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Students will have safe water by fall

By

Jessica Zeoli

Express correspondent

The Plympton School Committee met Monday, Feb. 26 to discuss the current physical and financial state of the Dennett Elementary School. The first update was regarding the sign at the end of the driveway of the school. There are plans for the entrance to contain a lighted sign, important for informing unfamiliar visitors of the school’s whereabouts, especially at night. The school is currently seeking quotes for this project, which is suspected to be easy, as there is a meter located closely behind where the sign would be placed, according to Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen.

The Dennett Elementary has been experiencing water filtration issues over the past several years, which should be coming to an end shortly, according to Wilhelmsen. The water treatment project has been progressing quickly, and a contract is due to be signed prior to April vacation. The school could then use April vacation or the beginning of summer to conclude the project. The committee expects there to be safe drinking water provided at the school by fall.

Along with the safety of the water, the safety of the current playground at the Dennett is being evaluated. The committee announced that following February break they are planning to contact Marshfield Public Schools, who have adopted a safer playground model within the past three years. The committee hopes for suggestions and may follow Marshfield’s model for safe recreation.

The committee continued the meeting by discussing the new tiles that have been installed by the 2nd and 3rd grade wing of the school. They had been popping out of the floor, in desperate need of repair. The school followed Kingston’s new tile renovation as the tiles used are durable, soundproof, and easy to clean, saving the school money on maintenance.

The generator at the school has experienced significant issues, resulting in  budgeting for a new one. The school anticipates spending $69,850.13 on the project, as wiring, purchasing, and a short time rental of a new one are included in the pricing.

In addition to budgeting for a new generator, the committee discussed appropriately increasing funding to professional development and special education. Joy Blackwood, Superintendent of Silver Lake Public Schools discussed how surrounding districts are planning to raise budgeting 6.5% for special education, resulting in Silver Lake’s participation. Professional development is in a $6000 deficit by the end of the school year due to graduate program financial aid provided through the district. However, with a high number of retirements projected for 2019, the district finds it best to increase funding of professional development and training for the new hires taking the positions of those retiring.

With this increased budget for professional development, it would help aid in restructuring the previous year’s programs for faculty. By doing so, it is able to ensure the district is in compliance with civil rights for the state. The program would train and gain recognition for inexperienced teachers on historically marginalized subgroups and ensuring no equity gaps in the classroom.

In efforts to help the town’s budget, it was suggested by Superintendent Blackwood to split the cost of new textbooks to be ordered at the end of the school year in half, progressively paying it off throughout two years. She also suggested there may be sudden retirements within the district, which could, in fact, help the school’s budget as well.

As of Feb. 26, there are 204 students enrolled at Dennett Elementary, with one more month for students to enroll.

The meeting ended with dates to remember for the upcoming month of March:

March 9 – Early Release Grades 7-12: 10:45 a.m.; Grades K-6: 12 noon (NO lunch served)

March 22 – Early Release Grades K-6: 12:45 p.m. Parent Conferences

March 26 – Next Plympton School Committee Meeting.

New earth removal by-law introduced

By

Jessica Zeoli

Express correspondent

The Plympton Board of Selectmen began their meeting on Feb. 26 with Linda Leddy, a member of the Conservation and Open Space Committees. She and Amy Cronin of the Conservation Committee have drafted an Earth Removal Bylaw regarding the potential Atwood property sale on Prospect Road.  This bylaw will be presented to Plympton voters at the Annual Town Meeting.

This bylaw protects the residents of Plympton from destruction of their air and water quality, protects the wildlife in a potential earth removal site, and provides a checklist for approving a sand and gravel removal application presented to the town. Plympton’s earth removal bylaw is seriously outdated and the town recognized its need to update the by-law, as surrounding towns’ bylaws for sand and gravel contain more in-depth procedures.

Leddy and Cronin researched the bylaws of 20 to 30 Massachusetts towns, focusing on those that are rural with smaller populations. They centered on Hubbardston, a town located near Worcester, Sutton, and Marshfield, when drafting Plympton’s version, all of which have been approved by the attorney general and are active bylaws.

