Put it down as a comeback for the Silver Lake High football team.

The Lakers trailed for much of the game. It looked like their opponent could shut them out. However, the Lakers played tough defense throughout the contest which kept them in the game. When their offense strung together a couple of positive drives late in the game, the defense continued to hold strong. As a result, the Lakers beat the Whitman-Hanson Panthers 13-6 at home on Friday, October 8. With the win, the Lakers improved to 2-3 on the season. It was their first Patriot League win of the year.

Whitman-Hanson got its first touchdown of the game in the second quarter. It came on a 12-yard rush and put the team up 6-0. Whitman-Hanson attempted a two-point conversion following the touchdown, but it failed. This was Whitman-Hanson’s only touchdown of the game.

The Lakers offense was quiet for much of the game, but the team put up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

The first one came on a four-yard rush from Austin Smith. He was the team’s leading rusher in the win; he ran for 120 yards. The Lakers took a 7-6 lead on the extra point kick from Seth Wakefield. It’s a lead the Lakers never relinquished either. Rather, they extended it. Ryan Carroll would later catch a four-yard touchdown pass from John Dickinson to put the Lakers up 13-6. The Lakers tried to kick an extra point following the touchdown, but it was blocked.

The Lakers shut Whitman-Hanson out offensively in the second half

Coming off a win, the Lakers will face their toughest challenge yet this Friday night. They will host the Duxbury Dragons on Friday, October 15 (7:00 p.m. start time). Duxbury has not lost a Patriot League game since the 2000s.

The Silver Lake High football team faced a challenge, and came up short. After getting their first win of the season against Norwood the week before, the Lakers resumed their Patriot League schedule (they will face Patriot League teams for the remainder of the regular season). The Lakers faced off against the Plymouth North Eagles on Thursday, Sept. 30 and while the game was competitive, the Lakers came up short in it. They got beat 28-12 by Plymouth North and fell to 1-3 on the season.

Plymouth North struck first in the game. They had a 73-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter followed by a two-point conversion on the ground to go up 8-0. Plymouth North also had an interception early in the second quarter. However, the Lakers would score in the first half. The Lakers got a turnover on downs at the Plymouth North 36-yard line and capitalized. Austin Smith primarily moved the ball forward on the ground for the team and scored a two-yard touchdown with 4:27 left in the half; the two-point conversion attempt was no good.

The Lakers got a stop at the two-yard line with 11 seconds left in the first half, but Plymouth North would end up extending its lead in the second half. Plymouth North had a 22-yard touchdown catch with 1:13 left in the third quarter and a 44-yard pass shortly thereafter after forcing a Lakers fumble. That put Plymouth North up 20-6.

Plymouth North had a one-yard touchdown run and a successful two-point conversion run with 3:07 remaining. While the Lakers got a 28-yard touchdown catch from Seth Wakefield with under a minute left, they did not have enough time to make a comeback.

The Lakers next game will take place this Friday, Oct. 8 at home against the Whitman-Hanson Panthers (7 p.m. start time).

The Plympton School Committee met virtually on Monday, Sept. 20. Director of Business Services Christine Healy provided an update on the new playground at the Dennett. Healy said that excluding the surfaces, the balance of the equipment was delivered Friday. Healy said that the only foreseeable issue might be the installation of the surfacing as maintaining a temperature of 50 degrees is necessary during the process. She said that getting further into October may present a problem. Healy said that originally they were not able to afford to do the entirety of the playground with the preferred surface but noted that there was money available through State Representative Kathy LaNatra’s office. “It will be going through DESE to apply for the grant; It’s one of the Ed grants and it is the full $25,000,” Healy explained. She said they should have access to the funds as soon as they are ready to use. “My goal is to get as much of the surfacing as we can,” she said. Healy also said that $3,600 would be needed from the school budget, once they had exhausted other funding, in order to complete the playground. “I look forward to the ceremony when it opens,” she said. Chair of the School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen added that he really likes the area where the playground will be installed saying, “I think it has a much nicer feel.” Healy said that they would be working that week on a realistic schedule for completion.

