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Grants fund streets work

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WHITMAN — Pedestrians trying to get safely to Whitman Park will now have a fighting chance to successfully cross Park Avenue in that effort, thanks to a traffic island and sidewalk project now underway on the road.

Thanks to a $363,000 state Complete Streets grant, the DPW is making a change to the traffic island between Colebrook Cemetery and Whitman Park, where work had initially been concentrated, but new sidewalks on the opposite side of Park Avenue are now being included in the project.

“There was never any easy way to cross there,” Parks and Highway Superintendent Bruce Martin said of the traffic island, noting that the old crosswalk was more than 70 feet long, from when the East Middle School was there.

While the actual project is expected to cost about $100,000 more when completed, Martin said Chapter 90 funds and town roadwork money will be used for parts of the project not covered by the grant, such as engineering services.

Quite a bit of money was saved, however, by having DPW personnel tear out the old sidewalk and traffic island.

Removal of the old traffic island and relocating it closer to the park will provide safer access via cement sidewalk on the traffic island.

Traffic cones and barrels have been used to get drivers accustomed to the new roadway.

“You’ll have to come down and take a 90-degree turn onto Park Avenue, where before it was almost like an on-ramp to a highway,” Martin said. The change is intended to slow people down and increase safety for pedestrians.

The Park Avenue sidewalk installation is part of that project.

“We have many sidewalks that aren’t great, but that one was really bad. It was falling, it had big chunks taken out of it, the fact that there’s the church there and they don’t have any off-street parking …” He said curbing had been chunked off.

ADA-compliant curb cuts will be located at each intersection and one from Alden Street to the park. There will also be a “bump-out” in front of All Saints Episcopal Church — where the sidewalk will extend into the roadway about five feet — providing an oasis for pedestrians crossing from the church to cross over to Hayden Avenue where they may have parked.

The competitive grant is one that the state awards to make roads more pedestrian and bicycle friendly.

“We actually put in for the grant for, like, four years in a row,” Martin said. “We got denied and then, finally, we got it.”

While the town tweaked their application a little bit each time, Martin said it comes down to the fact that it’s a competitive process, with every city and town in the state putting in for funding that can only fulfill a few applications each year.

“They might have liked our proposal year one, but they might have also liked somebody else’s,” he said.

With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill now before Congress, Martin said he hopes that means money will trickle down to the town, and asked state officials about that likelihood.

“Their answer was they don’t know,” he said, noting it is still too early to say.

Another, $185,000 Shared Streets grant — more tied into COVID funding — received the first week in July, will be used to upgrade sidewalks for greater safety in Whitman Center, according to Martin.

Originally, the town had been interested in upgrading the town parking lot off Washington Street, but that was rejected last year. When the town reapplied this year, the focus was on bump-out areas on all four corners of the Washington-Temple streets and South Avenue intersection to reduce the distance pedestrians have to walk and allow some green space in the center, Martin said.

He admits it might be a little controversial as people are confronted with the change. No parking spaces are expected to be lost to businesses, Martin emphasizes.

“In order to receive the grant, we had to have the work done by December of this year, so we’re scrambling a bit right now,” he said, noting that there is also the usual paving projects and curb work to do as well as the two grant-funded projects.

A bridge of love

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HANSON — There may only be two bridges in town, but as the song says, they’ve got a name.

One of those names, Mary “Gret” Lozeau was honored at noon on Monday, July 26 as a salute to her life of gratitude and connection to others.

After working to name a bridge connecting Hanson and Hanover after the late state Rep. Charles Mann, who had also served as Hanson’s Town moderator, state Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Pembroke, worked with state Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton to name the small bridge over the Shumatuscacant River on West Washington Street after Gret Lozeau.

Gerard Lozeau offered a reading of his late wife’s favorite gratitude prayer during the event as her extended family and friends in the community joined the legislators for a brief dedication ceremony. A reception followed at the Old Hitching Post.

“I am reminded always that the most important things are without a price — health, happiness and relationships,” he read. “With this attitude, every day becomes a day of Thanksgiving.”

