Plympton Police Chief Matthew Clancy has announced that Eversource Gas Division will be replacing a 100-year-old natural gas main along Grove Street in Plympton.

The construction will tentatively begin on Wednesday April 28, 2021 and stretches from the Halifax/Plympton town line to the Kingston/Plympton town line. The project is expected to take 4-5 weeks to complete.

Grove Street, a popular cut through road near Silver Lake Regional High School and Middle School, will be closed to through traffic during daytime hours while construction is active.

Grove Street residents will have access under the direction of police details. School bus access will also be maintained.

The road will reopen to through traffic during evenings and over the weekends.

Those who are not residents of Grove Street are encouraged to seek an alternate route while this project is ongoing.

KINGSTON – Kingston’s annual town election will be held Saturday, April 24.  All precincts, 1-4, will vote at the Kingston Elementary School, 150 Main St., Kingston, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On the ballot:  Select Board for three years, two candidates for re-election, Kimberly Emberg and Sheila Marie Vaughan.  (Vote for two)

Assessor for three years: Scott J. DeSantis.  (Vote for one)

Collector of Taxes for one year:  Jessica M Kramer and Kenneth G. Moalli.  (Vote for one)

Planning Board for five years: Jonathan Jacob Barnett, Sr., candidate for re-election. (Vote for one)

Silver Lake Regional School Committee for two years: Emily R. Davis and Emma Rose Morgan.  (Vote for one)

Silver Lake Regional School Committee for three years:  Leslieann S. Magee, candidate for re-election. (Vote for one)

Kingston Elementary School Committee for three years: Katina Bedard and Megan G. Cannon.  (Vote for one)

Water Commissioner for three years: Richard Wilson Loring, Jr., candidate for re-election.  (Vote for one)

Board of Health for two years: Dennis N. Randall.  (Vote for one)

Board of Health for three years: Janet D. Wade, candidate for re-election and Norman P. Harbinson, Jr. (Vote for one)

Library Trustees for three years: Emily Flight Curtin, candidate for re-election, Shannon J. Gauthier, and Christine Maiorano. (Vote for not more than two)

Recreation for three years: Melissa A. Bateman and Daniel P. Shropshire, both candidates for re-election.  (Vote for not more than two)

Sewer Commissioner for three years: Thomas W. Taylor II, candidate for re-election.  (Vote for one)

Senator Michael Brady (D-Brockton) announced today, as a member of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, that the House and Senate have reached an agreement to pursue an increase to local aid in the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget.

The agreement funds the first year of the Student Opportunity Act and places the commonwealth on track to full implementation by 2027. Signed into law in 2019, the Student Opportunity Act is a landmark achievement for equitable education and constitutes the largest investment in Chapter 70 aid in over twenty years.

“The rapid outbreak of the pandemic caused many important commitments to be delayed,” said Senator Michael D. Brady, “We are working closely with our partners in the House, local school districts, and education stakeholders to ensure we can get the state back on track to ensure all students can receive a high-quality education.”

The local aid agreement includes the following parameters:

• Funds Chapter 70 at its highest level ever at $5.503 billion, an increase of $219.6 million over FY 2021, which fully funds 1/6th implementation of SOA rates;

• Creates a $40 million enrollment reserve fund targeted to stabilize school districts adversely impacted by pandemic-related enrollment changes; and

• Funds Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) at $1.16 billion, an increase of $39.5 million over FY 2021, providing additional local aid support to our cities and towns

WESTWOOD – Dr. Jacob Conca, Head of School at Xaverian Brothers High School, is pleased to announce that 600 students from 75 cities and towns have been named to the honor roll for the second marking period of the 2020-2021 school year.

