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OCPC asks how residents envision Plympton Village

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PLYMPTON – On Monday, Oct. 15, Lisa Sullivan, a senior planner with the Old Colony Planning Council held a drop-in event at Town House to solicit opinions from the public and from town officials and committee members regarding the future of the village center and the Town House campus.

She was quick to note that it was a “visioning” event and that she was there to seek input, not to change anything. The OCPC provides grants and technical assistance for projects such as the future development and improvement of the village center, something that Selectmen have been discussing for some time.

“This is one…of the reasons that I ran for Selectman,” said Selectman Mark Russo. He wants to leave a “master plan” in place for officials in the future.

Some residents seemed a little confused as to who Sullivan was and what she exactly was there to do.

“Please don’t get upset,” said Sullivan. “We’re not here to make decisions…We make recommendations. We make a report.”

She’ll be summing up all of the input she gets, including from an online survey in a report that the Selectmen should receive in November, she says, for the Town to use as it sees fit.

They will analyze demographics, current zoning, streetscapes, parks, housing possibilities, even lighting and crosswalk preferences.

“Nothing will happen of this unless your community decides to act on it,” Sullivan added.

Participants at the event filled out surveys as they sipped bottled water and snacked on free cookies while talking to Sullivan, after she gave a brief presentation.

They also voted by placing colored stickers on charts depicting different suggested improvements for the village center. For example, several different types of affordable housing were pictured, and residents placed stickers next to the type they preferred, if any. Another chart contained several types of parks, while another showed crosswalks and another light polls.

One thing that became apparent quite quickly is that people define the boundaries of the village center in many different ways.

The board, according to Russo, hopes to have a master plan in place within a year. The survey is still available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JNCL2HK

Who makes the speed limits?

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Speed limits in Massachusetts are different than in most of the rest of the country, according to documents from the state’s department of transportation (MassDOT) Highway Division.

Several Massachusetts General Laws govern speed limits on all streets and highways throughout the Commonwealth, with the exception of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Uniquely, the basic premise under Massachusetts law is: “No person operating a motor vehicle on any way shall run it at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper, having regard to traffic and the use of the way and the safety of the public.”

This is important, they say, as no regulation supersedes it. A road may be legally posted for 30 mph, but weather conditions, traffic, construction or other hazards may mean the “reasonable and proper” limit is lower than the posted limit.

An easy phrase to remember is that speed limits are for the, “daytime, conditions permitting.”

Under proper conditions, limits can be split into two categories: posted or regulatory speed limits and statutory speed limits which are unposted.

Statutory speed limits exist in the absence of special speed regulations (which are simply posted speed limits). With the exception of school zones, if a special speed regulation exists it will supersede the statutory speed limit, according to MassDOT.

But, “It shall be prima facie evidence of a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper if a motor vehicle is operated in excess of 50 mph on a divided highway outside of a thickly settled or business district for at least 1⁄4 of a mile, 40 mph on an undivided highway outside of a thickly settled or business district for at least 1⁄4 of a mile, 30 mph in a thickly settled or business district for at least 1⁄8 of a mile and 20 mph in a legally established school zone.”

A regulatory speed limit is one that has completed a traffic engineering study, has a special speed regulation that has been signed by the road’s owner, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, the MassDOT Traffic and Safety Engineering Section and has the appropriate signage erected to clearly define the special speed zones. If this procedure is not followed, the speed limit is in violation of the law and is considered unenforceable, says MassDOT.

The traffic engineering studies that set special speed regulations consider the speed that drivers actually are traveling. Curiously enough, there is an assumption that most drivers are “prudent and capable of selecting safe speeds.”

After completing a speed study, considering crash data and historical conditions in that area, the observed 85th percentile speed, which is “a measured value of prevailing speeds at which 85 percent of all vehicles are traveling at or below in free-flowing traffic” is the basis for establishing a limit.

After the 85th percentile speed has been calculated, the value is rounded to the nearest multiple of five to determine the limit. With few exceptions, this is the speed limit that is set.

Should a municipality wish to challenge a speed limit on a municipal roadway, they can do a speed study at their own expense, and even then MassDOT does not guarantee a change in the limit, according to the Plympton Highway Surveyor, Scott Ripley.

