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W-H honors state champions

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As Division 2 state champions the Whitman Hanson boys’ basketball team was honored on Monday night at the Dennis M. O’Brien field. Their showcase of talents at the TD Garden played out in March when they clinched the victory but fell short when the season was shortened in June due to Covid.

In June when preparations for the  final game were being made  and immediately following the cancelled game against Taconic Coach Bob Rodgers talked with The Express Sports Reporter Nate Rollins.

“One thing I told the kids is to look up at the banners in the gym on that boys’ basketball league championship banner, there’s a co-champion in there,” said Rodgers, who wrapped up his 20th year on the Panthers’ bench. “Nobody knows what year it is. It’s such a great accomplishment for the kids to win our first-ever state championship. It’s not going to say co-champions; it’s going to say state champions. That’s what they are.”

The team was honored in Monday’s short ceremony as parents and their varsity athletes viewed several clips of their season with memories highlighting the final year for seniors playing at Whitman Hanson.

Pete Smith representative of Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association MIAA also presented the team with medals on behalf of the organization.  The champs received personalized jackets and championship rings as well.

Cancellation of the June title game Rodgers addressed the loss of playing time and the many changes experienced since the spring due to the pandemic.

“For the one last moment to be together as a team and I knew that it would be tremendously disappointing but when you think of what the whole world, the kids that play in the spring and families that have lost loved ones (pause) it really pales in comparison,” said Rodgers, who has officially served his 20th season with the Panthers.

During the ceremony he recalled the contributions, and efforts of players calling their team work ‘unselfish play, with everybody contributing’ to the state championships at the Garden.

He acknowledged several families as well as players who had tough roads and challenges; applauding their countless contributions of time, selflessness and volunteer efforts through the four years in the Whitman Hanson basketball and sports programs.

Sue Moss, retired wellness teacher and sports photographer at Whitman Hanson who is lovingly known as “Boss Moss,” was given a jacket and a hearty thank you for all her time and volunteer work she devotes to the sports department and families.

(Express sports correspondent Nathan Rollins contributed to this report.)

Whitman keeps offices appointment-only

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WHITMAN — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Aug. 11 addressed COVID-19 issues centering on Gov. Charlie Baker’s new travel policy and resident complaints about Town Hall access. Selectmen voted unanimously to maintain the current access policy for Town Hall and to support the travel policy.

“Things aren’t really getting any better,” said Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski. “We’ve been lucky in this state because we’ve kept it controlled so far.”

Town Administrator Frank Lynam said he has researched surrounding towns as to how town hall access is being handled. In Whitman, all employees are at work and delivering all requested town services through alternative means. A drop box is available for payment of municipal bills, which can also be paid by USPS or online. Ballots mailed to residents for voting may also be placed in the drop box.

Selectman Justin Evans asked how the state primary election on Sept. 1 — and the week of early voting before that — would be handled.

Lynam said that, just as with the local election in June, residents would be required to enter by one door and exit by another with rope lines directing flow and surfaces continually disinfected.

For the primary, Town Clerk Dawn Varley has recommended that other Town Hall offices be closed both for the primary and the Nov. 3 general election. The board also unanimously voted to support that recommendation.

“If you have something that requires direct communication and contact with a town employee, we are handling those on a schedule basis,” Lynam said. Two meeting areas have been set up in the Town Hall auditorium spaced to permit both privacy and social distancing. Those meetings require an appointment.

“The question now becomes should we open the door and just let people come in at will?” Lynam asked the board.

Everyone currently entering the Town Hall, for either appointments or to work must enter through the handicapped entrance and pause for a temperature scan.

“If we open to the public in an on-demand basis, we’re not going to be able to do that unless we hire somebody to attend to the door,” he said. “The significant majority of surrounding towns are doing exactly what we’re doing.”

The other towns Lynam surveyed have closed senior centers and libraries, are maintaining town services and requiring appointments to enter the town halls.

Of four town halls he found that had open access, two required people to enter through a single door staffed by an attendant.

While Lynam said he would abide by the board’s decision, he advocated waiting at least until school is back in session to see how things progress.

“I would just hate to see us eliminate those limitations and then have an employee contract COVID,” he said. The town of Fairhaven has already seen that happen, according to Lynam.

Selectman Randy LaMattina asked if there were any services not being provided under the current access policy.

Lynam said the passport program (almost all international travel is affected by a ban on U.S. travelers because of the pandemic), and one person complained about what they felt was their inability to get a marriage license. He spoke to the town clerk, who reported that office is working on marriage licenses by appointment Tuesdays from about noon to 7 p.m.

“To my knowledge, we are not preventing anyone from obtaining the services that they would expect from the town of Whitman, other than the Senior Center,” he said.

LaMattina urged that the board continue to err on the side of caution.

“We’ve been pretty lucky as a town,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve had any employees exposed. If we’re not sacrificing services, I wound say status quo.”

Selectman Dan Salvucci agreed the town should maintain current practices until Gov. Baker changes guidelines or announced a vaccine is available.

