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Morse Bros. withdraws application

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Tuesday night’s Halifax selectmen’s meeting saw as much thunder inside the Town Hall as outside.

The item on the agenda that has been the talk of the town for weeks was the application from Morse Bros. Cranberries for a major earth removal project to redesign their bogs off Lingan Street.  When that application was withdrawn after the meeting and its agenda were posted, people came to Tuesday’s meeting wanting to be heard.

Selectmen were set to meet  in their first floor meeting room.  That quickly became overwhelmed and the meeting reconvened to the Great Hall upstairs.  Video recording capabilities had to be re-set for the new location and, as with the storms outside, the storms inside were also taking their toll.

Chairman Ashley DeSesa told the group that where the application was withdrawn there was no need for conversation.  But the people wanted to be heard.

What happens next?  We’ll have to wait and see.

A life saved on East Monponsett Pond; citizen receives award

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On Tuesday, July 12, a water rescue took place in Halifax in the area of Ridge Road and Lantern Lane. Retired priest and Halifax resident Father Bill Williams had taken his kayak out on East Monponsett Pond and ended up capsizing due to the extremely windy conditions. His cries were heard by local resident Alexandria Davis who wasted no time jumping in her kayak despite her broken oar. Davis was able to reach Williams and hold him until further help could arrive. Luckily for Williams and Davis, Amanda and John Moe also heard the cries for help and were able to get in their kayak and assist them ashore.

The Halifax Police and Fire Departments were called and responded to the reports of a person in the water, not breathing. The Fire Department was already involved in another medical emergency in town which led to an “all call” for all available responders to report to the scene. A backup ambulance as well as a boat were dispatched and were able to locate the victim after traveling to several local addresses trying to find him. The victim was being pulled ashore just as emergency services arrived at the scene. After receiving treatment on the scene by emergency responders, Father Williams regained full consciousness and was brought to Beth Israel in Plymouth.

Interim Fire Chief Jeffrey Cuozzo attended the Halifax Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday, July 26 along with Father Williams and Davis and some of her family members. Cuozzo told the Selectmen, “There’s a lot of stories in Halifax, but this one in particular is kind of nice and unfortunately in this day and age it’s always nice to have a really good story and this is it.”

He continued, “It’s a windy day but Father Williams being retired, he’s like, I want to go out on the lake in the kayak, so he goes out on the lake by himself… just picture him on the lake in the kayak enjoying himself with a paddle saying this is great, this is God’s work, right. Well, the waves were getting worse, getting bigger and Father Williams goes overboard.” Cuozzo said that Williams, who was without a life jacket, was about 20 feet from shore at the time. Cuozzo said that Williams asked himself in that moment, “I wonder if this is how it ends.” Cuozzo and Davis jokingly ribbed Williams for yelling “Hello!” rather than the traditional “Help!” This admission was met with laughter from those in the Selectmen’s meeting including Williams himself.

Cuozzo said that Davis had luckily taken that day off from work and lived close enough to hear Williams’ cries. “She rushed down and sees him pretty much bobbing in the water. She gets her kayak, goes out, grabs him… and is literally holding him up – it’s just her on the kayak by herself and I think one of her paddles breaks,” Cuozzo said. “That’s where Amanda and John Moe… I think came to the rescue. They went out on their kayaks, grabbed Allie and the Father, who was pretty much unresponsive now. He was pale blue,” he continued. Cuozzo turned to Williams and said, “What did you say in the ambulance?” Williams said, “I was trying to learn to walk on water.” This was met with more laughter.

“In all seriousness,” Cuozzo said, “If Allie didn’t initiate that save, he would have died.” Cuozzo then went on to thank his staff as well. He then presented Davis with a Citizen Hero Award. Cuozzo said that he had the same award to give to both Amanda and John Moe as well though they weren’t present at the Selectmen’s meeting.

“Great job, awesome story,” Selectman Jonathan Selig said.

BOS debates in-person meetings

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on Monday, July 25.”

