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Silver Lake athletes honored

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Earlier this month, the Silver Lake High athletic department hosted its annual Winter Sports Awards Night, recognizing the hard work of some athletes from every one of the Lakers winter varsity teams. Here’s a look at the awards they were presented.

Cheerleading

Chloe Shirkjian earned the team’s Patriot League Scholar Athlete Award while Jillian Hickey earned the team’s Patriot League SportsmanshipAward.

Boys Indoor Track

Patriot League All-Star Max Shirkjian was recognized at the ceremony, as were Scholar Athlete Award winner William d’Entremont and Sportsmanship Award winner Conor O’Leary.

Girls Indoor Track

The team had three athlete award winners: league All-Star Maddy Schlager, Sportsmanship Award recipient Tess Lally and Karen Ho, the team’s Scholar Athlete.

Wrestling

This year’s Lakers squad featured three Patriot League All-Stars: Daniel Walsh, Kyler Bauer and Gavin Hamilton. Plus, Kyle Cipullo received the team’s Sportsmanship Award while Scott Snell was their Scholar Athlete.

Boys Basketball

The Lakers had an All-Star in Tyler Duggan. Matthew Bettle was their Scholar Athlete and JJ Silverberg was their Sportsmanship Award recipient.

Girls Basketball

The Lakers produced three All-Stars in Holly Reeder-Morning, Allie Crawford and Sydney Kehoe. Alyssa Nelson won their Sportsmanship Award while Sydney Kehoe was their scholar athlete.

Boys Hockey

John Evans was the boys’ hockey team’s lone Patriot League All-Star, but he was joined by Sportsmanship Award winner Cam Duff and Scholar Athlete Ryan Sullivan at the award ceremony.

Girls Hockey

Natalie Nemes earned both the Patriot League All-Star and Sportsmanship nod for the co-op while Colleen Hughes took home the Scholar Athlete Award.

Boys Swimming

Collin Billings received the team’s Scholar Athlete Award; Nate Coombe earned their Sportsmanship Award.

Girls Swimming

Madison Milbert was honored for winning the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley Division 1 State championships this past winter. She was one of her team’s three All-Stars along with Alexa Connors and Katherine Morrissey. Audrey Cushman won their Sportsmanship Award and Morrissey was also their Scholar Athlete.

SEN. BRADY ADMITTING SELF FOR ALCOHOL COUNSELING, TREATMENT

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By Colin A. Young
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MARCH 28, 2018…..Brockton Sen. Michael Brady, arrested over the weekend for drunken driving in Weymouth, plans Wednesday to admit himself to a treatment program for alcohol use, he announced in a statement.

“Today I will be admitting myself for professional treatment and counseling for alcohol use. The course of treatment requires my full attention over the next few days. I look forward to returning to work next week,” Brady said in a statement.

Brady, a two-term Democratic senator who serves as co-chair of the Revenue Committee, told police he had been drinking at a “work event” before he was pulled over and arrested for drunken driving in Weymouth early Saturday morning.

He was on his way home from Boston when he was stopped by Weymouth police on Route 18, also known as Main Street, in South Weymouth at around 2:22 a.m. and placed under arrest for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and a marked lanes violation.

Brady declined to take a breathalyzer test, and his license was automatically suspended.

The senator said constituents should continue to contact his office and that his staff “will be very able to handle their questions or concerns.”

“I want to apologize again to my family, my constituents, and my friends and colleagues in the Legislature for the embarrassment that this incident has caused,” Brady said. “I also want to thank them all for the support, advice and counsel during what has been a very difficult ordeal.”

Brady was released from Weymouth police custody Saturday morning, and arraigned Monday in Quincy District Court on charges of operating under the influence, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and marked lanes violations.

The Quincy District Court clerk’s office said Brady, 55, was released after his arraignment on personal recognizance with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for April 13. The clerk’s office said Brady pleaded not guilty.

Whitman man charged with motor vehicle homicide

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 PLYMOUTH – A Whitman man has been arraigned on charges that he was operating under the influence of alcohol when he caused a crash that killed a Carver man, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced Wednesday afternoon, March 28.

