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Hanson board OKs a uniform tax rate

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HANSON — Selectmen on Tuesday, Oct. 27, voted once again to adopt a uniform residential/commercial-industrial tax rate for fiscal 2021 during the annual tax classification public hearing. Assessor Lee Gamache said her board had recommended such a move again this year.

“We have so little commercial property, that we don’t want to put the extra burden on them,” she said, noting property values continue to rise. “Everything is certified by the Department of Revenue.”

Gamache said residential property values increased by 4 percent for the average single family home, while condominiums were up about 4.3 percent and commercial-industrial properties were up about 3.2 percent.

The annual tax on an average one-family home — valued at $368,000 — would be $5,556.80 at a rate of $15.10 per $1,000 in valuation. The annual tax on the average commercial property — valued at $513,000 — would be $7,746.30 at the same rate.

Selectmen also voted, as they do every year, against invoke residential tax exemptions, usually used by communities with high numbers of residential rental properties.

The board also voted against small commercial exemptions, which are not guaranteed to go to small businesses, but rather go to the property owner. Home businesses do not qualify for the exemption. Assessors recommended against each of the exemptions.

Gamache also reported that the excess levy capacity for fiscal 2021 was at $88,310.60.

Town Accountant Todd Hassett provided his quarterly update to the board for the first quarter of the fiscal year.

“We have had some pretty strong permit activity this year with the Building Department, so that may be a nice sign for not only permit revenue going forward, but also new growth, new tax revenues a year or so out from now,” he said. Car sales indicators, expected in February, will provide a better picture of fiscal 2022.

The Recreation Enterprise fund, meanwhile, where several programs had to be deferred or canceled at Camp Kiwanee and some reimbursements made or income pushed off to a future date due to the pandemic, estimated revenues have been reduced from $219,000 to $142,000 this year.

“This is probably the area of most concern from a financial standpoint,” Hassett said.

Love in the Park

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WHITMAN — A local couple celebrated their love Friday, Oct. 23 by tying the knot in a simple celebration at Hobart’s Pond in Whitman.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Joshua and Diamante Pierce  spent time with their photographer Hilary Wood  of Lakeville in Whitman Park — amid the fall colors — capturing their wedding photos and announcement.

Diamante wore a simple, spaghetti-strap, travel length, white gown. The groom wore a blue shirt, crisp jeans and a boutonniere. It was an uncomplicated, picture-perfect day with temperatures reaching 70 degrees.

It was their intent to elope not wanting to get anyone together with all the restrictions, Joshua said.

The couple was planning a 2020 wedding after five years together when COVID struck. Four years prior, Pierce had proposed at the same location at Hobart’s Pond where the couple said their vows last week with Justice of the Peace Teri Ayer of Whitman who officiated.

With a strong connection to Hobart’s where he grew up fishing Pierce cherishes his old and new memories there. Both his parents – who also met at Hobart’s Pond when they were young  — and his grandparents all lived in Whitman along with his Aunt Kathy who owns the Gingerbread House Bakery.

It has always been beautiful, he said of the area.

Over the last decade the area has been re-landscaped with a paved walking area connecting Essex Street and South Avenue. It has gained popularity as a spot for families and walkers.

The couple who were introduced by mutual friends was looking forward to telling their families. They received well-wishes from onlookers who peeked at them during their wedding photos.

They will be looking forward to a honeymoon in the coming months. Pierce is a motorcycle mechanic in Plympton on route 106 at Plympton Cycles. They live in Middleboro where she is a local dog walker. They have several fur babies.

COVID risk map raises issues

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There are currently 31 students and staff in quarantine for COVID-19 by either Whitman, Hanson health boards, or the boards of health where teachers live, but no decision is being made right now on the future of hybrid learning.

There have been 12 positive student cases and one positive in the district so far, Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak reported to the School Committee at the Wednesday, Oct. 21 meeting.

“As of this week, we have 35 students coming out of quarantine and they all — or a large majority — were in a hockey cluster,” he said. “We’ve had zero transmission within the district. Our kids are abiding by the rules that we’ve set forward with the boards of health, with the Mass. Department of Public Health. We’re doing the right things.”

