Due to the impending winter storm, the Whitman-Hanson Express has moved this week’s print date to Thursday. Conditions permitting, subscriptions should received on Friday, January 29, 2015.

 

Please check the Whitman or Hanson town hall web sites for information about snow removal and other items. If you experience an emergency during the rough weather, please call 911.

 

More information about the storm, including travel bans, can be found on the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s web site. The Massachusetts State Police’s web site also has safety tips that you can refer to.

 

 

WHITMAN — Police are investigating the vandalism of more than five dozen gravestones at Colebrook Cemetery. At 11:06 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 4, a citizen reported to the Whitman Police Department that gravestones had been knocked over at the cemetery located at 45 Essex St. A cruiser was dispatched to the
cemetery and the officer who responded requested that the Plymouth County Sheriff’s BCI Unit be called to respond to the scene for photographs of the damaged and knocked over gravestones. There were no fingerprints on the gravestones due to the inclement weather last night.

A total of 67 gravestones were knocked over and damaged. One of the gravestones knocked over was the family gravestone of First Lt. John R. Fox who was with the 366th Infantry regiment’s 598th Field Artillery Battalion during WWII. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1982 and the Medal of Honor in 1997. Lt. Fox’s grave marker is set flush to the ground and therefore it was not damaged.

This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Whitman Police Department at 781-447-1212.

WHITMAN — Three people face charges after an early-morning house-break on Beulah Street Tuesday.

Police were called at about 2:37 a.m., on Tuesday, Dec. 30, from a resident on Beulah Street reporting hearing a window smash and then, while looking out the window, observed two men putting items into the trunk of a vehicle.

Cruisers arrived in the area and called for mutual aid. Hanson and East Bridgewater police departments responded as well as the Plymouth County Sheriff’s BCI and K-9 Units.

All responding officers working together immediately set up a perimeter and began a search for the suspects. All three suspects were captured and placed under arrest in less than one hour.

The two males allegedly broke into a garage on West Street and then returned to the vehicle being driven by a female suspect to place the stolen items in the back seat and trunk. The female acted as a lookout/getaway driver for the two males, according to police. She had two two-way portable walkie-talkie radios in the front seat by her side.  

The vehicle was recovered and towed to the police station to be inventoried.  Stolen property that was recovered is estimated to be worth in excess of $3,000.

In addition to the recovered property, $4,669 in cash was seized from one of the male suspects identified as Christopher S. Jansky, 38, from Chatham West Drive, Brockton.  Jansky was charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, conspiracy, breaking and entering a building in the nighttime for a felony, larceny over $250 and three outstanding warrants in Brockton and Quincy District courts.

The other male suspect arrested was identified as Kevin Kailher, 46, from Chatham West Drive, Brockton. Kailher was charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, conspiracy, breaking and entering a building in the nighttime for a felony, larceny over $250.

The female suspect arrested was identified as Suzanne M. Sommer, 34 years old, from Chatham West Drive, Brockton.  Sommer was charged with conspiracy, breaking and entering a building in the nighttime, larceny over $250, receiving stolen property over $250 and one outstanding warrant in Brockton District Court.

All three suspects were transported to Brockton District Court to be arraigned on the charges.  This is an active investigation and anyone who has any information is asked to contact Detective Mark Poirier at 781-447-9673.

Whitman Police Chief Scott Benton issued an update via Twitter and Facebook Friday morning in regard to the department’s request for help identifying the male subject who entered the Holy Ghost Church and Cardinal Spellman Center on Tuesday evening with a baseball bat.

“The Whitman Police arrested the suspect at approximately 9:45 a.m.,” Benton wrote. “The suspect is identified as Michael P. Thomann, 50 years old, living on Washington Street in Whitman. A news reporter from NECN who was doing a live shot in front of the Holy Ghost Church called our department to say that a man fitting the description just came out of the church. Cruisers responded and were able to intercept the male party while was walking down the sidewalk and placed him under arrest.”

Thomann was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious damage to a motor vehicle and disorderly conduct. He was transported to Brockton District Court where he was to be arraigned on the charges.