One major issue presented with drafting the bylaw was who will approve the application and permit for sand and gravel locations in Plympton. Leddy stated, “Sixty  to seventy percent of towns researched use the Board of Selectmen as the board overseeing the project,” and ultimately approvinacting ong the application.

With this information, the board agreed and voted to allow the Board of Selectmen to be the entity to oversee the the applications for the town. The board suggested that along with this decision that they bring the Conservation Commission into any decision making, as it is an agricultural topic as well.

The town’s attorney has not been consulted yet, but will evaluate the proposed bylaw once Leddy and Cronin have finalized their wording.  The  polished version will be presented to selectmen on Monday March 5, and then will be presented for approval to Town Council.

The members of the board then individually thanked and recognized Leddy and Cronin for their hard work and determination for the town of Plympton. John Traynor stated, “This town is run by our amazing volunteers”, which was then followed by Christine Joy stating how wonderful these two women are and how they have stepped up to benefit the town in a time of need.

  Rocky Harvest

  Water concerns

Following the discussion of the bylaw, the board discussed Rocky Harvest Water LLC, violating time restrictions by arriving before 6:30 a.m. to pump water. Since mid January, this has been the sixth violation of hours of operation for Rocky Harvest, which concerned board members. Joy asked, “How many times can they violate until we finally do something?” The board plans to contact Rocky Harvest to attend a meeting to discuss the issue.

The meeting ended positively by recognizing two promotions of special police officers who will provide coverage during parades and special events until June 2018.

The board also spread the news of Silver Lake’s Track and Field creating new school records at a state competition, and the success story of  Officer Douglas Mazzola helping to reconnect a missing dog and his owner this week.

The next selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 5.

School budget woes, dog bite

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Disagreements between the Halifax Board of Selectmen and two of the town’s representatives to the Silver Lake Regional School District were discussed at last Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

The Board of Selectmen along with the Finance Committee have worked on a budget that cuts $400,000 from the Silver Lake budget. Town Administrator Charles Seelig has said at several meetings that unexpected increases to the special education budget, especially at the elementary school level, are having an impact on other departments in Halifax’s fiscal year budget.

According to Seelig, another budget proposal was brought forward by two of the town’s representatives that they say cuts $291,000 instead. Seelig said this, however, is not a true cut because this only fixes an error from the previous budget. He said it doesn’t actually cut new funds compared to last year’s fiscal budget, but just makes a correction.

Selectmen Vice Chair Kim Roy said she was disappointed with the two representatives’ position on the budget cut. She said that they don’t only represent what they personally want for the school, but the well-being of the town as well. “This is the year of the need, not the want,” said Roy.

Selectmen Clerk Troy Garron said that representatives need to keep in mind what its residents can afford to pay, including low income residents who might not be able to afford a larger budget.

Selectmen will continue to work with the Finance Committee and its representatives to the Silver Lake District. Seelig reiterated that there’s still time to get a budget done. He said, “We still have two and a half months before Town Meeting.”

Dog Hearing

Selectmen held a dog hearing for Kimberly Mahoney’s dog, that got loose and bit a man at the liquor store across from her house.

According to Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan’s statement, the victim said the dog was loose from a metal tether and barking. When the victim crouched down, Mahoney’s dog bit him on the arm.

The dog was not licensed and had not received a rabies vaccine. Mahoney said she was cited and fined by Callahan for not having the license or vaccine for the dog.

Roy called Mahoney’s actions “irresponsible” and based on her initial feelings, she was leaning towards the dog being euthanized.

Mahoney said she believes her dog was just scared, but said that isn’t an excuse for her to bite. “She’s typically afraid of men,” said Mahoney.

According to Mahoney, she’s had the dog since it was six weeks old. Being almost two years old now though, the German Sheppard-Pitbull mix has remained “aggressive.”

Mahoney said she doesn’t feel comfortable bringing the dog to the vet because of how the dogs reacts around other dogs. She’s also worried about how the dog will react with other people now too, but said this “aggressive behavior” has only been directed towards strangers.

