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Plympton seeks to fill COA director vacancy

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met on Monday, September 21. The first order of business was to address a memo that was received from the Board of Health regarding limitations on indoor in-person meetings. The memo reiterated the March 2020 order that addressed the issue as well as the third revised memo that stipulated an 8-person limit within the confines of 1,000 sq ft with a maximum limit of 25 persons in any space. The latest memo stated that the Board of Health has decided to discontinue in-person meetings on town owned properties.

Selectman John Traynor said that he was concerned that the restriction on in-person meetings would have a negative impact on the ability of the Council on Aging (COA) Board to meet as many members don’t have the necessary access to technology to attend virtually. At ten people, the Board would need to be reduced in order to continue to meet – something Traynor doesn’t want to do. Traynor said that the COA did meet last Monday. While he said the time in the meeting room itself went well, he did note that the time before and after the meeting in the lobby “left a lot to be desired.”

The Director of Elder Services, Joy Marble recently resigned requiring that an interim strategy be developed while the town searches for another director.  Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy asked the selectmen how quickly they would like to see the position filled. While Selectman Chair Mark Russo said as soon as possible, Traynor said he felt that it might be beneficial to wait a bit to figure out the situation. Traynor also shared that the COA Board plans to take more of an active role in the management of the Council on Aging. While the director won’t be back, both the administrative assistant and driver will be returning. The selectmen agreed that the first step in their search for a new director will be developing a job description. Dennehy said she felt it best to keep the description somewhat broad and mission based.

As part of a new initiative to invite a different chair or department head to each Board of Selectmen’s meeting, Treasurer/Collector Colleen Morin attended Monday’s meeting to provide an update. Morin said that there have been some issues with unemployment. Some at the townhouse had received fraudulent reports that they hadn’t filed. Morin said that she enlisted help from Representative Kathleen LaNatra in order to get through to those in the unemployment department. “She has done a great job helping me and getting me into contact with someone there,” Morin explained.

Morin told the Board that while a hold has been placed on foreclosures during the pandemic, fourteen properties are going into tax title. Of those, ten of the properties are considered to have low land value as they are valued at approximately $22,000 or less. Of the other four, one of the property owners is interested in donating the land to the town. Morin said the property abuts the Harry Jason Park. The current owner was previously unaware they had inherited the land and would rather donate it than pay taxes on it.

Dennehy provided a brief update on the schools as no one from the school committee could attend due to their meeting running concurrently with the Board of Selectmen. Dennehy said that school was back in session and told the Board the Fire Chief and the schools’ Director of Business Services Christine Healy have been working together to improve upon the process for making submissions for CARES Act funding. The current round of CARES Act funding and reimbursement closes at the end of September.

Per usual, the selectmen ended their meeting with their rants and raves. Selectman Christine Joy said, “My rave would be for Liz and John and the COA Board who have stepped up at this time to make sure we are continuing to meet the needs of our seniors in town.” While initially opting to pass on a rave, Russo said that he actually did have one. He spoke about an academician of writing who reminds students of the latin root of the word essay when assigning such work. At its root, the word essay means to make an attempt or endeavor. Russo pointed out that in times of struggle it might be best to focus less on the outcome and more on simply trying. “I appreciate the degree to which we all continue to try,” Russo said. He continued, “May we all continue to do so and may the outcomes be good along the way.”

Trick or Treat alternative proposed

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday evening, Sept. 8 for their regular weekly meeting.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig began with a brief discussion regarding CARES Act funding which is being administered to towns by Plymouth County. Seelig said that after being rejected for the Shared Streets Grant twIcee  for the Cranberry Drive sidewalk project, he is exploring the possibility of using CARES funding. Seelig said he is waiting to hear back from the County on the eligibility of a few projects. He said there was some confusion as to whether CARES Act funds could be applied to those things for which purchase orders have been submitted but payments have yet to be made by September. The Plymouth County Commission may organize another call with the county’s fire chiefs soon.

Not even ten minutes into the meeting, Board of Selectmen Chair Tom Millias told those assembled that they would need to place their masks on as the room was now at capacity. He further said that if anyone else were to enter the room, since it would be inappropriate to ask anyone to leave, the meeting would be adjourned until Thursday. Luckily, this didn’t end up being necessary.

