Whitman-Hanson Express

You are here: Home / Archives for Featured Story

Whitman Area Toy Drive cheers children

By

Whitman Area Toy Drive cheers children in need

WHITMAN — Within an hour on Sunday morning, a small army of volunteers had transformed the VFW Post 697 pavilion at 95 Essex St., into something like an annex of the North Pole.

Members of the VFW Men’s Auxiliary and the Whitman Mother’s Club were joined by the WHRHS Drama Club and many more residents responding to a Facebook appeal for assistance, participated in the Whitman Area Toy Drive kickoff day on Nov. 8. In previous years, the kickoff was in early December.

Drama Club Vice President Samantha Healy said the group’s members volunteered because they know volunteer Jane Plasse.

“I mentioned to her that we wanted to do something to give back,” Healy said.

School Committee member Fred Small, a longtime volunteer with the Whitman Area Toy Drive, thanked the Drama Club for its participation.

“It’s really appreciated,” Small told the students. “Don’t ever stop getting involved. Don’t ever stop giving back.”

Volunteers Dan, Amy and Logan Desmond received a Facebook message from toy drive founder Donnie Westhaver and decided to come and help, too.

This is the toy drive’s 14th year and, for the past couple of years, a nonprofit partner of the VFW Men’s Auxiliary, according to Westhaver. That helped streamline the to drive’s nonprofit status while helping bring in some corporate donations, he said.

A first this year will be a visit by Santa Claus for photos with children from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 6. There is no charge for the photos, but toy donations would be welcomed.

“We are here for the needy,” Westhaver said. “We always have been.”

The Whitman Area Toy Drive was started as a Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots collection, but the toys collected that year didn’t stay in the area because there is no reserve unit on the South Shore to oversee it.

“In order to pick up the slack for the community we decided to start Whitman Area Toy Drive, which goes to local families,” Westhaver told the volunteers. “It’s kind of a ‘one-stop shopping thing.’”

Westhaver also works to cooperate with toy drives in neighboring communities.

“A lot of the surrounding towns — Abington, Hanson, Rockland — have toy drives,” he said. “I told them if they run out of toys by the middle of December, call me up.”

But he encourages residents of those towns to go through their community program first.

Client families come to the pavilion close to Christmas to select toys for their children — often three to five toys per child s well as clothing items — and are provided with gift wrap supplies they need and even Christmas trees, complete with lights and ornaments.

The Men’s Auxiliary presented Westhaver, it’s president as well as the toy drive organizer, with a $3,000 donation Sunday morning and the Whitman Mother’s Club presented $5,000 as its annual donation. The auxiliary’s donation was one of many it was able to make from the $17,000 raised at its annual golf tournament in August. The Mother’s Club’s donation is also a regular part of the group’s community support fundraising.

“It’s very rewarding and we have a great time doing it,” said auxiliary member Matt Olson. “It’s too much for one guy, so all of us do whatever we can. [Westhaver is] very dedicated to it and doesn’t want all of this to fall away.”

Last year the drive received $9,000 in cash donations and $50,000 worth of donated toys and clothes.

“There’s some great people here,” Westhaver said. “This is overwhelming.”

The volunteers assembled briefly to receive instructions and to hear more about the toy drive’s roots and mission before sorting the toys donated since last Christmas, which have been in storage. Two long rows of tables, covered with red or green plastic tablecloths, were labeled with signs indicating how to lay out the toys by gender and age group.

On Friday, Nov. 20, a performance by an Elvis/Johnny Cash impersonator is planned at the VFW to support Whitman Area Toy Drive and Men’s Auxiliary programs. Call 781-447-6883 for tickets and more information. A meat raffle is planned for Saturday, Nov. 28 at the VFW to support the Men’s Auxiliary.

Hanson honors vets at Tri-Town Parade

By

Despite the wet weather, Hanson honors vets at Tri-Town Parade

On the 240th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps and the day before 97th anniversary of the armistice ending World War I, Hanson held its annual Veterans Day Breakfast at the town’s Multi-Service Senior Center on Tuesday, Nov.10.

The center, like town offices, other government buildings, libraries and schools were closed Wednesday, Nov. 11.

