Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

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Girl Scouts and Firefighters toy and food drive

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On Saturday Dec. 4, the Halifax Firefighters Association  and  Girl Scouts will team up
with Santa and Mrs.  Claus for its 23rd year, to
collect new unwrapped toys and non-perishable food.

Gift certificates are encouraged. All items collected are distributed through the two
local Churches and kept in town helping families in need.

The drop off center is at the Town Barn, 60 Hemlock Lane, behind the Town Hall, on the
day of the event. Please do not bring items to the Halifax
Fire Station.

We will also be parading through the neighborhoods on
this day, collecting toys/food along the way. Items may be left
curbside.

If you are unavailable on Saturday or have any questions,
please call Christine Markunas at 781-588-4886.

Please do not bring
items to the Halifax Fire Station. If your street is not listed, look for the street closest to yours for the time the truck will be in the area. Due
to some of the roads we are unable to make it down all the streets in town.

Estimated times of arrival, streets and locations:

10 a.m. – Fire station; 10:05 a.m. – Lydon Lane; 10:15 a.m. – Holmes St. to Aldana Rd.; 10:20 a.m. – Brandeis Circle; 10:25 a.m. – Colby Drive; 10:30: a.m. Harvard Street/McClelland Road;

10:35 a.m. Oak Street/Marilyn Way; 10:40 a.m. – Lawrence Road; 10:45 a.m. – Twin Lakes Drive; 10:50 a.m. –  Chestnut Road; 10:55 a.m.- Annawon Drive; 11 a.m.-  Cedar Lane/Baker Street; 11:10 a.m.- White Island Rd./Wamsutta Ave./Standish St..;  11:15 a.m.-  Ocean Ave./Upton St./Dwight St.; 11:20 a.m – Lingan St./13th ./Richview Ave./11th Ave.

11:25 a.m. – Indian Path Road break; 11:50 a.m.; – Clyde O. Bosworth Rd./Stoney Weir Rd./Pheasant Hill Rd;. 11:55 a.m.- Cranberry Drive; 12:00 p.m.- Old Plymouth Street/Christmas Tree Lane/Elm Street; 12:10 p.m. – Hudson Street 12:15 p.m.; Spencer Drive/Pond Street/Autumn Lane; 12:25 p.m.; – Furnace St./Circuit St.; 12:35 p.m. –  Thompson Street/Firefly Road/Orchard Circle; 12:45 p.m. Highland Estates; 12:55 p.m. – Summit Street/Kestral Lane/Harvest Lane; 1 p.m –  Walnut Street/Bourne Road; 1:05 p.m.- Thompson Street/River Street/Wood Street; 1:15: p.m.- South St. to Hayward St. to Franklin St. to South St.

School Committees come together

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There was a joint meeting of the Halifax Elementary School Committee, the Kingston Elementary School Committee, the Plympton Elementary School Committee, the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, and Union 31 on Thursday, Nov. 18.

Special Education Presentation

The first presentation of the evening was given by Special Education Director Marie Grable. “Marie is here this evening to give you a general overview with regards to special education and the costs associated with it,” Superintendent Jill Proulx told those assembled. Grable said that the special education team needs to evaluate students to determine if they meet the criteria to receive an IEP. The categories used include autism, developmental delay, intellectual, sensory, neurological, emotional, communication, physical, or health impairment. Grable said that developmental delay applies up to the age of 9. She said she considers it a blessing as it gives them time to evaluate the youngest students accurately.  Once a disability is determined, a comprehensive evaluation then takes place. She said the goal is to make sure the student has the ability to access the same opportunities as other students. She used a graphic to differentiate between equality versus equity with the latter equating to access to the same opportunities. Current regional program offerings include the Developmental Learning Center (DLC) and Pathways, the Structured Learning Center (SLC) or Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC), and the Language Based Learning Center (LBLC).

“Our overall student population for students receiving special education services has increased over the last few years,” Grable said. The number currently stands at 673 students – an increase of 30 students over last year. The percentage of students with an IEP for each of the schools is 16.3 percent for Halifax Elementary, 17.3 for Kingston Elementary, 13.7 for Plympton Elementary, and 15.1 percent for Silver Lake Regional. The state average is 16.7 percent.

