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Canoeist capsizes

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As of Monday, a Hanson man in his 60s remained in intensive care at Brockton Hospital following a near-drowning on West Lake of Monponsett Pond on Saturday, July 7.

A neighbor checked the area after seeing an overturned canoe and pulled the man from the water on the West Lake at Ocean Avenue.

Halifax police and fire were recognized in a thank you via social media Sunday night by Sergeant Sterling of Halifax Police.

“I am very proud of my co-workers, officer McDonnell, officer Acevich and off-duty paramedic Dillon Riley, who were the first ones on scene. Our training kicked in and we worked as a well-oiled machine in our life saving efforts. Huge props to the resident who pulled the individual from the water.”

Hanson Fire Chief Jerome Thompson also commended the efforts of first responders and the individuals who investigated the overturned canoe.

“The actions taken by everyone involved will hopefully be a positive outcome,” said Thompson.

Hanson police officers as well as the environmental police were on scene investigating Sunday afternoon.

“The actions taken by everyone prior to our arrival contributed to our crew being able to transport this patient to the hospital and give him a fighting chance at survival,” read a Hanson Fire Tweet on social media. “Great job!”

SSVT salutes Dutch’s service

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HANOVER — The South Shore Vo-Tech School Committee gave retiring Principal Margaret Dutch a warm send-off during its Wednesday, June 20 meeting.

Mark Aubrey takes over as principal with the new fiscal year, which started on July 1.

School Committee Chairman Robert Molla of Norwell presented Dutch with a plaque saluting her “professionalism, attention to detail and commitment to putting students’ education at the center of all your decisions. You’ve been a reliable and caring leader and have earned the respect and admiration of parents, staff and students.”

Dutch, in turn, said she was thankful for the opportunity.

“I’m grateful for the trust that you placed in me and I’ve enjoyed every minute,” she said.

Graphic Communications/Visual Design student Elizabeth Trull, a sophomore from Rockland, was recognized as the Student of the Month for June.

Assistant Princiapl Aubrey, still in his role as assistant superintendent during the June 20 meeting, reported that Trull was selected based on faculty comments that she is a “creative, positive, hard-working and kind” student who is also an “advocate for her peers.”

Trull is a three-sport athlete — volleyball, basketball and softball — a student ambassador, member of SkillsUSA and Business Professionals of America.

Social studies teacher Tammy Glass was honored as June Staff Member of the Month, as nominated by SSVT students. She has been a teacher at the school since 2015 and students lauded her expertise in the subject as well as her willingness to experiment with new projects and assessments to push students to excel. She is also a class adviser and prom volunteer, overseeing the construction of a chandelier designed and built by the shops this year.

Parents urge no changes to open house

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Every year since 2009 in the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, an open house has been held on the day before the first day of the school year to allow elementary and middle school students the chance to meet their teachers and become accustomed to a new classroom and/or building.

This fall, however, plans for the open houses have been complicated by the Maquan School closing in Hanson and how it affects teachers and programs moving to Indian Head and Duval elementary schools, Hanson Middle School and WHRHS, raising concerns among some parents.

Hanson parents’ concerns were raised at a Monday, June 18 building transition update meeting with school officials assuring parents during the Wednesday, June 20 School Committee meeting that they would continue discussing how to handle the issue and pledging to quickly communicate any decision with parents.

Three Hanson residents among a group attending the meeting spoke to the School Committee in favor or keeping the traditional open house.

“As a parent, just having the opportunity to meet the person that they will be spending the next 180 school days with the night before, will ease a lot of anxiety,” one mother said, who has been a teacher required to transfer to a new building. “I also think that there is so much change happening for Hanson — we’re losing an elementary school, we’re losing a principal and gaining a new principal. We’re also gaining a new assistant principal … and new superintendent. There are a lot of changes that are facing families and students in this district and Hanson in particular.”

While she conceded some change is inevitable in life, she said she is not sure so much change at one time is good.

“I think the open house has proven a really effective strategy for handling those first-day jitters, [and] new parents get to meet people in town,” another parent said.

Whitman schools are going ahead with the usual day before the first day of open house because only Duval is affected by transitions stemming from the Maquan closing.

“There was a little rumbling about open house there, as well,” said WHRHS Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak, who takes the helm as superintendent in July. Duval’s open house will, however, take place the night before school starts as usual. Szymaniak said he wanted to meet with new Indian Head Principal Jill Coutreau before making any decisions.

School Committee member Christopher Howard, a Hanson resident with two young children, said he saw two issues at work — a normal open house and this year.

“This is not a normal year,” he said. “I think everyone recognizes there’s lot going on, there might be some 12th-hour things that have to happen this year to do something fantastic, but I am a huge fan of open house the night before.”

He said that, on that night,  the focus of parents and children is on school and getting everyone together in that environment is helpful to reduce anxiety and avoid conflict with other activities.

Fellow Hanson School Committee member and parent Robert O’Brien Jr., agreed and asked if there was a way to modify the event.

School Committee Chris Scriven of Whitman, meanwhile, did not see a problem with making accommodation for the unusual circumstances this year.

“I think I might be missing what the concerns are,” he said.

“I think it’s the opportunity to meet the teachers the night before,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner said.

She explained that was the reason principals within the district suggested the event nine years ago.

“Principals that brought that forward — [including retired principals] Elaine White and Ellen Stockdale — believed that it was better for students to have an opportunity to see the school right before it started to help with some anxiety the first day of school,” Gilbert-Whitner. “This year, it’s a little bit different because of the changes that are going on.”

