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W-H’s triple threats

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The newly graduated Whitman Hanson class of 2019 is sending hundreds of motivated, bright students into their next stages of life’s adventure. For two families, that adventure has already included being part of a set of triplets.

The Express recently sat down separately with The Davis and Trongone triplets the first double set of triplets to graduate in the same year from Whitman-Hanson.

Ryan Trongone and his sisters Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ and Madison ‘Maddie’ of Whitman along with the Davis family of Hanson —Daniel ‘Dan’ and his sisters Ashley and Kathleen (not necessarily in birth order) celebrated graduation Friday, May 31. However they posed in birth order in their graduation photos.

Each of the triplets has unique personalities and are endlessly busy like average teens, but one thing they all agreed on was sitting and posing for photos needed to be in birth order. It may have been partially so their parents didn’t mix them up but both sets laughed about whether intentional or not they all approved it was a triplet thing.

Even though they are used to coming in a set they all articulated they were raised with self-sufficiently in mind and were encouraged by their parents to succeed independently of one another.

College prep: Ryan Trongone will dorm at Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he is most interested in the engineering program with a possible minor in computer science. He will be playing football there in the fall.

“I’m so excited,” he said.

It will be a tremendous change from living with his two sisters and having a mom who works from home. The transition is filled with emotions of anticipation and change.

“I feel it will be nice at first but then I will probably miss them,” said Ryan.

Maddie  and Gabby are both attending, but rooming separately, at Salve Regina College in Newport, R.I.  It will be a huge modification as they shared a bedroom through early high school.

Maddie is double majoring in teaching and special education. Gabby will be in pre-med and plans to also major in biology as part of the Pell Program.

The girls were surprised at first as neither knew the other was interested in the same school.

Currently they have similar shared groups of friends. They see this as helpful and supportive as they jointly form new freshman friendships.

Ashley Davis will be residing at The University of Mass at Boston and will be pursuing a nursing career.

Daniel is undeclared but is aiming towards working with numbers- his strong point.  Kathleen will pursue biologic-research in a lab setting among her long-term goals. They will commute to Bridgewater State University in the fall.

How do you feel about separating for colleges?

“It will be weird at first and I expect it to be a hard adjustment. I am not sure how I will feel, “said Ashley.

The Davis girls excelled at dance with Ashley also doing cheer for many years. They attend Manomet School of Dance — their aunt owns the studio where they have danced for 15 years.  Kathleen will remain as a student teacher. Having that performing connection has also been a strong bond for them.

Ryan is anticipating a good balanced taste of independence and being close enough to Hanson when he needs some home cooking and family time.

“I will be able to drive home but far enough that my mom can’t make my lunch every day,” he laughed.

They also sympathize with their mom having an empty nest. Being one of three means always having someone to talk to and having someone to hang out with the same goes for the parents having a full house as soon as the car pulls up in the driveway.

Sharing: Although most siblings do rival one another and quickly learn that nothing is just for YOU when you are one of multiples.  They all seemed to view sharing as a gift (most of the time) They are looking forward to a joint graduation party. Like all multiples they shared a birthday but their mom always got them their own favorite, special birthday cakes inviting friends and family to celebrate. Singing Happy Birthday three times may have been only when they were younger.

A positive for both families all the bathrooms will be freed up — enough said.

“Car sharing will be easier for us.” Daniel Davis said laughing.

The Davis girls still share a room and Daniel shares a room with his younger brother.

Both sets of triplets shared a classroom through middle school when teachers and classes began to rotate preparing for high school. The upside of sharing came in handy when forming friendships as most singletons understood their families automatically came as a group… it arranged friends for all of them.

The Trongones said they still distribute themselves amongst the same groups of friends and live close enough too many; even cousins who were as close as siblings to them.

The Davis’ travel in different social circles but their friends all get along with one another.

  Comfort:  Being one of three means always having someone to talk to and having someone to hang out with.

We never have to be by ourselves or if you had a nightmare there was always someone’s bed to jump in, said Maddie.

Fast facts

  Do triplets feel one another’s pain and finish one another’s sentences?

Yes and no. Both sets of girls answered at the same time, giggled and made similar statements as they reminisced with the Express.

They again answer in unison so the  Express would say ‘yes’ they finish one another’s sentences.

But the boys in both families disagreed with a ‘no’.

Healthiest eaters? The Davis girls playfully ganged up on the Daniel. Who was most likely to have Wendy’s or fast food in his hand.

“Yes. I am happy with a hamburger and fries. Kathleen loves apples, and Ashley’s favorite food is an avocado on toast,” he said.

Both sets of triplets played several sports with the Trongone’s achieving multiple awards and accolades for numerous sports throughout their high school careers.

Who is the smartest?  Although all three made National Honor Society …   Ryan Trongone was quick to claim the title.

“I’m the smartest. They (my sisters) might be mad at these answers,” he laughed.

Maddie is the most laid back with Gabby definitely the most outgoing, which was agreed by all three.

Favorite food? They all agreed that dad’s culinary skill and home cooking will be the hardest to leave with family time around the table.

The healthiest eater? Gabby!  But sister Maddie  demures.

“I think I am the healthiest eater, said Maddie,” but Gabby is definitely most motivated to exercise on her own. That was settled.

Most likely to be late: Gabby Trongone was given this title by her siblings.  She refuted the comments stating she has the ability to get up later and still be on time to both work and school.

“I am always on time … they think I am late,” said Gabby.

She also won the title of Senior Girl: Most Likely to Break – the – Ice in the yearbook citing her outgoing personality.