Seelig told the Board that there were two new cases of COVID-19 in Halifax since their previous meeting only a few days before. They were the first cases in town in over a month. Seelig said, “It’s still out there.” He continued, “Massachusetts has been doing an excellent job, the positive rate on the testing is very, very good. It matters what’s your behavior. Are you going to make good decisions or are you not going to make good decisions? Wearing a mask, washing your hands, not going to beach parties with whatever number of people not wearing a mask – I think that’s going to determine what happens here in the next couple of months. Halifax isn’t some place where we have this barrier that magically prevents people from having COVID.”

The Board had several appointments including one with the Library Board of Trustees. They were there to appoint Kathy Shiavone to the Board until May. It took a vote of both the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Trustees to appoint her. The vote was unanimous.

The Board needs to hold a joint meeting with the Halifax School Committee to appoint someone to fill the vacancy left on the school committee following a recent resignation. Just as was done with the Library Board of Trustees, it will take a vote from both the school committee and selectmen to appoint someone to the position. Thus far, three talent bank forms have been submitted. The selectmen plan to attend a school committee meeting in October in order to hold interviews and vote on the position.

Ashley DiSesa met with the Board to discuss a possible alternative to traditional trick-or-treating.

She proposed an idea similar to the lunch handout that has been taking place at the Elementary School during the week. “My idea was to try to figure out a way to do a drive through trick-or-treating,” she explained. Her proposal included multiple stops at the school for cars to receive treats as well as a possible contest for the best decorated car.

DiSesa said the plan would be for residents to sign up online through something like SignUp Genius and select a time slot for their drive-through. The event would start relatively early to accommodate the youngest trick or treaters. A number of parents in town have already expressed interest in volunteering and the hope would be to have a few local businesses sponsor the event in order to purchase candy and bags. DiSesa said she had already spoken to the Halifax School Committee and said she also intends to speak with the fire chief. Millias suggested she contact the police chief as well.

“I think it’s a nice idea. I think the community would certainly back it. As long as you can work out the logistics, I would be in favor of it,” Millias said.

DiSesa asked the selec-men if they had a preference on which day to hold the event, suggesting either the Friday before Halloween or Halloween day itself which falls on a Saturday this year.

Selectman Troy Garron said the Saturday would probably make better sense since most parents are probably working on Friday. “And, it’s a full moon,” joked Selectman Gordon Andrews. The selectmen agreed that it was a great idea and asked DiSesa to work out the logistics and come back with a plan that they could approve.

The final appointment of the night was with Drew McGlincy who came to the meeting to discuss charging stations and solar panels at Town Hall. McGlincy spoke about the need to transition away from fossil fuels and said that depending on the speed of the charging stations, the town could probably handle 4-6 of them. He said he was pending verification of how much electricity the system at Town Hall can handle and said that he would propose 240 solar panels to be installed on the roof of Town Hall.

Millias who noted that he isn’t against the concept of the charging stations said, “I for one am not a big fan of panels on the roof. It’s not a matter of if it’s going to leak, it’s a matter of when it’s going to leak.” Millias reminded McGlincy that if the intention was to utilize town funds, it would have to be approved by a vote at town meeting. The earliest that could happen would be next May.

McGlincy said he would pull together a blueprint for a proposed location behind the cemetery in the Town Hall parking lot. Millias asked him to include some estimated costs as well. “I don’t know if it will go anywhere or not, but if you’re willing to do the work, at least that’s a start,” Millias said.

Seelig provided the Board with a few more updates including that the police chief had inquired about a new civil service list for the hiring of three new part time patrol officers. Seelig also provided an update on the Pine St. Bridge project. It is currently in the permitting phase with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Conservation Commission, and Riverways for Massachusetts. The next stage will be the final engineering and it will go out to bid in February or March of 2021 with a completion date of October 2021.

Halifax women inspire through business

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Finding a balance between outward and inward emotions as well as the boundaries of body and buildings have been current challenges so many businesses have faced during the pandemic.

Two local women both Halifax residents are using the opportunity presented by the lockdown to reinvent space and grow their businesses in Hanson.

Local artisan and vendor Amanda Bright, of Always Bright Creations, and Naturespeaks2you’s Sara Beth Ostrander (who goes by Sara Beth) are sharing space and offering a variety of items for all age groups in an outdoor vendor-style tented area in the parking lot of their normally indoor space is at 500 Liberty St., in Hanson — across the street from the fire station.

They are extending into the community at a time it is most needed including a practice of positivity they call “raising the vibration.” The changes during the pandemic have taken a toll on the well -being of so many.

