Whitman-Hanson Express

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Festival faces deadlines- Hanson board votes on insurance, contract items

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HANSON — The Recreation Commission has begun the work of revising its policies and procedures by deciding Thursday, April 28 to form a subcommittee for that work.

In the meantime, members have voted 6-0 to amend section 12 of its policies and procedures to allow recreational vehicles on the Camp Kiwanee property under certain circumstances by a majority vote of the commission and selectmen — and then voted 6-0 to allow no more than 15 RVs on Camp Kiwanee grounds during the May 20-22 Bluegrass on the Bogs festival.

The RV waiver for the festival would also require locating RVs where they are visible to Hanson Police, festival and Recreation staff, the fire department and Board of Health.

Both Recreation Commission votes were contingent on majority votes of the Board of Selectmen during it’s meeting Monday, May 2 before the annual Town Meeting.

Commission member James Hickey urged that members of the Board of Selectmen and new Town Administrator Michael McCue also be on the policy revision subcommittee.

“We don’t want to be spending all this time and be going in a different direction than the Board of Selectmen wants us to be going in,” agreed Commission member Sue Lonergan.

Selectmen voted 4-0 prior to Town Meeting, with Selectman Don Howard abstaining, in favor of both amendments.

The board made it clear their vote on the RV exemption was in force for this year’s bluegrass festival only, especially in view of concerns on the part of both town counsel and the festival producer’s insurance carrier regarding the lack of hookup facilities at the camp.

“At this point, because it came so late in the process, we’re just trying to patch it up,” said town counsel Jay Talerman. “Next year we’ll get it in a little bit more shape, but [his associate Sarah Bellino] felt, with the beefing up of the agreement, we’re basically covered from a liability perspective. Is it perfect when we have the RVs there? No. But we felt the town was covered … this was a patch.”

Selectmen have also imposed a Friday, May 13 deadline for submitting the insurance coverage, cleared by town counsel, and a revised and re-signed rental agreement for Kiwanee — including a clause indemnifying the town and police detail requirements — to the board for a Tuesday, May 17 vote.

“If we don’t have it, the event is not moving forward, it’s done,” Selectman Kenny Mitchell said of the updated documents.

Bellino of the town counsel firm of Blatman, Bobrowski & Mead had listed the RV prohibition as one of four issues she “highly” recommended be addressed before the bluegrass festival is allowed to proceed in an email to selectmen April 26. She also listed public safety details, the need for liability insurance and sanitation concerns as points that need to be addressed before the event.

“This is specific to make sure we have all this in place before the event goes off,” Recreation Commission Chairman David Blauss said of the RV waiver.

“You need to establish some kind of exception to that under circumstances where the use of recreational vehicles, there’s sufficient policing of how those recreational vehicles are parked and how they are maintained,” said Selectmen Chairman Bruce Young, who attended the Recreation Commission meeting.

Blauss said the policies and procedures would likely be maintained as-is, but should allow room for exceptions by a majority vote of both the commission and selectmen.

Young said RV owners, when traveling look for electricity, water and sanitation hook-up facilities not available at Camp Kiwanee.

“When you don’t have that particular option, naturally you restrict RVs,” Young said. “You don’t encourage them.”

Sue Lonergan suggested the RV ban was initially aimed and controlling people who might seek to park an RV at the camp for an entire summer and that cabin rentals, too, are limited to two weeks for that reason.

“We wanted to make sure we didn’t have someone living with us for the season,” she said.

The exception approved April 28 would be used in the event another event sought to have RV access.

Food pantry benefit

In other business, the Recreation Commission voted to set aside the date of Friday, Oct. 28 for what will likely be a benefit chili cook-off festival with music in support of the Hanson Food Pantry.

Laura Fitzgerald-Kemmett, of the Food Pantry’s board of directors, made the pitch for the event, saying she would pay the $40 liquor permit fee out-of-pocket so the pantry would realize 100-percent of the event proceeds.

Hickey had suggested the commission might donate the fee as a gift to the pantry, but Fitzgerald-Kemmett declined, arguing the pantry did not want to start a precedent the commission could not keep up.

“It’s the Hanson Food Pantry,” Hickey said. “Everybody’s volunteering. We could co-sponsor this where the [pantry] would not be charged a dime. That’s why I’m here, it’s to do stuff like this and not have people spending money out of their own pocket.”

“I love where your heart is at, I really appreciate it … I just would be afraid that you guys would be setting a precedent.”

The pantry’s board of directors have also considered a trivia night event for the 5 to 11 p.m., Oct. 28 time slot for the 7 p.m. event, Fitzgerald-Kemmett said.

“We’re kind of narrowing it down, but either event would be ideally suited for Camp Kiwanee,” she said. “Both would involve liquor because, frankly, liquor makes the money flow at fundraisers — it’s just a fundamental truth.”

Other than bartenders, who have to be paid so they can cover insurance and the liquor license fee, the Food Pantry is planning on all services — including the hall rental — to be donated as the pantry is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

“I enjoy trivia,” Fitzgerald-Kemmett said, “But I thought [a chili cook-off] would be a little different and I’ve got a line on a couple country-western bands that could play.”

