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Planning a walk in the park: Hanson panel recommends park at hospital site

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HANSON — A municipal park — perhaps including a common, walking and picnic areas or a gazebo bandstand — has been recommended by the Final Plymouth County Hospital Committee as a use for a portion of the property once the dilapidated hospital building is razed in April.

“Even though we have great resources like sports fields, a nice pond on either side of the Town Hall and Camp Kiwanee, Hanson has never in its history had an actual park,” Committee member, and Conservation Commission Chairman, Phil Clemons said.

Selectmen voted Tuesday, Feb. 7 to support the recommendation for designing a park on the site. Selectman Don Howard chairs the PCH Committee. The vote, not intended as a final approval, enables the PCH Committee to move forward with financing a park design.

Selectmen also approved a bid from Almar LLC of Medfield, as well as a change order, for the latest roof repair project at Maquan School.

The park project would be located in parcel two on the 55-acre property, in which three parcels with distinct features have been identified. Parcel two is where the food pantry, community garden, water tower and other buildings are located.

“It’s a sensible thing to do,” said Clemons. “We think we’ve answered questions regarding funding and the whole concept. The committee would be interested in feedback from this board.”

The board liked what they heard.

“You came to us with a potential solution,” said Selectmen Chairman James McGahan. “But, not only did you come to us with a solution, you came to us with a point on how to fund it, so I’m very impressed.”

He updated the Board of Selectmen on the PCH panel’s work. The committee has also proposed ways to fund the project.

Clemons’ PowerPoint presentation outlined the PCH Committee’s work over the course of more than 45 meetings, and indicated residents expressed a “strong desire” for a park at the site in a survey conducted last year.

“We need to make sure we set aside a way to fund the maintenance of the park,” McGahan said. “I’m sure that’s a big concern.”

Voters at the October 2016 Town Meeting authorized $1.8 million for razing the former hospital and outbuildings, with a bid of $1 million awarded to J. R. Vinagro. The balance of the unused funds reverts to the town and cannot be retained for maintenance.

The Committee has proposed the establishment of an account in which proceeds from the sale of the former hospital superintendent’s house “or a few other sources,” would be deposited to help fund maintenance. The panel also recommends an appraisal of the superintendent’s house.

The Committee has also applied to the Conway School of Landscape Design to plan a park on the site, estimated to cost about $7,000 and expects to hear that result soon. Clemons said feedback on the application has been “very positive.” The $7,000 price tag would encompass several site visits and a public meeting in Hanson for public input and ideas as they gather information. The cost would be paid over two installments at the beginning and end of the process.

Town Administrator Michael McCue said, at that price level, there is no need for competitive procurement.

Community Preservation funds are considered as a funding source for the design, but that process could delay the work. The town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) expected to be completed this month, would allow the committee to apply for several grants for the park. It also makes $4,000 in Conservation Commission funds immediately available for the park project, as well as more modest conservation funds that could be permitted for use by the state.

On Feb. 15 the Conservation Commission will discuss and vote on the possibility of going that route.

“Every previous version of that [OSRP] plan has included vague ideas about the county hospital — now it’s time to get specific,” Clemons said.

Besides a common, the plan could also include a low-maintenance playground, accessible walking trails, connection to the 200-mile Bay Circuit Trail and a possible dog park.

Other recommendations for the PCH property’s remaining parcels that are still under discussion, involve expanding the water tank easement to allow a second water tank, supporting the Bonney House as an historic education site, exploring the possibility of an unobtrusive cell tower and a solar array option for the south end of the property.

“There’s income for the town from [a solar facility],” Clemons said.

The PCH Committee is also investigating the use of online crowdfunding sites such as GoFundMe to help pay for the project and its maintenance.

“We seek not to increase, but to control tax burdens,” he said.

“From what I can see, it gives you some revenue from the solar and the only thing you’re missing is an adult driving range,” Selectman Bruce young said.

“We think the golfing public has other options,” Clemons said.

Maquan roof

The board’s vote on the bid for the repairs to a small section of the Maquan School roof followed a similar vote by the School Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

The School Committee recommended awarding the contract to Almar LLC for a bid of $44,747 as well as an alternative of $9,500 for a total of $54,247 for the second phase of the roof’s repair. The Selectmen’s vote allows McCue and School Business Services Director Christine Suckow to sign the contract.

The work entails additional items found that were not part of the original roof repair contract for the flat part of the school’s roof. Flashing and brickwork found in need of repair will now be addressed.

A $7,600 change order with consultants Gale Engineering was also approved to appoint the firm as clerk of the works on the project.

School choice is renewed: Panther sports participation is debated

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School choice has again been approved for the 2017-18 school year at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, despite a lengthy debate on whether the program puts local student-athletes at a disadvantage.

Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak advocated maintaining 20 school choice slots for the incoming freshman class, 10 sophomores and to keep space open for any current student who moves out of district. This is the fourth year of W-H’s participation in the program.

“The program has grown and, in my opinion, is successful both for our students and financially,” Szymaniak said. “I think kids come here for athletics, I think kids come here for academics, I would love to say kids come here for band — they don’t yet, but I’m getting there. I have a student who’s doing band and chorus who’s a school choice student.”

He said the funds brought in through school choice have funded the hiring of seven teachers at the high school, added programs and lowered some class sizes.

School choice allows students to attend schools in other districts for their education, which brings a stipend of money — usually about $5,000 per student — to the receiving district. For fiscal 2018 that would mean an additional $260,000 in the high school’s portion of the budget, less about $70,000 for out-of-district special needs placements, for net gain of about $190,000.

