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Opening Celebration for Plympton Parks

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The Plympton Open Space Committee invites residents and friends to join in celebrating the official opening of Plympton Parks on Saturday, April 23, from noon until 3 p.m. The festivities feature several special events, including a “scavenger hunt” for children, guided tours of the trails and ongoing acoustic music for all to enjoy.

  At 1 p.m. there will be a short ceremony to thank the organizations and individuals who have given their time and talents to make the Parks a reality. Invited guests include the descendants of the Churchill Family, Representative William Keating, the Wildlands Trust and the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts. The old “gravel pit” is the location for the ceremony and the start of all other events.

Attendees are asked to park at the Dennett School and use the Ring Road entrance to the Parks. Plympton police will help facilitate safe crossing of Ring Road for attendees and their families. If you require transportation to reach the gravel pit area, volunteers will provide you with a ride from the school area. Please call Jane at 781 585 4771 to request this assistance.

Rain date is Sunday, April 24. The Open Space Committee thanks everyone who has supported this project and hopes you will be there to help celebrate!

U Drive. U Text. U Pay.

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HALIFAX– Early last week, Halifax Police Chief Edward Broderick announced that his department was one of 202 local law-enforcement agencies to receive a grant from the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) administered by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS/HSD) to combat texting while driving and distracted driving.

Local police along with State Police and other law-enforcement agencies from across the Commonwealth and the country will use the grant money to fund “traditional and innovative” enforcement activities during a “crack-down” period on distracted driving from April 8 through April 29. Broderick stated that he would make any specifics of the campaign public.

Although the Plympton Police department was not eligible for the grant due to changes in highway-safety grant funding formulas implemented during the Patrick Administration, the Plympton Police force is “hyper-vigilant” for all forms of driving infractions, including texting while driving, distracted driving, seatbelt violations and inspection sticker violations, according to Chief Patrick Dillon.

Distracted driving can include anything from fiddling with the car radio to talking on your cell phone, which although not explicitly forbidden, can get you a ticket if it is affecting your driving.

Texting while driving was outlawed in Massachusetts in 2010, according to EOPSS.  Drivers who write, send or read texts can be hit with a $100 fine. Teen drivers under 18 years of age are prohibited from using cell phones or other electronic devices at all while driving, including to make phone calls. The fine for a juvenile first offense is $100, a 60-day license suspension and required completion of a driver re-training course.

In 2014, across the United States, 3,179 people were killed and an additional 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers, according to the state.

Plympton Chief Dillon suggests that if you absolutely must use your phone during the course of a trip, to pull over to a safe spot, out of the way of traffic so as not to create a hazard, such as a parking lot, and conduct your business there and not while on the road.

He also suggested simply putting the cellphone away and not using it until you’ve reached your destination, the safest option according to him.

Cranberry Equestrian Team compete at IEA Nationals

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In the 2010-11 season, the Cranberry Equestrian Middle School Team, “CET” for short, an Interscholastic Equestrian Team, was champion of Zone 1, made up of the six New England states, qualifying them for the IEA National Finals in Maryland.     Last weekend, five years later, the Cranberry Equestrian Middle School Team once again finished in the top three of 18 teams at the Zone 1 Finals, qualifying them for the IEA National Finals once again, this year to be held in Lexington, KY at the Alltech Arena at Kentucky Horse Park.

The Cranberry Equestrian Middle School Team is based at Reunion Farm, Plympton Village, and is coached by Macaela Burnet, Geraldine Burnet, and Betsy Kupic.

The middle school team will travel to Lexington, KY to compete against 18 delegate teams from across the country April 20 through 24.

What does it take to bring a team of riders and a group of horses a thousand miles?  “It takes a lot,” said Geraldine Burnet, owner of Reunion Farm.  “A lot of effort and a lot of money.”  Burnet continued, “We are all proud of the effort our team put forth for a chance to compete at the national level, and hope we will be able to get them there.”

As you can imagine, there are large costs involved with the endeavor.  Each team member has to pay for airfare, hotel, coaching, local transportation, and meals.   

To that end, the Cranberry Equestrian Team will hold a fundraiser this Saturday morning, April 2, at Reunion Farm, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Bring the kids and treat them to pony rides, a petting zoo, and a bake sale. Saturday night, April 2, the indoor riding arena will become home to games and two big screen family friendly  movies from 6-9:30, bring the family!  The cost is $20 per child, with a $35 family cap.  The price includes popcorn, pizza, and soda.

