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You are here: Home / Archives for Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Regionalization Explored

December 8, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Plympton and Halifax selectmen met at Plympton Town House Tuesday, Nov. 29, to brainstorm cost-saving measures and areas where the two towns could benefit from regionalization.

Also taking part in the conversation were Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Plympton Fire Chief Warren Borsari, Halifax Town Executive Assistant Charlie Seelig and Plympton Town Coordinator Dale Pleau.

Plympton selectmen had reached out to neighboring towns to explore the possibility of becoming more cost-efficient through combining forces to provide citizens with the best safety services at the most reasonable cost.

Fire Chief Warren Borsari told selectmen several weeks ago he had contacted Halifax’s Fire Chief Jason Viveiros to go over these possibilities and the regionalization discussion was scheduled.

Three options were brought to the table to combine the fire departments and ambulance services for Plympton and Halifax, with Halifax being the host town and Plympton run as a satellite fire station.

Option one would see two ALS (advanced life saving) ambulances, one stationed in each town, Viveiros said.  Halifax currently staffs one and a half ambulances for Halifax alone.  Viveiros said that the additional staffing to cover Plympton would cost Halifax $250,000, and Plympton’s ambulance receipts are only $190,000, leaving a  $60,000 shortfall.

Option two would take into consideration usual time of day call volume and staff accordingly.  At 8 a.m. call volume spikes, Viveiros said, and by 6 p.m. calls decline.  At 6 p.m. the Plympton ambulance would close and two ambulances would be run out of Halifax.  The additional cost would be brought down to $218,000 to cover.

Option three would be to maintain three full time people in Halifax all the time, and two full time people in Plympton, providing ALS coverage.  It would be run as one community.

Dale Pleau said that nowhere in Massachusetts has this been done successfully; New Englanders just don’t want to surrender control to another entity.  While financially it might be good, he said, there is such a passionate, emotional response…

Various staffing options were presented, and preliminary costs explored, and while much of the data was estimated, and few hard numbers calculated, first views appear to show little if any cost savings to Plympton.  Viveiros said both towns are in about the same situation, as far as equipment and personnel go, and that while savings could be realized, they wouldn’t be at first, they would be “down the line” as equipment needed to be replaced and other items could be bought as a region.

Plympton’s selectperson Christine Joy complemented Viveiros on Halifax’s development and use of a staffing formula for ultimate coverage, and she was assured that Halifax would be willing to help Plympton put a similar formula in place for their town.

Plympton selectman John Traynor asked if there is any grant money available to help in the regionalization process.  Viveiros answered that there is a grant available, with application time beginning January 1 and closing Feb 1, which would give a one-time $200,000 benefit.

Joy told the group Plympton has a grant from Old Colony Planning Council to look into regionalization.

Other areas investigated included sharing an animal control officer.  Halifax said it had no problem with Plympton asking their ACO to put in some hours for Plympton, but their ACO works as a part time town employee and Halifax is not interested in adding hours for Plympton that would make Halifax pay full time benefits, leave, and insurance to what is now a part-time position.

Joy told the group that she had spoken with the Halifax ACO and had never gotten a budget from her so could go no further with the proposal.  Halifax Selectman Kim Roy said that Halifax pays their ACO $21,000 and Joy countered that Plympton pays their ACO $5,250.  “Maybe that’s why Noreen didn’t call us back, “ Joy said.

Combining assessing departments was explored, when Town Administrator Dale Pleau suggested that there might be some savings there: all that would be needed would be a clerk to man the office, and the towns might share an assistant assessor to do the “heavy lifting.”  Charlie Seelig countered that Halifax employs a principal assessor full time, and an assistant who is almost full time.   Tom Milias, Halifax Selectman and Assessor, said he could see how the two towns’ departments could be blended.  Pleau said Assessing is one department which is universally done the same way in all towns; it is somewhere we could save some money.”

Looking ahead to the retirement of Plympton’s Town Accountant, the possibility of regionalizing there was not considered because Halifax already employs a full time town accountant.