Eagle project

The commission also voted the go-ahead for Hanover Troop 1 Boy Scout Matthew Minihan to work on the assembling and installation of screens at a Camp Kiwanee porch as well as two barbecue pits as his Eagle Scout project.

The Scout plans to check to see if building permits are required for the work.

     

Clock ticking on passport service

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WHITMAN — The Board of Selectmen during its Tuesday, April 19 meeting discussed the future of passport services at Town Hall — a program that could end up doomed by its popularity.

Several years ago, Whitman joined several other communities in the “labor-intensive” task of aiding residents through the passport application process, according to Town Administrator Frank Lynam.

“We accept the applications, we scrutinize the information, we witness their signing and then we send it into the State Department for investigation and issuance,” Lynam said. “It involves a bit of time with the people applying, particularly when you have a family and, most particularly, when you have a large family.”

Passport work was done out of the Town Clerk’s office until the State Department determined in 2011 that it was an inherent conflict to have the office issuing birth certificates to help in issuing passports, at which time the job was handed off to the Treasurer-Collector’s office with that office’s “enthusiasm and support,” Lynam noted.

“It seems, since that time, to have grown a bit,” he said. Two employees plus the manager in both offices serve the public at the collector’s window, causing crowded conditions during passport hours. Lynam and Treasurer Mary Beth Carter have, therefore, been discussing if another department could pick up the service.

“My recommendation, unless we have another place to send this, is to discontinue the service,” Lynam said.

Carter said more than 600 passports were processed last year over 7.5 hours a week on Tuesday evenings and Wednesday and Thursday mornings, taking 15-20 minutes to complete each application. On one Tuesday evening, 24 applications were processed. The State Department estimates applications will increase over the next two years.

So far this year the town has taken in $13,025 for applications and $4,160 for photos — a total of $17,185. Last fiscal year, the total revenue from passports was $19,270. Postage costs came in at $6.45 per application package.

“A large amount of the passport applications we process are for non-Whitman residents,” she said. “Due to the volume of traffic at the collector’s office … it had become burdensome to also continue the passport function.”

Citing the collector’s office main function as dealing with inquiries and receiving payment from Whitman residents.

“My plan is for the Treasurer-Collector’s office to remain as a passport facility through the end of the calendar year,” Carter said. “I was hoping we’d be able to find another department willing to take over this function, as we did back in 2011.”

If that is possible, she would like to begin the transition in July, with the present five passport agents serving as assistants and backup through the end of the calendar year, when the Treasurer-Collector’s office certifications expire.

Qualifications are basic — scanning applications,  asking questions, witnessing signatures and administering an oath — the issue, Lynam said, is the time involved.

In Brockton, the post office conducts the application process, while in East Bridgewater it is done by the veterans’ services office by appointment only, Carter said. Whitman post office does not offer the service, which can only be conducted by a government office.

Selectman Scott Lambiase suggested a member of the clerk’s staff might be separated out to handle passports.

Overdose crisis

In other business, Police Chief Scott Benton urged residents to heed the messages imparted in the April 11 “If I Only Knew,” program sponsored by Whitman-Hanson WILL to help curb the overdose problem.

“It’s choices,” he said, during his monthly report to selectmen. “There are people who don’t want to say anything because they don’t want to be ‘ratting out’ your kid. Well, you know what? Rat them out.”

“Save a life,” agreed Selectmen Vice-chairman Dan Salvucci, conducting the meeting in Chairman Carl Kowalski’s absence.

“There are a lot of great kids out there, but this is something that we’re dealing with and something to be aware of,” Benton said.

Benton reported that his department has received 3,753 calls for service between Jan. 1 and April 10 — compared to 2,895 during the same period last year.

There have been 118 arrests, criminal complaints and protective custodies during that same period and 11 drug overdoses, two fatal. There were 12 overdoses during that period last year.

“We were doing pretty good in January,” Benton said. “We had our Whitman-Hanson WILL presentation last week [April 11] and, right after the presentation, we had three overdoses that evening — one fatal.”

Another of the overdoses that night, overdosed again Wednesday, April 13.

“It’s sad, but it illustrates, certainly, that this is a problem that we’re facing and that we’re going to continue to tackle,” Benton said. “You have to show compassion. … When you come off of heroin, you get sick and people don’t want to get sick, so they’re on the heroin, too, in addition to the addiction itself.”

He said the epidemic is a situation where the adage, “There, but for the grace of God go I,” applies.

“I don’t know anybody that isn’t touched in one way or another by this,” Benton said, noting some people ask him why so many resources are invested in repeat overdose cases. “What would you give to hug your child again? That’s as simple as I can put it. If you look at it that way, with that empathy, you understand that you’ll do anything — so if we save them 100 times, we save them 100 times, that’s the way it goes.”

Through the WEB Task Force, Benton said there is a county-wide effort to establish and maintain a database of available beds in treatment facilities to which officers can connect through their cruisers.

“This will lead to us being able to give that information and be able to offer help and followup,” he said.

Whitman and Hanson police and fire officials have been working with WHRHS officials on crisis planning.