Kingston Elementary School Committee member Jeanne Coleman asked Grable if there had been an influx in requests for evaluations this past school year. “How are we doing in meeting all of the requirements for getting a student evaluated for their IEP?” she continued. Grable said, “we are on track with every referral that we have received since the beginning of the year to make sure that all of those evaluations are completed by the 30th and 45th day.” She confirmed that they have had an increase since the beginning of the year.

Grable also shared a slide on special education tuitions and transportation budget. She explained that Circuit Breaker “is setup to allow districts to seek some reimbursement for the… very costly tuitions that we are paying for out of district placements.” Grable shared an example of an actual student tuition where the total claim is $109,953. The foundation, or the amount the state assumes the district can absorb, is $46,704, and the net claim is $63,249. The potential return is $41,112 and the actual town impact is $68,841. Entitlement grants are another way that the district can offset tuition costs.

Grable told the Committee that there will be a virtual meeting of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. She said it would be a review of basic rights and parents’ responsibilities and rights as it pertains to their child’s IEP.

Technology Presentation

Steve Pellowe, the Technology Director, followed Grable with a presentation. “I’m here to basically present an overview of the technology budget and give a background and some information on, not only where we were, but where we are and where we’re going and why it costs so much,” Pellowe said. He said that they have made significant progress in the district in the ten years that he has been there and credited that to the School Committee and the taxpayers. Some of the highlights include a new network infrastructure in all buildings and wi-fi coverage in all educational spaces as well and 1-1 Chromebooks in school or take-home for grades 2 through 13. All four districts have also been unified into a single unified network that has provided both cost savings and management time. There are also new phone systems that are tied into one system. In addition, they are building inventory for tracking devices and projecting future replacement needs.

Technology categories within the budget include school management/curriculum software and subscriptions, technology management, supplies and repairs, and technology hardware and assistive technology. Regarding upcoming challenges, Pellowe cited the replacement of Chromebooks that have a limited life expectancy. He also said that by the 2025-2026 school year, district-wide there will be 300 wireless access points aging out. Other replacement needs include projectors in all of the buildings. Also by 2024-2025, the laptops bought for staff during COVID will begin to need to be replaced as will network infrastructure and phones.

Pellowe also shared that the responsibilities for IT are increasing with items that were not previously considered to be IT responsibility now falling under their scope. Such items include security cameras, phones, access control, clocks/intercoms, alarms, and gas meters. “This strains our already thin IT resources,” Pellowe explained.

Regarding support Pellowe said that the last recommendation from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) was 1 technician for every 400 devices. This is significantly more devices per technician than the for-profit industry. He said that currently the district is running at a ratio of 1 technician to every 3,000 devices. Halifax Elementary School Committee Chair Summer Schmaling asked what the solution was to this problem. Pellowe said one option is to bring in more technicians. Another would be to have a management company come in to assist the department. “There is no one solution that I can put my finger on without saying really it comes down to money,” he explained.

Schmaling brought up the bulk purchases, including the teacher laptops, that were bought using the CARES Act funding. She said that looking back she is wondering if they should have staggered it more to extend the life of the items purchased. She suggested possibly buying 1,000 Chromebooks per year over three years as opposed to purchasing 3,000 Chromebooks in a single year. Pellowe called it an excellent question and said they have a tool called Chrome Gopher that looks at age-out times and evaluates what they have. He further said that companies are now being advised to make technology last closer to six years as opposed to four.

Saying, “now it is time for some good news,” Pellow told the committees that this year the FCC offered the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) to help provide devices and connectivity to those that could demonstrate a need. This equates to 65 Chromebooks for Dennett Elementary, 125 for Kingston Elementary, 250 for Kingston Intermediate, and 100 for Halifax Elementary. He said that Silver Lake Regional is still awaiting a decision. They are also waiting for a decision regarding staff devices in all districts. He also said that the district is continuing to take advantage of E-Rate funding for all eligible services and in the current fiscal year, there are commitments for over $46,000 in funding.

