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By Carol Britton Meyer
Nearly 50 volunteers have been appointed to various Town of Hingham committees and commissions from July 1, 2021, to the present, ranging from the Historic Districts Commission and the Harbor Development Committee to the Commission on Disabilities and the Accessory Dwelling Unit Study Committee. In all, about 400 citizens are serving the town on about 46 committees. The Town Moderator and Select Board are responsible for interviewing candidates for all open positions and then making the appointments to fill them. Citizen participation is "at the core of Hingham's commitment to self-governance," Town Moderator Michael Puzo said recently. “The town quite literally could not exist as it does without its volunteers.” Select Board member William Ramsey explained that Hingham’s reliance on volunteers dates back to its Colonial beginnings. “From the establishment of the Old Ship [Meeting House] to the legacy of Benjamin Lincoln, our citizens continue to have a commitment to volunteerism in 2022." Select Board Chair Joseph Fisher also values the town’s volunteers. “Volunteering in Hingham connects you to others, has an impact on the community, and increases your awareness of how things get done in our town,” he said. Finally, Fisher said, “Let's not forget about the joy. Volunteering can bring fun and a sense of fulfillment to your life.” Talent back applications are available on the town website.
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 Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
Opry, a mixed-breed rescue pup who traveled here from Texas, recently joined the Hingham Police Department as a comfort dog to promote healing and wellness in the community. Opry, who celebrated her first birthday recently with a party at the Senior Center, was bred specifically to be a comfort dog. She was donated to HPD by PAWS New England and funded through a Plymouth County District Attorney's Office grant. Opry lives with her handler, Hingham High School Resource Officer Thomas Ford, and his family. "Opry will be a community-wide resource and will have a broad skill set in how to handle stress in children and adults who are going through traumatic incidents, police officers, town employees, and others in stressful situations," Ford said recently. Opry's temperament is uniquely suited for her new role as a comfort dog, offering a calming presence to help victims of trauma or those in crisis, according to Hingham Police Chief David Jones. Opry is also available to visit schools, assisted living communities, and other locations upon request. All Opry's care and training are through private funding and donations. In a press release, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz noted that Opry is the first-ever comfort dog to serve with the Hingham Police "and is a great addition to the Department and to the Hingham Community. . . . Opry has developed a comforting presence and commands smiles wherever she goes," he said.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
An article submitted by the South Shore Country Club Management Committee will appear on this year's Town Meeting warrant, asking voters to approve funding of up to $8 million to pay for the design and construction of a town-owned pool facility over a 20-year period. The proposal includes a handicapped-accessible six-lane, 25-yard lap pool, a zero-depth entry pool, a bathhouse, and a splash pad -- contingent not only on voter approval at Town Meeting but also on the subsequent town election. The pool design would accommodate an all-season "bubble" covering. That figure would be lower if Town Meeting approves the Community Preservation Committee-recommended allocation of $550,000 from Hingham's Community Preservation Act funds. There's also the potential for private fundraising, which would reduce the impact on taxpayers. Gaining the necessary approvals would not preempt the required town review process for the pool facility. Any proposal beyond a summer pool would require future Town Meeting approval on the budget side. "This is a nice project that will accommodate everyone in town, from babies to senior citizens," SSCC Management Committee Chair Christine Smith said recently. She noted that with SSCC celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2022, this would be the "perfect time [for the community] to get behind the project."  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By: Carol Britton Meyer
Matthew Scheufele -- who is currently serving as principal of Centerville Elementary School in the Barnstable Public Schools -- has been appointed as the new Foster Elementary School principal, effective July 1. Scheufele began his career as a grades 3-5 classroom teacher at the Federal Furnace Elementary School in the Plymouth Public Schools and served from 2005-2007 as the vice principal of the Nathaniel Morton Elementary School, also part of the PPS district, before assuming his current role. Interim Supt. of Schools Gary Maestas and Asst. Supt. Jamie LaBillois outlined the search process in a recent email to the Foster School community, including interviewing the six candidates for the position in early March, a semi-finalist round with incoming Supt. of Schools Dr. Margaret Adams, and a visit by the three finalists to Foster School on March 24. "From the interview, thorough reference checking with his colleagues and supervisors, past and present, and time spent throughout the interview process, it is quite apparent that Mr. Scheufele is the perfect fit to lead Foster Elementary School into the future," Maestas and LaBillois said. By Carol Britton Meyer
Hingham’s 2022 Annual Town Meeting will be held Saturday, April 30, on the Hingham High School turf field, starting at 2 p.m. "Town Meeting is an opportunity for residents to participate in their community’s legislative process," Town Clerk Carol Falvey said recently. "Although COVID-19 cases have decreased dramatically in town and throughout Plymouth County, we plan to hold the meeting outdoors out of an abundance of caution." The full Town Meeting warrant is posted on the town website, and a copy will be mailed to every Hingham household in the coming weeks. The rain dates for Town Meeting are Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m. on the turf field and Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m. inside the high school. The annual town election will be held Saturday, May 14, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Updates on new precinct information based on the 2020 United States Census will be shared with residents in the near future. Be sure to mark your calendar with these important dates!  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update. By Carol Britton Meyer
