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

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

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

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

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

WHITMAN – In the end, it was their equal commitment to working toward a school budget that best serves all Whitman students that made the decision so difficult.
“It;s awful,” School Committee Chair Beth Stafford said after nine of 13 applicants for the two vacant Whitman seats on the W-H School Committee that made the choice so hard. Heather Clough, Kevin Mayer and Charles Slavin III did not attend the meeting. “We have quite a difficult decision, I think. We had some great people.”
Those who did brought strong backgrounds in education, law, small business, real estate, special needs parenting and education and technical fields.
“This is difficult,” Stafford said of the applicants’ experience. “I had to sit in that chair before and it’s very difficult, what they had to do, but I think we learned so much more about them than you do in a regular election.”
The election metaphor was mentioned more than once.
“It’s like going into a ballot box,” said Select Board Chair Carl Kowalski.
“Pretend you’re going to a ballot box, who are you going to vote for,” Stafford said. “When you say a name, you have confidence in that person you are selecting.”
The five Whitman Select Board members and four Whitman members of the School Committee were then asked to put themselves in the shoes of a voter for the two ballots, as each gave the name of the applicant they supported. Ballots were cast until a candidate received a majority of five votes for each vacancy.
“We’re not going to ask questions,” Stafford said in response to a question from School Committee member Rosemary Connolly.
Kowalski placed all names in nomination toward the two rounds of votes.
The nine interviewing candidates: Stephanie Blackman, P. Christopher DiOrio, Nicholas Femia, Anna Hourihan, Chris Marks, Annemarie Odle, Ginger Sullivan, Ryan Tressel and Danielle Winn, each had 10 minutes, with Stafford timing them, to speak about how they would support the district’s towns and students.
“Thank you very much, guys,” Stafford joked, as the candidates filed back into the Select Board’s meeting room. “You have made it awful.” In May, of any of the candidates wish to go on, can try again by campaigning for the seats when they come up again in May.
The first ballot was to fill the seat vacated by the death of Fred Small in late July. At the end of the first ballot, Stephanie Blackman and Chris Marks were both short of the needed five-vote majority on Ballot 1, but Select Board members Justin Evans and Shawn Kain added their support for Blackman, along with School Committee members Dawn Byers, Steve Bois, Rosemary Connolly and Stafford,
“Stephanie, you won a seat,” Stafford announced.
Ballot 2 followed the same route, ultimately giving a seat to Marks in a second run at the seat vacated by David Forth’s resignation. DiOrio with two votes and Marks with three votes were the top vote-getters in the first round, with Marks ending up with Byers and Kain shifting their votes to Marks to put him over the top. DiOrio ended up with four votes.
“I hope everybody thinks about it, watches, comes to our meetings, we appreciate an audience when we have school committee meetings,” Stafford said to the candidates who came up short. “We appreciate input, we always like input. Stay with it and don;t get discouraged and try again.”

