Edward and Christine Savage in Hingham District Court on Wednesday, Nov. 14. Photo by Abram Neal.

HINGHAM— On Wednesday, Nov. 14, Edward and Christine Savage, of Plympton, came before Judge Heather Bradley in Hingham District Court for a hearing on a shoplifting case stemming from an incident at Kohl’s Department Store, 100 Derby St., Hingham in April 2017.

The Savages reached an agreement with Assistant District Attorney Frances Cannone, and Judge Bradley agreed to it, continuing the matter without a finding for six months with the condition that the Savages stay out of criminal trouble and stay away from Kohl’s at the Derby Street Shops.

The Savages were represented by Daniel Webster, a Pembroke-based attorney and former state representative.

A court official said the sentence is typical for a shoplifting case, but this case was hardly typical, as it was both lengthy for its type and at least one of the defendants is well-known to area residents.

Edward Savage was formerly the Hanson Police Chief who resigned in 2012 after an extensive outside investigation revealed he was reporting false and inflated crime statistics to the town for its annual town report for a period of seven to eight years, leaving an appearance that the department was struggling to keep up with the amount of work at its staffing levels at the time– among other substantiated allegations, according to the investigatory report by Alfred Donovan of APD Management, Inc. in 2012.

Several media outlets questioned whether the Savages received lighter treatment than other defendants because of Savage’s former position with the police, including WCVB-TV and The Boston Globe. A court official familiar with the matter strongly denied that the two received special treatment at any time.

According to the Hingham police report, “Edward took clothing off of the racks and tables and removed the hangers from them and then carefully folded them into the bottom of the carriage. He then brought the cloths [sic] to Christine who had an empty Kohl’s bag with her. She then brought the carriage with her into the woman’s [sic] dressing room. When she came out, she had the clothes tucked under the empty Kohl’s bag. The two of them then headed for the front door.”

They were apprehended by two Kohl’s loss prevention employees, who contacted police. The Savages were not cooperative according to the report.

The Savages were summonsed before now-retired Hingham District Court Clerk-Magistrate Joseph Ligotti, June 19, 2017, in a closed-door show of cause hearing, the audio of which was later released to media. Ligotti did not find probable cause to issue charges, which, said a court official at the time, is typical for minor cases where defendants do not have criminal records.

But Ligotti made it clear that he did not believe the two had made a mistake. “You want me to believe that two people have to go back to a car to get one wallet … I don’t believe either one of them,” he said in the recording.

He also questioned why the two were not arrested after being argumentative to Kohls employees and the Hingham police.

“I don’t know,” says the Hingham police prosecutor, Sgt. Steven Dearth.

Ligotti agreed to dismiss the charges, with the agreement of the police, if the Savages stayed out of legal trouble for eight months and wrote letters of apology to Kohl’s and to the Hingham Police Department.

In January, 2018, Ligotti retired and Andrew Quigley became the acting clerk-magistrate for Hingham District Court. Hingham police notified Quigley after the eight-month period that the Savages had never written a letter of apology to the police, so Quigley issued the charges, this time before a judge. An outside prosecutor, Frances Cannone, of Essex County, was brought in.

The Savages were arraigned April 2, 2018, on the criminal charges for not complying with the conditions of Ligotti’s dismissal. They later filed a motion to dismiss those charges Sept. 13, 2018.

At that hearing, the Savages’ attorney argued that the acting clerk magistrate, Quigley, should not have issued the criminal charges, and that he had “violated the integrity of the Magistrate’s hearing” by doing so, because the Savages thought they had until the very last day before the charges were dismissed to write their letters of apology. Webster said they wrote the letters. But it was only after criminal charges were being filed against them, according to Cannone.

During the hearing on the motion to dismiss, held before Judge John Stapleton, Webster read a quote from the original show of cause hearing:

“Okay, I am getting two letters written, signed by both people. I’m going to continue this matter until 2/28 of ’18 for dismissal. It will automatically dismiss on that date, no need to be back. Should you be dumb enough to do anything else illegal, this will automatically kick in and will automatically come back … and it will be issued,” Clerk-Magistrate Ligotti said.

