Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

You are here: Home / Archives for News

Dark Sky By-law in Plympton

By

Alan Wheelock
Special to The Express

Plympton is unique compared to the majority of South Shore towns. It’s the smallest in population, but among the biggest in natural resources and beautiful rural landscapes. It’s certainly the only town down here that had a woman fight in the Revolutionary war – dressed as a man. It’s home to a lot of cranberry bogs and a lot of horses. It has been referred to as “the lungs of the South Shore” by soil scientists, due to its extensive cedar and red-maple swamps, which grow on peat. Peat soils are a first-class carbon sink and a key to the battle against climate change.

And in Plympton, you can actually see the stars.

Satellite images of southeastern Massachusetts at night reveal Plympton as a dark spot surrounded by a sea of twinkling suburban lights. Part of that phenomenon is explained by our relatively light population density and acres of woodlands, wetlands, fields and bogs, but part of the explanation is the fact that there is something else that makes Plympton unique – we have a Dark Sky By-law.

Many residents in town may not know it, but Plympton has long had a zoning by-law aimed at protecting those wonderful star-filled vistas that we still get to enjoy. Residents will find this by-law under Chapter 300, Zoning, Article VI, Section 6.9 – entitled “Lighting Systems and Fixtures”. (All Plympton zoning regulations are easily accessible by visiting the Town of Plympton website.)

The key features of the outdoor lighting by-law include: lights must be shielded so that the fixtures shine downward and allow no “up light”; potential light pollution should be taken into consideration by businesses and residents when designing outdoor lighting systems; and, as the by-law itself says, lighting systems designed to minimize light pollution will “decrease lighting costs and preserve the night sky as a natural and historical resource.”

The outdoor lighting regulations detailed in Section 6.9 are enforced by Plympton’s Zoning Enforcement Officer. If you own a home or business in Plympton, your questions or comments regarding outdoor lighting and the Dark Sky by-law can be referred to our Zoning Enforcement Officer. Contact information for the ZEO’s office can also be found on the town website.

School bus safety reminder from Halifax Chief of Police Chaves

By

The Halifax Police Department would like to remind drivers that it is illegal to pass a school bus while the red lights are flashing. Massachusetts law provides a fine of $250 dollars for a first offense and up to $2,000 dollars for subsequent offenses to include a license suspension.

Police Chief Joao Chaves said his department has received a number of complaints of people disregarding the red flashing lights.  This is not only against the law, it is extremely dangerous.

Sledding fun in Halifax

By

By Mary Schiess
Express correspondent

Cars filled the parking lot at the Holmes Public Library. They spilled into the schoolyard. On Saturday this was the gathering spot for kids, parents, and grandparents. Friday’s snow storm offered a perfect opportunity to dust off the saucers, tubes, plastic toboggans, gliders, and even one real wooden sled. Conditions were perfect with the first winter snow storm and a warming winter sun to glide, coast, slide, skim over a perfect base.

Stonehill College Fall 2021 Dean’s List

By

EASTON – The following area students have qualified for the Stonehill College Dean’s List, Fall semester.   Students must have a semester grade point average of 3.50 or better and must have completed successfully all courses for which they were registered.

Alexander Bejarano of Halifax; Emma Cardoso of Kingston; Lauren Kelliher of Kingston;  Madison Maiorano of Kingston; Daniel Snow of Halifax; Ashley Swift of Plympton;  and Erin deMacedo of Kingston.

Stonehill College, a Catholic institution of higher learning, was founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1948. Located on the beautiful 384-acre campus and former estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames in North Easton, Massachusetts, it is a community of scholarship and faith, anchored by a belief in the inherent dignity of each person.

Through more than 100 academic programs in the liberal arts, sciences, business and pre-professional field, Stonehill College provides an education of the highest caliber that fosters critical thinking, free inquiry and the interchange of ideas for over 2,500 students.

Stonehill College educates the whole person so that each Stonehill graduate thinks, acts and leads with courage toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world.

Plympton seeks ARPA funds for testing

By

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on Monday, Jan. 10. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy addressed possible uses of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds. There had previously been conversation about using a portion of the funds for HVAC work at the schools. Dennehy said that the town has had a difficult time getting a hold of COVID test kits and noted that some of those funds may need to be allocated toward purchasing those as soon as they are available. She said some funding will also need to be directed toward personnel costs for the Fire Department to disperse the kits. “I don’t think it would be a lot of money from our allotment,” Dennehy said. She further said that $5,000 should cover the expense. “We have a real need for testing capability,” she told the Selectmen.

