The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on the evening of Monday, Jan. 23.
Chair Christine Joy said that the first item up for discussion and a vote was the purchase and sales agreement of Turkey Swamp. “We’re just waiting on some finishing touches from the attorneys and to get you the final draft for vote; we hope to have this all set for our next meeting on February 13,” Town Administrator Liz Dennehy said. Selectman Mark Russo added, “I will say, I’ve been in touch with the seller, and she does assure us that she’s excited about moving forward.”
Dennehy told the Selectmen that she filed again this year for technical assistance on the Housing Production Plan update. She said that she was also expecting to hear back regarding who the point person is for technical assistance on the MBTA zoning changes that would need to be implemented. “They’ve toned down the guidelines substantially, so I think it’s going to be something that with some competent technical assistance, we’ll be able to be in compliance with,” Dennehy said.
Dennehy also said that Old Colony Planning Council is working on the final report to close out the Green Communities projects the town has completed. She also said that the town’s energy vendor will be visiting all the town buildings. “I think it would be helpful if they do a new inventory and see what other projects may come up; they’re still operating from the old audit that they did when I first started working with the town so I think it’s time for an update,” Dennehy told the Selectmen. Dennehy said she was also looking into whether the new Police Station could be eligible to be looked at as part of the energy audit process.
Dennehy said that the budget process was well under-way and that she had most of the budgets in from the various town departments. She noted that she expected that the budget discussions with the Finance Committee would be commencing soon.
Joy said that she had correspondence from the COA Director Colleen Thompson regarding a hands-on training for the seniors in town regarding the new Pay-As-You-Throw recycling program. She said that Thompson recommended doing them in April. Joy said that the town would continue with the plans to run trainings in March but noted that they would plan on coordinating with Thompson to do a training that would be promoted through the Council on Aging.
Joy asked her fellow Selectmen if they had any raves to wrap up the meeting. Selectman John Traynor said, “The library again – I know I’ve raved before.” He continued, referencing Library Director Mike Slawson, “The breadth of what he’s offering now is just phenomenal; I mean it goes from tools to the Roku… the way he’s got the kids programs going, the speaker forums he’s driving… it really has become, I think, the hub of the community.” Russo referred to the contract negotiations in Executive Session saying, “My rave is for some nice progress, particularly tonight on kind of a logical, rational, fair approach to proposed contract terms in the next fiscal year; I think we’re making really good progress and working in an orderly fashion.” Joy said, “My rave would be for the nice email that we got from John Sjostedt about a medical incident involving our Police and Fire and how well they worked to, I think, save a resident’s life.” She continued, “It’s just great to see and hear how they are working together.”
Unfinished developments brought to BOS attention
The Halifax Board of Selectmen also met with the Planning Board regarding real estate developments that had been started but the roads never completed – these included Sherwood Drive, Pasture Lane, and Delia Way. Planning Board member Amy L. Troup explained the issues and Steve Hayward handed out photos of Pasture Lane. “Those pictures there, the whole development, the town got part of the bond back but if you look at those pictures where they finished isn’t really finished. There’s some places where the sidewalk has like 2 to 3 inches where they never back-filled; the islands are a complete mess, I don’t know who is going to take care of those,” Hayward said. He did say that the drainage issue appeared to be fixed. Regarding strictly the drainage issue, Bruno said that having conferred with both the Planning Board and the Highway Surveyor, the consensus was that it was fixed.
Gordon Andrews said that he believed that the Planning Board was asking Selectmen to call the bond in so that they could finish the base coat. “The issue the residents are bringing up is the road isn’t completed – the developer hasn’t followed through so you need to call the bond in so the work can be done,” Andrews explained. Bruno said that the only complaint that has been brought to them was the drainage. Bruno did move that the Planning Board ask Town Counsel the right procedures to follow for calling the bond for the Sherwood Drive extension.
The Building Inspector spoke to the myriad of issues that the developer needs to fixon Pasture Lane. “He needs to repair any of the binder that is in disrepair… topcoat the road according to specifications… install sidewalks, loom and seed the area, clean out the detention basin… there’s a safety grate that needs to go on that basin… install bounds along the driveway,” Perry said. Bruno said, “I did drive that road, it’s a mess.”
