Saturday, Dec. 4, the Halifax Fire Dept., driving Ladder 1, took to the streets with Santa and his elves to collect new, unwrapped toys, and non-perishable food.
This is the 23rd year the the Fire Department and the Girl Scouts have teamed up to help others in town who might be struggling to make a holiday for their families, especially after such a trying year.
All donated items collected will be distributed through the two local churches, kept in town helping families in need.
Everyone was in a festive mood at the return of the annual Halifax Council on Aging Holiday Luncheon held on Dec. 1 at the Holy Apostles Parish Center on the campus of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Halifax.
Halifax first responders along with staff from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office helped serve turkey dinners to Halifax seniors. Dinners were prepared by The Olde Hitching Post restaurant in Hanson with owner Andrea Garnavos on hand to help.
Entertainment featured singer Tommy Rull taking diners ”On a musical journey through the years” that even included a few holiday favorites.
Funding for the performer was provided by a grant from the Halifax and Massachusetts Cultural Councils.
State Fire Marshall Peter Ostrosky provides Cayden Galambos, 5, with a Young Hero Award and a special T-shirt from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Cayden heard the carbon monoxide alarms sounding in his home and woke his mother to get out of the house. Cayden had attended an assembly instructing children what to do in such an emergency only the week before. Looking on are Plympton Fire Captain John Sjostedt, State Representative Kathy La Natra, Cayden’s brother Blake, and his parents Shannon and Steve Galambos. For more photos see page 7.
Judy Shea of Halifax has found a good home for her antique sampler. In a presentation on Tuesday, Judy and her husband John, of John the Barber fame in Halifax, presented the needlework sampler done by Selah Wright, one of the many Wrights of Plympton, to the Plympton Public Library. Accepting it on the library’s behalf was librarian Mike Slawson.
When approached by Judy’s brother, Plympton Selectman John Traynor, to see if the gift would be welcome, Slawson replied, “This is really interesting and a very kind gesture from Judy. I would love to have this in the library.” The Selah Wright sampler, done by her hand at the age of 10, has come home.
Selah Wright was born May 11, 1798 in Plympton, the 2nd great-granddaughter of Adam Wright (1645-1724) who is considered by most as one of the first, if not the very first white man to permanently settle in the place now named Plympton. The Wrights have a long history in town, Traynor said. Selah died in Plympton April 9, 1827, and is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery in Plympton. Her gravestone inscription reads:
“In memory of
MISS SELAH WRIGHT
dau. Of Isaac Wright Esq.
& Mrs. Selah his wife;
she died April 9, 1827.
Aged 28 years, 10 mo’s
& 28 days
Traynor leads the informal genealogy group at the Plympton Public Library that meets monthly.
Judy told The Express that she had been offered $1200 for the sampler – it is in remarkably good condition – about 30 years ago, but she believes the proper home for the sampler is Selah’s home, Plympton.
In 1680 the birth of John Wright to Adam Wright and his wife Mehitible (Barrows) was recorded in the (Western Precinct) of Plymouth, now Plympton. Adam’s first Plympton house was built near his first mill. The Wrights owned a great many Plympton land grants and from these Wrights numerous descendants through the centuries have served Plympton in about every official capacity.
~ Deb Anderson and John Traynor
The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Wednesday, Nov. 10 for just over four minutes. Though it was a very brief meeting, things did turn contentious between members of the audience and some of the Selectmen as they did during a meeting the week before. The issue causing the controversy was the appointment of Steven Solari as Building Commissioner/Inspector of Buildings for occupancy permits. Solari needed to be appointed as current Building Inspector as James Perry does not have the necessary qualifications to serve as such. During their last meeting, former Selectman Tom Millias asked the Selectmen, “We’re paying somebody $70,000 a year that can’t do that job, correct?” The Selectmen refused to engage in the conversation.
