Compiled by The Hull Times Staff

JANUARY

• As the Massachusetts State Legislature began its session on New Year’s Day, Rep. Joan Meschino nominated longtime Hull resident Timothy Carroll to become the new clerk of the House of Representatives. Carroll replaced Steven James, who retired after 26 years in the position, as the body’s chief parliamentarian. He was nominated on the opening day of the 194th Legislative Session on January 1.

• During the fourth zoning board of appeals hearing on the proposed four-story, 12-unit comprehensive permit project at 25 Ipswich St. in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood, the zoning board continued the process of considering and addressing neighborhood and town concerns about the project. Debate over the fate of the development would occupy several more meetings throughout the year.

• Following a request by a coach to retire a student athlete’s number, Superintendent of Schools Michael Jette created a task force to advise the school district on how to proceed, with the end result being a recommendation to not start such a practice.

• The New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Public Schools awarded Hull High School continued accreditation as part of the voluntary public school accreditation process, which occurs every 10 years.

• Hull’s No Place for Hate Committee sponsored a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Wellspring.

• After their role as traffic commissioners was debated during discussions about the impacts of a seawall repair project, select board members heard from the town’s attorney to clarify their obligations. Town Counsel Brian Winner explained the role and responsibilities of the select board as traffic commissioners, which include dealing with signage, parking, and speed restrictions, coordination of traffic activities, conducting traffic surveys, studies, and investigations, and hearing complaints related to traffic matters.

• The Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company performed a financial review of Hull’s light plant to assess its overall financial health, with a specific focus on financial and operational indicators. As a result, MMWEC recommended that the light board consider a 4.2% rate increase, or an additional $6.51 a month ($78.12 annually) for the average residential ratepayer.

• The town issued public service announcements about a recent incident in which a dog was killed in a backyard by a coyote. The town manager said there was no indication that the coyote population in Hull was out of control, but emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant.

• The Nantasket Hull Rotary Club presented a check for $5,000 to Cops for Kids with Cancer, a Boston-based support program for families with children being treated for cancer in Massachusetts. The club’s annual Nantasket Beach Car Show benefits the organization. The club also gifted The Anchor of Hull $1,000 in support of its many community missions in Hull.

• A proposed $18.4-million fiscal year 2026 Hull Public Schools budget represented a 3% – or $535,643 – increase over the fiscal 2025 budget figure. As in past years, approximately 77% of the budget was dedicated to salaries.

• After nearly a year of negotiations, the Hull Teachers Association and the school committee ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement that included a 9% cost-of-living-adjustment over three years. The agreement also provides additional benefits, including four weeks of paid parental leave.

• Eighth grader Robin Timins represented Hull Public Schools in Boston as part of the annual kickoff for Project 351, a statewide youth-led service initiative. The 351 student ambassadors were joined at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler and other community leaders for a day of service and celebration.

• The Hull Beautification Committee and the town’s Design Review Board began an effort to tighten guidelines – and prohibit certain types of signage – within Hull’s existing sign bylaw by proposing a town meeting warrant article to limit highly illuminated, moving, and excessive commercial signage, electronic community message boards, and billboards.

FEBRUARY

• An issue relating to the developer’s right to install a water line along an access easement on adjacent private property was raised in regard to the proposed 12-unit condominium development at 25 Ipswich Street in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood. An abutter objected to the developer’s plan to install utilities on his property and any other improvements or alterations. His property, which was originally part of a larger lot of land surrounding the former Veterans of Foreign Wars post, was sold to him and his wife with an easement that attorneys say was not properly created. Without the easement, the developer would need to modify his plans significantly.

• Wintry weather didn’t dampen the excitement as Wellspring’s annual Winter Warrior Games got under way at Nantasket Beach. Dozens of hardy souls hit the water to help raise money for Wellspring, while the afterparty warmup at the Parrot included an arts and crafts table for kids.

• With numerous reports of dead birds in communities across the South Shore, the state Division of Wildlife issued guidance on how to stay safe from the HPAI virus, or “bird flu,” which is relatively rare in humans but can infect pets and other animals exposed to diseased birds. Residents were encouraged to report cases if they saw five or more sick or dead wild birds; to avoid contact with wildlife, especially birds that appeared sick or dead; and to keep pets, especially cats, away from wildlife.