Teachers had also expressed questions and concerns about the move through union official Kevin Kavka. Open house, and the pressure of moving classrooms from one building to another or within buildings and not being ready for open house, was among those concerns, Gilbert-Whitner said. An extra day for an open house would mean an extra personal day for teachers, according to their contract.

“Their request was could they possibly move open house to another date,” she said. “They know their rooms have to be ready for the first day of school, but when their rooms are ready for open house, they want the bulletin boards up, they want to give the best possible look to the classroom and, I think there were concerns that it wouldn’t look the way they wanted it to.”

Gilbert-Whitner said she thought the parents already knew that information, and when she learned otherwise she was surprised, but declined to point to anyone as being at fault.

Parents attending the session said the open house was more important as a day to meet teachers than for perfect bulletin boards.

“Nothing is written in stone,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “This is a unique year.”

Szymaniak said alternatives have been looked to, including an opportunity to explore the schools the day before the year starts and an open house at a later date.

Some classrooms at Indian Head won’t be ready until mid-August, he noted. He said the event there could include older students showing the Maquan students around, an ice cream social and a special opening of the new Indian Head playground.

“My priority on [Aug. 27 and 28] and of my teachers is to be prepared for students on that Wednesday and have a ‘Welcome back — Welcome to our new school’ with a lot of energy,” he said.

Szymaniak also offered the opportunity for school walk-throughs for students who have difficulty with change.

New Duval Principal Dr. Darlene Foley, who was also introduced at the School Committee meeting, plans to survey her staff about open house over the summer.

“Darlene is the solidification of our team,” Szymaniak said in making that introduction to the committee. “It’s been a long month and a half or so, with some great candidates, but I think we got the cream of the crop.”

Foley has already been to visit Maquan and Indian Head before the end of the school year to look at the special education programs that are transitioning to Duval.

“I’m really excited to be working at Duval,” she said. “I feel it’s already a very special place and I’ve met terrific people at Duval and at the other two schools and central office and I feel very supported already.”

Gilbert-Whitner said the physical transition of the buildings are continuing and lauded the assistance from town departments.

“We are indebted to the town of Whitman for their dedicated effort in getting on top of this project and what they’ve done as an in-kind contribution,” Gilbert-Whitner said of the work DPW crews are doing on the parent drop-off driveway for the preschool program at WHRHS. “They’ve saved this project an awful lot of money.”

Ready for a disaster

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HANSON — When a “tornado” struck, the state’s assisted living, nursing and rehabilitation facilities had to coordinate evacuations from affected areas.

It was just a drill, but an important one.

Among the facilities participating in the mock facility evacuation scenario on Tuesday, June 19 was All American Assisted Living in Hanson where resident volunteers were staged awaiting transportation to “Resident Accepting Facilities” within MassMAP. It was part of a full-scale, statewide annual exercise for simulating disaster at nursing facilities and covered how staff and families would be notified, recovery and repair of building damage — down to working with local public safety personnel.

Responders included the professionally trained staff at the Hanson facility – which consist of nurses, certified nursing assistants, physical therapists, and other professional staff. Hanson Fire Chief Jerome Thompson Jr., Lt. Sherilyn Mullin and Lt. Charles Barends as well as Hanson Police Sgt. Peter Casey represented the town’s first responders at the drill.

No patients were actually moved in the exercise — “evacuations” were done via fax machine on this day.

“Everyone [on staff] has their priority, it’s just how does it fall into disaster mode?” said facilitator Darren Osleger of Russell Phillips & Associates (RPA), a fire and emergency management consulting firm out of Fairport, N.Y. “It’s very similar to incident command … a fairly new concept in health care.”

Osleger said after the event that he thought the exercise went well.

“What we’re trying to do is better prepare ourselves and put ourselves in a position so, if we ever had to evacuate a building like that, through communicating with the coordinating center, having … the team really figure out certain tasks, they were able to identify open beds and correct fit for the residents if they had to be moved.”

The All American staff communicated with other participating facilities via computer and telephone to find open beds for evacuating patients.

“We are proud to have been chosen to participate in this exercise, although we spend countless hours training all of our associates in disaster events, a real live drill allows us to put our training to the test,” All American Assisted Living Executive Director Kristen Ward said before the event.

Chief Thompson said the exercise provided, especially for his command staff, the ability to iron out any problems or work with All American so things would run smoother if something did happen.

“We’re here to observe and assist them,” he said. “It gives an opportunity to see how they would handle stuff internally before we got here.”

The purpose of the exercise is to evaluate the interaction of the long-term care/mutual aid plan (LTC-MAP) members in each region in preparation for internal events. Though rare in such communities, the evacuation of an assisted living community is a complex event requiring significant coordination with the local community and region to ensure the safety of all residents, associates, and family members involved.

“I was impressed,” said Community Relations Director Bonnie Durrell at the midpoint of the tabletop exercise in which All American had to find beds in other facilities for eight male residents and 17 females, plus an additional 13 residents requiring care in a secure or dementia facility. “We have a plan in place, now we’ve used it and we have somebody to call and there’s a chain of command. … It’s going really well.”

The resident volunteers were given name tags bearing the name of the “victim” they were portraying for the exercise and a go-bag representing the one they would take with them in a real emergency. The bags would contain their medications — represented this day by candies or placebos — and a change of clothes.

