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Andrews wins in Land Court

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Are the lawsuits of Gordon C. Andrews v. the Town of Halifax finally over?  They may well be.

The Massachusetts Land Court ruled in favor of Andrews on all counts in a decision that came down last week on Aug. 23.

Since 2014, Andrews, an Elm St. resident and abutter to the Amanda’s Estates property, has questioned the legality of the building permits issued for its development, claiming that Halifax By-Laws were not being followed.

Andrews alleged in numerous pleas to the Building Inspector and the Zoning Board of Appeals that Amanda’s Estates should not be granted the building permits it was seeking, to develop the 12-acre property.

The 17-page decision from the Land Court details the various steps that Andrews took in response to actions by the town and concluded that the Zoning Board of Appeals failed to apply the by-laws equally when it comes to special permits and variances, ruling in Andrews’s favor.

Andrews claimed that had the former building inspector and the Zoning Board of Appeals listened to the town’s land use attorney, Richard Hucksam, in July and August of 2017, none of these lawsuits would have taken place.

“Moving forward,” Andrews said, “I hope the Planning Board and Zoning Board will implement the town’s land use attorney’s advice while making decisions on this project and others before them, attend conflicts of interest, open meeting law, and land use trainings (seminars) offered by the state and other associations the town belongs to.”

The project presently has three buildings and one certificate of occupancy associated with it.  These, according to the decision of the Land Court on Aug. 24, 2022, are annulled.

Andrews urges people to look up the online, recorded board and committee meetings for a first hand view of the workings of the town’s governing bodies.   

“I heard a lot about my lawsuits being a reason not to vote for me during the last election in May.  I thought to the contrary, that my lawsuits showed the people what I stand for,” Andrews said.  “I have knowledge, willpower, to take on a heavy burden, relentlessly pursue a cause and hold people accountable.  I spoke out numerous times about how the town’s defense was a waste of money for the taxpayer.  My family and I paid a heavy toll for standing up and doing the right thing,” Andrews concluded.

SCARLET SUNSET

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A band made up of current Silver Lake students and recent graduates, came together over the summer with a plan to showcase their talents.  Many practices, and fun times, culminated in an end-of-summer live performance for friends and family held at the Carver School of Music on Friday, Aug. 12.   Pictured are, front row: Nathan Saad, guitar.  Back row, from left, are Rosella Hoffman, piano/vocals; Patrick Bray, vocals; Laurel Fallis, vocals/guitar; Brennan Fallis, drums; Connor McKinnon, MC/vocals, and Ben Webby, bass.      Photo by Roseann Fallis

Dog license late fees begin Sept. 15

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Beginning Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, a $50 late fee will be charged on all Dog License registrations. Residents can submit their dog license registration in-person, by mail or by using the drop-box located at the Town Hall parking lot entrance.

Please include cash or a check payable to the Town of Halifax, a completed Dog License Registration form, rabies vaccination certificate(s), and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Alternatively, residents may process their dog license registration online at (https://www.halifax-ma.org/pay). Online registrations are only valid if the Town Clerk’s Office has a current rabies vaccination certificate on-file.

It is highly recommended to verify that all required materials are on-file before proceeding with a dog license registration online. You can do so by calling (781) 293-7970 or e-mailing ClerksOffice@halifax-ma.org.

An owner who has not licensed their dog(s) by 4 pm on Wednesday, Sept. 14, will incur a late fee of $50 per dog plus the cost of the license(s). An owner who has not licensed their dog(s) by Nov. 1 will be issued a court citation of $25 per dog, plus the late fee of $50 per dog as well as the cost of the license(s). The cost of a dog license is $10 for neutered or spayed dogs and $15 for dogs that are not neutered or spayed. All dogs must be licensed in accordance with Massachusetts General Law.

The Town Clerk’s office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Morse Bros. scales back project size

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Halifax selectmen heard from a throng of more than a hundred residents voicing their concerns regarding what they call gravel mining on the cranberry bogs off Lingan Street.

Morse Bros. Cranberry Co. had been on the agenda with their earth removal application.  Before the meeting, however, the company withdrew their application.

Select chair Ashley DiSesa read an email from Halifax Police Chief Joao A. Chaves, copied to the Town Administrator Marty Golightly and the members of the Board of Selectmen stating they were pulling their earth removal permit and would not be present at the hearing Aug. 9.

Chaves, through his email to the board, said that there would still be some trucks moving material from their site to their other bogs in Middleboro and Hanson as part of their bog maintenance and dam rebuilding at those sites, actions that are permitted under Chapter 137 “Right to Farm” laws, requiring no permits as they are just doing agricultural and farming work.

The email went on to explain that Morse Bros. had notified the police department in the event that residents called to complain about the trucks.  “They are just doing normal farming tasks,” the email continued.  Chaves told the Morse Bros. representative that he would notify the Board of Selectmen and the members of his police department of the change.