The prayer pointed to gratitude as one of life’s greatest gifts that is free for the choosing. He said his wife not only advised kindness to those who need it, but she modeled it in her daily life.

“A bridge brings people together, Gret was someone who brought people together,” Cutler said in opening the dedication during which her grandchildren helped her husband, and her children unveil the new signs.

Lozeau thanked Cutler and his staff as well as Brady for their efforts.

“It was a pleasant surprise and an honor that would greatly please Gret,” he said. “Tonight, all she would be talking about would be the people involved, who participated prior to today, doing the ceremony and the reception.”

He said that Gret would have touched base personally with everyone involved — one of her most endearing qualities.

“We know how much Gret meant to all of you,” Cutler said as the midday traffic on the roadway picked up. “She was one of the first people I met in Hanson. She was such a welcoming person and had done so much for the community over the years.”

Brady also addressed the gathering as he and Cutler presented the official parchment declaring the bridge name to her family.

“I’m grateful to be here,” Brady said. “I know Gret meant a lot to this community and it’s great to see the turnout and for the family, as well.”

He noted that the past year and a half have been difficult for many families, including his own. Brady’s brother, who had been diagnosed with COVID, had passed away from a heart attack last year.

“A lot of families have gone through a tough time,” Brady said. We’re still not out of it … I’m just happy that we can gather here publically with all our good friends and family members,”

Lozeau also noted that one of Gret’s college classmates had written to him that, after the death of a beloved spouse, one’s viewpoint of the future evolves — often with unfamiliar signposts.

“After today, I will be able to respond to her that at least one signpost in Hanson is a very familiar one, and it’s helping me to find my place, wherever that is,” he said.

Hanson eyes Town Meeting articles

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen, on Tuesday, July 27 voted to propose articles for special Town Meeting consideration to codify services to examine town by-laws and streamline the one-day liquor license approval process.

Town Administrator Lisa Green said there had recently been discussion about the status and condition of general and zoning by-laws and thinking about possibly having a company come in and codify, update and index them, as well as placing them on the town website.

Green said she contacted General Code, a company she had worked with through her former employer.

“I was absolutely pleased with them in the work that they put forward,” she said. “At the end of this process we will have by-laws [in which] the language is correct, there’s no question, there’s no guessing, there’s no dead end, so to speak.”

Green said she has seen some zoning by-laws, especially, that direct you somewhere but, “You get there and there’s nothing there, so it’s anybody’s guess as to what that means.”

Codification will address all that, she said.

General Code’s proposal would cost under $10,000, according to Green. The firm would also keep by-laws up-to-date online for an annual fee of $11.95.

“We can use our best judgment as far as procurement,” she said. “This is probably a two-year process.”

It would have to come back before Town Meeting in 2023 for adoption when the codification process is complete.

“I think this would be a great thing for the town of Hanson to move forward on,” said Selectmen Chairman Matt Dyer. “If anyone has gone onto our town website, all our by-laws are kind of different sections, different links that you have to click on, and you can’t even do a control-find and try to find anything, because it’s just a scanned PDF.”

He did ask how the company would work with existing by-law committees.

Green said the firm would probably work through her, and send her a copy when they complete their legal analysis. She would separate and give to each committee the by-laws that pertain to them. The committees could decide how they want to proceed.

Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said the codification process could look at existing by-laws for outdated language while the Zoning By-law Committee continues to look at what the town has, not through the lens of existing regulations, but by the feedback from people trying to locate businesses in town.

“It doesn’t make sense [for the Zoning By-law Committee] to start meeting in any material way until this exercise is done,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

Selectman Kenny Mitchell also noted there has been a suggestion to bring a name change for the board to Select Board, and asked how difficult that would be.

“There’s a lot of by-laws that would have to be changed as a result of that,” he said, asking if the company could help with it.

“I will say that’s a really easy fix,” Dyer said, noting that a search and replace function on a computer could make that change.

Green said gender-specific language would be changed to gender neutral at the town’s request.

Selectman Joe Weeks asked about coverage for zoning workload.

