Hampton Circle neighbors say playground reconstruction will worsen flooding in area

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

As work progresses on reconstructing the Hampton Circle playground, neighbors are raising concerns that the project will worsen flooding in the area.

A meeting at the playground on Tuesday evening drew a sizable crowd that said the higher elevation of the play structure will spread negative impacts from flooding and pooling rain. Abutters from the streets surrounding the playground – Marginal Road, Moreland Avenue, Hampton Circle, and Bay Street – attended the meeting called by Director of Community Development and Planning Chris DiIorio to voice their experiences with flooding and drainage.

“They changed the topography of the playground. After all the landfill, water can’t move through and is flowing into all the other yards,” said Ellie Destito, who has lived on Marginal Road for 28 years. “When the waves from the bay come in, it is almost like the grand rapids.”

The playground is dedicated to U.S. Navy Lt. Joseph D. McLaughlin, who died in World War II. McLaughlin’s family lived on nearby Lincoln Avenue for decades. The playground is the beginning and ending point of the neighborhood’s annual Fourth of July parade.

According to DiIorio, when the town was forced to remove the playground due to the condition of the equipment, there was “an outcry from the neighborhood to construct a new playground.

The neighbors, parks and recreation, the select board, the community preservation committee, and town meeting were all in favor of moving forward with a new playground there.”

Jim Richman, who was present at the meeting as a citizen, although he is a member of the CPC, said they were never told the height was being raised and the memorial monument would be moved.

DiIorio said the CPC is not a permitting authority, nor does it review specific details of each project. The CPC makes recommendations to town meeting for funding of projects based on the purpose of the project and what it will provide for the community.

“Flooding is not a volume issue, there is not more water as a result of the fill,” Gary James, civil engineer of Beta Group, told the neighbors.

However, the abutters disagreed. The group stressed even with drainage, all their homes are in “jeopardy.” Destito said the abutters were told to “wait and see storm impacts… but what about people who own homes? Are we not more important than a playground?”

DiIorio told the Times the engineers were aware of the flooding, but told him, “raising it (the land) would not cause the flooding to get any worse.” He explained the playground was elevated due to the water, to prevent consistently flooding the equipment and pour-in-place playground surface.

“We wanted to protect the playground for sure, but are absolutely concerned about people’s houses,” said DiIorio.

Some abutters believed the elevated height was to protect the warranty, but DiIorio confirmed in an email that rainwater or saltwater touching the structure or poured-in-place surface does not void the warranty.

“However, if it’s under water every month, I think the companies issuing the warranty would be able to make an argument that that it is not a proper environment for the structure,” he said. “Elevating the playground will significantly reduce the number of times the playground is inundated as opposed to the first design.”

“I am not a direct abutter, but came out to support my neighbors,” said Dan Kernan, resident of Hampton Circle and vice chair of the redevelopment authority. “The water flow wears away at the little beach, I watch the water flow over the cement wall… the area turns into a big lake. The neighbors come out with kayaks.”

Beth Chapman of Moreland Avenue said she likes the playground, but is having a major drainage issue.

“All the stormwater is directed to the storm drain in front of my property and it does not work,” she said. “It comes down the hill and bypasses the catch basin and ends at the front of my house…all the water goes under my house and the foundation is eroded.”

Bryan Fenelon of Bay Street questioned whether anyone truly understood how the drainage works and why a study was not done.

“Water bypasses the drain and goes down the other side of the fence… the water is finding the easiest way to go and that is into the yards of abutters,” he said. “Reality is much different from paper.”

“There is a difference between lived experience and technical experience,” said Liz Kay of Hampton Circle. “Even if it is only 1% of the time, when it is acting like a river between Marginal to Moreland, the impacts on abutters make addressing the issue more important than the playground.”

DiIorio said a drainage study was not needed at the time because the town was not changing the drainage and the ground was graded to work with the existing drainage system. Abutters disagreed, and said they believe the drainage system was impacted because fill was added to change the elevation.

“All the water that went to the drainage system before will continue to go to the drainage system,” said DiIorio, who also recognized the drainage may not be working as well as it should.

“DPW tried to fix the problem with a catch basin. That is not our part of the project,” said Dave McKinley, landscape engineer from Beta Group. “The drainage pipes are dead flat; the pitches are miniscule… [We] need to do some drainage studies; when we did the project, we did not survey all the way to the other end toward the bay.”

