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You are here: Home / Archives for News

Cell tower put on hold

August 2, 2018 By Abram Neal, Express Correspondent

Proponents promise to make a federal case of it

PLYMPTON – On Tuesday, Aug. 31, the Plympton Zoning Board of Appeals voted down the variances necessary for an application by Industrial Tower and Wireless, LLC., of Marshfield, to build a 120-foot, lattice-style cell phone tower at the corner of Center Street and Palmer Road, on a business-zoned lot by a 2-1 vote.

Board members Dave Alberti and Harry Weikel voted against issuing the variances for the proposed cell tower, despite the previous warnings of town counsel Robin Stein that they are opening Plympton up to a federal lawsuit by violating the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Board Chairman Ken Thompson voted for the project, noting afterward that his vote didn’t matter because any variances that ITW sought needed to be decided on unanimously by the board.

The meeting did not have the intensity or drama of previous meetings on the subject, as the board had already indicated which way they were leaning, although the townspeople at the hearing were visibly pleased with the ultimate result.

The hearing was brief– less than 30 minutes. The lawyer for ITW, Jeffrey Angely was still slick and could be heard chuckling from time to time in the audience; the Town’s lawyer appeared to be much more prepared than at last week’s hearing, where she acted confused as the board increasingly moved in the direction of a denial.

The public was not permitted to speak because the testimony portion of the hearing had ended, despite their being a full house.

Thompson began the hearing by warning that it was the board’s turn to continue deliberations at this meeting. Stein read the history of the hearing into the record, notably a number of continuances beginning May 24.

Stein again walked the board through their previous findings, which they hadn’t yet voted on.

She reiterated the law, noting that federal law requires local zoning ordinances to be waived should the ZBA find that there is both a significant gap in coverage and that there were no alternate sites for a tower per the TCA of 1996. Stein noted that this sort of case has been well litigated in the federal courts, both in our circuit and others.

The public had previously noted numerous other locations for a tower, most notably the First Church steeple, which Church officials claim had not been properly investigated. ITW has made claims that 7,000 to 8,000 vehicles a day pass through this alleged coverage gap. This has not been independently verified, according to officials.

Weikel next read a lengthy statement into the record as part of his deliberation, noting what he counted as 17 “significant” variances, not just the four in the application, that he believed the applicant required for the construction of a cell-tower. He noted other possible locations he found suitable, including a town-owned parcel behind the Town House.

Alberti attempted to read a letter, a source says from a previous zoning official or board member, into the record but was quickly stopped by Stein on the grounds that it was testimony, not part of the deliberations.

At that point, the Board was ready to vote as their deliberations were complete.

Stein read an affirmative motion to approve the variances, with several conditions, into the record, to which Thompson said, “So moved.” Alberti seconded the motion.

Weikel voted first, against the motion, and then Alberti voted against the motion as well.

Thompson voted last, somewhat half-heartedly, in favor of the motion.

The motion failed as the vote was not unanimous.

At that point, Stein directed the board to vote on a motion for the reasons for the denial, as federal law requires that any denial be based on “substantial evidence in the record.”

She began by reading item by item from a list she had prepared, for example, “That the proposed telecommunications tower is in the business district,” which quickly became too cumbersome because of the number of items on her list.

She and the board together decided to read the whole list of more than a dozen reasons to deny the application at once, and the board voted unanimously to approve that list. The findings will be published on or around Aug. 8, according to Stein and Thompson.

What will happen after that is not clear.

The board appears to be bracing themselves for a lawsuit. Town officials were not available for immediate comment as of press time, and a source who did not wish to be named suggested that there would be no comment from the Town.

When Stein told opposing attorney Angley that the board would meet Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 5 p.m. for an administrative meeting, he replied, “We have no reason to be there.”

