The girls’ tennis team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The girls’ tennis team made history this spring.

As the spring wore on, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ tennis team had come into its own.

It flipped a 2-3 loss against Plymouth North into a 3-2 victory nearly three weeks later and topped league foes Hanover (5-0), Quincy (3-2) and Pembroke (4-1) down the stretch.

“I think our girls picked up speed as the season went along and gained confidence,” said sixth-year head coach Sue Sookiasian.

They turned that extra speed and confidence into history. After meeting their first goal of making the tournament, it was then a belief they could win a match in it. With a 4-1 victory over Bishop Feehan in the preliminary round, they did – the  program’s first tournament win on record.

Sookiasian said confidence was crucial.

“I knew they had that in them, it was just my job I feel to present that,” said the coach, whose team was knocked out by Wellesley in the next round, finishing the season at 11-11. “I knew they could do this, I didn’t know if they knew they could do this and that was my role and my assistant Sue Moss’ role to get them to that point. They have the talent, they just needed to believe in themselves.”

Sookiasian also said the constant mindset that tennis is a team sport not an individual sport played a large role in the Panthers’ run.

“One girl might have a great day and come through with a win and the next time we could play the same team and it might not be the same result she had prior but then another member might have lost the previous match and then won,” said the coach. “But they banded together and got the job done.”

W-H’s strength was its dominance in No. 2 and No. 3 singles. Junior captain Abby Pulling posted a 12-6 mark in the No. 2 spot, while sophomore Julia Benvie went 9-2 at No. 3 after being inserted into the position shortly into the season.

“They both had fantastic records,” Sookiasian said. “They were really our strong holds. I could rely on them.”

Going against the best the opposition had to offer, junior captain Lexi Connolly went 9-9 at No. 1 singles and was a league all-star.

“In the Patriot League, when you play towns like Hingham and Scituate and Duxbury, their kids play year-round,” Sookiasian said. “So, it’s tough.”

The doubles teams took a bit longer to round into form. After beginning the season in No. 2 doubles, sophomores Rylie Harlow and Kyla Faghan were bumped up a spot after beating Hingham. Junior captain Nandita Kumar, her sister, sophomore Divya Kumar, and junior captain Chloe Wilson shared time in No. 2 doubles.

“The doubles teams, along with the team, I think picked up speed as the year went along,” Sookiasian said. “Doubles is a little tougher because what you think to start the season might work out, it usually doesn’t – you have to juggle the teams around a bit and that’s what we did. It probably took us 6-8 matches in to really determine who was going to be the best fit with each other.”

Sookiasian said she already has her eyes set on next season. It’s tough to blame her because the Panthers are set to return everybody.

“I’ll have higher goals for next year,” she explained. “I would love to see them playing more tennis this offseason. I’m really encouraging them to obviously play outdoors from the summer into the fall, but definitely play around January. That makes a big difference in their game. If they play three months prior to the season, that will make us that much stronger.”

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The Patriot League has released its 2019 spring all-stars and Whitman-Hanson Regional High is well represented.

BASEBALL

Mike Cook— A three-time league all-star, the senior hit a team-high .364 and drove in a team-best 14 runs. In the field, he had a .983 fielding percentage at second base.

Rian Schwede— Also a three-time league all-star, he pitched to the tune of a 7-2 record and 0.79 ERA over 62 1/3 frames, while striking out 61 and walking just seven. He was also second on the team with a .356 average to go with six RBIs.

SOFTBALL

Annie Cook— Freshman third baseman hit .344 and drove in nine runs out of the leadoff spot. She led the team with seven runs scored.

Victoria Ryan — A repeat league all-star, the junior led the team in average (.390), hits (23), and slugging percentage (.542) and OPS (.961), while cranking out a pair of home runs.

BOYS’ LACROSSE

Mason Gorman— Senior midfielder and captain scored 32 goals and tallied 26 helpers for a team-high 58 points.

Mario Troiani— Senior netminder, who was named a captain halfway through the season, stopped 175 shots and had a save percentage a hair under 60 percent.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

Riley Bina— Despite missing seven games due to injury, the junior paced the Panthers with 37 goals and added 13 assists for 50 points, which was second on the team.

BOYS’ TENNIS

Brian Fox— Playing in No. 1 singles, the junior captain was the Panthers’ best player with a 5-11 record.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Lexi Connolly— The junior captain was a force out of the No. 1 singles position for the tournament-bound Panthers with nine wins.

BOYS’ OUTDOOR TRACK

Theo Kamperides— A sophomore, he was the Patriot League’s top 2-mile runner, placing first in league meet with a time of 10:40.00.

GIRLS’ OUTDOOR TRACK

Ally Bartlett— The senior captain was W-H’s top scorer, scoring in the maximin of four events every meet.

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The W-H baseball senior captains. / Photo by: Sue Moss

W-H’s baseball senior captains helped lead the program to two Patriot League Keenan Division crowns, a pair of playoff wins and a 61-25 record.

That included several decisions, such as: finding out what had and hadn’t worked, deciding who could and should play where and assessing who could be a contributor.

Three then-freshmen —Mike Cook, Ethan Phelps and Rian Schwede — made his life a little easier. They only required a few minutes of observation before making a decision.

“I saw their love for the game — they love baseball — and I saw they were natural athletes,” Cronin said. “They could play at the varsity level.”

So Cronin, who made a four-year commitment to W-H when he was hired in 2015, decided he wanted to take them on the ride with him.

Four years later, the program appeared in the tournament each season — which ended an eight-year playoff drought — captured two Patriot League Keenan Division crowns, won a pair of playoff games and racked up a 61-25 record.

“They’re my three,” Cronin said. “They’re my guys that have been with me since Day 1. They’re legacy is very much tied to those championships.”

A three-time all-star, Cook, who is headed to play college baseball at Babson, was a constant at second base and in the middle of the order for the past three years. He never hit below .300.

“He can run, he can make things happen, so he’s solid,” Cronin said of Cook. “Mike is even going to be better in the next four years when he gets to Babson and starts to really compete against some really good players. You’re going to see him get much better.”

Mike Cook never batted below .300. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Cook said the groundwork for the Panthers’ success during his tenure was laid by the seniors when he was just a freshman.

“They set the tone,” Cook said. “Nick Haley, Nate Perkins, Jared Pendrak, the three captains, they were unbelievable for us. They we had year after year guys that came through and did what they needed to do.”

Schwede agreed.

“We really turned it around my first year with Nick Haley, Brenndan Rogers and Nate Perkins and it was cool to play with them the first year and understand what it’s like to be a part of a really winning program,” Schwede said.

But without Schwede’s arm, that success may not have continued. W-H’s ace for the past two seasons and a league all-star since he was a sophomore, the Endicott College baseball-bound righty pitched to the tune of a 1.47 ERA over 146 2/3 innings. Cronin didn’t mince words when talking about Schwede’s impact.

Rian Schwede was W-H’s ace for the past two seasons. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“He was the guy,” Cronin said. “He was as good as there is in this league. He learned what pitching is all about. He has the big pitchers’ body. He has the big right arm and he understands exactly how I want it done.”

Phelps — Schwede’s partner in the outfield when he wasn’t on the mound — turned in a solid career bouncing between the mound and centerfield.

Ethan Phelps was a league all-star as a junior. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“He grew a lot,” Cronin said of Phelps. “Our seniors are the guys who hit above .300 and he was one of them.”

Phelps said he felt the culture shift when Cronin took the helm.

“It’s a great program, a lot of history in the past few years,” Phelps said. “When Cronin started, he pretty much changed around the whole program.”

Cronin said his senior captains helped establish the baseball program as a team that’s serious about winning.

“They’re the leaders who talk the game and walk the game in school too, and now the kids in school look at the game differently,” Cronin said of his captains. “It’s manifested in who they are as people. So when they see Schwede or they see Cook or they see Phelps and they know they’re baseball players and they respect them, then they respect the game. I think we’re in a good place.”

Each captain said the biggest thing Cronin taught them was how to stay level headed.

“I think just being a leader,” Cook said. “I’ve always been a hot head growing up. I used to always be the kid crying on the field and throwing a tantrum, but coach and everyone else has always stayed on me and helped me be more composed and that’s definitely helped me a lot.”

Said Phelps: “He taught me to keep my temper at ease because a lot of the times it gets out of hands.”

Said Schwede: “Freshman year I was a little bit antsy, I didn’t really know how to control a lot of things, but I think over the last four years, he’s kind of really kept it pretty strong on me.”

Cronin said there’s really only one way to term these past four seasons. That’s exciting.

“They knew what I thought and knew what they thought and it made it a nice smooth ride,” said the skipper. “We had a lot of great wins here. They’ve helped a lot. I will miss them. It’s been great having them, and I’m going to miss the heck out of them.”

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HANSON — When Plymouth County Extension Entomologist Blake Dinius asked a group of Hanson seniors on Monday, June 24, how many had already encountered a tick this year, several hands went up.

Dinius was speaking at the Hanson Multi-Service Senior Center to review the biology of ticks and the diseases they are known to spread within Plymouth County as well as protection methods. The talk was hosted by state Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, and state Sen. Mike Brady, D- Brockton.

The program, videoed by Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV is viewable on YouTube.

Seniors asked right off what symptoms they should be looking for if they do suffer a tick bite.

“They tend to mimic the flu-like symptoms — headache, nausea, sometimes memory loss, sometimes night sweats — but they vary depending on the person and severity of the illness,” Dinius said. “But if you start feeling like you might have the flu in the summer … that would be a good indication to see your primary care provider.”

Cutler thanked Dinius for his participation as well as his employer, Plymouth County Extension Service for their support of the event. Cutler and Brady also provided a lunch, catered by the Olde Hitching Post, for those attending the discussion. Brady was unable to attend.

“Unfortunately, here in Plymouth County, we have one of the highest incidents of Lyme disease, I think, in the nation,” Cutler said as Dinius nodded. “It’s a serious concern. Tick-borne illness is a significant issue for us.”

Dinius said the spraying that goes on in early spring into the fall is a different prevention project to control mosquitos and the viruses they can transmit — West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

“They usually spray in different areas and have a different method of spraying and treating,” he said.

Dinius, who has studied entomology for seven years and participated in about 200 studies, said he does not offer information he has not personally verified.

He pointed to stories published last year to the effect that a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had found that tick and mosquito-borne diseases have tripled in the U.S. since 2004. The reports misrepresented the scientific findings.

“There’s a lot of misinformation that gets spread around ticks and there’s also a lot of fear that gets spread about ticks, but if you have the right tools and you understand what’s going on, the worry and the fear regarding tick-borne diseases doesn’t have to exist,” he said. “I walk in the woods a lot … and I’ve never gotten a tick-borne disease in my entire life.”

The CDC report, in fact, included a spike in mosquito-spread Zika cases in U.S. territories such as the Virgin Islands, Dinius said. Pull out those cases and cases of other mosquito-borne diseases more likely to be found in this area have remained relatively stable.

“I bring this up because we shouldn’t be afraid to go outside,” he said, even though tick-borne illnesses outnumber those spread by mosquitoes.

The CDC has admitted, meanwhile, they may have underestimated the number of cases of Lyme each year. Those cases are concentrated in the northeast and upper Midwest.

Dinius said, however, unlike areas of the country where residents have to contend with earthquakes and tornadoes, Lyme is preventable. It is estimated that Lyme bacteria has been around for between 20,000 and 60,000 years with different species present around the world.

“This disease is ancient,” Dinius said. “It’s also dependent on the black-legged tick.”

There are nine other tick-borne illnesses around this region as well as other illnesses in other parts of the country.

