A tree speared through a mobile home at 19 Sycamore Drive in the Halifax Mobile Home Estates. The couple who lived in the home was not hurt. There was no one at the mobile home when an Express Reporter knocked at the door on Monday.

The interior of the mobile unit received significant damage with the harpoon like branch forcing itself straight down into the structure crushing the toilet in half.  The couple was asleep less than ten feet from the impact, according to Fire Chief Jason Viveiros

“We had two pretty significant incidents. Luckily there were no injuries, said  Viveiros .

Around midnight Sunday Halifax resident Jim Chandler, 33, fell asleep on his couch only to be awoken by the sounds of tree branches ripping his home in half.

The loft area of the cottage style home on Wood Street took the brunt of the impact, dangling wet limbs over his head as he woke, fleeing his home to call for help.

With support from his parents Jim and Faith Chandler of Whitman he picked through his belongings on Monday when the sun began to shine.

Still feeling the emotions of the night and purely running on adrenaline he tried to remain positive.

“I found my cat. I am glad I am OK. We are going to salvage what we can, “said Chandler.

His parents who also were feeling sleep deprived helped stuff what they could in a van until the cleanup could begin.

Luck may have been on his side, but mom feels having ‘faith’ may have played a part as well, just happy their son was OK . They were lining up tree removal and picking through clothes, things they could focus on at the moment as the wind still blew on Monday.

Shaken by the rude awakening and the events of the storm he said forgetting the sounds of the night may take a bit longer to forget.

Plympton Firefighters and police were nonstop throughout the night and early morning with storm related downed power lines and  tree damage. They responded to a  total of 22 storm related calls as well as regular medical calls.  There were no reported injuries related to the storm, said Fire Chief Warren Borsari. 

A significant incident for the department brought them back to 108  Brook Street for over three hours on Tuesday after a large oak tree fell, tangling primary wires and causing a telephone pole fire near the transformer.

A hole had been burned through the pole when they finally could get close to it after power was shut down.

“We cordoned off the area and the power was killed remotely by EverSource so we could extinguish the fire, said Borsari.

Residents experienced a temporary two to three hour power loss but most were restored as of Tuesday afternoon.

Grove and Lake  street saw a black out early in the storm when a large tree pulled the primary service wires down into the main road causing just one of the major outages that needed attention for Plympton.

Still part of the peak storm with winds howling, teams of tree crews and bucket trucks for numerous cable, electric and landscapers could be seen cleaning up throughout the day.

One local company had a close call while cleaning up as part of a split tree landed on their truck and trailer blocking West Street near house 27. Fire and police stood by to block access to several streets as electric crews restored power.

“We worked seamlessly with  police and  highway as we always do,” Borsari .

Jessica Zeoli

Express correspondent

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday night to discuss the pledge of an alcoholic license for Happy Dragon which is planning to open its doors the first week of November. The selectmen signed off on the pledge, all in favor of it.

Friends of HOPS met in front of the board in order to discuss the date for the upcoming 5k which they decided will be held on Sunday, May 20, 2018. There will only be a 5k for all ages, instead of also including the 1k for children which they have done previous years. The board discussed possible complications holding the event on a Sunday could bring, such as overcrowding of Plymouth Street since services at the church will occur around the same time, but briefly touched upon designated spots for the church and for the 5k event.

Along with the 5th annual 5k for HOPS, they have also discussed a possible brick fundraiser which will act as its final fundraising campaign. They are planning to work with Bricks ‘R’ Us, as well as interested sponsors or families in the town to create memorial bricks and multiple benches which would face in towards the playground located next to the library. It would act as a place for people to sit, as well as provide some sort of barrier and protection from drivers. Updates on this campaign will be provided in a meeting to follow on Nov. 20 at 7:30p.m.

