A Few Spots Still Open in Community Garden

The Hamilton-Wenham Community Garden is getting going for the second season and have a few spots still open.

The community garden is returning for a second year and there are still a few spots open. The garden is in its second year, after it got started last summer based on the vision of Greg Horner and Chris LaPointe of Hamilton. The garden is open to anyone, everyone from mothers with young children in tow to the elderly or handicapped, organizers said when it was launched. It is located behind Pingree Park on land owned by Hamilton-Wenham Open Land Trust. This week, they said that there are three spots left in the garden. Fill out the online survey to express your interest. And on Saturday, "local gardener-extraordinaire" Fred Mills will put on a planting demonstration at the community garden. It will be at 1 p.m. when Mills will show how to …

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Have You Seen the Low-Flying Helicopters?

There have been low-flying helicopters over the area in recent weeks.

You may may have noticed helicopters flying low in the area this week. And several people have been asking what's that's all about. At least one reader saw one flying low over Pingree Park last week and snapped a photo. Don't worry, it's not a manhunt or a prep for martial law. It's just National Grid inspecting its transmission lines. The company's maintenance division started its first visual inspection program by air for New England on Monday, utilizing blue and yellow Bell Jet-Ranger helicopters from JBI Helicopters out of New Hampshire. "In addition to damaged lines, towers or trees, the flights are conducted to identify signs of waste disposal or unauthorized construction on the rights of way. These could alter the amount of …

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How to Dispose of Your Christmas Tree in Hamilton and Wenham

There's several options to get rid of your Christmas tree in the two towns now that Christmas is over..

Christmas Day is behind us. The big holiday dinner has been eaten, the presents have been opened while the Christmas tree is still set up and decorated. Wondering how you'll get rid of it? Here are some answers: In both towns, recycle it: Hamilton-Wenham Green will be recycling Christmas trees this season. The tree chipping is donated by Dodge Tree and will be brought to Brick Ends Farm, who will donate $1 per tree. Bring your tree to Pingree Park in Wenham and drop it off in the parking lot in front of the baseball backstop or contact the Boy Scouts to pick up your tree at TheTreeGuy@juno.com or call 978-468-0019 before Jan. 6, the last day to drop off trees. Last year Hamilton and Wenham recycled 823 trees. Hamilton-Wenham Green is …

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When and Where are Veterans Day Ceremonies in the Two Towns?

Veterans Day activities will happen on Sunday, Nov. 11 in both Hamilton and Wenham.

Activities are planned in both Hamilton and Wenham on Sunday to honor veterans on Veterans Day on Sunday. Hamilton In Hamilton, it will start at 8 a.m. with coffee at A.P. Gardner American Legion Post 194 at 8 a.m. followed by breakfast at 8:30 a.m. The parade forms at Hamilton Town Hall at 10:15 a.m. and the silent march to Hamilton Cemetery is at 10:30 At 11 a.m. at the cemetery there is a moment of silence followed by a flag raising. Then Taps is played followed by the rifle squad firing three volleys 11:15 a.m. Everyone will return to Town Hall Wenham In Wenham, the ceremonies starts on Sunday, Nov. 11 at Cheeseman Field at Pingree Park at 10:15 a.m. with a wreath laying and short remarks, calling the roll of Wenham Veterans KIA. At 10…

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Tell Me Something Good

Come Grow with Us - 'Green' Works To Launch Community Garden

Those little pink orbs for sale in supermarkets are no match for homegrown heirloom brandywine tomatoes. And the sound of one spade digging is not nearly as melodious as a symphony of six, according to organizers of a new community garden.

Greg Horner and Chris LaPointe of Hamilton have a shared vision. It’s a vision of soil, sweat, shared effort and a slew of sweet homegrown harvests. In short, they envision a community garden for Hamilton and Wenham. Slowed by failed location leads, the garden has been some time coming, but through maintained effort and cooperation from Matt Ulrich of UBLA Site Planners, Horner and LaPointe are close to achieving success. With a site secured at Pingree Park, all that is needed now is 10 or so committed gardeners. Just as seed packets stamped 2012 are appearing on shelves in hardware stores and garden centers, Horner and LaPointe have the project ready to launch. A week ago they introduced the proposed garden on Hamilton-Wenham Green’s …

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Letter to the Editor: Thank You to Tree Recyclers

Hamilton-Wenham Green sends a thank you message to those that recycled more than 800 Christmas trees this holiday season.

