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Closing books on FY 2019

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WHITMAN — In a joint deliberation with the Finance Committee on Tuesday, June 9, which also met that evening, Selectmen approved line item transfers required before closing the books on fiscal 2019.

Selectmen Vice Chairman Dan Salvucci said the Finance Committee had to vote on the transfers before Selectmen could vote.

“These should have been voted last week, but the Finance Committee didn’t have a quorum and today is the last day to make any of these moves for fiscal 2019,” Selectman Brian Bezanson said of a scheduled July 2 Finance meeting.

Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski, who is traveling, and Selectmen Justin Evans were absent from the July 9 meeting.

Some transfers had been previously approved by Selectmen and had to be voted by the Finance Committee.

A transfer of $45,816.28 from Line 123 to Line 124 to fund vacation time accumulated by Police Chief Scott Benton was approved after some vigorous discussion.

“I don’t think its any secret that the chief of police is planning on retiring within the next year, possibly within the calendar year,” Town Administrator Frank Lynam said. “While we are developing policies to prevent this type of accrual in future years, we’re obligated to pay unused vacation on termination of employment.”

Finance Chairman Richard Anderson said his committee’s collective concern was for the policy, which while still in development, is “long overdue.”

Salvucci wanted to know if there were any employees who could be grandfathered under any policy change.

Lynam recommended setting aside what is anticipated to be unexpended funds in the police salary line to lessen the financial impact when the chief does retire. The funds would be encumbered in an appropriation number created for that purpose, according to Lynam.

Finance Committee Vice Chairman David Codero said department heads had told his committee over the last budget season that they would be able to absorb any increases to their line items in order to save money for the town.

“This line item transfer is going to represent about $80,000 of money that was transferred from one police account to another,” he said. “The concern that I have is that, in a fiscal year that we were asking department heads to really tighten the belts, we’re getting $80,000 of transfers for unexpected expenditures. I don’t think it was prudent for that particular department head to have $80,000 to be sitting in an account when it could be used for other town services.”

Lynam argued the $80,000 represents 2.2 percent of the entire police budget. Unlike Town Hall or other departments, where schedules and costs are fixed, “in public safety, we have a number of items that are unpredictable.”

Line-of-duty injuries, for example, cannot be foreseen and not all shifts are always filled, he argued.

“If we were not doing these transfers, at the end of the year, we would be turning back $80,000 to the General Fund,” he said. “That money could easily have been spent by filling shifts we didn’t fill and for doing things that we probably should be doing that we don’t do because we’re trying to be fiscally prudent.”

He added that the only reason the transfer is being sought now is that the opportunity now exists to do it without needing to go to a special Town Meeting vote — which may still need to happen depending on how things play out.

“We’re paying for something that, essentially, the town agreed to,” Lynam said.

Benton asked what the $80,000 figure represented. Finance officials said it was cumulative transfers, including $12,000 in unanticipated costs for computer repairs.

“I come to the Finance Committee every year and I tell you that we don’t fill about 500 to 700 shifts and I tell you I can’t anticipate snow, emergencies and things like that,” he said. A mild winter helped this year.

“I didn’t know we were going to have a joint Selectmen/Finance Committee meeting that wasn’t posted, I didn’t know my name was going to come up, I didn’t know we were going to get into this, but I have no problems with getting into it,” Benton said.

Benton said he told Lynam that he thought transferring the funds was preferable to crippling the Police Department budget for the next year.

An additional $355.28 (over the $750 already approved by Selectmen) for a shortfall in payment for hours worked by the Selectmen’s administrative assistant was also approved. That salary covers hours that are uncertain from year to year, according to Lynam, who said the $355.28 — an additional shortage found when year-end payroll was completed — is being transferred from a line used to fund all salary increases when contracts were settled last year. Both boards approved the transfer.

A transfer from Line 172 (Norfolk County Agricultural High School) of $12,000 for legal costs was approved by both boards. A transfer from Line 256 to Line 257 of $2,230.42 for the FICA payment based on total salaries paid, a figure that is not clear as a year-end total until the June payroll is complete was approved by both boards. A transfer from Line 48 of $140.30 to Line 50 to close a minor shortfall in salary for the treasurer-clerical employee in the collectors’ office was approved by both boards.

Selectmen also voted to increase ambulance rates for the first time since 2016, at the urging of Fire Chief Timothy Grenno.

“It’s a sign of the times,” he said. “Insurance rates are going up. Also, some legislation has been filed — which sits in conference committee right now — which will limit the level to which you are able to bill insurance companies for the use of emergency services.”

That bill would include a rollback date governing when rate increases would be allowed, after which it would be limited to a benchmark of 2 or 3 percent, Grenno said.

“These rate increases are in line with what our billing company has recommended,” he said. “It is the same Medicare billable rates which most of our neighboring towns are using.”

Salvucci said he has noticed that Whitman has, in the past, been much lower than neighboring towns.