Joy Blackwood, the superintendent for Silver Lake Public Schools, spoke to the board regarding a solar panel plan to be installed at the Middle School and High School to increase revenue. Although the project is still in its planning stage, the superintendent discussed teaming up with SOLEC, an energy company, to install a canopy of solar panels above the parking lots and possibly above bleachers. “The company has already looked over the High/Middle school property and estimates needing 4-5 months to create a serious plan and placement for these panels which would provide 2 megawatts of energy for the schools, the largest project in the state for school grounds,” stated Blackwood.

Special legislation is needed to lease the land to the solar company, which will be discussed in an upcoming school committee meeting Thursday, Nov. 9.

The board quickly approved the Boy Scout’s request to use the town green on Saturday, Nov. 18, for their bottle and can redemption fundraiser.

Paula Hatch met with the board to discuss possible funding for Special Education and proposed a stabilization fund which would allow remaining money from other expenses such as electric, to be transferred into this fund. Selectman Kim Roy stated how our current strategy is already working so well and that the remaining money may not even be significant enough to overpower the fees of that account, since it was stated by Blackwood that the remaining funds would only be about 2% of the school districts income. With this being said, the board declined this action but is still excited to see what future programs are to come for Silver Lake Middle and High School Special Education.

Site plans were changed in regard to the exterior remodeling of Dunkin Donuts located at 355 Plymouth Street, Halifax. It was stated that after the approval of the Department of Health, that seating is to be placed within the facility as well.

Plans to add speed limit signs for Hudson Street are in action pending approval of the Department of Safety that meets Wednesday night.

Summer Schmaling asked selectmen for their opinions regarding creating a position for a department head of maintenance for all schools of the Silver Lake district. Members of the public, as well as fellow custodians, discussed how the work would be too strenuous, as the position would require the up-keep of fourteen schools. The job raised questions about transportation for the person filling the position from building to building, as well as healthcare benefits, which directed the board to drop the suggestion.

The meeting ended with some great news —  a new candidate for the open full-time position of Patrol Officer for Halifax. Michelle McRae was brought forth, where the members discussed her exceptional resume and agreed to bring her on board following her completion of the police academy, testing, and a physical and drug test.  As Selectman Thomas Millias stated, “It’s nice to be presented with someone extremely qualified for the position.”

The next scheduled selectman’s meeting is for next Tuesday, Oct. 31.   

In a surprise emotional reunion, parents Colby and Rachel Whelan of Halifax offered their 3-month old daughter Avery to the arms of Captain Matthew Cunningham on Sunday at the Halifax Fire Open House.  With visible emotions, Cunningham cuddled the baby he helped save on July 19.

“She is the best birthday present”, he said as he looked at her bright eyes. The desperate call fell on his birthday, a day he will not soon forget.

“It’s the type of call that you hope you go your whole career without getting,” said Captain Cunningham who spoke after the reunion aside fellow paramedics and Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros.

“I’ve been on similar calls that unfortunately didn’t go as well. Luckily for all of us, circumstances could not have been better,” he said

That crucial day they had a full medical crew available, an address neighboring the fire station, and Rachel herself, CPR certified, all working in favor for little Avery who at just 12 days  old  was in full cardiac arrest.

Her training taking over, Rachel was given pre- arrival directions by the 911 dispatcher and paramedics continued to revive Avery moments later until they reached Signature Health Care Brockton Hospital.  Avery had open-heart surgery the next day at Tufts Children’s Hospital in Boston.

“The incredible response time and focus you gave in this emergency- you saved her brain. You saved her life,” said Avery’s father Colby as he spoke to EMTs and Viveiros on Sunday.

Avery will need continuous medical care; however, Rachel describes her as a happy, feisty baby who is doing ‘awesome’. “Better than we can imagine,” she said.

Also responding that day were PJ Hogan, Shamus Ricciarelli, and Joe Gibbons, with Chief Jason Viveiros who drove Rachel to the hospital as medics sped away with her infant.

