The Halifax Fire Department will hold a vaccine clinic on Thursday, May 20 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Halifax Fire Station, 438 Plymouth Street, Halifax.
The clinic is for those over the age of 16. First doses will be scheduled through the portal – https://www.maimmunizations.org/appointment/en/reg/1902953606 with second doses scheduled for June 10 after the first dose has been given. Please contact the Fire Department at 781-293-1751 with any questions.
The Holmes Public Library, Route 106, Halifax, has successfully upgraded its phone system. As they fully transition to their new service provider, there are a few pieces of information they would like patrons to be aware of.
Continue to contact the Library at (781) 293-2271; however, if more than one person calls using that number, they will receive a busy-tone. This is only temporary and will not occur once the transition to the new service provider is completed.
All outbound phone calls from the Library will temporarily display (781) 590-3878 as its caller-ID. Once the transition to the new service provider is completed, the Library’s caller-ID will be (781) 293-2271.
The Holmes Public Library appreciates its patrons’ patience during this process. If patrons have any questions regarding the information above, please e-mail Cesar.Calouro@halifax-ma.org or call (781) 293-1739.
Kingston voters went to the polls on Saturday, April 24. This is how they voted:
Selectman. Three-year term. Vote for two. Kimberly Emberg, 503 votes. Shila Marie Vaughn, 417 votes.
Assessor. Three-year term. Vote for one. Scott J. DeSantis, 490 votes.
Collector of Taxes. Three-year term. Vote for one. Jessica M. Kramer, 236 votes. Kenneth G. Moali, 491.
Planning Board. Five-year term. Vote for one. Jonathan Jacob Barnett, Sr., 488 votes.
Silver Lake Regional School Committee. Three-year term. Vote for one. Emily R. Davis, 345 votes, Emma Rose Morgan, 188 votes.
Silver Lake Regional School Committee. Three-year term. Vote for one. Leslieann McGee, 475 votes.
Kingston Elementary School Committee, Three-year term. Vote for two: Katina Bedard, 168 votes. Megan B. Cannon, 426 votes.
Water Commission, Three-year term. Vote for one. Richard Wilson Loring, Jr.. 490 votes.
Board of Health. Two-year term. Vote for one. Dennis N. Randall. 385 votes.
Board of Health. Three-year term. Vote for one. Janet D. Wade, 424 votes. Norman P. Harbinson Jr., 236 votes.
Library Trustee, Three-year term. Vote for two. Emil Flight Curtin, 437 votes. Shannon J. Gauthier, 305 votes. Christine Maiorano, 225 votes.
Recreation Commission. Three-year term. Vote for two. Melissa A. Bateman, 512 votes. Daniel P. Shropshire, 440 votes.
Sewer Commission. Three-year term. Vote for one. Thomas W. Taylor, II. 504 votes.
Plympton residents will vote at the polls on Saturday, May 15, at the Plympton Town House, 5 Palmer Rd. Route 58, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On the ballot are
Selectman for three years: Christine M. Joy, candidate for re-election. (Vote for one)
Assessor, for three years: no candidate. (Vote for one)
Assessor, for one year: no candidate. (Vote for one)
Board of Health for three years: Harry L. Weikel, Jr., candidate for re-election. (Vote for one)
Finance Committee for three years: no candidate. (Vote for one)
Library Trustee for three years: Miranda Anne Pink, candidate for re-election. (Vote for one)
Library Trustee for one year: no candidate. (Vote for one)
Planning Board for five years: no candidate. (Vote for one)
Planning Board for four years: no candidate. (Vote for one)
School Committee for three years: Jason W. Fraser, candidate for re-election, Suzanne L. Jaffarian, Nicole M. Mahoney, and Robert Randolph Montgomery. (Vote for one)
Silver Lake Regional School Committee for three years: Lukasz Kowalski. (Vote for one)
Town Clerk for three years: Patricia L. Detterman, candidate for re-election. (Vote for one)
Tree Warden for three years: William N. Hayes, Jr., candidate for re-election. (Vote for one)
State Representative Kathy LaNatra of the 12th Plymouth District announced that the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded firefighter safety grants to 5 fire departments within the 12th Plymouth District. This funding is part of a $25 million bond bill filed by the Baker-Polito Administration that will support firefighter health and safety over the next five years.
“I am thrilled to see this wonderful investment in the health and safety of our firefighters by the Baker Administration,” said State Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston). “Protecting the health and safety of our firefighters is paramount to ensuring that they are able to adequately do their jobs and protect our communities.”
Fire departments in Massachusetts were able to apply to this program for 114 different types of eligible equipment, including personal protective clothing, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, assorted hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, fitness equipment, and more.
