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…But is it safe?: Officials urge caution on ponds, prep for new snow

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After several days of frigid weather, people have been venturing out on ice-covered ponds and bogs to play hockey, figure skate, fish or run all-terrain vehicles. While ATVs are generally not permitted on public land in any weather, local fire chiefs warn that outdoor ice is never “100-percent safe.”

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) agrees that “the only ‘safe’ ice is at a skating arena” because frozen bodies of water can be dangerous.

“With the cold weather we’ve had, a lot of people want to get out on the ice,” Hanson Fire Chief Jerome Thompson said Tuesday morning. “We get a lot of phone calls [but] we can never say that the ice is 100-percent safe because there’s several factors like currents, waterfowl being on it or fish  or stumps … all kinds of different things can affect it.”

“There’s always a concern for ice thickness,” said Whitman Fire Chief Timothy Grenno. “There’s many areas that have open water.” Like Hanson, Grenno’s department does not make general statements concerning the safety of ice on ponds in town.

“We just tell people to use their best judgment and, if there’s open water, then the pond should be deemed unsafe.”

Thompson referred to MEMA’s ice-thickness guidelines that suggest four inches of ice for fishing, five inches can hold a snowmobile and eight to 12 inches a vehicle and 12-15 inches for a pickup truck. His department does not check ice thickness on area waterways.

“You need to keep in mind that, just because it’s eight inches in this spot, it might not be eight inches in that spot,” Thompson said. “We recommend if you do go out, you don’t go it alone. You should always have somebody with you and you should pay attention to your surroundings.”

Generally, ice that forms on moving water (rivers, streams, and brooks) is never safe, according to MEMA. Ice freezes and thaws at different rates and the thickness of ice on ponds and lakes can vary depending on water currents, springs, depth, and natural objects such as tree stumps or rocks. It can be a foot thick in one area and just inches thick a few feet away. Daily changes in temperature also affect its strength. Because of these factors, no one can declare the ice to be absolutely safe.

MEMA offers the following tips to follow before venturing out and what to do if you or someone you are with falls through the ice.

Before going
on the ice

• Look for slush, which can indicate that the ice is no longer freezing so you face a greater risk of falling through.

• Beware of snow-covered ice. Snow can hide weak and open ice or cracks.

• Test the ice strength. Use an ice chisel to chip a hole through the ice to determine its thickness and condition. If it is two inches thick or less, stay off.

• Never go on ice alone. Another person may be able to rescue you or go for help if you fall through.

• Keep pets on a leash when walking them near bodies of water so that they don’t run onto the ice.

If someone falls through the ice

• Do not go out onto the ice to try to rescue a person or pet.

• Reach-Throw-Go: Try to reach the victim from shore. Extend your reach with a branch, oar, pole, or ladder to try to pull the victim to safety. If unable to reach the victim, throw them something to hold onto (such as a rope, jumper cables, tree branch, or life preserver). Go for help or call 911 immediately.

• If you fall in, use cold water safety practices: Try not to panic. Turn toward the direction you came from and place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface, moving forward by kicking your feet. Once back onto unbroken ice, remain lying down and roll away from the hole. Crawl back toward land, keeping your weight evenly distributed.

• If you can’t get back on the ice, use the Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP): Bring your knees up toward your chest. Cross your arms and hold them close to your body. Keep your legs together. Try to keep your head out of the water. Do not try to swim unless a boat, floating object, or shore is close by. Swimming in cold water cools your body and reduces survival time.

Helping a victim when out of
the water

• Get medical help or call 911 immediately. The victim needs help quickly to prevent hypothermia.

• Get the victim to a warm location.

• Remove the victim’s wet clothing.

• Warm the center of the victim’s body first by wrapping them in blankets or putting on dry clothing.

• Give the victim warm, non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids to drink.

• Place the victim in a warm shower or bath with their arms and legs out of the water to warm the core of the body.

Thompson said his department has not had to yet deal with burst pipes or other frigid weather problems, even as they responded to a Mutual Aid fire call in Pembroke on New Year’s Day.

Heavy turnout gear keeps firefighters warm on cold-weather calls, but there is also a rehab truck available through the Department of Fire Services to provide a heated area in which firefighters can warm up. The Highway Department can also be called in to sand and salt, helping to reduce the likelihood of falls on the ice.

Towns are also keeping an eye on weather forecasts to determine how they should approach a severe winter storm forecast for Jan. 4.

“We’re just keeping an eye on it because the weather people don’t know what it’s doing yet,” Grenno said Tuesday. “If it’s going to hit us with wet snow and high winds then we’ll ramp up here and be ready to take on whatever it deals us.”

“Right now, they still don’t know what it’s going to do,” Thompson agreed. “I’m sure that MEMA will be giving us some updates as we get closer. We check our equipment daily, so we’re all set.

