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You are here: Home / Archives for Featured Story

Growing “weed” as agriculture?

March 10, 2016 By Abram Neal, Express Correspondent

PLYMPTON– On Monday, March 7, Selectmen met and spent several hours with Town Counsel Ilana Quirk, both in executive session to discuss ongoing litigation, and in open session with the public to discuss the proposed medical marijuana grow facility on Ring Road. Selectmen also addressed resident concerns over an attempted home invasion that had occurred the previous night and Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo announced that he will not run for a second term.

Is growing a “weed” agriculture?

There were actually three attorneys present on Monday night, Town Counsel, an attorney representing the Doyle family, who abut the property of the proposed grow-op and an attorney for Jeff Randall, the applicant.

  Attorney Quirk summarized for the public her findings on whether or not the decision to sign a municipal letter of non-opposition or support was in the full purview of the Board, and if Plympton’s zoning by-laws allow a marijuana grow-op in a residential/agricultural zone. In recent weeks questions of zoning have become central to the discussion of whether or not Randall’s proposal can even be entertained.

Quirk’s answer: To not send a municipal letter (essentially ending the proposed project), or to send a letter of non-opposition or a letter of support is fully in the unbridled purview of the Selectmen. They could, however, allow a petition for a warrant article this year calling for a non-binding referendum on the issue– a petition asking for just that is in the process of being certified by the Town Clerk– should they choose to solicit further input from the townspeople.

   The second question revolved around zoning by-laws, which, in Quirk’s opinion seem to allow the proposed project. The by-laws state that marijuana cultivation is forbidden in residential/agricultural zones, except if it meets an exemption in a state law known as Chapter 40A(3). In this section of the law, among other things, municipalities are limited from interfering with agricultural production.

  Quirk stated that in her opinion, a marijuana grow facility would be allowed in the residential/agricultural zones because it does meet the requirements of 40A(3) and furthermore, marijuana cultivation is agricultural.

  Quirk noted that the application for the permits from the state that Randall is seeking require him to meet other zoning requirements, and that the Selectmen must certify that he is meeting those in their letter, should they choose to allow the project to move forward.

    Quirk also recommended that before any municipal letter is sent, a Community Host Agreement be drawn up and executed with any stipulations that the board might want to require. She added that her firm, Kopelman & Paige, has drafted several Community Host Agreements, which she might be able to assist the board with, if necessary. The agreements allow the town to receive a direct payment in exchange for “hosting” a grow facility.

  Attorney Robert Kraus representing the Doyles, himself a former state legislator who once represented Plympton, disagreed with the opinion of the town’s attorney, arguing that cultivating marijuana did not constitute agriculture. He mentioned that because the cultivation would be happening in an enclosed building with security, and that the workers would be background checked that it didn’t meet a “common-sense” definition of agriculture.

  “If everybody farming in Plympton had to pass a background check, there would be no one farming in Plympton,” said Kraus. “You don’t need security to grow corn.”

    Quirk disagreed, mentioning a different section of the law that defines agriculture very broadly, including by-products of agriculture.

Quirk’s apparent legal blessing of the project in no way means that the project is green-lighted. Quirk has not seen the specific proposal, and was only giving her legal opinion on the questions that the board had put before her.   

   Selectmen still seem to be divided on the matter. Selectperson Christine Joy is increasingly more vocally opposed to the project each week, twice now ready to vote not to support the project immediately. Chairman Russo appears to be cautiously supportive, and Selectperson Thompson, has made statements that infer that she is open-minded to the project, such as her agreement with Quirk that marijuana cultivation is agriculture in her mind and her previous strong statement opposing the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) phenomenon.

  Several abutters and neighbors of Randall were present, and continued to state their objections, although the Board indulged few public comments on the subject as the agenda indicated that this time was allotted for the Selectmen to discuss the issue.

Home Invasion

According to Chairman Russo, Shane Sullivan, 26, the alleged perpetrator of Sunday night’s attempted home invasion, was residing at a group facility for those in substance abuse recovery, which opened last year next to the house where the attempted break-in occurred.

   Residents from the neighborhood came to the board with concerns that they hadn’t been properly notified as the incident was unfolding, and generally with safety concerns now that an incident has occurred at the facility.