When she told him that the findings would be published at or shortly after that meeting, he asked for a courtesy copy, grabbed his suit coat, said, “Whatever,” and stormed out of the room with a flourish. He could be seen talking animatedly with ITW representatives in the parking lot after the hearing.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Halifax’s Aubrey is new SSVT head

July 26, 2018 By Tracy Seelye Express Editor

HANOVER — The job title and office are new, but South Shore Tech Principal Mark Aubrey, 49, is a familiar face at the school where he has been a teacher or administrator since 1999. Following a lengthy interview process, he stepped up to the principal’s office to succeed Margaret Dutch, who retired at the end of the 2017-18 school year.

“This is where I belong,” Aubrey said. “I’m a believer that, if you’re a good teacher you can teach anywhere, but to be a great teacher you have to be in the right place.”

The son of a Greater Lowell Tech graduate, Aubrey — who was born in Montana while his father served in the Air Force — is a believer in the benefits of a vocational education.

Like his WHRHS counterpart Dr. Christopher Jones, he did not set out after graduating from high school to become a teacher. Aubrey initially wanted to become an architect, but his experience as a youth sports coach made him realize that teaching and connecting

Filed Under: More News Right, News

New 106 Used car business given OK

July 26, 2018 By James Bentley

Jake Sullivan and Justin LeClair are getting a chance to realize their dream of owning a business, and they’re doing it while still in their twenties.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved their Class II license application to open a used car business, J and J Motor Sports, to be located on Plymouth Street, Route 106, next to the Salvation Army collection box.

As far as the vehicle price range, Sullivan said, “We’re looking to retail used cars for roughly $3,000 to $10,000.” The business would be by appointment only.

Selectmen Chair Kim Roy asked Sullivan and LeClair if any repairs or auto body work would be done on site because that type of work requires more licensing than what the Class II license allows. Leclair said the business is strictly sales. Any necessary work would be contracted off site.

One area of concern for the board was the donations collection box on the property that has been there for some time.  Selectman Thomas Millias said the problem with the collection box is donations often sit there for long periods of time without being collected.

Sullivan said a trial period with the collection box will take place for about a month. If the collection box service does not improve, Leclair and Sullivan will have it removed. The men are hoping to open business within a month or two.

Thompson Street Safety Improvements

The Board of Selectmen approved solid double lines for Thompson Street barring Town Administrator Charles Seelig checking legal ramifications with the state.

William Balfour asked that the lines become solid no passing sections on both sides in order to prevent future car accidents.

Seelig said, “Basically, there’s a section of Thompson Street where the yellow lines are drawn as a passing area and he’d like that eliminated; he thinks it’s a danger. There are several blind driveways in the area, some curves and such.”

Balfour’s son William Balfour Jr. attended the meeting to advocate on behalf of his father’s wishes. He told the Board of Selectmen, “I’ve been here for 50 years. I grew up in this and over the years as well as recently, there’s been a number of accidents on both ends of the stretch on either end of the corner.” He said there have been deaths on both sides of the street.

Hemp Production

At selectmen’s last meeting, the question of whether hemp production needed special permitting was brought into question after Seelig told the Board he’s received an inquiry from a party about a hemp production business in town.

Seelig investigated the subject and spoke with Town Counsel who advised hemp production is allowed as an agricultural product.

“Processing and manufacturing is allowed in the commercial district by special permitting in the industrial district by right.”

Other News

• A yard sale to benefit the fundraising of the Hops Playground will take place on the Town Hall Green on August 12. The yard sale is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Selectmen approved the Congregational Church’s use of the Town Green for its barbecue/festival on September 8.

• A road cut to open a new gas service was approved at 374 Plymouth Street.

The next Halifax selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for August 7. Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.

Filed Under: Breaking News, News

Path to purchase Atwood acreage purchpurchase Atwood acreage

July 26, 2018 By Abram Neal, Express Correspondent

PLYMPTON – Things are moving quickly on the Atwood property file, as they should be.

