Man About Canton: WINTER MOTHS
By Joe DeFeliceDID YOU KNOW…
Those of you who are curious about all those moths you noticed swarming in your headlights or around your outside lights at home last month — especially along the South Shore down to the Cape — you might be interested in a story recently published in the Boston Globe concerning the unexpected substantial surge of those little brown moths with a one-inch wingspan.
They are winter moths, and scientists believe they originated in Nova Scotia and have migrated to New England over the past 20 years. While there hasn’t been a scientific population count, there are an estimated one trillion of them in Massachusetts; and they could pose a serious threat to flowering plants and shrubs next spring.
Apparently, there is no simple answer for the current proliferation of the moths, but temperatures over the past few years have evidently provided for favorable breeding and feeding conditions for them. These winter moths don’t bite or sting and are merely flying around looking for a mate. At this stage, male moths swarm and mate with wingless females who will lay up to 150 eggs each.
Meanwhile, the UMass Extension Service is experimenting with a natural predator fly used for moth control in Nova Scotia to bring the winter moths under control here in Massachusetts, but it will take about five years for these predators to be effective.
Going on to other matters, those of you who have ever danced the Hokey Pokey and had a lot of fun because “that’s what it’s all about,” will be sad to learn that Robert Degan recently died at the age of 104. Degan was one of those who wrote the popular tune in 1944 about putting your hands, feet, and other body parts “in” and “out” and after shaking them all about, doing the hokey pokey and turning yourself around.
Apparently, the grinches who tried to take control of the U.S. Postal Service have been rebuffed. They were unsuccessful in their attempts to block letters addressed to Santa Claus from being forwarded to North Pole, Alaska, where Santa’s helpers would answer them. The Post Office grinches deserve a lot of Santa’s coal for their sneaky efforts.
MAC was saddened to see that Francis Turley recently died at the age of 80. Mr. Turley was the principal at the Luce Elementary School for 20 years before he retired in 1982.
Nomination papers have become available at the town clerk’s office for Canton’s annual town election on April 6. The last day to obtain nomination papers is January 27 at 5 p.m., and completed papers containing the signatures of at least 50 registered voters must be returned to the clerk’s office by January 29 at 5 p.m.
The annual town meeting is scheduled to begin on the last Monday in April at Canton High School. The meeting will continue every Monday and Wednesday until all warrant articles are voted on.
There has been another unexpected official resignation in Stoughton. Building Inspector David Tonis submitted his resignation letter, giving no explanation, to be effective at the end of the current fiscal year, June 30. The letter was submitted prior to a scheduled hearing on two complaints against him, and that hearing has now been postponed indefinitely.
The Canton selectmen have appointed Kevin Sullivan, Karl Waldman, and Jonathan Forman to the town’s newly formed Green Team Committee, which is charged with keeping the town abreast of environmentally friendly technologies. The selectmen are now seeking two additional members for the committee.
Boston TV sports analyst and radio station WEEI contributor Steve DeOssie has reportedly sold his single family home at 191 Turnpike Street in Canton for $242,000.
The selectmen have voted to spend $7,000 from their Stoughton mitigation fund to establish a left-turn signal at the intersection of Washington and Dedham streets, which should improve the flow of traffic.
Speaking of traffic signals, the selectmen reactivated those two new traffic lights at Neponset Street and Church Street. MAC liked the blinking yellow lights better, which were working fine. Why change it?
The state has announced it will start a new rebate program in late January for homeowners and businesses who install solar power systems. The program will be funded by a fee on electricity ratepayer’s monthly bills and by the federal stimulus package.
Red Sox fans will be interested to hear that they have extended their minor league agreement with the Single-A Lowell team (New York-Penn League) through the 2012 season.
According to the Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, the name “Max” was the most popular name for both male dogs and male cats in 2009.
Two of the oldest, shortest words, “yes” and “no,” are those which require the most thought.
This is all for now folks; see you next week.
Joe DeFelice can be reached at
manaboutcanton@aol.com
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=889
Posted by Joe DeFelice
on Jan 14 2010. Filed under Man About Canton, Opinion.
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