Alison Farah
SLRMS Student Council Advisor
Special to The Express
The Silver Lake Middle School Student Council and Honors Chorus recently had the honor to celebrate local veterans. Priscilla Brackett, Veteran Services Officer, and other veterans from the town of Kingston, joined the Silver Lake Middle School to share experiences in a special celebration.
Speaking with the students, telling their overseas military experiences included Jeanine Nastar, a US Army veteran who now works as a special education teacher as part of the Silver Lake Middle School staff. She spoke about the progress that the military has achieved, especially in the areas of diversity and inclusion. Joining the conversation was Darrell Agnew, a Vietnam War veteran whose retelling of his experiences brought history down to a personal level that students could readily identify with.
The Student Council served coffee and sweets and the Honors Chorus sang patriotic songs. Students and veterans beautifully interacted, asking questions and hearing the veterans share their overseas experience and journey in the military. Students left the celebration with a lot to discuss with peers and family members. This gathering made a huge difference in the lives of these young students.
The Silver Lake Middle School is grateful for this beautiful get together event. We are here freely celebrating because of the veterans’ unconditional love and service to our beloved country.
Learning an ancient art at the library
Residents who attended the Plympton Library Saturday, at 2 p.m., learned a lot about the ancient art of Mehindi, or artwork painted on the bodies of women and girls with stains made from ground up leaves of the henna shrub that grows abundantly in India, Pakistan, Africa, and the Mid-East. Henna art can be traced back more than 5,000 years. Some say it can be dated to more than 9,000 years ago.
Shruthi Reddy, of Iska Designs, brought the art to life with her demonstration at the Plympton Public Library last weekend, showing how the henna leaves are harvested from the henna shrub, dried, and crushed with a mortar and pestle, to the very finest consistency. Then you add essential oils, water, lemon juice, and a bit of sugar to help bind the henna stain to the skin and give it some elasticity.
Shruthi learned her art watching and helping a henna artist in her town during school vacations. She helped mix the paste and make the cones to apply the paste in the very tiniest fine lines. After years of “apprenticeship”, she was confident to apply the art herself.
Each attendee at the demonstration was given a bag with all they would need to make their own henna stain: crushed henna leaves, a vial of lemon juice, a packet of fine sugar, and plastic material to roll the cone shapes that hold the henna stain.
Henna art, Shruthi told the group, although an ancient form with many cultural aspects, is trending now as a new expression of body art that is beautiful and inexpensive. Henna parties are now often held during wedding showers or other happy times. Just for fun.
Henna designs can be as simple or as ornate as you like – but, we were told, all designs have their origin in a few simple lines and shapes: straight lines, dots, spirals, humps, and esses. By breaking down each design into the five shapes listed, it is easier to recreate even the most complex of designs.
Henna, Shruthi explained, is completely organic. Applied properly it will dry on the skin and transfer its color over a period of an hour or so while it dries. Once the pigment flakes off, the color stain is left behind to develop on the skin over the next 24 hours or so. Even with repeated hand washing, the stain will remain for several days and even perhaps a week. What a good idea for a less than permanent tattoo!
Some commercial stains claim their color is instant, but beware, Shruthi advises, that probably means that they have added artificial dye to their pigments. She wouldn’t call them safe to use.
Mehindi henna art is inexpensive, and it also has a cooling effect. In India, where daytime temperatures can get well over 100, henna is still used on hands and feet to draw heat from the body. Men and women paint henna pigment on their palms and the soles of their feet to help cool off.
The next time Shruthi will bring her henna cones and pigment to Plympton will be August 12 at Plympton’s National Night Out, at the Holt Field behind the Town House, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
FinCom hears Town Properties’ priorities
The Plympton Finance Committee met virtually on Monday, March 7. Chair Nathaniel Sides said that the Fire Chief was unable to make the meeting so Chair of the Town Properties Committee Jon Wilhelmsen would be discussing proposals for both short- and long-term projects on the town campus.
Wilhelmsen said that the roof at the Dennett Elementary School should exceed the $1.1 million estimate that was received in 2018. He said they are waiting for an estimate for a refurbishment instead. “That’s not anything we are talking about this year,” he explained.