“When they had the flooding in Texas, they were saying everyone had totes [packed with their needed belongings], which looked heavy,” Ward said. “We thought that it would be good to have a bug-out bag for this drill so they would have at least their meds and a change of clothes. The most important thing is that their medications go with them and for each of them we have their prescription list.”

FY ’20 budget work starts early

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WHITMAN — Residents will soon be asked to fill out questionnaires regarding the local government priorities they value — part of an effort, which will include financial work sessions with department heads, to start work on the fiscal 2020 town budget early.

“We’re approaching some pretty interesting times,” Town Administrator Frank Lynam said, noting that Selectmen Chairman Carl Kowalski had raised the proposal of a community assessment survey.

Kowalski and Selectman Brian Bezanson were absent from the Tuesday, June 12 meeting. Lynam met Monday with Dr. Melinda Tarsi from the Bridgewater State University Political Science Department to discuss work on the questionnaire and Lynam has invited her to the June 26 meeting to discuss it with the board in more detail.

“It’s probably essential to our planning for fiscal ’20,” he said. “Not probably — it is essential.”

Selectman Scott Lambiase requested a budget review also be included on the June 12 agenda, and suggested it should be a regular agenda item for the foreseeable future. He said the budget season has to start earlier to get a handle on what is needed and what the town can afford.

“As we’re trying to work with the Finance Committee and trying to get a budget together that we can get into Town Meeting next year, it would be nice to have the department heads present to us … showing cuts and, within that, a narrative on how that’s going to affect services,” Lambiase said. “We need to know, and we need to get it out there to everybody, what’s going to happen if we do have to cut this budget and what it’s going to mean to the level of service that the town’s going to receive.”

Additionally, he said they should also present a level-service or level-funded budget as much is practicable.

“I think we need to be more involved and I think we need to have them come in and present to us [with a certain level of detail] that shows us what they’ve been doing historically and what they’re looking to do in the future,” he said. “We have to let the town know that we are taking this seriously.”

Lynam said the Selectmen used to be more involved in the budget process, but has relegated it to the Finance Committee over the years.

“This is the executive board of the town,” he said. “We need to set direction.”

“We have to jump in and help them [the Finance Committee],” Lambiase agreed. “we have to help set a tone, especially with the larger departments — some of the smaller ones, there’s not much they can do.”

A handful of line-item transfers were approved to fund current shortfalls and a tense discussion centered on the discovery of a calculation error regarding use of the motor vehicle fine reserve for appropriation account and how the Police Department was notified. The error means that, unless another funding avenue can be found, the department can only buy one new cruiser instead of the two approved by Town Meeting in May.

CRUISER CALCULATION

“Unfortunately, at the time we voted, there was a $14,000 credit from the state to motor vehicles that actually belonged to the Complete Streets program,” Lynam explained. “At the time we voted, we believed we had the funds to support the lease-purchase of two vehicles.”

He said he has been looking for options to retain the second cruiser, but so far does not see any. Line item transfers are not a viable option because the purchase involves next year’s money.

“The law requires that you make your appropriation based on what’s available the day it’s voted,” Lynam said.

Police Chief Scott Benton, meanwhile, expressed his irritation about not learning about the agenda item until Monday, June 11.

Lynam countered that the interim accountant informed Benton’s office through Administrative Assistant Katrina Patton the week before.

“For three weeks you’ve known,” Benton said. “Why wouldn’t you inform me as the department head?”

“I knew last week when the accountant came to me and said we had an error in appropriations and she said, ‘Katrina was very upset when I told her about it,’” Lynam related. “At that point, it would have been reasonable to assume that you also would have known.”

Benton said Lynam should have called him directly, but Lynam said Patton was advised since Benton was away.

“I was away — I have my phone,” he said. “I have to answer my phone.”

Regardless of whether, or how, the message was relayed, Selectman Dan Salvucci asked Benton if he had any ideas on how to find the funds for a second cruiser.

“Legally, I don’t know what I can do,” Benton replied. I rely on the town administrator to help me with that stuff.”

He did ask if Lynam could look into the propriety of encumbering funds from this fiscal year to the next, for example $10,000 slated to be turned in out of all other services.

“Fair question,” Lynam said.

The transfers Selectmen approved involved: $2,700 from the removal of dead animals line to animal control expenses;  $165 from Town Meeting and elections line to Town Clerk expenses; $22,000 from Norfolk County Vocational Tuition line to street lighting to cover a recent rate increase; and $44,000 from Norfolk County Vocational Tuition line to the law account. Three students who had planned to attend Norfolk County Vocational, two of which were already budgeted for, will not be attending the school, freeing up the funds.

Selectmen also approved the sale of a $280,000 bond anticipation note dated June 20, 2018 and payable on May 20, 2019 with an interest rate of 2.05 percent to fund streetlight conversion to LED lights.

“When this was first proposed a lot of this was hinging on grants,” said Selectman Randy LaMattina. “I just want to know where we stand with those grants right now.”

Lynam said the town is awaiting a response from the state on two grants — the Metropolitan Area Planning Council grant and the Green Communities grant — which are being sought to pay the full conversion cost. Both are reimbursement grants.

Lynam noted, as he did at Town Meeting, that the borrowing would ensure that the lights can be bought and the debt is serviced even if the grants are not received. If Whitman fails to win the grants, the net cost would be no greater than the $86,000 the town now pays National Grid for maintenance costs and rental fees each year, he argued.

