WHRHS will host 46 Chinese students for two weeks May 14 to 26 and are seeking suggestions for extra-curricular activities the students might enjoy.

School Committee member Steven Bois, who works at the JFK Presidential Library, offered to host a visit to that venue as his guests.

“If you end up doing a cookout, I’ll flip burgers,” member Fred Small said.

The students’ visit to W-H, for which the school is working with Alpha Exchange, is being undertaken in the hope that W-H students will visit a school in China next year, said Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak.

The ultimate goal is bringing a bit of Chinese culture to the school with the hope it will lead to adding another language to the curriculum, according to Szymaniak.

“I know the committee has talked about foreign language quite a bit, and monetarily we don’t do that well,” he said. “Our goal, when I got here, was to add Chinese as a language — we haven’t been able to do that.”

The exchange visit’s original plan was that the Chinese students would stay with host families in the Whitman and Hanson communities, but Szymaniak said it appeared to be a long commitment for some families.

Arrangements right now are being made for the students to stay in Braintree hotels for the two weeks, where easy access to the MBTA and the movies offer options for things to do outside of school hours.

“What we’re going to do is try to involve them in our [school] culture as best we can,” Szymaniak said. “They’re going to be here during the school day, they’re going to follow the students’ schedule for part of the day.”

Alpha Exchange also offers a stipend to teachers willing to teach a class of specific interest to the Chinese students. Szymaniak has already uploaded the WHRHS schedule to the group’s website so the visiting students may make course selections based on the school’s enrollment and available space in a given class.

“If you have any fun events that weekend [May 20-21], we’re looking for something,” Szymaniak said, noting he has already arranged for them to attend school sports events and a performance of the school’s rock band and show choir. “I think they think Whitman and Hanson are as big as the cities in China.”

Special education director

In other business, the School Committee on Wednesday, April 12 voted to appoint Kyle Riley as administrator of special education to replace the departing Administrator Dr. John Quealy.

Not a new position, the appointment has no effect on the budget.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner, who sat in on the second round of interviews, recommended Riley, currently the Haverhill special education director. A search committee headed by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Patrick Dillon, which included educators and parents, conducted the first round of interviews.

Riley has also worked in the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District.

“I try to put kids first all the time, every single day,” he said, noting he is also certified as a business manager.

Quealy also provided an overview of the special education program for the committee, the overall mission of which is to identify students who are not making effective academic or social-emotional progress and to create plans to help support those students.

Inclusion is a major goal of the program, covering children and youths ages 3 to 22, he said. On a daily basis, the district manages about 600 individual education plans — about 15 percent of students. The state average is 17 percent.

IEPs cover speech and occupational therapy, hearing and vision aid, transportation, counseling and behavior support, among other programs.

Gilbert-Whitner also noted the financial impact of special education on school budgets, as state Circuit Breaker and federal support — which is supposed to cover 40-percent of costs, but only covers 16 percent — have fallen short.

HANSON — Hanson Little League’s annual parade and opening day festivities were held Saturday — and it finally felt like spring had arrived.

With the smell of burgers on the grill at the snack shack, and the crowd overflowing inside and outside the gate and field, many families joined their players on the walk from the Hanson Town Hall to Botieri Fields for ceremonies and first pitches.

A moment of silence was observed, and blue balloons were released, in honor of longtime Hanson baseball volunteer and mom Lori Sawtelle who passed away last month after a long battle with cancer.

Christopher O’Brien received the Botieri Award for his dedication and respect on and off the field as a member of Hanson baseball.

Lily Andrews threw the first pitch for the girls’ softball and former board member Greg Collins threw the first pitch for baseball.

Hanson Little League board member Paul Clark was master of ceremonies at the event.

Abby Godwin, 11, of Hanson sang the national anthem bringing cheers from the crowd as Hanson kicked off the beginning of the season for 2017.

HANSON — Now that spring has “arrived,” Green Hanson is hitting the ground running this month with a quartet of programs, old and new — and a new nominee for chairman, 2012 W-H graduate Naomi Mastico.

Also a recent graduate of UMass, Amherst, Hanson native Mastico has returned home and is taking the handoff of Green Hanson’s reins from Marianne DiMascio, who has decided it’s time to step back a bit after some 10 years with the organization.

