Ray Scott, a member of the Carver TRIAD gave thumbs up as he enjoyed lunch prior to the event. (Photo by Stephanie Spyropoulos)

Lock your doors. The message was strong, straightforward and imperative to personal safety.

How to avoid becoming a victim was the message sent in  a number of ways through the topics discussed at last week’s Senior Safety presentation.  Plympton police officers Dana Smith, and Doug Mazzola, Carver TRIAD members, Plympton Council on Aging, and members of the Plympton fire department, all brought their expertise to help senior citizens avoid becoming victims.

The messages at the luncheon held last week at the Plympton Town House were eye-opening for many who attended.

Financial scams, not offering personal information on the telephone and being aware of exits in buildings and large crowds were several topics that were touched on at the assembly.

Mazzola repeated the ‘see something say something’ phrase that has been adopted in this day and age when there can be questionable actions in everyday life.

“If you are alerted to the sensation that something doesn’t feel right use your instincts,” he said.

Plympton Fire Captain John Sjostedt III spoke about the upcoming changes to cell services. The regional call centers are now able to receive text messages for an emergency when there is no other way to communicate. Text 911 and include your physical address.

Among other heavier topics were recent mass shootings, lockdown and shelter in place drills, and student and staff training exercises and strategies that Smith has practiced as resource officer at the Dennett Elementary School. 

“Creating distance by moving yourself away from an unsafe situation is the best option,” said Smith.   Be aware of the exits when you are in a crowd.  Know your location.

He briefly shared his feelings on the Sandy Hook School shooting and drew on his experiences and knowledge that active shooter and safety drills afford to staff and students.

Smith also offered effortless alternatives that everyone can use to avoid potential unsafe situations such as not using an ATM after dark. Locking the car door when you step away from the vehicle is a simple thing to do; thieves look for any opportunities and prevention can make all the difference.

Smith also reminded the group to use their body language.  Perception can send a strong message to a perpetrator.  Carrying yourself with confident body language keeps you from appearing to be an easy target.

Seniors came away with a new awareness of some of the safety issues that they might encounter and some valuable strategies to employ.

Claire Müller of Boston, who grew up in Duxbury not far from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, voices concerns about a license transfer for the power plant at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission public input meeting in Plymouth Jan. 15, 2019. (Photo by Abram Neal)

PLYMOUTH — Officials gathered Tuesday, Jan. 15, at Hotel 1620 in downtown Plymouth for a public input meeting regarding the decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station and a potential license transfer from the current license holder to another company which is promising a significantly faster decommissioning process.

Representatives were present from the federal United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Louisiana-based Entergy, Inc., which is the nuclear plant’s current owner and license holder, New Jersey-based Holtec International, which is seeking permission from the NRC to take over Pilgrim’s license from Entergy, and Comprehensive Decommissioning International– a joint venture formed in 2018 between Holtec and Montréal, Canada-based SNC-Lavalin– which would, according to plans, be Holtec’s subcontractor for decommissioning the station.

Pilgrim, the commonwealth’s only currently operating nuclear power station, located off Rocky Hill Road in Plymouth, will cease to produce power at midnight May 31, 2019, according to an Entergy representative and will then move into a decommissioning phase.

Officials presented two NRC-approved plans to the public in a contentious, three-hour meeting. Entergy’s plan, known as SAFSTOR, would see spent radioactive fuel rods moved into dry storage on-site, with the plant being maintained and monitored in a manner that allows radioactivity to decay over time. It is then moved into what is known as DECON, where the plant is dismantled and the property is decontaminated. The process can take up to 60 years before the NRC finally allows the license to be terminated.

Holtec, which, said Joy Russell, a Holtec senior vice president, is the world’s leader in spent nuclear fuel management and storage, promised that her company could decommission the plant much faster. Through efficiencies created by using Holtec products, CDI could decommission the site, moving it through SAFSTOR into DECON much faster, they say, with plans to restore most of the site by 2026.

An NRC monitored trust fund is maintained by the license holder to ensure that enough money for the decommissioning process exists. If the license transfer is approved, Holtec would receive the decommissioning trust fund from Entergy, worth over a billion dollars as of the last report submitted to the federal government.

