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State honors Shirley Graf

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Founder and Executive Director of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful (KMB) Neil Rhein led off the 2020 Massachusetts Clean Community Awards which was held virtually on December 3. Rhein, who also serves on the Select Board in Mansfield, explained the mission of the nonprofit organization KMB. Goals of the organization include litter prevention and cleanup, volunteer empowerment, recycling and waste reduction, beautification and community greening, and education and behavior change.

There are currently 28 local chapters of KMB around the state. The five newest chapters include Newton, Salem, Beverly, Shrewsbury, and Fitchburg. Rhein also thanked the local chapter leaders including Jeanne Kling of the Halifax Beautification Committee. He also noted that 23 of the 28 chapter leaders are women. Some of the highlights of the organization from the last year include distributing litter cleanup kits to local chapters in the spring of 2020, launching the litter cleanup crew in July, and distributing $2,500 via the annual plant something beautiful grants.

Rhein announced the night’s award winners including Shirley Graf of Halifax being named the KMB Litter Buster of the Year. Rhein described the award as being the most coveted of the night and said that they had nine deserving nominees that year. He described the award saying, “It’s really for those unsung heroes who are out there doing the dirty work of cleaning up other people’s messes.” He said that what set Graf apart from the other amazing litter busters is “her passion for the scourge of nip litter.”

Beginning in January of 2019, Graf made a decision to begin documenting the nip bottles she collected into a spreadsheet. As of October 2020, she had collected and stored 5,220 bottles over the course of 20 months. Graf donated those bottles to the Keep Gardner Beautiful Nip Hunt. Another of the night’s awards winners Jim Kraskouskas of Anthony’s Liquor Mart in Gardner, won for KMB Business Partner of the Year. Kraskouskas organized a nip pickup in October where he offered to pay 5 cents for every bottle picked up through 100,000 bottles. As a result of those collected nips, including the ones donated by Graf, Kraskouskas donated nearly $2,500.

In the last few weeks alone, Graf has collected an additional 700 nip bottles. As of early December, she said she had reached 6,018 total nips collected with more than 3,000 of those collected within a mile of her home. In addition to the nips that Graf collects she also picks up other forms of trash across the towns of Halifax, Pembroke, Duxbury, and Marshfield. Graf also helped to persuade the Halifax Board of Selectmen to support Massachusetts House Bill 2881 which would add nips to the bottle bill. While it didn’t pass, the hope is that it will be resurrected in January.

Graf spoke at the awards ceremony taking the time to thank Kling who was the one to nominate her. “I would particularly like to thank Jeanne Kling, the Chairwoman of the Beautification Committee who nominated me for this award.” Kling said of Graf, “It has been a pleasure to get to know Shirley over the last few years. She always has a smile and an encouraging word. She truly inspires others through her actions; it’s hard to imagine a more admirable or deserving candidate.” Graf thanked both the Monponsett Watershed Association and the Halifax Beautification Committee for their work to promote cleaner roadways and waterways.

Graf said that she first learned more about KMB through a chance encounter with the previous year’s Litter Buster of the Year award winner, Peter Walter.  Graf said that she randomly ran into Walter while he was also out and about picking up litter. Walter spoke and thanked Rhein and KMB for their efforts.

In addition to the Litter Buster of the Year, several other awards were also given out. Senator Jamie Eldridge of the Middlesex and Worcester district was named as the Environmental Legislator of the Year. He is the Senate Chair of the Clean Energy Caucus and has sponsored several bills to increase the use of solar energy and other renewable energies. Fellow state senator Paul Feeney called Eldridge an “unapologetic advocate for bold legislation.” The Municipal Partner of the Year was awarded to Doug Munroe of the Gardner DPW. Nancy Wall of Keep Mansfield Beautiful was awarded the Chapter Leader of the Year award. Rookie Chapter of the Year went to Keep Fitchburg Beautiful.

The final award of the night for the KMB Youth Volunteers of the Year went to Nate Lord and Ben Feldman of Natick. Rhein explained that this was a new award this year and said that one of the goals of the KMB is to inspire future generations. “The median age of our volunteers is probably not within Gen Z or even Millennials,” Rhein explained.

Senator Feeney also spoke about the importance of getting the younger generations involved. Feeney said that he was recently on a Zoom call for a public hearing in the community he represents. “The crux of the debate was about the protection of a beautiful swath of open space… hiking trails and hundred-year-old trees that are filled with wildlife,” Feeney explained. He said that over 20 high school students from an agricultural school were there to testify. He said that over the course of the hearing, the students began to change their backgrounds to images of Dr. Suess’ The Lorax, a story which tells of the danger of human destruction on the environment.

Democratic Presidential Nominee and former Governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1991 Michael Dukakis also spoke at the event. Dukakis said that he first become interested in community cleanup due to the state of the city of Boston when he first became involved in politics. He described Boston as “filthy” and said “litter was everywhere.” Dukakis, who said he turned 87 on Election Day, recently retired from teaching at Northeastern University. He said that he would walk home from his job at Northeastern and pickup litter daily. “I pick up litter, I hope you pick up litter, I hope everyone picks up litter,” he said.

Dukakis shared a sentiment that had been expressed by others over the course of the night. He said he was concerned with the degree of seriousness with which the state government is appearing to take the issue of community cleanup. He ended by saying, “What’s this all about? A sense of pride, a sense of caring, a sense of how we make our communities something that we can be proud of.”

A website and several social media accounts exist for KMB including Keepmassbeautiful.org. Emails can be sent to [email protected].

Halifax now at “double red”

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Dec. 22, for one of the special meetings they have been holding during the COVID period. Normally, Police Chief Joao Chaves, Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, and Board of Health Agent Bob Valery are all present but only Viveiros was in attendance for much of the meeting.

Viveiros provided a COVID update saying that while he didn’t have the accurate counts, the town was averaging between 2 and 5 new cases per day. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig jumped in to say that the town was “double red.” “If red is 25 cases over a 14-day period, we’re now at 53 or 54 cases,” he explained. Seelig also said that a colleague had reached out to others in surrounding communities who all confirmed that they were seeing similar jumps in the numbers. “It’s not unique to Halifax; there are very, very few cases where you can point to and say this is the cause,” he continued. He recommended that people go back to the basics of washing their hands, wearing masks, and reducing the number of contacts they have.

Viveiros said they have been working on the vaccination rollout for first responders. “We’re working with our medical director Dr. Muse working through the hospital; he’s making a submission on behalf of twelve different departments, we’ll be one of those twelve departments,” he explained. Viveiros said that all vaccines will be shipped to Brockton Hospital so that they can store them at the required temperatures. He also said that once ready to begin vaccinating the Department can go and pick up the vaccines. The vaccine will most likely be the Moderna vaccine. They are hopeful that vaccinations will begin the second week of January. Viveiros said that they have not heard much regarding a widescale distribution plan for the vaccine.

Valery returned for the final minutes of the meeting following a conference call with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Valery told the Board that the flu shot deadline for students that had previously been set at Dec. 31 has now been extended until Feb. 28. “I just urge that people follow the guidelines that are on Mass.gov when it comes to your home gatherings,” Valery said. He told the Board that nearly half of all positive cases come from household spreads.