Finally, they discussed issues with Delia Way. Bruno said that there was a collapse on that road that was fixed over the past weekend. Bruno read a letter from several residents on that street saying, “request appropriate action be taken to correct safety issues that are caused by deterioration on the metal plates on the five manholes which led to the collapse of one of the plates on December 31.” They also asked that the town expedite getting the road accepted formally. Hayward said that the problems were not limited to the manholes saying that the sidewalks were not wide enough among other issues. Hayward noted that they are stuck not being able to properly fix the issues saying, “we are not supposed to spend money on a non-accepted road.” Hayward did say they plow the unaccepted streets for safety reasons.
Delia Way resident Michael Chapin said he was walking his dog on Dec. 31 when he saw an 18 inch hole that had been created. Another resident noted the 18 inch hole is also 4-5 ft deep. “It’s a serious safety issue,” he told the Selectmen. “I’ll move that the Planning Board get in touch with Town Counsel to begin the process of foreclosing on the lot or selling it or whatever needs to be done to secure enough funds to finish that road,” Bruno said. Selectmen voted unanimously to move Bruno’s motion. Selig requested that photos of the holes be sent to the developer reminding them that they are still legally bound due to the bond, particularly if an emergency were to arise.
Raises voted for substitutes
The Halifax Elementary School Committee met on the evening of Tuesday, January 3. Chair Summer Schmaling began by opening things up for public participation. Kathleen Berry of Highland Circle began her remarks by thanking the School Committee for their time and dedication. She said she was there to speak on behalf of substitute and long-term substitute wages as she has been employed as both at Halifax Elementary. “Substitution teachers, they’re not babysitters,” she said stressing their myriad of responsibilities. Berry also said that special education suffers when a sub cannot be secured since a paraprofessional would normally need to step-in to fill the role. She said that after everything was taken into consideration, the positions end up receiving less than minimum wage.
Superintendent Jill Proulx said, “You may recall that last spring, I recommended that we consider changing the long-term sub rate to paying the long-term subs Bachelor Step 1 starting day 1 and to not wait the 21 days.” She continued, “Given the fact that we have had some difficulty attracting candidates for long-term sub positions, I’m asking the Committee to consider this change.” Committee member Lauren Laws suggested that people could be enticed to fill the positions if they were told that there was potential to be hired to a full-time open position. The administrators in the room pushed back on this idea explaining that there were issues from a budgetary and qualifications perspective. The Committee did vote to move the long-term sub rate to Bachelor Step 1 on day one of the position.
Proulx also addressed the rate for regular substitutes. “I believe we have, as Katie [Kathleen Berry] mentioned, an issue here with making sure that we are meeting minimum wage and we have proposed moving from $95 to $107… this would bring us to $16.07 per hour.” she told the Committee. Proulx also said that this same rate change was recently approved by the Plympton School Committee. It was explained that they wanted to make sure the rate was high enough to be competitive but not so high that it was more than what was being paid to permanent positions such as paraprofessionals. The Committee voted to increase the rate as proposed by Proulx.
A report of standing committees was given. For PTO, it was said that the last meeting mainly revolved around preparations for the mingle and jingle event. “It was great, we tried to incorporate several different religious holidays into the celebrations with crafts and decorations,” Karyn Townsend explained. She also said that the position of president was still open. Schmaling noted that Union 31 met in a joint meeting that included all the department heads. She noted that school start times were discussed briefly as was the school calendar.
Principal Kayne Beaudry provided a brief Principal’s report. He said he wanted to recognize that three babies had been born to school staff between December through January. He said that all are doing well. He also acknowledged the retirement of long-time teacher Linda Mullin.
Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch provided an update on the way the student survey would be utilized this year. “The purpose of surveying our students is to ensure we are meeting every student’s needs and also evaluate the progress of our social and emotional learning curriculum,” he explained. He said that parents would have the opportunity to opt out of having their student participate in the survey. Laws said that given “recent tragedies” she felt that these surveys were vital as they ask questions about feelings and whether students feel that they have someone to confide in about those feelings. “You just never know what goes on in someone’s head and I hope that students feel comfortable answering honestly,” she said.
