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Silver Lake boys’ basketball continues to be competitive

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The Silver Lake boys’ basketball team has played some tough basketball this season.

At the start of the week they were 3-3 on the season and five of their six games so far this year had been decided by single-digit margins. The lone exception to this was their 62-42 blowout win over Plymouth North on Thursday, Dec. 20.

Right now, the Lakers goal has to be to make it to the tournament. After all, they barely missed out on it last season and finished the year at 8-12.

This season, they returned the majority of their squad. They have four of their starters from last season back and in total, there are 10 seniors on the roster.

On offense, the Lakers turn to Nolan Hughes for production. The 6-foot-5 junior was the team’s leading scorer last season and provides the team with a presence in the post.

In the senior class, point guard Josh Gilbert has proven himself as a dependable scoring option as well while his classmates, Dan Duggan, Matt Bettle and Cam Danahy, who round out the starting lineup, are also capable players on the attack.

In terms of depth, the Lakers typically rely on seniors Dan Coffey, Josh Murphy and Jack Peterson to provide the team with depth and valuable contributions off the bench.

Over the Winter Break, the Lakers had some tough luck in the Silver Lake Holiday Tournament. They dropped a 49-46 bout against the Sandwich Blue Knights on Thursday, Dec. 27. The next day, the Lakers faced the Falmouth Clippers and fell in a 45-38 contest.

The Lakers do not have any games scheduled for this week. Instead, their next bout is on Tuesday, Jan. 8 on the road against the Scituate Sailors (6:30 p.m. start time). The Sailors were 4-0 on the year as of the start of this week, according to MaxPreps. 

Halifax Fire Department receives $6,154 in grants

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HALIFAX — On Monday, Dec. 31, Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros announced two grants that the department had received from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.

The first, for $3,754, is a 2018 Student Awareness for Fire Education– or S.A.F.E.– grant that will be used to conduct fire education programs for school-aged children.

The second, for $2,400, is a senior S.A.F.E. grant to conduct fire education programs for seniors, and also to purchase fire prevention items for the Halifax senior population.

According to Chief Stephen Silva of the Plympton Fire Department, they have applied for the same grant, as well, and are expecting to receive an award from DFS soon, although they have not received a decision letter yet.

A spokesman for DFS said the grant is non-competitive.

Chief Viveiros recognized Captain Matthew Cunningham and Captain Jeffrey Cuozzo for their work in obtaining the grant funds.

Halifax attorney suspended by SJC after lengthy investigation

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Supreme Judicial Court Justice Kimberly Budd (Courtesy photo)

Halifax attorney Thomas J. Yelverton was suspended from the practice of law for three months Nov. 5, 2018, by the Supreme Judicial Court for Suffolk County after a lengthy investigation by the Office of Bar Counsel (OBC), according to a summary of the order of the court available from the Board of Bar Overseers (BBO) of the Supreme Judicial Court and the order of the court itself.

The suspension stems from when Yelverton was retained in November 2016 to handle the estate of a client’s mother. The client provided Yelverton with a copy of a will and other information needed to handle the estate. In November or December 2016, the client wrote a check to Yelverton for $1,000 as a retainer. On Feb. 27, 2017, the client met with Yelverton, signed forms at his request, and gave the attorney an original will and a replacement check for $1,000, the report stated.

Yelverton never provided his client with a written contract for representing the client and for the fees and expenses the client would be responsible for, according to the BBO.

In early March 2017, Yelverton stopped communicating with the client despite receiving repeated requests for information, according to court documents. On April 18, 2017, the client requested an update and the return of all files if the attorney was unable to move forward with handling the estate.

Yelverton never responded and did not complete the work for which he was hired in any substantive way. When he was notified that the OBC was investigating in November 2017, Yelverton returned the original will to the client, stated the report.

Yelverton failed to respond to bar counsel’s requests for information in the matter.

On Jan. 29, 2018, Yelverton was served with a subpoena issued by the BBO requiring him to appear, testify and produce records at the OBC concerning the matter. He never appeared, according to the board.

Yelverton was administratively suspended from the practice of law Feb. 26, 2018, for his failure to cooperate with the investigation. He also failed to comply with the provisions of the administrative suspension.

