HANSON – Author and “Chronicle” contributor Ted Reinstein loves “The Main Streets and Backroads of New England,” so much so, that’s where he found the subjects of one of his books – and several people he now considers close friends.
This is a person who finds comfort and adventure in the small communities of rural New England. But one of his first visits to Hanson Library shook him.
Reinstein shared the anecdote as a humorous opening to is recent book talk at Hanson Public Library, titled, “Travels Through the Heart and Soul of New England: Stories of Struggle, Resilience and Triumph,” on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
“Part of what I love about coming down here is it is tucked away,” he said of the Hanson Library.
Not having GPS at the time, he thought, Reinstein sought directions out of town after his talk. He recalled how two library staff members argued a bit about directing him.
“It’s the most lost I’ve ever been in my life,” he said to hid full-house author talk.
After driving a while, he came upon a large swamp in the dark.
“Oh, my god,” he thought to himself. “This is the Bridgewater Triangle!”
“I’ve been traveling all over New England for almost 30 years and this book is about the most memorable people I’ve met. Every single person is someone whose story not only intrigued me a lot…In telling their stories, I got to be equally fascinated with each of these people and, with no exceptions, they’ve become lifelong friends,” he said. “That is why I wanted to write a book. That doesn’t happen with every story – it can’t – but it did, and that’s why I wanted to tell their stories.”
It’s also about “third places.” Not workplaces or home, but where communities gather. Libraries, diners, general stores, rail trails offer nothing one can’t find somewhere else, except a sense of community, Reinstein says.
That sense of community can help people deal with struggles such as the loss of family-owned fishing boats in Gloucester; losing a livelihood through injury; working to chronicle the story of overlooked ancestors; or running a business alone.
Reinstein chronicles the struggles of:
Fifth-generation Gloucester fishing boat Capt. Joe Sanfilippo, who now teaches fishing to people who may want to go into the business since families are no longer passing the skills down the generations.
Louis Escobar, a former Rhode Island dairy farmer who was paralyzed when his tractor fell on him, immediately switched gears and work helping others with farm plans.
Jerri-Anne Boggis of Milford, N.H., a Jamaican immigrant, has a knack for asking questions about people who look like her in her adopted state, and ended up co-founding the New Hampshire Black Hertiage Trail.
The Windsor Diner in Windsor, Vt., is owned by Theresa Rhodes, a rarity as a woman who owns a diner outright, but rarer still – she runs it by herself, with a secret to make it all work.
Then there are the tales of resilience.
“I think resilience is in New Englanders’ DNA. You have to be resilient just for weather, if nothing else,” Reinstein said.
That introduces the only non-human subject in his book.
“New England’s mill towns are the embodiment of resilience,” he said. “They’ve always been there. They’ve been there through thick and thin, they’ve been there , empty, abandoned and nobody wants to look at them anymore.”
Leaders of any mill town in New England could tell you the exact same thing: “If I could have blown those damn things up, I would have done it,” Reinstein said,
The building were too expensive to get rid of and they all were built on the exact same blueprint and a history of decades of economic ups and downs, only to be killed by corporate greed and the search for cheaper labor.
That began to change in the 1990s with an improving economy and new companies like biotech – and leaders with vision, such as Alan Casavant of Biddeford, Maine.
As a teen, he worked in a mill, the first in his family to go to college, he returned to his hometown to be a math teacher and track coach – and eventually ran for mayor to give something back to his city.
His success story is one of mayors across America who have used public-private partnerships to bring their cities back from the brink.
Small community rope-tow-equipped nonprofit ski areas in Vermont; a diner transferred from a mom to her daughter; an addict’s use of extreme hiking as a recovery program on Mt. Monadnock; and the Providence, R.I.’s Good Night Lights program for the children at Hasbro Children’s Hospital round out the book.
WFD’s Busch graduates firefighter academy
WHITMAN — Chief Timothy Clancy is pleased to share that Whitman Firefighter/EMT Matthew Busch Jr. successfully completed and graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighter Academy (MFA) on Friday, Feb. 14.
Firefighter/EMT Busch was one of 18 graduates from 12 departments in the Career Recruit Firefighter Training Program Class #BW33.
Firefighter/EMT Busch, a Whitman resident, has been with the Whiteman Fire Department since August 2024.
During the 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program, students received classroom training in all basic firefighter skills, practicing first under non-fire conditions and then during controlled fire conditions. To graduate, students needed to demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack, ranging from mailbox fires to multi-floor structural fires.
The graduates are now certified to the levels of Firefighter I and II, and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations, by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, which is accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
“Matthew has been a great asset to our department, and we want to congratulate him on this outstanding accomplishment,” said Chief Clancy. “I wish him the best of luck in the next phase of his career here in Whitman.”
The other 17 graduates of Class #BW33 represent the fire departments of Barnstable, Dennis, East Bridgewater, Hull, Kingston, Milton, New Bedford, Sandwich, West Bridgewater, Wrentham, and Yarmouth.
“Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today’s graduates are needed now more than ever,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “The hundreds of hours of foundational training they’ve received will provide them with the physical, mental, and technical skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely.”
W-H school budget unveiled for FY26
The W-H Regional School District presented its fiscal 2026 budget to the School Committee Wednesday, Feb. 12 – a $66,306,276,19 level-service spending plan that is up $3,375,931.19 over the $ 62,530,345 budgeted in FY 25 – a total budget increase of 5.6 percent.
