This coming Saturday, July 1, at 10:30 a.m., stop by the Plympton Public Library for coffee, snacks and good conversation with your neighbors.
Joining us for the “First Saturday 10 Minute Briefing” will be Public Health Registered Nurse Pat Iafrate. Pat will discuss providing Blood Pressure screening clinics and “Conversations with the Nurse” every other week at the Plympton Council on Aging. Topics such as Advocacy, COPD management, Tick/Mosquito update, Dehydration, Sun Safety, and more can be covered.
Hope to see you there

John Traynor
John.traynor@comcast.net

Gray’s Beach Park Playground Rebuild Project Phase 1 is now complete and the playground is now open. Due to State and Federal funding, grant award and resources, the project needed to be completed in phases.
Phase 2 of construction is anticipated to begin in late summer. This will involve installation of the Poured-In- Place surfacing, and the installation of the final pieces of playground equipment. The playground will close temporarily during Phase 2, which should take about two weeks to complete.
The town undertook the reconstruction project because the playground was almost 18 years old, and the structural integrity of the equipment had become compromised due to erosion and excessive rust, along with site drainage concerns and other ongoing issues.

The annual First Parish Church Fair will take place on Saturday, June 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 842 Tremont Street/Route 3A next to Town Hall in Duxbury.
Food, games, and thousands upon thousands of items at bargain prices provide something of interest for all ages. Highlights include a live auction at 10 a.m., thousands of books, jewelry boutique, antiques and collectibles, musical entertainment, plus Father’s Day gifts, hundreds of children’s toys and games, crafts, plants, white elephants, snacks, and strawberry shortcake. Admission and parking are free! We’ll have live music in the afternoon. Come rain or shine.
From Route 3, take exit 20 (old exit 10) and go a little over 2 miles on Route 3A north. For more information, call 781-934-6532 or check out our website: www.uudux.org.

Dog licenses are available as of Thursday, June 1, 2023, and late fees for unregistered dogs will be charged starting at the close of business on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2023.
Residents can submit their dog license registration in-person, by mail or by using the drop-box located at the Town Hall parking lot entrance. Please include cash or a check payable to the Town of Halifax, a completed Dog License Registration form, rabies vaccination certificate(s), and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Alternatively, residents may process their dog license registration online at https://www.halifax-ma.org/pay. Online registrations are only valid if the Town Clerk’s Office has a current rabies vaccination certificate on file. It is highly recommended to verify that all required materials are on file before proceeding with a dog license registration online. You can do so by calling (781) 293-7970 or e-mailing ClerksOffice@halifax-ma.org.
The cost of a dog license is $10.00 for neutered or spayed dogs and $15.00 for dogs that are not neutered or spayed. An owner who has not licensed their dog(s) by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2023, will incur a late fee of $50 per dog plus the cost of the license(s).
An owner who has not licensed their dog(s) by Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, will be issued a court citation of $25 per dog, plus the late fee of $50 per dog in addition to the cost of the license(s).  All dogs must be licensed in accordance with Massachusetts General Law.
The Town Clerk’s office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Download Dog License Registration Form (PDF) from the town’s website.

NASHVILLE, TN – Kaitlin Rancourt of Halifax qualified for Belmont University’s Spring 2023 Dean’s List. Approximately 49 percent of Belmont’s 6,552 undergraduate students were named.
Belmont Provost Dr. David Gregory said, “For Belmont’s vision of becoming the leading Christ-centered university in the world to be realized, having a student body that is keenly committed to academic excellence, among other things is required.
Dean’s List achievements are consistently earned by a high percentage of the student body, giving evidence of an ever-increasing regard for scholarship across all programs. It is an honor to have a body of students as dedicated to stellar academic performance as it is to extra and co-curricular excellence.”
Dean’s List eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C.
About Belmont University
Located two miles from downtown Nashville, Tennessee, Belmont University comprises nearly 9,000 students from every state and 33 countries. Nationally ranked and consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report for innovation in higher education, the University offers more than 115 areas of undergraduate study, 41 master’s programs and five doctoral degrees. With a focus on whole person formation and data-informed social innovation, Belmont is committed to forming diverse leaders of character equipped to solve the world’s complex problems. For more information, visit www.belmont.edu.

The annual Kingston Memorial Day parade is back this year bigger and better. The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 29, 2023 at the WWII War Memorial (across from Cancun restaurant), proceeding onto Landing Road, Main Street, Green Street and Evergreen Street. The event will end with a ceremony on Town Hall lawn.
All veterans are invited to participate by marching or riding along the parade route in provided transportation. Please contact the Veterans’ Services Department at 781-585-0515.
We encourage the Kingston community to turn out as spectators to honor our veterans and pay respects to the service men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
All residents are welcome to enjoy a free community cookout (behind Town Hall) immediately following the ceremony. Bring a picnic blanket or camp chair and enjoy a hamburger or hotdog served from the grill by Kingston town employees and volunteers.

