Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

You are here: Home / Archives for News

Plympton selectmen: Not so fast!

By

Plympton selectmen discussed a possible avenue to lowering the speed limit at certain intersections in town during their Monday, October 7 meeting.

Vice-Chair Mark Russo said that it was his understanding that under Massachusetts general law, it was possible for a town to establish safety zones with speed limits of 20-mph. Russo said that according to town counsel, a vote would have to be held at town meeting to authorize the selectmen to establish such safety zones.

Several intersections were discussed as problematic with special mention being given to West St. and Cross St. and Main St. and Ring Rd. The latter of which will need a more permanent fix that could come in the form of a potential MassWorks grant which would include engineering as well as construction.

The pros according to Russo are that it is both a relatively easy and inexpensive way to improve safety. Russo said that the one real con would be that 20 mph is quite slow. Chair Christine Joy said she would like to find out if the 20-mph designation is non-negotiable. A resident in attendance added, “Bear in mind, when the speed limit is 20, nobody does 20, they do 30.” In addition to the question about the speed limit, other questions included whether or not a safety zone can be established on a state road, and what is an allowable size for the safety zone designation. Russo agreed to get answers to these questions before proceeding with having an article crafted to vote upon at special town meeting.

Town administrator Liz Dennehy gave the Selectmen an update on various topics including shared services for the Council on Aging. Dennehy said she is waiting to hear back from her colleagues in Halifax and Carver regarding getting the shared calendar ready for the three town’s Councils on Aging. The Highway Superintendent position is currently open with resumes being accepted until October 18. Last call for sealed bids on the old jail cell was this past Thursday, October 10. Dennehy also informed the Selectmen that the town accountant sent budget updates to the various town department heads to show them where they stand. This measure is part of an attempt to further professionalize the town’s financial operations.

The Board voted to appoint Tom Millias as the zoning enforcement officer beginning November 1 and running through June 30, 2020. “Thank you, Tom,” Joy said. Russo added, “With enthusiasm, that’s great.” Dennehy also mentioned that the Zoning Board of Appeals has two open seats for alternate members. “The only thing I would say there is that they do have to have a certain expertise, it can’t just be someone walking in,” Selectmen John Traynor said.

Traynor praised the many volunteers that came out to help with the myriad of events held this past weekend, including the Dennett Harvest Fair, the Plympton Historical Society Vintage Fair, Fall Fest at the Colchester Farm, reception and coffee time at the library, and the Cow Plop at the Family Fun Day at Next Step Farm. “There was more going on in this town than I’ve seen in my over fifty years here,” Traynor said. He continued, “Very good for the town, terrific. We need more of that.” Russo concurred saying, “I’ll just second everything you just said, a vibrant town on weekends is just what we hoped for.” Russo also seconded Traynor’s praise for the vintage fair saying, “It was classy. It’s a lot of work to put those on and I think PHS did just a great job, very impressive.”

District MCAS scores are up

By

The statewide results from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) taken by all public-school students last spring have been released. The tests are administered to students in Grades 3 through 9 as well as Grade 10 and cover the subjects of English and language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science and technology engineering. The MCAS were established in 1993 in accordance with the standards adopted in the Education Reform Act of 1993.

All students in the appropriate grades educated through the state’s public funds are mandated by law to take the tests. The MCAS-Alt was developed to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities that would not be able to take the standard tests even with appropriate accommodations be able to be assessed.

As a district, Silver Lake has a higher percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in all categories than the state average. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has various designations assigned to a school’s progress. Silver Lake Regional High School was determined to be making moderate progress toward their targets. In addition, SLRHS is meeting the state target for the four-year graduation rate. In all eligible subgroup categories, the number of students completing advanced coursework improved. Of particular note, 73 percent of students at the high school are meeting or exceeding new and rigorous math standards set by the state. “Teachers at the high school and middle school have been working on aligning courses with the new state frameworks for history and will use a backwards design approach to create curricular units that are more closely aligned with state standards ELA, Math, and Science,” Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx said.