To the Editor: Thanks to Hamilton and Wenham tree recyclers! Thanks to each and every one of you who hauled your Christmas trees to Pingree Park or asked your local Boy Scouts (Troop 28 in Wenham and Troop 35) to bring them to the recycling site. On Jan. 10, 823 trees were chipped and taken to Brick Ends Farm to be turned into compost. Dodge Tree handled the chipping and transport for free. Brick Ends will donate $1 per tree recycled to Hamilton-Wenham Green and Hamilton-Wenham Green will donate to the scouts for the transported trees. Thanks to Dodge Tree, Brick Ends Farm and every family that participated. Special thanks go to the Wenham DPW who hosted the drop off site and picked up curbside trees as possible, saving the towns …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: Jan. 12

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

Today is Thursday, Jan. 12. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Weather: There’s hardly a consensus about what Thursday’s storm will deliver to the two towns, but one thing is for sure – it will be windy. Otherwise, what will be a snowstorm for much of New England looks like it will be almost all rain here. Expect temperatures to rise into the mid-40s with wind gusts a high as 35 miles per hour. 2. Christmas trees: Did you see all the Christmas trees that were piled in the parking lot at Pingree Park during the past week? Well, they're gone but take a guess how many trees were there. Hamilton-Wenham Green, which was collecting the trees to recycle with $1 from each tree going to help the organization, is taking guesses on its …

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Viewfinder

PHOTOS: 'We Have Your Back For Having Ours'

Veterans Day observances on Friday included a wreath laying ceremony at Cheeseman Field in Wenham and a silent march and service at Hamilton Cemetery.

Veterans and town officials in both Hamilton and Wenham honored veterans in separate observances on Veterans Day on Friday. At Cheeseman Field in Pingree Park in Wenham, a wreath was laid in memory of Alan Cheeseman, the only Wenham resident killed in Vietnam. "Let us remember they left their families and did whatever they were assigned," Col. Stuart Corning said at the prayer. In Hamilton, veterans were honored in an observance at Hamilton Cemetery after marching up Route 1A from Hamilton Town Hall. Silvia Riley Collins offered a poem and Selectman Jeff Stinson addressed the crowd, encouraging people to thank a veteran. "We have your back for having ours," Stinson said about veterans.

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Pingree Park Closed Midday Wednesday Because of Suspicious Jug

Pingree Park in Wenham was closed for a time midday on Wednesday after someone left what appeared to be a suspicious jug on the field.

A suspicious “jug” left next to a soccer net at Pingree Park on Wednesday morning shut down the park for a time midday. Wenham police said a woman called police at 11:46 a.m. to report than another woman had driven into the park and left the jug near a soccer net. The unidentified person who called police was worried that the substance in the jug could be dangerous, according to a police report. The Wenham Fire Department was called and checked out the substance. It was found to be harmless and the park was reopened.

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Patch Passport

Kid-Friendly Fun: Wading Pool and Pingree Park

Take advantage of time with your kids and get out and enjoy these hot spots. Your Patch Passport gives you options for great local spots for kid-friendly fun.

Pingree Park: Tucked in the shade off Route 1A, Wenham's Pingree Park has arguably the best play structure in the two towns. While often lost to the specter of Patton Park and its tank, Pingree Park has just as much to offer. The main play structure seems newer and in better shape. And kids may tell you it is more fun. The best part is that there's always plenty of room to park  and it's free. In addition, there's the fields to toss around a ball or kick a soccer ball. Wading Pool at Bradley Palmer State Park There's no better quick, inexpensive way to stay cool with the kids than Bradley Palmer State Park's wading pool. It's just $5 a car to park. Once inside there's the pool and playground and plenty of shady areas to relax. There's a …

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