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Halifax Select Board reorganizes

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The new iteration of the Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, May 24. Ashley DiSesa, who is now the longest serving selectmen, was nominated and voted in as Chair. DiSesa nominated Alex Meade as Vice-chair saying, “just because he has sat on a board before.” This left Jonathan Selig to serve as Clerk. Meade defeated previous Chair of the Board of Selectmen Gordon Andrews for a three-year term during the latest town election. Selig won a one-year term that was left vacant after the resignation of longtime Selectman Troy Garron.

Selectmen Liaisons

The Board also worked out who would be the liaison to various town departments and committees. Selig jokingly referred to it as a “fantasy draft.” Selig was elected to be the liaison to the schools as well as the Fire Department. Meade became the liaison to the Highway Department, Cemetery, Capital Planning, and the Finance Committee. DiSesa is the liaison to the Chief Procurement Officer, the Police Department, and Holidays in Holidays. Other assignments were made as well. Later in the meeting, DiSesa was appointed as the Representative for Halifax to the Old Colony Elder Services.

Liquor License Transfer

There was a continuation of the hearing to transfer an alcohol beverage license from Lily Café II to Dragon Lake Village Inc. The owner of Lily Café called it a “bittersweet moment” but said “it is time to move on.” “Thank you for being so great to our town,” DiSesa said. Selig asked, “are the scorpion bowls going to be as good?” The Selectmen approved the transfer of the liquor license.

Talent Bank Forms

DiSesa said they had talent bank forms for Colby Silva, Elizabeth Colling, and Matthew Smith for the Beautification Committee. DiSesa recommended holding interviews with the applicants and the other Selectmen agreed. Amy L. Troup interjected from the audience that Colby Silva had already been appointed and noted her work in cleaning up litter from the town.

Waste Management Contract

The Selectmen met with Todd Koep from DEP and Town Accountant Sandy Nolan regarding the solid waste contract. Nolan said that when the town went to Waste Management to seek a two-year extension of their contract, the price came back quite high. She said that as a result, they went out to bid and the sole bidder had an even higher price. “We are running into an issue because the town of Halifax uses the bags. Most of the trash companies do not want to pick up the trash anymore; they want to use the toters because the truck has the mechanical lift,” Nolan explained. She said that Waste Management has agreed to extend the contract for a year and work with the town on moving toward toters.

“You guys [Halifax] have the lowest pounds per household,” Koep said of the 31 towns he represents. Koep said he would hate to see the trash increase noting that he was in favor of holding off on the transition for a year. “I would like to keep flexibility as far as sizing goes; I know you say other towns can pick up the 35s and I’ve seen trucks pick up the 35s before. Whatever plan we would like to do… we have to make sure that the single person in Halifax Estates with a 35 is not paying the same price as myself, with a family of five, with a larger one; I would ask that we consider a plan that is a sliding scale,” Selig said. Koep called that method a “difficult option” for several reasons. Town Administrator Ed Thorne recommended that the town go with the one-year deal and then form a committee to review all the options. The Selectmen voted to approve the one-year contract.

Paper Streets

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward met with the Board to discuss the rules and regulations for the cremation garden in Halifax. Hayward discussed when and how he would attach flags to veterans’ sites. The Board approved the rules and regulations as laid out by Hayward. They also approved an increase in headstone foundations.

Hayward also showed the Selectmen pictures of Fayette St. from 2nd Ave. “As you can see from the picture, Fayette just stops and 2nd Ave goes from along the trees… they are called paper streets for a reason because only from the map you can see it,” Hayward explained. Hayward said that people in town were starting to complain, and Selig said, “they would like a street.” Hayward said the area in question would never be wide enough to pave or become an accepted road. He said that most towns don’t do anything with paper streets but noted that Halifax does take care of some of them. “How do you want to handle it?” Hayward asked the Selectmen. He showed them a house on the area and said that every winter they get calls from them asking them to plow.

Hayward said that the town has a lot of paper streets and that he was seeking a uniform answer to provide residents on these streets. “It’s usually a court case, that’s how they handle it,” Hayward said. “I think we need some legal guidance on this,” DiSesa said. They agreed to talk to town counsel and move further discussion on the issue to their next meeting. They also briefly discussed the paving of the ends of driveways that are damaged by town plows. Hayward said that in neighboring Plympton, residents must get a permit before paving their driveway. They agreed to move that to the following meeting as well after seeking advice from town counsel.

Pride Day Update

Lori Costa-Cline met with the Board to provide a Pride Day update. She said that they were able to secure a disc jockey “after a lot of effort.” As a result, she was seeking a live entertainment permit. She also said that they have 25 vendors and said they are anticipating a crowd. They will likely need a police detail at the event as well. She said that some vendors have requested electricity and asked if they could use the Town Hall’s electricity. The Selectmen approved the live entertainment permit and use of electricity presuming all necessary paperwork was filled out. “I would welcome all to come, it’s going to be a really fun, family-friendly event,” Costa-Cline said.

Town Green Request

There was a request by the Council on Aging (COA) for use of the town green on July 15. COA Director Darlene Regan told the Board that they were using a Mass Cultural Council grant to pay for a guitarist. She said they may also have an ice cream truck or some other type of food vendor. The Selectmen voted to approve the use of the town green.