Selectmen Chair Christine Joy told the Board that legislation recently passed that extended the remote meeting provision through March 31, 2023. Selectman John Traynor said, “I would like to see us in person as long as we can broadcast it and have Zoom.” Selectman Mark Russo said, “I think ultimately a hybrid model is going to be great; I don’t think we are ready. I don’t think we have the technology. I don’t think we have the staffing yet to do it – very strongly in favor of continuing with Zoom for the time being. I think it offers the most opportunity for participation.” He further said that he felt it best to continue with the current model for the convenience of residents, volunteers, and town officials. Joy said that while she is also in favor of the hybrid model eventually, she also doesn’t feel that the town has the technology to run it correctly. “We need some more time to figure out how to make this work for Plympton,” she said.

Traynor stressed that he believed the town did have the technology to make a hybrid model work now. “I’m disappointed,” Traynor said of Joy and Russo’s reluctance to move forward. Joy proposed revisiting the idea on the first of the year. Traynor, instead, proposed that they revisit it when Area 58 confirms that they have the technology in place to properly run a hybrid style meeting. Russo said, “I think there are other issues including staffing issues. Lots of towns are doing this and they have a staff member who is just taking care of the audio/visual, the presentation – it’s what we don’t have.” Traynor countered, “We do have, that’s part of Area 58. You keep saying that, but they are the staff.” “John, that is absolutely incorrect,” Russo said. He continued, “There isn’t enough manpower/womanpower here right now to do those things and do them well.” Traynor got in the final word saying, “I hear you and I think you are overstating the case and I don’t agree with you.” Joy said that the Board would not be taking a vote, but they would be revisiting it in the near future.

The Selectmen also discussed their priorities for FY2023. Joy said that the Selectmen agreed that one of those priorities would be age qualified affordable housing. Russo said that one of his goals would be, “attaining some kind of land so Plymptonians can stay in town.” Russo also highlighted the importance of bettering their technology including making sure the town website is a source of information. He also said he was interested in “a continuing evolution of the budget process.” Traynor agreed about the importance of technology. He also said that the Firehouse and overall town center infrastructure is one of his priorities for the coming year. “When we talk about the Firehouse, we find that, in fact, what we’re talking about is the town campus infrastructure or town center infrastructure,” Traynor explained. “The parking at the Townhouse is atrocious as we know; we do want to put in the ball fields,” he continued.

The Board also discussed having department heads once again begin attending their Selectmen meetings to provide updates. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy shared with the Selectmen a document she developed that would be shared with the department head prior to their appointment. The hope is to provide more structure to these meetings than what was previously had during such meetings the last year. This would allow the Selectmen to have specific questions and concerns ready ahead of the meeting. Traynor suggested that they begin with the library. “I am just totally blown away by the energy that he is putting into this; a lot going on over there,” Traynor said of the Library Director.

The Selectmen took up the granting of the solar easement on the Dennett Elementary School roof. Dennehy explained, “what we’re looking for this evening is a motion… to grant the solar easement for the solar project to Dennett Elementary School and this would run concurrently with the lease and power agreement, and it would also terminate when both of those are concluded.” She further explained that the agreement included the assurance that the town won’t do anything on the town-owned land around the school that could cast a shadow on the solar panels. It will likely be a 20-year agreement. Selectmen voted unanimously to grant the solar easement.

Dennehy provided the Selectmen with a Town Administrator’s Update. “The Route 58 bridge that was in need of some repairs… bids are coming in tomorrow for that work,” Dennehy said. She said that it is a State, not a town project. She also told the Selectmen that work is beginning on the Townhouse roof project. “The gutters were being taken care of today at the Old Townhouse,” she added.

The Selectmen ended their night with their raves for the past few weeks. “My rave would be for the Plympton School Committee and how they frugally managed the budget throughout all of the challenges that they experienced this year, and they are returning over $100,000 to the town,” Joy said. “My rave tonight is for the Board of Selectmen. We had some somewhat challenging issues tonight,” Russo said. “Saluting ourselves and particularly saluting John and Christine tonight,” he added. Traynor said, “My rave would be for the Townhouse team and when I say that I mean the Townhouse center, the campus if you will… it’s really enjoyable the way you can see them working together… looking back to six years ago, you can see we made a lot of progress.”