As of now, operational assessment totals are 61.12 percent or ($20.9 million, a 9.65 percent increase over last year) for Whitman, and 38.88 percent ($16.4 million, a 9.87 percent increase) for Hanson.
Individual line items have not been reviewed, as yet.
Besides the budget presentation, conducted mainly by district’s Director of Business and Finance Stephen Marshall, the committee conducted a public hearing on the proposed budget to outline what is “fiscally needed for the 2025-26 school year.”
The committee also voted to limit meeting times, even if that means scheduling a second meeting some months.
The main comments during the hearing were from Whitman Select Board member Justin Evans and Hanson Finance Committee member Steve Amico, both of whom discussed the potential impact of the increase in light of their towns’ deficits and plans to seek operational overrides.
Evans reminded the committee that Whitman is looking at between $800,000 and $850,00 in new revenue and a deficit of about $1.7 million. Whitman used $500,000 from free cash to avoid a school override last year.
“It seems like were looking at an override, and that was before this number from the district,” he said.
Szymaniak said he appreciated being able to attend a recent Select Board meeting in Whitman and discussing their financial outlook and the plan moving forward, and said he would be willing to attend a similar session in Hanson. In response to Evans’ question, he said staffing costs, special education and insurance costs are the “big drivers” of the district’s budget increase.
“This is a tough year,” Chair Beth Stafford agreed. “We knew this, because, if you look at our five-year projection, this was a tougher year.”
Amico said that Hanson is looking at an override in the neighborhood of $2.5 million just for it’s town deficit.
“It seems that a deficit of $2.6 or $2.5 million is in every single [South Shore] town this year,” he said. “It’s absolutely crazy. … It just seems that’s the number.” Hanson’s accountant has been calculating based on a 7 percent assessment increase from the schools.
“There are no increases to staffing in this budget, however, we are improving programming for students with the intent of filling the positions needed to staff that, currently on our payroll,” Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak said. “This budget does, however, fund certain costs and light items that were cut in fiscal 2025 to maintain our curriculum standards and capacity for one-to-one devices.”
He noted that, over the years, his office has been criticized for both failing to ask the towns to financially support expanding programs for students, and for asking way too much.
This is Szymaniak’s seventh budget season at W-H.
The district lacks foreign language instruction in the middle schools and seeks to expand the related arts program, K-12, to expand students’ life experiences. This year, however neither program is included in the budget. Still, he stressed, W-H provides a solid education for students, prekindergarten to age 22, for special needs students.
Szymaniak indicated the one constant has been that it is very hard to provide a strong, well-rounded education while costs keep going up each year, but he said he is confident that the budget presented follows the strategic plan and provides the best opportunity for students to learn, grow and become productive people in our society.
Marshall then reviewed the major financial points of the budget.
Big factors
The strategic focus of the budget is the 2023-28 five-year plan. All budget documents are posted on the whrsd.org website under School Committee, the scroll down to “FY 26 Preliminary budget.”
Budget discussions will be an agenda item “everywhere until Town Meeting,” which is Monday, May 5.
The next School Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26.
The goals and priorities for this budget are maintenance of: the educational plan and services for incoming and current students; current staffing levels while meeting contractual obligations; contractual obligations for transportation and custodial services; services for MLL enrollment and the services and obligations of increased special education needs.
The 2024-25 enrollment was 3.457 students, 26 less than last year.
Chapter 70, the major program of state aid for public school systems across Massachusetts, not only helps school operations with state funds, it sets the minimum spending requirement that towns must meet.
The FY25 amount of Chapter 70 was $25.6 million. In FY26 the district has a foundation budget increase of zero and will only see an increase of $75 per student minimum in the governor’s budget, adding up to only $258,675.
Total Chapter 70 aid for FY 2026 is expected to be $25,929,471.
“Chapter 70 has been a major discussion across the Commonwealth right now,” Szymaniak interjected. A letter, endorsed by the Mass. Association of School Committees, the Mass. Association of School Superintendents, quite a few local politicians, the Mass Teachers’ Association, different associations and unions has been circulating through school districts and is on its way to Gov. Healey looking to address how Chapter 70 is funded for public schools, he noted.
More than 230 Massachusetts school districts are now in hold-harmless, meaning they are getting the minimum aid of $75 per pupil.
“Something isn’t necessarily right with the formula,” Szymaniak said. “We’ve been talking about the formula for quite a while.”
He added that, while there’s been some talk that the governor’s final budget in June could include $100 per-student in Chapter 70, but he and Marshall wanted to keep their budget calculations to the numbers they are certain about.
Transportation
The total transportation budget is $1.9 million.
“This is yellow bus transportation only,” Marshall said. “There is other transportation you might see in the budget – some other lines with a transportation total which is greater than that,” he said, listing van service for special education students as an example. Mandated busing costs are budgeted for about $1.6 million and non-mandated is at $255,407.
Whitman’s non-mandated busing cost is $207,520.36 and Hanson’s is $47,887.55.
“As the superintendent stated, we’re projecting reimbursement here at 75 percent, based on the numbers that are in the governor’s budget – that’s what we believe, we’ve talked to DESE (the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) as well,” Marshall said. “They also believe that, for right now, we should not be looking for more than 75-percent reimbursement, based on the numbers that are currently in the budget.”
