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You are here: Home / Archives for Kathleen Peloquin, Media Editor

Local volunteers honored at appreciation luncheon

July 4, 2025 By Stephani Teran

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the largest provider of in-home and community-based services for older adults and people living with disabilities in Southeastern Massachusetts, honored volunteers at a special luncheon and awards ceremony held at Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston, MA. A total of 130 attendees attended the appreciation luncheon.
“It is through the unwavering support of all of our volunteers that many OCES programs and Community Service Partner programs are better able to assist those in need,” said Armindo Rocha, OCES’ Volunteer Programs Manager. “We recognize and thank all of our generous volunteers for their tremendous dedication to helping others and our communities.”
Armindo Rocha and Cidalia America, OCES’ Volunteer Coordinator, hosted the appreciation luncheon and presented awards. OCES presented the Make a Difference Award to 12 outstanding volunteers in recognition of their dedication to helping others and making a meaningful impact in the community: Tom Adduci, Bridgewater Meals On Wheels (MOW) volunteer; Ellen Lash, Ellen Jacobs and John Durnan volunteers for OCES’ Money Management Program (MMP) in Brockton; Mike Pauley and Sandra Ivers, Brockton MOW volunteers; Beth Kelley and Bob Kelley, Duxbury MOW volunteers; Rita Pope, Easton MOW volunteer; Donna Blaschke, Middleboro MOW volunteer; John Melchin, Pembroke MOW volunteer; and Edward Sore, Plymouth MOW volunteer.
OCES had the pleasure of having Mark Grossman give a brief statement on behalf of Abbott Care, the premiere sponsor.
Volunteering for OCES:
With the help of more than 550 Nutrition Program volunteers, OCES serves 2,600 meals every weekday as part of its MOW services. MMP volunteers, assist older adults and individuals with disabilities with bill paying, reconciling bank statements, balancing checkbooks, and in special cases negotiating debt with creditors. Volunteers also serve on the OCES Board of Directors, participate in the MMP Advisory Board, and contribute to many other important efforts.
OCES’ is proud to have a Volunteer Center in Plymouth which serves as a central resource for volunteers and service partners offering volunteer opportunities in Plymouth County. Prospective volunteers can talk one-on-one with volunteer program staff who can assist them in their search for volunteering opportunities that fit their skills and interests. The Volunteer Center is equipped with computers for researching volunteer opportunities as well as brochures and other literature from organizations seeking volunteers. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit https://ocesma.org/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities
OCES is recognized as one of the 2023 and 2024 Best Places to Work by Cape & Plymouth Business Marketing. OCES has been certified as a woman non-profit organization (W/NPO) by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO).
For more than 50 years, OCES has been a private, nonprofit organization with locations in Brockton and Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 27 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and proudly serves Plymouth County and surrounding communities.
Through the talent of an experienced and diverse workforce, OCES supports the independence and dignity of older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy, safe living which positively impacts our community. The agency offers several programs to serve older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families, and caregivers.
For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit ocesma.org

