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Whitman welcomes new police officers

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WHITMAN — The Whitman Police Department has officially welcomed two new members as officers.  Richard Belcher and Christopher Ezepik were sworn in by Town Clerk Dawn Varley on Tuesday, Sept. 7.

“In this time of ongoing reform in the police profession, our most recent addition of officers Belcher and Ezepik have been a blessing, as the number of people interested in this career has dropped dramatically,” Police Chief Timothy Hanlon said. “It’s encouraging to see that there are people who realize the difficult situations that police officers respond to, but who remain committed to facing the challenge.”

He said besides Belcher and Ezepik, there are “a few in the bullpen waiting for an opportunity to open in the ranks of reserve/intermittent officers as well as the auxiliary unit.

Hanlon described each officer’s background before they were sworn in, by turn.

Belcher is a long-time Whitman resident and a 2006 graduate of WHRHS. He received a certificate in criminal justice from Lincoln Technical Institute, Somerville in 2008 and was appointed as a reserve/intermittent officer in 2017 and appointed as a full-time officer in November 2020. Belcher recently graduated the Cape Cod Municipal Police Academy, completed training and has been assigned to a permanent shift.

Ezepik is also a Whitman resident and a 2007 graduate of Cardnial Spellman High School and received a bachelor of arts degree in 2011 from Stonehill College.

He was also appointed as a reserve/intermittent officer in 2017 while he was employed as a court officer at Taunton District Court. Ezepik was appointed as a full-time officer in March 2021 and graduated in the 70th officer recruit class at the Plymouth Police Academy on July 23, receiving the top academic award. He is currently undergoing field training while awaiting a permanent shift.

“I’m glad to see that you’re Whitman residents, I like that idea,” said Selectmen Vice Chairman Dan Salvucci in welcoming the new officers on behalf of the board. “Congratulations, and the main thing is stay safe.”

Reflections on those lost

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WHITMAN — If Saturday morning’s American Legion 9/11 ceremony was about national unity and patriotism, the evening ceremony hosted by the town’s public safety departments was an occasion for more personal reflections on the meaning of the day.

After Whitman firefighters again unfurled their huge American flag, suspended from the ladder truck, in the setting sunlight, federal, state and local officials were joined by Fire Chief Timothy Clancy and Police Chief Timothy Hanlon in reflecting on Sept. 11, 2001 and beyond.

“This gathering is good for the soul,” said U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass. “It allows us to remember and appreciate the heroism and the sense of unity that tragedy sometimes brings.”

Selectmen Vice Chairman Daniel Salvucci placed 9/11 as one of the three news events in his life that personally affected him — along with the Feb. 3, 1959 plane crash that killed rock and roll singers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and the Nov. 22, 1963 assassination of President Kennedy. He had been a fan of Buddy Holly and he had voted for the first time in 1960 and he could not understand why anyone would kill a president.

“My wife and I planned a vacation to Las Vegas … on Sept. 11, 2001,” Salvucci said. “The flight that took off before ours was the one that hit the second tower. A higher power was protecting my wife and I.”

They had briefly considered taking the earlier flight.

Lynch kicked off the program following W-H student Grace Morgan’s performance of the national anthem.

Lynch recalled his experience as a candidate on a primary ballot on Sept. 11, 2001 as he watched news coverage of the attacks and the selfless work done by police and fire personnel — and the passengers and crew of Flight 93.

“While there was much tragedy that day, I choose to remember the heroism,” he said. “When I first arrived in Congress, my swearing-in was delayed until Oct. 26, because following those attacks, there were antrax attacks on several of the [federal] buildings, including the U.S. Capitol.”

He recalled being assigned to the Oversight Committee, which was charged, among other work, to review the 9/11 attacks — work that required several trips to Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I will never forget [that] during our investigation, we had to review the radio transmissions of the firefighters and police from inside the World Trade Center,” Lynch said. “WE were amazed, listening to those tapes, and reading the transcripts, because … we tracked the progress of those rescue teams … The last transmission from the New York Fire Department was from the 81st Floor of Tower 1.”

He said there is no doubt in his mind that fire personnel “knew that they were in great peril and that they would probably not come out alive.” He said such heroism is what first responders like those in Whitman sign up to potentially face every day.

“We should be thankful, and grateful, for the commitment they make to our families on a daily basis, because it is unpredictable what the demands of that job might require them to do,” Lynch said.

State Rep. Alyson Sullivan, R-Abington had a similar message, but began her talk with her experience as an eighth-grader whose friend lost their father on one of the planes flown into the World Trade Center.

“As a 13-year-old, I remember how our country came together,” she said. “We thanked our police officers for the services that they gave to our communities. We thanked our firefighters … Our flag was a sign of pride and unity.”

She said her hope, going forward is that we continue to do those random acts of kindness, encouraging people to buy a coffee or lunch for a veteran and thank them for their service and to thank police officers and firefighters for their service of protecting their community.

“We must teach our children, to learn their history so they don’t repeat the mistakes of the past,” State Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, said in thanking parents for bringing their children to the ceremony. “A house divided does not stand, so we should all work together …we all work together for the betterment of our community.”

