WHITMAN – Sometimes the road to change is difficult, other times it turns out to be easier than you expected – and then there are the times that can overwhelm you at the change you were able to make. The Whitman Select Board witnessed examples of all three during their Tuesday, Sept. 17 meeting as they approved a change in the downtown business scene, expressed frustration at the budgeting process for one regional school district and surprise at how easily another district made the process of amending its regional agreement.
After two brief public hearings, the Board unanimously approved transfers of the Common Victualler All Alcohol Liquor License for McGuiggan’s Pub and the Patio at McGuiggan’s as well as the businesses’ Amusement/Live Entertainment Licenses from McGuiggan’s LLC to Lone Wolf Partners Inc. and Indian River Associates Inc., an emotional Richard Rosen addresses the board.
“This has been a very emotional time … this is terrible,” Rosen began as his voice broke and he paused to gain control of his emotions. “I’m really bad at wakes,” he joked.
“It’s been a very emotional time for my family,” he started again. “Fifteen years ago, we opened the pub. I don’t think there was anybody that gave us [the odds of lasting] 15 minutes and we’ve been through an awful lot, including a pandemic – which, I’m very proud of the fact that we kept 13 people on payroll the whole time – and then, when I opened The Patio, people really thought I lost my mind.”
He also spoke of the impact the two businesses have had on Whitman center.
“We’ve never had any issues or problems,” he said. “I think we’ve been a huge asset to the community. I think that we transformed Whitman center.”
“Yes,” agreed Vice Chair Dan Salvucci.
“On any given night, I can go into the pub and know 85 percent of the people there, and any night, I can go into The Patio and I don’t know 85 percent of the people,” he said. “The proof would be, if you all wanted to get in your car on Monday night around 7 p.m., and take a ride through the center, you’ll see what the town of Whitman center looked like 24/7—365 days a year forever – until 15 years ago.”
He admitted it might sound crazy, but it excites him when he drives through the center and finds it full of cars.
“It’s become a destination spot,” he said. “People are literally coming from all over the place to come here. … I have full faith and confidence in the new buyers. I know they are going to keep us proud and we’re going out with our head high.”
Rosen thanked the Select Board, the Police and Fire departments and “all the town officials who have been wonderful to us for the last 15 years.”
After Rosen spoke, the board gave him a warm round of applause.
“I agree with you,” Salvucci said. “Before you opened the pub, that end of town, there was no cars. Now, that end of town you can’t find a parking space.”
“We’ve never had an issue with parking,” Rosen said.
Rosen said the new buyers and owners – Johnny Perette, Dawn Castagnetti. Nancy Ruta, Joe Perette – and their attorney Richard Hickey were present, but opted not to speak.
The board also approved retention of the Sunday sales hours, beginning at 10 a.m. for the Patio’s new owners.
“Brunch is coming back, I assume,” said Select Board member Justin Evans
Lone Wolf Partners will operate the McGuiggan’s Pub property at 546 Washington St., as the Alibi Tavern and Indian River Associates will run Patio at McGuiggan’s, (552 Washington St.) as Patio at Martini’s.
The Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission will have several weeks to act on the license transfers once the application and supporting paperwork is submitted which Rosen said he hoped to do Wednesday, Sept. 18. The new ownership does not take effect until the license has been transferred.
“Thank you for what you did,” Salvucci said.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for Whitman,” said Select Board member Laura Howe.

SST amendment

South Shore Tech Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey, on the heels of another presentation on education budgeting, closed out the meeting with a presentation on the proposed amendment to the district’s Regional Agreement pertaining to the distribution of debt among member towns.
The amendment is slated to go before all nine of the member communities’ individual town meetings, beginning with Hanson on Monday, Oct. 7. When six towns affirm the amendment, it is passed, according to the SST Regional Agreement. It is then passed on to the Commissioner of Education to sign off on it.
“I think the idea was a good one said,” Hickey said. “It’s a pay-as-you-go model that’s fair based on sifts in enrollment that might happen over a 30-year period.”
Whitman’s enrollment, based on the number of seniors who graduated, and the number of freshmen coming in, is about 17 students fewer, a drop in enrollment that will eventually factor in to a four-year average and then factor into a four-year average.
“Technically, ultimately, to the Commissioner of Education has that final say,” Hickey said.
Currently, budgets include a three-year look back regarding enrollment figures, according to Hickey. The amendment would change that to a four-year review of member towns and the rules through which Marshfield is joining the district.
Until Marshfield develops an enrollment history, they will be asked to adjust their debt-share annually.
“I know from feedback in this room, back in December 2023, it was suggested that our current Regional Agreement language says the debt share that we have is currently fixed – when it’s authorized, do your calculation based on student enrollment and it’s fixed on the life of the borrowing,” Hickey said. “This amendment will change it to what we’re calling a four-year rolling average.”
The new wording was not only the SST regional planning subcommittee and School Committee, but was vetted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
“That took awhile, but it’s good to say that the language we came up with was “within bounds” – there was nothing wrong with the language so those boxes have certainly appropriately been checked.”

