Hull, Hingham VFW posts to join forces to infuse new energy, grow membership

/

By Carol Britton Meyer

The Hull and Hingham Veterans of Foreign Wars posts recently consolidated under the name Hingham/Hull VFW Post 6053, since the meetings will be held at the Grand Army of the Republic Hall in Hingham, due to declining membership amid hopes that joining will infuse new energy into the group and attract new members.

“An interesting fact is that when the Hull VFW was established in the 1940s, it was a combined Hull/Hingham post named James W. Richardson Post 1787,” said current Hull VFW Commander Kevin Beck. “It wasn’t until the early 1980s that Hingham split off on its own and formed Post 6053.” The current Hingham Commander is David Tuttle.

Last October, both posts decided to consider reconsolidating, with each voting separately in a general meeting. The Hull VFW voted in favor of joining with the Hingham VFW on Nov. 17, and the Hingham VFW supported the consolidation on Jan. 14.

Beck attributed Hull’s declining VFW membership numbers to retirements and veterans moving out of the area or no longer being involved with the Hull post for one reason or another.

The next step is to notify the District 12 VFW, the headquarters for a number of South Shore VFWs, followed by gathering jointly on the second Saturday of the month. The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 11 at 9:30 a.m.

“At that time, we’ll form a joint committee to establish the way forward under the consolidation, with the election of new post officers – commander, senior vice commander, junior vice commander, adjutant, and quartermaster, around March or April,” Beck said.

Hull veteran Jim Richman recently worked with the district American Legion to reactivate the Oscar Smith Mitchell American Legion Post #140 that was once headquartered in what is now the senior center when it was known as the Veterans Building.

The American Legion is open to all veterans, whereas the VFW is only open to veterans of foreign wars. In some cases, qualifying veterans could choose to be members of both.

Beck is hoping that the combined Hull-Hingham membership, each with six or seven active members, will spur more overall active participation in achieving the VFW’s goal of giving back to the community. For instance, the Hull post has regularly sold “poppies” every year around Memorial Day to raise money for the Hull High School Voice of Democracy and the Middle School Patriot’s Pen scholarship programs.

Belonging to a VFW provides benefits to its members, including auto and health insurance plans, and there also is a VFW home for disabled and elderly veterans, which looks out for their health and welfare.

“We need to have an active post to ensure those benefits for our veterans,” Beck explained. “VFW members have something in common with one another. It’s about being part of something bigger than yourself and provides a connection with other veterans.”

New members are welcome. Veterans interested in joining the Hingham/Hull VFW Post 6053 should contact Hull’s Director of Veterans Services, Paul Sordillo, at 781-925-0305.

School consolidation plan gets OK; Memorial may become new town hall

/

By Carol Britton Meyer

The school committee this week voted 4 to 1 in favor of taking the first step toward consolidating Hull’s three schools – housing Pre-K through 6 at Jacobs Elementary School, grades 7 and 8 at Memorial Middle School, and grades 9 through 12 at the high school – for the 2023-24 school year as proposed by Superintendent of Schools Judith Kuehn.

This means that fifth-graders who would normally move on to the middle school will remain at the Jacobs for sixth grade.

The final reconfiguration plan calls for the Jacobs School housing grades PreK to 7 and the high school grades 8 to 12, starting with the 2024-25 school year.

This would leave the middle school building available for possible municipal or other educational uses. Whatever the outcome, the school committee would maintain control of the building.

SCHOOL DAZE. Under the plan approved by the school committee this week, students will begin transitioning out of the memorial school in the fall. The building is being eyed for municipal office uses.

While the entire school committee expressed support for what members called a well-thought-out reconfiguration proposal, Chair Stephanie Peters and Kyle Conley voiced concerns about why they think it’s too early to implement this first step of the overall plan. While other committee members shared that concern to some degree, Peters cast the only negative vote.

Peters explained that while she is in favor of the consolidation plan as outlined in the MARS Best Educational Use of School Facilities report and supported by the ad hoc committee that studied the plan, she is concerned about making such a momentous decision when Town Manager Philip Lemnios is planning to retire and there could be a change in membership on the select board and school committee, depending on whether incumbents decide to run for reelection this spring.

“I know [consolidation] is the right thing to do,” Peters said. “I’d prefer to wait until the fall of 2024 to implement phase one. If the new town manager or select board/school committee members have a different vision of what town hall should look like [referring to the potential to move town offices to the middle school building], that would put the school committee in a tough position with students and families, and disrupt our vision of making this plan a success.

but there are a lot of unknowns, and I don’t want students to be [negatively] impacted.”

While Vice Chair David Twombly acknowledged that Peters made some good points, he said he thinks it’s time to move forward, calling implementation of phase one an “incremental” step, with plenty of time to work out the full details.

