WHITMAN – If not for the controversies and the 2018 Academy Award for Best Picture, won by “Green Book,” many white Americans might not have heard of the annual guide (1936 to 1967) by that name, offering travel advice, lists of safe and welcoming hotels for African-American travelers across the United States and ads for businesses – especially car sales.
Dr. Gloria Greis, the executive director of the Needham History Center and Museum, spoke at the Whitman Public Library on Saturday, Dec. 14 to add some informational meat on that skeletal knowledge in her talk, “Driving While Black.”
And area towns like Hanson and Kingston have earned listings in the guide over the years – for South Hanson, 1948, to be precise. More on that in a bit.
The Green Book got its name, in part, from the color featured in its cover designs, but also for its founder, Victor Hugo Green, who founded the guide in 1936, aided by his wife Alma, who took over briefly after his 1960 death.
A postal employee and travel agent in Harlem, Green was perfectly situated to make his guidebook the one people immediately thought of – despite the existence of at least six others – he could depend on a national network of postal employees to bolster the word-of-mouth campaign and, more importantly advertising, by his fellow postal employees.
While she admitted her presentation is “a little Needham-centric,” Greis, said that a few years ago, a local resident sent her a note asking if she knew Needham had an entry in the Green Book, sending her on a search for information on several other South Shore communities, as well.
But, initially, Greis, herself, hadn’t known what the Green Book was.
“I daresay, I was not alone in my ignorance and I daresay that my ignorance says something about the way we approach local history,” she told her audience at Whitman Public Library. “Despite general sense that modern history is comprehensive and everything is known, the historical record is surprisingly incomplete. Records get lost, or not recorded in the first place.”
She added that even towns like Needham, where today an ABC-affiliate television network is located, and has a well-regarded educational system, was in Colonial times, considered literate, but not literary.
People could read and write, “but they didn’t spend a lot of time putting their thoughts down on paper.”
Therefore, recorded history is usually found in official documents – tax rolls, town clerks’ records, church registers, town reports and the like.
“This is the history of the town’s leaders,” she said. “While this information is incredibly important, it’s very incomplete as a town history. It leaves out large segments of community experience.”
That is largely the experience of the working class, Greis said – “the routine rhythms of work and leisure, the accommodations of neighborhood, the attitudes, opinions and relationships that governed everybody’s everyday life.”
Often who gets to tell that history adds another layer of controversy, which is why the dramatic film “Green Book,” ran into trouble by literally putting a white character in the driver’s seat, not only of a car, but also of a Black character’s story.
“Piecing together historical information about the non-establishment groups in a town takes a number of different strategies,” Greis said. The Green Book is one of those.
Hanson, for example was among the 36 communities in Massachusetts with a listing – a small house at 26 Reed St., once owned by a woman named Mary Pina, was listed in the 1948 Green Book as an accommodation for African-American travelers and tourists both in a guest room in her home, and for campers in her spacious back yard.
“The [accommodations] tend to follow the highways and areas we still think of as vacation spots,” Greis said. “But not all. Some of them are on byways, like Needham.” And Hanson.
Hanson Health Board Chair Arlene Dias was amazed at that bit of historical news.
“There were a lot of Pinas on South Street, but I don’t remember somebody living that far up on Reed Street,” Dias said in a phone interview Friday, Dec. 20. “I’ve never heard of [the Green Book listing]. It is interesting.”
She said she would be calling family members who were more knowledgeable of the Cape Verdean population’s history in Hanson for more information.
“I had relatives that were Pinas, but they were on Pleasant Street,” Dias said.
Greis said that, as much as the Green Book offered guidance for the safety of travelers, it also offered economic safety for small businesses.
“It is a compendium of some of the most important people, successful businesses and important political milestones of the 20th Century,” she said. “It’s a who’s who of a rising class of African-American middle-class entrepreneurs.”
Before the advent of the Green Book and similar travel guide, Black travelers had to prepare ahead, packing food and enough gasoline for the journey, because there was no certainty that they’d find a safe place to eat, lodge, fuel their cars or even use the bathrooms, Greis said.
Green had written in the forward to the Green Book that it served as a way to ensure safety and dignity in travel until African-Americans were afforded equal opportunities and privileges in the United States.
“It will be a great day for us to suspend this publication,” he wrote.
The Jim Crow South was not the only area where travel problems might be encountered.
“These limits were imposed on African-Americans all over the country – even in the North,” Greis said. “We might not have had the actual signs, but we certainly had the signals.”
