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Lingan Street house fire Sunday

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HALIFAX – An early morning blaze awakened neighbors Sunday in Halifax where they spotted flames just before 4 a.m., at 115  Lingan St., calling 911 and alerting the homeowners.

Firefighters arrived to heavy flames in a bedroom garage, which was converted but was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

The area was separated from the main structure of the home. Firefighters did a great job saving the house said Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, however, due to the high heat the vinyl siding was melted from most of the home.

  The Halifax building and wiring inspectors are part of the investigation to check whether the home was in compliance of local codes.

Firefighters were on scene for several hours. While the cause of the fire is undetermined at this time, it is not suspicious in nature, Viveiros said.

No individuals were injured, but a small pet perished in the fire. Early estimates put the damage at about $30,000.

Hanson fire provided mutual aid at the Halifax station.

FinCom considers Police Station

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met Monday April 5, putting the final polish on the articles that will be voted on at the Annual Town Meeting May 17, including the financing of the proposed Plympton Police Station.

The Finance Committee met before joining selectmen, exploring new options for financing the new building which is being proposed next to the existing Town House.

Specifically, the FinCom looked at the term length for financing the police station using the capital stabilization fund. According to them, financing the project for a 20-year term could save $70,000 a year.

Another plan explored was a 25-year term that would have decreased the annual payment even more, however, the Finance Committee wasn’t sure if the term was too long for a building 25 years into its life cycle.  Selectman John Traynor agreed, saying he liked the idea of the 20-year loan more, to the agreement of the rest of the board.

The FinCom said this may free up capital stabilization funds for needed items at the Dennett School, such as their water situation.

Paramedics shortage

Talks about the paramedics shortage, and potentially increasing their salaries was also considered. Traynor said he has received reports from Fire Chief Warren Borsari that the number of ambulance calls has increased.

With lower wages compared to Halifax and the private sector, Traynor told the board the town has lost both full and part-time staff, particularly on night shifts.  “Part time staff is still doing their required one shift per month,” Traynor said, but they are not signing up for other shifts because they are finding better wages at private businesses like Brewster and neighboring towns like Halifax and Carver.

There was disagreement from some members of the Finance Committee, wondering if the shortages were one hundred percent wage related or if there were other factors for some employees. FinCom member Eric Hart also cited that the greatest increase in volume of emergency calls was during the day rather than the night where the shortage has had the most effect.

Selectmen want to get the Finance Committee and Fire Chief Borsari at a board meeting to discuss this issue further and formulate plans on how the town should best move forward.

Discussions about an increase in hours for the Town Clerk position and staff were also considered with the Finance Committee. Both are working together to see how the hours will be distributed in the town budget.

The new Public Records Law has added more responsibility to the Town Clerk position. Finance Committee members want to see if the increased hours need to be permanent, so hiring temporary entry-level help was considered.  Traynor said he still thinks the Town Clerk needs an increase to the hours per week.

More discussions on this and other budget items will continue to be considered at the next selectmen’s meeting Monday, April 10.  In addition to the Finance Committee, Town Council, Town Meeting Moderator, Town Clerk, Accountant, and Treasurer will all be in attendance.

Outside of FinCom

Town Coordinator Dale Pleau announced the town has been awarded a grant for $5,500 towards the purchase or lease of an electric vehicle for the Police Department. The Board asked Pleau how much electric cars generally cost. Pleau says, “Some of the less expensive ones go for around $22,000.”

None of the Board of Selectmen members expressed a desire to put town funds into this project. They were under the impression the grant was an “all or nothing” deal.

The Board of Selectmen did tell Pleau to continue work on the grant and find out more information. Pleau also saidthere are additional state grant possibilities with the charging stations needed to run an electric car.

Selectwoman Christine Joy met with a representative from the Plympton Housing Production Plan Committee. The committee is working on a plan to meet affordable housing needs for the future.

Joy says the committee is looking for new members as well as non-committee members who want to attend a few meetings. The committee plans to put out a survey for ideas for more affordable housing.

Selectmen Clerk John Traynor is considering going to the transfer station on Saturdays to talk about town issues with citizens. He says that no one is booking appointments to meet with Selectmen and wants to consider giving people another option.