“The town has an approved grant to provide funding to contract with an engineering consultant to do an existing-conditions analysis and make recommended improvements to the drainage system in that area,” said DiIorio, who expects the report to be completed by the middle of next year.

Some abutters said they were frustrated with what they saw as “double standards” because local rules that prohibit them from making changes to their property that have been made at the playground.

“The conservation commission would not allow me to put tar in my driveway, like they have here (playground), because it could not drain,” said Larry Robicheau of Moreland Avenue. “When it is pouring the park is protected, not our homes, but there are no kids here in the pouring rain.”

Linda Dunphy of Andrew Road articulated her “disappointment” in the process.

“As beautiful as it is, I don’t think they heard one word we said, not one word,” she said. “We want to not have water in people’s yards and houses and want to move the memorial monument back to where it originally was.”

Although the memorial monument to Lt. McLaughlin was put in facing in toward the park and will not be moved back closer to the road so passersby can more easily view it, DiIorio confirmed that the inscription will be made double-sided so it can be read from the street.

Some, like Richman, are concerned that kids will climb on the memorial.

“Shifting the memorial was secondary and how they treated it is unsettling…it is a memorial park and not just a playground,” Kay said.

“Our concerns are falling on deaf ears…The playground is trumping our homes,’ said Eileen Weisslinger of Hampton Circle.

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Want to help hire Hull’s next superintendent? Schools seek screening committee members

By Carol Britton Meyer

The school committee is seeking parents, students, school staff, and representatives from the community to join the recently-created committee to perform the initial review of applications for the superintendent of schools.

Current Superintendent Judith Kuehn will retire at the end of this school year; the new superintendent is expected to be named in early 2024, with an anticipated start date of July 1.

The New England School Development Council will facilitate the search process at a cost of $13,760. The final hiring decision rests with the school committee.

Member Kyle Conley and other school officials are working closely with NESDEC with the goal of a thorough and inclusive search process.

“We want to be sure the screening committee is made up of people with lots of different perspectives and levels of expertise,” she said.

School committee members will not be represented on the screening committee, which will make its recommendations to the school committee. The screening committee may also include a member from the select board and the advisory board.

Conley this week outlined significant steps in the process:

⦁ Tuesday, Oct. 10: During the regularly scheduled school committee meeting, NESDEC representative Dr. Margaret Frieswyk will provide an orientation of the search process “from beginning to end,” Conley explained. “This will be a big part of the agenda, and the public is welcome to attend.”

Frieswyk “is optimistic that we will have some fantastic candidates, because Hull is a very desirable district to work in,” according to Conley.

⦁ Thursday, Oct. 19: Frieswyk will lead focus groups in Hull to gather input from parents, principals, teachers, and community members. More information will be available at a later date.

“We want to make the process as inclusive as possible,” Conley said. “There will be lots of opportunities for those wishing to offer their insights about what they think the profile and skills of our next superintendent [should look like].” An online survey will be available during the week of Oct. 19.

• The school committee’s Monday, Oct. 23 meeting was canceled and replaced with a meeting the evening of Oct. 19, at which time Frieswyk will share a summary of the information and input gained from the focus groups throughout the day. Then the school committee will provide input. This also is a public meeting.

“This won’t be a time for us to discuss the feedback but to listen, add our thoughts, and make sure we have an inclusive candidate profile,” Conley said. The window for submitting applications is Oct. 30 to Nov. 27.

“Casting a wide net is fantastic,” school committee member Ernest Minelli said. “Hopefully we will have an abundance of applicants.”

In response to Minelli asking Conley what her “best sales pitch” for seeking screening committee members might be, she responded: “We’re looking for a group of people to listen to the profile information gathered on Oct. 19 and to do the first look-through [of the applications and resumes from] those wishing to be our next superintendent. We’re seeking members who will be available on the dates the screening committee is scheduled to meet and who have the interest and commitment to finding the next great leader of our schools.”

The screening committee is scheduled to meet in late November into early December to review resumes, with interviews by the school committee with the initial candidates recommended by the screening committee planned for between Dec. 11 and 15.

