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Halifax COVID cases continue to rise

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Thursday, Jan. 7, for one of their emergency meetings being held regularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. While participants were in-person, the public was able to attend the meeting virtually via Zoom.

Board of Health Agent Bob Valery led things off with an update on COVID-19 infections in Halifax. Valery told the selectmen that during the two-week period from Christmas Eve to January 6 there were 41 new cases reported in town. He pointed out that multiple cases were occurring in single family homes. He said that as of January 7 there were no hospitalizations and no deaths from the active cases. Reporting as of January 10 show that there have been a total of 270 coronavirus cases in Halifax, 220 of which have recovered, 44 of which are in isolation, and a total of 6 deaths.

Selectmen Chair Tom Millias pointed out that while the numbers have increased significantly, so has the testing. “This was the highest two-week total since the start of reporting,” Valery told the Express. “Yes, variables like increased testing come into play, but I believe the number shows that the Governor’s decision to keep the gathering limitations in place for an additional two weeks is statistically supported,” he continued.

Valery was referencing Governor Baker’s announcement of a two-week extension of his previous COVID restrictions. The restrictions, which were first announced December 22, were set to expire on January 10 but were extended to January 24. The restrictions include a maximum of 10 people indoors and

25 outdoors. Many businesses are limited to just 25 percent of their capacity.

Valery touched upon the various phases for vaccine distribution and who qualified for each. Phase One includes, in order of priority, healthcare workers doing direct COVID-facing care, those in various care facilities, first responders, those in congregate care settings, home-based healthcare workers, and healthcare workers doing non COVID-facing care. Top priority in Phase Two will be those with two or more comorbidities and those that are age 75 or older. Next to receive the vaccine in Phase Two will be a variety of workers including those working in early education, transit, grocery, utility, food and agriculture, sanitation, public works, and public health workers. Finally, adults that are age 65 plus and those with one comorbidity will also be eligible at the end of Phase Two. In Phase Three the vaccine will be available to the general public.

Millias asked Valery what kind of timeline is expected for the various stages. Phase One is already underway and according to Valery, Phase Two is likely to happen from February to April and Phase Three from April to June.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros said that the rollout of the vaccine to first responders would be starting the following week. Vaccinations were scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 12 and Friday, January 15 and continue the following Tuesday. Viveiros said the first week would be a good indication of how smoothly the process will go.

Viveiros said that Halifax first responders are part of the Brockton Hospital group and will receive the Moderna vaccine. He said the plan was to pickup the vaccines on Tuesday morning for use later that day. The vaccines will need to defrost for two hours before being refrigerated. It can be refrigerated for up to 30 days though Viveiros said they plan to distribute the vaccines the same day they receive them. According to Viveiros, once punctured, a vial is only good for 6 hours. Individuals receiving the vaccine will be monitored for 15 minutes afterward for any adverse reaction. There will be 28 days between the first and second dose of the Moderna vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine requires 21 days between doses.

Valery said that a shortage of doses isn’t expected as the various phases rollout. Viveiros said that while his department is well setup for administration of the vaccine, he wasn’t sure if there would be a plan to utilize the Fire Department in wider distribution. Valery said that the school could potentially be used. He also said that large venues such as UMass Amherst and Gillette Stadium could be used for later phases. Stores/Pharmacies such as Shaws and Stop and Shop have already signed on to receive doses.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that there have recently been issues arising regarding town employees and COVID protocols. Now that there have been a few recovered cases of COVID in town employees, the question is being asked as to whether they still need to quarantine following out of state travel. Seelig said he was assuming that the restrictions would still apply as there is still uncertainty about the extent of immunity in recovered individuals.

He also pointed out that even if an individual didn’t get sick themselves following an exposure, they could potentially spread the virus while asymptomatic. Valery verified Seelig’s assumptions saying, “absolutely.”

Plympton selectmen’s first meeting in ‘21

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Chair of the Plympton Board of Health Art Morin reported to selectmen at their first meeting of the new year to speak to the COVID situation in town. Morin said that the numbers that the Board of Health have been supplying to Dennehy come directly from MAVEN, the secure web-based surveillance and case management system for infectious diseases in Massachusetts. Morin told the selectmen Plympton saw its highest monthly total of 11 positive cases in December. He went on to say that as of that day there were 8 total cases for Plympton in MAVEN in January with another two not yet listed in the system reported. “That brings us to 10 and it’s only the eleventh of January,” Morin said. Morin also told the selectmen that he has “gone old school” using a hardcopy calendar to track cases per day as it is “foolproof.”

Morin also made a point of stating that he believes that most of the spikes in cases are coming from people gathering over the holidays rather than from establishments like grocery stores and even restaurants. Regarding spread of the virus, Morin said, “…that’s the fastest way to do it, groups in small spaces.”

Wilhelmsen, who serves as Chair of the Plympton School Committee, provided an update on COVID in the school district. The number of total cases throughout Silver Lake Regional District was 28 leading into the week of Christmas. According to Wilhelmsen, as of Monday’s meeting that number had climbed to 109.  While Dennett has been fortunate to have only a small number of cases, Wilhelmsen said, “but if the numbers keep climbing everywhere else, they’re going to climb there too.”

Chair of the Dennett C.A.S.A. (Community and School Association) Sarah Prario joined the Plympton selectmen during their Monday, Jan. 11 virtual meeting. The selectmen have recently started a new tradition of inviting a representative from a different town organization to each meeting to provide an update. Prario spoke about the challenges posed by the pandemic saying, “We haven’t been able to do pretty much anything that was on our usual schedule, but we are adapting as necessary.” Prario said that that they have been able to continue with their luncheons for staff which they have been attempting to hold every month. Prario said that some local businesses have been providing the funding as C.A.S.A. doesn’t feel it is an appropriate time to fundraise from families.

Currently, the C.A.S.A. meetings are being held virtually over ZOOM and attended by only five or so people. Prario said that once in-person meetings resume, she would like to maintain the ZOOM option for those who may be unable to attend in-person. Prario also told the selectmen that C.A.S.A. has recently been granted 501c3 status designating them as a nonprofit organization which enables them to receive contributions including grants. Prario said that the organization was eager to do fundraising for other areas within the community. “You guys do great work and you do really tangible work,” Selectmen Chair Mark Russo said. “We’re grateful to have such a great community,” Prario replied.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy provided an update on the town’s newest project – “What Makes Plympton Unique.” She said they kicked off the project that day on the town Facebook page highlighting the Plympton Kindness Tree. Several years ago, resident Stephani Teran and her son thought up the idea to have a tree on their property during the holiday season where community members could stop by and place kind sentiments about people or things in the town within a glass ornament and hang it from the tree. Writing utensils, paper, and ornaments are supplied as well as sanitizer this year. At the end of the holiday season, Teran would give a nice accounting of the things that were written. Dennehy will continue to highlight the things that make Plympton unique on the town Facebook page.

