Assessment to towns reduced

The School Committee has taken two more steps toward closing its fiscal year 2016 budget gap.

Members voted 7-2 on Wednesday, April 8 to reduce the assessment increase the towns will be asked to pay from 4.5 to 3 percent, and voted 9-0 to transfer an additional $250,000 from reserves.

Board members Susan McSweeney of Hanson and Robert Trotta of Whitman voted against the assessment reduction. Member Alexandria Taylor was absent.

“Taking one-time money out to fund an operating budget goes against everything that you normally think about, but at the same time if we can have a vision as to how we’re going to correct what the future is … we have a revenue problem,” Small said of the reserves transfer. “[But] I think it would decimate us not to do it.”

Both Small and Trotta advocated a return to long-term planning toward closing the budget gap.

“There needs to be a real dialogue between the towns and the school committee,” Trotta said. “I feel frustrated that we don’t seem to be making any [progress].”

The budget as presented in February was $47,635,211 with a $3,363,618 deficit. Salary adjustments and reductions of $959,382 made last month as well as revenue from school choice brought the deficit down to $2,262,988 and a March 11 transfer of $500,000 from the $1.4 million in reserves — leaving $970,000 in the account —further trimmed the deficit to $1,762,988. With the second transfer, there is now $720,000 in reserves.

With a 4.5-percent increase, $788,173 would have been added to the budget, according to committee Chairman Bob Hayes. At 3 percent, 525,449 would be added to help close the deficit — now at $987,539.

How it would hit

The impact of a 3 percent assessment increase would mean about 20 positions cut, according to Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Ellen Stockdale. Only six retirements are planned, but Hayes said so many past retirements have gone unfilled, the district can’t assume the six can remain unfilled this time.

“We’re cutting bone onto bone,” he said. The $250,000 transferred from reserves can save four teachers, according to Hayes.

Both Whitman and Hanson officials have indicated 3 percent would be as high as they dare go for the FY 2016 budget.

“We don’t have the money,” said Whitman Town Administrator Frank Lynam, adding that a 4.5-percent increase could lead to either an override situation or “shutting down one of the departments.”

Hanson Selectmen Chairman Bruce Young said Hanson is in a similar situation as the town has spent “a good deal” of the free cash the town had going into its last Town Meeting and going into the May Town Meeting on projects the town has needed to do for some time such as school roof and window lintel repairs. He added that the Finance Committee has already reduced an approved 2.5-percent raise for department heads to 2 percent.

“We’re definitely not in as good a position as we were last year,” Young said. “Our position may not be as dire as [Whitman’s] but we’re just trying to maintain some kind of balance.”

“We have struggled over the past few years to accrue some money in stabilization to protect the town with its bond payments,” Lynam said. Whitman started the year with $1.8 million in capital stablization, but just to make existing debt payments the town will have to withdraw about $300,000 from the account, he cautioned.

“That was not something we anticipated,” he said. “We ended the year in a fairly positive mode and the weather took care of any spirit we had.”

Lynam and Young also indicated “dueling budgets” would have a detrimental effect on voters willingness to pass articles at Town Meetings and at the ballot box to fund technology upgrades the schools need.

“I think we have to show people we can work together,” Lynam said.

Time to talk

Whitman Middle School teacher Beth Stafford said, while she acknowledges departments need to work together, “it always seems to be the school side that gets cut” and the schools have lost 100 positions since 2000.

“No other department even comes close,” she said. “I just feel at this point in time people need to stand up and do what they’re supposed to do and fight for what you need — you’re the School Committee, you represent the children in the two towns.”

She suggested that perhaps it needs to start with conversations between the schools and the community.

“I want to have a dialogue,” Lynam said. “I don’t want it to be now. I don’t want it to be May. I want to get through this budget cycle and I want to have some serious discussions with people on what we can do on a long-term plan.”

In other business, warrant articles for fire alarm panel replacement were withdrawn from both towns’ annual Town Meeting warrants as not necessary at this time. Lynam mentioned that Whitman Fire Chief Timothy Grenno “very emphatically” said he was not requesting the project.

Frequent false alarms are traced to faulty building sensors or the communication system within the panels and do not preset a life safety issue. The articles in fact originated with the district’s technology department as a delayed project and they wanted to see if it could be done this year.