Dennehy said that she acquired quotes for the appraisal of town owned land located on Brook St. She said the appraisal would cost $1,200. “I felt the amount was fair and I think we probably should go forward,” Selectman John Traynor said. Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said she agreed. Selectman Mark Russo said he did not like the idea of the appraisal but if they were going to move forward with it, he approved of the chosen appraiser. The Selectmen gave Dennehy the go ahead to move forward with the appraisal.

The Board of Selectmen also voted to accept the conservation restriction on a portion of land at 122 Main St. The total square footage of the lot is 186,806. “It’s a way to more significantly minimize the messing up of the environment over there,” Russo explained.

The town’s projects and priorities list were also discussed. Dennehy briefly touched on the COVID-19 response saying she and the Board of Health are in touch at least weekly. Regarding financial priorities, she said they are now turning to budget mode. Dennehy also said that a town meeting article may be considered to modify the bylaw and diversify the membership in the Capital Planning Committee.

Regarding affordable housing opportunities, Dennehy said they are aiming to develop an action plan based upon the Housing Production Plan. She said the Housing Production Plan is also due for an update soon. Dennehy also said that they are continuing to attempt to identify town owned land that would be appropriate for these opportunities.

Dennehy said the implementation of a pavement management plan is in progress. A town meeting article is being considered to fund four speed notice boxes and signage with lights for intersections such as Main St. and Ring Rd. and Winnetuxet Rd. and Prospect Rd. “It seems that our pavement painting does not have the desired effect,” Dennehy said of current attempts to control speed at these intersections.

MassDOT denied the town’s attempt to implement a heavy truck traffic exclusion. Dennehy said the State was not in favor of Plympton’s alternate route which would run through Halifax. She said Halifax would need to provide a letter of support were they to continue to pursue the exclusion. Traynor said he was not sure that it would be a good time to pursue this with Halifax as they currently have an interim town administrator. Russo said the decision by MassDOT was “disappointing.” The Selectmen agreed to wait a few months before pursuing anything further.

Regarding the transaction with Middleborough surrounding Soule Homestead, Dennehy said the legislation is currently in the Senate. She noted that she has not been able to get a definitive answer regarding where it stands other than that it is still in the third reading. Dennehy said she would reach out to Senator Michael Brady.

GATRA transportation services are currently in progress. “It’s been a bit stagnant; they have some turnover at GATRA,” Dennehy told the Selectmen. She went on to say that she has been told that someone should be in touch soon regarding level of service including scheduling and routes.

Under technology, Dennehy said the technology master plan including bolstering websites is currently in progress. Traynor suggested involving Silver Lake Technology Director Steve Pellowe in the conversations.

Issues being looked at by the Town Properties Committee were also discussed. Town Properties Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said that there were many items ahead of the Plympton hearse in terms of priority but said that its current location is problematic. “It’s being taken advantage of by our little four-legged rodents,” he said. A storage facility is needed for the next few years. Wilhelmsen said that discussions were had regarding the need for a storage building but noted that it was “further down the list.” Dennehy suggested the possibility of a private entity housing it.

They also discussed a town meeting article for a study into the building of a new fire station. Wilhelmsen said, “at some point we are going to have to,” regarding the need for building a new station. He emphasized that the money needed now is for a study into the possibility of building a station, not actually building it.

Wilhelmsen said, “the library has been neglected for a bit.” There are lighting and plumbing issues that need to be addressed. There was a roof survey done regarding replacing the library roof. Wilhelmsen said that they now have a cost for the project. “When is the last time you remember us doing anything for the library at town meeting?” Wilhelmsen asked. “We can get that building back on track in pretty short order,” he told the Selectmen noting he was excluding the roof work in that assessment.

The Town House roof also needs to be replaced. Wilhelmsen said the roof is divided into three sections saying that they are focusing on sections 2 and 3 at the moment. He said they need to go out to bid so they have accurate estimates to bring to town meeting.

Dennehy said they are seeking grant funding to replace the cistern on the Town Green.

