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July 4 in the park: Whitman plans 49th field day

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WHITMAN — The Recreation Commission reminds residents of plans for its 49th Annual Family Fun Day in Whitman Park for the 4th of July.

Recreation Director Oliver Amado outlined the schedule of events and equipment upgrades during the commission’s Thursday, June 22 meeting.

“Everything’s been all set for the 4th of July for the last three months,” he said.

A water slide, music, clowns, moon walk, field day races and games, a dunk tank and egg tosses, touch-a-truck and more. The 5K road race, which preceded park events will not be part of the Recreation Commission’s events, should it take place.

But the commission is considering a run around the park perimeter if DPW work on path improvements is completed in time.

Amado replaced all field day equipment for this year’s events.

The schedule starts at 9:30 a.m., with the bike and carriage decorating contest, featuring more prize categories. The Family Fun Day games run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the pool open free of charge for residents from 1 to 5 p.m.

The Boy Scouts will again be selling hot dogs and hamburgers, snacks and drinks to fund their programs.

Park and pool

Amado also reported during the meeting that income for the summer park program has already reached the level needed to fund the program and all planned field trips this summer, with more money expected to come in.

“If money should stop coming in — which it won’t — it’s already enough for five weeks of labor, supplies and trips,” he said. “It’s already paid for.”

Any additional income would go toward more staff should enrollment for the program continue to grow as expected as well as to reinvest into the program for equipment and any other needs.

The pool program is also in the black for eight of the nine weeks offered between Town Meeting Article 2 and revolving accounts.

“We should be hearing bells go off,” said Commission member June O’Leary. “That’s amazing.”

Amado said a lot of money has been invested in the pool and park program this year. JJ Pools vacuums the pool every 10 days for $100 each time, and conducts daily spot-checks of the pump and chlorine levels — even though pool staff also does that — at no additional cost.

“We’re in real, real good shape,” he said. “Right now people are talking about how crystal clear the water is — you could read a quarter this morning from the bottom of the deep end. The quality of the water is bringing in people in droves.”

The autumn hockey league, which has just started accepting registration is up to $850, according to Amado and field use fees have brought in nearly $6,000.

Maquan closure detailed

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The School Committee on Wednesday, June 14, provided more detail on transitional plans as Maquan Elementary School enters its final year as an active school in Hanson this September.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner along with Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Safety and Security Dr. Patrick Dillon and other administrators have met with Maquan and Indian Head School faculty to discuss the transition.

Dillon is leading that transition.

“This summer, during the school break when kids aren’t in session, we’ll start to meet with school leaders who are responsible for various portions of the transition and start the detailed planning process,” Dillon said.

“I think we’ve made good progress,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “I think people feel comfortable that, if they do have questions, to bring them forward. We’re asking them to remain calm, we’ve been through this process before.”

Dillon reported the leadership team has been identified and new Special Education Director Kyle Riley will oversee the preschool and special ed transition at Maquan. Hanson Middle School Principal William Tranter will be responsible for the incorporation of fifth-graders into that school and Maquan Principal Elizabeth Wilcox, who will serve as principal of both schools next year, will also supervise the transition of the remaining grades into Indian Head.

The district had announced to parents last week that John Riley will continue as Indian Head School’s assistant principal and Director of Science Mark Stephansky, a licensed principal/assistant principal, will be based at Maquan where he will also serve as assistant principal.

Maquan Administrative Assistant Susan Andrews will remain in place next year and will move to Indian Head for the 2018-19 school year. Indian Head Administrative Assistant Joan Maloney is retiring, effective June 30, and a temporary assistant will be hired for next year. Maquan’s Early Childhood Coordinator Patricia Collins and School Psychologist Joan Joyce will continue to assist with administrative responsibilities.

A steering committee of from eight to 10 stakeholders will also help provide guidance in the process.

The committee also reviewed the district’s Emergency Management Plan, which has addressed situations this year ranging from a smell in the Hanson Middle School elevator and a gas problem at Whitman Middle School to the national concern over scary clown sightings last fall.

“As we were reflecting on that, folks were saying, ‘and that all happened this year?’ — and it did,” Gilbert-Whitner said.

For the past two years, Dillon, has been working on a comprehensive emergency plan.

“When we reflected on the events from this year, we became ever more certain as to why those things [in the plan] needed to happen,” Gilbert-Whitner said.

Dillon reported on the progress of his 13-person planning task force. That group has reviewed the plan and provided individual feedback, which will be incorporated into the plan and submitted to Gilbert-Whitner by the end of the month and the police and fire chiefs in both towns over the summer.

The 2017-18 training plan will be presented to the School Committee in August, including procedures for evacuation, relocation and reunification plan for emergencies.

“One of the goals next year will be to practice that evolution in one of the schools,” he said. “It won’t happen until the springtime, but that’s an example of what we’re training for.”

In other business, the Committee presented its evaluation of Gilbert-Whitner’s goals and performance for 2016-17.