Over the summer, former Building Inspector Robert Piccirilli was not reappointed to serve during what could be considered sweeping changes taking place across the town. Other changes included longtime Selectman Millias being voted out of office in favor of newest Selectman Ashley DiSesa. Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews recused himself from the hiring process for the Building Inspector due to a conflict of interest. This led to a stalemate between long-serving Selectman Troy Garron and DiSesa. During a meeting in late July, DiSesa nominated Perry to serve as Building Inspector and Garron reluctantly agreed. Garron had made his feelings clear on the matter saying, “I still feel very strongly that Rob Piccirilli is the choice for Building Inspector but unfortunately, that’s not happening.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, before the vote on Solari took place, Millias interjected, “Mr. Chair?” Andrews, however, said, “I’m not taking public comment.” Millias then responded, “I knew it.” There was then considerable chatter amongst those gathered in the audience with someone saying, “why not?” and others asking about transparency. Former Chair of the Planning Board Alan Dias said, “It wasn’t posted on the agenda. For the record, this Steve Solari was not posted on the agenda.” Andrews repeated that he was not taking public comment before telling Dias, “You’re out of order.” Millias then said, “and you’re in violation of Chapter 143. You might want to read it.” Chapter 143 of Massachusetts General Laws is the inspection and regulation of, and licenses for, buildings, elevators and cinematographs. Getting in one last word, Millias said, “I’m good, we’ll see what the Attorney General says.”
Regarding Dias’ claim that the appointment of Solari was not noted on the agenda, it does appear from the Halifax Town Website that there was an original agenda posted that did not include the appointment and another revised one that did.
The Selectmen also discussed their plan for the recruitment of a new Town Administrator as current Town Administrator Charlie Seelig will be resigning effective November 20. The Selectmen voted to approve a contract with Community Paradigm Associates, LLC to aid in the search. Seelig said, “they are a very highly regarded firm.”
Seelig also said that after speaking with Community Paradigm founder Bernie Lynch, he was told that they have a slate of retired Town Administrators who would be able to fill in as an interim Town Administrator. It was decided that the Board would meet with the company to discuss the hiring of an interim.
The Selectmen also voted to appoint Susan Lawless as interim Public Records Access Officer until the new interim Town Administrator appointment.
Letter to the Editor and the Residents of Halifax
The Halifax Town Website calls Halifax “the Heart of Plymouth County” – in part due to its geographic shape and location within the county, but also for the friendliness of the community. Yet this “heart” has had a debilitating stroke, an erosion of sorts that has been taking place caused by the substitution of rage over rationality, and self-interest over public service. The exchange of ideas has seemingly become unwelcome or non-existent. Just as a stroke often inhibits speech, attempts to discuss or compromise matters raised by those considered to be the “opposition” are silenced, often dismissed before the question is asked or the statement made, and no effort is made to reconcile differences.
The incantation leading up to the last election was one of “if in vote out” and that “change” was the answer. However, when “change” leads to chaos, and even mistrust, it is not the answer, especially when used to disguise revenge for a perceived wrong.
The Board of Selectman has three members, the Chairman is Gordon C. Andrews, the Vice Chairman is long-time public servant for the town Troy E. Garron, and the newest member is Ashley DiSesa as Clerk, and a protégé it would seem of Mr. Andrews. A review of the YouTube videos (via Area 58) of the various meetings of the Board of Selectman that involve the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Building Inspectors Office reveal several instances of Chairman Andrews having to recuse himself from participating in the decision or discussion of town business due to a conflict of interest, leaving the vote on many motions to the remaining two members, which may be polar opposite in their views. Often the result is no decision. On other occasions the Chairman has suppressed any discussion from the audience. A review of the Annual Town Meeting for the last couple of years exposes the reason for Mr. Andrews’ recusals – his lawsuit against the town and the necessity for monies to be allocated to the law budget for the Towns’ defense. It is untenable that those elected to fulfill the duties of their positions of public service cannot do so because of their private interests and personal agendas or allegiances.
