nerves. Tiny hairs on the caterpillars can cause skin irritations for some with allergies.

There may not be much one can do to combat them at this point, however.

“It seems like the consensus is that, because we’ve had two very dry springs in a row, the fungus Entomophiaga Maimaiga … needs a lot of moisture to get going and it has to happen early enough in the season — a nice, wet April and May,” said Tawny Simisky an extension entomologist specializing in woody plant entomology with the UMass, Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment. The fungus is a natural enemy of the gypsy moth caterpillar that winters over in the soil and is most effective when it can get into the caterpillar population at an immature stage.

“Although we did see some of the fungus this year and we’ve had more reports recently about the fungus, it didn’t get kicked up into the population soon enough — or early enough — back in April and May,” Simisky said. “We didn’t have enough rain to have the fungus do enough damage to the gypsy moth caterpillars.”

Now the male moths are flying about seeking females with which to mate, as the females do not fly.

“They [caterpillars] were able to eat quite a bit,” Simisky said, noting her office has received a lot of reports about defoliation. “Unfortunately, we do not map it, but I do have some lists of towns [where damage has been reported].”

spotty damage

Besides Hanson and Kingston, there have been reports of spotty damage in, but not limited to, Sturbridge, Monson, Uxbridge, Brimfield, Charlton, Northborough, Westborough, Plymouth, Carver, Wareham, Sharon, Winchendon, Framingham, West Bridgewater, Braintree, Rowley, Georgetown, Ipswich, Newbury, Boxford, Topsfield, Gloucester, and Wrentham have reported continued and elevated caterpillar activity paired with defoliation this spring.

“Defoliation (mostly oaks) was observed by motorists driving in certain areas on Route 3 (Plymouth area), I-495 (Acton, Littleton, and Worcester areas), and the Mass. Turnpike (I-90) near Charlton. However, there have been multiple reports of gypsy moth caterpillars having fed on pines and spruce this season,” according to the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment’s periodic Landscape Message. A lot of calls were also received concerning the sound of caterpillar waste — known as frass — falling from the trees.

“It’s psychologically difficult for people to deal with, it seems,” Simisky said.

what to do?

What is a homeowner to do?

Some extension services across the country have suggested soap and water as an acceptable method for removing egg masses within reach. But Simisky said that is not a very effective method, instead recommending horticultural oil applied by a licensed company.

Simisky said each cluster laid by gypsy moths contains 500 or more eggs.

“Where folks are seeing a lot of egg masses being laid right now, that’s a likely sign that next season they’ll have a lot of gypsy moths again, unless we have a wet spring,” she said. “I’ve been advising folks to make their management plans now.”

The horticultural oils suffocate the egg masses, while soap and water requires one to scrape the egg masses into a container of the solution.

“That is really, I think, futile, labor-intensive work,” Simisky said. “You have to be able to reach every single egg mass and getting good coverage with those horticultural oils can be difficult, too.”

That’s where a Massachusetts-licensed pesticide applicator is important in targeting host trees that are covered in egg masses early next spring.

According to UMass entomologist Dr. Joseph Elkinton, Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.), a low-toxicity pesticide option that only acts on moths and butterflies may be sprayed on susceptible host plants (such as oak) when gypsy moth caterpillars are still small and feeding. The compound is created from a naturally occurring bacterium that is relatively safe for other beneficial insects, but can harm pollinating butterflies.

“It is derived from a bacterium specific to that group of insects and is considered to be safe for people and pets,” Elkinton stated in a recent article. “There is nothing that can be done now to manage the adult moths.”

Wrapping trees in foil — as was the common “remedy” for saving trees from caterpillars in the 1980s infestation — is also considered ineffective today, Simisky said.

Barking dogs investigated

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HALIFAX– The Halifax Board of Selectmen met and debated a number of items on Tuesday, July 12, although half of a dog hearing, the eighth meeting with Scott Clawson regarding his horse show consent agreement, and the second part of a multi-part earth-removal hearing for the Morse Brothers Cranberry company dominated the discussion.