On Jan. 2, the school committee will receive an orientation prior to interviews with the final candidates, which will take place between Jan. 8 and 12.

Conley asked the school committee and members of the community to mark their calendars with these dates and to share them with others who are interested in participating in the process.

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Town accepts anonymous donation for Fort Revere water tower restoration

By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board this week accepted with thanks an anonymous donation of $1,500 toward the cost of restoring the Fort Revere water tower, with a condition that if the work does not begin before September 11, 2026, the money will be donated to Hull’s Council on Aging, 

“Either way, this is a really nice donation,” Chair Greg Grey said.

In the meantime, the town received a donation of paint “through Benjamin Moore and Hingham Lumber to perform restorative work” at Fort Revere at a date to be announced, according to Town Manager Jennifer Constable.

The town is looking for volunteers to help with the work. The project will be coordinated by select board member Jason McCann, contingent on Department of Conservation and Recreation approval.

The town owns the tower and some of the bunkers, and the DCR, others. This is because the site was sold off by the federal government after World War II and acquired by the town and state in stages as the individual private owners agreed to sell.

“The fort is a patchwork of ownership between DCR and the town,” Constable said.

During a recent visit to Fort Revere with Hull officials, new DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo agreed with Constable’s comment that “the site speaks for itself” with regard to its deteriorated condition.

Arrigo also acknowledged the need for discussion about safety and security at the site when a town official pointed out those issues.

McCann suggested a Fort Revere committee, which Grey said would be considered, adding, “It’s long overdue.”

Voters at the Aug. 31 special town meeting defeated, 219-169, a warrant article requesting approval to appropriate roughly $600,000 or more to cover the increased cost of restoring the water tower beyond the 2022 town meeting appropriation of $2.2 million. A two-thirds majority among the more than 400 voters was required for the article to pass.

Before the vote, Director of Community Development & Planning Chris 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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Everything you need to know about rowing, volunteering for Head of the Weir Race

The Hull Lifesaving Museum’s 37th annual Head of the Weir River Race is a celebration of the estuary at the height of its fall beauty and the fabulous array of the region’s open water rowers. As many as 60 boats jockey for position racing out of the narrow estuary and onto open water, traveling from the headwaters of the Weir River downstream, past Bumpkin Island, across Hull Bay, to the museum’s Windmill Point Boathouse at Hull Gut.

This year’s race will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14, beginning at 12:30 p.m., from the starting line at Steamboat Wharf Marina. Check-in will be held from 9-11 a.m., and the entry fee is $45 per person.

A highly contested 5-1/2 miler, the Weir draws coxed youth and adult rowers in gigs, single and double livery and workboats, currachs, and ocean shells, as well as experienced kayakers. In the “head of the river” format, boats kick off the starting line at closely-timed intervals, and times are collated at the finish to determine the race winners. The Weir is an exceptionally exciting race and a great spectator event, featuring more than 200 of the region’s finest rowers from all over New England and New York.

Due to worsening erosion of the marsh, the traditional starting line has been moved. All vessels must now launch at Steamboat Wharf and row 1-3/4 miles to the starting line..

The traditional after-race party will be held at the boathouse. All race competitors are welcome to nourishing chow and refreshments at the Boathouse Bistro. After competitors have gone through the line, friends, family, and spectators are welcome to enjoy the offerings with a $5 suggested donation.

There is no day-of-event registration: Online registration at hulllifesavingmuseum.org ends Friday, Oct. 13 at noon.

The race committee also is seeking food donations. Are you a secret soup specialist? Brilliant bread baker or master sandwich maker? If so, we need your help feeding hungry rowers and spectators.

Please RSVP (details below) as soon as possible to let staff know if you will be making a food donation, what you’ll be bringing, and the quantity, so they can plan accordingly.

What is needed: Soup, chowder, or chili (minimum donation enough to fill a crockpot: 8 quarts, please drop off in large Ziplock baggies); bread or rolls; sandwiches (must be individually wrapped); and snacks (fruit, snack bars, chips, and cookies).

Cooking not your thing? If you have a few hours to give and want to lend a hand on race day we’re looking for volunteers: 11:00 a.m. to noon: Set up food service; 12:30 p.m. to  3 p.m.: Serve food; 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Help clean up.

If your talent lies in service rather than culinary arts, let us know how you’d like to help. 