Roles: The Davis’ admitted as a group they feel they can be predictable, however, only to one another and their mother who has raised them with their younger brother Jeffrey, who is now 14.

The roles are distributed evenly Kathleen is the communicator and is the most organized.

Ashley has the most fun and humorous.  She called herself “light hearted.”

Where will you be in five years? Daniel foresees himself involved in a career using math — his strong suit

As a commuter next fall his plan to stay home and help his mom and brother. His goal is to save money while majoring in something he will love.  He has been doing flooring trade work with a neighbor and also works part time.

In five years a self-proclaimed city lover Ashley hopes to be working in a pediatrics program in a hospital setting.  She gained respect for and influence from the pediatricians and specialists who helped her younger brother who has a chronic illness. She feels that is a strong contributing factor in her career goals.

Kathleen would like to go into a graduate program and hopes to get her masters. She is an AP student in science and said she would encourage girls who excel in science.

“I have always wanted to look at microbiology and genetics programs.  As we see more job opportunities involving sciences opening up for both genders- if it is something they are interested in -they shouldn’t feel held back by that blockade that was there. It has been broken,” said Kathleen.

She felt her teachers encouraged her when she was younger and science was introduced to her in a positive way allowing her to stay interested and develop her strengths.

Who gets along the best?  Ryan said he gets along better with Madison because the two are both very laid back.

Daniel felt they all got along and appreciated one another as they matured. The Davis’ felt they got along better now than at any other stage in their life.

Most cherished moments? Ashley and Kathleen called their prom the most cherished memory in their lives.

Ryan said he will always cherish their senior prom after seeing his sisters all dressed up and having fun.

Gabby cherishes her family time and will miss being close with Cousin Mike who is like their second brother.

“We will miss getting together with our friends and our best friend Sammi Smith.  We all grew up together and right across the street. It will be different they (my siblings) are my best friends” added Maddie.

Gabby felt the best family times and memories in her childhood were spent in New Hampshire with her dad’s home cooking. Maddie’s most current, cherished memories are from a recent family trip to Florida in April.

“It was a great family vacation before college,” she said.

They enthusiastically agreed they will be making more memories together and independently in their next chapters of what life brings.

They all decided on one thing for sure that no matter where they are, or where they go in their adventures one thing will not change. . .

They will always come as an extraordinary set.

McCue faces OUI charge

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NORTH ATTLEBORO — Hanson Town Administrator Michael McCue, 52, has been placed on paid administrative leave by Selectmen pending an investigation following an alleged OUI crash in North Attleboro Wednesday, May 29.

Hanson Town Administrator Michael McCue, 52,

The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, June 4 voted to appoint the board’s Administrative Assistant Meredith Marini as interim town administrator, “until such time as she is no longer needed in that said role,” a post she has filled before. Marini was also authorized to sign off on auction papers following a scheduled property auction on Wednesday, June 12, which McCue had previously been authorized to sign.

Police and witnesses say the Mansfield resident was driving a Town of Hanson SUV May 29 when he turned left off Route 1 just before 5 p.m. onto Park Street and collided with a vehicle driven by a woman who told police she was 16-weeks pregnant.

She told police her vehicle’s airbags deployed and one struck her in the stomach. She was sitting on the ground and appeared to be upset, according to the report. She was transported to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro for treatment.

Two officers say in their reports that McCue smelled of alcohol, was being evasive toward them, and tried to keep his distance while avoiding eye contact. At one point he put paperwork in his mouth, they say to attempt to keep from breathing in their direction. They said McCue’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy and that he was unsteady on his feet.

After denying consuming any alcohol that day to an officer twice, McCue later admitted to drinking “a few beers at lunch.” According to a source, McCue was coming from a “Tree City USA” conference in Sturbridge. He would not say to police how he came to be in North Attleboro other than to say, “I live in Mansfield.”

McCue was not able to complete roadside sobriety tests to the satisfaction of police.

When he was asked to state the alphabet from the letter B to M, he “continued in groups of letters,” and did not stop at M, reciting the letters N, O, P and Q before stopping.

He later was asked to stand on one foot and was not able to do so. He asked for a second try, could not complete the task, and the officer then “stopped the test … for safety considerations.” McCue referenced a medical condition several times as a reason for not being able to complete the tests.

After failing the roadside sobriety tests, McCue was arrested and taken into custody.

He refused a breathalyze after being taken to the North Attleboro Police Department, resulting in an immediate license suspension, according to a police report and his driving record. He was charged with OUI-liquor (second offense), negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and failure to yield at an intersection.

Other than a 2016 accident, McCue has not had even a speeding ticket in 20 years, according to his driving record, although it is his second OUI offense. His first OUI occurred in 1995 and was continued without a finding in Wrentham District Court.

McCue was arraigned in Attleboro District Court Thursday morning by Judge Edmund C. Mathers. The case has been continued to June 28 for a pre-trial hearing.

The town-owned vehicle McCue was driving was towed to Reil Auto, a secure-lot in North Attleboro, and later to the Hanson Police Department. Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch said that the SUV is now at a body shop being repaired. The extent of the damage cannot be confirmed.

McCue has been Town Administrator since 2016, and succeeded Ron San Angello, the last contracted Town Administrator. Marini served as interim town administrator at that time.

McCue’s salary is currently $119,646 and his contract, which was extended last year, is set to expire in 2022. He can be disciplined or dismissed by the Board of Selectmen for just cause.

