The Kingston Board of Selectmen met Oct. 10. During Open Forum, Ronnie Litif of 119 Three Rivers Dr. in Barrows Brook Village took to the microphone. “I want to bring up a longstanding issue that has been neglected by the town, the builder, and people that have lived in my neighborhood before me; I’ve lived there for three years… I’m asking the Board to help us get the builder to finish the remaining items that were part of the comprehensive permit to build Barrows Brook Village,” Litif explained. He said that they have a full list of items needing finishing and can provide it to necessary parties. He noted that there is no HOA and that many people who moved there were falsely told that there was an HOA. He mentioned severe potholes as well as a lack of streetlights. “I’m concerned for my neighborhood and the future of it,” he said. Emberg explained that while there can’t be a conversation about the issue during open forum, if he left his contact information, someone would help him “navigate the situation.”
Resident Danielle Dennison of 176 Main St. spoke next. “I don’t know if this has been brought up before… I have two small children and we like to walk to school, and we like to walk to the cemetery, and the sidewalks are kind of in a crumbling situation in a lot of spots. There’s not a lot of curbs, and I think if someone was in a wheelchair, I don’t think they can access it very well,” Dennison said. She mentioned the number of joggers and babies in strollers and said she felt it was just a matter of time before someone gets hurt. She also brought attention to the traffic light where Main St. and Brook St. meet saying she felt it would be useful to have a walk button there.
Emberg said that a member of the Planning Board resigned over the summer. She said that they received one letter of interest from Alexander Graham of 22 May Ave. Graham, who said he has been a resident for five years, attended the meeting. “I’m interested in joining the Planning Board primarily because I’m from Western Massachusetts originally; I’m from a small town like this and I was heavily involved with the community when I was growing up and I’ve been here for, like I said, five years. I commute in and out of Boston nearly every day, I do a lot of going to work and coming home, going to work and coming home. Not that I’m not busy enough with work and my family but I really am missing that sense of community and I think this is a good opportunity for me to get out and meet people,” Graham said. He also said he takes a lot of pride in where he lives and hopes to raise his family in Kingston long-term. Graham is a senior commercial project manager that does business with the MBTA. He noted that they are actively working on fixing up the Green Line. A member of the Planning Board asked if he planned to run for the position during the election. Graham said, “that is my intention.” He was unanimously appointed. Mary Harriman was also unanimously appointed to the Council on Aging Advisory Board.
During the meeting, Town Administrator Keith Hickey told the Selectmen, “I want to come to the Board tonight to make sure that the Board is supportive of applying for a Community Compact Grant to study the regionalization of the Kingston, Halifax, and Plympton school departments with the Silver Lake Regional School Department.” Currently the towns are regionalized only at the middle school and high school level while each of the three towns’ elementary schools act as their own school committees. He said that the Halifax School Committee and Halifax Board of Selectmen have approved the proposal as well as the Kingston School Committee. He said that the assumption is that the Plympton School Department will not be supportive.
Hickey said, “One of the topics that the grant money is available for is regionalization and I’m not sitting here tonight suggesting that it is a good or bad thing to fully regionalize the schools… I’ve heard from a number of people that there is some potential, significant savings and elimination of duplications of effort that currently go on now because there are four separate school boards that the Superintendent has to work with.” Emberg asked if it required all three towns to apply for the grant. Hickey said that it did not but noted that the Superintendent is concerned about supporting the grant while one of the three towns is not supportive.
Kingston Selectman Eric Crone, who spent many years on various school committees, noted the difficulties associated with the Superintendent reporting to four different school committees. Crone noted that Kingston and Plympton often have more money to spend on the school budgets than Halifax. He said that regionalization could potentially aid with some of those issues. The Selectmen agreed to approve the grant application.
