WHITMAN – Select Board voted on Tuesday, Dec. 19 to send two sample bylaws to the Bylaw Study Committee – to potentially allow solar farms or battery developers to locate in town.
Chair Dr. Carl Kowalski was unable to attend the meeting.
The town does not have anything at all in the general and Zoning bylaws to set any limits or have any rules or have any means of doing much to regulate solar, argued Select Board member Justin Evans.
He noting that, during the auction of the Peaceful Meadows property, the auctioneers mentioned some solar developers were interested and bidding on the property, according to state law, solar farms up to a certain size are allowed by right and because Whitman is a green community, anything above that is also allowed.
But there are no protections on the books for the town to use in controlling or reviewing potential developers.
“We don’t have anything at all in the general and zoning bylaws to set any limits, have any reviews – there’s nothing to protect the town from a developer and coming in and doing whatever related to solar,” Select Board member Justin Evans said. “But we do have the ability to put in place … bylaws. On batteries, that’s less of an already existing issue and more of an opportunity.
He said Carver, like Witman, has a large electric distribution substation, he said, noting the property off Sportsman’s Trail near the Brockton line.
“[That] would be a very desirable place for a potential battery developer to put something,” Evans said. “The project in Carver is estimated to cost about $175 million on six acres. In Whitman, in our personal property taxes, that would be a little over $2 million to the town if someone like that were to come in and do a project [like Carver’s].”
He said it is an opportunity the town could look at.
The board also discussed the extension of sidewalks from Hogg Memorial Drive to the Brockton Line.
Board Chair Dan Salvucci said he has spoken to the DPW Commissioners, as the board’s liaison to them, and reported that, while the commissioners feel it is important to have a sidewalk there, it is not their main priority. That priority is Plymouth Street from the Rotary to the Hanson line, where there are a great many houses never served by a sidewalk. It is also an area closer to the MBTA station, to which a lot of commuters walk and for which parking is scarce.
Salvucci also noted there are no sidewalks in Brockton on Route 14.
“So, [the proposed section] would stop there, and anybody wanted to walk further, Brockton doesn’t have it either,” he said. “They need to make the decision [about] what they want to do, try and get a grant and then bring it to Town Meeting. I don’t think it’s our decision to do that.”
Board member Shawn Kain noted the DPW has a formal plan with about 15 specific priorities, so the Hogg Memorial area is on the complete streets plan, it’s just not at the top of the list right now.
“I think, if the timeline worked out well, and they were to get the money, they’re looking at closer to 2026,” Kain said.
“The town can’t afford to put all the sidewalks in,” Salvucci agreed. “They’d have to go with a grant – complete streets and things like that. … As far as the Joint Transportation Committee – I will push for anything that the town is looking for.”
Kain said it is on his list of priorities as well.
An Auburnville Way resident said meetings about the issue with the offices of state Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida, R-Abington, and Congressman Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., has resulted in guidance that the Select Board’s prioritizing the Route 14 sidewalks could result in the faster release of state and federal grant money.
Both Salvucci and Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter said it would be better to discuss that with the DPW Commissioners first, as they are also an elected board and it would avoid over-stepping the commissioners’ authority.
SST concern
Resident Robert Kimball also spoke during the public forum on the informational meeting held by South Shore Tech on Dec. 14 regarding its upcoming building project.
“One of the big concerns was the percentage of paying moving forward, and I hope the Board of Selectmen can take a real good look at it,” he said, noting that Whitman’s share should be based on current enrollment.
Salvucci, who is also the Whitman representative to the SST School Committee, said Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey thought the opinion is credible and is looking into it.
“I asked him, since I’m on the committee there, to look at the enrollment for the past 10-15 years and see how the enrollment was, because there was one year, we went down a few students,” he said. “There was one year we went up 10 students.”
But, he added, interest in the school in Whitman remains high. There were more than 100 families touring the school during the registration process for next year’s freshman class recently.
“All I’m asking is that you take a good look at it and analyze it and do what’s best for the community,” Kimball said. “I want you to analyze it, not have your mind made up right now.”
Carter said Hickey had sent her an email about meeting to discuss the issue.
A sweet DECA fundraiser
When your high school business club – in this case, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School DECA team – is preparing for their competition year and want to also give back to the community while learning about media relations, what is the best way to go about it?
Whitman Hanson brought the Toll House Cookie back to Whitman this week for a schoolwide fundraiser to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The MDA fundraiser is part of a national initiative organized by DECA, the high school’s business club.
“Whitman-Hanson has always studied in history class, [that] Toll House cookies were discovered in Whitman,” said DECA member Maren Bowman. “It was made in Whitman, the company started in Whitman, so our school decided to make cookies. Mr. Desantes had a really good idea – he’s a really smart guy.”
That idea was to make the cookies and sell them at the school store during lunch blocs.
It’s a big mouthful to bite off – and all the better when it’s flavored by a local institution, the Toll House Cookie. But, as they say, experience is the best teacher, so the students got to work. And the result not only raised $250 in the one lunch hour for the MDA, it provided valuable experience in researching, organizing, manufacturing – OK, baking – marketing and sales.