Mastico was a Green Hanson volunteer during her high school days, and said she is looking forward to rolling up her sleeves and planning more events.

“I’m really thinking of having an event per season,” Mastico said Friday, March 31, at DiMascio’s business office at 620 County Road. “That’s my big dream, because we’ve been really spring-focused. … We’re from New England and we’re famous for our seasons and I think so much of being green is a connection to that — to the Earth, to the weather, to the cycle of the seasons.”

Among her thoughts are a possible return of past fall harvest pot-luck dinners, outdoor summer film screenings and electronic recycling days, among others.

“We’re kind of revitalizing Green Hanson,” DiMascio said. “We’ve been doing some things all along … and we have four events coming up in April.”

First up for the group was an April 1 spring meeting for the organic Hanson Community Garden, held at the Hanson Public Library at which gardening tips were offered and interested residents could sign up for a plot at the garden, located at the Hanson Food Pantry on High Street.

On Tuesday, May 2 there will also be a demonstration during food pantry hours of how to do square-foot gardening for pantry clients and other interested residents, DiMascio said.

The annual Clean Up Green Up community spring roadside cleaning day is also being planned. The event will take place from 9 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, April 22 with volunteers meeting at the Hanson Town Hall green at 8:45 a.m. for coffee and doughnuts — provides by Dunkin’ Donuts — and for their cleaning assignments.

“We were originally supposed to have it on [April] 8, and I’m glad we’re not, because it’s still cold,” DiMascio said.

“It’s impossible to dig through snow and find trash,” Mastico agreed.

Green Hanson is urging W-H students in search of community service projects to volunteer. All volunteers are advised to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants come prepared with work gloves and boots. Walker-Clay has donated 75 bright yellow T-Shirts for visibility, by arrangement with Town Administrator Michael McCue, but volunteers are asked to wear their own bright-colored clothing in case there are not enough T-shirts to go around.

“We also invite people to let us know if there are specific areas that they’re thinking of cleaning to send [that information] to us,” Mastico said.

Green Hanson’s Clean Up Green Up partners are: state Rep. Josh Cutler, Mike’s House of Pizza, Hanson Kiwanis, Hanson Middle School Builders Club, Hanson Boy Scouts, Shaw’s Supermarket, Dunkin’ Donuts, WasteZero, the Hanson Highway Department, Noonan Waste Service, Eco-Explorers 4-H Club and the WHRHS National Honor Society.

DiMascio has also organized a bicycle donation drive to benefit the nonprofit Bikes Not Bombs, which trains low-income youths in Boston to repair the bikes for shipment to Third-World nations where the bikes are desperately needed.

Area residents are invited to drop off repairable bikes, parts, tools, accessories and cycling clothing to 620 County Road from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, April 29. As it costs $10 to ship renovated bikes overseas, monetary donations are also being accepted, DiMascio said.

Acceptable bikes include: road, hybrid, mountain, BMX and tandem — basically anything except rusted bikes, kick scooters, motorized bikes, exercise equipment, tricycles or Trail-A-Bikes.

One shipment of repaired bikes sent to Uganda, for example, enables a group of 500 village health workers to reach patients in rural areas. Another project, in Guatemala, creates bicycle-powered machines as an emissions-free technology to improve the productivity and efficiency of rural livelihoods.

“A bike can change someone’s life,” she said. “They can get to a market, they can get to town — mobility. It’s having the bikes go to a good place and multiple purposes.”

Other area Bikes Not Bombs collections will be held: Saturday, May 9 in Sharon or Saturday, May 20 in Hingham. For a complete list of Masssachusetts drives, or to learn more about Bikes Not Bombs, visit bikesnotbombs.org.

Green Hanson is also hosting a trail walk at the Webster-Billings Conservation Area off Old Pine Drive and East Washington Street, Hanson from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Sunday, April 9.

The next meeting of Green Hanson is at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 12 at 620 County Road. The public is welcome to attend.

For more information, call Mastico at 781-974-8455 or email greenhanson@gmail or facebook.com/greenhasonma/.

By Cameron Myette

Express staff

HANSON — The Board of Selectmen discussed the ramifications of an override in the effort to close the $2.1 million school district budget deficit during its Tuesday, March 21 meeting.

Selectmen also voted to close the warrant for the May 1 Town Meeting, opting to place the override and ballot question articles, but not to make recommendations at this time — as was done with all incomplete budget issues.