The BBO asserted that Yelverton broke the rules of professional conduct for attorneys through his actions.

On May 29, 2018, an attorney for the OBC began disciplinary proceedings by filing a petition for discipline with BBO. Yelverton did not participate in the disciplinary proceedings and was defaulted.

Then, on Oct. 11, 2018, the BBO voted to recommend that Yelverton be suspended from the practice of law for three months, the report stated.

Finally, Judge Kimberly Budd, Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, agreed, ordering the three-month suspension.

According to her order, he is required to file notice of his suspension with each court he has a matter before, inform all clients he has been suspended, refund any unearned fees and resign appointments with which he has a fiduciary role (such as a guardian or executor).

The OBC, an independent administrative body, investigates reports of attorney misconduct. When the OBC concludes that an attorney has engaged in unethical conduct under the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct, the office will bring charges before the BBO, another independent administrative body, for adjudication. When misconduct is found, the board either imposes discipline or, as in this case, recommends to the Supreme Judicial Court that it impose discipline.

Yelverton had no prior misconduct, stated the report. His suspension ends in February, and his return to the practice of law is conditional, according to the court order.

Special Education budgeting needs to be individualized

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Despite no major influx of new special education students to the Silver Lake district, Special Education Administrator Marie Grable said increases to tuition and transportations costs need to be addressed in next year’s budget for the 629 students in the program.

Estimates for next year’s budget were not ready to be discussed formally, Grable told the committee; they are still in the rough draft phase. In her presentation, she outlined some of the finances that need to be considered on a yearly basis when addressing a special education budget.

To begin the presentation, she highlighted that there isn’t a standard program that can be applied for all students in the special education program.

“Accommodations need to be individualized,” Grable said.

Specialization has its own challenges. For one, Grable said, developmental delays are often diagnosed anywhere from the age of 3 to 9. It can be hard to tell if a student is struggling with reading or if it’s because of some sort of developmental delay.

Committee Chair Jason Fraser asked about unexpected cost from students coming into the district mid-year. Unexpected cost can also affect a special education budget, she said. When a student from out of district from Plymouth for example moves to Halifax mid-school year, Grable said that student is already budgeted in Plymouth’s special education budget for the year. If the student is from out of state, the rule doesn’t apply, and Silver Lake would get an unexpected cost added to the current fiscal year’s budget.

The state does provide some relief with special education budgets, Grable explained. She said municipalities are responsible for the first $44,000 no matter what. However, the state does pay a percentage of additional dollars, but that rate is set on a yearly basis. According to Grable, she’s preparing for a rate around 55 to 60 percent.

Fraser reminded the committee that the district still needs to pay for that money because the state funding is a reimbursement given for the previous year.

Some of the district’s funding does come from state grants, though. The district gets two entitlement grants from the state. One of those grants is for a little over a $1 million statewide. The district gets a cut of that grant each year. That first grant, the district uses to help pay for the paraprofessionals at the schools. The second grant helps fund special education programs at the preschool level. Exact municipal numbers were not specified.

Grable spoke highly of the district’s special education programs. She was especially proud of the developmental learning centers at each school level (elementary, middle, high) district wide and how language-based learning programs were going. Grable said the language-based learning program has been implemented at the middle school successfully, and she hopes to do the same at the high school when the timing is right.

One thing she hopes to continue with, especially in the last years of high school, is remind students that once they turn 18, they are usually responsible for making sure they get the accommodations they need, especially at the college level.

“Colleges don’t necessarily look at IEPS, but do verify disabilities, so when students turn 18, they need to advocate for themselves,” Grable said.

A budget draft will be available at a later school committee meeting.

High School

Principal Michaela Gill presented formal requests to the school committee for some curriculum changes. One request was to remove the practical computing course. Gill spoke of students’ success in the other course computer applications, making the course unnecessary.

Another course change proposal was removing College Prep II Trigonometry from the curriculum.

“Let me explain the math behind this,” Gill joked.

Right triangle trigonometry is now taught in geometry to help students prepare for standardized testing.

“There’s not enough material to run a whole trigonometry class when it’s already in geometry,” she said.

The high school also received the following donations:

• $25 gift card from May Flower Municipal Health Group to pay for new cables for the library smartboard.

