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Budgets, bylaws, top BOS agenda

By

Jessica Zeoli

Express correspondent

Continuing discussion from the past three meetings, the Plympton Board of Selectmen heard the current state of the draft for the proposed Earth Removal Bylaw, budget and warrants for the Town Meeting, as well as an update on the Fire Advisory Committees.

Up for discussion first was the Earth Removal Bylaw, presented by Linda Leddy. She told the board that she, Rick Burnet, Marta Nover, Brian Wick, Amy Conin, along with the guidance of selectman Mark Russo, had volunteered to develop a new Earth Removal Bylaw for Plympton as it is currently outdated according to state standards and the growing needs of the town. The goal of the bylaw is to take into consideration everybody involved in an application of an Earth Removal site.  Citizens, land owners, and wildlife all need to be considered to ensure the potential project is fair on all sides.  In developing the bylaw, volunteers met on several occasions and for many hours to adapt bylaws from surrounding towns, as well as edit sections to be better suited to Plympton’s needs.

The sudden action to construct a new bylaw was due to the rising concern of Ryan Vlaco of BRV I, Inc. in Middleborough, which is a sand and gravel company. He is a potential buyer of the Atwood property on Prospect Road and presented to the board several weeks ago his plan to expand a pre-existing cranberry bog, and also begin a sand and gravel removal operation that will require 100 trucks a day moving material for sale out of Plympton. Due to the unreasonable amount of trucks estimated for a small restoration project, many town and board members believe he has found a loop hole by claiming to be agricultural and exempt of needing to file an application. Without filing an application for an earth removal permit, he would be able to build a sand and gravel distributing company, without consent of the town.

To try to prevent similar companies from finding the same loopholes, the draft of the bylaw had three main edits to the version that was presented to the board last week.

The first main change to the draft was specifying which agricultural projects were exempt from filing an application for earth removal. These exempt projects would be normal construction and maintenance projects, including for existing bogs and farmland that operate under the state’s agricultural and wetlands laws. If new projects arise such as installing a new bog, or pond, then an application must be filed with the board of selectmen.

This portion also included the addition of a new section stating that any amount removed from a site more than 1,000 yards must also require an application.  This was heavily debated by a concerned resident, Rebecca Lipton. She stated, “If you have a project happening on one side of you and another project on the other, you would have about 75 to 100 trucks going by your house per day.” Another concerned resident asked the board to consider the typography of Plympton and the need to protect all the open land that Plympton has left.

After several other concerns of 1,000 yards being too large a quantity to allow an application, Marta Nover of the Bylaw Committee, suggested the quantities be discussed when the draft is sent to Town Council for approval.

The second change to the Earth Removal Bylaw was making sure it provided significant protection for the town’s residential properties, special environments, water, or any other qualities that give Plympton its rural character. Any applications that may harm Plympton’s valuable features would not be allowed.

The last change to the bylaw was constructing clear standards and procedures for applications so that residents, applicants, and the board can reference the bylaw for guidance at any point. Board member, Christine Joy, stated that the bylaw was “very well written, comprehensible, and transparent.”

The bylaw will be sent to Town Council, on Tuesday, April 10, for recommendations and approval. The bylaw is expected to be presented to Town Meeting, May 16, for a vote of the residents.

   Fire Advisory               Committees

The Fire Advisory Committees updated selectmen on their progress and the joint training for Plympton and Halifax Fire Departments to receive their Firefighter I/II certifications. Interim Chief Phil Curran of the Plympton Fire Department reported that both departments will begin their joint training session the first or second week in May.  Selectman John Traynor, the board member overseeing the Advisory Committees, discussed a meeting Wed. April 18 for all fourteen volunteers of the Fire Advisory Committees, and then a meeting the following Wed., April 25 between the two fire departments regarding shared services. Selectmen wanted to emphasize that the town is only exploring the option of shared services and have made no legal decisions yet.

