WHITMAN — Whitman Carousel Family Fun Center held an open house with family and friends of local skaters on Monday night to help defray costs for more than a dozen local skaters who are competing in the 2015 USA Roller Sports Figure Skating Nationals in Albuquerque N.M. from July 19 to Aug. 1.

The night hosted performers of all ages who are traveling to New Mexico as well as beginners and intermediates who are not traveling but performed their first routines — such as brother and sister Christopher, 6, and Laura Miller, 5, of Brockton. The pair skated with light-up skate boots, which glowed neon, and their performances earned enthusiastic applause.

Skating is a family affair for the Urzua children of Whitman. Five of the six siblings skate and have accomplished great skill all learning from their mother in the very skates she wore as a child in their toddler years.

Now mother Betty Urzua works at the Carousel center as does eldest brother John, 21, a manager at the complex.

Family ties

The family, who are from Spain, are fourth-generation skaters dating back to their great-grandparents, who owned a skating rink in Michigan.

“Daniel, Ethan and I all learned on our mother’s skates.  Our grandfather told us he could skate before he could walk,” said John. “I am most comfortable in skates.  It’s freedom and I felt like I am flying,” he said.

The younger brothers Joshua, 11, and Isaiah, 13, have excelled in their skating. Even though they only began official lessons since September at the skate center, it is quite clearly in their blood.

Both boys placed in regionals last month in Fairhaven, Mass.

Each said they enjoy practicing and they like seeing their own improvements along with the abundant exercise. Joshua performed for the crowd on Monday, with his young sister Elsy, 7, who sparkled in a baby blue uni-tard as she twirled on wheels.

Most of the skate club choreography is ballroom method although there are numerous different styles of skating throughout the sport.

John and Deedee Viola are coaches at the Whitman center along with daughter Jodee and her husband Scott Cohen the pairs are set to travel with their teams.

The techniques they teach use quad skates, the traditional four wheel booted skate.

Over the years Scott Cohen said he has seen changes in popularity to the inline skate boot, which some teens use during skate times.

“What is old is new again as now the quad skates are making a comeback,” he said.

David Renna has been skating since age eight and after college in his early 20s he hung up his skates.

“I took a hiatus for 30 years,” he said. But upon his return and in the best shape of his life the fifty-something skater is heading to New Mexico in late July.

Renna who is from Malden travels to practice and skates 16 or more hours a week. He estimates his commitment to physical health and his upcoming competition are some of the best choices he has made.

He joked that skating changes as you get older, falling seems a lot harder on the body, so there is less jumping and elegant ballroom choreography — he leaves the splits and daring tricks to the younger ones.

He will compete in esquire team dance and master solo this month.

Residents sought to fill five at-large seats on selection panel

HANSON — The Board of Selectmen voted to form a local search committee for the town administrator selection process, instead of hiring a consulting firm — and by a narrow margin opted for a panel of seven members.

Town Administrator Ron San Angelo leaves on Aug. 14 to become Southbridge town manager.

Selectmen further voted on Tuesday, July 7 to appoint Chairman Bruce Young, as the board’s representative to the search committee, along with a member to be named from the Planning Board and five citizen at-large members.

Residents interested in applying for an at-large seat on the search committee must apply to the selectmen’s office at Town Hall by Friday, July 17. The board will make the appointments at the Tuesday, July 21 meeting.

An elected member of the Planning Board was suggested as that board is well acquainted with town By-Laws.

The board will also interview available interim administrators on July 21.

The fee range from the consulting firms — which would create a town profile, advertise the position, screen applicants and perform background checks — runs from $8,500 to $17,000.

“To spend $15,000 to hire a firm I think is crazy,” Selectman Kenny Mitchell said.

Selectman James McGahan agreed, but argued that a screening committee “has got to be a good mix” of residents and officials.

“It shouldn’t be everybody who agrees with one another,” he said. “There should be different backgrounds, different opinions, Democrats and Republicans, the whole deal.”