Even in Harlem during it’s “Harlem Renaissance” of the 1920s and ’30s, the more famous nightclubs like The Cotton Club, did not allow Black customers in the audience for performances of the biggest African-American entertainers of the day.
As Black workers found job opportunities in the North, especially in Detroit, their economic condition improved, but that was only one reason car ownership by Black Americans grew.
“Sometimes, it was the only way of getting easily from place to place,” she said. The Green Book and other guides also advised Black people to buy a car as soon as they were able to for that reason. “The Green Book guided them to services where they were welcome, reducing what Green kindly called ‘aggravation.’”
That aggravation could range from out-and-out violence to Sundown Towns, where the threat was thinly veiled.
Getting one’s kicks on Route 66, was evidently meant for whites only as there were no welcoming business along the route musically extolled from Chicago as one “motors West.”
The first Green Book in 1936 covered only New York and Westchester County in 16 pages, but shortly grew to more than 9,500 businesses in 100 pages covering the entire United States, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean.
“Esso Oil, which was notable for its progressive hiring, including African-American executives, scientists and franchisees, distributed the book throughout its station network,” Greis said.
It was also aimed at the African-American Middle Class and was relatively unknown among people of color in lower economic strata.
The Interstate Highway system helped spell the end of the Green Book, both by presenting a more homogeneous appearance for travel – and bypassing many of the businesses that advertised in it.
Halifax mulls MBTA zoning consequences
Alan Ingram
Express correspondent
The Halifax Select Board, at their Tuesday, Dec. 17 meeting, discussed the recent Dec. 16 special town meeting, which saw a record-breaking 722 registered voters attending. Town Administrator Cody Haddad commended the Town Clerk’s office and facilities team for their efforts in managing the large turnout.
Haddad also reported that the Attorney General’s office had already contacted the town inquiring about the vote’s outcome that overwhelmingly rejected creating the state’s mandated MBTA multi-family zoning district in Halifax.
“We’ll wait and see,” he said. “I don’t anticipate legal action until the Supreme Judicial Court case comes down with Milton.”
The decision has immediate financial implications for Halifax. Haddad revealed that a recently awarded $125,000 grant for a regionalization study with Kingston now includes a caveat requiring compliance with all state laws, including the MBTA zoning law.
“We were able to pivot and actually give that grant to Kingston because Kingston will be in compliance,” Haddad explained. “The good news there is we’re not going to lose out on that because it was a regional grant approach.”
However, other ongoing grants could be in jeopardy. Haddad mentioned potential “clawbacks” for previously approved grants, prompting efforts to expedite projects and submit invoices quickly.
The town is particularly focused on completing energy projects, with heat pumps already installed at town hall.
In response to the vote, Board of Selectmen Chair John Bruno proposed including a resolution on the spring town meeting warrant instructing local representatives to work towards overturning the MBTA zoning law.
“I think it doesn’t have any legal effect, but at least it makes it clear where we stand,” Bruno said.
The Board also addressed concerns about the Pine Street intersection project. The town had previously allocated $40,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for an engineering study of the intersection, but the highway department has been unable to secure an engineer for the project.
Due to the deadline for obligating ARPA funds, the Board voted to reallocate the $40,000 to cover an overage in the highway barn roof project. However, Board members expressed frustration with the lack of progress on the Pine Street intersection improvements.
“I really do feel like we need some sort of update on what we’re doing with Pine Street,” Selig said. “I don’t want to lose this ARPA money to get back to the original point. That’s silly to give that money back to the state.”
The Board agreed to make the Pine Street intersection a priority for 2025 and requested a written plan from the highway department within 90 days.
As the meeting concluded, The Chair praised the professionalism of the town staff and the progress made in recent years.
“The professionalism that you guys have brought to this, and Cody and Pam and Irma, is just so far beyond expectations,” Bruno said. “It’s wonderful. Congratulations to you guys, and I think the town is really well served.”
Looking ahead, the Board discussed potential changes to future town meeting procedures, including earlier check-in times and clearer communication about start times on meeting warrants.
Halifax is considering a partnership with neighboring Hanson to provide veteran services after Hanson’s Veterans’ Service Officer (VSO) recently resigned. The potential collaboration could ensure continued access to veteran services for residents of both communities.
Town Administrator Cody Haddad informed Selectmen that Halifax is in communication with Hanson regarding the possibility of regionalizing veteran services.
“We’re in communication with Hanson on the Veterans position, doing some potential regionalization there,” Haddad said. “At the very least, we’re going to help our neighbors out in the meantime so that Hanson residents still have access to Veteran Services.”
