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Zika virus – what you need to know

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Express Correspondent

HALIFAX/PLYMPTON– State and local officials are warning Massachusetts residents about the Zika virus. The virus, making headlines nationally, is making its way north from South and Central America into US territories such as Puerto Rico and onto the US mainland in states such as New Jersey, Texas and Florida.

Zika is usually spread by certain types of mosquitoes. It is extremely unlikely that anyone could become infected with Zika from a mosquito bite in Massachusetts because the kinds of mosquitoes that are known to carry Zika are not found here, say officials. But travelers to zika-ridden parts of the world are warned.

At this time, only people traveling to places with ongoing Zika virus outbreaks or engaging in sexual activity with someone who has traveled to these places are at risk for getting the infection. If you or your partner is planning to travel, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends you check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices for information about where the Zika virus is occurring.

Most people– nearly 80%– who are exposed to Zika will not get sick. Those who do get sick may experience symptoms several days after infection that may include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). Occasional immune system issues have occurred, rarely.

Although Zika virus is usually spread by mosquito, the virus can also be spread from a man to his partner during unprotected sexual contact and from a pregnant woman to her baby during pregnancy or around the time of birth.

Until more is known, pregnant women and couples trying to become pregnant should postpone travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing, according to the federal and state officials. Pregnant women should talk to their healthcare provider first and take great care to avoid mosquito bites during the trip. Further travel advice for pregnant women is available at this CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/pdfs/zika-pregnancytravel.pdf.

If you are trying to become pregnant and have potentially been exposed to Zika through travel or sexual activity, the CDC has provided suggested time periods to wait before trying to become pregnant, generally 8 or more weeks after exposure.  You should consult with your healthcare provider for more information.

Recently, there is also concern that Zika could be transmitted through blood transfusions from an infected donor, as well as breast milk, urine and saliva but transmission potential from these sources is still being investigated.

Although Zika virus has been known to cause infection in people in Africa and Asia since the 1950’s, outbreaks of Zika infection have occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands only more recently. During 2015, Zika virus was found in South America for the first time. Since then, it has spread to many countries in Central and South America, the Caribbean and some of the Pacific Islands, resulting in a very large outbreak of public health concern.

Plympton Police, Fire Depts. call numbers for 2015

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PLYMPTON– The recently released annual town report from Plympton shows some interesting figures, which indicate that both Police and Fire Departments were busy in calendar year 2015.

The Plympton Police Department, led by Chief Patrick Dillon, reported an overall total of 1,145 violations, 51 motor vehicle accidents (leading to three fatalities), 172 records requests filled, and 35 firearm licenses issued.

Of the 1,145 violations, 30 people were arrested, while 107 received criminal citations ordering them to appear in court. 133 criminal cases were successfully closed and prosecuted, the document indicates.

171 citations for civil infractions were issued, as well.

The rest of the violations resulted in either verbal (370) or written (471) warnings.

Police report that they handled a wide variety of crimes, from personal to property incidents although the most serious crimes occurred in very small numbers– generally one or two for the year. But there are large numbers of motor vehicle infractions– which is consistent with Chief Dillon’s statements over time that the Plympton Police focus heavily on motor vehicle infractions.

Dillon also has a word to the wise: wear your seatbelt; it can save your life. Despite the fact that not wearing your seatbelt is not a primary violation– an officer cannot initiate a stop because you don’t have your seatbelt on, but you can be cited if you’re stopped for something else– the Plympton Police are cracking down this year on those who don’t buckle-up.

In 2015, they reported only seven citations for seatbelt violations. As of this week, they’ve already issued 22, more than tripling the total number from last year in the first five months of this year.

“It’s a point of pride for certain officers.  People will hopefully remember that ticket, and wear their seatbelt next time they get into their cars,” said Dillon.

Chief Dillon pointed out that the health or well-being of a police force or community couldn’t necessarily be measured objectively by the number of arrests, or crimes committed. Many factors are at play, he says.

