“Strength” is a multifaceted word. Often times it denotes a sense of isolation or individuality -we see individuals, entities, and classify them, sometimes unjustly, as weak or strong. This misunderstanding of strength is harmful and dangerous, and Steve Littlefield of Halifax knows better. He understands that strength often comes in numbers and in packages looking a lot like community, family, and facing your biggest challenges with plans and tools instead of coping mechanisms.
The things that qualify Littlefield as someone who knows about strength and survival ca bring even the most resilient of people to dark places. War, emergencies, death, danger, injury -the heaviest things a person can carry, and all of it on repeat -day after day, year after year. Littlefield, however, has found his way through it all and, along the way, has found what works for him. He also knows that it might work for others, too.
Littlefield grew up in Halifax and, as of April 2026, is a retired Army Sergeant First Class with over 25 years of military experience. His combat deployments included Iraq in 2004 and Afghanistan in 2010. Littlefield also served as a Commander and Fire Marshal for the 179th and 180th Engineer Detachments during the COVID-19 pandemic. After military service, he served as a corrections officer and a police officer on Cape Cod, and he is the current Veteran Service Officer for Halifax as well as pursuing his masters in Mental Health Counseling from Bridgewater State University. In addition to this, Littlefield is the founder of The Veterans Next Step Foundation -a nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans with mental health services and emergency assistance. He is also the Operations Manager for The Anchor Within Counseling and Wellness Center. His debut book, The Rucksack We Carry -A Field Manual for Veterans and First Responders, was released June 1 of 2026 with the aim of helping people in these intense professions learn to feel comfortable with and seek out assistance with their mental health.
When Littlefield joined the army in 2000, he could not have adequately imagined what would be asked of him. “These fields of work teach you how to accumulate this weight on your shoulders, they don’t teach you how to set it down or that it is okay to need help carrying it,” Littlefield explains. In addition to the trauma witnessed and experienced in combat duty, serving in local law enforcement and emergency services locally comes with its own mental health cost. “We are there for what is, often, the worst day of peoples lives. That starts to accumulate in you and leaves negative physical symptoms. We are there to be the help, and so sometimes it is hard to need the help,” says Littlefield.
Upon returning from overseas military service, Littlefield found himself consumed with managing chronic PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Experiences in combat and under high pressure situations day and night left Littlefield at a loss as to how one navigates daily life with decades of accumulated stress and, as his book calls them, “unthinkable moments” that people would give anything to forget living and thriving freely inside the mind and manifesting as physical maladies. “After I returned home, I started to think about mental health in a new way. I thought less about the clinical side and more about how responsibility, stress, trauma, and the quiet accumulation of pressures build over time. I wanted to not only understand these things, I wanted to do something about them,” Littlefield explains.
Littlefield also found himself at a crossroads in life about what was going to come next for him and his family after two decades of high-stress, high-risk professions. “I was staring into the next chapter of life and in reflecting on what I was transitioning from, I began to write down experiences and feelings and thoughts for myself. I wrote things that had been sitting in me for a while that needed to work themselves out onto paper. It was never intended to be the beginnings of a book, but that is where it took me,” says Littlefield.
Once Littlefield was made the Veteran Services Officer for Halifax and began to connect with fellow veterans in the community, he realized his feelings and experiences were obviously common among service members -past and present, but he was made acutely aware that they were not dealt with, acknowledged, or discussed freely within these circles of people who were, nevertheless, suffering. In addition to journaling his thoughts and experiences, he began to share these experiences, struggles, and triumphs with others. This ignited a passion to try to help change the way mental health is viewed and dealt with in military and law enforcement services.
Littlefield states, “Overall, there are better mental health services in the military and law enforcement fields, but the problem is there is still such a stigma around mental health and in needing help to manage it. It is seen as weakness to ask for help or admit that you need it.” According to the latest data, over 30% of veterans meet the criteria for mental health disorders as opposed to 19% of the general population. The suicide rate for veterans is 57% higher in the general adult population than the non-military serving population. These are numbers based entirely off of people who have sought help or are being treated -many of which are not -therefore, accurate percentages are much higher for these statistics.