Visit the museum’s website for all the details regarding registration, launching, and parking, or email info@hulllifesavingmuseum.org or call 781-925-5433.

See you at the race!

Which way to the beach? Board to study making Beach Avenue one way

By Carol Britton Meyer

A traffic and engineering study to assess the feasibility of converting Beach Avenue between A and L streets to a one-way street was approved by the select board this week upon Police Chief John Dunn’s recommendation.

The timeframe is contingent on securing funding, engaging an engineering firm based on availability, and other details. Once the engineer is selected, the study will result in recommendations that will lead to a public process to consider various options.

Dunn presented the proposal this week, noting the addition of a new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access ramp and parking at the A Street beach in 2021, the continued encroachment of the sand dunes onto the road surface, and other safety issues related to pedestrians, drivers, bicyclists, and runners who frequent the area, particularly during the summer.

The recommendation follows a visit to the area by Dunn and the Hull Police Department’s safety officer in the fall of 2021 to discuss the possibility of making Beach Avenue one-way. In 2017, Dunn presented a report to the then-board of selectmen at its request, but did not recommend a change at that time.

However, based on current conditions, Dunn recommended that the select board authorize a traffic and engineering study. The chief also noted, in a memo sent to the board prior to the meeting, that the recent changes in the A Street beach area make it difficult for two-way traffic to “traverse without stopping to allow [for] oncoming traffic” and that the width of the road is no longer adequate for two lanes to accommodate auto, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic, which increase considerably during the summer.

He also noted that a search of HPD records over the past five years show no car accidents in the Beach Avenue area.

Fire Chief Chris Russo told the board that the necessary street width to accommodate fire trucks is a minimum of 18 feet. He also recommended adding fencing to keep the dunes from “invading street space” and a plan “to deal with ice cream trucks and their stopping locations.”

Neighbors also had their say, with some expressing concerns that changing the road to one-way, depending on the direction, could cause residents to lose the benefit of the traffic light at A Street when turning onto Nantasket Avenue. Others support the recommendation.

B Street resident Susan Short Green noted that some of the utility poles on Beach Avenue “are practically in the road” and also expressed concerns about the ice cream trucks that frequent the congested area in the summer.

“I cringe whenever one comes by and kids start running toward them,” she said.

Green also feels that making the road one-way would be an inconvenience for year-round residents.

At the end of the discussion, board member Jerry Taverna noted: “No one has determined yet in which direction the one-way [pattern] would go.”

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Beachgoers team up to save swimmers caught in rip currents

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso 

Recently, on two separate occasions, beachgoers became rescuers at Nantasket Beach when they jumped in to save people who found themselves in trouble in the water.

LIFESAVER. Surfer Robert Hutchins was among those out on the water who jumped into action to save swimmers who were struggling to deal with Dangerous Rip Currents. [Skip Tull photo]

“In these two incidents, all parties involved are lucky to have been in the immediate area of bystanders who were willing to render assistance,” said Hull Fire Department Deputy Chief William Frazer.

It was nearly dusk on Tuesday Sept. 5 when volleyball players heard cries for help coming from the water and “without hesitation” jumped the seawall and ran straight into the ocean. 

A young man was drowning, and his friend was unable to get him back in. According to accounts from those who went in to help, neither of the men spoke English, but both allowed the group to take turns helping the victim stay afloat.

Paul Dunphy made it out to the man and his friend first; he found the man “just limp.” Dunphy said this was different than what he expected, because in stories he had heard “drowning victims climb on their rescuers in fear for their lives and can bring them down too.

“When we finally got him ashore, the EMTs said if we had gotten there a minute later the guy would have been gone,” he said.

Dunphy was quickly joined by fellow volleyballers Robert J. (RJ) Ronan, Carl Decosta, and George Whelan, who “tag-teamed” with him to hold the man above water.

As dusk quickly turned to darkness, the group became aware they were fighting a rip current. Dunphy, who grew up around the water in Hull, recalled Decosta, who served in the military, saying, “Gentlemen, we are in a riptide, swim sideways to the hotel.”

The group was not aware their team members on the beach could not see them anymore, but a group of their teammates was watching and tracking them from the water in case they needed to assist.