“We can’t recommend if we don’t know the figure yet,” Town Administrator Michael McCue said.

W-H Business Services Director Christine Suckow said if both towns agreed to 6.25 percent within the levy limit, an override would amount to $1 million split between the two towns, with roughly 60 percent of that ($600,000) being Whitman’s share and about 40 percent ($400,000) Hanson’s based on student population.

Taxpayers in Hanson could expect to pay 34 cents per $1,000 valuation on their property taxes — $98.60 on an average household of $290,000 based on the current W-H assessment — if an override is passed.

“Once both towns decide this, what’s inside the levy and what’s outside the levy, than I can create more accurate numbers,” Suckow said.

Seletman Bruce Young asked why the district accepted the governor’s budget numbers, which provide only a $20 per pupil Chapter 70 aid increase, instead of planning for the $50 that local legislators are again seeking to add. Last year, they were successful in pushing that increase to $55 per pupil — $135,000 for fiscal 2017.

“Almost inevitably, [the governor’s] number doesn’t hold up,” Young said. “It’s part of their anticipated revenue.”

School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes said the district couldn’t budget effectively on a figure it doesn’t have.

“If it does come through, you get another bite at the apple,” he said. “Everything has a drop-dead date. … You would never have this situation if the governor’s budget came out in January.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner said that situation is also a by-product of the district’s dependence on state aid, and that last year’s failed override would have added services to an already level-service budget that was inside the levy limit. This year’s increase is intended to maintain a level-service budget.

“That’s the difference, and I think it’s important to remember that,” she said. “It’s a quite different story than last year. … This year it’s not as positive a scenario due to cost increases.”

In Hanson, some capital projects for schools, public safety, recreation and highway needs are also combined in a single article.

The frame on one of the Highway Department trucks has failed, resulting in a need to obtain a new truck. The old truck lasted 19 years of service on the highway department and the new truck that the department is looking at will have a life of about 20 years.

David Hanlon of the Highway Department said the cost of the new truck would be well worth the investment and the strength covered by this one truck would be the strength of one and a half trucks, if purchased. A price for the vehicle is still being estimated.

Ramp and windows

In other business, Selectmen dicussed a letter from the Hanson Food Pantry board of directors including safety standards concerning the windows and ramp that is attached to the Hanson Food Pantry Building. The Hanson Food Pantry (HFP) Board recently met to discuss some of these matters.

The state found the ramp is not in compliance with Architectural Access Board (AAD) standards, which are more demanding than the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Volunteers working on the pantry renovation had installed the ramp as close as possible to compliance, according to Building Inspector Robert Curran, but it was not quite correct. A post supporting a corner of the roof is in the way of complete access, and Curran has estimated it will cost more than $27,000 to be done as he would recommend.

They met again and came up with a new plan to widen the ramp, support the roof and would cost between $6,000 to $10,000. He is now awaiting bids before it can go before Town Meeting.

“A complaint was received and we had to respond,” he said. Curran has done so in writing.

McCue is looking into obtaining an ADA grant for the ramp work.

Curran said McCue asked him to look at the windows and verified issues raised by a letter from the pantry board, offering to have a contractor look at the 27 windows for an estimate of cost.

“We are truly grateful for the roof repairs that have been done. It has mitigated potential future degradation of the building,” Food Pantry Board member Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett stated in a letter to Selectmen.  “While the majority of the building is completely weather tight, the front building that was formerly occupied by the Plymouth County Extension Services is not. There are several windows that are missing. This has caused heating costs for the HFP (as well the town for the non HFP-occupied portion) to increase as a result of heat being lost out of the broken windows. Additionally, it will likely end up resulting in wildlife occupying the building and in water getting into our building.”

She explained that the pantry board was asking if Selectmen were aware of the window situation and if it would be possible to get new windows installed.

“While placing boards over the windows may be a good short-term solution, we are hoping that replacement windows could be sought as the long-term solution,” FitzGerald-Kemmett wrote.

She told Selectmen volunteers would be welcome to help on the ramp project, under close supervision of a professional contractor.

HANSON — Practice doesn’t always make perfect but practice makes better.

Guest Author Illustrator Brian Lies of Duxbury reminded students of this small but powerful lesson, which made a big impact on the students at Maquan Elementary School on Friday — a visit sponsored by a grant through the Hanson Cultural Council.