Dillon also wanted the public to be aware that the department isn’t necessarily there to crack down on accidental forgetfulness. For example, at the discretion of an officer, an unregistered motor vehicle can be renewed roadside during a traffic stop if you happen to be carrying a mobile-phone and a credit card.

Because this information is updated to police databases immediately, you might drive away with a warning. Although this isn’t an invitation to stop taking care of your responsibilities as a car-owner, it is a huge break for anyone pulled over who accidently forgot to renew their registration.

The Fire Department, under the leadership of Chief Warren Borsari, reports that his department responded to 496 calls in 2015, representing 371 EMS calls and 125 fire service calls.

He reports, as does the Plympton Police Department, a steady increase in call volume over the last several years.

Memorial Day in Halifax

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HALIFAX– With inclement weather predicted, followed by torrential downpours on Memorial Day morning, traditional parades and outdoor ceremonies were canceled by town officials, a decision that was very hard to make, according to Selectman Kim Roy.

“The veterans we’re honoring often suffered through war. We can get a little wet,” she said the night before the event, but ultimately safety concerns won out. Officials were able to save parts of the ceremony by moving it indoors, to the Great Hall inside Town Hall. The observance was small, abbreviated and over in less than 45 minutes.

Town Moderator John Bruno served as Master of Ceremonies, and opened and closed the event with a brief speech.

An invocation, and later a benediction was given by Father Kwan Lee, of Our Lady of the Lake Church.

Girl Scouts sang the national anthem, followed by essay readings by elementary school students from first grade through sixth grade on what Memorial Day means to them.

They had each won a contest for their grade among their classmates. The students were Wiley Makepeace, from first grade; Madison O’Connor, second grade; Madison Hogan, third grade; Joseph Noonan fourth grade; James Keegan, fifth grade; and Katherine Ng, sixth grade.

Each of the students was introduced by a member of the Board of Selectmen– Chairman Troy Garron, Selectman Kim Roy or Selectman Thomas Millias.

Later in the ceremony, Assistant Veteran’s Agent Steven Littlefield gave a poignant speech, the text of which is printed here, which touched on what Memorial Day means to him – certainly not, as he points out, a weekend for shopping.

Although the Memorial Day parade is an exciting event for the community, and many expressed their disappointment with the unfortunate weather, the purpose of Memorial Day was not forgotten in Halifax on Monday, and perhaps was even more vivid with the backdrop of falling rain.

Memorial Day thoughts by Assistant Veteran’s Agent Steven Littlefield:

“I want to begin by touching upon the significance of what we talk about when we talk about Memorial Day. Over 25,000 service members were killed during the Revolutionary War, over half a million during the Civil War, 116,000 during WWI, 400,000 during WWII, 54,000 during the Korean War, 58,000 during Vietnam, and to date, over 6,500 between Iraq and Afghanistan. This is not even an all-inclusive list of the conflicts the United States has been part of, and it adds up to well over one million men and women who have died in defense of our freedom.

Today is the one day every year we set aside to remember this. The American flag is at half-mast in the morning to pay tribute, and at noon, the flag is raised to full height by the living, lifting the memories of those gone but not forgotten in our promise to continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.

For some, today has morphed into something much different than what it was originally intended to be. After the Civil War, this day was originally called Decoration Day. As the name implies, it was a day for the nation to decorate the graves of the brave members of our armed services who paid the ultimate sacrifice for something bigger than themselves. However, as we fast-forward almost 150 years, we sometimes need to remind ourselves what today is really about. Everywhere we look, we’re flooded with new car ads, mattress sales, and even grocery store deals all marketing Memorial Day weekend as a time when you can come out and save some money; not really what Memorial Day was intended for.

