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New Whitman firefighters sworn in

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SWORN IN: Town Clerk Dawn Varley administers the oath of service to new Whitman firefighters Brian Feeney, left, and Joshua Gray. Both joined the department within the past year.                      Photo by Tracy Seelye

WHITMAN – In a ceremony delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Nov. 23 hosted the swearing-in of two firefighters who recently joined the Whitman Fire Department.

Firefighters Joshua Gray and Brian Feeney were sworn in together by Town Clerk Dawn Varley in the Town Hall auditorium during a brief ceremony before the Selectmen’s regular business meeting.

“This has been long overdue due to the pandemic and I’m glad we can gather tonight to swear them in,” said Fire Chief Timothy Clancy.

Feeney, a longtime Whitman resident was accompanied by his fiancée Jill and their two sons, Lincoln and Scott. A 2004 graduate of WHRHS, he holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology before attending EMT school and paramedic school. He scored the highest during the 2020 selection process and joined the department in April 2020. His uncle Joseph Feeney was a longtime deputy chief on the Whitman Fire Department.

Gray, who was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Whitman, where he still lives, and department chaplain before becoming a firefighter, was joined by his wife Ann and children Caroline, Jackson and Ryan. Their son Ethan died at a young age.

“While he was our chaplain, be became a call firefighter and fell in love with the fire service,” Clancy said, noting Gray then went on to EMT and paramedic schools before starting his professional career with the Halifax Fire Department. He worked with the Scituate Fire Department before joining the Whitman department when the opportunity arose.

Once reconvened in the Selectmen’s meeting room, the board held the annual joint tax classification hearing with the Board of Assessors during which Selectmen voted to follow the assessor’s recommendation for a uniform tax rate of $14.57 per $1,000 valuation – or or $5,569 on an average single family home valued at $384,354.

They also concurred with assessor’s recommendations against a split rate for residential, commercial, industrial and personal property taxes.

“To split the rate or not to split the rate, that’s the question,” Assessor Kathleen Keefe said to open the hearing. “The focus of tonight’s meeting is to opt for either a uniform rate or a split tax rate.”

Assessors annually brief Selectmen on the town’s financial status and the effects of the uniform or split rate.

The single tax rate was set at $14.57 per $1,000 on uniform tax rate. That rate is down from the current $15.50 per $1,000 valuation because assessments went up spread over more housing stock in town.

Whitman is the fourth-lowest area community in terms of tax bills per single family home, Keefe noted.

“This year, for the first year, there was a vote at Town Meeting in an outside article to tax fully to the levy … so we do not leave on the table any excess levy capacity under the restrictions of Proposition 2 1/2,” Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman said.

The state Department of Revenue annually reviews and approves the adjusted values proposed by the Assessor’s Office. The residential value is based on the sales market and commercial value is based on income and expenses as well as the comparable sales and cost analysis. Whitman’s values were approved Nov. 9. Fiscal 2022 completed a five-year revaluation, which is a more in-depth analysis of property values.

The town’s total property valuation for all classes is $2,030,707,351 of which almost 90 percent – $1,816,440,717 – of the town’s property is residential. Another 5 percent – or $101,920,205 – is commercial, 1.2 percent – or $25,329,423 – is industrial and 4.2 percent – or $87,017,006 – is personal property.

The fiscal 2022 budget required that $45,494,988 be raised as voted by Town Meeting. Receipts were estimated at $15,908,895 leaving $29,586,093 to be raised by the tax levy, divided by the different classifications.

Small commercial business exemptions are limited to firms with fewer than 10 employees with a total property value of $1 million or less and any exemption goes to the property owner, not the business, unless the property owner wishes to share that benefit. In business developments with more than one tenant, all the tenant businesses must meet the qualification criteria.

Residential exemptions are intended to benefit communities with a high number of non-owner-occupied properties.

Neither exemption was recommended by the Assessors or approved by Selectmen.

John Galvin, a member of the Finance Committee, who spoke as a private citizen voicing his own opinion, suggested after Keefe’s presentation that, at some point, Whitman should consider a split commercial tax rate.

“If you’re not going to consider it this year, I think the board needs to start considering the thought process of splitting the tax rate,” Galvin said, noting that they also will be “putting a tremendous demand” on taxpayers in the next couple years in view of infrastructure needs such as the sewer force main project, a DPW building and potentially a new Whitman Middle School.

 “Sewer rates have gone up and they will go up again,” he said. “Any amount that we can give back to the taxpayers, I think, is important and I honestly think splitting the rate is not going to impact the businesses that much. … I think we have to get creative because we’re going to be asking taxpayers for a lot.”

town employee vaxx mandate?

Selectmen also left a Board of Health request to mandate COVID vaccinations for new employees on the table, pending guidance fro OSHA.

The health board recommended in October that all new employees except those with “firmly held religious objections,” or medical exemptions signed by a doctor, be vaccinated.

