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Cannabis grow public meetings continue

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By Drew Sullivan
Express intern

HANSON — A small turnout for Impressed LLC’s latest public outreach meeting took place on Thursday, Aug. 8 at the Hanson Senior Center, as they continue their process toward opening a cannabis grow facility in town.

Local supporter Amanda Rubins was the lone person in attendance, as she talked about the possible benefits of CBD, the non-psychoactive chemical in the marijuana plant.

Co-owners and father-daughter team Ralph and Alli Greenberg talked about their positive impact plan, and the importance of community in their process.

“I think corporate social responsibility is instilled in us,” said Alli. “We founded a family nonprofit and I couldn’t think of being in this position and not trying to do more.

“We even hired someone to come up with our positive impact plan to then see what we could do beyond it.” said Ms. Greenberg

Alli then went into further detail about their nonprofit, Key for Hope.

“If we could find two local food pantries, we’ll do an annual donation, and I’d like to match that via our nonprofit as well.”

The donations would be an expression of community support, according to the Greenbergs.

“The end goal is to eliminate food insecurity,” said Ralph. “By utilizing the metal from spare keys, that can be turned into money to buy food.

“It’s not just the sheer economic value,” said Mr. Greenberg, “but a community program that provides awareness.”

Hanson resident Amanda Rubins appeared pleased with the steps that Impressed LLC has taken thus far.

“I’m a non-consumer, but I think all of their outreach and all they’ll do for Hanson will be great,” she said. “I’m glad they’re here doing great things for us.”

As for the hopeful company’s next steps, the Greenbergs have a plan.

“We still have to get through the licensing process,” said Alli, “then marketing and building our team will be our next big component. We’re hoping to be in business by spring of 2020.”

Wampanoag history kicks off Hanson 200th

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By Drew Sullivan
Express intern

HANSON — Dozens came together on Thursday, July 25 for a barbecue dinner commemorating the opening of a new Wampanoag exhibit at the Nathaniel Thomas Mill.

Camp Kiwanee in Hanson played host to the event, with close to 75 people attending. The dinner featured raffles and a silent auction to benefit Hanson’s 200th Anniversary Committee, in addition to a speech by native Wampanoag member and activist Paula Peters.

Residents and supporters dined on cheeseburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and barbecued chicken, courtesy of local catering company Fork In The Road of Bryantville, while music played throughout the lodge.

During the dinner, Peters sat down for an interview and talked at length about her tribe, its history, and its significance to Massachusetts itself.

“I see a lot of signs around here like Indian Head, roads named Indian road or that sort of thing,” said Peters. “I think that’s obviously from that rich [native] history.”

However, in 1616, a “virgin soil epidemic” as Peters refers to it as, commonly known as The Great Dying, swept through the area for three years. This ultimately decimated up to 90 percent of the indigenous population along the coastal and nearby inland regions.

Peters also spoke of the erasure and sanitization of her people’s history, along with many others in indigenous communities throughout the region and country.

“Our history has been largely marginalized and I think what people do know is out of balance from what actually occurred,” she said.

The ignorance and lack of knowledge surrounding native histories is less so in Massachusetts, according to Peters.

“I think it’s a little less here because we’re down the street from America’s hometown,” she said. “But I’ve traveled across the country and around the world since becoming involved, and there is this overall ignorance to it once you step outside the region.”

Legacy

The lasting impact of the Wampanoag people is still very much felt today, on both a local and national level.

“The spirituality of indigenous people, even our governing structure, was something that eventually became mirrored by the founding fathers of this country,” Peters said indicating it flies in the face of the notion that native Americans were savage or barbaric peoples.

This theme of governance will be on display at Hanson’s new Wampanoag exhibit, called “Our” Story.

The name “Our Story” is due to the fact that the Wampanoag people had complete creative and editorial control over the exhibit. This is especially important given the somewhat checkered history that the Wampanoag tribe has had with local government, which Peters explained.

“Back in 1970, during Plymouth’s 350th anniversary, a Wampanoag man named Frank James was invited to speak at the ceremony,” she noted. “However, they looked over his speech and said ‘Oh, no, we don’t want you to say any of this stuff.’ This was because they talked about the Great Dying, kidnapping of native people and the injustices that were suffered. Rather than edit his remarks, he took his speech to Cole’s Hill in Plymouth. That day is now celebrated throughout the country as the National Day of Mourning.”

