Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

You are here: Home / Archives for News

Middleborough man charged in Plympton Service Center theft

By

Benjamin Paulin
Email: ben@jgpr.net

Plympton Police Chief Matthew Clancy and Middleborough Police Chief Joseph Perkins report that members of both departments executed a search warrant at a home on Wood Street in Middleborough Friday morning, Dec. 11, where they arrested a man on several charges.

Tyler Hamm, age 23, of Middleborough was charged by Plympton Police with:

• Larceny over $1,200

• Vandalism

He was later arraigned at Plymouth District Court.

Also, as a result of the search warrant, Hamm was additionally charged by Middleborough Police with:

• Possession of a Stolen Firearm (Three Counts)

• Illegal Possession of a Firearm (Three Counts)

• Illegal Possession of Ammunition

• Illegal Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device

• Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class C Substance (Xanax)

Hamm was issued a summons to appear in court at a later date to be arraigned on the charges out of Middleborough.

On Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 2:16 a.m., Plympton Police responded to Plympton Service Center, located at 280 Main St., for a report of someone who had stolen motor vehicle parts from the business.

Through the subsequent investigation, Plympton Police detectives determined that Hamm was the alleged suspect in the burglary.

Plympton Police applied for and were granted an arrest warrant and search warrant for Hamm’s home, located at 240 Wood St. in Middleborough.

At approximately 6:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11, Plympton Police, with the assistance of Middleborough Police detectives, executed a search warrant at Hamm’s home and placed him under arrest.

While searching the home, police found stolen motor vehicle parts, multiple stolen firearms, ammunition and multiple Xanax pills.

Investigators determined that the two shotguns and rifle that were seized had been reported stolen from a storage facility in Middleborough on Oct. 27.

These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Rep. Kathy LaNatra grants for Kingston, Plympton, Duxbury, for safety, crime prevention, education

By

State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) announced today that the police departments in the towns of Kingston, Plympton and Duxbury will receive federal law enforcement funding for highway safety, crime prevention and education initiatives.

 More than 160 law enforcement agencies will receive $7.8 million in federal grant funding made possible through the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Announcement of the grants, which will provide access to equipment and strengthen training, crime prevention and enforcement initiatives across the Commonwealth, was made in a statement by Governor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito and Public Safety and Security Secretary Thomas Turco.

The following funds were awarded to departments within the 12th Plymouth District:

Kingston – $20,000 from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and  $40,000 from JAG for training and upgraded tasers

Duxbury – $34,687.85 from JAG for LIDAR radar technology, Cameras and Handheld Narcotics Analyzer

Plympton – $11,776 from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and- $19,783 from JAG for a message board, bulletproof vests and accessories

”I was thrilled to see Kingston, Plympton and Duxbury’s police departments within the 12th Plymouth District receive federal law enforcement funding,” said Representative LaNatra.

The JAG program is the leading source of criminal justice funding awarded by the Department of Justice to state and local jurisdictions. Local police departments, sheriffs, and the Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) received a combined $4.6 million in funding for several needs, including protective equipment and communications infrastructure.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provided $3.2 million to fund traffic enforcement campaigns, safety equipment, and non-enforcement activities by local police. All the initiatives contribute to reducing vehicle crashes and the resulting injuries and loss of life.

Plympton scales back reopening

By

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy announced during the Tuesday, December 8 meeting of the Plympton Board of Selectmen that the Townhouse would be reverting back to a remote model of business from Dec. 14 through January 11. The decision was made by the Emergency Management Team in conjunction with the Board of Health. Dennehy said that it was not a decision that was entered into lightly but noted the escalation of the virus in town, in the state, and even nationwide.

Dennehy said that all offices will be up and running remotely and noted that the public should still be able to proceed with most business. She also said that they are working on a plan to keep the Council on Aging (COA) pantry open, most likely by appointment. COA transportation services will also continue.   

The selectmen voted on a number of appointments in town including Madeleine Pompei as the senior clerk for Permitting and Planning. A number of appointments were made within the Police Department as well including Daniel Hoffman as acting sergeant, Stephanie Connolly as a special police officer, and James Cranshaw and Matthew Terenzi both as part-time police officers. The appointments are through the end of the fiscal year though language in the contract indicates that they do not need to keep being reappointed once they’ve been appointed for a year. There was also a ratification of two appointments made at the previous Selectmen’s meeting – Colleen Thompson as the Director of Elder Affairs and Carolyn DeCristofano as the alternate for the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Plympton Police Chief Matthew Clancy presented before the Board as part of an ongoing series of discussions with various department heads and other town officials. Chief Clancy began by saying that it had been a tough year for a number of reasons.

There were a number of long-term injuries among members of the Department that required them to be paid as well as those filling in for them. The pandemic also resulted in a number of officers having to quarantine. As with injuries, officers were paid while quarantining resulting in greater expenditures for the Department.

Regional responsibilities required the Department to send officers to protests throughout the region including in New Bedford and Brockton in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. Clancy also said that there was a five-day state-wide plan for dealing with possible fallout from the election. As a result, Plympton had some officers assigned to regional response teams and consequently there were costs also associated with the extra responsibilities.