Filed Under: More News Right, News

Silver Lake towns weigh K-12 regionalization

July 4, 2025 By Justin Evans

The Silver Lake Regionalization Study Committee voted unanimously June 18 to request a proposal from the UMass Boston Collins Center for Public Management to conduct a comprehensive study examining the feasibility of full regionalization across three school districts.
The committee, with representatives from Halifax, Kingston and Plympton, seeks to determine whether combining their elementary schools with the existing regional middle and high school structure could generate cost savings while maintaining educational quality.
“We owe it to our residents to see if there’s some efficiencies, to see if there’s a way we can run things a little bit tighter and smoother so that we might not be in a significant crunch as we may be in,” said Jonathan Selig, committee member from Halifax.
The study comes as the three communities face mounting budget pressures and questions about educational equity across the district. Currently, each town operates its own elementary schools through sixth grade, with students then attending the regional Silver Lake Regional Middle School and High School.
Committee members emphasized that no decisions have been made about regionalization. The study represents a fact-finding mission to provide concrete data for future decision-making.
“A lot of people have certain assumptions and the assumptions may or may not be correct,” said Jon Wilhelmsen, a committee member from Plympton. “So that’s really the goal. And I think the questions I think generally are around that and there’s some things that maybe branch out. So we’ll have to kind of corral that into different buckets.”
The Collins Center team, led by Director of Municipal Services Sarah Concannon and associates Anne Wilson and Bill Lupini, outlined their approach during the meeting. Wilson, a former superintendent of Sudbury Public Schools, and Lupini, who spent 25 years as a school superintendent, bring extensive experience in school district projects.
“We really need to understand your context, understand what you would like to get from this, and to really then look and analyze each of the areas,” Wilson explained. The study would examine efficiency questions, cost savings potential and educational quality impacts.
Superintendent Dr. Jill Proulx highlighted operational challenges the district currently faces with partial regionalization. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to present four separate plans to the state and work with four different communities to coordinate reopening strategies.
“I couldn’t in good conscience say, these students are going to be remote, but these students, it’s okay for them to come back hybrid,” Proulx said, describing the complexity of managing multiple jurisdictions during the health crisis.
The study will include extensive community engagement, with separate public forums planned for each town to capture distinct community values and concerns. Committee members recognized the three communities have different characteristics and priorities.
“Kingston is the whale, Halifax is the bass, and Plympton is the minnow,” Selig said, acknowledging size disparities among the communities. “So those ones that are the smallest are a little concerned that they get swallowed up by the whale here.”
Focus groups will include educators, central office staff, students, union representatives, and various municipal officials including selectmen and finance committee members. The committee also plans to engage taxpayers who don’t have children in the school system.
Educational equity emerged as a key concern driving the study. Halifax School Committee member Lori Costa-Cline expressed worry about ensuring equal educational opportunities across all three districts at the elementary level.
“A concern that I have and have had for a while as a Halifax school committee member is the equity in what education we provide in each of the three different school districts,” Costa-Cline said. She wants to ensure students are “equally prepared to be at the same level when they get to seventh grade.”
The Edward J. Collins Jr. Center operates as part of UMass Boston and has completed more than 1,200 projects for over 300 organizations since 2008. The organization can contract directly with public entities without requiring a competitive bidding process, which could expedite the timeline.However, the Collins Center team acknowledged they have not conducted a regionalization study exactly like what Silver Lake is requesting, though they have worked on
related projects examining cost efficiencies and organizational structures in regional school districts.
“Nothing exactly like what you all have done, which makes it fun,” Concannon said. “We can learn together.”
The study will examine multiple factors including transportation costs, administrative efficiencies, curriculum alignment, and potential impacts on state aid. Committee members want to understand both financial implications and effects on educational programming.
Bill Lupini emphasized the importance of demographic analysis and ensuring educational equity, drawing from his experience in New Hampshire where he worked with five different school districts feeding into one high school.
“How do we make sure as kids are coming to the high school that they have opportunities to take advantage of when they get there,” Lupini said, describing a key challenge in partially regionalized systems.
The committee hopes to receive preliminary findings during the upcoming budget season to inform planning discussions. A final report would ideally be completed before the next budget cycle begins in earnest.
The Collins Center will provide a draft proposal before the committee’s next meeting scheduled for July 9. Committee members stressed the importance of having factual information to guide future decisions rather than relying on assumptions about regionalization benefits or drawbacks.
“Knowledge is power,” said Costa-Cline. “We have assumptions, but we don’t have knowledge right now. So this sets a foundation of knowledge that we can then share with the community.”

