As one of the most acrimonious political seasons in U.S. history draws to an electoral deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 5, there’s no guarantee the division will automatically heal.
That will require work, specifically in listening to each other and offering respect. It was the message of speakers during a Unity Night presented at W-H’s Dr. John F. McEwan Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Oct. 24. The Whitman Freedom Team, whose mission is to explore ways of offering dialogue and support to the entire community, with a goal of promoting love, inclusion and trust, produced the program. The group aims to “move beyond tolerance, to embracing, celebrating and sharing our community’s diversity.”
“The key to unity is better understanding,” said psychologist Dr. Joshua Twomey, PhD, a member of the Freedom Team’s Board of Directors, and an assistant professor of family medicine at UMass Medical School.
“I fundamentally believe that an essential element in pursuit of unity is the practice of listening.”
Bridgewater State University’s Assistant Vice President for Student Success, Diversity and Inclusion Yolany Gonell continued that thought, saying, “unity requires us to work across difference.”
The evening’s discussion was aimed at fostering a return to civility in discussing “tough and difficult conversations, particularly in the political climate we find ourselves in today,” founder Tom Evans, a retired teacher, said in opening the event.
The evening’s theme was civility and respect, featuring speakers who devote their lives to promoting those goals.
After opening with a series of quotes on the meaning of communication, Evans introduced each speaker before they offered their message for the program.
“All of our stories are subject to bias,” Twomey said. “They are influenced by our fears and our disappointments and our needs. … Bias is not inherently good and is not inherently bad, either.”
Gonell began by asking who in the audience were athletes in school or parents of an athlete now, or if any are active-duty service members or veterans. She was greeted by a smattering of applause to each question.
Both these categories that people can fall into, forge community – and help build unity.
“Unity requires common ground,” she said. “We ask questions. Do students and employees feel a sense of belonging here? If they don’t, what do we do as a community to break down barriers?”
Conversations, celebrations and shared learning communities are created.
“The more welcoming we are, the more economic progress we can make,” she said.
“Listening is where change takes place,” Twomey said, noting that telling someone how they should feel – in daily life as well as counseling – simply doesn’t work,
“Genuine listening allows for people to examine biases of their own stories and allows them to be open to a multitude of other perspectives,” he said, and agreement is not required.
“The only thing that is required is to see them as a person,” he said. “Listening establishes trust.”
The evening’s first speaker had been Dr. Carl Kowalski, an educator, former member and chair of the School Committee and chair of the Whitman Select Board.
“Historians tell us that past is prologue, that one way of getting to tell what is, might be to review what has been,” Kowalski began and leaned on poets to paint a picture of humanity’s continual struggle against darkness.
“The only way to shed light is to join with, and be true to one another,” he said. “How fog-covered is our world? How can we find happiness in a world filled with hate, fake news and division?”
In seeking the answer, Kowalski turned to Aristotle and said, “If it’s in our nature to think, we can only be happy if we think logically. If it’s in our nature to feel, we can only be happy if we feel deeply. … The first step toward happiness is to know oneself.”
State Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, touched on the theme of happiness, too, as he recalled a fundraising play he and Kowalski had performed in “many years ago,” to benefit the Brockton Library in an effort to make it more accessible to handicapped patrons such as their mutual friend the late state Sen. Thomas Kennedy.
“We used to do these plays called ‘Murder in the Library,’ and Dr. Kowalski and myself were the two suspects and it was a computer virus that caused a disease,” Brady recalled. “We sang a song that was to the tune of ‘Making Whoopie,’ and the theme was computer viruses.”
Brady said that experience, along with another in a community watch program, demonstrated the value of community.
“Nobody does this job alone,” he said. “Unlike what we hear in the media, and the division in this country is unfortunate, we have a good team in the commonwealth. We have Republicans and Democrats who work very well together.”
That cooperation will be needed for some of the rumors being spread in efforts to widen divisions.
“This past weekend, there were some rumors floating around [in Whitman], mostly on social media,” he said, noting he had seen screenshots that showed symbols appearing to be swastikas. “I’ve been in conversation with the chief of police, Tim Hanlon [who is a member of the Freedom Team], and I’m taking his advice and saying that the police will handle it and are well aware of it.”
Hanlon told Evans that he would say, “there are so many rumors out there, [and] people are getting all upset.” One of those rumors was that Gov. Maura Healey was going to use the Whitman Armory to house immigrant families.
“It’s not true,” Evans said. “But these are the kind of things that are out there and are making it difficult for people to stay calm and it causes a lot of dysfunction.”
State Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida and the Rev. Michele Matott, rector of the All Saints Episcopal Church in Whitman, had also been scheduled to speak, but Sullivan-Almeida, had a scheduling conflict and Rev. Matott was ill with COVID, so neither were able to attend.
Dr. Michael Kryzanek and the Rev. Adrian Millik of the Holy Ghost Church filled in for them.
Kryzanek, filling in for Matott, is an author and retired professor of political science, and has served on the Board of Directors of Father Bill’s Mainspring as well as that of the Freedom Team.
“All people in Whitman should be involved in the common good,” he said. “And unity brings stability and strength and opportunity.”
He listed the ways the founding documents of the United States pertains to unity and diversity.
“Diversity is a goal worth pursuing,” Kryzanek said, referring to Unity Day as the beginning of a movement to make the values of our Founders come to life. “Diversity will only strengthen what we have here in Whitman.”
The Rev. Millik offered a blessing to the group following his remarks, as a person whose parents grew up in Poland before the Soviet-backed regime was removed.
“Totalitarians pit people against each other,” he said.
Former School Committee member Christopher Scriven, an unscheduled speaker, was also invited to speak, arguing that those who don’t have advanced degrees have something to contribute to community-building, too.
“I recognize what we’re dealing with in this situation, and it breaks my heart that our community is going through this,” he said. “I want to make a point about how important it is for all of us to be involved. … have a voice that’s no more, no less important, and that’s something we should all exercise.”
He noted that many in the meeting have been leading in Whitman and serving the community for a long time and more people should join in that work.