Stapleton denied the motion to dismiss the charges noting that the court found that the acting clerk-magistrate, Quigley, had not violated the integrity of the clerk-magistrate hearing.

Finally, the Savages struck a deal with Cannone, this time with no requirement to write any letters, and Bradley approved the deal. Should the Savages follow its conditions by staying out of legal trouble and staying away from Kohl’s at Derby Street Shops, this may be the end of this legal matter for them. If they break those conditions, according to Bradley, they will be back before the court.

HALIFAX – On Tuesday, Nov. 13, the Central Plymouth County Water Advisory Board met in Halifax.

The once long-dormant committee, created by emergency legislation in 1964 which assisted the City of Brockton in obtaining its drinking water for free from the Silver Lake watershed during a drought that year, has begun to meet once again only in the last five years, with the assistance of state legislators.

Today, the towns have their own public water needs, at odds with Brockton. The 1964 legislation created the commission to manage the watershed and an advisory board to appoint the commission.

The board almost didn’t have a quorum, nearly ending the required bi-annual meeting.

Members Jim Bragg, Cathleen Drinan, Don Howard, Scott Lambiase and Chair Josh Warren were present, a smaller group of members than attended the last meeting in August.

One issue the board tackled is that a member of the advisory board is supposed to be a Brockton Water Commissioner. That member, Tom Monahan, has not attended one meeting, says Drinan, and therefore the board wants Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter to appoint someone else who will participate.

Carpenter has historically been less-than-responsive to the water issue.

The board also would like to invite the newly  elected state legislators to their meetings, including State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) and State Representative Alyson Sullivan (R-Abington).

“I’ll track who RSVPs and we’ll be sure to wow them,” joked Warren, noting that not much is happening with the board right now.

They also discussed inviting re-elected State Senator Michael Brady (D-Brockton).

Despite having a mandate from the state, and meeting for several years now, the board is in a nascent state. They are still obtaining email addresses and a letterhead, both topics of discussion.

The controversies over where Brockton gets its drinking water has long been a source of consternation for the towns that supply it:, Halifax, Hanson, Kingston, Pembroke, Plympton and Whitman.

Halifax has possibly been hardest hit by the mismanagement of Brockton’s drinking supply, say experts.

Cyanobacteria blooms in Monponsett Lake are believed to be just one of the consequences of this mismanagement and recently the quality of Brockton’s water supply is in question.

Brockton primarily draws its water from Silver Lake. During periods when the Monponsett Lakes are at a level where Brockton can draw off water, the natural direction of the water flow is effectively reversed, leaving West Monponsett pond stagnant and an excellent environment for cyanobacteria to grow.

Soon, cyanobacteria blooms, feeding on the phosphorous, were frequent in the summer, limiting recreational activity on the once-thriving lake.

Although the towns and state have addressed issues year-by-year, more permanent solutions are being sought.

The CPCWDAB will next meet Monday, Feb. 4, at 4 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room of Halifax Town Hall.

PLYMPTON/HALIFAX – Both Plympton and Halifax had extraordinarily high voter turnout in Tuesday’s Midterm election.  Unofficial election results show Halifax with 3,691 ballots cast, or 64% of the 5775 registered voters, not counting overseas or provisional ballots, according to Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor.   In Plympton, Town Clerk Tara Shaw confirmed that with 1,539 ballots cast, or 68 percent turnout, a record was set for a Midterm election – and it was the second busiest election ever, after the 2012 presidential election.

But the two towns are certainly not bellwethers for the state. As Plympton and Halifax go, the Commonwealth as a whole does not go. Many races in the towns were much closer than at the state level.

In the tightest race of the night, Kathy LaNatra, a Democrat, faced off against Joseph Truschelli, a Republican, for State Representative. In Plympton, unofficial results separated the two by 33 votes, with LaNatra ahead. In Halifax, just 12 votes separated the two, again with LaNatra ahead. Truschelli conceded the race for the expansive 12th Plymouth District, and Kathy LaNatra will be the district’s next State Representative.

“I will always put the needs of the district and my fellow citizens first. I’m really looking forward to serving as your next State Representative!” said LaNatra in a statement to The Express.