Kirby to be inducted into Hall of Fame

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Matt Kirby, 63, an award-winning hammered-dulcimer musician originally from Whitman, will be inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in a ceremony to be held in Lawrence, Kan., on July 30.

Kirby, son of Mary Alice Kirby and the late Senator Ned Kirby, discovered hammered dulcimers in Brockton at Summerfest 1975 while a student at Sacred Heart High School in Kingston. He ordered a basic wooden instrument and spent the rest of the summer playing it.  Matt continued to design and build his own dulcimers during his studies in Art and Sculpture at the Kansas City Art Institute. After graduating he performed with other musicians in a Celtic string band, Scartaglen.

Over 40 years of festivals, appearances, concerts, and forming other bands he is primarily known as a member of the Alferd Packer Memorial String Band, named after the wry legend of the hungry mountaineer in Colorado. The Packer Band enjoys popularity throughout the Midwest.

Matt resides in Baldwin City, a small town near Lawrence, Kansas.

Golightly named Halifax Town Administrator

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Wednesday, July 6 to conduct an interview with an applicant for the open position of Town Administrator.

Marty Golightly was introduced by Bernie Lynch of Community Paradigm Associates who was hired to conduct the search and vet candidates. Lynch said, “It is intended to be an interactive dialogue as opposed to an interrogation.”

In response to the open ended, “tell us about yourself” Golightly said, “I spent 20 years in the military… mostly healthcare but when you are in healthcare in the military you also do a lot of leadership.” He continued, “Everything that the Navy can offer you, I think I got to participate in; it was awesome, I loved every minute of it, but I had two young kids and I didn’t want to miss anymore dance recitals.” He said that he moved back to the area in 2017, went back to school, and then became the health agent in Abington. Golightly called his time in Abington an “eye opening experience” and said that he gained insight into municipal government.

Golightly was very straightforward when asked why he left his last position. “I didn’t want to be the Director of Public Health in Abington anymore; Covid shined a light on a lot of weird areas of our society. It made some things uncomfortable. It made some things better in a very weird and unusual way. It just wasn’t the time to live and work in the same community,” he explained.  At the time of Golightly’s resignation from his position in Abington, abingtonnews.org reported that he was receiving “personal attacks and threats” presumably by those unhappy with the Health Department’s response to the pandemic.

Lynch asked why he wanted to be a town administrator. Golightly responded, “public servant my whole life – military, EMT, making the world a little better a little bit every day or at least that’s my goal. I’m one of those people that wants to leave something better behind for my kids and for all those that are going to come behind us.”

“Collaborator and Chief will always trump Commander and Chief, in my humble opinion,” Golightly said of his management style. He also said that mentoring is very important to him. Golightly said that you need to “make sure that you are making the best decision with the most good in mind for the most people.”

Asked about conflict resolution, Golightly said that he always likes to lead with education first though he acknowledged that there will always be those that will not be reached in that manner. He said that the dialogue that exists between those making decisions and those not in favor of those decisions is “part and parcel of being a Navy Chief.” He continued, “we are conflict resolution people – I’ve done it boots and board room.” He continued, “Sometimes you argue, but you argue behind closed doors, and you come out, hopefully, on the same side or if not with a better understanding of why that person made that decision,” Golightly said.

DiSesa asked Golightly about his ability to remain impartial when conflicts arise between town employees. He called maintaining impartiality or neutrality “probably one of the most difficult things I have had to do as a leader especially when you hear these stories of bullying.” He continued, “there is a process that we have to follow to make sure that there are no repercussions for either side; we do it by the book for a reason.” He stressed the importance of not letting emotion guide his actions in such situations.

Selectman Alex Meade said, “one of the worst things, I think, to hear is we do it this way because we have always done it this way. I would hope that you’re the type of person that coming into this position would be open minded to revamping current policies and procedures if you think there is a better way to do it.” Golightly said, “that mindset, I’ve always found, is content toward the negative.” He said that he is always striving for a better or best practice.

Lynch asked Golightly what kind of experience he has with municipal finances and budgets. Golightly, who called himself a “numbers nerd,” said he had experience with the RFP for the trash contract, the budget for Waste Management, and the budget for the Inspectional Services Department which included Health, Zoning, Building, and Nursing. Golightly is also on the Capital Planning Committee in Abington.

