Community Corner

5 Things Feb. 2: Skating Party Cancellation, Bird Feeder Craft and More

Your Patch Facts for the day.

Things You Need to Know Today is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Check back later for more, and let us know what you think of the feature in the comments section.

1. Skating party cancelled
The skating party that was to be held today has been cancelled due to the warmer weather melting the ice. Instead, the Norton Parks and Recreation Department will be focusing on the Snowflake Social scheduled for March 1.

2. Take Your Child to the Library Day
In addition to it being Groundhog Day, today is also Take Your Child to the Library Day. Stop by Norton Public Library 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and receive a free bookmark.

3. Bird feeder crafts
Learn about the birds that frequent Oak Knoll feeders, take a stroll through the forest and make some homemade pine cone bird feeders for our feathered friends at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Registration is required for these programs at 1417 Park St., Attleboro. Dress for weather and wear clothes that can get messy. Those participating are asked to note the quantity and diversity of birds at their feeders for this specified weekend. Learn more by visiting www.massaudubon.org/focus.

4. Coexisting with groundhogs
The Humane Society of the United States is encouraging people to celebrate Groundhog Day by learning more about our wild neighbors and ways to peacefully coexist.

  • Scare Them – To temporarily discourage frequent visits to your garden, place objects in the area that will reflect sunlight and continually move in the breeze, such as tethered Mylar party balloons, “animal scaring” balloons with faces and big eyes or dangling pieces of Mylar tape.
  • Exclude Them – Since groundhogs do not like to climb unstable fences, installing a wobbly 3 to 4 foot-high mesh barrier around a garden keeps them away permanently. A trick for success when installing is to extend the bottom 12 inches of mesh outward, parallel to the ground, and pin this portion securely to the ground with landscaping staples. This “apron” will discourage them from digging under the fence. Also, make sure the top portion of the mesh is not taut when securing to fence posts.
5. High near 33, low around 19
Today there will be increasing clouds with a high near 33. Southwest wind will be 7 to 11 mph. Tonight there will be patchy fog after 11 p.m. Otherwise, it will be cloudy, with a low around 19 and southwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight. There is a 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after 4 a.m.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Norton