As they serve some of the most vulnerable members of the community during COVID-19, senior centers in Whitman and Hanson are trying to also address the sense of isolation some of their clients are beginning to feel as the pandemic enters its sixth month.

Health experts’ predictions of a second wave of the virus is also raising concern.

Massachusetts Councils on Aging have been stressing all spring and summer that, while the senior center doors have been closed, service have still been provided.

Only activities at which clients congregate have been curtailed.

“A lot of the seniors I have spoken with are starting to feel that sense of isolation, and these include many people who have been really active and are continuing to go to the supermarket and do the basic things that they need,” said Hanson Multi-Service Center Director Mary Collins. “The socialization is a huge part of what we do during our activities and we have to figure out a safe way to socialize.”

Moving the programs they do offer outdoors has been seen as a solution for the Hanson center. All the tables and chairs are being removed from the center and placed into storage. Computer terminals, where some clients used to while away free time playing solitaire, have been removed.

But activities like chair yoga and the women’s group are returning in late September with the hope that the chorus can start up again in October, Collins said.

In order to attend these events, note that there is a cap on attendance. Call 781-293-2683 in Hanson and 781-447-7619 in Whitman to make reservations. Masks must be worn at all times and social distancing will be maintained at all times. A COVID-19 screening along with temperature check will be performed prior to each senior center program attended. Hanson attendees are required to sign a waiver of liability prior to attend programs. Do not arrive any sooner than 10 minutes prior to the start of the activity and leave the grounds when the activity is complete.

“The safer, the better, and outside is the place to do that,” Collins said. “We’re starting slow. It’s one step at a time.”

Whitman Selectmen have voted to delay any return to in-person programs until at least the first of the year, said new Council on Aging Director Mary Holland.

“We can’t even have outdoor events,” Holland said, noting some communities, such as Hanson are allowing that. “I totally understand, the elderly are among the most vulnerable populations.”

But she had hoped to be able to place a tent in the parking lot where regular programs such as the knitting group, might meet while observing social distancing requirements.

The Whitman Senior Center is allowing hairdressing and podiatry appointments, with seniors required to wait outside until their appointment time, when they must go directly to the room where the service is being provided, and leave the building as soon as they are done.

“You have to do what’s best for your community,” Collins said. “We have to follow the letter of the law. It has to be small groups with a lot of space.”

She said that, before the decision is made to return to events inside Hanson’s building, the Board of Health will have to inspect and approve it.

“I want to make sure everything is in place and we have enough space before we go back to allowing anybody to go in there,” Collins said.

Facilities are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between patrons.

Transportation to the Family Dollar store, local banks and pharmacies is still provided, but ridership on the 14-seat senior van is limited to four people at a time. As with the hair and podiatry appointments, the van is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between trips.

Hanson is not offering van transportation at this point.

“We are all facing challenges during this pandemic,” Holland wrote in the September Seen Your News? Newsletter from the Council on Aging, which is produced remotely by senior volunteers. “It’s OK to have your feelings, but you know you are not alone. We are here for you! Just phone call away if you need assistance or a friendly voice.”

For more information on current programs and pandemic limitations call the Hanson Multi-Service Senior Center at 781-293-2683 or the Whitman Council on Aging at 781-447-7619.

Cohort assignments for the coming school year were expected to be released on Friday, Aug. 28, according to Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak, as administrators continue to work toward the Sept. 15 first day of school’s hybrid instruction model.

“Depending on what happens tomorrow with the staff coming back and the fires we’re putting out,” an FAQ will be posted as soon as possible, Szymaniak said during the Wednesday, Aug. 26 School Committee meeting.

One issue still up in the air is how hot days, that could still occur in early September, would affect the school schedule as not all school buildings have adequate air-conditioning. Szymaniak said snow days will not be called this winter — instead instruction will simply pivot to remote learning — but he had not yet heard guidance on “heat days” from the commissioner of education. A blizzard that knocks out power for all or large parts of the school district would be the exception to that plan.

School Committee member Fred Small said Comcast is continuing its essentials program at $9.95 per month. Originally offered to new customers for two weeks of high-speed internet at home during the pandemic, the program is aimed at assisting low-income households.

Internet need

Assistant Superintendent of Schools George Ferro said families can be sponsored within the essentials program, if needed. Families should contact building principals if they need that assistance.

“If your WiFi fails because there is a power outage in a snowstorm, or if someone hits a tree and you lose your power, there will be compassion on the part of teachers K-12 to say, ‘Hey, look, don’t worry about that,’” Szymaniak said.

Szymaniak also sought guidance from the School Committee on a recommendation from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that would have local school districts accommodate children of teachers who reside in town, but teach in other districts, to attend schools four days a week. The children would be placed in a supervised setting in a library or other setting.

The committee authorized a survey of resident teachers and district staff on the matter before making a decision on participation.

Szymaniak said complying is based on the capacity of a school district, and not all have the space.

“Everything is throwing the decisions back to the local level, which I appreciate at times,” he said. “But, also, it’s been a challenge and I don’t want to divide our community.”

School Committee member Hillary Kniffen, who is a teacher, said she was concerned about the optics of teachers appearing to receive special privileges.

“It’s shame on the commissioner for putting districts in this position,” she said. “Child care is hard for everyone. It’s a hybrid model and nothing, nothing is good for anybody in this.”

Small suggested residents might wonder why similar arrangements were not made for public safety workers. Federal policy includes teachers as essential workers, but the state does not right now, according to Szymaniak.