The selectmen then turned their attention to various priorities in town with Chair of the Town Properties Committee Jon Wilhelmsen leading off the discussion. Wilhelmsen said that the Committee has been working with their consultant Beta Group to begin conceptualizing how best to use the space. They are working together to validate what can and cannot realistically be done. “Septic and water are always the things that limit us in town,” Wilhelmsen told the selectmen. The Committee is also working toward prioritizing what needs to be fixed right now versus what needs help in a year. Wilhelmsen said that by 2022 he expects tangible results from the work being done now.

Wilhelmsen delved into specific potential projects. He said that the Committee has removed the consideration for a municipal garage due to space constraints. The Committee plans to go to town meeting to ask for funds to replace the flagpole on the town green. The cistern on the town green is no longer holding water and is also on the Committee’s radar. Wilhelmsen also said that a roof assessment will eventually be done for both the Townhouse and the library. An inexpensive fix has been established for lighting concerns at the library though Wilhelmsen noted that a lighting consultant may want to be brought in at some point for a better solution.

Several items pertaining to the Highway Department were also discussed. Dennehy said she and Highway Superintendent Rob Firlotte had met earlier that day with the selected contractor for the highway barn roof and insulation project. Materials are being ordered for the work soon.

Russo said that the signs indicating the safety zones that were established by the selectmen per town meeting’s approval have been placed. Road painting indicating such will have to wait until the spring.

Finally, there was a brief discussion regarding procedures for removing brush and chips from trees that have been taken down. Firlotte feels that it doesn’t fall under the purview of the department.

Technology upgrades in town were also discussed. Dennehy said the fiber optic upgrade is in progress and that local government offices should expect to be updated in the next week. Dennehy said the only setback was a minor one locating the wiring in the library.

Selectman John Traynor said he had an agreement with the Fire Chief that street number signs would be installed on municipal buildings in town. He said that given the magnitude of the work currently on the Chief’s agenda, he assumes it will be done once COVID is over.

Russo spoke to another possible priority saying he would like to seek funds at town meeting to have a hydrologist come in to analyze Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reporting as well as compliance from Rocky Harvest LLC. Russo said, “it wouldn’t be a lot of money and there is a really good guy around who has done some work for us in the past.”

Dennehy gave an update on emergency management in town saying the hazard mitigation planning grant is still in process. The project meeting is set for the end of February. The end goal will be a stand-alone plan rather than a plan that was embedded in a larger regional one. This project was funded through grant money. Dennehy also gave a brief financial update saying that the budget process is well underway and that the Finance committee has been looking at the capital plan.

An update on elder affairs was also provided. Until recently, a volunteer was coming in two days per week to manage the pantry as paid for by Citizens for Citizens. The organization, however, made the decision that it was too risky to have volunteers going into the building due to the state of the pandemic. As a result, the Director of Elder Affairs will be managing the pantry on Thursdays from 10 am to noon.

Dennehy said that they are looking for a volunteer for Mondays. She said the hours are flexible but noted that the original hours were from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Dennehy also said that with the Townhouse closed, volunteers would not be near others. Prario offered to help secure a volunteer and assured the selectmen that she would find someone for this coming Monday.

It was also noted during Monday’s meeting that there would be a mailing going out to residents shortly to detail various volunteer opportunities in the community.

As always, the selectmen ended their meeting with their rants and raves. Selectwoman Christine Joy was quick to say that hers was a rant rather than a rave.

She began by saying how troubled she was by the deep divide in our country. She also said that while she doesn’t condone violence, she does understand the pain of many Americans whether it be based in racial injustice, the pandemic, or frustration at the government.

Joy said, “For me, Wednesday and the summer protests have really served as a wake-up call and the need for us to stop talking at one another and start talking to one another. Instead of pushing further apart, we should be working to find common ground; this will only be accomplished through freedom of speech, the sharing of ideas, and spirited debate through open dialogue – talking and listening with tolerance and compassion. We are all Americans and as such are capable of working together to make our union stronger than before.

We need to stop the rhetoric and name calling, stop the vilifying of those that don’t agree with us – start seeing each other as individuals, as fellow Americans not defined by our political ideals. It is the diversity of our people and ideals that give us strength. Through true collaboration we can rise above this and work together to rebuild our United States of America.”

“Amen, amen,” Russo said before adjourning the meeting.

Davis named to Regional School Committee

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The Kingston Board of Selectmen and the Silver Lake Regional School Committee held a joint meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6 in order to appoint a new member to the Regional School Committee following a resignation of one of the Kingston members. The appointment would be good through the next election in April. While the selectmen were in-person, the School Committee as well as the applicants attended the meeting via Zoom.

Selectwoman Kimberley Emberg  began by saying they would hear from each of the five candidates before moving forward with a vote. Members of the Regional School Committee in attendance included Eric Crone, Christopher Eklund, Leslie-Ann McGee, and Paula Hatch. The five applicants were Anne Caliento, Missy Bateman, Emily Davis, Carl Pike, and Sheila Vaughn. Vaughn, who is a current member of the Kingston selectmen abstained from voting.

Bateman, who has been an educator for over 20 years, spoke first saying she was a lifelong resident of Kingston and a graduate of Silver Lake. She has two children in the district and currently serves on a recreation board as well as a local hockey board. Bateman said that she felt that her standing as both an educator and a parent would allow her to bring a sense of empathy and understanding to the Committee. She also said she was up to the challenge of serving despite the difficult times.

Caliento, whose parents were both teachers, said she has been a Kingston resident for 20 years and currently has a daughter in the 10th grade in the district. She told those assembled that she had contemplated running for School Committee for years but always determined herself to be too busy. “If anything the last year gave me the realization that I do have the time…it’s important to make the time for things that are important,” Caliento explained. She also said that she volunteered frequently in the schools when her daughter was younger and was hoping to become involved again.