“The committee seems to be very pleased with our superintendent,” School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes said of the rankings which were in the proficient-to-exemplary range. The reports are kept on file at the administration office.

“The role of the superintendent has really changed over the years,” said committee member Robert Trotta. “I think it’s important to know that there’s a lot that goes on at the superintendent level — just dealing with the budget alone has got to be the most frustrating thing … All in all, I think you’ve done a great job.”

“I know we’re getting beat up a lot with financial issues … but I’ve seen a lot of improvement in what’s happening,” said member Kevin Lynam, whose children attend school in Whitman. “I’ve seen science programs hit the elementary schools … my oldest did not have that program and my youngest do.”

He said his children are now always bringing home science projects and are talking about science.

“That never happened before,” he said. “Neither of their parents have a science background at all — this is all coming from the schools.”

Committee member Fred Small, cautioned that the budget situation remains a concern.

“There’s so much more that we could be doing and should be doing,” he said.

Hanson boards post ‘help wanted’ sign

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HANSON — As Hanson works to fill vacant posts on 31 town committees, it named two people on Tuesday, June 13 to new or revitalized committees.

Michelle Mills of Capt. Nathaniel Drive, a retired teacher and librarian who has had cerebral palsy and right hemiplegia since birth, was appointed to head up the Hanson Disability Commission. Holmes Street resident Gary Banuk, a retired teacher and industry researcher with budgetary experience, was appointed to the town’s dormant Education Fund Committee.

Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said discussion of the general state of committee vacancies should be delayed to June 27, due to the evening’s full agenda. The board concurred.

“I think it would be helpful to get descriptions of what each one of the committees does and how many people we’re down,” she said. “Then we could have a more robust discussion.”

Selectmen’s Administrative Assistant Meredith Marini has already done some of that work.

“Some of them are standing committees,, so we can skip over a bunch of them,” Marini said. “I’ll go through and pare it down and [leave] the ones that you are probably going to have questions on.”

Mills has a bachelor’s degree in special needs with a minor in psychology and is a pastoral minister to the disabled as well as chairman of the Cohasset Commission for the Disabled. She holds a certificate in pastoral care.

“I started the Commission on Disabilities in Cohasset,” Mills said of the group she chaired for seven years. “We want a van for the town for the seniors and we would be up for information.”

Town Administrator Michael McCue said the Disability Commission, just created at the October 2016 Town Meeting, would oversee efforts to make facilities accessible according to state and federal guidelines, assisting with decisions about sidewalks and crossings.

“Very specific people need to be on that — someone who is disabled, a family member of someone who is disabled — it’s rather succinct,”  McCue said. “As soon as we wanted to start to get rolling, I reached out to Mrs. Mills.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett said Hanson is fortunate to have someone with Mills’ experience step forward to take the post.

“We need someone designated to run the group and at least four Hanson citizens,” Banuk said. “I think people from Hanson would like to see the money distributed to Hanson people.”

He also said he would like to see the tax bill check-off changed.

“It starts at $1 to $10, which is nothing nowadays,” he said. “I think this is a way for people to put a few dollars into this, because I hear people talking about it … and maybe we can do something for the schools.”

Banuk had also served as a member of the former Indian Head and Maquan Schools Priority Repair Committee.

FitzGerald-Kemmett asked what the Education Fund Committee’s charter and purpose are. The committee, according to Selectmen’s Administrative Assistant Meredith Marini, was formed by Town Meeting in 1993 to form a committee consisting of the superintendent of schools or their designee, and four Hanson residents serving three-year terms to provide scholarships funded by a check-off box on town tax bills.

“The committee has been inactive for years,” Marini said. “The last time somebody was appointed to it was in 2008. Mr. Banuk has inquired about it and we’d like to get it up and running again.”

McCue said the fund currently contains about $7,500.

Selectmen also filled a vacancy — through June 30, 2018 — on the Recreation Commission, after some discussion about possibly tabling the decision in order to attract more applicants.

Selectman James Hickey suggested a month’s delay to bring in “new blood, perhaps someone who has not been in there before.” He also said he had been told a third application was coming in, but it had not been filed.

“I would like to see us be a lot more active in reaching out and soliciting more volunteers,” FitzGerald-Kemmett agreed. “This isn’t a reflection on anybody in the past, I’m just talking about going forward, this is what I’d like to see us do.”

The motion was withdrawn, however, at the request of Recreation Commission Chairman AnneMarie Bouzan, who urged action as the new commission is trying to get things moving again.

Health Board Administrative Assistant Theresa Cocio of 1211 Whitman St., was ultimately chosen on the stipulation that she step down from her post as union steward, but may remain on the negotiating committee. Cocio said she had indicated that willingness to Marini when she filed her application.

Bouzan noted that Cocio, who had applied for appointment when the new commission was appointed, had never volunteered for other boards.

Former Camp Kiwanee Caretaker and volunteer James Flanagan of 43 Baker St. had also applied.