That projection is about $1.2 million of the $1.9 million total transportation costs, he said.
“Just let folks know, the rule is 100-percent regional transportation reimbursement, subject to appropriation,” Szymaniak said. “We have never seen 100 percent – we’ve gotten close, we’ve gotten into the 90s – but, again, we don’t want to make a mistake of over-estimating, and looking at a reduction when the budget is finally confirmed in July, June – whenever, one year it was August – and be short.”
Medicaid reimbursement offsets costs for certain healthcare services or administrative activities within the district, and the claims are very complex, requiring a third-party data management firm to assist in submitting the claims. A reduction in the line for FY26 stems from the FY25 budgeted amount being too high, Marshall said.
Circuit breaker is a percentage reimbursement for costs paid by the district for qualified special education tuition and instruction services and associated transportation costs (not included until 2021 at 25 percent) for out-of-district programs.
“It’s the extraordinary costs, is what they’re saying,” Member Rosemary Connolly said.
The cost of employee benefits is also higher, even as there are no new positions included in the budget. Property and liability insurance rates are also higher in FY26 for the district.
“Post-breach, as most insurance companies do, they’ll pay for your damage and then your premiums go up – ours went up substantially after we claimed $500,000 for the breach in 2022, and we spent $600,000 from excess and deficiency to get us whole again,” Szymaniak said. The flood caused by a burst pipe at Hanson Middle School also contributed to the premium spike.
A portion of grants received from DESE has to go toward teacher retirement, as well, so this year they made a change and paid tuitions with the grant instead to avoid that requirement, saving $85,000 so far.
“We don’t pay for retirements … That’s an anomaly that Stephen picked up on, and it’s something that we picked up on to say that we can save some money here by transferring funds,” Szymaniak said.
Length of meetings
Stafford had opened the session by noting that she had fielded comments from a couple committee members about meeting length.
“I am going to propose that our meetings will end at 8:30 [p.m.] with the ability to vote to extend [them] 15 minutes by a majority, and then another 15 minutes until 9,” she said. “The last two meetings have gone until almost 1 o’clock – I think everybody had had enough at that point.”
She added that, to work appropriately and with our minds working well, two to two and a half hours is more than long enough for a meeting.
“If we need to, we can carry [a discussion] to the next meeting,” she said. “Sometimes we might have to have a second meeting, which is better than going for four hours.”
Connolly asked how many meetings other school committees scheduled. Stafford replied that in some districts two meetings a month were scheduled.
“We used to [do that] years ago,” she said.
Connolly suggested that limiting the schedule to one meeting a month might be causing the problem.
“We want to make sure, particularly during budget season, what we do is thorough,” Connolly said.
The members agreed to the change by consensus.
Stafford said that night’s meeting was the first in which the rule would go into effect. It ended up not being needed on that occasion, however, as the meeting was one hour, 35 minutes and 56 seconds in length.
Szymaniak said two meetings per month are already scheduled through the end of March to accommodate budget work.
O’Brien makes case for staffing $
HANSON – On the heels of being honored for his lifesaving work last summer, [See story opposite], Fire Chief Robert O’Brien Jr., outlined his fiscal 2026 budget and updated forecast of the department’s needs heading into the fiscal 2026 financial planning season on Tuesday, Feb. 11He spoke on the town’s impending override to help fund next year’s budget.
“Nobody likes the word override,” O’Brien said. “It’s never a good time to talk about staffing increases.”
But he talked about what’s gone on within the last 12 months – as well as the next 48 hours.
“[Police] Deputy Chief hit on it,” he said. “Both our ambulances were tied up in town, they [couldn’t] leave, once you’re committed on call, you’re there, legally,” he said.
The day he was speaking, the department had multiple calls deep about three times on Monday, Feb. 10 and five or six times calls deep between 1 an 4:30 pm., on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
The department always runs four-person ambulance crew – consisting of a lieutenant and a crew of three firefighter-paramedics, per shift, which allows two advanced life support (ALS) ambulances while putting four people on the ground, providing four people on the fire ground so long on the fire ground for that.
To solve the staffing problems he sees in the department, O’Brien is seeking $344,000 – which would include all benefits.
“I don’t want anything hidden,” O’Brien said on the figures the department calculated about six months ago are built on three family plans and one single plan. “It’s built to show all the costs.”
The $344,000 price tag, spread over 4,378 on residential and commercial tax bills, calculates out to $82.54 a year or $20.64 per quarter on the average home to allow O’Brien to staff shifts at five people all the time. That fifth person would permit someone to be at headquarters can allow a second ambulance, when needed, to get out the door faster, he said. Overtime might have to be recalculated, but he is confident it can be worked out.
“We’re looking at average usage, and we are below where we need to be in order to keep the service where we need it,” Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “That’s what this is about. We’re not trying to add bloat to a budget or over-staff or anything of that sort.”
“We see it – we know people are struggling,” O’Brien said. “The problem is, it’s never a good time to ask for staff.”
One third of the Fire Department’s budget – roughly $800,000 per year comes from ambulance billing.
“We do make every attempt to recall people from home,” he said, noting the recall system has been in place long before O’Brien joined the department in 1997.
When the first call comes in and the ambulance and squad are on an EMS call, unless another call comes in, the duty squad is not recalled. Once that second call comes in or if they’re going to transport with three or they end up with all four firefighter/EMTs are stuck on a call, they’ll put in for a duty squad.