He also spoke of the alpha-gal allergy that causes an allergic reaction to eating beef or beef by-products such as gelatins found in candies and marshmallows. That illness is spread by the Lone Star tick, a southern species found in the northeast.

“Why are there more ticks and more diseases?” Dinius said. “We think there are many things at play here. …Doctors may be becoming more aware of tick-borne diseases in the area. Lyme, when it was first discovered, was called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.”

It is also possible that there are more ticks carrying more diseases, he said. Risk also tends to be higher in suburban communities near the ocean. Fragmented habitat and fewer predators, therefore, maybe more at fault than the deer population for tick-borne illness rates, according to Dinius.

Educating oneself about prevention can lower infection rates, he said.

Spring, when the ticks are then in the tiny nymph stage two to three inches from the ground and fall, when the adults which can be found two to three feet from the ground present high risk for bites. Ticks also require humid conditions to stay alive.

Keeping well-groomed lawns and using a synthetic perimeter yard spray near tree lines can help control ticks.

To protect yourself outdoors, Dinius advises tucking pants into socks to limit tick access to your skin. Permethrin, sprayed on clothing and shoes only, also repels and kills ticks.

DEET, Picaridin or IR3535 (found in Avon’s Skin So Soft with bug guard) are repellants that can be used on the skin. Protecting pets with products recommended by your vet can also keep ticks out of your house.

Checking yourself and pets for ticks after outdoor activity is also recommended.

Saving ticks you find in a dated plastic bag for review by an entomologist can determine if you are at risk for illnesses it may have carried. Dinius said he does those checks free of charge. Taking a photo of the bite to show your doctor can help them diagnose illnesses.

“With the right information and tools, all tick-borne diseases are preventale,” Dinius said.

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WHITMAN — For the Urzuas, roller skating runs — er, rolls — in the family.

All three of Betty Urzua’s children are headed to national competition in Spokane, Wash., to compete for the All Star Skating Club at the U.S. Championships from July 17 to 30.

“My family has always roller skated,” she said. “My grandparents roller skated, my father — I competed myself. But when we moved to Massachusetts [from California], we didn’t know where there was a roller rink.”

That was, until her older son Jonathan became a rink manager at Carousel.

“He told me I could bring the kids in,” Betty said. “I wanted them to learn how to roller skate and they fell in love with it and they just continued on.”

Members of the Carousel team performed in an exhibition of their skating skills at their home rink, the Carousel Family Fun Center on Auburn Street, Sunday, June 30 as a fundraiser to help send the club’s National Roller Skating Team to Spokane to defend their titles and do their best.

“The best part [of going to Nationals] is the experience of it,” Joshua Urzua said before Sunday’s benefit show. He has done both solo and team skating.

He doesn’t see pre-competition nerves as a problem.

“I just go to do the best I could,” he said. They practice about 10 hours a week, but little sister Elsy said that goes up prior to Nationals.

Fellow skaters Laura and Christopher Miller, 10, of Brockton are also returning to Nationals.

“We’re a team,” Christopher said, noting that he likes the variety of roller skating. “I like how you can make up routines and be creative — I like the precision, how you have to work hard to make a performance. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid and I love it.”

“I like the coaches,” said Laura. “They’re strict, but they’re fun.”

For some skaters, the team combines a sport they love with an opportunity to be with their best friends.

Maddison, 6, and Kayleigh Donovan, 9, of Duxbury took a preschool class they loved and it led to lessons and joining the All-Star team. They have both competed at the 2019 regional competition, placing in the tiny tot (Maddison) and juvenile (Kayleigh) divisions.

Mia Antonelli of Pembroke is another skater who followed a friend into the sport.

“I like that I get to see my friends,” Mia said.

“I like how you can do a bunch of tricks and routines,” said Jocelyn Hartsgrove of East Bridgewater, who has been skating for just a year.

“I was roller skating one day and saw this girl named Lauren, now she’s my best friend,” said Emage Ogletree of Brockton. “She introduced me to everyone in the skate club and I asked my grandma about skating. She said yes and I signed up. I like the jumps and spins and everything.”

Club members performed their National routines Sunday, as the public was afforded an opportunity to put some skates on to join them on the floor. Raffles and a bake sale were also featured, and those who still wish to help support the team can send donations to the All Star Skating Club in care of the Carousel Family Fun Center, 1055 Auburn Street, Whitman, MA 02382.
The Urzuas skate from three to eight hours total, at least four days a week, according to mom Betty.

“It’s something they really enjoy doing,” she said. “My son and my daughter both want to go to worlds.” The World competiton is in Spain next week.

The youngest three Urzua children competing are Isaiah, 17; Joshua, 15; and Elsy, 11, and are in their fifth year of competitive skating. They have qualified for Nationals in 11 events — her daughter has qualified in figures, during which skaters must perform an accurate figure pattern on the rink; loops, solo, creative and team dance.

The figures are similar to the compulsory figures ice skaters one had to successfully perform to advance in competitions such as the Olympics. Loops involve a teardrop turn and solo performances are similar to the compulsory ice dance stage of completion where skaters must perform accurate edging and other skills. Creative is a free-style performance.

There is another brother-sister duo on the team who have won nearly every single event they have entered at National, Urzua said. Two other families also have members competing.

There are a total of seven children under age 18 competing, and six adults.

For Lisa Scarborough and Stephen Mills, who are also going to Nationals, that comes ddown to the camaraderie and competition.

“It’s like a family,” Scarborough said. “Both of us have been skating for most of our lives.”

Coaches at All-Star aim only for their young skaters to do their best through teaching the skills and letting fun take over as the skaters help each other improve.

“We brought our daughter to a Saturday lesson back in February to skate for her very first time,” the parents of a new club member said. “We wanted her to learn to skate in time for her birthday party.  … She absolutely loves all of her new friends and awesome coaches. Everyone is extremely kind, helpful, inclusive and polite week after week. We couldn’t be happier with the progress she’s made skating and also socially.”

Betty Urzua knows what that mom is talking about.

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen has emphasized to residents that a separation agreement with former Town Administrator Michael McCue was the result of “thoughtful and careful deliberation” as details of the agreement were made public last week.

In the agreement, made June 18 during an executive session and released seven days later, McCue voluntarily submitted his irrevocable resignation, effective, Monday, July 1.

The severance package includes two months’ pay, or $19,941 and four weeks; accrued vacation pay, or $11,044.22 for a total of $30,985.68.

McCue agreed to waive his contractual percentage payment increase for fiscal 2020 under his contract agreement, being paid instead based on the pay rate for fiscal 2019.

The town agreed to pay McCue’s health insurance premium under the COBRA program for three months between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, 2019. If McCue seeks unemployment benefits, the town would not oppose such claims. He could receive another $35,958 in unemployment if he opts to do so.

“The Board would like to make clear that the decision to enter into this agreement came only after the Board engaged in thoughtful and careful deliberation — weighing of the costs of a lengthy investigation, coupled with the continuing costs of paying Mr. McCue while on leave and the costs of the defense of any potential litigation — should the Town determine that a negative employment action against Mr. McCue was warranted against the cost of entering into a settlement agreement in an expeditious manner,” Selectmen stated Saturday, June 29 through labor counsel Maura Gallagher of Clifford & Kenny LLP in Pembroke. “The Board concluded that, on balance, the latter option (a settlement agreement) was in the best interests of the Town. An investigation could have taken numerous weeks, if not months to complete, at significant investigative and legal costs to the Town.

“During that time Mr. McCue would have been paid by the Town, but would not have performed services for the Town,” Gallagher stated. In addition, the Town would have had to pay an interim town administrator to perform his job functions in his absence. This agreement permits the Town to move forward immediately. In addition to the costs outlined above, the opportunity to begin a new chapter with an excellent interim town administrator in place and start the search for a permanent town administrator, has value to the Town and its personnel that is not easily quantified — but is, in the view of the Board, of tremendous importance nonetheless.”

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HANSON — Impressed LLC owners Ralph Greenberg and his daughter Alli held another community outreach meeting at the Hanson Library/Multi-Service Senior Center Thursday, June 27.

The cannabis grow facility planned for 15 Commercial Way in the town’s industrial park off Route 27 is co-owned by the Greenbergs and Dover dentist Shahram Moghaddam, who currently owns three practices on the South Shore — and plans to attend a Tuesday, July 2 community outreach session or a Tuesday, July 9 meeting with Selectmen. Both July meetings are planned for the Selectmen’s meeting room in Town Hall — at 6 p.m. July 2 and at 7 p.m., July 9.

The most recent meeting was less contentious than a previous session held on June 13, and this time focused more on resident’s questions about water and power consumption during draughts or heat waves as well as the ability of the HVAC system to prevent odors from escaping the facility, any plans for future expansion and how damaged plants might be disposed of.

Once again, Bob Hayes, who hosts WHCA-TV’s “Bring It On!” show moderated the discussion, this time presenting some questions of his own from research he has done into the issue.

The Greenbergs, originally from Randolph, have moved to Pembroke to be closer to the business location, saying they are happy to be so close to the facility.

“Our goal is to have a discreet, secure clean company and provide a revenue stream to the town,” Ralph Greenberg said. “We only have one investor, it’s not a holding company, it’s not some big corporation coming in.”

He said the three owners hoped to close on the building this week, once septic upgrades are completed and approved.

“We know you sometimes have water issues in the summer,” Ralph Greenberg said, pledging to have tanker trucks deliver water to the facility for the high-demand summer growing season if there are draught conditions. Wastewater discharge would be minimal, he said.

Hayes’ questions included how the town could track revenue owed.

Alli Greenberg said every plant is assigned a barcode and is “completely tracked” until it is sold and the owners have crop insurance based on expectations of how much would be produced in a given crop.

They stressed it is not intended to be a high-volume business, describing it as more akin to a “craft cultivator.”

“We’re only supplying two retail stores with our company,” Alli Greenberg said. They will price their product as a craft brand and retailers will have to be willing to pay it to do business with them.

They hope to be able to start a crop by Thanksgiving.

Hayes also noted some growing businesses expand through the use of pod trailers. But Ralph Greenberg said their growing would be done only in a clean grow-room inside the building and that they have no plans for expansion. A proper reverse-osmosis wastewater system will be used to control contamination of groundwater, they said.

The multi-million dollar renovation of the building includes an investment of about $1 million in lighting.

The Greenbergs also told residents living near the facility that they were welcome to come to them if odor became a problem.

“I would hope that you would come because we’re trying to explain to you that it’s not going to happen,” Alli Greenberg said. “It is the one concern I see in every town [that host grow facilities].”

Ralph Greenberg compared the smell of growing cannabis to a pine tree being run through a wood-chipper “times 80 percent.”

“It’s a fresh smell,” he said. “There is no smoky smell.”

Some residents compared it more to a skunky smell.

Regarding security plans, Alli Greenberg said a letter outlining them has been sent to Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch and they are waiting for his reply, but there is no need for traffic details anticipated.

Employees will be asked to sign non-disclosure agreements because of growing techniques the company wishes to protect. Alli Greenberg said she does not know at this point whether the company can commit to refusing to hire applicants with past minor drug convictions on their record, as is permitted under social equity laws, saying she does believe in second chances.

Plants being disposed of for any reason will be trucked off-site and treated with a chemical that renders them non-consumable before they are incinerated.

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Over the next few months, The Whitman Department of Public Works Water Division will begin its Water Meter Replacement Program. This is a mandatory replacement program for all residential and commercial business customers. There is no cost to the homeowner or business owner for the meter replacement. We ask all property owners to allow us to enter each property to replace the meter. The new meters will provide the Town with accurate water usage readings which will ensure accurate billing. Once the new meters are installed, the Town will be able to collect the usage readings electronically using a drive-by system.  Residents and business owners will no longer be responsible for manually reading and submitting their water usage to the Department of Public Works.   