The group felt the meeting was constructive and will continue to investigate regionalization cost saving measures.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Plympton Sisters dance in The Nutcracker

December 1, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Plympton sisters Emma and Sofia Christensen will dance at the South Shore Ballet Company’s performance of the Nutcracker.  Emma, 10, will dance the lead as Clara.

South Shore residents craving a Nutcracker fix this season need go no further than Braintree where  more than 85 local dancers will bring to life the story of Clara, a young girl swept up in a battle with a mouse king and then transported to the magical Land of the Sweets.

Set to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, the ballet includes performances by the Sugar Plum Fairy, featuring guest artist Sayaka Wakita (Royal Ballet of Flanders), to the mysterious Drosselmeyer, featuring SSBT faculty Harunaga Yamakawa, as well as a dazzling array of dancing palace fairies, chocolates and marzipan.

The Nutcracker will run December 17 and 18 with two performances on Saturday, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., and one performance on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Thayer Academy, 745 Washington St., Braintree.  Tickets are on sale at www.tututix.com, and are expected to sell out.

Emma is in the fifth grade at the Dennett Elementary School.  This is her 4th year participating in the South Shore Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker. She began dancing at 3, but more intensely at the age of 7.    Her sister Sofia is 7 years old and is in the second grade at the Dennett Elementary School.  She has been dancing since she was 3 years old.  This is her second year performing in the Nutcracker.  She will be an angel.

Hanover’s South Shore Ballet Theatre (SSBT), was founded in 2008 by Marthavan McKeon, a twenty seven-year veteran ballet instructor (including ten years with the Boston Ballet School) and former soloist with the Atlanta Ballet.  McKeon heads a faculty that includes former Boston Ballet soloists and faculty Leslie Woodies and Stephanie Moy, and former American Ballet Theatre dancer Nan Keating, who was principal of Boston Ballet School’s (now-defunct) Norwell studio and before that of the Children’s Ballet Workshop, precursor to the Boston Ballet School.

SSBT’s 5700 plus square feet of studio space is equipped with professionally-sprung floors, custom mirrors and barres and pianos for live accompaniment.   SSBT offers pre-professional training as well as recreational ballet for students from ages three to adult.

SSBT graduates have pursued advanced training at American Ballet Theatre, Ellison Ballet, Alvin Ailey/Fordham University, Houston Ballet Academy, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, Ballet West, Bolshoi Ballet (CT and NYC), Next Generation, Washington Ballet, Miami Ballet, and Carolina Ballet.

Filed Under: More News Left, News

22nd Annual Holidays in Halifax Dec. 10

December 1, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

The Town of Halifax will present the 22nd edition of Holidays in Halifax on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 3:45 to 8 p.m.

Activities will begin at 3:45 in the Halifax Elementary School Gym.  Other buildings will open later in the afternoon, and the event will close at 8 p.m.

While there won’t be fireworks at the end of the evening, other activities have been planned.

The Holmes Public Library will open at 5 p.m. to serve cider and cookies baked by the Silver Lake Regional Culinary Arts Dept.

The Halifax Fire Department will host its annual Chili Contest.  All are invited to bring in a crock of their favorite chili recipe by 5 p.m.  Chili aficionados attending the Holidays in Halifax festivities should stop by, taste the selection, and vote for their favorite.  In addition to bragging rights, a prize will be awarded to the maker of the chili collecting the most votes.

The Halifax Town Hall will have the upstairs Great Hall decked out with holiday cheer, a train meandering through a winter village, cookies, goodies, cakes, and snacks, will be served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to all who stop by.   Outside, ice sculptors will be hoping that the weather isn’t too mild so their artwork won’t melt.

The Holidays in Halifax committee is looking for volunteers to help out during the celebration.  They need face painters, helpers for coloring and making ornaments.  This is a perfect opportunity for high school students looking for community service hours.  Please email Theresa.Levenson@Halifaxfireworks.org if you can help.

Filed Under: Breaking News, News

Carver home may be spared eminent domain

December 1, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

According to Selectperson Christine Joy, the Tuscher family home and land on Montello Street in Carver may be saved from eminent domain by that town.

Reporting  Monday night on the Carver Redevelopment Committee, Joy told her board that there were many people at the Carver meeting demonstrating in support of Tuscher family, and that was the only issue that was discussed.  “We did not even get into Montello Street,” Joy said.  Montello Street crosses through both Plympton and Carver and will likely be redesigned to accommodate the new project.