“It happened so fast, at first I didn’t know who went in the water,” said Mary Dunphy, a fellow team member and Paul’s mother. “They were probably in the water about 15 or 20 minutes, but it seemed way longer. Thank God it ended well.”

Whelan said that earlier, two surfers down the beach had noticed the group running into the water and “thought with the rough surf it didn’t seem right,” and headed their way. When the surfers, Robert Hutchins and his friend Barry, known in surfing circles as “The Legend,” reached the group they gave up their boards.

When the group saw the surfers coming, they knew they were in “good shape.” Whelan described how they put the victim on the long board and, except for RJ who swam in, they all hung on while he also had the cord to the short board whose surfer began “sculling” them in.

“People began yelling to us, ‘You can stand. It is chest and neck deep,’” he said. “We held the drowning guy and smashed through the waves; he was rubber-legging. To lose the guy in the surf would have been horrible..”

“That was the scariest thing I have ever witnessed. The undertow and waves were beyond belief,” said volleyball team coordinator Mary Gagnon, who was one of the people to call 911. “They moved forward and the tide pulled them right back out. I was sobbing, afraid I was going to have to tell someone’s Mom they were gone…We have heroes amongst us.”

Melanie Whelan, George’s wife and aunt of Dunphy and Joshua Malcolm Whelan, who also went in the water, said “if those two surfers had not come when they did, this might be a very different story.”

“It was a huge group effort. Multiple people called the police and didn’t assume someone else called,” Whelan said. “The day I helped save someone’s life is huge, but the biggest hero is the guy’s friend, who stayed with him and supported him for a while before we came.”

“At the end of the day, the team came together very well. We got done what we needed to get done,” said Decosta, who, when someone said “God was watching all of you,” replied, “God always has my back.” Whelan shared he even has a cross tattoo on his back to illustrate it.

Just two days later, on the afternoon of Thursday Sept. 7, a life threatening undertow created another rip current situation which found two “self-described” non-swimmers over their heads beyond the swells struggling for their lives.

Frazier told the Times the swimmers involved were a man and a woman, both in their 20s. The Hull Fire Department rescue vessel was launched, but the bystanders were able to get the swimmers to shore prior to fire department members reaching them.

In a letter to the Times, a witness, S. Walsh of Onset Street, described “blood-curdling screeches” coming from the water.

“Almost immediately, all who heard it stood and pointed to the water. An action-oriented woman near me said ‘Whose surfboard? Get out there – somebody is drowning.’ I grabbed my keepsake surfboard of my youth and headed into the surf. I didn’t see anybody but clearly heard the cry for help beyond the high breakers and foam. There was a very visible rip tide current heading straight out, several other would-be helpers waded in and felt the strong undertow and pulled back out of the water.”

Assisted by a stand-up paddle boarder and a couple with a paddle board, the four put the two struggling swimmers on the boards and saved their lives.

“It was an honor to be with good people, doing good things,” Walsh said. “Today, we’d do well to keep an open eye for such opportunities.”

Dunphy shared a comment that someone made to him which applies to both these rescues: “One small force can summon more forces of good to intervene…it only takes one person not to be a bystander.” He wanted to remind people they should “remember to call 911 first, intervene if able, tell people to look for a floatation device, and surfers save lives.”

“In both these cases, bystanders played a role in these rescues. This speaks to the good that is within all people and their willingness to help,” Frazier said. “Unfortunately, during the hectic activities surrounding these events we were unable to obtain the names of the bystanders that assisted.”

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Stumped by your smartphone or computer? Student donates his talents to tame trickiest tech troubles

By Victoria Dolan

Can’t read a text? Logged out of your email? Give Hull High senior Jake Smith a visit – in his spare time, Smith helps senior citizens navigate technological problems.

Every other Monday at 3 p.m., Smith helps seniors with any tech issues they may have at the Anne M. Scully Senior Center. He volunteers his services and offers one-on-one assistance.

Smith says many of the seniors he’s helped have recently gotten their first smartphone, so he teaches them “how to use a phone, make phone calls, read text messages” to make communication with loved ones more accessible.
Smith drew inspiration from his family. His mother is a nurse for the elderly, and “inspired me to do what I can to help those in need.”