She said the dog has never been aggressive towards her or her five children. “If you saw her with the baby, you’d think they’re best friends,” said Mahoney.

Neither the victim nor Callahan were present for the first hearing, so Selectmen are delaying a decision for two weeks. In the meantime, the dog must wear a mussel at all times when outside or when other people visit Mahoney’s house. Mahoney is also the only one allowed to take the dog outside. Her children are forbidden from doing so.

South Shore Community Action Council

Jack Cocio, the CEO of the South Shore Community Action Council came to the selectmen’s meeting as a reminder to the types of services the organization provides.

According to Cocio, the organization spent $287,184 this past fiscal year on services for low income residents including low income heat assistance, weatherizing homes, income tax assistance, and providing food.

In Halifax alone, Cocio said 152 pounds of food have been distributed. “I would like to see more residents take advantage of this; it’s a really good program,” said Cocio.

Some funding for this organization is usually provided via approval at Town Meeting. Roy said given this upcoming fiscal year’s budget constraints, she’s unsure the town will be able to fund as much as they usually do, but said they will do what they can.

Garron said residents can contact the Council on Aging for more information on South Shore Community Action Council.

Other News

• The Board of Selectmen appointed Leonard Tecino to the Capital Planning Committee.

• Stacy Varao was appointed to the Holidays in Halifax Committee. Varao said, “This type of committee is up my alley. I’m passionate about the holidays, it’s positive.”

•Selectmen approved Robert Bergstrom’s live entertainment permit for Mud Fest on June 10, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Milbert defends state title as SL competes at states

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Not only did the Silver Lake girls’ swimming team have a state champion this season, but she was able to even outdo her performance from last year.

Last weekend, the Lakers girls competed at the Division 1 state meet at Boston University. Unsurprisingly, another year meant another excellent performance for senior Madison Milbert and the rest of the team.

Milbert’s performance was the one that stood out most, of course. This is because she won the 100 backstroke last season and was able to defend her title. Not only this, but she improved her time. After a 56.99 second win last season, she finished the same event in 56.21 seconds this time around while also improving her performance in another event. She also won the 200 individual medley (2:04.99), adding to her already impressive legacy in the Silver Lake swim program. She will be attending the US Naval Academy in the fall where she will also be swimming at the Division 1 level.

Albeit Milbert is gone after this season, there is a good chance the Lakers have another state champion in the future in Alexa Connors. The sophomore excelled in the state meet as she came up with second place finishes in both the 200 freestyle (1:51.47) and in the 500 freestyle (4:56.31). She still has two more years to grow and develop as a swimmer, so reaching that feat is a definite possibility.

Connors and Milbert were also crucial parts of the team’s 200 medley relay team (1:53.72) which earned a third place finish. Junior Katherine Morrissey and senior Sarah Brockway also provided key legs on the relay team, helping them enjoy that immense success all season long.

Overall, it was a strong outing from the Lakers; they earned a seventh place finish at the state meet, garnering 135 points in total.

SL Wrestling competes at state meet

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The Silver Lake High wrestling team has some of the top wrestlers in their respective division in the state. They earned the opportunity to prove this last weekend, competing at the Division 2 State meet at Milton High School.

In all, the Lakers sent three wrestlers to the meet, an indication of the caliber of wrestlers they have within the program. Even after such a strenuous meet against stiff competition, their season is still alive.

That is because junior Dan Walsh (120) earned a sixth place finish at the meet, so he earned a ticket to the All-State tournament. In all, he went 3-3 during the two-day tournament which was held on Friday and Saturday. His final bout was for the fifth place spot so he would have made it to All-States regardless of the outcome of it.

Walsh was not the only Laker to compete over the course of the weekend either. Senior captain Gavin Hamilton (182) and sophomore Kyler Baur (106) also wrestled over the course of the weekend.