The votes were 9-0 to remove the article from both warrants.

Free cash leaned on heavily, additional firefighter request tabled

WHITMAN — There is good news — and a sobering forecast for future finances — on the fiscal 2016 budget front.

“We have a balanced budget,” Finance Chairman William Capocci reported to the Board of Selectmen Tuesday, April 14. “This is one of the nicest budgets that I think we’ve produced over the years. … Almost everybody’s going to walk away happy.”

While the budget is balanced, the Finance Committee was able to accomplish that by almost completely depleting free cash and tabling Fire Chief Timothy Grenno’s request for eight additional firefighters for at least a year. Several other warrant articles were also withdrawn.

“Free cash is gone,” Capocci said, as are funds in the motor vehicle fine and ambulance accounts and technology stabilization. More than $281,000 is being taken out of capital stabilization.

“We’re getting through the year and we’re surviving,” Capocci said, asking for selectmen’s support on the budget at Town Meeting, including on the firefighter issue he described as “the killer on the budget” even as he stressed that he has no argument about the need.

“If the eight firemen go through, we’re talking override,” Capocci said. That is a move Grenno said he did not want to force.

Grenno and Town Administrator Frank Lynam had independently reached the same conclusion to table the additional firefighters after a recent numbers-crunching session. There was, however, some friction aired between the chief and Capocci on the issue.

Communication between Grenno and Capocci was the main issue in their disagreement.

“The problem that I have is on Jan. 20 I presented my budget,” Grenno said. “Last Tuesday, Frank and I sat in his office for three hours an crunched the numbers on the eight hires … knowing the financial picture the town was going through … I came to the mutual agreement with Frank that we would table it.”

The next morning at 7:15 a.m., Lynam called him to report he did not have the chance to discuss it with the Finance Committee because it voted a 2.5-percent increase in all the services, Grenno said of his budget’s 4-percent increase.

“There was no discussion with me,” he said. “My concern is [that] discussion of the Fire Department budget is going on without me being present.”

Lynam clarified that the 2.5 percent Grenno mentioned, plus 2 percent was approved by FinCom for a 4.5-percent increase.

“At no point in time in any of our nine meetings that you have requested the minutes for, did we discuss the merits of five firemen,” Capocci said. “This was simply a question of we have $5 to spend and it’s going to cost $6 to hire eight people — and we don’t have that dollar.”

Grenno had ultimately sought Finance Committee minutes through a Freedom of Information request to find out what, if any, discussions on the firefighter issue were conducted in his absence.

“All he’s got to do is call me,” Capocci said of the FOI request emailed to him by Grenno the morning after a late FinCom meeting in which the Fire Department Budget was voted. “To do it this way, I thought, was a little extreme.”

He said no budgets were voted on before March 31.

Chairman Carl Kowalski said his first reaction to Grenno’s proposal for additional firefighters — to deal with increasing call volume and resulting overtime costs — was concern for the school budget.

“It’s sad that the schools are in that shape,” Kowalski said of W-H’s position at 10th from the bottom in per-pupil spending statewide. “But we cannot afford to give them more money.”

Grenno made his points effectively enough to change his mind, Kowalski said. Now, however, he said he finds sense in Capocci’s argument and Grenno’s willingness to table the request.

Getting there

Capocci started his presentation by outlining the town’s ability to weather the recession, without layoffs, since its onset in 2007 before detailing the current state of the town’s finances. He concluded the presentation by cautioning about five major challenges to future town budgets.

The town had been hit with a $2 million cut in revenue between local receipts and state aid to cities and towns on a $20 million budget in 2007, according to Capocci, while services were increased. Fiscal planning in the intervening years permitted infrastructure investment, including the new police station paid for inside the levy limit mainly through free cash.

Cuts made two years ago, however, required by a failed override for the schools had an effect on free cash since as town budgets have increased, due largely to higher fixed costs and a 10-percent cut in trash fees, he said. Another $322,482 transferred from free cash at a special Town Meeting in January – before the weather turned. This year’s snow and ice deficit is $354.832.

“Before we looked at any budgets for this year, we were in the hole $455,000,” Capocci said.  Basic revenue is $812,000 over last year. Initial budget requests came in at $1,325,743 higher than last year.

