Latest news with #MargaretSmith
The Sun
02-07-2025
- General
- The Sun
We live next to eyesore cottage covered in scaffolding for 5 YEARS with rubbish strewn across garden – we're sick of it
NEIGHBOURS who live next to an eyesore cottage which has been covered in scaffolding for five years and rubbish litters the garden, say they are sick of it. The property dubbed 'Scaffold House' by angry locals is at the centre of a five-year-long planning row for its messy building work. 3 3 The house on Letton Road in Shipdham, Norfolk, has been undergoing renovations since 2020. Owner Margaret Smith predicted the works to replace ceilings and the roof would run until 2030. However neighbours have repeatedly complained to Breckland Council that the home is an eyesore with building material strewn across the garden. Now, the row - which has been running almost as long as the scaffolding has been up - has seen government inspectors drafted in to resolve it. If they rule against Ms Smith she could be forced to take it all down. The renovation of the detached two-bedroom house in Letton Road started soon after Ms Smith purchased it for £185,000 in 2020. The scaffolding has been a prominent feature of the street in the past five years and locals quickly became irritated by the new view from their gardens. Breckland Council received an enforcement complaint in 2021 but the investigation into the property was dropped the following year. This was on the basis that materials were being temporarily stored at the property for the purposes of renovating it. However, the complaint was reopened in 2023 due to an increase in the amount of materials being stored and a reconsidered view that these items 'go beyond' what would be required for building works. I came home to find my nightmare neighbour knocking down my DOOR – he claimed it was his right to do it The authority decided to take full enforcement action in January this year and ordered Ms Smith to remove debris and materials from the property by November. Ms Smith has appealed this to the Planning Inspectorate, the government body which rules in planning disputes and has the power to overturn the notice issued by the council. Ms Smith, who works for mental health services in the NHS, said she enjoys DIY in her spare time and undertook the project herself in order to "keep costs down". Due to work commitments, she said the time she has to work on the property is limited. A statement to the Planning Inspectorate said: "Furthermore, due to increases in the cost of living, mortgage payments, labour and materials, the renovation project has not yet been able to have been completed. "It has also involved much more work than was initially anticipated." The renovation works already completed include a new boundary fence, windows, chimneys, ceilings and radiators. But the majority of works are still yet to be completed. Ms Smith wants to replace the ceilings in the bathroom and dining room, fit ceilings to the bedroom and kitchen and repair the roof. She also wants to replace the front and rear porches, put in pathways and a driveway, fit a new kitchen and bathroom, and replace the downstairs floorboards. In 2022, she predicted the works would be completed by 2030. While some neighbours complained to the council, describing the property as an "extreme eyesore" and a "dreadful" view from their gardens, others are less phased. Emma Farrow, who lives near the house, said: "I don't have a clue what they're doing but it doesn't affect me. "It has been like that since I moved in and I've got used to it." Dave Gray-Taylor said: "It's their own place and they're doing it up at their own pace. "The scaffold house has become a bit of a landmark." Joan Bartlett, however, said immediate neighbours had become "fed up". "The scaffolding has been there for so long it's taken root," she added. The Planning Inspectorate will hold a hearing in due course to consider Ms Smith's argument and the case presented by the council. It will decide whether to uphold the enforcement notice or throw it out and allow Ms Smith to leave the property as it is. She has declined to comment. 3
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Neighbours complain about eyesore 'Scaffolding House' as home improvement works on previously pretty cottage go on for FIVE YEARS!