As a Veteran’s agent for the town, one of the requirements is to be a Veteran. I have a lot of friends who are currently in the military and ones that I have deployed with in the past. I also have some friends that really don’t know much about the military or the history about our heroes. On one hand, there are people who have never been taught the true meaning of today and everything it stands for. For them, it’s a long weekend and trips to the beach with no real significance behind it. On the other hand, there are people who will focus all of their energy in doing everything they can to honor those who died; to make sure that they are remembered and taken care of. They won’t even contemplate having a good time themselves. These are often people that have been very personally affected by the loss of a service member. Many have long lasting feelings of guilt because they are here with us, and their comrades are not. They take this holiday to heart at the very core of what it means.

While everyone celebrates in their own way, none of them necessarily being “right” or “wrong,” perhaps somewhere in the middle of these two groups of people is a good place to start. First and foremost, it is imperative that we take the time to at least have some personal reflection on what today is about; to think about the over one million service members who had to make that sacrifice, and equally as important, for each and every one of their Gold Star families who received that letter in the mail, call on the phone, or knock at the door informing them that their loved ones were gone and that they would have to carry on without them.

Friday, I was lucky enough to go to the dedication of the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Memorial in Boston. There were 218 names on that wall of men and women from Massachusetts who have died defending this country since September 11th. It was a very moving and powerful ceremony. Through all the speeches, one of the consistencies was that no one wants their loved ones to be forgotten. There is certainly no shortage of small gestures we can do to honor our heroes and to keep their memories alive, and the sum of these small gestures can end up equaling something big. We can come out to this very cemetery and help place flags at the graves of our fallen as was the original intent of this day, or we can visit the loved one of someone who was lost in Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan to give comfort. Perhaps we can decorate our homes in tribute, maybe we march in a parade commemorating these fallen heroes, or simply watch from the streets or sit in the audience realizing that we are lucky to live in such a great country where men and women would sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

But what is the greater good? What is it that these heroes sacrificed their own lives for?

They sacrificed their lives in the moment for their buddies that they were on the battlefield with, the men and women on their left and right.

They made that sacrifice for this great country and little hometowns like this one. They sacrificed for its people and everything that it stands for– life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Taking all of this into consideration, we should absolutely enjoy ourselves this weekend. We should enjoy living the life that we are able to live because of their sacrifices.

We should have cookouts, relax with friends and family, play horseshoes and have a cocktail, but we should do all this while remembering why it is that we are able to do it. So let’s enjoy today while reflecting on what it took to allow us to enjoy it.

Let’s teach our kids about Memorial Day, what it means, and the heroes that have gone before us.This way, when they’re our age, the legends will live on, the parades will still march, and the stories will remain told, because all it takes is one generation to forego these traditions and they will dwindle away into a distant memory. Today, lets honor our heroes, enjoy ourselves, and remember that freedom is not free.”

The Halifax Congregational Church will have its Annual Plant Sale and Luncheon Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m,.rain or shine.  The church is located at 503 Plymouth St., in Halifax on Rte. 106.

There will be a variety of annuals and perennials to choose from to give color and beauty to your garden or planting beds.  We will also sell various gardening items from our garden shop and raffle tickets for a chance to win a Tiffany style dragonfly lamp.

Our luncheon starts at 11 a.m. and will include Portuguese Kale soup, a big crowd pleasure which sells out fast!  Please be sure to bring your hearty appetite.

We look forward to seeing you at the sale and assisting you with your plant selections.

Burn victim MedFlighted to Boston

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A young man in his thirties was burned over approximately 40% of his upper body after a gas grill explosion.  Crews responded for a call late Sunday afternoon to a reported propane tank explosion at 131 Lake Street in Plympton. “He was taken to a burn center in Boston. The victim did not breathe in the propane, which would have compromised his airway. This was a good indicator for the man’s recovery,” he said. The victim’s name has not been released due to medical privacy.      Following the investigation it appears that the man had started his grill and it went out.  As he went to re-ignite the grill, propane had pooled causing the explosion.

“Propane is used all the time but if used incorrectly it can be dangerous,” said Chief Warren Borsari.

Boston Med flight was requested to airlift the victim to Boston. The landing zone was at Billingsgate Farm, said Fire Chief Warren Borsari.

