Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

You are here: Home / Archives for News

Changes at Plympton Post Office

By

Residents may have noticed a new emptiness at the Plympton Post Office.  While the clerks remain the same, and the service over the counter is the same, where are the mail carriers?  Where is the mail?

Online shoppers during the holiday season bombarded the little building with an avalanche of packages that made sorting the mail and preparing it for delivery a dangerous proposition.

One worker noted that it became an emergency situation and became unsafe for everyone behind the counter.

Now Plympton mail carriers are working out of the spacious Carver post office.  The same rural carriers are working their same postal routes, they said, but the carriers work from the Carver location.

“There is no plan to bring the carriers back to Plympton – not to this location – because it is just too small, “ a worker told The Express.  For now, service will remain the same, just happening from two locations.

Halifax, Plympton look into GATRA, BAT bus options

By

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met Monday, January 6 for the first time since the holidays. Selectman Mark Russo was absent, but Chair Christine Joy and Selectman John Traynor were in attendance. Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said she met with Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig and Brockton Area Transit (BAT) to discuss what services BAT could potentially offer both Plympton and Halifax. “What we found out,” Dennehy explained, “is that they have a couple of different ideas as far as involvement.” The first, most introductory level, would involve BAT helping build the towns’ volunteer base. In this scenario, BAT would help coordinate with Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) on training initiatives. Dennehy explained that this would be beneficial as volunteers could be covered on insurance once they had completed some sort of formal training.

A mid-level involvement includes BAT working with MassDot to help the town acquire more vehicles to be utilized by volunteer drivers. This would require more formal involvement including identifying a bus stop. Traynor asked what kind of charges were associated with each service. Dennehy said that while they didn’t get into cost during this initial meeting, BAT was aware of the assessments for both Plympton and Halifax and seemed willing to work within those constraints.

Dennehy said that much of BAT’s funding comes from MassDOT as well as the federal government and a lot of numbers were needed to support their requests. Dennehy said, “Charlie and I have to kind of go back to the drawing board and figure out what our demand really is. They’re going to work us through that and give us some tools.”

Dennehy also discussed the best possible method to gather data such as when and where rides would most be in demand. Options include surveying residents, attending Council on Aging meetings, and reaching out via social media.

BAT appeared to be interested in having Plympton and Halifax bring a third town aboard. There is currently a well-established program in Hanson and BAT encouraged Dennehy and Seelig to reach out to them for more details. BAT also encouraged Plympton and Halifax to continue to pursue The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) as they might be a better fit.

Traynor and Dennehy also met with the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce earlier Monday. Traynor described the meeting as “positive” and “very successful” and said, “the takeaways from that is they could assist us by providing letters to either GATRA or BAT.” They also told Traynor and Dennehy that they could provide assistance to some smaller businessess in town by highlighting them throughout the region. They would also be able to hold a grand opening for any new businesses that may come into town. Traynor emphasized that they were interested in hearing about both SYSCO and Hubbell Inc.

Plympton awarded $93,000 in Choice Small Town Grant

Dennehy shared with the selectmen that the town was successful in securing a Housing Choice Small Town Grant in the amount of $93,000. The grant is available to Massachusetts’ towns with populations under 7,000 residents. Dennehy said the money would be put toward a consultant who will work with the Town Campus Committee.

And then there were five on ConCom

The Board voted to reduce the number of people on the Conservation Commission from seven to five members. Two of the members have left town and the Commission was having difficulty with quorum issues. Remaining members include Richard Burnet, Amy B. Cronin, Linda Leddy, Michael Matern, and Marta J. Nover. The Board also voted to appoint Rob Firlotte as the highway superintendent (he was previously serving as an interim) through June 30, 2020.

Class 2 licenses approved

The Board also voted to approve several Class 2 licenses for various business in town. Those businesses include Angel’s Auto and Towing, Carey Auto Inc., Competition Auto, Plympton Sand and Gravel, and Plympton Cycles. Conditions specify the number and type of vehicles to be sold as well as limiting the number of vehicles to be displayed. Other conditions include that the premises be kept neat.  All conditions are subject to change with thirty days’ notice from the Board of Selectmen.