Dog hearing

Scott Clawson and several neighbors brought forward a dog noise complaint against Jennifer Harmon-Choate, who operates a kennel neighboring Clawson’s property.

Harmon-Choate was not available for the hearing, despite being notified, according to Town Administrator Charlie Seelig.

Despite Ms. Harmon-Choate’s absence, the Board opted to collect evidence, and then continue the hearing until she could be present.

Several neighbors spoke of excessive barking at the kennel, including Clawson, at all hours of the day or night. Clawson’s son even had made an audio recording that he played from for the board.

A neighbor spoke of her children being afraid to play outside due to the noise of barking dogs.

Selectman Kim Roy had done some sleuthing of her own as well, recording audio at various hours of the day, including a recording at 4:51 a.m. where dogs could be heard loudly barking, allegedly from the kennel and recorded at different parts of Clawson’s property.

The hearing was continued.

Fieldstone Farms

The Board and Scott Clawson are very close to agreeing on a new version of the consent agreement Clawson operates under for his horse shows at Fieldstone Farms.  This was the eighth meeting on the subject.

Although the language between the attorney for Clawson and the attorney for the town is close, they have not yet executed a contract, and Clawson sought temporary reprieve for the rest of the summer, adding two show dates, and raising the number of overnight RV’s on his property to 15 for those dates.

The board granted his requests.

Clawson was originally called before the board for advertising more shows this summer than allowed in his agreement with the town, but turned this into an opportunity to negotiate a new contract.

The Board did negotiate further with Clawson and his attorney, and they will be back to, hopefully, execute a new agreement on July 26.

Earth-Removal hearing

The Morse Brothers Cranberry Company, represented by GAF engineering and Bill Madden, was before the Selectmen again to address concerns regarding an earth-removal permit sought by the company for their cranberry operation.

The cranberry growers claim that in order to produce a greater yield, that it is necessary to remove a particular hill and they would like to remove 41,600 cubic yards of earth from the hill in the center of the bogs.

Lingan Street would be the main route for trucks removing the earth, and neighbors and abutters are concerned about such a large amount of truck traffic. They also said they are worried about the vibrations this would cause to their homes, water mains and gas lines buried underground.

Lingan Street is very narrow, said Selectman Chairman Troy Garron, who lives in the area.

Most of all, neighbors were worried about children in the area of large vehicles. Several insisted that truck traffic only be allowed during school hours, when children are not outside playing.

Neighbors seem to be amenable to the project, several noting that Morse Brothers Cranberry Company has been good neighbors to them in the past.

The scale of the project is confusing, though, as various numbers of round-trips have been proposed, ranging from 1,600 to more than 2,000, depending on the size of the truck, and as well a loose time-frame as there is no current destination for the soil.

“It feels like the numbers are being played with,” said Rich Holmes of 13th Avenue.

The hearing was continued.

Special Town Meeting

The Selectmen have called a Special Town Meeting for Monday, July 25, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Halifax Elementary School, 464 Plymouth Street. A copy of the warrant can be read on page 11 of this newspaper or downloaded online. Warrants will also be mailed to all residents the week of July 18.

There will be a voter registration session on Friday, July 15 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Town Hall.

Plympton Girl Scout Bridging at Harry Jason Park June 17

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Friday night we had the Plympton Girl Scout Bridging at Harry Jason Park in Plympton. Daisies to Cadettes were there for the ceremony Scouts hold to wrap up the year of scouting and for a couple of the troops it was their turn to bridge to Brownies, to Juniors and to Cadettes.

After the ceremony we all enjoy some s’mores and for the second year in a row we’ve had a camp out for those who want to spend the night. We had about 15 families spend the night. It was a beautiful night up until the thunderstorm came through but it didn’t put a damper on the fun.