The Board of Selectmen appointed a nine-member Budget-Override Evaluation Committee.

Serving on the committe will be: residents John Galvin and Christopher George as citizens at-large; Finance Committee members Codero and Scott Lambiase; Grenno; Public Works Superintendent Bruce Martin; Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak; School Committee member Dawn Byers; Selectmen Evans and Randy LaMattina and Lynam.

“The town cannot show that we are approving it — even though we are approving [of] it — the taxpayers have to make that decision,” Salvucci said of the committee’s title.

Police Chief Scott Benton said he and Grenno had decided to have one public safety representative on the committee.

Grenno asked why there was no representation of the town accountant or assessor’s office on the committee, but Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green said the accountant would be actively involved, reviewing figures.

Hanson health board closes Dunkin’ and Speedway

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Town and store officials work inside the Dunkin’ Donuts/Speedway stores at routes 58 and 27 in Hanson Wednesday after an inspection found evidence of rodent infestation. Both stores are currently prohibited from selling food products, but Speedway may sell gasoline. / Photo by: Steph Spyopoulos  

HANSON — Health officials have shut down the Speedway convenience store — and the Dunkin’ inside — until both stores can prove to the Board of Health that pests are under control and the store has been sanitized.

Health Board Vice Chairman Gil Amado said a rodent-control company was on premises Thursday.

“We felt that it needed immediate attention and they were shut down due to an imminent health hazard,” he said.

He said the board had received a report that there was open food in the cooler and that it was “being nibbled on by mice and that mice were defecating in the trays. We walked in the cooler at that’s what we saw,” Amado said.

He could not verify media reports that employees were instructed to sell contaminated food to the public.

The shut-down order was based on the verified reports of “exposed food, mouse droppings everywhere and, apparently they were told to serve the food,” he said. “I don’t have physical evidence of that [the alleged serving order].”

Amado said Thursday it is not the first time that Dunkin’ store has been shut down over health concerns, but the independent inspector contracted by the town had found no major violations at the location during an inspection a few months ago.

Because the mice move around the whole building, both businesses were ordered to cease selling food, he noted.

“We have an independent food inspector who does all thee food inspections,” Amado said, as the town is currently without it’s own health agent. “We’re required to inspect twice a year and she was on her bi-yearly inspection [when] she noticed a few things kind of way off.”

Amado said the inspector reported in a document submitted to the Board of Health that she had seen evidence of rodent infestation and that “further steps were necessary to take.”

The board discussed the report at a recent meeting and Amado accompanied the inspector to the store Wednesday, July 10 and “after reviewing what she had written in her report and what I saw I immediately proceeded to tell everyone to stop selling food [and] to not let any food items leave the store, that the business is shut down and Speedway is shut down — they can only sell gas,” he said. “No food items are to leave that building.”

Amado said that includes pre-packaged items such as bags of chips or other snack foods.

Dunkin’ told Channel 25 that the employee’s original complaint is being looked into, but that Speedway had not commented on the shut-down.

Hanson queries cannabis growers

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen, Tuesday, July 9 discussed concerns and questions over water and electricity use, odor and wastewater management as well as security of the building, and  product and plant waste disposal at the proposed Cannabis grow facility planned for Commercial Street in Hanson.

“Tonight’s discussion is the first that the Board of Selectmen has had with Impressed LLC,” said Selectmen Chairman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett. “The purpose of our discussion tonight is to hear from the applicant about their overall business plan, as well as to discuss some of the areas of concern.”

Impressed LLC owners Ralph and Alli Greenberg of Pembroke and Weymouth dentist Dr. Shahram Mogghadam, the company’s lawyer Christopher Ray, who works for national cannabis-related law firm, Hoban Law Group, and HVAC design engineer Paul Dean fielded Selectmen’s questions before those of residents were taken. [See related story, page 5.]

“Odor mitigation is the big concern for people,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “[Residents] don’t want the skunk smell.”

Dean said the HVAC system will use a heap-15 filter, carbon filter and ionized air to eliminate odors as a way to control smell while sterilizing ductwork. A back-up generator, run on diesel and timed to start within 90 seconds of a power failure is also planned to control odor as well as keep plants alive.

The town’s current general and zoning bylaws ban retail marijuana sales in Hanson, but zoning bylaws permit other marijuana businesses such as cultivation and testing facilities to locate in the zoned area that includes the industrial park. Impressed LLC must meet all local and state Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) regulations, including the execution of a host community agreement (HCA), FitzGerald-Kemmett reminded those in attendance.

A final draft version of the HCA will be discussed in a public meeting at 6 p.m., Tuesday, July 16 to hear residents’ feedback before the agreement comes up for approval and signing at the Tuesday, July 23 Selectmen’s meeting.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said the board has not yet seen the host agreement, but she said it has never been discussed as part of the town’s tax incentive finance (TIF) program and is not in the designated TIF zone.