Travel policy

Baker’s travel policy — pertaining to travel to states where the virus has not yet declined or leveled off — has circulated to all town departments. “Let’s be practical about this,” he said. “We’re in a pandemic —no question on anybody’s part that we’re there — [and] we have to do some responsible things to help control the spread, and one of those is limiting your exposure by not traveling to places where there are problems.”

He asked the board to adopt the policy to help manage the pandemic.

Selectman Brian Bezanson asked whether there were exemptions for town employees or essential workers.

“Unlike the original COVID requirement, this does not exempt public safety personnel. This applies to everyone,” Lynam said.

It also requires that people traveling on vacation certify they are COVID-free or undergo a 14-day quarantine.

Lynam said a problem lies in the time it takes to get test results — sometimes as long as 10 days in the worst-case scenario.

It does not, however, apply to shopping day trips.

“For example, Rhode Island’s on the ‘bad list.’ If you drive across the border to buy a six-pack or whatever, and then come back home, that’s not considered travel,” he said. “This is self-reporting, too. People will have to self-certify that they’ve done what’s necessary to comply with the policy, and that’s a regulation promulgated by the governor’s office.”

Evans said he initially shared Bezanson’s question, but noted the order exempts critical infrastructure employees who come into the state to do work on that infrastructure.

“If we were called in as mutual aid for a Providence fire, they’d be exempt,” Evans said, asking if the town could specifically vote in the test requirement to make it clearer.

Lynam said he tried to avoid writing in anything that further limits compliance with the policy.

“The regulation is specific,” he said. “Whether our policy says it or not, if they’re violating the regulation, then they are in violation. … I’m not sure that it’s necessary to dually define it.”

Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green said she has been doing some research into COVID testing, noting Baker has issued new testing guidelines to make it easier for asymptomatic people to obtain tests. However, one must call a test site to make an appointment. But one location in Brockton disconnects people who press the prompt as neither a Brockton Community Health patient nor symptomatic. Wait times for Community Health patients are long. At other testing facilities, there is a cost that requires a reimbursement process and a wait for about seven days for results.

“It’s difficult for people who have vacation plans either out of state or who have booked or purchased tickets to an event prior to any of this going into effect, and if they don’t go they aren’t refunded any money,” she said. “So they’re not making it very easy.”

Bezanson asked if quarantine periods were on personal time.

“Part of the policy intent is to address the difference between discretion and need,” Lynam said. He and his wife, he said as an example, were planning to go to Vermont next week, but have decided to cancel that trip.

“The issue is the notice for travel requires notification of the employer,” he said. “I think it’s irresponsible for an employee to decide on their own, ‘We’re going to travel somewhere, and if we have to quarantine it’s your problem.’”

He said there has to be some give and take. Sick time would be permitted to be used for quarantine, however, Lynam said, adding that the town has used working from home as an option.

Both Lynam and Evans said they have had to cancel plans for travel to weddings this year.

Greeen said people who still want to go on with vacations can accommodate their travel and event plans.

Hybrid plan combines masks, social distance, at-home learning

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The School Committee on Thursday, Aug. 6 unanimously approved a hybrid reopening plan “for the students who decide to come to school” in Whitman-Hanson.

The first day of school was also pushed back to Tuesday, Sept. 15. The school year has been trimmed to 170 days, with snow days becoming remote learning days.

School officials recommended a hybrid model, because there would not be adequate funding for a fully in-person model under current pandemic requirements.

Social-emotional learning is also more feasible in a hybrid plan than with remote learning alone.

“Parents, if they are not comfortable at any point, can take their students out of school and take our remote learning option,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeffrey Szymaniak said.  “Whatever we put out today, we could pivot — because of an uptick locally, or an uptick in the Commonwealth of the virus.”

While the meeting was held in person at the high school library, a public audience was not possible due to continuing state limitations on crowd size at public gatherings. The public was asked to email any questions to the meeting via joshua.torrey@whrsd.org.

“Our reopening plan is going to take some time,” said Szymaniak, noting there is a backlog on orders for Chromebooks across the country due to delays with U.S. Customs because of some companies’ potential child labor issues.  “The overarching concept is to make sure our schools are safe for both our staff and our students.”

He said the district puts students’ physical and social-emotional health and academic well-being in the forefront.

Szymaniak presented options for remote hybrid and in-person learning options to the committee for consideration.

“Teaching and learning takes precedence over this,” he said. Procedures for the main office and transitioning to passing between classrooms in the hallways must also be developed as well as for eating and drinking water and mask breaks.

Health rooms and areas where students might have to quarantine are also being planed.

“Our classrooms are going to be very different from anything we’ve seen in the 21st Century,” Szymaniak said, noting the library tables set up in rows for the committee in a way replicated what those classrooms would look like. He kept his mask on while speaking to demonstrate what teachers must be doing when speaking in class.

The district is recommending those desks be spaced six feet apart, which permits about 15 desks per room. The state recommends three feet, but W-H school officials were not comfortable that enough space was provided between students by that distance.

Students must also be aided through the trauma of the abrupt loss of a structured learning environment since March. Enrichment programs such as after-school activities, art, music, phys ed, athletics and the like are being reviewed to determine how they can be offered or if they will be possible.

