Two injured, truck driver subdued with Taser

INVESTIGATION: Whitman officers wait for the box truck involved in a morning car crash on Auburn Street as it is towed from the scene Wednesday morning. Photo by Stephanie Spyropoulos.

WHITMAN — A box truck crashed into a house after striking a full-sized landscape truck from behind and reportedly driving erratically in a 6:30 a.m. crash on Route 14 in front of 1120 Auburn Street in Whitman Wednesday.

The driver of the box truck, identified by police as David Anderson, 30, of East Bridgewater became belligerent yelling obscenities, and assaulting Bridgewater paramedics who had arrived on scene to assist after they happened across it while returning from a previous call at the hospital.

Describing the scene, several witnesses said the driver of the white Enterprise box truck, which was reportedly a contracted driver for Lowe’s appeared “out of it,” cursing and becoming physical with EMS and police officials as they were attending to him.

Police Chief Scott Benton confirmed his officer did tase the driver based on the actions and mannerism in which he was exhibiting toward officials.

Anderson, who was initially found unconscious by the first arriving personnel, was receiving medical care and speaking with officials when he became combative.

“He failed to comply with verbal commands given by officers and as a result of his continued assaultive and combative behavior he was drive stun tased,” said Benton.

Anderson continued to kick and resist personnel as they strapped him to the stretcher. Benton commended officials for their exemplary action during a “very active and progressively violent scene” he stated in a press release.

Homeowner Jill Bekerian assesses the damage to her home after a box truck crashed into it at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning while the couple was asleep inside. Photo by Stephanie Spyropoulos.

Along with two counts of assault and battery on an officer, Anderson is facing charges of OUI, drugs; negligent operations; two counts of assault of EMS officials; assault and battery dangerous weapon to wit, shod foot, of fire personnel; disorderly conduct; operating with a suspended license and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, said Benton.

Witnesses stated to officers that the truck had been operating erratically prior to the crash, which occurred as the landscape truck was waiting for a stopped school bus, which was picking up children only yards away.

“Whitman police personnel handled the situation appropriately and according to policies and procedures of the Whitman Police Department based on the actions of the driver,” Benton said. “He will be facing charges and the incident is an ongoing investigation.”

Homeowners Jill and Ricky Bekerian, startled but unharmed, were asleep in their home when their dogs’ barking awakened them.

“We got up to see what they were barking at and the truck was here in the garage,” she said.

Less than two hours later elementary school children and parents were waiting for the bus, feet from the after math of the crash scene where remaining pieces of wood were scattered on the ground.

“We were happy no one was outside yet,” said Brenda Shaefer of her younger children. A large piece of tree bark was stripped next to their driveway. The family lives right next door to the crash site.

A loud bang and continuous sirens causing a chaotic start to their morning – drawing them outside as the family quickly recalled a similar close call last year.

“We had a car crash here last year… it took out the telephone pole and stopped right on our island on the front lawn,” said Shaefer.

The road is well traveled and has been known for its share of motor vehicle accidents on the straightaway that extends from Whitman to Brockton.

The driver of the landscaping truck Isis Barbosa, 24, of Bridgewater sustained non-life threatening injuries. He was transported to the hospital for care.

SPEAKING VOLUMES: This aerial photograph of East and West Monponsett ponds, taken by Halifax Police Chief Ted Broderick, shows the harm drawing down water from the ponds has done. According to a law passed in 1964 to allow Brockton to take the Monponsett water as an “emergency measure,” Brockton must pay to maintain the ponds if they draw water from the ponds.

The City of Brockton has turned over some documents regarding its water diversion from the Monponsett ponds, according to Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig in response to a formal public records request for, among other information, the water budget for the city.

Halifax has made multiple requests to secure these documents. But the requests were ignored long before the formal public records request was sent, with notable regret, according to Seelig.

According to Halifax Health Agent Cathy Drinan, Brockton Water Superintendent Brian Creedon is misinterpreting– and possibly disregarding– legislation regarding Brockton’s use of water from the Monponsett Ponds, ignoring the part of the 1964 law passing on a financial obligation to the City of Brockton to maintain the Monponsett Ponds. 

This has angered Halifax officials as well as state officials such as state Rep. Thomas Calter who has threatened to take the matter to the Attorney General’s office, according to Driden. The legislation clearly states that Brockton has a financial responsibility to maintain the Monponsett Ponds if they are diverting water.