Clancy said that he doesn’t yet have a projection of the shortfall but is working on it and is keeping both Dennehy and the Finance Committee apprised of the situation. While there hasn’t been a lot of federal or state money targeted to law enforcement this year, Clancy said that he was able to procure a few grants. A DOJ Byrne Memorial Grant was awarded in the amount of $20,000 which will be used toward the purchase of protective vests for officers. The funds will also be used to acquire a solar powered, trailer-mounted signboard so the Department won’t need to continue to borrow them from nearby communities. The Department was also awarded a traffic enforcement grant of $11,000 to pay officers for their participation in various Department of Transportation (DOT) traffic campaigns.

The new fiber network is up and running and will be installed in all buildings by the end of this week. Clancy said they will then proceed to thoughtfully and methodically cut various systems in town into the network. The new phone system which will be one system across the entire town will hopefully be up and running in January.

Clancy also gave an update on the accreditation program. He said it is a goal of the Department to obtain state certification. Though the process has been somewhat delayed due to COVID, Clancy said they are close to complete with the revamping of their policies and procedures. The next step will be the state audit. Clancy said that accreditation will likely soon be mandatory so the department has a jump start.

The new Plympton Police Department website that has been in the works for several months, will likely go live in January. “It’s going to give residents a bunch of different opportunities to open up the lines of communication,” Clancy explained.

Clancy also told the selectmen that the Department’s relationship with Duxbury and the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCCC) continues to be successful. The selectmen thanked him for the updates and Chair Mark Russo said, “We so appreciate your professionalism.”

Chair of both the Plympton School Committee and the Town Properties Committee Jon Wilhelmsen asked the Board if they would be willing to approve a letter of intent with Solect Energy for a solar power project at Dennett Elementary School. Wilhelmsen said that the opportunity to work with Solect Energy on a project only recently came about and noted that in order to obtain the higher rate for a tax credit, a letter of intent would have to be signed by Tuesday, Dec. 15. Wilhelmsen said that while he had discussed the idea with fellow School Committee member Jason Fraser as well as the Town Properties Committee, he had yet to discuss it with the entirety of the School Committee. All those conferred with were in favor of the idea.

Due to the less-than-ideal state of most of the Dennett roof, the project would entail rooftop solar panels on the blue metal portion of the Dennett roof only. A possible addition would be a canopy in the parking lot. One option involves cutting down what likely amounts to 12 pine trees while another possible option does not. While the taking down of the trees would need to be funded, Wilhelmsen noted that it would probably be just as well as they are within striking distance of the building itself.

Wilhelmsen said that placing panels on just the one small portion of the roof would be an opportunity to invest and learn and said that when the time comes to redo the Dennett roof, they could make sure that it could accommodate solar panels. He also noted that the technology keeps getting better and the cost lower. He described the Dennett as an ideal location in town for solar panels as it is somewhat tucked away.

Russo said, “I have actually felt a little challenged about the trees… also about this canopy thing in the parking lot just in terms of aesthetics.” He did, however, say that it was clear that as a society we need to be moving toward electricity and away from fossil fuels. Given that the letter of intent doesn’t lock the town into an agreement, Russo and the other selectmen agreed to move forward with it pending an approval from the School Committee during their meeting early next week.

Wilhelmsen also provided an update on the Townhouse entrance accessibility project. The Town Properties Committee is hoping to award the design services to the company BETA. Thanks to funds acquired through the efforts of Selectman John Traynor and Representative Kathy LaNatra the plan to add an elevator or lift has evolved into a more comprehensive redesign of the entrances to allow for easier access to the upper floor.

The selectmen also voted to move forward with a notice of intent to award the Highway Barn roof replacement project to the lowest bid. NEL Corporation came in with the lowest bid of $105,875 and according to Dennehy they meet all necessary requirements. The work will be required to be completed within 150 days from the notice to proceed.

Dennehy said that the town had received a $1,000 anonymous donation to benefit the Plympton Public Library. She said that a number of gift cards to be used by seniors for groceries were also donated.

She also updated the selectmen on the signage for the speed zones the Board voted to create in certain areas of town. While the signage is expected to be up this week, Dennehy said that further steps, such as painting markings onto the road, will be investigated in the spring. She called the signage a “step in the right direction.”

The Selectmen each had raves at the conclusion of the meeting, mostly for the volunteers in town. Christine Joy sang the praises of both the Bylaw Review Committee as well as the Town Properties Committee. She also thanked Wilhelmsen for his leadership on a number of committees – a sentiment that was shared by the other selectmen. Traynor said that while two members of the Library Trustees resigned, two more volunteers stepped up to take their place leaving only one opening to be filled. Russo said that while the current times are filled with frustration and challenges, he was heartened by the patience and heartfelt well wishes seen within the community.

New COVID rules for Halifax employees

By

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Thursday, Dec. 3 at their new time of 3 p.m. for their weekly extra meeting during the pandemic. Board of Health agent Bob Valery got things started telling the Board there were 13 positive cases in town since the previous meeting, 8 of which came in after Thanksgiving. He said that of the 473 tests that were run on Halifax residents in the previous two weeks, 24 were positive for an overall positivity rate of roughly 5 percent.

Valery also updated the Board on a change in the recommendation by the CDC for bringing employees back to work after being deemed a close contact of someone that tested positive. Valery said the new requirement states that someone with a known exposure can return to work after 10 days if they remain asymptomatic or after 7 days if they have a negative test and remain asymptomatic. Valery said the CDC determined that there was only an increased risk of 1 percent in moving from a quarantine period of 14 days to one of just 10 days. The Board voted to match the town’s policy to that of the CDC requirements. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig noted that if you are symptomatic, even with a negative test result, the town would like you to stay home.

