Dave Palana
Express correspondent

Junior Sam Shirikjian had a big day for the Lakers with a 6.89-second 55-meter dash to set a new personal best in place among all Patriot League sprinters at the meet. Shirikjian ran another personal best to place fourth overall in the 300 meters in 38.27 seconds.

Senior Nicholas Ierardi also ran a personal best to place third in the 55-meter hurdles in 8.37 seconds while Christopher Tilton ran into fifth place in the 600 meters and the Lakers’ 4×200 relay team outran Plymouth’s.

In the field events, Brandon Hooper placed fifth in the shot put. Ierardi also picked up points in the high and long jumps while Shirikjian also earned points in the long jump and Joseph Wennemer picked up points in the high jump.

Residents may have noticed a new emptiness at the Plympton Post Office.  While the clerks remain the same, and the service over the counter is the same, where are the mail carriers?  Where is the mail?

Online shoppers during the holiday season bombarded the little building with an avalanche of packages that made sorting the mail and preparing it for delivery a dangerous proposition.

One worker noted that it became an emergency situation and became unsafe for everyone behind the counter.

Now Plympton mail carriers are working out of the spacious Carver post office.  The same rural carriers are working their same postal routes, they said, but the carriers work from the Carver location.

“There is no plan to bring the carriers back to Plympton – not to this location – because it is just too small, “ a worker told The Express.  For now, service will remain the same, just happening from two locations.

If their first meet of the season was any indicator, the Silver Lake High girls gymnastics co-op, also known as Pemberlake, is in a strong position this season.

The co-op started off their year with a three-team meet in Pembroke on Friday, Dec. 20. In it, they took on and defeated Whitman-Hanson 131.5-117.95, but fell to Notre Dame Academy in a nail biter 132.1-131.5. With the win and loss, Pemberlake moved to 1-1 on the season.

Lauren Canniff was the top performer of the meet. She won the all-around with a score of 33.2. She tied for first place on the floor (8.5), came in second place on vault (9.2) and on the bars (8.1). Additionally, she finished third on the beam (7.4). This performance earned her Pemberlake’s Gymnast of the Meet award.

Just behind her, Ava Dorsey took second place in the all-around (33.1). Dorsey took first place on vault with a 9.6 and first on bars with an 8.3. She also tied for third place on floor (8.2).

Canniff and Dorsey were not the only first place finishers for the co-op. Sam Raleigh tied for first place on the floor (8.5) while Stella Lane had a first place finish on the beam (7.7).

Maizie Condon was second on floor (8.3), Sarah d’entremont took second on beam (7.7), Ciara Dalrymple came in third on vault (8.6) and Cam McGrath tied for third on floor (8.2)

On Thursday night of this week, the team competed at the Patriot League Invitational at Hanover High School. Their next team meet is set to take place on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at home. They will face off against both Marshfield and Hingham (7:00 p.m. start time). In Hingham’s first meet of the season, they scored 128.3, but fell to Hanover who put up 132.

Anyone who purchased a rain barrel this summer, it’s time if you haven’t already, to drain and store it! This prevents it from cracking from freezing water left inside.
There were directions on how to store your barrel, but if you are like most folks, finding them may be harder than the process!
Some helpful tips on how to do it!
1) take off the top of the barrel and use a bucket to get most of the water out then gently tip over to get the rest out.
2) use an elastic to keep the lever down and let it flow through the spout (see pics)
Also if you don’t have space in a garage, shed or basement to store it, make sure it is totally empty and lay it on it’s side. Secure it from rolling with rocks, bricks or some other heavy object against winter winds. If you leave it standing, rain and snow will just filter in again. If you must leave it standing, flip it over and put a heavy object on top.
This will keep your water barrel useable for next season and many more to come!
Have a safe winter and here’s to looking forward to gardening weather in 2020!

– Thank you to Nancy & Joe Botelho for these tips!