He is currently working on his 30th book and has a series of stories featuring bats, which has made the New York Times Best Sellers list.

He read to the students but not before a short animated talk about how he became an author/illustrator.

He shared relatable life lessons with the students and even did a side-by-side comparison of a drawing his mother had saved when he was in second grade. The short, colored illustration had a few words and four photos. Students’ eyes brightened as they mumbled about his poor drawing skills.

Lies used the pictures to demonstrate how he was not perfect as his work and took years of development, classes, schooling and practice. He also shared how he, too, had received notes on his English papers asking him to add more detail.

He spoke with enthusiasm and encouragements letting the students know that you can acquire a certain skill, then become better by working at it.

Lies was born in Princeton, N.J., and graduated from Brown University in 1985 with a degree in British and American Literature. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for two and a half years, and then created Op/Ed page illustrations for numerous publications, including the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune and Christian Science Monitor.

He showed the students dozens of drawing pads in which many of his top sellers were sketched.

Lies explained writing, rewriting and editing his drawings was part of his process to get the exact message, and art work to completion before the publication of a book.

In developing his character of the little bat who wears floaties Lies was inspired as a father and recalled as an adult how young people can feel left out in different circumstances.

He illustrated his first children’s book for Houghton Mifflin Company in 1989, and has since illustrated more than two dozen others, such as his New York Times bestselling bat series (“Bats at the Beach,” “Bats at Library,” “Bats at the Ballgame”  and “Bats in the Band”).

Lies work has garnered numerous awards, and can be found in galleries around the country, according to his website.

After question-and-answer times, students helped Lies brainstorm what bat should be doing in a drawing he then autographed and donated to the Maquan Library .

He explained his drawing techniques using an example of shading with peeled crayons and soon the white sheet of paper was dancing with a little bat that may have had a job as a dog walker.

WHITMAN — A special permit and site plan approval application for a solar farm consisting of 3,940 panels and associated equipment has been granted leave to withdraw without prejudice by the Zoning Board of Appeals Monday, March 13.

The vote, necessitated by a clerical error on the part of one landowner and the petitioner, BrightEnergies of Los Angeles, will permit the company to re-apply when the error — which identified the wrong parcel address — is corrected.

The address had been identified as 81 Bedford St., instead of 0 Bedford St., which is the correct address, according to company managing partner Jon LoCascio. The error resulted in an incorrect or incomplete list of abutters notified about the 7 p.m. hearing.

ZBA Chairman John Goldrosen did allow members of the board and interested residents attending to ask general questions about the solar farm proposal.

LoCascio said the proposal would be brought back regarding 0 Bedford St., and that the address mistake had been brought to the company’s attention about 30 days ago.

Goldrosen noted that, once a hearing is advertised in the newspaper, a hearing must be held.

Member Wayne Andrews said the site plan as submitted as “no good” as it is not to scale and does not show any topographical contours or accurate abutters.

“Everything is missing from this site plan,” he said, advising that the company review Whitman’s zoning regulations.

Building Inspector Robert Curran said his impression was that the company planned to revise the site plan. He also reminded ZBA members that Whitman has become a Green Community and that he had forwarded a copy of the regulation revisions reflecting that status.

“There’s provisions for solar or alternative energy in our bylaw,” Curran said.

Goldrosen also read into the hearing record letters from the Planning Board, Conservation Commission and Fire Chief Timothy Grenno, listing concerns about the plan as submitted.

The Conservation Commission expressed concern over any wetlands impact on the site and planners noted questions about determination of the location of the Brockton water line and whether there would be an easement conflict before being able to approve the plan. Grenno requested engineered road access on three sides of the property; a solid surface, such as crushed stone, for ground cover; weed and overgrowth containment; gated access with a lock the fire department can open and training for public safety departments.

“It may turn out you can’t put everything there that you want,” Goldrosen said about the wetlands issue.

Board member Steven Cacciatore also asked about safety including whether the electricity can be turned off in an emergency and the potential for the solar panels to be hot enough to spark brush fires.

“We’re just asking because we don’t know,” he said. “This has not come up to us before. … We want to know if there’s going to be a problem.”