• After hearing complaints from neighbors, the select board accepted a noise mitigation plan from the owner of the Tipsy Tuna restaurant to control the sound coming from the establishment’s outdoor patio in the summer.

• The select board adopted a “dignity pledge,” based on the work of the Dignity Index Project. The pledge reads: “As an American who knows and loves my country, I am convinced there is no America without democracy, no democracy without healthy debate, and no healthy debate without dignity; therefore, I pledge to do more to treat others with dignity, not contempt.”

• The Weir River Water System Citizens Advisory Board and WRWS Managing Director/Superintendent Russell Tierney reported that construction for the new one-million-gallon water tank on Strawberry Hill would take place from spring 2026 to the summer of 2027, with the system expected to be up and running that fall.

• A new art installation at Jacobs School featured sea creatures made from ocean waste, including trash collected last year when the project first started with a beach cleanup led by teacher Heather Weber and parent volunteer Jackie Kilroe Ranney.

• To kick-start the Hull Redevelopment Authority’s consideration of an additional option for its draft Urban Renewal Plan, the board heard Chair Dennis Zaia’s new vision for the property that included a bayside boardwalk, college classrooms, and a small apartment complex with affordable units. The HRA also heard a presentation from a Cohasset family interested in building a wellness and community center on its property.

• Despite the sunshine, there was little relief from freezing temperatures as wildlife center staff members rescued a seal from the ice on the southernmost part of Nantasket Beach.

• Bulldozers made quick work of the former Dalat restaurant building at Nantasket Beach, as well as the outdoor Paragon Boardwalk, as the new owners prepared the site to make way for a 132-unit mixed-use development. Also slated for demolition was the former arcade building and miniature golf course.

• Wearing everything from pirate outfits to bunny costumes, hard hats to bathing suits, hundreds of people gathered at Nantasket Beach for the annual Polar Plunge to support Special Olympics. Congregating at the Mary Jeannette Murray Bath House, more than 300 participants and 30 teams highlighted a shared commitment to supporting the Special Olympics organization.

MARCH

• Town Manager Jennifer Constable presented a proposed $52.6-million fiscal 2026 municipal budget, representing a 4.84%, or $2.4 million, increase over the fiscal 2025 figure. Major expenditures included health insurance, pension liability, and collective bargaining agreements, debt, seawall repairs, and restoration of Fort Revere. Included in the operating budget were the addition of two full-time fire department paramedic/EMT positions; a patrol and desk clerk position for the police department; and union and nonunion salary adjustments.

• The town manager also presented the annual $11.5-million annual light plant budget, which goes by the calendar year instead of the fiscal year. A rate increase was under consideration, as was the continued rental of the winter generators.

• The select board voted 4-1 in favor of allowing 900 cars to be parked in HRA summer parking lots. The affirmative vote was contingent on the HRA working with the town’s piping plover ambassadors again to educate beachgoers about the plovers’ presence.

• Edward C. O’Brien, better known as Captain Ed, the longtime owner of Jake’s Seafood Restaurant, died on March 2 at age 94.

• Following the zoning board of appeals’ sixth hearing on the proposal to build a condominium development at 25 Ipswich St. in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood, a number of issues remained unresolved, including public safety concerns and a dispute over an access easement. Hull Fire Department concerns included ensuring adequate water pressure to fight a fire, adequate turning radius specific to the town’s fire trucks, ensuring that the proposed landscaping and planted trees wouldn’t impede access for emergency vehicles, and installation of a sprinkler system.

• The Hull Lifesaving Museum’s signature race, the Snow Row, began and ended at the beach alongside the Windmill Point boathouse. Rowers traversed a 3.75-mile course to complete the race, which attracted youth and adult crews from New England, New York, and along the East Coast.

• About 75 people attended the No Place for Hate Feast of Conversations at the Nantasket Beach Resort to talk about community, diversity, dignity and identity in Hull.

• Hull High School hosted a career exploration day for juniors and seniors where guest professionals answered questions, offered advice, and shared insights into their respective fields, including education, social work, the military, human services, public safety, government, real estate, engineering, performing arts, entrepreneurship, and several skilled trades.

