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Budget woes at SL District meeting

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Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig attended Thursday’s Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting. Seelig said he was there to address his budget concerns now rather than in February when all departments are too far along in the process. A concern of his that would later be echoed by Chair Jason Fraser was the lack of Chapter 70 funding the district is receiving under the fiscal 2020 plan. Chapter 70, which is the major form of state aid to public elementary and secondary schools in Massachusetts, made several changes this year including a change in the student poverty measure that resulted in more aid going to urban districts such as Brockton, Everett, Lawrence, etc. while more suburban and rural districts came up short.

Seelig expressed that the lack of funding is not only a school issue but a town issue as well since the district will need to rely on town assessments to make up for what they don’t receive in Chapter 70 aid. While there is little effect to Halifax Elementary, the other schools in the Silver Lake district are suffering. Both Seelig and Fraser were careful to say that it’s not that the urban districts aren’t deserving of the help, but that other districts cannot be forgotten. Seelig said, “We need some help too, maybe not as much as some of those other communities but we’re not floating in riches either.” Fraser has reached out to local legislators including state representatives Vinny deMacedo and Kathleen LaNatra regarding a $100 per pupil minimum increment. Vice Chair of the Committee Eric Crone initiated a motion to send a letter to legislators from the entire school district.

Former Plympton School Committee member Lynn Kaupp, who has a background in special education, attended the meeting to speak on behalf of the non profit Coastal SNAP and ask permission to have the schools disseminate the word about the program. The all-volunteer program provides youths with intellectual and physical disabilities the opportunity to participate in various athletic and recreational endeavors. Kaupp, who is President of SNAP, explained that students with disabilities are matched with other students preferably from the high school (although mature middle school students may be eligible) in a one-to-one mentor relationship. Kaupp explained, “you don’t have to play a sport, that’s not really what it’s about – it’s about connection.” Students needing 40 hours of community service to graduate might consider being a part of the program. All mentors require two references. Crone made a motion for the School Committee to support the SNAP program and Superintendent Joy Blackwood as well as Silver Lake High School Principal Michaela Gill approved Kaupp’s request on behalf of the administration. The Kingston Fire and Police Departments have both donated to the organization.

Also in attendance was Kingston Police Chief Maurice Splaine and Kingston Officer Matthew Donovan. Donovan, who is a graduate of Silver Lake, was named as the new school resource officer at Silver Lake Regional Middle School. Having a school resource officer at the middle school is new this year and is limited to only eight hours per week as supported by the town of Plympton. The town of Halifax voted against contributing to the school resource officer as they were opposed to the mechanism by which it was to be funded. The School Committee is hopeful that the number of hours can be increased next year. In addition to providing security, the job of a school resource officer includes bringing a law enforcement perspective into health related discussions including vaping and alcohol. Additionally, a school resource officer can act as a liaison between the police department and the school, notifying the administration of students who may need to be handled with extra care due to circumstances at home. Donovan will be attending a school resource officer class in November. Donovan said, “I’m excited to build relationships with faculty, staff, and most importantly the students.”

New Interim Assistant Principal Dan Stewart gave the principal’s report for Silver Lake Regional Middle School as Principal James Dupille was unable to attend. Stewart previously worked for the district as a school psychologist. November 9-10 is the New York City trip with eighty students from the school attending as well as a group from the high school and drama club. Stewart also reported on the success of the Haunted Halls and dance with over 80 percent of the school attending. The guidance department will be presenting the Science of Suicide on November 7 and 8. Principal Gill reported that students at the high school participated in Breast Cancer Awareness Month during October with events including a door decorating contest and a penny wars competition. In total, Silver Lake raised $45,000 with all donations going directly to local families being treated at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center in Weymouth.

Silver Lake technology director Steve Pellowe presented an overview of his department to the School Committee. There is a total of five people in the tech department and they manage over 7,000 tech devices ranging from access control panels to computers, etc. During the first month of school the technology department fielded between 60-80 help requests per day for grades K-12. Pellowe also talked about Securly which records searches done on school issued Chromebooks related to bullying or self-harm and reports them back to administrators. Pellowe said that they eventually hope to setup a student run helpdesk that could be delivered as a four-credit course. While Pellowe said that budgetary requests could be greater next year, he doesn’t anticipate any major impacts for the current year. Fraser said that Pellowe had the mindset of an educator adding, “There’s no one that knows you that doesn’t respect you.”

Superintendent Blackwood gave an update on enrollment at the various schools and the ways in which that enrollment affects the town’s assessments. Halifax Elementary School is down 22 students, bringing their assessment down from 31.4% to 30.6%. Kingston Elementary was up 25 students increasing their assessment from 56.3% to 57.1%. Dennett Elementary in Plympton was up a staggering 27 students. The middle school is down 11 students while the high school is down 10. Percentages by town for shared costs, which includes the superintendent, assistant superintendent, accountant, curriculum coordinator, etc., went down for Halifax (from 32.9% – 31.2%) and up for both Kingston and Plympton (from 56.3% – 56.7% and from 10.8% – 12.1% respectively). Budgets will hopefully be submitted by each school’s administration by Veteran’s Day. “It’s going to be a difficult year for the budget, no doubt,” Blackwood said.

Blackwood also spoke to three areas she would like to see considered during the creation of budgets. While partially funded now, Blackwood said she would like to see the school resource officer at the middle school receive more funding in order to ensure a greater presence during the school week. Blackwood also said that she would like to see a position added for a part time nurse leader who would oversee the other school nurses. The School Committee proceeded to engage in debate about whether or not it would be necessary to make such a position a full-time one. Crone pointed out that while the state audits hospitals, examining records no such oversight is provided within the schools and should be in order to ensure that laws are being followed. Blackwood said that Silver Lake is one of the only school districts without this position. The town of Marshfield, which is comparable in size to Silver Lake, has a full-time nurse leader. Blackwood also called for funding for a second teacher in the Allied Health program, which has the most students enrolled of any of the CTE programs. “This is something that we knew would be coming,” Blackwood said. Director of Career and Technical Programs Elliot Glass is currently applying for Chapter 74 status which would allow for an extra $4,000 per student. That approval would essentially fund this position. Blackwood and Fraser spoke to the success of the program as did the new student representative to the school committee Jake Twomey who is currently enrolled in the Allied Health program. Twomey who called the program phenomenal went on to say, “Honestly, it’s been almost life changing.”