Davis told the Committee that she moved to Kingston a few years ago from Pembroke. Both she and her husband have worked in education for many years. While no longer working as a teacher, Davis has stayed in the education field working on curriculum design online.

While originally from the South Shore, Davis said she has traveled all over both the country and the world working in various schools. She currently has a son in preschool and a daughter in first grade in Kingston schools.

“I love the school district here, it’s why I moved to Kingston,” Davis explained. She continued, “I think Silver Lake really has an opportunity to be at the forefront in education in Massachusetts.” Davis cited the regional nature of the district as well as the vocational education offered as the reasons she believes Silver Lake can be a leader in what she sees as a turning point in education.

Carl Pike began his statement saying, “I’m sure that you probably all have had a chance to look at the letter I sent in with my background and my beliefs and why I feel I would qualify for this position.” Pike said he has been active in the town working closely with the school administration and school committees on the budget. “I really believe that education is the number one responsibility of local communities… at the same time there are limited resources,” Pike explained. He went on to stress the importance of compromise when creating a budget saying, “school committee members need to be objective” and “what I strive for is to see that everybody gets something out of the deal.”

Vaughn, who currently serves on both the Kingston Board of Selectmen and the Kingston School Committee, was the final applicant. Vaughn, who has been a Kingston resident for over two decades, has three children including a fifth and eighth grader in the district. She said she would view the appointment as lasting only until the election in April.

“Once there is an election, I would be happy to see one of these wonderful people elected to the position,” she explained. She said that she felt that given the difficulties posed by both budget season and the pandemic, it would be best to have a seasoned person fill the role in the interim.

Vice Chair of the Regional School Committee Eric Crone addressed all the candidates prior to the vote saying, “I just want to say thank you to all five of these candidates; it’s overwhelming that we have this many people willing to step up and help out.” He went on to praise the backgrounds of the candidates and said that any of them would be a great addition to the current Committee.

Committee member Leslie-Anne McGee also spoke saying, “it’s been an exceptionally challenging time for us… it’s extremely complicated and I don’t think it’s going to be less complicated for any time now.”

She echoed Crone’s sentiment saying how impressed she was that so many people were willing to come forward to serve during such a challenging time.

An anonymous vote was held resulting in Davis receiving the highest number of votes. Both the selectmen and the School Committee made separate motions to appoint Davis to the Committee. The votes were both unanimous with the exception of Vaughn’s abstention.

HES to stay open though Halifax is red

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The Halifax Elementary School Committee held their first meeting of 2021 virtually on Monday, Jan. 4.  Superintendent Jill Proulx said that the town of Halifax has been in the red risk zone for COVID-19 for four consecutive weeks. Initial guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) stated that communities in the red should move to remote learning. It was later changed to state that communities in the red for three consecutive weeks should move to remote.

The most recent guidance issued in late October recommended that communities remain in either a hybrid or full in-person learning model regardless of risk designation provided there wasn’t evidence of in-school transmission.

Proulx said that there has not been any evidence of school spread and said that the school administration has been in contact with all necessary parties regarding Halifax’s numbers. She also said that the district’s nurse leader has increased the frequency of her communication with the Board of Health providing them with daily updates. School Committee Chair Gordon Andrews said, “I know that any decisions made are always made with the best interests of those in the community in mind.”

Proulx also provided an update on student learning time in the hybrid model. Per DESE’s standards, schools in the hybrid learning model must provide an average of 35 hours of live instruction over the course of two academic weeks. Proulx said that all Silver Lake and Union 31 schools have cleared the standard.

Halifax Elementary School principal Kayne Beaudry provided an update for the Committee. According to Beaudry, enrollment currently stands at 572 students. Cohorts A and B have a nearly even distribution of students. Enrollment in Cohort C, or the fully remote cohort, has been reduced from approximately 100 to 85. “Teachers are doing a great job adapting and being flexible,” Beaudry said.

Beaudry had high praise for the virtual winter concert organized by music teacher Brenda Lessard. A recording of the chorus’ performance was made available. “If you have not seen them, check it out, it was pretty amazing what she was able to pull off with the students,” Beaudry said of Lessard. Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch nodded vigorously in agreement.

Beaudry told the Committee that two esteemed members of the cafeteria department retired on December 23. Between the two of them, the retirees had over 50 years of experience working there. “We will miss them,” he said. He also gave a shoutout to everyone that contributes to the giving tree at the school which provides hats and mittens to the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless.

Each of the standing committees that have had a meeting since the last School Committee meeting provided an update. Committee member Summer Schmaling read from an email from Halifax Youth and Recreation Director Richard Steele. Steele reported that the Halifax Elementary School gym has been used for the last two months for basketball practices only. As of the week beginning January 4, town basketball will also be held in the gym. Steele reported that the gym was one of the only ones open in the area. Schmaling expressed her gratitude for children being allowed to play sports in town. “Shoutout to Youth and Rec for making sure that happens because it’s really important to a lot of our families,” she said. The gym floor was also recently refinished.

The PTO last met on December 2. Due to cancelled field trips and other events the PTO has a surplus of money that they are looking to allocate. For this reason, Beaudry said that teachers should submit any wish list items to them. The PTO recently held a teacher appreciation luncheon. Participation in the recent book fair was down, but it was anticipated due to the unusual circumstances.

Proulx presented a first draft of the budget proposal for 2021 to 2022. The draft which was shared with members of the Committee represented a 3.41 percent increase in the regular day operating budget as well as a 5.13 percent increase overall. Principals were asked to prepare a level service budget as well as a capital plan that included input from staff. The budget presented by Proulx did not include Beaudry’s staffing requests nor did it include the current staffing for the hybrid model. Proulx said that shared costs were not yet included and said that she anticipated that the addition would increase the budget.

The budget includes an increase in custodial supplies as the need for continued increased cleaning is anticipated. It also includes $5,000 for a shed. The Special Education reimbursement program Circuit Breaker was factored in at 55 percent, a number that is likely conservative. Proulx also said that the budget accounted for five slots in the out of district vocational tuition line though there are currently four students enrolled, three of which will be graduating. The actual number remains to be seen.

The overall enrollment numbers are down while homeschool numbers have increased. Student enrollment at Halifax Elementary School is down by 17 from 2020 to 2021. Halifax student enrollment at the middle and high school levels is down 5 students.