Plympton Elementary School Committee and Silver Lake Regional School Committee member Jason Fraser said to Pellowe, “You are extremely conservative with your budget, and I think we’re seeing that with how you disperse your funds for personnel and the numbers that you’re showing comparing what you’re actually dealing with with the amount of devices per person compared to what DESE is recommending; it’s an astronomical feat that you’ve accomplished. I want to make sure that you do not play your numbers as conservative as you come up with some plans for us moving forward.” He continued, “I think it might take a couple of years to really roll out the development of your team to where it should be and I want you to be very specific and very purposeful in putting together that plan… every dollar I feel that I’ve ever voted yes for in any of your budgets, Steve, feels like an investment to me and that investment has paid dividends in our towns and to our children.”

Curriculum Presentation

K-6 Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Farrell was next to present the elementary curriculum budget proposals as well as the Title I grant. Farrell shared that the contracted services for teaching budgets stand at $6,870 for Halifax, $2,719 for Plympton, $2,714 for Kingston Elementary, and $8,700 for Kingston Intermediate. Costs for textbooks were $98,812 for Halifax, $36,718 for Plympton, $87,825 for Kingston Elementary, and $95,618 for Kingston Intermediate. “Textbooks have evolved a lot in my time in this role; they are now defined as consumable workbooks/physical materials but also any software that is integrated with the packages of print materials,” Farrell explained. Farrell said there was about a 12 percent increase in textbook costs this year over last year due to science. Instructional software costs were $33,706 for Halifax, $22,164 for Plympton, $27,373 for Kingston Elementary, and $42,164 for Kingston Intermediate.

Farrell, who has been the Title I Director since 2017, showed the fluctuations in the grant allocations from 2017 to 2022. “We have seen it go all the way from $344,637 down to $156,013, back up to $261,126,” she explained. She said they need to be flexible in how they use these funds due to the fluctuations. Title 1 pays for tutors who are licensed teachers. Currently Halifax has 3 tutors, Kingston 6, Plympton 1, and Silver Lake Middle 2. “These support reading and math intervention,” Farrell explained.

Debate over Calendar Change

“There was a proposal made by our Union 31 Chair that we consider a calendar change; that we take a pupil day and turn it into a half day at the elementary schools for conferences,” Proulx said. She said that since the schools share buses, they would need to come to a consensus between the multiple school committees. Proulx said the date would likely be December 8. Clarification was made that parents would be given the option between in-person and virtual conferences. Fraser made a motion on behalf of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee to allow the administration to come up with that day. Silver Lake Regional voted in favor of the motion just as Plympton Elementary School Committee previously had. Halifax also voted in favor of adding the day to the calendar.

Coleman, who serves on the Kingston Elementary School Committee, said that parents have reached out saying it would be a hardship to add the day into the calendar due to difficulty finding childcare. She said for that reason she would be a no. Kingston School Committee member Timothy Lewis also expressed concern over adding the day. Kingston Elementary School Chair Sheila Vaughn said she did not feel like it was right to force all the towns into the same vote as she felt that members of her community had reached out to her separately. “Our town, I really do feel like, does not want this,” she said. In the end and with reluctance, Lewis said, “In the spirit of cooperation… I make a motion to amend the calendar for a half pupil day on December 8 or at the discretion of the administration.” All but one of the Kingston members voted no. This meant that a consensus was not reached, and the day will not be added to the calendar.

What does a State Representative do?

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By State Rep. Kathy LaNatra

Most people understand, at least on some level, the work that a state legislator does. However, there’s a lot to the role that people may not be fully aware of. With that said, I thought it might be helpful to dedicate this particular column to explaining what a state representative does.

First and foremost, a state representative is a lawmaker. We draft and file legislation; we may co-sponsor a bill initiated by another representative, and we vote on proposed legislation that comes before us. Constituent opinion is very valuable; as a citizen in the district, you can call or write your representative and vice your view on different bills and issues. We representatives take all of these opinions into account when voting on legislation.

From the title “State Representative,” we of course are here to represent our constituents at the state level. I see an important part of my role as being your voice, and I value the opinions of the people in my district.

In addition to the role of lawmaker, we serve on committees, which is an important part of the lawmaking process. All bills go through committees prior to being voted on by the full House of Representatives.

In my case, I sit on the Committees on Ways and Means, Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight and Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. This session, I was also honored to be chosen to serve as Vice Chair of Export Development, whose job it is to promote Massachusetts products nationally and internationally. Each committee votes on bills that deal with a certain issue pertaining to their committee; and if the bill receives a favorable vote from the committee, it then goes to the full House for a vote.

