Winners of the recent Silver Lake Middle School Geography Bee, will have an opportunity to try out for the state GeoBee, and the winners from each state Bee will go on to compete at the national GeoBee. From left are Wyatt Rosano, 2nd place, Connor O’Brien, 1st place, and Michael DiBona, 3rd place.
Halifax BOS fills Planning Board vacancy
The Tuesday, January 28 Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting began with a final interview for the vacancy on the Planning Board. Timothy Fabroski told the assembled Board of Selectmen and Planning Board that he owns a real estate and construction company and has been self-employed since the 1980s. Fabroski said, “I think the Planning Board could use me” and cited his experience on the other side of the table presenting before the Board. Selectmen Chair Troy Garron asked Fabroski his opinion on building in Halifax. Fabroski said, “I honestly think the more you build, the better.” Three other candidates previously came before the two boards; they were Alan Dias, David Mascio, and Ashley DiSesa.
Planning Board Chair Gordon R. Andrews said that the Planning Board was looking forward to having the vacancy filled but also said that he didn’t want to see someone with an agenda assume the position. Selectman Tom Millias made a motion to forgo a vote and wait until May to fill the position when candidates could pull papers and run against one another in the election. Garron seconded Millias’ motion. Planning Board member Amy Troup said, “I think that would be a detriment to everyone that stepped forward.” Troup, who said she would like to see the position filled by someone not currently serving on a board in town, suggested that the experience to serve between now and May would prove a good trial. All four current Planning Board members elected to move forward with the vote.
In order to secure the position, a candidate had to receive votes from four of the seven members of the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen. Millias nominated Dias and Selectman Gordon C. Andrews nominated DiSesa. Gordon R. Andrews, Gordon C. Andrews, Karlis Skulte, and Troup all voted in favor of DiSesa, awarding her the position.
Bud’s Goods
Alex Mazin of Bud’s Goods and Provisions came before the Board just as he did at the previous meeting to hopefully finalize a five-year Host Community Agreement (HCA) for his outdoor marijuana growing facility on River St. in Halifax. Halifax is set to earn 3 percent of Bud’s gross sales, the most allowable under MA state law. Should that law change, however, Halifax will also have a most-favored-nation (MFN) status, preventing Bud’s from entering into another HCA with better terms for another municipality without amending their agreement with Halifax.
Mazin, who grew up in Worcester and attended Babson College, has three retail licenses for a retail store currently under construction in Worcester, another potential one on the Abington/Weymouth line, and a third newly acquired retail license for Watertown. Mazin also operates a facility in Lakeville that he’s hoping to now use for manufacturing purposes; he will be transferring his cultivation license from this facility to Halifax. Mazin explained his belief that outdoor growing will revolutionize the cannabis industry as the environmental impact, cost factors, and sustainability of indoor facilities do not make a viable market.
Town Administrator Charlie Seelig explained to Mazin that while a few final tweaks still needed to be made to the agreement, the selectmen’s intent is to sign the HCA. Addressing any final concerns the selectmen or town may have, Mazin said, “A community that lets us in, we want to make sure is benefitting as well because we are doing something very unique and historic and we’re all taking risks at some degree and some level and risk should be rewarded.”
COA happenings
Newly appointed Council on Aging (COA) Director Susan Lawless as well as two members of the COA Committee provided the selectmen with an update on the COA. Lawless said that the addition of a kiosk has allowed her to track participation in the various COA events. These statistics will prove useful as many of the grants Lawless would like to apply for require them. Lawless also said that the COA has purchased a minivan to help get residents to and from appointments. Seelig said that the town has two interested applicants for the vacancies on the Council on Aging Committee.
Town’s Campus
Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Police Chief Joao Chaves, and Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward were all present at Tuesday’s meeting to discuss the town’s campus improvement concept. Chief Chaves explained some of the thoughts shared at earlier meetings including consolidating the police and fire departments into a new, single building, moving the Council on Aging into the current police station, and moving the water department and building maintenance into the current fire station (freeing up space for the highway department). Chief Viveiros recently surveyed all department heads regarding their most pressing needs. Millias said, “Everything is conceptual at this point, we need to get input and narrow it down.” The Selectmen agreed to the formation of a Campus Committee to further develop the global approach to improving the municipal buildings to better suit the various department’s needs. The hope would be to include the department heads and building inspector as members as well as to have representation from the Finance Committee, Conservation Commission, and any other pertinent people. The selectmen hope to have a response to the committee requests by their next meeting.
