Whitman-Hanson Express

You are here: Home / Archives for News

State to offer a vote by mail option

By

For voters concerned about the safety of voting in person during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an alternative besides absentee or early voting.

In July, a new law was passed to allow all registered voters in Massachusetts to vote by mail in any 2020 election, with no excuse needed.

Whitman and Hanson town clerks said the applications were being mailed to all Massachusetts voters beginning Wednesday, July 15 for the state primary election Sept. 1.

“They’re mailing out applications on July 15 to every registered voter as of July 1 that has not already applied for an absentee ballot or an early voting ballot,” said Whitman Town Clerk Dawn Varley. “This is all new to us.”

Applications are mailed back to local clerks’ offices. Return postage of the ballot application is paid by the commonwealth.

“We send it out, they fill out the application for early ballot and it’s only good for this year,” said Hanson Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan. “Once we receive the ballots, we mail it out to the people and they have to get it back to us.”

Secretary of State William Galvin’s office has been great about updating security measures and providing clerks with direction on the issue.

As required by the new law, a Vote by Mail application will be mailed to every person who was registered to vote by July 1 and who had not already requested an absentee ballot for the State Primary or for all elections this year. A second mailing will be sent out in September to all voters who have not already applied for a Vote by Mail ballot for the November election. The applications are pre-addressed to your local election official and no postage is necessary.

Vote by Mail applications must be delivered to your local election office no later than four business days before the election. For a State Primary ballot, your application must reach your local election office no later than Aug. 26. For a State Election ballot, your application must reach your local election office no later than Oct. 28.

If you wish to vote by mail, you are strongly encouraged to return your application as early as possible, to make sure that you will receive your ballot in time to return it and have it be counted.

Vote by Mail applications are available for download and may also be requested by contacting the Elections Division.

Ballots and outer envelopes must be signed by voters under the pains and penalties of perjury, that the ballot inside is theirs,” Varley noted.

Sloan said she has not heard any concerns from voters on the security of voting by mail, but Varley said she has.

“I’ve had a lot of people comment about it — about [potential] fraud and, ‘what happens to my ballot?’” she said. “My answer is we are responsible town clerks. … I assure them that their ballots are kept in a secure place, that we don’t open them.”

She said people are most often concerned that their ballot will be looked at. Varley assured voters that her staff is not interested in looking at who a resident votes for — they just want people to vote.

Ballots are taken out to the tabulating machines in bulk and checked against voters’ names just as each voter would have to do at check-in tables. Absentee and early vote ballots are counted the same way.

“We have to record in the state system when we mail in the application,” she said. “We have to record in the state system when we mail a person the ballot. We have to record in the state system when we get the ballot from the person.”

After the ballots are mailed back the clerks’ offices alphabetize them and place them in the vault.

“They have to be opened in clear view in front of people,” she said. All envelopes and ballots have to be saved for a specific time in case a result is challenged.

“I haven’t heard if we can put them in [to machines] as we get them, but not tally,” Sloan said. “I know that was supposed to be part of the election law, but I don’t know if that got passed or not.”

She said Galvin’s office has been inundated with questions and has not provided complete direction on counting mail-in ballots yet.

“Of course, we’re not to that point yet, so we don’t have to worry about that part,” she said. “From what I understand, they were going to try to pass a law that we could put the ballots into the tabulator — but not tabulate them — so it would make our lives easier come election day, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen or not.”

You can find more information on voting by mail on our Voting by Mail FAQs page.

Towns assess re-opening moves

By

While some town officials are eager to return to in-person meeting sessions of boards and commissions, others are advocating a more cautious approach.

In Whitman, Selectmen on Tuesday, July 14 voted to change the time of the annual town meeting to 6 p.m., Monday, July 27. It was originally set to begin at 7:30 p.m. on that date.

Town Administrator Frank Lynam said there were two considerations behind the recommendation — it is being held outdoors and lighting is going to be an issue.

Selectman Dan Salvucci asked if the time change would make it difficult for people coming home from work to attend.

Lynam also reported that the transition process of re-opening Town Hall — by appointment only right now — is going well.

“We talked about that with the moderator,” Lynam said. “It may provide some people with a decision as to whether or not they want to leave [work] early to make Town Meeting, but the sense was people have generally been pretty available at that time of night.”

He said concerns of the health and safety of people attending the meeting. The field will be treated that morning by Plymouth County Mosquito Control and mosquito repellant will be made available at check-in tables for people to use.

There has been evidence in the general South Shore area — if not Whitman — for both Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus, which prompted the concern.

“It doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to let it run late into the night when that is the prime time for mosquitos,” Lynam said.

Whitman is participating in Plymouth County’s COVID program and is waiting for confirmation that $235 per student in state funding would be provided to the schools to deal with coronavirus issues.

Hanson Town Administrator John Stanbrook reported to the Board of Selectmen Tuesday, July 7 that he and Health Agent Gil Amado have discussed open meetings of town boards and committees in the Selectmen’s meeting room. Gov. Charlie Baker’s latest guidance is eight people per 1,000 square feet, but deferred the decision to the local boards of health. The Selectmen’s meeting room — at about 700 square feet — could accommodate about six people, Stanbrook said.

Amado, however, said 14 people could safely meet there. Seats would be spaced six feet apart and hand wipes and sanitizer would be made available. Meetings of more than 14 people, including public hearings would be held at Hanson Middle School.

FitzGerald-Kemmett asked how a meeting, that draws an unexpectedly large audience, would pivot. Stanbrook suggested it could possibly be taken outside but he thinks most boards and committees know what issues would likely draw large crowds and can plan accordingly.