Littlefield decided it was time to do more than journal and talk with others, and began pursuing a masters in mental health counseling. With his experiences and perspectives in the fields of military and law enforcement, combined with a higher education in the field of mental health, Littlefield is equipped to relate to, as well as understand and advise, in a way that someone who hasn’t experienced such high levels of prolonged trauma and stress might not be able to do. “The things I am learning can help others overcome and cope and they give me insight that is needed in the field,” he says,” I want to help others answer the question, ‘What do we do with all this?’ and facilitate people feeling comfortable enough to ask for help and follow through on it.”
After a year of writing down his thoughts and experiences, combined with the knowledge accumulating as a graduate student, Littlefield decided to self-publish his book. “When I am passionate about something I get really focused, so it was a relatively quick process, but within a year I published the book. It was released June 1. I got software that helped me format for publication and had to learn on the fly, but it worked out and it has been well received.”
The Rucksack We Carry is not meant to be a book to treat or diagnose, it is a mental health manual comprised of experiences and learned tools specifically geared toward those serving or who have served in the military or law enforcement. A quote from the book reads: “Unlike an everyday backpack, a rucksack is built to carry heavy loads over long journeys -much like the professional lives we lead. Over time, even the best-fitting rucksack will dig into your shoulders and strain your back if you never stop to adjust it,” says Littlefield, ppxvii, The Rucksack We Carry.
Littlefield breaks down the levels of traumatic or heavy experiences into classifications based on intensity and/or danger of the event. There are “pebbles” which comprise of everyday wear and tear experiences that come with the job such as the never-ending radio chatter, broken military equipment that doesn’t ever seem to get fixed, or the third call in the middle of the night for a malfunctioning carbon-monoxide detector. These things are minor and don’t seem like much on their own, but the issue is their persistence with no let up.
Moving onto larger and more pressing burdens is the classification of “rocks”. These are heavier incidents that make a lasting impact on you. “Rocks” for these professions include things like a convoy that came back missing people and the following duty to inform the families of those lost, pulling someone out of a burning building only to realize they already passed away, or sitting with someone hearing their terminal diagnosis and watching their reaction. “You can still function with rocks in your rucksack,” says Littlefield, “but they are heavy and they make it really hard to do so.”
Lastly are what Littlefield calls “boulders”. These are life altering moments that physically alter your chemistry and mental health capacity. Examples of “boulders” personnel may have to carry are losing a friend or experiencing military sexual trauma, having to draw and use your weapon to take someone’s life, responding to a call as an EMT involving your own family or friends and not being able to help them, or any mass-casualty event where no matter your efforts, there were not enough resources to save everyone.
Following the classification of levels of trauma or stress experienced in these fields, Littlefield spends a great deal of time deconstructing and reconstructing how to manage and work through the aftermath of them -not shortsighted that the mental and physical responses of the individual are one and the same and connected. “In this line of work, sometimes it is seen as weak to admit that things have gotten too heavy to manage on a daily basis. I want people to see that not only is that not true, its dangerous. Ignoring trauma and mental health is like ignoring an infection,” Littlefield explains. In his book, Littlefield constructs a series of “myths” vs “reality checks” concerning common hindrances that come up with people avoiding dealing with their mental health. The unique aspect of this approach is that Littlefield can offer the reality check as someone who was the one checked by reality. “I did a lot of things the wrong way -I didn’t have the tools to cope at first and I made a lot of mistakes. This means I really know what doesn’t work as well as what can work for people.”
The Rucksack We Carry outlines the various levels of support needed in the healing process. “Of course, these things need to be dealt with first on an individual level -admittance, accountability, and finding ways to center yourself through things like breathing, mindfulness, and taking care of yourself. After that, it is about peer support from family and friends. Oftentimes, it is our spouse or sibling or parent who notices you aren’t yourself and brings it up. It is important to know how to let others see you and not get defensive when they take note of your struggles.
