Ross MacPherson, a 14-year Plympton resident with two children at Dennett School, was unanimously appointed to the Plympton School Committee on Nov. 5, filling a vacancy that arose when a member joined the Finance Committee. MacPherson will serve until the May 2026 town election.
The appointment followed a two-step process across two town boards. On Oct. 27, the School Committee unanimously voted to recommend MacPherson to the Board of Selectmen, which formally approved the appointment nine days later.
School Committee Chair Jason Fraser explained that the vacancy arose when a member joined the Finance Committee. According to Fraser state law prohibits anyone from serving simultaneously on the Finance Committee and another committee subject to its budgetary oversight.
“The Board of Selectmen had asked me to strongly consider appointing someone for the remainder of the term, which would end in May,” Fraser said. “If said candidate wants to continue after that point, they would have to pull papers and run as a normal election.”
After the committee advertised the opening, MacPherson was the only resident to step forward. He brings extensive community service experience, including nine and a half years on the Public Safety Building Committee and a recent stint on the Town Properties Committee. He has run Plympton’s Cub Scout program for four years and now oversees both Cub Scouts and the Boy Scout troop.
“Service is a big part of my kind of core ethos, and my wife has said I get two things, and since I left Town Properties, I have an opening for one more thing,” MacPherson told the committee. “So, I’m happy to fill this as long as needed.”
Fraser praised the family support behind MacPherson’s candidacy, noting the importance of balancing volunteer service with work and family commitments.
The appointment comes as the district faces significant budget pressures. During the same Oct. 27 meeting, Fraser delivered a stark warning about insufficient federal and state funding forcing difficult local decisions.
“There’s not a single house in Plympton that has not seen cost go up year over year at two and a half percent, and I’m sorry to say it to the voters of Plympton, two and a half percent is not going to be able to provide enough dollars for the school to maintain the level services,” he said. “So we’re going to have a very local decision to make in May.”
Fraser criticized federal officials for allowing nutritional assistance to potentially expire, calling it “absolutely unacceptable” that vulnerable residents might struggle to put food on the table. He noted uncertainty around Title funding and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funding, which he said remains historically underfunded at 14% despite a statutory requirement of 40%.
He expressed frustration with state-level progress on the Chapter 70 school funding formula, noting that more than 220 Massachusetts communities received only minimal aid last year—up to $150 per student—insufficient to meet inflationary pressures.
“This is going to be a locally controlled situation where we will present options to the voters of Plympton, and Plympton is going to have to decide where its values lie,” Fraser said. “Do the values lie in funding [and] providing a high quality education experience to our students, or are we going to have to face what cuts may have to be made here?”
In other business, the School Committee approved a memorandum of understanding with the Plympton Police Department for the school resource officer program and discussed a $12,000 capital request for phone system replacement needed by Jan. 2027. Superintendent Jill Proulx reported the regionalization study with Collins Center is underway, with a final report expected in 18 months.
At the Nov. 5 Board of Selectmen meeting, Town Administrator Liz Dennehy reported progress exploring Office 365 and Microsoft Copilot as a potential alternative to expensive permitting software.
The solution, suggested by a Town Properties Committee member, could eliminate the need for permitting software estimated at $60,000. Rehoboth pays $25 per user per month—$300 annually—for Office 365 with Copilot. With fewer than 200 potential users, Plympton’s annual cost would be substantially less than the permitting software option.
Dennehy is investigating whether board and committee members with town email addresses would count as users, which would affect total costs. She’s also checking for municipal discounts and exploring whether the town’s Community Compact grant could be repurposed for the solution.
Carver declined to implement the system due to cost, Dennehy said. She’s also seeking quotes from smaller-scale permitting software companies for comparison.
Dennehy also reported expanded community support for residents facing food insecurity following SNAP benefit cuts.
The Council on Aging expanded food pantry hours at the townhouse to Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with evening hours planned. Library Director Mike Slawson created a miniature food pantry at the library with pantry staples and will assist with fundraising and donations.
The Congregational Church announced a free spaghetti supper for the entire community on Friday, Nov. 8 at 5 p.m., initiated in response to SNAP benefit cuts affecting 182 Plympton residents.
“The original reason we started the whole process was because of the SNAP benefits being cut short,” Arthur Bloomquist said. “Unfortunately, there’s no way for us to find out who those recipients are… So what we did instead is to have it available to the whole town.”
The church is seeking volunteers and will evaluate whether to make the dinner recurring based on turnout.

A Silver Lake Regional High School student appealed to the Kingston Board of Selectmen on Oct. 21 for urgent safety improvements at the intersection of Pembroke Street, Lake Street, and Station Street—just four days after a serious motor vehicle crash at the same location sent seven patients to the hospital. The student detailed a troubling history of accidents, malfunctioning pedestrian crossing signals, and ongoing dangers for students walking to school and nearby businesses.
Will, a Silver Lake student, appeared before the Board of Selectmen during the public comment period to bring attention to what he called an “ongoing safety concern” at the busy intersection adjacent to the regional high school. His appeal came just four days after the Friday, Oct.17 motor vehicle accident that resulted in seven patients requiring full transport for treatment—the latest in what he described as a long series of incidents that have plagued the location.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time there have been other car accidents at this location,” Will told the board. “And a few years ago, a student was struck in the same area.” The student went on to detail recurring problems with the pedestrian crossing lights in front of Silver Lake Regional High School, explaining that the signals sometimes stay illuminated continuously throughout the school day while at other times they fail to activate at all when students press the button to cross. Will also referenced a historical incident involving an empty Silver Lake school bus that crashed in the same area, underscoring the intersection’s longstanding safety problems.