Seelig touched upon the new state restrictions effective December 26 including reduced capacity for office spaces, etc. to 25 percent of capacity with the exception of those performing essential functions including K-12 schools. Seelig said that the town hall and other municipal buildings have been considered essential. He also suggested that the Board consider asking departments to go to staggered shifts to try to reduce the possibility of transmission, particularly now that the laptops are available for individuals to work from home. “Thinking that everybody is an essential employee and I would leave it up to the individual departments to present a plan as to how they would like to move forward,” Selectman Chair Tom Millias said. Selectman Troy Garron said he was in agreement. “I think if the department head can handle their staff to get the job done, then that’s fine,” Selectman Gordon Andrews said. “I think that we need to keep the town hall open to allow residents to get their business done,” he added.

Seelig also said that indoor event venues are limited to 10 people though he noted he was unclear as to whether or not the Board of Selectman meetings would fall under that umbrella. He asked the Board what decision they would like to make regarding continuing to meet in person. Seelig pointed out that most boards and committees in town have been meeting virtually. They decided to remain in person for the short-term.

Seelig told the Board that during the Thursday, December 17 storm the backflow regulator at the Halifax Elementary School failed. The staff, including Facilities Director Matt Durkee, Bob Clancy, and Halifax Maintenance Director Scott Materna were able to put something together to allow the school to reopen on Friday. “The decision that we made to have Scott be able to work over at the school and direct functions there and also obviously take advantage of his expertise and being able to compensate him properly for his expertise made a big difference in terms of being able to open the school or not open the school,” Seelig said. Andrews, who also serves as Chair of the Halifax School Committee, said that he plans to invite both Durkee and Materna to the School Committee meeting in January to thank them for their extra time and efforts to ensure that the school could open.

Plympton Selectmen meet for final time in 2020 2020

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In keeping with the new tradition of having a different representative from a Board, Committee, Commission, or otherwise attend the Plympton Board of Selectmen meetings, Alan Wheelock was in attendance on Monday, December 21 on behalf of the Wage and Personnel Board.  Wheelock told the selectmen that they were impacted by COVID and didn’t meet at all over the summer.

He also provided a number of updates. Wheelock said that the federal government was recommending a 1.3 percent cost of living guideline this year. The Wage and Personnel Board plan to vote on that increase during their first meeting in January. Wheelock also told the selectmen that the Board had a request from Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy asking them to support her on a probationary period bylaw. The proposed bylaw would state that newly hired or promoted town employees would be subjected to a 6-month probationary period. Selectman John Traynor interjected that he believed the intent was to modify the request not to include those newly promoted that had been with the town a substantial amount of time already. Wheelock said that he was open to such an amendment.

Wheelock also said that the Board was taking a look at the wage and personnel bylaws in Plympton since they haven’t been updated in quite some time. He said that they were hoping to have a few recommendations to bring to the spring town meeting.  The Board also had an intern from Bridgewater State University who assisted with some of the data that the Board uses. Finally, Wheelock said the Board was looking to find a location on the town website to store the paperwork related to wage and personnel.

Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen provided a brief update on the schools. He said that two additional cases of COVID were reported at the Dennett Elementary School over the weekend, bringing the overall total for the school to 3. There has been a total of 61 cases throughout the Silver Lake district. Wilhelmsen noted that the holiday break will be a welcome one for the staff and teachers who have been working so hard throughout this unusual year.

Several appointments were also made during Monday’s meeting. Gabe Lundgren was named to the Board of Registrars through May 22, 2021. Miranda Boyles-Pink and Kathleen Keirstead were both appointed as trustees to the Plympton Public Library through May 22, 2021. There was also an appointment to the Central Plymouth County Water District Commission Advisory Board.

Dennehy introduced a new initiative for 2021 described as “what makes Plympton unique.” Dennehy said that the original intention was to talk a bit about knowing where your food comes from and highlight the many remarkable farms in town that provide for people all over the South Shore. Dennehy described the project as “fun” and “feel good” and said that the idea has since morphed into picking a different topic in town on a regular basis to highlight on the town Facebook page. She said the intention would be to “show what makes us unique and a really great place to be.”

Dennehy said she would potentially like to start with the Plympton kindness tree that has been setup over the holiday season on a Farm on West St. The idea of the tree is that residents can stop by and write something positive about something or someone in town and enclose it in a globe ornament that is hanging from the tree. Dennehy said that hand sanitizer, etc. was provided by the family. Traynor mentioned another project in town along the same vein. He said that he was recently the recipient of a holiday wreath courtesy of some members of the Garden Club who delivered over 90 wreaths to seniors in town.

Dennehy also provided a general update. She said she had just attended the Finance Committee meeting and said that while things do appear to be on track overall there are some shortfalls in the police salary lines moving forward. A member of the department is retiring somewhat unexpectedly resulting in the need to pay out overtime and out of rank pay to covering officers.

Dennehy noted that the town has retention issues within the Police Department. She said that many officers have cited the health insurance, which is a 50/50 split, as a reason for leaving. She said that she is currently surveying other towns as to their insurance and obtaining pricing. Selectman Chair Mark Russo said that he agreed with Dennehy’s assessment and referenced the hidden cost of losing people and training new people.

The town is often footing the bill for putting officers through the academy only to have them leave shortly thereafter. Traynor mentioned that some towns mandate that an officer must stay in the department for three years or pay back a portion of the expense for the academy.

Regarding COVID, Dennehy said that the numbers continue to rise in town and everywhere. She said that while it can be challenging to tell if cases have cleared or not through the MAVEN system, her best estimate for number of active cases in town stands at 20. “It’s out there and it’s around; it’s in town,” Dennehy said. She said that the decision to dial things back at the townhouse appears to have been the right one. She also alluded to employees becoming too lax and said of the closing, “it’s a good chance to reevaluate some of our protocols.”

Christine Joy was absent from Monday’s meeting so just Russo and Traynor provided their traditional raves at the conclusion of the meeting. Russo said that his rave was for the holiday season despite acknowledging that it would be “strange if not downright weird.” “I’m really looking forward to that time when things slow down a little and we all gain a little perspective… to give our minds a little rest but also to give our hearts a little rest,” Russo explained.

Traynor had three separate shoutouts. The first was for the Police Department for their new website that went live recently. “It really looks good and I’m happy to see it,” he said. The second was for the Fire Department. They were awarded a grant that allowed them to install fire signs for any seniors in town that wanted them. Traynor said that 24 residents signed up. His final rave was for the good condition of the roads in town after the snowstorm.

Hilda Lane development withdraws

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A proposed new development project in Halifax known as 8 Hilda Lane has a history dating back to 2005. The property is in an area zoned residential and is owned by 8 Hilda Lane Realty Plus courtesy of Scott Burgess.

The construction planned would consist of 21 single family units spread across 5 buildings.

Burgess bought the property, which consists of 21 acres, back in July of 2019. The original subdivision was approved back in 2005 but was not built except for what appears to be 2 houses that share a common driveway that have their access from Hilda Lane.

