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Scholarship ride honors TJ Penney

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WHITMAN — The vibration of engines pulsated through the feet of spectators as they waved on the bikers that were participating in the Thomas “TJ” Penney scholarship memorial ride Saturday, July 27.

Friends and family assembled at the Whitman VFW to celebrate the life of a Hanson resident whose passion for motorcycles was endless.

Penney was only 22, when he was killed in May 2017 in a single motorcycle crash on Elm Street near the Hanson/ Halifax line. He was also due to graduate from Wentworth Institute of Technology with a degree in Mechanical Engineering that same spring.

He was a young man with great aptitude for repairing and rebuilding cars and loved riding in the open air. TJ restored the Chevy Impala that his brother now drives — just one of the countless projects that demonstrated his affection and talent for mechanics and his ability to “magically fix” just about anything, a point echoed by all who attended the ride.

“If it was broken, he could fix it,” said his brother Joshua.

TJ was a graduate of SST in the metal fabrication shop program.

The pack headed down South Avenue for the one-hour ride as the sounds of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s classic, “Against the Wind” fused with the hum of throttles.

Joshua and his mom Sue Penney rode in the Chevy Impala as the sunlight danced off the chrome of the bikes as if to lead the way for them.

TJ had a penny tattoo on his arm, and his friend Eric Williams had a similar special bond with him. He got the same tattoo on his inner forearm so the memory of his dear friend stays close to him. The themed tables and centerpieces were decorated with tiny motorcycles and pennies made of crepe paper in his honor.

Michael Tompkinson, a neighbor and babysitter for TJ when he was young, described TJ as smart, highly intelligent, unique and positive about life.

Sue Penney greeted friends who embraced her. She wore a T-shirt with graphics of two riders on motorcycles one that represented her son who had a halo of smoke above the helmet. Along with raffle tickets, the T-shirts were also for sale to benefit the scholarship.

He was the best kid in the world, genuine, a big heart, she said as she described her late son. She rode in the Impala with her son Joshua at the wheel. They were the last riders in the procession of bikers. She gave thumbs up over the music and they rode away.

After the ride family and friends gathered to share food, raffles and friendship along with the memory of a young man that was loved by so many.

‘It was … meant to be’

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HANSON — It happened when they were on an errand to buy their daughter a dress in January 2018. Christine and James Guindon found something else that caught their eye that day — the former East Washington Street School in Hanson, which had stood empty and unused for nearly 20 years.

For a couple searching for a location in which to expand an early childhood education business, it was just about what they were looking for, and about a year later workmen began renovation.

Buzz around town began soon thereafter.

“I think it’s been a source of curiosity for a lot of people,” Christine said of the reaction to the activity surrounding the building since the Guindons bought the former elementary school at 195 East Washington St.

“Everybody drives by,” James agreed.

Christine is the owner/director of The Learning Well Early Child Education Center at 91 Copeland St., in West Bridgewater and James is a roofer who also does slate and copper work. They had transformed a former church — in a renovated farm building — into The Learning Well and were looking to expand because waiting lists for the school were becoming longer.

The Hanson location already has a waiting list for infants. Christine Guindon said the aim is to have the main floor ready for inspection and, ultimately, opening in November while James continues finish work on the basement level.

“I just really want the town to be proud of it,” she said. “I want it to be a really neat part of the community, and I want people in the community and the surrounding towns to come and enjoy the programs and to utilize it because it’s so unique.”

She opened the West Bridgewater facility in 2016 after she had run a day care out of her home for 10 years, while her children were small and finding available day care had proven difficult for her.

“It’s an important part of a family nowadays, they’re looking for a place where their children will be safe,”

The Learning Well offers a year-round program serving 60 children in 45 families. On a visit to the West Bridgewater School on Friday, Aug. 2, preschoolers were learning about Oktoberfest and other cultural traditions during a unit on Germany as hand-painted German Flags were strung along one end of the class. Younger students in another class were finishing a unit on France before moving on to Italy.

The Guindons had never been to Hanson before that fateful shopping trip, James said, but both had the same reaction to seeing the building — it was perfect for their plans.