   The treatment facility, the Brook Retreat, at 55 Brook Street, is apparently operated by a company called South Shore Transformation Inc., although Town officials were not aware of the identity of the operators, another concern. It has 16 beds for male patients in recovery, according to their website.

  Selectmen noted that there was clearly a breakdown in protocol at the facility and they wished to look further into the matter, including whether a “reverse-911” call would have been appropriate to notify neighbors of the incident. Russo noted that not all of the neighbors’ concerns are Selectmen’s issues but that the Board would look into what could be done to allay residents’ concerns and prevent future incidents.

Russo to retire (from BOS at least)

Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo, in the third year of his first term on the board, announced Monday that after much reflection he will not seek a second term.

  Russo, who in addition to his tenure on the BOS, also served

two years on the Finance Committee and has chaired the Community Preservation Committee, said he wishes to remain involved in town government, and might even return to the board someday.   He stated that he had hoped when he was elected that he could bring more civility and transparency to town government, and that he thinks that some of that has been accomplished.

  Russo added he hoped that a new talented person would run for the soon-to-be-open open seat and continue that work.

  Next Meetings: March 14 and March 21, 6 p.m. at the Town House.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Clinton, Trump carry Mass.

March 7, 2016 By Tracy Seelye Express Editor

With nearly half the registered voters in both towns turning out to vote Tuesday, Whitman and Hanson backed the outsiders in both the Democratic and Republican primaries in Massachusetts. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders garnered 1,414 votes to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 970 in Whitman, while he received 997 to Clinton’s 692 in Hanson.Statewide, Clinton carried the day by a slim margin of some 20,000 votes. Businessman Donald Trump received 1,242 votes in Whitman as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio got 292, Ohio Gov. John Kasich had 266, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had 186 and Dr. Ben Carson had 52. Other candidates who have withdrawn from the race split 60 votes in Whitman. Trump sailed to the front of the pack in Hanson with 1,000 votes, compared with 237 for Rubio, 205 for Kasich, 194 for Cruz, 50 for Carson and 46 for withdrawn candidates or no preference. Of Whitman’s 9,909 registered voters, 4,582 — or 46 percent cast ballots. In Hanson 48 percent of the town’s 7,215 registered voters — 3,475 — cast ballots. “There was a line when polls opened this morning,” said Whitman Town Clerk Dawn Varley. “People were waiting.” She was hopeful, based on interest, phone calls and the number of people registering, that they might see a 50-percent turnout. In the first hour alone, 300 votes had been cast in Whitman.

While voters lined up to vote, sign-holders supporting candidates were an unusually rare sight during the day on Tuesday. Two, supporting Sanders in Whitman and Cruz in Hanson, spoke of their support for their respective candidates. Anastasia Mykoniatos of Whitman, holding signs for Sanders in front of the post office next door to the Town Hall polling place, was counting on a high turnout to help her candidate, who she said needed five states to stay competitive. “I like the fact that he’s paying attention to the lesser-thought of issues such as student debt and the climate change that a lot of the other people aren’t paying attention to or supporting,” she said. “I like the fact that you can trace back his stance on issues for at least two decades.” Mykoniatos noted Sanders has supported LGBT rights since 1992, while Clinton voted for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Sanders took four states — Vermont, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Colorado — on Super Tuesday to Clinton’s  seven. Trump took seven — Georgia, Alabama, Massachusetts, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and Vermont —with Cruz winning Texas and Oklahoma and Rubio notching  his first primary win in Minnesota. “Trump scares me,” Mykoniatos said. Leslie J. Molyneaux, also a candidate for GOP state committeeman said he was backing Cruz for similar reasons.

“I’m working for Ted Cruz because he’s a constitutionalist,” Molyneaux said outside of Hanson’s Maquan School polling place. “He knows the Constitution front and back and he’s been fighting for it his whole life.”Molyneaux noted that Cruz, a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist, is also the most experienced candidate in terms of governance.“He successfully argued several cases regarding personal liberty before the Supreme Court,” he said. “Donald Trump, I don’t feel, is a conservative. Donald Trump is a populist and he has reached a nerve with the American people who truly are sick of government.” But, Molyneaux said, what happens down the road has yet to be determined. “Certainly the establishment Republicans are really unhappy because they don’t have a dog in the hunt,” he said. “I think the establishment is putting all their money behind Rubio, and he’s really not one of them, but he’s closer to being one of them than Trump or Cruz is.” One local official that has gone to work for Trump as the state co-chairman of that campaign is state Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman.