Town Officials are scrambling to “do things right” and meet state-imposed deadlines as the Board of Selectmen, on the recommendation of the Open Space Committee and the Prospect Road working group, work to acquire this 113-acre agricultural property on Prospect Street for open space, preservation and recreation.

The land, which is now a Chapter 61A property that provides a significant tax-break for agricultural use, is being sold and its use is slated to change, triggering the ability of the Town to exercise its right of first refusal to buy the property, under the law.

At a July 16 Selectmen’s meeting and hearing on the topic, the board voted to exercise that right.

On Monday, July 23, Selectmen voted to sign a purchase and sales agreement, and formally notified the seller that the Town was exercising its option to purchase, according to Elizabeth Dennehy, the Plympton Town Administrator.

Tara Shaw, the town clerk notarized the documents.

Next, Dennehy says the Town has either 90 days from the July 16 meeting or 90 days from the July 23 signing to call a Special Town Meeting to approve the final sale. Town Counsel is researching the exact timing.

Linda Leddy, co-chair of the Open Space Committee, indicated the STM would likely be held in September, while Dennehy suggested that it could be much sooner.

In the meantime, the Community Preservation Committee will meet to accept the project that Open Space will sponsor, and approve approximately $300,000 in CPC funds to help buy the 113 acres.  Once the purchase is complete, the town plans to sell three house lots totaling 4.5 acres fronting Prospect Street, raising approximately $435,000 toward the purchase price and private donations covering the rest of the $800,000 sale price will be raised.

According to Selectman Mark Russo, who is also chairman of the Community Preservation Committee, $25,000 has been raised in private donations, as of mid-July.

The hearing on July 16 saw unanimous support for the project from those in the audience. The Plympton population will have an opportunity to vote on the purchase at the special town meeting to be scheduled for that purpose.

Filed Under: More News Left, News

Fed law clashes with local by-law

July 26, 2018 By Abram Neal, Express Correspondent

PLYMPTON – The heat rose in the Large Meeting Room of Town House Tuesday, July 24, both literally and figuratively as townspeople squared off against telecommunications tower applicant Industrial Tower and Wireless, LLC. Jeffrey Angley, attorney representing the applicant, was slick. The town’s attorney, Robin Stein, mumbled and was hard to understand. And several neighbors and citizens of the proposed 120-foot lattice structure seemed incensed with the ZBA’s apparent acquiescence to the applicant.

Then, a surprise turn of events changed everything.

The hearing started out as most formal hearings do. A prepared statement was read into the minutes by the chair. The applicant was asked if they had any new updates for the board, since this was the third meeting of the continued hearing on the subject. They did not. They summarized their plans to build a 120-foot lattice telecommunications tower at the corner of Center Street and Palmer Road, on a four-acre lot that is “Business” zoned but is abutted by “Residential/Agricultural” zoning. ITW is proposing an 80-foot by 80-foot perimeter fence around the tower, with a 20-foot wide access road.

The applicant admitted that the tower will be visible from many locations in town, noting only that, “there is no perfect location [for a tower].”

The company is seeking zoning relief under the federal 1996 Telecommunications Act, that, according to the town’s attorney, was created to help build telecommunications infrastructure because most cell towers do not conform to local zoning bylaws, nationally.

Angley and Stein, opposing attorneys, appeared to agree that if the applicant can demonstrate that there is a significant coverage gap in cellular service and that there are no viable alternative sites (Industrial Tower and Wireless claims that 35 sites were identified and rejected), the ZBA must grant the variances sought, they say.

The applicant claims that there is a 3.5 by 1.5-mile coverage gap in Plympton that sees 7,000 to 8,000 vehicles a day pass through.

The public was not shy in their displeasure with the proposed tower.

Rosemary German, of 63 Palmer Street, presented videos of what she said were similar towers making humming noises. Angley said the site would be passive, emitting nothing, including noise. “This is the sound of a cellphone tower. No thanks!” you can hear German say in her video above a constant buzz.