Filed Under: Breaking News, News

Making a Memorial Day Parade

May 16, 2025 By Kathleen Peloquin, Media Editor

Stephani Teran
Express Newspapers
In a society that increases in rush and intensity all the time, Plympton is a haven for traditions and events that bring the community together and provide a chance for people to slow down and appreciate life. One such tradition is the town’s annual Memorial Day parade where veterans who lost their lives in service are honored and remembered. The expected scene marching down Main Street is quintessentially “Plympton” with lively children donning town team baseball caps and Scout uniforms, a line of tractors driven by grinning proprietors who are easily recognized as local farmers and friends, familiar first responders who also assist in organizing the event, elegant horses urged further down the road by expert equestrians astride, and of course the crowd favorites: the cow and bumblebee trains from Sauchuk’s loaded with some of the tiniest townspeople waving flags.
To attendees, the parade may seem like an event that comes and goes in a few hours, but a deeper examination of the efforts that go into putting this display of remembrance together reveals months of planning and collaborative efforts between various town organizations as well as the time, energy, and expertise of the parade committee, and the experience and direction of the Board of Selectmen and Selectmen’s Assistant, Briggette D. Martins.
Martins, who grew up in Plympton, remembers marching in the Memorial Day Parade as a Brownie in Girl Scouts and with the Plympton Children’s Garden Club. “The parade has been going on for over fifty-five years,” she recalls while sitting in her sunny office after an hour-long parade committee meeting.
Martins explains that one of her job duties is to organize and oversee the Memorial Day Parade each year. “The first year I did it was 2016 and it was cancelled that morning because of heavy rain and lightning,” she says laughing.
Martins said the parade route has stayed about the same aside from the Plympton Tricentennial when it came down Mayflower Road. She explains that in order to keep things running and organized it takes a substantial collective effort from many “faithful helpers” as she refers to the people who have been assisting and supporting the parade for many years without fail.
“I want the town to know that volunteering is huge,” she says while listing off the many people and organizations who work with her on this event each year.
Martins and the Parade Committee meet at Town Hall each month to collaborate and organize the Memorial Day events. Serving on the committee with Martins is Plympton Fire Chief Cheryl Duddy, Lieutenant Daniel Hoffman of the Plympton Police Department, Rob Firlotte of the Plympton Highway Department, Plympton Library Director Mike Slawson, Captain John Sjostedt of the Plympton Fire Department, and the Board of Health Administrative Assistant, Cathy Ferguson. The meetings demonstrate teamwork, sharp thinking, thorough planning, and friendly banter. When an issue or question comes up it is clear that the committee is comfortable with each other and knows the process well enough to work through things quickly. A great deal of time is spent discussing and refining the parade route and road closures. Safety is very obviously the first concern of all on the committee and detailed plans are made to ensure this for everyone. Factors like heat, walking distance, water bottles, and pacing are also taken into consideration.
Careful decisions are made as to who will be walking and riding in vehicles. The parade order is set to best serve everyone and ensure that antique cars and small children don’t overheat.
In addition to planning the parade procession a good deal of time is spent organizing the subsequent ceremony at the Town Gazebo. Each year the committee thoughtfully reviews the program line up, the chosen readings, songs to be shared, and flag displays that best pay respect to those who the day pays homage to.
“We honor the past and the present,” Martins says when stating her intention with the ceremony.
The reflective Town Gazebo ceremony is to be followed by some fun with a “Touch a Truck” event and hot dogs served at the Fire Station as well as a Build Your Own Sundae at the library. The committee is always appreciative of donations for materials and supplies for these events and they go to great lengths to ensure families can enjoy themselves with food and drink after the parade.
Following the Parade Committee meeting Martins asked that the town be made aware of a few things. First, Martins asked to include a list of people in our town she would like to thank for their help -both currently and over the years. She extends her special thanks to: her Parade Committee: Kim Adams, the Albertis, the Kupic family, the Wilhelmsens, Jennifer Macdonald, Mike Lemieux, Roxanne Whitbeck, Scott Sauchuk of Sauchuk Farm, as well as PAYS, Sysco, the Plympton Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Dennett Elementary School, the Plympton Fire Department, the Plympton Police Department, and anyone who has offered help in any way to continue the parade’s success each year.
A few items Martins asks the public to remember this year to increase safety and provide a positive experience for all: “We are not throwing candy,” she reminds, “This is a somber parade and we are to be respectful of the meaning of it.”
She also asks that parents dress their children appropriately for the weather which is often quite warm and provide them water and sunscreen. In addition, she asks that law enforcement’s road closures are strictly adhered to in order to avoid potential safety issues and to keep the parade running on time.
Overall, the Plympton Memorial Day Parade is always a meaningful experience for those who attend and participate. Martins said her hope for future parades involves including a few floats. She encourages local businesses to step up and make a “big deal” out of the parade by creating a float featuring a theme and local talent or townspeople who would fit nicely with the purpose of the event.
When met with eager volunteers, Martins certainly knows how to orchestrate and motivate all who are willing to help to make the Plympton Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony a special and cherished tradition.
“I still get goosebumps every year,” says Martin, rather proving that the honor and reflection meant to be shown and felt through the parade are kept sacred and at the heart of all the bustle and effort.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Delay