As is customary, the Board ended their meeting with their rants or raves for the last few weeks. Traynor said,

“I thought the meeting today with the council kind of showed that Plympton, even though it’s very small, has lots of resources and we know how to go out and touch on them.”

For her rave, Joy said she was impressed with the turnout at town meeting and was thankful that both the funding for the Council on Aging van and the article to enable the Board of Selectmen to make safety zones passed.

Traynor said that the success of town meeting was a testament to all of those working on the various boards.

Joy agreed saying, “It’s not like it used to be. We’ve got a very good group of people who are doing their homework and making presentations that make sense to the residents and there is a level of comfort and trust with it. We’ve come a long way.”

Local fire dept. grants

By

KINGSTON -State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) commended Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito recently for their support of $920,000 in grant awards to 174 Massachusetts fire departments for gear and equipment for that will reduce firefighters’ exposure to cancer-causing chemicals on the job.

All of the communities within Representative LaNatra’s district, with the exception of Duxbury, received funds in these grant awards. There are two different grants. For the first, the Firefighter Turnout Gear Grant program will provide firefighters in 144 departments with new hoods and gloves for structural firefighting activities. These items will reduce exposure to cancer-causing chemicals in the head and hand areas, which are high-risk areas for dangerous chemicals to enter the body. In total, approximately 3,000 hoods and 3,000 pairs of gloves will be purchased with the $500,000 from this program. Communities receiving grants in the district included Halifax, $2,390.07; Kingston, $2,506.25; Plymouth, $2,496; and Plympton, $2,440.

Through the Washer-Extractor Equipment Grant, $420,000 was awarded to 75 departments that will receive a new washer-extractor to clean their structural firefighting gear after exposure to smoke and other toxic chemicals. Because some of the recipient agencies are purchasing regional-use machines, 84 departments will actually benefit from them.  A national standard set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) on the care and cleaning of structural firefighting gear delineates specific types of machines that should be used to effectively remove cancer-causing chemicals after each fire. All washer-extractors purchased with this grant will meet this standard, and enable personnel to wear clean gear each time they leave the fire station for an emergency. The town of Middleboro received a grant of $5,000.

Representative LaNatra said, “First responders face so many dangers on a daily basis. I am thrilled to see the Baker-Polito administration taking an active role in first responder safety and ensuring that they are able to perform their jobs without the risk posed by out-of-date equipment.”

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.

She maintains regular office hours throughout the district. For additional information, please contact Chris Jean, Christopher.Jean@MAhouse.gov. Meetings can also be arranged by appointment.

Roofer Will sentenced

By

BROCKTON – A South Shore contractor who ran a scheme to defraud dozens of homeowners out of many thousands of dollars has pleaded guilty to larceny and other charges, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.

Late Monday, Matthew R. Will,  of Pembroke, pleaded guilty to one count each of Larceny of Property Over $1,200 by Single Scheme, State Building Code Violation and Money Laundering.  Will additionally pleaded guilty to seven counts of Home Improvement Contracting Violations and three counts each of Forgery and Uttering.  Brockton Superior Judge Mark A. Hallal sentenced Will to serve 2-3 years in State prison with three years of probation from and after.   Once released on probation, Will must adhere to the court ordered conditions that he stay away and have no contact with the victims of the case, surrender his contractor’s license, submit to a substance abuse evaluation, cooperate with victims of the case seeking restitution through the state fund and remove the roofing company’s website from the internet.

In July 2018, a Middleboro Police investigation began when at least 15 individuals reported that Will had defrauded them out of funds ranging from  $800 to $12,000.  The extensive grand jury investigation revealed a substantial criminal enterprise involving multiple victims that extends across the entire state.   In total, the investigation found that approximately 39 victims, ranging in age from 50 years-old up to 94, were defrauded in the towns of Middleboro, Kingston, Duxbury, Brockton, Plympton, Wareham, North Easton, Hanson, Falmouth, and Pembroke.   The approximate total amount that Will defrauded customers of is in excess of $250,000.