Memorial Day
The selectmen also voted to form a Memorial Day Committee per resident David Walsh’s request at their last meeting. Walsh, a member of the Halifax VFW Post 6258, had requested the formation of the committee, as well as asking that the military lead the parade and requesting more involvement between the elementary school and the veterans. Seelig said that he would request five members for the new committee that will be publicized.
Silver Lake budget
The Silver Lake budget was also discussed. Andrews asked Garron or Millias to attend the Thursday, February 13 public budget hearing to be held at 6 p.m. at the high school as he will be there in his capacity as a school committee member rather than a selectman. Seelig said that the proposed Silver Lake budget calls for a 3.84 or 3.34 percent increase. The selectmen and Seelig agreed that while increases may seem minimal in a single year, they are compounded over several years with the end result being a budget that isn’t sustainable for the town. Seelig also said that he wrote to Senator Michael Brady as well as Representative Kathleen LaNatra about the lack of state aid.
The selectmen, Seelig, and Chief Chaves also discussed the need for and method to pay for an additional 12 hours for the school resource officer (SRO) at the middle school. Currently, the SRO at the middle school is allotted only 8 hours per week, funded by the town of Plympton. The town of Halifax narrowly voted against funding their share of the requested 20 hours for the school resource officer during last spring’s town meeting. Currently, the town of Kingston fully funds the officer at the high school. Seelig said there will be an article on the warrant at this year’s town meeting to fund those hours. All parties are in agreement that there is a need for the officer to be at the school 20 hours a week, though the mechanism to pay for it has been disputed.
Oak Place repairs
Resident Bill Pond of Oak Place attended the meeting to share his concerns regarding the condition of his road and request help from the selectmen for all Halifax residents living on dirt roads. Millias clarified that Oak Place is actually considered an easement rather than a public road. Pond said that the efforts being made by the Highway Department to improve Oak Place are futile and requested that a roller be used. Hayward said that there isn’t enough money to purchase a large enough roller. Hayward also said that according to by-laws, the department is to only go out twice a year with a grader. Hayward further emphasized that they are not supposed to spend any extra money on private roads. Millias suggested to Pond that a place to start might be to petition to accept Oak Place as a public road. Currently the Highway Department rents much of their equipment and hires companies to do much of the work. Andrews suggested to Hayward the possibility of regionalizing with several other neighboring towns and hiring a crew and purchasing equipment to serve the collective communities. Hayward said he would look into the cost of such an endeavor vs. the cost of the current methods.
LEGO Fun at Holmes
The Holmes Public Library in Halifax hosted a busy Lego Challenge on Saturday, January 25.
Children’s librarian Holly Lannucci had multiple tables setup in the community room with various challenges available for completion. Included among those challenges was the chance to try your hand at building a bridge from Legos capable of supporting the weight of multiple books. Larger Duplo blocks and Lincoln Logs were also available in the main area of the library for the younger cohort of guests.
Once completed, challenge goers had the option to put their creations on display on a shelf in the children’s section complete with a name tag to provide credit.
Lannucci said that the library will host these Lego Challenges every few months.
Register to vote for primary election
HALIFAX – The Annual Street Listing form has been mailed out to all Halifax households. Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor requests that residents please fill out the form and return it as soon as possible.
Filling out the form DOES NOT REGISTER you to vote.
If there is no letter such as D; R or U listed under Party beside your name, then you are not registered to vote. You may register to vote at the Town Clerk’s office or online at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/.
The last day to register to vote for the Presidential Primary, is Wednesday, February 12. The Massachusetts Presidential Primary is Tuesday, March 3.
The Annual Town Election will be held on May 16. Nomination papers will be available beginning Tuesday, January 21 at the Town Clerk’s office and must be returned by March 25.