Future Meeting Locations

There was a brief discussion regarding whether to meet in-person for future meetings. Some members expressed their desire to keep joining the meetings remotely. Wilhelmsen said that were the meetings to be held in-person, if a quorum was reached inside the building, a member or two could still join the meeting remotely. Committee member Jason Fraser said he was in favor of keeping the meetings remote until more data could be acquired. It was decided that the November 1 meeting would be held remotely and they would revisit it at that time.

Dennett Fields

A discussion was held regarding the Dennett sports fields. Committee member Daniel Cadogen said he had been to the fields recently and they looked clean. There had previously been a problem with dogs going the bathroom on the fields.

Solar Project

Wilhelmsen provided an update on the solar project at the school. “There were some back and forth concerns regarding prevailing wage particularly with the installation of the solar panels,” he explained. He said that the solar company took the position that prevailing wage did not apply while Plympton’s solar attorney said it did. He said that it could add up to 30 percent to the total cost of the project. Wilhelmsen further said that two provisions were written into the contract. The first stated that at the end of 20 years the solar panels would be left with Plympton during which time they would inherit the property. The second was that if the solar company decided to sell the system, Plympton would be given first priority to buy. Wilhelmsen said that removing those provisions meant that the company was merely renting the rooftop and therefore there is no procurement eliminating the prevailing wage concerns. He said they can now move forward with the project. “Like everything else, it is not as straightforward as we would like it to be,” he said.

Legislative Update

Fraser provided the legislative update. He said that back in December of 2020, the House received a special report on transportation. “Some of the findings might pertain to us specifically because we are responsible for pre-k through 22 students and our vocational education students,” he explained. He said that some of the provisions were to allow pay directly to parents to transport their students to vocational schools and alternative special education settings. He pointed out that right now Healy was responsible for finding and paying vendors to transport those students. “Another interesting finding was pushing the legislature toward greening our school bus fleet away from diesel buses to hybrid or fully electric fleets sometime in the 2030s,” he said.

Fraser said that the previous week a bill had gone through reconciliation and one of the items included in that was hundreds of billions of dollars for school infrastructure. Fraser said he was hopeful to see some of that money trickle down to Massachusetts in the form of Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) funds noting that the Dennett will need a new roof in the next 5-10 years. He said that currently they would not qualify for MSBA funds for the project but said that he was hopeful that this additional money might change that. Wilhelmsen added that what is able to be granted out with respect to school construction costs is not aligned with the increased costs currently. “The amount of dollars going out from the community to be able to do building work is really, really significant,” he explained. He noted that this applies to all municipal buildings.

Principal’s Update

Dennett Principal Peter Veneto said that they currently have 232 students enrolled saying, “for us, that’s actually pretty large.” He spoke about some recent projects saying that the entire driveway has been seal coated. There is also a new blue vinyl exterior wall. Veneto also said that all open teaching positions have been filled. He spoke about the CASA enrichment programs and said that last week they had a professional bike trick rider come to speak at the school. “The kids – they listened politely but they really wanted to see the tricks; it was awesome,” he said. Laughing he said that the school has about six classrooms that may have to pull the shades due to the excitement of watching the machinery install the playground. Of the playground, Veneto said, “It’s been interesting to watch and it’s been a lot of fun to see it come to life.” Veneto also said that all specials like art, music, etc. are now back in their original classrooms saying, “the custodial staff did an amazing job putting everything back together… there is definitely a strong feeling of normalcy.” Wilhelmsen chimed in with praise for Facilities Manager Matthew Durkee.

Assistant Superintendent Update

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said that the Plympton teachers joined the rest of the district for opening day where they focused on relationship building amongst other core values. He said they were making progress with the new K-5 literacy program pilot. “We’re excited to see what is the best fit for Dennett and the district,” he explained regarding the program. Lynch also provided an update on the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. He said that they were required to check in with stakeholders for the ESSER III grant application. There were 605 responses across the district regarding how to best use those funds to meet the needs of students. Lynch said that top priorities from the survey included academic support and intervention, mental health supports, social and emotional learning, and technology support. “When we submit the grant, the proposal would be based on the input from our Plympton families… roughly 40 percent of our entitlement would be for closing gaps like tutoring, summer programming, supplies,” he said.

