Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

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Plympton wins court decision on Title V

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The town of Plympton was vindicated by a recent Superior Court decision to uphold the Town’s bylaws restricting mounded septic systems to house lots of five acres or more.

Plaintiffs Arlene O’Donnell, trustee of the Anderson Family Revocable Trust, Ernest M. Stevens, Trustee of the S&T Realty Trust, and Richard Springer, a local builder, brought suit against the town for “arbitrary and capricious” enforcement of Plympton’s Title V regulations.

Plympton requires a house lot of five acres or more to accommodate a “mounded system”.  The lot under review was in fact three parcels, two that were not contiguous, that is they do not share a common border, and the total of both did not equal five acres.  The third parcel was a strip of land across the backs of the two lots in between the lots under consideration, thereby connecting the two.   With that 20-foot strip, the area of the “lot” could then total five acres.

Plympton’s Board of Health, Arthur Morin, Chairman, did not allow the permit for the system, citing regulations that “exceed the minimum requirements for subsurface disposal of sanitary sewage … provided by the state environmental code referred to as supplements to Title V of the State Environmental Code,” as the  board is allowed to do.

Because Plympton has no public water or sewer system, all agricultural and industrial wastewaters are deposited into the same aquifer used for the Town’s drinking supply.  The Court allowed that the Board of Health acted properly to protect the Town’s environmental resources and its drinking water supply by not allowing a lot configuration that would not support proper leaching of a septic system.

Nov. 1, 2021, Superior Court Justice William M White, Jr., issued the order.  The Plaintiffs had 60 days to appeal the decision, and did not.  The ruling stands in favor of Plympton.

Santa rode in a Plympton fire truck

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Sunday, Dec. 19, Santa and Mrs. Claus were treated to a fire-truck tour of Plympton to meet good little girls and boys who were all excited about Christmas.

Beginning at the Plympton Historical Society at noon, the E2 truck went to Rebecca Way, The Woodlands, Cranberry Knoll, Popes Farm cul-de-sac, Thomas Blanchard Drive and Marie Elaine Drive, Buttonwood Drive at Deborah Sampson, then to Brackett Terrace, Granville Baker Way, then finishing up at the Dennett Elementary School at 2:30.

Thanks go to Plympton Fire Capt. Cheryl Davis and her merry band of firefighter elves and the Plympton Police Department for giving up their Sunday to turn a cold, damp December day into a cheerful Christmas memory.

Bags and totes for homeless women

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Mary Schiess
Express correspondent

For Cindy Murray and her daughter Amy the holidays start in Halifax and extend far beyond. Each year Cindy and Amy identify an organization or cause to share their Christmas spirit. This year a Facebook entry, a volunteer from Marshfield, and extensive news about “Mass and Cass” inspired Christmas project 2021.

Cindy had seen a post about kindness bags collected by a local youth group. These are one gallon plastic bags for the homeless. They may include wet wipes, tooth brushes and toothpaste, small bottles of water, socks, snacks, mittens, tissues, chapsticks, and whatever sundries might be in need by people whose home is the street.

Cindy also saw a Facebook post about Bill Selvitelle of Marshfield. After retirement Bill studied and taught yoga. That lead to an initial request for gently worn winter coats from his students. These he delivered to a Plymouth home for Veterans. Bill’s career took him throughout the Boston area where he developed an acute awareness of the homeless. After spreading the word on social media, Bill began collecting and delivering multiple donations to the needy. When Cindy needed advice for this year’s project, she contacted Bill.

Bill had observed that homeless women never have ladies’ handbags, a defining item for many women. He suggested that collecting handbags might be a good idea. Cindy knew that most women have handbags stored and unused. This year’s project would consist of collecting women’s handbags and filling them with women’s necessities. Bill would deliver the collection to Rosie’s Place.

Cindy established a drop off spot on her porch with a goal of twenty bags. She used the Halifax Facebook page to spread the word. Twenty bags became forty and eventually sixty. Monetary donations paid for Dunkin’ gift cards and supplemented toiletry donations with more from the Dollar Store.

The project reinforced Cindy’s respect for her neighbors and townspeople. She said, “In an age of skepticism, no one questioned.” They simply contributed.

The road to Boston meandered through Bill’s town of Marshfield and on to Boston.

Cindy and Bill both note the importance of adding a personal message to the gifts. Cindy assured that each handbag included Christmas cards or messages.  When delivering packages, Bill emphasizes the need to establish a personal connection with the homeless. He reflects on the meaningfulness of a five minute conversation.

While Cindy praised the cooperation of Halifax residents, Bill’s world is a little wider. He is similarly in awe of the generosity throughout the South Shore. Both of them experienced an emotional moment when discussing the mission.

“This is the first time in a long time I feel like I am making a small difference,” Cindy said. She is already planning a February project, perhaps backpacks for the gentlemen.

Santa and friends toy and food drive

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Saturday, Dec. 4, the Halifax Fire Dept., driving Ladder 1, took to the streets with Santa and his elves to collect new, unwrapped toys, and non-perishable food.   

This is the 23rd year the the Fire Department and the Girl Scouts have teamed up to help others in town who might be struggling to make a holiday for their families, especially after such a trying year.