“The key in that is how are they defining ‘new laws?’” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “I presume they are defining that as new state laws.”

Weeks said he wanted to be able to realistically budget for any changes.

“If it’s reasonable, then we just budget for it and it just becomes part of our cadence going forward at Town Meeting,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

Green indicated she would obtain information on the cost going forward once the project is complete and the town enters the maintenance phase.

The board also voted to support special legislation that would allow the town administrator to sign one-day liquor licenses.

“[Over] the last couple of weeks, it just seems that us meeting biweekly, isn’t sufficient enough to get one-day liquor licenses signed off on,” Dyer said.

His motion was intended to allow Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff to draft special legislation for Town Meeting to consider, allowing the town administrator to approve such licenses.

I think it’s a good idea, it’s very ministerial,” Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett. “It’s not like we really have a discussion about it. … We get the paperwork from the Camp Kiwanee guys and they’re listing what type of event it is and they’re using a prescribed … bartender. There’s not a lot of variety.”

Selectman Jim Hickey said he thought the idea was a good one in light the recent situations where license were approved after the fact.

Mitchell also suggested placing an application deadline prior to an event to prevent the need for retroactive license approvals for weddings and similar events.

In other business, Police Chief Michael Miksch informed the board that officer Kevin McCarthy is retiring Saturday, July 31m but has agreed to remain as a part-time officer, to help with details and events, as of Aug. 1.

Bridgewater resident Ryan Shaugnessy, an EMT who has put himself through a part-time police academy, has been forwarded to be offered the conditional position as a student police officer effective Sept. 20. Shaugnessy is currently a Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department deputy and part-time correctional officer. When the department became part of the regional dispatch center, five dispatchers were lost and put on four full-time officers.

Whitman board to meet on strategic plan

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WHITMAN — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, July 20 discussed the need to set up a meeting on Aug. 24 with the town’s consultant on strategic planning.

Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman had emailed Selectmen ahead of the July 20 meeting, indicating consultant Ann Donner would like input from the board.

“What she requested was the board’s sense of the ‘long-term primary strategic initiative over the next five years,’” Heineman said.

“Frankly, I think she’s been given a lot of information already,” Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski. “I hope she’s been given our community survey we did two years ago. I hope that she’s been given the report of the override budgetary committee that [Selectman Randy LaMattina] ran. I know she’s been given the report of the Capital Planning Committee. There’s a lot of material we have that she should have had by now. She should have it.”

Heineman said Donner has been forwarded the constituent survey, job classification information, Housing Production Plan that has not yet been adopted by Town Meeting, the most recent Town Report, the most recent (through fiscal 2022) budget and the most recent capital plan.

He said he would like to see some progress made by the Aug. 24, meeting, noting she has already set up meetings with department heads.

“It’s a good start,” he said. “Strategic planning is important — it takes some energy, it takes some time,” Kowalski said, noting he had done quite a bit of it at Massasoit.

He said he also looks forward to some discussions similar to those recently undertaken by the School Committee in recent weeks.

LaMattina also said the town has been specific that the schools should be involved in strategic planning discussions.

Heineman also reviewed the MGL 40R and 40S provisions.

Local zoning, specifically density and whether it includes affordable units was reviewed.

“In one law, it’s built around a transit-oriented area — in our case a commuter rail operation,” Heineman said. “It’s certainly a complicated topic that govern this.”

He explained that the state Legislature had passed, and the governor recently signed, a bill called the MBTA Communities Act, which requires communities that have a transit station to have a particular zone within a half-mile of the station with a zoning ordinance providing one reasonably-sized district where multi-family housing is permitted as a right. Each such district must have at least 15 units per acre.

The state’s Department of Communities and Development is tasked with implementing regulations that govern the issue.

“They haven’t done this,” he said. “We not know yet when they will do that. We do not know yet when they will do that, but we do know that, at some point, they will have to, according to this new law.”

Noncompliance with the new zoning regulation would render a community ineligible for three different types of state grants MASSWorks, the Housing Choice initiative and the Local Capital Projects Fund. None of the zoning areas within the Commuter Rail zone in Whitman currently allow that kind of population density.