FinCom Budget

The Finance Committee presented their approved budget for next fiscal year, as well as vote on approvals for the presented articles for the Annual Town Meeting. After evaluating all the recommended budgets for each committee in the town, the Finance Committee came up with a final budget of approximately $10,903,000 for next year, which is a 5.7% increase from last year. Local real estate taxes will not increase to that extent, only roughly 2.5% from last year. The Finance Committee presented their changes such as their decision to separate EMS services from medical supplies needed for the town, and a reduction of the budget for vocational technical students as less people registered for the program than expected.

Selectmen and the Finance Committee then discussed each article presented for the Annual Town Meeting one by one, providing recommendations or approval for its current state. Out of the 27 presented articles, three were not recommended by both parties, as they believe there are other options worth exploring that could exclude the need for those articles this year.  For example, Article 13, which was not recommended, requested funds for hiring a specifically named consultant for map research for the town. Both selectmen and FinCom believed there could be more exploration of costs for consultants for the town and they did not recommend the article for this year.

In other news:

Council on Aging Warrant-

The director of the Council of Aging, Joy Marble, met with the board requesting $55,000 for the COA budget so they may be able to get a new van to help with their services. The current van is getting old, and in need of repairs, as the Council on Aging often transports senior citizens to distant towns for medical appointments such as Cohasset causing wear and tear on the vehicle. The van is also a regular minivan that is not handicapped accessible, and riders often have a difficult time getting seated.

With the increase to the number of people being served by the COA, the van is not always available. Because of this, volunteer drivers are using their own cars when transporting seniors to so-called  “social events” such as shopping and other non-medical appointments. Director Marble is trying to eliminate the need of volunteers to use their own vehicles with the purchase of the new van.   The present van would be maintained for these uses.

Possibilities of a donated van from Best Chevrolet, or cashing in an unused town sedan were discussed among the board, leading to their decision to pass over the article for this year, which was presented as Article 24. The board plans to explore this idea over the coming year, and bring a solution to next year’s Annual Town Meeting.

Animal Control Officer Update

The board contacted the former Animal Control Officer, Frank Bush, who said he was not interested in serving in that position again. The board is now exploring any surrounding towns that would be interested in sharing animal control services with Plympton. If no suitable candidates are found, the town will post the position for any interested applicants.

CORI Policy

Elizabeth Dennehy, Town Administrator, presented a new CORI policy last week, which is beginning to be utilized for new employees for the town. The application is simpler, and excludes the Dennett Elementary School and Plympton Police Department since they have more in-depth procedures for CORI checks. There were questions regarding this policy such as if current employees are now needed to submit a CORI check, even though they did not require one upon hire. The board authorized Elizabeth Dennehy to meet with legal counsel regarding this.

The next open  meeting for the board of selectmen is Monday, April 23, at 6 p.m.

Another marijuana facility for Halifax?

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A second recreational marijuana company is showing interest in a Halifax facility, said Town Administrator Charles Seelig at last Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

Hono East reached out to the board to gauge interest for a recreational growing and retail facility but haven’t proposed a location. According to Seelig, Hono East wanted to know if there was any interest before making a formal detailed proposal.

The only details provided were the town would receive a two percent community impact fee and the size of the proposed facility. Hono East is looking to create a 20,000 square foot facility for both growing and selling at retail.

Four Daughters, the other facility applying included a larger fee at three percent. Their proposal does not include a retail facility.

Selectmen Troy Garon and Thomas Millias said they are not “big fans” of a retail establishment. Millias said he’s not satisfied with a two percent impact fee when the other proposal is offering three percent.

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Dog Hearing

The dog hearing for Kimberly Mahoney that originally began on February 27 resumed after delays from two separate winter storms. 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, the dog bit the man on the arm.

Selectmen left Mahoney with several requirements for her dog. She needed to get a dog license and have the dog vaccinated, which Mahoney and Callahan confirmed was done. Selectmen also want a kennel built and for Mahoney to be the only one that takes the dog outside. When she takes it outside, the dog is supposed to be muzzled.

