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Guard against virus

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen, town administrator Elizabeth Dennehy, and chair of the Board of Health Arthur Morin have been holding weekly meetings via phone conference during the coronavirus pandemic. Their Thursday, April 2 meeting was the first since Governor Baker extended the state-wide stay-at-home advisory to at least May 4.

One of the first orders of business was to appoint Cathy Ferguson and Arthur Morin to the Emergency Management Team. The Board also voted to appoint Nathan Cristofori as a special police officer through June 30.

Dennehy gave an update on the number of cases in town and said that coronavirus related information will be kept up to date on the town website. As of press time, there are two confirmed cases in Plympton. Morin said that the Department of Public Health notifies the Board of Health directly when there is a confirmed case. According to Morin the Cape Cod Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) assigns a nurse to each patient and it is the responsibility of the nurse to conduct the patient interview and trace contacts. Selectmen vice chair Mark Russo asked Morin who was responsible for reaching out to those that had contact with the infected person. Morin said that task fell under the jurisdiction of the VNA per an order from the Department of Public Health. “They are nurses; they are medical professionals and they know how to do this,” Morin explained. Chair Christine Joy asked Morin if an update on patients’ conditions is given to the Board of Health but was told that would violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The Board of Health notifies the fire and police departments of the address of the infected person though no names are given. This action enables the departments to take necessary precautions as needed. Once the pandemic is over, the addresses will be destroyed.

Dennehy said that the A1 ambulance in Plympton has been designated the COVID ambulance and is outfitted in plastic for easy decontamination. Dispatch will determine when to use this ambulance based on a series of questions in the initial call. Dennehy said that the Army National Guard had dropped off some supplies with the town’s fire department. Additionally, Morin said that the town also has a very small supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) including a few different types of gloves, some goggles and N95 masks, and six full PPE suits. Of the suits, Morin added, “There’s only six so when those are gone, they’re gone.”

Dennehy also gave an update on the disinfection of various municipal buildings and vehicles. The fire and police departments as well as the town house have already been done. A determination for when to disinfect the library was being discussed as it has been empty for some time now and holding off a bit could help to eliminate any remaining virus. Russo agreed saying, “At some point, even if there was virus, it’s lost all of its virulence.” According to Dennehy both ambulances have been fogged and there is capacity to do the police cruisers as well. Selectman John Traynor asked about the old town house but Dennehy said that they were hesitant to disinfect the building as they were concerned about damaging old artifacts. The possibility of just disinfecting contact surfaces rather than fogging the air was discussed.

Dennehy also told those on the call that they have been doing their best to minimize the number of employees deemed essential to the functioning of the town and therefore physically in the building. Most town house employees have been working remotely. Dennehy said, “We’ve had a lot of cooperation overall and things seem to be going relatively smoothly at least for now.”

Plympton is receiving a $4,000 grant from the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards (MAHB) to be used toward anything related to the COVID-19 emergency including increased staffing, VNA charges, PPE, etc.

Dennehy said that she had been waiting for the state legislation enabling towns to postpone their town elections and town meetings to pass prior to rescheduling those events. Town moderator Barry DeCristofano and town clerk Patricia Detterman will attend the next Board of Selectmen meeting to further the discussion.

Joy ended the meeting with a “rave” as is tradition during regular Board of Selectmen meetings. She said, “My rave is the emergency management team – what a wonderful job you guys are doing. I feel like we’re in such good hands and it’s very reassuring in a very uncertain and troubling time.” Both Russo and Traynor concurred.

COVID-19 moves Halifax ATM to June 15

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen used the platform Zoom to host their Tuesday, March 24, meeting in accordance with the Attorney General’s open meeting law revisions due to COVID-19. Members of the public had the option to call-in as well using Zoom from their home devices.

Town administrator Charlie Seelig said that the town was still trying to sort out the essential and non-essential employees based on Governor Baker’s directive. Seelig said that everyone was being paid regardless of whether they were working on site, from home, or not working at all. He also said that they would notify everyone should that policy change, but the intention right now is to pay everyone.

Seelig, town health agent Cathleen Drinan, Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, and Police Chief Joao Chaves are having daily calls regarding COVID-19 and the myriad of issues the pandemic has caused. Seelig said that Sysco had offered to donate surplus food to help Halifax families in need. The free and reduced lunch program through the school is also up and running and anyone finding themselves in need of these services as a result of COVID-19 should contact the Silver Lake food services director.

