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Restaurants, hair salons now open

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Under the Massachusetts’ phased plan for reopening, hair salons were able to open their doors beginning May 26 and restaurants were able to open for indoor seating beginning June 22.

Several hair salons in Halifax have been seeing clients for the past month with certain restrictions in place. Bk & Co Hair Design opened their doors on May 26 by appointment only. Clients were asked to wait for their appointment in their cars in order to allow for thorough sanitation between guests. Salon Serenity is taking temperatures at their door and asking all clients to alert them if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, they ask that those coming in for their appointment come alone and wait in their car until called into the salon. Owner and stylist Kelly McAndrews told the Express that while they were initially not allowing blow drying, the salon has since begun offering that service again.

Teeka Lynne’s Salon & Day Spa also opened on May 26. Owner Teeka Isakson explained, “I have always run the salon based off the State Board guidelines. The State guidelines are really an enhancement to what we have already been doing.” Like the other salons in town, masks are required. Of the past month, Isakson said, “Overall things are going smoothly it just takes more time to take care of our clients due to the fact most have not had their hair done in 2-3 months.”

Restaurants have had a slower start for indoor dining as they were part of step 2 of phase 2 which began in late June. The Lyonville Tavern and Grille 58 in Halifax both plan to open the third week of July and are currently undergoing deep cleanings. The Express spoke to Lisa Davis, one of the owners of The Moon and Back Café in Plympton and was told they resumed indoor dining on June 23. “Right now, we have two booths that are separated, and I only have 2 tables that are six feet apart. I’m just waiting on my partitions to come in so that I can actually use all three of my booths,” Davis explained. She also said that just as it was in the pre-pandemic days, sanitization is of the utmost importance. “The past week has had its ups and downs; we’re just wading through the storm and hopefully everything is going to start picking back up,” Davis said.

The Blueberry Muffin in Kingston re-opened for in person dining on June 22. A staff member told The Express that tables have been set up at least six feet apart and that the restaurant is following all new sanitation guidelines from the state. Small changes such as ketchup being served in single packets only have also been implemented. Of the last week, they said, “It has been pretty steady, some days have been busier than others.”

Assistant General Manager of the West End Grill in Kingston, Weston Pearson, said the restaurant reopened for indoor seating as soon as allowed albeit with a somewhat limited menu and limited hours. All of the tables have been spaced out six feet. There is limited seating around the bar.

According to Pearson there are five additional tables available compared to the outdoor seating arrangement they had earlier in the pandemic. They are also still offering curbside pickup for those who aren’t ready to venture inside for a meal. Asked how business has been, Pearson said, “Slow, I think it’s a combination of that and also the time of year. We have another restaurant in Plymouth -Waterfront Bar and Grill, that’s been very busy. I think every day is a little bit better than the previous.”

Final class graduates from Sacred Heart High

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KINGSTON – Sacred Heart High School in Kingston awarded diplomas Monday to its final graduating class.

An outdoor baccalaureate mass, officiated by Father John Graham of Sts. Mary & Joseph Collaborative, was celebrated on the front lawn of the high school. The event marked a new beginning for members of the Class of 2020 and the final chapter for the high school which announced in February that it would discontinue grades 9-12 at the end of this school year due to declining enrollment and budget deficits.

Following the mass, Class Valedictorian Lily Lonergan, Salutatorian Paulina Spacek, and President Michael Hurm each addressed their fellow graduates and their families.

Academic awards and scholarships were presented to individual students. Mrs. Diane Hunt presented the William Christopher Hunt ’87 Scholarships to William Mayo, Michael Hurm, Paulina Spacek, Samantha Latini, and Scott Hokanson. The William Christopher Hunt ’87 Scholarship Fund was established by the Hunt family in honor of Sacred Heart alumnus Billy Hunt, who loved his time at Sacred Heart especially his friends and baseball. He had a deep devotion to Sacred Heart and the lessons he learned during his time there. Billy was killed on September 11, 2001 in the terrorist attacks in New York City where he worked as a bond trader.

To commemorate the final graduating class and to further honor her son’s legacy, Mrs. Hunt announced that, in addition to the five scholarships noted above, every graduating senior would receive a $1,500 scholarship from the William Christopher Hunt ‘87 Scholarship Fund.

The Class of 2020 received their diplomas from Head of School Sister Alice Marie Lyon and Principal Jean Marston. A keynote address was delivered by Marie Kenniston Bruninghaus ’83, an alumna and beloved former teacher and coach. Ms. Bruninghaus, who was awarded the Ketteler Medal Award at the ceremony, reminded the Class of 2020 that, as graduates of Sacred Heart, they are members of a small army who can call on each other any time, any decade, to join together to serve others. That, she said, is the fabric of Sacred Heart.

Attendance at the ceremony was limited due to social distancing requirements. Thirty local members of the Class of 2020 received diplomas yesterday. The graduating class included eight international students, who had returned to their hometowns in China due to the pandemic; these students will receive their diplomas by mail. The ceremony was live-streamed on social media for the international students as well as extended families and friends of all the graduating class.