Community coalition fighting substance abuse announces new name and mission

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A recently-formed coalition of community members concerned about trends in substance abuse and the current opioid epidemic has formalized its group name and mission statement.  Now known as Tri-Town FACTS, the group serves Kingston, Halifax and Plympton with a mission to support and strengthen the regional community in a collaborative effort to promote holistic wellness through prevention, education, enforcement, and advocacy, and to empower healthy lifestyle choices.  “FACTS” stands for Families, Adolescents, and Communities Together against Substances. It is a brand established by the South Shore Hospital’s Youth Health Connection and used by several coalitions in the surrounding area.

The growing group has brought together 25 – 30 people at initial monthly meetings held in March, April and May, representing parents, teachers, school administrators, students, law enforcement, public safety, behavioral health professionals, faith leaders, grandparents, elected officials and those affected by addiction. The group is seeking new members from all three towns, including volunteers interested in leadership roles who can help advance the mission through initiatives and programs to be developed. Currently chaired by Kingston parent, Amy Belmore, the next meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 7, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Silver Lake High School Library and is open to all.

A grant provided by the Solstice Foundation has funded the services of an experienced facilitator, Julie Nussbaum, who has assisted in the launch of similar coalitions in the region. Nussbaum, who will work with Tri-Town FACTS until March 2017, said “According to the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, (CADCA), communities that have anti-drug coalitions have lower youth drug and alcohol rates. Furthermore, research has shown that addressing the issue of underage drinking reduces the risk that youth will go on to use opioids and other substances (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2012).  I will be taking the coalition through a process that guides the selection, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based, culturally appropriate, sustainable interventions addressing substance misuse and abuse.”

Steering Committee member, David Kennedy, who also serves on the Kingston Board of Health, recently carried the Coalition’s suggestion to pass a regulation preventing the sale of synthetic marijuana and synthetic drugs in Kingston stores to fellow Board of Health members. Following a public hearing held on May 2 to address the health impacts of Spice, K2, bath salts, and others not meant for human consumption, the Board of Health immediately put the new regulation in place.  Said Kennedy “the Synthetic Drug Regulation was discussed back in 2014 within the Board of Health and I am grateful the board wanted to discuss and approve such regulation on May 2.  It’s important in the early stages of the Tri-Town Coalition to achieve short-term goals, and clearly this was one. Synthetic drugs are very dangerous and side effects are fatal. Even though the Regulation is important, we need to educate our youth on these drugs and help them make healthy choices.”

The Coalition is currently focused on assessment and data collection, and will be implementing surveys, focus group discussions with students and parents, and interviews with key stakeholders to help guide their next steps.  Anyone from Kingston, Halifax and Plympton who wants to learn more or get involved is encouraged to attend the next meeting, or contact tritownFACTS@gmail.com.  The group also has a Facebook page and is on Twitter @tritownFACTS.

Regional 911 dispatch is one step closer

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HALIFAX– No, despite what may be going around on social media, the Halifax Police Station will not be moving to Duxbury. Neither will the fire station. But, just as Plympton has done, and many other communities around the state, including all of Barnstable County, Halifax officials led by Selectman Kim Roy have furthered discussions with Duxbury officials and state 911 officials to contract-out dispatching of Halifax emergency personnel to Duxbury, which was the focus of the discussion at the BOS meeting on Tuesday, May 24.

Duxbury already contracts this function for the Town of Plympton, and the addition of Halifax would officially upgrade Duxbury to a regional emergency communications center (RECC), making them eligible for further grant money, an incentive for them to assist Halifax.

The state would also assist Halifax during the transition period to Duxbury dispatching and with upgrades to technology needed for the project to work, Roy estimated the savings, with an initial 5-year contract, would be in the realm of $175,000 per year.

The decision makes sense on a variety of levels, says Roy. There are incentives from the state –  the savings are significant – but not only that, both the police and fire departments are supportive. “If you had said you’re crazy, we wouldn’t even be talking about this,” said Roy to the chiefs.