As dessert was being served, consisting of cake, pie, chocolate, and various fruits, Paula Peters took the stage.

She is a well-known leader in the Wampanoag community and former journalist for the Cape Cod Times. Her father Russell “Fast Turtle” Peters fought for the tribe’s federal recognition up until his death in 2003. The tribe’s federal recognition was gained in 2007.

During her speech, Peters asked the crowd about the history of famous Native American Squanto, and how much they knew about him. The room fell silent.

That, combined, with the number of questions she answered from the audience at the end spoke volumes about the educational importance of the event.

“The Wampanoag have been in this region for 13,000 years, so we feel a very strong affinity to this land. I felt a very strong affinity coming into Hanson today, it’s a beautiful place that I hadn’t ever seen before and is kind of preserved,” said Peters, adding jokingly “it’s a good thing nobody knows you’re here” as the audience responded with laughter.

As Peters was concluding her speech, she touched on some of the modern problems faced by native peoples including her own. Cultural appropriation is an issue, said Peters, referencing the NFL team the Washington Redskins. “Redskin” is widely considered a racial slur by many indigenous people, which made Peters ask, would a name like “Washington Jews” also be acceptable?

Some of her larger and more tangible concerns included securing and reclaiming all of her tribe’s land, recovering the native language, and the continued fight for greater federal recognition. “I’ve got all these things I’ve got to do. And I still have to circle back and worry about some ignorant people in the nation’s capital who think it’s okay to use a racial slur as a team name.”

The grand opening of the “Our” Story exhibit will be on Friday, August 2nd at the Nathaniel Thomas Mill, and the Hanson Historical Society will get a first look inside.

The exhibit, which is free of charge to all, will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Panthers win summer hoops league

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By Jack Dunn/Whitman-Hanson student intern

The W-H girls’ baskeball team won their summer league, in which they recently competed at East Bridgewater High School.

They played against Archbishop Williams, Cardinal Spellman, Carver, East Bridgewater, and W-H Red.

The team was coached by Eric Nunez and led by captains Hannah Damon, Brittany Gacicia, and Olivia Martin. In the finals they competed against a well-rounded East Bridgewaterteam.

“It is good for the girls to continue playing with one another to develop that on court chemistry and to have the ball in theirs hands throughout the offseason,” said coach Michael Costa about the experience at summer league. “It is also good for our younger players to experience and compete against varsity level type talent. However, I do not put a lot of stock in the record throughout the summer.

“A lot of times teams are not at full strength and there are many teams that do not have coaches on the bench with them and it is a lot more lax than a regular season game,” Costa said. “Obviously you want to win anytime you step on the floor but I do not take a lot away from it.”

Walking the walk on conservation

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By Drew Sullivan
Express intern

HANSON — Green Hanson, a local environmental group, took local residents on a nature hike Sunday, July 14, alongside Burrage Pond in Hanson.

Joanne Re, a longtime member of the group, led the roughly 3 mile hike beginning on Elm Street.

“I’m very interested in conservation of open land,” she said. Re mentioned her favorite part of the organization was their efforts concerning the quality of air and water in the area.

Roughly 15 people joined the hike, including two local families. Hanson mother Melissa Valachovic brought her husband and kids, along with their dog.

“I like finding new areas, being outside, and exposing our young boys to the nature,” she said.

As the hike continued, Re talked about the history of Burrage along with her personal connections to the area. “I remember the a-ha moment when I discovered this in my yard, that this belongs to everyone!” she exclaimed.

Most of the hikers agreed that one of the most pressing environmental problems today revolves around plastics and how they’re used and re-used.

“This is nuts,” said Jim McDougall, gesturing to his water bottle as he walked alongside his wife and granddaughter. “There’s too much [plastic]. It’s ending up in the oceans. If you kill the oceans it’s all done. It’s also effecting wildlife too much.”

As the hike came to a close, Re spoke in greater detail about the importance of this area, mentioning not only its history as the home of the nationally recognized brand Ocean Spray,  but also the home to a pair of Sandhill Cranes, an endangered bird species.

Those looking for more information on the group, ways to help their local environment, and future hikes can join the Green Hanson Facebook group for updates.

High number of stomach condition cases closes Conley School

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Conley Elementary School. (File photo courtesy Whitman-Hanson Regional School District)

WHITMAN —School officials closed Conley Elementary Schoolon Friday, March 15 due to a high number of students with a stomach condition.