Bright’s displays contain countless inspirational hand-made items thet include: wire wrap and organite  jewelry, mirrors and coffee cups with both funny and positive sayings, and the ever popular  tie-dye trend. She hand dips and creates patterns on her T-shirts, bandanas and table decorations; the hues are instantly uplifting. She twisted and created more than 50 shirts that were nearly sold out by Sunday afternoon.

Sara Beth who normally teaches inside her space at the naturespeaks2you has two and a half decades of self-teaching in geology. The more she learned about the  healing powers associated with rocks and crystals  she knew there were dozens of reasons she sought to teach others.

She is well-versed in the healing properties of natural rock formations using them in her everyday life as well as in mediumship practice and intuitive healing services that she offers at the naturespeaks2-you. She showcases her own handmade jewelry, and gifts inspired by nature, which she hand-collected from crystals throughout New England. A portion of her own journey has been as a member of the Southeastern Massachusetts Mineral Club.  She has an inherited passion for teaching the younger generations about minerals and rocks, which has carried through three generations in her family.

COVID has changed some of the classes and in-person services but her intuitive development services are offered remotely on a case basis and one on one individual class as the State restrictions allow.

On Sunday the tent sale featured both full and partial dinosaur prints collected in the Connecticut River valley, according to Sara Beth.

She also has museum quality replicas of many different dinosaurs.

Numerous items seen on Sunday’s outdoor sale belonged to an avid collector of 50 years, a fellow mineral club member who has recently fallen ill. They are working together with the family to try and get his collection out for purchase with money supporting the family and his medical bills. Along with the opportunity she aims to pique the attention of younger generations educating them on crystals and the energy found in natural formations.

“It is cool to see people come over and pick the crystals up … and see the excitement of what people are drawn to- it is what serves them,” said Sara Beth.

Bright who has done great reflection and self improvement has found her passion after losing her mother in Dec. 2018, it coincided with the breakup of a toxic two-year marriage.

She had depression and complex PTSD, with financial insecurity that forced her to move back home. She thought she was at rock bottom and in her own words “felt like giving up.”

“I was a mess,” she said.

Empowering herself and realizing giving up was not in the cards she started writing on her mirrors screaming self love and self worth at herself by writing ‘you got this! … you are strong. You are beautiful.”  Each day finding strength and literally writing these affirmations on and in all of her reflective surfaces.

She began crafting, picking wild flowers and drying them teaching herself how to make smudge sticks and balls made from organic white sage and an assortment of beautiful handpicked flowers and herbs as well as Dream Catchers handcrafted and made from the grapevines right in her own back yard in Halifax.

They are planning to host their outside sale 12-5 on Sundays and a second day weather permitting.  All of their sale and contact information as well as updates on their tent sale are located on Facebook pages Always Bright Creations and Naturespeaks2you .

Dennett plans to open its doors next week

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The Plympton School Committee met on Tuesday evening, Sept. 8 to provide an update on school reopening plans.

Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto said, “Our back to school plan shifted slightly in that the school committee initially voted for us to start full remote but as I suspected, once we had staff members in the building and we got down to the planning… my teachers want students in front of them and we feel that we can do it safely.” The first day for most students will be Wednesday, Sept. 16 and it will be a full remote day. Cohorts B and D will report to school in-person on Thursday, Sept. 17 and Friday, Sept. 18. Kindergarten screenings will take place on that Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The first day of school for kindergarten will be Monday, Sept. 21. That Monday will also be the first day of in person learning for Cohorts A and D.

Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said, “The reason we voted for a phased-in hybrid approach was to provide Peter and the teaching staff with the opportunity to consider all the options which they did and this appeared to be the best option for facilitating getting folks back to school.”

Veneto said the administration took into account the information from parents when creating cohorts. “We did have to do a little bit of tap dancing… basically A-K would be in Cohort A and the rest of the alphabet Cohort B. That became a challenge because we were trying to honor families’ wishes about keeping their children within the same cohort so inevitably, when you have a district our size, there were some errors along the way,” Veneto explained.

Committee member Jason Fraser asked if there was room built into the cohorts for students that wish to opt back into some in-person learning midway through the year. Veneto acknowledged that the cohorts are very tight as-is. “Much like our master schedules, with these cohorts, it is a very, very delicate balance,” Veneto said. He continued, “If there was to be a lot of shifting, we would have to get even more creative.” Fraser also asked Veneto what he referred to as a “dad to dad question” saying, “You would feel comfortable with your own children in your school come September 17?” Without missing a beat, Veneto responded, “absolutely, no question.”

