Head of the Weir set for Saturday AM launch

UPDATE FROM EARLIER VERSIONS OF THIS STORY:

Due to worsening erosion of the marsh at the traditional starting line at West Corner, the Hull Lifesaving Museum has moved the starting line a quarter mile downstream — all vessels must now launch at Steamboat Wharf at Nantasket Pier and row to the starting line, a distance of 1-3/4 miles.

Full details are at this link: Head of the Weir Logistics 2022 as some important details are changed due to moving the starting line.

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The tide will be high at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, setting the stage beautifully for the launch of the Head of the Weir River Race at 11 a.m.

The Hull Lifesaving Museum’s 36th 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 West Corner on the Hull/Hingham/Cohasset line, past Bumpkin Island, across Hull Bay, to the museum’s Windmill Point Boathouse at Hull Gut.

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.

There is no day-of-event registration – online registration at www.hulllifesavingmuseum.org ends on Friday, Oct. 7 at noon. Entry fee is $45 per person

On race day, check in is between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at the Hull Public Works building,

9 Nantasket Ave. at West Corner. The Coxswain’s Meeting will be at 10:45 a.m., with the race beginning at 11 a.m.

Being mindful of current safety protocols, all participants are required to wear masks while gathering for the coxswain’s meeting. The museum will be providing an abbreviated food and beverage service on the beach at the boathouse.

For details regarding registration, launching, parking, etc., visit hulllifesavingmuseum.org, email mike@hulllifesavingmuseum.org, or call 781-925-5433.

SchoolCom: More discussion ahead before consolidation of buildings becomes final

By Carol Britton Meyer

In response to what School Committee Chair Stephanie Peters called “some confusion out there,” at Monday night’s committee meeting she referred anyone with questions about the committee’s Sept. 12 vote to accept the recommendation by the Best Educational Use of School Facilities Ad Hoc Committee to consolidate Hull’s schools to review the minutes.

Known as Option 4, the recommendation calls for realigning the Hull Public Schools’ grade structure to place K-7 at the Jacobs Elementary School and grades 8-12 at the high school. The Memorial School would become available for other uses but would no longer be a middle school.

The minutes read: “[Superintendent of Schools] Ms. Kuehn rehashed the process we went through with the Best Educational Use of School Facilities and how the MARS Group and the Ad Hoc Committee came to the same recommendation of Option #4. Ms. Peters stated that the School Committee discussed it briefly at the summer retreat, and in the short- term they agree on option #4, preK-7 at Jacobs School and 8-12 at Hull High School. She said, it was determined that they would keep this item on the agenda and send emails to School Committee members [that SC members would send their questions to Kuehn], and Ms. Kuehn and [School Business Manager] Ms. [Diane] Saniuk can put them together and answer them. . . . Ms. Peters stated that they will take steps, not giant leaps, for a year. Committee members discussed the need to move forward and take a formal vote. There was also a short discussion regarding an MOA or contract with the town.”

At that meeting, a motion to accept the MARS Group and Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendation of choosing option #4 was made by David Twombly and seconded by Ernest Minelli. The vote was 5-0. A replay of the meeting is available at hulltv.net.

The purpose of the Best Educational Use of School Facilities report by the MARS Group was to evaluate the educational adequacy of the three school buildings and determine what is in the best interests of Hull students.

“It’s been a three-year process,” Superintendent Judith Kuehn said.

She noted that the BEUSF will be on the school committee agenda for every meeting and that there is a link to the MARS report on the Hull Public Schools website.

“We’re only in the first phase,” Kuehn said. “There is no MOU yet.”

She noted that the middle school will be open during the 2023-24 school year and that there will be no staffing changes. School committee members will continue to send their questions and any concerns about option 4 to Kuehn for discussion at upcoming meetings.

Peters emphasized that there is no intention to “diminish” the work of the ad hoc committee when school committee members ask questions, “but we want to be sure the public knows we have done our due diligence.”

Peters and Kuehn will work together to come up with a plan to discuss sections of the MARS report at upcoming meetings to give the public an opportunity to ask further questions beyond the many earlier ad hoc committee meetings with stakeholders, including parents, staff, and members of the community.

Peters said it’s important that the committee “is transparent. There’s a lot of good information in the MARS report, but people may not have read it.”

She also suggested a meeting involving school principals to talk about the “interaction between 12-year-olds and 19-year-olds [Hull High School seniors]” if option 4 moves forward and grades 8-12 are in the same building.

Committee Member Kyle Conley said she would “love to get input from students along the way. We’ve already heard from them – but when we’re making the final decision.”

Committee member David Twombly suggested holding a meeting at the middle school to discuss issues related to potential consolidation with the students.

Officials plan to visit the new Chapman Middle School in Weymouth to get ideas about furnishings and other considerations and to think about how to bring some of what that new school offers to Hull students.

At some point, Twombly said, “there will need to be an intersection of the school committee, [Town Manager] Phil Lemnios, and the select board to talk about financing and various decisions that need to be made to ensure that we are all on the same page.”

Consolidation of the three HPS into two buildings would leave the door open for the repurposing of the middle school for potential educational and municipal uses.

Even though there have been opportunities for public input throughout the process, Peters said the additional school committee discussions “will give us credibility. We can put an asterisk beside the agenda items as to which sections of the MARS report will be discussed. These meetings will be really public and [aired live on] TV.”

Conley acknowledged all the work ad hoc committee members put into its recent report recommending option 4.

“A lot of information is already available,” she said. “We don’t want to spin our wheels around the same questions with answers that are already clearly established.”

