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Halifax at “Critical” risk for EEE

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A Halifax resident in his 90s was the second Plymouth County resident to contract the rare and often deadly Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus last week.  His family has told  The Express that he is recovering.

Additional positive EEE mosquito samples have been identified in Middleborough..

Middleborough and Carver are already designated as critical risk for EEE.

The Massachusetts Department. of Public Health has raised the EEE risk level in Halifax to “Critical” (a map showing risk levels is available at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-arbovirus-update). Therefore, the Halifax Board of Health advises that there be no activities from dusk (approximately 20 minutes after sunset) to dawn (approximately 20 minutes before sunrise) at the following locations:

• Vaughn Field (540 Plymouth Street) • HOPS Playground (480 Plymouth Street • Playing Fields behind the Elementary School (464 Plymouth Street) • Holmes Street Playground (129 Holmes Street) • Holmes Street Beach and Boat Ramp (40 Holmes Street) • Summit Street Soccer Fields (75 Summit Street) • Lingan Street Beach at 5th Avenue

The BOH further advises all residents and visitors to refrain from other outside activities from dusk to dawn. Every resident should continue to take precautions from being bitten and check their properties to ensure that equipment, supplies, etc. do not have stagnant water, perfect for mosquito breeding grounds.

For more information, please contact the Halifax Board of Health at 781-293-6768

Public can witness early ballot counting for Sept. 1 State primary

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NOTICE OF ADVANCED REMOVAL OF EARLY VOTED BALLOTS FROM ENVELOPES AND ADVANCED DEPOSITING OF EARLY VOTED BALLOTS

In accordance with the Secretary of State Regulations 47.12 and under the provisions of section 7(k) of Chapter 115 of the Acts of 2020, the Town of Halifax will be opening and depositing early voted ballots received up until Thursday, Aug. 27 on Friday, Aug. 28 at 8 a.m. at the Town Hall, 499 Plymouth Street and continue Monday, Aug. 31 at 8 a.m.

As the Town Clerk’s office is closed on Fridays we respectfully ask that observers register by emailing barbara.gaynor@halifax-ma.org  in advance of all processing of early voted ballots sessions.

In accordance with the Regulations 47.12 and the provisions of section 7(k) of Chapter 115 of the Acts of 2020, no results shall be determined or announced until after the time the polls close on Sept. 1. At that time the results from the advance processed ballots will be added to the election day results and posted in a public place.

The above is based on legal information from the State.

What it means in practice is that members of the public are welcome to watch the Town Clerk and election workers open the sealed envelopes containing ballots received via two methods:

1) the early in-person voting that will have taken place from Saturday, August 22 to Thursday, August 27 and

2) and voting by mail from ballots received. The envelopes will be unsealed and the ballots removed from the envelopes. After the ballots are removed from the envelopes, they will be inserted in the voting machines

 While the voting machines will count these ballots, no results based on these ballots will be released during this process.

The votes contained in these ballots are combined with the ballots received on election day (mostly by in-person voting) and the totals will be announced on election day, Tuesday, September 1.

For more information about this process, please contact the Halifax Town Clerk’s office at 781-293-7970.

Rising Tide Charter School graduates 67 students

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PLYMOUTH, MA (August 11, 2020)—Sixty-seven students received their diplomas on Saturday, August 8th from Rising Tide Charter Public School (Rising Tide) during a commencement ceremony held on the school’s campus. Students and their families from thirteen different South Shore towns gathered to celebrate the students’ accomplishments.

Graduating senior, Julianne Parma, opened the ceremony with the singing of The National Anthem. The students were welcomed by Christopher Schelleng (Chairman, Board of Trustees), and opening remarks were made by Michael O’Keefe (Head of School). James Simons (Upper School Principal) introduced the class of 2020, and Jared Fredrickson (senior class speaker) gave the student address. Graduates were awarded their diplomas by their immediate family members who joined them on stage.

 Two students were not in attendance for the ceremony since they entered the armed services. Each was honored with a private ceremony in June before they left for service.

The 2020 graduates by town are:

Buzzards Bay: Madisyn Burek

Carver: Daykota-Skye Pioppi

Duxbury: Calder Felty

Halifax: Jenna Boardman, Samantha Sawler

Kingston: Brendan Casey, Jenna Jernegan, Lauren Kelliher, Maryn Lally, Carson Parent