When he saw the difficulty his grandmother had in using her phone, he saw a common problem. He wanted to teach other seniors to use theirs, so Smith contacted the senior center to find out how he could help.

Hull’s senior center had been hoping for just that kind of help.

“We had a lot of constituents coming in and asking for help with smartphones,” said Maura Quinn, the center’s activities coordinator.
Smith’s idea blossomed into a passion, and now he plans to continue the service until he starts college next fall.

“I make connections with a lot of the senior citizens, and I see the joy it gives them,” he said.

Senior Center Director Lisa Thornton said the teen’s service “helps them to feel confident and empowered,” and enables older adults to “live their lives comfortably with technology.”
Thornton had been hoping to start multigenerational programming and noted that Smith’s work is a “nice step towards that” as it connects youth and seniors and enables future connections by helping seniors gain experience with technology.
Smith is certainly well qualified for the job. He gained experience from an interest in technology that started when he was younger, and worked as a volunteer coach for an MIT robotics team. His interest gave him the background he needed, and the robotics team taught him to “troubleshoot problems and have patience while helping someone.”
For others hoping to help their community, Smith suggests they take a similar approach.

“Do something you like,” he advised, “something that you feel could be useful.”
“A lot of people underestimate how talented they are, and how much they have to offer,” Thornton added.

Hull High student Jake Smith’s next tech assistance hour at the Anne M. Scully Senior Center is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 25 at 3 p.m.

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Select Board names new police sergeant, two full-time officers; reappoints 19 to committee seats

By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board this week appointed two new police officers and promoted a Hull native to the position of sergeant.

TOP COPS. Deputy Chief Neil Reilly, left, and Chief John Dunn congratulated new full-time police officers Andrew Ziniti and Michael Cambra, as well as new Sgt. Andrew Reilly, all of whom were appointed by the select board on Wednesday night. [Courtesy photo]

Andrew Reilly, who has been employed by the Hull Police Department for nearly 10 years, was named a sergeant upon Chief John Dunn’s recommendation.

Reilly has served as a detective, officer-in-charge, and sexual assault officer (remaining in that role), among with other assignments. He is also a Plymouth County Outreach officer, assisting individuals affected with substance abuse disorders and their families.

Former select board member John Reilly, Sgt. Reilly’s father spoke in support of the HPD and the “good work” of its officers from the audience.

“A lot of great things are in store for the Hull Police Department,” he said.

Also upon Dunn’s recommendation, the select board appointed permanent intermittent police officers Andrew Ziniti and Michael Cambra to full-time police officer status. Both are Hull residents and former seasonal officers. This change will result in filling two of the five current HPD full-time vacancies.

“They are both great assets to the department,” Dunn said.

Intermittent officers supplement the current police staff when full-time officers are not available and during a time when there are openings on the force, with the goal of eventually transitioning into full-time officers.

In other business at the meeting, the board reappointed 19 members of various boards and committees. No other citizens expressed an interest in these positions.

⦁ Beach Management Committee: Josephine Lewis, Jan Murray, Peter Pyclik

⦁ Board of Health: Janet Scribner

⦁ Design Review Board: Thomas Burns

⦁ Permanent Sewer Commission: Paul Norton

⦁ Veterans Council, David Irwin, Andrew Wohar, George Anastos

⦁ War Memorial Commission: Ernest Minelli III, David Irwin, Andrew Wohar, Edward Burke, Jerry McLaughlin, Robert Neal

⦁ Weir River Estuary Committee: Judeth Van Hamm, Scott Plympton

⦁ Zoning Board of Appeals: Timothy McCarthy (alternate), Timothy Pranaitis.

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Town considers permitting process for retail marijuana sales after voters OK bylaws

By Carol Britton Meyer

After last month’s town meeting overwhelmingly approved the sale of recreational marijuana in Hull, what happens next remains unclear.

Select board member Irwin Nesoff asked for clarification of the process this week, which requires state Attorney General approval of the changes to the town’s zoning and general bylaws approved by voters, crafting a Host Community Agreement between the marijuana business and the town, and reviewing new Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission procedures, among other considerations. The AG has 90 days to act on the bylaw changes.

While the Alternative Compassion Services medical marijuana facility on George Washington Boulevard advocated for the warrant article at the special town meeting, any similar business could now apply for a recreational marijuana license with the town, according to Town Counsel James Lampke. 