This team will work hard to raise what they need to get where they need to go.  They hope the community will pitch in and give them a hand.

Throughout the school year, the Cranberry Middle School Team held practice sessions once or twice each week and competed in a maximum of five events per student so that the playing field is level for each rider.   Once a student has accumulated enough points, 18 this year, they qualify for post-season regional finals, which were held Feb 27 and 28 at Stoneleigh Burnham School in Greenfield, moving forward three riders per event onto the Zone 1 finals, held this year at Mt. Holyoke College, March 26, and 27.

The Interscholastic Equestrian Association is made up of 350 teams from across the country, in grades 6-12, who enter competitions on completely equipped horses that are provided at each venue to the students.   

Since the horse is new to the rider, the scores are based upon horsemanship and equitation, and the skills the rider exhibits in controlling and bringing out the best attributes of the horse.

All disciplines offer a variety of ability levels from beginner through advanced. The IEA has set guidelines for the placement of new riders entering the IEA to allow for the unique program format of riding an unfamiliar horse.

For student equestrians in grades 6-12, the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) was established in the spring of 2002 and held its first annual national finals event the following year in Willoughby, Ohio. A non-profit organization, the IEA has grown both geometrically and geographically each year. 

Huge Halifax Concert proposed; Fieldstone Farms Warned

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HALIFAX– Halifax Selectmen met on Tuesday, March 8 and as quickly as possible dealt with a lengthy agenda. There were two appointments, both of a serious nature, although after these as the night grew late there was a significant amount of laughter in the room as less weighty subjects were discussed, including determining a pressing question of when to call a dog hearing.

Unprecedented Event Proposed

Robert Bergstrom, best known for his now-annual MudFest truck racing event, has some big plans in the works. The Selectmen seemed to simultaneously sigh with relief when they found out that he has scaled his proposal down in the last several weeks, but Bergstrom would like to hold a two-day concert this summer at Fieldstone Farms, hopefully to raise money for or donate to veterans in some way. He expects a maximum of 5,000 people to show-up each day, with approximately 8 food vendors and 8 other concessions vendors.

The name “Steven Tyler” has even been heard, but Bergstrom is currently being coy about that.

Bergstrom had previously worked with a promoter who raises money for veterans, but decided to shift direction and take on the project himself when that original proposal, for an even larger event, took on a life of its own and did not seem to be something selectmen would support.

The logistics of such a concert would likely be unprecedented for Halifax, despite events of this size being held at Fieldstone Farms for their horse shows. Selectmen Chairman Kim Roy as well as Selectman Tom Millias noted that this concert would be of a different nature than the horse shows, and Millias especially noted that concerts, “can have a tendency to get out of control– or not.” Security is one major concern the board noted.

“The only reason we are even entertaining this idea is because you have had a very good history with us,” said Selectman Troy Garron. Bergstrom replied, “Why, thank you!” Bergstrom, a colorful character, has a good relationship with the Board.

All board members agreed that they needed to see much more detailed plans before they could approve the event, and that all appropriate boards and public safety officials be notified. Bergstrom must contact the Police Chief, Fire Chief, Board of Health, Building Inspector, and more before he comes back before Selectmen on March 29.

Halifax Health Agent Cathy Drinan added that Halifax has many large event requirements pertaining to health and public safety that would need to be met, and that this may well be the largest event ever held in Halifax. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig agreed, saying, “I think that’s what this board is expecting,” directed at Bergstrom.

The proposed date of the concert is coming up quickly, and Bergstrom mentioned possibly pushing it back by one or two weeks to give himself further time to plan and as well for the Selectmen to carefully consider the proposal.

Fieldstone Farms Horse Shows

In an unrelated matter, Scott Clawson, proprietor of Fieldstone Farms, was called before the Selectmen because he had advertised more show dates for his annual “Class A” equestrian event than allowed in an agreement negotiated with the town 23 years ago. He was represented by counsel, Attorney Phil Taylor.

An action by the Building Inspector at that time was litigated, and a settlement was reached with the town. The agreement was signed by Clawson, as well as the Board of Selectmen, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Building Inspector. The agreement includes a cap on the number of horse shows permitted.