She said she believes that the result of the meeting is that the Tuscher home has been taken off the list of those being taken by eminent domain; that the plan has been modified so that only a small portion of Tuscher property will be needed, “only a foot or so,” she said.

Selectman John Traynor asked if the Tuscher home was the only one the redevelopment LLC was taking.  “No,” Joy answered.  “They were going to take several.”  The Tuscher property was the only party where the owners did not want to sell.  The redevelopment company has sales agreements with the other parties, Joy said.  The developer was present at the Carver meeting and said they didn’t want to take anyone’s property who wanted to stay there, so he supported taking them off the eminent domain list.

Legal services

Town Counsel services are provided by the law firm of Koppelman and Paige and their contract is due to be renewed.  Plympton put out a request for proposals for Town Counsel and the only firm responding was Koppelman and Paige, proposing an annual retainer of $36,000, which would include only routine counsel services, but not adversarial matters, litigation, or major real estate development. 

Selectmen Chairman Colleen Thompson reported the town paid $55,850 last year without being under retainer, most of which was litigation and major real estate projects, none of which would be covered under the retainer option. 

Traynor offered that once several matters are concluded, Plympton should see their legal bills reduced considerably, and should something unexpected occur, it likely wouldn’t be covered under the retainer proposal anyway. 

The board agreed to wait a few days to get more information and have legal fees broken down before calling the matter to a vote.

Regionalization of services

Selectperson Joy drafted a letter to surrounding communities regarding the regionalization of some services that might be shared, such as town accountant, fire services, ambulance services, senior services, and animal control. 

Thompson said that a family member works in central Massachusetts with the highway department and they bundle their projects with surrounding towns wherever possible, citing lane striping as an example.  When the towns contract for lane striping, they all do it on the same day, with the same provider so that there is only one setup cost and the provider starts at one town and continues through several towns to get the job done efficiently and in a cost-effective manner.  Adding to the list of possibilities, selectmen suggested adding other collective purchasing of supplies.   

Open Meeting Law

Traynor, Thompson, and Joy each have a different take on just what the intent of the Open Meeting Law is.  In a lively discussion of the “Parking Lot” area of the Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda, Traynor said that he wanted some items in the “Parking Lot,” meaning they are items which might be discussed, taken off that list.  He reasoned that if something is on the agenda, a person reading the agenda should have a reasonable expectation that the topic will be discussed, if only as a brief update.  Some items in the “Parking Lot” will likely not be discussed for months, such as the spring accountant’s report. 

Thompson said that her sense of the Open Meeting Law was to make it more difficult to bring something up at a meeting that hadn’t been prepared.  If something isn’t on the agenda, it shouldn’t be discussed.

Traynor continued that he thinks the Open Meeting Law should make meetings more transparent, furthering that sometimes he doesn’t know he wants to talk about something until that night.  Joy said that in that case, the topic would be placed on the agenda for the next meeting, giving interested parties an opportunity to speak to the issue.

Joy also said that when selectmen had an area at the beginning of the meeting for “any other items,” they were warned that they could be found in violation of the open meeting law as this did not give notice of the discussion to the public.

“I would put everything out there,” Traynor said, “I think that the more we put out there and the more people see how we come to the decisions we make, they will better understand the process rather than just seeing the end result.”  He also said that he would put much of what is now heard in executive session into public meeting; not pending litigation, wage negotiation, personnel issues, but other items which fall into the category of ‘might result in litigation.’ 

Thompson said that her inclination was to take the “Parking Lot” off the agenda.  If we want to meld it with the tasks list, that’s fine. “I definitely do not want to add it to the agend  I think it has the potential of making meetings too cluttered, too long.”

Joy said the Parking Lot is a neat way to keep track of things.  “It’s a working document,” she said.  But if there are things we want to talk about, let’s just put them on the agenda.