Decision time is here
The campaign trail for 2024 has had more twists and turns than the Appalachian Trail, but it’s nearly over, now.
In much of the country, including Massachusetts, as early voting has been going on for nearly three weeks – Bay Staters were able to cast early votes by mail, in-person or via absentee ballot since Oct. 19. After early voting concludes on Friday, Nov. 1.
Those who prefer the traditional route, in-person voting on Election day is from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Tuesday, Nov. 5. Whitman voters from all precincts vote in Whitman’s Town Hall Auditorium at 54 South Ave., and Hanson voters from all precincts cast their ballots for all precincts at Hanson Middle School, 111 Liberty St.
Because Hanson voting is done at a school, the School Committee voted to permit the closure of schools for the day.
Voter parking
Parking is plentiful at Hanson Middle School, but the smaller parking lot at Whitman Town Hall has nesessitated moving employee parking off-site.
The Select Board approved the arrangement at its Tuesday, Oct. 22 meeting.
Whitman had a policy in place, adopted in May 2019, for the following parking plan: requiring that parking for Town Hall staff to be limited to beyond a 180-foot perimeter of Town Hall so that voters could use the spaces for 30-minute parking for voting. In addition, during federal elections, election workers were required to park at the Senior Center, 16 Hayden Ave., and at Memorial Field, 20 Essex St., with the Senior Center providing bus transportation and employees would be restricted from parking at those sites as well as at Town Hall.
Any exceptions to that policy would have required a prior vote in advance of the election by the Select Board.
“The Town Clerk [Dawn Varley] had spoken with the Mary Holland, the Council on Aging director,” Carter said. “Dawn had said that she didn’t have election workers that needed the bus this year, so we would like to do away with this [2019] policy and instead do what we’ve done before.”
She suggested going back to sending a memo to Town Hall staff outling the parking rules.
“In order to improve voter access to the Town Hall during the Nov. 5, 2024 presidential election, Parking in the Town Hall parking lot, for the duration of the election is restricted to those coming to the Town Hall to vote,” Carter read. “All employees, elected and appointed [are required] to park off site for the entire day.”
She said the municipal parking lot across the street, the municipal lot behind Duval’s and on-street parking outside the 180-foot buffer would be allowed.
The Select Board approved the suggestion.
Varley reported Monday that, as of Saturday, Oct. 26 Whitman residents had cast 2,389 in-person early votes and there were more than 900 absentee ballots not yet returned. There are 11,000 registered voters in Whitmn.
Hanson Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan said 677 of the town’s 8,477 eligible voters had already voted in-person in Town Hall and there were 1,000 absentee ballots sent out.
On the ballot
Electors of the President and Vice President of the United States;
- Ayyadurai and Ellis (Independent);
•De la Cruz and Garcia (Socialism and Liberation); - Harris and Walz (Democratic);
- Oliver and Ter Maat (Libertarian);
- Stein and Caballero-Roca (Green) and
- Trump and Vance (Republican) appear on all ballots as does Senator in Congress. Refer to your town’s ballot for the order in which they appear.:
Senator in Congress. - Elizabeth Warren (Democratic) and
- John Deaton (Republican.
Whitman and Hanson also vote between the same candidates for county-wide offices
Register of Deeds for the Plymouth District; - John R. Buckly (Democratic) running unopposed.
Clerk of Courts for Plymouth County; - Robert S. Creedon Jr., (Democratic) running unopposed.
County Commissioner for Plymouth County; Voting for TWO - Gregory M. Hanley (Democratic);
• Jared L. Valanzola (Republican); - Rhonda L. Nyman (Democratic);
Anthony T. O’Brien Sr. (Republican).
In Hanson there are two ballots as the town’s state representative districts differ, but all other offices and ballot questions are the same.
Governor’s Councilor, 2nd Distirict; - Tamisha Civil (Democratic)
- Francis T. Crimmins Jr. (Republican)
Senator in General Court — 2nd Plymouth and Norfolk also appears on both town’s ballots; - Michael D. Brady (Democratic) running unopposed.
The town’s Congressional race also differs from Whitman — Representative in Congress — 8th District; - Stephen F. Lynch (Democratic);
- Robert G. Burke (Republican)
Representative in Congress — 9th District; - Bill Keating (Democratic)
- Dan Sullivan (Republicsn)
Representative in General Court — 5th Plymouth District: - David F. LaCoste (Republican) running unopposed,
Representative in General Court — 6th Plymouth District: - Rebecca W. Coletta (Democratic)
- Kenneth P. Sweezey (Republican)
Whitman’s state representative, like Hansons’s 5th Plymouth is also an uncontested race.
Representative in General Court — 7th Plymouth District:
Alyson M. Sullian-Almeida (Republican) running unopposed.
Ballot questions include; - Question 1 – Initiative petition to specify that the state Auditor has the authority to audit the Legislature.
A YES vote would specify that authority.
A NO vote would make no change relative to the state Auditor’s authority. - Question 2 – Initiative petition to eliminate the requirement that students pass the MCAS exam to graduate high school.
A YES vote would eliminate the requirement, but would still require students to complete course work to meet state education standards.
A NO vote would make no change in the graduation requirements. - Question 3 – Initiative petition on unionization for transportation network drivers.
A YES vote would provide transportation network drivers the option to form unions to collectively with transportation network companies regarding wages, benefits and terms and conditions of work.
A NO vote would make no changes in the law relative to the drivers’ ability to unionize.
Question 4 – Initiative petition relative to the limited legalization and regulation of certain natural psychedelic substances.
A YES vote would allow persons over age 21 to use certain natural psychedelic substances under licensed supervision, grow limited quantities in their home and create a commission to regulate the substances.
A NO vote would make no changes in the law.
Question 5 – Initiative petition establishing a minimum wage for tipped workers.
A YES vote would gradually increase the minimum wage an employer must play a tipped worker over the course of five years at which point employers could pool all tips and distribute them among non-management workers.
A NO vote would make no changes in the law.