“This is the stick vs. the carrot,” Heineman said. “The carrot, that has previously existed for 40 years is MGL 40R, 40S and that allows … for increased density either/or and around the commuter rail station or, in our case, around our downtown business district.”

Density bonuses would be available to the town for creating more housing in the business district if the town is preapproved by the state for its plan.

Selectman Randy LaMattina said he would prefer to see something from the Planning Board on the issue before he considers any action on the proposal. Kowalski agreed that such a request made sense.

Selectmen also discussed redesigning the town website to make it more user-friendly.

“People are constantly complaining on Facebook on issues like that,” Selectman Dan Salvucci said of information residents request about notification on changes to trash schedules and the like.

“I personally don’t want people going to Facebook for answers about the town,” LaMattina. “They should be able to go to the town website to get their answer.”

2 hurt in Whitman collision

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[Editor’s note: This version corrects an error in which the drivers were connected to the wrong vehicles. The Express apologizes for the error.]

Two local men received serious injuries following a motor vehicle crash in Whitman on July 22 at approximately 9:30 p.m.

A medical helicopter air-lifted Jesse D. Farra, 31, of Whitman the operator of the motorcycle, to Tufts Medical Center for multi system trauma following the crash.

In a joint press release through the offices of Police Chief Timothy Hanlon and Fire Chief Timothy Clancy, the accident which occurred in the area of Bedford Street route 18 involved, a 2017 Subaru BRZ, which had collided with a motorcycle, a 2020 Harley Davidson FLHCS.

Chase J. Siereveld, 21, of Halifax, the driver of the Subaru was also injured. Both vehicles sustained serious damage. A State Police Reconstruction C.A.R.S. unit was summoned to the scene as part of the investigation in the area of 674 Bedford Street.

“From the initial reports it appears that the motorcycle was heading southbound on Bedford St. and had passed the intersection at Temple Street,” according to Hanlon.  “The car was heading northbound and turned in front of the motorcycle attempting to enter the parking lot at Papa Gino’s/Whitman Liquors.”

The accident is still under investigation by the MSP C.A.R.S. unit, according Hanlon.

 

 

 

 

Eagle Scout focuses on family

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WHITMAN — Sometimes it helps to be able to laugh at yourself, or at least at  the problems life puts in your way.

Whitman’s newest Eagle Scout Danny Kenn of Troop 22 evidently has that ability, and it came in handy as he provided the leadership, planning and fundraising needed to complete his Eagle project, the demolition and removal of an old utility shed at Colebrook Cemetery as well as the construction of a new shed.

One such joke gift was a white plastic megaphone with “Foreman in-Chief” written on it for his grandfather.

“For anyone who was at my project, you would have heard him,” Kenn said. “He’s very vocal about his opinions and how things should be done.”

Kenn also admitted to some humorous miscalculations in the project, in giving a pair of metal saw horses — to replace the ones he sawed through — to his dad, inscribed “You supported me” and “When I needed it most.”

“You can have the ones you sawed through,” his dad James Kenn Jr., said.

In addition to a bouquet of flowers, he presented his mother Tracey with a framed photo — a close-up of their clasped hands with the inscription: “Behind every great Eagle Scout is a great mom.”

Such sentiments of the inspiration provided by family and friends, and attainment of leadership goals, were the real themes of the day.

“Long trip, huh?” Eagle Project Committee Chairman Geoff Youngman said to Kenn, noting he wasn’t sure if COVID disruptions wouldn’t interfere in completion of the project. “Success in this effort will become evident in the way this Eagle Scout will set a social pattern for all the lives he may touch.”

Scoutmaster Shawn McCollem stressed the responsibility of achieving Eagle rank.

“This is a great undertaking,” he said before administering the Eagle Scout oath to Kenn. “As you live up to your obligations, you being honor to yourself and to your brother Scouts. If you fail you bring down the good name of all true and worthy Scouts.”

His mother Tracey and father Jim Kenn Jr., pinned on his Eagle badge and he, in turn presented pins to his parents and grandparents, as well as mentors’ pins to those people he selected to honor for the advice and inspiration through his Eagle project work, including one for his father.

