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Plympton School Committee

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A wide-ranging number of topics were discussed during the Monday, November 2 Plympton School Committee meeting. Chair of the Committee Jon Wilhelmsen said that he had seen a lot of recent discussion on the Dennett Facebook page regarding a return to full, in-person schooling given the success thus far in keeping COVID out of the school. Wilhelmsen said that for his part, he didn’t feel that it should be considered until Massachusetts is at a Level 4, from the state perspective which would mean the development of either a vaccine or effective therapeutics. He said the only other way to allow for a full, in-person return would be to fit everyone into the building with 6 feet of social distancing – something that isn’t possible currently. Committee member Daniel Cadogan said, “If we didn’t do it a month ago when things were looking well, I think doing it now would be a really bad idea.”

CARES Act Funds

Wilhelmsen said of the CARES Act funds directed to the school, “the town of Plympton has been very gracious and very generous in trying to make sure that the Dennett has what it needs.” Thus far, $79,000 in invoices have been submitted. That funding went toward technology, PPE, HVAC repairs, air purifiers, hands-free paper towel dispensers, and a number of other COVID-related items. The Committee thanked the selectmen, the fire chief, and the town administrator for their support.

Building-Based Substitute

Speaking about a lack of available substitutes, Dennett Principal Peter Veneto said, “It’s been an incredible challenge…. Not just a Plympton/Silver Lake challenge.” He added that finding a funding source for a building-based substitute remains difficult. Despite putting feelers out into the community to see if those with availability and ability would volunteer time to substitute, there was no response. Wilhelmsen pointed out that without substitutes the Dennett will, at some point, be unable to hold classes.

While a portion of the funding could come from CARES Act funds, there are no assurances that that money will be available after the end of December. The money to pay for the substitute after December would likely have to come out of the Dennett budget which Director of Business Services Christine Healy described as “traditionally pretty tight.” Committee member Jason Fraser said that there is a small group in D.C. trying to make sure that CARES Act funds not spent in 2020 get carried over to 2021. The Committee voted to move forward with hiring a building-based substitute.

MASC Conference and MCAS Testing

The Massachusetts Association of School Committees MASC Delegate Conference will be held virtually this year on Saturday, November 7. A keynote speech will be available to all members of school committees and administration. The afternoon is the delegate assembly, which is open to all members of school committees, but only designated members have the right to vote on behalf of their school committees. Fraser was voted in as the delegate for the Plympton School Committee during Monday’s meeting. “The point we’re really trying to push is looking at the MCAS, especially for this year, not be held at all for any purpose considering what our kids have been through and what our teachers have been through,” Fraser explained. Fraser said that when he first made the proposal, he expected some pushback, but instead other delegates are now pushing for a four-year moratorium.

Curriculum Coordinator Presentation

Curriculum coordinator for Grades K-6 Melissa Farrell gave a presentation to the Committee regarding the FY 2021 budget. Farrell said that there has been a significant cut in Title I funds from 2018 to now. The impact to Plympton specifically, however, has been relatively insignificant. The main impact has taken the form of cuts to professional development. Savings in the Title 1 budget will be used to provide summer programming for students that could most benefit from it.

Farrell also provided a curriculum overview for the district. This year marks the second year of the new math curriculum. Farrell said that they are working backward by grade level to address the social studies curriculum. Sixth grade is officially teaching ancient civilization outside of the pilot program this year. Instructional technology is being implemented in 5th grade social studies. Third grade social studies has also been addressed since Farrell said the implementation of a new social studies textbook was an easy fix. The new textbook aligns with the changes to Plimoth-Patuxet.

Farrell also touched on Parent Academy, something she referred to as a resource for remote and hybrid learning. “The idea was that in the spring when we went remote, everything and anything was free. If we were going to go into the fall and still have a remote or hybrid model, I felt that it was my job as the curriculum coordinator to have a resource that would fit ELA, math, science, and social studies, and social emotional k-6. In essence, that website represents sort of a balanced approach to make sure that everything is covered under whatever circumstances we were,” Farrell explained. She also said that the website includes additional resources for parents to utilize that are high quality, don’t contain advertisements, and have been vetted.

Farrell told the Committee that the Reading Street ELA curriculum that has been used for the last 8 or 9 years is disappearing after next year. She said that many teachers have been wanting to switch to something new for years as they see a variety of different ways to teach students and would like different resources to support that. Farrell said that it could cost $500,000 to implement a district wide curriculum, a number that is up from just a few years ago. She said one possibility would be to split the cost between two fiscal years with purchases being made in June and July. The subscription to the science curriculum is set to end in fiscal year 2023 but Farrell said the staff feels that they can create their own using instructional technology resources.

Farrell spoke highly of Instructional technology saying that regardless of whether we are in a pandemic year or not, much of it including the use of IXL, should be sustained. She also lauded Newsela, an online platform made up of various articles and often used for social studies. Typing Club, Mystery Science, and Lexia were also mentioned. She did note, however, “our kids still need to have books… I feel like there’s a balance.”

Farrell also told the Committee that she is still trying to assess what the impact of the school closure in the spring was on student learning. “Still trying to be the best that we can be with data to understand our students,” she assured them.

Technology Director Presentation

Silver Lake Technology Director Steve Pellowe also gave a presentation to the Committee regarding budget needs. Pellowe said that there is a need to replace the current phone system. The department is also in need of another technician as requests for technology help was triple what it would be in a normal year. Pellowe said that by the end of the year, the department would be supporting over 10,000 devices across grades K-12. Fraser said that he would be in support of adding an additional 0.2 tech person to the Dennett budget.