Superintendent Jill Proulx provided an update saying that they had a training session with building administrators with an attorney regarding changes to student discipline under MA general laws. The changes include additional steps to be taken before a suspension is considered lawful. Exceptions include infractions that involve assault or weapons charges. Of the changes, Proulx said, “It’s part of a larger mental health concern and also recognizing when students drop out of school, they are more likely to become a problem in society and more likely to become in trouble with the law, so this is a way to force schools to think about alternatives to suspension.”
Proulx also shared with the Committee a preliminary budget presentation. “We always look at what our academic and developmental needs are for our students. We look at trying to maintain class sizes and the structures necessary for effective instruction… we also like to be mindful and considerate and respond to the fiscal conditions of the town,” Proulx said. She also told the Committee that they looked at what would be necessary to level fund services.
Proulx explained some assumptions that were built into the budget including estimating Circuit Breaker at 70 percent. The regular day preliminary budget represents an increase of 5.25 percent or an increase of $315,177. Special education, tuition, and transportation reflect a decrease of 4.27 percent. The total budget is an increase of 2.21 percent or $192,071 over last year’s budget. “That is to maintain our current programming and staffing,” Proulx told the Committee. She did note, however, that there were some additional staffing requests that Principal Beaudry would address.
Regarding enrollment, Beaudry said that he anticipates that number to decrease with the outgoing sixth grade class and the incoming kindergarten class. Beaudry noted that there was a 16 percent increase in custodial supplies and an 11 percent increase in building supplies. He also addressed proposed costs above the level service budget. Included in those costs is an instrumental music position which was also proposed last year. He said that Halifax Elementary is the only elementary school without an instrumental music program. “That puts Halifax students at a significant disadvantage when they get to the Middle School and High School,” Beaudry said. He said that through a grant last year, they were able to move the math interventionist position from a part-time to a full-time one. He noted that the grant funding would run out in 2024. Another requested position was a shared cost position of a second elementary level curriculum coordinator for the district. There were some building maintenance requests including updated flooring and air conditioning for the fifth and sixth grade classrooms upstairs.
“Currently we have five Halifax students who are receiving English language learner services and currently the way that we provide services because we have so few students who need these services, these services are provided by a Kingston English as a second language learner teacher… Halifax reimburses Kingston’s schools’ operating budget,” Proulx told the Committee. She said that the money comes out of the teaching line. She also said that while they anticipate the number will be similar in the coming year, it can be difficult to anticipate.
Regarding next steps for the second round of the budget, the Committee requested that administrators look into funding the full-time math interventionist position in the long-term. They also requested that the administrators list out the building improvements in order of priority. Schmaling thanked the administrative team for coming to them with a reasonable budget increase.
Proulx also presented the Committee with a calendar for the 2023 to 2024 school year. She said that barring any major number of snow days, the last day of school would be June 12. Townsend brought up a concern that the Chair of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee had regarding changing the names of certain days off or vacations to no longer reflect specific religious holidays, etc. Schmaling said that she was not interested in having that conversation. Townsend made a motion to update the calendar to change Good Friday to No School Day as well as to add the open houses to the calendar. The motion failed in a tie.
Plymouth County Outreach issues alert, offers resources following spike in drug overdoses
PLYMOUTH — Plymouth County Outreach and the police chiefs of Plymouth County are issuing an alert today following a spike in drug overdoses throughout the county during the first 19 days of December.
From Dec. 1 to 19, Plymouth County Outreach (PCO) has documented 13 fatal overdoses throughout the county, which is more fatal overdoses than any other month this year.
PCO and its partners want the public, especially individuals at risk for overdose and their families and friends, to be aware of the increased risk of an overdose and what action they can take. The holidays are a difficult time for many, and PCO wants community members to know that they are not alone.
Anyone using any substance purchased off the street is at risk of an overdose. It is suspected that Fentanyl is being mixed with other non-opioid substances such as cocaine and street pills marked as Xanax. There has also been growing concern of the presence of an animal tranquilizer, xylazine, being found in the illicit drug supply. Although it’s being used as an additive to opioids, xylazine is not an opioid and will not respond to Narcan.