Due to the weather, Selectmen said it can be lenient about the outdoor kennel requirement. Where the Board said it can’t be lenient is with the dog being muzzled. According to Mahoney, she is the only one who takes the dog outside, and Callahan confirmed she hasn’t seen the dog outside during any of her patrols of the area. However, Mahoney admitted the dog only wears a muzzle during the day.

“This was not the agreement,” said Selectwoman Kim Roy. Mahoney said the only reason the muzzle wasn’t on at night was because her dog would bite at it instead of going the bathroom. She said her dog was uncomfortable. All three selectmen agreed the dog needs to be on a muzzle.

The Board of Selectmen are giving Mahoney two more weeks to be compliant with its requirements. Roy said, “We wanted to give you an opportunity to let the dog have a normal life among others.”

Other stipulations include reaching out to a trainer, having them assess the dog’s aggression, and giving an estimated time table of how long the training might take. Callahan gave Mahoney a suggested contact for a trainer she knows has done great work with other aggressive dogs.

Selectmen will continue this hearing to Tuesday, April 24. This will be the last continuation of the hearing,

Selectmen Chair Thomas Millias said, “We can’t go on indefinitely with this.” He said the board will be forced to make a tough decision if requirements aren’t met  and the dog will be euthanized.

Franklin Street

Solar Array

Keith Akers from Syncarpha Solar came to the selectmen’s meeting to discuss the solar array project at Franklin Street. Akers said compared to other projects, this one isn’t large for them. He estimated installation of the panels taking about five months.

Akers said, “The construction project isn’t too disruptive.” He added the project could take less than five months to install, but he wanted to be conservative with his estimate. The largest part of the construction will be the clearing of roughly 11.5-12 acres of forest.

Seelig said Selectmen will see what progress has been made with the project on May 8, 2018. This will give the town time to write a town meeting article if they decide to do so.

Other News

• The Halifax Board of Selectmen finished union negotiations with firefighters, police officers, sergeants, and highway and cemetery employees. Seelig said all four unions agreed to a two percent raise.

• Warren Gardener’s multiple unregistered vehicle permit hearing will continue after the Planning Board has an opportunity to review it. The permit is for an industrial zoned property, so the permit might grant up to seven or eight vehicles if approved.

• Linda Braga resigned from the Finance committee. The Board of Selectmen will wait until after annual town meeting before seeking a replacement.

The next Halifax Selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24.

BOS adopts new CORI policy

By

Jessica Zeoli

Express correspondent

At Monday night’s selectmen’s meeting, the Plympton Board of Selectmen approved the contract for construction of a new Public Safety Building for the town. Dan Pallotta of P3 came to the meeting to present the contract to be signed for the new proposed police station. Except for a couple of minor details, the contract is complete and was voted to be signed at the March 26 meeting by the chairman of the board, Christine Joy. The performance bond was also approved.

Elizabeth Dennehy, Town Administrator, clarified the new CORI background check policy which selectmen voted to utilize for new hires. In 2015, Plympton adopted a CORI policy for new employees for the town. The meeting this week, outlined the new changes to the CORI check policy, making the form simpler since the old version also included tips to reverse criminal behavior to pass a CORI check. The state adopted a new CORI policy which made the tips a separate document from the CORI form itself. The state then sent their new policy as a suggestion to municipalities and Plympton voted to adopt it. The new version excludes the Dennett Elementary and Plympton Police Department from needing to follow this new policy as both places have their own more in-depth CORI procedures.