What to expect:

Employees of the Whitman Department of Public Works Water Division, will visit your property to remove the old meter and install the new meter. The employees will have proper identification and will be driving clearly marked Town vehicles. We ask that the property owner allow us to enter the property to replace the meter. If you wish to confirm the identity of the employee, contact the Department of Public Works at 781-447-7630. An adult over the age of 18 must be present in your home during the meter change. If it is not a convenient time or if no one is home at the time, a notice will be left with information to schedule an appointment. You may also receive a call from the DPW to schedule an appointment. Most meter replacements will take about 30 minutes.   

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: When will my meter be replaced?

A: The water meter replacement project will commence in the next few months and continue until all water meters are replaced with the new Allegro Master meter. Water meter replacements will be done during regular DPW business hours. There are also some limited appointments for after normal hours and weekends. Please contact the DPW as soon as possible to reserve one of these appointments.

Q: How do I schedule an appointment?

A: Call the Whitman Department of Public Works at 781-447-7630 Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the event your call is not answered, please leave a message with your name, address, telephone number, and a time that is best to return your call.

Q: How will this affect my service?

A: Any interruption of water service will only occur during the meter changeover, it typically will be less than 30 minutes, in some cases it may take longer. The new meter will allow reading from outside your home and remove any need for a meter reader to enter your home to read the meter, or having to phone in the reading yourself. This will end estimated bills. The new meter system can enter readings electronically to billing resulting in complete accuracy and elimination of hand entries.

Q: What is expected of the homeowner?

A: Homeowners are obligated to provide clear and unobstructed access to the water meter. Any boxes or stored items should be cleared prior to the arrival of the meter installer. If for any reason, the water meter has been covered by drywall or paneling it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that access be created. The water meter is the property of the Town of Whitman, Clear and free access to it must be provided.

Q: What might prevent the meter changeover to occur?

A: In some cases, plumbing repairs may be required prior to meter installation. If defective plumbing, inoperative shut off valves or deteriorated pipes prevent meter replacement, you will be required to hire a licensed plumber to make the necessary repairs. A fully functioning main shut off valve before the water meter, knowing the location and how to operate this valve is an absolute must for homeowners and household members. The main valve is the one to stop most plumbing catastrophes, such as a burst pipe. If your main shut off valve does not work you must replace it.

Q: Will the DPW replace or repair my plumbing to install the meter

A: NO, pipes and plumbing on your property are installed by private contractors and are the responsibility of the homeowner. The homeowner owns the pipes and plumbing from the curb stop shut off valve (usually located at the property line by the street) into and thru the entirety of their home. In order to connect to and continue to receive water from the Whitman Water Distribution System it is a condition of the Town of Whitman Department of Public Works Water Rules and Regulations that “Consumers shall keep their own water pipes and fixtures connected therewith in good repair and protected from freezing at their own expense”

Q: Why is my meter being replaced?

A: The new meters will have technology that permit faster and more accurate reading. This will also make billing processes faster and more efficient. The new meters eliminate any need to access the property for a reading.

Q: Will I be able to read my own meter?

A: Yes, the new meters have a digital display to be read manually.

Q: What if I don’t want my meter changed?

A: Water meter replacement is mandatory. All meters belonging to the Town of Whitman Water Distribution System will be changed. If you do not allow the Town to install the new water meter, you will no longer receive   service from the Whitman Water Distribution System or the Whitman Sanitary Sewer System. Your water service will be turned off.

For more information call the Whitman DPW at 1-781-447-7630.

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HANSON — From lawn signs offering congratulations to cheers of family, friends and public officials, Hanson has spent the week celebrating the achievement of favorite daughter Samantha Mewis and her U.S. Women’s National Soccer teammates at the World Cup tournament in Lyon, France.

“I’ve had so much fun the last two weeks name-dropping Sam and [her sister] Kristie,” said Selectman Wes Blauss, a retired Hanson Middle School teacher. “It’s given me so much street cred having known them.”

Samantha and her older sister Kristie were the first sisters to represent the United States on the National Team.

Selectmen Chairman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett also spoke about Mewis and her team at the Tuesday, July 9 Board of Selectmen meeting.

“On Sunday, the town of Hanson, along with the rest of the world, watched in awe as our own Samantha Mewis [and] the Women’s National Soccer team made history with the first back-to-back World Cup titles,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said, noting the off-the-field benefits the win could inspire.

“While our win on Sunday was, in and of itself amazing, the impact that Sam has made goes well beyond the field,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “She and her teammates have literally inspired girls all over the world. Their teamwork, joy of the game and sheer athleticism were unparalleled and evident to everybody watching, but just as important, is the fact that she and her team have used this platform to continue to advocate for gender pay equity, thus assuring that the effects of their win will be felt for generations to come.”

The daughter of Bob and Melissa Mewis, Samantha and Kristie grew up in Hanson. Samantha was a star player at W-H where she was a captain on the girls’ soccer team which notched two undefeated seasons and four league championships in her four years on the team.

Mewis will also be among the first class of inductees to the W-H Hall of Fame, Athletic Director Bob Rodgers announced via Twitter on Sunday, July 7 — after the U.S. team won its fourth World Cup, and second consecutive championship.

“On Wednesday we will have info on the entire class of inductees as well as info on how you can attend the dinner the first weekend in October. @sammymewy is so deserving of this honor,” Rodgers Tweeted. “When the rest of the class is announced Panther nation will be quite proud.”

The road to the World Cup — and Hall of Fame — has not always been easy.

“Sam’s story is one of persistence and determination,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “She didn’t make the roster for the 2016 Olympics, but was named as an alternate for the squad and then sustained a serious knee injury that sidelined her for the first half of 2018.”

She recovered and made the USWNT roster for the World Cup, but there were no expectations that she would start until the day before the opener, when a teammate’s injury opened a spot for her.

Mewis then had significant playing time, leading to her scoring two goals and three assists, including an assist in Sunday’s game. Opposing teams scored only three goals between them during the six-game World Cup tournament.

“It’s no surprise [that], if you drive around Hanson, you will see all kinds of signs congratulating Sam and the rest of the team on their win,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “The whole town is literally bursting with pride at the success of our hometown girl and we can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.”

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen, Tuesday, July 9 discussed concerns and questions over water and electricity use, odor and wastewater management as well as security of the building, and  product and plant waste disposal at the proposed Cannabis grow facility planned for Commercial Street in Hanson.

“Tonight’s discussion is the first that the Board of Selectmen has had with Impressed LLC,” said Selectmen Chairman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett. “The purpose of our discussion tonight is to hear from the applicant about their overall business plan, as well as to discuss some of the areas of concern.”

Impressed LLC owners Ralph and Alli Greenberg of Pembroke and Weymouth dentist Dr. Shahram Mogghadam, the company’s lawyer Christopher Ray, who works for national cannabis-related law firm, Hoban Law Group, and HVAC design engineer Paul Dean fielded Selectmen’s questions before those of residents were taken. [See related story, page 5.]

“Odor mitigation is the big concern for people,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “[Residents] don’t want the skunk smell.”

Dean said the HVAC system will use a heap-15 filter, carbon filter and ionized air to eliminate odors as a way to control smell while sterilizing ductwork. A back-up generator, run on diesel and timed to start within 90 seconds of a power failure is also planned to control odor as well as keep plants alive.

The town’s current general and zoning bylaws ban retail marijuana sales in Hanson, but zoning bylaws permit other marijuana businesses such as cultivation and testing facilities to locate in the zoned area that includes the industrial park. Impressed LLC must meet all local and state Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) regulations, including the execution of a host community agreement (HCA), FitzGerald-Kemmett reminded those in attendance.

A final draft version of the HCA will be discussed in a public meeting at 6 p.m., Tuesday, July 16 to hear residents’ feedback before the agreement comes up for approval and signing at the Tuesday, July 23 Selectmen’s meeting.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said the board has not yet seen the host agreement, but she said it has never been discussed as part of the town’s tax incentive finance (TIF) program and is not in the designated TIF zone.

“My background is used lab and scientific equipment,” Ralph Greenberg said. “I’m pretty involved with biotechnology and the understanding of how facilities should work with cleanliness and odor management.”

While he said he hopes to apply for a cannabis product manufacturing license at a later date, Ralph Greenberg stressed the current HCA only concerns a growing operation.

He said he will be the company’s operations manager and sales manager when product becomes ready for sale to in-state retail businesses. Local water supply company Indian Head Water has been contracted to supply water to the company. A tanker will be located at Impressed LLC and changed out every seven to 10 days, Ralph Greenberg said. No town water will be used for cultivation, only for bathroom services at the building, he stressed.

Ray, who now serves as general counsel to Impressed LLC during HCA negotiations and CCC application, said he would likely continue to serve the company in that capacity to help them keep compliant. Alli Greenberg will be the company’s cultivation director, responsible for all day-to-day management as well as licensing and regulation compliance as well as overseeing sales goals and hiring.

Hanson residents applying to work at the company would receive first priority, she said.

“Our commitment is to ensure the state-of-the-art facility is properly installed, that we’ll remove any odor that may otherwise escape our facility,” she said. “Furthermore, it is of the utmost importance [to us] to properly run a discreet location.”

Dean, the owner-operator of ICG — a design engineering firm and HVAC contractor — said he has worked on 16 cultivation sites in the state. Most of the board’s questions were directed to Dean.

Dean said hydrogen peroxide will be the only chemical used for cleaning, with the waste solution stored in a separate holding tank which will be tracked by a logbook when it is removed by a licensed contractor.

Disposal of plant waste will also be tracked and stored until it can be removed from the site for chemical treatment — rendering it unusable — before incineration off-site, owners have said.

Everything that enters or leaves the building, including plants that have died, will be tracked and reported to the CCC, Dean said. No pesticides will be used, per CCC regulations.

“It’s tested, so if we’re using it, they’ll find it — even heavy metals,” Dan said. Any batches where pesticides, or other chemicals are found to have been used, will be tracked and destroyed.

The building will use a nitogen-CO2 fire suppression system in the grow rooms along with an alarm connection to the fire department. There will be 64 internal cameras, many with high-resolution lenses to enable reading faces and badge photos, to enable proper access to secure areas, with only bathrooms not under camera surveillance.

“That’s your only safe spot in the building,” Dean said of bathroom privacy. Breaks and loitering outside the building are not permitted. State regulations also prohibit employees from using cannabis on, or within 10 miles of the property.

Selectman Matt Dyer asked about the company’s maintenance plan.

“What I don’t want to see is, the facility gets up and running if we approve it, and five years later we have a problem with the HVAC system because you didn’t do preventive maintenance.”

While Dean said his firm is not seeking that contract, he recommends a service plan to replace filters and clean coils every month.

Ralph Greenberg said he would be acting as the facilities manager to deal with that kind of service need.

Town attorney Kate Feodoroff said the town can use the HCA as a tool through which those conditions are enforced under threat of revocation, through Selectmen, the Planning Board or Board of Health.

Residents were advised to ask only questions about the business plan, odor and waste removal, security and other issues raised by the board.

“I want to make it clear tonight that we will not be discussing the legality, morality or safety of marijuana useage,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Those are issues beyond the scope of the Hanson Board of Selectmen and would be more appropriately directed to your legislator or the Cannabis Control Commission.”

The first two questions — about why there is an “impression we have to sign this host agreement” and who pays for legal advice to fight if the town “wants to fight something” — skirted that admonition, and FitzGerald-Kemmett cut off that discussion, after allowing it for a time.

Feodoroff had advised that court rulings thus far have centered on municipal efforts to control the number of facilities. Hanson’s votes at town meetings, she said have led to bylaws allowing grow facilities in town.