Superintendent’s Update Including COVID Guidance

Superintendent Jill Proulx began with an update from Nutrition Director Megan Ahrenholz saying that from June 23 to August 18 across all three towns, 25,998 meals were served. “I just wanted to thank the school nutritional staff,” Proulx said. She told the Committee that vaccination clinics will be held throughout the fall in coordination with the Kingston Board of Health. Proulx said that vaccines are the primary mitigation strategy this year.

She shared with the Committee updates regarding COVID guidance from the Department of Health and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). She said that unlike the previous year, in-person learning rather than remote learning is considered time on learning. Proulx said that the Education Commissioner was granted authority to mandate masks this year for all public K-12 students and staff. Exceptions are made for those that cannot wear masks due to medical or behavioral needs. Unmasking as of October 1 may potentially be an option for schools that meet certain vaccination rates. Proulx said that the school website has a tracker for COVID cases and noted that close contacts are still notified by the building principal.

Proulx said they have signed up to participate in the new test and stay program that got off to a delayed start. The program will allow caregivers to give permission for their student to stay in school and be tested daily using a rapid antigen test if they are a close contact as long as they remain asymptomatic. This would be in lieu of needing to quarantine at home.  Close contacts are defined as individuals who have been within 6 feet of a COVID-19 positive individual indoors for 15 minutes during a 24-hour period. Exemptions include those who are masked and 3 ft apart, those who are masked on a bus with windows open, and those who have been diagnosed within COVID-19 in the last 90 days. All exemptions would be based on the individual remaining asymptomatic.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, September 14.

Charles Rogers of Monponsett St. requested to appear before the Board. He said he lives on the water and told the Selectmen, “The weed growth this year has come back to what it was pre the treatment, maybe 10 or 15 years ago.” He shared several photos with the Board to demonstrate the extent of the overgrowth. “That has become not only just unsightly but a dangerous hazard,” he continued. He shared an anecdote of his fins getting tangled in weeds when trying to swim. He said that when the issue last came up, they were told they had only two years before it would be impossible to cross the lake in a canoe. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said they had money in the budget to do another treatment and said they hope to go out to bid in early February and do the treatment at the correct time in the early spring.

The Selectmen had an appointment with the Board of Assessors for the fiscal 2022 classification hearing where the Selectmen need to vote on how to adopt the tax rate policy.  A decision would have to be made regarding the percentage of tax burden among the property types including residential, open space, commercial, industrial, and personal property. Ninety percent of properties fall into the residential category in Halifax. The Board of Assessors voted unanimously to recommend to not split the tax rate due to it putting a burden on the commercial properties. The average single family tax bill for fiscal 2022 went up 5.23 percent. The average condominium tax bill went up 6.28 percent. Halifax Solar, Halifax Mobile Home Estates, Walmart, Stop and Shop, and Haseotes and Sons were the top taxpayers in Halifax. The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the tax rate policy as outlined by the Assessors.

The Board also had an appointment with Allan Palmer who submitted a talent bank form for the Zoning By-Law Review Committee that is still absent one at-large member. Palmer who described himself as “almost retired” said he has lived in town since 1986. He said he is eager to get involved in helping the town and has interest in this area. He was appointed unanimously to the Committee by the Selectmen.

Seelig told the Board that the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) was seeking to fill the alternate member position. He further told them that he had a letter from the ZBA recommending that the former Chair of that Committee, Bert Gaynor, be appointed to fill the vacancy as one of the alternate members. Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews recused himself from the discussion. “Attorney DeRensis does recommend filling the seat by the normal procedures,” Seelig told the Selectmen. Selectman Ashley DiSesa said that after speaking with town counsel she preferred that they open the interview process once again and speak to the other residents who had previously applied to the ZBA. Selectman Troy Garron instead moved that they appoint Robert Gaynor to the alternate position on the ZBA. DiSesa disagreed and Seelig moved on to the next topic.