“He’s clearly going to win, it’s just a question of how big,” Diehl said of Trump’s chances Tuesday morning. “Just like my run in 2010, I think Donald Trump brings that same business background to D.C. with the momentum of supporters who feel like D.C. is no longer listening to them.” Diehl compares Trump’s past business setbacks with the experimental failures Thomas Edison experienced while inventing the light bulb. He also noted that the economic climate of the past few years has made Trump realize that government has done a poor job of allowing businesses to grow. “I’m a  Cruz man, but Geoff is a good man,” Molyneaux said.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

School Lunch Menus for Feb. 28 to Mar. 5

January 28, 2016 By Larisa Hart, Media Editor

Dennett Elementary School

 

Monday – Baked macaroni and cheese, dinner, Romaine side salad, fresh fruit.

Breakfast – Mini pancakes with syrup, bacon.

 

Tuesday – French toast sticks with syrup, sausage, carrot sticks, warm applesauce.

Breakfast – Cheese omelet, sausage.

 

Wednesday – Popcorn chicken, whipped potato, corn. Tomato and cheese salad, chilled fruit.

Breakfast – McDennett Sandwich. Yogurt.

 

Thursday – Twin mini cheeseburgers, Romaine salad with dressing, Gold Fish crackers, fresh fruit.

Breakfast – Mini waffles with syrup, bacon.

 

Friday – Cheese pizza, Caesar salad with dressing, baked potato chips, hummus, fresh fruit.

Breakfast – “Chef’s Choice.”

 

Halifax Elementary School

 

Monday – Hamburger or cheeseburger on a bun, lettuce, tomato, pickles with baked beans and vegetable sticks.

 

Tuesday – STICKER DAY! Chicken Fajita with Salsa, Rice, Mexicala corn and vegetable sticks with dip.

 

Wednesday – Pizza sticks with sauce, green beans and and vegetable sticks with dip.

 

Thursday – Pancakes with syrup, ham, roasted carrots and potato puffs.

 

Friday – Macaroni and cheese, with broccoli and and vegetable sticks with dip.

 

 

Silver Lake Middle School

 

Monday – Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla, rice pilaf, Mexican corn, chilled fruit.

 

Tuesday – “Pasta Bar”, bread stick, green beans, fruit cup.

 

Wednesday – Breaded chicken nuggets with dipping sauce, gravy. Mashed potato, broccoli, chilled fruit.

 

 

Thursday – Nachos with seasoned beef, lettuce, tomato and cheese, sweet potato fries, fruit cup.

Friday – Big Daddy’s cheese or pepperoni pizza, fresh garden salad with dressing, fresh fruit, hummus.

 

 

 

Silver Lake High School

 

Monday – Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla. Rice pilaf, Mexicorn cornk, chilled fruit.

 

Tuesday – “Pasta Bar”, bread stick, green beans, fruit cup.

 

Wednesday – Breaded chicken nuggets with dipping sauce, gravy, mashed potato, broccoli, chilled fruit.

 

Thursday – Nachos with seasoned beef, lettuce, tomato and cheese, sweet potato fries, fruit cup.

 

Friday – Big Daddy’s cheese or pepperoni pizza, fresh garden salad with dressing, fresh fruit, hummus.

 

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Winslow is Plympton Deputy Chief

January 14, 2016 By Abram Neal, Express Correspondent

Winslow is Plympton Deputy Chief; Selectmen discuss ongoing issues

PLYMPTON–Monday, Jan. 11, Plympton Selectmen met and appointed Steven Winslow as Deputy Fire Chief. Also discussed were a variety of ongoing issues, most of which were status updates. The meeting took place in less than an hour.

Deputy Chief Steven Winslow

Plympton Fire Chief Warren Borsari stands and addresses the Board of Selectmen while a full crowd sits behind him and Steven Winslow, about to be appointed Deputy Fire Chief sits in the front row with his daughters and wife.