Plympton selectmen met Monday night with the Board of Health and chairman of the buildings and properties committee, Jon Wilhelmsen, trying to discern whose responsibility it is to work with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection in siting a new well or wells, making up a public water supply to serve the town buildings complex as it develops.
Board of Health administrative assistant Cathy Ferguson told selectmen that Plympton has been in non-compliance with its water supply at the Town Hall, Library, and Fire Station, and has been working with the DEP to resolve these issues.
“This has to be done in a very specific way,” Ferguson said, “to comply with their directives.” Ferguson told selectmen that she hadn’t heard from DEP in several weeks regarding information she had provided them with and later found that the DEP had mistakenly thought that the Town Properties Committee and the Board of Health were presenting the same project. The Board of Health wanted to be sure that the siting of the well for the Town buildings complex be done properly, step by step, to ensure that not only present needs, but also future needs for these buildings are accommodated.
Town Properties Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen argued that their study should come first and the siting of the well for these buildings should come under Town Properties Committee’s umbrella of responsibility, as they are working under the authority of the Board of Selectmen.
Cronin said that Town Properties Committee has had plans drawn and work done that the Board of Health has not been made aware of. He said that in order to get the project done properly, they need to know what’s been done already.
Vice-chairman of the Board of Health Harry Weikel told The Express that he had requested any plans for the complex and were told that there were none. He said it wasn’t until he got a FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) request, that the plans were given to the Board of Health – the day of the meeting with selectmen.
Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Christine Joy suggested that the two boards get together and meet with representatives from the DEP to untangle the misunderstandings.
The Board of Health and the Town Properties Committee agreed that they would schedule a meeting as soon as can be arranged with DEP representatives.
Wilhelmsen responded to a request for comment from the Express that he was not aware of the Board of Health or any individual asking for any information via a FOIA request, nor any FOIA request asking for the campus survey. He did say that in early March the Town Properties Committee was asked, via Liz Dennehy, Town Administrator, for any conclusions regarding the septic and/or well by Grady Engineering. Wilhelmsen replied to the Board of Health and the Town Administrator that Grady was simply hired to do a survey of existing conditions, and no conclusions were made. He emphasized that his committee has never refused to provide public documents to another commmittee/board or told a committee/board that they need to request via FOIA.
He furthered, “TPC was unaware until late last week that BOH was planning to undertake tasks that we already had in progress.” … “My hope is that we can make some progress at that meeting and move the project forward for the benefit of the folks who work up at the town complex and the town as a whole.”
In other business, selectmen signed a contract with Sarian Company, Inc., of Sandwich, a woman-owned business with more than 20 years experience in the field, to help determine what is needed in a small public water supply, which the town buildings complex would require.
BOH Admin. Cathy Ferguson pointed out that there are a number of wells serving town buildings: the library, fire station, highway dept., that are undocumented and the Board of Health has no information regarding them. These wells, once the public water supply is online, will be repurposed for landscape watering.
Selectmen heard from Wilhelmsen in his role as a Chairman of the Plympton School Committe, that the regional agreement with Silver Lake needs some amendments. Some of the services with Silver Lake are administered at the town level, such as K-6 education. Other services, such as Pre-K, and food services, are shared services administered by the Silver Lake Regional District but are not included in the regional agreement.
Wilhelmsen said that the agreement hasn’t been adjusted in 35 years and it is time to take that under consideration.
Selectmen signed a contract with K&G Remodeling for $134,250 to replace the roof, fascia, and gutters on the Old Town House/Plympton Historical Society building. K&G was the low bidder on the project, coming in at considerably less that was requested in the warrant article. Chairman Joy said they would adjust the figure on town meeting floor.
Selectmen also affirmed their vote not to exercise their right of first refusal for Upland Road Solar, 61 Upland Rd. Pending town meeting approval of their PILOT agreement. They also voted to execute a legal fee agreement with Ring Road Solar.
Selectmen voted to appoint Timothy Ferraro to the Conservation Commission, with his term running from May 8, 2023 through June 30, 2025, and Christine Kelly as interim administrative assistant from May 9, 2023 until dissolved. Geraldine Cellini was also appointed election worker from May 8, 223 until dissolved.
Christine Joy announced that the town clerk is still looking for election workers to count ballots for the annual town election. Contact the clerk’s office to sign up. This is a paid position.
Closing the meeting, selectmen noted their “RAVES” for the week. John Traynor told the assembly, driving around town he noticed ‘The hummingbirds are back!” Selectman Mark Russo noted that it’s spring, the dogwoods are all blooming and what that means is – it’s time for Town Meeting! It’s such a pure form of democracy… the opportunity to influence the direction of the town, short-term and long-term. His rave was for the huge amount of work put into the Annual Town Meeting Warrant so things can go smoothly at Town Meeting. Christine Joy noted that town meeting is so important to the functioning of the town.

The position of Town Treasurer was the only contest on the ballot in Kingston’s Annual Town Election Saturday, April 22. Kenneth B. Moalli won with 360 votes to Jessica M. Kramer’s 258 votes. Only 631 people cast their ballots.
The results are as follows: Sean P. O’Brien, re-elected as Moderator for three years. Donald J. Alcombright, a candidate for re-election and Eric Crone were elected selectmen for three years. Stephen J. Dunn is Assessor for three years. Paul M. Gallagher was elected Town Clerk for another three years.
David W. Gavigan, Jr. will serve on the Planning Board for five years; Mark R. Guidoboni will serve a one-year term on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. Jeanne M. Coleman was elected to a three-year term. Coleman was also re-elected to the Kingston Elementary School Committee, as was Tricia A. Arleta. Robert R. Koska will again serve as Water Commissioner for three years.
There were no candidates for the Housing Authority, but 24 people wrote someone in.
Dennis N. Randall and Heidi M. Whipple were both re-elected to three-year terms on the Board of Health. No candidates ran for the two Library Trustee positions, but there were 127 write-ins. Recreation Commission saw Ellen M. Moynihan elected to the one-year seat and Patrick F. Roney was brought back for another three-year term that he will serve with Suzanne B. Haggerty. William Watson was re-elected Sewer Commissioner for three years.