1. Take in a free summer concert. Many communities offer free concerts for you and your family to enjoy. Here is some information on some of those concerts:

• Abington holds a concert every Sunday starting at 6:00 pm through August 28th at the Catherrine and Joseph Nisby Bandstand. This is free for the whole family, and is held.
• The Braintree concert series is held Tuesday evening from 6 – 8 pm thru August 9 th at Sunset Lake in South Braintree.
• The Launch at the Hingham Shipyard hosts a free concert every Friday evening starting at 7pm. This series goes on through August 26th.
• Every Thursday night in July Weymouth holds free concerts from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the Ralph Talbot Amphitheater next to Town Hall.
• Milton Parks and Recreations holds free summer concerts Wednesday nights throughout August 10th. All concerts begin at 6:00pm.
• Boston Harbor Hotel holds free concerts Tuesday – Thursday from 6 – 10:00 pm. The free concert series runs through September 8th .

2. Pack a lunch and take the ferry to one of six islands in Boston Harbor - Georges, Spectacle, Peddocks, Lovells, Grape and Bumpkin Islands. Great opportunity to explore the beautiful islands National and State Parks with your family, and enjoy a quite picnic at sea. All six islands are accessible from Boston with additional departures from Hingham, and Hull. Visit http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/harbor-islands/ to plan your trip.

3. Kayak the Atlantic, Charles River or Hingham Harbor. It’s now easier than ever to enjoy our local waterways even if you don’t own a kayak. Nantasket Kayaks, Charles River Canoe and Kayak, and the Hingham Harbor Marina all have affordable kayak rental prices.

4. Watch a movie under the stars! Many towns offer a free movie night held outside. Be sure to bring a lawn chair and a blanket and cozy up to watch a flick with your family.

• Every Thursday night in August Weymouth holds free outdoor Movies from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the Ralph Talbot Amphitheater next to Town Hall.
• The Launch at Hingham Shipyard shows movies each Thursday night through August 25th . Movies begin at Dusk, and can be seen on the Amphitheatre.
• Summer in the City at Boston Harbor Hotel. Movie begin at dusk each Friday evening through September 9th .
• Free Friday Flicks at the Hatch Shell. Movies start at dusk each Friday and run through August 26th .

5. Visit a local farm! Massachusetts’ local farms give an opportunity for you to pick fresh fruit and enjoy some fun actives with the family during your visit. Here is some of our favorites:

• Davis Farmland in Sterling offers a Play and Spray experience where your children can go to cool off, along with an animal showcase and pick your own apples.
• Connors Farm in Danvers has a ton of things for you and the family to do. They offer season fruit picking from blueberries to apples, a corn maze, gemstone mining, live entertainment and a petting zoo to name a few.
• Smolak Farms in North Andover have a wide variety of animals in their petting zoo. You can also pick your own fruit, take a hay ride and there is a playground for the children to play in.

Lallis & Higgins Insurance can help make your time on the water relaxed and worry-free! We will find you comprehensive protection that protects you, your friends and family, your watercraft and your boating equipment. The average boat costs less than a dollar a day to insure. You’ll enjoy being on the water even more when you aren’t worried about your safety, the safety your passengers, or your investment.

Massachusetts – Do you know what to look for in a watercraft insurance policy? Lallis & Higgins Insurance can help you determine the right amount of coverage to meet your specific needs. Just contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance to get started. Here are some items you’ll need to consider when shopping for boat insurance in Massachusetts.

* Navigational Area:

Know where you are covered in the water. Some companies, such as Safeco Insurance, offer protection that covers you up to 75 miles from the U.S. coastline; into Canadian coastal or inland waters; and into the Pacific coastal waters of Mexico. In California, Florida and Oregon, additional coverage area can be purchased.

* Agreed Value Coverage:

Watercrafts depreciate just like automobiles. Actual cash value policies can make it difficult to replace a boat that’s been stolen or destroyed. This means that if your boat is a total loss you will get the value you insured it for, minus any deductible.

* Liability

Like car insurance, personal liability coverage provides coverage to other boaters and boat owners in the event you are at-fault for an accident on the water. This coverage will pay to repair or replace the property of someone else as well as for their medical care, lost wages and other costs incurred as a result of a boating accident for which you are at-fault.