“Over the course of the last two days, there have been multiple cases of students suffering from a stomach condition,” Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak stated in a message posted on the WHRSD web site. “After consultation with the lead nurse, school nurse and school department officials the school will be deep-cleaned this weekend and be prepared to open as usual on Monday.”

Whitman Fire Chief Timothy Grenno had also announced in a tweet Friday morning that Whitman Middle School has been cleaned overnight and the remainder of the town’s schools would be cleaned over the weekend as a precaution.

“The bus company [First Student] has also been notified to disinfect the buses,” Grenno Tweeted.

Maquan transition panel taking shape

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen is seeking three Hanson residents to serve as at-large members of the Maquan School Transition Committee. Those interested in helping determine the future of the elementary school building, being closed as a school and returned to the town at the end of the 2017-18 school year should apply to the Selectmen’s office as soon as possible.

Town Administrator Michael McCue told the board on July 11 he has been in contact with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner as well as School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes to appoint a Hanson representative to the committee.

While the School Committee is not scheduled to meet in July, Hayes said he will reach out to Hanson members to determine who is willing to serve on the panel.

“They’ve also indicated that members of staff, as needed, will be made available to us as we go forward,” McCue said.

Selectmen Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett, who has been selected to represent the Hanson Board of Selectmen on the Maquan Committee, also noted that a “litany” of other residents have also been mentioned as possibly being asked to serve the committee in an advisory capacity.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said she wants to see the committee in place and ready to go to work by late August or early September at the latest.

“I don’t want to get dramatic about this, but it is a rather large-scale project and it’s a lot to look at in a fairly condensed timeline,” she said. “The number of people impacted [is large and there is] the anxiety level around it for a lot of people with little people that want to know what’s going on — the schools will obviously handle a lot of communication with folks around the physical transition of their little guys. But I would like to get our conversations going just about as soon as we hear from the school Committee on who they’ve got.”

McCue said he shared that concern and noted that the only difficulty would be in attracting the at-large members from town.

McCue is also aiming to convene a workshop meeting of some of the members of the Memorial Field Trustees, the Thomas Mill Committee, the Parks and Fields Committee and the Recreation Commission regarding committee consolidation as soon as he can arrange a date that works for all parties, preferably in early August.

“What we’re trying to do is look at efficient use of limited resources and take a fresh look at whether [some of] these committees are needed or whether they’re a little redundant and maybe another committee can pick up a few tasks without being unduly burdened,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

Selectmen also devoted more discussion to their goals for the year as Selectman James Hickey noted his wish to stress conclusion of the situation at the former Plymouth County Hospital site, perhaps citing a solar panel installation either there or at the transfer station as well as finding a location for a cell tower in town.

“Cell phone reception in Hanson is the worst,” he said.

FitzGerald-Kemmett and McGahan have already submitted lists to McCue.

“I want to make sure each member of the Board of Selectmen knows that I certainly want to welcome any items — any other input,” McCue said. “My hope is that, at the next meeting, I would have a formalized list I could present to the selectmen and we could all come to an agreement that this is what the board as a whole wishes to move forward on.”

McCue also noted that the state has given little guidance on the subject of marijuana bylaws, adding “we need to get in line so that we have some sort of bylaws on the books in October [when the special Town Meeting is the town’s next bite at the apple] in terms of regulating retail marijuana.”

He has already begun discussing the issue with the town planner and health agent, but noted Selectmen should also be involved and added that the current recommendation include with the present overlay district for medical marijuana — in a section of the industrial park toward East Bridgewater — a location for any retail establishment.

He cautioned, however, against bylaw that would contradict the state “once they get their act together.”

School repairs eyed

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HANSON — The Hanson Board of Selectmen Tuesday May 23, expanded the scope and changed the name of its school buildings repair committee.

It was the board’s first  meeting since the May 20 election, kicking off with the swearing-in of new selectmen Jim Hickey and Laura Fitzgerald-Kemmett, who were active in discussion and ready to provide input on many of the agenda items.

Most of the meeting dealt with Indian Head and Maquan School Priority Repair Committee, the name of which is being changed to reflect the concerns about all three Hanson school buildings.

The Selectmen decided to vote on renaming the committee to the concise School Repair Committee. They also unanimously voted to add the Hanson Middle School to this committee after discussing the responsibility and role of the committee.

“Maybe we need to incorporate all of the town buildings into this committee because they’re all in disrepair and we always seem surprised when something like a roof leak comes up,” Selectman Fitzgerald-Kemmett said.

