Westport
in Brief
EverythingWestport.com
Wednesday,
March 02, 2011
Quick Article Index . . .
Westport’s
Charles Costa is recipient of 2011 Farm Bureau Award.
SEMAP hosts one-day farm conference.
Spring Woodcock Walk on March 22nd
A funny thing happened on the way
to the polls. . . .
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Westport’s Charles Costa is recipient of 2011 Farm Bureau
Award. By Antone C.
Vieira Jr., Westport, MA Monday, February 28, 2011 photos/EverythingWestport.com
Left: Charley Costa (center) with long-time friends Claude Ledoux (right) and Russ Hart (left) at Costa's Bench
Dedication Day - August 9, 2007. Charley
Costa is a lifelong resident of Westport and a third generation farmer. Most
of his life has been spent at his family farm called Harbor View Farm on
Adamsville Road. He worked that farm as a youngster, and was milking cows and
growing crops while attending Westport High School. He also found time in
those years to s tar
in sports and later be named to the Westport Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a good student and civic minded even
in that early age. As a volunteer fireman once and a while the fire engine
slowed down at the school and Charley and a few of his friends ran from class
to jump aboard the fire truck to help fight a fire. Doris,
his lovely wife, sometimes would correct me and say his name is Charles not
Charley and she was right. At age 20, the Bristol County Jaycees voted him
their “Outstanding Young Farmer
Award.” At 39, he was selected for the Bristol County District
Outstanding Conservation Service of Bristol County for his farm practices. He
was cited for his work in conserving soil, water, and related resources. Charley
has always been active in the Westport Grange, the Westport Farmer’s
Association, the Westport Fair Association, the Westport Harvest Festival,
the Costal Growers Association, the Knight of Columbus, the Lion’s Club, the
Southeastern Massachusetts Partnership, and the Portuguese American Civic
League. His parents and their parents were truly some of Westport’s first farmers
and part of what is now referred to as the Portuguese Pioneers of Westport.
Left: Former Westport selectwoman Liz Collins viewing a
tribute to Charley Costa on his bench Dedication Day. Charley
didn’t stop there. He went on to represent the farming community when
appointed to the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture as first a market
specialist and then becoming the assistant commissioner for the Massachusetts
Department of Agriculture. Under the Clinton administration, Charles was
called to Washington to work for the Secretary of Agriculture. As a state
executive from Massachusetts, this Westport farmer was now representing folks
not only on a town level, but state and federal as well. Charley’s
farm was one of the first to receive the Bristol
County Farm of Distinction Award from the Massachusetts Department of
Agriculture and Farm Bureau. The awards first came out over 50 years ago. His
farm is still a model to farmers in 2011. The
Farm Bureau has recognized a role model farmer in “the man we call friend.”
He remains a respected voice for all farmers and farming families. Charles
Costa is a great role model for our farming community. Charles
A. Costa BenchMark #4 Dedication - A program of the
Westport Cultural Council EverythingWestport.com August
9, 2007
View photo album now
35 Photos Charles
A. Costa, surrounded by friends and family, was honored by the Westport
Cultural Council On Thursday August 9 when one of two BenchMarks
at Town Hall was dedicated in his honor. The cast aluminum plaque reads,
"In Honor of Charles A. Costa, For His Lifetime Dedication to
Agriculture and Town Service. The bench, 'The Blue Wave' was designed and
built by Cameron Webster, Westport native and the only Westport resident
among the designers whose work was selected by the jury in the BenchMark design competition held last year. Charles
A. Costa was honored by the Westport Cultural Council in an outdoor ceremony
at 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 9 at Town Hall. The second of the two BenchMarks on the north lawn of Town Hall was dedicated
to him, highlighting his lifetime of dedication to agriculture and public
service. His love and dedication to the soil was recognized as early as 1937
when, at age 20, the Bristol County Jaycees voted him their "Outstanding
Young Farmer." Later on, his Harbor View Farm on Adamsville Road was
recognized as a "Dairy of Distinction." In 1967, Charlie was
selected as the District's Outstanding Conservation Award Winner by the Soil
Conservation Service of Bristol County for his farming practices, which
reflected an "outstanding interest in conserving soil, water and related
resources." Through his political involvement at the town, county, state
and federal levels, Mr. Costa was instrumental in saving many acres of
Westport farmland and improving the town's quality of life. From 1955 to 1970
he was a member of Westport Board of Health and served as selectman for 12
years beginning in 1971. In 1964, he became the district supervisor of the
Bristol County Conservation. In 1983, he assumed the position of assistant
commissioner for the state Department of Food and Agriculture, and 10 years
later became the executive director of the Massachusetts Department of
Agriculture's Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. The BenchMark project was sponsored by the Westport Cultural
Council to create pedestrian-friendly destinations in Central Village. It was
supported by the Helen Ellis Charitable Trust and contributions from many
individuals and businesses. - - - - - - End - - - - - - SEMAP hosts one-day farm
conference. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, March 01, 2011 Sustain
Your Farm’s Future: 4th Annual One-Day Farm Conference & Resource Fair. New
in 2011 - Open To The Public.