Veneto also provided the committee with an update on changes to staff. Two staff members retired while several more decided not to return to work due to concerns around COVID. “I completely respect the opinion and the judgment of the people that decided they were uncomfortable coming back,” Veneto said. There will be a new librarian, music teacher, and kindergarten teacher. As of Tuesday’s meeting, Veneto said he still needed to hire a new art teacher as well as a part time kindergarten aide. He said he felt confident that the positions will be filled prior to the start of school.

A Health and Safety Advisory Committee has been established to deal with issues related to the pandemic. The ad-hoc committee is made up of Wilhelmsen, Fraser, Veneto, several teachers, the school nurse, and a parent with expertise in the area. The formation of the committee will ensure a two-way communication that includes those with their boots on the ground in the day to day implementation of new safety procedures and policies.

According to Fraser, one of the committee’s concerns was with the state’s ability to provide data on COVID infections in the area in an accurate and timely way. Fraser said that himself, Wilhelmsen, and Veneto had previously met with the Emergency Management Team, including the Board of Health, where he says they were told, “contact tracing isn’t necessarily the 21st century science that we would all hope it would be… we’re all going to have to be advocates at the local level.” Fraser stressed the importance of parents notifying the school nurse regarding any COVID cases within their family. Due to Plympton’s small population, it would only take 8 cases to move Plympton into the “red” risk level which could necessitate a school closure. Fraser said that since 8 cases could be two households with no connection to the school, the committee will be exploring an alternate means of interpreting the data regarding school closure.

Students and staff will be required to complete an attestation each day that verifies that they are in compliance with the CDC checklist of COVID risks. If not completed on time, parents will be sent a reminder within 15 minutes.  “We realize, and its almost purposeful, that this is inconvenient. It’s supposed to make you stop – knock you out of your routine a little bit and really consciously think about your own health or your child’s health before you send them to school each and every day,” Fraser explained. He also pointed out that for most families it will only be twice a week and that doing so helps to ensure the health of the community.

Superintendent Jill Proulx read through a list of revised policies. She said the policy regarding visitors to school will remain the same except she will have the ability to amend the policy should the need arise. Proulx also spoke on the policy regarding communicable diseases saying that while it will be similar to the current policy, it will allow the superintendent to “establish protocols for tracking student’s contacts as a means of locating others from whom the student may contract or expose other persons to COVID 19.” Proulx noted that the policy will be in line with privacy laws. Proulx also noted changes such as the stance on attendance. She said that while in the past, perfect attendance would be celebrated, it won’t any longer as individuals are encouraged to stay home whenever symptoms of illness are present.

The policy on masks in school was also discussed. The school is asking that all students be put on buses with masks on regardless of their age. Bus drivers in Plympton will be supplied with spare masks. Some masks will also be deemed inappropriate for school. These include either homemade or store-bought single ply masks, masks with valves, and gaiters. If a mask is deemed unacceptable, it will be replaced with a school-supplied disposable one and the caregivers will be contacted. If after multiple attempts to facilitate proper mask wearing fails, the school will reserve the right to ask that a student be moved to remote only.

“As we continue to move forward in opening the building, we’re going to be keeping our eye on the data but we’re aware that that data is actual people and individuals with family and people who care about them. I never want it to get lost that each number that you see on the TV every night when the state does its reporting is a person that has a family,” Fraser told those present at Tuesday’s meeting.

The Plympton School Committee meets again on September 21.

Halifax readies for Annual Town Meeting

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Sept. 3 in preparation of the town meeting to be held Saturday, September 12 at Halifax Elementary School at 9 a.m. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that town meetings are exempt from the Governor’s limit of 25 persons per room. Seelig said that seats would be kept to about 7 feet apart and people would be divided between the gym and the multi-purpose room. The quorum remains at 100. Screens, cameras, and microphones will be setup in each room to keep everyone connected. People from the same household will be allowed to sit together. Town Moderator Dennis Carman will be in the gym, where 100 people are estimated to fit, and an assistant town moderator will likely be needed for the multi-purpose room. Masks will be mandated, and microphones will be wiped down between uses.

Seelig recommended that the town distribute placards with a red side and a green side for residents to use to indicate their vote. Carman expressed concern about his vision and shared concern over a third party helping to indicate to him the outcome of the vote. Seelig said if it isn’t easily discernible if there are more green or more red, counters would be available to tally the total.

