Three-member committee to review applicants for library director position

By Carol Britton Meyer 

A three-member selection committee will review the applications of eight people who are seeking to replace Diane Costagliola as director of the Hull Public Library.

Costagliola resigned recently to accept the position of library director in Sandwich. The search committee is comprised of library trustee James Curtis Miller III, Town Manager Jennifer Constable, and select board member Jason McCann.

“We will narrow [the process] to three or four candidates and interview them, moving forward as quickly as possible,” Constable said at Wednesday’s meeting of the select board. She also thanked the library staff for “holding down the fort” in the meantime.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, War Memorial Commission Chair Edward Burke proposed the creation of an Agent Orange memorial at Monument Square to honor the eight or more Hull veterans who died from its effects. The goal is to have the memorial completed by Aug. 10, 2024, which has been designated as Agent Orange Awareness Day annually. The select board was supportive of this idea.

Constable was appointed as the select board’s designee to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the MBTA Advisory Board. The MAPC is the regional planning agency serving the people who live and work in the 101 cities and towns of Metropolitan Boston. MAPC’s mission is to promote smart growth and regional collaboration, and to work toward sound municipal management, sustainable land use, protection of natural resources, efficient and affordable transportation, a diverse housing stock, public safety, economic development, clean energy, healthy communities, an informed public, and equity and opportunity among people of all backgrounds.

“The MAPC is an exceptional resource to the entire region, and specifically to Hull,” Constable said. Community Development and Planning Director Chris DiIorio will serve as the alternate.

The MBTA Advisory Board plays a key role in the allocation of federal funds for MBTA capital-related projects. The board is composed of the chief elected official of each of the 176 cities and towns in the Commonwealth, or their designee.

McCann noted the importance of alerting the community to any service changes related to the Hull bus, commuter rail, ferry, or The Ride in a prompt manner. Constable suggested that the proposed select board newsletter could include such updates.

Constable reported that she, Rep. Joan Meschino, and Sen. Patrick O’Connor will meet soon with the new Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioner “to share our needs and asks of the DCR” and to provide a tour of the Point Allerton seawall – which is owned by the DCR and is in desperate need of repair – Fort Revere, and the front beach area” and to talk about climate adaptation. Constable will report back to the board following the meeting.

“We would like to see our improved relationship with DCR continue to grow,” she said.

McCann reported that there has been progress in negotiating a long-awaited, long-term Paragon Carousel lease with the DCR for the state-owned clocktower building.

The board entered into executive session at the end of the meeting to discuss former Superintendent Michael Devine’s lawsuit against the town. The school committee also held a closed-door discussion of the suit at its meeting on Monday.

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Temple preparing to celebrate Rosh Hashanah this weekend, observe Yom Kippur Sept. 24-25

By Rabbis David and Joshua Grossman

Shanah Tovah oo’mitukah!

We at Temple Beth Sholom wish everyone a happy and sweet New Year. During the month of Elul, the final month before the new year, we find ourselves taking a detailed inventory of what we did and did not do during the preceding year. The principle of the High Holiday season is summed up in the closing prayer of Yom Kippur. God tells us, “I do not desire the death of the wicked, rather the wicked’s return from the way that they live.”

Our method of returning to the correct path is called Teshuvah, which can be done anytime, but is truly emphasized during the days of the holidays. We engage in deep preparation for this powerful and meaningful time. Our buildings were prepared beautifully with our special holiday curtains and Torah covers. We use white in place of our standard colorful covers to signify purity and a fresh start which is gifted to everyone this time of year. Throughout the Holy Days, we hear the sound of the shofar, a ram’s horn whose piercing sound reverberates in synagogues across the globe, ushering in a New Year. This is a time of renewal and hope, however this year the shofar is sounded only on the second day of Rosh Hashanah because we do not blow the shofar on the Sabbath.

This year, in the early evening of the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we hold our Tashlich service on the sand of the beach. There we will ceremonially cast away past misdeeds, remembering that sins are not character flaws; rather, they are mistakes that we regret and resolve to not repeat.