The Board also learned that Halifax is extending support to Hanson by providing temporary Building Commissioner services. Hanson is currently without a building commissioner, and Halifax has stepped in to assist.
“We are working to assist them in the meantime,” Haddad explained. “I would anticipate probably at your January meeting some sort of agreement with Hanson just saying that we’re going to provide assistance to them. They’ll have to compensate us.”
Board member Jonathan Selig praised the town’s ability to offer assistance to neighboring communities. “It’s great that we are now able to offer other towns assistance and not be on the other end of that situation,” Selig said. “Kudos to Cody and the town to be in this spot.”
Haddad emphasized that while Halifax will be compensated for its services, the willingness of town staff to help neighboring communities speaks to their character.
“It shows that we have a team here that other towns want to look to for assistance,” Haddad said. “But also, we have the individuals in place who want to do it. Ed Bayly, our Building Commissioner, is all for it. Steve Littlefield is all for it. And that speaks to, I think, the character of the people we have.”
The Town Administrator noted that helping neighboring communities will be beneficial in the long run. “It’s always good to help out our neighbors because we never know when we’re going to need their assistance,” he said.
Author James Parr to visit Adams Center
Author James Parr will discuss his book “World War II Massachusetts,” on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at the Adams Center, 33 Summer St., Kingston, at 6 p.m.
Over 500,000 Massachusetts residents responded to the call of military duty during the Second World War, while many of the commonwealth’s citizens fought the war on the home front. Everyone around the state – including pets – found creative and essential ways to contribute to the war effort.
Thousands worked in factories, volunteered for Civil Defense, watched for enemy aircraft, and took part in salvage collections and bond drives, all while dealing with rationing, blackouts, rumors, and a host of other wartime inconveniences. Numerous more served on its military bases that were crucial to the nations defense. Parr reveals the stories of these brave and dedicated citizens – from the famous to the ordinary – as they faced wartime challenges.
Parr taught elementary school in Malden, Needham, and Framingham for 34 years before retiring in 2022. He has been a long-time volunteer at the Framingham History Center, where he created popular programs such as the Haunted Halloween Trolley Tour. His other History Press titles include, Dedham: Historic and Heroic Tales from Shiretown, Framingham Legends and Lore, and Murder and Mayhem in Metrowest Boston (with co-author Kevin A. Swope).
To register for this event, please visit our website at kingstonpubliclibrary.org. For more information, you can contact Steven Miller, Reference Librarian at (781) 585-0517 x6272 or at [email protected].
Kingston BOS appoint special police officers
The Kingston Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, Dec. 17. The Selectmen donned festive holiday sweaters. Kingston Police Chief Brian Holmes attended the meeting to speak on the appointment of special police officers and matrons. “We’ll be increasing the number and at the next scheduled meeting, I’ll be requesting that the Board authorize me to call for a list of permanent intermittent civil service part timers; there’s a functional difference between that and special police officers and I’ll be happy to explain that prior to and on the evening that I request that,” Holmes explained.
Selectman Kimberley Emberg read the list of appointments including Michelle E. Beck and Taylor A. O’Neill as Matrons and Darren J. Martin, Marks J. Brenner Jr., and Sean Percy as Special Police Officers. All terms begin January 1, 2025 and end December 31, 2025.
Due to a recent vacancy in the Veteran’s Agent position, Town Administrator Keith Hickey recommended the appointment of Sara Lansing following the recruitment process. The anticipated start date is February 3. Emberg noted that the Wage and Personnel Board, which currently only consists of two members, was split on the paygrade. Emberg said, “I get that we [the Selectmen] are the hiring authority and at the end of the day we can hire people at whatever step we think is appropriate… I can’t support a step 7 given the information we have before us this evening and what was discussed at the Board [Wage and Personnel] meeting last night.” The Selectmen decided to schedule a joint meeting with the Wage and Personnel Board to discuss further prior to approval of the appointment/hiring.
Emberg reviewed the Boards and Committees with openings including two on Capital Planning, one on Wage and Personnel, and a few openings on the Finance Committee. “There are more, but I wanted to call a couple by name,” Emberg said.
Hickey said the flashing school zone lights will be installed on December 26 and 27. “Weather permitting the school zone will be operational and all the necessary lighting up and running by the end of the calendar year so that’s good news,” he said.