Mike Matern, who is an electrical engineer, spoke heatedly regarding the noise issue, stating that the cooling fans on the new 4G equipment boxes are really quite noisy. He noted that electrical equipment and generators would also create noise.

Matern was a co-signer of a letter from the First Congregational Church in Plympton, along with Colleen Thompson, of Main Street, stating that no one in authority at the church had been approached by the applicant or inspected the steeple as an alternate site to Palmer Road, despite the fact that it is geographically higher by 60 feet, according to church officials.

“In addition to making sure that the information on which you will base your decision is as complete as possible, our interest in this hearing is not altogether altruistic. We have begun investigating the possibility of a wireless installation in the steeple. It is therefore of great interest to us to understand how the church was investigated and why it was rejected,” the letter states.

“How did you inspect the church if you didn’t come?” asked former selectman Colleen Thompson.

Angley, who at the last meeting stated that the church had been identified and rejected as a possible site, seemed taken aback by the letter as it was read into the record.

“You don’t need to go inside to know it won’t work,” an Industrial Wireless and Tower representative at the meeting said, stating that the height and girth of the steeple are prohibitive to new 4G technology. “We used to put equipment in church steeples. We don’t do that anymore.”

Carolyn Thompson responded that the Unitarian Universalist Church on Tremont Street in Duxbury has a four-array antenna inside its steeple.

There are several cellular arrays in church steeples in the area, including Central Square, Bridgewater, where there is a cellular array in the steeple of the Swedenborgian Church.

Other residents were concerned about the aesthetics of the tower, the rural and “country” nature of the town and the accuracy of the “balloon test,” in which a red balloon was floated to 120-feet to determine the exact visibility of the tower several weeks ago. Wetlands concerns were also raised.

Arthur Morin, of 11 Granville Baker Way, read the emailed comments of across the street neighbors who were not able to attend, claiming that even Police Chief Patrick Dillon witnessed the balloon from the historic district. Morin also added his own comments: “We choose to live in a rural community because we like the aesthetics…this erector set is ugly…this is all about making money.”

Carolyn Bartlett, who owns the house/business directly across the street from the proposed cell tower access road, argued that wind blew the balloon downward during many of the photographs presented by the applicant and she has photographs from the same location showing the red balloon plainly visible.  She furthered that many of the trees in the area are deciduous, not evergreen and will lose their leaves, making the tower even more visible in the fall and winter.

She got into a lengthy exchange with board chair Kenneth Thompson, a normally cool-headed character who lost his temper briefly, stating that Mrs. Bartlett was conflating different locations at once, including her house and the historic district.

When Thompson pointed out that both the state and local historical boards had sent letters that indicated the project does not concern them from a historic perspective, Bartlett asked incredulously, “You don’t believe the police chief?”

Other residents, notably Deborah Anderson, of Elm Street, and Art Morin of Granville Baker Way, encouraged the board reject or table the decision outright and seek proposals from other vendors or at least to repeat the balloon test in the fall after the leaves have fallen.

Thompson responded that they have to look at the case of the current applicant before the board.

As the residents finished vocalizing their long list of objections to the proposed project, the hearing moved into the deliberation phase, in which the board members discussed their vote.

Stein then proceeded to walk the members through the steps to approve the application, in what was beginning to appear to be a foregone conclusion. Stein indicated that the board’s hands were tied in denying the application.

“Do you find that there is a significant coverage gap?”

The board “deliberated,” mostly just head nodding, and Thompson responded, “Yes.”

“Do you find that there are no viable alternative sites?”

The board “deliberated,” again mostly just head nodding, and Thompson responded, “Yes.”

“So that triggers the protections under the 1996 T.C.A.”

Then the question of unanimity came up. A board member asked if the vote needed to be unanimous, and Stein responded affirmatively.

That’s when the mood in the room shifted dramatically.