“My background is used lab and scientific equipment,” Ralph Greenberg said. “I’m pretty involved with biotechnology and the understanding of how facilities should work with cleanliness and odor management.”

While he said he hopes to apply for a cannabis product manufacturing license at a later date, Ralph Greenberg stressed the current HCA only concerns a growing operation.

He said he will be the company’s operations manager and sales manager when product becomes ready for sale to in-state retail businesses. Local water supply company Indian Head Water has been contracted to supply water to the company. A tanker will be located at Impressed LLC and changed out every seven to 10 days, Ralph Greenberg said. No town water will be used for cultivation, only for bathroom services at the building, he stressed.

Ray, who now serves as general counsel to Impressed LLC during HCA negotiations and CCC application, said he would likely continue to serve the company in that capacity to help them keep compliant. Alli Greenberg will be the company’s cultivation director, responsible for all day-to-day management as well as licensing and regulation compliance as well as overseeing sales goals and hiring.

Hanson residents applying to work at the company would receive first priority, she said.

“Our commitment is to ensure the state-of-the-art facility is properly installed, that we’ll remove any odor that may otherwise escape our facility,” she said. “Furthermore, it is of the utmost importance [to us] to properly run a discreet location.”

Dean, the owner-operator of ICG — a design engineering firm and HVAC contractor — said he has worked on 16 cultivation sites in the state. Most of the board’s questions were directed to Dean.

Dean said hydrogen peroxide will be the only chemical used for cleaning, with the waste solution stored in a separate holding tank which will be tracked by a logbook when it is removed by a licensed contractor.

Disposal of plant waste will also be tracked and stored until it can be removed from the site for chemical treatment — rendering it unusable — before incineration off-site, owners have said.

Everything that enters or leaves the building, including plants that have died, will be tracked and reported to the CCC, Dean said. No pesticides will be used, per CCC regulations.

“It’s tested, so if we’re using it, they’ll find it — even heavy metals,” Dan said. Any batches where pesticides, or other chemicals are found to have been used, will be tracked and destroyed.

The building will use a nitogen-CO2 fire suppression system in the grow rooms along with an alarm connection to the fire department. There will be 64 internal cameras, many with high-resolution lenses to enable reading faces and badge photos, to enable proper access to secure areas, with only bathrooms not under camera surveillance.

“That’s your only safe spot in the building,” Dean said of bathroom privacy. Breaks and loitering outside the building are not permitted. State regulations also prohibit employees from using cannabis on, or within 10 miles of the property.

Selectman Matt Dyer asked about the company’s maintenance plan.

“What I don’t want to see is, the facility gets up and running if we approve it, and five years later we have a problem with the HVAC system because you didn’t do preventive maintenance.”

While Dean said his firm is not seeking that contract, he recommends a service plan to replace filters and clean coils every month.

Ralph Greenberg said he would be acting as the facilities manager to deal with that kind of service need.

Town attorney Kate Feodoroff said the town can use the HCA as a tool through which those conditions are enforced under threat of revocation, through Selectmen, the Planning Board or Board of Health.

Residents were advised to ask only questions about the business plan, odor and waste removal, security and other issues raised by the board.

“I want to make it clear tonight that we will not be discussing the legality, morality or safety of marijuana useage,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Those are issues beyond the scope of the Hanson Board of Selectmen and would be more appropriately directed to your legislator or the Cannabis Control Commission.”

The first two questions — about why there is an “impression we have to sign this host agreement” and who pays for legal advice to fight if the town “wants to fight something” — skirted that admonition, and FitzGerald-Kemmett cut off that discussion, after allowing it for a time.

Feodoroff had advised that court rulings thus far have centered on municipal efforts to control the number of facilities. Hanson’s votes at town meetings, she said have led to bylaws allowing grow facilities in town.

“The Board of Selectmen is essentially negotiating with a seemingly responsible party to execute what the town meetings told them to do,” she said. “That’s the best answer I can give you.”

Hanson taxpayers ultimately pay town counsel fees for legal services required of town counsel.

Other questions centered on fire safety and the handling of cleaning chemicals, as well as the benefits of signing a host agreement.

Dean said chemical storage would be in a secure area segregated from other materials on-site.

Feodoroff said the HCA places “a lot of risk” on the marijuana establishments, ensures compliance and generates revenue from the 3-percent of gross sales community impact payment. Paid for five years, the impact fees could be used for any purpose, Feodoroff said, from training police in detecting whether people are driving under the influence of marijuana, to school drug awareness programs, or street improvements.

“You do need backup [information on the impact], and the backup is to all be documented in the public record, but the way you use the money is unrestricted,” Feodoroff said.

Hanson salutes Mewis

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HANSON — From lawn signs offering congratulations to cheers of family, friends and public officials, Hanson has spent the week celebrating the achievement of favorite daughter Samantha Mewis and her U.S. Women’s National Soccer teammates at the World Cup tournament in Lyon, France.