“It had been sitting and all the paint from the ceiling was on the floor,” Christine noted. “You really had to see past the bad condition it was in.”

Their two sons have been working on the renovation and her three daughters are teachers at the West Bridgewater location.

“We have a vision for here,” Christine said, noting she would be able to offer two classrooms for each age group she serves in Hanson, compared with the one for each possible in West Bridgewater.

The Hanson neighbors were happy to hear of their plans, Christine said, and they turned out to support the project at public hearings before zoning officials.

A handicapped ramp will be added on one side of the building, and special-order windows to replace the original windows will be installed — but they had to be reordered when the wrong size was initially delivered.

“We have viewing windows [in the hallways], because I am a firm believer that parents, families and people who are touring can see our programs,” Christine said.

The main floor will be divided by age groups with infants to age 2.9 in four different classrooms and preschoolers in a larger class in the basement, along with a gross motor skills/indoor play area and large bathrooms. Classrooms on the main floor also have bathrooms.

“If you’re not in the field you don’t really understand what goes into making a program that fits all ages,” she said. “I surround myself with great people who know what they are talking about, who have taught me so many things.”

Christine said the financial investment has been “much more than anticipated,” mainly due to abatement, removal of oil tanks in the basement, and installation of drainage and a new five-foot thick cement floor in the basement as well as the handicapped ramp and a wheelchair lift.

“I think it was something meant for us,” James said. “I think history in towns is getting lost. You can go through every single town and see buildings being taken down.”

While this school is not historic, he noted the architectural details such as the huge windows are not common these days.

“When we started this program, the biggest thing to me was trying to keep local people involved in it,” James said. “I thought it was important that the towns around it actually did the work.”

Jeff Shaw, “an excellent site man who didn’t kill me on costs” is a local businessman.

“I hope that the community or the town will want to maybe use this space,” she said, noting the basement room would be good for dance or karate classes — or even birthday parties for children who attend the day care.

James took five months to plan the project and gave priority to Hanson companies for subcontracting work on the school.

“The biggest challenge is the one in front of you,” he said, noting that the project’s standing costs for construction are on-target, but other “soft” cost, such as replacing bricks at the back of the school, were unexpected.

He has done a lot of restoration work, including the roof of the Tremont Street Church in Boston — which had been sold and converted to condos — as well as the Mt. Auburn Street Church in Arlington.

Several people they know, from business contacts to family members had passed the school building in the past, but he and Christine had never been to Hanson.

He also noted that a neighbor on one side of the school used to play football with him at Plymouth State — and they hadn’t seen each other since high school. Another man, now living in Washington, D.C., came to visit the building because he had gone to school there and was revisiting his former hometown.

Hanson cell tower advances

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By Drew Sullivan
Express intern

HANSON — The Zoning Board of Appeals discuss a proposed cell tower behind Hanson Middle School during a joint meeting with Selectmen on Tuesday, Aug. 8.

Representatives of Verizon, including an engineer, attorney, and acoustic scientist were on hand to field any questions from the board and the public. The board received a handout of the proposed plan itself, as Verizon attorney Mike Giaimo went into greater detail.

The tower would be 150 feet tall, and would help with a cellular coverage gap in North Hanson said Giaimo, noting that carrier T-Mobile has also shown interest. This single tower would be able to provide space for up to four cell phone carriers.

Building Inspector Robert Curran was not present at the meeting but passed on a message stating that while he had no objections, the tower’s access road would need to be maintained as a condition of approval.

Giaimo continued his presentation by mentioning the tower site’s lack of hazardous materials and the relatively infrequent maintenance that would be required.

One of the main concerns laid out by Verizon was a height restriction found in the town’s bylaws. Due to this, a variance would need to be requested to override it, as the proposed height is directly related to how well the coverage gap can be filled.

Giaimo also highlighted Verizon’s willingness to abide by if not exceed regulations set forth by the town.

“The dense tree growth provides a year round buffer,” he said, adding that there would be zero promotion, and signage would be limited to the FCC, a ‘No Trespassing’ sign, and any others applicable by local, state or federal law.