Nurse Lisa Tobin is in contact with the Mass. Department of Public Health almost daily.

Noting social media conversations about why Commissioner of Education Jeffrey C. Riley didn’t just provide a plan for schools to adopt, Szymaniak said Riley wanted superintendents and school committees to have local control over learning environments due to differing levels of COVID across the state.

“We are W-H, and we are going to do what we feel is best for the students of Whitman and Hanson,” Szymaniak said. “We’ve stolen other ideas from other districts, that’s what good teachers do, but we have put together a plan for us.”

Comprehensive plans that were due Monday, Aug. 10 are non-binding.

The four possible models were: a return without restrictions; in-person learning with new safety requirements; a hybrid model or remote learning.

The fully-person model includes new classroom configurations, safety equipment and schedule changes. The state requires all districts to develop a hybrid model in case they are not able to bring all students back to school. Alternating schedules is one possible way to accomplish this. Masks and/or face coverings, physical distancing, more attention to hand hygiene and the creation of a COVID-19 isolation space are required for in-school instruction.

Remote learning is a routine that was done since March, with important changes to how students interact with teachers. Elementary grades would work on student instruction from 8 a.m. to noon; middle school instruction from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and high school students working from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. instruction — with a maximum of seven hours of work, including homework per day. Attendance will be taken, grades will be issued and there will be more accountability than in the spring.

“The feedback we’ve received, especially with some of the older students, the later they could go, the better,” Szymaniak said. “They were more engaged in the afternoon than they were in the morning.”

In a hybrid model, two cohorts of students would be spit into Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday in-person learning with Wednesdays used as a virtual instruction day in which teachers report to buildings to teach via devices. The district will be moving off the Zoom platform to Google Classroom or Google Meet.

“We are physically going to have a challenge transporting kids anyway, but trying to transport two cohorts in a day …” Szymaniak said. The first group would have to start on the bus as 6:05 a.m. and the last bus route would finish at 6:45 p.m. Students would be assigned cohort positions by family.

“We are asked to sort of do the impossible,” Assistant Superintendent George Ferro said. “Everybody we’ve talked to said, ‘This is brand new, this is different, but it can be done.’”

Ferro stressed the remote plan, meanwhile, is geared to a situation where the entire district would be forced to go to a remote plan.

“When your students are not in school on their cohorts, they will be face-to-face, there will be work that’s done, and that’s what’s pivotal about that Wednesday check-in, because you reteach to the students you’ve seen,” Ferro said. “You can pre-teach or you have the ability to work on things like social-emotional learning, you have the ability to work on things like citizenship, you have the ability to work on things kids need that they might miss in the traditional five days.”

Szymaniak said parents, teachers and administrators alike are all dealing with heightened anxiety over the new school year.

Special ed

Special Education Director Lauren Mathieson said, regardless of what plan is approved for all students, DESE is asking districts to prioritize students with the most complex needs — and try to offer up to full-time services for those students.

“While everyone was affected by being on remote [learning], there is definitely a certain population of our students that was disproportionately affected,” she said. “There are students in this district that just cannot learn on a computer screen.”

Whether because they are either still learning English or have a  learning disability, remote learning harbors obstacles for these students.

Preschool and kindergarten level special needs; learning disabled students who send the majority of their day in a sub-separate program; English language learners; and economically disadvantaged students (on a case-by-case basis) or who may be homeless are all included in the prioritized population.

Lack of internet connectivity is a concern about the last group. School officials are also planning to meet with representatives of the YMCA about potential childcare or virtual learning sites to help families who have to work.

Structures for socially distant cafeteria and gym protocols will also be included.

“The concept of movement in a school is going to be a little bit greater as the child gets older, because that is the makeup of a high school schedule,” Ferro said. “Younger grades, it’s a lot of teachers might have to move from class to class, the cohort stays — except for phys ed or the movement to the cafeteria, which is unavoidable.”

At the high school, principal Dr. Christopher Jones is working on a passing schedule to address concerns.

Facilities

Facilities Director Ernest Sandland outlined how the schools are being cleaned and prepared for the school year, no matter which plan is used.

He said that on July 22, DESE provided “roadmap to an adventure we’ve been on since the kids were out of school,” regarding health of facilities.

“We were pretty much working on those early on,” he said. Repair work on windows at Hanson’s Indian Head and Hanson Middle schools was done last October. Air movement in buildings has been a major concern for DESE.

Mask breaks for students also required designation of an area of the Indian Head playground for that. Entrance controls and isolation space in the nurses’ office at schools have also been created.

HVAC systems, however, are the “magilla we’re looking at right now,” according to Sandland. “Right now the important thing is for us to get air ventilation into those [300-plus district] classrooms.”

On Wednesday, Aug. 19 professionals will be brought in to train staff on touch points and what has to be cleaned during the day when students and staff in the building and a hygienist will test cleaning crews on how well they follow the protocols.

After all the cleaning and ventilation work is done, desks in classrooms will be reconfigured according to physical distancing requirements. Storage will have to be found for extraneous items from classrooms.