“It there’s the possibility that it will be a significant event, myself, the police chief, the other department heads, the Town Administrator, will meet to discuss it — we always have the schools involved in that — and based on the forecast, we may put on additional personnel,” he said.

Fire departments also work closely with senior centers to obtain lists of elderly residents who may need assistance in weather emergencies.

Bid accepted for PCH demolition work

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Dec. 20 voted unanimously to award the Plymouth County Hospital demolition contract to low-bidder J.R. Vinagro Corp., of Johnstown, R.I., which bid $989,450 for the project.

Engineering costs must still be calculated on the project and the approval is conditional on the “successful fulfillment of any additional required submittals and certifications,” Town Administrator Michael McCue said.

“I think it’s great news,” said Selectman Kenny Mitchell.

All bidders provided complete submissions, including the required bid bonds. Bids ranged from Vinagro’s low of $989,450 to a high bid of $2,429,450.

Voters at Town Meeting appropriated $1.8 million for the demolition work, of which $300,000 was from free cash.

“Based upon the criteria stipulated in the bid documents, Vinagro is a qualified and responsive bidder,” Hanson’s town engineer Alan Hamscom wrote to the board on behalf of Beta Engineering, of which is vice president. “Based upon our involvement with Vinagro on past demolition projects, we recommend award of the subject contract to J.R. Vinagro Corp.”

McCue, too, said he has dealt with Vinagro on a similar demolition project when he worked for the town of Avon.

“I had no issues [with them] and was very pleased to pass that along to our engineer,” he said. “They do have a track record both with our engineer and myself.”

Selectmen Chairman James McGahan said there were 10 bidders for the contract. McGahan asked why there was such a wide range of bid prices. McCue said a lot of it has to do with the companies’ locations as well as the advantageous timing of the bid process during a slow period for such work.

“They are a local company,” McCue said of Vinagro. “I think they are trying to make further inroads in the business — get some more small projects under their [belt] so that they can continue to be successful and win bids. … It’s not at all unusual to see a wide range of bid prices.”

The next two lowest bids were from Ramco Survey Stake Co. of West Bridgewater at $1,067,000 and American Environmental Inc., of Holyoke at $1,078,850.

The demolition project at the former Plymouth County Hospital site involves tearing down the main hospital building as well as all the out buildings behind the Bonney house and near the water tank as well as the old paint shop behind the food pantry building and a trailer in the woods, according to Selectman Don Howard.

Selectmen also approved, by a 4-1 vote with Selectman Bill Scott in opposition, a request for a waiver of the rental fee at Camp Kiwanee for an event sponsored by the Hanson Business Network to benefit nonprofit school groups.

The St. Patrick’s-themed event — with corned beef and cabbage dinner and Irish entertainment — from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., on Friday, March 17, 2017 is a fundraiser for Panther Education Trust and the Hanson PTO, both 501 (c)(3) organizations. The event is a way of “giving back to the community,” HBN representative Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett wrote in the waiver request.

Mitchell and Selectman Bruce Young both pointed out that the Hanson Has Taste event McGahan hosted to supply ChromeBooks for the Middle School was a similar use of the facility.

“The precedent has been set,” Young said, indicating FitzGerald-Kemmett’s request was also in compliance with camp policies and procedures.

But Scott was concerned about why a school group was not sponsoring the event.

“Why is the business network applying for [the waiver]?” Scott asked.

In other business, selectmen tabled a discussion of properties at Lakeside Road and Brook Street with the Conservation Commission because of “a mix-up on the agenda.” Conservation Chairman Phil Clemons, who had asked for the discussion, was not notified it was being included on the agenda, McGahan said. Area residents had also expressed interest in attending any discussion on the subject.

A discussion and potential vote regarding animal control services was also held over to Jan. 10 because a planned arrangement was not finalized and a secondary plan is being sought, McCue said. Whitman has agreed to cover Hanson under the regional agreement from which Hanson is withdrawing until a new plan is in place.

of Love and Motorcycles

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HANSON — Behind the headline of a recent motorcycle crash that killed Hanson resident John Edwards, is a love story that endures within the warm smile and optimism of his widow Lorraine as she carries on.

Her family says she is struggling to walk now — determined she will in due time.

In a moment the pair, who were enjoying a motorcycle ride, was separated forever following a head-on crash that took John’s life on Oct. 16 in Lakeville — Lorraine lost her sweetheart of 56 years.

“I don’t know how she has such a smile on her face, but she smiles because she is thankful to be alive,” said her adult daughter Christine Moniz.

Moniz spends much of her time by her mother’s side these days. She is the youngest of three children and still mourns her father. These are the first holidays they will spend without him. She attempts to steady her emotions with wounds still fresh, yet, she is inspired by her mother’s strength.