This program represents a comprehensive approach to mitigating modern firefighter health and safety risks. Firefighters face not only the well-known risks of fire, smoke, and hazardous materials, but also long-term health risks of occupational cancer associated with the exposure to fire by-products and debilitating physical injuries due to the strenuous nature of their work.
Funding to communities in the 12th Plymouth District is as follows:
Duxbury: $15,000.00
Halifax: $12,493.00
Kingston: $14,999.95
Plymouth: $25,995
Plympton: $9,457.96
After a one year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Plympton Garden Club is once again sponsoring a town wide litter clean-up for Saturday, April 17th from 9 AM until noon. This community based effort has been a tradition in Plympton for many years, and residents are encouraged to pitch in and help their neighbors get the town looking beautiful – just in time for the blossoming of all our ornamental trees, shrubs, and gardens.
Given that Plympton has 18 residential streets that comprise many miles of roadway, broad participation is very important. Residents can make a strong contribution just by picking up the roadside trash and litter close to their residence. The Plympton Highway Department will be picking up full bags of trash placed by the side of the road and bringing it to the transfer station.
Street assignments, bags, and general information can be obtained on the morning of the event by stopping at the parking lot of the Plympton Town House. Organizers will be manning a table there. In the event it rains on the 17th, the following day has been designated as the rain date. Thanks in advance for your help!
State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston), whose district includes Kingston, Halifax, Plympton, and portions of Plymouth, Middleboro and Duxbury, announced that the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the State Senate have passed comprehensive climate legislation, known as the Next Generation Climate Roadmap bill.
The legislation overhauls the state’s climate laws, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, advances the clean energy industry, and prioritizes and protects environmental justice communities.
The passage of the climate bill comes after a joint commitment from Senate President Karen E. Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano to quickly refile the legislation following a gubernatorial veto last session. After evaluating Governor Baker’s amendments and recommendations, the legislature’s final provisions include the following:
• Sets a statewide net-zero limit on greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and mandates emissions limits every five years, as well as sublimits for transportation, buildings, and other sectors of the economy.
• Codifies environmental justice provisions into Massachusetts law, defining environmental justice populations and providing new tools and protections for affected neighborhoods. Establishes a municipal opt-in specialized stretch energy code which includes a definition of “net-zero building” and net-zero building performance standards.
• Requires an additional 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind, increasing the total authorization to 5,600 megawatts in the Commonwealth.
• Directs the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), the regulator of the state›s electric and natural gas utilities, to balance priorities going forward: system safety, system security, reliability, affordability, equity, and, significantly, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Sets appliance energy efficiency standards for a variety of common appliances including plumbing, faucets, computers, and commercial appliances.
• Adopts several measures aimed at improving gas pipeline safety, including increased fines for safety violations, provisions related to training and certifying utility contractors, and setting interim targets for companies to reduce leak rates.
• Requires utilities to include an explicit value for greenhouse gas reductions when they calculate the cost-effectiveness of an offering of MassSave.
• Increases the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) by 3 per cent each year from 2025–2029, resulting in 40 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
• A national first, this legislation factors the «carbon sequestration» capacity of Massachusetts› natural and working lands directly into emissions reduction plans.
• Prioritizes equitable access to the state’s solar programs by low-income communities.
• Sets benchmarks for the adoption of clean energy technologies including electric vehicles, charging stations, solar technology, energy storage, heat pumps and anaerobic digestors.
• Establishes $12 million in annual funding for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to create a pathway to the clean energy industry for environmental justice populations, minority-owned and women-owned businesses, and fossil fuel workers.
• Provides solar incentives for businesses by exempting them from the net metering cap to allow them to install solar systems on their premises to help them offset their electricity use and save money.
• Creates a first-time greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants that requires them to purchase 50 percent non-emitting electricity by 2030, 75 percent by 2040 and “net zero” by 2050.
Representative LaNatra said, “This is significant, forward-thinking legislation that will put us on a path toward lowering harmful carbon emissions, help our green economy, and give our environment the protection that it needs. I am pleased that my colleagues in both the House and Senate worked so tirelessly to bring this bill forward.”
The bill now returns to the Governor’s desk.
Representative LaNatra’s district includes all residents of Halifax, Kingston and Plympton, as well as residents of Precincts 1, 11 and 13 in Plymouth; Precinct 1 in Middleboro; and Precinct 1 in Duxbury. To reach her, email Kathleen.LaNatra@mahouse.gov or her legislative aide, Chris Jean, Christopher.Jean@MAhouse.gov. The phone number for the office is 617-722-2430. For updates and announcements, please visit Representative LaNatra’s Facebook page, https://bit.ly/2Ura8VR
or her website, https://www.kathylanatra.com.