On March 2 and 3, 2018, a severe Nor’easter storm struck the New England region, with heavy rains that caused extensive power outages as a result of downed trees.   Many homes within Oak Point, a large retirement community in Middleboro for people aged 55 and over, were left badly damaged from the storm.  Will, doing business as 5-Star Discount Roofing, offered his services to homeowners to repair their roofs.   Will took payments and never returned to start any work.   Homeowners often found themselves unable to get a hold of Matthew Will who ignored concerned texts and calls from customers.

In late July, 2018, Hanson Police Department received a complaint from a couple who reported that Will had defrauded them when they hired him to replace damaged shingles on their newly purchased home.   In August 2018, Kingston Police were contacted by a couple who also reported that Will had defrauded them after providing him with a down payment for his roofing services.   In November 2018, Wareham Police also received a report from a customer who reported that Will had defrauded him after accepting payment to repair his roof in East Bridgewater.

Will held a Construction Supervisor’s License from the state and was operating his business as 5-Star Discount Roofing out of a Halifax address.   

Will engaged in a pattern of criminal conduct or scheme while operating as a contractor through 5-Star Discount Roofing.

The investigation further found that Will made false statements about the length of time to complete projects to induce customers to employ him, that he received funds from customers’ jobs but then did not pay his employees, vendors or for equipment.

Will forged and uttered the signatures of customers on contracts submitted to obtain building permits and used false names to obtain jobs with customers.

Will continued to remain in business well after these initial reports were made to police, falsely telling customers in Pembroke, Hanson, and Falmouth that the name of his company was “Matthew Ryan Roofing.:  The customers, unaware of the allegations against Will, hired him to repair their roofs and were unable to reach him after he failed to start any work.

“Mr. Will promised necessary home improvements to these victims, many of whom were elderly, and event went to so far as to use conditions of a Nor’Easter storm to his advantage,” DA Cruz said.   “Though his schemes and scams he victimized these people and stole from them – first their trust, and then their money.  I am hopeful that Mr. Will will spend some time in state prison thinking about his manipulative actions toward this vulnerable group of victims.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexander Zane and was investigated by Sgt. Eugene Andrews of the Hanson Police and the Middleboro Police Department, Pembroke Police Department and Wareham Police Department.

State Rep. LaNatra looks ahead to ‘20

By

State Representative Kathleen LaNatra, who serves the 12th Plymouth District, held constituent hours on Monday, December 23 at the Holmes Public Library in Halifax. LaNatra holds constituent hours monthly for each of the towns she represents. The Express had the opportunity to sit down with both Representative LaNatra and her legislative aid Chris Jean to get a sense of what was accomplished in the last year as well as what’s on the docket for 2020.

Jean said that LaNatra was pleased with her committee assignments in her first year in office.  LaNatra serves on a number of committees but was especially pleased to be appointed to the Joint Committee on Economic Development as well as the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs. LaNatra has spent a great deal of time volunteering at the Council on Aging as well as Meals on Wheels and considers elder affairs to be priority for her. “We have a really big shortage right now of CNA’s and nurses… they’re not paid very well and it is a really tough job,” LaNatra explained.  She continued, “We’re very concerned about our senior population now – are there going to be people to take care of them? We have nursing homes closing. These are major concerns. There are many bills on these subjects so hopefully we’ll be taking some of them up.”

LaNatra has sponsored a number of bills currently in committee. The David Hanson Act focuses on boater safety and would implement a required boating education program prior to operating a boat. Hanson, who inspired the bill, was a 20-year-old call firefighter in Kingston who tragically died during a boating accident in Plymouth Bay in 2010.  Another bill sponsored by LaNatra aims to increase the penalties for hit and runs involving recreational vehicles.

The bill is to be known as the James Ward Act. Ward was only 14 when he was killed following an off-road vehicle accident while riding his dirt bike in 2012.

The operator of the other bike involved in the collision said he was leaving to get help but never returned.