The Plympton School Committee met on Monday, December 16 to hear presentations from two department heads in addition to the usual updates and upcoming budget discussions.

Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto gave an update on the events of the past month. Report cards went out on December 9 and the school’s holiday concert was held on December 12. “It’s been a great month,” Veneto said. “We had a ton of parents come in for the Grade 2 Heritage Fair; we’ve seen a lot of parents in the building this month – the parent involvement has been terrific and it just goes to show that they’re very supportive of what goes on here and we’re very happy about that.” Veneto also called the Girl Scouts’ Holiday Craft Fair this past weekend “a huge success.” Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen also had praise for the Thanksgiving feast held at the school last month. The winter break will be from Monday, December 23 to Friday, December 27.

Director of Business Services Christine Healy gave an update on the financials saying, “We’re progressing very nicely through the year; there have been no unexpected events that we haven’t been able to financially take care of.”

Administrator of Special Education Marie Grable gave a presentation, just as she had done at the Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting the previous week. Grable began by defining special education as “specially designed instruction to help students with various disabilities anywhere from age 3 through age 22. Our focus is to try and equal the playing field for all students so that they can all access curriculum similar to their non-disabled peers.” Grable stressed the importance of the team in special education saying that it takes the cooperation and efforts of many including the student, parents, the school representative, the evaluation expert, the regular education teacher, the special education teacher, the child expert, and community agencies. At 14, the student becomes a legally recognized member of the team process.

The state gives ten classifications for schools to draw upon to determine if a student is eligible for an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Grable said that there are currently 53 students from Plympton, both at Dennett and out of district in K-6, that are receiving services via an IEP. Grable said that the number of students in out of district placements is going down. In fiscal year 2017, there were six out of district placements and in the current year there are only three.

Grable also spoke about the budget for special education tuition and transportation. One of the ways in which special education is paid for is through the state Circuit-Breaker program which reimburses school districts a percentage of the costs over a certain threshold which are accrued educating severely high needs students. For Plympton, that threshold is any amount over $45,792 per student. Out of district tuition for the town of Plympton this year is $535,381 and out of district transportation is $90,000. Some of these costs are offset through Circuit-Breaker. Two entitlement grants, Grant 240 and a smaller Grant 262, also help offset special education costs. According to Grable, the district needs to be cautious of the fact that the 240 grant is diminishing each year. A good portion of the 240 grant money is used toward the paraprofessionals that are working with the students receiving special education services. Grant 262 which targets students ages 3-5, is mainly used toward contracted services at the preschool level. Grable also said that in speaking with Superintendent Joy Blackwood, Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx, and Principal Veneto about budget preparations they have decided to include a proposal to add a special education teacher.

Grable gave an overview of the post-secondary Pathways program for students aged 18-22 which helps students transition into the community. The students in the Silver Lake Pathways program were acknowledged during a ceremony in November along with their colleagues in the neighboring communities of Carver, Pembroke, Duxbury, Hanover, Marshfield, Plymouth, and Whitman-Hanson. Grable said, “This program is doing such an outstanding job and all of the programs work so well together. Our students are over in Pembroke, and Marshfield, and Hanover, and they’re working alongside the students in some of the other communities in the communities and the workforce.” Grable continued, “I’m so proud of the fact that the school committee and the superintendent have had the vision to allow this program to move forward.”

Technology Director for Silver Lake Steve Pellowe also gave a brief presentation to the committee. Pellowe referred to the department as “small but mighty” saying that they manage over 7,000 individual devices. Pellowe said that the department’s budget is up only $270 from last year. “We try not to ask for more than we need,” Pellowe explained. Vice Chair Jason Fraser said, “It’s amazing what you’ve done with the amount of money you’ve asked us for the years you’ve been here.” “The budget number is ridiculous but in a great and welcoming way,” Fraser continued. Wilhelmsen added, “I think it also speaks to how you are doing your budget.”