The next Board of Selectmen Meeting is Monday April 10, 2017. Open session starts at 6 p.m.

Baseball team ready to compete

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This could be just as good a year as any for the Silver Lake baseball team.

Fresh off a 21-6 season where they won first Division 1 South Sectional championship, the Lakers roster was not wiped out by graduation, which is always a positive indication.

Specifically, they will have a strong presence on the mound with Dan Collins, a junior, Trevor Dennett, a senior, and Alex Heffernan, a sophomore, back on the bump, anchoring their starting rotation.

“They all won big games for us last year, so their experience will be nice to have,” Lakers head coach Kenny Tocci said.

When he is not on the mound Collins, who was a Patriot League All-Star last year, is also a valuable third baseman.

Aidan O’Neill, a senior center fielder, enters his third year as a varsity starter, as does junior catcher Josh Harvey is now a three-year starter. Junior shortstop Steven Quigley is back at shortstop once again this year. Along with Collins, the trio should be a strong part of the Lakers lineup.

Another asset this Lakers team brings is their flexibility and willingness to do what is best for the team.

“We also have many guys who can play multiple positions and their versatility will help with making in game moves,” Tocci said.

Checking out his team’s schedule, Tocci said there was not one game that stood out as more important to win than another.

“Every game is a big game because we only have so many to play,” he said. “The most important is the game in hand. We don’t overlook anyone because our league is too good to do so and if we disrespect anyone by looking past them, that’s when bad things happen. Sounds cliché, but that’s truly our approach. No one game, no matter who it is against, means more than another. They all matter; that’s why we play them.”

While the Lakers have a talented squad, their main focus will just be improving each and every day.

“If we do that good things will happen,” Tocci said. “Proof is in how we’ve performed in that we have won the Patriot League five years in a row with the mentally of just focus on getting better each day, focus on one game at a time and in those games try and win one inning at a time and we will be fine.”

The Lakers begin their season on Tuesday, Apr. 4 against East Bridgewater.

Town Meeting and election preparation at Plympton Selectmen’s meeting

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Plympton Selectmen met Monday March 27, preparing for May’s special town meeting and elections.

Town Clerk Tara Shaw reported there are 14 open seats to be voted on at the election. Some key positions include open seats on the Board of Selectmen, Board of Health, and two open seats on the Finance Committee.

Tara Shaw said that the last day to submit nomination papers, with the required 20 certified signatures, to the Board of Registrars is Monday, April 4, 2017.

The Finance Committee will join selectmen at the Monday, April 10, meeting to review the town’s FY18 budget before town meeting, according to Selectmen Chair Colleen Thompson.

One item in the budget that may need to change is the position of Town Clerk. Town Clerk Tara Shaw told selectmen how the job description and hours needed have changed for her position since the implementation of the new public records law (Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2016, “An Act to Improve Public Records”).

Shaw wrote a new job description for the Town Clerk position that includes the responsibilities associated with staying compliant with the state mandate. Shaw told the board that while there have been many new state mandates since 2012, the new Public Records law has added most of her new responsibilities.

In order to reduce the number of public records requests, Shaw has tried to put up as much information online as possible so that the records can be available to any who want them. Right now, she is the only one managing the website. She did however add that Bridgette Martins, selectmen’s assistant, will make emergency posts and announcements to the website from time to time.

When she first became Town Clerk, 22 hours per week was the assumed work load, Shaw said. In order to stay compliant with the public records law, Shaw says she’s worked on average 32 hours per week. Shaw is asking selectmen for an additional 10 hours per week and another two hours per week for administrative help.

Town Coordinator Dale Pleau told selectmen, towns of similar size have had to hire (a new position) for the Public Records Law. Pleau and selectmen all acknowledged the amount of added work Shaw has taken on. Thompson affirmed that Shaw’s need is legitimate.

The question discussed was if all of the new public records law hours should be added as a responsibility to the town clerk. Selectman John Traynor wants Shaw, the Board, and the Finance Committee to do a workflow analysis and breakdown of the new responsibilities. He wasn’t sure if some of these responsibilities would go to the new Town Administrator position, an administrative assistant, or even other departments.

Talks on this budget question as well as others will continue on Monday April 10, 2017 when the Finance Committee meets with the Board of Selectmen.

