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Baker charter cap raise costly for WHRSD

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Baker charter cap raise costly for WHRSD, Whitman-Hanson School Committee says

The School Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 14 approved a change to National Honor Society eligibility as well as hearing concerns by school officials concerning Gov. Charlie Baker’s proposal to raise the cap on the number of charter schools in the state.

Baker charter cap raise costly for WHRSD

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker looks to increase Charter School cap in the state.

The committee also heard an update on the high school’s advanced placement (AP) program.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner testified at a Statehouse public hearing on Gov. Baker’s charter school legislation Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Begun in 1993, charter schools were originally capped at 25 innovative schools.

“Clearly, that’s not what has happened over time,” Gilbert-Whitner said in her report to the School Committee. “Yesterday the testimony I read really focused on the impact to W-H.”

The district is charged based on the per-pupil cost multiplied by the number of students attending charter schools. With 30 students from Whitman and Hanson attending South Shore Charter and Rennaissance Carter School in Boston, the loss to the district’s state aid — after about $26,000 charter school reimbursement — is about $309,000 Gilbert-Whitner said.

“Interestingly, [$309,000] is the same cost that we had to cut from our library program,” she said.

She also noted that, of the 30 local charter school students, only one has ever been enrolled in W-H schools.

“They never even come to see what we’re about,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “Clearly the choice to go to a charter school probably doesn’t have a whole lot to do with the quality of education.”

South Shore Charter is a Level 2 school. Gilbert-Whitner reminded the committee that W-H is a Level 2 district with three Level 1 schools.

Charter school faculties are not required to have union representation or to provide services for all special education students, and not all teachers working for charter schools are certified.

“Each and every student in the Commonwealth deserves a high-quality education, not a dual system of publicly funded education that charges traditional districts for circumstances beyond their control and requires them to operate school systems under a vastly different set of regulations,” Gilbert-Whitner testified in Boston.

“There should be choice,” she told the committee, “ but clearly, there should not be a different set of rules for everyone.”

W-H accepts school choice students and currently enrolls 28, ranging from freshmen to seniors as well as night school students, but sending districts are charged less under that program.

“Choice money has been extremely beneficial,” Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak said, noting it has allowed the hiring of some long-term substitutes for teachers out due to long-term illness.

Szymaniak also argued successfully for a change in National Honor Society (NHS) eligibility to bring W-H onto the same level as other schools in the state. The committee voted 9-0 to approve the change. Member Fred Small was absent.

NHS guidelines had required an unweighted 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale or a 4.3 on a weighted 5.0 scale for AP courses. Students taking AP classes, but not earning an A or B despite doing well overall academically might be penalized if they fall below a 3.5 GPA, Szymaniak said. The rare occurrence affected four seniors in the Class of 2015.

“The national standard for the NHS is a 3.0,” he said. “I did some digging, called my peers on the South Shore and the average unweighted GPA for the National Honor Society at our local schools is a 3.3 or a 3.4, so we kind of picked the middle ground.”

He advocated a change to 3.35 for W-H requirements.

“This will put us on an equitable playing surface,” Szymaniak said. “It’s not dumbing-down the rigor, it’s not dumbing-down anything.”

The change goes into effect immediately and induction has been moved to November so this year’s seniors can apply.

Guidance Counselor Ruth Carrigan and AP students Erika Badger and Joshua Spicer joined Szymaniak in outlining the success of the W-H AP program.

Prior to the district’s participation in the Mass. Insight to Edcuation grant program in 2012, AP participation was often open to only top-scoring academic students, according to GilbertWhitner. The grant has since expired.

“With the grant program, we were able to expand and it’s just gotten better and better,” she said.

Szymaniak started by reading an email by an alumnus, now studying at Suffolk University, to his W-H science teachers.

“I’m sitting in my environmental science lecture and not paying attention because I don’t have to,” the student wrote to teacher Brian Dukeman. “Your AP course completely prepared me for this class. … I already know every single thing my professor is talking about because of your awesome teaching.”

The student was able to skip all the required freshman science courses because he passed the AP biology exam “with flying colors” and is the only freshman in the class he is now taking, required of environmental science majors.

“That’s just a piece of what AP brings,” Szymaniak said. “AP at Whitman-Hanson gives all students an opportunity to not only take a college class, but to potentially earn college credit.”

He credited the training and commitment of W-H teachers, as well as dedication of students for the success of the AP program in which the school is on track to administer 648 AP exams to 392 students — a quarter of all high school students.

“I congratulate our students for taking on the challenge,” Carrigan said. She reported that alumnus Nate Almeida, who spoke at the recent AP kickoff breakfast, told current students that the 19 college credits he earned in AP courses have saved him $25,000 in college costs.