The full text of the questions as well as detailed arguments on either side of each issue can be found in the “Massachusetts Information for Voters – 2024 Ballot Questions – State Election,” published by Secretary of State William F. Galvin and mailed to registered voters or online at VoteInMA.com.
CCC changes concern Hanson
By Tracy F. Seelye, Express editor
editor@whitmanhansonexpress.com
HANSON – Changes to Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) requirements for contract consideration that will affect host community agreements (HCAs) are doing so in a way that has some town officials again protesting that the state is overreaching its authority.
For now, however, the town is working with its town counsel to determine a set of actionable items to complete, with deadlines to help them comply with the new regulation requirements.
“I think having counsel assist us will be a big help.” said Town Planner Antonio DeFrias as he and Town Counsel Liz Lydon met with the Select Board on Tuesday, Oct. 29 to discuss those changes.
“It shouldn’t be a heavy lift,” Lydon said as Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett balked at the cost of legal fees in the face of Hanson’s financial situation and she wanted the board to have time to think about and process the information presented.
“This has been going on for, roughly, about a year, so I’ve worked with counsel … to stay up to date and keep Hanson in compliance,” DeFrias said as he passes the microphone to Lydon to explain the nuances of the changes, how they affect Hanson and what, if anything, the town needs to do remain in compliance with the law.
The regulations were amended within the past year or so, according to Lydon.
“We knew that [changes were coming, but we weren’t sure to the extent, because the statute changed first, then the regulations were issued about a year ago,” she said. “The statute was unclear about what the regulations would state and how restrictive they would be.”
Town counsel then began the process of trying to renegotiate the HCAs. Only to find there were still uncertainties.
“The regulations actually went beyond what we had anticipated for restrictions on HCAs,” Lydon said. “They came up with a model HCA, they changed the whole payment structure around community impact fees, so that you could no longer charge a percentage of sales … and it has to be based on documented costs over the prior year.”
Any HCAs already negotiated, once their term expires, they would have to comply with the model agreement, or very close to it, according to Lydon, who added there is briefing case law to the effect that it’s not final because it hasn’t been appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court.
“But it’s created more uncertainty in the law because it says that the regulations are not retroactive to existing agreements,” she said. “That means all the agreements that are in place now should still be valid, however that doesn’t help with the uncertainty around payments under the existing agreement, because you still have to have documented costs related to the impacts of [an establishment].”
That boils down to: all of the existing host agreements have to be renegotiated, with fees based on documented costs and only cover impacts directly caused by a facility.
“We kind of knew that they were going to lean in this direction,” Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “It wasn’t as if they took a sharp left and nobody knew. … The CCC kept saying, ‘You better document,’ and, ‘It needs to be real costs.’”
She asked if Hanson had looked at when its agreement expires and what would need to be taken into consideration in negotiating a new one.
“We’ll need to very closely mirror whatever that model agreement is,” she said.
Lydon said she didn’t have that information at hand, so FitzGerald-Kemmett asked that the firm circle back to the board with it.
But Lydon said the CCC would notify the town when the agreement does expire at which time the establishment would reach out to town counsel.
“I have plenty of models that we can use,” she said.
“At the risk of stating the obvious, to me, it’s super-frustrating that we were sold a bill of goods,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “The rules have changed mid-stream … with, as far as I can tell, very little ability for voters, or the people impacted, or the towns impacted, to even influence what ended up happening. … It’s really disappointing to see the state take that approach.”
Other board members agreed.
FitzGerald-Kemmett said that, without the community impact fee they agreed to she doubted that agreement would have been possible.
Lydon said the agreements are still discretionary with case law as well as the aspect that towns can elect not to continue relations with a marijuana establishment if it is not in the town’s best interests.
“I have not seen that happen yet, but it is an option,” she said.
Lydon added that another piece of the regulation is that there is now a requirement for a social equity policy in place, requiring prioritize consideration of social equity applications from historically disenfranchised groups such as minority-owned businesses, or those seeking permits who are persons who were impacted by the war on drugs (including arrests for marijuana) or others who might fall under the label of an historically disenfranchised group.
The policies must include streamlining the application process, providing all the materials and information needed on the town’s website, including permitting requirements and a contact person and all applications must be easily accessible and an application process for a new HCA must be made available and transparent with decisions posted as well as how many establishments exist in a town and how many are social equity applicants.
“That should have been done already, under the law,” Lydon said. “But they are not enforcing [the policy requirement] it until May. Once the policy is in place, you’ll have to move forward to implementing the policy.”
There are three options:
- adopt a bylaw to exclusively permit social equity businesses for three years or until the exlusivity goal has been met;
- adopt the model bylaw ordinance created by the Commission to permit social equity businesses; and the easiest option, which does not require a Town Meeting vote;
- create a local approval process, which is required by the regulations anyway for equity applicants, that is administered on a one-to-one basis with a general applicant.
“This is a lot to unpack, but what I’m hearing you say is we’re getting no more money, but we’re being asked to do a lot more regarding this type of business,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.
Lydon said the 3 percent fee still applies if Hanson allowed retail facilities in town, something Town Meeting did not approve.
“I don’t see that floating,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “We’ve tried that several times and we’ve gotten a very strong message on that.”
She did not see any incentive for the town to agree to what she called an unfunded mandate to comply with the new policy requirement.
“My thought is, we just do what we’ve done up until this point, and take it to Town Meeting for option one or two and see if the town wants to do anything with them,” said Board member Joe Weeks. “The town really needs to have a say in this.”
FitzGerald-Kemmett had more questions about what Town Meeting would be asked to decide.
“We don’t need to make that decision tonight,” she said. “It seems like a lot for a little town like ours, with very few resources, to take on.”
Lydon said, while there is assistance to applicants, there is no real assistance to towns and there is a lot of turnover going on at the CCC, which creates difficulties.
FitzGerald-Kemmett asked if the town could opt against allowing more facilities in town at all, because they lack the infrastructure to work with it effectively, and Lydon said it could be limited to the one license Hanson has already approved.
“If someone applied, it’s still at your discretion if you want to award another HCA,” Lydon said. “That is in the Select Board’s hands.” But another way to comply is to draft a social equity business policy first.