We also look ahead to Yom Kippur, our Day of Atonement, Sunday night through Monday, Sept. 24 and 25. We will fast from sunset to sunset, taking in neither food nor water. It is a profoundly moving day of deep self-reflection, when we attempt once more to recognize our failures, correct our wrongs from the past year, and return our faith to God.

We will begin our Yom Kippur observance with a kosher dinner at Temple Beth Sholom on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you all, and sharing in both the celebratory and reflective services and events in our temple home here in Hull over the next month, and all year long.

Shanah tovah!

Community Preservation grant application deadline is Sept. 28

The Community Preservation Committee is now accepting new applications for grants through Hull’s Community Preservation Act funds. Grants can be used for historic restoration, open space, recreation and community housing projects. The grants receive final approval at annual town meeting in May, but CPC board members will begin to review the new applications this fall.

The application process has two mandatory steps:

Step 1: Preliminary application for project eligibility; deadline is Sept. 28. Complete the preliminary application and submit as soon as you know of a worthy project. A CPC member will contact you to confirm that your project falls within the boundaries of eligibility. If the preliminary CPA application is eligible, you will proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Final CPA application deadline is Oct. 31. The final application is a more detailed application, a CPC member will be assigned to your application to assist you as you complete a final application.

If a project is town-owned, applicants must get permission to submit  agenda of the select board or other town board, such as  conservation, historical commission, and park and recreation. For additional information, visit www.town.hull.ma.us/community-preservation-committee or email the CPC administrator at CPCadmin@town.hull.ma.us.

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Fort Revere tower project sent back to drawing board after town meeting defeat

By Carol Britton Meyer

FIRE IN THE SKY. There are few landmarks as uniquely Hull as the historic Fort Revere water tower atop Telegraph Hill in Hull Village. The structure is more than 100 years old and was the first reinforced concrete water tower built in the United States. At last week’s town meeting, voters did not approve additional funds for the nearly $3M restoration project, putting the tower’s future in doubt. [Photo courtesy of Jud Horner]

A majority of the more than 400 voters attending the Aug. 31 special town meeting soundly defeated a request for roughly $600,000 to cover the increased cost of restoring the town-owned Fort Revere water tower.

The final vote was 219 against, with 169 in favor. The request for funds is in addition to the 2022 town meeting appropriation of $2.2 million for tower repairs. The town is now evaluating how to proceed with the project with the original budget amount.

The discussion was the longest of all 10 warrant articles, with a number of speakers supporting both sides of the issue.

Director of Community Development and Planning Chris DiIorio made a strong case for supporting the additional funding and presented photos of the deteriorating condition of the tower.

“This is one of Hull’s most prominent historic structures,” he said. “There are critical needs. No work has been done on the structure for many years.”

In response to questions he was asked prior to the meeting about grant possibilities and the lack of access up to the top of the tower, he explained that not many grants are available for projects as specialized as this one, and that there might be a way to open up the tower maybe “once or twice a year” for tours if the necessary repairs are made, contingent on compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

“Townspeople showed by their past vote that they want this work done,” he said. “Appropriating the additional money would enable full rehabilitation of the tower.”

The majority of the advisory board voted favorable action, noting that if funded by a 20-year bond, this change would add approximately $45,000 to the town’s debt service for the first year. The minority of the board said the additional expense should not be borne by the town.

The rehabilitation work “won’t get any cheaper” if put off further, board member Steve Kiley said.

Board member Dan Sullivan, on the other hand, said he voted against the project a year ago because access to the top of the tower with its magnificent views wouldn’t be a guarantee even after spending $2.2 million for repairs.

“We might get [tours] two days a year,” he said. “Will people be lining up on those two days?”

Patrick Finn, who lives just below the tower, said access isn’t the only consideration.

“Safety is an issue now. The town owns the building and is required to maintain, preserve, and protect it to keep it safe,” he said. “It is what it is. We’ve been trying to prioritize this project for years. We’re responsible for it. Let’s fix it. It’s worth every penny. Not doing so would open the town up to liability.”

Select Board member Irwin Nesoff spoke against the article, expressing concern about the increasing cost of making the repairs, now at roughly $2.8 million.

