Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

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Salute to nation’s veterans

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Plympton and Halifax joined cities and towns throughout the country showing their red, white, and blue stars and stripes with ceremonies, parades, and moments of quiet reflection.

Plympton’s parade showcased its fire trucks, including the fully restored 1938 Buffalo driven by resident Don Vautrinot.

It was Plympton’s turn to host the Silver Lake Regional High School’s Marching Band, and they played the standards well, rousing the onlookers.  Selectmen, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and horses, all took their places as they marched from the Historical Society Building.

The parade culminated at the Town Green where selectmen led the hundreds gathered there in prayer and the salute to the flag.

Dennett School students took part.  Lillian Rankin recited the Gettysburg Address from memory, Brianna Crowley narrated the poem “In Flanders Field”, and Brianna Barrow read her essay,  “What Memorial Day means to me.”

Doris Silva, the Boston Post Cane recipient as Plympton’s oldest citizen at 102 was presented flowers by Briggette Martins, secretary to the selectmen and a member of the parade committee.  Doris is also a veteran of the Coast Guard.

The Halifax parade stepped off at 9:30 a.m. from the Halifax Country Club, with Parade Marshal WWII Iwo Jima veteran Jim Gargiola being driven by Korean War veteran Edgar Bent in a fully restored Model T Ford.  Walking alongside were members of the Halifax VFW Post 6258.

Following were Boy Scouts Troop 39, Girl Scouts, a Generations Float, courtesy of  Nessralla Farms, and marchers from A Dancer’s World who danced their way down Route 106 to the Halifax Town Hall.

At the 10 a.m. ceremonies, Steve Littlefield, Asst. Veterans’ Agent, gave opening remarks.  Parade Marshal Jim Gargiola read “The Ragged Old Flag”, and Rev. Dr. William Wildman of the Halifax Congregational Church gave the invocation.

The placing of the memorial wreaths was done by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Boy Scouts, Wil Corey, Veterans’ Service Officer, Steve Littlefield, Asst. Veterans’ Agent, and the Board of Selectmen.

Matt Clancy to return as interim police chief

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Police Chief Matthew Clancy (Photo Courtesy of the Duxbury Clipper)

At the regular meeting held May 6, Plympton Selectmen voted to name Matthew Clancy as Interim Police Chief effective August 1, 2019.  Clancy will manage the Plympton Police Department on the retirement of Chief Patrick Dillon at the end of July, 2019.

Clancy is currently serving as Police Chief in Duxbury, and he will be retiring from there effective June 14, 2019.  He is very familiar with the Town of Plympton and the Plympton Police Department, as prior to serving the Town of Duxbury for the past eight years, Clancy was the Plympton Police Chief from December 2002 to April 2010.

Matt Clancy holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University and he is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.  With over thirty-two years of combined full-time policing experience, Mr. Clancy has been involved with developing a wide array of policing, management and labor relations policies.  Mr. Clancy serves as the President of the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission and we thoroughly believe that his transparent and hands-on management approach will make him an asset to the Town of Plympton and we are thrilled to be welcoming him back.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our current Police Chief Patrick Dillon for managing the Plympton Police Department in an effective, efficient and responsive manner.  Chief Dillon has led the Department well over the years by setting a great example and encouraging officers to be involved with the community.  Chief Dillon also played an integral role in the planning process for the newly constructed Plympton Police Station.  We wish Chief Dillon the best of luck in his future endeavors and a very happy and healthy retirement.

Plympton’s first hemp grow license

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A field of hemp.

The Town of Plympton has been notified by the Commonwealth that the town’s first Industrial Hemp Grower License was issued by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to Scott Sauchuk.

When contacted this week Sauchuk told the Express that he isn’t going to plant the crop; that he  applied for the license over the winter, when it looked like a good idea.  Further research helped him decide to go with other plans.

Hemp culture is a crop that will likely be seen again as it can now be grown without the stigma of being a “cousin” to marijuana.