“I don’t think we need [to worry about] the D and R, but I get your point,” said Mitchell, who served on the police chief search committee with Selectman Bill Scott before either of them were elected to the board.

“I think it should be done with residents of the town,” Selectman Don Howard agreed. “They know what the town of Hanson is. ”

Residents Mark Vess of High Street and Richard Edgehille of South Street also advocated for a local committee.

“There’s been a lot of unofficial volunteers already to help you do the job,” Vess said.

“I think your decision is very wise,” said Edgehille, noting he did not think the town got “the best bang for the buck” out of the evaluation of town government the UMass, Boston-based Collins Center consultants performed when René Read was town administrator.

The 3-2 vote on a seven-member search committee marked the only disagreement over the issue between board members. Young, McGahan and Howard all supported seven members, but Mitchell and Scott both felt the number had been unwieldy on the police chief search panel.

“I think the more input, the better,” McGahan said.

All previous town administrator searches had used five-member search committees, Executive Assistant Meredith Marini said.

Marini had also served as interim town administrator in the past, but declined to do so this time. Available retired town administrators, who work as interims on a free-lace basis, will be asked to interview with selectmen on July 21.

Public service

In other business, selectmen surprised resident Iris Morway with a proclamation honoring her for her work to beautify town traffic islands and veterans’ memorial corners.

“If the individual had known that this would take place, I don’t think the individual would have come because she’s the kind of person that doesn’t want recognition,” Young said in announcing the honor.

Morway noted she was not alone in the beautification of Hanson.

“It’s been a pleasure to do it and it wasn’t just me,” she said. “We did have a garden club at one time — there are still a few other girls involved. It is our community and we like to put our best foot forward.”

A Whitman man was killed in a tragic accident at the P.A. Landers company on Hedges Pond Road in Plymouth Tuesday around 11 a.m.

The family of Charles Pace, 65, of Whitman is in mourning over the loss of their father describing their emotions as “raw” during an interview with the Express.

Pace was driving a front-end loader, which was still in operation when a sand pile collapsed. He was recovered after several hours involving the Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team and pronounced dead at the scene, according to Plymouth Fire Battalion Chief Dean Deltorto.

“The accident is under investigation by Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), a federal team,” according to Deputy Chief Michael Young of Plymouth Fire on Wednesday morning.

Young expressed gratitude and thanks for the Plymouth County Tech Rescue workers and all involved in such difficult circumstances.

The Paces were married for 45 years and he was a lifelong resident of Whitman. His adult daughter, Jennifer, one of three children, said that their father was a great man. He worked for more than a decade at P.A. Landers.

He was experienced in heavy equipment operation and loved his work, said his wife Milly.

They have eight grandchildren and one great grandchild.

“I don’t know what to say. He loved his work and his family. He could fix just about anything, “said wife Milly.

His daughter said he was a longtime member of the Shriners.

Jennifer’s husband and brother also work for the P.A. Landers Company. They have been receiving many phone calls of support from fellow workers and friends. She said her dad was well liked by all who knew him.

WHITMAN — The Rev. Clementa Pinkney, 41; the Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45; the Rev. Daniel L. Simmons, 74; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Cynthia Hurd, 54; Myra Thompson, 59; Depayne Middleton-Doctor, 49; Tywanza Sanders, 26.

They were pastors, a church sexton and dedicated members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., who had gathered for a regular Wednesday night Bible study when they were gunned down on June 17.

But for Whitman resident Sandra Ford, they were also potential neighbors — the WHRHS graduate will be a nursing student this fall at Charleston Southern University — and she wanted to do something to help “show that love is much stronger than hatred.”

When she heard of the plans to hold Sunday’s human chain of solidarity, which would span Charleston’s Arthur Ravenel Bridge, Ford wanted to do something like it here.