The Tri-Town Veterans Day Parade — Whitman, Abington and Rockland — slated to step off at 8:45 a.m., Wednesday stepped off on schedule in spite of high wind and rain, even as parades in Brockton and Weymouth were cancelled due to the inclement weather.

In Hanson, Veterans’ Agent Bob Arsenault welcomed veterans, their spouses and invited guests, selectmen Don Howard and Bill Scott, Sons of the American Legion Commander — and past Post Commander — Sam Hammond as well as past selectman and retired Army Brig. Gen. August Silva during his remarks following a hearty breakfast prepared by Marine veteran Arthur Leonas, his wife Joan assisted by Assessor Lee Gamarche.

“I’d like to recognize the spouses that are here,” Arsenault said. “Many times during war time, when the forces are deployed, it’s the spouses that are home taking care of the kids, taking care of the bills, making sure things run smoothly.”

One of those spouses, Norma Billings, brought a photo (circa 1944) of her late Navy veteran husband Dana to the breakfast, propping the picture before her place at the table. She also wore a sailor’s “Dixie cup” hat while dining before performing with the Swinging Singers chorus.

Arsenault read a Veterans Day Proclamation from Gov. Charlie Baker, presented new American and POW/MIA flags to Senior Center Director Mary Collins and presented certificates of appreciation to each veteran attending. Those veterans were:

Air Force — Donald F. Howard, Joseph Marsden, Bill O’Brien, Carl Patterelli, Sylvia Salas, Peter Travelini and Bill Ward.

Army — Lee Baker, Johnny Barboza, Sam Hammond, Dave King, Paul Leta, Charles Marsh, Hugh Monahan, Jim Pearson, August Silva, Al Supple, Robert White, Dody Whooten and John Woefel. Coast Guard — Charles Conant and Joe Norton.

Marine Corps — Arthur Leonas.

National Guard — Frank Turner.

Navy — George  Copeland and Anthony Eosue.

The Swinging Singers performed a medley of patriotic songs including the five service anthems and closing with “God Bless America,” which chorus member and National Guard veteran Frank Turner called one of the three “most meaningful songs we have glorifying this country.” The other two are the national anthem and “Let There be Peace on Earth.”

The chorus performed “God Bless America” following a moment of silence in memory of all veterans and loved ones who have died this year.

“This song, to me exemplifies the true meaning of America,” Turner said, noting its composer Irving Berlin was a Jewish immigrant who came to the United States seeking a better life. “This states what the true meaning of America is and how blessed and thankful we are to live in this country.”

Water main break in Hanson causes delays

By

Photo courtesy of the Hanson Water Department.

Photo courtesy of the Hanson Water Department.

Today  the Hanson Highway Department reported that a water main broke on Holmes Street. Traffic was delayed and some residents experienced interruption in their water supply. There are some reports that water has been returned to the residents local to Holmes Street.

3 Reasons To Advertise in the Express Holiday Gift Guide

By

Just in case you need reasons to advertise in the Express Holiday Gift guide, I will give you some. Believe it or not, the holidays are right around the corner, and we all know how hectic that season gets. A 2008 holiday stress poll by the APA showed that more than eight out of 10 Americans anticipate stress during the holiday season.

3 Reasons To Advertise in the Express Holiday Gift Guide

The Express Holiday Gift Guide will appear in print December 3rd and 4th, and online December 5, 2015.

3 Reasons To Advertise in the Express Holiday Gift GuideIt is my job as the Express Media Editor to help you local business do what you do best – sell your wares. That’s is why we have developed a way to put you in front of local customers in a way that won’t break the bank.

3 Reasons to Advertise in the the Express Holiday Gift Guide

  1. Affordability. For only $35*, you get to showcase one of your best products. It can be an item, a craft, a gift certificate – any offer that you are proud of and want to sell. Talk about a  compelling reasons to bring customers into your store!
  2. Exposure. I almost listed this as the first reason to advertise in the gift guide, but I changed my mind. I thought you needed  to now about the affordability factor. But this is actually my favorite reason why you should advertise in the Express Holiday Gift Guide. We have almost doubled our Facebook fanbase in the last six months.  Our posts receive an average of 1,000 views. We also have a print audience of approximately 3,000 readers. Plus our websites are visited an average of 79 times per day. This brings you to your potential customers in a multi-platform approach.
  3. Value-Packed! This gift guide is beautiful. It prints in color, we feature one of your items in the center spread, the digital, online version will link to your website or email, you pick the item that you want to showcase.
3 Reasons To Advertise in the Express Holiday Gift Guide

This is an example of how the listing will appear in print and online. The online version can link to your store’s web site.