Recognizing the signs of an overdose:
Breathing is very slow and shallow, erratic, or has stopped
Face very pale
Cool, clammy skin
Choking sounds or a gurgling noise (death rattle)
Pulse (heartbeat) is slow erratic or has stopped
Blue/gray skin tinge – usually lips and fingers show first, sometimes in tips of ears
Loss of consciousness-passing out
Body becomes very limp
Life-saving measures to reverse an overdose:
Naloxone, known as Narcan, is a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. Narcan saved lives 94% of the time when administered in Plymouth County last year.
Narcan is readily available throughout the county free of cost, no questions asked, including at these locations:
By calling Plymouth County Outreach, 774-434-5072, or reaching out through the website’s connect page: plymouthcountyoutreach.org/connect
Bamsi Brockton Cope Center, 74 Pleasant St., Brockton; 508-583-3405
Bamsi Plymouth Cope Center, 385 Court St., Plymouth, basement suite; 508-942-0679
PCO Hope, 385 Court St., Plymouth; 774-283-4763
Manet Community Health Center, 180 George Washington Boulevard, Hull; 781-925-4550
Local pharmacies have an open/standing prescription for everyone. This means you can go to your pharmacy to ask for Narcan. The cost will be whatever your insurance co-pay is.
Treatment, support and hope:
Resources are available throughout the county and region. Learn more at plymouthcountyoutreach.org/partners. Additionally, you can contact:
Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline at 800-327-5050 or helplinema.org
If you or a loved one is at-risk of an overdose and looking to access treatment, please reach out to your local Plymouth County Police Department and ask to speak with a Plymouth County Outreach Officer, contact PCO through its website at plymouthcountyoutreach.org/connect, or call 774-434-5072.
9-1-1. Make the Call. Save a Life:
Massachusetts passed the Good Samaritan Law in 2007, which encourages someone who witnesses an overdose to seek help by protecting the caller and the person who overdosed from arrest and prosecution for drug possession. The goal of the law is to protect people so they are not afraid to involve emergency services as soon as possible.
Good Samaritan Law PSAs created by local recovery coaches are available to watch under ‘public service announcements’ here: Video Gallery – Plymouth County Outreach.
The Plymouth County Police Chiefs, District Attorney and Sheriff have also created a PCO Good Samaritan Law PSA. Click here to view the video: Plymouth County Chiefs Discuss Massachusetts Good Samaritan Law.
Harm reduction saves lives:
While PCO and its police chiefs strongly encourage people to seek treatment, addiction is a disease and it is important to know ways to reduce the chance of death:
Don’t use alone. If you must use alone call the Never Use Alone hotline, available 24/7 at 1-800-972-0590
Use with someone else present and don’t use at the same time. This way, if one of you overdoses, the other can call 911 and administer Narcan
Test your substances with fentanyl test strips
Have access to Narcan
Make sure your social networks have Narcan
Mixing substances can put you at increased risk of overdose
Test a small amount first
Use new supplies every time
Know that using via inhalation or smoking doesn’t protect you from overdose
Know that periods of abstinence followed by use are quite dangerous in relation to fatal overdoses. Common examples are hospitalizations, incarceration, or periods of abstinence-based treatment.
Heroin use equals fentanyl use in Massachusetts
Canary cellphone app: Canary is an overdose prevention app that monitors for a user’s inactivity after activation. In the event a user stops moving and fails to respond to prompts by Canary, the app issues an alert to others.
For more information on harm reduction strategies, visit Harm Reduction – Plymouth County Outreach.
About Plymouth County Outreach:
Plymouth County Outreach is a multi-faceted collaboration of the 27 municipal police departments in Plymouth County, as well as Bridgewater State University Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office & Sheriff’s Department working together with Recovery Coaches and community organizations and coalitions to make treatment, resources, and harm reduction tools more accessible to those living with substance misuse disorder and their loved ones. Our goal is to provide compassionate, judgment-free support while reducing overdose fatalities.