Valery also said that someone with a positive test result must notify the Board of Health and follow all directions given to them but noted that it is only strongly recommended that they communicate with fellow workers.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked Valery when the best time would be to get a test after an exposure. Valery said that it is best to wait 5 days after the exposure. Valery did, however, say that if you are displaying symptoms it is probably best to get a test prior to the 5-day window. Fire Chief Jason Viveiros recommended getting a PCR test if you have had a known exposure.

Valery also said that there is new guidance regarding holiday shopping. Stores have been reduced to a maximum of only 50 percent of full occupancy with no more than 10 people per 1,000 sq. ft. Valery and Seelig said that it appears that Walmart is following the recommendations and Valery said that they had hired outside security to help with the count.

Chief Viveiros said they had begun the employee testing that week.  They conducted 63 tests most of which were antigen tests with the exception of 4 PCR tests. Of the 63 tests, 2 were positive. Viveiros said that those two positive cases did both have some degree of symptoms. “So far it’s been very successful,” Viveiros said.

There was anonymous correspondence to Seelig and the selectmen requesting that the town post information regarding COVID on Facebook and asking that they take a more proactive approach in debunking misinformation that is found on town Facebook pages. Seelig said that he conferred with Valery and while both intend to post accurate information to social media, he said he was “not sure either of us has the time or energy to deal with the misinformation that shows up.” Referring to it as a “rabbit hole” Seelig told the Board, “our resources are limited.”

Selectman Troy Garron said, “I appreciate the letter and appreciate the concerns, but I think there is enough information out there for any logical person to read or to watch on TV.” He noted that he, personally, wouldn’t go to Facebook for accurate information on the virus saying he prefers to get his information from trusted news sources.

The Board and Valery also discussed the disease surveillance and outbreak management platform Maven which aids in tracking positive cases. Seelig pointed out that college students who test positive while out of state but return home to Halifax would not show up in the Maven system. “We know there are more cases out there than just the numbers that we see,” Seelig explained. Andrews asked Valery whether Maven tracks people who  are a-symptomatic but positive and was told that it does.

The Board also dealt with some non COVID related items. The Pope’s Tavern project has been moved to the spring. Seelig said he was unsure at this point what the plan was to deal with patches that will be needed in the meanwhile.

Seelig also asked the Board to approve a renewal of the town’s contract with public accountants Powers and Sullivan for FY21 through FY23. The contract is for $26,500 which is up $1,000 over the previous contract. There will also be a maximum charge of $5,000 for a single audit to deal with the COVID money received by the town. Seelig said that both himself and the town treasurer have been happy with their work thus far. The Board approved Seelig moving forward with the contract.

Seelig also briefly discussed the plans for outdoor seasonal decorations throughout the town including an ice sculpture and lights. He said that there was some gift money available for decorating purposes. Garron said, “You know with what’s going on now, we do need something to alleviate the scary. If it’s possible to do it safely and not cause any problems, then do it.”

Several issues relating to various proposed marijuana ventures in town were also discussed. Seelig said that Green Earth Cannabis, who plans to open a retail store next to Twin Lakes Liquors, had presented a Host Community Agreement (HCA) but that it was not in a format that the town had previously used. Town counsel and Seelig has asked them to redo the HCA using the one drawn up with Bud’s Goods and Provisions as a template since a lot of time was spent on that.

Seelig said that a Facebook post pointed out that High Hopes proposed site for their facility was within 500 feet of Lyonville Tavern which poses a potential problem. Seelig said he alerted the company and let them know that it wouldn’t be possible to even attempt to change the zoning bylaw until at least May. He said he was waiting to hear back from them.

Finally, the possibility of requiring Bud’s Goods to have a water line was also discussed. The water line right now doesn’t extend to the agreed upon location. Seelig said they would need to make sure that they weren’t asking Bud’s to pay for a water line that other people would be benefitting from. Seelig said that from a farming perspective, it would be their business whether they would need a water line but said that it could be different from a fire protection point of view.

Andrews said he would like to see the water line extended to ensure not just the safety of Bud’s should there be a fire but also the safety of the neighbors and firefighters. A continuation of the discussion was scheduled for their next meeting.

Andrews asked Seelig where the town stood on getting answers from the County as to whether certain items would be reimbursable through CARES Act funds. Seelig said he had made appeals regarding certain items including laptops for the teachers at Halifax Elementary.

Seelig told the Board that the Massachusetts Beautification Program named Halifax resident Shirley Graf Litter Buster of the Year for her work collecting thousands of NIPS bottles. Seelig noted that this is a statewide award and not limited merely to the town or county. The Board noted the tremendous work done by Graf.

Schools face challenges as relief $$ end

By

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met virtually on Thursday, Dec. 3. The financial impact of COVID 19 on the district’s budget were discussed as were the continuing need for funding COVID related positions at both the middle and high schools through the end of the school year. CARES Act funding was used to pay for the addition of three building level substitute positions at the high school as well as two long term building substitutes and one long term custodian at the middle school. That funding runs out at the end of December so Silver Lake Regional High School Principal Michaela Gill and Silver Lake Regional Middle School Principal Jim Dupille were seeking approval from the Committee to maintain those positions.