Laptops were purchased for the teachers at Dennett using CARES Act funds. Pellowe said, “I do believe as much as I’m concerned about being able to support them [laptops], they really are a critical piece of equipment for our staff to have.” Teacher Ann Walker thanked the Committee on behalf of the staff saying, “it has made everything so much easier for us with our mobile classrooms… and just getting our work done at home… I really appreciate you listening to our needs.” A few docking stations were also purchased.

Pellowe also said that an additional 38 chromebooks were received by Dennett a few weeks ago with 1,450 more coming to the rest of the district that week. “I will sleep a little bit better knowing should we have to go full remote, we have what we need to support the students.”

Principal’s Report

Veneto began his update saying, “Considering that none of us have ever taught during a global pandemic, I think that all of us are doing absolutely terrific.”

The Committee learned that teacher Bea Reynolds will be retiring at the start of 2021 after more than twenty years at Dennett Elementary. Veneto spoke of the huge impact she had on not only the staff and students but the town as well. Fraser added, “Bea Reynolds is the best… she is a gem and she has made Plympton and Dennett a better place for having been there.” His sentiment was met with a chorus of agreement.

Veneto told the Committee that air movement testing had been done at the Dennett. There were several issues that were found that need to be addressed. Veneto said that as a result they have spent more on HVAC than what would typically be spent at this point in the year. Veneto commended Matt Durkee for his assistance with building related fixes.

Superintendent Update and Enrollment

Superintendent Jill Proulx provided an update on enrollment at Dennett Elementary as of October 1. Total enrollment at the elementary level is 209 compared to 226 last year. Plympton students at the middle and high school levels total 190 this year compared to 196 last year.

The most jarring decrease was found at the kindergarten level where there are only 30 students enrolled compared to 54 in last year’s class. Proulx said that several parents are electing to “redshirt” their kindergarten age children in the hopes that next year will be a more normal year. Veneto said based on surveys, etc. he was expecting 42 rather than 30 students at that level this year. Proulx said it is a possibility that next year’s kindergarten class could be an extraordinarily large one.

Additionally, Proulx said that seven students are being homeschooled this year compared to 0 last year. Two students transferred out to private schools while six more transferred out to parochial schools.  Proulx said the data for those attending charter schools was still not available.

The Massachusetts Association of Superintendents is growing increasingly concerned with the number of students transferring out to either homeschool or attend private school. “It’s a concern that we have as our funding is often tied to our enrollment numbers,” Proulx explained.

Plympton’s assessment is down by two-tenths this year whereas Halifax and Kingston have both increased by one-tenth. Plympton is also down six-tenths of a point in shared costs.

Proulx also told those assembled that mid-November will be the deadline for parents electing to switch from either the full remote model or the hybrid one as the next trimester begins on December 9. There is concern that if too many people elect to change from full remote to hybrid, there won’t be enough space within the school (or buses) to maintain proper distancing.

As of the Nov. 2 meeting, Proulx said there had been no positive cases of COVID at the Dennett. She did, however, review the protocol should that change. The principal and the school nurse will notify close contacts. The nurse will notify the Board of Health and the nurse leader will contact the Department of Education.

Proulx also reminded the Committee that the CDC guidance on what qualifies as “close contact” was recently changed from 15 minutes to a cumulative 15 minutes of exposure. This could alter how many people would need to quarantine should there be a positive case in the school.

Should it be a snow day or remote day?

Regarding the possibility of potential school closures, Proulx said, “It’s important for the public to know… we rely on the expertise of health experts such as epidemiologists to help guide us in those decisions.” She also said that Cohort D, which consists of highest needs learners, will be prioritized for in-person learning to the greatest extent possible.

The Commissioner announced recently that school districts may elect to have remote schooling days in lieu of snow days.

Fraser said he was in favor of the idea as long as advanced notice could be given and curriculum materials sent home with students to be done asynchronously at home. Wilhelmsen wondered aloud if it would be easier for parents to deal with a snow day or a remote day and asked Veneto if he could get some input from parents before deciding one way or another.

Wilhelmsen wins MCAS Div.III award

Proulx also read some correspondence from the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) awarding Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen with the MASC’s Division III All State School Committee Award for 2020.

The award was in recognition of all of Wilhelmsen’s contributions to the district as well as his guidance as the district deals with the pandemic. Proulx said, “We appreciate your advocacy and your hard work.”

For his part, Wilhelmsen credited his fellow Committee members saying, “It is also a testament to all of the work everybody on this call does on a regular basis.”

It’s not just luck keeping numbers low

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When you look at the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, we in Plympton are lucky to have few compared to neighboring towns.  But it’s not just luck.

The smallest town by population in Plymouth County, Plympton was among the first to re-open its Town House on June 1, Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said, and prior to that date with all of the departments working from home, “we were still able to successfully serve everyone who contacted us, while we were fully remote.”

Plympton’s Emergency Management Director, Fire Chief Steven G. Silva leads a coalition of departments within the town to bring things back to some semblance of normal.  Team members include Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy, Board of Health Chairman Arthur Morin, Board of Health Assistant Cathy Ferguson, and Police Chief Matthew Clancy.  Silva said he is heartened to see how people have come together to work things out.   Peter Veneto, principal of the Dennett School, Debbie Batson, Library Director, Patricia Detterman, Town Clerk, and more – have all worked to document protocols for delivering services to the community in a safe manner.