Health

Head Nurse Lisa Tobin reviewed protocols for students and staff who either become ill with COVID-19 or symptoms of it, including advising that anyone not feeling well stay home.

“The attendance police are not going to get you,” Szymaniak said.

Adjacent, but separate, rooms are being set aside for children experiencing symptoms in school so they have access to the nurse. Both towns’ boards of health have already done a walk through.

As Tobin has been shifted to a district-wide post to deal with the issues of the pandemic, a replacement, part-time nurse will be appointed at the high school to take care of preschool pupils. Two float nurses will be added to cover when another school’s nurse is absent, as well as a CNA for supervision of the medical waiting rooms

“I would rather have more than less at this point, and if we have to pull back in January, we can pull back,” Szymaniak said. “I don’t want to have a nurse’s office uncovered.”

The commissioner’s office has been concerned about what would happen when a school nurse is absent, he said.

Tobin said that, if a teacher sends a student they suspect is showing COVID symptoms to the nurses office, a nurse will be alerted and can meet the student at the door for an assessment to decide if the student will go into the medical waiting room until they are picked up by a parent.

The student will then be required to see a physician, and if tests positive, contact tracing can be done in that cohort of students. If they test negative, the student may return to school after 24 symptom-free hours. If a family opts against having their child tested, the child must stay home for a two-week quarantine.

Szymaniak said that, like the call made to change graduation plans, the plan accounts for family members potentially spreading COVID in their household and unwittingly compromising other students at the school.

Transportation

Bus drivers will wear masks and will provide adequate masks for children who get on the bus without a mask. Szymaniak also wants to put a monitor on elementary buses to monitor physical distancing.

Buses will be wiped down between runs with a complete disinfection at the end of the day.

School Committee discusses safety outlines

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School Committee members debated the merits of opening school doors in September before voting in support of the School District’s hybrid reopening plan.

“Nobody’s going to be happy today,” said Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak. “Some people will be thrilled. Some people will be really upset. Some people will say, ‘Oh, great, that’s what they decided.’”

Some School Committee members initially favored a more cautious approach.

“My main concern is really taking more of a conservative and cautious approach with the hybrid plan itself, really almost slowing down the pace,” said School Committee member Dawn Byers. Even limiting the number of students in the building at one time to half the student population worries her a bit, leading her to wonder if the district could create a “hybrid of a hybrid” by phasing in the district’s plan.

“I think of this as a marathon from September to June, not necessarily ‘We’ve got to do all of this in September,’” she said.

“We can pivot on anything,” Szymaniak said. “I know other districts are talking the same thing as a slower roll-in [but] I am concerned that, if we have a spike by October, and we never get in, we’re not getting in.”

Speaking as the former high school principal, Szymaniak said it is amazing how the building “opens up” each June after the senior class graduates. The hybrid approach would only bring half the student body in at one time.

“[Principal Dr. Christopher] Jones is going to have a structure in place to keep them apart,” Szymaniak said. “I believe it will be safe in this building.”

But Szymaniak said a longer phase-in is an option for the School Committee. He is trying to balance educational progress with student safety and parent schedules.

He also said the smaller class sizes possible with the divided student cohort days may provide some opportunities to improve teaching practices.

Assistant Superintendent George Ferro said the proposal as presented gives teachers time to assess how students will react to the plan.

The plan still could pivot to a regular school program by the second semester if things go well, according to Szymaniak. Ferro added that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will also be looking at metrics of how a community is faring with coronavirus.

WHEA representative Kevin Kavka said that — while the union will work with school leadership on hours, wages and conditions no matter what plan is adopted — there is a great deal of anxiety among teachers.

“The general trend is, ‘We’ll make this work, we want to do what’s best for kids,’” he said about a survey of teachers. “But there’s certainly concerns over safety.”

He said Szymaniak and Ferro’s presentation addressed some of those concerns.

School Committee member Fred Small said that, in speaking with teachers in his family, they stressed to him how important it is for teachers to make a connection with their students.

In other business, Szymaniak presented a policy on mask wearing in which teachers wear masks all the time and students in kindergarten through grade 12 also wear masks.

“The best barrier for this virus is masks,” he said. “If it’s going to make our kids feel safe and our teachers feel safe, I’d like to implement that.”

He said there will be students who can’t wear a mask, but stressed there is a difference between a can’t and a won’t. Students who have documented medical reasons why they can’t wear a mask will be accommodated.

The School Committee also voted to approve an interim general policy on COVID-related issues from the state that permits Szymaniak to make decisions outside of going to a full approval process if COVID issues require it.

W-H’s drive-up graduation

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While it was not the graduation ceremony anyone envisioned, or wanted, WHRHS held a drive-up commencement ceremony, handing out 223 diplomas over three and one half hours Friday, July 31.

One by one, members of the senior class and family members who could fit in a single vehicle drove up to the school’s front entrance. They picked up their diploma from a low table and approached the spirit rock where they posed for individual photos with Principal Dr. Christopher Jones, Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak and School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes. Family members were then asked to join their seniors for group photos. After a brief delay, a school official played a loop of “Pomp and Circumstance” for the event.