Hanson Selectmen became aware of the incident Wednesday night, and scheduled an emergency meeting for Thursday. At that meeting, which was attended by one member of the public, the board voted unanimously to put McCue on paid administrative leave following an investigation into “misconduct.”

The town did not respond to a request for a statement, although Hanson labor counsel Jaime Kenny said that it was a “personnel matter.”

The condition of the alleged victim and her unborn baby is unknown at this time.

McCue did not respond to repeated attempts for comment.

(Express Editor Tracy F. Seelye contributed to this report.)

Budget, online troubleshooting mulled

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HANSON — Selectmen discussed ways to organize discussions between them, Town Administrator Michael McCue, Whitman officials and the School Committee to better coordinate budget planning.

“As a board, we’re concerned and we don’t want to keep repeating that pattern,” Selectmen Chairman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said of “not necessarily productive” talks during the fiscal 2020 budget process.

“I think that we are going to need to have a conversation with the schools very, very soon in terms of that coordination but in terms of what they foresee their future to be and what their funding needs are,” McCue said. “The numbers we gave them this year is not sustainable going forward.”

The town is also mulling a Citizen Online Reporting System, similar to one already in place in Whitman, for residents to report problems such as potholes in need of repair.

“You could just go online and put that little report in there and it gets divvied out to the right person,” said FitzGerald-Kemmett.

McCue has reached out to Whitman officials, through the town’s IT director, to ask about how the system works there and will report back how the system works, cost and level of input sought under the program.

“The Whitman application seems to be pretty broad in terms of what you can send in,” McCue said. “I’m not necessarily saying the town of Hanson doesn’t want that, but I don’t want to just make that assumption.”

McCue said he doesn’t think there is much of a price difference based on the kind of input a program is open to, but he added a better understanding of cost and parameters is needed before Selectmen should be asked to make a decision.

“If you get too deep into, maybe, a complaint process — you don’t necessarily want that sort of stuff coming in anonymously,” McCue said.

Selectman Matt Dyer, who said he has a “little bit of experience with point-click-fix” applications through his job as a state employee in Brockton, working closely with that city’s DPW and other city officials, he said residents are required to log in to make reports.

“It’s not only to keep out comments and complaints, but it also allows municipal workers to get in touch with them and say, ‘I don’t see the problem here, can you give me more guidance,’” Dyer said. “It works really well and, I know  … not everyone but a good majority of them are very happy with the service.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett said that kind of feedback is helpful for the board to hear.

“It’s in keeping with one of the goals this board has set, which is better outreach, better access to our citizens … having more of that open dialog and open line and I thought, ‘what have we got to lose by looking at it,’” she said.

Lite Control property accepted

In other business, Selectmen also voted to accept the Lite Control property, and authorized FitzGerald-Kemmett to execute relevant documents in her capacity as chairman. A cell tower on the property would not translate into additional revenue for the town because it is under a 30-year lease under a one-check deal with Lite Control that did not include residual payments.

“We shall look at that property for potential revenue opportunities,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “The irony of this [signing] is not lost on me, the one person [on the board] who dissented against it,” she laughed. “I will do the job that I have been elected to do.”

Selectmen Jim Hickey said that consideration had been behind his request to delay the board reorganization.

Marijuana meeting

Selectmen discussed the lack of notice some residents felt was given to an informational meeting held by a recreational marijuana cultivation facility at Town Hall recently, which some felt was inadequate.

Board members noted the state only requires that proponents announce the session in a legal ad in the local paper, which the applicants did. McCue is also urging that another meeting be held at the Council on Aging as a way to get the message out better, as well as organizing a cable television program on it.

“We are helping to facilitate this process, but it is not our process,” McCue said. “These meetings are incumbent on the proponent, they’re no meetings that are being promoted by the Board of Selectmen or the town of Hanson.”

Man is killed by MBTA train in Hanson

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By Tracy F. Seelye, Express editor
editor@whitmanhansonexpress.com

HANSON — MBTA Transit Police said a man was struck and killed by a commuter rail train in Hanson early Wednesday morning by an in-bound train at the Hanson station.

The name of the person had not been released at press time. According to transit police, the victim was trespassing on the right of way near Main Street when he was struck.

“A male, age unknown at this time, while trespassing on the right of way in the vicinity of 1070 Main St., was struck by an inbound commuter rail train on the Kingston/Plymouth line,” Transit Police said in a statement. to Boston elevision stations “Foul play is NOT suspected.”

The incident happened at 5:30 a.m. near the Hanson Station on Main Street. Commuters already on the train were seen departing the train after 7 a.m. to be shuttled to other stations by transit buses.

Service on the Kingston/Plymouth line was delayed with inbound passengers from the Hanson station redirected to the Whitman station.

Officials from the Transit Police, Plymouth County BCI and Hanson Police and Fire responded to the scene.

MBTA officials did not make a statement at the scene, with press inquiries directed to Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan.

Hanson police shut down Route 27, which is near the tracks, from Elm to Phillips streets for the investigation. The road was closed for several hours. Regular service on the Kingston-Plymouth line did not resume until just before 9 a.m.

Local road traffic was redirected through Halifax via Elm Street for eastbound motorists out of Whitman and via Phillips Street for westbound traffic in Hanson.

Transit Police officials talk on Main Street in Hanson after a man was stuck and killed by a commuter train Wednesday morning

An MBTA commuter rail train was stopped on Main Street in Hanson for more than three hours after a man was struck and killed at the Hanson station

A Hanson Police officer escorts commuter rail passengers to waiting shuttle buses

Salute to nation’s fallen

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There have been 1.1 million U.S. military personnel killed in all American wars, including the ongoing Global War on Terror. Residents of Whitman and Hanson joined the nation in honoring those who gave that last full measure of devotion during parades and ceremonies Monday, May 27.