W-H students who leave the district — 16 of the 40 now taking part in school choice — during their high school years are also permitted to continue attending until graduation under the program.

“The other part of that is, we’ve added some diversity to our school with students — from Weymouth, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Middleboro, Rockland, Abington — all in the adjoining areas that are a benefit to our students,” Szymaniak said. “Parents who sent their students here for school choice are committed to the school.”

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the committee voted 5-2, with Chairman Bob Hayes abstaining, to maintain school choice participation. Members Christopher Howard and Michael Jones voted against the proposal with Stephen Bois, Daniel Cullity, Fred Small, Alexandra Taylor and Robert Trotta voting in favor. Members Kevin Lynam and Robert O’Brien were not present.

“Since we’ve gone to school choice, with the financial resources we have, we’ve been able to focus more on K-8 education because the high school has been able to separate some of its own revenue,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner, noting it helped address class-size problems at the elementary level. “It does allow some focused funding. … Without school choice money, the high school program will definitely suffer, because that’s a significant revenue source.”

Team cuts

But, some of the committee members who cast supporting votes also expressed concerns on the athletics issue. Cullity explained the committee has received calls from several residents alleging that out-of-town athletes are recruited to attend W-H under the school choice program.

Both Szymaniak and Athletic Director Bob Rodgers emphatically denied the accusation, explaining it is against MIAA rules and is something the school’s coaches would not do on ethical grounds.

Rodgers said news reporters, the MIAA and the school choice students have vetted the soccer program’s rule compliance. The only member of the girls’ soccer team approached by its head coach David Floeck about coming to W-H was his own daughter.

“He’s been at W-H for a very long time and is a man of his word,” Rodgers said. “It’s disappointing [to hear the rumor] because W-H has had a lot of success before school choice and would continue to have it if the vote tonight was different. This decision should not be made because of athletics.”

“I have to trust my number two,” Szymaniak said of Floeck, who is the assistant principal as well as the girls’ soccer coach. “He’s a good man and said, ‘Absolutely not. I would never put you,’ meaning me, ‘in that situation.’ … Any time a program I successful, people look to tear it down.”

Szymaniak noted that Floeck was Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2009 — and had All-American players on the team — before school choice was adopted by W-H.

“We run a good program and we run it clean,” he said.

Szymaniak did say that W-H teachers who live in other districts tell people they know that they should send their kids to W-H, but that no athletic recruiting is being done.

Rodgers and Szymaniak said there are school choice athletes on four W-H teams, and that there have been some local students cut from the girl’s soccer team in favor of school choice students.

“When I accept a student, they become a Panther,” Szymaniak said.

Rodgers said there are now 14 school choice students, four in multiple sports, participating in W-H athletics, with only six taking part in a cut sport — girls’ soccer — in which only two girls were cut from varsity to JV. In most cases, they fill out rosters with vacancies, such as fall and winter JV cheerleading. There were also no cuts made in gymnastics and varsity cheerleading.

“Most students come here for academic reasons, but there’s no question the girls’ soccer team is one of the best in the state,” Rodgers said. “When girls [who play soccer] are not happy with their home district, they look to W-H.”

Taylor Kofton, an All-American soccer player on the girls’ team, is a school choice player from Norton. Her national team coach advised her to find a Division 1 high school team so she would be eligible to go to a Division1 college. Norton is a Division 3 school and W-H is Division 1.

“I’m concerned that the word is out to come to W-H to play soccer,” said Trotta, who has never been a strong supporter of school choice. He asked if Rodgers could prepare a report before the issue comes back before the committee next year on whether, indeed, school choice has an effect on local students’ participation in sports. Rodgers agreed to prepare such a report.

Jones, who opposes school choice as a revenue source, wondered how many Whitman and Hanson students were reluctant to even try out against the student-athletes coming here through the program.

“How many come through school choice to play sports is irrelevant,” Taylor argued. “I think we do a huge disservice to our district and our children if we cut school choice because that’s too much revenue.”

“Our obligation is to our towns’ pupils,” Small said, adding he would not like to see a Whitman or Hanson student forced to go to the back of the line on a sport. “That being said, is it the greater good by accepting school choice?”

He thought a report from Rodgers would be helpful for next year’s decision and voted yes.

At least one person in the audience was not completely persuaded.

“As a parent, if my child was a child who was cut I’d be here screaming and hollering if a kid from another town got to play his position,” retired teacher, and Hanson resident Margaret Westfield said.

Rodgers said for three of the six school choice girls’ soccer players, sports was not the main reason they came to W-H, noting their parents had citied academic, staffing or building quality concerns in their home districts.

fact of life

Gilbert-Whitner also said school choice is not her favorite program, but said surrounding communities offer it, and attracts W-H students away.

“We are charged to find more revenue and it’s one source of revenue that’s there,” she said. “It’s a fact of life in Massachusetts until it changes.”

Szymaniak also said school choice helps maintain student population at a time of decreasing enrollment from Whitman and Hanson. He would like to maintain a high school population of 1,200, but is “well below that” now. An enrollment drop at the high school could also force league and division level changes for the athletic program, which would affect all WHRHS students, he argued.

School choice has not affected students’ ability to get into an AP class at W-H, other than in regard to course times, Szymaniak said.

School choice applications must include academic, discipline and MCAS records.

Schools face budget crunch

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Taking a ‘serious look’ at costs

Falling revenues and increasing costs may force some drastic changes in the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, School Committee members, residents and officials from both towns have been warned.

School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes said the panel will have to “take a serious look” at how the district operates and may have to consider eliminating high school athletics, closing the Maquan School and consolidating those students into Hanson’s Indian Head School, staff layoffs and double sessions to save money.