Bylaw Review committee

Nine people have come forward to serve on the by-law review committee, and the board agreed that a nine person board could be awkward, and perhaps splitting into three groups of three, each group taking on a separate area of the by-laws to review.  Selectmen were pleased with the response and look forward to getting the group, which is an advisory committee, started after the first of the year.Town Owned Land Sales

Robert Jacobsen came to a “Meet with a Selectman” Tuesday night session asking John Traynor about a strip of town-owned land which runs between Main Street and Parsonage Road.  He is interested in acquiring it.

Thompson said, “We’ve talked to them at least twice,” and it isn’t as simple as cutting off a strip of land; it needs to be surveyed.  Who’s going to pay for the survey?  Not the town.   And even if it were surveyed and paid for by Jacobsen, there is no guarantee that he would get it at auction. 

Traynor said he had spoken with Town Treasurer/Collector Colleen Morin regarding town-owned land parcels, and Morin told him it will take six months to do the work to bring them to auction status. 

Joy said she got an opinion from counsel regarding town-owned land.  “It really spells out what we need to do,” she said.   Joy said she didn’t think the town gave Mrs. Morin the status to sell town-owned property; she completes the process needed and selectmen are the ones to actually sell the property.

In other business:

• Selectmen accepted the resignation of Deborah Anderson from the Community Preservation Committee as one of the selectmen’s representatives to that committee in order to create a vacancy which former Planning Board member Irving Butler could fill.  Anderson, who is a member of the Planning Board, could then be appointed by that board to act as its representative and continue on the CPC.

• Selectmen turned down the gift of a ¾ acre parcel of land on Churchill Road because the town would have no known use for it at this time. 

• Selectmen will investigate the writing of a by-law that will allow the replacement of an elected official who for whatever reason cannot or will not attend meetings, rendering the board ineffective. 

• Selectmen will next meet Monday, December 5 at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Area 58 Plans Open House

November 23, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Area 58 Community Access Media, serving Carver, Plympton, and Halifax, will be holding an Open House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. at Area 58’s studio, 96 North Main St., Route 58, North Carver, in the Honey Dew Donuts strip mall located between McDonald’s and CVS, just south of the junction of Route 44.

Visitors can tour the studio, see how a television show is created, find out how they can learn to use a camera or do video-editing themselves, discover the possibility of doing their own TV show, and meet and talk with people who have done just that.

Area 58 Community Access Media is found on channels 13, 14, and 15 on Comcast cable systems in the three towns. Channel 13 is for general public access programming. Channel 14 provides coverage of educational events and meetings and channel 15 does the same for government events and meetings.

The actual joining of the public access TV operations of the three towns was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but was carefully considered by the towns involved.

The process began in 2012. Rich Goulart, Executive Director of Area 58, recalls how he was asked to develop a 5-year plan for Carver Community Access Television.

“I realized the only way we could truly increase our effectiveness was by partnering with neighboring communities,” he said.

Right around the same time, Halifax and Plympton were coming to the end of their contracts with Comcast and were looking for new solutions.

“I met with their Cable Advisory Committees, and the seeds for the partnership were sown,” Goulart said.

Those seeds came to fruition with the creation of Area 58 Community Access Media in 2015.

The name was chosen because Route 58 runs through all three towns, but Goulart admits with a smile that the station’s logo, featuring someone pointing a camera at a UFO, is a playful reference to the mystique of “Area 51,” a US Air Force facility in Nevada engaged in highly secret research projects which often has been connected to claimed sightings of UFOs.

Ron Clarke, president of the Board of Directors of Area 58, is firm on the operation’s value.

“Area 58 Community Access Media plays a vital role in the life of our towns,” he said, because it “brings us unfiltered coverage of government meetings and local events.”

What’s more, because such coverage is also posted to the station’s YouTube channel, the “ability to be aware of what is happening in our towns” is available to almost everyone, he said.

Clarke also looked forward to developing “more home-grown programs,” that is, ones produced by residents of the towns, a desire echoed by Larry Erickson, the station’s Program Manager.

“Channels 14 and 15 carry information an informed citizenry needs to have about local government,” Erickson said, “but I have to admit that Channel 13, the general access channel, is where my heart is.”

“I just love the idea of people taking the time, using the energy, showing the commitment, to do a television program not out of the desire for fame or for money but out of the love of the topic or the opportunity to be heard or just the fun of being on television, even if it is ‘just’ local access TV.”