Nomination papers are available for the following:
Board of Assessors, three year term; Board of Health, three-year term; Highway Surveyor, three-year term; Library Board of Trustees, two positions with three-year terms; Halifax Housing Authority: three positions: three-year term, four-year term and a five-year term; Park Commissioner, a three-year term and a one-year term; Halifax Elementary School Committee, two three-year terms; Silver Lake Regional School Committee, three-year term; Board of Selectmen, three-year term and Board of Water Commissioners, three-year term.
Halifax municipal buildings reviewed
Many of the department heads were present at the Tuesday, January 14 Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting to discuss a feasibility study that was conducted for their respective buildings. Fire Chief Jason Viveiros had sent a survey to the various departments inquiring about the state of their facilities.
The library reported to have issues with acoustics, lack of parking, and overuse of the bathroom since the playground renovation.
The police department stated that their building is just too large for their purposes.
The fire department reported the most significant problems and expressed their desire for a new building.
Pope’s Tavern which houses the Council on Aging also has a number of issues including a lack of accessibility. Additionally, a front room on the second floor is closed down due to a leak in the ceiling. Maintenance Director Scott Materna said that they do not yet have an estimate for the roof repair.
Board of Selectmen Chair Troy Garron said that the requests would have to be prioritized.
John Campbell of the Municipal and School Building Committee said that outside help would be needed in reviewing and prioritizing the various department’s needs. Campbell suggested an article at the annual town meeting to ask for money to hire such help. Garron agreed saying that bringing on a third party would help eliminate in-fighting.
Memorial Day parade committee requested
David Walsh from the Halifax VFW Post 6258 had an appointment to meet with the Selectmen to discuss some of his ideas as well as his concerns. Walsh asked that either the color guard or honor guard lead the Memorial Day parade this year as it is a day dedicated to the military. In the past, the parade has been led by the fire department. Walsh also requested the formation of a Memorial Day Committee. Walsh said, “It’s a very sacred holiday; I don’t think any of us have to be reminded how important this day is as a remembrance. It’s so different from Veteran’s Day when we honor all veterans for their service. On Memorial Day, we remember those special people that are no longer with us who worked so hard to give us what we have today. It is so important for future generations to understand this.”
Walsh, who emphasized how important children were to the VFW, also addressed what he referred to as “patriotic awareness of the youth.” According to Walsh, the veterans have held programs such as veteran’s assemblies at many of the surrounding elementary schools geared toward kindergarten to third-grade children. Walsh said that the children give speeches and the chorus and band are often incorporated.
Walsh described one ceremony years ago where the students formed a big gauntlet for the veterans to walk through as children high-fived and thanked them. Walsh said he would like to see similar programs brought to Halifax Elementary school. Garron, who was very receptive to Walsh’s suggestions, asked that he put them into writing and submit them to the board.
Planning Board candidates interviewed
The Board also held several interviews for the vacancy on the Planning Board. No vote could be had on any of the candidates, however, since the Planning Board did not post a meeting and wouldn’t be able to vote.
The first candidate to come before the board was Alan Dias, a 40-year resident of the town and an elected official on the Board of Health for the last five years. Dias said that he has been a self-employed surveying contractor for the last 30 years who has represented clients before planning boards. He also said that he knows how to read sewerage and draining plans. Selectman Tom Millias asked Dias if he had both the time and desire to dedicate to the position and Dias replied, “Yes, I do.”
Selectman Gordon Andrews asked Dias if he was aware that as an elected official, he is unable to represent someone in front of a town board. “As a member of the Board of Health, I went back and looked at the Conservation Committee minutes, and you represented Brookside Realty before the Conservation Committee. You acted as their agent and as their representative,” Andrews said to Dias. Dias said, “That’s Incorrect.” Andrews replied, “That is not incorrect. It is in the minutes from 2017.”
Dias said he has no affiliation with Brookside Realty. “It’s also in the minutes from the Planning Board meeting in 2018 that you represented Mr. White,” Andrews said. Dias said, “Yes, Brad White is a friend of mine.” Dias and Andrews then went back and forth regarding whether an elected official can represent someone in front of a town board.
Andrews said the exception would be if you have a personal interest in a property and are representing yourself. Both Dias and the other selectmen said they would have to look into the rule further.