Russell said, “Holtec’s used fuel storage and transport expertise is in use by 116 nuclear reactors around the world. The spent nuclear fuel and irradiated components, which represent 98 percent of the radioactive source at a decommissioning site will be stored in Holtec canisters … Holtec’s partner in CDI, SNC-Lavalin, has over 30 years of managing decommissioning projects for both commercial nuclear facilities and government entities around the world.”

But Holtec itself has no experience in decommissioning any nuclear power plant in the world and has recently made headlines in California at the Southern California Edison San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station for possible NRC safety violations where Holtec dry-storage casks are used.

A four-inch loose metal screw was located in a cask about to be loaded with spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre. Holtec made design changes to the casks which they did not report to federal regulators, according to media reports. They said the changes were not significant enough to report, but the NRC is investigating.

After this story was originally published, a representative of Holtec and CDI contacted the Express on behalf of Russell, and in an emailed statement said, “A loose screw was found in a container during Holtec’s receipt inspection; part of quality assurance measure that Holtec performs on all canisters before fuel is loaded, to ensure the safety of canisters used for spent nuclear fuel.”

Neither plan addresses the fact that radioactive spent nuclear fuel rods will remain on the site for hundreds of years, if not indefinitely, if they are not transported elsewhere by the federal government. At the meeting, representatives of the NRC, a federal agency, blamed Congress for their inaction on the matter.

More than a dozen members of the public spoke against Holtec’s decommissioning plan, some more than once, citing fears of terrorism, climate-change and environmental concerns, having enough money in the decommissioning trust fund, concerns about the types of cannisters used, among others. Only one person spoke in favor of Holtec’s decommissioning plan.

Mary “Pixie” Lampert, of Duxbury, spoke at the meeting against Holtec’s plans on behalf of the Duxbury Selectmen and later spoke to the Express. She said that she is most concerned about the decommissioning trust fund running out before decontamination is completed. She also does not want spent nuclear fuel to be stored on-site, saying that although moving it to higher ground as Holtec has suggested is better than nothing, it is still vulnerable to terrorism.

Claire B.W. Müller, of Boston, asked, “Are Holtec and CDI willing to go above and beyond to protect the spent fuel from terrorism and climate change or will they just do ‘the floor’?

At the meeting, Russell responded that she was a nuclear scientist and had to live near nuclear power plants, too. She later responded to the question in writing.

“Holtec and CDI are committed to safety, security and being responsible stewards of the environment.”

The spent fuel canisters will be stored at 75 feet above mean sea level, and some 350 feet from Rocky Hill Road. Holtec’s canisters have been tested to withstand assaults by both human and natural events including missiles, planes, tornadoes and earthquakes. There are no “minimum standards” when it comes to security.

The current regulations imposed on the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel have been vetted by the U.S. Government for terrorism, environmental challenges and other hazards. The current regulatory standards are the result of these professional studies and validation by third parties.

Security of the spent fuel pad includes 24/7 on-site personnel, intrusion detection, and fencing. For reasons of security we cannot go into further details. Safety, security and environmental protection are at the heart of all that we do,” she said.

Müller, who said she grew up in Duxbury, responded to Russell, “I’m of course glad to hear Holtec intends to uphold current regulations for health and safety (that is a given: the “floor” of what is necessary), but the fact is our world is changing faster than our currently shutdown, underfunded federal agencies can regulate and dysfunctional Congress can legislate.

Doing the minimum will not be enough. Changing and ever worsening climate science shows that sea level rise, as well as world terrorism … means we need a decommissioning that goes above and beyond. The health of our families, our communities and the land demands that.”

The controversial meeting is likely only the beginning of more to come as activists such as Lampert and Müller say they plan to continue to challenge the license transfer.

Caeli McCulloch, 16, of Halifax, will start an early enrollment program at Johnson and Wales University, in RI, as she finishes her senior year at SLRHS.

Hard work has paid off in a sweet way for one exceptional Silver Lake student who has baked her way into early admission to culinary college.

Caeli McCulloch, 16, of Halifax may have been born with a mixing spoon in hand as she has officially been accepted to Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island as an early enrollment culinary student.