“I knew you guys weren’t going to vote for me, so if you want to appoint her you can,” Flanagan said, withdrawing from consideration. “I was just throwing my hat in to volunteer. … I know that they can use a lending hand.”

McGahan said he appreciated the gesture.

“I’ll talk about the elephant in the room,” he said, referring to labor counsel Leo Peloquin’s report, which mentioned Flanagan in several areas. “I know that you objected to it, and I heard what you had said, but that is definitely something that struck me. … We’ve still got to heal and move forward. More time is needed.”

In other appointments, Health Agent Matt Tanis was named records access officer for the Board of Health, Senior Center Director Mary Collins was reappointed as a member of the Old Colony Elder Services Board of Directors and FitzGerald-Kemmett was appointed as the Board of Seletmen’s representative to the Hanson 200th Anniversary Committee.

“I have weaned down many of the other things that I was part of in order to give this job its due respect,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said of her new position of Selectman.

“You’ve got more energy than anyone can deal with, so absolutely,” McGahan said of his vote in support of her appointment.

With the change of Memorial Field Trustees from an elected to an appointed board, Selectmen voted to appoint Michael Josselyn of 33 Litchfield Lane, whose elected term would have expired in May 2018 and Robert O’Brien Jr., 1003 Monponsett St., who received the most votes for a two-year term ending in 2019. Mark Gomes, 113 Andrew Lane, who received the most votes for a three-year term, ending in 2020. Both Josselyn and O’Brien already serve on parks and fields and have said they would be willing to serve on the Memorial Field Trustees. Selectmen said Gomes had made no such commitment, and may withdraw if he wishes.

Arrests in Hanson incidents

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HANSON — Hanson police officers made arrests this week in two cases crediting police work, and alert witnesses for providing valuable information.

On June 14 just before 9:30 p.m., a masked male armed with a knife attempted to rob the Dunkin Donuts on Liberty Street. The employees reportedly fled the building to get help and the suspect left empty handed.

Officers were lead to the suspects after Officer Meegan of the Hanson Police had observed a similar car at Shaw’s matching the brown 2002 Ford Taurus that was seen leaving CVS at the time of the robbery and had obtained a plate number.

Subsequent interviews and video led Hanson Police to contact Quincy Police, said Chief Michael Miksch in a prepared press statement. The Dunkin Donuts manager assisted police in viewing the surveillance video. The footage showed a male party holding a knife in his hand, take the tip cup and attempted to open two cash registers.

Hanson Police were able to secure and execute two arrest warrants in the city of Quincy for Nicole Gallagher, 38, and Kenneth Gosselin III, 33, both of whom reside in Quincy.  Mrs. Gallagher is being held on $100,000 bail for arraignment in Plymouth District Court on Monday. Mr. Gosselin is also being held on $100,000 cash bail for arraignment Monday in Plymouth  Police were led to the suspects after interviewing the witnesses who observed a vehicle that matched the description of Mrs. Gallagher’s vehicle.

charges

Gallagher was arraigned on one count each armed and masked robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon. Gosselin  was arraigned on one count each of armed and masked robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon. They are both scheduled to be in court again on Tuesday, July 11. The investigation was led by Sgt. Andrews and Officer Meegan of the Hanson Police Department. Detective O’Brien, Officer Hughes, Officer Vigneau, Officer Peterson, and Officer Godwin were also instrumental in solving this case. The Hanson Police Department would like to thank the Quincy Police for their assistance as well as the area businesses and witnesses who provided valuable information.

Hanson Police received a report of a breaking and entering to a motor vehicle at Shaw’s Supermarket on Liberty Street just after 5 p.m. on Friday, June 16.

One of the vehicle’s windows was smashed and the perpetrators stole a purse. Witnesses reported seeing a green Mitsubishi Galant occupied by a male and female party in the area. A broadcast was sent out to area police departments with the vehicle later being located in Whitman at the CVS on Bedford Street. Whitman Sgt. Bombardier and Officer Young held the vehicle and the occupants until Hanson police could identify the parties.
Officers found the stolen pocketbook from the vehicle in Hanson. Police found numerous cell phones and pocketbooks in the car after obtaining a search warrant.

pair charged

Nicolas Flores, 24, of Brockton  and a 17-year-old female from Ohio were taken into custody and charged with breaking and entering to a motor vehicle, larceny over $250, and destruction of property over $250. The female was being held in custody by Department of Youth Services until her arraignment in Plymouth Juvenile Court Monday. Flores was being held on $2500 cash bail at the Plymouth House of Correction.  He was arraigned on Monday in Plymouth District Court. Flores was arraigned on in Plymouth District Court June 19. He is next due in court on Aug. 8.

The Hanson Police are working to locate the owners of this merchandise. Sgt. Peter Calogero, Officer Elisha Sullivan, and Sgt. Michael Bearce  assisted in the case. The cooperation of witnesses and the Whitman Police were also greatly appreciated, said Miksch.