The Xaverian Brothers High School honor roll has three designation levels:

• Ryken Honors indicates all marks are A- or above

• First Honors indicates all marks are B or above

• Second Honors indicates all marks are B- or above

Local students are:

Halifax

Panayioti Haseotes, Ryken Honors, 8

 Hanson 

Michael Bulger, Ryken Honors, 10

Whitman 

Michael Kanaan, Ryken Honors, 10

Xaverian Brothers High School is a Catholic, college-prep day school for boys in grades 7-12. For more than 50 years, Xaverian has been at the forefront of Catholic education, challenging young men to become their best; not just as students but as leaders of strong faith and character. For more information visit www.xbhs.com.

Events in Boulder, CO – Until March 27, 2021

Please be advised that as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 22, 2021 in Boulder, Colorado, and in accordance with the Presidential proclamation, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, has ordered that the United States of America flag and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag shall be flown at half-staff at all state buildings beginning immediately until sunset on Saturday, March 27, 2021.

This gubernatorial order applies to:

1.  The main or administration building of each public institution of the Commonwealth, e.g. town and city halls

2.  Other state-owned or state-controlled buildings

3.  All state military installations

By Kathleen LaNatra

The cranberry industry is one of the true gems of our Massachusetts economy, and has been for over 200 years. The cranberry is our state’s leading agricultural product, and Massachusetts is home to more than 30% of the total cranberry-growing acreage in the entire United States. Much of that acreage is right here in our district. In good times, the crop value of cranberries has reached $100 million annually. Without question the cranberry industry is a significant business for us all.

Yet, it’s an industry facing very serious challenges. I have had the opportunity to get to know many of the cranberry farmers and industry leaders throughout the region and have learned firsthand of the struggles they face.

Several of their biggest challenges have included a significant price drop over the last decade, coupled with fallout from trade wars.

In 2008, a barrel of cranberries was worth about $58 a barrel. Ten years later, though, the price had dropped to $25. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association estimates the cost of producing one barrel of cranberries at approximately $35.

Industry leaders attribute the price drop to crop surpluses, along with a decline in demand for some of the industry’s most important products, including cranberry juice.

Then there are the recent trade wars. Over the last few years, for example, Chinese tariffs on dried cranberries increased from 15% to 40%.

The American cranberry industry had been working to open a Chinese market for cranberries, and had enjoyed some success. Between 2013 and 2018, American exports of cranberries had increased by 1,000%. But in the first half of 2019, after an increase in tariffs, sales were 45% lower than the previous year.

For this particular struggle, we hope to work closely with our federal legislators and the Biden Administration  to improve the export market for our cranberry growers.

Closer to home, cranberry farmers continue to seek solutions to their challenges. Some have considered leasing portions of their bogs to solar companies; others contemplate dumping a significant part of their supply and turning it into fertilizer or compost. Some hope that in so doing the decrease in supply could lead to driving up the prices.

Certainly everyone will be better off if the industry can continue to produce robust quantities of cranberries and find a receptive market.

There has been some effort to address the challenges the industry faces. A few years ago, the Massachusetts Cranberry Revitalization Task Force identified strategies to support the state’s cranberry industry, including funds to renovate and upgrade local grower bogs, implementing additional conservation efforts, and considering incentives to preserve retired bogs as open and protected space.

It’s unlikely that any single solution will be the remedy for all the issues that the farmers and industry leaders face. But we all need to try. As consumers, we should be proud of this unique industry and we can support it at the grassroots level by buying their products. Legislatively, in my role as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Export Development, it will be my priority to do everything I can to support our cranberry farmers and help them promote their product on a national and international stage.

The cranberry industry is an important part of our past, and present. I will do everything I can to assure that it remains that way in the future.

With a bang.

That is the best way to describe how the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake High girls’ hockey co-op finished off their season last week.

The co-op known as WHSL had their final game of the season on Sunday, Feb. 21 against the Marshfield Rams. They won the game 7-2. It was not only their highest-scoring game of the season, but it tied their largest margin of victory on the year. They also won by five goals on February 8: 6-1 against the East Bridgewater/West Bridgewater co-op.

Ellie Grady led the scoring effort for WHSL in the win, putting up a team-high three goals. In addition to her hat trick, the team got one goal apiece from: Shea Kelleher, Kira Peterson, Bridget Cardarelli, and captain Emily McDonald.

