Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Quick Article Index . . .
Annual Volunteer Day at
Westport Town Farm gets gardens off to a flying start!
Committee Reports CHINS/FACES
legislation out of committee.
Historic Oscar Palmer Farm
Sold to Local Couple.
|
Annual Volunteer
Day at Westport Town Farm gets gardens off to a flying start! EverythingWestport.com Saturday,
May 21, 2011
"All the produce we raise here
goes to the food pantries," farm manager Steve Connors said. Left: Steve Connors with Luisa Tavares of Fall River harvesting the
early spring vegetables. The
gardens, tended by Trustees staff, South Coast Youth Corps, and local
volunteers, are beginning the third season providing organic vegetables to
the Westport Council on Aging and other regional food assistance programs. "We
planted over 1000 carrots," Connors said. "And that is one of our
smaller patches!" "We
also planted 500 onions, 120 cabbage, 120 tomatoes, 50 each or peppers and
eggplants, 100 summer squash, 400 beets, 100 broccoli, 500 lettuce, 600 pea
plants." The garden
areas have been well prepared by Youth Corps workers, school groups and
volunteers, and some early crops including lettuce, peas, broccoli, radishes
and onions are already in the ground and thriving. "Warm
weather plants – tomatoes, peppers and eggplant – have been started indoors
and were saved for transplanting at this event," Connors said.
"Volunteers spent a few hours of time helping to get these summer
vegetable plants settled into the soil, as well as planting some sunflowers,
zinnias, marigolds and other summer flowers."
All ages
were welcome to come lend a hand in the gardens and many took a stroll around
the Town Farm to enjoy its lovely landscapes. People interested in
becoming a volunteer can call or click The Trustees’ Westport office at (508)
636-4693 ext. 13 or emailing kheard@ttor.org.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the Trustees of Reservations
web page at www.thetrustees.org.
Committee Reports
CHINS/FACES legislation out of
committee. S.66/H. 1294 An Act Regarding
Families and Children Engaged in Services Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Senate Chair of the
joint committee commented on the favorable report. EverythingWestport.com Friday, May 20, 2011 Today the joint committee on
Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities issued a favorable report on
a bill to reform the way the Juvenile Court and the agencies of the Executive
Office of Health and Human Services respond to children in crisis because of
behavioral difficulties.
“This great piece of legislation has
been in the works for a long time.” He stated, “I am happy to favorably
report the bill out of committee”. Kay Khan (D-Newton), House Chair
congratulated Senator Spilka and Representative Donato on their commitment to the children and families
of the Commonwealth. Rep. Khan stated; “Without their willingness to tackle
this enormous task positive change would not take place for the children who
need these services and the families who struggle to access them.” In 2005 Senator Karen E. Spilka and Representative Paul Donato,
called together a task force to explore the Commonwealth’s and other states’ practices
and laws around the CHINS system. More
than 100 stakeholders participated in this effort. The legislators also
convened monthly steering committee meetings, as well as various
subcommittees. In January of 2007, Senator Spilka
filed new legislation, based on the task force’s recommendations and other
states’ best practices, to reform the CHINS system. “For nearly 40 years the CHINS system
has not been working as was intended by the legislature to keep children out
of the juvenile justice system,” said Senator Karen Spilka,
lead Senate sponsor of An Act Regarding Families and Children Engaged in
Services (S.66, H. 1294). “Our
communities are better off when we provide preventive services that are
proven to keep kids in their homes and schools and avoid using the courts,
police and probation to solve family issues. These bills put in place new
procedures – a system for Families and Children Engaged in Services –
FACES. It marks a big improvement over
the system we have now.” The bills are supported by a FACES
Coalition lead by the Children’s Mental Health Campaign, The Children’s
League of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Alliance for Families “This
bill replaces an ineffective system with a system that provides children and
families with the kind of ‘wrap-around’ services that keep children out of
trouble and the court,” said Representative Paul Donato,
lead House sponsor of the bill. FACES creates a statewide
community-based intervention system to replace the current jumble of services
that vary widely from district to district and are very uneven in terms of
their effectiveness. The bill would divert families from a legal process when
not needed and prevents parents from unnecessarily losing custody of their
children in order to receive services.
