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Hanson installs new drop box

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Hanson installs new drop box as an easy payment option

HANSON — Convenience now comes in the form of a locked, secure steel drop box in front of Town Hall into which residents may leave bill payments or official correspondence on off hours or in the case of persons with mobility problems.

“Convenience is really the perfect word,” said Treasurer Jean Sullivan. “It’s perfect because of the [traffic] light, too.”

Hanson installs new drop boxInterim Town Administrator Richard LaCamera announced at the Tuesday, Nov. 10 Board of Selectmen’s meeting that the drop box was officially in place, but that parking spaces along the horse-shoe driveway may need to be adjusted to improve access and traffic flow.

“For safety’s sake we need to have room to pull in and room to pull out,” Sullivan said.

The weather-proof drop box will be checked on a daily basis, or more often when needed with all correspondence delivered to the appropriate departments.

Residents are asked not to make cash payments via the drop box.

“People are getting away from [paying in cash] anyway,” Sullivan said.  “We take payments here, we do online payments, we do a lock box, a lot of people mail them in — this is going to be another way.”

Between all the payments accepted by the Treasurer/Collector’s Office conducts 35,000 transactions per year, including real estate, motor vehicle and personal property taxes as well as water bills.

Highway Department employees installed the device manufactured by American Security Cabinets, and the steel-encased cement safety poles that protect the drop box from bumps by vehicles.

Voters at the October special Town Meeting approved a $3,000 transfer from free cash to install the drop box to aid residents, particularly handicapped or elderly persons, in delivering payments or other correspondence from their vehicles. Selectmen recommended it, but the Finance Committee had not done so.

Former Finance Committee member Barbara Arena noted at Town Meeting that there were alternatives, such as online payments and mail, that work just as well and that $3,000 could be better spent on other areas.

“I know a number of towns have this particular item in place, and its not only a convenience but … the easier you make the process to pay bills, the quicker your going to put that money into action for the town,” Selectmen Chairman Bruce Young said at Town Meeting.

Assessor Lee Gamache also recommended passage of the drop box article.

“I see [elderly people] come in and just struggle trying to come into the Town Hall,” Gamache said. “Young mothers with children, too. You see them lugging everything from the car to come in and pay a bill when they could just drop it in a box.”

Hanson’s new secure drop box, into which residents may deposit payments or correspondence for all town departments, is located next to the flagpole in front of Town Hall and is accessible without the need to get out of a vehicle.

Photo by Tracy Seelye

Hanson Holiday Festival to make season sparkle

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Hanson Holiday Festival to make season sparkle

HANSON — The Hanson Holiday Committee is checking the bulbs and solidifying plans for its tree lighting festival at Town Hall green one month from now — from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. Fireworks will punctuate the program at 7:30.

Santa will arrive by fire truck, after his customary tour of town neighborhoods, to light the tree and pose for photos with children, which can be downloaded from a web address provided at the event.

New this year is the sale of 500 buttons, which at $5 each, are intended to help defray costs, but are not required for admission to the free event. The buttons were produced through a donation from Sullivan Funeral Homes.

Every button purchased, however, will entitle the holder to a free raffle ticket at the event toward a chance to win a ride to school via fire engine for a family’s children.

Buttons may be purchased from Modern Barber Shop, Mike’s House of Pizza, Ford Insurance, Ferry’s Sunoco and Stitch ’N Time cleaners or from committee members Steve Amico, Bob Hayes, Fire Chief Jerome Thompson Jr., and others.

Other businesses interested in selling buttons, or residents seeking more information on where to buy them, may contact Amico at 781-293-2532.

“The committee thanks Sullivan Funeral Home for the generous donation,” Amico said at the committee’s Monday, Nov. 2 meeting. The final meeting prior to the event is slated for 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 23, at the Fire Station.

“If we find that they went like that, then next year we can do [more] and we can get them earlier,” Amico said of the buttons.

Food at the event will again be provided by Mike’s House of Pizza and The Old Hitching Post, with the committee working to add Venus III and Meadow Brook Restaurant to the list. Shaw’s is being approached to supply water and possibly cookies again this year. A DJ will provide music and a living nativity will be provided by a local church.

The Fire Department is also considering expanding the fire pit to help keep revelers warmer.

Traffic control will depend on the size of the crowd, Police Chief Michael Miksch said, indicating he has three different plans from which to choose.