The Board had an appointment with resident Diane Bradford to discuss the obstruction on the shoulder on the south side of Hayward St. Andrews read a letter from multiple residents in the area requesting immediate removal of the stakes on the road. The letter read, “The stakes located in front of the cranberry bog at the address of 136 Hayward St… are a safety concern for us residents… the stakes are making it nearly impossible to move over to avoid potholes.” It also pointed out a number of other concerns regarding the stakes. They requested proof that the owners demonstrate that the stakes are on the property owner’s property rather than on town owned property. Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward confirmed that the stakes are in the right of way but said that there is nothing in the town’s bylaws stating that the town owns that right of way. The residents complained that the owner has a temper and that police needed to be called on one occasion during which they were told that the town would need to handle the issue. Hayward said that after a conversation with the Police Chief, it was decided that if the stakes are three feet back from the road, they would be allowed to stay. Garron recommended checking with town counsel before making any decisions. There was also some discussion about having a land survey performed. The Selectmen told the residents they would be notified of next steps, if any.

The Selectmen met with the Planning Board. Chair of the Planning Board Gordon R. Andrews said, “We’re voted by the people; we’re one of the only boards in town that we do not have jurisdiction over our own secretary. I just don’t think it’s the right way to do it. I know that in the past it was done in a way to just get a secretary in, but I think even the Finance Committee, who is not elected, they hire their own secretary, they train their own secretary; the secretary falls under them.” He went onto say it felt like their secretary was being dictated to by the Building Inspector or the Building Inspector’s secretary. “I’m not complaining about our secretary; it’s just the system that our secretary gets hired under,” Andrews clarified. Planning Board member Amy L. Troup asked, “where is it in writing that the Building Inspector would be in charge of the Planning Board and the Conservation secretary?” Seelig responded, “We met with various boards and committees about 15-20 years ago and this agreement was reached. It’s an artificial construct; there’s no legal standing for it – it’s simply a way of operating.”

The Building Inspector spoke saying that he was of the opinion that the Planning Board and Conservation should have their own secretary, but noted, “I would leave Zoning under my purview.” Seelig asked Building Inspector James Perry if he had spoken to anyone on the ZBA regarding the matter and he responded that he had not. A member of the ZBA spoke and said from their perspective, it made sense for the ZBA secretary to be left under the jurisdiction of the Building Inspector who also acts as the Zoning Enforcement Officer. He noted that the Zoning secretary has always worked with the Board without issue. DiSesa recommended doing more research before finalizing a plan that would work best for the Planning Board, Conservation, and the ZBA.

She recommended putting the topic on the agenda for the October 8 Board of Selectmen meeting.   

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on Monday, September 13. The Board of Selectmen voted during the meeting to approve a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with marijuana distributor Sweetgrass Farms, LLC. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy said she and Selectmen Vice Chair Mark Russo had taken the lead on the negotiation with Sweetgrass owner and area native Nick Rizzo. The cultivation site would be at 77 Spring St. Russo said, “the industrial park is the exact right place for this project.” Russo also said, “I feel really good about this end product… I think this is a document that is fair to both sides.” He also called Rizzo a “fair but energetic negotiator” and said, “I think we’re dealing with really respectful, talented people who want to do the right thing.” Built into the contract is a $5,000 annual contribution to a local charity or non-profit to be selected by the town.  Rizzo said that he considers that to be a minimum noting that he hopes to be able to contribute even more. The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the agreement.

Police Chief Matt Clancy attended the meeting to share with the Selectmen his review and analysis of the Department’s use of force over the last year. The review is a requirement for a certification and accreditation program Clancy has entered into. “It’s just another piece of the transparency that we’re building,” Clancy explained. He said he expects to see it become a requirement in Massachusetts eventually.

Clancy told the Board the Department has reviewed their use of force policy three times in the last two years, noting that the amendments were minimal as their policy was already progressive. He said that Massachusetts has come out with what they consider to be a model policy and that the Plympton Department’s policy was nearly identical. The report is generic and includes incidences but does not include names. Clancy told the Selectmen there were no complaints of excessive force and no injuries. Drawing a taser and engaging in a pursuit both qualify as use of force. “I’m very happy with how things were handled… I think the officers showed a tremendous amount of restraint in a number of situations,” Clancy said. The Selectmen thanked him for his hard work on this initiative. Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said, “You think this stuff doesn’t happen in Plympton, it does… it’s nice to know that it was handled so well by our officers.”

Clancy will be leaving the Plympton Police Department to serve as Chief of the Bureau of Capitol Police in Maine. The Selectmen voted to appoint Scott Benton to serve as interim Police Chief as of October 4.