“I’ve had so much fun the last two weeks name-dropping Sam and [her sister] Kristie,” said Selectman Wes Blauss, a retired Hanson Middle School teacher. “It’s given me so much street cred having known them.”

Samantha and her older sister Kristie were the first sisters to represent the United States on the National Team.

Selectmen Chairman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett also spoke about Mewis and her team at the Tuesday, July 9 Board of Selectmen meeting.

“On Sunday, the town of Hanson, along with the rest of the world, watched in awe as our own Samantha Mewis [and] the Women’s National Soccer team made history with the first back-to-back World Cup titles,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said, noting the off-the-field benefits the win could inspire.

“While our win on Sunday was, in and of itself amazing, the impact that Sam has made goes well beyond the field,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “She and her teammates have literally inspired girls all over the world. Their teamwork, joy of the game and sheer athleticism were unparalleled and evident to everybody watching, but just as important, is the fact that she and her team have used this platform to continue to advocate for gender pay equity, thus assuring that the effects of their win will be felt for generations to come.”

The daughter of Bob and Melissa Mewis, Samantha and Kristie grew up in Hanson. Samantha was a star player at W-H where she was a captain on the girls’ soccer team which notched two undefeated seasons and four league championships in her four years on the team.

Mewis will also be among the first class of inductees to the W-H Hall of Fame, Athletic Director Bob Rodgers announced via Twitter on Sunday, July 7 — after the U.S. team won its fourth World Cup, and second consecutive championship.

“On Wednesday we will have info on the entire class of inductees as well as info on how you can attend the dinner the first weekend in October. @sammymewy is so deserving of this honor,” Rodgers Tweeted. “When the rest of the class is announced Panther nation will be quite proud.”

The road to the World Cup — and Hall of Fame — has not always been easy.

“Sam’s story is one of persistence and determination,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “She didn’t make the roster for the 2016 Olympics, but was named as an alternate for the squad and then sustained a serious knee injury that sidelined her for the first half of 2018.”

She recovered and made the USWNT roster for the World Cup, but there were no expectations that she would start until the day before the opener, when a teammate’s injury opened a spot for her.

Mewis then had significant playing time, leading to her scoring two goals and three assists, including an assist in Sunday’s game. Opposing teams scored only three goals between them during the six-game World Cup tournament.

“It’s no surprise [that], if you drive around Hanson, you will see all kinds of signs congratulating Sam and the rest of the team on their win,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “The whole town is literally bursting with pride at the success of our hometown girl and we can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.”

Whitman begins water meter replacement

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Over the next few months, The Whitman Department of Public Works Water Division will begin its Water Meter Replacement Program. This is a mandatory replacement program for all residential and commercial business customers. There is no cost to the homeowner or business owner for the meter replacement. We ask all property owners to allow us to enter each property to replace the meter. The new meters will provide the Town with accurate water usage readings which will ensure accurate billing. Once the new meters are installed, the Town will be able to collect the usage readings electronically using a drive-by system.  Residents and business owners will no longer be responsible for manually reading and submitting their water usage to the Department of Public Works.   

What to expect:

Employees of the Whitman Department of Public Works Water Division, will visit your property to remove the old meter and install the new meter. The employees will have proper identification and will be driving clearly marked Town vehicles. We ask that the property owner allow us to enter the property to replace the meter. If you wish to confirm the identity of the employee, contact the Department of Public Works at 781-447-7630. An adult over the age of 18 must be present in your home during the meter change. If it is not a convenient time or if no one is home at the time, a notice will be left with information to schedule an appointment. You may also receive a call from the DPW to schedule an appointment. Most meter replacements will take about 30 minutes.   

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: When will my meter be replaced?

A: The water meter replacement project will commence in the next few months and continue until all water meters are replaced with the new Allegro Master meter. Water meter replacements will be done during regular DPW business hours. There are also some limited appointments for after normal hours and weekends. Please contact the DPW as soon as possible to reserve one of these appointments.

Q: How do I schedule an appointment?

A: Call the Whitman Department of Public Works at 781-447-7630 Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the event your call is not answered, please leave a message with your name, address, telephone number, and a time that is best to return your call.

Q: How will this affect my service?

A: Any interruption of water service will only occur during the meter changeover, it typically will be less than 30 minutes, in some cases it may take longer. The new meter will allow reading from outside your home and remove any need for a meter reader to enter your home to read the meter, or having to phone in the reading yourself. This will end estimated bills. The new meter system can enter readings electronically to billing resulting in complete accuracy and elimination of hand entries.

Q: What is expected of the homeowner?

A: Homeowners are obligated to provide clear and unobstructed access to the water meter. Any boxes or stored items should be cleared prior to the arrival of the meter installer. If for any reason, the water meter has been covered by drywall or paneling it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that access be created. The water meter is the property of the Town of Whitman, Clear and free access to it must be provided.