Below is a list of the Sacred Heart High School Class of 2020:

Maxwell Allen of                                     Bridgewater plans to attend                Bridgewater State University

Maddison Larsen-Molina of   Bridgewater plans to attend  Boston University

Paulina Spacek of                                   Bridgewater   plans to attend                     Bentley University

Tyler Murphy of Carver plans to attend                                       University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Zhuo Sun, an international student who stayed with a family  in Duxbury  plans to attend             Bentley University

James Tierney of                                    Duxbury  plans to attend              Seton Hall University

Margaret Bulger of                                 Hanson  plans to attend     Marist College

Ryan Graham                          of Hingham    plans to attend  Johnson & Wales University

Michael McPhail of                               Hingham      plans to attend                       Lynn University

Cameron Dwyer                                 of Kingston  plans to attend     University of New Haven

Kevin Fehrm of                                       Kingston    plans to attend    University of Denver

Yu Fu , an international student who  stayed with a family in    Kingston  plans to attendUniversity of Connecticut

Scott Hokanson of                                  Kingston    plans to attend  Maine College of Art

Michael Hurm of                                    Kingston       plans to attend  Saint Anselm College

Lily Lonergan of                                     Kingston    plans to attend  Baylor University

William Mayo  of                                   Kingston    plans to attendStonehill College

Julia  Ward  of                                          Kingston   plans to attend  Fordham University

Siqia Weng, an international student who stayed with a family in                                         Kingston   plans to attend the University of Southern California

Chaofan Wu  , an international student who stayed with a family in        Kingston   plans to attend   Boston College

Zachary Crossman of                             Lakeville  has not made his plans known

Ethan Secakusuma of                             Lakeville   plans to attend    Wentworth Institute of Technology

Valerie Downey of                                  Marshfield   plans to attend  Mass College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Samantha Latini           of Middleboro     plans to attend  Clemson University

Kayla Turner of                                      Middleboro   plans to attend  Syracuse University

Leo Darling                                          of Pembroke     has not made his plans known

Peilin Jiang, an international student who stayed with a host family in                                          Pembroke plans to attend  New York University

Yirui Zheng, an intrnational student who stayed with a host family in                                           Pembroke  plans to attend   American University

Hannah Boyd of                                      Plymouth plans to attend   University of North Carolina Wilmington

Sophia Capone of                                   Plymouth    plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University

Anabella Driscoll  of Plymouth        plans to attend Dean College

Edward Kiesewetter of                          Plymouth   plans to attend       Plymouth State University

Hanyi Li    , an international student who stayed with a host family in                                          Plymouth plans to attend                          Pratt Institute

Wenrui Li, an international student who stayed with a host family in                                         Plymouth has not made their plans known

Jonathan Menard of                              Plymouth     plans to attend   Johnson & Wales University

Ariana Murphy of                                  Plymouth       plans to attend   Baylor University

Benjamin Andrade of  Plympton  plans to attend   Bryant University

Matthew Day of                                      Plympton   plans to attend University of Rhode Island

Luke Harrenstein of                 Plympton  plans to attend  Villanova University

Name                                                  Hometown                          College Attending

Maxwell Allen                                    Bridgewater                        Bridgewater State University

Maddison Larsen-Molina                 Bridgewater                        Boston University

Paulina Spacek                                  Bridgewater                        Bentley University

Tyler Murphy                                     Carver                                  University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Zhuo Sun                                            Duxbury *             Bentley University

James Tierney                                    Duxbury                Seton Hall University

Margaret Bulger                                Hanson                                Marist College

Ryan Graham                                     Hingham                             Johnson & Wales University

Michael McPhail                               Hingham                             Lynn University

Cameron Dwyer                                Kingston                              University of New Haven

Kevin Fehrm                                      Kingston                              University of Denver

Yu Fu                                                   Kingston               *             University of Connecticut

Scott Hokanson                                 Kingston                              Maine College of Art

Michael Hurm                                   Kingston                              Saint Anselm College

Lily Lonergan                                     Kingston                              Baylor University

William Mayo                                    Kingston                              Stonehill College

Julia Ward                                          Kingston                              Fordham University

Siqia Weng                                         Kingston               *             University of Southern California

Chaofan Wu                                       Kingston               *             Boston College

Zachary Crossman                            Lakeville                              Unknown

Ethan Secakusuma                            Lakeville                              Wentworth Institute of Technology

Valerie Downey                                 Marshfield                          Mass College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Samantha Latini                                Middleboro                         Clemson University

Kayla Turner                                      Middleboro                         Syracuse University

Leo Darling                                         Pembroke                           Unknown

Peilin Jiang                                         Pembroke*                         New York University

Yirui Zheng                                         Pembroke*                         American University

Hannah Boyd                                     Plymouth                            University of North Carolina Wilmington

Sophia Capone                                  Plymouth                            Florida Gulf Coast University

Anabella Driscoll                               Plymouth                            Dean College

Edward Kiesewetter                          Plymouth                            Plymouth State University

Hanyi Li                                              Plymouth*                          Pratt Institute

Wenrui Li                                            Plymouth*                          Unknown

Jonathan Menard                              Plymouth                            Johnson & Wales University

Ariana Murphy                                  Plymouth                            Baylor University

Benjamin Andrade                            Plympton                            Bryant University

Matthew Day                                     Plympton                            University of Rhode Island

Luke Harrenstein                Plympton                            Villanova University

(*) denotes the host family hometowns of Sacred Heart’s international students

About Sacred Heart School

Sacred Heart School is a private Catholic coeducational school for children from age two through Grade 8. Welcoming students of all faiths, Sacred Heart offers a supportive learning environment where equal emphasis is given to academic and moral development. With rigorous academics, faith-based learning, and an emphasis on service to others, students feel comfortable challenging themselves in a safe and nurturing environment. For more information, visit www.sacredheartkingston.com.