Reached via Facebook, Truschelli congratulated LaNatra and her team while thanking his supporters. “I am grateful to my friends, family and supporters who generously offered their time and energy to help spread our campaign message throughout the district.”

Republican Geoff Diehl received 835 votes to Democrat Elizabeth Warren’s 639 votes in Plympton for Massachusetts Senator, while Diehl received 2,071 votes to Warren’s 1,409 in Halifax. Warren handily won against Diehl statewide.

The Governor and Lt. Governor, Charlie Baker and Karyn Polito, popular Republicans even among Democrats, won in both towns as they did statewide.

Democrat Maura Healey beat Republican James McMahon, III in a close race in Plympton, but lost in Halifax. Healey will return as Massachusetts Attorney General.

Both towns voted to send Democrat Secretary of State Bill Galvin back to office.

Democrat Deborah Goldberg narrowly won against Keiko Orrall in the race for Treasurer in Halifax and Plympton. Goldberg will return as Treasurer after being elected statewide.

In another tight race, this time for Auditor, Democrat Suzanne M. Bump squeaked out a win in both towns and won handily at the state-level.

Although the race was about 60 percent to 40 percent on the state level according to Boston Globe results, Bill Keating won in Plympton by less than 50 votes against Peter Tedeschi and lost by about 60 votes in Halifax, according to local results. Keating, a Democrat, will return as Representative in Congress.

Christopher Iannella, a Democrat, ran unopposed and was elected Councilor, 4th District.

Democrat State Senator Michael Brady was re-elected to Beacon Hill against Republican Scott Hall, by less than 100 votes in Plympton, although by a greater margin in Halifax.

Popular Republican District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz won re-election against Democrat John E. Bradley, Jr. by a wide margin in both towns and will return as Plymouth County District Attorney.

Robert Creedon, a Democrat, won re-election as Clerk of Courts. He ran unopposed as did John Buckley, Jr., also a Democrat, as Register of Deeds.

Republican Sandra M. Wright ran unopposed as Plymouth County Commissioner.

On the ballot questions, Halifax and Plympton mirrored the state in their results. Question one was defeated, and although questions two and three won by narrower margins than they did statewide, they both passed.

PLYMPTON–On Monday, Oct. 29, Griffin Webb, the part-time Animal Control Officer for the Town of Plympton made an impassioned plea to the board for leash laws in town. But the board rejected those requests, noting that the current bylaws should give Webb the “teeth” to enforce the law against aggressive and nuisance pets.

Webb, who also works in Marshfield as an ACO, had compiled a list of surrounding town’s leash laws, and frequently made reference to what he explained as greater authority to enforce laws where he works in Marshfield.

Accompanying him was Robert Quindley, of County Road, who described a neighbor’s pit-bull mix attacking his beagle in an enclosed, fenced-in area of his yard. Webb had informed him that he could not take action against the dog or owner because of the lack of a leash law, something the board disagreed with.

Selectman Mark Russo, a veterinarian, said he was not in favor of leash laws. He said that although he professionally sees the results of dogs who fight, he also said that he sees dogs on a regular basis that “are half-crazy because they can’t run.”

He said that towns with leash laws need to have leash-free areas in town.

“Could we work leash-free areas into a law?” asked Webb. But the board was not budging.

“I totally support your enthusiasm, but you do have the power [to enforce the bylaws],” said Russo. Plympton bylaws do state that dogs must be under the control of their owner at all times, and have fines for violations.

“I don’t want to see you patrolling the streets for dogs,” said Selectman Christine Joy. “Maybe in the future.” But, she added, there is room for improvement in the bylaws.

Selectman Chairman John Traynor suggested that the fines for violating current animal bylaws, such as unlicensed or aggressive dogs, need to be drastically increased.

The board seemed to be gearing up for more hearings, though, as they did encourage Webb to bring forward his investigations and findings to the board in the future.

Webb also brought up the fact that he is having issues with livestock in the middle of the road, particularly sheep. This brought some laughter to the room, but again, the board encouraged him to use existing bylaws to deal with livestock.

Webb wished to know where he could get a citation book, like he has in Marshfield. Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said that if the police could not obtain one for him, the town would order him one.