PCO’s Executive Director, Vicky Butler, continues to keep the public updated through the PCO’s social media accounts: Facebook @plymouthcountyoutreach, Twitter @countyoutreach, Instagram @plymouthcountyoutreach, and on its website plymouthcountyoutreach.org.
Plymouth County Outreach is a collaborative of police departments throughout Plymouth County led by the following chiefs: Abington Chief David Del Papa, Bridgewater Chief Christopher Delmonte, Bridgewater State University Chief David Tillinghast, Brockton Chief Brenda Perez, Carver Chief Marc Duphily, Duxbury Chief Stephen McDonald, East Bridgewater Chief Paul O’Brien, Halifax Chief Joao Chaves, Hanover Chief Timothy Kane, Hanson Chief Michael Miksch, Hingham Chief David Jones, Hull Chief John Dunn, Kingston Chief Maurice Splaine, Lakeville Chief Matthew Perkins, Marion Chief Richard Nighelli, Marshfield Chief Phillip Tavares, Mattapoisett Chief Jason King, Middleboro Chief Joseph Perkins, Norwell Chief Edward Lee, Pembroke Chief Richard MacDonald, Plymouth Chief Dana Flynn, Plympton Chief Matthew Ahl, Rochester Chief Robert Small, Rockland Chief Nicholas Zeoli, Scituate Chief Mark Thompson, Wareham Chief Walter Correia, West Bridgewater Chief Victor Flaherty, and Whitman Chief Timothy Hanlon.
PLYMOUTH — Plymouth County Outreach and the police chiefs of Plymouth County are issuing an alert today following a spike in drug overdoses throughout the county during the first 19 days of December.
From Dec. 1 to 19, Plymouth County Outreach (PCO) has documented 13 fatal overdoses throughout the county, which is more fatal overdoses than any other month this year.
PCO and its partners want the public, especially individuals at risk for overdose and their families and friends, to be aware of the increased risk of an overdose and what action they can take. The holidays are a difficult time for many, and PCO wants community members to know that they are not alone.
Anyone using any substance purchased off the street is at risk of an overdose. It is suspected that Fentanyl is being mixed with other non-opioid substances such as cocaine and street pills marked as Xanax. There has also been growing concern of the presence of an animal tranquilizer, xylazine, being found in the illicit drug supply. Although it’s being used as an additive to opioids, xylazine is not an opioid and will not respond to Narcan.
Recognizing the signs of an overdose:
• Breathing is very slow and shallow, erratic, or has stopped
• Face very pale
• Cool, clammy skin
• Choking sounds or a gurgling noise (death rattle)
• Pulse (heartbeat) is slow erratic or has stopped
• Blue/gray skin tinge – usually lips and fingers show first, sometimes in tips of ears
• Loss of consciousness-passing out
• Body becomes very limp
Life-saving measures to reverse an overdose:
Naloxone, known as Narcan, is a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. Narcan saved lives 94% of the time when administered in Plymouth County last year.
Narcan is readily available throughout the county free of cost, no questions asked, including at these locations:
By calling Plymouth County Outreach, 774-434-5072, or reaching out through the website’s connect page: plymouthcountyoutreach.org/connect
~ Bamsi Brockton Cope Center, 74 Pleasant St., Brockton; 508-583-3405
~ Bamsi Plymouth Cope Center, 385 Court St., Plymouth, basement suite; 508-942-0679
~ PCO Hope, 385 Court St., Plymouth; 774-283-4763
~ Manet Community Health Center, 180 George Washington Boulevard, Hull; 781-925-4550
Local pharmacies have an open/standing prescription for everyone. This means you can go to your pharmacy to ask for Narcan. The cost will be whatever your insurance co-pay is.
Treatment, support and hope:
Resources are available throughout the county and region. Learn more at plymouthcountyoutreach.org/partners. Additionally, you can contact:
Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline at 800-327-5050 or helplinema.org
If you or a loved one is at-risk of an overdose and looking to access treatment, please reach out to your local Plymouth County Police Department and ask to speak with a Plymouth County Outreach Officer, contact PCO through its website at plymouthcountyoutreach.org/connect, or call 774-434-5072.
