Due to the increase in Covid-19 cases and staffing challenges, North Easton Savings will be providing access to all branch lobbies by appointment only, effective immediately.

Drive-up at all locations will remain open and available during regular hours.  For a full listing of branch locations and hours please go to the website, northeastonsavings.com.

NESB encourages customers to limit their in-person visits to any services or transactions that cannot be done at our drive-up windows, online/mobile channels, telephone banking, or via ATM or ITM. Please know there are Interactive Teller Machines available during regular business hours to service transactions live with a banker.  Go to the website to find the nearest ITM location.

Customers who need to visit any of the branch lobbies are asked to make an appointment using the online scheduling tool at the website.

“We are committed to keeping both our customers and our employees safe during this time. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we continue to operate within the State and Local Covid-19 Guidelines,”

As always, please contact the bank directly if there is anything we can do for customers or your family at 508-238-2007 or by email  [email protected].

Thank you for choosing to bank local.

On Dec. 14, 2021, at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Plympton Board of Health the following Guidance Order was approved by a vote of 3-0.

Plympton Town House COVID Guidance

14-Dec-2021

As the rate of positive Covid-19 cases has risen in Plympton to over 12%, there is concern about the health and safety of those working in and making visits to the Plympton Town House. The Plympton Board of Health provides the following guidance in regards to use of the building:

• 1. Activities in the Town House will be limited to those necessary for conducting town business. Any non-essential activities or gatherings will be suspended until further notice.

• 2. Only one visitor from the public will be able to access each individual department at a time. Signs will be provided with this guidance.

• 3. The Emergency Management Director will provide lobby personnel to reinforce this guidance and manage access in accordance with #2 above.

• 4. Town Boards and Committees will be encouraged to conduct remote meetings when possible.

Our hope is that visitors will take advantage of the procedures in place to take care of their business remotely. If in person visits are required, visitors will be encouraged to conduct their business according to this Order to protect the health and safety of visitors and town employees.

This guidance will be reevaluated after January 15, 2022 or as appropriate due to new information or changes in State or CDC requirements.

The first priority of all Boards of Health in the Commonwealth is protecting the health and safety of their citizens during this difficult time and the Board of Health will continue to recommend best practices and protocol around social distancing and gathering guidelines, and appreciates your cooperation in adhering to this guidance.

So Ordered Plympton Board of Health

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The new interim town administrator Edwin Thorne sat with the Selectmen.

Selectmen discussed the proposed agreement with the Lakeville Animal Shelter. They had previously been looking into a possible agreement with Kingston but had not heard back. Selectman Troy Garron said of the agreement with Lakeville, “We’ve had a pretty good relationship.” The Selectmen voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with Lakeville.

Inventory lists, budgets, etc. were requested of all town departments. Thorne said, “As part of looking at a budget, we’re also reviewing the current year’s budget to see what our problem area is and what are areas where we are probably going to need to transfer funds to and from… that will be an ongoing process between now and the May town meeting.”

Thorne also said he was asked to look into the solar farm on the capped landfill. Thorne said there was some email correspondence between former town administrator Charlie Seelig and Seth Pickering of MassDEP. Thorne said he knows Pickering from his days working for Green Communities for Southeastern Massachusetts. Thorne said they discussed plans to possibly own the farm as opposed to entering into a 20-year agreement with the company; he further said this is what was done during his time in Pembroke when they faced a similar predicament. He described the plan in Pembroke as, “a payment in lieu of taxes, a lease… and a net savings over 20 years.”

Thorne also told the Selectmen that he sent an email to the Center for Living and Working regarding the ADA plan. He also addressed the Complete Streets Program which he called, “a great program.” He said those were some of the things that he has been working on in his first few days in office.

Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews said they had received an email from Joan Pierce, the Southeast Land Agent for the Department of Fish and Game regarding the parcel of land on Aldana Rd. that was part of a larger transaction between the town and the state. Andrews said the transaction was completed. Ownership of the land is necessary to pave the street.

Talent bank forms were submitted by Steve Littlefield and John Sullivan to be appointed to the Traffic Safety Committee. There was some confusion as to whether there were one or two seats available on the Committee. Selectman Ashley DiSesa said she would like to have the candidates come and speak with the Selectmen before officially appointing anyone.

The Selectmen appointed Thorne as the ADA Coordinator for non-school departments. They also voted to give Thorne authority to submit the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) application on behalf of the town.

