Medway & Millis localtownpages
Vol. 1 No.10
Free to Every Home and Business Every Month
January 1. 2011
Orange-Toothed Beasts Wreak Water Havoc in Medway BY J.D. O’GARA Okay. Perhaps “beasts” is too strong. Let’s call them critters – and they’re pretty cute to boot. The flooding? Well, the overflow simply happened when the town of Holliston decided to remove a lot of hard work on the part of a number of beavers on Hopping Brook Road. The water had to go somewhere, and it ended up in Medway. The beavers blocked two 48” culverts in Holliston, and water levels rose in the vicinity rose, flooding Route 16. Holliston notified Medway that they were planning on breaching the dams, and on December 13, with the help of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and a big excavator, they breached the first one. The water level in Medway rose, but didn’t flood until about 9 p.m., when Milford Street flooded. “Generally speaking, (beavers) don’t pose a problem,” says Director of Medway’s Department of Public Services Tom Holder. “They build these dams where rivers and streams have bottlenecks. Some of these are 60 to 100 feet long.”
Millis Niagara Engine House Gets New Foundation BY JUDITH DORATO O’GARA
Medway and Holliston worked together to breach two beaver dams blocking these culverts. The breach caused temporary flooding in Medway. Beaver photo inset taken at Millis’ Richardson’s Pond by George Trumbour, III.
According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), the 2-3 foot long semi-aquatic beavers, weighing anywhere from 35-80 lbs. as adults, are unique in that they alter their habitat to meet their needs. By damming up small rivers and streams to form ponds, these animals create small ponds, which allow them to find food, shelter
and protection from predators. The MSPCA points out that the wetlands beavers create support a number of other species. According to the MSPCA, breaching a dam, only a temporary solution, is sometimes necessary to control immediate flooding, but should be done carefully. Because breaching can re-
sult in serious flooding, as well as a threat to a number of species that depend upon the wetland for survival, Massachusetts has severe penalties for unauthorized breaches. Current law states that if flooding from a beaver dam poses a threat to public health, a local health official must issue an
BEAVER continued on page 3
Thank you for allowing me inTo your neighborhood. all The beST in 2011!!!
Millis, MA
GRAND OPENING AND OPEN HOUSE, JANUARY 2ND
(508) 376-8508 www.theyogastudiomillis.com
FREE CLASSES all day. Come in and see our new studio space. We have doubled our size!
To show my appreciation, I donate up to $500 for every sale in town. Since 2008, I have contributed $9,650 to the local Schools, Libraries, Food Pantries and Senior Centers. It’s always the season for giving. This is my commitment to the community…
gary berset, realtor 508-820-6622 – gberset@verizon.net www.garyberset.com
EXECUTIVE REALTY
Millis’ Niagara Engine House may stand out, with its beautifully restored, colorful siding and trim, but it sits atop a crumbling foundation. Replacing it is what’s going on right now around the building, according to Nate Maltinsky, current project manager of the Niagara restoration project. The effort should take no more than six weeks and should be done by mid-January. In all, the process to get the foundation replaced has taken about 10 months, says Maltinsky. “The money that’s being used for this is CPA (Community Preservation Act) money. When you do that, there’s all this paperwork and all these requirements of the contractor, and the job has to be posted through the state register.
NIAGARA continued on page 8
“Turn Your Dreams Into Reality” JOLEEN ROSE Vice President LMC, CBR
508-951-5909 joleenrose@msn.com
Team Rice
Medway Lions Club
Re/Max Executive Realty 533-4500
Bottle/Can Drive
Remember the 2nd rule of real estate
if they are not sold on your town, they won’t be sold on your home. We know & promote all that is great about living in Medway & Millis
They can’t pick them up... if you don’t put them out!
Sat. January 8th All proceeds benefit the community.
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