As a result of the pandemic, the Annual Town Meeting will be rescheduled from May 11 to Monday, June 15. The Annual town meeting will be held at the Halifax Elementary School with a special town meeting to follow at 8 p.m. on the same day and at the same location. Seelig said that the June 15 date will give them a little bit of breathing room prior to the close of the fiscal year on June 30. Additionally, the Annual Town Election has been rescheduled from May 16 to Saturday, June 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. also at the Halifax Elementary School. If needed, the dates will be rescheduled again depending on the Governor’s orders. Currently, Halifax does not have any provisions for remote voting.

Regarding the town’s budget, Seelig said that he was hopeful that the State House would still present a budget by the end of April so that Halifax can create one based on the new financial realities. Seelig said that it remains to be seen how far the economy will fall and how long it will take to get it back up.  “Things are uncertain, and we can’t make commitments right now that we won’t be able to honor later on,” Seelig said.

Seelig informed the Board that he had received a letter from friends and family members of a resident thanking Halifax police officers Michael Schleiff, Michael Boncariewski, and Herbert Wiltshire for going above and beyond during what was described as one of the worst moments of their lives. Seelig asked the selectmen to vote in favor of a commendation for the officers. Selectmen Tom Millias said, “Absolutely, I’m proud of all of them.”

The selectmen and Seelig also discussed the possibility of filing legislation to allow mobile homes to count toward Chapter 40B, the state’s affordable housing law. The Board discussed presenting an article at town meeting asking for permission to file such legislation. Seelig said that it would probably be unlikely that the legislative delegation would act during this legislative session. Seelig said he would first have town counsel Lawrence Mayo draft applicable legislation before sending it to Senator Michael Brady and Representative Kathleen LaNatra. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked that the legislation be drawn up with both a statewide option as well as one specific to Halifax. Millias was in favor of the state-wide approach as he felt it would have the best chance of passing if there was a concerted effort by enough communities. Seelig said he would talk to colleagues in communities with mobile parks in order to garner support.

Andrews, who was recently named Chairman of the Committee, said that the Building and Facilities Needs Committee has had to postpone their planned site visits to the various department buildings. The Committee, that is responsible for assessing and prioritizing the needs and potential renovations to various municipal buildings, had planned to review paperwork submitted by department heads and do on-site visits to assess for themselves.  Chief Joao Chaves is having daily calls regarding COVID-19 and the myriad of issues the pandemic has caused. Seelig said that Sysco had offered to donate surplus food to help Halifax families in need. The free and reduced lunch program through the school is also up and running and anyone finding themselves in need of these services as a result of COVID-19 should contact the Silver Lake food services director.

As a result of the pandemic, the Annual Town Meeting will be rescheduled from May 11 to Monday, June 15. The Annual town meeting will be held at the Halifax Elementary School with a special town meeting to follow at 8 p.m. on the same day and at the same location. Seelig said that the June 15 date will give them a little bit of breathing room prior to the close of the fiscal year on June 30. Additionally, the Annual Town Election has been rescheduled from May 16 to Saturday, June 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. also at the Halifax Elementary School. If needed, the dates will be rescheduled again depending on the Governor’s orders. Currently, Halifax does not have any provisions for remote voting.

Regarding the town’s budget, Seelig said that he was hopeful that the State House would still present a budget by the end of April so that Halifax can create one based on the new financial realities. Seelig said that it remains to be seen how far the economy will fall and how long it will take to get it back up.  “Things are uncertain, and we can’t make commitments right now that we won’t be able to honor later on,” Seelig said.

Seelig informed the Board that he had received a letter from friends and family members of a resident thanking Halifax police officers Michael Schleiff, Michael Boncariewski, and Herbert Wiltshire for going above and beyond during what was described as one of the worst moments of their lives. Seelig asked the selectmen to vote in favor of a commendation for the officers. Selectmen Tom Millias said, “Absolutely, I’m proud of all of them.”