Kenn earned the 21 Merit Badges, 13 required, that are needed to attain Eagle Scout rank.

His Eagle Court of Honor — divided in two, with the ceremony at The Spellman Center of Holy Ghost Church and a collation at the Knights of Columbus, because of COVID restrictions — was also filled with humor in the form of good-natured ribbing and gag gifts to his family and friends.

“America has many good things to give you and your children after you, but these good things depend on qualities instilled in her citizens,” McCollem said. “She has a great past and you are here to make her future greater.”

Senior Patrol Leaders Scott Brodie and Samantha Kenn served as masters of ceremonies for the event.

Troop 22 Scouts participated in the ceremony with Brodie and Samantha Kenn lighting the candles that symbolize the three facets of Scouting that Scouts pledge themselves to — duty to: God and country, to others an to self — and the 12 points of the Scout Law. Members of the Troop also described the rank advancements and how Kenn personified them through his Eagle project.

Among the honors he received in recognition of the Eagle rank were: a congratulatory letter from former President George W. Bush; a proclamation and designation of Saturday, July 17 as Danny Kenn Day in Whitman; and a Good Citizen Citation from American Legion Post 22.

Warner spoke of Kenn’s propensity for taking time to decide to take on a leadership role and how he excelled at leading once he made up his mind.

“Sometimes that’s what it takes,” he said before presenting Kenn with a Native American possible bag as a gift. “It’s just something that gets you to that point. … Something clicks and you say, ‘This, I can do,’ When you make that decision — not parents, not friends, not your boss — that’s when the magic happens.”

Board hears WMS update

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WHITMAN — Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman updated the Board of Selectmen on the work of the Whitman Middle School Building Committee at the board’s Tuesday, July 20 meeting.

Heineman and Selectman Randy LaMattina both serve on the building committee, which has been meeting nearly every month.

“Right now, out in the world, the bid document for soliciting an owner’s project manager [has been of interest],” Heineman said. “Bids from prospective owner’s project managers are due back on July 28.”

It incudes an estimate of the total cost of the renovation or replacement of the Whitman Middle School, estimated to be between $50 to $85 million. The grade configuration of the new or renovated middle school — whether it will be grades five through eight or six through eight — is an ongoing question right now and could mean a larger price tag if the school must house four grades instead of three.

“I think everybody on that committee knows the shape [of the school],” LaMattina said. “Obviously the MSBA knows the shape for the Whitman Middle School to get picked in the first go-around for refurbishment or replacement.”

The project timeline includes eight months for a feasibility study and schematic design, 10 months to a year for the design phase and bidding phase including construction document development is expected to take another 10 months to a year with the final construction phase taking two to three years.

“I think that might be sort of aggressive, but I want to make sure the board and the public knows what’s out there in this solicitation for a bid for owner’s project managers,” Heineman said.

Right now, interviews are expected to be done by an evaluation subcommittee to be appointed by the School Building Committee with the awarding of a contract tentatively planned for early October.

LaMattina said the cost estimate is based on “exactly how the building sits right now” a grade six to eight construction with no performing arts center.

He added that he wished he could say everything has gone smoothly on the building committee, but stressed they are people who do not want to see a failed project.

“We know we need a new school and I think some fiscal issues have caused a slight division,” LaMattina said. “It’s still very early, but I think, for myself, and Lincoln agrees — and some other members on there —we know we need a new middle school … and we’re going to try to do it in the most fiscally responsible way so that we get a project that passes.”

He said it is not certain where the responsibility lies right now for the number of grades in the school, but stressed that educational needs will carry the extra grade.

“The superintendent and assistant superintendent have definitely submitted an academic plan where they could justify it,” LaMattina said. “The cost factor, we don’t know yet.”

Whitman salutes selfless service

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WHITMAN — The rewards and challenges of volunteerism became apparent at the Tuesday, July 20 meeting of the Whitman Board of Selectmen as they honored a community volunteer — as well as the heroism of first responders — and found that the new state Police Reform Act places more responsibilities on auxiliary/special officers.