Whitman Girl Scouts carried posters bearing photos of that community’s war dead in the parade and, in Hanson, state Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, honored one of Hanson’s fallen during post-parade ceremonies at Fern Hill Cemetery.

“I’m standing here in what is known as the Unreturned Lot, which commemorates the lives of the 26 or 27 — we’re not exactly sure — Hanson men who were killed during the Civil War,” Cutler said, noting the 1.1 million who have fallen in all U.S. wars, such a huge number it almost becomes a statistic. “It’s hard to fathom that kind of loss. Memorial Day is an opportunity to narrow the gap between tragedy and statistic.”

Cutler did so by focusing on the loss of Tech. Sgt. Elmer R. Hammond, killed in action at the age of 21, in a B-17 on his 40th mission in the skies over WWII Europe.

He joined the U.S. Army in 1943 after the Navy and Marine Corps had turned him away because he was not an American citizen, Cutler related. Born in Nova Scotia in 1923, Hammond moved to Hanson with his family when he was 6. The Hanson American Legion Post bears his name.

“Tech. Sgt. Hammond was the first WWII soldier casualty from Hanson [and] he was laid to rest right here in Fern Hill Cemetery,” Cutler said. At the time of Elmer Hammond’s death, his younger brothers Sam and Gilbert were 9 and 7 years old.

“Sam later recalled that, ‘Elmer was a great guy who was brave, heroic and a guy I’d like to have as my back-up,’” Cutler said. “Sgt. Hammond is just one of the many heroes our town, our Commonwealth, and our nation have lost in war time. Today, I urge you to keep the memories of these men and women alive.”

Whitman’s Memorial Day Observances kicked off with morning wreath laying ceremonies in celebration of the 151st year honoring those who have honored their country at the cost of their lives.

Selectman Dan Salvucci addressed parade goers, citing one of his favorite local events honoring Memorial Day.

“We remember:  an event at Duval School where the kids commit to memory their relatives who have passed away and have given their all to serve to keep our country safe,” he said.

He thanked all who carried flags to honor those who passed. He shared a small narrative about honoring his late father in- law, a veteran, by carrying a flag in the parade something that he keeps close to his heart.

State Rep. Alyson Sullivan, R-Abington, thanked Pack 22 whose members had placed countless flags in honor of those fallen but not forgotten around multiple locations in Whitman.

She spoke of the sacred motivations behind celebrating Memorial Day and honoring those who have given their lives and also those who have returned as veterans some who suffer in silence with PSTD.

“Each and every war from the birth of our nation to our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has come at great cost,” Sullivan said. “As we do each year on this special day of reflection we gather, we pause we pray, we remember the heroes who served and made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy these treasured gifts. … Today it’s our duty to and the duty of our grateful nation to remember and honor those who served and sacrificed.”

Three of Pack 22 scouts wrapped up the Town Hall services with a reading of prayer, moving on to lay wreaths in the WW I Memorial Arch, Colebrook Cemetery, the Town Park flag pole, Civil War Soldiers Monument and Veterans Monument all Wars -among the early morning honors several other memorials were paid tribute. The warm weather brought crowds in droves as they lined the South Avenue in front of the Town Hall and Post office.

“I really appreciate all the community support,” Hanson Veterans Agent Timothy White said during ceremonies at Indian Head School before the town’s parade stepped off.  “It’s very much appreciated.”

School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes handed a folded American flag to Scouts who raised it on the school’s flagpole to full-staff, before lowering it to half-staff for the observance before Hanson Middle School student Noah Roberts read Gov. Charlie Baker’s Memorial Day Proclamation.

Janet Hamilton, a U.S. Sanitary Commission re-enactor with the U.S. 22nd Vols., out of Rockland, was escorted by Selectman Jim Hickey in placing a wreath at the war memorial at the school. Hamilton, of Taunton, was dressed in Civil War-era mourning dress and veil to represent all widows of war dead. She was escorted by Selectmen Kenny Mitchell and Wes Blauss for a wreath laying at the town’s Civil War monument on Town Hall Green and by Selectmen Laura FitzGerald-Kemmet and Matt Dyer at the Unreturned Memorial at Fern Hill Cemetery.

The Mass. 22nd Vols. Fired a ceremonial rifle salute at each wreath-laying ceremony and members of the Hanson Middle School band played “Taps.”

“Let peace prevail among all the nations,” the Rev. Peter Smith of Hanson Congregational Church said in his prayer opening the day’s events.

Roberts recited the Gettysburg Address at Fern Hill and the Rev. Michael Hobson of St. Joseph the Worker Church closed with a prayer for blessings on the fallen and for their families’ peace of heart and mind.

Justin Evans wins big in Whitman

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Whitman voters signaled they are ready for youthful change tempered with experience, as they elected 29-year-old Justin Evans, and re-elected incumbent Brian Bezanson, to the Board of Selectmen Saturday, May 18.

The debt exclusion question passed 746 to 522. More than 1,400 Whitman voters — 13.65-percent of the town’s 10,420 eligible voters — cast ballots in the Town Election.

In Hanson, where there were no contested races on the ballot, and some offices had no listed candidates, turnout was extremely light, with only 228 registered voters casting ballots Saturday.

