WHITMAN – A spate of recent events has reminded Select Board Chair Dr, Carl Kowalski of a line from a movie that he says speaks to a need for talking to each other, rather than at each other.
“As I was getting ready for the meeting tonight, something kept going through my head. … I’ve had [that line] in my head for a long time,” Kowalski said. The 1990 film “The Sound of Silence,” featuring Nicholas Cage and Laura Dern, included the line, “The whole world’s wild at heart and weird on the top,” he recalled, going on to explain his meaning.
The line reminded him of some things.
“We’re living that right now,” he said. “We have reports of swastikas in the neighborhoods. We have rumored reports – false rumored reports – of illegal immigrants living in the armory. We had a stand-out of 300 people in Hanson over the weekend in support of a man who’s breaking the law in Hanson by projecting something on the town [water] tower – which is town property.
“We have the police having to pay attention to the house of the town manager in Hanson – one of our former colleagues – who merely did the right thing by telling that person that it was against the law and he should take it down,” he said, noting that official’s life has been threatened and they have received “nasty emails.”
Contacted that evening, Hanson Select Board Chair Laura Fitz-Gerald-Kemmett had no comment. [See story opposite]
All of that’s been going on over the last couple of days, Kowalski informed his board about the examples he cited.
“The whole world is wild at heart and weird on the top,” he repeated.
He said he was relating that information as an introduction to a program, planned by the Whitman Freedom Team, at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24 at W-H Regional High School.
Kowaksi was extending an invitation to all residents to attend, or to watch at home. Speakers at the event will include Democratic state Sen. Mike Brady of Brockton and Republican state Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida of Abington.
“It’s for a night of unity, hoping to inspire and share the Whitman team’s message of civility and mutual respect,” he said. “Certainly, it’s timely. Unfortunately, it’s really needed.”
Campbell retires
The Board then recognized the retirement of Det. Eric Campbell, who attended the meeting with his wife Diane, daughter Morgan and sons Dylan and Justin.
“They’ve always been supporting him, as families do in the police profession,” Police Chief Timothy Hanlon said.
Campbell began his career in the auxiliary unit, moving on into patrol in 2001 and beginning a 24-year career as a full-time officer. He has served as a DARE officer, a school resource officer, has been a detective since 2012, and has been an honor guard volunteer as well as the auxiliary liaison officer. He has also served as a union president for many years and still serves as the department’s evidence officer until his official retirement date.
“He’s worn many hats here and all those are appreciated,” Hanlon said. “What I can say about Eric Campbell is, he’s always been available to do those jobs to the best of his ability. He is as dedicated as they come.”
Hanlon said that Cambell won’t be completely retiring as he will return to being an auxiliary/special police officer.
“He’ll be down to one hat,” Hanlon said, presenting Campbell with his retirement badge. The police union presented him with a plaque in appreciation of his service and the Select Board presented him with a citation from the town.
The board then voted to appoint Campbell as an auxiliary/special police officer, effective Oct. 24 through June 30, 2025.
“That was a long retirement,” Kowalski joked. “OK, you’re back on the job, Eric.”
“Heck of a retirement,” Vice Chair Dan Salvucci jested.
Green report card
In other business, Old Colony Regional Planning Council (OCPC) Senior Development Specialist Paul Umano presented Green Communities program’s annual report.
The town’s 10-year report card was encouraging.
“You guys have done an amazing job with reducing your energy use and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with [Assistant Town Administrator Kathleen Keefe] and her team with the upcoming spring round grants,” he said, noting the typical grant is around $225,000 per grant year There is also a grant program for $500,000 for de-carbonization programs.
“The possibilities are endless,” he said.
Umano’s presentation was aimed to show the town’s overall standing as a green community. There are five criteria required by the program: as-of-right siting; expedited permitting; maintaining energy use; fuel-efficient vehicle policy and the “stretch code,” which is the more stringent building code governing new construction.
Under the as-of-right siting criteria, there are requirements for renewable or alternative energy generating facilities; renewable or alternative energy research and development and renewable or alternative energy manufacturing facilities in designated locations.
“The town currently has a range – I know the town as a little bit of aggregation and a little bit of solar as well – you’ve maintained that status throughout [and] you’ve been designated as a Green Community,” he said.