This year, Badger and Spicer are both taking four AP courses for a total of eight each during high school — Spicer in literature, calculus, computer science and physics and Badger in calculus, environmental science, biology and literature.

Both lauded their teachers as well as peers for inspiring them and pushing them to succeed in the AP classes.

“Although you have to be at a certain level, there’s so much help here at W-H that — whether it’s your teachers or your peers or your guidance counselors — it’s almost as if anyone can come into it and succeed.”

Szymaniak said the goal is for every W-H graduate taking at least one AP course, “or at least attempting the class,” so they are truly college and career ready.

Updates to WHRSD gift policy

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The School Committee in Whitman-Hanson made updates to WHRSD gift policy, and to the guidelines on building use

The School Committee has approved changes to building use and donations policies in order to provide more uniformity and fairness.

Updates to WHRSD gift policyBuilding use changes include a requirement that adults sign voluntary school release forms, as well as an annual statement from group representatives that the forms are signed and that outside groups may not use or place an “undue burden” on facilities support staff.

Regulations have also been updated, including cancellation fees and limitations to availability of facilities when events would interfere with school functions.

“With this particular packet, you are going to have the do’s and the don’ts, what’s expected from you and what you can expect from the district,” said Chairman Bob Hayes.

Donations policy involves an avenue through which funds can be earmarked for use by a specific school.

“It became very clear that some of our policies contradicted each other,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner.

Donors are advised that, as public education is the taxpayer’s responsibility, gifts must be for supplemental materials and programs, not supplanting the regular curriculum or faculty salaries. Gifts also become property of the district, even if they are directed at an individual school.

Each school has a revolving account managed by the Business Office.

“They should not come with strings attached, unless they are presented that way to [the School Committee] that they need to come and be used only for a specific program or a specific school,” Gilbert-Whitner said.

Several such donations were accepted by the committee Wednesday, Oct. 14:

  • Donations in memory of Patricia Duval requested to be directed to the school by the Duval family — once all donations have been received the school’s officials will update the committee of the total amount and use of the funds;
  • $400 from Shaw’s Supermarket Charitable Foundation for the Indian Head School to purchase technology items;
  • $400 from Shaw’s Supermarket Charitable Foundation for the Maquan School to purchase technology items;
  • $4,087.20 from One Zero Financial Systems to purchase 15 ChromeBooks and their management licenses for the Indian Head School. The gift has been vetted by the Technology Department.
  • $1,265 from the Monday-Tuesday Night Volleyball Group in lieu of gym fees for the girls’ volleyball team to fund registration fees for students unable to afford them.

Donations, if any are received, of $35,000 or more that could be intended for a capital expense — and that could involve bidding laws or legislation — must also be addressed and analyzed to determine how it would involve those regulation, the superintendent explained.

“I’m kind of hoping that somebody watching tonight donates $100,000 to each one of the schools,” Hayes quipped.

Grants sought for the district must also be approved by the district before applications are filed.

“We are trying to be very strict about any technology that people are trying to get for the district, whether it’s through fund-raising or grants really needs to go through the Tech Department,” she said. “We want to make sure we can support it and that it’s in compliance with other things that we have.”

In-kind donations must also fit into the curriculum. Donations of time, however, do not need School Committee approval.

Hanson salutes newest centenarian

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Cheers and goodwill at Senior Center as Hanson salutes newest centenarian

It’s not every day the town of Hanson salutes newest centenarian. With a room filled with friends at the Hanson Multi-Service Senior Center Tuesday, Barbara Meiggs of Hanson smiled with her entire face as everyone shouted “Happy Birthday!”

Hanson salutes newest centenarian, Barbara Meiggs

Barbara Meiggs wears a purple tiara on her special day of celebration. Click on her image to view more photos from the event.

At 100 years old her silver hair and sapphire eyes sparkled like the starry, night sky. She walked with assistance but, as thrilled as she was by the birthday attention, she was equally modest and thankful for the many greetings she received.

The petite centenarian took her throne, an armchair decorated with a purple fleece throw, and she was wrapped in a shawl scattered with rhinestones.

Celebrating a 100th birthday is quite the occasion staff members told her. She was quick to reply that she was still 99, as her birthday falls on Oct. 27.

She was born in 1915 and raised in Whitman.

In the year she was born, World War I had begun.  Newspapers cost one cent, a movie ticket was seven cents, and steak was 18 cents a pound.

Meiggs recalled several historic milestones and answered aloud before Director Mary Collins could read the short list she had prepared.

Meiggs has a sharp memory and, up until her 95th birthday, she was still working at the Jordan Hospital in Plymouth.