“If we’re successful in getting the grants, it’s pure return,” he said, followed by a $60,000 to $70,000 per year savings on rental and maintenance after that.

“I believe the net savings on the light rentals is $50,000 and I expect that the energy savings is going to be another $20,000,” Lynam said. Even receiving only the $50,000 MAPC grant, he noted, servicing the debt over five years would mean a principal payment of $46,000 per year with interest costs of $5,600.

“The money that we pay out [with no other grant money] would be equal to or less than what we’re paying right now to rent the lights,” he said. “And then we achieve the energy savings of LEDs.”

Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green said comparable figures to other towns on maintenance contracts is difficult because the number of street lights is different from town to town.

“Right now the town is looking for ways of saving money any way we can because of the situation we’re in where we had to cut the budget drastically this year to make ends meet,” said Salvucci. “I think anything that we do that saves the town money in the long run, we need to plan ahead.”

LaMattina was concerned about the up-front installation costs as well as maintenance costs during the life of the bond.

“I don’t have any reason to believe that we would not receive the grants,” Green said. “We followed all deadlines and stayed up to date with all the requirements. … I’d be heart-broken if we didn’t receive the Green Communities, we’ve received it the last two years.”

Consultant costs for low-bidder Light Smart are $14,728, including the audit, lighting design and project management. The cost is part of the $280,000 total cost.

“There’s not many communities that fall into the timeline to apply for both of the grants,” Green said.

In other business, the board approved a three-step process for the application, evaluation and recommendation of those seeking appointment as constables. The police chief would be involved in investigating and evaluating applicants and make recommendations to Selectmen.

Families demand to be notified of rehab releases

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Former Hanson Selectman David Soper is fighting for an amendment to the state’s Section 35 involuntary commitment law that he and his family feel can save lives.

It’s too late for his nephew Stephen Berry, but Soper wants to help spare another family pain.

An oxycontin prescription for pain following a dirt bike injury lead to to Stephen Berry’s addiction to opiods and his commitment to a state treatment facility,

“It spirals out of control so fast,” Berry’s father Thomas told television reporters after testifying at a hearing on a bill filed through state Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury.

“This is a gap in the law that we’ve seen and, unfortunately, it led to a tragedy,” Cutler told Boston’s NBC affiliate last week. “We’re not talking about revealing any medical information, we’re just saying when someone is released, the petitioner — which is usually a loved one — should be notified.”

Plymouth County DA Timothy Cruz supports the bill, for which there was no opposing testimony offered at last week’s public hearing at the State House.

“I strongly support passage of this bill, which would close an important gap in Section 35 commitments and ensure that a family member/petitioner is notified of any release from the program,” Cruz said. “Every day, families in Plymouth County are waging their own battles against addiction, and sharing Stephen Berry’s tragic story and testifying on this bill was an extremely difficult task for Mr. Berry and Mr. Soper. I want to commend them both for their courage and determination in seeing this bill through and hopefully preventing this tragedy from happening to another family.”

Family members provided emotional testimony about the impact of the current shortfall in the law.

“This past year for me and my [family] has involved many meetings with state and local officials all the way up to Chief Justice of criminal courts in Massachusetts,” Soper said in his testimony, a copy of which he provided to the Express. “Our goal is plain and simple: help fix what went wrong with release of my nephew and how he was released from state facility at his most vulnerable point. This is about life and death for those struggling with addiction. As of today, it is against the law to notify a loved one, had my family been notified we feel Steve’s story would have ended much differently.”

Thomas Berry explained addiction runs in his family and all his son needed was “a couple of those puppies” to become addicted. Before long Stephen’s habit was deemed serious enough to have him involuntarily committed to the Bridgewater State Rehabilitation Center on April 3, 2017.

He was supposed to be there for 90 days, but was released after two weeks because he had a pending court date.

Soper said there was no professional guidance offered to his nephew, nor any notification to his family that he was being released.

“His release was based solely on Mass. Health and Human [policy which] does not supply rides to court hearings,” Soper testified at the public hearing. “He was put in a van, ridden to Lakeville Middleboro Commuter Line with train ticket to Brockton where he later called his father Tom. He was also given money in form of a check with a letter from the state saying this check is guaranteed by the state of Massachusetts. That money was placed in that account by his father for extra clothing and food if need during his stay in Bridgewater.”

Stephen bought fentanyl and his family was notified the next day that he had died of an overdose.

“What is strange about him being released, is that the sole reason for his release was that the BSDRC would not provide him transportation to the court hearing on a criminal matter involving his mother and the theft of some items from her home back in December 2016,” Soper testified.

Cruz testified that families making such a difficult decision in an effort to save their loved ones deserve greater peace of mind than the current law provides.

“Tom Berry, Stephen’s dad, did one of the hardest things a parent ever has to do: he civilly committed his son to try to save his life,” Cruz said. “He was released without a hearing in front of the judge who, just two weeks earlier, found that he was an imminent risk to himself.”

He said he was aware of a similar case in Rockland involving a 40-year-old man sectioned by his mother after he had battled substance abuse for 17 years. He was released after 21 days, and died two days after his release.

There were 1,900 overdose deaths in Massachusetts last year, Cruz said. This is down slightly from 2016 which saw 2,100 is way up compared to 2009, 2010, and 2011 when there were only about 600 deaths per year.  Plymouth County ranks in the highest category in Massachusetts for opioid overdose death rates per 100,000 people with 147 in 2017.

