Observer
BY ANN BOLTZ
Statistics, Facts and
Comments
January 1—26 ‘
High 47, Low 14
Precipitation 0.98 inches (liquid)
Temperature
Wind Speed High 27 mph, Avg. 1.9 mph
Humidity High 98%, Low 48%, Avg. 81%
Full Moon February 27
New Moon February 11
(Bear Swamp Weather Station KMAASHF14)
1 You may have guessed that February’s full
moon is commonly known as the Full
Snow Moon. Native American cultures
“named this moon after the way trees
cracked in the cold, or how people had to
sit shoulder—to-shoulder around the fire
for warmth.”
2 Snowfall: one inch of slush on Jan. 2; 1.5
inches on Jan. 3; flurries on Jan. 5; inches
on Jan. 16; flurries' on Jan. 20 ; one inch on
Jan. 21.
3 Mycelium 2021 facts: Mushrooms are not
plants. “The mushroom is neither vegeta-
ble nor animal but somewhere in between,
a separate kingdom altogether. They are
mostly water and fiber-like plants, and are
reproductive organs like fruits, but
evolutionarily speaking, they are closer to
us on the tree'of life.” (Eugenia Bone)
4 Birds hanging out at my feeders: Blue jays,
black-capped chickadees, hairy and downy
woodpeckers, white- and red-breasted ‘
nuthatches, tufted titmice, and occasion-
ally a male cardinal.
Select Board Notes
continued from page
estimated to cost about $50,000. The board
unanimously directed Morse to repair the fire
station floor with all haste.
Select Board January 19
Costly Property Grievance Chief Beth Bezio
provided the Select Board with an updated list
of logged actions by her department in
response to an on—going property boundary
dispute between William Stader and Gregory
Shea on Pfersick Road. Bezio’s list included 85
items since 2015 and 23 actions in the current
fiscal year. Bezio requested the Select Board to
take action because the dispute was a drain on
the police and town administrator budgets
and that the town has no jurisdiction on the
civil matter. The board directed Gougeon to
send a letter to both parties advising them to
file a lawsuit or pursue mediation.
Dysfunctional Board of Health Board of
Health member Evelyn Resh expressed her
frustration with the board and asked the
Select Board to help. Resh noted that one
member is not participating and that commu-
nication is poor for her, the chair and the
health agent. Resh focused much of her
concern over the statewide MAVEN database
of communicable diseases. She believed that
HIPAA compliant privacy was not adequate.
The town hired a HIPAA compliant pharma-
cist, Carol Kazuba, with CARES Act funding
to monitor the database on behalf of the
town, but that effort was duplicated ineffi-
ciently by the health agent.
A Resh said that she would like the town to
join the rest of the West County towns and
contract a certified public health nurse
through the Franklin Regional Council of
Governments. Morse reported that she had
requested a cost estimate.
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Ashfield Winter Almanac: Activity on
the Ashfield Lake: Ice Fishermen
On the winter weekends when I watch my
grandchildren, they want me to drive past the
lake to see if it’s frozen yet. They love to walk
across and slide on it. On January 10, a
Sunday,'I ventured there with them and my
youngest daughter, Liz, who was my proxy for
ascertaining names of folks to interview, as
currently I am unable to venture out on the
frozen lake. There were more than two dozen
ice fishermen, a half-dozen tents, teens
cross-country skiing, and 'skaters and sledders
on the lake. '
The focus is on the ice fishermen, who
seem to have one thing in common: they love
the sport. Take 9-year~old Everett Hubach and
his father, Tyler Ciecko. They were fishing
with Tyler’s father, Marc. Everett told me ice
fishing is his favorite sport. His father proudly
ANN BOLTZ
Tyler Ciecko and his 5011, Everett H ubach
The board noted'that the Select Board has
little say over other elected officials who must
“run their own boat.”
New Senior Services Committee Morse
reminded the board of their intention to form
a committee to determine what services
residents wanted for seniors. The town held a
well—att'ended forum in the fall of 2019, when
many residents said they were not aware of
the services offered by the Senior Center and
others expressed an interest in those and
additional services to be made available in
town. .
Olanyk said that expansion of a facility in
Shelburne Falls was not the right path, that
the establishment of a senior center district
may be appropriate, but that Ashfield needed
to collect more informatidn on what its
residents need. Carter said that he would
submit to the board a list of possible candi—
dates to participate in a committee — taxpay—
ers, users, and residents that are not necessar—
ily “hip deep” in the current senior center.