Later in the meeting, ZBA Chairman William Cushing brought up some concerns surrounding site security. These were immediately echoed by Hanson Selectman Kenneth Mitchell, who asked about the size and scope of the fencing.

“Eight feet tall approximately” said Giaimo, responding to Mitchell’s question. “I think we should make it as tall as possible, since it’s near a school.” Mitchell added. In an attempt to alleviate these concerns, site acquisition specialist Sean Mahoney alongside Verzion engineering consultants made it a point to emphasize that the fence would be barbed wire, therefore decreasing the chance of a break-in.

Sound concerns were also a topic of discussion during the evening’s meeting. Facing questions from the board, Verizon acoustic scientist Doug Sheadel summed it up concisely by stating that there will be no noise pollution from the site, and furthermore, any noise generated would only come from the on-site generator, to be used in emergency situations only (i.e loss of power).

Cushing’s final main concern was emergency access to the site, especially after a storm. Attorney Giaimo said he believed that it won’t be a problem, pointing to the number of treacherous and storm-prone locations that Verizon has functional and accessible cell towers.

A final statement was brought forth by Interim Town Administrator Meredith Marini on behalf of an email sent by Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch. The email stated that Chief Miksch has no objections to the tower and finds the lack of cellular coverage to be a public safety concern, especially since many no longer have landlines.

Roofer arraigned after delays

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BROCKTON — After several lengthy delays, former contractor Matthew Will, 38, of Pembroke, who once ran 5-Star Discount Roofing in Halifax, was arraigned on the fifth try before Judge Gregg Pasquale Wednesday, July 17, at Plymouth Superior Court, Brockton.

Court officials, prosecutors, or corrections officials have offered no explanation for the numerous delays in Will’s Superior Court arraignment.  Will was arrested at his Pembroke home on Thursday, May 9, after law enforcement sent in dogs to convince Will to surrender, more than two months earlier.

When police attempted to execute the search warrant at the Pembroke home, according to sources close to the investigation, Will hid in his attic. After several attempts to negotiate with him, Zane said law enforcement officials sent dogs into the attic to extricate him, sources say was for their own protection. Will wrestled with the dogs, eventually falling through his attic ceiling and injuring himself.

He appeared in the arraignment courtroom in Brockton before Judge Pasquale in the prisoners’ dock shackled and wearing jail garb, with a sling around his arm. Tilden argued that Will had been seriously injured at the time of his arrest, and Zane did not disagree, but Pasquale pointedly said to her, “Well, he shouldn’t have resisted arrest,” to which she smiled and redirected her argument.

Will has been held at a state-run hospital in a Department of Corrections prison ward at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, Boston, almost continuously since he was taken into custody May 9. His attorney said his family, including his partner, Tina Bowles, and his mother, who both attended the arraignment, have not been able to visit him there according to Tilden.

Tilden did not detail Will’s injuries, nor have they been made public. She said that his family is struggling financially and psychologically without him and is being forced out of their home.

Zane said investigators did not find any money in the Pembroke house when it was searched but did find packed suitcases that would appear to allow Will to live “off the grid.” He also said that Will had ties to two states, with property in New Hampshire and Maine.

The former roofer, who Plymouth County prosecutors say allegedly stole over $250,000 from more than 50 mostly elderly or otherwise vulnerable victims across the region over about 18 months, has been indicted on 18 mostly financial-related criminal charges. The alleged victims so far known to investigators are from Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Falmouth, Hanson, Kingston, Middleboro, Easton, Pembroke, Plympton, Rockland and Wareham.

Assistant District Attorney Zane emphasized that some of the alleged victims, many concentrated at the Oak Point 55+ community in Middleboro, gave Will their life savings to do emergency repairs to their homes, which he allegedly partially completed or did not complete at all. Some alleged victims gave Will several hundred dollars where others lost tens of thousands of dollars, Zane said.

Police made attempts to arrest Will in Central Massachusetts and into Rhode Island on default warrants resulting in two separate high speed-chases.  Police reports indicate those chases were called off because some of Will’s children were in his car. Rockland Police arrested him May 4 after Zane said Will took a ride-sharing service from Rhode Island to Rockland.

