A joint meeting was held June 13 between Union 31 and the various Silver Lake school committees. The meeting began with a reorganization of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. A unanimous vote named Jason Fraser and Eric Crone to continue to serve as chair and vice chair respectively of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. The committee also voted to keep Paula Hatch as secretary as well as naming Michael Antoine assistant treasurer. Later in the meeting, Antoine was also named chair of Union 31.

Silver Lake Regional Middle School Principal James Dupille introduced science teacher Kathy Benash who heads up the science club and NASA project at the school as well as several of her students. Benash explained that through the NASA sponsored initiative, students were tasked with inventing something that would help society. Four groups of students presented their inventions to the committees. Among them were an epi-case, a phone case which would hold an EpiPen, as well as an astro sleeve, which would enable astronauts that cannot speak to communicate with other astronauts through an armband with built in speakers, screen, and keyboard.

Benash thanked the committee for their support and expressed how proud she was of her students.

Fraser addressed the students saying, “As a fellow science teacher, I just wanted to comment that each one of your designs and ideas are applicable today. As you were describing how they would improve lives of others,

I was already thinking of other ways they could be implemented into the workplace and into the marketplace. You guys all have marketable ideas right now standing in front of us today.” Fraser added, “I want to buy your products right now.”

Principal Dupille thanked Benash, who is retiring, saying, “It’s teachers like you, and we have some great teachers in these schools, that make all the difference, I think. The opportunities that these kids get at the middle school are a lot more than I did when I was growing up. So, thank you for everything that you’ve done and good luck with the next chapter in your life.”

Benash responded saying, “I am very happy as I retire that these kids are going to eventually take care of us. They’re amazing, amazing children.”

Superintendent search

Following the student presentations, the committees then turned their attention to the superintendent search. School committee member Laura Tilton put together a packet with data gathered thus far from the surveys that are open to Silver Lake students and faculty as well as residents of the three towns. Based on Tilton’s analysis of the data, financial management and curriculum development were of high importance to respondents.  Other items that were considered important included strong communication skills as well as understanding and recognizing good teaching.

Silver Lake has hired the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to aid in the search. Executive Director Glenn Koocher attended the meeting to go over and make edits to a mockup of the literature which would be distributed to potential candidates. The committee agreed to make changes to the mockup to better align with the issues constituents have pointed out as being of high importance to them. Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee suggested changing selection criteria to KSA’s or knowledge, skills, and abilities. The other major changes requested and agreed upon by the committees centered around the desire for a more aggressive timeline than the one suggested by Koocher.

Of concern was that a sitting superintendent might need to give anywhere from a one to three month notice at their current job. The committees were also eager to ensure that the incoming superintendent’s start date overlap with the final month of current superintendent Joy Blackwood’s tenure to allow for training. According to Koocher the only date that would be immutable would be the closing date for applications. Originally scheduled for September 22 the committee voted to move that date to September 16. Other notable dates include selecting the candidate by early November with a start date set for January 1.

Reorganization

After adjourning all but the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, the meeting continued with a reorganization of the various sub-committees. Tilton, McGee, and Gordon Andrews were named to a new sub-committee, calendar survey, that would brainstorm adjustments to the school calendar and would serve as informational only as no formal votes would take place until presented to the school committee in its entirety.

School start time discussion continues

Also discussed was the sub-committee school start times. Crone mentioned that in the last few months he has been contacted by three separate sets of parents about concerns over school start times. Crone said that based on a Facebook group focused on the issue, there appears to be just as many parents and students against the change as there are for it. While the existence of the sub-committee was deemed necessary, it is unlikely that it will even meet. Fraser explained, “This is more of a statement to acknowledge that there is research stating that our students at the middle school and the high school would benefit from a later start time though we don’t currently have the resources or the resolve to make that a reality here in the district.” Fraser continued, “This continues to be a topic of much discussion and there are several more schools this year that will be adjusting their start times so it is something that we should keep on the radar.”

Graduation

is a success

The success of the recent high school graduation was a source of laughs and good will during the meeting. Carl Pike of Kingston attended the meeting as a member of the public addressing the committee as follows, “I’d just like to take a quick minute to say that I was fortunate enough to attend both the high school awards ceremony and the high school graduation and I’d like to thank the school committee for the support and the leadership that they provide to our school systems. I thought that both of those occurrences were very well done and I think that a lot of times we hear people concerned about the funds that we spend on education; well there is two examples where we see what a great job we are doing and I for one, say thank you.”

Blackwood spoke fondly of the student tasked with introducing her at graduation. Graduating senior Joe Mirisola presented Blackwood with a diploma he designed for her to celebrate her time at Silver Lake.

Blackwood, who passed the diploma around, joked about how Mirisola had signed her diploma as he had given himself the authority.

Blackwood also told an anecdote about her decision to have herself and the teachers attending graduation sing a Jason Mraz song, Have it All, as a way of doing something special for the graduating class. Blackwood explained that she incorrectly assumed that the teachers’ microphones were turned on while, in fact, the only live microphone was the one she was singing into.

Laughing, Blackwood said, “I sang karaoke to over 1,000 people unintentionally but you have to have a sense of humor in life, right?”

