WHITMAN –The Select Board on Tuesday, July 23 approved a new contract with Comcast, finalizing contract terms between the town and the cable television corporation, governing the operation of Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV.
Whitman’s special cable counsel William Solomon briefed the board on the contract negotiations during the Tuesday, July 23 Select Board meeting.
He’s worked for the town for about 25 years, starting when the town was transitioning from a company-run program.
“There’s no better program in the Commonwealth,” he said of the current WHCA board and employees. “I work from Pittsfield and North Adams to the Vineyard and there’s no better program than you have here in Whitman-Hanson.”
He also credited Executive Director Eric Dresser, whom he referred to as a “one-person show,” in regard his programming and technical skill, for his contributions to the license renewal process.
“We’re here today, hopefully to get a vote of approval
The facility’s building on South Avenue was owned by Comcast at the time.
Comcast Senior Government Affairs Manager Michael Galla said the 10-year license is what the town and Comcast negotiated – a “normal time period we conduct with all our licenses with our towns.”
Solomon said that, while Galla is a tough negotiator, he has “great insight into figuring out how much does the town care about community television and PEG access and what are those needs.”
“That’s why I think we have an excellent license,” Solomon said, adding that Assistant Town Administrator Kathleen Keefe efforts helped the town obtain a better contract. “There’s a lot of things to do and I know cable isn’t always first.”
There will be public, educational and government (PEG) programming support for the WHCA team – 4.75 percent of gross annual revenues – and Comcast will be increasing the capital dollars that were in the last license to $280,000 over the 10 years – or $28,000 per year to the town as well as a high-definition channel to be provided within the first 24 months.
Solomon also mentioned the improved picture on two of the PEG channels to serial digital interface (SDI), which will require encoders and the hi-def channel, which will also require an encoder.
The Select Board and WHCA would decide together what the hi-def channel would be used for.
“It turns out that there is a strong interest among the towns to have the government channel be the high-definition channel, because when you do your presentations, people at home can read the graph, can read the spreadsheet and can follow along,” he said.
Comcast was looking for some initial funding – $10,000 – for the encoders, Solomon said, adding he has seen numbers ranging from $20,000 to $30,000 for the equipment.
“It’s the major aspects of the contract, which is in Article 6 of the license,” he said. “Those are the main aspects that allow your PEG access to operate.
“I know our community access has grown over the years,” Select Board Vice Chair Dan Salvucci said. “It’s unbelievable, what they’re doing.”
“As a company, we are actively invested in that,” Galla said. “It’s an impressive operation and we’re happy to be a partner of it.”
Extension of cable service, if needed would carry no density requirement, Solomon said, noting all Whitman residents now have the ability to connect to cable.
There will still be a senior discount for those over age 65, Solomon said, stressing that the $2 discount is voluntary on the part of Comcast under the Cable Act.
“Most companies don’t provide it,” he said. “We’re grateful that they continue to provide that senior discount.”
There is a financial qualification, but there are more categories of qualification in Whitman than elsewhere.

The Board of Health has been notified of a West Nile Virus (WNV) positive mosquito sample in Hanson. The test raised the town’s threat level to moderate, according to Health Agent Gil Amado.
Whitman’s Board of Health Administrative Assistant Dina Amado said that town, as well as neighboring Rockland have also raised their risk levels to moderate.
They join the communities of Halifax, Plympton, Kinston, Middleborough, Carver, Plymouth and Wareham on the moderate risk list for WNV. The rest of the state is low-to-remote risk of EE and only a few at low-risk only for WNV at the moment, according to the ma.gov website.
No mosquitoes have yet tested positive for WNV, Dina Amado said.
“Only a small number of mosquitoes are infected at any given time, so being bitten by a mosquito does not mean you will get sick,” the state Department of Public Health stresses. “However, the best way to avoid both of these illnesses is to prevent mosquito bites.”
West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) are viruses that occur in Massachusetts and can cause illness ranging from a mild fever to more serious disease like encephalitis or meningitis.
While the risk of human infections is low, certain steps should be taken to protect yourself.

• Be prepared: Repair screens, clean up to get rid of mosquito breeding sites, be aware of stagnant water on private property (e.g. unused swimming pools).
• Wear mosquito repellent between dusk and dawn;
• Wear long sleeves and long pants from dusk to dawn;
• Use mosquito netting on baby carriages and playpens.
