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You are here: Home / Archives for Featured Story

Remembering the Ferguson Bridge

August 28, 2020 By Kristy Zamagni-Twomey, Express Correspondent

Plympton was recently awarded $100,000 in grant money for small bridge preservation and design. Highway Superintendent Rob Firlotte said the engineer on the project is compiling options for repair of the Ferguson Memorial Bridge on Route 58. Currently, a start date for the work has not been established.

The bridge is named after Sergeant Hugh W. “Ward” Ferguson, Jr. or “Fergy” as he was known to many.

Ferguson, who was born in 1931, was a member of Company C, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. Ferguson fought in the Korean War which lasted from June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953.

On December 1, 1950, Ferguson became one of the approximately 8,000 Korean War soldiers listed as missing in action (MIA). At the time, he was fighting the enemy near the Chongchon River, Kunu-Ri Gauntlet. There are 187 Korean War soldiers from Massachusetts still listed as unaccounted for during the war. Ferguson was presumed deceased on December 31, 1953.

Hugh “Ward” Ferguson Jr. was the son of Hugh Ferguson of Plympton and the nephew of Norman John Ferguson Sr., also of Plympton. The latter was the father-in-law of Plympton Board of Health assistant Cathy Ferguson. Cathy told The Express that her husband, Douglas Ward Ferguson, was named after his missing cousin. She said, “Both my sons were serving in the Navy when they were 19.  I can’t imagine how those families felt.”

The plaque on the bridge itself reads, “This bridge is dedicated to the memory of Hugh Ward Ferguson Jr. who gave his life for his country in the Korean Conflict 1950-1952.”

Ferguson remains Missing In Action.   His remains were never recovered.

The new round of Municipal Small Bridge Program Grant Awards were recently announced by the Baker-Polito Administration, in which 27 communities will be receiving a total amount of $6.3 million. The program is a need and merit-based program that seeks to fund those applications that demonstrate a critical need or substantially extend the life of an existing small bridge. Projects are evaluated according to a strict set of eligibility criteria that consider the condition, benefits, and repair status of each bridge.

“Our administration is pleased make available this funding that can be used by cities and towns to preserve and repair smaller bridges within their communities,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Since our administration began the Municipal Small Bridge Program close to $50 million has been awarded in funding to municipalities to ensure that their locally-owned transportation assets are safe and reliable.”

“This program has helped facilitate the development of 121 small bridge projects across the Commonwealth that due to their size would be deemed ineligible for federal funding,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “We are pleased to work with cities and towns to address their infrastructure needs and support local economies.”

The Municipal Small Bridge Program, signed into law on August 10, 2016, by Governor Baker, is a several-year $50 million program to aid in the replacement and preservation of municipally-owned small bridges that are not eligible for federal aid under existing bridge replacement or rehabilitation programs. An increasing number of them are at high risk for full or partial closure in the near future due to their present conditions.

“The Baker-Polito Administration continues to support cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth in their efforts to make improvements to locally-owned transportation infrastructure,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “This program facilitates key safety upgrades and repairs to bridges which connect communities and people.”

“We appreciate the support of the Baker/Polito administration, as well as the state and local elected officials who have assisted with the development of the Municipal Small Bridge Program,” said Highway Division Administrator Jonathan Gulliver “We are pleased to award $6.3 million in funding to these communities in order to improve these bridges and ensure they allow for effective and safe travel for years to come.”

The program assists cities and towns with replacing or preserving bridges with spans between 10’ and 20’. These small bridges are not eligible for federal aid under existing federal funding programs. Each municipality may qualify for up to $500,000 per year. This program that provides financial support to cities and towns for small bridge replacement, preservation and rehabilitation projects.

This grant round will exhaust the 5-year $50,000,000 budget for this program. Until new bond authorization becomes available, no new grant funding rounds will be announced. MassDOT will use the small amount of current authorization remaining to be able to fund emergency small bridge replacement and repair requests, in line with program objectives.

The previous round of grants awarded over $5.2 million to 12 communities to aid in the replacement or preservation of municipally-owned small bridges which were not eligible for federal aid under existing programs and were at high risk for full or partial closure in the near future if repairs are not made.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

House legislation supports health care system

August 21, 2020 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Bill Will Facilitate Telemedicine and Strengthen Community Hospitals

KINGSTON – State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) announced that the House of Representatives recently passed a bill that will enable patients to access healthcare services via telemedicine and provide vital funding to community hospitals in the midst of COVID-19.

 An Act to promote resilience in our health care system (H.4916) mandates telehealth coverage for primary care services, behavioral health and chronic disease management, all areas that have experienced success with remote care in recent months for at-home patients. The act also enables telehealth in the provider-to-provider context for all healthcare services, including when delivered to a patient located in a healthcare facility. The bill further authorizes the Health Policy Commission to issue recommendations on future telehealth services for at-home use.

 Under the provisions in the legislation, insurers must cover services delivered by a wide range of technologies, including audio-only telephone calls, but may also pay a greater rate for the use of audio-video technology. MassHealth would be able to reimburse audio-only telephone calls at the same higher rate as audio-video technology, in recognition of the barriers in access many MassHealth enrollees may face.