Kirby to be feted

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WHITMAN — Selectmen on Tuesday, June 20, discussed eviction proceedings aimed at squatters inhabiting a recently foreclosed property on Temple Street as well as plans to honor the late state Sen. Edward Kirby at a Whitman Park ceremony on Saturday.

The board has proclaimed Saturday, June 24 as Edward P. “Ned” Kirby Day in Whitman, which will include a tree dedication in his memory at the Whitman Park bandstand at 11 a.m. Saturday.

June O’Leary of the Friends of Whitman Park said a great American elm tree, selected by the Department of Public Works, has already been planted and will be the centerpiece of the ceremony.

She said Kirby had been especially helpful when she first came to the Board of Selectmen for permission to work on improving the park 17 years ago.

“When I wrote my first grant, for $285,000, Ned was a big part of that,” she said. “We appreciate that.”

The short ceremony in the park will include presentation of citations to Mary Alice Kirby.

The Selectmen’s citation, researched by the board’s Administrative Assistant Laurie O’Brien, notes Kirby’s legal education and Korean War-era service in the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s office as well as his service as both a state representative for six years and a state senator and as an elected member of the Plymouth County Commissioners. He also served as an administrative law judge and a worker’s compensation appeals judge. Kirby was also instrumental in returning commuter rail service to the area.

“I wanted to recognize him,” O’Leary said. “We just don’t thank people enough, we really don’t. There are people in this town — like yourselves — that serve for years and that service should be recognized. I appreciated Ned, he was the type of person that you were glad to see coming … he had a wonderful outlook on life.”

Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski noted that both he and Town Administrator Frank Lynam had the same experience with Kirby at different times.

“He was the first person to welcome us to town,” Kowalski said. “He ran to us at church. … He was a terrific guy and I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

The land court authorized the foreclosure of the property at 1030 Temple St., in December. Subject to a recapture, the property owner — or their heirs — have a year to reclaim the property, of which time six months remains.

“I do have a concern that there are people, for lack of a better word, squatting in the property,” Lynam said, seeking the board’s approval to have the town’s land title attorney take the necessary steps to evict them and secure the building. “Although I’m aware there are people in the property, I didn’t want to move in the winter months because I’m also aware there’s a young child there and was reluctant to start an eviction process.”

Once the foreclosure process is complete, the town gets the proceeds of sale. according to Lynam.

“We’re into the property right now for a $76,000 in taxes, fees and interest plus whatever interest we expend to secure the property,” he said.

In other business, Selectmen approved year-end transfers and announced receipt of a Green Communities Grant, for which Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green wrote the application.

The transfers included those from the Selectmen’s office for the elevator, accounts and street lighting. Transfers for the Health Inspector’s line and two for clerical expenses were also included, as well as a transfer for part-time clerical expenses at the Conservation Commission as well as a small transfer for additional clerical at the Council on Aging.

DPW is working on a water main project, replacing water gates that are more than 10 years old, on Bedford Street where the state is working on the reconfiguration of two intersections. Lynam said they want to take the opportunity to have the state do some of the work at what would be a discounted cost. The cost of the necessary engineering is just under $20,000, which is being transferred from retained earnings in this year’s budget to pay for those costs.

Green said the $197,408 phase two grant will allow lighting upgrades in the police station and DPW building as well as heating systems in the fire station and library, while make possible the purchase of an industrial sized steamer/kettle cooker for Whitman Middle School.

“By completing that grant, Lisa is returning to the town not only in savings, but in actual capital costs, more than twice her salary,” Lynam said.

Hanson begins planning Maquan future

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, June 13 voted to appoint Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett as the board’s liaison to work with the town administrator in formulating a proposal for a committee to explore transition options for the Maquan School building.

“I feel a sense of urgency on this because we don’t have much time, and I know government has a tendency to kind of work slow,” Selectmen Chairman James McGahan said. “There’s got to be a timeline on this. If we don’t act on this timeline, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) stuff can’t be transitioned and the building formally closes, then there’s really nothing you can do with it. We have to have a plan.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett will meet with Town Administrator Michael McCue as a point person, over the next two weeks, in formulating an ad hoc committee for the board to vote on at the June 27 meeting.

“One of the main topics at the next meeting is going to be boards and committees, so this should fit in nicely with that, as opposed to just doing it on the fly right now,” McCue said.

The School Committee officially informed Selectmen by letter May 22 of its April 12 vote to return the school building to the town due to declining enrollment. The district has also updated parents and guardians of administrative changes for the school’s final year — the 2017-18 school year.

The committee will be charged with recommending what the town should do with the building, including whether to sell or lease it — or to tear it down, McGahan said.

With the upcoming retirement of Indian Head School Principal Elaine White, effective June 30, Maquan Principal Dr. Elizabeth Wilcox will serve as principal of both schools next year. John Riley will continue as Indian Head School’s assistant principal and Director of Science Mark Stephansky, a licensed principal/assistant principal, will be based at Maquan where he will also serve as assistant principal.