An ambitious DIY enthusiast has been served with an enforcement notice after neighbours complained about scaffolding that has surrounded her property for the past five years – with works set to continue until the end of the decade. Margaret Smith began transforming her pretty cottage shortly after buying it in 2020, with plans for extensive renovations both outside and inside. But the scaffolding that went up there shortly after she moved in remains there today and has been joined by piles of building materials and detritus. Neighbours have complained about the 'extreme eyesore' in Shipdham, Norfolk, saying how it was previously a pretty cottage with a well-kept garden. One even claimed that electrical works carried out in the street by a third party caused power surges that made her heat pump blow up, at a cost of £8,000, as well as affecting other electrical items. Breckland Council issued an enforcement notice demanding Ms Smith, who bought the house for £185,000, remove the scaffolding at the property locals have dubbed 'Scaffold House' and return it to its original state. But the problem looks likely to drag on, as she has appealed against the decision to the Planning Inspectorate, which will hold a hearing at a date yet to be set. Ms Smith – who in 2022 said the works at her home, called Meadows View, might continue until 2030 - has not commented on the situation. But in a statement to the Planning Inspectorate, the mental health worker for the NHS said she had taken on the work herself to 'keep costs down' and work commitments had caused delays. She added: 'Furthermore, due to increases in the cost of living, mortgage payments, labour and materials, the renovation project has not yet able to have been completed. 'It has involved much more work than was initially anticipated.' The works she has completed are understood to include renovating the chimneys, windows, radiators and installing a new boundary fence. Still to come are roof repairs, replacing the front and rear porches, new ceilings in the bathroom, dining room, bedroom and kitchen, as well as fitting a new kitchen and bathroom, swapping out the downstairs floorboards and installing a new driveway and pathway. Frustrated neighbours include Donna Nevill, 38, who has lived in the road all her life. She told the Mail: 'It annoys my husband. He moans about it every time he drives past. 'The thing that bothers me was when they dug up the road last year, which affected our power. Now we regularly have power surges. 'It blew up our heat pump which cost us £8,000 to replace. We had to claim it off the house insurance. 'We still get power surges every day, with the lights going on and off and I've had three new microwaves in the past year. The washing machine is always going on and off.' Mrs Nevill, who said UK Power Networks had confirmed the roadworks were for Ms Smiths property, added: 'It's an eyesore and it isn't nice.' Another resident, Joan Bartlett, 63, said people had become 'fed up'. 'The scaffolding has been there for so long it's taken root,' she added. One homeowner, who asked not to be named, said: 'I think it used to belong to an old chap and it was very pretty, nice to look at. 'Now it's a permanent eyesore. Most people think enough is enough.' Others said they had effectively turned a blind eye to the never-ending DIY in their street, however. Dave Gray-Taylor said: 'It's their own place and they've been doing it up at their own pace. The scaffold house has become a bit of a landmark.' And Emma Farrow added: 'I don't have a clue what they're doing but it doesn't affect me. 'It has been like that since I moved in and I've got used to it.' Breckland Council first looked into the matter in 2021 after receiving a complaint but decided the following year not to take it further year after concluding that materials stored there for the purposes of renovation were in place on a 'temporary' basis. The case was resurrected in 2023 because of an increase in the amount of materials , with neighbours calling it an 'extreme eyesore' and 'dreadful'. The enforcement notice was came into effect in January this year and ordered Ms Smith, who is understood to be in her 30s, to remove debris and materials by November. It stated that the amount of items outside the house suggested 'the material change of use of the land from residential dwelling house to the mixed use of residential dwelling house and storage of materials and paraphernalia'. There were 'real concerns that external storage of non-domestic items at the property will continue unabated thus having an increasing detrimental effect to the character, appearance and amenity of the area', it added. The council was approached for a comment. The Planning Inspectorate will hold a hearing on a date to be confirmed, when it will consider the council's case and that of Ms Smith. It will decide whether to uphold the enforcement notice or overturn it, allowing Ms Smith to keep the property as it is. UK Power Networks was also asked for a statement about the claim involving the heat pump.