It’s almost impossible to consider that the 9/11 attacks were 20 years ago, Selectman Randy LaMattina said, noting that he remembered exactly where he was that day.

“We join together to remember some extraordinary lives lost that day,” LaMattina said. “Tonight we honor the bravest — 343 New York City firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers, and countless other heroes, who on that day, met danger head-on and chose to selflessly put the safety and protection of others in front of their own. Their actions have not been forgotten.”

He also reflected on how, after that day people were more willing to compromise and worked together with pride in their nation and treated neighbors with more kindness.

“In the times that we face now, maybe that’s something else that should not be forgotten,” he said.

Town Administrator Lincoln Heneiman also spoke of the legacy of loss.

“The attack on Sept. 11 brought a sadness too deep to imagine, let alone name,” he said. “Furthermore, it happened on a day so bright that pilots actually have a name for it — it was a severe clear day. … A day that began with infinite visibility became a day of blinding grief. We shall never forget.”

Selectmen Justin Evans and Brian Bezanson also attended the event. Honor guards representing the VFW, Whitman Police and Fire departments also participated.

Hanlon thanked the residents and guests who attended and reflected on what could be learned from 9/11.

“Public safety encompasses many forms from the various departments,” he said. “We are your Whitman Police Department and we do much more than enforcing laws.”

He said police address many issues that have to do with the quality of life, like homelessness, unemployment and drug addiction.

“Agencies come together to achieve greater access to one or more of these resources to get people back on their feet,” in addition to the work they do that can put them in harms way as they protect citizens.

Clancy concluded the program by thanking the dozens of residents who attended to remember the defining moment in history that was 9/11 and the rallying phrase: Never forget.

“I can safely say we have not forgotten and we shall never, ever forget that day,” he said.

Rev. Joshua Gray, also a Whitman firefighter/paramedic offered the benediction, and Rev. Christy Coburn offered a closing prayer. Two moments of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York City, the Pentagon and over Shanksville, Pa.

School graffiti probed

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Staff report

HANSON — Whitman-Hanson Regional School District Superintendent Jeffrey Szymaniak and Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch report that racist graffiti was found outside the Indian Head Elementary School this week.

During an open house event on Tuesday, Aug. 31, a parent noticed the graffiti on a light pole outside the school. The parent then reported it to a police officer on detail.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional School District and Hanson Police are actively investigating the situation.

“We take this situation very seriously and want the community to know that what was found at the school this week in no way reflects the values and principles of our schools or the community as a whole,” Szymaniak said. “We strive to make the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District an open and inclusive place for all, and if any student, parent or community member would like to discuss this or any other issue with us we encourage them to reach out to us immediately.”

Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch described the graffiti as writing, “either done with a marker or a greasy finger” on  pole on school grounds.

The department has reviewed the past 30 days of video surveillance footage from security cameras, saying it may have been done before that.

“This incident is uncommon in Hanson, and does not reflect this community,” Miksch said. “Whoever is responsible, will be held accountable for this. We urge anyone with information to contact the Hanson Police.”

Anyone with information on this incident may contact Hanson Police at 781-293-4625.

Residents raise their concerns

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HANSON — Residents voiced concerns ranging from water problems — including potential pollutants from nearby landfill— to traffic density and parking at the Tuesday, Aug. 31 public hearing at the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Resident Timothy Qualter, of 528 Spring St., said during the public question and comment section of the meeting that, while many of his questions had already been addressed at the meeting, he brought up two failed perk tests on the property in the past.

He alleged that Webby Engineering took a depth of five extra feet of soil to test, before deciding the land was buildable.

“What it does not encompass is our backyards and houses,” Qualter said, noting that he has a vernal pond at his house in the spring. A neighbor has knee-deep water on his property after a heavy rain and yet another resident near by has to keep a sump pump running continuously to keep up with water.

“This is in a flood area,” he said. “We have an ongoing water problem now and a septic system is going to go in there? What’s going to come out of that? … It’s going to be in our basements.”

Water in basements is one of the biggest concerns for abutters, he said.

ZBA Chairman Kevin Perkins asked when the perk tests failed and Qualter replied  that it had been in the 1990s. Perkins pointed to Title V septic regulations, which went into effect in 1995, but Qualter countered that the added weight of more soil added to the site during prep work countered the effects of Title V.

Qualter also pointed to contaminants such as boric acid and other carcinogenics, were originally found in test wells going back to 1993 and asked what more recent test date showed. He said his wife and several other Spring Street residents have battled cancer for which they blame the groundwater contamination.

“I really think there’s something in this area that has to be addressed that’s not being addressed,” Qualter said.

“I think a lot of what you said is speculative,” Perkins said, drawing Qualter’s ire as he demanded to know why the cancer connection he sees is speculative.

“This board has done its due diligence and gotten information from local engineers, local people, about both of your concerns,” Perkins said, responding to Qualter saying he’s lived on the street since 1974. “If that is your concern, why do you still live there?”

“I think that’s a very rude thing to say,” another member of the audience interjected to the loud agreement of several members of the audience.

Perkins gaveled for order, saying the meeting could be ended if order was not restored, and asking engineers to comment about groundwater contamination and water table issues.