For unknown reasons, according to Zane, Will was next transported by Rockland Police to Hingham District Court which has jurisdiction over the Town of Rockland, but where Will had no open warrants.

There, over the course of only a few minutes, according to audio of the hearing, a judge who was not told of Will’s recent high-speed chases by the Rockland Police prosecutor released him on personal recognizance.

The Hingham Court judge did order Will’s common-law wife, Tina Bowles, to drive him to Wareham District Court to deal with open warrants before that court closed at 4:30 p.m., according to the recording.

Will’s attorney, Plymouth-based Charlotte Tilden, says Will fell ill, called the clerk’s office in Hingham letting them know and has a doctor’s note to prove it. Prosecutors say Will failed to appear in Wareham District Court, which prompted them to apply for the search warrant that was executed May 9 on his Furnace Colony Drive, Pembroke, family home.

Will pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges and is being held on $75,000 bail.

West Nile found in Whitman sample

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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) announced today that West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected in mosquitoes collected from Whitman, Massachusetts.  One sample of mosquitoes collected in Whitman on July 23 tested positive for WNV.

WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state, and are found in urban as well as more rural areas. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection.

By taking a few, common-sense precautions, people can help to protect themselves and their loved ones:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

• Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours – The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant.

• Clothing Can Help reduce mosquito bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

• Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.  Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

• Drain Standing Water – Many mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.

• Install or Repair Screens – Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

Information about WNV and reports of current and historical WNV virus activity in Massachusetts can be found on the MDPH website at: www.mass.gov/dph/mosquito.

Whitman panel starts budget work

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WHITMAN — The town’s Override Evaluation Committee met for the first time on July 22 to evaluate the town’s financial needs and assess recommendations it would seek to make regarding an operational override in the fall.

Serving on the committee are: residents John Galvin and Christopher George as citizens at-large; Finance Committee members David Codero and Scott Lambiase; Fire Chief Timothy Grenno; Public Works Superintendent Bruce Martin; Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak; School Committee member Dawn Byers; Selectmen Justin Evans and Randy LaMattina, Town Administrator Frank Lynam and Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green.

The meeting, held in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room in Town Hall, is being rebroadcast on Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV. The next meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 12.

The committee organized officers July 22, electing LaMattina, who had expressed interest in the post as chairman. LaMattina was not able to attend the meeting. Lambiase was elected vice chairman and Lynam as clerk.

“Obviously, I think I know what our community needs are overall, but I think the focus of the committee, most important here … is how we’re going to get from here to Town Meeting and get the information out,” Lambiase said.

While a Town Meeting is currently planned for October, Lynam said he would prefer to push it back to November if it means the town’s financial need would be more clearly understood in the process. The committee’s meetings are public and the issue will also be discussed frequently by Selectmen.

Lynam said the short-term task is to take the information already available and information on five-year expenditure estimates that he has requested on capital needs.

“Because no one has responded, I’ve compromised and asked for three-years’ estimates,” he said.

A proposed draft of a capital planning document Collins Center at UMass, Boston had composed — following an earlier version Lynam had sent back to address errors — were to be discussed with the center by Lynam and Selectmen Carl Kowalski and Dan Salvucci this week.

If the draft is acceptable, a public meeting will be scheduled to review it, Lynam said.

The replacement of a primary sewer main between Whitman and the wastewater treatment plant, which has come to town officials’ attention since the capital plan update was requested, will be significant in the upcoming budget. That work is estimated at more than $8 million within the “cheapest alternative” plan, he said.

“We are looking at whether there are impact funds, or anything else, that can help us with it but year-to-year you’re just going to get things that are going to skew the numbers,” Lynam said. “We need a long-term budget [of] at least three years … because the longer you go in an expenditure budget, the less accurate it’s going to be.”

Current budgets and projected expenditures for the following year, based on needs, are calculated for separate town government and capital needs budgets from each department.

“I’m actually confident that, if we just get these things together in a formal way and we look at them as part of a total picture, we should be able to put together a plan that works and can be given to the public in a way that makes sense,” Lynam said.