9-1-1. Make the Call. Save a Life:
Massachusetts passed the Good Samaritan Law in 2007, which encourages someone who witnesses an overdose to seek help by protecting the caller and the person who overdosed from arrest and prosecution for drug possession. The goal of the law is to protect people so they are not afraid to involve emergency services as soon as possible.
Good Samaritan Law PSAs created by local recovery coaches are available to watch under ‘public service announcements’ here: Video Gallery – Plymouth County Outreach.
The Plymouth County Police Chiefs, District Attorney and Sheriff have also created a PCO Good Samaritan Law PSA. Click here to view the video: Plymouth County Chiefs Discuss Massachusetts Good Samaritan Law.
•Harm reduction saves lives:
While PCO and its police chiefs strongly encourage people to seek treatment, addiction is a disease and it is important to know ways to reduce the chance of death:
Don’t use alone. If you must use alone call the Never Use Alone hotline, available 24/7 at 1-800-972-0590
~ Use with someone else present and don’t use at the same time. This way, if one of you overdoses, the other can call 911 and administer Narcan
~ Test your substances with fentanyl test strips
~ Have access to Narcan
~ Make sure your social networks have Narcan
~ Mixing substances can put you at increased risk of overdose
~ Test a small amount first
Use new supplies every time
Know that using via inhalation or smoking doesn’t protect you from overdose
Know that periods of abstinence followed by use are quite dangerous in relation to fatal overdoses. Common examples are hospitalizations, incarceration, or periods of abstinence-based treatment.
Heroin use equals fentanyl use in Massachusetts
Canary cellphone app: Canary is an overdose prevention app that monitors for a user’s inactivity after activation. In the event a user stops moving and fails to respond to prompts by Canary, the app issues an alert to others.
For more information on harm reduction strategies, visit Harm Reduction – Plymouth County Outreach.
About Plymouth County Outreach:
Plymouth County Outreach is a multi-faceted collaboration of the 27 municipal police departments in Plymouth County, as well as Bridgewater State University Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office & Sheriff’s Department working together with Recovery Coaches and community organizations and coalitions to make treatment, resources, and harm reduction tools more accessible to those living with substance misuse disorder and their loved ones. Our goal is to provide compassionate, judgment-free support while reducing overdose fatalities.
PCO’s Executive Director, Vicky Butler, continues to keep the public updated through the PCO’s social media accounts: Facebook @plymouthcountyoutreach, Twitter @countyoutreach, Instagram @plymouthcountyoutreach, and on its website plymouthcountyoutreach.org.
Plymouth County Outreach is a collaborative of police departments throughout Plymouth County led by the following chiefs: Abington Chief David Del Papa, Bridgewater Chief Christopher Delmonte, Bridgewater State University Chief David Tillinghast, Brockton Chief Brenda Perez, Carver Chief Marc Duphily, Duxbury Chief Stephen McDonald, East Bridgewater Chief Paul O’Brien, Halifax Chief Joao Chaves, Hanover Chief Timothy Kane, Hanson Chief Michael Miksch, Hingham Chief David Jones, Hull Chief John Dunn, Kingston Chief Maurice Splaine, Lakeville Chief Matthew Perkins, Marion Chief Richard Nighelli, Marshfield Chief Phillip Tavares, Mattapoisett Chief Jason King, Middleboro Chief Joseph Perkins, Norwell Chief Edward Lee, Pembroke Chief Richard MacDonald, Plymouth Chief Dana Flynn, Plympton Chief Matthew Ahl, Rochester Chief Robert Small, Rockland Chief Nicholas Zeoli, Scituate Chief Mark Thompson, Wareham Chief Walter Correia, West Bridgewater Chief Victor Flaherty, and Whitman Chief Timothy Hanlon.
Fire dog gets comfort credentials
PLYMPTON – The Massachusetts House of Representatives recognized Plympton Fire K9 Wilden and his handler, Captain Cheryl Davis, with a citation in recognition of their certification as a First Responder Therapy Dogs team.