Burgess as well as his civil engineer Don Bracken with Bracken Engineering appeared before the Planning Board during their Dec. 3 meeting. “The intent is to build a subdivision road and construct this multifamily development on this one large lot,” Bracken explained. The original application was for a special permit with two variances, however, it was discovered during the Planning Board meeting that two additional variances would be required. Bracken said that they did withdraw their request for site plan approval due to some of the concerns of the Planning Board. He said they plan on resubmitting.

The development is to be constructed in accordance with bylaws with the following exceptions advertised: 1. to allow a 53 ft front yard setback where a 75 ft setback is required and 2. to allow a 43 ft separation between buildings where a 100 ft separation is required.

The necessary changes that were brought to light during the Planning Board meeting include the relocation of a drainage basin which is currently within the riverfront area. Bracken said that the option not to make the change exists though it would require going before the Conservation Commission for approval. The second request is to install a water line. When the subdivision was initially approved in 2005, water was not available at the road but it has since been added. Bracken noted that getting approval on these changes should not be difficult as he would consider them both improvements. Another change includes altering the four driveway entrances that were part of the original plan to just two proposed entrances for the new project.

Bracken presented the project to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) during a scheduled public hearing via Zoom at their December 14 meeting. While the application had been amended to include the four variances as of the date of the meeting, only two variances had been advertised.

ZBA Chair Robert Gaynor said, “I’m concerned with the fact that right before us now… is for a special permit and two variances.” He confirmed with Bracken that correspondence had been sent to the Board stating that they would like to ask for additional variances. Town counsel Amy Kwesell was in attendance and told the Board that it would be their decision whether to move forward or not. Gaynor said, “It’s the intention then, as recommended to the Board, to the Zoning Board, I recommend that I don’t want to do this piecemeal… I want to do it all or nothing.”

Bracken, who was understanding of Gaynor’s position, said that he realizes that the process would likely take several meetings. He said he was hoping that his appearance at the meeting could serve as an opportunity to explain the project and possibly get any feedback prior to another hearing. A potential site walk was also mentioned.

Gaynor also mentioned to those present that Burgess came before the Zoning Board of Appeals in December of 2019 for a different version of the project. The applicant withdrew their application at that time and were not denied. Bracken said he knew little of the encounter.

Gaynor recommended that “we continue the hearing for this petition until it gets advertised correctly with all the variances that are necessary.” Kwesell had concerns, however, that they would be best served getting approval from the Planning Board before proceeding with the ZBA. Kwesell pointed out that the subdivision approval was granted 15 years ago and under the Planning Board regulations for subdivision control, a subdivision approval is only good for two years. She recommended to Bracken that they get approval from the Planning Board as to the modification of the roadway before again appearing before the ZBA.

Kwesell explained, “Right now, if they want to come before the Zoning Board of Appeals under the multifamily, they have to come under the 2005 approved roadway because that’s the only approved roadway that’s out there so they either need to get their modification to that roadway approved or the ZBA can only look at the 2005 approved roadway.” She said she believed it would behoove the client to attain approval for those modifications since they themselves described them merely as improvements. She told the ZBA, “Right now they don’t have an approved roadway that match the plans that are in front of you.”

ZBA member Peter Parcellin echoed the sentiment that the application before them was inaccurate saying, “It needs to catch up.” He went on to say, “I know that the neighborhood around here is very concerned about this project and I think that they deserve everything to be very clear as we’re voting on it.”

Gaynor agreed with Kwesell and Parcellin telling Bracken that they would need to work out the modifications with the Planning Board before even advertising for the special permit with the 4 variances with the ZBA.

“We have no problem continuing this for a couple of months and hopefully that will give us plenty of time to go through the Planning Board process and hopefully get those changes that we’re pretty confident that we should be able to get because they’re improvements,” Bracken said.

Gaynor asked Bracken if he would like to withdraw his petition from the ZBA. While initially Bracken said he would like to confer with his client first, Kwesell told him if they were unwilling to withdraw, the ZBA would need to deny the first project for the special permit with 2 variances resulting in them having to wait two years to present another due to the denied project. Bracken then agreed to withdraw without prejudice. The Board voted to accept the withdrawal.

Resident and abutter Kerri Butler was in attendance and requested to speak. She thanked the ZBA for their due diligence as she said she had noted that there were only 2 variances explicitly listed in the advertising. “We’ve been down this road before; the neighbors are all very concerned. We know that development is inevitable, however, there is reasonable development and then there is over the top development.”

Halifax sees post holiday COVID rise

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen as well as Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Police Chief Joao Chaves, and Board of Health agent Bob Valery met Thursday, Dec. 10, for what is being referred to as an extraordinary meeting during the COVID era.

Valery began by telling the selectmen that there have been 22 confirmed cases of COVID in town since their previous meeting. Valery said that the numbers from November 25 through December 8, which included Thanksgiving, showed 48 positive cases for a percent positivity rate in Halifax of 8 percent which was up from 5 percent. He said the town would be moving into the red along with approximately 150 other communities. Valery also expressed concern that there would be even more gatherings between Christmas and New Year’s, compared to Thanksgiving. “I would caution everybody to follow the guidance that has been set forth by the state no matter how difficult it is, during this upcoming holiday season. It’s going to be different than it has been in years’ past,” he explained.

Valery also said that updates to the Maven system including contact tracing information linking directly to it, have allowed him to see when and where clusters of cases develop. According to Valery the guidance from the CDC encourages remote work wherever possible or at least staggering shifts, if possible. He said it might be something that the Board of Selectmen may want to consider.

Chief Viveiros gave an update on the drive-through testing that had been held in Halifax the previous weekend. He said that cars began lining up around 6 in the morning and that there was a steady flow throughout the day. Just under 800 people were tested between the two days with 54 tests coming back positive. Not all those tested were residents of Halifax. Viveiros said that they learned a lot of lessons from the weekend testing that they can use should they choose to run another similar event. He also said that since holding the testing, he has received at least 7 phone calls from communities who were inquiring about holding their own. Hanson plans to do one partnering with the same company as Halifax.

Halifax plans to continue with their employee testing program as well. Additional dates are coming. Viveiros said that he plans to speak with Town Administrator Charlie Seelig about expanding the testing to include the senior population.

Viveiros also took a moment to publicly recognize Dr. Daniel Muse for everything that he has done in assisting with the testing. Muse, an emergency physician at Brockton Hospital, is the Medical Director for the Fire Department. He oversees all emergency services that run out of Brockton Hospital. Muse has already given written, standing orders to the Halifax Fire Department for vaccine distribution, should they be needed. “He has been extremely supportive with all of our COVID efforts,” Viveiros told the selectmen. Chief Chaves expressed his gratitude for Chief Viveiros in executing the drive up testing relatively seamlessly despite inclement weather.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if there was a plan to hold another testing event in Halifax, perhaps two weeks after Christmas. Viveiros said that it was certainly something that could be done but noted that the CARES Act funding will expire at the end of December.

