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Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3

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Since Election Day is coinciding with a global pandemic this year, Massachusetts has provided voters with a number of alternatives to voting in person on Tuesday, Nov. 3. If you are a registered voter in Massachusetts, you should have received a vote by mail application. Mail-in ballots may either be mailed back or placed in ballot drop boxes that are located within individual municipalities. Halifax voters can find a ballot box bolted to the front porch of the Town Hall.  Plympton voters have a ballot box in the entrance of the Town House.  Kingston ballots can be dropped off at the Kingston Town Hall, 26 Evergreen St., in the locked “Ballot” box or delivered to the Town Clerk.

It should be noted that ballot boxes will be closed on Oct. 31 from 5 p.m. Halloween night until 7 a.m. the following day as ordered by the Secretary of State.

Early voting is an alternative to mail-in ballots that will allow voters to circumvent crowds and lines. Early voting runs through today, Friday, Oct. 30. Both early voting and Election Day voting will be held at the Plympton Townhouse located on 5 Palmer Rd. for Plympton residents. The Plympton Townhouse will be closed for regular business on Election Day for voting and the day after for deep cleaning.

Halifax residents can cast their votes early at Town Hall while Election Day voting will take place in the gym of Halifax Elementary School.

Kingston voters can cast their votes early today, Oct. 30, from 8 a.m. until noon, the last day for early voting.

Plympton town clerk Patricia Detterman said that as of Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 27, 394 voters had elected to vote early in-person while 497 voters had submitted their ballots by mail.

Halifax town clerk Barbara Gaynor told The Express that she mailed out an excess of 1600 ballots to voters who requested them. She noted that some of those who received their ballots by mail elected, instead, to come to the Town Hall for early voting. Gaynor also said that while early, in-person voting has been somewhat steady, there have never been any lines. She estimated that on the busiest day of early voting thus far in Halifax saw about 100 voters cast their ballots.

Both Gaynor and Detterman confirmed that in Massachusetts ballots postmarked on or before November 3 will be counted as long as they are received by 5 p.m. on November 6.

Both Plympton and Halifax will have special accommodations in place to ensure a safe voting experience on Election Day. Detterman said that an EMT or Paramedic from the Plympton Fire Department will be at the door of the Town House to direct voters and check their temperatures with a forehead thermal scan.   All precautions from the May local election and the September primary will also be in place. Detterman said that voters will be encouraged to bring their own pen and that the pens at the town house will be single use. Masks will be mandated as will social distancing. Voting booths and other high traffic areas will be sanitized throughout the day.

Gaynor listed similar precautions for Halifax noting that pens will not be single use but will be sanitized between voters. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the voting area and plexiglass shields will separate poll workers from voters as they check in and out.

Earth removal and Fire Pumper at Halifax BOS

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met briefly on Monday, Oct. 19 for one of their extra meetings they have been conducting during the ongoing pandemic. These meetings are used to discuss anything COVID related as well as any other ongoing issues that were not able to be dealt with during their regular Thursday meetings. With Board of Health agent Bob Valery absent, the COVID discussion was limited.

The Board met with Corey Monti, a contractor hired to remove material from John Peck’s property at 415 Plymouth St. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that there has been confusion regarding the nature of the material to be removed. “It has been described, at various times, as compost, manure, wood chips, leaves,” Seelig said. The concern for the selectmen is whether or not the material falls under the category of soil/earth removal. There have been issues in the past with earth removal on the Peck property without proper permits. If the material in question this time does not fall under soil/earth removal, it won’t require a permit. If it is discovered, however, that it does, an application will have to be filed in accordance with the by-law.

Previously, John Peck’s son Joe Peck had appeared before the Board to reconcile issues pertaining to earth removal. At the time, Joe had assured the Board that moving forward he would be the one handling such activities. Selectman Gordon Andrews referenced this assurance saying, “The only question I would have is that Joey represented to us before that it was all in his control?” Seelig said he was unsure who was behind the action being taken currently but said he had verified that John Peck is the trustee of the family trust making him in charge technically.