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
'Fiercely loyal': The people who keep this tiny town's heart beating
Beyond the silos and green spaces of this beautiful country town lies an infectious community spirit. The tiny town of Geranium in South Australia, near the Mallee Highway, has had its population shrink to double digits, but there are families still there who treasure it. "It's a really unique little community in that it's fiercely loyal," said resident Margaret Smith. Read more in The Senior The town's Community Hub bought the Geranium Primary School from the state government for $1.10 earlier this year after it had closed due to dwindling enrolment numbers. Since the purchase, an Op Shop has opened at the site in the old technology area, and there are plans for a cafe to start soon. A gym and yoga classes have been run from the school already. Geranium Community Hub secretary Anne Bond grew up in the town, with her great-grandparents moving to a farm there in 1910. Mrs Bond recalls seeing numerous families on farms in the town and neighbouring areas, with community life revolving around sporting clubs, and the school becoming a focal point in the district. She said there was a lot of grief when the school closed, but there was a strong community response. "That brought a lot of people together to support that dreaming of what we could do with the school," she said. "We felt that we can make it a meeting place." In the town, there is a bowling club that hosts meals plus several games, a community pool that runs in the summer, an antique shop, a post office, Uniting Church, a space for free camping and a a Soldiers Memorial Park - a nice space to "meditate and have afternoon tea", said Mrs Bond. Geranium is part of the Southern Mallee district, where farming became a big part of the region's development after railway services started in the early 1900s. According to the 2021 Census data, Geranium's population was 83, down from 240 in 2006. There are several volunteers who donate their time to keep the town's spirit and connectedness alive. Adam Morgan is a fourth-generation farmer in the town with his wife, Tanja, and they have three children. "I've lived here all my life... I love farming here, but also enjoy the small community," he said. The Geranium Community Hub chair said keeping the school in community hands has given people a place to gather, including for working bees and local events. "School has always been somewhere where people have been able to go," he said. Margaret Smith opened the Op Shop at the school shortly after the sale. "It's a really good connecting place for locals," she said. Ms Smith and her husband David - who is involved with the local Uniting Church - moved to the town about 40 years ago. They have barley, wheat, canola and sheep on their farm, plus David breeds Merino rams. The couple's five children were students at the school and Ms Smith worked there for a time, including as a teacher and a pastoral worker. She recalls families rallying together for school and other community events, and noted how even today, lots of people put their hand up for various causes. "Everyone sort of pitched in... there's a real loyalty [here]," she said. Rosemary Howard is the editor of The Guardian, the town's newsletter and has lived in Geranium with her husband Peter since 1968. Their children went to the town's school and their son lives next door, where he has cattle, dorper sheep and crops. Mrs Howard had noticed people had been moving to the town in recent years in search of quietness and cheaper housing. Socially, she said the bowling club's dinners attracted people far and wide, and she loved having a coffee at the Op Shop recently with people who had just finished a yoga class. "It's always been a friendly town," she said. "It really is just a very friendly, welcoming place." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Beyond the silos and green spaces of this beautiful country town lies an infectious community spirit. The tiny town of Geranium in South Australia, near the Mallee Highway, has had its population shrink to double digits, but there are families still there who treasure it. "It's a really unique little community in that it's fiercely loyal," said resident Margaret Smith. Read more in The Senior The town's Community Hub bought the Geranium Primary School from the state government for $1.10 earlier this year after it had closed due to dwindling enrolment numbers. Since the purchase, an Op Shop has opened at the site in the old technology area, and there are plans for a cafe to start soon. A gym and yoga classes have been run from the school already. Geranium Community Hub secretary Anne Bond grew up in the town, with her great-grandparents moving to a farm there in 1910. Mrs Bond recalls seeing numerous families on farms in the town and neighbouring areas, with community life revolving around sporting clubs, and the school becoming a focal point in the district. She said there was a lot of grief when the school closed, but there was a strong community response. "That brought a lot of people together to support that dreaming of what we could do with the school," she said. "We felt that we can make it a meeting place." In the town, there is a bowling club that hosts meals plus several games, a community pool that runs in the summer, an antique shop, a post office, Uniting Church, a space for free camping and a a Soldiers Memorial Park - a nice space to "meditate and have