Newly appointed ZBA member Harry Weikel immediately said, “I’m here to protect the people…that’s the only reason I accepted this appointment,” indicating the way he might vote.

Town Counsel Stein directly questioned Weikel, apparently to make sure he understood the implications of what he was saying.

Then, David Alberti, former board chairman, now board member, said he would support Weikel.

Thompson acknowledged that the vote appeared to be heading to a denial of the application.

Stein said that any denial must be based on substantial evidence in the local bylaw and warned that the town may end up defending this decision, if it is a denial, in court.

The applicant’s lawyer asked for a decision immediately. He even offered to build a “monopole” instead of a lattice structure if the ZBA preferred to incentivize the board to vote affirmatively for them.

They asserted that the board did not have to deliberate any further or collect evidence regarding the local zoning bylaw– advice that would appear to put the town at a disadvantage should any ruling be challenged in court. Stein called for a five-minute recess to do more research and left the room with her cell phone in hand.

When she returned, she asked for a week’s continuation of the hearing. The board voted to continue the hearing to Tuesday, July 31, at 6:30 p.m.

Only one “no” vote out of three is needed for the proposal to be denied. As of this week, it appears that the cellphone tower application will be denied and might very well end up in court. But, residents will have to wait another week to see how the board finally votes.

Much can change in one week.

After the hearing concluded, when asked if the board was committed to denying the application, Thompson said, “You’d have to ask us all individually.”  Weikel instantly chimed in with, “I am.”

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Legion Baseball sees Silver Lake players compete

July 19, 2018 By Thomas Joyce

It would be an accurate statement to say that many players from the Silver Lake High baseball team are enjoying success as they play together this summer.

Although Plympton and Halifax do not feature American Legion baseball teams, players who attend Silver Lake are eligible to play for the Kingston Post 387 Senior Legion team–and the results have been positive. At the start of the week, Kingston was 12-8 so far this season, good for fourth place in the District 10 standings.

Last week, the team competed in five games and managed to win three games in a three-day span.

On Monday, July 9, they came up with a 6-3 win over Plymouth. In it, Kyle Haugstad was sharp on the mound, picking up the win. He went six innings, allowed three runs and struck out eight batters. Offensively, Ryan Bellew and Jacob Armstrong shined, collecting three hits apiece.

A day later, they took home a 15-7 win over Orleans. Jake Holmes tossed five innings and picked up the win. At the plate, Haugstad, Bellew, Armstrong and Aidan O’Neill each had multi-hit games. And on Wednesday of last week, Kingston won their game in a completely different manner. This time, they ousted Brockton, 1-0, thanks to a 1-hitter thrown by Armstrong. In the pitchers’ duel, Haugstad knocked in the game-winning run for Kingston on a double.

However, as of the start of the week, the team was on a two-game losing streak. This is because they fell 8-5 to Bridgewater on July 13 and two days later, Sandwich beat them 13-3 in what would be the final game of their regular season.

Now, the team’s focus will be on the playoffs and await the news of who they may face either this upcoming weekend or at the beginning of next week.

Filed Under: More News Right, News

MEPA site visit to be Wednesday

July 19, 2018 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Alex Strysky of  MEPA, the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office, has alerted residents of Plympton to a MEPA site visit to the proposed Rickets Pond Business Park site at the Carver/Plympton line on Wednesday, July 25, at 10 a.m., meeting at the entrance to the site off Spring St.

The EEA project number is 15883.  Project Description: An Environmental Notification Form (ENF) has been filed with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs by RPBP, LLC to construct mixed-use office/storage buildings and self-storage buildings totaling 114,318 square feet on 4 lots on a 43.7-acre site.

The project includes construction of a road, utilities, a stormwater management system and 144 parking spaces.

The project will generate 608 average daily trips, according to a release from MEPA.

The project meets the ENF threshold at 301 CMR 11.03(1)(b)(2), creation of five or more acres of impervious area. The project requires an Access Permit and a Land Transfer from MassDOT.