Evans, a member of Whitman’s Finance Committee who had been campaigning hard both door-to-door and on social media since January, was the runaway top vote-getter in the race for Selectman, receiving more than 200 votes in all four precincts — for a total of 1,024 votes.

“I think it’s a direct result of that,” Evans said of his campaigning, saying he got the feeling people were craving change.

He garnered 266 votes in Precinct 1; 248 in Precinct 2; 253 in Precinct 3 and 255 in Precinct 4. Bezanson received 604 votes — 158 in Precinct 1; 157 in Precinct 2; 155 in Precinct 3 and 132 in Precinct 4.

“It’s a crazy-good feeling,” Evans told reporters after the votes were announced by Town Clerk Dawn Varley. “I had never run for anything before, not student council — nothing. To have the confidence of voters really means a lot.”

Finance Committee member Chris DiOrio finished in third place, receiving 453 votes — 110 in Precinct 1; 114 in Precinct 2; 117 in Precinct 3 and 109 in Precinct 4. Incumbent Selectman Scott Lambiase received 434 votes — 133 in Precinct 1; 101 in Precinct 2; 96 in Precinct 3 and 104 in Precinct 4.

“Justin ran a tremendous race and I think the numbers bear it out,” DiOrio said of the four-way race for two seats on the Select Board. “I think [the vote margin] speaks volumes about his campaign and what he did. … I think the change in composition will do the board well.”

Evans pointed to a wish by voters to see new faces serving on the Board of Selectmen for his ballot-topping win. He expressed gratitude to the voters for passing the debt exclusion as well, as it helps free up funds for police, DPW and school department vehicles as well as badly-needed road repairs.

Evans wants to see some new approaches to zoning, especially with an eye toward development around the MBTA station.

“I’m happy for the debt exclusion,” said Finance Committee member Chris DiOrio, who fell short in his race for Selectman, arguing that a Proposition 2 ½ override probably should have been sought first. “I hope that we’ll be able to use it correctly.”

Bezanson, who had expressed cautious optimism about his chances earlier in the afternoon, said he was not completely surprised at the outcome.

“Mr. Evans ran an incredible race,” Bezanson said. “He did the leg-work, because he was out there. … I’m thrilled to be back on the board.”

The next step for the town is to complete Town Meeting, adjourned until June 17 after the face of the debt exclusion on Saturday’s ballot was clear.

“This vote with the debt exclusion helps that, and then we have to start preparations for a possible fall Town Meeting,” Bezanson said. “I’m very happy that it passed. I’m not one for raising taxes, but this was the right time for the right reasons.”

Earlier in the day, DiOrio indicated he would look on a third-place finish with a degree of satisfaction, but he also said elections should be about issues and expressed bitter disappointment that that was not always the case in this election.

“I would have gladly engaged any candidate on the issues here, but frankly, it wasn’t allowed to happen,” he said, noting that the range of votes cast for himself, Bezanson and Lambiase was indicative of uncertainty on the part of voters.

“I think the [decision] on the second spot was hard for people to make,” DiOrio said. “I think there might have been a little bit of a turn over the last two weeks. People may have been going back and forth about what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go.”

A relative newcomer in town, DiOrio said his finish could be viewed positively and he has not yet decided whether he will seek elective office again.

“I’m not from this town, but I am for this town, and that’s why I stood up and ran,” he said. “Perhaps it gives me a foundation for the future.”

“I think they were looking for some change, but, yet, they wanted stability, so I was thinking Evans — where he’s got some new ideas — and Brian — where he’s got some stability — I think that’s how it went,” said Selectmen Vice Chairman Dan Salvucci, who backed Bezanson in the race.

The remaining races on the Whitman ballot were uncontested. For School committee in Whitman, — with two seats being filled — incumbent Dan Cullity received 875 votes and newcomer Dawn Byers garnered 1,036 votes. Incumbent Carol O’Brien received 1,115 votes as assessor. The two DPW Commissioner seats went to incumbent Kevin Cleary, with 986 votes and Bruce Varley with 965 votes. Incumbents Roberta Ellis-Drews, with 1,019 votes, and Lauren Kelley was elected with 1,111 votes, were re-elected to the Board of Library Trustees.

Katherine A. Kelleher was re-elected to the Housing Authority wit 1,043 votes. A one-year seat on the Planning Board went to Adam Somerville, who received 1,091 votes and a two-year seat went to Elaine Bergeron with 1,098 votes. Eric Joubert was re-elected to the Board of Health with 1,086 votes.

Hanson officials receiving votes to return to office were: Moderator Sean Kealy — 204; Selectman Kenneth Mitchell — 197; Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan — 215; Cemetery Commissioner Kelly Woerdman — 180; Planning Board member Don Ellis — 175; Housing Authority member Teresa Santalucia — 200;  Tree Warden Davis Hanlon — 192; Public Library Trustee (vote two) Dianna McDevitt — 192 — and Pamela Fager — 153; W-H School Committee members (vote two) Christopher Howard — 189 — and Michael Jones — 190; Water Commissioners (vote two) Donald Howard — 191 — and Gilbert Amado — 186. Scattered write-in votes were cast for a four-year seat on the Housing Authority, the Board of Health and assessor — races for which no candidate took out papers.

Donnie’s on the road again

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WHITMAN — Not long ago, if you had asked Donnie Westhaver of Whitman what he would be doing in two years, driving a motorcycle would probably not be what you would have expected to hear.

Westhaver has been confined to a wheelchair after suffering devastating complications from spinal fusion surgery just two years ago. He now lives as a quadriplegic only recently gaining hand and arm strength with braces and grueling, twice weekly physical therapy.