“I want to thank the news media as well as all those who shared our post to help us identify the suspect,” Benton said.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014 at 8:01 p.m. the Whitman Police Department received an E911 call reporting that an older male party wearing a long coat carrying a baseball bat walked into the Cardinal Spellman Center where several children were attending CCD classes. This male party had earlier entered the Holy Ghost Church. While in the Cardinal Spellman Center the male party was confronted by one of the teachers and asked if he needed assistance. He entered the gymnasium where there were approximately 20 children between the ages 10-13 years old. He then uttered some profanities and then exited the building.

In the parking lot outside of the building the male party smashed the windshield of a vehicle and then left the area in a dark-colored sedan with a moon roof.

Officers stayed on the scene until all of the children were picked up by their parents. The male suspect is described as follows: a white male in his 40’s or 50’s, salt and pepper hair, approximately 6’2”, balding, and rectangular framed glasses.

Images were recovered from surveillance cameras inside the Holy Ghost Church and the Cardinal Spellman Center. Whitman Police Chief Scott Benton is asking that anyone with any information concerning this suspect call the Whitman Police Department at 781-447-1212 and ask for Detective Mark Poirier.

By  Tracy F. Seelye, Express editor
editor@whitmanhansonexpress.com

HANSON — The historic Nathaniel Thomas Mill on Liberty Street has a “starring role” in an upcoming short horror film titled “Blood Martini.”

Filmed on location Saturday, Sept. 6, the film’s climatic scene uses the mill as the dramatic setting to examine the what-if scenario of a man’s present-day encounter with a mysterious woman from the past who was wrongly accused during the Salem witch trials.

Weymouth filmmaker Bill Jacques and Abington author Kristen Good based the script on her short story, “The Re-Acquaintence,” first published 20 years ago in horror magazine, Midnight Zoo.

With filming complete and editing expected to be finished by Oct. 11,  Jacques is planning to enter the work several short film festivals, including the Providence Film Festival in Rhode Island, the Taos (N.M.) Short Film Festival, Screamfest and the Los Angeles Show Your Shorts film fest.

“We wanted to keep it under 20 minutes,” he said of the film. “If it gets longer, it’s harder to enter in short film festivals. We will also do a movie release party for the public and investors at a local venue.”

Jacques has acted, written, directed, cast, contributed to or done production work on more than 60 films in the past eight years.

“We wanted to delve into the possibility of what might happen if a beautiful, mysterious woman from the past — who was wrongly accused of being a witch in Salem — was able to come back to the present to seek revenge on the man who was responsible for her death hundreds of years ago,” Good said of the project’s genesis. “The story touches on reincarnaton, the occult and revenge.”

Actors Cate Carson of Boston and Harry Aspinwall of Cambridge were cast as the protagonists, which left the question of location. That’s when Jacques contacted Good.

“Bill has always been a fan of my photos,” Good recalls. “He says he likes my ‘eye for the creepy,’ [and] when it came down to shooting the final scene for the film, the only thing that was holding them up was where to shoot it.”

After a few weeks of scouting possible locations including Middleboro and Bridgewater, Good — who is known for her research on and photos of the Bridgewater Triangle — had an idea. She grew up in Hanson, so the Nathaniel Thomas Mill came to mind and, once there it inspired the filming of additional scenes at the location.

“I knew it would be exactly what Bill was looking for,” Good said. “We used the woods behind the mill as an afterthought on the day of filming. [They] had that spooky, mysterious look we were looking for that almost called out to us — so we went with it.”

Salute for native son

WHITMAN — The town will honor Army Paratrooper Maj. Michael J. Donahue, a Whitman native who was killed on Sept. 16 by a suicide bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan during his third deployment.

Selectmen on Tuesday, Sept. 30, voted to hold a memorial ceremony to honor Donahue, a graduate of the Whitman-Hanson class of 1990.

Donahue, 41, was with an 82nd Airborne unit out of Fort Bragg, N.C. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday.

The town ceremony will be held on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 4 p.m. in Whitman Park, near the pond and All-Wars Memorial.

Town Administrator Frank Lynam said he met with state Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, on Tuesday about organizing a ceremony.