The selectmen and Seelig also discussed the possibility of filing legislation to allow mobile homes to count toward Chapter 40B, the state’s affordable housing law. The Board discussed presenting an article at town meeting asking for permission to file such legislation. Seelig said that it would probably be unlikely that the legislative delegation would act during this legislative session. Seelig said he would first have town counsel Lawrence Mayo draft applicable legislation before sending it to Senator Michael Brady and Representative Kathleen LaNatra. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked that the legislation be drawn up with both a statewide option as well as one specific to Halifax. Millias was in favor of the state-wide approach as he felt it would have the best chance of passing if there was a concerted effort by enough communities. Seelig said he would talk to colleagues in communities with mobile parks in order to garner support.

Andrews, who was recently named Chairman of the Committee, said that the Building and Facilities Needs Committee has had to postpone their planned site visits to the various department buildings. The Committee, who is responsible for assessing and prioritizing the needs and potential renovations to various municipal buildings, had planned to review paperwork submitted by department heads and do on-site visits to assess for themselves.

Plympton UK needs our help!

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Charmian Evans
Special to The Express

This is a big “Hi” from Plympton – not in Mass but across the pond from Devon, England.

There are about seven Plymptons in the world – the Devon one being the oldest, and no doubt where your town got its name from.

Plympton St Maurice, to give it its full name goes back to 900 ad and today has one of the finest examples of town planning of that time. Strip gardens run down to a stream and animals would have been kept on the far side. Come the 12th century, Plympton St Maurice was busier than nearby Plymouth and was a tin assaying town, complete with castle.  As a result of the wealth, lots of lovely old buildings grew up, and over time we can boast that it truly is the birthplace of British art, with a host of well-known artists born in the village, not least Sir Joshua Reynolds. John Sparke explored the Spanish main and from that voyage became the first person to describe potatoes and tobacco. World famous clock makers, scientists, physicians and politicians all trod the pavements of this small village.

And folks, we’re still going! Now we are deemed a conservation area and many of our fine houses are listed for preservation. Our main road, Fore Street, was built about 1136! We’re situated about 4 miles from Plymouth and the coast, and about the same to Dartmoor, a 400 square mile  gorgeous national park complete with the special breed of “Dartmoor ponies”, thatched cottages and views that are beyond gorgeous.

We have a terrific community. In our Guildhall, built in the 1600’s, we have a pop up cinema and lots of fun events. Two pubs run a variety of entertainments as well as fine local ales.  A What’s App group keep us all informed and able to offer help if needed. Every summer we have a Midsummer Festival on the Castle Green, which includes a day long lamb feast, open gardens and a music festival. The whole village gets stuck in to help and it is a lot of fun.

And like you, we need it at the moment. Our beautiful conservation area is coming under threat.  A new town is being built not far away and our politicians and councils seem unable to divert traffic away from our area. Already our church has cracked windows, the original 16th century glass in some of the houses can’t cope with vibrations and the very safety of pedestrians is threatened because of excess traffic.

But never mind hey! Plymouth City council would rather spend millions on putting up a good front to celebrate the Mayflower 2020 anniversary than save the village that many of your ancestors may have come from.   It’s a sad tale and I’m sure you have these battles yourself. We’re in negotiations – have been for 12 years actually – but are now getting to the point when we need to get noticed. And we might just need the good people of Plympton Massachusetts to help us – so watch this space!

Progress on our village conservation is held up because of the dreaded “V” word. We’re all in lock down – only allowed out for absolute essentials and steering clear of anyone within  feet.  So far we have no cases and I hope, as I write this, that you have none either.  Of course it brings out the gardener in us, and seeds are being propagated in greenhouses and if it goes on much longer I reckon people will be building a still for some bootleg! Of course our seasons are a bit ahead of yours. The gardens are filled with spring blossom and there’s the cheery prospect of summer ahead.

This is the first, of what I hope may be more missives from England. We’d love to form links with you, love to hear any history you know of that the two towns might share. And we’d be tickled pink if any of you made it across here when times are easier. We would be delighted to host you. Meanwhile, keep well and if you’re interested, look us up on our website: https://www.plymptonstmaurice.com.

House passes state tax filing extension

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KINGSTON and BOSTON – State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) announced today that the House of Representatives has passed legislation to move the individual tax filing and payment deadline, support municipal government operations, and allow alcohol sales for take-out or delivery at restaurants.

