Kevin Kailher

Suzanne M. Sommer

Christopher S. Jansky

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 suspects’ car was recovered and towed to the Whitman police station to be inventoried.

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.

Teammates including Taylor Robertson (12) congratulate Eve Montgomery (27) on her goal against Plymouth North Sept. 23. Below, Alexis Fruzetti drives toward the goal.

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.

Francis W. “Obie” O’Brien 96, of Marshfield, formerly of Marco Island and Bradenton, Fla., died Sunday, Sept. 21 after a period of failing health. He was the beloved husband of 70 years to Mary C. (Walsh) O’Brien.

Born and raised in Boston he was the son of the late Francis J. and Margaret (White) O’Brien and a graduate of South Boston High School.

He was a proud veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-1945.

Obie was a familiar face having worked for Whiting Milk and retiring as a mail carrier from the U.S. Postal Service. He was an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox and the Patriots and had always enjoyed the challenge of a good card game.

In addition to his wife Mary he leaves his loving children Elaine Joyce and her husband Peter of Abington, Francis X. O’Brien and his wife Joanne of Norwell, Robert J. O’Brien and his wife Terri of Rockland and Janet Rice and her husband Donald of Whitman. He also leaves 13 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Agnes Corcoran, Mary Kennedy, Helen Dooley, Rita Ryan, Margaret Johnston and Ann DeSantis.

His funeral service will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 25 in the Blanchard Funeral Chapel, Plymouth Street (Route 58 at the rotary) Whitman.  Burial will follow at 12:30 p.m. in the Mass. National Cemetery, Bourne.  Visiting hours were Wednesday, Sept. 24.

In lieu of flowers donations in his name may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

Catherine S. (Barbara) Walleston, 66, of Whitman died Sunday, Sept. 21, after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. She was the beloved wife of 46 years to John Walleston, Sr.

She was born to Camilla (Friscia) and Anthony Barbara in Gloucester, on Feb. 8, 1948.

Catherine was a graduate of Gloucester High School, Class of 1965.

In addition to raising her family, Mrs. Walleston worked for the Whitman Public School system in the late ’80s and early ’90s. She was also employed by Fabric Place in Randolph from 1997-2006.

Catherine enjoyed cooking, gardening, sewing, crafting and traveling.

In addition to her husband John, she leaves her loving children John Walleston, Jr. of Brockton, Daniel and Lilly (Stewart) Walleston and Anthony and Mary (Stewart) Walleston, all of Whitman, and Erin Walleston of Rockland. She also leaves her grandchildren; Carrissa, Anthony, Patrick, Jack, Dan, Shawn and Nick Walleston, all of Whitman, and Layla Walleston of Rockland. She was sister to Jack Barbara of Pittsfield, and the late Rosalind (Demetri) Hopkins and Anthony Barbara both of Gloucester.  She also leaves her nieces and nephew Denise (Demetri) Alves and Michael Demetri of Gloucester, and Donna Demetri-Friedman of New York City, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Her funeral service will be held at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27 in the Blanchard Funeral Chapel, Plymouth Street (Route 58 at the rotary) Whitman.  Visiting hours will be held prior to the service from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of Catherine, to support cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or via dana-farber.org/gift.

Matthew Ryan “Matt” Taylor 28, a lifelong resident of Whitman, died unexpectedly Saturday, Sept. 20.

Born in Weymouth and raised in Whitman he was a beloved son of Gary D. and Jacqueline (Lucas) Taylor and had attended Whitman-Hanson Regional High School.

For over more than five years Matt had worked at his Dad’s auto body shop, Pearl Street Auto Body of Braintree and for a short time had owned and operated his own detailing business “MRT Detailing.”

Matt enjoyed fishing and working out, and loved the time spent with family and his daughter Makenzie.

In addition to his parents Gary & Jackie he leaves his daughter Makenzie Taylor of Weymouth, his brother Gary D. Taylor Jr., and his wife Jennifer of Whitman, and his sisters Amy Proulx and her husband Adam of Whitman and Jennifer Comperchio and her husband Jim of Rockland. He also leaves his grandparents George and Joan Taylor of Florida, his longtime girlfriend Meagan Adukonis of Weymouth, six nieces and nephews and several aunts, uncles and cousins as well as many friends.  He was the grandson of the late John and Winifred Lucas.

His funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 26 in the Blanchard Funeral Chapel, Plymouth Street (Route 58 at the rotary) Whitman.  Burial will be at a later date. Visiting hours will be held from 4 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25.

Donations in his name may be made to the Makenzie Taylor Benefit Fund, C/O Mutual Bank, 570 Washington Street, Whitman, MA 02382 or Learn2Cope, Box 60, Raynham, MA 02767 (learn2cope.org)

The Kiwanis Club of Hanson is hosting an Open House meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Olde Hitching Post with a 6 p.m. social and 6:30 meeting, ($20 buffet meal). The Kiwanis year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, and the Hanson Club and Foundation recently completed a number of successful programs involving local youth groups and a variety of organizations, support of the N.E. & Bermuda District of Kiwanis and the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute at Tufts/Boston Floating Hospital for Children, and even support of Kiwanis International’s global effort in conjunction with UNICEF to eradicate Maternal Neonatal Tetanus in the 24 (of the original 59) countries where it still exists.  Kiwanis is raising $110 million for the Eliminate Project.

The coordination of the successful Campaign for the Hanson Food Pantry involved the community and brought individuals and organizations together with a common purpose. While the final summary of the campaign will be provided next week, the goal of $15,000 so the HFP could occupy its new facility was reached and may have even been exceeded.

The club is in the process of chartering an Aktion Club with New England Village, Pembroke.  It is a club for adults with disabilities and has been a popular addition to the Kiwanis family of clubs and programs. Locally, the Hanson Middle School Builders Club and the WHRHS Key Club are Kiwanis-sponsored Service Leadership Programs.

Everyone interested in being of service and making a difference is encouraged to attend. There are many ways members can contribute, even people with busy schedules.  Members of the Whitman Kiwanis Club will be present to answer questions. The important goal is awareness of servant leadership.

For questions and to confirm attendance, please contact Gerry Lozeau, President at 508-454-6665, [email protected].

The Towns of Abington and Whitman have announced they will receive $780,216 to provide housing rehabilitation assistance to 18 housing units (nine in each town) and to support the Saint Vincent DePaul food pantry in each community.

The towns also received CDBG funding in 2012 to support these activities. Pre-grant activities still need to be completed before funding is available to the public. The towns are hopeful the new round of programs will be up and running by mid-October.  The funds will be used to correct code violations at eligible properties.

The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) recently announced the 54 cities and towns that will receive $27.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to support housing rehabilitation, public service projects and local infrastructure. The CDBG program is the Commonwealth’s largest available resource for neighborhood revitalization projects and helps meet the housing and public service needs of low- and moderate-income communities while building and repairing infrastructure vital to the health and safety of all residents. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and funds are distributed by DHCD to cities and towns in Massachusetts with populations of less than 50,000.

Communities may apply for CDBG funding for activities including: housing rehabilitation projects, infrastructure repair or replacement, construction or rehabilitation of public facilities, neighborhood improvement projects, economic development loans and other business assistance programs, social service upgrades, downtown improvement projects and architectural barrier removal and planning.

Community Opportunities Group, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in community development and planning services, assisted the towns in preparing the application and held several public meetings in during the application process.

Under the previous grant award, the Abington-Whitman program completed 22 projects (11 in each town) at an average cost of $23,000.  The projects ranged from a small emergency hot water heater replacement to full handicapped accessibility retrofits.  The assistance is provided in the form of a deferred payment loan that expires after 15 years if there is no change in ownership with a per unit cap on assistance of $35,000.

For more information, please contact the Abington Office of Community Development, located at the Abington Council on Aging, at 781-982-2145 ext. 6.

SSVT salutes Aiguier for SkillsUSA gold medal

By Mike Melanson
Express correspondent

HANOVER — The Massachusetts Association of School Committees and South Shore Vocational Technical School Committee on Wednesday Sept. 17 recognized SSVT alumnus, James Aiguier, who was gold medalist in nurse assisting at the 2014 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference.

Aiguier was a Whitman student who now lives in Dartmouth. He attends the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, where he is majoring in nursing.

“It’s going good. Classes are starting to get hard now, nothing too bad,” he said of his college work.

Patrick Francomano, president elect of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, said MASC has put into place an award recognizing students who have achieved a national award in subjects such as music, academics or sports.

“We’re giving an award for getting an award, but it’s important,” he said.

Francomano, who is also a King Philip Regional School District school committee member, said Aiguier should reflect on what it took to become nationally recognized in his field.