Anonymous letters sent to selectmen not given credence
Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the selectmen that he had received an anonymous letter about Dias. Dias said that while he had not read the letter, it was his understanding that the subject of the letter was similar to the accusations Andrews was making. Millias said, “As far as anonymous letters go, if someone doesn’t have the courage to put their name on it, I don’t give it much credence because anybody can make any accusation against anybody anonymously – isn’t that brave,” Millias said. Garron agreed and the letter was not read.
David Mascio, who has lived in town for 4 years, was next to interview for the opening. Mascio said he has a background in construction with knowledge in heavy equipment, carpentry, and plumbing, saying, “I know quite a bit about a lot.” Mascio explained his reasons for wanting to serve as follows, “I’m trying to get on the Planning Board to help shake things up in this town – protect our by-laws that we have. I understand that there are some differences in the town with some things that are going on. I brought my kids here for a reason so they could grow up in a farming community, a small community, not to watch it get impacted and grow… There are things that this town will require if we do grow more than we can fit. I understand that there is plenty of land; let’s leave it that way is the way I feel.”
Mascio went on to say, “I mean nothing disrespectful by it, but I think we need to start moving some of the older politicians that are in this town – maybe its time for them to step aside and let some younger people that have families, that really care about where their families are going to be brought up in,” Mascio said. As with Dias, Seelig said another anonymous letter was received regarding Mascio. Again, the selectmen declined to hear the letter on account of its anonymity.
The final interview was with Ashley DiSesa, a Director of Operations for a home remodeling company. DiSesa, who has lived in Halifax for five years, has two children, one in the school system where she volunteers frequently and attends PTO meetings.
DiSesa said she has a strong background in reading plans, working with engineers, and understanding by-laws. My biggest reason for wanting to get involved is I grew up in Carver, two towns over, always wanted to come here and be a part of Silver Lake…
I plan on being here long term and really just want to make sure we are making good decisions for my children to be able to grow up here.”
DiSesa stressed that she would look beyond her own wants when serving, “I feel like I could make good decisions for the town as a whole.”
Millias told DiSesa that should she not receive the appointment, he would encourage her to seek another volunteer opportunity.
Buds Goods and Provisions host agreement change
The final appointment of the night was with Alex Mazin of Buds Goods & Provisions. Garron asked Mazin if he was looking for a final answer regarding his proposed outdoor marijuana growing facility in Halifax.
Mazin responded that he was but with some contingencies. Some amendments were still needed on both sides of the host community agreement.
Mazin was looking to increase the size of the building from 10,000 sq. ft. to 20,000 sq. ft. Millias pointed out that under Massachusetts law, buildings over 7500 sq. ft. require sprinkler systems. Mazin said that they may end up going with several smaller structures, rather than one large one.
The biggest change requested by Mazin to the language of the agreement was to add “indoor” in addition to outdoor.
Mazin explained that the only reason for the requested change was to allow for some vegetation to occur indoors in order to prepare for the outdoor season. Andrews suggested adding to the language that the indoor growing would be for propagation purposes only. Millias agreed adding that he would like to see propagation defined in the agreement.
The Selectmen agreed to have the agreement amended as necessary before meeting to vote on Bud’s on Tuesday, January 28, at 7:30 p.m.
Halifax seeks volunteers to serve on COA
The Halifax Board of Selectmen is seeking volunteers to serve on the Halifax Council on Aging as the Board has received notice of two vacancies on the Council.
The Council coordinates and carries out programs designed to meet the needs of seniors in Halifax in the areas of health, welfare, education, recreation, and transportation.
Residents interested in serving on the Council on Aging can download a talent bank form at
http://www.halifax-ma.org/board-selectmen/files/talent-bank-form-2019 and submit it to the Board of Selectmen, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338 or contact the Selectmen’s Office at 781-294-1316 to obtain one.
Plastic bag ban begins March 1
Jeanne Kling of the Halifax Beautification Committee wants to remind residents that the ban on single use plastic bags in the Town of Halifax will begin Sunday, March 1, so retailers and shoppers alike should be prepared.
The article was passed at the Halifax Town Meeting in May 2019.
The reusable bag bylaw, designed to reduce the use and distribution of single use plastic shopping bags, will take effect on March 1, 2020.
