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State Primary’s on Thursday

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While there’s been plenty of news about the Nov. 8 presidential election, there’s a warm-up vote taking place here in Massachusetts exactly two months ahead of it — a state primary election on Thursday, Sept. 8 to be precise — that has quietly approached.

Since Monday was Labor Day, a Tuesday election would have required overtime and opening schools, where some polling places are located, on a holiday to set up, Hanson Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan said.

Polls are open in both Whitman and Hanson from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sept. 8, customary hours for a state or federal election.

Maquan School, where Hanson’s polling place is located, is open on Sept. 8, so voters in that community are urged to take extra precautions during hours when school buses and parent vehicles are dropping off and picking up pupils.

Whitman votes at the Town Hall Auditorium for all precincts.

While there is little in the way of contested races on the state primary ballot, town clerks remind voters this is a good opportunity to verify one’s registration status — or to register to vote — before the presidential election.

Sloan said Hanson residents may report to the Maquan School polling place or the town clerk’s office in Town Hall, where registrars will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., during polling hours to assist voters. The town clerk’s office will be closed to other business.

Whitman Town Clerk Dawn Varley said her office will be open to assist voters with registration or questions about their voting status.

Every day is a good day to register,” Varley said, adding that voters can also check registration status, register to vote, apply for absentee ballots and receive other voting information at sec.state.ma.us/ele.

Appearing on the party ballots for the state primary in Hanson are:

  • For representative in Congress — incumbent U.S. Rep. William R. Keating (Democratic ballot); Mark C. Alliegro of Falmouth or Thomas J. O’Malley Jr., of Marshfield (Republican ballot).
  • For governor’s council — incumbent Christopher A. Iannella Jr., of Boston or Steven F. Flynn of Hull (Democratic ballot); no candidates listed on the Republican ballot.
  • For state senator — incumbent state Sen. Michael D. Brady (Democratic ballot); no candidates listed on the Republican ballot.
  • For state representative — incumbent state Rep. Josh S. Cutler (Democratic ballot); Vince Cogliano of Pembroke (Republican ballot).
  • For sheriff — Scott M. Vecchi of Plymouth (Democratic ballot); incumbent Joseph D. McDonald Jr., (Republican ballot).
  • For county commissioner (vote for two) — Greg Hanley of Pembroke and Lincoln D. Heineman of Scituate (Democratic ballot); incumbent Daniel A. Pallotta and Anthony T. O’Brien Sr., of Pembroke (Republican ballot).

Appearing on the party ballots for the state primary in Whitman are:

  • For representative in Congress — incumbent U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (Democratic ballot); no candidates listed on the Republican ballot.
  • For governor’s council — incumbent Christopher A. Iannella Jr., of Boston or Steven F. Flynn of Hull (Democratic ballot); no candidates listed on the Republican ballot.
  • For state senator — incumbent state Sen. Michael D. Brady (Democratic ballot); no candidates listed on the Republican ballot.
  • For state representative — no candidates listed on the Democratic ballot; incumbent state Rep. Geoff Diehl (Republican ballot).
  • For sheriff — Scott M. Vecchi of Plymouth (Democratic ballot); incumbent Joseph D. McDonald Jr., (Republican ballot).
  • For county commissioner (vote for two) — Greg Hanley of Pembroke and Lincoln D. Heineman of Scituate (Democratic ballot); incumbent Daniel A. Pallotta and Anthony T. O’Brien Sr., of Pembroke (Republican ballot).

There are no candidates listed on ballots in either town for the Green-Rainbow or United Independent parties.

A rolling rally for gun owners’ rights

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 Sunday morning a rolling rally organized by the Gun Owners Action League (GOAL) traveled to Hanson Rod and Gun Club to raise awareness on recent attempted changes to gun laws in Massachusetts.

A member of GOAL’s Board of Directors, Jim Finnerty helped organize the rally on behalf of responsible gun owners who want to protest the changes.

“We follow the rules to the letter,” Finnerty said. “For the last 22 years (we) have been very careful — if we weren’t, we would not be here today.”

“The fact that the Attorney Maura General Healey continues to interpret the Second Amendment and most recently the definitions of copycat weapons, is why we are here today,” he added.

Finnerty said about 150 vehicles were part of the rolling rally, which began in Billerica, with each participant given a handout packet regarding participant radio communications, appropriate signage  and the general rules of being courteous on the road. Finnerty expressed that their group was strictly standing up for their rights and protesting peacefully in a correct manner on public streets — to say they oppose the attorney general’s recent practice.

“We were not trying to occupy — we don’t like it ( what is happening) but we are not going to misbehave,” he said.

Peter Boncek grew up in Halifax and now resides in Kingston. As a member of the Hanson Rod and Gun Club he supported the rally by placing signs along his South Shore roadway but did not ride in the rally.