Maquan Administrative Assistant Susan Andrews will remain in place next year and will move to Indian Head for the 2018-19 school year. Indian Head Administrative Assistant Joan Maloney is retiring, effective June 30, and a temporary assistant will be hired for next year. Maquan’s Early Childhood Coordinator Patricia Collins and School Psychologist Joan Joyce will continue to assist with administrative responsibilities.

Selectman Kenny Mitchell said he wanted to see a feasibility report, but McGahan said the report made during the former School Building Committee’s work is still available.

“If we don’t act soon enough, we could miss a window,” McGahan said.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said she understood Mitchell’s concern, but noted the committee would not make a final decision, it would “simply ferret out all the information that this board would need to make the decision about what they would propose to Town Meeting.”

She said residents must be informed of the pros and cons of the available choices — including whether to lease, sell or raze it.

“There’s only so many options,” she said.

“If we were going to sell it, I think we would need a commercial realtor to come in and put a value on it to see what it’s worth,” Mitchell said. “Is that something the community would do?”

FitzGerald-Kemmett also said the building’s proximity to the Indian Head School should also be taken into account in what the building might be used for if it is sold.

McGahan said the town should also take into account the need for playing space for indoor youth sports teams such as cheerleaders and basketball.

“My biggest concern is the pitfalls to be unwary of [include] when does that ADA get triggered and when do all the required code upgrades get triggered,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Is it if we sell it, is it if it starts being used at all, if it’s leased does that grandfather us in? We really need some help maneuvering through all those kinds of decisions.”

In other business, the board began hearing suggestions from members for its goals for the coming year. FitzGerald-Kemmett outlined her concerns about some ongoing projects as well issues she would like to see the board take on. McGahan also listed some issues of concern, with other Selectmen due to submit their lists in the coming days.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said she wanted to see updates on the sale of town-owned properties and planning for the Plymouth County Hospital site as well as a cost estimate on razing and site cleanup of the existing highway barn as part of the project to place a new facility at the former Lite Control site.

New goals she listed included: exploring the use of the former Plymouth County 4-H building at the food pantry site for a potential use as a senior center; work with the Capital Improvement Committee and department heads to get a clear picture of the status of town buildings; Main Street development; better public outreach to inform residents of programs, town needs and upcoming meetings and elections; and formulating a performance measurement format for McCue.

McGahan asked for formulation of a sidewalk plan, aiming at 1,000 feet per year over the next 10 years, to protect pedestrian safety as well as exploring the potential for placing solar panels at the food pantry to help defray utility costs.

Selectmen also voted to empower Selectmen Don Howard to vote for the Plymouth County Commissioner’s budget, except for the line item that would increase commissioners’ salaries by $13,000 per year. The board is asking for that increase — which returns the three commissioners’ pay to the $28,000 that was paid the position before 2008 — be phased in over three years.

The pay had been cut under pervious commissioners, when a previous administrator was displeased with their job performance. Plymouth Selectmen has already unanimously voted not to support the increase.

‘I see champions …’

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172 graduate from SSVT

COHASSET — The 172 members of the South Shore Vocational Technical High School Class of 2017 have been urged to be champions of others — they are already champions themselves.

“You have character, a strong work ethic and talent,” Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey told his graduates Friday, June 9 during ceremonies at the South Shore Music Circus. “You’re a group of young adults who are ready to fix, to build, to lead, to create, to heal, to serve. I see champions everywhere I look.”

Introducing his theme with an audio highlight clip of Super Bowl LI, courtesy of 98.5 Sports Hub Radio Producer Howie Sylvester, Hickey urged the students to remember the word “champion” is also a verb.

“When we champion the causes of others, it means we are there to support and rally to others in need,” he said. “Because there will be people in your lives, at home, at work, who will be down 25 points, and they may not have a Brady or an Edelman, or a Belichick behind them. But they will have you.”

Student speakers, too, spoke of the difference the Class of 2017 has already done in their four years at SSVT.

“We were artists and actors, craftsmen and friends,” said Valedictorian and Senior Class President Benjamin Duncan. “Each one of us having a unique skill set and talent that we were ready and eager to share with the world.”

Duncan shared the last of his infamous annotated emails to his fellow seniors, offering a 13-point to-do list for life after high school. Expressing gratitude, smiling often, living simply and showing persistence were among those goals.

“Let’s throw ourselves out into the open and let’s not be afraid to make mistakes, because who knows where taking those chances will lead us in the future,” he concluded.

Salutatorian Dakota-Lyn Bagley used her volleyball team’s growth in her four years as an example of how she has also grown as a student, an athlete and a person.

“High school is difficult,” she said. “It is awkward and an emotional rollercoaster for everyone. … I was lucky to find stability at SSVT and I cannot put into words how thankful I am that I met all of you people that helped me find it.”

She said the process will start all over again with the start of college in the fall.

“But my time at SSVT has taught me that I will be OK,” she said.