Chairman McGahan agreed.

“We have a need for a group to focus on town buildings,” he said.

Selectman Howard asked if the school department didn’t take care of schools?

Essentially, the argument is that the schools shouldn’t be incorporated with town buildings, as the responsibility is lying in different pockets. Whitman contributes money to the school department. There is also the matter of people covering the school buildings not having knowledge of the happenings of town buildings.

“I don’t know if this committee is the way to do it (determining the needs to repair town buildings),” Selectman Kenny Mitchell said.

In response to the arguments, Fitzgerald-Kemmett said, “It’s evolving to where we need two or three committees… Bring groups together so they can prioritize what they all need.”

Selectman Hickey differed.

“I don’t know if we want to make two or three new committees,” he said. “We have enough trouble getting people to join our current committees.”

“This town is committee-ing itself to death,” School Committee chairman, and member of the Indian Head and Maquan School Priority Repair Committee, Bob Hayes said. He argued that regardless of how many committees there are, the town still has to vote to listen to them.

Town Administrator Michael McCue felt that this was something that could not be accomplished during this meeting. He thought the discussion was healthy but they should attend to the matter at hand, which was the Indian Head and Maquan School Priority Repair Committee.

The former selectman member of this committee was Bruce Young. Due to his retiring, the members had to vote on his replacement. Hickey said that he would like to take on this responsibility and the members voted to approve him unanimously. This will, of course, be his first committee as a selectman.

The meeting began with their swearing in with many attended the meeting in order to see these Hanson residents officially become Selectmen and there was applause from the crowd.

The board then reorganized, voting James McGahan back as chairman and Mitchell as vice chairman.

Spring renewal: Green Hanson plans events

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HANSON — Now that spring has “arrived,” Green Hanson is hitting the ground running this month with a quartet of programs, old and new — and a new nominee for chairman, 2012 W-H graduate Naomi Mastico.

Also a recent graduate of UMass, Amherst, Hanson native Mastico has returned home and is taking the handoff of Green Hanson’s reins from Marianne DiMascio, who has decided it’s time to step back a bit after some 10 years with the organization.

Mastico was a Green Hanson volunteer during her high school days, and said she is looking forward to rolling up her sleeves and planning more events.

“I’m really thinking of having an event per season,” Mastico said Friday, March 31, at DiMascio’s business office at 620 County Road. “That’s my big dream, because we’ve been really spring-focused. … We’re from New England and we’re famous for our seasons and I think so much of being green is a connection to that — to the Earth, to the weather, to the cycle of the seasons.”

Among her thoughts are a possible return of past fall harvest pot-luck dinners, outdoor summer film screenings and electronic recycling days, among others.

“We’re kind of revitalizing Green Hanson,” DiMascio said. “We’ve been doing some things all along … and we have four events coming up in April.”

First up for the group was an April 1 spring meeting for the organic Hanson Community Garden, held at the Hanson Public Library at which gardening tips were offered and interested residents could sign up for a plot at the garden, located at the Hanson Food Pantry on High Street.

On Tuesday, May 2 there will also be a demonstration during food pantry hours of how to do square-foot gardening for pantry clients and other interested residents, DiMascio said.

The annual Clean Up Green Up community spring roadside cleaning day is also being planned. The event will take place from 9 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, April 22 with volunteers meeting at the Hanson Town Hall green at 8:45 a.m. for coffee and doughnuts — provides by Dunkin’ Donuts — and for their cleaning assignments.

“We were originally supposed to have it on [April] 8, and I’m glad we’re not, because it’s still cold,” DiMascio said.

“It’s impossible to dig through snow and find trash,” Mastico agreed.

Green Hanson is urging W-H students in search of community service projects to volunteer. All volunteers are advised to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants come prepared with work gloves and boots. Walker-Clay has donated 75 bright yellow T-Shirts for visibility, by arrangement with Town Administrator Michael McCue, but volunteers are asked to wear their own bright-colored clothing in case there are not enough T-shirts to go around.

“We also invite people to let us know if there are specific areas that they’re thinking of cleaning to send [that information] to us,” Mastico said.

Green Hanson’s Clean Up Green Up partners are: state Rep. Josh Cutler, Mike’s House of Pizza, Hanson Kiwanis, Hanson Middle School Builders Club, Hanson Boy Scouts, Shaw’s Supermarket, Dunkin’ Donuts, WasteZero, the Hanson Highway Department, Noonan Waste Service, Eco-Explorers 4-H Club and the WHRHS National Honor Society.