Blackwood said that initial budget discussions had already been had for Plympton. The district will be going out to bid for buses. As mentioned during the special education presentation, the addition of a new special education teacher will be proposed. Of the request, Blackwood said, “I fully support and believe this is the right thing to do; I believe it will be a savings to the town once we educate the public to understand what it will mean if we aren’t able to provide those services within the brick and mortar of the Dennett Elementary School.”

Blackwood said there would be a slight increase in maintenance costs for the building. Wilhelmsen said that he thought it best that regular maintenance items be included in the budget while “one-of” maintenance items would best be paid for through special town meeting. Blackwood also announced the retirement of long-time kindergarten teacher Donna Resmini at the end of the school year. Blackwood said that her retirement would be a great loss for the school but did acknowledge that it would result in a roughly $25,000 cost savings to the school.

Blackwood likened the building of a budget to a puzzle and said that they hope to bring forth a budget that is fiscally responsible while still meeting the needs of those in the building.

The first item on the agenda at the Tuesday, Dec. 10 Halifax selectmen’s meeting was the Council on Aging (COA) Director search. One of the final two candidates is the current assistant town clerk in Halifax, Sue Lawless. Chair Troy Garron said, “I think by appointing Ms. Lawless it sends a message out to the town employees that there is an opportunity to move up within the organization.” Selectman Gordon Andrews and Selectman Tom Millias agreed with the decision to appoint Lawless as the new COA Director. Millias said, “A big thank you to the screening committee… it was a long time, there were a lot of applicants, there were two rounds, it was a lot to ask of volunteers and we want to thank you all.” The interim COA Director Brenda Fitzgerald will stay on for a few weeks to overlap with Lawless in order to provide training.

The Selectmen also discussed the public hearing held the previous week to discuss the possibility of entering into a host community agreement with Bud’s Goods and Provisions to establish an outdoor marijuana growing facility in town.

Bud’s president and CEO Alex Mazin was present at Tuesday’s meeting but didn’t speak. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said there were about forty abutters and other interested residents present at the hearing. Several residents mentioned concerns regarding odors as well as the appearance of the fence which would surround the facility. Millias said, “I heard concerns but I didn’t hear outright, vocal objections.” Seelig asked the selectmen if they were interested in gathering further public opinion before taking steps toward a community host agreement. The selectmen decided that while they didn’t need another public hearing, they wanted to give residents another week or so to submit comments regarding the proposed facility.

MacFaun appointed to Board of Health Steven MacFaun had a joint appointment with the Board of Selectmen and Board of Health to interview for an open position on the Board of Health. MacFaun, who said he has a background in septic, said he has been to several of the Board’s meetings and also attended a convention recently to learn more about issues pertaining to the Board of Health. Garron asked him if he attended town meetings and MacFaun replied that he does. Millias said, “Years ago, everybody kind of stereotyped the Board of Health with septic systems and that is just not the case anymore.” MacFaun assured Millias that he understood the complexity of the issues facing the Board of Health. Alan Dias, clerk for the Board of Health, moved to appoint MacFaun. MacFaun was unanimously appointed with the support of both boards.

Several other openings on various boards and committees were also discussed during Tuesday’s meeting. A talent bank form was submitted for the Municipal School Building Committee. An application for the Planning Board vacancy was submitted after the deadline but the Selectmen agreed to setup an appointment for her to come before them. According to Andrews, the applicant has a background in real estate.

The revised site plan for Amanda’s Estates was approved by the Planning Board by a vote of 2-1 last week. The Party Trust still must go to the ZBA for approval for new special permits based on their site plan.

The Board also voted to approve a number of license renewals for 2020 for many of the business in town.

Holidays in Halifax is this Saturday

Seelig said that Breakfast with Santa will be this Saturday, December 14 at 8:30 at the Halifax Elementary School. The event serves as the prelude to Holidays in Halifax which is currently in its 25^th year. “We’ve had one every year, rain, snow, winds, warm weather like we may have this year,” Seelig said.  A number of events are planned for this year’s festivities, all to take place on December 14. “I hope everyone will be able to make it out,” Seelig said.