The Act to Ensure Safe Access to Marijuana, legislation passed July 28, 2017, created a distinction between hemp and marijuana, recognizing hemp as an agricultural commodity, and removed it from the controlled substance list, allowing hemp to be grown commercially throughout the United States.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) was given the authority to oversee the growth and production of hemp for commercial and research purposes within the Commonwealth, and the planting, growing, harvesting, processing, and retail sale of hemp and its products require licensing by MDAR.

Under federal law, the 2018 Farm Bill allowed the United States Department of Agriculture to develop regulations and guidelines relative to the cultivation of hemp and set the stage for major changes to the Industrial Hemp industry in the United States.  These include, but are not limited to the following:

• Hemp has been removed from the Controlled Substances Act and is now considered an agricultural commodity, rather than a drug, though it is still subject to  state and federal oversight.

• Hemp is now eligible for federal crop insurance and hemp farmers may now participate in USDA programs for certification and competitive grants.

Hemp and marijuana are different varieties of the same plant species and cannot be distinguished simply by looking at them.  Due to the differences in the end use of the product, they are generally cultivated differently.  They are both cannabis plants and both produce cannabinoids.  The marijuana plant contains high levels of the psychoactive compound THC – 5% to 25%.  The varieties used for hemp, however, have been selectively bred to contain no more than .3% of THC.

The MDAR will test the crop before harvest to ensure that the crop contains less than .3% THC.

Under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40A, commercial agricultural use is protected from unreasonable regulations or special permit requirements under local municipal zoning ordinances or bylaws.  While marijuana is expressly excluded from this protection, hemp is exempt from the definition of marijuana and is therefore eligible for the same protection as other forms of commercial agriculture.

Hemp, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts web site regarding the Commercial Industrial Hemp Program, is an extremely versatile plant with many uses.  It can be cultivated as a fiber crop, seed crop, or for production of cannabinoids found in the flowers.  Hemp products manufactured from the fibrous stalks and seeds include rope, clothes, food, paper, textiles, plastics, insulation, oil, and biofuel.

For more information regarding the regulations around the cultivating and processing of hemp, go to https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/20182018/04/30/Hemp%20Policy.pdf

HOPS playground build brings 100s

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By Jonathan Selig
Special to the Express

Talk about a productive weekend!

Some of us run some errands, work on the yard, maybe hit a soccer game or two.

Well the people of Halifax have officially raised the bar on weekend production.

The people of Halifax built a playground.

Hundreds gathered as part of a community build to resurrect the Halifax Open Play Space.

The original wooden structure – built in 1991 – was taken down six years ago after falling into disrepair and becoming a safety concern.

After the demolition the “Friends of HOPS” went to work. The group of about 10 volunteers held countless fundraisers, from the annual “Hop for HOPS” 5K, to the cow bingo “Plop for HOPS” to ”Chops for HOPS” meat raffles and “Rock for HOPS” concerts. They also helped secure a $50,000 grant from the state. When all was said and done they gave the town more than $200,000 towards a new playground.

The new space is completely ADA compliant and features many cutting edge pieces including several spinning structures, a climbing structure and a 75-foot zipline.

It currently remains closed until the playground’s rubber pathway can be poured in place but should be ready in the coming weeks.

Fish stocking on the Winnetuxet

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Plympton’s Winnetuxet River and Taylor Pond were stocked with about 600 brown trout on Monday.  (Photo by Michelle Smith)

Plympton’s Winnetuxet River and Taylor Pond were stocked with about 600 brown trout on Monday.  This photo by Michelle Smith caught the fishery guys in the act.

Many rivers and ponds are in the process of being stocked with trout by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, as they get ready for the spring fishing season.

Biologists at Fisheries and Wildlife told the Express that about 600 Brown Trout were released into Taylor Pond on Monday.  Taylor Pond is considered a “put and take” stocking site, and the trout are not expected to winter over and naturalize, according to Fisheries biologists say.

They don’t stock Monponsett Ponds because that water is too warm, according to the biologist.  Trout are cold water fish and a water temperature of 52 degrees is ideal.