Szymaniak stressed there have been zero transmissions within the school district, and voiced frustration about color-coded risk assessments for communities issued by the (DPH).

He said he would look to the boards of health to make recommendations on whether or not students should stay in school if both towns in the district end up in the red zone.

“It’s not going to be a lone decision on my part,” Szymaniak said. “If they close us, it’s their decision.
He stressed he does not think a decision will be made without input from the regional school district. He is also concerned about the impact of surrounding districts — where some of W-H’s teachers reside — going to remote learning and their own children have no place to go while they are teaching here.

Szymaniak said he has conferred with area superintendents and all are now of the mind that schools are not affected as they are cleaner and safer than they have ever been.

There is a remote plan set to go if it is needed, however, he said.

“The concern I have is the state map,” he said. “We know Hanson went into the red last week, Whitman was in yellow last week.” Based on numbers reported after Columbus Day weekend, Szymaniak anticipates Whitman will also soon be in the red.

“What does that mean?” Szymaniak said, noting he issued a letter to parents and staff last week saying that just because the towns are in the red, doesn’t mean school will be interrupted.

Gov. Baker’s guidance of going to remote after three weeks in the red, has been followed by a contradictory message from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that decisions should be based on internal data — not just on whether a town is in the red area.

“Right now, we have one week in the red in Hanson and we are a district,” he said, explaining that, if Hanson stays in the red it is almost like Whitman students are also in the red. “We’re not going to say to the Whitman kids, ‘Come to school,’ and the Hanson kids stay home.”

Szymaniak said lead nurse Lisa Tobin is practically working around the clock, even taking calls from parents at home during weekends.

“I’ve got to give praise to both boards of health,” Szymaniak said. “They are working their tails off with us.” Health officials have been calling the school, if necessary, in terms of contact tracing.

“If you’re six feet apart and you’re wearing a mask it is safe and parents and families need to know that,” said School Committee member Hillary Kniffen, who is also a teacher. She said 12 cases in a district student population of 3,800 students,  the risk is minimal.

In other business before the School Committee, school principals were afforded the opportunity to update the committee on what students are doing and what education looks like in a “COVID world” at their respective buildings.

“The most important part of our opening really has been that the kids are so excited, so happy to be there and we are, as well,” Conley Elementary Principal Karen Downey said, noting the special distancing and cleaning efforts under way to keep students and staff safe. “Kids are having individual supplies, as opposed to shared supplies, we’re cleaning the seats and the work areas in between [classroom changes] during travel time between classes.”

There are seating charts in all classrooms and special areas such as the lunchroom, and Chromebooks are cleaned and inspected by an industrial hygienist twice a week.

Indian Head interim Principal Gary Pelletier added that students are provided scheduled mask breaks and there are assigned seats on the bus and cafeteria.

Eucationally, he lauded the alignment of curriculum in all elementary buildings. New software, technology glitches and Chromebook capacity are among the challenges teachers are seeing.

Hanson Middle School Principal William Tranter notes that teachers rotate and students stay in classrooms all day — including lunch.

“None of us ever took the class, ‘How to Teach in a Pandemic,’” Tranter said. “Every day, we get a little bit better. We learn something, we figure it out, we make changes, and it gets a little bit better every day.”

Szymaniak said there have been no detentions or disciplinary issues at the middle schools.

“I think kids want to be here,” he said.

High School Principal Dr. Christopher Jones credited teachers, staff and students for making a flexible educational approach that is more focused on relationships with maximized learning with teachers, and constant communication a success.

Students at home are paired with students in the classroom to improve cohesion. All floors, except the main floor have one-way foot traffic.

They are struggling in terms of teacher workload and school culture, however.

Remote schooling principal Michael Grable reported that, “It’s been an interesting ride, so far.”

There are 316 students in kindergarten through grade eight in the remote program, learning at home full time, taught by nine teachers and five paraprofessionals.