Selectmen Tyler Bouchard and Eric Crone provided an update on the Police Chief search. Bouchard said they had a good meeting with the working group the previous Friday. “The posting will be going out this week… we will reconvene in 30 days… we’re waiting for those applications to come in,” Bouchard said. Emberg mentioned that they had agreed upon a wide range for the salary and asked if they narrowed it down or kept it broad. Bouchard explained that they felt that keeping the salary range wide would provide for more applicants. Crone said, “we will be doing a survey… we got some sample survey questions… from towns across the State from their searches… we should be able to gather some good information from folks in town to get a wide range.” Bouchard added that the survey would be available on the website. Paper copies would also be available at the Town Clerk’s office. Bouchard also said that they were advised as a Board not to talk to anyone who may be applying for the position to avoid any claims of favoritism.
Bouchard spoke regarding the MBTA Zoning Task Force. He said, “Kingston did receive a waiver… one of the biggest controversial [things] was that everything had to be within 0.5 miles of an MBTA station… Kingston got a waiver that allows a certain portion to be outside of that.” He continued saying that the new owner of the mall was approached regarding some multi-use including housing. “There’s a potential that we could come into compliance with this thing while having housing that’s possibly inevitable… while also satisfying the needs of the MBTA zoning… that mall fits into the category,” Bouchard explained.
Hickey provided a financial update saying that an indicator of financial strength is the town’s excess capacity levy on property taxes. He said that it has averaged around $1 million to $1.5 million and noted that it is now $2.5 million. Crone brought up that the excess levy capacity is taken into account by the State when deciding how much Chapter 70 funding the schools will receive. He asked if the doubling of the excess levy capacity could end up being a bad thing since the schools could be “dinged.” Hickey said that he was unsure but would find out an answer.
He also told the Selectmen that the new playground is now open. “The slide I’ve heard… is a great slide,” he said. Hickey also told the Selectmen that the Town has contracted with Old Colony Planning to perform a study on traffic patterns to help decide how best to redevelop certain areas of Route 3 from Duxbury to Plymouth. He said that the Jones River and sea river rise would also be incorporated into the planning. He also said that he and others attended the Duxbury Highway Safety Committee meeting to discuss ways to reduce heavy truck traffic on Landing and Bay Roads.
Chair Kimberley Emberg said there were several openings on various Boards and Committees. She pointed interested residents to the town’s website but drew special attention to an opening on the Old Colony Elder Services Board. “Their purpose is to support the independence and dignity of older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote health and safe living,” Emberg explained.
Emberg also said that new water rates take effect on November 1 and noted that those increased rates would be reflected in the March 2024 quarterly bills.
Gramma’s Halloween surprise
Linda Ibbitson Hurd
Special to the Express
My children are now grown but in 1974 when my son Brian was 7 and my daughter Heidi was 3, I experienced a Halloween with them I’ll always remember.
Heidi was born with a severe hearing loss and although she would be getting hearing aids soon after her fourth birthday, she didn’t have them yet. She was in a preschool program with other deaf children in Duxbury and was transported to and from school by a special cab company. She became very good at lip reading and sign language. Sometimes I drew her pictures if she didn’t understand something and that worked very well for both of us. She had no understanding of Trick or Treating so taking her to see what it was all about was best.
The week before Halloween my son and the neighborhood kids were all trying to decide what costumes they would wear on the big night. By the 70s, kids were more interested in store-bought costumes than homemade ones, but in our little group most of them put together their own with a little help from us parents. Disappointed because he had outgrown his Lancelot Link costume, Brian let Heidi wear it and settled for a beard and mustache put on with makeup.
It’s always a plus when the weather is perfect for Halloween. Brian came home excited and we put newspapers on the floor and table to make jack-o’-lanterns out of the pumpkins we had so we could put them outside with some candy and a sign ‘ONE BAG ONLY!’ I learned long ago that making anything but something simple for supper on Halloween is useless. After some grilled cheese sandwiches and roasted pumpkin seeds from the oven, the little group of kids who were coming with us arrived and off we went!
My grandmother and parents lived in Hanson and were expecting us, but we did stop at a couple of friends’ houses in Halifax first. Jack-o’-lanterns on steps and porches flickered their lights as we drove by. Eerie sounds, witches, skeletons, and huge spiders lurked at lamp posts and graveyards in people’s yards. A fat overstuffed scarecrow was propped up against a fence at the first house we stopped at. The kids got out of the car with their bags and went up to the house. Heidi was holding my hand and seemed undaunted by some of the sights and more interested in watching intently as candy was put in each bag. As I walked forward with Heidi to the door she stopped, shook her head no, so we left.