afternoon tea", said Mrs Bond. Geranium is part of the Southern Mallee district, where farming became a big part of the region's development after railway services started in the early 1900s. According to the 2021 Census data, Geranium's population was 83, down from 240 in 2006. There are several volunteers who donate their time to keep the town's spirit and connectedness alive. Adam Morgan is a fourth-generation farmer in the town with his wife, Tanja, and they have three children. "I've lived here all my life... I love farming here, but also enjoy the small community," he said. The Geranium Community Hub chair said keeping the school in community hands has given people a place to gather, including for working bees and local events. "School has always been somewhere where people have been able to go," he said. Margaret Smith opened the Op Shop at the school shortly after the sale. "It's a really good connecting place for locals," she said. Ms Smith and her husband David - who is involved with the local Uniting Church - moved to the town about 40 years ago. They have barley, wheat, canola and sheep on their farm, plus David breeds Merino rams. The couple's five children were students at the school and Ms Smith worked there for a time, including as a teacher and a pastoral worker. She recalls families rallying together for school and other community events, and noted how even today, lots of people put their hand up for various causes. "Everyone sort of pitched in... there's a real loyalty [here]," she said. Rosemary Howard is the editor of The Guardian, the town's newsletter and has lived in Geranium with her husband Peter since 1968. Their children went to the town's school and their son lives next door, where he has cattle, dorper sheep and crops. Mrs Howard had noticed people had been moving to the town in recent years in search of quietness and cheaper housing. Socially, she said the bowling club's dinners attracted people far and wide, and she loved having a coffee at the Op Shop recently with people who had just finished a yoga class. "It's always been a friendly town," she said. "It really is just a very friendly, welcoming place." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Beyond the silos and green spaces of this beautiful country town lies an infectious community spirit. The tiny town of Geranium in South Australia, near the Mallee Highway, has had its population shrink to double digits, but there are families still there who treasure it. "It's a really unique little community in that it's fiercely loyal," said resident Margaret Smith. Read more in The Senior The town's Community Hub bought the Geranium Primary School from the state government for $1.10 earlier this year after it had closed due to dwindling enrolment numbers. Since the purchase, an Op Shop has opened at the site in the old technology area, and there are plans for a cafe to start soon. A gym and yoga classes have been run from the school already. Geranium Community Hub secretary Anne Bond grew up in the town, with her great-grandparents moving to a farm there in 1910. Mrs Bond recalls seeing numerous families on farms in the town and neighbouring areas, with community life revolving around sporting clubs, and the school becoming a focal point in the district. She said there was a lot of grief when the school closed, but there was a strong community response. "That brought a lot of people together to support that dreaming of what we could do with the school," she said. "We felt that we can make it a meeting place." In the town, there is a bowling club that hosts meals plus several games, a community pool that runs in the summer, an antique shop, a post office, Uniting Church, a space for free camping and a a Soldiers Memorial Park - a nice space to "meditate and have afternoon tea", said Mrs Bond. Geranium is part of the Southern Mallee district, where farming became a big part of the region's development after railway services started in the early 1900s. According to the 2021 Census data, Geranium's population was 83, down from 240 in 2006. There are several volunteers who donate their time to keep the town's spirit and connectedness alive. Adam Morgan is a fourth-generation farmer in the town with his wife, Tanja, and they have three children. "I've lived here all my life... I love farming here, but also enjoy the small community," he said. The Geranium Community Hub chair said keeping the school in community hands has given people a place to gather, including for working bees and local events. "School has always been somewhere where people have been able to go," he said. Margaret Smith opened the Op Shop at the school shortly after the sale. "It's a really good connecting place for locals," she said. Ms Smith and her husband David - who is involved with the local Uniting Church - moved to the town about 40 years ago. They have barley, wheat, canola and sheep on their farm, plus David breeds Merino rams. The couple's five children were students at the school and Ms Smith worked there for a time, including as a teacher and a pastoral worker. She recalls families rallying together for school and other community events, and noted how even today, lots of people put their hand up for various causes. "Everyone sort of pitched in... there's a real loyalty [here]," she said. Rosemary Howard is the editor of The Guardian, the town's newsletter and has lived in Geranium with her husband Peter since 1968. Their children went to the town's school and their son lives next door, where he has cattle, dorper sheep and crops. Mrs Howard had noticed people had been moving to the town in recent years in search of quietness and cheaper housing. Socially, she said the bowling club's dinners attracted people far and wide, and she loved having a coffee at the Op Shop recently with people who had just finished a yoga class. "It's always been a friendly town," she said. "It really is just a very friendly, welcoming place." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Beyond the silos and green spaces of this beautiful country town lies an infectious community spirit. The tiny town of Geranium in South Australia, near the Mallee Highway, has had its population shrink to double digits, but there are families still there who treasure it. "It's a really unique little community in that it's fiercely loyal," said resident Margaret Smith. Read more in The Senior The town's Community Hub bought the Geranium Primary School from the state government for $1.10 earlier this year after it had closed due to dwindling enrolment numbers. Since the purchase, an Op Shop has opened at the site in the old technology area, and there are plans for a cafe to start soon. A gym and yoga classes have been run from the school already. Geranium Community Hub secretary Anne Bond grew up in the town, with her great-grandparents moving to a farm there in 1910. Mrs Bond recalls seeing numerous families on farms in the town and neighbouring areas, with community life revolving around sporting clubs, and the school becoming a focal point in the district. She said there was a lot of grief when the school closed, but there was a strong community response. "That brought a lot of people together to support that dreaming of what we could do with the school," she said. "We felt that we can make it a meeting place." In the town, there is a bowling club that hosts meals plus several games, a community pool that runs in the summer, an antique shop, a post office, Uniting Church, a space for free camping and a a Soldiers Memorial Park - a nice space to "meditate and have afternoon tea", said Mrs Bond. Geranium is part of the Southern Mallee district, where farming became a big part of the region's development after railway services started in the early 1900s. According to the 2021 Census data, Geranium's population was 83, down from 240 in 2006. There are several volunteers who donate their time to keep the town's spirit and connectedness alive. Adam Morgan is a fourth-generation farmer in the town with his wife, Tanja, and they have three children. "I've lived here all my life... I love farming here, but also enjoy the small community," he said. The Geranium Community Hub chair said keeping the school in community hands has given people a place to gather, including for working bees and local events. "School has always been somewhere where people have been able to go," he said. Margaret Smith opened the Op Shop at the school shortly after the sale. "It's a really good connecting place for locals," she said. Ms Smith and her husband David - who is involved with the local Uniting Church - moved to the town about 40 years ago. They have barley, wheat, canola and sheep on their farm, plus David breeds Merino rams. The couple's five children were students at the school and Ms Smith worked there for a time, including as a teacher and a pastoral worker. She recalls families rallying together for school and other community events, and noted how even today, lots of people put their hand up for various causes. "Everyone sort of pitched in... there's a real loyalty [here]," she said. Rosemary Howard is the editor of The Guardian, the town's newsletter and has lived in Geranium with her husband Peter since 1968. Their children went to the town's school and their son lives next door, where he has cattle, dorper sheep and crops. Mrs Howard had noticed people had been moving to the town in recent years in search of quietness and cheaper housing. Socially, she said the bowling club's dinners attracted people far and wide, and she loved having a coffee at the Op Shop recently with people who had just finished a yoga class. "It's always been a friendly town," she said. "It really is just a very friendly, welcoming place." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Associated Press
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
French Open Women's Champions
1925 Suzanne Lenglen, France 1926 Suzanne Lenglen, France 1927 Kea Bouman, Netherlands 1928 Helen Wills, United States 1929 Helen Wills, United States 1930 Helen Wills Moody, United States 1931 Cilly Aussem, Germany 1932 Helen Wills Moody, United States 1933 Margaret Scriven, Britain 1934 Margaret Scriven, Britain 1935 Hilda Krahwinkel Sperling, Germany 1936 Hilda Krahwinkel Sperling, Germany 1937 Hilda Krahwinkel Sperling, Germany 1938 Simone Passemard Mathieu, France 1939 Simone Passemard Mathieu, France 1940-45 No tournament 1946 Margaret Osborne, United States 1947 Pat Canning Todd, United States 1948 Nelly Adamson Landry, France 1949 Margaret Osborne duPont, United States 1950 Doris Hart, United States 1951 Shirley Fry, United States 1952 Doris Hart, United States 1953 Maureen Connolly, United States 1954 Maureen Connolly, United States 1955 Angela Mortimer, United States 1956 Althea Gibson, United States 1957 Shirley Bloomer, Britain 1958 Suzi Kormoczi, Hungary 1959 Christine Truman, Britain 1960 Darlene Hard, United States 1961 Ann Haydon, Britain 1962 Margaret Smith, Australia 