“The Board of Selectmen is essentially negotiating with a seemingly responsible party to execute what the town meetings told them to do,” she said. “That’s the best answer I can give you.”

Hanson taxpayers ultimately pay town counsel fees for legal services required of town counsel.

Other questions centered on fire safety and the handling of cleaning chemicals, as well as the benefits of signing a host agreement.

Dean said chemical storage would be in a secure area segregated from other materials on-site.

Feodoroff said the HCA places “a lot of risk” on the marijuana establishments, ensures compliance and generates revenue from the 3-percent of gross sales community impact payment. Paid for five years, the impact fees could be used for any purpose, Feodoroff said, from training police in detecting whether people are driving under the influence of marijuana, to school drug awareness programs, or street improvements.

“You do need backup [information on the impact], and the backup is to all be documented in the public record, but the way you use the money is unrestricted,” Feodoroff said.

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WHITMAN — Newly sworn in Whitman Fire Deputy Chief  Al Cunningham and promoted Lt. Nick Grasso were sworn in during the Whitman Board of Selectman’s meeting in a ceremony held at Town Hall Whitman on Tuesday July 9.

Among family, friends and colleagues Chief Timothy Grenno applauded the careers and advancement of both firefighters and acknowledged the work of retiring Deputy Chief Joseph Feeney in his 32-year career in Whitman.

Lt. Nick Grasso was pinned by his wife Jennifer. He was also presented his new helmet shield as commander of shift four from Grenno.

Cunningham was pinned by his wife Kate Cunningham and joined by his adult daughters Emma and Laura.

Grasso is the first firefighter in his family. He pursued a career and has been with the department nearly two decades.

He expressed excitement and the new responsibilities in a department he has grown with starting as a call firefighter in his college years.

I am looking forward to it. I am very appreciative of the town giving me the opportunity,” said Grasso.

Cunningham echoed that excitement for his own new position and the support of colleagues and family. He will be more involved in fire prevention and enforcement as part of his positional change along with working day shifts versus his decades of overnight shifts.

“I am really proud of the department I work for- going on twenty plus years now. I work with such a great bunch of guys that are so good at what they do both on the fire ground and EMS. We know that we can’t save everybody or every building but if there is a chance – that it can be done these guys will do it. I am proud to be second in command,” said Cunningham.

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The boys’ lax team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The boys’ finished the year with nine wins after winning seven games combined the previous two springs.

Building a lacrosse program is a lot like building a house. For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ team, step one is now complete.

“We laid a great foundation for going forward – for seasons to come,” said first-year coach Tyler Sabens, whose team finished the spring 9-11 after winning seven games combined the previous two seasons.

It starts with establishing a positive culture and is coupled with inserting a love for the game into each athlete.

“We made huge steps in doing that and that wouldn’t have been able to be possible without the senior leadership to lay that framework to keep building that positive culture toward making lacrosse special at Whitman-Hanson and the weight that that carries and how important that is for them as individuals and us as a program,” Sabens said.

The team’s MVP, senior Mario Troiani helped lead the way. For as good as he was in net (stopped nearly 60 percent of shots and was a Patriot League All-Star), he was just as helpful out of it.

“Halfway through the season, I couldn’t ignore the positive influence he was having on the rest of his teammates – whether in practice, film sessions or in games and named him a captain,” Sabens said. “From his first day of tryouts he had that let’s-get-better mentality. He took to my coaching so well. His leadership ability was never in question. He was our coach on the field.”

Senior captain and defender Ryan Trongone was another coach on the field.

“He was incredible,” Sabens said. “Ryan Trongone really led those guys on the backend. His presence and playing ability together helped us turn things around on the back end. He was always comminuting and helping out his teammates whether he was trying to build that culture with myself and other seniors of leading by example. You wish you had 18 or 19 Ryan Trongones.”

Senior captain and midfielder Mason Gorman carried that culture to the offensive side of the field, where he led the team with 58 points, striking for 32 goals and 26 assists.

“He was another coach on the field,” Sabens said. “His lacrosse IQ and knowledge of the game skyrocketed this year. He was so hungry to get better and thirsty for that knowledge to make himself better and that made him a dream to coach.”

Fellow senior captain, midfielder Ryan Downing, potted a team-high 49 goals and dished out eight assists.

“He’s a freak athlete,” Sabens said. “He was fun to watch. You can’t not notice Ryan Downing. He jumps off the field when you’re watching him. He looked like a free safety or slot receiver out there playing lacrosse. He won a lot of games for us.”

Sabens also lauded the leadership and production of senior captain and attack Shane Ross (35 goals and 18 assists) and fellow senior attack Sean Joanis (31 goals and 21 assists).

What the Panthers had been building all season flashed in pieces during their final game of the season, a loss to Marshfield, which eliminated them from playoff contention. Sabens said he took a lot of positives out of that one, despite the 13-3 score.

“It was a one-goal or two-goal game in the first half,” he said. “We had the framework and team offense and team defense to get it done, they knew that, they could feel that, but at some point when you don’t have the amount of horses that you need to beat a team as deep as a Marshfield, the score is going to separate. Those teams that have that depth are going to breakaway.”

With the impending departure of nine seniors, most of whom are offensive guys, the Panthers’ strength is now their defense, where they’ll return the likes of juniors Declan Meehan and RJ Flynn and freshman Bobby Hunter, among others.

“We’re going to have to claw and grind every step that we have,” Sabens said. “But going forward – year three – we’re going to have some guys with serious experience. Not to say year twois going to be a flop, but I’m excited to see what year three and year fourare going to bring us because we’re going to have so much depth.

“Next year is going to be another learning year, another building year. We’re going to have to keep our eye on the prize and focus on the little things – the little successes day in and day out. I think those are the little steps that are going to prove to build us up.”

Sabens said it’s imperative his guys are around lacrosse in one way or another during the offseason.

“They can see how the Duxburys and the Hinghams, Scituates operate, but if they don’t want to do the work on their own, it’s going to be very hard to build this,” Sabens said. “The guys gotta do some of the work, like wall ball and shoot on your own in order to get better as individual players. And also, just watch lacrosse. The more you watch it, the more you’re around it, the more the fundamental concepts tend to sink in that are important to building a successful program.

“It’s not going to happen tomorrow or next year, it’s going to be a long-term plan that hopefully the program can get better and better as it goes along.”

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Photo by: Sue Moss

Working out the kinks was key for the softball team.

After a 10-0 loss to Hanover dropped the Whitman-Hanson Regional High softball team to 1-5 on the season, first-year skipper Jordan McDermott realized changes had to be made. So, she held a lengthy team meeting and made some tweaks.

“We extended our practice hours, we made sure that we were hitting more and made sure we were doing more defensive and offensive drills,” she explained.

It worked. The young Panthers, who started just one senior, swept the following week, posting wins over Quincy (11-6), Hingham (8-3) and Pembroke (6-4).

“I think in the beginning of the season we were still trying to work out some of the kinks,” McDermott said. “We had tryouts and then two weeks later we had our first game, so I don’t think we were getting enough reps. We didn’t really know exactly what to practice because we weren’t in a game yet.”

But the Panthers’ tough schedule and youth caught up to them. The Panthers, whose seven best hitters were freshmen, sophomores and juniors and lone two pitchers were a freshman and sophomore, dropped their next six en route to a 7-13 campaign.

“I think overall the season went the way we wanted it to in terms of team building a program and setting small goals for us,” McDermott said. “They all had a purpose on that field. The whole theme of the season was that you have a purpose and you have quite confidence.”

Two players who exhibited that quite confidence were freshmen Annie Cook and Erin Burke. A league all-star at third base, Cook led the team in steals (seven), was second in hits (21), tied for third in runs (11) and fourth in average (.344) and on-base percentage (.397). Burke pitched to the tune of a 3.36 ERA over 50 innings of work, while smacking a pair of doubles at the plate.

“Their poise makes them special,” McDermott explained. “They’re very calm, very simple, very hardworking athletes. They’re very poised. They know a lot about the game. They’re both confident but not cocky and hardworking kids.”

At second base, junior Victoria Ryan was the Panthers’ other Patriot League All-Star. She paced the team in average (.390), hits (23), home runs (two) and was third in on-base percentage (.419).

“She is a confident player, she’s not cocky,” McDermott said. “She flew under the radar, but she was still known for making great plays or getting those hits to get us back in the game. She is confident in the box that she’s going to get that job done.”

Sophomore Emily McDonald was the team’s MVP, after scoring a team-high 13 runs, leading the club with a .448 on-base percentage and ranking second in average at .373. She had 12 hits, scored nine runs and had five RBIs in Panthers wins.

“The thing about Emily is that she always has a very not-going-to-give-up attitude,” McDermott explained. “She is always willing to grow as a player. She always has a smile on her face. On the field, she has a great eye. She is very quick to a lot of the balls, too. A lot of the times I had no idea how she was able to catch that. She is one of the most scrappy players I’ve coached.”

Flanking McDonald to her left in the outfield was Sophia Molinari. The junior hit .347 with 17 hits and seven RBIs, but it was her defense that set her apart.

“Plymouth South was probably the game where she finally realized how to read the batter and how to track the ball better off the bat,” McDermott explained. “In the beginning of the season I was the one positioning the outfielder, and then one day we were at Plymouth South and one of their batters had a swing and Sophia changed the whole outfield without me having to do it.”

McDermott said there is a silver lining of being infused with so much youth, especially for her.

“I think the benefit is that I am able to build the program with the younger kids and make it my team, my group of girls,” she said. “It really started with Annie and Erin and hopefully I can get some more freshmen and sophomores.”

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Mike Costa with Bob Rodgers over his shoulder. / Photo by: Nate Rollins

Fundamentals are key for new girls’ basketball coach Mike Costa.

A fundamentally sound and hard-nosed team.

That’s what new Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball head coach Mike Costa is envisioning.

“Ideally, we’ll be closing out hard, playing tough defense, sharing the ball on offense, but just really being locked in at all times and doing things the right way,” Costa said.

Costa, who was hired in May, takes over for Jenna Olem, who guided the team to the tournament in four out of her six seasons before stepping down last March.

“Obviously, Jenna and the staff before did a great job with the program,” said Costa, who is inheriting a team that went 12-9 last winter. “They were a very successful team the last couple of years making the tournament, so I just felt like it was a great situation to be in.

“Usually when you get your first head coaching job, the team is not very good, but that’s not the case with this situation I’m in right now.”

Costa comes over from the boys’ side, having spent the past five seasons assisting W-H head coach Bob Rodgers. His tenure included a pair of trips to TD Garden. Prior to that he was an assistant for the East Bridgewater boys’ team. This will be his first time working with a high school girls’ team, but he said he isn’t worried one bit.

“At the end of the day, basketball’s basketball,” Costa said. “It just depends on what your personnel is obviously. I’m just looking forward to the opportunity because we do have a lot of talent coming back. I’ve coached for and played for a ton of great coaches who have helped me prepare for this moment.”

Further preparation has already begun.

“Being new to the girls’ side, I reached out to some different coaches as for what to look for being a new coach on the girls’ side,” Costa explained. “I’ve also watched a lot of film from last year just to get familiar with our opponents in the Patriot League, what some of the tendencies are for the girls, where they like to catch the ball and where can they score from, be effective, so I’ve done a lot a lot of film sessions on them. More importantly, I’ve sat down with all the girls in the program to build that relationship and get to know them a little better and let them know the expectations moving forward.”

The expectations are pretty straightforward.

“We want to come out and we want to compete every game,” Costa said. “We want to be the better prepared team and I think having a ridiculous attention to detail in everything we do, especially what people from the outside might not see. When people watch us play, I want to them to see us really loving the game and pulling for each other. When people watch Whitman-Hanson play, I really want them to say, ‘That’s a team. They all pull for each other and they compete their butts off.’”

