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Growing Pot in Plympton

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Growing Pot in Plympton? Local farmer proposes medicinal marijuana ‘grow-op’ venture

On Monday, Jan. 4, Plympton Selectmen met to discuss what appeared to be a very short agenda. Yet, a surprise lurked in the “Appointments” section of the agenda. Only a resident’s name and “Agricultural venture” gave away any type of hint as to the surprise that would come with the 6:30 p.m. appointment.

potleafThe resident, local farmer Jeff Randall, is proposing to build a medicinal marijuana growing facility, commonly known as a “grow-op”, on his farm on Ring Road. The marijuana, according to Randall, would             be grown indoors, in soil in a 60 foot by 180 foot enclosed building. He presented a very detailed written proposal to the Board, detailing the entire licensing process. He specifically noted that he is not proposing a medical marijuana dispensary in Plympton (a place where medical marijuana is sold to patients).

Although marijuana is still considered illegal at the Federal level, at the State level it has been “decriminalized” for recreational use and legalized for medical use with a doctor’s prescription. The Commonwealth has stringent regulations for growing marijuana and selling it to patients medicinally, and Randall noted that he was still early in this    process.

At some point, he needs either a letter of support or a letter of “non-opposition” from the Board of Selectmen. Randall noted that he was quite likely in front of the Board prematurely, but was seeking input from the Selectmen to get a feel for where they stood on the issue.

The responses of the Selectmen were as interesting as the proposal.

The Board had clearly done their homework and asked detailed questions about security, abutters, the licensing process and Randall’s future intent with his property. The Commonwealth requires stringent security, and Randall had already had what he described as a productive meeting with the Police Chief. He stated that he hadn’t spoken to every abutter, but those that he had spoken to were enthusiastic and he has no intention of giving up his other farming activities, which include cultivating cranberries and boarding horses.

Selectperson Christine Joy spoke first when it came time for the Board to express where they stood on the proposal. Joy initially stated that she was opposed and personally uncomfortable with the idea. “I’m not a huge fan. I don’t think it is a good fit for the town … But if the townspeople support it, I support it.”

Selectperson Colleen Thompson spoke next. Typically she appears to listen very carefully, take everything in and ask a few pointed questions. This night was no different. She didn’t have many questions, but she stated that she “was not opposed.” Thompson said that she wasn’t sure if she would lean more towards a letter of support or a letter of non-opposition, but in any case would not stand in the way of Randall.

Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo enthusiastically supported the proposal. Citing that Plympton is a “right-to-farm” community, that he encourages expanding agriculture in town, the revenue such a venture could bring in taxes and his own interest in herbal medicine and noting  that his brother is a world-wide expert on the medical use of marijuana, he was whole-heartedly on board provided the appropriate other town boards approved the proposal.

The Board plans to set aside time at their January 25th meeting to seek public input and hear more from Randall.

Plympton posts for pets

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Plympton posts for pets, using email alerts to locate lost pets

Although it involves a simple “Gmail” free e-mail account, Frank Bush, the Plympton Animal Control Officer announced that he had created an innovative system for citizens to publicize and notify the ACO of lost pets.

Plympton posts for petsAccording to Bush, Plympton residents can now email a description along with an attached photo to: aco.plympton.fbush@gmail.com

The description and photo will then alert Bush, who can forward the information to ACOs in other towns, if necessary.

Bush can also be contacted at 781-585-9444.

Conflict erupts at Plympton Selectmen meeting

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Conflict erupts at Plympton Selectmen meeting over petitions

Plympton – Monday, Dec. 14, Plympton Selectmen’s regularly scheduled meeting at the Town House began with former Selectman John Henry dropping off two petitions regarding meetings being filmed by Area 58 Community Access Media to the Board as they adjourned their executive session.  Henry was not on the agenda and this was not expected. The Selectmen also finalized a title for the “employee document” and further tackled various sections. They also announced that the USDA had auctioned off the property at 59 Parsonage Road. The meeting was brief, but dramatic.

Henry presents petition

Selectmen were just closing their executive session when resident and former selectman John Henry handed the Express two petitions he had circulated asking that all Finance Committee meetings between January 1, 2016 and the Annual Town Meeting be filmed by Area 58 CAM. The other asked that the Public Safety Building Committee meetings be filmed, as well.