The MARS report evaluated the educational adequacy of the town’s three school buildings with the goal of determining what is in the best interests of Hull Public Schools students. Declining enrollment also played a part in support for the consolidation plan.

Peters referenced a recent meeting involving Lemnios, a select board member, and others related to a possible municipal use of two-thirds of the middle school space, and payment of the associated costs. She and Twombly both attended the meeting, but the others were not present at Monday’s school committee meeting. The Hull Times reached out to Lemnios for more information.

“At this point I can share that we will continue to explore with the school committee and school administration the opportunity to use the first and second floor of Memorial School for general government offices and services,” he said. “This has been discussed for many years as an option to provide for more efficient and effective delivery of services. We will continue our discussions over the next several months regarding possible configurations.”

If the town doesn’t end up occupying a large portion of the building, Peters noted, “we will have to find somebody else to rent the space and pay the associated costs.”

This is really about “cost avoidance,” Twombly said. In his opinion, “the town got the ball rolling to avoid [having to] renovate the town hall.”

If it turns out that the new town manager and select board “don’t have their acts together, we could extend [phase one] for another year,” he suggested. “Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith. There are a lot of checks and balances in place, and we’ve kicked the can down the road long enough – paralysis from analysis. It’s time to move on. If we’re not comfortable down the road, we don’t have to take the next step.”

Conley expressed concern that the school committee might not have enough say in the decision-making process and wondered if the plan could move forward “without making any promises for use of the middle school to any other entities, aside from South Shore Collaborative. We don’t want to lose sight of that building being under our jurisdiction and for the opportunity to use it for more than office space. I’m hesitating because it seems like a fait accompli. I feel a little sideswiped.”

In response, Kuehn explained that sharing use of the middle school if the school committee voted in favor of consolidation “is how we have described [the scenario to stakeholders], particularly a shared school/municipal use.”

Resident Patrick Finn, who served on the school building committee that supervised renovations of the school buildings, urged the committee to vote in the affirmative.

“We have two highly-paid professionals – the superintendent of schools and town manager – working out the details, and we are paying them to help make these decisions and to make the plan work,” he said. “Town meeting approves the school budget, and I’d hate to see what might happen if we don’t keep the ball moving forward after everything has been hashed out.”

Peters took issue with a comment made by Finn that any school committee member not voting to take this first step would amount to “cowardice.”

School committee member Ernest Minelli, who along with Kuehn sat on the ad hoc committee, offered what he called “an olive branch” to Finn, expressing appreciation for his “long history on the school building committee” in the past.

Minelli suggested that a better term might be “prudence” when referring to school committee members who suggested a more cautious approach.

“We can be prudent and work out the details during the next 1-1/2 years,” he said. “I think my fellow members are just doing their due diligence, but I appreciate that you have spoken your piece as part of a community discussion. The more we have a dialogue about this issue, the better the result will be.”

Finn apologized to Peters, adding “but” but never finished the sentence, and that part of the discussion ended there.

Twombly called the decision a “tough” one. “No one wants to close a school,” he said.

Minelli explained that he’s a “big believer” in setting the tone.

“We’ve put in a lot of due diligence, and the principals have done a great job of shepherding the discussion with their staff,” he said. “With consolidation, we have the opportunity to maximize the learning environment for our students across the district, and the building principals plan to fill their staffing needs more efficiently. … There are many moving parts that we can control and about which we can be affirmative and proactive. The more proactive we are, the more the other uncertain components will have an opportunity to fall into place.”

Following the vote, Kuehn thanked the school committee for placing its trust in her and for their “deliberation and thoughtfulness” throughout the process, and offered to sit on any consolidation committee that might be formed.

Kuehn also outlined her plan to talk with school administrators as soon as possible about next steps.

“We have to iron out the details and try to move as quickly as we can, working with everyone involved,” Kuehn said. “It will be emotional for some teachers to leave the middle school since it’s the only place where they have ever taught. We want to do a kickoff event for families and work with students to make it exciting.”

Kuehn added that “our teachers deserve to hear this [news right away]. They’ve been waiting for many years, and it’s not fair to keep people in limbo. I believe that [the overall consolidation plan] is in the best interests [of the HPS].” She added that future steps in the process can be delayed if the town side of the reuse scenario is not finalized in a timely way.

Have an opinion on this story? Click here to send us a letter to the editor.

Aquarium developer agrees to street-level design tweaks

/

By Dolores Sauca-Lorusso

Although some concerns have been raised about the redevelopment of the former Atlantic Aquarium property into residential units, the developer said the plans are being modified to reflect the suggestions of the planning board and the design review board.