Mitchell said he was in favor of getting back to meetings in Town Hall this week, but Dyer and FitzGerald-Kemmett urged holding it at the middle school, if possible, since the Cove opening issue could draw a crowd.

“I don’t feel comfortable being in the Selectmen’s room at this point,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Even if it was just us, I’m not comfortable. I’m not going into the office. … I love you guys and love talking to you — and would love to see you all again someday soon — but I don’t want to be sitting two feet from you in a room.”

She did favor a meeting at HMS.

Town Hall is now open — by appointment only — from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The public will be expected to answer COVID-19 related questions before entering the building and must wear masks while there as well as observing social distancing and hand-sanitizing guidelines.

“If you can’t or won’t wear a mask an employee will meet you outside to conduct business,” Stanbrook said. People are still urged to conduct as much business as possible without coming into Town Hall and no cash is being accepted during the appointment-only period.

One glitch that has been discovered is that Google searches for Town Hall do not always bring up thee correct phone number, however. Residents should call 781-293-5186 for fastest service.

Lynam recommended, meanwhile, that a previous board vote to hold a season-opening parade for Whitman Youth Soccer in August be rescinded.

“After discussing with [Fire Chief Timothy] Grenno and the Health Department, they do not feel that it would be prudent to have people gathering in a parade format,” Lynam said.

Selectmen also voted to authorize requests for reimbursement from Plymouth County for COVID-related expenditures. Lynam said Whitman Fire Department has been tracking the expenses and the town accountant is reviewing all requests for appropriateness and documentation.

“What I’m now being told is that money is coming from the COVID funds that each town in Plymouth County is eligible to receive from the $90 million that was granted to Plymouth County,” Lynam said. “I don’t believe it would negatively impact us because we were never in a position to spend the apportionment that would have been available to us based on need. We’re not cutting corners, but we’re not spending just because the money’s there.”

He said he would follow up on the situation and report back to the board.

On Tuesday, July 14, the Hanson board voted to open Cranberry Cove by a 3-2 vote depending on the quality of water and adequate staffing. Selectmen Jim Hickey and Wes Blauss voted no, based on concerns over the impact it could have on the coming school year. Selectmen voted unanimously to approve opening camping at Camp Kiwanee. The Cove could be opened within 48 hours. the board was told.

The Recreation Commission had been asked to restrict access to the cove to Hanson residents, use of a non-cash payment process, strict cleaning protocols, swimming schedules, and escorts to the exits. Water testing results and the availability of adult gatekeepers would also have an effect on opening.

Stanbrook said he continues to receive emails from people asking that Cranberry Cove be opened for swimming.

“Last week we were waiting for the [reopening] plan,” Mitchell said. “We did receive the plan, but it was after our meeting ended.” He reviewed the plan on Wednesday, July 1 and still had questions about it and met at the camp with Recreation Commission Chairman Diane Cohen and Amado on Friday, July 3.

“I’m satisfied with the plan, now that I went down there, [but] there’s one small component I’m waiting for, which I should have by [July 9],” Mitchell said. If he is satisfied with the way that concern is handled, he was willing to place it on the agenda for a vote this week. [See related story].

Blauss said he recently drove to Cranberry Cove.

“It struck me that this is what dire financial straits look like,” he said. “This is visible. There’s going to be a lot of less-visible cutting going on for the public when $1.35 million disappears from our budget. … It cannot be funded adequately, if it cannot be totally supported, the town is not going to be able to afford this no matter what the social distancing guidelines are.”

He also said there would be issued surrounding masks at the Cove.

“There are people in Hanson who will not wear a mask,” Blauss said. “There are people in Hanson who are not worried about their kids and the spread of COVID, and they’re going to show up on the beach.”

It will have ramifications beyond recreation, as well.

“The beach is going to be the place where school in the Whitman-Hanson district, does not open in September, except virtually, because there’s a surge. Because we are not being careful with our kids,” Blauss said.

The Cove has not closed for 80 years, but the impact on the school opening and the town’s need to support the Recreation Budget if it can not stay solvent, are reasons to keep it closed this year.

‘Back to school’ has new meaning

By

HANOVER — South Shore Tech remains closed to staff over the summer due to coronavirus concerns, but plans are underway to determine how school will re-open in the fall — and exactly when.

Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey said Monday the school is still awaiting more guidance from the state.

“There are so many scenarios that we need to try to prepare for to build confidence with both staff for their safety, and families for student safety, before we open in September,” Hickey said, acknowledging that nobody wants kids to be home longer than necessary. “Student and staff safety comes first and we’re going to listen to medical experts at the state level, because if families and staff don’t feel confident in the plan, then we’re not creating the best educational environment for kids.”

Districts have until the end of July to submit a plan, but the main goal is to fit as many students back in the building as can safely be permitted. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution, according to Hickey. Plans would not likely be announced until early August. Right now, the SST school year is slated to begin Sept. 1.

He expressed support for how the state is handling the pandemic, through its emphasis on following the data, which he said is a key to any decisions made.

“The math is telling me right now that we cannot bring everybody back,” he said. “We are definitely going to prioritize vocational time.”

Hickey said methodical protocols are being followed to determine how to best make use of cooperative work placements.

“If we’ve got a returning senior who happened to be out on coop as a junior, and they’re in the same job, that might be a bit easier, but we’re going to have to do new safety visits and make sure the employer is adhering to [COVID safety] protocols,” Hickey stressed. “But we also know, for the rising senior who wasn’t out on coop, we may want to spend more time with those kids — given that they’ve lost three months of hands-on learning.”