“One of the buttons is faulty now,” Will explained, noting that the crossing signals near the SlackTide and Happy Jan’s businesses don’t activate properly. The malfunctioning equipment creates dangerous conditions for students crossing to and from school, as well as for those visiting nearby businesses like the ice cream shop.
The student’s concerns resonated with board members, who acknowledged the intersection has been a known problem area. Board Chair Eric Crone outlined several safety improvements the town has already implemented at the location, though he admitted the situation remains challenging. “That intersection was also identified in our safety report for potentially even making a roundabout there at some point, but that’s a many years long process and waiting for state and federal funding,” Crone said.
Among the improvements already made, Crone listed new signage and improved lane painting on Lake Street and Station Street, warning signs approaching from both directions on Route 27/Pembroke Street, school zone signs with flashing lights on Pembroke Street, and enhanced stop signs on Lake Street and Station Street that now include flashing elements. The upgraded stop signs were specifically installed after motorists repeatedly failed to stop at the intersection, with multiple crashes resulting in vehicles striking the ice cream shop and restaurant buildings at the corner—incidents Crone said have “happened quite a bit.”
Board Vice Chair Kim Emberg emphasized that installing a full traffic light at the intersection isn’t as simple as it might seem. “We can’t just put in a light, a traffic light. That actually is much more complicated than you would think,” Emberg explained. “So the rotary is the best, safest solution. The problem is, is those things take time and money.”
Emberg described the town’s strategy as implementing “as many temporary, short-term, cost-effective solutions that we can to make that area as safe as possible” while working toward longer-term infrastructure improvements. She also pointed Will to the “report a concern” link on the town’s homepage, which allows residents to notify the highway department directly about issues like malfunctioning crossing signals.
The board conducted a comprehensive safety study of the entire town that prioritized projects across Kingston, with the Pembroke-Lake-Station intersection making the list alongside Main Street improvements. However, funding and regulatory requirements mean significant changes like a rotary could take years to materialize.
Will asked the board to consider additional measures, specifically requesting that they work with the regional school committee to station a crossing guard at the intersection. “I think that might be helpful to keep all our kids safe as well,” he said. Crone indicated such a request would need to go through the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, as the school crossing guard program falls under their jurisdiction rather than the town’s.
The student’s appeal highlighted the personal stakes involved in the safety issue. “I just wanted to make sure all our students, all the Silver Lake students, including myself, when going to get ice cream, are safe,” Will said. “And I didn’t want to take the chance of anybody else getting hurt at that street.”
In other business, the Kingston Board of Selectmen voted 3-1-1 to authorize Police Chief Brian Holmes to promote an additional full-time sergeant effective Jan.1, 2026, to supervise the development and implementation of a new Family Services Unit that will serve Kingston, Plympton, and Halifax. The initiative represents a significant expansion of mental health and social services support within the police department, with Chief Holmes describing it as something that “will have a meaningful impact on not just Kingston, but three communities, if all goes as planned.”
Chief Holmes explained that the department has been working with a group funded by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health that provides free facilitation services to police agencies establishing clinician programs. The facilitators, who are licensed mental health clinicians with experience at the Framingham Police Department, will help Kingston develop a job description, select the right candidate—either a licensed mental health clinician or a certified licensed social worker—and conduct integration training for patrol staff who will work alongside the new position. The Family Services Unit will be physically housed in Kingston but will provide services to residents of all three communities. Next steps include seeking approval from the Capital Planning Committee for approximately $60,000 in office space, with funding potentially coming from opiate settlement funds. Chief Holmes indicated he plans to solicit Halifax and Plympton for financial contributions through their opiate settlement funds, though he acknowledged both communities face fiscal constraints.
The sergeant position will be funded by reallocating resources from an existing open patrolman vacancy, made possible in part by a retirement notice Chief Holmes received. The funding covers the half-year period from Jan. through June 30, 2026. Board member Carl Pike voted in favor while noting that his support for foregoing the patrolman position now does not necessarily mean he will support requesting a replacement patrolman in next year’s budget. Vice Chair Kim Emberg voted against the measure, stating she could not support creating new positions given current fiscal constraints, while board member Missy Bateman abstained. Board members acknowledged that Chief Holmes, brought to Kingston as “an agent of change,” has the discretion to allocate his department’s budget as he sees fit, though any request to restore the patrolman position would be subject to future budget discussions.

The Kingston Board of Selectmen and School Committee jointly appointed Jennifer Krowchun, a ten-year Kingston resident and federal lobbyist with 18 years of experience, to fill a vacant seat on the school committee effective immediately through the spring 2026 town election. Krowchun was unanimously selected over two other candidates during interviews conducted at the Oct. 7 joint meeting.
Krowchun, a resident of Bog View Road with three children in the Kingston school system, distinguished herself during the interview process with her extensive background working on federal education policy and municipal issues. She currently works with clients focused on transportation and has experience in the education space, primarily dealing with federal budget matters and their implications for Massachusetts communities.
“I think our greatest asset is our schools and our education system and certainly anything we can do to continue to support the teachers and the administrators who do God’s work, that would be my motivator,” Krowchun said during her opening statement.