• Three residents donated vehicles for the high school’s automotive program.

Middle School

A middle school-level National Junior Honor Society is coming to the district. Pam Samford said the district will start putting this together after term two grades are in.

Samford said the honors society for seventh and eight graders will run much like the high school model.  After grades are in, eligible students will meet in the auditorium. They will have to complete community service, get teacher recommendations, and be interviewed. Students will be told if they will be inducted before April vacation and another ceremony will follow.

Friday’s winds topple tree onto shed

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Friday’s wind topple tree onto shed at 12 Forestdale Drive, Halifax. (Photo courtesy Halifax Fire Department)

HALIFAX — On Dec. 22, 2018, around 3:30 p.m., Halifax first-responders answered a call to 12 Forestdale Drive for a tree toppled by high winds that had completely crushed a shed and ruptured a 250-gallon oil tank, according to Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros on Wednesday.

Approximately 125-gallons of oil spilled before the department’s arrival, he said.

Firefighters were able to stop the leak by plugging the hole in the tank and applying a leak-stopping putty.

Williams Oil also responded and was able to transfer the remaining oil into a temporary tank, said Viveiros.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection was called to the scene by the Halifax Fire Department and they will oversee the cleanup process, according to Chief Viveiros.

Halifax Mobile Home Estates’ management hired a licensed site professional and Global Environmental Services to conduct the cleanup, he added.

No injuries were reported.

Child, 4, gives to HPD for others

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Officer Michelle McIntyre and Halifax Police Dept. Administrative Assistant Antoinette Tripolone Ross fill their baskets at Halifax Walmart shopping for toys for children in need. All these were made possible by the donation of a 4-year old boy in Halifax. (Photo courtesy Halifax Police Department)

HALIFAX — In early December, says Halifax Police Administrative Assistant Antoinette Tripolone Ross, a four-year-old boy walked into the Halifax Police Station with his grandfather. The young boy wanted to make a generous donation– $100– to children less fortunate than him in the area, said Tripolone Ross, who was touched by the gesture.

“I had goosebumps. What a way to raise a child,” she exclaimed.

She accepted the donation on behalf of the department, which went to their gift fund. Under the direction of Chief Joao Chaves, the department decided to match the funds given by the child, bringing the total donation to $200.

Tripolone Ross and Officer Michelle McIntyre, the department’s School Safety Officer, contacted John Mather, the manager of Halifax’s Walmart Supercenter, asking if there was any possibility an employee discount might be used to extend the $200 and the number of toys that could be purchased.

The two were delighted to find out that Mather would instead match the money on behalf of Walmart, bringing the total donation to $400.

“It was uplifting. I was inspired,” said Mather. “Let’s keep this good thing going,” he said he thought upon hearing of the boy’s generosity.

Tripolone Ross and McIntyre spent just over $400 on toys for children in need. They were picked up by the Salvation Army for distribution, according to the department.

“We need more of this kind of stuff in the world,” said Mather.

The boy and his grandfather toured the police station, met Chief Chaves and posed for a photo in a police cruiser.

“Look at what he [the boy] started,” said Tripolone Ross. “I can’t wait for next year,” she added, excitedly.

Roofer hearing delayed

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Matthew Will stands before the court in Wareham at a previous hearing. (Photo by Abram Neal)

PLYMOUTH — A pretrial conference for roofer Matthew Will, 37, of Halifax, owner of Five Star Discount Roofing, scheduled Friday, Dec. 21 for two of five known open larceny-related cases in Plymouth County, has been delayed.

Will last appeared in Wareham District Court Dec. 7 on three other cases. A new alleged victim has come forward first to the Express and later to local authorities with a similar story to those of other alleged victims.

Will’s Plymouth-based attorney, Jack Atwood, delayed the two hearings because he was busy with another case in Quincy, according to court records. The proceedings were canceled at the last minute, on Thursday, Dec. 20, although Will’s cases still appeared on the court’s daily logs as late as Friday morning.

Will is currently facing a total of one count of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense, two counts of larceny over $1,200, 19 counts of larceny over $250 by false pretense, one count of larceny under $250 by false pretense and one count of forgery of a document.