Furthermore, Halifax simply cannot afford to attract new dispatchers, and has had high turnover rates in the past. Roy says one dispatcher has already tendered his resignation and will leave for Duxbury anyway, and that Duxbury may be able to hire the remaining Halifax dispatchers, if the deal moves forward, as they will need a larger staff at their RECC.

Both chiefs stated that the “end-user” experience would not change. Police Chief Broderick furthered that most people would never know the difference. Plympton authorities have previously stated that they are pleased with their arrangement and that for the most part, the transition was smooth.

Officials were quick to point out this is not a done deal. At least one public hearing will be held, currently scheduled for June 1 at 7 p.m., Town Hall, and that further due-diligence is needed to hammer out a fair agreement for the town and work out the finer details.

In other public safety news, in what has become an almost routine announcement by the selectmen, the Halifax Fire Department led by Chief Jason Vivieros has received yet another large grant, this time to replace 27 aging portable radios with new digital-capable radios that meet current communications standards. The grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is a 95%/5% split, meaning the town will have to match a small portion of the $62,100 project.

• The Halifax Board of Selectmen will next meet on Tuesday, June 14 at 6 p.m.

• The Halifax Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:45 p.m. on an application from Morse Brothers, Inc. to remove 41,600 cubic yard of fill from their property. This material is on an elevated portion of their property and they seek to remove the material in order to increase cranberry yields on other portions of the property, according to town officials.  The 41,600 cubic yards of fill are equal to 1,665 truckloads of material. Morse Brothers, Inc. proposes transporting the material along Lingan Street to Route 58. The complete application is available for viewing in the Selectmen’s office.  Those with questions should contact Town Administrator Charlie Seelig, at 781-294-1316.

Plympton BOS welcomes John Traynor

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PLYMPTON– On Monday, May 23, Selectmen met and welcomed their newest member, former Town Moderator John Traynor. The Board reorganized, electing Colleen Thompson chairman, Christine Joy, vice-chairman, and Traynor as clerk. Thompson, who at times shies away from the spotlight, appeared confident as Chairman, and moved the meeting along through a lengthy agenda. Traynor, who has served on the Finance Committee as well as Town Moderator for nine years, did not seem shy at his first BOS meeting, frequently giving his thoughts and opinions.

Filling vacancies and creating new committees

One of the new board’s first priorities is to fill vacancies on various town boards and committees, as well as create several new ones. The full list of vacancies is being prepared, but the board discussed creating a “by-law review” committee, which as the name implies would study the current by-laws and make recommendations.

Selectman Joy recommended a five-member committee, and Town Coordinator Dale Pleau suggested that the selectmen task the committee with a specific by-law or set of by-laws to study to keep them focused.

Selectmen also created an Economic Development Committee, something Joy has been researching and supporting. The board also felt that five members would be an appropriate number of residents for this committee, which would be charged with marketing the community to make it more attractive to businesses as well as make recommendations to the board to make town government more business-friendly.

Joy also has been looking to form a committee to study affordable housing in Plympton and make recommendations.

The Board of Selectmen was in unanimous support of the creation of these committees, and the discussion centered around what mix of people with what types of expertise would be of best use. Selectman Traynor suggested sorting the annual street list by occupation to identify residents with specific expertise, though noting this may leave out those who list their occupation simply as “retired”.

Brook Retreat Follow-up

The selectmen also discussed a follow-up to a letter sent by the owners of the Brook Retreat to the board in response to a scathing letter the board sent them. The selectmen wrote in a letter dated May 5 that they were disappointed in the handling of an incident that occurred at the sober-living facility on Brook Street where a resident left after curfew and allegedly attempted a home invasion while in an apparent drug-induced psychotic break. The man, Shane P. Sullivan, is in state custody pending trial.

The owners of Brook Retreat have refused to appear publicly before the board although they did meet with-former Selectman Mark Russo. The letter also suggests they have not demonstrated sincerity or comprehension of the situation by not appearing before the board and even went so far as to use language from Alcoholics Anonymous literature and encouraged the owners to make a list of people harmed and make direct amends.