“I think it’s time to pull the plug,” he said. “I think we need to think about other ways we could use that money. We have roads and seawalls that also need to be repaired.”

Longtime Fort Revere tower supporter Judeth Van Hamm considers the tower to be “the center of a beautiful park. It’s the foundation of a beautiful historic site for our town. It’s not a frivolous [request].”

Another resident called the tower “obsolete. Let’s take it down and put up a tower we can actually use if we need a tower there. This is too much money to spend that could be put to better causes.”

David Kellem, on the other hand, advocated strongly for approval of the additional funding. “The tower’s iconic silhouette that can be viewed every night when the sun sets cannot be replaced,” he said. “This is our identity. The tower is part of Hull.”

Before the vote, DiIorio was asked what would happen to the $2.2 million earlier appropriation if the article didn’t pass. His response was that the funding would remain in place “and we could look at how we might change the scope of the project and then go out to bid again.”

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Voters OK marijuana sales, emergency school repairs; reject new liquor license

By Carol Britton Meyer

Voters at last week’s special town meeting supported allowing the sale of recreational marijuana in Hull – 283 to 60 – while voting against appropriating an additional $600,000 to rehabilitate the Fort Revere water tower following the longest discussion of the evening. (See related story.)

The meeting, which some predicted would carry over into a second session due to the controversial nature of some of the 10 warrant articles, attracted more than 400 citizens and wrapped up in three-and-a-half hours. The voting process was expedited by electronic voting.

The start of the meeting was delayed by 15 minutes to accommodate voters who were standing in line waiting to enter the gym.

Town Moderator George Boylen was pleased with the turnout.

“Hopefully we’ll see as many of you next spring [at the annual town meeting]!” he said.

His request for voters to discuss issues and act in a “spirit of cooperation” was taken to heart, and the meeting ran smoothly.

Voters approved an initial $300,000 for emergency repairs to Memorial Middle School and $120,000 to replace two pieces of equipment that regulate water flow in the drainage lagoon at Draper Avenue and Newport Road, along with allowing the consolidation of certain “housekeeping” articles into a single vote “to expedite the flow of town meeting,” as described by Boylen, the article’s proponent.

Advisory board member David Clinton urged voters to vote “yes” on the middle school article. “This work must be done,” he said.

Planning Board member Harry Hibbard spoke in support of allowing Alternative Compassion Services to sell recreational in addition to medical marijuana.

“The town can’t pass this up,” he said, referring to the revenue that recreational sales would generate for the town. He also noted that ACS has kept its business low-key. “There are no downsides to it.”

Select board member Irwin Nesoff spoke against the Fort Revere article, expressing concern about the increasing cost of making the repairs, now at roughly $2.8 million.

The warrant article that would have authorized the select board to petition the legislature for an additional package store license for the town for the Quick Pick on Nantasket Avenue was also voted down, with 259 against and 148 in favor of requesting the additional license.

“We’re here tonight as a result of a citizens’ petition,” Boylen said. “It’s the right of every single citizen to collect the required number of signatures and present an article [for town meeting consideration]. When this happens, we have 45 days to schedule a special town meeting under state law, and that’s why we’re here this evening.”

Quick Pick owner Bobby Patel’s son, Khush, pointed out that there have been no violations associated with the store’s current beer-and-wine license, and that use of the now-empty adjacent storefront space would increase the value of the property while providing more options for those with mobility issues who frequent the current handicapped-accessible store.

Sagamore Hill resident Danielle Dolan said while the Patels are good neighbors, she’s not sure she would feel comfortable with her two teenage daughters continuing to frequent the store for snacks if the package store license were to be granted.

The advisory board earlier voted favorable action on the article, 6 to 1, with member Dan Sullivan opposed, saying, “There’s no need for an additional package store in Hull.”

The article proposing to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family homes, with a 10 per year limit, under certain circumstances was referred to further study by the planning board, zoning board of appeals, and the zoning bylaw study committee during what will be monthly public meetings upon the planning board’s recommendation. The vote was 311-18.

Advisory Board Chair Jason Frady recognized ZBA Chair Patrick Finn and the committee for their hard work on the article, noting that there “are still some things that need to be worked out to tighten the article up to give us the zoning bylaw we would like to see, so we’ll be ready to vote on it at the 2024 annual town meeting.”