MDA is the DECA partner charity, Desantes explained.
“They create incentives for us to raise money for the nonprofit. If we raise the most money in Massachusetts, we earn a spot to attend the national conference to participate in the learning sessions,” he said. “There are many adults in the building who like to support our fundraising efforts knowing that the proceeds are going to MDA.
“We decided this would be a good idea, because then we could get more students into the store, because all kids want to do is eat some good treats,” Bowman said with a laugh.
It was on.
Cookies were baked by about 18 students in the retail merchandising class, which Desantes runs, according to Bowman. Students largely did the baking at their homes, cranking out about 12 dozen cookies.
As she spoke on Tuesday, Dec. 19, she said the baking team were still making more.
Last week, Whitman-Hanson business students baked and sold Toll House chocolate chip cookies, which were invented nearly 100 years ago in Whitman, at the DEN – the high school’s student-run retail store. “With the rich tradition of the cookie in our hometown, the students created the event to bring awareness to the famous cookie during our busiest time of year,” W-H Business Teacher and DECA Advisor Thomas Desantes said.
A junior now, Bowman had a marketing class with Desantes in her freshman year.
“He’s such a good teacher, I decided to get involved in DECA during my junior year,” she said. “He always saw hope in me. He always encouraged me to take other classes – I took visual merchandising. I actually worked at the school store when I was a sophomore and it was really [a] good way to understand how to start a business, how to advertise things. The school store was just a very good example.”
They also learned how to think on their feet a bit, as the Monday, Dec. 18 storm knocked out power at some students’ homes and baking duties was transferred to the school’s culinary room.
When they did come out of the oven, the iconic cookies were packaged – two cookies each – to be given with a $30 or more purchase of Den merchandise or students were able to buy three cookies for a $5 donation during the lunch block on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
“We think we’re going to clear our cookies during the lunch blocs,” Bowman said when asked if preorders were taken.
DECA is an organization for students in high schools and colleges around the globe who want to learn business, management, entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality and marketing.
While Bowman said she is not aware to specific future projects this year, she said DECA has done senior gift baskets for parents to purchase through The Den.
“Desantes always has good ideas,” she said and it’s rubbed off. The gift baskets had been Bowman’s idea when she worked at the school store.
“Seventeen Whitman-Hanson students will be traveling to the Massachusetts DECA State Competition in the spring to present our donation to MDA leadership in hopes of earning a spot to attend the national DECA competition in April,” Desantes stated. “The DECA fundraiser is also a collaboration with the Retail Merchandising class, which is responsible for operating The Den.”
The project will also be a presentation in competition at DECA with Bowman in charge of presenting to the judges in March.
“This is a special category unlike the role plays where students can present on a project they worked on at School,” Desantes said. “This is for the category Project Management Sales Project. I chose the students based on their performance in role plays at the District competition (but they did not qualify to compete in State role plays). The concept is to create a project to increase sales at the school-based enterprise which for us is The Den. There are usually about 20 groups who compete in this category.
That presentation will include how well the cookie project did in actual operation, specifically how the students sold them, how the creative process worked and two other students will join her at states. Data will include how many cookies they sold, how many customers came into the store, including other requirements listed in a 21-page competition guide.
What will they call their project? We’ll have to stay tuned.
“We actually have been thinking about that for the past week,” Bowman said. “Today, we took pictures as a good example of advertising the cookies.”
The Express was invited to cover the initiative to demonstrate to the community the creative ideas our students are executing this year, and provide insight on how business seeks media coverage. Desantes also offered photo opportunities of the cookies being sold or even prepared in the school culinary arts center as media experience for photography students.
New fees at Camp Kiwanee
HANSON – The Select Board’s final two meetings of 2023 featured discussions of rates at Camp Kiwanee, which the board approved, as well as policies and procedures – including a tougher policy on dogs.
Camp Kiwanee Commission Chair Frank Milisi said rates were being increased to $8,500 for wedding receptions/vow renewals with additional hours costing $250 per hour. Weddings and vow renewals on-site are $750 for the ceremony, including rehearsal on the back deck of the lodge.
He said he did not have historic fees with him for comparison.
Campground facilities for weddings with the bridal and groom’s cottage is $1,500 at the entire south end of the facility. Daily rental is $150 each for those cottages.
Parties, company events, nonprofit and charitable fundraisers fees are $700 for five hours with additional hours costing $100 per hour with an extra $150 fee if they plan to use the ovens and stoves in the kitchen. Vendor and craft fairs will cost $1,500 for seven hours with additional hours at $150 each and kitchen fees at $150 per hour.
Company workshops will cost $1,500 for seven hours with an extra $150 for each additional hour and a $150 fee for kitchen use, if needed.
A kitchen-only fee would be $200 for five hours, with long-term use open to negotiation with the commission.
Hanson residents receive a 25-percent discount, and a 10-percent military discount is available for use of the Needles Lodge.
“I don’t want to second-guess a committee that we’ve got empowered to do this,” Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said.