Some students tossed their caps in the air for photos after receiving their diplomas; others just accepted their diploma and departed.

“I can’t even imagine what your life has been like,” one mom told Jone’s Administrative Assistant Siobhan Horton as she organized diplomas. “I have so much gratitude.”

“People that came to the drive-up graduation were very, very grateful the School District did that for the graduating seniors,” Hayes said. “It was very well received. People seemed to be very happy to make the best out of a situation that was very difficult.”

In an effort to provide some semblance or normalcy, the Whitman-Hanson Express is printing our usual graduation section this week [see insert], including the text of speeches student speakers planned to deliver, the Class Gift and Ode, Teacher and Staff Member of the Year honors and lists of scholarship recipients.

Horton does much of the work organizing commencement ceremonies each year. She said seniors who have joined the military and already reported for basic training came in earlier this summer to receive their diplomas, as did an exchange student from Brazil.

The School District has not yet planned how diplomas will be awarded to Community Evening School.

“I do not like the idea of a virtual graduation either, but it was the event I could promise as the next best solution given the time frame,” Jones said in his statement. “In short, it provided an option in the event I could not come up with something else. One last thing. Something I have said from the beginning of this current pandemic. Offer grace, time, and patience because we never know the whole story.”

Reaction was not positive when the announcement was made Friday afternoon, to change the event from a socially distant ceremony only hours after a rehearsal. The social media clap back motivated Jones to respond.

“I typically do not respond to personal insults on social media because they are born from emotion, but this is an exception,” Jones stated in an open letter to parents. “This decision was not arbitrary. It was recommended by the Board of Health in both towns. We just cannot responsibly put 1,600 people in an area together given the information we both have and don’t have.”

Not everyone believed it, judging by social media feedback and requests from some seniors for their class dues back.

But several parents were supportive, either on social media or in person Friday afternoon.

“Just came home from our Drive Thru Graduation for our son! How lovely,” effused Julie Bailey of Hanson on Twitter. “So organized and all the faculty were great!! Thank you for everything!! Great job for our grads.”

A School Committee meeting slated for Thursday, July 30 as a placeholder in the event either town meeting rejected the school budget and/or assessment compromise was also cancelled. The School Committee’s next meeting is expected to review reopening plans for the 2020-21 school year.

It’s wonderful that the people overwhelmingly supported the school budget, so that’s a good thing,” Hayes said. “The school reopening, obviously, changes as we move forward. DESE (the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) and the governor’s office, everyone’s involved, so each opening seems to be changing a little bit on the regulations. Obviously, this is a first time for everybody. There’s never been this type of a pandemic before.”

Hanson OKs school budget

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HANSON — Voters approved the amendment to the Regional Agreement governing the assessment formula, to fall into line with the vote taken by Whitman Monday, July 27.

They also approved the Selectmen’s recommended school budget 434-83 and the budget as a whole, based on the Selectmen’s recommended budget of $11,214,177 — at Town Moderator Sean Kealy’s motion — after the assessment article passed.

The vote was checked by a hand count after a resident asserted that visitors may have voted.

The town convened its 200th annual Town Meeting — one of the few bicentennial events not cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic — on Wednesday, July 29. There were 518 residents attending.

The outdoor session was held, like Monday’s Whitman Town Meeting, at the ball fields behind Dennis M. O’Brien stadium.

Kealy led the meeting in a moment of silence to all those lost to COVID-19 as well as a round of applause for the health care workers and first responders who cared for those who contracted the virus.

In another concession to the pandemic, Kealy — instead of individual department heads reading articles they have proposed — read all articles into motion with Selectman Matt Dyer making all seconds. Some of the warrants’ more routine articles were combined into one of two consent motions to streamline the outdoor meeting before mosquitoes became a concern after dusk.

Kealy also appointed Barbara Arena as deputy town moderator to help recognize those wishing to speak in the dispersed gathering.

“We have a balanced budget,” said Selectmen Chairman Kenny Mitchell in announcing that the town’s budget would balance even if the school articles passed. “This wasn’t easy at all. This was a combination of the Board of Selectmen, our financial team, FinCom, department heads, Police, Fire, Highway [departments]. Everyone worked up until last night to get a balanced budget.”

There was $1,296,088 available in free cash; $1,311,186 in stabilization; $161,647 in school stabilization; $820,493 in water surplus; $4,205 in recreation retained earnings; and $15,585 in solid waste retained earnings.

School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes echoed Whitman Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski’s analogy of the “Wizard of Oz” and the need to use heads, heart and courage in deciding the school funding issue.

“Tonight we have some tough decisions to make regarding the W-H Regional School District, public education itself and our greatest assets — our children,” Hayes said, noting that Hanson has the fifth-lowest tax levy in the area and fifth-highest in spending on police and fire and lowest spending in education.

He said he had attended Whitman’s Town Meeting and wondering where Kowalski was going with his reference to the 1939 MGM adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s book, “The Wizard of Oz.”