Plympton Fire Chief Warren Borsari stands and addresses the Board of Selectmen while a full crowd sits behind him and Steven Winslow, about to be appointed Deputy Fire Chief sits in the front row with his daughters and wife. Photo by Abrahm Neal.

Plympton Fire Chief Warren Borsari stands and addresses the Board of Selectmen while a full crowd sits behind him and Steven Winslow, about to be appointed Deputy Fire Chief sits in the front row with his daughters and wife. Photo by Abram Neal.

At 6:30 p.m., the room quickly filled with family, friends and fellow firefighters wearing their formal dress uniforms to support Steven Winslow’s appointment to the position of Deputy Chief of the Plympton Fire Department.

Accompanied by his wife and children, Winslow proudly sat in the front row.

Fire Chief Warren Borsari stated that Winslow was “the perfect man for the job,” explaining that in Borsari’s absence Winslow will take full responsibilities as Chief. He had many kind words to say regarding Winslow.

After a brief pause, the 38-year veteran of the force was sworn in by Town Clerk Tara Shaw and Winslow’s wife pinned on his new badge.

The full room erupted in applause as Winslow kissed his wife.

Status Updates

• The Town Personnel and Policy Handbook is nearly complete, with all of the policies that the Selectmen wish to address at the moment completed. They rejected adding a “Computer Use Policy” at this time. Although still considered “a living document”, according to the Board, the introduction simply needs to be finished.

• The Finance Committee is recommending a level-funded budget, and Town Coordinator Dale Pleau is currently reviewing FY’17 budget details, noting that it is difficult to predict utility costs until the winter is over and that the legal counsel budget is often up in the air, as it is difficult to know how often counsel will be needed.

• Errors were reported in the Area 58 Community Access Media broadcast schedule last week, according to a citizen complaint. Selectmen said this was due to a death in the family of an employee at the non-profit tri-town cable studios. The Board does not believe this will be an ongoing issue.

• Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo gave a lengthy update on an ongoing issue involving the Winetuxet Children’s Place preschool in Halifax and a Plympton dog living next to the facility. 

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Halifax Town-owned land dilemma

January 7, 2016 By Abram Neal, Express Correspondent

Halifax Town-owned  land dilemma

Halifax – Selectmen met briefly Tuesday, Dec. 29 to discuss the sale of town-owned parcels of land that may be buildable or useful to abutters. They also took under consideration a citizen complaint regarding a dog near the Winnetuxet Children’s Place private preschool.

Joy Marble came before the Board to present a proposal to sell a town-owned parcel of land at 5 Short Street. Although the lot is smaller than the town by-laws currently describe as a “buildable lot”, because it currently has a foundation on the lot, it is “grandfathered-in” and could hypothetically be developed. A neighbor is already using it, at 4 Short Street, according to Marble, although she did not say for what.

Marble has been researching all sorts of town-owned parcels of land that might be used to collect tax revenue for the town. Often abutters are using them, knowingly or not as if they are their own property and may be interested in purchasing them. Not all town-owned parcels are buildable, or attractive to abutters.

Marble wanted to first float the idea with the specific property at 5 Short Street, simply because it could be developed. But, according to Charlie Seelig, Town Administrator, the Board of Health is interested in the property as a possible site for an alternative sewage system, which is generally a sewage system that does some processing on site.

The Board sought further input from the Board of Health before proceeding with any type of sale and plans to invite them to a future meeting to discuss the idea.

The Selectmen also discussed a Halifax citizen’s complaint about a dog, technically living in Plympton, but abutting the Winnetuxet Children’s Place preschool, which has apparently been scaring several children.

Because the dog is in Plympton, and Plympton has no leash law, according to Seelig the only action the Board can take is to ask that the Plympton authorities investigate that the dog is licensed and vaccinated. Should the dog wander into Halifax– which has a leash law– the Halifax Animal Control Officer could then take action.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

For Thanksgiving dinner stand by your pan

November 24, 2015 By Abram Neal, Express Correspondent

For Thanksgiving dDinner stand by your pan

Halifax Fire Chief Jason Vivieros cautioned area residents to be careful while cooking this Thanksgiving, specifically referring to warnings from the State Fire Marshall’s Office on deep fried turkey. Looking ahead, he also had some sage safety advice about how to safely handle holiday decorations and Christmas trees.