For families that do need judicial intervention the bill provides for
more expedited juvenile court procedures, which will facilitate access to
services and prevent indefinite stays in DCF custody. It also would establish
mandatory school-based truancy prevention programs. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, May 24, 2011 "Twas the night 'for
town meeting, And all through town hall, A balanced budget was presented But some were appalled. The line items were listed And double checked with care, With hopes that selectmen Would leave them all there." Click
here to see the video clip budget discussion and final vote.
"Depending on Town Meeting approval
the budget may be out of balance; there are still several issues
outstanding," said Selectman Tony Vieira. "This (process) will not
be without pain as we go forward." Town Administrator Michael Coughlin
and Selectmen Vieira had some intense discussions on several issues. "We put our faith in the good
people of the Finance Committee, and have commissioned them to provide a
balanced budget," Vieira said. "I have reservations, but we have
been elected to provide a balanced budget to Town Meeting." There will be no sugarplums handed
out this year as shrinking tax revenues and cuts in state aid continue to
play the Grinch with town department budgets. More about the this and other
business from last night's Selectmen's meeting.
Town Administrator Michael Coughlin
(above left) bantered with Selectman Vieira over several budget issues, and
Selectman James Coyne (above right) seconded Selectman Vieira's motion to
open for discussion accepting the town's balanced budget. The Police Department reduced their
budget by one police vehicle to allow the Fire Department to retain a fulltime
firefighter. The School Department was still looking for an additional $100K
for salary increase but that request didn't make the cut at last night's
meeting. Chairman Spirlet
was concerned about "budget reviews in the eleventh hour", and said
he was "personally uncomfortable taking this position (changing the
budget) when it will probably change 24 to 36 hours from now." School funding was the central issue
regarding the reluctance of some Selectmen to accept the Finance Committee's
balanced budget. Vieira, Ouellette, and Chairman Spirlet voted to accept, Coyne and Dutra opposed. Click
here to review Page 1 of the Fiscal 2012
Town Budget. Click
here to review Page 2 of the Fiscal 2012
Town Budget,. In other business - After some discussion, Selectmen
voted unanimously to raise the fee charged for requesting a public hearing to
$100 to offset advertising costs. Otherwise there were no substantial
make-over of the town's listed fees. The town's Veterans' Affairs Officer,
Ron Costa announced in a letter his desire to retire, and stated he would
stay on until June 2011 or later until a successor is appointed. Planning Board member Elaine Ostroff
discussed unlawful signage issues in town. Ostroff also said she would
recommend passing over at Town Meeting Article 33, sponsored by the Planning
Board, to better regulate Illicit Discharge. Selectmen voted unanimously to
pass over the article. Selectman Steven Ouellette was
unanimously appointed as DSPREDD Representative by the select board. George Foster was unanimously
appointed to the Educational Fund Committee. Selectmen voted unanimously to
appoint Jane Whitin to the SE MA Commuter Rail Task
Force. And Selectmen also voted unanimously
to re-appoint Robert Reed and Tara Souza as fulltime police officers. An approval request to transfer funds
from the Treasurer to pay for street lightening spawned a conversation as to
why the lights were used at all in Fiscal 2011 as selectmen had voted to turn
them off. Selectman Ouellette explained that
those associated with the issue couldn't make a decision which town lights
would be turned off, so no action was taken. Selectmen made it clear that the town
lights in question would be shut off in Fiscal 2012's budget. Historic
Oscar Palmer Farm Sold to Local Couple. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday,
May 24, 2011 The Trustees of Reservations and
Westport Land Conservation Trust (WLCT) are delighted to announce that the
Oscar Palmer Farm, located at 138 Adamsville Road in Westport, has been sold
to Laurie Marinone and Norman Anderson. The farm
was sold for $250,000. The property is subject to permanent historic and
conservation restrictions that will ensure the farm is kept in active
agriculture and that the historic buildings are restored and maintained.
Laurie and Norm are Westport residents who are committed to agriculture and
historic preservation. They currently live off of Briggs Road.
Laurie and Norm were one of four
proposals submitted in response to this public request. Their proposal was
selected based on demonstrated commitment, experience, and ability to both
implement an active, diverse agricultural operation and to restore and
utilize the historic buildings. “The Trustees believe that
Massachusetts’ farms are vital to the health and sustainability of our
communities. The joint effort between The Trustees, Westport Land
Conservation Trust and Town to protect the Oscar Palmer Farm exemplifies this
belief,” said Andy Kendall, President of The Trustees of Reservations. “Working
together, we have created a community vision for protecting this iconic farm
and now we have found an excellent buyer to carry out that vision.” The buyers are equally pleased.