New dynamic duo

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Catwoman and Robin rode into the sunset after an eight-hour mission on Saturday, Oct. 23 to distribute 314 bags of candy to kids in a Halloween-themed adventure.

Melissa Clark of Hanson, a Plymouth County Deputy combined her love of cars and Halloween and used her cool Polaris Sling Shot three-wheeler ride to create a fun-filled day.

After the event blew up via Hanson’s social media Connect pages Clark decided they should organize a route so she could include as many families as possible. They also posed for photos but remained in the vehicle to keep socially distant for all involved.

They started the day at 10 a.m. in her Catwoman attire she rode with side kick Robin — whose alter-ego is her mom Michele Clark. The pair made deliveries of individual bags of candy (COVID regulations in place) to 49 different streets throughout Hanson, and Monponsett within the Halifax Twin Lakes.

They tossed the bags to children and families who were on a pre-scheduled route.

Clark, who calls herself a car enthusiast and drives a Camero,  was exuberant to involve her Cat Mobile in the Halloween plans. When she purchased the Polaris  Sling Shot in March 2019 it was  originally white. The three-wheeled, open-air ride positively turns heads. She designed her custom wrap to emulate the Catmobile, which was special ordered  from AMR Racing Las Vegas. It was installed by Anthony Crisafulli of Northeast Auto Spa in Pembroke.

Clark who grew up in Hanson, where her family still resides, and has a heart for her community. Her father Ron Clark is a long time veteran officer of the Plympton Police Department and is a fellow car enthusiast.

Following the day long adventure Clark said she felt completely “fulfilled.”

“There were no debates, arguments, stress or negativity as we have in the world right now,” she said. “It brought smiles. It was a great day.

“We even stopped at Mc Donald’s. We gave out candy there,” she said with a laugh.

There were lots of pictures posted throughout the day on local town pages. She was pleased at the positive comments she received from so many families; several messages that particularly touched her heart.

With no immediate planned upcoming events Catwoman will ride again … stay tuned.  Meow!

Keeping ahead of COVID

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HANOVER — South Shore Tech Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey told his School Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 21 that, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 safety guidelines, having students in their school community really matters.

There have been some positive tests among the school population, but Hickey said he is pleased with parent cooperation. They are letting the school know if their children are showing symptoms after possibly contracting COVID outside of school.

Like W-H Superintendent Jeffrey Szymaniak, Hickey said he is looking for more guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on how any decisions on possible future lockdowns might be handled.

“We all know about the COVID map that gets published, usually Wednesday nights or overnight into Thursday, and we know about the red, yellow and green coding of towns,” he said. “Last week, a lot of towns in the Route 3 corridor moved to red.”

He said the state wants schools to think in terms of three-week trends.

“There is no immediate trigger such as, if red, something — like close or go all remote,” Hickey said. “We need to look at the data for at least two more Wednesdays and see what those numbers look like.”

The state would then provide guidance on what might have triggered a red designation within a community.

Senior horticulture student Faith Ryan of Scituate was introduced as the student council representative and also gave an idea of how COVID is affecting the school.

“I think you’re going to hear a different kind of report tonight from her,” Principal Mark Aubrey said. “I think she’s going to speak honestly to you folks about what she’s exploring and what the kids are feeling with the hybrid model.”

Her report was a frank look at the challenges vocational education faces in an online setting.

“I feel like a lot of kids are struggling, because it’s hard to learn online for a lot of kids here,” Ryan said. “As you know, this is a vocational school. Most of us are hands-on learners.”

She said she has spoken to several seniors who are struggling with their grades as a result of not having the access to extra help they would receive at the school.

“It’s preventing a lot of kids from going out on co-op because they’re not getting the proper grades they need because they’re not getting the help they need,” Ryan said. She is not currently on a cooperative education assignment.

Most of the hands-on shops such as HVAC and carpentry are in school all five days each week, but shops such as graphics and allied health are only in the school two days.

“We are educating students on how they get their extra help,” Aubrey said. Teachers are available before and after school, but he said it has to be scheduled, a process that is being worked out.

Clubs and activities are also meeting online, as are regional SkillsUSA competitions.