Lacking a policy, the town could be subject to fines if an applicant reported the town to the CCC.
She said there are other area towns who have complied, that Hanson can refer to for policy language,
“This is extremely concerning to me,” said Board member Ed Heal. “This sounds like a huge, huge, huge, slippery slope. We’re in the middle of an MBTA slippery slope, and it’s like, ‘Wow, they’re going to make us approve permits …’”
FitzGerald-Kemmett broke in to explain that the policy is required only if the town allows more permits.
“We don’t know what Town Meeting will decide,” Weeks repeated.
“This is the state going above and beyond yet again, forcing us to do something,” Heal said, later adding, “A white male cannot start a…”
“Well, maybe let’s not get quite…” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. But Lydon said a white male could if he had ever been arrested on marijuana charges.
“But that’s the person that gets the business,” Heal said to Weeks. “Somebody like me or you or even you,” he said, gesturing to FitzGerald-Kemmett, “wouldn’t be able to start a marijuana business.”
“Well, I’m a woman,” she said.
“To put it in a nutshell, you have the policy in place, but once you have it in place, it doesn’t mean that you have to allow any more [businesses],” DeFrias said.
Friends of Whitman Library hold membership drive
The Friends of the Whitman Public Library is currently conducting its 2025 Membership Drive. Memberships start as little as $5 for a Senior, $10 for an Individual, or $15 for a Family.
Membership forms are available in the library, on the Friends Table, and also online at WhitmanPublicLibrary.org under “Get Involved” and on the Friends Facebook page at “Friends of the Whitman Public Library.”
Members receive Preview privileges of book sales, the Friends Newsletters, and coupons or discounts at participating fundraisers.
If you do not wish to become a member at this time, a donation in any amount is always appreciated.
A donation can be made in memory of someone or in recognition of a special occasion, anniversary, or other event. These donations will also be acknowledged in our Newsletters.
Volunteers are needed in setting up many of the fundraisers. You can be involved as much as you are able.
All donations support the Whitman Public Library’s programs including performers, crafts, and other items needed but not included in regular Town funding.
Thank you for considering becoming a member or volunteer of the Friends or the Whitman Public Library!
Whitman seeks return to civility
WHITMAN – A spate of recent events has reminded Select Board Chair Dr, Carl Kowalski of a line from a movie that he says speaks to a need for talking to each other, rather than at each other.
“As I was getting ready for the meeting tonight, something kept going through my head. … I’ve had [that line] in my head for a long time,” Kowalski said. The 1990 film “The Sound of Silence,” featuring Nicholas Cage and Laura Dern, included the line, “The whole world’s wild at heart and weird on the top,” he recalled, going on to explain his meaning.
The line reminded him of some things.
“We’re living that right now,” he said. “We have reports of swastikas in the neighborhoods. We have rumored reports – false rumored reports – of illegal immigrants living in the armory. We had a stand-out of 300 people in Hanson over the weekend in support of a man who’s breaking the law in Hanson by projecting something on the town [water] tower – which is town property.
“We have the police having to pay attention to the house of the town manager in Hanson – one of our former colleagues – who merely did the right thing by telling that person that it was against the law and he should take it down,” he said, noting that official’s life has been threatened and they have received “nasty emails.”
Contacted that evening, Hanson Select Board Chair Laura Fitz-Gerald-Kemmett had no comment. [See story opposite]
All of that’s been going on over the last couple of days, Kowalski informed his board about the examples he cited.
“The whole world is wild at heart and weird on the top,” he repeated.
He said he was relating that information as an introduction to a program, planned by the Whitman Freedom Team, at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24 at W-H Regional High School.
Kowaksi was extending an invitation to all residents to attend, or to watch at home. Speakers at the event will include Democratic state Sen. Mike Brady of Brockton and Republican state Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida of Abington.
“It’s for a night of unity, hoping to inspire and share the Whitman team’s message of civility and mutual respect,” he said. “Certainly, it’s timely. Unfortunately, it’s really needed.”
Campbell retires
The Board then recognized the retirement of Det. Eric Campbell, who attended the meeting with his wife Diane, daughter Morgan and sons Dylan and Justin.
“They’ve always been supporting him, as families do in the police profession,” Police Chief Timothy Hanlon said.
Campbell began his career in the auxiliary unit, moving on into patrol in 2001 and beginning a 24-year career as a full-time officer. He has served as a DARE officer, a school resource officer, has been a detective since 2012, and has been an honor guard volunteer as well as the auxiliary liaison officer. He has also served as a union president for many years and still serves as the department’s evidence officer until his official retirement date.
“He’s worn many hats here and all those are appreciated,” Hanlon said. “What I can say about Eric Campbell is, he’s always been available to do those jobs to the best of his ability. He is as dedicated as they come.”
Hanlon said that Cambell won’t be completely retiring as he will return to being an auxiliary/special police officer.
“He’ll be down to one hat,” Hanlon said, presenting Campbell with his retirement badge. The police union presented him with a plaque in appreciation of his service and the Select Board presented him with a citation from the town.
The board then voted to appoint Campbell as an auxiliary/special police officer, effective Oct. 24 through June 30, 2025.
“That was a long retirement,” Kowalski joked. “OK, you’re back on the job, Eric.”
“Heck of a retirement,” Vice Chair Dan Salvucci jested.
Green report card
In other business, Old Colony Regional Planning Council (OCPC) Senior Development Specialist Paul Umano presented Green Communities program’s annual report.
The town’s 10-year report card was encouraging.
“You guys have done an amazing job with reducing your energy use and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with [Assistant Town Administrator Kathleen Keefe] and her team with the upcoming spring round grants,” he said, noting the typical grant is around $225,000 per grant year There is also a grant program for $500,000 for de-carbonization programs.
“The possibilities are endless,” he said.
Umano’s presentation was aimed to show the town’s overall standing as a green community. There are five criteria required by the program: as-of-right siting; expedited permitting; maintaining energy use; fuel-efficient vehicle policy and the “stretch code,” which is the more stringent building code governing new construction.