Water mottling, how it stains the soil at high points was not taken into consideration in the 1970s, when perk tests were done for houses of that era, Cushing Trails attorney Michael O’Shaughnessy said.

Another area resident said his house has the same water problems as Qualter, and also pointed to the five feet of soil added to the development site as the cause of excess water being forced out of the ground into basements.

“I lost my washing machine, my dryer, two freezers — whose going to pay for that? Who’s going to buy my house?” the man asked. “The town?”

Qualter has asked for a current evaluation of any contaminants in the area and why the lowest part, subject to flooding, has been selected for a leaching field.

Consultant Bill Kenny of River Hawk Environmental said the DEP has a couple locations included on the post-closure landfill monitoring close to the project area.

“The results of monitoring those didn’t reveal boric acid,” he said. “They’re monitoring for volitile organic compounds, a variety of metals, sodium, nitrates, cyanide sulfide, chloride [among others] and nothing was outside of acceptable limits for the DEP in those southern-most landfill areas.”

There were higher numbers in the more northern area.

Joe Pignola, of the Mass. Housing Partnership, was asked if it would be overstepping to ask for more soil and groundwater samples from the landfill area that abuts the Cushing Trails project.

“The most I would advise the board would be to engage an environmental engineer of equal qualifications [to those who have already conducted those tests] to verify what needs verifying,” Pigola said. He said banks financing the project would likely also require such tests.

Town Counsel Jay Talerman said he had not seen the study already conducted, and echoed Pignola’s statement that additional peer review studies would be done during the process.

“We would not duplicate what DEP would do, but we do have the essential obligation to review issues that could affect public health and safety,” he said.

Christopher Costello, of 446 Spring St., asked if there was a buildable buffer zone beyond which construction is not permitted near a landfill. He asked if the results of site tests could be published to better inform the public.

The DEP has determined no setback applies in this case, O’Shaughnessy said.

Another resident asked if the number of permitted residents per unit had been calculated. Perkins said septic regulations are calculated based on bedroom numbers and the septic regulations will be designed based on 88 bedrooms.

The woman asked how the number of tenants would be policed.

“We can’t speculate that someone is going to have 16 kids living in a two-bedroom house,” Perkins said to the woman’s concern.

Locating extra parking at the development’s entrance, and the noise that could come with it, was another concern by area residents.

“That just made sense as far as the site layout goes,” O’Shaughnessy said, noting the added spots were at the request of the ZBA. “We looked at other spots and we just didn’t think it was conducive to add other spots throughout the site that would work.”

Parking relocations will be re-examined, however.

Another resident was concerned about whether the private road/driveway of the development is wide enough at 20 feet of driving surface, for emergency access and snow removal. Perkins said the fire department had not expressed a concern, but the driveway issue would be reviewed. Perkins also said fire officials had said street names were a concern because of the similarity to other streets in towns. Street names are being reconsidered.

Christine Cohen 493 Spring St., said the traffic study was done during COVID and asked if another study would be done. Perkins said he understands her concerns and noted peer reviews have been done, and said the issue would be reviewed again.

The ZBA supported doing another peer review of the environmental study in light of residents’ concerns.

Peer reviews of studies outlined

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HANSON — The Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday, Aug. 31 continued it’s public hearing on the Cushing Trails LLC application for a 44-unit comprehensive Chapter 40B permit off Spring Street.

With a year-end deadline to complete this phase of the process, the board voted to continue the hearing to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 9.

The hearing, broadcast as a self-service production submitted to Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV for playback on the Hanson government access channel and WHCA’s YouTube channel, was held in the Selectmen’s meeting room at Town Hall.

“There’s numerous topics that we discussed last hearing, traffic, sidewalks, landscaping, septic systems, culverts, parking, environmental concerns and water,” Cushing Trails attorney Michael O’Shaughnessy said. “I believe we’ve presented to the board information on all these points and I think we’ll be able to satisfactorily address all these comments tonight.”

Joe Pignola, attending through a grant to the town of Hanson from the Mass. Housing Partnership, said his role was as an adviser to the board. “My role is to assist … and help you stay within the lines,” Pignola said. He has been an engineer for 30 years who has served on a ZBA as well as a project engineer for nonprofits as well as privately-owned projects. He has worked on 40B projects for 20 years.

“There’s a presumption that the need for affordable housing outweighs local concerns,” Pignola said. “You start with that presumption.”

Local concerns, he indicated are local bylaws, but Pignola said the ZBA must process the data and listen to concerns and understand what’s going on in the community, watching for issues that overcome the need for local concerns to prevail.

He explained that the applicants must demonstrate there are requirements for project eligibility, site control — they have a purchase and sale agreement — and they must commit to control profits and be monitored in doing so.

Pignola said input from the Board of Health would be advised because of the proximity to groundwater, and that there have been concerns voiced about the nearby landfill, as well.

Overall, at the second meeting stage, Pignola said the process for Cushing Trails is ahead of schedule because they had a peer review done right away.

“It all starts with engaging your other boards and your staff to help you in this complex process,” he said. With a window of 180 days from opening the hearing process to competition, he said the ZBA is looking at the end of the year as a deadline, with an extra 40 days after the hearing closes in which to render a decision. Both processes can be extended on request.