While a short planning window, Father’s Day and uncertain weather created challenges, she was able to use social media to bring out almost two dozen friends, neighbors, family and fellow members of the Whitman’s First Congregational Church. They gathered near the pond at Whitman Park to pray, light candles, recite the names of the nine slain AME church members and observe a moment of silence.

“I’m sure no one in South Carolina knows that we’re gathered here, but I know [support] means a lot to them,” she told participants. “I know we’re so far away, but it’s still important to keep people in mind when they’re going though tough things.”

CSU, whose T-shirt Ford wore Sunday, is a Baptist college in North Charleston that often works with Emanuel AME, she said.

“It kind of hit home a little bit,” Ford said before the brief vigil ceremony. “I always loved it down there so it was hard to hear that people would do that.”

The Rev. Josh Gray, pastor of First Congregational Church offered the prayer, and thanked Ford for organizing the event.

“It’s so important to have young people who are paying attention to the world,” he said before asking the gathering to join hearts in prayer.

“God, our hope is that you are most strongly present when our world is suffering,” he prayed asking for God’s grace and presence in Charleston and Emanuel AME, known by its members as “Mother Emanuel.”

“Today, we pause as a community,” he continued. “We remember the lives of those lost in an act of racially motivated terrorism. We pray that our communities can come together, to recognize that racism is not an idea of the past but has many tentacles that reach deep into the fabric of our society.”

He concluded with the hope that, in sewing love, communities and the nation might come together to work toward ending violence.

WHITMAN — A new logo has been adopted to reflect the expanded membership of the Whitman Will group, formed to combat the growing problem of opioid abuse.

Hanson police, fire, parents and other concerned residents have become actively involved in the group now known as Whitman Hanson Will Coalition. The group is aligned with Rockland and East Bridgewater as a regional coalition addressing the issue and partially funded by Brockton’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Coalition, according to Selectmen Chairman Carl Kowalski. The regional group next meets June 30 at Whitman Police Station.

“It’s the two towns,” Kowalski said of the Whitman Hanson Will name. “It would be nice if there were more parents involved.”

The logo, a revised version of a design by WHRHS art student Alexa Herlihy, reflects Hanson’s participation.

Students in Christina Maher’s computer graphics, cartooning and illustration classes created potential logo designs for the organization.

“There were many strong designs to choose from,” Maher said of the submissions voted on by Whitman Hanson Will members representing police and fire departments; school administration, central office, special education, staff and guidance; selectmen and parents. “The students should be very proud.”

Elizabeth Ingram’s design earned second place and Amanda Espling was third in voting.

The student involvement in the logo design was an indication of how important the group views school participation in the effort to reverse the tragic statistics seen regarding opioid abuse in recent years.

From July 6 through August, 10 W-H students under the direction of Maureen Leonard will be working with Amanda Sandoval at the Brockton Opioid Overdose Prevention Coalition to produce a multi-media project to communicate how substance abuse affects them, Kowalski said.

This fall, high school students in the freshman through junior classes will be taking part in a Communities that Care Survey, a program funded through the Plymouth County DA’s Office Director of Grants and Sponsored Projects Edward G. Jacobs, in June.

“In 2013 our office began looking at the issue of drug and alcohol abuse in the community, but really began to see the numbers … and realized that clearly there was an opiate and prescription drug problem within this southeastern area of Massachusetts,” Jacobs told the School Committee in May.

That data was from police departments, first responders, emergency room personnel, treatment centers and the Department of Public Health.

Kowalski said last week that Whitman Hanson Will had hoped to conduct the survey this spring, but that it hadn’t received School Committee approval in time.

“This works out perhaps better because next year’s freshmen will be able to be involved in the survey,” he said. “The high school is getting really involved, primarily I think due to the energy of the Athletic Director Bob Rodgers, who’s been an amazing member of our committee.”

Whitman Hanson Will has its own Facebook page and Kowalski suggested the town of Whitman web page might also be used to advance publicity for the coalition’s events.