Traditionally, Selectman are scheduled to meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month in the evening. While COVID did alter in-person engagement, the public had some expectation to rely on somewhat “same time, same station” if their participation was desired or required. However, with the new “change”, Selectman meetings take place several times a month at varying days and times. Without some kind of discipline, it is basically impossible for the working public to keep up with and participate in so many meetings in real time.
The new “change” has created chaos as well as a tense and sometimes hostile environment in its quest to replace dedicated, knowledgeable and qualified personnel with less knowledgeable and unqualified and/or un-certified personnel. Most recently, and of deep concern is that Charlie Seelig, Town Administrator for more than 25 years, has decided to leave Halifax and serve another town. This is a tremendous loss for the residents of Halifax, and it is questionable that an honest search based on qualifications and not on “connections” will be made for his replacement. What is evident of the “change” is the subversion of the Town’s government and smothering of any esprit de corps.
Halifax is in the Intensive Care Unit and the medical staff are locked out of the room.
Sharon Tavares,
Halifax
Plymouth County Register of Deeds John R. Buckley, Jr., spoke to the TRIAD group in Halifax on Tuesday, showing how the Registry works and what services it can offer. Ken Vinton introduced Buckley saying that it has taken two years to get him to the speaker’s platform – due to the restrictions of the pandemic – and he was happy that TRIAD could finally hear his presentation.
“We at the Registry of Deeds in Plymouth have land records that go back to 1685!” All of our deeds and mortgages and other documents are indexed, scanned as an image, and you can pull up the deed, a mortgage, the document, and a picture of the document comes up as well as the indexing information,” Buckley told the group, “making it very easy to use our site.” During the pandemic they were able to run their offices. “We are a customer service operation.”
Replicas of historic deeds were displayed including those of Deborah Sampson, Massachusetts’ official state heroine, James J. Kilroy, of the iconic “Kilroy was Here”, who was a resident of Halifax, and “Mickey” Cochrane of Bridgewater who was a baseball player, the only one from Bridgewater to be inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. Buckley offered the services of his Information Systems Administrator Christine Richards to look up deeds for those present and make a copy for them to bring home.
Buckley offered several tips on avoiding scams to do with your deed. Buckley said that Plymouth County residents are being targeted by an overpriced “service” from the out-of-state company, National Record Service Incorporated of Illinois, offering consumers certified copies of deeds for a fee of $59.50. “This issue has also come up in the past with a Washington, D.C. based company. This time the notice being sent to Plymouth County residents is even more troublesome in that it solicits credit card information from the consumer for the overpriced and generally unnecessary service.” Buckley told the group he has reported the matter to the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division for review as well as placing an advisory on the Registry’s website.
Consumers can obtain a certified copy of their deed, typically one or two pages, directly from the Plymouth County Registry for a fee of $1 per page at any of its Plymouth, Rockland, or Brockton offices. The Registry also accepts requests by mail, with a self-addressed envelope, a reference to the book and page where the deed is located and a fee of $3. Buckley encouraged any who have questions to contact the Registry’s Customer Service Department at 508-830-9200.
Buckley also encouraged those in attendance to investigate and use the protection offered to homeowners through The Homestead Act, protecting people’s primary residences against forfeiture to outside creditors. The limit for a single person’s ownership is $500,000. There is an automatic protection of $125,000 for a home that does not declare a homestead exemption with the Registry of deeds. While it may be sufficient to protect a deposit made on the estate, it is likely not sufficient to protect the full value of the home.
Another item homeowners should be aware of is the recording of the discharge of their mortgage. Banks and finance companies are not required to record the discharge of a mortgage; while some may, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to do so. The Registry of Deeds can help with this simple process that is often overlooked.
Patrolman Joe Cushman told the group to be sure to check on the visibility of their street numbers, as it can cost precious minutes just looking for the right address to respond to an emergency call. He suggested residents who need street numbers to call the fire department and they can likely help.