REVISED LOOK. After meeting with the town’s design review board, the developer of the proposed Residences at the Aquarium development at 120 Nantasket Ave. modified the street-level wall to include plantings and a more open design. The first level of the building will be used for parking. [Courtesy photo]

Jonathan Leavitt, a principal of 120 Nantasket Avenue LLC, said abutters want to see the current “eyesore” erased and the charm of the neighborhood restored. His Residences at the Aquarium proposal calls for 21 units in a new four-story building.

Chris DiIorio, director of community development and planning, said abutters have expressed concern “regarding the dangerous condition of the existing building and its attraction to criminal behavior.”

Leavitt, a Brookline architect and developer, said he was happy to incorporate suggestions of the design review board into the plans.

“The plans are better as a result of the design review board’s input and I appreciate their comments,” said Leavitt.

He said the design review board made suggestions about treatment of the façade of the building, as well as the back side and garage. Their ideas include landscaping and lighting.

“When incorporating the comments of the design committee, the garage is much more approachable and less foreboding,” he said. “The garage wall goes up about 40 inches. It is possible to see in and out. There are quite a few openings. The garage is bordered by plantings in the ground and vines going up the wall. Based on comments received, we are also making a photogrammetric plan to address lighting on the site diagram.”

Some additional issues raised include keeping State Park Road open during construction, project density, traffic, flooding, environmental impacts, and whether the building would be rentals or condominiums.

The primary concern of Marie Schleiff, an abutter on State Park Road, is developing the right type of building on the property and constructing it based on current regulations.

“I don’t want to be seen as an obstructionist, but I want to be sure whatever is built there is something that fits the local area and enhances the property,” said Schleiff.

The longtime resident expressed her concern that many areas of the project such as traffic, density, and environmental concerns need to be looked at more deeply, especially regarding any types of grandfathering considerations.

“I have lived in Hull for over 25 years. I know the problems with seawater and what happens when there is a storm,” said Schleiff. “And the area is already plagued by traffic and parking congestion.”

Although she wants a positive outcome for the site, Schleiff questioned whether it is truly feasible to have a four story 21-unit building on a half-acre of land bordering state Department of Conservation and Recreation property.

“We are doing everything to comply to all ordinances in the Nantasket Beach Overlay District,” Leavitt said. “State Park Road will definitely remain open. The building is not in a floodplain, but it is ‘wet floodproofed,’ which far exceeds standards by state codes.

“The preference for the building is condos, but the possibility of some rentals can’t be ruled out,” he added.

DiIorio said that concerns about stormwater are being reviewed by the town’s engineering consultant; however, reports had not yet been received. Leavitt added that the engineering consultant is clarifying such civil issues as groundwater collection and roof runoff because the plans did not show gutter placement. 

The planning board was scheduled to resume its hearing on the project after the Times’ deadline this week; watch next week’s edition for an update.

Have an opinion on this story? Click here to send us a letter to the editor.

Developer unveils plan for taller building, more units at Paragon Boardwalk site

/

By Carol Britton Meyer

The owners of the Paragon Boardwalk presented a revised development plan to the select board Wednesday night that calls for a six-story, 142-unit residential building and two levels of commercial space – 26 units larger and one story higher than their previous proposal for the property.

Bryan Vitale of Procopio Companies of Middleton and Boston architect Monte French presented the proposal to the board this week after meeting with department heads to preview the project before the formal review process begins. The property is owned by Chris and Diana Reale of Hingham, who purchased the site five years ago.

In 2021, Reale withdrew his application for the proposed Dunes project at 197 Nantasket Ave. that was to include 116 residential units in a five-story building adjacent to the Boardwalk, along with limited commercial space. This week’s new drawings showed a six-story building and two-level commercial space, with retail bays at street level and the open-air boardwalk above.

Vitale explained that Procopio was founded in 1950 and has developed 1.3 million square feet during the last three years, including an upcoming Haverhill riverfront project with 290 units.

The “interactive” proposal for the current arcade and beer garden includes 25,000 square feet of retail, about 142 market-rate rental units ranging in size from 425 square feet to 1,000 square feet, a restaurant and taproom, raising the current boardwalk to offer views of Nantasket Beach, and spaces running the length of the development with benches and music venues. The ArtWalk, which runs behind the Boardwalk property along land owned by the adjacent condominium association, would not be affected.

“These will be smaller units to provide [the necessary amenities] but also to encourage people to get out of their apartments and [move around],” Vitale said.

 In response to a question from select board member Irwin Nesoff, Vitale confirmed that “typically, we don’t see families occupying our [rental units]. We often see young couples living in our developments for four or five years and then moving on to buy homes in the community.”

While a small, boutique hotel was an earlier consideration, it is not included in the current proposal.

“That would be tough to execute right now,” Vitale said. “The space would be better used as a restaurant and taproom.”

In 2011, the town established the Nantasket Beach Overlay District “to allow for exactly what this type of development would do – create a year-round neighborhood,” Town Manager Philip Lemnios said. “This is a significant development opportunity.”