“Stand by your pan”

Vivieros noted that twice as many cooking fires happen on Thanksgiving than the second busiest day for cooking fires, December 25.

“Do not leave any oven or stove unattended while baking, boiling, frying or broiling. Especially, do not leave the house. Stand by your pan,” he suggested.

For Thanksgiving dinner stand by your panHe also noted that water based fire extinguishers do not work on grease fires. The proper procedure for putting out a grease fire on a stovetop is to cover it and smother out the flames. Discharging water on the fire will simply spread it. Proceed to call 911. 

If an oven fire occurs, first close the oven door in order to starve the fire of oxygen,  and do not open it! Next, make sure the oven heat is off. Proceed to call 911.

Always evacuate a burning building immediately; do not return inside for possessions.

Thanksgiving deep fried turkey

An idea originally from the Southern states, deep fried turkey has become increasingly popular across the country, because it almost always produces a moist turkey.

Vivieros echoed State Fire Marshall Stephen Coan’s warnings that deep fry turkey cookers are dangerous, and can even be deadly.

“Five gallons of boiling oil or grease over an open flame hardly sounds safe or sane,” Coan stated in his Thanksgiving words to the public.

He further goes on to state that many fryers are unstable, particularly models mounted on a tripod stand, which can tip over easily, spilling gallons of boiling grease that can cause a quick fire and severe burns.

The Marshall points to other fire hazards, including the possibility that the fryers can overheat to the point of combustion.

Sides and handles can become very hot in models that lack a thermostat or have defective temperature controls.

In fact, the non-profit Underwriters Laboratory (UL), an organization that certifies that appliances are safe, has not approved any turkey deep fryer due to their safety issues and the fire hazards that they can produce.

The bottom line is to only undertake this dangerous enterprise with extreme caution, out of the way of children and pets and have a plan in place to put out a grease fire if something goes awry.

Holiday decorations and Christmas trees

In terms of holiday lights, Vivieros recommends not leaving lights on when leaving the house or overnight. Furthermore, only purchase lights that have a safety seal of approval such as the “UL” symbol mentioned here.

Outdoor lights should be designed to be used outdoors. Never put more than three strands of lights on an extension cord, and be sure not to overload outlets, according to the Chief.

Also, consider the newer, LED-based lights that are both more energy efficient and run much cooler than traditional lights.

Never leave candles unattended and never use them as Christmas tree decorations or near Christmas trees.

Live Christmas trees with lights should not be left unattended and should be watered daily to keep them from drying out and becoming a fire risk.  Dispose of them properly soon after the holiday.

Trees should also be kept away from heat, mounted in a “tip-free” stand, and decorated only with fire retardant decorations. Artificial trees should be marked as fire retardant and never hang lights on metallic trees.

Vivieros also pointed out that it is illegal to use a cut (live) tree in a place of public assembly. That would include not just public buildings, but apartment lobbies or restaurants.

For any questions on this or any other fire safety related topic, contact the Halifax Fire Department on their business line at 781-293-1751.

The Chief and his department wish the everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Margaret “Peggy” Fitzgerald, 84, Halifax public servant

November 6, 2015 By Larisa Hart, Media Editor

Margaret “Peggy” Fitzgerald, 84, of Halifax, passed in her home, after a long and heroic battle with cancer.

A loving wife of 60 years to Tom; devoted mother to Tom, Michael, Brian and Margaret (Dietz); Nana to Stephen, Taryn, Charlie, Olivia, William, Mimi and Grace; Mother-in-Law to Michele, Kristen and Brian; lifelong champion for the town of Halifax; and keeper of a warm, welcoming home for an endless stream of nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers, friends, colleagues and occasional strangers.

Peggy’s was a life defined by service, courage and generosity, suffused with a joy in the simplest pleasures of life. A 75-year resident of Halifax, she served on a dizzying array of boards and committees, including as Chairman of the School Committee and Board of Selectmen, Town Accountant and member of the Finance Committee. During her 50 years of service to the town and region, she helped navigate the Silver Lake School System through a complex and emotional split from Pembroke and served on the Alewife commission to repair dams and return fish to the rivers of Plymouth County.