Q: What might prevent the meter changeover to occur?

A: In some cases, plumbing repairs may be required prior to meter installation. If defective plumbing, inoperative shut off valves or deteriorated pipes prevent meter replacement, you will be required to hire a licensed plumber to make the necessary repairs. A fully functioning main shut off valve before the water meter, knowing the location and how to operate this valve is an absolute must for homeowners and household members. The main valve is the one to stop most plumbing catastrophes, such as a burst pipe. If your main shut off valve does not work you must replace it.

Q: Will the DPW replace or repair my plumbing to install the meter

A: NO, pipes and plumbing on your property are installed by private contractors and are the responsibility of the homeowner. The homeowner owns the pipes and plumbing from the curb stop shut off valve (usually located at the property line by the street) into and thru the entirety of their home. In order to connect to and continue to receive water from the Whitman Water Distribution System it is a condition of the Town of Whitman Department of Public Works Water Rules and Regulations that “Consumers shall keep their own water pipes and fixtures connected therewith in good repair and protected from freezing at their own expense”

Q: Why is my meter being replaced?

A: The new meters will have technology that permit faster and more accurate reading. This will also make billing processes faster and more efficient. The new meters eliminate any need to access the property for a reading.

Q: Will I be able to read my own meter?

A: Yes, the new meters have a digital display to be read manually.

Q: What if I don’t want my meter changed?

A: Water meter replacement is mandatory. All meters belonging to the Town of Whitman Water Distribution System will be changed. If you do not allow the Town to install the new water meter, you will no longer receive   service from the Whitman Water Distribution System or the Whitman Sanitary Sewer System. Your water service will be turned off.

For more information call the Whitman DPW at 1-781-447-7630.

McCue pact outlined

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen has emphasized to residents that a separation agreement with former Town Administrator Michael McCue was the result of “thoughtful and careful deliberation” as details of the agreement were made public last week.

In the agreement, made June 18 during an executive session and released seven days later, McCue voluntarily submitted his irrevocable resignation, effective, Monday, July 1.

The severance package includes two months’ pay, or $19,941 and four weeks; accrued vacation pay, or $11,044.22 for a total of $30,985.68.

McCue agreed to waive his contractual percentage payment increase for fiscal 2020 under his contract agreement, being paid instead based on the pay rate for fiscal 2019.

The town agreed to pay McCue’s health insurance premium under the COBRA program for three months between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, 2019. If McCue seeks unemployment benefits, the town would not oppose such claims. He could receive another $35,958 in unemployment if he opts to do so.

“The Board would like to make clear that the decision to enter into this agreement came only after the Board engaged in thoughtful and careful deliberation — weighing of the costs of a lengthy investigation, coupled with the continuing costs of paying Mr. McCue while on leave and the costs of the defense of any potential litigation — should the Town determine that a negative employment action against Mr. McCue was warranted against the cost of entering into a settlement agreement in an expeditious manner,” Selectmen stated Saturday, June 29 through labor counsel Maura Gallagher of Clifford & Kenny LLP in Pembroke. “The Board concluded that, on balance, the latter option (a settlement agreement) was in the best interests of the Town. An investigation could have taken numerous weeks, if not months to complete, at significant investigative and legal costs to the Town.

“During that time Mr. McCue would have been paid by the Town, but would not have performed services for the Town,” Gallagher stated. In addition, the Town would have had to pay an interim town administrator to perform his job functions in his absence. This agreement permits the Town to move forward immediately. In addition to the costs outlined above, the opportunity to begin a new chapter with an excellent interim town administrator in place and start the search for a permanent town administrator, has value to the Town and its personnel that is not easily quantified — but is, in the view of the Board, of tremendous importance nonetheless.”

Cannabis meetings continue

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HANSON — Impressed LLC owners Ralph Greenberg and his daughter Alli held another community outreach meeting at the Hanson Library/Multi-Service Senior Center Thursday, June 27.

The cannabis grow facility planned for 15 Commercial Way in the town’s industrial park off Route 27 is co-owned by the Greenbergs and Dover dentist Shahram Moghaddam, who currently owns three practices on the South Shore — and plans to attend a Tuesday, July 2 community outreach session or a Tuesday, July 9 meeting with Selectmen. Both July meetings are planned for the Selectmen’s meeting room in Town Hall — at 6 p.m. July 2 and at 7 p.m., July 9.

The most recent meeting was less contentious than a previous session held on June 13, and this time focused more on resident’s questions about water and power consumption during draughts or heat waves as well as the ability of the HVAC system to prevent odors from escaping the facility, any plans for future expansion and how damaged plants might be disposed of.

Once again, Bob Hayes, who hosts WHCA-TV’s “Bring It On!” show moderated the discussion, this time presenting some questions of his own from research he has done into the issue.