In addition to individual and peer/community/family support, Littlefield makes a clear statement that leadership in these fields holds a great responsibility for the mental state of those serving under them. “The leaders in these fields largely set the tone for how trauma and stress are dealt with. Unfortunately, many leaders out there still hold on to this myth that if you need help you are a weak link and a problem, and this might keep struggling people from seeking the help they need. A true leader is one who fosters an open dialogue and safe environment for people to share their reality -what they are really feeling and going through. Additionally, being a leader is a huge responsibility and stressor, and leaders in these fields need to realize they aren’t meant to entirely carry others rucksacks in addition to their own, they just need to let them know they don’t have to carry it alone.”
Littlefield covers the various steps in mental health recovery until the last and often most avoided step: Seeking professional help. “Again, people need to understand that if your body is unwell in any other way, you are normal and fine to go see a doctor dealing with those symptoms. Mental health is no different. There is no shame in calling in reinforcements -especially when we are dealing with things that the human mind is simply not meant to have to process and manage frequently. The truly courageous and brave thing to do is to ask for professional help. That is being strong -not refusal and denial that can end up hurting yourself and even those you love.
Littlefield concludes, “I just want to be able to help others -not in an entirely clinical way, but as a friend with compassion and understanding. I want people to know that things like this are not meant to be handled alone, and that there are so many people going through similar things. It is important to talk about them and share ways we have found to get through them. It takes true courage to cope.” If there is a theme noticed when speaking with Littlefield, it is his frequent use of the word “help”, and jumping from decades of high-stress careers that took a great personal toll, to education and awareness so that others wouldn’t have to feel alone, proves him a hero of the most needed and best kind -the empath.
For more information on where to purchase the book, The Rucksack We Carry, as well as upcoming events prompting the book, please visit: www.therucksackwecarry.com

The Plympton Zoning Board held another public hearing on June 25 for the proposed Ricketts Pond Estates 60-unit, 40B development via the applicant, Peter Opachinski of SLT Construction. Board Member Ethan Stiles opened the hearing with fellow board members David Alberti, Lukasz Kowalski, and Suzanne Jafferian in attendance as well as Town Council, Carolyn Murray. The hearing was to meticulously review and refine the 34pp. Comprehensive Permit Decision for Ricketts Pond Estates, LLC as well as go over a list of proposed waivers for a comprehensive permit to continue with the development of the Ricketts Pond Estates and estate site.
Stiles began the hearing by making sure it was understood that this was now a closed-to-the-public hearing and that the only people with the ability to comment were his fellow board members or, if a comment was needed to be made by the audience or applicants, it had to be done by the leave of the chair.
The board began with the procedural review of the draft to confirm the accuracy of the factual background, procedural history, and submittals, ensuring all necessary documentation was accounted for as of the latest updated version sent to everyone that morning. There has been suggested changes made and highlighted in red for review by the board.
The document was considered accurately updated and maintained throughout the application process and reviewed on a large screen for everyone to view. Section 4 was noted by the board as the section that includes concerns of the communities of Plympton and Carver regarding the project. This section noted and documented their unified opposition to the project proceeding for various reasons including the disregard for honored bylaws that keep the town from being damaged and overdeveloped, the combined traffic for such a large subdivision amidst an industrial park and a freeway, the destruction of rare pine barren ecosystem, insufficient emergency access, close proximity between private septic systems and wells which could lead to nitrogen loading, difficulty enforcing the maintenance and nitrogen removal from the site, last minute configuration changes to the construction plans less than one month from the closing of the hearing, and potential contamination of the natural aquifer that the town relies upon due to alleged unpermitted earth removal activities from the site, compliance with the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, reduction of previously designated open space, excess dust continuing to negatively affect the nearby residents from earth removal as well as the noise of the construction, and the existence of a Massachusetts Department of Transportation stormwater basin partially located on the property without evidence of an easement ostensibly designed to collect runoff from Route 44.