Seelig said that decisions will have to be made to proceed with certain expenditures despite not immediately having the receipts/revenue to balance it all. He said that emergency situations sometimes necessitate having an article at the May special town meeting prior to the annual to appropriate money against free cash. “If it’s necessary it’s no different than a snowstorm and spending money beyond what you have in the snow budget. At some point you say we’ve got to do this, we know we have to pay that bill, but it’s worth doing,” Seelig explained.

Seelig asked Valery what the correct protocol for instances was where an employee tests positive but remains asymptomatic.  Seelig, who said he was fielding this question from town employees, asked if they would have to wait the full 14 days to return or if they could shorten the duration to 10 days. Valery answered, “It’s on a very individual basis level because first of all I have to make sure that they haven’t shown any symptoms so that, you know, comes down to integrity, whoever is giving me that information… they do find that if you follow the proper procedures that 10 days coming back and still monitoring yourself for any symptoms for the last four days, only shows about a 1 percent risk factor over the 14 day period.” Valery, who asked that employees are directed to him, noted that if he had any doubts, he would ask the employee to wait the full 14 days.

Chief Chaves asked the Board to extend an offer of employment to Michael Boncariewski as a permanent intermittent patrol officer. Boncariewski is a lifelong resident of Halifax who attended Silver Lake schools. He also previously worked as a special officer in both Hull and Halifax. “I believe he’s an asset to the department… he is well respected by his peers,” Chaves said. The Board voted to approve his hiring. Chaves explained that the department is moving toward state accreditation which will require each new hire to undergo a psych evaluation. Officer Boncariewski will be the first in the department to fulfill this requirement.

The Selectmen voted to sign an amended Host Community Agreement (HCA) with Bud’s Goods and Provisions.

The amended agreement added both indoor cultivation and manufacturing to the list of approved uses. Bud’s will still need to go to the Cannabis Control Commission for a revised provisional license to expand their uses. They will also need to come before the Planning Board for a site plan review and special permit.

The selectmen had an appointment with Green Earth Cannabis, who has proposed a retail marijuana store at 657 Monponsett St., during Thursday’s meeting. John Kudryk and his partners Matthew Collins and Robert Maker were in attendance.

Andrews recused himself from the discussion as he has family that owns adjoining property and therefore a potential conflict of interest.

Kudryk said that the zoning for the proposed location was changed from industrial to commercial. He also said that the location appears to be well within the guidelines that prohibit such an establishment from being within so many feet of a school or other area where children congregate.

Kudryk told the Board that they have had an engineer draw up some preliminary plans. He also said that they are anticipating needing 18 full time employees which he said would help to stimulate the local economy. The projected opening date is July 1, 2022.

Seelig brought up the proposed 21-unit multi-family project known as Hilda Lane. It is set to go before both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Andrews said that he was directing people on social media to contact the appropriate department secretary regarding whether they are for or against the proposal. Seelig said that a letter was received from a resident opposing the project.

Educators upset at Gov. Baker’s stance

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The Plympton School Committee met virtually for one final time this calendar year on Monday, Dec. 14.

During the legislative update, committee member Jason Fraser spoke out against Governor Baker’s active solicitation of public schools to return to full, in-person learning during his Nov. 6 press conference. At the time, Baker said that communities in the gray, green, and yellow COVID risk categories were expected to have students learning in-person while communities in the red were being encouraged to follow a hybrid model rather than a full remote one. There was no clear answer as to whether districts that didn’t comply with state guidance would be penalized in some way.

Fraser said that he wrote a personal letter in early November as an individual member of a school committee expressing his concern over Baker’s remarks. Likewise, he said a similar letter was sent more recently as a member of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees expressing appreciation for all Governor Baker has done during the pandemic but urging him to step back his push for full, in-person learning. “His rhetoric is starting to be off-putting to members of our public-school community,” Fraser explained. He continued, “We do appreciate everything that the governor has done but we want him to leave us alone and trust us to do our job and do what’s best for our community.”

As she has done at all of the most recent school committee meetings across Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton, Superintendent Jill Proulx reiterated the state’s guidelines that inhibit the feasibility of a return to full, in-person learning. Included amongst those guidelines are the required 3 feet of social distancing on buses as well as the required 6 feet of social distancing required during lunch. Additionally, Dennett Elementary School has been maintaining 6 feet of distancing in their classrooms in accordance with CDC recommendations. The funds and space required to accommodate all students while still adhering to the necessary restrictions are prohibitive.

Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen attributed the lack of school transmission and relatively few cases across the district to all the safety protocols that are currently in place. As of Monday’s meeting there have been 51 cumulative cases across all schools in the district. He also spoke out against the expectation that there be a uniform approach taken across the entire state as some schools are better equipped to accommodate students for in-person learning.

President of the Teacher’s Association Ann Walker told the Committee, “tensions are high; everybody is nervous… Plympton has done well so far but it feels like it’s closing in.” She also noted that it can be hard to stay 3 feet from young children let alone 6. Wilhelmsen thanked the teachers and administration for their hard work. He also thanked the building staff “for keeping the building as clean and as safe as we can.” “We will get to the other side of this. Likely we will all be tired, but stronger because of it,” Wilhelmsen said.

Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto told the Committee that they have entered the second trimester. Veneto told the Committee that he was “surprised we got this far.” He attributed the success to the families and staff at the Dennett. Families were recently given the opportunity to switch learning models from hybrid to remote or remote to hybrid. Only a small handful of families requested changes and all requests were accommodated.

Veneto said that there are currently 89 students in Cohort A and 80 students in Cohort B. Cohorts A and B alternate days in the building with one set of students attending in-person on Mondays and Tuesdays and another set attending in-person on Thursdays and Fridays. Cohort C, or the students who elected to be fully remote, currently has an enrollment of 23. Cohort D which includes the highest needs learners who are prioritized for more in-person days stands at 18 students. Veneto said that on any given day there are roughly 100 students in the building.

Finally, Veneto told the Committee that fourth grade teacher Bea Reynolds has decided to begin her retirement in January. Veneto called her an “institution in town” and noted what a tremendous loss it would be for the school. Current math interventionist Maria Barlow will replace her.

In another legislative update, Fraser said that the Massachusetts Association of School Committees delegate assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution asking that the MCAS be cancelled for this year as well as the next three years. They are currently working with the appropriate parties in Washington D.C. to prepare legislation for the incoming Secretary of Education that will allow states to make the determination regarding testing. From there, Fraser said they will then begin to work with Beacon Hill and DESE to assure that they are eliminated this year.

Wilhelmsen told the Committee that he had recently been brought into conversations that were being held at the town level regarding the possibility of installing solar panels on the roofs of municipal buildings. Various buildings in town were suggested including the roof at the Dennett, which has properties making it ideal for such an installation. The condition of most of the Dennett roof, however, is a problem. According to Wilhelmsen they need “to rectify that hodgepodge of materials that is up there.”

In lieu of the entire roof, two spots are being investigated as possible locations for solar panels at the school. Those include the back wing of the school with the pitched metal roof as well as a canopy in the parking lot. Wilhelmsen said that there are a number of pine trees that would most likely need to be removed to increase the amount of sun received by the panels. He referred to them as sitting “ominously over the school.”