The appointment fills a critical vacancy as Kingston faces significant budget challenges heading into fiscal year 2026. The school committee seat had been vacant, and town officials emphasized the importance of filling the position before the upcoming budget season. The timing of the appointment allows Krowchun to participate in crucial budget deliberations while also giving her an opportunity to “test run” the position before deciding whether to run for a full three-year term in the spring election.
Krowchun was selected over two other candidates: Will Cushman, a recent Silver Lake Regional High School graduate with extensive student council experience and disability advocacy work, and Bryce Nelson, a business owner with four children in the district. A fourth candidate, Tim Fitzgibbon, withdrew before the interviews.
During questioning, all three candidates were asked about their preparedness to handle the upcoming budget season and whether they would commit to running for a full three-year term. Krowchun acknowledged the steep learning curve but expressed confidence in her ability to quickly get up to speed. “I certainly was actively watching remotely last year, so I saw a lot of the conversations. I do think that I could come in and quickly kind of pick up on the learning curve here, where things are, and jump in, but certainly, you know, would have to really get caught up to where things are because it is a quick turnaround,” she said.
The candidates also addressed the possibility of a property tax override, a topic that looms large over Kingston’s fiscal future. The town successfully avoided an override for fiscal year 2025, but officials have indicated that fiscal year 2026 presents more serious challenges. Krowchun emphasized the importance of transparent communication and long-term planning. “I think communication is key. Clear messages are key in this environment of social media. Sometimes a lot of things can get lost in translation,” she explained, adding that any override proposal should be accompanied by a comprehensive long-term plan to avoid repeated requests for additional funding.
Bryce Nelson brought a business perspective to his candidacy, stating that he was not heavily involved in community activities but was motivated by his wife’s encouragement and the school system’s needs. “My wife is pretty involved when it comes to school stuff and community stuff. I’m not. But she said that the schools need some help. I’ve got leadership experience, a bunch of kids that go here, and so I’m happy to help out where I’m needed,” Nelson told the committees. He emphasized his comfort with making difficult budget decisions and his preference for creative problem-solving over simply increasing spending.
Will Cushman, the youngest candidate, brought passion and personal experience to his interview. He extensively discussed his work with the Class of 2025, his role as inclusivity coordinator for the student council’s regional association, and his commitment to disability advocacy. Cushman emphasized that his family’s long history in Kingston, including a great-grandfather who served as town clerk for over 50 years, gave him a unique perspective on community service. He also proposed innovative ideas such as holding community forum-style meetings to gather public input on school committee decisions.
School Committee members and Board of Selectmen members questioned all candidates about how they would handle public criticism, balance school funding needs against the town’s overall budget constraints, and bring their professional experiences to the role. Carl Pike, a Board of Selectmen member and former finance committee member, asked candidates to address the tension between the school budget, which comprises approximately half of the town’s total budget, and the need for reasonable spending controls.
School committee member Sheila Vaughn made the motion to appoint Krowchun, with the formal language specifying that the appointment would be “effective immediately until the 2026 spring town election.” The motion passed unanimously across both bodies, with all school committee members present (Jesse Keith, Sheila Vaughn, Jeanne Coleman, and Megan Cannon) voting yes, and all Board of Selectmen members (Eric Crone, Kim Emberg, Missy Bateman, Don Alcombright, and Carl Pike) also supporting the appointment.
Just prior to the vote, School Committee Chair Cannon thanked all candidates for their willingness to serve and encouraged continued civic engagement. “Regardless of who is appointed tonight, I hope that all of you will continue to be involved with the school committee. All of our meetings are public. We have a public speaking opportunity each month, and we are always looking for support and feedback from everyone in the community,” she said.
Board members also emphasized that numerous other committee vacancies exist throughout town government, including positions on the finance committee, capital planning committee, community preservation committee, and affordable housing trust. Chair Eric Crone and Vice Chair Kim Emberg encouraged the unsuccessful candidates to consider these opportunities, noting that some positions require more time commitment than others and that prospective volunteers could reach out to discuss their availability and interests.
After the joint meeting concluded, the Board of Selectmen continued with their regular agenda, addressing multiple significant items including winter road maintenance policies, police department staffing, and preparations for the fall town meeting scheduled for Oct. 28 at Kingston Intermediate School.

Halifax Selectmen heard an urgent appeal to sustain Plymouth County Outreach, a countywide overdose prevention program credited with reducing fatal overdoses by 32% but facing the end of federal funding next September. Officials requested the town contribute approximately $10,000 annually using restricted opioid settlement funds that cannot be spent on other town needs, with no impact on Halifax’s general budget.
Plymouth County Outreach Executive Director Vicki Butler and Hanover Police Chief Tim Kane appeared before the board to request municipal support as the organization’s federal startup grants expire in nine months. The program, which has operated on 100% federal funding since 2018, needs contributions from all 27 Plymouth County communities to continue operations beyond September 2026.
Butler explained that PCO provides post-overdose follow-up, at-risk referrals, mobile drop-in services, family support, and harm reduction resources across the county. The organization has become a national model, with police departments from around the country visiting Plymouth County to learn from the program. “We are a national model for the Bureau of Justice and Assistance,” Butler told the board, noting that departments come to learn how to replicate the program in their own communities.
The data Butler presented showed significant progress. Fatal overdoses in Plymouth County dropped 32% in 2024 compared to 2023, while non-fatal overdoses decreased 36% over the same period. Since the program’s first full year of data collection in 2017, the county has seen a steady downward trend in overdose deaths, with 75 fatal overdoses recorded in the most recent year. “75 fatal overdoses is 75 too many,” Butler acknowledged. “So we still have a lot of work to do.”