 The bill creates a structure whereby the Secretary for Health and Human Services can provide direct payments to independent community hospitals as well as their economic engine (vital during the COVID-19 created financial downturn.) Under the bill HHS will disburse Medicaid payments to independent community hospitals in payments equal to five percent of the hospital’s average total MassHealth payments received for inpatient and outpatient services in the previous fiscal year.

Bill specifics include:

• Payments to non-profits with a statewide relative price below 0.90;  a public payer mix at or above 60 percent; and  not corporately affiliated with a provider organization with 2 or more hospitals with total net assets greater than $600M.

• Requires payers to reimburse telehealth services at the same rate as in-person services until July 31, 2021;

• Establishes a credentialing by proxy process for physicians through the Board of Registration in Medicine;

• Extends, until July 31, 2021, Governor Baker’s emergency order which mandates insurance coverage for COVID-19 emergency and inpatient services, including all professional, diagnostic, and laboratory services;

·• Authorizes independent prescriptive practice for nurse practitioners and psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists after completing 2 years of supervised practice;

• Extends emergency orders granting temporary licenses to certain health care providers during the pandemic, by one year, to expire on December 31, 2021;

• Requires the Assistant Secretary of MassHealth to testify at the HPC’s annual Health Care Cost Growth Hearing;

• Extends COVID-19 insurance coverage for outpatient testing for asymptomatic individuals who work in high-risk industries, like health care, retail, restaurant, and hospitality;

• Eliminates the requirement that MassHealth enrollees get a referral from a primary care provider before accessing care at an urgent care facility, eliminating a barrier to affordable care;

• Requires MassHealth to pay to reserve a member’s bed in a nursing home for up to 20 days if the resident is being treated in a hospital for COVID-19. The bill is now in conference committee.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for their work on this important piece of legislation,” said Representative LaNatra. She added, “This is an important step in the effort to strengthen our healthcare system during these challenging times for us all.”  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.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Plympton chooses hybrid model

August 14, 2020 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

The Plympton School Committee voted at its Thursday night Aug. 6 meeting to adopt a hybrid model to open school on September 16.  The first two weeks will be remote learning as teachers, administrators, and transportation services all ease into the new protocols.

More than 160 attended the virtual meeting via ZOOM.

Silver Lake Superintendent Jill Proulx introduced the three plans for opening school required by the Massachusetts Department of Education.  These plans needed to be submitted by Monday, Aug.  10.  They include:

1. In-person learning with new safety requirements: All students return in person; classrooms, schedules, protocols modified to meet health requirements

2.  Hybrid learning: Students learn both in-person and remotely.

3.  Remote learning: All learning takes place remotely.

Proulx told the committee that a survey was sent out to all parents August 2 and out of 3,572 sent, 2010 responded, or 56%.

Respondents in all three towns narrowly favored in-person learning, with the hybrid model a close second. Full remote learning, available to all students, was a distant third.

A new survey, based on the vote at Thursday night’s meeting, has been issued to parents, asking how many will commit to utilizing the remote model for six months and how many will commit to providing transportation for their students for six months.  These numbers are critical because with bus capacity diminished by distancing rules, the administrators need to figure quickly the number of vehicles they will need and how they will be deployed, as well as how best to utilize staff..

Matt Durkee, the new facilities manager, has acquired hospital grade electrostatic sprayers to clean and disinfect the school at least daily, and several times a day for high touch surfaces such as light switches and door handles.

To increase air filtration as much as possible the ventilation system at Dennett Elementary will be adjusted to maximize fresh air and minimize air recirculation.  Indoor spaces without windows and adequate HVAC will not be used for classroom space.

Arrival and dismissal procedures, classroom configuration and physical distancing, meals for students, facility configuration and changes, and training for safety measures including cleaning and disinfecting are all subject to state approval. Student and staff commitment and assignments, are subject to state approval and bargaining, Proulx said.

Proulx told the committee that the Commissioner of Education has agreed to change the school year from 180 days to 170 days, allowing up to 10 days for training purposes with the staff for the new school year.  Proulx said that taking that into consideration, the new school start date will be Sept. 16.

Dennett school principal Peter Veneto explained to the committee and parents attending the ZOOM meeting, how the scheduling would work.  He showed as an example the actual third grade model with 32 students served.

Separated into four cohorts, A and D would be Monday and Tuesday, B and D would be Thursday and Friday.   Cohorts A and D will experience remote learning on Thursday and Friday, as B and D will experience remote learning on Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesdays will be for professional development, specialists and interventionists, (SPED, reading, math interventions, Title I) will be remote learning.  Office hours will be made available as well.

School committee member Jason Fraser congratulated Veneto, “I think the plan you’ve laid out for us is beautiful.”   He wanted to be sure that the plan submitted to DESI will specify the 6 foot distance rule.

Committee member Daniel Cadogan  pointed out that the 3 feet distancing rule for him is a “non-starter”.  “I’m not willing to compromise,” he said, “just to get my child back into school.”

Amy Hempel asked “What about the smaller classes, under 15, could they go back to a 4 day a week school?   Veneto answered that in theory, yes, but it would also impact transportation.

Hempel asked, what about cafeteria?  Could kids eat in the classrooms?  Veneto said that while scheduling lunches was a challenge, having kids eat in classrooms would present its own challenges.

Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen answered that this plan is fluid, and will need to change as circumstances change.  “As a school committee, we are committed to making this work.”