Wilhelmsen said he has had discussions with both the Town Properties Committee as well as the Plympton Selectmen. As a result, the focus, for now, will be on the rear part of the building. The rear mounted solar operation in the parking lot would incur a lot more cost and could result in an overproduction of power. The company, who works with Harvard and is well established in Massachusetts, still needs to come out and assess the roof and provide final costs.

Fraser was quick to point out that entering into the agreement at this point was exploratory only and either side could still back out. The Committee approved a motion to recommend to the selectmen that they enter into the non-binding agreement.

The Committee had a discussion around the need for a building-based substitute. Director of Business Services Christine Healy said that the substitute line in the budget is “doing remarkably well.” The Committee approved paying for a building-based substitute at $150 a day for 100 days beginning in January for as long as the school remains in either a hybrid or full, in-person model.

Healy told the Committee that she had reached out and found a consultant to help with the bids for the new playground. They would act as the school’s agent and make sure that everything was done to specifications including making sure it is ADA compliant. The cost for the consultant will be $13,300. Fraser agreed that as long as there were school choice funds available and a contingency remains, it would make sense to bring someone on to ensure that mistakes aren’t made. The Committee voted to allow Healy to hire the consultant.

Administrator of Special Education Marie Grable gave a presentation on the state of special education in Plympton and across the district as a whole. She gave similar presentations at the Halifax, Kingston, and Silver Lake Regional School Committee meetings in recent weeks. Grable said there are 45 students overall in Plympton and 643 in the district receiving special education services. Plympton’s percentage of students receiving these services stands at 18.2 percent that is just higher than the state average.

The breakdown of Plympton students receiving services includes 32 students at the Dennett, 5 at the integrated preschool, 4 in sub separate programs for Grades K-6, and 4 out of district placements. Out of district tuitions for FY21 total $553,106 for Plympton and out of district transportation totals $97,650.

Grable also shared information regarding various funding sources including Circuit Breaker, the state’s program to help local school districts provide special education services. Plympton’s total claim for FY21 is $242,104, the net claim is $97,048, and the anticipated reimbursement is $67,934. Several grants are also available including Fund Code 240 in the amount of $56,278. Fund Code 262 and Fund Code 298 which are geared toward Pre-K learners, total $2,567 and $1,085 respectively. Plympton will also receive $5,969 toward professional development from Fund Code 274.

Fraser praised Grable for bringing students back to in- district programming. He said that during her time in the position, she has excelled at keeping costs low while also keeping kids close to their local communities. Wilhelmsen seconded Fraser’s sentiments.

Plympton scales back reopening

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Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy announced during the Tuesday, December 8 meeting of the Plympton Board of Selectmen that the Townhouse would be reverting back to a remote model of business from Dec. 14 through January 11. The decision was made by the Emergency Management Team in conjunction with the Board of Health. Dennehy said that it was not a decision that was entered into lightly but noted the escalation of the virus in town, in the state, and even nationwide.

Dennehy said that all offices will be up and running remotely and noted that the public should still be able to proceed with most business. She also said that they are working on a plan to keep the Council on Aging (COA) pantry open, most likely by appointment. COA transportation services will also continue.   

The selectmen voted on a number of appointments in town including Madeleine Pompei as the senior clerk for Permitting and Planning. A number of appointments were made within the Police Department as well including Daniel Hoffman as acting sergeant, Stephanie Connolly as a special police officer, and James Cranshaw and Matthew Terenzi both as part-time police officers. The appointments are through the end of the fiscal year though language in the contract indicates that they do not need to keep being reappointed once they’ve been appointed for a year. There was also a ratification of two appointments made at the previous Selectmen’s meeting – Colleen Thompson as the Director of Elder Affairs and Carolyn DeCristofano as the alternate for the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Plympton Police Chief Matthew Clancy presented before the Board as part of an ongoing series of discussions with various department heads and other town officials. Chief Clancy began by saying that it had been a tough year for a number of reasons.

There were a number of long-term injuries among members of the Department that required them to be paid as well as those filling in for them. The pandemic also resulted in a number of officers having to quarantine. As with injuries, officers were paid while quarantining resulting in greater expenditures for the Department.

Regional responsibilities required the Department to send officers to protests throughout the region including in New Bedford and Brockton in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. Clancy also said that there was a five-day state-wide plan for dealing with possible fallout from the election. As a result, Plympton had some officers assigned to regional response teams and consequently there were costs also associated with the extra responsibilities.

Clancy said that he doesn’t yet have a projection of the shortfall but is working on it and is keeping both Dennehy and the Finance Committee apprised of the situation. While there hasn’t been a lot of federal or state money targeted to law enforcement this year, Clancy said that he was able to procure a few grants. A DOJ Byrne Memorial Grant was awarded in the amount of $20,000 which will be used toward the purchase of protective vests for officers. The funds will also be used to acquire a solar powered, trailer-mounted signboard so the Department won’t need to continue to borrow them from nearby communities. The Department was also awarded a traffic enforcement grant of $11,000 to pay officers for their participation in various Department of Transportation (DOT) traffic campaigns.

The new fiber network is up and running and will be installed in all buildings by the end of this week. Clancy said they will then proceed to thoughtfully and methodically cut various systems in town into the network. The new phone system which will be one system across the entire town will hopefully be up and running in January.

Clancy also gave an update on the accreditation program. He said it is a goal of the Department to obtain state certification. Though the process has been somewhat delayed due to COVID, Clancy said they are close to complete with the revamping of their policies and procedures. The next step will be the state audit. Clancy said that accreditation will likely soon be mandatory so the department has a jump start.

The new Plympton Police Department website that has been in the works for several months, will likely go live in January. “It’s going to give residents a bunch of different opportunities to open up the lines of communication,” Clancy explained.

Clancy also told the selectmen that the Department’s relationship with Duxbury and the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCCC) continues to be successful. The selectmen thanked him for the updates and Chair Mark Russo said, “We so appreciate your professionalism.”

Chair of both the Plympton School Committee and the Town Properties Committee Jon Wilhelmsen asked the Board if they would be willing to approve a letter of intent with Solect Energy for a solar power project at Dennett Elementary School. Wilhelmsen said that the opportunity to work with Solect Energy on a project only recently came about and noted that in order to obtain the higher rate for a tax credit, a letter of intent would have to be signed by Tuesday, Dec. 15. Wilhelmsen said that while he had discussed the idea with fellow School Committee member Jason Fraser as well as the Town Properties Committee, he had yet to discuss it with the entirety of the School Committee. All those conferred with were in favor of the idea.

Due to the less-than-ideal state of most of the Dennett roof, the project would entail rooftop solar panels on the blue metal portion of the Dennett roof only. A possible addition would be a canopy in the parking lot. One option involves cutting down what likely amounts to 12 pine trees while another possible option does not. While the taking down of the trees would need to be funded, Wilhelmsen noted that it would probably be just as well as they are within striking distance of the building itself.