“Every day in my office, we face an uphill battle to punish the traffickers and dealers of these poisons while identifying and finding treatment solutions for those whose criminality supports their substance use,” Cruz said. “But every day, families wage their own, less public and much more personal battles against addiction. The least we can do is to show those people, who know their loved ones best, that they matter enough to notify them when their loved one is released, in order to be prepared to wage their battle anew.”

Panel tables land buy

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The School Committee on Tuesday, May 29 voted to indefinitely table the purchase of land to the rear of the WHRHS property now being sold by an abutter.

Committee members had indicated at a previous meeting they would like to negotiate a donation of the acreage — which includes some wetlands — but the owner has since advised them she would prefer to sell it. The asking price is currently $50,000.

“I’ve said before, we’re pretty strapped from a financial standpoint so I question that,” said member Christopher Howard, who also indicated he wanted to see more information on how the district could possibly use the land.

Chairman Bob Hayes said the real estate broker contacted the district when the land went on the market to suggest it might be something the district could use. The property is land-locked, he noted.

“I think the idea of a donation is probably not something that the sellers are interested in,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner. “If this is something you want to pursue more, things are always subject to negotiations, but that’s the cost of the land that we talked about at the last meeting.”

Member Fred Small made the motion to indefinitely table the issue.

“If there’s any interest in going after it [and negotiate] the price tag, at least that allows us to say we put it on the burner,” Small said, noting the only possible usefulness for it would be to swap the wetlands somewhere else.

Member Michael Jones said he walked the property about a week after the issue first came before the committee and found it was not all wetlands.

He wondered if a counter-offer of $20,000 might be acceptable to the seller. Member Dan Cullity suggested the issue was more suitable work for the facilities subcommittee to pursue. Gilbert-Whitner said she would place it on that subcommittee’s agenda.

Member Robert O’Brien asked if the land was useful to the district.

“I don’t think we’ve even looked at that,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “My understanding is that someone said it could maybe be used for parking or something, but these are wetlands around us so you really have to be careful.”

The Committee voted to ratify the unit A collective bargaining contract by a 6-0-4 vote.

Members Howard, Christopher Scriven, Robert Trotta and Chairman Bob Hayes abstained because they have family members who teach in the school district. Hanson Town Administrator Michael McCue, represented the two towns’ boards of selectmen. Member Michael Jones was able to vote because his wife is a substitute school nurse and not covered by Unit A. Alexandra Taylor was not present.

The committee was advised that Hanson’s 200th anniversary celebration committee is seeking the district’s support and involvement in events being planned for 2020.

In other business, the committee reorganized following the May 19 annual town elections in which incumbents Hayes and Small were re-elected and Whitman resident Scriven was elected to fill the vacancy left when Kevin Lynam opted not to run again.

Gilbert-Whitner opened the meeting, presiding until a chairman was selected and leading a moment of silence on the day after Memorial Day to “remember those who have given up their lives so that we may live as we do in this country.”

Hayes was then unanimously voted to return to the post of chairman in his 16th year on the committee. Trotta was elected vice chairman, by a 5-4 vote over Small, who was the vice chair last year. Trotta, Scriven, Howard, Jones and Robert O’Brien Jr., supported Trotta while Small, Hayes, Dan Cullity and Steven Bois voted for Small. Small was unanimously voted in as secretary/clerk.

Cullity was elected treasurer with Howard selected as assistant treasurer.

Subcommittee assignments are:

• Negotiations — for unit B, C and D contracts: Hayes, Small, Cullity, Trotta and Scriven;

• Facilities — Small, O’Brien, Jones, Scriven and Cullity;

• Policy — Trotta, Howard, Small and Scriven;

• Warrants — Cullity, O’Brien, Trotta, Howard and Jones;

• Pilgrim Area Collaborative — Bois; and

• Legislative — Small and Jones.

Incoming Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak, who starts July 1, was appointed to the North River Collaborative and PCC boards of directors.

Bois was named the MASC/MASS Joint Conference delegate with Trotta named an alternate.

Voters opt for some new faces

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Newcomers were the big winners in the annual town elections on Saturday, May 19.

Political novices Wes Blauss and Matt Dyer will join the Hanson Board of Selectmen and Chris Scriven will join incumbent Fred Small in representing Whitman on the W-H Regional School Committee.

Seven percent of Whitman’s 10,589 registered voters cast ballots and in Hanson, 14 percent, or 1,013 of 7,473 registered voters cast ballots.

Blauss was the top vote-getter in Hanson with 545. Dyer received 492, Joseph Weeks III garnered 471 and incumbent Don Howard received 301 votes with 214 ballots left blank for the Hanson selectmen’s race.

In Whitman, Scriven received 516 votes to 331 for Small and 301 for Heidi Hosmer, with another 321 ballots left blank for the school committee race.

Dyer and Blauss said they were eager to go to work for Hanson as a way of giving back to the community.

“I’m blown away and very thankful for all the support and the love from all my supporters, the voters in Hanson, my family and friends who’ve all come out to support me,” Dyer said after Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan announced results in the Hanson Middle School gym. “I think what the voters were looking for was a younger voice to come and speak and bring new ideas and come at [government] from a different angle.”

He said he thought the difference for him was getting out to talk to voters and town officials to demonstrate he is not a one-issue candidate. He hopes to make a difference and bring in business, but recognizes that will be a tough job.

“My first goal with the board is to make sure we have a good working relationship with everyone on it,” he said.

Blauss was also gracious in victory.