He has carried a gun license for more than 37 years and is a lifetime member of the NRA.  He supported the event on Sunday because he said he firmly believes in the Second Amendment.

“What Maura Healey has done, or tried to do — and we are going to get it back — is totally illegal, and wrong.  She doesn’t have the right. She is there to enforce the laws not make the laws,” said Boncek. “This is why we are here. You get a lot more people when you start messing with the Second Amendment. As you see people here and at the State House just three weeks ago approximately 5,000 people were there on a two days’ notice ( to promote the rally).”

  Approximately 300 people participated in the rolling rally Sunday and Boncek said he extended his invitation to 7th Plymouth District state Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, who did attend the event.

Diehl who has a Class A LTC said he disagrees with Healey’s recent attempted changes to the commonwealth’s gun laws.

“First of all, I am against what Maura Healey did with the ban on the guns that she has now determined illegal,” Diehl said. “There is a lawsuit involved with that. Mike Sullivan, former U.S. Attorney is counsel on that. The legislature, unfortunately, she only did the [ban] with three days to go so we were unable to do anything to reverse the decision.” Although, over 100 legislators did sign a letter asking her not to [make the change]. Diehl pointed out the local gun clubs and gun owners rare allying to get people actively involved in protecting the Second Amendment.

15 years of ‘triple threats’: Boss Academy celebrates its crystal anniversary

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HANSON — They say if you love what you do, you’ll never “work” a day in your life. For Whitman native KathyJo Boss, that is true — to a point.

She’ll also tell you it takes work and dedication to make dreams in the performing arts come true, especially when one of those dreams is helping the next generation of dreamers achieve success in dance, voice and acting.

“I love doing what I do,” she said. “I love inspiring people. This is what’s most important. I want to leave a positive impact on as many people as I can.”

This year marks Boss Academy of Performing Arts’ 15th anniversary, and third year at its current location of 782 Main St. in Hanson. Founding a studio has always been her “end goal.”

The New York University graduate has more than 40 years of experience on Broadway, in national touring theater, television and film. When her eldest daughter Kaylee was born Boss and her husband, now-state Rep. Geoff Diehl decided to move back to her hometown.

“We felt Hanson was a great town in which to open up a business,” she said of the studio, which used to be in a storefront at the 1280 Main St. plaza in Hanson. “My landlord was awesome, but we just outgrew our space.”

Still, she said it doesn’t seem possible that those 15 years have come and gone.

“When you’re in business for 15 years — and I’m sure it will only get greater — you go through great times,” Boss said. “It is truly a family here.”

Like any parent, she has watched her students grow and move on after graduation — whether or not they seek a performing career.

“I see a lot of awesome memories with kids that started when they were little [and] I just went to one of their weddings,” she said. “Both my  children were in the wedding.”

A lot of her students who want to pursue a stage or film career are doing that, holding Actors’ Equity and/or SAG-AFTRA cards. Others have celebrated marriage and family or are dealing with the loss of a parent.

“To me, the biggest thing is making the connection with the kids and seeing them grow into young people doing great things,” she said. “Whether that’s in the performing arts, which a lot of them are doing, or just in other things. … The common thing is that they take the structure and the discipline — just to have the courage to get up and speak in front of someone — and use them.”

Some of her students have gone on to do well in the military, and another is going for her doctorate. Hanson students Melissa Ford and Darren Bunch are among her alumni now working in film and theater in New York. Former student Hillary Keefe is now working in production.

The accomplishments of her students are her proudest achievements, but when her students cheer on not only each other, but other participants at competitions, she really enjoys seeing the growth in which she’s had a hand.

“To see my alumni come to my shows is the greatest gift for me that day,” she said. “I’m proud of the family that has been created here.”

Boss herself has come a long way from the shy 2 1/2-year-old whose mother brought her to dance class to help bring her out of her shell. Her teacher didn’t think KathyJo would want to go on stage for the year-end recital.

“I did go on stage and, obviously, I never came off,” she said.

She was later selected as a company member of the Boston Ballet. After graduating from NYU, she has continued to stay in contact with several of her teachers. She has performed on Broadway in a revival of “Cabaret” and as Lambchop in “Shari Lewis’ Lambchop.” Some TV and film work as well as commercials that have aired in Japan, eventually moving to California where she ended up doing production work, including live shows — and met Diehl who was then a writer.

Diehl still writes productions for Boss Academy, and her mom, who is a professional artist, does the scenery.

“I can give [students] the real story,” she said. “I can let them try it all … it only gives them more opportunity when they go to New York or LA.”

While there are several dance studios in the area, Boss said there is room for all of them in a state known for dance — it all depends on the kind of instruction a student is seeking.

She also sees a lot of change in the arts over the past 15 years. Dance, for example, involves more gymnastic moves than before, leading to the studio’s offering tumbling for the past four or five years. But there is always a need for the basics.