Grenno said his department has just completed its five-year plan “based on where we are today,” a cumbersome and time-consuming process.

He asked if the override is intended to make departments whole.

“The budget has to reflect what you believe is necessary to operate your department appropriately,” Lynam said. “Some of us can really accurately predict what our budget numbers are going to be because there’s very little room for variance. Others can’t.”

George said the committee should be looking at what the town is missing compared with towns around Whitman, adding that he is aware of where the schools fall short as a parent, but is not as well informed about other departments.

“What does that mean for you?” he asked. “That’s hard for me to see from a Fire perspective or a DPW perspective, or even a police perspective, so I think that will be helpful as you give us that five-year projection.”

Lambiase said the committee must also discuss what cuts would need to be made if an override question fails. He argued an Economic Development Committee, if not hiring at least a part-time town planner, make sense.

“The challenges are immense,” Lynam said. “Small towns can grow on small businesses and do well. As it sits today, we have a fairly productive downtown business center and we have a stretch of business on Route 27 and on Route 18, but trying to grow that business, we have to come up with things that attract people and when you are in our position TIFs are not an option.”

Tax Increment Financing, which provides tax-breaks to attract businesses, would not help Whitman’s need for revenue.

“People think they are over-burdened with taxes here and it couldn’t be further from the truth,” Lynam said.

They also discussed the format of a question — single question or menu approach — scope of work and timeline.

“I’m absolutely opposed to a menu,” Szymaniak said. “If we’re going to be sustainable as a community … it has to be all together.”

A tier of financial options, with every department having a piece of the override was preferred if a menu option were to be offered.

They also discussed going to a regular special town meeting in the fall, as Hanson does, for capital needs.

Wampanoag history kicks off Hanson 200th

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By Drew Sullivan
Express intern

HANSON — Dozens came together on Thursday, July 25 for a barbecue dinner commemorating the opening of a new Wampanoag exhibit at the Nathaniel Thomas Mill.

Camp Kiwanee in Hanson played host to the event, with close to 75 people attending. The dinner featured raffles and a silent auction to benefit Hanson’s 200th Anniversary Committee, in addition to a speech by native Wampanoag member and activist Paula Peters.

Residents and supporters dined on cheeseburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and barbecued chicken, courtesy of local catering company Fork In The Road of Bryantville, while music played throughout the lodge.

During the dinner, Peters sat down for an interview and talked at length about her tribe, its history, and its significance to Massachusetts itself.

“I see a lot of signs around here like Indian Head, roads named Indian road or that sort of thing,” said Peters. “I think that’s obviously from that rich [native] history.”

However, in 1616, a “virgin soil epidemic” as Peters refers to it as, commonly known as The Great Dying, swept through the area for three years. This ultimately decimated up to 90 percent of the indigenous population along the coastal and nearby inland regions.

Peters also spoke of the erasure and sanitization of her people’s history, along with many others in indigenous communities throughout the region and country.

“Our history has been largely marginalized and I think what people do know is out of balance from what actually occurred,” she said.

The ignorance and lack of knowledge surrounding native histories is less so in Massachusetts, according to Peters.

“I think it’s a little less here because we’re down the street from America’s hometown,” she said. “But I’ve traveled across the country and around the world since becoming involved, and there is this overall ignorance to it once you step outside the region.”

Legacy

The lasting impact of the Wampanoag people is still very much felt today, on both a local and national level.

“The spirituality of indigenous people, even our governing structure, was something that eventually became mirrored by the founding fathers of this country,” Peters said indicating it flies in the face of the notion that native Americans were savage or barbaric peoples.

This theme of governance will be on display at Hanson’s new Wampanoag exhibit, called “Our” Story.

The name “Our Story” is due to the fact that the Wampanoag people had complete creative and editorial control over the exhibit. This is especially important given the somewhat checkered history that the Wampanoag tribe has had with local government, which Peters explained.

“Back in 1970, during Plymouth’s 350th anniversary, a Wampanoag man named Frank James was invited to speak at the ceremony,” she noted. “However, they looked over his speech and said ‘Oh, no, we don’t want you to say any of this stuff.’ This was because they talked about the Great Dying, kidnapping of native people and the injustices that were suffered. Rather than edit his remarks, he took his speech to Cole’s Hill in Plymouth. That day is now celebrated throughout the country as the National Day of Mourning.”