Golightly told the Selectmen that he has grant writing experience and attended the grant writing management institute at UMASS Boston. “The biggest one was 1.1, 1.2 million over a couple of years for the Public Health Excellence grant,” he explained of the many grants he has written.

Selectmen Chair Ashley DiSesa asked Golightly what he would do if he came up against an area in which he does not have knowledge. “Find my subject matter expert… I got a lot of friends I can ask if I don’t know the answer to a question… I have a lot of people in my phone that I can humbly ask,” he explained. Golightly said that he has worked with many local Fire and Police Chiefs including Chief Viveiros, Halifax’s former Fire Chief. “I have become friends with a lot of the Fire Departments… the people that I like to deal with the most, the coolest people, the most professional and I would say the best ones, irrespective of this position, have been from here,” Golightly said. DiSesa agreed saying that they had “phenomenal” Police and Fire in town.

He said that he would like to hold “coffee with your TA” if hired as Town Administrator in Halifax. “Being available, being a decent human being after that; the rest of it will kind of take care of itself,” Golightly said. He said that relationship building would be a huge component for his first 60 days.

Golightly said that a concern of his would be how to maintain the small town feel in Halifax in a modern world. “It is a problem for the ages,” he said. He said that bringing in businesses that have a large amount of taxable revenue but that have a small footprint would be key.

Following Golightly’s interview, the Board discussed their remaining options. Lynch told them that all three previous applicants were still in the pool. Selectman Jonathan Selig said that all the people he’s spoken to from Abington were sad to see him go. Meade said of Golightly, “it didn’t seem like he was using this as a stepping stone to something else.” DiSesa echoed Selig’s sentiment saying that she spoke to many people who know Golightly and no one had a bad thing to say about him. The Selectmen voted to name Golightly as the next Town Administrator.

Rep. LaNatra supports step therapy legislation

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BOSTON – Tuesday, June 29, State Rep. Kathy LaNatra joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass legislation limiting the use of step therapy protocols, in which insurance companies refuse to pay for the prescription drugs prescribed by a patient’s health care provider until the patient first tries cheaper, and oftentimes ineffective, alternatives. The legislation establishes exceptions a patient can use to avoid their insurer’s step therapy protocol and requires both MassHealth and commercial insurers to provide a clear and transparent process for patients and their care team to request an exception.

“Health care decisions and decisions regarding which medications to take should be made between a patient and their doctor, not insurance companies looking for a healthier bottom line,” said State Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D – Kingston). “I was proud to support this crucial piece of legislation to ensure that people with a myriad of diseases and conditions don’t have to delay care with ineffective treatments that worsen their condition, simply to cut costs for insurance companies. That is not the way to cut health care costs in the Commonwealth. Thank you to Speaker Mariano and Chairman Lawn for their leadership on this bill.”

The legislation outlines four different circumstances that trigger the patient exception process, including:

The required treatment will harm the patient,

The required treatment is expected to be ineffective,

The patient previously tried the required treatment, or similar treatment, and it was ineffective or harmed the patient,

The patient is stable on a current treatment, and switching treatments will harm the patient.

Additional highlights of the legislation include:

• A requirement that MassHealth and commercial insurers adopt a “continuity of coverage” policy to ensure patients do not experience any delay in accessing a treatment when requesting a step therapy exemption.

• A requirement that MassHealth and commercial insurers approve or deny a step therapy exemption request within three business days, or within one business day if a delay would cause harm to the patient.

• A requirement that commercial carriers annually report data related to step therapy exemption requests and related coverage determinations to the Division of Insurance.

• The creation of a commission on step therapy protocols tasked with studying, assessing, and bi-annually reporting on the implementation of step therapy process reforms made in this legislation.

“An Act Relative to Step Therapy and Patient Safety” (H.4929)passed the House of Representatives 153-0. The legislation now heads to the Senate for their consideration.