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Town and store officials work inside the Dunkin’ Donuts/Speedway stores at routes 58 and 27 in Hanson Wednesday after an inspection found evidence of rodent infestation. Both stores are currently prohibited from selling food products, but Speedway may sell gasoline. / Photo by: Steph Spyopoulos  

HANSON — Health officials have shut down the Speedway convenience store — and the Dunkin’ inside — until both stores can prove to the Board of Health that pests are under control and the store has been sanitized.

Health Board Vice Chairman Gil Amado said a rodent-control company was on premises Thursday.

“We felt that it needed immediate attention and they were shut down due to an imminent health hazard,” he said.

He said the board had received a report that there was open food in the cooler and that it was “being nibbled on by mice and that mice were defecating in the trays. We walked in the cooler at that’s what we saw,” Amado said.

He could not verify media reports that employees were instructed to sell contaminated food to the public.

The shut-down order was based on the verified reports of “exposed food, mouse droppings everywhere and, apparently they were told to serve the food,” he said. “I don’t have physical evidence of that [the alleged serving order].”

Amado said Thursday it is not the first time that Dunkin’ store has been shut down over health concerns, but the independent inspector contracted by the town had found no major violations at the location during an inspection a few months ago.

Because the mice move around the whole building, both businesses were ordered to cease selling food, he noted.

“We have an independent food inspector who does all thee food inspections,” Amado said, as the town is currently without it’s own health agent. “We’re required to inspect twice a year and she was on her bi-yearly inspection [when] she noticed a few things kind of way off.”

Amado said the inspector reported in a document submitted to the Board of Health that she had seen evidence of rodent infestation and that “further steps were necessary to take.”

The board discussed the report at a recent meeting and Amado accompanied the inspector to the store Wednesday, July 10 and “after reviewing what she had written in her report and what I saw I immediately proceeded to tell everyone to stop selling food [and] to not let any food items leave the store, that the business is shut down and Speedway is shut down — they can only sell gas,” he said. “No food items are to leave that building.”

Amado said that includes pre-packaged items such as bags of chips or other snack foods.

Dunkin’ told Channel 25 that the employee’s original complaint is being looked into, but that Speedway had not commented on the shut-down.

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From freshmen making their debuts to a coach’s last meet to a team finally cracking through in the postseason, there was a lot that went on this past school year in sports at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

Here is a complete look back on all the action.

FALL

FOOTBALL

Storyline: Seniors push football to eight-win campaign.

The rundown: The season didn’t come together like some were envisioning, but you won’t hear many complaints. The Panthers snapped a streak of three straight seven-win seasons with an 8-3 mark. W-H – led by its 21 seniors – opened the season with a bang, routing Marshfield, 41-13, and capped it by extracting revenge against Abington for a 16-0 victory on Thanksgiving. The Panthers still weren’t able to get it done in the playoffs, however, falling to North Attleboro, 21-13. During the season, senior captain Rian Schwede stepped in at quarterback for the first time since youth football and provided the Panthers with a jolt, while two-way linemen Ryan Trongone and Quinn Sweeney anchored the trenches. The Panthers will return little experience next season.

Top game: 16-0 victory over Abington on Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving) in frigid temperatures to get over the seven-win hump.

Top quote: “I told the seniors how proud we were of them for their four years in the program, and I told the younger guys to remember how it feels and do what those kids did and just continue on what they did.” – head coach Mike Driscoll

FIELD HOCKEY

Storyline: Field hockey flexes defense.

The rundown: In a season that was tough results-wise (2-10-6), mainly because of a stagnant offense, the Panthers’ defense shined bright. W-H let up just 32 goals, five of which came in one meeting. The backline was anchored by seniors and league all-stars Kathryn Dunn and Olivia Sheehan, while sophomore Skylar Leonard and Noelle Cornetta made the most of their time. Sophomore Madi Savicke starred in net with a 1.67 goals against average. As for the Panthers’ offensive woes (14 goals scored all season), which stemmed from losing senior captain and forward Annika Putur to a torn ACL, they should be eased with more experience under the belts of sophomores Delanie MacDonald (team-high five goals) and Lauren Clark (three goals).

Top game: 1-0 victory against East Bridgewater on Sept. 7. It wasn’t the most talented team W-H faced, but it was one of the most complete games it put forward. Clark had the goal.

Top quote: “The defense had to stop amazing offenses and they themselves were truly amazing.” – head coach Todd Humphrey

BOYS’ GOLF

Storyline: A Manning on a mission: Senior captain paces club.

The rundown: Senior captain Owen Manning put an exclamation point on his Panthers career, advancing all the way to the Div. 2 state finals for the first time, to cap a career as both a two-time team MVP and league all-star. Manning, who carded a 4.1-over par average, propelled the Panthers to a 4-0 start out of the gate. But the Panthers, who finished the season 6-11, went on to hit a rough patch, dropping 10 of their next 12, which head coach Brian Dempsey said was a result of mounting pressure and frequent poor weather and cancelations. Sophomore Aidan Miller and junior captain-elect Matt Korzec key the returnees next fall.

Top match: 238-245 victory over Duxbury on Sept. 13. After defeating the Dragons for the first time in program history the year prior, the Panthers notched another win over their rivals. Manning led the way with a 2-over par 36 and Korzec had a 3-over par.

Top quote: “I’ve improved a lot. My game’s just developed a lot. Practicing chipping and putting is a big help because that’s where you shave the strokes off right there – the chipping and putting – the short game.”– senior captain Owen Manning

BOYS’ SOCCER

Storyline: For boys’ soccer team, an unlucky fall.

The rundown: It’s tough to describe the Panthers’ season on the pitch without the word “unlucky.” Sophomore standouts Peyton Collins and Joel Arsenault transferred before the campaign kicked off and junior midfielder Adam Milewski went down with a broken ankle. Later in the season, W-H lost sophomore starter Brandon Nehiley for two weeks and junior goalie Andrew Sullivan as well to injuries. Rising senior captains, forward Jason Broduer (team-high nine goals last season), and defender Stevie Kelly (the team’s lone Patriot League All-Star) provide some hope that a 4-14-1 2018 campaign can be distant memory.

Top game: 2-1 victory over Rockland on Oct. 26. After all that didn’t go their way during the season, W-H headed into the offseason on a high note. Nehiley found Brodeur twice for goals.

Top quote: “We worked very hard as a group heading into the 2018 season, but bad luck got in our way. I hope the disappointments felt by returning players in the program will feel motivated to improve as much as they possibly can to get us back on the more successful side in 2019.”– head coach Dave Leahy

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Storyline: Freshmen supply the offense as girls’ soccer keeps up winning ways.

The rundown: Veteran head coach Dave Floeck, whose team hasn’t had a losing season since 1999, wasn’t sure what to expect out of his club heading into the fall. He was confident senior captain Sammy Smith was going to be an All-American force in the middle and classmate and senior captain Skylar Kuzmich was going to be a rock in net. Both were. What he didn’t see coming were his freshmen scoring 27 of his team’s 51 goals to lead it to a 14-2-4 record – capped by a 2-1 loss to Hingham in the Div. 1 South quarterfinals. Kelsee Wozniak had 11 of those goals, while Olivia Borgen and Nora Manning added eight apiece.

Top game: 1-1 tie against Hingham on Oct. 22. It wasn’t a win, but they’re not easy to come by against an opponent like Hingham. After tying the Harborwomen to kick off the month, they played to a draw again. After Hingham took the lead in the first, which it held for most of the second, junior Riley Bina scored the equalizer with eight minutes to go.

Top quote: “After you let up a goal you have to have a goldfish mindset. Forget about it [and] move on to the next save. You can’t let it get in your head or else you’ll let in another one and part of that is you just need to be a little crazy too because one, you’re diving at the ball all the time and two, you have to forget something that just happened even if it was your mistake.”– Skylar Kuzmich on playing goalie

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

Storyline: Senior-laden girls’ volleyball team moves in right direction.

The rundown: The girls’ volleyball team had a pretty decent campaign on the court, doubling its win total from the prior season to eight. Its nine returning players are a big reason why. Senior outside hitter Allison Hanlon and senior libero Nicole Scott turned in splendid campaigns, which resulted in league all-star status. Seniors Kayla Crawford (defensive specialist), Kylie Gervasio (setter) and Erin Leahy (middle hitter) were also starters. Rising senior captains Olivia Martin (right side hitter), Lexi Connolly (outside hitter), classmate Ella Sweeney (middle hitter) and rising junior Caileen Hurley (setter) will anchor the club next fall.

Top match 3-2 victory over Bridgewater-Raynham on Oct. 29. Already out of the playoffs and in the final contest of the season, the Panthers could have laid down. They didn’t, digging themselves out of a two-set hole for the victory. Hanlon registered her 200^thcareer kill in that match.

Top quote: “It’s a big deal.”– Then-head coach Ashley Balbian on Allison Hanlon’s 200^thcareer kill.

BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY

Storyline: Boys’ cross country finishes 3-5.

The rundown: The boys’ cross country team was young – its top seven will all be back next season. Sophomore Theo Kamperides, though, stood above them all, leading W-H in every single race. On the year, he owned a first-place finish, three second-place finishes and four third-place finishes. Junior Brandon Hager and freshman Evan Jewitt were the team’s second and third best. The Panthers are in a good spot moving forward.

Top meet: 21-40 victory over Scituate on Oct. 16. Kamperides sparked the Panthers with a first-place showing at 17:44 with Hager shortly behind him at 17:48.

Top quote: “Theo is a tireless worker, always wanting to do more. He doesn’t enjoy days off and always wants to extend his weekly long run which we capped off at 15 miles this fall.” – head coach Steve George on Kamperides

GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY

Storyline: The girls also finish 3-5.  

The rundown: Head coach Steve George knows what the girls’ program has been – and he wants it to return to the pedestal atop EMass. But if numbers don’t rise, the girls will scuffle like this past fall, which concluded in a 3-5 mark. It certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort but really just the participation. W-H has a jumping off point to build from next season, its top runner, rising senior Tori Boss, and No. 3 runner, rising senior Niki Kamperides will both be back. It now needs the underclassmen to step up.

Top meet: 26-31 victory over Plymouth North on Sept. 26. Boss finished the course in 22:21 and Kamperides finished fourth as the Panthers got their first win of the season.

Top quote: “We went into the season knowing Hingham, Duxbury, Plymouth North and Plymouth South had some phenomenal runners, so our expectations were not high. But our kids’ effort and commitment were rewarded with a good record and some incredible times and finishes.”– head coach Steve George

CHEERLEADING

Storyline: Cheerleaders roll.  

The rundown: Under the watch of second-year head coach Alyssa Hayes, the cheerleading team rolled to a Patriot League title, regional crown and state title – its 14^th.

Top competition: Scoring a 198.7 at Worcester State on Nov. 18 to win the MSAA Division 2 state crown.

Top quote:“Their motivation, determination and drive has been unmatched these last few weeks. I am even more impressed with the way they handle themselves – they’ve managed to stay humble regardless of their state championship record. They don’t stop working hard after a win.” – head coach Alyssa Hayes

WINTER

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Storyline: For the boys’ basketball team, all it does is win, win, win no matter what. 

The rundown: Really, all it seems to do is win. Another year, another tournament berth for the boys’ basketball team – its 11^thstraight after graduating its entire starting five for the second time in three years. The Panthers’ 18-7 mark gave them at least 16 wins for the seventh consecutive season.  Seeded eighth in the Div. 2 South Sectional tournament, Bob Rodgers’ club knocked off ninth-ranked Dennis-Yarmouth, 60-57, and upset top-seeded Randolph on the road, 60-51, before falling to second-seeded New Mission in a semifinal thriller, 79-70. The team’s MVP, junior Stevie Kelly emerged at the floor general, while junior Ben Rice and sophomore Cole LeVangie were threats inside and out.