She logged over 7,000 hours of service in administration, office work, and answering phones.  She did it all, she said.

“I think that is why I am still here. I helped many people,” she said.

Then when she “retired” she volunteered to answer the phones at the Hanson Senior Multi-Service center. She’s been independent from the start.

At age 6 she recalled being scolded for leaving her yard through a wooded path to visit her grandmother’s house. She was in trouble for scaring her mother, she said.

“My mother couldn’t find me and had to get the police,” she said.

She was very close to her grandmother and adored spending time with her. Meiggs said one of the greatest gifts she ever received was a hand-sewn dress that her grandmother had made her.

As a graduate of Whitman High School class of 1933, Meiggs went on to marry her husband Carlton — they were wed for 65 years.

They raised two sons, one of whom became the first Hanson police sergeant and the other a teacher at W-H. She has seven grandchildren and 14 great- grandchildren.

Her recipe for longevity has been going to church, loving her husband — even though she said she would sometimes not speak to him after an argument, but they would always make up — and enjoying ceramics for many years.

She didn’t play sports but she did learn to knit and crochet, which she said she was quite good at.

As she sat in her decorated arm chair Dody Whooten, 95, of Hanson approached her and dropped down to one knee. He professed his fondness for her as all the guests in the room, witnessed his gesture. Meiggs quickly told him she that reached 100 years because she was married only once and she intended to stay that way. She also said he was too young for her.

Whooten kissed her hand and then had a helping hand raising himself off the floor.

Barbara took the proposal in stride as her guests teased that even at 100 years old she was still getting marriage proposals.

View more photos on the Whitman-Hanson Express Facebook page.

Whitman native focuses on movie stills

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ON THE SET: Photographer Claire Folger, a Whitman native, is seen during a break from her work on the set of ‘Black Mass.’ Photo courtesy, Claire Folger

Golden-colored plaques line an interior wall of the Dr. John F. McEwan Performing Arts Center at WHRHS, showcasing accomplishments of alumni who have achieved unique and purposeful careers.

One is for Claire Folger, formerly of Whitman, and a graduate of the Class of 1981, who was nominated for the Wall of Fame as a still photographer who works in film production. Her career credits have continued to develop immensely since 1996 with regular jobs on local films shot in Boston and surrounding towns.

As a still photographer, Folger’s work is used for movie posters and marketing materials for online media and promotions by studios such as Warner Bros.

Her usual day is 12 hours, five days a week and she is committed to approximately three months during a filming project.

On set her workspace is tight, yet defined, next to the cameramen and sharing space with the director, and sound operator.

Her photos are recognizable as they are from the actual film. The posters gracing movie theaters is her work in its completed stages.

Her timing is key in her ability to produce the photo that contains all of the right components.

“Sometimes I just know when to take a photo and when not to take a photo, “she said.

Folger defined a typical set as being “absolute silence” when a scene begins.

“Everyone has settled in. The only sounds are the actors performing their lines,” she said.

The “behind-the-scenes” work of movies, even for Folger, can be exciting although she has an intense focus while in work mode. In past movies, she has had the opportunity to photograph at Fenway Park in night scenes and the CIA building, which she was in awe over the interior architecture.

In 2005 she worked on the film “Gone, Baby, Gone” with Ben Affleck and an epic photo of Kate Hudson’s blue hair in “Bride Wars,” in 2009. Folger said the movie was great to shoot.

“I worked with real Vera Wang wedding gowns. They had favors and props, which were all in the movie.” she said. “As part of my job- props, things that are involved in the movie those are the things I also photograph.”

Folger’s stills are now prominently featured in movie theater lobbies as posters of Johnny Depp in “Black Mass,” a film about James “Whitey” Bulger, directed by Scott Cooper.

“It is a very serious role and he (Depp) was chilling watching him on set. There were so many fantastic actors in the movie,” she said.

She looks to capture the relationship between actors that the filmgoer will see as well as the behind-scene glimpses into the process of production.

“I also capture the director … watching him work is also my job — the coaching of the actor,” Folger said. “I am always looking for the nice moments. I like to take pictures of people and show the enjoyable process of film making.”

She also fondly recalls photographing architecture, such as the Charlestown Bridge, and scenic shots through the city during filming of “The Town” (2010). Other recognizable posters, such as the “Nuns with Guns,” based on the Charlestown money heists, sometimes capturing skyline shots and neighborhoods give color and placement to the films’ surroundings.

She has fond recollections of the Charlestown Bridge at dusk with lights draping the bridge her scenic landscapes making the cut for the final posters.

During filming for “Gone Baby, Gone,” she photographed an orange sunset, which also made the posters for the film, but after five hours of filming on a rooftop she found the sunset over the Boston skyline captivating. Noticing the details around her has become her perfected craft.