Although she is only a junior at Silver Lake High School she will complete her senior course load next fall as a freshman at Johnson and Wales University in Johnston, Rhode Island, allowing her to complete college one year early.

Her original goal in making and selling holiday confections was to save money for college  as technically she doesn’t qualify for state financial aid until she graduates high school.

Caeli spoke with The Express while whipping up a recipe she referred to as ‘simple’ – a delectable chocolate bourbon Bundt cake -with a caramel glaze. She whisked the thickening caramel in a multi-task, carefree manner never losing track of her perfectly formed cake as she described her passion for pastry.

Her busy holiday schedule included: working at her job of two years- Just Desserts in Bridgewater center, filling custom orders for holiday deadlines, keeping up with school work and daily chores. She also competes in track and field at Silver Lake.

She took over the family’s oversized kitchen for baking and packaging holiday pies, hand making assorted dessert trays and for several days occupied the space until she finalized each order. She estimates she made 25 desserts for Thanksgiving and then completed another 25 orders for Christmas.

With modesty McCulloch describes her above average grade point and perfect score of 100 percent in her culinary program through the Silver Lake Career and Technical Education Program.

The early acceptance program was something she had in her sights since her freshman year.

“It will be hard to let her go a year early to college but she has worked so hard. She has impressed me every step of the way,” said mom, Lynn Czarniak and step father Scott Czarniak.

The family agreed that Caeli has always worked well under pressure and couldn’t be more proud.

They recently learned she was awarded the Presidential Academic Scholarship through Johnson and Wales University, which will pay approximately half of her tuition. 

Her earliest kitchen recollections are using an EZ Bake Oven and kids cooking books, which were beneath her vast natural ability even at the age of four, according to mom.

Eventually moving on to utensils and kitchen equipment with her mom they would cook together for her younger brother who had severe food allergies.  Czarniak would cook specialized meals and with her daughter gained abundant knowledge on food allergens and how they could affect others. Caeli credits this early awareness towards her recent successes.

Their home is nut- free so she was able to be aware of those special needs for several holiday orders.

McCulloch proudly owns the title of ‘the person in charge of dessert’ when attending parties.  She finds the structural aspect of baking to be an independent, natural, calming component in her life.

Following online recipes using a base of a recipe then testing and personalizing to her own taste satisfies her creative flair. 

French macarons are a favored small plated pastry. She has mastered the ability of decorating party cupcakes, which has gained popularity over the years.

In choosing what to make on her holiday menu she based desserts on what she has perfected through school and her bakery experience.

“We learn about popular desserts and cultural awareness so I went on what I thought would sell the most- based on my previous knowledge,” she said.

Caeil’s Creations were expounded on by word of mouth, as well as posted on the Halifax and Pembroke connect pages.

A morsel of advice she would offer other teens in their endeavors is to never give up.

“You can do whatever you think you can. I never thought I would be going to school a year early and do all this – school – managing my job and applying for college.  Work as hard as you can, try everything to the best of your ability,” she said.

Gene Beliveau, left, and supporters before the Plympton Zoning Board of Appeals on Dec. 18, 2018. (Abram Neal)

PLYMPTON — On Tuesday, Dec. 18, the Zoning Board of Appeals held a new hearing for Gene Beliveau, manager of Plymouth County Paving, LLC. Beliveau was the appellant to a May 4, 2017, cease and desist order regarding what the previous Plympton Zoning Enforcement Officer, the late Robert Karling, ruled to be a “contractor’s yard” operating at 0 Winnetuxet Road (Map 21, Lot 1, Block 24).

Plymouth County Paving, LLC, which Beliveau manages, was accused of this prohibited zoning use at 0 Winnetuxet Road as it is in both the agricultural-residential and business zoning districts. Plymouth County Paving, LLC, is a provider of residential and commercial asphalt paving and maintenance services, excavation and demolition and commercial-industrial snow and ice management for properties located off-site, according to town documents.The ZBA and Beliveau reached a mutually agreeable settlement at the hearing, which Plymouth County Superior Court Judge Cornelius Moriarty, II, ordered, where Karling’s cease and desist order was upheld. But, exceptions were granted with a special permit allowing certain equipment to be kept on-site, according to the agreement.