Living in a wheelchair and the life altering circumstances does not define him, however. He has made his life mission and purpose about serving and helping others.

He admits that he struggles with having to rely on helpers to transport him to appointments although he has a handicap assessable van he is unable to operate it independently, yet. One day he hopes to have the arm strength to operate independently.  For now he gratefully relies on friends and family to take him out, he said.

Recently he began researching the Marine Mobility Conquest Trike, a handicapped assessable customizable trike that allows a wheel chair to fit compatibly and stably on a platform inside a motorized compartment. It was a limited product no longer being manufactured and Westhaver thought the chances were slim that he would cross paths with the bike.

But, as fate would have it, he received a call from his cousin in Texas who had seen the exact trike on EBAY. They tracked it down made a bid and the rest is history.

He has received encouragement from his family to gain some independence and a sense of freedom again.

The last few years have been emotional after losing his wife Susan from lung cancer. They were married for over 40 years. Having so many changes in a short period of time has not been easy, he said.

He sold his trailer and boat to free up funds for the trike.

“My family agreed that it was best to sell them now in order to be able to use something that would give me mobility to get around,” said Westhaver.

His attitude is infectious and giving back to the community re-energizes him. He has co-organized the Whitman Area Toy Drive for over a decade providing hundreds of families in need with toys, gift cards and food during the holiday. He also served as president of the VFW men’s auxiliary and is a past commander of the Whitman Sons of the American Legion. He helps and stays involved with other groups as well. He is the retired superintendent of the Whitman DPW, and a founder of Whitman Wheels for disabled Veterans and Citizens which provides medical mobility equipment to those that cannot afford the items due to lack of insurance or monetary reasons.

When the trike arrived it was comparable to Christmas morning.

The most incredible part of the mobility trike when it arrived was the 3-D artwork from front to back, he said.

“Seeing the photos online really did not do it justice,” said Westhaver.

As he poured over the artwork he wondered more about the drawings and what they meant. He reached out to the artist John Steven St. Clair of Florida the former owner of Metal Mafia Custom Painting in Orlando. He spoke several times with Westhaver explaining why the photos depicted on the moving mural meant so much to his customer and friend Mike. (Since the Express could not reach out to his family they are identifying him only by his first name.)

St. Clair relayed the stories of each piece of art to Westhaver. One of the most impressionable sections of the trike is a row of four faces all  Mike’s fallen military comrades — tributes to Pfc. Jay S. Cajimat,  Sgt. Andrew R. Looney,  Cpl. Durrell Bennett and Sgt. William Wayne Crow whose deaths were all related to their services oversees following  9-11 said St. Clair as he was told.

Westhaver has poured over the surface, which are emblazoned with emotional depictions undoubtedly a mix of memories and nightmares as Mike suffered from severe PTSD and took his own life several years ago.

On the day he spoke with the Express, Westhaver’s registration plate arrived via Gail Varraso of O’Rourke’s Insurance in Whitman. She was as happy as Westhaver who beamed from ear to ear as he held the numbered tag that would allow him a taste of the open road riding Mike’s trike. The freedom allotted to Westhaver has somehow been restored even in the smallest of amounts as he prepares to drive again.

Hanson housing plan OK’d

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HANSON — Selectmen and the Planning Board voted, in a joint meeting on Tuesday, May 21, to approve a Housing Production Plan aimed at increasing the availability of affordable housing in town.

The Board of Selectmen also approved a grant application to fund an electric vehicle charging station at Town Hall.

Town Planner Deborah Pettey and consultant Judi Barrett with Barrett Planning Group LLC of Plymouth and Thomas Thibeault, executive director of the Hanson Housing Authority met with Selectmen to review what the Housing Production Plan would mean for the town.

“We all have some responsibility in talking to the public about what housing need means,” said Barrett. “There are seniors in this community who are really poor, who are barely holding on to the homes that they have. You have single parents in this community who grew up here, who are barely holding on to what they have. … It’s your community, it’s a nice town, so help your neighbors.”

Selectman Matt Dyer had asked how low income housing is actually defined in light of the stigma attached to the phrase, as well as what the town should look into for investing new funds resulting from the program. Pettey said an affordable housing trust is an option as well as investment in infrastructure.

The median income for Hanson is about $98,000 — with affordable housing income guidelines at 80 percent of median, that puts Hanson at about $65,000 per year for a family of four in this region.

Barrett explained that the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development adopted a regulation several years ago urging towns to create such a plan, with the incentive that such plans could earn towns a break from requirements that they approve Chapter 40B comprehensive permits.

“If you have a plan and you’re producing new, affordable housing, you become eligible for the ability to take a break,” Barrett said. “It could be very helpful to you, especially if you’re going to start seeing more comprehensive apartment activity in your community, it might be nice to have a plan that communicates to land owners and developers that this is what the town would like to see and to get credit for production that might keep something you don’t want away.”

The plan includes a housing needs assessment, including demographic and economic growth information; Chapter 40B information, a state law that establishes a regional fair-share standard designating 10-percent of a town’s housing stock as low or moderate income; and implementation strategies.

“The Housing Production Plan says if you’re working toward that 10 percent and you’re doing it in a fairly systematic way — in your case, are you creating at least 18 new units a year of low to moderate income housing — then you get some credit for that, which might mean you get a break from having to deal with a lot of comprehensive permit activity,” Barrett said. The plan is intended to ask the community, which is predominantly single-family homes, what type of housing it would be willing to consider in order to create low income housing and where it should be located.