As a public servant and active citizen, Peggy never feared to speak her mind for what she knew was right, but also never was afraid to recognize a better idea or embrace a shared viewpoint to reach a common goal.

She was an avid gardener, and her work was admired daily by the thousands of passers-by on Route 106 in Halifax, as well as by the daily mass of elementary school children boarding buses across the street every morning. She loved the physical work of the garden, toiling alongside her husband, and she and Tom dined all year on the fruits of their labor.

Peggy lived a life of learning and exploration. She could impress with her knowledge of art, history and architecture and she never passed a museum or garden she could not linger in for hours.

She pursued further education, both due to her belief she should always be able to help her children with their own studies and to satisfy her own never-ending curiosity.

A staunch believer in the power of the democratic process, Peggy followed politics at the local and national level with equal passion, devouring television news and newspapers and embracing debates with like- or opposite-minded friends and family members.

Born in Roxbury in 1931, she moved to 13th Avenue in Halifax in 1940 and lived with her parents James and Margaret, and siblings James, Mary Ann, Robert, Ellen, Ann, Larry, Kathleen, and Judy.

Her family gained local fame after World War II when her father James was identified by Yankee Magazine as the ‘Kilroy’ of ‘Kilroy Was Here’ – the well-known saying carried by American troops throughout Europe. Peggy and Tom married in 1957, and purchased their house on Plymouth Street in 1958, which she called home for the rest of her life. She spent her last days in peace with Tom and and the constant buzz of visitors, watching the leaves turn along the Monponsett lakes from her cottage on Paradise Lane. She will be missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Halifax Food Bank, 503 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338. Visiting hours were in the Sullivan Funeral Homes, 2 Maquan St.,  at the Junction of Rtes. 14 & 58, Hanson, Thursday, Nov. 5,  from 5 – 8 p.m.  Her funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of the Lake Church, 580 Monponsett St, Halifax, Friday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m.  Burial will be in Halifax Central Cemetery. For directions and to sign Peggy’s online guest book, go to  SullivanFuneralHomes.com

Filed Under: Featured Story

3 Reasons To Advertise in the Express Holiday Gift Guide

October 29, 2015 By Larisa Hart, Media Editor

Just in case you need 3 reasons to advertise in the Express Holiday Gift guide, I will give them to you. Believe it or not, the holidays are right around the corner, and we all know how hectic that season gets. A 2008 holiday stress poll by the APA showed that more than eight out of 10 Americans anticipate stress during the holiday season.

3 Reasons To Advertise in the Express Holiday Gift Guide

The Express Holiday Gift Guide will appear in print December 3rd and 4th, and online December 5, 2015.

3 Reasons To Advertise in the Express Holiday Gift GuideIt is my job as the Express Media Editor to help you local business do what you do best – sell your wares. That’s is why we have developed a way to put you in front of local customers in a way that won’t break the bank.

3 Reasons to Advertise in the the Express Holiday Gift Guide

  1. Affordability. For only $35*, you get to showcase one of your best products. It can be an item, a craft, a gift certificate – any offer that you are proud of and want to sell. Talk about a  compelling reasons to bring customers into your store!
  2. Exposure. I almost listed this as the first reason to advertise in the gift guide, but I changed my mind. I thought you needed  to now about the affordability factor. But this is actually my favorite reason why you should advertise in the Express Holiday Gift Guide. We have almost doubled our Facebook fanbase in the last six months.  Our posts receive an average of 1,000 views. We also have a print audience of approximately 3,000 readers. Plus our websites are visited an average of 79 times per day. This brings you to your potential customers in a multi-platform approach.
  3. Value-Packed! This gift guide is beautiful. It prints in color, we feature one of your items in the center spread, the digital, online version will link to your website or email, you pick the item that you want to showcase.
3 Reasons To Advertise in the Express Holiday Gift Guide

This is an example of how the listing will appear in print and online. The online version can link to your store’s web site.

I am so proud to be able to offer you this cost-efficient, effective vehicle of bringing you sales this holiday season! It’s sure to be a feature we will repeat for years to come.