10.70 % of Halifax voters cast their ballots

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Halifax Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor has released the unofficial results from Saturday’s election, June 20, showing 628 of Halifax’s 5,874 registered voters, cast their ballot, a mere 10.70 per cent,

The ballot showed only two contests, with Highway Surveyor incumbent R. Steven Hayward getting 503 voted to Michael J. Schlieff ‘s 106.

The other contest saw Alan J Dias and Ashley DiSesa both seeking the single one-year term on the Planning Board.  Dias got 312 votes to DiSesa’s 254.

For the Board of Assessors, 3-year term, John J.R. Shiavone, candidate for re-election, got 471 votes.  There were 3 write-ins and 154 blanks.

Steven MacFaun won a three year term on the Board of Health with 460 votes.  There were also 3 write-ins and 165 blanks.

The Housing Authority, 3-year term, no candidate drew papers, but there were 46 write-ins while 582 left it blank.

Housing Authority, 4-year term, saw Patricia McCarthy, candidate for re-election, win 436 votes.  There were 4 write-ins and 188 blanks.

Richard Clark, candidate for re-election won another 5-year term on the Housing Authority with 455 votes.  There were 6 write-ins and 167 blanks.

Diane Ruxton won another 3-year term on the Board of Library Trustees with 474 votes.  There were 7 write-ins.

Park Commissioner, 1-year term, saw no candidate on the ballot but 40 write-ins.  588 voters left that position blank.

Park Commissioner, 3-year term, also had no candidate on the ballot, but got 31 write-ins and 597 blanks.

The Planning Board, 5-year term, race saw write-in candidate Rick Merry best Ashley DiSesa with 98 votes to her 50.  There were 21 other write-in votes for the position, with 459 blanks.

Two incumbents for the Halifax Elementary School Committee 3-year term, Robert Johnson and Alison J. Vance, easily won their positions again with 402 and 418 votes respectively.  There were 5 write-ins and 431 blanks for the two positions.

Edward Desharnais, Jr., a candidate for re-election, won a 3-year term on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, with 428 votes.  There were 6 write-ins and 194 blanks.

Troy E. Garron, a candidate for re-election, won a 3-year term on the Board of Selectmen with 497 votes.  There were 37 write-ins, and 94 blanks.

Richard Clark won re-election to the 3-year position on the  Board of Water Commissioners with 460 votes.  There were 2 write-ins and 157 blanks.

The single ballot question asking “Shall the town vote to accept the provisions of section thirteen of chapter two hundred and fifty-eight of the General Laws which provides that the town shall indemnify and save harmless municipal officers, elected or appointed, from personal financial loss and expense including reasonable legal fees and costs, if any in an amount not to exceed one million dollars, arising out of any claim, demand, suit or judgment by reason of any act or omission except an intentional violation of civil rights of any person under any law, if the official at the time of such act or omission was acting with the scope of this official’s duties and employment?”

Voting yes, 327 agreed, while 168 voted no.  Evidently not caring one way or another, 133 voters left the question blank.

Russo elected BOS chairman

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The June 22 Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting began as a joint meeting with the Plympton School Committee. Daniel Cadogan was elected to the school committee during Saturday’s town election but was yet to be sworn in as of Monday’s meeting so was not part of the voting. Jon Wilhelmsen, who received several write-in votes during the election, had already been sworn in and accepted another term on the committee. The Board of Selectmen and School Committee took a vote to appoint Jason Fraser to replace resigning member Jill Palenstijn for the year-long remainder of her term. The school committee then adjourned.

The Board of Selectmen began their business with a reorganization. Current Chair Christine Joy made a motion to make Mark Russo the new Chair and John Traynor seconded. John Traynor was named the clerk and Christine Joy the new Vice Chair. Russo jokingly said that his ground rules as Chair included no spitting and no swearing.

Following the reorganization there was a very brief hearing to consider the application of Eversource located out of 273 Summer Street in Plymouth. There is a petition for the installation of one pole on Spring St. to raise the cable due to low hanging wires. No one attending the remote meeting wished to speak either in favor or against considering the application. Traynor made a motion to accept the application which was unanimously agreed upon and the hearing was closed.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy requested that the town sign a three-year continuation of their auditing contract with Lynch Marini & Associates. “They have been doing an excellent job for us for quite some time,” Dennehy explained. The Board voted in favor of the continuation.

The Board then moved toward making the necessary fy21 appointments. Russo read through the lengthy list of people whose appointments were expiring at the end of the month asking that a hold be requested for any appointments needing further discussion.

The only appointment in question was that of Animal Control Officer and Animal Inspector. Joy said that she had  believed Brian Kling would be resigning but was relieved to hear that he no longer intended to resign. Russo made a motion to appoint all those on the list to another term in their present position. It was unanimously approved.

Dennehy provided the Board with updates regarding COVID-19 saying, “Town meeting was a success. I think we can all be very pleased with the way that things went…I do believe people felt at least somewhat secure with being there.”

Dennehy said that as of the Monday meeting there were two active cases in the town and all earlier cases were considered clear.

Dennehy also said that the town is working on a plan for the fall and winter and have been taking the necessary steps to ensure that the Fire and Police Departments are adequately supplied with all necessary equipment.

Dennehy told the Board that Fire Chief Stephen Silva has taken the lead with getting reimbursement through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. She also said that they have been coordinating with Wilhelmsen and Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto to make sure that they are reimbursed for any unforeseen COVID-related expenses.