Important Announcement in regards to General Election

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Whitman Hanson Community Access (WHCA) is hereby inviting any and all candidates seeking election in the upcoming Nov. 3 general election to reach out to our staff and setup time for an appearance on WHCA cable and online distribution platforms.  While candidates have likely already been contacted personally by now, WHCA wants to ensure that every candidate gets an opportunity to be heard.  Reach out to the WHCA staff by email at info@WHCA.tv or by phone at (781) 447-4175.  All interviews must be filmed by Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Business is a piece of cake

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Life is always sweeter with cake. For Hanson native Abby Burke, owner of “Cake Art by Abby,” a thriving business as a cake decorator six months into a pandemic is not the scenario for success she would have imagined.

Guidelines on properly celebrating while still being socially distant has taken some of the pizzazz out of special occasions but Burke — who has a strong social media presence and has begun to raffle off her cakes — has reinserted some of that birthday joy.

She is discovering that families are looking for unique cakes to make their loved ones feel extra special during this unsettled time.

Burke is a 2010 graduate of Whitman Hanson, ironically her maiden name was Mixer, with a passion for confection.

She met and married her husband who is originally from Whitman. They now live in East Bridgewater with their two young children. She is also a financial planning associate. Her strong point is remaining structured and organized as a key to balance in her busy life.

She always had an artistic eye and tried different mediums but realized watching cake decorating videos gave her a strong sense of satisfaction.

After her first attempt at making her daughter a unicorn cake she gave herself a harsh critique.

“I made one…I wasn’t happy with it – it wasn’t that good,” she said. “So I began to make more, finding a flaw in each one and figured out how to perfect it for the next one.”

She began to put in the work as she continues to educating herself. Her cakes are not of a cookie cutter variety.

Nearly all her communication for orders is through social media platforms, direct messenger and her website. During the peak months of COVID lockdown, it provided a solid platform through which her clients could easily continue to reach her. Her clientele normally has a birthday theme, which they communicate to her. She then asks if they are OK with her artistic spin and her magic production begins.

She has heard from clients that they have had virtual birthdays, driveway visits and other creative ways to make memories. As new norms are formed in ways of celebrations she has noticed families want to have a unique cake adding extraordinary cheer.

She is a 2013 graduate from Bentley, which helped her launch her cake design business. Burke also credits her high school days describing herself as a girl who “had her hand in countless activity and was wildly involved” in both public speaking and the business foundation of DECA (formerly known as Distributive Education Clubs of America).   

In the start up for her confections she raffled off all of her cakes for free to people within the South Shore. The unique cakes were out there for all to see and taste and she did not waste a sweet drop of the icing.

“I didn’t want to throw it away,” she said.

Burke connected on Facebook with a local family who were down on their luck during COVID.

She was thrilled to be able to donate a cake to them, she said.

Belonging to several ‘mom groups’ with women, who help network and support one another, she always chooses to shop local and small when she can.

Burke says her social media presence and growth has allowed a wider age demographic especially with children’s birthdays. She uses TikTok and Snapchat  and her videos have over 300,000 views. Connecting with all ages from the teen bracket through retirement she was hired to make a retirement cake for a knitting group and reconnected with one of her most influential teachers, Lydia Nelson of Whitman Hanson.

One of the most unforgettable cakes she “set up” was  during the height of quarantine when her sister Becca Feldmann of Halifax was celebrating her baby’s first birthday. Feldman was caring for her new baby — who at birth had a severe gastrointestinal condition and after so many milestones the first birthday was extra special for their family.

“It was a big deal for me,” said Burke.  The next best thing she could do in celebrating her niece’s health and birthday milestone was to construct a cake kit with step by step instructions. Her sister could construct the baby’s first cake with the decorative design Burke created.

Happily her niece is doing well and still remains in strict quarantine.  They are looking forward to days ahead when they can spend time celebrating all together.

With a family and running her own business Burke calls time management the key to her growth. She recently launched a six-month, beginner’s subscription goodie box, which arrives every month. It also comes along with an instructional, virtual class with Abby who enjoys teaching others about her craft.  There are also frosting recipes with helpful hints.