“There’s a little bit of a controversy about our dog policy,” Milisi said, explaining that it has actually been policy to not have dogs at the camp from June 1 to Sept. 1.
“Correct,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “You even have a sign that says that.”
Milisi said the policy has previously excluded service dogs, but also excluded comfort dogs.
“We removed the comfort dogs out of there,” he said. “I don’t know what a comfort dog is. If it’s a service dog, it’s a service dog, it’s ADA federally protected at the camp. A comfort dog – my dog gives me comfort, I don’t want to take it to the camp.”
FitzGerald-Kemmett said the Hanson Police Department’s dog, Ziva, is a comfort dog.
“Ziva will have no problem getting into the camp,” Milisi said. “We have issues with people coming up there, having their dogs all over the grounds, leaving their mess everywhere. They don’t pick it up and things like that, so it’s going to be strictly enforced this year.”
Milisi also said the signs note that “pets” are not allowed during the summer season so people don’t try to get around the no-dogs policy be bringing other animals.
They are also looking into providing dog bags for people to use in cleaning up after their pet when they are allowed on the grounds outside of the summer season.
The board approved the policies and procedures contingent on town counsel having no issue with them.
Town Administrator Lisa Green said she had not seen the policies, but said she would review them and forward them to town counsel for their review, as well.
The Camp’s Facilities Manager will be retiring at the beginning of the year, but will stay on for a couple more months to allow his replacement Chris Hoffman, who was approved by the Select Board for 19.5 hours per week, effective immediately, on Tuesday, Dec. 12, to familiarize himself with camp protocols and procedures.
The Hanson PTO has also been granted a discounted rate of $25 per hour to hold its fundraising Polar Plunge, totaling $150. The same per-hour fee was also granted for the Plymouth County Beekeepers holiday party, totaling $100 with member Ann Rein recusing herself from that vote.
“We’re happy to be the new home of the Beekeepers,” Milisi said.
“The town is abuzz about it,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.
Hanson Youth Football also had a rate of $25 per hour approved for their events.
Milisi made plain he had abstained from the HYF vote on the commission.
Duval School wraps up 2023
By Dr. Darlene Foley,
Duval School Principal
It’s been a busy fall at John H. Duval Jr Elementary School with lots of exciting things happening. Last spring, Duval had its annual Boosterthon event and raised funds for an Outdoor Classroom. The Outdoor Classroom will be a flexible learning space for teachers and students. It was purposely designed so seating (not shown) can be arranged that reflects lesson needs and the imagination of teachers and students. The project was designed and built with the support of Duval families, PTO, and WHRSD. I’d like to give special thanks to Baker and Sons Construction, Chuck Crawford, Mike Driscoll, Marshall Ottina, and Matt Price, who were instrumental during the process.
Duval held its Annual Basket Raffle on Nov. 17 at the Whitman VFW. The event was so much fun for the entire family, and we raised a staggering $15,500!
The Basket Raffle is a huge undertaking every year and includes a wide variety of themed baskets, gift certificates, entertainment tickets, and unique experience events designed and donated by the Duval staff. The Annual Basket Raffle keeps getting better due to the ongoing commitment of our volunteers and the generosity of our entire school community.
I’d like to thank the PTO board members Mrs. Dearing, Mrs. DeLaiarro, Mrs. Lyons, Mr. Ottina, and Mrs. Chester (the event chair…huge kudos!) who worked on the event about 12 months in advance. Proceeds from the event support learning enrichment programs for all of our Duval Dolphin students.
The giving keeps on giving at Duval!
Last Friday, we wrapped up our Holiday Food Drive for the Whitman Food Pantry at our All School Meeting. Students donated green beans, carrots, potatoes, yams, gravy, cranberry sauce, desserts, and quick breads. All those individual donations – those individual acts of kindness – resulted in an enormous food donation that will help many families in our community.
With the help of our grade five Student Council members, 500 pounds of food was loaded into cars destined for the Whitman Food Pantry. Former Duval teacher Mrs. Kelley, Mrs. Carpenter, Mrs. Smith, and Mr. Ward received the donation on behalf of the Whitman Food Pantry. Thank you to all the families who contributed to the food drive. At Duval, we feel that this food drive provides students with an important opportunity to learn and practice community engagement and citizenship.
These successes show that students, families, and staff are fully committed to our school. I am grateful for everyone’s attention and effort that make John H. Duval Jr. Elementary School a special place.
Whitman eyes SST building project
WHITMAN – While 2023 ended with the question of whether a new Whitman Middle School would be built, in the coming year the same question faces voters – as one of nine member communities being asked to support a new South Shore Tech.
“Our goal is not to build the absolute biggest thing we can build,” said SST Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey, as some voters brought their questions to an informational meeting held in Whitman Town Hall on Thursday, Dec. 14. “We have to build something that is as affordable as possible.”
He was joined by Project Manager Jen Carlson from the firm LeftField, Educational Consultant Adele Sands, and Carl Franshesci from architectural firm DRA. Whitman’s representative to the SST School Committee, Select Board Vice Chair Dan Salvucci also attended, as did Select Board member Justin Evans, who also serves on the Whitman Middle School Building Committee.
