Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on April 5: Traveling to China

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

Today is Friday, April 5. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Sun: We should expect to see the sun again on Friday, with the temperature getting back into the 50s on Friday. The wind will blow out of the east up to 10 miles per hour. 2. China: Photographer and tour guide Richard Ferland arrives at Hamilton-Wenham Library on Friday morning to take audience members on a whirlwind tour of China. The program, which runs 10:15 a.m. to noon, will discuss communication, etiquette, and a few key phrases for China travelers. It is free and open to the public. 3. Who Knows?: Pingree School's special programs for middle school students called "Who Knows?" gets going on Friday. The classes include topics ranging from …

• Photos (1)

Rare, Iconic Bird Makes Wenham Appearance

Several bald eagles made an appearance on Wenham Lake on Friday.

It was a relatively rare sight on Wenham Lake on Friday. A group of bald eagles was spotted on the lake, eating away at an animal carcass on the ice. It wasn’t the first time bald eagles have been seen on the lake, but the sight is somewhat rare. Bald eagles were also seen on the lake back in 2007, according to a report in the Salem News at the time. An amateur photographer from Beverly, Rob Whiting, told the paper at the time that he often photographs eagles on the Merrimack River but had not seen them in the Wenham area. The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife does not have any evidence that the eagles are nesting on the lake, said assistant director Tom French. It is more likely that the birds are from Maine or Canada and are …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (4)

Wenham Firefighters Help Battle Beverly Brush Fire Near Wenham Lake

A brush fire broke out along the western side of Wenham Lake on Tuesday evening.

Wenham fire crews were assisting Beverly firefighters battling a brush fire along the shore of Wenham Lake on Tuesday. The fire was in the Beverly half of J.C. Phillips Preserve, a wooded area filled with hiking trails along the western side of Wenham Lake that sits in Beverly and Wenham. The fire was hundreds of feet, or further, from the closest homes or buildings.  The fire was reported at about 5:15 and at 6:15 crews from both the Beverly and Wenham Fire Department remained tied up in the woods. The fire was clearly visibly from across the lake from Route 1A in Wenham, and a west wind was blowing smoke across Wenham and North Beverly.

• Photos (8)

ADD YOUR OWN: Six Signs That Spring Has Arrived in the Two Towns

There's already several signs that spring is here in Hamilton and Wenham. What are some signs you have seen of spring's arrival?

Tuesday was the first day of spring, and there has probably not been a start to spring in recent memory where it felt so much like spring.....err, summer. Below, find some of the signs we have seen locally that spring has arrived. What signs have you seen that spring has arrived? Let us know in the comments section. Ice Out: In some areas of New England, it is a wintertime tradition to run a contest to guess the “ice out” date. Two of the most famous locations are Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire and Joe’s Pond in Vermont.  It would have been tough to name a winner of that contest this winter using any local pond or lake, since the ice was hardly ever “in.” But Chebacco Lake, Pleasant Pond and Wenham Lake, among others, are now all …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: Sept. 28

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

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 28. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Weather: Cloudy and cooler – that’s the theme for Wednesday. The day will be cloudy with a better chance of sun later in the day with temperatures in the upper 60s. 2. Mother’s Club: One of the most well attended and important events for the Hamilton-Wenham Mother’s Club comes on Wednesday night with the Membership Drive at Wenham Museum, which is open to all North Shore mothers. Annual dues are $40. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. 3. Swan: The calendar says fall, but Hamilton-Wenham Patch user Kim Paratore told us this week she has seen two swan in Wenham Lake on the Route 1A side. We didn’t catch a glimpse ourselves but presumably they were enjoying the sunny weather …

• Photos (1)