Our thanks
Dear Editor
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all our family and friends during this difficult time. The outpouring of support goes beyond words. For all the kind gestures, if you though of us that day or said a prayer for us, we thank you.
Chief Paul Flanagan and the firefighters, we thank you. Dave would be so proud of the honor, integrity, loyalty and commitment you demonstrated throughout the services. Thank you for standing guard for hours; for warming the hearts of our family and delivering the Chief to his final resting place with honor.
We would also like to thank Chief Delehanty and the police department for your compassion and assisting in the transportation.
Warm regards,
The Higginbotham Family
How to exempt from mosquito spraying
Dear Editor:
The following letter came to the Town Clerk’s Office to inform residents how to exempt property from spraying. Action is required by March 1, 2016 and the law as well as sample exemption form is attached to this message.
“With the mosquito breeding season over for this year, we are already gearing up for the next season. As you may know, residents can exempt their property from pesticide application activities and in the past we did our best to accommodate all requests. Beginning in 2014, we were no longer be able to accommodate those requests that did not adhere to 333 CMR 13:00, due to a determination by the State’s legal department (please see attached regulation). At this time, the regulation remains in effect as written for the 2016 mosquito breeding season. We are asking that you inform the residents of your town early to insure that those who wish to exempt their property send their certified letter to the municipal clerk no later than March 1 of the year they are requesting exemption. Designation for exclusion must be made prior to March 1st of each year and shall be effective from April 1st of that year through March 31st of the following year.
Properties to be exempted will be entered into our data collection and mapping program. This program is designed to alert the applicator of an upcoming, exempted property allowing the sprayer to be turned off in an appropriate time frame. Properties included in the exemption layer of the mapping program are based on the actual parcel boundaries (according to the Mass GIS database) to allow for better exemption of the entire property.
We are informing the local Boards of Health and Municipal Clerks early as this is a change from previous years when residents could call us directly to have their property exempted. As requests come in to the Clerk’s office, they may be forwarded directly to us, held until the March 1st deadline after which we will have a District representative pick them up or they may be included in one database to be sent to our office no later than March 5. The desires of the owner of the property will take precedence over those of a tenant according to 333 CMR 13:00. I have attached a form that residents may use to exempt their properties.
If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
 Robyn Januszewski
Biologist
Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control and Wetlands Management District
118 Tenney St.
Georgetown, MA 01833
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On new plans for Miller Field, and Lewis Lake
Dear Editor:
In regards to the article last week regarding plans for Miller Field & The Winthrop Golf Club. A $3.5 million grant is slated to go toward the work at Lewis Lake and Winthrop Golf Club, and another $6-8 Million on the Miller Field Project. All so an Athletic Field can be constructed in an area where drainage issues have been a problem for area residents for over 50 years. A total of 10 Million plus!
My parents bought the property at 38 Franklin St. in 1959. Due to the fact that there were no real-estate disclosure laws at that time, they bought a big “lemon†The previous owners told my parents the water in the basement was due to the washing machine overflowing! My father spent THOUSANDS digging up the foundation, basement and walkways around the property to alleviate the flooding issues, nothing ever accomplished that issue.
If anyone who has been in Winthrop for at least a couple of years, we all know about the flooding issues. The high school area, especially Franklin Street has been, and still is a MAJOR flooding problem. My parents were told many years ago by a DPW employee (now retired), a pumping station was needed in that area but, the Town of Winthrop would not invest the money!
So instead, the area residents have been dealing with major floods for over 50 years. The Town’s fix was, when it rained and Franklin Street flooded, they put horses at each end of the street until Lewis Lake could handle the drainage.
The Town of Winthrop NEVER accepted any responsibility for the flooding issues, actually denying it was a Town issue. Many insurance companies cancelled my parents coverage over the years, as well as charging THOUSANDS for flood insurance coverage.
It is ironic now; the Town of Winthrop is admitting there is a flooding problem in the area, all so a new athletic field can be constructed. There are still current residents on Franklin Street having major flooding issues; two of those residents have only been there less than two years! Atty. Tsiotos who resided at 42 Franklin St. for years, also spent thousands on french drains in his basement to no avail. He moved!
I am all for a progress and moving forward but, it is a tragedy that the residents affected by the flooding issues for over 50 years would never have received any help, if not for this new project. As well as the residents like my parents who were cast off by the Town of Winthrop for YEARS regarding flooding issues.
Now, as I have said previously; the Town of Winthrop is getting “Millions to fix an existing problem that the Town has always denied was their issue!
How much money should be paid to those residents affected, to recoup thousands spent for cleanup, reconstruction, and pain & suffering for over 50 years and currently?
Douglas F. Cali