When asked how much material would be removed, Monti said, “hard to say.” Seelig also asked if material had been brought from other places to 415 Plymouth St. Monti was again somewhat vague saying, “not really.”

The Board decided that the best course of action would be for the Board to meet at the property to ascertain for themselves the nature of the material being removed. The Board scheduled the visit for Monday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m.

Seelig asked the Board to make a decision regarding a contract with Greenwood Emergency Vehicles for production of a new fire pumper. Multiple payment options were presented to the Board. Seelig said in the past, the town would usually pay fifty percent up front and then fifty percent upon completion. The Board unanimously voted, however, to pay the full amount up front in order to secure the town a 2.75 percent discount that is favorable given current interest rates. The cost of the new pumper is $555,000.

The Board also signed the new contracts with the Fire and Police Chiefs during Monday’s meeting. The terms of the contract had previously been approved at town meeting.

PAYS hosts Track or Treat Halloween Celebration at Dennett School fields

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PAYS hosted a Track or Treat event held at the Dennett Elementary School athletic fields on Sunday, Oct. 25. Families signed up to keep with Covid regulations and families, volunteers and coaches each decorated a themed table. Treats were pre-wrapped and several creative ‘hands-free’ deliveries were incorporated in the fun. Approximately 12 tables were spaced out around the track as guests arrived during their allotted times.

Two named to Halifax Finance Committee

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During their Tuesday, Oct. 13 meeting, the Halifax Board of Selectmen met with candidates to fill two vacant seats on the Finance Committee. The first was Lauren Carmichael who said she moved to Halifax nearly two years ago and has children in the Elementary School. While Carmichael said she doesn’t have any finance experience, she has an interest in it and enjoys listening to money podcasts. Selectman Troy Garron asked if she would be able to attend meetings to which Carmichael said she has childcare and would have the necessary availability. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked her if she attended town meeting and she said she has not yet. Andrews also confirmed that she is a registered voter.

Regarding her lack of experience, Selectman Tom Millias said, “It’s kind of like jumping into the deep end but it’s a heck of a way to get experience in town government.” Garron thanked her for stepping forward and said, “Believe me, having experience with something sort of jades you a little bit. If you’re a good listener and you can understand things… you’ll see things sometimes that a person with experience might not see.” Carmichael was unanimously appointed through a joint vote of the selectmen and Finance Committee.

Thomas Connolly also came before the selectmen in the hopes of being appointed to the Finance Committee. Connolly said that he has been a resident of Halifax for 9 years and is a father to a 10-year-old daughter. Connolly said he owns a consulting firm out of Quincy but will soon become just a shareholder thus freeing up some availability. “I have a lot of interest in municipal government but haven’t had the opportunity to do it.” Like Carmichael, Connolly was unanimously appointed. Both terms will run through June of 2023.

Robert Maker of Green Earth Cannabis had an appointment with the Board to discuss his proposal for a retail marijuana establishment. Maker said that he was interested in the property at 657 Monponsett St. Maker described the location as “the least impactful place we could find in town that would work for our needs and your needs.” He went on to say that his company planned to work with the community to get rid of what he described as an “eyesore.”

Maker said that he already has a host community agreement that he would like to present to the town.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that residents would want to see the draft before attending a hearing. Maker agreed to make a copy available.

Seelig told the Board that 49 laptops were requested for staff at Halifax Elementary School.

He said the estimate was $47,764 and that he was looking into whether Plymouth County would consider this expenditure eligible for CARES Act funds.

Andrews, who also serves as the Chair of the Halifax School Committee, asked the other selectmen if they could be available for a joint meeting on Monday, October 26 to interview candidates for a vacancy on the school committee. There are 6 candidates who will appear before the selectmen and school committee for 10 minutes each prior to a decision being made.

The selectmen approved a bottle and can/food drive to be hosted by the Boy Scouts on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon.

They also gave the green light for the library to proceed with a story walk on Saturday, October 31.

Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs…

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It doesn’t take any time at all to see what your neighbors think about this election and political climate.

Signs covering every aspect of opinion are planted firmly for all to see.   Some are sweet, some strong, and some downright rude.  But there they stay, guaranteed freedom of speech, something for which this newspaper will go to the mat.  Thankfully, in a couple of weeks, they’ll be gone and we’ll be back to the beautiful country landscape we all love.

Until then, grin and bear it, and above all, VOTE!

Plympton Town House will close offices during and after election

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met on the evening of Monday, Oct. 19. Chair of the Finance Committee Nathaniel Sides made a brief visit. Sides told the selectmen that he was looking for their support in getting better budget monitoring and reporting from the various departments in town as they prepare for the next fiscal year. Sides said that there was in influx of last-minute requests to the Finance Committee this year.

“I think that a formal letter would be helpful,” Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said. Dennehy agreed to draft a letter to the departments to be signed by herself, Sides, and Selectmen Chair Mark Russo. Sides said he would also like to see regular updates coming from the revenue side as well. “We surely hear you. Some of this is structural and systemic and may take a while but moving in that direction surely makes sense,” Russo told Sides.

Continuing with the new tradition of meeting with a different department head at their meetings, Highway Superintendent Rob Firlotte attended Monday’s meeting. The topics of discussion included the two safety zones which would reduce the speed limit to 20 mph, initial research on restricting heavy truck traffic, and a redesign of the intersection at Main St. and Ring Rd.

Firlotte said he had received an estimate that day from an engineering firm for much of the work. Russo said that he didn’t believe that all of the services listed in the estimate were necessary and proposed saving money by asking for a lesser scope particularly for the safety zones. Russo said he was, “just wondering if we have to spend that much, at least initially.” He proposed signage and painting of the road as an inexpensive first step. Firlotte said he would reach out to the engineer again and ask for the quote to be amended. Russo said that should they decide to move forward with a redesign of any of the intersections, he would hope that there would be a funding source available. Before Firlotte left the meeting, Russo said of him, “Rob’s been doing an amazing job.”

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen was also in attendance and told the selectmen that himself, Mike Antoine, and Jason Fraser had interviewed two candidates for an open spot on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee to be filled with a Plympton resident. Wilhelmsen sang the praises of both candidates saying, “I wish we had two spots because both were excellent candidates.” In the end they chose Lukasz Kowalksi to come before the Plympton selectmen.

Kowalksi told the Board that he is originally from Poland but has spent the last twelve years in the United States. Kowalski, who doesn’t have any children but said he is a former teacher, said, “I love this place so far and I would like to do something for the school.” In closing, Kowalksi said, “I’m a tough guy. I’m a fighter and I will fight for kids and especially for Plympton kids.”

Kowalski was appointed to a 1-year term with the position to appear on the ballot in May for a 2-year term. Since it is an elected position, it can only be filled until the next election.

While there were no specific issues at the Dennett, Wilhelmsen said that since Kingston has been in the red zone for COVID infections for the last two weeks, the data that comes out this week will be significant. Back in September Governor Baker urged communities to use three weeks’ worth of data to make decisions regarding changes in school models. Should the trend continue in Kingston, the affected school committees will have to at least consider moving to a fully remote model.

Wilhelmsen also told the selectmen that they are continuing to struggle with securing substitutes at Dennett Elementary. He said there are more staff absences than normal as staff is being encouraged not to come to work if they are feeling unwell in any way. Wilhelmsen said they have been encouraging members of the community to step up and offer to substitute. The Dennett may need to hire a full-time building-based substitute as was done at both Halifax Elementary and Silver Lake Regional. CARES Act funds were used to order laptops for teachers at the Dennett as the chromebooks were proving inadequate for their needs.

Selectman John Traynor, who is acting as the interim director of the Council on Aging (COA) provided an update on the COA to his fellow selectmen. Traynor said he plans to get a newsletter out to older residents to alert them of what services are available to them such as plowing and handyman services.