EV Charging Station Morse received
approval from the board to continue to
pursue grant funding for an electric vehicle
charging station in Ashfield. She said that
funding may be available for the construction,
but that the town would have to pay for
on—going maintenance and power.
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FEBRUARY 2021 THE ASHFIELD NEWS 5
With no ice in Northampton this fishing pod came to Ashfield Lake.
related that last year Everett caught a 27"
pickerel. Tyler said he’s been ice fishing with
his father since he was two. Back then, he also
fished with his grandfather, though mainly in
the Chicopee River. Tyler has caught trout,
bass, pickerel, pike and perch. He catches and
releases. .
Tom Woron, who was fishing with his
buddy, Brian Michud, declared that ice
fishermen are “definitely a different breed.”
Tom said that they cheer for cold weather,
much to the dismay of their families, friends,
and co-workers. He’s been ice fishing since
1986 and said that it only took him one time
. to get hooked. There have been times When
he’s been totally mesmerized by the scenery
all around him. ‘
In Tom’s words: “Fishing can be exciting.
We usually use a device called a tip—up, which
rests on top of a hole in the'ice. A shiner for‘
bait is lowered from the tip-up down into the
water. When a fish takes the shiner, a flag on
the tip-up pops up, signaling that a fish below
took the bait. Then you take the tip-up out of
the hole and pull the line hand over hand,
hopefully ending up pulling a big fish out of
COMMENTARY
the water up onto the ice. We have sonar
fish—finders on which you can see when
something is about to grab the lure. That too
can be very suspenseful.”
Matt Thrower from Charlemont was also
there with his two children, Ethan and Emma.
He commented that the ice was thick, thus
safe, but that the lake Was low. Fishing was
slow. He has been ice fishing for six or seven
years. For him it’s fun and he thoroughly
enjoys being outdoors.
Reflections
Spring and fall are a tie for my favorite
seasons. But if the seasons were in a horse
race, there would have to be a photo-finish
with winter and summer, for each of the
seasons comes bearing its own presents.
I see the seasons —- all of my life — with a
Celtic imagination that “articulates the inner
friendship that embraces nature, divinity,
underworld, the human world as one.” (John
O’Donohue)
A key word there is “friendship.” May you
find much to befriend in the‘remainder‘of
winter.
On Marauders, Whether They
Come on Wing or by Foot
BY GAIL ABBOTT
As he stuffed his cheeks with my blueberries,
and boldly ran up my deck stairs, right past
me, to take them down into his den store—
house, I used to chide the chipmunk. Then I
met the wily woodchuck. He is fast and scared
of nothing. He happily chews down every new
zucchini sprout and disappears.
How benign the chipmunk seems now.
“Ok, Mr. Chips. I give up. Make yourself at
home; Sure take a little sunbath on my deck
(at the same place every day.) It’s okay. I can
live with you.”
As they raucously swooped down in huge
gangs to be first to gobble up the‘birdseed I
put out, I used to berate the Blue Jays. But
after watching on January 6 as ugly human
marauders stormed and entered the US.
Capitol, the Blue Jays now seem relatively
harmless.
Moreover, I have come to realize that Blue
Jays perform some useful functions within the
ecological .web of life. For one thing, if they
spy a hawk in a nearby tree or circling the bird
feeder area, they scream and dance and warn
the other birds, especially the hapless mourn-
ing dove, of danger from above.
Of course, on the other side of it, you
might say, “Hey,_the hawk’s gotta eat, too!” At
any rate, jays are also useful in that they bury
acorns, the seeds of one of our most valuable
trees. These may sprout to new trees or
furnish future food for other creatures.
Likewise, if the gray fox is coming through,
they warn other animals of its presence.
(Their loud warning calls also give me the
chance to spy one .of my favorite animals).
Nothing, no one (including myself) is
totally benign. Cute little chipmunks eat bird
eggs. Blue Jays attack nests and eggs of other
birds. I like the otter, a friend does not. I do
not like the beaver. Others love the beaver.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Both
in politics and in nature, it’s all relative. Draw
your comparisons where you may. People see
what they want to see and believe what they
want to believe.
As my niece would say of travel glitches,
“It’s all part of the adventure.”
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