Regarding future expenses, Wilhelmsen said that they are looking at both necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as additional chromebooks as the expectation is that next year will also involve some level of remote learning. The town is also looking to be reimbursed for residual town meeting expenses that were COVID-related such as the hiring of an AV company to help facilitate a socially distant meeting.

The Board of Health also received a secondary grant. Chair of the Board of Health Art Morin has already received reimbursement for the costs to spray the town buildings the first time. Dennehy said that when dealing with separate grants, etc., careful attention must be paid to not duplicate entries for reimbursement.

Dennehy said, “Otherwise, its been pretty much business as usual at the townhouse.” She said that a memo was sent out to town employees to remind them to keep their guards up as the threat posed from COVID-19 is still present.

Traynor brought up that a number of town issues have been placed on the back burner due to the pandemic and said that he would like to see those things receive attention once again. Russo and Joy concurred. It was agreed that the Board would focus much of their July 6 meeting on discussing and prioritizing these projects.

Dennehy gave an administrative update saying that she was pulling together an RFP to get a consultant on board for the hazard mitigation plan grant.

She also said that the purchase and sales agreement for one of the three lots auctioned off on Prospect Rd had already been signed and mailed to town counsel. She said she expected the closing to take place soon. The purchase and sales for the other two lots are in the final stages.

As is customary at their meetings, the selectmen ended their night with their rants or raves for the past few weeks. Joy said her rave was for all the residents that attended town meeting. “I know it was kind of a scary experience … but they came out and they took care of business,” Joy said.

Russo had two raves, the first of which was for Joy having finished her term as chair of the Board.

“I’m very appreciative of having the opportunity to sit next to Christine and learn from her,” Russo said. Traynor agreed. Russo’s second rave was for the town employees in agreeing to forgo a merit increase this year in order to guarantee that no jobs were lost and to keep the tax rate as modest as possible.

Traynor qualified his rave by saying that it was really more of a story. He said that about fifty years ago a binder was removed from the town records by someone that wanted it for their own library. That person recently passed, and their children shared it with someone else from Plympton. “I’m happy to report that the 1899 book of Plympton town boundaries is now back in the town vault,” Traynor concluded.

Plympton’s Annual Town Meeting held with “Social Distancing”

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Plympton held both its annual and special town meeting on Wednesday, June 17 inside the Dennett Elementary School. The annual addressed fiscal year 2021 while the special was to address funding changes for this current fiscal year’s spending. Town Moderator Barry DeCristofano donned a purple and gold mask as he explained the protocols that needed to be followed due to COVID-19. Residents attending the meeting were divided between both the gym and the auditorium in order to ensure proper social distancing.

Article 1 was the annual report of town officers that was moved by Board of Selectmen Chair Christine Joy. Joy also moved Article 2, authorizing the town treasurer to enter into compensating balance agreements in accordance with Massachusetts Law. There was no discussion for either article and both passed unanimously.

Article 3 was a vote to amend the wage and personnel classification plan effective July 1, 2020 and to pay in wages the sums as read by DeCristofano. The Fire Department/Paramedic, clerical and election workers, elder affairs, library, professional, town hall support, town labor, and veterans’ affair all passed without discussion. Resident Ted Taranto went to the microphone to suggest that the special police officer and matron police officer be paid the same amount. Wage and Personnel Chair Alan Wheelock said he deferred to Police Chief Matt Clancy. Clancy said that there were different rates as they were completely different jobs with separate training requirements. “There needs to be at least a modest grade separation,” Clancy explained. Following the discussion, all lines were passed.

Article 4, the town budget, did generate considerable discussion with respect to both the town clerk’s salary as well as the regional schools’ budget. Chair of the Finance Committee Nathaniel Sides requested a few changes to the funding sources for the insurance and pension line but did not request any changes to the overall amount of $1,243,613. Total general government came in at $75,768, total assessors $82,292, Total tax and treasurer, $186,249, total Selectmen $323,053, total public works $591,678, total protection of personal property $26,617, total building department $95,116, total fire and EMS Services $695,678, total Board of Health $35,393, total police $1,069,879, total veterans $59,756, total emergency dispatch $103,000, and total library $155,239. Those areas all passed without discussion.

Town Clerk Patricia Detterman asked for a hold on both lines 180 (the town clerk salary) and 197 (town clerk support staff). Detterman explained that the fy20 salary for the town clerk was decreased by 11 percent by the Finance Committee bringing the total from $47,163 to $42,000. Detterman countered each of the Finance Committee’s arguments for reducing the salary including that it was not an election year, job duties were calculated at 25 hours per week, and she was a new employee. She said that there were actually 4 elections held during that year, her predecessor reported that it took 30 hours or more to satisfy the duties of the job, and that aside from volunteering for the town in multiple capacities over the years, she also served as the assistant town clerk for 8 years. Detterman also pointed out a number of challenges faced this past year including the sudden resignation of her first assistant, COVID-19 related difficulties, and an inability to take vacation in the past 18 months. She asked for a motion to restore the clerk’s salary to a fair wage. Specifically, Detterman was looking for $47,163 with a 1.6 percent cost of living increase, bringing the total requested salary to $49,925.