Dan Cadogan asked  “if we will run into problems” with the six feet distancing with any of the classes.   Veneto said no.

“Our job here is not to open schools, but to open them in the best way that we will stay open,” Fraser commented.   He noted that numbers of COVID-19 cases are very low at the Dennett.  “But if those numbers creep up, we won’t have a decision to make today – those [decisions] will be made for us.”

Amy Varnum asked what the protocol would be to protect students and staff should a student or staff member test positive.  Wilhelmsen answered that these steps are being considered, “at a very high level”.  There will be clear, standard protocols to deal with the situation, he said.

Fraser responded that DESE gave the committee 19 pages of guidance to respond to various scenarios with regard to COVID-19 but said that the committee would have the choice to tailor the recommendations to each local situation.

Varnum said she woud like to hear more from the school nurses to get their input.

Superintendent Jill Proulx responded that prior to school closure, the administration met with school nurses to get their input on how to meet student needs and best deliver training for staff and developmentally appropriate training for students.  There were nurse representatives in both elementary and secondary working groups and features of their recommendations will be worked into their implementation plan.

Scott Devonshire shared his concern that with the complexity of the hybrid model and with some kids choosing to be totally remote, how does the [hybrid model] serve  those students?  “My fear is that some kids who are totally remote become home schooled.”

Jill Proulx responded that remote learning will be scheduled.  In addition there will be staff assigned to those specific times to support students’ learning.  “There will be attendance expectations and there will be grading expectations.”  We have the support of our school committee, she continued, to consider a new learning mentored platform – Schoology – to help some of the younger students who do not have email to communicate effectively with their teachers.  It also is a content platform.

Devonshire said he wanted to be sure fully remote students would not be overlooked.

Proulx said she was trying to devote staff to completely remote learning.  Some students will have the same teacher, much like in-person learning, throughout.

Fraser told Devonshire that the school committee voted to have all of the classes, including remote learning classes, taught by Dennett teachers.  Once the principal has the count for remote learners, he will be able to make the staff assignments.

As to the question of COVID-19 testing, Proulx responded that there has been no decision from DESE regarding testing, but that doesn’t mean that this won’t change.

Fraser, in an attempt to dispel rumors that school funding and school sports programs will be negatively affected by remote school opening, said that MIAA is not governed by the state.  Also, that a bill to hold back school funding to those schools that open remotely may be in congress, but “That bill won’t pass.  It has nothing to do with us.”

Fraser made the motion to accept the hybrid model as the Plympton entry with a phased-in approach as discussed.  With the understanding that Plympton will maintain 6 feet of distance, masks for each student if medically able, and not to consider full in-person schooling until Massachusetts reaches Phase 4.

Amy Hempel was the only dissenting vote from the committee, although she did not say why at the meeting.

The board also voted unanimously to approve the school calendar as presented, with a start date of Sept. 16 for students, and the understanding that the calendar may change as needed as situations present. It passed unanimously.

Proulx said the administration will send a letter to parents detailing of the opening of school as voted by the committee.

Ann Walker, fourth grade teacher at the Dennett, told the board that she truly appreciates the efforts the administration and board has taken to make returning to school safe for the students and staff.

“We will do what we can to make this unique situation the best for our students, no matter how this develops… This is the first day of school for all of us.”

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Region votes for hybrid model

August 7, 2020 By Kristy Zamagni-Twomey, Express Correspondent

A three-hour plus virtual Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting on Wednesday, August 5, had roughly 230 participants including school committee members, administration, staff, and parents. After considerable debate among the committee members, two votes were taken regarding the reopening plan for the fall. Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee moved to approve a hybrid model. Member Eric Crone asked for an amendment to approve a phased-in approach to the hybrid model with an initial two weeks of remote learning to start. Three committee members voted in favor of Crone’s motion – Eric Crone, Laura Tilton, and Mike Antoine. The motion failed. The committee then voted on McGee’s motion which need a majority to pass. It passed with a majority with committee members Laura Tilton, Mike Antoine, and Ed Desharnais voting no. The result was the school committee voting to have Silver Lake Regional High School and Middle School begin the school year in a hybrid model which will employ a mix of in-person and remote learning.

At the outset of the meeting, Jennifer Chaffins spoke on behalf of the SLEA saying that 73 percent of the Silver Lake Regional staff preferred a remote return to school. She told those assembled that 40 percent of Silver Lake staff is either at high risk for coronavirus or lives with someone who is high risk.

Superintendent Jill Proulx gave a presentation on the results of the most recent survey sent to parents and caregivers. Across all schools there were 2,010 responses for a 56 percent response rate and across just the middle and high school there were 899 responses for a 55 percent response rate. For the middle and high school, 45.6 percent of parents were in favor of a return to full in person learning with 3 feet of distancing, 40 percent were in favor of returning to school with 6 feet of distancing, and 14 percent were in favor of full remote learning. Based on a pressure test performed by building principals, a full, in-person return would not be possible with 6 feet of distancing. At the previous school committee meeting, Proulx had recommended the hybrid model to the committee.

