GOT WEED: Some things that happen are just mind boggling. Take for instance the recent work being done down in Rocky Nook with repair and maintenance being performed with the catch basins. The turf was torn up during the work, and then loamed and hydro seeded with a conservation mix. Within a short time growth was appearing and it didn’t appear to be anything that was expected.
It was a red, hearty plant with a disarming lovely white tubular flower with a rich violet inside the petals. So what was this mystery growth? Once discovered the highway department went down to one of the larger areas at Leigh Road and Shore Drive to check it out.

It was determined that the seed was not to blame, but its was something that was within the loam. As it turns out, we got a pretty good infestation of Jimson Weed, also called Thorn apple, which has been, according to on-line sources, “used as a medicine and intoxicant for centuries…most often used by young people in those areas unfamiliar with its reputation and unprepared for its side effects.

Red as a beet, dry as a bone, blind as a bat and mad as a hatter has been used to describe Jimson’s effects. All parts of the plant are toxic, so pleasant effects are limited—a big reason the plant is used only by novices.”

Weston & Sampson are the engineers on the project and subbed the loam needs out to CC Construction, a Cape business. Highway Superintendent Paul Basler told the Ringside Task Force on Jimson that his guys have cut down the errant plans in various work areas in the Nook. The next step is to dig up the stubborn grower. Though not classified as a controlled substance, almost a thousand cases of typical plant poisonings were reported nationally in 2005. Effects begin within two hours and symptoms include impaired coordination, rapid heart beat, flushed skin, seizures, and hallucinations. Is it possible that Kingston politicians are Jimson users since a common symptom is incoherent speech?

So there you have it…only in Kingston. We can now add, “It must be in the Jimson” to the already popular, “It must be in the water” when things turn bizarre in town.

BIG NUMBERS: We got a call suggesting that there are some high fecal counts coming out of the pipe at the spring bed at Gray’s Beach. If you face the ocean is a t the right and is there to handle runoff from residences sitting upland of the beach. We were told that the counts range from 400-800. If true this would be very high counts and were glad to hear that Marine Fisheries was looking into it. The Board of Health has been notified also.

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE? An interesting fact on the sewer money grab at the last Annual Town Meeting could have outsmarted them selves. Kevin Donovan told the Ringside Irritants that if the Legislature does nothing with the Home Rule cash grab the $200,000 could be lost to the Town and a big boost for the Commission. If the Town Tax Rate is set on October 1 with no move by the legislature, sewer keeps the money…which is as it should be.

THE FINGER: We cannot begin to tell you the distraction that is cause by Conservation Commission Chairman Gary Langenbach’s bandaged hand. So bizarre are some of the views of his finger positions that we had to leave the meeting, get a camera and arrive back at the meeting just to get the shot that you see…which in no way can compete with some of the other positions.

ON 2ND THOUGHT: That Mark Beaton engineered article to prohibit an individual from hold more than one elected office has been pulled from the Special Town Meeting Warrant. Beaton himself acknowledges that the language of the article needed further review. That could well be, but we wonder if calls from angry people connected to the schools defending Joe Chaves right to hold an Elementary School position and a Regional Committee position was a factor?

DEATH DEFYING: That ped-estrian crosswalk in front of Tura’s Pharmacy has not gotten any kinder to those who try to navigate it. Cars just zip through it and don’t even yield as you start to inch out…they just arc around you crossing over the center line. There has to be a better way and that way should be found before someone else gets hit. We still have images of Tommy Turing lying in the middle of that crosswalk several years ago and don’t want a repeat incident with greater consequences.

SIGN JOKE: After all that hoopla at a recent Select-man’s meeting, where we were going to get tough on all the illegal signs popping up all over town…so how are we doing. Shown here is a whole bevy of signage showing up at one of our shopping plazas. We can see real estate signs on a building that is for sale, we could even see a small sign pertaining to local announcements at a business or residence, but what is becoming abund-ant are multiple signs promoting sale prices, closeouts, dating groups, etc. for events in and out-of-town. Where’s the beef?