Ways to move the meeting along as quickly as possible while still allowing voters an opportunity to speak to or debate articles as needed, were discussed. The idea to vote on a consent agenda was proposed. This would allow multiple articles to be voted on together as a group with a hold being placed on individual topics should someone wish to speak on them.

“There are two extremes for the town meeting,” Seelig said. The first of which occurs if there aren’t enough people for a quorum. If that happens, town meeting will have to once again be rescheduled. The Board opted to keep the quorum at 100 despite having the ability to temporarily lower it with advanced notice. Seelig said the other end of the spectrum is if too many people turn out and there isn’t enough room to socially distance between the two rooms. If that happens, town meeting would have to be postponed and moved to another, larger location. A possible option could be the Kingston Collection. Carman said, “I hate the optics of having to close down a town meeting because there are too many people who want to go… people may misunderstand that.”

Seelig said he could contact the Kingston Collection and find out if they could book the venue for town meeting on Monday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. to serve as plan B should they be over capacity on Saturday.  The Board voted to ask Seelig to reserve the location with the understanding that they may have to pay for the deposit even if it ends up not being needed.

Following the discussion on logistics, they turned their attention to the warrant beginning with the special town meeting. The first article is for $6000 for HVAC work to the town hall. The second is for $30,000 for unemployment. Seelig said they would likely pass over Article 3 which is for $30,000 for a Council on Aging van. According to Seelig the town is looking into the possibility of getting CARES Act money to fund it. Article 4 is the result of a petition article and is for $20,000 for truck traffic reinforcement. The money would go to the police department to be used for that purpose. Article 5 is for a crosswalk extension between the two roads of Cranberry Dr. and Plymouth St. The town has applied for a state grant to fund it but have not received word yet as to whether they will be granted the money. Seelig said they may know by the date of the town meeting whether the town will have to fund the project, should the town vote to proceed with it.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if the Finance Committee had made recommendations on the five articles. Finance Committee member Melinda Tarsi said they had made recommendations for all but Article 3 as they were waiting to see if it could be covered through the CARES Act. Articles 1 and 2 received the Finance Committee’s recommendation while Articles 4 and 5 did not.

Article 1 in the annual is the normal report for town officers and committees. Seelig told Carman that as much as he appreciates their ability to do that, he would like to keep it brief in the interest of time. Article 2 is a series of amendments from the Wage and Personnel Board. Article 3 is a Finance Committee article on the salaries set for the town officials. Article 4 is the budget. Article 5 is the revolving accounts. Seelig said there are no appropriations necessary and the article simply sets the revolving funds and the limits to which they can be spent. Article 6 is the reserve fund. Articles 7-13 are union and personnel contracts. Article 14 is an article for becoming co-opt. Article 15 is Chapter 90 and according to Seelig the state has changed things so that this article won’t be necessary in the future. Article 16 is a traditional article on the roads.

The next several articles are for the capital budget. Seelig said that some of them will be passed over. Article 17 is for $150 for a backhoe, 18 is for a copier for the COA, and 19 is for a fire engine. Articles 20 through 23 are all for the Police Department and are for police vehicles, radio systems, a motorcycle, and bullet resistant vests, respectively. Article 24 is regarding an error made by the retirement system where a town employee was charged to the housing authority rather than the town. Seelig said he was unsure if the correct amount could be ascertained prior to town meeting. Article 25 is the assessor’s recertification account.

Article 26 is to fund Halifax’s share of the part time school resource officer at Silver Lake Regional Middle School. The same article appeared on last year’s warrant and the town voted it down. Plympton voted in favor of it, however, meaning that the part time officer could serve the middle school for just a few hours per week. Kingston already funds the school resource officer at the high school.

Article 27 is for a truck inspection program. Article 28 is to grade all unpaved roads in Halifax including private roads. Article 29 is for $33,500 for crosswalk devices. There was some mention that the expense may be eligible for CARES Act funding if touchless devices were installed.

Article 30 is a revision of zoning bylaws and is recommended by the Finance Committee. Articles 31 and 32 are traditional, annual articles. Articles 33, 34, and 36 will likely be passed over. Article 35 is for insulation at the town barn. Article 37 is to fund repairs to the roof at Pope’s Tavern. Article 38 is an annual article to appropriate money received from Lyft and Uber for the town in the amount of $857.60. The state requires the money to go toward the highway maintenance account.