“I think all four of us were good candidates,” Blauss said at his victory party at the Thomas Mill. “It’s a pleasure to have won, but no matter which way the vote went, I would have thought Hanson won.”

He said he has no immediate goals because he entered the race with no agenda, but wants to see the marijuana sales issue resolved sooner rather than later so the town knows where it’s going, pro or con.

“I’m 67 years old, I’ve never run for elective office and it was one thing I felt I probably should do to give back to the town — Hanson’s been a great place to live,” he said.

They were the only contested races on the respective town ballots.

Weeks congratulated Blauss and Dyer, while pledging he would be back to run again, while Howard expressed bitter disappointment in the results.

“I’m going to miss you,” Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said to Howard. “I liked working with you.”

“I’ve been devoted to the town of Hanson for the last 10 years,” Howard said when asked for his reaction to the result. “They aren’t going to be able to do what they said they were going to do.”

Howard said he would particularly miss representing Hanson on the Old Colony Regional Planning Council, but is still a member of the Water Commissioners.

Weeks lost by 21 votes and said he would “try to jump on some other committees” to continue serving his hometown. This was Week’s second campaign for a seat on the Board of Selectmen. He just completed a term on the Planning Board and sits on the Hanson Housing Authority board.

“It’s a matter of who the folks feel should be representing them and I think the town has spoken about that,” he said. “To lose by a handful of votes is tough.”

In other uncontested Hanson results: Sean Kealy received 845 votes for another term as town moderator; Kathleen Keefe had 821 votes for re-election as assessor; Arlene Dias garnered 804 votes to return to the Board of Health; Benjamin Fletcher got 782 votes for re-election to the Housing Authority; Steve Lyons with 740 votes and August Silva with 770 votes were re-elected constables; Corrine Cafardo with 768 votes and Linda Wall with 814 votes were returned to as Trustees of the Public Library; Bob Hayes received 790 votes for re-election to the School Committee and returning to the Water Commissioners will be William Garvey with 770 votes and Denis O’Connell with 713.

In Whitman; Town Clerk Dawn Varley received 587 votes for another term; Daniel Salvucci was re-elected as Selectman with 560 votes; Priscilla Waugh had 571 votes for re-election as assessor; Wayne Carroll garnered 547 to return to the Department of Public Works Commission; Michael Ganshirt with 547 votes and Kathryn Youngman with 468 votes were returned to as Trustees of the Public Library; Sheila Salvucci was elected to a three-year post on the Planning Board with 546 votes and Barbara White garnered 581 votes to return to the Board of Health.

Towns head to polls May 19

By

HANSON — When voters go to the polls in Whitman and Hanson on Saturday, May 19, they will see only one contested race in each town — three candidates vying for two school committee seats in Whitman — incumbent Fred Small, Heidi Hosmer and Christopher Scriven — and four candidates running for two selectmen seats in Hanson.

Polls in both towns are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with all Whitman precincts voting at Town Hall and all Hanson precincts voting in Hanson Middle School.

Hanson voters had the chance on Sunday, May 6 to hear the candidates’ position on the issues and to ask questions during an annual forum jointly sponsored by the town’s Democratic and Republican town committees. Town Moderator Sean Kealy, himself a candidate for re-election, moderated the event.

“This is an opportunity to get to know who’s on the ballot and where they stand,” Kealy said.

Going through the ballot in reverse order, Kealy noted that some candidates were unable to, or opted not to, attend the session.

School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes took the opportunity to talk about his candidacy and ask for voter support at the forum, as did constable August P. Silva.

“I’m about education — I think that education is everything,” said Hayes, a Whitman native who has lived in Hanson for 30 years. “I know it costs a lot, and we get a lot of complaints about taxes, but education is a proven fact and without it, you have issues.”

He has served on the school committee for 15 years and has been chairman for 11. Both of his children are W-H graduates who bought homes in Hanson.

“When I accept a duty or responsibility, I do my utmost to fulfill all that is required of me and then some,” said Silva, a 49-year veteran constable, an Army veteran and retired teacher who has also served on more than a half-dozen other elected and appointed offices in town. “My experience and knowledge are what helps to make doing the job right and in a timely manner.”

The other uncontested candidate for re-election is Steven W. Lyons.

But the bulk of the afternoon was focused on the four selectmen candidates: incumbent Donald H. Howard, Wesley Blauss, Matthew J. Dyer and Joseph R. Weeks III.

Howard noted his residence in the home he built in town in 1960 and his 10 years’ service on the Board of Selectmen in his opening statement as well as his concern over the need for expansion of the town’s commercial tax base. Dyer, who grew up in Hanson, is a political newcomer who noted his wish to give back to the community as well as the need to diversify the tax revenue to attract new business in town. Weeks, too, is a Hanson native — who briefly lived in nearby Rockland — strives to give back to the community and stressed the need for business development and long-term sustainable planning, especially in the Main Street corridor. Weeks is now ending his service as a member of the Planning Board. Blauss, retired after a 40-year teaching career and 30-year member of the Recreation Commission, stressed education and environmental concerns in his opening statement, saying he believes strongly in the affect of global climate change on the lives of today’s children and is a proponent of the pay-as-you-throw trash program. He is also a member of the Hanson Historical Society.

The candidates were asked the following questions, starting with what can be done to attract new business to town:

Howard said Conservation regulations regarding wetland areas along Main Street and a drainage problem from Phillips Street create a particular challenge to development there.