Representative Kathy LaNatra Votes in Favor of Legislation Providing Relief to Small Businesses, Workers and Job-seekers affected by COVID-19
Boston (March 15, 2021) – State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) joined her colleagues in support of legislation that will provide much needed relief to small businesses, workers and those looking for work.
The legislation, titled H.89 – An Act financing a program for improvements to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and providing relief to employers and workers in the Commonwealth was passed by the House on March 11 by a unanimous vote of 155-0. House Bill 89 builds upon a bill filed by Governor Baker that would protect employers from the scheduled unemployment insurance rate increase set for April.
“Constituents asking for assistance navigating the unemployment system were the most frequent request sent into my office this past year,” said Rep. LaNatra. She added, “The legislation passed last week shores up the finances of the unemployment trust fund, protecting people who have lost their job because of this devastating pandemic. The bill also provides much-needed relief to employers and small businesses throughout the Commonwealth.”
Key provisions of the bill include forgiveness of paycheck protection program (PPP) loans in line with the federal tax code. Currently, many small business owners would have to pay personal income tax on their forgiven PPP loans. The legislation freezes the unemployment insurance rate paid by employers at its 2020 level for the next two years, staving off a scheduled increase that would have gone into effect in April of this year.
The bill also provides many protections for workers who have lost their job due to the pandemic. The bill creates a tax credit for people who received unemployment compensation and whose household income was 200% or less than the federal poverty line. The legislation also allows for borrowing to replenish the Unemployment Trust Fund.
The legislation provides many other protections for workers throughout the Commonwealth including a COVID-19 Emergency paid sick leave, which fills in gaps of the Federal COVID paid sick leave program. House Bill 89 waives the tax penalty for those who fail to remit income taxes on unemployment compensation for the 2020 tax year.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
By Thomas Joyce
Each season, a handful of athletes across the Patriot League receive league wide recognition for their achievements. The winter 2020-2021 season was no different.
Many different Silver Lake High varsity athletes received awards from the Patriot League which were announced last week. Here is a look at the awards that Lakers athletes received, broken down by sport.
Girls Basketball
Molly Terbush was the team’s lone Patriot League All-Star while Kiley O’Brien got the team sportsmanship award and Erin deMacedo was their scholar athlete. Additionally, the girls’ basketball team received the Patriot League team sportsmanship award.
Boys Basketball
Ben Lofstrom was the team’s lone Patriot League All-Star. Meanwhile, Jack Slattery got the sportsmanship award and Matt O’Donnell was their scholar-athlete.
Girls Hockey
The co-op with Whitman-Hanson had two Patriot League All-Stars, both of which are from Silver Lake: Shea Kelleher and Ellie Grady. Emily McDonald of Whitman-Hanson won the sportsmanship award while Abby Powers of Silver Lake was their scholar athlete.
Boys Hockey
Jake Generazo earned the Patriot League All-Star honor. Additionally, Nate LaPlante-Johnson got the sportsmanship award and Cam Cavicchi was named as their scholar athlete.
Swimming
On the boys’ side, Jake Foley won the sportsmanship award and Wes Hawley was their scholar athlete. For the girls, the sportsmanship award went to Sydney Adams and the scholar athlete went to Anna Billings.
Gymnastics
Both Ava Dorsey and Mackenzie Mackinaw were Patriot League All-Stars on the co-op with Pembroke. The sportsmanship award went to Sarah d’Entremont, and Lauren Canniff of Pembroke was their Scholar Athlete.
The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on Monday, March 8. Several representatives of the Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC) were invited to attend the meeting by Selectman Christine Joy to provide technical assistance regarding the safety zones that had been brought forth by the Selectmen and voted through at town meeting. The zones reduce speeds at certain problematic intersections in town.
Bill McNulty with the OCPC spoke about what they could do to provide assistance including advice regarding sign placement. He said that they can collect data to interpret what kind of effects the signs are having. Much of the technical assistance provided by OCPC has to do with speed limits. They can place tubes in the road that will record traffic volume, speed, and type of vehicle. McNulty also said that they could explore possible traffic calming techniques including narrowing travel lanes. He said that narrowing travel lanes has a “demonstrative effect on lowering speeds.”
Selectman Chair Mark Russo noted that the signs posted thus far alerting drivers to the reduced speed zones have not helped slow down traffic. “We’d like all the help we can get; the two areas where we established the safety zones are just hellaciously uncomfortable,” Russo told the OCPC representatives. Russo also said that he was interested in possibly reducing truck traffic or having a truck exclusion. McNulty said it was a possibility but that an alternate route would have to be available to trucks in order to gain approval from MassDOT. “We’ll look at the traffic pattern and identify the best alternate route for trucks,” he explained.