“I truly believe in the roots of the discipline,” she said. “With voice, they need to train in a classical way in terms of the technique.”

When students come in demanding to sing like the hottest pop artist on the radio, however, instructors have to help them take a realistic assessment of their vocal chords. Are they strong enough to sing a song like the over-produced recorded performances they hear?

Hip-hop has also made a difference in what students want to learn, affected by the success of the Broadway smash “Hamilton” and the reality show “So, You Think You Can Dance?” Boss pointed out.

“It does go with the trends,” she said. “It used to be the boy band style and then that swung around to what we see now. You stay on top of the trends, but you also stay true to the training.”

That is her aim for the future. She is also planning to give back to the community in a big way this year, the details of which she is not yet ready to disclose.

Heading back to class: Sixth, ninth graders attend orientations

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Buses officially rolled for the first day of school Wednesday, but about 340 sixth-graders in the Class of 2023 and some 270 high school freshmen in the Class of 2020, have already had one foot in the schoolhouse door for the past week.

Freshmen attended an orientation session at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School on Wednesday, Aug. 24, with about 200 grade six students learning their way around Whitman Middle School and another 140 or so attending orientation at Hanson Middle School on Aug. 25.

High school athletes attended an information night Sunday, Aug. 22.

Orientations at the middle schools and WHRHS featured upperclassmen on hand to give school tours, demonstrate lockers, answer questions and otherwise ease the transition for incoming students. Parents’ questions were answered by administrators as their children learned about their new schools.

W-H Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak introduced faculty and administration members attending the high school session before explaining the purpose of the evening, organized by English teacher and student mentor coordinator Ellen Galambos.

The 80-plus student mentors had to apply for the position, Assistant Principal David Floeck said.

“They had to put down reasons why they wanted to be a mentor and, pretty much to a person, they talked about understanding how important it is to get off to a good start, remembering how it was to be a freshman coming into the high school,” Floeck said. “A lot of them wrote, ‘I remember how important my mentor was to me when I started … They helped me navigate to a good start and I want to give back.’”

Szymaniak also praised the mentors, while explaining the change to a semester-based schedule at the high school this year.

“These student leaders are from all over the walks of W-H halls,” Szymaniak said. “You have athletes, people that perform in drama, you have musicians, you have artists, you have scholars … you have the students who started the Harry Potter Society here … they all sat in your seats as freshmen.”

He said opening the door and stepping into an opportunity is sometimes the hardest thing to do, but stressed the students in school activities want freshmen to join them. Every student is welcome to attend Student Council, a non-elected body, for exaample.

“The more you get involved as a student, the more you can balance your academic, social life and extra-curricular life, the better off you are — the more successful you are,” he said.

Szymaniak cautioned, however, that academics will always come first as students build a high school transcript that will determine a lot about the direction they take in the future. He also urged students to communicate with teachers when they need extra help.

“It counts,” he said. “What people look for after you graduate is your record. Your record here is your transcript — your grades and your attendance.”

The balance of academic excellence and extra-curricular activities were also stressed at the middle schools.

At WMS, eighth-grade student leaders, wearing long-sleeve gray T-shirts with the school’s motto for the year — “Work Hard and Be Kind” — were on hand to assist new sixth-graders with the transition to what principal George Ferro termed 580 days of personal and educational growth before high school.

“This is going to be the quickest three years of schooling that you will have,” Ferro told students and parents, noting only law schools are also based on a three-year program. “If we can achieve students who know how to study, if we can achieve students who know how to communicate effectively with their peers and adults, if we can achieve students who can think for themselves, if we can achieve students who respect themselves … [who] can respect others, then we’ve given them as many skills as they need to be successful in life.”

At the same time he said students will be expected to Work Hard and Be Kind every day they come to school.

“It’s not a joke,” he said. “If you work hard and be kind you’ll be successful, your parents will be successful, your community will be sucessful.”

School rules were also reviewed.

There will be no gum-chewing. Cell phones are not allowed in classrooms at WMS, sixth-grade social studies teacher and event coordinator Beth Stafford told the students. They are to be turned off and left in lockers or placed in classroom bins. Boys are expected to remove their hats in school and girls’ tank top straps are to be at least an inch wide.

“Remember this is not the beach — this is school,” Stafford said.

Students should walk to the right in halls and use the center stairs for “up” and the side stairs for “down.”

Students also must bring a silent reading book to peruse on occasions when they finish a classroom assignment early. Some teachers give pop quizzes to check for them, she cautioned.

Rewards were also featured to add to the fun.

At WMS, it was a grab-bag of school supplies for the first team of 10 students to finish a get-to-know-your-school scavenger hunt — without losing anyone. Stafford donated the prizes. At the high school, student mentors held raffles throughout the evening.