Articles 40-44 will likely be passed over. The Selectmen are also recommending that Article 45 is passed over. Article 46 is for the next phase of the stormwater protection bylaw. Article 47 will be passed over per the direction of FEMA. Of Article 47, Seelig said “I’m sure it will be highly divisive.” It concerns multi-family housing and needs a two-thirds majority to pass.

Article 49 would allow marijuana facilities in the commercial district by special permit. Article 50 would change the bylaw to allow the Beautification Committee to increase their membership. Article 51 is being proposed by the selectmen and involves taxes on solar fields. Article 52 will likely be passed over and Article 53 is the election article.

After 22 years of service, retirement looks good

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After 22 years of service in Walmart’s Halifax store, Linda Wilson of Carver has retired.

Well known throughout the area, she worked as the Community Co-ordinator, Good Works and Safety Team Leader and also completed compliance work for Walmart.  At times you could also see Linda greeting customers as they came into the store.

Thursday, Sept. 3, Linda was honored by her friends and fellow employees at Walmart, with a cake and special invited guests from her storied career, including former Halifax store manager John Mather and assistant manager Karen Stetson, both now at the Plymouth Walmart store, and many, many associates.

Linda’s work involved many years spent dealing with the foundation securing grants for 501-C3 organizations, such as the police and fire departments, school, A.L.S, Special Olympics, and so many more.   She was always involved in securing grants for Teachers Appreciation Day and the chosen Teacher of the Year.  The Halifax Walmart under Linda’s tutelage was instrumental in starting the “Walk the Children to School” event; she was liaison for the Halifax Elementary School for two years.

Linda especially enjoyed helping the veterans of the area and worked to put up a huge wall of honor at the Halifax store to celebrate Veterans’ Day, in addition to securing grants to help area veterans as their advocate.

One of Linda’s favorite things was to volunteer helping out at the Friday night car show, The Connecting Rods, an outdoor event.  She collected money from selling hotdogs and hamburgers and all proceeds went to Children’s Hospital Boston and the Children’s Miracle Network.  Thousands upon thousands of dollars were donated to those two organizations to help children.  She also helped the Salvation Army with their annual Kettle Drives.

When she was out receiving needed medical treatments, she was glad to have Trish Powell helping with donations.

While Linda has suffered from leukemia since 2018, she remains in remission with her positive, happy outlook on life.  She can now spend more time with her family and friends.

“I’ve always loved my job and I’m grateful for all the friendships I’ve made during my work at Walmart and these friendships will remain in my heart.”

She will be missed.

Plympton BOS to set 20 mph speed limits

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Sept. 8. They voted in favor of transferring funds in the amount of $24,950 from the Capital Stabilization Fund in order to finalize the purchase of Two Brooks Preserve, a 113-acre property off Prospect Road. While a transfer of more than $25,000 requires a vote at town meeting, anything under that amount requires only a vote of the Board of Selectman, Finance Committee, and Capital Improvement Committee.

Co-chair of the Open Space Committee Linda Leddy attended Tuesday’s virtual meeting. Leddy thanked the Board for their vote saying, “It is great to have this whole legal acquisition part done.” Leddy said they can now turn their attention to opening. While the town is working with Middleborough on Soule St. access, Leddy noted that there is a “little keyhole” access off Prospect St. that could be utilized if there is a delay. Selectman Christine Joy thanked both Leddy and fellow selectman Mark Russo as well as all those that fundraised to make the purchase possible. “It is definitely a labor of love,” Joy said. “Thank you so much for your hard work.”

Grant Updates

Fire Chief Stephen Silva updated the Board on a number of grants that the Fire Department had been awarded. Saying it had been a good couple of weeks, Silva said they had received notification from FEMA of a $230,000 grant and also mentioned a nearly $12,000 grant. Silva said he was “cautiously optimistic” about several more federal grant opportunities. “I’m addicted to grants… we’re always looking for alternative funding,” Silva explained.

Silva also told the Board that he has been working in conjunction with the Board of Health to hopefully implement a program known as community paramedicine. The program has been successful in other local communities. The program would allow for the Board of Health and Fire Department to work together to provide a multitude of social services to residents including but not limited to mental health services, pharmaceutical services, COVID screenings, vaccinations, and car seat installations. According to Silva, any money spent should be reimbursable as the need for the program came out of the pandemic. Once approved, the program can be up and running within 30 days. “It’s a unique opportunity, very unique,” Silva said.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy told the Board that the Council on Aging (COA) was finally in receipt of their new COA van which was purchased in part through a grant. The town voted last year at special town meeting to appropriate the matching funds. It is an 8 passenger, handicap accessible van. Dennehy described it as a “huge win for us and our seniors.” Dennehy also told the Board that she received good news from the state and is now in possession of the $95,000 needed for ADA upgrades to the town house to enhance access for senior citizens.