Our Express Holiday Gift Guide prints December 3rd and 4th in both the Whitman-Hanson Express and the Plympton-Halifax Express, debuts online December 5th. *Book your space today! After November 15th, the price jumps to $45.

Questions? Call Larisa at 781-293-0420 or email me at graphics@whitmanhansonexpress.com.

Read more about dealing with holiday stress here at the American Psychological Association.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Mathias service is Sunday Oct. 25

October 22, 2015 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Mathias service is Sunday Oct. 25: In memory of Jeffrey A. Mathias, 42, of Kingston, Lost at Sea with El Faro

Jeffrey A. Mathias, 42, was lost at sea on October 1, 2015 when the ship SS El Faro sank near the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin.

Mathias service is Sunday Oct. 25He leaves his beloved wife, Jennifer (Brides) Mathias, his three adored children; daughters, Hayden 7, Heidi 5, and son Caleb 3, all of Kingston; his parents J. Barry and Lydia (Jones) Mathias of Kingston; his brother John, his wife Carrie and daughter Meghan of Plympton; his uncle, Philip Jones and wife Mary of Plymouth, his aunt, Ellen Jones-Roth and husband Vincent of Hull, and his 97 year old great-uncle Francis (Brud) Phillips of Kingston.  He also leaves behind his in-laws, Philip and Joan Brides of Halifax, brother-in-law J. Michael Brides and his wife Janet and their children Matthew, Nathaniel, William and Sarah.

Feeling the loss of Jeffrey also are the multitude of friends he had here and all over the world.

Jeff attended Silver Lake schools and graduated in 1992 from Tabor Academy in Marion.  While attending Tabor Academy he spent many hours working and sailing aboard the school’s sailing ship the Tabor Boy. His expertise in engineering and love of the water steered him to Massachusetts Maritime Academy, where in 1996 he graduated with a degree in Marine Engineering. Upon graduation he worked at Seamass followed by Altran where he was involved with nuclear power plants. His dream, however, was to sail the seas and in 1998 shipped out aboard cargo vessels.

Jeff sailed all over the world in his chosen career traveling to Africa, Europe, North Korea, Alaska, Hawaii, California, and the Caribbean. He was sought after for his incredible knowledge and vast experience in engineering. He reached the officer’s position of Chief Engineer. 

During this time he also worked as a consultant for the marine engineering firm Maritech out of Acton, MA.  He traveled far and wide for this firm and was responsible for shaft repairs on many vessels. Jeffrey had worked on two of the coast guard ships out of Miami that were used in the search for him and the El Faro. He also worked on the Massachusetts Maritime training ship the TS Enterprise and in 2003 delivered it to its home berth at the Academy. 

Jeff was involved in his family’s cranberry business and Bog Hollow Farm. He had his own bogs, one in Kingston and one in Pembroke. Anything that Jeff could create, fix, fly, or sail he did with the best of his abilities.   He designed and built the amazing maze, slide and children’s play area at Bog Hollow. His dream was to further expand the family’s Pumpkin Patch business with his many ideas for creating an even better place where families could enjoy the beauty of nature, spend quality time with each other, and escape the hustle and bustle of daily living.

His friends and family called him “The Pied Piper” because wherever Jeff was, people were always around him. They loved his outgoing personality, many stories and jokes, and his magnetic smile. A huge beacon of light has gone out in his family and friend’s worlds. The devastation is immeasurable.

A memorial service and reception for Jeffrey will be held at Massachusetts Maritime Academy on the canal at Mariner’s Park on Sunday, October 25, at 1 o’clock. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jeffrey Mathias Family Memorial Fund at Weymouth Bank, 83 Summer Street, Kingston, MA 02364.

For online condolences, please visit www.shepherdfuneralhome.com

Filed Under: Featured Story

Plympton solar purchasing talks begin

October 9, 2015 By Abram Neal, Express Correspondent

Plympton solar purchasing talks begin with BlueWave Capital:

Plympton solar purchasing talks to begin

Bluewave Capital has developed other projects in the area, including this solar field in Plymouth. Courtesy photo.

Plympton Selectmen met Monday evening and tackled a wide-ranging agenda, including agreeing to sign a letter of intent to move forward with the latest BlueWave Solar power purchasing agreement, a proposal to name a street corner after four brothers who were veterans, fielding a request by the Board of Assessors to not have their meetings videotaped and a request from the Board of Health to meet with Town Counsel.