“I don’t see the benefit of doing this for just new employees, given that we hire, what, five or six people a year,” Selectman Justin Evans said. “If we were going to consider a vaccine mandate it would probably be for all employees and I think, at least at this time, where there is potential OSHA guidance pending that I’d like to see, and other towns already fighting this out in court, I don’t think I want to see us use our legal expenses to pursue this right now.”

Selectman Brian Bezanson agreed.

He said all employees should be encouraged to be vaccinated, but it was ultimately up to them.

“We have a way to go, folks,” Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski said, noting that despite Whitman’s 60 percent vaccination rate, that means four out of every 10 people one encounters in public places are not vaccinated. “I understand the Board of Health’s intentions here, I believe, and let’s try to deal with this pandemic that we haven’t dealt with yet – and to have a 60-percent vaccination rate is not having dealt with it.”

Circuit Breaker funds reviewed

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An ongoing internal school district accounting review has determined that there are “a couple of accounts with excess funds” that should have been returned to the towns.

District Business Manager John Stanbrook reviewed the district’s use of Circuit Breaker funds in depth during his financial and budget report to the School Committee on Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Stanbrook said Circuit Breaker has been used as a revenue source in the general fund. This year there is $600,000 as a transfer from Circuit Breaker as a revenue source. He said he counted the uniform Massachusetts accounting system process through which the Department of Revenue said the district should be showing a Circuit Breaker.

“It shouldn’t be shown as a revenue source in the general fund and an expenditure in the general fund,” Stanbrook said. “It should be shown just as a reduction to the expenditures in the general fund.”

Stanbrook said as of the fiscal 2023 budget, the committee would see a line item reflecting some type of transfer from Circuit Breaker showing zero — which means expenditures would be reduced by the amount, instead of showing it as revenue.

Committee member Fred Small asked if the process could accurately be described as the district spending up to threshold and then spending Circuit Breaker money.

“Is that not what has been happening?” he asked.

Small outlined a hypothetical to illustrate his question on a $98,000 expenditure. He asked if the first $48,000 is the responsibility of the district, with the other $50,000 being a reimbursement formula known as a 75-25 split — for every dollar the district spends, it received 75 cents in Circuit Breaker funds.

“What I’m talking about here is only to show what we do when we get the actual money from the state,” Stanbrook said. “I think we’re talking about two different things. … After doing the reimbursement rate allocation [the question is] what do you do with that money?”

Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak said the district has historically been using Circuit Breaker to offset the budget.

“That’s not the appropriate way to do it because you’re just taking money and putting it as a revenue source,” he said. “Circuit Breaker money should be allocated to a direct special education expense.”

The funds are to be used for expenses such as funding a mid-year out-of-district placement, for example.

Small asked if the district’s past approach has any impact on anything else in the budget over the years and whether money was carried over that shouldn’t have been.

Stanbrook said he didn’t know about past impact, but said it should have a net zero effect. Carry-over is only permitted for one year, he added.

Up to fiscal 2019, there was only a small amount carried over and there is a “small amount of reimbursement in there right now.”

Small also asked if funds were spent out of the general fund that qualified as Circuit Breaker money and, if so, did it end up in excess and deficiency.

“That’s what would happen if we didn’t spend it,” Stanbrook said. “Have we spent every dollar of Circuit Breaker? No we have not.”

Committee Chairman Christopher Howard said previous meeting recordings could be checked to verify it, but said he recalled that unused Circuit Breaker funds were applied to the budget, but it was not used as an all-purpose fund.

Last year’s Circuit Breaker reimbursement was about $1.3 million, according to Stanbrook.

“That’s a pretty healthy number,” Howard said, noting that some districts have a Special Education Stabilization Fund to help offset costs.

“If we’re holding general funds and we’re holding Circuit Breaker monies that could be spent instead of general funds — if we had spent the Circuit Breaker money, we would have had additional funds from the general fund — we could have had, perhaps, programs, etc.,” Small said.

“I don’t know if we’ve managed Circuit Breaker well over the years,” Szymaniak agreed, but he is uncertain the past numbers are readily available and that Stanbrook is looking at ways to do it better.

Committee member Dawn Byers said she was concerned about whether the way Circuit Breaker has been handled has inflated the budget.

Whitman resident John Galvin, speaking for himself and not as a Finance Committee member, commended Stanbrook and the budget subcommittee for diving right into their work.

He said “net zero” describes the effect of reimbursement when they are properly handled.

“The problem is that’s not the way we’ve been doing it over the last who knows how many years,” Galvin said. Over the last five years the district has received $5,958,138 in Circuit Breaker reimbursement. It budgeted $3,235,000, not using $2,723,138.

“That money came out of the towns,” he said, noting that the percent of reimbursed funds has slid from 97 percent of money received to 34.88 percent — $600,000 of $1,720,374 — in fiscal 2022.

“We have $1.4 million sitting in that account today,” Galvin said. “What are we going to do with it?” He said another $1.2 million is expected in the next nine months.