Whitman Finance Committee members Kathleen Ottina and Rosemary Connolly also attended and asked several questions.
“We’ve accomplished a lot as a building committee in the last few months,” Hickey said, as he began with an overview of the project and its status before taking those questions. “I promise you there are slides that say ‘Show me the money.’”
Opened in 1962, SST is the second-oldest regional-vocational school in Massachusetts with the original member communities of Abington, Cohasset, Hanover, Norwell, Rockland and Scituate, with Whitman and Hanson joining the region in the 1982-83 school year. Marshfield is now in the process of joining the district and Pembroke is considering that move.
“If we decide to bring in more communities that are not part of a regional voke later on, we’ll bring them in knowing they’ll help with cost-sharing, but those conversations are entirely separate from this,” Hickey said.
Marshfield will be paying a portion a share of the project in fiscal 2026, the first anticipated year of bond anticipation notes.
“Marshfield’s annual debt share will adjust with their enrollment, as they add students for fiscal ’26, ’27, ’28 and ’29,” Hickey said. “Then, on Oct. 1, 2028, as we’re preparing the fiscal ’30 budget, Mansfield’s share will be fixed.”
For example, if Marshfield sends 20 kids per year, it would put them at 11.9 percent of total school enrollment, translating to an 11.9 percent cut for each of the towns. It would be the district’s largest sending community with an eighth-grade class of more than 250 kids.
Whitman’s eighth-grade class is currently 174.
“Second-oldest doesn’t mean [it’s a] decrepit building,” he said. “We’re a well-maintained building, but we just happened to be the second one in Massachusetts to experiment with this model.
With a larger school building, Hickey said plumbing and veterinary technician can be added to the 12 shop specialties taught to the 670 students already attending SST.
Hickey said people have been asking him for decades why the school hasn’t offered a plumbing program, but the space limitations have not permitted it.
“Over the last 10 years, the number of kids who would like to come, but there is no space, has averaged out at about 68 students,” he said. “That’s an important number for me to factor in when making recommendations about what we could potentially build for – what is the demand?”
The average freshman class now numbers between 175 and 180 students. Each town is apportioned a number of seats each year, based on the number of eighth graders in each town and there is an application process. While some towns use all their seats and have excess demand, of which Whitman is one, with the highest population in the school for a few years. Other towns, like Cohasset and Norwell, have seats left unfilled and are reapportioned to communities with excess demand.
SST has been filing statements of interest with the Massachusetts School Building Authority for a school project since 2015, and were invited into the process in March 2022.
“We’ll have something that’s safer, that will allow us not to have modular units,” he said. “The bread and butter of our school is our shop space … to teach kids the trade skills they need.”
As an example, he said that, if all the school’s carpentry students stopped or were unable to go out on cooperative learning work in the upper grades, Hickey doubts there would be room for all of them to safely work in the Carpentry Shop.
The useful life of the building and its systems is also a concern.
SST’s education plan and preliminary design program are now under review by the MSBA. The building committee looked at several design options and five different enrollments, narrowing it to three plans. All information about the SST school design options and cost projections are available on a website: southshoretechproject.com.
“By the end of January [2024] we, as a building committee, will make two decisions – which design do we want to push forward and what will the enrollment number be?” Hickey said. “Then we go into 2024, working with the MSBA … and, ultimately and hopefully, they will then approve a project, with a project funding agreement and reimbursement rates in August.”
The process would culminate with a ballot question going before voters in late January 2025.
SST is also on a small site with environmental limitations, including wetlands, which is why at least one design is for an addition/renovation – which would bring no MSBA reimbursement – but Marshfield will be helping with cost-sharing.
“That amount is not something voters would know when making an educated decision on the project, but it is likely to assist,” he said. “We’re looking at an add/reno and two projects for new construction that we’re calling ‘2.0’ and ‘2.1.’”
The main differences between them is the layout of athletic fields where the current school is as well as the location of a multi-purpose auditorium – with retractable stadium seats so the space can be used for sports and other programs as well as performances – dining commons, gym and locker rooms.
“Every square foot that we’re asking for has got to have more than one purpose,” he said. “Having [all that] in one area is an important theme. Of the three floors this one probably has the most unique elements.”
Design 2.0 places them to one side of the school building center. Design 2.1 puts them in the center of the building.
Hickey said the decision on locating the common areas are still under discussion, but fundamentally, the general layout of both designs are the same.
Two enrollment figures have been prioritized for the new building – 805 and 900. The building space, now at 130,000 square feet on one level, will expand to between 240,000 and 260,000 square feet on multiple levels.
“The first floor is focused on our shops,” Hickey said.
Any new construction will have to be to the rear of the property, where baseball and football fields are now.
If the MSBA gives its approval in the summer of 2024, a district-wide ballot question will go before voters in January 2025 and the project will enter the design phase in 2025 to early 2026, entering the construction phase in 2026 to mid-2028 to be opened for the 2028-29 school year.
