By Carol Britton Meyer The tagline for the newly-created strategic plan for the Hingham Public Schools is "Hingham together: Navigating our future." "This plan really does signify a moment in time," Interim Supt. of Schools Gary Maestas told the School Committee during a recent presentation. "How do we bring our community together educationally and how do we set the future straight for our students?" The strategic plan is based in part on feedback from stakeholders who participated in a survey that garnered nearly 400 responses and comments and from numerous meetings. The plan's mission is: "Together with students, staff, families and community, we cultivate an equitable, inclusive, innovative learning environment that empowers all students to contribute to their local and global community." School Committee Chair Michelle Ayer called the plan "an excellent road map" for the next three years. The plan is posted on the Hingham Public Schools website. By Carol Britton Meyer If all goes as planned, two more affordable Habitat for Humanity homes will be built in Hingham by Spring 2023. These will be the fourth and fifth Habitat homes in town, including two on Central Street and another on Nokomis Road. Plans are underway to build two affordable Colonial-style single-family homes at 302 and 304 Whiting Street in partnership with SSHH. The Hingham Affordable Housing Trust has played a big role in getting this project up and running. SSHH volunteers will work alongside the individuals or families who are chosen to be the new homeowners, hammering, painting, and performing other tasks. Each adult in the family is required to contribute 250 hours of their time toward building their new home. For those unable to do so, other volunteer opportunities are available, including providing lunches for the workers at the site. "We'll be welcoming volunteers in late summer to help build these two homes," SSHH Executive Director Beth Lyons said recently. "It takes about 500 volunteers to build one house." Habitat houses remain affordable in perpetuity through deed restrictions. By Carol Britton Meyer Hingham's Fourth of July celebration usually starts off with fireworks, but this year's display has been postponed until Fall due to the presence of protected wildlife on Button Island, the usual place from which the fireworks are launched. The parade will go on as usual. This year's theme is "History Happens Here," a salute to Hingham's roots and traditions harking back more than 350 years. The Fourth of July holiday will feature the early-morning Hingham Rec Road Race and the Kiwanis/Lions Club pancake breakfast on Hingham Centre Common, culminating in the traditional Fourth of July Parade -- featuring marching bands, colorful floats, antique cars, Hingham's own Uncle Sam, and much more. Thousands of spectators -- many decked out in red, white, and blue and waving American flags -- come from near and far to line the parade route, including former residents who have moved from town who return year after year to enjoy Hingham's Fourth of July celebration. Harbor Media will be providing the community with live coverage of the Hingham 4th of July parade on HD Channels, Comcast 1072, Verizon 2131! The pre-show will feature local community partners and be hosted by Harbor Media's Community Manager, Kaley Gilmore, and Joe Collymore. The pre-show begins at 8:30 and the parade will be making its way down Main St at approximately 10:15 AM. This live feed is brought to you by our community partner AZ Studio. Make sure to visit www.harbormedia.org for updates. For further information, visit hinghamjuly4th.org. Happy Fourth of July!! By Carol Britton Meyer The Hingham Food Pantry, which supports more than 160 local families annually, has been fully operational throughout the pandemic. "We did see an earlier increase in the number of families that we serve, although things seem more constant now," Executive Director Susan Kiernan said recently. "We are expecting another increase, however, as prices soar." The National Association of Letter Carriers held its annual food drive recently, with widespread participation among Hingham residents, whose donations benefit the Hingham Food Pantry. Thanks to the NALC drive -- with full participation by Hingham letter carriers -- and several other planned food drives, the Hingham Food Pantry will be well-supplied with many non-perishables. There is still a need for one-pound bags of sugar, two- and five-pound bags of flour, pasta sauce, nuts, dried fruit, and cookies. For more details, check out the Hingham Food Pantry Facebook page. By Carol Britton Meyer Under the draft guidelines for a new multi-family zoning requirement for "MBTA communities" with commuter rail, ferry, bus, or subway services, Hingham would be expected to potentially accommodate up to 1,986 units of this type of housing "as of right" within at least one zoning district designated for that specific purpose. This legislation was enacted as part of the Jan. 2021 economic development bill signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker as a way to address the state's growing housing crisis. While Hingham and other affected communities wouldn't be required to actually build that many units, they are required to have the potential to do so or risk losing certain state grants. Criteria include a minimum gross density of 15 units per acre, with an overall minimum 50-acre size requirement; that the housing is situated not more than one-half mile from a commuter rail, subway, bus station, or ferry terminal; that there be no age restrictions on the housing; and that it be suitable for families with children. Dec. 31, 2024, is the deadline for the adoption by MBTA communities of any required zoning amendments to bring them into compliance with the new law. By Carol Britton Meyer It's a "go" for Hingham's traditional Fourth of July fireworks display this year --sponsored by Showcase Cinemas and hosted by the Hingham Lions Club -- following a three-year hiatus. The July 1 display is expected to be the most spectacular one yet. The town's Independence Day fireworks hark back to Civil War days, according to a history of the Hingham Fourth of July Parade by Dr. A. Alden Carpenter, a longtime Hingham resident who played the role of Uncle Sam for many years. This year's Harborworks event will feature music, fireworks, and special activities -- the perfect way to start off the Fourth of July weekend in Hingham! See you there! 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. 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. 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." 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. |
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March 2024
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