Top game: 60-51 win over top-ranked Randolph in the quarterfinals March 4. Kelly (13 points) had a key layup late to hold off the Blue Devils.

Top quote:  “He’s a tenacious player for sure. He really gets after it. He’s a tremendous defender and a great leader on the floor.”– head coach Bob Rodgers on Kelly

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Storyline: A strong showing for girls’ hoop.   

The rundown: Returning Patriot League All-Star Erin Leahy was expected to run the point and produce at a high level, but instead, she didn’t suit up at all due to injury. That didn’t stop then-head coach Jenna Olem from leading the squad to a 12-10 campaign, which ended with a tough 45-41 loss to Mansfield in the Div. 1 South tournament. Senior captain and league all-star Kathryn Dunn did it all for W-H, leading it in points (11.5) rebounds (eight) and assists (3.5) per game. She’ll leave an immense hole. The Panthers were a resilient bunch, winning eight games by 10 points or less, including an overtime win over Hoosac Valley, two-point thriller over Scituate on the road and two-point triumph over Duxbury at home. Rising seniors Hannah Damon, Britany Gacicia and Liv Martin, rising junior Reese Coedero and rising sophomore Lauren Dunn will play big roles next season.

Top game: 51-46 victory over Hoosac Valley on Dec. 28. Resiliency, grit, determination are all words used to recap this one as the Panthers stormed back from a 17-point deficit to knock off the hosts. Martin and Kathryn Dunn were both huge down the stretch.

Top quote:  “A big thing at beginning of season was stressing our depth and players filling in necessary roles when called on. We’ve had big nights from a different players at different points in the season. When different players are able to stand out on different nights, it is a strength to our team.”– then-head coach Jenna Olem

BOYS’ HOCKEY

Storyline: Boys’ hockey battles way to tournament for first time since 2013.   

The rundown: Head coach Chris Googins had nothing but praise for his club at season’s end, after making the tournament for the first time since 2013. While the Panthers, who fell to Westwood, 5-1, in the first round, flexed their immense depth all winter, their first line of junior Adam Solari (10 goals and 14 assists), classmate Chris Stoddard (13 goals and 10 assists) and Owen Manning (six goals and 14 assists) was money.  Sophomore Bobby Siders shored up a desperate need in net going head-to-head with some of the best teams in the state. Manning and converted defenseman Ed Scriven will be tough voids to fill, but the Panthers, who finished 10-9-1 this winter, should be contending for the playoffs again next season.

Top game: 6-1 victory over Cohasset on Feb. 18. The Panthers needed three points in their final two games to make the tournament and this win game them four. A gutsy effort.

Top quote: “The kids are really buying into the importance of how much you have to work in the offseason and getting out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s working out or whether it’s trying to play high-level hockey in the offseason to compete with surrounding towns. It’s happening. Kids are actually taking this sport seriously and realizing that you got to play the game and train for the game year round if you want to compete.”– head coach Chris Googins

GIRLS’ HOCKEY

Storyline: WHSL not there yet as it skates to a 4-13-2 campaign.   

The rundown: Head coach Kevin Marani thought he may have a playoff team at the outset of the season, but he didn’t. The Panthers showed flashes of what they could be if they put it all together, but their youth (15 combined freshmen and sophomores) led to some mistakes at times. Junior captain Alyssa Murphy (Kingston) was essentially the offense, netting 27 tallies and dishing out 15 assists to be in on 67 percent of the team’s scores.Sophomore Emily McDonald (Whitman) was second on the team with 15 points (six goals and nine assists). Both will lead the offense again next winter. Sophomore goalie Kat Gilbert, who turned away 481 shots, will provide experience in net.

Top game: 6-1 win over Stoughton on Feb. 16. One of the most complete games WHSL managed, where both the offense and defense were in the zone.

Top quote: “I said to the girls, ‘We’re so close. Once you start to win, it becomes a habit.’ We had a ton of one-goal games, two-goal games with an empty net.”– head coach Kevin Marani

WRESTLING

Storyline: Wrestling team finishes white-hot.     

The rundown: The wrestling team may have gone 7-20, but four of those wins came in their final seven matches. It also sent three wrestlers to the state tournament, as opposed to zero the year before. Rising junior Damari Goldsmith-Greene, in the 138-pount weight category, was really the Panthers’ lone star, collecting a team-high 29 wins and placing in four tournaments and seventh at states. Freshmen Jason Rapoza (13 wins at 182) and Rocco Ruffini (10 wins at 220) gave the Panthers a quick glimpse into the future.

Top meet: 63-6 over Everett and 39-39 triumph over Bristol-Plymouth/Coyle & Cassidy on Feb. 2. Goldsmith-Greene had a pin and two wins on the day, senior Joel McInnis (145) had two pins and junior captain Steve Brooks had three pins to pace the Panthers.

Top quote: “We are losing only three seniors and two were starters. Time will tell, but offseason wrestling is the key for next season.”– head coach Gary Rabinovitz

GYMNASTICS

Storyline: New coach, co-op formed for gymnastics.

The rundown: There was a lot of turnover with the gymnastics team, which was in limbo before the season due to lack of turnout and no coach. That was until Sarah O’Shaughnessy accepted the coaching position and the program co-oped with Middleboro. The club finished 2-13. The team’s MVP, junior Sarah Bombardier was a bright spot as W-H’s only gymnast to compete in every all around, and she consistently scored 32 all-arounds, averaging eight on every event.

Top meet:132.1-121.25 victory over Norwell/Cohasset and 135.95-123.1 loss to Mashpee/Falmouth on Feb. 1. Bombardier had a 32.55 in all around.

Top quote: “I’m more trying to get them to come together. I know they didn’t think they were going to have a team at all, so I’m more trying to get them to come together.”– head coach Sarah O’Shaughnessy

GIRLS’ SWIMMING/DIVING

Storyline: Girls’ swimming/diving team has great year in pool.

The rundown: What a season it was for the Whitman-Hanson/Middleboro girls’ swimming/diving team, which finished 8-2. Junior captain Maddie Navicky was a star in the pool, qualifying for both sectionals and states, while pacing WHAM to a second-place finish in a deep South Shore League. Rising sophomore Abby Bonney, rising senior Niki Kamperides and rising junior Sabrina O’Connor were also key cogs all year.

Top meet: 89-84 victory over Rockland on Jan. 2, backed by splendid performances from Navicky in all three relay and a personal best from Bonney in the 50-yard freestyle in the final meet of the season.

Top quote: “During my freshman year, I saw that students were given the opportunity to swim with a nearby school as a co-op team, WHAM (Whitman Hanson and Middleboro), and I loved swimming at my grandparents’ pool, so I thought, ‘Why not try out?’” – Maddie Navicky

BOYS’ INDOOR TRACK

Storyline: Head coach Mike Driscoll gifted a ‘dedicated’ team during his final season.

The rundown: After 20-plus years coaching track at W-H, this was head coach Mike Driscoll’s final season, and he was complementary of his bunch that finished 2-3. He coined his group, one of the most “dedicated” teams he’s had. From senior captain Billy Martell to classmate Kyle O’Brien, the compete-level was there in practice and during meets. Junior Brandon Hager was the team’s top scorer. Junior Pat Bui was huge in the sprinting game and throwing the shot put.

Top meet: 51-48 victory over Pembroke on Jan. 4. Bui, Martell, fellow seniors Sean Kukauskas and Nic Fernandes clinched the win in the 4×200 replay.

Top quote: “That was a huge win for us. That was a big night for the kids. [Pembroke] is someone we all respect in the track world, and to beat them was a cool thing.”– then-head coach Mike Driscoll on the win over Pembroke

GIRLS’ INDOOR TRACK

Storyline: Tough season for girls’ indoor track team.

The rundown: Head coach Steve George isn’t much for team records, but he admitted his club’s 0-5 record was a bit tough to swallow. The Panthers only had 40 participants, so that put them in a hole often. Senior captain was W-H’s top point scorer, scoring nearly 40 percent of the team’s points in a bevy of ways. Sophomores Izzy Amado and Anna Sullivan both put forth strong winters as did junior Courtney Woodward.

Top meet: 54-46 loss to Plymouth North on Jan. 23.W-H wins came from: Sullivan (2-mile, 12:36.09), Woodward (600-meter dash, 1:54.15), Bartlett (55-meter hurdles, :09.68) and senior Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue (long jump, 14-foot-10 1/4) in the close loss.

Top quote: “The goal is to increase participation and with more athletes, achieve greater success in competition. Our kids are out there spreading the word that track is not all work, it can be a lot of fun, too.”– head coach Steve George

SPRING

BASEBALL

Storyline: Heartbreaking end for baseball team.  

The rundown: The talent was certainly there and so were the aspirations to make a run at a state title. After an 11-1 start, it appeared the only thing that could hold W-H back from a Div. 2 state title was itself. The Panthers got cold in the homestretch, finishing the regular season 14-5. After a 2-1 victory over Plymouth South to open the tournament, W-H drew a tough Westwood squad, committed four errors and left 11 men on base and fell, 4-3. It was a heartbreaker because the Panthers led late but couldn’t hold on. It was also a heartbreaker because they will send off their three senior co-captains and four-year varsity players – Rian Schwede (three-time league all-star), Mike Cook (three-time league all-star) and Ethan Phelps (one-time league all-star) – into the sunset. The three racked up 61 wins and won two Patriot League titles during their time at W-H. The rotation now turns over to rising juniors Tommy and Bobby Marshall and Cole LeVangie. The offense will be led by rising senior Chris Zalewski.

Top game: 1-0 victory over Duxbury on May 7. What a game this was. An old-fashion pitchers’ duel featuring Schwede and former AAU teammate Charlie Coon with Schwede just getting the better of him. Tommy Marshall slammed the door for the save.

Top quote: “They knew what I thought and knew what they thought and it made it a nice smooth ride. We had a lot of great wins here. They’ve helped a lot. I will miss them. It’s been great having them, and I’m going to miss the heck out of them.”– head coach Pat Cronin on Cook, Phelps and Schwede

SOFTBALL

Storyline: Future really bright on softball diamond.  

The rundown: The talent is there for a tournament team next season, it’s just about cleaning some things up. After finishing the spring 7-13 under first-year head coach Jordan McDermott, the Panthers will return all but one starter next year in catcher Kayla Crawford. League all-stars, freshman Annie Cook burst onto the scene at third base and junior captain Victoria Ryan was her steady self as second base. Cook also hit leadoff and was second on the team in hits (21) and fourth in average (.344). Ryan, who hit in the heart of the order, led W-H in average (.390), hits (23) and home runs (two). The team’s MVP, Emily McDonald led it with a .448 on-base percentage and by scoring 13 runs. Freshman Erin Burke and sophomore Abby Cleary will both have another season under the belt on the mound as well. There’s a lot to like about the softball team moving forward.

Top game: 25-6 rout of Scituate on May 25. Whenever you score 25 runs, regardless of the opponent, it’s a big deal.

Top quote: “I’ve always had high expectations from them. They’ve always been really, really good athletes and really good scholars and stuff like that so I’ve always tried to hold myself up to their standards and try my best to be like them.” – Annie Cook on following her siblings’ legacies on the diamond

BOYS’ LACROSSE

Storyline: Good signs for boys’ lacrosse.   