Hanson reviews town’s finances
HANSON – The town’s plan for a level-service municipal budget, with 2-percent increases for some expense lines in fiscal 2025 is a “huge first step,” consultant John Madden told the Select Board on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
He said he would not rule out an override as a means to solve the ongoing deficit problem, but added that is something to be decided in the future.
“You saw the increases … on the expense side,” he siad. “They’re unsustainable – I don’t think that’s a bone of contention.”
Hanson’s average annual budget increase is 6.23 percent. A halt to using free cash to bolster the operating budget and the town must use disciplined and realistic budget requests and approvals, which are already being used, must continue, as well.
Madden, contracted to do a financial analysis of the town and its spending habits, a few months ago, returned to brief the board about his findings. Vice Chair Joe Weeks was absent from the meeting.
Madden conducted a similar analysis for Whitman, producing a report they’ve been following in their financial planning.
“The town of Hanson is going to have its own Madden report when he presents his final report with recommendations and suggestions on how we can do things better financially,” said Town Administrator Lisa Green.
Madden said he was presenting an interim report.
“We’ve reviewed a lot of information,” he said. “We’ll bury you in a lot of financial information right now.”
Based on his findings so far and town officials’ input on them, an final report is planned for release in early January. While his review was geared to fiscal years 2025-29, the first year he would recommend putting any recommendations into action would be fiscal 2026.
Town Accountant Eric Kinsherf suggested working up a budget to determine what would need to be cut without an override to help decide if there should be one and how much would be needed.
Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said one point that keeps cropping up in discussions about the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District is that Whitman “has a number they are sticking with.”
“We don’t have that tool in our toolbox right now,” she said.
Madden said that would be one of the recommendations.
“We need to look at this as what can you sustain?” he said. “The difference between Whitman and here is we weren’t looking at an override situation there – we are now.”
But, while an override is not off the table, Madden said if the towns are to pull in the reins of each department, they also need to the schools to understand the town departments have needs, too.
He said Green has already taken steps to close the revenue gap. The next step is to determine if the town’s other financing sources are being used as they should and if there is room for growth there.
“Ultimately, this is your report,” Madded said. “One of the main reasons I’m here tonight is to not only present you with this information, but to give the board and others an opportunity to assist in its development.”
Madden’s process involved reviewing financial trends over the past five years, reviewing “various documents” including documents and official statements to the state Department of Revenue, meetings with Green and other officials, projections of budgets five years forward, and consideration of a future Proposition 2 ½ override.
In addition to taxation, state aid and local tax recipts, Madded noted that Hanson has a series of renewable other financing sources, including fund that helps take care of a Title 5 septic upgrades and a fire apparatus fund that is fed by ambulance reciepts.
“These are ongoing renewable revenues,” Madded said. “When you look at something like that in a community, it’s usually one-time revenue.”
The FY 2024 levy limit of $26,891,943 is reached by adding the 2023 levy limit of $25,405,077 to the 2.5 percent increase of $635,127 and the $316,309 in new growth and $535,430 between two debt exclusions.
Local aid for 2024 is $1,761,054 – a four-year average of 4 percent.
“It’s minimal growtth,” Madden said. “The Water Enterprise Fund – at $3,078,478 – is not considered in any of this because it’s an enterprise self-balancing fund.”
Of the town’s $563,889 in local receipts, $82,399 is in meals taxes, approved in 2013, and $227,237 is investment income.
The motor vehicle excise is 58 percent of local receipts, which is actually down over fiscal 2022.
The town used $357,000 in free cash in fiscal 2024 to balance the budget.
“It’s an indication – a clear indication – of ongoing expenses outdistancing renewable revenue,” he said. “That’s not a value judgment of how the revenues coming in or the importance of the expeses that are being appropriated. It’s just the fact that there is a gap.”
The Division of Local Services’ best practices recommendation to use free cash – as a non-renewable revenue sourse – be restricted to paying only one-time expenses.
“In addition to that, bond rating agences are going to look at something like this,” Madden cautioned. “It won’t be the end of the world, but, obviously, ideally they’re looking to invest in communities with their revenues matching their expenditures. The use of free cash doesn’t help.”
Hanson’s fiscal 2024 operating budget was $32,241,150 – an increase of 4.5 percent over fiscal 2023. Vocational education was up 7.03 percent, W-H regional education budget was up 4.8 percent and the town’s increase was 2.5 percent.
The town’s expense for the regional 911 call center, paid for by state 911 funds for the first three years, will increase from $200,000 in fiscal 2024 to $400,000 in fiscal 2026, with budgets after that subject to the same inflationary effects as any other department. Plymouth County Retirement pension assessments also increase every year.
While the purposes behind the increases were reasonable, he said that Hanson had, perhaps fallen behind in its ability to compete with other communities in keeping qualified, talented people.
“Once you get them here, you’ve got to give them an environment that works,” he said. “You’re not alone in trying to make this work.”
The best gift for Christmas
By Linda Ibbitson Hurd
Special to the Express
In May 1972, when my brother, Dave, graduated from high school he set out to travel across the country on his motorcycle, a Triumph 650 Tiger. He and a friend had planned the trip together. Four days into the trip the friend decided he rather go to California and left. Dave continued on, sticking to his itinerary to see the places he had dreamed about.