About 3,000 trout, a mix of Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and Rainbow Trout were released into the Indian Head River, which runs between Hanover and Hanson.

These trout, measuring between 6 inches and 8 inches, were raised in the Sandwich hatchery, and were part of close to a half million fish stocked throughout Massachusetts this spring.   Coupled with the more than 65,000 fish stocked last fall, the 2019 fishing season should be excellent, according to the fisheries personnel.

Town elections take shape

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Halifax Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor has announced that the following have returned their nomination papers and will be listed on the ballot for the town’s annual election on May 18.  The deadline to return nomination papers was Friday, March 29, at 5 p.m. in order to have the candidacy printed on the town’s election ballots.

Two candidates will seek the single selectman’s position left by retiring Kim Roy.   Gordon C. Andrews, a current member of both Halifax Elementary School Committee and the Silver Lake Regional School Committee will face off against Melinda Tarsi, a member of the Finance Committee, in the election’s only contested race.

The following candidates will seek re-election to these three-year terms:

Board of Assessors – Thomas Millias; Board of Health – John Weber; Constable, two positions – Thomas Hammond and Thomas Schindler; Board of Library Trustees, two positions – Paul Delaney and Madeline Flood; Park Commissioner – Thomas Schindler; Silver Lake Regional School Committee – Paula Hatch; and Board of Water Commissioners – Donald Bosworth.

Amy Troup will seek election to Planning Board for the 5-year term.  She is unopposed in her race.

There is no candidate for the Halifax Elementary School Committee three-year term.

The Annual Town Election will be held Saturday, May 18, at the Halifax Elementary School gym.  The polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The last day to register to vote at the Annual Town Meeting and Town Election is Tuesday, April 23.  The clerk’s office will be open until 8 p.m. on that day for voter registration.    Also, people can check their voter registration status and register to vote online at: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/

Assistant Town Clerk Patricia Detterman, the Town of Plympton Annual Town election will take place Saturday, May 18, at the Plympton Town House, 5 Palmer Rd., Rte. 58, Plympton.  Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The last day to return nomination papers with at least 20 signatures was last Friday, March 29.

According to Assistant Town Clerk Tricia Detterman, there are 14 positions on the ballot this May and the following have returned nomination papers:

Incumbent Arthur B. Morin, Jr., for the 3-year term on the Board of Health; incumbent Christine Winslow for the 3-year term on the Board of Library Trustees; Linda Lawson for the 2-year term on the Board of Library Trustees; incumbent Steven Lewis for the 3-year term on the Finance Committee; Barry DeCristofano for the 3-year term as Town Moderator; John Schmid for the 3-year term on the Planning Board; Ann Sobolewski for the 5-year term on the Planning Board; Amy Hempel for the 3-year term on the Plympton School Committee; Michael Antoine for the 2-year term on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee; Patricia Detterman for the 2-year term as Town Clerk; and incumbent John Traynor Jr. for the three year term as Selectman.

There are one 3-year term for Board of Assessors, one 3-year term on Finance Committee, and one 3-year term on the Board of Library Trustees that have no candidate.

The last day to object or withdraw nomination papers is Wednesday,
April 17, 2019.

Voting will take place at the Plympton Town House, Saturday, May 18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Halifax Housing Production Plan

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The Town of Halifax is in the process of updating its Housing Production Plan (HPP) with technical assistance provided by the Old Colony Planning Council, the Regional Planning Agency for this area. 

Residents can help participate by completing the following survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BD7Z3QZ

A Housing Production Plan is a proactive strategy for planning and developing affordable housing.  

The State’s regional planning statute, Chapter 40B, is a law that seeks to ensure that all 351 of the Commonwealth’s cities and towns provide for the creation of new homes for individuals, families and older adults, across a range of incomes. 