I am so proud to be able to offer you this cost-efficient, effective vehicle of bringing you sales this holiday season! It’s sure to be a feature we will repeat for years to come.

Our Express Holiday Gift Guide prints December 3rd and 4th in both the Whitman-Hanson Express and the Plympton-Halifax Express, debuts online December 5th. *Book your space today! After November 15th, the price jumps to $45.

Questions? Call Larisa at 781-293-0420 or email me at graphics@whitmanhansonexpress.com.

Read more about dealing with holiday stress here at the American Psychological Association.

Baker charter cap raise costly for WHRSD

By

Baker charter cap raise costly for WHRSD, Whitman-Hanson School Committee says

The School Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 14 approved a change to National Honor Society eligibility as well as hearing concerns by school officials concerning Gov. Charlie Baker’s proposal to raise the cap on the number of charter schools in the state.

Baker charter cap raise costly for WHRSD

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker looks to increase Charter School cap in the state.

The committee also heard an update on the high school’s advanced placement (AP) program.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner testified at a Statehouse public hearing on Gov. Baker’s charter school legislation Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Begun in 1993, charter schools were originally capped at 25 innovative schools.

“Clearly, that’s not what has happened over time,” Gilbert-Whitner said in her report to the School Committee. “Yesterday the testimony I read really focused on the impact to W-H.”

The district is charged based on the per-pupil cost multiplied by the number of students attending charter schools. With 30 students from Whitman and Hanson attending South Shore Charter and Rennaissance Carter School in Boston, the loss to the district’s state aid — after about $26,000 charter school reimbursement — is about $309,000 Gilbert-Whitner said.

“Interestingly, [$309,000] is the same cost that we had to cut from our library program,” she said.

She also noted that, of the 30 local charter school students, only one has ever been enrolled in W-H schools.

“They never even come to see what we’re about,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “Clearly the choice to go to a charter school probably doesn’t have a whole lot to do with the quality of education.”

South Shore Charter is a Level 2 school. Gilbert-Whitner reminded the committee that W-H is a Level 2 district with three Level 1 schools.

Charter school faculties are not required to have union representation or to provide services for all special education students, and not all teachers working for charter schools are certified.

“Each and every student in the Commonwealth deserves a high-quality education, not a dual system of publicly funded education that charges traditional districts for circumstances beyond their control and requires them to operate school systems under a vastly different set of regulations,” Gilbert-Whitner testified in Boston.

“There should be choice,” she told the committee, “ but clearly, there should not be a different set of rules for everyone.”

W-H accepts school choice students and currently enrolls 28, ranging from freshmen to seniors as well as night school students, but sending districts are charged less under that program.

“Choice money has been extremely beneficial,” Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak said, noting it has allowed the hiring of some long-term substitutes for teachers out due to long-term illness.

Szymaniak also argued successfully for a change in National Honor Society (NHS) eligibility to bring W-H onto the same level as other schools in the state. The committee voted 9-0 to approve the change. Member Fred Small was absent.

NHS guidelines had required an unweighted 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale or a 4.3 on a weighted 5.0 scale for AP courses. Students taking AP classes, but not earning an A or B despite doing well overall academically might be penalized if they fall below a 3.5 GPA, Szymaniak said. The rare occurrence affected four seniors in the Class of 2015.

“The national standard for the NHS is a 3.0,” he said. “I did some digging, called my peers on the South Shore and the average unweighted GPA for the National Honor Society at our local schools is a 3.3 or a 3.4, so we kind of picked the middle ground.”

He advocated a change to 3.35 for W-H requirements.

“This will put us on an equitable playing surface,” Szymaniak said. “It’s not dumbing-down the rigor, it’s not dumbing-down anything.”