As dessert was being served, consisting of cake, pie, chocolate, and various fruits, Paula Peters took the stage.

She is a well-known leader in the Wampanoag community and former journalist for the Cape Cod Times. Her father Russell “Fast Turtle” Peters fought for the tribe’s federal recognition up until his death in 2003. The tribe’s federal recognition was gained in 2007.

During her speech, Peters asked the crowd about the history of famous Native American Squanto, and how much they knew about him. The room fell silent.

That, combined, with the number of questions she answered from the audience at the end spoke volumes about the educational importance of the event.

“The Wampanoag have been in this region for 13,000 years, so we feel a very strong affinity to this land. I felt a very strong affinity coming into Hanson today, it’s a beautiful place that I hadn’t ever seen before and is kind of preserved,” said Peters, adding jokingly “it’s a good thing nobody knows you’re here” as the audience responded with laughter.

As Peters was concluding her speech, she touched on some of the modern problems faced by native peoples including her own. Cultural appropriation is an issue, said Peters, referencing the NFL team the Washington Redskins. “Redskin” is widely considered a racial slur by many indigenous people, which made Peters ask, would a name like “Washington Jews” also be acceptable?

Some of her larger and more tangible concerns included securing and reclaiming all of her tribe’s land, recovering the native language, and the continued fight for greater federal recognition. “I’ve got all these things I’ve got to do. And I still have to circle back and worry about some ignorant people in the nation’s capital who think it’s okay to use a racial slur as a team name.”

The grand opening of the “Our” Story exhibit will be on Friday, August 2nd at the Nathaniel Thomas Mill, and the Hanson Historical Society will get a first look inside.

The exhibit, which is free of charge to all, will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Walking the walk on conservation

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By Drew Sullivan
Express intern

HANSON — Green Hanson, a local environmental group, took local residents on a nature hike Sunday, July 14, alongside Burrage Pond in Hanson.

Joanne Re, a longtime member of the group, led the roughly 3 mile hike beginning on Elm Street.

“I’m very interested in conservation of open land,” she said. Re mentioned her favorite part of the organization was their efforts concerning the quality of air and water in the area.

Roughly 15 people joined the hike, including two local families. Hanson mother Melissa Valachovic brought her husband and kids, along with their dog.

“I like finding new areas, being outside, and exposing our young boys to the nature,” she said.

As the hike continued, Re talked about the history of Burrage along with her personal connections to the area. “I remember the a-ha moment when I discovered this in my yard, that this belongs to everyone!” she exclaimed.

Most of the hikers agreed that one of the most pressing environmental problems today revolves around plastics and how they’re used and re-used.

“This is nuts,” said Jim McDougall, gesturing to his water bottle as he walked alongside his wife and granddaughter. “There’s too much [plastic]. It’s ending up in the oceans. If you kill the oceans it’s all done. It’s also effecting wildlife too much.”

As the hike came to a close, Re spoke in greater detail about the importance of this area, mentioning not only its history as the home of the nationally recognized brand Ocean Spray,  but also the home to a pair of Sandhill Cranes, an endangered bird species.

Those looking for more information on the group, ways to help their local environment, and future hikes can join the Green Hanson Facebook group for updates.

W-H looks ahead to FY 2021

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School Committee members on Monday, July 22 began assessing the challenges involved in preparing for Whitman’s planned operational override in the fall, as well as possible approaches to long-term budget planning.

Member Dawn Byers and Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak, fresh from a meeting of Whitman’s nine-member Budget-Override Evaluation Committee earlier in the afternoon, also briefed the School Committee on the organizational and override question structural work done in that session.

The budget panel meets next on Aug. 12 to begin specific discussions on school and municipal budgets.

“I’d say the best I can do is a level-service budget with our increases,” Szymaniak said. “The challenge, and I brought it to the committee, is that I don’t want us to be level-serviced if we’re looking at moving forward and, members of the committee, we’re part of that.”