Hanson has new sealer of weights, measures

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Keeping business in balance as Hanson has new sealer of weights, measures

HANSON — Most residents probably never give a second thought to the town’s sealer of weights and measures or what that official does, much less to the fact that the office in Hanson has been vacant for a year.

Selectmen on Tuesday, Oct. 27 voted to appoint Robert O’Rourke of Hanover to fill the vacancy left by the death in October 2014 of Hanson’s Sealer of Weights and Measures Peter Jones. O’Rourke is also Hanover’s sealer of weights and measures.

“The board and your residents should know that, within the weights and measures field, Mr. Jones was very well respected,” O’Rourke said. “I was saddened to hear of his passing. … He is and will be missed.”

He pledged to get to work right away to catch up on the required annual inspections not yet conducted, though Jones was up to date on his inspection schedule when he died. O’Rourke’s appointment is through June 30, 2016.

O’Rourke is a certified sealer of weights and measures by the state for gas pumps and meters as well as deli scales, price verification units and point of sale registers at retail stores and truck scales.

Sealers of weights and measures are also on call anytime a business changes a scale or pricing unit.

“I enjoy it,” he said. “I like to see the businesses. I like when residents see me do the job. … You can explain to them you’re there to be fair and equitable for both the business and the residents.”

He went into the application process not even aware of the small stipend of $3,200 per year — plus $400 for expenses — that Hanson offers, O’Rourke said when asked by Selectmen Chairman Bruce Young if he minded the amount.

For Hanson’s needs, he said the stipend was fair.

“He’s one of the people who works behind the scenes that you never hear about,” Young said. “It’s good that he came forward like this. This is the fellow, when you go down to Shaw’s to get a pound of bologna, you’re sure you’re getting it — not a half a pound or three-quarters pound, but a full pound of bologna.”

Selectman James McGahan asked how frequently inspections are required.

“It is yearly,” O’Rourke replied. “A gas meter or pump, a scale are once a year. Scanners — price verification — is every two years, but a town can request to do it every year.”

“What if you have a gas pump that fails?” Selectman Kenny Mitchell asked.

O’Rourke explained that he uses a five-gallon fuel container calibrated by the state to verify accuracy of pumps.

“You can be off six cubic inches either high or low to legally pass it, but as a rule you want it as close to zero as you can,” he said. “If it’s way out of whack, you shut it down and they have it calibrated. I cut the seal and they have a technician come in and I do another test. If my seal is cut when I go in, there’s an issue.”

He added that, more often than not, a consumer complaint about gas pumps reveals it is the gas station that is losing money.

4H dog clubs support troops

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4H clubs send care packages to soldiers and war dogs as 4H dog clubs support troops

HANSON — Last week 10 members of local 4H dog clubs, A Round of a Paws and Pawsitive Effects, gathered at the Hanson home of co-president Jeanine Adams to pack boxes of food items to ship overseas for soldiers and their war dogs.

Nearly 500 nonperishable items were collected from donations at the local Stop & Shop in Pembroke for the soldiers and their war dogs.

4H dog clubs support troops

DOGGED SUPPORT: Amy Gentili of East Bridgewater gathered with other members of the A Round of A Paws 4-H Club at co-leader Jeanine Adams’ Hanson home last week to help pack boxes of food items for soldiers and war dogs. Photo by Stephanie Spyropoulos.

Group members and their parents assisted in filling cartons, which included: Cheerios, candies, Chips Ahoy cookies, Pringles potato chips, various dog food items, bones, and baby wipes along with numerous other brands of cereal.

A longtime 4-H member Maddie Piers, a senior at WHRHS, has been a war dog committee president for the last few years. She said receiving letters of appreciation from the soldiers makes her happy and knowing the soldiers and their dogs get basic items they need gives her warmth in her heart.

“It makes me happy knowing our group has worked to bring happiness to others,” said Piers.

Raeanne Welch, 14, of Halifax has a Puggle names Sandy.  She wrote a letter to include in the care packages and explained that her 4-H friends were passionate about the war dogs program.

She is part of a travel group, which brings their animals to public events to help raise money.  A portion of the raised $287 will help defray cost of shipping fees, boxes and packaging supplies as well as buying additional items for the soldier’s wish lists.

Many donations were raised by club members and their dogs that performed a trick for $1 as shoppers entered and exited the grocery store.