The Greenbergs, originally from Randolph, have moved to Pembroke to be closer to the business location, saying they are happy to be so close to the facility.

“Our goal is to have a discreet, secure clean company and provide a revenue stream to the town,” Ralph Greenberg said. “We only have one investor, it’s not a holding company, it’s not some big corporation coming in.”

He said the three owners hoped to close on the building this week, once septic upgrades are completed and approved.

“We know you sometimes have water issues in the summer,” Ralph Greenberg said, pledging to have tanker trucks deliver water to the facility for the high-demand summer growing season if there are draught conditions. Wastewater discharge would be minimal, he said.

Hayes’ questions included how the town could track revenue owed.

Alli Greenberg said every plant is assigned a barcode and is “completely tracked” until it is sold and the owners have crop insurance based on expectations of how much would be produced in a given crop.

They stressed it is not intended to be a high-volume business, describing it as more akin to a “craft cultivator.”

“We’re only supplying two retail stores with our company,” Alli Greenberg said. They will price their product as a craft brand and retailers will have to be willing to pay it to do business with them.

They hope to be able to start a crop by Thanksgiving.

Hayes also noted some growing businesses expand through the use of pod trailers. But Ralph Greenberg said their growing would be done only in a clean grow-room inside the building and that they have no plans for expansion. A proper reverse-osmosis wastewater system will be used to control contamination of groundwater, they said.

The multi-million dollar renovation of the building includes an investment of about $1 million in lighting.

The Greenbergs also told residents living near the facility that they were welcome to come to them if odor became a problem.

“I would hope that you would come because we’re trying to explain to you that it’s not going to happen,” Alli Greenberg said. “It is the one concern I see in every town [that host grow facilities].”

Ralph Greenberg compared the smell of growing cannabis to a pine tree being run through a wood-chipper “times 80 percent.”

“It’s a fresh smell,” he said. “There is no smoky smell.”

Some residents compared it more to a skunky smell.

Regarding security plans, Alli Greenberg said a letter outlining them has been sent to Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch and they are waiting for his reply, but there is no need for traffic details anticipated.

Employees will be asked to sign non-disclosure agreements because of growing techniques the company wishes to protect. Alli Greenberg said she does not know at this point whether the company can commit to refusing to hire applicants with past minor drug convictions on their record, as is permitted under social equity laws, saying she does believe in second chances.

Plants being disposed of for any reason will be trucked off-site and treated with a chemical that renders them non-consumable before they are incinerated.

Skating club rolls to Nationals

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WHITMAN — For the Urzuas, roller skating runs — er, rolls — in the family.

All three of Betty Urzua’s children are headed to national competition in Spokane, Wash., to compete for the All Star Skating Club at the U.S. Championships from July 17 to 30.

“My family has always roller skated,” she said. “My grandparents roller skated, my father — I competed myself. But when we moved to Massachusetts [from California], we didn’t know where there was a roller rink.”

That was, until her older son Jonathan became a rink manager at Carousel.

“He told me I could bring the kids in,” Betty said. “I wanted them to learn how to roller skate and they fell in love with it and they just continued on.”

Members of the Carousel team performed in an exhibition of their skating skills at their home rink, the Carousel Family Fun Center on Auburn Street, Sunday, June 30 as a fundraiser to help send the club’s National Roller Skating Team to Spokane to defend their titles and do their best.

“The best part [of going to Nationals] is the experience of it,” Joshua Urzua said before Sunday’s benefit show. He has done both solo and team skating.

He doesn’t see pre-competition nerves as a problem.

“I just go to do the best I could,” he said. They practice about 10 hours a week, but little sister Elsy said that goes up prior to Nationals.

Fellow skaters Laura and Christopher Miller, 10, of Brockton are also returning to Nationals.

“We’re a team,” Christopher said, noting that he likes the variety of roller skating. “I like how you can make up routines and be creative — I like the precision, how you have to work hard to make a performance. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid and I love it.”

“I like the coaches,” said Laura. “They’re strict, but they’re fun.”

For some skaters, the team combines a sport they love with an opportunity to be with their best friends.

Maddison, 6, and Kayleigh Donovan, 9, of Duxbury took a preschool class they loved and it led to lessons and joining the All-Star team. They have both competed at the 2019 regional competition, placing in the tiny tot (Maddison) and juvenile (Kayleigh) divisions.

Mia Antonelli of Pembroke is another skater who followed a friend into the sport.

“I like that I get to see my friends,” Mia said.

“I like how you can do a bunch of tricks and routines,” said Jocelyn Hartsgrove of East Bridgewater, who has been skating for just a year.

“I was roller skating one day and saw this girl named Lauren, now she’s my best friend,” said Emage Ogletree of Brockton. “She introduced me to everyone in the skate club and I asked my grandma about skating. She said yes and I signed up. I like the jumps and spins and everything.”