Working in concert with the Board of Health Silva has introduced a new Community EMS Program that will takeover the duties performed by the Cape Cod Visiting Nurse Association.  In the midst of the pandemic, the Cape Cod Visiting Nurse Association, who had formerly served several South Shore towns including Plympton, stopped services to towns off Cape giving towns six months notice to find other sources.

Chief Silva, after a September presentation to the Board of Health, has announced that the plan for Community EMS program has been submitted to the Department of Public Health and is awaiting approval.

What will Community EMS do for Plympton?

It uses personnel we already have, Silva explained, and gives a plan for implementing public health nurse  services to the townspeople, working with Plympton’s Board of Health. Fire Captain Cheryl Davis, who has interacted with Plympton’s citizens on many occasions, will oversee the program.  Davis has been with the Plympton Fire Dept. for 14 years and was recently brought on full time.  Before accepting her position as a full time Captain and EMS coordinator, she was also a Lieutenant and shift commander with the Fall River Fire Dept. EMS division.

In addition, the Plympton Fire Department has also been trained in the use of MAVEN, a computer program that tracks cases of COVID and other infectious diseases, so up to date numbers of cases in the state as well as in the area are available to work out preventative measures.

Opening the Town House to Plympton residents was done safely June 1, according to Dennehy.   Now, a member of the Plympton Fire Department signs you in, records what office you are seeing, does a thermo scan of your forehead to make sure you are fever free, and calls ahead to see that the office is available so proper distancing can be observed.  Arthur Morin, Chairman of the Board of Health, says that to date, there have been no cases of COVID-19 attributed to the Plympton Town House.

Dennett Elementary copes with COVID

Peter Veneto, principal of the Dennett Elementary School, has been key in getting the school open safely this fall.

“We have made a number of changes here at Dennett to try to keep everyone as safe as can be.  We have installed touchless faucets in all of our learning spaces and rest rooms as well as touchless paper towel dispensers.  We have sanitizing stations outside of every space and by the recess doors.  Students “pump in” and “pump out” when entering the building or leaving a room.  We have had Plexiglas installed in the office, cafeteria and Nurse’s Office.  We also have Plexiglas shields for any students receiving one to one instruction or special education testing.  Our Director of Maintenance, Matt Durkee, assisted with getting the Plexiglas installed.  He also helped with signage in the building and floor decals to help students maintain a six- foot space when waiting in lines.”

Veneto continued, “Most of these items were paid for through CARES Act funding.”  In our classrooms, all students sit six feet apart from seat edge to seat edge.  Students eat lunch in the cafeteria six feet from one another.  It looks and sounds a lot different but the students are still able to talk and interact with one another.  Everyone has done a great job wearing masks.  Teachers try to get outside multiple times per day for mask breaks for our kids.

“From a procedural standpoint a lot has changed as well,” he said.  “The vast majority of our students are dropped off in our car line in the morning.  Using the Pick Up Patrol web based program, parents complete a health assessment every morning.  An aide will stand in the hallway and confirm that students have no Covid symptoms before they go down to class.  Once in the building, students have specific waiting areas and hallway directions to prevent a lot of face-to-face contacts.  Playground equipment is sanitized every morning and the students line up 6 ft. apart coming back into the building.  During lunchtime, students who have brought their lunch enter the cafeteria first and sit at the front of the room.  Students who are buying lunch wait in line, get their lunch and fill in the open seats.  Dismissal procedures are the same as drop off just in reverse.”

Those are the very general changes to our day.  Each classroom has some smaller details specific to their grade level.  The staff has done a nice job with these tweaks and our students have been phenomenal.”

“We’re well positioned now”

“Those of us in the Emergency Management Committee, I feel we’ve done a really good job getting things up and running,” Dennehy said.  “Not that we’re looking for credit,” she continued, “People in town should be proud.  We have made it reasonably safe for people to be more connected to the positive things going on here… We’re well positioned now.   Obviously we will react to any new circumstance needed to keep people safe.”  She continued that being a small town in this case seems to be an advantage in that we can change direction and implement new procedures more easily than a larger town might.  She also said that she appreciates all the helpful people who have stepped up to volunteer wherever needed. “The Board of Health has been very quick to react to help keep us up to date on the state level,” she continued, and Plympton has been able to develop protocols adapted from neighboring communities.  “Everyone is willing to accept new information,” she said.   “It’s been a good learning experience.”

Library continues to provide services

Debbie Batson, library director, admits that it has been a challenging time to bring library services to the community.   “We had to throw out all of our ideas for summer, and find other activities for kids.”  The pinwheels on the library lawn, indicating how many books people have read were one way to encourage reading for all age groups.

“Back in June we were able to continue our book clubs via ZOOM,” Batson said.  The adult book group meets on the second Tuesday of the month by Zoom.  Contact the library at PLPcirc@sailsinc.org to get sign-in information.   They are always looking for new members.

Story time for little ones continues through ZOOM, and each month there is a challenge.  October’s was making a paper tube creature; bring it in to the library and get some “library loot”, a gift bag of library-inspired goodies.  November’s challenge is creating or building something you’re thankful for.  Challenge items will be displayed at the library.

In September there was a story walk outside the library where young patrons walked around outside to read the story.  October saw a tiny “Jack be Little” pumpkin challenge,”I Spy … pumpkin search” where kids were given a printed list to search around outside to find each pumpkin with the required number, letter, or symbol on it.

Now through Dec. 17, join the Fall Book Harvest, a virtual reading challenge.  Sign up at plympton.beanstack.org, log your reading online to earn virtual badges and chances to win a $10 gift card to Barnes & Noble.  This challenge is open to kids through grade 6.