All donated items collected will be distributed through the two local churches, kept in town helping families in need.

Plympton Sand for Seniors program

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PLYMPTON – The Plympton Fire Department, Plympton Police Department and Plympton Highway Department have teamed up to deliver free buckets of salt and sand to senior citizens in town to try and prevent slips and falls on the ice this winter.

The five-gallon buckets were donated by the Lowe’s Home Improvement store in Kingston and are filled with a mix of salt and sand from the town’s highway department for the residents to use at their homes on their steps, walkways and driveways during the winter months.

“When we go to the homes, we also talk to the senior citizens about the dangers of ice during the winter and other possible fire safety issues in their homes, such as working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms,” Captain John Sjostedt said.

While making a delivery on Friday, Captain Sjostedt learned a resident hadn’t replaced their smoke alarms in more than a decade. The firefighters will be returning to the home within the next couple of days to replace the resident’s smoke alarms with new ones free of charge.

Any senior citizen who lives in Plympton and would like a bucket of salt and sand can call the fire department at 781-585-0783 to arrange for a delivery.

PLYMPTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

3 PALMER ROAD

PLYMPTON, MA 02367

781-585-2633

Cathy Drinan, health agent, naturalist, friend

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Cathleen “Cathy” Drinan, 69, died Sunday after being critically injured in a fire at her home in Plymouth Wednesday night.

Cathy was the much loved and respected health agent for the towns of Plympton and Halifax for many years before her retirement in 2020 and a talented columnist for the Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express.

The Plymouth Fire Dept. responded to a call to her home at 10:22 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, after a 10-year-old neighbor saw the fire next door and alerted parents who made the 911 call to Plymouth emergency services.

One Plymouth firefighter was later transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth where he was treated for first and second degree burns to his ears, neck, and back.   His ears took the worst of it, Plymouth Fire Chief Ed Bradley told the Express.  “This (injury) was steam burns from the water being used to control the fire.   The heat was intense.”

The victim was transported via MedFlight ground crew to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where she later died.

The cause of the fire was likely an electrical failure in the living room, Bradley said, though the fire remains under investigation by Plymouth Fire Department investigators, along with the fire investigation troopers from the Fire Marshal’s office.

Funeral arrangements will be  under the direction of Blanchard Funeral Chapel in Whitman. See her full obituary on page 5 of this newspaper.

Cathy Drinan, 69, Express columnist, died of injuries sustained in fire

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Our friend, Cathy Drinan, 69, died Sunday after being critically injured in a fire at her home in Plymouth. Cathy was the much loved and respected health agent for the towns of Plympton and Halifax for many years before her retirement in 2019 and a talented columnist for the Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express.

Plymouth Fire Dept. responded to the call to the home at 10:22 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, after a 10-year-old neighbor saw the fire next door and alerted parents who made the 911 call to Plymouth emergency services.

One Plymouth firefighter was later transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital where he was treated for first and second degree burns to his ears, neck, and back.   His ears took the worst of it, Plymouth Fire Chief Ed Bradley told the Express. “This (injury) was steam burns from the water being used to control the fire.   The heat was intense.”

The victim was transported via MedFlight ground crew to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where she later died.

The cause of the fire was likely an electrical failure in the living room, Bradley said, though the fire remains under investigation by Plymouth Fire Department investigators, along with the fire investigation troopers from the Fire Marshal’s office.

Holiday luncheon for Halifax COA

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Everyone was in a festive mood at the return of the annual Halifax Council on Aging Holiday Luncheon held on Dec. 1 at the Holy Apostles Parish Center on the campus of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Halifax.

Halifax first responders along with staff from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office helped serve turkey dinners to Halifax seniors.  Dinners were prepared by The Olde Hitching Post restaurant in Hanson with owner Andrea Garnavos on hand to help.

Entertainment featured singer Tommy Rull taking diners ”On a musical journey through the years” that even included a few holiday favorites.

Funding for the performer was provided by a grant from the Halifax and Massachusetts Cultural Councils.

Nine new Eagle Scouts in Halifax

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The pandemic-delayed Boy Scout Eagle Court of Honor ceremony was held Saturday, Nov. 27, in the Town Hall Great Room.  Nine Halifax scouts received the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America program, the long journey of earning badges culminating with a service project that they themselves organize.   The formal ceremony, led by Scoutmaster Peter Burgess, included presentations, pledges, and citation, was also attended by Halifax selectmen and State Representative Kathy LaNatra.

Text and photos by Marla Webby

Holidays in Halifax is Saturday

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The Town of Halifax will hold an outdoor version of their annual Holidays in Halifax this year on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Festivities will begin at 5 p.m. with the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Town  Green, at the Hemlock St. side of the Town Hall.   Magical ice sculptors will show their artistry outside on the Town Hall lawn, always a favorite in years past.   

Live performances will take place throughout, and there will be a movie set up for outside viewing at the Holmes Public Library parking lot.

Food trucks with treats to keep you warm will be available in the library parking lot.  Live animals will be nearby and there will be a reading of The Night Before Christmas and, of course, a visit from Santa.

Everyone is invited to attend.