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"Quincy knows how to celebrate holidays and Independence Day has such importance to our city's history and the Adams Legacy. I look forward to attending all the weekend's festivities!' |
Greetings!
Thank you to everyone who attended my campaign kick-off, to those who sent words of encouragement and/or financial contributions. Your support is greatly appreciated. Me and my campaign team will be out collecting signatures to get my name on the ballot for re-election in the coming weeks. More volunteers are always welcome at campaign events, sign holding, literature drops, etc. Please email committee@margaretlaforest.com or visit www.MargaretLaforest.com to sign up to be a volunteer. When I first campaigned for the office of Ward One Councilor, communication to residents was an area I wanted to see improved. I try to balance city business (Capital Improvement Plan and Zoning Board updates are below) and city happenings in my e-newsletters. If you have an idea or event you'd like to see included in a future edition, please let me know. I also utilize Facebook and Twitter on matters that arise on a more frequent basis.
Quincy has a VIBRANT coastal economy and our local fisherman, clammers, lobsterman need our support. BUY LOCAL! Every Friday and Saturday, lobsters are available fresh off the boat of Houghs Neck resident Steve Holler and the Quincy Farmer's Market is open on Friday's from 11:30am-5:30pm in the Hancock Parking Lot.
Quincy participates in the Norfolk County Mosquito Control program and you are welcome to call or visit their website and enter your home address to request spraying. With the wet start to summer, I'm glad Quincy has this resource. Our local history is a highlight for many tourists. Have you taken the time to visit the attractions we frequently drive by? If you have a few hours this summer, I recommend that you visit the Adams National Park and Quincy Historic Society. Quincy has many celebrations planned to celebrate Independence Day this weekend and I've included a list of Ward One happenings and I hope to see you there. As always, please contact me if I can be of any assistance. Happy 3rd and 4th of July, Margaret
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Ward One Independence Day Activities Schedule |
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·Adams Shore, Monday, July 4th, 9am Flag Raising at O'Hara Circle, bike parade and awarding of Adams Shore Citizen of the Year.
·Adams Shore, Monday, July 4th, 12-2pm Cookout and games
·Gull Point, Germantown, Monday, July 4th, 10am Parade starting at Shed/Sargeant intersection proceeding to the Flag Raising at Gull Point Yacht Club followed by traditional games, races and cookout.
·Houghs Neck, Sunday, July 3rd, 11am Bike decorating at the Houghs Neck Community Center and a bike parade to Edgewater Beach
·Houghs Neck, Sunday, July 3rd, 12-3pm Family Fun Day at Edgewater Beach; games, races, sandcastle contest, arts and crafts, face painting, tattoos, a magic show, moon bounce and if you're not sick of getting wet - a dunk tank. Activities are free, but food and t-shirts will be sold for a nominal fee to help offset the costs of the event.
·Merrymount, Sunday, July 3rd Starting at 6pm with the Annual Seamans-Hussey Road Race, registration 5:45pm at main beach, nine divisions from under 8 to over 40. Bike parade, treasure hunt, egg toss, pie eating contest, awarding of the Marge Gibbons Scholarship and Miss Merrymount, music, entertainment and the canteen will be open.
·Merrymount, Monday, July 4th 8:45am Junior Olympics at Perkins Field; running races, buddy races, wheelbarrow races and softball throw.
·Merrymount, Monday, July 4th 1pm "Celebrating the 4th of July through Music" Theme Parade starts at Merrymount School and travels Agawam, Narraganset, Chickatabot, Norton, Sea, Samoset, Longwood, Moreland, Waban, Maypole, Squanto, Victoria and ending at Merrymount Beach for a flag raising ceremony and parade awards. |
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The Lobster Boat, November Gale, sells LOBSTER fresh off the boat, Fridays and Saturdays, 3-6pm |
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Captain Steve Holler will be docked at the Houghs Neck Maritime Center, 137 Bayview Ave, Quincy on Fridays and Saturdays from 3-6pm during July and August selling lobsters fresh from his pots to yours. Steve says "if you want them big come early, the holiday weekend is always popular. TODAY, Friday, July 1, Steve is being interviewed for a feature on Chronicle and the film crew will be on the docks at 3pm interviewing customers. For more information, visit www.november-gale.com or call 617-590-4579.