“It’s hit or miss whether we get people back,” O’Brien said. “There is no rhyme or reason to it. Quite honestly, we have a vert young department, so a lot of them have just gotten married, are getting married, are starting to have families and things like that. Their significant others are professionals, so they also work. Getting people to come back on the recall system is not a guarantee.”
At the same time, the department has not undergone a shift staffing increase since 2004. But they have added a deputy chief and ensured all shifts have four firefighters and can staff up, if needed, according to O’Brien.
Call volume, meanwhile, is steadily increasing – not including the routine business of the fire prevention officer, inspections, training, people stopping in to ask directions or permits, etc.
“Right now, we’re tracking higher than average for 2025 – and we’re only about six weeks into it,” he said. There is also an increasing population of people over age 65, thanks to the increase in “over-55 residences in the last 20 years. There are also several group homes in town.
All the department’s statistics are real numbers, O’Brien noted, because they have to be reported to the state Department of Fire Services and the National Fire Agency.
To answer residents’ questions before Town Meeting, O’Brien is planning to set up coffee meetings or meet and greets at the Fire Station. They are also talking about doing an April open house.
“Everybody hears from me, being the fire chief, let people come and talk to the lieutenants, let them talk to the other firefighter/paramedics that are there,” he said. They are also planning a social media campaign to make their case to voters for the additional personnel.
Hanson’s hometown heroes
HANSON – The Select Board welcomed some new faces to the town’s public safety departments – as another was promoted – and the board had the opportunity to honor others for their life-saving work, during its Tuesday, Feb. 11 meeting.
Joining the Hanson Police Department were: Cameron Carpenter, Thomas Malloy and Kyle Crombie. All three were introduced to the board by Deputy Police Chief Michael Casey before being sworn in by Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan and having their new badges pinned on by family members.
“Some are just getting here, some might have been here a few minutes longer, but I think it’s important, as they get sworn in … this is an opportunity for the families to see some of the new faces and demonstrate the culture that we have, the great officers that we bring on for the town and what these men and women do every day for us,” Casey said.
Carpenter, a lifelong resident of Hanson, holds a master’s degree from Merrimack University, where he was also able to get his academy certification through its MBC program. He had gone through all the application processes in 2023, when “I failed to get him here,” Casey said. “So, I apologize.”
Carpenter is a young officer who loves the community.
“He wanted to be here,” Casey said. “He had other opportunities, and we couldn’t be happier to have him,” Casey said.
“We tend to attract qualified individuals,” he said. “They want to come here, they want to serve here.”
Moore is also a local resident, having grown up in Whitman, Casey said.
“We were able to obtain Tommy through a lateral transfer from Plymouth P.D.,” where he served for a year and a half, the deputy chief noted.
A 13-year Marine veteran, Moore “married a local girl, and expressed some interest [in Hanson P.D.], he went through an interview process and were able to hire [him] in late December 2024.
Crombie has a degree in criminal justice and had been a full-time officer in Truro.
Carpenter’s mother Jennifer pinned on his new badge. Moore’s wife, Whitney and his daughter Avery pinned on his badge, and Crombie’s sister in-law, did the honors for him.
“Well. We’re excited,” said Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett. “What else have you got for us?”
“There’s definitely a transition,” he said. “As our older officers are leaving, we’re able to obtain these guys and girls to build the force back up.”
Casey said that, as the new officers are coming in, some veteran officers are getting ready for retirement including officer Michelle Hughes, who will be retiring after 32 years and Chief Michael Miksch who will retire after 34 years in law enforcement – both at the end of June.
The next order of business was the promotion of new Sgt. Brian Shaughnessy, who transferred to Hanson from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department a couple of years ago.
“He looks young, but he’s way beyond his years,” Casey said. “He has just fit in. He’s willing to learn. He keeps his mouth shut and he just does an outstanding job.”
A Bridgewater native, he is recently married and the father of a new baby. Last year, through vacancies, including retirements, the department was able to hold a sergeant’s exam
“Brian just blew it out of the water,” Casey said. “He did an excellent job –as they all did. Brain is clearly a leader and his future in the Hanson Police is extremely bright and he’s goiing to have a successful career.”
After his swearing in, his wife Marissa with the “help” of son Beau pinned on his new badge,
“So that is it, with the swearing-ins and the promotional announcement,” Casey said.
“But that is not it for our recognitions,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Nope. We’re all about first responders, tonight – and every day, but particularly tonight.”
The board then honored members of the Police and Fire departments for their recent life-saving emergency responses, as FitzGerald-Kemmett called on officers Mark Vigneau, William Frazier and Robert Manfield as well as Deputy Fire Chief Charles Barrends for their actions.
“We don’t even know a tenth of the calls that you’re on [every day] and you’re always taking heroic measures, so it seems weird to recognize that work for the one particular incident, but it was way above and beyond,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.
On Dec. 30, 2024, the four men “came to the aid of another human being with dedication and brilliance and rendered life-saving CPR to a victim in medical crisis,” she said. “We just wanted to let you know that your heroic actions will always be remembered.”
Board awarded the three officers and Barend’s commendations and letters of commendation for their files.
“But, mostly, we want to tell you … that we have a heart-felt thanks for everything that you did on that day,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said
Casey echoed her sentiments.