Under the as-of-right siting criteria, there are requirements for renewable or alternative energy generating facilities; renewable or alternative energy research and development and renewable or alternative energy manufacturing facilities in designated locations.
“The town currently has a range – I know the town as a little bit of aggregation and a little bit of solar as well – you’ve maintained that status throughout [and] you’ve been designated as a Green Community,” he said.
“The third criteria, I think is the most important – maintaining your energy use baseline data,” Umano said. “The idea is [that] your baseline is FY 2014.” That calls for a 20-percent reduction of energy use.
“You guys are doing an amazing job in terms of reducing your energy use throughout,” he said again, The 20-percent benchmark is maintained in municipal buildings, while open space is well over 20 percent, while traffic and streetlights are almost at 60 percent; town-owned vehicles are at a 16-percent reduction level and the Water and Sewer Department is at just 6 percent.
“That’s just amazing work across the board,” he said.
Board member Justin Evans offered kudos for the long-term energy reductions.
“The streetlights was all Lisa Green, our now twice mentioned in this meeting former assistant town administrator – a project that she spear-headed and really converted them all to LED using Green Communities grant,” Evans said. “I think credit where it’s due. It saved us 60 percent off our carbon emissions chart there.”
Projects the town has done which stand out include the Council on Aging, where a high-efficiency water heater has been put in place; some insulation work at the Fire Department, some rooftop control units have been put in at the police station; some EV charging stations have been placed at the DPW and a boiler has also been replaced there as well as at Town Hall.
“By no means is that an exhaustive list, but some of the key highlights over the years,” Umano said.
For future planning, he called attention to the town buildings with the greatest current energy use: Town Hall, the police and fire stations, the library and the DPW’s “town barn.” They are also the highest carbon emission buildings.
Energy-use intensity, comparable to miles per gallon on one’s car, is also tracked for the review – and the list is basically the same as for energy use, with the armory building replacing the library and DPW on the list. Umano also gave the town high marks for its fuel-efficient vehicle policy, with no reported violations.
“It looks as though there are no new significant changes [under the codes for new buildings] in the community,” he said.
Select Board member Laura Howe noted that, with the new DPW building under construction, that department’s numbers will be greatly improved.
Member Shawn Kain asked if there was anything in the program pertaining to an organic waste, or composting, program. Umano said he was not aware of one, but the topic came up again as the board was voting on the new trash rate of $360 per year based on costs, ($335 for seniors). The rate last fiscal year was $335.
Kain suggested such a composting program could help reduce the weight – and therefore the cost – of trash hauling in Whitman.
“I know other communities do it, and do it pretty well,” he said. “It would be good to get some feedback from the DPW about it.”
Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter said she could send Superintendent Bruce Martin an email about the question.
“It’s worth looking into,” Howe said.
The great costume dilemma
By Linda Hurd
Special to the Express
It was Halloween and the last school bell rang as we headed out to board our buses for home. Those of us in junior high were excited and talking about the Halloween party being held at the Indian Head School auditorium that night where there’d be dancing and prizes for the best costumes. I was going with friends and still hadn’t decided what to wear.
The Jack O’Lanterns, as they were called in our house, had been carved the night before and were nicely arranged on the steps leading to our kitchen door. As soon as I walked into the house, I heard mom and my siblings going on about something and I heard my name mentioned. The main rooms of our house were all open. As you entered, you were in the kitchen. The spacious living room was to the right with two steps going down into it and a big fieldstone fireplace along the back wall. My sister Penny and I helped load the stones that built it into dad’s truck from my Grampa’s field when we were ages six and nine. A wide square arch way in the kitchen led into the dining room where mom and my brother and sisters were. My 6-year-old brother Davey wanted my help with a costume. Mom found something for Barb and Penny but Davey kept saying no to all her suggestions.
I went down the back stairs to the cellar to look around for anything that might catch my eye or give me an idea. I found a cardboard box that was just about Davey’s size, a little red cap and a pair of red tights; I instantly knew what I could do. I grabbed the can of Nestle’s Strawberry Quick out of the cupboard and took it with the box to my room, shut the door and went to work. I copied the picture of the little figure from the can onto the box and colored it in with crayons. I cut holes in the box for Davey’s head and arms.
When I was done I went to show mom. She looked up with a big grin, saying how clever it was. Davey was excited and let me put a touch of rouge on his cheeks and I even talked him into wearing the little red felt cap but when it came to putting on the tights, he balked. We put him in front of the full-length mirror and mom, Penny and I were showing him the picture of the little figure on the can who’s hat was red with legs to match and telling him how much better the costume would look if he wore the tights. We convinced him and although he wasn’t too happy about it, he wore them. While mom fixed some supper, I had to find something to wear to the Halloween party.
In my room I found a scuffed-up pair of sneakers and old raggedy dungarees in my closet. I tacked a few colorful patches on the pants with a needle and thread. Rummaging through mom and dad’s old steamer trunks down cellar I found a man’s brown sports coat that was frayed and thin with a few holes in it and not too awfully big, an old stained t-shirt that looked more gray than white and a piece of rope on dad’s workbench that I used for a belt; all I needed was a hat. I took one of mom’s long-handled, beat up aluminum pots out of the kitchen cupboard, taped a big patch on it and put it on my head. Perfect!
I put makeup on my eyebrows and across my chin and cheeks to make it look like I needed a shave and walked out into the dining room. Mom, Penny and Davey started laughing. Barbie was only three and looked scared and dad just stared. He finally asked if I was really going to appear in public wearing a pot on my head which made us laugh even harder when I said yes.
To that he said, “Geez, one wearin’ a box and one wearin’ a pot,” and he just shook his head.
Dad would be in charge of passing out the candy while mom was walking the kids around the neighborhood and I was at the party. We were all preparing to leave and I felt a little hand slip into mine. I looked down and Davey’s big blue eyes were staring up at me. He asked if I would please come with them.
Penny walked over to us saying, “It won’t be the same without you.” Dad came up behind us and said to me, “if you want to go with them, I’ll bring you to the party when they come back, it’ll still be going on.” I was torn for a minute then Barbie wrapped her arms around my leg. I took the pot off and told them yes, I will come.