“Adult activities, that were held in the library – pre COVID – aren’t coming back so far, like Genealogy and knitting groups.  We do offer ZOOM but they’re not interested right now.  Maybe as the fall and winter limit outdoor choices, these activities will come back.   We listen to our people and try to bring them what they want,” Batson said.

New Seniors Pantry and Freezer

Acting Council on Aging Director John Traynor has seen services to seniors continue without a hitch and there has been considerable progress made in the food pantry.

Due to the pandemic we made a decision to separate the joint use of the entranceway pantry by the Council on Aging (COA) and the townhouse staff. The townhouse staff now uses the pantry that was formerly used by the Police Department before they moved to their new headquarters. This has freed up the entranceway pantry to be solely used by the Council on Aging.

To abide by the Board of Health guidelines we put in place a new protocol for seniors wishing to access the pantry. When a person accesses the townhouse, they will be greeted by a Fire/EMS person who will perform a forehead thermal scan and ask what department they want. For the pantry they should ask for COA receptionist Jean who will then come to the entrance and escort them to the pantry to see the foods we stock. Only one senior at a time is allowed in with Jean. Then Jean selects the foods the senior  chooses, takes them from the shelf or freezer and packages them. At no time is the senior allowed to handle the food. This is both for the safety of the senior and Jean.

We are grateful that the COA has been the recipient of a grant through Old Colony Elder Services that has allowed the COA to purchase a commercial size freezer from North American Restaurant Equipment in Smithfield, RI. This has enabled us to significantly enlarge the amount of frozen foods that we carry for seniors. The frozen and canned foods, plus vegetables, are obtained through the South Shore Community Action Council in Plymouth. We value their service.

Many thanks to Fire Chief Steve Silva and his wife Debra, who along with Fire Captain Cheryl Davis and Fire/EMS Amira Kim came in over the weekend of the freezer delivery to move and reinstall all the shelving and product. A special thank you also to Assistant Treasurer/Collector Christine Kelly and her son Sean for volunteering to come in over the weekend and restock the pantry.

Chief Silva is enormously pleased with the success of the work his committee has done to bring services to Plympton during this pandemic.  It couldn’t be done without the help of volunteers.

Halifax honors veterans

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Halifax honored its veterans Wednesday morning with a bagpipe solo by Nathan Campbell, 12, a champion piper and Silver Lake Middle School 7th grader.  Shown in the color guard was Bill Finn, left, and Stephanie Jones, Junior Vice-commander of the host Halifax VFW Post 6258.  Taps closed the ceremony played by bugler Cary Gearhart.

Silver Lake Pathways students learn the art of Film Production

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The relatively new Pathways program at Silver Lake Regional High School is intended to support young adults with disabilities in learning life and vocational skills. The students, who range in age from 18 to 22 years old, have the opportunity to visit community-based work environments through the Pathways Supported Internship Program. Through that program, they are given the opportunity to engage in a variety of work-based activities related to the job site.

Special Education Director Marie Grable introduced the Transition Coordinator for the Pathways program Laura Courage during the Oct. 22 Silver Lake Regional School Committee Meeting. “We are just so fortunate to have the students and the staff members that we have; this program is so exceptional,” Grable said. She credited Courage’s public relations efforts for allowing the program to begin to tuition in students from neighboring communities. Recently, a new student has joined the program from Duxbury.

Courage and three of her eleven students appeared before the Committee virtually. The students were third year Pathways students Adam Brooks and Colin McSherry as well as Robert Silenzi, a second year Pathways student. Courage said that in a normal year there are 13 local job sites that participate in the program but said that only 8 of them are participating this year due to COVID restrictions.

Most recently, students had the opportunity to visit Harbor Media, a leading video services provider for the towns of Hingham and Norwell. In addition to touring the facility and shadowing the employees, the students produced, directed, and edited their own production. The final product was played for the School Committee. The video included student led interviews of their parents as well as a comprehensive overview of the Pathways program.

Speaking on his experience at Harbor Media, Silenzi said his goal was to “become a famous Hollywood screenwriter, mostly for Disney.” He added, “to the people at Pathways, I’m eternally grateful.” Brooks said, “I actually got to feel like a director, I got to lead by being an interviewer and a cameraman, I enjoyed the editing process really well.” McSherry noted, “editing was the most challenging part of the Harbor Media experience.”

After watching the production, Chair of the School Committee said, “That was a brilliant and heartwarming and very informative production. It was superbly done and the young adults that participated were wonderfully articulate… I literally sat here smiling the entire time at it.”

Superintendent Jill Proulx said, “It’s wonderful to see the quality of work that has been produced by your students and we are very proud of them… It’s nice to see them engaged in such relevant and meaningful activities.” She continued, “It is very clear from the video that they are learning and having fun at the same time.”

Courage thanked the Committee and administration for their support saying, “I feel very lucky to be a part of this community and to have such exceptional students and such exceptional support.”

Turnout sets new records

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It was a late night counting votes in most polling places with voter turnout setting records in Plympton, Halifax, and Kingston – about 80 per-cent.  In Plympton, the 2016 presidential election broke all records for voter turnout, and 2020 topped those!

Kingston resident and incumbent Kathy LaNatra won her bid for a second term as Representative in General Court for the 12th Plymouth District, besting Halifax resident Summer Schmaling in a close contest.   LaNatra took 13, 150, or 53.7 per cent of the vote to Schmaling’s 11,348 votes, or 46.3 percent.