Fraser gave an update on the search for the new superintendent. The hope is still to have some overlap with the new superintendent and Blackwood before Blackwood’s retirement later this school year. The search committee had narrowed it down to three finalists but one of the candidates had to remove themselves from contention for personal reasons. The next step will be conducting site visits to the candidates’ most recent place of work. Final interviews will occur on November 12 at 6 p.m. and November 13 at 6 p.m., both at Silver Lake Regional High School. The following night, November 14 there will be a deliberation and vote.

Plympton Solar Power Struggle

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The Plympton Planning Board held three hearings on Monday, October 28 for the development of three separate solar arrays. Planning Board members present were Chair Ann Sobolewski, Paul J. D’Angelo,  John Schmid, and newest member Jay Cohen.

Selectmen John Traynor and Mark Russo were also in attendance.

The first was a continuation of the hearing for the Harju solar panel project located on a 113-acre lot belonging to Gary Harju at 0 and 37 Lake St. The land is currently used for cranberry bogs and is zoned agricultural.

The proposed project is a ground mounted array split between the northern and southern portion of the lot near the Kingston/Plympton town line. A single purpose LLC was created to lease the land.

Plympton’s consulting engineer John Chessia, who reviews the projects and submits a response letter, was on hand.  Project Manager Sarah Stearns of Beals + Thomas was there to present on behalf of Harju Solar Array and respond to questions from the public as well as items noted in Chessia’s letter. Other members of the team present included professional engineer Eric Las, project attorney Greg Sampson, and Pat Jackson from the solar development company SunRaise Investments.

Of note during the discussions was the section of the bylaws that require trees and plantings used for screening to be 8ft high. Stearns explained that they were looking to plant native species that would thrive in their location with minimal maintenance and that initially they would be 5-7 ft tall. An abutter to the property present at the meeting asked Stearns for reassurance that the plantings would eventually reach 8 ft. Sobolewski recommended aiming for 6-7 ft tall plantings that would eventually reach or surpass the 8 ft marker. Stearns explained that the reason for not initially going with 8ft plants was that the size of the root balls would cause greater disturbance to the surroundings. “And I do commend you for providing the variety of plants and for taking our comments on that into consideration and for looking for things that are attractive and beneficial and would provide evergreen screening. That’s something that I think the neighbors are looking for and we’re certainly appreciative that that level of thought went into it,” Sobolewski said.

Also discussed was the way in which the areas that needed it would be cleared. Stearns said that they would bring in a tree specialist to determine the best technique for clearing whether that be the small track vehicles, drop and drag by hand with a chain-saw, or via a crane. Stearns also alluded to the myriad trails on the property saying that they may be able to utilize those to get to the area without a lot of disturbance.

Gary Harju spoke to his neighbors saying, “Many years ago there was going to be a thirty-house subdivision and we bought that piece of property so we wouldn’t have thirty houses on that cranberry bog at the time. It would have been all developed already had we not bought it and it cost us a good deal of money to get it. But all this time everybody in the world has enjoyed it and whatnot; like you said there’s trails all through it from everybody using it.”

As the principal engineer on the project, Las disagreed with some of the requirements and requests made by Chessia in his response letter saying that they also do peer reviews and that the requests made did not appear to him to be consistent with design standards. Las questioned Chessia as to his current responsibilities and probed him to find out how many solar projects he had designed. Upon Mr. Chessia’s response that he had designed only one ground mounted solar project and that yes, he mostly does reviews, Las said, “Thank you for that context.” As pointed out by the Planning Board, however, all solar projects that come before the Board are held to the same requirements and level of scrutiny. The continuation of the hearing is scheduled for November 25 at 7 p.m.

The second public hearing was for a proposed solar array at 0 Main St. and the public turnout, mostly from abutters, was considerable. Evan Watson, the project engineer with Prime Engineering Inc. was present as well as attorney Greg Sampson. The landowner, Larry Harju, planned to utilize bogs he constructed in the past that aren’t performing well anymore for the large-scale ground mounted solar facility between Mayflower Rd. and Main St. Like the earlier hearing, the proposed project is not dual use as cranberry operation will be abandoned where the solar panels are to be placed.

As with the earlier project, adequate screening was a major concern for the abutters in attendance, most of them residents of Mayflower Rd. Sobolewski added that plantings used for screening must be sufficient not just in the spring and summer but in the winter as well. Abutters also asked that the fence included in the plan be something attractive. Another resident shared her concerns that her property would become flooded as a result of the project. Watson assured those in attendance that his proposal meets the 10 stormwater standards for MA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Another resident questioned why the particular portion of the lot was chosen and was given two explanations 1.) the bogs selected grow a variety of cranberries no longer in demand and 2.) The Wetlands Protection Act make a large portion of the land off-limits for this kind of development.

Schmid shared his feelings that it was a shame to deforest for solar power. Larry Harju explained his predicament to his neighbors saying, “We are looking at this because we need another income not because we are fat cats rolling in it.”

It was agreed by all parties that a site walk would be necessary. Neighbors and others can walk the proposed site and discuss the plans for things such as screening. The site walk for this site is scheduled for 10 a.m. on November 16. A continuation of the hearing was scheduled for November 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Vice President at Atlantic Design Engineers, Inc. Richard Tabaczynski presented at the third and final hearing about a proposed dual use solar facility/cranberry bogs at 0 Prospect St. on behalf of landowner Richard Johnson. The site is near the Middleboro/Carver town line. Tabaczynski informed the Board that he had filed with the Conservation Commission and a hearing was scheduled in November. The land in question is zoned agricultural/residential and totals 41 acres.