* Medical Payments

Medical payments coverage will pay for the cost of needed care that is the result of a boating accident. This coverage is available from $500 to $10,000 and covers you, your passengers, and even your water skiers/tubers, regardless of who is at-fault.

* Physical Damage Coverage

Physical damage coverage pays for the cost to repair or replace your watercraft, its motor, any permanently attached equipment, and your trailer, if it is stolen or damaged.

* Uninsured/Underinsured Watercraft Bodily Injury

Since boat coverage is not always mandatory, many boaters choose not to get insurance. If you are hit by an uninsured or underinsured boater, and you are injured, this type of coverage pays for medical treatment, lost wages, and other costs associated with the accident.

* Fuel Spill Liability and Wreckage Removal

Should your boat sink or be seriously damaged, there is a chance that it could leak oil or fuel into the water. As the boat’s owner you are required by law to have this cleaned up, which can be time consuming and expensive.

* Personal Effects

Your policy can provide coverage for many personal effects, including clothing, jewelry, cell phones, scuba/snorkeling and other sporting equipment, and fishing equipment. Limits vary by state – check with Lallis and Higgins for information. Personal effects coverage does not include jewelry, watches or furs.

* Unattached Equipment Coverage

This pays to repair or replace equipment that isn’t permanently attached to your boat or personal watercraft, but is designed for use primarily on a boat. This includes items like lifesaving equipment, water skis, anchors, oars, fire extinguishers, tarps etc.

* Emergency Assistance

The Emergency Assistance Package provides coverage for towing, labor and delivery of gas, oil or loaned battery if the watercraft is disabled while on the water. Every need is unique – contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance today to find out how to get the best boat and watercraft insurance coverage for you.

Lallis & Higgins Insurance has been awarded  #1 Reader’s Choice Award in the Insurance Agency category for the town of Hingham. We would like to thank all of YOU, our customers who have chosen us over the years. Hingham served us well over the last year and a half, and we are excited to see what our new location at 440 Washington St in Weymouth brings for the future.

“There is no better feeling than when clients walks away knowing they are truly protected with a Lallis and Higgins Insurance policy….” - Anthony Lallis

We are dedicated to getting you an insurance policy that meets your needs as well as your budget. Whether it is home, car, life, renter, business, recreational vehicles, or a combination, we work with you to get a policy that is affordable with coverage that protects you, your interests, and your family.

Thank you again from Lallis & Higgins Insurance.

Home buying season is now. No sensible car owner would drive without insurance, so it figures that no homeowner should be without insurance either.

The essential idea behind various forms of insurance is to protect owners in the event of catastrophe. If something goes wrong, insurance can be the bargain of a lifetime.

What Kind of Insurance and How Much?

There are various forms of homeownership insurance, including these major types:

Home Warranties: Buyers want assurance the builder will be there to make repairs if something goes wrong after the completion of their new home. But what if the builder refuses to do the work or goes out of business? Home warranties bought from third parties by home builders are generally designed to provide several forms of protection: workmanship for the first year, mechanical problems such as plumbing and wiring for the first two years, and structural defects for up to 10 years. Home warranties for existing homes are typically one-year service agreements purchased by sellers. In the event of a covered defect or breakdown, the warranty firm will step in and make the repair or cover its cost. Insurance policies and warranties have limitations and individual programs have different levels of coverage, deductibles and costs.

Homeowner Insurance: This insurance provides coverage to your home against damage caused by fire, theft, and damage from weather related events.  The home policy also extends protection to the homeowner through the liability portion of the home policy. Homeowners policies are required by lenders and often cover a surprising number of items, including jewelry, furniture and home office equipment. You can also place higher valued items such as an engagement ring or collectibles on to the home policy for an additional charge.

Flood Insurance:  This insurance is commonly issued by the federal government to provide as much as $250,000 in coverage for a single-family home. Lloyds of London now has a preferred rate option that can offer a flood policy at a discounted rate for the same amount of coverage. We suggest you check with your mortgage company to see if your mortgage lender accepts the Lloyds of London program, and if your mortgage requires you to hold a flood insurance policy.

Homestead Protection: The Massachusetts Homestead Act is a law under which a homeowner is protected by an Estate of Homestead. A homestead estate provides limited protection of the value of the home, up to $500,000, against unsecured creditor claims. The Homestead Act is Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) Chapter 188. Consult your closing attorney for assistance with filing for your homestead request.