Lakeville: Trevor Boivin, Annamaria Poullas

Middleborough: Morgan Derby, Eden McNeil, Kashka Senat, Dante Sologaistoa,

Plymouth:  Andrew Baier, Alyssa Barker, Colin Clancy, Madelyn Cobb, Armandea Connelly, Ina Dombrowski, Katie Ferrante, Liam Foley, Cameron Garvey, Luke Gindel, Emily Gouvia, Mary Haley, Emily Hamilton, Mercedes Herrera, Elizabeth Ingeme, Joshua Krueger, Madison Luongo, Owen Mackenzie, Josephine Hughes, Tyler O’Neil, Heli Parekh, Julianne Parma, Alexandra Phaneuf, Nina Quattromani, Madelyn Quinn, Victoria Rice, Isaac Ryan, Roan Ryan, Madeline Salamone, Sara Sampson, John Schelleng, Elaine Schofield, Lily Schultz, Jack Smerczynski, Benjamin Smith, Emily Snyder, Autumn Studley, Rory Sullivan, Justin Trimberger, James Walker, Stephen Whealan, Fiona Whitney, Zachary Winston

Sagamore: Carder Demarest

Sandwich: Brian Freedman

Taunton: Emma Walsh

Wareham: Jared Fredrickson, Alexander King, Scout McBride, Colin Morrison

Weymouth: Angelina Kelliher

For more detailed information about Rising Tide, please visit the website at www.risingtide.org.

Contact:
Martha Popoloski, (781) 405-8328, mpopoloski@risingtide.org

Rising Tide Charter Public School is an inclusive college preparatory public school serving grades 5-12, with high expectations for all students. Founded in 1998, the school provides a strong academic program rooted in the history of Plymouth, MA. Enrollment is open to all students regardless of academic achievement, special education needs, or proficiency in the English language. In its 20 years of operation, Rising Tide has developed a reputation as a school that holds high expectations for all students, where the teaching and learning environment helps students develop foundational skills and critical thinking. A small school with a structure of supportive relationships, Rising Tide is able to provide an environment that is physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe. In such a setting, students can develop a love of learning and high achievement, take creative and intellectual risks, build increasing personal and academic responsibility, and develop an understanding of themselves and others.

House legislation supports health care system

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Bill Will Facilitate Telemedicine and Strengthen Community Hospitals

KINGSTON – State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) announced that the House of Representatives recently passed a bill that will enable patients to access healthcare services via telemedicine and provide vital funding to community hospitals in the midst of COVID-19.

 An Act to promote resilience in our health care system (H.4916) mandates telehealth coverage for primary care services, behavioral health and chronic disease management, all areas that have experienced success with remote care in recent months for at-home patients. The act also enables telehealth in the provider-to-provider context for all healthcare services, including when delivered to a patient located in a healthcare facility. The bill further authorizes the Health Policy Commission to issue recommendations on future telehealth services for at-home use.

 Under the provisions in the legislation, insurers must cover services delivered by a wide range of technologies, including audio-only telephone calls, but may also pay a greater rate for the use of audio-video technology. MassHealth would be able to reimburse audio-only telephone calls at the same higher rate as audio-video technology, in recognition of the barriers in access many MassHealth enrollees may face.

 The bill creates a structure whereby the Secretary for Health and Human Services can provide direct payments to independent community hospitals as well as their economic engine (vital during the COVID-19 created financial downturn.) Under the bill HHS will disburse Medicaid payments to independent community hospitals in payments equal to five percent of the hospital’s average total MassHealth payments received for inpatient and outpatient services in the previous fiscal year.

Bill specifics include:

• Payments to non-profits with a statewide relative price below 0.90;  a public payer mix at or above 60 percent; and  not corporately affiliated with a provider organization with 2 or more hospitals with total net assets greater than $600M.

• Requires payers to reimburse telehealth services at the same rate as in-person services until July 31, 2021;

• Establishes a credentialing by proxy process for physicians through the Board of Registration in Medicine;

• Extends, until July 31, 2021, Governor Baker’s emergency order which mandates insurance coverage for COVID-19 emergency and inpatient services, including all professional, diagnostic, and laboratory services;

·• Authorizes independent prescriptive practice for nurse practitioners and psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists after completing 2 years of supervised practice;

• Extends emergency orders granting temporary licenses to certain health care providers during the pandemic, by one year, to expire on December 31, 2021;

• Requires the Assistant Secretary of MassHealth to testify at the HPC’s annual Health Care Cost Growth Hearing;

• Extends COVID-19 insurance coverage for outpatient testing for asymptomatic individuals who work in high-risk industries, like health care, retail, restaurant, and hospitality;

• Eliminates the requirement that MassHealth enrollees get a referral from a primary care provider before accessing care at an urgent care facility, eliminating a barrier to affordable care;

• Requires MassHealth to pay to reserve a member’s bed in a nursing home for up to 20 days if the resident is being treated in a hospital for COVID-19. The bill is now in conference committee.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for their work on this important piece of legislation,” said Representative LaNatra. She added, “This is an important step in the effort to strengthen our healthcare system during these challenging times for us all.”  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.