Clawson, through his attorney, asked the board to change the agreement, including adding more shows, and noted that because this was a legal agreement, any changes would need to go through the courts and thus Town Counsel would need to be involved.

But the board quickly and unyieldingly began hammering away at Clawson and his attorney stating that the reason the board has summoned him in the first place was because of the fact that he had advertised too many shows in violation of the agreement. Clawson wasn’t supposed to be there asking for more shows, he was there to explain himself for the violation.

Selectman Millias appeared particularly annoyed, the first to make this point. Garron joined him in his expressed annoyance, saying that, “We should have been having this conversation [about adding dates] before you advertised them…we called you out on it.”

Attorney Taylor had an explanation: “It’s easier to cancel shows rather than plan a show.” He apologized for the timing, but Selectmen Chairman Kim Roy appeared skeptical.

The discussion turned to which board has the authority to modify the agreement. Taylor argued that it was the Selectmen, because only they can authorize litigation. But the ZBA feels that it is in their purview, according to a letter sent to the board, as it is their belief that the agreement was executed by the ZBA.

It was not apparent to anyone in the room how the matter ever had anything to do with the ZBA, which particularly befuddled Millias, who mentioned several times that the ZBA is an adjudicating body, not an enforcement authority.

All agreed that nothing could be decided that evening, and that Town Counsel needed to be consulted as to which board had jurisdiction over the matter, if not both.

Clawson added that he had been trying to figure out for over a year which direction to go in, and received conflicting answers from the town. He left essentially with only a scolding for advertising extra show dates before asking the town to change the terms of their agreement.The matter was continued.

Dog bites Dog

Yes, that was an agenda item on Tuesday night. Halifax Selectmen, who have recently adjudicated an inordinate number of dog hearings over the past several months, could and probably would certainly hold a dog hearing if a dog bit another dog that wasn’t from the same household, especially so if it was a serious bite or if one of the dogs was not licensed or vaccinated.

The question of the night, though, posed by Town Administrator Seelig, was, “Is a dog hearing necessary if a dog bites a dog from the same household?” Apparently, the situation had arisen and two licensed and vaccinated dogs from the same household got into a spat where one bit the other.

“What would the point of that hearing be?” asked Troy Garron, the board’s resident animal lover, and also the board member who is most vocal at dog hearings, calling them “People Hearings”.

The room erupted in laughter as the Selectmen considered the scenario, but Seelig finally chimed in with, “Fine, that answers my question.”

Now that the Halifax Board of Selectmen have answered this important question, the only question left unanswered for the Selectmen may be whether to call a hearing if and when a human bites a dog. That, though, might be under another board’s jurisdiction.

Halifax BOS say control dog or else

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Halifax BOS say control dog or else: Family warned that dog could face euthanization

HALIFAX–Jan. 26 Selectmen held three dog hearings, considered updates to the Highway Department and other radio systems, and discussed looking further into a proposal by Duxbury to increase their regional dispatching center, which right now includes Duxbury and Plympton.

Intense Dog Hearing

Although selectmen may have been trying to send a strong message to the dog-owners and residents with pets in Town in general, the terms “euthanize”, “put-down” and “save your dog” were put forth by the Board with a certain indifference.

One hearing had been continued from Jan. 12 in order for more witnesses to be found. No new witnesses came forward, although the dog-owner appeared with his wife, who had not been present at the beginning of the hearing Jan. 12.

The incident occurred at 304 Wood Street on Nov. 18, 2015. A bicyclist from Bridgewater, the victim, was riding his bike at approximately 5:05 p.m. when a dog began to chase the bicycle and bit him.

Originally, the dog could not be located, due to the distance of the incident from the home where the owners of the dog lived, but Halifax Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan eventually located the dog at 270 Wood Street. She stated that according to an anonymous neighbor, a dog living at 270 Wood Street is often running loose.

The neighbor continued to wish to remain anonymous and the victim did not come to the hearing on Tuesday.

The dog-owner and his wife insisted that they did not believe that the dog that made the bite was theirs, even though neither of them were home when it happened and the dog was under the control of their children.

They also stated that because the incident happened such a far distance from their home, that it couldn’t have been their dog in this case, even though they acknowledged the dog sometimes has gotten loose in the past, as recently as this summer.

A nearly identical incident occurred with the same dog in 2009, according to Selectmen.