Andrews requested that the school make regular videos to showcase the work being done by the students and teachers as a way to show the taxpayers where their money is going. “There is a great return on investment,” Andrews said. Andrews referenced the presentation to the Committee by the students in the Pathways program for 18-22-year-olds that included a video of their recent work. “It made me feel good and gave me a reason to want to be on the School Committee,” he explained.

Andrews told the Committee that he wanted to acknowledge the great work done by Facilities Manager Matthew Durkee, Head Custodian Bob Clancy, and Director of Building Maintenance Scott Materna in getting the backflow device at the school fixed after the recent snowstorm. Without the quick fix, the school would not have been able to open. Durkee, who was on the call, also acknowledged the assistance they received from various local companies including City Point Fire Protection, Inc., John Hoadley Plumbing & Heating, Inc., and FW Webb. “The group really pulled together and was able to accomplish this… kudos to all involved,” Durkee said. He also thanked Halifax Board of Health agent Bob Valery who he said was instrumental in getting things up and running. Andrews said that the Committee would be sending letters of thanks to those involved. “I know how long and hard you guys worked to try and get a solution into place,” he said.

State honors Shirley Graf

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Founder and Executive Director of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful (KMB) Neil Rhein led off the 2020 Massachusetts Clean Community Awards which was held virtually on December 3. Rhein, who also serves on the Select Board in Mansfield, explained the mission of the nonprofit organization KMB. Goals of the organization include litter prevention and cleanup, volunteer empowerment, recycling and waste reduction, beautification and community greening, and education and behavior change.

There are currently 28 local chapters of KMB around the state. The five newest chapters include Newton, Salem, Beverly, Shrewsbury, and Fitchburg. Rhein also thanked the local chapter leaders including Jeanne Kling of the Halifax Beautification Committee. He also noted that 23 of the 28 chapter leaders are women. Some of the highlights of the organization from the last year include distributing litter cleanup kits to local chapters in the spring of 2020, launching the litter cleanup crew in July, and distributing $2,500 via the annual plant something beautiful grants.

Rhein announced the night’s award winners including Shirley Graf of Halifax being named the KMB Litter Buster of the Year. Rhein described the award as being the most coveted of the night and said that they had nine deserving nominees that year. He described the award saying, “It’s really for those unsung heroes who are out there doing the dirty work of cleaning up other people’s messes.” He said that what set Graf apart from the other amazing litter busters is “her passion for the scourge of nip litter.”

Beginning in January of 2019, Graf made a decision to begin documenting the nip bottles she collected into a spreadsheet. As of October 2020, she had collected and stored 5,220 bottles over the course of 20 months. Graf donated those bottles to the Keep Gardner Beautiful Nip Hunt. Another of the night’s awards winners Jim Kraskouskas of Anthony’s Liquor Mart in Gardner, won for KMB Business Partner of the Year. Kraskouskas organized a nip pickup in October where he offered to pay 5 cents for every bottle picked up through 100,000 bottles. As a result of those collected nips, including the ones donated by Graf, Kraskouskas donated nearly $2,500.

In the last few weeks alone, Graf has collected an additional 700 nip bottles. As of early December, she said she had reached 6,018 total nips collected with more than 3,000 of those collected within a mile of her home. In addition to the nips that Graf collects she also picks up other forms of trash across the towns of Halifax, Pembroke, Duxbury, and Marshfield. Graf also helped to persuade the Halifax Board of Selectmen to support Massachusetts House Bill 2881 which would add nips to the bottle bill. While it didn’t pass, the hope is that it will be resurrected in January.

Graf spoke at the awards ceremony taking the time to thank Kling who was the one to nominate her. “I would particularly like to thank Jeanne Kling, the Chairwoman of the Beautification Committee who nominated me for this award.” Kling said of Graf, “It has been a pleasure to get to know Shirley over the last few years. She always has a smile and an encouraging word. She truly inspires others through her actions; it’s hard to imagine a more admirable or deserving candidate.” Graf thanked both the Monponsett Watershed Association and the Halifax Beautification Committee for their work to promote cleaner roadways and waterways.

Graf said that she first learned more about KMB through a chance encounter with the previous year’s Litter Buster of the Year award winner, Peter Walter.  Graf said that she randomly ran into Walter while he was also out and about picking up litter. Walter spoke and thanked Rhein and KMB for their efforts.

In addition to the Litter Buster of the Year, several other awards were also given out. Senator Jamie Eldridge of the Middlesex and Worcester district was named as the Environmental Legislator of the Year. He is the Senate Chair of the Clean Energy Caucus and has sponsored several bills to increase the use of solar energy and other renewable energies. Fellow state senator Paul Feeney called Eldridge an “unapologetic advocate for bold legislation.” The Municipal Partner of the Year was awarded to Doug Munroe of the Gardner DPW. Nancy Wall of Keep Mansfield Beautiful was awarded the Chapter Leader of the Year award. Rookie Chapter of the Year went to Keep Fitchburg Beautiful.

The final award of the night for the KMB Youth Volunteers of the Year went to Nate Lord and Ben Feldman of Natick. Rhein explained that this was a new award this year and said that one of the goals of the KMB is to inspire future generations. “The median age of our volunteers is probably not within Gen Z or even Millennials,” Rhein explained.

Senator Feeney also spoke about the importance of getting the younger generations involved. Feeney said that he was recently on a Zoom call for a public hearing in the community he represents. “The crux of the debate was about the protection of a beautiful swath of open space… hiking trails and hundred-year-old trees that are filled with wildlife,” Feeney explained. He said that over 20 high school students from an agricultural school were there to testify. He said that over the course of the hearing, the students began to change their backgrounds to images of Dr. Suess’ The Lorax, a story which tells of the danger of human destruction on the environment.

Democratic Presidential Nominee and former Governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1991 Michael Dukakis also spoke at the event. Dukakis said that he first become interested in community cleanup due to the state of the city of Boston when he first became involved in politics. He described Boston as “filthy” and said “litter was everywhere.” Dukakis, who said he turned 87 on Election Day, recently retired from teaching at Northeastern University. He said that he would walk home from his job at Northeastern and pickup litter daily. “I pick up litter, I hope you pick up litter, I hope everyone picks up litter,” he said.

Dukakis shared a sentiment that had been expressed by others over the course of the night. He said he was concerned with the degree of seriousness with which the state government is appearing to take the issue of community cleanup. He ended by saying, “What’s this all about? A sense of pride, a sense of caring, a sense of how we make our communities something that we can be proud of.”

