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For Howard C. Ayer, beekeeping has grown far beyond a simple pastime over the past 20 years, transforming into a deeply rewarding avocation that blends science, nature, and craftsmanship. Ayer, who has worked in electronics at Harvard University for 30 years and currently oversees audio-visual equipment at the Harvard School of Public Health, keeps three thriving colonies in his backyard at 117 Winslow Ave. alongside his wife, the former Helen Mattson of Norwood. Maintaining well-tempered hives that support between 30,000 and 75,000 bees each, Ayer notes that a typical colony yields about 50 pounds of honey annually—though he has harvested as much as 150 pounds in a banner year—while leaving sufficient stores for the bees to survive the winter.
Beyond producing honey and beeswax, Ayer has become a prominent regional authority on apiculture, lecturing at institutions like the Norfolk County Agricultural School in Walpole, attending national conventions, and writing articles for the American Bee Journal. Both he and his wife have earned numerous ribbons and awards at fairs and conventions: Helen for her honey-sweetened cakes and cookies and decorative beeswax candles, and Howard for his traditional mead, a semi-sweet Viking-era wine crafted from honey, water, and yeast. Emphasizing the vital modern role of bees as agricultural pollinators—especially as insecticides diminish wild bee populations—Ayer also reassures the public that fears of migrating African killer bees are largely overblown due to climate limitations.
In other local news, Norwood taxpayers received a major financial boost when Assessor James J. Drummey announced yesterday that the town will receive a $348,000 supplemental state reimbursement listed on the state cherry sheet. Drummey stated that the windfall will have a direct downward impact of roughly one dollar on the upcoming 1976-77 tax rate—which stood at $41 the previous year—reversing earlier fears from finance officials who had projected a potential $3 tax rate hike. Assessors plan to officially set and announce the new tax rate the following week.
(Reporting by Nona Dearth and photography by Larry Welsh for The Patriot Ledger).
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Norwood Cat “Ginger” Saved After Car Accident-August 30, 1997
An elderly Norwood woman’s cat, Ginger, survives a car accident and costly leg surgery thanks to a mix-up by two neighbors, the Neponset Valley Humane Society, and community kindness.
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Michael and Margaret Malacaria: Finding Rewards in Retirement Through Dedicated Community Service-September 24, 1996
Retired Norwood residents Michael and Margaret Malacaria dedicate their post-work years to tireless community volunteering, earning recognition as RSVP Volunteers of the Year.
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Norwood Woman Continues to Care with Program’s Help-July 19, 1993
/In the quaint town of Norwood, Massachusetts, a remarkable story of compassion and dedication has unfolded over the past twelve years. Marie Jaras, a widow in her mid-sixties, has been providing a foster home for Ormond Kingsbury, an elderly man who had been her boss at the Plympton Press. The arrangement began informally, with Kingsbury…
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Breaking the Silence on Brittle Bone Disorder-This Day in Norwood History-June 28, 1991
A Norwood family’s national custody battle over a rare bone disorder inspires a new library support group to protect innocent parents.
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Former Norwood Resident Robert Iantosca Named Winemaker at Sonoma County’s Gloria Ferrer Winery-August 19, 1987
Robert Iantosca, formerly of Norwood, has been named winemaker at Sonoma County’s renowned Gloria Ferrer Winery, bringing hands-on expertise and innovative sparkling wine techniques.
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Eighty-Year-Old Volunteer Gertrude “Gertie” Erickson Celebrated as a Beloved Institution at Norwood Hospital-August 22, 1985
Known as the whistling cashier, 80-year-old Gertrude Erickson is celebrated for her 13 years of dedicated volunteer service at Norwood Hospital’s coffee shop.
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Italian University Students Lucia Rovigo and Marcello Mascellaro Bring Touch of Home to Norwood Host Families-August 10, 1981
Italian university students Lucia Rovigo and Marcello Mascellaro are spending a month in Norwood as guests of local families through the Interstudy program.
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Norwood Resident Finds Warm Bed After Months of Searching-August 5, 1981
Following months of hardship after his rooming house closed, 58-year-old Norwood resident James Poles found a warm bed thanks to longtime friend Elliott Webber, who welcomed him to his Rockhill Street home.
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Norwood Greenhouse Resident to Relocate to Quincy-July 02, 1981
In the summer of 1981, a Norwood veteran struggling with housing instability turned a local greenhouse into a makeshift home before the community rallied to find him a more dignified living situation.
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The Master Navigator of Local Commerce-This Day in Norwood History-June 28, 1980
An 80-year-old former union pioneer and Edison engineer commands the Norwood Chamber, working a grueling 40-hour week.
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