  — Tracy F. Seelye

WHITMAN – As the town turns attention to the planning process for a proposed new South Shore Technical High School, the Whitman Building Committee’s last meeting on Tuesday, June 11, discussed current vacancies on their own committee.
The committee had authorized its submission of plan documents to the MSBA at it’s previous meeting, a special session held remotely via Zoom, on June 5. Hard copies are at the district office, according to Assistant Superintendent of Schools George Ferro.
Among those leaving the building committee is former W-H School Committee Vice Chair Christopher Scriven, who also submitted his resignation from the WMS Building Committee.
Scriven opted against re-election to the School Committee in the Saturday, June 18 annual Town Election.
“We also are required to have someone from facilities as part of the committee,” said Chair Fred Small, who also serves on the School Committee. “This was a little bit of an omission. … But, as we get moving, we do need a facilities person.”
Assistant Superintendent George Ferro had been assuming that role on a temporary basis.
“That would be Mr. Driscoll,” Small said.
New WHRSD Business Manger Steven Marshall, it turns out is also a Mass. Certified Procurement Official, (NCPPO), which Whitman is required to have on its WMS Building Committee project, so the panel voted to add Marshall and remove former Business Manager John Stanbrook, who had resigned during the spring, effective June 30, as the start of the new fiscal year began July 1.
The committee voted to remove Scriven from the member roster and added Driscoll.
“Mr. Marshall is starting already,” Small said. “I’d like to welcome him to not only the committee, but the district itself.”
Ferro also suggested the committee welcome Marshall as the new NCPPO, which Small said he thought had been done.
“I know you said he had been an NCPPO, maybe he can be NCPPO for this project,” Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak said.
Although Marshall has been attending meetings regularly of late, but Small requested that he be brought up to speed on “many meetings,’” of business.
Michael Carroll of Colliers, the firm serving as owner’s project manager, also made a report to the committee.
“When we’re talking about new members, we might just try to continue that trend,” Carroll said, noting that the Colliers’ contract had been extended in November or December, when they presented a work plan that had included a project manager. “We took a little time to find out who we thought is the right person for that job, and she’s sitting right here next to me,” he said, introducing Shirley Ng.
She said she has more than 10 years’ OPM experience, holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in architecture from Wentworth University. The committee unanimously voted to bring her on the team and then introduced themselves.
Techincally, the committee is not required to take a vote, Carroll explained.
“We’ve been doing it through this process,” he said. “We want to support the committee and the committee support Jeff and we thought it was proper to bring it to the committee.”
Carroll also provided a financial updates, but said there was new little to report.
“We’re pretty much just under budget here, we’re still on target,” he said.
Small suggested 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 23 as the date for the next meeting at which time there will be a cost estimate update.
Ferro suggested a virtual or combined virtual-in person meeting through Google’s platform, to accommodate any travel plans committee members might have.
The committee voted to hold that meeting virtually.
There were no schedule updates, other than to note the project is 60 percent through construction documents. Adjustments to the site plan were also discussed, including the location of the sports fields’ concession stand, and interior design concepts were reviewed.

HANOVER – The feasibility phase of the new South Shore Tech building project remains under budget, it was reported during a joint virtual meeting of the SST School Committee and Building Committee on Wednesday, June 26.
“The plans are coming along [with very few changes],” Kevin Sullivan of the LeftField project management team said.
The schematic design, given the green light by the Massachusetts School Building Authority on April 26 is still expected to be complete and submitted to the MSBA by mid-August with a final report due Aug. 29.
“While the School Committee, typically, does not hold meetings in August, and will not have its July meeting until July 24, it is possible that the building committee might schedule a one-off meeting that isn’t a joint meeting,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas J. Hickey. “It’s quite possible that, to get to that August deadline, the building committee might have to have an extra meeting here or there.”
Engineers for all areas of the building project: mechanical, electrical, site, civil, have been working together in building the package of information that’s going to go through three independent process bidders simultaneously.
But they are working independently at first, so that good checks can be made, Sullivan said.
Both DRA, the architects, and LeftField, the building project managers, each receive one.
The late July meetings of the building committee are important for cost and budget reviews.
“It’ll take about three weeks to get a draft, and once we see those three numbers, we get together – in this case, it might literally be in the same room – for a process called reconciliation, so that estimators could quiz each other [on project materials needed],” Sullivan said. “They try to go through and make sure they are seeing the same thing in the same place.”