Residents present at the selectmen’s meeting wanted to be heard but select chair DiSesa  told them that since there was no issue on the table for discussion.

“We have heard all of your concerns,” DiSesa told the group.   She said that when they sent the Zoning Enforcement Officer  to investigate a claim at the site he found Morse Bros. was operating within the law.

Selectmen went on to interview the final two candidates

In other business, selectmen

• allowed the moving of a utility pole.

• appointed James Hill to the Halifax Fireworks Committee.  His wife Susan is already a member.

•  appointed Lind McCarthy as Parking Clerk

Halifax BOS makes Chief choice

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen interviewed the two candidates for Fire Chief at their meeting Tuesday night, Aug. 9, and voted to offer the position to Michael Witham, a candidate known to the Halifax Fire Department.

While selectmen agreed that Brad Cronin  had an exceptional resume, his admitted lack of grant-writing experience was a drawback.

Witham has accepted the position and pending contract negotiations will be on the job soon.

Plympton’s ‘Two Brooks Preserve’ is now open!

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Plympton’s Conservation Commission is happy to announce that the Town’s new Two Brooks Preserve is open.

A band of hearty volunteers have been working tirelessly during the fall and winter months clearing trails, building boardwalks and installing a parking lot on Prospect Road to ready the Preserve for public use.  Our thanks again to them and to all the residents who have supported creating public access to this special area.

In order to protect the Preserve’s outstanding natural resources, including its significant groundwater and wildlife species, please remember that dogs must be leashed at all times; bicycles and motorized vehicles are not permitted.

Please respect neighboring properties as you travel the paths.

The Preserve’s boundaries have been professionally surveyed and legally verified by multiple entities to ensure their accuracy. No private property has been taken or infringed upon.

The Commission and the Open Space Committee look forward to welcoming everyone to this beautiful area in the Winnetuxet River Watershed.

Ava Mirisola of Kingston earns Dean’s List honors

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BOSTON – Ava Mirisola of Kingston  has earned Dean’s List honors for the Spring 2022 semester at Emerson College.

The requirement to make Dean’s List is a grade point average of 3.7 or higher for that semester.

Mirisola is majoring in Business Creative Enterprises and is a member of the Class of 2025.

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, opposite the historic Boston Common and in the heart of the city’s Theatre District, Emerson College educates individuals who will solve problems and change the world through engaged leadership in communication and the arts, a mission informed by liberal learning.

The College has 3,780 undergraduates and 670 graduate students from across the United States and 50 countries. Supported by state-of-the-art facilities and a renowned faculty, students participate in more than 90 student organizations and performance groups.

Emerson is known for its experiential learning programs in the States and other countries in the world.

in Los Angeles, the District of Columbia, the Netherlands, London, China, and the Czech Republic as well as its new Global Portals, with the first program launching this fall in Paris. The College has an active network of 51,000+ alumni who hold leadership positions in communication and the arts. For more information, visit emerson.edu.

Halifax 18th annual Summer Smash

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This past weekend saw some gruesome heat but young softball players laced up their cleats and oiled their gloves and took the field for some challenging competition.  It was the three-day Halifax Softball Summer Smash – the largest ever for this 18th annual event.

Three divisions brought teams together from throughout the South Shore: 10U, 12U, and 14U girls demonstrated that softball is in good hands with plenty of talent making its way through the grades.  The Halifax Hurricanes took top place in the U12 Red category.

Pete Barone, founder and president of the HGSL, began the Halifax Summer Smash in 2005 so his daughter Alex, then 8-years-old, and her teammates could play in their own tournament.   She is now 26 and runs the concessions and raffles with his other daughter Maddy.

“It started as 11 teams and quickly grew each year,” Barone said.  “We use all five fields at Halifax Elementary and both fields at Vaughan, next to the police station.  All the fields are full on Friday evening and from 7:30 a.m. to  7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. “  This year’s Summer Smash hosted 45 teams from throughout the area and it has become the largest “Town-Al-Stars” team tournament anywhere.

Barone credits the number of Halifax parents who volunteer their time each tourney to work on the fields, cover the snack shacks, set everything up and break it all down at the end with the continued success of the event.

Morse Bros. withdraws application

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Tuesday night’s Halifax selectmen’s meeting saw as much thunder inside the Town Hall as outside.

The item on the agenda that has been the talk of the town for weeks was the application from Morse Bros. Cranberries for a major earth removal project to redesign their bogs off Lingan Street.  When that application was withdrawn after the meeting and its agenda were posted, people came to Tuesday’s meeting wanting to be heard.

Selectmen were set to meet  in their first floor meeting room.  That quickly became overwhelmed and the meeting reconvened to the Great Hall upstairs.  Video recording capabilities had to be re-set for the new location and, as with the storms outside, the storms inside were also taking their toll.

Chairman Ashley DeSesa told the group that where the application was withdrawn there was no need for conversation.  But the people wanted to be heard.

What happens next?  We’ll have to wait and see.