Has everyone noticed the Veteran Banners hanging in the center of town? They are courtesy of James Molito, 17, a member of Whitman Boy Scout Troop 22. 

James is a senior at Whitman-Hanson, and the banners are the result of his hard work and dedication in executing his Eagle Scout Project honoring Whitman’s Hometown Heroes.

James enlisted friends, family, and members of Troop 22 to collect bottles and cans to help raise funds for his project. He also held a Papa Gino’s fundraiser and used funds he earned working with his troop in a concession booth at Gillette Stadium. With the help of Whitman Veterans Agent Sara Lansing, and the local VFW Post 697, he met several Whitman veterans and their families interested in participating in the project. He contracted Sign Design Inc. of Brockton to print the banners, and with the guidance of Select Board Vice Chair Dan Salvucci and interim Town Administrator Frank Lynam, he was put in touch with the Whitman Fire Department Deputy Chief Al Cunningham to get the banners installed just in time for Veteran’s Day. 

After the parade, James held a dedication ceremony in front of town hall where members of Troop 22 were present to serve refreshments and read biographies of each of the veterans being honored. Several of the “Hometown Heroes” were in attendance while others had family members there to accept their banner pictures. The weather was perfect, as was the day. To our hometown heroes: Maj. Michael Donahue, Cpl. Robert J. Durand, Jr., Capt. Amy Grable, Pfc. Paul Howard, IC3 Stephen Morse, SP4 Dennis McIntyre, S/Sgt. Jim Murphy, BM3 Richard ‘Al’ Rainey, Seaman Aaron R. Richardson, and Sgt. Quentin Yannus, thank you for your service. 

Turkey and football. 

Name two things that are more synonymous. 

Good luck, especially if you’re from the towns of Whitman, Hanson or Abington. 

That’s right. Those three towns are set to see their local high schools clash for the 111th time this Thursday at 10 a.m. at Abington. 

The Panthers are 5-5 on the season. 

They’re coming off of a 21-14 non-playoff victory over Westwood in which senior Ben Pace racked up three interceptions from his safety position.

W-H also owns wins against Pembroke, Foxboro, Silver Lake and Plymouth North. 

Abington sits at 4-6, fresh off a 28-0 loss to Rockland in the state quarterfinals. 

W-H leads the all-time series 60-47-3. 

Elsewhere around W-H: 

The Massachusetts All-State Championships were held on Saturday, Mov. 19, at Devens, Massachusetts. Whitman-Hanson had one runner entered in the meet.  Junior Sky Bucci-Anderson finished 101st among 189 of the state Div. 1 cross country runners, covering the 5K course in a time of 20:30. 

On the mat, W-H cheer placed fourth at states on Sunday, Nov. 20. 

— Nathan Rollins

Thanks in large part to Ben Pace, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team is back on track. 

The senior captain hauled down three interceptions from his safety position in a 21-14 victory over Westwood in a non-playoff game on Saturday, Nov. 12. 

The Panthers’ defense was stout all contest. Fellow senior Nick Beauregard also came down with a pick of his own. 

Also on defense, classmate Collin Murphy added two sacks, bringing his season total to 10. 

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers were balanced all night with seniors Trevor Googins, Evan Casey, and Will Frazier all scoring on the ground. 

The win leveled W-H’s record at 5-5. 

The Panthers are back 

— Nathan Rollins

On the heels of a shutout  win in their tournament opener, the Lady Panthers soccer team fell to Notre Dame Academy 4-0.

 “It’s amazing how much adversity our tea, has faced this season with injuries, but the girls and coaches never gave up,” Athletic Director Bob Rodgers Tweeted after the Monday, Nov. 7 game. “They made us all proud.”

After a scoreless first half, Notre Dame poured on the offense, scoring their first goal five minutes into the second half. There was only 15 minutes to play when they capped off the scoring with their fourth goal.

The girls’ soccer team defeated Amherst-Pelham, 6-0, in their opening game of the MIAA tournament on Sunday, Nov. 6.

Makenna Marshall opened the scoring for W-H with a blast from 20 yards out, according to AD Bob Rodgers, and Kennedy Frazier doubled the goal with a put back off a Savannah Kamperides cross. The score remained 2-0 until the half.

The Panthers came out flying in the second half with goals from Anna Schnabel, Elizabeth Kowlski, Olivia Godwin and Ella Nagle. The defense of Brooke McAloney, Lexi Cole, Hayley Gillis and Kamperides were strong all night, helping goalkeeper Aylla Dernier earn the shutout. Ayla Dernier was outstandind in the midfield.

WHITMAN – The Select Board on Tuesday, Oct. 11, heard a program proposal aimed at making South Avenue a “more vibrant, welcoming location.”

That balance would be ironed out through dialog with the community, town officials and MassDOT. 

Jim Fitzgerald and Benny Hung of Environmental Partners, as well as members of the DPW Commissioners, appeared before the board to provide an overview of the Connecting Communities proposal and the MassDOT Transportation Investment Program (TIP) and a potential project on South Avenue.

“What could the vision be?” Fitzgerald asked. “That depends on the town and where things balance out.” But, he stressed, the program allows communities to use existing opportunities to achieve continuous complete strees improvements while improving safety and green space making and promoting economic vitality.

Fitzgerald is the director of transportation at Environmental Partners, in Quincy.

The TIP program funds larger-scale roadway projects, which would be manages by MassDOT. The only cost incurred by a town is for project design, according to Commission Chair Kevin Cleary.

He said the commissioners could get Environmental Partners going on the MassDOT application process and the commission would keep the Select Board updates as the approval process starts.