State Representative Kathy LaNatra presented the team with the citation during a ceremony at Plympton Fire Headquarters on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Captain Davis rescued Wilden, a three-year-old-mutt, from Antigua in 2019. He was part of a litter found abandoned on a beach on the island, which has a rampant stray dog and cat population.
First Responder Therapy Dogs certify teams (handler and dog) who address behavior health needs by providing emotional support to first responders with the use of trained therapy dogs. The teams visit fire departments, police stations and dispatch 911 call centers. They are also available for debriefings after difficult calls and first responder special events. Captain Davis recognized Wilden’s knack for comforting people when he would visit her at the fire station. Wilden’s calming effect was on full display when she brought him to a class while getting certified in Critical Incident Stress Management.
“As first responders we’re telling their story, he had an instant instinct to go up to the ones who needed him the most,” Captain Davis said. The well-being of first responders is near and dear to Representative LaNatra’s heart. The wife of a police officer, she filed a bill to provide greater access to mental health services for first responders involved in traumatic events. “First responders encounter trauma events every day and are often reluctant to share their feelings with colleagues or friends,” she said. “My bill will really insist they get the help they need.”
Captain Davis and Wilden have been working hard to earn this certification. This past August, Wilden obtained his American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen certificate, which was the final step in his application for the First Responder Therapy Dogs program. Chris Maynard with Maynard Dog Training Solutions donated Wilden’s training.
Captain Davis and Wilden are one of 81 certified First Responder Therapy Dog teams across 17 states. Massachusetts has 11 certified teams. Two additional teams are currently enrolled in the certification process.
Plympton selectmen meet
The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Monday, Dec. 19. The meeting got off to a late start following a lengthy Executive session.
Ethan Stiles of the Plympton Board of Assessors met with the Board of Selectmen for a tax classification hearing to decide whether to have a single or split rate. Stiles told the Selectmen that the Board of Assessors had voted not to recommend the split rate due to the small number of properties that would qualify. It was recommended that the Selectmen adopt a residential factor of one which means all four classifications of property get taxed at the same rate. The Board of Assessors also recommended against the residential exemption, the open space discount, and the small commercial exemption. Selectmen Chair Christine Joy asked if any members of the public wished to speak on the matter and no one came forward. The Selectmen voted unanimously to follow the Board of Assesors’ recommendations.
Town Administrator Liz Dennehy provided a very brief update saying that they had distributed the next fiscal year’s budget worksheets. She noted that they were working separately with the Police and Fire Departments as the process won’t work as well for those specific departments.
Asked if her fellow Selectmen had raves, Selectman John Traynor simply said, “Not tonight.” Selectman Mark Russo acknowledged that they had a difficult Executive session but said, “we are in a season of radiant sparkling light and I’m appreciative that there is that and a little bit of solace from the difficult situation.” “Happy holidays and peace and love as we move into 2023,” Joy said. The Selectmen then adjourned to return to Executive session.
Nessralla’s to close Christmas Eve
After a dozen years at their 318 Plymouth St., Halifax location, Nessralla’s Farm Stand will close Christmas Eve. Kozhaya “John” Nessralla, said he is sad to leave but that his farm will continue on Hemlock Lane and they plan ro re-open in the spring at another location yet to be determined.
“It’s been a good business and we want to thank everyone who shopped here and supported our farm stand.” Nessralla continued that it wasn’t his choice to close, but he didn’t own the property and the landlord made a business decision. “They’ve been they’ve been good to us, it’s just that when you don’t own the land, you can’t always do what you want.”
What will he miss most about the farm stand? “The people. Our customers. We’ll see them again in the spring and I hope they come by to see us.”
Nessralla’s, with the input of its manager Dana Amey, has been a staunch supporter of local business, local farms, local crafts and local boutique foods. Just last year the demand for their products changed them from a seasonal store to a year-round business. We wish them well in the New Year.
Scouts go Jingle all the way!
Saturday morning at the Plympton Town House the Girl Scouts, Daisies and Brownies put on a rousing holiday concert for all to enjoy.