“This is something that we do do every day,” he said. “We have a fantastic relationship with our Fire Department, our police department, mutual aid, Whitman – all the towns that surround us. We’re always working together.”
That means, there have been “many occasions where we’ve all done CPR, Casey continued, noting that the number of times that officers have to help with medical emergencies because of the Fire Department’s call volume means the town has to lean more heavily on mutual aid – between Hanson departments and from other towns.
“This is one of those perfect storms where this does happen a lot,” Casey said, describing the situation on Dec. 30, which happened directly across the street from the police station on Main Street, where 911 call indicated a man had been found unresponsive and not breathing.
Vigneau and Frazier were the first officers on scene. Casey and Barends also responded to the incident.
“At that moment, there was no red truck showing up,” Casey said. “It just shows you, on a day-to-day basis, what these men are able to do.” Officer Mansfield rotated with the other two police officers on CPR.
“This man would not be alive, if it weren’t for these four gentlemen,” he said. Vigneau and Frazier both have more than 25 years on the department, who transferred from Oak Bluffs is also a department veteran.
“Again, that collaboration between towns, between departments, we’re so lucky because we’re all walking a high wire and you guys are our safety net,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said presenting individual commendations to the officers and firefighters.
Highway Superintendent Kevin Dykes was also honored for his actions during a brush fire on Nov. 9, 2024. When he heard the fire announced, he took the initiative of going directly to the highway department, loaded the skid unit (a self-contained tank and pump and forestry hoses that drop onto a truck for transport) onto a highway vehicle and sent photos to the fire chief and advising him that the unit was in service, if needed.
Fire Chief Robert O’Brien Jr., was also recognized for some off-duty heroics.
Weymouth Police Chief Richard Fuller had written to the Select Board of the recommendation from Weymouth Fire Capt. Brian Morse regarding a commendation report regarding O’Brien for his life-saving actions on that town’s Four River Channel on Aug. 16, 2024.
O’Brien and his brother, Weymouth officer Edward O’Brien were boating in the area when another boat crash near Grape Island. The O’Briens responded, along with Weymouth officer Christopher D’Angelo, aiding two severely injured victims.
“Is he ever really off-duty?” FitzGerald-Kemmett said of Chief O’Brien. “I think not.”
The three men extracted the victims, providing first aid and transport back to Turn Harbor Marina, where ambulances were waiting.
Edward O’Brien applied a tourniquet to the male victim, who was losing a lot of blood, while fire Chief O’Brien applied pressure to a massive laceration sustained by the female victim.
Morse wrote to Fuller that the three men, “Embody the spirit of heroism that is the hallmark of the public safety community.”
“Your actions reflect great credit upon yourself, the Weymouth Police Department and the Hanson Fire Department,” Fuller wrote.
Presidents Day Protest in Plymouth
‘NOT ON OUR WATCH’ —Plymouth police estimate more than 500 protesters, bundled against frigid winds, gathered at Plymouth Rock for a Presidents Day rally on Monday, Feb.17, joining similar gatherings large and small across the country against the slashing of federal departments. Whitman Select Board member Justin Evans, above, spoke about funding cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Halifax Democratic Town Committee Co-Chair Ellen Snoeyenbos energizes the crowd, right.See story, page 6.
Courtesy photo, Kathleen Evans above/Photo courtesy Karen Wong, right
Hanson OK’s MBTA action plan
HANSON – The Select Board on Tuesday, Feb. 11 voted 3-1, with Ed Heal against, to sign an MBTA Communities Action Plan as requested by the state, rather than as a signal of approval.
The Board voted to support the action plan, to bring Hanson into interim compliance with the MBTA law through July.
“Please don’t rely on the Planning Board, the Zoning Board or the Select Board only to fight this fight,” said Planning Board Chair Joe Campbell. “Your voice matters when you contact your legislator.”
Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett noted the General Court is taking public comment.
“They absolutely have to be vocal because our representatives have 10 people behind them, it means nothing,” Campbell said. “When they’ve got 5,000 people behind them, it means a lot.”
Town Planner Anthony DeFrias reminded the board where the legislation sits now.
“As a result of the [Supreme Judicial] Court actions, what’s happening now is that there are emergency guidelines in effect for 90 days,” he said. “Non-compliant towns are required to file an action plan by Feb. 13 to be in interim compliance, with a deadline of July 14 to be in full compliance.”
He met with the Select Board two weeks ago when Board members indicated they were feeling that would be the action they would accept, but no formal vote was taken, according to FitzGerald-Kemmett.
“That is not putting that on the Town Meeting warrant, that’s a separate discussion,” she reminded the board.
Since that meeting, state Rep. Ken Sweezey, R-Pembroke, has been able to connect with state officials on the two grants that had been pulled back from Hanson because it was not in compliance – one for $237,000 to clean up the Lite Control property and the other, for $70,000 was for a study of a property in the industrial park sought by the Economic Development Committee to determine the best use for it.
Because of a brownfields grant the town had been able to determine that there is contamination in one section of the land once owned by Lite Control.
“So, we’ve got answers, that’s great,” said FitzGerald-Kemmett. “The downside of that is we’ve got answers. … Now that we know there’s contamination, we have to take action.”