In other BOS news:

• Area58 Community Access Television, of which Plympton is a member, is bringing the ability to go “live” in high definition on cable for certain meetings held in Town House’s large meeting room. The board gave Area58 permission to move forward with the nominal cost of obtaining a static IP address for the technology to work.

• Dennehy, the town’s chief procurement officer, will be delegating more procurement responsibilities to department heads, while retaining some oversight at the same time for major spending projects.

• The family of Diane Giordani, who was killed in an alleged motor vehicle homicide in town last May, have donated a large American flag to the Plympton Fire Department in her memory. The board graciously accepted the donation, which the department suggested should replace the tattered flag flying outside the Town House campus.

• Selectmen will next meet Monday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. in the large meeting room at Town House. The board has decided to meet twice a month for the time being.

A Halifax man faces charges in connection with a rollover crash in Hanson Tuesday night that caused serious, but non-life threatening injuries to his passenger and himself.

At approximately 8:30 p.m., Oct. 23, Hanson Police received numerous 911 calls reporting  a motor vehicle crash in the area of 863 Monponsett Street (Route 58). Upon arrival the officers found that a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze had struck a utility pole and rolled over.   The vehicle was traveling south when it crossed the northbound lane striking the pole and rolling over.    

The vehicle sustained extensive damage in the crash. A small fire was extinguished by a passerby prior to the first responders’ arrival.

Hanson and Halifax Fire also responded. The road was closed for a short time and National Grid restored power.

The operator, Brian Alden, 36, of Halifax and his passenger Kelly Doherty, 31, also of Halifax both sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries in the crash.

Doherty was transported to South Shore Hospital by Halifax Fire.   

Alden initially refused treatment and was taken into custody.   Alden was charged with OUI liquor second offense, OUI liquor with serious bodily injury, operating after revocation of license, operating to endanger, and marked lanes violations.

Alden requested treatment later at the police station and was transported to Brockton Hospital. He was later transferred to Boston Medical for further treatment.

He was held on $1,000 bail and was expected to be arraigned Wednesday, Oct. 24 on the above charges.   

Speed limits in Massachusetts are different than in most of the rest of the country, according to documents from the state’s department of transportation (MassDOT) Highway Division.

Several Massachusetts General Laws govern speed limits on all streets and highways throughout the Commonwealth, with the exception of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Uniquely, the basic premise under Massachusetts law is: “No person operating a motor vehicle on any way shall run it at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper, having regard to traffic and the use of the way and the safety of the public.”

This is important, they say, as no regulation supersedes it. A road may be legally posted for 30 mph, but weather conditions, traffic, construction or other hazards may mean the “reasonable and proper” limit is lower than the posted limit.

An easy phrase to remember is that speed limits are for the, “daytime, conditions permitting.”

Under proper conditions, limits can be split into two categories: posted or regulatory speed limits and statutory speed limits which are unposted.

Statutory speed limits exist in the absence of special speed regulations (which are simply posted speed limits). With the exception of school zones, if a special speed regulation exists it will supersede the statutory speed limit, according to MassDOT.

But, “It shall be prima facie evidence of a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper if a motor vehicle is operated in excess of 50 mph on a divided highway outside of a thickly settled or business district for at least 1⁄4 of a mile, 40 mph on an undivided highway outside of a thickly settled or business district for at least 1⁄4 of a mile, 30 mph in a thickly settled or business district for at least 1⁄8 of a mile and 20 mph in a legally established school zone.”

A regulatory speed limit is one that has completed a traffic engineering study, has a special speed regulation that has been signed by the road’s owner, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, the MassDOT Traffic and Safety Engineering Section and has the appropriate signage erected to clearly define the special speed zones. If this procedure is not followed, the speed limit is in violation of the law and is considered unenforceable, says MassDOT.

The traffic engineering studies that set special speed regulations consider the speed that drivers actually are traveling. Curiously enough, there is an assumption that most drivers are “prudent and capable of selecting safe speeds.”

After completing a speed study, considering crash data and historical conditions in that area, the observed 85th percentile speed, which is “a measured value of prevailing speeds at which 85 percent of all vehicles are traveling at or below in free-flowing traffic” is the basis for establishing a limit.

