WHITMAN — Amanda Peterson says becoming a teenaged mom forced her to “grow up and become an adult very quickly,” as it forced her to leave high school to raise her kids.

The Whitman resident does not regret doing so, save for the sacrifice of her incomplete education — a temporary one, as it turned out.

“I am not ashamed or unhappy with my decision to have my children young — they are the most beautiful part of my life,” she said. “But, I put my life on hold for the sake of my babies. I left high school to raise them and support them.”

As she celebrated Mother’s Day with her children, enjoying the homemade gifts they gave her as they had breakfast in bed together, she reflected on how far she has come since making that difficult decision.

To pay the bills at 19, she looked to a job in the fast-food industry, working the front counter at McDonald’s.  She was a knowledge sponge, soaking up whatever information she could to move forward in her career and support herself and her daughter. Fast-forward 16 years, and she’s a department manager, with the career she had envisioned as a teen.

So, how did she translate asking customers the expected phrase “would you like fries with that?” to a management career in a business some dismiss as “flipping burgers?”

Turns out her employer could, and did help.

Peterson obtained her GED through the McDonald’s Archways for Opportunity program.

“I made the tough decision of putting my education on hold to raise my children,” she said. “I always wanted to go back to finish what I started, and do what I thought was best for my children. McDonald’s presented me with the opportunity and I jumped at it.”

Getting her GED had always been a goal she wanted to accomplish.

“I always felt like a piece of me was missing,” she said. “Now that I graduated, I feel like I found that piece and I am whole again.”

She enrolled in Archways for Opportunity in May 2019 and graduated in June 2020, working trough the pandemic as she and her family did their best to stay safe and healthy. The company continued to support Peterson by allowing her to study during breaks while offering her a flexible schedule so she could attend classes, take tests, work, and take care of her family.

“While it was not easy, McDonald’s helped me get it done,” she said.

That her employer supported her in her taking care of her family gave her a feeling of family on its own. Her General Manager Roberta Pratt also encouraged her to take part in the Archways for Opportunity program.

“They are some of my biggest cheerleaders. Everyone was so excited to find out I was pregnant each time,” Peterson said. “Work-life balance and supporting families is one of the best parts of management here. I am so appreciative of the time I am given to bond with my baby and heal after giving birth last month to my third child.”

Pratt seems to be, indeed, a cheerleader for her employee.

“Amanda’s goal has always been to show her children they can do anything they set their mind to,” she said. “It was her dream to finish high school, and I am so amazed by how hard she worked every day to achieve this goal for her family and to further her career. I am so proud of her!” 

Richard Hogan, the owner/operator of the North Weymouth McDonald’s where Peterson works called her an incredible role model for the program and the organization.

“We are grateful to have Amanda as one of our teammates. She’s hardworking, passionate and embodies the best of our brand values,” Hogan said. “The sky is the limit for her.”

While she doesn’t have an actual vision board for her future, Peterson said she is incredibly happy with where she’s at in her personal and professional life. But she does plan to one day own a McDonald’s restaurant.

“I am putting that out into the universe,” she said. “I set my mind to something and I achieve my goals. Down the line, it will happen.”

In the meantime, her kids are probably happy they can enjoy their favorite menu option — chicken McNuggets and cheeseburger Happy Meals. But, then, when mom is happy in her life, isn’t every meal a happy one?

HANSON — Residents in Town Meeting Monday, May 2 voted to fund an outreach director for the Senior Center as well as approving a meals tax. A portion of those proceeds, it was argued could be used to fund the Senior Center position.

The Finance Committee voted against recommending it. FinCom Chairman Kevin Sullivan noted they had not recommended any article that was aimed at adding personnel due to the town’s tenuous fiscal position.

But Select Board liaison to the Senior Center Jim Hickey and Council on Aging Director Mary Collins both argued it is a labor-intensive process that robs her of time to do other important work.

Select Board member Jim Hickey reiterated that 41 percent of Hanson residents are over age 55, with 40 percent of those over age 60. He said the SHINE program that helps people with Medicare paperwork takes about an hour per person. Collins helped 100 people with the paperwork last year.

Overall, Collins said the SHINE program saved Hanson residents more than $33,000 last year during the open enrollment period for Medicare.