LaNatra said, “A lot of our bills have really sad stories to them so we become emotionally connected to the families too. They’re very important to us and we think about them daily; we’re always trying to advocate for them.” Regarding these bills, LaNatra said that she is hopeful that they will be voted out of committee.

Another important bill that was filed with State Rep. Josh Cutler would establish a MassMade Program. The intention of the program would be to identify, connect, and support businesses making products in Massachusetts as a means of boosting the local economy.

LaNatra cited being named Legislator of the Year by the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association (MaMHCA) as one of the highlights of her first year in office. LaNatra delivered the keynote speech at their conference in November.

LaNatra said they are looking forward to 2020 and expect it to be a great year in the district. LaNatra hopes to continue the focus on healthcare that just resulted in the passing of a combined bill that will extend healthcare to children in foster care until the age of 26.

There are also plans to start a cable show in the new year. “We’re very excited; it’s going to be a mobile show, it’s not going to be just a sit down. We’re going to be throughout the district, meeting with people,” LaNatra explained. The show will travel to the COAs and hear the concerns of the older population as well as meeting with the selectmen from the district’s towns. The show will also provide an opportunity to spotlight events that people may not otherwise realize are available in their community.

There are plans to do an episode on the Jones River in Kingston as well as to cover the 400th celebration in Plymouth.

The show, which is scheduled to begin filming in February, will be available to view through PACTV as well as Area 58.

Regarding his position as Legislative Aid, Jean said, “I love it so far. It’s nice to be able to be in a position to help people in my community.” Jean, who grew up in Plymouth, graduated from George Washington University in May with degrees in both political science and history. Jean described the constituent hours as an opportunity to hear concerns from residents as well as answer any questions that they may have.

Jean said that they hope to do whatever possible to advocate for constituents, whether it be at the state or town level. LaNatra offered a reminder that they are available and willing to meet anytime.

SL boys, girls hockey pick up wins

By

For both hockey programs at Silver Lake, last Saturday, Dec. 28 was an encouraging day.

The boys’ hockey team and the girls’ hockey co-op with Whitman-Hanson each had lopsided victories over their respective opponents. For the boys, that win came in a 6-2 fashion against Abington. For the girls, it was a 5-0 victory over Plymouth.

In the victory over Abington, Ryan Solari and Gavin Simpson had their first career varsity goals for the Lakers while Peter Bond earned his first career varsity win in net. Ryan Solari also had a team-high four points in the victory and Bobby Guilford had a team-high two goals. Additionally, Nick Solari put up two points, including a short-handed goal. Plus, Kevin Cardarelli had a goal and an assist in the victory.

The win over Abington was the Lakers second win of the week. With it, they improved to 2-2-1.

The girls win over Plymouth was their first victory of the season, putting their record at 1-4 on the year. In the win–which came in Patriot League action–the team had four different goal scorers. Bridget Cardarelli led the way with a team-high two goals. Additionally, Alyssa Murphy, Emily McDonald and Neve Corkery each put one in the back of the net for the co-op. Kat Gilbert also picked up the win in net for the co-op.

Prior to this game, the girls had their share of offensive struggles. They had not scored more than one goal in a game in their first four contests prior to this win.

The boys next game is this Saturday, Jan. 4 on the road against the Duxbury Dragons at The Bog in Kingston (3:50 p.m. start time). The girls play next on Saturday, Jan. 4 as well. They are set to face Newton North on the road (6:15 p.m. start time).

SL/Pembroke gymnastics Co-op splits season opener

By

If their first meet of the season was any indicator, the Silver Lake High girls gymnastics co-op, also known as Pemberlake, is in a strong position this season.

The co-op started off their year with a three-team meet in Pembroke on Friday, Dec. 20. In it, they took on and defeated Whitman-Hanson 131.5-117.95, but fell to Notre Dame Academy in a nail biter 132.1-131.5. With the win and loss, Pemberlake moved to 1-1 on the season.

Lauren Canniff was the top performer of the meet. She won the all-around with a score of 33.2. She tied for first place on the floor (8.5), came in second place on vault (9.2) and on the bars (8.1). Additionally, she finished third on the beam (7.4). This performance earned her Pemberlake’s Gymnast of the Meet award.