In addition to the three building-based substitutes, Gill said she was also looking to increase the 10-month custodian position at the high school to a 12-month position to assist with sanitizing and other COVID related duties. The building-based substitutes would come at a cost of $12,600 each and the increase in time for the custodial position would be an additional expense of $8,000.

Dupille said he was looking for $47,460 to cover the cost of continuing the two long term building based substitutes and the one long term custodian position. He also said that due to fluctuation between cohorts, the school has had to support some of the students on IEPs in additional classes. As a result, the building-based substitutes have had to take on the role of paraprofessionals in those classrooms. Dupille said he would like to see a paraprofessional hired to free up the substitutes who are needed elsewhere. This request would come with a cost of approximately $11,000.

Committee member Eric Crone said that similar issues were tackled at the Kingston Elementary School meeting and noted that they were looking at savings in other areas of the budget in order to repurpose for the continuation of positions previously funded through the CARES Act. Crone said that it would be difficult to go back to the three towns to get a supplemental budget and Director of Business Services Christine Healy agreed. Committee member Christopher Eklund said that he believed the E and D fund to be their only option.

School Committee member and Halifax Selectmen Gordon Andrews said that since the towns had declared a state of emergency, they can deficit spend and therefore, the schools can ask at the special town meetings in March to amend their budget. Andrews also recommended that Silver Lake Regional vote to declare a state of emergency as the district is considered its own municipality. Assuming approval by an attorney, doing so will be an item on the next meeting’s agenda.

The Committee voted to support the positions totaling approximately $104,344 but decided not to change the budget until March. Healy noted that the school district is different than a town in that the budget is voted as a singular number so the focus doesn’t have to be on individual line items. She said that wish list items may have to be sacrificed in favor of more necessary expenditures like these positions.

Healy told the Committee that back in June, she was told that the region would receive an allotment of $146,000 from a COVID-19 relief funding house bill done under Representative Kathy LaNatra. She said that after receiving approval she was in touch with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to find out about obtaining the funding. The money was designated through representatives and went through the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (EOAF). EOAF apparently believed it was being administered through DESE.

Healy said obtaining the funding was complicated by the fact that Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton were receiving their funding through Plymouth County and not the state. Andrews, however, said that it was his understanding that Plymouth County did not receive all the funds for the County and that some were held back by the state. He said he believed the allotment should be coming from EOAF.

Healy went on to tell the Committee that in late November she received a letter saying that Silver Lake would only be receiving an Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) in the amount of $58,000 instead of the house bill allotment of nearly three times as much. Healy said she spoke with Representative LaNatra who is trying to find alternative funding to compensate.

Many of the Committee members expressed their outrage that the schools were not being granted their share of the funds. Crone pointed out that the bill was used in political advertising leading up to the election and said, “It’s completely ridiculous that this is happening right now… I’m just beyond disappointed and annoyed.” Hatch agreed saying, “I’m being polite by saying I’m floored.”

A motion was made to send a letter from the Committee to Plymouth County Treasurer Tom O’Brien as well as another “strongly worded” letter to the Governor and the EOAF secretary. Healy said she believes the issue will get resolved and the schools will see the money that is owed to them.

Special Education Presentation

Administrator of Special Education Marie Grable gave a presentation on the state of special education in the district just as she had done earlier at the most recent Halifax Elementary School Committee meeting. “Special education means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability,” Grable explained. She also described the purpose of special education saying it is “to provide equal access to education for children with disabilities ages 3 through 21.” Programs for Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton include the Developmental Learning Center (DLC) and Pathways, The Structured Learning Center (SLC) or Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC), and the Language Based Learning Center (LBC)

Grable said that the number of students receiving special education services at Silver Lake Regional (grades 7-12) stands at 243 or 15.1 percent for FY21. This number is only slightly increased over what it was in the previous four years and the percentage is below the state average.

Grable explained that out of district placements (ODP) occur when the needs of a student are greater than what can be provided by a school. There are 48 students across Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton currently in ODP. Grable said there were 74 when she first started and said the reduction was a direct result of “the programs that we’ve developed, the enhancements of the services that we’ve been providing over the years, the support of the community members and school committees to really promote and encourage our in-district programming.”

For FY21, ODP tuition for Halifax is $1,857,409 while ODP transportation costs are $473,800, ODP tuition in Plympton is $553,106 and ODP transportation $97,650, and in Kingston ODP tuition is $2,779,011 with ODP transportation coming in at $568,173.

Grable went over the funding sources for the special education services including the state’s Circuit Breaker program which provides reimbursement for a percentage spent over $48,000 per placement. The percentage allocated is dependent on the resources available and the state’s ability to share the wealth with local communities. Anticipated reimbursement for FY20 for Halifax is $598,008, for Kingston $568,173, and for Plympton $67,934.

Other grants include Fund Code 240 in the amount of $974,700 for Silver Lake Regional across Grades 7-12 and Fund Code 262 for preschool aged children in the amount of $7,097. Two grants to return this year for the first time since 2017 include Fund Code 274 in the amount of $14,105 for Silver Lake Regional and $38,209 across all three towns and Fund Code 298 for $2,553 for Silver Lake Regional and $6,352 across all towns.