The legislation would extend the individual state tax filing and payment deadline from April 15 to July 15.  Additionally, it includes the following provisions:

• Permits establishments licensed to sell alcohol for on-premises consumption to sell wine and beer via delivery and take-out provided the wine or beer is sold in the same transaction as a purchase of food and in a sealed container.

• Modifies local permitting processes, extending municipal tax deadlines, and allowing municipalities to extend property tax exemptions and deferrals.

• Allows municipalities to activate qualified workers by suspending the cap on hours and compensation for certain retired employees for hours worked during the state of emergency.

The legislation will provide administrative and economic relief to restaurants, cities and towns, and to the taxpayers of the Commonwealth. There are several provisions affording towns and municipalities the flexibility to allow for extending time frames for town meetings and assessing some kind of temporary leniency with paying taxes and late fees. The bill will now go to the Senate.

Representative LaNatra said, “This legislation will provide needed relief in a number of important areas. I am pleased that my colleagues in the House of Representatives moved quickly and we look forward to seeing it enacted 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.

Plympton selectmen meet by remote call

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen held their Thursday, March 26 meeting remotely using a conference phone line that members of the public could also call into.

Chair of the Board of Health Arthur Morin and Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy were also on the line. Dennehy told the Board that she has been having conference calls several days a week with department heads and others to discuss Plympton’s contingency plan for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dennehy said that the town would be receiving some supplemental guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that they would be passing along.

The Plympton Fire and Police departments are doing their best to minimize exposure. They have designated just one ambulance to be used should a dispatcher get a sense that the call could involve potential exposure to COVID-19.

First responders will be put up in hotels should they need to be quarantined, particularly if they have vulnerable family members at home. Additionally, the ambulances are being fogged and there are plans to also fog the police cruisers and library. The fire station is being utilized to house several much-needed programs such as meals on wheels and the free and reduced school lunch program.

As part of the contingency plan, the Board of Health suggested making sure that there is more than one person with access to each of the passwords needed for various town departments. A backup would be assigned for each password holder. “It just seems like with everything being so uncertain and the numbers that are projected to come out with positive cases, I don’t think its realistic to think that none of us will be impacted in some way,” Dennehy explained.

Despite many municipalities canceling and postponing their town elections and town meetings, Dennehy said she was not ready to go that route. “I still don’t think that we’re in a spot where we necessarily want to pursue that at this time. It might be optimistic but I’m hoping that maybe things will be somewhat back to normal by that point and that we’re able to go on as planned. Obviously, we’ll be ready if we’re mandated to change those dates and I think we’ll get a better handle on it as the weeks go forward,” Dennehy told the Board.

Dennehy said that she has continued to meet with the finance committee and town accountant Barbara Gomez to work on the budget. She also told the Board that warrant articles are still being sent in at this time.

Selectman John Traynor had a number of suggestions for making sure that members of the community were taken care of during this crisis. Traynor proposed a petty cash fund that could be utilized by the fire department to buy supplies, etc. for residents who find themselves in trouble. Dennehy as well as Selectmen Christine Joy and Mark Russo were all on board with Trainor saying he would be glad to donate to such a fund. Dennehy said she would speak to Gomez about getting such an account set up. Traynor also suggested making well-being calls to residents. The possibility of robocalls with pertinent information regarding what to do if feeling ill was also discussed.

Morin commended Dennehy for her work during this crisis, saying, “Over the past fifty years, I’ve worked with a lot of professionals and I will tell you that this town is extremely lucky to have a professional like Liz Dennehy. She does just an amazing, amazing job.” Russo also jumped in, saying, “I think our emergency management team… are just doing amazing work… I absolutely feel comfortable that we are in good hands, the citizens are, and we all are. So, thank you.”

Halifax selectmen plan for COVID-19 business shutdowns and school closings

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting on Tuesday, March 17 began with the three selectmen and Town Administrator Charlie Seelig seated 6 feet apart at a very long table.

The first item on the agenda was a discussion of the revised draft from late February of potential changes to the multi-family housing zoning by-laws. Seelig said that Building Inspector and Zoning Enforcement Agent Rob Piccirilli had approached him with specific concerns regarding various definitions. Halifax’s land use counsel Amy Kwesell was also in attendance to advise on the proposed revisions to the by-laws.

Piccirilli stressed that he felt that there should be a definition of both a townhouse and an apartment in the by-laws. Seelig said that a townhouse would fall under the multi-family category as it is simply another form of a multi-family dwelling.