Dennehy said she has applied for an extension on the Green Communities grant through September of next year. There are still funds left for some energy efficient appliances. A freezer will likely be purchased for the town house as the COA often receives large frozen deliveries. There are a few other odds and ends projects that will be explored including the possible installation of new thermostats at the old townhouse. Dennehy said she wants to be sure not to leave any money on the table.

School Update

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen attended the meeting to provide an update on the reopening plan for Dennett Elementary. While initially the school committee had voted to begin the year with a phased-in hybrid approach that would have seen most students beginning remotely, they have made adjustments that will allow them to begin in a hybrid model.

The first day of school will be Wednesday, Sept. 16. Wednesdays will be a full remote day for most cohorts. Wilhelmsen said that on any given day there will be 85-95 students in the school which is just under half of the number in a normal school year. Significant changes have been made to the building including removal of furniture and a new cafeteria setup. “The school is going to look quite a bit different than what you would normally expect,” Wilhelmsen explained. A Health and Safety Advisory Committee has also been established and will have representation from both faculty as well as parents.

There is a vacancy on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. No one ran for the open seat this spring and while Jason Fraser was written in, he was unable to take it on with everything else on his plate. Wilhelmsen said he had been approached by someone with interest in the position.

Truck Traffic and Safety Zones

Two residents attended Tuesday’s meeting to discuss concerns over heavy truck traffic on certain roads. Joe Beck, who said he has been living on Main St. for 37 years, said that trucks are using the street as a cut through. “They’re flying by with no respect for anybody on the street. You can’t even ride your bike or walk on Main St,” Beck explained.

Selectman John Traynor and Building Inspector Tom Millias previously traveled to the work site of a project on Spring St. in Carver where the trucks are traveling to and from. Millias was told that the project would be over soon, and a request was put in for the trucks to travel Route 44 to 58. Russo said he would ask Millias to speak with them again and again, request that the trucks don’t cut across Main St.

Howard Randall had similar complaints regarding Parsonage Rd. and Prospect Rd. He said that a neighbor counted 35 gravel trucks the previous night. “That particular operation, the gravel operation, is six days a week… it certainly distracts from our life here,” Randall told the Board.

The Board expressed interest, as they have done in the past, with taking action to prevent speeding and other traffic infractions. The Board received permission during town meeting to designate safety zones with speed limits of 20 mph where they saw fit. The two intersections of greatest concern were Main St. and Ring Rd. and Prospect St. and Winnetuxet Rd.

The Board voted Tuesday to establish safety zones in both locations and plan to post signage to indicate the 20-mph speed limit. “I remember the time Plympton was known as a speed trap and that is a reputation I would love to have again,” Russo said. Russo also noted that there is nothing in state law that would prevent the safety zone from being rescinded in the future, should the need arise.

The Board plans to pursue action beyond just the safety zones. Traynor proposed establishing a committee to work on plans for making the intersections safer. Russo noted that nearly any solution beyond the safety zones is going to require money. “I think we’re going to be needing to bring to town meeting the request for some funds,” Russo said.

NO political signs, flags on town land

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen held their regular Tuesday evening meeting on August 25 when selectmen tackled the controversial topic of the “thin blue line” flag. Proponents of the flag say it is a show of a support for law enforcement. Still others feel that the flag stands in opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement. Recently, the Hingham fire chief found himself the center of controversy after ordering the removal of the thin blue line flags from the town’s fire trucks following a citizen’s complaint.

A thin blue line flag was placed at the Halifax recycling center several years ago and was recently taken down once the Board of Selectmen found out. The basis for the decision dates back to 1994 when the Board set a policy stating that all signs, political or otherwise, require permission from the Board.

“From my standpoint, opinions stated on town property, it’s a little odd,” Garron explained. He continued, “I personally don’t think that it needs to be on town property because we are supposed to be neutral. We’re serving everybody.” Millias offered his opinion saying, “There was a time when some banners and/or flags were considered to be innocuous; that’s not the case anymore. Everything is politically charged, or at least it seems to be, and if you allow one flag for any particular purpose, you’ve got to open it up for everybody… to Troy’s point, I think we need to remain neutral.”