Chief Kane, a member of PCO’s executive board, gave a personal perspective on the program’s importance. “I started my career in the early 2000s right as this opioid epidemic was really starting to take over,” Kane said. “I was responding to overdoses on a daily basis in the community that I worked in at the time. And it was very difficult, especially as a very young patrolman at the time, to walk away from those scenes and really leave the family disheveled and in a disarray. They had nowhere to turn. I didn’t really have any answers for them.”
Kane explained that law enforcement’s early approach was ineffective. “Back then, our approach as law enforcement was we were trying to arrest our way out of the problem. And it was not productive,” he said. The collaborative effort undertaken by all 27 communities, Bridgewater State University Police, the District Attorney’s office, and PCO “has really been a tremendous answer and a fantastic response to do something far beyond just arresting our way out of the problem.”
Halifax Police Chief Joao Chaves expressed strong support for the program. “I have two officers that I already do the clinician follow-ups with. They all speak highly of it,” Chaves said. He noted his own experience as a co-responder in New Bedford, where he participated in a similar program visiting homes after overdoses with clergy members and outreach workers.
The funding mechanism involves no new costs to Halifax taxpayers. Fennessy explained that Halifax began receiving payments on March 15, 2024 from settlements with pharmaceutical companies held responsible for the opioid epidemic. The town has collected $84,199.84 to date and is expected to receive approximately $280,000 total through 2039.
These funds are restricted and must be spent on opioid-related programs and initiatives. The money has been placed in a revolving account specifically designated for substance use issues. Halifax’s proposed contribution to PCO would be approximately $9,896 for the current year, representing about 1.5% of the countywide budget. This calculation is still being finalized as PCO works to determine each community’s fair share based on population and other factors.
Board members responded positively to the presentation. Chair Jonathan Selig said, “I think it’s fantastic. And I think your numbers kind of vet out that it’s working. So kudos to you guys.” When asked if Halifax would remain on the hook for contributions after the settlement funds run out in 2039, Chief Kane clarified that the current request is specifically for directing opioid settlement funds to the program. “That’s correct,” he said. “That’s really the ask right now is really hoping that you would consider directing those funds, specific POVA funds, to this effort. And hopefully this buys us more time to become more self-sustaining into the future beyond 2039.”
Butler explained that PCO’s budget for the coming fiscal year is projected at approximately $659,000 to $777,000, scaled back from previous years to focus on the most effective programs based on data. “That was kind of cutting out all of the extra stuff that we’ve done over the years and really sticking to what our data supports,” she said. Chief Kane added that “the grant provided Vicki and her team a really great opportunity to try things that they’ve never tried before, too. And if they’re not connected, Vicki makes a very honest assessment on that, and she eliminates that from the overall.”
The program uses a critical incident management system through Kelly Research Associates that allows all police departments in the county to share information about overdoses in real time. This prevents residents from falling through the cracks when they overdose outside their home community. “So if someone from Halifax were to overdose in Hanover, Hanover would enter that information, and with a click of a button, Halifax would have that information so that they could do that follow-up, and that individual wouldn’t fall through the cracks,” Butler explained. “So prior to this program existing, that cross-communication wouldn’t have happened.”
PCO also operates a physical drop-in center about 15 minutes from Halifax, open for walk-ins Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with appointments available other times. The center provides immediate placement assistance, Narcan distribution, resources for family members, and an extensive library of books about talking to youth about substance use. Butler noted that the hardest-hit age range for overdoses is 30 to 39, which is typically parenting age, meaning many youth are being impacted by the crisis.
In addition to post-overdose services, PCO launched situation tables in 2020 that bring together multiple service providers to address the needs of individuals or families at acutely elevated risk. These tables operate on a four-filter system with over 105 different risk factors in 27 different categories and aim to be proactive rather than reactive. Butler gave an example: “Let’s say we have a family, one of the parents recently lost their job, they were served an eviction notice, the car broke down, the kids aren’t getting to school. We know that if we don’t intervene, something bad is going to happen.” The tables can then assemble teams from housing, schools, employment services and other resources to wrap services around families in crisis.
Chief Chaves noted that the town has been working with other departments to identify appropriate uses for the opioid settlement funds. “We’ve had meetings with the Fire Chief, Council on Aging, and Water Health, and we’ve come up with some ideas, some items that we can utilize it for that will not hamper the PCO,” he said. Some proposed initiatives, like installing Narcan lockboxes similar to fire department Knox boxes, would complement PCO’s work rather than compete with it.
The board took no vote on the matter, as any allocation of funds must come through a town meeting vote. Selectmen indicated they would support including an article at an upcoming town meeting to appropriate the funds. If all 27 communities in Plymouth County participate at comparable levels, the program would be fully sustainable through 2039 on settlement funds alone.
Selig also provided an update on the Silver Lake Regional Study Committee, which voted to hire the Collins Center from Boston to conduct a year-long study examining ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs at both the municipal and educational levels. “The committee did vote to go with the Collins Center out of Boston,” Selig said. “It’ll take about a year, and it’s going to [involve] collecting all kinds of data.” He does not anticipate results for at least another calendar year.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen declined to authorize a new digital permitting system on Oct. 6, despite having secured a $74,000 state grant to launch the program, after learning the software would cost the town approximately $60,000 annually to maintain—a price tag that prompted concerns from both board members and residents about long-term fiscal sustainability.