The goal of the statute is for every city and town to have 10% of their year round housing units qualify as affordable to households making up to 80% of the area median income.   The statute helps communities meet the Commonwealth’s housing needs, by providing a flexible zoning approval process (comprehensive permit) for developments that include 25% affordable units.  At the same time, Chapter 40B provides opportunities for municipalities to control their own housing growth.  

The law enables agencies like MassHousing to deny 40B project eligibility to projects that are inconsistent with local planning priorities in localities that have demonstrated commitment to planning and delivering housing growth.  That is why it is important to have an up to date Housing Production Plan and have it approved by The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).  

HPP’s give communities that are under the 10% threshold of Chapter 40B, but are making steady progress in producing affordable housing on an annual basis, more control over comprehensive permit applications for a specified period of time. Communities that demonstrate planning and production for affordable housing may also be eligible to receive priority scoring for Commonwealth Grant Programs as well as access to capital grant programs and technical assistance.  

Community input is a key part of the planning process and this survey will help provide a better understanding of the needs of Halifax residents. It is important to understand who currently lives in the community, demographic trends affecting future growth, existing housing stock, and future housing needs.   

By engaging the community in discussions about the need for affordable housing and taking a proactive approach in updating its Housing Production Plan, Halifax is more likely to achieve its long range housing and community planning goals, allowing for more diverse housing opportunities for residents of all income levels.  

Town Clerk takes Boston job

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Plympton Town Clerk Tara Shaw. (Courtesy Photo)

“I have enjoyed working with everyone,” Plympton Town Clerk Tara Shaw said as she announced this week that she will be leaving the position as of April 1, “ from the people who come into my office, to the good friends I have made through work at the Town House.

“This is such a wonderful town,” she continued.  “I remember the day when my children were home alone for the first time while I went to work at the Town House.  I asked the patrolman on duty if he would drive past the house to reassure them.”

“Everyone in this town takes care of everybody.  And that’s how I thought about my job as Town Clerk.  It was always worthwhile.”

The two years remaining for her term will be on the ballot for the annual town election May 18.  Assistant Town Clerk Patricia “Tricia” Detterman has taken out nomination papers for the position.

There will be 14 open seats on the ballot:

 • 1 Selectman, 3 years

• 1 Board of Assessor, 3 years

• 1 Board of Health Member, 3 years

• 2 Board of Library Trustees, 2 years

• 1 Board of Library Trustee, 3 years

• 2 Finance Committee Members, 3 years

• 1 Moderator, 3 years

• 1 Planning Board Member, 5 years

• 1 Planning Board Member, 3 years

• 1 Plympton School Committee, 3 years

• 1 Silver Lake Regional School Committee, 2 years

•1 Town Clerk, 2 years

Nomination papers are available in the Town Clerk’s Office at the Plympton Town House during regular business hours, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Monday evenings, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The last day to submit nomination papers with at least 22 signatures is Friday, March 29, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

The last day to object or withdraw nomination papers is Wednesday, April 17, 2019.
https://www.town.plympton.ma.us/town-clerk/elections

  Papers that have been pulled as of Tuesday, March 5, 2019:

• 1 SL Regional School Committee, 2 years, Michael Antoine

• 1 Planning Board, 3 years, John Schmid

• 1 Board of Library Trustees, 3 years, incumbent Christine Winslow

• 1 Finance Committee, 3 years, incumbent Steven Lewis

• 1 Town Clerk, 2 years, Patricia Detterman

There are only three weeks to take out nomination papers and return them to the Town Clerk to be included/printed on the ballot.

Please consider serving the town in one of these positions.

H’way super says snow funds used up

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Plympton selectmen Monday night were surprised by the request of Highway Superintendent Scott Ripley to declare a snow and ice emergency. (Courtesy photo)

Plympton selectmen Monday night were surprised by the request of Highway Superintendent Scott Ripley to declare a snow and ice emergency as he has used up his snow removal funds for the season.

Having been a winter with the least snow in recent memory, according to Boston weather people, selectmen said they would either call him in to explain, or perhaps just have a member of the board meet with him and discuss how the funds were spent.