The board suggested as well, that the sober-living facility look into the voluntary accreditation program offered by the state for such facilities. The board also seems, from the May 4 letter, to be concerned that fencing around the property promised by the Brook Retreat after the incident has not yet been put up.

Both Selectman Joy and Chairman Thompson acknowledged after the meeting that they really weren’t sure what the fencing was supposed to do in terms of security, noting that it was the owners’ idea.

The board asked the selectmen’s assistant to write a follow-up letter to the facility to ask them to keep the board up-to-date on their fencing situation.

The Brook Retreat owners wrote a brief response, noting that fencing was more expensive than they originally believed, and that the non-profit is currently raising funds for fencing. They also note that they are following the law. Brook Retreat was recently, as the law requires, inspected by the Building Inspector who certified that they do still qualify as an “educational institution,” a requirement for the zoning exceptions they used when siting the facility in a residential neighborhood, and an annual inspection to the sprinkler system is pending.

“What next?” asked Selectman Traynor, after Selectman Joy asked, “What now?”

Software/Website

Two IT related issues came up at the meeting, and Selectman Traynor, a retired software sales representative, had strong opinions about them: municipal permitting software to help move projects requiring permits smoothly through Town House without getting lost or tied up in “red-tape”, and revamping the town website.

Town Coordinator Pleau mentioned that a vendor had demonstrated some software earlier, and Traynor immediately stated that it was too soon to commit to a vendor without seeing at least three options, and getting all departments together to ascertain their needs as well as make sure they are committed to learning and using the software.

Traynor also spoke at length to the faults of the town’s website. The vendor for the website, Virtual Town Hall, provides municipal government website portals to many towns in the Commonwealth, but this website suffers from a confusing interface, strangely alphabetized lists, outdated information and information appearing on one part of the website and not another.

Posted documents also appear online for a time, then disappear, only to reappear after manual intervention, according to the Town Clerk.

Traynor suggested forming a committee to study what may be done about the situation in a cost-effective manner.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen next meets on June 6, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.,Town House.

When Maura went missing

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In 2011, an out-of-work journalist named  James Renner began searching for Maura Murray.

While he didn’t find her, he has drawn his own conclusions about her disappearance and, in the process of writing a book, he has found himself while getting “lost” in the case.

The book, “True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray,” [Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press, 280 pages, $25.99 hardcover] goes on sale Tuesday, May 24.

“It’s been a long time coming, for sure,” Renner said last week. “I hope the book eventually brings some sort of closure to Maura’s case. At the very least, I think it will advance the story and bring up some new clues and information.”

The same week Facebook was launched in 2004, Murray disappeared. Renner has termed the case one of the first unsolved mysteries of the social media age.  In fact, he leaned heavily on a small army of Internet sleuths — which he dubbed My Baker Street Irregulars, after the poor street kids who fed information to Sherlock Holmes. Renner’s Irregulars lived online, reading blogs, surfing sites and even trolling him. They helped pose questions, interpret information and notice overlooked clues.

The trolls also second-guessed him, sniped at his plans to write a book and, in one case, cyber-stalked him. Maura’s father Fred did not cooperate with Renner on the book.

At the time Murray vanished on Feb. 9, 2004, Renner was a reporter for alternative weeklies in northeastern Ohio. By 2009, the fallout from his coverage of an Ohio state senator at the center of a sex scandal had cost him his job and he was looking for a new story.

True crime seemed a natural draw for him.

At age 11 he had fallen in love with the photo of missing Amy Mihaljevic. The obsession led him to his career as an investigative journalist and a struggle with PTSD. By 2011, Renner told his counselor he was ready to delve into another mystery.

The new mystery he was ready for was Maura Murray. While conducting his investigation, there were mysteries in his own life to confront: the truth about his grandfather, the violent tendencies his son was beginning to display and Renner’s own impulses.

Chapters in “True Crime Addict” jump between Murray and Renner’s own demons — “Being a true crime addict is not a good thing and  I learned this the hard way,” as he says.Renner spoke about the book with the Express by phone from his Cleveland home on Friday, May 13.

