The Wrentham Times

Get Ready for Resue Day

Start saving your old sneakers and rubber soled shoes, plastic lawn furniture, kids toys, laundry baskets, flowerpots, large buckets, cat litter buckets and other rigid plastics, your bikes, your unneeded household items, clothes, furniture, and bring them to the Wrentham Donate Reuse and Reduce section of the Household Hazardous Waste Day on May 11, 2013 at the Senior Center Parking lot on Taunton St.

Bikes not Bombs, the Salvation Army, Nike and Boston Building Resources will all be there to accept your items. Bikes not Bombs repairs bikes for reuse at home and abroad and asks a $10.00 donation to assist in theveffort.

Rigid plastics cannot be recycled curbside, but can be recycled separately, so don’t trash it, bring the items to be recycled. It is a good chance to get rid of those large old kids play sets, slides, broken bins, old buckets, plastic chairs and tables. Help reduce our trash. Nike recycles all sneakers and rubber soled shoes into materials for running tracks and other uses.

Replacing your bath fixtures, re-doing your kitchen? Boston Building Materials takes building materials such as plumbing fixtures, cabinets, doors, etc. in very good condition for reuse. The Salvation Army will take all any and all clean and dry fabric, shoes, belts, pocketbooks, linens, stuffed toys and other items. It doesn’t matter if they are torn and worn. In addition, they take household items, furniture in good condition, toys and games.

The 4 Paws Animal Shelter will also be present to accept donations.

The PTO will be collecting cell phones and other small electronics. Donation, Reuse and Reduce Day on May 11 offers an excellent opportunity to get rid of many unwanted items that will be reused or recycled and help many charities.

Compost Bins and Rain Barrels Are Available

Compost bins and rain barrels are available to purchase from the Wrentham Recycling Committee. The compost bins cost $32 each and typically retail for around $50. The rain barrels are available for $75. Contact the Recycling Committee if you're interested in purchasing either (or both). The committee's email recycle@wrentham.ma.us.

To learn more about the compost bin, view the assembly instructions here. The bin being offered by the committee is the New Age Bin 24.  It's adjustable but at it's maximum it can hold up to 10 bags of leaves.

Giant Spring Yard Sale Planned

Wrentham Boy Scout Troop 131 will hold a giant spring yard sale on Saturday, March 31^st. The yard sale will have a plethora of items for everyone. There will be toys for the kids and other items for adults. Proceeds from the sale will go to Troop 131 to help maintain camping equipment and fund Troop activities.

The yard sale will take place at the Wrentham Center parking lot at the corner of South Street (Route 1A)and Route 140. It will begin at 9 am and end at  2 pm. There will be bikes, sports equipment, books, toys, clothing, household items, exercise equipment and more. Also as an added plus to bargain hunters, at 1 pm bags may be purchased for $5 that can be completely filled with select items.  

 

If you would like to donate items to the yard sale, please call Pat @ 781-844-8518.

Please stop by on Saturday,March 31^st to help support Wrentham’s Boy Scout Troop 131. 

 

Landscape America Seeks Ideas to Beautify Wrentham

Landscape America is seeking input from the community for ideas to beautify the Town of Wrentham’s property as part of their annual Day of Service. This year’s project, will take place on Earth Day, April 20th, 2012.

The criteria for 2012 project proposals is as follows:

• May include any landscaping, hardscaping, tree care, or other service offered by Landscape America.
• Must be a project that can be completed in one day with 7-8 people.
• Must be in a public space in Wrentham.
• Must be approved by the DPW and or Board of Selectmen.
• It may be possible to partner with other vendors for materials.
• Ideas must be received by March 30th, 2012.

In previous years, Landscape America has improved the grounds around both the Wrentham Town Hall and the Wrentham Town Common by cleaning, edging, mulching, and installing plantings in partnership with other local companies. Landscape America is using facebook as a community forum to discuss the project proposals. Please post your idea(s) on Landscape America’s Facebook page before March 30th, 2012, or visit the page to see and weigh-in others’ suggestions. You can also email dmcduff@landscapeamericainc.com or call 508-384-3002. All ideas are welcome and will be considered.

Landscape America is part of PLANET, Professional Landcare Network, a group that encourages members to give back to communities through volunteer landscaping, lawn care, tree care or interior projects. 

Volunteers of the Year Named

Wrentham residents received Volunteer of the Year awards from the Board of Selectmen at the November Town Meeting. Patricia Fogg received the 2011 Wrentham Volunteer of the Year award for her decades of service caring for Birchwold Farm Conservation Area, while Samantha McPhee and Eddie Cullinane won the 2011 Youth Volunteers of the Year for their work with special needs students at King Philip Regional Middle School.

Almost every day for the past 26 years, Fogg and her husband David have maintained the trails on Birchwold Farm. They hit the trails and clip branches, rake the ground, and at times cut trees. Recently, they’ve been taking their newly rescued copper nose beagle, Mazzie.

Fogg spends her time caring for the land out of a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations. “I really enjoy doing this work out there,” Fogg says. “I think my husband and I will do this for as long as we can. The outdoors, animals, it makes my day.”

Fogg also invites people to help her out in her work. “I do encourage people to bring clippers as they walk the trails,” she says. “I can use all the help I can get to keep the trails open. When I walk the dog, I have clippers in one hand and the dog’s leash in the other hand.”