Traynor said he is putting in 25 hours per week into the job currently and stated that once the position is filled, it should be recognized that it requires more than 10 hours per week despite that being all that can be paid out. “Thank you so much for jumping into the breach,” Russo said to Traynor.

There was a request for use of town owned property for Sunday, Oct. 25 from 2-4 p.m. for a Track or Treat program put on by Plympton Athletic Youth Sports (PAYS). Initially the Board of Health rejected the idea but PAYS has since put extensive efforts into making sure it would be both fun and safe. The Board of Health has since signed off on the event. “I know a considerable amount of thought went into this,” Dennehy explained. The selectmen agreed to the event pending a sign off from both the Police and Fire departments.

Dennehy said that in conjunction with the emergency management team and the Board of Health, it was decided that the townhouse would be closed to regular business both on election day and the following Wednesday. The intention would be to minimize the number of people in the building on election day and then have it professionally disinfected the day after. Dennehy also said that a ballot box has been bolted to the ground outside of the townhouse and that residents can drop their ballots off at any hour of the day. Dennehy’s final update was that the Fire Chief had submitted $173,000 in CARES ACT expenditures to be submitted for reimbursement.

The selectmen ended their meeting with their raves of the past week. Christine Joy said her rave was for PAYS for coming up with a safe alternative to Halloween. Russo said his rave was for the Bylaw Review Committee for how willing and eager they are to volunteer for things. “It’s so refreshing,” Russo said, adding, “It’s quite beautiful.” Russo’s second rave was for the Walt Whitman poem, Election Day, November, 1884. Traynor said his rave was for the volunteers of the town referring to them as Plympton’s “backbone.”

Dennehy also had a rave that she wanted to share. Fire Chief Stephen Silva, his wife Deb Silva, Captain Cheryl Davis and Amira Kim, also of the Plympton Fire Department spent their Saturday evening rearranging and organizing the COA pantry at the townhouse. Council on Aging Administrative Assistant Jean Pacheco said she was nearly brought to tears by how good the pantry looked.

New COVID cases up in Halifax

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Thursday, Oct. 15 for one of their extra meetings that they have been holding during the pandemic.

Board of Health Agent Bob Varley began with an update saying there have been four new cases recently in Halifax. The cases were reported on October 1, October 2, October 9, and October 10. Varley also gave an update on the state of various restaurants in town saying that a few were currently open for indoor dining. Grille 58, which Varley said is currently utilizing every other booth, could put a 6 ft partition around the booths in a way that complies with the fire code in order to utilize all of them.

Selectman and Chair of the Halifax School Committee, Gordon Andrews gave an update on the school saying that during the last school committee meeting it was agreed that gators are not to be worn to school. Masks are to be at least two layers thick. Neither Plympton nor Kingston allow gators to be worn either with the exception being outdoor sporting events at the high school.

Andrews also told the selectmen that there have been a handful of cases in schools throughout the district including a few at KIS, one at the middle school, and another at the high school. Varley said, “From what I’m hearing… it’s not the activities that are going on within the schools that are triggering these cases, but it tends to be the after-school sports activities or weekend sports activities, specifically hockey.” He said that the Department of Public Health is working on more stringent guidance for the sports that tend to include more close contact including basketball and hockey and possibly soccer.

Andrews also took a moment to thank Seelig for his willingness to work with Halifax Elementary and Silver Lake in securing CARES Act funding. “Our town has really been the only town that has, from the very beginning, tried to include the schools in dealing with COVID and the CARES Act money,” Andrews said.

Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros said the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts is receiving $2 million in PPE which will include an additional 2,000 surgical masks as well as some gloves and other PPE. Viveiros also said that eventually they would like to have dispensers, similar to hands-free paper towel dispensers, that are filled with masks for placement in various municipal buildings.