At the last stop in Halifax Heidi didn’t want to take the bag with her, she didn’t wait for me, she ran ahead with the kids to stand and watch, looking up at the people who were passing out the candy and then looked back at the kids and then got in the car. I didn’t think too much of it, I knew she was processing what was happening.
My grandmother lived in a big blue house near my parents. I parked the car, and we walked down the well-lit path beside the peony bed to the two spacious cement steps that led to the open door where Gram was waiting and smiling under the big overhead lights. She wanted to know who was who under the make-up and behind the masks and when she saw Brian, she called him her pet name for her great-grandchildren which was pollywog. The kids giggled at that and I was pleased at their politeness as they answered all her questions. Gram spotted Heidi and bent over to say hi to her and Heidi smiled back, smiled at me and pointed to Gram. I knew that meant she remembered going there during the Summer. The kids were just about wiggling out of their costumes as Gram asked if they were ready for candy. She started passing it out and all of a sudden Heidi ran off the bottom step with a determined look on her face. She picked up a nice smooth rock that was on the ground, then she stepped towards me wanting her bag. The other kids had come down off the steps and Heidi ran up to them and when Gram put the candy in her bag, Heidi smiled up at her, her eyes shining, and gave Gramma the rock. Gram had a laugh like musical notes that rang out at her delight with Heidi’s gift. She lifted her up in her arms, walked to the big mantle in the dining room and put the rock in a special place telling Heidi she loved it and thanked her. Heidi’s face glowed as she hugged Gram and smiled at me with a look of complete satisfaction.
Gramma kept the rock on the mantle and loved telling people the story about Heidi and the lovely gift she got for Halloween. Years later when Gram fell ill she asked my dad to give Heidi the rock to remember her by.
Linda Ibbitson Hurd is a Halifax resident who grew up in Hanson and graduated from Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in 1965. Her fond remembrances of life in a simpler time are a delight.
Armed robber hits Plympton gas station
Sunday evening, Oct. 15, at about 8 p.m., Plympton officers were dispatched to Plympton Gas and Convenience, 280 Main St., for an armed robbery.
On arrival, officers learned that the male suspect had entered the store through the front door, displaying a firearm that appeared to be a handgun. The male then assaulted two employees of the business, then took cash, and exited through the rear of the store. The two employees in the store at the time of the robbery suffered minor injuries. They were both evaluated and transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital- Plymouth by Plympton Fire/EMS. Their names have not been released.
Plympton officers were assisted by Carver, Halifax, and Middleborough Police Departments as well as Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department and the South Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Drone Unit. Officers were unable to locate the suspect in the area, as it is believed he had a vehicle parked at the rear of the business. Police believe the vehicle to be a white or silver SUV. Information obtained at the scene indicate that the suspect is approximately 5’9” – 5’10” in height, wearing jeans, white shoes, black hooded sweatshirt with a Reebok symbol on the right shoulder/arm and gloves. He was also wearing a white mask.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Plympton Police kbrower@plymptonpd.org or to call 781-585-3339x 527.
~Chief Matthew Ahl
Newly opened Kingston COA cafe’ looks for a name
The Kingston Council on Aging Café is now open at the Senior Center, 30 Evergreen St., Kingston, serving delicious, affordable meals in a warm friendly environment. Breakfast and lunch items are available all day, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, with the flexibility to add additional days based on demand.
The menus change weekly and are prepared on-site by Council on Aging staff with nutritional benefits and dietary needs in mind. The café’s price model is done on an “at cost” basis, meaning the price you pay is what it costs to prepare the meal. They do not make a profit.
The cafe’ is cash only, and prices are subject to change without notice.
The Kingston COA is still looking for a name for the café and would like to hear from you! Submit your ideas and if your submission wins, in addition to bragging rights, you get a free lunch.