HALIFAX — The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, June 11, and held a highly unusual dog hearing, participated in a promotion ceremony for the Halifax Fire Department, and heard a proposal from a young man working to earn his Eagle Scout badge. The meeting was long, and the board was running behind schedule throughout the night, as new member Gordon Andrews learned the ropes at this, his second meeting, and Chairman Troy Garron, who is generally soft-spoken, began to assert himself as the board’s leader.

Dog will be euthanized if she returns to Halifax

Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday night to order Gia, a German Shepherd, euthanized should she ever return to within the borders of Halifax.  Gia’s owner, Richard LeBlanc, is staying with his parents at the Twin Lakes Drive condominium complex.

The board heard from a number of witnesses including Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan and Animal Inspector Brian King, before hearing an emotional, dramatic, long and uncomfortable plea from LeBlanc, who begged the board not to order his dog euthanized should it return to town.   LeBlanc told the board the dog is now with its original breeder in New Hampshire.

LeBlanc cited many personal problems including a sick parent and child as well as a divorce as explanations for the, at least three, dog bite incidents with his Gia. A Twin Lakes Drive neighbor says there are other, unreported incidents, as well.

Selectman Chairman Troy Garron, who let LeBlanc continue on despite warnings to stick to the point, appeared annoyed with him as did the rest of the board. LeBlanc’s attempts to convince the board not to order his dog euthanized should it return to Halifax did not apparently win him sympathy from the board.

The most recent incident with Gia occurred May 18, when Halifax Police and Fire responded to 360 Twin Lakes Drive for a report of a dog bite. The alleged victims were Beth Jenness and her dog, Clarence, a 7-year-old Austrian Kelpie.

“Jenness had a cut on her top lip, and her dog, Clarence, had visible marks on its right thigh,” according to a police report by Officer Michael Boncariewski.

A previous alleged attack by LeBlanc’s dog occurred Dec. 25, 2018. Barbara Sheehan, of Twin Lakes Drive, described walking her dog Bella on a cold and windy Christmas Day.

LeBlanc’s German Shepherd came from her left, she says, and attacked her and her dog while she was screaming for help.

Sheehan alleges that LeBlanc grabbed her arm, begging her not to report the dog, which has been banned from Twin Lakes.

She says she spent about $500 in veterinarian bills, for which LeBlanc reimbursed her.

“I was a little disappointed in how the Selectmen ran the hearing,” Sheehan said. LeBlanc spoke at length, she added, while she did not have much time to address the board.

“I am ultimately satisfied with the result,” she said.

LeBlanc, who was in tears on the way out of the hearing, vowed to appeal the decision to the courts, which is his right.

Fire promotions

Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros was proud to announce the appointments, promotions and one 40-years-of-service award and pin to members of his department in front of Selectmen and family, friends and former firefighters. The Great Hall of Town Hall was filled as Viveiros spoke and Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor swore the first-responders into their new positions.

Thanking the audience, Viverios said, “Being a firefighter requires hard work, dedication and countless hours spent away from your family, training and responding to incidents. Our work requires us to leave at a moment’s notice and almost always at the most inopportune times. No firefighter would be successful in this career without the support and encouragement of their family and friends.”

He began by announcing the newest group of call firefighters to fill the ranks of the department, Jeff Arcieri, Andrew Jerome and Joseph Varraso, who were present for the ceremony and sworn-in by Gaynor, and Anthony Hardy and Quinland Murdock who were not present.

Of the three female members of the fire department, two were promoted from call firefighter to the rank of full-time firefighter, Bridget Ricciarelli and Abby Dubrawski.

“Both of these firefighters have been tremendous assets to our organization, they have earned their spot. They have worked extremely hard over the past several years completing their paramedic program while also filling shifts and always being there when we need them,” said Viveiros.

Peter Hogan, who has served the department since he was a cadet in High School, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

“Becoming a Lieutenant is the biggest transition any firefighter will experience in their career. You are tasked with the safety of the residents in our community, but equally important, you now become responsible for the safety of the firefighters assigned to you,” said Viveiros. “While he has only been in the position a short time, Lieutenant Hogan has clearly demonstrated his ability to lead and set an excellent example for others to follow.”

Finally, Captain Donald Crowell, who is retiring, received his 40-years-of-service award and pin from the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission.

“While I can’t imagine the changes he has seen in our department over the years, I can say for certain that he was a big part of making it the great organization it is today,” said Viveiros.

“You sure that’s me?” joked Crowell to laughter from the crowd.

The Fire Department enjoyed cake as the Selectmen returned to their regularly scheduled meeting.

Eagle Scout project

Jacob Oliveira is pursuing his Eagle Scout badge and asked Selectmen for permission to put a hand-built wooden donation chest for care packages for soldiers in Town Hall. He plans to build the chest with the help of his fellow Boy Scouts and scout masters.

The chest will have three separate compartments, one for nonperishable items, one for “cultural” items like books and CDs, and one for toiletries. Oliveira and the Boy Scouts will monitor the chest for donations and will send the contents as care packages to soldiers deployed abroad, he said to the board.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if Oliveira would be using social media to raise awareness of his project, and he responded that he is planning to.

The major question that the board had concerned the location of the chest, with Garron questioning having enough space and appropriate visibility, but Oliveira noted the chest was on wheels and could be moved.

It is tentatively going to be placed across from the Veterans’ Agent’s office in Town Hall. The board thanked Oliveira and Selectman Tom Millias complemented him on his presentation.

• The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Halifax Board of Selectmen will be Tuesday, June 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room of Town Hall.