LoCascio said he is more often asked how it’s going to work in the snow, assuring the board that the farm would have a rapid shutdown system to control fire risk when panels reach a certain temperature.

Andrews sought information on how the project would benefit the town.

“The great thing about this project is all the energy is going to the town, so we would be discounting and saving the town money reducing the town’s overall cost for electricity,” LoCascio said. He said the output of about 1.9 megawatts would lock in energy costs for municipal buildings for 20 years.

Curran added that the town would have to enter into an energy-purchase agreement with BrightEnergies. The difficulty in gauging the effect of those savings stems from a recent change to LED lighting.

“We can’t take historical electric bills and use those in any way for this,” Curran said. “But by the time this all goes through, the town will know what its average monthly bill is.”

BrightEnergies would own the solar equipment, but lease the property.

Board members were also interested in learning of other area solar farms and any problems encountered with the facilities.

Abutter Jackie Alger, owner of Wag This Way dog daycare also had some questions for the board’s consideration — water runoff, wetlands, possible requirement of a retention pond, access during construction, how inspections would be handled, dust control plans during construction, work hours and temporary electrical power during construction, noise, tree removal, traffic and security fence plans.

HANSON — While town officials consider it too early for a vote on the pact, the Board of Selectmen discussed the status of the town’s contract talks with Whitman-Hanson Community Access Television at its Feb. 28 meeting.

Progress reports on building razing and raising projects [see related story, page 3] were also discussed.

“The general consensus that I want to pass along to the public is that we are working on this,” said Selectmen Chairman James McGahan about individual conversations he has had with other selectmen about the cable access contract. He stressed that none of the one-on-one conversations constituted Open Meeting Law violations.

“We have a contract that we are being asked to sign — and this is for another 10 years — and one of the sticking points on it is that we need to follow up on the financial reports that are owed to the town through the Board of Selectmen,” McGahan said.

WHCA TV Executive Director Eric Dresser said Monday, March 6 that he understands the selectmen’s concerns are reasonable, as there are several items in the contract still being worked out.

“I think there’s some things above and beyond the things that they mentioned that they’d like to see, in terms of the reporting, that we’ve got to get on the same page with — as you would in any negotiation,” Dresser said. “We are aware of the areas of the [financial] report that need to be updated and those projects are already in progress.”

He said one was submitted at the end of last week. Cable Access Board Chairman Arlene Dias has since supplied the rest, she said Wednesday. She had not attended the Feb. 28 meeting because she said she was told the issue had been removed from the agenda.

McGahan said Feb. 28 that, while some financial reports had been received, “We didn’t get everything that we need.” He has created a matrix of reports owed to them and a ballpark timetable of when they should be received by selectmen in both towns. He also wants to see audit reports — required every three years — and regular 501(c)3 status updates on the service’ nonprofit status and to require that meeting minutes be posted on the WHCA website, as well as annual reports.

Resident Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett, who has experience with 501(c)3 organizations such as the Hanson Food Pantry, said a copy of the WHCA tax returns could supply much of that information.

“We need more transparency with this group in terms of accountability,” McGahan said of the WHCA Board of Directors. “Otherwise we’re just rubber-stamping this contract.”

Town Administrator Michael McCue said a consensus of the board was all that was needed until its members are ready to ratify the contract.

McGahan said he, McCue and the cable board should meet again to discuss the issue. He also said he would like to invite the board chairman and/or WHCA executive director to selectmen’s meetings on a quarterly basis for updates on programs and services.

Selectman Bruce Young noted that a percentage of everyone’s cable bill supports the local cable access studio Cable rates, especially for seniors, was also a concern raised by Richard Edgehille, a resident and past volunteer videographer for WHCA.

“Seniors can’t get anything,” agreed Selectman Don Howard.

Edgehille suggested transparency could help hold Comcast accountable.

“If everybody in town understands that you’re doing your homework on it, as far as knowing how much it costs for that studio to run, there’s no waste,” he said.

McGahan agreed that it is in the cable board’s interest, as well, to show the money is being spent where it should be spent.

Edgehille also said the second contract should not be a mirror of the first one, because that initial contract was a start-up document.

“It should be tweaked,” he said, noting that much of the original contract language concerned the hiring and job function of the late WHCA Executive Director Steven Roy, who died last spring. “We wouldn’t be talking about this if Steve Roy didn’t leave us. He kept the ship going.”

