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Trump pledges unity

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Tracy F. Seelye

Express Staff

Voters in Halifax and Plympton showed their support for a change, joining the rest of the country in voicing their displeasure at the status quo. Halifax brought 78.6% of its electorate to the polls, and Plympton saw  83.9% of its voters cast their ballots.

A victorious Donald J. Trump addressed his supporters and the country about 3 a.m. on Wednesday, pledging his presidency would work to unify a deeply divided country.  Following a night that surprised and shocked political pundits left and right, Trump was gracious in his remarks and praised Secretary Clinton for her “courageous and hard fought campaign” and her years of public service to the country.

“We owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country,” Trump said.  “Now is the time for America to bind the wounds of division  – we have to get together … It is time for us to come together as one united people.”

“I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans,” Trump said, reaching out to those who opposed him in an effort to “work together and unify our great country.”

Clinton had called Trump to concede and “congratulated us   it’s about us” on the win.   She had earlier sent her supporters home as several states were still too close to call, only to see them quickly shift toward Trump.

Clinton gave her concession speech to the country Wednesday morning, and also spoke to the need for unity in the wake of the election.

“I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans,” she told supporters and staff.  “This is painful and it will be for a long time … but our campaign was never about one person or even one election.  It was about the country we love.”

State Representative Geoffrey Diehl, (R-Whitman), state co-chairman for the Trump campaign had predicted the win Tuesday afternoon, insisting that polls favoring a Clinton win were in error.

“I’m extremely pleased with the election of Donald Trump,” he said.  “Being the first Massachusetts elected official to endorse him, I recognized that he will take on the establishment in D.C. to make government work for us, not against us.”

Diehl, who ran unopposed, will return to his seat in the 6th Congressional District and pledged, “I will continue to work to make a positive difference for our families each and every day.”

Representative Tomas J. Calter III, D-Kingston, was returned to his seat in the state legislature, as voters in Plympton and Halifax re-elected him to the 12th Plymouth District with 3238 to challenger Peter Boncek’s 1921, giving him a 602 vote majority in those two towns.  Calter also represents Kingston, and a precinct in Duxbury.

Plympton and Halifax also followed the trends throughout the Commonwealth in the four questions on the ballot:

Question 1, asking for an additional license for a slots parlor, was turned down by both towns.  Question 2, the hotly contested Charter Schools question was resoundingly defeated, despite the heavy advertising on both sides.  Question 3, which asked that farm animals be treated humanely, was overwhelmingly supported, and Question 4, asking if marijuana use should be allowed for those over the age of 21, passed.

Halifax voters said “No” to Question 5, specific to Halifax, asking voters to exempt Halifax from Proposition 2 ½ restrictions for the future bond issue to renovate the Council on Aging Center at Pope’s Tavern.

Halifax COA Halloween Party

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The Halifax COA held their Halloween Party at the Great Hall in the Halifax Town Hall at noontime with entertainer Roger Ticknell from Shutesbury, MA, playing 50s and 60s music, dancing music and interactive entertainment with the audience.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros and firefighters served lunch to the seniors, a tradition which we hope to continue from now on!

The pumpkins on each table and decorated on stage were done by the seniors more than two weeks ago as an event at the Council on Aging

Also, Joan & Harry Towne dressed up and decorated a scary dessert/beverage table. The Traveling Chef, Mark, came from Old Colony Elder Services to make vegetable & chicken Panini that were delicious.

Selectmen hear from Chief of challenges facing Fire Dept. staffing

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PLYMPTON – Fire Chief Warren Borsari appeared before the Board of Selectmen Monday night to share his vision of the Plympton Fire Department and outline some of the challenges he and his department are currently facing.

The greatest challenge, Borsari told the board, is staffing for the ambulance: Currently we have two round the clock  personnel at the station, PB service, which is a paramedic and a basic EMT for each 12-hour shift.   Since the Commonwealth’s more stringent regulations in certifying paramedics, fewer pass the test and there are fewer paramedics “in the pool,” Borsari told selectmen.  “Over 80% of what we do is ambulance runs.”

Borsari told the board that he is required to have 24-hours a day or the state will pull our license.

Selectman Christine Joy asked the chief if the ambulance service is paying for itself now.  Chief Borsari answered  “No.  We just don’t have the call volume.” Borsari said that they were attempting to bring the volume up through mutual aid calls from nearby towns.  “All towns attempt to handle their own calls, and then call mutual aid when needed,” he said.  Borsari estimated that Plympton’s call volume would crack 600 this year.

The ambulance receipts account, which was set up in the early 2000s, has grown each year, from $150,000 in 2014, to $198,000 in 2015, and is at $182,000 with two months left to go in 2016.  The chief praised the new ComStar system of billing: the medics come back from an ambulance run, complete their call sheet in the computer, and the information is sent to ComStar where a bill is generated.