1963 Lesley Turner, Australia 1964 Margaret Smith, Australia 1965 Lesley Turner, Australia 1966 Ann Haydon Jones, Britain 1967 Francoise Durr, France 1968 Nancy Richey, United States 1969 Margaret Smith Court, Australia 1970 Margaret Smith Court, Australia 1971 Evonne Goolagong, Australia 1972 Billie Jean King, United States 1973 Margaret Smith Court, Australia 1974 Chris Evert, United States 1975 Chris Evert, United States 1976 Sue Barker, Britain 1977 Mima Jausovec, Yugoslavia 1978 Virginia Ruzici, Romania 1979 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1980 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1981 Hana Mandlikova, Czechoslovakia 1982 Martina Navratilova, United States 1983 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1984 Martina Navratilova, United States 1985 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1986 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1987 Steffi Graf, West Germany 1988 Steffi Graf, West Germany 1989 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Spain 1990 Monica Seles, Yugoslavia 1991 Monica Seles, Yugoslavia 1992 Monica Seles, Yugoslavia 1993 Steffi Graf, Germany 1994 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Spain 1995 Steffi Graf, Germany 1996 Steffi Graf, Germany 1997 Iva Majoli, Croatia 1998 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Spain 1999 Steffi Graf, Germany 2000 Mary Pierce, France 2001 Jennifer Capriati, United States 2002 Serena Williams, United States 2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium 2004 Anastasia Myskina, Russia 2005 Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium 2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium 2007 Justine Henin, Belgium 2008 Ana Ivanovic, Serbia 2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia 2010 Francesca Schiavone, Italy 2011 Li Na, China 2012 Maria Sharapova, Russia 2013 Serena Williams, United States 2014 Maria Sharapova, Russia 2015 Serena Williams, United States 2016 Garbine Muguruza, Spain 2017 Jelena Ostapenko, Latvia 2018 Simona Halep, Romania 2019 Ash Barty, Australia 2020 Iga Swiatek, Poland 2021 Barbora Krejcikova, Czech Republic 2022 Iga Swiatek, Poland 2023 Iga Swiatek, Poland 2024 Iga Swiatek, Poland 2025 Coco Gauff, United States NOTE: Before 1925, the French Open was restricted to French players.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Truly magical': The 17-year cicada is ready to rock
Woo! Science is a column of science news and newsmakers in Worcester and the region. Got a science news idea? Email Margaret Smith at msmith@ With their bright red eyes and dapper, red-veined wings, the males are truly putting on the ritz, but is it enough to dress to impress? Maybe as Cass Elliot once sang, "Words of love, soft and tender, won't win a girl's heart anymore." Nevertheless, they'll be ready to sing loud, sing proud, and even if humans hear a reedy, frantic cacophony, remember: there's lots of different love languages. We can only be talking about one spectacular insect, and one event: the periodic, 17-year emergence of cicadas. And we as humans are dazzled, delighted, but sometimes confused and maybe a little worried, as we so often are when lots and lots of insects show up all at once. The so-called periodical cicada is emerging now on parts of Cape Cod and the southeastern part of the state, said Tawny Simisky, entomologist with UMass Extension's Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program. Simisky specializes in insects that may damage trees and shrubs, but not to fear as we shall see, cicadas that depend on trees also give back. "There is a lot of anticipation about the periodical cicadas in Massachusetts," said Simisky. Dubbed "Brood XIV, " or "Brood 14," by means of record-keeping parlance, Simisky said, "These are all cicadas in a given geographic area, expected to emerge at the same time." The female cicada lays her eggs in the stems or twigs of trees, by means of an ovipositor, a sharp organ that can slice a hole in which the female can lay her eggs. And so, for 17 years, the young cicadas move from larval to nymph or adolescent phase, before emerging, ready to shed their juvenile skin, and carefully inflating their newfound, grownup wings. Simisky said, "We have folks reporting them coming up from beneath the ground in Eastern Sandwich, Mass., on May 17." This is when so-called exit holes appear in the ground, small and perfectly dime-sized. Where can you find them? "Some areas on Cape Cod, in Barnstable County, and possibly a much smaller area of Plymouth County," Simisky said. "This past Friday, prior to the long weekend, I went out there, and brought my entire family." Simisky returned with photos, including those of newly-emerged cicadas. If it seems like a curious career, spending most of your existence in the juvenile phase, emerging only for a short time in the hopes of finding a mate and passing on that cicada DNA, it puzzles scientists, too, but from a species survival standpoint, they say it makes sense. "We have hundreds of species of cicadas, but only nine species that do this periodicity thing," said Sebastián Vélez, entomologist and biology professor at Worcester State University. "It's all natural selection. There is something called 'stragglers.'" Some may emerge after 12 years, some at 14, some after 13 years, and in the case of the current emergence, 17 years. This may increase the odds of more cicadas surviving long enough to reproduce, and even if many get eaten by birds