Detterman also cited a survey she conducted of town clerk salaries in Plymouth County. She said that the next lowest paid clerk in the county, who happens to limit their hours to 25 per week and is in a border town, made $55,000. Sides countered this argument saying that Plympton was among the smallest towns in the South Shore and therefore, comparing salaries was not comparing apples to apples. He said that the Finance Committee had conducted their own survey using towns in Massachusetts of similar size. He went on to say that based on that survey, Detterman’s current salary would place her into the top third. Detterman said that such a comparison was unfair as the clerk must live in the town to which they are elected and the cost of living on the South Shore is vastly different than the cost of living in say, the Berkshires.

Retired town clerk Nancy Butler came to Detterman’s defense saying that there was no way the job could be done in 30 hours per week. “I wish you would all consider the recommendation by the town clerk,” Butler said.

In the end, there was a slight majority in the two rooms and Detterman’s motion passed. She also made a motion to increase the town clerk support staff line from $22,186 to $25,804 saying, “The service that the support staff does for the town is incredible. We are the front porch for the town.” Like the motion before, it passed though by a very slight majority. The new total for the town clerk’s budget is $103,829.

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen asked for a hold on all three lines of the Plympton school’s budget. Wilhelmsen explained that when the budget was created the school committee had not yet had a chance to look for additional savings. Wilhelmsen proposed reducing the elementary school costs from $2,494,050 to $2,441,399 and the vocational costs from $105,000 to $90,000. Wilhelmsen proposed an increase for the special education line from $1,115,495 to $1,186,396. He explained that the proposed increase was necessary to keep certain students in the building and prevent them from going out of district, which would incur significant additional costs to the town. The total amended budget amounted to $3,717,795, which Wilhelmsen said, “…is pretty close to the recommended budget.” The town voted to support this new number.

Chair of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee Jason Fraser asked for a hold on the regional school line requesting that Plympton’s assessment be raised from $2,463,609 to $2,513,608.42. Fraser said this represented a 0.4 percent increase over the previous year’s number. Fraser also explained that cuts to state aid are still unknown. He went onto explain that provided one other town in the district votes to approve the number, if Chapter 70 funding comes in below what is expected, the school committee has the ability to amend the number without requesting a special town meeting as long as the assessment remains the same or lower. Thirty percent of the Silver Lake Regional School budget comes from Chapter 70 funds.

Sides said that while the Finance Committee had originally agreed to Fraser’s amended number, they had since decided to ask for an overall decrease in the town’s assessment. He said that the estimated amount was somewhere around a $50,000 reduction. Fraser said he had no record of being reached out to by the Finance Committee to discuss amending the budget. Ann Sobolewski took to the microphone in support of Fraser saying that if the town votes the number recommended by the Finance Committee, there would no longer be an ability to amend the budget should Chapter 70 funding come in higher than anticipated. Another resident inquired as to the cost to hold a special town meeting. Selectmen Chair Joy said it would cost roughly $9,000. The town voted to approve Fraser’s requested amended number of $2,513,608.42.

Before recessing the annual town meeting to begin the special, DeCristofano lamented, “I know people can leave when they want but I really feel bad when people leave after their pet projects have been voted on. It’s not fair to the rest of us.”

The special town meeting had 7 articles. Article 1 was a vote to transfer $29,882.13 from available funds to pay for the final change order for the Plympton Police Station project. Selectman Mark Russo reduced the amount requested to transfer from available funds to pay unpaid bills from the prior fiscal year in Article 2 from $6,897 to $2,153.09. Article 3 was a vote to transfer $10,000 from the overlay surplus fund to the OPED retirement fund. Article 4 was a vote to transfer up to $50,000 from the overlay surplus fund into the town building and maintenance emergency fund. Article 5 included several line item transfers in the fy20 budget. Article 6 was a vote to transfer from the sale of town owned property $8,100 raised from the sale of the Fire Department’s modular home to cover the costs for Fire Department repairs. Article 7 was for $7,000 to replace the Fire Department ladders that were rendered out of service due to safety issues. All transfers passed.

DeCristofano then returned to the annual resuming with Article 5 to transfer $33,000 from free cash to conduct fiscal audits for fy21. Article 6 allowed the town to borrow in anticipation of reimbursement $169,092 as the state’s share of the cost of work under Chapter 90.

DeCristofano then read Articles 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 17, and 19 which all proposed funding various things from the capital stabilization fund. Article 7 was for $200,000 for road construction and resurfacing. Article 8 was for $17,700.30 to make the annual lease payment on the Highway Department truck. Article 9 was for $30,000 to purchase a flail mower. Article 14 was for $6,950 to make the first payment to lease/purchase 10 digital portable radios for the Police Department. Article 15 authorized the Board of Selectmen to enter into an agreement to lease/purchase fiber optic equipment and allowed for $22,000 to make the first payment. Article 17 was for $48,90.05 to pay the lease payments for the Fire Department vehicles. Article 19 was for $16,724.23 to pay the lease payment for the Fire Department command vehicle. All motions passed.

Article 10 included multiple requests from the Community Preservation Committee for fy21. Articles 11, 12, and 13 were all requests for the Assessors office. Article 16 was a request for $340,000 to purchase an ambulance. Article 18 was for $10,000 to purchase new personal protective equipment for the Fire Department, Article 20 was a request for $12,000 from free cash to provide the required 5 percent match for a FEMA grant to replace a brush truck. Article 21 was for $8,000 to purchase or repair self-contained breathing apparatus. Article 22 was for $14,000 to fund Plympton’s share of a part-time school resource officer at the middle school. Article 23 was for $100,000 for the replacement of the roof and insulation at the Highway Department building.