ACO Callahan has repeatedly insisted that the dog has been positively identified, and Selectmen have stated that they have no reason to doubt her.

Despite the grey-area recognized by Selectmen Troy Garron and Tom Millias due to the lack of witnesses present, Garron, a retired law-enforcement officer said he could certainly build a “circumstantial” case that he would win in court.

Selectmen Chairman Roy asked, “How are we going to resolve this?” The Board was unanimous in its deliberations that this could not occur again, in order to protect the safety of the people of Halifax and protect the liability of the Town.

The couple was asked if they could fence in their whole yard, to which they answered that it would be a financial hardship, costing more than $10,000 for a dog that will likely only live a few more years. Roy attempted to work with them to come up with a more cost-effective solution, but then pointed out that failing all else, putting the dog down might be the only answer. “Are you willing to spend $10,000 to save your dog?” asked Roy. “How much are you willing to spend?”

“If this happens again, we’re going to have to find the dog a new home. Can we ban dogs anymore?” asked Garron. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig responded “No.” “Well, there are other ways of finding a dog a ‘new home,’” responded Garron.

And on it went. The bottom line from the Board to the family was: this can never happen again so you have to come up with a plan to keep the dog from escaping. The couple could be seen comforting their visibly upset school-age daughters who accompanied them to the hearing.

In order for the family to keep their dog, they agreed to either gate or fence in an area so that the dog can’t escape before being placed on a chain run or a leash. They must submit their plan to the BOS and the ACO for approval. “The last thing I would want is to see is a dog euthanized due to the negligence of its owners,” said Garron.

Selectman Millias, who is generally soft-spoken, provided the last words of the hearing, “If the victim and the neighbor were sitting here now to testify against you, I would be voting to euthanize your dog right now.”

Radio Systems

According to Selectmen Chairman Roy, the Highway Department is using antiquated radio equipment that is more than thirty years old. The Town is no longer even licensed to use the frequency for those radios.

Police Chief Ted Broderick mentioned that the radios are so antiquated that the Highway Department just uses phones right now to communicate.

This has brought attention to the fact that many other Town departments, although not Police and Fire, are in the same or similar situations. During the most recent snowstorm, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) had to loan Halifax radios, but when they are sent back, they are back to using nothing but phones.

Town officials are scrambling to correct the problem in the next few weeks by getting a better handle on the cost of new equipment, in the realm of $40,000, according to Roy, and relicensed to broadcast on the proper frequencies by the FCC. “We’re trying to balance between getting the latest new technology versus something cheap and quick,” said the Police Chief.

Regional Dispatch?

Duxbury is again courting Halifax to join in its regional dispatch facility. The Town of Plympton pays Duxbury to handle its dispatching.

Although Halifax has participated in studies of switching to regional dispatching in the past, none have come to fruition.

Chairman Roy mentioned that one disadvantage would be that the civilian dispatchers are stationed at the Police Station, and perform certain administrative duties, such as dealing with the public.

Should Halifax join Plympton in remote dispatching from Duxbury, the station would “go dark” at some point during the evening, which concerned the entire Board. Selectman Garron said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” in response to the proposal from Duxbury Fire Chief Kevin Nord. “But, I would be willing to listen to a proposal.”

Selectman Millias also was not inclined to go in that direction right now, but as a Plympton employee stated that it has worked well for them. Chairman Roy will explore the matter with Duxbury Fire Chief Nord.Halifax Selectmen will next meet Tuesday, Feb. 9.

Dog saga crosses town lines

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Dog saga crosses town lines as Plympton and Halifax try to control unruly canine

HALIFAX/PLYMPTON– For weeks appointed and elected officials in both Halifax and Plympton have been attempting to deal with a “menacing” dog, living at a residence in Plympton adjacent to the Halifax/Plympton border which abuts the Winnetuxet Children’s Place preschool, which is on the Halifax side of the line.

Halifax Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan carefully reviews her notes prior to a Dog Hearing held before the Board of Selectmen. Photo by Abram Neal.

Halifax Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan carefully reviews her notes prior to a Dog Hearing held before the Board of Selectmen. Photo by Abram Neal.

As Plympton has no leash law, Frank Bush, the Plympton Animal Control Officer expressed in a letter to Selectmen that he believed that there was nothing he could do, and encouraged Plympton to pass a leash law.