“It takes courage, ladies and gentlemen to make tough decisions, it takes brains to think things through and do what’s best for schools and taxpayers, and you need to have a heart to realize we are all in the education of children together,” Hayes said. He noted that — just as in Whitman, the Finance Committee was unanimously against the article while Selectmen had voted unanimously to recommend it to voters.

“Some people will say that we probably should have got a better deal,” he said. “This is the only deal that is on the table for both of these towns.”

Hayes said a no vote would mean Hanson could lose $570,917 and would be assessed on the statutory formula. He reminded voters that the district is already on a 1/12 budget and faced a Dec. 1 deadline before the state completely takes over the schools if a budget was not approved. The district would lose more than 40 district positions in the interim as the state made its move.

“Class sizes will get larger and difficult to manage and with COVID-19 uncertainty and the future hanging in the balance, this looks pretty bleak for the school system,” Hayes said.

He noted that the assessment formula was adapted with the Education Reform Act in 1993, but the W-H District, for some reason did not.

“Our students are the leaders of our future,” he said. “Please vote yes on this article.”

An amendment was suggested from the floor to amend the article to change wording to split calculations for the statutory assessment cost and per-pupil cost method down the middle as it has been for years, increasing Hanson’s portion by $575,000 for 2021 and a decrease for Whitman in that amount. It was argued that moving to the statutory method alone would cost Hanson an additional $1,150,000 with a corresponding savings for the town of Whitman.

Hayes said that, if the amendment had been approved, the School District and Committee would have to start over again and Whitman would have to approve any change Hanson would make. Failing that, a super town meeting would be required.

“The problem with 1/12 budget is you can’t plan for what you’re going to do for the rest of the year. You need to have a budget in place” said resident Joseph O’Sullivan, noting the concerns of the MTA on the readiness of schools to open on time because of the pandemic.

“The strength of a school system isn’t the building, it’s the teachers,” he said.

Only 1 percent of 10,000 Massachusetts teachers said their schools are fully prepared to open in September; 41 percent said their schools are somewhat prepared and 58 percent said they are not prepared. The MTA has recommended a 10-week delay in school reopening during which time educators would work to “reimagine” what school will look like with distance learning and meeting later on whether to reopen or use a hybrid.

Resident Elizabeth Welch questioned whether Hanson was footing the bill for Whitman students because of the division of student population. Kealy cut short her remarks as off-topic when she began to criticize the quality of individual teachers.

“This is a difficult issue for the town of Hanson, for sure,” said School Committee member Christopher Howard, noting that after the towns make their minimum contribution, the 60-40 split based on student population kicks in. He said Hanson’s School Committee members fought hard to protect Hanson’s interests, before the Education Reform Act proved insurmountable.

“We discovered that all roads lead to statutory,” Howard said, strongly advising against the amendment and approve the original assessment article. “But this compromise helps the town of Hanson.”

Another resident noted that Hanson pays assessments to SST under the statutory formula as one of the eight member towns.

“We’re a partner with Whitman,” said resident Kim McCoy. “The statutory method is the preferred method for the regional school districts funding their schools, the statutory method has been used for years for other partnerships in this town without uproar or problem.”

Resident Jane Durante, who disagreed with the assessment agreement, asked by the Finance Committee voted against recommending the original article.

Finance Committee Chairman Kevin Sullivan said the article cannot be supported by the operating budget.

Resident Frank Melisi, who asked why — amid the concern for budget dollars — that children were not being mentioned.

“I haven’t heard much about the kids,” he said. “Last year’s school year failed our kids, not as the fault of anyone in this school system, the teachers, School Committee or anything like that. It was for unforeseen circumstances.”

He said students do not deserve a second year of having a wasted school year.

Kealy defended his motion for the Selectmen’s budget, as did Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff.

“Town Meeting is full of tradition, for sure, and Hanson’s tradition is normally to go with Finance Committee recommendations, but that’s not necessarily a legal obligation,” she said. “As a matter of fact, the Board of Selectmen are the ones who prepare the warrant so they, under the law, have control of the warrant.”

Both the $10.4 million Finance Committee column, which did not consider the apportionment passed in Article 5, and the Selectmen’s column of figures balanced.

“If we hadn’t passed Article 5, then I would have moved the Finance Committee’s numbers,” Kealy said.

Comments from the floor objected to it as being improper.

“By all means, I’d be happy to go to Superior Court on my own behalf,” said Kealy, who stressed he does not cast votes at Town Meeting.

There was also some discussion during the special Town Meeting concerning private road improvements as residents asked why such work would be done on private roads.

Highway Director Matt Cahill said the five miles of private gravel roads are required by town bylaw to be improved twice a year in the interest of public access and safety.

Bees offer sweet support for veterans

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HANSON — Finding a purpose and a brand new hobby are just two of the motivations behind an initiative that blossomed three years ago in which veterans are paired with beekeeping mentors.

The goal in producing a local honey is aimed at creating positivity for veterans suffering with Post Traumatic Stress or PTSD.

Brett Miller of Hanson a retired United States Army sergeant, who served as a medic and special operations trainer for search and rescue, has announced he is becoming involved as a mentor with the Hives for Heroes.