“All of those things are on the table,” Hayes said. “This is not ‘we keep coming to you and crying wolf,’ this is serious. Every year it gets worse and worse and worse.”

Hayes said the district is just beginning of the process as a proposed level-service budget for fiscal 2018, that is $2.7 million in the red, was rolled out at the Wednesday, Feb. 1 School Committee meeting. That hole is due to a $1.8 million increase in expenses and a revenue shortfall of more than $800,000. That is a combined revenue decrease of 1.5 percent.

W-H’s per-pupil expenditure of $11,703 is 11th from the bottom of spending among all districts in the state and both towns remain below target share, a figure that the state has looked to since 2011 as it determines Chapter 70 aid levels. W-H now receives 63 percent of its funding from state aid. The state average for per-pupil spending is $14,935

Declining enrollment in both towns can also have an impact of state aid levels, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner.

She said the budget includes a level-service proposal of $48,937,127. The increase in the budget’s bottom line — not to be confused with operating assessments to towns — is $1,857,987 or 3.95 percent.

Gilbert-Whitner said the FY 2018 budget needs to provide the 21st century education students deserve, rather than the education of the 1950s or ’60s, in very challenging fiscal times. Critical thinking, communication and technology skills are part of that.

“We have to come up with an assessment,” Hayes said. “Obviously, some of this [deficit] may get erased with new state funding. It may get worse. We’re going to have to take some serious looks at some serious issues.”

Business Services Director Christine Suckow said assessments based on a level-funded formula, because of enrollment shifts, would see Hanson’s assessment go down $162,000 and Whitman go up by the same amount.

Last year, the committee voted to transfer almost $950,000 out of excess and deficiency, an account intended for emergency expenses not for balancing the budget, Hayes noted. That account has been replenished to $1,246,484 due to end-of-year savings in utilities, insurance and special education.

“When you keep hitting E&D — and we’ve been doing that for several years — it’s a very, very dangerous, slippery slope that you can go down,” he cautioned. “You just pray for the rest of the year that nothing happens.”

State representatives Josh Cutler, D-Hanson, and Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, and Rick Branca, an aide to state Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, attended to give an overview of state budget implications for the W-H budget. [See related story]

District health insurance costs continue to strain the budget, Gilbert-Whitner said.

Strategic goals

The district again provided cost estimates for universal all-day kindergarten — at an estimated $400,000. That possibility is among the strategic action plans involving three pillars: healthy bodies/healthy minds; a cohesive PreK-12 curriculum and safe and secure schools; approved by the committee in September.

One-to-one devices such as ChromeBooks and iPads were also part of that discussion.

The action plans were points of discussion proposed for the Feb. 15 School Committee meeting, and have not been totaled into the fiscal 2018 budget.

Parents are now charged $3,200 a year per student for all-day kindergarten, which 82.1 percent of Massachusetts school districts provide at no cost. W-H’s half-day program is free.

There is also a request in the action plan for $300,000 over three years — $100,000 per year — for more classroom sets of one-to-one devices throughout the school system.

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Patrick Dillon argued the devices could be used to continue educating students in another school’s gym if a school building had to be temporarily closed. They can also be valuable as standardized testing becomes more digital, he said.

“I only have three ChromeBook carts in the building for 1,200 students — all through fundraising through the Panther Education Trust,” WHRHS Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak added.

School Committee member Fred Small suggested funding the devices through a capital request to help them survive budget cuts.

Non-mandated busing — transportation provided within 1.5 miles of a school and not required by law — is not reimbursed. W-H has about 1,000 non-mandated riders and 2,000 mandated, according to Suckow.

More than $1 million could be saved by eliminating busing from the budget completely, Suckow said in response to a question from Hayes. The district must provide transportation for homeless students who must stay in out-of-district shelters, however, under the federal McKinney-Vento Act adopted by the state of Massachusetts. The state under-funds that program, school officials said.

Going to all-day kindergarten would pare about $64,000 from the transportation costs by eliminating a mid-day bus run, Gilbert-Whitner said. She also pointed out that hospitalizations of students for anxiety-related illnesses are still rising and social workers provided at the elementary schools are funded by a grant that runs out June 30.

The high school program for at-risk students is supported by a grant that is also starting to go away.

A licensed social worker, who is also the parent of a Conley School student, said she was concerned to see high school sports coaches receiving a $63,000 raise while social workers in the schools are a greater need. The budget only adds about $6,000 for social workers.

Another parent argued social workers lower special education out-of-district costs.

“If you look at kids today, they’re facing a lot different challenges that we just never thought of when we were growing up,” Small agreed. “We’ve got fourth- and fifth-graders cutting themselves. … I know if I hadn’t heard [of] it, and seen it, I’d be oblivious to it.”

The district received $1.6 million in grants for the 2016-17 school year, not including a $20,000 grant recently received for safe and supportive schools. Grants fund nearly 85 positions in the district.

The elementary grades science curriculum is completely funded by a foundation, with the district responsible for consumable supporting materials.

state funds

Added state funding from local legislators’ efforts, which increased per-pupil funding to $55 each in state aid last year, allowed the district to hire four library assistants in the elementary schools. The district posted a job opening for a librarian to oversee them, but have not been able to find a qualified candidate. Retired high school librarian Kathy Gabriel has returned under a stipend to provide professional development for the four library assistants, Gilbert-Whitner said.

In the district-wide budget, the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning position has been cut in view of increased responsibilities for the director of curriculum positions.

Director of Science Curriculum Mark Stephansky argued for more up-to-date teaching materials for state standards that require more hands-on learning, and noted that the current eighth-grade textbook, copyrighted in 2000, has a picture of a space shuttle on the cover. NASA ended that program in 2011.