Like the high school, students at Silver Lake Regional Middle School were found to also be making moderate progress toward their targets. Notable achievements by the middle school students included high growth scores in ELA for all students as well as exceeding the state’s target for students with disabilities in ELA. In addition, chronic absenteeism declined from 10.6 percent to 8.4 percent.

Both the Dennett Elementary School in Plympton and Halifax Elementary were designated as having made substantial progress toward their targets. Students in Plympton had high growth scores in ELA and Math for all students and for all eligible sub group categories. Additionally, Grade 5 students at Dennett exceeded their targets in Science. Results for Halifax students showed typical to high growth scores in ELA and math for all students as well as the “lowest performing” subgroup. Grade 3-6 Halifax students demonstrated overall achievement gains in ELA from 2017 to 2019.

According to Proulx the district is taking steps to ensure continued improvement in student performance. Both elementary schools in the district have adopted a new math program that is more closely aligned with the state standards. Science teachers hope to follow suit as they begin to look at ways to better align their own teaching practices with the newer state standards. Title 1 supports have also been allocated as a means to providing additional targeted interventions where necessary.

Crediting the efforts of Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Farrell, Proulx said that an “Early Literacy” grant has been awarded which will be used to improve student proficiency in reading, writing, and effective communication at the elementary level. “The grant will allow professional development in writing throughout the 2019-2020 school year,” Proulx said.

Further review of the results is still underway and administrators hope to identify potential gaps in the current curriculum. The district also plans to create individualized plans (EPPs) based on student needs and recommend interventions as necessary.

Halifax FD Open House sparks interest

By

The Halifax Fire Department Open House  brought  kids, adults, and families together on Sunday, Oct. 6.

People got to meet their firefighters, tour the station, and have a lot of fun while they tried on the real firefighter gear and checked out the trucks!

Kids had fun in the bouncy house, ate cotton candy, popcorn, pizza, and soda, and learned about fire safety with demonstrations.

It looks like a good harvest this year!

By

There’s no comparison of the color of brilliant cranberries surrounded by a boom, to the color swatches claiming to be “cranberry.”  We are so fortunate to have this amazing sight every autumn.  It takes your breath away!

Susan Basile took these harvesting photos of the bog  out in back of her home on Thompson Street, Halifax.  At the left, berries that have been agitated from their vines float to the top of the flooded bogs, where they are rounded up with floating booms, bringing the berries to the vacuum where they are sucked up to be deposited onto the back of a waiting trailer truck.

Library hosts “History of Folk Music” program

By

Text and Story by
Austin Schofield

On the evening of Thursday, Sept. 19, Kevin MacIsaac visited the Plympton Public Library to share his knowledge and love for folk music with a group of interested spectators.

Since a young boy, Kevin wanted to be a musician, drawing inspiration from Peter, Paul and Mary, and other like artists. Later in life, after working as an English teacher for some time, Kevin got a chance to pursue music more often, doing gigs in coffee houses, and smaller venues. Eventually, he came up with the idea for a program that could combine performance with history, and thus he created “The Evolution of Folk”, a program he has brought to many libraries and galleries.

At the library, Kevin began with a brief introduction to folk, describing it as composed of three important components. Of the genre, he said, “it’s old, anonymous, and its passed down through the oral tradition.” He explained to the crowd that, conventionally, it wasn’t written down, but rather it was passed down from generation to generation through the act of actually singing it. He went on to speak about the different kinds, including ballads, sea shanties, and more. Following this introduction and throughout his performance of the program, Kevin played quite a few songs, ranging from classic folk to work by more modern artists. Supplementing his performance, he provided more and more information as he progressed through the night.

Kevin started the show off with some traditional songs & ballads, and eventually moved on to modern songs, one of which was the notable song, Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff The Magic Dragon,” that brought audience members to sing along.

He also played another classic example of modern folk by Pete Seeger, “This Land Is Your Land,” and of his work, Kevin mentioned, “[he] wrote his own songs in response to the times he was in.

Traditionalists around him frowned upon the writing of new songs, but he didn’t care.” In parallel to the songs by prominent artists that he performed, he also played his own original that he titled, “If I Could Sing.”