A denial or conditioned approval the applicant does not like, gives them recourse to appeal to housing appeals court, which would decide if a conditioned approval was uneconomic.

Town Counsel Jay Talerman added that while peer reviews identify technical issues that require changes, after that it’s not all technical.

“The next part of it … you get to review what is good for the neighborhood,” Talerman said. “Is density causing an issue that reflects or causes issues that are negative for the neighborhood? … things that cost the developers money.”

Developers then can negotiate with the town to address those issues.

“I’m not saying that discussion will happen here, but when we’re done with all the technical stuff, that is the discussion,” Talerman said. “Nothing in this project jumps out as being so egregious as to warrant a denial, but as an attorney … I’m not here to tell you [that] you shouldn’t say no, I’m here to tell you what the risks and benefits of saying no are. It’s your town.”

While Pignola said the aim is to identify issues that would impact or stop the project, he said nothing he has seen so far that is in that mind-set. Every 40B is more dense than local zoning typically permit, he said, making it necessary to answer whether that density is too much for local infrastructure, including Title V septic regulations.

“The bottom line is, I’m here to help you,” he said. “The applicant wants a good project, the neighbors want a good project, and that should be everybody’s goal.”

A project engineer, landscape architect and an environmental consultant also appeared with O’Shaughnessy to speak about the project. They had worked with the applicant on a 350-page report addressing the concerns of people who live in the area, O’Shaughnessy said.

Civil Engineer Joseph Webby said a guardrail has been added to the plan and a vinyl fence has been relocated and the entire site has been wrapped with a 18-inch silt sock to protect groundwater in the area. No parking signs have also been added to ease traffic flow in the area and assist fire apparatus in accessing the development, if necessary. Post-development calculations have also been revised on utilities and storm water engineering, Webby said.

“We’ve had some incomplete details on a drainage basin,” that’s been completed,” Webby said. More frequent mowing of drainage basins has also been added to the maintenance plan.

Perkins asked what material the guardrail would be made of, which Webby answered that a wood guardrail would be made of pressure-treated material.

“I was just envisioning a metal guardrail [like on] the side of I-93,” Perkins said. He also indicated he would expect the entrance of the property be closed off with the 18-inch silt sock at the end of each work day, which Webby confirmed.

Sidewalks would be separated from the roadway by concrete curbing and a four-foot grass strip, O’Shaughnessy said. Visitor parking has also been added to the front of the site and the houses were pushed back on the site plan as much as possible to add an additional parking space at each unit as well as a garage.

“We tried to pull them away from the property line as well,” O’Shaughnessy said.

Evergreen and deciduous trees have been added to the landscape plan to separate the development from the street and other properties and a walking trail has been added around the property. The condominium association would have responsibility for maintaining the landscape of the common areas.

Bill Kenny of River Hawk Environmental reported on citizen concerns about wells located on the Rockland side of the property, including what he described as an important hydro-geological factor — that water at the site flows toward north, away from the site.

Kenny said the DEP tracks, according to state landscaping regulations, the site number it assigns to each project area after a comprehensive assessment to determine where waste and other issues are located in relation to the nearby landfill, followed by the owner’s long-term maintenance and monitoring plan, this case by B Street Landfill run be CDM Smith of Cambridge.

He said groundwater monitoring reports that water quality and flow standard concerns are “not really relevant” because of the northward flow of water [26:00 to 31:00].

“It is my opinion that this development won’t impact anything associated with the landfill,” Kenny said. He added that a swale should carry water away from the property.

One area resident said the report on drainage addressed his biggest concerns about the project — drainage and sidewalks.

“With the latest that they’ve submitted, they’ve shown there won’t be any increase in the rate for volume runoff off site … not at the existing conditions now,” he said of drainage, which had been his biggest concern.

A traffic expert who conducted a peer review of the initial traffic study for the project said, the conservative side the study of the site was satisfactory or above average. He did endorse that some pruning should be done at the site entrance.

“I don’t think you’re wrong moving forward without doing anything down there,” he said.

O’Shaughnessy echoed his contention that, with 61 percent of traffic headed north and about 39 percent headed to the south at the Route 58/Spring Street intersection, during the morning the development would add 13 vehicles and 16 in the evening. The review concluded, according to O’Shaughnessy that it would “not result in a material increase in motorist delays or vehicle queuing.”

Whitman vaccine protocols reviewed

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WHITMAN — Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman updated Selectmen on the effects of the Delta variant in the town, on Tuesday, Sept. 7, opening a discussion on whether mandatory vaccinations should be required of town employees.

Over the last 14 days an uptick in cases brought the positivity rate from 3.42 percent to above 4.79 percent — the first time since May the positivity rate has been over 4 percent, he reported. But the rate of vaccinations has also risen about 1 percent.

“We have certainly been seeing the impact, probably, of the Delta variant,” Heineman said. “On the positive side of things … we have had a little bit of an uptick from Aug. 24 to 31in the percent of those living in Whitman age 12 and above who are eligible to be vaccinated, who have decided to be vaccine.”

The increase is about 1 percent overall, but is higher in the age 12 to 15 age group.

