DPW makes sand – and sandbags – available to residents

Hull DPW Director James Dow posted the following news item this morning:

Due to pending torrential rains and potential localized street and neighborhood flooding, the Department of Public Works is offering free sandbags to any current Hull residents.

Come to the DPW garage at 9 Nantasket Ave. to get the bags. There is a pile of sand out behind the garage in our yard that has a "sand filling station".

There is a shovel at the sand pile and you must fill the bags yourself. If you have physical limitations or are unable to fill and load them, please come into the office and we will do our best to assist you if personnel are available.

Times issues correction for Feb. 8 story error

A page 3 story in the Feb. 8 Hull Times reports that Sunset Bay Marina is up for sale.

That's wrong. It's Sunset Marine that's on the market.

Sunset Bay Marina is at 2 A St., where preparations for another successful boating season are well underway.

Sunset Marine, the property owned by William Kelley, is at 839 Nantasket Ave. As the story notes, the marina and two adjacent apartment buildings are being marketed by Colliers.

We sincerely regret the error. 

Town seeks seasonal officers

The Hull Police Department is accepting applications for seasonal police officers this summer. 

Open to women and men from any town, becoming a seasonal police officer is a great way to gain real-world experience and on-the-job training. Most applicants have not been to a full-time police academy and becoming a seasonal officer makes them more marketable to their resident department for sponsorship if they decide they would like to pursue a full-time police officer position.

Led by Hull Police Sgt. Scott F. Saunders, seasonal officers are led through a series of tests throughout the hiring process. Candidates go through a background check, medical checkup, firearms qualification course, physical agility test, and in-house training before going out onto the streets as an officer. Not only do the tests and training prepare them for their seasonal position at Hull, but it also helps prepare them for full-time positions. 

"Our program is a great way to get people in here and give them some practical experience,” Sgt. Saunders said. “A lot of applicants don’t truly know the ins and outs of being a police office,  and our program helps them figure out if they would like to pursue this career full-time in the future.”

The position runs from Memorial Day to Sept. 13 and includes three shifts per week. After Sept. 13, officers can apply to be special officers, where they will be sworn in and extend their service through the winter months with two shifts per week.

To be considered, applicants must be 21 years of age, have graduated from an MPTC Reserve Police Academy, be CPR- and first aid certified, submit to a full background and CORI check, and complete a medical and PAT test at their own cost. 

Interested applicants should contact Sgt. Saunders at ssaunders@hullpolice.org by March 1 for details and/or consideration.

Nomination papers for state office will be available beginning Friday

The 2018 election cycle officially kicks off at noon Friday, when nomination papers for this year's state primaries and general election will be available.

Potential candidates for state legislative offices and county posts will have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1 to submit their paperwork to local officials to have their signatures certified. For federal and statewide office hopefuls, the deadline is a week later, May 8. State and federal candidates not running with a party affiliation have until July 31.

One U.S. Senate seat – now held by Sen. Elizabeth Warren – and all nine Congressional seats will be on the ballot, as will the constitutional offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor. All 200 seats in the state Legislature will be up, for two-year terms.

The signature-gathering requirements range from 150 for a state representative to 10,000 for U.S. senator, governor and lieutenant governor, and attorney general .

Primaries are scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 4, and the state election is Nov. 6.

Nomination papers will be available in the elections division of Secretary of State William Galvin's office, room 1705 in the state office building at One Ashburton Place in Boston, as well as regional offices in Fall River and Springfield. - Katie Lannan/SHNS