In Halifax, voters recently turned down a Special Town Meeting article to set a fundamental speed limit across the town, so that it would be lower than the statutory speed limit, an option that is being explored by Plympton officials who are concerned about the state raising speed limits there.

Speed limits dominate BOS agenda again

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PLYMPTON – Scott Ridley, Plympton Highway Surveyor, was back before the Board of Selectmen Monday, Oct. 15, explaining new speed limits on several stretches of town roads and asking the board to reaffirm some rules at the transfer station.

As part of a grant from MassDOT, the state’s department of transportation, signage across Plympton is being updated at no cost to the town. But, the state is raising some speed limits as part of that process, upsetting some residents.

Ripley has been caught in the middle ever since explaining MassDOT policies.

He has previously stated that MassDOT (the state) sets speed limits, not the town. If a town wishes to change that speed limit, they have to do a speed study at their own expense, he says. The speed limit is set at a certain percentile of the speed that drivers are actually driving.

Ridley told selectmen that the Old Colony Planning Council, a regional planning agency, did such a speed study in July and August, at the far ends of Main Street. Ripley said he would find out if OCPC could do a study for all of Main Street.

Former Selectman Howard Randall was in attendance, and spoke at length about dealing with MassDOT, which he referred to under its old title “MassHighway.”

“MassHighway does what MassHighway does,” Randall said. “Where is the planning, where is the public input in all this? There is none.”

He also asked, “Where are the police? We’re not coordinating with them?”

This prompted Selectman Christine Joy to say that the board could talk to the police about stepping up enforcement of the posted speed limits. Later, the board directed Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy to speak with the police chief about the matter.

Selectman Mark Russo suggested that setting a “fundamental” speed limit, where the speed limit would be defined at 30 mph unless otherwise posted.

But even this default speed limit combined with increased enforcement and the speed study did not assuage Randall’s concerns.

“MassHighway could give a damn about Plympton’s rural character,” he said with frustration in his voice.

“This is not going to be a quick process,” said Ripley.

Ripley also was present to explain some rules that need to be better enforced at the transfer station, which he deferred to Art Morin, of the Board of Health, to explain.

“We need a few things reinforced,” Morin said.

He said that they wanted to make sure that each “dwelling unit,” as defined by the building code, be required to have a separate transfer station sticker, for the few apartments or two-family homes in the town.

He also noted that stickers must be permanently affixed to the rear window of the vehicle.

“Every now and then a vehicle from Halifax gets through,” he said, stating that some people tape them to their cars.

“Try getting into Duxbury with the sticker in the wrong spot,” he joked. “Not even a chance.”

The board affirmed Morin’s and Ripley’s requests.

In other news:

• Selectmen executed the contract of the selected fire chief, Stephen Silva. It is awaiting his signature.

• The board renewed the contract of Sgt. Stephen Teri. It is also awaiting his signature.

• The Plympton Fire Department’s surplus mini-pumper has been sold for $60,000.

Selectmen will next meet Monday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. i

At last! Lights at Sirrico Field

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Although the Silver Lake High boys football team did not come out on top in their bout against Plymouth North on Friday, Oct. 5 (25-6 loss), there was a special moment for the Silver Lake community prior to the contest.

The game marked the first time the Lakers were able to play a home game under the lights on a Friday night since last season. That’s because the school’s new lights for Anthony F. Sirrico Athletic Field were finally hoisted up and put in place earlier this month.

Earlier in the year, there were questions as to how this would end up happening. The school committee had just a $100,000 budget for the project, but their officials estimated that such an endeavor would cost more than $300,000. Fortunately,  however, members of the community stepped up big time.

Silver Lake High boys’ basketball coach Olly deMacedo, a Silver Lake alum himself, works for Boston Sand and Gravel and because of this, he was generous enough to donate his time to help erect the poles. Liddell Brothers of Halifax also gave their time to help set up the poles while Matt Glynn of Glynn Electrical in Plymouth worked on the electrical hookups for the lights.
deMacedo also organized a GoFundMe page called “Light up the Lake” over the summer which raised more than $25,000 thanks to members of the community chipping in additional capital.

As a result of these efforts, the Lakers were able to knock down the price and can now play night games on their home field yet again. This not only helps the football team in the fall, but also the soccer teams and field hockey team. In the spring, the lacrosse teams as well as the outdoor track and field team also play their home games on the field.

