Posted onMarch 15, 2024|Comments Off on Dwight-Derby House update – tours available
From Geoff Sauter, President Friends of the Dwight-Derby House, Inc. –
Hi Pete,
I was pleased to make your acquaintance last night and especially pleased with your offer to add updates regarding the Dwight-Derby House to your blog.
I am in the process of putting together a quarterly newsletter to keep your electorate abreast of the goings on at 7 Frairy St. and will let you know when it’s finally available for distribution. Your support will help me develop an email list so that we get it out to as many interested residents as possible.
More importantly, you can report on your next blog that I am making the Dwight-Derby House open by appointment for guided tours 7 days a week. We have found that being open two Saturdays a month from 10:00 to 12:00 was not adequate and did not meet with everyone’s schedules. I can be reached directly at Coptersauter@gmail.com or through the Contact Us tab on our website, which is dwightderbyhouse.org. The tours typically take about an hour.
Attached are some current pictures to spice up your blog.
Best,
Geoff Sauter, President
Friends of the Dwight-Derby House
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Posted onMarch 7, 2024|Comments Off on Office Hours tomorrow – 9-10AM at The Center
Select Board Office Hours this Friday
My first Friday office hours are being held tomorrow at The Center, having been put over for a week out of an abundance of caution due to my exposure at a meeting last week to someone who later tested positive for COVID. I fortunately tested negative.
I usually hold regular monthly office hours at The Center on the first Friday of every month from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. Residents are welcome to stop by to talk in person about any town matters. Residents can also have coffee and see the Council on Aging in action (a vibrant organization with lots going on). I can be reached via 508-359-9190 or this blog about Medfield matters https://medfield02052.wordpress.com, where any schedule changes will be posted.
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Posted onMarch 7, 2024|Comments Off on MEA Webinar on Environmentally Friendly Lawns & Yards – 3/13
From Helen Dewey –
Medfield Environment Action to Host a Webinar on Environmentally Friendly Lawns and Yards
Homeowners and landscapers are invited to attend a webinar on Wed. Mar 13 at 7:30 pm on Low Impact, Sustainable Yard Care. Included will be presentations on pesticide and chemical free native gardens, use of earth- friendly lawn equipment and information on equipment that is harmful to humans and the earth. In addition, representatives from the Charles River Watershed Association will speak about how to prevent contaminating water and how to conserve fresh water. Other presenters include Monique Allen, The Garden Continuum in Medfield, George Carrette, Ecoquiet Lawn Care in Concord and Tricia Glass from Quiet Communities. Jeff Hyman, Medfield homeowner, will walk us through how he has transformed his yard into a clean, sustainable and welcoming yard and he will explain how Medfielders can do it in their own yards.
Why is a sustainable yard which has a low impact on the environment so important? Gardening and lawn care techniques have evolved from natural landscapes to green, lush, manicured lawns and trimmed flower beds. The problem is that the fertilizers and pesticides used to create those lawns and gardens degrade the soil, contaminate groundwater, harm microbial life and have safety concerns. In addition, it takes a lot of time, money and lots of fresh water to maintain them. Some of the high-powered equipment used for yard care has very high carbon emissions and the loud, high velocity wind created raises fine particulate matter which is a respiratory and auditory health threat. It is time to return to the garden that flourishes with native plants that are accustomed to growing in Zone 6 yards and need less water and less maintenance. The result is a beautiful, colorful garden that attracts a lot of beneficial insects and small animals without any negative impact on the environment.
The webinar is presented by Medfield Environment Action in support of Sustainable Medfield’s Action of the Quarter, Low Impact, Sustainable Yard Care. Preregister at tinyurl.com/YardCareMar13. Any questions, email meamedfield@gmail.com. More tips can be found on the Action Portal at sustainablemedfield.org.
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Posted onMarch 5, 2024|Comments Off on Sgt. Francis Thisse promoted at Select Board meeting last night
Photographs and scouts both thanks to Troop 89 troop leader Kristin Simonini.
The Promotion of Francis Thisse to Sergeant was celebrated by the Medfield Police and Troop 89 Boy Scouts at the Select Board Meeting
The Medfield Police Department turned out in large numbers at the Select Board Monday evening meeting last night to celebrate the promotion of Francis Thisse (in center in top photograph and at right in bottom photograph) to Sergeant by Deputy Chief Barry McGrath (2nd from right in top and at left in bottom photographs next to Chief Guerette).
The 6th and 7th grade Boy Scouts from Troop 89 attended the Select Board meeting last night to earn a merit badge, but also shared many thoughtful questions and comments.
There were lots of uniforms in the room: police, scouts, and the Select Board members in their suits uniforms.
The Select Board meet on Monday to avoid the state primary election today.
Retiring Sgt. Wayne Sallale (3rd from right in bottom photograph) was warmly thanked for his years of service to the Town of Medfield and also appointed as a Special Police Officer.
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Posted onMarch 2, 2024|Comments Off on MMA’s The Beacon
From the Massachusetts Municipal Association –
Hello Members!
Here’s the March 2024 issue of The Beacon, packed with the latest news affecting local government and details about recent and upcoming meetings and webinars.
By publishing The Beacon as a PDF, we can ensure that we get you the very latest information that you need ASAP. (If you did not receive this email directly, please share your email address with us, along with your name, title and city/town, by emailing database@mma.org.)