Town Administrator Liz Dennehy presented the board with a proposal to implement OpenGov permitting software, which would coordinate applications across multiple town departments including building inspection, Board of Health, conservation, and the assessor’s office. The $74,000 Community Compact grant Dennehy successfully secured would cover startup costs, training, and operation from Jan. 1 through June 30, 2026.
However, the presentation took an unexpected turn when Dennehy revealed the ongoing annual cost. “The annual cost, it would be like a three-year contract that we’d be entering into. They think that the pricing will come in around $60,000 a year,” she told the board. “So that’s not short money.”
The software aims to solve a significant coordination problem in Plympton’s permitting process. Currently, applicants often submit different sets of plans to different departments—one to the building department, another showing wetlands delineation to conservation, and yet another to the Board of Health for septic systems—making it difficult for town staff to verify that all regulatory requirements are being met.
Dennehy cited a recent solar project as an example of the system’s shortcomings. “The plans that they submitted to the fire department did not include wetlands delineation or anything like that. It resulted in a design where the fire department cannot reasonably get apparatus around the entire perimeter of the solar field,” she explained.
When Dennehy surveyed town departments about whether to pursue permitting software or website upgrades with available grant funding, the response was overwhelming in favor of the permitting system. All departments that issue permits—building, health, conservation, and assessors—participated in OpenGov’s presentation.
Vice Chairman Nathaniel Sides pressed on the return on investment. “Other than coordination and efficiency and all of that, which is understandable, I mean, that’s certainly a benefit. Is there another return on investment there?” he asked. “Is there a cost savings labor that we would realize from somebody not having to do a lot of manual?”
Dennehy acknowledged the limitations. “It would definitely save some manpower hours. I don’t think that the savings are that significant that you would be able to make a logical argument that that’s one of the benefits. It’s really just for ease of use for residents and for the town employees,” she said.
Resident Mark Wallis raised a fundamental question about the spending authority. “It seems to me that if you’re going to spend, what was it, $74,000 now, it would be prudent. And where it’s a grant, grants are great, but they cost you money afterwards if they cost you money afterwards,” Wallis said. “If it’s going to be $60,000 a year, I think the town as a whole should be questioned whether they want it or not. And it would be maybe appropriate to go to a town meeting with the knowledge that it’s going to cost $60,000 a year.”
The discussion did yield one notable defense of the software from an unexpected source. Former Selectman John Traynor noted that the same software had been discussed approximately nine years ago. “The legal liability, I think, is what is going to save you the money. When these things don’t agree, we already see it in some of the court cases in front of the town now that may have been solved because everybody knew they were playing on the same playing field,” Traynor said.
Dennehy expressed her own reservations about the pricing. “I was a little alarmed with the $60,000-ish estimate, given that we were going to start off, like, baby steps,” she said. The pricing is based on municipality size and the number of departments participating. Some larger communities integrate police and fire departments and digitize all historical permits into the system.
The board directed Dennehy to return to OpenGov to explore options for reducing costs or adding more departments to justify the expense. “I think that’s definitely worthwhile to look and see what we can do with it and see what other options there are,” Chairman Dana Smith said. The grant deadline extends to July 2026, giving the town time to evaluate alternatives before committing.
In other significant financial news, Dennehy announced that Plympton has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the state’s Rural Development Fund for a water security study. The project, which requires no town match, will be managed by Conservation Agent Brian Vasa and will work with regional partners including the Taunton River Stewardship Council. “It’s going to basically look into some different things and establish some parameters so that we can ensure our water quality and security for many years to come,” Dennehy explained. The study will examine potential threats to groundwater, map aquifer locations, and recommend any necessary updates to local conservation bylaws.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen gave preliminary approval Sept. 23 to a proposal from the Halifax Veterans of Foreign Wars to create a Veterans Memorial Garden surrounding the town hall patio, marking what organizers say would be the town’s first dedicated veterans memorial space. The multi-phase project would be entirely funded and maintained by the VFW at no cost to the town.
Dave Walsh, representing the Halifax VFW, presented plans for the memorial garden during the meeting, describing it as “step one of four steps” in creating a comprehensive veterans memorial at the town hall grounds. The initial phase calls for a six-to-seven-foot garden buffer zone surrounding the main patio, featuring two small ornamental trees such as weeping cherry or Japanese maple, with a maximum growth height of 10 to 15 feet.
“I think we’re one of the few towns that doesn’t have a Veterans Memorial of some sort, and I think that would be a very apt name for it,” Walsh told the board. He emphasized that the project would be “absolutely no cost to the town whatsoever” and would be maintained by VFW volunteers and a local landscaping contractor as backup.
The proposal comes on the heels of the successful installation of a memorial bench earlier this month. Walsh reported that the granite bench, weighing approximately 650 pounds and measuring four feet long by two feet wide, arrived on Sept. 12 and was installed with assistance from the town’s Department of Public Works. The bench, provided by Swenson Granite of Hanover and custom-chiseled in Vermont, is scheduled to be dedicated on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
Board Chair Jonathan Selig expressed support for the concept but requested to see formal plans before giving final approval. “I think it’s a great idea. I just had two quick questions. Number one, do we have any sort of rough sketch or plan of what it will look like?” Selig asked. He also raised concerns about long-term maintenance, citing past experiences with Eagle Scout projects that lacked sustained upkeep after completion.
Walsh assured the board that the VFW had commitments from multiple volunteers, specifically naming Kathy Garland and her husband, who had volunteered to handle ongoing maintenance. Additionally, the VFW has arranged for Naja Nessralla to serve as both the project lead for construction and as a backup for maintenance if volunteer efforts fall short.