HANSON – Potential overrides and the ramifications of reduced hours in town departments may soon be volleyed back into Town Meeting’s court for a decision.
Town Administrator Lisa Green reported to the Select Board on Tuesday, Sept. 17 that Capital Strategic Solutions’ proposal for helping town officials communicate the need for an override “came in at a high figure” so her office has looked at other companies – with equally disappointing results.
While they’ve received another proposal from one of those firms, there were concerns with them, too.
“One of the members didn’t even know what Prop 2 ½ was and another member was out in Colorado most of the time,” Green said. “The majority of their work is virtual.”
They would conduct meetings virtually, put together materials and present them to Hanson officials to farm out.
“A lot of proposals that weren’t really going to work for us,” she said.
“We did have a meeting with the [Umass, Boston] Collins Center and, unfortunately, they declined the project [and] did not put forth a proposal.”
Green also said there has been some new information available concerning free cash, which Town Accountant Eric Kinscherf was prepared to discuss it at the Sept. 24 meeting.
“We feel that we can actually do the work, instead of hiring a consultant to do the work for us,” she said.
Meanwhile. Board Chair Laura said she has heard “scuttlebutt” about the town seeking a $5 million override.
“I have no I idea where people got this from.” she said. “I know our consultants had hypothetically said that potentially, “if we really were getting aggressive we could ask for a $5 million override. No one on this board is entertained it as a dollar amount.”
She also stressed that no consultant was being asked to recommend a dollar amount, but were only being considered to help the town communicate the impact, where the town is financially and the potential impact in the event it didn’t pass.
Board member Ann Rein said everything is going up and people have to understand that the only way to avoid a tax increase without an override is drastic cuts.
“That’s not a threat,” she said. “The other side of the budget is the school budget. … We can’t fight that battle.”
Member Joe Weeks said that is one area where a consultant could help – managing and countering misinformation about the way the budget is being managed.
“The only type of consulting that I would feel comfortable with going into trying to figure out an override situation would be one that communicates the reality of how the budget is actually managed,” he said.
FitzGerald-Kemmett suggested reaching out to the Plymouth County Commissioners to see if they had any suggestions for helping the town communicate its budget issues to residents.
The board also reviewed special Town Meeting warrant articles, voting on which they would recommend, after all articles on the warrant had already been placed.
Much of the discussion centered on Article 20, centering on restoring the Conservation Agent to a full-time position.
Select Board member Joe Weeks said he viewed it and Article 21 as salary issues they couldn’t go back on.
“I’d rather defer,” he said.
Select Board member David George asked if Weeks didn’t think the hours should be restored.
“I think he should have his hours back,” Weeks replied. “We spent three years fighting to get salaries increased and hours increased just to cut them the minute we got them, and I do not want to put a person in the position in which we give them their hours back, just to cut them again. It’s not fair”
The rest of the board agreed it would not be fair.
“And it’s irresponsible,” Weeks added. “So, I think we should defer to Town Meeting and let the taxpayers decide where the money goes again because I do not want to put people and their families in a position to constantly have to bounce back and forth with benefits and employment.”
“People have to live,” George agreed. “People have to eat. People have payments that they have to make.”
FitzGerald-Kemmett agreed with deferring, arguing that the Conservation Department has to get up and make their case for a full-time agent.
“Conservation has to get up and make their case about why they need their guy, and the Board of Health has to get up and make their case about why they need their guy,” she said. “Honestly, I didn’t hear either of those groups getting up at [the May] Town Meeting and making a case.”
“[Restoring hours] is one of the things you even hear about the Transfer Station, and that’s falling in our laps and it’s not even our decision,” Weeks said. “We didn’t make those decisions.”

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

SST amendment

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

W-H budget process

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

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

After nearly five inactive years, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has been found in the Bay State – the first human case has been found in Oxford, and a 41-year-old New Hamphire man died from EEE, Closer to home, a mosquito test sample from an area behind the Whitman DPW yielded a positive result for EEE.
But, while they are strongly recommending the proper insect repellant and protective clothing, town and school athletics officials are not sounding the alarm yet.