Dennehy said that they completed SERVPRO remediation at the Old Town House. She said that samples were taken, and they will need to follow asbestos protocols as a result when considering long term remediation. Wilhelmsen said they will need to look at some form of dehumidification for the first floor of the building to address the mold growth. Other issues needing addressing for the Old Town House are new locks and internet access for the building. The new locks would provide a record of who is going into the building. Internet access will be necessary to have those types of locks. “It’s always a long list at Town Properties,” Wilhelmsen said of the myriad of projects needing addressing in municipal buildings.

Traynor spoke regarding cemetery cleanup for North Plympton. He said that the woman who owns the land finally signed the agreement via email but still needs to sign the more formal agreement on paper. He said it was, “in progress.”   

Long-term items being followed include the Carver Urban Renewal Project, the Rocky Harvest Settlement Compliance, future exploration of shared services, grants, and MBTA communities multi-family zoning requirements.

Russo said his rave was for the opening of the annual and special town meeting. “Essentially, out of that meeting… we, the Selectmen, get our marching orders for the year,” he explained.

Traynor said his rave was for Library Director Michael Slawson and the many programs he is successfully running.

Joy said her rave was for “how beautiful it is in wintertime with snow on the ground and the bogs; what a great part of the country we live in with how beautiful it is.”

Local TRIAD group hosts state legislators in informative Q&A

By

Linda Redding
Special to the Express

The Halifax TRIAD held the first meeting of the new year on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at the Halifax Police Station.  TRIAD is a partnership between local and regional groups to help inform and educate seniors.

State Representative Kathy LaNatra was the guest speaker.  Representative LaNatra shared  information on happenings at the State House,  explained the duties of a state representative, and answered questions from constituents.

The next Halifax TRIAD meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1.  At that meeting the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office will host a mock trial offering insight on how the criminal justice system works.

Halifax TRIAD meetings take place the first Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. and usually take place at the Halifax Police Station.  The March meeting will be held in the Great Room of the Halifax Town Hall to accommodate the mock trial.

We Welcome 2022!

By

Halifax welcomed the New Year with an outstanding display of the ice sculpture work of Bob Botto who has created his works of art in Halifax for the past 24 years.  This past December, when Holidays in Halifax were cancelled due to storms, threatened to be the first time in decades the ice sculptures wouldn’t be created and displayed. 

See Page 7 for more photos by Linda Redding.

NESB limits access to bank lobbies

By

Due to the increase in Covid-19 cases and staffing challenges, North Easton Savings will be providing access to all branch lobbies by appointment only, effective immediately.

Drive-up at all locations will remain open and available during regular hours.  For a full listing of branch locations and hours please go to the website, northeastonsavings.com.

NESB encourages customers to limit their in-person visits to any services or transactions that cannot be done at our drive-up windows, online/mobile channels, telephone banking, or via ATM or ITM. Please know there are Interactive Teller Machines available during regular business hours to service transactions live with a banker.  Go to the website to find the nearest ITM location.

Customers who need to visit any of the branch lobbies are asked to make an appointment using the online scheduling tool at the website.

“We are committed to keeping both our customers and our employees safe during this time. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we continue to operate within the State and Local Covid-19 Guidelines,”

As always, please contact the bank directly if there is anything we can do for customers or your family at 508-238-2007 or by email  [email protected].

Thank you for choosing to bank local.

Is your cloth mask enough?

By

With the rise of the highly contagious Omicron variant of Covid-19, there has been an increased call for better quality masks. With so many options to choose from it can be hard to know what to look for in a mask. The following is a breakdown of the various types and the benefits and disadvantages of each.

NIOSH Approved Respirators

Respirators that are approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) meet rigorous US standards. The most common of these is the N95, but others include N99, N100, P99, P100, R95, R99, and R100. Some of those listed may offer even better protection than an N95. When in short supply, as was the case at the start of the pandemic, it is recommended that these types of respirators be prioritized for healthcare workers. N95s are, however, widely available as of the start of 2022.

Note that true NIOSH approved masks will include an approval label that can be found either on the box or in the instructions. There will also be an abbreviated approval marking on the mask.