There was some debate as to whether it would be beneficial to include a specific definition of an apartment in the by-laws. Currently an apartment is classified as a subset of a dwelling unit. Piccirilli said that many other towns clearly define what constitutes an apartment in their by-laws. Seelig said, “An apartment in my head is someone is renting it; if you own it, it’s a condo.”

The conversation moved on to in-law apartments as well.  Piccirilli asked, “Our problem with in-law apartments, and I think they are a fantastic thing, but to try and monitor these… when does a single-family dwelling become a two-family dwelling?” Selectman Tom Millias responded with, “immediately.” “In-law is a subject that is ripe for revision, I don’t think anyone is disagreeing with that,” Seelig said. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked, “Can we just note in the multi-family by-law, no accessory apartments allowed?” Seelig said, “I think there’s a worry that somehow, someday, somebody is going to try and glom an additional accessory unit onto one of the condos in the two, or three, or four, and the idea is no, you can’t do that and it needs to be explicitly in the by-law.” Millias agreed saying, “People get creative… we have to get specific.”

There was also a discussion on the differences between two-family homes and multi-family homes. A two-family and duplex are classified as one and the same whereas a multi-family home would have three or more units. Chapter 167, Section 3 provides updates to both the definitions and use requirements for a single two-family dwelling and multi-family dwellings.

Piccirilli shared his concerns over the development of Chapter 40B. Chapter 40B is Massachusetts’ affordable housing law which allows developers to build under a simpler permit process as well as less stringent zoning rules as long as a certain percentage of their units are devoted to low and moderate income families. “I’m not here to say what I want or what anyone else wants; I’m here to do what’s best for the town and the question that’s going to come up at town meeting, that I can foresee, is what kind of breathing room do we have within this to prevent the 40B from coming here?,” Piccirilli asked. Seelig immediately responded with “we don’t.” Kwesell was also quick to respond saying simply, “none.”

Piccirilli was told that cleaning up the by-laws for multi-family dwellings was the first step in incentivizing developers to not go to a Chapter 40B. Kwesell said that the plan was to allow developers to build market-rate units and sell them as market-rate units under the revised by-laws while still providing as much protection as possible to abutters.

Seelig and the selectmen also discussed the ongoing and continually developing situation regarding COVID-19. Seelig addressed the logistics for working from home saying, “If we’re going to both allow or be required… a department head has to make the request of the Board of Selectmen for an individual to work from home.” Seelig also said that the town Board of Health had some money available to pay for laptops for select employees who do not have the required equipment. Town employees working from home are required to provide a synopsis to their department head of how they spent their time each day. Seelig explained, “we need to provide some assurance to the public, to the Board, to the department head that work is actually being done.” “If there are details that need to be filled in, we have time to do that. As with many other things, we’re doing this a little bit on the fly, we’ll smooth out the rough edges as we move along,” Seelig said. The Board of Selectmen voted to approve the framework of the work from home policy.

The possibility of holding public meetings remotely was also briefly discussed.

Since the meeting on March 17, Halifax has actually moved to holding meetings via the platform Zoom with login information available on the town website.

Andrews informed the other selectmen that while 25 percent of students at Halifax Elementary qualify for free or reduced lunch, there was a delay in setting that service up for those still needing it with school closed. He said the delay was due to contract issues within the school system.

The issue has since been resolved. Andrews said that those that are not currently part of the free or reduced lunch program but are currently in need will be helped. He advised that they reach out to the food service director at Silver Lake whose contact information can be found on the town website.

Fire Dept. Special delivery lunches

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The Plympton Fire Dept. helps out in many ways – and with the COVID-19 order to close the schools for several weeks, it is delivering lunches that students would usually enjoy in the cafetoria.

Lunches are picked up at Silver Lake Middle School where they are prepared, then brought back to the Dennett Elementary School for distribution Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  On the left is Lt. Andrew Norton and right is Firefighter Steven Fennell.

“The guys are awesome – ready to step up and are glad to help,” said a proud Capt. John Sjostedt.  “We’ve never had a situation like this …”

Second case of COVID-19 confirmed

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The Town of Halifax notified residents on March 25 that a second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed.  Due to privacy requirements, the name and address were not disclosed, although the close contacts of the positive case have been notified and are following CDC guidelines for self-quarantine.