On Oct. 16 the Edwards were out for their ride  — John and Lorraine together as usual — with son Andy, and a family friend each following behind the other. A driver struck John and Lorraine head-on and, as daughter Christine related the words of witnesses to the scene, it resembled “a war zone.”

She said off-duty Brockton fire Lt. Scott Sweet was at the right place at the right time and, with a local nurse, did all the right things immediately, rendering first aid.

“They likely saved my mother’s life. They tied her leg to control the bleeding,” said Moniz.

Lorraine was taken by medical helicopter to the Rhode Island Trauma Center where she received multiple blood transfusions, along with the first of several surgeries. Ultimately amputation of her leg below the knee was required, and she had sustained multiple breaks in the bones in all her extremities including her hands, as well as her back and ribs.

The casts have been removed in the weeks following the crash, but she is unable to walk yet as her amputation and remaining bone heal.

In an effort to ease the family’s financial burden, a fundraiser and meat raffle were recently held by Whitman VFW Post 697 to help defray Mrs. Edwards’ medical costs. Post Quartermaster Al Rainey said the fundraiser event and an impromptu “pass the hat” collectively raised $12,000, which has already been given to the family.

Whitman VFW Post employees Michelle Piers and Dan Greenwood co-organized the fundraiser for someone they remembered as a “jolly man, who told jokes and enjoyed life.”

John Edwards, by all accounts, was a lover of the open road and enjoyed going out with his wife Lorraine who joined him in motoring adventures after they raised their four children.

He was a member of the VFW post and a member of the South Shore Hogs, and all four of his children have motorcycle licenses.

Most recently, John was the veteran’s liaison for the VFW. He would occasionally add something as part of the meeting, but if he had nothing to add he would say “ride safe,” Moniz said.

South Shore Hogs traveled the route of the fatal accident one weekend later erecting a memorial sign near Tamarack Park in Lakeville the sign bearing John’s name with those very words — “ride safe.” The community has also reached out and as Lorraine advances from rehabilitation she will need accommodations to the home including accessibility.

“We want her to be healthy enough to return home,” said Moniz.

Moniz talked about her mother’s resilience, lamenting that she may never ride a motorcycle again herself after this tragedy.

“We are told (mom) is the ‘talk of the therapy department’ because she is willing to work and she is always smiling,” said Moniz. The family is hopeful the six-month time frame given from her doctors will provide an uplifting outlook on the prognosis. They will know more as time passes.

With deep roots on State Street in Hanson, three generations have resided in the home — built in 1713 — of Moniz’s grandmother, whose maiden name was Munro then Hammond.

The bridge on State Street is named in memory of Moniz’s great uncle Robert Hammond. Grandma is now 100 years old and the last surviving sibling of the Hammond’s.

Moniz has heard from numerous local residents who knew the four Edwards siblings growing up as graduates of WHRHS. Among the countless visitors  three days after the accident many of the family returned to Lorraine’s side, including her son Wayne who resides in Ohio, and son Jack who resides in Florida.

Her father worked at Halliday Lithograph Co., in Hanover for more than 18 years. He was originally from Joplin, Mo., and was a Navy metalsmith. Lorraine was set up with John on a blind double date, after which the pair began courting and married in 1960. Lorraine graduated from South Hanover high school in 1959.

“My father used to walk from the Naval Base in Weymouth all the way to see my mother in Hanson.”

Edwards bought a motorcycle and started riding early in the ’60s and Lorraine joined him after the children got older. The pair made their way across country Route 66 once to Seattle, and also to California (to see son Wayne who was stationed there at Ft. Edwards.)

“We are all dealing — in our own way,” Moniz said.

The family will host a memorial at First Congregational Church in Hanson with dates to be determined in the spring.

“The VFW graciously offered their hall.

They have been a great support,” she said. “They have also offered medical equipment, a ramp to assist in making the home handicap accessible.”

Celebrating life with 11 grandchildren Lorraine has had visitors from several states, members of the church, the South Shore Hogs, Whitman VFW, friends where she most recently worked The Christmas Tree Shop along with Former associates of past employers.

“They have all come to see her, see how she is doing,”said Moniz.

Now with the holidays upon us the family will approach each day with optimism as they celebrate the life of their father and guide their mother to recovery.

A visit with … Whitman ATA Lisa Green

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WHITMAN — When Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green moved to Whitman 15 years ago,with her husband Ed, who works for Shaw’s markets, and now-16-year-old son Jason, a member of the WHRHS baseball team, they felt they had found a hometown, and she became involved in the community.

At the time, Green had no inkling she would be helping administer town government, but that’s where her road led. Perhaps a journey is the most apt metaphor for this public servant who began her working life as a travel agent, which she did for about 20 years before going to law school.