Last year, as eighth graders, McPhee and Cullinane participated in the Peer Mentoring Program at the King Philip Middle School where they worked in an adapted physical education class specifically for special education students. “I really enjoy the work,” McPhee says. “I’ve become close with the students. I understand them and they understand me.”

Cullinane says he was very honored to receive the award and that he loved the work as well. The experience has opened his eyes to a potential career. “After doing the mentoring program, I’m thinking about becoming a special education teacher,” he says.

 The three volunteers received certificates highlighting their service and they will also receive gifts from Wrentham merchants.

 

Garden Needs Volunteers

The Harvest from the Heart Garden is well into its second year and its ground has already yielded organically grown lettuce, chard, onions, tomatoes and potatoes. The bounty is delivered to the Wrentham Food Pantry where residents in need are able to benefit from a healthy assortment of fresh vegetables. While the growing season is in full swing, the garden needs additional volunteers. Currently there are 15 to 20 volunteers that regularly tend to the chores of weeding and watering, as well as harvesting, cleaning and packing vegetables. The number of volunteers is lower than last year according to Ken Oles, coordinator for the project. In addition to having fewer hands, Oles says the garden's production is down a little in its second year. "We started later this spring due to weather and other factors."

Despite the lower production and fewer volunteers, the 9,000 square feet of land located on the Wrentham Developmental Center property will produce a slew of veggies for the Wrentham Food Pantry that includes tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, winter squash, onions, Swiss chard, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, cabbage, beans, and kale. All are welcome to participate in the garden. To lend a hand to the project, contact Oles via email at wrenthamgarden@yahoo.com. Work days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Open Spaces and Fun Places

The Wrentham Open Space Committee has scheduled a presentation on how to find and enjoy the numerous open spaces throughout Wrentham.

Entitled, “Open Spaces and Fun Places of Wrentham," the presentation will be held on Wednesday, October 13th at 7:00 pm in the Wrentham Public

Safety Building Meeting Room (Wrentham Police Headquarters building) and will feature Ron Clough, State Forest Supervisor and Jim Goyea, President of the Friends of Warner Trail. Clough is responsible for the management of over 1000 acres of State Forest land in Wrentham, Foxboro, Plainville, and Franklin.  Goyea, is the President of the Friends of Warner Trail.  His all-volunteer organization provides the maintenance for the Warner Trail system, which stretches over thirty miles through woods and backyards from Sharon, MA, through Wrentham and into to Cumberland, RI.

Clough and Goyea will narrate a slideshow presentation of  scenic and, at times, not the best known locations in town. This presentation is sponsored by the Sweatt Fund and is open to the public free of charge. If you would like more information, contact Open Space Committee chairman Doug Randall at 508-384-1272.

Tomato Plants Still Available

This weekend is the last opportunity to pick up tomato plants from the White Barn Farm road stand. Located on 458 South Street, and open from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, tomato plants will be on sale for $2 each. They also have sweet peppers,  6-packs of flowers: cosmos, marigolds, globe amaranth, and annual black-eyed Susans on sale for for $3 per 6-pack. On the fresh vegetable front, kale, swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, lettuce, kohlrabi, garlic scapes, mint, marjoram, basil, cilantro, beets and maybe peas will be available. There is also honey from hives kept at the farm and eggs from farms in the area.

Wrentham Home to the Great Blue Heron

 On a humid but breezy Sunday afternoon, a group of thirty naturalists, bird enthusiasts, and simply the curious followed noted wildlife expert Peter Alden (pictured)on a hike to gaze upon the local colony of great blue herons. The hikers' ages ranged across a wide spectrum of decades and all were treated not just to the sight of a relatively large heron rookery, but they were also entertained and educated about the local plant life and the conditions that may have led to the development of the spring and early summer homes of the herons.

The hike started in the parking lot at the end of Elysium Street, at the Wollomonopoag Conservation Area, and followed a dirt path that descended towards a large beaver pond. Along the way, Alden would spot and discuss local plants like sassafras, spotted wintergreen, club moss, and huckleberry. He explained the increase in mid-sized carnivores in this area such as the fisher. "We've had an explosion of carnivores," Alden said in large part to the passing of the legislation in the 1990s to reduce trapping. He pointed out witch hazel and the American chestnut which he called an extinct tree because of its inability to grow to maturity due to a blight that kills it once it flowers. "At one time the American chestnut tree made up close to 25% of our forests," he said.

The trail leveled off and led to a large pond that was built by beavers. Alden explained that when the beaver constructs its damn, the water level in the pond rises and this kills the trees rooted in the pond. The tops of the dead trees are where the great blue heron makes giant stick nests which are clearly visible from the path running along the pond. The site seemed almost Triassic with the great blue herons taking on the roll of the pterodactyl with its seven foot wing span and long beak. The nests at this time contained babies which probably number around 4 offspring. "This is a healthy colony," Alden said. 

While the rookery (pictured)had a prehistoric appearance, it is a relatively new sight today. "They were very rare 50 years ago," Alden said. The Wrentham rookery held about 38 nests. The giant birds will abandon their Wrentham home in July but will hopefully return the following March. Alden says that about 100 towns in Massachusetts are home to great blue heron colonies.
 
The walk and talk lecture was arranged by the Open Space Committee and funded by the Sweatt Fund. There will be future lectures on falconry and edible plants as well as a presentation on bees this Wednesday, June 9 at 7:30 pm at Fiske Public Library.