Vitale explained that the development team has spent a lot of time on the boardwalk talking with people.

“This location is impressive,” he said. “There’s a massive need and demand for people to feel that they are part of a community, and this location does that.”

French said that besides the residential component, “the middle part of the development would be the Boardwalk, which would be elevated, with space below to incorporate retail opportunities and the arcade, and views of the ocean. It would be a dynamic space, enhancing the boardwalk experience.”

The stretch in front of the development would be tied together from one end to the other for a pedestrian experience “that would harmonize well with beachgoers so they will experience Hull the way it is,” French said. “There will be fun, bustling activity along the sidewalk that is part of the property, where people can smell the food, visit the arcade, and listen to music on the boardwalk.”

Select Board Chair Jennifer Constable expressed support for the project.

“This property had been abandoned, with a lot of blight, in the past,” she noted. “The work done during the past five years has helped revitalize this district, where the goal is to make it more of a year-round rather than seasonal [experience].”

The housing component will “bring in people who will support the businesses in this area,” she said. “It might take some time, but the developers are showing an interest in our community, where there’s ferry service and a commuter rail station not far away.”

Select Board member Greg Grey asked Vitale if the development could include affordable units.

“We have seniors with no place to go. We have a crunch,” he said.

While Vitale said his company favors affordable housing, it would be difficult “to get the economics to work” with such a large portion of the development being businesses, he explained. That said, he promised to “keep these conversations going.”

Constable encouraged Vitale to include at least “a small percentage of affordable units. That would be desirable,” she said.

While the timeframe for the project is uncertain, depending on how long working through the permitting process takes, Vitale said he hopes to get started as soon as possible, “with an optimistic timeline during the next 10 to 16 months.”

According to Vitale, parking requirements will be met with spaces both underneath and behind the development, on a narrow stretch of land owned by the Reales.

Board member Donna Pursel likes the idea of the developer “creating an experience, with the same values that Chris Reale and his team had in mind when they first bought the property.”

Looking ahead, operating partner Charles Veysey will own and operate the Boardwalk business, including the beer garden and the arcade, Reale told The Hull Times after the meeting.

Have an opinion on this topic to share? Click here to write a letter to the editor.

Owners permanently close Nantasket Flatts; another restaurant may soon open

/

By Carol Britton Meyer

The owners of the Nantasket Flatts restaurant have decided to close permanently and are in talks with another food-service operation to take over the beachfront space.

RICHARD W. GREEN PHOTO

The “difficult decision” to close was first announced on Facebook. In a letter to the select board, owners Richard and Tracy Vaughan said they “are currently in discussion with a local restaurant who is interested in the space.”

The Vaughans, who own the 145 Nantasket Ave. property, also said in the Jan. 19 letter that they planned to list the property with a restaurant broker in the next seven to 10 days.

“We appreciate all of the support we have received from the Hull community over the past four years, and we will miss all of our friends and regulars and this great seaside town!” the Facebook post said.

The Vaughans also asked the select board “if any other action is needed” regarding the Nantasket Flatts liquor license. Although not at this week’s meeting when their letter was read, the Vaughans have “six months to use it [their liquor license] or lose it,” according to Town Counsel James Lampke.

He said that when a licensed establishment “closes under these circumstances,” the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission policy states that the liquor license holder “has six months to sell or transfer the license or to move it to another location.”

If none of those scenarios occurs, Lampke said, the board could schedule a show-cause hearing to cancel or revoke the annual license due to non-use.

“In that case, the license “would then be available to be awarded to somebody else,” he said.

The board voted to send a letter to the Vaughans explaining the situation, at which time the six-month period begins.

The Hull Times reached out to Tracy Vaughn for further details but did not hear back by presstime.

“It’s unfortunate to see a business close, and I wish them the best,” Select Board Chair Jennifer Constable said. “It’s good to hear of potential talks with another restaurant and about plans to list the property.”

Calling the property “a great space,” select board member Donna Pursel noted that the restaurant industry is a tough one to be involved with during the current economy.

“I’m glad they stayed in Hull as long as they did,” she said.

Those with Nantasket Flatts gift cards can use them at one of the Vaughans’ other two restaurants – The Blue Oar in Cohasset and The Jetty in Marshfield. Customers who find this to be an inconvenience can email tracy@nantasketflatts-hull.com.

Cold comfort: Three 'plunge' fundraisers set for Nantasket Beach this winter season

/

By Carol Britton Meyer

Cold-weather ocean “plunge” fundraisers are especially popular this year in Hull, with two planned for Saturday, Jan. 28 – Plunge for Wellspring (previously known as the Drowned Hogs) and the Anchor of Hull Polar Plunge – and the other, the Nantasket Plunge, happening on Feb. 25.