Whitman Selectman Randy LaMattina said he was speaking as a representative of the town and that research he and Galvin have done on the issue also led him to ask why the Circuit Breaker funds the district received were not used to pay the expenses for which the district’s special needs kids qualified.

“It is not a net zero game,” he said. “Those expenses should have come out before the town’s assessment. … Why wasn’t this money used … for the kids, for the services?”

LaMattina said fiscal year 2020, the year use of the funds fell to 38 percent, and the resulting layoffs of 15 teachers within the budget cuts made, was blamed on selectmen from the two towns.

“In fact, there was probably $700,000 left of available funds that year that could have been used to offset those layoffs,” he said, asking for an explanation of how it happened and whether it was due to a misunderstanding of how Circuit Breaker works or something else.

“It’s almost two separate issues here,” LaMattina said Tuesday, Nov. 30. “We have a major accounting issue that has impacts Whitman and Hanson, and we also have an issue why in last three budget cycles has so little Circuit Breaker money been used?”

Whitman resident Shawn Kain pointed out that the cost of special education plans can be quantified and therefore should not be a surprise during budget talks.

Whitman Selectmen also discussed the issue at their Tuesday, Nov. 23 meeting during an update on the independent school audit requested by both towns. Galvin told Selectmen that both towns had approved the funding and Hanson had begun to accept bids when the process was put on hold due to the pandemic.

“Whitman and Hanson should definitely put it out to bid again, in my strong opinion,” Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman said, noting the bid information Hanson received is now two years old.

“It seems like it’s coming close to a time when it [might] yield some pretty interesting information, if I understand the School Committee meeting I witnessed last week,” Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski said.

He said Howard had called him and indicated that he understands what Galvin and LaMattina were talking about when they addressed the committee.

“He understands better now about the way special education money was funded and [that] he just needs a little more time to sort it out — have the committee work on it,” Kowalski said. “And I told him I could support that.”

Galvin reiterated his support for the budget subcommittee’s work as well as Stanbook’s, acknowledging that Stanbrook has just begun his accounting review and that the audit would help him in that work.

SST eyes capital project alternatives

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HANOVER – The South Shore Tech Regional School Committee, on Wednesday, Nov. 17, was updated on the Capital Subcommittee’s work.

Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey said the subcommittee, along with its architect and engineering firm, had reviewed feedback and ideas about a potential new construction project on campus, intending to bring back some revised ideas to the subcommittee by the end of November.

The proposal is for a 9,000-square-foot structure to be placed at the front of the school in a grassy area between the two entrances, potentially allowing space for up to two programs. 

Hickey explained that the strategy is, by opening up some space, the school can relocate one shop while renovating some of the shop spaces in the 1962 wing of the building. Shops such as automotive, HVAC and electrical would then have more space to meet demand.

That doesn’t mean more students would be admitted – at least not in the short-run – Hickey said.

“But only 9,000 square feet might allow for a small increase,” he said. “I almost don’t want to promise that, but my theory is if we’re able to open up more space in higher-demand programs, then through the exploratory program … we might be able to take more kids, who we’ve already accepted, to major in those programs.” 

More “mundane” concerns such as the size of the school’s cafeteria and science labs are more likely to hinder any effort to accept new students right now, according to Hickey. If shop space renovation and expansion helps free up some space for science labs, he suggested that the 2023-24 school year might be the year they could see some success there, but it really needs to be part of a broader renovation project.

SST is really looking to the MSBA to open up more of the $100 million that the Legislature is discussing focusing on vocational schools.

“If we can tap into additional funds, then we can talk about the additional renovation that we all want,” he said.

In the meantime, the subcommittee is planning what it can do now.

“My hope would be that we would bring the scope of the idea to the full committee by our December School Committee meeting,” Hickey said.

All eight member communities had passed debt authorization approval at town meetings this spring, Hickey reminded the committee, a portion of which is intended to fund opportunities to renovate and/or expand shops. The disrict is still waiting on MSBA, as it has been on various projects for several years. Some interest-only borrowing would be done for the first few years.

“We went to our communities and said we need to make some adjustments, we have programs that need more space,” he said. “The communities responded, which is fantastic, so we’re taking the next step as quickly as possible.”

The project manager and engineer would work on revising the scope of planned projects. Subcommittee members have offered feedback on points and construction materials and Hickey said he would be meeting with Hanover officials about septic capacity.

The district plans to go out to bid on the building and shop renovation with an eye toward having two projects going on this summer – the shell of the new building and roof repairs to the 1992 wing of the school. It would also allow all construction planned for next school year to be to work on the interior of the new building, possibly with students working on it, with renovation of the shops planned for summer 2023.

“The beauty of the model that we see is that it would have no impact on the kids in the building,” Hickey said.

Dollars For Scholars now taking orders for holiday gift cards

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Whitman & Hanson Dollars for Scholars will be processing orders for gift cards this holiday season as part of its fall fundraising drive. Interested individuals will be able to order gift cards from over 300 nationwide merchants. DFS will receive a commission for selling the cards while the recipient will receive the full face value of the gift card. 