Looking back, I’m so glad I did. Davey got many complements on his costume. Barbie looked like a little doll in a hand made Cinderella dress. Penny wore her cowgirl outfit and mom and I managed the stroller and the bags of candy. Jack O’Lanterns were lit up on every lawn. One porch decorated with ghosts, skeletons and spiders had spooky music coming from it that could be heard from one end of Elm street to the other. There were smiles and laughter as we met friends and neighbors along the way and saw how we all were dressed. Dad did take me to the Halloween party, pot on the head and all and I won a prize for the most creative costume.
Szymaniak’s district goals approved
The School Committee, on Wednesday, Oct. 8 accepted Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak’s goals in the district over the next two years. The change from a one-year plan of goals better fits the team approach the district’s administrative department follows, Szymaniak explained.
There are four standards for the goals – instructional leadership, management operations, community engagement and professional culture.
Under the curriculum objective of instructional leadership, promoting the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staffs by cultivating a shared vision that makes teaching and learning the central focus of schooling. Toward that goal, Szymaniak described the aim of a comprehensive, innovative and culturally responsive curriculum that fosters adaptable students who have the foundational skills they can universally apply in an ever-changing world, he said.
“In a nutshell, we’re going to be forming a rubric of how we do walk-throughs for our leadership team,” he said, which creates a standard that can be used to provide teacher coaching in the classrooms. “Right now, we don’t have that, so we’re going to work through that.”
Each principal, assistant principal and department chair informally goes through and does that now, but Szymaniak’s goal is to have a collaborative approach to do it.
The management and operations goal is to ensure the success of all students and staff by providing a safe, efficient and effective learning environment with resources devoted to appropriate curriculum, staffing and scheduling.
“Over the next couple of years overseeing the MSBA project for the new Whitman Middle School and working with members of the building committee about making thoughtful decisions about design, materials and construction, continue to evaluate human capital across the district to ensure fiscal responsibility and efficiency while maintaining appropriately tiered support for systems,” he said, boiling it down to: the building ground-breaking will be in March 2025 with the plan to open the doors to students in September 2026.
In the meantime, the district must analyze who’s going to be moving over to the new building, as far as fifth-grade is concerned, other staffing needs they might have, and examining the pre-school space crunch, while keeping an eye on the budget without losing progress in making instructional gains for W-H students, he said.
The third goal is to promoting the learning standards for students and the success of staff through partnerships with family and community organizations and other stakeholders to improve the school district, aiming to provide a welcoming and affirming school environment that removes barriers so students, staff and families feel valued and have a sense of belonging.
“It’s my job to make sure that I have a collaborative dialog with community members and sharing the good things we do in our district, to then educate the taxpayers who support our projects to support our budget and making sure I clarify questions they may have and dispel rumors that might come up through social media or other avenues,” Szymaniak said. “To make sure the taxpayers, and parents know what’s going on in our schools.”
The fourth goal is to ensure the success of all students by nurturing a school culture of reflective practice high expectations and continual learning for staff.
“This is getting challenging in 2024,” he said. “[But] staff recruitment and retention, creating an environment that is diverse and engaging to attract, develop and retain highly qualified staff” to increase diversity, equity and inclusion practices to achieve the goal.
Partnerships with colleges and universities to identify and develop potential teachers while they are still in high school.
“I think it’s out there that we’re only going to hire based on race and religion,” Szymaniak said. “I think I did see that on social media. That’s not really true. My goal in this is to try to bring the best candidate forward to W-H, but make us a diverse community where people who are of diverse backgrounds apply.”
He said there are not a lot of people with diverse backgrounds applying to W-H right now and he wants to stress the district is diverse, with students of all different backgrounds.
That welcoming school culture helps in retaining those teachers.
“It’s not always about the money,” he said.
The board approved the goals for the next two years.
Bilingual literacy
The Assistant Superintendent for Equity and Compliance Dr. Nicole Semas-Schneeweis and District Family Liaison for Multi-lingual Learners Felicia Barboza provided the Committee with an update on the inaugural year of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Seal of Biliteracy program and W-H’s participation in it.
Two letters have gone out from the district about the seal to families and students which describes the criteria for earning the seal, she said.
Barboza is a former W-H student, a current social work graduate student, and “my right hand in working with and for our multi-lingual learner families,” Semas-Schneeweis said.
“Felicia was pivotal in helping me get the seal for W-H, so I’ve asked her to share this information with you this evening,” she said.
Greeting the Committee in both English and Portugese, Barboza then explained that the Seal of Biliteracy is presented to high school graduates who obtain proficiency in both English and another world language by graduation.
“It’s a credential that’s recognized by colleges and employers and is a skill,” she said. “For our students, this means getting more opportunities, chances of getting higher-paid jobs, and also, credits for college.”
The program recognizes English language learners who master it as a second language as well as students for whom English is their first language and who become proficient in a second world language. Of 68 English-speaking students who study Spanish taking the assessment test for foreign language proficiency, Semas-Schneeweis said they were well pleased to have 12 students within one domain of proficiency. But there was one of those 12 who earned the Seal of Biliteracy.
“The hardest domain for world language proficiency is speaking and it’s where we’ve noticed that the greatest area of need is,” Semas-Schneeweis said.
Semas-Schneeweis and Barboza also co-manage the English Learner Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC) to work with families in the community – and they are seeking a parent or guardian to work with who will become the ELPAC’s president. They have also conducted a survey on what the families feel is most valuable to them on times and avenues for meeting with them.
Barboza said there are 245 families helped by the multi-lingual learners office.
Stafford also extended thanks from Whitman Food Bank’s Lauren Kelly for Barboza’s help in helping the food bank communicate with and aid the community’s families.
“She wants to work with you even more then you already are,” Stafford said.