Finn, in turn, said he was amenable to referring the article to study “so we can all work together and move this forward.”

Voters also favored postponing until spring a proposed fee increase to help cover the cost of administration of the Wetlands Protection Act and to double the fees for after-the-fact work, as proposed by Climate Adaptation and Conservation Director Chris Krahforst. The delay until the 2024 annual town meeting will allow enough time to discuss the proposal and to hear public input.

“I’m concerned this article is over-reaching by the conservation commission and would like to see it tabled for further discussion at the May 2024 town meeting,” resident Charles Shaffer said.

Resident Patricia Lambert, on the other hand, said she doesn’t think “we can do enough at this stage to protect our wetlands and to address other environmental issues that will endanger our community more and more. … We must take the lead from scientists to save what we have here in Hull for future generations.”

Boylen expressed appreciation for town officials, in particular Town Clerk Lori West and her staff, and Judi Saide of the Hull Public Schools technology department, for “pulling together this special town meeting in the required 45 days,” which didn’t leave much time for discussion about and consideration of the warrant articles.

He also thanked the school department for allowing the use of the high school gymnasium during the first week of school.

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Middle school locked down after discovery of old bullets left over from police training

The unexpected discovery of ammunition left over from a police training exercise caused a lockdown on the first day of classes at the Memorial Middle School last week.

On Wednesday, Aug. 30, a copier technician found what Hull Police described as a “training round” that had been used in an active-shooter drill held on the eighth-grade floor of the school earlier in the summer.

“Please note that these training rounds do not have the capability to leave the barrel and become a projectile,” Police Chief John Dunn and Superintendent of Schools Judith Kuehn said in a joint statement on the incident. “This resulted in a short lockdown of the school out of an abundance of caution for our students and staff. When officers responded to the school, they immediately identified that it was a training round, and the lockdown was ended.”

On the next day, a teacher found more training rounds in a plastic cup.

“We did not call for a lockdown at this point because we recognized the items,” Dunn and Kuehn said in the statement. “The school resource officer and the lead police instructor for the active shooter training event conducted a protective sweep of the school on Thursday afternoon to make sure no other items related to the drill were left behind.”

The police drill was conducted earlier in the summer; the statement did not indicate why the leftover ammunition was not discovered prior to the opening of the school year.

“The Hull Police Department and the Hull Public Schools would like to apologize to parents and students for any alarm this caused,” the chief and superintendent said. “We also want to stress that at no point were any students, teachers or school personnel in danger.”

The school department and police department said they would coordinate on future drills in the buildings to prevent similar situations from occurring.

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Hull Performing Arts to stage Pulitzer Prize-winning drama ‘Proof’ at Weir River Center

Hull Performing Arts, Inc. is pleased to announce upcoming performances of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize winner in drama, “Proof,” at the Weir River Estuary Center later this month.

The production, directed by Hull’s Lindsay Clinton, tells the story of Catherine, who sacrificed her college years to care for her mentally ill father, Robert. He was a brilliant mathematician, but his disability left him unable to work.  Following his death, she must confront her own fears about her future.  Has she inherited her father’s brilliance, or his mental illness? With the same question in mind, Catherine’s sister, Claire, comes from New York City for the funeral and to help settle family business. She wants to bring Catherine back to NYC to give her a new start and provide any help she might need. Their father’s protégé, Hal, takes on the task of exploring his mentor’s 103 notebooks with the hope of finding something worth publishing.

“Proof” is about familial relationships, mental illness including depression, brilliance, the competitive world of academia, and the struggle of children to navigate the complications of a dependent parent.

Alyse Clinton of Quincy, formerly of Hull, plays the role of Catherine, who has spent most of the last four years caring for her father. Clinton is a graduate of Northeastern University with degrees in theatre and ASL/English Interpretation. Recent theatre credits include “The Exception and the Rule” (Guide), “Godspell” (Joanne/Robin), “How I Learned to Drive” (Female Greek Chorus), “The Winter’s Tale” (Florizel), “The Wolves” (#11), “As U Like It” (Jacques), “Play On!” (Aggie), “Hair “(Black Boys Trio), “Jonathan” (Tom/Ensemble), “The Eight” (Dancer), and “SWAN” (Aiden).