HOW HALIFAX REGARDS PRISON PLAN

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“They want to take our good old town of Halifax for a State prison and wipe us off the map, do they? Well, we be long-standing Plymouth Rock Yankees round these parts. There’s people that have tried to drive the Yankees before, but they didn’t drive. So they can’t drive us out of here, by gum!” said Oliver Holmes, one of the oldest inhabitants of Halifax, as he raised his voice in protest against what he terms the “terrible aggression” of a syndicate of Boston real estate dealers who have offered their holdings as a site for a new State prison instead of the island of Nashawena.

In a letter which they have sent to the members of the General Court and the State Board of Prison Commissioners, this syndicate has pointed out how feasible it is to remove the residents of Halifax, who now number about 500, from their homes and how easily the beautiful Cape town may be converted into a vast state farm of over 9000 acres of rich land, situated on the shores of the two Monponsett lakes.

The news that the town had been proposed for a prison site has stirred up the inhabitants. Few approved the idea. Many opposed it. “If those convicts land here,” said George Estes, keeper of the general store, “I would get a Gatling gun, plant it on the Methodist steeple and shot down every mother’s son of them.” A large gathering of village gossips who were in the store at the time nodded approval.

Only one man, Selectman Henry Haywood, approved of selling the town. Mr. Haywood said: “If they want to clean us off the map, let them clean away, provided they use water enough by way of compensation. By ‘water’ I mean good old greenbacks.”

From the collections of

Susan Basile

Halifax Historian

Rat infestation on Upland Road seems under control

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PLYMPTON– The Plympton Board of Health met Tuesday, July 5 and mostly heard updates on old business. Several of the more notable topics addressed were the following:

• Two houses on Maple Street need to be inspected by the assessor in order for the Health Department to ascertain the number of bedrooms, which is directly related to the size required of a property’s septic system. 48 Maple Street is refusing access while 66 Maple Street cannot find a mutually agreeable time for the inspection.

• A rat infestation on Upland Road seems to have abated. A neighbor moved a wood pile where rats seem to have been living, and the properties will be monitored.

• An inspection of a septic system was conducted by a licensed inspector on Bradford Road, but the inspector was not licensed in Plympton. Not all towns require local licensure; many just require state licensure, according to Cathy Drinan, Health Inspector. The Board will fine the company that the inspector works for $150 for the unlicensed inspection.

• Someone sold a Grove Street property, but the culprit cannot yet be ascertained. They left a dumpster in the driveway. The dumpster company was apparently never paid, so they dumped the contents on the driveway itself and left the pile of refuse. The Board of Health isn’t sure who to take action against– normally it would be the buyer, said Drinan, but the dumpster company should not have left the trash on the driveway. Because this was an anonymous complaint, the Board’s options are limited at this point in time.

• The sale of the property at 59 Parsonage Road from the federal USDA Farm Service to Richmond Poole has not closed yet as Mr. Poole’s attorney is traveling in Europe.

Halifax fireworks go off without a hitch

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HALIFAX– While the afternoon activities scheduled on the Town Green almost didn’t happen due to a lack of funding, the Halifax Fourth of July celebration went off as scheduled thanks to a generous last-minute donation from the Halifax Country Club.

The activities included bouncy inflatables, a petting zoo, a balloon artist, face painting, a DJ, as well as games for children. There were also snacks and an ice-cream truck.

Later on in the evening, a large crowd gathered on the lawn behind Halifax Elementary School in preparation for the big fireworks show. Although some of the earlier activities were still available, as the evening got darker townspeople entertained themselves.

Shortly after 9:15 p.m., an approximately 20-minute firework spectacular began to cheers from the crowd. While it was only 20 minutes, the colorful display felt like it lasted for hours.

The only downside was the intense traffic on Route 106 after the celebratory day ended. All-in-all residents from Halifax and surrounding towns appeared to have a wonderful time taking in not only the fireworks, but all of the other happenings offered.

