HANSON — Having completed  six months of chemotherapy this week at Mass General Hospital, Anthony Sevieri was welcomed home by a car parade filled with his family and friends.

The 20-year-old Whitman Hanson graduate known to all as “Big Tony,” was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in October 2020 and has received treatment every two weeks.

Tony stood outside his home on County Road taking in the love like a seasoned rock star. Balloons, streamers and confetti flew through the air celebrating his resilience.

His sense of unwavering positivity and his determination to beat the disease is what got him through, according to his mom Erika who is an OBGYN nurse at Mass General Hospital.

His elder sister Alexis who is a special education teacher north of Boston said it was the first time since Christmas she got to hug him.

She quarantined in order to come home for Christmas, she said.

They talked via face time almost daily but seeing him home and done with treatments was a great relief.

“He is a remarkable kid,” said Colleen Cole a family friend and colleague of Tony’s mom.

Sevieri gave the thumbs up and pointed to his shirt, which he created while in quarantine and during his chemotherapy.

Many of his well-wishers wore his T-shrt brand lettering stood out with bright yellow and black as they gathered on the lawn at his home.

A milestone he is looking forward to is turning 21 in a few months he had a mixed set of emotions on completing chemotherapy, he said.

“Tired,  excited and in a weird way kind of a slight sense of loss  because this has been my focus for six months just getting through each treatment, getting to the last day- just day- to -day. The last day is here. The treatments over now (pause) what’s next,” he said of how he felt.

What’s he looking forward to?

“A lot more of these, he said pointing to his t-shirt brand. Good vibes and good times,” he said with great enthusiasm.

He is also waiting to get the all clear from his future scan in April. Mom Erika said they are expecting a good prognosis and are optimistic he is on the path to better health.

The support from co-workers and family was tremendous with father Thomas adding “they are very happy” that he is doing so well. He credited Tony’s unwavering commitment

WHITMAN — The roller skating rink is not being sold.

Humorist Mark Twain asked by a reporter about a rumor that the great author had died, is said to have replied, “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

For Charlene Conway, owner of Whitman’s Carousel Family Fun Center, it is a familiar feeling.

“We’re back open again and we’re very happy and we’re moving forward,” she said Monday, March 8. “We had a great weekend and we’re very happy to be open again an back at it. We’re here to stay for a while.”

Over the weekend, a post on real estate website Crexi.com which listed the rink property for sale with an asking price of $1.3 million, had tongues wagging in Whitman.

“I had a realtor reach out to us while we were closed because of COVID,” Conway said this week. “That started when we didn’t know what was going to be going on.”

She said a license fee waiver from the town for the period during which the rink was closed because of the state’s order concerning indoor gatherings, has helped the business tremendously. Selectmen had been hesitant, when Conway made her initial request in January, to approve the waiver over their concerns about opening opportunities for other businesses to make the same request and the wish to determine what kind of relief she may have already received. The waiver was, however approved last month.

“It’s kind of hard to pay for permits when you didn’t use them,” she said. “Every penny counts now.”

Conway is not letting dust gather in the corners, either, planning a St. Patrick’s Day Family Skate event from 2 to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, March 17 and a welcome back to roller skating Superhero Skate from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 20 “with special guests.”

Conway stressed that the facility follows the recommended COVID-19 guidelines, and provides details on the website carouselskate.com.

She is also planning the regular schedule of public skating hours: Family skates from 6 to 8 p.m., on Wednesdays; 7 to 10 p.m., on Fridays; 2 to 4:30 p.m., and 7 to 10 p.m., on Saturdays as well as 2 to 4:30 p.m., on Sundays. A Saturday skating class, from 8 to 10 a.m., is also continuing.

HANSON — A prognosis of complete recovery and riding her longboard are the two things Jess Nihan, 22, of Hanson desires with undeniable determination. She knows only time will restore her health and bring her these rewards but for now she is happy to be alive and at home with her family.

“Every day I think of a reason to be happy. My life is better than a lot of people’s and I am lucky the whole way through,” Jess said, smiling at her mom.

Jess, a graduate of Whitman-Hanson’s Class of 2017 suffered a stroke as a result of arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which is shaped during uterine development. AVM is a snarl of abnormal and inadequately formed blood vessels present at birth but in most cases — such as hers — it is never discovered.