High school principal Michaela Gill and middle school principal Jim Dupille presented sample schedules. As was discussed at previous meetings, the preferred hybrid model would consist of Cohorts A and B who would attend school in-person on alternate schedules. Cohort C would be those wishing to opt into a full-remote option and Cohort D would be those students deemed high needs and eligible for 4 in-person days a week. Even if a student is eligible for Cohort D they do not have to attend school in-person all 4 days or even at all. Wednesdays will be a remote day for all students. The basic schedules for hybrid and remote will be identical to ensure as seamless a transition from one mode of learning to another as possible.

Committee member Laura Tilton brought up a concern that had also been raised earlier in the week during a question and answer session for Dennett Elementary parents. Tilton inquired if Cohort D would interact with both Cohorts A and B in some capacity during their in-person stints. The administration confirmed that based on the individual needs, this would occur with at least some of the students. Tilton’s concern was the added cross contamination amongst cohorts.

It was a concern shared by Chaffins who said in the chat portion of the remote call, “I am concerned about the exposure for Cohort D – our most vulnerable students… while they are no doubt the individuals we want to prioritize for education, if they have an inclusion class or any class within the general education setting, they will be exposed to both the Mon/Tues group and the Thurs/Fri group.”

The committee’s opinions were varied. Desharnais and Tilton were strongly in favor of a full remote option. “Something that jumps out at me from Jill’s slides is where it says the remote option is the safest option possible,” Tilton said. She stressed that she would be hesitant to move to a hybrid model without some kind of public health benchmark. Desharnais said, “safety is more important than anyone’s inconvenience.” The preference for a full, remote option seemed to be the prevailing one among the staff who were active in the chat portion of the remote meeting. Those in favor of the remote plan emphasized that the quality of remote learning would be significantly better than what was provided in the spring.

Committee member Christopher Eklund said that he was in favor of giving families choice and pointed out that electing to go full remote took away that choice. Someone in the chat asked if staff would be given the option to elect to be fully remote.

Unfortunately, time prevented most of the staff’s questions and concerns from being addressed. This was upsetting to many of the teachers in attendance and they expressed that in the chat, asking if staff would be given any say. Crone offered to them, “Teachers were on the reopening working groups.  Once we vote our plan, we move on to impact bargaining.”

Eklund said that the state is putting forth a remote learning platform that can be employed by those electing to be remote despite their district’s decision to go with another model. Both Plymouth and Pembroke are planning to ascribe to the state’s remote offering. One version will offer a learning management system only and another option will offer a learning management system with teaching support. Proulx said that the guidance on the plan had only just been released that day.

Both Crone and Antoine were in favor of the phased-in approach. They were advocating for the first two weeks of school to be remote for the majority of students. This, they argued, would allow the staff additional time to further work out their in-person plan as well as allow Silver Lake the opportunity to see how other districts handled the first two weeks of in-person learning.

Under this plan, Crone and Antoine were asking that Cohort D as well as CTE students be prioritized for in-person learning, returning on September 16 while Cohorts A and B start in-person learning in early October.

The majority of the committee was in favor of the hybrid approach as evidenced by the results of the vote. Crone pointed out that while they were voting on the comprehensive plan to be submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on August 10, they were not implementation plans. He pointed out that they are not going to have all the answers until those implementation plans have been established.

Proulx perhaps summed things up the best at nearly 10 pm with the remark, “It’s been a long March.” Committee Chair Paula Hatch thanked everyone for their attendance and “tremendous thoughtfulness.”

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

We’re Havin’ a Heat Wave!

July 31, 2020 By Stephanie Spyropoulos

With temperatures 90 and above most of the week, customeers have been cooling off at Mea’s Dairy Barn in Halifax with their ice cream temptations for the past 19 years.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

A socially distant return to the ball field

July 24, 2020 By Kristy Zamagni-Twomey, Express Correspondent

Despite significant restrictions on most sports under Governor Baker’s phased reopening plan, baseball and softball are in the unique position of being able to still play games due to their status as moderate contact sports. Both Halifax Youth Baseball and Halifax Youth Softball have moved forward with their summer seasons after having cancelled the spring seasons due to the pandemic.

The Express spoke with the president of both leagues, Pete Barone who has been involved with youth sports in Halifax for more than 24 years.

The boards of both leagues felt that it would be too difficult to ask the youngest players to follow strict safety guidelines so they decided to move forward with those in third through seventh grade playing in the softball league and those in fourth through sixth grade in the baseball league. An instructional baseball session was recently added for third graders on Sunday mornings. Barone was pleased with the level of interest at the instructional level, saying 23 boys had already signed up to play. In addition to the younger players, there is a baseball team known as the Major Team made up of seventh graders who play against Kingston, Marshfield, Duxbury, and Pembroke. Barone said that participation is down by about 10 to 15 percent for baseball but that the numbers for softball have been consistent with past years.

Plympton also has a number of kids participating in both the Halifax baseball and softball leagues. Barone said that the inclusion of the Plympton players and parents makes the program better for everyone. “It works out great. The kids all get to know each other before going to middle school; we have a couple of excellent volunteers and coaches,” he explained.

Barone also serves as president of the South Shore Softball League as well. As a result of his involvement in that league, he said he felt comfortable moving forward with the girls competing against the other towns. Sacrifices do have to be made, however, including the cancellation of the largest girls’ softball tournament in the South Shore known as the Summer Smash which has taken place in August since 2005.