Seelig will be going through the budget attempting to reach out to Brockton to find the money from their water department in order to fund this mandate to maintain the Monponsett Ponds so that cash-strapped Halifax does not have to.

Brockton has the right under 1964 legislation, crafted during a severe drought, says Drinan, to divert water from the East Pond into Silver Lake, which is then treated for Brockton drinking water and is sold to adjacent communities.

According to both Seelig and Drinan this diversion, given that water levels are high enough, can happen anytime between Oct. 1 to May 31.

The diversion reverses water flow by gravity across natural watersheds, and brings water from the stagnant and algae-ridden West Pond into the East Pond, which has suffered as well from both algae and invasive weeds, though to a lesser extent according to Seelig. The East Pond has been able to stay open this year.

Drinan stated that the treatment administration has helped, referring to the chemical water treatments that the taxpayers of Halifax pay for to help keep the ponds cleaner.

Hanson Selectman Don Howard, who also serves on the Monponsett Pond Committee, told his board on Sept. 1 that algae  levels in West Monponsett Pond continue to result in advisories against any recreational use, especially swimming.

Howard noted the photo taken by Halifax Police Chief Ted Broderick showing East Monponsett “completely clear.”

“What it proves, and I’m not a scientist or engineer or anything, is East lake is spring-fed and what’s happening is water is being flowed into West lake,” he said. “Mother Nature is taking over in the area as long as Brockton doesn’t take water.”

But, come October, when the water level is up to over 52 feet, Howard said Brockton will be able to take water from the ponds, “taking the contaminated water and putting it into Silver Lake.”

“Personally, I’d like to see it go back to nature,” he said. “I would like to see the dam taken out, I’d like to see the pond continue to operate at 51 or 52 feet so Brockton can’t take water. They disturbed Mother Nature back when they got this water act in 1964.”

Hanson selectmen are also concerned about the potential effect on the water issue should Brockton build a casino.

Halifax Selectman Chairman Kim Roy has been very vocal about the Monponsett Pond “situation” for some time, and despite her anger, wants to work with Brockton officials to find a long-term solution to end the pollution caused by this practice, as do other Halifax Selectmen and Halifax officials.

“It is about our small, beautiful community not being able to enjoy the ponds. This has become personal; it is hard for it not to,” said Roy. “Besides being a beautiful natural resource for our residents to enjoy, the practice of disturbing the natural flow of water is destroying the ponds and the wildlife.”

AW, MOM: Eli Randolph, 4, was not thrilled as his mother Laura Homokay of Whitman made sure his helmet fit properly. Chin straps on bike helmets should fit snugly. Photo by Stephanie Spyropoulos.

WHITMAN — Whitman Police Resource Officer Kevin Harrington met with students and parents Friday, Sept. 4 to discuss bike safety awareness at the Whitman Library.

With a hearty round of high fives and a discussion about wearing the correct clothing and shoes to cycle safely Harrington demonstrated hand signals, and talked about the importance of wearing a helmet.

Harrington always wears his helmet when he rides his police-issued mountain bike, stressing that even adults need to protect themselves from an accident.

“You are never too cool for a helmet,” he said. “It will protect your brain and Massachusetts law cites helmets must be worn until age 16.”

Cyclists also have to obey the rules of the road such as adhering to light signals and stopping at stop signs.

Crossing you bike from one side of the street to another is safer than riding through the street and riding a bicycle is a great form of exercise, said Harrington.

Keeping yourself visible for drivers is a key point in safe bike riding and as a walker outside; including wearing reflective strips in darker light, using cross walks and making eye contact with the passing driver signaling you see one another.

Harrington admitted to falling off his bike and eventually some of the children did, too. In a light hearted moment he encouraged them to get back on their bike and try again, because everyone falls off sometimes.

The nonprofit government agency Old Colony Planning Council Senior Transportation Planner Ray Guarino and Jimmy Pereira Community Transportation Planner were on hand to present free bike bells, lights and neon strips, which can be worn on wrists or legs to glow in the dark. They also addressed proper hand signals in the street so cars will observe your path.

Harrington closed the event by reading the book, “Officer Buckle and Gloria” by Peggy Rathmann.

Harrington is currently working on grant funding to receive more bike helmets as the department has given out their allotment.

See photos from the day at the Whitman-Hanson Express’s Facebook page.

Worried about WNV? There are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones. (Courtesy photo.)