Here are the results as of Wednesday noon:

Plympton’s Town Clerk Patricia Detterman released the following unofficial results:

President

Biden and Harris 962

Hawkins and Walker  12

Jorgensen and Cohen  31

Trump and Pence 912

Blanks   16

Others     1

Senator in Congress

Edward J. Markey 960

Kevin J. O’Connor 932

Blanks   34

Dr. Shiva   7

Other   1

Representative in

Congress

Bill Keating 983

Helen Brady 826

Michael Manley   59

Blanks   66

Councillor

Christopher A. Ianella, Jr.   1253

Blanks   676

Others       5

Senator in General Court

Michael D. Brady 1266

Blanks   661

Others     7

Representative in

General Court

Kathleen R. LaNatra 963

Summer K. Schmaling 923

Blanks   48

Register of Probate

Matthew J. McDonough 1273

Blanks   657

Others     4

County Commissioner – Vote for two

Gregory M. Hanley   849

John Patrick Riordan   513

Jared L. Valanzola   826

Blanks 1680

County Treasurer

Thomas J. O’Brien 1081

Carina Leeza Mompelas   736

Blanks   117

Question 1 –

Right to Repair

Yes 1512

No   370

Blank   52

Question 2 –

Ranked Choice Voting

Yes 555

No 1298

Blank     81

Halifax

In Halifax, 79.1 percent of Halifax voters cast ballots on Tuesday.  Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor released the following unofficial results of the 4853 ballots cast:

President

Biden and Harris 2379

Hawkins and Walker    27

Jorgensen and Cohen   76

Trump and Pence 2385

Write-ins     18

Blanks     18

Senator in Congress

Edward J. Markey 2335

Kevin J. O’Connor 2363

Write-ins     35

Blanks     120

Representative

in Congress

Bill Keating   2431

Helen Brady   2132

Michael Manley     79

Write-ins       6

Blanks   205

Councillor

Christopher A. Iannella,

Jr.               3226

Write-ins     86

Blanks 1541

Senator in General Court

Michael D. Brady 3205

Write-ins 83

Blanks 1565

Representative in General

Court

Twelfth Plymouth District

Kathleen R. LaNatra 2215

Summer K. Schmaling 2460

Write-ins     4

Blanks   174

Register of Probate

Matthew J. McDonough 3164

Write-ins     69

Blanks 1620

County Commissioner –

Vote for two

Plymouth County

Gregory M. Hanley 2029

John Patrick Riordan 1226

Jared L. Valanzola 2069

Write-ins       9

Blanks   4373

County Treasurer

Thomas J. O’Brien   2585

Carina Leeza Mompelas 1847

Write-ins       4

Blanks   417

Question 1 –

Right to Repair

Yes 3560

No 1166

Blank   127

Question 2 –

Ranked Choice Voting

Yes 1419

No 3201

Blank   233

When asked if Halifax’s use of use Early Voting Advance Processing helped, Gaynor answered,  “It’s time consuming, however, since EV was only about 36 per cent.of the vote, I knew that we would be busy at the polls, so yes, it did help. “

Kingston

In Kingston, Town Clerk Paul Gallagher said Kingston had an 82 percent turnout of their 10,404 registered voters.   These are the unofficial results of their 8,529 ballots cast:

President

Biden and Harris 4498

Hawkins and Walker    28

Jorgensen and Cohen  163

Trump and Pence 3763

Write-ins     28

Blanks     49

Senator in Congress

Edward J. Markey   4435

Kevin J. O’Connor 3852

Write-ins     53

Blanks   189

Representative in

Congress

Bill Keating 4698

Helen Brady 3309

Michael Manley   177

Write-ins       6

Blanks   339

Councillor – First District

Joseph C. Ferreira     5764

Write-ins     112

Blanks 2653

Senator in General Court

Plymouth and Barnstable

District

Susan Lynn Moran 4307

James R. McMahon, III 3754

Write-ins       9

Blanks   459

Representative in

General Court

Twelfth Plymouth District

Kathleen R. LaNatra  4794

Summer K. Schmaling   3448

Write-ins       6

Blanks     281

Register of Probate

Matthew J. McDonough 5785

Write-ins     78

Blanks 2666

County Commissioner –

Vote for two

Plymouth County

Gregory M. Hanley 3854

John Patrick Riordan  2561

Jared L. Valanzola   3252

Write-ins     18

Blanks 7373

County Treasurer

Thomas J. O’Brien 5032

Carina Leeza Mompelas 2819

Write-ins       4

Blanks   674

Question 1 –

Right to Repair

Yes 6203

No 2100

Blank   226

Question 2 –

Ranked Choice Voting

Yes 2590

No 5605

Blank   334

Marijuana cultivators set sights on Halifax

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Oct.r 27, for their regular, non COVID specific weekly meeting. Selectman Troy Garron was absent.

The selectmen had an appointment with owner of High Hopes LLC Russell Bogartz, who hopes to open an indoor marijuana cultivation facility in Halifax. Bogartz, who said he spent 20 years as a business analyst, also introduced his CFO as well as the cultivator that would run the proposed facility.

“We are a small company. We don’t have a multi-state presence… we do have a decent investor pool to make it all happen and we do have big plans for the future and are hopeful that Halifax can be a part of that,” Bogartz explained. Currently, High Hopes has spent the last two years working on opening a cannabis dispensary in Hopedale, MA which is set to open in March of next year. Bogartz said that the hope would be to start with a cultivation site in Halifax and eventually open a retail store there as well. Bogartz confirmed with town administrator Charlie Seelig that Halifax does not have a limit on the number of retail marijuana stores that can take up residence in the town.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked about location and was told they are looking at a few vacant lots near Dunkin Donuts on Route 106. Bogartz said the plan is to construct a building that is roughly 3500 – 5000 sq. ft. In addition to saying that there would be no pesticides or harmful chemicals used in the facility, Bogartz also ensured the selectmen that there wouldn’t be an odor. “You could literally have people be next door and not even be aware it’s there,” he said. “Our goal is to have the smallest footprint possible,” he added.