After the 85th percentile speed has been calculated, the value is rounded to the nearest multiple of five to determine the limit. With few exceptions, this is the speed limit that is set.

Should a municipality wish to challenge a speed limit on a municipal roadway, they can do a speed study at their own expense, and even then MassDOT does not guarantee a change in the limit, according to the Plympton Highway Surveyor, Scott Ripley.

In Halifax, voters recently turned down a Special Town Meeting article to set a fundamental speed limit across the town, so that it would be lower than the statutory speed limit, an option that is being explored by Plympton officials who are concerned about the state raising speed limits there.

Halifax selectmen announced at their meeting Tuesday that the assessment center tasked with bringing qualified candidates for the Chief of Police position interviewed five candidates, all which Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said came back with passing scores.

Selectmen Chairman Kim Roy and Selectman Troy Garron both wanted to hear from all the candidates given that all passed and none stood out above the others.

“I think it’s only to our benefit to interview all five,” Roy said.

Interviews are scheduled for October 17 and 18. The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, October 17

• 9 a.m. – Wayland Police Detective Jamie T. Berger

• 10:15 a.m. – New Bedford Police Lieutenant Joao A. Chaves

• 11:30 a.m. – Wrentham Police Sergeant Barry McGrath

Thursday, October 18

• 2:30 p.m. – Lakeville Police Lieutenant Sean Joyce

• 3:45 p.m. – MBTA Police Lieutenant David F. Albanese

Interviews will be held in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room in the Halifax Town Hall at 499 Plymouth Street. The interviews are open to the public.

Recycling Abatement Review

At the previous selectmen meeting on September 25, the board announced its intention to deny any recycling abatement request submitted after the set deadline. Residents Jaclyn Conley and Andrew Stalker came to plead their case that they submitted their request on time, but there was no proof as the letter was never time stamped.

Stalker told the board he knows he submitted the abatement request because it was the day before his father passed away.

He added that he put the flag up on his mailbox before putting the letter there. Roy and Garron said they were both sympathetic to the situation but could not extend the deadline because there was no proof, and the board had issues after extending the recycling abatement deadline last year.

“If we do it for one, we have to do it for everyone,” Roy explained to Conley and Stalker.

Selectmen’s Assistant Pam McSherry said the letter likely would have gone to the distribution center at Brockton first. Roy said the deadline meant at the town hall that day rather than in the mail.

Other News

• According to Seelig, algae levels at Monponsett Pond are again at safe levels, which allows the pond to open again. He said he’s happy the algae didn’t keep the town beach at West Monponsett from being open most of the summer, but said before the next season a plan will have to be made to keep the beach better maintained. He suggested setting up a future meeting with the Recreation Department.

• Seelig announced the Highway Department restriped the road lines at Thompson Street on Route 105. The town had received a formal complaint from a Middleborough resident who said lane visibility was difficult at night.  The next selectmen’s meeting is October 23. Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.

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PLYMPTON — The Dennett School Committee on Sept. 24 approved Vice-chairman Jason Fraser and Principal Peter Veneto pursuing a plan to renovate the playground at the elementary school.

These renovations include a second swing set, additional wood chips to a depth of at least 9 inches for any fall of ten feet or less, and an expansion of the path for wheelchairs in the recess area. Fraser also wants to modernize the dinosaur-shaped jungle gym.

Additionally, Fraser and Veneto’s plan involved adding rubberized safety mats near the end of the slide and entrance to the playground fixture. There would also be additional matting near one of the swings. Fraser said all of this would be Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.

“Our playground is not ADA compliant, and if we ever had a child with mobility issues, we’d have a real moral dilemma of what to do to allow equitable access for all children,” Fraser told the committee.

Veneto said the playground is essentially the only thing tailored for younger kids during recess. He said most of the older kids are playing soccer, so this would be a great benefit to the younger grades.

Addressing the playground was first discussed in May 2015 and has been a permanent agenda item since June 2016. Priorities were shifted when the water treatment facility at Dennett needed replacing. Now that students have safe water, Fraser said the time to purchase a new playground is approaching.

According to Fraser, the budget for the playground is roughly $256,505.86. That budget includes 20 percent in contingency costs, but some of the larger costs are the playground equipment, which estimates at about $97,000 and swings costing roughly $36,000.