The change goes into effect immediately and induction has been moved to November so this year’s seniors can apply.

Guidance Counselor Ruth Carrigan and AP students Erika Badger and Joshua Spicer joined Szymaniak in outlining the success of the W-H AP program.

Prior to the district’s participation in the Mass. Insight to Edcuation grant program in 2012, AP participation was often open to only top-scoring academic students, according to GilbertWhitner. The grant has since expired.

“With the grant program, we were able to expand and it’s just gotten better and better,” she said.

Szymaniak started by reading an email by an alumnus, now studying at Suffolk University, to his W-H science teachers.

“I’m sitting in my environmental science lecture and not paying attention because I don’t have to,” the student wrote to teacher Brian Dukeman. “Your AP course completely prepared me for this class. … I already know every single thing my professor is talking about because of your awesome teaching.”

The student was able to skip all the required freshman science courses because he passed the AP biology exam “with flying colors” and is the only freshman in the class he is now taking, required of environmental science majors.

“That’s just a piece of what AP brings,” Szymaniak said. “AP at Whitman-Hanson gives all students an opportunity to not only take a college class, but to potentially earn college credit.”

He credited the training and commitment of W-H teachers, as well as dedication of students for the success of the AP program in which the school is on track to administer 648 AP exams to 392 students — a quarter of all high school students.

“I congratulate our students for taking on the challenge,” Carrigan said. She reported that alumnus Nate Almeida, who spoke at the recent AP kickoff breakfast, told current students that the 19 college credits he earned in AP courses have saved him $25,000 in college costs.

This year, Badger and Spicer are both taking four AP courses for a total of eight each during high school — Spicer in literature, calculus, computer science and physics and Badger in calculus, environmental science, biology and literature.

Both lauded their teachers as well as peers for inspiring them and pushing them to succeed in the AP classes.

“Although you have to be at a certain level, there’s so much help here at W-H that — whether it’s your teachers or your peers or your guidance counselors — it’s almost as if anyone can come into it and succeed.”

Szymaniak said the goal is for every W-H graduate taking at least one AP course, “or at least attempting the class,” so they are truly college and career ready.

Updates to WHRSD gift policy

By

The School Committee in Whitman-Hanson made updates to WHRSD gift policy, and to the guidelines on building use

The School Committee has approved changes to building use and donations policies in order to provide more uniformity and fairness.

Updates to WHRSD gift policyBuilding use changes include a requirement that adults sign voluntary school release forms, as well as an annual statement from group representatives that the forms are signed and that outside groups may not use or place an “undue burden” on facilities support staff.

Regulations have also been updated, including cancellation fees and limitations to availability of facilities when events would interfere with school functions.

“With this particular packet, you are going to have the do’s and the don’ts, what’s expected from you and what you can expect from the district,” said Chairman Bob Hayes.

Donations policy involves an avenue through which funds can be earmarked for use by a specific school.

“It became very clear that some of our policies contradicted each other,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner.

Donors are advised that, as public education is the taxpayer’s responsibility, gifts must be for supplemental materials and programs, not supplanting the regular curriculum or faculty salaries. Gifts also become property of the district, even if they are directed at an individual school.

Each school has a revolving account managed by the Business Office.

“They should not come with strings attached, unless they are presented that way to [the School Committee] that they need to come and be used only for a specific program or a specific school,” Gilbert-Whitner said.

Several such donations were accepted by the committee Wednesday, Oct. 14:

  • Donations in memory of Patricia Duval requested to be directed to the school by the Duval family — once all donations have been received the school’s officials will update the committee of the total amount and use of the funds;
  • $400 from Shaw’s Supermarket Charitable Foundation for the Indian Head School to purchase technology items;
  • $400 from Shaw’s Supermarket Charitable Foundation for the Maquan School to purchase technology items;
  • $4,087.20 from One Zero Financial Systems to purchase 15 ChromeBooks and their management licenses for the Indian Head School. The gift has been vetted by the Technology Department.
  • $1,265 from the Monday-Tuesday Night Volleyball Group in lieu of gym fees for the girls’ volleyball team to fund registration fees for students unable to afford them.