This is the 28th year for the Wellspring fundraiser, rebranded from Drowned Hogs to Plunge for Wellspring to reflect that this is a benefit specifically for the multi-service center and out of consideration for those who have lost loved ones to drowning, Wellspring President & CEO Vinny Harte told The Hull Times.

“We haven’t done an in-person plunge for the past two years. The event was virtual in 2021 because of COVID and was cancelled last year due to the blizzard, with a much smaller swim a couple of weeks later,” he recalled. “We’re hoping that people will bounce back this year.”

Join the pre- and post-plunge parties at Daddy’s Beach Club, 280 Nantasket Ave. Register for the Wellspring “Freezin’ for a Reason” event at Nantasket Beach beforehand or starting at 10 a.m. at the Mary Jeanette Murray Bathhouse, with the swim starting at noon from the nearby ramp. The party before the plunge starts at 7 p.m. and the post-party right after the swim.

This will be Harte’s 21st year participating in the plunge to benefit Wellspring and the 16th year for his son, Riley, who first joined the fundraiser when he was nine.

“I can’t ask others to take the Plunge if I don’t do it myself,” Harte said. “Besides, it’s fun!”

Swimmer perks include no registration fee and prizes for individuals and teams. Event-related swag items, including hats and towels, will be available inside the bathhouse.

Money is raised through the pledges collected by the swimmers, with a goal of $25,000 this year. “The money raised directly funds Wellspring’s programs,” Harte said. “The plunge is one of our biggest fundraisers, directly impacting our day-to-day programs and services.”

Plunge organizers are hoping for at least 100 swimmers this year, down from prior years before the pandemic and the blizzard but enough to start rebuilding the event, according to Harte.

While some snow is in the forecast, Harte is hoping it won’t interfere with the plunge.

“We’re hoping for pleasant weather,” he said. “Everyone is welcome to participate, even if they register at the last minute.”

For further information, visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/plungeforwellspring2023. Blizzard, Icicle, Snow, and Flurry sponsorships are available. All proceeds will benefit the Wellspring Multi-Service Center Hull and Weymouth locations.

The Anchor of Hull Polar Plunge also kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 28 – from Pemberton Pier at 2 p.m. Recovery coaches and trainers Kurt Gerold and Jeremy Scott, who is also the pastor of North Street Community Chapel Church in Hingham, are hosting the fundraiser, which has already raised $8,771 to benefit the work of the Anchor, which is part of the church’s ministry.

This year, Scott will be taking the plunge, and Anchor staff will be handing out hot chocolate. Everyone is welcome to participate. Anyone still wishing to make a donation can do so at https://www.theanchorofhull.org/giving-donations.

“I’m excited to see Jeremy get cold for a change while I’m enjoying a nice hot beverage,” Gerold quipped. Everyone is welcome to participate.

On a more serious note, Gerold expressed appreciation to everyone who has helped with this fundraising effort so far, “allowing us to continue to do the work we do because of their generous support.” Looking toward next year’s event, organizers are considering the idea of having teams.

Nearly $40,000 of the $75,000 goal has already been raised as part of the 2023 Nantasket Polar Plunge, which is planned for Saturday, Feb. 25 at Nantasket Beach. Registration and check-in begin at the Mary Jeanette Murray Bathhouse at 11 a.m., followed by the Plunge at noon as individuals or part of a team.

This fundraising event, which celebrates inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities on and off the playing field, supports the Special Olympics.

Following the Polar Plunge, there will be food, music, more fundraising, and awards for the most creative costumes, which are encouraged. Those who fundraise $100 or more will receive a limited edition Polar Plunge shirt.

For further information, visit https://fundraise.specialolympicsma.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=690.

Garden Club's 'Books in Bloom' event puts novel ideas on display at the library

/

Book lovers and green thumbs collaborated this week to show off their talents during the ‘Books in Bloom’ celebration, in which members of the Hull Garden Club and others created floral displays to illustrate their favorite books at the Hull Public Library. Some of the participants included Betsy Russo, who illustrated The Mitten by Jan Brett, Ann Selig, daughter Kim Cerny, and six-year-old granddaughter Emma with an arrangement created by Kim and inspired by Emma’s favorite book, Claris, the Chicest Mouse in Paris, by Megan Hess, Gail Franzen with Beneath the Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan, and Gen Sartell with The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve. [Skip Tull photos]

Visitors to the library also enjoyed musical accompaniment from the trio of Ned Morse, Anne Walsh, and Skip Tull, performing as ‘Sonic Bloom.’ Anne is also the creator of the floral arrangement pictured, representing Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. [Photo by Jeanmarie Ambrose]

Community pays fond tribute to Larry Kellem, a tireless champion of Hull

/

By Christopher Haraden 

During the past several decades, Larry Kellem dedicated himself to large-scale projects to make Hull a better place – from helping to establish the Hull Medical Center to leading the beautification of the Kenberma business district – but his family says the well-known attorney, who died Jan. 12 at age 90, relished giving his community service and legal work a personal touch. 