Health Inspector Daniel Kelly on Monday, said he sent out a robocall on Friday, Aug. 23 advising residents that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) had increased the alert level for West Nile Virus from moderate to high in Whitman and a few other surrounding communities that day.
In Hanson, however, Health Agent Gil Amado, said the EEE threat level remained at moderate, and that there would be no restrictions placed on recreation fields in town unless the threat level were to be increased to high.
“We’re on top of it,” said Amado, who met with other members of the town’s emergency response team Tuesday morning.
Hanson Fire Chief Robert O’Brien Jr., who also attended the meeting, said mosquito spraying for a large portion of the South Shore would be the focus of aerial spraying beginning Tuesday, Aug. 27 and would continue over several evenings in Carver, Halifax, Kingston, Middleborough, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester and Wareham. Truck-mounted ground spraying will take place in: Douglas, Dudley, Oxford, Sutton, and Uxbridge. For both methods, spraying begins at dusk and continues until about 4:30 a.m. the next day.
“It is important to note that this is weather dependent, and plans could change up to the last minute,” the Mass. Department of Health and Social Services posted on its site. “Coverage of the entire area at risk in Plymouth County may take several nights of spraying. The truck-based spray in Worcester County will occur over multiple nights.”
The site noted the substance used in the spraying is called Anvil 10+10, an EPA-registered product extensively tested and used in both ground-level and aerial spraying in the U.S. to control mosquitoes. Anvil 10+10 contains two active ingredients: Sumithrin and Piperonyl butoxide (PBO). Sumithrin is a pyrethroid insecticide that kills insects when the insect comes into direct contact with it. Sumithrin is also found in pesticide products used indoors, pet shampoos, and tick control treatments. Piperonyl butoxide serves to increase the ability of Sumithrin to kill mosquitoes.
Sumithrin and PBO decompose with exposure to light and air and are rapidly inactivated with a half-life of less than one day in the air and on plants. These compounds have proven to be highly effective in killing mosquitoes worldwide for over 20 years.
“They did not list Hanson, yet,” O’Brien said of the spraying.
Kelly announced Whitman’s positive sample for both West Nile Virus (WNV) and EEE Aug. 2.
“Obviously, right now, we want people to be cautious,” Kelly said Monday. “Use bug spray with DEET. Make sure you use that bug spray after dusk and, if you can avoid being out after dusk, that’s great, but we don’t want people to shut down their lives.”
Kelly said the Whitman Heath Department is recommending what the rest of the state is recommending.
“At this time, we’’re not telling anyone to shut down any of the fields or anything, but, obviously, that’s a conversation that we’ll have in the future,” he said.
That possibility, while not imminent, is already on the mind of W-H Athletics Director Bob Rodgers.
“I’m super-concerned about it,” said Rodgers on Monday. “Usually when things trend this way it doesn’t get better – usually the restrictions become tighter – so we are hoping that it will stay this way, but we’re preparing for the possibility that we might have to do some restrictions.”
Rodgers preparing an announcement to send home to the families of student-athletes as he spoke, reminding them that the normal precautions they would take in their everyday life: wearing repellant; wearing long sleeves and long pants; and getting rid of any standing water around the home, including birdbaths; are still important.
“We’re hoping that people will do that, but we’ll keep track of it,” he said. “I know there are schools in our league that have had a ban on any activities after sundown.”
He said Plymouth is the district within the league that he knows has made that move, and he has heard that Carver, which is outside the Patriot League, has also banned outdoor sports after sundown.
“I had a family cookout over the weekend and I made sure that everybody wore repellant and took precautions,” Rodgers said. “I think everybody, regardless of what you are doing – whether it’s high school sports or going out to the supermarket, if EEE is in the area, while the odds are very low that you will contract it, it’s something you have to take proper precautions against because it is very dangerous.”
WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state and are found in urban as well as more rural areas. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection.
The 4 Ds of mosquito control are a set of precautions you can take to protect you and your family from mosquitoes:
Dress: Wear long, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing when you’re outside.
DEET: Use insect repellent that contains DEET, following the product label for application. DEET is a repellent that keeps mosquitoes away from you so they won’t bite.
Drain: Remove any standing water outside your home, including water in containers like bottles, cans, buckets, flower pots, tires, and trash containers. You should also change the water in pet dishes, bird baths, and wading pools, and remove litter, leaves, and grass clippings.
Dusk and dawn: Stay indoors during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. When risk is increased, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant.
The risk of mosquito borne diseases will continue until there is a hard frost that eliminates the mosquito population.