Halifax BOS interviews candidates for new ACO

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Aug. 11 for their regular, bi-weekly meeting. The  in-person meeting was limited per state orders to 12 participants at a time in the room making it necessary for someone to elect to step outside at certain points when the meeting attendance was over the threshold. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig also had to ask that everyone to put on their masks once there were 11 or more individuals in the Great Room. For meetings with 26 or more participants, the town will need to either do it entirely over Zoom or attempt to do a hybrid of in-person and Zoom. Seelig acknowledged that it is difficult for people to be recognized over Zoom if wishing to speak. Seelig asked the Board’s permission to obtain quotes to purchase wireless microphones to help in the process.

Animal Control Officer Interviews

The Board had several appointments for candidates for animal control officer. Amanda Feighery, who was born and raised in Halifax, said she has a great deal of experience in wildlife management. Selectman Troy Garron asked, “I understand you said you’ve dealt with aggressive dogs, but how would you deal with the people who are just as vicious as the dogs?” Feighery cited past jobs where she worked customer service as well as managerial experience. Police Chief Joao Chaves asked about her scheduling flexibility as the position requires attending the academy. Feighery said she had a great deal of flexibility.

Kaitlyn Grispi was next to interview for the position. Grispi said she has been around animals her whole life and told the Board that her parents bred and showed dogs. In addition to horseback riding she said she has also owned and bred pigs.  Like Feighery she said she had flexibility with her schedule and wouldn’t have an issue attending the academy. Michael Sampson followed Grispi. Sampson said that while he didn’t have any experience with animal control, he did have experience in policing.

Laura Howe was the final applicant to interview. Howe is currently serving as the animal control officer in Whitman. She said she also assists on calls in Hanson, Abington, and Halifax. She brought up the possibility of having it be a regional position.

“I don’t do anything for the money, this town, that town, all the towns together don’t pay me enough to do the job, I do it because I love the job and I want to be the best help I can be,” Howe explained.

“Joe and I do mutual aid for free, it’s part of what animal control officers do,” she added referring to Abington’s ACO Joseph Kenney. Howe said she has already graduated the academy. She also told the Board that residents of Halifax requested that she come and interview for the position. “Clearly you have the credentials and I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” Selectmen Chairman Tom Millias told Howe.

Beautification Committee Appointments

Adrian Barclay and Michelle Barclay met with the selectmen to be appointed to the Beautification Committee. “We appreciate you stepping forward,” Millias said. Kristen Lofstrom was also scheduled to be appointed to the committee but was unable to attend the selectmen’s meeting. Since Lofstrom came with the recommendation of the Chair of the Beautification Committee, the selectmen voted to approve the appointment of all three.

Eagle Scout Project

Richie Green met with the Board to discuss his Eagle Scout project which he plans to complete before the winter. Green plans to create signage for the cemetery including a directory. “I think this is a great project, especially in a town that’s had so many great projects, it’s getting harder to come up with them,” Millias joked of the many successful Eagle Scouts’ projects over the years. “This is a good one,” Andrews concurred. Andrews asked if Green could also share the map with the selectmen electronically so that it could also be shared online. Green said he could.

Garron complimented the Eagle Scouts for their efforts to better the town. The Board voted to allow Green to move forward with his project.

Complete Streets Program

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward and a representative from Green Seal also attended the meeting to speak with the Board about the state’s Complete Streets Funding Program. Green Seal is the engineering firm that Hayward has been using on several projects over the years.

The program, as explained by Green Seal, could fund the prioritization of projects in town. Green Seal would work with the town to hopefully be awarded up to $400,000 in grant money available for construction, but not design costs.

Town Meeting/Election

Town meeting was once again recessed, this time to Saturday, Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. Seelig said that after speaking with the Finance Committee, the intent is to try everything possible to hold that date. Seelig said that the September date would allow them to have a tax rate hearing and avoid sending out estimated bills to residents. The Board discussed the pros and cons of various locations for town meeting as well.

Seelig asked the Board if they had any questions regarding the list of the town’s election workers. “The list is getting smaller and smaller,” Selectman Gordon Andrews commented. Seelig said that he recognized that there was a shortage of election workers nationwide as many elderly and other high-risk individuals that typically volunteered for the work, were not this year due to COVID. Seelig said, however, that Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor felt satisfied with the number of workers she had.

Officer Commendations

Seelig read a letter from Chief Chaves regarding commendations for Sergeant Patrick Sterling, Officer Patrick DeRoo, and Officer Andrew Lyczynski. The three officers responded to a call on July 31 indicating that a male was unconscious.

The officers arrived on the scene and found the male in cardiac arrest and immediately began life saving measures. They were able to get a pulse on the patient before fire and EMS personnel arrived and took over life-saving techniques. The patient is recovering.

Chaves said in his letter that according to Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, “Had it not been for the quick actions of the officers at the scene, the patient would not have survived this medical emergency.”