“That predates three standards,” he said, adding that now only half the curriculum is from a textbook. The other half is online. He advocates a curriculum materials upgrade that includes seven years of online access.

One parent asked that the school committee retain the $200,000 in the district budget so the new textbooks do not get cut.

“Knowing that my son laughs that Pluto is still mentioned [as a planet] in one of his science books, it’s really a concern,” she said. “We will not be able to have our students achieve at higher levels unless we have current information in front of them.”

Legislators offer state insight

State representatives Josh Cutler, D-Hanson, and Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, along with Rick Branca, an aide to state Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, attended the Wednesday, Feb.1 School Committee meeting to provide an overview of state budget implications for the W-H budget.

Diehl outlined Gov. Charlie Baker’s budget as it pertained to the district school budget.

Added state funding from local legislators’ efforts, which increased per-pupil funding to $55 each in state aid last year, allowed the district to hire four library assistants in the elementary schools.  They are looking to new legislation as a more permanent solution to the funding need.

“We’d like to replicate that this year, but don’t hold your breath,” Diehl said, noting that this year, Gov. Baker is back to asking for $20. “I think you’ll see the House increase that number and, usually, the Senate tends to have an increase beyond that. The horse-trading has really yet to start.”

Cutler explained that where last year’s success in increasing the per-pupil funding had support from 71 co-sponsors, that is the only way regional schools can obtain Chapter 70 increases.

“I want to credit you for kind of lighting the fire,” Cutler said. “We would have done our jobs anyway, but we understood what a challenging situation it was and we took that message out and spread it through the legislature.”

This year they are going to try to replicate it, but Cutler said they know they don’t want to have to try doing so every year.

That’s were a small language change proposed in the language of MGL Chapter 70 Section 2, would require a $50 per pupil minimum. The temporary House Docket No. is 3156 until the legislation is assigned a permanent bill number in about two weeks.

“It’s not a crazy idea, because it used to be that way,” Cutler said. “Obviously when times are good, we’d like to see that figure go even higher, but at least we’d have that minimum brought up from where it was before.”

Cutler said a good cross-section of South Shore legislators have already signed onto the bill.

Branca said Brady would work on behalf of the bill on the Senate side.

Diehl added that casinos, approved in 2011 and the recreational marijuana law, both passed with the intention of adding funds to the education budget, would not provide assistance for a few more years. The marijuana law won’t even be in effect until 2018.

He explained the hold was placed by the Legislature to adjust tax regulations and address public safety concerns about enforcement, using Colorado as a model.

“I wouldn’t expect them to be a potential revenue savior for awhile, if at all,” Diehl said.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner also expressed concern about transportation costs under chapter 71. Non-mandated busing — transportation provided within 1.5 miles of a school and not required by law — is not reimbursed.

The allocation was already down by $110,000 in the governor’s budget, she said. Subject to appropriation, the reimbursement is supposed to be 100 percent.

“We haven’t seen that since 2007,” she said. “If we did not have to transport students, we would then be able to charge — whether people would like that or not, I don’t know.”

She said it is not unusual at the high school to see, at the second half of the school year, the buses are not full as students earn drivers’ licenses or stay for sports.

“A lot of money goes out for bus transportation for buses that are not full,” Gilbert-Whitner said.

Cutler said, while he can’t predict dollars, the House bill will be better. Diehl also cautioned there are also pending 9C cuts.

  

SSVT holds public hearing on budget

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HANOVER — South Shore Regional Vocational-Technical School Committee held its public hearing on the proposed $12.9 million fiscal 2018 budget Wednesday, Jan. 25 — about six hours after Gov. Charlie Baker released his $40.5 billion budget proposal with information on his plans for funding education.

“There’s a portion of the budget where we get the governor’s perspective on what each community’s [or district’s] Chapter 70 aid entails and what the minimum contributions are,” said Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey. “Despite me presenting a budget which is an increase of 3.3 percent, that number is not relevant when one wants to ask about individual [community] assessments.”

SSVT District Treasurer James Coughlin said the 3.3 percent reflects a total budget increase of $464,000 with member towns asked to pick up only $197,000 of that increase.

“Overall, we’ve been using other revenue sources to fund these increases to try to keep the amount of increases for our towns to a minimum,” he said. “The assessments at this point in time are preliminary. If there are any changes, up to the point in time when we can make changes, we will do that.”

He said changes would be more difficult as June 1 approaches.

Baker’s budget proposes increases in both unrestricted local aid and education, through Chapter 70 state aid to “historic levels,” according to a statement from his office.

House 1 proposes a $91.4 million increase in Chapter 70 aid — at least $20 more per pupil for school districts.

South Shore Tech’s Chapter 70 aid is expected to be $4,301,030 — or $53,470 over fiscal 2017 — according to the preliminary figures.  The district also anticipates $318,750 in non-resident tuition (up from $159,627 in the current budget) and $355,000 in regional transportation aid ($55,000 more).

Only one member of Abington’s Finance Committee, Vice Chairman Eligijus Suziedeis, attended the budget and neither he nor committee member asked questions. Hickey said he visits all eight communities to discuss the budget before town meetings.

“It’s all preliminary, of course, it’s just the beginning of the state budget process,” Hickey said in providing an early glimpse of projected preliminary assessments for the eight member towns.

Three communities — Abington, Norwell and Rockland — will likely see lower assessments based on enrollment numbers, while the other five, including Whitman and Hanson, would see higher assessments.

For Hanson, where enrollment numbers were unchanged, the assessment would be projected at $938,030. In Whitman, that figure is forecast to be $1,429,657.