Wilhelmsen said that placing panels on just the one small portion of the roof would be an opportunity to invest and learn and said that when the time comes to redo the Dennett roof, they could make sure that it could accommodate solar panels. He also noted that the technology keeps getting better and the cost lower. He described the Dennett as an ideal location in town for solar panels as it is somewhat tucked away.

Russo said, “I have actually felt a little challenged about the trees… also about this canopy thing in the parking lot just in terms of aesthetics.” He did, however, say that it was clear that as a society we need to be moving toward electricity and away from fossil fuels. Given that the letter of intent doesn’t lock the town into an agreement, Russo and the other selectmen agreed to move forward with it pending an approval from the School Committee during their meeting early next week.

Wilhelmsen also provided an update on the Townhouse entrance accessibility project. The Town Properties Committee is hoping to award the design services to the company BETA. Thanks to funds acquired through the efforts of Selectman John Traynor and Representative Kathy LaNatra the plan to add an elevator or lift has evolved into a more comprehensive redesign of the entrances to allow for easier access to the upper floor.

The selectmen also voted to move forward with a notice of intent to award the Highway Barn roof replacement project to the lowest bid. NEL Corporation came in with the lowest bid of $105,875 and according to Dennehy they meet all necessary requirements. The work will be required to be completed within 150 days from the notice to proceed.

Dennehy said that the town had received a $1,000 anonymous donation to benefit the Plympton Public Library. She said that a number of gift cards to be used by seniors for groceries were also donated.

She also updated the selectmen on the signage for the speed zones the Board voted to create in certain areas of town. While the signage is expected to be up this week, Dennehy said that further steps, such as painting markings onto the road, will be investigated in the spring. She called the signage a “step in the right direction.”

The Selectmen each had raves at the conclusion of the meeting, mostly for the volunteers in town. Christine Joy sang the praises of both the Bylaw Review Committee as well as the Town Properties Committee. She also thanked Wilhelmsen for his leadership on a number of committees – a sentiment that was shared by the other selectmen. Traynor said that while two members of the Library Trustees resigned, two more volunteers stepped up to take their place leaving only one opening to be filled. Russo said that while the current times are filled with frustration and challenges, he was heartened by the patience and heartfelt well wishes seen within the community.

New COVID rules for Halifax employees

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Thursday, Dec. 3 at their new time of 3 p.m. for their weekly extra meeting during the pandemic. Board of Health agent Bob Valery got things started telling the Board there were 13 positive cases in town since the previous meeting, 8 of which came in after Thanksgiving. He said that of the 473 tests that were run on Halifax residents in the previous two weeks, 24 were positive for an overall positivity rate of roughly 5 percent.

Valery also updated the Board on a change in the recommendation by the CDC for bringing employees back to work after being deemed a close contact of someone that tested positive. Valery said the new requirement states that someone with a known exposure can return to work after 10 days if they remain asymptomatic or after 7 days if they have a negative test and remain asymptomatic. Valery said the CDC determined that there was only an increased risk of 1 percent in moving from a quarantine period of 14 days to one of just 10 days. The Board voted to match the town’s policy to that of the CDC requirements. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig noted that if you are symptomatic, even with a negative test result, the town would like you to stay home.

Valery also said that someone with a positive test result must notify the Board of Health and follow all directions given to them but noted that it is only strongly recommended that they communicate with fellow workers.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked Valery when the best time would be to get a test after an exposure. Valery said that it is best to wait 5 days after the exposure. Valery did, however, say that if you are displaying symptoms it is probably best to get a test prior to the 5-day window. Fire Chief Jason Viveiros recommended getting a PCR test if you have had a known exposure.

Valery also said that there is new guidance regarding holiday shopping. Stores have been reduced to a maximum of only 50 percent of full occupancy with no more than 10 people per 1,000 sq. ft. Valery and Seelig said that it appears that Walmart is following the recommendations and Valery said that they had hired outside security to help with the count.

Chief Viveiros said they had begun the employee testing that week.  They conducted 63 tests most of which were antigen tests with the exception of 4 PCR tests. Of the 63 tests, 2 were positive. Viveiros said that those two positive cases did both have some degree of symptoms. “So far it’s been very successful,” Viveiros said.

There was anonymous correspondence to Seelig and the selectmen requesting that the town post information regarding COVID on Facebook and asking that they take a more proactive approach in debunking misinformation that is found on town Facebook pages. Seelig said that he conferred with Valery and while both intend to post accurate information to social media, he said he was “not sure either of us has the time or energy to deal with the misinformation that shows up.” Referring to it as a “rabbit hole” Seelig told the Board, “our resources are limited.”

Selectman Troy Garron said, “I appreciate the letter and appreciate the concerns, but I think there is enough information out there for any logical person to read or to watch on TV.” He noted that he, personally, wouldn’t go to Facebook for accurate information on the virus saying he prefers to get his information from trusted news sources.

The Board and Valery also discussed the disease surveillance and outbreak management platform Maven which aids in tracking positive cases. Seelig pointed out that college students who test positive while out of state but return home to Halifax would not show up in the Maven system. “We know there are more cases out there than just the numbers that we see,” Seelig explained. Andrews asked Valery whether Maven tracks people who  are a-symptomatic but positive and was told that it does.

The Board also dealt with some non COVID related items. The Pope’s Tavern project has been moved to the spring. Seelig said he was unsure at this point what the plan was to deal with patches that will be needed in the meanwhile.

Seelig also asked the Board to approve a renewal of the town’s contract with public accountants Powers and Sullivan for FY21 through FY23. The contract is for $26,500 which is up $1,000 over the previous contract. There will also be a maximum charge of $5,000 for a single audit to deal with the COVID money received by the town. Seelig said that both himself and the town treasurer have been happy with their work thus far. The Board approved Seelig moving forward with the contract.

Seelig also briefly discussed the plans for outdoor seasonal decorations throughout the town including an ice sculpture and lights. He said that there was some gift money available for decorating purposes. Garron said, “You know with what’s going on now, we do need something to alleviate the scary. If it’s possible to do it safely and not cause any problems, then do it.”

Several issues relating to various proposed marijuana ventures in town were also discussed. Seelig said that Green Earth Cannabis, who plans to open a retail store next to Twin Lakes Liquors, had presented a Host Community Agreement (HCA) but that it was not in a format that the town had previously used. Town counsel and Seelig has asked them to redo the HCA using the one drawn up with Bud’s Goods and Provisions as a template since a lot of time was spent on that.

Seelig said that a Facebook post pointed out that High Hopes proposed site for their facility was within 500 feet of Lyonville Tavern which poses a potential problem. Seelig said he alerted the company and let them know that it wouldn’t be possible to even attempt to change the zoning bylaw until at least May. He said he was waiting to hear back from them.

Finally, the possibility of requiring Bud’s Goods to have a water line was also discussed. The water line right now doesn’t extend to the agreed upon location. Seelig said they would need to make sure that they weren’t asking Bud’s to pay for a water line that other people would be benefitting from. Seelig said that from a farming perspective, it would be their business whether they would need a water line but said that it could be different from a fire protection point of view.