Alec Dowie, 51, of Whitman, was arraigned in Plymouth District Court on one count each of Motor Vehicle Homicide and Operating Under the Influence, third offense. He pleaded not guilty today in Plymouth District Court and was held on $5,000 cash bail with conditions that he does not drive, he submit to daily drug and alcohol monitoring, and that he surrender his passport.

On Febr. 6, at 6:45 p.m., Halifax Police and Fire personnel responded to the area of 38 Monponsett Str., for a report of a two-car crash. Upon arrival, police found that a 2018 Dodge Challenger operated by Dowie, had crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a 2005 Honda CRV operated by Richard March, 78, of Carver. Both operators were transported from the crash scene for treatment of their injuries.

March was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where he succumbed to his injuries just after 9 p.m. that same night.

Halifax Police contacted State Police Detectives with the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and an investigation commenced with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department BCI and State Police CARS Unit.

The investigation found that Dowie had a Blood Alcohol Content Level of 0.084 and Dowie tested positive for Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine and Opiates in his system. Dowie told investigators that he took a Percocet prior to the crash.

 

Dowie was arrested by Whitman Police on Monday, March 26 on an outstanding warrant. He is next scheduled to appear in court on June 6 for pretrial conference.

Assistant District Attorney Russell Eonas is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Halifax Police, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department BCI and State Police CARS Unit.

Halifax’s Grindle stands out at BSU softball

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It’s not softball weather up in New England just yet, but one Halifax native has already been dominant on the diamond for the Bridgewater State softball team.

Shannon Grindle stood out for the Division 3 Bears during their trip to Florida earlier in the month and was recognized for her achievement. The week of March 12, she was named the MASCAC (Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference) Player of the Week.

The sophomore, who is listed as a first baseman and third baseman, earned the award because she tore the cover off the ball during her team’s trip down south. She played in eight of the team’s ten games and collected 13 hits in 25 at-bats, good for a .520 batting average. Not only that, but she belted three home runs, two doubles, knocked in 11 runs and drew four walks. That said, she posted a .586 on-base percentage and .960 slugging percentage in that span.

Grindle’s bat has been a major lift for an otherwise subpar start for Bridgewater State. They went 3-7 on their road trip despite that huge performance from Grindle.

That said, they likely would not have had that many wins if they did not have the excellent performance Grindle gave the team. It is also worth noting at the start of this week, Grindle led the conference in RBI (11) and home runs (3).

Grindle was also a regular in Bridgewater State’s lineup last season and among their top hitters. She finished 2017 with a .364 batting average, two home runs, 10 doubles and 34 runs driven in and a .410 on-base percentage.

At Bridgewater State, Grindle is also teammates with her former high school teammate, freshman infielder Alexandra Ruprecht, who is from Kingston.

Bridgewater State has not played any games since March 8 because of several postponements. Their next scheduled games are a doubleheader at Rhode Island College on Tuesday, Mar. 27, weather permitting.

Former Hanson police chief and wife charged with shoplifting

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Former Hanson Police Chief Edward F. Savage III and his wife Christine of Plympton will be arraigned in Hingham District Court on Monday, April 2, on shoplifting charges stemming from an incident in April 2017 when they were allegedly seen concealing more than $400 worth of clothing in a shopping cart and leaving a store without paying.

In a televised investigative report by WCVB-TV, Investigative Reporter Mike Beaudet on “5 Investigates” last week, showed a video of the Savages shoplifting inside Kohl’s Department Store at 100 Derby St., Hingham, as well as audio from the show cause hearing at Hingham District Court.  Beaudet reported that his investigation yielded a court order to obtain the shoplifting video and audio from the closed-door show cause hearing.

In the video, the Savages were visible shopping throughout the Kohl’s Department Store when Christine entered the dressing room with the cart full of clothing.  Former Chief Savage took a seat outside the dressing room.

After Christine came out of the dressing room, the clothing was not visible in the cart but was apparently in a plastic Kohl’s bag.  The couple can be seen after a short pause with Christine pushing the cart as Edward appeared to be looking briefly toward the register.

The pair was then stopped outside the store by Kohl’s security officers with merchandise which had not been paid for.