A Dollars for Scholars representative will be in the Community Room of the Whitman Public Library from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 4, and in Training Room of the Hanson Police Station from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Dec. 5, to answer any questions. Orders may be placed at those times. All gift cards ordered are expected to be delivered by Dec. 11. Payments should be in the form of a check or cash. Currently, DFS places gift card orders every other month for its board members. Members use the gift cards as gifts for family or friends or toward everyday purchases such as groceries, gas, prescriptions, and restaurants.

Proceeds from the sale will benefit graduating high school seniors in the form of scholarships at the end of the school year. For more information on the gift card ordering program, contact Mike Ganshirt at 781-252-9683 or visitWhitmanAndHanson.DollarsforScholars.org.

Student numbers level off

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By Tracy F. Seelye, Express editor
editor@whitmanhansonexpress.com

Enrollment is down historically from where it used to be, but leveling off, Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak reported to the School Committee on Wednesday, Nov. 17.

“That’s a national trend [seen] in the commonwealth, except we seem to be leveling off,” he said. “Will probably never get to that 200-plus kids [at Whitman Middle] we used to have in eighth grade. It’s not going to happen.”

Hanson middle school enrollment has also taken a dip, with grades forecast to number below 150 in the future.

Kindergarten enrollment trends are consistent with national trends, with the number of eighth-graders leaving for vocational high school programs also showing consistency.

“We can have some good information moving forward when we start looking at a five-year plan for budgets, based on enrollments,” he said.

Home-schooling has also made an impact, with 76 students learning at home this year, up from the pre-pandemic 33 students. There were 95 students home-schooling during last year’s lockdown.

“We did take a hit,” Szymaniak said. “I do think some students have enjoyed home schooling, or the curricula that their parents have purchased for them. I’m hoping to bring them back at some point, but I don’t know.”

There are students coming back to the district from home-schooling, already, he said. 

In the meantime, there is “tremendous growth” in English language learning students, which leads to an increase in costs for student support services, such as translation online services. There are 106 English language learning students and 126 families that do not speak English.

Whitman-Hanson WILL reviewed the annual student drug surveys with the committee, outlining the challenge that alternative cigarettes – particularly vapes pose for the district.

“These are our challenge right now,” Szymaniak said.

Szymaniak said the district is talking about developing an anti-vaping curriculum for the district in cooperation with W-H WILL and school resource officers in both towns, as well as alternative consequences/learning for students caught vaping at school.

Gabrielle Peruccio of the Brockton Area Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative and High Point Treatment Center’s prevention services team, briefed the committee on the annual state and federally grant-funded survey’s findings. About 1,100 students in grades six through 12 completed the survey last school year.

Few middle schoolers said they used alcohol, cigarettes e-cigarettes or marijuana or prescription drugs at least once over the past 30 days with seventh and eight-graders having a higher percentage of vaping use among the few students who said they tried any of the substances listed. In the high school, alcohol was the most reported substance used by juniors (14 percent) and seniors (27 percent). Reported use of vaping and marijuana also increased as the grade levels increased, Peruccio said.

“That’s a common trend we’ve been seeing,” she said. “That middle school level, when talking about prevention, and curriculum around these substances is key.”

Students were also asked about their perception of risk — how harmful do they view each of the substances mentioned in the survey. Middle school students showed a view of moderate to great risk, but the perception of risk for marijuana decreases as students reach higher grades, especially since the legalization of marijuana.

Students’ views of their parents’ risk perception of the substances showed most in the middle school grades saying their parents thought it was wrong or very wrong, fluctuating a little at the high school level.

However, at least 90 percent of students in all grades said their parents would feel any substance use was wrong or very wrong.

Peer disapproval, was a bit less stringent at all grade levels, especially at the high school.

“A while back our focus was on prescription drugs and opioids, because that’s what our students were really struggling with,” Peruccio said. “Now we’re seeing marijuana, THC, vaping and alcohol being those top substances that we’re facing.”

The School Committee voted to continuing to allow W-H WILL to share the data with the community and survey students again this year.

“When we talk about school and our students, while our elementary kids are not surveyed … those students might go home to a home that has parents who are addicted,” School Committee member Dawn Byers said. “We need to support students in our school who may struggle with this with other family members. … It’s a community-wide issue.”

She lauded Szymaniak for thinking about a curriculum.

Students, K of C cheer others

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WHITMAN – A return to traditions – with a tweak or two here and there – marked two of the town’s pre-Thanksgiving celebrations, as Conley students shared a socially distant gift with the Whitman Food Pantry, and the Knights of Columbus returned to an in-person holiday luncheon for seniors.

As the COVID-19 pandemic made its mark on a second Thanksgiving, the giving continued – sort of in-person – as students were updated on the collections and gift-giving via the Conley School’s news team after they had paraded past the lobby to wave at Pantry volunteers Lauren Kelley, Jim Davidson and Walter Gurry, as well Animal Control Officer Laura Howe on Friday, Nov. 19.