Lynam said Peter Brown, a classmate of Donahue, has offered to help coordinate the event, as has Aaron Richardson, commander of the VFW, and Christie Coombs, whose husband Jeffrey Coombs died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

“We as a community would like to honor him,” Lynam said. “All of the pieces are coming together.”

Selectmen Tuesday also voted to invite the state’s constitutional officers as well as Whitman’s state and federal legislative delegations to the cermony.

Whitman police, fire and other departments will also support the program, including  honor guards.

Lynam said the memorial could draw 100 people or several hundred people, and is an appropriate way to honor Donahue.

“He’s been away from Whitman for a long time, but he’s a native son,” he said.

End of Winterfest

Richard Rosen, chairman of the Winterfest Committee, on Tuesday told selectmen that the committee has voted unanimously to end Winterfest after two decades.

“Mr. Chairman, times have changed. Things have changed. All good things must come to an end,” he said.

Rosen said the Whitman Winterfest celebration started as a one-day event 20 years ago, usually held around the first weekend in December.

The Winterfest Committee worked on a yearlong campaign in connection with Whitman’s 125th anniversary, with the largest parade, held carnivals for 15 years, raised funds for a $125,000 playground in the Whitman Town Park, and held the first-ever Whitman First Night this past New Year’s Eve.

Selectman Daniel Salvucci praised Rosen and the committee and said they made Whitman a better place.

Selectman Brian Bezanson said he thought Winterfest would expand and he was bummed out to hear it is ending.

“It caught me by surprise. I didn’t expect it,” he said.

Selectman Lisa Green commended Rosen’s and the committee’s dedication and said she is sorry to see Winterfest go.

Selectmen Tuesday voted to approve a request by Rosen to hold another Whitman First Night ceremony, to be held this New Year’s Eve.

Chest compressor 

Selectmen voted to sign off on an application for a $499,000 Community Innovation Challenge grant application to purchase 37 Lucas chest compression machines to be spread across 18 Plymouth County fire departments, including Whitman.

Fire Chief Timothy Grenno, who requested the measure, said the $4-million grant program is administered through the governor’s office and is for innovative projects that combine services or purchases of capital equipment.

Grenno said he spoke with his brother fire chiefs and they looked to a group purchase for equipment to help patients who are suffering from a cardiac arrest.

The Lucas chest compression machine straps around the chest of a patient, and compresses at the proper rate and depth, he said.

“It’s proven. It’s tested,” he said. “It increases, up to 88 percent, the chance of survival for patients who suffer from pre-hospital cardiac arrest.”

Security fence 

Selectmen approved a building alteration requested by Police Chief Scott Benton to insert black or privacy slats into a 440-foot fence around the police station, to prevent people outside from viewing the parking lot. Part of the fence damaged during snow plowing will also be repaired. The low bid for the project was $4,000.

Benton said a police supervisor brought the idea up during a monthly command staff meeting, noting that a number of police officers were concerned about the security of the parking lot.

“If it’s serious enough for them to come to me, I’m going to pitch it,” he said. “A safe work environment for the men and women over there is what they want.”

The chief said a lot goes on in the area, with prisoners being brought in, and lots of sport teams and people coming in and going out.

Benton said people tease officers about a police car that was in a crash that is parked in the lot.

He said the department gets undercover vehicles from the district attorney’s office that are parked there.

“Bad guys do surveillance, just like the good guys do,” he said.

Benton said the town had a bank robbery. The suspect or suspects knew the police and personal vehicles and shifts of Abington and Whitman officers, he said.

He also mentioned that the  ambush of two Pennsylvania state troopers, took place after an assailant — still being sought — watched for two months and figured out the troopers’ schedules.

Salvucci said he stopped at a number of police stations during a recent trip with his wife to the Cape Cod Canal, and he could not see into the parking lots of at least six police stations along the way.

“When we had that station built, I don’t know why we didn’t think of that,” he said.

Lynam said community policing was the focus when the police station was built in 2008 and 2009.

However, community policing has changed since then, he said, although Whitman police continue to engage and interact with the community, walk around, and in good weather bike around the community.

There is a different group of people out there now, and in this electronic age, it is not hard to figure out who is in the vehicles, Lynam said.

“I thought, ‘are we trying to wall out people and build a fortress?’ But it makes sense,” he said.