Joy provided an update on the Carver Urban Renewal Plan as she attended the meeting that was held on the project on Sept. 7. She said her main takeaway was that Carver still has quite a lot of work left to go in the process. She said the developer performed a balloon test that revealed the extent of the scope of the project. Joy said that they estimate that 75 households in Plympton will be affected by the project. Carver has promised to keep Plympton abreast of all meetings.

Selectman John Traynor requested a discussion on the uses of the Old Townhouse. He was particularly concerned with it being utilized by the Council on Aging (COA) for fitness classes. He said he would like to see the building outfitted with a better Wi-Fi lock. Director of Elder Affairs Colleen Thompson called the current lock “kind of a farce.”

Joy suggested that there may potentially be better places to hold such classes noting that the town has a pending lawsuit against them from someone that fell. Russo said that they should discuss appropriate uses for the building further during another meeting. Thompson argued that building needs to be used if insurance is being paid on them. She countered Joy’s argument saying that it felt like a town group was being asked to seek a private location to engage in town sponsored events. Resident Shannon Maxwell said, “You’d have a group of very, very happy women if we could go back to working out in a building this winter and not in our bedrooms.” The Selectmen voted to approve a three-month trial use of the building for the COA fitness club from October 1 through December 31.

Dennehy provided the Town Administrator’s update. She said that she met with the Kingston Town Administrator, the Plympton and Kingston Police Chiefs, the Plympton Highway Superintendent, Police Officer John Sjostedt, and the Kingston DPW Director to discuss possible heavy truck traffic exclusions on Ring Rd. Plympton would need Kingston’s approval to move forward with the process. Dennehy said Kingston said they are not interested at this time as they had concerns that it could result in such traffic being redirected down other roads in their town, particularly Elm St. She said they are, however, open to future conversations. Regarding the Main St. component, Dennehy said that the Highway Superintendent wants to verify with MassDOT that implementing the exclusion would not preclude them from grant opportunities including roadwork.

Dennehy said she had a successful meeting with Habitat for Humanity. She said they have an environmental professional on their team who will look through some of the town’s data on possible lots in an attempt to narrow it down to a piece of land in order to proceed with a project. The town would need to verify before moving forward on a project that there were no other non-profits who might be interested in the land.

Dennehy said she has been in communication with The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) in order to iron out what the level of service they would provide would look like. She noted that the town would need to be sure they could afford it. Finally, Dennehy told the Selectmen that the town was still hovering around a three percent positivity rate for COVID.

During their traditional rants and raves, John Traynor said that the COA is having an issue getting enough drivers for their Meals on Wheels program. He called his rave a sad one saying, ““Chief Silva and his crew did a wonderful job on the 9/11 ceremony.” Both Russo and Joy said their raves were for all of the work being accomplished in town and the progress being made. Russo said, “with patience, progress comes.”

The Silver Lake High sports teams have plenty of talent coming back this upcoming school year, including some athletes who received league wide recognition last fall.

Each of the fall teams had Patriot League All-Star games last year and while some of them are no longer members of their respective teams due to graduation, others of them are back once again. That said, here is a look at who the returning Patriot League All-Stars are for the Silver Lake High varsity sports teams this fall.

Cross Country

On the girls’ side, the Lakers have a pair of Patriot League All-Stars returning: Samantha Faherty and Summer Bejarano. Both of them are seniors this year. Bejarano was the Patriot League MVP last year as well as a Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic selection.

Field Hockey

The Lakers lost 15 seniors to graduation at the end of last season, but they do have one of their four Patriot League All-Stars coming back: senior Toni Ierardi. She led the team with seven points last season.

Football

The Lakers lost their only Patriot League All-Star to graduation: quarterback Ben Lofstrom.

Golf

The Lakers don’t have any returning All-Stars this season. Their lone All-Star last year, Tyler Brown, was the Patriot League MVP.

Soccer

On the girls’ side,the Lakers have two returning Patriot League All-Stars. That includes senior outside back Lauren Dwyer and junior forward Shea Kelleher. Kelleher was also an All-Star in hockey as a member of the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake girls’ hockey co-op.

Girls Volleyball

The Lakers had one Patriot League All-Star last year, and she will be back once again: senior outside hitter Abigail Grace. She has 44 kills, 169 digs, and 35 aces in 101 sets played headed into this season.