Wilhelmsen said that CARES Act funds were used to replace an HVAC unit at the Dennett. He said they are now looking at the replacement of the other units. They are hopeful that they will be replacing at least a few of the units in the next few years. “We have four classrooms where the floors are completely failing,” he said saying the cost would be around $10,000 for that work. He said the schools are also in need of a new intercom system. Wilhelmsen did note that the schools should not be putting any pressure on the town budget as there would be no net increase in the budget whereas usually there is a 2 or 3 percent increase.
Regarding the Fire Station, Wilhelmsen said they are looking at doing a feasibility study to get an actual estimate for building a new fire station. Additionally, he said the study would help define the size of a new building. Roof studies were also done at the Fire Station and the Library. The Highway Department building needs some new brackets for the building which will hopefully be funded at the Special Town Meeting. The Highway building also has damage to the siding. Wilhelmsen said they don’t yet have an estimate for that work.
The Library is in need of a new roof at a cost of approximately $324,000. Other costs for the library include $7,000 for new lighting, $2,000 for hot water issues, and $3,500 for a new children’s room carpet. The carpet is original to the building and according to Wilhelmsen “in dire need of replacement.” He said it was tested and it was verified that there was no asbestos.
Regarding the Old Townhouse, Wilhelmsen said they had a significant mold issue that had to be remediated. Wilhelmsen said they are approaching the affected room in two stages with the first addressing the exterior issues. “We did do the testing in the large reading room and there won’t be any abatement,” he said. They will need to do work on the flooring, but he said that they may be able to use town American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for that work.
Wilhelmsen said a warrant article for $41,000 was approved at Town Meeting last year for the Silver Lake tennis courts. The other towns did not approve the article. Wilhelmsen said an additional $5,000 would likely be needed this year.
Wilhelmsen said they are going out to bid to do a total replacement of sections 2 and 3 of the roof of the Townhouse. Bids will be done prior to Town Meeting so that they will have actual numbers to be able to complete the project. He did note that roof section 1 is also not in good shape. Wilhelmsen said in addition to the ramp project, they are interested in making some additional changes to the Townhouse entrance using ARPA funds. “Most of the tiles in the Townhouse are asbestos and some of them are starting to come up,” Wilhelmsen said.
“We have a number of roof projects out there and its one of those areas we really should be fixing sooner rather than later,” Wilhelmsen said. He pointed out that roof issues can cause further issues that then need to be paid for such as the mold issue at the Old Town House. “It may be advantageous to put it out as one big project, or maybe two,” he said. He explained that the bigger the project, the more competitive the bid process.
Town Administrator Liz Dennehy shared several proposed articles for Town Meeting including one for new alarm systems at several municipal buildings at a cost of roughly $9,500. She also shared an article for remaining lease payments and fiber optic for the Fire and Police Departments. A $200,000 article for road paving for the Highway Department was also included. The Highway Barn Roof project was listed for the Special Town Meeting.
The Committee and Dennehy also reviewed the overall fiscal year 2023 budget spreadsheet. One of the big increases from the previous fiscal year was animal inspection. She said, however, that when viewed alongside animal control and the joint services with Carver, it was an overall savings for the town over previous years. Regarding emergency dispatch services, Dennehy said they would be having representatives from the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCC) attend a later Selectmen’s meeting. She said they may be attempting to level fund everyone which differs from what she was told previously which was that rates would be based on call volume.
Before adjourning Sides said that the Finance Committee’s next meeting would be “jam packed” noting that they would be discussing both the Fire Department and Schools’ budgets.
Johndrow gets job done in debut for Hartford this season
For the fourth and final time, Jason Johndrow is back on the mound for the Hartford Hawks baseball team.
The former Silver Lake High standout, who graduated from the school in 2016, is a Halifax native and a grad student on the Division I team.
Johndrow made his season debut last week — and he did what his team asked of him. On Friday, March 26, he pitched against the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and faced one batter. He struck out the lone batter he faced in his team’s 8-4 victory.
As of the start of this week, Johndrow had pitched in 28 college baseball games in his career and had one start under his belt over parts of four seasons.