Green grew up in Brockton, but as her father is a good friend with James Reed from Reed’s Automotive on Temple Street, she was in Whitman a lot growing up.

“Travel was kind of going in a different direction because of the Internet,” she said of her change in career direction. “Travel agencies were kind of a dying breed … it was very much a changing industry.”

She initially went back to school with the idea of becoming a paralegal, and continued to obtain her law degree. Before beginning her new position of assistant town administrator, Green had been an adjudicator for the federal Social Security Administration.

She stepped down from her seat on the Board of Selectmen in October to meet the separation requirements involved in applying for her new post — and received the vote of all four of her former colleagues on the board to win the job.

The Express sat down to talk with Green in her Town Hall office Thursday, Dec. 8.

Q

: What drew you into public service?

A: “Social Security is considered public service. I worked there for eight years and I was also very heavily involved with the [Whitman Baseball and Softball Association] WBSA. I worked on getting scoreboards for some of our baseball fields and was successful in getting two. I liked that a lot and decided to run for selectman when I saw there was a seat open. … I enjoyed the five years of being a selectman and really learning about Whitman.

“Being a selectman really taught me about the inside — the government and running a town. I heard that [former Assistant Town Administrator] Greg [Enos] was leaving, I had given it a lot of thought and resigned from the board and applied for the position.”

Q: Is this something of a dream job — working in the town in which you live?

A: “It is. It’s funny, when people say to me, ‘What a commute you have — a five-minute, commute,’ I think I’ve paid my dues. I worked at the airport, so I traveled from Brockton to Boston every day and then I worked in Dedham when I worked at the travel agency, and then worked in Boston again — Quincy, Braintree — with SSA.

“Actually, when I became a selectman, I never thought it would lead to a full-time career in municipal management, but here I am today, and very excited to be here and very motivated.”

Q: It must have been gratifying to have the support of all four of your former colleagues.

A: “Yes, it was. I was very grateful to them for having that kind of faith in me. Sometimes you don’t know if you’re doing a good job, a bad job or an OK job — you’re not really sure. But when they all voted for me it was very gratifying. I was overwhelmed and can’t thank them enough for placing me in this position.”

Q: How is this job different from working for the SSA, other than the level of government?

A: “I mainly worked in disability, in the law end of it in the general counsel’s office. That’s where they defended Social Security against lawsuits filed against them. When I was promoted to an adjudicator for the disability applications, that’s an important job because you’ve got people’s life in your hands. … They are relying on you, basically, to help them live with disability. It was a demanding job. We were given a certain amount of cases every week and we had to make quick decisions so people weren’t waiting a long time.

“Coming down to this level of government, I’m now working for the town. It’s a small town and people are very comfortable coming in and talking with you about concerns they have, complaints that they have and I think it’s important that people know they can come to us and talk to us.”

Q: Does your SSA background help at the town level?

A: “I can answer some questions regarding retirement, but that wasn’t really my expertise … I was more involved with disability. But I can certainly put my legal and Social Security background to work to benefit the town.”

Q: What do you like best about living in Whitman?

A: “It’s a small town, which I love. It’s a pretty town. There are a lot of dedicated people who live here. They put their time into the town. The WBSA — everybody there is very dedicated to the kids — football, soccer, there’s a lot of small-town activities that go on here. Businesses support Whitman. You get to know so many people in the town. That couldn’t happen in Brockton.”

Q: How do you envision your new role?

A: “I want to make sure that I am looking into any grants out there that will help improve Whitman, either infrastructure, the environment or human services. I’m going to be taking a grant-writing course — my writing expertise is in legal writing, but I have that talent because I’ve had training — so now I want to focus that writing ability toward grants. You need to be versed in budgeting … and I need to learn what people look for [in a grant application].

“Greg was successful in getting Whitman recognized as a green community. I want to make sure I continue that, because there are a lot of grants out there for green communities … funds for the food pantry, animal control and things like that.”

Q: What’s been the biggest surprise about the job so far?

A: “I’m very touched by how welcoming everybody has been … within Town Hall and by all the town employees in Whitman. Sometimes, when a new person comes in, some people can have a little reservation toward them. I’ve had a presence as selectman for five years so they knew me a little bit. It’s a complex position, there’s going to be baby steps, Frank is a great mentor and is very patient in teaching me different things.”

Hanson mourns a ‘real lady’

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HANSON — The community is mourning the loss of Hanson Public Library Director Nancy M. Cappellini, a loving person who made friends with colleagues and made her friends feel like part of the family.

Cappellini died at home Sunday, Dec. 18 after a long illness [see obituary, page 13]. The library was slated to be closed Thursday, Dec. 22 to permit the staff to attend her funeral.