The town has been following the advice of the state and local  boards of health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) throughout the pandemic, Heineman said. The Whitman Board of Health has not met since Selectmen met last, but Heineman said the towns health inspector is keeping a close eye the situation, as well.

“It seems clear to me that both for public and private employers … its beginning to come to some sort of point where there’s an increasing number of employers who are requiring vaccination for their employees,” he said. “The Commonwealth has decided to implement that [mandate] for it’s employees, certainly the U.S. military and some municipalities. … I think that’s something for the board to consider,” he said.

Exceptions have been made in some locations for those with religious objections or medical issues that would be compromised by the vaccine.

While the Board of Health doesn’t require it, Heineman said it should be kept in mind.

“I think the maximum number of folks who are able to be vaccinated … seems to me that’s the way out of this pandemic,” he said.

“My feeling is we’ve been following the advice of the Board of Health and it seems to be working for the town,” said Vice Chairman Dan Salvucci, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski.

Selectman Brian Bezanson asked if there was a way to sense how many town employees have been vaccinated. Heineman said that, so far, it seems to be the subject of medical privacy.

“Anecdotally, a majority of employees are vaccinated,” Heineman said. “To give you an exact number, the only way would to be ask each and every employee if they are vaccinated.”

Bezanson said he was only concerned that, if a majority are vaccinated already, the town might be going down a road they don’t necessarily want to go down.

Fire Chief Timothy Clancy said the department has 47 houses under quarantine for COVID right now, with 55 positive cases.

“We don’t know if there’s anybody out there that hasn’t been tested,” Clancy said, citing the increased availability of tests and vaccines. “I have neighbors that won’t show up on that data sheet even though they have been vaccinated, because they’ve been vaccinated in Florida.”

Selectman Justin Evans, who is required to be vaccinated as a state employee, said a mandate should not be taken off the table as a possibility.

“I don’t consider it a burden, although I know some coworkers who are considering whether this is the end of their time with the state,” he said. “I don’t want to force anyone’s hand there, particularly in the town, but I’d like to pursue any opportunity to try to push this vaccination rate higher.”

Heineman reported that the FDA is expected to approve the Moderna vaccine soon. That is the vaccine the Department gave to residents to begin with.

Clancy said he is somewhat concerned with the specifics of the booster. Originally, it was to be just another shot, but now there is discussion about it being a percentage of the original Moderna dose. He is researching it further.

“We are moving forward,” he said. “We have a site selected and training. …As soon as we get the FDA’s OK, we will move forward.”

Selectmen also received an update from consultant Ann Donner on the town’s strategic plan as she reviewed the process via a PowerPoint presentation.

“It’s an activity that really sets high-level priorities, and an alignment of all departments throughout an organization throughout the town,” she said of the plan. “It’s about long-term planning. What it isn’t, is telling people how to do their jobs.”

The plan development is being done in three phases, the first fact-gathering phase now wrapping up, is the most time-consuming, phase two will be an October strategic planning retreat — open to the public — and the final phase, in November and December will be drafting a plan to review with stakeholders in an exercise session.

The process also identifies other things happening around the town that affects how business is done, such as COVID-19.

Phase 1 also focuses on the key areas on which the town will concentrate and the way every department fulfills its role.

“How do we know when we’re advancing the ball up the field — how we’re identifying progress in the short, medium and long-term,” she said. “Everything fits somewhere within the plan.”

The School Committee has also recently developed a strategic plan for the district.

Donner and Heineman have invited Whitman members of the School Committee to the retreat.

The retreat is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 9 or 23.

Selectman Randy LaMattina asked if the retreat could be conducted by Zoom, if a public health problem arises as a backup plan.

“My fear is something happens and this process comes to a stall again,” he said.

All In for a great school year

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By Jeff Szymaniak
W-H Superintendent of Schools

The Whitman-Hanson Regional School District officially opened its doors for the 2021-22 school year on Wednesday, Sept. 1. Many things have happened over the summer months both in staffing and in our school buildings to prepare for Opening Day.

The District continues to use the theme “Semper Ad Maiora” which means “always toward the greater.” We are committed to providing opportunities for growth for the students and staff and moving the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District forward and out of the middle.  Our mantra for this year is “All In.” Our staff is All In for students, for learning, for inclusion, for staff, for school, for community and for each other.   

We have three new administrators in the district. Dr. Joel Jocelyn is the new principal at the Indian Head School. Joel comes to us from Newton where he was Principal at the Franklin Elementary School. Paul Duprey is the new Principal at the Whitman Middle School. Paul comes to us from Franklin where he was Principal at the Remington Middle School.  John Stanbrook is the new Director of Business and Finance. Prior to Whitman-Hanson John was the town administrator in Hanson. This spring, the district budget included adding staff, or interventionists, for remedial services and to assist students whose learning was impacted by the COVID pandemic. Thankfully, the federal government provided grant opportunities to offset the cost of adding staff.  In total, the district hired 35 new staff members to replace retirements, resignations, transfers, and long-term substitute positions.      