Dresser said that, while he is a different person than Roy, he plans to brag about the “good stuff we’re doing here” and he wants town officials and the community to know about them.

“I think it’s a step in the right direction to remedy some of those things we’re concerned about,” McGahan said of the contract talks.

WHITMAN — Capital school projects and the status of plans for a new DPW building [see related story] were the focus of the first meeting of the town’s Buildings, Facilities and Capital Expenditures Committee since last spring.

WHRSD Business Services Director Christine Suckow, School Committee member Fred Small and Facilities Director Ernest Sandland attended the Feb. 16 meeting to review capital projects priorities for the fiscal 2018 budget cycle. Small is also chairman of the School Committee’s facilities subcommittee.

“The function of this committee is two-fold — to oversee and manage capital projects and to make recommendations about spending,” said Town Administrator Frank Lynam, who again chairs the Buildings panel. “The decision to spend that money is made by Town Meeting.”

The Buildings Committee makes recommendations on capital expenditures and the Finance Committee makes recommendations on whether they believe expenditures are appropriate and good for the town. The panel will be meeting again when it receives capital plans for other departments and will also meet with the Finance Committee.

“We will look at what we are willing to commit for funding this year,” Lynam said. “The only way whatever plan we come up with will work is if we have a united plan — we’re all on the same page.”

He does not see the town dipping into stabilization for capital projects this year.

“I’m more concerned with the budget itself,” he said. The per-school breakdown of the school budget for Whitman schools is: $1,631,000 for Whitman Middle School; $654,000 for Conley and $456,000, according to Suckow.

Whitman generates most of its revenue from local taxes, with the reserve for appropriation ambulance account coming in second, according to Lynam.

“When we look at purchases and our ability to fund them, we’re constrained by what we’re able to generate in revenue,” he said.

Lynam again explained that a recent windfall in personal property taxes from National Grid, having made significant improvements to the company’s property in Whitman. As that money is expected to go away within eight years, Lynam has advocated spending the tax receipts on nonrecurring capital expenses.

“If I build a budget on money that isn’t going to be there next year, were [in trouble],” he said. “We’re behind the eight-ball.”

School department capital requests, most of which have been on the list from previous years, include:

• An engineering study for the Duval School roof;

• Fire alarm and smoke detector replacement at all three of the town’s schools, $50,000 each;

• Repairing and relining the middle school gym, $25,000;

• Installation of a gym curtain at WMS, $14,000;

• A Green Communities program at all three schools, $335,000;

• Replacement of WMS rooftop units, $50,000;

• Installing and cleaning ceiling fans at all three schools, $25,000;

• Replacement of exterior doors with a card-reading system for added security, $16,000;

• Loop driveway at the rear of WMS, $16,000;

• Crack, seal and reline playgrounds, $13,000;

• Replacement of Conley and WMS kitchen equipment, $53,000;

• Uninvent replacement in five rooms at WMS, $35,000; and

• Sidewalk replacement at Duval, $20,000.

Other repairs have been prioritized for later years.

Lynam said one of the difficulties in funding repairs to facilities involves the fact that assessments for the regional schools are apportioned based on population. Whitman currently has 59.5 percent of the region’s school population.

“That number has been moving for at least the last eight years,” he said. “We are creating more of the expense and we are paying for more expense of operating the region.”

Savings from energy-saving updates would help, he said.

Sandland said that, with such programs, energy costs would be reduced and budgets will be more manageable.

“When you look at these repairs, you’ve got to keep in mind these buildings are not a lot different from what we do at home,” Lynam said. “What we’re looking at now are the things that need to be done.”

The door lock project, on the other hand, is part of the district’s program to improve school security as well as making any needed repairs, Small said.

Playground and sidewalk repairs are aimed at addressing trip hazards, which cause spikes in insurance premiums. Repairs needed to the roofs at Conley and Duval are to newer sections.

“We’ve complained to the state that [at Duval] here we are, we spend $80,000 on repairs to a roof that you guys funded,” Sandland said, noting a similar problem was encountered at Hanson Middle School. “They didn’t care.”

Salvucci asked that if the total of repairs prioritized for this year — estimated at about $500,000 — could be done, how much time could that buy the town before more work is needed.

Light units and rooftop units have to go out to bid before those details are known, Sandland said.