A website and several social media accounts exist for KMB including Keepmassbeautiful.org. Emails can be sent to info@keepmassbeautiful.org.

Halifax now at “double red”

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Dec. 22, for one of the special meetings they have been holding during the COVID period. Normally, Police Chief Joao Chaves, Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, and Board of Health Agent Bob Valery are all present but only Viveiros was in attendance for much of the meeting.

Viveiros provided a COVID update saying that while he didn’t have the accurate counts, the town was averaging between 2 and 5 new cases per day. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig jumped in to say that the town was “double red.” “If red is 25 cases over a 14-day period, we’re now at 53 or 54 cases,” he explained. Seelig also said that a colleague had reached out to others in surrounding communities who all confirmed that they were seeing similar jumps in the numbers. “It’s not unique to Halifax; there are very, very few cases where you can point to and say this is the cause,” he continued. He recommended that people go back to the basics of washing their hands, wearing masks, and reducing the number of contacts they have.

Viveiros said they have been working on the vaccination rollout for first responders. “We’re working with our medical director Dr. Muse working through the hospital; he’s making a submission on behalf of twelve different departments, we’ll be one of those twelve departments,” he explained. Viveiros said that all vaccines will be shipped to Brockton Hospital so that they can store them at the required temperatures. He also said that once ready to begin vaccinating the Department can go and pick up the vaccines. The vaccine will most likely be the Moderna vaccine. They are hopeful that vaccinations will begin the second week of January. Viveiros said that they have not heard much regarding a widescale distribution plan for the vaccine.

Valery returned for the final minutes of the meeting following a conference call with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Valery told the Board that the flu shot deadline for students that had previously been set at Dec. 31 has now been extended until Feb. 28. “I just urge that people follow the guidelines that are on Mass.gov when it comes to your home gatherings,” Valery said. He told the Board that nearly half of all positive cases come from household spreads.

Seelig touched upon the new state restrictions effective December 26 including reduced capacity for office spaces, etc. to 25 percent of capacity with the exception of those performing essential functions including K-12 schools. Seelig said that the town hall and other municipal buildings have been considered essential. He also suggested that the Board consider asking departments to go to staggered shifts to try to reduce the possibility of transmission, particularly now that the laptops are available for individuals to work from home. “Thinking that everybody is an essential employee and I would leave it up to the individual departments to present a plan as to how they would like to move forward,” Selectman Chair Tom Millias said. Selectman Troy Garron said he was in agreement. “I think if the department head can handle their staff to get the job done, then that’s fine,” Selectman Gordon Andrews said. “I think that we need to keep the town hall open to allow residents to get their business done,” he added.

Seelig also said that indoor event venues are limited to 10 people though he noted he was unclear as to whether or not the Board of Selectman meetings would fall under that umbrella. He asked the Board what decision they would like to make regarding continuing to meet in person. Seelig pointed out that most boards and committees in town have been meeting virtually. They decided to remain in person for the short-term.

Seelig told the Board that during the Thursday, December 17 storm the backflow regulator at the Halifax Elementary School failed. The staff, including Facilities Director Matt Durkee, Bob Clancy, and Halifax Maintenance Director Scott Materna were able to put something together to allow the school to reopen on Friday. “The decision that we made to have Scott be able to work over at the school and direct functions there and also obviously take advantage of his expertise and being able to compensate him properly for his expertise made a big difference in terms of being able to open the school or not open the school,” Seelig said. Andrews, who also serves as Chair of the Halifax School Committee, said that he plans to invite both Durkee and Materna to the School Committee meeting in January to thank them for their extra time and efforts to ensure that the school could open.

Plympton Selectmen meet for final time in 2020 2020

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In keeping with the new tradition of having a different representative from a Board, Committee, Commission, or otherwise attend the Plympton Board of Selectmen meetings, Alan Wheelock was in attendance on Monday, December 21 on behalf of the Wage and Personnel Board.  Wheelock told the selectmen that they were impacted by COVID and didn’t meet at all over the summer.

He also provided a number of updates. Wheelock said that the federal government was recommending a 1.3 percent cost of living guideline this year. The Wage and Personnel Board plan to vote on that increase during their first meeting in January. Wheelock also told the selectmen that the Board had a request from Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy asking them to support her on a probationary period bylaw. The proposed bylaw would state that newly hired or promoted town employees would be subjected to a 6-month probationary period. Selectman John Traynor interjected that he believed the intent was to modify the request not to include those newly promoted that had been with the town a substantial amount of time already. Wheelock said that he was open to such an amendment.

Wheelock also said that the Board was taking a look at the wage and personnel bylaws in Plympton since they haven’t been updated in quite some time. He said that they were hoping to have a few recommendations to bring to the spring town meeting.  The Board also had an intern from Bridgewater State University who assisted with some of the data that the Board uses. Finally, Wheelock said the Board was looking to find a location on the town website to store the paperwork related to wage and personnel.

Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen provided a brief update on the schools. He said that two additional cases of COVID were reported at the Dennett Elementary School over the weekend, bringing the overall total for the school to 3. There has been a total of 61 cases throughout the Silver Lake district. Wilhelmsen noted that the holiday break will be a welcome one for the staff and teachers who have been working so hard throughout this unusual year.

Several appointments were also made during Monday’s meeting. Gabe Lundgren was named to the Board of Registrars through May 22, 2021. Miranda Boyles-Pink and Kathleen Keirstead were both appointed as trustees to the Plympton Public Library through May 22, 2021. There was also an appointment to the Central Plymouth County Water District Commission Advisory Board.

Dennehy introduced a new initiative for 2021 described as “what makes Plympton unique.” Dennehy said that the original intention was to talk a bit about knowing where your food comes from and highlight the many remarkable farms in town that provide for people all over the South Shore. Dennehy described the project as “fun” and “feel good” and said that the idea has since morphed into picking a different topic in town on a regular basis to highlight on the town Facebook page. She said the intention would be to “show what makes us unique and a really great place to be.”

Dennehy said she would potentially like to start with the Plympton kindness tree that has been setup over the holiday season on a Farm on West St. The idea of the tree is that residents can stop by and write something positive about something or someone in town and enclose it in a globe ornament that is hanging from the tree. Dennehy said that hand sanitizer, etc. was provided by the family. Traynor mentioned another project in town along the same vein. He said that he was recently the recipient of a holiday wreath courtesy of some members of the Garden Club who delivered over 90 wreaths to seniors in town.