Welch, who attends Norfolk Agricultural High School, aspires to be a dog trainer and enjoys agility training.  She is looking forward to an upcoming eight week unit at school, which will involve canine care and training.

In a letter to the soldiers who will receive the care packages, co-club president Cathy Acampora who resides in Pembroke included some of the recent projects  4-H club members worked on in their weekly meetings with their canine friends.

“Members of the dog club, who range in ages from seven to 18 have learned to train their canines to do tricks, follow instructions, agility, and care for their animals. They also do pet therapy learn to do presentations, and work with various fund raisers,” said Acampora.

Amy Gentili, 10, of East Bridgewater is a newer member of the group.  She likes to wear T-shirts, socks and ribbons that have pictures of dogs on them or paw prints because she loves them so much, she said.

For further information on donating items visit uswardogs.org.

Whitman-Hanson High hosts Miles for Meals

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Whitman-Hanson High hosts Miles for Meals and earns money for local food pantries

Whitman-Hanson Regional High School’s National Honor Society students hosted the sixth annual Miles for Meals Fun Run and Walk at the WHRHS outdoor track on Saturday, Oct. 24, raising $3,600 so far — with an affiliated raffle running through Friday, Oct. 30.

The fundraiser benefits the local food pantries in Whitman and Hanson.

Whitman-Hanson High hosts Miles for Meals

GIVING: W-H girls’ soccer players Madison Shea, left, and Kat O’Kane bring in food pantry donations to National Honor Society Adviser Ellen Galambos. Photo by Tracy Seelye

This year, Student Council members also joined in sponsoring Miles for Meals. Students and local residents alike brought great energy while walking and even participating in some games.

“The volunteers at the food pantries were so grateful to the kids for their commitment to their community,” says Ellen Galambos, Whitman-Hanson’s NHS advisor. “The parents and relatives of our students donated so much money, and I know the food pantries are very grateful to these special families. I’m also very touched by the generosity of some of the businesses in our two communities.”

Galambos had hoped to raise a minimum of $2,000 because “the students would love to give at least $1,000 to each pantry.”

They had exceeded their initial goal by the start of the event, with additional donations made that morning, she said.

For next year, Galambos and NHS members are looking to potentially hold a 5K for Miles for Meals benefit run.

All proceeds from the walk go directly to the Whitman and Hanson food pantries, so the fundraiser helps local friends and neighbors who are struggling to put food on the table.

“The money Miles for Meals makes is useful because the pantry can then purchase food from the [Greater Boston] Food Bank,” Sharon Kennedy, the director of the Hanson food pantry said last month. By not buying food from a grocery store, the food pantries are able to get more for their dollar.

Kennedy and volunteers from the Whitman Food Pantry also took part in the walk.

“Miles for Meals is one of the biggest fundraisers for the pantry. With the money we are able to buy $7 of food for $1 at the Greater Boston Food Bank,” said Bob Hogan of the St. Vincent DePaul Society and Whitman Food Pantry, which serves nearly 4,000 people.

See more photos from the event at the Whitman-Hanson Express Facebook page.

South Shore Vo-Tech School clarifies admissions

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The keys to get in: South Shore Vo-Tech School clarifies admissions procedures

HANOVER — The South Shore Vo-Tech School Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 21 approved an updated admissions policy.

Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas Hickey said the changes include clarification of time lines as well as adjustments to scoring category weights.

South Shore Vo-Tech School clarifies admissions“I want to thank the administrators who spent over a year on this revised policy,” Hickey said. “We already sent the revisions to the Department of Education and they have given their approval. This admissions policy will now allow us to clarify what our admissions process is.”

Scoring categories — grades, attendance, discipline record, recommendations from sending schools and interviews — are set by the state.

“We’ve also made it clear how we admit students with the emphasis on in-district students first,” Hickey said.  “We also clarify how we handle it when we have students accepted beyond a town’s quota. It is, essentially, putting in writing the system that we have.”

This year, SSVT accepted a freshman class of 180 students out of 245 students with application scores above a 60, the minimum score before out-of-district applications are considered.

“It was a fantastic recruiting year,” Hickey said.

Admission to the Engineering Academy and the exploratory program were also clarified in the new policy.

“It clarifies for parents exactly how we choose or do not choose their son or daughter,” said Whitman committee member Dan Salvucci. “We want to make sure they understand the process.”

New programs

In other business, the School Committee heard updates on school programs from the administrative staff.