This bylaw was voted at the Annual Town Meeting in May, 2019 and has been approved by the Attorney General. It applies to all businesses operating in the town of Halifax.
No plastic bags will be permissible for distribution at checkouts (points of sale). There is no thickness, or percentage of plastic content acceptable.
The Beautification Committee, on clean up days and at other events, has distributed free reusable bags while supplies lasted. Start gathering your reusable bags now!
For more information about the bylaw, or with questions, please contact the Halifax Beautification Committee at beautification@halifax-ma.org.
Lynch is new SL Asst. Superintendent
A joint meeting of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee and Union 31 was held on January 9 in order to interview and potentially hire a new assistant superintendent.
Newly promoted from assistant superintendent to superintendent, Jill Proulx told those gathered that she had previously worked with candidate Ryan Lynch for five years during her tenure as assistant superintendent in Scituate. Lynch was the English Department chairman for the Scituate Public Schools from 2008-2015 before serving as principal of the Lester J. Gates Middle School in Scituate from 2015-2019.
Lynch, who grew up on the South Shore, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Notre Dame and completed his master’s degree at Brown University.
Lynch comes to the table with nearly two decades’ worth of experience as a classroom teacher in addition to his administrative roles.
Proulx described Lynch as having a “devotion to meeting the needs of all learners” as well as a “growth mindset.” “I think we would be very lucky to have Ryan on our team,” Proulx said.
“I am the product of a public high school. I believe in the power of schools and the value of public service. My mother is a retired high school principal and that really inspired me to see the kind of work that school districts can do to change lives,” Lynch told the committee and Union 31.
Regional School Committee Chair Jason Fraser said, “The build to this point in your career is rather unique as you were so long in the classroom and in the trenches, which is something that many of us have said many, many times that we really look for in someone coming forth in an administrative position.”
Many of those present took the opportunity to ask Lynch a variety of questions on topics such as “initiative fatigue” and charter schools. Those present were impressed with Lynch’s responses.
Jeanne Coleman, a member of both the Kingston School Committee and Union 31, was a part of the search committees that unanimously forwarded Lynch on as the sole candidate. Coleman said, “He’s very authentic and very positive. Every one of the questions that we asked him, which were pretty heavy, he answered very thoroughly and also with a lot of optimism for our district and also with a lot of knowledge about our district already.”
Regional School Committee member Paula Hatch said that she considered Proulx and Lynch’s time working together in Scituate to be a positive. Hatch said, “Sometimes it’s hard when somebody comes in to get a rhythm going… I would think there would be an immediate gel moving into the team and that’s a big hurdle that you’ve already jumped over and that’s a wonderful thing for the district that you’re already that much further ahead in the process.”
Lynch was unanimously voted through by both the Union and the Regional School Committee as the next assistant superintendent.
Regional Budget Discussed
Once the joint meeting adjourned, the regional school committee began their budget discussion. Superintendent Joy Blackwood said that herself, Proulx, and Director of Business Services Christine Healy have been meeting frequently to build the budget for fiscal year 2020-2021.
Blackwood said that version one of the budget came in much too high and that middle school principal Jim Dupille and high school principal Michaela Gill joined Blackwood, Proulx, and Healy in trying to reduce that number. They were successful in cutting $331,239 from version one without cutting staff. Blackwood said, “I’m sort of willing to cut most anything except staff; that’s always my last resort.”
The original version of the budget was coming in at 3.84 percent while version two came in at 3.34 percent. Much of what was cut was equipment including bleachers, technology items, and books. “We cut pretty much to the bone,” Blackwood explained. Blackwood said that finding cuts is quite difficult as 98 percent of the budget is fixed costs.
Decreasing enrollment
Blackwood said that enrollment has been decreasing over the last ten years but did note that the number of students being homeschooled has also decreased. Twelve students at the grade 7-12 level are currently attending school in surrounding districts due to school choice.
“I had not realized the numbers that we are losing to school choice,” Blackwood said. Of Silver Lake considering school choice, Blackwood commented, “Considering our financial situation and the fact that we have space, it may be worth considering going forward. I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do but I think I would be remiss in not mentioning it as a potential source.” Currently there are 293 students enrolled in the career and technical education program (CTE), which accounts for 26 percent of the entire high school.