Folger grew up one of five children. She said she was inspired artistically by her father who recently passed away.

“Eugene Folger — Gene — he was a big influence,” she said. He was a businessman in town, the owner of Folger’s Camera shop, where he fixed cameras and developed film. She recalls being able to practice on different cameras that her dad let her use. She would take photos of friends and learned how to develop film in their basement.  She loved photography but most of it was just having fun.

Her mother Margaret was a lifelong Whitman resident until recently and was active in town. She was a long time lecture reader at the Holy Ghost Church.

Following high school, when she was voted class artist at W-H, it was probably unexpected that she chose biology as her college major, she said.

She attended South Eastern Mass. University and earned a science degree in biology.

“I was always interested in art. In conjunction with my sciences I took many art classes drawing, art history and painting,” she said. “You always think you are making the right decision at the time in your career.”

Folger worked as a research technician at Boston University Medical School for 27 years in the anatomy department as an electron microscopist. She work with high powered microscopes, which in similarity she used her visual skills albeit in different ways. She started her own photography studio as well as working on movies for several years balancing three jobs.

“I realized I wanted to continue in a career move and take my work to the next level,” she said.

Her photography career is unique and often draws fascination.  People are always intrigued when you work with celebrities, she said. It is also uncommon that in her profession she did not relocate to New York or Los Angeles, both booming regions for the movie industry.

“It took a long time before I got paying jobs,” she said. Nearly ten years later she finally saw continuous income and stability.   She joined IATSE the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees film union as well as the Cinematographer Guild in 2000.

Her first job on a small film as a still photographer was

“Darien Gap” with director Brad Anderson. It went to Sundance Film festival in the mid 1990’s and did very well, she said.

His next film “Next Stop Wonderland,” Anderson brought her on board as she slowly changed careers. She worked again several years later with Brad Anderson co- writer and director of “Session 9.”

Allotting her time for three months during shoots usually a film will wrap up a year before it goes into movie theatres.

Folger’s most recent work, “Central Intelligence,” film from this summer she completed on the north shore with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart will be released next summer.

“The Finest Hours,” a Disney production movie was completed last fall in Quincy and Chatham. It is a true story of a shipwreck and dramatic rescue due to be released in early 2016.

Some of Folger’s most recognizable work includes stills for: “Black Mass” (2014) Warner Bros. Director: Scott Cooper; “Argo” (2011) Warner Bros. Director: Ben Affleck. 2013 Academy Award Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Editing;

“Ted” (2011) Universal. Director: Seth MacFarlane;

“The Finest Hours” (2014) Walt Disney Pictures. Director: Craig Gillespie;

“August: Osage County” (2012) The Weinstein Company/ John Wells Company;

“The Town” (2010) Warner Bros. Director: Ben Affleck; as well as dozens of other films, television series and individual episodes.

Club puts inspiration into action

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Have you ever wished there was a club to join based on your favorite book series?

For students at Whitman-Hanson, this year junior Elizabeth Ingram has started just that – a Harry Potter Alliance Club — their recruiting slogan: “Nerds doing good.”

The local club is part of a global network, founded in Somerville Mass., in 2005, and based on the famous book series by J.K. Rowling with a mission to work for equality, human rights and literacy. There are more than 275 chapters in 25 countries and 43 U.S. states.

Founder Andrew Slack initially sought to draw attention to human rights violations in Sudan.

The Alliance has since sent more than $123,000 in life-saving supplies to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, helped in the victory for Net neutrality and against child slavery by working with Warner Bros. studios in January on an agreement to make all Harry Potter chocolate sold at Warner Bros. outlets and through their licensed partners 100-percent UTZ (sustainably farmed) or Fair Trade, according to the Website thehpalliance.org.

The W-H Harry Potter Alliance’s first meeting took place after school on Tuesday, Sept. 15, with about 10 students attending.

“I got the idea to start the club from watching YouTube videos online,” Ingram said. “The more I learned about the club from YouTube users already involved, the more interested I became in the organization and being part of a chapter.”

Ashley Balbian is the faculty advisor for the club. When Ingram first approached her, Balbian thought “it was a great, creative idea” and “immediately said yes” to being the advisor.

“My hope for the club this year is to contribute to the school as well as create a more positive atmosphere,” Ingram explains.

She also wants the club to participate in other national Harry Potter Alliance campaigns like Accio Books, a book drive to help support literacy and those who do not have access to books; and Esther Day, a day dedicated to people promoting kindness and doing good in honor of Esther Earl, the inspiration for John Green’s novel, “The Fault in Our Stars.”