October 29, 2021 By Kathleen Peloquin, Media Editor

Good Morning!

Unfortunately, due to weather, there will be a delay in posting this weeks news online. We thank you for your patience!

Filed Under: Breaking News

ACCURACY WATCH

February 18, 2020 By Kathleen Peloquin, Media Editor

Filed Under: News

The Laker boys’ indoor track tops Plymouth North 43-57

January 17, 2020 By Kathleen Peloquin, Media Editor

Dave Palana
Express correspondent

Junior Sam Shirikjian had a big day for the Lakers with a 6.89-second 55-meter dash to set a new personal best in place among all Patriot League sprinters at the meet. Shirikjian ran another personal best to place fourth overall in the 300 meters in 38.27 seconds.

Senior Nicholas Ierardi also ran a personal best to place third in the 55-meter hurdles in 8.37 seconds while Christopher Tilton ran into fifth place in the 600 meters and the Lakers’ 4×200 relay team outran Plymouth’s.

In the field events, Brandon Hooper placed fifth in the shot put. Ierardi also picked up points in the high and long jumps while Shirikjian also earned points in the long jump and Joseph Wennemer picked up points in the high jump.

Filed Under: More News Left, News

Library hosts “History of Folk Music” program

October 4, 2019 By Kathleen Peloquin, Media Editor

Text and Story by
Austin Schofield

On the evening of Thursday, Sept. 19, Kevin MacIsaac visited the Plympton Public Library to share his knowledge and love for folk music with a group of interested spectators.

Since a young boy, Kevin wanted to be a musician, drawing inspiration from Peter, Paul and Mary, and other like artists. Later in life, after working as an English teacher for some time, Kevin got a chance to pursue music more often, doing gigs in coffee houses, and smaller venues. Eventually, he came up with the idea for a program that could combine performance with history, and thus he created “The Evolution of Folk”, a program he has brought to many libraries and galleries.

At the library, Kevin began with a brief introduction to folk, describing it as composed of three important components. Of the genre, he said, “it’s old, anonymous, and its passed down through the oral tradition.” He explained to the crowd that, conventionally, it wasn’t written down, but rather it was passed down from generation to generation through the act of actually singing it. He went on to speak about the different kinds, including ballads, sea shanties, and more. Following this introduction and throughout his performance of the program, Kevin played quite a few songs, ranging from classic folk to work by more modern artists. Supplementing his performance, he provided more and more information as he progressed through the night.

Kevin started the show off with some traditional songs & ballads, and eventually moved on to modern songs, one of which was the notable song, Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff The Magic Dragon,” that brought audience members to sing along.

He also played another classic example of modern folk by Pete Seeger, “This Land Is Your Land,” and of his work, Kevin mentioned, “[he] wrote his own songs in response to the times he was in.

Traditionalists around him frowned upon the writing of new songs, but he didn’t care.” In parallel to the songs by prominent artists that he performed, he also played his own original that he titled, “If I Could Sing.”

Following this, Kevin mentioned that he has a CD project in the works, and also used the opportunity to drive home the point that, even as an older genre, folk music is still evolving today.

Kevin will be performing his program once again in Little Compton, RI on the afternoon of Saturday, November 9th, 2019.

Filed Under: More News Right, News

Aerial spraying continues

September 20, 2019 By Kathleen Peloquin, Media Editor

Cathleen Drinan,
Health agent for Halifax
Special to the Express

On Monday afternoon, 9-16-19, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) held a conference call for boards of health to discuss the aerial spraying in response to the continued seriousness of the mosquito borne virus of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).