The board also stated that the result upon the conclusion of the public hearings would be the decision of the board to either grant or deny the Comprehensive Permit to the Applicant for the Project to be constructed according to the Approved Plans approved by the board, the waivers granted and further conditions impose by the board.
Following the procedural review, the board worked through various conditions of approval, including construction site management, earth disturbance activity rules, and the role of the Homeowners Association (HOA). The board clarified that if there was need for a modification, there was due process on how to proceed.
Murray stated, “There is a process under the regulations for modification, so the applicant would have to notify you if they need a new waiver of sorts. The board would first have to determine if you feel that this is what the regulations would call a substantial versus an insubstantial modification. If you felt it was insubstantial you could just approve it at a regular public meeting -no need for a hearing. If you feel that it’s a substantial change, you have to advertise a public hearing, notify abutters, and then, in the context of the hearing, you would vote whether or not you want to approve or disapprove that modification.”
JDE Civil, Inc. then asked that a change be made in the document concerning earth removal, one of the projects biggest controversies, to say, “Prior to the start of any earth disturbance activities” instead of “Prior to the issuance of any building permit” in regards to construction level plans being reviewed by the building inspector or the boards’ peer review engineer.
There was also a review and refined understanding of the differentiation between a homeowners association (HOA) and individual condominium associations (COA). The subdivision is set up so that each lot is its own COA. The HOA is the overreaching organization encompassing everything else. There were detailed regulations set forth concerning the HOA being responsible for things such as stormwater management, septic tank maintenance, drainage systems, gas, and other particulars, that the town should not be expected to be responsible for.
Significant time was dedicated to discussing fire protection requirements, such as cistern capacities and sprinkler systems for specific lots, stormwater management, and maintaining septic systems. Clarification was made about how to manage nitrogen levels using innovative, alternative septic technologies to try to offset the issue of unusually close proximity of private septic systems and wells. It was suggested that inspections of the septic systems be randomized but “quarterly” to ensure they are in compliance with safety codes and if not, they are repaired by the “deemed responsible” party and if not, the town would be allowed to set in and take necessary measures to ensure proper function -including fines.
Murray reiterated that each septic system was to have its own Title V issued by the Board of Health -meaning the Zoning Board was not the sole party to enforce the conditions in the contract. “The board of health also has some teeth in this in terms of being able to enforce the septic permit,” Murray explained. There was also discussion over the Plympton Fire Departments’ recommendation that 20ft driveways for emergency access and a 4in standpipe system be installed on lots 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19. A change was also made in the document about the Plympton Fire Department requiring two 25,000 -not 30,000 gallon cisterns.
The board systematically reviewed a comprehensive list of requested waivers, including those related to Title V septic regulations, earth removal bylaws, and zoning requirements. The 23pp waiver list noted that many waivers were previously discussed but required a formal vote. The waivers addressed a wide variety of points such as removal permits, parking requirements, and the roles of the designated peer reviewers. Murray remarked, “You have heard Attorney Galvin say that denial of some of these waivers will render the project uneconomic and the public hearing is closed, so we don’t have an opportunity to challenge that in any way. It would be something for the Housing Appeals Committee to decide on appeal.” The applicant added that denial of some waivers would render the project “unconstructable” in addition to being rendered uneconomic.
The board did not reach a final conclusion or vote on the full decision during the meeting. They decided to meet again to clarify outstanding items. The board agreed to reconvene on July 6, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. to finalize the matter, as the project had a “drop dead date” for the vote of July 7, 2026.