With the approval of the Halifax Fire Department’s Community Emergency Medical Service, Viveiros said the department is now eligible to setup a COVID testing program. Both a 15-minute rapid test and an antigen blood test would be available. Antigen tests would be $10 and if there was a positive test result, a nasal swab test would be administered at a cost of $140. It remains to be seen if the department will elect to setup such a testing program.

Seelig also shared a letter from current Holmes Public Library Director Jean Gallant. Gallant said that former library director Betsy Randall requested permission to replace the tree that was in front of the library. Work would include replacing the existing stump and planting a new tree. Andrews said that he thought it would be fine as long as the tree was far enough away from any roof lines.

Seelig told the selectmen that up to this point, the State has allowed hearings on land use to be continued indefinitely during the state of emergency. This stance appears to be changing as the State is requesting that land use boards hold hearings even if it needs to be done electronically via Zoom or another platform. Seelig said that since the Chapter 40B hearing for Country Club Estates has already been postponed multiple times due to the pandemic, the Zoning Board of Appeals will begin the hearing on November 18 via Zoom. Andrews suggested that letters be sent to abutters to notify them that hearings are to start soon.

A town employee was recently questioned about political signs on town property. As a result of a Supreme Court decision a few years ago, the portion of the current bylaw dealing with signs is not enforceable. Seelig reviewed the town’s current policy regarding signs on the town’s property. No political signs are allowed on town owned property; this extends to the shoulders/right of ways near municipal buildings, etc. Seelig said, however, that there are a few traffic islands where signs have been allowed.

Seelig said his position is to disregard any anonymous complaints regarding signs in the traffic islands or the right of ways. Seelig said that he has yet to receive a complaint from anyone willing to attach their name to it. He said, however, if he were to receive a signed complaint in writing, he would work with the Building Inspector/Zoning Enforcement Officer and the Board of Selectmen.

Assuming permission was granted by the aforementioned groups an announcement would be made giving two weeks to remove the signs from town property or have them removed. Seelig did note that the polling place on election day is a “free-for-all” assuming signs are taken down at the end of the day.

Finally, Selectman Tom Millias said he wanted to acknowledge the retirement of Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Heath who recently retired after 37 years.  Viveiros said he wanted to, “thank him for his service and wish him well.”

Local repair shops vote YES!

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With early voting already underway in municipalities across the state, the Express is investigating the statewide ballot question, Question 1, the “Right to Repair Law” Vehicle Data Access Requirement Initiative (2020).

In 2012, Massachusetts became the first state to pass the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act with 86 percent voter support. The legislation required automobile manufacturers to provide independent auto repair shops the same access as dealerships to necessary diagnostic and repair information about a vehicle. The law as it currently stands, however, excludes telematics or “systems that collect and wirelessly transmit mechanical data to a remote server.” The proposed law would affect motor vehicles sold in Massachusetts beginning with model year 2022. Those vehicles which utilize telematics systems would be required to be equipped with a standardized open access data platform. According to the ballot measure, this increased accessibility would be available via a mobile based application.

A “no” vote opposes requiring vehicles with model year 2022 and later to be equipped with a standardized open data platform that would allow vehicle owners and independent repair shops to access data and run diagnostics through a mobile app. A “yes” vote supports the standardized open data platform necessary to access information needed for repair through a mobile app.

The Express spoke with several local, independently owned automotive repair shops. Owner and manager of Dave’s Automotive on the Hanson/Halifax line, Eric Hatch, was concise in his support of the ballot measure saying, “We’re voting yes. All we need to do is vote yes.”

Jack Ferry, owner of Ferry’s Automotive in Hanson, said, “We’re for yes on the question, I know there are pros and cons on both sides, but from our point of view we need it just to keep up with technology down the road.” Ferry said that for the most part, they currently have what’s needed to deal with cars coming in for repairs. He noted however, that once later model years equipped with telematics begin to come into independent repair shops, they won’t have the platform needed for diagnostics without this legislation passing. Ferry compared telematics to Onstar in its ability to access and monitor the vehicle. “Technology has come a long way,” Ferry said. “We just want to be able to keep up with it.”