• Former select board member John Reilly was appointed as chair of the town’s 250th anniversary committee. He also had chaired a similar committee to celebrate Hull’s 375th anniversary. Board member Greg Grey, who also served on the 375th committee, was appointed to the 250th committee as the select board’s liaison. Overall, the committee is charged with planning townwide activities commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; focusing on remembrances concentrated throughout 2025-26; coordinating events related to the founding of the country; and aligning Hull events with other local, state, regional, and federal commemorations.

APRIL

• The first plovers arrived and began preparing for the nesting season on Nantasket Beach, where protective fencing was already installed. Hull Piping Plover Ambassadors gathered were tasked with helping to protect the birds and educate the public about the importance of safeguarding their nesting areas. There are only about 8,000 piping plovers in the world and Massachusetts is home to almost 4,000 of them.

• The zoning board of appeals closed the public hearing for a proposed 12-unit townhouse complex in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood under the state’s comprehensive permit law, but did not take a final vote on whether to approve the project. The board would have 40 days to review the document and then make a final decision with conditions for the project.

• The Hull Public Schools held an open house for local real estate agents to learn more about the school system in order to better advise homebuyers looking to relocate to Hull. Superintendent Michael Jette led the discussion, outlining the school district’s curriculum, extracurricular offerings, and the academic achievements of students.

• For at least the third year in a row, there were no public comments during the hearing on the proposed $18.4-million budget, which represents a 3% – or $535,643 – increase over the fiscal 2025 budget figure.

• The planning board heard a proposal to construct a new 3,600-square-foot commercial building at 15 Nantasket Avenue adjacent to the DPW barn – to include four tradesman garage bays on the first floor and offices on the second floor. The board awaited peer review and comments from all departments involved with land use, public safety, and infrastructure The ZBA granted a special permit for the project earlier in the year.

• Henry Dunn of Dunn Rite Parking was confirmed as the winner of the HRA’s summer parking lot lease. Dunn’s bid of $175,000 for the 2025 season was the only response to the HRA’s request for proposals.

• Families converged on the lawn of the Paragon Carousel for the traditional Easter Egg Hunt during the merry-go-round’s opening weekend. Festivities began on Saturday with photos with the Easter Bunny and continued with the egg hunt on Sunday.

• The town has received two grants from Coastal Zone Management to study building a new combined DPW/Hull Municipal Light Plant facility at the site of the current DPW barn at West Corner. Both are considered to be “critical facilities,” and CZM grants are awarded to municipalities and nonprofits to address coastal flooding, erosion, and sea-level rise impacts.

The main light plant was built in 1880, with several additions and outbuildings added over the years. The highway department garage was built in 1946. Climate resiliency measures would be built into the new building, which would replace the brick DPW building at 9 Nantasket Ave.

• Dr. Sarah Das of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Hull Director of Climate Adaptation and Conservation Christian Krahforst discussed the effects of sea level rise and the changing climate on Hull’s coastline during a presentation at the Nantasket Beach Resort. Their educational presentation discussed the historic geologic history of Nantasket and the Boston Harbor Islands and their environs, and how their dynamic nature impacts our community now and the next decades to come.

• The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced plans to transform the way Hull residents board the public bus service. Hull’s flagging system is one of the last of its kind in the state, and the MBTA is gradually phasing out these systems in favor of routes with fixed bus stops.

• Hull Police and Fire departments hosted a joint training exercise at the former Memorial Middle School that included public safety officers from across the state, including the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, the Massachusetts Police Training Council, South Shore Regional Communications Center, and other police and fire departments. This cooperative training effort was one of the first of its kind to be held in the area. It emphasized an organized integrated approach to handle active-shooter incidents in the most effective and efficient manner.

• The town removed all parking meters townwide and instituted pay-by-phone app system for parking in Surfside, Kenberma, A Street, and the Helen Street commuter lot at Pemberton. The pay-by-phone system is effect from May 1 through October 31, except for the Helen Street lot, which would be year-round. Residents with parking stickers won’t have to pay to park there.

The parking fee increased from 25 cents per hour to $2 for two hours.

• The Hull Beautification Committee held a Hulluva Cleanup Day that encouraged residents to beautify their neighborhoods in preparation for the coming of the summer season.