“The third criteria, I think is the most important – maintaining your energy use baseline data,” Umano said. “The idea is [that] your baseline is FY 2014.” That calls for a 20-percent reduction of energy use.
“You guys are doing an amazing job in terms of reducing your energy use throughout,” he said again, The 20-percent benchmark is maintained in municipal buildings, while open space is well over 20 percent, while traffic and streetlights are almost at 60 percent; town-owned vehicles are at a 16-percent reduction level and the Water and Sewer Department is at just 6 percent.
“That’s just amazing work across the board,” he said.
Board member Justin Evans offered kudos for the long-term energy reductions.
“The streetlights was all Lisa Green, our now twice mentioned in this meeting former assistant town administrator – a project that she spear-headed and really converted them all to LED using Green Communities grant,” Evans said. “I think credit where it’s due. It saved us 60 percent off our carbon emissions chart there.”
Projects the town has done which stand out include the Council on Aging, where a high-efficiency water heater has been put in place; some insulation work at the Fire Department, some rooftop control units have been put in at the police station; some EV charging stations have been placed at the DPW and a boiler has also been replaced there as well as at Town Hall.
“By no means is that an exhaustive list, but some of the key highlights over the years,” Umano said.
For future planning, he called attention to the town buildings with the greatest current energy use: Town Hall, the police and fire stations, the library and the DPW’s “town barn.” They are also the highest carbon emission buildings.
Energy-use intensity, comparable to miles per gallon on one’s car, is also tracked for the review – and the list is basically the same as for energy use, with the armory building replacing the library and DPW on the list. Umano also gave the town high marks for its fuel-efficient vehicle policy, with no reported violations.
“It looks as though there are no new significant changes [under the codes for new buildings] in the community,” he said.
Select Board member Laura Howe noted that, with the new DPW building under construction, that department’s numbers will be greatly improved.
Member Shawn Kain asked if there was anything in the program pertaining to an organic waste, or composting, program. Umano said he was not aware of one, but the topic came up again as the board was voting on the new trash rate of $360 per year based on costs, ($335 for seniors). The rate last fiscal year was $335.
Kain suggested such a composting program could help reduce the weight – and therefore the cost – of trash hauling in Whitman.
“I know other communities do it, and do it pretty well,” he said. “It would be good to get some feedback from the DPW about it.”
Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter said she could send Superintendent Bruce Martin an email about the question.
“It’s worth looking into,” Howe said.

The School Committee, on Wednesday, Oct. 8 approved, by a vote of 9-0-1 – with member Rosemary Connolly abstaining – to modify the memorandum of understanding with the Hanson Police Department to allow School Resource Officers to use body cameras while on duty in the schools.
“Every year, at the beginning of the school year, we gather as a team to talk about school safety and introduce new staff to our public safety officials – the four chiefs, their deputies and whoever else wants to attend that meeting,” said Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak, introducing Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch and Deputy Chief Michael Casey to discuss body cams with the committee.
He announced to the School Committee that Hanson police have been wearing body cameras as part of their regular duties for about a month, and will be as part of School Resource Officer duties.
“Since this is a change to our MOU, to our school resource officers in the building, I asked both Mikes to come in and speak on this, because I think there can be a lot of misinformation, if it doesn’t come right from the folks that are having their officers wear these devices for the safety of themselves and for the safety of the public.”
Miksch said Friday that cameras would only be turned on when an officer Derek Harrington, as per the department’s policy. He said he chose not to purchase the variety of body camera that is always on or automatically activated when an officer draws a weapon.
Miksch and Casey provided a copy of the department’s body camera use policy as well as the school resource officer’s job description before the meeting.
“We work really well collaboratively,” Szymaniak said of the Hanson police. The department has jurisdiction over the high school because it is wholly located in Hanson.
Miksch noted that, following the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis in 2020, Massachusetts passed a police reform act.
“Many of the things in that act were actually things that – I’ve been a police chief since 2010 – police chiefs in Massachusetts were pushing for,” he said, reassuring the committee that interaction with police officials from across the country have shown him that officers in Massachusetts are probably the most well-educated well-behaved officers. “What we wanted to come out of that was to help improve policing in Massachusetts and give officers more tools, better equipment and better training to do the job.”