She said the town couldn’t hide from that responsibility because they own the property now. There’s no turning to Lite Control [or the parent company] for assistance. The $237,000 grant DeFrias sought was based on the estimate for the cleanup.
“Because we’re in this limbo-land between now and July, we would be considered as having interim compliance if we file an action plan,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. That in turn could grease the wheels of returning the grants.
DeFrias said he has filled out the online form, but a letter from the Board is also required stating that is their full intention for the town administrator to take necessary action to bring zoning into compliance with all requirements of MGL Ch. 40A, Sec. 3A and 1760CMR 72 to a vote of the municipality’s legislative body in the timeframe required by the action plan, and to submit a district compliance application to EOHLC (Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities) no later than July 14.
“I don’t want us to lose the money,” DeFrias said, noting a concern he has. “We’ve had some developments through the Planning Board,” which had met on Monday, Feb. 10 and he had asked them if they were interested in recommending the zoning amendment, the MBTA zoning and the overlay district.
“The Planning Board made no motion, so they will not be bringing that proposal before the Select Board,” he said. “There are multiple entities that can propose a zoning bylaw, the Planning Board being one of them. The Select Board, the Zoning Board, 10 citizens, because there would be May Town Meeting, and the Regional Planning Agency.”
It would still have to go back to the Planning Board for a public hearing, because that is part of the process, according to DeFrias.
“My concern, and this came to me this afternoon, is if we’re putting forward this statement, and we’re getting money, I don’t want us to get afoul of the law,” he said. “I’m wondering if we shouldn’t ask the question of town counsel – if we put this in, and we’re not going to comply – are we, in essence, defrauding the state?”
FitzGerald-Kemmett said the Board hadn’t discussed it.
Select Board Vice Chair Ann Rein said she spoke with someone over the weekend, whose question was how far apart are officials on the issue, if the Board was to do its own zoning decisions.
“How far apart would we be from the MBTA desires?” Rein said the person asked.
“I know this is killing you,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.
“I don’t want to comply with the MBTA,” Rein said.
Rein and FitzGerald-Kemmett were trying to get at whether the town would be considered in compliance if town officials came up with its own overlay district allowing multi-family housing where we were encouraging local development.
“Where WE say where the district is going to be,” Rein said.
FitzGerald-Kemmett suggested putting MBTA aside and thinking about what the town wants vs what they are being required to do.
“I think that’s an interesting concept.” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.
“I don’t like any of it, but what are you going to do?” Rein replied. “Whether we like it or not, things are going to develop. I just do not want anybody from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts telling us what t do.”
Planning Board Chair Joe Campbell said Hanson’s Town Planner constantly thinks of the betterment of the town solely, and DeFrias has done a wonderful job creating multiple projects, things that the town could have.
“The difference here is, halfway through his tenure, the state came in and said, ‘But we also want you to do this, not only to our town, but every town that’s affected by MBTA,’” Campbell said. “We had plenty of asks on the Planning Board side because we know the difficulties of where Our MBTA is.”
Campbell said every alternative concept they presented Hanson’s adjusted plans they were rejected.
“That’s not their interest,” he said. “They’re trying to solve a problem, I assume is to do with rideability and costs for the MBTA and they’re using this as a way to do that.”
He also stressed that the headache resulting from the plan was also dealt with by the Baker administration, which is a major waste of time for town officials.
Town Administrator Lisa Green said she would be happy to ask about what the town is being told to do, and if there is any leeway, based on Campell’s explanation.
Board member Joe Weeks said the first hurdle is determining the will of the board, in light of the fact that they have no idea what a future board is going to say.
“This has nothing to do with strategy, it’s literally what we have in front of us right now,” Weeks said.
Transitions
Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan met with the Select Board to solidify her exit strategy as she retires at the end of her term following the May Town Election. Sloan has served as Town Clerk for 15 years and had been an assistant Town Clerk for eight years before that.
“I am retiring,” she said. “I am not pulling papers to run for my position, so whoever’s coming in is going to be brand spanking new.”
Mass. General Law outlines that the new town clerk will not start work for seven days following election, so Sloan will not be working after May 17, but she left it up to the Select Board, if they wanted her to stay on to smooth the transition. If they do, it will require a reserve funds transfer or place an article before the special Town Meeting.
“Of course, it’s up to you how long you want the transition to be,” Sloan said. “Do you just want me to stay another week, would you like me to stay a little longer? It’s up to you.”
FitzGerald-Kemmett favored a specific article in the special Town Meeting warrant for the sake of transparency.
“Since we’ve got the luxury of being able to do that, because it’s just prior to the transition, and as far as I’m concerned, I’d like to build in [a transition period] – if we get somebody right off the street, which is likely, because it has to be a resident of Hanson, and as far as I know, we haven’t got a million Beth Sloans running around,” she said, asking
Sloan for her estimation of a helpful transition period. Sloan said she favored an intensive week of training and then as much of a phase-out period as the Select Board recommends. Three days a week, a number of hours a day or whatever they think would work.
“I just want to have a retirement date, so I can say I am not longer an employee of the Town of Hanson as of this date,” Sloan said.
Green said she spoke with Town Accountant Eric Kinsherf and he said, because the town already has the money is already approved in the reserve fund, that is probably a better way to go.
“We just have to work with our Town Clerk, Ms. Sloan, and then we can put in for the line-item transfer through the Finance Committee,” Green said. The town could then seek reimbursement for the amount transferred at Town Meeting.