Capocci also warned of five key concerns looming over future budget years: the eight additional firefighters; minimal free cash; rising energy costs; other post-employment benefits (OPEB), such as retiree health insurance; and Whitman-Hanson Regional  School District, the low per-pupil spending for which he termed “an embarrassment.”

“We are going to reach a solution in the near future,” he said. “So be prepared.”

Preschool Information Night has been rescheduled to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 11 at the Maquan School, 38 School St., Hanson.

Kindergarten Information Night is 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12 at the
Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. This meeting will provide parents with details regarding our full-day and half-day programs and the registration process.  There will be a brief question and answer session following the meeting.

Parents of children that will turn 5 years old by Sept. 1, 2015 should attend.  The meeting will be in the Dr. John F. McEwan Performing Arts Center atWHRHS, 600 Franklin St., Whitman.

Due to the impending winter storm, the Whitman-Hanson Express has moved this week’s print date to Thursday. Conditions permitting, subscriptions should received on Friday, January 29, 2015.

Please check the Whitman or Hanson town hall web sites for information about snow removal and other items. If you experience an emergency during the rough weather, please call 911.

More information about the storm, including travel bans, can be found on the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s web site. The Massachusetts State Police’s web site also has safety tips that you can refer to.

Whitman Police are seeking the public’s assistance as they investigate the vandalism of 67 gravestones at Colebrook Cemetery. The damage was discovered and reported by a citizen Sunday morning. Photo by Stephanie Spyropoulos

WHITMAN — Police are investigating the vandalism of more than five dozen gravestones at Colebrook Cemetery. At 11:06 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 4, a citizen reported to the Whitman Police Department that gravestones had been knocked over at the cemetery located at 45 Essex St. A cruiser was dispatched to the
cemetery and the officer who responded requested that the Plymouth County Sheriff’s BCI Unit be called to respond to the scene for photographs of the damaged and knocked over gravestones. There were no fingerprints on the gravestones due to the inclement weather last night.

A total of 67 gravestones were knocked over and damaged. One of the gravestones knocked over was the family gravestone of First Lt. John R. Fox who was with the 366th Infantry regiment’s 598th Field Artillery Battalion during WWII. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1982 and the Medal of Honor in 1997. Lt. Fox’s grave marker is set flush to the ground and therefore it was not damaged.

This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Whitman Police Department at 781-447-1212.

Kevin Kailher

Suzanne M. Sommer

Christopher S. Jansky

WHITMAN — Three people face charges after an early-morning house-break on Beulah Street Tuesday.

Police were called at about 2:37 a.m., on Tuesday, Dec. 30, from a resident on Beulah Street reporting hearing a window smash and then, while looking out the window, observed two men putting items into the trunk of a vehicle.

Cruisers arrived in the area and called for mutual aid. Hanson and East Bridgewater police departments responded as well as the Plymouth County Sheriff’s BCI and K-9 Units.

All responding officers working together immediately set up a perimeter and began a search for the suspects. All three suspects were captured and placed under arrest in less than one hour.

The two males allegedly broke into a garage on West Street and then returned to the vehicle being driven by a female suspect to place the stolen items in the back seat and trunk. The female acted as a lookout/getaway driver for the two males, according to police. She had two two-way portable walkie-talkie radios in the front seat by her side.  

The suspects’ car was recovered and towed to the Whitman police station to be inventoried.

The vehicle was recovered and towed to the police station to be inventoried.  Stolen property that was recovered is estimated to be worth in excess of $3,000.

In addition to the recovered property, $4,669 in cash was seized from one of the male suspects identified as Christopher S. Jansky, 38, from Chatham West Drive, Brockton.  Jansky was charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, conspiracy, breaking and entering a building in the nighttime for a felony, larceny over $250 and three outstanding warrants in Brockton and Quincy District courts.

The other male suspect arrested was identified as Kevin Kailher, 46, from Chatham West Drive, Brockton. Kailher was charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, conspiracy, breaking and entering a building in the nighttime for a felony, larceny over $250.

The female suspect arrested was identified as Suzanne M. Sommer, 34 years old, from Chatham West Drive, Brockton.  Sommer was charged with conspiracy, breaking and entering a building in the nighttime, larceny over $250, receiving stolen property over $250 and one outstanding warrant in Brockton District Court.

All three suspects were transported to Brockton District Court to be arraigned on the charges.  This is an active investigation and anyone who has any information is asked to contact Detective Mark Poirier at 781-447-9673.