Grable also said that the special education department is working to establish what forms of recovery and compensation might be needed given the fact that some students may not have had access to necessary services to make progress with their IEP during the closure last spring.

Goals include the possible expansion of the Silver Lake Integrated Preschool since the school is currently at capacity. There is also a plan to open an additional DLC classroom at KIS.

Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee said to Grable, “You walking in our door 5 or 6 years ago was a godsend; you’ve done amazing work.” McGee also advocated for the value of early intervention. She asked Grable to make the basic rights training held by SEPAC available outside of the SEPAC meeting saying she wanted to be sure that parents fully understand what their needs are and what the school offers. Grable said she would make it available as a PowerPoint on the district website.

Superintendent Jill Proulx asked the Committee to take a vote on whether to allow students in substantially separate programs to be able to attend school in-person on Wednesdays. Currently those students are often not able to access services remotely on Wednesdays because of their unique needs. The vote would need to include the Silver Lake staff on both the Kingston and Silver Lake campuses. Crone said, “we were told that quite often those kids are marked absent on Wednesdays.” He also noted that the more that can be done in-person with these students with special needs, the more money can be saved down the road. The Committee voted to allow it.

Superintendent’s Update

In addition to the vote to allow certain students access to in-person learning on Wednesdays, Proulx also asked the Committee to vote on whether to eliminate traditional snow days in favor of an additional remote day. Proulx said that the Committee should consider student and staff access to power in the event of a snowstorm. Most of the Committee was in favor of keeping the traditional snow days and voted against the remote learning day. McGee said it was “good to have it in our toolbox if we need to.” She recommended revisiting the vote in February to see how the winter was going.

Proulx also asked the Committee to consider Governor Baker’s November request that communities designated as gray, green, or yellow return students to full, in-person learning where feasible. Proulx explained that the first of the three biggest obstacles to a full, in-person return would be limited bus availability as well as significant cost to expand bus usage. The second is the 6 ft social distancing requirement for lunch as it would be very difficult to maintain that distance and still schedule lunch for all students. The third is the social distancing requirement in general. While 3 ft is an option, 6 ft is still recommended by the CDC and the state. “More students means less social distancing,” Proulx said. She explained that a change in these requirements would likely need to take place prior to Silver Lake considering a return to full, in-person learning. Proulx said that she did, nonetheless, also ask Gill, Dupille, and Healy to access the feasibility.

Jon Lay spoke on behalf of the Silver Lake Education Association (SLEA) thanking the Committee members for their support and asking them not to relax any of the protocols currently in place. He said that Silver Lake had been fortunate to avoid any large outbreaks of the virus thus far and said that while a vaccine is on the horizon, things are likely to get worse before they get better.

Principal’s Report

Gill told the Committee that she has been having discussions with junior and senior class officers regarding the fate of the junior and senior proms. Both were cancelled last spring. With heavy hearts, a decision was made to cancel the junior prom this year.

Gill called the likelihood of holding a senior prom “slim” but said that they are still investigating possible venues. She said that senior officers are also looking into possible alternatives such as an outdoor red-carpet event. Gill also noted the difficulty of fundraising for both events, even in a normal year and said that a decision may be made in the future to combine the two events.

Gill also said that based on a suggestion by McGee, the senior class president reached out to South Shore Landscaping in Rockland about donating a large boulder to the school. The intent is to allow the senior class an opportunity to paint and decorate it. The hope is for it to become a senior tradition with each class getting to repaint the rock when their turn comes.

Gill said that only 3 percent of families requested a learning model change for the second term. She said that an equal number of families opted to switch from hybrid to remote and remote to hybrid which allowed for very little changes to be made to the schedule or staffing.

Gill also asked the Committee for their opinion on an in-person visit in the spring by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges which was supposed to happen this fall. A self-study is first given with the school grading themselves on various national standards. A team of 6 then come in and determine whether they agree or disagree with the school’s assessment of themselves. The visit would occur from March 7 to March 10. She said the team makes suggestions that help drive things like the school improvement plan and the budget. She said the last visit drove funding for the second assistant principal and the head nurse. While schools don’t have to participate, it is highly encouraged. The Committee agreed to reassess their comfort level with the in-person visit at their January meeting.

Student Recognition

Superintendent Jill Proulx told the Committee that on behalf of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) she would be presenting two certificates of academic excellence to two graduating seniors. “This award is given to two seniors who have distinguished themselves in the pursuit of excellence during their high school careers,” Proulx said.

Both Sarah D’entremont and Brendan Haas are in the top 5 percent of the graduating class of 2021. D’entremont is a student athlete and a part of the Allied Health program. She won the Patriot League Sportsmanship Award. Haas is a member of the National Honor Society and a member of the math team. In addition to his other accolades, Haas performs charity work for veterans.

Committee Chair Paula Hatch said, “You’re both very accomplished and it sounds like you’ve laid the groundwork for your future so incredibly well and I wish you wonderful things in the months and in the years to come.”

Coats4Vets in Halifax

By

The Halifax Police Department, as well as many of the other police departments throughout the Commonwealth, participated in Coats4Vets on Tuesday, Dec. 8. The event is an annual initiative of the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation (MMSF) and is sponsored by Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, New England Patriots Foundation, Ocean State Job Lot, and Home Depot. Coats4Vets has distributed 34,500 coats to veterans since 2016.