To view and order cakes and for information on her products visit her website  cakeartbyabby.com

COVID cases are up

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WHITMAN — The town is seeing an increase in COVID-19, according to interim Town Administrator Lisa Green, who reported 17-related cases of COVID in Whitman as of Monday, Oct. 19.

Some are in quarantine and some have been tested, but results are not available yet, Green said.

“The numbers are slowly climbing,” she told Selectmen Tuesday, Oct. 20. “Right now, Whitman is still in the yellow, but we are surrounded by towns in red. It’s speculated that we could go to red any day now.”

If that happens, Green cautioned that Whitman would have to return to more restrictive protocols.

“That would be up to the Board of Health and fire chief if the numbers continue increasing the way they are,” she said.

Selectmen also reviewed the status of the Budget Override Review Committee in the wake of Town Administrator Frank Lynam’s retirement and an agenda item to name Green to committees and projects in which he was involved.

Selectman Randy LaMattina said, while he doesn’t see an override happening this year, an override is not out of the question in the future. The strategic plan, combined with the Collins Center capital report, means the committee could reconvene to reassess the town’s position.

“I don’t foresee it meeting before the first of the year,” he said.

“I would vote to keep it on the docket, as well, to look over the progress it had made last year,” said Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski said. He said he anticipates a discussion at the next Selectmen’s meeting regarding the hiring of a consultant to look at the strategic plan.

“That needs to be on the road,” Kowalski said. “You have to know what the town values before you discuss goals and objectives.”

Selectman Dan Salvucci agreed that the budget committee’s work is still needed.
If we take a step back, we may find ourselves with possible issues again.” Salvucci said.

Kowalski also advocated keeping the name, because an override may still be needed, and advocated a regular report to the board from the schools liaison.

Selectmen approved the common victualler’s license application for Restoration Coffee to move his business to the site of the former Mary Lou’s coffee shop at 564 Washington St., in Whitman center.

“I’m looking forward to opening the shop back up in Whitman,” said owner Matt Wood, who had operated the shop on South Avenue for two years, encountering issues when COVID hit. “We’re looking to have our own space now.”

Hanson awarded first CARES Act funds

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HANSON — Town officials were awarded a $34,280.75 CARES Act check from Plymouth County Commissioners on Thursday, Oct. 14 during a brief ceremony at Hanson Town Hall.

It was the first of what state Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Pembroke, described as the first of several checks the town stands to receive as reimbursement for COVID-19-related expenses this year, including personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders, town government and school personnel.

“It’s been a challenging year, but we’re doing everything we can to lighten that burden,” Cutler said.

Cutler also credited the Hanson Board of Selectmen, represented at the check-awarding ceremony by Selectman Matt Dyer, and Town Administrator John Stanbrook for their work, which will bring more checks to Hanson.

“In these times when it doesn’t seem that politics works, this shows it does work and we can come together — and we can come serve our constituents — to better serve them, not here in Town Hall, but all throughout the town and all throughout the region,” Dyer said, thanking the town’s partners on the Plymouth County Commissioners and on Beacon Hill. He said the funds awarded also will go toward town infrastructure such as new servers so town employees could work from home, if another shut-down made that necessary.

Dyer also thanked town officials, who have worked overtime to get the applications completed properly. County officials have been presenting the initial checks to communities in-person across the county, O’Brien said after the ceremony.

“It’s a nice day for us to see the sweat equity pay off tangibly,” said Plymouth County Commissioner Gregory M. Hanley said, thanking Hanson officials for turning in such an easy application to process. “The only delay we would have would be an incomplete application.”

Hanley said taking on the administration of the CARES Act was not an easy one for commissioners to make. The $3 trillion federal aid package known as the Cares Act was passed in March.

“There’s a lot of sentiment very high up that we shouldn’t take this money, but we knew that we had an educated workforce and we had the only certified county treasurer in the Commonwealth,” he said. “We were trying to help the governor at the time and take a little bit off his plate.”