“He was just so in love with Hull,” his son David recalled last week. “He helped a lot of people privately because it was the right thing to do. And he always looked out for the good of the town, no matter what he was doing.” 

LEGAL EAGLE. Attorney Larry Kellem was visible all over town, but nowhere was his wise counsel more memorable than on the town meeting floor, where he often alternated between the role of advocate and mediator. Mr. Kellem died last week at age 90. [File photo]

David Kellem recalled an instance many years ago when a local couple planned their wedding at Temple Beth Sholom, where Mr. Kellem served at various times as president, treasurer, and a board member. On the day of the ceremony, the groom arrived to find Mr. Kellem, paint brush in hand, sprucing up the front of the building. Nobody had asked him to do it. 

“He wanted everything to look beautiful for them, and for the Jewish community,” his son said Friday. “He just cared that much.” 

Mr. Kellem grew up in Roxbury, spent summers in Hull as a child, and moved his family here permanently in the 1950s. He met his future wife, Cynthia Swartz, when they worked at the same summer camp for Jewish youth. The couple had been married for 62 years when Mrs. Kellem, a retired English teacher at Hull High School, died in 2016. 

“He and my Mom were surrogate parents and mentors to many kids in Hull,” said David, who with his brother, Steven, eventually joined their father in the family’s law firm, Kellem & Kellem. Mr. Kellem’s daughter, Amy Slotnick, “escaped the practice of law,” the family wrote in Mr. Kellem’s obituary, and works in the mortgage industry. He was the grandfather of six and great-grandfather of two. 

In a legal career that spanned more than 50 years, Mr. Kellem represented local residents in court, businesses applying to licensing boards, and developers seeking permits for new projects. Over the years he provided legal services to the town’s light board, redevelopment authority, and was associate town counsel, and wrote several zoning bylaws and reports interpreting municipal regulations. 

In his eulogy at a service at the temple on Monday, David Kellem recalled that his father enjoyed spending time in Kenberma, where he would go “ostensibly to do his personal business, but really to dispense legal advice and sage counsel to all of the townspeople who grabbed him and said, ‘Hey Larry, can I ask you a quick question?’”  

His son said he was a willing adviser on legal matters of all kinds – his children lovingly referred to him as “Loophole Larry” – and he enjoyed helping community groups raise funds and build membership. David Kellem said his father’s favorite accomplishment was managing the 1971 Hull Little League championship team sponsored by Paragon Park. 

“One might argue that many of us love Hull as much as Larry Kellem did, but nobody loved it more,” said John Galluzzo, vice president of the Hull Historical Society. “Larry always had Hull’s best interests in mind. He was always thinking, planning and dreaming about growth, the future, ways for the Hull community to improve. Many of the positive changes that have benefitted Hull in the past half century have his stamp on them – the expansion of the library, the redevelopment of the Kenberma business district, all the way down to the green benches liberally spread around town.” 

In addition to leading the chamber of commerce and lending his legal expertise to business enterprises like the Atlantic Aquarium, Mr. Kellem contributed to Hull in myriad ways, ranging from chairing the local draft board during the Vietnam War to becoming a key figure in the disaster relief efforts following the devastating Blizzard of 1978. 

“My decades at the Times gave me the opportunity to report on many of Larry’s initiatives on behalf of his legal clients, town government, and Hull residents in general,” said former Hull Times Publisher Susan Ovans. “Larry was at the forefront of Hull ‘boosters’ in the word’s most generic sense. He was keenly interested in every aspect of life on the peninsula, and that manifested in working hard, and for a long time, to establish the Hull Medical Center, for example, or poring over proposed bylaws to be sure the wording for an article to be presented at town meeting didn’t have unintended consequences.” 

In the 1980s, Mr. Kellem realized that development was coming to Hull, regardless of whether the town was ready to accept it, so he used his influence to persuade builders of large projects to give back to the community. 

CARRYING ON. When attorney Larry Kellem, right, represented condominium developers in the 1980s, he often negotiated community amenities as a condition of their proposals. Here, he and Nantascot Place builder Mario Bertone deliver plans to Hull Town Hall.  [File photo]

“However anyone feels about development and developers, my Dad always believed that what he was doing was for the good of the town,” David Kellem said. “He wanted developers to improve Hull [and] got them to offer amenities along with their projects, even when it wasn’t required by law.” 

His first large-scale client was Nantascot Place on George Washington Boulevard, a condominium project that was in the works for many years before being completed in 1987. One of his proudest achievements, according to his son, was helping to create the zoning that allowed the current Nantasket Beach Resort hotel and conference center to be built in 2000. 