This past Tuesday, various local law enforcement agencies traveled to Gillette Stadium to pick up 4,000 buckets that are each filled with coats, masks, hand sanitizer, and snacks. The buckets will be distributed throughout local communities. In addition to providing material support for the veterans, the hope is that law enforcement can make a connection with veterans as well and thank them for their service.

Veterans who are in need of these resources should contact their Veteran’s Agent .

Thanksgiving dinner delivered by firefighters

By

It all began three years ago when the Plympton Firefighters were told that an elderly couple in Plympton were in a very difficult time and would not have a Thanksgiving meal.  Members of the Plympton Firefighters Association got together and made an amazing feast for the family.

The following two years didn’t find any specific needs, so the Plympton Firefighters Association sponsored a meal for the town’s senior citizens at the Upland Sportsman Club.

This year, because of the pandemic, they couldn’t provide an in-person dinner so the Association reached out to the Plympton seniors through their monthly newsletter and a robo call.  The Association received requests from 25 residents for a Thanksgiving meal.

There was turkey with all the fixin’s, including a dinner roll and dessert.   

They delivered the meals to grateful recipients Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon.

courtesy photo by Plympton Firefighters Assn.

Town-wide COVID testing Dec. 5 and 6

By

The Town of Halifax and the Accureference Medical lab will host a COVID-19 drive-thru testing clinic on Saturday, Dec. 5 and Sunday, Dec. 6 at the Halifax Town Hall, 499 Plymouth St. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Everyone including non-Halifax residents, is welcome to participate whether they have health insurance or not. All participants must be at least one year old.

Bring your health insurance card (if applicable) and a government picture identification card such as a driver’s license along with a completed registration form that is available on the Town of Halifax web site – http://www.halifax-ma.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif4496/f/uploads/covid-19_req_form_halifax.pdf              All participants must remain in their vehicles at all times (this testing is available for drive-ups only; no walk-ins). All participants should leave adequate time to wait in line for testing and the length of the wait time depends on the number of participants. No appointments will be made.

The test will be the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)/Molecular test (the nasal swab test). Results will be available within 48-72 hours. Results will be obtained by accessing Accureference Medical Lab patient portal at https://results.accureference.com/patientportal/index.html – If you do not have access to the web site, you can call 877-733-4522.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will be notified about all positive and negative test results. The Town will receive information about positive test results for residents of Halifax through the State›s MAVEN system.

COVID testing available to Halifax town employees

By

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Police Chief Joao Chaves, and Board of Health Agent Bob Valery were all present at the November 23 special meeting of the Halifax Board of Selectmen. These meetings have been held weekly since the onset of the pandemic.

Valery began by saying that for the previous week there had been one confirmed case on Thursday, two suspected cases and one confirmed case on Friday, and one confirmed case on Saturday. At the time of the meeting, there were no hospitalizations from cases in town. Selectman Tom Millias asked how many total cases there were in town. Valery said that there were 18 active cases and estimated eighty something total cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Valery also told the Board that the first responders are notified of cases every Monday.

“Stores were pretty painless over the weekend; they were busy but seem to be handled pretty well,” Valery said of local shops. Millias agreed saying that the stores he drove by had counters out front calling it “encouraging” and adding “they’re at least trying to keep track of how many people were in the store.” Millias said that this would be a difficult time of year with the holiday season.

Valery recommended that people try to avoid shopping during peak hours like 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. when possible. Both Millias and Valery recommended using curbside pickup where available.

Chief Viveiros gave an update on the testing program in town. The program will begin by administering antigen tests to town employees on December 1 and 8. Tests for this population have already been paid for through the town. Employees with symptoms or known exposure are asked to receive a PCR test through a drive up at the fire station.

A community testing event will be held on December 5 and 6 at the Halifax Elementary School. Those wishing to be tested should provide their health insurance information. According to Viveiros, if they don’t have health insurance, they can provide their social security number and the test can be billed through the federal government as money has been set aside for that purpose.

Chief Chaves told the selectmen that according to the state, a first responder who has had contact with a known case of the virus, can still be expected to report to work as long as they remain asymptomatic. Chief Viveiros said that in spite of the guideline, his department would still be erring on the side of caution. He said that as long as there wasn’t a shortage of personnel, any member of the department with a known exposure would be asked to stay home.

Millias provided an update on the Pope’s Tavern roof project. The Building Committee said they have had discussions with the contractor and that the plan is to start work on the roofing membrane and the ice and water shield. They are, however, reluctant to put shingles on the roof during the cold weather. Millias said as with the spray foam insulation, the shingles need warmer temperatures to adhere properly.

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward was in attendance to speak to the toy drive that will take place on December 5. The event will be two-fold with a drop off option as well as a pickup one. Santa will be driving through the town from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and several cars with Girl Scouts will be trailing to pickup donations from people’s homes. The drop off portion will be a drive up at the town barn with volunteers taking the items directly from people’s trunks. More information is available on the town website.

Hayward also told the selectmen that he was now in possession of the necessary equipment, acquired through CARES Act funding, to spray disinfectant at certain street crossings as well as park benches. He asked if the selectmen would like him to begin spraying the HOPS playground. “If we have the capacity to do it, I can’t see saying no thank you,” Millias said. Hayward said that the playground at the school is being sprayed between recesses. While the HOPS Playground can’t be done as frequently, Hayward said it could likely be done once a day.