There was tremendous activity in most of the school buildings during the summer. The new driveway was installed near the pre-school entrance at the high school. The operations crew was busy emptying out the multiple storage containers that held classroom furniture and materials that were moved to create the six-foot social distancing needed to open last September. These items were returned to the appropriate school building for teachers to place back in their classrooms. Deep cleaning, painting and other building maintenance was done throughout the summer in preparation for Opening Day. The Whitman Middle School Building Committee met during the summer as the district proceeds in the Feasibility Study stage of a potential middle school building project. Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is funding 57.74 percent of the feasibility study. If all goes well, the district will have a project manager hired by Jan. 1, 2022 who will contribute to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in determining the best solution for a new or renovated middle school building.   

All instructional staff reported to school on Monday, Aug. 30 for opening day activities. New teachers were introduced, staff were recognized for attaining professional status (tenure), and we celebrated teachers for their years of service. The Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) as well as the District Accommodation Plan (DCAP) were discussed. To wrap up the formal part of the day, Eugene Hamilton, a unique speaker, delivered powerful message of motivation, the importance of teaching and kindness. A cook-out lunch, complete with an ice cream truck, was sponsored by Equitable Advisors, S.J. Services and Collegiate Press.

One of my goals this year is communication with parents and community members. The district has a Facebook page for members to follow. I also have a Twitter account @WH_Super where I will post district information.  We also have a new email address WHinfo@whrsd.org established for families to email their thoughts.  Please note that the email is public document and public record so please do not include personal or student information.  All school building principals and administrative support staff are available for questions or concerns as well as my office at 781-618-7412.

Let’s work together to make this a great year.

DESE reinstates school mask mandate

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The masks are back.

The School Committee, themselves wearing masks again at their Wednesday, Aug. 25 meeting, discussed Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak’s being notified at 3:45 p.m. that day that Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner Jeff Riley has mandated masks in schools through at least Oct. 1.

School Committee Chairman Christopher Howard said the panel’s vote last week to follow DESE guidance on masks recommendations meant no further action was required.

“This board, this superintendent, didn’t mandate this policy,” Szymaniak said. “The Board of Education has authorized [it] and the Board of Education supersedes all of us right now. … It’s a mask mandate by the commissioner of education and we’re expected to follow that.”

He asked parents, whether they agree with it or not, to help schools keep in compliance with the commissioner’s policy. Szymaniak stressed that the district had a good year last school year, despite dealing with a mask policy.

No social distancing guidelines were issued, but Szymaniak said teachers have been asked to space students out to three-feet apart when they can. Assistant Superintendent George Ferro said the six-foot distance guidelines is still referred to when contact tracing is needed.

“I’m not happy that it came out after 3:30 p.m. today and was effective immediately,” Szymaniak said. “It put us into a scramble with our orientation …school committee. We did it, but it put people into a spin.”

He said that, if he had been out of the office for any reason at that time, “We’d be behind the 8-ball.”

Whitman Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman had informed Selectmen on Tuesday, Aug. 24 that the state Board of Education had approved the mandate and an order could be expected. Riley had told Superintendents that day that he was going to ask the board and ask to have the authority to exercise the right to mask students for public safety through Oct.1, pending the achievement of an 80-percent vaccination rate among students and staff in a given school.

Parents wishing to inform the district about their child’s vaccination status should do so by contacting their school’s nurse. While there is no provision for remote learning this year, if a student gets COVID, they will be instructed as any student absent with an illness.

As of Aug. 18, Hanson had a 39-percent rate among students ages 12 to 15, and 63 percent among ages 16 to 19. Whitman had a 50-percent vaccination rate of ages 12 to 15, and 63 among ages 116 to 19.

The state average for ages 12 to 15 is 63 percent, and is 67 percent for ages 16 to 19.

In response to a question from member Christopher Scriven, Szymaniak said his interpretation of the order is that the mask madate would remain in effect for all unvaccinated students indefinately even after a school reaches 80 percent vaccinated.

Szymaniak added that news reports he has read indicate a vaccine for ages 5 to 12 is expected in November.

“But the way I read this, our K-grade six kids are going to be masked indefinitely until the vaccination is available,” he said.

He pledged to find ways to help increase the vaccination rate.

“If needed, I will work with both fire departments and physicians they connect with to offer vaccine clinics so that we can hit that threshhold, if needed,” Szymaniak said.

The School Committee had voted 6 to 4 on Aug. 17 to follow DESE regulations, which only recommended masks at that time. The Mass. Association of School Superintendents (MASS) contacted Szymaniak on Friday, Aug. 20 to be on the lookout for a call from the commissioner that day, who provided information about the Aug. 24 Board of Education meeting.

“This is flowing quickly,” Szymaniak said.

In accordance with the state’s time on learning requirements, all students age 5, and staff in all grades, above were to immediately begin wearing masks through at least Oct. 1. Masks are required indoors in school except when outdoors, with the commissioner reviewing the situation in the near future. All visitors to school buildings are expected to wear masks in school buildings.

Masks are recommended, but not required for students under age 5. Students with medical or behavioral issues are exempt from the requirement, or may be permitted to use a face shield instead.

Mask breaks are permitted during the school day and masks are not required when eating or drinking. Masks are also not required for students playing certain instruments during band classes.

Masks are required for all students and coaches playing sports indoors.