Hanley also thanked Cutler for helping with the process while the Commissioners were receiving pressure from the executive branch as to their ability to do it.

“If it wasn’t for Josh Cutler, we wouldn’t have this program,” Hanley said. “This was not an easy decision, but aren’t we so glad to have pulled this off? It’s such a resounding success.”

He said no one knew how to deal with the pandemic, but Plymouth County has “delivered the goods” for its member communities.

“This doesn’t happen unless we have that partnership we need,” Plymouth County Treasurer Thomas J. O’Brien said of the county’s legislative delegation, including Cutler and state Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton. “What was relayed to us is the county understands the needs of our community. This pandemic isn’t going to be short-lived, and we are the best resource to provide financial assistance to our communities.”

O’Brien echoed Hanley’s assessment that Cutler is a leader on Beacon Hill who understands what communities need and has the county’s back as Commissioners try to help communities deal with the pandemic and other financial challenges.

“I can tell you, as someone who sits on the Ways & Means Committee, if we had sent all that money back to the state, we would not have seen it come back from the State House,” Cutler said. “It’s the right decision for Plymouth County, for the town of Hanson, for the towns that I represent.”

O’Brien and Commissioner Sandra M. Wright also presented town officials with a framed print of an updated map of Plymouth County, including newer railroad tracks and highways.

“This could be a dress rehearsal for the HEROES Act,” Hanley said after the ceremony of the next round of funding the federal government is considering to being lost tax revenue, due to the pandemic, back to states and potentially to communities.

Cutler said the funds brought back to the region through the CARES Act includes $400,000 for remote learning and PPE expenses for the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District.

“We’re doing everything we can to get as many dollars [as possible] back to our cities and towns,” he said. Current state budget shortfall estimates are between $1billion and $5 billion, Cutler said, noting that while a lot of money, it is significantly lower than the $6 billion to $8 billion deficit previously forecast.

He expects to see another one-month temporary budget passed before the state’s budget figures are finalized to complete the fiscal year.

Holiday trees to aid DFS

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WHITMAN — Selectmen on Tuesday, Oct. 20 approved a Dollars For Scholars request to hold a new kind of holiday fundraiser — Decorate For Dollars — a holiday tree-lighting in Whitman Park.

“We’re trying to make something exciting for the town to look forward to,” said DFS volunteer Michelle LaMattina. “Nice, a little bit competitive, but also socially distanced. … We’re looking for it to be a nice event to brighten everybody’s holidays a little.”

The hope is that the project can be continued year-to-year.

LaMattina has already presented her idea to Bruce Martin of the DPW, who supports it, she said. No details on participation have been released to the public, yet until DFS receives the permission and support of town officials.

“I can’t wait to see what the park looks like with a lot of decorated trees on it,” Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski said, noting Whitman has not had that kind of spirit in the town for a while since WinterFest was discontinued.

“Every year we raise a lot of money for the seniors in Whitman and Hanson through fundraising and door-to-door,” LaMattina said. “Obviously, this year it’s going to be very tough to fundraise because of COVID, so we’ve been trying to come up with some new ideas.”

LaMattina said COVID restrictions have meant it will be a tough year to raise funds for scholarships as many fundraiser events had to be cancelled.

Decorate For Dollars will allow individuals, families, neighborhoods, clubs, organizations or companies to sponsor a tree for $100. DFS will provide the trees and lights, setting them up right after Thanksgiving. Sign-up times will be allotted to tree sponsors to come and decorate the tree to their liking, LaMattina said.

To make it interesting, DFS will be making the display competitive, with the committee voting on which trees display the best holiday spirit. The winners will be able to award a scholarship in their name to a graduating senior at the May awards night ceremonies.

DFS would limit decorating crews to four people within each group, which will be timed, required to wear masks and observe social distancing guidelines.

Over the first two weekends in December, from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday to Sunday, the trees will be illuminated for the public to view.

“Whether you want to drive around, if you want to get out of your car — but we will have DFS volunteers making sure there aren’t groups of people congregating,” she said.