Channel 13 now runs programming seven days a week from around 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., all of intending “to make channel 13 a channel worth watching,” Erickson said. “One with enough good stuff to make people pause in their channel-surfing to check out what’s on.”

Much of that programming now comes from public access stations around the country rather than being produced locally, Erickson said, but he added that “we are now running locally-produced shows focused on painting, on political commentary, on on-the-street interviews, on wrestling, on equestrian events; we show local religious services, and more.”

Erickson said his big hope for the Open House is to encourage more residents of Carver, Plympton, and Halifax to do locally-produced shows.

“We’ll provide the equipment, the space, the training, and any assistance you need,” he said.

“You provide the enthusiasm.”

Erickson noted that Ron Clarke called local access media “the last true bastion of free speech” and that “Area 58 is dedicated to maintaining that tradition.”

“Absolutely true,” Erickson said. “And the only thing better than free speech is more free speech.”

“Free speech and an informed public,” Erickson said. “What a wonderful marriage. And it’s organizations like Area 58 Community Access Media that perform the ceremony.”

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Gas Averaging $2.08 a Gallon Heading into Thanksgiving

November 23, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Gas prices in Massachusetts drifted further downward ahead of what’s expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period in a decade. AAA Northeast on Monday reported that the average price of a gallon of self-serve, unleaded gasoline is $2.08, down 4 cents a gallon from last week. The group’s survey on Monday found prices ranged from $1.95 to $2.19 per gallon of self-serve regular unleaded. AAA estimated last week that close to 950,000 people from Massachusetts are expected to drive to Thanksgiving destinations, up 5.1 percent over 2015. – Michael Norton/ State House News Service

Filed Under: More News Right, News

Plympton Selectmen take two letters of resignation: Planning Board Chairman and Council on Aging Director have resigned from their positions

November 17, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Plympton selectmen received two letters of resignation at their Monday night meeting:  Irving Butler, who had served on the Planning Board for a number of years, and also from Christine Maiorano, Council on Aging director, both effective immediately.

Maiorano noted in her letter to selectmen that she would be retiring to Cape Cod, where costs are much lower, as soon as her Brook St. home is sold.  Maiorano has served the Town of Plympton in many arenas, including as president and treasurer of the Plympton Garden Club, president and treasurer of the Plympton Historical Society, and director of the Council on Aging.  With each  endeavor she left the position in better condition.  She was the driving force behind making the Historical Society building handicap accessible with a wheelchair ramp, handicap accessible bathrooms and a chair lift to the second floor.   She also wrote the grants to get insulation into the building and lower the heating costs that are borne by the Historical Society.

Maiorano told selectmen in her letter she will be available to help make the transition as smooth as possible.   

Butler is also a member of the Community Preservation Committee, a position that he wishes to continue, and has worked as a volunteer with the Fire Department since he moved to town more than 40 years ago.  At the age of 84, Butler felt that he had to slow down and chose to serve on only one board going forward.

Both Butler and Maiorano were praised for their exceptional service and will be missed.

In other business, Rob Vautrinot, engineer, brought engineering reports to selectmen regarding the gravel permit on Ring Road, owned by Jeff Randall, that has lapsed.

Vautrinot explained that the former engineer who was handling the project for Randall passed away in October and Vautrinot has just taken over.  “What there is now is several piles of stuff.”   The sand is too fine to be used, except for footing in a riding arena, according to Vautrinot.   Colleen Thompson, chairman, told the board that the bogs will be planted without deeper excavation, as they will be “dry picked” and don’t need to be as deep.   The board will leave the discussion of the details of the permit to Zoning Enforcement Agent Bob Karling.