Donations, if any are received, of $35,000 or more that could be intended for a capital expense — and that could involve bidding laws or legislation — must also be addressed and analyzed to determine how it would involve those regulation, the superintendent explained.

“I’m kind of hoping that somebody watching tonight donates $100,000 to each one of the schools,” Hayes quipped.

Grants sought for the district must also be approved by the district before applications are filed.

“We are trying to be very strict about any technology that people are trying to get for the district, whether it’s through fund-raising or grants really needs to go through the Tech Department,” she said. “We want to make sure we can support it and that it’s in compliance with other things that we have.”

In-kind donations must also fit into the curriculum. Donations of time, however, do not need School Committee approval.

Whitman Fire and Rescue hosts open house

By

Whitman Fire/Rescue hosts 2015 open house

WHITMAN — Families spent a bright and sunny Columbus Day  exploring fire equipment, target practicing with a brush fire hose and learning how to safely exit a house in case of fire as Whitman Fire and Rescue hosts open house.

Whitman Fire and Rescue hosts open house

Nikki McCormack helps son, Cody McCormack-Sullivan, 2, with a drink of water while her eldest, Dillon, 4, enjoys his pizza as they picnic in the Whitman Fire/Rescue parking lot during Monday’s open house. CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS. Photo by Tracy Seelye.

Informational brochures were available in the fire station, as well as red oven mitts in keeping with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) theme of “Prevent Kitchen Fires.”

Face-painting and free pizza from Papa Gino’s were also featured.

But the main message of the day was the importance of placing smoke detectors in every bedroom of the home.

“This is the ‘Hear the beep where you sleep,’ message,” said Whitman Fire/Rescue SAFE Officer Thomas Ford. “[NFPA] is trying to get people to put smoke detectors inside the bedrooms nowadays.”

Past guidelines called for the alarms in hallways outside of bedrooms, Deputy Chief Joseph Feeney said.

The department will take the Safety Awareness and Fire Education (SAFE) trailer around to Conley and Duval schools for an offical fire safety presentation, but on Monday the kids were laughing and running into the trailer over and over to experience the “smoke” and climb down the escape ladder.

Volunteers with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) were also on hand to guide visitors through their vehicle and explain their role.

Joseph Bauer of Whitman and his children chatted with CERT members Cathy Costello and Paul Moss.

Michael Bauer, 11, asked about the kinds of fires for which the CERT team offers support to firefighters. Costello said it could be anything from large brush fires to house fires. They also aid in large incident response, such as train accidents.

“We do first aid and give them food and keep them hydrated,” she said of the team’s role at emergency scenes. “We’re always prepared.”

Members’ availability is scheduled around work schedules, although some, like Moss, are retired.

“We also do sheltering, so if you guys lose your power, we come in and set up a shelter to keep people warm,” Costello said.

WHRHS promotes Credit For Life

By

WHRHS promotes Credit For Life Fair to increase Student financial literacy

It’s no joke — come April 1, 2016 Whitman-Hanson Regional High School plans to become the latest school on the South Shore to host a Credit For Life Fair as part of a financial literacy program. WHRHS promotes Credit For Life as a way to increase student awareness of credit scores and the pitfalls of credit card overuse.

WHRHS promotes Credit For LifeWHRHS business teachers have attended Credit For Life Fairs offered at Brockton, Plymouth South and South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School, where Whitman and Hanson students have been participating in the fairs during their senior year for a half dozen years now.

“We are very happy for the progress that’s being made and we’re very excited because we’ve been trying to do [a Credit For Life Fair] for years,” WHRHS business teacher Lydia Nelson said at the inaugural planning meeting with a handful of parents and educators on Thursday, Oct. 8. “It’s more than time for W-H to do it.”

The next planning meeting is planned for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 5 in the high school library.

The critical need right now is to have enough volunteers at each of about a dozen information booths to keep nearly 300 students circulating in order to complete the fair between 9 a.m. and noon.

Brockton uses 80 volunteers for its fair.

“We have plenty of time and we’re on target. We just need to ensure we have all the volunteers,” Nelson said. “If the volunteers aren’t in place, then we’re not going to be able to move forward.”