EMTs, paramedics, ambulance equipment, lease payments,  medicines and ambulance supplies, can all be taken from that account, which would help the overall levy on Plympton real estate taxes.

Borsari told the board he was looking at several things in bringing a high level of ambulance services to Plympton.  Outsourcing, he said, would cost the town $400,000 to $500,000 per year and the service provider would take all the ambulance receipts as well.

Regionalization is an area to be investigated, as it would increase our asset base. “We are making contact with all four towns around us,” Borsari told selectmen.

Chief Borsari also noted that he is looking to Citizens for Citizens, a group which provides senior citizens who would like to work, the opportunity to work at the Plympton Fire Station about 20 hours a week to answer phones, and do other office work.

The Chief will return to selectmen in about a month, to report further.

In other business

• Selectmen are putting out an invitation to Plympton citizens who would like to take on the task of reviewing Plympton’s bylaws to see if any need updating.  Interested persons should contact the secretary to the selectmen, Brigitte Martins, at 781-585-2700.

• Kopelman & Paige attorneys were the only applicants to submit a bid for the job as town counsel.  The board is considering several of the pricing options that K&P has offered.

• The gravel removal permit on Ring Road has lapsed and despite several efforts to contact the applicant, there has been no response.  The board has sent a letter that the permit has expired as of Oct. 27, and to cease all gravel removal until a new permit is granted.

• Former Planning Board member Dominique Sampson has agreed to fill out the term of Planning Board chairman Irv Butler who would like to resign.  The Nov. 14 meeting of the Planning Board will see those votes taken.

• Treasurer/Collector Colleen Morin sent a letter to selectmen saying that her department is adopting the same every other week schedule as selectmen, that many Monday evenings when selectmen are not meeting, she is open but has had not one person come in.

• Plympton selectmen will next meet   Monday, Nov. 14.

New face at the window at the Plympton Post Office

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Plympton postal patrons have been greeted by a new smile at the window this week as Hanson resident Kimberly Newcomb took the reins Saturday, Oct. 29.

Kim has been with the Postal Service for 16 years, though on the “city side” of the post office.  This is her first experience on the rural side, she admits.  “It will be a learning experience.”

She was a letter carrier for eight years, and a city manager for North Weymouth for three and a half years, a supervisor in Wellesley Hills, and Arlington.  She also delivered mail out of Dorchester Center.

She has seen much of the “city side” of the post office, this is her first experience on the rural side of the post office.   City is more walking, where the mail comes in “staged,” all sorted and ready for the carrier to take it out.  “There’s very little mail that needs to be sorted, in a city post office,” she said.  “Rural is truck routes, where more of the mail is sorted by the rural carrier.

Kim grew up in Quincy, and although her work in the post office has been mainly in cities, she is really enjoying the rural setting of Plympton.

“This week a lady came in and was mailing chickens.  Live chickens!  You just don’t see that in the city.”

She’s also enjoying the 10-minute commute.  “When I worked in Arlington, it took three hours each way!”

Kim has been married 23 years and she and her husband have a 17-year old son.

“We like camping a lot with a 30’ travel trailer and go from spring through fall,” she said.  “We bounce around but Canoe River in Mansfield is one of our favorites so far.”

She also enjoys reading.  “My mother is a librarian so I read most anything, from comedy to detective stories.”  Stephanie Plumb mysteries by Janet Evanovich are favorites.

Kim looks forward to learning the rural side of things and enjoys the Plympton community. 

Stop in and say hello. 

Halifax new Quint Tower

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On Saturday, Oct. 29, the moment finally arrived when the pristine black and crimson Quint Tower pulled onto the apron of the Halifax Fire Department.

With the bay doors open the engine was turned around to face busy route 106 where residents and passersby honked and waved as they drove by.  Many families stopped in to try out the seat, hold the steering wheel and take selfies in the back of the cab.

The 2016 Rosenbauer Quint Tower was bought with a FEMA Grant ‘Assistance to Firefighters’ for $714,200.

The state of the art tower can hold 500 gallons of water has 1000 feet of large diameter hose, pumps 1500 gallons per minute and the aerial deck gun can be operated remotely from the ground, according to Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros.

In the instance of limited manpower, the aerial can be operated without having someone in the bucket, he said.

The grant was received in July 2015 and the awarded bid went to Rosenbauer where the quint was manufactured and constructed at one of their plants in South Dakota.  It was then driven to Nebraska and then to Attleboro.

The 55,300 pound body of aluminum and galvanized steel ladder and frame was driven to Nebraska for a UL (Underwriter’s Laboratory) inspection, an independent company to properly accredit and certify that the engine was made as specified.