Mr. Kellem represented developers large and small, including General Investment and Development, which built the Hall Estate condominiums. He wrote the townhouse residence district zoning bylaw that facilitated the development, then put his money where his mouth was and purchased a unit on Gatehouse Lane, where he lived for many years. 

Earlier, he represented MGM Grand when the casino operator sought to legalize gambling at the Hall Estate property in the 1970s, a high-profile assignment for the self-professed small-town lawyer. 

His son laughed when he recalled the casino executives visiting Mr. Kellem at his office in his Nantasket Avenue home to discuss the multi-million-dollar project, “sitting in our living room with the shag rug and the gold curtains [and] some furniture my parents probably bought at Building #19” – about as far from the Las Vegas glitz as they could get. 

“When he had his law office in the house, his clients would literally bang on the door and he would have them come in and eat with us at our kitchen table, and then they would go downstairs and work for a few hours,” David Kellem said. “That would happen all the time.” 

Galluzzo, who also served on the board of directors of Manet Community Health Center, which now operates the Hull Medical Center, cited Mr. Kellem’s early involvement in its creation in the late 1960s. A sign in front of the building recognizes that it was named in his honor. 

“After the tragic and unnecessary death of a high school student shook the community and demonstrated the need for a medical center in Hull, Larry joined others in spearheading the movement that resulted in today’s center,” Galluzzo noted, adding that Mr. Kellem’s enthusiasm for the town continued over the years. “When Fox 25’s morning news team arrived in Hull for the long-awaited ‘Zip Trip’ segment on our community, Larry, as head of the chamber of commerce, took the prime seat and smilingly did what he loved most – promoting Hull to the world.” 

Town Counsel James Lampke, who grew up in Hull, said Mr. Kellem “was truly a town leader and a dear friend to many. 

“Larry was the type of person every town wished they had as a resident,” Lampke said this week. “Hull was very fortunate to count Larry as a true Hull champion. He loved his family, of course, who in their own right were and are wonderful residents. But Larry had a true and unique love for the town. For many years as the only attorney with an active office in Hull, he helped countless people and was very generous in providing legal guidance. He set an example by his actions worthy of everyone’s emulation.”  

While many who remembered Mr. Kellem this week cited his long list of community activities, others recalled that his calm demeanor and gift for conversation made him good company, no matter the venue. 

“We shared office space in the Conway building on Nantasket Avenue, and Larry often climbed the stairs to pop in and share a story idea or the contextual history of a lingering policy issue that was making news,” Ovans said. “He loved gossip and was a reliable source as to the veracity of many a rumor. And he had an opinion about everything. One of the most lovely things about him was that he wanted to hear your opinions, too, even when he didn’t agree with them.” 

Galluzzo added that Mr. Kellem’s legacy will long be felt in the town where he dedicated so much of his life to civic involvement. 

“He showed us what could be done if one committed to volunteerism, his actions inspiring us to be better citizens ourselves,” Galluzzo said. “Hull has always had its pantheon of civic champions. Larry, with more than 60 years of his service to the town, stands among them.” 

Mr. Kellem’s full obituary can be found by clicking here. 

The Hull Medical Center’s building on George Washington Boulevard is named in honor of Lawrence A. Kellem in recognition of his role in its founding.

Have a memory about Larry Kellem to share? Click here to write a letter to the editor.

New conservation administrator, ‘a Hull kid through and through,’ to focus on wetlands

/

By Carol Britton Meyer

Hull resident Ian MacDonald started a new chapter in his career in late December after accepting the position of conservation administrator in the town’s Climate Adaptation and Conservation Department, with a focus on the all-important Wetlands Protection Act.

CONSERVE AND PROTECT.  The staff of Hull’s Climate Adaptation and Conservation department, from left, Director Chris Krahforst, Conservation Administrator Ian MacDonald, and Conservation Clerk Renee Kiley. [Courtesy photo]

“I’m excited and grateful to be granted this opportunity to work in the town I grew up in,” he told The Hull Times. “I graduated from Hull High School in 2015 and am a Hull kid through and through.”

MacDonald stepped into the role formerly occupied by Chris Krahforst, who is now serving as the town’s first director of climate adaptation and conservation, and will work under his supervision.

The department coordinates the town’s efforts in climate adaptation and conservation planning, and serves as administrator to the conservation commission, guiding floodplain and storm management as well as bringing about the research, design, and implementation of climate adaptive and resiliency projects. In addition, the department also provides assistance in Wetlands Protection Act applications.

MacDonald believes that being a longtime Hull resident is a “plus” in his job because he understands the importance of preserving and protecting the town’s valuable resources from his own experience “and knowing what it means to reap the benefits of maintaining a healthy environment.”