Article 24 authorizes the Board of Selectmen to enter into a mutually beneficial agreement with the town of Middleborough for access to the parcel of land at 0 Soule St. to provide (among other things) parking and access to 2 Brooks Preserve Conservation land. Russo described it as a “win-win-win” for those involved. Russo made a motion to refer Article 25, which would amend zoning by-laws regarding floodplains, back to the Planning Board rather than voting on it. Articles 24, 26, 27, and 28 all had to do with the recodification of bylaws. Articles 24, 26, 27, and 28 all passed as did Russo’s motion regarding Article 25.

Articles 29, 30, 31, and 32 were all in regard to payments on the following solar projects: 29 Brook St Solar, Upland Road Solar, Plympton Lake St. Solar, and Main St. solar – all passed.

Russo asked to pass over both Articles 33 and 34 and his motions were approved. Article 35 was a vote to adjourn the town meeting until the town election.

Jumps continued

here

Only 4.5% of Plympton voters cast ballots

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Only 4.5 per cent of Plympton’s 2289 registered voters came out on the hot summer solstice; 104 ballots were cast.  Plympton voters for the most part stayed home when faced with a ballot with only two printed candidates on the form.  Selectman Mark E Russo, a candidate for re-election, turned in his nomination papers to ensure his place on the ballot.  He won with 85 votes, 16 blank, and 3 who wrote in others.

Daniel M. Cadogan was able to turn in his nomination papers to take his place on the Plympton ballot.  He won a position on the Plympton School Committee with 72 votes.  Jon Wilhelmsen won his return to the second position on the Plympton School Committee with 14 write-in votes.  There were 112 votes left blank and 10 other write-ins.

Ethan Stiles got 5 write-in votes for his place on the Board of Assssors for another three years.  There were 90 blanks.

Bradford Cronin won a 3-year term on the Board of Health with 12 write-in votes.  There were 84 blanks and 7 others.

Two positions on the Finance Committee were  won by Kathryn Shepard at 19 votes, and Marilyn Browne with 15 votes.  There were 171 blanks and 2 others.

James Lundgren and Louise Cosato won their 3 –year terms on the Board of Library Trustees with 17 and 12 votes respectively.   There were 177 votes left blank.

Jim will be a busy guy as he was also the top vote-getter in the 2-year position on the Board of Library trustees, having been written in by 5 fans.  There were 95 blanks and 4 others.

Paul D’Angelo won a 5-year term on the Plympton Planning Board.  The veteran member of the board got 8 write-ins.  94 voters left it blank and 2 votes were for others.

The one-year term on the Planning Board was won by James Cohen with 7 write-in votes cast. There were 4 others.  Blanks got 93.

For the Silver Lake Regional School Committee 3-year term Jason Fraser won the position with 10 votes written-in for him.  1 vote was for another and there were 93 blanks.

Voting took place at the Plympton Town House, 5 Palmer Rd.

Plympton and Halifax head to polls

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Town elections for both Plympton and Halifax will be held this Saturday, June 20. The Plympton town election will take place at the town house from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Halifax will hold their election at the Halifax Elementary School gym from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. These elections mark the first time the state has allowed early mail-in voting for local elections.

Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the Express that to his knowledge, there wasn’t anyone that tried to pull papers to run for an elected position that was unable to do so due to the shutdown. Seelig did say, however, that there were some town officials who elected not to run again. Several candidates are running uncontested for re-election. This includes John Shiavone for a three-year term on the Board of Assessors, Patricia McCarthy for a four-year term on the Housing Authority, Diane Ruxton for a three-year term on the Board of Library Trustees, Edward Desharnais Jr. for a three-year term on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, and Troy Garron for a three year term on the Board of Selectmen. Richard Clark is also running for re-election uncontested for a five-year term on the Housing Authority as well as a three-year term on the Board of Water Commissioners. Both Robert Johnson and Alison Vance are running for re-election uncontested for the two spots available on the Halifax Elementary School Committee.

There is one seat available for a one-year term on the Planning Board with two candidates running against one-another. Candidates Alan Dias and Ashley DiSesa both appeared before the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen in January to fill a vacant position on the Board. At the time, DiSesa won the seat through a vote of the selectmen and Planning Board members though support was not unanimous. DiSesa must once again best Dias in votes, this time from the town, in order to remain on the Planning Board. The other contested race is between incumbent Steven Hayward and Michael Schleiff for Highway Surveyor.  Late Tuesday afternoon the Express was told that John Taglini is a write-in candidate for the: Halifax Elementary School Committee and the Silver Lake Regional School Committee.

Unlike the situation in Halifax, Plympton Town Clerk Patricia Detterman said that many people in Plympton did have difficulty pulling nomination papers due to the shutdown. The only candidates to successfully make their deadlines to have their signatures certified to be on the ballot were Mark Russo who is running for re-election for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen and Daniel Cadogan who is seeking a three-year term on the Plympton School Committee. There are several positions with terms expiring despite not appearing on the ballot. Included among those are Jason Fraser and Jon Wilhelmsen who have both expressed interest in continuing to serve on the Plympton School Committee and in Fraser’s case the Silver Lake Regional School Committee as well.