Just behind her, Ava Dorsey took second place in the all-around (33.1). Dorsey took first place on vault with a 9.6 and first on bars with an 8.3. She also tied for third place on floor (8.2).

Canniff and Dorsey were not the only first place finishers for the co-op. Sam Raleigh tied for first place on the floor (8.5) while Stella Lane had a first place finish on the beam (7.7).

Maizie Condon was second on floor (8.3), Sarah d’entremont took second on beam (7.7), Ciara Dalrymple came in third on vault (8.6) and Cam McGrath tied for third on floor (8.2)

On Thursday night of this week, the team competed at the Patriot League Invitational at Hanover High School. Their next team meet is set to take place on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at home. They will face off against both Marshfield and Hingham (7:00 p.m. start time). In Hingham’s first meet of the season, they scored 128.3, but fell to Hanover who put up 132.

Holiday fun for tots at Holmes

By

The Holmes Public Library in Halifax was decked out in holiday spirit this past weekend with images of the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, and his dog Max decorating the windows and walls. The libraries’ tiniest patrons could partake in a variety of holiday themed games and activities including gift wrapped tic-tac-toe and Hanukkah and Christmas crafts. Books on display in the children’s section included Seven Days of Kwanza, Oh Hanukkah, and Christmas Around the World.

Upcoming events at the library include a Lego challenge on Saturday, December 28 at 11 a.m. and a parent-child book club meeting on Monday, December 30 at 6 p.m. to discuss Ada Twist, Scientist. A winter-themed story time will be held January 11 and a Lego challenge for the whole family will be held January 25.

Rain barrel winter storage tips

By

Anyone who purchased a rain barrel this summer, it’s time if you haven’t already, to drain and store it! This prevents it from cracking from freezing water left inside.
There were directions on how to store your barrel, but if you are like most folks, finding them may be harder than the process!
Some helpful tips on how to do it!
1) take off the top of the barrel and use a bucket to get most of the water out then gently tip over to get the rest out.
2) use an elastic to keep the lever down and let it flow through the spout (see pics)
Also if you don’t have space in a garage, shed or basement to store it, make sure it is totally empty and lay it on it’s side. Secure it from rolling with rocks, bricks or some other heavy object against winter winds. If you leave it standing, rain and snow will just filter in again. If you must leave it standing, flip it over and put a heavy object on top.
This will keep your water barrel useable for next season and many more to come!
Have a safe winter and here’s to looking forward to gardening weather in 2020!

– Thank you to Nancy & Joe Botelho for these tips!

Open air burning season begins January 15

By

The Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and our local fire departments limit open burning for public health and safety reasons.

Open burning is allowed in Plympton and Halifax from January 15 to May 1, with permits available at no charge at the fire station beginning January 1.  You must have a permit issued by the fire department in advance.

State fire wardens determine each day whether conditions are safe for open burning. Weather and air quality can change rapidly, especially in the spring, and fire departments can rescind permits when that happens.

Open burning must be done between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. from January 15 to May 1, at  least 75 feet from all buildings.

You must also be sure air quality conditions are acceptable for burning by calling the Massachusetts DEP Air Quality Hotline at (617) 556-1021 or by visiting the MassAir Online website at http://public.dep.state.ma.us/MassAir.

Only Certain Materials Can Be Burned

• Brush, cane, driftwood, and forestry debris from other than commercial or industrial land clearing operations, agricultural materials such as fruit tree and bush prunings, raspberry stalks, and infected bee hives for disease control, trees and brush resulting from agricultural land clearing, • Fungus infected elm wood, if no other acceptable means of disposal is available.

Call For Help Immediately if a fire gets out of control.  People conducting illegal burning, or who allow a fire to get out of control, may be held liable for the costs of extinguishing the fire in addition to fines or imprisonment (M.G.L. c.48, s.13).

See the Massachusetts web site for complete information www.mass.gov/doc/safety-tips-for-open-burning