Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Friday, April 8, 2016
photos/EverythingWestport.com except as
noted
WWRMC chairman stresses
judgment, experience as key factors in Board of Health race.
Candidate sites his career,
professionalism and experience in seeking Board of Health seat.
Bill Harkins Brings Critical Skills to the Westport
Board of Health.
Weekly Meditation Group to begin in
Dartmouth.
Fisheries and Wildlife Grant
Benefits Westport Meadow Restoration.
Portrait Drawing & Painting Workshop at the Westport Art Group.
|
WWRMC chairman stresses judgment,
experience as key factors in Board of Health race. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday,
April 5, 2016 To the editor: There are several important
issues facing Westport including Water and Sewer proposals, Noquochoke
Village septic system issues, and landfill capping using contaminated material
in the past and now being forced on Dartmouth. I am
not a proponent of water and sewer and feel that there are many alternatives
available which need to be researched and utilized before we entertain any
thoughts of saddling the town with the cost of this expensive infrastructure.
Fall River is facing steep increases in water and sewer fees that will
challenge home ownership in the Spindle City. The
DEP has just sent out the preliminary TMDL (total
maximum daily load) report which is requiring Westport to reduce the amount
of Nitrogen in the River. The Noquochoke Village project is intending to put
a septic system on the property next to the river which will process some
10,000 gallons per day of effluent which will increase the amount of Nitrogen. The
DEP is also involved with the closing and capping of the landfills. Westport
has already been capped with contaminated materials. DEP is in the process of
capping Dartmouth's Cecil Smith landfill with contaminated materials against
the wishes of the town and residents. These landfills sit on top of an
aquifer which will at some point, if not already, receive this contamination. My
opponent, Phil Weinberg supported both projects in his role as DEP regional
director. The town of Dartmouth does not support that decision and neither do
I. This is an example of why your vote in this election can be important to
our town. It is
very important for the people of Westport to elect the best candidate to the
Board of Health, as that person will be in a position to set policies that
will affect the town as we move into the future. Experience
does count. Sincerely Bill
Harkins Chair
of the Westport Water Resource Management Committee Candidate
for Board of Health Candidate sites his career,
professionalism and experience in seeking Board of Health seat. EverythingWestport.com Thursday,
April 7, 2016 To the editor: “My opponent for the seat on
the Westport Board of Health, Bill Harkins, recently wrote to criticize my
performance as Regional Director for the Southeast Region at the Mass.
Department of Environmental Protection.
Of the two criticisms he raised, one is unfounded while the second
underscores his misunderstanding of how to solve complex problems with real
world solutions that serve the public health and the best interests of
taxpayers. As Mr.
Harkins notes, the Town is obligated by state and federal regulations to
limit the discharge of nitrogen from septic systems and other sources into
the Westport River and its tributaries to prevent their further degradation.
But contrary to Mr. Harkins’ assertion, I have never taken a position on the
Noquochoke Village project which is pending before the Planning Board.
However, I understand that instead of rejecting a viable project as Mr.
Harkins appears to recommend, the Planning Board set conditions that limit
the nitrogen discharge to one-half of the level allowed by regulation. That
type of solution advances environment protection and respects property
rights. His
letter also warns against sewers being part of the evaluation of the options
necessary to address a town-wide problem. There are pros and cons to sewers,
but whether or not including it as part of a comprehensive solution should
remain open to further examination. A key step in responding to MassDEP’s draft report is the development of a
comprehensive waste water management plan that will analyze a mix of nitrogen
reduction options considering their feasibility, effectiveness and cost. The Town won’t have a chance to qualify for
state or federal funds to pay for the plan or implement the solution if
sewers are taken off the table at the outset.
Mr. Harkins position could hamper this essential planning process and
lead to decision-making being taken out of the Town’s hands where it belongs. Mr.
Harkins is correct in stating that as Regional Director, I supported the use
of excavated urban soils as a component to cap a large, illegal landfill in
Dartmouth that was discharging over I million gallons a year of contaminated
leachate into the groundwater and wetlands. The only viable solution to
prevent on-going pollution was to import soil to grade the site, cover it
with a thick, impermeable plastic cap and grass it over. This engineering
approach virtually eliminates leachate generation. Urban excavate has been
safely used for decades to cap scores of polluting landfills across the state
without harm to the public health or the environment. Reuse of excavated soil for grading avoids
multi-million dollar capping costs from being shifted to taxpayers, preserves
limited disposal capacity in the region’s permitted landfills and saves
hundreds of thousands of tons of clean soil for much more productive
purposes. There was opposition to this
approach from some quarters, but there were times when I was compelled by the
facts at hand and the regulations to make a decision that could not please
everyone. Mr.
Harkins describes the Board of Health position as “a person who will set
policies that will affect the town”.