Other News

Seelig said that aerial spraying had taken place in Halifax and that the town is now in the high-risk zone.

He said a second round of spraying may take place to achieve maximum effectiveness.

Seelig also told the Board that Robert Johnson has resigned from the Halifax Elementary School Committee. A new member will need to be appointed until the next election.

Amy Troup alerted the Board to her concerns over non-residents causing problems, including violent confrontations, on Halifax’s beaches.

The selectmen had approved non-resident taxpayers to use the beaches but not nonresident, non-taxpayers.

Seelig said it will really come down to asking the Police Chief if he has the capacity to allot more resources to monitor the areas.

Schools prepare for ‘New Normal’

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After numerous summertime meetings and extensive debate, all four school committees – Halifax, Kingston, Plympton, and Silver Lake Regional – have all made decisions regarding their reopening plans for the fall. All but Plympton have chosen the same hybrid approach and model. Plympton plans to begin with what they are referring to as “a phased-in hybrid approach” where most students will begin remotely at least for the first several weeks.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) required school districts to submit a preliminary plan for full remote, full in-person learning with 3 ft or 6 ft of physical distancing, and a hybrid of the two on July 31. Schools have been told that they need to be able to easily move from one mode to another should circumstances necessitate a change.

DESE has released an abundance of oft-changing guidance regarding reopening. It should be noted that school districts can elect to enact policies with stricter safety requirements than what is found in DESE’s guidance but cannot mandate anything less stringent.

Included amongst the state’s guidance is a mandatory minimum of 3 feet of physical distancing between occupants wearing masks with 6 feet being preferred. There is no maximum number of students per class as it will depend on the size of the rooms. The school can fit as many students as space will allow while still meeting the selected distancing requirement. While DESE has allowed for 3 ft (from seat edge to seat edge) when wearing masks and facing the same direction, many districts have elected to insist upon a minimum of 6 ft while still others have gone with something in between such as 4 ½ feet. Students and staff are required to maintain 6 ft of distance whenever masks cannot be worn such as lunch periods or breaks. DESE’s guidelines state a “preference” for students not wearing masks to not face one another.

Per the state’s guidelines, masks or face coverings are required for Grades 2 and up and strongly encouraged for those in preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1. Masks must be worn on school buses regardless of age. Some districts, such as Whitman-Hanson, are requiring masks be worn even at the preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1 levels. Exceptions must be made for those who are unable to wear a mask due to health or safety factors.

Under DESE’s guidance, schools are required to provide a remote option for students who cannot or choose not to attend school in-person. A frequent refrain heard during many meetings this summer has been that the remote education that will be offered this coming school year will not be the same remote education that was offered in spring. Amongst other changes, the state has required that attendance and participation is tracked and that a policy for issuing grades is employed.

All four school committees in Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton assessed that a full, in-person return to school is not feasible due to operational, fiscal, and safety constraints. The schools don’t have the space or staff necessary to bring all students back in person while also adhering to the physical distancing requirements. Additionally, there isn’t enough money in the budgets to be able to hire more staff to accommodate the smaller class sizes even if the space was available.

Another factor preventing a full, in-person return to school is transportation. With current physical distancing requirements, buses are limited to one-third of their usual capacity. Silver Lake investigated the cost of adding either additional bus runs or additional buses and found them to be prohibitive. Additionally, bus runs are an average of an hour long so additional bus runs could potentially mean needing to negotiate an extended school day. Even with the hybrid approach, the school will need as many caregivers as are able to transport their students to and from school. Windows and roof hatches will be kept open to the extent possible to increase ventilation. Only students from the same households will be allowed to sit together on a bench.

The hybrid approach that will be employed at Halifax Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Silver Lake Regional Middle School, and Silver Lake Regional High School will be a combination of in-person learning at 6 ft two days a week and remote learning 3 days a week for most students. There will be four cohorts of students. Cohorts A and B will attend school on opposite schedules. Cohort A will attend school in-person on Monday and Tuesday and be remote on Wednesday through Friday. Cohort B will be remote Monday through Wednesday and attend school in person on Thursday and Friday. Cohort C will be those students electing for 100 percent remote education. Cohort D will include high needs learners that will attend school in person four days a week. Not all students on an IEP will qualify for Cohort D. Qualifying for Cohort D does not mean you will have to attend school in-person all four days (or even at all) but rather that the choice to do so is there. Wednesday will be a remote learning day for all learners.

Under the hybrid plan, core subject areas will be prioritized for in-person learning as will some AP and CTE programs. Wellness, art, music, and other electives will likely be offered remotely.

In several of the school committee meetings, members have inquired as to whether Cohorts A and B will have contact with Cohort D during their in-person days and were told that they would. This was of concern to some as it reduces the benefits of the hybrid model to just the literal physical distancing that can be achieved through smaller class sizes while failing to eliminate possible cross contamination amongst cohorts.