“Over the last few years, the DPW Commissioners and Highway Superintendent Bruce Martin have been working with Environmental Partners trying to find as many open sources for roadway/sidewalk work,”  Cleary said. There has been some success in obtaining a couple of Complete Streets grants.

Select Board Chair Randy LaMattina asked how much the design costs might be, which Fitzgerald put at, on average, it could be about 14 percent of the total cost, warning that the figure was a “very rough mumber.”

Interim Town Administrator Frank Lynam asked what a total cost estimate for the plan illustration Environmental Partners presented might be.

“With construction costs right now a little all over the place, it’s a tough one,” Fitzgerald said, putting it at possibly $10 million.

The first step for any community would be an online application at which time the state DOT investigates to see it a proposal passes the “smell test” for viability.

“Based on the merits of this project, we would anticipate it would,” Fitzgerald said. “It ticks off a lot of boxes – and the fact that Whitman has not requested a lot of funds in the past, also.”

He suggested the town tackle the 25 percent of it – the design phase – first, and having MassDOT involved early in the process is also important to make sure they are aligned with their expectations.

The width of South Avenue could also work in the town’s favor, as it offers room to address the design aims.

The lengthy application process means any project – encompassing an approximately one-mile stretch of South Avenue from Commercial to Plymouth streets, would take four to five years to complete.

“We took a look at the corridor and identified a series of opportunities that really lends itself nicely for something like a TIP project,” Fitzgerald said, noting that the Commuter Rail station on South Avenue is an asset to the community. “We also looked at connectivity to things like bike and pedestrian [traffic], with Colebrook Boulevard connecting northerly to Essex [Street] and Memorial Field.”

The entire South Avenue corridor, and its current width, were also examined regarding multimodal transportation and how it could be “more comfortable” for bikes and pedestrians as well as safer for motorists in key locations, according to Fitzgerald. Residential neighborhoods along the roadway and their proximity to things like the Commuter Rail station were also studied within both a seven-minute and three-minute walk to the station. Similar radii were studied around Duval Elementary School. The redevelopment or revitalization of businesses now located on South Avenue has also been done and the opportunites within complete streets.

“Studies have proven that complete streets have many benefits, including safety and promoting bike and pedestrian use, but also for the economic vitality of locations,” he said.

Traffic safety studies have also shown that the area nearest the Commuter Rail tracks have seen the highest number of crashes – and rates within the top 5 percent of all crashes statewide. The intersection of South Avenue with Franklin and Pleasant streets is ranked within the top 10 among crashes causing injury statewide.

“It’s [also] a very odd configuration,” Fitzgerald said. “Given the development in the area, the configuration of the roads have morphed over the years. Instead of one intersection, it’s really three, which can make it pretty challenging or confusing when it comes to motorists traveling through it, especially if they’re not familiar with the location.”

It also has long pedestrian crossings – ranging from 60 to 100 feet – and have ADA compliance issues. Crossings in the Raynor Avenue area also have the same problem for pedestrians with movement issues.

Work to narrow pedestrian crossings would also provide greenscapes and ease drainage in the areas.

Traffic speeds would also be addressed to establish a well-balanced design.

The TIP program of federal funds, which Whitman has not proposed in recent years, would “address a lot of the issues we’re looking at along South Avenue.

Select Board member Justin Evans noted his board had recently asked the DPW to look into a Section 40R overlay in the Commuter Rail area, asking if this project would impact that. Fitzgerald said he does not believe it would.

“But it does make it more attractive,” LaMattina said, to Fitzgerald’s agreement.

“There are so many things going for this project,” he said. “It can only be a feather in the cap to have this sort of redevelopment.”

LaMattina said he grew up in the area and was told by an older resident at the time, “Oh, you live on that side of the tracks.”

“I think any development down there would be fantastic,” he said. “It opens up the other things we’re trying to do.”

HINGHAM — Ten Whitman-Hanson alumni scholar athletes were inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame during a dinner ceremony at the South Shore Country Club on Sunday, Oct. 9.

From a champion wrestler who returned to coach his sport, to a three-sport athlete who went on to lead cross country and track teams — as well as fellow soldiers after graduating West Point, to a member of the women’s soccer U.S. National Team, to an NFL career, these are among embodiments of excellence representing the high school in the world.

According to the program for the event, there were more than 50 nominations for induction.

“We know there are many more student-atlethes and coaches who are also deserving,” the program stated. With the next induction planned for October 2024, Athletic Director Bob Rodgers hopes to identify and welcome another group of worthy candidates.

To nominate an athlete or coach, visit whathletics.com, where the criteria for nominations is also included.

All the Hall of Fame members inducted this year, and all future inductees will be prominently displayed on banners in the athletics foyer and in the stadium as on the digital video board in the gym.

This years inductees are:

Student atletes

Tom Lynch, Class of 1973

Kevin Broderick, Class of 1988

Tim O’Brien, Class of 1991

Liz Hassan, Class of 2001

Kristie Mewis, Class of 2009

Samantha Coletti, Class of 2016

Coaches

Bob Teahan, Football/Athletic Director

Bob Gay, Wrestling/Principal

Teams

2001 Super Bowl Champion Football Team

2011 State Champion Girls Crosss Country 

Hanson’s 2020 bicentennial plans underwent a deal of improvisation over the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the time capsule had to go in the ground eventually. Above, Marcus Linn vice chairman of the 200th Year anniversary committee, seals the capsule, with an assist from Lee Gamache, holding her grandson Jack (left). In a nod to bipartisanship, after the time capsule was lowered into the ground,  incumbent state representatives Dave DeCoste, R-Norwell, (who now represents part of Hanson) and Josh Cutler, D-Pembroke, were joined by Republican candidate Kenneth Sweezey ceremoniously bury it.  See more  photos, page 6.

Photos by Carol Livingstone