The game marked the team’s second straight win against Marshfield. Two days prior, they also faced off against Marshfield and won the game 5-4.

WSHL ended their season with a record of 4-5-2 in 11 games played. They scored just as many goals as they allowed: 33 for and 33 against. That’s an average of 3.0 goals for and against per game.

Next season, WHSL will have a younger team. They are set to lose nine seniors to graduation this spring. It’s unclear if the team will play a full slate of games next year after a shortened season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The roster for WHSL this season included: senior forward Ellie Grady, sophomore forward Shea Kelleher, sophomore defender Macie Fitzgerald, sophomore forward Bridget Cardarelli, freshman defender Jocelyn Moore, senior forward Molly Duff, junior forward Lily Ulvila, sophomore forward Cassandra Martin, senior forward Neve Corkery, senior forward Emily McDonald, freshman defender Caitlin Dilley, junior forward Abby Powers, senior forward Caleigh Tompkins, senior forward Kira Peterson, senior forward Caity Collins-Hazley, sophomore defender Kendyl Peterson, and senior goalies Kat Gilbert and Rylee Moran.

Benjamin Paulin

Email: [email protected]

Special to The Express

PLYMPTON — Chief Matthew Clancy reports that the Plympton Police Department will charge a man with making threats at a business in town over the weekend.

Two additional men were subsequently arrested by Carver Police, who seized two handguns, a large knife and multiple pills during a motor vehicle stop with all three men inside.

The unnamed male suspect will be issued a summons to appear in court at a later date and will be charged by Plympton Police with Threats to Commit a Crime: To Wit Murder. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a criminal complaint has not yet been filed by the court, so the identity of this suspect is being withheld at this time.

Additionally, Adam Laurenco, age 32, of Taunton was also charged by Carver Police with:

• Carrying a Firearm Without a License

• Possession of Ammunition Without an FID Card

• Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm

• Possession of a Class B Substance (Oxycodone)

• Possession of a Class B Substance (Xanax)

Nicholas Bellefeuile, age 31, of Middleborough was also charged by Carver Police with:

• Carrying a Firearm Without a License

• Possession of Ammunition Without an FID Card

• Carrying a Dangerous Weapon (Brass Knuckles)

• Possession of Class B Substance (Oxycodone)

• Possession of Class B Substance (Xanax)

Bellefeuille and Laurenco  were arraigned in Wareham District Court on Monday, Feb. 22, and were released on $1,000 bail.

At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 21, Plympton police officers responded to the Tractor Supply Company, located at 406 Main St. in Plympton, after receiving a report of multiple customers who were behaving oddly and allegedly causing a disturbance inside the store.

Upon arrival, officers learned that the three men involved had left the store and were heading south into Carver. One of the men was reportedly armed with a large knife. Officers were given a description of the vehicle and suspects and the description was put out over the radio to neighboring police departments.

A short time later, Carver Police located a truck matching the description given traveling south on Main Street (Route 58) with three males inside. A traffic stop of the vehicle was conducted in the area of 32 Main St. and Plympton Police responded to assist.

Through the roadside investigation, officers determined that the three occupants of the truck had been at Tractor Supply Company a short time prior to being stopped by police. One of the men was armed with a large knife and the other two were armed with handguns. None of the suspects had a license to carry a firearm.

As a result of this investigation, Bellefeuille and Laurenco were placed under arrest by Carver Police and the third man was issued a summons to appear in court.

“This was great police work and cooperation by both departments to quickly locate and arrest these men and get two illegally possessed guns off the streets,” Chief Clancy said. “I want to thank the Carver Police for their assistance in the investigation and prompt response to the incident.”

Carver Police Chief Marc Duphily said, “This incident was able to  be resolved thanks to inter-agency support and the strong relationship we have with the Plympton Police Department. I want to commend our officers who were able to locate this truck and conducted the traffic stop leading to the arrests and seizure of weapons.”

These are allegations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.