Fraser said the school hasn’t spent any of its school choice fund in the budget, which has accumulated $92,258.61 from out of district families. Another $40,000 is projected to come in by Fiscal Year 2019. By July 2019, Fraser and Veneto expect there to be $132,258 in that fund that they want to use for one-time expenditures such as playground renovations.

The committee would need about another $125,000 to complete the project. Fraser said the rest could be paid for if a Capital Plan request is approved and/or applying for grant funding through the Community Preservation Act.

Fraser said he believes some of the infrastructure is already there and the school just needs an engineer to look at the playground through a study. The contingency plan funding planned for a study, Fraser said.

School Committee Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen said he liked Fraser and Veneto’s idea for using the school choice funds. He said it’s the perfect use because the money goes right back to the students.

School Drop-Off Procedures

According to Veneto, parents are doing a much better job following school drop-off procedures that do not allow students to be dropped off until 8 a.m.

He said kids can be dropped off then and wait in the cafeteria until 8:15 a.m. before going to class. There will be staff in the cafeteria then, but not any earlier.

“Having those kids there without any supervision of any kind, that’s a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion,” Veneto said.

Roof Audit

Silver Lake Superintendent Joy Blackwood informed the school committee that an assessment of Dennett Elementary’s roof concluded that the school’s roof needs repairs. Blackwood said there have been issues with leaking.

For the repairs to be eligible for grant funding, Blackwood said the roof needs to be at least 20-years-old.

According to Wilhelmsen, some of the roof was built in the ‘90s while the rest was built in 2001. He said it would be worth looking into if the parts of the roof that were built in the ‘90s would be eligible for grant funding.

Principal’s Report

Dennett Elementary School started out with 200 students this September, according to Veneto.

He said some families left for whatever reason, but many homes are for sale in town. He believes it’s possible enrollment will increase by the end of the year.

Calendar

“The Dennett Goes Gold” for childhood cancer research fundraiser started this week. Veneto said there is a gold boot in the office to collect change for childhood cancer research. The campaign culminates with all students being asked to wear gold on Sept. 28

There is no school on Oct. 8 because of Columbus Day.

Parent-teacher conferences are Oct. 18. It’s also an early-release day.

The Halloween dance is Oct. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

PLYMPTON– On Thursday, Sept. 20, Plympton voters turned out in unexpectedly large numbers in support of a special Town Meeting article that authorized the selectmen to purchase a 133-acre parcel off Prospect Road for $800,000 as conservation land.

The article was the only one on the warrant and it passed with near-unanimity. It required a two-thirds vote of Town Meeting, and only a handful of residents in the standing-room only gymnasium at the Dennett School voted against the article.

Mark Russo, who sits on the Board of Selectmen and chairs the Community Preservation Committee, moved the article on behalf of the selectmen, and spoke passionately about the acquisition.

He noted, “The project went through all the usual CPC project reviews,” and announced that the CPC and selectmen both unanimously recommended the article.

Linda Leddy, of the Open Space Committee, said she thought it appropriate that a special Town Meeting was voting on such a “special” project. She said that there will be no impact on the tax-rate.

The subject of the property, that was enrolled in the Chapter 61A tax relief program, came before the Plympton Selectmen when a bona fide purchase and sale had been signed. Under 61A, the town has a right-of-first-refusal, to take over that purchase and sale, which the selectmen voted unanimously to exercise in July.

The total amount of money authorized for the project by Town Meeting was $820,000. Of that, $10,000 had already been placed as a deposit, and $30,000 was a contingency, standard to all Community Preservation Committee projects in town.

The remaining $790,000 came from the Community Preservation Fund Open Space Reserve in the amount of $22,000 and $298,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Undesignated Fund Balance.

A sum of $470,000 will be borrowed in short-term municipal bonds, that will be paid for by selling up to three small lots with frontage on Prospect Road. Private donations, of which $93,000 have already been raised, will cover the rest, said Leddy. If more than $175,000 in donations is raised, fewer lots may have to be sold or the money can be used for other purposes, including future maintenance of the preserve, said Russo, in a phone interview following the meeting.