There are five retirements including some aide positions that will not be replaced, providing clean savings for the budget. Blackwood said that the addition of an allied health teacher as well as a nurse leader were not included in the current version of the budget. In order to seek Chapter 74 certification for the allied health program at the high school, a second teacher will need to be added. Half of the program, which is currently the most popular of all the CTE offerings, can be paid for through a grant but the other half, roughly $30,000, will need to be added into the budget. The position will be paid for by the additional Chapter 74 income but that won’t take Effect until the year after next. The nurse leader position would be a shared cost position were it to come to fruition. Several members of the committee said that despite the need for further cuts they would still be supportive of adding these two positions.
There are a few areas that may potentially provide further cost savings when the final numbers are received. A five percent increase is currently built in for health insurance, but that number may likely be as low as three percent, providing roughly a $56,000 savings. The district is going out to bid for the bus contract and the number currently entered into the budget is quite fiscally conservative. Blackwood said that they are hopeful to have those numbers finalized by the February committee meeting.
Perhaps the biggest hit to the budget is the contribution to the Plymouth County Retirement. The contribution this year is up $111,238. Blackwood and Healy said that they are at a loss as to why the large increase.
Principals Dupille and Gill both addressed the methods that have been taken for curbing the vaping epidemic in the schools as well as the approach to disciplining those found using vaping devices. A vape detection system was purchased and installed over the summer but has been malfunctioning since. Administrators reached out to the company and have since deactivated the system. A new devices will be reactivated in the next few weeks.
Gill said that a task committee was formed to study discipline data related to vaping. What was found was that the traditional approach consisting of multi-day suspensions, etc. was largely ineffective in deterring use. The school has started to develop a deviation program, based on the one used in the Belmont school district, that would provide education, support, and counseling for students to help with their addiction. Some students have done the Upper Academy in North River which is a 5-day program, in lieu of a suspension, that focuses on counseling and therapy and learning about what’s causing their addiction. The end goal is to start a four-week long program in-house at Silver Lake that would provide similar services. Gill said that another goal is providing a safe space where students can self-report and receive help.
The administration also recently partnered with the allied health program and the SADD (students against destructive decisions) program to unite students and staff together to combat the epidemic. The allied health students hope to reach out to students across all age levels in the district in order to help with education and prevention.
The SADD students are working on school PSAs to spread awareness about vaping and the dangers associated with it. Silver Lake Regional School Committee student representative Jake Twomey is enrolled in the allied health program and is also a part of the coalition of staff and students intent on working on a solution to the ever growing problem of vaping.
Twomey said that the students intend to do a presentation aimed at high school students, another one aimed at middle school students, and still another for the youngest cohort at the elementary level. Twomey explained that the hope is that the words would carry more weight coming from students. He also said that the goal is to focus not just on fixing the problem, but also on preventing it. A student support group is another idea that has been floated.
Dupille said that students undergo SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) screenings. Additionally, the school offers anti-vaping programs throughout the year including this past week’s Vaping Me Crazy led by presenter Michael DeLeon. Dupille stressed that such presentations are open to anyone and are not limited to middle school parents.
Vice chair of the Regional School Committee Eric Crone said that he has been alarmed at the number of parents and grandparents who believe that vaping is not addicting and mild compared to what people of an older generation were doing in school. The consensus among the committee was that oftentimes parents as well as students need to be better educated regarding the risks associated with vaping.
Superintendent Joy Blackwood Prepares for Retirement
Staff threw a retirement party for Blackwood to thank her for her many years of service at Silver Lake. During Thursday’s meeting, Gill said, “On behalf of Jim and I and all of our staff and our students Joy, we just wanted to express our heartfelt thank you for your dedication and service to this district. We’re going to miss you, wish you all the best in your retirement, and we just want to publicly acknowledge all that you have done for our students and thank you for that.”
Fraser said, “The biggest impact you’ve had on my life is the impact you’ve had on my children’s lives.”
Halifax Elementary budget proposed at 2.18% increase
The Halifax School Committee began their Monday, January 6 meeting with a review of the budget. The meeting was the last for Superintendent Joy Blackwood before her retirement. Blackwood said that herself, new superintendent (former assistant superintendent) Jill Proulx, and Director of Business Services Christine Healy have been working on five budgets simultaneously.