The Plympton ACO, after some prompting by Plympton Selectmen, on Monday put a 14-day restraining order on the dog, requiring it to be under the control or direct supervision of its owners at all times. This is not the first time a restraining order has been placed on this dog, according to Plympton records.

Several days before the restraining order was placed, Bush received a letter from the Halifax Town Administrator, Charlie Seelig.  Although dated late December, it clearly outlined the Halifax Board of Selectmen’s complaints, and how Plympton might address them under Plympton’s own bylaws.

Believing that Bush had already received the letter, as the Selectmen had, Plympton Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo complimented Seelig’s letter for its clarity and the direction it gave Town officials.

But on Tuesday, Bush rejected the letter from Seelig, asserting that Halifax had not filled out an official complaint form and therefore he could again do nothing more than what he had already done. Seelig takes the position that Plympton does not have an official complaint form, that it is simply a generic form from the state.

Regardless, Russo personally rushed the form to Seelig.

Russo has expressed that he wishes for the matter to be dealt with promptly, and hopes to hold a dog hearing at the Plympton Board’s meeting on Jan. 25. In order for this to happen, though, a certified letter to the owners of the dog must be sent by Friday.

On Tuesday, Halifax ACO Noreen Callahan stated that she regularly patrols the area, but cannot take action unless the dog is caught across the border, physically in Halifax. At that point she could start an investigation.

The matter remains ongoing as of press time, and may very likely continue on for several more weeks.

Halifax holds Special Town Meeting

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Halifax holds Special Town Meeting: Unanimity, Majority, Passed Over

HALIFAX– On Monday, Jan. 4, Halifax voters met in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Halifax Elementary School to consider three warrant articles at a Special Town Meeting.

The first article, which was approved unanimously by Town Meeting members, transferred $70,000 from available funds to the Municipal and School Building Committee to contract with an architectural firm to continue to develop plans for an expansion and renovation to the Pope’s Tavern Senior Center as well as to solicit bids for the construction of the renovation and expansion. This was the third attempt to approve funds for a renovation to Pope’s tavern, according to Selectmen Chairman Kim Roy.

The second warrant article, presented by Fire Chief Jason Vivieros, asked the Town Meeting members to vote to raise the rates charged for ambulance calls and to transfer the authority to set these rates from Town Meeting to the Board of Selectmen. Halifax significantly charges less compared to other communities, according to documents prepared by the Fire Department.

One voter was confused as to why there was any charge for ambulance services at all; the answer being is that it would be prohibitively expensive to provide such services without billing for them. These charges mostly affect insurance agencies, but Vivieros noted that any uninsured resident receives three bills, and then the bill is abated after three years (written-off) and never goes to collections or a credit agency in order to encourage residents to never hesitate to call for help regardless of their insurance status.

Another voter expressed concern about giving up any authority that is held by the Town Meeting members to the elected Board of Selectmen. Chairman Roy explained that the reason the Selectmen are asking for the power to set ambulance rates is so that they can be adjusted quickly, if necessary, on the recommendation of the Fire Chief. The last two changes to the rates were in 2010 and 2007. Vivieros stated that it was “very uncommon” for Town Meeting to set ambulance rates.

This article passed by majority.

Article Three was passed over,  obviated by Article Two, which was nearly identical. Article Three asked that Town Meeting members vote to raise the ambulance rates but did not contain the language transferring the authority to set the rates from Town Meeting to the Board of Selectmen.

The meeting was brief and the quorum of 100 members to start the proceedings was reached shortly after the meeting’s scheduled start time of 7:30 p.m.

Plympton posts for pets

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Plympton posts for pets, using email alerts to locate lost pets

Although it involves a simple “Gmail” free e-mail account, Frank Bush, the Plympton Animal Control Officer announced that he had created an innovative system for citizens to publicize and notify the ACO of lost pets.

Plympton posts for petsAccording to Bush, Plympton residents can now email a description along with an attached photo to: aco.plympton.fbush@gmail.com

The description and photo will then alert Bush, who can forward the information to ACOs in other towns, if necessary.

Bush can also be contacted at 781-585-9444.

Halifax Special Town Meeting set for Jan. 4

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Halifax Special Town Meeting set for Jan. 4, Burrage Pond access road continues to cause ongoing frustration

Halifax Selectmen met Tuesday, Dec. 8, and set a date for a Special Town Meeting, discussed the access road from Elm Street to the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area with Christopher and Thais Kasmarek, and held a dog hearing.