Student Body President Jacob Cormier also lauded the school for providing each student the opportunity to discover their own unique talents.

“The experiences during the time at Vo-Tech have shaped every single one of us in some incredible way,” Cormier said. “If I hadn’t come to this school, I would be a completely different person.”

Assistant Principal Mark Aubrey summed up the Class of 2017 in a different way before handing out the diplomas:

“Every graduating class is a little unique,” he said. “Looking back at this class, the best way I can describe it is — young at heart. This is the class that brought a bouncy house to school last week. That’s before some mean, older guy told them they had to take it down.”

Whitman and Hanson graduates of SSVT are:

              WHITMAN

Sarah Achin, David Anderson, Olivia Baker-Buckley, Matthew Bennett, Cassidy Burt, Steven Coates, Ashley Corkery, Corissa Crowley, Alex Cullinan, Mitchell Ellis, Alexis Green, Shawn Holland, Christopher Kearns, Jared Keith, Liam Leonard, Christopher Martell, Sarah Maul, Nathan Maynard, Owen McLaughlin, Alex McPherson, Jonathan Mills, Kelly O’Sullivan, Cassie Rapoza, Alexandra Reiser, Christian Tanner.

HANSON

Brian Buchanan, Brian Burns, Alexander Cross, Tylor Fleming, Harry Gauthier, Colby Ingemi-Jolie, Dylan Key, Matthew McAndrew, Kade Milewski, Harrison Newcomb, Christopher Pellerin, Emily Sansone, Derek Stalker.

W-H lauds its CES graduates

They’ve already taken the road less traveled toward earning their high school diplomas, so Community Evening School Co-Director William  Glynn had some suggestions for the 18 students of the Class of 2017 — keep blazing different trails.

Be the first one to dance at a party. Eat weird foods — try mayonnaise on your hot dog. Read books no one has made you read and authentically share your life with others.

He also asked the students to step up to help change their world, by being themselves.

“This evening’s ceremony not only celebrates the countless hours of hard work of our graduates, but the dedication of those who have supported the students throughout their journey,” Co-Director Dianne Nicol said in her welcoming remarks Thursday, June 1. “Everyone sitting in this auditorium has contributed to each student’s success — give yourself a well-deserved round of applause.”

The keynote speaker, Glynn has been a part of the graduates’ entire high school experience. He asked the students if they felt nervous on the occasion he felt “terrified — and I’m from Whitman, so imagine how the people from Hanson feel right now,” he quipped.

He congratulated the students from the heart.

“You did this,” he said. “Of course, people helped you — family, friends, even some teachers, all looked out for you. They guided you, they goaded you, in some cases they affectionately dragged you here to this moment. But you did this.”

He said many had overcome challenges that would have stopped others in the room dead in their tracks.

“It will provide a place of strength from which you can better face the challenges, seize the opportunities and enjoy the splendors of the world that now lie before you,” Glynn said. “Get out there and experience it.”

He urged them to go places they’ve never been, to meet new people and try new things — including that bit about mayo on hot dogs. He also urged them to listen to new music and work a bunch of different jobs.

“Some things will work out beyond your wildest expectations,” he said. “Some things, to speak the truth … might feel like soul-crushing disasters.”

Both kinds are invaluable experiences that can enrich and ennoble life and neither is forever, Glynn said.

School Committee Chairman Robert Hayes noted that while CES students may not go through the “typical program of studies, but it got them here” as graduates of WHRHS.

“You have to stay committed and finish — finish everything that you do. It’s a must,” Hayes said. “As you know, this was not an easy task. … the future has great hope for all of you. Stay focused and committed.”

He also advocated that the students dream big and remain life-long learners.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner also addressed the class, in the same theme of the meaning of success as her address to the 282 students who graduated Friday, June 2.

“When success is defined as favorable or desired outcomes, each one of you is a success, having accomplished all the requirements to obtain a high school diploma,” she said.

She also urged them to savor the moment.

“Memories that will last a lifetime are being created right now,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “For those of us who graduated from high school some time ago, those memories are rekindled as we proudly watch the Class of 2017 receive their diplomas.”

Students then received their diplomas from persons each had asked to make the presentation.

CES Class of 2017

Rebecca Helen Ames presented by Bruce Gardner, Owen Robert Andrews, Jesmelia Isabel Brandao presented by Emelia Ortiz, Aaron Douglas Brown presented by Vivki Brown, Paulo Roberto De Oliviera presented by Maureen Garrett, Taylor Grace Fitzgerald presented by Paul Fitzgerald and Kim Baker, Sarah Catherine Folan presented by Shana Folan, Katrina Lucille Freeman presented by Jeffrey Andrews, Thomas Ray Hines was absent, Cameron Charles Hunsinger presented by Rachel Hunsinger, Katherine Anne Lee presented by Kerry DeSista, Ryan Patrick McCabe presented by William Glynn, Cole James McCarthy presented by William Glynn, Joseph Scott McHugh presented by his father, Bailee Frances Poirier presented by William Glynn, Mark Joseph Smith presented by Bruce Gardner, Shelton Caribe Terry presented by William Glynn and Debra Rose Williams who was absent.