When asked what the benefit to the town would be, Bogartz answered property taxes. Andrews asked if the facility would even bring in the average amount in taxes as a typical residence in Halifax. Cities and towns can subject marijuana retailers up to a three percent tax on gross sales, but this does not extend to growing facilities.

Bogartz said he wouldn’t want to pay 3 percent to Halifax as he will already be paying it to the town of Hopedale for the retail establishment. Andrews pointed out, “We’ve had growers tell us they’re going to give us a percentage of what they’re grow business is.” “What we could do, there’s lots of flavors of compromise that would make it worthwhile but doesn’t make us get zinged twice for three percent,” Bogartz said.

Seelig told Bogartz that property taxes would likely not be enough of an incentive to abutters to make it worth whatever sacrifice they would have to endure. He said it was unlikely that the abutters would go to a hearing and support the idea if the additional property taxes were the only benefit to the town. “You’ll have to build political capital with the abutters,” Andrews said.

Selectman Tom Millias told Bogartz to come back when they have something more definitive. Bogartz agreed to nail down a location and a plan. Andrews also recommended that they watch the presentation Bud’s Goods and Provisions gave to the town and they agreed.

The selectmen also met with a representative of Area 58 Community Access Media to discuss a new contract. The current agreement between Area 58 and the towns of Carver, Halifax, and Plympton is set to expire soon.

Millias said that the only issue he has is the same one he has always had – a lack of transparency in what people are paying for the service. Millias said that Comcast subscribers are paying for the service on their cable bills and noted that the service is not coming from the town and therefore, they are not paying for it via taxes.

Millias also noted that the service is not clearly labeled on Comcast bills and said he believes it is referred to only as a franchise fee. According to Millias, there is no opt out clause. “I had less of a problem with it before it became available on Youtube… so now the subscribers are paying for everybody,” Millias explained.

Andrews said he would like to see Area 58 begin to provide the towns with a list of which meetings they plan to cover. The representative told the selectmen that if there are any specific meetings that they would like to see covered, they can put a request in through Seelig and Area 58 will do their best to cover it.

It was also said that Area 58 has the ability to host Zoom meetings in order to livestream it for viewers. This is something that has been done for many meetings in Carver. “We are always looking for additional ways of serving the community and are proud to do so and have enjoyed the relationship we’ve had with Halifax and Plympton over the years,” the representative said. Area 58 said they don’t anticipate any changes to the contract other than amending the dates.

The selectmen also engaged in a lengthy conversation about whether to grant recycling abatements for a number of different cases. They denied all those that missed the deadline but were less sure what to do in other situations.

Some claimed to never have received their first bill while others said they mistakenly believed an abatement was good indefinitely. Despite being “sympathetic,” Millias said, “I always think everybody knows this comes around once a year like your taxes.” The selectmen agreed to carry the recycling abatements conversation over to a later meeting.

Seelig told the selectmen that the option to sign up for a Webinar subscription is available for $450 per year. This would help in holding meetings virtually during the pandemic. Seelig noted that if they chose to go this route, if accepted by Plymouth County, CARES Act funds could only cover the cost for the next two months.

Seelig also told the selectmen that the Pope’s Tavern roof project is scheduled to being in the middle of November. The Council on Aging has already been moved over to the police station for the time being.

Thompson named new Zoning Enforcement officer

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Monday, Nov. 2, for one of their bi-weekly meetings. Chair Mark Russo said he would like to do a mailing that would inquire about residents’ interest in joining various boards and committees in town. Russo said there are a lot of vacancies at the moment. The eventual hope is to establish a volunteer bank. Selectman Christine Joy suggested including job descriptions or perhaps just directing residents to the town website for more information on the boards and committees. “The other cool way to do this is to remind people that boards and commissions and committees have open meetings and a good way to get a sense is attend a meeting or two and see what it’s about and see if there’s interest,” Russo said. Older recordings could also be watched when available.

The selectmen also reviewed the Board liaisons document as it hadn’t been reviewed for a year. Despite some debate about whether to change the Bylaw Review Committee liaison from Joy to Russo, it was decided that it would be best left on Joy’s plate as Russo’s wife serves on the committee. An exchange was made, however, to make Russo the liaison to the Highway Department as he has been working on a number of highway related projects.

Selectman and acting interim Director for the Council on Aging (COA) John Traynor gave an update on the COA who last met on October 26. Traynor who said, “we definitely need to find a director,” asked town administrator Elizabeth Dennehy how the search was going thus far. Dennehy said that the posting period had closed for the position and that there was only one applicant. Traynor asked if it would be possible to open it back up again but Dennehy said that she would like to interview the candidate first as they came highly recommended. Russo recommended holding an interview with the COA Board of Directors, the Board of Selectmen, and Dennehy. Dennehy said she would schedule it.

Traynor told his fellow selectmen that the town needs to “broaden our reach to our seniors… hopefully over time we can encourage more seniors to come into the process.” He brought up the robocalls that are sent out to senior residents and said that due to a lot of people moving from landlines to cell phones, updated information is needed for many people. Traynor said they would address that topic in the next newsletter.

Traynor also cited a shortage of money and difficulties posed by the pandemic as reasons why it is difficult to organize programming for the COA at this time. Despite those obstacles, Traynor did say that they are working on things including a possible Zoom bingo. According to Traynor, Kingston has been holding COA events online in addition to a few, limited in-person programs such as quilting.