That may be how he sees his role. My view of this position is not to
set town policies. Instead, I see it as one member of a three person team
whose priorities will be cost effectively operating the transfer station,
ensuring that septic systems are permitted and maintained consistent with the
regulations, and advising the public and town officials on matters within its
expertise. On
Election Day, (Tuesday) April 12th, I hope voters will use their experience
and common sense to select the best qualified person, someone who knows the
work because he has spent his career getting the job done. I believe that
kind of experience will serve the entire Westport community.” Phil
Weinberg Candidate
for the Westport Board of Health Bill Harkins Brings Critical Skills to the Westport
Board of Health. EverythingWestport.com Friday, April 8, 2016 To the editor: I am writing this note as a
concerned citizen who highly recommends the election of Bill Harkins to the Westport
Board of Health (BOH). I have known Mr. Harkins for many years and
have a good sense of his love and commitment for this community and concern
for its future, being a long time resident. As I will show, he has the
experience and proven track record of achievement to excel in this position. First,
let’s review the some of the primary responsibilities of the BOH: witnessing
perc tests, review and approval of septic systems, review of Title 5 reports,
inspection of septic systems, approval of new and replacement well locations,
review of water analysis reports for building permits, review of building permit applications and
subdivision plans, seasonal beach testing, food establishment inspections,
transfer station supervision, and miscellaneous other tasks such as
mitigating oil spills, hazardous waste, illegal dumping, and responding to
animal calls. Bill’s
experience and skillset uniquely meet the requirements for this position. He
is currently the Chair of the Westport Water Resource Management Committee (WWRMC). This very critical Committee is charged with the
overall responsibility to advise the Board of Selectman on all matters
related to the town’s various waterways, including nutrient loading from
septic systems, storm water runoff, fertilizer, and animals. Indeed, this mandate dovetails closely with
tasks addressed by the BOH as noted above. He has
a proven track record. In his capacity as the Chair, Mr. Harkins has been
instrumental in introducing the septic betterment program, which helps
homeowners with failed septic systems either repair or replace them with a
low interest loans. Additionally the WWRMC was
instrumental in saving the taxpayers nearly $750,000 by working with Fall
River and the State to improve the quality of drinking water in the north end
of town. In
summary, I believe Westport will be well served if Bill Harkins is elected to
the Board of Health. Karl Daxland Westport
Resident Weekly Meditation Group to begin in
Dartmouth. EverythingWestport.com Friday, April 8, 2016
The group facilitator will be Sister Madeleine Tacy,
OP, D.Min. (pictured right) who has practiced meditation since 1972
and is a Dharma Holder and active member in Day Star Shanga
Community a Zen Christian group that meets in Wrentham, MA. The ancient practice of meditation frees the mind from racing thoughts,
brings us to the present moment, reveals our human potential and shows us the
way to inner peace. The Meditation Group is open to all and is appropriate for people of
all religious backgrounds. To allow everyone to participate, there is
no cost to attend the group. However, the opportunity to make a
free-will offering will be available each week to help support the mission of
our healing center. For more information and to pre-register, please call “The Bridge: A
Center for Hope and Healing” at 508.997.0903. Fisheries and Wildlife Grant Benefits Westport Meadow
Restoration. EverythingWestport.com Friday, April 8, 2016 The
Westport Land Conservation Trust (WLCT) has
received grant funding from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and
Wildlife to complete a grassland meadow restoration at the recently expanded
157-acre Herb Hadfield Conservation Area.
Consistent
with a 2009 WLCT management plan, this restoration
initiative began in early 2015 with the clearing of a 5.75 acre section
within the central portion of the Herb Hadfield Conservation Area. The area
was managed extensively by Herb Hadfield during his time on the property. Mr.
Hadfield left the property in the late 1980's and WLCT has managed the property since its acquisition from
the Krause Family in 2002. Grassland
meadows, also known as upland meadows, are an increasingly rare habitat-type
in the northeast. While many open fields worked for hay production exist in
Westport, meadows managed for wildlife have become rare in the state of
Massachusetts due to the spread of development and modern mowing practices. "This grant will rapidly
accelerate our efforts to establish this upland meadow--as well as enable us
to continue to focus on other important stewardship projects throughout
Westport." - Ryan Mann, Executive Director of WLCT. This
funding falls under the auspices of MassWildlife's
competitive Habitat Management and Improvement Grant Program. With this
funding, WLCT hopes to establish perpetual meadow
conditions by debouldering the site and seeding
native grasses as well as milkweed and other meadow plants. "We
hope to complete the first of several years of seeding in early May,"
said Brendan Buckless, Outreach and Stewardship
Coordinator for WLCT. "MassWildlife
funding signals that the state sees as much worth from this restoration
initiative as we do--and affirms the public service that this project
provides." Portrait Painting Demo and Workshop
at Westport Art Group. EverythingWestport.com Saturday, April 9, 2016 Westport Art Group is happy to announce opportunities to learn more
about painting portraits: a portrait-painting demonstration, and a 2-day
class, both open to the public. About the
Portrait Demo - April 12th The painting demo will be held Tuesday, April 12th at 6:30 p.m. Watch
artist/instructor Kathy Weber paint a portrait using only 4 colors. Using a
limited palette can simplify portrait painting. This is the palette made
famous by Swedish master painter Anders Zorn, a About the
Workshop, May 13th and 14th Weber will also be leading a 2-day Portrait Drawing & Painting
Workshop on Friday, May 13th and Saturday, May 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This workshop is appropriate for beginner to intermediate artists. The
first day will be spent drawing, concentrating on the planes of the head.
Students will see how simplifying and eliminating detail can actually give
you a more realistic and dimensional drawing. The class will then spend time
working from a live model. Before class ends, there will be a discussion on
using a limited group of paint colors for use on day two of the workshop. The second day the class will be painting, working from live model(s).
The instructor will do a short demonstration both days at the beginning of
class. Oil or acrylic paint is recommended, although watercolor is also
acceptable if one is comfortable with that medium. The workshop will be held at the Westport Art Group building at 1740
Main Road in Westport, and the cost of the 2-day workshop is $100 for current
WAG members and $135 for non-members, which includes membership for one year.
To sign up, please see www.westportartgroup.com . © 2016 Community Events of Westport. All
rights reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