Joy said that any of the recommended work could eventually become a TIP project or a Transportation Improvement Program with federal funding. She noted that the data, etc. collected by OCPC would be helpful.
Next, the Selectmen looked at some possible town meeting articles. Chair of the Town Properties Committee Jon Wilhelmsen spoke to several related potential articles including the largest and priciest of which – a roof replacement at the Town House for an estimated $500,000. Wilhelmsen said that regardless of what decision is made about the work, some attention will likely need to be devoted to the project. Other potential articles related to the town campus include $7,500 for roof assessments at both the library and fire station and $7,000 for flagpole refurbishments at two locations in town. Other possible articles include a fund for general consultant and preliminary design services and the Center St. building refurbishment. The Town Properties Committee will prepare recommendations for the Selectmen to consider during their March 22 meeting.
Other potential articles include repurposing the leftover funds from the article that was created when hiring Town Administrator Liz Dennehy. The account still has $10,311 in it that could be put toward general search assistance for professional positions. Another possible article is for $5,000 toward hiring a hydrologist to perform analysis of reporting and consequences of Rocky Harvest water withdrawal. Joy explained that it would allow them to see trends.
The selectmen also discussed next steps with the proposal for a marijuana cultivation site in town from their previous meeting. Nick Rizzo had appeared before the Board during their previous meeting to inquire about their interest in his business which would include multiple greenhouses. The facility would not be public facing and the product would be sold to other establishments in the Commonwealth. Selectmen John Traynor said he had already received one message from a resident that was adamantly opposed to it as they were concerned about it being visible from Spring St.
There is a list of questions including potential revenue to the town that will be sent to Rizzo and his partner. The Selectmen can then decide what next steps to take based on the responses. Russo said that he sees the potential for revenue for the town without much disturbance. “I am kind of excited about this one for it being low impact and potentially in the exact right place,” Russo said. Rizzo had discussed a potential location with the Selectmen during the previous meeting though he doesn’t yet own any land in town.
The Selectmen also discussed how best to handle town owned land disposition, particularly lots of low value. Dennehy said the process is different if the lot is worth less than $35,000. She also noted that accepting a price that is much less than what it appraises for could raise issues with the State. Dennehy said that options include holding an auction or putting the land out to bid as was done recently for the Prospect Rd. lots. She said she would recommend an auction for low value land saying that she would reserve going out to bid for buildable lots or lots where fair market value could be attained.
Russo said he was strongly leaning toward not selling the Churchill property at this time. Traynor said he was not in favor of selling the land. Joy said she felt it imperative that the town get some of the land back on the tax roll by selling the lots. She suggested batching them and “having an auction and trying to get rid of them.” Joy ultimately suggested sending the list to the Town Properties Committee to make sure there were no lots that could potentially be suitable for a town project. The other selectmen agreed with those next steps.
Dennehy provided the Selectmen with her Town Administrator’s report. She said that herself and the Fire Chief are working on a grant opportunity to replace the cistern at the Town Green and possibly put one or two more elsewhere in the town. She said that she was unsure if the application would be successful as it is a large grant program and extremely competitive. She noted that it may work in their favor that they are a small town with a small ask.
The open town accountant position has been advertised in various places and will remain posted through March 17. Dennehy said the open assistant treasurer/collector position was posted as well as of Monday.
Dennehy also said that the town had received correspondence from Habitat for Humanity who had previously presented to the Board during a meeting several weeks back. They were interested in looking at potential places where they could collaborate with the town on a possible project. The Selectmen expressed interest in doing a site visit with them to look at some potential lots. Russo said that while building a single-family home would be great for one family, what really interested him was the potential to offer affordable housing to elderly residents.
The Selectmen also voted unanimously on a Purple Hearts Community Proclamation. The vote would make August 7 a day to honor Purple Heart recipients in Plympton and encourage residents to do things such as fly the American flag.
As is customary for them, the Selectmen ended their meeting with their rants or raves of the last few weeks. Traynor said that his rave was for Mike Murphy, the manager of the Upland Club, for working with the Council on Aging to allow a Zumba class to be hosted in the pavilion for Plympton seniors. Joy said that her rave was for Jon Wilhelmsen, the School Committee, and the school staff who have been working so hard to get the kids back in school. Russo said his rave was for vaccines. “My rave is even more for the peace of mind that vaccines may offer in the near future; that sense of relief, that sense of being protected and maybe some sense of getting back to normalcy,” he explained.