A few weeks later when he made it to Glacier National Park in Montana, he was feeling lonely. He found an Animal shelter in a town called Missoula to see about getting a dog. In a row of cages, the last cage being the death cage, sat a little black dog a Dachshund-Pomeranian mix. Dave took him.
He was told to take caution as the dog may jump off the bike. He went into an athletic shop nearby and got a knapsack. He put the dog in it and drove slowly around a field to see if the dog would stay in it. He jumped out twice but then stayed in it.
Dave called him Dog. When he got back out on the highway, Dog jumped out and ran across all four lanes. Dave watched helplessly as vehicles veered to miss the dog in the heavy traffic. Dog looked across the highway at Dave as if to say, “Aren’t you coming?” and then crossed it again as Dave’s heart sank, thinking he would never make it back but he did. He picked him up, put him in the knapsack and told him he was naming him Lucky.
Dave’s birthday is in August and our mom was hoping he would be home by then. Our youngest sister was born on his birthday when he was three and we always celebrated the two birthdays together.
When he didn’t make it home for the birthdays we were all disappointed, it just wasn’t the same without him and I know it bothered mom. One day at the end of Summer when you could feel fall in the air, I was helping mom move some things in her room and a framed picture of my brother fell off her cedar chest onto the floor. There was no reason for it to fall and she was alarmed feeling like something had happened to Dave. Within the hour the phone ran and it was him. He said he had a feeling that he should call home, and mom was glad to hear his voice. He told her he was low on money and was working for a Czechoslovakian family on their farm picking fruit so he could make enough money to get home.
September passed into October and, after Dave drove through the Painted Desert, his bike wasn’t running well and got worse. He pulled into Albuquerque and found a motorcycle shop where the owner told him the main bearing was gone on the bike and he’d have to send away for the part. Dave found lodgings in a basement room of a condemned building where a group of Chicano men lived and he found work as an assistant cook and dish washer at a local restaurant.
The owner of the bike shop kept offering him money for his bike and told Dave the part hadn’t come in. It was now November. Our dad wanted to fly Dave home and he refused to leave without the bike. Dad called Spooner’s Bike Shop in Hanover, Mr. Spooner called Triumph and they in turn contacted the owner of the bike shop who had Dave’s bike and put pressure on him to fix it and return it to Dave so he could come home.
When Dave left there, it was December and he wanted to be home for Christmas. A pleasure trip was turning into a survival trip as he drove through a torrential rainstorm in one state, a hurricane in another and then snow 12 inches deep and more. He had to make it with what money he had left, saving it for gas.
He drove without stopping and thanks to some insulated coveralls our parents sent him, he and Lucky survived one 30-degree night after he’d been driving well over 24 hours. The ground was too frozen to pitch a tent and he put all his clothes in the knapsack to keep Lucky warm while he held him and slept on the ground.
The week before Christmas, we had a blizzard in Massachusetts, and we were all glued to the news. We hadn’t heard from Dave for two weeks. We knew from the news the weather and temperatures were not in Dave’s favor. All we could do was pray.
After the blizzard was over, I went to my parent’s to see if there was any news. All of us were there, both the radio and tv were on so we could hear the news and weather. It was late afternoon, and it was getting dark. Suddenly there was the familiar sound of a motorcycle. We all held our breath; did we dare hope it was him? We all ran to the window to look in the driveway. A bike, but no Dave. Then we heard the kitchen door open and when we got there in he came with a knapsack on his back and a little black dog peeking out. There was relief, happy tears and lots of hugs, the most beautiful sight to see and the best Christmas gift we could have gotten.
Public information session is held
South Shore Tech Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey is asking for people’s patience as the regional vocational school district shares what they know about the cost of a new school building.
“It may not be best marketing, but it is what we know,” Hickey said in Whitman on Thursday, Dec. 14. “We’ll [soon] know more, and at least we can start having a conversation [about what each design version might cost].”
School officials know that building costs are high these days and the building committee will be smart and practical about what they are looking for, prioritizing shop settings.
“They’re a workforce provider. There’s a lot of benefit that comes from our [vocational] schools – even after-hours – local employers and the local economy benefit,” Hickey said, noting there is a need for advocating for greater support from the Legislature. “You can support local taxpayers by juicing up the reimbursement rates in a few areas that are unique to our school.”
He said his Christmas wish would be a one-time earmark for SST to enable the school to push off the first year of costs.
“Maybe that’s too selfish,” he said. “But at the very least, systemically, we should not be reimbursed as a regular high school. Period. There should be certain categories where our reimbursement rates are higher – that would be a game-changer.”
Hickey said he does not believe for one second that anyone is opposed to the school’s building proposal.
“It’s just about threading that needle with something that will get us that next 50 years and not break everybody’s bank,” he said.
If the aggregate of the nine communities pass a single ballot question to be voted on during the same time window on the same day of January 2024, the project would be deemed approved. Hickey has met with town clerks in all nine communities concerning what the statute says about a district-wide ballot, knowing that 2024 is also a presidential election year and town clerks will have limited free time.