“We have done extensive work in setting up safety guidelines for games and practices, not only for the players, but for families and spectators that come to watch the games,” Barone said. While players are not required to wear masks, all coaches are required to wear them. Barone said that many players elect to wear them to and from the field removing them only while playing. He pointed out the sometimes oppressive heat as a deterrent for wearing them while playing. There are designated areas at each of the complexes telling parents and other spectators where they can sit as well as brightly colored signs that encourage social distancing.

Other safety protocols include limiting the dugout to only three players at a time who are spaced out from one another. Orange dots have also been painted outside the dugout at six-foot intervals indicating to kids where they should stay throughout the duration of the game. The girls have red buckets with their names on them that get carried to one of the dots, turned upside down, and designated as their spot for the game.

Players are not allowed to share equipment and must use separate bats, gloves, and helmets. Barone said that coaches are equipped with disinfectant as well as hand sanitizer. He said they regularly clean the bucket of balls as well as the handles of bats. Players are lined up for a spritz of hand sanitizer at the end of games as well. “The coaches are all getting into a good little rhythm with it,” Barone said of the new guidelines. Barone said he was very proud of the other coaches involved saying it was difficult to implement these new protocols while also coaching. “I’m very proud of what everyone has been doing and God knows these kids need it.”

Without naming names, Barone did say that some of the other towns have not been as organized in their attempts to maintain distancing and disinfecting. He cited issues such as crowding in the dugouts. “You can only concern yourself with our own kids,” Barone explained.

Fall baseball and softball will begin in September and will include some of the younger grades not playing during the summer. Barone said that while he respects the opinion of those caregivers who don’t feel comfortable letting their children play, he hopes to show people how safely everything has been set up and wants to stress the efforts being made by coaches and staff to enforce all safety measures. He said he hopes to be an example to other sports as they eventually begin to allow for participation in some manner.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Pandemic challenges Soule Farm

July 17, 2020 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Michelle Smith
Special to The Express

The summer of 2020 has been challenging on many levels. During this time of pandemic uncertainty, The Soule Homestead, located at 46 Soule Street in Middleboro right on the Plympton line, is a grounding, beautiful working farm with trails, farm animals, community gardens as well as commercial farmers.

The farm is open to the public for free from sunrise to sunset. There is one public restroom which is cleaned daily.  Oftentimes,  Executive Director Megan Connolly Riley, “Miss Meg”, and Education Director Katie Roberts, “Miss Katie”,  are around to answer questions about the trails or point you in the direction of the many farm animals including two calves, two goats, a rabbit, several sheep, lambs, chickens, ducks and pigs. You can also see farmers working the fields.

Many people in the area have attended their annual Sheep Day in the spring as well as the Harvest Fair and Joe Davie’s Folk Festival every September.

According to Meg,  “the overarching goal is to keep open and keep people safe.”   Even though the Soule Homestead’s programming looks different in 2020, they continue to be a vibrant member of the community.  For example, Plato’s Harvest and Bay End Farm, a vegetable farm that leases land, sold out of CSA shares.  Due to increased demand, Plympton based Revival Farm pork farmers, was able to lease a field.  Last weekend, there was a virtual concert by Abby Vail.

In response to no summer camp, Soule Homestead is offering farm tours for families and friends. More information about the tours is available on the Soule Farm website and/or Facebook page.

The annual Farm to Table fundraiser will be a deliver and or pick up event to be decided. The Farm to Table fundraiser highlights the food grown on site prepared in exciting and unique ways by local chefs who are involved with the farm.

Two  years ago, Soule Homestead built a commercial  kitchen that is rented out to local businesses. The fate of the Harvest Fair has not been decided but will most likely be re-structured  in response to pandemic restrictions. The farm continues to host craft classes such as wool spinning and rug braiding.

Despite the many challenges, friends and members of the community have been generous to the non-profit. Sheep Day was a virtual event and for a price, Miss Meg offered to have the sheep shearer cut off all her hair. She raised over $10,000. Many families elected to donate their summer camp deposit to the farm. A volunteer organized a plant sale raising $400.

The Soule Homestead Education Center has been an essential member of the local community since 1987. The land has been in use since the 1600’s when George Soule, a pilgrim, bought the land from the Wampanoags. In 1983, the town of Middleboro purchased the farm. At the time, the homestead was in danger of being bought by developers.

The non-profit Soule Homestead Education Center was founded  four years later in order to restore the farm and, according to their website, “develop it into an agro-ecology  education center.”  The homestead is part of the Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) program. Middleboro received money from the state to buy the development rights so it will be preserved forever.

Although summer looks different at the farm, it remains open to the public, providing a refuge from the day to day stressors and isolation during these challenging times. Check out their website http://www.soulehomestead.com/ for COVID-19 regulations as well as membership opportunities and upcoming programs.

The office hours vary; call 508-947- 6744 for details.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Sail into a Pilgrim mystery

July 10, 2020 By Tracy Seelye Express Editor

Who is digging up the Pilgrims and why?

A new mystery novel asks that question through an historical “what-if” and a fictional grave-robbing case, as readers of author Rick Pontz’s “103 Pilgrims,” discover how decisions of our ancestors affect our lives today.

So far, real life is affecting the art.

Plymouth’s quadricentennial celebration has been pushed to 2021, but the book, published to coincide with the 400th birthday has gone forward according to plan.