“People should not only know about the issues that are going on in our community, but they should know of a way by which citizens can try to help make it better,” he said.

Town and police officials were meeting Thursday, June 18 to accomplish that link.

Since Jan. 1, police have seen identical statistics — 23 overdoses and three deaths — in Whitman, according to Kowalski. Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch said his community has seen 17 overdoses with four deaths — three from heroin—  over the same period.

He asked for monthly updates on the overdose numbers with Police Chief Scott Benton’s monthly report to the board.

“What I don’t want to encourage are people calling to find out who it happens to,” Kowalski said. “That’s not the public’s business. It’s our business as a community to be aware that this kind of thing is happening and there are some people here who want to do something about it.”

Whitman Field Day to include 5K road race

WHITMAN — Tradition will mix with some new twists at this year’s July 4th Family Field Day in Whitman Park. While a complete schedule is still being ironed out, Assistant Town Administrator Gregory Enos said the games and bike decorating contests would be back joined by a hula hoop contest and the fun run will be growing.

“The schedule is going to be similar to what it was before, but Beth Goldrosen is going to be turning that little fun run into a 5K,” Enos said.

“If you don’t want to run, we can always use volunteers on the course to help hand out water or help keep runners from taking a wrong turn,” Goldrosen said. “Most of the course will remain the same, we’re just adding on at the beginning and the end to create a 3.1-mile course.”

Volunteers can contact Goldrosen at [email protected].

Walkers able to complete the course in under an hour are also invited to take part.

Recreation Director Emily Richardson resigned the part-time post on June 12 due to time conflicts with her full-time job, Enos reported to selectmen Tuesday, June 16. Former Recreation Committee Chairman Dan Mason is filling in on an interim basis, primarily to get the summer pool and day camp programs started on time — Saturday, June 20 — and to help plan the July 4 event.

“We have a great park and pool program, but because of different issues, we hadn’t seen the participation last year that we have in the past, and right now we’re not seeing a significant level of registration,” Town Administrator Frank Lynam told selectmen. “It would be a shame if we had to cut back on that program because of lack of interest.”

He suggested part of the problem might be that the director did not get the information to the right people early enough.

“There’s a lot of things this program could be doing, that they want to do, and having a road race and a runners’ club is a direction we want to go into,” Mason said about the July 4 event.

July 4th
Celebration

All events are free.

• 7:30 to 8 a.m. 5K Run for Fun Registration. Runners aged 13-over 50 welcome.

• 8:15 a.m. 5K Road Race Begins.

• 9:30 a.m. Bike & Carriage Decorating Contest.

• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Family Field Day. Music and more including dashes, jumps, races and tosses for all ages. Dunk tank participants must be over 18.

• 1 to 5 p.m. Town Pool Open to Residents free of charge.

HANSON — Town Administrator Ron San Angelo tendered his resignation, effective Aug. 14, to the Board of Selectmen during an executive session in the Tuesday, June 23 meeting.

San Angelo signed a contract with the town of Southbridge Monday, June 22 to become that community’s town manager, effective Aug. 17.

“The Hanson Board of Selectmen and Mr. San Angelo have reached a written agreement to resolve any and all matters covered by his employment contract with the town,” Selectmen Chairman Bruce Young read from a joint statement agreed to by selectmen and San Angelo. “The board thanks Mr. San Angelo for his service to the town and wishes him well in his new position for the town of Southbridge.”

San Angelo thanked the board and citizens of Hanson for the opportunity to serve as town administrator.

“It’s all set and the contract’s been signed and agreed to,” he said of the Southbridge job. “It’s just a matter of transitioning from here, working with them to help them transition out and doing some part-time work with Southbridge ahead of that Aug. 17 date.”

The special meeting had been called to discuss results of a citizens’ survey regarding potential re-use of the former Plymouth County Hospital site.