Families are expected to provide masks, but schools should be able to provide disposable masks. Parents were issued a statement from Szymaniak with complete mask requirements.

“We have mask signs going up and we will continue to educate the public,” he said.

Committee member Mike Jones asked if the district could legally require vaccines.

“Legally, we probably can, but we haven’t said that,” Szymaniak said. I think as an employer, we can. There’s precedent and there’s law around that. We have not done that yet.”

He said the district cannot legally ask a student to get the COVID vaccination, although certain vaccinations are required to attend school.

Citizen petitions receive review

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen is seeking legal counsel to review two of the three citizen’s petitions for the Oct. 4 special Town Meeting brought forth by Brook Street resident Frank Melisi, after they discussed the articles with him Tuesday, Aug. 24.

The petitions would require that: elected town officials reside in town  — similar to one Selectmen are seeking for appointed officials — another to support local business and a third to permit retail marijuana sales in town in order to increase the town’s commercial tax base. Melisi said he has been gathering signatures for his petitions outside Shaw’s supermarket nearly every day for a month, garnering more than 320 signatures from the hours he gathered them alone.

They then voted to engage legal counsel to work on the marijuana warrants to make them legally sufficient to present on the May 2022 warrant and ballot, if so indicated by legal research. Melisi indicated that he would be willing to pass over his residency article at Town Meeting in favor of the board’s article.

Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said the Select Board’s petition was aimed at “any board or committee.”

“We didn’t differentiate between elected and appointed,” she said.

Selectmen Chairman Matt Dyer also reminded residents that there are certain times when expertise is required and, if a board or committee member has recently moved out of town amid a project requiring that expertise, the town may want the leeway to retain them until the project is completed.

“It would never be intended for it to be a permanent situation,” agreed FitzGerald-Kemmett, noting she does not feel particularly strongly about it one way or the other. Dyer also pointed to the requirement in Meilsi’s petition that those residents be registered voters, recalling his service while in high school as a 17-year-old member of the Energy Committee.

“I wouldn’t want to shut out the younger generation that does want to get involved,” he said of his question on how residency is determined. He suggested a concerned person who is 15 or 16 might want to serve.

“It doesn’t mean you have to vote, you just have to register to vote,” said Melisi, pointing to state law that allows 17-year-olds to register to vote.

FitzGerald-Kemmett saw some validity in Melisi’s argument.

“I would want to think that somebody who wants to serve on a town board or committee is already engaged enough that they would have registered to vote, to the extent they’re eligible,” she said.

Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff said people who move within the state have something akin to a grace period in which they can still vote in their former community before they have to reregister in a new town. She said Hanson could consider making that form of residency immediate when a person moves in or out of town.

“I like to keep it simple, to just have it that a person has to live in the town of Hanson to serve on a board or committee,” Selectman Joe Weeks said.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said she liked Melisi’s approach which would leave that determination with the Town Clerk.

“That’s fine, that’s part of the job,” said Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan, noting that she would favor a waiver for non-residents to serve on search committees, such as with the Police Department, where the chief or another officer would be non-residents.

“I didn’t intend this to be amendment-proof,” Melisi said, holding up the petition papers. “This is the first citizen’s petition I’ve ever done. This one’s the second. This one’s the third.”

Dyer and Sloan pointed out that any amendments to the petitions would be made on the Town Meeting floor.

Selectman Jim Hickey argued that youth involvement was all well and good, but “I do not want that person voting on any committee,” he said. “I just think they don’t have the life experience to vote on some committee at 15 or 16.”

Hickey also said he could see retaining those board or committee members who move while they are in the middle of a project, otherwise they would have enough to do with where they are going than with what’s going on in Hanson.

Dyer suggested a time limit for those situations, suggesting 90 days as an example.

“We’ve got [Baseball] Hall of Famers and Olympians in this town,” Weeks said. “I’m sure we can find a way to have a great amount of talent for these committees without having to make exceptions for something.”

Resident Christine Cohen suggested committee members sign a disclosure if they move and, if they fail to do so and are found out, it should be grounds for immediate removal from a board or commission.

“This citizen’s petition is what it is, you won’t be amending this,” Feodoroff said. “What you would be amending would be your article for your own competing articles.”

Melisi said he would rather Selectmen take their petition up and, whether or not it is amended, have Town Meeting vote on it. He said he would be willing to have his passed over.

Regarding the marijuana petition, Melisi said he was not happy with the voting options open to Hanson residents regarding the school budget at the May Town Meeting — a $1.8 million override.

“I looked for some ways we could bring some revenue back into the town without me starting a business in town, which I am not in a position to do,” he said. “The obvious thing for me, since we already have a good working relationship with Impressed LLC, is to put back on the ballot for 2022 retail marijuana.”

He stressed that he has not spoken with the owner of Impressed LLC, but the petitions he sponsored are aimed to help the town improve its revenue outlook.

“It’s an obvious moneymaker,” Melisi said of the law’s provision that towns may impose a 3-percent tax on retail marijuana sales. While he put a lot of work into the petitions, he admitted he is not a lawyer and Town Counsel has the expertise to go by.