Detterman said, “Saturday’s election will look a bit different this year. Masks and six feet social distancing rules are encouraged. We will have one-way traffic through the polls to avoid some of the socializing done in our front hall when voters are coming and going.” Other safety protocols will also be in place including handing out pens with each ballot rather than sharing pencils. The pens will be sanitized after each use. Both sanitizer as well as masks will be provided for anyone who doesn’t bring their own. Each occupied voting booth will have an empty one in between them in order to increase social distancing. A single booth will be designated for those unable to wear a mask due to health reasons and it will be sanitized in between each use.

“The election workers who are scheduled for Saturday have expressed they feel safe and want to participate in this event,” Detterman said. She also said that last year’s election yielded a 6 percent voter turnout with 128 ballots cast. Detterman said she is expecting the same for Saturday’s election.

Silver Lake RSD budget reconsidered once again

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The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met for the third week in a row on June 11 to once again reconsider their decision regarding the fy21 budget. Committee member Christopher Eklund, who was on the prevailing side of the previous week’s vote, asked for a reconsideration of that June 4 vote.

The budget process began way back in September and went from a budget version 1 to a budget version 4. In January the committee considered a budget with a 3.31 percent increase over the fy20 budget of $25,992,354. On March 12, the committee voted on a fourth iteration of the budget in the amount of $26,698,578 for an increase of 2.71 percent over the fy20 budget. According to committee Chair Jason Fraser, the March 12 budget was lauded by Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton. Everything changed, however, following that meeting and the state essentially shut down due to the pandemic.

The state has until July 1 to offer a revised budget that will reflect the short- and long-term fiscal effects of the pandemic. The extent of the cuts to local aid are unknown complicating the towns’ and schools’ budget processes.

In May, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requested that districts provide them with a budget despite not knowing what kind of cuts will occur to Chapter 70. As a result, the regional school committee met on May 28 to vote a revised fy21 budget. Prior to that meeting, Superintendent Jill Proulx had presented nearly a million dollars in potential cuts to the version of the budget previously voted on by the committee. At the May 28 meeting the committee voted to approve the March 12 number as a sort of act of rebellion against DESE. Their plan at the time was to ask the towns to vote no to the budget at their respective town meetings. The no vote would then force a one-twelfth budget which would default back to fy20 levels. The committee hoped that this would buy them additional time to create a budget that would reflect actual numbers from the state.

The regional school committee met again on June 4 and voted to rescind their vote from the previous week. With the exception of committee members Gordon Andrews and Leslie-Ann McGee the committee voted through the fy20 budget number of $25,992,354 which represented a $706,000 reduction from the March 12 budget. At the time, Fraser cited the desire to work with the three towns in providing them with the requested combined reduction to their assessments of $525,000 as the impetus for reconsidering the May 28 vote. Fraser said that he wanted to provide the communities with a number that they could approve at town meeting. Many on the committee felt that it wouldn’t be fair to ask the communities to hold a special town meeting just to vote through the final budget number when the time arose. In addition to the reduction to the assessments, the budget also included a reduction of 2.5 percent in state aid. This estimate was a point of contention on the dissenting side of the vote as it is likely far lower than the actual reduction will be once the state numbers are known.

Fraser told the committee on June 11 that following the June 4 meeting he began to receive new information including from Silver Lake counsel. In light of the new information as well as Eklund’s request for reconsideration, the committee decided to meet again on June 11 for another vote.

The committee first took a vote to rescind their vote on the budget from June 4. The motion passed unanimously as did the following vote to once again approve the March 12 number of $26,698,578 for fy21. Andrews addressed his fellow committee members saying, “Thank you to everybody on the committee for reconsidering the vote; I think it’s the right decision.” McGee, who was always against the June 4 vote said she was appreciative of the number of people attending the meetings recently. She also emphasized that she didn’t think it was right to ask residents to go to town meeting and vote for a budget, the contents of which were still unknown.

The June 11 vote means that if two out of the three towns approve the budget at town meeting, the region has a budget, albeit one that is likely still subject to amendments based on actual numbers from the state. If the assessments to the towns remain the same or get lower, no special town meeting would be required, and the budget would be set by default after 45 days. If two out of the three communities vote down the budget at town meeting, the school will be in a one-twelfth budget situation. “This reconsideration and the rescinding of our budget was not an affront to any individual or town; we are doing what we think is in the best interest of the district and the students that we serve,” Fraser explained.

The committee stressed that they are nowhere out of the woods yet in terms of the budgets for either the region or the towns. They emphasized that difficult decisions are likely still ahead. They did, however, ask that the towns vote yes to the budget number approved by them at the June 11 meeting.

As of the time of publication, Plympton’s town meeting occurred on Wednesday, June 17. Both Kingston and Halifax have elected to postpone their town meetings to Saturday, July 11. Kingston’s decision to postpone was made after the school committee’s June 11 meeting.

Protest against racial injustice on Town Green

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A peaceful protest/vigil was held on the Plympton town green on Sunday, June 14 to protest racial injustice. Organizer Amy Laura Cahn described it as “a vigil for George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, Tony Mcdade, and all Black Americans slain by racial violence and injustice, including police brutality and the pandemic.”

A large crowd gathered to listen to speakers, set intentions, and hold signs proclaiming “Black Lives Matter” amongst other things. Those gathered also participated in an 8 minute and 46 second moment of silence signifying the length of time Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck. Participants had the opportunity to write their intentions for combatting racism on sticky notes which were compiled and read aloud by Cahn before the close of the vigil. Those intentions included sentiments such as meeting regularly as a town to battle racism and committing to raising their kids to be anti-racist.

