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Getting ready for the 4th Annual Ryan Benjamin Nicotri fundraiser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Halifax in the dog house again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Resignations

From COA

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

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

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

New Town Hall

fragrance policy

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

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

In other business, selectmen

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

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

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

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

• adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

Halifax heroes make save in auto inferno

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carver Urban Renewal Development

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

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

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

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

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

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

Early Voting in Halifax and Plympton

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

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

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

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

October 19th, 2016.

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

First week:

Monday-Oct. 24

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

Tuesday through Thursday – Oct. 25 – Oct. 27

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

Second week:

Monday-Oct. 31

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

and

Tuesday through Thursday – Nov.1 – Nov.3

9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Standing room only at Water Forum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The drought is predicted to continue.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Choate must reduce dogs to 25

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selectmen will next meet on Tuesday, Oct. 11.

USDA names Plymouth County “primary natural disaster area”

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By Colin A. Young

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-END-
09/20/2016

Silver Lake Chapel Celebrates 125 Year Anniversary

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From bawdy beginnings to serene sylvan simplicity, Silver Lake Chapel, 33 Lake St., Plympton, has been through thick and thin, serving its congregation continually for the past 125 years.

Under the leadership of Rev. Allan Palmer for the past seven years, the congregation came together with a catered barbecue dinner in celebration last week. 

It wasn’t always this lovely little chapel in the woods; it began as a dance hall, “Lane’s Hall”, on the southern shore of Silver Lake, in the 1860s known as Jones Pond.  Lane’s Hall was part of the great Silver Lake Grove, sponsored by the Old Colony Railroad, to give the good people of Boston and beyond, a reason to ride the rails on Sundays.  It’s hard to believe these days, but thousands came to the 70-acre park to relax, enjoy, and kick up their heels. 

If you rode to Silver Lake Park by rail, you didn’t have to pay admission to the Park, according to Ms. Winifred L. Avery’s account.

The park offered, in addition to dancing, baseball and croquet fields, a pavilion seating several thousand, bowling alleys, rowboats, sailboats, and the side-wheeler steamboat, the “Lady of the Lake.”

The Lady, originally called the steamer “Glide,” was brought from Newburyport to Captain’s Hill in Duxbury in 1873, from whence it was dragged by 16 pair of oxen over land to Silver Lake.

It was a bright sunny day in June of 1877, when the good “Lady of the Lake” had an accident: the boiler, which powered her side wheel, exploded and threw hot coals down on two groups of young people from Boston.  The hot coals caused horrible burns, according to Ms. Avery’s account. 

Doctors and nurses were brought from Kingston and Plymouth on a special train that was sent for them.  They didn’t have salve to put on the burns, so they used grease from the train.  Although none drowned, two adults and three children died from blood poisoning. 

By 1878, the Grove was no longer a favorite spot for weekend excursions, due to the publicity about the Lady of the Lake disaster and a train wreck the following year that killed more than 100 passengers on their way to the recreation area.

The publicity from both incidents added to the demise of the popular Sunday excursion destination.

Recreation stopped altogether in 1903 when the City of Brockton took over Silver Lake as their water supply, Ms. Avery reports.

The infamous dance hall building, Lane’s Hall, as told by Rev. Henry Belcher in the 100th anniversary celebration booklet, became the site of occasional prayer meetings in the 1880s. 

Grocery clerk Frank Reed, aspiring to become a minister, first brought the word of God to the Grove.  In the mid-1880s, Dr. J. Francis Cooper, a pastor from Bryantville, preached in Lane’s Hall Sunday afternoons.  He later became minister of Brockton Central M.E. Church. 

In 1887, Rev. V. J. Hartshorne, after retiring from the Plympton Congregational Church, became interested in sharing the preaching duties with his Methodist counterpart from Bryantville.

Rev. Hartshorne raised money to build a church in the Silver Lake community.  The Lane’s Hall dancing pavilion was purchased and work began on what was to become the Silver Lake Chapel. 

Then pastor of the Plympton Congregational Church, Rev. Horace F. Hallett, who had shared preaching duties at the Grove, was a former carpenter, and it was under his supervision that the transformation from dance hall to church took place.

Lemuel Bryant donated the land on which the Chapel now stands, but with the provision that if it ever ceased to be used for religious purposes, it would revert to his heirs.  Bryant’s wife kept those working on the building well fed.  Although she never knew how many would respond when she rang the dinner bell, there was always plenty.  This tradition is carried over through the years with many well-laid tables and ever-popular monthly suppers.

Rev. Henry Belcher, who began as pastor in 1984, served its congregation for many years, noting in the Chapel’s booklet of the 100th Anniversary,

“The hundred years and more of serving the Lord in this little corner of a former grove near a sparkling Silver Lake have not been easy.  But in each time of crisis, pastor and parishioners have kept the flame of faith alive when so many times it nearly flickered out.”

Through two World Wars, the Great Depression, and numerous recessions, Silver Lake Chapel has continued its ministry to the gratitude of those it serves.

Last week’s celebration marked another milestone in its history – may it celebrate many more.

West Monponsett Pond, Silver Lake ‘Water in Distress’ Program, at Halifax Town Hall

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State Representative Tom Calter will host an Open Forum Discussion and Q&A session on the significant water problems currently plaguing West Monponsett Pond, Silver Lake and Jones River, as a result of water management practices from the City of Brockton,.

The event takes place Saturday, September 24th from 10:00 – 11:30 am at the Halifax Town Hall, Great Hall.  This is a change from the original pondside location to provide  better parking and accessibility.

It is open to all, and community members concerned about these three bodies of water and health impacts to surrounding residents are encouraged to attend.

In addition to Rep. Calter, speakers will include Pine DuBois, Executive Director of the Jones River Watershed Association, Marianne Moore, Executive Secretary from the Monponsett Watershed Association, Cathy Drinan, Board of Health Agent for the Town of Halifax, Jack O’Leary from the Central Plymouth County Water District Commission, and State Rep. Josh Cutler, whose district includes Hanson.

Learn about the parameters of the 1964 law that allowed Brockton to draw water in the first place, and the City’s practices that have led to water quality degradation and cyanobacteria blooms far exceeding state health standards. Attendees will also hear about the work done by the Central Plymouth County Water District Commission, the Monponsett Watershed and Jones River Watershed Associations, Rep. Calter, Rep. Cutler and other activists over more than two years to push for change in Brockton’s approach; the role of the Dept. of Environmental Protection in negotiating a new Administrative Consent Order with Brockton to implement that change; next steps in the process and how residents can get involved.

The cyanobacteria levels from algae blooms have been at record high levels this summer causing significant health concerns and the summer’s marked drought has not seen relief.  To further add to the problem, Brockton turned off Aquaria, their supplemental water source in late August, taking 11 million+ gallons per day from Silver Lake.  Representative Calter says that the quantity and quality of water is in danger and immediate action is required.

Complimentary coffee and refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact abbelmore@hotmail.com.