A State representative is also an advocate for her/his district. We are fully involved during the yearly budget negotiations. The negotiations are what lead to the allocation of state funds. We frequently file amendments to the overall state budget which, if successfully voted, will allocate money for our districts. These funds support schools, senior centers, infrastructure projects or anything else that the district may need.

State representatives can additionally assist our constituents with many issues they may be having. Whether this is an issue with unemployment or MassHealth or MassDOT, we can often connect constituents with the appropriate state agencies to solve issues they may be having. In this instance we can act as a liaison between the state and constituents.

Not all the activity takes place up on Beacon Hill, though. There’s a lot that takes place in the district, which could be providing a commendation from the legislature to a business on its 20th anniversary, recognizing the heroic actions of a fire department, or simply meeting with people during district office hours.

Antique sampler given to library

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Judy Shea of Halifax has found a good home for her antique sampler.   In a presentation on Tuesday, Judy and her husband John, of John the Barber fame in Halifax, presented the needlework sampler done by Selah Wright, one of the many Wrights of Plympton, to the Plympton Public Library.   Accepting it on the library’s behalf was librarian Mike Slawson.

When approached by Judy’s brother, Plympton Selectman John Traynor, to see if the gift would be welcome, Slawson replied, “This is really interesting and a very kind gesture from Judy.   I would love to have this in the library.”   The Selah Wright sampler, done by her hand at the age of 10, has come home.

Selah Wright was born May 11, 1798 in Plympton, the 2nd great-granddaughter of Adam Wright (1645-1724) who is considered by most as one of the first, if not the very first white man to permanently settle in the place now named Plympton.   The Wrights have a long history in town, Traynor said.   Selah died in Plympton April 9, 1827, and is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery in Plympton.  Her gravestone inscription reads:

“In memory of

MISS SELAH WRIGHT

dau. Of Isaac Wright Esq.

& Mrs. Selah his wife;

she died April 9, 1827.

Aged 28 years, 10 mo’s

& 28 days

Traynor leads the informal genealogy group at the Plympton Public Library that meets monthly.

Judy told The Express that she had been offered $1200 for the sampler – it is in remarkably good condition – about 30 years ago, but she believes the proper home for the sampler is Selah’s home, Plympton.

In 1680 the birth of John Wright to Adam Wright and his wife Mehitible (Barrows) was recorded in the (Western Precinct) of Plymouth, now Plympton.  Adam’s first Plympton house was built near his first mill.  The Wrights owned a great many Plympton land grants and from these Wrights numerous descendants through the centuries have served Plympton in about every official capacity.

~  Deb Anderson and John Traynor

Silver Lake girls soccer wins state semi-final, falls to Whitman-Hanson in state title game

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The two teams faced off twice in the regular season. This was the opportunity to see which was truly the better team. The Silver Lake High girls’ soccer team faced a Patriot League rival, the Plymouth North Eagles, in the state semifinal game on Tuesday, November 16. It was a neutral site game that took place at Whitman-Hanson. The Lakers played a strong and complete game, winning 2-1 to advance to the Division 2 state title match.

There was no score for most of the first half, but the Lakers took the lead right before it ended. Shea Kelleher put one in the back of the net at the 38-minute mark. A few minutes before that, she had another strong shot. However, the ball went off the crossbar that time.

Plymouth North would tie the match in the second half. At the 57 minute mark, Plymouth North capitalized on a free kick from midfield, setting up a goal for the team.

McKenna Sylvester put up the go-ahead goal with about 10 minutes left in the match. She put the Lakers up 2-1. In the final stretch of the game, goalie Emma Hudson made a couple of saves as she picked up the win with a strong performance in net.

When the two teams faced off earlier in the season, Plymouth North won the first time — and the Lakers won the second one. First, Plymouth North beat them 1-0 on October 6. Then, the Lakers won a 2-1 match on October 25 to even the series on the season.

With the win, the Lakers advanced to the state championship game where they faced Whitman-Hanson.

Silver Lake girls’ soccer falls in state title game

It was familiar territory for the Silver Lake High girls’ soccer team.