The Oct. 8 meeting kicked off with a YouTube video of a Quincy High School Credit For Life Fair, followed by a discussion of logistics and volunteer and resource needs.

“We’ve been working very hard and this is the year we’re going to get it,” business teacher and DECA Advisor Nina Consolini said of the Credit For Life Fair.

Some of the few parents attending the planning meeting, all of whom now work in jobs involving finance, noted that they graduated high school without working knowledge of how to balance a checkbook, and that little has changed.

“I see people now that … the things they did years ago are kind of catching up with them,” said parent Peggy O’Toole, a financial planner.

“Would any of the kids be allowed to drive without some sort of drivers’ education or some sort of hours? No,” Nelson said. “But yet, we expect our kids to graduate and know how to handle themselves in the financial world.”

The fair generally begins in an assembly during which state legislators and educators speak briefly on the importance of financial literacy and how to fill out paperwork.

State representatives Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, and Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman have already committed to appear as keynote speakers during the pre-fair assembly. Cutler’s district includes Hanson.

Students are provided a fictitious job and income profile, then report to a gymnasium — or, in some cases, a hotel ballroom when the fair is held off campus — where they circulate among stations to learn lessons about budgeting for housing, transportation, insurance, retirement, food and other costs of living. They must balance their budget with the main credit counseling station, staffed by representatives of a partnering bank, before they finish.

That is one of the key volunteer needs for the W-H Credit For Life Fair at this stage. HarborOne partners with schools in Brockton and Plymouth and Rockland Trust partners with SSVT, for example.

Students generally dress professionally, often as a requirement set by the school.

WHRHS Junior Achievement Heroes already sends Business Honor Society members to first and second-grade classes to teach financial literacy. W-H also offers a financial literacy elective, but educators see the need for a broader program.

A bill now before the state Senate — S279 introduced by state  Sen. James B. Eldridge, D-Acton — and supported by Nelson could even make high school financial literacy programs mandatory.

“People just automatically think, ‘Well it’s finance, it must be math,’ and that’s not the case,” Nelson said. “The way this bill is written, depending on how the school district can manage it and [national] standards for financial literacy are met, there’s no reason that a district can’t incorporate it into the subject matter as appropriate — in our case it’s business.”

Nelson testified in support of the bill during a public hearing last month.

“Kids are required to take math and English and other courses, but sometimes we forget about financial literacy and it’s a life skill,” agreed business teacher Julie Giglia. “This is a program that can really help if it’s required for everybody.”

Other schools might handle it differently. SSVT, for example organizes the Credit For Life Fair through its Mathematics Department to instill financial literacy. In Virginia, according to Nelson, it is taught across the curriculum.

Hanson Town Administrator search continues

By

Hanson Town Administrator search continues as a finalist’s withdrawal prompts salary, benefits change and re-post

HANSON — With one of three finalists withdrawing for personal reasons, the Town Administrator Search Committee Tuesday night recommended, and Selectmen agreed, that the job be re-posted with a $10,0000 increase in salary range — pending Town Meeting approval — and a more detailed job description and outline of benefits.

Hanson Town Administrator search continues

Hanson Town Hall

The current salary range is $95,000 to $110,000. The Search Committee would like to see it increased to between $110,000 to $120,000.

Hanson Town Administrator search continues as the Search Committee, which has not released information about the finalists, would like to retain the remaining two as it renews the posting. Interim Town Administrator Richard LaCamera said he would check with town counsel to see if such a move would be permitted.

“We as a committee would not want to release those [names of finalists] yet,” Search Committee Chairman Ken McCormick said. “We’d like to keep it under executive session privilege. We’re not moving them forward yet, so I don’t think it would be right to send their names out right now.”

LaCamera supported that position, while he doubted it would be permitted to hold the remaining two finalists.

“You’re certainly doing the right thing by not making them public because it’s not fair to them,” LaCamera said.

Selectmen, after the meeting, said that they don’t know who the three finalists were despite discussion around town regarding their identities.

“I don’t want to know at this point,” Selectman James McGahan said, indicating he preferred to await an official notification from the Search Committee prior to the board’s interviews with finalists.