“I’m not trying to put drugs on the street,” he said. “From what I understand, these facilities are a lot more secure and a lot more [stringent] in verification of ID that liquor stores. I’m just looking for a way to bring revenue to the town.”

He said he would be willing to have it passed over if the Select Board draws up it’s own article.

“I can tell you one reason right now why this thing is going to go down in flames,” Feodoroff said, pointing to Melisi’s petition concerning marijuana sales applicability in all zones of Hanson, including residential. The town has limited such business to the industrial park on Commercial Way off Route 27. “There are some problematic areas in here,” she said.

The time frame for the petition process for a zoning issue is also too tight, according to Feodoroff.

“If the board would get this going for the 2022 election, then I would definitely pass over this article,” Melisi said. “I want as many people as humanly possible to be informed and have a debate on this. I don’t want it to be rushed through in a month and a half.”

Melisi also said he was looking for assistance from the board in fine-tuning the petition. Dyer said he was willing to work with him, if he moved to pass it over, for presentation at the next town meeting, if necessary.

Hickey, who voted with the board to place it on the warrant, said it would be the only positive vote he would ever cast on the petition.

“I am not going to hinder you from doing this, but I am 100-percent not going to support it,” Hickey said. “I’ve said, right from the start, when this first came up that I’m against retail marijuana in the town of Hanson.”

“I’m not telling anyone to vote for this, I’m asking to have a debate about this,” Melisi said. “When I opened my tax bill from last quarter, I almost threw up. … I have interest in the money of it.”

Another citizen petition certified by Sloan which would give Selectmen the power to remove all members of the Zoning Board of Appeals at the first board meeting following the Town Meeting.

Feodoroff said the petition does acknowledge that it is a nonbinding resolution and is only advisory.

“I think there’s a question as to whether or not it’s legal because there’s another bylaw in place that doesn’t allow removal except for cause,” she said.

“I am embarrassed that it took a group of citizens coming to us with a citizen’s petition to remove ZBA members, when we’ve gotten a number of complaints and we have been hamstrung and stopped as a board from discussing it,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said, stressing she was not expressing an opinion on the matter.

Hanson complaint process eyed

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HANSON — The process for handling citizen complaints, adopted in 1993 and revised in 2008 and 2016, was discussed by Selectmen at their Tuesday, Aug. 24 meeting.

Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett had asked for the item to be placed on the agenda to ensure that there was “full transparency among the entire board about complaints that we may be getting and that there aren’t situations where, although well-intended, it would be the town administrator and the chair who were deciding how to respond.”

Interim Town Administrator Lisa Green said the process includes a timeline for responding to citizen complaints, which are first submitted to the committee or department they concern in writing. The committee or department then has two weeks to respond and, if the complainant is not satisfied, they can go to the town administrator for a review and response. If that is not found satisfactory to the person raising the issue, it can be brought before the Board of Selectmen.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said there may be instances where responses need to be quicker and, if a response could be made faster than the 14-day window, it would be done.

She wanted to address, specifically complaints about appointed boards and committees. As an example, she asked how a complaint about how someone was addressed at a meeting might be handled.

“I’ll be frank with you, there were times in the last year and a half when our board got complaints and we didn’t even respond to citizens filing the complaint,” she said. “We were aware of the complaints and we just didn’t respond, and that’s completely unacceptable to me.”

She also asked if information about the process was available on the website.

Green said she would look into the website question and where the best place for it would be.

FitzGerald-Kemmett also wanted to make clear the town’s complaint process was not the same as the state’s open meeting law complaint process.

“I’m not saying, ‘Oh, please, file all these complaints,’” she said. “But I do want to make sure if people have got concerns that we are being responsible about having the procedure and form so that people have the feeling that we’re being responsive to their concerns.”

Green said that when she receives a complaint she researches all the information she can about the complaint, including state laws and regulations, and includes information directing people to the appropriate authorities.

FitzGerald-Kemmett also asked how Selectmen would know if any complaints were filed against a person seeking reappointment to a board or committee.

“The policy doesn’t speak to that,” said Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff, suggesting that Selectmen could create a policy on dealing confidentially with complaints and responses.

While she expressed confidence in Green’s ability to handle complaints, FitzGerald-Kemmett said she would like to see a way for the board to proceed with “eyes wide open” on information they would need to keep in mind when reappointments come up.

Green also said she would make sure Selectmen received emails on the situation, which prompted Selectman Joe Weeks to ask why he has had trouble receiving emails so far since his election this spring.

Dyer said the notification process would be a good idea.

“So we’re in agreement right now that we’re following this complaint policy, but we’re choosing to amend it to make it clearer?” Weeks said. “Because, there are complaints and I don’t feel I’m involved at all.”

“We’re not saying we’re following that, and my concern predates Ms. Green,” said FitzGerald-Kemmett, who said she was stating her concerns carefully out of legal considerations.

Dyer reprhrased Week’s concern as one of being informed of business before the board as a whole.

“I like the idea of the collective body being the decision-maker and the jury and the decision-maker through the town administrator,” Weeks said. “I don’t feel connected to it, personally.”

He said that whatever language would be required to make the

board collectively the town’s CEO, that is the standard he is seeking. Green said she is willing to look into why Weeks is not receiving emails.