State Rep. Alyson Sullivan, R-Abington, and state Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, helped the board honor Whitman student Clare LaMattina, whose fundraising idea to aid the Whitman Food Pantry went “viral” during the COVID pandemic in the best, and possibly most old-school fashion. Both lawmakers presented Clare with citations from their respective houses in the General Court.

Clare, daughter of Selectman Randy LaMattina and his wife Michelle, “is a very determined young lady and very generous,” Sullivan said.

The Thayer Academy student, as part of a school community service project, sold “Whitman Strong” signs to benefit the Whitman Food Pantry during the pandemic.

“Clare decided to do this Whitman Strong fundraiser with signs to make sure that everyone here in Whitman knew they were banding together as a community, as a town, and to raise money for the Whitman Food Pantry,” Sullivan said. “[She] thought about how many people were probably suffering during the pandemic, which they did.”

Little did she know how the idea would catch on in the South Shore region. While that effort raised more than $17,000 for Whitman Food Pantry, similar sign projects sprang up in Abington, East Bridgewater and Plymouth — among others.

“Clare’s initiative really paved the way for other communities to follow suit,” Sullivan noted. “I would say you probably raised a lot more than $17,000 for food pantries across the commonwealth.”

Brady also lauded Clare’s efforts and quipped: “I think we should get you another fundraiser, we could use a couple of fundraisers ourself.”

The Senate citation noted her “insight and selfless commitment to the community by designing a method to help feed the hungry,” through her fundraising work.

The Board of Selectmen then presented — as soon as absent members have a chance to sign them, that is — citations to Whitman Police Det. Eric Campbell and officer Christopher Lee and firefighter Andrew McGillivray, for their life saving efforts on the job and off duty. Sullivan said her office and Brady, who were not aware of the intent to honor them Tuesday, would also prepare citations honoring their work.

“What you guys do, day in and day out, is something that should be recognized,” Sullivan said.

Campbell was honored for performing life-saving CPR Saturday, May 21 while he was off-duty and heard of efforts to revive a person at a town market. He immediately responded to the scene to help with CPR until Whitman Fire paramedics could arrive.

Lee was saluted for his efforts to save a motorist in medical distress and National Grid employees working in a trench on South Avenue Tuesday, May 11.

“Officer Lee’s actions quickly alerted the work crew, allowing them to safely escape the trench before the vehicle drove into it,” Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski said. “Officer Lee, officer [Kevin] Shantler and officer [Paul] Young then immediately rendered aid to the motorist.”

McGillivray, was honored after a July 4 incident when he was participating in the Squantum/Quincy Fourth of July parade with other members of the Greater Boston Pipes and Drums, when a person on one of the parade floats suffered a medical emergency. McGillivray and other band members responded by securing the float vehicle, idenitifying the incident as a cardiac arrest and immediately rendering CPR and additional care, resuscitating the patient.

On the flip side of volunteering, the Board of Selectmen voted to rescind designation as special police officer for Selectmen Brian Bezanson, Justin Evans, Carl Kowalski, Randy LaMattina and Dan Salvucci as well as for Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman, Building Inspector Robert Curran, and James Ewell, Mark Getchell, Peter Palaza and Thomas Ruble because of changes to training requirements under the state’s Police Reform Act.

Police Chief Timothy Hanlon explained that additional training requirements of about six months. Kowalski noted that the annual appointments, last made less than a month ago, had been a routine matter in the past.

“I’ll let it go,” Salvucci said. “I’m not happy about it.”

“Do we get to keep the badges to give to grandchildren or something like that?” Kowalski asked.

Hanlon said the badges could be kept as a memento.

Whitman’s auxiliary officers have been fully trained and certified for now, but must be kept current through a bridge academy in coming years.

“Outside of the ceremonial positions, the strain this puts on our auxiliaries and our reserve officers and staff we absolutely depend on and the chief depends on, hopefully the state will come down with something quick,” LaMattina said.

Heineman said he would support sending auxiliary/special police officers to the academy and only ask that the town be paid back if they leave the position within a certain amount of time.