“Not only petty but spiteful”: Jeff Randall’s daughter on neighbors

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PLYMPTON– After a hearing on a gravel removal permit which, due to a clerical error, referenced an incorrect map from nearly a decade ago and will be reissued, Meaghan Randall, daughter of Jeff Randall, wished to let her neighbors know: “stop harassing my family.”

In an emotional statement, the daughter of the farmer who in the last six months has brought the town apparently full-circle in proposing a medical marijuana “grow-facility”, a Chapter 40B mixed-income housing development and finally back to the cranberry and horse-boarding business, accused her neighbors and former friends of “retribution” and “harassment”.

Randall, who lives at Hayward Farms with her parents, stated that she was afraid that the harassment would go on unabated until her father is caused financial hardship through their opposition to various activities that go on at Hayward Farms.

To bolster her claims that these regular complaints to Town House were retribution for the proposed grow facility, she read from a  May 9 e-mail from Sharon Housley of Ring Road that Housley wished to, “establish a record that Mr. Randall does not follow regulations put forth by the town.”

She called the neighbors on Ring Road, three couples which she specified by name, “not only petty but spiteful,” and stated that she worked with High School students that had better manners.

She also accused them of spreading false information, eye-rolling, laughing at her parents, and ‘snarky’ comments.

Chris Housley of Ring Road responded briefly and mentioned again the history of trucks bringing dirt onto the farm, something that had been discussed in terms of the gravel removal permit, although the dirt has nothing to do with gravel removal, says Jeff Randall.

Randall says that dirt is brought onto the farm, mixed with horse manure, and sold as compost. For that operation, Randall has agreed to limit truck traffic, although he asserts that he does not have to because it is an agricultural by-product. Neighbors are complaining of truck-traffic very early in the morning, which Mr. Randall denies.

The Selectmen are clarifying that assertion.

One neighbor said that they had been “letting this go for years.”

Plympton BOS 6-27-16

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PLYMPTON– The Plympton Board of Selectmen held a lengthy meeting on Monday, June 27 and along with continuing a gravel permit hearing– see accompanying article– they discussed matters as various as choosing a locking system for Town House, Selectman John Traynor’s “talent bank”, and overall compliance with zoning and permitting rules.

Locks for Town House

The Selectmen discussed last week how too many people had keys to Town House and some possible solutions for replacing the locks.

One idea was an electronic card reader, that either reads a magnetic stripe or uses radio-frequency chip, such as in a bank or hotel as a “key-card” system. Town Administrator Dale Pleau researched these types of systems, and noted that they would cost “thousands of dollars” for even the simplest of systems. Although they do have advantages, such as central computerized logging of all access, the Board agreed with Pleau that the expense was too great.

The Selectmen chose the option of “re-keying” the door– or simply changing the locks– and being much more careful with which Board and Committee members receive keys after the locks are changed.

Selectman Christine Joy wants the keys to be non-duplicable, even if that is an additional cost.

Talent Bank

Although he wants to get away from the wording, “talent bank”, the concept, such as the one that exists in Halifax is something that Selectman John Traynor has brought with him to the Board.

He would like townspeople who are interested in volunteering with the Town in some way, but do not have a specific idea of how they would like to volunteer to fill out a form that would be retained on file and the town could contact that individual as necessary.

He also wishes to identify those in Town with specific skills that might be needed, and target them by asking them to volunteer.

Traynor has been working diligently to see how programs work in surrounding communities, but he does want to do more thorough research and not rush things in Plympton.

He is planning on pushing back implementing the concept until the end of the summer as he continues to refine the plans.

Compliance

The Board says that it has come to their attention that many Townspeople are simply skipping dealing with Town House altogether, and striking it out on their own when starting a construction project or the like.

This is illegal, and can be dangerous.

The Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Colleen Thompson warned residents that they do in fact need to pull the appropriate permits and that violators will be dealt with appropriately.

