By Carol Meyer The golf season got off to a slow start this year due to COVID-19, but once golf courses were allowed to start operating again under state guidelines, the town-owned South Shore Country Club was the first one to open in the area. Families, students, and individuals are flocking there to get a breath of fresh air during a time when many people are staying close to home. Social distancing and other requirements remain in place, but that hasn't seemed to dampen golfers' spirits. "We've been very busy. There aren't too many open tee times, with the steady flow of golfers," SSCC Executive Director Kevin Whalen said recently. Still, it's worth a try. The Club is planning to host a family golf day in October to build up anticipation for the SSCC golf course centennial this year. Even with social distancing in place and a limit of one person per golf cart unless the golfers are members of the same family, the welcoming feel of the 155-acre course hasn't changed. What some residents don't realize is that SSCC is not a private club. "Everyone is welcome to join or to just come and play golf," Whalen said. ![]() By Carol Meyer Beach House Hingham -- a new walk-up ice cream shop featuring delicious Gifford's, Bliss, and Richardson flavors -- is a welcome addition to the bathing beach. This is good news for ice cream-lovers -- including those who will frequent the harbor area during the few remaining days of summer and in the fall days to come -- with beautiful views of the water and of the trees in the nearby grove as their leaves change color. The owners of Stars on Hingham Harbor, Tosca, Caffe Tosca, and Fireking Baking Company -- which are all part of Eat Well, Inc. -- partnered to make this happen in part of the new bathhouse/snack shop/community room building. "We thought it would be a great place for an ice cream shop because it is the perfect location right on the beach," Stars on Hingham Harbor General Manager Amanda Albee said recently. This will be a seasonal business, running from April through October or November, depending on the weather. Hours of operation for the remainder of this season will be 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Social distancing and other COVID-19 requirements will be met. Bathing Beach Trustee Alan Perrault said the trustees are pleased with this effort to begin to build out the kitchen/snack stand section of the building during these challenging times. There are no plans to open the new community room this year, but the ice cream shop is a good start toward activating the building. See you there! ![]() By Carol Meyer The long-awaited mixed-use building at the site where the former dilapidated Settles Glass building once stood -- at the intersection of North and Station streets -- will include four upscale condominium units and a single retail space on the first floor, soon to be occupied by KloTH Hingham, adding vibrancy to the downtown area. As part of the approval process, Developer Matt Falconeiri was required to come up with a traffic-calming proposal for this busy area to enhance pedestrian safety -- a plan that was recently approved by the Selectmen. The goal is to slow down fast-moving motorists, in part by visually narrowing Station Street where it leads to North Street by installing a painted, rather than a physical, island so as not to impede the traffic flow. Because of its close proximity to the harbor, this development will play a part in the long-held desire of town officials to link Hingham Square and the surrounding area to the waterfront. Selectmen Chair Mary Power had high praises for the development. "It looks beautiful -- like it fits in and was always there," she said. ![]() By Carol Meyer I think we all would agree that in many ways this was the summer that wasn't, or at least that was far different from anything else we have ever known -- making vacation plans close to home, if at all; social distancing at the beach; missing so much the canceled traditional live Fourth of July fireworks and parade; wearing face masks while waiting in line for ice cream; and on and on we could go. But, like this photo, the sun peeked its head through the clouds on many days throughout the summer, in a manner of speaking as well as in real life -- beautiful sunny days, colorful yard flowers adding a cheerful touch, more hours to read and just THINK!, more family time, and many opportunities to help others -- whether sewing face masks, picking up groceries for a neighbor who couldn't get out, or making that phone call you had been meaning to make to add a bright touch to someone's day that you didn't have time to do before. And despite the challenges, we made it through. And most of us can be grateful for a place to live, food to eat, family and friends to brighten our days, and many other things. That said, there are people in our own community who are struggling right now -- with unemployment, not enough money to pay their bills, depression and sadness, illness, not enough food for their family's table, and other troubling issues. Let's continue to be aware of everything and everyone around us and be ready to share a smile, donations to the local food pantry, words of encouragement and support, a home-cooked meal, gift cards, rides to an appointment or the grocery store, and other opportunities to give that come to mind. As we often hear, we WILL get through this -- working together. |
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Articles
April 2023
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