Dennehy also provided a general update. She said she had just attended the Finance Committee meeting and said that while things do appear to be on track overall there are some shortfalls in the police salary lines moving forward. A member of the department is retiring somewhat unexpectedly resulting in the need to pay out overtime and out of rank pay to covering officers.

Dennehy noted that the town has retention issues within the Police Department. She said that many officers have cited the health insurance, which is a 50/50 split, as a reason for leaving. She said that she is currently surveying other towns as to their insurance and obtaining pricing. Selectman Chair Mark Russo said that he agreed with Dennehy’s assessment and referenced the hidden cost of losing people and training new people.

The town is often footing the bill for putting officers through the academy only to have them leave shortly thereafter. Traynor mentioned that some towns mandate that an officer must stay in the department for three years or pay back a portion of the expense for the academy.

Regarding COVID, Dennehy said that the numbers continue to rise in town and everywhere. She said that while it can be challenging to tell if cases have cleared or not through the MAVEN system, her best estimate for number of active cases in town stands at 20. “It’s out there and it’s around; it’s in town,” Dennehy said. She said that the decision to dial things back at the townhouse appears to have been the right one. She also alluded to employees becoming too lax and said of the closing, “it’s a good chance to reevaluate some of our protocols.”

Christine Joy was absent from Monday’s meeting so just Russo and Traynor provided their traditional raves at the conclusion of the meeting. Russo said that his rave was for the holiday season despite acknowledging that it would be “strange if not downright weird.” “I’m really looking forward to that time when things slow down a little and we all gain a little perspective… to give our minds a little rest but also to give our hearts a little rest,” Russo explained.

Traynor had three separate shoutouts. The first was for the Police Department for their new website that went live recently. “It really looks good and I’m happy to see it,” he said. The second was for the Fire Department. They were awarded a grant that allowed them to install fire signs for any seniors in town that wanted them. Traynor said that 24 residents signed up. His final rave was for the good condition of the roads in town after the snowstorm.

Hilda Lane development withdraws

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A proposed new development project in Halifax known as 8 Hilda Lane has a history dating back to 2005. The property is in an area zoned residential and is owned by 8 Hilda Lane Realty Plus courtesy of Scott Burgess.

The construction planned would consist of 21 single family units spread across 5 buildings.

Burgess bought the property, which consists of 21 acres, back in July of 2019. The original subdivision was approved back in 2005 but was not built except for what appears to be 2 houses that share a common driveway that have their access from Hilda Lane.

Burgess as well as his civil engineer Don Bracken with Bracken Engineering appeared before the Planning Board during their Dec. 3 meeting. “The intent is to build a subdivision road and construct this multifamily development on this one large lot,” Bracken explained. The original application was for a special permit with two variances, however, it was discovered during the Planning Board meeting that two additional variances would be required. Bracken said that they did withdraw their request for site plan approval due to some of the concerns of the Planning Board. He said they plan on resubmitting.

The development is to be constructed in accordance with bylaws with the following exceptions advertised: 1. to allow a 53 ft front yard setback where a 75 ft setback is required and 2. to allow a 43 ft separation between buildings where a 100 ft separation is required.

The necessary changes that were brought to light during the Planning Board meeting include the relocation of a drainage basin which is currently within the riverfront area. Bracken said that the option not to make the change exists though it would require going before the Conservation Commission for approval. The second request is to install a water line. When the subdivision was initially approved in 2005, water was not available at the road but it has since been added. Bracken noted that getting approval on these changes should not be difficult as he would consider them both improvements. Another change includes altering the four driveway entrances that were part of the original plan to just two proposed entrances for the new project.

Bracken presented the project to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) during a scheduled public hearing via Zoom at their December 14 meeting. While the application had been amended to include the four variances as of the date of the meeting, only two variances had been advertised.

ZBA Chair Robert Gaynor said, “I’m concerned with the fact that right before us now… is for a special permit and two variances.” He confirmed with Bracken that correspondence had been sent to the Board stating that they would like to ask for additional variances. Town counsel Amy Kwesell was in attendance and told the Board that it would be their decision whether to move forward or not. Gaynor said, “It’s the intention then, as recommended to the Board, to the Zoning Board, I recommend that I don’t want to do this piecemeal… I want to do it all or nothing.”

Bracken, who was understanding of Gaynor’s position, said that he realizes that the process would likely take several meetings. He said he was hoping that his appearance at the meeting could serve as an opportunity to explain the project and possibly get any feedback prior to another hearing. A potential site walk was also mentioned.

Gaynor also mentioned to those present that Burgess came before the Zoning Board of Appeals in December of 2019 for a different version of the project. The applicant withdrew their application at that time and were not denied. Bracken said he knew little of the encounter.

Gaynor recommended that “we continue the hearing for this petition until it gets advertised correctly with all the variances that are necessary.” Kwesell had concerns, however, that they would be best served getting approval from the Planning Board before proceeding with the ZBA. Kwesell pointed out that the subdivision approval was granted 15 years ago and under the Planning Board regulations for subdivision control, a subdivision approval is only good for two years. She recommended to Bracken that they get approval from the Planning Board as to the modification of the roadway before again appearing before the ZBA.

Kwesell explained, “Right now, if they want to come before the Zoning Board of Appeals under the multifamily, they have to come under the 2005 approved roadway because that’s the only approved roadway that’s out there so they either need to get their modification to that roadway approved or the ZBA can only look at the 2005 approved roadway.” She said she believed it would behoove the client to attain approval for those modifications since they themselves described them merely as improvements. She told the ZBA, “Right now they don’t have an approved roadway that match the plans that are in front of you.”

ZBA member Peter Parcellin echoed the sentiment that the application before them was inaccurate saying, “It needs to catch up.” He went on to say, “I know that the neighborhood around here is very concerned about this project and I think that they deserve everything to be very clear as we’re voting on it.”

Gaynor agreed with Kwesell and Parcellin telling Bracken that they would need to work out the modifications with the Planning Board before even advertising for the special permit with the 4 variances with the ZBA.

“We have no problem continuing this for a couple of months and hopefully that will give us plenty of time to go through the Planning Board process and hopefully get those changes that we’re pretty confident that we should be able to get because they’re improvements,” Bracken said.