Correspondence from Regional School Committee

Selig read correspondence from the Regional School Committee Chair Paula Hatch that said, “The Silver Lake Regional School Committee has been contacted by Jim Hickey, Selectman from Hanson and Chairman of their De-regionalization Feasibility Study Committee, the town of Hanson is considering terminating their existing regionalization agreement with the town of Whitman and is exploring alternatives for their schools. Jim has requested a meeting with the appropriate parties to have a high-level discussion about the possibility of Hanson joining our regional school district.” The letter said the issue is in it’s “infancy.” DiSesa said that they would reach out to Hatch and let her know that they would be willing to entertain a meeting on the matter.

ARPA Funds

Nolan told the Selectmen that Plymouth County Treasurer Tom O’Brien said that the second half of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are being held up, but it should be temporary, and the funds should be received in June. DiSesa asked that the issue be moved to the next meeting.

Search for New Town Administrator

DiSesa told the other Selectmen that there are three if not four potential candidates who will be interviewed on June 1. “Hopefully we will have a new TA soon,” DiSesa said. “No offense Ed, we love you; I know you don’t want to stay forever,” she said to Thorne.

Comcast Discussion

DiSesa said that Plympton is getting Fios. She said that Halifax isn’t happy with Comcast, and she wanted to find out how other towns are getting Fios. IT Director Cesar Calouro was in attendance for the discussion. Thorne said that he would set up a meeting with Calouro and the attorney handling negotiations for the town. “If he has a pros and cons and reasons why we shouldn’t I would like to hear it…I think it is important that we are looking at all options because I know that the community as a whole wasn’t really happy with Comcast and they were being told it was the only option,” DiSesa said.

Town Administrator’s Update

Thorne said that a letter from the Governor said that the town would be receiving $250,000 to support local economic recovery. He said he had a call in to Representative Josh Cutler’s office to find out more about it. He said there were other earmarks that he said, “were normal for the legislature.” One is $20,000 for the replacement of water fountains with water bottle refill stations in town buildings.

Thorne also told the Selectmen about a Department of Transportation (DOT) letter regarding a winter recovery assistance program. “This is part of, I believe, the COVID program… the town is going to get… $174,524,” Thorne explained. He said it was based on the town’s 52 miles.

Selectmen eye Carver progress

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Monday, May 23. They began with a reorganization of the Board. Christine Joy was once again elected as the Chair while John Traynor was voted in as Vice-Chair and Mark Russo as the Clerk.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy provided an update on the North Carver Redevelopment Project. She said that they had received some correspondence from residents who live in the affected area regarding heavy truck traffic around Montello St. Dennehy said that a meeting was being arranged between the highway directors of both towns.

“I think they’ve already done some things that they shouldn’t have done, and I don’t think they’ve been very neighborly,” Joy said of Carver. She said that the town needs to take advantage of whatever room is available legally to make sure affected residents are taken care of properly. Russo suggested that a committee might potentially be put together to provide regular updates on the project to both Selectmen and citizens.

Traynor said that he would like to be somewhat aggressive in the town’s approach. He said that if Carver does not respond positively to their requests, they should block the road and make it open to local traffic only and enforce it with a police detail as needed. Russo said he agreed but did not feel that Plympton should have to foot the bill for that police detail. The Selectmen voted to have Dennehy see if there is counsel that can be secured to ensure the best interest of the town.

The Selectmen also discussed the consideration of amendment to the agreement for judgment and settlement with Borrego regarding 61 Upland Rd. (Crescent Moon Cranberry. LLC). Russo said, “there are some strong reasons not to pursue – a long history for a difficult situation, but I have been thinking hard about some of the reasons to proceed and they are tending in my mind to outweigh the reasons not to… this seems like very easy money with little cost to the town.” He went on to say that if the solar project doesn’t go through, the land would be at risk for development. He said that while he does feel Plympton could use more development, he would like it to be done well and with strong input from town government. “In truth, Borrego’s been a good partner,” Russo said adding that both the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board have signed off on the project unanimously.

Joy asked if it would be possible to ask Borrego to purchase the entirety of the land and donate some of it back to the town for conservation to stop development. Jonathan Eichman of KP Law was on the call and was asked to please draft language asking Borrego if they would consider amending the settlement agreement as proposed. The Selectmen agreed to discuss further and make a decision during their June 6 meeting.

Dennehy brought to the Selectmen’s attention a historic outstanding balance in the ambulance fund. She said the auditor suggested having the Selectmen acknowledge the balance and write it off. The outstanding balance from the previous provider, COMSTAR, was just over $307,000. Dennehy described the accrued amount as “years and years of uncollected remnants of charges.” “I’m totally content to clear the books and it doesn’t seem to be a problem to periodically do this,” Russo said. The Selectmen voted to close out the account with COMSTAR.

The Selectmen also voted Monday to establish a policy regarding what flags can be flown on municipally owned flag poles. Town Counsel recommended two options, one of which was to prohibit the practice entirely outside of the U.S. flag, the State flag, and perhaps Plympton’s flag. The second option allowed more discernment on the part of the town’s government. Traynor said “I don’t want to be in the role of whose flag can go on the pole and who’s can’t. we have a lot of other things to do.” Joy and Russo agreed opting for the first option.