“This group of people dedicated time this summer to go through mentor training and they also donated some of their very hard-earned cash … to put together some raffle prizes,” said Floeck, noting about $300 in gift cards and other raffle prizes were drawn during the evening.

At HMS, Principal William Tranter said his incoming sixth-graders were divided into groups for tours of the building, meeting their teachers, activities such as tug-of-   war, in which he participated and basketball — followed by ice cream.

Both middle schools will hold an open house in which parents can follow their children’s class schedules and meet teachers at 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 8.

Elementary Schools held open house at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 30. Families of students at all schools have been urged to follow the schools through Twitter for news and updates.

Voter safety plans made

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WHITMAN — Expecting a 75-percent turnout for the Tuesday, Nov. 8 presidential election, Town Clerk DawnVarley has asked for, and received, Selectmen’s support for safety procedures she plans to institute at Town Hall on that date.

The measures have been used before in high-turnout elections and center on restricting parking and charitable solicitations.

Varley said she had already discussed the moves with Town Administrator Frank Lynam, Police Chief Scott Benton and Council on Aging Director Barbara Garvey.

The deadline for registering to vote in the presidential election is Wednesday, Oct. 19.

“I urged everyone to register to vote,” Varley said.

With final details concerning use of the Council on Aging bus still to be finalized, Town Hall employees and election workers will be required to park at the police station on Election Day to free up Town Hall parking for voters. Employees and election workers will be shuttled to Town Hall.

Parking along South Avenue from Day Street to the center of town will be limited to a half-hour on a temporary basis.

“We have 10,000 voters now,” Varley said. “The only thing that could cut [traffic] down is something new that’s going on — early voting.”

The 150-foot “no electioneering” rule around Town Hall will be enforced, including fundraising efforts by Dollars for Scholars and other groups.

“I usually let people inside for other elections — like the Mothers Club and things like that — but this time I’m not going to allow any solicitation,” she said. “I think it’s too much traffic.”

She stressed there will also likely be exit pollsters and poll watchers present, over neither of which she has any control.

Benton said he agreed with the parking restrictions and noted he will add a “floating” officer to the detail usually assigned to the polling place on election days.

Early voting is also in place for the first time this year and Varley has asked the Finance Committee for $2,000 to cover those costs, as she is asking some of her election workers to help with that process between Monday, Oct. 24 and Friday, Nov. 4. She said the state has not yet released the needed forms, envelopes or details of what the process will entail as yet.

Early voting will be conducted in the Town Hall Auditorium and Varlet plans to provide locked ballot boxes to keep ballots secure. While the law only requires early voting to be conducted during Town Hall hours, Varley plans to be open Fridays as well as from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29.

The state is providing incentive grants to encourage towns to provide extra early voting hours.

Municipalities with between 5,000 and 10,000 voters can get $500 to be open at least four weekend hours, with a $50 bonus for each additional two-hour increment they stay open during the weekend, according to Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s office.

Absentee voting will also be conducted as usual.

Varley also reminded residents that 16-year-olds may register to vote, even though they cannot cast a ballot until they turn 18.

“They’re trying to get the voter numbers up, but it just adds pressure to my office because we have to keep track of them for two years,” she said. “Who knows if they’re going to be in the same location in two years?”

Anyone with questions on their registration status, order absentee ballots or other election concerns may visit sec.state.ma.us.ele.

The town has received 34 applications for the assistant town administrator’s position, all based on an online posting before the position is advertised in print.

“We have a lot of interest in it,” said Selectmen Chairman Carl Kowalski. “We have a lot of qualified people that have showed some interest.”

The application deadline is Sept. 22.

Selectmen opted not to fill Selectman Lisa Green’s open seat based on the time constraints for a special election. The board members felt the could continue with the vacancy, created when Green resigned to apply for the position of assistant town administrator.

Senior centers, they are a-changin’

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They’re still trying to bridge the original Generation Gap.

What started as a “Don’t trust anyone over 30” outlook among Baby Boomers in their youth, has turned into a different approach to aging — with senior centers working to provide programs and services to two generations of elders.

“It’s a huge problem,” said Barbara Garvey, Whitman’s Council on Aging Director. “We’re trying to capture the Baby Boomers, the young seniors.”

Both Garvey and Hanson Multi-Service Senior Center Director Mary Collins noted the difference in the way Boomers approach aging — and, according to statistics, 10,000 of them have been turning 65 every day since 2011.

“They’re working, they’re caring for their grandchildren, they’re playing golf,” Garvey said. “It’s a different lifestyle than their parents led.”

She said it appears that Boomers view senior centers as a place “for very old people, and that’s not them.”

Collins said her Friends of the Senior Center group is taking a step to help bridge that gap, planning a 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 27 “Mocktails and Music” event with Laura James, a former member of The Platters.