Hull may join SSVT region

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HANOVER — Hull could become the ninth area community to join the South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School region, joining Abington, Cohasset, Hanover, Hanson, Norwell, Rockland, Scituate and Whitman.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommends the process take a year or longer, according to Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas Hickey. The process would culminate in a revised regional agreement that would come before all eight town meetings, plus the town of Hull.

Hickey also told the district School Committee on Wednesday, April 20, that the addition would have little effect on the number of students accepted from current member towns.

“If Hull were to be factored into the formula … I think that might translate into five seats out of a given freshman class of 170,” he said. “That number changes slightly depending on enrollments, but, if it were happening right now, that’s what it would be.”

Hull has 64 eighth-graders, compared to 183 in Whitman and 143 in Hanson as of Oct. 1 this year. Whitman’s total grade 9-12 enrollment at SSVT is 137, and Hanson’s total grade 9-12 enrollment is 80.

He and Chariman Robert Molla had met with Hull’s Finance Committee on April 4, explaining the process involved in the town’s joining the district.

“The Finance Committee down there was overwhelmingly there to support joining South Shore Regional School District,” Molla said. “In the very near future they’re going to put their planning committee together and we have to put a planning committee together as well.”

Molla added that, while lengthy, it’s a process SSVT had undergone before.

“We’ll be able to help our communities out by spreading spending over nine towns instead of eight towns,” he said.

Hull’s Town Meeting on the second week in May will consider an article on whether or not to support creation of a planning committee, Hickey said. If that happens, the School Committee will vote on the same question as an agenda item.

“The formation of a planning committee merely brings us to the end of a beginning, which is we’ve got two parties that want to talk about the possibility,” Hickey said. “These votes are not entrance into to the district. It is the first of many steps.”

“I think Hull is really going to push for it,” Molla said. “They’re going to get it on their agenda as fast as they can. If they should have a special Town Meeting in the fall, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Hickey also reported that Scituate’s April 14 Town Meeting supported the SSVT fiscal 2017 budget, with six communities — including Whitman and Hanson — convening town meetings on Monday, May 2. Abington’s Town Meeting is held in June.

It’s time to have your say

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Residents in Whitman and Hanson will convene in town meetings on Monday, May 2.

In Whitman, the sessions begin with the annual Town Meeting at 7:30 p.m., for which a quorum of 50 registered voters is required. The special Town Meeting is slated for 7:45 p.m., requiring attendance of 150 registered voters to meet quorum. Voters meet in the Whitman Town Hall auditorium.

Hanson convenes both the annual and special Town Meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Hanson Middle School auditorium, requiring 100 registered voters to meet quorum.

Town Meeting warrants for both towns are now available online.

Both communities’ town meetings will set municipal budgets, including local assessments to the Whitman-Hanson and South Shore Vo-Tech regional school districts.

The WHRSD budget’s 20.15-percent local assessment increase includes an overall 3.5-percent hike inside the levy limit with the balance contingent on a Proposition 2 ½ override in both communities. The total increase outside the levy is $3 million, apportioned based on student population.

Whitman Selectmen voted 5-0 on Tuesday,  April 5 to place a $1,726,588 ballot question for its share of the assessment increase in the $49,714,344 WHRSD operating budget for fiscal 2017. Hanson Selectmen voted 3-2 on the same night to place a $1,241,141 article and ballot question for its share of the assessment, which would increase the town’s assessment to $8,956,207.

Whitman’s annual Town Meeting warrant also includes a total of 54 articles, with 15 articles on the special Town Meeting warrant. Annual warrant articles range from equipment and capital improvement expenditures to by-law amendments pertaining to yard sale permits and dog control regulations — increasing fees for animals picked up by control officers as well as for leash and bite violations and striking a section on outlawed breeds.

Another Whitman article seeks town action on a proposed aggregate agreement for electricity rates from an alternate supplier to National Grid.

The special Town Meeting warrant seeks an $8,000 transfer between accounts to pay for the recent special state senate election, removal of an unsafe building on South Avenue, adjusted bills for Brockton sewer service, equipment lease/purchases, school repair reimbursements and acceptance of a gift to the town of a parcel of land on Auburn Street.

In Hanson, the annual Town Meeting warrant will take up a total of 25 articles, with another 13 on the special Town Meeting warrant. As in Whitman, Hanson’s annual warrant articles include equipment and capital improvement expenditures. There will also be an article proposing the contracting with the state to accept state funding for reconstruction or improvement to town roads as well as seeking  funds for repairs to the Maquan School roof. Another seeks voter approval to name the intersection of Winter and Liberty streets in honor of John Ferry, as well as the funds needed to place a memorial marker.  Voters will also be asked to place the Smith-Nawazelski Conservation Area under the care and custody of the Conservation Commission. The special Town Meeting warrant seeks to transfer funds to pay for school repair reimbursements, stabilization fund investment and water purchase from Brockton while High Street water tank is being rehabilitated as well as for acceptance of a land donation on Hawks Avenue.

Whitman’s Electronic Voting Study Committee will present an informational report on its findings during Town Meeting and a similar panel in Hanson will provide information on the subject  outside Town Meeting.