Jim Mustacaros and Traynor went together to pick up brown bags in Brockton as part of the Greater Boston Food Bank for delivery to residents. Traynor said the bags went to 27 residents at the Woodlands, 6 went to people in town, and another few to Marshfield. He also said that there is a plowing program where $25 will be reimbursed for plowing through a grant. Similarly, seniors can be reimbursed up to $25 for hiring a handy person. According to Traynor, volunteer drivers are needed for the COA as Mustacaros has a full schedule.

With Tom Millias’ resignation, the Zoning Enforcement Officer position was recently left vacant. Ken Thompson sent in an application and met all requirements. Both Millias and Dennehy met with Thompson and recommended him to the Board for an interim appointment through the end of the fiscal year. Thompson has served on both the Zoning Board of Appeals (a position he currently holds and will need to resign from) and the Bylaw Review Committee. Of the interim basis, Dennehy said, “it will give both him and the town a chance to see if it’s a good fit or not.”

Russo said he really admired Tom Millias and his approach to the position calling it both “measured” and “balanced.” He did note that as of late there had been some tension with the Bylaw Review Committee. Russo also said that he served with Thompson on the Community Preservation Committee and said that he admired his work adding that he has good legal opinions and knows his bylaws. “I’m actually excited about this and think its worth a try,” Russo said. The Board voted unanimously to appoint him.

Dennehy provided an update on a number of projects. She told the selectmen that the Town Properties Committee has been extremely busy. She said the town is in receipt of specs for the bid process on the highway barn roof project. It needs to be determined if the funds appropriated during the last town meeting will be enough to cover the cost of the project. According to Dennehy, the town is also looking into obtaining pricing and proposals to make an entrance on the second floor of the Townhouse handicap accessible. There is also a plan in place to do an assessment of the plumbing and septic issues at the Townhouse.

Dennehy also touched on some of the guidelines that were released that day from Governor Baker. Those included limiting indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25. There is also a DPH curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily with the exception of work. Additionally, indoor recreation, theaters and casinos will close at 9:30 p.m. and restaurants will stop seating at 9:30 p.m. The updated guidelines go into effect on Friday, November 6.

Dennehy said that they were made aware of another positive COVID case in town that day and said that they still had not received confirmation that all the previous cases in town had been cleared. Regarding the number of cases rising, Dennehy said, “it’s something we need to be made aware of and we can’t really let our guards down.” She also said that everyone seems pleased that the Townhouse will be professionally disinfected following Election Day. Chair of the Board of Health Art Morin was in attendance Monday and commented on the emergency public health alerts that had been issued by the state for several neighboring towns.

The selectmen ended with their raves for the last few weeks. Joy said that her rave was for everyone working at the Town House and for all town employees. She called out both Cathy Ferguson and Dennehy for their efforts and noted the increased stress level of both residents and employees. She said that given the current climate, it might be a good idea to revisit the idea of de-escalation training. Traynor said that his rave was for the Emergency Management Team saying, “they’ve done a stellar job getting us through this.” Russo said that his rave was for the election process in Plympton saying, “it looks like it has gone unbelievably smoothly.”

School committee reviews new COVID procedures

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The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met for three hours on Thursday, Oct. 22. Newest member Lukasz Kowalksi was in attendance representing Plympton.

Principals’ Reports

High school principal Michaela Gill and middle school principal Jim Dupille provided the Committee with updates. Gill began by saying that the graduation date this year will be moved from Saturday morning to Friday evening as was done this past summer. Gill said they received a lot of positive feedback regarding the switch and also said that it allows the rain date to be the following day. The new date will be Friday, June 4 with a rain date of June 5.  Committee member Eric Crone said that as a parent of a graduating senior last year, he agreed with the change and noted the cooler temperatures during the evening. Gill also said that due to the overwhelming success of the senior parade held due to COVID restrictions, it may become a new tradition moving forward.

The school hosted its first ever virtual back to school night with teachers creating slide presentations and videos for parents to view at their convenience. The presentations remain on the website should anyone still wish to view them. Parent-teacher conferences were also held virtually and Gill said that there was a 10.5 percent increase in parent participation over the previous year. She attributed the increase to the convenience of parents not having to take time off from work or schedule a babysitter in order to attend. Gill said that they will consider restructuring both the back to school event and the conferences in the future, perhaps offering a remote option even after the pandemic is over.

Gill also brought before the Committee a request to approve both drama and band beginning in a limited capacity after school. Band would begin as just one day a week and would include percussion instruments only to avoid the possible risk posed by wind instruments. The drama program, which will include only one show this year during the spring, would also be meeting one day per week after school in the auditorium. Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said the requests complied with DESE guidelines and the Committee voted unanimously to approve.

Due to the pandemic last year, the requirement for seniors to complete community service hours was waived. Gill said she has been fielding questions regarding whether the same accommodation will be made this year. Given that there have already been some opportunities for students to complete hours either virtually or with safety protocols in place, Gill said she would like to hold off on making a final decision on whether or not to waive the requirement until after the new year.

The school participated in raising funds for breast cancer research in October through a small staff fundraising event which was held virtually. Students were also encouraged to wear pink to help raise awareness. Students also participated in a global Unity Day that entailed wearing orange to stand in solidarity against bullying.

Gill also recognized several teachers and staff members for their outstanding efforts in getting school started this year including the school nurse who Gill said is the first one in the building every day. “Without her obviously we would not have been able to open our doors this year… I don’t think she’s slept since March 12,” Gill told the Committee.