In the long run, however, if a student is looking for a coop and there is a business ready to partner with them, the school would support that.

Incoming freshmen are another priority, with the goal to have that class in the building all the time, if possible. Students with disabilities are another priority.

“You cannot use remote learning to accommodate all students and their needs,” Hickey said. “We may [also] have students who, even though they are learning remotely, they might be better suited to be in the school building just to provide them some structure.”

Last week, SST began surveying families about transportation, opinions on remote learning and technology needs, Hickey said. W-H schools have also been conducting such surveys.

“We have a working group of administrators, teachers and staff and we’re meeting remotely and sharing information, and we’re looking at scheduling models,” Hickey said. “But, right now, we’re trying to test some capacity.”

For example, if only one student were permitted per seat on a bus, what would be the capacity for the buses, which are owned by the bus company. The group has also gone through classrooms, setting them up per the three-foot guidelines from the state.

“The goal is that, whatever we come out with, would be routine that people could easily understand and that, if we are going to do remote learning in any dosage, it’s not going to look exactly like it did when we were building the plane while it was in flight back in March through June.”

Teachers will be incorporated into the process so a more robust remote learning platform is also built at the same time. Hickey said he is hoping the state will be issuing more guidelines soon, including what will happen if students contract coronavirus. Controlled isolation rooms are being planned at schools in some states for students showing COVID-19 symptoms after they arrive at school, for example.

“A very important piece for us is transportation,” he said. “They have not given us clear guidance on bus capacity. And bringing kids from eight towns — that’s going to have a big impact.”

Some school districts across the country are using assigned seating on school buses, loading students from rear seats to front and requiring drivers to wear PPE and to drive with open windows when weather permits. Buses are also being disinfected before and after every route in those districts.

The number of families prepared to drive their children to school would also factor into bus ransportation plans.

“What I know for a fact is that I have classrooms with fewer seats and that is going to be a challenge,” he said. “I don’t see how we can go back 100-percent, mostly because of classroom size.”

Sports programs are another concern if participation is safe an dictated through the MIAA as to whether students can participate on game days if they are not physically attending class in the school building.

De-regionalization feasibility panel OK’d

By

HANSON — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, July 7 voted to form a De-Regionalization Feasibility Committee.

“People have been talking about it and it’s something we at least have to explore,” Selectmen Chairman Kenny Mitchell said about his decision to place the issue on the meeting agenda. He argued the board should decide how many and what type of members they should name to any committee.

Mitchell advocated at least one selectman and a member of the Finance Committee and three residents at-large be named to the committee.

“Don’t make it big and cumbersome,” Selectman Wes Blauss said, favoring a five-member committee. “Keep it as streamlined as possible.”

Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett suggested the committee title — it was originally referred to as the De-Regionalization Committee.

“I think, if you name it a de-regionalization committee, it seems as though it’s a foregone conclusion that we’re going to de-regionalize instead of that you’re going to look at the feasibility of de-regionalization,” she said. “We are not advocating for de-regionalization, we are looking into the feasibility. Just to be clear.”

Mitchell said naming the committee was one of the discussion topics he had in mind.

FitzGerald-Kemmett agreed with a five-member committee.

“Keep it lean and mean,” she said.

Selectman Jim Hickey volunteered to represent the board, and he Finance Committee will be asked to name a member. The vacancies for the at-large seats will be posted on the town website (hanson-ma.gov) for those interested to use in applying.

Indicating that she is aware of several people interested in serving, and acknowledging that other selectmen no doubt do as well, FitzGerald-Kemmett asked about the appointment process. Mitchell suggested a date be set next month for the board to review applications they receive in the intervening weeks — as is the normal practice for filling vacancies on appointed boards and commissions. Town Administrator John Stanbrook will meet with applicants first.

Hickey suggested it could take two-to-three months for any kind of report to come back to selectmen. He has already spoken to officials in Pembroke, which pulled out of the Silver Lake Regional School District, and is waiting to talk to the Finance Committee.

Mitchell suggested a cutoff date of Aug. 4 for applications with the aim that the board would make appointments on Aug. 11.

“I don’t want to make up figures,” he said. “We know what [the W-H region] is going to cost this year, but what’s it going to cost next year? What’s it going to cost in year three? By the time we get to year five is it so much money to Hanson that we don’t have a choice?”

FitzGerald-Kemmett said that, in addition to financial considerations, the committee will need help from Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff about the legal ramifications of disbanding.

“Two to three months is ambitious, but go for it,” she said of the work Hickey envisions ahead.

Selectman Matt Dyer suggested giving the committee until the spring 2021 Town Meeting to present a report and wondered if a School Committee member should also be appointed. FitzGerald-Kemmett suggested a resident active in the schools, but not a member of the School Committee should be appointed.

In other business, the town received a letter from a national lawsuit against Purdue Pharmaceutical’s bankruptcy case relating to the opioid epidemic. Hanson is included in the class-action suit and were required to opt out if Selectmen don’t want the town included by July 15. Hanson could receive more than $6 million, but only a small amount of claims in the $2 trillion would likely be received by the town. No action was required to stay in the lawsuit that would cost noting to stay in.

This community blossoms

By

WHITMAN —  A group of community gardeners have hopes for bumper crops of vegetables, herbs and flowers this summer.

Passersby may have noticed the raised garden beds on the old Essex Street softball field in Whitman with dozens of tomato plants, peppers and even multi-colored flowers in the outfield —the new Whitman Community Garden.

