WEST HARTFORD, CT (07/08/2022)– The University of Hartford is pleased to announce Alexus Stanley of Plympton has been named to the Dean’s List for Spring 2022.

Spread across seven dynamic schools and colleges, the University of Hartford has been guiding the purpose and passion of students for over six decades. On our 350-acre campus alongside Connecticut’s capital city, approximately 4,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students representing 49 states and 44 countries come together for a common purpose: to collaborate across different disciplines, diversify perspectives, and broaden worldviews.

University of Hartfrd is a four-year private university focused on advancing the public good through meaningful connections within our communities. Our unique approach to comprehensive education gives us the critical perspectives that lead to impact change, regionally and beyond. With degree programs spanning the arts, humanities, business, engineering and technology, education, and health professions, we focus on doing the work that matters. Visit hartford.edu to learn more.

There will be a Special Election on Saturday, July 30, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Halifax Elementary School to elect a new Collector/Treasurer for an unexpired term.

On the ballot are Karen M. Fava and the current assistant Treasurer/Collector Linda Anne McCarty.

Today is the last day to register to vote in this election, Friday, July 8.  Any updates or additional information pertaining to Town Elections can be found online at www.halifax-ma.org/Elections.

If you have any questions, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at (781) 293-7970 or by e-mailing ClerksOffice@halifax-ma.org.

The Plympton School Committee met on Tuesday, May 31. They began with a reorganization. Jon Wilhelmsen was once again elected as  Chair while Jason Fraser was named Vice Chair and Nikki Mahoney Secretary. In her first meeting on the Committee Kait Johnson was named to Union 31 as was Dan Cadogan. Fraser remained the Legislative Agent. Mahoney and Wilhelmsen remained on Negotiations. Cadogan remained on the Pilgrim Area Collaborative. Fraser and Wilhelmsen were named to Policy and Mahoney to CASA.

Projects Supported at Town Meeting

Wilhelmsen said that the town of Plympton voted to reallocate funds to support several school related projects at Town Meeting. Projects include upgrading the intercom system, moving toward an electronic locking system for doors, renovating four classroom floors, and making paving upgrades. One of the paving projects involves the creation of a pad next to the little garage that sits between the soccer fields and the schools. The pad will provide a space for the dumpsters. A ramp up to the garage will also be added. “It is still possible we will return some funds to the town when everything is said and done in July,” Wilhelmsen said.

Playground Project

Director of Business Services Christine Healy provided an update on the additional rubberized surfacing that is to be added to the new playground. She said the biggest question is what to do with the wood fiber that is currently being used for surfacing. She said she had reached out to the Selectmen and Town Administrator to identify a need for the wood fiber in town. Once an accurate surface area is ascertained, Healy said they will look to get the best pricing possible for the remaining rubberized surfacing.

Solar Panel Project

Wilhelmsen told the Committee that the town made the necessary approvals at Town Meeting to proceed with putting solar panels on the back wing of the school. Wilhelmsen said that they need to confer with the Building Inspector about whether the snow guards can be removed from the roof. Their removal will allow for larger panels which will allow for the greater production of electricity and, hopefully, a lower cost of electricity for the school.

Legislative Update

“We are in the sixth inning of the seventh inning game called the budget season,” Fraser said. “We really benefited greatly from the State budget locally this year,” he continued. As a result, Plympton was able to present a school budget to the town that had a net zero cost increase over last year’s budget.

Fraser said there were two measures that were not included in the State budget that he would like to see returned. The first was the free meals program for students which Fraser said he was hoping would get added back in during Conference Committee. The second was legislation introduced by Senate President Karen Spilka known as Mental Health ABC Act 2.0. Fraser noted the importance of the initiative, saying that children in crisis are facing long wait times when seeking mental health services. Fraser told the Committee that he sent a letter to the State House advocating for them to take up both positions.

Fraser also approached his fellow Committee members about a resolution that he wanted to bring to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). Fraser’s goal is to increase the maximum balance allowed by the Special Education Reserve Fund from two percent of net school spending, as set by current law, to five percent.  Wilhelmsen likened it to a savings account specific to this expense. The Committee voted unanimously to support Fraser’s resolution as written.

Principal’s Update

Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto gave an update on the end of the school year proceedings. “Despite the stomach flu and covid’s best efforts, all of our students finished up MCAS,” Veneto said. He told the Committee that June 2 marks the day seniors return to Dennett to walk the halls. Veneto said it was especially bittersweet for him as this year’s seniors were in kindergarten when he started. June 3 will be Future Lakers Day. Veneto said that June 10 will be an especially busy day as it will be ride your bike to school day, field day for Grades K-5, Step Up Day at the Middle School for Grade 6, and the talent show in the evening. June 22 will be the moving on ceremony for Grade 6. He also said that they are aiming to have a D.A.R.E. graduation for the first time in three years. Veneto said that paraprofessionals Kathy Dries and Karen Agnew will be retiring at the end of the school year. He said they will be greatly missed.

Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent’s Update

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch told the Committee that on June 14 a second student survey will be administered to assess various aspects of social and emotional learning. Parents can opt out of having their child take the survey by emailing Veneto by June 10. “We know these are challenging times and we just want to make sure we are correctly identifying the needs of the students and give them a voice,” Lynch said. He said the second survey will also be used to track the school’s progress in meeting students’ needs.

Superintendent Jill Proulx asked the Committee to approve next year’s school calendar. August 31 is slated to be the first day of school with the last day tentatively scheduled for June 14. There are five potential cancellation days and if all were to be used, the last day would be June 22. Winter break will begin on December 24 and school will reopen on January 3. April break is scheduled for April 17 through April 21.

Proulx said that Plympton supported a number of initiatives for the Regional Schools during their Town Meeting including their share of the school resource officer position, the establishment of a Silver Lake Stabilization Fund, and the refurbishment of the tennis courts. Proulx specifically thanked Fraser and Wilhelmsen for their ability to speak with eloquence on all the school articles.

Proulx said that the COVID testing program will continue through the end of the school year. She said that self-tests will be provided for symptomatic testing for summer programs. By the fall of 2022, the State anticipates that it will no longer offer testing services or programs for schools and districts. Proulx also said that there is an effort in place to try and raise the threshold for chronic absenteeism from 10 percent to 20 percent for the current school year given the unique challenges facing the student body.

Proulx asked the Committee if they would support a 0.2 FTE position for instrumental instruction. She said that it would be funded using grant money. The downside would be that the school would need to figure out how to fund the $14,000 in future years. “Instrumental music is critical for students for a multitude of reasons… I’m absolutely in favor,” Fraser said. The Committee voted to unanimously approve the request. “I think you are going to love the results, I’m hoping,” Proulx told the Committee.

The new iteration of the Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, May 24. Ashley DiSesa, who is now the longest serving selectmen, was nominated and voted in as Chair. DiSesa nominated Alex Meade as Vice-chair saying, “just because he has sat on a board before.” This left Jonathan Selig to serve as Clerk. Meade defeated previous Chair of the Board of Selectmen Gordon Andrews for a three-year term during the latest town election. Selig won a one-year term that was left vacant after the resignation of longtime Selectman Troy Garron.

Selectmen Liaisons

The Board also worked out who would be the liaison to various town departments and committees. Selig jokingly referred to it as a “fantasy draft.” Selig was elected to be the liaison to the schools as well as the Fire Department. Meade became the liaison to the Highway Department, Cemetery, Capital Planning, and the Finance Committee. DiSesa is the liaison to the Chief Procurement Officer, the Police Department, and Holidays in Holidays. Other assignments were made as well. Later in the meeting, DiSesa was appointed as the Representative for Halifax to the Old Colony Elder Services.

Liquor License Transfer

There was a continuation of the hearing to transfer an alcohol beverage license from Lily Café II to Dragon Lake Village Inc. The owner of Lily Café called it a “bittersweet moment” but said “it is time to move on.” “Thank you for being so great to our town,” DiSesa said. Selig asked, “are the scorpion bowls going to be as good?” The Selectmen approved the transfer of the liquor license.

Talent Bank Forms

DiSesa said they had talent bank forms for Colby Silva, Elizabeth Colling, and Matthew Smith for the Beautification Committee. DiSesa recommended holding interviews with the applicants and the other Selectmen agreed. Amy L. Troup interjected from the audience that Colby Silva had already been appointed and noted her work in cleaning up litter from the town.

Waste Management Contract

The Selectmen met with Todd Koep from DEP and Town Accountant Sandy Nolan regarding the solid waste contract. Nolan said that when the town went to Waste Management to seek a two-year extension of their contract, the price came back quite high. She said that as a result, they went out to bid and the sole bidder had an even higher price. “We are running into an issue because the town of Halifax uses the bags. Most of the trash companies do not want to pick up the trash anymore; they want to use the toters because the truck has the mechanical lift,” Nolan explained. She said that Waste Management has agreed to extend the contract for a year and work with the town on moving toward toters.

“You guys [Halifax] have the lowest pounds per household,” Koep said of the 31 towns he represents. Koep said he would hate to see the trash increase noting that he was in favor of holding off on the transition for a year. “I would like to keep flexibility as far as sizing goes; I know you say other towns can pick up the 35s and I’ve seen trucks pick up the 35s before. Whatever plan we would like to do… we have to make sure that the single person in Halifax Estates with a 35 is not paying the same price as myself, with a family of five, with a larger one; I would ask that we consider a plan that is a sliding scale,” Selig said. Koep called that method a “difficult option” for several reasons. Town Administrator Ed Thorne recommended that the town go with the one-year deal and then form a committee to review all the options. The Selectmen voted to approve the one-year contract.