The building committee will then inform the management team whether they are comfortable with the numbers.
“We all have to live with the numbers going forward,” Sullivan said. “For whatever reasons, you make these comparisons to other projects or what the towns can afford, you want us to reduce the price by accepting some of the alternatives, we can consider that at this time, or … keep them in our back pocket and shoot for this budget … and we have some ability to tighten the budget down the road.”
At this point there have not been many changes to the plans.
George Cooney of Cohasset asked how big a priority is the use of materials made in the USA and asked if it is a union job.
“You could buy a light switch for 19 cents or you could buy a real one and it’s 89 cents,” he said.
“To the best of our ability we are to specify American-made products in that regard,” Sullivan said. “There was a time when lot of steel did come from outside the United States … but ore may come from the United States and get processed in Canada, so where does it really come from?”
While there is the provision to use American-made materials where possible, it’s not a restriction, Sullivan said.
“It’s not literally a union job, but all public works jobs in Massachusetts have to pay prevailing wages,” he continued. “Those prevailing wages are set by the state and they’re generally in accordance with union wages.”
Cooney asked if that restricts whether students can be on the job site.
“There are restrictions in general in regard to students, or the school, doing some of the work,” Sullivan replied. “We want students to be able to do things … but whether the students could literally work with Suffolk Construction, that’s generally not allowed.”
If a student were to get hired by the firm to work as a co-op during the summer, it might be possible, according to Sullivan, but during school they can’t provide free labor to the contractor, Suffolk Construction, as students, even if they are qualified. But he suggested some things could be left incomplete while obtaining a certification of occupancy, leaving those items for students to work on, having been left as instructional opportunities.
Hickey suggested that furnishing items such as storage blocks could be left for students to work on, or landscaping projects, as a learning experience.
“They’ll also see what the prevailing wage could do for you,” Cooney said.
Hickey did say that, even with the 99-space parking option with an exit onto Main Street, the project’s site costs will go beyond the amount reimbursable from MSBA.
But an educated decision on it can be made later in the process.
“If it’s not reimbursable, it’s a decision the district can to 10 years from now,” he said, indicating some non-crucial amenities like that could wait.
After the building committee meeting adjourned, the School Committee portion of the session heard the monthly treasurer’s report and the payment of bills and payroll.

Summer came in with a sizzle last week and, while the heat eased a bit by Monday, the humidity held on – and this is not going to be the last time this season we bake under the sun.
According to the National Weather Service and the American Red Cross, the number of people worldwide exposed to extreme heat is growing due to climate change, with heat-related deaths for people over 65 years of age increased by approximately 85 percent over the last 20+ years. And, it is expected that extreme heat and heat waves will happen more frequently due to the climate crisis.
Statistics from the National Weather Service also indicates that extreme heat and humidity is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year. In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died. In the heat wave of 1995, more than 700 deaths in the Chicago area were attributed to heat, making this the deadliest weather event in Chicago history. In August 2003, a record heat wave in Europe claimed an estimated 50,000 lives.
But thinking ahead and proper preparation can help prevent such heavy loss of life, and area communities are doing their part.
Hanson officials used the town website to post ways residents could cool off:
Cranberry Cove is open for swimming from 11am – 7pm daily; The Library and Senior Center will be open from 8a.m. To 8 p.m. On heat emergency days. During this past week, the two facilities were open during those hours on, Thursday and Friday, but were closed on Wednesday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. Public housing facilities also keep their community centers open extended hours during heat waves for the use of residents.
The Library and Senior Center will begin social media posts with updates during heat emergencies and the Fire Department reminds Hanson residents their business line is 781-293-9571 if any residents have questions or concerns, please ask for the officer on duty.
If you have a heat related emergency, please call 911.
Whitman officials opened the Town Hall auditorium as a cooling center last Tuesday and Thursday and will also continue operating cooling centers throughout the summer if it is warranted by weather conditions.
“We always have plans for both cooling and warming centers,” Whitman Fire Chief Timothy Clancy said. “The cooling plan has two aspects – the first one is we use town buildings such as the Town Hall, Library, and Senior Center during normal business hours. In the event of off business hours, we plan on using the town hall auditorium and staff it with CERT team members. The cooling centers are always dependent on power outages and duration and severity of the heat wave.”