Dennehy provided a Town Administrator’s update. She said that they were moving along with the Townhouse roof project. She also told the Selectmen that they are working with the Highway Department on another grant funding source that is becoming available. It will provide $115,000 for roadway type projects. Dennehy said they are also looking to secure pricing for several projects so that the Selectmen can look at some potential ARPA projects during their next meeting. She also said that $25,000 has been earmarked for conservation/recreation. She said the funds will help the Town Properties Committee in assessing the sports fields. She also said that it would be used for updates to boardwalks and signage at some of the town’s parks.

Dennehy told the Selectmen that she had correspondence from Finance Committee Chair Nathaniel Sides announcing his resignation from the Committee. Dennehy said she was hopeful he would reconsider. “It would be a shame to have him step down,” she said. Traynor said that he was aware that Sides was unhappy with how certain votes went at town meeting. He said that Sides felt that the town, with the Selectmen’s backing, went against the recommendation of the Finance Committee on certain articles. Russo recognized that working on the Finance Committee is often a thankless job and said that he also hopes that Sides would reconsider. “I absolutely admire Nate’s work along the way,” Russo said.

The Selectmen ended their meeting with their rants and raves. Traynor said that his rave was for town meeting. “The voters who turned out, the stellar job that our moderator does – he sets the bar very high, that’s for sure,” Traynor said. He did, however, have a rant for the small percentage of registered voters that turned out for the town election. “The town voting was 327 people… only 13.8 percent… it takes 15 minutes to go in and vote… people should at least go in and take the time to support; we basically work for nothing… I always feel validated when I see a higher percentage of the town voting than the towns around us and that wasn’t the case this time,” Traynor lamented. Russo also said that his rave was for town meeting. He also gave a rave for the Plympton Board of Selectmen and the work that is accomplished by the three of them. Joy agreed about town meeting saying, “mine would be town meeting as well – all of the work that goes into it.”

Getting ready for Memorial Day

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Getting the Plympton Town Green ready for Memorial Day was a job made much easier by the volunteered hours of Plympton’s Boy Scout Troop 53 and Kingston’s Troop 4480, under the leadership of Scout Master Mike Domey.

The Scouts cleaned and raked and mulched around the Plympton Public Library as well, putting down mulch and placing flags on veterans’ graves on Friday.  Vicki Alberti and Briggette Martins planted the flowers.

The Memorial Day Parade forms at the Old Town House at the intersection of Main and Center streets and steps off at 10 a.m. Monday morning, Memorial Day, The parade  will march to the Town Green where the benediction will be said, and the poems recited, and “What Memorial Day means to me,” read by a Dennett Elementary School student..

Plympton election sees low turnout – only 13.8 percent voted

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Only 13.8 percent of Plympton’s 2,368 registered voters made it to the Town House in Saturday’s sticky heat – over 90 degrees with 98 percent humidity – to cast their vote.  A dismal showing…

There were only two contests: political newcomer Jared A. Anderson, garnered 187 votes to incumbent Art Morin’s 110 for the three-year Board of Health position. There were also 29 blanks.  Paul D’Angelo, Jr.  retained his position for a three-year term on the Planning Board after being challenged by newcomer Jackson Long.  D’Angelo won with 198 votes to Long’s 78 votes.  There were five blanks.

Question 1 on the ballot saw signs throughout town asking voters to Defend Democracy and Vote No! to making the Town Clerk’s position an appointed, rather than elected position.   The majority of those voting agreed, with 219 voting NO and 101 voting YES.  Seven were blank.

Here’s how the rest of the ballot was voted:

Selectman for three years – John A. Traynor, Jr., 245, Blanks, 76, and various write-ins from Donald Trump to Mickey Mouse, 6.

Assessor for three years – Dean Jafferian won the position with six write-in votes.  There were also 219 blanks and two other write-ins.

The two Finance Committee five-year terms were won by Steven R. Lewis, candidate for re-election, and Michael Lemieux, who garnered nine write-in votes.  Blanks were 258 and others were 11.

Two three-year terms for Library Trustee got 644 votes blank and 10 others write-ins.

The Library Trustee term for two years saw Mark Eubanks win with five write-in votes.  There were 321 blanks and three other write-ins.

Barry DeCristofano will remain Town Moderator for the next three years winning re-election with 260 votes.  There were 67 blanks.

John Schmidt won his bid for re-election with 244 votes.  There were also 83 blanks.

Caitlin Johnson and Suzanne Jafferian are the new Dennett School Committee members with Johnson getting 27 write-in votes and Jafferian getting 16.   There were also 270 blanks and 5 other write-ins.

Jason W. Fraser won 249 votes in his bid for re-election to the Silver Lake Regional School Committee.  There were 74 blanks and four others.

New Halifax select board settles in

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Monday, May 16 ahead of the continuation of town meeting. It was the first meeting for newly appointed Selectmen Alexander Meade who unseated Gordon Andrews for a three-year term, and Jonathan Seelig who was elected to the one-year term that was previously filled by Troy Garron. Ashley DiSesa was the only remaining Selectman from the previous iteration of the Board. The Selectmen were meeting with Town Counsel, the Town Moderator, and the interim Town Administrator to review who would be presenting the various articles left to be discussed and voted on later that evening.

Seelig said he was hoping for a change in the way in which the articles are presented. In the past, the Selectmen would typically present on a given article, but Seelig said he would like to see the appropriate department head speak to them instead. “In the past, our Selectmen would say the narrative. We were hoping maybe, if it’s okay, to do what we used to do in years past to have the actual department head speak the narrative so that way if there is any sort of issue or they want to get to any underlying details that the very knowledgeable person who put the article together will be able to answer,” Seelig explained.

