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Roof leaks over town vault; records in jeopardy with

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met Monday, July 8. The meeting began with Co-chair of the Open Space Committee Linda Leddy giving an update on two municipal lots that are for sale. A deal for one of the two lots recently fell apart during the purchase and sale process leaving two lots still available.

Leddy was originally told that the lots could not be listed in the MLS (multiple listing service) without redoing the legal work and paying the buyers’ fees. After speaking with a different broker, however, it was discovered that the lots could be listed in the MLS after paying just a flat fee of either $500 or $1000 and stating in the listing that the seller would not pay buyers’ fees. The broker working with Leddy said that Plympton was a desirable location with high land values.

The previous difficulty in selling the lots was likely due to lack of exposure; a problem that listing in the MLS should solve. The Board voted to move forward with this method of advertising.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy asked the Board to approve a proposal from Door Tech Inc. out of Bridgewater to make the town library doors accessible. The motion was unanimously approved. The Board also approved the appointments of Colleen Thompson to the Zoning Board of Appeals and Edward Sealey as gas inspector. Both appointments are for one year.

Town Clerk Patricia Detterman addressed the Board about concerns over the vault that houses the town’s records and important paperwork. Detterman said that the roof is leaking over the area where the vault is housed and is concerned that the contents are vulnerable to fire and water damage. Detterman visted other town halls and spoke with other town clerks regarding their criteria for the management of old records and deeds.

Additionally, Plympton Police Chief Patrick Dillon showed Detterman the manner in which the police department houses their paper records. Detterman asked the Board for their permission to have an electrician come in and talk to her about what the vault is capable of right now and what the possibilities are to make it safer in the future. Board member Mark Russo said, “I think there are a lot of pieces that we have to look at; we probably just need to get a sense of this stuff, see what it’s going to cost, get some quotes, and I think we’ll be looking at town meeting.” He continued, “I’m totally in favor of finally getting this thing done.” The Board voted to approve having an electrician come out to inspect the vault and offer suggestions for improvements.

Both Detterman and her assistant Jill Palenstijn have recently attended two meetings with the U.S. Census Bureau. It was advised that the town clerk meet with the selectmen to form a Complete Count Committee dedicated to ensuring that residents complete the census. It was also recommended that the council consist of a variety of trusted voices from the town such as those from a local church or the Council on Aging. The preference is that the census is completed electronically so the council would be responsible for setting up workshops at the library where the not so tech savvy could be guided through the process. Either count committee members or possibly high school students completing community service could volunteer at the workshops. The hope is that the census would be completed upon the first mailer that goes out with recipients responding online although the option to return via snail mail is still available. The last resort, and most expensive option, is the door to door approach for those that have not responded. The Board asked Detterman to reach out to possible volunteers for the Complete Count Committee to be voted on and appointed by the Board.  Detterman said, “We have a small town; we can do this, I’d like to be one of the first ones to finish the census count.”

Dennehy presented her update to the Board. She noted that there are several applications in for the position of animal control officer. The Board was in agreement that Chief Dillon and Selectman Russo will meet with the applicants and select finalists to go before the entire Board. Russo, who is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, joked about bringing his dog along for the interview. Dennehy also sent notes to the Halifax and Carver town administrators about the possibility for shared opportunities including joint grants or shared services for the Council on Aging. The Selectmen agreed that there is a great deal of enthusiasm for shared services and cited the success of Area 58 Community Access Media which serves Plympton as well as Carver and Halifax.

Dennehy also presented to the Board a new plan to hold department heads more accountable for their individual budgets and for keeping on track with said budgets. Finance Committee member Kathryn Shepard and Dennehy agreed to draft a joint letter with a new attachment to redo how transfer requests are done adding additional steps to ensure better collaboration and communication between the various departments, committees, and selectmen. The letter would be approved by the Board of Selectmen prior to being dispersed to the various department heads.

Town Accountant Barbara Gomez agreed to do a monthly financial printout to show department heads where they are in terms of their spending for the year. Each department head would be required to sign off on the printout to acknowledge they are aware of the state of their budget. They would also be expected to decide if a meeting with the Finance Committee or Board of Selectmen would be necessary to review their expenditures thus far.

Board of Selectmen Chair John Traynor expressed some concern over having all department heads participate in these additional requirements. The Board agreed and decided that only departments with a budget of a certain size would be subjected to this level of oversight.

Dennehy also briefly mentioned a letter from the Plympton Fire Chief requesting rate changes for the fire department details. In it, it was noted that rates had not been updated since July 1, 2015.