DiMascio has also organized a bicycle donation drive to benefit the nonprofit Bikes Not Bombs, which trains low-income youths in Boston to repair the bikes for shipment to Third-World nations where the bikes are desperately needed.

Area residents are invited to drop off repairable bikes, parts, tools, accessories and cycling clothing to 620 County Road from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, April 29. As it costs $10 to ship renovated bikes overseas, monetary donations are also being accepted, DiMascio said.

Acceptable bikes include: road, hybrid, mountain, BMX and tandem — basically anything except rusted bikes, kick scooters, motorized bikes, exercise equipment, tricycles or Trail-A-Bikes.

One shipment of repaired bikes sent to Uganda, for example, enables a group of 500 village health workers to reach patients in rural areas. Another project, in Guatemala, creates bicycle-powered machines as an emissions-free technology to improve the productivity and efficiency of rural livelihoods.

“A bike can change someone’s life,” she said. “They can get to a market, they can get to town — mobility. It’s having the bikes go to a good place and multiple purposes.”

Other area Bikes Not Bombs collections will be held: Saturday, May 9 in Sharon or Saturday, May 20 in Hingham. For a complete list of Masssachusetts drives, or to learn more about Bikes Not Bombs, visit bikesnotbombs.org.

Green Hanson is also hosting a trail walk at the Webster-Billings Conservation Area off Old Pine Drive and East Washington Street, Hanson from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Sunday, April 9.

The next meeting of Green Hanson is at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 12 at 620 County Road. The public is welcome to attend.

For more information, call Mastico at 781-974-8455 or email greenhanson@gmail or facebook.com/greenhasonma/.

Trio Café marks 10 years

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WHITMAN — It’s a family business where customers have become a part of the family.

Trio Café owners Ilian and Elena Tchourilkov are celebrating their business’10th anniversary year — since opening in November 2006. Many of their customers have ordered Trio catering services for everything from baby showers to funerals, corporate events to staff lunches.

“I know that 10 years is not that long to be in business,” Ilian said. “On the other hand, for one particular family we did a christening for their daughter, graduation parties [from both high school and college] and then we did a baby shower.”

Tears still come to Elena’s eyes as she thinks of customer-friends who have passed away years ago.

Family sticks with you.

“We become attached to them,” she said. “That’s life, it’s part of everything.”

The couple, who also owns a Trio Café in Boston, emigrated from Bulgaria 20 years ago, and moved to Whitman 12 years ago when their daughter was 2 — drawn to the community and schools.

Now she, like a handful of other WHRHS students, works in her parents’ café where the Tchourilkovs employ a staff of six plus some part-time staff. Ilian said the shop’s unusual family-oriented hours have made Trio’s a good place for students to work. Their Boston shop is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Whitman shop closes at 4 p.m.

The small business is also a big hit with some very big companies, incluing Google, Microsoft, GoDaddy and Mass. General, as well as local businesses such as Mutual Bank, Tama  Dojo and Bike Barn.

Catering is their main focus right now, and accounts for its interesting customer base.

“For some reason, we have different types of customers,” Ilian said. “Monday through Friday, we have the big corporations, we get the offices and Saturday and Sunday its birthdays, christenings and family parties.”

The two locations work closely together, as do the Tchourilkovs. Ilian is in the Boston store on weekdays, starting as early as 4:30 a.m.

“We could extend hours, but family is family, so you don’t want to overdo it,” he said. “Up until we get 24 hours busy, there is always room to grow. We try to keep it manageable.”

That was part of the reason for a shift of focus to the catering end of things, with only Whitman offering room for a small dine-in area — Boston offers only take-out and catering services.

They also continue to do the baking for tea cart services at a few Boston hotels.

“When we started the main idea was the bakery,” Elena said five years ago. “Then we started serving sandwiches and the menu is now a lot bigger. Slowly we added the catering service.”

The catering menu was increased in 2012 to offer a lot more choices, both in dishes and how — and how big — they could be prepared.

Organization is a vital skill in the business, and there are some plans for changing a few things. Ilian’s Christmas present figures in to that — new top of the line coffee machines and grinders.