Town Counsel Paul R. DeRensis, who has served as a Selectmen himself for more than three decades including a Selectmen Chair for seven, told both Meade and Seelig that he has an orientation for new Selectmen that he would like to review with each of them individually. DeRensis said he reviews things such as open meeting laws to ensure that there won’t be any violations. He said that he would also cover any disclosures that they may need to make to the Town Clerk regarding their businesses, etc. “It needs to be private because I am looking for information that you may not want anybody else to know – attorney/client privilege. So, if you are planning on suing the town, this is the time to tell me… you know, so I can do a disclosure form for you before you sue the town,” DeRensis explained. Regarding his own time as a Selectmen, he said, “It’s not just a legal presentation, it’s also a practical presentation… I’ve been sued and all this kind of stuff; I can help you learn how to do this.”

There was also a discussion regarding whether the issues brought forth should be based on the wishes of the current Select Board or the previous one. DiSesa, as the vice chair, was told by Counsel that she would be acting as the Chair in the absence of a Chair. The specific article that came into question was Article 42 that sought to make the Board of Selectmen a five-person rather than a three-person Board. Seelig said he didn’t agree with the article but noted, “I would like to give the people the chance to weigh in on it though.” Meade agreed saying he disagreed with the article but wanted to see the town vote on it. They eventually decided to pass over the article that evening and see how the new three-person Board functions before deciding whether to put the article on the warrant for the special town meeting in the fall.

Town Administrator Ed Thorne said that the solid waste contract for the town of Halifax would be expiring at the end of June. “Companies are getting out of getting their people out of the truck, picking up bags, picking up trash, and they are all going to the mechanized system,” Thorne explained. He said that the town would likely need to accept whatever increase comes with a one-year deal with Waste Management to give the town time to figure out a long-term plan. He said the long-term plan would likely be a three-to-five-year deal with a curbside, mechanized company. Thorne said that recycling brings in about $145,000 to the town each year. An additional $300,000 is generated annually by the bags that people buy. No decision was made during the meeting.

It’s a new board for Halifax Selectmen

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Halifax voters made their voices heard in Saturday’s Annual Town Election, choosing two new selectmen, one for a three-year term and another for one year to fill the unexpired term for Troy Garron who retired on his 80th birthday.

Town Clerk Susan Lawless reported that out of 6,079 registerd voters in town 1,249 cast their ballots, either in person or by absentee, making 20.55 percent of the voters who let the town’s elected officials know their wishes..

Last year Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor took the microphone at Town Meeting to say that the atmosphere at Town Hall has been so divisive that she chose not to run for re-election after serving well in that position for many years.

Over the past year, Halifax  has lost several key people to retirement or to other towns, most notably Town Administrator Charlie Seelig who took his 20+ years of experience in Halifax to East Bridgewater.  Town Treasurer/Collector Pam Adducci packed up and followed a couple of weeks ago forcing a special election that will be held July 30.  Halifax’s Fire Chief, who has brought hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money to his Halifax Fire Department, as of Tuesday was hoping to, finalize contract negotiations with  the neighboring town of Pembroke.

Will the exodus stop?

Here’s how Halifax voted.

Selectman for 3-years:

Gordon Andrews, candidate for re-election, 384.

Alexander J. Meade, 809

There were also four write-ins and 52 blanks.

Selectman for 1 year:

Robert A. McCarthy, 231

Naja Robert Nessralla, 230

Jonathan H. Selig, 766.

There was one write-in and 21 blanks.

Planning Board for a 5-year term:

Gordon R. Andrews, candidate for re-election, 381

Robert G. Gaynor, II, 795.

There was one write-in vote and 72 left blank.

Halifax Elementary School Committee for a 3-year term:

Jessica Page, 585

Peter J. Parcellin, 504.

There were no write-in votes and 160 blanks.

Halifax Elementary School Committe for a one year term:

Jennifer Ann Carroll, 510.

Karyn Beth Townsend, 600.

There were no write-in votes and 139 blanks.

Silver Lake Regional School Committee for a 3 year term

Paula Hatch, candidate for re-election, ran unopposed and won 898 votes.  There were six write-ins and 345 blanks.

Board of Assessors, 3 year term.

Holly Merry, 416.

Robert Mullen, 438

Michael J. Schleiff, 237

There was one write-in vote and 157 blanks.

Constable, for a three-year term, vote for two.

The two candidates for re-election were re-elected.

Thomas M. Hammond, 679.

Thomas F. Schindler, 612.

Michael J. Schleiff, 419.

There were six write-ins and 782 blanks.

Water Commissioner for a  3 year term.

Donald A. Bosworth, candidate for re-election, was re-elected with 572 votes.

Robert McCarthy won 520 votes.

There were three write-ins and 154 blanks.

Board of Health, 3 year term.

Candice Lee Greene, 949.

There were 10 write-ins and 290 blanks.

Board of Library Trustees for a 3 year term.  Vote for two.

Susan Hill, 942.

Erin Nagle, 45.

There were 36 write-ins and 1475 blanks.

Park Commissioner for three years.

Thomas F. Schindler, 928.

There were 9 write-ins and 312 blanks.

Question regarding Senior Center

684 voting YES, 385 voting NO,  and 180 blanks.