At the same time, she believes that additional discussions at SC meetings where citizens can continue to be “part of the process” is a good idea.

While Twombly said it may seem like a repeat of what’s already been discussed, he thinks people will watch school committee meetings who may not have attended the ad hoc meetings.

“We will take a final vote once everything is vetted. It’s a big decision,” Peters said. “My message is for the community to start paying attention.”

Twombly agreed.

“The train is leaving the station,” he said.

Temple to mark New Year, Yom Kippur with days of celebration and reflection

Submitted by Rabbi Joshua Grossman

Temple Beth Sholom

Shanah Tovah oo’mitukah! We at Temple Beth Sholom wish everyone a happy and sweet New Year.

During the past month, we found ourselves deep in 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 that 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 a New Year, a time of renewal and hope.

Rosh Hashanah begins a period known as the 10 Days of Awe, a time for introspection, a time to face ourselves, a time to make amends with those we may have offended, and acknowledge that we have made mistakes. In the early evening of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we hold our Tashlich service on the sand of the beach, where we 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 Tuesday night through Wednesday, Oct. 4 and 5. 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 through teshuvah – repentance, tefilah – prayer, and tzedakh – charity.

We will begin our Yom Kippur observance with a kosher dinner at Temple Beth Sholom Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. My father, Rabbi David Grossman, and I will lead services through song, prayer, and discourse beginning with Kol Nidre Tuesday evening at  6 p.m. at the sanctuary at Temple Israel. Services will begin Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. and will continue throughout the day. We will end with a community Break the Fast.

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!

Temple announces Holy Day services

Temple Beth Sholom has posted its schedule of services for the High Holy Days.

On Saturday, Oct.1 at 9:30 a.m., Shabbat morning services and Kiddush will be held at the Temple Israel Sanctuary.

On Tuesday, Oct, 4, Erev Yom Kippur at 6 p.m. Evening Ma’ariv Service and Kol Nidre at the Temple Israel Sanctuary.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Yom Kippur at the Temple Israel Sanctuary

Morning Shacharit Service at 9 a.m.

Yizkor Memorial Service at 11 a.m.

Afternoon Discussion at 4 p.m.

Minchah, Neilah and Ma’ariv at 5 p.m.

Followed by a Community “Break the Fast”

Children’s Services High Holy Days Schedule: Yom Kippur, Wednesday, Oct. 5, Morning Service 11 a.m. to noon.

Call the Temple office at 781-925-0091 to find out about becoming a member, or to order seats for the High Holy Days. The temple’s website is www.tbshull.org.

The Temple Beth Sholom Book Group, TBS Reads will meet Thursday, Oct. 13 to discuss the first two chapters of “Witness: Lesson From Elie Wiesel’s Classroom,” by Ariel Burger. Kosher snacks of crudités with humus and a dessert will be provided. The Hull Public Library has reserved several copies of the book for your convenience. Meet in the Sukkah at Temple Beth Sholom, 600 Nantasket Ave. Open to members and non-members. Please wear a mask if you are not fully vaccinated.

New committee to address ‘existential challenge’ of climate change, sea level rise

By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board approved this week the establishment of a Climate Adaptation Committee and a Climate Adaptation Working Group “to strengthen the community and promote civic engagement through informed and coordinated policy development for climate change adaptation” at the request of Department of Climate Adaptation and Conservation Director Chris Krahforst.

The committee is charged with reviewing new climate change information and the town’s adaptation policies, projects, and future plans, to receive an annual progress report from the working group, and to provide feedback and input.

The overall goal is to discuss ways to mitigate the impacts of flooding and other consequences of climate change and sea level rise on the community and to further educate the public about these issues.

The committee will be comprised of members appointed by the select board, advisory board, conservation commission, council on aging, light board, planning board, and the permanent sewer commission.

The working group will convene quarterly, or more frequently as needed, to review adaptation implementation measures and current projects and planning and to integrate mid- and long-term planning for climate change impacts into hazard mitigation, emergency response, floodplain development, storm damage protection, and infrastructure repairs and improvements. The working group will report annually to the Committee on Climate Adaptation.

The working group will consist of department heads or appointees from the community development and planning and climate adaptation and conservation departments, the sewer department, building department, emergency management/Hull Fire Department, Hull Police Department, town management, the DPW, council on aging and light plant directors, and the school department. Their work will involve identifying capital projects and programs to address climate change/sea level rise and to develop strategies under Krahforst’s direction.

This work is supported by a Metropolitan Area Planning Council technical assistance grant.

“It’s important to have a structure in place to create a clearinghouse for our climate work and to set priorities,” Town Manager Philip Lemnios said at Wednesday’s select board meeting.

Last February during a conservation department presentation, Krahforst told the select board that it’s time to take seriously the current future potential impacts of climate change and sea level rise on Hull.

Among the conservation department’s highest priorities, Krahforst said at that time, are Nantasket Beach and the dune system, maintaining the seawalls, nourishing the beach for enhanced protection, improving outreach and communication to Hull’s most vulnerable populations, and developing alternative energy sources for the town to address both resilience and the need for climate mitigation. Some of this work is already under way.

Lemnios noted as an example that a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant will fund a berm around the sewer treatment plant to help prevent flooding.

“There’s a recognition that there is an existential challenge to our community, and we need to coordinate a strategy,” he said.

Select Board Chair Jennifer Constable encouraged both groups to engage in public education and communication around climate resiliency issues.

“People are becoming more aware of sea level rise and the impact of [potential] category 4 hurricanes and wondering how to be prepared,” Constable said. “This is an important part of this work.”