Honing festival contract

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HANSON — On the strong advice of town counsel, the Board of Selectmen and Recreation Commission are reviewing a draft of a new use agreement between the town and producers of the Bluegrass on the Bog festival.

The festival is slated for Friday, May 20 to Sunday, May 22.

The selectmen’s office received an email from lawyer Sarah Bellino of the town counsel firm of Blatman, Bobrowski & Mead at 3:50 p.m. Tuesday, in which she included a contract draft she “highly” recommended.

“I have serious concerns about the town permitting use of the camp for this event without addressing these issues and requiring [Old Town Road Productions of Hopkinton] OTP to sign the attached agreement,” Bellino wrote.

She listed public safety details, the camp’s prohibition of recreational vehicles, the need for liability insurance and sanitation concerns as points that also need to be addressed before the event.

“The town should require Hanson police detail during all three days/nights of the festival to ensure safety of attendees and to enforce compliance with the no alcohol policy of the camp,” she stated.

Police Chief Michael Miksch said he has already had a two-hour meeting with producer Michael Foster on Thursday, April 21 during which much of the counsel’s concerns were addressed.

“We went over a number of things,” Miksch said, noting the private security staff used by OTP is not adequately trained. “For lack of a better term, they’re like parking attendants. … I don’t have any real problem with them doing that in the camp.”

He and Foster agreed that “no alcohol” postings would be placed.

“He agreed that if he found anyone consuming alcohol we’d remove them,” Miksch said. “They’ve got a cabin or whatever they’ve got, that’s too bad — they can go. … Going further down the road, the Rec Committee has to address any unauthorized alcohol consumption, not only at this event, but others.”

Miksch said Hanson Police details will be on duty during the event, one on Friday (6:30 to 11:30 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) when crowds are estimated at about 250, and three officers on Saturday’s day-long program when 500-600 people are expected between 10 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. If more people are expected based on ticket sales, police presence can be increased, Miksch said. Overnight details have not yet been discussed.

“I have some concerns about hours,” Miksch said. “We didn’t have any complaints from neighbors — there’s nothing logged of complaints of noise or anything — I just felt 11 p.m. or earlier would be a better time to kind of wrap it up.”

Weekend estimated crowds are similar to a large wedding at the Needles Lodge. A traffic and parking plan has also been provided to police.

“We will have details there every day,” agreed Recreation Commission Chairman David Blauss. “They’re [OTP] rewriting their insurance policy.”

RVs are prohibited because of the slope of the land, lack of hookup provisions or dump stations for sewage waste disposal and OTP’s insurance does not cover property damage from “pollution,” including sewage waste, Bellio noted. She also said OTP’s insurance does not cover the town’s liability for attendees renting cabins, tent or RV space from the company when purchasing tickets and the policy contains no liquor liability coverage.

Bellino also said a log or register should be kept to track renters and that no “overnight guests” are allowed if not listed on the rental application. Vehicle registration information is also needed, she said.

Toilet facilities and garbage containers are insufficient at the camp, as the lodge is not being rented, unless OTP or vendors provide portable toilets and additional trash barrels, Bellino advised.

Blauss noted the cove area toilet facilities and portable toilets will be available in addition to bathhouses at the north and south ends of the camp. He also challenged the definition of RVs, noting security staff uses all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).

“I think, for all intents and purposes, they probably mean the ones that have campers,” Selectman James McGahan said.

Blauss noted some of the bands travel in RVs for their accommodations and the terrain limits where they can park so they are in sight of all attendees and staff running the event.

“They put a stiff limit on how many they allow,” Blauss said. “Where these are parked, if anybody was dumping anything everybody would know. These are not isolated spots, these are right on the Kiwanee road.”

Blauss said the Board of Health has been consulted and expressed no issues with the RVs. Last year there were only five or six, but Blauss estimated there could be as many as 15 to 20.

“I don’t think we should have RVs up there,” Selectman Kenny Mitchell said. “It’s clearly in the policy. If you guys have a four-wheeler, that policy may have to be adjusted to allow that four-wheeler, but RVs, it clearly says right here they shouldn’t be allowed. I don’t think we should allow it at all.”

McGahan and Selectmen Chairman Bruce Young said the regulations would have to be modified and approved by the board for any RVs to be allowed on site.

New firefighters

In other business, in addition to conducting the annual Town Meeting run-through, the board welcomed new firefighters Sherylin Mullin and Robert Heffernan who were sworn in Tuesday  night.

Fire Chief Jerome Thompson Jr., said the two were the third and fourth of seven new firefighters being sworn in over the coming weeks, filling retirement vacancies.

“Although it’s difficult to see some of our older members retire, that have more experience, this is an exciting time for our department,” Thompson said. “In order for them to get to tonight, there’s a couple of things they have to accomplish — successfully completing the Mass. Firefighting Academy, a training program and their one-year probation.”

Mullin grew up in Abington, graduating high school in 2006 and working in the EMS field for eight years. Heffernan grew up in Middleboro, graduating from Bristol-Plymouth Regional in 2008 and has worked in EMS for six years.