“I’d love to see something done down there,” he said. He said the people’s voice should rule what is ultimately done to develop the former Plymouth County Hospital site.

“Right now we are a drive-through community and we need to [develop] some sort of destination,” Dyer said. He advocated development of a project like a boardwalk trail along the wetlands to entice visitors to come to town and develop a multi-use project at the old Ocean Spray building as well as bringing high-speed internet and sewage service to town to help business development.

“We would be the only community on the Old Colony line to have a walkable downtown — Plymouth doesn’t have it, Kingston doesn’t have it and neither does any of the other communities.”

For the PCH site, an indoor soccer facility could be a way to meet the growing demand for such a field in the area, Dyer said.

Weeks advocates continuation of the complete streets project to make Hanson a more walkable town and, along with tax provisions, can bring more business to town as part of a long-term plan. He agrees with Howard, however, that drainage issues have to be dealt with first.

“I feel like I can’t add much to that, although I would like to give a shout-out to Dunkin’ Donuts,” Blauss said, agreeing with the ideas other candidates were floating. “They have done a great landscaping job — it’s attractive, you can get off the train and the area right around there is a draw.”

For parts of that stretch of Main Street that is not a draw, he said he is not certain how much town-owned land there is in the area with which the town can work.

GREEN COMMUNITY
STATUS

Dyer, who is a member of Green Hanson, said he has worked on green technology and sustainability, noting that Green Community status is “that next step” for Hanson.

Weeks has also been a member of Green Hanson before getting involved in other town committees, said the Planning Board has already taken up the Green Community process.

“It opens us up to all kinds of grants,” he said. “We have a fantastic town planner who is looking at the overall maintenance of the town within both a short-term and long-term plan and she’s in agreement that this is something we hadn’t had the resources to pursue.”

Bluass, noting that so many other communities are working toward plastic grocery bag bans, said he doesn’t know why Hanson hasn’t followed suit.

“I think that there are plenty of avenues that we can start talking about [that in],” he said.

RECALL REVISION
ARTICLE

“I think the recall law, in general, is incredibly important because it’s a great opportunity for democracy and a town can correct itself when it feels it needs to,” Weeks said during the forum that took place the day before Town Meeting. “I do want to take away my personal opinion vs. being a person in a selectman’s seat.”

He said it was worth allowing the public to discuss and vote on it.

Blauss said the stipulations for admission to sufficient facts for conviction or outright conviction of a crime as required by the revision, could take too much time.

“There’s no way to remove that person from the position [before a vote could be held],” he said. “It seems to me the people should have the opportunity to decide in a recall election.”

Howard agreed that the public has a right to debate and vote on an issue at Town Meeting, which is why he voted to place it on the warrant.

Dyer said he opposed the article.

“I believe it will take away the rights of our voters,” he said. “It should be up to the voters to take that [person petitioned for recall] out of office.”

RECREATIONAL
MARIJUANA

“Although I do not smoke pot myself, I think absolutely the town should vote,” Blauss said of why a referendum question is not being put forth. “There are several of us who don’t even understand why it isn’t on this month’s ballot.”

Howard said he was surprised that Hanson voters voted in favor of the 2016 state ballot question.

“I was really disappointed,” he said, arguing that it makes the Police Department’s job harder. “It proved to me that there’s more people smoking pot than voted no.”

Dyer also said it should be on a town ballot.

“I don’t believe a small group should be changing the culture of our town,” he said. “It’s a community decision.”

Weeks said, while there is a referendum option, the moratorium article that the Planning Board drafted last year to provide time to explore that option was voted down at Town Meeting last year.

“We deferred it to Town Meeting because we felt it wasn’t the job of a Planning Board member to say that they are for or against anything.”

He said he would support a referendum question.

RECREATION PRIVATE VENDOR

Howard said that, to be honest, he didn’t really have much involvement with the issue and didn’t have an answer for why a private vendor arrangement was approved.

“This is a really close issue to me,” said Dyer, who has recreation and park ranger experience. “I truly believe in public recreation. I should not be privatized because that’s what sets America apart from every other country — we decided to preserve our land but also [to] make sure we had that balance between conservation and recreation.”

Weeks agreed, arguing privatizing Camp Kiwanee is not in the best interests of the town.

“Would it be good to have it be sustainable? That’s a great idea, businesswise, but we want to make sure we don’t lose the essence of what Camp Kiwanee is, because it is the heart of Hanson.”

Blauss, said he was involved in the purchase of Kiwanee by the town in 1979 as a community recreational center. The weddings and rentals have been used to subsidize its operation.

“As long as we keep Camp Kiwanee on that footing, I think we’ll do well,” he said. “That’s my hope for the future.”

Library Trustee Linda A. Wall, one of two trustees running unopposed for re-election, sent an email to be read at the forum asking for voter support for her continuing collaborative efforts to bring quality programs to the library.

Kealy closed out the afternoon by asking for voters to support his re-election effort.

“No one was foolish enough, other than me, to take out papers,” he joked. “But I would appreciate your vote. I hope I’ve earned it over the past year.”

Override averted – this year

By

WHITMAN — The use of capital stabilization funds enabled the town to avoid an override ballot question — this year, Town Administrator Frank Lynam announced to the nearly 200 voters present at the start of the Monday, May 7 annual Town Meeting.

Capital stabilization was used to pay capital debt for the police station and Town Hall renovations as well as on a bond taken out in 2000 for limited repairs to Town Hall.