All public schools in Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton are implementing facilities changes to improve safety. Efforts are being taken to minimize the use of recirculated air. No classrooms will be used that do not have working windows and adequate HVAC. Heightened cleaning and disinfecting, particularly of high touch areas, will be implemented. All schools will now be equipped with hospital-grade electrostatic sprayers as well.

Despite the best laid plans, everything is always subject to change as circumstances surrounding the pandemic change. The state also holds the authority to mandate full remote learning at any time.

Town Clerk preps for primary

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Plympton Town Clerk Tricia Detterman is getting ready for the Sept. 1 State Primary Election.  Polls at the Town House, 5 Palmer Rd., Plympton, will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Vote Early, in-Person, on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.   This is also the last day to register to vote.  Also vote on Sunday, Aug. 23, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and Monday, Aug. 24 through Thursday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m to 2 p.m.

“Know before you Go!”  Detterman advises residents to save time and aggravation by asking these few questions:

• Am I a registered voter & what is my party enrollment?

The deadline to register to vote or change your party affiliation for the State Primary Election is Saturday, August 22. You may register to vote or change your party enrollment online at: www.registertovotema.com

Unenrolled (independent) voters will need to choose which primary ballot type they want to vote on).  Voters who are registered in a particular party (Democrat, Republican, Green-Rainbow, Libertarian) can get that ballot only.

• Is my voter status “active”?  Check your voter status online.

• What will I be voting on?

Educated voters will reduce the amount of time necessary in the voting booths. View sample ballots at the Town House outside the main entrance. Our commitment to keep voters safe:

• Voting Booths will be cleaned throughout the day

• Unused / sanitized pens will be provided to those who need to borrow one

• Hand sanitizer will be provided at the check-in and check-out. Do not go to the polls if you are sick or have been exposed to someone who is sick prior to election day.

Wear a face covering.  Bring a pen with black or blue ink to mark your ballot.  Bring a clipboard or book to mark your ballot on if you don’t want to use a voting booth.  Bring your identification – in some cases you may be asked to show your ID.

This can be a license, a bill with your name and address on it, and this must match how you are registered.  Don’t touch your face while at the polling location.  Maintain social distancing – keeping six feet away from anyone who is not in your household.

Chief Clancy updates BOS with COVID-19 concerns

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The Monday, Aug. 10, Police Chief Matthew Clancy updated the Plympton Board of Selectmen on the challenges facing the police department. Clancy told selectmen his department was facing a number of challenges both pandemic related and not, some operational and some financial. He told the Board that the court system has been completely upside down for the last few months and that they are just now starting to embrace Zoom. He said delays on their end have had a tremendous impact on the need to hold people longer than normal.

Clancy also said that half the full-time patrol staff in Plympton has recently left. One left for the state police, another for the Mashpee police, and some staff retired. New hires have been made in their stead and he praised the new members of the department. Clancy said that one of the goals for this year was officer professional development but many of these opportunities had all but dried up due to the pandemic. He said they are beginning to be offered once again, this time online.

Clancy also told the Board about a number of improvements including upgrading the portable radios to digital. If not converted, it would soon be difficult for Plympton officers to converse with their neighbors.  The Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCCC) did well through their 911 grant which allowed for a number of upgrades that were done without expense to Plympton. The process of replacing a number of workstations and a network server at the police station is in the final stages. Some of this work was supported by the ROCC and some by the town. The fiber connection to the regional dispatch center is up and running. The campus fiber project is also being completed in phases. The townhouse, library, fire station, and police station will all be connected. The phone system is anticipated to be complete by December at the latest.

Clancy also said that the drug disposal program has been a success. The kiosk is located in the police station lobby. Clancy said it is open despite COVID and that if the door is not open residents should use the intercom button.

Clancy addressed the Massachusetts’ police reform bill saying that he wants residents to know that Massachusetts and the northeast have always been progressive and already adhere to many of the reforms in the bill. Even prior to the tragic events in Minneapolis, Clancy said the department had already revised their use of force policy. It has been reviewed yet again. He emphasized that Massachusetts’ officers have never been trained to use chokeholds. The Plympton Police Department has also submitted their first annual use of force analysis to the Board of Selectmen. Officer Daniel Hoffman has been named as the Plympton’s civil rights officer.

Clancy also told the Board that he was happy to hear that the state will be reestablishing the accreditation process. He said that the old process was removed due to budgetary reasons many years ago. He said it was reformed as a non-profit back in the mid-nineties. Regarding the bill, Clancy said, “the main pieces of this are things that we embrace and we have been asking for.”