Silver Lake paraprofessionals campaign for increased wages

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The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met in-person on Thursday, May 12. Paraprofessional Tanya Little asked to address the Committee during the public participation portion of the meeting. “As you know the Silver Lake Education Association [SLEA] and the District are about to begin meeting with a State union leader to try and resolve our contract that ends in June… paraprofessionals work side-by-side with teachers to support special education students both in general and in special education classrooms but we are not limited to this role; we go far beyond – offering social, emotional, and academic assistance to all students… our main focus is to help all students… we are team players,” Little told the Committee. She said paraprofessionals at Silver Lake start at just over $16 an hour while fast food restaurants and retail outlets typically start employees around $17 an hour. Little said that a living wage in the Silver Lake community is estimated at $37,000 a year and noted that paraprofessionals at Silver Lake earn roughly $20,000 a year to start. According to Little, paraprofessionals are the only support staff not to receive pay during the three school vacation weeks each year; custodians, cafeteria workers, etc. all get paid for those vacations. Those in attendance gave Little rousing applause upon completion of her remarks.

Principals’ Updates

Silver Lake Regional Middle School Principal Jim Dupille said that the school recently held a geography bee. “I want to congratulate all that participated in the bee; they should be very proud of their efforts and the hard work that they put in,” he said.  He also said that the spring concert and the evening of excellence would both be held in coming weeks. The Farewell Dance for eighth graders will be on June 21 and Field Day will be on June 22.

Dupille also gave the high school update as Principal Michaela Gill was not present. Dupille asked the Committee for approval of a CTE project constructing a private homeowner’s garage. Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee asked if need was considered in the selection process for such projects. Committee member Chris Eklund said that need was not one of the selection criteria. He said that projects were selected for the educational opportunity they present to the students. He also said that they are careful to select projects that might not require perfection as much of the project would be completed by the students. McGee said that she still felt strongly that need should be a qualifier and asked that they table the vote until more information could be ascertained on the selection process. Committee member Jason Fraser interjected that he was very interested in serving on the CTE subcommittee in the future and said that he would entertain the subject of need then. McGee said that she would be voting no, as she did not believe that private homeowner’s projects should not be selected without an evaluation of need. Private homeowners pay for materials but not labor on such projects. Eklund felt that the selection criteria were within the State’s control rather than the Committee’s. The Committee voted in favor of approval on the project.

Dupille said that the high school had a blood drive on May 4 during which they collected 31 units of blood. That qualified the school for a $250 scholarship for a graduating senior and active participant in the blood drive program. The unified track team celebrated their last home meet on May 5 against Carver. “The school and community support has been amazing; many student clubs and activities show up to support our students with banners and pride to help form the best cheer department on the South Shore,” Dupille read. Fraser described the track program saying, “it’s an opportunity for students with special needs along with peer mentors to compete and feel pride in what they do.”  Senior prom will be on May 26 in Harwich Port. Graduation will be June 3 at 6 p.m. with a rain date of June 4. Dupille ended his updates with a word of support for the paraprofessionals.

Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent’s Updates

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said they would be running their second round of the Student Social and Emotional Learning Survey. It will be administered during the school year on June 14. “All parents will receive an email and a copy of every question on May 31 that reminds them of the survey… parents will have the opportunity to opt out if they don’t want their student to participate in the survey,” Lynch said.

Superintendent Jill Proulx also provided an update. Proulx said that COVID testing will continue through the remainder of the school year. Proulx thanked nurse leader Carol Beck for organizing a NARCAN training on May 25 at the middle school. Proulx said that Halifax supported the schools’ budget as well as the tennis court project during their town meeting. She also provided an update on the following year’s calendar and said that August 31 will be the first day of school.

Debate on Religious Holidays on School Calendar

Regarding the calendar, McGee asked that April 7 be labeled a vacation day or move it to April 14 as it is currently a religious holiday, and no other religious holidays are given. Someone argued Christmas is taken off but was corrected and told that it was just considered part of the December break. Committee member Eric Crone said that if a community is predominately one religion and a holiday affiliated with that religion is not given as a day off, there may not be enough students present in school to count as a valid school day. An amendment was made by McGee to change the label of April 7 as a vacation day. The problem arose, however, that Halifax had already voted the school calendar at their committee meeting. Proulx said that many of the school contracts acknowledge and grant April 7 as a paid day off. Schmaling said that changing the labeling of the day could create a rift in the community as people may be offended with removing the label. Committee member Emily Davis said that as a non-Christian person, she was offended that the day is given as Good Friday.

Crone said, “I just want to point out, I’ve been on the elementary school committee for 15-16 years and this one for 6 years, in all those years I’ve never had a single email from anybody about labeling the calendar. The discussions are right here… and this is the only time it is ever discussed; it’s not discussed on social media, in restaurants – it’s not discussed.” Eklund said it was a matter of consistency and no other religious holidays are labeled as such.

“I think it is also an inclusivity thing, we talk in our district goals about inclusivity so to me, relabeling it does not exclude any group – we’re not labeling it with any single group’s religious holiday so while I respect that people find Good Friday to be a deeply important holiday for them and their community, I hope that they would respect that still having the day off but the labeling of it would provide a greater inclusivity to more members of our community that may not share that same religious affiliation,” Davis said. A vote was taken with McGee’s amendment and the results were 6 in favor, 6 against, and 1 person abstaining. They then retook the vote to accept the calendar without the amendment and the results were 7 in favor and 6 against. It passed and the Good Friday label remained.