According to Brigham and Women’s website, the tangle of arteries and veins usually develops before birth or shortly after. Occasionally, an AVM forms later in life, though it is unclear if the risk for an AVM is passed down through families genetically. For someone with an AVM, an increase in blood pressure is a risk factor for rupture.

The sequence of events and emotions surrounding Jess’ stroke are still raw for mom Julie Nihan, who spoke with gratitude as she recounted the hours following Jess’ brain bleed the day after Thanksgiving. She credited the quick assessments made by EMS, which saved valuable time during her daughter’s medical crisis.

In each step the medical professionals made all the fastest and most accurate decisions in saving Jess’ life, she added.

Following the November holiday, Julie and husband Greg had their sons home and a sister visiting, who happens to be an ICU nurse.

The Nihan’s had a relatively quiet day.

Jess had come downstairs for Tylenol complaining of a migraine and returned to her room but in minutes was calling for her aunt. A seizure ensued as Hanson Firefighters/Paramedics were called.

Jess has no recollections of the incident or the four weeks following.

She was transported to the Brockton Hospital by Hanson firefighters and paramedics and was evaluated with imaging in the Emergency Room. The ER doctor diagnosed the bleed and she was airlifted to the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston within the hour.

Jess comforted her mom with a tissue-taking a break from medical facts and talked about her short hair, which is just starting to grow back.  Her scar is thick and resembles a zipper where her skull was removed then replaced as her brain healed.

With a giggle she called her scar “Bad Ass” when she described it — in the sense it is a sign of her survival — as a reminder of her resilience and her determination to recover.

She keeps an eye on her mobile independence physically but she also cannot wait to drive again in due time.

Her work at The Home for Little Wanders as a social service residential relief counselor gives her insight to the lives of less fortunate youth.  She cannot wait to return to the work she loves, she added.

Jess is passionate about her profession and strives to be a positive role model in their world.

Describing herself as goofy, thankful and lucky for her life she talked about the appreciation that she has gained as her family has surrounded her every step of the way.

Nihan is working intensely on regaining her speech. Her mobility is slower but she is intentional with skills such as: drinking from a glass. Her rehabilitation is intense and has become her purpose. Recovery after this medical crisis can take a year or more, according to data from Brigham and Women’s Hospital AVM treatments and diagnosis.

Jess’ Neurosurgeon Dr. Nirav J. Patel of Brigham and Women’s Hospital performed her repairs needed to stop the bleed and correct the entangled vessels from AVM.

According to his in-depth discussion on AVM treatments and diagnosis Patel explained what AVM is on his patient page which includes videos of the type of repairs he makes to the brain.

“The tangle of arteries and veins usually develops before birth or shortly after,” according to data on Brigham and Women’s website (AVM and Neurological specialties). “Occasionally, an AVM forms later in life, thought it is unclear if the risk for an AVM is passed down through families genetically. For someone with an AVM an increase in blood pressure is a risk factor for rupture.”

For more information on AVM and data on recovery from the procedure such as Jess’ visit  brighamandwomens.org.

Jess is the only girl with three brothers one of whom is her twin — she has always been close to her mom and now more so than ever.

This month when she returned home after three months at Spaulding Rehabilitation in Boston Jess still has her appointments for outpatient services as she continues to gain her strength. She was welcomed with an outpouring of messages, well-wishes and flowers.

“Living in a small town all the training helped save her life, said Julie when every second counted.

The family is grateful for each person who had a hand in the positive out coming.

Deputy Chief  Rob O’Brien prepped  Henry Wrightington for his shot during a clinic at Hanson Middle School Friday, Feb. 5, in which the communitiy’s seniors age 75 and over received a COVID-19 vaccine. Jack Concree, right, received the vaccine as he was joking that it was not painful at all. See more photos, page 9.

As snow storms go, this week’s edition was not a big boost for snowlovers, as the few inches the region got was largely washed away by overnight rains Monday into Tuesday. But there was some work to get done. The Whitman Department of Public Works cleared the sidewalks as the weather forecast predicted a freeze of the slushy snow. A Blue Heron picked its way through reeds at the shore of Wampatuck Pond in Hanson on Tuesday, making for a beautiful winter scene following the days long drenching rains. See more photos, page 8.