Since West Nile virus (WNV) is most commonly spread by mosquitoes, here are some things you can do to reduce your chances of being bitten:

• Schedule outdoor events to avoid the hours between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
• When you are outdoors, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and socks. This may be difficult to do when the weather is hot, but it will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
• Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin. More information on choosing and using repellents safely is included in the MDPH Fact Sheet on Mosquito Repellents which can be viewed online at mass.gov/dph/cdc/factsheets/factsheets.htm. If you can’t go online, contact the MDPH at 617-983-6800 for a hard copy.
• Keep mosquitoes out of your house by repairing any holes in your screens and making sure they are tightly attached to all your doors and windows.
• Remove areas of standing water around your home. Here are some suggestions:
• Look around outside your house for containers and other things that might collect water and turn them over, regularly empty them, or dispose of them.
• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left outdoors so that water can drain out.
• Clean clogged roof gutters; remove leaves and debris that may prevent drainage of rainwater.
• Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
• Change the water in birdbaths every few days; aerate ornamental ponds or stock them with fish.
• Keep swimming pools clean and properly chlorinated; remove standing water from pool covers.
• Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property. Mosquitoes can begin to multiply in any puddle or standing water that lasts for more than four days! Mosquito breeding sites can be anywhere. Take action to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and neighborhood. Organize a neighborhood clean up day to pick up containers from vacant lots and parks and to encourage people to keep their yards free of standing water. Mosquitoes don’t care about fences, so it’s important to remove areas of standing water throughout the neighborhood

“Historically most towns do not have bans or curfews for West Nile only EEE,” said Whitman Health Board Chairman Eric Joubert. “We encourage parents to use repellent.” (Courtesy photo.)

WHITMAN — A mosquito sample in Whitman has tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to the town’s Health Agent Gary Covino, but the area’s alert status remains low on the state Dept. of Public Health website.

The Whitman Health Board Chairman Eric Joubert said his board’s immediate goal is to stress education about preventive measures.

“I think our goal should be more focused on education, because you don’t necessarily have to get a positive pool to have that be positive in the town,” he said. “By the time the town gets notification that there’s a positive pool, the mosquitoes have already been around and done their damage.”

Joubert said closing athletic fields would do noting to change people’s behavior at home.

“What we’re looking to do is change the behavior as opposed to the government saying, ‘Don’t do this,’” Joubert said. “If everybody uses DEET age-appropriately, and practices good precautions year-round, then when we have a positive pool we won’t have a negative outcome on a sports event, the fields being closed or anything like that.

W-H Athletic Director Bob Rodgers said he follows the lead of the Whitman and Hanson health departments.

“Historically most towns do not have bans or curfews for West Nile only EEE,” he said. “We encourage parents to use repellent.”

Across the state, there have been 116 mosquito samples that have tested positive for West Nile, with one human case in Middlesex County and none found in animals. No positive sample tests have been found for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) so far this year.

“It’s like going to the beach when the sun is out,” Joubert said. “You know to put sunscreen on because you’re going to get a sunburn. If we can get the public to be aware that if you’re out from dusk to dawn you need to wear long sleeves, long pants, you need to use the DEET, you need to drain any sources.”

The Whitman Board of Health shares the following frequntly-asked questions regarding West Nile Virus:

What is West Nile?

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-carried virus that can cause illness ranging from a mild fever to more serious disease like encephalitis or meningitis. It was first identified in the United States in 1999.

How is WNV spread?

WNV is most commonly spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. More information about different types of mosquitoes that can spread WNV can be found on the MDPH website at mass.gov/dph/wnv/wnv1.htm.

WNV may also be spread through blood transfusion or organ transplant. In addition, there are rare reports of WNV being passed from pregnant or breastfeeding women, who are infected with WNV, to their babies. Since these reports are rare, the health effects on an unborn or breastfeeding baby are unclear and still being studied.

People do not become infected by having direct contact with other infected people, birds or animals.

Why report dead birds?

When WNV infects birds, it can cause high mortality (death) in certain species, including crows, blue jays and robins. Collecting information about the location of these types of dead birds can help identify areas where WNV may be active in Massachusetts. If you would like to report a dead bird in your area, call the MDPH Public Health Information Line at 866-MASS-WNV (866-627-7968). MDPH generally collects this information from May through September.

What are the symptoms of WNV?