In all fairness, Ripley began his position of Highway Superintendent in August, 2018,  after the budgets were set by Town Meeting vote ion May of 2018.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy presented the marijuana by-law produced by Ann Sobolewski with the Planning Board for selectmen’s approval.  The approved by-law will be returned to the Planning Board so a hearing may be scheduled in preparation for the Annual Town Meeting in May.

Selectman Christine Joy told the board that Plympton needs to do a much better job in its recycling, as does the rest of the country, and the effects are being felt throughout our economy.

China no longer buys our mixed paper for recycling because of the contaminants we allow, an average of 25%, forcing the United States to look elsewhere to sell its mixed paper.  What in 2017 brought $90 per ton in trade with China, in 2019 brings only $4 a ton from other markets like India.  “I don’t know that the country will ever get China back,” Joy said.   

What items are the worst offenders?  Think long, stringy things that tangle up the processor: garden hoses, plastic one-use grocery bags, plastic wrap. Don’t put recyclables in plastic bags.  The attendant won’t open the bag; it just goes into the trash.  Clothing can’t be processed with recyclables; in Plympton, it goes in the charity bins near the bottle and can redemption trailer.

The presentation she attended also cited help Massachusetts is giving in the way of grants for educating residents about what is recyclable and what is trash, and also grants for building recycling facilities, to help communities get serious about recycling.

Selectmen unanimously approved the application of Upinto2, Inc., the corporate name of the motorcycle riding school on County Road.  Upinto2, Inc. was granted a Class II motor vehicle sales license to sell motorcycles, primarily to their students.   Selectmen stipulated that no motorcycles were to be displayed outdoors for sale and no more than 40 motorcycles, 10 of which would be for sale, the rest for students to ride in classes, would be on the premises at a time.

In other business selectmen

• reviewed the open election seats for boards and committees

• executed a contract for Air Vacuum Corporation to deal with the exhaust fumes of vehicles at the Fire Station.

• voted to open the warrants for the Special Town Meeting and the Annual Town Meeting, both to be held May 15.

• reviewed the process of compiling the Annual Town Report, making sure that boards and committees follow the instructions to submit their reports to the town before the March 21 deadline.

The next meeting will take place March 11, at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Museum program tells tales at Library

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Shannon Murphy, from the Blue Hills Trailside Museum, pictured with the museum’s Broad-winged Hawk. 

Shannon Murphy, from the Blue Hills Trailside Museum, kept her audience in rapt attention as she told the tales of various tails at the Plympton Public Library on Saturday.  Shannon brought the program Nature Tales: Habitatsto her listeners, young and older.

Shannon is pictured with the Museum’s Broad-winged Hawk.  Miranda Bloom of the Trailside Museum in Milton explained that they don’t name their resident wildlife to remind people that these are wild animals, and not pets.  “This is particularly applicable to the Broad-winged’s story, because that is part of how he came to us,” she told The Express. 

“All of the animals that reside at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum are not able to be released into the wild for one reason or another, whether it be because of injury or imprinting.  In this hawk’s case it was due to imprinting.  He was found by a family as a baby and kept as a pet until they learned it is illegal to keep wild animals in captivity.  The family tried to release the hawk back into the wild but it didn’t know how to catch its own food by that point. “

“He kept returning to their deck,” Bloom continued, “allowing other birds to peck his head, injuring him, while he waited to be fed.  After being rehabilitated he was brought to the Museum and now helps with our education programs.”

The Blue Hills Trailside Museum is operated in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.  It is the interpretive center for the state-owned Blue Hills Reservation and features a natural history museum and outdoor exhibits of native wildlife.  The animals on display – including Snowy Owls and a River Otter – have been rescued and would not survive in the wild.

It is located at 1904 Canton Ave., Milton and is open Thursday through Sunday, and Monday holidays, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Outdoor exhibits are open daily from dawn to dusk.

To learn more about the Blue Hills Trailside Museum and its programs, go to https://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/blue-hills-trailside-museum .