He said for visitors to the area, the book [$17.95, paperback, Hugo House Publishers, Austin, Texas] takes people around the town. Characters “dine” at real local restaurants or tourist things like whale watch boats and ferries. He promises his second novel will be using same kind of interactive scene referencing as Plymouth has delayed almost all the 400th anniversary events until next year.

There is still a 400th anniversary to tie into in 2021 — that of the first Thanksgiving, as linking with the city’s history has always been Pontz’s aim.

“That was the intent,” said Pontz about his debut detective novel set — naturally — in Plymouth has been on sale in the city and the founding Pilgrim settlement in 1620 following “a rumor that there’s more than 41 signers of the Mayflower Compact — but no one knows because the original Compact doesn’t exist. Or does it.”

Enter protagonist Tony Tempesta, retired Plymouth cop and uninsured private “advisor” who looks into problems for clients seeking a “solution.”

The novel’s opening chapter set aboard the Mayflower offers the what-if scenario of a stowaway on the ship.

“I was reading about the number of people of people on the Mayflower and ‘I thought, boy, that would really throw a monkey wrench into everything,’” he said.

The plot posits the effect of a stowaway, if there was something different about the stowaway and why would someone want to hide the person’s existence.

“About a year and a half ago, I said, ‘If I’m going to do this, I’m going to have to get this thing published,’ because of the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims,” he recalled. He felt the publicity surrounding the event might help him sell the book.

What he describes as a “desperate” effort to get it published was fruitless until September 2019.

“The deal I made with them was that, if they published the book, and set it up and get everything prepared, I’m a shameless self-promoter and I would go out and promote it like you wouldn’t believe,” Pontz said. “I have been doing that.”

The Cape Cod Guide has printed an article about the book and Plymouth information centers have placed rack carts with his book on it and the See Plymouth website [seeplymouth.com] offers the links for three sources where the book can be purchased, as well an article about the novel. While it is sole nationally, Pontz has done about half his promotion in the Plymouth area.

Available on amazon.com since Feb. 11, the coronavirus interrupted plans for book signings set up in Plymouth, beginning in May, including an event that was to coincide with a wine tasting at the Plymouth Bay Winery. He is working on setting up some virtual author talk events, but has not done any yet because of the way the coronavirus caught everyone off guard.

Born in Holyoke, and a former Plymouth resident for 25 years after his family had moved to Michigan when he was about 6 years old, Pontz said many people he knew there hail from families who have lived there for five to seven generations. He attended Northeastern University before moving to Plymouth. His grown children still live in the Plymouth area.

“Therefore, I was considered a newbie,” he said in a recent YouTube interview for his publisher. “During the time I lived there, I heard all types of stories about people’s families, the history of the area, some of the nuances, some of the mysteries, some things that were said to be true but were never really written down.”

The novel, 12 years in the writing, Pontz began writing down things that reminded him of the area and stories about Plymouth that people told him over the years.

“I realized they didn’t make mush sense even after I put them together, so I tried to rewrite them,” Pontz said in the YouTube interview. He began to recognize that he “wasn’t a very good writer.”

He decided some creative writing courses were in order. Classes through Arizona State University and online programs near his Phoenix home — and reading other authors — put him on the path to finding his process.

When he is ready to write, Pontz said, he has a beginning in mind  and knows how it is going to end.

“The stuff in between is the interesting part to me,” he said. “When I read [novels], I see the beginning and I always wonder what’s going to happen next.”

Just as reading a good book can keep you awake, reading late at night, Pontz said writing one has the same effect. It often leads to rewrites.

“The book was written at least three times from beginning to end, and then I began rewriting again after I went back to school,”
he said. He is in writing classes again during the process of writing his follow-up novel.

Also set in Plymouth, it is titled “Blood on the Rock.”

“I’m actually trying to rewrite the book a little bit to include the ‘failed’ celebration, how hard that they worked to make it happen,” he said, noting that Hanson’s 200th anniversary year has also been impacted. “The whole area’s been working on it.”

Plymouth held its first planning meeting for the quadricentennial 11 years ago, and started “pumping money into it” — $40 million worth — six years ago.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Our United States Flag

July 3, 2020 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Greg Murphy, Special to The Express

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution approving the design of a national flag. To this day, no one is exactly sure who designed the first flag. According to legend President George Washington commissioned seamstress Betsy Ross to create a flag, but the Library of Congress reports that scholars actually credit the flag’s design to Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a lawyer and member of the Continental Congress.

There have been 27 official versions of the US flag, each having a different arrangement of the stars, until 1912 when President Taft standardized the then-new flag’s forty- eight stars into six rows of eight. Stars, representing each state, are added to the US flag on July 4th. The current version of the US Flag dates back to July 4, 1960.

The country began celebrating Flag Day back in 1916 when President Wooddrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14. Flag Day was signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1949. The legislation also requires the president to issue a Flag Day proclamation every year. Believe it or not, Pennsylvania is the only state in 2020 that recognizes Flag Day as a state holiday. Quincy, Massachusetts claims to have the longest continuous Flag Day parade in our country.