Hamilton came up with a big 9-1 major decision win over a North Andover grappler where he was clearly in control. His opponent’s only point of the match came with 34 seconds remaining on an escape. Plus, his opponent had an injury timeout about 30 seconds into the second period. Ultimately, Hamilton would fall in the consolation round of eight, so he did not advance further in the tournament; Baur dropped his two matches during the state meet.

Earning the right to wrestle at the state meet is a major accomplishment in itself. Seeing how the Lakers had three men wrestling at it–two of which are expected to return next season–they certainly have reason to be confident in the future of their program.

Walsh will compete at All-States this Friday and possibly Saturday at St. John’s Prep in Danvers.

Old Town House project will be brought to ATM for vote project

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The Plympton Community Preservation Committee voted Tuesday, Feb. 13, to present the preservation of Plympton’s first Town House, on upper Main St., to town meeting voters for their approval at the annual Town Meeting May 16.

Plympton’s Community Preservation Committee (CPC) received the application from the Plympton Board of Selectmen, in conjunction with the Plympton Historical Society for possible CPA funding consideration at the May 2018 Town Meeting.

The project under consideration is an historic preservation of the town-owned “Old Town House ” on Main Street at the junction of Center Street, also sometimes known more recently as the    “Plympton Historical Society Building”.   

The structure was built in 1850 as a Town Hall. For the last 65 years it has been used by the Plympton Historical Society for the preservation and presentation of materials and collections related to the Town’s history as well as the site of many community events.

The project under consideration requests funds for much needed rehabilitation and restoration of the historic building. Estimated project cost would be approximately $87,500 which includes $25,000 for painting and clapboard restoration, $45,000 for window restoration and replacement, and an additional $17,500 to be used in the case of unexpected contingencies.

In the committee’s efforts to diligently review and choose well-conceived projects that offer a lot of benefit for its limited funds, the CPC welcomes any and all comments and input.

Shakespeare Festival at Silver Lake

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Silver Lake Regional High School became a wacky wild Stratford on Avon where the words of the Bard were bandied about with a new twist provided by English students, all seniors, Tess Beckwith of Plympton, Ali Farina of Halifax,  and Tom McSorley and Abby Kramer, both of Kingston.

From a love of Shakespeare, the four writers, under the direction of Silver Lake staff Shakespeare and English teachers Heather Bates and Ashley Ferrara, presented their homage to the Bard Thursday, Feb. 15, with performances throughout the day to English students and a finale public performance at 5 p.m. to the public. The play honored Shakespeare’s 454th birthday, which is thought to be April 23, 1564.

Brainstorming for the project began in the summer of 2017.  Students were chosen from project applicants by staff teachers Bates and Ferrara. After months of collaboration, writing, and re-writing, A Quinn-Kle in Time was born.

The seniors were given the opportunity to present their show with a cast -which grew to 60 in the past two years – and figuratively leave their marks – written with a magical quill pen – as their legacy in the Silver Lake Drama Department.

Their meetings were held to exchange Shakespearian tragedy in their coolest teen hangout – Panera!  As if the entire world was a stage they openly laughed, twisted, penned, edited and formed their 2018 Shakespeare Festival script with as much amusement, underlying humor, and irony as Shakespeare himself or at least in their case more like his intern Quinn.

The fictitious intern Quinn, played by Quinn Bonnyman of Halifax, literally whirls through time in the portal, which is a white sign (insert imagination).  The typical ending of a Shakespeare wedding was recognized with not one but three weddings.

With continued coaching, editing and tweaking, the script developed through the fall.

“Each year we come up with new things to do. We were doing an independent study where students were writing the spring show just to celebrate his birthday. It morphed each year into different sonnet reads, stage fighting then in 2006 a couple students wrote an independent study.  From there we decided this would be really fun… in the last couple years there has been so much interest, “ said Bates.

The student writers/directors embraced all aspects of the show casting, costuming, and set designing with only eight rehearsals.

The four plays, based on Much Ado about Nothing, The Tempest, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet, added such calamity as Banquo’s ghost riding a toy horse scooter and a same sex couple ending in unity between Mercutio and Romeo. They also included in their twisted-up plots a few inside jokes that drew uproarious laughter among the auditorium of students and families.