Dot Martel told the group that Generations will be meeting Thursday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. at the Police Station on the second floor.
The Generations Christmas party will be held Dec. 1 at the Holy Apostles Parish, catered by The Hitching Post restaurant in Hanson.
Representative Kathy LaNatra Joined her Colleagues in Supporting the Massachusetts House of Representatives Re-Districting Plan in Accordance with the 2020 Census
On Thursday, Oct. 21, State Representative Kathleen LaNatra (D – Kingston) voted in favor of the legislation establishing the new Massachusetts House of Representatives districts. The new districts were drawn in accordance with population changes tabulated in the 2020 census.
“I want to thank my colleague, Representative Mike Moran, for all of his tremendous work as Co-Chair of the Joint Special Committee on Redistricting,” said Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston). “I look forward to continuing representing the 12th Plymouth District and look forward to introducing myself to the 12th Plymouth district’s newest constituents.”
The changes to the House districts will go into effect at the beginning of the next legislative session, beginning January 2023. The 12th Plymouth District will consist of Halifax (Precinct 1), Kingston, Middleboro (Precinct 1), Pembroke (Precinct 3), Plymouth (Precincts 1,2,3,13) and Plympton. The 12th Plymouth District will no longer include Duxbury (Precinct 1), Halifax (Precinct 2) and Plymouth (Precinct 11).
To reach Rep. LaNatra, 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,
or her website, https://www.kathylanatra.com.
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The Halifax School Committee met on Tuesday, Oct. 12. A parent asked to speak during the public participation portion of the meeting. She began by saying how thankful she was to the school committee members for donating their time and said that she hoped that her comments that night did not diminish the thanks that she does have toward them.
“As a fairly new parent in the district, I was, to say the least, shocked at the Aug. 30 school committee meeting. If I were to be honest, I was a little bit embarrassed… there was little compassion, not a lot of kindness, and barely any respect between members,” she said. She explained that she was disappointed to see the school committee members not display the same qualities that she tries to instill in her children. She said that her public comments were not really regarding masks or no masks though she acknowledged that her first grade child took no exception to wearing one.
A PTO update was provided. The Boosterthon/Fun Run raised $33,905. Halifax Elementary School Principal Kayne Beaudry said it was their most successful yet. Those funds will be divided among the Nature’s Classroom and the Kindergarten Playground. For the first time in a while, there is finally a fully staffed PTO Board. The Book Fair will be October 25 – October 29. There will be information released regarding the use of something called an E-Wallet in lieu of money due to COVID.
Beaudry provided an update saying that enrollment was holding steady. He pointed out that for the first time ever the kindergarten class started a week after other students in order to leave time for screenings, open houses, etc. Beaudry said that he and Assistant Principal Brian Desantes rode the bus with students for the start of school. He said that the open house was the first time in a year and a half that parents were welcomed into the building. “There was a good vibe,” Beaudry said, despite it being hot. Beaudry recognized that October is Bullying Awareness month.
Beaudry told the board that Desantes has been dressing up as a school mascot for Halifax Hero in a superhero costume complete with a new fanny pack. He said that students are recognized each month for demonstrating the traits that are taught in the classroom such as kindness and resilience. Students are awarded hero bands from Desantes. “He does take on the role very well,” Beaudry said laughing of Desantes.
Beaudry also told the Committee that fall conferences will be held on Oct. 27. He said they will be offering both remote as well as in-person options for parents. He said the remote option was being made available due to the excellent turnout the previous year. “We’re excited to be able to offer that,” he said.
Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch gave an update on the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds and how they have been spent thus far for Halifax. “Some of those things are just communication pieces – tools to help support teachers make interactive presentations, some professional development about teaching remotely… and some technology pieces,” Lynch said of ESSER I. For ESSER II, Lynch said that Halifax was allocated $106,000. He said that under half of that money has been allocated to date. Lynch said they were still identifying needs for this school year. A certain percentage of that money needs to be allocated for use on social and emotional learning. The ESSER III allocation for Halifax will be for $225,000.