Johndrow joined the program in 2017 and while he made five relief appearances for the team, he missed the 2018 season due to an injury. He came back in 2019 and made his career-high in appearances with 18. That’s also the season he made a start on the mound. It also looked as though Johndrow would have a role as a regular in the team’s bullpen last year. He had made four relief appearances before the team had to cancel the rest of its season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Johndrow’s team has enjoyed plenty of success early on in this season. They were 6-2 as of the start of this week. Their next games will take place this Friday, April 2, on the road against Stony Brook in New York. They have a doubleheader against Stony Brook where the first game starts at noontime. College baseball doubleheaders are typically seven inning games.
SL boys’ hockey represented HNIB All-Star game
It’s fair to say the Silver Lake High boys’ hockey team has had quite a bit of talent over the past couple of seasons and late last month, there was more proof of this.
That’s because one Laker, incoming junior Nick Solari, competed in the annual Hockey Night in Boston All-Star game; he earned his spot in the competition because he performed well in their 44th annual Boys Major Summer Hockey Showcase which was held from July 25 to July 29 at the Haverhill Valley Forum in Haverhill.
Solari competed with the North All-Stars against the South All-Stars and alongside players from all around New England, the Northeast and even Canada. However, Solari was the only Patriot League player and hockey player from the South Shore to earn the nod for All-Star game.
Last winter, Solari was also certainly a valuable members of the Lakers hockey program as they earned their second straight postseason appearance in the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional bracket. Putting up 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) as a sophomore, he was a key piece of the team’s young attack, an area which should be one of the team’s strong suits this upcoming season. After all, the team is expected to return three double-digit goal scorers from last season: David Marani (16 goals, 13 assists), Alex Heffernan (13 goals, 15 assists), and Kevin Cardarelli (16 goals, 16 assists), so offensive depth will be strong.
The Lakers went 8-12-4 last season, but earned their second straight tournament appearance thanks to the Sullivan Rule. It is also worth noting that outside of Patriot League play, they went 6-4-1, meaning they competed especially well against teams in their own division.
The Lakers hockey schedule for this upcoming winter has yet to be announced, but their regular season typically begins in the second full week of December.
17U AAU basketball competes on national stage
This past weekend, the Lakers AAU basketball team, based in Halifax, received the opportunity to shine on a national stage. In doing so, the team did not disappoint.
The team competed in the Division III 17U AAU National Championships in Hampton, Virginia from Friday, June 29 to Sunday, July 1 and certainly had their bright moments.
In the first round of the tournament, the Lakers played a strong game over a tough opponent from the midwest. They defeated the Kazoo Blues (based in Michigan) and came up with a 65-59 win on neutral ground. Danny Dugan netted a team-high 20 points for the Lakers while Josh Gilbert chipped in 18 more points.
As the tournament progressed, the Lakers faced a couple more tough opponents and while they could not come out on top in either of those matchups, Steve Fabrizio and Cam Danahy both had sharp performances in their second game. Fabrizio had a double-double, scoring 13 points while grabbing 12 rebounds; Danahy also scored a team-high 13 points while adding six rebounds for the Lakers.
It would be an understatement to say that the Halifax team, coached by Jake Gilbert and Reed Grenon, relies heavily on quite a few Silver Lake basketball players. Such players include: rising seniors Cam Danahy, Tony McNiff, Jack Peterson, Danny Duggan, Josh Murphy, Josh Gilbert and Dan Coffey and rising sophomore Ben Lofstrom. The team also features Steve Fabrizio, a Duxbury High student and Kevin Keenan who attends BC High.
It is certainly beneficial for the Silver Lake boys’ basketball team to have so many of its players working to improve their game during the offseason. After all, the Lakers AAU team’s season has been going on since late March as they continue growing and developing as players.
SL girls tennis should be competitive again
The Silver Lake High girls’ tennis team looks like they are built for success this season.
The Lakers are coming off of a strong 2017 campaign where they went 11-7 and made a playoff appearance. It was a major upgrade over the two seasons prior where they won just one game combined. Now that they have tasted success and have an experienced team coming back, it appears that they will likely continuemoving forward.