Conley’s gifts of food baskets and a cash donations for “furry friends” in the charge of Whitman’s Animal Control Officer are usually bestowed during an all-school assembly, compete with songs performed by students.

Assistant Principal Chris Ahearn gave an emotion-filled speech to the student body as she thanked them for their work on behalf of Principal Karen Downey, who was unable to attend.

“We want to make sure everybody understands what an important time this is,” Ahearn said, noting the school’s traditional large assembly. “I know [Downey] would be impressed with the incredible generosity that has been shown here today.”

She told Conley students that donations may not seem like a lot when they bring in one can or one boxed item at a time, but that those gifts add up.

“But when you look at the amount of things we have brought in and how many families that can help feed in our community, it’s overwhelming,” Ahearn said. “I’m always touched by this assembly and amazed by how special our school community is.”

She then presented a check for $1,225.70 to Howe to aid the animal shelter, 24 Thanksgiving food baskets for the pantry along with, through a gift by a former Conley families – Sandy, Scott, Collin, Aidan, Gavin and Connor McCarthy – and the parents’ company, AEW, a donation of $1,500.

“A generous thank you to our Conley Cubs, big and small who contributed to  the Thanksgiving baskets, Penny for Paws and Helping Hands,” reporter Sophia Lombardi said while taping the broadcast for the school’s morning news. “Our Conley Kids really showed how much they love and care for our community by bringing in donations to make the baskets.” She and fellow reporter Kaitlyn Soper and adviser Brenda McLaughlin, a paraprofessional, then panned the camera down a hallway lined with 24 laundry baskets brimming with all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner – to which the food pantry would add a turkey. Some baskets even included loving touches such as greeting cards for the family receiving the donation.

The “spare  change” donation to the Animal Control Officer brought an emotional thank you from Howe.

“Every year, this means so much to me,” she said, explaining that her partner was also planning to attend, but had to attend to an emergency. “But the good news is they helped a dog and everything will be good. Two days ago we helped a heron and a swan. … He wanted me to express how grateful we both are. We don’t have a hugs budget, and this is enormous. What you guys have done at your young ages, is not only commendable and respectable, you have character and dignity and that will carry you so far in life.”

Howe, who was wearing slides, said she tried to jump in Hobart’s Pond to aid  one of the birds, but her shoes kept floating away.

Through the Helping Hands drive, students also donated items needed by area veterans. Students Shane MacCurtain and Ana Flaviana also participate in the Conley new program.

“As a former teacher from Whitman, I just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Kelly said on behalf of the Pantry, with a break in her voice. “All the families will appreciate it. Keep doing … and I’m not worried about the next generation.”

On Saturday, Nov. 20, the Knights of Columbus celebrated a return to the in-person Thanksgiving dinner for seniors who might otherwise be alone on the holiday. It was the 47th year for the meal, served up by members of the W-H Panther football team – ahead of their 110th annual Thanksgiving game vs. Abington at home – as well as Whitman Police. Members of the East Bridgewater Vikings midget football team, fresh off a super bowl win, helped by doing door duty at the event.

Last year, meals were delivered to seniors since in-person meals were not possible because of COVID.

“We thank you for the generosity of all the volunteers who are going to make this meal possible, for the Knights for hosting it once again and for all those who have made this community what it is,” said the Rev. Adrian Milik, the new pastor at Holy Ghost Church in his blessing.

Grand Knight Devin Morrison extended his welcome and Council on Aging Director Mary Holland addressed the crowd, joking that her predecessor Barbara Garvey hadn’t mentioned there would be a speech involved.

“It’s great to see so many people out and enjoying today,” Holland said. “I’m here to thank everyone, especially the Knights of Columbus, who give constant kindness and generosity to our community – especially our seniors. They volunteer countless hours of effort and their resources, not just today, but all year long to make this happen.”

Mitchell pays state ethics fine

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HANSON — Hanson Selectmen Vice Chairman Kenny Mitchell has paid a $5,00 civil penalty for violation of the state’s conflict of interest law, according to the State Ethics Commission Executive Director David A. Wilson.

Mitchell was fined for “authorizing town payments to the tree service company he privately worked for, representing his private employer in a matter involving the town and acting as a selectman to advance a proposal to remove trees on town land while knowing his private employer would likely be hired to do the work,” according to a press release from the commission.

In a prepared statement,, Mitchell said: “On Nov. 12, 2021, in order to immediately end complaints made about me to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Ethics Commission, I executed a ‘disposition agreement’ and paid a fine. I did so because I recognized that it would not be in the best interests of my family or the Town of Hanson to allow the proceedings to drag on. I fully recognize that I must be very careful to not allow my position as Selectman to conflict in any way with my position as General Manager of Newcomb’s Tree Services, LLC, or for there to even be an appearance of a possible conflict. I would like to thank the many residents of the Town and my family for supporting me throughout this process.”