Szymaniak added that, if the aim is to plan budgets for five years ahead, he wants to make sure the district keeps moving educational services forward.

The School Committee next meets at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 28 and will, among other issues discuss the budget implications of where the district wants to be in the next five years. School Committee member Christopher Howard requested that Hanson officials be kept aware of budget discussions with Whitman officials.

Committee member Fred Small asked if the dollar amount lost to level-service budgets from last year to this year could be provided.

“I don’t want to see us go backward from where we were last year,” he said. “I’d also like to see you work on the plan for how we’re going to advance. To just stay still and tread water …”

Szymaniak said he is looking at a close to $2.5 million increase in the budget for fiscal 2021 — $1.349 million if neither full-day kindergarten, nor busing costs for a school start time change, are included.

“We’re having more students than ever go out [of district] through school choice and they’re going out earlier,” he said. “I’m not losing kids in seventh and eighth-grade. I’m losing them in kindergarten.”

Those school choice losses are no longer just to charter schools, Szymaniak added. Parents are sending them to neighboring districts, such as Rockland, that are adding to school budgets, or to online educational programs.

“We’re still bringing in revenue, which is great for us, but the movement is different and, I’m afraid if we don’t continue to move forward …” he said.

“School choice has turned it into a public school that has to be competitive with other public school towns,” School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes said. “Public education is going to have to be competitive.”

School Committee member Dan Cullity argued that all-day kindergarten is vital to stem the eventual loss of revenue as more parents send their children to other districts.

“Number two, the state’s going to make [full-day kindergarten] a mandate,” Cullity said. “If they make a mandate, then we’ll really be behind the eight ball, so we should get ahead of it. … before we’re the last ones in the state.”

Szymaniak also said that voters often argue that sports should be cut to lower budgets.

“If I were to threaten to cut sports … if your children were going to be freshmen and there was a threat on the table … and you were nervous about that, you might enroll that child [at another school] and the revenue I would lose would be worth the $280,000 to $300,000 that’s in the budget for athletics,” he said. “Most of our athletic budget is from revolving and gates.”

Changes in technology education also have implications for budgets, where the previous one-to-one device policy is giving way to Chromebook carts as teachers find the use of laptop computers in the classroom.

“They’re not as used as everybody thought they were going to be,” Szymaniak said.

Capital challenges also lie ahead in the district’s antiquated phone system, $330,000 worth of inaccurate Whitman water bills since the high school opened, and the cost of moving district-owned fiber optic wires to new utility poles at a MassDOT project along Bedford Street in Whitman. Bids are now being sought for that work. Gas and electric costs are expected to be up about $83,000 and trash pickup is forecast up by about $7,500.

While the increase in state per-pupil funding was limited to $30, regional transportation funding has been increased to a level of — 82.5 percent reimbursement, a total $75.9 million — in the state budget approved for signing by Gov. Charlie Baker.

“I’m looking at custodial services [SJ Services] up $29,000 for fiscal 2021,” Szymaniak said. “First Student [busing] will be up $41,600. If we want to change our start times, it will be an up-front cost of $440,000 reimbursed the following year.”

If full-day kindergarten in implemented, it is expected to cost $710,000 and the district is looking at an additional $100,000 in curriculum costs wit the addition of an English program and $1.1 million in contracted salary increases, but Szymaniak is level-servicing special education.

“I think special education is going to level off,” Szymaniak said. “My gut tells me that. But that’s a tough number to go back.”

Szymaniak said the fiscal 2020 budget was complicated by the resignation of Indian Head Principal Jill Coutreau, but he hopes the appointment of an interim will save some money. He said he is looking to appoint a retired person so the full salary would not have to be paid.

He was also, through hiring at lower salaries to fill two resignations in other district positions — including the director of technology — to bring back a teacher at Conley School to reduce class size in grade five.

“Sometimes when you eliminate a job, the person applies … for another job posted in the district,” Hayes pointed out. “That position is still eliminated.”

Hiring in-house in those situations saves on unemployment costs, Hayes noted.