“I can say with great confidence that, if we got to that point, nearly all of my nine communities would have to consider a debt exclusion for that,” Hickey said.
While they do not have accurate estimates of the project cost, the design team has calculated cost estimates based on square footage.
Design 2.0 is estimated at $344.1 million to $350 million with $104.6 million reimbursable and $239.6 million divided between the member towns as the local share. For Design 2.1, the total cost is so far estimated at $349.8 million with $106.7 million reimbursable and $243.1 million on the towns.
Hickey said he hopes to be able to report, after Jan. 17, that the reimbursement amount will hold, but the total amount will drop and that the 30-percent reimbursement number they are now seeing will be higher.
“We know that MSBA reimbursement rates have improved, but it’s still not good enough and certainly not good enough for vocational schools,” Hickey said, noting the MSBA does not have a separate reimbursement scale for vocational schools. “We’ll continue to advocate with our legislative delegation in the hopes that they will be able to advocate for adjusted reimbursement rates.”
Whitman’s percentage, based on enrollment, is the highest at 25.4 percent. Hanson is currently 13.8 percent. The percentages are calculated by adding the enrollments for the last five years, dividing it by the aggregate number of in-district kids.
“If these fake numbers held, Whitman’s share could be anywhere from $58 million to $62 million,” Hickey said. “These are cost estimates that … are clocking in at $1,400 per square foot. The market, right now, is not costing $1,400 a square foot, its probably costing under $1,000 – hence the reason for some optimism at least.”
Bob Kimball, a former school committee member and proponent of vocational education, asked about whether Whitman’s 24 percent of the cost burden, based on current enrollment would be in effect if its enrollment declined during the life of the debt exclusion and how Marshfield figures into it.
Hickey said it would have to carry the 24 percent in that case. Marshfield agreed to pay a little under 18 percent of the SST existing stabilization fund – about $400,000 – based on enrollment trends.
“Their buy-in [to the building project] comes in over time – four years of adjustable debt share and then a fixed debt share after they’ve been in the building for five years,” he said.
There are currently three Marshfield seniors attending SST as non-resident students admitted before state regulations changed, and freshmen will attend as residents of a member community in the fall.
“First of all, we want this,” said Finance Committee member Rosemary Connolly. “We want this for our kids, but we want to make sure that it’s equitable and fair.”
She asked how the reimbursement to communities would be handled by the MSBA.
“We’ve got the largest amount [of the cost] and we’re a poor town,” she said. “Will we be enjoying the reimbursement that would have been given to us if it was separate?”
Hickey said he didn’t think he could confidently and concisely answer that, saying he would have to look into the reimbursement model and how it is calculated. The reimbursement rate for the feasibility study
Public information session is held
was 55.5 percent.
“We’re the largest amount and we’re also now burdening in two different ways to subsidize, in a sense, other wealthier towns,” she said. “I would like you to watch that, maybe re-look at those numbers a little bit.”
Finance Committee – and Whitman Middle School Building Committee – member Kathleen Ottina followed up with a question on the reimbursement rate.
Hickey said the 55.5 percent for feasibility study would not necessarily carry over to the next phase,
“All bets are off for the construction phase,” he said. “You have to look at the situation when we’re eventually going into construction.”
While Whitman has the most students at SST, Ottina noted they have the lowest per-pupil cost based on the statutory model, because they have the highest Chapter 70 funding because Whitman as the poorest town in the district.
“You can tell, based on your fiscal 2024 budget, who can afford it and who can’t,” she said, adding that she has looked into how the MSBA calculates the reimbursement rate, and two of the three factor are similar to how the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does reimbursement – aggregate wealth and income. “We’re going to get clobbered unless there’s a pro-rated [formula]. We’re 24 percent of the students and 24 percent of the debt, so 24 percent of the reimbursement rate should be what Whitman would get by itself.”
Hickey said those issues are something he could definitely get answers for – not only how MSBA makes the sausage, but how it cuts it up.
Project Manager Jen Carlson from the firm LeftField said the designs have been closely following the allowable space guidelines from MSBA.
Resident John Galvin, who has served on both the Finance Committee and WMS Building Committee, asked several questions, including the evolution of the square-footage in design plans, time between MSBA design approval and the January vote, whether any forecasting has been done on how a new building might affect enrollment, and the prospect of reviewing the SST regional agreement and the calculation of student share.
Carl Franshesci said they are working off a program that calls for a certain number of classrooms and shops and the square-footage needed, which will work for both plan options.
Starting conversations with town clerks now, and providing feedback has been important, Hickey said. The early message received has been one of timing based on the demands of those running local elections.
Carlson also noted that it is not permitted on a state or federal ballot, requiring a separate ballot and check-in process.
“The [enrollment] variable for me right now is Marshfield, because we don’t have any data on that, but Scituate and Hanover have changed in the last few years,” Hickey said, noting that those two communities’ enrollment have begun tightening up. “That means that, in some respects, Whitman’s share will likely plateau and then decline if all those factors hold true.”