Assessments are based on a formula including minimum contribution, operating costs, capital costs and debt offset by nonresident tuition, Hickey explained.

Coughlin said the budget increase includes $4,974,780 in preliminary revenue from sources other than assessments.

“That leaves the number we have to go to our member towns to ask for — 7,945,436,” Coughlin said, a figure up by $197,267 over the current budget.

In other business, the district’s auditor Bruce D. Norling reported he has given the South Shore Regional School District a “clean opinion” for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016.

“Everything was materially stated correctly and the controls and we found no exceptions,” Norling said. “Jim [Coughlin] has a small department, but a very good department. I find the department is very conscientious about documentation of expenditures and making sure revenue is recorded properly. The internal controls are operating very well.”

He said the organization has been very responsible with budgeting over the years.

Hickey also reported that SSVT’s statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), for funds to renovate and expand the school building, was not accepted this year.

“My numbers tell me that 89 statements of interest were submitted statewide from 58 different school districts,” Hickey said. “Only 17 of those projects were accepted. … The projects they are prioritizing are those in which the school districts are saying there is extreme overcrowding present or serious health and safety issues present. We can claim neither of those.”

He will bring back another statement of interest motion for the committee to vote before the April 8 deadline for the next round of funding.

“We as a school district are not going to artificially overcrowd this building [to win approval from MSBA],” Hickey said. “We will never let the building fall into disrepair. So, my hope is that one day there will be a sufficient prioritization and available resources to allow the MSBA to go deeper into the bullpen of statements of interest.”

Illustrator teaches the tricks of his trade at Conley

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WHITMAN — Popular Children’s Illustrator John Steven Gurney made lots of silly faces when he spoke to the students at Conley Elementary School Thursday, Jan. 26. They were just as pleased to give him the arched eyebrow and make cartoon-like expressions in return.

After all, they were envisioning how they would look as a character in one of his many books.

Having the perfect pout and eye expression is the goal when Gurney is sketching for publications, he told students. His well-known “A-Z Mysteries,” “Pet Hotel,” “The Bailey School Kids,” and more than 140 other books grace the shelves of libraries everywhere and Conley is no exception.

Many Conley students were engaged in drawing easy cartoon figures, and most gasped when the PowerPoint showed their favorite books, which were illustrated by Gurney.

He gave a detailed step-by-step description of the creative process which goes into illustrating — explaining that he works closely with the editor, and not the author, of a book — which can be a lengthy process to define the finished product.

During the PowerPoint presentation, his various stages of work were explained complete with using his son to capture a moving subject. He later compared the early sketches to the finished pages in the book.

Several second-grade students whispered across their row to one another about a book they were currently reading in class.  They giggled as if they had a kept secret for the ending but then realized Gurney would never reveal the ending of the book.

No spoiler alert needed.

Strides made vs opioids: Benton reports fewer fatal overdoses in ‘16

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WHITMAN — While he sees it as a problem that’s not going away anytime soon, Police Chief Scott Benton has reported a slight improvement in the number of opioid overdoses in 2016 compared to the year before.

Benton reported to Selectmen on Tuesday, Jan. 24, that there were three fatal overdoses out of 41 in 2016, compared to seven fatalities out of 49 overdoses in 2015.

“Any stride that you can make in a positive way in that arena is a good thing,” he said. “The old saying goes you save one life …. Well, we saved more than one life compared to the year before.”

Overall call volume increased by 616 over the course of the year in 2016, with arrests, complaints and protective custodies about the same as in 2015. Traffic enforcement citations increased by about 300.

“I want to thank you for doing a comparison between last year and this year,” said Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski. “It helps to get things in perspective.”

Kowalski, who is also a member of the Whitman-Hanson Will anti-opioid effort, said he was glad to see some improvement from one year to the next.

“As you say it well, it’s not an eye-dropping change, but it’s a change,” he said.

“In the right direction, that’s for sure,” Benton agreed. “Now there’s a more comprehensive attack on the follow-ups and the reporting of overdoses in a more timely fashion.”

Lt. Daniel Connolly files overdose reports with East Bridgewater Police Chief Scott Allen, as part of the WEA drug task force, which are then followed up — a process the used to take up to two weeks. Now, those reports are filed within the hour and follow-ups with the families of overdose victims happen within a day.

Selectman Brian Bezanson said he was disappointed to hear that Gov. Charlie Baker was cutting the opioid enforcement effort by about $1.9 million in his budget proposal.

“It bothered me,” he said. “For me, it’s not the place to be cutting right now.”

“My only comment would be any cuts in that area … if anything, I’d want to hear we’re putting more money into it because any money to any of those components is vital,” Benton said. “That’s sad.”

Bezanson, however, lauded the Legislature for the proposals to fine-tune the recreational marijuana regulations since the success of ballot Question 4 last November.

“It’s cutting back the amount that folks can grow at home and when [the law] can roll out,” he said. “It’s going to be pushed way back.”

Benton said the Mass. Police Chiefs have been lobbying on behalf of the changes.

“This thing got passed and there was nobody thinking — on the recreational component — of what the ramifications were,” Benton said. He stressed medical grow facilities, such as the one Whitman Selectmen just voted to support, are regulated. “It’s your neighbor, that can grow 12 plants but is growing 36 and decides to extract it with butane and blows your house up and their house — that’s where the problem is going to come from.”

A ballot question in the annual Town Election would be the most direct way to address the retail marijuana issue, the chief said.

Benton also reported receiving a bulletin on a Colorado Supreme Court ruling regarding a medical marijuana case in which the court ruled that police may not return confiscated marijuana to a person who was found not guilty on drug trafficking charges. Colorado’s appeal was based on such a move being a violation of federal law.