The first search brought in 22 applications, from which four were invited to interview and the three finalists were selected. One of the four had voiced issues with job description and qualification matters so he withdrew, followed by one of the finalists as the committee was preparing to present a list to Selectmen.

“The committee’s feeling is we need to get it right and give the town the best possible candidates out there — and enough of them to make your decision,” McCormick said. “We didn’t feel that two is enough.”

One option discussed in an executive session of the Search Committee Tuesday was to start again. The other option was to go with the remaining two finalists while posting for additional candidates, which they decided to recommend to Selectmen.

“We don’t want anything less than three,” McCormick said.

“Hopefully, the two candidates will still be around,” Selectman Kenny Mitchell said. “When we started this process, we knew the salary might be an issue.”

McCormick admitted that is a concern.

In other business, Selectmen voted 5-0 to hire Leah Guercio, 164 Reed St., as Assistant  Supportive Day Program Coordinator at the Senior Center.

LaCamera and COA Director Mary Collins both recommended Guercio, who has 30 years’ experience as a nurse, for the post in the program where she has been a volunteer for five years.

“Every day that she is there, you know that she is present,” Collins said. “I know it from the way [clients] are reacting.”

Collins lauded Guercio’s compassion, sense of humor, common sense and experience.

Diehl to face Brady, Raduc

By

Low-turnout  primary decides Nov. 3 ballot, Diehl to face Brady, Raduc

Two area state representatives will face off, along with unenrolled candidate Anna Grace Raduc of Halifax, on Tuesday Nov. 3 as they vie to fill the 2nd Plymouth and Bristol District seat left vacant by the death of state Sen. Thomas P. Kennedy, D-Brockton, in June. this positions Geoffrey Diehl to face Michael Brady and Anna Grace Raduc.

State Rep. Michael D. Brady, D-Brockton, handily defeated businessman Joseph Lynch, also of Brockton, in the Tuesday, Oct. 6 special state primary. Brady took about 90 percent of the Democratic votes.

State Rep. Geoffrey Diehl, R-Whitman, was also on GOP ballots, but faced no opposition. There were no candidates listed on either the Green/Rainbow or United Independent Party ballots in Tuesday’s primary.

“For me, today was just another day on the campaign trail,” said Diehl as he chatted with Whitman selectmen Dan Salvucci and Brian Bezanson who were working a Diehl sign-holding post across the street from the Whitman Town Hall polling place. “My focus is November.”

Voters may also have been looking ahead to November as both Whitman and Hanson saw a turnout of about 3 percent of registered voters cast ballots.

In Whitman, where 384 of the town’s 9,631 voters cast ballots, Democrats backed Brady with 141 votes to Lynch’s 29. Hanson saw 232 of about 7,000 voters turnout to give Brady a 115 to 15 win over Lynch.

The margin was similar throughout the district.

Brady garnered 2,533 votes in Brockton, 94 in Easton, 88 in East Bridgewater, 49 in Halifax, 219 n Hanover and 18 in Plympton. Lynch received 355 Brockton votes, 12 in Easton, 8 in East Bridgewater, 7 in Halifax, 33 in Hanover and 2 in Plympton.

Neither Brady nor Lynch were available for comment on the primary result, but Diehl, who received 96 votes in Hanson and 208 in Whitman expressesed gratitude to voters.

“The response to the campaign has been overwhelming,” Diehl stated. “When I am door-knocking people are thanking me every day for repealing automatic gas tax hikes.”

He also stressed the differences between his tenure as a representative for the 7th Plymouth District he has served since 2010 and Brady — the 9th Plymouth representative for seven and a half years.
“I am the only candidate in this race who has cut people’s taxes,” Diehl said. “My opponent has voted to increase taxes every time.  He doubled tax on alchohol, raised the gas tax, sales tax, utility taxes, supported increasing income taxes, and voted for higher fees.”

Diehl pointed to his accomplishments, including the automatic gas tax repeal and work against legislative pay raises and opposition to taxpayer contributions to balance cost overruns for the Olympics.

While Brady is strong in Brockton where he has served on the school committee and 13 years as a city councilor, Diehl’s best chance is considered by political observers to be centered in the surrounding suburban communities.