Solar agreement to be signed

The board agreed to move forward with a non-legally binding letter of intent to negotiate with BlueWave Capital, a solar development and investment company, to sell the town electricity credits from a facility being completed in Mattapoisett.

If the project and agreement do come to fruition, the town would expect to see significant savings on their electricity bills over the course of the twenty-year agreement.

Selectperson Christine Joy had some questions regarding an option that BlueWave has proposed for the town, called an escalator. If the town chose this option, the cost of energy purchased would be even lower than the 10.5 cents per KwH proposed, then would increase by a fixed percentage over the course of the agreement.

BlueWave Capital representatives did not discuss this option at their presentation to the board two weeks ago, leading to the questions. The board decided that they would have to do some math to figure out the best option for the town, but that they were ready to move forward with negotiations.

Tribute to Veterans?

Scott Baker came before the board to propose the idea of a tribute to four of the Benevides brothers, all veterans, who had grown up in the family home at 104 Main Street. The Benevides family is well established in Plympton and, according to Baker, would have passed the corner of Main Street and Palmer Road every day of their lives.

He enthusiastically provided with board with photographs and other documentation. His suggestion was to name the street corner after them.

While the board was excited about the idea, they agreed it needed some refinement, possibly to be more expansive and include all veterans, in a centralized location, perhaps near the gazebo. There was some concern of running out of street corners.

Veterans’ agent Roxanne Whitbeck agreed with the more expansive plan, so that no veteran is excluded from a memorial. She suggested something that could be expanded, with bricks or plaques, so that it could be added to in the future as necessary.

Joy suggested forming a committee to further look into the idea, suggesting that this could become a much larger project, possibly for the Boy Scouts and possibly could go along with rehabilitating the gazebo on the town green.

Board of Assessors doesn’t want cameras

The idea of filming the Board of Assessors meetings was floated, prompted by the e-mail of a concerned citizen who did not understand their tax bill and the abatement process.

According to the agreement with the tri-town studio, Area 58, Plympton receives 100 events and meetings filmed for free per year.

Ethan Stiles, a member of the Board of Assessors, objected to this proposition. According to Stiles, the board meets 15 times a year, often in executive session to protect privacy when making decisions about taxpayer abatements. As well as his expressed belief that filming the meetings would be un-substantive, he stated that the Board of Assessors office at Town House can supply guides and offer non-legal advice to taxpayers who have questions. “No one comes to the meetings to watch them for their own sake,” he said. “People are there to deal with their own specific problems.”

Selectperson Joy disagreed. She stated that as public boards, the public shouldn’t feel as if the town government has anything to hide. Her one concern was that filming meetings would have a “chilling-effect” on citizens who wish to address concerns to the board.

Selectman Colleen Thompson stated that she wished all meetings could be filmed, “but we’re not there, yet.”

The eventual consensus was that a public forum should be held by the Board of Assessors to address any questions from citizens, and that it be filmed. Possibly, a question and answer section could be added to the recording, or to the board’s website.

Questions for the town counsel

Ken Thompson, treasurer of the Board of Health, requested permission to consult town counsel to determine the proper course of action when the board is trying to enter a property and is being refused access.

“People are being denied access for trying to do their jobs,” he said.

Selectmen approved his request, but asked that the meeting be as general (and brief) as possible so that other boards and committees could use any useful information. Board Chairman Mark Russo asked that Thompson report back after meeting with town counsel.

Later in the evening, Selectperson Joy requested further clarification on how the town should move forward managing small parcels of town-owned land, such as those taken through tax-title.

Russo, an abutter to town-owned property, recused himself, but spoke as a private citizen, noting that he believes in being very cautious about selling off town property.

Joy countered that she intended to inquire about small, possibly useless properties to the public.

Selectman Colleen Thompson noted that the town treasurer had prepared a guide to managing such properties, but Joy received the permission of the two members voting to consult with town counsel.

Joy will also be inquiring with town counsel about personnel policies and CORI policies, at the same time as Town Coordinator Dale Pleau collects these from other towns for comparison.

Filed Under: Featured Story

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