There was a discussion regarding use of ARPA funds to upgrade the Police Department’s network and related equipment. Chief Joao Chaves joined remotely for this portion of the meeting. The current wireless equipment at the Police Department is over 10 years old and was described as awful. The firewall and network security points are also outdated. Andrews asked how much of the funding was being requested and was told that $30,000 would cover replacing and installing all related equipment.

Andrews asked the Chief to speak to the benefits of doing the upgrade now versus waiting for town meeting. Chaves said it would be more of a burden for taxpayers if funds were acquired through town meeting. DiSesa asked if the Board had access to the breakdown of what ARPA funds have been used versus what was still available. She was told they did not immediately have access to that information. Garron expressed some concern about funding the maintenance of the equipment in the future. The Selectmen voted that overall, they are in favor of using the funds for the purpose but said they first want to see the breakdown of funds used thus far from the town accountant.

There was also a discussion on the rate of pay for the Building Commissioner/Inspector of Buildings Steve Solari. The Selectmen voted to approve a rate of $50 per inspection.

An appointment was held with cannabis dispensary company Elevated Roots to discuss the proposed Host Community Agreement (HCA) with them. Elevated Roots first appeared before the Board in late September to introduce the project to the Selectmen and the community. The community forum was held in early November. “We’re ready to move forward with building and begin construction,” the representative told the Board during Tuesday’s meeting. “The residents and the town officials have the ability to go and evaluate how we are actually operating,” he said of their store in Kingston that has been operational since April. The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the HCA.

Andrews told those assembled, “We did lose a retired employee this week – Cathy Drinan – a long time Board of Health agent.” DiSesa said, “She put a lot of work into the town.” Drinan was the long-time Docent Art Program Director for the Halifax Elementary School. “She was a very nice person; she worked really hard for our community; she will definitely be missed,” Andrews said.

Amy L. Troup appeared before the Board on behalf of the Beautification Committee. She requested that a donate button be added to the Facebook page. Andrews said it would be a question for the Treasurer/Collector’s office. Troup also said that they were interested in running a vendor fair in the spring, potentially in the gym at Halifax Elementary School. Andrews recommended coordinating with Youth and Rec to find out what days they are not using the gym.

The Town of Halifax will hold an outdoor version of their annual Holidays in Halifax this year on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Festivities will begin at 5 p.m. with the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Town  Green, at the Hemlock St. side of the Town Hall.   Magical ice sculptors will show their artistry outside on the Town Hall lawn, always a favorite in years past.   

Live performances will take place throughout, and there will be a movie set up for outside viewing at the Holmes Public Library parking lot.

Food trucks with treats to keep you warm will be available in the library parking lot.  Live animals will be nearby and there will be a reading of The Night Before Christmas and, of course, a visit from Santa.

Everyone is invited to attend.

On Saturday Dec. 4, the Halifax Firefighters Association  and  Girl Scouts will team up
with Santa and Mrs.  Claus for its 23rd year, to
collect new unwrapped toys and non-perishable food.

Gift certificates are encouraged. All items collected are distributed through the two
local Churches and kept in town helping families in need.

The drop off center is at the Town Barn, 60 Hemlock Lane, behind the Town Hall, on the
day of the event. Please do not bring items to the Halifax
Fire Station.

We will also be parading through the neighborhoods on
this day, collecting toys/food along the way. Items may be left
curbside.

If you are unavailable on Saturday or have any questions,
please call Christine Markunas at 781-588-4886.

Please do not bring
items to the Halifax Fire Station. If your street is not listed, look for the street closest to yours for the time the truck will be in the area. Due
to some of the roads we are unable to make it down all the streets in town.

Estimated times of arrival, streets and locations:

10 a.m. – Fire station; 10:05 a.m. – Lydon Lane; 10:15 a.m. – Holmes St. to Aldana Rd.; 10:20 a.m. – Brandeis Circle; 10:25 a.m. – Colby Drive; 10:30: a.m. Harvard Street/McClelland Road;

10:35 a.m. Oak Street/Marilyn Way; 10:40 a.m. – Lawrence Road; 10:45 a.m. – Twin Lakes Drive; 10:50 a.m. –  Chestnut Road; 10:55 a.m.- Annawon Drive; 11 a.m.-  Cedar Lane/Baker Street; 11:10 a.m.- White Island Rd./Wamsutta Ave./Standish St..;  11:15 a.m.-  Ocean Ave./Upton St./Dwight St.; 11:20 a.m – Lingan St./13th ./Richview Ave./11th Ave.