Traynor brought his board current on the progress on the IT Grant application, and the addition of another laptop to the grant. If approved, the grant funds will also be used to cover software costs that will be used to streamline the Public Records Law compliance process.

Thompson, who is also chairman of the Public Safety Building Committee, showed selectmen the prepared brochures showing the new police station that will be voted on at May’s Annual Town Meeting. The brochures will be distributed to all residents of Plympton, and there are copies in the lobby of the Plympton Town House.

The Public Safety Building Committee will host two open houses at the current police station, Thompson said:  Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and Wednesday, April 12, 2017 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

The next selectmen’s meeting is Monday April 3.

Open session will start at 6 p.m.

Plympton Selectmen see new Public Safety Building plans

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PLYMPTON – On Monday, March 20, 2017, The Plympton Public Safety Committee presented a plan for a new police station to the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee. The project, estimated to cost about $3 million, will be voted on at the Annual Town Meeting in May. If approved, the town will put the project out to bid.

Dan Palotta, project manager from P-3 LLC, helped present the plans to the board. He said he believes the project can be financed using the capital stabilization fund, which means property taxes would not increase for this project.

Details of the proposed police station were also given by the chief designer from Donham and Sweeney LLC, Jeff Shaw. The police station will be a little over 6,000 square feet. It will be stick built and slab on grid, meaning there is no basement.

Shaw said the board also considered modular buildings, but the cost turned out to be much less for this stick built police station.

The plan also looks into the future as Donham and Sweeney created layouts of future possible station expansion, a new fire station, and parking reconfiguration.

The police station expansion and new fire station are not part of the plan going to bid, but they are projects the town is considering doing later. Keeping in mind the space and limitations of the town’s lot on Palmer Road, these future projects were things the committee as a whole wanted to consider as they build the new police station.

Back at the Public Safety Committee Meeting on January 4, 2017, committee member John Wilhelmson mentioned he wanted to look at how the police station would affect other events on the property. He said, “How do you plan for events at the library and ball fields? “ He and the rest of the board wanted to make sure the parking works for everything.

Dan Palotta, told the board the plan they have now will add 29 new parking spaces for the police station, which may help free up some of the other lots.

Finance Committee members asked about connecting the new parking lot to route 58 to help solve the traffic issue. Palotta said they will do this if the town can afford it. “We will have designs for a connecting parking lot at bid.” If not, it can be used as a plan for the future, he added.

Overall, selectmen expressed optimism for the plan. Selectmen Chairman Colleen Thompson also chaired the Public Safety Building Committee and told her board how the Committee worked extremely hard through dozens of meetings. Selectwoman Christine Joy also mentioned how far the committee has come since last year.

Information on the new police station will be available to the public shortly. There will be an open house presentation at the Police Station on April 8, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by another open house on April 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Other items discussed at the selectmen’s meeting included annual budget discussions with the Finance Committee who spent some time explaining how different positions would be affected by the new budget.

In particular, the committee asked selectmen about some potential changes to the position of Town Clerk. The committee told selectmen that Town Clerk Tara Shaw is asking for another ten hours of work per week and an additional hour per week for her support staff. There was also discussion about rewriting her job responsibilities.

The Finance Committee wanted some insight into this. Selectmen Clerk John Traynor said, “The new Public Records Law (Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2016, “An Act to Improve Public Records”) is adding a tremendous amount of work for Tara.” Traynor added the town is also in the midst of working on a technology grant to give Tara software to make staying compliant with the new law easier.

Other budget discussion talked about a potential increase to the year’s reserve fund. More budget discussions will take place when the Finance Committee meets with the Board of Selectmen on April 10, 2017.

The Board of Selectmen also addressed some of the implications of recreational marijuana legalization and the impending retail markets planned for 2018. According to Thompson and the rest of the board, the town currently is leaning towards a one year moratorium which would keep out retail establishments for at least a year. This gives the town time to look at how the market becomes regulated at the state level.

The Board of Selectmen also voted unanimously to hear a complaint received in a letter of correspondence to the board. The complaint is about the gun range on Route 58.