Bylaw Review Committee

Selectman John Traynor told his board that there are four citizens who have expressed an interest in the new Bylaw review committee and that three of the four are all members of the Board of Health.  “I would like to see a broader diversity,” Traynor said, and encouraged any Plympton resident who is interested in serving the community and likes an attention to detail, to contact Briggette Martin, secretary to the selectmen at 781-585-2700.   Traynor told the board he had contacted an acquaintance in the Department of Revenue to see if they could offer any assistance in bylaw review.  Traynor was told that the DOR does send a team out to give a presentation to the town to show how other communities have approached bylaw review and to offer suggestions.  “So they would point us in the right direction; give advice but not actually review our bylaws,” Selectperson Christine Joy said.  Thompson said she did not see an issue with having three members of the board of health, each of whom came from a different background: building, newspaper, and a person who has served on many different boards in Plympton.  “I would rather see a few more people on the bylaw committee,” Traynor said.

Regionalization

Exploration

Traynor also told the board that in response to selectmen’s stated interest in exploring regionalization, Fire Chief Warren Borsari has contacted fire chiefs in surrounding towns of Middleborough and Halifax.  Traynor said he thought that protocol would require the Plympton selectmen contact the Halifax board and then the chiefs would confer.  “If state money is coming to regionalization as it came to the regionalization of the high school, then it makes sense,” Traynor said.

   Joy said that she felt that Plympton Selectmen should write to all surrounding towns’ boards of selectmen to indicate our interest in exploring regionalization.  She also said that Plympton should reach out to Old Colony Planning Council for their assistance.  “We have a grant,” Joy said, for OCPC to help us look at regionalization opportunities.

   Selectmen will next meet Nov. 28 at 6 p.m.

Filed Under: Breaking News, News

Plympton resident tapped to run Boston Marathon with Tedy’s Team Bruschi’s Team

November 9, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

By Jaime Castle

Express Contributor

Some people spend years training for the Boston Marathon. Lifetime Plympton resident Jocelyn Anderson only has 6 months until she hits Heartbreak Hill for charity.

A first time marathoner (Boston or otherwise) Anderson is running for the American Stroke Association. Created in 1997, the American Stroke Association is dedicated to prevention, diagnosis and treatment to save lives from stroke — America’s No. 5 killer and a leading cause of serious disability.  “It’s important to me, losing my father to stroke has been the major factor in my mission to run with Tedy’s Team” said Anderson. “I’m also proud to run on behalf of all the stroke survivors, like my friend and Tedy’s Team teammate Jaclyn Grundy.”

“I have a great amount of respect for the work they do and awareness they spread on recognizing the warning signs of stroke, as well as the work they do in the prevention of stroke.” said Anderson.

Anderson learned she was tapped to join Tedy’s Team in May, just 6 months after she took up running at the age of 33.  While she started running for her health, Anderson said “through the association with Tedy’s Team, it has become much more meaningful running to support a cause.”

There are two ways to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Runners either must meet a qualifying time or apply for one of many spots given to charitable groups. “It’s a huge honor to be able to raise money for the American Stroke Association, as part of Tedy’s Team” said Anderson.“I felt like this was a great way to bring awareness to the American Stroke Association and the great work that they do, and I am proud to run with Tedy’s Team”

Before the Boston Marathon on April 17, Anderson must raise $10,500. To make a donation online, visit www.bit.ly.com/runwithjoc or go to http://honor.americanheart.org and click on Tedy’s Team, then search for Andersons’ name.

Know the warning signs of stroke:

F – Face: ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A – Arms: ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S – Speech: ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

T – Time: if you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Filed Under: More News Left, News

Halifax “Question 5” Debt Exclusion Fails

November 9, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

While most of the Commonwealth dealt with four questions on their ballot, the Town of Halifax added a fifth.

“Shall the Town of Halifax be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to pay for the repairs, renovations and expansion of the Council on Aging Center/Pope’s Tavern including the payment of all costs incidental or related thereto?”

The Halifax Board of Selectmen placed this question on the ballot in the event a future Town Meeting approves borrowing money for the renovation and addition to the Council on Aging Center/Pope’s Tavern but makes funding for the project contingent upon approval of a debt exclusion (an approved debt exclusion allows the Town to pay a particular debt with an increase in taxes above and beyond the normal levy limit). If this question was not placed on the November 8 ballot and a future Town Meeting approved borrowing the money contingent upon the debt exclusion, another election, at additional cost, would have had to be held.

Where Question 5 failed, 2227 voting No and only 1869 in favor, Halifax voters will not have the option of using a Proposition two and one half, so called, debt exclusion as a funding mechanism.