By Stephanie Spyropoulos
Express staff

Looking for a good read?

If you are looking for love this Valentine’s Day or a guide to a new hobby, the topics are endless at your local library. There are also a host of books in every genre waiting to intrigue you.

Public libraries may be closed to foot traffic in Massachusetts due to COVID-19 restrictions, but there are plenty of ways to effectively use the libraries to remain involved; from children’s and teen book clubs to adult motivational and crafting events.

“They are monitoring State wide restrictions in hopes of resuming by appointment visits,” said  Karen Stolfer Hanson’s library director.

Activities are done via Zoom and use the sign up and reserve your spot method via their website or by calling the library directly.

Hanson has taken their yoga time with Miss Kate to a virtual mat-visit in which families can create relaxation and exercise.

Both towns are offering a “take and make” style crafting which is available through curbside pick up.

Whitman’s theme for the February holiday will be a Girl Scouts-sponsored valentines’ craft. Both towns have had a penguin craft befitting the cold weather. The popularity of the themed grab and go style crafts reached 80 to 100 items which are pre-made with instructions and in a paper bag for pickup so when they run out they make more, according to Whitman’s Youth Services Librarian Stephanie Young.

Both Hanson and Whitman are updating social media pages daily with current events through Zoom and curbside arrangements

Recently via Facebook they shared photos for book lovers -humorous in nature -to remind patrons that they can still read, cuddle up in a warm blanket and enjoy a cold day with a satisfying book.

The Mind in the Making grant recently provided an outdoor, oversized, story- book walk on the front pavement at Whitman Library.

The pages of a children’s book are printed on large displays for families to read and interact in an outdoor setting.  The jacket I wear in the snow, by Shirley Neitzel and illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker was January’s featured book.

Like hundreds of libraries throughout Massachusetts inventing ways to stay connected with patrons has been the intentions of staff.

In requesting materials “book bundles” have been made for patrons. Providing their library card number, for children include their age, as well as genres, or specific books by title and author the library will put the books together for your contact free pick up.

Hanson is offering mobile hot spots an internet connection for remote learning and with sign up and reservations the offering is available for one week checkouts.

A pre-sign up craft for teens and adults is a mug with marker design. It requires adult supervision for the final steps in heating the project.

Once a month teens can join In the Middle Book club sponsored in memory of Hanson resident Grett  Lozeau  a long time educator.

  The event is hosted via Zoom and the club discusses new books, plays trivia and online games.

Information on taking part in the listed activities and upcoming dates for the months ahead can be found on Hanson’s Facebook page or their website calendar of events at info@hansonlibrary.org or hansonpubliclibrary.org.

Whitman has recently announced their signups for a craft of paper lanterns in celebration of Lunar New Year in the first two weeks of February. Visit whitmanpubliclibrary.org.

WHITMAN — The first round of COVID-19 vaccinations have arrived in town.

Whitman Firefighters received the Moderna vaccine this starting Wednesday, Jan. 13.  First responders are some of the primary front ine workers to receive the vaccination in a state wide effort against COVID.

Whitman Fire Chief Timothy Grenno, Medical Director Dr. Daniel Muse of Brockton Hospital Signature Health Care and Whitman fire personnel combined their efforts to get the area town fire departments the vials of the anticipated inoculation.

The minimum of 200 people required for a vaccine site was not met so the department had to pool together and Brockton Hospital Signature Health Care was nice enough to take on all area departments, said Matt Busch Whitman fire’s EMS officer.

They are operating under the umbrella of Brockton Hospital who does all the ordering to meet the state mandate.

They received 24 doses for department members, which were distributed over two days. The second shot will be in 28 days for the two part vaccine.

Whitman Fire rescue went through a long process with the state to get their Massachusetts Immunization Information certification, said Firefighter Steve Foster infection control officer.

They are now registered as an inoculation site for the state of Massachusetts when and if the time comes Whitman fire will be able to administer vaccinations.

The criteria and information is all pending decisions through the State, which has not been currently established.

