Plympton resident Scott Materna, who works as the Facilities Manager for the Town of Halifax, put his skills to good use recently as he disinfected the new police station in a mutual aid endeavor.  The disinfecting was not due to any specific risk, just something that needs to be done from time to time, according to Plympton Police Sgt. Stephen Teri.

First responders from throughout the area came together at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Plymouth, last Thursday afternoon to form a parade around the building, showing their support and thanks to the healthcare workers who put their lives on the line every day they come to work.

Plympton’s Fire Chief Stephen Silva’s daughter is an ER nurse there and tells her dad of the difficult situations they face.  Many who could come outside applauded the parade – and first responders could see the gratitude on their faces.

Church bells rang out, horns sounded, and doors opened to let out clapping, singing, and music-making Wednesday and Thursday evenings for five minutes at 7 p.m., all to pay homage to our first responders and healthcare workers who have put their own lives on the line in service to others, especially now, during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Selectman Mark Russo put the program into action, inspired by what neighborhoods throughout New York City, and others across the continents are doing to show their appreciation.

Colleen Thompson and Susan Vetterlein rang the bell at the First Congregational Church in Plympton Village, a bell that was cast by George Holbrook, an apprentice under Paul Revere, in 1830!  It cost a princely sum of $386 at that time.   The First Congregational Church was the first church in town to have a steeple and a bell.  The bell weighs 1,100 pounds and it takes strong arms to pull the ropes to ring it.

Russo invites all of Plympton to continue to open their doors each night at 7 p.m. to make a joyful noise – or just listen, “listen deeply to what is possible.”

Fire Chief Stephen Silva had his department take available trucks to the bottom of the driveway and flash their lights.

Police Chief Matt Clancy’s department also took part to show their appreciation.  Fire and police opted not to sound their sirens out of respect to their neighbors.

Lean out the door, windows, sound a horn, sing a song, bang on a pot, and continue at 7 p.m. each evening at least until Tuesday, or until the virus is contained.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen, town administrator Elizabeth Dennehy, and chair of the Board of Health Arthur Morin have been holding weekly meetings via phone conference during the coronavirus pandemic. Their Thursday, April 2 meeting was the first since Governor Baker extended the state-wide stay-at-home advisory to at least May 4.

One of the first orders of business was to appoint Cathy Ferguson and Arthur Morin to the Emergency Management Team. The Board also voted to appoint Nathan Cristofori as a special police officer through June 30.

Dennehy gave an update on the number of cases in town and said that coronavirus related information will be kept up to date on the town website. As of press time, there are two confirmed cases in Plympton. Morin said that the Department of Public Health notifies the Board of Health directly when there is a confirmed case. According to Morin the Cape Cod Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) assigns a nurse to each patient and it is the responsibility of the nurse to conduct the patient interview and trace contacts. Selectmen vice chair Mark Russo asked Morin who was responsible for reaching out to those that had contact with the infected person. Morin said that task fell under the jurisdiction of the VNA per an order from the Department of Public Health. “They are nurses; they are medical professionals and they know how to do this,” Morin explained. Chair Christine Joy asked Morin if an update on patients’ conditions is given to the Board of Health but was told that would violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The Board of Health notifies the fire and police departments of the address of the infected person though no names are given. This action enables the departments to take necessary precautions as needed. Once the pandemic is over, the addresses will be destroyed.

Dennehy said that the A1 ambulance in Plympton has been designated the COVID ambulance and is outfitted in plastic for easy decontamination. Dispatch will determine when to use this ambulance based on a series of questions in the initial call. Dennehy said that the Army National Guard had dropped off some supplies with the town’s fire department. Additionally, Morin said that the town also has a very small supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) including a few different types of gloves, some goggles and N95 masks, and six full PPE suits. Of the suits, Morin added, “There’s only six so when those are gone, they’re gone.”

Dennehy also gave an update on the disinfection of various municipal buildings and vehicles. The fire and police departments as well as the town house have already been done. A determination for when to disinfect the library was being discussed as it has been empty for some time now and holding off a bit could help to eliminate any remaining virus. Russo agreed saying, “At some point, even if there was virus, it’s lost all of its virulence.” According to Dennehy both ambulances have been fogged and there is capacity to do the police cruisers as well. Selectman John Traynor asked about the old town house but Dennehy said that they were hesitant to disinfect the building as they were concerned about damaging old artifacts. The possibility of just disinfecting contact surfaces rather than fogging the air was discussed.

Dennehy also told those on the call that they have been doing their best to minimize the number of employees deemed essential to the functioning of the town and therefore physically in the building. Most town house employees have been working remotely. Dennehy said, “We’ve had a lot of cooperation overall and things seem to be going relatively smoothly at least for now.”

Plympton is receiving a $4,000 grant from the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards (MAHB) to be used toward anything related to the COVID-19 emergency including increased staffing, VNA charges, PPE, etc.

Dennehy said that she had been waiting for the state legislation enabling towns to postpone their town elections and town meetings to pass prior to rescheduling those events. Town moderator Barry DeCristofano and town clerk Patricia Detterman will attend the next Board of Selectmen meeting to further the discussion.