Selectman Thomas Pratt raised an additional concern about insurance coverage for the work. “Do we have proper insurance for Naja?” Pratt asked, noting that the board needed to verify that the contractor and the VFW would have appropriate liability coverage before work begins. Walsh acknowledged he had not yet addressed the insurance question, and the board agreed to table final approval until those details could be confirmed.
Walsh outlined an ambitious long-term vision for the memorial space that extends well beyond the initial garden installation. Phase two would involve lining the walkways with perennials. Phase three would add granite mementos for each military service branch facing Hemlock Lane. The final phase would incorporate memorial bricks honoring deceased veterans, purchased and installed by family members. Walsh emphasized that each phase would require separate board approval before proceeding.
The board discussed the possibility of hosting a ceremonial groundbreaking on Veterans Day if formal plans and insurance documentation cannot be finalized in time for actual construction before November 11. “We could do a groundbreaking. I don’t know if it would be too late in November. I don’t think the ground’s going to be frozen yet,” Selig said, suggesting the ceremony could mark the official launch of the project even if physical work would need to wait until spring.
Walsh selected the Nessralla family’s landscaping business to handle the construction, citing their contributions to the town. “We figured since it’s a Halifax project, we would use a Halifax site. We selected the Nessralla’s. They have done so much for the town,” Walsh explained. Former Selectman Naja Nessralla, who would head the project, has already expressed enthusiasm about participating in the memorial garden’s creation.
The board instructed Walsh to return to a future meeting with formal sketches or plans showing the proposed layout and footprint of the garden, along with documentation of insurance coverage. Assuming those requirements are met, the board indicated strong support for moving forward with the project.
“I think in theory, we’re all on board, obviously. It’s a great thing. Continuation of an excellent project,” Pratt said. Selig agreed, telling Walsh, “It’d be an honor to do it, Dave. Thank you for all your efforts.”
The discussion reflected the board’s effort to balance enthusiasm for honoring local veterans with due diligence on practical matters of insurance liability and long-term maintenance responsibilities. The Veterans Memorial Garden would be coordinated with Veterans Agent Steve Littlefield, though Walsh noted that Littlefield is currently deployed with the Army.
Dave Walsh will return to the Board of Selectmen with formal sketches of the proposed Veterans Memorial Garden layout and documentation of insurance coverage for the construction work. Once those materials are reviewed and approved, the VFW can proceed with the first phase of the memorial project. The board and VFW are exploring options for a ceremonial groundbreaking on Veterans Day, November 11, 2025, with potential completion in spring 2026 if construction cannot begin before winter. Future phases of the memorial project will require separate board approvals as they are developed.

Kingston officials are projecting the need for a Proposition 2 ½ override of just under $1 million for the fiscal year 2027 budget, according to a five-year financial forecast presented during a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, and Finance Committee.
Town Administrator Keith Hickey outlined the challenging financial landscape facing the town, which narrowly avoided an override last year by finishing with only $3,000 remaining in excess levy capacity.
‘Fiscal 27 is going to be a challenge, certainly,” Hickey said during the meeting. “We started ‘fiscal 26 when the budgets were approved of excess levy capacity of $1,775. So we spent almost every penny we had.”
The projected override amount drops significantly in subsequent years, with fiscal 2028 requiring only $209,000. The forecast shows excess tax levy capacity returning in fiscal years 2029 through 2031, ranging from $394,000 to $1.1 million.
The town’s financial challenges stem largely from limited new growth due to the recently lifted water moratorium. Hickey estimates new growth of about $1 million for fiscal 2028, maintaining that level through fiscal 2029 before declining in outer years.
“New growth, as I think everybody’s aware over the last couple years, has really slowed because of the water moratorium,” Hickey explained. “We expect that to start to pick back up now that the water moratorium has been lifted.”
The forecast assumes annual increases of 4.5% for state receipts and 2.75% for local receipts. Town wage increases are projected at 2% for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, then 3% for the following three years, with operating expenses increasing 1.5% annually.
School Committee member Jeanne Coleman highlighted additional budget pressures facing the district, particularly the loss of $800,000 in shelter funds that helped balance previous budgets.
“We’re looking at about a $5 million hole that we’re digging out of, to start,” Coleman said, referring to regional budget challenges. “Just knowing that, I think, in good faith, we can say, I think we need to have the honest conversation that in order to have a level service budget, we’re going to be looking at an override this year.”
The school department has already implemented an earlier budget timeline to address concerns about meeting town deadlines. Director of Finance and Operations Sarah Hickey said preliminary budgets from principals were due Oct. 1, with the goal of delivering a votable budget to school committees in December.
“Superintendent Proulx and I met in July to go over the budget timeline and we changed the budget timeline for this year because I knew that timeliness of the budget process was going to be crucial,” Sarah Hickey said.
Board of Selectmen Chair Eric Crone emphasized the importance of early communication about potential overrides, drawing from the town’s experience with previous budget challenges.
“If we do need an override this coming year, it might pass one year, but it’s not going to pass multiple years in a row,” Crone said. “So we’re going to have to look at a potential strategy of putting in enough money that would last just a couple of years or more.”
Selectman, and former Finance Committee member, Carl Pike stressed the need for realistic budget numbers and careful public communication about any potential override.
“I firmly believe that we’ll very apt to have to go to the town for a Proposition 2 ½ override,” Pike said. “But I don’t want to get everybody excited at an unrealistic number.”