The rundown: First-year head coach Tyler Sabens got to work, establishing chemistry and reviving a program that had won just seven games the previous two springs. The Panthers finished their campaign 9-11 – one game out of the tournament. The seniors led the way in the locker room and on the field, combining for almost all the offense and providing a steady presence in net. Senior captain and goalie Mario Troiani, a league all-star, stopped nearly 60 percent of shots on him. Fellow senior captain, midfielder Ryan Downing, scored a team-high 49 goals. Senior captain and midfielder Mason Gorman led the team with 58 points, while senior attackmen Shane Ross (35 goals and 18 assists) and Sean Joanis (31 goals and 21 assists) packed a punch on offense. Senior captain Ryan Trongone anchored the defense. They’ll be a lot of new faces next year.

Top game: 18-11 victory over Pembroke on May 14. Gorman, Ross and sophomore Aidan McCarthy all scored four times and Troiani 13 saves in net for the win.

Top quote: “They can see how the Duxburys and the Hinghams, Scituates operate, but if they don’t want to do the work on their own, it’s going to be very hard to build this. The guys gotta do some of the work, like wall ball and shoot on your own in order to get better as individual players. And also, just watch lacrosse. The more you watch it, the more you’re around it, the more the fundamental concepts tend to sink in that are important to building a successful program.” – head coach Tyler Sabens

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

Storyline: Injuries bite girls’ lacrosse.

The rundown:A season-ending injury to senior captain and defenseman Anikka Putur and a seven-game absence for Riley Bina due to a concussion were just a few of the injuries that threw a wrench in any plans of making the postseason. Bina still led the club with 37 goals and was a Patriot League All-Star, despite missing the time. Senior attack and captain Zoe Lyon was productive, scoring 35 goals and a team-high 53 points. Lyon, senior captain Sami Whitman (25 goals and nine assists) and classmate Taylor Ross (20 goals and seven assists) will be missed on offense. Look for sophomore Brooke Connors (12 goals and seven assists) to shoulder a lot of the offensive load next season with Bina. They should be surpass this season’s 7-11 mark.

Top game: 14-6 victory over East Bridgewater on May 29. After limping through the season, the Panthers – paced by four Bina goals – capped it in style with a blowout on senior night.

Top quote: “Riley earned the respect of her teammates due to her competitive nature and also her pure skill to transition the ball and find the back of the net with great shooting percentage. She also tended to score more goals in competitive games than against easier opponents.” – head coach AC Decker on Bina

BOYS’ TENNIS

Storyline: 14 new faces on boys’ tennis team.  

The rundown: The boys’ tennis team’s record slipped from the previous season (from 5-12 to 3-13), but the number of new faces rose to 14, which signals second-year head coach Alyssa Hayes has the program trending in the right direction. Of course, now the results need to come. Junior captain Brian Fox was the club’s spark once again, leading it with five wins in No. 1 singles en route to being a Patriot League All-Star.

Top match: 4-1 victory over Pembroke on May 21. League wins are always a good thing. This win was followed by sweeping Cardinal Spellman the following match.

Top quote: “I definitely would call this season a success due to the growth and depth we were able to gain within the team.”– head coach Alyssa Hayes

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Storyline: Girls’ tennis nets history.

The rundown: This was the most successful girls’ tennis team on record at W-H, winning the program’s first tournament match ever,  4-1 over Bishop Feehan in the preliminary round of the Div. 1 South tournament. In No. 1 singles, junior captain went 9-9 and was the 11-11 Panthers’ lone league all-star. Junior captain Abby Pulling (12-6 in No. 2 singles) and sophomore Julia Benvie (9-2 in No. 3 singles) were the Panthers’ strength all season. The thought is that this is just the beginning for W-H, which is set to return everyone next spring.

Top match: 4-1 victory over Bishop Feehan on June 3 in the preliminary round of the Div. 1 South Sectional tournament to post the program’s first tournament win ever.

Top quote: “I knew they had that in them, it was just my job I feel to present that. I knew they could do this, I didn’t know if they knew they could do this and that was my role and my assistant Sue Moss’ role to get them to that point. They have the talent, they just needed to believe in themselves.”– head coach Sue Sookiasian

BOYS’ OUTDOOR TRACK

Storyline: Boys’ outdoor track goes 3-2.  

The rundown:Head coach Stephen Schlictingwas pleased with his team’s performance. The Panthers finished the season 3-2, had 60 active participants and saw more than 50 personal bests set in the final three dual meets. Senior captain Dan Kline was named the team’s MVP after having a monster spring in both the 110-meter hurdles and javelin, while also contributing in the 400-meter hurdles. Sophomore Theo Kamperides, who set personal bests in both the 1- (4:45) and 2-mile run (9:58.37), was the team’s long league all-star.

Top meet: 75-61 victory over Duxbury on April 24,  which was sparked by a pair of relay wins.

Top quote: “Our goals going into the season were to recruit a larger number of athletes than in the previous years. We wanted those athletes to improve. We wanted to participate in the major invitational meets (state relays, Patriot League meet, Div. 2 state meet and the MSTCA decathlon.) All those goals were met.” – head coach Stephen Schlicting

GIRLS’ OUTDOOR TRACK

Storyline: Bartlett awesome outdoors as well.

The rundown: Senior captain Ally Bartlett picked off where she left off in the winter, leading the charge for the outdoor track team, participating and scoring in the maximum of four events every dual meet. Freshmen Olivia Borgen (team’s second leading scorer who was unbeaten in both the 200- and 400- meter dash) and Myah Kamperides (team’s third leading scorer) were also immense contributors. Those rising sophomores and rising seniors Ryley Hurley and Samantha Perkins will lead the way next spring, as W-H looks to improve on a 3-2 season.

Top meet: 72-64 victory over Duxbury on April; 24. Borgen was a double-winner in the 100- and 200-meter dash to push the Panthers over the top and to a 3-0 start.

Top quote: “I was asked recently about the importance of winning, and frankly, my response drew some surprise when I replied that winning was unimportant. But in our sport, the focus, as well as each athlete’s goal, is to improve each time out. We try to motivate our kids to establish a personal record every time out. While it may seem unrealistic, we had several meets where PRs totaled in the 60s. Each one is a win for me. Team wins will ultimately follow if every athlete does his/her part to improve.”– head coach Steve George

–This year in review is written solely by the Express, the Whitman-Hanson coaches have no input in what is written. 

The post A Year of Panther Sports in Review: 2018-19 appeared first on Whitman-Hanson Express.

WHITMAN — In a joint deliberation with the Finance Committee on Tuesday, June 9, which also met that evening, Selectmen approved line item transfers required before closing the books on fiscal 2019.

Selectmen Vice Chairman Dan Salvucci said the Finance Committee had to vote on the transfers before Selectmen could vote.

“These should have been voted last week, but the Finance Committee didn’t have a quorum and today is the last day to make any of these moves for fiscal 2019,” Selectman Brian Bezanson said of a scheduled July 2 Finance meeting.

Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski, who is traveling, and Selectmen Justin Evans were absent from the July 9 meeting.

Some transfers had been previously approved by Selectmen and had to be voted by the Finance Committee.

A transfer of $45,816.28 from Line 123 to Line 124 to fund vacation time accumulated by Police Chief Scott Benton was approved after some vigorous discussion.

“I don’t think its any secret that the chief of police is planning on retiring within the next year, possibly within the calendar year,” Town Administrator Frank Lynam said. “While we are developing policies to prevent this type of accrual in future years, we’re obligated to pay unused vacation on termination of employment.”

Finance Chairman Richard Anderson said his committee’s collective concern was for the policy, which while still in development, is “long overdue.”

Salvucci wanted to know if there were any employees who could be grandfathered under any policy change.

Lynam recommended setting aside what is anticipated to be unexpended funds in the police salary line to lessen the financial impact when the chief does retire. The funds would be encumbered in an appropriation number created for that purpose, according to Lynam.

Finance Committee Vice Chairman David Codero said department heads had told his committee over the last budget season that they would be able to absorb any increases to their line items in order to save money for the town.

“This line item transfer is going to represent about $80,000 of money that was transferred from one police account to another,” he said. “The concern that I have is that, in a fiscal year that we were asking department heads to really tighten the belts, we’re getting $80,000 of transfers for unexpected expenditures. I don’t think it was prudent for that particular department head to have $80,000 to be sitting in an account when it could be used for other town services.”

Lynam argued the $80,000 represents 2.2 percent of the entire police budget. Unlike Town Hall or other departments, where schedules and costs are fixed, “in public safety, we have a number of items that are unpredictable.”

Line-of-duty injuries, for example, cannot be foreseen and not all shifts are always filled, he argued.

“If we were not doing these transfers, at the end of the year, we would be turning back $80,000 to the General Fund,” he said. “That money could easily have been spent by filling shifts we didn’t fill and for doing things that we probably should be doing that we don’t do because we’re trying to be fiscally prudent.”

He added that the only reason the transfer is being sought now is that the opportunity now exists to do it without needing to go to a special Town Meeting vote — which may still need to happen depending on how things play out.

“We’re paying for something that, essentially, the town agreed to,” Lynam said.

Benton asked what the $80,000 figure represented. Finance officials said it was cumulative transfers, including $12,000 in unanticipated costs for computer repairs.

“I come to the Finance Committee every year and I tell you that we don’t fill about 500 to 700 shifts and I tell you I can’t anticipate snow, emergencies and things like that,” he said. A mild winter helped this year.

“I didn’t know we were going to have a joint Selectmen/Finance Committee meeting that wasn’t posted, I didn’t know my name was going to come up, I didn’t know we were going to get into this, but I have no problems with getting into it,” Benton said.

Benton said he told Lynam that he thought transferring the funds was preferable to crippling the Police Department budget for the next year.

An additional $355.28 (over the $750 already approved by Selectmen) for a shortfall in payment for hours worked by the Selectmen’s administrative assistant was also approved. That salary covers hours that are uncertain from year to year, according to Lynam, who said the $355.28 — an additional shortage found when year-end payroll was completed — is being transferred from a line used to fund all salary increases when contracts were settled last year. Both boards approved the transfer.

A transfer from Line 172 (Norfolk County Agricultural High School) of $12,000 for legal costs was approved by both boards. A transfer from Line 256 to Line 257 of $2,230.42 for the FICA payment based on total salaries paid, a figure that is not clear as a year-end total until the June payroll is complete was approved by both boards. A transfer from Line 48 of $140.30 to Line 50 to close a minor shortfall in salary for the treasurer-clerical employee in the collectors’ office was approved by both boards.

Selectmen also voted to increase ambulance rates for the first time since 2016, at the urging of Fire Chief Timothy Grenno.

“It’s a sign of the times,” he said. “Insurance rates are going up. Also, some legislation has been filed — which sits in conference committee right now — which will limit the level to which you are able to bill insurance companies for the use of emergency services.”

That bill would include a rollback date governing when rate increases would be allowed, after which it would be limited to a benchmark of 2 or 3 percent, Grenno said.

“These rate increases are in line with what our billing company has recommended,” he said. “It is the same Medicare billable rates which most of our neighboring towns are using.”

Salvucci said he has noticed that Whitman has, in the past, been much lower than neighboring towns.

The Board of Selectmen appointed a nine-member Budget-Override Evaluation Committee.

Serving on the committe will be: residents John Galvin and Christopher George as citizens at-large; Finance Committee members Codero and Scott Lambiase; Grenno; Public Works Superintendent Bruce Martin; Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak; School Committee member Dawn Byers; Selectmen Evans and Randy LaMattina and Lynam.

“The town cannot show that we are approving it — even though we are approving [of] it — the taxpayers have to make that decision,” Salvucci said of the committee’s title.

Police Chief Scott Benton said he and Grenno had decided to have one public safety representative on the committee.