Neither Selectmen Chairman Matt Dyer, not Town Administrator Lisa Green would comment on the fine.

A selectman since 2014, Mitchell is the general manager of Newcomb’s Tree Services LLC. The commission alleged that, from 2016 through 2019, Mitchell, as a selectman, signed 23 warrants authorizing town payments to Newcomb’s for tree cutting and removal. 

Also, in 2019, when a Town Meeting warrant article was proposed by the Hanson Recreation Commission for removal of trees at Camp Kiwanee — at an estimated cost of between $10,000 and $20,000 —Mitchell acted as a selectman to both move and vote to place the article on a special Town Meeting warrant. When another selectman made the motion for voting on the article at the special Town Meeting — at a cost of $25,000 — Mitchell seconded the motion, according to the Ethics Commission.

“At that time, Mitchell knew the town would likely hire Newcomb’s Tree Service to do the work,” the commission’s release stated. “Mitchell’s actions violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibition against municipal employees participating in matters in which they know they or their employer have a financial interest.”

The commission also found that Mitchell violated the conflict of interest law in 2016 and 2017.

The town had asked Newcomb’s to remove dead trees from a main road, which required access to private property. When the private property owner accused Newcomb’s workers of damaging a water line, the commission found that Mitchell represented his employer and the town as well.

“By doing so, Mitchell violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibition against public employees acting on behalf of someone other than the municipality in connection with a matter in which the municipality has a direct interest,” the release stated.

Political memoir aims to heal a divide

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In the last few years, there have been scores of books written about healing the political divide in the United States – including “Uncivil Agreement,” by Lilliana Mason, “Why We’re Polarized,” by Ezra Klien and, notably “Trust: America’s Best Chance,” by 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.

Most of these volumes focused on the national political picture, but as Buttigieg was known to point out, the presidency is not the only office that matters. We are also divided at the state and local level, he says and one former state official agrees.

Enter former state Rep. Kathleen Teahan, who’s new book – “For the People, Against the Tide: A Democratic Woman’s Ten Years in the Massachusetts Legislature – seeks to address that.

What’s one way to help build that bridge?

It takes everyone mending fences and working together, as Teahan puts it.

“I didn’t write it to make a profit,” she said with a laugh. “I wrote it as a gift and I self-published it. I just hope it makes a difference in the future.”

The self-published book is available on Amazon. She also has a website KathleenTeahan.com to further her mission of fostering a more civil political discourse while encouraging more women to seek office.

“I started it in 2009,” Teahan said in a phone interview last week from her Harwich home. “One reason is I want to leave the world a better place for my children and all children, and seeing the dysfunction of our government, on the federal level – and somewhat on the state level – and seeing the condition our country was in with the racism and divisiveness, lack of respect and honesty – I just had to get out what my experiences were, hoping to inspire courageous and caring candidates for political office and to get everybody to pay attention and vote.”

In 1995 Teahan lost her first campaign for state representative by 75 votes because many voters wondered if she was “too nice” for politics. Her memoir shows that “Nice” and “Courageous” are not mutually exclusive qualities. One of the 219 women compared to the over 20,000 men who, to date, has served in the Massachusetts State Legislature, Teahan, won her subsequent five elections with persistence and hard work. She loved every day working for the people of Abington, Whitman, and East Bridgewater and being a “voice for the voiceless.”

Before moving to the Cape 13 years ago, Teahan had lived in Whitman all her life. She has volunteered in political and other organizations in both places. Her connection to Whitman families, classmates, and friends remains strong no matter where she lives. Both her books; The Cookie Loved ‘Round the World, the story of the Toll House chocolate chip cookie and For the People, Against the Tide will be available at the Whitman Mother’s Club Candy Cane Craft Fair, on Saturday, Dec. 4.

She said her personal views and experiences lead her to never give up hope things will get better because she has seen the progress made since women’s sufferage 100 years ago.

“There’s a lot of hope, and I think a lot of it comes from women,” she said. “Even as I finished this memoir this year, I was one of only 219 women ever to serve in the Massachusetts Legislature in the history of it and there have been over 20,000 men.”

The “next chapter,” if you will, of her life is an effort to encourage more women to seek public office.

“Women bring a different perspective needed to balance out things,” she said. “Just like when you have any group, you need to have everyone to have a seat at the table to have it be the best it can and get a lot of different ideas.”

Getting out the vote is a key aspect of realizing that kind of representation, according to Teahan.

“Every one of us needs to be involved to keep democracy alive and bring it closer to the dream it was meant to be – the way we’ve always thought of it,” she said.

Teahan said the book “reads like a story” because, when she started it in 2008 she had talked with a couple writing agents, one of whom said she needed to put more of herself in the book. The other agent said memoirs are not that popular. That person’s suggestion that Teahan concentrate on writing about the Toll House cookie led to her first book – a children’s book titled, “The Cookie Loved ‘Round the World: the Story of the Chocolate Chip Cookie.”