Hickey praised the Council on Aging for their Christmas lunch where they served over 100 meals. “Everyone who attended seemed really, really pleased and had a great time. Holly Nighelli, the acting Director, and her staff did a tremendous job as did Santa Clause… everyone had a great time, ate well, laughed – it was nice to see,” Hickey said. Emberg also thanked those involved with the Santa ride through town and for all the donations for Toys for Tots.
The Selectmen reviewed a draft of a timeline for the annual town meeting. Selectmen Chair Eric Crone reminded those in attendance that the Selectmen elected at their December 3 meeting to move the date of town meeting earlier to April 26. Crone said that the Town Clerk has recommended that the election be held on May 17. They voted to approve the schedule as proposed.
The Selectmen also accepted a $1,000 donation to the Kingston Public Library for books, $10,000 to the Kingston Animal Shelter, $100 grocery gift cards to the Veteran’s Department, and $1,100 donation to the Veterans Department.
New York man charged in Walmart theft
A New York man was held in custody on $50,000 bail in connection with the theft of multiple high-priced ink cartridges from the Walmart store in Halifax, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.
Travis Moore, 44, is charged with one count of Larceny Over $1200 related to a July incident where he is accused of removing lamps from two cardboard boxes and stuffing the boxes with ink cartridges before paying the listed price for the lamps at a self-checkout station and exiting the store. Moore is also accused of stealing a cellphone charger. The total value of merchandise that was not paid for was $1435.85, according to Walmart Asset Protection personnel.
At a hearing held Thursday, Dec. 19, after the defendant presented himself in court, the Commonwealth moved for $250,000 bail. Judge Shelby Smith set Moore’s bail at $50,000 and set conditions of release which include staying away from any and all Walmart locations if released on bail.
Moore is next scheduled to appear in court on January 16 for a probable cause hearing.
New life for Plympton Almshouse
Deb Anderson
Express staff
Wednesday, Dec. 18, upper Main Street in Plympton closed to traffic to allow something seldom seen these days – a house moving down the road.
From 65 Crescent St., diagonally across from the Dennett Elementary School down the street and around the corner, the house was moved to its new location at 112 Main St.
The building, a classic Cape Cod style house, was also known as the old Plympton Almshouse. Jen Macdonald and Mike Lemieux, owners of Full Circle Homes, saw the potential in the project and hired Gordon Building Movers, the oldest family-owned and operated business in Hingham, who have done this sort of thing countless times in their storied 125-year plus history. Five generations of Gordons have been involved in this business, so Jen and Mike chose a business with lots of experience.
The move itself took more than six hours to accomplish, and the house now sits on its new location.
Jen told The Express, “It is now sitting on our lot at 112 Main St. for a further renovation and we are excited to restore it.” Mike is also enthusiastic about the new project, “It was quite the endeavor, and we still have a ways to go!!”
We can’t wait to see how this one comes out.
You can follow Mike and Jen of Full Circle Homes on their youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCowhOniFhPVT4GdwdWClHCQ where they plan to show the journey of the Almshouse as an episode. See lots of in-depth details of how to’s there.
Brockton firefighter, of Halifax, succumbs to line of duty cardiac arrest
Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli announced on Sunday the line of duty death of Firefighter Jeffrey Albanese of Halifax, just after 11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21.
He had suffered a cardiac arrest while responding to an incident on Dec. 9. He was resuscitated by his brother firefighters, Brewster EMS, and the medical staff at Signature Brockton Hospital.
Firefighter Albanese was transferred to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, where he received incredible care, according to the Chief’s announcement. “He fought very hard but succumbed to his injuries. Firefighter Albanese fought a courageous battle with his family and brother and sister firefighters by his side.”
He leaves his wife and teenage twins.
Arrangements will be announced once complete.
Kingston Luminaries Saturday, Dec. 21
A Brief History
In 1986 a group of Kingston Call Force Firefighters initiated a volunteer program to rebuild the Surprize Hose House (circa 1888). Retired Firefighters Bud and Edgar Loring, Call Firefighter Dale Loring, and retired Deputy Chief, Dave McKee, finished rebuilding the Hose House during the centennial year of the Kingston Fire Department. Dale Loring stated, “We thought it would be nice to start a luminary night to promote the restoration of the Hose House.” Thus, the luminary tradition began on Main St., where just 30 candle-lit bags lined one side of the street, starting at the Hose House to the new fire station. The spectacular scenery presented included the newly refurbished hose reels that can still be seen today on luminary night. All call fire fighters’ wives would bake cookies and bring cider to give out to local people who carne to enjoy the luminaries. Today many new traditions have been added. It is held on the third Saturday of December. (Town of Kingston website)
Halifax STM votes huge NO on zoning
Alan Ingram
Express correspondent
In a decisive move that could have far-reaching consequences, Halifax residents voted against adopting a state-mandated multi-family housing overlay district at a Special Town Meeting Monday night.