Time to turn the page
In the nine and a half years since Donald Trump descended his golden escalator, he has come to define American politics for the worse. After announcing he candidacy for President he immediately characterized people coming from Mexico as rapists bringing drugs and crime. Though he did qualify that “some…are good people.” Once elected, his inaugural address painted a bleak picture of “American carnage” that seemed lifted from a dystopian novel. He framed his tough guy persona as the solution, famously stating: “I alone can fix it.”
One can only ratchet up the temperature so far before “very fine people” begin to march on Charlottesville, spewing antisemitism and carrying torches. Before encouraging anti-vax mobs to “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” leads to a foiled plot to kidnap and execute the governor. Before urging the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” and inviting your followers to a “Big protest in D.C. on Jan. 6. Be there, will be wild!” results in a seditious conspiracy to overturn the results of an election. Of course, Trump’s actions preceding the violent mob’s assault on our Capitol would lead to his second impeachment, the resignation of a dozen members of his staff, and a federal criminal indictment in D.C.
And since that time his rhetoric has only grown darker. In 2022 he called for the termination of the Constitution to potentially reinstate himself as President. He joked about the assault on Nancy Pelosi’s husband. He referred to America as an “occupied country,” to Aurora Colorado as “invaded and conquered” and to the “bad genes” of migrants. He promised to seek retribution against his critics, at times suggesting the Justice Department or even the military would be used against “the enemy within,” referring to his political opponents. To Donald Trump, Jan. 6 is now “a day of love” and he speaks of those who stormed the Capitol using an inclusive “we.”
It’s really no surprise that his former Defense Secretary, Mark Esper, has called him a “threat to democracy,” or his former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Mark Milley, called him “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person in this country.” His first Defense Secretary, James Mattis, concurred with Milley. His former Chief of Staff, John Kelly, said Trump is “a person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.” In total, half his cabinet, including Vice President Pence—the people that watched him do the job for four years— are not endorsing him.
Trump’s third campaign for President is an intensified version of his first: the world is a scary place, and we need a strongman. But this time, the Supreme Court has said he is immune from prosecution for “official acts.” The adults in the room during his first term have all been replaced with a squad of opportunists and yes men riding his coattails. His allies have published Project 2025, a playbook aimed at consolidating power and edging the United States toward autocracy. We survived the first Trump term, and it ended with a violent mob storming the Capitol. Let’s not risk it again.
This democratic backsliding can only be defeated at the ballot box. I voted early last Saturday, and I voted for Kamala Harris.
Police body cameras OK’d at WHRHS
The School Committee, on Wednesday, Oct. 8 approved, by a vote of 9-0-1 – with member Rosemary Connolly abstaining – to modify the memorandum of understanding with the Hanson Police Department to allow School Resource Officers to use body cameras while on duty in the schools.
“Every year, at the beginning of the school year, we gather as a team to talk about school safety and introduce new staff to our public safety officials – the four chiefs, their deputies and whoever else wants to attend that meeting,” said Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak, introducing Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch and Deputy Chief Michael Casey to discuss body cams with the committee.
He announced to the School Committee that Hanson police have been wearing body cameras as part of their regular duties for about a month, and will be as part of School Resource Officer duties.
“Since this is a change to our MOU, to our school resource officers in the building, I asked both Mikes to come in and speak on this, because I think there can be a lot of misinformation, if it doesn’t come right from the folks that are having their officers wear these devices for the safety of themselves and for the safety of the public.”
Miksch said Friday that cameras would only be turned on when an officer Derek Harrington, as per the department’s policy. He said he chose not to purchase the variety of body camera that is always on or automatically activated when an officer draws a weapon.
Miksch and Casey provided a copy of the department’s body camera use policy as well as the school resource officer’s job description before the meeting.
“We work really well collaboratively,” Szymaniak said of the Hanson police. The department has jurisdiction over the high school because it is wholly located in Hanson.
Miksch noted that, following the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis in 2020, Massachusetts passed a police reform act.
“Many of the things in that act were actually things that – I’ve been a police chief since 2010 – police chiefs in Massachusetts were pushing for,” he said, reassuring the committee that interaction with police officials from across the country have shown him that officers in Massachusetts are probably the most well-educated well-behaved officers. “What we wanted to come out of that was to help improve policing in Massachusetts and give officers more tools, better equipment and better training to do the job.”
While no police career is perfect, Miksch said, the Northeast – the New England states and New York, are unique in how they handle policing versus other parts of the country.
“That being said, there’s always room for improvement, and it’s always good to have self-reflection,” he said, saying a notable thing that came out of the reform law was a push for body cams. Miksch said he was among police officials who were initially skeptical of the cameras.
“Why can’t you just believe me, you’re supposed to,” he said the thinking was. “But a funny thing’s happened since I’ve started talking to the other departments and even, I think, my own officers will agree with me at this point – they’re actually a great tool.”
Miksch aid officers he’s spoken to from around the state have said that, when unruly people are told they are being recorded, they begin to behave and cooperate better,
“It’s actually a de-escalation technique, now,” he said. “It’s great. It’s where the state’s going, too. … We’re going to have them for at least the next five years, because that’s what Town Meeting approved and that’s the contract we signed with Motorolla. ”
More departments are adopting them as their towns receive funding or grants, as well, according to Miksch. Hanson’s contract with Motorolla was a two-year process, researching cameras, working through the state bid system, negotiating with the company and implementing the cameras. The sergeants have tried them in an effort to get used to working with the devices.
Miksch and Casey showed a video of Hanson officer working to communicate with a Brazilian motorist, who only spoke Portuguese, to communicate that the man had been driving too fast. The first month of the cameras’ use has allowed the department to determine what can be edited on the videos and what the department can and cannot release from video.
Szymaniak also had a chance to express his concerns, but the cameras have not been used at WHRHS until, at the superintendent’s request, Miksch and Casey could come in and discuss it with the School Committee.
While the SRO has not worn one yet, other officers called to the school for any reason – officers assigned to football games – use them and wear them.
“The camera isn’t actually always on,” Casey said. “But the camera is always on when there is a police action taken. Never are we going to deminish or replace [an] officer’s discretion. Never are we going to have this camera interfere with the common interaction we’ll have with the public, staff [or] students. …It allows us to capture the audio and video when it is activated.”