School Start Times

McGee told the Committee that the school start time working group met on May 22 for their inaugural meeting. She said that the Assistant Superintendent, herself, and Davis spearheaded the meeting. The working group includes members from all three communities, all six schools, and all four school committees. “We had a great discussion, we had whiteboards up around the room on different topics like logistics and family impact and transportation and all these things and people put up all different things and we talked about them all and it was really constructive. We will be putting a meeting summary out,” McGee said. She said that eventually a Google drive will be established with all the materials and will be shared with the community on the school website. Crone pointed out the need to include the athletic director as the timing of sports would be important. “We don’t have an intended outcome other than to present material back to the community on what we learned,” McGee said. Davis reiterated that they are not looking to make the change but rather to assess the impact were the change to be made particularly if required by State mandate.

SLEA Update

SLEA President Jon Lay spoke during the reports of standing committees. He said that they are having difficulty filling the paraprofessional positions including two open positions at the high school. Those positions were offered to candidates but turned down due to the low salary. “I do think it has impacts on the District’s ability to attract and retain high quality paraprofessionals.”

Lay also spoke about the Anti-Defamation League’s presentation at the Middle School. “I think what is sometimes getting lost in some of the conversations about this kind of thing is that I think we all want all of our students to have a safe place to be educated; I think that we all value everyone in the community – students and staff, treating everybody with respect and dignity and I just want to say that I appreciate the District’s efforts to advance that and I hope that despite some of the controversy the District will still commit themselves to those values,” Lay said to applause. Previously, Schmaling had been outspoken in her disapproval of the Anti-Defamation League’s involvement in such programs.

Coastal Snap Request

Committee member Jason Fraser asked to speak on the Coastal Snap program which had to shut down temporarily due to COVID. “It’s for young children to have adaptive sports and adaptive day camps with opportunities with peer mentors,” he said of the program for children with special needs. Fraser said that in the past the School Committee had allowed flyers to go out to the high school to solicit students to act as peer mentors for the program and gain community service hours. The Committee approved the flyers.

Legislative Update

Fraser also provided the legislative update. “The budget is in the fifth inning of a seven-inning game,” he said of the State budget. He said that regional transportation was funded by $4 million less than the previous fiscal year in the House Ways and Means budget. He said that State Representative Kathy LaNatra, who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, went to the Chair of the Committee to file an amendment to fully fund regional transportation. “There is a contingent of reps in the House right now who want to rewrite the formula for transportation funding, and they want to include non-regional districts who drive extraordinary miles,” he said. He went on to say that while he does not think those districts, such as Plymouth, should be begrudged that funding, he doesn’t believe it should come on the backs of districts such as Silver Lake. Fraser went on to say that compared to the Governor’s original estimate, Silver Lake is seeing about $75,000 more in funding from the State. “We also got $115 million from the state of Massachusetts for free meals for all students for next year… I still believe this is a federal responsibility, but the feds are so messed up right now, they are letting the ball drop,” Fraser said. He added that there is an amendment called “kids not red tape” that is trying to extend the federal program for one more year.

Silver Lake Assessment Stabilization Fund Discussion

Fraser said that the regional schools’ budget represented an overall increase of 3.74 percent. Kingston’s assessment was a 2.4 percent increase, Plympton’s was a negative 7.1 percent increase, and Halifax’s assessment was a 5 percent increase.  He explained that in a region such as Silver Lake, there are ebbs and flows in what those assessments look like for each town from year to year. He said that he hopes to have legislation filed that would help towns establish an assessment stabilization fund for years when they are facing a high assessment. “You guys authorized me to put forth a resolution to MASC [Massachusetts Association of School Committees] for their conference in November. I had flushed out the language for that and I even created NGL language so if I got a rep and a senator to support it, they could file that exact language and it models the municipal modernization language from 2016 under Chapter 40 for revolving accounts,” Fraser explained. He said that in years where there are excess funds potentially for a town with say a negative assessment, they would be able to put those funds in an account to be accessed in a year where they might have a higher-than-normal assessment. “It would be controlled by the town; it would be established by, in our circumstance, by a two-thirds vote at town meeting and it could then be distributed at subsequent town meetings by town vote,” he said.

SAFER Update

Eklund provided an update for SAFER. He said that a lack of turf is becoming an issue as are lack of locker rooms and bathrooms at the far fields. He said that 28 members of the town from various sports groups attended the meeting to let them know what improvements need to be made to the sports’ facilities. He said that the tennis courts were the first piece to really get moving. “If there’s any crypto billionaires living in Indian Pond who want to build the facilities, it is kind of what we need… it sounds like I’m joking, but I’m kind of serious. It’s going to be very tough to get all three towns to agree to pay for something that we need and the scope of what we need is going to be $5 to $10 million,” Crone added. Eklund pointed out that new facilities often need to be ADA compliant which adds to the cost.

Farewell to Two Committee Members

Hatch took time to acknowledge the members of the Committee who were sitting in their final meetings. “I have sat on committees for nearly twenty years and I have met and been exposed to and worked with wonderful members of the community. Honestly, wonderful people – I cannot believe in July I am not going to see you two. You have given so much of your intellect, your time, and quite frankly, your heart to Silver Lake and there are no words to thank you enough for doing that,” Hatch said. “I will desperately miss your counsel and your friendship at the table, but I will continue to call on it from afar,” Fraser said to Crone. To Eklund, Fraser said, “the work you did for the three towns this year – many people have tried to do what you did this year. The level of communication and respect that I heard you deliver to the towns and them deliver back to you on Silver Lake’s behalf was amazing and astounding.” Proulx also thanked Crone and Eklund for their “support,” “kindness,” and “expertise.” Many others also offered their profound thanks during the meeting. Crone and Eklund took time to express their gratefulness to the Committee as well as the administration and staff.