“The simple fact is that we can no longer raise enough money to fund the services that the residents of Whitman have become accustomed to receiving,” Lynam said of the $36,814,122 budget resulting from collaboration with all town departments, the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee. “We are presenting this budget with the realization that the town will need to increase its levy in future years in order to continue funding town services at our present level, and to meet the current and future capital needs of the Town.”

Lynam estimated there is only about $180,000 left in capital stabilization.

The fiscal 2019 budget is up $1,898,402 from last year.

Lynam warned residents that increases in fixed costs such as technology, public safety, education, solid waste, veterans’ services, health life and liability insurance, County retirement and other post-employment benefits are outstripping the town’s ability to fund the budget within the confines of Proposition 2 ½. Work on the fiscal 2020 budget will have to begin next month, beginning with a comprehensive review of our revenue, expenditures and capital assets toward developing that budget.

“The alternative to this would be to significantly reduce services and the quality of education we offer our youth and permit our capital assets to deteriorate over time,” he said.

Finance Committee Chairman Richard Anderson presented the “road map” for town spending in the coming year.

“This is in response to the extremely difficult budget we face this year,” Anderson said. “While we do not agree with each other, we all recognize the benefit of strategic planning and fiscal restraint.”

He offered the analogy that the Selectmen drive the fiscal car while the Finance Committee plans the route, but voters at town meeting decide whether to make the trip at all. Anderson also argued that the town’s position is due as much to unfunded or under-funded state and federal mandates as from spending and limited revenue.

“We have a long road — a long haul,” Lynam said after the Town Meeting, which he said went very well. “I can tell you right now there’s no way we can fund next year’s budget. We can’t continue down the road we’re going down an that’s why I wanted to make that clear tonight.”

There was an initial question, once the meeting got under way, from resident Elaine Williams on how the electronic voting devices would be used. Selectman Daniel Salvucci agreed with Williams’ suggestion that the devices be used in all questions.

“We’re paying the money to use these devices,” Salvucci said. “It seems to be working. Does Town Meeting want to use it for every single vote — and I agree, I think we should — I think that was the main reason we brought these forward.”

Moderator Michael Seele had recommended voice votes unless a voice vote supported using the handsets. Town Counsel Michelle McNulty’s interpretation of state statute agreed with Seele’s recommendation, which was the approach used, specifically on questioned items on Article 2 — which was decided by the devices when a voice vote proved inconclusive.

“The towns that use them on every question had lengthier town meetings,” said Seele, who chaired the committee that studied using the devices. “It’s up to the meeting.”

A special warrant article for $280,000 to purchase streetlights from National Grid was amended to authorize the borrowing of the funds and issue bonds or notes of the town for them. Lynam also indicated the town has applied for two grants, which if received, will pay for the borrowing in two years while the town saves on energy costs by switching to LED lights.

A line item within budget Article 2 later centered on $143,000 sought for street lighting. Lynam explained it was for electricity costs, which is expected to be reduced by the LED lighting in coming years.

BUDGET QUERIES

There were 25 line items questioned within budget Article 2, all of which were ultimately approved. Some of the questioned lines dealt with $1,000 certification stipend earned by some town employees as the town is obligated to meet as a result of approving state laws permitting the stipends several years ago.

A 4-percent increase for Lynam — the third year of an attempt to bring his salary closer to the minimum compensation for a town administrator — and a 2-percent increase for Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green after Green received a 1.5-percent increase last year — were also approved.

The question was prompted by the fact that the salary for the position was increased prior to hiring Green to a level that will still be the lowest among 15 people in equivalent positions through the region.

A question about Fire Department expenses triggered a question about why a brush fire off Indian Trail last year was left to burn overnight while fire personnel were sent home.

“Do you want me to comment on the expense or why we don’t go in the woods at night?” Fire Chief Timothy Grenno asked, then answered both, noting the expense line funds firefighter salaries, contractual obligations and benefits.

Fires in extremely dry weather burn deep underground along root systems and can take as long as two weeks to extinguish, Grenno added.

“If the ground is burned out and you have a firefighter walking across that ground drawing a hoseline and they fall into a pit, that fire can immediately flare up,” he said. “There’s too many obstacles in the woods, there’s too many obstructions, there’s dangers so when we confine a fire … so it doesn’t spread overnight in the darkness and then you go back first thing in the morning and you start up again.”

A Board of Health request for an additional $22,979 — bringing the inspector’s line from $43,148 to $66,127 — was also questioned. Lynam explained it was due to the board’s assumption of responsibilities for animal control services, placing the inspector at the department head level. Both the fire and health board expenses were approved.

A $6,000 expenditure to Whitman WILL was also questioned, with Lynam explaining it was a division of the $12,000 traditionally budgeted for the Whitman Counseling Center, which also was budgeted $6,000 this year.

“It’s no secret to anybody in this room that we’ve had an explosive growth in opioid addiction,” he said, noting the Whitman-Hanson WILL coalition is providing “serious effort to provide assistance and education to people in handling and combatting addiction to drugs.”

Two residents, who suggested the money go into the general fund, questioned a Police Department revolving fund financed through fines assessed by the department. The revolving fund is intended for training and education of officers.

“That fund offsets what this town spends in the police budget,” Police Chief Scott Benton said, comparing it to the Fire Department’s ambulance receipts account. “As the police chief, I want the money to go to the Police Department. I can appreciate where you’re coming from, but I object to [funneling the money into the general fund].”

Lynam agreed that the funds are used to finance the unique needs of the Police Department.