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By Carol Britton Meyer
The Planning Board recently began its review of the proposal to build a new Foster Elementary School, contingent on voter approval at the Nov. 1 Special Town Meeting and subsequently at the ballot box Nov. 8. The proposal calls for a three-story, 126,385-square-foot building with related improvements at 55 Downer Ave. The existing building is roughly 72,000 square feet. About seven of the 40 acres that comprise the site are developable. The proposal focuses on taking advantage of the natural surroundings. Features include a basketball court, softball field, a wilderness classroom with a raised boardwalk perched over the wetlands, 134 shade trees to create a canopy, tennis courts, an accessible path through the play spaces, additional parking, electric vehicle charging stations, a community garden, and a therapeutic learning center and language-based classroom for special education programs. The groundbreaking is expected to occur in the Spring of 2023, with the new building occupied in Sept. 2024 and fully completed by Spring 2025 if all goes as planned. "Overall, a lot of progress has been made on these plans," Planning Board Chair Judith Sneath said. "We will get into more detail at our next meeting," which is scheduled for Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
In addition to in-person voting for the state primary on Tuesday, Sept. 6, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., in-person early voting is also an option under the recently passed VOTES Act, as is voting by mail-in ballot. For in-person voting on Sept. 6, Precincts 1-4 will vote at Hingham High School, 17 Union St.; Precincts 5-7 at Hingham Middle School, 1103 Main St.; and Precinct 7A at Willard Square, Linden Ponds, 201 Linden Ponds Way. Early voting will be held at Hingham Town Hall, 210 Central St., in the Central Meeting Room located on the second floor on Aug. 27, 29-31, and Sept. 1 and 2. For further information about in-person voting, in-person early voting, voting by mail, absentee voting, and election precincts, visit the hingham-ma.gov website. The deadline to apply for a mail-in state primary ballot is Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. The deadline to apply for a mail-in state election ballot is Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. Citizens are encouraged to call the Town Clerk’s Office with any questions at (781) 741-1410 or email TownClerk@hingham-ma.gov.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
The much-anticipated, newly-completed boat ramp at Hingham Harbor features a wooden pier, a gangway, and a floating wooden dock to help boaters safely launch their boats and then return them to their trailers at the end of their boating outing. The ramp is open to the public at no charge. The new ramp offers boaters without moorings in the harbor an opportunity to also enjoy being out on the ocean. "A lot of people have been using the ramp since it opened, and they are very excited and pleased about it," Harbormaster Ken Corson said recently. The approximately $2 million project was funded by the Mass. Dept. of Fish and Game Office of Fishing and Boating Access.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
A communication/outreach plan is in place to ensure that voters are fully informed prior to the Nov. 1 Special Town Meeting. This effort includes public information sessions, tour dates, details about project costs and associated tax impacts, and the permitting status for the proposed new Foster Elementary School and new public safety facility. There are two separate articles for the two projects and a third related to creating a stabilization fund to help lessen the burden on taxpayers. Two local debt exclusion questions will appear on the Nov. 8 state election ballot regarding the proposed Foster School and public safety facility projects. A debt exclusion is a temporary funding measure that excludes certain debt from counting against the Proposition 2-1/2 limit on year-to-year property tax levy increases. In order to secure the requested funding for both projects, two-thirds of the voters at Town Meeting would have to vote favorably on both warrant articles, while the ballot questions would each have to pass by a majority vote.  By Carol Britton Meyer
New Hingham Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Margaret Adams presented an "entry plan" to the School Committee recently, focusing on developing an outline of activities to support her transition into this new role. Key points include governance, community, communications, teaching and learning, and culture. The entry plan reflects Adams' core values and beliefs about education, including the "collective responsibility as educators to ensure the success of every single student in our care," among others. This collaborative and collective effort "will ensure the success of all of our students, [whose] sense of belonging is strengthened when we honor and celebrate their diverse backgrounds," according to Adams. The report, including conclusions and recommendations resulting from the interpretation of information gathered during the entry plan process, will be shared with the School Committee next January. |
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September 2023
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