Following this, Kevin mentioned that he has a CD project in the works, and also used the opportunity to drive home the point that, even as an older genre, folk music is still evolving today.

Kevin will be performing his program once again in Little Compton, RI on the afternoon of Saturday, November 9th, 2019.

Shanks Restaurant ablaze

By

Shanks Restaurant at the Halifax Country Club lit up the sky Sunday night as flames demolished the popular dining spot at 100 Country Club Drive in Halifax.

According to HFD Captain Jeffrey Cuozzo, an alarm was activated at 10:39 p.m.  Halifax Fire Department responded and while en route were informed of fire coming from the building.  When HFD arrived, heavy fire was showing from the rear of the restaurant and through the roof, according to Cuozzo’s report.

Tower 1 truck got a workout as crews attacked the blaze aggressively to bring the fire under control.  A working fire protocol was initiated at the rear of the building and the call went to a third alarm through county control.

Responding towns included Kingston, Hanson, East Bridgewater, Bridgewater, Pembroke, and Onset.

The fire department also connected to the existing sprinkler system to help aid in extinguishing the fire.  Multiple handlines, ventilation, and search crews were utilized to bring the incident to a close.

HFD succeeded in containing the blaze to the restaurant section of the building, saving the remainder of the structure.

The State Rehab vehicle assisted, and the State Fire Marshall was also contacted.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Dennett playground plans hit snag

By

The Plympton School Committee met Monday Sept. 23 for the first time since the school year began.

Vice Chair Jason Fraser gave an update on the new playground, explaining that plans with the original vendor lined up to complete the project have fallen through.

The committee took a vote to allow Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto and Fraser to allocate some funds, not to exceed $10,000, to hire a consultant only after exhausting the option to cold call some of the vendors on the state bid list.

“We’re very grateful to have the opportunity and we realize that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the school and we want to be sure we are using the funds in a prudent manner,” Fraser said.

Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen gave an update on the water testing saying the most recent round of testing showed no problems with lead, manganese, or any other concerning substances. Wilhelmsen reiterated that from the best they can tell, the unfavorable results that had previously been found were a result of the sample being pulled concurrently with the backwashing cycle that occurs once every seven days. The plan moving forward is to avoid testing on a backwash day.

Wilhelmsen said that he attended a preliminary screening committee meeting that met to review candidates for Superintendent. Current Superintendent Joy Blackwood will be retiring later this year and the hope is to have some overlap between Blackwood and the incoming Superintendent.

The goal of the preliminary screening committee is to review and screen candidates for the broader committee to look at during the first week of October. Wilhelmsen said, “The process is moving along and is on schedule.” A meeting will be held on October 10 at 6 p.m. at Silver Lake Regional High School’s library to announce the semi-finalists. All four school committees in the district have been invited to attend the meeting.

Veneto gave an update on upcoming dates of importance at Dennett. Fall pictures are scheduled for September 30. There will be no school on October 14, Columbus Day. October 24 will be an early release day with a 12:45 dismissal for parent-teacher conferences.

The following day, October 25, will be the Grade 6 field trip to 5 Wits and that night will be the CASA sponsored Halloween dance from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Fraser said to Veneto, “This is the first time we’ve been with you since the beginning of school and I would just like to ask you to thank your staff for all the time that they put in over the summer going to PD, setting up their classrooms, and making this school a welcoming environment for the students on day one. I know a lot of work goes into it behind the scenes so thank you very much and please pass that to your entire staff.”

State House budget will impact district’s local schools

Fraser shared with the committee that the State House failed to arrive at a budget by June 30. Fraser said that the conference committee has released their agreement on Chapter 70 funding and that it has not been voted on yet as it is currently up for discussion and going back to both the House and the Senate.

According to Fraser, rural schools appear to be getting some attention with funding from the state. Fraser said, “It seems like education may have earned a win here in the last innings of 2019 but it is still too early to give any news about exactly how it may impact us so stay tuned to the State House.”