The menu for the week beginning Tuesday, Oct. 24, through Thursday, Oct. 26, follows:
Breakfast sandwich, Denver omelet, Turkey sandwich w/stuffing and cranberry sauce, Open- faced tuna Melt, Smashburger w/sauteed onions. Soup of the week is Italian Wedding soup. Dessert of the week is Pecan Bourbon Bars..
Cranberry Harvest at Harju Bogs
There is nothing that matches the vibrant color of a cranberry harvest! The dull deep red that tries to call itself cranberry does such an injustice to the fruit. From the flooding of the bogs, to floating the fruit, corralling the berries, bringing them in to ride up the escalator that loads them into the back of a truck, it is a labor of love. Think about it when you open that bag of fresh cranberries for your Thanksgiving dinner; you can almost feel the crisp autumn air of harvest!
BOS approves Eagle Scout project
The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Chair John Bruno led the meeting saying, “I would like to begin the meeting tonight with just a brief comment and a recognition of the passing of John Campbell. For those of us who have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Campbell, he was a wonderful gentleman – lived in Halifax, I think somewhere around the order of 60 years and was involved in projects for 60 years. The Council on Aging, and in particular, I don’t think there is a building in town that he doesn’t have his name on… he helped rebuild all the buildings in town.” Selectman Jonathan Selig echoed the sentiments and said that during the playground project, he was willing to print anything that was needed through his business and never charged the town. Selectman Naja Nessralla said that Campbell was a family friend and that he would “give you the shirt off his back.”
The Selectmen’s first appointment of the night was with Ed Bryan for an appointment to the Finance Committee. Bryan would be finishing an existing term that would end in 2026. “I have looked at your talent bank and it is impressive,” Bruno said. Selig said that he knew Bryan personally and thought he would make a great addition to the Finance Committee. Given his personal relationship, however, Selig did abstain from the vote. The Chair of the Finance Committee also spoke recommending Bryan. Bruno and Nessralla voted unanimously to appoint him.
Cam Russell also appeared before the Board to discuss his proposal for his Eagle Scout project. He was proposing to make a board that will go by the flagpole on the town green, explaining different elements of the flag, including the folds and the ball at the top. “I’m excited and I wholeheartedly support this project,” Selig said. Scout Master Peter Burgess spoke saying it would be “high-quality, weather-proof, no maintenance to the town.”
Health Agent Bob Valery spoke to the Selectmen regarding a public health excellence grant. Of the grant, Valery said, “There is a distinct goal that is prevention through education, disease tracking, enforcement of existing sanitary codes, and then what’s the exact inspectional process… the grant itself, funded through the State… establishes a minimum public health standard for communities, it increases capacity and effectiveness by incentivizing shared services, create a uniform data collection and reporting system, and increase, near to my heart, equity.” He continued saying that the State would fund them to do anything above and beyond where they currently are at least through 2027. “We are trying to hit anybody that has been historically left behind,” Valery said. “I appreciate you guys and the work that you do,” Selig said of the Health Department. He continued, “This is going to give us more coverage as far as the level of service for health in this town and I think residents should be excited that this exists and that, like you say, it’s not going to cost us anything extra but we’re going to get extra services which I’m all for.”
The Selectmen also met with the head of Halifax Youth Baseball and Softball, Pete Barone regarding a proposal for a new scoreboard for the field near the Police Station. “Basically, we are paying for everything,” Barone said of the plans. He said that they hoped to have it up by the spring. Bruno asked if it would be considered a donation to the town and was told that the town would own it. Selig said that Halifax hosts the biggest town tournament in New England for softball every year for the last two decades. The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the scoreboard.
Town Administrator Cody Haddad addressed the property at 265 Monponsett (Halifax Trails). Thorndike Development has proposed a development on the land which includes a senior center. “We’ve been working since the Board authorized me to negotiate with them on a Master Development Agreement and draft zoning; we actually met earlier today and with the assistance of Town Counsel, we were able to nail down the zoning language to be proposed at the Special Town Meeting in December… we’re hoping that at your Oct. 24 meeting, we will look to have Thorndike in to present their Master Development Agreement,” Haddad said. Haddad also went over some of the zoning changes that would need to pass in order to allow the development to continue. He asked the Selectmen to recommend it to the Planning Board so they can start their process and eventually it could be voted on at Town Meeting.