Paper Streets

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward met with the Board to discuss the rules and regulations for the cremation garden in Halifax. Hayward discussed when and how he would attach flags to veterans’ sites. The Board approved the rules and regulations as laid out by Hayward. They also approved an increase in headstone foundations.

Hayward also showed the Selectmen pictures of Fayette St. from 2^nd Ave. “As you can see from the picture, Fayette just stops and 2^nd Ave goes from along the trees… they are called paper streets for a reason because only from the map you can see it,” Hayward explained. Hayward said that people in town were starting to complain, and Selig said, “they would like a street.” Hayward said the area in question would never be wide enough to pave or become an accepted road. He said that most towns don’t do anything with paper streets but noted that Halifax does take care of some of them. “How do you want to handle it?” Hayward asked the Selectmen. He showed them a house on the area and said that every winter they get calls from them asking them to plow.

Hayward said that the town has a lot of paper streets and that he was seeking a uniform answer to provide residents on these streets. “It’s usually a court case, that’s how they handle it,” Hayward said. “I think we need some legal guidance on this,” DiSesa said. They agreed to talk to town counsel and move further discussion on the issue to their next meeting. They also briefly discussed the paving of the ends of driveways that are damaged by town plows. Hayward said that in neighboring Plympton, residents must get a permit before paving their driveway. They agreed to move that to the following meeting as well after seeking advice from town counsel.

Pride Day Update

Lori Costa-Cline met with the Board to provide a Pride Day update. She said that they were able to secure a disc jockey “after a lot of effort.” As a result, she was seeking a live entertainment permit. She also said that they have 25 vendors and said they are anticipating a crowd. They will likely need a police detail at the event as well. She said that some vendors have requested electricity and asked if they could use the Town Hall’s electricity. The Selectmen approved the live entertainment permit and use of electricity presuming all necessary paperwork was filled out. “I would welcome all to come, it’s going to be a really fun, family-friendly event,” Costa-Cline said.

Town Green Request

There was a request by the Council on Aging (COA) for use of the town green on July 15. COA Director Darlene Regan told the Board that they were using a Mass Cultural Council grant to pay for a guitarist. She said they may also have an ice cream truck or some other type of food vendor. The Selectmen voted to approve the use of the town green.

Correspondence from Regional School Committee

Selig read correspondence from the Regional School Committee Chair Paula Hatch that said, “The Silver Lake Regional School Committee has been contacted by Jim Hickey, Selectman from Hanson and Chairman of their De-regionalization Feasibility Study Committee, the town of Hanson is considering terminating their existing regionalization agreement with the town of Whitman and is exploring alternatives for their schools. Jim has requested a meeting with the appropriate parties to have a high-level discussion about the possibility of Hanson joining our regional school district.” The letter said the issue is in it’s “infancy.” DiSesa said that they would reach out to Hatch and let her know that they would be willing to entertain a meeting on the matter.

ARPA Funds

Nolan told the Selectmen that Plymouth County Treasurer Tom O’Brien said that the second half of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are being held up, but it should be temporary, and the funds should be received in June. DiSesa asked that the issue be moved to the next meeting.

Search for New Town Administrator

DiSesa told the other Selectmen that there are three if not four potential candidates who will be interviewed on June 1. “Hopefully we will have a new TA soon,” DiSesa said. “No offense Ed, we love you; I know you don’t want to stay forever,” she said to Thorne.

Comcast Discussion

DiSesa said that Plympton is getting Fios. She said that Halifax isn’t happy with Comcast, and she wanted to find out how other towns are getting Fios. IT Director Cesar Calouro was in attendance for the discussion. Thorne said that he would set up a meeting with Calouro and the attorney handling negotiations for the town. “If he has a pros and cons and reasons why we shouldn’t I would like to hear it…I think it is important that we are looking at all options because I know that the community as a whole wasn’t really happy with Comcast and they were being told it was the only option,” DiSesa said.

Town Administrator’s Update

Thorne said that a letter from the Governor said that the town would be receiving $250,000 to support local economic recovery. He said he had a call in to Representative Josh Cutler’s office to find out more about it. He said there were other earmarks that he said, “were normal for the legislature.” One is $20,000 for the replacement of water fountains with water bottle refill stations in town buildings.

Thorne also told the Selectmen about a Department of Transportation (DOT) letter regarding a winter recovery assistance program. “This is part of, I believe, the COVID program… the town is going to get… $174,524,” Thorne explained. He said it was based on the town’s 52 miles.