“That call validates everything that we do, all the years of school and re- certification classes we undergo. That call is why we do what we do. I’m just glad that the outcome was positive and that I was able to be a part of it. “  “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about Avery every single day since July 19. To see Avery come in with her parents completely, neurologically unaffected by what she went through, and being able to hold her, gave me a feeling of satisfaction that I hadn’t yet experienced in my 13-year career,” said Cunningham.

Derek Coveney is following his mission to support and offer hope to others. He recently returned from providing emergency flood relief and clean up with Team Rubicon USA  in some of the hardest hit areas in Texas following Hurricane Harvey. Entire neighborhoods and large expanses of Houston were flooded for weeks and he saw an opportunity to offer hope to those who lost everything.

Derek, now 21, a paid call Halifax firefighter, doesn’t come from a line of public servants. In fact he didn’t know that he would be a firefighter at all, but at the age of ten his world changed.

“10 years ago this October 5th will be my mom’s anniversary. She suffered a brain aneurysm. I found her having a seizure on the floor. She survived the incident and does have physical limits but that  is when I realized what I wanted to be.

I had the Halifax Fire Department here in my house helping me-us,” he said.

Two long- time Halifax firefighters,  Andy Scanlon, now a Pembroke firefighter, and Captain Bosworth gave Coveney hope in a time of crisis and later gave him inspiration to discover his passion to become a first responder.

“It was really cool having the Halifax firefighters there and now I am that person,” he said.

“I saw as a kid that firefighters brought that comfort and I wanted to be that person for someone else. It is amazing. I love being able to be that person … to give someone a chance and not feel hopeless. “

With his service in Texas, he was in charge of a small group who were ripping out wallboard, debris and anything that water may have touched.

The assistance was for some of the many financially challenged areas, some families who did not have insurance to assist with the demolitions.

“We saw that hopeless and helpless look on many faces,” said Coveney.

“We go in and provide ‘muck outs’, which is tearing out anything that has been damaged in the floods, interior debris removal and full demo services. Although the debris is someone’s belongings … that is their stuff, “ he said.

Seeing the immense piles of debris taking up the width of entire streets with water receding was an eye opening, and sometimes emotional, experience for them.

“Seeing resilience as these families came back from being flooded in previous storms, that struck me as amazing.

Nothing compares to working with guys who are there to make a difference. There was a lot of emotions,” he said. 

“We tried to show them (the residents) we had boots on the ground. We were instilling some hope – we were there to help.  Many people lost everything.”

As an incident commander over his volunteers, Coveney said the group offered a vast spectrum of all walks of life – “coming together and bonding like you can never believe,” he said.

There are many volunteers that come out.  Team Rubicon is doing extremely hard labor and they are happy doing it. They come from all walks of life, many retired or current first responders.

A graduate of Silver Lake Regional High, class of 2014, Coveney learned in high school about becoming a first responder.

“They allowed me to be a cadet in the high school for three years. I would go after school to see how the fire service worked. I became a volunteer and I’m continuing to serve. I received the opportunity to be a firefighter and paramedic …  the program got my foot in the door.”

His goal is to eventually become a full time firefighter.

He is looking forward to helping more people in future deployments.

In a statement from his fire chief:

“I’m very proud of Derek and the way he has stepped up to help the people of Texas. He exemplifies what is means to be a public servant,” said Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros.

About Team Rubicon:

“Founded in 2010, Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. With over 48,000 volunteers across the country, Team Rubicon has responded to over 200 disasters across the United States and the world,” according to the Team Rubicon USA website/ Harvey relief. www.teamrubiconusa.org.

The roof construction at Halifax Elementary School, approved at a special town meeting earlier in the year, is expected to be completed by the end of the month, according to Assistant Principal Brian DeSantes as reported at the September 5, 2017 school committee meeting.

DeSantes furthered, “The roofing company has done a great job working with us and keeping us in the loop about the progress they are making.”