It then was moved for the last of its testing to check the fluids in Attleboro where it received a last once-over and tune up and complete detailing.

  Viveiros and LT. Billy Palma had taken two trips to the plant in South Dakota to check on the progress of the tower as it was being constructed and were able to address some issues that were corrected before it was shipped. In keeping with the colors of the existing fleet Halifax has had black over red starting around 2001, Viveiros told the Express.

The graphics and hues harmonize with the existing fleet.

Five firefighters can travel in the cab of the truck, two in the front and three in the back jump seats.

The technology in comparison with the old ladder from 1989 is tremendous.  The old engine will now go up for bid and no longer meets today’s safety standards.  It can never be used as a working fire apparatus again.

“It didn’t have a pump and didn’t carry water it took approximately eight to ten minutes to set up. The new tower is set up in two minutes, “ Viveiros said.

This week, staff will be transferring the equipment; new radios were installed, and an outside company will begin training us, said Viveiros.

“Everyone in town has been really happy – seeing a shiny, new fire truck.  We have received a lot of positive feedback. People have been stopping in and looking it over, he said.

  All three selectman welcomed the truck on Saturday.

“We are extremely happy,” he said.

There is a sealed bid starting at $100 for the old engine until Nov. 14 said Chief Viveiros. . For more information contact the selectman’s office.

Lakers top W-H

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Regardless of what happened, neither team was going to win the Patriot League Keenan Division Championship, nor would either be eliminated from playoff contention. Perhaps the biggest takeaway was playoff seeding.

And if playoff seeding was the most important aspect of the game, then consider the Silver Lake high school football team (6-1, 4-1 Patriot League Keenan Division) winners — twice.

On Friday, the Lakers task was to try to defeat the Whitman-Hanson Panthers (4-3, 2-3 Patriot League Keenan Division). In that, they were successful. They came away with an 18-7 win at home. But seeing how they entered the weekend projected as the No. 3 seed in the Division 2A South Sectional tournament, the real win for them might have been securing a home playoff game.

Early on in, it was the Lakers who had momentum. In the first quarter, they had a pair of scores. Driving down field, the Lakers scored first — on a 10-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Alec Snell. He threw it to his twin brother, Carson, a wide receiver, for the score. The 2-point conversion attempt was no good.

As the quarter progressed, the Lakers found themselves on another scoring drive. And this scoring drive was capped off by senior running back Josh Chapman. He ran it six yards into the end zone, putting the Lakers up, 12-0, late in the first quarter. The conversion attempt was no good.

Defensively, the Lakers did what they had to do and made stops when needed. Regardless, they allowed Panthers quarterback Ethan Phelps to throw for over 100 yards and run for over 100 yards. In all, the Lakers allowed over 200 rushing yards. That might sound like a team struggling on defense but for every big play they allowed, there was a big stop preventing the Panthers from scoring later in the drive.

The Lakers let up a touchdown in the second quarter, despite not scoring one themselves. Phelps reached the end zone on a 15-yard run. The extra point attempt was good. But the Lakers still led, 12-7.

While the Lakers held momentum in the first half, it really came on their side in the second. They shut the Panthers out in those two quarters and while their offense did not score, Chapman returned the second-half opening kickoff for a 90-yard touchdown. And the Lakers 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.

Halifax overnight parking ban

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen has sent out the Town’s annual notice concerning the overnight parking ban in Halifax from November 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 (see attached).

In addition, the Board has reiterated that the Halifax Highway Department is not responsible for damage to property placed on Town property or within the rights-of-way for streets plowed by the Town.

This includes but is not limited to mailboxes sprinkler systems, trees, shrubs or landscaping, fences, lightpoles, etc.

In most cases, the Town owns 10 feet beyond the asphalt surface for roads accepted by the Town. Mailboxes should be installed at least four feet from the edge of the asphalt to the front of the mailbox.

Many of the plows that are used have a wing that extends two feet or more beyond the cutting edge.

This, combined with the snow coming off the plow, is what causes most of the damage. It is impossible for the driver to see the edge of the asphalt under the snow; therefore, the plow may be off the edge of the road at times.

In heavy snow conditions, the Department tries to push the snow at least a foot off the road.

There is a parking ban during the winter from November 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017.

Halifax finance ballot question Nov. 8

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In Halifax, included on the election ballot for the November 8 election, along with the four state-wide referenda (additional slot-machine parlor, charter schools, regulation for raising farm animals, marijuana legalization), is one specific to Halifax. It reads as follows:

Shall the Town of Halifax be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to pay for the repairs, renovations and expansion of the Council on Aging Center/Pope’s Tavern including the payment of all costs incidental or related thereto?