• Baseball historian Herb Crehan presented a check for $1,500 from the Society for American Baseball Research to Steven Greenberg of the Hull Historical Commission in recognition of the First Night Baseball Game ever, which was played in Hull on September 2, 1880. The award notice said that SABR is providing funding for “installing a commemorative storyboard at the site of the Sea Foam House in Hull, Massachusetts, the location for the first baseball game played under artificial light in 1880, more than five decades before the first major-league night game was played.” The plaque was installed on Cadish Avenue between A & B Streets.

• During his first evaluation since his hiring in June, Superintendent of Schools Michael Jette earned high marks from school committee members.

MAY

• The Weir River ospreys returned to town and began remodeling their nest, carefully rearranging twigs and branches to create a cozy home for their upcoming chicks.

• The Hull Redevelopment Authority began a paragraph-by-paragraph review of its draft Urban Renewal Plan. As part of the lengthy discussion, it was decided unanimously to remove references to residential and commercial development and to emphasize instead the idea of improving the HRA property without specific details, and to remove from the draft URP references to the proposed two-way road plan and related infrastructure.

• More than 300 people attended the opening session of Hull’s annual town meeting. During the three nights of meetings, 42 warrant articles were addressed during more than 11 hours of discussion. A warrant article that would have authorized the select board to take three parcels of land on Beach Avenue by eminent domain ensure continuity of the protective dune system on Nantasket Beach took center stage during the first session, resulting in a lengthy discussion and a split vote.

• The citizens’ petition seeking voter approval to remove the town manager from the Hull Municipal Light Plant manager role passed during session two of the annual town meeting on a 116 to 83 vote, following a two-hour discussion. The light board was divided on Article 37.

• Voters appropriated funds for numerous projects recommended by the Community Preservation Committee; approved the proposed $52.6-million FY26 municipal budget; allocated $1.5 million for a new fire department ambulance and pumper truck; approved the creation of a Hull Community Housing Trust Fund; amended the zoning bylaw to better regulate signage; increased the local room occupancy excise tax; increased the property tax exemption for qualifying veterans; and rescinded the general bylaw of the town adopted at the 2018 special town meeting that prohibited all types of marijuana establishments except for the sale, distribution, manufacture, or cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes.

• The Friends of the Paragon Carousel celebrated the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby with their Derby Day fundraiser. Attendees were able to place bets on one of the historic merry-go-round’s 66 horses, which were sponsored by local businesses and individuals. Attendees also wore their best Derby Day hats as the carousel building was transformed into Churchill Downs for the evening.

• In a move that caught some members of the Hull Redevelopment Authority by surprise, Dennis Zaia stepped down from his role as chair and nominated Bartley Kelly to replace him. Kelly, who had served as chair previously, was elected by a majority vote.

• A total of 1,402 voters participated in the annual town election. Turnout was about 15% of Hull’s total 9,263 registered voters. Select board members Brian McCarthy and Irwin Nesoff were re-elected. Lisa Boretti won a five-year seat on the Hull Housing Authority. Nichole Londergan was unopposed for a three-year seat. On the school committee, Liliana Hedrick and Brendan Kilroe won three-year terms. Abby Klieman and Chandelle Schulte won seats on the planning board. Incumbents winning new terms were Town Moderator George Boylen, Town Clerk Lori West, assessor Richard Morris, light commissioners Thomas Burns and Daniel Ciccariello, and library trustee Alice Sloan. DJ Simon won the second open seat on the library board.

• After reviewing the proposal for a condominium development in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood since last August, the zoning board of appeals approved the project by a 2-1 vote. However, an unresolved access easement issue could halt the plans for 25 Ipswich Street, which is being proposed under the state’s Chapter 40B comprehensive permit process. ZBA member Richard Hennessey voted against the project.

• During an often contentious select board meeting, Chair Irwin Nesoff, Vice Chair Greg Grey, and Clerk Jason McCann were elected to those same positions for the coming year, with board member Jerry Taverna nominating himself for all three seats. The votes were 4-1 (with Taverna voting no) for the chair and vice chair positions. The vote for McCann to remain in the clerk seat was unanimous.

• Amid complaints about large mounds of seaweed washed up on Nantasket Beach – and at least one dead deer – DPW crews began moving the seaweed down the beach to be taken with the outgoing tides. They also removed a dead deer from the sand near the dune opening at Revere Street. No heavy equipment was used in that process in order to comply with the town’s beach-cleaning regulations.