Mark Logue of West Roxbury is Robert, Catherine’s brilliant but mentally ill father. He most recently appeared in Curtain Call Theatre’s productions of “ART” (Serge), “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” (Man in Socks), and “Dancing at Lughnasa” (Father Jack).

Ashleigh Pelto of Quincy is Catherine’s sister Claire. She first performed a scene from “Proof” in her high school’s acting and stagecraft class and has loved the play ever since.

Andrew Burke of Norwell plays Hal, Robert’s protégé. He is an alum of the Atlantic Acting Studio. Recent credits include “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” (Lucas), “Rhinoceros” (Jean), “Twelfth Night” (Sebastian), “Agamemnon” (Aegisthus), “Amadeus” (Mozart), and “Bridget v. Law & Order” (The Director).

Lindsay Clinton of Hull has directed many HPA productions including “Tomfoolery,” “On This River,” “Toilers of the Sea” (about the life of Joshua James), “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” and “Play On!” She is a graduate of the internship program at New Jersey Shakespeare. Directing “Proof” has been a longtime dream of hers, but she was never able to find the right cast. After many readings over several years, she found her dream cast. This is an amazing group of actors, and she is so proud of how this production is coming together.

The stage managers for this production are Julie Collinge of Hingham and Jenn Burke of Norwell, with set design by Siobhan McGurk of Hull.

Performances are Sept. 22, 23, 29, and 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. at the Weir River Estuary Center, 333 George Washington Blvd. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $18 for seniors, students, and veterans. Tickets can be purchased online at: www.hullperformingarts.org.

Too many passengers, too few seats: Ferry often leaves Hull riders stranded

By Carol Britton Meyer

“History is repeating itself” when it comes to the MBTA’s ferry leaving passengers on the dock in Hull due to a lack of space onboard, according to Hull Village resident Randy Gould.

Town officials, local legislators, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which operates the service, say they are working toward finding a resolution to this recurring issue with the Hingham-Hull-Boston boat service.

In an Aug. 27 email to the MBTA, Hull and Hingham officials, legislators, and the Times, Gould outlined the scenario that took place last Sunday. According to Gould, the 12:20 p.m. ferry out of Hull, which leaves Hingham at noon, left 40 people stranded at Pemberton Pier.

This issue has been ongoing for a number of years, as evidenced by copies of three August 2019 emails from Gould to many of the same recipients listed above that were included in his recent email, detailing “another weekend left on the dock” on three occasions – Aug. 10, 11, and 24 of that year. Others in town have complained about similar experiences.

State Rep. Joan Meschino, a Hull resident, and Hull’s elected officials say they are pressuring the MBTA to resolve this frustrating issue.

“The town will always advocate for its citizens with the MBTA, and we actively do. The problem here is the T,” select board Chair Greg Grey said. “We all see it daily in the news. They are certainly struggling in all directions. We will continue to do our best to speak with everyone that we can to help out with the issues, but in the end it will be their job to get things straightened out.”

Meschino said her office has heard from numerous other Hull residents who are frustrated about not being able to use weekend ferry service into Boston, and has reached out to the MBTA.

In response to an inquiry from The Hull Times, MBTA Communications Director Joe Pesaturo said the transit authority understands this is a “frustrating and inconvenient experience for passengers,” but said there are no larger boats to make the run.

“We, unfortunately, do not own any vessels with a higher passenger capacity, and our service provider does not have any other vessels available during the peak boating season,” Pesaturo said. “In the short term, we are limited by the number of available vessels. We apologize for any inconvenience that this has caused to passengers. We are committed to providing reliable and accessible public transportation, and we will continue to work to improve the service across our system.”

Pesaturo said the other vessels of the summer ferry operator – Hornblower Group, which purchased Boston Harbor Cruises in 2019 –are being used for whale watches, harbor cruises, and other events to meet the summer tourist demand.