While this aerial spraying could be considered a fourth or a continuation of the third, their point was to take advantage of our warm temperatures and do what can be done to reduce the risk of this deadly virus.

Any towns at high or critical risk for EEE, that were not covered in the recent aerial spraying are planned to be sprayed beginning the evening of 9-16-19 and continuing, weather allowing.

Some nights, the plane sprays only part of a planned area because it rains or the temperature drops below a point where it will not be effective, around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

As with previous aerial sprayings this year, the public is to be informed after the fact.

While DPH recognizes the concerns and wishes of the public to be informed ahead of time, they have learned that they must give the pilots the choice to make the decisions, as to what can and cannot be accomplished, according to the weather conditions.

It is only after the fact that DPH can produce the map of what areas were sprayed.

Please visit https://www.mass.gov/guides/eee-in-massachusetts#-september-2019-aerial-spraying-information-

That page also has the dusk to dawn time guidelines.

Protect yourself and your family. Use EPA approved repellants. Cover yourself, whenever possible, with long sleeves and pants and avoid being outdoors from dusk to dawn.

Do all you can to prevent the bite!

Filed Under: More News Right, News

Winnetuxet Bridge closed for repairs

September 20, 2019 By Kathleen Peloquin, Media Editor

The Winnetuxet River Bridge is closed for repairs on Winnetuxet Road in Plympton for the next couple of weeks while the substructure posts are wrapped to give them strength.

Highway Superintendent Scott Ripley told The Express that this project was begun by now retired Highway Superintendent Jim Mulcahy and is now being completed.

The bridge is subject to annual inspection by the State and it has been known that the substructure is in need of repair.  An operator in an excavator was working on Tuesday to remove the large rocks under the bridge so workers can access the pilings to wrap them with sleeves to make them stronger, avoiding replacement for the time being.

They expect this part of the project to take a couple of weeks, after which the bridge will re-open to traffic as they plan the final phase of replacing the guard rails. Then they will once again close the bridge to traffic while they work on it.

“The guard rails won’t look much different from what we have now,” Ripley said.  “They’ll still be wooden.”  The planking on the bridge will not be replaced.

Ripley said he expects entire project will be completed by the first of November.

Filed Under: Breaking News, News

Whitman man charged with motor vehicle homicide

March 30, 2018 By Kathleen Peloquin, Media Editor

 PLYMOUTH – A Whitman man has been arraigned on charges that he was operating under the influence of alcohol when he caused a crash that killed a Carver man, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced Wednesday afternoon, March 28.

Alec Dowie, 51, of Whitman, was arraigned in Plymouth District Court on one count each of Motor Vehicle Homicide and Operating Under the Influence, third offense. He pleaded not guilty today in Plymouth District Court and was held on $5,000 cash bail with conditions that he does not drive, he submit to daily drug and alcohol monitoring, and that he surrender his passport.

On Febr. 6, at 6:45 p.m., Halifax Police and Fire personnel responded to the area of 38 Monponsett Str., for a report of a two-car crash. Upon arrival, police found that a 2018 Dodge Challenger operated by Dowie, had crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a 2005 Honda CRV operated by Richard March, 78, of Carver. Both operators were transported from the crash scene for treatment of their injuries.

March was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where he succumbed to his injuries just after 9 p.m. that same night.

Halifax Police contacted State Police Detectives with the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and an investigation commenced with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department BCI and State Police CARS Unit.

The investigation found that Dowie had a Blood Alcohol Content Level of 0.084 and Dowie tested positive for Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine and Opiates in his system. Dowie told investigators that he took a Percocet prior to the crash.

 

Dowie was arrested by Whitman Police on Monday, March 26 on an outstanding warrant. He is next scheduled to appear in court on June 6 for pretrial conference.

Assistant District Attorney Russell Eonas is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Halifax Police, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department BCI and State Police CARS Unit.

Filed Under: News

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