Whitman Police Chief Scott Benton issued an update via Twitter and Facebook Friday morning in regard to the department’s request for help identifying the male subject who entered the Holy Ghost Church and Cardinal Spellman Center on Tuesday evening with a baseball bat.

“The Whitman Police arrested the suspect at approximately 9:45 a.m.,” Benton wrote. “The suspect is identified as Michael P. Thomann, 50 years old, living on Washington Street in Whitman. A news reporter from NECN who was doing a live shot in front of the Holy Ghost Church called our department to say that a man fitting the description just came out of the church. Cruisers responded and were able to intercept the male party while was walking down the sidewalk and placed him under arrest.”

Thomann was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious damage to a motor vehicle and disorderly conduct. He was transported to Brockton District Court where he was to be arraigned on the charges.

“I want to thank the news media as well as all those who shared our post to help us identify the suspect,” Benton said.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014 at 8:01 p.m. the Whitman Police Department received an E911 call reporting that an older male party wearing a long coat carrying a baseball bat walked into the Cardinal Spellman Center where several children were attending CCD classes. This male party had earlier entered the Holy Ghost Church. While in the Cardinal Spellman Center the male party was confronted by one of the teachers and asked if he needed assistance. He entered the gymnasium where there were approximately 20 children between the ages 10-13 years old. He then uttered some profanities and then exited the building.

In the parking lot outside of the building the male party smashed the windshield of a vehicle and then left the area in a dark-colored sedan with a moon roof.

Officers stayed on the scene until all of the children were picked up by their parents. The male suspect is described as follows: a white male in his 40’s or 50’s, salt and pepper hair, approximately 6’2”, balding, and rectangular framed glasses.

Images were recovered from surveillance cameras inside the Holy Ghost Church and the Cardinal Spellman Center. Whitman Police Chief Scott Benton is asking that anyone with any information concerning this suspect call the Whitman Police Department at 781-447-1212 and ask for Detective Mark Poirier.

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

HANSON — The historic Nathaniel Thomas Mill on Liberty Street has a “starring role” in an upcoming short horror film titled “Blood Martini.”

Filmed on location Saturday, Sept. 6, the film’s climatic scene uses the mill as the dramatic setting to examine the what-if scenario of a man’s present-day encounter with a mysterious woman from the past who was wrongly accused during the Salem witch trials.

Weymouth filmmaker Bill Jacques and Abington author Kristen Good based the script on her short story, “The Re-Acquaintence,” first published 20 years ago in horror magazine, Midnight Zoo.

With filming complete and editing expected to be finished by Oct. 11,  Jacques is planning to enter the work several short film festivals, including the Providence Film Festival in Rhode Island, the Taos (N.M.) Short Film Festival, Screamfest and the Los Angeles Show Your Shorts film fest.

“We wanted to keep it under 20 minutes,” he said of the film. “If it gets longer, it’s harder to enter in short film festivals. We will also do a movie release party for the public and investors at a local venue.”

Jacques has acted, written, directed, cast, contributed to or done production work on more than 60 films in the past eight years.

“We wanted to delve into the possibility of what might happen if a beautiful, mysterious woman from the past — who was wrongly accused of being a witch in Salem — was able to come back to the present to seek revenge on the man who was responsible for her death hundreds of years ago,” Good said of the project’s genesis. “The story touches on reincarnaton, the occult and revenge.”

Actors Cate Carson of Boston and Harry Aspinwall of Cambridge were cast as the protagonists, which left the question of location. That’s when Jacques contacted Good.

“Bill has always been a fan of my photos,” Good recalls. “He says he likes my ‘eye for the creepy,’ [and] when it came down to shooting the final scene for the film, the only thing that was holding them up was where to shoot it.”

After a few weeks of scouting possible locations including Middleboro and Bridgewater, Good — who is known for her research on and photos of the Bridgewater Triangle — had an idea. She grew up in Hanson, so the Nathaniel Thomas Mill came to mind and, once there it inspired the filming of additional scenes at the location.

“I knew it would be exactly what Bill was looking for,” Good said. “We used the woods behind the mill as an afterthought on the day of filming. [They] had that spooky, mysterious look we were looking for that almost called out to us — so we went with it.”