“The right to submit an application is not guaranteed or reserved for any existing establishment or any possible other party,” he said, adding, “ACS is the logical applicant. We’re not the biggest community for marijuana sales. While it might make sense for ACS to expand to retail sales, it’s up to them to apply for it.”

In the meantime, it’s not too early to start the process, according to Lampke. This could include the select board reviewing a draft HCA recently submitted by ACS following the special town meeting vote, and reviewing the town’s current rules and regulations.

Select board member Brian McCarthy noted that the draft document “is actually a template of their agreement with Bridgewater,” where ACS’s main operation is based.

“It’s their right to submit an application, but we haven’t started the process yet,” Lampke said.

At the same time, Town Manager Jennifer Constable said it’s “not the town’s responsibility to reach out to a business” about applying.

Lampke also said the town is researching how other communities have handled requests from existing medical marijuana facilities to expand to include retail sales.

The issuance of any license to sell recreational marijuana is contingent on select board, planning board, and CCC approval and the crafting and approval of a HCA and would follow a public process.

“I think we have an obligation to move forward on this,” Nesoff said. “The statement of the town was pretty clear.”

Constable, however, urged the board to consider what the most important priorities should be regarding placement on agendas for future meetings. Chair Greg Grey suggested board members review existing documents and to be prepared to address the issue at an upcoming meeting.

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School department hires consultant, sets timeline for superintendent search

By Carol Britton Meyer

School committee members this week established a draft timeline for hiring the next Hull Public Schools superintendent, with a selection expected to be made by the end of January and a start date of July 1. Current Superintendent Judith Kuehn is retiring at the end of the school year.

The New England School Development Council, based in Marlborough, has been hired to facilitate the search at a cost of $13,760. The final decision rests with the committee.

Member Kyle Conley and other school officials are working closely with NESDEC with the goal of leading “a very intentional and thorough search for our next superintendent – someone who is fabulous, although not as fabulous as [Kuehn] – and who will continue her great work,” she said. “We want to be sure we have a clear, transparent, and inclusive process. There will be lots of opportunities for stakeholders to weigh in, including teachers, administrators, staff, custodians, students, parents, and other members of the community.”

As part of the process, the job will be posted and recruitment for the position will begin in October or November, a timeline approved, a screening committee appointed, and a salary established. The deadline to submit an application for the position in Nov. 27.

The tentative timeline:

⦁ Mid-October: In partnership with the school committee, NESDEC will conduct focus groups with administration, staff, parents, and other community members as part of a community needs assessment, to develop a candidate profile.

⦁ By Oct. 30: Screening committee members will be recruited and selected.

⦁ End of November, early December: The screening committee will review procedures, develop interview questions, set the interview schedule, review applications received, and distribute application packets.

⦁ Mid- December: Preliminary interviews of selected candidates will be conducted; the screening committee will determine which candidates to recommend to the school committee.

⦁ Around Dec. 18: Finalists will be announced and interviews with these candidates conducted Jan. 10-19.

It has not yet been decided whether visits to finalists’ districts will be part of the process.

Chair David Twombly urged anyone interested in the process to get involved now.

“Don’t sit on the sidelines,” he said. “We want to be sure a lot of people attend the upcoming meetings and give their opinions. This is an exciting time, and while we certainly don’t want to lose Judy, we can embrace the change and go from there.”

In other business at the meeting:

Kuehn provided a progress report on phases one and two of the school reconfiguration process. “I’m happy to say that phase one was incredibly successful because of the commitment of the leadership team and everyone, including our custodians, who worked so hard to get this project done,” she said.

Under phase one, Pre-K through grade 6 students are attending classes at Jacobs Elementary School, grades 7 and 8 at Memorial Middle School, and grades 9 through 12 at the high school for the current school year.

Phase two, once granted final approval by the school committee, would implement the final reconfiguration, where Jacobs School would house grades PreK to 7 and the high school, grades 8 to 12, beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

“On to phase two!” Kuehn said, noting that the new HPS theme is “Stronger Together – Hull Pirate Pride.”

At the end of the meeting, the committee held an executive session related to the lawsuit against the town by former Superintendent Michael Devine. The select board also was scheduled to discuss the lawsuit in closed session this week.

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