2/24/2021
Scituate will replace Ponaganset Falls gate at original location
Scituate residents hike along Hemlock Road to view the scenic Ponaganset Falls. Though access to the falls is restricted by the Providence Water Supply Board, residents often park along Hemlock Road to enjoy the view. (Breeze photo by Jacquelyn Moorehead)
SCITUATE – The Scituate Department of Public Works will replace the missing gate at Ponaganset Falls at local taxpayers’ expense.
Councilor Tim McCormick, liaison to the Providence Water Supply Board, said the new gate will cost less than $1,000 to replace.
In December the PWSB had requested $1,300 for half the cost to replace the gate using heavier material, but to move the gate closer to the intersection of Ponaganset Road and Hemlock Road to keep drivers from parking there. The council declined that proposal, the general feeling being that it should remain more open to recreation seekers.
SCITUATE – Contrary to rumors, the Scituate Department of Public Works does not hand out free sand to residents, said DPW director Kirk Loiselle, who responded to requests with an e-blast on Feb. 9.
Last week, Loiselle said a post on social media incorrectly advised Scituate residents to pick up the sand, used to protect road and walkways from slippery situations, at the DPW on Trimtown Road.
Since the post, Loiselle said the DPW is bombarded with questions from residents ranging from how much sand can be picked up, when, and where. Loiselle said the DPW never handed out the sand in the past.
12/30/2020
Scituate feels deep impact of pandemic
Ten-month-old Livia Laprade, of Scituate, saw her first Christmas tree while being carried by her sister Jillian, 8, and accompanied by her other sister Margo, 5. The Festival of Trees surrounded the Gazebo in North Scituate as part of Christmas in the Village on Friday, Dec. 4. (Breeze File photo by Charles Lawrence)
SCITUATE – The first move the town made to lessen the impact of the pandemic this year was to protect seniors, its most vulnerable population, by closing the senior center, ramping up meal delivery services and making frequent check-ins with the elderly community.
Scituate is in the lower tier for its COVID-19 test-positive rate, at 9 percent, with 443 residents testing positive of 5,171 residents tested. Those tested this year represent 49 percent of the population of 10,603.