The decision puts the town at odds with Massachusetts’ MBTA Communities law, potentially risking the loss of discretionary grant funding and inviting legal action from the state Attorney General’s office.
The law requires MBTA communities to create zoning for multi-family housing near transit stations. Halifax qualifies due to its commuter rail stop, despite the station being miles from the town center.
The proposed Article 1 would have established a 194-acre MBTA Communities Multi-family Overlay District in compliance with Section 3A of the Zoning Act. The overlay district aimed to allow multi-family housing as of right in designated areas.
According to Chair John Bruno, the Board of Selectmen reluctantly put the zoning change to a vote to give residents the opportunity to comply with state law, while expressing “serious concerns” about the mandate itself.
Selectman Jonathan Selig expressed his conflicted stance on the issue before casting his vote against the article.
“Do I feel great about this? Absolutely not,” Selig said. “But, honestly, I would feel not great about voting either way tonight, because, quite frankly, there really isn’t a great option here, given our two alternatives.”
“We are not Quincy, we are not Braintree, or Weymouth,” said Selig. “People in those communities could conceivably lean on public transportation instead of cars, but our train station is miles away from our town center.”
Selig acknowledged the potential consequences of the vote, including the loss of discretionary grants that Halifax has historically relied upon.
“We’re a small town with a small business tax base,” he explained. “But, because of this, the town has historically used discretionary grants like the ones that will be in jeopardy to help the town move forward. And there’s no doubt about it, losing those will hurt.”
Fellow Selectman Thomas Pratt echoed Selig’s concerns while maintaining his opposition to the state mandate.
“Halifax is different than Hanson, different than Middleborough, different than every other city and town in the Commonwealth,” Andrews stated. “We don’t fit in a box, and we shouldn’t acquiesce to the state from their 40,000-foot view from above.”
Pratt warned of the long-term implications of compliance. “The problem is the state will never stop asking once you’ve given in,” he said. “The long-term view to protect the town, in my opinion, is a no vote.”
The Planning Board had previously voted not to recommend Article 1, while the Finance Committee made no recommendation, citing their understanding of “both sides of the equation and the financial impacts.”
Residents at the meeting expressed strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Jeff Bolger encouraged fellow voters not to fear the consequences of rejecting the overlay district.
“I don’t think anyone should be afraid of a no vote here,” Bolger said. “We’ve got a governor who goes nationally and says, I’m going to defy federal immigration law. If she can do that, we can certainly say no to this.”
Others, like Ed Murphy, pushed for an immediate vote without further debate. “There is nothing left to debate,” Murphy asserted. “Anyone who’s been involved in this issue knows what the issue’s about.”
The rejection of Article 1 leaves Halifax in a precarious position. Town officials now face the challenge of navigating potential financial repercussions and legal challenges from the state.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has previously indicated her office would seek civil enforcement against towns that fail to comply with the MBTA Communities law. The Supreme Judicial Court is currently considering action against the Town of Milton.
The meeting also saw heated debate over a citizen petition to regulate personal watercraft use on local ponds, highlighting community tensions over lake access and environmental concerns.
Petitioner Steven Goodman argued the bylaw was needed to address problems with out-of-town visitors disrespecting local waterways.
“The out-of-town groups that come have specifically said to me they come here because we don’t have any regulation,” Goodman said. “And it’s not necessarily that they’re out of town, it’s that they don’t respect the waterways.”
The proposed bylaw would require residents to obtain permits for personal watercraft use and ban non-residents from launching at town ramps.
Supporter David Mascio cited safety concerns, saying he’s witnessed jet skiers operating within swimming areas and harassing kayakers.
“The people that are doing this, they do not comply, they do not care,” Mascio said.
However, longtime resident Charles Rogers opposed the restrictions, arguing for freedom of lake access.
“I believe that the lakes are a beautiful asset to our town,” Rogers said. “They attract people to the town. That’s the reason I moved to the town, because of the lakes.”
Other residents questioned why the bylaw would require permits from local users rather than focusing on out-of-town visitors.
After lengthy debate, voters approved the personal watercraft regulations in a show of hands.
S-L schools will still use MCAS tests
Silver Lake schools will continue to use MCAS tests to measure students’ progress despite election results.