HTA disappointed at lack of contract

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The Halifax School Committee met in-person on Monday, May 9. Committee Chair Summer Schmaling began the meeting by opening it for public participation.

Elizabeth Antoine asked to speak on behalf of the Halifax Teachers’ Association (HTA). “We are here as the HTA to express that we are disappointed and disheartened at the School Committee’s role in the negotiation process. Your lack of compromise, good faith, and collaboration has brought negative consequences to our staff’s morale and most importantly to our work environment,” Antoine said. She mentioned that the school employees were the only town employees not to receive a stipend in 2021. Antoine said that the school employees felt that they were not valued.

A parent also spoke on behalf of the teachers thanking them for all that they do for the children of Halifax. “Please know that you are supported and appreciated by a large group of parents in this community,” she said. She pointed out that seven neighboring communities have all offered greater increases to their teachers in the last year and many of those communities have job openings posted. “I can assure you if you drive our dedicated teachers out of Halifax, no one will be waiting in the wings to replace them,” she said. Committee member James Keegan said that he took “great offense” at the suggestion that the School Committee doesn’t respect the teachers. The meeting was well attended and according to Schmaling there were residents outside holding signs in support of teachers.

Donald Cline also asked to speak. “We would like to run a fundraiser at the elementary school. My son, who is 16, has been shaving his head for One Mission for kids with cancer for the last six years,” Cline explained. He said that his son has also sold candy at baseball games to earn money for the cause. Cline, who identified himself as a cancer survivor, said that he and his wife have also shaved their heads for the last several years. Cline said his son has started a club for One Mission fundraising at the high school. A scheduled event will be held on May 22 on the town green where Teeka Lynne’s Hair Salon will be shaving heads or giving haircuts for a donation for One Mission.  “Last year, our fundraising team came in sixth place in the State with over $6,000 raised,” Cline said to rousing applause. He said that this year’s team has already raised over $6,000. Cline asked for permission to collect change at the school and hand out flyers for the event on May 22. Schmaling said they would run the request by administration and get back to the Clines.

Schmaling requested that the Committee discuss the use of the school logo by candidates running for public office. She said that a candidate was campaigning using the Halifax Elementary School logo in their efforts. “I just want to make a statement that the School Committee or the Elementary School or the Regional Middle and High School do not endorse any public candidate running for public office,” Schmaling said.

The Committee also had a discussion regarding supporting Silver Lake Regional and Plympton Elementary School Committee member Jason Fraser’s bid for Vice President of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). “He’s just wonderful; he’s been a resource for us in the past,” Schmaling said. Committee member Gordon C. Andrews concurred. Schmaling said that he has a lot of influence at the State House due to his legislative work and noted that he was constantly advocating for the district. The Committee voted to endorse Fraser in the endeavor.

Superintendent Jill Proulx told the Committee that they had a request to change half days from Wednesdays to Thursdays. She also told them, “We have been informed by our Food Services Director that starting next year all school days students must be provided with lunch and that lunch must be provided in a congregate setting; the grab and go option will not be a possibility in the way that it has been in the pandemic.” As a result, Proulx requested a 12:45 release for specific, affected days. She did note that the day before the Thanksgiving break posed a particular difficulty but said that they would try and provide breakfast in a congregate setting on that day as well. Keegan asked why half days were requested to be moved to Thursdays and was told by Proulx that the request was made by the Kingston Teacher’s Association. Keegan said that he would like to hear from the Halifax Teacher’s Association as well. Antoine spoke up saying that Thursday was their preference as well. The Committee voted in favor of the calendar changes as presented by Proulx.

Proulx provided a few more updates including that the COVID 19 testing program has been extended through the remainder of the school year. She said that a change to chronic absenteeism was being suggested from 10 percent to 20 percent. The change was being proposed given encouraged absenteeism when children are sick since the advent of the pandemic.

Keegan provided a brief update saying that the school newspaper was up and running. He also said that youth and rec are trying to bring back a night at the Pawtucket Red Sox in July. He said that the department is also planning a fifth and sixth grade social to return to some pre-COVID normalcy.

Town meeting part two was over in an hour

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Phase two of the Halifax Annual Town Meeting met Monday night, May 16, at the Halifax Elementary School, All-purpose Room.  Interim Town Moderator John Bruno, took the gavel for the evening as Town Moderator Robert Gaynor II was unwell.

Bruno called the assembly to order and in less than an hour the remaining 19 articles were read, discussed, and voted.  At the table on the stage, Selectman Ashley DeSesa was the senior member of the board, with newly elected selectmen Alexander Meade and Jonathan Selig seated beside her.

The following warrant articles were acted on:

Article 9 asked the town to fund a 1% wage increase for the Police Sergeants who are in the union.  Article passed.

Article10 asked the town for $8,242 to fund a 1% wage increase for the Police Patrolmen who are in the union. The article passed.