11:25 a.m. – Indian Path Road break; 11:50 a.m.; – Clyde O. Bosworth Rd./Stoney Weir Rd./Pheasant Hill Rd;. 11:55 a.m.- Cranberry Drive; 12:00 p.m.- Old Plymouth Street/Christmas Tree Lane/Elm Street; 12:10 p.m. – Hudson Street 12:15 p.m.; Spencer Drive/Pond Street/Autumn Lane; 12:25 p.m.; – Furnace St./Circuit St.; 12:35 p.m. –  Thompson Street/Firefly Road/Orchard Circle; 12:45 p.m. Highland Estates; 12:55 p.m. – Summit Street/Kestral Lane/Harvest Lane; 1 p.m –  Walnut Street/Bourne Road; 1:05 p.m.- Thompson Street/River Street/Wood Street; 1:15: p.m.- South St. to Hayward St. to Franklin St. to South St.

By State Rep. Kathy LaNatra

Most people understand, at least on some level, the work that a state legislator does. However, there’s a lot to the role that people may not be fully aware of. With that said, I thought it might be helpful to dedicate this particular column to explaining what a state representative does.

First and foremost, a state representative is a lawmaker. We draft and file legislation; we may co-sponsor a bill initiated by another representative, and we vote on proposed legislation that comes before us. Constituent opinion is very valuable; as a citizen in the district, you can call or write your representative and vice your view on different bills and issues. We representatives take all of these opinions into account when voting on legislation.

From the title “State Representative,” we of course are here to represent our constituents at the state level. I see an important part of my role as being your voice, and I value the opinions of the people in my district.

In addition to the role of lawmaker, we serve on committees, which is an important part of the lawmaking process. All bills go through committees prior to being voted on by the full House of Representatives.

In my case, I sit on the Committees on Ways and Means, Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight and Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. This session, I was also honored to be chosen to serve as Vice Chair of Export Development, whose job it is to promote Massachusetts products nationally and internationally. Each committee votes on bills that deal with a certain issue pertaining to their committee; and if the bill receives a favorable vote from the committee, it then goes to the full House for a vote.

A State representative is also an advocate for her/his district. We are fully involved during the yearly budget negotiations. The negotiations are what lead to the allocation of state funds. We frequently file amendments to the overall state budget which, if successfully voted, will allocate money for our districts. These funds support schools, senior centers, infrastructure projects or anything else that the district may need.

State representatives can additionally assist our constituents with many issues they may be having. Whether this is an issue with unemployment or MassHealth or MassDOT, we can often connect constituents with the appropriate state agencies to solve issues they may be having. In this instance we can act as a liaison between the state and constituents.

Not all the activity takes place up on Beacon Hill, though. There’s a lot that takes place in the district, which could be providing a commendation from the legislature to a business on its 20th anniversary, recognizing the heroic actions of a fire department, or simply meeting with people during district office hours.

The Plympton School Committee met on Monday, Nov. 1. The committee briefly discussed the ongoing issue of dog excrement being left on the playing fields at the Dennett. While Principal Peter Veneto said that he had not received any new complaints, Committee member Amy Hempel said that she was still seeing dog droppings left on the fields despite bags being available. Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said that they would need to come up with a plan going forward before the spring sports season begins.

Regarding the new playground, Director of Business Services Christine Healy asked, “who could imagine a pandemic and 100 mph winds while we are trying to build a playground?” Healy said they were at the phase where they need to order concrete for the footings that couldn’t happen until that morning as the companies had been shut down. Healy also said that once the equipment is in place, a determination will have to be made as to whether the rubberized surface will be able to be placed as it is weather dependent. Wood surfacing will be used until the spring if the rubberized surface cannot be placed. “We’re closer to the completion than we are to the beginning,” Healy said remaining optimistic.

Veneto said that someone, who wished to remain nameless, came to see him and offered a check for $20,000 to be used toward the construction of the playground. “Well, I think that is incredibly generous,” Wilhelmsen said. He further said that he hoped it could be used toward the rubberized surfacing as more of that surface makes the playground more accessible to all users. The committee voted to accept the donation.

Regarding the solar project at the school, Wilhelmsen said they were still working on agreements. He said that one of the challenges is that the laws in the state have changed with respect to pilot agreements for solar projects. He said that the agreement voted upon at town meeting would not be in compliance with the new rules. “So, we have to go back to town meeting,” Wilhelmsen explained. He said they have also joined a group called Power Options who are a consortium of which Select Energy is their chosen provider for solar. As a result, it is not necessary to go out to bid for the solar panels on the roof. Wilhelmsen said the best option would be to go to town meeting in May and approve a new plan.