With school getting back in session, many of the Silver Lake High sports teams will soon be playing regular season games. 

For many of the Silver Lake High fall sports teams, the regular season starts next week. Here is a look at when some of those teams will be starting their respective regular seasons.

Cross Country

The boys and girls cross country teams have their first regular season meets of the season at the same time and location. They will host Scituate on Thursday, September 9 (4:00 p.m. start time).

Field Hockey

The Lakers start their season on the road against Duxbury on Thursday, September 9 (4:00 p.m. start time). 

Football

The Lakers open up their season on the road against the Plymouth South Panthers on Friday, September 10 (7:00 p.m. start time).

Boys Golf

The Lakers have the first regular season varsity event of the school year. They will host Hingham High School at the Country Club of Halifax on Tuesday, September 7 (3:30 p.m. start time).

Boys Soccer

The Lakers will kick off their season with a home game against the North Quincy Red Raiders on Friday, September 10 (4:00 p.m.).

Girls Soccer

The Lakers will kick off their season with a road game against the North Quincy Red Raiders on Friday, September 10 (4:00 p.m.). It will take place at North Quincy High School.

Girls Volleyball

The Lakers are set to start their season a little later in volleyball than they are in some other sports. Their first scheduled regular season game of the season will take place on Wednesday, September 15 at home against the North Quincy Red Raiders (5:30 p.m. start time).

The Halifax Board of Assessors has conducted a comprehensive reassessment of all classes of properties in the Town of Halifax as mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

The Assessors have received Preliminary Certification from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

The proposed assessed values reflect the estimated market value of properties as of January 1, 2021, based on sales in calendar years 2019 and 2020.

The revaluation resulted in typical Residential value increases of 10% to 14%.

As part of the Public Disclosure Period the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 valuations will be available for review beginning Monday, August 23, 2021, through Friday, August 27, 2021, in the Assessors’ Office in Town Hall daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday.  The valuations are also available online at https://www.halifax-ma.org/PRST.

Taxpayers may contact the Board of Assessors with questions regarding the proposed assessments at (781) 293-5960.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on August 10. Fire Chief Jason Viveiros met with the Selectmen to discuss COVID. “Obviously things have not gotten better, they have gotten worse during the last few weeks,” Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said. He further said that the number of cases in Halifax have increased to the levels last seen in April. He said the Board would need to reconsider whether they wanted to review policies related to COVID including the masking policy in town buildings. Selectman Chair Gordon Andrews updated the Board that the schools made a decision to follow the recommendations of DESE, the CDC, and the DPH in requiring rather than mandating masks.

Seelig provided vaccination statistics for Halifax youth saying that for 12–15-year-olds the rate stood at 38 percent and 49 percent for ages 16-19. The rates tended to increase with the age of the residents. “A quarter of the population of Halifax is not vaccinated yet,” Seelig said. Andrews said he was not comfortable making a change to the masking policy at the moment. Viveiros said he was watching different towns that were starting to implement mask mandates. “I think waiting another week or so and reevaluating it is fine,” he said. Viveiros also discussed the possibility of receiving tests from the State to be administered. The Director of the Council on Aging said that as of today they have begun recommending masks as they are meeting in small quarters. She said everyone was very receptive of it and masks were available on site.

Andrews recused himself but the rest of the Board unanimously voted to appoint Chris Carmichael as Alternate Building Inspector for Certificates of Occupancy. The Board also voted to appoint and reappoint the list of election workers through June of 2022.

There was also a continuation of a discussion on the Zoning By-Law Review Committee from a previous meeting. It was agreed that the Board would like to see as part of that Committee, the Building Inspector, a member of the Finance Committee, a member of the Board of Selectmen, and two members at large.

Andrews recused himself from the rescheduling of a new public forum for a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with Green Earth Cannabis. Andrews’ father owns land within close proximity to the proposed site. The Board had previously voted in June not to enter into an HCA with the company but agreed to rescind its previous vote and hold a new public forum to avoid litigation against the town. The Board agreed to hold the forum on Monday, August 30 at 7 p.m.