While no police career is perfect, Miksch said, the Northeast – the New England states and New York, are unique in how they handle policing versus other parts of the country.
“That being said, there’s always room for improvement, and it’s always good to have self-reflection,” he said, saying a notable thing that came out of the reform law was a push for body cams. Miksch said he was among police officials who were initially skeptical of the cameras.
“Why can’t you just believe me, you’re supposed to,” he said the thinking was. “But a funny thing’s happened since I’ve started talking to the other departments and even, I think, my own officers will agree with me at this point – they’re actually a great tool.”
Miksch aid officers he’s spoken to from around the state have said that, when unruly people are told they are being recorded, they begin to behave and cooperate better,
“It’s actually a de-escalation technique, now,” he said. “It’s great. It’s where the state’s going, too. … We’re going to have them for at least the next five years, because that’s what Town Meeting approved and that’s the contract we signed with Motorolla. ”
More departments are adopting them as their towns receive funding or grants, as well, according to Miksch. Hanson’s contract with Motorolla was a two-year process, researching cameras, working through the state bid system, negotiating with the company and implementing the cameras. The sergeants have tried them in an effort to get used to working with the devices.
Miksch and Casey showed a video of Hanson officer working to communicate with a Brazilian motorist, who only spoke Portuguese, to communicate that the man had been driving too fast. The first month of the cameras’ use has allowed the department to determine what can be edited on the videos and what the department can and cannot release from video.
Szymaniak also had a chance to express his concerns, but the cameras have not been used at WHRHS until, at the superintendent’s request, Miksch and Casey could come in and discuss it with the School Committee.
While the SRO has not worn one yet, other officers called to the school for any reason – officers assigned to football games – use them and wear them.
“The camera isn’t actually always on,” Casey said. “But the camera is always on when there is a police action taken. Never are we going to deminish or replace [an] officer’s discretion. Never are we going to have this camera interfere with the common interaction we’ll have with the public, staff [or] students. …It allows us to capture the audio and video when it is activated.”
School Committee members had questions about use of cameras by Hanson, but not Whitman, police, how it would work and whether is was an example of inequity as well as student privacy especially for students on individual education plans, who might have more challenging interactions based on behavior.
Casey said that only when the camera is activated will one be able to hear and see the audio/visual recording.
“We’re not going to have the camera on during medical responses, during interaction with students that may have difficulty understanding the circumstances,” he said. “There’s a broad band of discretion that our officers are going to continue to use.”
Miksch said Friday his department also trains regularly on communicating people on the autism spectrum.
Szymaniak also pointed out that most schools – as well as other public buildings already have video surveillance. Miksch said sound recording is permitted, but the public must be made aware sound recording is being done.
Interaction with juveniles are always confidential as well.
“If Whitman doesn’t have it and Hanson does, how does that effect equity … are we providing the same service to the two towns?” asked Rosemary Connolly.
“It’s a department preference,” Casey said.
Szymaniak said area departments now using body cameras include Bridgewater, Carver, Hanson, Halifax, Hanover, Hingham, Holbrook, Lakeville, Middleborough, Wareham, Weymouth and the Massachusetts State Police. Several others are either researching or searching for funding.
“These cameras are showing you exactly what has transpired,” Casey said. “Not only for the protection of the victims, the suspects, the idividual parties involved – staff, students, public and police officers – we want that accountability. We want that transparency.”
Szymaniak also said state law limits what SROs can do, as well,
“SROs and police can only be involved in schools for violent offences,” he said. “They can take a report of vandalism, but they really can’t do much in schools and the law prohibits that. … When Derek is walking around the building, he’s not actively policing. … He really can’t even break up fights [or] search lockers.”

HANSON – The state of free cash and its impact on next year’s budget, a property review on Phillips Street and a second pass at a nips ban were the focus of most discussion by voters at special Town Meeting on Monday, Oct. 7
The session, which got underway with 215 voters present, began with $214,713.44 in School Stabilization; $2,717,390 in certified free cash; $76,000 in overlay surplus – the fund controlled by the assessors; and $1,491,814.70 in stabilization.
“If everything proposed in the warrant tonight, we will spend $164,416, leaving $50,297.44,” Moderator Sean Kealy said of the School Stabilization account. “The plan, at this moment, is to spend $279,658.17 [in free cash], leaving us with a balance of $2,437,731.83.” The plan for the evening was to spend all $76,000 in overlay surplus, Kealy reported.