The Shakespeare Festival has become a tradition which a group of seniors take on each year, said Ali Farina one of the writers.  Changing it up to keep it fresh is an annual challenge they meet with gusto.

All four writers have begun their countdown to graduation, with college next fall and a multitude of career aspirations. Their collective advice to incoming freshman, whether it is drama club or sport, is ‘make sure to join in something you love’.

SL gymnastics co-op shines at Patriot League meet

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When they needed to show up and put up the best performance of their season, the Silver Lake High girls’ gymnastics co-op with Pembroke delivered.

Last Friday night, the co-op–dubbed “Pemberlake”–impressed at the Patriot League meet once again this season. They won it for the second straight year as they posted a 136.2 final team score in the meet at Mass Gymnastics Center in Pembroke.

The meet had several standout performances from the co-op. Most notably, Morgan Hackett took home Patriot League MVP as she earned second place in the all-around. Her performance also earned her a ticket to individual states by being one of the top-15 all-around gymnasts in the south section. Patriot League All-Star Tori Newton earned a fourth-place finish in the all-around and also earned a spot in the state meet as she is one of the top vaulters in the area.

Maizie Condon and Katie Kemp were also among those to have strong performances on the day. Condon earned second place on the balance beam while Kemp, who was named a league All-Star on floor, earned second place in that event, scoring an 8.6.

Awards were handed out at the meet and Pemberlake walked away with a few of them. In addition to Hackett’s MVP Award, Tess Bonanno was named a Patriot League scholar-athlete and Hannah Alexanian earned a Patriot League sportsmanship award.

At the start of the season, the co-op was at a disadvantage because Hackett was out with a thumb injury and Kemp got off to a late start to the season, but when the team had them back and healthy, it provided a boost to an already talented squad.

The co-ops individual meets season is over, however, now it is time for their top performers to prepare for the state meet which will be held in early March at a time and location that have yet to be announced.

Silver Lake boys’ hockey gearing up for playoffs

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To start the week, the Silver Lake boys’ hockey team sat at 6-9-3 and for most teams, that would mean they would have to win out the rest of their season to make the playoffs. However, the pressure is off this time for the Lakers as they already earned their playoff spot last week.

The Lakers clinched a playoff spot last week as they shellacked Cardinal Spellman, 13-3, on Monday, Feb. 5. The win gave them a spot in the playoffs via the Sullivan Rule. This rule states that if a team has a .500 or better record against teams in their division or lower, then they will get into the playoffs. This rule also helped the Lakers to a playoff appearance last season, despite the team not enjoying as much success as a whole back then.

Since the Lakers are in Division 3 for hockey–the lowest division–they earned the spot since they were 5-3-1 against teams in their division to start the week. The non-league games have not been an issue for the Lakers, it’s just that they were 2-7-2 against Patriot League competition, most of which features Division 2 teams. If this is any indication, then the Lakers are in a pretty good spot as they gear up for the tournament.

After all, they did dominate Spellman and got freshman Gavin Belliveau his first career varsity win in net. Ryan Sullivan had a team-high three goals while Nick Solari, Bobby Guilford and Dave Marani each chipped in two goals apiece. The other goals of the game went to Alex Heffernan, Andrew Johnson, Sean McNeilly and John Evans. Needless to say, it was the most amount of goals the Lakers have put up this season.

The Lakers next game is a good test for them because they are set to face Sacred Heart of Kingston, a fellow Division 3 team who will likely make it to the playoffs. That one is set for Saturday, Feb. 17 (5:00 p.m. start time).

Halifax BOS Appoints Three New Police Officers

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen appointed three new police officers to the department including James Coughlin, Andrew Lyczynski, and Richard Crespi III.

Coughlin moved to Halifax when he was in high school and attended Silver Lake. He said, “Since I moved here, I realized it’s a great town.”

Working at Walmart for a number of years, Coughlin eventually moved into loss prevention. This allowed him to become familiar with the police officers in town. He said they’re “role models” for him.