The Board is considering taking out a newspaper advertisement to drive this point home. They also wish to inform residents that once they have a permit in hand, they need to follow the rules and stipulations on that permit.

Upland Club event will help Amy Breault: Go to Russia for stem cell treatment

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Amy Breault, who grew up on West Street, Plympton, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was just 16 years olf.  That was in the year 2000.  Since then, she has become legally blind and needs assistance walking.  She hasn’t let that slow her down, though, or dulled the smile she always wears.

Today, Amy is a loving 32-year old mother fo a beautiful 3-year old daughter, Arianna.

Since her initial diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS, she has continued to jump life’s hurdles as she now battles secondary-progressive MS.  There are few effective treatments for this type of the disease. Local practicioners have been unable to find an effective FDA-approved medication to slow the MS progression.

Amy has the opportunity to use her own body’s stem cells to repair what was once considered permanent damage.  Because this highly-effective treatment is not available in the United States, she will travel to Russia to receiver her autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant, where she has been invited for treatment.

Amy, with her sidekick Brendan Bibaud, invite the community to join them at the Upland Club, Upland Road, Plympton, Saturday, July 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a chicken bake.  There will be a DJ, raffles, and much more for a family afternoon for all ages.  There is no charge to come and meet Amy under the Upland Club Pavilion and lend your support to her mission.  Optional tickets for the chicken bake dinner are $20 per person and can be purchased at the Upland Club r by calling Kim at (781) 585-5741.  All proceeds will go to Amy for her stem cell treatment in Russia.

For those who wish to help but cannot attend, donations may be made directly at http://www.youcaring.com/amy-breault-360701.

Standing their ground: Property owners standing up to eminent domain threat

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Imagine that you bought your dream house in a bucolic neighborhood on a tree-lined cul-de-sac called Heather’s Path in Plympton.

Yes, there is a busy street nearby, and some light commercial property, but plenty of vegetation blocking any of that. When you bought the property, you knew there might be a chance of further development, but that was not a primary concern.

And then a certified letter showed up in the mail in January, 2015 showing a giant development to be built behind you. Each iteration gets larger, and stranger. A hotel going up behind Tractor Supply? On a river that doesn’t exist? This couldn’t be real, right?

But it is.

And not only that, one to three residents of Plympton whose property straddle the Carver/Plympton line are having their Carver property threatened to be taken by eminent domain.

This is Melissa Singletary’s nightmare. Her back yard will be nearly eliminated should the project move forward as proposed. Singletary is terrified that she will have to walk away from her home after living their just 2 1/2 years.

“This is my retirement. A lot of sleep has been lost thinking about this,” in the last 18 months, she says. Other neighbors, Nancy and Gordon Massingham of Montello Street may lose their driveway, while other long-time residents cannot imagine the changes to their neighborhood that the development will bring, especially those who live on Montello Street and Heather’s Path.

Jeanne Winslow, of Heather’s Path, said she had received a notice from the Carver Planning Board that up to 30-50 trucks a day would pass through the Plympton section of Montello Street during the construction phase, raising safety issues.

The developer, Route 44 Development, has proposed the project. The latest iteration of the proposal, according to residents, references a U.S. Supreme Court case involving New London, CT granting expansion in the eminent domain powers of governments, allowing private property to be taken for commercial development if it benefits a city or town.

Carver Selectman Alan Dunham has said previously that the project will not include a hotel, and is still in the early stages of planning. But despite his assurances of plans being in the early stage, the Carver Redevelopment Authority just sent the plans to a consultant for further updates. Recently provided plans look quite detailed.

This group of residents has been appealing to the Carver Selectmen and the Carver Redevelopment Authority, but those land-owners or neighbors are not having their voices heard, they say.

“We are being treated like second-class citizens [by the Carver authorities],” said Singletary. “We are nothing to them.”

The group has said that they have come up with multiple solutions that would alleviate their concerns, only to have their fears fall on deaf ears.

The situation continues to be volatile.