The Board took up the matter of the potential declaration of a safety zone at the intersection of Main St. and Ring Rd. as well as at Winnetuxet crossing. Plympton voted at town meeting to give the Board of Selectmen the authority to declare a safety zone of 20 mph where they deemed necessary. Selectman Chair Mark Russo described it as an inexpensive way to slow people down, noting the tight economic times we are living under. Selectman John Traynor said he had heard that once implemented, the speed limit of 20 mph could not later be rescinded. Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said that she didn’t know of anything that would prevent it from being changed later but agreed to verify with town counsel prior to moving forward with the vote to designate the safety zones.

Traynor initiated some conversation about possible reconstruction of the Main St. and Ring Rd. intersection including the difficulties posed by the telephone pole located there. Traynor said that estimates to remove the pole were in the $200,000 range. Russo said that he in no way intends for the safety zone designation to replace a plan for redesign and reconstruction. He referred to it as “…a short-term strategy that in no way excludes a bigger project.” Russo said he had promised that this week’s meeting would not include extensive talk of reconstruction and said it would be put on the agenda for one of the next two Board of Selectmen meetings.

Traynor gave an update on his efforts to reach out to the owner of the North Plympton cemetery. The cemetery is on Route 106 on the Kingston/Plympton line and is considerably overgrown. The owner lives in Olympia, Washington and while the cemetery itself is only about a third or a half of an acre, they own 10-15 acres. There are approximately 60 graves in the cemetery. Traynor said that at one time the Boy Scouts had gone in and cleaned it as part of a project. Traynor said he hopes to reach out to the owner to find out if they would be so inclined as to let the town clean the cemetery grounds. Selectman Christine Joy said she hoped they would consider donating the land to the town.

Russo and Dennehy touched briefly upon protected health information for town employees and officials. The subject came up while waiting for test results. Town counsel was conferred with to establish what the town’s obligations were regarding privacy. Russo said that it is a tricky subject that requires a balance of individual good versus communal good. The town plans to adopt a policy that will put the information into a concise format that will be easily understood.

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen provided an update on the reopening plan for Dennett and Silver Lake Regional. Both school committees plan to take advantage of the DESE commissioner’s offer of 10 days for professional development that must take place prior to the start of school. This reduces the number of required school days from 180 to 170. As a result, the first day of school for students will be Sept. 16. The Dennett will begin with a phased in hybrid approach. Under this model, the majority of students will begin remotely with the intention to have everyone on the hybrid plan within a few weeks’ time. High needs and the youngest learners will be phased in first. Silver Lake Regional voted to immediately go into the hybrid model.

Wilhelmsen said the schools are currently working with the emergency management team on the health portion of the implementation plan including contact tracing. According to Wilhelmsen, self-reporting is going to be key to keeping the doors open at the Dennett. Wilhelmsen also said that some people view the comprehensive plan consisting of a full in-person model, a full-remote model, and a hybrid model as being three distinct plans but Wilhelmsen said it was actually a single plan that is built to move. “We have to quickly recognize when something isn’t working and adjust course immediately,” he said. Wilhelmsen also pointed out that the Dennett has a lot of advantages compared to other districts with respect to reopening. He said that they plan to leverage those as much as possible. Joy thanked Wilhelmsen for all of his work keeping the parents informed of the reopening plans. Traynor agreed saying, “The strength of the Dennett is that everybody is involved.”

Dennehy addressed rumors she said she had seen circulating regarding the dissolution of the Plympton Council on Aging (COA). Dennehy said this was not true and noted that the Meals on Wheels program is still delivering food to Plympton residents five days a week.  The Council on Aging has also purchased some pop-up tents and tables and chairs with the intent of safely holding some outdoor activities.

Dennehy also mentioned that Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth has a COVID related program that supplies one-time rent assistance to low income households. She said that she plans to share the link on the town website as well as social media as the deadline for rent relief is approaching. Dennehy also notified Council on Aging Director Joy Marble of the program.

Finally, the Board and Dennehy reminded residents that outside activities on town owned land are prohibited by the Board of Health from dusk to dawn due to the threat of EEE.

Halifax hears BOH concerns

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Thursday, August 6 for their bi-weekly meeting with the town’s emergency management officials regarding COVID or other emergency concerns. Halifax Board of Health agent Bob Valery told the Board that there were no suspected or confirmed cases of COVID in town. Valery also told the Board that the message board at the fire station will refer residents to Mass.gov for updates on Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).

According to Valery the CDC is warning about acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare but serious neurologic disease with polio-like symptoms occurring most frequently in young children. While AFM cannot be spread person to person the viruses associated with it may be spread by mosquitos or other vectors and is most active during the months of August to November. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if there was an outbreak in New England was told there was not.

Andrews gave an update on the school’s reopening plan. He explained that per the last survey, 48 percent of parents favored full, in-person learning at three feet. The plan sent to the state was the hybrid model which would see the majority of students attending school in person two days a week and remote three days a week.