Hives for Heroes a national military veteran 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focusing on honey bee conservation, suicide prevention, and a healthy transition from service to civilian life has recently announced the  creation of a mentorship between Veterans and bee keepers as a way to create a new ambition, according to their website.

Miller is also a physical therapist and is owner and founder of 110 Fitness in Rockland. His programs at the 110 Fitness also involve veterans.

Miller has himself struggled with PTSD after serving for eight years in the Army, and received therapy in dealing with the triggers that vary differently for everyone. He knows the statistics on veteran’s suicides and has lost comrades to the disorder once called shell shock or battle fatigue but now is known as a serious illness.

The goal for Hives for Heroes is connecting people.

“By bettering the lives of individuals there is a positive impact on their community and ultimately the world. Through honeybee conservation, there is a common goal for NewBEEs, Mentors, and Volunteers to work toward,” according to the program.

National network

Hives for Heroes, which is linked through the national network of beekeepers and veterans, provides purpose, education, and healthy relationships fostering a lifelong hobby in beekeeping, according to the Hives for Heroes website and their mission statement.

The initiative brings one veteran and one mentor together using the first year as learning and instructional one. By the second and third year, the goal for the veteran is to gain skill to serve in a community of be keeping, eventually going on to teacher other veterans passing on their learned knowledge and becoming a mentor themselves.

Brett and fellow beekeeper Dean Sylvester, also of Hanson, met through the Plymouth County Beekeepers’ Association and have become friends.

Sylvester, a beekeeper for nearly half his life, is full of knowledge and was a presenter at the Beekeeping School in Pembroke through the Beekeepers’ Association when he met Miller.

A hobby helps

In their recent extraction of honey Miller and Sylvester were expected to clear the 11 frames from two hives that are from Miller’s property. Sylvester has 30 hives on his property in Hanson and expects to produce over 800 pounds, which is made easier by the commercial extractor he uses. It clears 20 frames at once.

Miller has been a beekeeper for four years and is still learning with Sylvester being a mentor as well as a friend.

PTSD affects the mind and body and is brought on by witnessing or being involved in a traumatic event. The disorder ranges in responses and extreme reactions both physically and mentally to events that “trigger” a reminder of the occurrence. Sleep disturbances, anxiety, hypervigilance, avoiding everyday tasks are just a small number of the symptoms  of PTSD which left untreated  can excel into additional psychological downward spiral in mental and social functioning and even result in suicide.

Veterans who suffer from PTSD are more at risk for drug and alcohol abuse and suicide, according to statistics. It can become a vicious cycle seeking help when the triggers can be so varied and produce such an over exaggerated response in the brain and body.

For more information on becoming a mentor with Hives for Heroes and their country wide program visit hivesforheroes.com.

For more information on  110 Fitness and their disabled veteran’s services as well as other physical fitness programs visit 110fitness.org.

BBB offers parents tips for hiring virtual learning tutors

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As parents navigate returning to school, and with some being informed that school will start with virtual learning due to COVID-19, many are turning to tutors to help keep kids motivated and learning. Hiring a tutor for your child is a great way to help them with a subject in which they struggle, ensure that they’re staying on top of their curriculum, or prepare them for an assessment.

When looking for a tutor, however, it can be difficult to know where to start. There are many different options out there: from frequency and subject matter to types of tutoring businesses. The following Better Business Bureau tips will help you find the best tutor for your child:

Know your options. There are many types of tutoring services: in-home one-on-one sessions, small group lessons, online instruction, and tutoring centers. You also have to choose between hiring an individual freelance tutor, and going through a tutoring company that will match you to a tutor.

Ask for referrals. Asking friends and family if they have any recommendations is a great place to start. You can also ask your child’s favorite teacher, or other school employees for referrals. Make sure the tutor is knowledgeable in the specific area your child needs help in and has experience working with students your child’s age.

Check references. You should ask the individual tutor or tutoring service for references, and contact them. It’s best to speak to at least three references. Ask about their experience with the tutor and what sort of results they saw. When you’re interviewing potential tutors, make sure they understand what you’re looking for. Some tutors are better at homework help, some are better at long-term lessons, and some are better at quick test preparation.     

Discuss the details. Make sure to talk about availability . Having a consistent schedule is best, but you may need to add additional sessions if a big test is coming up. It’s important to discuss pricing before hiring a tutor. Price will depend on the level of experience of the tutor, frequency and type of sessions, and whether or not you’re going through a center. It’s also a good idea to talk to the tutor about benchmarks of success beforehand.     

Include your child. Throughout the process, ask your child how they think the sessions are improving their school work. Find a qualified tutor near you in the BBB directory. Private tutors and tutoring companies promise to boost children’s competence, but BBB says to do your research before hiring.

Kowalski makes appeal for brains, heart, courage

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WHITMAN — Before the business got under way at Whitman’s annual Town Meeting Monday, July 27, Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski likened the task at hand to the lesson of the classic film “The Wizard of Oz.”

The meeting, held outdoors at the JV ball fields at WHRHS due to coronavirus concerns, required the 165 attendees to wear masks and maintain proper social distance.