A Steven Street resident noted that several town positions unfunded at the May Town Meeting were back on the warrant for funding, but that the Finance Committee had voted against recommending such action. He asked for an explanation and about what might have changed since May.
Finance Committee Chair Kevin Sullivan made clear that the town is still not out of the financial woods, taking a “roundabout way” to illustrate where the town is financially.
“I think a lot of people saw that free cash number and assumed that we had the money to make adjustments based on what we did in May,” he said.
At the annual Town Meeting in May, the Committee made a “calculated decision” to reduce hours in order to set the town up for fiscal success during the fiscal year that began July 1.
“Free cash is higher than it had been expected, due to several different things that are one-time occurrences,” he said.
Among those occurrences were:

• $1.1 million in budget turnbacks and closed-out articles from previous years;
• $871,000 in local receipts, which Sullivan said was well above original estimates; and
• About $140,000 in state aid that was above original estimates.
  “These are one-time, finance boosts giving us that $2.7 million,” he said. “I know people saw that $2.7 million and said, ‘why are we sitting on it?’ but here’s the second part of the answer: right now, the town accountant is already anticipating a deficit of over $2 million right now – that’s level-funding. That’s no pay raises. That’s no cost of living increases.”
  The fact that some of those raises have been negotiated in contracts and increases are automatic, complicates the finances even more.
  Sullivan counseled voters that to spend that free cash now would be unwise because the town will need every cent of it to support next year’s budget unless the town passes an override. The wiser course, Sullivan advised was to disapprove every request for reinstatement of hours.
  “If we reinstate these people, we may have to cut full positions in the spring,” he said. “This is a temporary measure to ensure that people remain employed.”
  While the hours-restorations listed under Article 2 were not approved, the restoration of hours for both the Conservation and Health agents were later approved under Articles 20 and 21, based on the enforcement orders, site visits and inspections both positions are charged with making – particularly the public health responsibilities of the health agent – and the change in funding source for the Conservation Agent to notice of intent funds.
  The $2.7 million may make the town appear to be cash-heavy, but it is not, Sullivan said.
  “The Finance Committee decided that, in good conscience, we could not recommend reinstating [hours to] any positions,” he said.
  Sullivan also reminded voters that a vote on the South Shore Tech Regional Agreement will be soon coming up for a vote in Hanson, with about $1million for a new school building riding on the outcome.
  “I would urge all of you to think where we’re going to be in May,” he said. “There are a lot of things at play.”
  Frank Milisi of Brook Street then asked what the Finance Committee is expecting from the schools where the next budget is concerned.
  Sullivan said he could not speak to what the School Committee is going to do and reminded voters that the schools have until December to submit a budget.
  “We’re going with some historical numbers … but I can’t say with certainty what level,” he said, adding that his committee is looking at a ballpark number.
  “Any money that we spend right now in free cash, we’re going to have to pay back in May,” Melisi agreed. “It’s especially important if the school budget comes in higher than what they’re predicting.”
  Sullivan said Town Accountant Eric Kinsherf is calculating the school budget at 7 percent, which is close to the process used to calculate the current school budget.
  Transfer station Supervisor Chris Callaghan, permitted to speak on the issue despite not being a resident because the issue affects him, asked when the cost of the new SST building would be assssed.
  SST Superintendent-director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey said the project, if approved at January’s special election, would include short-term borrowing, so the $1 million would probably roll on for fiscal 2029 or fiscal 2030.
  “We’re in front of the MSBA at the end of this month, and we intend to put out more specific numbers, hopefully in the first week of November,” he said. “But I would expect that there would be some short-term borrowing.” He also said his school committee would be looking at, with the 55-percent reimbursement rate for feasibility, the district “would be sitting on some stabilization money” once the feasibility process wraps up. Hickey said he hopes to be able to use any leftover cash to hopefully cover the interest for fiscal 2026 and ’27.

Rumor vs. intent
While real financial concerns were behind discussions about the use of free cash and control of nip bottles, a perceived threat to the community – not intended by the article before Town Meeting – took up the lion’s share of debate about a $955 appropriation to fund a review of town-owned property on Phillips Street. Both the Select Board and Finance Committee had voted unanimously to recommend the article be passed.