Another cohort of high-needs students would attend school in person four days a week. Families can also opt into a full remote option. Selectmen Troy Garron pointed out the difficulties of keeping elementary school aged children facing forward and adhering to social distancing. He said he thought a monitor would be needed in the classrooms in addition to the teacher. Selectman Tom Millias said of the 3 ft distancing if facing forward, “I don’t see that as being enforceable… they’ll be a thousand infractions the first day.”

Andrews told Police Chief Joao Chaves that he believes a detail officer will be necessary during pickup and drop off times at the school. He further explained that given the distancing requirements on the bus, it would cost an extra $400,000 just for Silver Lake to be able to cover the additional buses and/or runs for half the year. With buses at one-third capacity, Andrews also brought up the question of how students would be transported to and from opposing teams’ venues if sports were allowed. Andrews said that as of right now, students are not allowed to drive themselves. “I pretty much think sports are done, for at least the fall and probably all of next year,” Andrews said.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that he was speaking with Maintenance Director Scott Materna about fogging the town hall more frequently as the number of in-person meetings were increasing. Seelig said that fogging the building would likely need to occur on Tuesdays or Wednesdays given the building schedules.

Garron asked why the building couldn’t be fogged on Fridays when empty. Seelig explained that the fogging was used to kill the virus and if the building sits empty for several days as it would over the weekend, the virus would likely be gone by the time it was being occupied again.

Seelig and the Board discussed the possibility of rearranging meeting schedules to end them earlier to allow for the fogging to occur.

Seelig told the Board that they needed to start to move forward with the process of allocating the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds that are available to the town through Plymouth County. According to Seelig, Halifax has made three submissions to Plymouth County thus far totaling $40,000. The amount spent to date is just a fraction of the $884,000 available to Halifax. Expenditures to be reimbursed through the CARES funds must be spent by December 31. Seelig said that of the requests he had received from departments thus far, he didn’t see any of the items being big ticket items. He said that the requests were too vague and that he would need to go back to departments to specify what exactly was needed. Instead of a request such as signage, Seelig said he would need to know exactly the type and quantity needed. Seelig said that money would likely be available for use by the school system. Andrews asked the Board if they would be in favor of potentially using some of the funds for either additional school staff or additional buses. The Board agreed.

Seelig said that another source of funding is the Massachusetts IT Infrastructure Bond Bill. The bill has already been through the legislature and is currently with the governor awaiting his signature. The $185,000 available to Halifax can be used for specific systems. If the costs don’t exceed the available limit, those will be expenditures that don’t have to use any CARES Act funding. Seelig also told the Board that Council on Aging (COA) Director Susan Lawless told him that the Old Colony Elder Services will be giving out grants in the amount of $3,000 to each COA to be used toward activities.

Plympton chooses hybrid model

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The Plympton School Committee voted at its Thursday night Aug. 6 meeting to adopt a hybrid model to open school on September 16.  The first two weeks will be remote learning as teachers, administrators, and transportation services all ease into the new protocols.

More than 160 attended the virtual meeting via ZOOM.

Silver Lake Superintendent Jill Proulx introduced the three plans for opening school required by the Massachusetts Department of Education.  These plans needed to be submitted by Monday, Aug.  10.  They include:

1. In-person learning with new safety requirements: All students return in person; classrooms, schedules, protocols modified to meet health requirements

2.  Hybrid learning: Students learn both in-person and remotely.

3.  Remote learning: All learning takes place remotely.

Proulx told the committee that a survey was sent out to all parents August 2 and out of 3,572 sent, 2010 responded, or 56%.

Respondents in all three towns narrowly favored in-person learning, with the hybrid model a close second. Full remote learning, available to all students, was a distant third.

A new survey, based on the vote at Thursday night’s meeting, has been issued to parents, asking how many will commit to utilizing the remote model for six months and how many will commit to providing transportation for their students for six months.  These numbers are critical because with bus capacity diminished by distancing rules, the administrators need to figure quickly the number of vehicles they will need and how they will be deployed, as well as how best to utilize staff..

Matt Durkee, the new facilities manager, has acquired hospital grade electrostatic sprayers to clean and disinfect the school at least daily, and several times a day for high touch surfaces such as light switches and door handles.

To increase air filtration as much as possible the ventilation system at Dennett Elementary will be adjusted to maximize fresh air and minimize air recirculation.  Indoor spaces without windows and adequate HVAC will not be used for classroom space.

Arrival and dismissal procedures, classroom configuration and physical distancing, meals for students, facility configuration and changes, and training for safety measures including cleaning and disinfecting are all subject to state approval. Student and staff commitment and assignments, are subject to state approval and bargaining, Proulx said.