Amy Cronin, Conservation Commission, with Brian Wick, Town Moderator, met with selectmen at their meeting March 26, to go over the earth removal bylaw which is being drafted. Cronin and Linda Leddy of the Open Space Committee had volunteered to compose an updated earth removal bylaw, since the current bylaw is outdated and too broad and no longer serves the needs of the town. Cronin and Leddy researched 20 to 30 rural towns within the state such as Sutton, and Hubbardston, and area towns like Marshfield, using their current earth removal bylaws that have already been approved by the Attorney General’s office, to construct a version for Plympton. The draft was sent to Brain Wick to evaluate as he works in cranberry agriculture and has dealt with bylaws regarding earth removal from several towns. Selectmen believed his recommendations would be beneficial for Cronin and Leddy. He was able to add comments and edits to the draft, which he discussed with the board. The need for a more comprehensive earth removal bylaw was made evident when a 100-acre parcel came up for sale on Prospect Road, known as the Atwood property. Should the town opt not to exercise its right of first refusal, as this has been “Chapter Land” taxed at a far less than fair market value, Ryan Vlaco of BRV I, Inc. in Middleborough, has signed a purchase and sale agreement to purchase the property for $1 million. Vlaco owns BRV I, a sand and gravel company. At a meeting several weeks ago, Vlaco told selectmen he would use the gravel on the property to restore a large cranberry bog and would remove and sell the remaining gravel. In his application for an earth removal permit, he estimated that the gravel would be mined for a term of three years, with as many as 100 trucks per day removing it. Many town members, and board officials, after expressing their concerns with the purchase, believe the company wants to claim they are exempt as agricultural to gain approval, and then actually use the land to dig a pit and build a sand and gravel distributing company.

Due to this uncertainty, Brain Wick suggested how to edit the draft of the bylaw to protect the town from potential loopholes.

Cronin, Wick, and concerned town members debated how to enforce these restrictions in the bylaw. One resident suggested any agricultural business must file an application when conducting a new project and that the board of selectmen would then visit these sites to make sure they are following their application. Selectmen found this to be an unreasonable enforcement since it would require companies that have been legally working for years, and even the smallest projects, to file an application, which would become very numerous. Board member, John Traynor, expressed his concerns over which board would oversee all those applications.

Prior to Monday’s April 2 meeting, Mark Russo, Linda Leddy, Rick Burnet, Marta Nover, and Brian Wick met on Saturday for more than four hours discussing the wording and scope of the proposed article. Russo believes they have come “pretty close” and hope to have a final draft by this weekend to send to Town Council for approval as a warrant article for the Annual Town Meeting.

PFD Committees established

The next topic on the agenda was establishing committees for implementing new changes to the Fire Department. Two weeks ago, Municipal Resources, Inc., or MRI, met with the board to discuss their findings after conducting an assessment of the Plympton Fire Department. Their purpose was to provide suggestions for the town to maximize its resources. After receiving the recommendations from MRI, the board has convened a Fire Advisory Committee to oversee the changes to the department. There are currently about 13 volunteers, that may be too large for the small town of Plympton, so the board decided to make two committees: the Fire Department Technician Committee and the Executive Oversight Committee. The Technician Committee is to take all the recommendations of the MRI Report and classify them as most important, important, and least important, estimate costs for the changes, and create a course of action. Within the next several weeks, the board hopes to hear from interested volunteers from the Halifax Fire Department, and will assign them to the appropriate committee. A meeting of the committees will take place at the Halifax Town Hall on Wednesday, April 25.

Continuing on with the Halifax Fire Department, selectmen discussed how attending a joint training session will give those firefighters who have not yet received their Firefighter I/II certification a chance to do so, completely funded by a grant. Also, by training together, the two departments may have a seamless training experience and can learn how to handle emergency situations for each town if needed.

In other news:

• Selectmen heard about plans for the annual Memorial Day parade and ceremonies at the Gazebo on the town green. The music departments have been notified as well as Dennett Elementary School. The possibility of a float this year was introduced, which would be a first for Plympton.