“The court ruled that the federal Controlled Substances Act prohibits the distribution of marijuana, with limited exceptions,” Benton reported. “So, they found that the police department would be violating that [act] by giving it back.”

The chief also said he received a lot of positive feedback about the increased foot patrols in the center during the holiday shopping season.

Whitman police officers also held a “Stuff the Cruiser” event to benefit the Whitman Area Toy Drive — and filled three vehicles. The Department also took part in the active shooter drill at WHRHS on Dec. 27.

“Any time we can train together and learn together is a good thing,” Benton said.

Recreation panel goes to work

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HANSON — The new Recreation Commission officially went to work Thursday, Jan. 26, holding its first meeting to hear a review of work Town Administrator Michael McCue has done as interim director, brainstorm possible recreation events and elect officers.

Serving on the new commission are: Brian Fruzzetti, Rachel Gross and Brian Smith through June 30, 2019; John Zucco and Sondra Allen through June 30, 2018; and Annmarie Bouzan and Diane Cohen through June 30, 2017.

“I appreciate your stepping up to do this,” McCue said. “It’s always difficult to get people to serve on a board, especially one this large. The fact that we actually have a full seven-member board really does say something and is going to make things a lot easier on me, a lot easier on the town and a lot easier on the board itself.”

Bouzan, who has worked as an administrative assistant at Camp Kiwanee about five years ago, was elected chairman, Gross as the vice chairman and Cohen as the clerk.

Selectmen Bill Scott, who also attended the meeting, indicated he would continue, along with a member of the commission, to help McCue interview candidates for recreation director. He had been appointed by the Board of Selectmen to work on the interviews before while there was no sitting Recreation Commission.

“I will still be willing to be part of that if they want me to do that,” Scott said.

“My intention is to still have you do so,” McCue said. “We try to be a team, we’re all pulling in one direction, hopefully.”

Both McCue and Scott left after McCue’s update, and the commission spent more than an hour discussing policies and procedures as well as possible agenda items for future meetings.

Their concerns in that arena involve security protocols, the enforceability of a ban on firearms even for those licensed to carry, billing oversight, the extensive job description for the recreation director, caterers’ responsibilities, use of social media for marketing, cabin upkeep and the event planning process as a whole.

The commission plans on meeting twice a week until the members feel caught up and then will shift to a twice-monthly meeting schedule.

The public meetings are held at 7 p.m. at Camp Kiwanee’s Needles Lodge.

Fruzzetti of 370 Elm St., is an advertising consultant. Gross of 35 Katy-Did Lane, owns an event marketing company and has worked both on weddings and community events for the past 15 years. Smith of 38 Sandy Terrace is a facilities supervisor for Eversource. Zucco of 101 Glenwood Place is also an entertainment specialist, specializing in corporate and social events. Allen, of 188 Elm St., is a life-long resident who has maintained a family pass at Kiwanee and is active in Boy Scouts. Cohen of 767 Pleasant St., is a teacher who moved to Hanson 18 months ago. Her son has taken swimming lessons at Cranberry Cove for about five years.

“Your experience here at the camp and within the town is going to be beneficial in a liaison area,” Gross told Bouzan during the selection of officers. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I would love to review the applications for the director.”

The other commission members agreed that Gross’s professional background would make her a good choice for that role.

McCue provided ethics and open meeting regulation forms and copies of new lodge and cabin rental application forms as well as policies and procedures, all of which were drawn up by town counsel. For discounted contracts, the commission will vote on applications for reduced rates and forward the applications to McCue, who will bring it before the Board of Selectmen for final approval.

The new recreation director will recommend contracts for McCue to sign — as he does with all town contracts.

Rental contracts are more detailed on liability issues that had been a concern in the old contracts.

Selectmen will give final approval to the policies and procedures after the Recreation Commission has a chance to provide feedback.

“There’s an awful lot in there that wasn’t in there before,” McCue said. “What I will consider is some additional information, but by and large, the information you have in front of you — that’s going to stay. … I’m very hesitant to tinker with anything the lawyers gave me.”

McCue also provided an update on maintenance projects at the camp.

He has already done a level-funded budget, including a director’s salary, which was due before the commission met. A part-time employee in the Treasurer-Collector’s office is serving as the temporary administrative assistant to the Recreation Commission.

“I’m taking a bunch of trees down, and it’s not because I don’t like the trees — they’re dead,” he said. “Our fear is … if we get a good enough wind, if we get a heavy snow, they’ll come down and crash on this roof.”

He has consulted with the tree warden and Conservation Commission on which trees should be removed and potential impact on the pond. He also plans for a new septic system for the lodge; caretaker’s cottage and bathhouse have been changed because of the number of trees that would have had to be removed in addition to the high financial cost.

“The beauty of this place, the thing that makes this place unique, is the trees,” McCue said.

The lowest bid had come in $50,000 to $60,000 higher than budgeted so the bids were dismissed. The project is now being approached in phases.

He also plans to have a rotting garage on the property torn down as a liability, possibly within the next couple of weeks. That project, too requires input from the Conservation Commission due to the dry streambed near the gatehouse. A fence between the swimming area and an abutter’s property must also be extended to deal with a trespassing problem on the abutter’s land, but the Conservation Commission must also be consulted on that project, according to McCue.

The Recreation Commission will also have to hire lifeguards for Cranberry Cove in the spring for the upcoming summer swimming season, which starts the day after the last day of school.