The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met on Thursday, Dec. 12. Superintendent Jill Proulx provided a status update to the Committee. Regarding the budget, she said that preliminary proposals would be ready in January. She also told the Committee that Kingston had applied for and been approved for a grant looking at the costs and benefits of full regionalization.
Proulx said that despite the election results eliminating the graduation requirement for MCAS, participation is still required by federal and state law. “DESE’s [Department of Elementary and Secondary Education] accountability system will continue to use assessment participation errant rates and the resulting achievement and growth in its annual determinations for each of our school districts,” she explained. She said that award programs tied to MCAS results will continue as usual.
Committee member Jason Fraser said, “We have trained educators and administrators who know what competency looks like which is one of the reasons why question two passed by such a large margin.” He said he hopes that the State won’t create a new mandate to try to skirt the will of the voters. He further noted that he is working with others on legislation that would prohibit those types of mandates.
Fraser also provided a legislative update. Former Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley is now working at MIT interfacing computer technology, specifically their AI department, with public education. “I’m in conversations with him to try and develop some professional development for school committee members,” Fraser said.
Fraser said that his conversations with acting Commissioner Russell Johnston have been more “stressed” primarily around a blind lottery for Chapter 74 programs which are vocational/CTE programs. Fraser said that they are potentially looking into removing discipline, attendance, and grade requirements for entry into Chapter 74 programs in order to avoid imbalance and equity issues. Fraser said, however, that after a review of the State, very few programs were found to have such equity issues and the ones that do, the State is working with them to correct.
Fraser also said he was asked to give testimony regarding how much should be allocated for Circuit Breaker next year. “We’re asking for $667 million which is about $58 million more than last year,” he said. He further said that this year might be the first year in over a decade where they don’t meet the 75 percent threshold for Circuit Breaker reimbursement which he said would be “devastating.” “Trump, when he was candidate Trump, talked about potentially disassembling some parts of the Department of Education, potentially dismantling it in its entirety. It does seem like candidate Trump is looking at potentially shifting all of the title funding directly to the states and bypassing the bureaucracy of Washington. That might be an efficiency… that does cause an issue with how the states then allocate those title funds to individual municipalities and schools. Unfortunately for us, most of that would be needs-based assessments and when people look at our towns they don’t see much need, so it could mean losing out on federal funding,” Fraser said.
Fraser said, “there is a significant chance that Plympton will need to consider a proposition 2 ½ override for this spring.” Committee member Jeanne Coleman said, “Kingston experienced the same thing a couple of years ago and I just want to warn you, the town then accused us of, I believe it was, a 12 percent increase and it was like no, you have to consider that we had a deficit mid-year so we were really only looking at much less of an increase of, I believe, it was 4 percent.”
Director of Finance and Operations, Sarah Hickey said there was $160,000 in the FY25 capital plan for special education vehicles. She said that they would be spending just over $87k leaving an excess of nearly $73k. She also spoke to the Committee regarding the CTE repair to the garage door. The project is being moved to June which will incur a $14,000 cost but is less than alternative options.
Director of Facilities Mike Lawless said that earlier this year, the Committee had voted to use $100,000 of allotted funds for a building assessment and use the remaining $72,000 to do HVAC repairs. He said that one of the main HVAC repairs he hoped to do was in the auditorium at the Middle School. That repair to a 19 year-old unit came in at approximately $60,000. He said that they were looking to complete smaller repairs instead with those funds and noted that the unit in the auditorium would likely be the first one replaced when they complete the assessment. The Committee voted to approve the change to the intended use of funds.
Silver Lake Regional Middle School Principal Becky Couet said that the students brought in thousands of canned goods for Thanksgiving that were donated to a local food pantry. Students Making a Difference (SMAD) and Student Council are going to Head Start to “spread holiday cheer.”
Regarding teaching and learning she said, “we’re seeing carnival ride creations in tech ed, we’re exploring amendments in civics, we’re also applying real world problems to linear equations… they’re designing investigations in science in ways that I’ve never seen before,” Couet said. “Kids are engaged and talking to each other every single day and I’m really proud of the education we have here,” she continued.
Couet also asked to raise the additional half-time adjustment counselor full-time. She said that the funds were there due to an unexpected resignation. She stated that this would be done with the knowledge that the funds may not be there in next year’s budget. The Committee approved the request.
Silver Lake Regional High School Principal Michaela Gill also provided an update. She first turned things over to the student representative Carissa Smith. Smith told the Committee that they changed a lot of things about Laker Day this year. She joked that they won’t be doing student-teacher dodgeball this year as a lot of teachers were still hurting from last year’s game. She said that they also did a “masked singer” event where teachers came dressed in inflatable costumes. She also said that they held a pep rally and noted that the Beauty and the Beast performance went “really well.”