Because the proposed plan is for a dual use facility, no fence can be erected as it would impede the cranberry production. Again, abutters in attendance were concerned with not being able to see the solar facility from their homes, particularly from the second floor or higher. The abutters’ homes in this case are located on a 90 ft hill, making it difficult, if not impossible, for those in attendance to imagine a scenario in which screening could be provided that would block their view of the facility. A site visit was scheduled for November 9 at 10 a.m.

Many in attendance, including those who had lived at their current residence for 25 years, claimed that Johnson hasn’t harvested cranberries in quite some time. Given that the proposed plan is for a dual use facility, abutters wanted to know if it would be possible to shut down the operation if it was proven that they were not working cranberry bogs.

Tabaczynski said that there was a plan to re-instate the bog use at the same time as the solar panel installation. It came out during the course of discussion that a solar panel facility cannot be placed on wetlands unless it is considered dual use with the cranberry bogs.

Those in attendance were concerned that Johnson was attempting to use a loophole to work around the restrictions placed on wetlands.

A continuation for the hearing is scheduled for Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Improved; needs improvement

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The Halifax school committee meeting on Tuesday, October 15 began with a discussion on the current situation with the school’s buses. Halifax Elementary School Principal Kayne Beaudry and Superintendent Joy Blackwood reached out to the bus companies employed by the school to request that data be collected for several weeks regarding schedules and headcounts. According to that data, unlike last year, all buses are now under capacity. Halifax has four buses with capacities of 77 students a piece. The headcount for most of the buses came in in the forties with Bus 23 having sixty something riders. Blackwood explained that while it is required that there be space on the buses for all registered students, these numbers reflect the number of students actually riding the bus on a daily basis.

The data also revealed that the routes that take the longest are Bus 22 in the afternoon and Bus 38 in the morning with those rides averaging around 50 minutes. Currently, Bus 22 is the third of three buses to leave the school in the afternoon heading in the same direction for a time. As a result of the order, Bus 22 needs to stop behind the other buses dropping off students while its own first stop isn’t for nearly 20 minutes into the ride. Beaudry said it may be possible to change the order of the buses to see if it could cut down on ride length for Bus 22. Overall, however, the buses are reporting their completed routes back to the school ten minutes earlier than last year.

School committee members inquired about behavioral issues on the bus and whether there was improvement over last year. Beaudry said that they try to pull and examine the tapes from the bus on a regular basis. Additionally, bus contracts are set to go out to bid soon with Blackwood saying they are exploring the option to do so in the fall rather than the spring. One of the things that both the school committee and administration would like to see come from that are cameras that are located both at the front and back of the buses.

The policies subcommittee recently met to discuss updated school policies. One of the new policies will allow for alternatives to dissection as many students now hold strong beliefs regarding veganism, etc. Blackwood explained that while this has been the practice for quite some time, it is only now becoming official school policy.

Another policy update was made regarding the administration of medications. This policy underwent a thorough vetting including review by legal counsel to ensure that the changes were in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws. Additionally, Blackwood consulted with nurses from all six schools in the district over the summer.

Summer Schmaling told the committee during a Union 31 update that three finalists have now been selected for Superintendent. Schmaling reminded the committee members that the final interview process is open to all school committee members and invited their participation. Field trips to the campuses where the final three candidates are coming from are also going to be scheduled. The search committee hopes to have a final decision made by November 14.

Principal Beaudry gave a report on the recent happenings at Halifax Elementary including the open house held on September 11. Beaudry said, “The place was packed, it was great; it was a good vibe in the building.” The PTO run ice cream social in the cafeteria was also a huge success. The staff also underwent ALICE training (active shooter response training). They plan to roll it out to students as well. Beaudry shared some important upcoming dates as well including the PTO run book fair from October 21 to October 25 in the school library. The Halloween Social is scheduled for October 25 and the Turkey Trot for November 7. Volunteers are still needed for several of the events.

Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx gave a presentation on the Halifax MCAS results. Proulx said she met with Beaudry, Assistant Principal Brian DeSantes, and K-6 Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Farrell to go over the results and talk about next steps. While there was marked improvement in English Language Arts (ELA) scores in Grades 3-6, math scores for the same cohort have dropped since 2017. Farrell said it’s often difficult to pinpoint exactly what caused scores to raise or lower but at least partially attributed the drop in math scores to a change in curriculum and explained that, “in implementation of a new curriculum, it’s historical that you see a dip.”

Another area that needs improvement is the Grade 5 science and technical engineering scores. This was the fifth grade’s first time taking the science test. Farrell said that the long-term goal is to move the teaching of science more toward doing and less toward nonfiction reading.  Farrell also pointed out the difficulty of trying to keep up with changing Massachusetts standards, saying, “What isn’t aligned with standards is any textbook that is out there.” Farrell and Proulx assured the committee that they are working on making sure that teachers and students are in the best positions possible to meet those standards.

Farrell, who oversees Title 1 funding and spending, said there was an overall decrease in funding and that this year Halifax is functioning off a $250,000 grant. At this time last year there were 74 students being served under Title 1 and this year there are 83. Despite having more students, Halifax lost one of their four part time Title 1 staff members.

Unlike qualifying for an Individualized Education Program (IEP), determining which students receive Title 1 services is less strict and more fluid. Farrell explained that two pieces of data are used to determine which students will receive Title 1 services. Examples of data include test scores, teacher recommendations, social needs, etc.  Title 1 funds are used for professional development, summer programming, etc.

Farrell said that she is concerned about funding summer programs next year because of the cuts. Ways to supplement the grant money used for the summer programs are currently being explored.

Blackwood provided details regarding enrollment at Halifax Elementary as of October 1. This year’s kindergarten class was smaller than last year’s by nearly 20 students. Unlike Kingston and Plympton that both have an increase of students, overall enrollment at Halifax Elementary was down 22.

