School Absences Were Up as Flu Cases Peaked

Typically, less than 4 percent of students are absent at the high school but it got close to 10 percent earlier this month.

The absentee rate at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School rose to 9.4 percent earlier this month - more than double the usual rate. The increase was largely attributed to the elevated cases of influenza this year, said the Hamilton Board of Health. So far, 12 cases of flu have been formally reported in Hamilton, according to the Board of Health. The age of those with the flu have ranged from 4 months old to 82, with five cases in children under age 8 and one over age 65. Townwide, cases have been up, according to health officials. The last two flu season were very light. In early January, the absentee rate at the high school was 8.7 percent for the first week back from the holiday vacation and then rose to 9.4 percent for the week of Jan. …

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Michelle Bailey

10:54 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013

Thank you, Board of Health for providing easy access to free flu shots in Hamilton Wenham early in the season!   more ›

Health Officials Plan Spring Reminder About Flies in Trash

The Hamilton Board of health plan a mailing this spring to reminder residents about the chance of maggots and flies in their trash.

Keeping trash for up to two weeks could cause greater occurrences of flies and maggots, according to a study done in Spokane, Wash. And based on that data, the Hamilton Board of Health decided Wednesday it plans to launch a public education campaign this spring to alert residents of the possibility of flies and maggots in the trash and offer tips to avoid it. "They did find a greater incidence of flies," said Board of Health Chairman Lindle Willnow said about the study from out west. The topic of the health concern of trash collection every other week had been on the board's agenda last fall but had been tabled as the board and Health Department grappled with mosquitoes infected with Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile Virus and the …

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Al Phillips

1:19 pm on Sunday, February 3, 2013

Are you kidding? Learn how to recycle and there will be no problem. My trash is never full at every two weeks cause I recycle most of my trash and I have three kids. Al   more ›

Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on Jan. 16: Signups Open for Winter Library Programs

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 16. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham:  1. Snow: Snow dominates the weather forecast on Wednesday with temperatures in the 30s. 2. Winter Activities: Signups start on Wednesday for all winter story times and programs at Hamilton-Wenham Library, including programs such as Baby Bookworms, Music & Movement, League of Superheroes and World of Wizarding. Signups must be made in person at the library. 3. State of the State: Gov. Deval Patrick will deliver the State of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. The speech from the Statehouse, will be carried by most major local television stations, including channels 4, 5 and 7 and NECN. 4. Personnel Board: The Wenham Board of …

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Wenham Quickly Follows Suit, Lifts Evening Activity Ban Too

The ban on publicly organized evening activities in Wenham was been lifted ion Thursday afternoon.

Wenham made the same move on Thursday as Hamilton had done a day earlier – the Board of Health lifted its evening activity ban. The lifting on the ban was announced in a Connect-CTY phone and e-mail message at about 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. The ban on publicly organized outdoor activities in Wenham between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. had been in place since Oct. 1 because of concern about mosquito-borne illness such as West Nile Virus and Eastern equine encephalitis. The Hamilton Board of Health met on Wednesday night and voted 3-0 to lift the ban, noting that temperatures below freezing on Oct. 13 had significantly lowered the threat of disease from mosquitoes because of a reduced population. The Wenham Board of Health had been scheduled to meet on …

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Hamilton Activity Ban Lifted, Evening Trick-or-Treating Can Go Ahead

The Hamilton Board of Health lifted the evening activity ban, after 24 days, on Wednesday allowing evening Trick-or-Treating to happen on Halloween.

The evening activity ban in Hamilton has been lifted, effective immediately, meaning Trick-or-Treating can go ahead as planned on Wednesday. The three-member Hamilton Board of Health unanimously voted to lift the ban when it met on Wednesday night at Hamilton Town Hall, making the decision in about 15 minutes. “The mandatory ban is no longer in place,” Hamilton Board of Health Chairman Lindle Willnow said, adding that the board encourages residents to use “extreme precautions” after 5 p.m. and before 8 a.m., when the activity ban had been in place. Willnow noted that the board’s warning was especially pointed at Trick-or-Treat on Wednesday. It was the first time the board had met since Oct. 13, when temperatures dropped into the high 20s …

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Robert Gates

9:46 pm on Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Board of Health did mention that "indoor mosquitoes" could carry West Nile Virus and could still be alive, but that "indoor mosquitoes" are not those that carry EEE.   more ›

Hamilton One of Few Remaining Towns With Evening Activity Ban

The ban will remain in place until temperatures drop below 28 degrees for four hours or more.

Hamilton remains one of a handful of communities north of Boston where the evening outdoor activity ban will remain in place after Saturday morning’s cold snap. Earlier this week, scores of communities from the greater Newburyport area to Cape Ann lifted the ban, citing the temperatures into the 20s on Saturday morning. On Thursday, Hamilton Town Manager Michael Lombardo said that the temperature in Hamilton dropped to 29 degrees for just an hour on Saturday morning. When the ban was put in place on Oct. 1, the Board of Health said that it would only be lifted only after a hard freeze – temperatures of 28 degrees or less for four hours or longer – or the threat level is lowered. The ban was put in place to protect residents from the threat…

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Chilly Temps Could Lift Activity Ban

It will be below freezing on Saturday morning, with temperatures possibly cold enough for long enough to kill mosquitoes and lift the evening activity ban in Hamilton and Wenham

Temperatures could get low enough early Saturday morning to kill most mosquitoes and lift the outdoor organized activity ban that is in place from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. “It’s a high possibility of a freeze,” said Pete Bouchard, meteorologist at WHDH-TV in Boston. Bouchard said it should get as low as 26 or 27 degrees in Hamilton and Wenham on Saturday morning. It will be below freezing for several hours, Bouchard said. The two towns are just far enough from the coast to get the temperature below freezing. For example, along Route 127 and right on the coast from Swampscott to Manchester-by-the-Sea, temperatures may only get down to 30 to 31 degrees. “Just a few miles inland it should get cold,” he said. “It will be cold – a real shot in the arm…

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As Threat Level Remains 'Critical,' Mosquito Spraying Planned Thursday in Hamilton

Mosquito spraying will occur along Essex and Sagamore streets in Hamilton on Thursday night.

Chemicals will again be sprayed on Thursday night in a portion of Hamilton to kill mosquitoes, as the town’s threat level for mosquito-borne illnesses remains at the highest level - “critical.” On Monday, the Hamilton Board of Health voted to ban all organized outdoor activities on both public and private property from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. until the threat level drops or there is a hard frost. The move to enact the outdoor activities ban came after a horse in Essex tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis last weekend. Since Hamilton borders Essex, has similar habitat and had a mosquito test positive for EEE earlier this summer, the threat level was raised to the highest level – critical – by the state Department of Public Health. The …

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Mosquito Threat Now 'Critical,' All Evening Outdoor Activity Banned

Concerns about mosquitoes infected with West Nile Virus and EEE have elevated the risk level in Hamilton to "critical" and prompted the Boards of Health in both towns to ban organized outdoor activity.

All organized outdoor activity has been banned during the evenings and overnight in Hamilton and Wenham because of concern about Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile Virus in mosquitoes. The Hamilton Board of Health made the decision in a vote on Monday night and the Wenham Board of Health followed with a similar decision, according to a tape of the meeting on HWCam. The vote was prompted after the state Department of Public Health declared the threat level in Hamilton as “critical,” the highest of five levels when describing the concern about public health from mosquitoes. The threat level went to critical after a horse on a farm on Milk Street in Essex tested positive for EEE over the weekend. The “critical” level extends to …

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