Q: Why the Maura Murray case?

A: “I was looking around for a big case, something national. I was a reporter in Cleveland for about seven or eight years and I had written about some famous cases from the northeast Ohio region. I looked around for a while — I’m always drawn to the cases that are difficult, if not impossible, to solve. What I find interesting is that it’s actually kind of a double mystery. Number one, what happened to Maura, but number two is, what was she doing in the White Mountains to begin with? I think if you can find the answer to one of those questions, you’ll get very close to the solution to the other question. I think I have an answer as to what was she doing in the White Mountains. I believe she was running away, I believe she was looking to start a new life and to put the people that treated her wrongly in her rear-view and not look back.

Q: It seems certain that people will read it expecting some kind of break in the case. What do you want readers to get out of it?

A: “I think there are quite a few new pieces of information in the book and new clues. I think the takeaway here is that Maura, like everyone else, was very complicated. She had her secrets, she had her skeletons and the question is whether or not those contributed to what happened. I think for sure they did. There were some things that hadn’t been reported — the fact that when she disappeared, she was in trouble for credit card fraud and identity theft.”

Q: What were your reasons for being so frank about your own family’s past?

A: “I wanted to explore why I was so fascinated with these true crime cases and what led me into that career as a true crime writer. That made me take a good, hard look at my own life and, of course, looking at it objectively now, I can see that the story about my grandfather and who he was — what he did and how I learned about all that when I was 11 years old — certainly had an impact. All these bad guys that I’ve been chasing after since I was 11, they’re my grandfather. I could never go after him, so I looked elsewhere. As I was uncovering Maura and her personal demons I thought it was only fair to share mine as well.”

Q: How do you think Maura’s case has been handled?

A: I think the police did their due diligence. When they found her car up there, it certainly looked like a DUI. The car had run into a snow bank, there was wine spilled on the inside … they see that kind of thing all the time, so I think they treated it correctly at the time. Now, a day later when the owner hadn’t come to collect the car and they start to put together that it was Maura who was driving, then it becomes a missing persons case. The [N.H.] State Police were actually in the air with helicopters. … The family’s always been critical of them, but I think they did all right.”

Q: How do you assess your methodology? Would you have approached it differently if you had it to do again?

A: “Looking back I think it happened organically, the way it was supposed to. These pieces are always different. The family could have been more helpful. Fred was the first person I contacted indirectly and he made it clear through family members that he did not want a book written about this case, so that was always a difficulty. But over the course of a few years I did manage to speak with every member of the Murray family except for Fred.”

Q: You describe this as the first major missing person case of the social media age — has social media really been any help or does it do more to hinder cold cases like this?

A: “It’s certainly a double-edged sword. Social media is more helpful to these cold cases than anything, the fact that you can reach practically every person on the planet. You can get the information out to anybody and they can, in turn, find you. It’s a wonderful tool for journalism. With that also comes the anonymity of the Internet and that allows these dangerous people to mask themselves and threaten you from afar. It’s the worst of the worst and the best of the best.”

Q: How can social media be better used in crime investigation?

A: “I think police should be using social media. In fact over the last year or two, the U.S. Marshals have reached out to me and asked me to help them with getting some of the cold cases they’ve worked on out into social media through Reddit and Twitter, online message boards and things like that. So I know bigger agencies are really paying attention to it and trying to use it as a tool for investigation, too. It’s remarkable what’s possible with it.”

Q: Your title: “True Crime Addict” — does it still apply? Toward the end of the book it seemed you might be turning away from all that.

A: This is the last big crime story I’ll work on, at least for the foreseeable future until my kids are grown up. It does take you to a dark place and what I’ve discovered through the course of this book is the fact that I was addicted to true crime, not just true crime, but “addict” extends to my own life, the fact that I learned through the course of this that I was an alcoholic, I was addicted to prescription medication. These true crime stories are and addiction, just like anything else. Once you realize that it’s unhealthy, then you need to start taking action and get it out of your life.”