“The Friends decided to reach out to the Baby Boomers … those folks who grew up in the ’50s and ’60s,” Collins said. “She performs music from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s with a little bit of disco at the end.”

The performance is also a fundraiser for the Friends with tickets priced at $10.

Garvey sees the need to keep pace with generational change as well.

“We’re trying to change our programming so that it will interest younger people,” Garvey said, noting that a recent evening program on Medicare aimed at people approaching retirement was very well attended, including  those who had not been at the center before.

Evening hours?

“We haven’t been open in the evening, but I’m thinking about maybe rearranging hours so that folks that aren’t available during the day would be able to participate and benefit,” Garvey said.

Aside from a social outlet, senior centers connect older adults to services that can help them stay healthy and independent, and according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), more than 60 percent of centers are focal points for services through the Older Americans Act. Those services include health, fitness and wellness programs; public benefits counseling; information and nutrition programs among others.

“We are a referral source for elders in the town, but also for families that are looking for different assistance,” Collins said, noting it may be time to stress the multi-service portion of her facility’s title.

“The age spans a wide variety from those who are able to retire at 65 to those who are continuing to work — whether it be full time or part time — and at some point we have to look at the fact that our programs need to reflect what someone in their late 60s or 70s needs,” she said.

At the same time, the needs of those in their 80s and 90s cannot be ignored. And, in Hanson, the Adult Day Program sees to the needs of those with elders with health problems, including various forms of dementia.

“That’s the line that we walk,” Collins said. “It’s very individualized.”

While the standards by singers such as Tony Bennett are always heard on the center’s stereo, the Boomer favorites featured in the Aug. 27 program are symbolic of “where we’re heading,” Collins noted.

Garvey said events such as paint nights and the possible development of a bocce court are being considered at her center, and Whitman is one of the first towns in the area to offer pickleball, which lost some of its participants when the Abington Senior Center built three new pickleball courts. An Eagle Scout candidate, however, is continuing a project to improve the Whitman pickleball courts adjacent to the Police Station.

I see bingo attendance declining,” she said, but new games being offered have begun to draw interest. “Craft classes are well attended, I’m just trying to hone in on what’s successful and what’s not.”

Suggestions sought

A questionnaire about programs people would like to see is in the works. Every resident 60 and over also receives the Whitman Council on Aging newsletter.

Collins said she is fortunate to have a group, who have either attended programs or volunteer at the center, and are in the beginning of their retirement.

“I spend a lot of time looking for feedback from them as to what their interests might be,” she said.

According to the NCA, 70 percent of senior center participants are women, half of those live alone. They also have higher levels of health, social interaction and life satisfaction, but have lower levels of income. Their average age is 75 and they visit their center one to three times per week for an average of 3.3 hours per visit.

“I have ladies who say, ‘I’m glad to come here, but you’ll never see my husband because he doesn’t consider himself a senior,’” Collins said. “We don’t change that much as we age.”

Hanson has long featured a Cracker Barrel Men’s Club, the members of which gather Thursday mornings to talk about sports or the events of the day, whether or not they go to the center on other days.

“Ultimately, it’s not about them attending programs, it’s about them knowing people are here to help them,” Collins said.

Maquan roof fixed

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HANSON — The initial repair to the Maquan School roof over the gym and cafeteria has been completed — but a few more problems were discovered in the process.

Selectmen approved use of $77,208 in unused funds for the project to address the problems, with the work to be continued by the contractor Gibson Roofs Inc., of Hanover.

“In the process of making this repair, we had Gibson look at the complete roof at Maquan,” said School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes. “There are other issues on the rest of the roof.”

The School Committee was scheduled to take a vote on those repairs at its Wednesday, Aug. 24 meeting. the quick votes could allow Gibson to complete the work before school starts Wednesday, Aug. 31.

The needed repairs include a new walkway pads, fixing loose flashing, re-flashing vent pipes, re-pointing and replacing bricks and the concrete cap of a chimney, snaking a roof drain, re-caulking among other repairs.

“It’s all within the scope of the roof project, the way it was voted,” Hayes said. “Some of the savings by going with Gibson — they did a fabulous job — can be put toward this.”

The votes come under the inter-municipal agreement, which Hayes said has worked very well on the recent Hanson school repair projects.

Setting the scene for movie thrills: ‘Altar Rock’ action shot in Hanson

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HANSON — A multi-use building at 1000 Main St., which houses offices, retail, manufacturing and warehouse businesses — as well as the Express offices — was also being used as a movie set Sunday, Aug. 21.

Filming at the Hanson was for a scene in, “Altar Rock,” an indie-film project described in media reports as a thriller inspired by the Boston Marathon bombing, but executive producer Kristin Kuhns Alexandre said this week that is not the case.

“The Boston event is not connected to ‘Altar Rock’ at all, except that there are brothers in the story,” Alexandre said Sunday. “I wanted to do a story about a young man torn between love of family and love of a young woman and America.”