School Committee members had questions about use of cameras by Hanson, but not Whitman, police, how it would work and whether is was an example of inequity as well as student privacy especially for students on individual education plans, who might have more challenging interactions based on behavior.
Casey said that only when the camera is activated will one be able to hear and see the audio/visual recording.
“We’re not going to have the camera on during medical responses, during interaction with students that may have difficulty understanding the circumstances,” he said. “There’s a broad band of discretion that our officers are going to continue to use.”
Miksch said Friday his department also trains regularly on communicating people on the autism spectrum.
Szymaniak also pointed out that most schools – as well as other public buildings already have video surveillance. Miksch said sound recording is permitted, but the public must be made aware sound recording is being done.
Interaction with juveniles are always confidential as well.
“If Whitman doesn’t have it and Hanson does, how does that effect equity … are we providing the same service to the two towns?” asked Rosemary Connolly.
“It’s a department preference,” Casey said.
Szymaniak said area departments now using body cameras include Bridgewater, Carver, Hanson, Halifax, Hanover, Hingham, Holbrook, Lakeville, Middleborough, Wareham, Weymouth and the Massachusetts State Police. Several others are either researching or searching for funding.
“These cameras are showing you exactly what has transpired,” Casey said. “Not only for the protection of the victims, the suspects, the idividual parties involved – staff, students, public and police officers – we want that accountability. We want that transparency.”
Szymaniak also said state law limits what SROs can do, as well,
“SROs and police can only be involved in schools for violent offences,” he said. “They can take a report of vandalism, but they really can’t do much in schools and the law prohibits that. … When Derek is walking around the building, he’s not actively policing. … He really can’t even break up fights [or] search lockers.”
Hanson pantry repairs funded
By Tracy F. Seelye, Express editor
editor@whitmanhansonexpress.co
HANSON – A lengthy agenda of business planned for executive sessions on Tuesday, Oct. 15 curtailed the open meeting agenda – with eight items of new business, a license hearing, a one-day liquor license approval, seven committee reports and the town administrators’ report scratched off the list of topics for discussion and/or action.
“We have an extremely abbreviated agenda this evening,” Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said, as she opened the meeting.
What business was covered were votes on a reserve fund transfer for repairs at the food pantry and approval and signing of the State/Presidential Election Warrant.
The Hanson Food Pantry, Town Administrator Lisa Green reported, had recently sustained some $19,000 in water damage.
“We needed to have a company come in to do any further damage assessment,” she said. “They brought in dehumidifiers and dryers to dry all the water up. The cost of that was about $19,000. In our Municipal Buildings, Maintenance and Repair line there’s only $20,000. Paying this company would have depleted that line completely.”
She said that asking for the reserve fund transfer, which the Finance Committee approved Oct.7, would be used to replenish that fund so the town will have money for any needed municipal maintenance over the rest of the fiscal year.
“Is it true that there’s ARPA money that’s going to be [available]?” FitzGerald-Kemmett asked.
Green said it is currently in the third phase of the review process.
“I am hoping to hear some very good news on that funding very shortly,” Green said.
The Board approved the transfer 4-0-1, with FitzGerald-Kemmett abstaining since she also serves on the Food Pantry board.
Nov. 5 State/
Presidential
Election Ballot
After Board Clerk Ed Heal read the Election Warrant, the Board voted to sign it.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Tuesday Nov. 5, for all three of the town’s precincts, at the Hanson Middle School for the State/Presidential Election which includes the following offices and questions:
- Electors of the President and Vice President of the United States;
- Senator in Congress;
- Representative in Congress for the 9th District;
- Governor’s Councilor for the 2nd District;
- Senator in General Court for the 2nd Plymouth and Norfolk District;
- Representative in General Court for the 5th Plymouth District;
- Representative in General Court for the 6th Plymouth District;
- Register of Deeds for the Plymouth District;
- Clerk of Courts for Plymouth County;
- County Commissioner for Plymouth County and
- Register of Probate.
Ballot questions include; - Question 1 – Initiative petition to specify that the state Auditor has the authority to audit the Legislature.
A YES vote would specify that authority.
A NO vote would make no change relative to the state Auditor’s authority. - Question 2 – Initiative petition to eliminate the requirement that students pass the MCAS exam to graduate high school.
A YES vote would eliminate the requirement, but would still require students to complete course work to meet state education standards.
A NO vote would make no change in the graduation requirements. - Question 3 – Initiative petition on unionization for transportation network drivers.
A YES vote would provide transportation network drivers the option to form unions to collectively with transportation network companies regarding wages, benefits and terms and conditions of work.
A NO vote would make no changes in the law relative to the drivers’ ability to unionize. - Question 4 – Initiative petition relative to the limited legalization and regulation of certain natural psychedelic substances.
A YES vote would allow persons over age 21 to use certain natural psychedelic substances under licensed supervision, grow limited quantities in their home and create a commission to regulate the substances.
A NO vote would make no changes in the law. - Question 5 – Initiative petition establishing a minimum wage for tipped workers.
A YES vote would gradually increase the minimum wage an employer must play a tipped worker over the course of five years at which point employers could pool all tips and distribute them among non-management workers.
A NO vote would make no changes in the law.
The full text of the questions as well as detailed arguments on either side of each issue can be found in the “Massachusetts Information for Voters – 2024 Ballot Questions – State Election,” published by Secretary of State William F. Galvin and mailed to registered voters or online at VoteInMA.com.
Early voting hours are held in Hanson Town Hall from Oct. 19 to Nov. 1. [See list of specific days and hours on Page 7].
A special voter registration session will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 26 in Hanson Town Hall. This will be the last day to register to vote for the Nov. 5 election. Any citizen may also register to vote at the Town Clerk’s office during regular business hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Registration may also be done by mail or online at rec.state.mass.us. Any citizen who will be 18 by Nov. 5, 2024 is eligible to register to vote by Oct. 26.
There is no school in Whitman or Hanson on Nov. 5 because Hanson Middle School is used as a polling place.