He also supplied an email dated Dec. 6, stating that many elderly residents in the community could not attend these meetings because they don’t drive at night, that the room where they are held in is too small and uncomfortable, that the busiest meetings for the FinCom happen during flu season and that the FinCom meetings should be moved to a different room.

Selectmen had previously discussed the matter and decided that there was no problem with the current arrangement as the meetings are lightly attended, and FinCom Chairman Susan Ossoff had cited logistical issues in moving from their current space.

When selectmen asked Henry if his petitions were on the meeting agenda for the evening, Henry replied that no, he was just going to hand them to the Board after the meeting had begun.

As the Board broke from executive session, Henry entered the room and before the Board had come back into Open Session presented his petitions to the Board.

The entire exchange happened quickly, as Area 58 was setting up their cameras, so no record of the incident exists. A heated discussion ensued and Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo and Henry exchanged harsh words. The meeting began in open session after Henry left, continuing his tirade with members of the Finance Committee who were standing in the hall outside the selectmen’s meeting room.

Everyone who signed the petition to have the Public Safety Building Committee meetings filmed signed the petition to have the FinCom meetings filmed, but a few more signed the FinCom petition, with 78 unique signatures. Two individuals signed twice and were thus only counted once.

Just examining the FinCom petition, approximately 60% of the petitioners were over the age of 70, according to an analysis by the Express accomplished by crosschecking the names and addresses of the petitioners against birth years provided in the 2015 edition of the annually published “Plympton Street List”. The average age was about 70, and the median age was 72. According to the 2010 US Census, the median age for Plympton is 44.

Of all the petitioners, only four were under the age of 50. Of these four, only one was in his 40’s. The other three were between 30 and 35. The range of ages of the petitioners was from 30 to 90.

The Selectmen agreed to discuss the petition next week.

Sale of 59 Parsonage Road

Several attempts to negotiate Plympton’s obtaining the storied 36-acre property at 59 Parsonage Road for conservation land and other uses, fell through due to the lack of funding on either side for Phase II environmental studies.   The USDA, which owned the property through foreclosure, was finally able to bring it to auction on Friday, Dec. 11, when the property was sold to the highest bidder.

There was no floor on the initial bid. The USDA would not confirm the sale price as of press time, although the popular real estate website Zillow.com indicates a pending sale of $170,000 for that address.

The Chairman Russo wasn’t sure if the buyer’s name had been made public, but he did mention that he was led to believe that the property owner intended to continue to use it for agricultural purposes.

The Express has since learned it was a Plympton resident who made the purchase.

Personnel document progresses

The “personnel document” received a new name – the “Town Employee Policy and Procedures Handbook”.

The Board also settled on disciplinary guidelines, chosen from several other towns and Town Counsel, which were voted on and approved for a ten-day posting period for public comment. Following the review period, it will become part of the handbook.

They also voted on a uniform employment application, which as well will be posted for a ten-day period for public comment.

The Selectmen also discussed a “social media policy”, and were examining several possibilities, from one to eight pages long. The longest policy was recommended by Town Counsel.   The Board decided they needed more time to look over the document.

Furure meeting dates

Future meeting dates:

  • The Board of Selectmen will meet next on Dec. 21 and Jan. 4.
  • The Public Safety Building Committee will meet next Dec. 30.

Halifax Officer suspended 60 days

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Halifax Officer suspended 60 days, Charged with misdemeanor OUI

Tuesday, Dec. 8, Halifax Selectmen met at 2 p.m. to hold a disciplinary hearing regarding Halifax Patrol Officer Herbert Wiltshire, Jr., 45. Wiltshire is a longtime veteran of the force.

The Whitman resident was cited by the Easton Police Department for misdemeanor “OUI Liquor” and misdemeanor “Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle” stemming from an incident in late November.

For this reason, Selectmen suspended him without pay for 60 days, effective immediately.

Wiltshire chose to have the hearing in Executive Session, which is his legal right, so the hearing was closed to the public. The Board came back from Executive Session into Open Session to announce their decision.

Charlie Seelig, Town Administrator, explained the exact arrangements regarding Wiltshire’s insurance and benefits during this period.

Seelig also stated that the agreement was contingent on several conditions, including that Wiltshire receive counseling for alcohol for six months and that the police union does not file a grievance.