Another STM for Halifax

A Special Town Meeting has been set for Monday, January 4 in the multi-purpose room of the Halifax Elementary School, 464 Plymouth Street at 7:30 p.m.

Three articles are on the warrant:

The first would authorize the Council on Aging to continue funding their current plans to renovate Pope’s Tavern Senior Center, which according to Director Barbara Brenton, the Council has been outgrowing for years.

The second article would ask the voters to authorize ambulance fees to be set by the Board of Selectmen, rather than at Town Meeting.  This is part of Fire Chief Jason Viveiros’ plans to bring the fee structure the department charges for ambulance calls more in line with neighboring departments. Halifax is currently under-charging, according to Viveiros and the Fire Study Committee.

The third article would ask the voters to simply raise the ambulance fees, should the second article not pass.

If voters choose this option, Town Meeting would still have the power to vote on ambulance fees as they currently do, but this article would raise them to the proposed new level suggested by the Fire Chief.

Access to Burrage Pond from Elm Street

Halifax Special Town Meeting set for Jan. 4Christopher and Thais Kasmerek came before the Board to discuss issues surrounding the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area, now owned by the state, and ongoing issues surrounding the only access road to the site in Halifax.

A controversial purchase in 2002 by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife saw approximately 1,600 acres of land in Hanson and Halifax transferred from the Northland Cranberry Company to the Commonwealth.

The intention is to use the land as a conservation area.

The Kasmereks abut what was believed to be an access road off of Elm Street owned by the State. It turns out that due to a surveying error, the Kasmereks own a good portion of the access road, and have since closed it off, blocking public access to the State-owned portion.

The Kasmereks said that they often invite people to park on the street or their own property to allow people to enjoy the area, but are fearful of any action that the Town or State might take to open up access again.

The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife wants to build a parking lot and some sort of buffer for the Kasmereks, but they object. When the DFW took over the property, they claim that there was an uptick in “bad-behavior” behind their property, with people coming and going at all times of day and night and leaving behind beer cans, glass, needles and dog refuse.

“You have to live it, you just have to live it,” Christopher Kasmerek frequently said throughout the lengthy exchange with selectmen, but remained composed but visibly frustrated. Although he never raised his voice, his controlled anger was evident.

The couple asserts that the “bad-behavior” hasn’t completely stopped, even now that it is not physically possible to access the road by car. They said that people simply park on the street at night and walk back, leaving them to police, “everything that goes on back there.”

Policing of the property is now under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Police, who appear to not have the resources to cover this property. There is some dispute between the Town and the Kasmereks over the number of times the Halifax police have been called for issues at the property, but the Kasmereks did not debate the topic, stating that there were times that they were possibly referred to the Environmental Police. They claim to frequently call the police.

Selectmen Chairman Kim Roy pushed for compromise, stating that things could get worse; the DFW could act on its own simply going around the Kasmerek’s property through state-owned land adjacent to the current road, joining the section of the road that they own to the street and then building the same parking lot previously proposed.

“We have to solve this,” Roy said.

Selectman Thomas Millias expressed his deep distrust of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and also pushed for a compromise. The Town will continue to work with the couple and the DFW to find a solution that works for everyone.

Mr. Kasmerek apologized to the Board on the way out, shaking each Selectman’s hand. He was assured that there was no reason to apologize and the Board would keep them up-to-date on the situation

Dog Hearing

A familiar face around Town Hall, Finance Committee member Nikki Newton appeared before the Board for a different reason: a dog hearing.

Selectman Garron made the same comment he makes at almost every dog hearing, “This isn’t a dog hearing, it’s a people hearing,.”  Garron, a professed animal lover, takes the hearings seriously.

Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan, in her police blue “Halifax ACO” jacket testified that Newton’s dog, while at a dog training facility in Hanson, had bitten a 20-year-old, inexperienced handler. The dog trainer had no problem accepting the dog back, and felt that it was an isolated incident. Newton agreed, as did Callahan.

“Sounds innocent enough,” said Millias.

The Board decided to take no action under the rationale that they usually encourage residents at dog hearings to get their dog professionally trained after an incident, but this incident happened with a dog trainer.