A notice was sent out before the start of the school year on the roof’s progress. It made sure parents knew when the roof is expected to be done and to be assured that the building is still safe for conducting classes.

DeSantes also acknowledged the custodians for their work in getting the school ready to open despite ongoing construction, so that the building could open on time for the beginning of the school year.

Board chairman Summer Schmaling also credited the custodians for a good cleanup effort around the school grounds, making sure they are safe for the students.

Kindergarten  Open House

The Kindergarten Open House took place on the same day the rest of the elementary school started class. Families visited the classrooms with the new students to help them get comfortable in the school environment.

The school even did a joint family bus ride to help the children get comfortable taking the bus. DeSantes was actually on one of these two buses that were only taken for a short ride down the street.

“It was a good experience,” said DeSantes. “The PTO did a fabulous job,”  (running the open house).

Beginning of the school year update

Assistant principal Brian Desantes gave a quick update, saying the year is off to a good start so far.  Currently enrollment for Halifax Elementary is at 599 total students. He also took time to thank the teachers both new and those returning for helping to start the year so strong.

He told the board the new teachers are already acclimating and responding well to the beginning of the year emergency review training. DeSantes said the emergency review went well for both new and returning staff.

Upcoming Meetings

There will be a PAC meeting on Thursday, October 5, 2017. A PTO meeting will take place on Friday, October 20, in the all-purpose room.

The next Halifax Elementary School Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 2, at 7 p.m.

A 22-year old man from Waltham was rescued by bystanders on West Monponsett Pond Saturday following a paragliding accident.

The glider was reportedly up approximately 300 feet cruising at 40 mph before his sudden descent.

At approximately 3:33 p.m. on September 9, the Halifax Fire Department responded to the state boat ramp on Route 58 for a report of a paragliding accident, said Captain Jeffrey Cuozzo.

The man who was not identified by authorities reportedly is affiliated with the Sky Diving South Boston out of Cranland Airport in Hanson. He was the single operator and landed in the water following a malfunction.

“We considered it lucky that he landed in the water and people were close enough to assist him.  Almost as soon as he hit the water a boat pulled up to assist,” said Chief Ted Broderick of Halifax Police.

The commercial grade paraglider is made by Scout Paramotor.  It is considered a hobby and there are no medical clearances or licenses needed to own or operate the craft, said Broderick.

“Upon our arrival, the patient was being assisted out of the water by another boater in the Monponsett West Lake,” said Cuozzo.

The paragliding machine had encountered some wind turbulence and lost control over the water.  The patient was taken to South Shore Hospital with minor injuries. 

Mike Aveni took a break from football temporarily, but he has found his way back.

The former Silver Lake football coach stepped down from his position in June of 2015 to deal with family medical issues. Although his old job was filled by current Lakers head coach Chris DiGiacomo, who led the Lakers to an excellent 8-3 finish last year, Aveni has the opportunity to continue coaching in the Patriot League as the Scituate High Sailors football team’s new defensive coordinator.

The Sailors tend to have a strong football program. Since the MIAA playoff format was modified for the 2013 season, they have made it to the playoffs each and every year, but they have bowed out in the first round on each of those four occasions. Even so, they are a tough opponent; the last time they had a losing record was 2007. As their defensive coordinator, Aveni will try to capitalize on that prior success and implement more defensive schemes to help the team continue to grow and reach their maximum potential.

Aveni was the Lakers’ head coach from 2011 to 2014. In his final season, the Lakers finished out the year strong by winning three of their last four games. In the seven years prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator to former Lakers varsity football coach Dana Battista. Aveni got the Lakers head coaching job when Battista became the Pembroke High Athletic Director. In 2011, Aveni was set to take the offensive coordinator job at Pembroke High but when Battista stepped down from his post, Aveni interviewed for the job.

Since the Sailors are in the Patriot League Fisher Division and the Lakers are in the Keenan Division, the two squads are not scheduled to face one another during the regular season this fall.