In May 2017 Karling ordered Beliveau and any person acting on the business’ behalf or in concert with it to immediately cease and desist all use of the property for a “contractor’s yard” and commercial vehicle storage, the trucking of earth, gravel and other materials to and from the property and to remove from the property all of the materials, vehicles and equipment associated with such use.

On May 30, 2017, Beliveau filed an appeal with the ZBA.

A public hearing opened Aug. 15, 2017, and was continued to Aug. 24, 2017, and again to Sept. 7, 2017. During the hearing, Beliveau, through his attorney, provided evidence and testimony, and the ZBA heard additional evidence and testimony from members of the public and Karling. The ZBA also conducted a site visit Aug. 23, 2017.

In an Oct. 2, 2017, decision the ZBA voted 3-0 to affirm Karling’s cease and desist order regarding the use of the property.

Beliveau appealed this decision to the Plymouth County Superior Court.

On Nov. 13, 2018, Beliveau and the ZBA filed a joint motion in Superior Court requesting that the court remand the matter back to the ZBA for further consideration. Judge Moriarty agreed to allow the motion, and a new hearing was held.

The ZBA voted 3-0 at the new hearing to reaffirm Karling’s May 4, 2017, cease and desist order regarding the use of the property although Beliveau may keep more than three but less than 10 commercial vehicles on the property in accordance with the terms of a special permit granted by the board. Beliveau is also allowed specific forestry related equipment provided it is not visible from any roads or abutting properties (it must be stored in or behind a “long metal structure” on the property) and may replace it with comparable equipment over time so long as the amount of equipment does not increase.

The Express was not able to reach Beliveau for comment as of press time.

Officer Michelle McIntyre and Halifax Police Dept. Administrative Assistant Antoinette Tripolone Ross fill their baskets at Halifax Walmart shopping for toys for children in need. All these were made possible by the donation of a 4-year old boy in Halifax. (Photo courtesy Halifax Police Department)

HALIFAX — In early December, says Halifax Police Administrative Assistant Antoinette Tripolone Ross, a four-year-old boy walked into the Halifax Police Station with his grandfather. The young boy wanted to make a generous donation– $100– to children less fortunate than him in the area, said Tripolone Ross, who was touched by the gesture.

“I had goosebumps. What a way to raise a child,” she exclaimed.

She accepted the donation on behalf of the department, which went to their gift fund. Under the direction of Chief Joao Chaves, the department decided to match the funds given by the child, bringing the total donation to $200.

Tripolone Ross and Officer Michelle McIntyre, the department’s School Safety Officer, contacted John Mather, the manager of Halifax’s Walmart Supercenter, asking if there was any possibility an employee discount might be used to extend the $200 and the number of toys that could be purchased.

The two were delighted to find out that Mather would instead match the money on behalf of Walmart, bringing the total donation to $400.

“It was uplifting. I was inspired,” said Mather. “Let’s keep this good thing going,” he said he thought upon hearing of the boy’s generosity.

Tripolone Ross and McIntyre spent just over $400 on toys for children in need. They were picked up by the Salvation Army for distribution, according to the department.

“We need more of this kind of stuff in the world,” said Mather.

The boy and his grandfather toured the police station, met Chief Chaves and posed for a photo in a police cruiser.

“Look at what he [the boy] started,” said Tripolone Ross. “I can’t wait for next year,” she added, excitedly.

WAREHAM — Matthew Will, 37, of Halifax, owner of Five Star Discount Roofing, was in Wareham District Court Friday, Dec. 7, facing six larceny-related charges stemming from two Middleborough Police Department complaints alleging he took deposits by check for roofing and household contract work from six residents of the Oak Point 55-plus community in Middleborough, cashed the checks but did not start or complete the work as promised.

Will faces similar charges in Plymouth District Court, stemming from Kingston and Hanson allegations.

These charges are in addition to a long list of others, including a separate case also stemming from alleged crimes at the Oak Point community, in which Will is facing 15 counts of larceny over $250 by false pretense. A pre-trial conference was conducted on that case after the arraignments on the latest charges.