When asked by Selectmen Clerk Troy Garron about how his experience working in loss prevention helps his decision-making, Coughlin said he tries using “positive reinforcement” to help people. One example he brought up is if he caught someone stealing food, he’d confront them, but try to help them by giving them information on the local food pantry.

Coughlin received his degree in criminal justice from Bridgewater State University and is also a Marine Reserve member. He said he sees a future being a full-time police officer. The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to give him a part-time position.

Andrew Lyczynski is 22-years-old and lived in Halifax his entire life. He said a lot of his family works in law enforcement, which pushed him towards that same goal.

He received his degree in criminal justice at Bridgewater State University. Lyczynski also has a minor in Spanish. Since graduating, Lyczynski worked as a part-time officer in Hull.

He expressed a strong desire to work in Halifax. Lyczynski said, “I want to get in the town I grew up in.”

Selectmen Vice-chair Kim Roy said she was impressed with Lyczynski’s involvement in the community. Lyczynski volunteered with the HOPS race and also worked in the town’s Parks and Recreations Department when he was younger.

Lyczynski was asked by the Board of Selectmen if having grown up in town, would have any impact on how he goes about dealing with people he knows personally, who might have broken the law.

“It’s an honor to work in the town you grew up in,” said Lyczynski, “At the end of the day, it’s my job.”

The Board appointed Lyczynski unanimously.

Richard Crespi III didn’t have the typical criminal justice background the other two new officers had. He attended the University of New England and received a degree in psychology.

Crespi’s goals were realized while working on Cape Cod, often with children under the care of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF).

Crespi said he was inspired to become a police officer by the officers who would arrive for these kids late at night when incidents such as abuse would occur.

Currently, Crespi works at the Cardinal Cushing Center in Hanover, which works with people of all ages who suffer from intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Given that the position is part-time, Crespi plans to continue working at the Cushing Center. However, he said becoming a police officer is his primary goal and will be his first priority.

The Board of Selectmen appointed Crespi with a unanimous vote.

Marijuana Host Community Agreement Update

Town Administrator Charles Seelig posted a draft of the marijuana community host agreement between Halifax and 4 Daughters Compassionate Care.

Four Daughters wants to put the proposed marijuana growing facility on River Street. The proposed location is in Halifax’s industrial zone.

Leonard Ticino attended and said he did his own research on community host agreements, including calling the state’s Cannabis Control Commission. He said the town needs some clarity for how the impact fees work.

He cited impact fees for community host agreements in other industries outside of marijuana. He said the impact fees have been pulled and money deemed invalid because of specifications surrounding the laws unknown to the host municipality.

According to Seelig, the Cannabis Control Commission is working through these issues. There isn’t a clear grasp on this yet, so Seelig said the town isn’t taking action until this factor, along with others are known.

School Budget Update

Finance Committee is asking the Board of Selectmen to meet with them on Monday, February 26, 2018 to discuss the school’s budget for the coming fiscal year. The meeting comes from an initial request from Selectman Roy.

Seelig said the town is being hit by needing more funds for this year’s special education budget, especially at the elementary school level.

Selectmen Chair Thomas Millias said priorities are going to have to be made for this year’s budget. This sentiment was shared by the rest of the Board and Seelig.

When speaking about priorities for the budget, Roy said, “This is the year of the need.”

The budget will be discussed more with the Finance Committee on Monday as the two boards try to create a budget before town meeting.

Other News

• The Board of Selectmen approved a common victualler license for Nicholas Varvitisiotis to open a pizza shop providing he completes all necessary paperwork and inspections.

The restaurant will be called Famous Pizza and Seafood. It has limited seating inside, so Varvitisiotis said it will primarily be a take-out and delivery shop.

Varvitisiotis has been in the restaurant business for thirty years. He bought his first pizza shop when he was still in college at the age of 20. He lives in Abington with his 12-year-old triplets.

• The Board of Selectmen approved two appointments to the Beautification Committee. Jeanne Kling and Tom Fitzgerald were both appointed to terms lasting until June 30, 2018.

The next Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 27, 2018. Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.