Steve is also a candidate for the Mayor of Houghs Neck contest and will have his donation jar at the ready for customers and anyone looking to support his campaign. The HN Mayor contest helps promote the Spirit of the Neck with proceeds benefiting programs sponsored by the Houghs Neck Community Council and the Houghs Neck Community Council Scholarship Fund. "I love the Houghs Neck neighborhood where I grew up and still call home, lobstering is a family tradition that I am proud to continue and being a Mayoral contestant is a way to support the community that is such a part of who I am." |
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Quincy Farmer's Market, Fridays 11:30am-5:30pm |
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The Quincy Farmer's Market is open Friday's from 11:30am- 5:30pm on Friday's through November 18th RAIN OR SHINE in the Hancock Municipal Parking Lot, across from the Quincy Courthouse. Check out their website and "like" them on Facebook.
New Experiences at the Farmers Market for the 2011 Season
This season features live music, family events, nutritional counseling, art lessons, and public art. New products at the market include wine and cheese, a new line of artisan breads, seafood, preserves, organic produce, and personal care & beauty products.
This Friday before Independence Day features the following events:
11:30AM-5:30PM All Day Independence Day Toast Contest
- Independence Day Toast Contest
- The ArcherWest Gallery conducts "Methods and Media" series of art instruction for children. Art-Artist Ensemble featuring Patriotic Art
- Emma May, Photographer, joins the market this Friday.
- A public artwork, called Mosaic Medley, by the Revolving Museum.
- Live music performance by A Street Music. Sax & Classical Guitar.
- The first hundred kids get a free Red, White, or Blue balloon.
- Scones from Hallowed Herbs Tea House return today.
- Al's Backwood Berries Preserves offers 25% More Fruit, 25% Less Sugar
- Big Sister will provide information on their program.
- The ArcherWest Featured artist work this week is Isabel Shamitz's "Moments Captured."
11:30AM-1PM
the Spa at Boncaldo's will demonstrate an Eggplant Scalp Massage
12PM-Bicycle Repair Clinic with MJF Repairs
2PM Bicycle Repair Clinic with MJF Repairs
2PM-3PM There will be a Market Education event for children teaching about measurement and weighing things at the market.
4PM Bicycle Safety Concerns and Questions with MJF Repairs
Featured Winery: Zoll Cellars, Shrewsbury
Recommended Wine & Cheese Pairings: Fresh Air Chardonnay, Zoll Cellars with Asiago Cheese grated on a Cesar Salad, from Foxboro Cheese
12PM Aminas Hair Braiding offers single complementary braids and braiding for a fee. |
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Discover Quincy - Adams National Park |
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Adams National Historical Park tells the story of four generations of the Adams family (from 1720 to 1927). The park has two main sites: the Birthplaces of 2nd U.S. President John Adams and 6th U.S. President John Quincy Adams, and Peacefield including the "Old House," home to four generations of the Adams family, and the Stone Library which contains more than 12,000 historic volumes.
Open daily from 9am - 5pm, admission is $5, free to children under 16 and includes a tolley bus service that will transport you from the park visitor center to the three historic houses and Stone Library. Check out their website for a list their special holiday events. |
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Discover Quincy - Quincy Historical Society's NEW Civil War Exhibit |
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Quincy Historical Society's new exhibit, Quincy and the Civil War: The Unfinished Work of the Revolutionary Generation, examines Quincy's Civil War experience, with particular attention to the community's distinctive Revolutionary heritage and the changing nature of both the nation and the town. The exhibit prominently features artifacts and images originally collected by the Civil War veterans of Quincy's Grand Army of the Republic post and a number of original documents.
The Quincy History Museum at Quincy Historical Society takes you through more than 400 years of some of America's richest, most influential history.Meet rebels and reformers, workers and visionaries:
John and Abigail Adams and others who helped create the United States; Granite workers who moved 5-ton blocks and helped change the look of America; Three centuries of shipbuilders, culminating in 30,000 men and women who built the ships that helped win World War II; Entrepreneurs who brought Americans 28 flavors of ice cream, do-it-yourself home repair, and drive-thru coffee and doughnuts.