The public is welcome to attend.

 

Filed Under: More News Left, News

“We have a hole outside,”: Wilhelmsen quipped to announce water treatment project has begun

July 19, 2018 By James Bentley

“We have a hole outside.” This is what Dennett School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said to indicate that the water treatment project at Dennett Elementary School is underway.

At the last school committee meeting on June 25, Principal Peter Veneto said the company they hired was at the school on June 23.

Veneto described their progress. He said, “They basically have punched through the building so that whatever is going to be coming out, I’m essentially calling it a drain pipe…to get the material from out of the building into the drywell.”

In addition to this construction work, Wilhelmsen said the needed piping equipment has arrived. He said they just need the plumber to install it.

Playground Update

Committee Vice Chair Jason Fraser updated the committee on the new playground project. He said options are still being explored, but some of the searching for playground consulting did slow down.

Fraser said the committee is still on schedule with trying to make progress over the summer and to have project details finalized by the September/October deadline. Veneto and Fraser plan to do another site visit to get more detailed plans down.

Nancy White from Playground Inspections of New England, LLC Fraser said, continues to reach out to the committee on a regular basis.

Education Stability Update

Silver Lake Regional Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx went over the results from the school district’s education stability review with the school committee.

The education stability review assessed the school district’s effectiveness working with students in unique situations including homelessness, students in foster care, and students with family members in the military.

Proulx identified two areas the district needs to work on regarding these specific groups: policy and staff training.

As far as new policies, Proulx said the district is waiting for recommendations from the state. With staff training, they are in the preparation process. According to Proulx, there are some uncertainties, but she believes they are ready.

Proulx said, “That’s not something we’ve done in the past. It’s something we’ve done with select staff, but not the entire staff.”

Principal’s Update

Principal Veneto said the school year finished with strong enrollment at 206 students. He also expects the kindergarten class next year to grow to 32-33 students.

Other News

• Silver Lake Regional Technology Director Steve Pellowe got the phones at Dennett Elementary back up and running. The old system was no longer working, so part of the new system was installed. Veneto said, “We basically have the skeleton of what the new system is going to look like in place right now.”

• PAC finalized paraprofessional contracts for the next three years.

The next Dennett School Committee meeting is July 16 at 5 p.m.

Filed Under: Breaking News, News

Yes vote to pursue 113 acres

July 19, 2018 By Abram Neal, Express Correspondent

PLYMPTON – Monday, July 16, the Plympton Board of Selectmen voted to exercise its right of first refusal at a hearing on that question regarding a Prospect Street 113 acre parcel known as the Atwood property. This vote triggers a flurry of activity as town officials hurry to meet upcoming deadlines to properly purchase the property for the town.

The vote, and the townspeople gathered for the hearing, were unanimous in their support for the open space project, spearheaded by Linda Leddy, co-chairperson of the Open Space Committee, and a group made up of many different committee members, informally known as the Prospect Street Working Group.

The site contains woods, wetlands, cranberry bogs and gravel hills. It is now a Chapter 61A property, which comes with significant tax benefits for the owners if they maintain the land for agriculture. Now that it is being sold, and the use of the property is slated to change, the town can exercise its right under state law to purchase the property first instead.

Using some of the $30,000 in pre-acquisition funds allocated at the annual town meeting, the groups studied the property carefully for water contamination and ecological benefits before making their recommendations to the board.

At Monday night’s meeting, first Open Space Committee co-chair Linda Leddy gave a slide-show tour of the site and invited two guest experts to speak about the property.

Peter Newton, a hydrogeologist from a Mattapoisset firm, was asked to determine if the water on the acreage could possibly be contaminated from landfills nearby.   Ultimately, he found no reason for concern with the hydrology of the site, even noting that a well is possible on the property, although the water, like much of the water in the area, may have high levels of iron, manganese and sodium.

“In my professional opinion, it is reasonable to not expect contamination,” he said.