“There are services that are available to people to help them remain in their homes successfully as they age,” she said. “Many people are unaware of those services. If I don’t have someone to help with that outreach, the outreach relies solely on me. This is a need that is going unmet.”

Residents Joseph O’Sullivan, Judy Caldas and Janine Foster offered their personal examples of the need for services the Senior Center offered.

Caldas, is the outreach worker, social services coordinator and SHINE counselor at the Marshfield COA, said she is a full-time employee in her role and has the help of a part-time assistant. Collins sought a 19-hoour per week part-time position with no benefits.

“I don’t know how [Collins] could do this,” Caldas said. “I saw over 300 people in that seven weeks of open enrollment. I have four other SHINE counselors working with me that saw another 300 people.” She said they also assist younger people with fuel assistance, housing for the disabled or food stamp programs.

Veterans Agent Timothy White added that Collins’ position is vital to helping the town’s older veterans and surviving spouses, as well.

“We’re talking about $21,736, that’s at the top-end of the scale of 19 hours times $22/hour for a 52-week year,” resident Lance Benjamino said. “If you look down at the next article, you’re talking about a .75-percent meals tax.” He asked what that would bring in.

“That would be about sixty grand ($60,000), sir,” Hickey said.

A second attempt in as many years to adopt a meals tax was successful without discussion, as opposed to the vigorous debate that preceded it’s defeat last year.

HANSON — The fiscal 2023 Recreation business plan and budget was presented to Selectmen on Tuesday, April 5 funds full operation of the camp, but the inability to attract lifeguard applicants, means the Cranberry Cove Beach at this point.

 “I’m not looking at this as you presenting a budget right here,” Selectman Joe Weeks said. “I’m looking at this as a budget plan with, realistically, your expenses are going to be … what you’re projecting being able to bring in.”

He said it was easier to ask the town for free cash to close their budget out with a solid business plan.  

Chairman Frank Milisi and Vice Chairman Audrey Flanagan presented the Recreation Commission’s financial plans for fiscal 2023 and 2024 to the Board of Selectmen. If the plan works out, the commission would be less likely to ask the town for more money next year as they seek to do more to bring in more profit, Milisi said.

“Total expenses we estimate to be around $200,000 fully funded,” Milisi said. “That is with Cove staff, a facilities manager and coordinator, the camp staff and the clerical staff.”

The total operating expenses, including staffing costs, are forecast to be about $200,000 to fully fund operations. Funding only funds the facilities manager or the events coordinator — not both — which cuts about $52,000 out of the salary line. There is also no plan for the recreation director position to be filled in fiscal ’23.

Revenue is anticipated to be about $373,250, mostly from weddings, including bar services, ceremonies and camping fees, which he chalks up to a “COVID rush to get married.” But without free cash, he said they would be short of their budget goals for the coming year, according to Milisi. To fund staff needs to meet contractual obligations, he said the Recreation budget would need $60,000.

Weeks said that would be a smart investment to keep the camp going the way it needs to.

The fiscal 2024 forecast is for $372,000 as the COVID wedding rush in plans wind down.

“Wedding revenue is the main source of income for Camp Kiwanee,” Milisi said.

They are starting to consider other ways of diversifying revenue sources for the future, including selling Cove passes to subsidized Cove staff, online camp site and cabin rentals, rolling wedding price increases — potentially 2 to 5 percent a year, to name a few.

The facilities position is a change to the facilities manager post at Town Hall, according to Milisi, but the events coordinator position must be approved by Town Meeting.

He said they do not anticipate hiring Cove staff this year because they have not received any applications for lifeguards, etc., and the pay grade is significantly lower than other places — $16 to $20 per hour. But there is $30,000 budgeted for it. If the beach is open, beach pass fees would subsidize salaries for the Cove staff, and the recreation director position is not anticipated to be filled this fiscal year. 

“This is a wish list,” Flanagan said. “As a business plan, this is ideal — we’re just not there yet.”

Selectmen Chairman Matt Dyer noted that DCR is paying lifeguard $26 per hour, Milisi also noted some fast food employers are paying $19 per hour.

“That just shows how competitive this market is,” said Dyer, who works for DCR.