Q: What’s next for you?

A: “I’m concentrating on novels and screenplays. I’m adapting my first novel (“The Man From Primrose Lane”) into a television series right now. It’s a murder mystery about an out-of-work reporter who tries to solve an old cold case — write what you know.”

Two Vie for one Selectman seat in Plympton Town Election Saturday

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PLYMPTON– Plympton will hold a Town Election on Saturday, May 21, 2016, at Plympton Town House, 5 Palmer Road. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are ten available elected positions up for grabs, but only one, the race for a seat on the Board of Selectmen, is contested.

The other races with more than one name listed on the ballot are for two seats– on the Finance Committee and the Library Trustees– and allow the voter to choose two candidates.

Brian Cherry, of Trout Farm Lane, a facilities director for the Town of Duxbury, and John Traynor, Jr., of Crescent Street, who has been the Town Moderator for several years and is retired, are facing off for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen for a seat which is being vacated by current Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo.

Richard Nordahl, of West Street, is seeking a three-year term as Assessor.

Chairman of the Board of Health Arthur Morin, Jr., of Granville Baker Way, is seeking another three-year term on the Board of Health.

Four candidates are seeking seats on the Finance Committee. Marilyn Browne, of Elm St, and Eric Hart, of Marie Elaine Drive are seeking three-year terms. Browne is a candidate for re-election. Nathaniel Sides, of Winnextuxet Road is seeking a two-year term on the committee. Susan Ossoff, of Upland Road is also seeking re-election, but for a one-year term.

Miranda Anne Boyles, of Spring Street, and Christine Winslow, of Brook Street, are both seeking three-year terms as Library Trustees. Both are candidates for re-election.

Brian Wick, of Winnetuxet Road, is running for a three-year term as Town Moderator.

Deborah Anderson, of Elm Street, is seeking re-election to the Planning Board for a five-year term.

Stephanie Dome, of Pope’s Farm, is seeking a three-year term on the Dennett School Committee. She also is a candidate for re-election.

Only 7% vote in Halifax election

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HALIFAX– With 15 elected positions open, only 384, or 7%, of 5,344 registered voters took to the polls in Halifax on May 14.

Only three races on the ballot were contested, and no candidates filed papers for several of the seats, including both three-year terms on Holmes Public Library Board of Trustees, a five-year term on the Halifax Housing Authority and four-year and five-year terms on the Planning Board.

Thomas Millias, of South Street, who also is about to begin the second year of his first term with the Board of Selectmen, was re-elected to the Board of Assessors against Michael J. Schleifff, of Paradise Lane, 238-118.

Schleiff,  who received 144 votes, also lost his bid for Constable, the two seats being won by Thomas Hammond, of Paradise Lane, and Thomas Shindler, of Ninth Avenue, with 227 votes and 168 votes, respectively.

Schindler was also re-elected in an uncontested race as Parks Commissioner with 291 votes. John L. Weber, of Cranberry Drive, was re-elected, in an uncontested race, to the Board of Health, with 286 votes.

Kim Roy, of Plymouth Street, was re-elected as Selectman, unopposed, for a three-year term, her third term on the board.

Kimberly Cicone, of Highland Circle, won a three-year term on the Halifax Elementary School Committee, 203-108, besting Robert Baker of Holmes Street.  Paula Hatch of Oak Place was re-elected for a three-year term to the Silver Lake Regional School Committee.

Patricia McCarthy, of Parsons Lane, was elected to a four-year term on the Halifax Housing Authority, unopposed.

Karlis Skulte, of Rye Meadow Lane, won a four-year term on the planning board with 17 votes, but the seat for a five-year term resulted in a “failure-to-elect” sitation where no candidate is elected.

Robert Baker, of Holmes Street, and Madeline Flood, of Twin Lakes Drive, were both elected to the Board of Library Trustees for three-year terms as write-in candidates, but two open Planning Board seats resulted in  “failure-to-elect” situations, leaving them vacant.