Following the Zoning Board hearing on June 25, the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office rejected the applicant, SLT Construction’s request to bypass additional environmental review of the Ricketts Pond development. The EEA has ordered a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the sand mining, office park, and proposed 60-unit residential development. SLT Construction must be held accountable for questions about avoiding and mitigating harm to the environment before moving forward with the proposed project. Further requirements of SLT Construction include a draft study for public comment as well as a final study covering groundwater protection (including the region’s sole‑source drinking water aquifer), air quality (dust, diesel emissions), traffic impacts, public health concerns, climate resilience, cumulative effects of years of large‑scale sand mining, environmental justice, and open space preservation.
The decision follows over 1,600 public comments submitted through the MEPA process, along with ongoing and increasing input from Plympton’s Board of Health, Planning Board, and Open Space Committee. The developer will be required to prepare and submit the new draft and final EIRs, with public comment periods and MEPA review before any approvals can be granted. This process will determine whether the project can proceed under MEPA’s environmental safeguards and if the project will be permitted to continue as planned. For more information and all publicly available documents on the Ricketts Pond Estate project, please visit the town website at: www.town.plympton.ma.us

If you find yourself sitting down to a privately catered meal featuring dishes such as wild blueberry panna cotta with Meyer lemon curd and lavender springs, or pomegranate molasses lamb chops with whipped garlic-pistachio toum, or garlic scape chimichurri salmon, with a dessert of thyme-roasted strawberries, saba, burrata, and Thai basil, you are lucky enough to be living the dream of the epicurious with Chef Jillian Walraven.
A rising local talent in the New England area and beyond, Walraven’s creations bring what could be a rather esoteric culinary niche experience back to the relatable and accessible. Walraven’s creations are an amalgamation of a lifetime steeped in the authentic and home grown, enhanced by the cutting edge of education and training in high-demand environments.
Born and raised in central Massachusetts, her Argentinian and Italian family members exposed her to authentic, homemade food from both countries. Walraven recalls, “I grew up with my family making things like handmade pasta and just truly beautiful food. Everything was grown in the garden. My grandpa grew hazelnut trees and if I got a cut or injury, there was always some remedy my grandmother had made from homegrown herbs and plants to treat it.” In addition to being surrounded by quintessential, homemade, heritage cuisine and a deeply rooted knowledge of how to grow, harvest, and use your own food, Walraven also took in the local surroundings as forms of inspiration. “I grew up next to apple orchards and really love the seasons here in New England. They inspire what I create.”
With an upbringing so rich in culture, seasons, and nature, Walraven found her passions followed along those lines. “When I was 18, I worked in an amazing local cheese shop called The Bloomy Rind in Hingham. I was exposed to all different kinds of cheese and loved it. Working there really opened me up to new flavors and flavor combinations.” She also found her boss to be a mentor who encouraged her to refine her passion and talent by attending culinary school. “I just found that whatever I did, I always went back to my love of food. My boss there helped me decide to try culinary school and so I attended the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York.”
Following her formal training, Walraven began to work at Mirbeau in Plymouth. It was there that Walraven developed her unique style and confidence in her instinct and skill. “Mirbeau was such a huge part of my life,” says Walraven, “I worked for one of the best chefs ever. He truly cared about us and was reliable -he set a positive tone to the kitchen which can often be a very intense environment. He loved to help people really shine.” Walraven also added to her professional experience in a farm to table setting working at Rye Tavern. Walraven continued to work in the restaurant scene after her daughter was born, but once her son was born, she decided she needed to have more control over her schedule and wanted to have creative license in her work.
Walraven decided private cheffing was the perfect solution. “I love being a private chef,” she says, “I can really do what I want. I can share how I see and feel about food with my clients and create using things I feel passionately about like local and seasonal ingredients. I source premium ingredients that are the best of the best in terms of environmental impact, local sustainability, taste and freshness, and I can also let my Argentinian-Italian roots add a bit of flare to make things really unique.”
Walraven’s culinary adventures are shared frequently on her social media pages and anyone who wanders into that digital space will be left not only in awe of the truly visionary meals she makes, but also the complete, curated experience offered to her clients in terms of serving dishes, floral arrangements, impeccable plating, and ambiance. “I truly believe food is made more delicious and beautiful when served in amazing settings that have been designed with intention.”