 

The girls’ soccer team survived a tough week playing to draws against both Scituate and Weymouth before wrapping up the week with a thrilling 3-1 come from behind win at Plymouth North.

After a scoreless first half, Plymouth North took a 1-0 lead 5 mins in to the second half. Alexis Fruzzetti tied the score when she took a Katie Korzec pass and floated a shot over the keeper. Later Fruzzetti sent freshman Eve Montgomery towards the goal which she placed in the corner and gave Whitman Hanson a 2-1 lead.

With two minutes remaining junior Rachel Kelley took a Fruzzetti pass and fired a low shot into the corner for the final 3-1 score. Elana Wood, Kelsey Gilbert, Jill Shangold and Katherine O’Kane all played strong defense in front of keeper Arianna Comendul who made 9 saves in goal. Taylor Kofton played a strong game in the middle of the field.

The Lady Panthers started off a new week by defeating Quincy 4-1 Monday, Sept. 30.

Casey Corr, Elana Wood, Taylor Robertson and Lauren Bonavita all recorded single tallies. Katie Korzec, Katherine O’kane, Taylor Kofton and Kelsey Gilbert all had strong games. Arianna Comendul recorded 3 saves in the Whitman Hanson net.

 

The ‘Waugh-riors’ fight back

WHITMAN — Her husband always had a poised personality. He was a devoted father, a happy, caring individual, amused by life and family, but she eventually noticed something was ever so slightly altered about his normally laid-back demeanor. His primary care doctor referred him to a neurologist after he also observed fluctuations and a change in physical movement.

 Bruce Waugh lived nearly a decade with Parkinson’s disease after his diagnosis in 2005. He kept active and kept moving — key components to longevity in delaying the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

His wife Priscilla observed the one-year anniversary of her husband’s passing in August. It was a time of celebration and memories with family but also a time of healing. She has missed him greatly this past year, she said.

The “Waugh-riors” will also be moving for Parkinson’s disease and in honor of Bruce next weekend as a group of 21 strong. Moving Day-Boston will be held on Saturday, October 11th, 2014 at Artesani Park, 1255 Soldiers Field Road, Boston.

With 50 teams registered for the event, there will be numerous activities to inspire moving the body (known to extend the lives of those afflicted with Parkinson’s). Physical activity is key to keeping the muscles strong and delaying deterioration, according to the official Parkinson’s disease website.

They had a life full of love, laughter and adventure Priscilla recalled about the first time they drove down Washington Street in Whitman in 1968.

“I remember him saying ‘I’m home,’” she said.

Indeed, they were home. They planted their roots and celebrated 53 years of marriage in Whitman where they raised three children and welcomed grandchildren as the years went by.

He spent 28 years working at Pneumatic Scale of North Quincy and eventually as the recession brought change in 1982 he found permanent employment as the full-time assessor for the town of Whitman.

He held the position from 1982 through his retirement in 2002. Waugh also volunteered over the years on various boards before becoming an elected member of the Board of Assessors.

Priscilla realized that her husband’s physical therapy sessions were keeping him strong. They fought the disease together through sickness and health. Physical therapy sessions included strength exercises for the arms and legs, tossing and catching a ball for eye hand coordination and other various movements for day to day living.

Waugh also had a heart attack, which affected the progression of his Parkinson’s disease.

As the sole care giver of a loved one with Parkinson’s there are many aspects of adjustment.

Daily challenges

Personal care, healthy, proper eating and day-to-day changes that occur with the progression of the disease are challenges a caregiver undertakes. When some days are more challenging Waugh gives this advice to other caregivers.

“You are as strong as you need to be at the moment,” she said. “A new day arrives and it’s fine. You, in some ways, put your life on hold and you do it lovingly. But like myself, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.

One of their sons, David Waugh, who now resides in Florida will be taking part in the Miami “Moving Day,” event Oct. 5. He is the IT manager for the National Parkinson’s Foundation located in Miami. He is also among the travelers who will attend the Keep Moving-Boston event on Oct. 11.