The Selectmen also discussed the salary range for the Building Commissioner position. Bruno said that they have been searching for candidates to fill the position since March. “It seems to me, our pay scale is just out of whack for what we would be able to get,” Bruno said. Haddad said, “We’ve been actively recruiting for this for some time; we really have not gotten a significant number of qualified applicants.” Haddad said the average salary for neighboring communities is around $92k while the range Halifax is hiring at tops out around $79k. Haddad asked for a salary adjustment. The Selectmen agreed to increase the salary grade.
In other business, Haddad said they did receive an application for earth removal for Morse Brothers and are in the process of scheduling a public hearing. He said the date would be in the newspaper. Regarding Board and Department trainings, Haddad said they would be doing a three-part training for Department heads in November. Regarding staffing he said that they are currently conducting interviews for the Outreach Coordinator position for the Council on Aging. He said that they have also scheduled interviews for the Conservation Agent. He also said that he started taping “Cody’s Corner” which is a segment with Area 58 on different things going on in Halifax.
Before adjourning, Selig thanked Scott Materna and his department for lighting the Town Hall pink for the month of October.
Holly Fair at South Meadow Village Saturday, Oct. 21
The Holly Fair at South Meadow Village in Carver is being held Saturday, Oct. 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more than 40 years, people from Carver and surrounding towns have made The Holly Fair part of a holiday tradition.
There will be a wide selection of home baked goods, preserves, crafts, jewelry, gift baskets and much more. There will be various items to take chances on including a top prize of $500. There will also be informational tables with the Carver Fire Dept., Carver EMS, the Carver veterans’ agent, and Carver Council on Aging. Mr. and Mrs Santa Claus will make an appearance from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The White Elephant barn and Ladies Boutique will also be open.
Please note, they only accept cash. For directions, we expect a detour in effect near our main entrance so please use our entrance on Federal Furnace Road in Plymouth. Turn at the intersection next to the Mormon Church at 747 Federal Furnace Rd. onto Rocky Neck Road to Village Way to our back entrance.
The Annual Oak Point Fall/Holiday Craft Show
The annual Oak Point Fall/Holiday Craft Show will take place on Saturday Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Oak Point Clubhouse, Grand Ballroom and Gym. The Oak Point Clubhouse is located at 200 Oak Point Drive in Middleboro.
There will be over 40 tables of handmade items, such as jewelry, quilted items, outerwear, wreaths, wood working, ornaments, cards, holiday décor, knitted items and more! Most of the items and tables represent the residents, clubs and organizations of the Oak Point Community. Admission to the Craft Show is FREE!
Silver Lake is in crisis!
Pine DuBois, with the Jones River Watershed Association, spoke to Kingston selectmen at their Tuesday, Sept. 26 meeting, showing them a video of black, stinky water coming into Silver Lake from a mile and a half long culvert bringing water from Monponsett Pond. The increased rainfall has caused the Halifax ponds to overflow their banks and water has been diverted from the ponds through the culvert that empties into Silver Lake. “We did reach out to the Plymouth County Water District,” she said, “… we knew they had just completed a water quality study of Silver Lake in 2020 – 2022.” She told the board that the technical study had just been released Sept. 26, and encouraged them to review it. “Basically, it says that Silver Lake is in the worst condition it has ever been in.” If this is its worst condition as of 2022, and this stinky black material is being introduced to Silver Lake, “there needs to be a better plan,” DuBois said. Her suspicion is that the black muck is from the swamp – “My hope is that’s the swamp, and not somebody’s new wastewater treatment system… Nevertheless, it is a crisis in Silver Lake.” DuBois also said the black muck might be coming from a break in the pipe, explaining that in 2016 when the lake level was down quite a bit – dry everywhere – still there was water flowing through the pipe. DuBois went on to say that over the past years the water coming from the pipe has been brown or orange, but never this black, and not with this smell. She spoke of various projects and grant- funding applications that are in process, “to get things going to get a better management plan,” and asked selectmen for their support.