Had the Lakers not gotten new lights, they would have joined a group of just two of the 29 other South Shore schools who do not play on Friday nights: South Shore Vo-Tech and Holbrook/Avon.

Retro police sign will have to go …

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PLYMPTON – The Public Safety Building Committee met Oct. 3 for their monthly meeting.

Although the new driveway for the station was on the agenda, a perennially hot topic, it was only discussed briefly. After a site visit, the committee ended up discussing signage for the new station, a topic they had yet to address and was not, technically, on the agenda.

The Express was invited on an exclusive tour of the station but was asked not to photograph the inside of the building.

The approximately 6,500 square foot facility is well underway.

The framing, which can be seen from the street, will be finished by Friday, and windows have arrived and will be installed once the rain has let up, next week.

The electrical, plumbing and HVAC installation will all begin soon, Oct. 22.

The building has openings for large windows, and a community room will be in the front of the building. Offices surround a central reception area, which will be enclosed.

The prisoner holding cells, made out of concrete cinderblock, have taken shape, as has the booking area in the back of the station.

In the twilight, approaching Halloween, the dark and imposing half-built cells made for an eerie sight.

The very back of the building contains a secure sally-port to transfer prisoners from vehicles to cells and back.

Dan Pallotta, the project manager, says the building is about 30 percent complete.

He claims that the new station has the lowest cost per square foot of any new station in the state in the past three years.

The main topic of discussion at the PSBC meeting was an old, “retro” police sign that the police are fond of on the current, old station.

Robert Karling, the wiring inspector, brought up the fact the police are often concerned when the sign is not lit, which led to a further discussion of signage at the station, and on the Town House campus in general.

The group, at first discussed moving the old sign to the new building, but after taking a walk outside to look at it, Chairman Colleen Thompson took a strong stand against a move.

Pallotta even suggested using CPA money to restore the sign or build a replica of it. “It’ll need CPR before CPA money,” quipped Karling.

“I like blue lights,” Thompson said, which Pallotta eventually agreed with, and putting a sign at the bottom of the hill that would match the library sign.

Member Mark Russo mentioned that a master plan for the entire Town House campus is being developed now and public input is being sought. He expressed that he wanted to see signs that were compatible with each other, as well.

The PSBC will next meet Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m.

Police chief interviews next week

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Halifax selectmen announced at their meeting Tuesday that the assessment center tasked with bringing qualified candidates for the Chief of Police position interviewed five candidates, all which Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said came back with passing scores.

Selectmen Chairman Kim Roy and Selectman Troy Garron both wanted to hear from all the candidates given that all passed and none stood out above the others.

“I think it’s only to our benefit to interview all five,” Roy said.

Interviews are scheduled for October 17 and 18. The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, October 17

• 9 a.m. – Wayland Police Detective Jamie T. Berger

• 10:15 a.m. – New Bedford Police Lieutenant Joao A. Chaves

• 11:30 a.m. – Wrentham Police Sergeant Barry McGrath

Thursday, October 18

• 2:30 p.m. – Lakeville Police Lieutenant Sean Joyce

• 3:45 p.m. – MBTA Police Lieutenant David F. Albanese

Interviews will be held in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room in the Halifax Town Hall at 499 Plymouth Street. The interviews are open to the public.

Recycling Abatement Review

At the previous selectmen meeting on September 25, the board announced its intention to deny any recycling abatement request submitted after the set deadline. Residents Jaclyn Conley and Andrew Stalker came to plead their case that they submitted their request on time, but there was no proof as the letter was never time stamped.

Stalker told the board he knows he submitted the abatement request because it was the day before his father passed away.

He added that he put the flag up on his mailbox before putting the letter there. Roy and Garron said they were both sympathetic to the situation but could not extend the deadline because there was no proof, and the board had issues after extending the recycling abatement deadline last year.

“If we do it for one, we have to do it for everyone,” Roy explained to Conley and Stalker.

Selectmen’s Assistant Pam McSherry said the letter likely would have gone to the distribution center at Brockton first. Roy said the deadline meant at the town hall that day rather than in the mail.

Other News

• According to Seelig, algae levels at Monponsett Pond are again at safe levels, which allows the pond to open again. He said he’s happy the algae didn’t keep the town beach at West Monponsett from being open most of the summer, but said before the next season a plan will have to be made to keep the beach better maintained. He suggested setting up a future meeting with the Recreation Department.