There are eight places in the United States where official proclamations and laws have stated a US flag must be flown 24 hours a day. They are: Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine; Flag House Square;(Baltimore, Maryland); Unites States Marine Corps Memorial; on the Green in Lexington, Massachusetts; The White House; the Washington Monument; United States Customs Ports of Entry; and the grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Back in 1942 The Federal Flag Code, which provided uniform guidelines for the proper display and respect shown to the flag, was approved by President Franklin Roosevelt. According to the US Flag Code, “The flag represents a living country and itself considered a living thing” and therefore must be taken care of properly. The US flag should not touch the ground and must be illuminated if flown 24/7. When used on a speaker’s platform, the flag is displayed on the speaker’s far right side as he/she faces the audience. All these laws and regulations pertaining to the flag are found in the Unites States Code, a rather lengthy document, which is divided into 50 titles.

“The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” The US Flag Code does not actually give specifics on how to destroy the flag. Common sense should be used to make sure the procedures are in good taste and shows no disrespect for the flag.

The Whitman American Legion collects unserviceable flags and performs a flag burning ceremony every Flag Day The  public is invited to join us in this solemn ceremony at our post on Legion Parkway to honor our flag in fitting respect on Flag Day 2021.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Plympton’s Annual Town Meeting held with “Social Distancing”

June 26, 2020 By Kristy Zamagni-Twomey, Express Correspondent

Plympton held both its annual and special town meeting on Wednesday, June 17 inside the Dennett Elementary School. The annual addressed fiscal year 2021 while the special was to address funding changes for this current fiscal year’s spending. Town Moderator Barry DeCristofano donned a purple and gold mask as he explained the protocols that needed to be followed due to COVID-19. Residents attending the meeting were divided between both the gym and the auditorium in order to ensure proper social distancing.

Article 1 was the annual report of town officers that was moved by Board of Selectmen Chair Christine Joy. Joy also moved Article 2, authorizing the town treasurer to enter into compensating balance agreements in accordance with Massachusetts Law. There was no discussion for either article and both passed unanimously.

Article 3 was a vote to amend the wage and personnel classification plan effective July 1, 2020 and to pay in wages the sums as read by DeCristofano. The Fire Department/Paramedic, clerical and election workers, elder affairs, library, professional, town hall support, town labor, and veterans’ affair all passed without discussion. Resident Ted Taranto went to the microphone to suggest that the special police officer and matron police officer be paid the same amount. Wage and Personnel Chair Alan Wheelock said he deferred to Police Chief Matt Clancy. Clancy said that there were different rates as they were completely different jobs with separate training requirements. “There needs to be at least a modest grade separation,” Clancy explained. Following the discussion, all lines were passed.

Article 4, the town budget, did generate considerable discussion with respect to both the town clerk’s salary as well as the regional schools’ budget. Chair of the Finance Committee Nathaniel Sides requested a few changes to the funding sources for the insurance and pension line but did not request any changes to the overall amount of $1,243,613. Total general government came in at $75,768, total assessors $82,292, Total tax and treasurer, $186,249, total Selectmen $323,053, total public works $591,678, total protection of personal property $26,617, total building department $95,116, total fire and EMS Services $695,678, total Board of Health $35,393, total police $1,069,879, total veterans $59,756, total emergency dispatch $103,000, and total library $155,239. Those areas all passed without discussion.

Town Clerk Patricia Detterman asked for a hold on both lines 180 (the town clerk salary) and 197 (town clerk support staff). Detterman explained that the fy20 salary for the town clerk was decreased by 11 percent by the Finance Committee bringing the total from $47,163 to $42,000. Detterman countered each of the Finance Committee’s arguments for reducing the salary including that it was not an election year, job duties were calculated at 25 hours per week, and she was a new employee. She said that there were actually 4 elections held during that year, her predecessor reported that it took 30 hours or more to satisfy the duties of the job, and that aside from volunteering for the town in multiple capacities over the years, she also served as the assistant town clerk for 8 years. Detterman also pointed out a number of challenges faced this past year including the sudden resignation of her first assistant, COVID-19 related difficulties, and an inability to take vacation in the past 18 months. She asked for a motion to restore the clerk’s salary to a fair wage. Specifically, Detterman was looking for $47,163 with a 1.6 percent cost of living increase, bringing the total requested salary to $49,925.

Detterman also cited a survey she conducted of town clerk salaries in Plymouth County. She said that the next lowest paid clerk in the county, who happens to limit their hours to 25 per week and is in a border town, made $55,000. Sides countered this argument saying that Plympton was among the smallest towns in the South Shore and therefore, comparing salaries was not comparing apples to apples. He said that the Finance Committee had conducted their own survey using towns in Massachusetts of similar size. He went on to say that based on that survey, Detterman’s current salary would place her into the top third. Detterman said that such a comparison was unfair as the clerk must live in the town to which they are elected and the cost of living on the South Shore is vastly different than the cost of living in say, the Berkshires.

Retired town clerk Nancy Butler came to Detterman’s defense saying that there was no way the job could be done in 30 hours per week. “I wish you would all consider the recommendation by the town clerk,” Butler said.

In the end, there was a slight majority in the two rooms and Detterman’s motion passed. She also made a motion to increase the town clerk support staff line from $22,186 to $25,804 saying, “The service that the support staff does for the town is incredible. We are the front porch for the town.” Like the motion before, it passed though by a very slight majority. The new total for the town clerk’s budget is $103,829.