“Nancy Cappellini was a positive, welcoming presence for everyone who came to the library,” said Library Trustees Chairman Jennifer Hickey. “She was a joy to work with. Everyone liked Nancy and the energy that she brought to every interaction.”  Hickey said to Cappellini, running the library was more than a job — she truly cared about the patrons, staff, Trustees and the Foundation.

“She will be sorely missed,” Hickey said. “Nancy became a good friend to me over the years, and I am heartbroken at losing her.”

The Board of Selectmen also honored Cappellini, observing a moment of silence in her memory Tuesday night.

“I know she’s had a great impact on a number of people — seniors and our kids in our town,” said Selectmen Chairman James McGahan. “I know that she’ll be sorely missed.”

Many of those who knew and worked with her in town government echoed that sentiment.

“She was such a special, uplifting person,” Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan said. “It’s such a loss. She was such a presence in that library and even in Town Hall when she was here.”

Administrative Assistant to the Board of Selectmen Meredith Marini said she will remember Cappellini as a pleasant person with a ready smile.

“She had a great outlook on life,” Marini said. “It’s heart-breaking, she’s definitely too young to be gone.”

Those who worked closely with Cappellini were deeply shaken by the news of her passing, said Senior Center Director Mary Collins, whose facility shares the same building as the Hanson Public Library.

“It was a very family-like atmosphere,” Collins said of the library. “Each one of them (staff members) said to me that’s because she created that.”

Collins spent part of the day Monday with the library staff.

“It’s so personal,” Collins said of the loss. “I just feel truly that she was a woman of integrity and compassion and she always had what was in the best interest of the patrons in mind.”

Cappellini was always looking for ways to improve the library’s services and involve more people in programs, including the founding of the monthly Book-to-Movie group. She was also an advocate of agriculture, including a farm babies petting zoo in the annual summer reading program kickoff events and working to help form the town’s Agriculture Committee, on which she served as its clerk. She also served on a past reuse committee for the Plymouth County Hospital site.

“I think she was one of Hanson’s treasures, and hopefully people had an opportunity to know her,” Collins said.

Library friends and colleagues also spoke of their friend.

“I worked with Nancy serving as Library Trustee for five years, and I always admired her grace, humor, and patience,” said Trustee Helen Levesque wrote on Cappellini’s condolence page at the Keohane Funeral Homes website.

Library staff and trustees in Whitman were also saddened by Cappellini’s loss.

“Nancy was a wonderful woman,” said Whitman Public Library Director Andrea Rounds. “She was really well-respected in the library field and we’re so sorry to hear about her passing.”

Rounds said her Hanson counterpart will be truly missed.

“She was one of the most welcoming people,” agreed  Michael Ganshirt, administrative assistant to Whitman Town Clerk Dawn Varley and a Whitman Library trustee. “Every time you went in the library, she always came out and said hi and spent some time with you. The town is going to miss her greatly.”

Ganshirt, who is also president of Whitman and Hanson Dollars for Scholars, said Cappellini was supportive of that cause and “anything that anyone else did,” he said.

Whitman Public Library Senior Library Technician Mary Casey said Cappellini  had the remarkable ability to make one feel part of her family.

“She exuded such grace, compassion and warmth,” Casey said. “She met everyone with her radiant smile and had the ability to put everyone at ease.”

Casey recalled a Mass. Library Association conference dinner in May, during which Cappellini just happened to sit next to her.

“I had an extraordinary evening with her because … she was just a fun person, a very down-to-earth person, funny and just very graceful,” Casey said. “She was just a real lady.”

A gift to those who gave all

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HANSON — A traditional English Christmas carol celebrates preparation for the holiday as people “deck the halls with boughs of holly,” but Marc Benjamino, a junior at WHRHS, had a more meaningful decoration job to do on Saturday, Dec. 17.

On the strength of his private fundraising effort in support of the Wreaths Across America program, for which he raised $3,000 to pay for Christmas wreaths to decorate the graves of fallen military, Benjamino was invited to participate in placing 250,000 wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery.

Benjamino found the opportunity to be very moving,

“It was an experience, let’s just say — words can’t really describe it,” he said Monday, noting that there were thousands of others who also made the journey to ensure the nation’s fallen servicemen and women are not forgotten at the holidays.

“It was a very honorable experience,” he said. “I would say that it was just awe-inspiring. It hit very close to home. It was a shame to see that all of these people have died for our country, however it was very nice to see that everyone came out … and our country gives them the respect they deserve. There’s a monument for every single one of them.”

A cadet with the Forest Hill Military Army Cadet Corps in Kentucky, and as a person with veterans in his family, Benjamino said he understands the service and sacrifice made by Arlington’s fallen and encourages others to volunteer with Wreaths Across America.