“Now they are popular,” Teahan said of memoirs. She has held a book launch for “For the People, Against the Tide” (the title comes from an award she received from Healthcare for All when she was working on children’s oral health issues) in Harwich, but touched base with the Express to reach the people in the Whitman area.

“They’re the ones who sent me to the State House and I loved every minute of it,” she said. “It was quite an honor and I know there are many young people, especially Gen Z, who are passionate about making a better world and they are working hard.”

Teahan said writing it was her small part in helping young people, especially, learn how to do it and what needs to be done to attain elective office. One group she has already been speaking to is ActOn, one of whose goals is more transparency in government as well as more equalized power in the legislature, so the Speaker’s Office wields less control.

“I’m going to do what it takes to bring changes about,” Teahan said.

She’s hoping to “hit the road” to make library appearances and the like, to support the book and it’s message.

Former governors, Michael Dukakis and Deval Patrick, former Mass. Commissioners of Public Health, David Mulligan and Dr. Howard Koh, and seven others she worked with provide endorsements for this political memoir.

For the People, Against the Tide is available in paperback to bookstores and libraries through the book vendor, Ingram Publishing, and is for sale online through Amazon.

DPW building back in consideration

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WHITMAN — The Board of Selectmen is planning a joint meeting with the Department of Public Works Commissioners and superintendents on Tuesday, Dec. 7 to discuss the town’s need for a new DPW building.

Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman told Selectmen on Nov. 9 that he had received the feasibility study for a new structure from Environmental Partners, which was funded by a Town Meeting-approved appropriation, examining the need and likely cost of a new DPW building.

“Certainly the board knows the condition that that building is in,” he said of the study. “It identifies an amount of $11 million in order to have a new DPW building.” 

Heineman also met with DPW Commission Chairman Kevin Cleary and the department’s two superintendents the week of Nov. 1-5 to discuss what the plan is going forward and how the town can envision the needs for the facility with the feasibility study in mind.

“I think it would make sense to have a joint meeting of the DPW commissioners and the Board of Selectmen to talk about the desirability of what’s before … the town if this is the project the town wants to pursue at this time and, if so, what the timing of that would be.”

Heineman’s preliminary recommendation is to pursue it in two pieces — seeking 10 percent of the cost at the May 2022 Town Meeting to fund clear architectural drawings and, at a future date, attempting to obtain the remainder of funds needed to actually build it.

“That would almost certainly require an operational override at that time,” he said. “The other key thing to think about, in addition to is this the building that the town wants and what the timing might be in achieving it, I think another thing to consider is whether at Town Meeting, or as an appointment from this board… is whether or not to have a building committee for the [project].”

As discussion of the issue progressed, Selectman Brian Bezanson broached the idea that perhaps the town could seek funds through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, passed by the House of Representatives on Friday, Nov. 5 — and signed Monday, Nov.15 — to help reduce the financial burden of the project on the town.

“It’s a hazard down there,” he said, noting that earlier in the meeting they had been praising the DPW crews for the work they did during and after the recent nor’easter. “In the next breath we’re trying to figure out how to make their life safer, so we need to work on this and convince the citizens that this is an important part of going forward.”

He noted that, while he had not looked into it deeply as yet, it could be somewhere the town could look to “get something to help” because there was a lot of gray area there.

He suggested that the town’s representatives in Washington be asked to look into.

According to the White House’s updated state fact sheet for Massachusetts, the act includes $4.2 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $1.1 billion for bridge replacement and repairs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act over five years for Massachusetts. Another $2.5 billion over that span is devoted to public transportation, $63 million for EV charging stations, $100 million for broadband coverage across the state, $5.8 million for wildfire prevention and $15.7 million for protection against cyber attacks. Another $1.1 billion is aimed at improving water infrastructure to remove lead pipes from water supply lines in Masschusetts, and $244 million for airport infrastructure.

Bezanson reminded the board that, if the Occupational Safety and Health Administration became involved with the building, the town would be in “deep trouble.”

 “The longer we wait, the more expensive it’s going to get,” Selectmen Vice Chairman Dan Salvucci said, noting it had been estimated at a similar price tag for “top line” buildings, or a less extensive one. “Eventually, we’re going to need a new building, and the people have to understand that.”

Selectman Randy LaMattina said he was among those voting against the previous DPW building request because he felt at the time that the need hadn’t been adequately proven to residents.

“It wasn’t sold properly to the town,” he said. “I certainly wasn’t convinced, sitting in the crowd that night… we were kind of presented with ‘vote for it now, or you know what? The price is going up.’”

He said, sitting in a different role right now, it is one the town absolutely can correct now what was then seen as a mistake. Already serving on the Whitman Middle School Building Committee, LaMattina said a DPW Building Committee was a good idea, but he did not want to be on it. 

“I would hate to think we’re trying to rush this for a May Town Meeting,” he said, arguing that Heineman’s two-phase approach would be a better approach.