The Board also voted to approve the use of the Town House for several PAYS (Plympton Athletic Youth Sports) meetings on July 11, August 5, and August 8 contingent upon a room being available. They also voted to approve the use of the Town House on August 21 from 10 am until noon as the Council on Aging will have people handing out Go Packs to elders at no charge. The packs are valued at $50 apiece.

One of the final pieces of business discussed was the opening on the Community Preservation Committee. Russo said of the committee, “It’s a good committee, it’s a really good committee. It’s one of the best jobs in town. We actually have money. People come to us with good projects, we help spiff them up and make them even better. It’s a happy committee.”   

Anyone interested in serving on the Community Preservation Committee should contact Russo.

chairman of that Committee.

Quigley named to Herald’s All Scholastic

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The Silver Lake High baseball team saw one of its members recognized at the statewide level this past weekend.

When the Boston Herald released its 2019 Spring All-Scholastic rankings over the weekend, a junior pitcher from the Lakers staff made the cut. That would be Halifax native Michael Quigley. It is his first time receiving the honor.

Quigley, who was a third-year varsity player this past spring, had a dominant campaign not only on the mound, but at the plate as well.

As a pitcher, the righty went 7-3 with a 1.94 ERA in 54 innings pitched. Over that same span, he struck out 73 batters, saved two games and tossed a no-hitter.

However, as the Herald notes, Quigley’s numbers are far better if the Lakers early season struggles are ignored.

Over the final 48 innings he pitched this past spring, his ERA was a miniscule 0.46–making him among the state’s most dominant arms.

At the plate, Quigley also got the job done. He collected 23 hits in 59 at-bats, good for a .389 batting average. In the process, he also knocked in 15 runs. That said, he should also be an asset to the team’s batting order next season.

At the moment, Quigley is committed to play Division I baseball for UMass-Lowell when his high school career comes to a close.

According to Perfect Game, Quigley’s pitch has topped out at 85 miles per hour, but he has been clocked at 92 when throwing in the infield.

Next season, pitching should absolutely be a strength for the Lakers.

Not only do they have Quigley expected to return next season, but Nolan Hughes as well.

A Patriot League All-Star this past spring, Hughes’ return means the team should have back two of their three primary starting pitchers. This should be a major advantage for them.

Lakers tennis teams enjoy successful season

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There was success on both sides in the Silver Lake High tennis program, and the two varsity teams should have plenty to look forward to next season.

Both the Lakers boys’ and girls’ teams enjoyed their share of success despite not having the biggest rosters in the school. The boys went 10-9 on the season while the girls went 11-7.

In the final seven days of their regular season, the boys squad surged and picked up three wins, improving to 9-8 on the season in order to make it to the playoffs. Had they lost any of those contest, that would not have been the case.

Earning the No. 16 seed in the MIAA Division I South playoff bracket, they ousted Bridgewater-Raynham 5-0 in the preliminary round game.

Coming in they were favored to win the game not only because of the higher seeding (16 as opposed to 17), but because the Lakers also topped them 5-0 on May 29.

However, the team dropped a 5-0 decision to Brookline in the first round of the tournament.

The girls had an easier time getting into the playoffs, clinching a spot in them before the final week of their season. They ran into a tough King Philip team in the first round of the tournament and fell 4-1, ending their season.

Of their starting seven, the girls lost three seniors to graduation this season: singles player Sarah Gonick and doubles players Jenna Hurlburt and Morgan Suchecki.

Meanwhile, sophomore singles players Eleanor Meehan and Ava Mirisola as well as doubles players Grace Eddy, a junior and Alyssa Truckenmiller, a sophomore, could all be returning next season.

The boys lost four seniors to graduation: singles players Dylan Capaccioli, Owen Roche and Dario Mendez plus doubles player Kyle Lawless. Junior doubles player Sean Kehoe, sophomores Matthew O’Donnell (doubles) and Jake Lawless (singles) as well as freshmen Aidan Roche (singles), Dustin Ebone (singles) and Andrew Doyle (doubles) could all be back next year.

With the majority of the team coming back on both sides, more success is certainly plausible.

Halifax-Carver U16 Boys Soccer play at MTOC

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The Halifax-Carver U16 boys’ team attended the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC) in Lancaster MA this past weekend as the champions from the Coastal League.

The twelve teams in their division were divided into three groups of four. Halifax-Carver were in a group with West Bridgewater, Franklin, and North Andover.

They played two games Friday, losing the first game 3-1 to West Bridgewater. Cole Wright scored Halifax-Carver’s lone goal of the tournament after carrying the ball from the backfield to score unassisted. They went on to lose 3-0 to Franklin in the second match.