Joy ended the meeting with a “rave” as is tradition during regular Board of Selectmen meetings. She said, “My rave is the emergency management team – what a wonderful job you guys are doing. I feel like we’re in such good hands and it’s very reassuring in a very uncertain and troubling time.” Both Russo and Traynor concurred.

Charmian Evans
Special to The Express

This is a big “Hi” from Plympton – not in Mass but across the pond from Devon, England.

There are about seven Plymptons in the world – the Devon one being the oldest, and no doubt where your town got its name from.

Plympton St Maurice, to give it its full name goes back to 900 ad and today has one of the finest examples of town planning of that time. Strip gardens run down to a stream and animals would have been kept on the far side. Come the 12th century, Plympton St Maurice was busier than nearby Plymouth and was a tin assaying town, complete with castle.  As a result of the wealth, lots of lovely old buildings grew up, and over time we can boast that it truly is the birthplace of British art, with a host of well-known artists born in the village, not least Sir Joshua Reynolds. John Sparke explored the Spanish main and from that voyage became the first person to describe potatoes and tobacco. World famous clock makers, scientists, physicians and politicians all trod the pavements of this small village.

And folks, we’re still going! Now we are deemed a conservation area and many of our fine houses are listed for preservation. Our main road, Fore Street, was built about 1136! We’re situated about 4 miles from Plymouth and the coast, and about the same to Dartmoor, a 400 square mile  gorgeous national park complete with the special breed of “Dartmoor ponies”, thatched cottages and views that are beyond gorgeous.

We have a terrific community. In our Guildhall, built in the 1600’s, we have a pop up cinema and lots of fun events. Two pubs run a variety of entertainments as well as fine local ales.  A What’s App group keep us all informed and able to offer help if needed. Every summer we have a Midsummer Festival on the Castle Green, which includes a day long lamb feast, open gardens and a music festival. The whole village gets stuck in to help and it is a lot of fun.

And like you, we need it at the moment. Our beautiful conservation area is coming under threat.  A new town is being built not far away and our politicians and councils seem unable to divert traffic away from our area. Already our church has cracked windows, the original 16th century glass in some of the houses can’t cope with vibrations and the very safety of pedestrians is threatened because of excess traffic.

But never mind hey! Plymouth City council would rather spend millions on putting up a good front to celebrate the Mayflower 2020 anniversary than save the village that many of your ancestors may have come from.   It’s a sad tale and I’m sure you have these battles yourself. We’re in negotiations – have been for 12 years actually – but are now getting to the point when we need to get noticed. And we might just need the good people of Plympton Massachusetts to help us – so watch this space!

Progress on our village conservation is held up because of the dreaded “V” word. We’re all in lock down – only allowed out for absolute essentials and steering clear of anyone within  feet.  So far we have no cases and I hope, as I write this, that you have none either.  Of course it brings out the gardener in us, and seeds are being propagated in greenhouses and if it goes on much longer I reckon people will be building a still for some bootleg! Of course our seasons are a bit ahead of yours. The gardens are filled with spring blossom and there’s the cheery prospect of summer ahead.

This is the first, of what I hope may be more missives from England. We’d love to form links with you, love to hear any history you know of that the two towns might share. And we’d be tickled pink if any of you made it across here when times are easier. We would be delighted to host you. Meanwhile, keep well and if you’re interested, look us up on our website: https://www.plymptonstmaurice.com.

The Plympton Fire Dept. helps out in many ways – and with the COVID-19 order to close the schools for several weeks, it is delivering lunches that students would usually enjoy in the cafetoria.

Lunches are picked up at Silver Lake Middle School where they are prepared, then brought back to the Dennett Elementary School for distribution Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  On the left is Lt. Andrew Norton and right is Firefighter Steven Fennell.

“The guys are awesome – ready to step up and are glad to help,” said a proud Capt. John Sjostedt.  “We’ve never had a situation like this …”

Monday, February 24, the Silver Lake Drama Club invited the Express  to see the play Darcy and Elizabeth, a shortened version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

The Silver Lake  Drama Club has been invited to present their play at the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild festival again this year.  The festival is hosted this year by the Joseph Case High School in Swansea.

The Massachusetts Theatre Celebration is a one-day, non-competitive opportunity for students to share work, receive feedback, and forge connections with students in other schools that can lead to collaboration and support for years to come.

Tickets for the Preliminary Round at Joseph Case High School in Swansea on Saturday, Feb. 29, are $15 for the entire day!

Preliminary Round – Saturday, Feb. 29, Semi-Final Round – Saturday, March 14, and the Final Round – Thursday – Saturday, March 26 – 28.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Andover, Attleboro, Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Danvers, Dedham, Duxbury, Framingham, Hamilton/Wenham, Hanover, Harvard, Hingham, Hudson, Leominster, Lexington, Marshfield, North Reading, Norwood, Sharon, Wayland, Westford, and Winthrop Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.