Mullin’s badge was pinned on by her grandmother, Nancy Monahan and Heffernan’s badge was pinned by his mother Kelly after each, in turn, was sworn in by Town Clerk Beth Sloan.

New Town Administrator Michael McCue also sat in on the meeting in advance of his May 9 start on the job.

Spring household hazardous waste days set

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Do you have stuff that’s too bad for the trash? South Shore Recycling Cooperative member towns will host seven household hazardous waste collections this spring. Residents of host and co-host towns may attend at no charge.  Collections are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as follows:

April 23 — Plymouth and Middleboro, at Plymouth DPW, 169 Camelot Dr.

April 30 — Hanover, at Transfer Station, 118 Rockland St. (Rt. 139). Usable latex paint* also accepted.

May 14 — Duxbury and Kingston, at Duxbury Middle-High School, St. George St.

May 21 — Hingham, at Plymouth River School, 200 High St.

June 4 — Hanson, at Plymouth County Hospital, 252 High St.

June 11 — Scituate and Cohasset, at Scituate Highway Department, 68 Capt. Pierce Road. Usable latex paint* also accepted.

Residents of those, and of member towns Abington, Norwell, Rockland, and Whitman may attend collections that their town isn’t hosting/co-hosting at their home town’s expense. To do so, obtain and bring a signed Authorization Form from your town’s responsible department (DPW, Health Dept. or Marine/Environment).  Some towns may limit subsidized quantities to 25 gallons or 50 pounds.

Residents from any town without an Authorization Form may attend for a fee of $24 /10 gal or 20 lbs., or $45 /25 gal or 50 lbs of waste. (Volumes are based on container size, not contents). Commercial generators, call ahead to 1-617-852-3086 to arrange disposal and payment. Please bring a check.

Bring: Oil-based paint**, stains**, automotive fluids**, solvents, gasoline, herbicides, pesticides, photography and pool chemicals, acids, bases, and toxins in secure, labeled containers.

*Usable leftover latex paint will ONLY be accepted at the three collections indicated. The Paint Exchange LLC also accepts it at their Rockland site for a fee of $2/can, and remanufactures it into new paint. To see if your paint qualifies, and for hours of operation, go to ssrcoop.info/, click on “Latex Paint”, or call 339-214-8462. If paint has been frozen, or has an odor, skin or chunks, absorb liquid with cat litter and dispose in trash. Do not bring: industrial, pathological and medical waste, radioactive materials, pressurized gas cylinders or explosives.

**Oil-based paint, propane tanks, motor oil, antifreeze, medical sharps, rechargeable batteries, and fluorescent lamps are collected regularly by many towns and retailers.  Residents should use those services if available.  Go to ssrcoop.info, click on “Other Stuff”.

Stericycle Environmental will conduct the collections.  For more information, call the South Shore Recycling Cooperative at 781-329-8318, or go to ssrcoop.info.

All day kindergarten is principal goal

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This year, the main goal of principals’ school improvement plans — at all grade levels in all seven district schools — is all-day kindergarten, one of the 20 elements of the Student Success budget for fiscal 2017.

The School Committee voted 9-0 to accept the plans. Member Alexandra Taylor was absent.

Consultant Lori Likis, who has been working with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to help schools develop district plans, introduced the plan presentations during the W-H School Committee’s Wednesday, April 13 meeting.

“The intention here is to offer something that is helpful to districts, rather than another mandatory requirement,” Likis said. “You’re developing a district plan and using that to drive all of the other systems in your district. So it drives your budget, your evaluation system, educator roles and school improvement plans.”

The three pillars of W-H’s Planning for Success/School Improvement Plans are those outlined when the Student Success budget was unveiled in February — Every Child, Every Day: Healthy Body/Healthy Mind; a cohesive pre-K through grade 12 system of teaching and safe and secure schools.

“We’ve done strategic planning before, and I just never felt convinced that the plan really spoke for W-H or that it wasn’t really impacting improvement,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner.

The seven principals provided three plan overviews, based on the elementary, middle and high school levels.

“Our goals are the same,” said Maquan Principal Donna Murphy. “There was something very heartwarming — and I’m going to steal some of the thunder from our middle school and high school principals — the very first goal for pillar one is the implementing of all-day kindergarten for all students across the district.”

She said it spoke to the importance of all-day kindergarten as a foundation for a good education on a level playing field. She also reiterated the importance of the added full-time social workers to improve social-emotional health.

Duval Principal Julie McKillop said extension and development of the elementary math and science curriculum is a key component of pillar two, the cohesive pre-K through grade 12 system of teaching.

Indian Head Principal Elaine White spoke of safe and secure schools in the elementary grades. Staff training in safety protocols will continue while audio communication technology, especially in areas like school gyms and cafeterias where it is lacking, is improved and new perimeter cameras are being looked at. Conley Principal Karen Downey was unable to attend due to a death in her family.

Middle school principals William Tranter and George Ferro outlined how the three pillars will be implemented at that level.