“Accio” is a spell used in Harry Potter to bring a wanted object to whoever uses it. Esther Earl was an activist in the Harry Potter Alliance and lost her battle with cancer in 2010.

In the future, Ingram hopes that the club can make a difference in the local community.

And of course, both Ingram and Balbian are Harry Potter fans.

Their favorite character is Hermione Granger because she “stands up for what she believes in and doesn’t give up,” said Ingram.

Trash fees are going up

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WHITMAN — The price tag for trash pickup is going back up to $250 a year per household in fiscal 2016 beginning immediately — it had been reduced to $225 last year.

Selectmen approved the increase by a 4-0 vote Tuesday, Sept. 29 on the recommendation of Town Administrator Frank Lynam, who explained the cost quotes received from other haulers in the wake of DelPrete’s bankruptcy have all been higher than expected.

Selectman Scott Lambiase was absent.

Lynam has said he hopes that amount will be enough to cover services while a new contract with the present hauler is negotiated as service continues, but voiced doubts about that Tuesday night.

“Even at $250, I suspect we’re going to end up with a deficit,” Lynam said. “We will plan and prepare for that at the special Town Meeting within the annual. I just don’t want to go up another $50. We’ll see where this takes us.”

A new contract is expected to be in place by December or January.

“To tell you the truth, I’m not happy,” Selectman Dan Salvucci said.

“Neither am I, but there’s no one out there,” Lynam said. “Right now, there’s only two companies that we’re talking to and one of them hasn’t responded to our proposal.”

He said it is becoming more difficult to find companies that will take solid waste and recycling market has bottomed to the point that the town has to pay a tipping fee for it.

EZ Disposal of Revere, a division of Capitol Waste Services Inc., has been providing waste hauling services to the town since June.

The company has proposed moving to an automated system, such as is used in Abington. The trucks are fitted out with a mechanical device that lifts barrels to empty them into the truck.

Lynam said that, regardless of which firm the town contracts with going forward, the town will be looking at the barrel change associated with automated pickup.

“There is a cost associated with that,” Lynam has said. “It’s in the $320,000 to $350,000 range for the barrels.”

Each household would be provided two 64-gallon tubs, both equipped with lift-bars, which current barrels do not have. One trash barrel and one recycle barrel are included. The new barrels carry serial numbers that will be assigned by household.

Selectmen Brian Bezanson asked if the current pink Breast Cancer Awareness barrels, with a similar lift-bar could still be used.

“It’s under discussion, but they might make nice yard-waste barrels,” Lynam said. “The problem is the carrier is going to have to be able to identify barrels.”

There will also be a charge for the one large item per week that has been picked up free to homeowners, with one contractor proposing a $20 fee, but Lynam hopes to negotiate it to $10.

In other business, both Police Chief Scott Benton and Fire Chief Timothy Grenno gave their monthly department updates, reporting that call volume continues to be increasing this year over 2014 levels.

Benton said call volume is currently 9,163 against 7,351 last year. Current all other services expenditures are also up by $38,874.78, mainly due to a union contract raise and increased training.

“Training is good for everybody,” Benton said. “It’s good for morale — you want to train, you want to learn. I don’t think we ever stop learning. I hope we don’t.”

Expenses are lower by $4,693.44, however, and utility costs are down $691.60 but winter and another expected increase in electricity rates will likely reverse that trend.

EMS demand

Grenno reported costs for his all other services budget are up by about 1 percent, due to vacation coverage. One firefighter is also out on an injury and two others are or will be out on family medical leave.

Call volume is up to 2,074 or 187 more than the January to September period in 2014. The fire station has been empty 234 times, or an average of one time per day for a period of from 10 to 20 minutes — generally one or two times per day — due to the call volume.

“We try to maintain three firefighters at all times back in the station on coverage,” Grenno said, noting that 23 out of 41 times either none or less than two firefighters were available on a call-back basis. “We’re basically at that point that I’ve been talking about for years, that we can handle calls one and two — call three, not so much.”

General medical calls, with no chief complaint, account for the majority of EMS calls, Grenno said, followed by psychological or behavior issues and orthopedic cases. This year, however, fire calls are outpacing medical calls.

Grenno also said his grant and capital lists include the goal of purchasing a new Jaws of Life as the current one needs replacing.

Whitman OKs hazards plan

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WHITMAN — The Board of Selecmen has adopted a resolution accepting the Old Colony Region Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, developed for the Brockton-based Old Colony Planning Council’s  (OCPC) 15 member communities.

OCPC Community Planner Eric Arbeene and Council member Fred Gilmetti outlined the plan for the Board of Selectmen at its Tuesday, Sept. 15 meeting, broadcast on Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV.

The plan was financed by a FEMA grant in 2010 with the aim of  updating a plan done in 2006.