Halifax Chief has staffing plans model

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Halifax Chief has staffing plans model; No new stop sign

On Tuesday, November 24th the Halifax Board of Selectmen met and held a stop sign hearing, heard from Fire Chief Jason Vivieros about staffing changes, preliminarily approved two Eagle Scout projects and met with the FinCom and department heads to discuss the upcoming budget season.

Sign stopped

The board discussed a resident request for a “Stop” sign at the intersection of 12th Avenue and Lingan Street.

The matter originally was referred to the Traffic Study Committee, a committee that advises the Board of Selectmen concerning traffic safety issues such as speed limits, signage, crosswalks and commercial traffic.

The Traffic Study Committee meets monthly, but the Express was unable to obtain minutes from the meeting where this specific request was discussed as of press time.

Police Chief Edward Broderick, a member of the Committee, stated to the Board that the Committee had determined any “Stop” sign would be unenforceable at that intersection, but that they were open to a yellow, triangular warning sign such as “Slow” or “Children Ahead.”

Generally, according to Town Administrator Charlie Seelig, a variety of factors are taken into account when determining signage, including the amount of traffic in an area.

Federal and State laws must be followed as well as Halifax’s own traffic by-laws.

The “Stop” sign was denied, but Selectman Troy Garron asked that a letter of explanation be sent to the residents in the area.

Several other citizen requests for signage have come in, and are now with the Traffic Study Committee, which meets at the Police Station on the second Wednesday of the month at 11 a.m., according to the Town’s website.

Staffing changes at the Fire Department

Fire Chief Jason Vivieros came before the board to present staffing changes that he plans to implement in the coming years.

These changes are being made in consultation with the Fire Study Committee. His stated goal is to fill gaps in fire and EMS coverage, address safety issues, enhance the ability of the department to address administrative functions and to engage and create incentives for call firefighters.

His proposal, according to his projections, will actually reduce taxes while increasing staffing, by increasing ambulance fees and shifting the timing of when full-time firefighters are staffing the station to the busiest times of day.

Currently, Halifax has eight full-time firefighter/paramedics, two of which need to be on duty 24/7 to man an Advanced Life Support ambulance. There are 20 call firefighters, 13 of which are EMTs. Paramedics have more extensive medical training than EMTs.

This current situation does not meet the recommendations of several National fire-fighting associations. The station is unmanned several times a day when staff are out on calls, therefore call personnel are needed. On average, this adds five minutes to a response time.

If no or not enough call personnel “sign-on” to a call, Halifax must rely on mutual aid agreements with neighboring towns. In 2014 alone, no call personnel signed-on to a call 11 times.

Vivieros stated that Halifax “relies heavily” on mutual aid.

Call volume has gone up, as well, as the median age has increased in town. Vivieros projects 1,535 calls for 2015, up from 1,121 in 2006.

The Chief will therefore add two full-time day positions, and shift some night coverage to part-time personnel, increasing staffing during the busiest times of the day.

Any savings found will go back to the general fund or reduce the general tax levy.

FinCom, department heads, and level service

The Finance Committee met concurrently with the Selectmen along with department heads to hash out some numbers for the FY’17 budget.

The focus of the discussion was the unpredictability of the Silver Lake Regional School District budget, and the need to essentially guess certain unpredictable areas of the budget, such as the special education budget.

The idea of telling SLRSD an amount of money that Halifax can live with and insist that Silver Lake work with it was floated.

Department heads were instructed to provide “level-service,” that is, the same amount, or level, of service as last year so that taxes do not have to be raised (or only raised the least amount possible.)

Eagle Scout proposals ‘wow’ the Board

Jakob Burgess, a freshman, and Michael Connors, a sophomore at Silver Lake Regional High School, came before the Board to ask for permission to move forward with their community service projects in order to obtain the Boy Scout rank of “Eagle Scout.”

Burgess is seeking to spruce up the Margaret Meyer Outdoor Amphitheater by repairing the stage, railing and eight benches, all in need of restoration. Connors is seeking to put up new, clearer signs along with some landscaping at the ball fields at the Vaughn Athletic Complex adjacent to the Police Station.

Although the Selectmen expressed their initial approval and enthusiasm for the projects, they also began educating the young men on the subject of municipal bureaucracy.

Both gentlemen will have to seek the same approval as anybody else from various boards, committees and officials in town. Connors was especially cautioned that because his project falls within a historic district, he will have to conform to the requirements of the Historic District Commission.