Christian Wrobel of 90 North Union St. says now that spring is here, she is once again bracing for the next unwelcome visit from her neighbor’s five large draft horses.
Wrobel said she has been seeking help since last year from town officials to require her next-door neighbor, Wayne Hubbard, of 86 North Union St. to improve his fencing and keep his animals on his property.
Last June, Wrobel complained to the Select Board that Hubbard’s draft horses had damaged her lawn. In response, the board sent a certified letter to Hubbard notifying him that he would have to keep his animals securely fenced in.
Hubbard, who said he competes with his animals in horse pulls around New England, said he has been working to improve his fencing, but the job is not yet complete.
“They sent me a letter and we talked it over,” Hubbard said. “Now I got new high-tension wire that goes up 5 or 6 feet, and I haven’t heard (anything) from the Select Board since.”
Hubbard also noted that he plans to install a second fence on one side, creating a double barrier.
But when Wrobel came face to chest with a large draft horse that had wandered onto her property earlier this year, she was not pleased, but she said she also was not surprised.
“They are huge horses. They lean against that wire and it comes right down,” Wrobel said. “And now it’s muddy, they tear up the yard, and I am concerned because my septic system is right under where they are walking.”
Hubbard noted that his smallest horse weighs 1,480 pounds.
Wrobel went to the Select Board on March 22 to complain again, but said Thursday that “nothing has changed.”
Hubbard maintains that the fencing is sufficient but was damaged during a storm.
“The last time they got out was earlier this year, because a tree came down and the fence was damaged,” Hubbard said.
Select Board member Dennis Mimitz said that the board has been discussing the issue and that member Phil Lococo plans to visit Hubbard’s property and assess the situation again.
Mimitz says he has “recused himself” from participating in the Select Board’s investigation, because he is also Hubbard’s next-door neighbor at 82 North Union St.
“I don’t have anything against horses. I used to own horses myself. you just have to keep them on your property,” Wrobel said. “I also don’t want to make waves with Mr. Hubbard. Except for this, he is a good neighbor.”
Select board member Judy Feeley said that having horses roaming out of their confines presented a potential danger to the public.
“We are not putting her off, we are trying to resolve this. We are currently looking into it, but right at this point, we don’t have anything new to report,” Feeley said.
It is no secret that Meekins Library in Williamsburg has long been considered a gem in the Hilltowns, hosting many community and family events and providing top-notch library services.
Now, the state Board of Library Commissioners has created an interactive map that compares the circulation numbers per capita of libraries across the state. The map shows that Meekins is one of the highest circulating libraries in Massachusetts.
Meekins leads in western Massachusetts with a 36.7 per capita circulation.
And other than three libraries on Martha’s Vineyard, Meekins had the highest score in the state.
By comparison, Northampton scored 18.2, Amherst 13.1, Easthampton 6.6, Holyoke 2.1, Springfield 4.3. and Boston 5.8.
A recent article in the Boston Globe headlined “Is your local library a bestseller?” noted that some of the busiest libraries in the state are on Cape Cod and the islands, in a cluster of affluent suburbs west of Boston, and in a few smaller communities in western Massachusetts.
To view the interactive map, go online to http://bit.ly/24fCsYc.
The Chesterfield Senior Housing Committee will host a public meeting with the Conway Design School at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The Conway graduate student team is undertaking a three-month project this spring to site senior housing in Chesterfield.
There will be a second public meeting in June, when the team will present preliminary design alternatives for consideration and seek opinions on all aspects of their study.
All residents are encouraged to come and hear about the project and share their thoughts.
The event will be held at the Chesterfield Community Center at 400 Main Road.
Ideas for this column on life in the Hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at Fryan.gazette@gmail.com.