“These plans have a five-year life span,” Arbeene said. “We were hoping to get it done by 2011, but due to some logistical issues with FEMA, we didn’t even begin the plan until 2011 when we had funds.”

Because of the logistical problems, Arbeene said the next plan will not be multi-jurisdictional, but instead an individual town plan, which the state prefers. That will happen when the 2015 plan expires in 2020.

“I strongly urge the community, about three years from now, to start updating this plan,” he said because, while FEMA quotes 45 days as the typical time taken up by the process, Arbeene said it typically takes eight months.

FEMA and the Massachusetts Emergency Management  Agency (MEMA) have approved the current plan, Arbeene said. There is, he stressed, no penalty for falling short of accomplishing all the identified tasks, as the agencies are more concerned with ensuring that the town is actively addressing them.

Hazard mitigation plans are designed to avoid problems before they become emergencies to be addressed by emergency management plans, he explained. Improvements to culverts that are prone to overflow before they undermine a roadway is one example of a mitigation project.

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 encourages adoption of the plans and the state and most communities — whether independently or as part of a multi-jurisdiction group such as the OCPC — have mitigation plans in place, according to Arbeene. Adoption of the plan makes a community eligible for competitive grants to improve identified hazards.

A grant period is now open through which the town may apply for a grant for a backup generator at Whitman Middle School, which is also an emergency shelter by adopting the plan.

“You focus your resources on your greatest vulnerabilities,” he said.

The plan identifies “anything that could possibly happen” in the region, even rare occurrences such as earthquakes and tornadoes, as well as a risk assessment.

“We worked with the fire chief, the police chief and folks here in town to identify what are known as critical facilities deemed essential in an emergency,” Arbeene said. It’s an open-ended definition that, in some places includes churches as well as hospitals and DPW facilities.

Flood zones, hurricane tracks, wildfire risks and other potential treats were then mapped and overlayed on a map labeling the critical facilities so an action plan can be formed.

“Mitigation strategies are the heart of the plan to reduce loss and risk,” he said.

Selectman Dan Salvucci said the Whitman Emergency Management Agency is very active and adept at identifying risk areas in need of mitigation. But he welcomed the added benefit of the regional plan.

“I’m glad we’re doing this and we can continue to do this,” he said. “You can’t fix what you don’t know is a problem.”

Hanson special Town Meeting is Oct. 5

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HANSON — An article proposed on the special Town Meeting warrant aimed at addressing utility costs at the Hanson Food Pantry has been withdrawn as no longer necessary, according to interim Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

The special Town Meeting convenes at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 5 at Hanson Middle School auditorium. A quorum of 100 voters is required.

Because of the Tuesday, Oct. 6 special State Primary, a second day of Town Meeting — if necessary — will be held at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7.

“I wanted to make sure they were aware that the board certainly is in big support of the food pantry and wanted to make sure that the communication between [them and] the town was focused on one or two individuals that would let the town know if there was issues that need to be addressed,” LaCamera said.

He met recently with Food Pantry Board Chairman Paul Nicol and Director Sharon Kennedy. They informed LaCamera that there seemed to be some miscommunication with one of the volunteers about a need for additional funds for utilities, he said.

“They don’t need additional money for the utilities,” LaCamera reported at the Tuesday, Sept. 15 Board of Selectmen’s meeting. The board voted 5-0 to close and sign the amended warrant.

“The lease is very specific. It says that they’re responsible for utilities and the town is responsible for outside of that building.”

Added to the warrant is the proposal from Whitman Amateur Radio Club (WARC) and Hanson Operations Center to use the antenna at the former Plymouth County Hospital property as an emergency repeater antenna.

There were amendments to a few other articles including language changes to one and a funding request change for another.

Two options were available to selectmen regarding the radio tower. One was a license to use, which allows the use with the board reserving the right to rescind it at any time, or a lease. LaCamera said an option for the lease is included in the warrant and selectmen approved that option.

A change to the explanation to an article regarding a water flow study along Main Street, capping the expense at $10,000, was approved.

Selectmen voted at their Tuesday, Sept. 22 meeting to leave a hold on that article as it and Article 11, dealing with a study of Wampatuck Pond would both likely be passed over at the Town Meeting. Selectmen voted 4 to 1, with Selectman Kenny Mitchell opposing, to recommend the Wampatuck study article, however.

Selectman James McGahan said on Sept. 15 that the $25,000 estimate originally quoted for the water flow study “was way too high,” according to engineering firm Environmental Partners.

“At this time, I can’t recommend funding it, but it will be there in front of the people,” McGahan said Sept. 22.

Language in the Wampatuck Pond study article, has also been changed to clarify it as a biological assessment study.