Hennessey Automotive who has been operating out of Kingston for nearly thirty years, is a family owned business. Owner Ed Hennessey said that he found the proposal to be a bit convoluted in the way it is written but noted that ultimately a no vote was to the advantage of the dealerships. Hennessey, who said he would be voting yes, said, “If it’s good for them, it’s bad for us, that’s the way I look at it.”

The Express also spoke with Frank Perry, the manager of Perry’s Automotive on Monponsett St. in Halifax. Perry said that he hopes that people will vote for the measure in order to ensure that independent shops are able to access the information necessary to perform repairs. Perry was quick to point out that since the initiative begins with model year 2022, it will likely be a few years before the benefits of a yes vote are felt. “In the long run it’s going to help us,” Perry said. He continued, “… In another five or six years when the warranty expires, people are going to need to come to places like me or want to come to places like me and unless the dealers are mandated to sell it, I’ll have a hard time.”

Perry also pointed out the potential future benefit of the measure as automotive technology continues to develop. “When the self-driving cars and all the other fun stuff that they start coming out with are going to really be all part and parcel and basically be in that law already. They have to sell it rather than saying it’s their stuff and it’s proprietary.”

What is the argument against Question 1? Leading the opposition campaign is the Coalition for Safe and Secure Data. As quoted from the website Ballotpedia.org, Conor Yunits, a spokesperson for the Coalition said, “This ballot question will create easy opportunities for strangers, hackers, and criminals to access consumer vehicles and personal driving data – including real-time location. It will put people at risk, without doing anything to improve the consumer experience.” Top donors to the no campaign include General Motors, Toyota Motor North America, Ford Motor Company, American Honda Motor Co., and Nissan North America.

Masks make up much of school board debate

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The Halifax Elementary School Committee met on Tuesday, Oct.13. Chair Gordon Andrews said that he had received six notices of interest to fill the vacancy left on the Committee by Bob Johnson’s resignation. The School Committee agreed to meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26 with the Board of Selectmen to interview the candidates.

The Committee elected to waive the full readings for the policies to be voted on. The policy on face coverings did generate considerable conversation despite the only change to the previous version being that everyone is now required to wear a mask. Exemptions are only granted for those with medical or behavioral conditions who present a note from a medical professional.

Principal Kayne Beaudry asked if the policy prohibited gators as he said that they had been allowing them thus far. Superintendent Jill Proulx said that only Silver Lake Regional were permitting gators to be worn and only under specific circumstances. Silver Lake doesn’t allow gators to be worn indoors but will allow them to be worn for outdoor sporting events as they facilitate easier breathing.

While some research has suggested that gators are not as effective as facemasks at preventing the spread of the virus, they were allowed in this circumstance as being outdoors reduces the likelihood of transmission.   

Andrews asked Beaudry what percentage of students roughly did he believe to be wearing the gators. Beaudry said he believed it was only a small percentage of the students and vice principal Brian DeSantes agreed.

Committee member Alison Vance said, “I’m on board with not allowing them.” Vance also went on to say that one justification for not allowing gators may be the method by which face coverings should be removed. She said that the school where she works teaches students to take their face coverings off by the ear loops to avoid touching the front of the mask.

Committee member Summer Schmaling asked about the seeming arbitrariness of prohibiting gators but allowing masks that may be made of the same material. Beaudry and DeSantes said that many parents have inquired as to what type of material the masks should be made of, as well as other conerns. Andrews read directly from the policy where it states that masks must be 2-ply or greater. It also states that disposable surgical masks are acceptable as are face shields as long as a mask is worn underneath.

According to the policy, gators and bandanas are prohibited. Schmaling said that the school she works in requires students to swap the mask they wear to school for a surgical mask that must be changed every four hours.

Schmaling asked Beaudry why kids were required to wear masks during outdoor recess. Beaudry said that given the unstructured environment that recess presents, it would be nearly impossible to assert the control required to ensure that students are always six feet from one another. Schmaling noted that she disagreed with the requirement.