Sgt. Steven Dearth of Hingham Police, who said he could not confirm the names of the Savages, issued a redacted police report after the incident had already aired online and appeared in the Boston Globe.

Then Hingham Clerk Magistrate Joseph Ligotti who retired in January said in the audio broadcast that he did not believe the Savages’ story of forgetting their wallet and going to retrieve it from the car.  He questioned why the couple had not been arrested on scene by the Hingham police with the overwhelming evidence on the Kohl’s security tape.

Ligotti agreed to drop the charges in February if the ex-chief and his wife issued a letter of apology to Kohl’s and to the Hingham police.

The case was continued for final disposition on Feb. 28, 2018.  When Beaudet reviewed the case, he reported that Clerk Magistrate Andrew P. Quigley, who saw the conditions in place by Ligotti, stated those conditions had not been met.

When contacted by Express Newspapers, Attorney Daniel Webster, lawyer for the Savages, declined comment at this time.

Former Chief Savage resigned from the Hanson police in 2012 after approximately 10 years in service.  He was under review for allegedly inflating his criminal statistics to augment his stature as chief.

MRI reports on Plympton FD study

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Jessica Zeoli

Express correspondent

The Selectmen’s meeting on Monday, March 19, had standing room only as members of the Plympton Fire Department and numerous intrigued residents attended to hear firsthand the report of MRI, Municipal Resources, Inc.

Plympton had hired Municipal Resources, Inc. to conduct an assessment of the town’s fire and emergency medical services (EMS) and provide recommendations to help the town develop a plan to maximize its resources.

Bob Loomer of MRI spoke with the aid of a Power Point presentation detailing the scope of the report and its recommendations to the town.  Loomer told the group that he himself is a retired fire chief of a small town and can empathize with the problems of maintaining a call fire department. The main goals of the report are to indicate the fiscal impact of EMS service on taxpayers, identify areas of improvement, and help assist with the beginning steps of sharing services with other surrounding towns, if decided upon.

The Plympton Fire Department provides fire, rescue, and EMS services at the advanced life support (ALS) level. At the time of the assessment, the roster listed three full-time personnel, and 25 part-time or on-call members. Of those 25, eleven were firefighters/paramedics, eleven were firefighter/EMT Basics, two were EMTs, and one was a firefighter.

The assessment of the fire and EMS services included a cost/revenue projection for a five-year period, response times compared to national standards, areas of concern within the Plympton Fire Department to be questioned and addressed by shared service towns, a comparison of success compared to privatized EMS services, to see if the needs of the town are being met, and lastly, the number of on-call workers and the distance to Plympton from their residence.

To conduct their research, MRI inspected the Plympton Fire Department property, including vehicles, response time logs, and conducted interviews with department members. The general consensus, Loomer reported, was that members of the Plympton Fire Department feel they are lacking direction, and are unable to  fulfill the entirety of their job requirements, and that the department itself is small, with inadequate housing for the staff, and dangerous due to the lack of an exhaust filtration system. The report also expressed concern for the lack of staff with a Firefighter I/II certification, which is a national standard, not legal requirement, and also response times.

MRI revealed only 18 out of 35 personnel had documented Firefighter I/II training or certification. They also calculated that more than 50 percent of the time, first responders took longer than the national standard to arrive at the scene. Andrew Norton, a current member of the Plympton Fire Department, questioned the accuracy of the numbers reported, as the department takes pride in their fast response times.  Norton said he can include instances of a hiccup in the system stating, “On the day of the storm March 3, it was clocked that first responders arrived at the scene of an electrical fire after 27 mins…It had actually taken us two minutes to arrive, but truck two arrived 25 minutes later.”

Other previous fire department personnel for the town of Plympton expressed the value of experience on scenes of events, and how their experience should be considered comparable to the Firefighter I/II certification. Town members also addressed the overwhelming amount of responsibilities put upon EMS and Fire services, and the lack of availability to receive the certification, which again is a national standard, not a legal necessity.

After close examination, MRI has suggested recommendations in order to maximize Fire and EMS resources for the town. Those included providing specific on-site training for members that would consist of six hours a month, or 72 hours a year. By doing so, MRI believes it will provide the members of the department with some of the structure they feel is lacking.