On Tuesday, July 7, there were gardeners at the patch tending to their various plots all raised and wooden boxed each space is approximately 4X8, and 6X12-feet, but are personalized the vegetables and herbs to their taste.

DPW Superintendent Bruce Martin has been overseeing the garden plot availability and DPW workers have helped several people construct the raised beds. They had 30 plots in total at the start of the season in early April.

“The DPW takes the applications and maintains the area making sure the water works for the public hose,” Martin said. “We assist in helping build the boxes if needed but most have put their own together.”

The boxes have been especially convenient for those who have little space but would like their own garden or are perhaps modestly finding their green thumbs.

Owners have their own garden to water, weed and within the rules of the community garden adhere to growing their crops, he said.

There is a Facebook page (for those who request to join) where garden tips, photos and other gardening socialization is posted.

Diallo Ferguson of Whitman is a first time gardener.

“It has always been an interest and when I heard about the plot gardens it struck a chord. I knew I wanted to do it and it was a great opportunity. So far so good,” he said on his generation of produce.

He called the experience fun as he learned how to garden, proudly exclaiming that he had successfully harvested kale, zucchini, mint and cilantro. He is also seeing tomatoes on the vine that are still in stages of green but he is hopeful they are on a strong track. 

Ferguson said people are helpful in offering to help with weeding and general tips.

Girl Scout Troop 66187 parent Tarcia Davis said the girls ages 12 to14 decided they would also maintain a plot as a project. She assisted with creating the Facebook page and the girls painted the welcome sign at the front gate.

The gardening projects has been a great learning experience as the Girl Scouts’ mission is teaching skills (with guidance and pointers) as the girls  become more independent.   The four girls who are maintaining the plot have some assistance from parents but the idea is to help them become skilled through the process, said Davis.

Having started the vegetables from seeds and not plants they learned quickly that they had placed the seeds too far in the soil and had to start again. Their hope is to pass the plot on to the next younger troops so they can experience the process and benefits as well.

Davis is also developing a farm stand by August to encourage sharing and swapping produce in an organized fashion.

Lee Anne Burton of Whitman a beekeeper has up kept half a dozen hives in the outfield that are assisting with the pollination and benefits for the gardens development.

The group of growers is learning from one another as they also recently released a large quantity of ladybugs as part of a natural insecticide.   

Burton updated her fellow gardeners and The Express on the bees’ status.

“Last Thursday I checked on Queen Nova and her attendants, the hive is growing, full of new babies, lots of comb-building going on. I added a third brood box to the hive and will remove the feeder next week.

She also applauded Martin for weed whacking to keep the area neat.

She is planning the next boxes numbers 5-6 to be the honey boxes, called Honey Supers.

“Hopefully we will be able to harvest some from this hive in the late summer early fall. It looks strong, about 30,000 bees or so, and is growing nicely! Burton posted.

In April there were a dozen plots many have been filled but there are additional spaces for inquiries contact the Whitman DPW.

Cannabis firm gets manufacturing OK

By

HANSON — The company opening a marijuana grow facility in town will be conducting another community outreach meeting on their new manufacturing component. The virtual meeting will be heavily promoted on local media beforehand, according to co-owner Ralph Greenberg.

During the Tuesday, July 7 Board of Selectmen meeting, members also addressed the Town Meeting warrant articles, including one to approve the amended W-H Regional School Agreement. They unanimously voted to include the article on the warrant as a placeholder, with the aim of including it as an open-ended discussion that could include a change in School Committee membership to five from each town.

Selectmen will discuss the article again at its Tuesday, July 21 meeting.

The Board of Selectmen on June 30, had voted to conduct a review of an amendment the host community agreement (HCA) with Impressed LLC to include a manufacturing license at 15 Commercial Way for its meeting this week. The board voted to make that approval July 7.

The Cannabis Control Commission has issued guidance about virtual meetings to allow applicants to discuss plans with the community, according to Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff. Accommodation must be made for hearing-impaired viewers and a process must be available for residents to ask questions during the meeting. Only one meeting is required and is planned in about a month.

“Their contention is it will make the business more profitable and, therefore, sustainable — the benefit to the town being that the community impact payment will increase based on their profitability,” Feodoroff said June 30 of the request by co-owners Ali and Ralph Greenberg. Profitability is based on gross sales.

Selectmen had asked the applicants to attend the meeting. While not the technical review that would take place in the permitting process, Feodoroff said Selectmen were seeking information on the general impact to the town. She prepared an amendment to the HCA in case the Selectmen wished to go that route.

Based on her work in other towns, Feodorff said cultivation and manufacturing, which are both passive uses, tend to go hand-in-hand.

Ralph Greenberg said that some of the waste would be used in the manufacturing process, reducing the amount to be disposed of.

“Candidly, the increased revenue — not only for the company, but for the town — is going to be really cool,” he said.

Selectmen Chairman Kenny Mitchell asked how long it would take to get the manufacturing license, which Ralph Greenberg estimated would take as long as the cultivation license has taken. He hopes to have that process concluded by the end of the year.

Feodoroff said the company’s engineers have their plans ready for submission to the Conservation Commission as part of a plan to square off the building.

Ali Greenberg said no equipment could be installed until after local approval and CCC licensing.

Ralph Greenberg said that, with the new cultivation process, the company will be “increasing [the] economic structure by at least 20 percent.” What had been estimated at a $10 million company could see profits of $12 to $15 million business model with a manufacturing component adding an additional 10 percent.

He said a 3 percent impact payment could be $450,000 to the town, with the first payment to the town by the summer of 2021 if not before.