Hybrid model will continue

By

The Nov. 23 Halifax School Committee meeting began with a request by committee member Summer Schmaling to hold further meetings in person. Schmaling said she found the virtual format distracting and voiced her opinion that certain participants could be in person while others could participate virtually. “It’s hard to communicate with each other… I just find it an ineffective way to do business,” she explained. Committee Chair Gordon Andrews said he understood that the format wasn’t ideal but explained some of the hurdles standing in the way of in person meetings. He said he would look into resolving the issues prior to the next meeting.

Discussion on Full In-Person Return

Superintendent Jill Proulx opened the discussion on the regulations from the state and their impact on the possibility of a full, in-person return to school. She referenced Governor Baker’s early November press conference where he urged schools, where feasible, to return to full, in-person learning. Proulx cited several issues with the state regulations including the need for social distancing on buses and at lunchtime. Funds and space must be available to meet those requirements.

Of the social distancing requirement Proulx said, “more students will mean less social distancing; six feet is still recommended by the state as well as the CDC and three feet is the minimum set by the state. At this time Halifax has been able to maintain 6 ft of social distancing.” Proulx said that she asked Principal Kayne Beaudry, Assistant Principal Brian DeSantes, and Director of Business Services Christine Healy to look into the feasibility of a full return.

Healy said that in order to provide transportation for all students with proper social distancing, five additional buses would be necessary which would be the equivalent of $800 a day. Healy also noted the likely difficulty in obtaining both the buses and drivers. Andrews said there was nothing in the budget that would allow them to come up with the $800 a day necessary.

DeSantes addressed the issues surrounding lunchtime saying that they can hold a maximum number of 44 students in the cafeteria with necessary distancing and the largest cohort they have is 43. He said that kindergarten and first grade are currently eating lunch at the same time though the kindergarten students are eating in the multi-purpose room. Cleaning and transition times must also be built into the lunch schedule. “So, unless there’s a change on the 6 ft requirement for taking their mask off when eating, that’s pretty tight there as well,” Andrews said.

A parent spoke up during the public participation portion of the meeting, asking why a full return isn’t being looked at more seriously. Proulx cited the difficulty that is posed by the state’s regulations. Andrews said, “I know we’re not giving people what they want and what our students need because of these regulations. We didn’t put these in place but we have to abide by them. I think the busing is the biggest hurdle that our school system has both at the elementary level and at Silver Lake… and then there’s the financial implications of that.” Schmaling angrily said that Governor Baker’s statement was irresponsible given the impossibilities that school committees and school districts are up against. She said that getting the kids back into school full-time is the Halifax School Committee’s ultimate goal, “I just want parents to know that we… as a committee… want that.”

President of the Halifax Teacher’s Association Stephen Ruisi spoke on behalf of the teachers saying that while they would love to see a return to full, in-person learning, it is “a balancing act of health and safety and the quality of education.” He continued, “Unanimously we feel as a union of teachers, 6 ft of social distance is a must and hybrid is the only path forward.”

Reports of Standing Committees

Andrews reported on the negotiations subcommittee saying that they have reached an agreement with the teacher’s union. Ruisi said that the teacher’s union had voted to accept the contract but that they were just waiting on a rough copy of it.

The PTO reported that the virtual book fair was ongoing. They also said that they are still encouraging teachers to file wish list items. Additionally, they are always encouraging more parent participation.

Principal’s Report

Beaudry reported that enrollment was holding steady at 568 students. He said that there was a lot of positive parent feedback from the virtual conferences that were held in late October, citing the flexibility offered as one of the perks. Nearly 85 percent of families participated.

Beaudry also said that Ruisi was able to pull off the annual turkey trot at the school. The event was held over two days and included all cohorts, even those that are fully-remote. The food drive is another annual event that has been able to thrive in spite of the pandemic.

Beaudry said that families faced a decision to switch learning models or stay with their current model for Term 2. He said that requests to change from either full-remote to hybrid or hybrid to full-remote were minimal as were requests to change busing.

Beaudry also reviewed some important upcoming dates. December 10 marks the start of Term 2, Term 1 report cards are released on December 21, Holiday break begins December 24, and students and faculty return to school on January 4. He also said that as of right now, students should plan for MCAS in April/May of 2021.

Financial Report

Healy said, “There really isn’t much to report, we’re doing pretty well right now… I think you’ll see signs of cracks in the next few months.” According to Healy, one of those “cracks” could be rising utilities costs from open windows, air purifiers, and other electricity uses.

Cafeteria Changes

Food Service Director Megan Ahrenholz presented to the Committee saying that two out of the three-person cafeteria staff at Halifax Elementary would be retiring in the near future. One suggestion was to have Ahrenholz take over the administrative piece including the menu planning, the reporting to DESE, and the handling of the audits. “The School lunch world keeps getting more and more difficult with DESE and the Federal government getting involved,” she explained.

Benefits of having all of the Silver Lake towns under the same cafeteria management would include continuity of services across the district, shared costs for bids, and a single point of contact for parents of children in more than one district school.

Ahrenholz proposed the creation of a new nutrition manager at Halifax Elementary with set hours and days and a slightly higher pay scale than a normal aide. They would perform the normal functions of a lunch aide but would also be responsible for managerial type tasks including the day to day paperwork. The Committee agreed to discuss the proposed positions further in executive session so as to move quickly on the hiring.