Committee member Jason Fraser began his legislative update by saying, “The State has more money than it has ever had in its entire history.” He said that the American Rescue Plan Act funds total $6 billion, representing about 15 percent of the State’s annual budget. He said that some of that money has been allocated toward education though Fraser said he didn’t yet know how it would affect them at the local level. He cautioned against the fiscal cliff saying, “we’re working with our delegation up at the State House urging them to use caution, to use patience in the spending of these funds.” He urged that the money be used toward school infrastructure and programs as opposed to hiring new personnel.

A CASA update was provided and it was said that the Halloween dance and the Harvest Festival in October were both successful. They also just finished selling Dennett merchandise. A thankful luncheon will take place this month and the Holiday Bazaar will be back in December.

Principal Veneto provided a school update saying that enrollment was holding fast at 243 students. He said he has received multiple letters of resignation including the school nurse, the music teacher, and a long-term substitute. Additionally, an aide will be out on maternity leave shortly. He said he is scrambling to fill the open positions.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch also presented to the Committee. He provided information regarding the MCAS testing including what was different in 2021. He said that some students were able to take the test remotely. Across the state, over 90 percent of students took the test and at the Dennett the percentage was closer to 99. Lynch said that students tended to struggle with math in 2021 compared with 2019, the last time the test was administered. Fraser acknowledged that there was a push in 2021 not to administer the MCAS but said that the argument in favor of holding the tests was that there was data to be gleaned from it. Fraser also said, “I just need to acknowledge… the incredible job that our kids in the fifth grade did last year and their third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers teaching them that curriculum to get them ready for it… very satisfied with their ELA results.” He said that his concern is with the mathematics scores but said that tools are being added to help bring those scores up.

Regarding the ESSER funds, Lynch said that they still have about 90 percent of ESSER II remaining to be allocated. “We’re continuing the work with ESSER,” he said. Regarding the 20 percent of funds to be used for social and emotional learning, Fraser said, “If kids are still dealing with social and emotional issues then they are not available for learning.” He also said that he wanted to make sure that they were getting teachers the best quality professional development available. Lynch said that the SEL (social and emotional learning) task force has met with Panorama Education, a research-based company out of Boston for assistance in figuring out where student needs lay. “I’m looking forward to getting this information into teacher’s hands so they can figure out what our students need,” Lynch explained.

Superintendent Jill Proulx presented to the committee regarding the core values for the school. “We aspire to create a community where everyone belongs and students and staff encourage one another to grow, learn, achieve, and dream without limit,” Proulx said. She further discussed steps to be taken to achieve those goals. Proulx called the five-year plan, “a pretty ambitious plan.” She discussed the proposed steps to be taken for the coming year. Strategic objectives include building relationships, emphasizing high expectations for all students, and creating and implementing an aligned and engaging curriculum for PK-12. “While we want to align to the state standards – we don’t want to teach to the test,” Proulx said. Yet another strategic objective is to improve structures and processes to focus on learning, efficiency, and outcomes.

Proulx also provided an update on enrollment. She said the October 2020 enrollment at the Dennett was 209 compared to the October 2021 enrollment of 241 students. Regarding assessment percentage changes for Silver Lake, the Plympton assessment decreased compared to Halifax and Kingston who both increased. For Union 31, the Plympton assessment has increased. “So that will have an impact on our budget as we begin that process as well,” Proulx said. Fraser said he would be interested in pursuing an increase in Chapter 70 funds as the Dennett enrollment has increased by 15 percent.

The Plympton School Committee also met on Monday, Nov. 15 to decide whether to advocate for a half day for parent-teacher conferences. Wilhelmsen explained that it took a vote by all four school committees to make a change to the district calendar, but that Plympton would be voting in favor or against it that night. President of the Teacher’s Association Ann Walker spoke on behalf of the teachers. “We really feel it would be valuable to us so that we can get parents into the building and get to communicate with parents,” Walker explained. She noted that the remote option would also be available. The Committee voted to approve a half day during the first three weeks of December pending the approval of the other committees.

The Town of Halifax is seeking volunteers to serve on the Traffic Safety Committee and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Committee. Residents interested in serving on these and other committees and boards can complete a “Talent Bank Form” (available in the Selectmen’s Office in Town Hall or on-line at https://www.halifax-ma.org/board-selectmen/files/talent-bank-form-0) and send to the Halifax Board of Selectmen, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338 or [email protected] – For more information, call 781-294-1316.