Halifax Special Town Meeting set for Jan. 4

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Halifax Special Town Meeting set for Jan. 4, Burrage Pond access road continues to cause ongoing frustration

Halifax Selectmen met Tuesday, Dec. 8, and set a date for a Special Town Meeting, discussed the access road from Elm Street to the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area with Christopher and Thais Kasmarek, and held a dog hearing.

Another STM for Halifax

A Special Town Meeting has been set for Monday, January 4 in the multi-purpose room of the Halifax Elementary School, 464 Plymouth Street at 7:30 p.m.

Three articles are on the warrant:

The first would authorize the Council on Aging to continue funding their current plans to renovate Pope’s Tavern Senior Center, which according to Director Barbara Brenton, the Council has been outgrowing for years.

The second article would ask the voters to authorize ambulance fees to be set by the Board of Selectmen, rather than at Town Meeting.  This is part of Fire Chief Jason Viveiros’ plans to bring the fee structure the department charges for ambulance calls more in line with neighboring departments. Halifax is currently under-charging, according to Viveiros and the Fire Study Committee.

The third article would ask the voters to simply raise the ambulance fees, should the second article not pass.

If voters choose this option, Town Meeting would still have the power to vote on ambulance fees as they currently do, but this article would raise them to the proposed new level suggested by the Fire Chief.

Access to Burrage Pond from Elm Street

Halifax Special Town Meeting set for Jan. 4Christopher and Thais Kasmerek came before the Board to discuss issues surrounding the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area, now owned by the state, and ongoing issues surrounding the only access road to the site in Halifax.

A controversial purchase in 2002 by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife saw approximately 1,600 acres of land in Hanson and Halifax transferred from the Northland Cranberry Company to the Commonwealth.

The intention is to use the land as a conservation area.

The Kasmereks abut what was believed to be an access road off of Elm Street owned by the State. It turns out that due to a surveying error, the Kasmereks own a good portion of the access road, and have since closed it off, blocking public access to the State-owned portion.

The Kasmereks said that they often invite people to park on the street or their own property to allow people to enjoy the area, but are fearful of any action that the Town or State might take to open up access again.

The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife wants to build a parking lot and some sort of buffer for the Kasmereks, but they object. When the DFW took over the property, they claim that there was an uptick in “bad-behavior” behind their property, with people coming and going at all times of day and night and leaving behind beer cans, glass, needles and dog refuse.

“You have to live it, you just have to live it,” Christopher Kasmerek frequently said throughout the lengthy exchange with selectmen, but remained composed but visibly frustrated. Although he never raised his voice, his controlled anger was evident.

The couple asserts that the “bad-behavior” hasn’t completely stopped, even now that it is not physically possible to access the road by car. They said that people simply park on the street at night and walk back, leaving them to police, “everything that goes on back there.”

Policing of the property is now under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Police, who appear to not have the resources to cover this property. There is some dispute between the Town and the Kasmereks over the number of times the Halifax police have been called for issues at the property, but the Kasmereks did not debate the topic, stating that there were times that they were possibly referred to the Environmental Police. They claim to frequently call the police.

Selectmen Chairman Kim Roy pushed for compromise, stating that things could get worse; the DFW could act on its own simply going around the Kasmerek’s property through state-owned land adjacent to the current road, joining the section of the road that they own to the street and then building the same parking lot previously proposed.

“We have to solve this,” Roy said.

Selectman Thomas Millias expressed his deep distrust of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and also pushed for a compromise. The Town will continue to work with the couple and the DFW to find a solution that works for everyone.

Mr. Kasmerek apologized to the Board on the way out, shaking each Selectman’s hand. He was assured that there was no reason to apologize and the Board would keep them up-to-date on the situation

Dog Hearing

A familiar face around Town Hall, Finance Committee member Nikki Newton appeared before the Board for a different reason: a dog hearing.

Selectman Garron made the same comment he makes at almost every dog hearing, “This isn’t a dog hearing, it’s a people hearing,.”  Garron, a professed animal lover, takes the hearings seriously.

Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan, in her police blue “Halifax ACO” jacket testified that Newton’s dog, while at a dog training facility in Hanson, had bitten a 20-year-old, inexperienced handler. The dog trainer had no problem accepting the dog back, and felt that it was an isolated incident. Newton agreed, as did Callahan.

“Sounds innocent enough,” said Millias.