At the biggest stage of the season, the Lakers faced a familiar challenge: the Whitman-Hanson Panthers. Both sides competed hard, but the Lakers came up short. Whitman-Hanson beat the Lakers 3-1 in the Division 2 state title game at Hingham High School on Saturday, November 20.

Much of the first half was a scoreless contest, but the Lakers struck first in this one. Shea Kelleher got the team on the board with six minutes remaining, giving the Lakers the 1-0 lead. It’s a lead the Lakers would protect going into the half. Lakers goalie Emma Hudson made a save on a Whitman-Hanson shot later in the half to preserve the lead.

While the Lakers kept the lead for most of the second half, Whitman-Hanson surged late. Whitman-Hanson scored three unanswered goals in the final 12 minutes of the match to win it. The first one came following a scrum out in front of the net with 11:28 remaining to tie things at one apiece.

Whitman-Hanson then took the lead three minute later on a penalty kick. The goal was scored on the left side of the net. And Whitman-Hanson added an insurance goal in stoppage time, giving the team a 3-1 lead.

It was the third time this season that the two sides met up. The Lakers won the two regular season matchups: 1-0 on September 24 and 2-0 on October 19.

The Lakers will lose a deep senior class now that their season is over; there were 12 seniors on the varsity roster this fall.

Plympton’s anonymous donor

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The Plympton School Committee met on Monday, Nov. 1. The committee briefly discussed the ongoing issue of dog excrement being left on the playing fields at the Dennett. While Principal Peter Veneto said that he had not received any new complaints, Committee member Amy Hempel said that she was still seeing dog droppings left on the fields despite bags being available. Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said that they would need to come up with a plan going forward before the spring sports season begins.

Regarding the new playground, Director of Business Services Christine Healy asked, “who could imagine a pandemic and 100 mph winds while we are trying to build a playground?” Healy said they were at the phase where they need to order concrete for the footings that couldn’t happen until that morning as the companies had been shut down. Healy also said that once the equipment is in place, a determination will have to be made as to whether the rubberized surface will be able to be placed as it is weather dependent. Wood surfacing will be used until the spring if the rubberized surface cannot be placed. “We’re closer to the completion than we are to the beginning,” Healy said remaining optimistic.

Veneto said that someone, who wished to remain nameless, came to see him and offered a check for $20,000 to be used toward the construction of the playground. “Well, I think that is incredibly generous,” Wilhelmsen said. He further said that he hoped it could be used toward the rubberized surfacing as more of that surface makes the playground more accessible to all users. The committee voted to accept the donation.

Regarding the solar project at the school, Wilhelmsen said they were still working on agreements. He said that one of the challenges is that the laws in the state have changed with respect to pilot agreements for solar projects. He said that the agreement voted upon at town meeting would not be in compliance with the new rules. “So, we have to go back to town meeting,” Wilhelmsen explained. He said they have also joined a group called Power Options who are a consortium of which Select Energy is their chosen provider for solar. As a result, it is not necessary to go out to bid for the solar panels on the roof. Wilhelmsen said the best option would be to go to town meeting in May and approve a new plan.

Committee member Jason Fraser began his legislative update by saying, “The State has more money than it has ever had in its entire history.” He said that the American Rescue Plan Act funds total $6 billion, representing about 15 percent of the State’s annual budget. He said that some of that money has been allocated toward education though Fraser said he didn’t yet know how it would affect them at the local level. He cautioned against the fiscal cliff saying, “we’re working with our delegation up at the State House urging them to use caution, to use patience in the spending of these funds.” He urged that the money be used toward school infrastructure and programs as opposed to hiring new personnel.

A CASA update was provided and it was said that the Halloween dance and the Harvest Festival in October were both successful. They also just finished selling Dennett merchandise. A thankful luncheon will take place this month and the Holiday Bazaar will be back in December.