Hanson’s affordable housing stock runs at about 4 percent, which is not unusual for a small town, according to Barrett.

Now that the two local boards have approved the Housing Production Plan, the state will consider approval. The plan also includes a provision that, should 40B development increase school costs above taxes generated by that development, the town would be eligible for additional aid to the schools, according to Barrett. While not every town receives it, that brings in $350,000 per year for the town of Lakeville and $100,000 in Lunenburg.

Housing Authority member Teresa Santalucia said several groups in town also back the Housing Production Plan, including the CPC and Housing Authority.

Charging station

Pettey also reported to Selectmen that a grant from National Grid, which is almost automatically approved, would provide the town $25,000 for the installation of two charging stations for electric vehicles. The stations would be located on the upper parking lot at Town Hall.

“It’s a rebate,” Pettey said. “The town would get reimbursed for it.”

There will be four plugs, two on each station. The town can charge $1 per hour to people seeking to charge hybrid or electric cars there. A fund would be set up, into which  to funnel the charging revenue, for the payment of network fees.

Dyer said Green Hanson members are “ecstatic” about the plan.

“If we can lead the way and have that, it would be great. It sends a good message,” said FitzGerald-Kemmett, who added that she is considering purchasing an electric car.

Town Administrator Michael McCue said the Green Communities program is also moving toward electric vehicles for town-owned purchases they support.

Selectmen also approved a bylaw last year requiring the town to replace most of its vehicles with electric vehicles going forward.

Planning Board member Joe Campbell said cellphone apps can be set up to ping the location of the charging station for motorists seeking one.

“It’ll become pretty popular, if it’s PR’d the right way over these apps that they have out there,” he said.

WFD’s Feeney set to retire

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WHITMAN — When Deputy Fire Chief Joe Feeney retires from Whitman Fire on July 7, his final shift will mark the end of a 32-year career with the department.

Appointed to the department by former Chief Timothy Travers in June 1987, rising through the ranks to be appointed as deputy chief in 1999, Feeney got his start in firefighting while he was a member of the merchant marine.

“Joe is a great asset to our department and to our operations,” Fire Chief Timothy Grenno told the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, May 14. “His retirement is going to leave a large void, which will not only be felt by me, but all the members of our department. Joe has been an outstanding firefighter and deputy fire chief.”

A retirement party is planned for June 22 at the Whitman VFW pavilion, with tickets available at the fire station.

Feeney is a person who tries to avoid that kind of fuss, but he’s going to get one, anyway.

“[After] 32 years in, I think enough’s enough,” he said while sitting in the dispatch room on a recent 24-hour shift, but he always liked the job. “Most days are like the best day on the job. I always like the people I’ve worked with — every guy here is great and it feels like you’re playing for a winning team.”

He said relaxation is not a specific retirement plan.

“This is relaxed right now,” he said of downtime between calls. “I have a couple of things I’m working on.”

If Feeney is reticent about his résumé, his superior officers have been just as effusive.

“It’s going to be hard shoes to fill,” Grenno said of Feeney’s departure. “He’s done some tremendous things and his knowledge, his sense of humor, his wit is going to be sorely missed by all of us.”

Lt. Al Cunningham, who tops the civil service list will succeed Feeney as deputy chief, according to Grenno. Cunningham and Feeney are working together on Tuesday inspection rounds.

“Joe’s had some of the more significant fires that we’ve had in town,” Grenno said. “[He] has seen his share of grief and terror and he has seen his share of happiness around here with births in the field.”

He was the shift officer for the Commercial Street fire last winter, as well as a fire that had broken out a month before the new high school opened as well as “some of the more tragic events in town” including fatal car crashes.

For Grenno, knowing when Feeney is on shift means he can relax when he is off duty.

Feeney did not come from a family of firefighters, and describes his career path as something akin to a beneficial accident.

“In that profession, everyone had to learn firefighting,” Feeney said of his stint as a merchant marine, and he received that training while a cadet at the Mass. Maritime Academy. “I never thought that much about it, although I had been in a couple of ship-board fires and we just did our job like we were trained — it didn’t seem like a big deal.”

He was working in the field for three years after graduating and was looking for a steadier paycheck because the merchant marines offered sporadic employment. Someone suggested he take the fire exam and he thought that sounded like a good idea.

“My ultimate goal, believe it or not, was to get on the Boston [FD] fire boat, which might be one of the most boring jobs in the world, if you ask the guys who work up there,” he recalled. “But it looks cool.”

After taking the fire exam, he was called by Whitman, where he lived at the time. A native of Brockton, Feeney’s parents had moved to Whitman when he was in college.

“Tim Grenno’s father called me in and I signed for him,” Feeney said. The elder Grenno was retiring and he wanted the incoming Chief Travers to meet with Feeney. Travers sent Feeney to the Mass. Fire Academy after hiring him on and, by the time he had a spot at the academy, Feeney had been working for the department for almost a year.

“He was the first firefighter that I hired,” Travers recalled. “Joe was very well educated and [he] came in on the job with a bachelor’s degree and, in those days not too many firefighters had advanced degrees. I was impressed by that.”

Feeney and Robert Holver were the first two Whitman firefighters to go through the Mass. Fire Academy, where local academies had been used before that time.

He topped the lieutenant’s test after about 10 years, went to grad school for a master’s degree in fire science from the University of New Haven — the first Whitman firefighter to hold an advanced degree, Travers said — and attended the National Fire Academy where he was certified as an executive fire officer as well as obtaining local chief officer certification from the state academy. He holds about a dozen other certifications in fire prevention and inspections.