Hickey said if enough communities want to review the calculations of student share a review of that portion of the regional agreement is possible, depending on how risk-averse they are to a fixed formula to something adjustable.
“I think the idea deserves to be looked at,” he said.
Getting an early start on FY ‘25 budget
WHITMAN – Year-end financial snapshosts continued last week as the Select Board on Tuesday, Dec. 5 met in a joint session requested by the Finance Committee
“The Finance Committee always looks forward to a joint meeting with the Board of Selectmen just for an update since we last met during the special Town Meeting,” Chair Richard Anderson said, introducing new member Mike Warner. The meeting reviewed revenue projections, and reach concensus on overall expenditure levels, use of reserves and generaly allocation of resources as well as the distribution of budget guidelines to department managers to enable them to prepare appropriation requests.
“The benefit from this process … has helped us, I think, better prepare for Town Meeting,” Anderson said.
Finance has already met with police, fire, veterans’ services, the treasurer-collector and were meeting with the Building Department and assessor later that night.
Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter reminded the two panels that the town aimed to begin the budget process earlier this year. She met with Anderson, Assistant Town Administrator Kathleen Keefe, Hanson Town Administrator Lisa Green and Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak in July to discuss a preliminary budget timeline and the 5-percent increase budget increase over last year’s appropriation. She followed that up with in October with a request for all budget submission with 2.5 percent salary increases and level-funded expenses.
Carter began meeting with individual department heads in November and met a second time with Green and Szymaniak about what the two towns can afford for a school budget increase in fiscal 2025.
“This process will continue for the next couple of months,” she said.
So far this month, she has met with the assessor, treasurer-collector and accountant to prepare information for Town Meeting budget Article 2. She also drafted a budget based on the submission criteria she supplied to department heads.
“This budget is very fluid and is a work in progress,” she said.
Select Board member Shawn Kain said conservative revenue projections put the current levy is $30,971.437. Adding the Proposition 2 ½ increase of $774,286 and $450,000 in new growth raises the projected levy to $32,195,723. New growth estimates of $9,999,746 brings the total to $42,195,469 – a $1,143,299 increase over fiscal 2024.
Expenses in salary and insurance cost hikes and regional schools increases, among others, brings the town’s expenses up to about $1.4 million over last year – higher than revenue increases. That puts the town at a $273,060 deficit.
“We’re trying to get better and better at forecasting,” Kain said.
“This information is more comprehensive than anything we’ve ever had,” Anderson said. “I think it’s good that we’re here together to talk about where we need to end up at an earlier time than we have in the past.”
Carter is also reviewing approved expenditures at previous town meetings that could have come in under-budget, but funds of which, were not returned to the town – as was discovered about some DPW budgeted funds that were discovered unspent during the lead-up to the November special Town Meeting.
“I want to condense that …, but there are several articles with balances for projects that have not yet been started or completed,” she said of a plan to boil out some information.
A small miracle in Christmas moonlight
By Linda Ibbitson Hurd
Special to the Express
Every year when it was time to get a Christmas tree my siblings and I would follow our dad across the field through the snow in back of our house and into the woods on my grandfather’s land to find that one special tree. It was always a pine tree and we all had to agree which one it would be. Dad would cut it down and we’d follow him home.
When the four of us were grown with families of our own, we continued to follow this tradition.
One summer in the ’80s there had been a drought and there were very few trees to pick from. My kids and husband Dave and I were disappointed but made the best of the situation. We decided to go to Nessralla’s Farm stand near our house to pick out a tree.
There was a beautiful full moon that night and the Farm stand was busy with people picking out wreaths and trees in a very festive atmosphere. Everyone seemed to be smiling and calling out greetings to friends and neighbors who were there. Our kids were in their teens by then and found the perfect tree and we brought it home.
As Dave and my son Brian were bringing in the tree, my daughter Heidi and I carried the box of decorations up from the cellar. Once the tree was up and Brian was putting the lights on it, I reached into the box of decorations to pull out the angel we always put on the top of the tree and noticed my wedding band was not on my hand. My heart sank and I began looking for it, thinking I may have put on my dresser.
I looked all over the dresser top and in my jewelry box, all over the room, all over the house and then all over the yard and in our truck. I looked in all my pockets and coat pockets and could not find it.
Dave and I went back up to the farmstand to see if anyone had found it and we looked all over the grounds. The Nessrallas told us if anyone found it, they would call us. We thanked them and left.
When we got home, I turned on the big outside light that shone on the backyard and Dave, the kids and I looked and looked for my ring. The dusting of snow on the ground made it harder to look and we finally went back into the house. They were very comforting to me and tried to get me to relax saying maybe it would turn up in the morning.
I sat for a while watching the kids decorate the tree and I just had to go back out and look again. I said a prayer and walked across the driveway, even moved the truck to see if it might be underneath and checked all inside it once more. I walked out into the backyard again and finally decided to go back into the house.
As I put my foot on the flagstone for what seemed like the 100th time to step into the back door something caught my eye. Some of the snow had melted on the stone making a v shape and something was shining. When I stepped closer to look down, there was my wedding ring shining in the moonlight.
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