QHS is open Monday through Friday 9am-4pm and Saturday's 12-3pm. Admission is $3 for adults, $1.50 for seniors and students. |
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Norfolk County Mosquito Control |
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If the mosquitoes are a bother to you this summer, I encourage you to put a call in to the Norfolk County Mosquito Control as they "spray" every Thursday in Quincy. Call the office at 781-762-3681 or submit an online request at massnrc.org by 1:00PM on Wednesday to be included in the route. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook. From their website: "The female Salt Marsh Mosquito lays her eggs on areas of the high marsh that are only flooded once a month. During the spring high tide each month (at new or full moon depending on the earth-moon-sun configuration) the eggs hatch in pools of water left by the spring high tide. These larvae then grow through four stages, into a pupal stage, and then emerge as adults. This whole process takes about 7-10 days. Since the tides are very predictable, the emergence of this mosquito is also very predictable. For residents who live near salt marshes that breed this mosquito, one can use this graph to predict when larger than usual outbreaks will most likely occur. The red dates on the chart represent the date of the spring high tide. Simply add 7-10 days to this date and the mosquito outbreak is predicted. This summer, the likely dates of the more severe mosquito outbreaks in Massachusetts coastal towns start around May 24-27, June 21-24, Aug 9-12, and Sept 8-11. Unusually large rain events can also trigger salt marsh mosquito emergences. These occurrences are, of course, unpredictable. The Norfolk County Mosquito Control is active in trying to control these mosquitoes. We annually larvicide the known breeding marshes. Although many mosquitoes are killed, we simply cannot reach all the breeding locations and periodically new breeding sites are created by natural salt marsh dynamics. Check out our link to Open Marsh Water Management, a mosquito control and marsh restoration technique that is very effective. We began using this technique in 1999, and have completed 9 projects - six in Quincy, two in Weymouth, one in Braintree, and one in Milton." |
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Zoning Board of Appeals
RE: Houghs Neck American Legion Post |
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Many have asked the status of the former American Legion Post 380 property at 1110-1118 Sea Street, Houghs Neck. The new owners recently filed with the Zoning Board of Appeals to request a finding for a change of use from "Assembly Use" to "Residential" with their plan being to convert the Post into a residential home. While the "change of use" was supported by the neighbors, the plans submitted were opposed relative to the facade, landscape plan, conformance to the neighborhood, concern for commercial use or conversion to multi-family unit and discrepancies relative to the application. The ZBA denied the application. I have requested that prior to a new filing that the applicant contact me and we will host a neighborhood meeting prior to the ZBA as myself, the neighbors and ZBA board members weren't satisfied with their application as submitted. As to the American Legion Post 380, I have spoken with Commander Fratolillo and the membership continues to meet, utilizing the Houghs Neck Community Center, as well as attend community events. |
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Zozning Board of Appeals, Ward One Projects |
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The Zoning Board of Appealswill meet on Tuesday, July 12, at 7:15pm on the Second Floor in the Council Chambers of Quincy City Hall, 1305 Hancock Street for the purpose of considering the following:
NEW BUSINESS:
11-043 MAURIZIO CATTANEO for a VARIANCE to construct a deck on the premises numbered 196 SAMOSET AVE, QUINCY
Anyone can attend the meeting to express their support for or opposition to any of these projects. If you cannot attend the meeting, you can send a letter to the Zoning Board of Appeals at 55 Sea Street Quincy, MA 02169. I always welcome constituents to contact me with their concerns as well. |
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Capital Improvement Plan
Seawall work, phase one to begin |
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The Capital Improvement Plan for the City of Quincy is now underway and I want to note that a pre-bid conference was held on June 24th with site visits at Sheldon Road, Edgewater Drive (from Darrow to Turner) and the Rockland Street bridge. Work is expected to begin in early July in those areas. We are still determining the firm that will do the overall assessment of our coastal infrastructure and will then derive a plan to repair other areas and a long term solution particularly for the WPA Granite Wall along Edgewater. I will keep you posted as information relative to the projects becomes available. |
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Margaret Laforest
Ward One Councilor, Quincy
236 Rock Island Road
Quincy, MA 02169
(home) 617-471-1806 (office) 617-376-1351
P Please consider the environment before printing this email. |
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