By Carol Britton Meyer If all goes as planned, two more affordable Habitat for Humanity homes will be built in Hingham by Spring 2023. These will be the fourth and fifth Habitat homes in town, including two on Central Street and another on Nokomis Road. Plans are underway to build two affordable Colonial-style single-family homes at 302 and 304 Whiting Street in partnership with SSHH. The Hingham Affordable Housing Trust has played a big role in getting this project up and running. SSHH volunteers will work alongside the individuals or families who are chosen to be the new homeowners, hammering, painting, and performing other tasks. Each adult in the family is required to contribute 250 hours of their time toward building their new home. For those unable to do so, other volunteer opportunities are available, including providing lunches for the workers at the site. "We'll be welcoming volunteers in late summer to help build these two homes," SSHH Executive Director Beth Lyons said recently. "It takes about 500 volunteers to build one house." Habitat houses remain affordable in perpetuity through deed restrictions. By Carol Britton Meyer Hingham's Fourth of July celebration usually starts off with fireworks, but this year's display has been postponed until Fall due to the presence of protected wildlife on Button Island, the usual place from which the fireworks are launched. The parade will go on as usual. This year's theme is "History Happens Here," a salute to Hingham's roots and traditions harking back more than 350 years. The Fourth of July holiday will feature the early-morning Hingham Rec Road Race and the Kiwanis/Lions Club pancake breakfast on Hingham Centre Common, culminating in the traditional Fourth of July Parade -- featuring marching bands, colorful floats, antique cars, Hingham's own Uncle Sam, and much more. Thousands of spectators -- many decked out in red, white, and blue and waving American flags -- come from near and far to line the parade route, including former residents who have moved from town who return year after year to enjoy Hingham's Fourth of July celebration. Harbor Media will be providing the community with live coverage of the Hingham 4th of July parade on HD Channels, Comcast 1072, Verizon 2131! The pre-show will feature local community partners and be hosted by Harbor Media's Community Manager, Kaley Gilmore, and Joe Collymore. The pre-show begins at 8:30 and the parade will be making its way down Main St at approximately 10:15 AM. This live feed is brought to you by our community partner AZ Studio. Make sure to visit www.harbormedia.org for updates. For further information, visit hinghamjuly4th.org. Happy Fourth of July!! By Carol Britton Meyer The Hingham Food Pantry, which supports more than 160 local families annually, has been fully operational throughout the pandemic. "We did see an earlier increase in the number of families that we serve, although things seem more constant now," Executive Director Susan Kiernan said recently. "We are expecting another increase, however, as prices soar." The National Association of Letter Carriers held its annual food drive recently, with widespread participation among Hingham residents, whose donations benefit the Hingham Food Pantry. Thanks to the NALC drive -- with full participation by Hingham letter carriers -- and several other planned food drives, the Hingham Food Pantry will be well-supplied with many non-perishables. There is still a need for one-pound bags of sugar, two- and five-pound bags of flour, pasta sauce, nuts, dried fruit, and cookies. For more details, check out the Hingham Food Pantry Facebook page. By Carol Britton Meyer Under the draft guidelines for a new multi-family zoning requirement for "MBTA communities" with commuter rail, ferry, bus, or subway services, Hingham would be expected to potentially accommodate up to 1,986 units of this type of housing "as of right" within at least one zoning district designated for that specific purpose. This legislation was enacted as part of the Jan. 2021 economic development bill signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker as a way to address the state's growing housing crisis. While Hingham and other affected communities wouldn't be required to actually build that many units, they are required to have the potential to do so or risk losing certain state grants. Criteria include a minimum gross density of 15 units per acre, with an overall minimum 50-acre size requirement; that the housing is situated not more than one-half mile from a commuter rail, subway, bus station, or ferry terminal; that there be no age restrictions on the housing; and that it be suitable for families with children. Dec. 31, 2024, is the deadline for the adoption by MBTA communities of any required zoning amendments to bring them into compliance with the new law. By Carol Britton Meyer It's a "go" for Hingham's traditional Fourth of July fireworks display this year --sponsored by Showcase Cinemas and hosted by the Hingham Lions Club -- following a three-year hiatus. The July 1 display is expected to be the most spectacular one yet. The town's Independence Day fireworks hark back to Civil War days, according to a history of the Hingham Fourth of July Parade by Dr. A. Alden Carpenter, a longtime Hingham resident who played the role of Uncle Sam for many years. This year's Harborworks event will feature music, fireworks, and special activities -- the perfect way to start off the Fourth of July weekend in Hingham! See you there! |
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Articles
March 2024
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