Seelig told the Board there was a petition article submitted by August 10 with more than 100 signatures. The proposed zoning by-law amendment would restrict the number of marijuana dispensaries in town to one. Seelig said the Selectmen could submit it to the Planning Board that night but noted it would still need a public hearing. “It’s doubtful it’s going to be voted on at the Town Meeting on September 8,” Seelig said. The Selectmen voted unanimously to send it onto the Planning Board.

Seelig told the Board that the Council on Aging (COA) was interested in potentially increasing its number of members. Seelig also told the Selectmen that he had received a talent bank form for Ivy Matheny who was interested in working with the Council on Aging and potentially as the Veteran’s Agent.

Town Accountant Sandra Nolan and Recycling Co-ordinator Sue Johnston met with Selectmen to discuss the recycling fee process including abatements. Nolan said that one of the big issues is that they want to ensure that residents are recycling. Nolan said that this year they had at least 12 households who had their recycling fee abated and then tried to use the recycling center halfway through the year. “I think that people don’t understand that that recycling fee is not just for curbside; it also supports the whole functioning of the recycling center,” Nolan said. She continued, “It is really a huge benefit to the townspeople as far as having a place you can go with your old couch.” She called the fee “nominal.” Andrews summarized the conversation saying it would be a $50 recycling bill for FY2022 with a 60-day abatement window.

Library Director Jean Gallant and the Library Trustees had an appointment with the Selectmen in order to vote to fill a vacancy on the Trustee Board. There were two candidates interested. The Library Trustees made a motion to appoint Susan Hill. Both the Selectmen and the Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Hill to fill the remaining vacancy.

Seelig went over some of the articles on the upcoming Town Meeting warrant including one by the Chief of Police to take the town out of civil service. There is another for additional money needed by Silver Lake in the amount of $130,890. Seelig said it was the difference between what was appropriated at Town Meeting and what is needed. The Water Department also needs to put more money in their return line item. Article 17 would remove the buffer between marijuana establishments and liquor pouring establishments. Article 19 is in regard to traffic safety. Seelig said he would need to speak with Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward to find out what exactly the article would and would not cover with respect to things like sidewalks.

Tyler Nordgren met with the Selectmen regarding his application to be appointed to the Historical Commission. Asked by Selectman Ashley DiSesa why he wanted to apply, Nordgren explained, “I like historical sites and I would like to help preserve them as they are important to the community.” Nordgren, who has lived in town since he was 8, said he hasn’t recently attended Town Meeting but plans to attend the next one. The Board voted unanimously to appoint him to a three-year term.

The meeting ended with the official swearing in of Michael Boncariewski as a full-time Police Officer.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen held a brief meeting on Friday, August 6 to reconsider a previous vote. Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews and Selectman Troy Garron were in-person and Selectman Ashley DiSesa was participating remotely.

Aside from Executive Session, on the agenda was the reconsideration of a vote from their June 11 meeting not to enter into a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with Green Earth Cannabis, Inc. Andrews recused himself from the initial vote as well as the reconsideration as his father owns property within close proximity to the proposed lot. On June 11, Garron said that he had heard from many residents who opposed the establishment.

Director of Operations for Green Earth Cannabis Robert Maker had appeared before the Board of Selectmen during their July 13 meeting to plead his case and ask them to reconsider their decision. Maker said he has lived in town for 27 years and asked the Board to consider his ties as well as his contributions to the community over those years. Maker had also said that they hoped to create jobs for local Halifax residents. “We are preparing to mitigate whatever impact the facility may have on the neighbors,” Maker had also said at the time.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig explained at the Friday meeting, “If the Board rescinds its previous vote from June 11, we’re basically starting from that point where the Board has not made any decision. A person or entity is entitled to appeal an action taken by a municipality within 60 days of said action. As the 60-day deadline is this week, Green Earth Cannabis does not need to file suit against Halifax as long as the Board of Selectmen vote to rescind their decision not to sign the HCA. This saves on legal costs for both sides.

DiSesa confirmed with Seelig that if after going through all the motions, they could still decide against entering into an HCA with Green Earth. Seelig assured her that they could. A public forum/ hearing on the HCA will likely be scheduled for later this month. If, after that forum, the Selectmen still decide not to sign the HCA, Green Earth will have the opportunity to appeal the decision. Garron made a motion to rescind their previous vote and DiSesa seconded making it unanimous.