• Seelig announced the Highway Department restriped the road lines at Thompson Street on Route 105. The town had received a formal complaint from a Middleborough resident who said lane visibility was difficult at night.  The next selectmen’s meeting is October 23. Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.

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$496k grant to fight drug abuse

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The Police Chiefs of Plymouth County are pleased to announce that Plymouth County Outreach (PCO) has been awarded a federal grant that will significantly improve the services provided by the group in the coming years.

PCO will receive the $496,650 grant as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Program through the U.S. Department of Justice.

The award is among the first major federal funding grants to go toward substance use disorder treatment and recovery legislation, with the aim of addressing the ongoing opioid epidemic.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have been selected by the DOJ for the CARA grant and these funds will hopefully go a long way toward helping our Plymouth County residents who have been impacted by the opioid crisis and their families,” East Bridgewater Police Chief Scott Allen said.

The funds, which will be disbursed over the next two years, will allow PCO to hire two full-time staff members – a Project Coordinator and an Operations Supervisor. Those positions will allow PCO to offer better resources to individuals who are in need of treatment in a more streamlined and effective fashion.

“We will be looking to hire two full-time staff members who are dedicated to working with Plymouth County residents each and every day and can represent Plymouth County Outreach in all of our communities,” Middleborough Police Chief Joseph Perkins said.

In addition, the money will allow PCO to improve their Critical Incident Management System database, which tracks the number of overdoses in the region and allows for research and detailed analysis of the data collected to be studied by PCO’s treatment and healthcare partners.

“In receiving this grant from the federal government this shows, I believe, that our program and approach is on the forefront of combining the efforts of law enforcement, healthcare providers and treatment professionals in providing care to those opioid users in our communities who are in need,” Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri said.

In addition to Plymouth County Outreach, 11 other Massachusetts programs will receive a total of $8.4 million in grant funding:
Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office awarded $541,300,
Middlesex District Attorney’s Office awarded one grant of $360,000 and one of $500,000,
Boston Police Department awarded $305,362,
City of Holyoke Police Department awarded $448,025,
Massachusetts Administrative Office of the Trial Court awarded $1.5 million,
Advocates for Human Potential awarded $1.55 million,
City of Worcesterawarded $744,668, Franklin, County Sheriff’s Office awarded $1 million, LUK Crisis Center awarded $500,000.

“In 2017, over 2,000 Massachusetts residents died from drug overdoses,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lellling.

“The opioid crisis is an unprecedented public health crisis in the United States, but we are committed to the President’s plan to end the epidemic through prevention, treatment and enforcement.

“With over $8 million in federal grant funding, programs in Massachusetts can expand to serve larger populations, increase services, and support those who are most impacted by this deadly epidemic. I applaud the grant recipients for their commitment to serve their communities in this way.”

Plymouth County Outreach is an opioid prevention and recovery coalition made up of 27 municipal police departments in Plymouth County, along with the Bridgewater State University Police. The chiefs have partnered with the offices of District Attorney Timothy Cruz and Sheriff Joseph McDonald to take a multi-jurisdictional approach to dealing with the opioid epidemic.

Thursday, several member chiefs met to discuss the announcement of the grant.

“The work being done by our partners in law enforcement and the treatment and healthcare industries is vital to combating this deadly epidemic. In Plymouth County and everywhere else, one overdose death is one too many,” Hanover Police Chief Walter Sweeney said.

Next week, PCO will be honored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and will be receiving the Leadership in Community Policing Award on Oct. 9 in Orlando, Florida.

About Plymouth County Outreach: Plymouth County Outreach is a collaborative of police departments throughout Plymouth County led by the following chiefs: Abington Chief David Majenski, Bridgewater Chief Christopher Delmonte, Bridgewater State University Chief David Tillinghast, Brockton Chief John Crowley, Brockton Police Lt. Richard Linehan, Carver Chief Marc Duphily, Duxbury Chief Matthew Clancy,

East Bridgewater Chief Scott Allen, Halifax Chief Ted Broderick, Hanover Chief Walter Sweeney, Hanson Chief Michael Miksch, Hingham Chief Glenn Olsson, Hull Chief John Dunn, Kingston Chief Maurice Splaine, Lakeville Chief Frank Alvihiera, Marion Chief John Garcia, Marshfield Chief Phillip Tavares, Mattapoisett Chief Mary Lyons,

Middleboro Chief Joseph Perkins, Norwell Chief Ted Ross, Pembroke Chief Richard Wall, Plymouth Chief Michael Botieri, Plympton Chief Patrick Dillon, Rochester Chief Robert Small, Rockland Chief John Llewellyn, Scituate Chief Michael Stewart, Wareham Chief John Walcek, West Bridgewater Chief Victor Flaherty and Whitman Chief Scott D. Benton.