“Of course, we want to keep you forever, but we know people have lives and we must move on, but we thank you sincerely for everything that you’ve done,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “You’ve been incredibly supportive and helpful.” She warned Sloan, however, that she would not be able to escape a more formal thank you, despite the “shooting from the hip thank you” the Select Board members offered Tuesday.
Hanson groups co-host business summit
HANSON – When the going gets tough, Americans have long found success in joining forces to meet the challenge.
Unions have provided that for laborers of nearly every stripe, chambers of commerce have represented the interests of the business communities at large and even the National Grange, and its local granges, was founded in the 1860s to provide a cultural outlet and work to improve quality of life in rural America, as well as helping farmers in some areas pool their finances to cooperatively purchase needed equipment.
Hanson businesses, may be able to benefit from that outlook, if not the same kind of practices, when they come together from 5:30 to 8 p.m., on Thursday, Feb. 27, for the inaugural Hanson Business Summit.
It’s certainly the intent.
“We’re trying to connect businesses with the resources they need, but may not know how to get in touch with,” said Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett, who chairs the Economic Development Committee and the Hanson Business Network and is chair of the Hanson Select Board, noting that, among groups attending for that purpose is Granite State Development and representatives from local and state government.
Government personnel will be able to answer questions about permitting and other regulatory requirements.
Ernie Foster, of Webster Printing, will be the keynote speaker addressing the session on, “Why he loves Hanson to do business in, why he’s stayed in Hanson and why he’s grown his business in Hanson,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “We’re going to have people that are [human resources] experts coming to talk to us, we’re going to have someone who’s a social media expert come and tell us how to use social media effectively – it’s going to be a mix of all kinds of resources for people.”
The Economic Development Committee is hosting the event and has been reaching out to the Hanson Business Network to encourage business owners and leaders to attend through emails to contact, mailed flyers, newspaper ads – and FitzGerald-Kemmett said the hope is that the town’s business community RSVPs, so they have an accurate headcount on how many people to set up for, as refreshments will also be provided.
“I think it just came about naturally,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said about the genesis of the event. “The Economic Development Committee was talking about what we could do to support businesses and, at the same time, I’m part of the Hanson Business Network and we were talking about how we could do that, and I don’t really know who came up with the idea for this summit, but I liked the idea of some kind of networking event.”
Once the idea was on the table, regardless of its pedigree, the members of both groups soon got down to discussing what they’d like it to look like. The program on which they settled was a short program of speakers followed by break-out sessions.
“It’s our first one, so I’m really hoping that we get people to attend,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “It’s tricky, though, when people are self-employed, getting anyone to do something after-hours [is difficult].”
Whitman plans a 150th birthday
WHITMAN – The answer to the question above is — you throw an awesome party.
By the time Whitman’s bicentennial year rolls around on March 4 2075, Richard Rosen will have left the town a successful blueprint for a proper celebration of community.
Rosen, who has chaired the committees that planned 20 years of WinterFests, two years of New Years Eve Cookie Drops and the town’s 125th anniversary (a quasquicentennial), has once again answered the call to be Whitman’s community party planner.
“It’s going to be a wonderful experience for the town of Whitman for a couple of months,” Rosen says.
As Whitman 150 Committee Chair, Rosen updated the Select Board, Tuesday, Feb. 4 on plans and preparations for the town’s sesquicentennial (150-year) celebration this spring.
A central part of the events is the burial of a time capsule to be reopened in 50 years. The capsule buried on the Town Hall front lawn during 125th anniversary celebrations in 2000, is scheduled to be reopened in 2075.
That capsule, according to the Whitman Times at the time, contains police and fire badges, town reports, newspapers. They are seeking similar items, “fairly small in size to include in the new time capsule.
Rosen’s attention to detail has included asking the two men who supervised lowering of the last time capsule into the ground – former Fire Chief Timothy Grenno and past WinterFest Committee member Thomas Burnett – to do the honors again.
“I want the same two guys to lower the capsule 25 years later,” Rosen said this week.
That new time capsule, will be buried in a another area of Town Hall property on April 27.
“We did that 25 years ago, and I know where that capsule, so we’re going to bury this on the other side of the lawn,” he said.
NorthEaston Savings bank, a huge sponsor of the program – as they were 25 years ago – is paying for the time capsule itself and will serve as the drop-off point for anyone who wants to drop off something to be included in the time capsule, Rosen said, noting the bank’s Bedford and Auburn streets branch will be the location to bring in donations too be included.
“What we’re asking for is stuff to be included in the time capsule, really no bigger than a box of shoes or a Teddy bear,” Rosen said.
Rosen began his Feb. 4 presentation by thanking the Select Board for giving him and the committee the opportunity to plan the celebration, as well as the police and fire departments and the Department of Public Works “not for what they’ve done for us yet, but for what they will do in the future.”
“I also want to thank the town clerk [Dawn Varley],” he said. “She is also going to be of help in the future – she just doesn’t know it yet, and I want to thank her in advance.”
The Committee has been meeting for several months, and has also been meeting with the Historical Commission, according to Rosen.
“A lot of towns – and I think I’ve said this before when I do celebrations – do one or two events, and it’s all historical,” he said. “We decided that, what we want to do [was] the same thing we did 25 years ago – have a lot of events and make them fun.”