He then topped the deputy chief’s exam, a rank he has held in Whitman for 20 years.

“He’s a no-nonsense type of guy,” Travers said. “He didn’t get wrapped up in the politics in the fire department. Joe stayed on his own, did his own thing, did his job, and did it well.”

Travers said that after his retirement, Feeney probably could have had the fire chief’s job if he wanted it.

“I’m quite sure he didn’t want it,” he said.

Over his career in firefighting, Feeney has seen big changes in emergency medical services (EMS), which comprise two-thirds of emergency calls into the department these days. Different construction types now in use also present challenges as builders use lighter, cheaper materials, he said.

“They seem to behave poorly during a fire,” Feeney said, noting some of the materials also present health concerns for firefighters. “Some of the glues, some of the materials, the furnishings, are giving off bad chemicals that end up on us or in us — even with good equipment on.”

He echoed Grenno’s concern about cancer prevention.

“There’s a lot of cancer awareness in our job, more on restricting where in the station you can go with turnout gear that’s been exposed to smoke and fire,” Feeney said. “We keep it all basically in the apparatus floor or in the wash area.”

Responses to drug overdoses and mental illness issues are also more numerous today.

“I think, when I first started, we went to one heroin overdose a year and now we go to one a week — maybe more,” Feeney said.

“We meet people at their worst, sometimes it’s the worst day of their life,” Feeney said. “So you have to be kind of thick-skinned and don’t take it with you. … When you take the job, you know that’s going to happen and as long as you’re mentally prepared …”

Modernizing the public library

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HANSON — Library Director Karen Stolfer and consultant Ruth Kowal, who has more than 40 years’ experience in both small and large public libraries, presented an informational program on the library’s future at the beginning of the Monday, May 6 Town Meeting. Kowal has also served as the director of administration and finance at the Boston Public Library and was director of the Plymouth Public Library for seven years.

Speaking on behalf of the Library Trustees, Kowal spoke of the library’s future planning effort over the past year. The strategic plan is available for review on the library’s website and paper copies are available.

A public presentation on the library building program will take place at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 16 in the Hanson Public Library.

“I grew up when libraries had books, maybe some LPs — I guess they’re called vinyl recordings now — everyone was expected to be very quiet, if you spoke at all,” Kowal said. “You took what you wanted to use home, unless it was a reference book that you were going to use and … it had to be used in the library. Things are very different in libraries now.” Kowal noted that libraries, and how they are now used, reflect the “big changes in our culture and society,” and what the public expects.

“You are fortunate to have a Board of Trustees for the Hanson Public Library, and a library director, who are looking forward and are really looking out for the interests of the citizens of this town and want to ensure that you have excellent library service here,” she said.

Kowal outlined the public survey, focus groups, staff interviews, public “flip chart” sessions and conversations with key stakeholders that have taken place since the trustees contracted with her in January 2018. The state hasbeen assisting with financing that phase of the project. The public was asked how current services could be improved, what additions or changes the public would like to see and how patrons envision the li- brary in five to 10 years.

People still want to be able to borrow books, DVDs and CDs, either by traditional means or digitally, Kowal said. But the number one item on the survey was a request for more programs and classes for all ages. Friendly and knowledgeable staff able to assist with research, technology use or to just recommend a “good read,” was also mentioned, as well as access to computers, printers, internet access and other technology. Delivery of library materials to homebound residents was also a high priority, as well as expanded partnerships with community organizations and schools were also mentioned as well as expanded hours in a comfortable and welcoming building.

A strategic plan and building program is being developed based on areas in which the public saw a need for improvement. The second phase of the project has focused on the building program.

During the flexible hours they seek, the public wants to be able to be comfortable in spaces and furnishings that can be moved around. Expanded program areas including large and smaller meeting rooms were requested as well as a “contemporary and adaptable power and infrastructure system,” that is more outlets for devices patrons may bring in. ADA compliance and accessibility in an environmen- tally efficient building with strong WiFi capacity along with public access to meeting rooms when the library is closed were also requested.

“The Hanson Public Library is a very attractive building, architecturally, it’s in a great location, but it’s too small to do what people want it to do,” Kowal said. Options for the future include an extensive renovation and expansion to double the space from 8,195 square feet to just under 16,000 or to build a new library in a new location — with the Maquan School and former Plymouth County Hospital sites mentioned. The Senior Center, facing similar space concerns, is also in the midst of a planning process.

Kowal said next steps for the library project would include work with town and state officials on a possible timeline, hiring and architectural firm funded by the Mass.

Board of Library Commissioners and determining a desirable site for a future building as well as a funding plan.

When a grant was applied for to construct the current building, it was denied, so no state grant money was used to construct this building because libraries are required to look out at least 20 years for construction projects.

“The Review Committee felt that the needs assessment was very well done,” read a comment from the committee that reviewed Hanson’s construction grant application at that time. “However, it felt that that library ought to plan and design a new building for the population that is being projected. This library is not planned for 20 years.”

“The Children’s area is not large enough,” said another.

Town Administrator Michael McCue, speaking about a special Town Meeting article funding potential demolition of the Maquan School “when it may make sense.”

A previous consideration for razing only a portion of the building, leaving the gym and cafeterias intact for community use fell victim to consideration of liability and ADA access compliance, said Selectmen Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett, who chairs the Maquan Reuse Committee.

McCue assured voters, while questioning the future of the building during discussion of yet another special Town Meeting article — on repair- ing the senior center floor – that there are no plans to tear the library/senior center building down.