Dupille said that parent teacher conferences were coming up at the middle school on November 18 and 19 and said the format would be the same as the high school. He also said that Term 1 progress reports would be issued electronically. Like the high school, Dupille said they held a virtual back to school night. Parents were able to speak virtually with their children’s teachers.

A Halloween costume contest was planned by student council and students in the in-person cohorts were encouraged to wear their costumes to school as part of Spirit Week.

Dupille said he wanted to thank his teachers and other staff such as the custodial staff. He noted their dedication saying, “students are the recipient of all that hard work.”

CARES Act Funds and Technology Needs

The administration was able to speak to the towns of Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton about sharing their CARES Act funds with Silver Lake Regional. A meeting was scheduled so that the three towns and the school could discuss how best to ensure that an adequate share of each town’s allocation is going toward the region. Committee member Christopher Eklund said, “whatever is proportionate to our portion of the towns’ budgets is fair to ask for.”

Director of Business Services Christine Healy said that Representative Kathy LaNatra was able to secure $120,000 in CARES Act funding for Silver Lake to be used for technology infrastructure as well as $26,000 to be used for PPE.

Considerations for technology expenditures include laptops for faculty instead of chromebooks as well as a technology paraprofessional position through the end of the year. Teachers have been finding that the chromebooks don’t support the kind of work they are doing. Silver Lake Technology Director Steve Pellowe told the Committee that chromebooks are not designed to run Google Meets while also having multiple tabs open.

There was some discussion among the Committee regarding the need for laptops for students as well. Pellowe said that in an ideal world, laptops would be issued for all students in Grades 7-12 but noted that laptops run approximately $1000 a piece while chromebooks are only $230. Pelllowe also said that the repairs and upkeep for laptops are far costlier. Even if CARES Act funds could be secured for the purchase of laptops for students in older grades, Pellowe said, “the ongoing costs would be so high I think it would be unsustainable.” Crone cited the durability of chromebooks as another reason why they are ideal for students.

The Committee voted to approve laptops for the faculty as well as the tech para position through the end of the year. The estimated cost for these items is roughly $184,000.

Some members of the Committee expressed concern over spending CARES Act funds on technology expenses that assume a remote or hybrid model through the end of the year rather than a return to full-in person learning. Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee stressed that with guidelines and budget restrictions what they are, it would be impossible for schools to open up full time even if the communities stay out of the red zone. Committee member Gordon Andrews noted that the busing restrictions prevent a return to full in-person learning but did note that a change to that guideline might change how best to spend CARES Act funds.

Superintendent Jill Proulx said, “I recognize the hardship that the hybrid model and remote model and basically just not returning to a traditional classroom setting has caused for many students and families and so I am aware of that. We have discussed before some of the issues that will arise with returning to full, in-person and that is the need for the regulations with regards to busing to change because we had determined a while ago that that would be cost prohibitive for us as a regional school district and we are required to provide transportation.”

Proulx said the other issue that would make a return to full, in-person learning difficult is the 6 ft social distance mandate during lunch. While DESE guidance allows for less than that in a classroom setting, lunchtime requires more distance.

Enrollment

Proulx said that as of October 1, enrollment at the middle school was 524 and 1,082 at the high school for an overall decrease of 19 students over last year. Assessment percentages for 2022 stand at a 10 percent increase for both Halifax and Kingston and a 20 percent decrease for Plympton. The shared cost percentage for Halifax will be increasing by 20 percent and increasing by 10 percent for Kingston. Plympton, on the other hand, will see a 60 percent decrease. Proulx told the Committee that there has been an increase in students attending private and charter schools as well as being homeschooled. Additionally, many elementary school aged children have chosen to take a year off before entering kindergarten. Proulx said it was not a Silver Lake problem but rather a problem for all of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Association of Superintendents has asked the state not to hold these numbers against individual schools given the unusual nature of this school year.

School closures

Proulx told the Committee that there has been a change in regulatory language that would allow communities in the red for more than 3 weeks to remain in a hybrid model. While still subject to change, Proulx said that even If a community remains in the red for three or more weeks, if there isn’t school spread, the schools may remain open. As the schools’ largest population, Proulx said that Kingston is the primary metric for consideration in deciding whether to change models at Silver Lake Regional. Both the Board of Health and the state has allowed Silver Lake to remain in a hybrid model as there hasn’t been school spread. Proulx said that should there be a cluster of cases or school spread, an epidemiologist for the Department of Health may make the determination to close the schools. She said that Cohort D students would be prioritized for in-person learning in whatever capacity would be allowed.

John Lay spoke on behalf of the Silver Lake Education Association (SLEA). He said, “This year will only work with compromise… Since the start of the year, our teachers have worked without any contract because we hold the best interests of the children of the town higher than our own. We’ve been holding up our end of this compromise.” He continued, “Tonight I’m calling on the School Committee to recognize the efforts and the sacrifices of the faculty and staff of Silver Lake by offering the teachers a fair contract and settling the memorandum of agreement.” Before closing, he added, “We’re overwhelmed. We quite literally couldn’t be working any harder for our students. The School Committee has the power to thank us for all that hard work by settling right now.”

Committee Chair Paula Hatch responded to Lay telling him how appreciative the community and Committee are of the staff’s efforts. “The only thing I’m going to say to that is a lot of people put a lot of time in to try to come to terms, your side and our side. I think we are where we are with mediation and fact-finding because both sides have an idea of where we need to be and we just haven’t been able to come to terms on that,” Hatch said.

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.