Andrews said he would like to see the water line extended to ensure not just the safety of Bud’s should there be a fire but also the safety of the neighbors and firefighters. A continuation of the discussion was scheduled for their next meeting.

Andrews asked Seelig where the town stood on getting answers from the County as to whether certain items would be reimbursable through CARES Act funds. Seelig said he had made appeals regarding certain items including laptops for the teachers at Halifax Elementary.

Seelig told the Board that the Massachusetts Beautification Program named Halifax resident Shirley Graf Litter Buster of the Year for her work collecting thousands of NIPS bottles. Seelig noted that this is a statewide award and not limited merely to the town or county. The Board noted the tremendous work done by Graf.

Schools face challenges as relief $$ end

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The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met virtually on Thursday, Dec. 3. The financial impact of COVID 19 on the district’s budget were discussed as were the continuing need for funding COVID related positions at both the middle and high schools through the end of the school year. CARES Act funding was used to pay for the addition of three building level substitute positions at the high school as well as two long term building substitutes and one long term custodian at the middle school. That funding runs out at the end of December so Silver Lake Regional High School Principal Michaela Gill and Silver Lake Regional Middle School Principal Jim Dupille were seeking approval from the Committee to maintain those positions.

In addition to the three building-based substitutes, Gill said she was also looking to increase the 10-month custodian position at the high school to a 12-month position to assist with sanitizing and other COVID related duties. The building-based substitutes would come at a cost of $12,600 each and the increase in time for the custodial position would be an additional expense of $8,000.

Dupille said he was looking for $47,460 to cover the cost of continuing the two long term building based substitutes and the one long term custodian position. He also said that due to fluctuation between cohorts, the school has had to support some of the students on IEPs in additional classes. As a result, the building-based substitutes have had to take on the role of paraprofessionals in those classrooms. Dupille said he would like to see a paraprofessional hired to free up the substitutes who are needed elsewhere. This request would come with a cost of approximately $11,000.

Committee member Eric Crone said that similar issues were tackled at the Kingston Elementary School meeting and noted that they were looking at savings in other areas of the budget in order to repurpose for the continuation of positions previously funded through the CARES Act. Crone said that it would be difficult to go back to the three towns to get a supplemental budget and Director of Business Services Christine Healy agreed. Committee member Christopher Eklund said that he believed the E and D fund to be their only option.

School Committee member and Halifax Selectmen Gordon Andrews said that since the towns had declared a state of emergency, they can deficit spend and therefore, the schools can ask at the special town meetings in March to amend their budget. Andrews also recommended that Silver Lake Regional vote to declare a state of emergency as the district is considered its own municipality. Assuming approval by an attorney, doing so will be an item on the next meeting’s agenda.

The Committee voted to support the positions totaling approximately $104,344 but decided not to change the budget until March. Healy noted that the school district is different than a town in that the budget is voted as a singular number so the focus doesn’t have to be on individual line items. She said that wish list items may have to be sacrificed in favor of more necessary expenditures like these positions.

Healy told the Committee that back in June, she was told that the region would receive an allotment of $146,000 from a COVID-19 relief funding house bill done under Representative Kathy LaNatra. She said that after receiving approval she was in touch with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to find out about obtaining the funding. The money was designated through representatives and went through the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (EOAF). EOAF apparently believed it was being administered through DESE.

Healy said obtaining the funding was complicated by the fact that Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton were receiving their funding through Plymouth County and not the state. Andrews, however, said that it was his understanding that Plymouth County did not receive all the funds for the County and that some were held back by the state. He said he believed the allotment should be coming from EOAF.

Healy went on to tell the Committee that in late November she received a letter saying that Silver Lake would only be receiving an Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) in the amount of $58,000 instead of the house bill allotment of nearly three times as much. Healy said she spoke with Representative LaNatra who is trying to find alternative funding to compensate.

Many of the Committee members expressed their outrage that the schools were not being granted their share of the funds. Crone pointed out that the bill was used in political advertising leading up to the election and said, “It’s completely ridiculous that this is happening right now… I’m just beyond disappointed and annoyed.” Hatch agreed saying, “I’m being polite by saying I’m floored.”

A motion was made to send a letter from the Committee to Plymouth County Treasurer Tom O’Brien as well as another “strongly worded” letter to the Governor and the EOAF secretary. Healy said she believes the issue will get resolved and the schools will see the money that is owed to them.

Special Education Presentation

Administrator of Special Education Marie Grable gave a presentation on the state of special education in the district just as she had done earlier at the most recent Halifax Elementary School Committee meeting. “Special education means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability,” Grable explained. She also described the purpose of special education saying it is “to provide equal access to education for children with disabilities ages 3 through 21.” Programs for Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton include the Developmental Learning Center (DLC) and Pathways, The Structured Learning Center (SLC) or Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC), and the Language Based Learning Center (LBC)

Grable said that the number of students receiving special education services at Silver Lake Regional (grades 7-12) stands at 243 or 15.1 percent for FY21. This number is only slightly increased over what it was in the previous four years and the percentage is below the state average.

Grable explained that out of district placements (ODP) occur when the needs of a student are greater than what can be provided by a school. There are 48 students across Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton currently in ODP. Grable said there were 74 when she first started and said the reduction was a direct result of “the programs that we’ve developed, the enhancements of the services that we’ve been providing over the years, the support of the community members and school committees to really promote and encourage our in-district programming.”

For FY21, ODP tuition for Halifax is $1,857,409 while ODP transportation costs are $473,800, ODP tuition in Plympton is $553,106 and ODP transportation $97,650, and in Kingston ODP tuition is $2,779,011 with ODP transportation coming in at $568,173.

Grable went over the funding sources for the special education services including the state’s Circuit Breaker program which provides reimbursement for a percentage spent over $48,000 per placement. The percentage allocated is dependent on the resources available and the state’s ability to share the wealth with local communities. Anticipated reimbursement for FY20 for Halifax is $598,008, for Kingston $568,173, and for Plympton $67,934.

Other grants include Fund Code 240 in the amount of $974,700 for Silver Lake Regional across Grades 7-12 and Fund Code 262 for preschool aged children in the amount of $7,097. Two grants to return this year for the first time since 2017 include Fund Code 274 in the amount of $14,105 for Silver Lake Regional and $38,209 across all three towns and Fund Code 298 for $2,553 for Silver Lake Regional and $6,352 across all towns.

Grable also said that the special education department is working to establish what forms of recovery and compensation might be needed given the fact that some students may not have had access to necessary services to make progress with their IEP during the closure last spring.

Goals include the possible expansion of the Silver Lake Integrated Preschool since the school is currently at capacity. There is also a plan to open an additional DLC classroom at KIS.

Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee said to Grable, “You walking in our door 5 or 6 years ago was a godsend; you’ve done amazing work.” McGee also advocated for the value of early intervention. She asked Grable to make the basic rights training held by SEPAC available outside of the SEPAC meeting saying she wanted to be sure that parents fully understand what their needs are and what the school offers. Grable said she would make it available as a PowerPoint on the district website.