Counsel named for ZBA probe

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HANSON — Hanson Selectman unanimously voted on Tuesday, Nov. 9 to hire Hull Town Counsel Jim Lampke to conduct an investigation of alleged ethics conflicts on the part of Zoning Board of Appeals members.

Town Counsel Katherine Feodoroff reported her research into such an appointment to the board, and available investigating attorneys at the meeting.

She said she reached out to six or seven people.

“Unfortunately, the timing is such that a lot of people turned me down as procured (or already contracted elsewhere),” she said. “We were able to get two proposals.”

Jim Lampke, who is also president of the Mass. Municipal Lawyers Assoc. (MMLA) and former member of the state Ethics Commission Jeanne Kempthorne were contacted for proposals. 

Lampke does “quite a bit of special counsel work” regarding ethics issues where other town counsels have conflicts, Feodoroff said. She knows Lampke through municipal law circles, but has no prior working relationship with him. His proposal, for all work including review of documents and interviews with witnesses, involves a $200/hour fee.

The second proposal was received the day of the Selectmen’s Nov. 9 meeting, referred by one of the contacts that were unable to make a proposal.

Kempthorne, who is also a former assistant attorney general was seeking a fee of $250/hour, with travel time from her home on the North Shore included in her bill. 

“Have checked references for these people to make sure that they are capable of doing the tasks we are asking them to undertake?” Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett asked.

Feodoroff said she knows Lampke to be a very competent lawyer, having worked with him in the past and Kempthorne was recommended by a judge, who was referred to Feodoroff through a colleague in her law office, but she said she did not have the chance to check their references herself.

Selectman Kenny Mitchell asked if either had provided any indication of how long an investigation might take or the total cost.

“I told them I needed this to be a fairly quick turnaround, so I’d like a month, maximum,” Feodoroff said. Neither had provided a cap figure.

Mitchell and FitzGerald-Kemmett asked if the board could set a cap or establish a time period for them to report back to determine if more time was needed. Mitchell said he would defer to Feodoroff to suggest a fair price cap.

She said $7,500 was reasonable.

“In my mind, I’d start getting a little anxious when we got to $10,000,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

Selectmen Jim Hickey noted that $7,500 at the hourly rates quoted was about 37 hours of work.

“That’s really a lot of hours to work on this,” he said. “I’d think it would come in under the $7,500.”

Feodoroff said every building and electrical permit pulled by the two members of the ZBA who performed the work in question is part of the scope of the investigation. But she is uncertain about proving residency problems.

“I know there are people who have documentation and complaints have been filed, so those things would be provided [to the investigator] automatically anyway,” she said.

“I’ve got so many questions and I’m struggling with have we defined the scope of this investigation?” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Are we all clear on what we’re looking for, so that we’re clear with the person we’re hiring what we’re looking for.”

She said she doesn’t want there to be any misunderstanding that costs the town money and fails to provide the information the board needs.

Feodoroff said she couldn’t predict who might be interviewed, but did say if she were the investigator, she would want to interview the complainant, but that was up to that person to dictate.

Hickey asked if Town Administrator Lisa Green would be expected to sit in on interviews, noting that she wouldn’t have that kind of time to spare.

Feodoroff, again putting herself in the investigator’s place, said she wouldn’t want that, because the questions asked might not be answered with complete candor.

“It would also put Lisa in a very weird political position and would distract from the time that she’s got,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

Mitchell asked if a report of findings, which would be expected should wrongdoing be discovered, would appear before the board to make a report if no evidence of wrongdoing were found.

Selectman Joe Weeks flagged inaccuracies in the letter sent out to potential investigators — naming only three ZBA members instead of the entire board and mentioning a focus on conflict of interest surrounding the 40B application for Spring Street.

“I want to make sure we’re not inadvertently going down a path that we’re not supposed to,” he said, expressing a concern about future lawsuits or being set up for the investigation to fail.

“We don’t even want to hear about the 40B,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. She expressed specific information on situations where members should recuse themselves from dealing with applications where conflicts of interest might arise. Weeks said he would also like to see an examination of the ZBA members’ votes while on the board.

“I’d really like to see some probing,” she said. “The net is going to have to be cast beyond just Hanson. I don’t know how far.”

Familial relationships between board members and applicants as well  financial ties that could create a Section 19 conflict are key issues Feodoroff said, cautioning that, if engineers are included, the investigation could end up like a search for needles in a haystack.

She said if there were familial relationships, it needs to be determined if proper disclosure forms were filed.

“I’m not mentioning specific names at all,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “This is an equal-opportunity employer. … I don’t know any of these people. I’m looking forward to the results of this investigation and putting this to bed.”

Feodoroff said the applications before the board being investigated are the triggers for potential ethics violations, and said she could clarify that any applications be reviewed.

“It’s about faith in the [ZBA],” Weeks said. “We have to give them a list of whatever we want them to investigate.”

Resident Tom Constantine asked if the board had considered next steps if an interviewee declines to answer questions on advice of legal counsel during the investigation.