According to Laurie and Norm, “We are excited to begin work restoring the buildings
and expanding our agricultural operation. The Palmer Farm is a significant
part of Westport’s landscape and we are grateful for being entrusted with its
stewardship and care.” The base of their farm operation will
be a herd of Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats, to provide milk for sale and to
create an artisanal farmstead cheese operation. They also have plans for
raising other livestock including laying hens for eggs, meat chickens, and
beef cows. They plan to grow berries and other fruit for pies, jams, and
jellies intended for limited sale on the farm. The building restoration will
start with the house, which will become their residence, and the barn, which
will serve a multiple purposes. The main space will be used for a farm store,
the loft will store hay and the ground level on the south side will house
animals. Laurie and Norm are excited about the farm being a part of the
fabric of the local community and look forward to welcoming the public to
purchase their farm products, visit the animals, and/or to simply experience
the historic farmstead. They plan to hold open houses, farm tours, and
classes once they and their animals move on-site and their farm store opens. The Westport Historical Commission
was also an invaluable partner with this project. “It was a very positive
experience to work with the Trustees of Reservations, WLCT and their team of
conservation and preservation experts to ensure the preservation and
protection of the Oscar Palmer Farm for future generations,” said Geraldine Millham, Westport Historical Commission Oscar Palmer Farm
Sub-Committee member. “Balancing the needs of the 18th century farmstead with
those of future farmers was a priority. We are confident that the new owners
will honor the farm’s history and place in Westport’s agricultural heritage,
as they take on the restoration of the buildings and revitalization of the
land for a modern agricultural operation.” The Palmer Farm is surrounded by over
500 acres of protected farms, forest and open space along Adamsville Road.
With a quarter mile of stone walls stretching along Adamsville Road, this
historic farm has been a priority for protection for more than ten years. The
Town of Westport, through various boards and committees, has been involved
extensively in the efforts to protect the farm during this time. “The Community Preservation Committee
is thrilled to see the conclusion of this multi-year effort put forth by the
Town and our partners, “ said Warren Messier, co-chair of the Community
Preservation Committee. “It is gratifying to know that the farm’s buildings,
walls and fields along a highly traveled and scenic road will be forever
preserved and utilized for farming.” The Trustees and WLCT have worked
closely with Town boards and committees for the past two years to design
restrictions that met the vision for protecting and restoring the farm. The
conservation restriction, covering the entire property, protects public
resources such as prime farmland soils, wetlands and scenic resources. It
requires that the property be farmed and permits additional farm buildings in
designated areas. The historic preservation restriction ensures that the
buildings be preserved, restored, and maintained while allowing the future
owner to determine their use. “A key element of this project’s
success has been the many voices that have contributed to our mutual
understanding of what this property means to the Town of Westport and how it
can continue to be part of our Town’s story going forward, “ said Land Trust
Executive Director Peggy Stevens. “The community has come together to ensure
the Palmer Farm will continue to tell stories of Westport’s agricultural
heritage – past, present and future.” The Trustees of Reservations acquired
the 29-acre farm for $901,000 with support from WLCT. The Trustees and WLCT
raised private funds and the Town of Westport committed $250,000 through its
Agricultural/Open Space Preservation Trust Fund. Additionally, voters at the
2008 Town Meeting approved $200,000 from the Community Preservation Fund to
preserve and rehabilitate the historic buildings. $29,500 of the Community
Preservation Funds have been used for the historic preservation restriction,
allowing the future owner to apply directly to the Community Preservation
Committee for the remaining funds to help offset their financial investment
in building restorations. All future owners must adhere to the
historic preservation and conservation restrictions. WLCT and the Town of
Westport’s Conservation Commission hold the conservation restriction on the
entire farm and The Trustees of Reservations and the Town of Westport’s
Historical Commission hold an historic preservation restriction over the
buildings. “Like so much of our town, the Palmer
Farm is irreplaceable. To think we can keep everything the way it is, or was,
is not realistic. But if we focus on our treasures one at a time and go to
bat for them, we are going to bat for our children and the future of
Westport, “ said Barbara Hanley, former chairwoman of the Agricultural/Open
Space Preservation Trust Fund Council. “The Trustees of The Reservations has
been a critical partner in this effort, bringing expertise and commitment to
‘saving the irreplaceable. For everyone. Forever’.” - - - - - End - - - - - ©
2011 Community Events of Westport
Some rights reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