Gaynor asked Bracken if he would like to withdraw his petition from the ZBA. While initially Bracken said he would like to confer with his client first, Kwesell told him if they were unwilling to withdraw, the ZBA would need to deny the first project for the special permit with 2 variances resulting in them having to wait two years to present another due to the denied project. Bracken then agreed to withdraw without prejudice. The Board voted to accept the withdrawal.

Resident and abutter Kerri Butler was in attendance and requested to speak. She thanked the ZBA for their due diligence as she said she had noted that there were only 2 variances explicitly listed in the advertising. “We’ve been down this road before; the neighbors are all very concerned. We know that development is inevitable, however, there is reasonable development and then there is over the top development.”

Halifax sees post holiday COVID rise

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen as well as Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Police Chief Joao Chaves, and Board of Health agent Bob Valery met Thursday, Dec. 10, for what is being referred to as an extraordinary meeting during the COVID era.

Valery began by telling the selectmen that there have been 22 confirmed cases of COVID in town since their previous meeting. Valery said that the numbers from November 25 through December 8, which included Thanksgiving, showed 48 positive cases for a percent positivity rate in Halifax of 8 percent which was up from 5 percent. He said the town would be moving into the red along with approximately 150 other communities. Valery also expressed concern that there would be even more gatherings between Christmas and New Year’s, compared to Thanksgiving. “I would caution everybody to follow the guidance that has been set forth by the state no matter how difficult it is, during this upcoming holiday season. It’s going to be different than it has been in years’ past,” he explained.

Valery also said that updates to the Maven system including contact tracing information linking directly to it, have allowed him to see when and where clusters of cases develop. According to Valery the guidance from the CDC encourages remote work wherever possible or at least staggering shifts, if possible. He said it might be something that the Board of Selectmen may want to consider.

Chief Viveiros gave an update on the drive-through testing that had been held in Halifax the previous weekend. He said that cars began lining up around 6 in the morning and that there was a steady flow throughout the day. Just under 800 people were tested between the two days with 54 tests coming back positive. Not all those tested were residents of Halifax. Viveiros said that they learned a lot of lessons from the weekend testing that they can use should they choose to run another similar event. He also said that since holding the testing, he has received at least 7 phone calls from communities who were inquiring about holding their own. Hanson plans to do one partnering with the same company as Halifax.

Halifax plans to continue with their employee testing program as well. Additional dates are coming. Viveiros said that he plans to speak with Town Administrator Charlie Seelig about expanding the testing to include the senior population.

Viveiros also took a moment to publicly recognize Dr. Daniel Muse for everything that he has done in assisting with the testing. Muse, an emergency physician at Brockton Hospital, is the Medical Director for the Fire Department. He oversees all emergency services that run out of Brockton Hospital. Muse has already given written, standing orders to the Halifax Fire Department for vaccine distribution, should they be needed. “He has been extremely supportive with all of our COVID efforts,” Viveiros told the selectmen. Chief Chaves expressed his gratitude for Chief Viveiros in executing the drive up testing relatively seamlessly despite inclement weather.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if there was a plan to hold another testing event in Halifax, perhaps two weeks after Christmas. Viveiros said that it was certainly something that could be done but noted that the CARES Act funding will expire at the end of December.

Seelig said that decisions will have to be made to proceed with certain expenditures despite not immediately having the receipts/revenue to balance it all. He said that emergency situations sometimes necessitate having an article at the May special town meeting prior to the annual to appropriate money against free cash. “If it’s necessary it’s no different than a snowstorm and spending money beyond what you have in the snow budget. At some point you say we’ve got to do this, we know we have to pay that bill, but it’s worth doing,” Seelig explained.

Seelig asked Valery what the correct protocol for instances was where an employee tests positive but remains asymptomatic.  Seelig, who said he was fielding this question from town employees, asked if they would have to wait the full 14 days to return or if they could shorten the duration to 10 days. Valery answered, “It’s on a very individual basis level because first of all I have to make sure that they haven’t shown any symptoms so that, you know, comes down to integrity, whoever is giving me that information… they do find that if you follow the proper procedures that 10 days coming back and still monitoring yourself for any symptoms for the last four days, only shows about a 1 percent risk factor over the 14 day period.” Valery, who asked that employees are directed to him, noted that if he had any doubts, he would ask the employee to wait the full 14 days.

Chief Chaves asked the Board to extend an offer of employment to Michael Boncariewski as a permanent intermittent patrol officer. Boncariewski is a lifelong resident of Halifax who attended Silver Lake schools. He also previously worked as a special officer in both Hull and Halifax. “I believe he’s an asset to the department… he is well respected by his peers,” Chaves said. The Board voted to approve his hiring. Chaves explained that the department is moving toward state accreditation which will require each new hire to undergo a psych evaluation. Officer Boncariewski will be the first in the department to fulfill this requirement.

The Selectmen voted to sign an amended Host Community Agreement (HCA) with Bud’s Goods and Provisions.

The amended agreement added both indoor cultivation and manufacturing to the list of approved uses. Bud’s will still need to go to the Cannabis Control Commission for a revised provisional license to expand their uses. They will also need to come before the Planning Board for a site plan review and special permit.

The selectmen had an appointment with Green Earth Cannabis, who has proposed a retail marijuana store at 657 Monponsett St., during Thursday’s meeting. John Kudryk and his partners Matthew Collins and Robert Maker were in attendance.

Andrews recused himself from the discussion as he has family that owns adjoining property and therefore a potential conflict of interest.

Kudryk said that the zoning for the proposed location was changed from industrial to commercial. He also said that the location appears to be well within the guidelines that prohibit such an establishment from being within so many feet of a school or other area where children congregate.

Kudryk told the Board that they have had an engineer draw up some preliminary plans. He also said that they are anticipating needing 18 full time employees which he said would help to stimulate the local economy. The projected opening date is July 1, 2022.

Seelig brought up the proposed 21-unit multi-family project known as Hilda Lane. It is set to go before both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Andrews said that he was directing people on social media to contact the appropriate department secretary regarding whether they are for or against the proposal. Seelig said that a letter was received from a resident opposing the project.

Educators upset at Gov. Baker’s stance

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The Plympton School Committee met virtually for one final time this calendar year on Monday, Dec. 14.

During the legislative update, committee member Jason Fraser spoke out against Governor Baker’s active solicitation of public schools to return to full, in-person learning during his Nov. 6 press conference. At the time, Baker said that communities in the gray, green, and yellow COVID risk categories were expected to have students learning in-person while communities in the red were being encouraged to follow a hybrid model rather than a full remote one. There was no clear answer as to whether districts that didn’t comply with state guidance would be penalized in some way.