Flangan said the openings have been posted for several weeks without one single applicant, and with the bee situation [sand wasps] at the beach, the commission is not fully ready to open the beach.

“Our goal is to get the beach back so we can open next year,” Flanagan said. “[The bee problem] hasn’t gone away.”

“There are no bees at the beach, as it stands right now,” Milisi added. “We’re working through things to remediate it, but the problem with remediation of these bees, is it costs us money — money which we do not have.”

Milisi explained that after a bee infestation last year, the plan is to renovate the facility to a more natural habitat than it was before, which was the recommendation of the Conservation Commission to prevent a recurrence of bee problems, is being planned for fiscal 2024.. The commission is looking to CPC funds to help with that cost.

The department brought in during the 2018-19 season was $269,000 — that year’s salary baseline was $179,600 and operating expenses were $87,000. In fiscal 2019-20 it was $204,000 — salary baseline was about $184,000 and operating expenses were $107,000. By 2020-21, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full effect, the camp was “essentially 100-percent shut down,” with revenue only $66,000 salary baseline was $95,000 and operating expenses were $52,000.

“Obviously, that was a significant cut to our revenues,” Milisi said.

Fiscal 2022 saw $184,453 come in as wedding bookings and programs began to come back, the salary baseline was $91,840 and operating expenses were $60,000. Revenues are used to pay out salaries and operating expenses, which were higher in 2018 and ’19 when there was a director and full caretaker staff on the job.

“Right now, we’re running the camp at full capacity with a half budget,” he said.

Maintenance costs have increased greatly at the facility where everything is made of wood, as lumber costs have increased 400 percent recently. Dyer also noted that the utilities costs — at $30,000 — is a huge portion of operating costs and asked what is being done to reduce energy consumption and the resulting carbon footprint as well as cost.

Milisi noted that the cost also reflects for contracted services for general maintenance. Flanagan said an energy audit has been done at the camp recently and that the economical operation of utilities such as air conditioning is now included in staff training.

HANOVER – School Nurse Collette LeClair and the Parents’ Association were celebrated for their contributions to the school community at the South Shore Tech School Committee meeting Wednesday, March 16.

“As of [the previous week], we’ve has 276 positive cases of COVID in the building for this school year,” said Principal Mark Aubrey of LeClair’s work. “You can imagine the number of negative [tests] that she and her team have had to deal with in the last seven moths.”

COVID testing and tracking is just part of LeClair’s job demands, he said.

“She’s the first level of medical attention for pretty much everybody in this building,” he said. “She triages situations. She deals with burns and cuts and other shop-related accidents. Most important, she is a good ear for our students.

Aubrey said the nurse’s office is a place where students can feel comfortable talking about any problems they are having.

“I came because I wanted to publicly say thank you to everybody for the past two years,” she said. “Man, it’s been a lot. … The care and consideration you’ve put into all the COVID policies that you’ve had to deal with in the last two years – it’s appreciated.”

To parents, she said it felt like “we went through war together,” with changing state guidance and she said she wanted to give every parent a hug for everything they put up with since March 2020, as well as what Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey and the administrators went through to educate students in that period.

“If that’s what we can do in a pandemic, then the sky’s the limit,” LeClair said.

Aubrey lauded the Parents’ Association was provided an opportunity to outline what they do to support the school and programs as well as how they have adapted their fundraising efforts during the pandemic.

Erin Venuti, the Association’s current president – who has two children attending SST – said she had asked for an opportunity to report to the committee.

“I’d also like to thank [all the] parents, who support everything that we do, from fundraising to attending some of our events,” Venuti said, noting that after last year’s graduation, the group was left with just two members and faced rebuilding during a pandemic. She also thanked parent Mary Jo Stanzi, who has been a volunteer with the group for eight years while her children attended the school.

“One of the reasons I decided to volunteer was I felt the school gave so much,” Venuti said. “When I found out there were no fees for sports, I wanted to give back automatically and it just snowballed from there. … We are your ears, and kind of mouths, on the fields and on the car drives, at the bus stops [where] other parents are coming to us and we’re getting to know the students.”

They report back needs and opinions to the school committee as well as a funding program used to fund either professional licensing fees of students or  as scholarships for college-bound graduates. The Parents’ Association is also planning to bring a speakers’ program back to the school after COVID and they host staff appreciation events.