Town mobilizes as 'bomb cyclone' of a storm bears down on region

By Allan Stein

   While hoping for the best, Hull officials say the town is fully prepared for the worst snowstorm in decades – what weather forecasters are calling a “bomb cyclone.”
   With the mammoth storm expected to hit the East Coast in the early morning hours today (Jan. 4), the town is braced for a triple whammy of powerful winds, blizzard conditions, and pounding ocean waves as Winter Storm Grayson sweeps across the region. 
   Forecasters are predicting 8 to 12 inches of snow, with an arctic blast of subzero temperatures following the storm’s departure Thursday night.
   Robert Gilman, a professional meteorologist and member of Hull’s Beach Management Committee, said the intense storm will bring hurricane force winds topping 70 mph and tidal action driving sea ice in along with coastal floodwaters. 
   The impact of this unusual storm could prove especially damaging to beachfront properties, Gilman warned. “I haven’t seen a storm like this” — ever, he said.
   Hull officials say they’ve left nothing to chance.
   On Wednesday, School Superintendent Michael Devine canceled Thursday’s classes on the recommendation of Fire Chief Christopher Russo. Custodial staff is keeping the buildings warm around the clock so the pipes won’t freeze, Devine said.
   “This one we called early,” the superintendent said Wednesday morning. “Every forecast predicts we are going to get hammered.”
   Devine said the district sent out emails and texts alerting parents of the cancellation. If all goes as planned — and the storm is merciful — classes could resume in all three schools Friday, he said.
   “We are playing it by ear,” Devine said.
   Town Manager Philip Lemnios said Russo, the town’s emergency management director, has been coordinating storm preparedness ahead of the storm with his public safety officials.
   “Our staff is ready. We began preparing on Tuesday in the event of significant snowfall and flooding,” Lemnios said. “We are being advised to be the most concerned with high tide on Thursday at 12:41 p.m. We are likely to experience some minor [to] moderate flooding in the northeast and north-facing locations. Temporary road closures are likely.”
   All public works equipment is ready to be deployed “as needed,” Lemnios said. “We will pre-treat major roads with salt beginning late this evening [Wednesday]. Snow operations will begin early tomorrow morning.”
   The department has sufficient stockpiles of sand, salt, and fuel, he said.
   As a flooding precaution, the water level also has been lowered via the tide gate at Straits Pond. A Gunrock seawall contractor is addressing the work site in compliance with the town’s emergency plan, the town manager said.
   “We are prepared for several days of full-scale operations if the storm requires it,” Lemnios said. “If the forecast changes, we are prepared to adjust our plans to meet the conditions as necessary.”
   The town’s police, fire, and sewer departments are fully staffed and ready to respond, he said. In addition, Bay Street will be made one way temporarily to aid snow-removal efforts. The fire department’s Central, Green Hill, and Village fire substations will also be operating and fully staffed. 
   A Code Red reminder will be issued to residents reminding them of the winter parking bans that are in place. [To see the full list of parking restrictions, visit www.hullpolice.org.]
Lemnios said the DPW currently has eight plow/sanders and a sidewalk plow to cope with the storm. The town will hire eight to 10 contractors with various sized vehicles to assist, he said.
The Memorial Middle School will serve as an emergency operations and warming center for the duration of the storm. 
   "We will open a warming station at the Middle School if needed; the High School can also be added if necessary. Fire Chief Russo will determine if that is necessary,” Lemnios said.  
   The town manager said the estimated cost of the storm is $35,000 to $40,000 “depending on duration and supplies.”
   On Wednesday, the MBTA announced that all ferry service on Thursday had been cancelled due to the storm, including all service on the Hull to Boston route. 
   Hingham ferry service out of the Hingham Intermodal Facility was suspended Tuesday due to ice damage to the dock, and that disruption will continue for the foreseeable future. Many Hingham commuters use the Hull boat when service to our neighboring community is disrupted. 
   Lemnios said town officials have not seen a “huge demand” for commuter parking at the high school as a result of the Hingham closure. However, he said there has been an increase in passenger pickup and drop-off.

MBTA cancels commuter-boat service for Thursday

The MBTA this afternoon posted its anticipated service schedule in advance of a significant storm that's expected to arrive tonight. Unlike during the "great" Blizzard of 1978, Hull's commuter-boat service will not run tomorrow. 

Longtime veterans of Hull's water transport system are fond of bragging how they survived the boat run from Boston to Hull during the February 1978 snowstorm by which all successor blizzards have been measured.

Back then, the service was run by a private company. Now it's operated by the MBTA and, for better or worse, those  who make the decision whether the boat ought to run are far more circumspect.

Here's the MBTA's press release released this afternoon:

 In advance of tomorrow’s severe winter weather event, the MBTA has announced its service schedule for Thursday, January 4.

According to the National Weather Service, approximately 8 to 12 inches of snow are expected across the MBTA system tomorrow with sustained winds of 35 mph and more and gusts as high as 65 mph in some areas.

The MBTA will operate regular weekday service on the Red, Orange, Blue, and Green Lines. The Mattapan Trolley Line will be replaced with dedicated shuttle buses, servicing all stations. As delays and other service changes may occur, customers are urged to connect with the MBTA by visiting the MBTA website, signing up for and checking T-Alerts, downloading the Transit app, and following the T on Twitter @MBTA as well as the commuter rail at @MBTA_CR.

Regular bus service will operate, though delays may occur and buses that have “Snow Routes” will operate on their designated Snow Route. To find a list of buses with Snow Routes, customers are urged to visit www.mbta.com/winter.

The MBTA Commuter Rail will operate a reduced schedule in which some trains will not operate. Online schedules and schedules available within the commuter rail app will be updated to only show trains that operate during a reduced schedule. Trains shaded in yellow on printed schedules will not operate. Express trains may make local stops as necessary.

Ferry services will not operate on Thursday, January 4.

Since 2015, the MBTA has invested over $100 million to harden vehicles and core infrastructure including track, switches, power systems, and signals; developed a multidisciplinary approach when responding to disruptions in service using teams with the skillsets, materials, and equipment to address a wide variety of potential issues and scenarios; and contracted with vendors for snow clearing along key bus routes and T facility/employee parking, freeing up T personnel to concentrate on core system functions.

Emergency crews comprised of multiple disciplines are on standby to respond to instances of broken rail, issues affecting the power systems, and potential switch problems. These teams are staffed and equipped to respond to a range of issues in order to expedite repairs. Power crews will continue to inspect overhead wires on the Blue and Green Lines, looking for ice buildup. Ice cutters have been installed on vehicles to remove ice buildup on catenary wires on the Blue and Green Lines. Overnight, trains will be stored in tunnels to protect against sustained sub-freezing temperatures; trains that cannot be stored overnight will be exercised to prevent or detect icing up of doors, brakes, and propulsion systems.

Schools closed Thursday due to expected storm

Schools Superintendent Michael Devine has closed Hull Public Schools for Thursday, Jan. 4, in anticipation of a significant snowstorm that's predicted  to begin tonight.

The superintendent said he does not yet know if schools will reopen Friday.