What to do:
By taking a few, common sense precautions, people can help to protect themselves and their loved ones: Avoid Mosquito Bites

• Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.
• Clothing Can Help reduce mosquito bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing longsleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
• Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours – The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. When risk is increased, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant. Mosquito-Proof Your Home
• Drain Standing Water – Many mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools and change water in birdbaths frequently.
• Install or Repair Screens – Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightlyfitting screens on all your windows and doors.

WHITMAN – The table is a little crowded for the Select Board’s next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 17, as the board encountered questions surrounding how the School Committee vacancy – which was the result of the recent passing of Fred Small – will be filled, and how to resolve budgetary roadblocks the Police Department has run into in helping the Whitman Mothers Club host a fundraising 5K in October.
The board’s interviews with candidates interested in being appointed to the School Committee were already scheduled for Sept. 12, but Select Board Vice Chair Dan Salvucci mentioned a problem that had already cropped up for that session as well.
School Committee member Steve Bois will be undergoing throat surgery on Sept. 17 and would be unable to speak at a meeting, whether an in-person or remote session, Salvucci said
“That’s one member of our School Committee that can’t be there,” Salvucci said. “Either [the meeting gets rescheduled] or he doesn’t vote, and he’s been on the School Committee for a very long time and he should have a right to voice his opinion.”
Select Board Chair Dr. Carl Kowalski said he had “a number of conversations” with School Committee Chair Beth Stafford – each of them talking with their respective administrators, Whitman Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter and Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak – a week or two ago, in which they arrived at a schedule “that seems to work” to both fill the vacancy as well as to pay proper respect to Fred Small.
“We shouldn’t be jumping on the floor to replace him,” Kowalski said. “This is going to give people time to reflect on things.”
Carter said, in announcing the schedule, that the School Committee would make their own announcement about the vacancy and the schedule at their meeting.
The town is running an ad in this week’s Express and on the town website Thursday, Aug. 22, regarding the vacancy with a deadline of Tuesday, Sept. 3 for submission of letters of interest and resumes, which should be directly to Carter via her email: mcarter@whitman-ma.gov.
She would then forward copies of the letters and resumes to the full Select Board on Wednesday, Sept. 4, as well as to Stafford, Szymaniak and the other five Whitman members of the School Committee.
A joint Select Board/School Committee meeting was planned on being posted for 6 p.m., Sept. 12 to interview the candidates seeking the vacant seat.
“How did you come up with the date of a Thursday and not a Tuesday or a Wednesday?” Salvucci asked.
Carter said it just evolved from their discussion on available dates and the timeline surrounding the call for resumes and the time needed to review them.
Salvucci again raised Bois’ surgery date.
“He knew he couldn’t be in attendance,” Salvucci said. “I just thought it was kind of unfair. When we reorganize we wait until we have a full board. It would be best if we had the full board and School Committee could be there and find the proper date.”
Kowalski asked if Salvucci knew of a better night for Bois.
“I’d have to call him,” Salvucci said. “He may just say do it.”
Board member Shawn Kain asked if Bois would be able to attend virtually.
“He won’t be able to speak,” Salvucci said.
“I agree with you, though,” said board member Laura Howe. “It shows a deeper level of respect and Fred Small did so much for this town – and Steve Bois as well.”
Salvucci volunteered to call Bois to see if there is a better date for the meeting.
Board member Justin Evans noted that a meeting date – if it were changed – would have to be one on which the candidates would be able to be available, too.
Kowalski also suggested that the interviews meeting could be pushed into October.
“I think Steve ought to be involved, here,” he said. “Why don’t we go back to the drawing board?”
Carter said that, while the ad has been placed, the resume filing deadline had been the only date specified.
The road race request was filed by Jessica Cunninghan for the Whitman Mothers Club, which is planning a 5K roadrace on Sunday, Oct 20 beginning at noon. The route planned would require shutting down the one-way portion of Whitman Avenue to allow organizers to set up for the race.
That’s where Police Chief Timothy Hanlon ran into budgetary problems that the Select Board is hoping the extra time afforded by postponing the vote to Sept. 10, can provide an opportunity to find solutions.
“Regarding road races in general, and really when they are fundraisers, the police department does make every effort – as we have over the years – to accommodate that by not charging for road closures, details and everything else,” Hanlon said. “Just the way the budget is going, it’s not going to be feasible anymore.”
He said the department is all in favor of helping out a charity, but he questioned where the $2,800 it will cost in overtime to the officers needed along the route, would come from.
“I don’t know,” he said about the answer to that question. “I don’t know how much they would actually fundraise, especially if we had to charge them for details.”
While saying the department has gone that route in the past, he left it up to the board this time. He mentioned that other charities had been able to adjust their plans or fundraising to fulfill their detail needs.
“I just found out about this one last week,” Hanlon said.
Carter mentioned that race organizers had mentioned perhaps having a smaller route for the race could require fewer officers, and asked if that was a possible alternative.
“I did adjust the route, kind of on my own,” Hanlon said. “They want to start and end near Old Colony Brewing and that’s why they want the one-way section of Whitman Ave. That, in and of itself, presents challenges.”
Hanlon said the department has used different routes over the years and the easiest one is the former Panther Prowl – which began and ended at the high school – traversing Frankin Street and South Avenue, up Winter Street.
“A 5K is a 5K,” he said. “We have to begin and end it to make sure there are five kilometers in the race.”
Even with an amended route, turning off South Avenue, back up Lake Street and then Whitman Avenue, instead of the full length of South Avenue, but that would require more officers to block off more side streets.
“Even with that, I think the bare minimum is 10 officers, coupled with the [overtime] rate on a weekend, would be $2,800,” Hanlon said.
In response to a question from Kowalski, Hanlon said he had not talked to Cunningham about the problem, so Salvucci suggested it be tabled until the board’s next meeting.
“That way the chief can talk with [the Mothers Club] and maybe they can come up with a reasonable solution,” he said.
“That would be a great idea,” Carter said. “Because you don’t usually do [thee 5Ks] in a year…”
The other issue is the challenges straining the general Police Department budget. The Police Reform Act changes requiring a full-time police academy adds to the challenge as he has to send more cadets through that academy.
“I don’t want to get up here and speak about the police budget,” he said.
Evans also mentioned that this year it’s Whitman’s turn to host the Tri-Town Veterans Day Parade and Hanlon noted that next year, the town’s 150th anniversary will also present challenges for the department.
“I don’t want to turn down the Mothers Club,” Kowalski said.
“Neither do I,” Hanlon said. “It’s just the situation we’re in.”
Kain said the board should do whatever it could to help out the Mothers Club and organizations like it.
“If we can brainstorm, either on your end, or some sort of compromise, and maybe on our end,” he said. “These are community events that bring in a lot of people for a good cause.”