The Lakers will be without their second doubles team from last season that featured Allie Kappen and Margaret Ingmanson, who both graduated last spring. They were a valuable tandem winning 11 matches in 2017, but the Lakers 2018 team still has a powerful lineup.
This lineup includes junior Sarah Gonick, who stepped into the No. 1 role last season, went 11-7 in those difficult matches and earned a Patriot League All-Star nod. With another year of experience to her credit, Gonick will be a major asset to the team yet again.
Senior Abby Baker went 12-6 in the No. 2 singles spot for the Lakers last season, giving the team a top-notch player there. Plus, junior Morgan Suschecki ended up taking the No. 3 role last season and posted a winning record, so having her back with even more experience is definitely beneficial.
On first doubles, senior Emma Hamilton was a fixture all of last season and the team certainly has some good depth since senior Emma Hall and sophomore Grace Eddy both have experience in the role as well.
The team’s success should also help them earn more depth because it may have helped create more interest in the program.
The Lakers next game is scheduled for Monday, Apr. 9. In it, they will face Plymouth South on the road (4:00 p.m. start time), weather permitting.
Lakers Softball ready to go!
This Silver Lake High softball team might look a little bit different in 2018, but that is no reason to doubt their forcast for success. Year after year, the Lakers have found the right pieces to establish themselves into a powerhouse program. Keep in mind, this is the team head coach Tony Pina led to a 25-1 record last season and has amassed a 94-7 record over the past four seasons. It would not make sense to expect aprogram of that caliber to completely drop just because they lost some strong players.
Sure, there might be Emily Critch, Caroline Videtto or Jillian Richards out there, but the Lakers are still confident in what they have this time around.
Brenna Welch will take the ball for the Lakers this season in just about every game like Richards did last season. Welch pitched well on varsity last season when needed; the senior earned her share of innings in relief. Now, the Lakers have junior Amanda Harris moving behind the plate to fill the void left by Critch, the school’s alltime home run leader. Harris did not catch last season, but she was a valuable piece of the lineup who recorded multiple hits in the team’s playoff win over King Philip then. The Lakers lineup as has a few returning players, all of whom thrived last season. Such players include: first baseman Hannah Mitchell, a junior; left fielder Izzy Ruprecht, a junior; and sophomore Ari Sylvester, who plays third base. Each of them hit over. 300 last season and has speed that should help the ball club.
Defensively, Michaela Nista and junior Jessica Stas will be assets for the team in the outfield while senior Coyle Shropshire provides the team with defensive versatility as a utility player.
The Lakers next game is Monday, Apr. 9 (3:30 p.m.) on the road vs. Plymouth South.
Seniors propelled girls’ basketball
The Silver Lake girls’ basketball team wrapped up a special season earlier this month.
The Lakers played tough defense, greatly improved their results from the season before and reached the playoffs for the first time since 1989 during their 16-7 season. In the process, the Lakers won a pair of playoff games over both Canton and New Mission before Foxboro knocked them out in the Division 2 South Sectional Semifinals.Certainly, that was a major achievement in Olly deMacedo’s first season as the team’s head coach. The Lakers had some serious talent on their squad this season, producing three Patriot League All-Stars: seniors Allie Crawford and Sydney Kehoe as well as sophomore Holly Reeder-Morning. In fact, Crawford was the runnerup in Patriot League MVP voting.
Kehoe averaged a double- double per game (at least 10 points and 10 rebounds) while Reeder-Morning was the team’s leading scorer; thesophomore put up around 12 points per contest.
It’s not like they were the Lakers only contributors either. There were plenty of them. For example, senior Alyssa Nelson and her classmate Annabelle Boudreau were anchors in the team’s starting five, playing strong 2-way basketball. Nelson even had a game where she put up 24 points.
Seeing playing time off the bench, freshman Riley Dunphy excelled defensively; freshman Molly Terbush, junior Stephanie Bennett and senior Emily Hapgood were among the team’s other valuable bench contributors.
Next year, the Lakers will be left with just one player from their starting five (Reeder- Morning) as they have five seniors set to graduate this spring, including four of their starters.
Next winter, the team’s starting lineup will definitely look different than it did a couple of weeks ago. That said, there are still a few experience players coming back, there will just be more opportunity for younger players to prove their worth.