“That was the second game on the first day and our kids were just out of gas,” Coach Jim Coombe explained. The team fell 4-0 in their final game held on Saturday against North Andover, who went on to finish second in the entire division.

The various opponents all zeroed in on Halifax-Carver standout Gabe Pacheco, making it difficult for the team to get anything going. “The boys worked hard but we were just outmatched,” Coombe said. “A small town like us, we don’t even have tryouts, we take everyone we can. It’s tough but they did well.

They didn’t embarrass themselves in any way, shape, or form,” Coombe continued. Cape Ann United from the Essex League went on to win the entire division.

Despite placing last in their group, the team managed to enjoy themselves. “We all stayed in the same hotel. After the first day there after they had two games, you would think they would be tired but no, they took over the pool and were playing in the pool until 10 o’clock at night,” Coombe said laughing. Just being invited to attend the tournament is an honor as only the top teams from each league across the state are invited as well as a handful of wildcard picks. “It is a good learning experience,” Coombe said, “It’s a great experience just being there.”

Downward facing… goat?

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HANSON — Early morning the sun shone on 25 yogis of varied skill levels that stretched on their mats Saturday, June 22.

Amid them were three very spunky, friendly goats nicknamed the ‘Golden Girls,’ after the TV comedy — Dorothy and Blanche, both miniature Nubians and Rose a Nigerian dwarf goat.

Red Horse Farm is a serene space set slightly back off 300 High St., in Hanson.

Each weekend they host Goat Yoga —just as it sounds, the yoga class is with goats. If you love getting an intense stretch and possibly a nose kiss from a curious, furry face you may have found your niche.

Nicole Riley owner and trainer of Red Horse Farm works with the goats as local yoga instructor Kristina Northrup teaches the class.

“The interest has been amazing! We thought we’d get a few people who’d want to attend, but we’re packed every weekend! And it’s not just Hanson; we’ve had people drive all the way down from Boston to attend… which blows me away,” said Riley.
The  goats are trained to participate with the group and introduce  slight, weight-bearing additions during several poses. Riley is inside the fenced area and entices the goats with food pellets. 

“Kristina Northrup, our yoga instructor, has done such a great job,” Riley said. “We needed to train the goats prior to launching the class in May and she’s just been game from the very start! She has such a great way about teaching and we’re lucky to have her.”

A mix of genders and ages attended the Goat Yoga class.

Nick Collazo of Taunton who was adept at yoga and fitness was in a full downward facing dog and held his pose as if he barely noticed the two Nigerian dwarf goats that gently danced on his back.  Eventually he lowered himself laughing with the people around him who also took a moment to snap some cell phone pictures.

Quite possibly the goats offer a balanced enlightenment to the perfection some impose on themselves during yoga.  The audible laughter and amusement blended well in the breezy, summer air.

Nicole and her husband Paul also shared their love of the outdoors and a fairytale wedding on the property when they married in 2015.  They purchased the property in 2014 and are close to completing their renovations on the homestead, which was built in the 1800’s.

Their friends who own Hobby Knoll Stables in Duxbury brought their wedding party down High Street in a horse drawn carriage with neighbors looking on in delight.

The bride called her wedding day “magical.”

The farm also hosts a hands-on program called Little Farmers Morning for children. They learn about the goats, chickens, and horses.  It is geared towards children ages 5 to 11, with hands-on learning of horsemanship skills, goat and chicken care, egg collection with an arts and craft project or storybook.

One of her favorite parts is watching the faces of the little ones light up.

“It is the best feeling,” she said.

The RHF is primarily a boarding farm but they wanted to add things that people could enjoy in the outdoor atmosphere.

“I think its fun for those not accustomed to being around horses to hear them neigh during class or see the chickens from the yoga ring’” Riley said. “The goats, ‘The Golden Girls,’ are a riot — each with their own hilarious personality. And there’s as much laughter during class as exercise!”

RHF also offers riding lessons, and farm fresh eggs.

They are located on three acres of land, which abuts conservation land with riding trails.

There’s just something about this little farm and it’s peaceful feeling …being in the fresh air with animals is good for the soul and we hope people enjoy visiting, she said.

Upcoming events and classes, which run through October along with sign ups, are located on their website.  RedhorseFarmHanson.com.

Will misses court arraignment

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BROCKTON — A third attempt to arraign former roofer Matthew Will, 37, of Pembroke, who formerly owned Five Star Discount Roofing in Halifax, on 18 fraud and larceny related charges failed Monday, June 25, 2019, because he was not medically cleared for transport to Plymouth Superior Court, Brockton, by state prison officials, according to a source close to the investigation.