Lakers football falls to Hingham

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The Silver Lake High football team went up against one of the top teams in the Patriot League and could not get much going against the formidable opponent in their homecoming bout.

The Lakers hosted the Hingham Harbormen on Saturday, Sept. 29, after playing on the road for the past few weeks. Ultimately, home field advantage did not help the Lakers as they fell 46-6, 1-3 on the season.

On the opening drive, the Lakers did make a great defensive stop on Hingham. Matt Gabra intercepted a pass at the Lakers’ own 4-yard line, giving his team some momentum. However, Hingham managed to force a safety on the Lakers to go up 2-0.

From there, Hingham proved themselves as the more dominant team in the bout. They had no problem moving the ball downfield, forced a Lakers interception and blocked a punt as they put up 24 unanswered points. In that span where the Lakers could not get much going offensively, punter Owen Thompson had a 54-yard boot that pinned Hingham at their own 10-yard line midway through the second quarter.

The Lakers lone touchdown of the game came with 3:11 in the first half. Quarterback Ben Lofstrom tossed a jump ball to wideout Bobby Ohlson who snagged it for a 31-yard touchdown grab. The team’s two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, so the Lakers trailed 24-6.

At halftime, the Lakers were down 32-6. The Lakers were unable to make a big second half comeback. They threw a pick six in their own red zone in the third quarter which put Hingham up 40-6 with a successful two point conversion.

This week, the Lakers will be challenged yet again. They will host the Plymouth North Eagles, who are 3-1 on the season, on Friday, Oct. 5 (7:00 p.m. start time).

New Highway Surveyor defends new speed limits Residents don’t like new speed limits in town

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PLYMPTON – Plympton Selectmen met Monday night and had some upset neighbors before them. The citizens were frustrated that speed limit signs were raised in some areas on Main Street, Center Street, and Parsonage Road.

Scott Ripley, new Highway Superintendent, came before the board to explain the situation.

“We’re getting a pretty pricey job done for free,” he said, explaining that MassDOT was upgrading street signs throughout the town at no cost. But, on the flip side, the speed limits, which are set by the state on both town and state roads, are being adjusted as well.

The project entails the replacement of signs, guardrails, and new line striping in Plympton, Rochester and Middleboro. Plympton is getting about $250,000 in free work from the state, according to Selectmen Chairman John Traynor.

The explanation did nothing to assuage residents’ concerns. Although they did not personally attack Ripley, he was certainly in the hot seat as question after question came from residents and selectmen.

The scene was a bit of a free-for-all, as Traynor did not ask residents to identify themselves, and people, in their enthusiasm, talked over one another.

Ripley, to much laughter, stated that the process to change a speed limit is for the town, at its own expense, to do a speed study, and then submit it to the state for final approval.

He said that the previous superintendent had signed off on the changes, but that the document was very confusing to read and about 90-pages long.

Vicki Alberti, of Main St., asked if the neighbors can individually complain. “Right now, we’re [Center Street] faster than Route 58.”

Ripley replied, “Yes, but the legality is the state sets the speed limits.”

He and the board later encouraged residents to call or write letters to MassDot Division 5, the division overseeing the work.

Selectman Mark Russo suggested that some of the areas were “thickly settled,” and would thus be subject to lower speed limits.

“My understanding of thickly settled is 200-feet between houses,” he said.

Traynor also brought up the fundamental speed limit warrant article that failed in Halifax. He wants to talk to Charlie Seelig, Halifax Town Administrator, in further detail about what such a proposal entails.

The Halifax article would have set a basic speed limit throughout the town, unless otherwise marked, which is not uncommon in area communities, but failed at their last Special Town Meeting.

Another audience member asked if trucks could be restricted on Main Street. Traynor said that he’d look into it.