The Board decided to take no action under the rationale that they usually encourage residents at dog hearings to get their dog professionally trained after an incident, but this incident happened with a dog trainer.

Regionalization is key, more grants available for Plympton

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Regionalization is key, more  grants available for Plympton

PLYMPTON – On Monday, Dec. 7, Plympton Selectmen discussed the progress of the employee handbook, which is being prepared over several weeks; Selectperson Christine Joy presented a new Community Compact grant opportunity for further regionalization purposes; and the concept of “municipal aggregation,” was introduced, referring to purchasing electricity with other municipalities to get better rates.

Employee handbook

The “employment document,” as it is being called, is coming together as a full-fledged employee handbook. The Board has taken similar documents from other towns, as well as suggestions from Town Counsel, and “cutting and pasting” the best parts.

At this point, a hiring policy, a recruitment policy as well as a CORI policy have been adopted.

Selectmen discussed a disciplinary policy on Monday, although the exact language was not voted. They were referring to a model from the Town’s attorney, and it was based on a model of “progressive discipline,” whereby warnings are given before eventual termination.

Where the Board did not have a comprehensive list of rules to be broken – or followed – this section continues to be a work in progress until they can develop a protocol.

The process has included input from all three Board members, as well as Town Coordinator Dale Pleau, who has been gathering comparative documents from many Massachusetts towns.

Next up: a uniform employment application for all Town positions.

Regionalization Grant

Selectperson Joy notified the board that a new round of Community Compact grants are available.

Plympton just signed a document with the Commonwealth awarding three financially focused grants to the town.

The Community Compact Cabinet is offering a new grant opportunity to help towns study the possible benefits of regionalizing – sharing – certain services.

Board Chairman Mark Russo has been encouraging further discussions with neighboring communities on regionalization for months, but notes the difficulty in getting busy officials from differing towns into the same room. “It’s like herding cats.”

The Selectmen authorized Joy to apply for the grant.

Municipal Aggregation

Though it might sound like “regionalization,” or even combining towns, municipal aggregation is a term that refers to the purchase of electricity for residents in bulk together with other communities to get the best rate.

Joy recently attended a presentation on this topic by the Old Colony Planning Council.

The basic premise is that multiple towns hire a third-party “aggregator” who seeks out the lowest possible price for electricity.  Lower prices are due to the increased purchasing power of a group of towns buying together.

A resident could choose to opt out and no one would see a change in the company that their bill comes from. The savings would be modest, according to Joy, although she mentioned that very conservative estimates were presented by the OCPC.

Several towns in the county have expressed interest, and the Board will continue to explore the matter.

“It’s an interesting opportunity,” said Joy.

In Other News:

• Just Right Farm was issued a Common Victualler’s License. Because Chairman Russo lives at Just Right Farm, he recused himself from the vote.

• The Selectmen will meet next on December 14th and December 21st at 6 p.m. in the Committee Meeting Room.

• The Public Safety Building Committee will meet next on December 16th and December 30th at 6 p.m. in the Committee Meeting Room.

For Thanksgiving dinner stand by your pan

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For Thanksgiving dDinner stand by your pan

Halifax Fire Chief Jason Vivieros cautioned area residents to be careful while cooking this Thanksgiving, specifically referring to warnings from the State Fire Marshall’s Office on deep fried turkey. Looking ahead, he also had some sage safety advice about how to safely handle holiday decorations and Christmas trees.

“Stand by your pan”

Vivieros noted that twice as many cooking fires happen on Thanksgiving than the second busiest day for cooking fires, December 25.

“Do not leave any oven or stove unattended while baking, boiling, frying or broiling. Especially, do not leave the house. Stand by your pan,” he suggested.

For Thanksgiving dinner stand by your panHe also noted that water based fire extinguishers do not work on grease fires. The proper procedure for putting out a grease fire on a stovetop is to cover it and smother out the flames. Discharging water on the fire will simply spread it. Proceed to call 911. 

If an oven fire occurs, first close the oven door in order to starve the fire of oxygen,  and do not open it! Next, make sure the oven heat is off. Proceed to call 911.

Always evacuate a burning building immediately; do not return inside for possessions.

Thanksgiving deep fried turkey

An idea originally from the Southern states, deep fried turkey has become increasingly popular across the country, because it almost always produces a moist turkey.