Plympton resident Kimberly Russo addressed the assembled urging them to read, listen, think, and act. An excerpt of her comments is found below:

“When we pray for racial equality, when we know that in our personal lives, we don’t hold malice or ill will toward any people of color in our day-to-day lives, it’s not enough. When we march and join in with people of color to voice our support for racial equality, it’s not enough. It’s not enough for us to call our policemen and women heroes because of their vocation or the uniforms that they wear instead of the deeds that they do. But, when we do these things and we take these ideas to the voting booth and we care enough to make sure that the people that we put in policymaking positions, no matter their political party, carry out our intent and concern about racism, we’re starting on the right track. Our current national economic policies, our voting policies, and the lack of inclusion of people of color in policy making and planning are the root of systemic racism in this country. Don’t be a party to that. Don’t give your good intentions for a fair and just country away to people who, after receiving your vote, play a part in keeping this nation divided.”

When it was her turn at the microphone, Cahn acknowledged that it was pride month and said that queer Black leaders have been at the forefront of every movement in the United States. In order to recognize that she read an excerpt from poet Saeed Jones’ new poem, Who’s Grief? Our Grief. She quoted Jones, who is both Black and gay, saying, “This upheaval, the protests, the unrest, the uprisings, all of it, it is generations in the making. Black children who were learning multiplication tables when Rodney King was beaten in Los Angeles… are old enough to have children of their own now.”

Cahn also took time to recognize the impact of systemic racism that extends beyond police brutality. “In Massachusetts communities of color bear the brunt of exposures to chemical pollution and transportation emissions,” Cahn said. She also pointed out that 8 out of the 10 communities in Massachusetts with the highest rates of COVID-19 are communities of color. “This is not an accident. This is a history (generations) of taking resources from Black communities, from communities of color, and putting it into wealthier and whiter communities.” She also went on to quote Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley who said during a recent interview, “I would very much like to pass onto my 11-year-old daughter, something other than generational trauma.”

Class of 2013 Silver Lake alumna Makayla Dillingham took an opportunity to speak after all scheduled speakers were through. Dillingham urged those gathered to attend a peaceful protest march on Saturday, June 20. The event will begin and end at the Kingston Town Hall and will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. “I see that there are roughly 100 people here today and I want to see you guys plus another hundred, plus another hundred,” Dillingham said.  Dillingham said that she extended the invite to neighboring communities outside of the Silver Lake district including Duxbury and Plymouth. “I want to see us all there. I want our towns and I want the South Shore to know that this is a community that’s going to stand together during a trying time,” she explained.

LaNatra announces voting options bill

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KINGSTON – State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston), together with her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, passed legislation this week that would allow a number of voting options, including early voting by mail, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An Act Relative To Voting Options In Response To COVID-19 seeks to facilitate a number of options for voters confronting health risks due to the Coronavirus. Under the provisions of the bill, voters can elect to vote by mail, submit an absentee ballot, vote early in-person or vote on Election Day with public health safeguards in place.

The bill to expand voting options in response to COVID-19 includes the following provisions:

(1)    Early voting by mail application

• Requires the Secretary of State to mail all registered voters an application to vote early by mail in advance of the primary and general elections (by July 15 for the primary and September 14 for the general);

• Asks voters to apply by seven days prior to the primary and general elections;

• Allows for electronic signature and submission of applications

(2)    Early voting by mail

• The city or town clerk will mail an early voting by mail ballot and an envelope with return postage pre-paid to voters who apply;

• Allows voters to return their early voting by mail ballot in the mail, secure drop box, or in person;

(3)    Absentee voting

• Provides for absentee voting by any person taking precaution related to COVID-19;

• Allows electronic signature and submission of absentee voting applications;

(4)    In person voting public health safeguards

• Requires the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health, to promulgate emergency regulations requiring public health safeguards for in-person voting, including social distancing of voters and election officers; face coverings and personal protective equipment; frequent use of sanitizers; and sanitary use of marking pens;

(5)    Early voting in person

• Provides for 7 days of in person early voting in the primary—from Saturday, August 22 to Friday, August 28—including one weekend – and 14 days of in person early voting in the general—from Saturday, October 17 to Friday, October 30—including two weekends;

(6)    Election day

·         Permits voters to still cast a ballot at the polls on election day;

(7)    Local elections

• Provides for early voting by mail for any city or town elections held at the same time as the primary or general or on or before December 31, 2020.

The bill next moves to the Senate.

Representative LaNatra, who serves on the Joint Election Laws Committee, said, “I am very pleased with this bill. It is a comprehensive piece of legislation that addresses the challenges of voting during a pandemic, and provides a number of options to remedy these challenges.  The legislature began this process by reviewing and discussing eight separate bills on the topic and worked together to put forward one very strong piece of legislation. I thank my colleagues in the House for this great work, and I am hopeful that the Senate will quickly pass this and that the Governor will sign it into law.”

Representative LaNatra’s district includes all residents of Halifax, Kingston and Plympton, as well as residents of Precincts 1, 11 and 13 in Plymouth; Precinct 1 in Middleboro; and Precinct 1 in Duxbury.  To reach her, email Kathleen.LaNatra@mahouse.gov or her legislative aide, Chris Jean, Christopher.Jean@MAhouse.gov. The phone number for the office is 617-722-2430. For updates and announcements, please visit Representative LaNatra’s Facebook page, https://bit.ly/2Ura8VR or her website, https://www.kathylanatra.com.