Hanson man aids in rescue after crash

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A 52 year old Cape Cod man is fortunate to be alive after a fiery crash Tuesday afternoon when he veered off the road and into a tree near 113 Monponsett Street by the Halifax-Plympton line.

The unidentified male was partially ejected from the impact when witnesses reached him they pulled him to safety through the vehicle window.

Andy Lewis of Hanson reportedly told first responders he heard the crash from across the street in a field where he was using a brush mower.

A few cars back, off-duty firefighter Richard Moroge of Wareham witnessed the Jeep Grand Cherokee going off the road.  They jumped into action dragging the male approximately 20 feet away from the burning vehicle. The vehicle had a fully involved engine fire after striking the tree; however the driver cab had not caught fire in the minutes that ensued, according to Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros.

Moroge’s department website lists him as a Wareham firefighter since 1984.

Multiple 911 calls were received by passersby at the Regional Old Colony Communications Center in Duxbury   at 1:23 p.m. The male sustained non-life threatening injuries and was ground-transported by Halifax EMS.

Halifax and Plympton police and Plympton Fire Chief Borsari all assisted at the scene. Halifax police are investigating the accident.

Budget talks begin

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Whitman and Hanson town administrators will meet with school district Business Services Director Christine Suckow over the summer to examine the numbers and create a document outlining revenue — and expenses for all departments and capital improvement needs — as they begin work on a comprehensive budget approach for next fiscal year.

Another meeting will be scheduled when that process is concluded, most likely before Sept. 11, as Whitman Town Administrator Frank Lynam urged a realistic fiscal outlook be ready by September.

Former W-H School Committee Chairman Wilbur Danner of Hanson had suggested appointing subcommittees to examine the “actual cost of the schools or the departments” and bring that information back for discussion.

“We can sit here and talk forever about what we need. We need something tangible … then work together to try and reach that goal,” agreed School Committee member Robert Trotta.

More than two dozen town and school district officials, School Committee members and concerned residents from both communities met Monday, June 12, conducting a wide-ranging discussion to begin the process of determining how to best coordinate town and school budgets to meet ongoing fiscal challenges.

“This is not a School Committee meeting,” said Chairman Bob Hayes, who facilitated the session Monday night. “This is a meeting of people in town and town officials. … [We’re trying] to be objective to try and settle some of this budget stuff, and it’s not just school budgets — the towns are having the same issues.”

The greatest need is one of more revenue to fund all town budgets, officials said.

“We’re trying to figure out how, collectively, how to move forward,” Hayes said. “For years people have urged us to start early to see what we could do. Now we’re off and running.”

He stressed the group is in no way trying to circumvent boards of selectmen, but rather seeks to come up with ideas for addressing financial challenges facing both communities.

State Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, attended and state Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman was represented by staff member David Walsh.

“You’re not alone,” Cutler said. “Every town is facing these kind of challenges. … At the state level, we’re having the same sort of issues with revenue, our revenues are not meeting their benchmarks.”

New state revenue sources are being considered, such as an Airbnb tax or a surtax on the state income tax, as well as the revenue from now-legal recreational marijuana, once governing legislation is complete, he said. Absent major changes such as those, Cutler doesn’t expect to see Chapter 70 increases for the next three years or so.

“I think we should be suing the state,” School Committee member Fred Small said about cuts to such mandated reimbursement programs.

Hanson Selectmen Chairman James McGahan and Whitman Selectmen Chairman Carl Kowalski also attended along with Whitman Finance Committee member Shawn Kain and Michael Dugan of the Hanson Finance Committee.

“We’re coming down to two basic principals,” Dugan said. “Where’s the revenue coming from and what are the expenses we need to support. … Poor choice of words, but where the biggest fires are going to be.”

Schools represent about 33 percent of Hanson’s budget and 65 percent of Whitman’s. Student population also has an affect on those percentages.

Kain urged a greater level of transparency in the budgeting and financial planning process, with a long-term approach.

“If we’re going to ask people to sacrifice, it’s very important that we demonstrate to people how we’re sacrificing in all departments,” Kain said.

Lynam said gross estimates from the towns and the schools by August or September would help identify what the towns can expect for the next fiscal year’s budgets.

“The bigger picture is our ability to identify our resources, your needs and put them together to figure out how to meet them,” Lynam said. “The elephant in the room is how much of that budget has to be allocated to education. … What I would like to see from the schools is earlier estimates.”

Whitman resident Christopher George asked why firefighters and police personnel did not face the same layoffs as teachers during recent tight budget years.

“The only department that lost employees was the schools,” he said. “Every other town around us has figured out they need more revenue. … In the absence of more revenue, the other departments have, essentially, kept level service and at some point that’s got to give.”

Lynam said finding the revenue was the only viable solution.