“In the United States, 50,000-60,000 new cases of PD are diagnosed each year, adding to the one million people who currently have PD. The Center for Disease control rated complications from Parkinson’s disease as the 14th leading cause of death in the United States. Worldwide, it is estimated that four to six million people suffer from the condition,” according to the Parkinson’s disease nationwide website.

For more information on the disease, visit Parkinson.org.

Moving Day is the National Parkinson Foundation’s annual fundraising walk/run event. It is a fun and inspiring fundraising event that unites families, friends and communities both large and small in the fight against Parkinson’s disease. This celebration of movement will feature a family friendly walk course, a kids area, a caregivers relaxation tent and a special Movement Pavilion featuring yoga, dance, Tai Chi, Pilates, etc. all proven to help manage the symptoms of PD.

To sponsor Waugh in her efforts to raise money for the foundation visit her direct link   http://www3.parkinson.org/goto/pwaugh  http://www3.parkinson.org/goto/waughrriors

A boost in free cash

HANSON — When voters meet in special Town Meeting Monday, there will be more free cash than previously forecast available to fund some of the 42 articles on the published warrant.

Available free cash amounts to $1,446,878 — for this year, anyway.

One of the articles where that free cash spike will help concerns roof replacement costs for the slate roof section at Indian Head Elementary School. The town will now seek a vote at special Town Meeting that $170,000 come from free cash and the remaining $680,000 be funded by a one-year capital exclusion to Propostion 2 1/2.

Town Administrator Ron San Angelo announced during the Tuesday, Sept. 30 Selectmen’s meeting that free cash numbers are “significantly higher as a result of  a lot of hard work from varous department heads.”

Town Moderator Sean Kealy suggested San Angelo produce a flyer outlining the free cash situation for voters at the Special Town Meeting, which convenes at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 6 at Hanson Middle School Auditorium. San Angelo said he plans to make a presentation about the free cash situation at the start of the meeting.

The town usually enters October’s special Town Meeting with between $600,000 to $800,000 available in the free cash line.

San Angelo said the higher free cash amount is not due to taxes being increased too much, but rather to stepped up efforts to collect back taxes owed to the town.

“One of the main reasons … is the great deal of work done between my office, the treasurer-collector’s office and all the land use and health departments collecting back taxes,” he said. “I wish we had this every year [to work with], but this is sort of a nice, one-year bonus for us. … A lot of it was from one large development a lot of people worked hard on.”

About $398,000 was from back tax collections and another $104,00 was from interest on the back taxes. A rise in the number of inspection permits has also helped as have savings on insurance.

San Angelo also credited Assessor Lee Gamache with her work on a new method of doing supplemental taxes over the past few years. As a new development project, such as condominiums, is constructed the assessed value increases with progress on the project, he explained. The result of that work has been an additional $86,000 in free cash.

“That’s taxable revenue on that improvement,” San Angelo said. “Our assessor has been working hard to collect those supplemental revenues to make sure we get that growth as it occurs.”

When the school roof articles are reached at Town Meeting, an article to repair the slate roof at Indian Head School will be passed over in favor of one to replace it on the recommendation of the Schools Repair Priority Committee. Selectman  Bruce Young, who chairs that committee said the move will be fully explained to voters at the special Town Meeting.

The $170,000 from free cash, if approved, would permit the roof project to begin before any ballot vote on a capital exclusion takes place — most likely on the design phase and formulation of bid documents.

A vote at Town Meeting to send a capital exclusion to the ballot requires a simple majority because it is not a debt exclusion funded by town borrowing, which would need a two-thirds vote. Debt exclusions funded via borrowing by the regional school district, as would have been the case for a new school, also requires a simple majority at  Town Meeting.

Resident Joseph O’Sullivan asked if any funding for the roof prooject from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in involved. Repair Committee members present stressed that MSBA’s accellerated repair funds would be available if the problem was limited to the roof. Any other problems in need of repair disqualifies a school from consideration.

In other business, Selectmen again continued a public hearing on a gravel removal permit sought by the Great Cedar  Cattle Feeders Inc., of Halifax at bogs they own at Richardson Street and Pierce Avenue until an Oct. 21 meeting. The continuance is aimed at providing time for the farm and bog abutters to work out conditions under which the operation would be acceptable to both sides.