Vivieros echoed State Fire Marshall Stephen Coan’s warnings that deep fry turkey cookers are dangerous, and can even be deadly.

“Five gallons of boiling oil or grease over an open flame hardly sounds safe or sane,” Coan stated in his Thanksgiving words to the public.

He further goes on to state that many fryers are unstable, particularly models mounted on a tripod stand, which can tip over easily, spilling gallons of boiling grease that can cause a quick fire and severe burns.

The Marshall points to other fire hazards, including the possibility that the fryers can overheat to the point of combustion.

Sides and handles can become very hot in models that lack a thermostat or have defective temperature controls.

In fact, the non-profit Underwriters Laboratory (UL), an organization that certifies that appliances are safe, has not approved any turkey deep fryer due to their safety issues and the fire hazards that they can produce.

The bottom line is to only undertake this dangerous enterprise with extreme caution, out of the way of children and pets and have a plan in place to put out a grease fire if something goes awry.

Holiday decorations and Christmas trees

In terms of holiday lights, Vivieros recommends not leaving lights on when leaving the house or overnight. Furthermore, only purchase lights that have a safety seal of approval such as the “UL” symbol mentioned here.

Outdoor lights should be designed to be used outdoors. Never put more than three strands of lights on an extension cord, and be sure not to overload outlets, according to the Chief.

Also, consider the newer, LED-based lights that are both more energy efficient and run much cooler than traditional lights.

Never leave candles unattended and never use them as Christmas tree decorations or near Christmas trees.

Live Christmas trees with lights should not be left unattended and should be watered daily to keep them from drying out and becoming a fire risk.  Dispose of them properly soon after the holiday.

Trees should also be kept away from heat, mounted in a “tip-free” stand, and decorated only with fire retardant decorations. Artificial trees should be marked as fire retardant and never hang lights on metallic trees.

Vivieros also pointed out that it is illegal to use a cut (live) tree in a place of public assembly. That would include not just public buildings, but apartment lobbies or restaurants.

For any questions on this or any other fire safety related topic, contact the Halifax Fire Department on their business line at 781-293-1751.

The Chief and his department wish the everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Parsonage Rd site to be secured

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Parsonage Rd site to be secured: A Board of Health Update on 59 Parsonage Road

Parsonage Rd site to be secured

The property at 59 Parsonage Road is currently owned by the USDA, and has been an ongoing town safety concern. Funds have now been located to secure the property. Photo by Abram Neal

The Plympton Board of Health met on Tuesday, Nov. 17.  While the bulk of the business discussed involved septic systems, the board, along with Health Agent Cathy Drinan and their administrative staff also discussed the security of the Federally owned property at 59 Parsonage Road, a property with too much trash on site and the inspection of a trailer to make sure it did not have an illegal septic system.

59 Parsonage Road

The infamous property at 59 Parsonage Road is discussed frequently at various committee meetings in town. The property is currently owned by the United States Department of Agriculture, because the previous owner defaulted on a USDA loan. The property contains a burned-down barn, an historic house in disrepair, and several illegal trailers that were to be used for agricultural workers.

The Community Preservation Committee and the Conservation Commission have sought to acquire it for the town for use as open space, but the odd history of the property and the state of disrepair of the structures remaining on it has flummoxed the process.

The last time the USDA tried to auction the 35-acre property in April, there were no bidders.

The Board of Health has become increasingly concerned about the property from a health and safety point of view. Board Chairman Art Morin stated that he had been notified that some money had been secured by the USDA to further secure the property, but he does not know the amount and specific purpose of the funds.

“I don’t think some plywood and nails cost very much,” he said, with his typical dry sense of humor.

Morin joked that he’d board up the house himself, but then quite seriously noted that he would be calling up the head of the Massachusetts division of the USDA to order the federal government to board up the house.

The USDA doesn’t have a good history of working with the town on this property, and they are the responsible party for maintaining it, according to Drinan.

Morin and Drinan have had to frequently visit the site to post warnings, as there has been evidence of trespassing and the entire property is unsafe, including mold in the buildings and a hard-to-see pit beneath the ruins of the barn.

Too much trash

A property owner on Mayflower Road was previously asked by the board to remove bags of refuse from his yard.

Trash that remains standing for too long can attract various nuisance animals, including those that carry disease. Health Agent Drinan became concerned due to this risk and ordered the trash removed.

The property owner took care of the matter promptly.