It's important to discuss home warranties prior to signing a purchase and sale of your new home, and if your situation qualifies for any warranties. Your mortgage company will request an insurance binder for the closing, so get quotes on homeowner and flood insurance coverage thirty days prior to closing as your mortgage company will require a binder typically ten to fourteen days prior to closing.  Your insurance agent will be able to help facilitate the homeowner insurance portion with your mortgage broker.

Contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance for more information on homeowner and flood insurance.

Realtor.com

Festival will also feature Chicken & Rice Guys, Iron Furnace!

Scenes and flavors of an All-American summer unfold on Saturday, June 11 (3 p.m. – 8 p.m.) as Greater Boston barbecue landmark Redbones of Davis Square Somerville brings its food truck and mobile beer garden to the historic City of Presidents.

The festival is easily accessible by public transportation, just steps from the Quincy Center T station of the MBTA Red Line and commuter rail, 15 minutes from South Station in Boston.

"We're excited to bring our food to the other end of the Red Line and to be a new part of the great old tradition of Flag Day in Quincy," said Redbones owner Rob Gregory.

Redbones will be joined by The Chicken & Rice Guys food truck. Quincy restaurant Iron Furnace will offer family-friendly American cookout favorites, including its signature Iron Furnace Burger and Chili Dogs. The event is free, with cash for food and drinks.

The Redbones BBQ Flag Day Beer Garden is part of the City of Quincy's 65-year-old annual holiday celebration, which includes the nation's oldest Flag Day parade.

The festival is made possible by the support of Lallis & Higgins Insurance, the region's leading agency helping South Shore residents find affordable home, auto, life and business insurance policies. The Anthem Group, which organizes 4th of July food & hospitality on Boston's Charles River Esplanade and operates Charles River Bistro, assisted with the event.

The Redbones BBQ Flag Day Beer Garden will set up on the Adams-Hancock Green next to Quincy City Hall, 1305 Hancock St., and directly in front of Quincy Center station on the MBTA Red Line. Redbones will serve barbecue classics such as ribs, pulled pork and brisket, plus favorite local and national beers (21+ only with ID).

Quincy restaurant The Townshend, meanwhile, will expand its patio across the street from the beer garden at 1250 Hancock St. for the afternoon, offering craft cocktails, beer and sangria specials and summer bar snacks from chef Bobby Sisson.

The Quincy Flag Day parade, an annual tradition since 1952, begins at 7 p.m. and will pass down Hancock Street directly between the beer garden and Townshend cookout, giving guests two places to enjoy great hospitality before and during the parade.

The parade is followed by the City of Quincy's annual fireworks spectacle at Pageant Field overlooking Black's Creek at the southern end of Wollaston Beach. The fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m.

The beer garden takes place on the site of the future Adams-Hancock Green, currently under construction to expand the park between Quincy City Hall and the Church of the Presidents.

NEARBY HISTORIC LANDMARKS – Visitors can use the opportunity of the Flag Day barbecue festival to explore Quincy's American historic landmarks, all within walking distance. They include the Adams National Historical Park headquarters; the Greek Revival Church of the Presidents where visitors can enter the crypt of Presidents John & John Quincy Adams and First Ladies Abigail & Louisa Catherine Adams; the birthplaces of presidents John and John Quincy Adams; the Adams farmhouse mansion at Peacefield; the presidential Stone Library, which houses George Washington's Farewell Address and other national treasures; the Dorothy Quincy Homestead; the Quincy Historical Society at the Adams Academy, site of the parsonage where famed patriot John Hancock was born; and the Richardsonian Romanesque National Historic Landmark Thomas Crane Public Library.

DETAILS – Redbones BBQ Flag Day Beer Garden with Chicken & Rice Guys and Iron Furnace, Adams-Hancock Green (1305 Hancock St. on GPS), Quincy, Saturday, June 11, 3 p. to 8 p.m. Free with cash for food and drink.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION & PARKING – The Redbones BBQ Flag Day Beer Garden is conveniently located in front of Quincy Center T station, serviced by the MBTA Red Line, three commuter rail lines, and numerous MBTA bus routes. It is suggested that attendees take public transportation to the festival.

Public parking is available across the street in the Presidents Place parking garage, entrance on Saville Avenue, and two blocks away in the Hancock Parking Lot, entrance on Chestnut Street across from Quincy District Court House. There is limited free parking available on local streets in and around Quincy Center.