Since the school district is looking at school reopening from a compassionate, humane aspect, perhaps some of the emails the district has been receiving are OK, Ferro said.

“Maybe some of the problems we’re experiencing are OK because everybody’s experiencing them differently now,” Ferro said before going over the district’s schedule for a hybrid remote learning program for elementary, middle and high school students.

The Ingenuity program includes concept coaching that connects with a virtual tutor immediately.

“It’s different, but it’s exciting — it could be very cool,” he said. “Now, there are people out there saying I’m all wet, which is fine because that’s what everybody gets to do, they get to have their own opinion.”

Szymaniak reported that more than 100 teachers received reduction in force (RIF) letters in May. The district also no longer has a human resources department, which had been cut in a previous budget year and the work distributed between about a half-dozen people on the Central Office staff. Adding to that issue are people who can’t come back to school for medical reasons because of the coronavirus.

Szymaniak said he has 14 teachers, five paraprofessionals and one duty aide who can’t return because of a valid medical issue.

“Luckily, we were able to find roles for them in district and keep them off extended [Family Medical Leave Act] leaves, keeping them working,” he said.

“Teachers have gone above and beyond this summer to prepare for virtual learning,” Szymaniak said, noting that building principals have also worked long hours over the summer to accommodate social distancing into school routines. Google will be the instructional platform, not Zoom or another option.

getting ready

While buildings aren’t school-ready yet, he lauded the facilities department for the work they have been doing over the summer to see that buildings were cleaned and will be ready for the first day of school.

Szymaniak also thanked the public for supporting the schools both financially and in spirit. There are 396 students who will be going to fully-remote learning, which took some time to verify and adjust cohort assignments and transportation issues.

Virtual open houses for schools are being planned.

“The reason we can’t have a live open house is I can’t really control the community at this point,” Szymaniak said.

At lunchtime, there will be no special orders at the lunch line — it will all be grab-and-go with a cell phone application being made available for parents or high school students to use for ordering lunch.

Before and after school care will also be available at the elementary schools provided by the YMCA, including remote assistance for parents who require it.

There are about 30 more families opting for home schooling, bringing the number to around 70, Ferro reported. Szymaniak added that those families can change their mind, but should notify the district by mid-October in order to give time for their children to be added to a cohort in time for the second quarter to begin in early November.

The committee voted to accept a state policy requiring face masks in schools.

WHITMAN — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Aug. 11 voted to authorize a grant application to fund the next level of site assessments on the Regal Property, a vacant lot next to the commuter rail on South Avenue.

The town contracted with Ransom Consulting in 2017 to perform Phase 1 and 2 site assessments of the property, according to Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green. Grants from Mass. Development funded the assessments.

“We’ve got some ideas of the nature and level of the ground contamination and … there is still an amount of work to be done, a Phase 3 type of assessment to determine what it’s done to the soil and groundwater,” she said, noting a comprehensive settlement and surface water settling study remains to be done. “They need to assess the ecological characterizations of the land and also do a human health assessment and what impact it might have to future site occupants.”

The third assessment is in the cost area of $63,900 and a lack of funding had halted its progress. Green noted, however that there has been a lot of progress in the realm of brownfields redevelopment over the last three years, with more state and federal funds being made available. She still has to reach out to Ransom to obtain an updated grant proposal and cost analysis.

Grants for such work are now up to $100,000 she said.

“We would get enough money to finish the site assessment an know exactly what we’re dealing with,” she said.

Protection from municipal liability in proceeding with projects on such sites is now available by statute through the Attorney General’s office, Green advised.

While the town would have to pay the grants back if the property was sold at a large profit, Green said that is not likely because the land has been under tax title for so long.

“A huge selling point for the Regal property is it’s right next to the commuter rail station,” she said. “There will be lots of eyes on that property once we know what we’re dealing with in terms of redevelopment.”

A wetlands survey has determined that just over four acres of the property is developable. A similar brownfields property of 3.36 acres in Jamaica Plain was developed to include 132 housing units and retail/office space and self-storage building, which created 90 jobs.

Green also spoke about the Community Preservation Act ballot question on the state ballot, now that the act has been passed at the July 27 Town Meeting. Selectmen voted to place the question on the ballot.

Selectman also heard an update from Green on a housing production plan, which also must be approved by the Planning Board, but it did not recommend doing so.

Green had asked for waiver of that approval from the Old Colony Planning Board, which declined to do so.

“It’s very disappointing in that adopting this housing production plan and having it recognized by that department, would have opened up some grant opportunities for us,” she said.

In other business, Selectmen approved a farmers’ series pouring permit on the premises at 599 Washington St. — the block where Supreme Pizza is located. A common victualler’s license was also granted for the location.

Old Colony Brewing co-owner Dennis Nash said the plan for the site at 605 Bedford St., foregoing the pouring license there. They will instead brew the beer at the Bedford Street location and operate a taproom on Washington Street. No outdoor dining is planned like is currently offered at Bedford Street and only 25 seats are planned at the Washington Street site under current COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Owners of other businesses in the town center — including John and Craig Duval, whose family has owned Duval’s pharmacy for 74 years, along with another area businessman, expressed concern over parking. A concern shared by Health Board Chairman Eric Joubert.

Building Inspector Bob Curran said a bar or business in that area are permitted by right an have never had to go before the board of Appeals. He also said most of the taproom’s parking needs would occur on nights or weekends when there is not typically a lot of traffic downtown.

The board also recommended revisiting the parking issue if a problem crops up.