Principal Veneto provided a school update saying that enrollment was holding fast at 243 students. He said he has received multiple letters of resignation including the school nurse, the music teacher, and a long-term substitute. Additionally, an aide will be out on maternity leave shortly. He said he is scrambling to fill the open positions.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch also presented to the Committee. He provided information regarding the MCAS testing including what was different in 2021. He said that some students were able to take the test remotely. Across the state, over 90 percent of students took the test and at the Dennett the percentage was closer to 99. Lynch said that students tended to struggle with math in 2021 compared with 2019, the last time the test was administered. Fraser acknowledged that there was a push in 2021 not to administer the MCAS but said that the argument in favor of holding the tests was that there was data to be gleaned from it. Fraser also said, “I just need to acknowledge… the incredible job that our kids in the fifth grade did last year and their third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers teaching them that curriculum to get them ready for it… very satisfied with their ELA results.” He said that his concern is with the mathematics scores but said that tools are being added to help bring those scores up.

Regarding the ESSER funds, Lynch said that they still have about 90 percent of ESSER II remaining to be allocated. “We’re continuing the work with ESSER,” he said. Regarding the 20 percent of funds to be used for social and emotional learning, Fraser said, “If kids are still dealing with social and emotional issues then they are not available for learning.” He also said that he wanted to make sure that they were getting teachers the best quality professional development available. Lynch said that the SEL (social and emotional learning) task force has met with Panorama Education, a research-based company out of Boston for assistance in figuring out where student needs lay. “I’m looking forward to getting this information into teacher’s hands so they can figure out what our students need,” Lynch explained.

Superintendent Jill Proulx presented to the committee regarding the core values for the school. “We aspire to create a community where everyone belongs and students and staff encourage one another to grow, learn, achieve, and dream without limit,” Proulx said. She further discussed steps to be taken to achieve those goals. Proulx called the five-year plan, “a pretty ambitious plan.” She discussed the proposed steps to be taken for the coming year. Strategic objectives include building relationships, emphasizing high expectations for all students, and creating and implementing an aligned and engaging curriculum for PK-12. “While we want to align to the state standards – we don’t want to teach to the test,” Proulx said. Yet another strategic objective is to improve structures and processes to focus on learning, efficiency, and outcomes.

Proulx also provided an update on enrollment. She said the October 2020 enrollment at the Dennett was 209 compared to the October 2021 enrollment of 241 students. Regarding assessment percentage changes for Silver Lake, the Plympton assessment decreased compared to Halifax and Kingston who both increased. For Union 31, the Plympton assessment has increased. “So that will have an impact on our budget as we begin that process as well,” Proulx said. Fraser said he would be interested in pursuing an increase in Chapter 70 funds as the Dennett enrollment has increased by 15 percent.

The Plympton School Committee also met on Monday, Nov. 15 to decide whether to advocate for a half day for parent-teacher conferences. Wilhelmsen explained that it took a vote by all four school committees to make a change to the district calendar, but that Plympton would be voting in favor or against it that night. President of the Teacher’s Association Ann Walker spoke on behalf of the teachers. “We really feel it would be valuable to us so that we can get parents into the building and get to communicate with parents,” Walker explained. She noted that the remote option would also be available. The Committee voted to approve a half day during the first three weeks of December pending the approval of the other committees.

Plymouth Philharmonic to perform season’s favorites in Holiday Pops event

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A wide variety of seasonal favorites and new musical experiences are the features of this year’s Holiday Pops with the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Steven Karidoyanes.

“We are thrilled to again present our joy-filled Holiday Pops in person to our friends and family!” exclaimed Karidoyanes. “To make this season’s program extra special, we’ve invited back guest performers who have entertained and charmed us in previous holiday concerts. I can’t wait until we’re all together!”

The Phil performs Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, famously from the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes’ annual Christmas Spectacular, music from the 1994 remake of the classic holiday film, Miracle on 34th Street, and A Rockin’ Christmas, a medley featuring Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and Jingle Bell Rock.

Soprano Kristen Watson and tenor Matthew Anderson, who each have been featured separately to great acclaim in previous Holiday Pops, join forces this season as duo artists. They’ll perform with the orchestra selections from Irving Berlin’s Broadway musical White Christmas, inspired by the 1954 film starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.

Also rejoining the orchestra are the talented young choristers from the Plymouth Community Intermediate School (PCIS) 6th Grade Chorus and their director, Jessica Fuller. They add their own spin on music from stage and screen when they sing Somewhere In My Memory by John Williams from the film score to Home Alone, and We Need a Little Christmas from the Broadway musical Mame.

