Norfolk & Wrentham November 2022

November 2022 Find us on Facebook | Norfolk & Wrentham Town News Page 19
Guest Column
Pandemic Cacophony
By G. Gregory Tooker
The time has come to break
the silence on this subject. Cacophony
is defined as harsh
or discordant sound and yes,
it is very evident in today’s living
environment, vibrating our
window panes and straining our
eardrums. The sources of this
irritation are easily identified;
high revving, exhaust system
altered fossil-fueled engines,
testing their limits, audio equipment
set at maximum volume,
tires breaking traction on asphalt,
horns blaring with the
frustration of impatient drivers
demanding the right of way
and trucks impacting roadway
surfaces long in need of repair.
These auditory attacks are not
limited to our streets. Soon machines
designed to replace rakes
will raise their unappreciated
chorus in the yards of suburbia
throughout America, as trillions
of leaves are herded to their
rightful place. Other examples
abound.
But back to the roadway.
There was a time when most
drivers made an effort to hold
such disruptive noise to a minimum,
but no longer. The motor
vehicle has become an extension
of driver personality change
which has occurred among
many individuals frustrated
by unwanted changes brought
about by pandemic mandates
and the challenged economy.
Political leadership priding itself
on tough guy imagery and bullying
tactics has helped create
a behavioral model that once
was confined to fringe social
elements. Such a mindset gives
little consideration to those who
must absorb the chaos it creates,
such as young children whose
sleep is disturbed and safety
threatened by the high speeds
accompanying aggressive driving
behavior.
Some communities with effective
safety and risk management
policies are attempting
to curb this trend through the
enforcement of noise ordinance
provisions and speed limits. Apparently
others have opted to
let the behavior disappear on its
own with the imagined exit of
the pandemic. The fact remains,
however, that reckless driving
behavior continues to mount,
as has the rate of fatalities on
American highways. There are
many action items on the agendas
of local governments these
days and clearly traffic control
and noise abatement needs to
be given higher priority.
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Home Heating Assistance
Available in Wrentham
By Grace Allen
As cold weather arrives,
homeowners who need to heat
their homes may start to feel a
strain on their household budgets.
Help is available, however,
for any Wrentham resident who
meets income eligibility criteria.
Robin Tobin, the outreach
worker for the Wrentham Council
on Aging, helps Wrentham
residents of all ages navigate the
town’s fuel assistance program.
“I’m already receiving calls
daily from people needing help,
especially for heating assistance,”
said Tobin. “People are struggling
but they can call us and we
can help them with the resources
that are available.”
Eligibility is based on total
household income and household
size. The home heating
season runs from November 1,
2022 through April 30, 2023.
Fuel assistance applications become
available on November 1.
Applications are free.
Funds for Wrentham residents
needing assistance pull from the
federally funded Low Income
Home Energy Assistance Program,
or LIHEAP. The eligibility
threshold for a four-person
household this year is $81,561.
Once approved, a monetary
credit will be awarded to the account
of the applicant’s heating
vendor, whether they heat with
oil, electricity, natural gas, propane,
kerosene, wood, or coal.
Residents who qualify for LI-
HEAP may also qualify for Self-
Help, Inc.’s energy conservation
and weatherization programs for
their homes. In addition, they
may be eligible to receive a discounted
rate on their utilities.
Tobin notes that residents’
whose income falls between 60
and 80 percent of the state’s
median income level may be
eligible for the Massachusetts
Good Neighbor Energy Fund
(GNEF). GNEF, a program available
through the Salvation Army,
helps Massachusetts residents
who cannot meet a month’s energy
expense and are not eligible
for state or federal assistance.
For more information on
these programs, or to make an
appointment to complete the paperwork
necessary for assistance,
contact Robin Tobin at 508-384-
5425.
Residents can also apply directly
to Self-Help, Inc., 1362
Main St., Brockton, 508-588-
5440 if they prefer. Residents
may also call the Salvation Army
directly at 800-334-3047 for
GNEF help.
Town of Wrentham Invites
Community Members to Submit Photography
Photos to be Featured on Town Website
Community members are
encouraged to submit digital
photos of their life in Wrentham
to be featured on the
town’s website. Submissions can
include photos of town-owned
facilities, town-sponsored events,
landscapes, and wildlife within
Wrentham, and more.
“To showcase the Town of
Wrentham through the eyes of
our own community members,
we are inviting those with a passion
for photography to submit
any photos they have taken
around town to be featured on
our website,” Town Administrator
Kevin Sweet said in a statement.
“Anyone and everyone is
encouraged to submit their photography,
and professional experience
is not needed as this is a
fun way to get the community
involved in populating our website.
We look forward to viewing
submissions and seeing how our
community perceives our town.”
Those wishing to submit photography
must email digital photos
to photos@wrentham.gov by
Tuesday, Nov. 15.
Those submitting photos
must also email a completed
release form, which can be
accessed at https://wrenthamtownadmin.org,
giving
photography release to the
Town of Wrentham.
By filling out this form, community
members are giving the
Town the right to publish the
photos with a royalty-free, perpetual
license. Credit will be
given to the individuals who
take the photo unless otherwise
specified by those who submit it.
Those under the age of 18
can submit photos to be considered
for the town website,
however, consent by a parent/
guardian is required.