For the year 2020, 31.4% of Silver Lake students are from Halifax with estimates placing those numbers at 30.6% for next year. This is good news for Halifax’s budget as it means that their contributions will go down.

Blackwood also gave the committee her recommendations for where funds could best be used to better the school district. Blackwood said that she would recommend a nurse leader and said it was unusual not to have one.  Blackwood urged that it would bring value, safety, and oversight to the district. It would be a part time position and Blackwood estimates that Halifax’s portion of the cost would likely be around $6,000 – $7,000.

The second recommendation was to bring band back during the school day. Blackwood again recommended a part-time position emphasizing that the change would equalize the playing field and allow all students to participate and not just those whohave rides during after school hours. “For many students that is what makes school worthwhile – the extras,” Blackwood explained.

Brockton falls short on MoPo obligations

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The Monponsett Watershed Association, an organization that oversees the maintenance and preservation of Monponsett Ponds, met with Halifax Selectmen during their Tuesday, Oct. 22 meeting to discuss significant delays in various treatments and other action items pertaining to the ponds. President Suzanne Lillie, Vice President Don Barrows, Treasurer Jamie Stewart, and Secretary Marianne Moore were all in attendance.

In 1964 a law was passed allowing the city of Brockton to divert water from West Monponsett Pond and East Monponsett Pond to Silver Lake, a major source of Brockton’s water supply. The water drawn from Monponsett Pond was to augment Silver Lake’s water during a severe drought.   The water draw from Silver Lake has increased substantially since 1964.

In 2016, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Agency (DEP) published a report looking at the daily load of pollutants in the ponds. While cranberry cultivation, residential development, septic systems, and stormwater runoff all contribute to the pond’s impairment, the diversion of water from Monponsett Pond to Silver Lake is a significant contributor.

Following the publication, the DEP issued Brockton an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) in 2017 identifying violations of Chapter 371 of the Acts of 1964 regarding water quality and timeline for the completion of tasks and a call to action to develop a resource management plan (RMP). It also requested that the Comprehensive Water Management Plan be updated, something Lillie doesn’t believe has been done since 2009.

In January of 2019, an RMP with a scope of work was issued. Lillie said, “It basically takes the ACO, which was fairly bureaucratic, and it turns it into actionable statement of work items such as review of historical information, collection of data, estimating seasonal releases from the dam, and operating procedures for Silver Lake and the diversion station.”

Following the issuing of the RMP, there was a public hearing and the Monponsett Watershed Association was able to submit written comments to the DEP and receive responses in turn. The Watershed Association asked about the part of the plan that called for the placement of a temporary plug in the Route 58 culvert to separate the East and West Monponsett Ponds. The Watershed Association felt that Brockton’s motivation for the plug was to preserve East Pond regardless of the further degradation of West Pond. DEP responded saying there was no intent to further degrade West Pond adding, “In response to the public comments received in opposition to the evaluation of a temporary barrier between east and west pond, the City will not investigate the temporary barrier. MassDEP concurs with this decision.” Lillie said, “This, what we think was a fairly pivotal point, was not included in the amendment.”

The final RMP was scheduled to be completed by March 22, 2019, but the deadline came and went without an update so Lillie planned to contact the DEP. Before she could do that, former Monponsett Watershed Association president Paul Collis forwarded to Lillie an email he received as commissioner of the Central Plymouth County Water Commission. It included an amendment to the ACO that pushed forward all the dates of the major deliverables by as many as 49 months. Lillie questioned the reason for the amendment and received an email from David Johnston, the Deputy Regional Director for the Bureau of Water Resources in Mass DEP’s southeast regional office. The email read, “The amendment was distributed because there were unforeseen delays experienced by both parties and the desire to extend the deadline for the comprehensive water management plan submittal beyond the resource management plan completion date.” Johnston did not specify what those unforeseen delays were. Lillie said, “The completion date should have been in 2019; obviously that didn’t happen – it’s now January of 2023. So, I won’t tell you the words I said when I first figured it out.” Regarding the delays and the lack of communication, Selectmen Tom Millias said, “It’s all politics, every single little bit of it.”

The Monponsett Watershed Association asked the Board for assistance in improving communication with DEP as they need to be made aware of both progress and anticipated delays. Millias said that he felt the only recourse would be through legislators. Chair Troy Garron agreed saying that his first suggestion would be to reach out to Senator Michael D. Brady. Brady had previously aided in getting money into the state budget for water treatments. Millias pointed out, however, that as Brady’s district includes Second Plymouth and Bristol, a large portion of his voting base comes from Brockton. Lillie agreed but said that while the improvements would cost the city of Brockton, it would also benefit them as the Monponsett Pond is a water supply for many of their residents. Everyone was also in agreement about reaching out to State Representative Kathleen LaNatra.

The Watershed Association also requested a point person on the Board as former Halifax Selectman Kim Roy used to act as liaison between the Association and the Board. Due to time constraints and previous commitments, the selectmen said that it would be best for Selectmen assistant Pamela McSherry to fulfill that role. The Association also said that they would like to see the Monponsett Pond Working Group reinstituted.

Selectman Gordon Andrews suggested the possibility of suing the city of Brockton, but town administrator Charlie Seelig pointed out that it would be necessary to consider the cost of legal action against monetary recompense.

In addition to their meeting with the Watershed Association, the selectmen also selected their finalist for the new Council on Aging Director. It was a unanimous decision with all three selectmen citing Wendy Adams as their first choice. Her selection is contingent upon a CORI check and her acceptance of the town’s offer. The Board felt that Adams has both the experience and the educational background to succeed in the role.

Police promoted; marijuana discussed

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Police Celebrated and Marijuana Discussed during Halifax Selectmen Meeting

Selectman Tom Millias and town administrator Charlie Seelig were both unable to attend the Tuesday, October 8 Halifax Selectmen meeting but Police Chief Joao Chaves was on hand for the swearing in of one officer and the promotion of another.