Next, MRI suggested aiming for a goal of eight minutes response time, 90 percent of the time for first responders, and to arrive in less time for calls anywhere under two miles from the station.

The report further suggested that the PFD bring its equipment down to the right size for the town and for the department.  Loomer said that MRI found some equipment was not useful and likely cost more to maintain than it was of value to the department.  Because there is so little room in the fire station, it is difficult to maintain the equipment there and things are not kept in good order.  A review of the equipment on hand compared to the equipment needed would help the department.

MRI stressed it did not suggest privatization for the ambulance service, since their research shows that it would cost more than the town is currently paying, and that the town should continue to consider shared services with Halifax, or possibly other surrounding towns. The last recommendation is to apply for SAFER grants through the state, that would provide funding for improved equipment and property.

Selectman Chairman Christine Joy stated that the next step Plympton will take is to create a Fire Advisory Committee to help the town and the fire department to begin reaching some of the goals set by the recommendations from MRI. Any volunteers interested in joining the committee are encouraged to come forward.

In other business:

Kimberly DeWolfe was appointed as a full-time firefighter/paramedic for the town of Plympton. She has been an EMT since 2003, and a medic since 2010, where she has worked under intense situations of Dorchester and Brockton, and received her Firefighter I/II certification.

The meeting ended with positive feedback for the Historical Commission meeting on Saturday, March 17. There, it was announced there will be a Town Clean Up Day coming this spring, which will be announced at a later meeting.

There were also concerns for the marching band for the Memorial Day Parade, as the school is no longer available. Any interested musicians are encouraged to volunteer and may contact the town hall.

Dates to Remember:

Monday, March 26- Selectmen’s Meeting

Monday, April 2-Selectmen’s Meeting

Monday, April 9-Selectmen’s Meeting

HFD looks to share grant

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Edward Flaherty, presenting information for a potential solar panel array at River Street, came in to discuss this Massachusetts DOER-run initiative at Tuesday’s Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting.

In providing details for the project, Flaherty said the array will be 25 acres in size and consist of 20,000 solar panels. “This is average size for the Commonwealth,” he said.

Selectmen Chair Thomas Millias asked about fencing for the panels and the type of security it would have. According to Flaherty, there will be a six-foot fence around the panels with barbed wire at the top. The fence will be secured with a padlock and there will be 24-hour video surveillance.

The solar array is expected to be relatively low maintenance. Flaherty said, “It’s low profile, doesn’t make any noise.” He said someone coming for maintenance once a month would be considered a lot.

Flaherty has met with Fire Chief Jason Viveiros about the project. He said they have discussed certain requests and said he would make any accommodations that Viveiros considers necessary.

Fire Department Update

The Board of Selectmen approved Viveiros approaching the state about a modification to a grant the fire department received for training purposes.

According to Viveiros, the idea here is to explore if creating a shared training program for Plympton and Halifax residents would be beneficial to both towns. This idea came from results of Municipal Resource Inc’s study of the Plympton Fire Department, which included recommendations for some shared services such as training.

Viveiros said he’s proud of the Halifax Fire Department, but by looking at the study of Plympton’s department, he’s been able to use some of those results and apply them as comparison benchmarks for Halifax. He said it makes it easier to review where Halifax might need some improvements as well.

There are no plans, or anything guaranteed at this time. Vivieiros and the Board of Selectmen said they want to explore this with an open dialogue.

Dog Hearing

The continuation of the dog hearing for Kimberly Mahoney’s dog has been postponed until April 10, 2018.

Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan provided selectmen with reports including the recent dog license and vaccinations. It took Mahoney three weeks from the initial February 27, 2018 hearing to get the dog licensed and vaccinated. Selectman Kim Roy said she was frustrated that it took three weeks for this to happen because of how stern the Board was with Mahoney at the last meeting.

The kennel the Board asked for also hasn’t been built, but selectmen were understanding about this because of the weather. Mahoney had damage to her house that needed to be addressed first.