Selectmen vote to euthanize dog

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HALIFAX – Tuesday night, at the continued dog bite hearing, selectmen voted to euthanize a young male German shepherd whose apparently unprovoked attack caused great harm to a young woman who was visiting at Tarawood Kennels with kennel owner Jennifer “Bobbie” Choate.

The victim was present at the hearing, with her arm in a cast and a bandaged foot, as were the dog’s former owners, testifying on behalf of the dog.

Choate told selectmen that she has a person willing to take the dog, a man who works with problem dogs.   This person is out of state, she said.

The people who raised the dog had no incidents, Choate said.  She doesn’t know what triggered the attack.

The couple who raised the dog came to the hearing with their infant son, and told the board that the dog had been raised in their family, with an infant, a toddler, and two other children, and had no problems with the dog being aggressive. 

The Halifax Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan told selectmen that she had seen the dog and would characterize him as an Alpha dog, high energy, appearing healthy.  When asked by Selectman Kim Roy if she thought the dog could be placed, Callahan answered, “I don’t see him being placed with a family.” 

Callahan furthered, “If I was at the site of the attack, I could say more,” but not seeing the attack, the reason for the attack is difficult to discern.

Roy said her biggest concern is for the liability of the town, should the dog attack again.  When Selectman Tom Millias said that any agreement to transfer ownership of the dog would need to be iron-clad in that the Town of Halifax could in no way be held liable.

Roy told her board she didn’t want to spend even a penny of the townspeople’s money to have an attorney draft such an agreement.   “This was a vicious attack.”

Millias asked if the person out of state had actually agreed to take him.  Choate said he did, but that she, too, was concerned about the liability if the dog were to bite again.

Roy asked the victim if she had ever had a dog bite her before, and she answered that she had, but that this incident was unprovoked.  The young woman suffered a broken arm and as many as 29 puncture wounds, and an injured foot.

Troy Garron, selectmen chairman, told the assembly, “You’re playing Russian Roulette … I’ve been around dogs all my life.” Even though he said he didn’t want to see the dog euthanized, he wasn’t comfortable passing the problem to someone else.

Milias said it is unfortunate to ship the dog out of state to then potentially hurt someone else.

Roy moved that the dog be euthanized, but added, “We all feel awful!” 

Town administrator Charlie Seelig noted that there is a 10-day appeal period from March 28, the date of the hearing, which would end April 7. 

Choate said she would not appeal.

The dog is still under 45-day quarantine, which is required by law.

In other business, selectmen:

• appointed Joanne Andrews as a Republican member of the Board of Registrars.

• appointed Richard Gilcoine as fence viewer, effective June 30.

• congratulated Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor for her certification as a Commonwealth Town Clerk.

• signed a one-day permit for MudFest Sunday, June 18, Father’s Day performance. 

Halifax’s Stewart helps NDA Hockey to State Title

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This has become a regular thing for the Notre Dame Academy (Hingham, Mass.) girls’ hockey team, and one local was a major part of their success.

The Cougars finished their season 23-0-1 and on Sunday, Mar. 19, they topped Canton High, 5-2, in the Division 2 State Championship at TD Garden. The team is led by their three junior captains on defense, including Halifax’s Meredith Stewart.

“It’s amazing,” Stewart said of the win. “I didn’t even think it was real until the final buzzer sounded. It’s just amazing to be able to come here two years in a row and win it with your teammates.”

For the Cougars, not only was the win significant in that they proved themselves as the top school in their division, but they also defended last year’s state title–their first in school history.

Albeit the Cougars returned a talented squad this season, one thing really stood out: they did not have any seniors on their roster. As a result, it led to some players having to step up and lead the squad at a younger age, including Stewart.

“We had good role models last year,” she said. “Our captains last year kind of paved the way for us. We just relied on each other and encouraged each other all year. It worked out well.”

Stewart was a fixture on a Cougars defense that allowed a mere 27 goals in 24 games this season. Statistically speaking, they were arguably the state’s top defense this season. So what made them so special?

“We have some experience back there and worked really hard,” she said. “We encouraged one another, believed in each other which got ourselves through those games.”

While it is still about a year away, perhaps the Cougars could win a third straight title next season. After all, they had no seniors on this year’s squad, so they could retain their entire team and gain talent from an incoming freshman class.