“Kingston is affected by the management of Silver Lake. It’s 17% of our watershed that we don’t get anymore, so the Jones River is in a perennial annual drought … because Silver Lake doesn’t release to the Jones River anymore.” Silver Lake, the remnants of a glacial lake, is 80 feet deep at its deepest point, DuBois explained. Monponsett is 12 feet deep. She went on to tell of the importance of the Jones River, the largest river draining into Cape Cod Bay. “The problem with this is the way Brockton is managing it (the water from Silver Lake) currently affects three rivers and three bays, Narragansett Bay, Mass Bay, and Cape Cod Bay. Silver Lake is one of the 12 largest natural lakes in the state. We forget that because it has been trapped so long.” She said that the plan is out as an RFP (request for proposals) and hopes that by the end of the month she will know who the consultant will be and Kingston will be asked to weigh in on the project. Silver Lake and the Jones River are critical ecological resources that need to be protected and restored.
Silver Lake is a Great Pond and comes under the Great Pond Law. It’s protected by the Clean Water Act. “All kinds of laws are being broken today and we’re at this critical point because Monponsett Pond had so much cyanobacteria… finally DEP does their work on it and says to Brockton ‘You can take half as much water as you used to take from Monponsett Pond.’ So instead of 30 million gallons of water a day, they were diverting 13 or 14 million gallons a day from October to May. There’s a caveat in there that says if Monponsett Pond is flooding, then the DEP can approve a diversion … if the Central Plymouth County Water District Commission approves it. In 1964 when the state legislature allowed these diversions, they did the same thing at Stump Brook, used to be the Snakey River. Stump Brook is the outflow of Monponsett Pond, and they put a dam there that raised the water level a foot above natural. So when they did that, at that time, there were summer cottages around Monponsett Pond. Now there are permanent year-round homes. And those summer cottages with the pipes to the lake, you know, have now got septic systems. But when you flood it, all that nutrient goes into the pond. It creates heavy phosphorus, heavy nitrogen loading cyanobacteria. Those things get diverted into Silver Lake, along with invasive plants. That’s why we have very high nitrogen, very high phosphorus, and invasive plants in Silver Lake today.”
Jones River Watershed Association is working with the Town of Kingston, has been for decades, to clean up the water in the Jones River. “Mostly we started with stormwater, then the sewer, and now the dams. We took out two main stem dams. The fish are knocking on that door of the Brockton Dam. They want to get in. We put in a temporary fish ladder in 2019. The river herring actually go there. “This spring I lifted 2,700 eels into Silver Lake that we trapped in a little box down there. So we know the fish want to go and we know that both the eels and the river herring are pretty close to being called endangered species. We don’t want to see that happen. We want to see them recover. There’s a project going on right now with the division of Marine Fisheries, where they’re assessing how many eels are in Silver Lake. Eels are a very important species for us, especially with our wetlands around here. They love to eat mosquito larvae when they’re babies. It’s way easier to (let the eels) do it than with a backpack sprayer.”
“All I’m saying,” DuBois continued, “is that we’re going to need to call on the Town of Kingston pretty soon. The Conservation Commission and Jones River are jointly writing a grant to NOAA right now to do the fish ladder and the culvert removal. We think this is a great opportunity to work with the City of Brockton, an Environmental Justice Community. We want them to want this to happen. And that’s what the regional plan is all about, is trying to figure out, well, if this happens and there’s always flow to the Jones River, Brockton’s going to need additional supply. They’re not using Aquaria (a desalinization water plant on the Taunton River) now, even though it was built for them. But they don’t use it. So we need to have a say in satisfying the needs of that community as well as the regional communities so that we all have a sustainable future. And with the money that’s being poured out right now, both in order to have us spring back as well as to develop the economy, I think we cannot miss these opportunities.”