Callahan, who wasn’t able to attend the initial dog hearing said since the incident, people who wished to remain anonymous came forward alleging various incidents but had nothing concrete.

Selectmen asked Callahan if she’d seen the dog out on the property alone. Callahan said she hasn’t seen the dog out at all. She said there has been some heresay of others saying they’ve seen the dog out at 9 p.m., but right now it’s only heresay.

Other News

• According to Highway Surveyor R. Steven Hayward, the Selectmen said this week’s storm will put the town over its snow and ice budget. Halifax will need an article at special town meeting to address this.

• Silver Lake Regional School District approved its school budget. They removed another $14,000 from the budget. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said, “This is not the level we were hoping for…we’ll see how that plays out.”

• The Recycling Department received a $20,000 grant. Funds can be used for public outreach materials to reduce contamination between things that can be recycled and things that can’t. LED lightbulbs was an example that Seelig gave. Seelig said, “If they break, other materials become contaminated with mercury.”

The next  meeting of the Halifax Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Tuesday, April 10.  Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.

Fire Chief contract not renewed

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By Deb Anderson

Express staff

An angry crowd left Monday night’s selectmen’s meeting with now former Fire Chief Warren Borsari.  Selectmen announced their decision not to renew Borsari’s contract that runs through June 30, and placed him on paid administrative leave until that date. 

Borsari would not be allowed to re-enter the fire station, except accompanied by a town official to collect his personal items.

Many in the audience, filled with people supporting Borsari, spoke in his defense, citing the actions of the selectmen were unwarranted and unduly harsh. 

Fire Chief Warren Borsari

Jack Collins, an attorney introducing himself, said he often represents fire chiefs in his profession, and then lobbed various grenades into the already fired-up crowd, saying that if the audience believed that the decision not to renew the contract was just made Monday night, he “… had a bridge to sell you.” 

Collins also said that if the townspeople wanted to take back their town from this board, they should look up how to hold a recall election.  He further said  that he had never seen a town put someone on administrative leave like this.  “What do we do next?  Could the Board of Selectmen change their minds? Not likely… All this was already in place …  the political process is yours,” he told the group. 

Selectman Chairman Christine Joy responded that she is up for re-election in May.  Her vote not to renew the fire chief’s contract was based on many issues, and she stands by her decision.

A member of the audience who did not identify himself asked about the grant that had been awarded to Plympton for the purpose of studying the feasibility of combining the Halifax and Plympton Fire Departments. “And, I understand that Halifax got an even bigger grant!”

Joy answered that it was just that, funds to support a study.  It is the next logical step “to examine our options,” she said. 

Joy told the group that Municipal Resources, Inc., will be at the next meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Monday, March 19, to present their report, and invited all to attend. Many indicated they would do just that.

The Fire Department had submitted a letter to selectmen signed by a couple dozen members in support of Chief Borsari. 

 

A 108-page report by the firm Municipal Resourses, Inc., was released Monday night on the town’s web site, and cited breaches in protocol that could be harmful or dangerous, and leave the town open to litigation as a result. 

Among these were the cabinet, where drugs and controlled substances for the ambulance service are stored, left unlocked, with the hasp of the padlock open, when an MRI representative stopped for a field visit.  Such violations of security can leave the town open to significant liability and put the department’s Advanced Life Services provider certificate from the state at risk.  “This type of security breach is unacceptable and reflective of deeper administrative oversight and supervision deficiencies within the organization,” stated the report on page 31.

Training of the members of the Plympton Fire Department was called into question throughout the MRI report, calling for the town to support the department in more training for its members and to set minimum standards for each level of office. 

The Plympton Fire Department’s stated goal was to staff its station with a two-person cross/trained Initial Response Force (IRF) to be available to answer any call, whether for medical or fire suppression.  According to the data provided by Chief Borsari, and the data collected by MRI, the department does a good job at staffing the ambulance at the ALS level, but “having trained fire coverage as part of the IRF appears to be rarely achieved.”

The MRI report also stated that more than 50 on-call personnel have been terminated from the department since January 2014.  “There are widely divergent perspectives within the department regarding the reasons for these terminations or separations.  This situation certainly contributes to the perception that there is less than a true commitment by the department leadership to the call force.”