There were 23 area households in three communities claiming they have been victimized to date, who have lost a combined $153,197.34 in monies allegedly given for work not done, with individual losses ranging from $695 to $15,569. Most of these victims are over age 55, and many are elderly, according to police reports. The alleged victim who lost the most money is 78 years old.

These totals do not include the newest alleged victim, who is from Wareham.

Will had done work for him in 2017, before moving to Wareham, he said, with no issue. He appeared to have a good reputation at the time, the semi-retired man stated in an email and a later phone interview with the Express.

Previous work

Based on his previous positive experience with Will, when his daughter and son-in-law had major roof and chimney issues at their East Bridgewater home, he said he chose to help them out financially and reached out to the roofer, calling it a big mistake not to recheck his licenses.

Checking Will’s licenses, though, may not have shown anything as his CSSL-Roofing and HIC licenses are currently active, although he does have several pending arbitrations before the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, according to state records.

The Wareham alleged victim said he paid $14,000 for a roof that never vented properly, and waste shingles and trash are still on-site, weeks after work began on the home. He also said he paid $6,047 for chimney work that was never started, and siding was stripped on one section of the house, which is still bare. He estimates that there is $7,000 of outstanding work to be done.

The Wareham man reached out to local authorities, he said in a Wednesday, Dec. 19, email, who alerted Will to another complaint against him.

This prompted a phone conversation between the man and Will, who promised to come Dec. 27 to finish everything except the chimney.

“I don’t hold much hope but if by chance I can get any work completed I would like to try first before I move ahead [to press charges],” he wrote.

Will’s next court appearance, should no new charges be filed, will be on Monday, February 11, 2019, at 9 a.m. in Plymouth District Court for pre-trial hearings. The three Wareham District Court cases have been continued to March 4, 2019, at 9 a.m. also for pre-trial hearings.

Will could not be reached by email or phone for comment as of press time.

SL girls basketball falls to Hanover

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Number 14, Molly Terbush, prepares to make her shot. (Photo by Aaron Duke)

The Silver Lake High girls’ basketball team played hard and enjoyed success at various points in the matchup. Ultimately, however, their opponent surged in the fourth quarter and the team did not get its first victory of the season.

The game was tight after three quarters, but Hanover pulled away in the fourth and ended up winning the contest, 62-49. With the loss, the Lakers fell to 0-5 on the season.

The Lakers enjoyed a lot of success in the first quarter, taking a sizable lead. By the end of it, they found themselves up 22-12 thanks to some sharp shooting and stout defense.

In the second quarter, the Lakers were able to preserve this lead, although the game started to become a little more evenly matched. Still, they took a 34-26 lead into the second half.

In the second half, Hanover gained the edge in terms of momentum. They outscored the Lakers by nine points in the third quarter and ended it with a 42-41 lead. They also held onto the lead in the final frame.

Hanover went on to outscore the Lakers by 12 points in the final quarter of the bout in order to pick up the victory.

The Lakers are on the younger side this season with the overwhelming majority of their players being underclassmen. With this in mind, they have some young talent on their squad that should grow and develop over the next few seasons.

This year’s team has five seniors on it including: shooting guard Izzy Ruprecht, point guard Jessica Stas, small forward Brianna Villanova, small forward Angela King and small forward Stephanie Barrett.

The Lakers next game is on Friday, Dec. 28 at home against the Falmouth Clippers (5:00 p.m. start time). The Clippers are 0-1 to start the season, according to MaxPreps.

May trial date for Kilburn

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Justin Kilburn, 30, stands in court at his latest appearance on Thursday, Dec. 13. (Photo by Abram Neal)

PLYMOUTH — Justin Kilburn, 30, was before Judge Cornelius J. Moriarty, II, Thursday, Dec. 13, in Plymouth Superior Court for a status hearing and a May trial date was assigned.  The Kingston man is accused in the death of Diane Giordani, 52, of Plympton, and her German Shepherd, following a collision on County Road, Route 106, in Plympton May 10.

Giordani and her dog “Blitz” died at the scene of the collision after her vehicle was struck head-on by Kilburn’s truck, according to a previous release from Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz’s office.

Kilburn was indicted on one count of motor vehicle manslaughter by operating under the influence of alcohol and motor vehicle homicide by operating under the influence of alcohol June 5, according to the DA.