Grenno asked why there was no representation of the town accountant or assessor’s office on the committee, but Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green said the accountant would be actively involved, reviewing figures.

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HANSON — The Board of Selectmen have begun the process of hiring a new town administrator, voting on Tuesday, July 9 to post the position and the process by which they will select that person.

Interim Town Administrator Meredith Marini has advised Selectmen she is not interested in being appointed to the job full time.

Board members have expressed an interest in reviewing the job description, and Selectmen Chairman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett asked the board how they would like to approach the selection process. Marini said the Town Administrator Act will be the main guide for the type of candidate the town might seek.

“Once it’s posted, how do we want to go about whittling down to the candidates that we want to interview?” she said. Options included a selection committee, hiring an outside consulting firm — which has been done in the past, or including a group of citizens involved in the process.

Selectmen agreed to the consultant option, but Selectman Jim Hickey expressed a desire to be part of the process.

“I will go with it,” Selectman Wes Blauss said of a consultant. “I have become so totally cynical … this is a revolving door. We have had zero continuity. I can count six town administrators, plus an interim in 12 years — it’s just been so fast. We keep nobody.”

Blauss declined to discuss the kind of candidate he is looking for at this point, but did say the town keeps going around on the same track, hiring the “same basic person” who is gone after two years.

The last search was the first one in which the town used a consulting service, Marini said.

“One of the things that we’ve got to do is raise the salary,” said Selectman Kenny Mitchell.

“I’m not blaming the search committees,” Marini said. “It’s what you get for candidates, it’s a shallow pool that you’re working from.”

“You think it’s because of the salary?” FitzGerald-Kemmett asked.

“I think it is,” Marini replied. “And we’ve created our own problem now. [Applicants are] like, ‘Hanson? How many people have they had in the last so many years? What’s going on in Hanson?’”

Marini has looked to consulting firms listed in the Beacon Hill Beacon newsletter as well as reaching out to her counterparts in other communities to ask what firms they may have used.

FitzGerald-Kemmett suggested labor counsel Clifford & Kenny could be asked to conduct a comparative study of salaries in area communities. Marini said she had asked them to do just that, and that the firm will be supplying that information.

East Bridgewater, for example posted a position recently at a salary of $140,000. Hanson currently pays $122,000.

“That was a little concerning, particularly since it’s a very similar town in terms of size and demographics,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

During the last town administrator search, an independent consulting firm was hired to work with a search committee in conducting preliminary vetting of applicants, providing three finalists for Selectmen to interview.

Marini said the process is totally up to the board.

“I like the idea of a [consulting] company,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “What I would like is some department head feedback and involvement. I don’t know what that looks like, but I just know that I think it’s critical for our department heads … to be able to reflect that they have asked the questions and gotten a comfort level.”

She suggested that one option is to have a Selectmen’s meeting include an opportunity for department heads to ask questions of some candidates.

Marini explained that the board would set parameters of experience and other concerns for the consultant to use as a guide in reducing the applicant pool.

“My personal opinion is you need somebody who’s done the job before,” Marini said. “You can’t get somebody who is fresh out … unless they are exceptional. They need to know what the processes are.”

She reminded the board of her own plans for retirement.

“You’re going to have a new person in the executive assistant’s position and finding your way around is going to be difficult if you are just starting out,” Marini said. “By increasing salary, you may get some people who have been in other communities and, just through the dynamics of the political environment have decided to go someplace else, but I think the salary has a lot to do with it.”

In other business, Selectmen voted to change a design aspect of a portion of the Maquan Street/Route 14 rehabilitation project after MassDOT expressed concerns over a boardwalk plan the board had approved to streamline the construction time and lower cost. The board had previously opted for the other option presented to them — a retaining wall along a 250-foot portion of the road as it passes Maquan Pond.

“They are classifying [the boardwalk] as a bridge,” according to Town Planner Deborah Pettey in a letter to Selectmen. “That would mean it would have to be registered as a state bridge. It would also mean that we would have to hire a bridge engineer. Most likely [it would] add approximately $100,000 to the cost of the project and approximately nine months to the timeline.”

James Fitzgerald of engineering firm Environmental Partners explained the classification and options available to the board.

“There was a slight difference in improvements in terms of environmental impacts as far as going over the wetland [via a boardwalk] as opposed to putting in a retaining wall,” said Fitzgerald, who also mentioned that the board had preferred the aesthetics of a boardwalk, which was aimed at providing foot and bicycle access.

Maintenance would have been more costly for a boardwalk. As a bridge, the state would assign the boardwalk a bridge number and it would be under state inspection guidelines and authority for repairs, but may or may not allocate funds for any needed repairs.

“In our opinion, it makes much more sense at this point to go back to the retaining wall concept,” Fitzgerald said.

“Can we circle back to the absurdity of the bridge thing?” FitzGerald-Kemmett asked. “There are bridges failing all over Massachusetts and somehow this little 250-foot thing [is a bridge]. … I don’t think anybody felt extremely passionate one way or the other, but I think, aesthetically, we kind of favored the boardwalk.”

The retaining wall would require further discussion about where a wetlands replication area would be done to mitigate impact on the pond by the construction project.

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By Drew Sullivan
Express intern

HANOVER — If automation is the future, South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School is working to prepare students to meet that challenge — even during the summer.

The school hosted its Engineering and Robotics Camp last week, as middle school students learned how to make and compete with their own robotic creations.

Teacher Jerry Shaw ran the camp for its second consecutive year, this time alongside Greg Stevens, both of whom teach at the SST. “When I started teaching, I saw robots as a good vehicle to teach various means of engineering in an exciting way.” said Shaw.

Both Shaw and Stevens agreed that engineering and robotics camps like these help teach students invaluable skills in problem solving, key skills for future careers.

“A lot of learning happens when things fail,” said Stevens. “Learning how to take failure, learn from it and improve. That’s engineering. I think teaching them how to fail and learn is important.”

On Wednesday, July 10 the finals of a friendly competition between student teams and their robots concluded. Participants used their robotic designs to earn points by picking up objects scattered around the playing field and placing them in a box. This competition tested the campers dexterity and creativity.

Afterwards, students logged onto laptops as they began to learn how to further program their robots.

“Who here knows anything about coding?” asked Shaw, as a few students sheepishly raised their hands. They worked with a simple software called Easy C, that would give their creations more range of movement. Shaw talked them through the process, as he occasionally walked around to answer questions and offer assistance.

Controlled chaos ensued as the campers switched on their robots, some spinning wildly while others remained stationary. Shaw continued his lesson, talking about different types of computer languages and how they can be used. Many of the students, like Rockland eighth-grader Owen Maher, were simply excited a camp like this existed. “Since elementary school I’ve wanted to be an engineer. This is an awesome program. I wish there were more available.”

The idea for this camp was the brainchild of Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey, who originally approached Shaw about the position, due to his prior experience creating related curriculum and engineering camps for other schools.

“I’ve been doing this since I started teaching. Writing curriculum and teaching junior high kids in the summer,” said Shaw. “Junior high curriculum doesn’t leave room for a lot of exploration.”

Greg Stevens, who teaches physics at the school, spoke briefly on the differences between instructing middle schoolers and high schoolers.

“They’re on different levels. Some sixth graders are at one level, some at others. There’s a wide range of development, so it’s more challenging.”

SST Assistant Principal Sandra Baldner touched on the importance of these camps for prospective students. She noted that her favorite part was “the opportunity for the students to see the instructional tools that they’ll have access to as students here, and the potential for career pathway development.”

The students themselves enjoyed the challenges involved and their ability to modify the robots at will.

“You can do whatever you want with it,” said Marshfield middle schooler Benny Barber. “No two are the same. I like the customization.”

While working, student Joe Catto of Weymouth agreed. “It’s fun to do the coding part of it. To build it up and figure out how it works, different technologies and stuff.”

A concerted effort is also being undertaken to include and attract more girls to the STEM fields.

“This has been a huge push, especially with engineering education at the school level,” Shaw noted. “The younger you get them interested, the easier it is to kind of pull them in later on. Ideally though, there would be more female engineering teachers, science teachers, and mentors coming to work in the classrooms.”

Lastly, Shaw highlighted Boston’s special importance in the field of robotics while addressing the future of robotics in the classroom.

“The Boston area in particular is one of the strongest areas in robotics in recent years, especially with Boston Dynamics and iRobot and other companies.” said Shaw. “In the classroom, I see robotics taking on multifaceted realms. Trying to get teachers and students involved with robotics, to understand what’s going on with them and have exposure, as well as getting robotics to more underfunded areas.”

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HANSON — The Dunkin’ Donuts and Speedway convenience stores at 318 Main St., reopened this week — a few days after the Hanson Board of Health closed the building following the discovery of rodent droppings on food prepared and left uncovered in a cooler last week.

The Dunkin’ location occupies and rents space inside of the Speedway.

After the findings, Dunkin’ was closed on Wednesday, July 10 and Speedway was allowed only to sell gas during the closure and decontamination of the entire structure.

In an update following the reopening this week, Health Board Vice Chairman Gil Amado said that Speedway was primarily responsible as Landlord but Dunkin’ as the tenant was also responsible for the cleanup. There were approximately 20 people working on cleaning the location for two days inside the Speedway convenience store and the Dunkin’.

“The health and safety of customers is our top priority,” the Dunkin’ Brands stated in a Tuesday July 16 press release. “We have stringent food safety and quality standards that we require all franchisees to comply with, and we take great pride in the food and beverages served to our guests every day. The franchisee who independently owns and operates the restaurant, which is located within a mixed use building, addressed the issues noted during the recent inspection. We also immediately sent one of our certified operations managers to meet with the franchisee and inspect the restaurant with regard to our safety and quality standards.

Hanson BOH inspection documents, which were obtained by The Express along with notes filed verbally through an independent inspector, documented the cleanup plan moving forward and her initial consultation with Dunkin’ manager Casey Sorrentino who stated all of the food products that were affected had been removed immediately. Neither Amado nor BOH notes supported or could confirm initial reports that the food had been served despite its contamination.  The BOH inspection stated there were no violations found related to any food borne illness.

The locations have since been in compliance and were declared reopened with recommendation of proper daily clean up and shift required cleaning along with nightly and monthly cleanings. The shared coolers and storage at the back of the building were shared responsibility according to the BOH documents.

Photos that accompanied documents through the BOH were released and clearly showed encrusted floors, and build up of dirt; both near and inside walk-in coolers and refrigeration of the shared use structure.

Mouse traps were placed in the interior of refrigerated cases along with plastic-wrapped bottled drinks as seen in the photos. In cleanup and inspection notations Independent Inspector Kathleen Piemonte stated a problem had been reported two weeks ago for a rodent issue by the manager at Speedway. They reportedly had a pest control company respond as soon as they were alerted by Dunkin’ management.

Back on June 29 through July 5 there were photos and documentation filed to the BOH regarding the rodent issue.

Last week Amado said a rodent-control company was on premises following the cleanup declarations.

“We felt that it needed immediate attention and they were shut down due to an imminent health hazard,” he said at the time.

He said originally the board had received a report that there was open food in the cooler and that it was “being nibbled on by mice and that mice were defecating in the trays. We walked in the cooler and that’s what we saw,” Amado said.

The same Dunkin’ store had been shut down over health concerns in the past, but the independent inspector, contracted by the town, had found no major violations at the location during an inspection a few months ago.

Because the mice move around the whole building, both businesses were ordered to cease selling food, he noted.

“After passing subsequent inspections by both the Health Department and a certified operations manager from Dunkin’ Brands, the store has since reopened and is once again serving our loyal guests,” Dunkin’ Brands stated.

The Express had reached out to franchisee Carol Porter who had no comment and referred to the Dunkin’ brand for media comments.

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