As in previous seasons of Holiday Pops concerts, all are invited to bring an unwrapped toy to contribute. Collection bins will be located outside Memorial Hall for patrons to deposit on their way into the concert hall. Collected toys will be distributed to deserving families by the Children’s Holiday Fund, sponsored by the Old Colony Memorial and administered by the Plymouth Area Coalition.

There are two performances on Saturday, December 11th at 3 PM and 7:30 PM, and a 3 PM concert on Sunday afternoon, December 12th. All three weekend performances are in Plymouth’s Memorial Hall and include the PCIS 6th Grade Chorus, Ms. Watson, Mr. Anderson, and the orchestra.

Newfield House is the Pops series sponsor. The media sponsors are the Wicked Local, Old Colony Memorial, and WATD 95.9 FM. The Phil’s 106th season is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, which received support from the State of Massachusetts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets are now on sale. Memorial Hall is fully accessible. Individual ticket prices are $25, $50, $60. Limited cabaret-style table seating is still available for $100 per ticket. Advance tickets may be purchased online at plymouthphil.org or calling the Phil office at 508-746-8008.

Memorial Hall is located on 83 Court Street/Route 3A, Plymouth, MA.

For more information about the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra’s 106th Season, visit www.plymouthphil.org

Pay per bag for Plympton trash?

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Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said that they would be discussing the transfer sticker policy and examination of pay per bag options. Highway Superintendent Rob Firlotte and Highway Department Administrative Assistant Colleen Morin were both on the call as was Todd Koep, a Municipal Assistance Coordinator with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

“I was actually seriously impressed with it,” Koep said of Plympton’s transfer station that he also called “user-friendly.” “It’s set up really well in the event that you want to use a pay as you throw program,” he continued. He said that pay as you throw is part of a larger waste reduction plan across the state. He said that implementing a pay as you throw program reduces disposal costs for towns by 40 percent nearly immediately. “Another benefit of pay as you throw is it evens the playing field for everybody,” Koep explained. He pointed out that under the current system, a person that throws away one bag of trash per week versus someone that throws away a truckload per day, pay the same. He said these programs have been highly successful across the State.

Koep said that Plympton sold 836 stickers this past year. Koep said that a technical assistance grant would be the first step in setting up a pay as you throw program. This would allow Koep to do the research necessary to implement the program. He said the timeline would be between 12-18 months. He said the total cost of the rollout would be $7,500. He said DEP would cover much of that cost. Koep said that entering into the technical assistance grant does not mean committing to the program. Selectman Mark Russo asked if there were any towns that entered into the program and then backed out due to public upset. Koep said that he did not know of any such towns and none in the 31 municipalities he represents. Selectman John Traynor said that he would want to ensure that the residents’ feedback would be taken into account before implementing any such program. Koep said he was happy to hold Zoom chats or events at the library to allow for residents to attend and ask questions.

Traynor said that anecdotally he has heard that the program increases trash that ends up in the woods. Koep said that studies show that the kind of items involved in illegal dumping are generally not the kind of things placed into bags. He said that there are several different ways that municipalities can curb illegal dumping including the use of Facebook and increased police patrol in areas of high illegal dumping.

Board of Health member Art Morin said that under the new contract with Waste Management the cost of disposal went up considerably. He also said that at least once a week, a truckload of waste is brought to the transfer station and the other residents are paying for it.

The Board also discussed potentially using some of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help fund an HVAC system at the Silver Lake Regional schools. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy said the estimated cost for Plympton as of right now is $187,000 or 12.1 percent of the cost. “I think it is kind of a no brainer,” said Dennehy regarding using the funds. She pointed out that there would be considerable county funding available for other purposes. Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen said, “We have an opportunity to fund what is a really large capital project with federal funds.” Dennehy pointed out that the uses for the ARPA funds are fairly limited in scope. The Selectmen voted in favor of the project subject to final numbers.

Dennehy told the Board that she and the Fire Chief had met with Howard Wright from Wright Technology Group. Dennehy said the group came highly recommended. For $3,500 the company will do a complete IT assessment for the town’s entire network. They would then put together a plan for moving forward including cost estimates and how to build that into the budget. Joy said they worked with Wright when COVID started and said, “he’s a very straight shooter; he’s not pie in the sky; he’ll make recommendations based on the town’s needs… I think it would be in our best interest to get him on board.” The Board voted to enter into an agreement with the group. Dennehy said a big part of the plan would be getting rid of the physical servers in the building.