“We did spend a lot of time working together to align our school improvement plans across the district,” Tranter said of the seven administrators. “We all feel [all-day kindergarten] is an essential piece as students move up in the school system. … If you don’t get it early, it’s very difficult to catch up at the middle or high school level.”

Tranter and Ferro have been working together toward ensuring an equal middle school experience, no matter which town a student lives in, and agreed that more support is needed for guidance and school adjustment staffs. Like their elementary counterparts, math and science are key pillar two concerns in the middle schools.

“Safety and security is first and foremost,” Tranter said. “If kids don’t feel safe and secure, they’re not going to learn.”

At the high school, Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak said he had never enjoyed the school improvement plan process in the past.

“This year, because of the new process, it kind of means something,” he said. “It was exhilarating.”

He said he values the potential benefit of all-day kindergarten for high school freshmen eight years from now. He also said that, while school choice has helped him add programs at the high school, the Student Success budget will permit a lot more training for addressing the social-emotional challenges of the 2016 student.

Continuing the transition room is a key program as well as programs to ease stress.

The new semester schedule means more textbooks are needed, where teachers were able to juggle distribution on a trimester schedule. Szymaniak also wants to offer more detailed math, science and English electives as well as certificate programs for CNA, pharmacy tech, medical coding or animal sciences, for example.

“Teaching changes every year,” he said. “It changes with every class. …  Whatever group of kids you have coming in the doors, you have to adapt.”

Szymaniak also said he is working to improve the experience level of front-door security personnel as well as designing a better traffic flow for the fall.

New Principal

In other business, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Safety and Security Patrick Dillon announced that Duval School Assistant Principal Dr. Elizabeth Wilcox has been appointed principal at Maquan School in the fall. Murphy is retiring this spring.

“I had the privilege to work with about 20 stakeholders who took this task very seriously,” Dillon said of the process that narrowed a field of more than 40 applicants to six for interviews and two finalists. “It was not an easy task for either one of the finalists.”

He said he viewed the integrity of the process as vital.

“She absolutely earned this opportunity,” he said of Wilcox.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” she said. “I’ve been part of the W-H community for 14 years.”

Wilcox began as a grade two classroom teacher and as a reading specialist as well as assistant principal at Duval.

“I am sad to leave Duval … but I am very excited to go to Maquan and to be part of that community,” she said.

Voting devices demonstrated

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WHITMAN — A second informational program was conducted by the Electronic Voting Study Committee, including a demonstration of the Turning Technologies devices, in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room of Whitman Town Hall on Tuesday, April 12.

The town’s IT Director Josh MacNeil and Town Clerk Dawn Varley, both members of the committee, handed devices out for those in attendance to try.

“What we’re looking at here is using these devices to count votes silently, which would eliminate the way we’ve been doing Town Meeting for a while now through acclamation votes or through standing counts or the secret ballot process that we already have in place,” said Town Moderator and Study Committee Chairman Michael Seele.

The Study Committee will be making a report to Town Meeting May 2.

Sample articles were shown at the Study Committee meeting on a projection screen, much as they would be at Town Meeting, with “yes” or “no” prompts from which voters would choose by a numbered keypad on the device resembling a remote control that is smaller than a smartphone.

Thirty seconds were allowed for voting on each of six questions. When polling opens, a counter appears in a square in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and a vote counter shows only the number of people casting votes until the 30 seconds elapse. Results are reported in the form of a bar graph on screen at the close of each polling window.

Committee member Robert Trotta said 30 seconds, as it ticks down, seemed like a long time, but MacNeil said the time window is customizable.

“You have a pretty good amount of control with the software,” he said.

When one sample question received a 50-50 split decision, MacNeil noted how important exact counts are at Town Meeting.

“On two-thirds votes, it calculates it for you right away,” Varley agreed.

Questions raised

Seele said the last informational session had raised questions concerning voting security, power failures and handicapped access that the committee could not yet answer, so Turning Technologies representative Greg Alexander was brought in via conference call.

Alexander said the devices operate on a radio signal similar to wireless landline telephones.

“We take a very small portion of that frequency and there are 82 different channels that we use within the frequency,” Alexander said.  “I’ve been with Turning Technologies for over 10 years now [and] there has never been any interference issue.”

Turning Technologies works on Department of Defense and hospital contracts all over the world.

“There’s nothing in the technology that defeats it, but there’s proprietary information in the response card, or clicker, as many people call it, and the receiver,” he said.

Only information from town-owned devices would be accepted by the computer, so someone could not stand outside the hall could hack in via their own personal devices.

“This is not going to affect how Town Meeting is run, it’s only going to determine how the votes are going to be taken,” said former Town Administrator Michael Hayes, who serves on the Study Committee.

Data collected before any power failure would be saved through a back-up storage following each question for which the device is used, much like the autosave option on computer software such as Mircosoft Word.

“When the power comes back on, it would just be a question of getting that computer up and running and the data would be stored on that particular machine,” Alexander said. MacNeil said computer backups and building generators will keep the computers up and running.

Alexander said the moderator could always decide if a revote were necessary.

Turning Technologies does make a device for the visually impaired, with Braille letters on the buttons and a vibration instead of an LED screen, to tell when information has been accepted by the software. Many federal agencies using them ask that 10 percent of total devices ordered be designed for the visually impaired, but Alexander said that may be too high a percentage for Whitman’s needs.