• Weir River Water System Managing Director/Superintendent Russell Tierney said that the company would not raise water rates for fiscal 2026, although an annual capital investment charge of about $65 a year per single-family dwelling to pay for the final design and construction of the new Strawberry Hill water tank in Hull would be added to customers’ bills.

• Hull Pride celebrated the successful unveiling of the Kenberma Rainbow Crosswalk, a vibrant symbol of inclusivity and community spirit. Located at the intersection of Nantasket Avenue and Kenberma Street, the crosswalk was unveiled with a joyful event at Scoops featuring rainbow sundaes, snacks, and live music.

JUNE

• The Community Preservation Committee held a public forum at the Paragon Carousel to solicit opinions about the types of projects on which the town should spend funds collected under the Community Preservation Act tax surcharge.

• The town reported that the contractor for the long-awaited rehabilitation of the historic Fort Revere water tower had completed a substantial amount of work and expected to be finished with the project in October. The observation deck of the 120-foot-tall tower, built in 1903, was closed to the public in 2012 because it was deemed unsafe for visitors.

• The citizens’ petition article approved at the recent annual town meeting calling for the removal of the town manager as the light plant manager was deemed “not actionable,” Town Manager Jennifer Constable reported to the select board. Constable said the wording of the article did not include provisions about filing special legislation to make the management change. Constable further said that it is not the town’s responsibility to provide legal guidance on the structure of citizens’ petitions.

• In response to requests from Hull Redevelopment Authority member Adrienne Paquin and a number of citizens, a reorganization revote was taken, with the same results as the May vote: 3-2 in favor of Bartley Kelly as chair, Dan Kernan as vice chair, Paquin as clerk, and Joan Senatore as treasurer.

• Hull High’s 65 graduating seniors celebrated several milestones, including the prom, a final visit to the Jacobs School in their caps and gowns, and graduation ceremonies.

• The latest craft constructed by the Hull Lifesaving Museum’s boatbuilding program in cooperation with Hull High School was launched at Pemberton Pier. The Barbara Ann, a 19-foot dory, is named for the late Barbara O’Brien, whose family has owned Jake’s Seafood Restaurant for decades and is a great friend of the museum.

• Following passage of a citizens’ petition at the 2024 annual town meeting prohibiting the placement of obstacles on the railroad bed that block access between M and XYZ streets, the select board voted in favor of a number of changes. Town Manager Jennifer Constable said that the recommended changes were based on input from the neighborhood and public safety staff and included installing “Dead End” signs at each of the alphabet streets from M St. to XYZ St.; installing rubber speed bumps to slow vehicle traffic; assigning community service officers to enforce parking regulations throughout the summer; restricting resident parking to the east side (oceanside) of the railroad bed right-of-way for Beach Avenue residents; investigating the installation of cameras to monitor the volume of traffic along the right-of-way; installing stop and one-way signs at the V Street intersection; a speed limit of 10 m.p.h. and making the railroad bed one-way from M Street north to W Street.

• After construction of the Paragon Dunes condominium complex – since renamed The Wayfarer – the Weir River Water System said it would no longer be able to supply water to large-scale development in Hull.

• The select board approved a policy for dealing with shark sightings and attacks along Hull’s coastline, presented by Harbormaster Kurt Bornheim. Bornheim said the idea behind the policy was to be proactive rather than reactive, noting that the document was not spurred by an incident involving a shark in Hull waters.

• Five members of the Hull Public Schools staff announced their retirements this year – Jacobs School nurse Kathleen Keegan (26 years), fourth-grade teacher Tracey Mitchell (21 years), Jacobs speech and language assistant Joanne Pearson (11 years), Jacobs paraprofessional Mary Sweeney (six years) and bookkeeper Patty Gardiner (12 years).

• As record heat settled into the area, the Weir River Water System experienced a “drastic drop” in the water level in its Turkey Hill storage tank, prompting a systemwide ban on all outdoor watering and nonessential use of water.

• Robert F. Corcoran, a 35-year science teacher, high school assistant principal, and band leader died on June 23. In addition to various community efforts over the years, Corcoran presided over the band and color guard’s stunning streak of championships – 1976 through 1984. The Marching Pirates attracted a large following to their precision performances, many of which used “The Wizard of Oz” as a theme, leading many to refer to his passing as a final journey “over the rainbow.”

Watch next week’s edition for a review of the top news stories of the second half of 2025.

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