The amendment could take four to five months to move through the process for local approval. The CCC can’t give final approval until all the local approvals are received.

Additional public meetings will be held on the request for a license change.

“We’ll have to do the same process again,” said Ali Greenberg. “We’ll have to do the community outreach, we’ll have to send out the notices, and, usually, with the approval from the town, we can get that done within the month.”

That process would take a few months. Feoodoroff said the CCC has offered guidance for remote community outreach meetings, allowing them to be conducted remotely. That option requires approval from selectmen and the ADA accommodation of closed captioning. The board could not vote on an outreach meeting June 30, because that aspect of the discussion was not posted.

All zoning and conservation approvals would also require public hearings.

Ralph Greenberg also responded to a question from Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett about a new extraction process prevent waste water from manufacuring process from infringing on nearby wetlands.

He said it involves “heat and pressure and ice and water,” where a lot of manufacturers use ethanol or other chemicals.

“[Chemicals] was never our business model,” he said. “Everything is going to be as organic as possible, based on CCC requirements.”

They said other businesses don’t use the technique because it dilutes the profits.

“The concern for manufacturing is almost erased with our approach,” Ali Greenberg said.

Regional Agreement Amendment

In opening the July 7 discussion on the warrant article, Mitchell said he personally was not intending to tell other selectmen how to think or how to vote.

“Is this the best solution that we wanted? No,” he said. “There were several roadblocks getting here. We didn’t like how we got here, but … this is the best possible deal that we can get right now.”

Selectman Jim Hickey initially said he would not second any motion, but later argued for placing the article for further discussion.

“I’ve stated from the beginning that I was against this,” Hickey said. “I know it is what it is, but I can’t second this motion.”

Hickey said he disagreed with the whole idea that the board would go along with an issue on which the School Committee was split 6 to 4 in Whitman’s favor.

“This is probably one of the most difficult articles that I’ve seen, at least in the three-some odd years that I’ve been on this board,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “I don’t like where we’re at.”

She said what could have begun as an “organic conversation” about how both towns discovered the assessment errors and each felt ripped off, and should have led to a more open dialog, became a different conversation.

“If it were a one-time agreement and we were able to go back to the table and talk about a long-term agreement, I probably would be more inclined … but there are some fundamental pieces missing to this that I think are critical to a partnership — which is an open dialog, a conversation of mutual respect and acknowledgement of what this means to each side,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

At the same time, FitzGerald-Kemmett reminded the board that three members of Whitman’s Board of Selectmen are also taking a risk in their efforts to find an amicable solution, too.

“There have been partners in Whitman that have stuck their neck out on this,” she said. “I want to acknowledge people on the School Committee as well, who have tried to be good partners. … Don’t we deserve to be able to have a conversation about that and see it all the way through?”

She acknowledged that her comments did not make it clear where she stands, because she feels incredibly conflicted on the issue.

Mitchell said if the warrant article, seeking $500,000 from Hanson, fails at either town meeting, Hanson could be facing a bill for the $10.9 million it would be responsible for with an immediate shift to the statutory agreement with no compromise period.

Selectman Matt Dyer also indicated he could not offer a second to the motion because, while it is financially the most responsible thing to do, he felt it was not responsible to move the article when the public has had no opportunity to give their opinion on the issue.

He said he was open to a 50/50 agreement for this year while the towns negotiated but has felt he has been unheard.

Mitchell countered that the kind of discussion Dyer spoke of is what Town Meeting is for.

“I have no faith that Whitman is going to approve this amendment, either,” said Selectman Wes Blauss.

Hickey said, while he is opposed, the board has an obligation to let the people decide.

“If we don’t vote to put this on the warrant, nobody gets to talk about it,” Hickey said. “I think we have the obligation to the people of Hanson to make sure that it gets placed so that they can talk about it.”

Sail into a Pilgrim mystery

By

Who is digging up the Pilgrims and why?

A new mystery novel asks that question through an historical “what-if” and a fictional grave-robbing case, as readers of author Rick Pontz’s “103 Pilgrims,” discover how decisions of our ancestors affect our lives today.

So far, real life is affecting the art.

Plymouth’s quadricentennial celebration has been pushed to 2021, but the book, published to coincide with the 400th birthday has gone forward according to plan.

He said for visitors to the area, the book [$17.95, paperback, Hugo House Publishers, Austin, Texas] takes people around the town. Characters “dine” at real local restaurants or tourist things like whale watch boats and ferries. He promises his second novel will be using same kind of interactive scene referencing as Plymouth has delayed almost all the 400th anniversary events until next year.

There is still a 400th anniversary to tie into in 2021 — that of the first Thanksgiving, as linking with the city’s history has always been Pontz’s aim.

“That was the intent,” said Pontz about his debut detective novel set — naturally — in Plymouth has been on sale in the city and the founding Pilgrim settlement in 1620 following “a rumor that there’s more than 41 signers of the Mayflower Compact — but no one knows because the original Compact doesn’t exist. Or does it.”

Enter protagonist Tony Tempesta, retired Plymouth cop and uninsured private “advisor” who looks into problems for clients seeking a “solution.”

The novel’s opening chapter set aboard the Mayflower offers the what-if scenario of a stowaway on the ship.

“I was reading about the number of people on the Mayflower and ‘I thought, boy, that would really throw a monkey wrench into everything,’” he said.

The plot posits the effect of a stowaway, if there was something different about the stowaway and why would someone want to hide the person’s existence.