Other contacts are still being investigated. With increased testing capabilities and community spread of COVID-19, having positive cases in Town was inevitable. This is a crucial time in infection control. Maintaining social distancing, limiting exposure to others, avoiding crowded places, and vigilant hand washing are vital steps in slowing the spread of this disease.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) continues to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), other Federal agencies and our local Board of Health to share the most up to date information available. The DPH website is updated constantly with the latest guidance, including printable fact sheets in multiple languages at www.mass.gov/2019coronavirus.

The CDC website is https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html   The Town will continue to share information to ensure you are updated as broadly and quickly as possible.

How our families are coping

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The Express spoke with several local families to find out what kind of effects the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 is having on the day-to-day lives of residents. Among those interviewed were Suzy Scott, a Halifax resident and mother to two young boys ages 5 and 7, Stephani Teran, a Plympton resident and mother to four children ages 14, 12, 7 and 2, Lisa Bethoney, a Halifax resident, local business owner, and mother to sons aged 8 and 2, and Plympton resident Heather Sheehan who is a mother of three children 6 and under.

Q.  In what ways has your family practiced social distancing?

Most of those interviewed said they are utilizing grocery delivery or pickup services to avoid having to go to the store and minimize contact with those outside of their immediate family. Scott said that her extended family has also been helping to minimize trips by picking things up for one another while shopping. “We exchange items on the front porch and wave at each other and have quick conversations through the windows.”

Teran, who said that her family has been utilizing online services whenever possible, makes sure to take all the necessary precautions should a trip to the store be needed. “If it’s absolutely necessary we will go to the store, latex gloves (or even sandwich bags) over your hands and quickly get what is needed… and leave as soon as possible. We make sure to sanitize surfaces in the car as well. We also use hand coverings at gas pumps as we hear that is how many people are being exposed,” she said.

Bethoney said that they are having their groceries delivered and simply making do with what they have. “It’s tough but I know it’s for the best. The only way we’re going to beat this thing is if everyone practices social distancing and does not allow this virus to spread.”

Bethoney said that social distancing has also had a tremendous effect on her business, Stencil It, an arts and crafts studio in Carver.  “I was forced to cancel all of the events and parties that I had scheduled to avoid having a group of people interacting with each other. Right now, the business has no money coming in and it’s unclear as to when I will be able to open again,” she said.

Sheehan said her husband has overseen the grocery runs and other errands. “My husband has been picking up the groceries and running necessary errands outside of the home, making sure to stay a safe distance from others and sanitizing carts, handles and gas pumps etc. and we’re all constantly washing our hands.”

While those interviewed said that they are mostly hunkering down at home with their immediate family, there are still exceptions for work or medical related purposes. Teran is currently undergoing physical therapy to regain her ability to walk after sustaining an injury this winter and her husband Brett is a physiatrist who is practicing telemedicine whenever possible but must still travel to work to perform mandatory procedures. “When we are required to leave and go into a medical facility we have to take extreme precautions while there. The employees follow us around and sanitize every surface we touch and also work with us with gloves and some masks on,” Teran said. Once home, Teran said that they are careful to change their clothes and shoes at the door and then wash them with hot water and bleach. “Brett especially, has to shower if he has been doing spinal procedures that day,” Teran continued. Teran acknowledged that should it be necessary, her husband could be called to help with the pandemic saying, “We are supportive as a family in him taking that risk if needed because it’s what his medical oath requires.”

Sheehan’s husband Johnny is the executive chef and partner of two restaurants in Plymouth – Salt & Leena’s Kitchen. “This has affected my husband’s businesses in most every way, beginning with first heavily sanitizing and rearranging the restaurants to comply with social distancing regulations, to having the painful task of having to lay off the majority of the staff to comply with the government’s changing restrictions,” Sheehan explained. “They had to quickly change their business model from full-service restaurants to temporarily closing one of the locations to operate a curbside pickup and delivery service for both out of one location,” Sheehan continued. In addition to wanting to stay open to serve the community, Sheehan said they have also been preparing meals for their staff who aren’t working to pick up and share with their families.