Walraven’s themed dinner menus, available on her website, span from her Lilac Dinner (inspired by the lilacs in her Chiltonville neighborhood) with dishes such as lilac & wild blueberry-thyme-glazed duck confit and sweet corn soubise, to her Heirloom Tomato Dinner inspired by the inimitable garden-fresh fruits of the summer with garden fresh heirloom tomatoes with Ricotta Salata & fried garlic and Castelvetrano Olive Focaccia & whipped tomato butter.
Walraven also offers complete menus that can be customized and are often seasonally tuned and using local ingredients. Menus like her “Fall in New England” feature Mabon-toned dishes with Italian flare such as Autumn Panzanella with golden apples, pepitas, baby lettuces, cornbread croutons, shaved cheddar and apple cider vinaigrette with pickled shallots and cranberries. If you are looking for a more ethnically geared menu, there are options like “Masa Tortilla Taco Bar” with authentic dishes like beef picadillo empanadas and Chimichurri aioli, or perhaps a sweeter take with her guava and cheese empanadas with condensed milk. Regardless of what menu or themed dinners you choose from, you can rest assured that Walraven will always highlight the best of what can be found at farmers markets, gardens, local businesses, and high-quality food suppliers.
Walraven’s passions encompass not only making food, but growing and sourcing it. An avid home gardener herself, Walraven has a keen fondness of others who dedicate their lives to growing food and flowers -so much so that she founded a local farmers market. “I started Book Love Farmers Market outside the bookstore, Book Love in the Pinehills, to help local farmers and artisans have a place to be supported and grow. It is meant to empower high-quality, local producers.” One farmer in particular has Walraven’s support. “There is a woman in Plymouth who, despite how hard it is to farm there, has started a regenerative, organic farm. I am so excited for her and I am rather protective over her growing farm. She grows beautiful things and this is what I love to do -to empower people. The farmer’s market is an extension of my food philosophy: local, seasonal, sustainable -environmentally and economically, and grown with intention.”
In addition to private cheffing and running the Book Love Farmers Market, Walraven has found a growing demand to cater private women’s retreats. For her, the catering experience has become one of community through these retreats. “I love catering for these retreats in these beautiful interiors that play off of everything from the colors on the table and the flowers, to the textures of the food and the lighting -it’s a whole vibe where style meets food, but what I really love is that my clients trust me. They work with me to create the menus so that it is a personalized experience that means the most to them and their guests, and in the process, I have found great friends and fellow creative minds that inspire me.”
As for what lies ahead for Walraven? “I am really thinking a lot about education. I have this pull to teach and pass on food knowledge. I would really love to start teaching classes and to gather community to support struggling or newly established entrepreneurs. I remember teaching a class one time to children and my daughter was the only one that knew what parsley was. I am worried about how removed we have become from our food as a society. I am also passionate about making healthy, high-quality food accessible to everyone -especially those facing food insecurity.”
When asked what advice she has for others about supporting the local food scene Walraven says, “Farmers Markets! Please visit them and get to know the farmers and business owners and artisans there. Who makes the honey in your area? Who grew your squash? Have you checked out the local fish shop in your town? It is about more than food, it’s about community and connections and that makes the best food experience.”
If you find yourself in need of a private chef or catering, or are looking for some locally grown produce for that quick summer al fresco meal, or you just need a jolt of creative inspiration in your own meal planning, Chef Walraven is an unfailingly visionary source of enthusiasm, knowledge, creativity, and kindness. “Making food that connects heritage, new ideas, and the gifts of nature and community is who I am -it is what I do.” If you really are what you eat, then perhaps adopting this philosophy is the healthiest diet around.

Chef Jillian Walraven can be reached and more information about her services found at:
chefjillianwalraven.com
Book Love Farmer’s Market:
Every first and third Sunday of the month from 9a.m. – 12p.m.
7 Village Green S., Pinehills, Plymouth.