Voters may change their minds on a vote, but the last answer entered is the one registered with the software and counted when the voting window closes.

No personal information is entered onto the device, Varley said.

“Somehow we’ll have to record the device number,” just to ensure they are returned, she said. But stressed no information about a voter or voting activity is stored in it.

“We don’t want to know how each person votes, that’s the whole purpose of it,” Varley said. “Once you leave the auditorium, the device has to stay in the auditorium. You can’t go in the ladies’ room and vote from in there.”

But the potential for people voting for each other is still a concern, Seele and Varley said.

“There’s no town that’s been using these for more that three or four years,” Seele said.

Next steps

A by-law change would have to be made to permit permanent use, but a rental trial can be conducted to see how the devices work for Whitman, according to Hayes and Varley.

One person attending the meeting expressed support for the idea, but was concerned about cost. Varley said they are $47 each plus $400 for the receiver, or $7,449 for 150 devices, according to a quote from Turning Technologies. It costs $1,095 to rent 100 devices plus $4 for each added device.

The cost for customized devices, for example, would cost much more.

“We can always borrow [extra] devices, we can also rent them,” she said for Town Meetings that draw larger crowds of voters.

Software is a free plug-in from Turning Technologies.

Resident Joshua Kimball suggested a poll of users after a first trail to determine how voters like it.

McCue hired as new town Administrator

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HANSON — The abrupt resignation of former interim Town Administrator Richard LaCamera, who walked out in the midst of the Tuesday, April 12 Board of Selectmen’s meeting, was not immediately recognized for what it was by the board when it happened.

At the end of the meeting, Selectmen Chairman Bruce Young had expressed confidence that, when he calmed down, LaCamera would be back to work the next day. Young, too, had been so angry that he contemplated walking out of the meeting, but was convinced to stay.

It was not until members of the board found the note in the second-floor Selectmen’s office later in the evening that it was clear what LaCamera had meant when he had gathered up his files, saying, “I’ve had enough,” after the second of two contentious discussions about an audit of Camp Kiwanee.

“He did leave a message on his desk, saying that he was resigning immediately,” Young said Friday, April 15.

LaCamera’s last day had been scheduled for Friday, April 22, after he completed Town Meeting preparations. That was accomplished when selectmen voted to finalize and sign the warrants on April 12. He had submitted his 30-day notice a few weeks ago, Young said.

“He was there on a temporary basis, he served the town well and we have actually signed a contract with a new town administrator the following night (Wednesday, April 13) for a three-year contract,” Young said.

Michael McCue will begin serving as town administrator on Monday, May 9.

McCue and selectmen signed a three-year contract with an automatic one-year renewal and which returns an indemnification clause, such as the one in former Town Administrator Réne Read’s contract, during an executive session on Wednesday, April 13. Young said indemnification, required by MGL Chapter 258 Section 9, holds the town to indemnification not to exceed $1 million.

McCue has been most recently town administrator in Rochester and prior to that in Avon. He has also served as assistant to the Mendon Board of Selectmen and was himself a selectman in Mansfield.

Young declined to comment on why or why not LaCamera would suddenly resign. A request for comment from LaCamera was not responded to by presstime this week.

Immediately before his departure,  LaCamera had engaged in a heated exchange with Young over the chairman’s comments concerning drinking at Camp Kiwanee as the issue was being discussed as one of the safety and security concerns surrounding the Bluegrass on the Bog festival.

Two women in the audience had just given conflicting comments about drinking during the festival.

Event organizer Michael Foster said alcohol is not permitted at the festival, but a Hanson resident said she had seen drinking when she visited the festival last year with her two children, challenging Recreation Commission Chairman David Blauss’ statement last week that it is a family event. Another resident in the audience challenged that accusation.

“There was alcohol, I’ve seen it,” said Kristine Briggs Coose.

“Just because there’s a red Solo cup, doesn’t mean there’s alcohol in it,” the second woman countered. “I understand there’s a song about it, but it doesn’t always mean that.”

Young had said “people drink everywhere,” comparing any alcohol consumption at public events with restaurants to which parents bring children where there are bars.

“What comes to mind is you’ve got a bunch of drunks up there, walking around bothering people and accosting them and forcing people off the premises,” he said of the depictions of festival behavior. “There can be people drinking, but they can be civil, I mean people drink everywhere, almost, they’re not accosting people.”

LaCamera had then pointed out that police details are required.

After the discussion concluded, LaCamera confronted Young in an exchange difficult to hear in the noisy room as the crowd filed out, but which was picked up clearly by Whitman-Hanson Community Access microphones.

“You’re out of line, Bruce,” LaCamera said as people were leaving. “You were way out of line.”

“I’m out of line?” Young replied.

“You were way out of line,” LaCamera repeated.

“How am I out of line?” Young asked.

“Come in and see me tomorrow morning, because I’m probably leaving tomorrow,” LaCamera said, jabbing a finger in Young’s direction.