and other predators. Over time, there will simply be too many for hunters to eat so many of them that it jeopardizes the next generation. Another hypothesis, said Vélez, is that a lengthy period of living beneath the earth is a sensible adaptation from a time when glaciers are believed to have covered much of the region. "Neither of these two ideas are fool proof, and no one has been able to test it," said Vélez. In a time when invasive species have caused great damage to our forests, it's natural to have concerns about an insect that depends on trees. "The only harm they do is lay their eggs in the roots of trees. That weakens the tree. When the first molt comes out of the ground, they have a little straw that punctures a plant ... they tap into that, like a little straw. But, they don't harm crops. They won't kill your trees," said Vélez. And, they're not interested in your vegetable garden. "The nymphs of the periodical cicadas feet on tree roots, but there is no evidence that they negatively impact trees," Jennifer Forman Orth, environmental biologist of the state Department of Agricultural Resources. Orth said there is some evidence that in the long run, the cicadas may benefit trees, due to the nutrient cycling, as well as the shell left behind in the process of reaching the adult stage. And, after the cicada dies, it will enrich the soil, Orth said. Simisky agrees. "Actually, it makes the canopy of trees healthier over time. You can cover immature trees with bird nettings, with openings less than half an inch, and that will keep the adult cicadas from laying eggs in those small trees." Simisky said, "Adults laying eggs on mature, established trees, actually act like a pruning for them," Simisky added, "One side effect of having adult periodical cicadas above ground and in folks' yards, is trees like oak, apple, ash, birch, is the females will be laying their eggs in the small branches of these trees. It will cause some leaves to turn dry or brown. That is a natural process." The sound of the cicada is like a theme song of summer: that long, reedy hum on a hot, drowsy day. But how do they do that? They don't have vocal cords. And when the male sings, how does the female hear? Firstly, that sound is mostly associated with the so-called "dog day" cicadas, the ones that emerge every year, perhaps not as spectacular in appearance as their periodic relatives, but still making their presence known. "The cicadas that folks all across Massachusetts might be more familiar with are the annual 'dog day' cicadas," Simisky said. With dark brown, black or green features, and black eyes, "Their timing is a little bit different," with appearances in July or August. The male periodic cicadas tend to cluster in a group, and all try really, super hard to attract females by way of really loud sounds. Simisky said, "I can see how some people might be intimidated. Their singing can be loud. The cicada in eastern Massachusetts is one of the quieter cicadas. But when all the males are singing, they are quite loud." How do they do that, anyway? Simisky said, "They have organs on their bodies, called tymbals, on the first segment of their abdomen." Contracting these membranes produces the sound. If you've ever told someone, "You're as cute as a bug's ear," maybe it's time to say, "cute as a bug's typana." What? They're membranous organs that both males and females have, found on the underside of their abdomens, and which register sound. So, I'm that person at a party who, when the subject of insects come up, says without reserve, "All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs." Bug is the informal name of everyone in the order, hemiptera, "half wing," basically, the bug club, to which cicadas have membership. By the way, they are edible, but perhaps that's best for a different party. This is maybe a good time to clear the air, as it were: we humans have a peculiar relationship to insects. Unless it's a butterfly, a ladybug (which is really a beetle), or a cute little cricket, something in our primordial brain wants to know: will these things bite, sting or eat me? And if they're plant eaters, are they going to lay waste to our crops? "We do have a natural insect against insects, spiders and snakes, and that makes sense," said Vélez. Because some insects do bite or sting, or carry pathogens, and some insects can devastate crops, and striking a balance is difficult. Simisky said from time to time, someone on social media postulates that those red eyes surely signify a demon in flight. But if anything, the cicada is a vulnerable creature in many ways. Climate change may bring temperature fluctuations that can confuse creatures, cicadas included. Orth said if a building is constructed over a site where cicada nymphs are lying, they may not be able to make that vertical tunnel to the surface, and instead have travel horizontally until they can find an opening. The cicada asks nothing from us, except to live out its life cycle without interference. "Maybe it's unique to me as an entomologist," said Simisky. "I enjoy seeing this insect. It's truly magical that they are only above ground every 17 years. It gives you a sense of the resilience of life on Planet Earth." Every cicada counts. If you find periodic cicadas in your neck of the woods, so to speak, you can reach out to the Department of Agricultural Resources' Brood XIV Project on iNaturalist. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Woo! Science: Why cicadas will not go quietly