Article 12 asked for $150 for the Plymouth County Cooperative Extension Service and its many programs that benefit the Town including the 4-H program.  The article passed unanimously.

Article 15 asked the town to spend $110,000 to purchase and equip a new marked cruiser to be used for patrol and a new unmarked cruiser to be used by the Chief of Police.  Frank Johnston of Elm St. asked why the town should purchase two vehicles this year because last year they purchased three vehicles, one with ARPA funds.  Police Chief Joao Chaves responded that the extra vehicle last year was a pickup truck that would not be used as a patrol car, but to tow various pieces of equipment as needed.  Both vehicles that are being replaced will either be passed along to other town departments if needed or auctioned.  The motion passed.

Article 16 asked the town for $5,000 to replace six bulletproof vests at $900 each as the department requires police officers to wear them.  The manufacturer’s recommended lifespan for the vests is five years.  The article passed.

Article 18 asked the town for $66,941 for repairs and replacement parts for the Halifax Elementary School elevator.  Two years ago, when the control board was replaced, the school was told that they had the last control board for the elderly elevator.  Matt Durkee, the Silver Lake Regional School District Facilities Manager, spoke to the article saying that they need to have a replacement board on hand when the current board fails.  Without this replacement board, the school would not have a working elevator.   The article passed.

Article 19 asked the town to move $200,000 to purchase a medium duty dump truck, equipped with plow and sander, to replace a 1995 Ford L800 that will be sold at auction.  Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward told the assembly that the medium duty truck will be more versatile and very useful, especially in snow. The motion passed.

Article 23 asked the town for $3500 to support the South Shore Resource and Advocacy Center for domestic violence intervention and prevention services.  The article passed.

Article 24 asked the town for $850 for a new time and date stamp for the Town Clerk’s office.  The Town Clerk is required by law to date and time stamp many documents that come into the office.  The article passed.

Article 25 asked the town for $1000 to purchase a new computer for the Holmes Public Library.  Library Director Jean Gallant told the assembly that this is the last computer to be purchased in the rotation program, so that all the library’s computers will be running Windows 10.   The article passed.

Article 27 asked the town to raise and appropriate $340,000 to purchase and equip a new ambulance for the Fire Department.  Fire Chief Jason Viveiros spoke to the article saying that the wait time for a new ambulance is now two years, due to the inability to get chasses.  This will replace the 2017 ambulance that will have more than 100,000 miles on it by the time the new one is delivered.  The article passed.

Article 30 asked the town for $520,000 for a Phase II project to upgrade outdated and failing components in the Town’s Richmond Park and YMCA Water Infrastructure to keep the plant in compliance with DEP regulations.  The article passed.

Article 31 asked the town to fund $36,000 for Halifax’s share of a part-time school resource officer at the Silver Lake Middle School.  The article passed.

Article 34 asked for $38,800 for a new intercom system for the Halifax Elementary School.  Silver Lake School District Facilities Manager Matt Durkee spoke to the article saying that the current system is old and failing and is a proprietary system that requires the school to use one vendor to make adjustments to the system, such as resetting the clocks for Daylight Savings Time, or after a power failure, at a significant cost to the town.   The new system is user friendly, non-proprietary, and will solve a number of problems.  The article passed.

Article 36 asked the town for $12,500 for IT as a next step toward centralizing Town-wide IT Communication services to include the Holmes Library and the Water Department.  The article passed.

Article 37 would use any remaining funds leftover to pay down the Plymouth County Pension Fund Liability Account.  The Finance Committee did not recommend it because if all articles were voted there would not be enough free cash left over to use.    The article was passed over at the Finance Committee’s recommendation.

Article 40 asked to remove the Fire Chief as a mandatory member of the Holidays in Halifax Committee.   In the past, when fireworks were being used, the Fire Chief was useful in planning the event.  Now, with no fireworks, the chief’s talents can be more useful elsewhere.   The motion passed.

Article 42 asked the town to change the Board of Selectmen from a three-member board to a five-member board.  The article was passed over to allow the new board of selectmen time to further investigate whether it is necessary.

Article 43 asked the town to limit the number of marijuana retailers to two.  The finance committee did not recommend it.  The motion failed.

Pat Kauffman honored by library

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Mike Slawson, Plympton Library Director, wanted to celebrate Pat Kauffman’s years of service to the Library and was preparing to give a little speech, as well as present Pat with a bouquet of flowers and a blooming plant in recognition of her years of service. Mike was not able to attend the “First Saturday at the Library” gathering due to having contracted Covid. He asked that the presentation continue and the award given.

Selectman John Traynor delivered Library Director Slawson’s words as follows:

“For over 30 years Pat Kauffmann has been coordinating and setting up the art displays here at the Library.  The artwork Pat has brought to the community has been in various formats and of all levels – from professional artists to the students at local schools.  Not only do the art displays help to bring in new visitors and make our building more beautiful, they also help the Library fulfill its function as a place of culture and recreation.  I have especially enjoyed seeing the excitement from kids when they see their creations up on display.

“After her decades of service to the Library and community, Pat has finally decided to pass the torch to someone new.  I want to give a special thank you from myself, the Library staff – past and present, and the members of the community who have often expressed their gratitude for the time she has invested to make this library a more beautiful and welcoming place.

“Pat, you will be missed here at the Library, and your dedication and service to the community are a prime example of what makes the Plympton so great.  We wish you the best of luck in whatever endeavor you choose next!”