“As much Viking pride and SST pride as we can put out there is what we’re trying to do and that’s what we hear from our parents and students,” Venuti said.

Aubrey said the School Council is also working on boosting the school in the community and to young families whose children may want to attend SST as well as class meetings, mentoring programs and curriculum and assessment discussions.

The committee voted to accept the terms and conditions for the initial compliance certification of the MSBA’s invitation to eligibility for the school to enter the lengthy process for the core program to modernize and expand the school.

SST has been applying to the program annually since 2015 and is one of 17 schools invited into the process this year. Plans for funding a feasibility study and appointing a building committee will be discussed in April.

HANSON — When a commuter rail line runs thorough it, a community now needs to plan for multi-family housing within a half-mile of a commuter rail station, T-station, ferry terminal or bus station, according to a new state zoning law.

Commuter rail communities are required to contain a minimum of 15 percent of total housing stock — 750 units in Hanson — that qualify under the statute as multi-family. As of 2020, Hanson has 594 of these units.

“But the commonwealth has set the floor at 750 units,” Town Planner Tony DeFrias. “But what I want to let the board know is that the multi-family district unit capacity is not a mandate … to construct a specified number of housing units, nor is it a housing production target.”

He explained that a community is only required to have a multi-family zoning district of a reasonable size.

“The law does not require the production of new multi-family units within that district,” DeFrias cautioned. “There is no requirement nor expectation that a multi-family district will be built to its full unit capacity.”

While the Selectmen expressed concern around some specifics like tax support for schools, septic demands and character of community, there was some appreciation of the environmental mission at work.

“It sounds to me like they’re trying to address energy issues with the housing crisis, but you also don’t want to lose the flavor of what it is to live in Hanson,” said Selectman Joe Weeks. “I’m very eager to see what you guys come up with — I think it’s going to be an exciting by-law to kind of build and see what you can do.”

Selectemen voted to acknowledge that DeFrias made the presentation, as the state requires a copy of the minutes to verify that it was done.

It’s part of MBTA draft guidelines for communities with public transit facilities, in accordance with the omnibus economic development [Chapter 358 of the Acts of 2020], signed by Gov. Baker in January 2021. Among its provisions is a new section — Chapter 40A of the Zoning Act (MGL) that apply to MBTA communities.

“Hanson is a Commuter Rail town,” DeFrias said. “Because it is a Commuter Rail town, the commonwealth has issued guidelines that require towns with transit to create a multi-family zone by right.”

The commonwealth requires that the guidelines be presented to the Select Board at a public hearing, and town/city planners must prove that has been done, along with the filing of a form with the state before May 2. The deadline for interim compliance is Dec. 31 and for the action plan, the deadline is July 1, 2023. New zoning regulations must be adopted by Dec. 31, 2024. Towns have until March 31, 2024 to apply for termination of compliance.

“This is just the first step,” DeFrias said of the hearing before the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, March 15. “Next will be crafting a by-law that will put all those mechanisms in place.”

All this means Hanson, like other MBTA communities “shall have” a zoning ordinance or by-law providing for at least one district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right, providing that the multi-family housing has no age restriction and is suitable for families with children. The commonwealth would require a gross density of 15 units per acre, subject to the Wetlands Protection Act and Title V of the State Environmental Code.

Chapter 40B requires at least eight units per acre and 40R, which is mixed use, requires at least 12 units per acre, DeFrias noted.

“The minimum size they want for this area is 50 acres,” he said. “Taking a half-mile radius from the train station, that would encompass a land mass of about 500 acres. They’re looking at about one-tenth of that to be dedicated to the multi-family zone.”

The districts should lead to development of multi-family housing projects that are “consistent with a community’s long-term planning goals.”

There are 267 pieced of property within the half-mile radius of the Hanson MBTA station, according to DeFrias. Not all are developable. While there are some large properties in the area, they are under private ownership.

“As of right” means that construction and occupancy of multi-family housing is allowed in that district without the need for any discretionary permits or approval. But it does allow for a site plan and approval process, permitting regulation of issues such as motor vehicle assess and circulation on a site, architectural design of a building and screening of adjacent properties DeFrias said. But site plan review can’t be used to deny a project allowed as of right or to impose conditions that render it unfeasible or impractical as of right.