With winter sports season starting up this past Monday at Silver Lake High, here is a refresher of how each of the varsity teams fared last season.

Boys Basketball

The Lakers made it to the Division 2 South sectional playoff bracket, but fell to Tech Boston on the road 80-50. The senior-heavy team finished their season at 13-9.

Girls Basketball

The Lakers underwent a rebuilding year, going 5-15 on the season.

Gymnastics

The co-op with Pembroke had yet another strong season; they earned their fourth straight Patriot League title. Ava Dorsey, a freshman last season, earned the Patriot League MVP award.

Boys Hockey

For the third straight season, the Lakers made it to the Division 3 South sectional playoffs via the Sullivan Rule. They went 8-11-4 last season and lost their top two scorers to graduation.

Girls Hockey

The co-op with Whitman-Hanson had a down year, going 4-13-2. However, the team was on the younger side and showed growth throughout the season. After starting the year at 0-7-0, they went 4-6-2 in their final 12 games.

Swimming

On the girls side, Alexa Connors earned Division 1 State titles last season. She got one in the 200 (1:50.84) another in the 500 freestyle (4:53.14). A senior this season, she has an opportunity to defend those titles once again.

Track

Both track teams enjoyed positive results last season; during the regular season, the girls went 4-1 and the boys went 3-2. Each team had their share of contenders at the state meet and Riley Paskow went to All-States for the girls; she came in 13th place in the 600 meter at the event.

Wrestling

The Lakers sent a pair of wrestlers to the Division 2 state tournament last season, including Kyle Cipullo (195), now a junior.

The Halifax Cultural Council is pleased to announce its grant awards for the 2020 grant cycle:

• Jazzin’ the Blues w/Paul Speidel $200

• A Musical Journey Through The Years w/Tommy Rull $375

• Concert: Plymouth 400-Adoration of Place  w/Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra $500

• Children’s Songs and Singing Games Family Concert w/Roger Tincknell $500

• Beethoven @ 250: 2 Area Performances of his Fifth Symphony and Mass in C Major w/Mayflower Camerata and Chamber Orchestra $457

• Guest Art Demo & Workshop at Silver Lake Regional High School $350

• High Art 2020: DREAMSCAPES at the Attleboro Arts Museum $100

• Art and Poetry: Making Creative Connections w/Bill Alberti $100

• Concert / Music Education w/David Maloof $375

• Magic for Seniors w/Ed Cope $450

• Halifax Reads at the Holmes Public Library $400

• Passes to Plimoth Plantation at the Holmes Public Library $500

• SENSEation Days at the Fuller Craft Museum $350

• Craft Inspires at the Fuller Craft Museum   $150

• Another Crossing: Artists Revisit the Mayflower Voyage at the Fuller Craft Museum $500

• Essential Portraiture Class at Silver Lake High School $150

• Soule Homestead Harvest Fair $200

• South Shore Natural Science Center’s Corn Festival $500

• Treasure Hunts at the Pilgrim Hall Museum  $100

• Senior Art Class w/Halifax Council on Aging $400

Information about the dates and locations of specific events will be posted on the Town’s web site at a later date. The Halifax Cultural Council is a local agency funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

For more information about the Halifax Cultural Council, please contact Town Administrator, Charlie Seelig, at 781-294-1316.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met on Monday, Nov. 18 minus Vice Chair Mark Russo. The Selectmen and Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy discussed the upcoming special town meeting to be held on December 16 at 7 p.m.

Per Dennehy’s request the selectmen passed a motion to close the warrant for special town meeting with the acknowledgement that while nothing will be added, there may be some articles removed.

Article One will call for an extensive revision to the solar by-laws. The Board agreed that it was not appropriate for them to either recommend or not recommend this particular article as it is already being handled by the Planning Board. The Planning Board previously held a public hearing on this topic.