Fit and filtration are of the utmost importance when selecting a mask or respirator. When fitting properly, N95s filter up to 95 percent of particles in the air. A video demonstrating how to ensure a proper fit can be found at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzpz5fko-fg. While one of the safest options available, they are not meant to be reused and can be costly. Some experts recommend that for those wishing to reuse their N95, they place it in an open paper bag and allow it to air out for at least a week before reusing.

It should be noted that respirators of this nature can generally not be found in children’s sizes as they were created for adult-use in specific fields.

Internationally Approved Respirators

The most common form of an internationally approved respirator is a KN95. While both N95 and KN95 masks purport to filter up to 95 percent of particles from the air, the biggest difference is how they are certified. The N95 is the US standard and the KN95 is the Chinese one. Like their KN95 counterpart, a KF94 respirator meets South Korean standards and an FFP2 Europe’s.

The CDC estimates that approximately 60 percent of KN95 masks on the market are counterfeit. The following link allows users to see if the manufacturer of their KN95 is registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfrl/rl.cfm. There are helpful lists on the FDA website as well including which manufacturers were granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use in a healthcare setting.

There are a number of KN95 masks available in children’s sizes through retailers such as Amazon though it would be wise for consumers to do their due diligence in ensuring that they aren’t spending their money on counterfeit ones.

Surgical Masks

While not as effective as authentic N95s or KN95s, disposable or surgical masks, which are made from multiple non-woven layers, still offer protection. Like all masks or respirators, the fit is vital. The mask should fit snugly and should cover both the nose and the mouth completely. Masks with nose wires allow the users to customize them for a better fit. The CDC also recommends that wearers fold and tuck in unnecessary material under the edges. Videos on how to do so can be found online.

Cloth Masks

Two years into the pandemic, the variety of options for cloth masks seems infinite. Things to look for in a cloth mask include multiple layers of tightly woven breathable fabric, a nose wire, and a proper fit. Things to avoid in a cloth mask include a single layer fabric that does not block light, exhalation valves or vents, and an ill fit.

In general, the percentage of particles filtered by both surgical and cloth masks differ depending what source you look at though they are always significantly less than both KN95 and N95 respirators. While the quality of cloth masks also varies greatly, it is generally presumed that surgical masks offer better protection. It is sometimes recommended that those without access to KN95 or N95 masks layer a cloth mask over the top of a surgical mask for a better fit.

While many users prefer the comfort and cost savings of a cloth mask, some experts warn that cloth masks alone offer little protection against variants such as Omicron. CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen said recently on CNN Newsroom, “Cloth masks are little more than facial decorations. There’s no place for them in light of Omicron.” Many hospitals require that patients and visitors swap out their masks for surgical ones.

With all of that said, any mask is preferable to none at all.

Plympton wins court decision on Title V

By

The town of Plympton was vindicated by a recent Superior Court decision to uphold the Town’s bylaws restricting mounded septic systems to house lots of five acres or more.

Plaintiffs Arlene O’Donnell, trustee of the Anderson Family Revocable Trust, Ernest M. Stevens, Trustee of the S&T Realty Trust, and Richard Springer, a local builder, brought suit against the town for “arbitrary and capricious” enforcement of Plympton’s Title V regulations.

Plympton requires a house lot of five acres or more to accommodate a “mounded system”.  The lot under review was in fact three parcels, two that were not contiguous, that is they do not share a common border, and the total of both did not equal five acres.  The third parcel was a strip of land across the backs of the two lots in between the lots under consideration, thereby connecting the two.   With that 20-foot strip, the area of the “lot” could then total five acres.

Plympton’s Board of Health, Arthur Morin, Chairman, did not allow the permit for the system, citing regulations that “exceed the minimum requirements for subsurface disposal of sanitary sewage … provided by the state environmental code referred to as supplements to Title V of the State Environmental Code,” as the  board is allowed to do.

Because Plympton has no public water or sewer system, all agricultural and industrial wastewaters are deposited into the same aquifer used for the Town’s drinking supply.  The Court allowed that the Board of Health acted properly to protect the Town’s environmental resources and its drinking water supply by not allowing a lot configuration that would not support proper leaching of a septic system.

Nov. 1, 2021, Superior Court Justice William M White, Jr., issued the order.  The Plaintiffs had 60 days to appeal the decision, and did not.  The ruling stands in favor of Plympton.