LaCamera reported that free cash has been certified at $1,098,611, “not as much as last year, but that’s still pretty good.”

Selectmen on Sept. 22 also voted to appoint Assonet resident Lisa McKay as regional animal control officer and Whitman resident Joshua Kimball as assistant animal control officer. Both appointments are for the year ending June 30, 2016.

The town of Whitman is the hiring authority for the regional dog officers, but Hanson Selectmen had to vote on the appointment as well. The region also includes Abington.

Owner of The Ultimate Pooch Inc., in Raynham, McKay is an experienced and certified animal control officer and animal inspector, including serving as the dog officer and inspector in Bridgewater as well as animal inspector for Halifax. She is licensed to carry a class A firearm and is certified in defensive tactics.

Kimball is a conservation agent in Whitman and Endangered Species Monitor for the Duxbury Harbormaster Dept.

Both McKay and Kimball will be on-call around the clock.

Veteran’s Agent Bob Arsenault attended the meeting to invite Selectmen to Saturday’s dedication of the Hancock Street Park to the memory of Army Sgt. James F. “Red” Harrington, who was killed in the Korean War. The half-hour ceremony is slated for 10 a.m. Arsenault thanked Highway Surveyor Bob Brown and his crew as well as veterans’ groups and Plymouth County Corrections — which provided an inmate work detail — for their help in preparing the ballfield for the ceremony.

“This is the town coming together to make something happen that has been long overdue,” Arsenault said. “This is what Hanson’s all about.”

Getting a kick for 40 years

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Almost ready to go the youngest marchers take hold of their team sign.

FUTURE STARS: Almost ready to go the youngest marchers take hold of their team sign before the Whitman Youth Soccer 40th anniversary season kickoff parade on Saturday, Sept. 12. See more photos, on the Whitman-Hanson Facebook page. Photo by Stephanie Spyropoulos

WHITMAN — With hundreds of children on parade, wearing shiny cleats and colorful T-shirts flanked by their coaches and families, traffic in Whitman center stood still as the annual Whitman Youth Soccer parade made their way to the Town Park early Saturday morning.

Kicking off the fall season, WYS celebrated its 40th year in the sport.  In attendance were first director of the town league during its inception Marilynn Newcomb and longtime coaches, referees — and past soccer players themselves John Goldrosen, Vinnie and Phyllis Savill, and Richard Terry.  The group led the parade stepping off from Whitman fire station proudly displaying the 40th anniversary banner.

Dick Cole, also a coach of 35 years who is the currently with the freshman boys soccer at Whitman-Hanson, spoke at the morning event.

“It’s unbelievable to me,” said Cole seeing the WYS grow over the last forty years. As a past president he recognized several members of WYS who have passed on but are not forgotten in spirit.

“WYS has been building skills, initiative, team work, high standards of fair play and spirit for many years.  Try your best and always make sportsmanship your priority,” said Cole.

Mike Newcomb, Marilynn’s son, is now the president of Whitman Youth Soccer taking over the reins after his family was raised playing the sport.

Amid laughs from the crowd Newcomb described their early apparel. “Our uniforms were long, wool sleeve shirts … we had wooden goal posts and it was not fun to line the field in real chalk before each game. My brother Larry and I walked in the first parade here in Whitman soccer,” said Newcomb.

Gathering at the Whitman fire station to line the streets amid a sea of neon T-shirts, a transformation of the times was evident, players wore lightweight, easy dry apparel and fun, patterned knee socks and hair bows to match.

The early years featured four boys’ teams and one girls’ team with the second season jumping to 40 teams, said Marilynn Newcomb, who was observing the immense growth of players around her prior to step-off.

Soccer — known as football in other countries — is by far the healthiest sport on the planet, said Richard Terry. He was a coach for 20 years and referee following his tenure.  His children grew up playing soccer in town.

“You can’t learn unless you do, and everyone had to play at least half the game on the town leagues,” he said as he reminisced with his comrades.

Joe Molito and Eric Frank, who were raised in Whitman, are now also taking roles as coaches and board members as their children play soccer.

Frank played WYS, continued his athletic career at Whitman Hanson high school then played in college. He coaches his daughter Emma, 9, and is the director of instructional leagues.

Emma who loves to run said she plays forward position on the field and loves soccer because of the running within the sport.

Several Whitman teams went above and beyond the regular season making their presence known in the playoffs last year. They work was recognized at the morning gathering Saturday.

Five teams went to playoffs last year, said Newcomb. He introduced the young ladies of the Under 16 and Under 18 teams who played in the Massachusetts Team of Champions (MTOC) tournament representing Whitman. They proudly wore white jackets with their names embroidered on the back.

