A recently-formed coalition of community members concerned about trends in substance abuse and the current opioid epidemic has formalized its group name and mission statement.  Now known as Tri-Town FACTS, the group serves Kingston, Halifax and Plympton with a mission to support and strengthen the regional community in a collaborative effort to promote holistic wellness through prevention, education, enforcement, and advocacy, and to empower healthy lifestyle choices.  “FACTS” stands for Families, Adolescents, and Communities Together against Substances. It is a brand established by the South Shore Hospital’s Youth Health Connection and used by several coalitions in the surrounding area.

The growing group has brought together 25 – 30 people at initial monthly meetings held in March, April and May, representing parents, teachers, school administrators, students, law enforcement, public safety, behavioral health professionals, faith leaders, grandparents, elected officials and those affected by addiction. The group is seeking new members from all three towns, including volunteers interested in leadership roles who can help advance the mission through initiatives and programs to be developed. Currently chaired by Kingston parent, Amy Belmore, the next meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 7, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Silver Lake High School Library and is open to all.

A grant provided by the Solstice Foundation has funded the services of an experienced facilitator, Julie Nussbaum, who has assisted in the launch of similar coalitions in the region. Nussbaum, who will work with Tri-Town FACTS until March 2017, said “According to the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, (CADCA), communities that have anti-drug coalitions have lower youth drug and alcohol rates. Furthermore, research has shown that addressing the issue of underage drinking reduces the risk that youth will go on to use opioids and other substances (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2012).  I will be taking the coalition through a process that guides the selection, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based, culturally appropriate, sustainable interventions addressing substance misuse and abuse.”

Steering Committee member, David Kennedy, who also serves on the Kingston Board of Health, recently carried the Coalition’s suggestion to pass a regulation preventing the sale of synthetic marijuana and synthetic drugs in Kingston stores to fellow Board of Health members. Following a public hearing held on May 2 to address the health impacts of Spice, K2, bath salts, and others not meant for human consumption, the Board of Health immediately put the new regulation in place.  Said Kennedy “the Synthetic Drug Regulation was discussed back in 2014 within the Board of Health and I am grateful the board wanted to discuss and approve such regulation on May 2.  It’s important in the early stages of the Tri-Town Coalition to achieve short-term goals, and clearly this was one. Synthetic drugs are very dangerous and side effects are fatal. Even though the Regulation is important, we need to educate our youth on these drugs and help them make healthy choices.”

The Coalition is currently focused on assessment and data collection, and will be implementing surveys, focus group discussions with students and parents, and interviews with key stakeholders to help guide their next steps.  Anyone from Kingston, Halifax and Plympton who wants to learn more or get involved is encouraged to attend the next meeting, or contact tritownFACTS@gmail.com.  The group also has a Facebook page and is on Twitter @tritownFACTS.

By Alan Wheelock

Special to The Express

Despite some damp weather, more than100 people turned out  on Saturday afternoon, April 23, for the official opening and celebration of Plympton’s new parks. Visitors wandered throughout the network of trails and marveled again at the 600 foot long boardwalk that carried them comfortably across the wetlands surrounding Jones River Brook.. Since the trails, boardwalk and park benches were completed late last fall, the Parks have received steady use and drawn consistent praise from the townspeople who visit and see the beauty of Churchill Park, the impressive contours of Cato’s Ridge, and the expansive, picturesque views in the O’Neil Marsh.

The event started at noon. Residents gathered in what is known as the old gravel pit area, where a flatbed truck served as a stage for the The Keepers, a local acoustic bluegrass brand who provided entertainment. Children in attendance were excited to go off on a scavenger hunt (designed by Alison McSweeney and town librarian Deb Batson) that helped them learn about many of the natural features to be found throughout the park.

At 1 PM, Open Space Committee Co-chairs Vicki Alberti and Linda Leddy asked about 25 people who have been especially important to the Parks’ creation to join them up on the truck bed. Alberti kicked off the ceremony with an enthusiastic welcome to all the attendees, thanking everyone for their support these last 4 years, and reminding them that these 105 acres were acquired by the town for $20,000, thanks to Community Preservation Funds.

She then introduced Leddy, who began with a tribute to the late Gail Briggs, a Plympton Open Space Committee member whose forward-looking vision was the inspiration for the Parks creation. Leddy then introduced several individuals who made key contributions to the Parks’ creation. The first of these was Beverly Messinger, who worked with the town to ensure their family lands on Main Street would become a park.  The Messingers are descended from one of Plympton’s founding families, the Churchills.

Leddy then reiterated Plympton’s gratitude to Congressman Keating for his crucial help early in the project, when he facilitated solving an unforeseen issue with the IRS. The Congressman noted that the Parks were an outstanding accomplishment, especially for a town as small as Plympton, and that he was very proud of what a dedicated group of citizens had accomplished. He also spoke about the importance of conserving land, giving families a place to enjoy the outdoors and leaving a healthy environment for future generations.  Hearing children in the distance playing and laughing on the scavenger hunt, he remarked “That’s what it’s all about!”

The Wildlands Trust and the Compact of Cape Cod Land Trusts both received warm thanks for their ongoing technical services to help the town acquire and manage the Parks. Mark Robinson, Director of the Compact, commented “I am very jealous of Plympton.  You managed to create a 105-acre park for $20,000, and I cannot believe you have done it all with volunteer labor.  I work on the Cape where we recently spent two and half years raising $1.8 million to preserve 19 acres!”

PLYMPTON– Plympton Selectmen met on Thursday, April 21 and Monday, April 25 and despite discussing a proposed medical marijuana grow-facility at both meetings, also discussed other town business.

Town Meeting Warrant

The Selectmen have closed both the Annual Town Meeting and the Special Town Meeting warrant for 2016 on April 25. The ATM includes, in addition to its 41 articles, ten citizens’ petitions as well. The STM contains nine articles. The meeting will be held at the Dennett Elementary School, Wednesday, May 18 at 7 p.m.

Randall Gravel Permit

Jeffrey Randall, of Ring Road, has been operating a gravel excavation business without a town permit since October 2015, something that neighbors opposing his proposed medical marijuana grow facility brought to light. He has had gravel removal permits from the town before, and never allowed them to expire, officials say. Randall asserted that it was something that had just slipped through the cracks.

The BOS voted to approve his permit renewal application pending a satisfactory site-visit by Selectperson Christine Joy. Joy conducted the visit between the two meetings and reported at the second that she found no issues with Randall’s gravel removal operations.

Town Clerk Seeks Website Assistance

Town Clerk Tara Wick reported to Selectmen that she has been volunteering a lot of her time maintaining the town’s website. Noting that all department heads and many committee members have passwords and user-privileges to modify and update sections of the website that pertain to their department or committee.

Wick stated that she hoped that more department heads and committees would take on this task themselves, saying that she would post instructions or help anyone that felt uncomfortable making changes. She also said that many had already taken a class from the company that provides the website service to the town.

Next Meetings

The Plympton BOS will meet next on 4/25, 5/2, 5/3, 5/9, 5/16 and 5/23 at 6 p.m., with the exception of 5/2 when they will begin at 5:30 p.m. The meeting on 5/3 is to meet with town counsel in preparation for the Annual Town Meeting and Special Town Meeting.

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.

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.