Brian Wick, the Town Moderator, kept the mood light. He joked that the peace officer, Doug Mazzola, “would not be needed.” At one point, due to so much applause and enthusiasm for the article and those that spoke in favor of it, he stated that he didn’t want anyone to be uncomfortable and asked the audience to hold their applause. Their excitement couldn’t be contained, and they did not comply with the request.

Several residents spoke in favor of the project, including Frannie Walsh, of West Street. “When we take from nature we have to stop and give back,” she said.

One resident, Harry Weikel, who sits on the Board of Health, had a septic-related question which seemed to be answered by Leddy to his satisfaction, and another resident, also on the Board of Health, spoke against the article.

Arthur Morin, of Granville Baker Way, who several times complimented all the hard work that had gone into the process so far, said he did not feel that Town Meeting should vote “Yes” for the article until there was something in writing guaranteeing that tax-payer money wouldn’t be spent on the preserve if the lots couldn’t be sold or donations weren’t raised.

“I don’t want one cent in taxes [to pay for the project]. That’s my concern,” he said.

But Leddy replied that the lots were desirable, according to real-estate experts. “People feel the lots will sell,” she said.

When Wick, only 40-minutes or so into the meeting, asked if there was any further discussion, and there was none, he called for a vote, and those in favor all rose their hands high in the air. When he called for a vote from those opposed, the residents who rose their hands did so with markedly less enthusiasm.

Thunderous applause filled the room following the vote, lasting for several minutes.

HINGHAM– Edward Savage and Christine Savage entered the court separately Sept. 13, 2018, on a slow, rainy Thursday for a motion to dismiss a shoplifting case against them. Although they stood together when their case was called, they did not sit together while waiting and rushed out of the courtroom following the arguments. Their motion was denied on Wednesday after being taken under advisement.

The Savages, Plympton residents accused of shoplifting from Kohl’s a year ago April, have been involved in a drawn-out legal saga ever since. The case has caught the eye of local media because Edward Savage is the former Hanson police chief, who resigned in 2012.

According to a complaint issued by the Hingham Police Department April 30, 2017, the Savages were caught on surveillance camera by the Kohl’s Department Store, 100 Derby St., Hingham, apparently shoplifting clothing in an amount more than $100.

The two were originally summonsed to appear before the clerk magistrate at Hingham District Court, Joseph Ligotti. The clerk agreed to dismiss the charges, with the agreement of the Hingham police prosecutor, if the Savages stayed out of criminal trouble for eight months and wrote letters of apology for the shoplifting, to the Hingham Police and Kohl’s department store at Derby Shops in Hingham, according to transcripts and recordings of the closed-door hearing, which were released to the media.

The Savages did not write apology letters before Feb. 28, 2018, the end of the probationary period.  A new acting clerk magistrate replacing Ligotti, who retired, seeing that the apology letters had not been received,  issued criminal charges against the Savages, according to court officials.

At the hearing, Daniel Webster, their attorney, argued that the acting clerk magistrate, Andrew Quigley, had no right to issue the criminal charges, and that he in fact, “violated the integrity of the Magistrate’s hearing,” by doing so, because the Savages thought they had until the very last day before the charges were dismissed to write apology letters.

Quigley never held a probable cause hearing of his own, according to records.

During the hearing on the motion to dismiss, held before Judge John P. Stapleton, who was engaged and asked many questions, Webster read a quote from Ligotti’s hearing:

“Okay, I am getting two letters written, signed by both people. I’m going to continue this matter until 2/28 of ’18 for dismissal. It will automatically dismiss on that date, no need to be back. Should you be dumb enough to do anything else illegal, this will automatically kick in and will automatically come back…and it [charges] will be issued,” he said.

Despite the lack of a due date for the letters, Stapleton denied the motion to dismiss the charges noting that the court had not found that the acting clerk magistrate, Quigley, had violated the integrity of the clerk magistrate hearing.

The Savages are being prosecuted by an outside prosecutor, Frances Cannone, of Essex County.

They will be back in court at a date to be determined to face the criminal complaint. A court official noted that it looks like the case will be headed for either a trial or settlement.

The case is ongoing.