Q.  Have you found ways to safely stay connected to others?

Everyone mentioned various platforms for video chatting friends and family such as FaceTime and Zoom. Many of the parents have even been keeping their young children busy with virtual playdates. Scott said that her boys have participated in virtual get-togethers with their hockey team. Her sons also enjoy having a bedtime story read to them over the phone by their grandparents. “That has definitely helped both my boys and their grandparents stay connected,” Scott said. Likewise, Sheehan said, “We have video calls with our family and friends daily to keep in touch from a distance.” Sheehan has also been keeping up with her cosmetics business virtually. “My team and I utilize video conferencing and messenger to keep in contact, to provide training and connect with our customers.  I’ve also enrolled in real estate courses and am taking them virtually online instead of in a classroom at this time.”

Teran said that her seven-year old daughter’s Irish Step studio utilizes an app that allows the students to see and hear one another. Sheehan’s six-year old daughter has also been able to keep up with her dance lessons thanks to some ingenuity on the part of the studio. “Her dance studio also provided video and music for her to practice at home as well, which is amazing,” Sheehan said.

Q. How have your children reacted to the sudden changes in their daily lives?

There seems to be a consensus that while the children may have initially seen the break from school as a welcome reprieve, even the youngest among them are now starting to pick up on the uncertainty and anxiety surrounding COVID-19.

Scott said that initially she didn’t think her children understood much of what was going on but was surprised at just how much they were absorbing. “When my youngest, who’s 5, heard me listening to one of the press conferences he commented that he didn’t like to hear about the virus and that it scared him. I honestly didn’t know he knew anything about it other than we were staying in to not share germs. I had no idea he had even heard the word virus.” Scott said she is now very aware of what she says in front of them.

Teran, who has a pre-teen as well as a teenager, said, “We try not to talk too much about it around them but the oldest two are old enough to see the news and hear from their friends what is going on. We try to make ourselves available for any questions they have. The hardest one to be asked is also the most frequent: ‘When will this be over?’”

Teran’s oldest son actually traveled to Italy with his 8th grade Latin group in February just prior to the threat of COVID-19 really taking off both here and in Europe. “Twelve hours after he landed back at Logan they declared a state of emergency in Northern Italy,” Teran said. Consequently, her son was forced to quarantine for 14 days while being monitored at home for symptoms. “We are so grateful that our son stayed seemingly healthy after his trip.”

“I am also trying to shield the kids from the media and news stories as I don’t want to worry them,” Bethoney said of her preschool and elementary school aged sons. “They know what’s going on to a certain extent, but I don’t talk about it a lot in front of them. I explain the situation to them and give them only as much detail as I feel is necessary.”

The local schools have done their best to quickly adapt to online learning in order to ensure that students are progressing during this strange interlude. Teran’s older children have been sent homework via Google Classroom as well as hard copies from their school. “Their schools, teachers, and coaches have been incredible in providing resources, learning opportunities, and motivating activities to keep them up to par and engaged in learning -but without rigor as they know these are stressful times,” Teran said. She also expressed her appreciation for the schools’ efforts saying, “I can’t say enough how much I appreciate all the teachers and educators. As a parent I feel very supported by all of them right now.”

Sheehan said that while her oldest daughter is sad to be missing out on part of her first real year of school, she is grateful for the school’s remote presence. “My daughter was enjoying her first year in school in kindergarten and is missing her teacher and classmates, but thankfully the school is very active in keeping in touch and the kids have been able to communicate through the parents.”

Like others, Bethoney said that her sons are missing their usual routines but are resilient. “They are enjoying the extra family time and we are doing are best to mix fun/play time with some academic time as well.”

Scott said that while following a strict academic schedule hasn’t worked for her family, they are making sure that their boys are staying engaged in other ways. “I find all the posts about distant learning to be very overwhelming, so we are doing our best to not get stressed and to find ways to keep them learning while they are playing,” she explained.

With a large family Teran said that it can be difficult to accommodate everyone’s needs while adhering to a strict schedule. “We are using our schedules as a backbone for structure but if we are off one day it’s not a big deal. I also want our kids to take this time to enjoy some down time since during our normal schedule there is very little in our big, busy family.”

Do you have any tips for other families during this difficult time?