“It was a really emotional and honorable experience,” he said.

While he is not entirely comfortable with the attention his gesture has received, Benjamino is committed to paying the fallen the respect due them.

Closure

“They need to be honored and they need to be remembered,” he said, describing the experience as a warm feeling that brings closure as the nation remembers that these servicemen and women sacrificed their lives for the rights all Americans enjoy.

His family and school community are just as honored by Benjamino’s fundraising effort on behalf of the Wreaths Across America cause.

“As Marc’s teacher, when I heard he was taking his time out to do this to recognize the men and women who dedicated their lives [to country], I just thought it was a must that he be recognized for this,” said Chris Googins, who is also WHRHS dean of students. “I know he’s probably upset about that, because he’s such a humble kid, but he’s an exceptional kid and he’s one of the best kids I’ve taught at W-H in my 20 years here.”

Googins said Benjamino’s passion for history helped spark his interest in the project.

Benjamino is taking an elective course on WWI, and is a member of the W-H History Club, which has also received a gift of about $500 from Wreaths Across America.

“I respect the fact that he is going above and beyond to make our community better and I’m proud to have him in class,” he said.

Founded in 1992 by the Worcester Wreath Co, the Wreaths Across America project aims to distribute holiday wreaths to graves of deceased soldiers at various cemeteries across the country, but focuses attention on Arlington.

The wreath-placing Dec. 17 followed a remembrance ceremony “so that we may pause to think about what these soldiers have given us and to remember them and honor them during this holiday season,” Benjamino wrote of the event before departing for it.

giving back

“He did this on his own,” Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak told the School Committee Dec. 14. “It wasn’t a school-funded thing. He did raise some money for the History Club, but [this is the] kind of social programs that we give back during the course of the day here. People don’t know it, but we have some wonderful, wonderful, wonderful kids here.”

Benjamino raised the $3,000 as an independent fundraiser for Wreaths Across America, going to parent-teacher conference night, Veterans Day parades and various companies and organizations to discuss the program and ask for wreath sponsorships.

He said Wreaths Across America welcomes anyone who wishes to help place wreaths, but the organization encourages fundraising first to help purchase the greenery.

Schools look to 2018 budget

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The W-H School Committee will likely be seeking a full-day kindergarten program again for fiscal 2018, this time armed with annual cost estimates beyond the estimated $500,000 start-up costs.

Budget discussions will begin at the committee’s next meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 11 in preparation for the official budget rollout on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Both meetings begin at 7 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend both sessions.

“Starting in January would be a good time to recruit people and show what you support to this committee so we can make our decision moving forward into the next budget year,” said Chairman Bob Hayes at the Wednesday, Dec. 14 meeting. “We have no problem putting in extra seats. We will do that and we’d love to have everyone here.”

Tuition-free full-day kindergarten was part of the $3-million Student Success Budget that failed an override in May.

“I’ve been for this since it first came up, so I say keep going for it,” School Committee member Robert Trotta said. “I think it’s important — we all know it’s important— and it’s a big budget item, but eventually I think we need to get all-day kindergarten into our budget.”

Part of an expected cost reduction after the first year is that a mid-day bus run would not be needed, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner said.

She pointed out that, while the override failed, more parents were convinced of the benefit of full-day kindergarten and enrolled their children. But, educators cautioned the limited number of scholarship slots available creates a “have and have-not” situation, in which some children miss out on the benefits because their parents cannot afford it.

“We’re part of the shameful low part — probably 70 districts — that doesn’t fund kindergarten, Committee member Dan Cullity said. “The state’s already looking to do pre-K, so we’re so far behind, it’s ridiculous.”

“The criticality of this is we can’t have those students starting behind,” agreed Committee member Chris Howard.

Cullity said the South Shore is the only region of the state where most districts do not mandate full-day kindergarten.

“It takes them two to three years to catch up,” he said.

“Sometimes they don’t,” Gilbert-Whitner added.

Cost details

Hayes asked Business Manager Christine Suckow to research second and third-year costs of full-day kindergarten to provide more information for town officials and voters.

“That’s the number one question I’ve had asked from the finance committee standpoint,” he said.

Gilbert-Whitner also said the state bases Chapter 70 funds for full-day kindergarten as a whole child, where half-day program reimbursement is based on “half a kid.”

“Clearly state aid should go up,” she said. “But that’s not a ‘will,’ that’s a ‘should.’” The district’s status of being short of target share will also have an effect on Chapter 70.

On the other end of the K-12 curriculum, the committee also heard a report on the after-school programs at the high school, now funded by a renewed 21st Century Grant, which the district will soon have to fund.

“Grants are seed money and we are then supposed to move forward,” Gilbert-Whitner said.