Whitman’s share ($451,389) of $758,000 repairs to the high school prioritized for the year include (cost estimates below are totals):

• Turf field at the high school, estimated at between $425,000 and $500,000;

• Roadway repairs, $210,000;

•  Industrial ceiling fans for heat distribution, $12,000;

• Traffic lighting for safety, $20,000;

• Exterior envelope repairs to composite wall system $25,000;

• Hot water heater replacement, $35,000 as well as

• Replacement of rooftop units, $100,000;

• Window glass replacement, $15,000;

• Energy upgrade, $111,000 for LED lighting in classrooms, $65,000 for LED lighting in computer labs, cafeteria, music suite and gym; and

• Second floor carpet replacement, $45,000.

In other business, the Buildings, Facilities and Capital Expenditures Committee reorganized, renaming Lynam as chairman. Lynam had stepped aside last year after his workload increased after his former assistant Greg Enos had resigned to take a position in Ashland, and a new Finance Committee required his assistance. Wayne Carroll, a DPW Commissioner who had been asked to chair the committee recently announced his decision to step down.

With the hiring of new Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green, that situation has changed, Lynam said.

“You now have an assistant, that takes a lot of the pressure off your back, and you have the time,” Salvucci said in nominating Lynam for the chairmanship.

Committee member Patrick Fatyol was voted as vice chairman and Salvucci was elected clerk.

HANOVER — The South Shore Vocational High School Committee’s student of the month award usually celebrates purely scholastic or athletic achievement and student leadership, but an act of heroism also distinguished the selection for February.

James Dwyer of Hanson was honored for his courage outside of school — saving his father’s life by performing CPR. He went in to school the next day and brought his usual positivity according to a staff member. Dwyer is a junior automotive technology student.

“We’re lucky to have a student like James at South Shore Vocational High School,” said a member of the faculty.

The committee also heard an update on plans for a new horticulture program, which South Shore Tech is interested in adding  as soon as the next year.

According to Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas Hickey, this would be a slow-building program, starting with a single instructional hire with a landscaping background. In addition to this, Hickey said that a member of the science faculty would contribute to this program by teaching plant science. This would only be temporary, as once the program grows a second faculty member would be hired and dedicated to the program.

To add a new program, state law requires that SSVT show a demand for jobs in a particular field.

There is a lot of optimism from Hickey that this will happen.

“I saw 23 different companies in a survey that they annually hire 98 to 106. That’s a pretty significant number,” said Hickey

In addition to looking at the labor demand, guidance counselors for incoming freshman asked about their interest in the program, since the program is not listed currently in the brochure.

“Sixty-five percent said they want that on their list” said Hickey

Guidance counselors also asked current freshman if they would have been interested in the program.
“We asked, if they could turn back time would they have explored this program? Over 50 percent of students would have been interested,” he said.

Hickey stated that the only agricultural high school in the area is Norfolk County Agricultural High School in Walpole — almost 30 miles away from SSVT. Hickey said he recognizes this discourages many South Shore students from pursuing agriculture.

Breakfast
for Students

In other business, Principal Margaret Dutch and members of the school committee are currently reviewing new ideas for the breakfast program.

“We want to assure breakfast is available to all students and that the breakfast they are receiving is appropriate for starting their school day,” she said adding that they are currently looking at data to support this initiative.

There are many varying perspectives on how to approach this issue. Dutch points out that students, parents, teachers and faculty view this very differently and that each perspective needs to be accounted for.

Timing, for example, is an issue. It is now unclear if breakfast would be available before classes or take place during classroom time.

Chairman Robert Molla questioned if this would interrupt class time.

“We don’t have enough time for educational purposes,” said Molla

Principal Dutch responded, “If you have someone who’s hungry, are they engaging in the education anyway?”

Dutch also posed an additional question, “Is just eating something a breakfast? Or does it need to be something specific and balanced?”

She said the meal would be required to meet the healthy food standards in the same capacity that the lunch program does.

There are many ways to approach this topic.

“We’ve talked about our bus schedules, if kids are getting off the bus with only a few minutes to spare they might not want to risk getting food,” Hickey said. “If kids are interested in getting food before class, we should consider rolling back our bus schedule.”

Dutch said that they did not expect a small idea like breakfast to grow into such a complex and nuanced issue.