Town Administrator Keith Hickey spoke to five ARPA fund requests: the Council on Aging and the fire suppression system failures they’ve had over the past couple of years. Two requests came from the fire department. The board approved $45,045 to replace the HVAC units at the fire station. There was an additional cost of $30,978 to make additional repairs so the system is operating as it should. Fire Chief Mark Douglas was present and asked the board to approve the additional funds for that work. Also, Chief Douglas asked to have the Smith Lane HVAC system reviewed as it is at the end of its useful life. “It could last five years, it could last ten minutes, and the vendor recommended that it should be replaced at a cost of $37,437,” Hickey told selectmen. The Chief requested the additional cost. Hickey told selectmen that would leave a balance of just over $500,000 in ARPA funds.
Hickey reminded the board that during the coldest night of last year there was a fire suppression system break, causing significant damage to the selectmen’s office. They have since discovered a live suppression head in the IT server room, above the server. Luckily it has not gone off. Chief Douglas consulted with a fire suppression system engineer, and the recommendation is to move that nozzle to a safe location and modify the suppression system to eliminate the risk of damaging the server room, at a cost of $53,649. Selectmen approved the use of ARPA funds for those projects.
The upgrade of fiber optics in the Town House is another ARPA project request in the amount of $14,780 to purchase items needed for the improvements, rather than lease them through Comcast for $12,000 annually. The board approved the project.
Hickey told the board that the Council on Aging had a break in its fire suppression system and in order to greatly lessen the it happening again, they designed improvements for $58,500. Selectmen agreed.
Selectmen chairman Emberg made the following announcements:
• Financial assistance applications are available through the office of the Board of Selectmen.
• The Board of Health is offering flu clinics on Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Register by calling the health office at 781 – 585-0503. Registration is required.
• Special Town Meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the Kingston Intermediate School.
• Brush chipping day is Saturday, Oct. 21.
• The playground at Gray’s Beach is now open. Check it out!
• For those who would like to get involved in the community, please check the Kingston website, kingstonMA.gov for a complete list of vacancies, including a seat on the Kingston Affordable Housing Trust, that will assist in the creation and preservation of low and moderate-income housing. Interested persons can also reach out to the selectmen’s office
• Selectmen took a few minutes to congratulate their fellow board member Tyler Bouchard on the recent birth of his daughter.
Kingston Foundation for Education presents $60,000 check
Allison Brown
Special to the Express
At the Tuesday, Oct, 3, meeting of the Kingston School Committee, the Kingston Foundation for Education presented a check for $60,000, their 9th annual check, the result of their fundraising efforts.
The Kingston Foundation for Education (KFE) is a non-profit organization run by parents who are interested in supporting the Kingston Public Schools. The foundation works with Kingston school leaders and district administration to raise funds to supplement the school budget. By doing this, they can provide the Kingston schools, and its children, the same opportunities as neighboring towns. Each year, a group of about 15 dedicated parents, and four executive board members, help KFE raise money and volunteer at events.
Since its foundation in 2014, KFE has raised nearly $1 million dollars to supplement the school budget. Over the past two years, the KFE has funded the purchase of Chromebooks, the Lu Interactive System, Lab Headphones, a Beth Ferry author visit, Moxie, and the repaving of the KES recess yard with new educational pavement stencils. The $60,000 KFE has donated this year will be used to upgrade and buy new technology and provide funding for additional STEAM programs and other educational materials needed this year.
Traditionally, KFE will raise money by planning several fun, charitable events including the Boosterthon Fun Run and the Kentucky Derby Party. Last month, it hosted its first ever Back-to-School Brews fundraiser at Mayflower Brewery, complete with an awesome band (the Rippers!) and a thrilling beer pong tournament. It was such a success that KFE will plan to do it again next year!
Its mission is simple: to help members of the Kingston community channel their positive energy into improving the already phenomenal public school system. As parents, we all love our kids, and we want to set them up for success. And we also want them to have the best opportunities and latest technology available when it comes to learning. We want to thank our Kingston community of parents and educators, and the small businesses of Kingston and the South Shore who help make our goals possible.
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