“We don’t want to lose the service that we get from those types of officers just because they can’t afford, or don’t want to spend the money, to go on their own,” he said.

Reis hired as boys’ soccer coach

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Tony Reis is the new man in charge of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team.

Reis takes over for Dave Leahy, who stepped down after four seasons due to a work commitment.

Reis, who works for the Upper Cape Regional Vocational School, spent six seasons as Upper Cape’s head coach. His teams won three league titles and qualified for the MIAA tournament six years in a row.

Reis played his high school ball at Taunton High.

“Coach Reis has a passion and love for the game of soccer,” said W-H athletic director Bob Rodgers. “His success speaks for itself, but his view of the role of athletics in a student’s life is what excites me about having him joining our staff.”
Reis also owns a soccer academy down the Cape.

W-H finished the shortened 2020 campaign with a 6-7 record.

Author pens healing message

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HANSON — Local author Isabella Rose took a sip from her Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee before speaking about the lifetime of pain and battles with addiction and abuse that led her to writing.

“Don’t ever give up,” she said of her message. “You do matter, your dreams matter, and don’t let anybody make you think differently. Go after them.”

And she has.

Her first full book, “Behind the Masked Smile: A Survivor’s Quest for Love,” is as much a message to others dealing with similar pain that they are not alone, as it is her coping method.

“I hope, by sharing my story, it helps others,” she said of the book published independently through Amazon. “It’s a very vulnerable book.”

Amazon puts authors’ work through a review process before contracting with them, according to Rose. Her book became available on Amazon July 13. Five percent of proceeds benefit Janie’s Fund, founded by rocker Steven Tyler in conjunction with Youth Villages, to help abused and neglected girls as they transition out of foster care.

“It goes directly to survivors and their healing process,” she said.

A contributor to six books in the “365 series” of inspirational essays as well as the “Life is a Gift” and “Calling all Earth Angels and Healers” collections, the Hanson native hopes to spread a message of empathy and hope.

“This is my debut solo book,” she said. “I started writing it at 14 years old after I was raped. It was a way to express my feelings without negative consequence and to help process what was going on.”

Rose grew up in what she describes as an alcoholic family where there was no one who could help her. Struggles with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder led to substance abuse and suicidal thoughts.

Writing was her lifeline.

“Victims don’t really have any rights,” she said of her experience as a survivor of domestic abuse. “We’re the guilty ones until we’re proven innocent and we have to relive everything when it goes through the court system.”

In recovery from substance abuse for six years, Rose found a nontraditional path, spurred by health problems stemming from her drug use, asking her goddess and the angels to take the cravings from her.

“It was a mask for my own pain,” she said of her cocaine use, which became a coping mechanism after her fiancé died shortly before they planned to move to Maine and start a new life together.

“He loved me like no one else did,” she said.

Yet, Rose is a woman who smiles easily and focuses on the joy of others.

“I feel it’s important for me to step out and share my story,” she said. “If I can change one person’s life and make a difference – and if I can help break down the stigmas, especially for teenagers, it’ll be so worth it.”

She admits that a lot of her poetry is dark, but that it invites the reader to enter the real world abuse survivors contend with, and how she found strength in her story to heal and help others – to the point where she participated in a Fed Up rally in Washington, DC in 2017 to protest opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma.

Poetry, she said, is a kind of intuitive writing that helps her advocate for others on the page. It follows her life’s chronology – an autobiography in poetry. She said it began as a poetry volume without a specific theme, but she shared the story behind it with the publishers of the 365 book series, who urged her to write an introduction explaining that to readers and she organized the poems chronologically as she found her way to gain her own power back.

Her ultimate dream is to found a healing retreat center for domestic violence survivors with an education center and social support to help get them back on their feet.

“I worry about the burnout, but I know I won’t be doing it by myself,” she said. In the meantime, she has begun teaching a healing course online during the pandemic.

Rose will be holding a book signing at Storybook Cove in Hanover, held Facebook book launch party July 13 and will hold and author talk and book signing at the Plymouth Library Aug. 3.