Rosen said his committee is working on the fun part, and the historical society is doing the historical part.
“It’s working our extremely well right now,” he said. “But there’s things to announce that we haven’t in the past.”
Among those departures from tradition are an April 5 dinner at the Spellman Center of Holy Ghost Church, to which he would like to sell a few hundred tickets, which are on sale now. Rosen pointed to the Spellman Center as an historic touchstone of the Whitman community.
Tickets are $50 each and are available at the Spellman Center, online or contact Rosen at his office at Rosen Realty 89 Temple St. Select Board member Shawn Kain asked if a link could be added to the town website, Whitman-ma.gov. Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter said it hadn’t been done yet, but it could be added.
Rosen joked that he is technologically challenged.
“I’m still trying to figure out a fax machine,” Rosen said.
“Me, too, that’s why I asked how to get the tickets,” chair Dr. Carl Kowalski said with a laugh.
On Whitman Day, June 14, a concert from 6:30 to 9 p.m., will be followed by fireworks will be held at Memorial Field
School children will also be involved in the events, Rosen said.
Younger children will be drawing something that makes Whitman a great place to live, while older students will be writing an essay of the same topic.
“We’ve reached out to the schools,” he added. “That’s going to be done in the classroom,” he said, noting that teachers will assist in the process of picking the winners. “There’s going to be winners in each class, from kindergarten to grade wight. Those will be put into the time capsule, and the winners from each grade will receive a bank book with $50 in it from Northeastern Savings Bank”
Rosen said in an aside, “They don’t give out savings bonds anymore.”
The children will also be asked to be in the parade.
“We are looking for anybody that wants to be in the parade, with the exception of political stuff, because we don’t want political stuff, although we will have a lot of politicians, I’m sure in the parade,” Rosen said. What the organizers are looking for are floats, Scout troops, bands, vintage cars and other groups usually seen in a parade.
Merchandise will be available to help fund the events, @whitman150years on Instagram, or via email at [email protected].
A new friend and a mystery
By Linda Ibbitson-Hurd
Special to the Express
[When last we met up with Linda and ner new friend, Linda, they were exploring her friend’s family barn, much to the grandfather’s objection.]
“You both come down here – slowly!,” my friend Linda’s Grampa Joe shouted to us.
“Okay Gramp!” Linda shouted down.
He was waiting for us at he closet door. He didn’t raise his voice but was very stern when he looked at us, saying, “This won’t happen again and we’ll never speak of it, agreed?”
In unison, we said yes. He looked weary as he said goodnight and that he’d see us in the morning.
The next morning when we came downstairs for breakfast, Linda’s parents and sisters were up and Grampa Joe had just finished eating. He smiled when he saw us and said, “Sometimes all a body needs is a little sleep.”
When he got up to leave he gave us each a nod on the way out. Everything was back to normal.
When summer came that year we explored the woods near Linda’s house looking for an Indian burial ground that our sixth-grade history teacher told us was supposed to be in that area.
One hot, humid day we were walking across the driveway and as we passed by the corner of the barn, I noticed rocks that looked like they had been part of a building. Linda said when the house and barn were built there had been a carriage house there.
I noticed a door that was slightly ajar and pointed it out.
“Oh my gosh, the tunnel!” she said. “I forgot all about the tunnel. Follow me.”
When she opened the door I realized it was the cellar underneath the barn.
“This is usually locked,” she said, “No one is supposed to be in here, it’s dad and Gramp’s workshop.”
When we went in, there were stationary drill presses, lathes and saws. We walked past them until we came to a dark opening. It was a tunnel.
We rushed to the house to look for a flashlight, to no avail, grabbed a book of matches, ran back to the tunnel and started walking.
The dirt floor was solid and we were surprised there was no trash or clutter other than an occasional stick, some paper, a few mouse remains and no graffiti.
We were determined to find the end to see where it came out. There were places we felt fear, even danger. We had no doubt this had been a tunnel to hide and help keep slaves and possibly others, safe. It got darker in the tunnel and we both lit matches. They went out. We lit two more. They went out again. We realized we were were running out of oxygen. We turned around and headed back, dying of thirst.
We knew we were getting closer to the entrance of the tunnel when it became easier to breathe.
We heard someone yelling.
“I can see them, they’re okay!” Linda’s sister Joan helped us the rest of the way out. We could see that Linda’s mother was quite shaken as she gave us water, telling us to take small sips.
“I was just about to call the Fire Department when Joan saw you, do you realize you could have died in there?,” she said. “I’ve been a nurse for a long time, I’ve seen it happen; let’s get you both into the house where it’s cool.”
We sat around the dining room table. Linda’s mother was still upset as she looked at us.
“What do you have to say for yourselves?” Linda and I looked at one another, I could see her thinking: “We’re really sorry, we didn’t know we could die in there,” but I’m glad we did this, we could feel a little bit what it felt like for those people and I’m proud of our house and the owner during the Civil War who helped people.”
Even though we were aware of the Civil War and slaves, we thought the tunnel was to help hide them until the War ended and then they’d be taken to a place where it was safe for them to live. It was soon after this that we learned about the Underground Railroad and the tunnel’s true purpose.
[Editor’s note: We apologize for the agonizing cliff-hanger last week when we neglected to indicate it ws the first of two parts, and we hope this week’s installment made the anticipation worthwhile.]
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