Eric Walberg, an environmental planner from a Plymouth company, spoke to the unique ecological niche that properties such as this in rural parts of the state hold.

He spoke of the importance of preservation, for human recreation as well as for threatened and endangered species, and of the importance of resilient environments in the face of climate change.

Walberg stated that the Atwood property holds just such importance. “You guys really have an opportunity here…you are one of the few areas in the Taunton watershed that hasn’t faced development pressure,” said Walberg.

Next, Leddy outlined the plan to pay for the $800,000, 113-acre property.

Through a public procurement process, three small parcels totaling about 4.5 acres on Prospect Street will be sold by the town, raising $435,000. This was controversial, as Leddy said the OSC is not in the business of selling lots for houses, but that it was necessary for the overall project.

Another $65,000, at least, will hopefully come from private donations. Three donations have already been secured, according to selectman Mark Russo, totaling $25,000.

The remainder of the money needed, $300,000, will come from most, but not all, of the Community Preservation funds.

Russo commented on the financing plan: “I think it’s a beautiful model.”

While the board had questions of Leddy and the experts, especially selectman Christine Joy, the public had some questions but universally favorable comments.

When the hearing turned toward the evidence gathering stage of those for and against the project, about a dozen in the standing-room only meeting room spoke up in favor of the project, with one woman becoming quite emotional about the need to preserve open space for future generations.

The main topic of concern from the board and the public was that the purchase would not raise taxes. “I’m on the fence, and I just don’t want anything to affect taxes,” said Joy, the board’s most vocal member against tax increases.

“Where in this do you see taxes being raised, Christine?” responded Leddy.

Although there was some quibbling as to exactly whether Community Preservation funds are a tax, and Joy and Selectmen Chairman John Traynor both noted that they believed it was, the public was still supportive.

“I also take a little issue with the fact that the CPC [sic] is not a tax…when it comes out of your pocket…somehow it’s a tax,” said Traynor. “But it’s a good use of funds.”

Selectman Russo stated that the project would add no additional taxes to the tax bill.

Any property taxes taken off the tax rolls would more than be offset by the real estate taxes paid by the houses to be built on the three parcels, according to the town assessor Wendy Jones.

No one spoke, despite multiple opportunities, against the project.

In fact, after the board briefly deliberated and took their vote, there was lengthy applause from the townspeople gathered in the crowded and sweltering large meeting room at Town House.

Now, attorneys for the seller and the town must meet to draw up a purchase and sales agreement, under a strict timeline set out by state law – that the attorneys apparently don’t agree on.

Ultimately, this project must be approved by the voters, and the Selectmen, with Town Counsel, are meeting July 19 in executive session to further map out the path forward on the project.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Selectmen is Monday, July 23, at 6 p.m.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Sharing their gift of faith: McEwans’ courage vs. cancer offers inspiration

July 12, 2018 By Tracy Seelye Express Editor

WHITMAN — Less than a month before his death from cancer on May, 15, 2013, Dr. John F. McEwan was thinking of the pain of others in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, assuring their friends and loved ones that faith would help see them through a dark time.

Such events, much like chronic illness “remind us that life is precious and our lives can suddenly change in a moment … you do have the opportunity to evaluate what is important in your life and how you choose to spend your time,” he and his wife Margaret wrote in an email to family and friends on April 20, 2013 — five days after the attack.

An organ donor, he wanted to share that life with others after he was gone, just as he had in his career in education. At first, the family was told that his cancer made that impossible, but a call from the New England Organ Bank advised them that his corneas could and would be used to help two blind people — who could now see the world through his eyes.

“This was the final gift of John’s legacy,” Margaret P. McEwan wrote in a May 18, 2013 email.

It turned out to be a premature coda to that legacy.