“He did everything we asked of him,” said Art Morin when discussing a follow-up inspection. “He was also a very nice gentleman and we had a very pleasant conversation.”

The board closed the file.

Trailer Inspection

A concerned citizen alerted the board to the possibility of an illegal septic system hook-up to a trailer on Palmer Road.

Both Drinan and Morin visited the property to inspect the trailer.

Upon their arrival, they discovered that the trailer had been lived in for some extended period of time in the past, but was not currently occupied.

The owner stated that he would likely scrap it soon.

Most importantly, there was no evidence of any illegal septic system for the trailer.

The board closed the file, and both Drinan and Morin noted that they enjoyed meeting the property owner, who was extremely cooperative.

Halifax man charged in murder

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Halifax man charged in murder of 19-year old Revere woman

The Halifax Police department announced on Wednesday, Nov. 18, that Soi Ket Dang, 32, of 46A Wamsutta Ave., in Halifax, was arrested Tuesday evening by the Halifax Police Department and charged with one count of murder.

Halifax man charged in murder

Soi Ket Dang arraigned for killing 19-year old Revere woman. Photo courtesy of Halifax Police Department.

He was arraigned Wednesday morning in Plymouth District Court according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office. Dang pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.

Police allege that Dang stabbed a female victim to death, Marissa Randall, 19, of Revere. It appears that the victim was involved in prostitution, leading to her death at the hands of Dang.

Dang aroused suspicions when a missing Duxbury teenager  was located by tracking her cell-phone to an address on Wamsutta Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.  Halifax police located the missing individual and returned her to Duxbury police.  Due to the Duxbury investigation, “a witness” reported seeing blood in Dang’s house, and the possibility of a body.

Halifax police were then notified by Duxbury police of this turn of events. When Halifax police arrived at 46A Wamsutta Avenue, Dang invited them in without any objection. Police observed what they believed was blood on the floor and a female body wrapped in a blanket.

Next, State Police were contacted, and detectives determined that Dang and Randall were familiar with each other, having met on a social networking app called “Meet Me.”

This was their second meeting, and had agreed on an amount of money to be exchanged for sexual services.

A disagreement over money led to a struggle, and eventually the stabbing death of Randall, who was stabbed six times, authorities said.

Halifax man charged in murder

Police allege that Soi Ket Dang stabbed a female victim to death at his apartment in Halifax. Photo by Abram Neal

District Attorney Timothy Cruz said in a statement that, “This was a particularly gruesome case where Mr. Dang stabbed the victim, left her and then went on to work and the rest of his day […] I want to commend State Police and Halifax Police investigators for their quick response and efforts in this case.”

Wednesday afternoon, Wamsutta Avenue was quiet. The street is tucked into a quiet neighborhood, nestled between the East Pond and West Pond of Monponsett Lake. A succession of various members of the media slowly stopped by the small, detached unit known as 46A Wamsutta Avenue, a stone’s throw from Our Lady of the Lake Church.

There was no evidence of police or forensics activity on either property. A town official who was not authorized to speak on the matter confirmed that the body was removed on Tuesday night.

A neighbor arriving home with his dog, who did not wish to be identified, stated that the property was usually quiet. When asked by a Boston Globe reporter if it was a “party house,” the neighbor said he wouldn’t characterize it that way.

“We went to bed around 12:30 last night, and there were a lot of police, but the police were all gone by the time we woke up on Wednesday morning,” he said as he walked into his house.

Police Chief Edward Broderick released a brief statement thanking his department for their work on the unusual case.  “Although a tragic event, I have to credit the two responding officers for doing an outstanding job. If not for their commitment and desire to follow thru (sic) on seemingly little information, we may have not been able to make an arrest and bring this person to justice. I’d also like to thank the rest of the department for coming into support the operation without regard for all the other things going on in their schedule.”

Selectmen Chairman Kim Roy wished to assure the townspeople that they are safe.   “Chief Broderick has assured the board that this is an isolated and rare incident,” she said. “The people of Halifax should rest assured that our public safety agencies are working together with their State and Federal counterparts 24/7 to keep Halifax the safe and serene town that it always has been.”

Roy also echoed Chief Broderick’s praise for the two initial responding officers, Rob McDonnell and Mike Schleiff. “We are lucky to have such diligent police in Halifax,” she said.