The fictional story is said to revolve around Nantucket teenager Tillie Gardner, who is mourning her parents’ deaths in an airplane crash when she meets a young Albanian cab driver named Niko. She later learns Niko and his troubled older brother may have been involved in her parents’ plane crash, and are planning to blow up a beach full of people on the Fourth of July.

Amazon.com has indicated that Alexandre, of Delray Beach, Fla., planned to release the story as a novel after the film is completed, but she said there is no book planned right now. She is also a novelist (“Gem City Gypsy”) and author of how-to books (“Find a Great Guy: Now and Forever”).

“We’ll see,” she said. “Screenwriting is a whole different world of story arcs and scenes, and that’s why I worked closely with a veteran screenwriter — my writing partner A. Wayne Carter.”

Beach scenes for the movie were recently filmed in Duxbury.   

“It worked out really well, because Altar Rock on Nantucket is, honestly, not as beautiful as Bay Farm [Beach in Duxbury],” Alexandre’s daughter Cynthia said Friday that the Duxbury beach has an “absolutely gorgeous overview of the beautiful Duxbury oceanfront.”

Cynthia Alexandre is working as an assistant to director of photography Vern Nobles on the project. She said when filming wrapped there they moved to the Hanson location.

“Our locations department found an easily accessible space to build a movie set in at a great budget while taking into consideration how far base camp can be from the actual set, as well as town rules and regulations,” Cynthia Alexandre said.

Duxbury, Plymouth and surrounding South Shore communities were scouted for film locations, Kristin Alexandre said, noting that obtaining permits during summer months was challenging.

“We shot a very important beach scene in Duxbury, important body shots in Plymouth Harbor and other important shots all over the area,” she said.

Building owners at 1000 Main St., as well as Hanson town officials were pleased to have the cinematic attention.

“We’re really exited about the opportunity to have a movie filmed in our building,” said building co-owner Kelly Ryan Holmes. “But not just for us, it’s also exciting for the town of Hanson … to promote the town.”

She said location scouts  loved the space being used in the building — a loft-style office area and adjacent warehouse space — and how it looks in relation to other nearby buildings. The area is being meant to represent a warehouse area of Brooklyn she said producers told her.

Town Administrator Michael McCue said he’d like to see more projects film in town, even if this week’s footage should end up on the cutting room floor.

“Hanson as a setting for this upcoming movie, whether identified in the script or not, is a fun and boastful thing for the town,” McCue said. “I have in other communities spoken to the Massachusetts State Film Office about the availability for similar projects and will look to do the same in Hanson as appropriate.”

A Hanson firefighter on set to ensure safety while the film crew had the fire alarm system turned off during filming, said the scenes shot Sunday morning were rather exciting.

“They were ‘fighting’ and then ‘shot’ someone,” he said of the morning scenes.

Tenants of the commercial building had been group-texted Friday by the building owners about the scenes so no one would be alarmed if they heard shots fired.

Moody Independent is a film company headquartered in Boston and has produced many small and medium-sized movies, Alexandre said.

Andrzej Bartkowiak, cinematographer on “Speed” and director on “Romeo Must Die,” is directing “Altar Rock.” Bartkowiak’s cinematography credits include “The Verdict,” “Prizzi’s Honor” and “Terms of Endearment.” He also directed “Exit Wounds” and was the director of photography on “Grey Lady,” starring Eric Dane and Natalie Zea, which was also filmed on Nantucket and partially financed by Alexandre, according to Variety.

Recreation panel in limbo: Resignations not accepted or rescinded, leaving confusion

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HANSON — No one seemed to walk away satisfied with the outcome of the Board of Selectmen’s Tuesday, Aug. 23 discussions on the Recreation Commission’s recent mass resignation and conveyance of Camp Kiwanee oversight to Town Administrator Michael McCue.

Selectmen did not vote on accepting the resignations and, while at least three members indicated a willingness to wait for Labor Counsel Leo Peloquin to complete his investigation, or audit review, none offered to rescind their resignations.

“You can accept my resignation or not accept it, but I will not serve on the Recreation Commission any longer,” said former Recreation Chairman James Hickey.

Selectman Bruce Young angrily walked out of the meeting about an hour later — before business had been concluded.

His action came during a discussion before the special Town Meeting warrant was closed, changing his vote on placing an article seeking a request for proposals (RFP) on management of Camp Kiwanee.

“I don’t like what’s going on here,” Young said before he walked out. [See related story, opposite page]

The evening started with a large group of former Recreation Commission members, ex-caretakers and their supporters — holding signs and small red Solo cups — seeking public support outside Town Hall. The cups were in reference to the heated exchange in April between Young and then-interim Town Administrator Richard LaCamera over alleged improper drinking going on at the camp. LaCamera walked out of that meeting, leaving his resignation on his desk.