“About a year and a half ago, I said, ‘If I’m going to do this, I’m going to have to get this thing published,’ because of the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims,” he recalled. He felt the publicity surrounding the event might help him sell the book.

What he describes as a “desperate” effort to get it published was fruitless until September 2019.

“The deal I made with them was that, if they published the book, and set it up and get everything prepared, I’m a shameless self-promoter and I would go out and promote it like you wouldn’t believe,” Pontz said. “I have been doing that.”

The Cape Cod Guide has printed an article about the book and Plymouth information centers have placed rack carts with his book on it and the See Plymouth website [seeplymouth.com] offers the links for three sources where the book can be purchased, as well an article about the novel. While it is sold nationally, Pontz has done about half his promotion in the Plymouth area.

Available on amazon.com since Feb. 11, the coronavirus interrupted plans for book signings set up in Plymouth, beginning in May, including an event that was to coincide with a wine tasting at the Plymouth Bay Winery. He is working on setting up some virtual author talk events, but has not done any yet because of the way the coronavirus caught everyone off guard.

Born in Holyoke, and a former Plymouth resident for 25 years after his family had moved to Michigan when he was about 6 years old, Pontz said many people he knew there hail from families who have lived there for five to seven generations. He attended Northeastern University before moving to Plymouth. His grown children still live in the Plymouth area.

“Therefore, I was considered a newbie,” he said in a recent YouTube interview for his publisher. “During the time I lived there, I heard all types of stories about people’s families, the history of the area, some of the nuances, some of the mysteries, some things that were said to be true but were never really written down.”

The novel, 12 years in the writing, Pontz began writing down things that reminded him of the area and stories about Plymouth that people told him over the years.

“I realized they didn’t make much sense even after I put them together, so I tried to rewrite them,” Pontz said in the YouTube interview. He began to recognize that he “wasn’t a very good writer.”

He decided some creative writing courses were in order. Classes through Arizona State University and online programs near his Phoenix home — and reading other authors — put him on the path to finding his process.

When he is ready to write, Pontz said, he has a beginning in mind  and knows how it is going to end.

“The stuff in between is the interesting part to me,” he said. “When I read [novels], I see the beginning and I always wonder what’s going to happen next.”

Just as reading a good book can keep you awake, reading late at night, Pontz said writing one has the same effect. It often leads to rewrites.

“The book was written at least three times from beginning to end, and then I began rewriting again after I went back to school,”
he said. He is in writing classes again during the process of writing his follow-up novel.

Also set in Plymouth, it is titled “Blood on the Rock.”

“I’m actually trying to rewrite the book a little bit to include the ‘failed’ celebration, how hard that they worked to make it happen,” he said, noting that Hanson’s 200th anniversary year has also been impacted. “The whole area’s been working on it.”

Plymouth held its first planning meeting for the quadricentennial 11 years ago, and started “pumping money into it” — $40 million worth — six years ago.

Hanson explores hearing options

By

HANSON — Town officials are looking into options for going ahead with public hearings delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff said she has received several calls from the Zoning Board of Appeals as well as various other boards and commissions about the public hearings that have been delayed. Hanson is further hampered by its technology limitations, as virtual meetings must allow for public participation — not just listening in or watching from home.

“They have to, in real time, be able to ask questions and voice their concerns and positions,” Feodoroff said.

As a result, Hanson’s list of delayed public hearings is long, Feodoroff said, with some of them some near to a conclusion. One was already decided, but a public session was required to ratify the written conclusion.

She raised the issue with Hanson Health Agent Gil Amado and emailed the state Department of Public Health, which said they viewed the meetings as not an essential service, and still governed by the state’s 10-person limit for public gatherings. Gov. Charlie Baker’s most recent order did not address public hearings by municipalities, instead covering the legislative process — town meetings — Feodoroff said.

Regular Board of Selectmen meetings are considered executive board meetings and do not come under the order permitting in-person meetings unless it is an emergency.

Her email to the DPH epidemiologist argued the hearings were an essential service, which is interfering with other critical services such as construction and development.

The DPH deferred to Amado as the local health agent.

After discussing the issue with Amado and Town Administrator John Stanbrook to develop two options: hold hearings outside or at a school.

Outside meetings held at night raise problems from mosquitos, heat and other weather conditions and adequate lighting.

Amado said he would contact WHRSD Facilities Director Ernest Sandland about the possibility of using the Hanson Middle School to ensure social distancing of hearing participants.

Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said she was “mystified” be the problem as Planner Deb Pettey had applied for a Zoom account that provides functionality to display documents on the screen.

“Planning just had a meeting last week using it,” FitzGerald-Kemmett. “It may be that people do not know how to use it … I understand there is a learning curve.”

She said she was also concerned about whether using the school facilities would incur COVID-related cleaning costs after the hearings.

“I like this plan, I just think that there’s another option, and it should be fully explored before incurring any costs to have meetings at the schools,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

Feodoroff said the Zoom purchase was news to her and that she has worked meetings that way, saying they work well. Amado had not heard about it, either.

Selectman Matt Dyer asked if the concerns Feodoroff raised about outdoor hearings applied to the town’s plan to hold its annual Town Meeting outside.

“There are actually no right answers,” she said. “I’ve been to two town meetings that were inside and, I have to say there were some hairy moments, because the town meetings are well-attended — better attended than in other years, for whatever reason.”

At one of those meetings, some people either refused to wear a mask or stay in mask-free areas, she said.

“I’m not opposed to an outdoor town meeting,” Feodoroff said. “I think it’s a better solution, although it does come with risks.”