W-H budget process

On a somewhat bumpier road, Select Board member Shawn Kain discussed a letter he recently wrote to the W-H School Committee in response to correspondence he’s had with Committee Chair Beth Stafford.
That letter advocated beginning the process of updating the school assessment formula, while acknowledging it is a difficult discussion for a number of reasons, including the “unique and somewhat complex” nuances of the budget with a lot of town officials involved.
“If the formula is not balanced properly, then the School District and the town departments could be underfunded which could result in decreased staffing or services, so the discussion needs to be done carefully and respectfully,” he read from his last letter to Stafford. “It’s a difficult discussion, but it needs to happen.”
Kain noted the lingering tension and disagreement in the community over the school assessment formula.
“If we don’t work together to work this out, our community will suffer,” he wrote.
Kain said his objective was to introduce the topic to both select boards as well as the School Committee and then to develop a working group to focus on the details.
He also asked to be placed on a School Committee agenda – originally in August – to discuss the issue, but was asked to wait until September.
“Most recently, however, I was informed by the School Committee Chair, Beth Stafford, that she would not allow me to address this issue with the committee,” he said, noting that he was confused and taken aback by her response and, in his letter to Stafford apologized if his intent was misunderstood and asking her to reconsider the decision about letting him speak and said he is still interested in forming a working group.
“I would really like to keep the invitation standing for the School Committee,” he said. “They are welcome to come and have a voice and play a role in this.”
He also sought the board’s approval to communicate with Hanson Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett about pursuing the working group idea.
“If we can be more transparent about how we come up with what we can afford and explain it clearly, then we’re not keeping anything from anybody,” Kain said, “Our objective is to be transparent.”

WHITMAN – Filling the two Whitman vacancies on the School Committee has become a bit more complicated, as the Select Board’s office has received about 13 resumes for the positions for which those selected would have to stand for election later.
In a brief meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, Chair Dr. Carl Kowalski said the four remaining Whitman School Committee members and the five Select Board members have already received the resumes and letters of interest from the applicants.
“It’s going to be an important night,” he said.
Those selected would serve the final eight months the positions vacated by the death of Fred Small in July and the August resignation of David Forth, who plans to continue his education.
“What we are planning to do, is interview them on [at 6 p.m.] Oct. 1,” Kowalski said. “[Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter will be sending them out a letter tomorrow [Wednesday, Sept.11], telling them about the process,” he said. “We’ll have a televised meeting here, and each of the 12 or 13 candidates – and we’ll be giving each of them 10 minutes. Ten minutes to tell us why we should vote for them for School Committee membership.”
Kowalski said he referred to “12 or 13” because there was a question over whether one candidate had fulfilled the requirements of applying.
The applicants will be asked during the interviews what they will bring to the schools and to the students.
“They’ll be clocked,” said Kowalski, who is himself a former School Committee m. “We won’ be asking questions of the people. Once the 10 minutes are over, we’re going to vote.”
Select Board member Justin Evans estimated that the interviews would still take about two hours, but Kowalski had already taken that into account. Applicants won’t be asked questions about their resumes, because both committees already have them to review for almost a month.
“What we really want to hear from them is what they’re going to do for the schools, why we should vote for them, what they are going to do for the students at the schools. What’s in their minds.” he said. “I have always felt that one of the weakest parts of the search process is the interviews. What’s really important is paper, is resumes, because that tells us what we need to know about the person.”
Some people have trouble with interviews, Kowalski explained, while others are great at interviews, but their resumes don’t hold up to scrutiny.
Opioid vgil
In other business, Kowalski said he and his wife attended the annual Opioid Vigil, held at Massasoit Community College last week, to remember those who lost their livesto opioid overdoses.
“In 2013, the first night, they put up 22 photos on a screen for the people to see,” he said “The other night, 10 years later, they put up photos on a screen and there were over 450.”
He said he was happy to see Fire Chief Timothy Clancy and Police Lt. Daniel Connolly there.
“They’re there all the time because they do work with the school through W-H WILL,” he said. “I’d encourage any of you to attend. It happens every year right before Labor Day. … It’s a night that’s not easy to be at, but I think it’s a night that’s important to be at.”
Kowalski remembered an observation Clancy once made about the photos displayed: “It’s like looking at a high school yearbook, and the chief said something that’s going to stick with me a long time: ‘Addiction doesn’t care whether you live in a box by the railroad station or whether you live in a mansion on Nantucket.’ And that’s what you see in those photos.”