Student support

The grant has been in place for seven years, initially an annual $105,000 grant for three years which has been renewed once already, according to WHRHS Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak. The district has received more than $700,000 over the seven years, using it to fund after-school programming and transportation.

“For me as a high school principal, sending kids home without parents before 2 p.m. — kids who are at-risk or kids who need support — that’s challenging,” Szymaniak said. The high school day was pushed ahead, ending at 1:40 p.m., to permit a cost-saving bus schedule five years ago. He said the grant-funded programs have provided effective programs for the at-risk population and “kids who need to find a niche after school.”

Szymaniak credits the program for helping bring the dropout rate down to .2 percent from 3.9 percent in 2009.

“That’s our goal here — to graduate kids,” he said. “We’re hoping to renew the grant, but if they don’t fully fund it, I don’t want to cut programs.

After school enrichment program coordinator Maureen Leonard said 40 students take part in academic and emotional support and enrichment programs and she also works with their families. A credit recovery program is also featured for students lacking the credits to graduate in four years.

A success plan is established for each student in the program.

Participant Olivia Affannato spoke of her experience.

“I used it, at first, as somewhere to do my homework because, when I’m at home, I don’t really want to do homework,” she said. “I quickly realized it’s more than just that.”

Affannato said the program had helped her learn to advocate for herself and build relationships with peers and faculty, along with providing her to work with outside groups in regard to her concern over the ongoing opioid crisis.

“Programs like this probably should be highlighted even more,” Trotta said. “People need to know that schools do have special programs like this and students can become very successful.”

Szymaniak said there is a team approach at W-H to support all students.

Andrew’s Special Olympics family: Whitman meet and greet outlines program’s success

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Andrew

Andrew Parkes tends first base for his Special Olympics team. / Courtesy Photo

It was an emotional Thursday for many.

WHITMAN — Tears, joy and smiles filled the air Thursday evening at the Whitman Public Library.

Nellie Gooden, the grandmother of Whitman Special Olympics participant Andrew Parkes, spoke during a meet and greet on Dec. 8. Not only did she speak, but she was able to share hugs and laughter and shed her appreciation for grandson’s “Special Olympics family” for the first time in person.

Gooden has been Andrew’s guardian throughout his life, and the two set foot in the United States roughly 15 years back, emmigrating from Jamaica. With family in Atlanta, that is where they went.

As Gooden aged and Andrew grew, it became immensely challenging for her to meet his needs on a consistent basis, so she made the decision to place him in a group home in Brockton. Three years ago, the Whitman Special Olympics received a phone call asking if it had space for another athlete to join — that athlete was Andrew. Coach George Coffey said the program was thrilled to add Andrew on the field, but even more delighted to have him as a person. “Andrew is a gift,” Coffey said. “He is warm, loving and the politest person I have ever met.”

Andrew is now enrolled in multiple sports in the program — competing on the soccer pitch and softball diamond — while improving his skills on the hardwood in Easton.

“Andrew is a great soccer player and exceptional softball player,” Coffey said.

The one area that separates the Special Olympics from most programs is its family-first mentality and Andrew has fit right in.

“Our players accepted him as a friend and the families accepted him as a member of our families immediately,” Coffey said. “My family has had Andrew to our home for various holiday celebrations. My grandkids love Andrew.”

Since Andrew joined the Special Olympics program in Whitman, Coffey said he has always made it a point to keep Gooden up-to-date on what her grandson was doing through various phone calls and by sending newspaper clippings and pictures down to her.

“I thought it was important for her to know he has family and friends here in Massachusetts that love him,” Coffey said. “We thought it was important that she see and experience the love we all have for Andrew. When she goes home, she will be sad but she will know Andrew is with Family.”

Hanson meeting reviews road improvement plan

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HANSON — Selectmen and the Planning Board in collaboration with Environmental Partners, Inc., of Quincy, held a joint meeting Tuesday, Dec. 6 to introduce and discuss the proposed Route 14/Maquan Street Reconstruction Project in Hanson.

It was the first of what is expected to be a series of meetings on the proposals.

Selectman Don Howard, who began working to get the project on the state/federal transportation improvement program (TIP) a year ago, chaired the meeting. Planning Board members Don Ellis and John Kemmett and Selectman Bruce Young also sat on the dais for the meeting, which was broadcast by W-H Community Access TV.

“I can’t see Hanson in the middle … just to sit there an have nothing done,” Howard said. “It seems to me Hanson, in the past few years, [has received] nothing from the federal or state governments and I think it’s about time we get a little bit of service.”