Signs for support

The sign-holders filled the Selectmen’s Meeting Room for the vote on the Recreation Commission’s resignations, asking questions about the process, status of the review and how McCue would oversee the camp.

“Typically, we don’t speak about resignations, we have not in the past,” said Selectmen Chairman James McGahan. Resignations are usually voted on with no comment other than an occasional expression of regret.

When the vote to accept resignations came up, there was no second made to the motion, so no vote was taken.

“I want to make it clear that, consistent with this board’s prior position, the board is not going to entertain discussion about the substance of the ongoing investigation into Camp Kiwanee,” McGahan said. “It’s not posted on the agenda. I can’t talk about that because we’d be in open meeting violation.”

He noted some town departments have run into problems doing that in the past, and pledged to hold an open meeting to fully discuss Peloquin’s report when it is complete. McGahan said he wanted to see that review completed by the end of September.

“I have asked Leo to make damn sure its done by the end of September,” he said.

The report will also be made public as is required by state law, according to Young, including all minutes of executive session discussions.

“The goal of the board and the town has been and continues to be to ensure that Camp Kiwanee is operated appropriately,” McGahan said. “Notwithstanding the recent developments, we intend to see to it that the scheduled events and programs take place.”

He said the town would appreciate the help of staff and volunteers in meeting that goal.

McGahan cautioned the audience would be gaveled down if “things got out of hand,” and did so on a few occasions, including prior to Young’s later walkout.

One resident asked if the resignations were accepted before the investigation concluded, it wouldn’t be doing a disservice to “our good citizens” on the Recreation Commission. Another wondered how McCue would run Camp Kiwanee. It was also asked if a vote on the resignations could be postponed.

McGahan countered that the board should move ahead with a vote and, when the positions came open again, members who resigned could reapply. He also declined to comment on what would be done if the investigation bore out a single person’s improper actions.

The lack of a vote left that situation a bit confused.

“How can we expect people to fill these positions if we allow the current Commission to resign?” asked Whitman resident Lillian Dignan, a former longtime Hanson resident.

“I don’t know,” McGahan said. “To me, that’s not germane to accepting the resignations.”

Young added that Selectmen are obligated by town bylaws to appoint a Recreation Commission, noting that the town administrator would step in to manage Camp Kiwanee on a temporary basis.

“That’s a stopgap measure,” Young cautioned. He did not second the motion to accept the resignations, and said he would not vote for it in hopes that the members — other than Hickey — would withdraw their resignations. The statement was met with loud applause.

At least four of the seven-member commission would have to return to resume oversight of the camp functions.

“I think this an unfortunate hot mess,” said Hanson resident Kimberly King, who has experience serving with an appointed authority, the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Board. “I think both sides have legitimate concerns, but I find it extremely upsetting that the Recreation Commission would just throw in their resignations before asking to go on the agenda in a public meeting to have this discussed.  … Good people make mistakes and I think that’s where a lot of this comes from.”

Former commission member Susan Lonergan said that couldn’t be done because Selectmen are not part of the investigation and they were instructed by an attorney not to talk about it with them.

McCue’s role

For his part, McCue was not particularly eager to oversee Camp Kiwanee, but said remaining staff members had indicated they will stay on and he would only be signing contracts or invoices and dealing with any personnel issues that might arise.

Teresa Santalucia asked if McCue would consult with the Recreation Commission on any problems that might crop up.

“We’ve run into a kind of gray area,” McCue said. “The board still has a letter of resignation from all these people in front of them. Until a majority of those people — if they so choose — rescind those resignations, I don’t have a board with whom to speak. … If there was a board to speak with, I wouldn’t be doing this.”

That prompted School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes, attending the meeting on another matter, to suggest asking if any Recreation Commission members wished to stay on until a report comes back.

“You’re putting them on the spot right now,” Hickey said.

McGahan said that was not the intention of asking who might wish to stay on.

“It’s your choice,” he said.

After a brief recess of discussion among the commission, three — Lonergan, Janet Agius and Sheila Morse — said they would wait until the investigation was completed before going ahead with their resignations.

“We have to work together on this,” Lonergan said. “We have to be heard and we haven’t been heard.”

Resident, and former Recreation Commission member, chairman and longtime Camp Kiwanee volunteer Joseph Baker asked how McCue would be able to manage the facility.

“Do you know how to pump the toilets? … How are you possibly going to manage the camp?” Baker asked. “This is a great asset to the town and now what we’re doing is causing this big [crap] storm. … How is this guy going to run the camp? He doesn’t know a thing about the camp.”

“We’re going to do the best we can on this,” McGahan said.

“What is the alternative?” Young said. “We don’t have four members who are willing to rescind their resignations.” Selectmen voted 5-0 to convey the oversight of operations to McCue.