“How the hell am I out of line?” Young asked. “You’d like to tell me, go. Let’s do it right now.”

“Defending them and saying that drinking is OK?” LaCamera said.

“No, I didn’t say that,” Young countered.

“Yes, you did,” LaCamera said.

“I never said that. Never in the world did I say that,” Young said.

“I can’t believe it,” LaCamera said.

“Let’s do it right now,” Young said. “Let’s do it right now.

“We’re not going to do it right now,” LaCamera said.

Selectmen Kenny Mitchell and James McGahan urged a short recess to cool the air.

“He’s not going to accuse me of … I’m taking a short recess is right,” Young said, banging the gavel.

“Yeah, goodbye,” LaCamera said. “I’ve had enough.”

Whitman places override question

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WHITMAN — Whitman Selectmen voted 5-0 on Tuesday, April 5 to place a $1,726,588 ballot question for its share of the assessment increase in the $49,714,344 WHRSD operating budget for fiscal 2017.

With a successful override, Whitman’s assessment would be $12,719,345. The increase would be and additional $1.24 per $1,000 valuation of $357 on a house valued at $288,000 in Whitman.

The 20.15-percent local assessment increase includes an overall  3.5-percent hike inside the levy limit with the balance contingent on a Proposition 2 ½ override in both communities. The total increase outside the levy is $3 million, apportioned based on student population.

Whitman’s override article is separate — Article 55 — from the operating budget in Article 2, “to keep the process clean so people can see what is being asked for,” Town Administrator Frank Lynam said. Article 2 represents the increase inside the levy limit to provide level services to the schools.

“What the School Committee did was split what they needed,” said Selectmen Chairman Carl Kowalski.

Hanson Selectmen voted 3-2 on the same night to place a $1,241,141 article and ballot question for its share of the assessment, which would increase the town’s assessment to $8,956,207.

“Last year, when we did the capital exclusion [for school computer upgrades], it hit everybody in the third and fourth quarter because the first two quarters were estimated bills Lynam told his Board of Selectmen April 5 in a meeting broadcast over Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV. “I found that the town is allowed, if the vote is taken prior to July 1 — and sufficiently early enough to allow the assessor to plan it — if the assessment passes Town Meeting and passes at the election the assessor can vote to add that money to the assessments beginning with the first quarterly bill, so people don’t get two small bills and then suddenly get hit with the value of the override over two bills rather than four.”

Like some of his Hanson counterparts, Whitman Selectman Brian Bezanson asked if there were options to a single up or down vote on the issue at Town Meeting.

“I’m all for putting this on the ballot to let the people decide, because 150 people at Town Meeting … 1,000 or more people voting at the ballot box [gives] a better picture, I think, but it would be nice to give them a choice,” Bezanson said.

Lynam said that was not an option, as Selectmen had to certify the ballot question no less than 35 days before the election.

“This is our opportunity to vote to put it on the ballot,” Lynam said. “Only the selectmen can place an override on the ballot. What Town Meeting can do is condition that money. As I understand Chapter 71, when a region submits a budget you have only two options — yes or no.”

He said he views a menu approach impedes the district’s ability to set their numbers.

“We get to say yes or no, not ‘Here’s how we want you to spend your money,’” Lynam said. “You can have those conversations during the budget process.”

Once an override is voted, it’s good until the tax rate is set, according to Lynam. If a ballot question succeeds where a Town Meeting article fails, the sponsor (WHRSD in this case) has until September or October to seek another Town Meeting in an effort to obtain a successful vote in that arena.

“We have elected officials that run our schools, that we put in office to do the best thing for our kids, and if this is what they’ve decided then this is what they’ve decided,” said Selectmen Vice Chairman Dan Salvucci in favoring an up or down ballot question to let voters decide the issue.

Alcohol Policy

In other business, selectmen amended its updated Alcohol Enforcement Compliance Check Policy.

“In discussions with investigators from ABCC, they provided us with a pretty clear outline of how they approach and how they would view our approach to compliance,” Lynam said. “There’s no point in us having a policy that doesn’t meet all of their points, because if we do, we’d be at risk of not being able to support the decisions.”

The policy, with it’s minor changes, will be delivered to license holders by Police Chief Scott Benton.

Kowalski noted the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission had conducted a compliance check in Whitman the week of March 28 and found four businesses in violation for sales to minors — the Whitman Convenience Store, Temple Liquors, Jamie’s Pub and O’Toole’s Pub.

Bernie Lynch of Colonial Power, the largest aggregation consultant in the state, representing 42 of about 80 communities participating in electric power aggregation, which is the municipal procurement of power for residents on and independent basis billed through utility companies, discussed the program with selectmen.

Whitman is working on an aggregation program through Old Colony Planning Council. The program is offered on an opt-out basis.

Aggregation is being put before Town Meeting as a warrant article.

Lynch said the benefits of aggregation include choice, pricing stability, savings through competitive bid process, flexibility and the expertise of Colonial Power.

Towns can also choose the level of green product they select. Billing and outage management remain the same as current practice through aggregation with Colonial Power, Lynch said.

“We kind of improve on that — you can’t get any worse,” he said of outage management.