“The weddings pay for a lot of things that go on up here, but it has to be a hand-in-hand thing,” Bouzan said. “Why have it here in Hanson for all of us to enjoy if we can’t. I’m really anxious to turn that around and make it so it’s a great place for us.”

Gross said she would like to see farmers’ markets take place at Kiwanee, community pot luck suppers and other community events.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Gross said.

Mass. ADs to honor Sue Moss: W-H alum takes the photos that keep memories

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Whitman-Hanson Express volunteer photographer Sue Moss is being honored.

From student to teacher to coach to memory maker, Sue Moss’ role has transformed over the years at Whitman-Hanson, but her love for the Panthers has not. Now, she is being rewarded for her lifelong dedication to the school.

Moss has been selected by the Massachusetts Secondary School Athletic Directors Association as this year’s District C Joao Rodrigues Distinguished Service Award recipient. She has appeared at thousands of Panthers athletic events with camera in hand, snapping countless photos, where they soon appear on her Flickr, which fittingly features the panther statue as her profile picture, before they are used on the Whitman-Hanson athletic site and the Whitman-Hanson Express. Moss, who also takes pictures for the yearbook, said she’s the type of person who likes to fly under the radar.

“I just want to make things happen,” Moss said. “I’m very flattered and I’m very honored.”

The award will be presented to Moss March 30 by the MSSADA at their annual awards dinner held at the Resort and Conference Center in Hyannis.

The Joao Rodrigues Distinguished Service Award is assigned to one nonpaid individual chosen from 61 nominees put forth by the District C schools based on their continued involvement with high school activities at the local level.

Whitman-Hanson athletic director Bob Rodgers put Moss’ name forward and she was selected as the Patriot League representative in June before being tabbed as the district winner.

“This award not only recognized people who devote their time and energy to their communities, but I feel the best candidates are the people who inspire others to want to give back,” Rodgers said. “I think every student who has come in contact with Sue realizes how community service is something we should all aspire to make part of our lives.”

Moss’ time in Whitman dates to her childhood as she worked her way through the public school system. She said it was in her backend years as a student at Whitman-Hanson when she began to ascertain the true power behind giving back to her town.

“My loyalty is always there,” Moss said. “I believe in paying it forward. There were a lot of good people when I was in high school who did a lot of good things for us that they didn’t have to. But back when I was a student, there wasn’t anyone around capturing all the games so that you’d have a souvenir as you graduated from high school and went onto the rest of your life.”

Moss jumped into teaching at Whitman-Hanson in 1971 and spent 35 years as a physical education and then technology educator.

While there, she played an integral role in the athletics of the school. Moss helped to create the first girls’ cross country team and first girls’ outdoor track team in the early ’70s.

“Back in those days, Kevin Black and I used to take slides,” Moss said. “When we put a banquet on at the end of the season, we’d have those pictures to share with the parents and everybody else. I had a habit at the end of the year, after the banquet, I would pull out all the senior slides and I would give them to them.”

None of Moss’ images have ever been for purchase and that’s something on which she prides herself.

“All my images are up there in cyberspace, as the saying goes,” Moss said. “They can go get them anytime they want. The parents can go find the ones that they want so it’s good and they don’t have to pay for them. You shouldn’t have to pay for all that stuff. None are mine are for sale, even for the visiting team that might get an occasional shot. I just tell them where to find them and they can download them for free.”

Moss, who retired in ’06, said she has always and will continue to strive for the perfect image that can last a lifetime.

“I keep looking for that ‘wow’ photo,” Moss said. “Every once in a while, you get one, not every year, but you get one. It’s the joy that the kids take seeing themselves captured, whether I shoot a funny one or I shoot one where they don’t know that I’m shooting, which I try to do a lot. Those are the ones that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.”

SSVT reviews its regional agreement

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HANOVER — Whether or not Hull joins the South Shore Regional School district with the eight member towns that already send students to the South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School, the regional agreement may be revised anyway.

“I want everyone to feel comfortable, because nothing changes in this document unless every single town says yes — or doesn’t say no,” Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey told School Committee members. “This is just the beginning of the marathon for conversation.”

The district now includes Abington, Cohasset, Hanover, Hanson, Norwell, Rockland, Scituate and Whitman. The agreement was last updated with one sentence regarding self-funded programs in 1984 after Whitman and Hanson joined the region in 1982.

The South Shore Regional School Committee met to discuss the issue following a subcommittee meeting on the expansion into Hull on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

“I think what started as a conversation about Hull possibly coming in, and amending the agreement [for that], after looking at it with due diligence we found some other areas to review,” Hickey said after the meeting. “Those are, in my mind, of equal importance as talking about Hull.”

The earliest the addition of Hull could take place would be by July 2018 for students to be admitted for the start of the 2018-19 school year, following a vote by the School Committee and at town meetings of all eight-member communities. The issue would be discussed with selectmen, finance committees and residents before going to town meetings. The commissioner of education then gets the final decision.

“There’s a fast way and a — more likely — slower way to do it,” Hickey said, as the fiscal 2018 budget is the priority. “There is no rush.”

Hull also has a planning subcommittee reviewing the numbers as it works on the question of whether that town joins the South Shore Tech region.

“We’re at the very beginning of the process,” Hickey said. “We’ll work on a figure to get the conversation started and see where it goes from there.”

Hickey also reviewed a proposed revision of the regional agreement proposed by MARS Consulting — former school superintendents and members of the Mass. Association of Regional Schools. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) offers feedback through its legal advice.

Some passages, specific to the process through which Whitman and Hanson joined, or concerning pre-Education Reform Act practices, would be stricken as no longer needed. Other sections would be translated into clearer language, update Massachusetts General Law citations or change required votes regarding financial decisions and withdraw from the region would be changed from unanimous votes to two-thirds. Most proposed deletions involved obsolete language. Financial responsibilities involved in any town’s decision to withdraw would are also covered.