The weeds got your goat?: Hanson tries goatscaping

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HANSON — What controls weeds, invasive plants and poison ivy while fertilizing the landscape and reducing use of harmful herbicides?

Goats — more precisely their use in the work of goatscaping — and they’re cute, too. But don’t touch or feed them. The extra food would only interfere with the work at hand and the plant oils from poison ivy can linger on their faces.

Hanson’s Conservation Commission has employed four of the “staff members” at The Goatscaping Company of Plympton for a project on town conservation land. The four Alpine goats have been hard at work chewing their way through the underbrush in the Poor Meadow Brook Conservation Area off West Washington Street since Wednesday, Aug. 3.

By Thursday, Aug. 11 it was time to move the fenced-in area to a new portion of the property.

“It just seems that they never stop eating,” said Rebecca Nehiley, administrative assistant to Hanson’s conservation agent.

Co-founders of Colchester Neighborhood Farm Elaine Philbrick and James Cormier started the goatscaping business five years ago after reading a newspaper account about how golf courses were using goats to control the weeds.

Before long, a job at the Cohasset Golf Course had expanded to other assignments at other courses, the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, town parks and cemeteries, abandoned buildings and private homes from Gloucester to Wellfleet, according to the company’s website gogreengoat.com.

“Elaine started it because she believed in an economically and ecologically sound way of doing landscaping and land clearing,” said company account manager Susan Schortmann, noting that Philbrook, is a mother interested in limiting chemical herbicides. “Back in the day that’s how land was cleared, using goats and other types of animals.”

Labor of love

Conservation Commission member Philip Clemons estimated the goats have a few more weeks of work ahead of them in Hanson.

The goats don’t seem to mind.

The commission has also recruited a team of about 10 people to look in on the animals twice a day to “monitor the goats’ safety and success and to provide water.” The company also placed a corrugated metal hut inside the enclosure for the oats to sleep in and to provide shelter from the rain.

A 600-foot, solar-powered electric fence, clearly marked as such, delivers a mild shock akin to that of a nine-volt battery to keep the goats in and predators out.

Goatscaping puts a modern twist on an old practice.

“We heard about, then saw with our own eyes, the whole goatscaping concept — it’s not new,” Clemons said of the decision to use the animals. “A few of us grew up with grazing animals and we know how that can work.”

When the commission was in the process of working with the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts in Duxbury to acquire the land, trust officials raised the goatscaping idea after walking the property.

“Since the property was successfully purchased by the town, we want to do the things we said we would do … have a few nice trails accessing the view, but we’re confronted with poison ivy that’s taller than your knees,” he said.

Ivy eaters

Goatscaping Company employee Zach Brown, 17, said the poison ivy doesn’t bother the goats.

“They love poison ivy,” Brown said. “That’s what most of the jobs come from, because people hear that goats eat poison ivy and nobody wants to go near it.”

While neither he nor fellow goat crew member Justin Dudley, 17, plan to pursue agricultural careers, they find the job interesting and rewarding. Brown plans to pursue art or engineering and Dudley aims to become a mechanic.

“Nobody I know works with farm animals, especially for this purpose,” Brown said. “I guess what’s nice, too, is explaining to people exactly what I do and the purpose of having the goats. I always get a lot of questions.”

The goats, at $600 per week for a team of four goats, has proved to be an economical way of reducing the poison ivy. Volunteers can then go in and trim out sapling twigs the goats have stripped of leaves, and remove the trash their grazing has uncovered, while starting to manage the property.

“It’s going to take a number of steps and a lot of volunteer work,” said Clemons, noting there are likely several projects within the property that could keep an Eagle Scout candidate busy.

“It needs to be inviting,” Clemons said. “Why would you go to it if you didn’t know it’s there? … We’d like to have a little trail that goes from the parking lot over to the edge of the river.”

Goatscaping also helps eliminate invasive plant species such as the fast-growing (and now unlawful to sell) burning bush or the glossy buckthorn, which has shiny green leaves that look nice but chokes out native plants like wild blueberry.

The goats may not totally denude the property of such pests, but will chew them down to where it is possible to stay ahead of them.

“If you have a plant and you mow it down year after year, eventually the roots will die,” Clemons said. “When the goats leave, we’ll see what we’re up against.”

While they’ve no doubt been  noticed by bemused motorists, the goats seem to be settling in well.

“The goats seem unperturbed by the traffic going by,” Clemons said. “But they jump if they hear a branch snap.”

While poison ivy doesn’t bother the goats, there are plants that are poisonous to goats, such as milkweed and Lily of the Valley. The animals generally avoid them, but The Goatscaping Company asks that customers alert them to the presence of toxic plants, which are listed on its website.

“We also advise [potential clients] to be prepared for an influx of neighbors,” Schortmann said. “Many neighbors enjoy having the goats around almost as much as they do.”