Special Education Presentation

Administrator of Special Education Marie Grable gave her annual presentation regarding special education programming, the budget, the status of the grants and the direction of special education in the district. She defined special education as specially designed education, at no cost to families, to meet the unique needs of a student with a disability. She emphasized the difference between equality and equity saying that the goal was to have equal access to the same opportunities.

In FY21, 18.3 percent or 104 students in the Halifax district are in the special education program.  Grable said this number has stayed relatively steady over the last couple of years. The percentage is slightly higher than the state average and higher than the overall percentage for Silver Lake which stands at roughly 15 percent. The breakdown of those 140 students includes 87 at Halifax Elementary, 20 in the integrated preschool program, 14 in district sub separate programs, and 19 in out of district placement (ODP).

The cost for ODP is $1,857,409 and $473,800 for transportation. The State’s special education Circuit Breaker program provides reimbursement for a portion of costs above $48,000 per placement. Other incoming funds that help the district maintain their special education programming and services include the largest grant, Fund Code 240 which is for $174,642 for Halifax. The majority of these funds are used to offset the cost of the paraprofessionals working directly with the special education population. Grant 262 in the amount of $6,722 targets supports for preschool students ages 3 through 5. Grable also said that two grants that had disappeared in 2018 have returned. Those include Fund Code 274 in the amount of $7,722 and Fund Code 298 in the amount of $1,113.

Grable also gave an overview of the various programs. The Developmental Learning Center (DLC) and Pathways, the Structured Learning Center (SLC) or Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC), and the Language Based Learning Center (LBLC). The programs exist for ages 3 through 22 beginning with the integrated preschool and running through the relatively new Pathways program for young adults.

Grable also addressed the effects of COVID-19 saying, “all of our students have regressed; all of our students have struggled with the school closure from March.” She said compensatory services were being explored if needed due to the regression that occurred in the spring.

She continued, “The difference between the remote plan in the spring and the learning program in the fall is that we really need to ensure FAPE (a free, appropriate education for all of our students). She said the services that are outlined in a student’s IEP are expected to be implemented this fall as they are written in the IEP despite looking different.

Grable also reviewed some upcoming goals including opening another preschool classroom as the slots for students with disabilities are full. Her final slide of her presentation was a shoutout to the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) and Committee Chairs Heather Eddy and Michael Cecere.

Technology Presentation

Technology Director Steve Pellowe presented on the technology budget for Halifax for FY22. Pellowe broke the budget into four main areas/preliminary requests which were school management curriculum (software and subscriptions) at $30,080, technology management (software and subscriptions) at $30,520, supplies and repairs at $7,400, and technology hardware and assistive technology at $22,700. Pellowe said that included in those numbers are several items that are for remote learning and have not been there in the past.

Pellowe said that Silver Lake has agreed to fund a technology paraprofessional position through the end of the year for additional assistance as their department’s requests for help have tripled over this time last year. Andrews asked Pellowe if he had any specific requests should further CARES Act funding become available through the town and Pellowe said that he would fully support laptops for the teachers as was being done in other schools in the Silver Lake district.

Curriculum Coordinator Presentation

Title I Director and K-6 Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Farrell also presented to the Committee. Farrell showed a historical overview of the Title 1 grant showing the continuing decrease from 2018 to 2021. In FY18, Title I funding was $335,867 and in FY21 it was $156,013. Farrell commended Halifax for funding a needed math position in their budget and said that Halifax’s Title 1 money will be used to fund two reading interventionists positions. She said they were having difficulty filling the positions but noted that they would continue to be posted. She said that unlike previously thought, they will have the allocation available for summer programming this year.

Farrell said they are in the second year of a new math curriculum. Farrell also said they are implementing a pilot for the online program Lexia for Halifax grades K-5. Grade 6 is using a new ancient civilizations program. There is also a new anti-bullying, social and emotional curriculum for all grades across the district. Farrell also created a website called “Parent Academy” which highlights resources available to parents during this difficult time.

She then turned to budget considerations saying that the school is in their last year of the current ELA program which she called “outdated.” “Budget implications for ELA are all over the mark,” Farrell said. She continued saying that she has quotes as high as $500,000 for a 7-year district implementation of a literacy program. Of that $500,000, about $157,000 would come from Halifax which Farrell said she would try to split between two years’ budgets.

Vote on Continuation of CARES Act Positions

Proulx told the Committee they would need to take a vote on whether or not to continue funding several positions that were funded through the CARES Act. That funding will run out at the end of December. The Committee needed to decide whether to continue funding them through the end of the school year. Those positions include a long-term building substitute, three long term substitute classroom teachers, and a long-term substitute custodian. Andrews said that while the school budget wouldn’t support those positions, the Halifax Board of Selectmen (of which he is one) declared a state of emergency which allows them to deficit spend.

“If we didn’t make any changes at the special town meeting at the annual town meeting then we would deficit spend, but if we make an adjustment to the line at the special meeting then we should be able to add that amount of money or some amount of money necessary to cover those costs for this school year. So, there is a way to pay for that outside of the CARES funding,” Andrews explained. The Committee voted unanimously to fund those positions in the amount of $116,293 through the end of the school year.