Will, who was in the custody of the Plymouth County Sherriff’s department, was quickly transported to a state facility, the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, that has a state Department of Corrections-run prison ward, following police and Sherriff’s Department serving a search warrant on Will’s Furnace Colony Drive, Pembroke, rental home.

During the course of the execution of the search warrant, Will was found to be hiding in his attic and dogs were used to extricate him from the attic. According to a source close to the investigation, he is recuperating from injuries sustained from the dogs, which the source says he wrestled with and eventually fell through a ceiling from his attic into his living room.

Will had been on a lengthy run from the law, following skipping a Falmouth District Court date, two separate high speed chases in central Massachusetts, one leading into Rhode Island, then being released on personal recognizance by a district court judge who had not been made aware of Will’s history by prosecutors — and fleeing again.

He has been in the hospital almost continuously since his arrest Thursday, May 9, except for one hearing where his court appointed attorney, Charlotte Tilden argued unsuccessfully for his release in Wareham District Court. He was returned to Shattuck Hospital, and remains there as of press time.

Will has been indicted on the charges.

A Plymouth County grand jury returned the indictments against Will charging him with one count each of larceny of property over $1,200 by single scheme, state building code violations, employer failing to have workers’ compensation, money laundering and being a common and notorious thief. Will was also indicted on seven counts of home improvement contracting violations and three counts each of forgery and uttering.

Prosecutors say Will targeted some more than 50 mostly elderly homeowners, beginning in July 2018 at Oak Point, a 55-plus community in Middleboro, when at least 15 individuals began reporting that Will had defrauded them out of funds ranging from $800 to $12,000 by starting contracting work and not completing it, or simply taking the funds and absconding.

Will has multiple cases in courts in Falmouth, Plymouth and Wareham District Courts and he has 50 or more victims across the state.

The alleged victims have lost at least an estimated $250,000 in total and have been found so far in Kingston, Duxbury, Brockton, Plympton, Wareham, North Easton, Hanson, Falmouth and Pembroke in addition to Middleboro.

Free July 4th concert at Plymouth Waterfront

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PLYMOUTH, MA — The Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra kicks off its 104th season in grand style, performing The Esther and Alcide Ruffini Fourth of July Concert, a free-to-the-public Independence Day celebration.  Steven Karidoyanes conducts.

The Phil’s July 4th performance includes musical tributes observing two significant anniversaries.  The first is the 50th anniversary of mankind’s first steps onto the lunar surface. The orchestra performs the introductory music to Richard Strauss’ Thus Spake Zarathustra, more widely known as the main theme to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and an orchestral suite from the film score to Apollo 13 by James Horner.

The other musical tribute celebrates one of the most iconic fictional comic book characters in popular culture, Batman.  The Caped Crusader’s comic book debut was 80 years ago this year. For this tribute, the Phil performs music from The Dark Night Rises by Hans Zimmer, as well as music from the Batman film series of 30 years ago composed by Danny Elfman.

Additionally, performance highlights include Tchaikovsky’s exciting 1812 Overture, excerpts from the Declaration of Independence read by Town of Plymouth Select Board chairman Kenneth Tavares accompanied by a lush symphonic score, and A Salute to the Big Bands, a collection of Swing Band standards like April in Paris, Pennsylvania 6-5000, Serenade in Blue and Sing Sing Sing.

The concert takes place in historic Pilgrim Memorial State Park on the Plymouth Waterfront near the Plymouth Rock Portico, across from the natural amphitheater of Cole’s Hill.  The music starts at 7:30 PM on Thursday, July 4th (rain date: Friday, July 5th).

The Esther and Alcide Ruffini Fourth of July Concert is made possible through the generosity of The Ruffini Charitable Trust with additional support from The James Spooner Trust and the Town of Plymouth Promotions Fund. The 104th Season of the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

The concert will be broadcast and streamed live on WATD, 95.9 FM and PACTV, Plymouth Area Community Access Television (Comcast channel 13 and Verizon Channel 43.)

Halifax U16 Boys Soccer Team tops Coastal Soccer League

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The Halifax-Carver under 16 boys team ended the spring season atop the Division II Coastal League standings with a record of 6-1-1. The first-place finish earned them a spot at the upcoming Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC) held this weekend at Progin Park in Lancaster, MA.

The team is made up of 19 players in the ninth and tenth grade with the majority of the team coming from Halifax. The Halifax residents on the roster include Joseph Boardman, Benjamin Coombe, Thomas Czarniak, Daniel Ford, Richard Greene, Jared Hall, Jake Lawless, Ryan McAndrews, Jake McKee, Scott McKee, Gabriel Pacheco, Simao Rebelo, Trevor Rossini, Nicholas Tereshko, Connor Willis, and Cole Wright. The three Carver players are Cameron Besegai, Ethan Best, and Brandon Weygand. The team is coached by Jim Coombe and his son, Bridgewater State College student Nate Coombe. Coombe, who has coached both of his sons, has been with some of the players on the team since they played U8. The Carver players play varsity at Carver Middle High School and several of the Halifax players play freshman and junior varsity soccer at Silver Lake.