Andrew Lyczynski, a recent graduate of the Police Academy in Plymouth, began his career with the department in March of 2018. Chaves said, “Andrew was a distinguished student officer earning praises and accolades from both the staff and fellow academy mates. He earned the position of squad leader and led the squad in exemplary fashion.”

Lyczynski’s family stood by to see him sworn in as a member of the Halifax Police Department. Chaves went on to say, “The residents of Halifax should be proud to have such a dedicated professional and community minded police officer.”

Officer Robert McDonnell, who has been with the Halifax Police Department since 2010, received his Detective badge during Tuesday’s meeting. Chaves said of McDonnell, “Throughout his career with the department, Officer McDonnell has distinguished himself not only through his excellent police work but through his dedicated service to the residents of Halifax.”

McDonnell’s list of credentials is lengthy and includes being a member of the SEMLEC (Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council) Search and Rescue Team where he assisted in finding lost children, missing persons, and recovering evidence. He is also a part of the Old Colony Police Anti-Crime Task Force, who work with state police and other departments on narcotic investigations throughout Plymouth County. Additionally, McDonnell conducts all investigations into sexual assaults that are reported to the Halifax Police Department.

Chief Chaves, who said he feels that Officer McDonnell has the skills needed to make a great investigator, shared a story of a recent investigation spearheaded by McDonnell into various shed break-ins that had occurred throughout Halifax. “Within days he identified a suspect, corroborated information with another police department, and requested warrants for the arrest of the suspect,” Chaves explained.

President and CEO Alex Mazin and Vice President of Community Relations Greg Czarnowski of Bud’s Goods and Provisions met with the Selectmen to discuss the possibility of an adult use outdoor marijuana cultivation facility on the same lot where Four Daughters had previously planned to build an indoor facility.

Mazin gave a thorough presentation explaining his philosophy on the environmental, financial, and socio-economic benefits of outdoor cultivation versus indoor cultivation. According to Mazin, outdoor cultivation is more sustainable for the environment and also has significantly lower startup and operational costs as compared to indoor cultivation.  Lighting, air movement, and temperature controls all contribute to the costly nature of an indoor growing environment.

According to Mazin, the costs to build a 50,000 sq. ft. indoor facility is estimated at $10,000,000 whereas the cost to build a 100,000 sq. ft. outdoor cultivation facility (or farm, essentially) is only around $300,000. The lower startup and operational costs mean more affordable products which, according to Mazin’s presentation, “bridges the gap for disadvantaged communities.” Mazin explained, “My belief is that if we cannot allow outdoor cultivation and greenhouse cultivation the whole effort on the war on drugs is a facade because you’re never going to be able to bring down the pricing to the point where you compete with the black market.”

Bud’s, which was established in 2016, is seeking a Host Community Agreement to build the outdoor growing facility with a 15,000 sq. ft. storage building on the 47-acre parcel of land located at 111 River St. That lot is currently zoned industrial and is not within 500 ft. of a school, park, daycare, or any other location where children primarily congregate.

Selectman Gordon Andrews pointed out that a special town meeting is scheduled for October 21 at which residents will vote on a citizen’s petition to increase the distance between residential areas and marijuana growing facilities. It would require a quorum of 100 people with two-thirds of them voting in favor of such a change to amend the by-law. If it passes, the lot on River St. would have to be re-evaluated as a site.

Mazin informed the selectmen that Bud’s had hired a civil engineer to review the land to allow them to predict what they could potentially cultivate on this land seasonally. According to their estimates, the six-month harvest, which would start in May and end in October, would produce a yield of 5,739 lbs. with a total revenue of $9,756,300 in the first year.

As was established with the Four Daughters agreement, 3% wholesale would go to the town estimated at $292,689. Assuming all went according to plan, Bud’s estimates that by 2023 Halifax would see over a million dollars in municipal revenue.

In addition to the financial benefits, Mazin also emphasized job creation as well as positive environmental effects. “I know Halifax is a farming community and the history was a farming community and so I think this sort of fits that and I’d like to see my efforts in changing the notion that cannabis is a manufacturing technique; it is farming, it is nothing more than another crop that you can grow,” Mazin said.

Chair Troy Garron said, “My feeling at this point in time is that even though we voted, the town, on Article 4 to make marijuana legal for adults, the tide has sort of changed.” Garron and Andrews told Mazin that they couldn’t provide an answer at this time and that a lot would depend on the result of the vote on October 21.

Several town positions have recently become available. Sadly, Jack Mather passed away recently, leaving a need for someone from the public to take his place as the town representative on the Old Colony Planning Council. Jonathan Soroko resigned from the Planning Board effective immediately. Longtime member of the Board of Health John Delano is set to retire in early November, leaving an opening that will need to be filled in the interim before the election in May.

Plympton selectmen: Not so fast!

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Plympton selectmen discussed a possible avenue to lowering the speed limit at certain intersections in town during their Monday, October 7 meeting.

Vice-Chair Mark Russo said that it was his understanding that under Massachusetts general law, it was possible for a town to establish safety zones with speed limits of 20-mph. Russo said that according to town counsel, a vote would have to be held at town meeting to authorize the selectmen to establish such safety zones.

Several intersections were discussed as problematic with special mention being given to West St. and Cross St. and Main St. and Ring Rd. The latter of which will need a more permanent fix that could come in the form of a potential MassWorks grant which would include engineering as well as construction.

The pros according to Russo are that it is both a relatively easy and inexpensive way to improve safety. Russo said that the one real con would be that 20 mph is quite slow. Chair Christine Joy said she would like to find out if the 20-mph designation is non-negotiable. A resident in attendance added, “Bear in mind, when the speed limit is 20, nobody does 20, they do 30.” In addition to the question about the speed limit, other questions included whether or not a safety zone can be established on a state road, and what is an allowable size for the safety zone designation. Russo agreed to get answers to these questions before proceeding with having an article crafted to vote upon at special town meeting.