Building
on last year's theme: "Enhance Your Farm's Future," this year's
title is "Sustain Your Farm's
Future." "The
new public track this year is a testament to the continued support and
interest in learning about local agriculture from the non-farming
community," said Bridget Alexander Ferreira, Executive Director of
SEMAP. "This conference also creates the opportunity for the public to
connect and network with the farming community during shared sessions and the
all-local lunch," Ms. Ferreira stated. The
conference opens up with a virtual farm tour for all attendees. Chef Mike Melo of M&C Café of New Bedford will prepare the
delicious local lunch. The public workshop track includes an overview of the
Why, Where and How of Local Food, a deeper discussion and explanation of the
farmers' market system, and a hobbyist's approach to beekeeping and raising
backyard chickens. With
the growing season just around the corner, there is a strong offering of
workshops for local farmers and landowners. "Farmers who have attended
this conference for the past three years know it is a smart use of their
time," commented Katie Cavanagh, SEMAP's Farms
Forever Coordinator, and fifth generation family farmer. "We
are excited to be offering our resource fair, a grant workshop, an
introduction to blogging, and a fertilization calibration class worth one
pesticide credit," said Sue Guiducci, BCCD
Chairperson. The
farmer track also includes a site assessment workshop, a panel of value-added
products, an overview of Mass Department of Agricultural Resources'
Commonwealth Quality Program, and a "down & dirty" discussion
with local land trusts. Registration is open! Go to
www.semaponline.org
to sign up on-line, but payment will
continue to be accepted at the door. For questions or more information,
contact Katie Cavanagh at (774) 240-7004. Spring Woodcock Walk on March 22nd EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, March 01, 2011 Submitted photo The Lloyd Center’s “Spring Woodcock Walk”
will take place on Tuesday, March 22 from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m.
The
program will start with an overview of American woodcock biology, and some
relaxed evening birding. When the skies have dimmed we'll listen for the
trademark 'peent' call, and watch for displays. At
the conclusion of the outing when darkness sets in, we'll play an owl
callback tape along the river. A funny thing happened on the way to the polls. . . . EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, March 01, 2011 9:00 p.m. photo/EverythingWestport.com
A
funny thing happened on the way to the polls... No
one showed up. There
were no lawn signs, newspaper editorials, no school rallies, nor were there
any sign-carrying supporters or even protestors at the five precinct polling
stations throughout Tuesday. Westport
voters stayed at home, many not even knowing there was a special election to
vote for the second largest school tax override the Westport electorate has
ever faced. Pictured left is School Superintendent Dr.
Carlos Colley reading the warrant article on the floor at the special town
meeting on December 7, 2010. Its passage prompted the March 1st special
election. In a
historically low turnout, only 619 town voters, just 5.3 percent of the
town's electorate, said yes and passed the proposition 2 1/2 override for up
to $2.5 million in "green" school repairs. In a
town not known for its proclivity for tax increases, the bond authorization
was passed with barely a whimper from the electorate, as only a total of 953 ballots
were cast, approving the ballot question with a mere 8.1 percent of the
Westport's 11,712 registered voters. 65%
of the vote approved the override. December 7, 2010
special town meeting approves article 15. In an
election that time forgot, Westport voters approved a ballot question that will
allow the Town of Westport to exempt from the provisions of Proposition
two-and-one-half the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to
fund roof replacement and window replacements, including all costs incidental
or related thereto, at the Westport High School; window replacements at the
Westport Middle School; and roof replacement at the Macomber
School. This was a very complicated ballot question
because it's origin is based on the premise that Westport will receive up to
a 46% reimbursement from the MSBA (Massachusetts
School Building Authority) in support of
school-related green energy repairs. There is no guarantee of reimbursement,
so this ballot question becomes faith-based on federal stimulus funding. Westport hopes green school repair projects will help save some green. The
Massachusetts School Building Authority announced last fall that it gave preliminary
approval to 46.16 percent reimbursement for proposed repair work at the Alice
A. Macomber School, Westport Middle School and
Westport High School through the MSBA’s Green Repair Program. Click here to read more from Fall River Herald article. Second largest override in town's history. Two
decades ago town voters approved a $3+ million override for school funding,
making last night's vote the second largest school override in Westport's
history. "Only
the special election in December of 1999 had a lower turnout," said town
Clerk Marlene Samson. "772 votes were cast with 615 voters sending Joan
Menard to her first term in the Massachusetts senate." At
more than $6 a vote it was "a very expensive election," Samson said. Precinct
E, the Westport High School, had the largest turnout with 216 voters, Precinct
C, the Macomber School, the least with 166; both
with 8.2 percent of the registered voters coming to the polls. Remarkably, only a tenth of a percent marked the
difference in percentage voter turnout between the five precincts. Results of
special town election March 1, 2011
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