The Selectmen did vote to recommend Article Two which pertains to the police chief.

Article 3 seeks approval to authorize the Board of Selectmen to create safety zones with reduced speed limits. Unsurprisingly, the Board voted to recommend this article.

The selectmen also recommended Article 4 to request the transfer of funds to pay for a van for the Council on Aging.

Article 5 that is being sponsored by the by-law review committee was first brought to their attention by animal control officer Brian Kling. Kling said that the state had changed a lot of their baseline regulations regarding animal control and that all of the communities were being strongly urged to adopt the same language. The requested changes increase fines for various related offenses and adds a provision for a third offense and for a fourth or subsequent offense. The Board voted to recommend this article as well.

Article 6 pertains to a vote that was being had by the Board of Assessors to release $290,000 from the overlay fund. Dennehy explained that if applied to the interim tax rate it would mean a reduction of fifty cents per thousand. Dennehy said that it would likely have to be made up next year in addition to other expenses including increased costs for regional dispatch and an update to the entire capital plan by the finance committee. Dennehy said that because valuations are likely to go up, it could be upsetting for people when they experience a large increase. “I think in light of some expenses that we may have on the horizon I’m not sure that being so quick to take that money and earmark it for something at a special town meeting that’s not occurring at a normal time of the year, I don’t really think that that’s the best course of action,” Dennehy said. Town Accountant Barbara Gomez was in agreement. The Selectmen voted not to recommend the article should it not be withdrawn before then.

Article 7 was similar to Article 6 in that the Selectmen and Dennehy were unsure if it would be withdrawn before special town meeting. Selectman John Traynor said, “I’m not opposed to what they want to do… I just don’t want to do it today.” Chair Christine Joy agreed saying, “Financial matters are always better saved for the annual.” Again, the Selectmen voted not to recommend the article for the same reasons as stated for Article 6.

Dennehy asked Joy and Traynor their opinions on whether or not a hard copy of the special town meeting warrant should be mailed to households. Dennehy said that they had not budgeted for printing and shipping costs but that the finance committee had said that they would help find a way to fund it. While town counsel said that there was no obligation to do so, the Selectmen and Dennehy were in agreement that it was best not to deviate from what was done in the past and agreed to the mailings.

Dennehy also updated the Board about regional transportation options, saying she has been working with Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig. They are currently awaiting further instruction as to whether they should reach out to Brockton area transit to pursue some form of relationship.

Dennehy also provided an update on the potential regionalization of the Council on Aging with Halifax and Carver. Dennehy said that since Halifax has had to extend their search for a Council on Aging director, the regionalization has been placed on the back burner temporarily. Once that position is filled, the three towns plan to move forward with their plans for a joint calendar, etc.

Dennehy once again emphasized to the Board that Plympton’s dispatch costs are set to increase significantly next fiscal year. Dennehy said that the finance committee is on board with the idea to attend a Selectmen’s meeting in late January where the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (R.O.C.C.C.) in Duxbury could also attend and give a presentation.

The Board voted to appoint Benjamin Sarro as motor equipment repairman from November 5, 2019 until June 30, 2020.

The Board also passed a motion to set the right of first refusal for two Harju properties for Monday, January 27 at 6 p.m.

The next Board of Selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 2.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen will host a community forum/public hearing for Bud’s Goods and Provisions proposal to build an outdoor cultivation facility on River Street on Wednesday, December 4 at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall in the Halifax Town Hall.

The forum will include a presentation and an opportunity for residents and other interested parties to ask questions, make suggestions, and voice their views on the proposed facility.

In preparation for the community forum, attendees are welcome to read the proposed Host Community Agreement (http://www.halifax-ma.org/board-selectmen/files/buds-goods-proposed-host-community-agreement) and Bud’s Goods and Provisions’ presentation (http://www.halifax-ma.org/board-selectmen/files/buds-goods-original-presentation)before the Board of Selectmen.