The committee voted to allow Fraser to represent the Dennett School and the Plympton School Committee at the MASC’s (Massachusetts Association of School Committees) November Delegate Assembly where resolutions will be voted.

Polystyrene ban considered by 2022-2023 school year

Resolution one calls for banning polystyrene foam from schools by the 2022-2023 school year, something Fraser said is thanks in part to the efforts of the Plympton School Committee.

“It really stems from some of the conversations we’ve had as a school committee over the last five years and trying to move away from using polystyrene foam here at the Dennett and moving to compostable trays,” Fraser said. Additionally, there are attempts being made at the State House to ban Styrofoam from the state in totality due to the negative environmental impact.   

Title I and II funding decreased by state

Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx said that cuts were made to Title I and Title II funding. Title I decreased by over $100,000 and Title II funding decreased by over $16,000 since last year. Title II funding is a primary source of professional development funds. Professional development ensures that the practices employed by the district are the most up-to-date and research based. Fraser pointed out how these cuts demonstrate the ways in which what happens in Washington D.C. affects our local schools. Regarding the cuts to Title I funding Blackwood said, “It will definitely impact our ability for summer school next year. That is our main concern at this point is what we’ll be able to do and offer.”

District-wide elementary students sing a capella

Blackwood shared a touching anecdote from Opening Day. The Elementary school students from both Halifax and Kingston were scheduled to sing together despite not having much, if any, practice as a combined group.

They were to perform first and when the music started, the timing was off and Blackwood likened it to Alvin and the Chipmunks. After much struggling on the part of the music teachers, Blackwood suggested that the students sing a cappella. The young students did just that in front of the hundreds of faculty members, etc. present. “They were flawless,” Blackwood said.

“I can’t tell you how well they modeled being resilient and having a growth mindset.” Blackwood also praised the students from the middle school who performed scenes from The Wizard of Oz.

Monday was Dennett Elementary School secretary Gail Thibeault’s last meeting. Thibeault spent eight years at Dennett and twelve at Halifax. Blackwood said, “Gail has always been incredibly dependable and will roll up her sleeves and do anything at all that she’s asked. I know that at a personal level, I will truly miss her.”  Blackwood continued, “Thank you Gail for all that you’ve done, you’ve been a joy to work with.”

PFD makes progress under new chief

By

Plympton Fire Chief Stephen Silva, who is nearing his one-year anniversary, gave an update on the state of the department during the Monday, Sept. 23, Board of Selectmen meeting.

Chief Silva gave a rundown of the various grants that had been awarded or are soon to be awarded to the department during his nearly yearlong tenure including $16,000 for a needed piece of medical equipment, $25,000 from the Gary Sinise Foundation for specialized protective gear, and $17,000 from FEMA used toward a gear washer and dryer. Additionally, thanks to the efforts of town administrator Elizabeth Dennehy in securing a green grant, new appliances will be purchased for the fire department.  In total, $83,000 of grant money will have been procured by the end of the year. An additional $10,000 has been raised through fundraising efforts.

A lack of record keeping had plagued the department prior to Chief Silva’s arrival. Despite some vehicles being ten years old, there were no records of them having been formally assessed. In the last ten months, $15,000 worth of repairs have been performed on department vehicles to correct problems with pumps, transmissions, brakes, and many other issues. Captain Paul Lamoureux, who is currently a captain with the Bridgewater fire department, has been brought on to oversee the now formalized maintenance program. “Let’s just say he knows trucks,” Silva said of Lamoreaux. While acknowledging that there are no guarantees, Silva said, “Unanticipated major failures should be a thing of the past.”

The department now has a trained, nationally recognized fire prevention officer. Additionally, firefighter Keith Pontes, who is a facilities manager at the power plant on the Canal as well as a Mass Maritime graduate, has taken the lead on the department’s rehabilitation project.

Silva also stressed the importance of communicating with Plympton residents through social media. Regarding the department’s Facebook page, Silva said, “It’s an incredibly good communication tool; the citizens and businesses of Plympton are our customers and it’s our responsibility to let them know what we are doing with their money.” For those wishing to visit the station, an open house will be held on October 26 from 10-2.