Gill said that a working group consisting of various administrators and staff reviewed a mock schedule for an 8-period feasibility schedule. She said they found that not all students that requested a world language are able to be serviced. She also said that class sizes have increased. She said that in order for the schedule to become reality, it would need to be approved by January.
Gill said that the Kingston Police Department in collaboration with the FBI and Plymouth County DA’s office held a presentation in November on the rise in threatening statements made by students. Included in the presentation was what would happen should someone be caught making such a statement.
Gill went over some changes in curriculum offerings including a new Women in History and Culture course. The Committee voted unanimously to approve all the changes to courses and new courses added.
Assistant Superintendent Tricia Clifford said, “Earlier in the year, I applied for a grant through the Department of Ed. for support for the homeless shelter for our multilingual learners and we were awarded that grant for Silver Lake which was $7,500. That money will be used mainly for professional development… to help teachers to learn the best strategies to work with EL students.” The Committee voted to approve the acceptance of the grant.
Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Greene presented to the Committee on the social studies curriculum in Grade 8 and the new MCAS exam that the students would be taking as an operational test this spring. She said that in 2018 the Department of Education released updated guidelines for Social Studies curriculum more focused on civics. She said that in 2022/2023, Silver Lake participated in piloting a new Social Studies MCAS exam and last year, the entire state took part in the testing. She said they received limited data from the exams taken. They did, however, extrapolate that analyzing a source proved to be a difficult task for students.
Greene said that this year they started a new, free curriculum that is fully aligned with the State frameworks. “Through that curriculum we are really looking at opportunities for kids to engage in the civic practices and the discussions that are really meaningful and really thinking about their role as a community member,” she said. She said that the curriculum comes from one developed by the Democratic Knowledge Project out of Harvard. Silver Lake received a grant for nearly $25k for three years’ worth of support from the Democratic Knowledge Project.
Also during the meeting, a spokesperson for the SLEA spoke and took a moment to show gratitude toward the special education teachers in the district.
Committee
MCAS Will Continue to be Taken Despite Election Results
The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met on Thursday, Dec. 12.
Superintendent Jill Proulx provided a status update to the Committee. Regarding the budget, she said that preliminary proposals would be ready in January. She also told the Committee that Kingston had applied and been approved for a grant looking at the of costs and benefits of full regionalization.
Proulx said that despite the election results eliminating the graduation requirement for MCAS, participation is still required by federal and state law. “DESE’s [Department of Elementary and Secondary Education] accountability system will continue to use assessment participation errant rates and the resulting achievement and growth in its annual determinations for each of our school districts,” she explained. She said that award programs tied to MCAS results will continue as usual.
Committee member Jason Fraser said, “We have trained educators and administrators who know what competency looks like which is one of the reasons why question two passed by such a large margin.” He said he hopes that the State won’t create a new mandate to try and skirt the will of the voters. He further noted that he is working with others on legislation that would prohibit those types of mandates.
Fraser also provided a legislative update. Former Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley is now working at MIT interfacing computer technology, specifically their AI department, with public education. “I’m in conversations with him to try and develop some professional development for school committee members,” Fraser said.
Fraser said that his conversations with acting Commissioner Russell Johnston have been more “stressed” primarily around a blind lottery for Chapter 74 programs which are vocational/CTE programs. Fraser said that they are potentially looking into removing discipline, attendance, and grade requirements for entry into Chapter 74 programs in order to avoid imbalance and equity issues. Fraser said, however, that after a review of the State, very few programs were found to have such equity issues and the ones that do, the State is working with them to correct.
Fraser also said he was asked to give testimony regarding how much should be allocated for Circuit Breaker next year. “We’re asking for $667 million which is about $58 million more than last year,” he said. He further said that this year might be the first one in over a decade where they don’t meet the 75 percent threshold for Circuit Breaker reimbursement which he said would be “devastating.” “Trump, when he was candidate Trump, talked about potentially dissembling some parts of the Department of Education potentially dismantling it in its entirety. It does seem like candidate Trump is looking at potentially shifting all of the title funding directly to the states and bypassing the bureaucracy of Washington. That might be an efficiency… that does cause an issue with how the states then allocates those title funds to individual municipalities and schools. Unfortunately for us, most of that would be needs based assessments and when people look at our towns they don’t see much need, so it could mean losing out on federal funding,” Fraser said.