Town administrator Liz Dennehy gave the Selectmen an update on various topics including shared services for the Council on Aging. Dennehy said she is waiting to hear back from her colleagues in Halifax and Carver regarding getting the shared calendar ready for the three town’s Councils on Aging. The Highway Superintendent position is currently open with resumes being accepted until October 18. Last call for sealed bids on the old jail cell was this past Thursday, October 10. Dennehy also informed the Selectmen that the town accountant sent budget updates to the various town department heads to show them where they stand. This measure is part of an attempt to further professionalize the town’s financial operations.

The Board voted to appoint Tom Millias as the zoning enforcement officer beginning November 1 and running through June 30, 2020. “Thank you, Tom,” Joy said. Russo added, “With enthusiasm, that’s great.” Dennehy also mentioned that the Zoning Board of Appeals has two open seats for alternate members. “The only thing I would say there is that they do have to have a certain expertise, it can’t just be someone walking in,” Selectmen John Traynor said.

Traynor praised the many volunteers that came out to help with the myriad of events held this past weekend, including the Dennett Harvest Fair, the Plympton Historical Society Vintage Fair, Fall Fest at the Colchester Farm, reception and coffee time at the library, and the Cow Plop at the Family Fun Day at Next Step Farm. “There was more going on in this town than I’ve seen in my over fifty years here,” Traynor said. He continued, “Very good for the town, terrific. We need more of that.” Russo concurred saying, “I’ll just second everything you just said, a vibrant town on weekends is just what we hoped for.” Russo also seconded Traynor’s praise for the vintage fair saying, “It was classy. It’s a lot of work to put those on and I think PHS did just a great job, very impressive.”

District MCAS scores are up

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The statewide results from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) taken by all public-school students last spring have been released. The tests are administered to students in Grades 3 through 9 as well as Grade 10 and cover the subjects of English and language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science and technology engineering. The MCAS were established in 1993 in accordance with the standards adopted in the Education Reform Act of 1993.

All students in the appropriate grades educated through the state’s public funds are mandated by law to take the tests. The MCAS-Alt was developed to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities that would not be able to take the standard tests even with appropriate accommodations be able to be assessed.

As a district, Silver Lake has a higher percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in all categories than the state average. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has various designations assigned to a school’s progress. Silver Lake Regional High School was determined to be making moderate progress toward their targets. In addition, SLRHS is meeting the state target for the four-year graduation rate. In all eligible subgroup categories, the number of students completing advanced coursework improved. Of particular note, 73 percent of students at the high school are meeting or exceeding new and rigorous math standards set by the state. “Teachers at the high school and middle school have been working on aligning courses with the new state frameworks for history and will use a backwards design approach to create curricular units that are more closely aligned with state standards ELA, Math, and Science,” Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx said.

Like the high school, students at Silver Lake Regional Middle School were found to also be making moderate progress toward their targets. Notable achievements by the middle school students included high growth scores in ELA for all students as well as exceeding the state’s target for students with disabilities in ELA. In addition, chronic absenteeism declined from 10.6 percent to 8.4 percent.

Both the Dennett Elementary School in Plympton and Halifax Elementary were designated as having made substantial progress toward their targets. Students in Plympton had high growth scores in ELA and Math for all students and for all eligible sub group categories. Additionally, Grade 5 students at Dennett exceeded their targets in Science. Results for Halifax students showed typical to high growth scores in ELA and math for all students as well as the “lowest performing” subgroup. Grade 3-6 Halifax students demonstrated overall achievement gains in ELA from 2017 to 2019.

According to Proulx the district is taking steps to ensure continued improvement in student performance. Both elementary schools in the district have adopted a new math program that is more closely aligned with the state standards. Science teachers hope to follow suit as they begin to look at ways to better align their own teaching practices with the newer state standards. Title 1 supports have also been allocated as a means to providing additional targeted interventions where necessary.

Crediting the efforts of Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Farrell, Proulx said that an “Early Literacy” grant has been awarded which will be used to improve student proficiency in reading, writing, and effective communication at the elementary level. “The grant will allow professional development in writing throughout the 2019-2020 school year,” Proulx said.

Further review of the results is still underway and administrators hope to identify potential gaps in the current curriculum. The district also plans to create individualized plans (EPPs) based on student needs and recommend interventions as necessary.

Dennett playground plans hit snag

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The Plympton School Committee met Monday Sept. 23 for the first time since the school year began.

Vice Chair Jason Fraser gave an update on the new playground, explaining that plans with the original vendor lined up to complete the project have fallen through.

The committee took a vote to allow Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto and Fraser to allocate some funds, not to exceed $10,000, to hire a consultant only after exhausting the option to cold call some of the vendors on the state bid list.

“We’re very grateful to have the opportunity and we realize that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the school and we want to be sure we are using the funds in a prudent manner,” Fraser said.

Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen gave an update on the water testing saying the most recent round of testing showed no problems with lead, manganese, or any other concerning substances. Wilhelmsen reiterated that from the best they can tell, the unfavorable results that had previously been found were a result of the sample being pulled concurrently with the backwashing cycle that occurs once every seven days. The plan moving forward is to avoid testing on a backwash day.

Wilhelmsen said that he attended a preliminary screening committee meeting that met to review candidates for Superintendent. Current Superintendent Joy Blackwood will be retiring later this year and the hope is to have some overlap between Blackwood and the incoming Superintendent.

The goal of the preliminary screening committee is to review and screen candidates for the broader committee to look at during the first week of October. Wilhelmsen said, “The process is moving along and is on schedule.” A meeting will be held on October 10 at 6 p.m. at Silver Lake Regional High School’s library to announce the semi-finalists. All four school committees in the district have been invited to attend the meeting.

Veneto gave an update on upcoming dates of importance at Dennett. Fall pictures are scheduled for September 30. There will be no school on October 14, Columbus Day. October 24 will be an early release day with a 12:45 dismissal for parent-teacher conferences.