Selectman Gordon Andrews offered a slightly different opinion saying that the flag, in his opinion, was not initially intended to be a political statement. He noted, however, “I think it morphed into something different at this point, so I understand the reason for taking it down and leaving the policy in place.” The Board agreed to leave the policy as-is and maintain their position on the flag at the recycling center.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the Board he recently spoke with Plymouth County Treasurer Thomas O’Brien regarding the town’s allotment of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The deadline for expenditures is four months away.

Seelig said of all the various town departments’ requests, the big question was if funds could be utilized to pay for the expansion of the Halifax Elementary School parking lot. The expansion is intended to help deal with the expected increase in parent drop off and pick up at the school due to the buses being limited to one-third capacity as a result of distancing requirements.
Seelig said that the town would need to work closely with the school department to craft a narrative to justify why the expansion is necessary in response to the COVID crisis. Seelig explained that if Plymouth County denies the request to reimburse the work, the town will be left to pay for it.

Seelig asked the Board if they would be interested in hearing a presentation on potential charging stations at the town hall parking lot. The Board was not interested in the proposal several years ago but appeared to take a different stance on the issue now.

Selectman Chair Tom Millias said, “I think that would be appropriate. If he has some ideas of how this could be setup and/or work. Certainly, electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent.” He went on to say, “My only concern is as long as it’s not on the back of the taxpayers to pay for the charging.” Selectman Troy Garron said that his biggest concern would be where to place the charging station.

Seelig also asked if they would like to consider a reduction in credit to local businesses for alcohol on premises licenses for 2020-2021. Many other local communities have decided to do so to ease the burden on businesses that were closed for several months in 2020 due to COVID. Millias, who pointed out that these businesses are likely still not at full service, said, “I mean as a general rule I think that’s fair to at least consider doing something for them. I mean we want to help our business owners.” Garron concurred saying, “I would agree with you that it is reasonable for us to do something like that.” The selectmen agreed to table the issue until a future meeting in order to acquire more information.

The Board had an appointment with Steve Bowman of Center Point Safe Company regarding a possible retail marijuana store. Bowman said that while he didn’t have anything formal to present to the Board just yet, he wanted to come before them and introduce himself. Bowman said that he was a Halifax resident for 8 years who only recently moved to Kingston. He said that his children were graduates of Silver Lake. In his own words, Bowman described himself as “… a local resident, a father of Silver Lake students, a former resident of Halifax and someone that is looking to open a business and make money for myself and my partners but also to give back to the community.”

Bowman told the Board that Center Point Safe Company has been working closely with the cannabis industry throughout the state, providing security for their inventory. He said that he hopes to begin serving dispensaries throughout the state by providing delivery services in the next few months.

Bowman told the Board that when he saw Halifax on the list of towns that had licensing availabilities, he jumped at the chance to potentially work within the community. “If the answer is no, I completely understand. It can be a controversial subject in a lot of towns,” Bowman said. Millias encouraged Bowman to come back once he had more details saying, “the town has expressed support in the past for marijuana.”

The final appointment of the evening was a truck exclusion hearing for trucks traveling on Circuit and Laurel streets. Trucks are typically traveling to a site where there are long term plans for a solar field. Millias said that he felt that dead end signs were probably the only option for helping with the at times disruptive traffic. Another potential solution was to work with new carriers to make sure they understand how to get to the site. The Board agreed to leave it alone for now and gather additional feedback.

Finally, Seelig reiterated that town meeting is still scheduled for September 12. The plan is to hold the meeting in the Halifax Elementary School and utilize both the gym and multi-purpose room to ensure adequate distancing.

Single car collision damages stone wall, hedges

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Late Sunday afternoon, Aug. 30, the sound of a crash shook up Plympton Village as a 2006 Toyota Sienna van collided with a stone wall and 4-ft rhododendron hedge before comng to a stop on Main Street in front of the house occupied by the Saarela family.

The operator of the vehicle with Maine license plates was Tracey Wightman, 38, of East Wareham.  She was taken to Beth Israel Deacones Hospital.

The only other occupant in the van was Wightman’s 8-year old daughter, who was also transported to BID Plymouth..

Neither occupant’s  injuries appeared life-threatening.

Wightman is being cited for failure to stay in marked lanes and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.