The case remains under investigation by State and Halifax police in conjunction with the State Police Crime Scene Services and the State Police Crime Lab.

Fitzgerald remembered by Halifax Selectmen

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Margaret “Peggy” Fitzgerald remembered by Halifax Selectmen, Town Gazebo considered

Halifax selectmen, who had not met in three weeks, met Monday to deal with a busy agenda, beginning their meeting with a moment of silence out of respect for Margaret “Peggy” Fitzgerald, who passed away last week at the age of 84.  She had resided in Halifax for 75 years.

  Fitzgerald, a former Selectmen Chairman, School Committee Chairman, Town Accountant, and member of the Finance Committee (who only resigned from her position several weeks ago), among other boards and committees, served the town and region for more than 50 years.

   All of the members of the board had a memory to share about Fitzgerald, and Selectmen Chairman Roy was moved to tears when reading from her obituary, calling her a neighbor and mentor.

   “This is a tragic loss,” stated a visibly shaken Roy.

Gazebo on the green

   Paul Ledwell and his family have offered to donate a gazebo to the town in memory of their daughter, Caitlin, who passed away in 2012 due to injuries sustained in a car accident.

   The Ledwell family and the fund set up in her memory will pay for the gazebo, and its maintenance going forward, according to Ledwell.

   “I don’t want this to look like something that was purchased at Home Depot and dropped in,” he said. He showed the board a picture of the gazebo in Pembroke center, which is 20 by 40 feet, which he characterized as large, but not that large.

   The board was concerned by the size, but set up a meeting with Ledwell to stake out several options on the lawn, to get a better sense of what size is the best fit for the town and to set up a definitive location. John Campbell, chair of the Building Committee, and John Shea, chair of the Historic District Commission were available as well to give input.

   Campbell had some concerns about maintenance, but Ledwell insisted his family or the memorial fund would pay for yearly upkeep. Shea wanted to be sure the structure would blend in. Shea and Campbell will also attend the meeting with Ledwell and the board when they stake out the proposed structure.

Chairman Roy thanked Ledwell for his generosity to Halifax.

Class II license stipulations

  Holders of Class II auto dealers’ licenses have been in the news recently due to accusations of having too many vehicles on their properties. Now the board is looking into revising some of the stipulations on the licenses.

  One difficult to enforce, but new idea from Town Administrator Charlie Seelig is to put a one-year limit on the length of time a vehicle can physically be on the premises of a dealership.

  This would encourage dealers to sell vehicles rather than allowing them to sit and be used for parts, for example, according to Seelig.

The board passed this stipulation, and it will be up to Seelig to enforce.

Regionalization

  At the recent FinCom summit between Kingston, Plympton, and Halifax further regionalization was a topic of discussion. The Halifax selectmen discussed this idea in further detail.

There was excitement about the idea of sharing an information technology, or I.T. professional at the summit and the board shared this enthusiasm.

Selectman Tom Millias suggested a Conservation Officer might also be a position that could be shared, likely with Plympton.

   “We’ve been down this road before, we just have to do it,” selectman Troy Garron said.

   Charlie Seelig will try to set up a meeting of the tri-town selectmen to move forward with these proposals.

    In other news:

• Algae counts remain high in the Monponsett Ponds (above 70,000/ppm.) The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is setting up a joint meeting in the near future between the Town of Halifax and the City of Brockton to discuss Brockton’s past diversion of water from the lake, which Halifax officials assert is environmentally detrimental. The City of Brockton is not currently diverting due to the high algae counts.

• The board is researching the title to a property at 5 Short Street that is believed to be town-owned. The property has a house on it, and is valued at approximately $130,000. The board will continue to discuss possibly selling the property.

• The board discussed changing the Treasurer-Collector position from one that is elected to one that is appointed. This must be voted at Town Meeting, and has been defeated before. Although all of the board members expressed a preference towards appointments for positions that require technical expertise, all thought it was too soon to ask voters about this again, for now.

• Edward Gavin, Jr. expressed interest in either the Finance Committee or Capital Planning Committee. There is a vacancy on FinCom and the board is interested in interviewing him for that position.

• The board will next meet on November 24th at 7 p.m. Fire Chief Jason Vivieros is expected to be present to present final findings of the Fire Study Committee. The FinCom will join the meeting at 8:15 to discuss the FY’17 budget with the board.