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.

Plympton selectmen interviewed two consulting firms for a study of the town’s fire department and emergency services at its meeting on Monday, August 21, 2017. The residents of Plympton voted $20,000 for this study at Annual Town Meeting back on May 18.

The first interview was with Travis Miller from the Carlson Group Inc., a national firm.  Miller said he and his partner have been working together for 18 years. Alone, Miller has 25 years of consulting experience.

Miller described the Carlson group’s approach as one that values community input. He said, “We’re looking for service level questions in the community.”

As far as service level, Miller said he was referring primarily to the length of time it takes for the department to arrive at an emergency call.

Fire Chief Warren Borsari sat in on the interviews and acknowledged that this has become a challenge with the increased call volume. In 2013, Plympton upgraded its emergency services to advanced life support and since then, the town has taken part in assisting other communities with emergency services to increase revenue.

The call volume has gone up drastically since then. Borsari said the annual call number was at 299 when he first became the fire chief. Now, the number has more than doubled; there were 646 emergency calls in 2016.

Selectmen Clerk Mark Russo wanted to make sure the Carlson group was comfortable with Plympton’s fire department structure. He said the town uses full-time, part-time, and on-call employees for their emergency services. Miller said he’s comfortable with the structure and it’s not unique as he’s worked in other communities with similar structures.

Selectmen John Traynor asked the firm for a revised proposal since there seemed to be some confusion in the interview on what the goal of the study is. Traynor said the town needs guidance on what structure is best for the town’s emergency services, whether that be staying fully in house, regionalization, or privatization.

Miller did answer some of this, saying he believes there are a lot of benefits to having emergency services based in the fire department.  “One of the biggest reasons is the revenue,”  he said.

As far as time frame, Miller said if their firm were picked to expect a final report and presentation by early December. Miller said it’s possible it could be ready sooner.

Matrix Consulting Group

Selectmen and Chief Borsari interviewed Robert Finn from Matrix Consulting Firm Inc. Finn told the Board he flew in from Dallas, TX for this meeting. Matrix Consulting is a national firm with offices all throughout the country.

Finn said the firm likes to “start up with a flexible approach.” He added, “The first thing we do is interview and figure out what is “good” (for the town).”

Objective standards were brought up as well such as call response times and looking at what areas of a community could be deemed high risk. Finn brought up an oil tank in Texas being a high risk for a fire and wanted to identify any areas like that in Plympton.

Traynor told Finn the same thing he told the Carlson Group, that the town needs guidance and is exploring several options. He said, “We’re unsure which options make sense. We would need you for guidance.”

Finn said that the firm would have no problem exploring any of the options. He said, “My study will include anything you decide is important to you.”

Russo wanted to make sure the firm was used to smaller communities as well as cities. According to Finn, most of Matrix Consulting’s studies are done on towns with populations under 50,000.

As far as timeline goes, this firm has a longer time to finish than the Carlson Group. Matrix Consulting gave a 16-week timeline.

The firm’s price is also what the board deemed on the high side. Finn said there are no costs later if something doesn’t go exactly right unlike some other firms.

Other News

Community Paradigm is starting its preliminary screening for filling the town administrator position. Russo mentioned that the Board should start thinking about putting together the town’s screening committee for interviews soon.

Selectmen are working on clarifying an approach for departments to request time with town counsel in the case of emergencies. The protocol is always to seek permission from the Board of Selectmen first. The board is working toward allowing emergency permission for department heads when the board cannot be reached and the matter of the situation is time sensitive.

The next meeting of the Plympton Board of Selectmen is Monday, September 11, 2017, because of the Labor Day holiday. Open session starts at 6 p.m.

Jeff Papows, chairman of Silver Oak Jumper Tournament, met with the Halifax Board of Selectmen to get the final approvals needed for the event taking place from August 16 through August 20.

Papows expressed excitement for the event, talking about how much different it is watching horses jump in person rather than on television. He said, “It’s not the same as being there; it literally shakes the ground.”

Papows also brought up how these horses are really athletes. He said the fences they jump over are 8 feet tall.

The Board of Selectmen also expressed excitement for the competition. Chair Thomas Millias said the event is consistently voted Halifax’s best sporting event.

The event takes place at Fieldstone Show Park at 21 Plymouth St. in Halifax. There is no fee for entry but there is a $20 parking fee.

Primarily, Papows was at the meeting to get a one-day liquor license for the horse jumping competition’s VIP section.

Papows said the VIP bar will operate exactly the same as last year. It’s only for Sunday where beer and wine will be available from 12-4 p.m. The Board of Selectmen approved the one-day liquor license.

Other News

Town Adminstrator Charles Seelig said he received a report saying many if not all the dogs at Tarawood Kennels have been removed. Jennifer Choate was given until August 11, 2017 to remove all dogs as the closing sale of the property is expected then.

COA Cookout

The Council on Aging’s annual summer cookout will take place on August 16, 2017. The Board of Selectmen said to RSVP with Council on Aging Director Barbara Brenton.

  Fall Mud Fest         approved

The Board of Selectmen approved this fall’s mud fest event. It will take place on November 12, 2017.

Robert Bergstrom who runs the event said the corn maze will come down two weeks prior.

Appointments and    Resignations

Emergency dispatcher Joy Firth gave her letter of resignation to the Board of Selectmen. Firth worked as a dispatcher for the town for 33 years.

“She’s a very special lady,” said Selectmen Vice Chair Kim Roy. “She dedicated a lot of her life to the community.

David Moore was appointed the town’s new sealer of weights and measures. Selectmen Clerk Troy Garron said he was very impressed with his interview.

Steven Hayward was also reappointed as Tree Warden and will serve a term lasting until May 16, 2020. The Board also reappointed Greg Cowen to the Beautification Committee for a term lasting until June 30, 2018.

The record book at Silver Lake changed this past spring — for the better.

That is because Halifax native Emily Critch finished off her fourth and final season as a Silver Lake softball player strong. Midway through the season, she broke the home run record by blasting her 18th career home run. She surpassed the team record that was previously held by Shannon Grindle, a fellow Halifax native, who is a rising sophomore on the Bridgewater State softball team. Grindle hit .364 with a pair of home runs in 35 games as a freshman this past spring.

Even after she broke the record, Critch was not done hitting. She belted three more home runs after earning the crown outright, so the catcher finished her Lakers career with 21 home runs.

This past spring, Critch had yet again another impressive year offensively. She hit .419 with a .802 slugging percentage as she knocked in 37 runs and scored 39 runs in 25 games during the Lakers 25-1 season, a season in which they made it to the Division 1 South Final.

Thanks to her strong performance, Critch was named to every major All-Scholastic team: The Patriot Ledger, Boston Herald and Boston Globe. It was not the first time she was named to All-Scholastic teams for softball either.

During her Lakers career, Critch also played basketball and field hockey.

Critch is set to continue her softball career next spring as a member of Southern New Hampshire University’s softball team. There, she will be teammates with another former Laker and fellow Halifax native, Maddy Barone, who went 9-7 with a 2.85 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 115.1 innings in 24 outings, including 17 starts.

The two comprised a formidable battery during their Lakers career. Since SNHU lost both of their catchers due to graduation after this past spring, the Critch and Barone duo should have the opportunity to do the same in college.