WIHA Announces the 111th Strawberry Festival
The Winthrop Improvement & Historical Association (WIHA) is pleased to announce that the 111th Strawberry Festival will be held on Saturday, June 14th, rain or shine. The festival’s hours are from 2-6 pm in the Deane Winthrop Gardens, 40 Shirley Street, Winthrop, MA.
Come join us for an annual Winthrop tradition that dates back to 1912! The $10 admission fee entitles you to a serving of our signature Strawberry Shortcake. As we did last year, we will offer Craft Beer from the Drop Zone Brewery, our own Strawberry Festival Daiquiris, and, new this year, Strawberry Festival Sangria. Our new food court will feature Kayem hot dogs, pizza from the Winthrop House of Pizza, nachos and more! Food and beverages will be available for additional charges.
The historic 375-year-old Deane Winthrop House will be open that day for touring. Music is courtesy of The Boston Harbor Bhoys, who did such a great job last year. We’ll also showcase Winthrop’s own, Singer/Guitarist, John Polino. We’ll have Strawberry Festival raffles, games for the kids, and an area for photo ops. There will be a large tent to protect everyone from the weather and porta-potties for everyone’s convenience.
Please leave your pets at home. We love our furry friends, but our Festival is not pet-friendly. Thank you for understanding.
Tickets are available at Swetts Liquors, Webster First Federal Credit Union, Drop Zone Brewery, The Winthrop Public Library, Shirley True Value Hardware, Woodside Ace Hardware, Simon’s Winthrop Book Store, Winthrop Book Depot and Cafe, The Meat Market, and The Senior Center. For more information, please visit the official Winthrop Improvement & Historical Association Facebook page.
We could not have a Strawberry Festival without the help of our Sponsors. Our Sponsors will be honored with signage in our yard at the event. We would like to especially thank Webster First Federal Credit Union for their tremendous support; the Paul W. Marks Company for donating the delicious strawberries and fresh cream; and the Winthrop Marketplace for donating the fabulous biscuits.
See you at the Strawberry Festival!
Fire Officials Warn Against Laptop Fire Social Media “Challenge”
State Fire Marshal Jon Davine and Massachusetts fire chiefs are urging parents and educators to talk to youngsters about the risk of fire and injury posed by a recent social media “challenge.”
The trend, which appears to have started on TikTok, promotes inserting a paper clip, pencil lead, or other conductive object into a laptop computer’s charging port or other port. This can cause a short circuit that increases the device’s temperature or causes smoke, sparks, or a fire – any of which could injure a young user.
“We’ve received more than a dozen reports from Massachusetts fire departments of young people engaging in this behavior in less than a week,” said State Fire Marshal Davine, who last week circulated a notice about the nationwide trend to local fire chiefs. “There are probably many more that responsible adults haven’t heard of or officially reported. No matter how smart your kids or students might be, please impress upon them that the only thing you should place in a computer port is the appropriate cord.”
“Today’s electronic devices pack a lot of power into small containers, and tampering with them is dangerous,” said Foxborough Fire Chief Michael Kelleher, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts. “Almost all modern laptops are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which can erupt in sparks and flames when damaged or abused. An event like that will injure anyone close by. The fire can easily spread to clothing, bedding, upholstery, and furniture.”
Most of the reported incidents were interrupted by teachers who spotted the abuse of school-issued laptops. They occurred in Barnstable County, Essex County, Hampden County, Hampshire County, Middlesex County, and Worcester County beginning on or about May 6. So far, only one minor injury has been reported but heavy smoke and device damage have been reported in some cases.