“The vessels that serve this route have a capacity limit of 149 passengers, and in the past month or so, we have been experiencing higher than normal ridership on weekends,” Pesaturo said. “We are aware that this has resulted in some passengers being left behind, and we are in the process of monitoring the market for any vessels that will have a higher passenger capacity. We are also working with our service provider to develop solutions that can be implemented in the future.”

Adrian Muir, who owns the Shipwreck’d restaurant and take-out near the ferry ramp in Pemberton Point with his wife, Susie Regan and is president of the Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce, observed what occurred last weekend.

“This has been happening all summer, typically on weekends, but not always,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that this is occurring at a time when people are being encouraged to find alternative transportation due to the temporary closure of the Sumner Tunnel.”

Muir noted that the Feast of St. Anthony in Boston’s North End, which attracts large crowds, took place last Sunday, and apparently the number of extra riders heading for that event over the water “overwhelmed the ferries.”

While a few stranded would-be ferry passengers have stopped in at Shipwreck’d for a bite to eat while waiting for the next ferry, there’s a downside, Muir explained.

“We mostly get negative feedback from displaced riders, because no ferry schedule has been posted in the ferry wait building for a couple of years,” he said. “If we don’t have the current one handy, their response isn’t always pleasant. [Some displaced riders] don’t seem to realize that we can’t stop serving our customers and help them find a taxi, which is a request we get often. It’s almost impossible to get an Uber to go to the end of Hull due to the distance, the number of traffic lights, and the heavy summer traffic.”

Gould said the problem is not new this year.

“As one can see from the old e-mails, this has been going on for a few years now. COVID curtailed it for two, but the ferry started up again last year,” he said. “With the good weather this summer, it is back in full swing.”

While Hingham has a problem with some people being left at the dock, a ferry is available to them with greater frequency, which is not the case in Hull, according to Gould.

“If you look at the schedule, the ferry stops at Georges Island four times a day and Hull five times a day, while Hingham has a boat every hour,” he said.

The main problem is the midday ferries from Hull and Hingham, Gould said.

“If the ferry is full coming to Hull, then they probably left people at the dock in Hingham. You’d think by now that the MBTA would have experimented with making adjustments, especially since they changed contractors two years ago,” he said.

Town Manager Jennifer Constable said the town would pressure the transit agency to correct the problem, especially since Hull is considered an MBTA Community.

“The town will be discussing the capacity issues, in earnest, with both the operators and the MBTA,” Constable said this week. “The town has continuously noted the increase in seasonal ridership and the need to provide adequate services to the community. When riders are turned away due to capacity issues, that is neither reliable nor acceptable service to a an MBTA Community. Hull already struggles with limited service and service line disconnects.”

Meschino said her office reached out to the MBTA early last week to alert them that when the midday ferry runs arrive in Hull from Hingham, the ferry is already at maximum capacity.

Her office also asked the MBTA to formulate a plan to meet service demand fairly for riders from both towns in the final weeks before weekend ferry service ends on Oct. 10.

“Further, we urged the MBTA to look at this summer’s strong ferry ridership as a testament to the growing service demand and when planning for next season, to increase the weekend ferry service frequency in response to this season’s demand,” Meschino said.

The MBTA’s office for rider engagement is accepting comments on upcoming seasonal service changes, including the seasonal weekend ferry.

“We encourage people to use this open comment period to tell the MBTA how much Hull residents value the weekend service, to share their individual experiences, and to request additional weekend service for Hull/Hingham (F2 Run) next year,” Meschino said.

According to the MBTA, changes will be or have been made to bus, subway, and ferry services. Service for The Ride will remain the same. Commuter rail service changes will go into effect in October. Details on those changes will be available in September.

Bus and subway changes went into effect Aug. 27, while ferry changes will start Oct. 10. More information is available at www.mbta.com/service-changes/fall-2023-service-changes.

In addition, the MBTA is doing a significant amount of work along the Old Colony Line, which is directly impacting Greenbush connections.

“We asked the MBTA to consider allowing Greenbush riders to use their commuter rail monthly pass on the weekday ferry during construction delays along that main line,” Meschino said. “We argue that a Greenbush rider who buys a Zone 4 pass should be able to use an alternate transit mode such as the Hingham ferry during construction. Unfortunately, commuter rail passes are not currently honored on the ferry.”