Superintendent Jill Proulx asked the Committee to take a vote on whether to allow students in substantially separate programs to be able to attend school in-person on Wednesdays. Currently those students are often not able to access services remotely on Wednesdays because of their unique needs. The vote would need to include the Silver Lake staff on both the Kingston and Silver Lake campuses. Crone said, “we were told that quite often those kids are marked absent on Wednesdays.” He also noted that the more that can be done in-person with these students with special needs, the more money can be saved down the road. The Committee voted to allow it.

Superintendent’s Update

In addition to the vote to allow certain students access to in-person learning on Wednesdays, Proulx also asked the Committee to vote on whether to eliminate traditional snow days in favor of an additional remote day. Proulx said that the Committee should consider student and staff access to power in the event of a snowstorm. Most of the Committee was in favor of keeping the traditional snow days and voted against the remote learning day. McGee said it was “good to have it in our toolbox if we need to.” She recommended revisiting the vote in February to see how the winter was going.

Proulx also asked the Committee to consider Governor Baker’s November request that communities designated as gray, green, or yellow return students to full, in-person learning where feasible. Proulx explained that the first of the three biggest obstacles to a full, in-person return would be limited bus availability as well as significant cost to expand bus usage. The second is the 6 ft social distancing requirement for lunch as it would be very difficult to maintain that distance and still schedule lunch for all students. The third is the social distancing requirement in general. While 3 ft is an option, 6 ft is still recommended by the CDC and the state. “More students means less social distancing,” Proulx said. She explained that a change in these requirements would likely need to take place prior to Silver Lake considering a return to full, in-person learning. Proulx said that she did, nonetheless, also ask Gill, Dupille, and Healy to access the feasibility.

Jon Lay spoke on behalf of the Silver Lake Education Association (SLEA) thanking the Committee members for their support and asking them not to relax any of the protocols currently in place. He said that Silver Lake had been fortunate to avoid any large outbreaks of the virus thus far and said that while a vaccine is on the horizon, things are likely to get worse before they get better.

Principal’s Report

Gill told the Committee that she has been having discussions with junior and senior class officers regarding the fate of the junior and senior proms. Both were cancelled last spring. With heavy hearts, a decision was made to cancel the junior prom this year.

Gill called the likelihood of holding a senior prom “slim” but said that they are still investigating possible venues. She said that senior officers are also looking into possible alternatives such as an outdoor red-carpet event. Gill also noted the difficulty of fundraising for both events, even in a normal year and said that a decision may be made in the future to combine the two events.

Gill also said that based on a suggestion by McGee, the senior class president reached out to South Shore Landscaping in Rockland about donating a large boulder to the school. The intent is to allow the senior class an opportunity to paint and decorate it. The hope is for it to become a senior tradition with each class getting to repaint the rock when their turn comes.

Gill said that only 3 percent of families requested a learning model change for the second term. She said that an equal number of families opted to switch from hybrid to remote and remote to hybrid which allowed for very little changes to be made to the schedule or staffing.

Gill also asked the Committee for their opinion on an in-person visit in the spring by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges which was supposed to happen this fall. A self-study is first given with the school grading themselves on various national standards. A team of 6 then come in and determine whether they agree or disagree with the school’s assessment of themselves. The visit would occur from March 7 to March 10. She said the team makes suggestions that help drive things like the school improvement plan and the budget. She said the last visit drove funding for the second assistant principal and the head nurse. While schools don’t have to participate, it is highly encouraged. The Committee agreed to reassess their comfort level with the in-person visit at their January meeting.

Student Recognition

Superintendent Jill Proulx told the Committee that on behalf of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) she would be presenting two certificates of academic excellence to two graduating seniors. “This award is given to two seniors who have distinguished themselves in the pursuit of excellence during their high school careers,” Proulx said.

Both Sarah D’entremont and Brendan Haas are in the top 5 percent of the graduating class of 2021. D’entremont is a student athlete and a part of the Allied Health program. She won the Patriot League Sportsmanship Award. Haas is a member of the National Honor Society and a member of the math team. In addition to his other accolades, Haas performs charity work for veterans.

Committee Chair Paula Hatch said, “You’re both very accomplished and it sounds like you’ve laid the groundwork for your future so incredibly well and I wish you wonderful things in the months and in the years to come.”

COVID testing available to Halifax town employees

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Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Police Chief Joao Chaves, and Board of Health Agent Bob Valery were all present at the November 23 special meeting of the Halifax Board of Selectmen. These meetings have been held weekly since the onset of the pandemic.

Valery began by saying that for the previous week there had been one confirmed case on Thursday, two suspected cases and one confirmed case on Friday, and one confirmed case on Saturday. At the time of the meeting, there were no hospitalizations from cases in town. Selectman Tom Millias asked how many total cases there were in town. Valery said that there were 18 active cases and estimated eighty something total cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Valery also told the Board that the first responders are notified of cases every Monday.

“Stores were pretty painless over the weekend; they were busy but seem to be handled pretty well,” Valery said of local shops. Millias agreed saying that the stores he drove by had counters out front calling it “encouraging” and adding “they’re at least trying to keep track of how many people were in the store.” Millias said that this would be a difficult time of year with the holiday season.

Valery recommended that people try to avoid shopping during peak hours like 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. when possible. Both Millias and Valery recommended using curbside pickup where available.

Chief Viveiros gave an update on the testing program in town. The program will begin by administering antigen tests to town employees on December 1 and 8. Tests for this population have already been paid for through the town. Employees with symptoms or known exposure are asked to receive a PCR test through a drive up at the fire station.

A community testing event will be held on December 5 and 6 at the Halifax Elementary School. Those wishing to be tested should provide their health insurance information. According to Viveiros, if they don’t have health insurance, they can provide their social security number and the test can be billed through the federal government as money has been set aside for that purpose.

Chief Chaves told the selectmen that according to the state, a first responder who has had contact with a known case of the virus, can still be expected to report to work as long as they remain asymptomatic. Chief Viveiros said that in spite of the guideline, his department would still be erring on the side of caution. He said that as long as there wasn’t a shortage of personnel, any member of the department with a known exposure would be asked to stay home.

Millias provided an update on the Pope’s Tavern roof project. The Building Committee said they have had discussions with the contractor and that the plan is to start work on the roofing membrane and the ice and water shield. They are, however, reluctant to put shingles on the roof during the cold weather. Millias said as with the spray foam insulation, the shingles need warmer temperatures to adhere properly.

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward was in attendance to speak to the toy drive that will take place on December 5. The event will be two-fold with a drop off option as well as a pickup one. Santa will be driving through the town from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and several cars with Girl Scouts will be trailing to pickup donations from people’s homes. The drop off portion will be a drive up at the town barn with volunteers taking the items directly from people’s trunks. More information is available on the town website.

Hayward also told the selectmen that he was now in possession of the necessary equipment, acquired through CARES Act funding, to spray disinfectant at certain street crossings as well as park benches. He asked if the selectmen would like him to begin spraying the HOPS playground. “If we have the capacity to do it, I can’t see saying no thank you,” Millias said. Hayward said that the playground at the school is being sprayed between recesses. While the HOPS Playground can’t be done as frequently, Hayward said it could likely be done once a day.