Several family members and friends of Giordani were present at the brief hearing, including her husband and sister.

The court selected two pre-trial hearing dates to address issues before trial, a March 1, 2019, status hearing and an April 30, 2019, final pre-trial conference. The court also set a trial date of May 6, 2019.

The judge, Moriarty, asked if this was the type of case that could be settled with a lobby conference, where both parties could agree on a disposition without going to trial.

ADA Russell Eonas responded that it was possible, but that the commonwealth would not be taking the vehicular manslaughter by OUI charge off-the-table.

The collision was investigated by Plympton Police, State Police detectives assigned to the DA’s office, the State Police CARS Unit and State Police Crime Scene Services. Police allege that Kilburn was driving his pickup truck at a high rate of speed, when he crossed the center line and struck the car driven by Giordani head-on. The investigation found that Kilburn had a blood alcohol content level of .17 percent at the time of the crash, according to the DA’s office.

Jack Atwood, a Plymouth-based defense attorney was appointed by the court to defend Kilburn.

Michael Giordani, Diane’s husband, when asked how he was after the hearing, said simply, “It’s a tough time of year.”

Kilburn remains confined at home with a GPS ankle monitor.

Parking issues dominate

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Asst. Assessor Wendy Jones was before the board for a tax classification hearing on Monday, Dec. 17. (Photo by Abram Neal)

PLYMPTON — The Board of Selectmen met Monday, Dec. 17, and spent the bulk of their hour and 15-minute long meeting discussing their “parking lot,” where they “park” issues that they wish to deal with at a later time. 

The page-long list of items was projected on a whiteboard, and each item was discussed and assigned.

The board reviewed the master plan for the town campus, noting that the most pressing issues were with the actual, physical parking lot in front of the buildings, and admitted there is as yet no long-term solution for those parking issues. 

They also spoke about the driveway for the new police station, and Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said that the new police station construction management company, P3 Inc., planned to widen the driveway around the back of Town House, necessitating the moving of a utility pole.

The board appeared pleased with the progress at the new police station.

Selectman Christine Joy was concerned about the lack of lighting at the entrance to the campus, saying it is unsafe. Dennehy will look into a solution, she said.

The intersection at Ring Road and Main Street was on the list as well. Selectmen Chairman John Traynor labeled it a problem intersection and asked about the cost of moving a Verizon pole to modify it. Dennehy said she’d look into the cost. 

This is not the first time the intersection has been under scrutiny. In September 2017, former Highway Surveyor Jim Mulcahy presented a plan to change the intersection, going so far as to consult a design engineering consultant. Plans to “widen the curve” there never came to fruition, due to public pushback. 

Joy suggested a small rotary at the anecdotally troublesome crossroads, low enough for public safety vehicles to drive over. She also said that the Old Colony Planning Council might be able to assist, noting that they are great with small projects such as this. 

The “tech” master plan was also examined, and the new email server is slowly coming together, despite some technical difficulties, said Dennehy. The fire chief is the first with one of the town’s new email addresses, and is the only one on the new server right now. At first, he was not able to send or receive emails to or from the old town server, but this was resolved, according to the town administrator.

The Green Communities grant work is still underway, helping the town reduce energy use and costs by implementing clean energy projects in municipal buildings, facilities and the Dennett Elementary School. Dennehy is meeting this week with state officials to discuss further disbursements. She noted that the grant is unfortunately not for buildings like the new police station, just older ones that can be retrofitted.

Finally, the board agreed with the town administrator’s suggestion that the board survey various Town House stakeholders for the use of the former police department space after they move to their new building. Selectman Assistant Brigette Martins located a floorplan of Town House to assist with planning for the soon-to-be vacant space.

In other news:

• The board briefly discussed sending a letter to Attorney General Maura Healey regarding the town’s marijuana bylaw moratorium.

• The board is exploring the idea of hiring a grant writer and is bringing an expert to Plympton to introduce her to the town and further look into that possibility.

• The assessors were again before the board, to officially modify the tax-rate, which fell by a penny due to an upward adjustment in the residential classification.

• The board will next meet Jan. 7, 2019, at 6 p.m. at the Plympton Town House.