Canabis moratorium extension proposed

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen discussed the possibility of extending the town’s moratorium for the sale of marijuana until June 30, 2019 at its meeting on Thursday, March 8.

This extension was discussed due to a lack of progress from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission regarding how the new industry will be regulated. Selectman John Traynor said, “They haven’t figured it out at the state level, so we have to wait to figure it out at the town level.”

According to Selectmen Clerk Mark Russo, this proposal most likely protects the town from facilities opening for now but said there’s a slight chance for problems. When attending a meeting, Russo learned it’s still uncertain an extended moratorium protects the town if the state takes action in the meantime.

“There’s a slight chance this won’t protect us,” said Russo. “It’s unlikely, but possible.”

All three members of the Board of Selectmen agreed that an extended moratorium is the best option for the time being. Any extended moratorium would have to be approved at Plympton’s annual town meeting. The article would essentially be a change to the zoning bylaw governing the current moratorium.

Police Station Construction Update

Dan Palotta, the project manager from P-3 LLC that the town hired for the construction of the new police station, proposed that the Board of Selectmen formerly sign the construction contract notice of award for the project.

According to Palotta, the state requires that the town must award the contract to the “lowest responsible bidder” as long as references check out and the project doesn’t come in over the town’s budget. Palotta said, “We will build you a building in the appropriation you made.”

When discussing the building inspection process, Public Safety Building Committee Chair Colleen Thompson asked if having the town’s building inspector check in on the construction is considered a conflict of interest.

Palotta said it’s not a conflict of interest because he isn’t the one responsible for the formal inspections. For this type of project, Palotta said it’s the responsibility of the designer to inspect and send updates to the building department.

The building is going to cost $375 per square foot. At this price, Palotta said, “You’re going to have a 21st century police station, something I don’t have to tell you has been needed for 20 years.”

Earth Removal Update

Linda Letty and Amy Cronin wrote a draft for the town’s earth removal regulations. Russo said he wants to get some expert opinion before finalizing the draft.

Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said her only concerns were with the cubic yard threshold being too restrictive and there being activities in the draft that may not be eligible for exemption.

Traynor agreed with the concerns over the threshold. He said, “I was having trouble envisioning 300 cubic yards.

• Selectman Joy said she’ll have the annual town report completed by the Board of Selectmen meeting on March 19. The report is due on March 21, so the Board will be able to discuss any last-minute changes at that meeting.

• Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said she completed the town’s green community application, which was audited by the private company, Energy Source. Dennehy said she worked with a state official on several specific projects in the application including LED lights for Dennett Elementary School. She said, “you can apply for up to $250,00 every year.”

SL teacher leading Mashpee basketball to greatness

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The Silver Lake High boys’ basketball team might not have made it to the MIAA postseason tournament this year, but that does not mean there were not any Lakers connections in it that did well.

In fact, there was one Laker whose team thrived this postseason. That would be former Silver Lake boys’ basketball coach Rick Boulrisse, who continues to work in the school’s wellness department as a physical education teacher.

Boulrisse, who was the Lakers head varsity coach from 2005 to 2007 (and an assistant for a few years prior to that), currently serves as the Mashpee Falcons head coach–and they are having an excellent season. With him in charge, they won the Division 4 South playoff bracket, giving them an opportunity to play at TD Garden for the MIAA State semifinals. It is the first time the Falcons have ever made it to this level in the playoffs; they have also never won a state title.

In order to make it to TD Garden, Boulrisse’s Falcons came up with a 73-54 win over a South Shore League rival, the Cohasset Skippers, on Saturday, March 10.

Boulrisse has been the head coach at Mashpee High since the start of the 2012-2013 season. Prior to his tenure at Silver Lake, Boulrisse, who is from Maine, coached basketball at Sumner High School in his home state.

The emergence of some underdog playoff teams has been a major development during this year’s MIAA boys’ basketball tournament. Of the 16 teams remaining by the state semifinal round, 10 of them had never won a state title, Mashpee included.

This past season, the Lakers just missed out on a tournament appearance, finishing out the year at 8-12. They did finish the season on a high note, winning their last two games.