She was discussing the matter with Town Moderator Sean Kealy

Hanson defeats Prop 2 1/2 override

By

An override question failed in Hanson and some new faces will join the W-H School Committee from both communities in the wake of a municipal election day that saw incumbents rule the day in most races.

Despite a coronavirus pandemic, Hanson polls were busy all day, according to Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan. As of about noon there had been some 500 voters walk in to cast ballots — roughly equivalent to the total number or people voting early or by absentee ballot. In Whitman, 1,067 — 10 percent — of the town’s 10,711 registered voters cast ballots.

“We are doing our best to keep everyone social distanced,” she said. “They’re doing a great job and our police officers are outstanding.”

The $800,000 Proposition 2 ½ override failed by a vote of 1,121 against to 712 in favor. Opponent Mark Vess argued there were three reasons for that result.

Vess said the override is now “dead in the water.”

“We’re in the middle of a coronavirus and people are not working,” Vess said. “Number two, this article was so unfair to the town of Hanson — completely unfair to the town of Hanson. Shame on Whitman for not getting their facts straight, because as we know, their numbers were wildly inaccurate and not following the correct legal pathway to post an article.”

Opponents of the article argue the School Committee did not have the necessary two-thirds vote to post the article in the first place.

Hanson write-in candidate Hillary Kniffen has been elected to the Whitman-Hanson School Committee with 428 votes with Deana Hill also received 49 votes.

“While it was a sad day for the students of Whitman-Hanson, I am excited to have the opportunity to be a part of brighter days ahead as a member of the Whitman- Hanson Regional School Committee,” she said, noting that failure of the override question.

In Whitman, School Committee incumbent Steven Bois was re-elected with 585 votes, while W-H graduate David Forth Jr. edged out incumbent Alexandria Taylor by 19 votes — 465 to 446. Candidate Randy Hill garnered 376 votes.

Hanson Selectmen Chairman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett was the top vote-getter with 1,365 votes to 1,116 for fellow incumbent Jim Hickey and 749 for challenger Paul Benenato.

“I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who voted,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “I’m extremely grateful that I earned your vote to serve on the Hanson Board of Selectmen for the next three years.”

She noted that, in the past year, our Board was faced with the sudden departure of our Town Administrator, COVID19 and the WHRSD assessment issue.

“It’s clear that our primary focus must be on resolving the school funding issue,” she said. “With school set to reopen in September, whether in-person or virtually, we have a lot of work to do in a very short period of time.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett said  the ongoing assessment issue with Whitman has created a divide that will be difficult to bridge. In addition, they must now contend with the costs for complying with the recent school reopening guidance issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the projected cuts to Chapter 70 money of 20 percent.

“But, this issue is not Hanson’s problem alone to solve nor is it the Hanson Board of Selectmen’s problem alone to solve,” she added. “Instead, solving this issue will require that the community of Hanson to work together to seek solutions. It will also require that Whitman, Whitman Hanson Regional School District, the Whitman Hanson Regional School Committee and Hanson all continue to work together towards an equitable compromise that will help heal the deep divide between Whitman and Hanson and ensure that our partnership is preserved with minimal collateral damage.”

Hickey also alluded to the work ahead.

“I have unfinished business,” Hickey said of his run as he held signs outside the polling place at Hanson Middle School. “I want to thank the people of Hanson for giving me the opportunity to serve three more years.”

In Whitman, Selectman Randy LaMattina was the top vote-getter on the board, with 736 votes. Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski garnered 591 and Finance Committee member Rosemary Connolly received 526 votes in her quest for a seat on the Select Board.

“It was an interesting day,” Kowalski said. “I’m thankful to be elected and happy for the people that voted for me.”

Kowalski said he was also happy to see LaMattina re-elected, as well as new people becoming involved in town politics.

“He’s proven to be a very hard-working and thoughtful selectman,” Kowalski said of LaMattina.

“I would like to thank the voters of Whitman for giving me the opportunity to serve three more years on the Board of Selectman,” LaMattina said.  “I am humbled by the overwhelming support I received this election.  Undoubtedly, it shows running a clean campaign pays off in the end.”

Kowalski said he was disappointed that the Hanson override failed, and expressed hope that Whitman’s Town Meeting July 27 voters take the advice of Selectmen and vote for the school budget, with the hope something similar happens in Hanson.

Also spending time at the polls for visibility ahead of their Sept. 1 primary election were state Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, and his challenger Moises Rodrigues.

“The most important thing is to be involved,” said Rodrigues, a former Brockton City Councilor who served as interim mayor after the death of Bill Carpenter. “Sitting around, doing nothing in hopes that something will miraculously happen isn’t working. We feel it’s time to do better in terms of getting more bang for the buck from Beacon Hill.”

Brady said he wanted to thank his supporters and remind them that the Sept. 1 primary is two months away.

“A lot of people didn’t even know I had an opponent this year,” Brady said. “I don’t take anything for granted.”

He touted legislation he is backing for mail-in voting from July 15 to mid-August, with the state paying for return postage. That is followed by early voting.

School Committee reviews 1/12 budget

By

The School Committee on Monday, June 29 discussed the current budget picture under a 1/12 budget.

Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak clarified that the 6-4 vote in December was to provide him and Assistant Superintendent George Ferro with a method of assessment to bring to the communities in February.

The schools began working within a 1/12 budget on Wednesday, July 1 — using fiscal ’21 cherry sheet numbers — puts the operating budget for Hanson, under the state-required statutory method, at $11,397,219.16 and for Whitman, it would be $14,259,517.84.