Szymaniak pointed out that the assistant facilities director position, who ran school building use, was also eliminated, with a technology department employee taking over a piece of that on a part-time basis. He is also researching a possible change in the fee structure for building use for profit-making leasees to present to the committee in the fall.

“We’re moving into a collaborative operation [with facilities, technology and transportation staff]. … We’re having meetings to talk about job responsibilities,” echoed Assistant Superintendent George Ferro. “We’re having meetings to talk about their own individual goals and the goals of their individual departments — and that has never taken place.”

Szymaniak is also considering an audit of the tech department to determine how the district can operate more sustainably in the coming years.

Hanson OKs host pact for cannabis grow biz

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HANSON — Impressed LLC cleared the first regulatory hurdle toward opening a cannabis cultivation facility at 15 Commercial Way when the Board of Selectmen approved a revised host agreement with the company on Tuesday, July 23.

There were no questions asked by the board or residents attending the meeting before the 5-0 vote was taken.

Selectmen Chairman Laura Fitzgerald-Kemmett summarized the changes sought by the board after a draft of the agreement was discussed July 16.

Those changes — which Impressed LLC agreed to incorporate into the host agreement — include odor mitigation and water conservation practices, board approval before any transfer or sale of the business ownership and payment of a 3-percent impact fee to the town for five years. The company may not apply for a nonprofit or agricultural tax exemption and has agreed to pay for the services of an independent third party, hired by the town, to peer reviewing plans for the facility.

“I cannot conceive that there is anything in Massachusetts that is as heavily regulated as cannabis,” said Selectman Wes Blauss.

“We tried to put in the kitchen sink there,” said Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff.

Fitzgerald-Kemmett noted that Impressed LLC has been “very responsive” to terms the town has asked for in the agreement.

“This is just the first of many chapters,” she said.

The company must now comply with all applicable local regulations as well as obtain a license from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission and comply with the CCC’s regulations.

Fitzgerald-Kemmett also noted that residents had originally voted by a 51 to 49-percent margin to support the state ballot question legalizing marijuana use in the state.

“Since that date, there have been several town meetings and ballot votes regarding marijuana-related businesses in Hanson, where the voters have had the opportunity to let the Board of Selectmen know their wishes with respect to marijuana-related businesses,” Fitzgerald-Kemmett said, reading from a prepared statement. “This board takes its role as the licensing authority seriously. It is our job tonight to determine whether the draft host agreement is acceptable to us and whether it is in the best interests of the town to agree to enter into this agreement with Impressed LLC.”

Town by-laws currently ban the sale of retail marijuana, but allow other cannabis-related businesses to locate in the zone that includes the Hanson Industrial Park on Commercial Way.

Impressed LLC has held several public outreach meetings, as required by the CCC, as their attorneys negotiated a host agreement with town counsel.

Vehicle chargers

Selectmen also voted to set a fee of $1.50 per hour for the two electric vehicle chargers installed at the upper rear parking lot at Town Hall. Each charger has two plugs.

The fee covers a portion of a $250 per plug networking fee, that electric vehicle owners can ping off to locate the chargers when their vehicle needs a charge.

Selectman Jim Hickey did not like subsidizing the networking fee, but Selectman Matt Dyer argued that, without the network’s advertising of the charging stations, it would be difficult to make them successful.

The board decided to try the project for a year and review it.

Cooling town

In other business, Fitzgerald-Kemmett read a statement lauding town employees and volunteers for helping residents cope with last weekend’s heat wave. She said such work behind the scenes is typical of the way they work together to get things done.

“It’s important to occasionally take some time to express our gratitude for all that they do, and this weekend was a perfect example of people working tirelessly for the benefit of the town,” she stated.

The Hanson Public Library extended its hours on Saturday and opened from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Cranberry Cove extended its hours each day by two hours.

She said the Cove crowd on Saturday reminded her of Nantasket Beach.

“Quite a few people ended up taking advantage of these extended hours, but these types of things don’t happen magically,” she said. “On behalf of the Board of Selectmen, I hope you’ll join me in thanking the director, board and employees at both the library and the cove and … [Interim Town Administrator] Merry [Marini] as well as Hanson Fire, Police and Highway for helping to get the word out.”