“There are two parallel tracks,” Hickey said. “We are definitely talking about Hull, we are talking about the terms under which this could work, but beyond Hull, there’s also ideas to make changes in this agreement that are good for the district.”

Should both the amendments and Hull’s admission come up for a vote the eight member towns of SSVT would vote on both issues. How the two issues would come before town meetings is still to be determined. They could be a single warrant article or divided into two.

Hull would not vote on amendments to the agreement, but to the terms the committee approves for entering the district.

“Nothing moves unless this committee votes to move forward and amend the agreement,” Hickey said. “This is Step One.”

Rockland School Committee member Robert L. Mahoney wondered if this were not also a good time to open the possibility of joining the district to other communities for the 2019-20 time frame.

“No other communities have approached us like Hull,” Hickey said. “We’re pleased that Hull reached out to us. … My personal opinion is that you are right, but we cannot propose a ‘zipper clause,’ to insert future communities.”

He said that, if the committee wanted to begin a conversation outreach, that could be pursued in the near future.

“We are filling our seats, but we recognize we are the only vocational school district anywhere close to here that has multiple communities close to us that are not aligned with a regional vocational school,” he added.

Whitman representative Dan Salvucci said space was a factor limiting that kind of expansion unless the student quota per town is re-allocated.

“We don’t have the space,” he said.

“We have room for Hull,” said Committee Chairman Robert L. Molla Jr., noting that Hull already sends students to South Shore Tech on a non-resident tuition basis.

Mahoney argued that high schools in the eight member towns were also offering technology programs that reduce the number of students that attend South Shore Tech and “cutting into the Chapter 74 money” received.

“It’s where the parents want to send their children,” Salvucci countered. “I’m very strong on that.”

Where Hull’s buy-in to the district is concerned, Hickey advocated that the School Committee calculate the value of the facility as well as its programs, such as the building, the land and capital the district has in the building as well as Hull’s enrollment and transportation costs.

“There is no statute that governs this,” Hickey said. “An agreed-upon cost, similar to Whitman and Hanson, could be phased in over time.”

The question remains how to do that without “giving away the farm,” as Molla put it.

“You have to make it practical for them to come into the region [compared to paying out-of-district tuition],” Salvucci said.

Maquan repairs discussed

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen discussed updates on the Maquan School repair project, as well as the Whitman Hanson Community Access contract during its Tuesday, Jan. 24 meeting.

With several issues arising over the conditions of Maquan Elementary School, real change needs to occur shortly, town and school district officials agree. The roof over the gym was recently repaired, but that is only a small accomplishment in comparison to many other problems with the building.

School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes updated the board on a rejected statement of interest in an accelerated repair. This will slow down repairs from February until sometime in the spring.

Next Monday, the School Committee’s Capital Improvements subcommittee will be meeting at Maquan to discuss the issues that have been brought forward. Hayes mentioned the town needs to “appropriate $15,000 to $25,000 to evaluate the entire system.”

Hayes listed electrical problems, an overhaul of the heating system, the lack of a sprinkler system, asbestos removal, and an upgrade of the fold-down lifts as some of the work still to be done at the school.

There is already difficulty in determining the priority of these problems, he noted.

“We have been operating without a sprinkler system since the 60s, I would think the sprinkler system may not be as big a priority as the heating system,” Hayes said. “You can’t be in the building with no heat.”

Selectman Bruce Young mentioned that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) said that the building should have been replaced three or four years ago.

Depending on the evaluation of the school, there may need to be drastic steps taken moving forward according to Hayes.

“If [proposed repairs] reach 30 percent of the assessed value of the building then you need to bring the whole building under every code,” Hayes said.

The expectation is that Maquan will end up being over the 30-percent threshold.

“Every system should be replaced and that is why we will not qualify for the statement of interest (on the accelerated repair),” Young said. “It sets up a paradox between how many systems should we replace, when three or four years down the road you repurpose or you may not use the building.”

In other business, the board again placed the Whitman Hanson Community Access contract on hold.

As soon as the discussion started, W-H Community Access Board Chairman Arlene Dias, raised concerns over problematic language in the contract.

Section 3 Article J states: “The obligation to cablecast these meetings shall remain regardless of funding available to W-H Access.”

Dias and members of the board were confused as to how W-H Community Access could cover these meetings without having the funding to exist at all.

“We should take it back to the attorney to find out what the intent is,” said Selectmen Chairman James McGahan.

Town Administrator Michael McCue reported that discussions regarding the removal of the Plymouth County Hospital are still in the early stages. Much of the technical details appear to be in the works.

“They need to remove hazardous material before they start,” said Selectman Donald Howard, who chairs the Final Plymouth County Hospital Reuse Committee.

Howard also mentioned that the winter would be the ideal time to start this project, as it would prevent destruction related dust from contaminating the area.

Two structures are planned to remain after this process is over. The communication tower will be auctioned off rather than simply destroyed.

Prior to the Board of Selectmen’s meeting, the board’s Wage and Personnel Subcommittee discussed changes to the library director’s job description.

“This change comes from the library trustees, as they feel the current description has become outdated,” McCue said. The last change was made in 2004.

Some of the updates include additional duties such as increased oversight and attending various workshops. Additionally, there is a larger emphasis on education. Minimum qualifications list a “master’s degree in library science and five years of progressively responsible experience public library administrations.”

It also mentions an equivalent combination of education and experience will be adequate. Members of the board suggested that experience can be more valuable than education.