Judge Douglas J. Darnbrough presided over the proceedings, to which Will had been summonsed. His Plymouth-based attorney, Jack Atwood, pled not guilty on his behalf. At one point, Will attempted to address the judge, but Atwood stopped him from speaking, bellowing “Be quiet!”

Police and court reports paint a picture of a once reputable roofer unable or unwilling to keep up with the amount of work he had committed to, and the Middleborough Building Inspector, Robert Whalen, alerting police to complaints about Will while continuing to issue building permits despite warnings from Oak Point residents.

Whalen, in a phone interview Dec. 10, stated that disputes between contractors and homeowners are outside of his jurisdiction, but that in an effort to protect the community, he contacted Detective Simonne Ryder, of the Middleborough Police, regarding Will when Whalen had received about ten complaints.

As of press time, Will is facing a total of one count of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense, two counts of larceny over $1,200, 19 counts of larceny over $250 by false pretense, one count of larceny under $250 by false pretense and one count of forgery of a document.

There are 23 area households in three communities claiming they have been victimized to date, who have lost a combined $153,197.34 in monies given for work not done, with individual losses ranging from $695 to $15,569. Most of these victims are over age 55, and many are quite elderly, according to police reports. The alleged victim who lost the most money is 78 years old.

Grievances against Will date back to at least 2017, according to public records. By late May, 2018, enough residents from Oak Point had lodged complaints to catch the attention of the building inspector, Whalen, at which time authorities noticed Will’s insurance and building licenses had expired, according to police reports.

The detective opened a weeks-long investigation into Will on May 22, but police took no action on the inquiry until early August, by which time the number of alleged victims had grown and multiple police departments were investigating Will.

The report also stated that the building inspector was dealing with the issue, personally inspecting jobs and warning residents not to give 100 percent deposits as some residents had been doing.

Some residents were attempting to sue Will in small claims court for their losses, while the investigation was in process.

The building department was giving Will five licenses at a time because he said that he had 30 open jobs in Oak Point, records say. The report states that he was only able to complete a handful of those jobs over the course of a few weeks and had effectively disappeared by Aug. 1, 2018.

Between June 21 and Aug. 2, there is no record of any police action to stop Will in court files. The alleged victim in Kingston hired Will on July 15, and the alleged victim in Hanson hired him on July 31.

Whalen said that he reported Will to the Southeastern Massachusetts Building Association, which should have notified other local building inspectors about Will, according to Whalen.

He will next be in Plymouth District Court on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 9 a.m. for two pre-trial hearings. The three Wareham District Court cases have been continued to March 4, 2019, at 9 a.m. as well for pre-trial hearings.

Will cannot be reached by phone or email and the investigation in Middleborough is ongoing, police said.

The Silver Lake High field hockey team had a bit of a rebuilding year this past season, but there were certainly positives to take away from it.

The Lakers finished the season at 2-14-2 under first-year head coach Lori Bennett, but saved some of their best play for the end of the season; in their final three games, they went 1-1-1, picking up three points in the standings. In both of the team’s wins, goaltender Sophie Russo had shutouts in net, making the job a lot less stressful for her team’s attack.

With the season over, the Lakers will lose eight seniors to graduation, six of whom were in their starting lineup. These players include Russo, Megan Fay, Hayden Wechter, Colleen Foley, Ashley Swift, Stephanie Bennett, Joe Detterman and Cassie Peck. Of that bunch, Russo, Fay and Foley were the team’s captains.

Although they are losing a pretty good sized senior class, they will have plenty of talent coming back next season. After all, field hockey teams have 11 starters which means nearly half of their starting lineup is expected to return.

Most notably, the team’s returning scorer, Abby Colton, should be back again next season. The junior put up a team-high six goals this past fall. This should prove especially beneficial for the team as offense was not their strong suit this year, so bringing back a top scorer along with some experienced varsity players may help them there.

In addition to Colton, junior Rosalie Moynihan, and sophomores Ava Mirisola and Paige Nally were among the team’s key players this past fall, so they should help propel the Lakers next season in even bigger roles.

The Lakers will also have some of their JV players from this past season help fill some of the voids on their roster next fall.