A future Town Meeting when this project will be presented, will have several options for funding, but will no longer have the option of debt exclusion.

The approval or disapproval of Question 5 simply provided or eliminated an option for funding the project.

Filed Under: Breaking News, News

Trump pledges unity

November 9, 2016 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Tracy F. Seelye

Express Staff

Voters in Halifax and Plympton showed their support for a change, joining the rest of the country in voicing their displeasure at the status quo. Halifax brought 78.6% of its electorate to the polls, and Plympton saw  83.9% of its voters cast their ballots.

A victorious Donald J. Trump addressed his supporters and the country about 3 a.m. on Wednesday, pledging his presidency would work to unify a deeply divided country.  Following a night that surprised and shocked political pundits left and right, Trump was gracious in his remarks and praised Secretary Clinton for her “courageous and hard fought campaign” and her years of public service to the country.

“We owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country,” Trump said.  “Now is the time for America to bind the wounds of division  – we have to get together … It is time for us to come together as one united people.”

“I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans,” Trump said, reaching out to those who opposed him in an effort to “work together and unify our great country.”

Clinton had called Trump to concede and “congratulated us   it’s about us” on the win.   She had earlier sent her supporters home as several states were still too close to call, only to see them quickly shift toward Trump.

Clinton gave her concession speech to the country Wednesday morning, and also spoke to the need for unity in the wake of the election.

“I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans,” she told supporters and staff.  “This is painful and it will be for a long time … but our campaign was never about one person or even one election.  It was about the country we love.”

State Representative Geoffrey Diehl, (R-Whitman), state co-chairman for the Trump campaign had predicted the win Tuesday afternoon, insisting that polls favoring a Clinton win were in error.

“I’m extremely pleased with the election of Donald Trump,” he said.  “Being the first Massachusetts elected official to endorse him, I recognized that he will take on the establishment in D.C. to make government work for us, not against us.”

Diehl, who ran unopposed, will return to his seat in the 6th Congressional District and pledged, “I will continue to work to make a positive difference for our families each and every day.”

Representative Tomas J. Calter III, D-Kingston, was returned to his seat in the state legislature, as voters in Plympton and Halifax re-elected him to the 12th Plymouth District with 3238 to challenger Peter Boncek’s 1921, giving him a 602 vote majority in those two towns.  Calter also represents Kingston, and a precinct in Duxbury.

Plympton and Halifax also followed the trends throughout the Commonwealth in the four questions on the ballot:

Question 1, asking for an additional license for a slots parlor, was turned down by both towns.  Question 2, the hotly contested Charter Schools question was resoundingly defeated, despite the heavy advertising on both sides.  Question 3, which asked that farm animals be treated humanely, was overwhelmingly supported, and Question 4, asking if marijuana use should be allowed for those over the age of 21, passed.

Halifax voters said “No” to Question 5, specific to Halifax, asking voters to exempt Halifax from Proposition 2 ½ restrictions for the future bond issue to renovate the Council on Aging Center at Pope’s Tavern.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

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The Plympton-Halifax Express covers the news you care about. Local events. Local business. Local schools. We honestly report about the stories that affect your life. That’s why we are your hometown newspaper!
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IN THE NEWS

Sweet treats are a recipe for success!

June 27, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Stephani Teran Express staff You may believe you have to travel to France or some far off European … [Read More...]

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Latest News

  • Sweet treats are a recipe for success!
  • Sen. Dylan Fernandes votes to secure funding for Cape and South Shore district
  • Halifax Fireworks tradition continues
  • Captain promoted, four EMTs sworn in firefighters
  • MA House Committee on Federal Funding holds first hearing; explores federal funding cuts, broad impacts
  • “What’s Up?” – Just ask Barry
  • Hero’s welcome to Bronze Star recipient Simon
  • New Halifax water restrictions now in effect
  • Spalluzzi awarded Boston Post Cane
  • 1.6 MW solar project host agreement approved

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Plympton-Halifax Express  • 1000 Main Street, PO Box 60, Hanson, MA 02341 • 781-293-0420 • Published by Anderson Newspapers, Inc.