The Hanson’s overall assessment under a 1/12 budget, with $350,000 in excess and deficiency and another $700,000 in circuit breaker money, would be $11,156,979.16 and Whitman’s would be $13,899,757.84.

Using fiscal 2020 numbers, with no E&D funds, overall assessment under a 1/12 budget would be $11,374,413.46 and Whitman’s would be $14,392,243.54. If the commissioner allows the district to use E&D, circuit breaker and cherry sheet funds, Hanson’s would be $11,134,173.46 and Whitman’s would be $14,032,483.54.

The fiscal ’21 budget sent to the communities was $55,320,238 and the compromise assessment was $11,745,020.21 for Hanson and $16,206,216.79 — using E&D and circuit breaker funds.

Szymaniak still wants to use those numbers at town meetings.

“It was a non-binding vote,” Szymaniak said of the 6-4 vote. “The only binding vote can be a two-thirds majority of the … School Committee on the vote and the assessment methodology.”

He stressed that the 9-1 vote was not statutory and was not an agreement, it was an amendment to the agreement put forth in May to both communities for the fiscal 2021 budget. Both communities, in turn, have to approve the method of assessment at both town meetings.

Szymaniak said Christine Lynch of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) told him there was nothing illegal about that vote.

“It’s challenging to explain that,” he said. “But the only way a budget comes out of committee is two-thirds majority. This committee voted a two-thirds majority [for] the compromise, which was a combination of statutory and agreement, and you voted a budget. It was 9-1.”

Lynch confirmed that the committee did nothing wrong. Only 10 regional districts in the state are now using the agreement methods with DESE now requiring boards of selectmen to sign off on it when their towns approve it.

Given financial storm clouds they see on the horizon, committee members did not favor taking any more money out of excess and deficiency — which is needed for emergency expenses.

Business Manager John Tuffy said the commissioner of education will set a budget that represents an expenditure limit. It doesn’t tell what the funds can be spent on — just the total amount that can be spent based on the current fiscal 2020 budget.

Payroll adjustments will be needed because of the cost of salaries that won’t be met by the 1/12 budget, Szymaniak said. The law requires that, without a budget, all non-professional status teachers had to be sent a reduction in force letter until a budget is approved. The district sent out 117 RIF letters.

“We never said we were reducing 117 teachers,” said Committee Chairman Bob Hayes. “Hear me clearly, we never said that. We said we were reducing in force roughly 40 teachers and staff.”

“This wasn’t a bluff,” Szymaniak said. “That’s not a tactic I’m going to use.”

The disctrict has also been reduced in bond rating from a AA to AA- based on the low level of cash in excess and deficiency.

Szymaniak began his report to the committee by commenting on “vile” remarks about and photos of him posted on social media over the weekend.

“It’s First Amendment rights and I’m not going to tell people to not express themselves,” he said. “But I really wanted to thank the members of both communities who emailed me and Facebook messaged me [as] a show of support in the values and ethics that I put forward and the commitment that I have for the kids of both of these communities.”

Re-opening plans

The district is being asked by the state to formulate multiple re-opening plans — fully remote, a hybrid plan, full day with restrictions and home school. [See page 2].

The first day of school has been pushed back to Sept. 8 with teachers given a start date of Aug. 27 and 28 and three professional development days Sept. 1 to 3. Snow days will be used as remote learning days.

“Parent still aren’t sure of the difference between remote school and home school,” Szymaniak said.

To home school children, parents must submit a letter to the district asking permission to do so along with the curriculum they plan to use, while remote learning is the school’s teacher-driven distance learning program used this spring. Home-schooled children do not receive any school services.

Hybrid programs could, for example, bring students into school one week and teach remotely at home the next.

“It’s kind of nightmarish because we don’t know how many of our teachers are going to feel comfortable coming back to school to teach during COVID-19,” he said. “We don’t know how many students are going to be sent to school by their parents during this pandemic.”

Parents and teachers have been asked to complete a survey to glean that information. All plans must be submitted to DESE by mid-July.

Szymaniak said transportation arrangements are not yet decided.

“We don’t know how many of our staff are going to be returning,” he said. The prospect of laying off about two dozen teachers in the worst budget scenario “really challenges us.”

Measuring distances in actual classrooms, Szymaniak said it appears about 20 students can be fit into a high school classroom, but they have not yet done the elementary school. Class size — to be determined by the budget — will have an effect on that.

“We may not have enough staff,” he said. The district expected to hear the 1/12 budget number by June 30. A $250 per student stipend to cover PPE costs is also being worked on by the state. State Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Pembroke, is also working on funding of between $250,000 and $300,000 to beef up technology for remote learning.

Parents were asked to please return the survey to help make determinations on how the plans will be designed.

Szymaniak said the district is slowly working toward opening summer programs, but building use programs will not be allowed at the high school — except for district-run camps.

New faces

The W-H Regional School Committee welcomed its newest members, 19-year-old David Forth Jr., of Whitman, and Hillary Kniffen of Hanson — and congratulated returning incumbent member Steve Bois during the reorganizational meeting.

Szymaniak, presiding until a chairman was elected, also thanked Whitman’s Alexandria Taylor for her six years of service and Hanson’s Robert O’Brien Jr., for his nine years of work on the committee. Taylor was narrowly defeated in the Saturday, June 27 town elections and O’Brien opted not to seek re-election.

“It’s not an easy task, as those who have been here for many years know, but it is rewarding and you are here for the students,” Hayes said in his welcoming remarks to Kniffen and Forth.

“It’s great to see new faces on the committee,” Szymaniak said. “This is a great team to be on.”