HANSON — Raising funds toward his Eagle Scout project, TJ Woodward of Hanson — a junior at South Shore Technical High School — hosted a can and bottle drive last weekend at the Nathaniel Thomas Mill parking area.

For several hours on Jan. 9 and despite the bitter chill, his supporters did not disappoint in the first step of fundraising towards his project he has neared his monetary goal to start gathering materials.

His purpose in the venture is to create a parking lot with leveled gravel, a trail kiosk with a map of the trail system to Poor Meadow, which has over 300 acres of town owned land.

Currently the area which abuts Saw Mill Lane and is about 1/8 of a mile from the railroad tracks is marked by a small sign and is a rough, dirt pull off.  Having the area accessible and clearly marked will create better opportunities for people to explore nature.

Woodward is planning to complete his Eagle Scout project by June of 2021.

His proposal and approval, through both the town of Hanson and Mayflower Counsel, which oversees the region including his Troop 68 was completed on Oct. 26, 2020.   

The beneficiary of the project is Hanson Conservation Commission.

The can drive will aid in funding his materials, and the five plaques highlighting some of the areas in Poor Meadow.  He is still developing ideas on that portion of the project, which will be approximately one to two miles of nature trail.

Woodward received many warm wishes from former Scouts and residents who read about his can drive and dropped off large quantities of bottles.   

With offers of assistance from several attendees during the can drive Woodward said he was pleased with the fluid crowd who kept socially distant in drive up and drop off style.

“I definitely think it was nice – the turnout we had and donations of bottle and cans.  A lot of people mentioned where they saw the event posted and mentioned our signs. They were excited to see that they could drop off their cans, he said.    

During the early restrictions of COVID-19 closures recycling center had limited drop offs and hours. People were saving cans and bottles, which TJ benefited from.

As of now the main materials he is looking for are lumber and recycled gravel or recycled asphalt, he said if anyone still wishes to contribute.

In his deciding factors for his Scout project Woodward knew this vicinity needed sprucing up.

“For me I realized it was a great area of opportunity it will provide a great area for the town to use.

Adding a couple more walking trails to enjoy and see all the nature we have in our town,” said Woodward.

HANSON — Surrounded by branches on nearly three acres of land 10 Nigerian Dwarf Goats were busy munching on Christmas trees at Channel Homestead in Hanson this week.

Goats are known for their fondness of forest fare, making them perfect disposal units for discarded holiday trees.

Christanie, Matt and Hunter Channell  1½,  live on the homestead and are busy with dozens of daily tasks to keep the farm in motion especially during the pandemic.

They recently posted on local town Facebook pages that they were accepting drop-offs of Christmas trees in all varieties. While there is no fee involved, they do ask that the trees are still alive. There are great nutrients for the goats and a natural de-wormer for their chickens.

This past weekend, a pile of nearly 100 trees and counting were lined against their penned property and in their pickup truck bed — waiting to be served.

Due to COVID-19 the family are currently not allowed to  have visitors come to see the  Nigerian Dwarf Goats, but as restrictions change they will be welcoming people back for visits. They plan to continue having themed family farm days similar to last year, which they said were successful.

Among their livestock are Flemish giant rabbits, blue Swedish ducks, Wynadotte chickens and two horses, that are available for riding lessons.

Christanie teaches individual riding lessons in the afternoons as well as rising early to care for the animals. 

The COVID pandemic gave her the push to expand all of her products she had begun to work on Christanie said. She is aiming to add additional products in the future but currently  handmakes body soaps, lotions hand sanitizers, shampoo and conditioner bars and body scrub products as well as bath bombs all with their own goat milk just to name a few. Lavender-scented calming room spray has been a hot product as she is already working on new items for the coming months.

These products, several varieties are unscented, are for sale at the farm stand at the front of their property.

She has received feedback from customers on the benefits of their goat milk products, which has been helpful for people with sensitive skin, eczema and other skin issues.

They also have product with activated charcoal and two CBD oil soaps- made in a tea tree and a citrus scent. ‘’It’s as good as you can get for your skin’’, she said. They are committed to using all natural, raw ingredients in their cold process.

Jarred honey, honey sticks, candy and eggs direct from the farm are also available for purchase.  Spring will be full of activity as they have planned breeding for several of the animals for their own as well as client breeding services.