Fraser said, “there is a significant chance that Plympton will need to consider a proposition 2 ½ override for this spring.” Committee member Jeanne Coleman said, “Kingston experienced the same thing a couple of years ago and I just want to warn you, the town then accused us of, I believe it was, a 12 percent increase and it was like no, you have to consider that we had a deficit mid-year so we were really only looking at much less of an increase of, I believe, it was 4 percent.”
Director of Finance and Operations, Sarah Hickey said there was $160,000 in the FY25 capital plan for special education vehicles. She said that they would be spending just over $87k leaving an excess of nearly $73k. She also spoke to the Committee regarding the CTE repair to the garage door. The project is being moved to June which will incur a $14,000 cost but is less than alternative options.
Director of Facilities Mike Lawless said that earlier this year, the Committee had voted to use $100,000 of allotted funds for a building assessment and use the remaining $72,000 to do HVAC repairs. He said that one of the main HVAC repairs he hoped to do was in the auditorium at the Middle School. That repair to a 19 year old unit came in at approximately $60,000. He said that they were looking to complete smaller repairs instead with those funds and noted that the unit in the auditorium would likely be the first one replaced when they complete the assessment. The Committee voted to approve the change to the intended use of funds.
Silver Lake Regional Middle School Principal Becky Couet said that the students brought in thousands of canned goods for Thanksgiving that were donated to a local food pantry. Students Making a Difference (SMAD) and Student Council are going to Head Start to “spread holiday cheer.”
Regarding teaching and learning she said, “we’re seeing carnival ride creations in tech ed, we’re exploring amendments in civics, we’re also applying real world problems to linear equations… they’re designing investigations in science in ways that I’ve never seen before,” Couet said. “Kids are engaged and talking to each other every single day and I’m really proud of the education we have here,” she continued.
Couet also asked to make the additional half-time adjustment counselor a full-time one. She said that the funds were there due to an unexpected resignation. She stated that this would be done with the knowledge that the funds may not be there in next year’s budget. The Committee approved the request.
Silver Lake Regional High School Principal Michaela Gill also provided an update. She first turned things over to the student representative Carissa Smith. Smith told the Committee that they changed a lot of things about Laker Day this year. She joked that they won’t be doing student-teacher dodgeball this year as a lot of teachers were still hurting from last year’s game. She said that they also did a “masked singer” event where teachers came dressed in inflatable costumes. She also said that they held a pep rally and noted that the Beauty and the Beast performance went “really well.”
Gill said that a working group consisting of various administrators and staff reviewed a mock schedule for an 8-period feasibility schedule. She said they found that not all students that requested a world language are able to be serviced. She also said that class sizes have increased. She said that in order for the schedule to become reality, it would need to be approved by January.
Gill said that the Kingston Police Department in collaboration with the FBI and Plymouth County DA’s office held a presentation in November on the rise in threatening statements made by students. Included in the presentation was what would happen should someone be caught making such a statement.
Gill went over some changes in curriculum offerings including a new Women in History and Culture course. The Committee voted unanimously to approve all the changes to courses and new courses added.
Assistant Superintendent Tricia Clifford said, “Earlier in the year, I applied for a grant through the Department of Ed for support for the homeless shelter for our multilingual learners and we were awarded that grant for Silver Lake which was $7,500. That money will be used mainly for professional development… to help teachers to learn the best strategies to work with EL students.” The Committee voted to approve the acceptance of the grant.
Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Greene presented to the Committee on the social studies curriculum in Grade 8 and the new MCAS exam that the students would be taking as an operational test this spring. She said that in 2018 the Department of Education released updated guidelines for Social Studies curriculum more focused on civics. She said that in 2022/2023, Silver Lake participated in piloting a new Social Studies MCAS exam and last year, the entire state took part in the testing. She said they received limited data from the exams taken. They did, however, extrapolate that analyzing a source proved to be a difficult task for students.
Greene said that this year they started a new, free curriculum that is fully aligned with the State frameworks. “Through that curriculum we are really looking at opportunities for kids to engage in the civic practices and the discussions that are really meaningful and really thinking about their role as a community member,” she said. She said that the curriculum comes from one developed by the Democratic Knowledge Project out of Harvard. Silver Lake received a grant for nearly $25k for three years’ worth of support from the Democratic Knowledge Project.
Also during the meeting, a spokesperson for the SLEA spoke and took a moment to show gratitude toward the special education teachers in the district.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- …
- 198
- Next Page »