“You came out as best of the best. That’s a huge achievement,” Francomano said.

Glenn Koocher, MASC executive director, also attended the presentation last Wednesday. Also recognized was Jeanne Boretti, one of Aiguier’s allied health teachers at SSVT.

“He is very well deserving,” she said.

School Committee Chairman Robert Molla of Norwell presented an award on behalf of the School Committee recognizing Aiguier’s national achievement.

New boiler

Superintendent-Director Thomas Hickey said a project to replace the school’s 52-year-old boiler has been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s accelerated repair program.

Hickey said the district has been assigned an owner’s project manager, Expertcom, Inc. of Dedham, and a designer, Raymond Design Associates of Hingham.

The boiler could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace, but the MSBA would reimburse the district at a rate of 53-percent, he said.

Hickey said the designer will design a system and with it an estimated cost. The district will send that information to the MSBA by a Feb. 11 deadline, and the MSBA Board of Directors will vote on the project at their March 25 meeting, he said.

Hickey said the district will then have 90 days to secure funding for the project, and will present warrant articles seeking funding to Town Meeting in all eight towns next spring.

All eight towns must approve the project to take effect, he said.

If the measure passes, SSVT will start construction on July 1, and be done by December, he said.

Superintendent goals

The School Committee approve a series of superintendent goals proposed by Hickey for the 2014-2015 school year.

Hickey said he plans to develop a process for providing staff feedback on superintendent performance, make sure all eligible students pass a third party licensure test, and ensure the successful integration of the new positions of lead bus driver and network technology specialist.

Credit and banking

District Treasurer James Coughlin said SSVT will soon be able to start accepting credit card payments for school registrations, in the restaurant and in cosmetology.

Coughlin said the district is working with Rockland Trust to set up a system.

He said the district would need to put policies and procedures in place, and do training.

SSVT should be able to accept credit card payments by Nov. 1, he said.

“It’s just a convenient thing,” he said.

Coughlin said the regional school district could gain an additional $3,000 to $4,000 in interest payments per year if the district invested in local banks in the district’s eight towns.

He said local banks do stuff in their communities and SSVT should support banks such as Abington Bank, Mutual Bank, Scituate Federal, Pilgrim Bank and others.

Coughlin said the district has savings in the Massachusetts Municipal Depository Trust bank in Boston, with low interest rates of .19.

However, interest rates at local banks range from .20 to .35 to .60, he said, which might offer a better option.

Molla said the district went with Mass Municipal at a time when the bank was paying better, but since the economic downturn has been paying lower than anyone.

He said that personal checking accounts pay more, and he supports Coughlin’s efforts.

Back to school

Principal Margaret Dutch said SSVT opened on Sept. 2 for faculty, which included a professional development presentation by school psychologist Christine Darsney on the teenage brain.

The are four new high school staff members. They are Kristin Bateman, an English teacher who comes from the Middleborough school district; Dan Condon, an electrical teacher; Lindsay Cunniff, a culinary teacher from Attleboro; and Patricia Henderson, a librarian from Dighton-Rehoboth.

The SSVT Hall of Fame Breakfast and Induction will take place on Oct. 25, during homecoming weekend. The Hall of Fame Committee was scheduled to meet Thursday Sept. 18 to review the nominations, Dutch said.

Assistant Principal Mark Aubrey said that on July 1 a new state law took effect governing how school districts handle student discipline and absenteeism.

The law sets up a due process system. The school now must arrange a meeting with a parent before suspending a student, Aubrey said.

The state law also requires schools to send a letter home to parents if a student has five unexcused absences, he said.

Aubrey said SSVT has a stricter policy.

Letters go home after three unexcused absences. Students must also appear before an attendance committee of teachers, guidance counselors and administrators to discuss earning back credit, he said.

Director of Guidance and Admissions Michael Janicki said SSVT is offering a new guidance curriculum for all students during shop cycles.

The curriculum offers classes on transitioning to high school, who’s who at SSVT, study and organizational skills, and job and career skills, he said.

Janicki said SSVT is partnering with the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority to offer the “Your Plan for Your Future,” program, an online tool to help students plan their careers.

Director of Vocational Education Deborah Collins said the school will hold a career and job fair on Oct. 3, in order to help seniors get in touch with employers for their coop program.

Hickey said South Shore Vocational Technical High School will hold an open house on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.