Committee member Lauren Laws asked if there was a way to parse out how much of the budget was being spent on COVID related items. Superintendent Jill Proulx said that they have been tracking COVID related expenses noting that the primary categories were PPE, HVAC, and technology needs.
Lynch also provided an update for the Halifax MCAS results. He said compared to previous years they had a much wider timeline to administer the test, it was half as long, and students were able to take it remotely. Lynch said that statewide, 20 percent of students took it remotely. He said participation both statewide and in Halifax stood at 90 percent. Lynch said that students in Halifax performed better than the statewide comparison. He said that subject level data would be evaluated by teachers.
Superintendent Proulx began her update by thanking the Halifax Fire Department for their help with administering the test and stay program that allows close contacts to stay in school as long as they remain asymptomatic. Proulx said the intent is to prevent students from needing to quarantine. Should the need arise, Proulx said they could potentially enlist the National Guard to assist in the test and stay program. Proulx said the mask mandate has been extended until at least November 1.
Proulx said that Halifax enrollment stands at 564 students compared to last year’s enrollment of 569. She said that the Halifax assessment has increased this year from 30.7 percent to 30.8.
Linda Redding
Special to the Express
On Oct. 5, the Halifax TRIAD held the first in-person meeting since the pandemic closed public appearances in March of 2020. TRIAD is a partnership between local and regional groups to help inform and educate senior cittizens. Meetings take place the first Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. and usually take place at the Halifax Police Station.
For the October meeting, participants gathered in the Great Room of the Halifax Town Hall to hear a presentation by Director Michael Mahoney and the education team of the Regional Old Colony Communication Center (ROCCC) where emergency calls from Halifax and Plympton are answered and dispatched.
Halifax TRIAD president Ken Vinton noted that the location of the call center in Duxbury, questions on response time, and why the change of location took place are all areas of concern for the seniors.
The team from ROCCC responded to the concerns, provided an overview of the center, and explained what happens when a 911 call is made.
According to Director Mahoney, the trend across the state is for towns to move away from public safety answering point at the town level and join together in regional 911 communication centers. The State provides grant incentives for the latest technology and to help fund staff providing a cost savings to member towns. There are between seven to ten dispatchers per shift every day all day and night on duty to answer calls.
Staff members go through rigorous training and frequent professional development. programs Calls can come in from land lines, cell phones, and text. For the 2022 Fiscal Year ROCCC is receiving more than $2 million in grant funding.
ROCCC is the fastest growing regional communication center in Massachusetts. It now serves more than 59,000 residents from the six member towns with room to grow to 100,000. It was the first call center in Massachusetts to be able to receive text requests and was the first outside of Boston to take direct cell phone calls. In addition to Halifax and Plympton other member towns are Duxbury, Hanson, Hanover, and Rochester.
ROCCC recently moved into a new state-of-the-art communication center located at the Duxbury Fire Station. Prior the new center addition, ROCCC was located in the fire station attic. Even though residents of Halifax and Plympton are calling a center located in Duxbury, within 13 seconds help is being dispatched after you dial 9-1-1.
First responders are still local and ready to respond. Local police, fire, and EMS all serve on ROCCC committees.
When a 9-1-1 emergency call is made, the dispatcher will ask several questions and keep the caller on the line. The ROCCC team noted that even though you are being asked questions help has already been dispatched and is on the way. The questions provide more information to help the first responders. Be prepared to verify your location. State the emergency you are reporting and whether or not it is happening now. The dispatcher may offer instruction to provide medical help. Always remain calm and only dial 9-1-1 for emergencies.
For more information on the Regional Old Colony Communication Center (ROCCC) visit them online at https://regionalcomms.wixsite.com/roccc911.