Coffee and juice with sweet holiday treats helped with the rejoicing. Photos by Sandi Neumeister
Randy Sullivan talks turkey
If you want to call a turkey, just talk to Randy Sullivan. He can give you a lot of choices that he creates in his Plympton workshop: slate calls, wing-bone calls, box calls, scratch box calls, trough calls, long paddle box calls that make a higher pitch, each designed to catch the ear of an ambitious Tom looking for a hen. Or you can work a crow caller. Why would you want to make sounds like a crow? To wake up the turkeys early in the morning so you can take your shot. Or owl calls, so turkeys think there are owls nearby and flush, or leave their cover.
The workmanship is beautiful, but Randy doesn’t take all the credit for that – the choice of the wood gives a lot to the appearance. A favorite is flame elm, a pale beauty with a streak or two of rose pink running through it.
Each handcrafted turkey call makes a distinctive sound. Randy demonstrated how a piece of wood used in the long paddle box caller is shaped to a specific curve to help give the call its voice. He told of his friendship with Dick Kirby, founder of Quaker Boy Game Calls, a legendary turkey call maker who gave Randy the formula for that curve, and Randy uses it to this day. The friend has since passed but the art of the turkey call continues through the friends like Randy he mentored.
While once you could just look up a Sullivan turkey call on eBay; these days he is more selective. He now has a following, people he makes calls for every year. “I just started making calls for the kids,” Sullivan continued. “Probably 70% of the calls I make go to the kids or for fundraisers all over the country, and that’s all right.” He said he donates a fair number of calls to the Carver Sportsmen’s Club for their youth hunts and gets a lot of satisfaction when a young hunter sends him a picture of their first turkey.
Once plentiful in colonial Massachusetts, the last known wild turkey was killed in 1851, according to the Mass.gov website. Native turkeys had been driven out of their habitat and hunted to extinction. The Mass Wildlife naturalists undertook re-introducing the wild turkey to the Massachusetts landscape in the western part of the state in the 1970s. Biologists relocated 37 wild turkeys from flocks in New York state. Those birds thrived and by 1978 the count was estimated at about 1,000. The turkey relocation and re-introduction was a success. Turkeys were introduced to areas east of the Connecticut River and throughout the northeastern, and southeastern areas of the state until the mid 1990s when the count for these birds was more than 25,000. In 1991 the wild turkey was named the official Massachusetts Game Bird.
If you’d like to talk turkey with Randy Sullivan just email him at randysullivan11@gmail.com
Warrior Mites win Super Bowl!
The Silver Lake Warriors gathered around their trophy for their victory over East Bridgewater Sunday, Nov. 13, winning the Super Bowl for their 10-0 season.
The Warriors are the 3rd and 4th grade players for the Old Colony Youth Football League, or OCYFL, all from Halifax, Plympton, and Kingston.
Coming from a poor showing last year, this team pulled it all together and showed the world and themselves what good players they could be. They are
Bechkam Rondeau, #32; Bobby Bodel, #80; Brady Cleman, #65; Brendan Barrette, #28; Bryan Ledwell, #48; Caleb Hession, #56; Camden Calter, #26; Colby Coleman, #71; Cole Ryan, #3; Declan Barry, #51; Declan Fay, #4; Deegan Rondeau, #16; Delilah Deaton, #8; DJ Barrett, #6; Drew Cyrus, #24; Faolan Mahoney, #85; Georgio Berkachi, #76; Jack Kelley, #17; Jack Calter, #12; Jacob Short, #14; Jake Tassinari, #35; Jameson Dansky, #47; Jaxton Litwinsky, #39; Joey DeWilde, #63; John Fontes, #31; John Paul Kennedy, #62; Kaden Mota, #93; Kayson Berrio, #2; Lucas Astuto, #34; Marc McGarry, Jr., #45; Mason Carbone, #5; Mason Ramsdell, #25; Nicholas Diodato, Jr., #58; Preston Berry, #11; Robert DeWilde, #74; Roland Toulopoulos,#77; and Seth Johnson, #68.
Coaching their team to victory were Erik Barrette, Chris Hession, Marc McGarry, Robby Cahill, John -Michael Fontes, Doug Carbone, Brandon Barry and Bobby Cyrus.
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