Before going into executive session to continue discussions on San Angelo’s contract status — as well as negotiations with Fire and Highway department unions and an Open Meeting Law complaint — Young asked for a report from Executive Assistant Meredith Marini on the potential need for a search committee and interim town administrator position.

“I wasn’t going to spend a lot of time on this, but the way things are breaking at the current time we may be in need of going to a search committee and interim town administrator,” Young said.

Marini has spoken with representatives of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Collins Center for Public Management at UMass, Boston, Municipal Resources Inc., and Massachusetts Municipal Consulting for their guidance on the situation.

The MMA maintains a list of interim town administrators, which they can provide. The list represents retired town administrator who provide their services when a community requires an interim official, according to Marini.

“They all gave me pretty much the same story,” she said. “They will come in, meet with the selectmen, do a full file of the community, see what the selectmen are looking for, then they go out and do the recruitment, advertise — they know all the people in the business — and they go through the applications.”

The firms pare down the list and all mentioned a screening committee would be a good idea to determine a good fit as interim town administrator.

Consulting firms would cost the town from $8,500, which would cover only recruitment to $17,000 to include all background and credit checks needed. The Collins Center would charge $15,000 to do the whole process.

The Open Meeting Law complaint, filed by resident Betty Dahlberg seeking information on evaluations of San Angelo and previous town administrators’ performance evaluations, was also discussed in executive session. Back in open session they voted to authorize Young to issue a letter in response to the complaint as well as the documents requested.

An agenda item dealing with San Angelo’s evaluation was stricken as “no longer necessary,” according to Young.

“It’s important to note that all parties agreed to that,” Selectman James McGahan said.

The PCH discussion was kicked off by Bruce Hughes of the Old Colony Planning Council, as he reviewed the 175 responses to the survey of residents on re-use preferences.

“We wanted to hear the views of the public,” San Angelo said. “we wanted that to be included in the final report.”

The survey showed most respondents preferred the site be used for some form of passive recreation, community center, elder housing or recreation-based commercial use.

Selectmen tended to fall in that range, as well.

Selectman Don Howard urged a recreation facility similar to the one on King Street in Hanover. McGahan agreed, adding that a water park could be a viable commercial venture. He and Young also stressed that some single-family homes, possibly geared toward 55-plus buyers could bolster the tax base and help fund PCH demolition.

“The PCH has been sitting there since 1999, nothing’s been done with it and the biggest problem we have up there is the hospital — demolish it and get rid of it,” Howard said.

Howard suggested that, as the Town Hall renovation bond comes off the tax rolls, the taxpayers might consider continuing a bond of equal value for 15 years or so to fund a tear-down of the former hospital building. San Angelo said a bond for demolition alone could only extend for five years, but noted he and Howard had talked with the town accountant the idea of borrowing $2.5 million over 15 years to raze the building and put $1 million toward developing a park, which lowers the debt payments.

Former Selectman David Soper favors offering a tax credit to a developer in exchange for such a private business to foot the bill for razing the old hospital. He suggested active adult housing, coupled with low-impact commercial development such as IT or a call center could also provide a tax return for the town.

“I’m not looking to change the character up there,” he said. “I don’t think a retail store would be anywhere near feasible up there — it’s off the beaten path.”

Community Preservation funds could be used for demolition if development included open space or affordable housing on the site, according to CPC Chairman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett.

Theresa Santalucia, speaking for Green Hanson, which favors open space and operates a community garden at the site, and the Housing Authority, said the property is an asset to the community.

She stressed the need for affordable housing in town with waiting lists of 83 applicants for the 68 units at Meetinghouse Lane and 27 families waiting for space in the six units at the L.Z. Thomas Building.

“Nothing can be done about it before we have a Town Meeting,” Howard and the rest of the board agreed.

“I’d like to see three or four non-binding referendum questions on a ballot,” Young said. “Let the people decide.”