The majority of people who are infected with WNV (approximately 80 percent) will have no symptoms. A smaller number of people who become infected will have symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands. They may also develop a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back.

Less than 1 percent of people infected with WNV will develop severe illness, including encephalitis or meningitis. The symptoms of severe illness can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. Persons older than 50 years of age have a higher risk of developing severe illness.

How common is WNV in Massachusetts?

Because most people who are exposed to WNV have no symptoms, it is difficult to know exactly how many people have been infected. People who develop severe illness with WNV are most often reported. Between 2000 and 2006, 54 people were reported with WNV infection in Massachusetts. Six of these people died. Cases have been identified from around the state.

Is there any treatment?

There is no specific treatment for WNV infections. People with mild WNV infections usually recover on their own. People with severe WNV infections almost always require hospitalization. Their symptoms may last several weeks and neurological effects may be permanent. Approximately 10 percent of people who develop severe illness will die from the infection.

W-H Business teacher, Julie Giglia is presented a $1,600 grant Thursday, Aug. 27 from Otter Box Production Manager Thomas Paola, second from right, and Operations Specialist Drew Hovanec of the company’s Otter Cares Foundation as student Michael Shea looks on. Photo by Tracy Seelye.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High School received a seven-word surprise during a site visit from representatives of Otter Products on behalf of its Otter Cares Foundation: “Do you guys want your grant today?”

Business and Technology Education teacher Julie Giglia had expected to be simply answering questions as a finalist for a $1,600 Innovation Station grant with which to purchase a 3-D printer. Otter Products manufactures consumer electronics accessories.

She had included computer-aided drafting (CAD) student Michael Shea in the meeting to help make her case, so to say she was surprised by Otter Operations Specialist Drew Hovanec’s question would be a bit of an understatement.

“I feel like it’s Christmas,” a gobsmacked Giglia said. “It’s like I won the lottery.”

Hovanec was accompanied by Whitman resident, and Otter Production Manager Thomas Paola, on the “site visit.” Paola, whose son Anthony was a student of Giglia’s, and Hovanec work in Otter’s Canton office.

“However you worded it, you really stuck out,” Paola said, adding that she served W-H well in an extremely competitive grant application process.

“We provide financial aid to schools and students,” Hovanec said to start the meeting also attended by Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak. “We’ve had 49 applications for the funding, we just want to know how you wanted to use it and move forward with it.”

Giglia, who wrote the grant application, said the tight budget situation at Whitman-Hanson was a major factor in her decision to seek the funding.

“To do these things outside the box you either have to raise money … or write grants,” she said. “It’s been a good year for me so I thought, ‘Why don’t we try to find a grant to see if we could bring a 3-D printer here?’”

According to her application, Giglia wants to use the 3-D printer, among other purposes, as a tool for her CAD students to use in a project to develop a smartphone cover that is lightweight to carry and easy to produce. The project’s ultimate goal is to sell the phone cases to fund costs and maintain the 3-D printer.

“We’re here to kind of dive in and see the passion and it sounds like you guys sound like you have a ton of it,” Paola said.

The district is currently lacking a 3-D printer.

Giglia has taught CAD for five years at WHRHS.

“When you create a design and you can print something out and touch and feel it, it just brings a whole learning curve and excitement,” she said.

Shea added that 3-D printers are definitely the future.

“Right now, there’s not a lot of teaching to how to use them,” he said, adding that the situation affects student’s potential growth. “The learning and the technology isn’t connected right now.”

Szymaniak lauded Giglia’s initiative, noting a science teacher is also applying for a grant to obtain a 3-D printer specifically for engineering and physics.

“I have teachers like Julie saying, ‘Let’s look to the future. Let’s look to nonprofits and see what we can bring in to help our kids,’” he said.

Hovanec noted the W-H grant is only $1,600 and a lot of other applicants have asked for more. Giglia replied that she would like to be like Oliver Twist and ask: “Please sir, I want some more,” but that didn’t seem realistic.

“I try to be as realistic as possible,” she said. “I’m not here to break the bank.”

She said her mom always told her, when trick-or-treating, only take one piece of candy even if thee bowl is left on the porch and nobody’s around.

“We’re scratching the surface here, too,” Szymaniak said of the realm of 3-D printers.

Giglia’s excitement about the application and a potential field trip to the Otter Box headquarters in Colorado during her conversation with Paola’s son, Anthony, also worked in W-H’s favor.