Voters approved the article by a vote of 127-96.
Because of the street’s proximity to the MBTA station on Main Street, social media chatter has been equating the article with an attempt to equate it to the MBTA Communities plan rejected by the May Town Meeting. The Community Preservation Committee, meanwhile stressed it only wants to study if the land can be used for anything.
Discussion became so heated, with suggestions of impropriety and/or hidden agendas voiced, that Kealy halted debate after long-time builder and High Street resident Thomas Peters, who has been involved in construction of “many 40B projects,” alleged the motive behind a study was an attempt by the town to obtain state funding for such a project.
Housing Authority member Mike Jones said the land had been deeded to the authority a long time ago, but never donated to Conservation. Jones added a firm had been hired to determine whether or not the land is wetlands.
Peters said 40B building projects have been placed on unbuildable land at state direction, and asked if the article falls under state funding.
“We had a similar property on West Washington Street, Jones said. “[We did] a similar scenario, and deemed we can’t build anything on it, it’s unusable, and we donated it to Conservation. I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen to this, but we’re just looking at this … to see if we could do anything with it. It’s all we’re doing.”
Planning Board Chair Joe Campbell said there have been no 40B discussions about the property, nor on the table in front of the board.
“Before we get too far down this road, I think we’re venturing into kind of speculative territory,” Kealy said. “I get to make that decision.”
Select Board Vice Chair Ann Rein said that “somewhere, out on the internet,” a rumor is circulating that the board is trying to bring the town into compliance with the MBTA Communities program.
“I think this is part of what he is talking about,” she said of Peters’ allegations. “We have heard zero about this land being used for anything MBTA-related.” She also reiterated her own opposition to the MBTA Communities program.
Peters also spoke of mosquito breeding grounds and impact on water mains in his objections before debate was curtailed.
Nip ban upheld
Another issue that resurfaced Monday was the ban on miniature single-use booze bottles, or “nips ban” approved at the May Town Meeting, as an effort to repeal the measure was brought before the session as a citizens’ petition by Ketan Patel and 226 others.
The repeal eventually failed by a vote of 97 in favor of repeal and 107 against repeal.
Another of the non-resident petitioners permitted to address the Town Meeting, Patel said the ban would impact consumers’ freedom of choice; harm local retailers; has been a state-wide failure 10 of 13 times; consumers will only purchase alcohol in containers the next size up – which, they argue, has repercussions for road safety as well as litter – and nips make up 30 percent of liquor sales, especially since surrounding towns do not have nip bans in place.
“The Hanson community is not Chelsea or Brookline or Boston,” he said. “We don’t have those downtown areas. Originally, when this ban was passed, it was comparing Hanson to those communities.”
While litter is a problem, he said Hanson retailers performed a roadside cleanup over the weekend and found litter from Dunkin Donuts, NesQuik bottles and all sorts of plastics.
“We are not banning that,” he said. “We are talking about adults. We have laws for drunk driving, and everything else. Just banning something is not a solution.”
Scott Semchenko of 135 Spring St., who works at Luke’s Liquors, also called 14-58 by a lot of Hanson residents, said the only thing a ban accomplishes is hurting small businesses in Hanson and will be lost revenue to the town.
“This ban has real impacts on families like mine, who are trying to get by,” he said. “We need real solutions that focus on all kinds of litter, not scape-goating small businesses.”
Steve Smith, of North Street, who proposed the original nip ban in May countered that Hanson does not receive tax funds from nip sales. He also rebutted the other points Patel made, including drops in sales, and corrected that 30 percent of all purchases include nips – not are made up of nips; the bottles do make up a large percentage of litter, he said; the bottles are not recycling because the nip bottles do not fit in recycling machines – and people toss them out car windows anyway. He argued larger bottles are less likely to be thrown on roadsides, and are less likely to be consumed while driving.
Diane Thomas of Monponsett Street also spoke in favor of maintaining a ban.
“Living on Route 58, since the ban, there have been a lot fewer nips in my front lawn,” she said.
Patel countered the ban does not go into effect until Jan. 1.
Other proponents of Patel’s petition acknowledged the town certainly has a litter problem, but argued it does not involve only nips.