The following day, October 25, will be the Grade 6 field trip to 5 Wits and that night will be the CASA sponsored Halloween dance from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Fraser said to Veneto, “This is the first time we’ve been with you since the beginning of school and I would just like to ask you to thank your staff for all the time that they put in over the summer going to PD, setting up their classrooms, and making this school a welcoming environment for the students on day one. I know a lot of work goes into it behind the scenes so thank you very much and please pass that to your entire staff.”

State House budget will impact district’s local schools

Fraser shared with the committee that the State House failed to arrive at a budget by June 30. Fraser said that the conference committee has released their agreement on Chapter 70 funding and that it has not been voted on yet as it is currently up for discussion and going back to both the House and the Senate.

According to Fraser, rural schools appear to be getting some attention with funding from the state. Fraser said, “It seems like education may have earned a win here in the last innings of 2019 but it is still too early to give any news about exactly how it may impact us so stay tuned to the State House.”

The committee voted to allow Fraser to represent the Dennett School and the Plympton School Committee at the MASC’s (Massachusetts Association of School Committees) November Delegate Assembly where resolutions will be voted.

Polystyrene ban considered by 2022-2023 school year

Resolution one calls for banning polystyrene foam from schools by the 2022-2023 school year, something Fraser said is thanks in part to the efforts of the Plympton School Committee.

“It really stems from some of the conversations we’ve had as a school committee over the last five years and trying to move away from using polystyrene foam here at the Dennett and moving to compostable trays,” Fraser said. Additionally, there are attempts being made at the State House to ban Styrofoam from the state in totality due to the negative environmental impact.   

Title I and II funding decreased by state

Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx said that cuts were made to Title I and Title II funding. Title I decreased by over $100,000 and Title II funding decreased by over $16,000 since last year. Title II funding is a primary source of professional development funds. Professional development ensures that the practices employed by the district are the most up-to-date and research based. Fraser pointed out how these cuts demonstrate the ways in which what happens in Washington D.C. affects our local schools. Regarding the cuts to Title I funding Blackwood said, “It will definitely impact our ability for summer school next year. That is our main concern at this point is what we’ll be able to do and offer.”

District-wide elementary students sing a capella

Blackwood shared a touching anecdote from Opening Day. The Elementary school students from both Halifax and Kingston were scheduled to sing together despite not having much, if any, practice as a combined group.

They were to perform first and when the music started, the timing was off and Blackwood likened it to Alvin and the Chipmunks. After much struggling on the part of the music teachers, Blackwood suggested that the students sing a cappella. The young students did just that in front of the hundreds of faculty members, etc. present. “They were flawless,” Blackwood said.

“I can’t tell you how well they modeled being resilient and having a growth mindset.” Blackwood also praised the students from the middle school who performed scenes from The Wizard of Oz.

Monday was Dennett Elementary School secretary Gail Thibeault’s last meeting. Thibeault spent eight years at Dennett and twelve at Halifax. Blackwood said, “Gail has always been incredibly dependable and will roll up her sleeves and do anything at all that she’s asked. I know that at a personal level, I will truly miss her.”  Blackwood continued, “Thank you Gail for all that you’ve done, you’ve been a joy to work with.”

PFD makes progress under new chief

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Plympton Fire Chief Stephen Silva, who is nearing his one-year anniversary, gave an update on the state of the department during the Monday, Sept. 23, Board of Selectmen meeting.

Chief Silva gave a rundown of the various grants that had been awarded or are soon to be awarded to the department during his nearly yearlong tenure including $16,000 for a needed piece of medical equipment, $25,000 from the Gary Sinise Foundation for specialized protective gear, and $17,000 from FEMA used toward a gear washer and dryer. Additionally, thanks to the efforts of town administrator Elizabeth Dennehy in securing a green grant, new appliances will be purchased for the fire department.  In total, $83,000 of grant money will have been procured by the end of the year. An additional $10,000 has been raised through fundraising efforts.

A lack of record keeping had plagued the department prior to Chief Silva’s arrival. Despite some vehicles being ten years old, there were no records of them having been formally assessed. In the last ten months, $15,000 worth of repairs have been performed on department vehicles to correct problems with pumps, transmissions, brakes, and many other issues. Captain Paul Lamoureux, who is currently a captain with the Bridgewater fire department, has been brought on to oversee the now formalized maintenance program. “Let’s just say he knows trucks,” Silva said of Lamoreaux. While acknowledging that there are no guarantees, Silva said, “Unanticipated major failures should be a thing of the past.”

The department now has a trained, nationally recognized fire prevention officer. Additionally, firefighter Keith Pontes, who is a facilities manager at the power plant on the Canal as well as a Mass Maritime graduate, has taken the lead on the department’s rehabilitation project.

Silva also stressed the importance of communicating with Plympton residents through social media. Regarding the department’s Facebook page, Silva said, “It’s an incredibly good communication tool; the citizens and businesses of Plympton are our customers and it’s our responsibility to let them know what we are doing with their money.” For those wishing to visit the station, an open house will be held on October 26 from 10-2.

Selectmen John Traynor asked the Chief about strides made within the department with respect to recruitment and retention. Silva explained that the lack of applicants for civil service positions such as firefighters and paramedics is widespread and is even affecting larger communities. Silva, who serves as a liaison between Plymouth County fire chiefs and Plymouth County police chiefs said that it is an ongoing concern and conversation. Silva referred to the shortage of paramedics as “if not a crisis, close to it.” Despite these conditions, however, Silva said, “We are retaining more and we are starting to get more people in.” Silva explained that with the blessing of some other local fire departments, some veteran firefighters that had previously left the Plympton Fire Department to work in other communities, have actually returned either per diem or part time.

Selectmen Chair Christine Joy asked Silva what could be done to entice more residents to take an interest in the Fire Department. Silva said, “It’s all about getting out in the community and letting the community know there is a spot for everybody. If you don’t want to be a structural firefighter or an EMT or if you do, that’s fine, there is always a place.” In addition to open houses, the department will also be offering CPR courses monthly beginning around the first of the year for those wishing to become CPR certified. There are also plans to resurrect the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in the coming year. The Selectmen thanked Silva for his work and Vice Chair Mark Russo summarized their feelings saying, “You’ve done a wonderful job righting the ship.”