The standing committees provided a report to the larger School Committee. The PAC representative said that nearly all students are back fully in school with only a small handful electing to do full remote. The PTO met last Wednesday when they elected Kristina Wilson as the new president.

Physical Education teacher Steve Ruisi is still trying to organize a turkey trot where safety protocols can be maintained. The PTO is “all ears” for creative ideas including brainstorming for fundraisers.

Beaudry began his principal’s report by thanking a number of people for their hand in the success of the opening of the school. He emphasized the important role parents have played calling them both “flexible” and “understanding.” Beaudry also thanked the teachers, school nurse, and school committee. Finally, he thanked Halifax police and fire as well as town administrator Charlie Seelig for their assistance with CARES Act funding as well as traffic management.

Before leaving the meeting early to head to the Halifax selectmen meeting, Andrews also took a moment to thank the superintendent, assistant superintendent, school committee, parents, teachers, and students acknowledging how much time was invested by everyone in order to open the schools.

Beaudry said that enrollment was down slightly this year with 568 total students. He said that on any given day there were approximately 240 students in the building. In addition to enrollment being down slightly, eight more students have elected to do homeschooling this year and the number of students transferring out of Halifax public school to private school increased from two to seven.

Beaudry acknowledged that the schedule for the specialists has been tricky to figure out and said that it has gone through several revisions. Currently, art and music are taught remotely while PE, library, and tech are taught in person.

Director of Business Services Christine Healy provided the financial report which included a committee vote on the operating budget for regular day and special education. The $5,794,574 budget was passed unanimously. Regarding COVID expenses, Healy said, “The town of Halifax has been quite generous and willing to work with us to make it all work.” Halifax has used part of their CARES Act money to fund additional staff including a building-based custodian and long-term substitutes at least through the end of December.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch gave a quick update on some of the resources that have been made available to staff and families. He referenced “Parent Academy” which has been setup to support parents with the various learning platforms.

Superintendent Jill Proulx said that when a COVID-19 case arises in the district, families have been receiving notification from both their building principal as well as the district. “We would rather over communicate rather than under communicate in this particular case,” Proulx explained.

Proulx also referenced Kingston being in the “red” in terms of risk and said that after three weeks there, it is recommended that a community move to fully remote learning. She said that if a decision like that were to be considered, it would be made with input from both the town’s Board of Health and an epidemiologist. Proulx noted that as of the meeting Tuesday, Halifax was in the yellow zone. “The hybrid model is holding which we are very happy about,” she said.

Lakers sports event guidelines

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Want to attend a high school sporting event at Silver Lake High this fall?

That might be tough, depending on the circumstances. The school recently released its guidelines for spectators at high school sporting events — and it depends on the sport and one’s association with the team.

As far as indoor events at the school go, due to the pandemic no fans will be allowed to attend games, according to the guidelines put out by the Lakers athletic department. In this case, that means varsity, junior varsity, and freshman volleyball.

Only athletes and game management will be allowed in the gym while those games are going on, but the games will be livestreamed by Silver Lake online.

Outdoor sports are different. this fall, that means soccer, field hockey, and cross country.

At home, it works like this: every athlete on those teams gets two badges on a lanyard, and they pick who they give those to.

Then, the people who have those badges/lanyards may attend the game. There is an exception to the rule: if a younger relative cannot stay home alone, they can come with a family member.

In other words, students aren’t really allowed to attend games. Everyone in attendance at these events is expected to not only social distance, they are required to wear face coverings to prevent the spread of the virus.

Silver Lake honors lanyards from other Patriot League schools, and some other schools in the league are confirmed as doing the same: Duxbury, Whitman-Hanson, Hingham, Marshfield and Plymouth North.

At the conclusion of games, fans are expected to leave the premises and asked to not congregate.

It is possible that the Lakers end up revising these guidelines at some point before the end of the season; the guidelines do say they are hopeful that some students will be able to attend games by the end of the season.