“I want to sell Starbucks coffee,” he said, aiming to become a destination for fine coffee. Trio used to sell Lavazza coffees, but the importing system from Italy was cumbersome. If there is a problem for them to overcome, its that the business is growing but the building is not.

The main goal for the future, however, is to keep up the good work with good food — no additives are used.

“We try to be more efficient — to be faster and more accurate,” he said. The pastry shelves were relocated twice before being removed and ice cream is no longer offered.

Unlike  a lot of area eateries, Trio does not go in for constant coupon deals.

“There is no hidden cost,” he said. “We think it’s fair pricing and there’s no reason for games.”

“If people come back, that means we’re doing a good job,” Elena said, adding it is not usual to see catering clients order small portions as new customers, then placing big orders after they’ve tried it.

Community participation is also important, Ilian said.

Trio continues to donate food and/or cater for events such as the Friends of Whitman Park wine tasting, the DFS A Taste of Whitman & Hanson, events for veterans groups, the Knights of Columbus and other events.

“I don’t remember saying no,” he said. “It’s a nice community, it’s a small town.”

Hanson starts budget review: McCue to submit FY ‘18 recommendations to finance board

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen has voted to authorize Town Administrator Michael McCue to present his fiscal 2018 budget recommendations to the Board of Finance.

The Feb. 7 vote followed a brief discussion of the recommendations’ highlights.

McCue’s recommended total of all town budgets is currently at $24,638,156 — 5.09 percent higher than the current $23,441,725 fiscal 2017 budget. Department requests total $27,714,638 — or 5.43 percent over the current budget.

McCue said he will set up a meeting with School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes at the Tuesday, Feb. 28 on the school budget request. He also plans to have further conversations with other department heads regarding their requests.

“Dependent upon the final amount voted for the schools and, also, dependent upon the final budget voted on by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we may still make some minor adjustments and we may be able to address some of the requests from the other departments,” McCue said. “At this point, we’ve made the judgment to level fund.”

No salary increases are currently included in the budget.

The Fire Department budget line includes $20,000 in realized overtime adjustments over the last few years as well as a change in hospitals’ procedures, which now require departments to pay for expendable equipment once provided at no cost. The training line item is also up a bit due to the number of recent new hires at the Fire Department.

The Highway Department budget has also increased $60,000 to more realistically reflect repairs required over the last couple of years, McCue said.

‘It doesn’t necessarily mean that $60,000 will be spent, but it is more reflective of the trends of spending over the last few years,” McCue said.

The Police Department budget has decreased slightly.

The Recreation Commission budget has been increased by about $28,000 for supplies and projects, also based on trends over the last few years, according to McCue, who added those funds would come from retained earnings.

“As we move forward with some things at the camp, we realize it’s going to cost a little more,” he said.

McCue also replaced an engineering line in the Selectmen/Town Administrator’s account for $5,000 in order to undertake certain minor projects that require a professional engineer. It is an account he has used in other towns where he has worked.

A new utility contract, which costs $90,000, rather than the $84,000 under the last contract reflects that rate increase of that line to $124,750.

Debt has increased, including the cost of razing the Plymouth County Hospital as other debts are decreasing. The town has also been advised to prepare for a 25-percent spike in health insurance costs, while McCue and the town accountant are working to try to limit the increase.

“It did come as quite a surprise,” said McCue, noting the increase was 15 percent last year.

A new contract at the Water Department increases its salary line by $50,000, McCue said. An increase from $281,465 to $406,495 in the Water Department debt service account is due to the cost of cleaning the water tank.

Animal control

In other business, the board delayed a vote on the appointment of Pembroke Animal Control Officer William Hart in a regional capacity, pending finalization of an inter-municipal agreement with Pembroke. Hart’s appointment would be effective through March 31, 2018.

Pembroke’s town counsel is still reviewing the draft agreement, McCue said. He has proposed, among other provisions in the contract, that salary payment be based on population as the former regional agreement with Abington and Whitman had stipulated.

The board had the option of approving the contract last week, but members opted to wait until Pembroke’s final decision.

Highway site

Selectman Bill Scott, during his update on the work of the Highway Building Committee, reported that contamination at the site on the former Lite Control property has been cleared out, contrary to rumors he has heard around town.

“The site that the town is receiving is a clean site outside the buffer zones for conservation,” he said, noting that project costs estimated at between $4 million and $4.5 million, are not expected to run higher and would include cleanup.

“There are currently about 100 DEP sites in Hanson — that one being one of them,” he said.