Those emails, written faithfully — in every sense of the word — to help inform and bouy the spirits of others during the illness faced by the retired Silver Lake and W-H superintendent of schools, have been used as the framework of a new book by his widow, “Every Day Is a Gift: A Couple’s Cancer Journey,” [201 pages, trade paperback, 2018 SDP Publishing ISB 978-0-9992839-8-1 eBook ISBN 978-0-9992839-9-8], for which she shares author credit with him. The book is locally available at Duval’s Pharmacy in Whitman as well as online through Amazon Books, Barnes & Noble and SDP Publishing Solutions.

“It all started because he was working at W-H and he had so many people … interested in his progress that I sent out emails the entire time he was being treated,” Margaret said in an interview at her home Thursday, June 21. The emails were frequently passed along to friends the initial recipients thought might be interested in reading them. Several people who read the emails later urged her to consider writing a book.

“People were very interested in knowing how things transpired,” she said.

The title is a nod to an inspirational sign John had received as a gift from his Administrative Assistant Michelle (Kelley) Lindberg while he worked at WHRSD.

“When I was trying to think of a title for the book, I thought, ‘That was always our philosophy,’ because we felt very fortunate in our marital relationship,” Margaret said. “That’s the way he was.”

John was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma in 2008, when he had a spot on his scalp examined. While not a textbook “outdoorsman,” he did like working in his yard and never wore a hat when doing so, Margaret said.

“John always said ‘Things don’t happen for a reason — you find a purpose for why things happen.’ I finally thought that maybe I wrote all these emails so that I could compile them and make a book about his journey,” she said. Also included in the book are letters he wrote to W-H staff even before his diagnosis, to illustrate his long-held positive outlook to readers.

“He really believed that you really needed to do what you could in order to bring joy into other people’s lives,” Margaret said.

John McEwan began his career as an English teacher and later as a principal at Silver Lake Regional High School, W-H superintendent from 2001-09 and the first lay president of his high school alma mater Cardinal Spellman.

“It was something he took great pride in being able to do because he was very committed to trying to give back,” she said of the Spellman position.

Initially given a prognosis of six months to a year, John lived for five years in his cancer battle and never stopped working until his health forced him to give up the Spellman presidency in March 2013.

They had also done the traveling they had planned for their retirement years — to China, Rome and the Amalfi coast, a Baltic cruise, the Canadian Rockies and Yellowstone — during his illness.

“We attribute that to fortunate proximity to hospitals in Boston where they do clinical trials,” she said of her husband’s long-term battle.

When she got to work on the book, Margaret had one main request to the publisher, referred by her friend, Kathleen Teahan, whose book, “The Cookie Loved ’Round the World,” they published: “Do not edit the emails.” John was an English teacher, she reasoned, and if he dangled a participle — leave it dangling.

She said people who knew John say they hear his voice in his writing. Her accompanying narrative took about a year to write, submitting it on his death anniversary of May 15, 2017 with the goal of publication this May 15 to mark his fifth anniversary year, and was successful in reaching that goal.

“The idea was to provide other people with hope and give purpose to whatever their journey is,” she said. “You hope that in living your life — even if it’s under a cloud — you can find joy every day. … It’s work, but he always said you can choose your attitude.”

The book is also a gift to the couple’s grandchildren, who were very young, the oldest being 8 and 6, when John died so they could get to know their grandfather.

The writing process also helped Margaret grieve and she had Dana-Farber’s Director of Bereavement Services Sue Morris, PsyD, and IMPACT Melanoma Executive Director Deb Girard read advance copies for feedback on the book.

“Margaret captures the essence of living well with cancer,” Morris said. “A must read for families and clinicians.”“I believe anyone finding themselves on the cancer journey can identify the roads that Margaret and John traveled together and find tidbits of solace, grace and hope to journey down their own roads,” Girard wrote.

W-H named its performing arts center in John’s honor in 2014. Margaret McEwan holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in food and nutrition, was a registered dietitian and first female vice president of Shaw’s Supermarkets, from which she retired as vice president of corporate communications in 2004.

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