It's been a busy election season so far, with four confirmed races for the 2022 town election -- School Committee, Board of Assessors, Board of Health, and Sewer Commission. Incumbents School Committee members Elizabeth (Liza) O'Reilly and Carlos A.F. Da Silva; Housing Authority member Greg O'Meara; and Recreation Commissioner Nandita S. Scott are not running for reelection. There's a four-way race for three School Committee seats among incumbent Nancy (Nes) Correnti, Alyson B. Anderson, Matthew J. Cosman, and Matthew B. LeBretton and a Board of Assessors race between incumbent Carlton A. Chambers and Randall M. Winters. Current Board of Health member Kirk J. Shilts is being challenged by Rosemary D. Byrne and by Joseph P. Kelly for his sewer commissioner seat. Town Moderator Michael J. Puzo, Select Board Chair Joseph M. Fisher, Board of Assessors member Christine M. Roberts; and Planning Board member Gordon M. Carr are running for re-election unopposed. Michael D. Reive is running unopposed for the Municipal Light Board seat earlier vacated by Roger M. Freeman, who resigned, and Michelle Larned is running unopposed for the Housing Authority seat currently held by O'Meara. Stephen P. Buckley is running unopposed for Scott's seat on the Recreation Commission.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update. By Carol Britton Meyer
The creation of a state-required Hingham Public Schools District Wellness Committee is underway, aimed at recommending, reviewing, and helping to implement school district policies addressing school nutrition, nutrition education, physical activity, and related issues that affect student health. A school district’s opportunities to receive grants are heightened by taking this step. The Committee has oversight over reviewing district-wide policy to promote student wellness; ensuring that all foods and beverages made available during the school day are consistent with school lunch program guidelines and that the HPS physical education program is aligned with Department of Elementary & Secondary Education standards; and assessing all education curricula and materials related to wellness. The Wellness Subcommittee of the School Committee was formed earlier to help bring to reality its current-year goal of "furthering efforts on equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging."  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update. By Carol Britton Meyer
The Foster School principal search team recently identified three candidates to move to the next phase of the process, which will involve meeting with the Central Office team and new Supt. of Schools Dr. Margaret Adams. "We're on target," Asst. Supt. of Schools Jamie LaBillois told the School Committee recently. "We expect to announce the [final] candidate by the end of March or in April." He noted that while 14 applications were submitted for the Foster School principal position, not as many were submitted for the East School principal opening, but that "a couple of candidates asked to be included in both pools of candidates." The final candidate for East School principal is expected to be announced by the end of April. "It's exciting that we have so many good candidates," School Committee Chair Kerry Ni said.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update. By Carol Britton Meyer
Eleven elected town officers have terms expiring in 2022, representing the role of town moderator and 10 different boards, committees, and commissions. These include select board, school committee, planning board, board of assessors, board of health, municipal light board, housing authority, and the recreation and sewer commissions. Nomination papers for this year's town election -- date to be determined -- are due back March 11. A number of incumbents along with several "newcomers" to town government have taken out nomination papers for various positions. Those who return their completed nomination papers become official candidates once the required number of signatures are certified. "While 50 certified signatures of voters registered in the Town of Hingham are required to be placed on the ballot, it's recommended that those submitting papers obtain a minimum of 75 signatures," according to Town Clerk Carol Falvey. Having more candidates than the number of available seats on a particular committee, commission, or board, constitutes a race. This could be an exciting election season!!  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update. By Carol Britton Meyer
The newly established Human Rights Commission represents the town's commitment to supporting the ability of all individuals in town "to enjoy the free and equal exercise of their rights and privileges as secured by the Constitution and Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and of the United States and to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Town of Hingham." The Select Board recently voted to approve the Hingham Unity Council-proposed initiative. HUC Board Member Courtney Orwig called this "an important step toward ensuring that all who live, work, study, and worship here feel safe and welcome." Select Board member Liz Klein worked on this HUC-proposed initiative with Orwig, HUC members Katie Sutton and Andrew Turner, Town Administrator Tom Mayo, and Town Counsel John Coughlin prior to the unanimous vote. "This is an important step as we create a welcoming and inclusive community and is very much aligned with the community vision outlined in the Master Plan as well as the recommended action to create a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee," Klein said. The initiative -- which will not require town funding -- stems from the fact that over the past years, the HUC has heard directly and indirectly of incidents of bias in Hingham; studied the need for, and potential structure of, a Human Rights Commission in Hingham; and met with representatives of Human Rights Commissions through the state to learn about their experiences and initiatives. |
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