Pike noted that while schools might successfully sell a $2 million override, larger amounts would face greater challenges with voters.
The town faces additional departmental requests beyond standard budget increases. Keith Hickey said the police department continues seeking additional staffing to meet community needs, which would require supporting supplies and equipment.
Officials acknowledged the complexity of budget planning given uncertainties in state aid, special education costs, and regional transportation funding.
“There’s so many things we don’t know like the schools,” Crone said. “You guys don’t know what the federal and state aid looks like for anything. Regional transportation, special ed. These things go up and down.”
The school department’s challenges include ongoing contract negotiations with both teachers and support staff, adding another variable to budget projections.
Finance Committee member Marsha Meekins noted the importance of explaining the rationale behind any override request to voters.
“I don’t think it’s just the amount. I think it’s also why,” she said. “I think the why part is probably the most important part of selling anything.”
The town has experienced mixed results with override attempts in recent years. School-related overrides have generally passed, while other municipal requests have faced more difficulty.
Officials plan to continue meeting throughout the budget process to refine projections and coordinate messaging. The forecast represents a living document that will be updated as more information becomes available about state aid and other revenue sources.
The town’s annual meeting timeline may also face scrutiny, as school officials consider requesting changes to budget submission deadlines to better align with state aid announcements and regional district requirements.
Hickey, who recently accepted the Town Administrator job in Fairhaven, emphasized the importance of maintaining communication between the three boards involved in budget decisions.
“I think it’s important for all the three boards to understand what’s happening and have that line of communication be maybe a little bit better than it has been in the past about what the challenges are,” he said.

Several key volunteers have resigned from Plympton town committees in recent weeks, creating what one Board of Selectmen member describes as “a bit of a crisis right now in town government.”
The chair of Plympton’s Town Properties Committee, Jon Wilhelmsen, announced his resignation after serving for over 25 years. He submitted his resignation to the Board of Selectmen effective Sept. 8. It was the first announced resignation for a Board of Selectmen meeting that would accept three more.
During the Sept. 3 Town Properties Committee meeting, Wilhelmsen explained his decision: “I’ve always focused on doing what’s best for the town and setting up long-term improvements, not getting caught up in local politics. But lately, it seems impossible to avoid the political side of things.”
Wilhelmsen’s frustration stems from recent debates about a new fire station proposal and ongoing town hall renovations. He specifically called out the leadership style of Chairman Dana Smith, referencing a recent Board of Selectmen meeting. “If this were a paid job, I’d be looking for a new one,” Wilhelmsen added.
Defending the committee’s work on the fire station, Wilhelmsen emphasized their commitment to quality and doing projects right the first time.
Committee member Ross MacPherson weighed in, saying, “We’ve relied on the ‘Plympton helping Plympton’ approach for the station’s design and construction. Without that, we’re left with just what we’ve done so far.”
The committee has voted to appoint Mark Wallis as the new chair, though it would be short lived.
Town Administrator Liz Dennehy announced four resignations during the Sept. 8 Board of Selectmen meeting, noting that “these contributions will be sorely missed.”
The resignations include Wilhelmsen from both the Town Properties Committee and the Plympton Historical Commission, Linda Leddy from the Conservation Commission, Ross MacPherson from the Town Properties Committee, and new chair Mark Wallis from the Town Properties Committee.
Board member Mark Russo expressed concern about the broader implications of losing experienced volunteers. “I, to some extent, think that it’s kind of a bit of a crisis right now in town government to be losing all those people,” Russo said. “So we have, we talk about it all the time, but boy, do we need to be recruiting. And there’s a lot to protect in this town. And it’s those kind of people that do the protection.”
Wallis, who attended the meeting in person, voiced frustration with what he perceived as lack of support for committee work. “Very disappointed in the comments and the support that we were given as a town properties committee,” Wallis said. “I don’t feel that we were… We did a lot of hard work and I don’t think it was appreciated.”
Wallis, who served 30 years on the fire department and worked on the building committee for the library in addition to his town properties role, emphasized his long commitment to the community. “I’ve given a lot of my career to this town,” he said.
The departures leave the five-member Town Properties Committee with only two remaining members. The committee has received expressions of interest from new volunteers, but formal appointments have not yet been made.
Leddy’s departure from the Conservation Commission represents a particularly significant loss, according to Russo, who praised her extensive conservation work. “This seat, which was held by Linda Leddy for I’m not quite sure how long, many, many years, the work that Linda did kind of turned it into a full-time job,” Russo said. “The preservation of several hundred acres in three different parks or conservation areas, largely led by Linda along the way.”
The board appointed Molly Hutt Wardwell to fill Leddy’s position on the Conservation Commission, effective Sept. 8 through June 30, 2027.
Linda Wallis addressed the board about the pattern of resignations. “Being the wife of someone on that committee, realizing the amount of time and effort and energy that goes into looking out for the interests of town property, and having this constant negative feedback that really is demoralizing to the people that are actively trying to make things better,” Wallis said.
She urged the board to investigate the underlying causes when multiple resignations occur simultaneously. “When you have resignations come in, that you make an attempt to talk to those people who are resigning and find out what has prompted that resignation,” she said. “Because to have that many people from a committee resign at the same time is a siren. There’s something going on that needs to be addressed.”
The resignations come amid ongoing discussions about communication challenges between town committees and residents. Board Chair Dana Smith acknowledged that communication has been a persistent issue but emphasized efforts to improve transparency through video recording of meetings.