Selectmen John Traynor asked the Chief about strides made within the department with respect to recruitment and retention. Silva explained that the lack of applicants for civil service positions such as firefighters and paramedics is widespread and is even affecting larger communities. Silva, who serves as a liaison between Plymouth County fire chiefs and Plymouth County police chiefs said that it is an ongoing concern and conversation. Silva referred to the shortage of paramedics as “if not a crisis, close to it.” Despite these conditions, however, Silva said, “We are retaining more and we are starting to get more people in.” Silva explained that with the blessing of some other local fire departments, some veteran firefighters that had previously left the Plympton Fire Department to work in other communities, have actually returned either per diem or part time.

Selectmen Chair Christine Joy asked Silva what could be done to entice more residents to take an interest in the Fire Department. Silva said, “It’s all about getting out in the community and letting the community know there is a spot for everybody. If you don’t want to be a structural firefighter or an EMT or if you do, that’s fine, there is always a place.” In addition to open houses, the department will also be offering CPR courses monthly beginning around the first of the year for those wishing to become CPR certified. There are also plans to resurrect the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in the coming year. The Selectmen thanked Silva for his work and Vice Chair Mark Russo summarized their feelings saying, “You’ve done a wonderful job righting the ship.”

Selectmen

appointments

Several appointments were made during Monday’s meeting including Jennifer Macdonald and Gail Knight both to the Cultural Council through June 30, 2020. The Selectmen also appointed Jay Cohen to the Planning Board through June 30, 2020. After being selected through an interview process, Brian Vasa was also appointed as the town’s first Conservation Agent through June 30, 2020. “Thank you all for agreeing to come and serve on these important boards and committees,” Joy said. Traynor commended the town for their volunteer outreach saying that of 130 elected or appointed positions within Plympton, all but four are currently filled. “I think that’s a testament to the volunteer spirit of the town,” Traynor said.

Killing frost needed

Correspondence from the Board of Health was read during the meeting which cited the continued warm weather as the reason for the recent additional aerial spraying as well as emphasizing that it is the “killing frost” rather than the “first frost” that will eliminate the threat posed by mosquitos. While the first frost occurs once temperatures hit 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the killing frost doesn’t occur until temperatures hit 28 degrees Fahrenheit for three consecutive hours.

Hiring issues, building space needs

By

Chairman of the Planning Board Gordon R. Andrews attended Tuesday’s Halifax selectmen’s meeting to ask questions of the selectmen and air his grievances with the procedures for hiring the department’s secretary.

According to Chairman Andrews, the planning board asked to be involved in the hiring process for the new department secretary but were not given that opportunity and never even saw the job description.

“I came in here before the secretary was hired and I was told we’ll have a meeting with you; well it’s now September and the secretary has already been hired. I think that we’ve been like walked over. We tried to participate in it, we tried to find out what was going on and we got blown off and it’s frustrating,” Andrews said. He went on to point out that the finance committee, another elected board, actually selects their own secretary.  In response to Andrews’ inquiry as to who the secretary reports to, town administrator Charlie Seelig answered that as has been done for the last fifteen years, the secretary answers to the building inspector, in this case Rob Piccirilli.

Chairman Andrews listed a myriad of issues faced by the Planning Board in the recent past. After the last secretary resigned but agreed to stay on in the interim, Andrews claimed that there were three separate meetings where the secretary was unable to attend at the last minute. Additionally, at one of the meetings, the board was locked out of the room.

Selectman Tom Millias said that the planning board should absolutely have their own key to the meeting room. Andrews said, “We’re an elected board, if a secretary doesn’t do what we have to have done, we’re at stake, not Rob.”

Piccirilli, who was also in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting said, “As far as direction, it’s up to the board to give direction, not me.”