Of course, there are no guarantees as there is always the potential for transfers, but the Cougars should be in contention once again next season.

Halifax’s Grindle making a major impact on Bridgewater State softball

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Usually, it takes awhile before freshmen make any sort of significant contributions to a team, whether it be in high school or college athletics. This is especially the case when there are six seniors and four juniors on the team, but that has been anything but the case for one Halifax native playing college softball locally.

On the Bridgewater State softball team, Halifax’ Shannon Grindell has not wasted any time adjusting to the rigors of college athletics. The freshman, who plays shortstop and third base, is emerging as one of her team’s top players.

In the first week of her collegiate career, she played in ten games and hit .324 with two doubles and 10 RBI. She even led the team with a .471 slugging percentage.

What has made her career in the making even more impressive is that she hit a homerun in her first career at-bat for the Bears against Mount Mary on March 5.

The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference noticed her strong start to her career and named her their Softball Rookie of the Week on Monday, Mar. 13.

To start the week, Grindell had hits in seven of her 10 games and had a combined four hits in her past two games.

Grindell also had a memorable high school career at Silver Lake, from which she graduated in 2016. Some may remember she hit a walkoff homerun in the 11th inning of the Division 1 South sectional finals her junior year against King Philip in 2015.

The Bears were 4-6 on the season to start the season and spent the first week of the season playing doubleheaders in Naples and Fort Myers, Florida before they came back up north to start league play against UMass Boston on Thursday, Mar. 23. Thursday’s doubleheader against UMass Boston was also the Bears first home games.

Tarawood Dog Bite Hearing continued to March 28

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Thursday March 16, 2017. Normally, the board meets on Tuesday nights, however the snowstorm that closed Halifax and Silver Lake schools, also closed the Halifax Town Hall.  The meeting was postponed until Thursday, March 16.

Halifax selectmen spent much of their meeting on a dog bite hearing, which saw Tarawood Kennels, 7 Plymouth St., Halifax, face the board, calling to account for a a serious dog attack took place at the Tarawood Kennels on February 19.

A 14-month old German Sheppard attacked a woman causing serious injuries including a broken arm, a deep laceration to the arm with twenty puncture holes, and a leg injury.

According to the report, Kathleen and Tarawood Kennels owner Bobbi Choate were sitting outside and socializing with the 14-month old German Shepherd. The dog sniffed Kathleen’s arm and then suddenly attacked without any provocation.

Kathleen says, “The dog jumped on me and I pushed him away.” She added that the dog jumped on her again and then viciously attacked her. Since the attack, the dog was placed on a segregated 45-day quarantine where only Choate has had contact with the dog.

Choate told selectmen, “The dog wasn’t socialized with other dogs and not much with people either.” Choate also said she witnessed him show aggressive behavior with other dogs since being at Tarawood kennels.

Kathleen has dogs of her own and says she has been bit in the past, but she’s never been “viciously attacked” like this.” Selectmen Chairman Troy Garron suggested the German Sheppard may have smelled other dogs on Kathleen’s arm which might have caused an instinctive reaction if the dog hadn’t been socialized with other dogs.

The dog first arrived at Tarawood Kennels on January 30, 2017 when Justine and Patrick McCarthy returned him. They said they brought back the German Sheppard because he was too high-strung and could not afford the medical costs to neuter him. Complications can make the normally routine procedure cost as much as $1,200.

The McCarthys did however object to the claims Choate made about the dog not being socialized with other dogs or people.

Justine McCarthy said, “He never bit anyone (before). He was very hyper, but I wouldn’t describe him as aggressive.” She also told selectmen she has two young children as well as another dog, a small Shiatzu.

Patrick McCarthy also added that his father brought his dog over on multiple occasions. They even brought the German Sheppard camping with them.

The board and Choate remained skeptical though. Choate didn’t question that they brought the dog camping, but if it was ever around any other dogs while camping. Her experiences with the dog lead her to believe that the dog was not well socialized with other dogs. At one point, Choate, whose kennel specializes in German Shepherds even admitted she’s sometimes nervous around the dog.

As of right now, all three members of the Board of Selectmen voiced that they were leaning towards euthanizing the dog considering the serious injuries he inflicted and the unknown chances for improved behavior.