Selectmen

appointments

Several appointments were made during Monday’s meeting including Jennifer Macdonald and Gail Knight both to the Cultural Council through June 30, 2020. The Selectmen also appointed Jay Cohen to the Planning Board through June 30, 2020. After being selected through an interview process, Brian Vasa was also appointed as the town’s first Conservation Agent through June 30, 2020. “Thank you all for agreeing to come and serve on these important boards and committees,” Joy said. Traynor commended the town for their volunteer outreach saying that of 130 elected or appointed positions within Plympton, all but four are currently filled. “I think that’s a testament to the volunteer spirit of the town,” Traynor said.

Killing frost needed

Correspondence from the Board of Health was read during the meeting which cited the continued warm weather as the reason for the recent additional aerial spraying as well as emphasizing that it is the “killing frost” rather than the “first frost” that will eliminate the threat posed by mosquitos. While the first frost occurs once temperatures hit 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the killing frost doesn’t occur until temperatures hit 28 degrees Fahrenheit for three consecutive hours.

Hiring issues, building space needs

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Chairman of the Planning Board Gordon R. Andrews attended Tuesday’s Halifax selectmen’s meeting to ask questions of the selectmen and air his grievances with the procedures for hiring the department’s secretary.

According to Chairman Andrews, the planning board asked to be involved in the hiring process for the new department secretary but were not given that opportunity and never even saw the job description.

“I came in here before the secretary was hired and I was told we’ll have a meeting with you; well it’s now September and the secretary has already been hired. I think that we’ve been like walked over. We tried to participate in it, we tried to find out what was going on and we got blown off and it’s frustrating,” Andrews said. He went on to point out that the finance committee, another elected board, actually selects their own secretary.  In response to Andrews’ inquiry as to who the secretary reports to, town administrator Charlie Seelig answered that as has been done for the last fifteen years, the secretary answers to the building inspector, in this case Rob Piccirilli.

Chairman Andrews listed a myriad of issues faced by the Planning Board in the recent past. After the last secretary resigned but agreed to stay on in the interim, Andrews claimed that there were three separate meetings where the secretary was unable to attend at the last minute. Additionally, at one of the meetings, the board was locked out of the room.

Selectman Tom Millias said that the planning board should absolutely have their own key to the meeting room. Andrews said, “We’re an elected board, if a secretary doesn’t do what we have to have done, we’re at stake, not Rob.”

Piccirilli, who was also in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting said, “As far as direction, it’s up to the board to give direction, not me.”

Seelig interjected that while directions to the secretary should come directly from the board, the board’s grievances should go directly to Piccirilli. Another area of dispute was who should handle the performance review of the secretary. Currently, Piccirilli handles that task and does so without reaching out to the planning board for comment. Piccirilli said that if there were complaints, it would be up to the board to bring them to his attention. Selectman Gordon C. Andrews felt that the planning board should be writing the review for their secretary or at the very least, Piccirilli should be reaching out to them for their thoughts.

After a great deal of discussion, the Selectmen and Chairman Andrews agreed that it would behoove all involved to have a meeting with Piccirilli, a representative from each of boards, and one of the selectmen to go over the various job descriptions and put some procedures in place to avoid future issues of the same nature. “I think that will satisfy everyone moving forward,” Millias said. “I believe it will,” Chairman Andrews agreed.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Police Chief Joao Chaves, and highway surveyor Steve Hayward met with the selectmen to discuss ideas regarding ways in which the needs of the fire department, police department, and highway department, among others, may be met.

In August, concerned residents attended the selectmen’s meeting to share their concerns over the Council on Aging (COA) space including residents being unable to attend certain programs because they are located on the second floor. During that time it was suggested by Director of Building Maintenance Scott Materna that a possible solution might be to move the COA to the current police station and build a new combined police and fire station. Viveiros said that the current fire station is short on space as well as having potential liability concerns while Chaves said that although the police station has ample space, the floor plan is not really conducive to their needs. The highway department could also benefit from more space.

Senior Services Regionalization explored

As was discussed in August, a potential fix for the COA issues might be to regionalize with some neighboring towns. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig met with some of the neighboring towns’ administrators to discuss the possibility. Collectively, they decided that a good first step would be to publicize their offerings to one another’s residents to gauge the level of interest.

Long-term goals requested from each town department

The selectmen asked each department head to come up with list of their long-term project needs. “We’re starting from scratch. All the ideas are on the table and all ideas from anybody are on the table,” Seelig said. He continued, “My hope is that we don’t say to somebody, ‘sorry we don’t want you saying something; we don’t think it’s your lane and you shouldn’t be participating in this.’

“At this point, a good idea is a good idea wherever it is coming from.”

Selectmen Chair Troy Garron asked, however, that any idea that is presented be put in writing and be thoroughly researched first.

Garron also said that with so many departments all having varying needs, it will be necessary to prioritize the order in which needs will be met. Millias pointed out that the upcoming town meeting will be too early to present anything but said that all possibilities should be explored between now and next year. Seelig said he is also going to ask the school and the library to provide a report on their space needs as well.

Permission to replace old batting cages granted

The final appointment of the evening was Halifax youth baseball president Pete Barone. Barone was there to ask for the Board’s permission to replace the old, portable batting cage at Vaughn field with an updated, permanent one.

The existing structure had been blown across the parking lot during previous storms and at this point, poses a safety concern.

The new cage will be paid for entirely through fundraising efforts.

The hope is to make the change this fall so that it will be ready for use in April.

Millias said, “This looks nothing but good, so I don’t have any issues.” Garron agreed acknowledging that it is a positive for the kids in the town.

Barone also asked for permission to build a small, fenced in playground next to the grass near the skate park. Barone said that it would be a 30 ft. by 25 ft. area meant to serve smaller children who may have a sibling playing in a game on one of the fields. Barone said that there is a clear view of both fields from the area.

The Board approved both requests.