Seelig interjected that while directions to the secretary should come directly from the board, the board’s grievances should go directly to Piccirilli. Another area of dispute was who should handle the performance review of the secretary. Currently, Piccirilli handles that task and does so without reaching out to the planning board for comment. Piccirilli said that if there were complaints, it would be up to the board to bring them to his attention. Selectman Gordon C. Andrews felt that the planning board should be writing the review for their secretary or at the very least, Piccirilli should be reaching out to them for their thoughts.

After a great deal of discussion, the Selectmen and Chairman Andrews agreed that it would behoove all involved to have a meeting with Piccirilli, a representative from each of boards, and one of the selectmen to go over the various job descriptions and put some procedures in place to avoid future issues of the same nature. “I think that will satisfy everyone moving forward,” Millias said. “I believe it will,” Chairman Andrews agreed.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Police Chief Joao Chaves, and highway surveyor Steve Hayward met with the selectmen to discuss ideas regarding ways in which the needs of the fire department, police department, and highway department, among others, may be met.

In August, concerned residents attended the selectmen’s meeting to share their concerns over the Council on Aging (COA) space including residents being unable to attend certain programs because they are located on the second floor. During that time it was suggested by Director of Building Maintenance Scott Materna that a possible solution might be to move the COA to the current police station and build a new combined police and fire station. Viveiros said that the current fire station is short on space as well as having potential liability concerns while Chaves said that although the police station has ample space, the floor plan is not really conducive to their needs. The highway department could also benefit from more space.

Senior Services Regionalization explored

As was discussed in August, a potential fix for the COA issues might be to regionalize with some neighboring towns. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig met with some of the neighboring towns’ administrators to discuss the possibility. Collectively, they decided that a good first step would be to publicize their offerings to one another’s residents to gauge the level of interest.

Long-term goals requested from each town department

The selectmen asked each department head to come up with list of their long-term project needs. “We’re starting from scratch. All the ideas are on the table and all ideas from anybody are on the table,” Seelig said. He continued, “My hope is that we don’t say to somebody, ‘sorry we don’t want you saying something; we don’t think it’s your lane and you shouldn’t be participating in this.’

“At this point, a good idea is a good idea wherever it is coming from.”

Selectmen Chair Troy Garron asked, however, that any idea that is presented be put in writing and be thoroughly researched first.

Garron also said that with so many departments all having varying needs, it will be necessary to prioritize the order in which needs will be met. Millias pointed out that the upcoming town meeting will be too early to present anything but said that all possibilities should be explored between now and next year. Seelig said he is also going to ask the school and the library to provide a report on their space needs as well.

Permission to replace old batting cages granted

The final appointment of the evening was Halifax youth baseball president Pete Barone. Barone was there to ask for the Board’s permission to replace the old, portable batting cage at Vaughn field with an updated, permanent one.

The existing structure had been blown across the parking lot during previous storms and at this point, poses a safety concern.

The new cage will be paid for entirely through fundraising efforts.

The hope is to make the change this fall so that it will be ready for use in April.

Millias said, “This looks nothing but good, so I don’t have any issues.” Garron agreed acknowledging that it is a positive for the kids in the town.

Barone also asked for permission to build a small, fenced in playground next to the grass near the skate park. Barone said that it would be a 30 ft. by 25 ft. area meant to serve smaller children who may have a sibling playing in a game on one of the fields. Barone said that there is a clear view of both fields from the area.

The Board approved both requests.

Cultural Council seeks grant applications for FY2020

By

The Halifax Cultural Council is now accepting applications for the
Council’s Fiscal Year 2020 grant cycle. All applications must be submitted to the Halifax Cultural Council, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338 no later than Tuesday, October 15.

Grant applications and other  information are available on the Council’s web site:
http://www.halifax-ma.org/cultural-council, or applicants can apply
on-line at

https://www.mass-culture.org/Halifax (click on the “Apply Now” tab).

This year, the Council’s priorities include an emphasis on
events in Halifax, but not just in the  municipal   centers, programs
related to nature, science, environmental education and the Town’s
history, programs for seniors, library patrons, people with
disabilities, families, and teens, and programs involving artists and
speakers from Halifax.

Applicants can obtain more information through the Halifax Board of Selectmen’s office at 781-294-1316.