The spacious barn has also been host to bridal showers. They have pre-order custom favors and seasonal gift baskets. They also schedule on location, outdoor pony parties.

For more information on their services and contact information visit their webpage channellhomestead.org  they are also on Facebook at Channell Homestead

By Charmian Evans
charmianevans@hotmail.com

PLYMPTON, England — Well, its been an interesting Christmas this side of the pond. The wartime spirit has been brought out in our village. The pubs and church might be shuttered, restaurant dining a thing of the past, but the sense of Christmas has not been dimmed.

At the beginning of the month, we organised a village advent calendar. People volunteered to decorate their windows as a living calendar. As the days passed, the street lit up. Bear in mind the newest house is about 150 years old, most 500 or so, and they’re built on a road that was put in in 1140, so the place looked pretty special.

Lockdown has brought out ingenuity and creativity in spades. Windows have had railways running round, angels flying, spectacular nativity scenes, the lot. One owner rigged up music to trigger with outside movement to co-ordinate with a Santa scene. That’s all fine, but he forgot to turn it off at night and every fox, car or cat triggered the booming tones of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”

In the UK  earlier in the year we had “Clap for Carers” every Thursday when people would stand on their doorsteps and clap, whack a saucepan with a wooden spoon, anything to show we were thinking of those brave people who are in the front line dealing with the big CV.

So I had the bright idea of doing a doorstep carol service. Simple. I circulate the carols on the village What’s App and we all start chirruping at 6.30. Nope, not that simple. “We need a starting pitch”  said one. “The words vary, as do the tunes, which one are we singing?” said another. “What about those that don’t have What’s App” cried a voice.

Zoom, it seems, was the answer. So we set up a link. I then found the music to carols – but I had to find the words to synchronise with them. Have you ever researched how many variants there are to some of the best known carols? Let me tell you, there are loads.

I’d checked the weather forecasts. The night was to be clear and cold, perfect for our lanterns to shine, our Father Christmas Hats to add colour.   All I can say is that if my copy is as inaccurate as the weather predictions, I’d never work again. The rain fell in stair rods.

But we’re British and we man up to such occasions. Bravely, we took to our front doors and those of us that could, linked into zoom and those that couldn’t just joined in with printed words.

Bill Gates I’m not. Too late we realised, as people started to sing, that the zoom speed varied. So we had people singing the second verse as we were starting the third, and so on. Our sheet music turned to papier mache, but did we care? No – thanks to our wonderful publican who became the star of the show. Braving the Niagara-like rain he brought out hot mulled wine, socially spacing to serve it. Boy was it strong. By the second serving we were singing anything that came into our heads, wet through and huddling in the front door.
On Christmas Eve, locals got together and ingeniously turned an old pick-up truck into Santa’s sleigh. He came through the village with his team of, I have to say, rather portly and elderly elves who dished out enough sweets to the excited kids to ensure they would be running round the house until midnight.

I meanwhile had to think of the turkey. I’m so ingrained with feeding the 5,000 at Christmas that it’s impossible for me to do small. The home delivery grocer probably spent Christmas in hospital with a hernia, while I’m looking balefully at the remains of an 18 lb turkey. We’re only allowed six people over the Christmas period. One of those is a vegetarian. So if any of you make it my way during the year, there’ll be no surprise about what you’re eating.

We celebrate Boxing Day, a national holiday, on the 26th December. It’s an odd name,  though today could be apt with the Amazon deliveries we get. One explanation is that it comes from the days when servants were given their presents in boxes on the 26th –  the first working day after the 25th. The tradition of giving gifts for service extended beyond servants too, and included tradesmen such as milkmen, butchers and so on.

Another theory is that it’s named after the custom of priests opening alms boxes in churches after Christmas. The poor and needy benefitted from the monies collected on the run up to Christmas and apparently some churches still open these boxes on Boxing Day.

Until the CV, Boxing Day is a day for nationwide leisure. Sales start in the shops, and it’s a major day for sporting activities. For others like us, it’s a day to hunker down, enjoy presents, and in our case, eat Turkey, lots and lots of Turkey……

Season’s Greetings to All!