Best regards, John Ouellette Deputy Communications Director Jennifer Kavanaugh Associate Editor Meredith Gabrilska Digital Communications Specialist
To join through a conference call, dial 929-436-2866 or 312-626-6799 or 253-215-8782 or 301-715-8592 or 346-248-7799 or 669-900-6833 a. Enter the Webinar ID: 885 3036 6678 b. Enter the password: 637025 The packet with meeting materials for this meeting is available at this link: https://town.medfield.net/DocumentCenter/View/7692/Select-Board-Meeting-Packet_03042024
Posted onFebruary 29, 2024|Comments Off on Office hours postponed a week
OFFICE HOURS POSTPONED TO NEXT FRIDAY, MARCH 8
I learned today that I was exposed to COVID at a meeting on Monday evening. Fortunately, I have no symptoms, but out of an abundance of caution and consideration for others, I am postponing my office hours this month at The Center that were to take place tomorrow, for a week.
My March office hours will take place on March 8 at The Center.
Posted onFebruary 28, 2024|Comments Off on MFi Camp Fund needs your help
Medfield Foundation 2024 Summer Camp Fund Appeal
It’s time to think about summer! We need your help to send a kid to camp.
Medfield Foundation (MFi) relies on generosity of our Medfield residents to help make our local summer camps accessible to all our Medfield families.
Summer camp is a happy tradition for many children throughout Medfield. Perhaps you have many happy memories from your time as a camper. Summer camp provides us with cherished experiences where learning takes place out of the classroom and often in the great outdoors. Summer camp provides us with unexpected friendships born out of shared experiences that often last a lifetime.
Over the past six years, together we have raised over $45,000 and helped over 40 local families in need send their children to camp. These children were able to experience the special magic of our local summer camps including swimming at Hinkley Pond. More importantly, these children were given the opportunity to participate in new experiences and new friendships outside of the classroom.
This is your chance to donate to our 2024 Summer Camp Fund and make a tangible difference in a child’s life. Please give generously. 100% of your donation will go towards sending a kid to camp this summer.
It’s easy to make your tax-deductible donation:
Send your check to the Medfield Foundation, PO Box 745, Medfield MA 02052. Please make your check out to Medfield Foundation, Inc and then please write “CAMP” in the memo line
Want more information? Please visit us at www.medfieldfoundation.org or contact us at info@medfieldfoundation.org.
We hope you will consider donating to the MFi Camp Fund to make summer camp accessible to all. And if you are need of financial assistance for your children to attend a Medfield based summer camp, please contact Medfield Outreach by calling 508-359-7121 x3421 or x3422 or via email at this address: medfieldoutreach@medfield.net
Did you know…
The Medfield Foundation (MFi) builds community by supporting local non-profit initiatives, raising funds for those in need, and distributing grants that positively impact Medfield.
MFi is a 100% volunteer run 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable corporation.
From the Peak House Heritage Center (always interesting – subscribe yourself to get their version with better formatting) –
Medfield’s Peak House Heritage Center
+ What’s New for February + + Object of the Month #1 Ever heard the saying, “Dead as a doornail“? Whether you have or haven’t, the front door of the Peak House is a good place to begin a close-to-home story about it. As seen today, this door (36”wide by 66” high) was installed in 1924. It has two pine panels: a vertical set facing outdoors and a horizontal set inside. The outdoor panels have weathered nicely, while inside the boards were fashioned to continue the original Colonial apstrake style.
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The door is commonly called a batten door. At the Peak House horizontal boards (around 13” wide) are nailed across vertical boards (also 13” wide). The nails, called Roseheads, were special nails used in 1924 to imitate the soft iron ones first crafted by hand in Colonial times. These 3-inch nails are driven through both the outside and inside boards and then bent over, or clenched, on the inside face.
Once the door was studded with them, the nails were useless for any other purpose and thus were “dead as a doornail.” Today’s door is as strong as ever and represents the architect’s desire in 1924 to preserve and display a 1762 construction method and style. A word of historical caution. When the present building was built in 1711, it was an ell or addition to Benjamin Clark’s 1680 house. As such, no outside door was needed. When the present building was moved around 1762 to today’s location, it was then that a door was introduced to the south wall as seen today. There is no recorded or visual citation to document today’s door as original in style to what might have been. The Peak House door was built in 1924 by Abbott Lowell Cummings, a well-respected architectural historian whose best intent was to represent an authentic Colonial style. + Object of the Month #2 How is this door hung? Although iron nails were an uninspired necessity, there was room for artistic expression when it came to hinges and latches. The blacksmith could combine his own likes and abilities with regional and cultural preferences to produce eye-catching additions to panel doors. Hinges suspended the door and allowed it to swing freely. Colonial hinges were named for their shapes – strap, butterfly, cocks-head, H and H-L hinges They were usually secured on pintles, a pin or bolt forming the pivot of a hinge. The present-day hinges are a pair of pintle-strap hinges . The pintle spike required a sturdy frame and was commonly used for external doors. + Object of the Month #3 This artistic trefoil latch opens the door today to all visitors. It appears that no door knocker was ever installed in 1924. + Object of the Month #4 Make that Objective #4. Plan to visit the Peak House Heritage Center during a Saturday from April through October to appreciate more architectural history as well as to engage in a variety of interactive exhibits both inside and out. Catch the upcoming schedule in this newsletter or our website. Our historic door always welcomes you. + CreditsPhotographsby the Peak House Heritage Center Connect with us on Donate Today OnlineDonate Today by Mail
Our Contact Information Peak House Heritage Center 52 South Street (Business Office) Medfield, MA 02052-2616 508-505-7742 http://www.peakhouseheritagecenter.org
I started this blog to share the interesting and useful information that I saw while doing my job as a Medfield select board member. I thought that my fellow Medfield residents would also find that information interesting and useful as well. This blog is my effort to assist in creating a system to push the information out from the Town House to residents. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how it can be done better.
For information on my other job as an attorney (personal injury, civil litigation, estate planning and administration, and real estate), please feel free to contact me at 617-969-1500 or Osler.Peterson@OslerPeterson.com.