Club members performed their National routines Sunday, as the public was afforded an opportunity to put some skates on to join them on the floor. Raffles and a bake sale were also featured, and those who still wish to help support the team can send donations to the All Star Skating Club in care of the Carousel Family Fun Center, 1055 Auburn Street, Whitman, MA 02382.
The Urzuas skate from three to eight hours total, at least four days a week, according to mom Betty.

“It’s something they really enjoy doing,” she said. “My son and my daughter both want to go to worlds.” The World competiton is in Spain next week.

The youngest three Urzua children competing are Isaiah, 17; Joshua, 15; and Elsy, 11, and are in their fifth year of competitive skating. They have qualified for Nationals in 11 events — her daughter has qualified in figures, during which skaters must perform an accurate figure pattern on the rink; loops, solo, creative and team dance.

The figures are similar to the compulsory figures ice skaters one had to successfully perform to advance in competitions such as the Olympics. Loops involve a teardrop turn and solo performances are similar to the compulsory ice dance stage of completion where skaters must perform accurate edging and other skills. Creative is a free-style performance.

There is another brother-sister duo on the team who have won nearly every single event they have entered at National, Urzua said. Two other families also have members competing.

There are a total of seven children under age 18 competing, and six adults.

For Lisa Scarborough and Stephen Mills, who are also going to Nationals, that comes ddown to the camaraderie and competition.

“It’s like a family,” Scarborough said. “Both of us have been skating for most of our lives.”

Coaches at All-Star aim only for their young skaters to do their best through teaching the skills and letting fun take over as the skaters help each other improve.

“We brought our daughter to a Saturday lesson back in February to skate for her very first time,” the parents of a new club member said. “We wanted her to learn to skate in time for her birthday party.  … She absolutely loves all of her new friends and awesome coaches. Everyone is extremely kind, helpful, inclusive and polite week after week. We couldn’t be happier with the progress she’s made skating and also socially.”

Betty Urzua knows what that mom is talking about.

Seniors hear talk on tick prevention

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HANSON — When Plymouth County Extension Entomologist Blake Dinius asked a group of Hanson seniors on Monday, June 24, how many had already encountered a tick this year, several hands went up.

Dinius was speaking at the Hanson Multi-Service Senior Center to review the biology of ticks and the diseases they are known to spread within Plymouth County as well as protection methods. The talk was hosted by state Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, and state Sen. Mike Brady, D- Brockton.

The program, videoed by Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV is viewable on YouTube.

Seniors asked right off what symptoms they should be looking for if they do suffer a tick bite.

“They tend to mimic the flu-like symptoms — headache, nausea, sometimes memory loss, sometimes night sweats — but they vary depending on the person and severity of the illness,” Dinius said. “But if you start feeling like you might have the flu in the summer … that would be a good indication to see your primary care provider.”

Cutler thanked Dinius for his participation as well as his employer, Plymouth County Extension Service for their support of the event. Cutler and Brady also provided a lunch, catered by the Olde Hitching Post, for those attending the discussion. Brady was unable to attend.

“Unfortunately, here in Plymouth County, we have one of the highest incidents of Lyme disease, I think, in the nation,” Cutler said as Dinius nodded. “It’s a serious concern. Tick-borne illness is a significant issue for us.”

Dinius said the spraying that goes on in early spring into the fall is a different prevention project to control mosquitos and the viruses they can transmit — West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

“They usually spray in different areas and have a different method of spraying and treating,” he said.

Dinius, who has studied entomology for seven years and participated in about 200 studies, said he does not offer information he has not personally verified.

He pointed to stories published last year to the effect that a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had found that tick and mosquito-borne diseases have tripled in the U.S. since 2004. The reports misrepresented the scientific findings.

“There’s a lot of misinformation that gets spread around ticks and there’s also a lot of fear that gets spread about ticks, but if you have the right tools and you understand what’s going on, the worry and the fear regarding tick-borne diseases doesn’t have to exist,” he said. “I walk in the woods a lot … and I’ve never gotten a tick-borne disease in my entire life.”

The CDC report, in fact, included a spike in mosquito-spread Zika cases in U.S. territories such as the Virgin Islands, Dinius said. Pull out those cases and cases of other mosquito-borne diseases more likely to be found in this area have remained relatively stable.

“I bring this up because we shouldn’t be afraid to go outside,” he said, even though tick-borne illnesses outnumber those spread by mosquitoes.

The CDC has admitted, meanwhile, they may have underestimated the number of cases of Lyme each year. Those cases are concentrated in the northeast and upper Midwest.

Dinius said, however, unlike areas of the country where residents have to contend with earthquakes and tornadoes, Lyme is preventable. It is estimated that Lyme bacteria has been around for between 20,000 and 60,000 years with different species present around the world.

“This disease is ancient,” Dinius said. “It’s also dependent on the black-legged tick.”