“We’re not going to cut fire,” he said. “We’re not going to have people waiting for an ambulance for 13 minutes because only one shift’s on. You’re not going to cut police with everything that’s going on.”

He said there are three departments that deliver a “huge percentage of essential services” — the schools, police and fire department — along with public works.

“The rest of us are overhead,” Lynam said. “But without that overhead, nothing else gets done.”

Practically speaking, George said he is talking about an operational override that could result in cuts across the board to all departments if it failed.

“This group is talking more of getting together to see how we’re going to expand revenue, not how we’re going to kill each other,” Hayes said.

Whitman resident Marshall Ottina also urged that public safety officials be included in the meetings to help ensure the financial plan is comprehensive, representing all town departments.

“Department-wise [approach] tends to pit one against the other, and we don’t want to do that anymore because nobody wins,” agreed Whitman-Hanson Education Association Vice President Beth Stafford. “If we present a united front and present one thing ‘for the town’ … I think that’s really important.”

School Committee member Dan Cullity noted that the overall budget problem started in 2008 when the state reduced its Chapter 70 reimbursement from about 70 percent to about 50 percent. The state has also informed the district that the towns must increase funding closer to the expected target share.

Grants that have been depended on to fill the void and support needed programs are also beginning to run out, which present another budget challenge.

McGahan asked about the possibility of hiring a professional grant-writer, perhaps one paid on the basis of the successful applications they write.

“Grants are called soft money,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner. “They’re going to be here for a period of time and then they’re gone, so in terms of sustainability that’s a concern.”

The district often has to partner with other districts or educational collaboratives that better qualify with demographic profiles in obtaining grants.

School Committee member Alexandra Taylor asked about the likelihood of attracting more commercial development to benefit the tax base.

“From a practical standpoint, the only way to generate that revenue is to move Whitman and Hanson to a highway,” Lynam said. “We’re too far off the road to attract large businesses.”

While Whitman does well with small business, revenue raising is limited to taxes and fees, he said.

Elimination or charging fees for non-mandated busing of school children was also questioned as a possible revenue source by a parent. But Lynam argued families with two working parents often depend on that transportation for their children.

“That’s a voters’ decision,” he said.

Gilbert-Whitner also noted the district is required by law to provide transportation for any student who lives two miles or more from a school, and is reimbursed for transporting students within a mile and a half.

Whitman resident Cheryl George pointed to surrounding towns’ success in passing operational overrides to support all departments. But others pointed out, Whitman-Hanson’s regional school district, and the commercial tax base of those surrounding towns, makes the process more difficult.

Gas main ruptured: No injuries reported as repairs made

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WHITMAN — A mushroom-like plume of brown debris was seen drifting over homes on Hogg Memorial Drive in Whitman around 8:20 a.m. on Thursday, June 1 after workers in the street hit a gas main while replacing water pipes — an ongoing project in the neighborhood, according to Fire Chief Timothy Grenno.

A Whitman officer on a detail at the scene reported the initial gas break alerting officials to the incident. The area was shut down to traffic and residents in approximately 15 homes on the street, out of an abundance of caution, were evacuated. There were six people combined and the Whitman Middle School on Corthell Avenue was used as a brief place of shelter for those closest to the accident zone, Grenno stated in a press release.

National Grid was on scene later around 9:30 a.m. and began to repair the pipe. Later in the day a Clean Harbor crew was preparing to sanitize the area after 5 p.m. A worker said he was unable to comment on what was being cleaned or tested and referred the Express reporter to National Grid for comments.

The initial incident was startling to neighbors who said they did not hear anything just voices and shouting following the incident as the crew realized they hit the gas main.

Jennifer Grady, who lives at 201 Hogg Memorial Drive where the digging was occurring and quickly realized there was something serious as she saw brown smoke covering her windows. She exited her home and later was directed to leave the area for safety reasons.

Two homes closest to the scene were covered in brown and reddish dirt and rust. There were no reported injuries.  Residents were able to return home at about 10:20 a.m. according to Grenno.

“When you have a leak of that size, it clears all the rust and dirt out of the line, because of this, a brown gas cloud covered the south and west end of town and began blowing into the center of town,” Grenno said.

Whitman is at the end of the National Grid line in a highly pressurized area.  Firefighters secured the scene and set up hoses to protect nearby structures, anticipating possible ignition of the gas, he said.

EMS was also on scene to assist a male resident on the street who was unable to exit his home due to his medical status and sheltered in place at his residence.

Whitman Police assisted on scene and were instrumental in evacuating homes. The East Bridgewater Fire Department provided station coverage for Whitman and responded to several emergencies in town.

Whitman Fire Rescue cleared the scene around 11:30 a.m. National Grid was on-site completing repairs, and Hogg Memorial Drive was closed until all crews cleared.

“We’re thankful that no one was hurt and we appreciate residents’ cooperation and patience during this incident,” said Chief Grenno  “At no time was anyone in serious danger.”