“Communication and lack thereof between the community not understanding what these projects are, I see things as a great stride by putting these meetings out there,” Smith said. “Now people can see that.”
Recreation Committee and Library Trustee member Becky Archambeault spoke about the challenges facing volunteers in the current environment. “It’s very disheartening when you’re sitting on boards… You’re a volunteer and, you know, when things hash out on Facebook the way they did over the fire station, it can be very frustrating when you’re giving your time and doing that work,” Archambeault said.
She suggested the town consider working with a recruiter to help identify and engage new volunteers. “Maybe we speak to some kind of a recruiter… how do we open up that scope and get more people involved?” Archambeault said.
The volunteer shortage extends beyond the committees experiencing resignations. The board also announced that Dottie Martel is taking a leave of absence from Council on Aging activities, requiring the appointment of Deborah Batson as interim representative to Old Colony Elder Services.
Wallis suggested the board consider scheduling some meetings in the evening to accommodate working residents who cannot attend daytime sessions. “Have you considered doing, you know, like one night a week, a month?” Wallis asked. “Alternating between two and evening ones so it opens it up to more people.”
The Town Properties Committee, which oversees maintenance and improvements to municipal buildings, currently has authority over facilities including the town hall, old town house, and other municipal properties. The committee’s reduced membership comes as the town faces ongoing building maintenance issues, including basement moisture problems at the town hall that require professional testing.

The Halifax Fire Department received approval from the Board of Selectmen to create a paramedic-only position as the department grapples with severe staffing shortages that are impacting emergency response capabilities.
Fire Chief Michael Witham presented multiple solutions to address recruitment and retention challenges during the meeting, explaining that the department has lost 12 people in the past three years. The new paramedic-only position would pay between $26 and $30 per hour at the chief’s discretion, representing a $4 hourly increase from current paramedic pay.
“For the last few years when we just sponsored people, we don’t have the funding to pay them. So now I’m going to ask somebody to give up six months of their life and 240 hours of training or more, 270 hours with everything for $0. There’s not a lot of people interested in doing it,” the Chief said.
The paramedic-only employees would be limited to ambulance operations and cannot respond to fires since they lack Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications. They cannot operate pumps, enter burning buildings, or use self-contained breathing apparatus.
“The only function that they would have would be to drive the ambulance, work in the back of the ambulance, and then obviously come back and do the chores around the station,” Witham explained.
The department currently operates with three-person crews, but the chief acknowledged this creates challenges when the paramedic-only position is filled, leaving only two certified firefighters available for fire calls.
The Chief also proposed hiring paramedics and sending them to the fire academy, which would cost approximately $10,000 per person including wages during the 10-week training period and overtime costs to cover their shifts. To prevent new hires from leaving immediately after training, the department would require a two-year contract with financial penalties for early departure.
“The last two that I hired, within 24 hours they went to another department,” the chief said, highlighting the competitive nature of the current job market.
Sign-on bonuses represent another recruitment tool under consideration. Witham suggested offering $5,000 bonuses split between graduation from the academy and completion of the probationary period.
The staffing shortage has significant operational impacts. The department’s recall success rate sits at just 12 percent, forcing reliance on mutual aid from neighboring communities. Last year, Halifax had 90 mutual aid runs, representing approximately $234,000 in lost billing revenue.
“Every time that ambulance goes out with another community, we’re losing $2,600,” he explained.
The department has seen a 200-run increase compared to last year, with projections for an additional 400 to 500 runs annually due to the new walk-in clinic and planned community center development.
“That walk-in clinic, we went there three times the other day,” the Chief said, noting that most patients requiring transport include those with allergic reactions, shortness of breath, chest pain, and cardiac rhythm abnormalities.
Current staffing levels mean that when one ambulance transports a patient, only one crew member remains at the station. Transport calls typically take two hours, including evaluation, transport, and potential hospital wait times.
“By the time you get to someone’s house, evaluate, make the decision to transport, go to the hospital. If you have to get medications, sometimes you’re at the hospital 45 minutes waiting for a bed because it’s so busy,” Witham said.
The chief’s goal involves staffing four members per shift, which would allow operation of both a second ambulance and a fire truck simultaneously during emergencies.
Board Chair Jonathan Selig expressed support while acknowledging financial constraints. “I do think it’s going to take some creativity to try to figure this out, because in addition to your issue, we’re also facing a tough financial year coming up,” Selig said.
The chief assured the board that he would absorb costs within his existing budget until funds are exhausted, emphasizing that hiring the paramedic-only position at the higher rate remains more cost-effective than paying overtime at $60 per hour.
“I can absorb some of it for right now to take the burden off of what’s going on? Yes. But like I said to you, I might pay a little bit of money this way, but if I don’t and there’s nobody there, I’m paying time and a half at $60 an hour,” the Chief said.
The board unanimously approved creating the paramedic-only position with compensation up to $30 per hour at the chief’s discretion. The position will be developed with a formal job description and brought back for final salary determination.
Selig emphasized the importance of competitive compensation. “We have to, as a town, be somewhat competitive, right? I mean, to your point, we’ve had so many positions just open because we can’t attract people because we offer so low.”
The department’s challenges reflect broader regional trends, with surrounding communities like Carver paying paramedics between $29 and $35 per hour, and Plympton offering rates in the $30s depending on experience.
The Chief will work with the Finance Committee liaison to finalize position details and compensation structure before implementation.