Fraser said that he wrote a personal letter in early November as an individual member of a school committee expressing his concern over Baker’s remarks. Likewise, he said a similar letter was sent more recently as a member of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees expressing appreciation for all Governor Baker has done during the pandemic but urging him to step back his push for full, in-person learning. “His rhetoric is starting to be off-putting to members of our public-school community,” Fraser explained. He continued, “We do appreciate everything that the governor has done but we want him to leave us alone and trust us to do our job and do what’s best for our community.”

As she has done at all of the most recent school committee meetings across Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton, Superintendent Jill Proulx reiterated the state’s guidelines that inhibit the feasibility of a return to full, in-person learning. Included amongst those guidelines are the required 3 feet of social distancing on buses as well as the required 6 feet of social distancing required during lunch. Additionally, Dennett Elementary School has been maintaining 6 feet of distancing in their classrooms in accordance with CDC recommendations. The funds and space required to accommodate all students while still adhering to the necessary restrictions are prohibitive.

Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen attributed the lack of school transmission and relatively few cases across the district to all the safety protocols that are currently in place. As of Monday’s meeting there have been 51 cumulative cases across all schools in the district. He also spoke out against the expectation that there be a uniform approach taken across the entire state as some schools are better equipped to accommodate students for in-person learning.

President of the Teacher’s Association Ann Walker told the Committee, “tensions are high; everybody is nervous… Plympton has done well so far but it feels like it’s closing in.” She also noted that it can be hard to stay 3 feet from young children let alone 6. Wilhelmsen thanked the teachers and administration for their hard work. He also thanked the building staff “for keeping the building as clean and as safe as we can.” “We will get to the other side of this. Likely we will all be tired, but stronger because of it,” Wilhelmsen said.

Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto told the Committee that they have entered the second trimester. Veneto told the Committee that he was “surprised we got this far.” He attributed the success to the families and staff at the Dennett. Families were recently given the opportunity to switch learning models from hybrid to remote or remote to hybrid. Only a small handful of families requested changes and all requests were accommodated.

Veneto said that there are currently 89 students in Cohort A and 80 students in Cohort B. Cohorts A and B alternate days in the building with one set of students attending in-person on Mondays and Tuesdays and another set attending in-person on Thursdays and Fridays. Cohort C, or the students who elected to be fully remote, currently has an enrollment of 23. Cohort D which includes the highest needs learners who are prioritized for more in-person days stands at 18 students. Veneto said that on any given day there are roughly 100 students in the building.

Finally, Veneto told the Committee that fourth grade teacher Bea Reynolds has decided to begin her retirement in January. Veneto called her an “institution in town” and noted what a tremendous loss it would be for the school. Current math interventionist Maria Barlow will replace her.

In another legislative update, Fraser said that the Massachusetts Association of School Committees delegate assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution asking that the MCAS be cancelled for this year as well as the next three years. They are currently working with the appropriate parties in Washington D.C. to prepare legislation for the incoming Secretary of Education that will allow states to make the determination regarding testing. From there, Fraser said they will then begin to work with Beacon Hill and DESE to assure that they are eliminated this year.

Wilhelmsen told the Committee that he had recently been brought into conversations that were being held at the town level regarding the possibility of installing solar panels on the roofs of municipal buildings. Various buildings in town were suggested including the roof at the Dennett, which has properties making it ideal for such an installation. The condition of most of the Dennett roof, however, is a problem. According to Wilhelmsen they need “to rectify that hodgepodge of materials that is up there.”

In lieu of the entire roof, two spots are being investigated as possible locations for solar panels at the school. Those include the back wing of the school with the pitched metal roof as well as a canopy in the parking lot. Wilhelmsen said that there are a number of pine trees that would most likely need to be removed to increase the amount of sun received by the panels. He referred to them as sitting “ominously over the school.”

Wilhelmsen said he has had discussions with both the Town Properties Committee as well as the Plympton Selectmen. As a result, the focus, for now, will be on the rear part of the building. The rear mounted solar operation in the parking lot would incur a lot more cost and could result in an overproduction of power. The company, who works with Harvard and is well established in Massachusetts, still needs to come out and assess the roof and provide final costs.

Fraser was quick to point out that entering into the agreement at this point was exploratory only and either side could still back out. The Committee approved a motion to recommend to the selectmen that they enter into the non-binding agreement.

The Committee had a discussion around the need for a building-based substitute. Director of Business Services Christine Healy said that the substitute line in the budget is “doing remarkably well.” The Committee approved paying for a building-based substitute at $150 a day for 100 days beginning in January for as long as the school remains in either a hybrid or full, in-person model.

Healy told the Committee that she had reached out and found a consultant to help with the bids for the new playground. They would act as the school’s agent and make sure that everything was done to specifications including making sure it is ADA compliant. The cost for the consultant will be $13,300. Fraser agreed that as long as there were school choice funds available and a contingency remains, it would make sense to bring someone on to ensure that mistakes aren’t made. The Committee voted to allow Healy to hire the consultant.

Administrator of Special Education Marie Grable gave a presentation on the state of special education in Plympton and across the district as a whole. She gave similar presentations at the Halifax, Kingston, and Silver Lake Regional School Committee meetings in recent weeks. Grable said there are 45 students overall in Plympton and 643 in the district receiving special education services. Plympton’s percentage of students receiving these services stands at 18.2 percent that is just higher than the state average.

The breakdown of Plympton students receiving services includes 32 students at the Dennett, 5 at the integrated preschool, 4 in sub separate programs for Grades K-6, and 4 out of district placements. Out of district tuitions for FY21 total $553,106 for Plympton and out of district transportation totals $97,650.

Grable also shared information regarding various funding sources including Circuit Breaker, the state’s program to help local school districts provide special education services. Plympton’s total claim for FY21 is $242,104, the net claim is $97,048, and the anticipated reimbursement is $67,934. Several grants are also available including Fund Code 240 in the amount of $56,278. Fund Code 262 and Fund Code 298 which are geared toward Pre-K learners, total $2,567 and $1,085 respectively. Plympton will also receive $5,969 toward professional development from Fund Code 274.

Fraser praised Grable for bringing students back to in- district programming. He said that during her time in the position, she has excelled at keeping costs low while also keeping kids close to their local communities. Wilhelmsen seconded Fraser’s sentiments.