As described on the Massachusetts Youth Soccer website, “The Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC) is a season-ending tournament that brings together age/gender group champions from participating town-based travel leagues from across the state.”

Thousands of coaches and players will attend and twelve teams will compete for top U16 boys Division II honors at MTOC. The top regular season team coming out of the Berkshire, BAYS, Coastal, Essex, MAYS, Middlesex, Nashoba, Pioneer Valley, South Coast, and South Shore leagues as well as two wild card teams will round out the competition.

The teams will be divided into three groups of four teams with the winner of each group as well as one wild card advancing to the next round. Each team is guaranteed three games. Halifax-Carver will play their first two games at 10am and 2:30pm Friday with their third game scheduled for sometime Saturday. At only 25 minutes per half, the games at MTOC are faster paced than those during the regular season.

Fellow Coastal League team Pembroke is also attending MTOC as a wild card pick. Halifax-Carver and Pembroke had a bit of a rivalry this season with Halifax-Carver’s only loss of the season occurring during the first meeting of the teams. The second face-off ended in a tie. Of the 13 goals Halifax-Carver gave up this season, more than half of those were to Pembroke. While Halifax-Carver and Pembroke will start the tournament in different groups, it is possible that they could meet again during the semi-final or final rounds.

In response to what made him the proudest of his team this year, Coach Jim Coombe said, “They play together. They’re good sportsmen; they don’t do a lot of pushing, they play aggressively but they play within the rules. They play their positions and they play them well and they work together as a team.” Coombe also highlighted the importance of their center midfielder. “The heart and soul of our team is Gabe Pacheco; he’s where the offence starts and where the defense ends,” Coombe explained. Pacheco, who rarely comes off the field for Halifax-Carver, was called up to the varsity team at Silver Lake this past fall during the state tournament.

Regarding strategy, the Halifax-Carver team plays a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-2-1-3 formation. Benjamin Coombe and Thomas Czarniak have provided solid defense from the center back positions this season.

The offense has also come through, keeping pressure on the other teams. As Coombe explains, “When we have all three guys up front who are very good players aggressively on the ball, that forces the other team to at least keep some of their better guys back so hopefully they can’t attack as much. It has worked so far.”

Time will tell if this strategy will work against the best of the best this weekend, but just being invited to attend the MTOC for the first time should give this team and the towns of Halifax and Carver plenty to smile about.

Halifax Fireworks Saturday, June 29

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Celebrate Independence with Halifax Fireworks on Saturday night, June 29, at 9:15 p.m.  (rain date Sunday, June 30), at the Halifax Elementary School field.

Come join the party for an evening of family fun including kids’ face painting, music, food trucks and of course the annual Fireworks Display!

Bring your blanket or lawn chair-Food trucks to be announced

This event takes place thanks to the efforts of the Halifax  community.  The Fireworks Committee wants to thnk all of the local community members who have contributed their efforts to help make it happen.

The Halifax Fireworks is still in need of volunteers for the night-of the event and clean-up the following morning.

This is a perfect opportunity for students who need to fulfill their public service hours requirement for school to get those needed credits.

Please message the Halifax Fireworks Facebook Page to get involved!

Halifax Fire Chief gets top nod from VFW

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Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros was awarded  the top prize for service to the community and to veterans by the Halifax Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6258, the VFW National Public Servant of the Year.

Post Commander David Walsh presented the award at a  ceremony held Tuesday morning at 10 at the Halifax Fire Station.

Viveiros was recognized for his service to veterans in the community, and for his all around service to the community.

Viveiros was also the top choice for the VFW National Firefighter Award, presented to him by Jeff Najarian, Massachusetts Veterans of Foreign Wars State Commander.

The award is a national recognition of the achievements of one firefighter each year. Viveiros won the state competition, selected from all winners in the category of firefighting. Najarian said it was an “honor” to recognize Viveiros.

All VFW posts in the United States were asked to submit their choice for the firefighter they felt best exemplified the qualities needed to be an outstanding firefighter.  From all put forth in Massachusetts, Chief Jason Vivieros was chosen for the top position.

Viveiros accepted the congratulations of area veterans, firefighters and family who were in attendance at the brief ceremony that occurred during a light mist under cloudy skies.