The proposed project — which is viewed at about five years away — is anticipated to include improvements to traffic circulation and safety, pedestrian and bicycle facilities and roadway flooding along Maquan Street from Liberty Street (Route 58) and Indian Head Street to the Pembroke Town Line, a distance of approximately 1.2 miles.  It will also include reconstruction of School Street (approximately 0.25 miles long to link pedestrian and bicycle accommodations from the existing Indian Head School, Maquan Elementary School, Hanson Public Library and sports fields with Maquan Street and its abutting neighborhoods.

During the hour and 40-minute session, desginer Dan Fitzgerald of Environmental Partners presented a PowerPoint program on the preliminary concepts and alternatives for improving safety and roadway drainage.

Traffic volume and projections for intersections involved, taken during peak, midweek commuter times were reviewed as well as current stop sign placement.

Among the proposals for traffic alternatives up for consideration is a roundabout at from Liberty Street (Route 58) and Indian Head Street, as has been done at the Pembroke end of Route 14 and changes to other intersections along Maquan Street.

“It’s just an idea —it’s your town — but I think it’s a worthy alternative,” Fitzgerald said of the slide illustrations. “These are not full designs, these are just initial ideas based on space that we can see out there.”

He stressed that roundabouts are safer than the larger rotaries are built for more high-speed traffic.

Present roadway conditions have also been reviewed, including average speeds — 85 percent of traffic has been registered at 41 mph where the speed limit is 30 to 35 — and wetlands near the road. Residents attending the meeting expressed concern about the speeds now seen on Maquan Street.

Kemmett also asked for a cost projection of maintaining the roadway paint needed in the plans shown. Utility poles along the route will also have to be relocated.

The town owns 45-foot rights-of-way. Bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the road within a 43-footplan are proposed. Pembroke’s end of the project, which was planned before design rules changed, does not include the same bike lane and sidewalk designs now under consideration for Hanson.

Another alternative would use a narrower vehicular roadway, with a paved area for pedestrians and bicyclists to share, separated by a median. Another called for bike lanes on both sides and a sidewalk on one.

Residents at the meeting preferred the paved area for pedestrians and bicyclists to share, separated by a median option.

Fitzgerald also said any wetlands impacted by retaining walls  required by the project would have to be replicated.

Bonding with police over pizza, movie

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HANOVER — Hanson native Laurie Fusco — who is also a mom and advocate for youth with autism — and her son Kevin, 15, who has autism, joined several families for Pizza with the Police last Thursday and a viewing of “Be Safe: The Movie” at the South Shore Children’s Museum in the Hanover Mall.

Fusco was instrumental in bringing national advocate and educator Emily Iland, M.A., co-producer of “Be Safe: The Movie” to educate both officers and youths with autism and other disorders on how to safely interact with one another.

The group enjoyed pizza, watched the movie and then played games that helped role play and enforce behavior modeling students saw on the video first. Officers and guests were able to sit together and intermingle in an undisturbed,  non-threatening environment.

Iland who has an adult son, 34, with autism was first made aware of the need for education more than 20 years ago when her son had experiences with officers.

“I was very worried about him when he was out driving, because he has autism.” Iland said. “I wasn’t sure how he would do in meeting the police. It is as important to teach the police how to interact and understand how to interact with people with disabilities.”

In reviewing her efforts over the last 20 years and the education of 5,000 officers she realized it was still not enough.

“We have to also train our young people”, she said. “I discovered there were no tools to aid with teaching. I decided to do something about it.”

The movie was made by and for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to a press release about the program about which Iland is so passionate. The DVD is a video modeling tool using games, activities and lessons to reinforce positive and safe behaviors when dealing with law enforcement.

Iland recently worked with Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald and Hanson Chief Michael Miksch in February training 50 officers and deputies on autism.

She joined forces with producer Joey Travolta who has a movie training studio and works with individuals with cognitive disorders, autism, ADHD, and various mental health disorders.

They created “Be Safe: The Movie” using specific techniques to educate youth on the autism spectrum on how to interact safely with police officers.

State Rep Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, and Hanson police along with officers and police chiefs from several south shore communities attended the event.

“We teach individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder not to run, fight, or reach for the officer’s belt, or equipment,” Iland said. “In return for the officers — the event allowed a casual meeting with youth in their communities who may have a disability  — the officer can hear how they talk, communicate and can even offer mentoring skills to help them develop skills to grow positively within the community.”

Key behaviors which are enforced through the movie are that an officer must be able to see your hands. The organization handed out self-disclosure cards in which families may want to fill out with their information and specific accommodations.

“They can’t just reach into their pockets so we use the correct model on how to behave and ask for help,” said Iland.

As past president of the Autism Society in Los Angeles Iland is an award winning author, is an adjunct professor of Special Education at California State University, Northridge.  She is the author of Experience Autism training for law enforcement and is actively involved in initiatives and policies related to autism and safety, according to her bio emilyiland.com.