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen asked for a hold on all three lines of the Plympton school’s budget. Wilhelmsen explained that when the budget was created the school committee had not yet had a chance to look for additional savings. Wilhelmsen proposed reducing the elementary school costs from $2,494,050 to $2,441,399 and the vocational costs from $105,000 to $90,000. Wilhelmsen proposed an increase for the special education line from $1,115,495 to $1,186,396. He explained that the proposed increase was necessary to keep certain students in the building and prevent them from going out of district, which would incur significant additional costs to the town. The total amended budget amounted to $3,717,795, which Wilhelmsen said, “…is pretty close to the recommended budget.” The town voted to support this new number.

Chair of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee Jason Fraser asked for a hold on the regional school line requesting that Plympton’s assessment be raised from $2,463,609 to $2,513,608.42. Fraser said this represented a 0.4 percent increase over the previous year’s number. Fraser also explained that cuts to state aid are still unknown. He went onto explain that provided one other town in the district votes to approve the number, if Chapter 70 funding comes in below what is expected, the school committee has the ability to amend the number without requesting a special town meeting as long as the assessment remains the same or lower. Thirty percent of the Silver Lake Regional School budget comes from Chapter 70 funds.

Sides said that while the Finance Committee had originally agreed to Fraser’s amended number, they had since decided to ask for an overall decrease in the town’s assessment. He said that the estimated amount was somewhere around a $50,000 reduction. Fraser said he had no record of being reached out to by the Finance Committee to discuss amending the budget. Ann Sobolewski took to the microphone in support of Fraser saying that if the town votes the number recommended by the Finance Committee, there would no longer be an ability to amend the budget should Chapter 70 funding come in higher than anticipated. Another resident inquired as to the cost to hold a special town meeting. Selectmen Chair Joy said it would cost roughly $9,000. The town voted to approve Fraser’s requested amended number of $2,513,608.42.

Before recessing the annual town meeting to begin the special, DeCristofano lamented, “I know people can leave when they want but I really feel bad when people leave after their pet projects have been voted on. It’s not fair to the rest of us.”

The special town meeting had 7 articles. Article 1 was a vote to transfer $29,882.13 from available funds to pay for the final change order for the Plympton Police Station project. Selectman Mark Russo reduced the amount requested to transfer from available funds to pay unpaid bills from the prior fiscal year in Article 2 from $6,897 to $2,153.09. Article 3 was a vote to transfer $10,000 from the overlay surplus fund to the OPED retirement fund. Article 4 was a vote to transfer up to $50,000 from the overlay surplus fund into the town building and maintenance emergency fund. Article 5 included several line item transfers in the fy20 budget. Article 6 was a vote to transfer from the sale of town owned property $8,100 raised from the sale of the Fire Department’s modular home to cover the costs for Fire Department repairs. Article 7 was for $7,000 to replace the Fire Department ladders that were rendered out of service due to safety issues. All transfers passed.

DeCristofano then returned to the annual resuming with Article 5 to transfer $33,000 from free cash to conduct fiscal audits for fy21. Article 6 allowed the town to borrow in anticipation of reimbursement $169,092 as the state’s share of the cost of work under Chapter 90.

DeCristofano then read Articles 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 17, and 19 which all proposed funding various things from the capital stabilization fund. Article 7 was for $200,000 for road construction and resurfacing. Article 8 was for $17,700.30 to make the annual lease payment on the Highway Department truck. Article 9 was for $30,000 to purchase a flail mower. Article 14 was for $6,950 to make the first payment to lease/purchase 10 digital portable radios for the Police Department. Article 15 authorized the Board of Selectmen to enter into an agreement to lease/purchase fiber optic equipment and allowed for $22,000 to make the first payment. Article 17 was for $48,90.05 to pay the lease payments for the Fire Department vehicles. Article 19 was for $16,724.23 to pay the lease payment for the Fire Department command vehicle. All motions passed.

Article 10 included multiple requests from the Community Preservation Committee for fy21. Articles 11, 12, and 13 were all requests for the Assessors office. Article 16 was a request for $340,000 to purchase an ambulance. Article 18 was for $10,000 to purchase new personal protective equipment for the Fire Department, Article 20 was a request for $12,000 from free cash to provide the required 5 percent match for a FEMA grant to replace a brush truck. Article 21 was for $8,000 to purchase or repair self-contained breathing apparatus. Article 22 was for $14,000 to fund Plympton’s share of a part-time school resource officer at the middle school. Article 23 was for $100,000 for the replacement of the roof and insulation at the Highway Department building.

Article 24 authorizes the Board of Selectmen to enter into a mutually beneficial agreement with the town of Middleborough for access to the parcel of land at 0 Soule St. to provide (among other things) parking and access to 2 Brooks Preserve Conservation land. Russo described it as a “win-win-win” for those involved. Russo made a motion to refer Article 25, which would amend zoning by-laws regarding floodplains, back to the Planning Board rather than voting on it. Articles 24, 26, 27, and 28 all had to do with the recodification of bylaws. Articles 24, 26, 27, and 28 all passed as did Russo’s motion regarding Article 25.

Articles 29, 30, 31, and 32 were all in regard to payments on the following solar projects: 29 Brook St Solar, Upland Road Solar, Plympton Lake St. Solar, and Main St. solar – all passed.

Russo asked to pass over both Articles 33 and 34 and his motions were approved. Article 35 was a vote to adjourn the town meeting until the town election.

Jumps continued

here

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

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