Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Friday,
July 26, 2013
photos/EverythingWestport.com except as noted
Quick
Article Index . . .
Just when you thought it was
safe to go out for an ice cream cone . . .
Mosquitos test positive for West Nile Virus in Westport.
Tax bills in the mail, says Westport Tax Collector Carol Borden.
Westport Historical Society set to celebrate
Westport’s working waterfront.
|
Just when you thought it was safe
to go out for an ice cream cone . . . HEALTH and DEM officials seek individuals
who may have had physical contact with black-and-white calf in Tiverton. EverythingWestport.com Friday,
July 19, 2013 Photos/EverythingWestport.com except as noted Just when you
thought it was safe to go out for an ice cream cone . . . a rabies scare at a
popular Tiverton ice cream stand. Following the
sudden death of a young calf in a pasture adjacent to Gray's Ice Cream in
Tiverton, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM)
and the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) are advising any
individuals who may have touched the animal to contact HEALTH. RI state
officials issued a warning Thursday that “a large number of people” may have
been exposed to rabies via a calf in a pen adjacent to Gray’s Ice Cream, 16
East Road, Tiverton, according to a press release from http://www.ri.gov/press/view/19921.
The Tiverton
animal control officer, following standard procedure, ordered the animal
quarantined for 10 days to determine whether it would develop rabies, and
would thus require that the victim be vaccinated. But the three-month-old
calf died on July 21, its owner reported to Tiverton authorities. The state
departments, however, did not learn of the death for three days, the state
officials said, and the carcass had decomposed to the point where it was not
possible to determine whether the animal had the disease. “Out of an
abundance of caution, public health officials are considering that this
animal may have died from rabies and are viewing anyone that had contact with
the animal’s saliva from July 5 through July 21 as potentially at risk for
being exposed to rabies, and are recommending that they be evaluated for
post-exposure vaccination by public health authorities,” they said. “Members
of the public should note that the calf was removed from direct public
contact on July 16, and that only the animal’s handlers may have been exposed
during the period from July 16 through July 21.” The officials
said that cattle and cats are the animals most likely susceptible to rabies. The disease is
incurable after an incubation period, and has a fatality rate approaching 100
percent. Timely vaccination after exposure eliminates risk. When administered
properly, post-exposure treatment for rabies will prevent any person who was
exposed to the virus from developing the disease and will prevent death. The Health
Department controls the release of rabies vaccine, which is expensive and in
short supply. It is administered in hospital emergency departments. When people call
the Health Department to report possible exposure to the calf, they will be
asked a series of questions, said Dr. James V. McDonald, a Health Department
physician. Did they touch the calf’s face? Did they feed the calf? Do they
have any cuts on their hand? If there is a good reason to think that the
calf’s saliva came in contact with a person’s bloodstream or mucous
membranes, the person will be directed to an emergency department for shots. “People usually
contract rabies through a bite from an infected animal, but there are other
ways that they can be exposed, such as through saliva from an infected animal
getting into an open wound or into a person’s eye or mouth,” the officials
said. “People usually
contract rabies through a bite from an infected animal, but there are other
ways that they can be exposed, such as through saliva from an infected animal
getting into an open wound or into a person’s eye or mouth,” the officials
said. These are
intramuscular shots, like a flu shot, but a series of four are required. On
the first visit, a rabies vaccine plus a dose of immunoglobulin to boost the
immune system will be administered. Then one shot each will be given on four
subsequent visits. All four are needed to prevent infection. “The Health
Department is taking this approach out of an abundance of caution,” McDonald
said. “We really don’t know why the cow died.” When rabies gets
into a person’s bloodstream, he or she has days to weeks before the virus
makes its way to the nervous system and symptoms begin. Once the virus
reaches the nervous system, it cannot be stopped. But in the first few days
after exposure, the vaccine can prevent illness from developing. Rabies infections
are extremely rare — Rhode Island has not seen a human case since 1940 — but
the virus is always fatal, McDonald said. As a result, each possible exposure
is taken seriously. Rhode Island, McDonald said, is one of the few states
that require physicians to report all animal bites, and the Health Department
gets daily animal-bite calls. Most suspected rabies exposures involve bats or
raccoons, very rarely cows, he said. Gray’s has not
commented on the incident, however, their website says the cows were pets,
and not used for milk production. Dr. Scott
Marshall, state veterinarian said, “we are really trying to get a handle on
this. It’s not a likely thing, but still something we concerned with.” Marshall added,
“We can’t be dismissive. Any mammal that contracts rabies can transmit
rabies.” He said
carnivores such as cats, dogs and raccoons are more efficient transmitters
than herbivores such as cattle. Rhode Island
residents who had contact with the calf between July 5 and July 21 should
contact the Rhode Island Department of Health at 401.222.2577 for an
evaluation. Massachusetts residents that had contact with the animal are
asked to call the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at 617.983.6800. Mosquitos
test positive for West Nile Virus in Westport. MDAR and MDPH recommend that you take steps this
mosquito season to protect your animals and yourself from West Nile Virus
(WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). EverythingWestport.com Friday, July 26,
2013 Testing in
Westport by the Massachusetts Arbovirus
Surveillance program has found a positive mosquito result for the West Nile
Virus. The mosquito The Massachusetts
Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and the Massachusetts Department
of Public Health (MDPH) recommend that you take steps this mosquito season to
protect your animals and yourself from West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern
Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Mosquitoes can
begin to multiply in any standing water that remains for more than four days.