Principal Margaret Dutch noted the addition of new programs this year, including computer-aided drafting (CAD) for students in the construction cluster and introductory Portuguese, both taught by Drafting teacher Robert Freitas. Eighteen seniors are now taking the course in Portuguese.

“We had a lot of students who were looking to take a foreign language,” Dutch said, adding that college admission requirements for vocational school students now demand either a year of foreign language, a fourth year of science or a computer course not vocational in nature.

An after-school dual enrollment course through Massasoit is offered for students who chose the computer class.

Freitas, a native speaker of Portuguese, has worked in Portugal.

“Given the opportunity [to teach it], he jumped at it,” Dutch said. The class also provides insight on the Portuguese culture.

Vocational Education Director Deborah Collins updated the School Committee on current outside projects being worked on by students as well as reminding the public of the community services application process at the website ssvotech.org. The “about” dropdown menu on the site home page takes applicants to the instructions for proceeding with a request.

“For people looking to request services from the school, that’s the first step,” Collins said.

Carpentry students have worked on Hanson’s historic Bonney House, and have begun work on the Hanover bandstand project. HVAC students have installed a gas-fired heating system into a “relatively new residence” and have similar projects scheduled as well as the installation of air-conditioning in the school’s drafting shop and a condenser on the roof.

Open house set

The annual South Shore Vo-Tech open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14. This year, administrators plan to accept applications and conduct interviews as well as offering tours of the vocational shops.

Hanson salutes newest centenarian

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Cheers and goodwill at Senior Center as Hanson salutes newest centenarian

It’s not every day the town of Hanson salutes newest centenarian. With a room filled with friends at the Hanson Multi-Service Senior Center Tuesday, Barbara Meiggs of Hanson smiled with her entire face as everyone shouted “Happy Birthday!”

Hanson salutes newest centenarian, Barbara Meiggs

Barbara Meiggs wears a purple tiara on her special day of celebration. Click on her image to view more photos from the event.

At 100 years old her silver hair and sapphire eyes sparkled like the starry, night sky. She walked with assistance but, as thrilled as she was by the birthday attention, she was equally modest and thankful for the many greetings she received.

The petite centenarian took her throne, an armchair decorated with a purple fleece throw, and she was wrapped in a shawl scattered with rhinestones.

Celebrating a 100th birthday is quite the occasion staff members told her. She was quick to reply that she was still 99, as her birthday falls on Oct. 27.

She was born in 1915 and raised in Whitman.

In the year she was born, World War I had begun.  Newspapers cost one cent, a movie ticket was seven cents, and steak was 18 cents a pound.

Meiggs recalled several historic milestones and answered aloud before Director Mary Collins could read the short list she had prepared.

Meiggs has a sharp memory and, up until her 95th birthday, she was still working at the Jordan Hospital in Plymouth.

She logged over 7,000 hours of service in administration, office work, and answering phones.  She did it all, she said.

“I think that is why I am still here. I helped many people,” she said.

Then when she “retired” she volunteered to answer the phones at the Hanson Senior Multi-Service center. She’s been independent from the start.

At age 6 she recalled being scolded for leaving her yard through a wooded path to visit her grandmother’s house. She was in trouble for scaring her mother, she said.

“My mother couldn’t find me and had to get the police,” she said.

She was very close to her grandmother and adored spending time with her. Meiggs said one of the greatest gifts she ever received was a hand-sewn dress that her grandmother had made her.

As a graduate of Whitman High School class of 1933, Meiggs went on to marry her husband Carlton — they were wed for 65 years.

They raised two sons, one of whom became the first Hanson police sergeant and the other a teacher at W-H. She has seven grandchildren and 14 great- grandchildren.

Her recipe for longevity has been going to church, loving her husband — even though she said she would sometimes not speak to him after an argument, but they would always make up — and enjoying ceramics for many years.

She didn’t play sports but she did learn to knit and crochet, which she said she was quite good at.

As she sat in her decorated arm chair Dody Whooten, 95, of Hanson approached her and dropped down to one knee. He professed his fondness for her as all the guests in the room, witnessed his gesture. Meiggs quickly told him she that reached 100 years because she was married only once and she intended to stay that way. She also said he was too young for her.

Whooten kissed her hand and then had a helping hand raising himself off the floor.

Barbara took the proposal in stride as her guests teased that even at 100 years old she was still getting marriage proposals.

View more photos on the Whitman-Hanson Express Facebook page.