“The town will have some control … similar to a site plan similar to a commercial site,” he said. “The town will have to decide which board will control that site plan review process.”

A heavily regulated overlay plan will be allowed for consideration.

“What will probably decide the size and number of bedrooms in Hanson, is this is a non-sewer town,” he said. “The Wetlands Act can be a restriction.”

To determine compliance the state would consider factors such as general district information, location of districts, reasonable size metrics, district gross density, whether housing is suitable for families and attestation, according to DeFrias.

Determinations of compliance carry 10-year terms with applications for renewal due six months before.

“It’s not forever,” DeFrias said.

Selectmen Chairman Matt Dyer asked if there was any way the town could designate affordable housing units toward the program to “kill two birds with one stone?”

“My understanding, through attending the webinars is a ‘definite maybe,’ with an underlying ‘yes,’” DeFrias said. He said he has also been examining the prospects of such a blending through 40R, which is similar to this program in some of its requirements.

Selectmen Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett asked about the advantages of using 40R in that manner in light of the requirement that multi-family units include families with children for a community already struggling to raise revenue to deal with costs such as school budgets.

DeFrias said 40R allows for communities to get some cash from the state for creating affordable housing in certain instances.

“If the taxes that are incurred can not pay for the child, then there is what’s known as 40S — which a town can tap into to get the difference in taxes,” he said. “Because the taxes usually tend to work out, not many towns apply for that. … The two sort of go hand-in-hand.”

There is also the issue of the environmental limitations that restrict the number of septic systems allowed in the area.

Dyer also advocated for the use of trees in any developments resulting from the law in order to maintain the character of the town. DeFrias said that could be addressed through the architectural design controls included in the law.

“The state is not telling the town, ‘You have to construct this many units,’” DeFrias said. “It’s, ‘You have to create a zone to allow for the construction of that many units.’ They seem to understand it’s not a one-size-fits-all.”

WHITMAN — Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman updated the Board of Selectmen on the fiscal 2023 operating budget, during the Tuesday, March 2 meeting, noting that the Finance Committee is currently reviewing items department by department.

The topic will remain a regular item on the Selectmen’s agendas until Town Meeting in case there is a need for discussion about it.

Selectman Justin Evans, noting that iy came up at a recent Finance Committee meeting, pointed out that under the current budget proposal, there is no one-time money being used in the operating budget.

“I know that’s been a misconception out there in certain circles and that is correct,” Heineman said. “There will be no use of one-time monies used toward the operating budget under this scenario.”

During the meeting Selectmen also voted to accept the resignation of June O’Leary from the position of Member of the Recreation Commission, effective Feb. 16., and approved her appointment as a non-voting Associate Member for a three-year term, through June 30, 2022, in order to fill an existing vacancy.

Selectman Brian Bezanson thanked O’Leary for all she has done for the community.

“Between Recreation, the Historical, Friends of the Park, and, I’m sure, many other boards and committees, she’s been [volunteering] for a long time,” he said. “I want to personally thank her, I know her work ethic and what Whitman means to her. I wish the best to her family, and hope she can find time to occasionally come to the meetings.”

“Well said and well-deserved,” Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski said to punctuate Bezanson’s remarks.

Selectman Dan Salvucci noted, after the board voted to appoint Ryan Tully to the Recreation Commission to fill the remainder of a vacant three-year seat. Tully’s appointment is through June 30.

Salvucci also asked if there was any plan to change the bylaws to permit, if a Recreation Commission seat goes unfilled for an extended period, an associate member “can step in and become a voting member.”

Heineman said he was working on a draft warrant article for town meeting calling for such a change.

“That may resolve some of the issues that they have,” Salvucci said, noting that he and Heineman recently  discussed the Recreation Commission’s recent difficulty filling its vacancies, making a few phone calls to find some volunteers.

“I thank all who volunteered, and I’m hoping now, in a couple of weeks, we’ll be having a meeting … so they can start the business of getting things started in the parks program and the pool program,” Salvucci said, indicating his intention to attend remotely. “Hopefully this ends the problem and, right now, the Recreation Commission will come in and get the job done and do the great job that they’ve always done for the kids in the park.”