Removing these sources on your property, such as water that may collect in
old cans, tires, and birdbaths, can help to reduce the mosquito population.
Farm owners should empty water buckets and troughs regularly. Also, make sure
there is proper drainage in the fields and around barns and shelters. Less
time spent outdoors when mosquitoes are most active can be helpful. Since
people are also susceptible to this virus, repellents should also be used
outside when mosquitoes are biting. Information about
WNV and reports of current and historical WNV virus activity in Massachusetts
can be found on the MDPH website at http://www.mass.gov/dph/wnv. Tax
bills in the mail, says Tax Collector Carol Borden. EverythingWestport.com Friday, July 26,
2013 First and second
quarter preliminary real estate and personal property tax bills for Fiscal
2014 have been mailed, Westport Collector of Taxes Carol A. Borden has
announced. The first quarter
payment is due August 1, 2013, and the second quarter bill is due on November
1, 2013. No further reminders will be sent; payments received after the due
dates are subject to 14 percent per annum interest, and there is no grace
period. Any Westport
taxpayer, especially new property owners who should have received a bill and
did not, is urged to contact the Collector's Office immediately, as they are
still liable for taxes owed. If you received a bill and have sold your
property, please forward the bill to the new owners. If paying in
person, bring your bill with you. If mailing in payments, please include the
remit portion of your bill. If you would like a receipt, send in the whole
bill along with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Payments may be
made online at www.westport-ma.com using either your checking or savings
account, for a transaction fee of 35 cents. Credit cards are accepted online
only, for a percentage of the total amount due. Please note that no online
payments may be accepted after the due date. To sign up
online, once on the website, select Departments and scroll down to Tax
Collector and select it. Once into the site, you will see instructions to
sign up for e-bill. For help, call 508.460.6000, ext. 601. If making payment
using your own bank bill pay, it is imperative that you include a bill number
or location of the property you are paying. Failure to do so may result in
the check being mailed back to you for clarification. Collector's
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the
first Monday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Westport Historical Society set to celebrate Westport’s
working waterfront. Save September 7th for a whale of a good time
celebrating Westport's historic working waterfront. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, July 28,
2013 Weighing
all the party invitations you expect this summer?
Join the Westport Historical
Society at its inaugural benefit at the Point to toast the town's fishing,
whaling, and boat building past. The friend-raiser kicks off with a VIP party
on historic Lees Wharf with shellfish and sea shanties sung by the Spindle
Rock River Rats followed by a cocktails 'n' canapé celebration on the grounds
of the Paquachuck Inn. During the evening, there will
also be a skiff parade, a can't-be-missed silent auction and music by Blues
Train. Costumes are optional, but if
you've got a captain's hat, fisherman's skullcap, a lady's bonnet or
Prohibition Era millinery, please wear it. The Westport
Historical Society will celebrate the town’s working waterfront history on
Saturday, September 7th with “Splice the Main Brace!”* - a fundraiser at Lees Wharf
and the Paquachuck Inn. The Captain’s
Party will kick off at 6 p.m. on Lees Wharf with sea shanties sung by the
Spindle Rock River Rats, open bar and locally sourced, great galley grub
courtesy of Lees Market. A parade of
locally built skiffs will cruise by the Wharf during the party. Tours of the
Shellfish Hatchery will be available as well as lots of exhibits from the
Society’s collection to peruse. Riggers’ Reward
gets underway at 7 p.m. In addition to
canapés, desserts and a cash bar, local fave Blues
Train, will entertain under the tent at the Paquachuck
Inn. During the
evening, there will be a silent auction of local goods and services, antiques
and artwork. There will also be a live auction with a painting donated by renowned
artist Dora Atwater Millikin. Parking will be
available at a lot at 1835 Main Road, as well as along Main and Drift roads
and at the Westport Point United Methodist Church. The Fall River Trolley will deliver guests
to and from the party, and special parking will be reserved near the docks
for guests who need extra assistance. The event is
handicapped accessible. Guests are asked
to break out their best captain’s hat, fisherman’s cap or bonnet! For more
information, prices and reservations, contact Jenny O'Neill at 508.636.
6011. Tickets are also available on
the Westport Historical Society’s website: www.wpthistory.net.
Above: Splice the Main Brace! skiff parade captains
Dick Magovern, left, and Howie Gifford, center,
along with Westport Historical Society intern Madeline Anscombe
gather at the Point in preparation for the Society’s celebration of the
town’s working waterfront history on Saturday, September. 7th. Photo by Laura Raposa *“Splice the Main Brace” was an order issued by a ship’s captain to
reward the crew with a drink. © 2013 Community Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