The Halifax Finance Committee requested a level service budget during a meeting with administrators. As a result, requests for additional staff were not included in the budget being presented Monday. Those requests include an additional teacher for a much larger than average class size, a math coach, and a band teacher. Currently band is offered after school only and at a cost. Blackwood would like to see the program reinstated during school hours in order to allow all students to participate and level the playing field. It would be a shared position between Halifax and Dennett Elementary in Plympton. Kingston brought band back this past year.
Halifax Elementary School principal Kayne Beaudry developed three options to fulfill the need for additional help with the large grade. The most obvious, but most expensive, option would be to hire a new classroom teacher. Another option would be to move a classroom teacher from a grade with a lower enrollment, in this case the current kindergarten class. Another option for the current school year would be to reassign some support staff.
Blackwood said that the budget reflects a 65 percent reimbursement from Circuit Breaker, the state special education reimbursement program, although that number could be as high as 72 percent. According to Blackwood the special education numbers reflect that the school is meeting the current and anticipated needs of all students.
Four students are graduating from the out of district vocational program. Three spots will be saved for students that will potentially apply before the deadline in April. Unless someone moves into the town, $27,000 will be returned from this account to the town.
Utilities decreased substantially for the fiscal year 2020-2021 budget thanks to the new roof, new siding, and new doors. “Halifax invested heavily in this building and it is really reflected; we’re actually seeing real numbers… it’s pretty exciting to be able to say that and that’s not a sentence I can say in any other district.”
Enrollment in Halifax has been decreasing over the last ten years. In 2010 enrollment at Halifax Elementary stood at 652 and by 2019 it was down to 586. The same trend is seen for Halifax students at the secondary level. Homeschool enrollment has been holding steady around 5 students for the last few years. Additionally, 10 Halifax students attend school out of the district through school choice. The town receives no Chapter 70 funding for students attending school elsewhere (either through school choice or homeschooling). The good news is that the lower enrollment numbers mean a decrease in the assessment for Halifax whereas Kingston will see an increase.
The busing number that is currently in the budget is just a placeholder and Blackwood said that they hope to have a final number by February. There are no retirements in Halifax and thus there will be no cost savings related to that.
“We’re coming in at a very reasonable percentage increase, I think,” Blackwood said of the increase of 2.18 percent in the proposed budget thus far.
Halifax Elementary School Chairman Summer Schmaling gave an update on the Halifax Youth and Recreation Department (HYRD). Director Dick Steele said they are moving into their winter phase with both town basketball and travel basketball kicking off.
Steele also extended a thank you to the school for the use of their facilities as well as the additional help they provide to make Holidays in Halifax a success. Steele will be in touch with school building administrators about redoing the floor in the gym during April vacation. The next big event on the radar for the department will be the egg hunt in March.
Beaudry reported on recent and upcoming events at the school. Beaudry spoke highly of the winter concert led by music teacher Brenda Lessard and performed by the chorus. “It is great to get everybody in the gymnasium all together,” Beaudry said.
A new event this year was the MARC (Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center) Assembly. MARC is part of Bridgewater State and the assembly, which is presented by a Bridgewater State student, focuses on anti-bullying and anti-cyber-bullying. “The presenter was amazing, really kind of knew all the current lingo and terminology and talked to the students on their level,” Beaudry told the committee.
The MCAS calendar is out and is available on the school website. The testing window for English and Language Arts (ELA) will be from April 13 to May 1. Math testing will be held from May 5 to May 15 and science for Grade 5 will be on May 19.
At the close of the meeting, Schmaling took the time to thank Blackwood for her years of dedication saying, “I’m grateful for you always being there, being a mentor… asking and answering any questions that we might have. I really appreciate and value our relationship and everything that you’ve done to support our committee and our town and our children both in this town and throughout the entire district… the amount of manpower and hours and dedication that you bring to our community doesn’t go unnoticed.” Blackwood said, “Thank you, it’s been an honor and a privilege. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in the district and it really has meant the world to me to be your superintendent.”