McDonald tells TRIAD the history of his position as Sheriff of Plymouth County meet

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The Halifax TRIAD met on Tuesday, June 7, at the Halifax Police Station.  TRIAD is a partnership between local and regional groups to help inform and educate senior citizens.  The guest speaker for June was Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald, Jr.

Sheriff McDonald outlined the responsibilities of the sheriff’s department and reviewed the role of sheriff throughout history.  The office of sheriff in Plymouth County dates back to 1692 and it was an appointed position until 1856.  Sheriff McDonald is the thirtieth Sheriff for Plymouth County, an office he has held since 2005.

A former history teacher, McDonald also shared some interesting history stories and took questions from the audience.  Informational pamphlets and fliers were also available to participants.

Halifax TRIAD meetings take place the first Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. When meetings resume after a summer hiatus they will take place in the Great Room of the Halifax Town Hall. The next TRIAD meeting is scheduled for October 4, 2022.

Three from Halifax FD graduate

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STOW – State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and Deputy State Fire Marshal Maribel Fournier, acting director of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA), announced the graduation of 35 recruits from the MFA Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Program. The graduates received certificates of completion at a ceremony held this evening at Bridgewater State University.

Three graduates from the Halifax Fire Department are Anjolina Cronshaw, Michael Fryer, and Alec Thompson.

The 35 graduates represent the 16 fire departments of Acushnet, Berkley, Chatham, Dartmouth Fire District 1, Fairhaven, Halifax, Lakeville, Marion, Medway, Plympton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Rochester, Truro, Wareham, and West Bridgewater.

“First responders are on the front lines of any crisis and these newest firefighters are needed now more than ever,” said Deputy State Fire Marshal Fournier, who is the acting MFA director. “The rigorous training they’ve completed provides them with the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to protect their communities safely and effectively.”

The Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Training Program is unique in that it delivers a standard recruit training curriculum, meeting national standards, on nights and weekends to accommodate the schedule of firefighters in suburban and rural areas. Bringing the training closer to firefighters means more can participate and allows them more time to practice training skills with instructors.

The MFA, a division of the Department of Fire Services, has offered the program since 2003. To date, nearly 3,000 call and volunteer recruits have graduated.

Today’s firefighters do far more than fight fires. They train to respond to all types of hazards and emergencies. They are the first ones called to respond to chemical and environmental emergencies, ranging from the suspected presence of carbon monoxide to Fentanyl overdoses or a gas leak. They may be called to rescue a child who has fallen through the ice or who has locked himself in a bathroom. They rescue people from stalled elevators and those who are trapped in vehicle crashes. They test and maintain their equipment including self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), hydrants, hoses, power tools, and apparatus.

At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, they learn all these skills and more, including the latest science of fire behavior and suppression tactics, from certified fire instructors.

They also receive training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, and self-rescue techniques. The intensive program involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training, and live firefighting practice.

Basic Firefighter Skills

Students receive classroom training in all basic firefighter skills. They practice first under non-fire conditions and then during controlled fire conditions. To graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack. Fire attack operations range from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multiple room structural fires.

Graduates have completed 240 hours of training on nights and weekends. Upon successful completion of this program, all students have met the standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001. In addition, they have the ability to become certified to the level of Firefighter I and II and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations Level by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, which is accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.

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New graduates from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy are, from left,  Anjolina Cronshaw, Michael Fryer, and Alec Thompson of the Halifax Fire Department.

Plympton honors Fireman’s Sunday June 12

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Plympton’s Fire Chaplain and two firefighters bow heads in prayer.

Photos courtesy of Plympton Fire Dept.

Plympton Fire Department held its annual Fireman’s Sunday June 12 at the Plympton Fire House, led by Department Chaplain Rev. Gary Blume, and included a few words by Fire Chief Stephen Silva, Capt. John Sjostedt, and two prayer readings.

After the remembrance, families who were present enjoyed a small cook out at the fire station.

What’s happening at Halifax Elementary?

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On Thursday, June 2, Halifax Seniors from Silver Lake High School came to Halifax Elementary School and paraded through the hallways in their caps and gowns.  Current HES students made signs and clapped and wished them well.   We wish all the Silver Lake High School seniors the best for their futures.   We know they will do great things!