• Tara Shaw, Town Clerk, brought selectmen up to date with her ongoing project regarding the organization of laws and bylaws within the town. Plympton has hired General Code, a company that will review and re-index the current bylaw documents based on state laws, and inconsistencies such as punctuation, and typographical and grammatical errors will be corrected and then the by-laws organized after correction by topic. General Code would also upload the bylaws to a database which then can be searched and then accessed by the public. The town has paid their first installment of $1,735 out of $9,100, that was covered by a Technology Grant from February 2017. The board was very impressed with the project. Mark Russo stated, “The project seems to be really worthwhile.” The town clerk estimated the project would be completed by Fall 2020.

Town-wide cleanup is April 21

• The Gazebo at the Town Green was approved by the board to be used by the Garden Club for a town-wide clean-up day, scheduled for April 21, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. with a rain date of Apr. 28. Any volunteers are encouraged to participate in the event to create a cleaner town.

• The board will next meet Monday, April 9, in open session beginning at 6 p.m.

Seniors propelled girls’ basketball

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The Silver Lake girls’ basketball team wrapped up a special season earlier this month.

The Lakers played tough defense, greatly improved their results from the season before and reached the playoffs for the first time since 1989 during their 16-7 season. In the process, the Lakers won a pair of playoff games over both Canton and New Mission before Foxboro knocked them out in the Division 2 South Sectional Semifinals.Certainly, that was a major achievement in Olly deMacedo’s first season as the team’s head coach. The Lakers had some serious talent on their squad this season, producing three Patriot League All-Stars: seniors Allie Crawford and Sydney Kehoe as well as sophomore Holly Reeder-Morning. In fact, Crawford was the runnerup in Patriot League MVP voting.

Kehoe averaged a double- double per game (at least 10 points and 10 rebounds) while Reeder-Morning was the team’s leading scorer; thesophomore put up around 12 points per contest.

It’s not like they were the Lakers only contributors either. There were plenty of them. For example, senior Alyssa Nelson and her classmate Annabelle Boudreau were anchors in the team’s starting five, playing strong 2-way basketball. Nelson even had a game where she put up 24 points.

Seeing playing time off the bench, freshman Riley Dunphy excelled defensively; freshman Molly Terbush, junior Stephanie Bennett and senior Emily Hapgood were among the team’s other valuable bench contributors.

Next year, the Lakers will be left with just one player from their starting five (Reeder- Morning) as they have five seniors set to graduate this spring, including four of their starters.

Next winter, the team’s starting lineup will definitely look different than it did a couple of weeks ago. That said, there are still a few experience players coming back, there will just be more opportunity for younger players to prove their worth.

Girls’ lacrosse looking forward

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The makeup of the team might be a little different, but the goal is still the same for the Silver Lake girls’ lacrosse team. 

The Lakers made school history last season, earning their first ever playoff bid with about one quarter of their season still remaining when they achieved that feat. Ultimately, they finished the year at 14-7 following a first round playoff loss to Hingham. Following that game which marked the end of their season, they lost eight seniors to graduation: midfielder Lea Mason and Nina Whidden, defenders Jessica Huard, Tess Griever, Mikaela Wilson, Danielle Levin, Taylor Barnett and attackers Lyndsay Kramer. 

That said, the makeup of this year’s Lakers team is a little more clear. Obviously, the majority of their losses came on the defensive side of the ball. Although it will be tough to replace that experience, the Lakers will likely try to make up for it on the attack. They return senior Cameron Daly, who put up a team-high 55 goals last season.She was a Patriot League All-Star, and the same could be said for goaltender Devin Zambruno, who is also a senior.

Claudia Scigliano (26 goals), Ann Chapman (23 goals), Colleen Foley (21 goals) and Sarah Brockway (15 goals) are also back yet again, so the Lakers return five of their top six scorers from last season. If that is an indicator, then the Lakers should be able to pile on the goals this season; they will likely also be able to limit other team’s scoring with the talent they have in net. With the graduations the team suffered, there are still opportunities for younger players to shine this season too even if there is a strong veteran presence.

The squad, coached by Taylor Wiedmann, will open up their season on Tuesday, April 3 at home against Whitman- Hanson, weather permitting.

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.