There are nine other tick-borne illnesses around this region as well as other illnesses in other parts of the country.

He also spoke of the alpha-gal allergy that causes an allergic reaction to eating beef or beef by-products such as gelatins found in candies and marshmallows. That illness is spread by the Lone Star tick, a southern species found in the northeast.

“Why are there more ticks and more diseases?” Dinius said. “We think there are many things at play here. …Doctors may be becoming more aware of tick-borne diseases in the area. Lyme, when it was first discovered, was called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.”

It is also possible that there are more ticks carrying more diseases, he said. Risk also tends to be higher in suburban communities near the ocean. Fragmented habitat and fewer predators, therefore, maybe more at fault than the deer population for tick-borne illness rates, according to Dinius.

Educating oneself about prevention can lower infection rates, he said.

Spring, when the ticks are then in the tiny nymph stage two to three inches from the ground and fall, when the adults which can be found two to three feet from the ground present high risk for bites. Ticks also require humid conditions to stay alive.

Keeping well-groomed lawns and using a synthetic perimeter yard spray near tree lines can help control ticks.

To protect yourself outdoors, Dinius advises tucking pants into socks to limit tick access to your skin. Permethrin, sprayed on clothing and shoes only, also repels and kills ticks.

DEET, Picaridin or IR3535 (found in Avon’s Skin So Soft with bug guard) are repellants that can be used on the skin. Protecting pets with products recommended by your vet can also keep ticks out of your house.

Checking yourself and pets for ticks after outdoor activity is also recommended.

Saving ticks you find in a dated plastic bag for review by an entomologist can determine if you are at risk for illnesses it may have carried. Dinius said he does those checks free of charge. Taking a photo of the bite to show your doctor can help them diagnose illnesses.

“With the right information and tools, all tick-borne diseases are preventale,” Dinius said.

Budget work set to begin again

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WHITMAN — Selectmen on Wednesday, June 19 voted 4-0 to approve a new contract with Town Administrator Frank Lynam. Selectman Randy LaMattina was absent.

In Lynam’s new contract, a three-year agreement running from July 1, 2019-2022, includes the 1-percent increase voted by Town Meeting. Future increases, however, will be negotiated with the Board of Selectmen.

“It should be noted that the contract that is presented tonight does not contain more benefits than the previous one, but rather has pulled back some of the benefits that are currently available to me,” Lynam said.

“It should be noted that our town administrator has taken the lead on reducing contractual burden to the town,” Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski said. “Hopefully, this contract becomes a model for future contracts.”

The contract has been posted on the town website.

Selectmen also discussed the budget and timeline for the anticipated fall Town Meeting. Lynam said he has discussed with the Collins Center its assistance in preparing a capital plan. He sent a list of the fiscal 2019 appropriations to the Collins Center after the books were closed Monday, June 17 so those figures could be incorporated in the outline being prepared for budgeting capital projects and needs in fiscal 2021.

“The bigger task we will have for both the Selectmen and the Finance [Committee], and the town departments is zeroing in on a defining plan for the future,” Lynam said.

A Proposition 2 ½ to increase the financial baseline for funding operations and capital needs would require more precision, he argued.

Selectmen agreed that a committee, made up of one or two Selectmen, one or two members of the Finance Committee, and representatives of the larger departments including at least one School Committee member and School District personnel, need to come together to begin a plan for how appropriations would be presented in October.

“It’s one thing to say we need to raise money, but we need to show people what that means and how it’s going to be utilized,” Lynam said. “We need to do it now.”

The makeup of the budget committee will be voted on at the next meeting of the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, July 9.

Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green has been asked to develop an outline of current budget numbers and the need to increase the levy in preparation for those meetings.

“It can’t be a small group of people fashioning a plan without the public having an opportunity to be informed about what they’re doing,” said Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski. “That’s a lot to do in the summertime, but it has to be done.”

In other business, Lynam reported that the DPW Commissioners have engaged Environmental Partners Group to assess the condition of a sewer pipe — installed in 1984 and planned to last 30 to 40 years — which is the subject of major concerns.

Over the next month or two the commissioners will be researching the permitting process for repairing or replacing the pipe.

“This is going to be an expensive project,” Lynam said. “We don’t have numbers now.”

But Lynam said, at minimum, installing a parallel PVC pipe and abandoning the old pipe could cost more than $8 million. More information is coming, but Lynam said he expects it to be a part of any capital plan.

Selectmen voted 3-1, with Selectman Dan Salvucci voting against to change real estate and personal tax bills — changing to mailing two, double remittance personal property bills instead of four separate bills and to increase the demand fee from $10 to $15 for bills on outstanding debts issued by the Treasuer/Collector in the next fiscal year.

Payment deadlines do not change. The plan is expected to save the town about $5,200 in postage costs and most mortgages are escrowed and paid automatically.

Salvucci’s concern was that seniors might misplace the second bill and return envelope in the mailings.