One resident read all of the speed limits along her stretch of road. “They don’t make any sense…It doesn’t pass the silly test!” she exclaimed.

In other news:

• The board signed the warrant for the state election.

• The board directed the Town Administrator to send a memo to the Planning Board, alerting them to develop a marijuana zoning by-law for the town before the next Town Meeting.

• There are openings on the Finance Committee and the Planning Board.

• Town House will be closed Monday, Oct. 8 in observance of Columbus Day.

• The board next meets on Monday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. For the two hours prior to that meeting, from 4:30-6:30 p.m., selectmen and other town officials will welcome the public to an open house at Town House to give input on the “Master Plan” for the Town House Campus.

Dennett playground, roof, top school meeting agenda

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PLYMPTON — The Dennett School Committee on Sept. 24 approved Vice-chairman Jason Fraser and Principal Peter Veneto pursuing a plan to renovate the playground at the elementary school.

These renovations include a second swing set, additional wood chips to a depth of at least 9 inches for any fall of ten feet or less, and an expansion of the path for wheelchairs in the recess area. Fraser also wants to modernize the dinosaur-shaped jungle gym.

Additionally, Fraser and Veneto’s plan involved adding rubberized safety mats near the end of the slide and entrance to the playground fixture. There would also be additional matting near one of the swings. Fraser said all of this would be Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.

“Our playground is not ADA compliant, and if we ever had a child with mobility issues, we’d have a real moral dilemma of what to do to allow equitable access for all children,” Fraser told the committee.

Veneto said the playground is essentially the only thing tailored for younger kids during recess. He said most of the older kids are playing soccer, so this would be a great benefit to the younger grades.

Addressing the playground was first discussed in May 2015 and has been a permanent agenda item since June 2016. Priorities were shifted when the water treatment facility at Dennett needed replacing. Now that students have safe water, Fraser said the time to purchase a new playground is approaching.

According to Fraser, the budget for the playground is roughly $256,505.86. That budget includes 20 percent in contingency costs, but some of the larger costs are the playground equipment, which estimates at about $97,000 and swings costing roughly $36,000.

Fraser said the school hasn’t spent any of its school choice fund in the budget, which has accumulated $92,258.61 from out of district families. Another $40,000 is projected to come in by Fiscal Year 2019. By July 2019, Fraser and Veneto expect there to be $132,258 in that fund that they want to use for one-time expenditures such as playground renovations.

The committee would need about another $125,000 to complete the project. Fraser said the rest could be paid for if a Capital Plan request is approved and/or applying for grant funding through the Community Preservation Act.

Fraser said he believes some of the infrastructure is already there and the school just needs an engineer to look at the playground through a study. The contingency plan funding planned for a study, Fraser said.

School Committee Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen said he liked Fraser and Veneto’s idea for using the school choice funds. He said it’s the perfect use because the money goes right back to the students.

School Drop-Off Procedures

According to Veneto, parents are doing a much better job following school drop-off procedures that do not allow students to be dropped off until 8 a.m.

He said kids can be dropped off then and wait in the cafeteria until 8:15 a.m. before going to class. There will be staff in the cafeteria then, but not any earlier.

“Having those kids there without any supervision of any kind, that’s a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion,” Veneto said.

Roof Audit

Silver Lake Superintendent Joy Blackwood informed the school committee that an assessment of Dennett Elementary’s roof concluded that the school’s roof needs repairs. Blackwood said there have been issues with leaking.

For the repairs to be eligible for grant funding, Blackwood said the roof needs to be at least 20-years-old.

According to Wilhelmsen, some of the roof was built in the ‘90s while the rest was built in 2001. He said it would be worth looking into if the parts of the roof that were built in the ‘90s would be eligible for grant funding.

Principal’s Report

Dennett Elementary School started out with 200 students this September, according to Veneto.

He said some families left for whatever reason, but many homes are for sale in town. He believes it’s possible enrollment will increase by the end of the year.

Calendar

“The Dennett Goes Gold” for childhood cancer research fundraiser started this week. Veneto said there is a gold boot in the office to collect change for childhood cancer research. The campaign culminates with all students being asked to wear gold on Sept. 28

There is no school on Oct. 8 because of Columbus Day.

Parent-teacher conferences are Oct. 18. It’s also an early-release day.

The Halloween dance is Oct. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.