If a silver lining is to be found in this trying time, there seems to be agreement that it lies within the extra family time that has come along with social distancing. Scott said, “Like most families I’m sure, we typically have a very busy schedule… especially on the weekends. We have spent a lot of time together doing yard work, playing games, building forts and baking.” Teran shared a similar sentiment saying, “As parents we are doing our best to have daily family walks, a few daily chores, and lots of cooking/baking/board game time together.” Bethoney said that her family is doing their best to put a positive on the situation, “We’re taking advantage of the down time and spending more time together as a family.” Sheehan said that her family has tried to include the children in a fun way in meal planning as well as cooking and clean-up. “They have also been enjoying writing letters and drawing pictures and sending mail to family and friends and putting on performances for us” Sheehan said. She also said that she has found that staying active and listening to music has been helpful for her family as well. Bethoney said that getting outside has been key for her family.

“Things like this have happened in the world before, and they will happen again. The trick seems to be finding a healthy way to respond and then be productive and proactive in our actions. We need to be brave, selfless, and aware. We need our communities now more than ever,” Teran said.

Teran said that her family is “blown away by the strength of health care workers right now but also completely disturbed by the lack of supplies and infrastructure for them and patients.”

“Physicians, my husband included, are begging people to listen to and pay attention to the science, not those offering opinion or biased projections. We will get through this, but the world will undoubtedly be changed by it.”

North Easton Savings closes lobbies; drive-up, ATM banking service only

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North Easton Savings Bank announced that, due to the evolving situation related to the coronavirus outbreak, banking office lobbies will close until further notice.  Additionally, the bank has temporarily closed its two in-store locations at Roche Bros. in Easton and Shaw’s in North Attleborough.

Rich Spencer, Chief Executive Officer at North Easton Savings Bank, said that he hopes that lobby service will be restored soon, and reminds the public that, despite the temporary closings, Bank customers have several other ways to conduct banking with North Easton Savings Bank.

Individual locations will continue to offer drive-up and ATM services. In addition, the bank offers a variety of convenient services that include:

• Online and Mobile Banking – pay bills, transfer money between accounts, check balances and recent account activity, deposit a check, set up Alerts, and open a new account in our secure site. Login or enroll at www.NorthEastonSavingsBank.com.

• ATMs – Deposit cash or checks, withdraw, transfer funds between accounts, and check balances at the bank’s network of 23 ATM locations. Find maps and directions at www.NorthEastonSavingsBank.com./locations

• 24/7 Automated Telephone Banking Line – Get real-time balances, monitor recent account activity, transfer funds. To enroll, call the Contact Center. To access, call 888-226-5276.

•  Customer Contact Center – the bank’s service team can help with banking questions, or quickly put customers in touch with an expert if needed. Current hours are M-F 8-6; Sat 9-1. Reach the Center at 508-238-2007.

• Limited In-person Service by Appointment – For urgent matters requiring in-person assistance, individuals can call the bank’s Customer Contact Center to request an appointment. Appointments would be available based on the bank’s evaluation of conditions at the time of the request.

• Online Account Opening and Loan Application at www.NorthEastonSavingsBank.com

Spencer said, “We are sorry for any inconvenience this temporary closing of our lobbies will cause. We did not take the step lightly. But, given the current circumstances, it’s the right decision. The safety of our customers and employees must come first.

The North Easton Savings Bank employee team is working hard to help our customers smoothly navigate this temporary situation, and we are looking forward to the day we can restore our lobby services.”

He continued, “As a community bank, our goal is to meet the needs of our customers and communities and do so in a way that we believe best protects their health. Our top priority is to maintain a safe workplace for our employees, and a safe place of business for our customers.”

North Easton Savings Bank will maintain current information about its banking operations, and possible impacts to service delivery, on the Bank’s web page, and will communicate with its customers by email.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an arm of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html, provides situation updates, advice, and FAQs.

About North Easton Savings Bank

With eighteen local branches and over $1.1 billion in assets, North Easton Savings Bank is uniquely situated to provide personal and business banking and lending solutions to southeastern Massachusetts. Founded in 1864, the Bank has a proven track record of growing the community through fair banking practices, financial advising, and local philanthropy.

Looking forward, North Easton Savings Bank is well-positioned as the preferred area banking partner with a powerful combination of convenient features like mobile and online banking and the personal, hometown touch of a local bank. North Easton Savings Bank is fully insured by the FDIC and the DIF and is an Equal Housing Lender. For more information, please visit www.NorthEastonSavingsBank.com.