Twin stores proposed in Plympton to sell mini towers
The first three hearings scheduled for Monday, January 13 with the Plympton Planning Board all requested continuances to later dates. The remaining hearing was for CLE, LLC to seek site plan approval to construct two buildings at 0 Palmer Rd. to be used as retail/showroom spaces for cellular nodes.
Cellular nodes are small low-powered antennas, sometimes referred to as small cells, that provide coverage and capacity much like a cellular tower. These nodes, which are often placed on utility poles, streetlights, etc., are necessary to power 5G technology which handles large amounts of data at extremely fast speeds. According to CLE, LLC owner Kevin Farrell, who was present at Monday’s hearing, his customers include Crown Castle, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint.
Farrell said that the nodes are manufactured at a fabrication shop on Wood St. in Middleboro. Since the facility is not conducive to displaying the nodes for potential clients, Farrell intends to use the proposed buildings on Palmer Rd. as a showroom and retail facility where customers can go to view and purchase the nodes.
CLE, LLC was represented Monday by their attorney Edward Conroy and by a representative of Webby Engineering. Farrell stressed that the proposed buildings would be strictly for business use and emphasized his belief that they fit well into the character of the area as it is a business district.
Planning Board member Paul D’Angelo recused himself from the Board as he knows Farrell. Chair Ann Sobolewski and Planning Board members Jennifer MacDonald, John Schmid, and Jay Cohen were all present. Conroy said that Farrell has been putting these nodes up throughout Boston and handed the Board photos of them.
Sobolewski said that the town’s technical review engineer was unable to review the plans due to a death in the family. He will, however, review the plans prior to the next hearing and provide feedback to the applicant.
The proposed buildings are 80 ft. x 90 ft. and are 7,200 sq. ft. each. The lot is 12 acres. Sobolewski asked what the rationale was for having two identical buildings to be used for the same purposes. The engineer explained that the town restricts retail spaces to be less than 10,000 sq. ft. in size. Additionally, there was a problem with the installation of sprinklers in a building over 7,500 sq. ft. According to Farrell there will only be one sign on one of the two buildings.
Farrell said there would be 6-8 employees, but they would not all be full-time or on-site. The initial plan would be to have two employees in each of the buildings.
Schmid had a number of technical questions for the engineer that appeared to reveal problems with the proposed plan that would need to be fixed before proceeding. Several questions from the Board regarded the aesthetics of the buildings themselves. Schmid asked if the green color depicted in the plans was really the intended color of the actual buildings and was told that it was but that it could be changed if the town preferred something else.
MacDonald also reminded them that there were some specific requirements such as 60 percent of the building consisting of windows. Sobolewski asked if they had any waivers for the parts of the plans that do not align with town requirements and was told that they did not.
The hearing was opened to public participation and abutter Siobhan Green took the opportunity to share her concerns. Green, who said that she has lived in her residence for 18 years, said that during that time there have been three owners of the property at 0 Palmer Rd. Green said that the previous owner dumped truckloads of dirt that have resulted in “ferocious” flooding to her property.
“I worry about people holding to their word because everybody that has bought the property has somehow lied or defied the town in one way or another in what they plan to do with it and how they plan to handle it,” Green explained. Green went on to describe a past incident where a number of trucks idled on the property as early as 3 a.m.
In examining the site plans, Green noted that it looked like several trees would have to be taken down that would appear to result in a full view from her property of the buildings to be constructed. “I am partial, of course, to the woods, that’s why I moved to Plympton…I like the rural beauty of it,” Green explained.
Sobolewski said that there are a lot of things that can be done to provide attractive screening. “One of the things that this Board has routinely, as John said, been focused on is appropriate landscaping especially when there is a residential abutter because your home is your biggest asset that is your value of your land and we’ve really taken that to heart. A lot of our applicants are very forthcoming and willing to meet with abutters and talk to them,” Sobolewski told Green.
Green also questioned the area of the property that she believed to be wetlands. CLE, LLC will have to come before the Conservation Commission because they are within 100 ft. of wetlands. They will also still need to go before the Board of Health as well.
A site walk has been scheduled for February 8 at 11:30 a.m. All abutters are invited to participate. A continuance of the hearing has also been scheduled for February 10 at 7:15 p.m.
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