The Halifax Board of Selectmen placed this question on the ballot in case a future Town Meeting approves borrowing money for the renovation and addition to the Council on Aging Center/Pope’s Tavern but makes funding for the project contingent upon approval of a debt exclusion (an approved debt exclusion allows the Town to pay a particular debt with an increase in taxes above and beyond the normal levy limit).

If this question was not placed on the November 8 ballot and a future Town Meeting approved borrowing the money contingent upon the debt exclusion, another election, at additional cost, would have had to be held.

The approval or disapproval of this question is not the same as approving or disapproving this project.

That will be a decision made by a future Town Meeting.

That Town Meeting will have several options for funding including other sources of funding along with borrowing and can decide to have the borrowing contingent on a debt exclusion or to have the borrowing paid for within the levy limit.

1) If I vote “yes” on Question 5, does that mean I am approving the project?

“No”

2) If I vote “no” on Question 5, does that mean I am disapproving the project?

“No”

3) If Question 5 is approved, does that mean that the project is approved?

“No”

4) If Question 5 is disapproved, does that mean that the project is disapproved? “No”

The approval or disapproval of Question 5 simply provides or eliminates an option for funding the project.         Approval or disapproval of the project will be subject to a vote at a Special Town Meeting late this fall or early this winter.

If you have any questions about Question 5, please contact the Halifax Selectmen’s Office at 781-294-1316.

Early Voting sees success

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Town Clerks throughout the area are seeing a large turnout of early and absentee ballots for the upcoming presidential election Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Halifax Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor said has just over 5% of her town’s registered voters have come in for early voting and absentee ballot requests.  “I see that the elderly are finding it easier – they don’t have to wait in long lines.”  In the first two days, Monday and Tuesday, Halifax has had 145 people in for early voting and 140 absentee ballot requests, for a total of 285.  “The first day we saw 75 early voters in eight hours.  That’s about 10 voters per hour. “

Plympton’s Town Clerk Tara Shaw said that in the first two days 86 early voters cast their ballots, and 60 absentee ballots were mailed.  “I was hoping this would be a success because of all the hard work we have all put into it for the past couple of weeks,” she said.  With the 146 ballots between early and absentee, morer than 2% of the registered voters have already cast their ballots.

Gaynor said she is glad she is working in a smaller town, “Some larger towns have seen a huge increase in early voting.”  “We have our closed facebook page and communicate with one another,” she said.   

Whitman’s early voting total in the first two days was almost 600, more than the entire voting total for the primary election in September which was only 347, according to Whitman’s Town Clerk Dawn Varley.

Early voting will continue through Friday, Nov. 4, throughout the Commonwealth.

In Halifax, it will be available during normal business hours for the Town Clerk at the Town Clerk’s office: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Friday, Nov. 4, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.  In Plympton, it will be Monday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Tuesday through Thursday, Nov. 1 to Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also, registered voters have the option to request an early voting ballot through the mail.  Simply fill out an application and mail it to Town Clerk, Town of Plympton, 5 Palmer Rd., Plympton, MA 02367.  In Halifax, mail your early voting  ballot request to Town Clerk’s Office, 499 Plymouth St., Halifax, MA 02338.

You can find the application on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele or call the Town Clerk’s office – 781-293-7970 for Halifax or 781-585-3220 for Plympton.

Please note, however, once a voter has cast an early voting ballot, the voter may no longer vote at the polls on Election Day.

Secretary of State William F. Galvin says,, “For the first time in Massachusetts, the first choice all voters will make is which day to vote.

“Early voting will make the most fundamental right of our citizens more convenient than ever to exercise.

“We encourage all of our citizens to exercise that right and take advantage of the opportunity to vote on their schedules.”

Walmart gives HFD $2,000 donation

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The Halifax Fire Department would like to graciously thank the Halifax Walmart for their generous donation of $2000.

Every year the fire department applies for local, state and federal grants and puts the money to good use in purchasing state of the art equipment, protective gear and training.

Like anything else the purchase of advanced equipment and gear weighs heavily on department budgets and we rely on the grant process to supplement our capital and operating budgets.

This money will be used in purchasing a new SCBA mask with a built-in Thermal Imager camera.  The SCBA mask (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) is what we use to enter hostile and hazardous environments.  The Thermal Imaging component of it further enhances our operational capability by giving us the ability to see radiant heat signatures in a smoke filled environment.

These heat signatures are used to detect other people or firefighters who may be in danger or in need of a rescue.  This mask will be put to use right away on our front line piece of apparatus and will help give us another cutting edge that we need to effectively do our jobs.

Captain Jeffrey Cuozzo, Halifax Fire Department