Dennehy told the Board that there was a moisture issue at the Old Townhouse and said that longer term there will need to be a plan put in place for that building. Dennehy said they were going to get some prices to have someone assess the building and identify potential issues. Wilhelmsen said that the winter and the resulting drier air will give the town a little bit of time to address any problems.

Traynor said that his rave was for the many good things going on around town including the Veterans Luncheon that the Council on Aging puts on. He said they have a young police officer who is a veteran who attends. Russo said his rave was for local government especially given the “downright paralysis” at the federal level. Joy said her rave was along the same lines. “It really brings the message home how important the local elections are… we really are so lucky here in town to have so many good people so thank you to everyone who is serving.”

Frustration as Halifax Selectmen meet just four minutes then adjourn

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Wednesday, Nov. 10 for just over four minutes. Though it was a very brief meeting, things did turn contentious between members of the audience and some of the Selectmen as they did during a meeting the week before. The issue causing the controversy was the appointment of Steven Solari as Building Commissioner/Inspector of Buildings for occupancy permits. Solari needed to be appointed as current Building Inspector as James Perry does not have the necessary qualifications to serve as such. During their last meeting, former Selectman Tom Millias asked the Selectmen, “We’re paying somebody $70,000 a year that can’t do that job, correct?” The Selectmen refused to engage in the conversation.

Over the summer, former Building Inspector Robert Piccirilli was not reappointed to serve during what could be considered sweeping changes taking place across the town. Other changes included longtime Selectman Millias being voted out of office in favor of newest Selectman Ashley DiSesa. Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews recused himself from the hiring process for the Building Inspector due to a conflict of interest. This led to a stalemate between long-serving Selectman Troy Garron and DiSesa. During a meeting in late July, DiSesa nominated Perry to serve as Building Inspector and Garron reluctantly agreed. Garron had made his feelings clear on the matter saying, “I still feel very strongly that Rob Piccirilli is the choice for Building Inspector but unfortunately, that’s not happening.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, before the vote on Solari took place, Millias interjected, “Mr. Chair?” Andrews, however, said, “I’m not taking public comment.” Millias then responded, “I knew it.” There was then considerable chatter amongst those gathered in the audience with someone saying, “why not?” and others asking about transparency. Former Chair of the Planning Board Alan Dias said, “It wasn’t posted on the agenda. For the record, this Steve Solari was not posted on the agenda.” Andrews repeated that he was not taking public comment before telling Dias, “You’re out of order.” Millias then said, “and you’re in violation of Chapter 143. You might want to read it.” Chapter 143 of Massachusetts General Laws is the inspection and regulation of, and licenses for, buildings, elevators and cinematographs. Getting in one last word, Millias said, “I’m good, we’ll see what the Attorney General says.”

Regarding Dias’ claim that the appointment of Solari was not noted on the agenda, it does appear from the Halifax Town Website that there was an original agenda posted that did not include the appointment and another revised one that did.

The Selectmen also discussed their plan for the recruitment of a new Town Administrator as current Town Administrator Charlie Seelig will be resigning effective November 20. The Selectmen voted to approve a contract with Community Paradigm Associates, LLC to aid in the search. Seelig said, “they are a very highly regarded firm.”

Seelig also said that after speaking with Community Paradigm founder Bernie Lynch, he was told that they have a slate of retired Town Administrators who would be able to fill in as an interim Town Administrator. It was decided that the Board would meet with the company to discuss the hiring of an interim.

The Selectmen also voted to appoint Susan Lawless as interim Public Records Access Officer until the new interim Town Administrator appointment.

Plympton Police Dept. Open House this weekend

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The Plympton Police Department has rescheduled its Open House to  Saturday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. after the ravages of last week’s storm forced cancellation of the event.

Plympton people and friends are all invited to stop by to meet the new interim Chief Scott Benton and the new officers on the force, including Acting Sgt. Dan Hoffman and Acting Sgt. Matt Ahl.

Benton was selected to fill in as Plympton Police Chief after Chief Matthew Clancy accepted a position in Maine.

Refreshments and donuts will be served.