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Woodworker restores a unique totem of Nantasket history with modern flair

By Christopher Haraden

The six-decade-old wooden totem pole that stood outside the state Department of Conservation and Recreation building on Nantasket Beach since 1962 has been restored and will be reinstalled later this summer.

TAKING A POLE. Carpenter Neal Syphers undertook a major restoration of the historic totem pole that stood outside the DCR building since 1962. Outfitted with some of his personal touches, the restored structure is expected to be reinstalled later this summer. [Courtesy photos]

Carpenter Neal Syphers, who described himself as “a lifelong fan of Nantasket Beach” and whose ancestors arrived in this area in 1631, took up the project after the structure rotted and collapsed last year. He has completed the restoration and is working with the DCR crew at the beach to place the new pole in its original location, on the lawn near the former police station and in front of the long building that is known as the “dormitory.”

Totem poles are traditionally found in the northwestern United States, and are characterized by carved symbols or faces that carry various meanings to native cultures, ranging from recounting old legends to symbolizing significant events to representing cultural art. Over the years, the designs of totem poles have evolved and have taken on different meanings than originally intended in the Pacific Northwest.

The Nantasket totem pole was carved in 1962 by Joseph R. Fleurant, an artist who created several similar poles as a hobby. The wood for this installation is quite historic, as it traces its origins to the former Nantasket Hotel, which stood next to the current Bernie King Pavilion from 1879 through 1955. The dormitory building, now part of the DCR property, was originally affiliated with the hotel and served as lodging for employees, making it one of the oldest buildings at Nantasket.

“In view of the town’s rich history of Indian lore, the new totem pole was recently presented to the MDC [Metropolitan District Commission, predecessor of the DCR] by Joseph R. Fleurant, of Gardner, a wood-carving artist of French-Indian ancestry,” The Hull-Nantasket Times reported in July 1962. “When the old Nantasket Hotel was condemned several years ago and workmen began its demolition, a huge pole broke away in a storm and floated out to sea, later being brought back on the tide high onto Nantasket Beach, almost in front of the old hotel site. Fleurant spotted the pole early this spring and managed to maneuver it to a safe spot from the tides, near the entrance to the state bath house at Nantasket.”

Fleurant began carving the totem pole on July 3 and it was installed later that month. He is said to have included a self-portrait by carving the face at the bottom of the pole in his own likeness.

Syphers said he restored the image of the original carver and has covered the entire pole in two coats of clear rubber so that it will last another 60 years. He also was careful to remain true to the history of the structure, while adding a few contemporary touches.

“The whale on top of the pole is actually a flying fish, I am told by local historians, so I restored its flying wings and made a ball bearing attachment so that the flying fish will actually spin and fly,” Syphers said. “It was stationary originally.”

He said the bottom figure on the “pays homage to the Hull High Pirates with their blue and yellow school colors.”

Syphers said he has delivered the finished product and is eagerly awaiting its placement on the DCR’s grounds.

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Weymouth man arrested for breaking into cars, carrying ammunition without a license

A Weymouth man was arrested on Sunday and charged with breaking into cars near the Nantasket Beach Resort and carrying high-capacity ammunition without a firearms license.

At about 6:15 a.m. on Aug. 27, Hull Police were called to the hotel after a man was thought to be breaking into vehicles, according to Chief John Dunn. A responding officer caught up with Nicholas Nardo of Weymouth, who was walking along Nantasket Avenue near Edgewater Road, and saw that he was carrying a Glock magazine in his right pocket. Nardo was searched and a total of five large capacity Glock ammunition magazines were found. Nardo does not have a license to carry a gun or ammunition, police said.

Hull Police called in the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department K-9 Unit to search the area for a gun, but none was found. The Sheriff’s Department Bureau of Criminal Investigation unit also assisted.

Police believe that Nardo broke into five cars near the hotel and in the Sagamore Hill neighborhood on Sunday morning. He was arrested and later arraigned on five counts of breaking and entering of a motor vehicle, and four counts of possession of a large capacity feeding device at Hingham District Court.

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