“It’s a difficult time in this country and in this town and in this state, and it feels like I ought to be introducing a band and this would be a summer concert,” Kowalski said of the unusual setting for the meeting.

He acknowledged that it took courage and commitment for residents to even attend the Town Meeting this year, given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the heat emergency conditions of the evening.

Kowalski also said the far-reaching choices to make regarding the regional school district also took the commitment of those attending.

“I have every faith that we’ll weather those storms, as we usually do, and follow the values that were so clearly described in our citizens’ survey last year,” Kowalski said.

He alluded to a statement Finance Committee member Rosemary Connolly made at last week’s meeting regarding following her head and her heart in making budgetary decisions.

“It brought to mind something that has meant a lot to me for over 20 years,” Kowalski said, recalling a reading he came across about managing change, while he was on a sabbatical in Austin, Texas.

“All life has to do with how we manage change, and the key to doing so can be found in “The Wizard of Oz.”

Kowalski recalled his aunt taking him to see the movie when he was 10 years old. He noted how the film’s black and white opening underwent change with a terrible storm into a Technicolor world where she met strange people, including the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.

“They all had qualities they were missing that they needed to find,” Kowalski said. “They didn’t think they had it inside themselves [to find those qualities]. They thought that a Wizard could give it to them.”

The film famously exposed the Wizard as a fraud hiding behind a curtain.

“They found out that they had these qualities in themselves,” Kowalski said. “We do, too. Whatever we accomplish tonight, will undoubtedly mean changes in the lives of Whitman citizens, particularly its younger ones.”

He said the meeting would talk it over, but he was convinced the Town Meeting would support the school budget request.

“We have the brains, we have the heart and we have the courage within each of us to do so,” he said. “So let’s tonight, use our heads, follow our hearts and act with courage.”

Kowalski also led the meeting in a round of applause for Town Administrator Frank Lynam, who is planning his retirement, on what may be his final Town Meeting in that office.

Settling into home

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HANSON — After spending their first year in a fully functional, handicapped accessible dwelling Army veteran Paul Skarinka and his family are settling into their forever home.

This week the Jared Allen Home for Wounded Worriors foundation (JAH4WW)  caught up with the Skarinkas  via a Zoom conference video call from their State Street home in Hanson.

Paul Skarinka, who was a corporal in the Army when he was wounded serving in Iraq, is a Plympton firefighter/paramedic and both a former resident and a call firefighter for the town of Whitman.

Along with his wife Jenn, and daughter, Lilliana, son Noah did not attend the Zoom reunion, the Skarinka described the family’s “new normal.”

The session also featured a short slide presentation showing behind the scenes views of the building and details of the home coming together as well as how the family takes pleasure in their new space.

Joining in the Zoom reunion  were JAH4WW Director and Founder  Jared Allen, a retired Minnesota Vikings defensive end, Alex Karalexis Executive Director for Jared Allen Homes 4 Wounded Warriors,  a former UFC fighter and native of Hanson, and Amanda Rahtz Director of Communications and Event Planning.

In comparison to their old home, Skarinka said he freely moves around in his wheelchair to whichever room he needs, at anytime, the one level, open living space has no raised doorways and “no speed limit,” he joked.

“There may be the occasional ding in the walls,” he said.

He recalled the family’s old home where two sets of stairs were not only physically dangerous and painful for him to climb, they depleted his ability to stay involved in everyday activities with his young children.  Wife Jenn, who also has a full-time career said the days Paul was home were often spent sliding up and down the steps to collect necessities  on the lower level of the old house — such as laundry and things for the children to bring to the upper level of the split-level home.

Now, if he wants to take off his prosthetic leg, which weighs approximately 15 pounds, he is able to use his wheelchair inside; meaning less pain and more autonomy.  He described a corner of the garage is his “man-town” and wife Jenn has her four-season sitting room, showing that breathing space is bountiful at the Skarinka’s.

In photos shared by the family, the children were seen celebrating Christmas, and Lilliana enjoying the beautiful modern cooking area making a dessert in an accessible kitchen. They are adjusted and enjoying the new house as well as using the full backyard to play in.

The family applied for consideration of the custom home through the  JAH4WW organization although they despite the tragedy and struggles which Skarinka deals with daily the family remained humble about the consideration for the new house.   

In September 2004, Skarinka was seriously wounded in a grenade blast in Baghdad, which left him suffering from numerous life-altering conditions, including the amputation of his leg. He continues to receive medical treatments and has had countless surgeries.

The JAH4WW foundation was formed in October 2009 after Allen returned home from his USO trip to U.S Military Bases in the Middle East. He was moved by the commitment, dedication, and sacrifices that our soldiers make every day to protect our freedom. He wanted to say thank-you to every soldier in the only way that he knows how.

“By embracing the conflict and making a positive life-changing difference in the lives of those who need it most, our mission is to raise money to build and remodel handicap accessible homes to suit the individual needs of our injured United States military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan,” Allen said. He and his JAH4WW will help make life for wounded vets just a little bit easier.

For further information on becoming involved or donating to the upcoming ventures see the JAH4WW website and all of their current projects (homesforwoundedwarriors.com).