Considering the neutering will cost $1,200, the board believed it would be difficult for that expense to be borne by many but a committed owner. Selectmen Vice-chairman Tom Millias mentioned that due to the complications, there may be an issue of the dog over producing testosterone, which would lead to heightened aggression.

Selectmen clerk Kim Roy said, “I’m inclined to have the dog euthanized unless a good reason by Animal Control is given otherwise.”

Justine McCarthy voiced displeasure with these opinions because she claims she was told by the animal inspector the dog could be taken on by a canine officer. There was no record of this at the meeting, however Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan was not able to attend the hearing because she had to leave due to a prior call.

The hearing with Callahan’s testimony will continue on Tuesday, March 28, 2017.

Though the dog hearing took up the majority of the Board of Selectmen Meeting, the Board did address some other items. The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to reappoint Amy Troupe to the town’s Beautification Committee.

According to the town website, “The Beautification Committee works to improve the landscape of the Town’s properties including the areas around public buildings, along the streets and traffic islands by planting flowering plants, bushes and other vegetation and helping to keep these areas free from litter.”

Selectmen also took time to speak about the upcoming Annual Town Meeting in May. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said he thinks it may be a good idea to put volunteer boards up for vote at May’s meeting.

Seelig said, “We’d have descriptions of committees, we’d have the forms, we’d have the vacancies we have right now. Since these people are interested in coming to Town Meeting, maybe they’d be interested in joining a committee also.” Overall, the idea was well received by Selectmen.

Live Event Permit Granted at Jason Conroy’s fundraiser for Matthew James Adam Hope House for Substance Abuse

Selectmen approved a fundraiser at 21 Jordan Rd., Halifax, owned by Jason Conroy who’s trying to start the Matthew James Adam Hope House for Substance abuse, which he says pending zoning, will start up in Plympton.

Jason Conroy says, “I lost my sixth friend in six weeks to the opioid epidemic.” He wants to do something about the serious problem of addiction running rampant throughout not only the South Shore, but the whole country.

Conroy has reached out to several large automotive dealers to sponsor the fundraising event he’s holding on his property on Friday March 24, 2017 from 7-11pm.

As far as turnout, Conroy is hoping for 150 people and will have a police detail at the event to make sure everyone is having fun and staying safe.

The board wanted to make sure there won’t be a bonfire or fireworks, which Conroy assured neither will happen. The Board approved the event providing Conroy is compliant with all permits he needs. Kim Roy added she has experience working on the state’s Opioid Task Force and thinks this is a worthy cause.

Selectmen will next meet on Tuesday March 28.

Missing Teens are found safe

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PLYMPTON – The town breathed a collective sigh of relief when the follow-up “robocall” came to Plympton residents at 12:07 p.m. on Tuesday that the missing teens had been found and were safe.

At 11:05 p.m. Monday night, Plympton Police put out an automatic call to all Plympton residents:  “We are currently searching for a missing teenager, Sydney Adams, white female, approximately 5’4”, 120 lbs., brown hair, brown eyes, last seen wearing black pants and a white sweatshirt with “TEXAS” across the front.   She was last seen with a Donald Johnson, 14, from Kingston.  Any information on her whereabouts, please immediately contact the Plympton Police Department at 781-585-3339.”

Kim Adams, Sydney’s mother, also posted photos and messages requesting help on the Plympton Facebook page, bringing the community into the search.  The response was overwhelming.   “It takes a village…” was the recurring theme once the news was announced that the two were safe.

When the phone rings late at night, it isn’t usually good news, and the missing teenagers were on everyone’s mind.  The first thing said among friends and neighbors Tuesday morning was, “Have they found them yet?”

Adams posted her thanks to all who helped.

Plympton Police issued the following statement:,

“The Plympton Police Department is happy to announce that both Sydney Adams and Donald Johnson have been located.  Both are safe and have been transported to area hospitals, as a precaution, for evaluation.  We would like to thank the Massachusetts State Police, Kingston Police, Pembroke Police, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department and SEMLEC Search & Rescue for their assistance in the matter.  We would like to thank the Plympton Fire Department with their assistance this morning.  We would finally like to thank the many members of the community that assisted in the search and the numerous telephone calls we received from concerned citizens with tips.”