The state is also providing respite from the heat this summer.
“With several straight days of hot and humid weather expected this week, it’s essential that Massachusetts residents make a plan to stay safe – including keeping hydrated, limiting strenuous activity and checking in on one another,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “We encourage people to cool off at DCR’s waterfronts, beaches and splash decks, or check out the cooling centers in your town.”
According to Recreation Director Kathleen Woodward, the Town Pool’s regular hours for public swim are from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m., on weekends.
“If a heat wave arises the Recreation Department is happy to try and extend the evening pool hours if staff is available to cover the additional hours,” she said.
The governor’s office also reminded people of the basic heat precautions:

• Minimize time spent outdoors, especially during the hottest parts of the day 
• Stay hydrated by drinking lots of cool water every 15-20 minutes and avoiding alcoholic or caffeinated beverages. 
• Seek out air-conditioned buildings like libraries and community centers to spend time in; Call 2-1-1 to find locations of cooling centers or shelters near you. 
• Never leave children or pets in the car alone – the temperatures will rise to unhealthy levels within minutes. 
• Check in on neighbors who may need assistance making a plan, including the homebound, elderly, or disabled.   
• Dress for the heat by wearing a hat, light-colored, loose fitting, and breathable clothing.
  MEMA’s regional offices have made outreach to local emergency management officials to determine communities that will be opening cooling centers and identify health and personal safety concerns related to upcoming Juneteenth holiday celebrations and large events.
  “Extreme heat can pose health challenges, particularly for our more vulnerable populations such as older adults, children and those with chronic health conditions.” said Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Director Dawn Brantley. “We encourage everyone to plan ahead and take precautions, especially with many outdoor events taking place across the state this week.”
  Residents can cool off at the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) 81 waterfronts and spray decks. Certain DCR spray decks are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., during heat waves and lifeguards will be on duty seven days a week at 32 designated swimming areas across the state from approximately 10:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. For a list or DCR’s saltwater ocean beaches visit mass.gov/saltwater-ocean-beaches; for the freshwater inland beaches visit mass.gov/freshwater-inland-beaches and for a list of beaches that are accessible to people of all abilities visit mass.gov/info-details/accessible-beaches. Check DCR’s mass.gov/info-details/dcr-park-alerts for any closures of swimming areas due to bacteria and the most up-to-date park hours.
  In preparation for the summer season, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has completed a comprehensive inspection and servicing program for its entire fleet of vehicles, helping to ensure riders have a reliable experience during the hottest months of the year. This includes servicing the onboard heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to keep the temperature inside vehicles well-regulated. For any concerns, contact their customer support line at 617-222-3200. MBTA riders should consult mbta.com/guides/weather-guide#heat subscribe to T-Alerts and follow @MBTA and @MBTA_CR on social media for updates on weather-related service impacts and call the customer support line at 617-222-3200 with any concerns.
  The Red Cross is experiencing a shortfall in blood donations, collecting 20,000+ fewer blood donations in May than needed to support patients. This shortall and the extreme heat impacting most of the country this week leaves people battling sickle cell disease vulnerable to a pain crisis. According to health experts, high temperatures can exacerbate sickle cell disease symptoms increasing the frequency and severity of crises.
  The Red Cross also urges people to learn the signs of heat-related illness and what to do:
• Heat cramps are an early sign of trouble and include heavy sweating with muscle pains or spasms. To help, move the person to a cooler place and encourage them to drink water. Get medical help if symptoms last longer than an hour or if the person has heart problems.
• Heat exhaustion is a more severe condition signaled by cool, pale and clammy skin; a fast or weak pulse; nausea or vomiting; tiredness or weakness; or a headache, dizziness or passing out. To help, move the person to a cooler place, loosen tight clothing, encourage them to sip water slowly. Use wet cloths, misting or fanning to help cool them off. Get medical help right away if symptoms get worse or last longer than an hour, or if the person begins vomiting or acting confused.
• Heat stroke is a deadly condition that requires immediate medical help. Symptoms include a high body temperature; hot, red, dry or damp skin; a fast or strong pulse; a headache or dizziness; or nausea, confusion and passing out. Call 911 right away if you think someone may have heat stroke. Then move the person to a cool place, and use wet cloths, misting or fanning to help cool them off. Do not give the person anything to drink.