Proulx told the committee that the Commissioner of Education has agreed to change the school year from 180 days to 170 days, allowing up to 10 days for training purposes with the staff for the new school year.  Proulx said that taking that into consideration, the new school start date will be Sept. 16.

Dennett school principal Peter Veneto explained to the committee and parents attending the ZOOM meeting, how the scheduling would work.  He showed as an example the actual third grade model with 32 students served.

Separated into four cohorts, A and D would be Monday and Tuesday, B and D would be Thursday and Friday.   Cohorts A and D will experience remote learning on Thursday and Friday, as B and D will experience remote learning on Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesdays will be for professional development, specialists and interventionists, (SPED, reading, math interventions, Title I) will be remote learning.  Office hours will be made available as well.

School committee member Jason Fraser congratulated Veneto, “I think the plan you’ve laid out for us is beautiful.”   He wanted to be sure that the plan submitted to DESI will specify the 6 foot distance rule.

Committee member Daniel Cadogan  pointed out that the 3 feet distancing rule for him is a “non-starter”.  “I’m not willing to compromise,” he said, “just to get my child back into school.”

Amy Hempel asked “What about the smaller classes, under 15, could they go back to a 4 day a week school?   Veneto answered that in theory, yes, but it would also impact transportation.

Hempel asked, what about cafeteria?  Could kids eat in the classrooms?  Veneto said that while scheduling lunches was a challenge, having kids eat in classrooms would present its own challenges.

Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen answered that this plan is fluid, and will need to change as circumstances change.  “As a school committee, we are committed to making this work.”

Dan Cadogan asked  “if we will run into problems” with the six feet distancing with any of the classes.   Veneto said no.

“Our job here is not to open schools, but to open them in the best way that we will stay open,” Fraser commented.   He noted that numbers of COVID-19 cases are very low at the Dennett.  “But if those numbers creep up, we won’t have a decision to make today – those [decisions] will be made for us.”

Amy Varnum asked what the protocol would be to protect students and staff should a student or staff member test positive.  Wilhelmsen answered that these steps are being considered, “at a very high level”.  There will be clear, standard protocols to deal with the situation, he said.

Fraser responded that DESE gave the committee 19 pages of guidance to respond to various scenarios with regard to COVID-19 but said that the committee would have the choice to tailor the recommendations to each local situation.

Varnum said she woud like to hear more from the school nurses to get their input.

Superintendent Jill Proulx responded that prior to school closure, the administration met with school nurses to get their input on how to meet student needs and best deliver training for staff and developmentally appropriate training for students.  There were nurse representatives in both elementary and secondary working groups and features of their recommendations will be worked into their implementation plan.

Scott Devonshire shared his concern that with the complexity of the hybrid model and with some kids choosing to be totally remote, how does the [hybrid model] serve  those students?  “My fear is that some kids who are totally remote become home schooled.”

Jill Proulx responded that remote learning will be scheduled.  In addition there will be staff assigned to those specific times to support students’ learning.  “There will be attendance expectations and there will be grading expectations.”  We have the support of our school committee, she continued, to consider a new learning mentored platform – Schoology – to help some of the younger students who do not have email to communicate effectively with their teachers.  It also is a content platform.

Devonshire said he wanted to be sure fully remote students would not be overlooked.

Proulx said she was trying to devote staff to completely remote learning.  Some students will have the same teacher, much like in-person learning, throughout.

Fraser told Devonshire that the school committee voted to have all of the classes, including remote learning classes, taught by Dennett teachers.  Once the principal has the count for remote learners, he will be able to make the staff assignments.

As to the question of COVID-19 testing, Proulx responded that there has been no decision from DESE regarding testing, but that doesn’t mean that this won’t change.

Fraser, in an attempt to dispel rumors that school funding and school sports programs will be negatively affected by remote school opening, said that MIAA is not governed by the state.  Also, that a bill to hold back school funding to those schools that open remotely may be in congress, but “That bill won’t pass.  It has nothing to do with us.”

Fraser made the motion to accept the hybrid model as the Plympton entry with a phased-in approach as discussed.  With the understanding that Plympton will maintain 6 feet of distance, masks for each student if medically able, and not to consider full in-person schooling until Massachusetts reaches Phase 4.

Amy Hempel was the only dissenting vote from the committee, although she did not say why at the meeting.

The board also voted unanimously to approve the school calendar as presented, with a start date of Sept. 16 for students, and the understanding that the calendar may change as needed as situations present. It passed unanimously.

Proulx said the administration will send a letter to parents detailing of the opening of school as voted by the committee.

Ann Walker, fourth grade teacher at the Dennett, told the board that she truly appreciates the efforts the administration and board has taken to make returning to school safe for the students and staff.

“We will do what we can to make this unique situation the best for our students, no matter how this develops… This is the first day of school for all of us.”