“We wouldn’t be here today without these people who are and always have been volunteers,” Newcomb said.

He read an alphabetized list acknowledging dozens of families who played, volunteered and donated to the organization over the last 40 years.

June and Joe O’ Leary were also recognized for their restoring work at the town park and fields.

The Rev. James Mahoney of the Holy Ghost Church in Whitman and St. Bridget’s Church in Abington opened the event with a prayer of blessing and fair play. Alex Moulthrop, 15, of Kingston sang The National Anthem before a rousing crowd.

View more photos from the event on the Whitman-Hanson Express Facebook page.

Apologies follow heated exchange at Hanson board’s meeting

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Raising the roof over school repairs

HANSON — A resident’s question over whether the contractor of the Indian Head School roof project would be penalized for not completing work before the first day of school devolved into a heated exchange with Selectmen Chairman Bruce Young Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The flare-up of tempers came during the usually routine subcommittee reports — at the conclusion of an otherwise smooth session in which the warrant for next month’s special Town Meeting was approved and signed. When the dust-up cleared, the board adjourned before hearing three remaining subcommittee reports.

Selectmen Bill Scott and Kenny Mitchell made efforts to curtail the exchange and Selectman James McGahan defended the work Young has dedicated to the school and other projects.

Resident John Barata, 43 Meadow Lane, later apologized to the board for his part in the argument.

“I think we just got into a discussion about discussions,” Barata said. “There’s no harm, no foul … I just have a weird voice, I guess I sound mean all the time. I apologize.”

Young offered an apology, too.

“I’m only human,” he said. “I can get pushed to the edge, to a point.”

School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes was asked to repeat his report on the roof project given at that board’s Sept. 9 meeting. [See page 9]

“There’s been a few bumps in the road, but they’ve been worked out,” he said. “It seems like it’s gone fairly smooth.”

“It’s the first inter-municipal agreement that I’ve been involved in and it’s worked out quite well,” Young said.

Hayes again explained that the main outstanding work is to the smoke hatch, which required specially manufactured parts, and gutters and downspouts. During work a main roof beam was discovered to have been installed during original construction 50 years ago despite being run over and bent by heavy equipment.

“I know there has been some talk recently about it not being completed in a timely fashion,” Hayes said of the hatch delay. “But there has been some changes to some of what’s going on. It was backed up by letters from the manufacturer saying that these have been ordered but they’re taking more time than they thought because of the changes.”

Barata asked why contracting firm Gale Engineering was not being held liable, as there was a delay in starting the job that affected the completion of work.

“How come they didn’t start immediately after school?” Barata asked. “Why did they wait three to four weeks to get it done? Now we’re into the school year. I personally feel we should be hammering them for $1,000 — or whatever — a day. We had a hard deadline.”

“The job is 98-percent complete,” Young had said earlier in the meeting. “Nobody was put out, there were no safety issues, the fence came down.”

He added the local officials bear some responsibility for the delay because ridge vent colors were not ordered until the third week in July.

Hayes said there was also a delay in the DEP’s inspection of the slate roof, on which glue containing asbestos was used in the past, and that a meeting within the next five weeks would decide any financial penalties. Young explained penalties can only be levied in cases of “willful neglect” on the part of the contractor.

“Starting four weeks late doesn’t classify [as] negligent?” Barata retorted.

Young countered that roofers were “working their tails off” in searing heat and humidity and complained that there has been a lot of armchair quarterbacking on Facebook, to which Barata took exception, sparking the heated exchange.

“This isn’t Facebook, I’m sitting right here asking a question,” Barata said.

“I’m giving him the answer and he doesn’t want to accept it,” Young said, tossing the thick contract book across the table. “It’s in here — read it.”

McGahan moved to diffuse the situation, explaining that Young has been under a lot of pressure from the number of school repair committees he chairs.

“Don’t apologize for me,” Young said. “I’ve got every reason in the world to be angry about this and I’m tired of hearing about it.”

“I’m not apologizing,” McGahan said. “My personal vote would be no, I would not penalize them and you guys know what a hard person I am — and have been — on the schools.”

He asked people to consider how long the roof leaked and why no previous board had been held accountable for that. The current board, he added, has overseen repairs to the roof, the damage caused at Hanson Middle School by a waste pipe clog, installation of new fire alarms “before Whitman,” and contribution to new computers and a hot water heater at the high school.

Resident Kimberley King, 87 Glenwood Place, said she was “absolutely disgusted” by the exchange.

“This isn’t about who’s right or who’s wrong or who’s worked harder,” she said. “These displays continue to divide the town of Hanson.”

King lauded the positive efforts of the Selectmen and School Committee to work together as a very positive step, but that gets lost amid angry displays at meetings.