MacDonald stood out to Krahforst during the initial round of interviews for the conservation administrator position because he was prompt and well-prepared.

“Ian had also taken a course on WPA regulations and administration through the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions months before we considered advertising for this position,” Krahforst said. “That certainly was a bonus. Also, his genuine enthusiasm and ready-to-go attitude were immediately apparent.”

MacDonald said that his “favorite thing about living in Hull is the natural beauty that we get to live in every day. From the beautiful sunsets, to sunrises, and everything in between.

“Going to the beach in the summertime is how I like to spend my days off,” he said. “Also, I love being out on the ocean on a boat or kayak. Hull is a great place to grow up and make lifelong friends along the way.”

Among MacDonald’s duties are assisting applicants in the permitting process, reviewing applications and plans, determining resource areas and Federal Emergency Management Agency flood zones, conducting conservation commission meetings, organizing site visits, drafting decisions, and addressing compliance issues.

“Administering the WPA is a full-time job since most of the town is within protected resource areas such as barrier beaches, coastal dunes and banks, and land subject to coastal flooding resulting from storms, or within a buffer to these resources,” Krahforst explained.

Enforcing the WPA is one of the biggest issues facing Hull, according to MacDonald. “About 80 percent of the property in town falls under the Act.”

MacDonald’s annual salary is $65,000 and is a non-union position, according to Town Manager Philip Lemnios. As part of the fiscal 2023 budget, town meeting approved the creation of the director position that Krahforst now holds, which is responsible for coordinating the town’s response to climate change.

Potential flooding is a concerning issue the town faces on a regular basis, especially in view of rising sea levels.

“This has become more apparent over the years,” Krahforst said. “Anyone driving around Hull can see that there are plenty of homes that need to be, or have been raised, on piles to get them out of the flood zone. The [threat of flooding] is very real and has been happening in town at an increasing rate.”

Scientific data confirms the frequency and magnitude of the impacts of climate change on the environment, according to Krahforst. “Ian has been focusing a lot on different aspects and starting to unpeel the layers” he said. “He has a lot of catching up to do, and he’s up to the job.”

In recent years, the conservation administrator also served as Hull’s floodplain manager and through that role has worked with the town to identify and implement storm damage protection and flood control measures through grants. The department also manages Straits Pond and works with the DPW to maintain flood control and improve the quality of the pond’s ecology.

“Ian’s focus will help our department to be able to continue to improve the town’s response to current coastal flooding issues, and to prepare for future climate impacts by incorporating the best science and technology-based information,” Krahforst said. “This added capacity to our department will also benefit our outreach and communication.”

Prior to accepting the administrator position, MacDonald served as an environmental scientist and earlier, as an energy efficiency intern with Newton Power Choice. He holds a bachelor’s degree with a focus in environmental studies from Lasell University.

While he enjoyed working for an environmental consulting firm in Bridgewater and working in this field, MacDonald didn’t feel as if he could “check off all the boxes” because he was looking toward a career change that would give him more of a sense of fulfillment.

“Living in this peninsula town as I do, I wanted to make a difference in physically conserving and preserving Hull’s resources,” he said.

Many of the planned projects related to climate adaptation and resiliency are under way, including in the Hampton Circle area, which Krahforst and MacDonald hope will serve as a model for other coastal communities.

Looking ahead, the department will play a major role in:

- Creating a new floodplain bylaw (required after Hull’s FEMA flood maps are updated);

- Securing FEMA funding for Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities and Flood Mitigation Assistance;

- Integrating American Rescue Plan Act funding initiatives into hazard mitigation;

- Participating in initiatives for climate change vulnerability and mitigation and floodplain management;

- Continuing to address the town’s aging infrastructure, including seawalls, municipal buildings, and others, and the need for climate adaptation;

- The overall management of Nantasket Beach.

 The department also ensures the town’s participation in FEMA’s Community Rating System and is preparing, with FEMA funding, to update Hull’s local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The added capacity from creating the new position for Krahforst will be beneficial to the town when pursuing funding, Krahforst said.

Among MacDonald’s goals in his new role are “growing as a person, getting settled in the position, brushing up on previous, current, and future projects, and maintaining positive relationships with staff in the other town offices.”

For more information on the Department of Climate Adaptation and Conservation, click here. At the bottom of the page is a link to a story board on Preparing for Climate Change.

Have an opinion on this topic to share? Click here to write a letter to the editor.

‘Saltwater in my veins’ – memoir recounts adventures while growing up in 1950s Hull

/

By Carol Britton Meyer

In his new book, “Stickball to Clamshells,” longtime Hull resident and former firefighter Tommy Claffey recollects in a conversational and humorous way his childhood years spent in Hull during the 1940s and 1950s – from playing pranks on his friends to numerous adventures in school and around town.

STORYTELLER. Hull’s Tommy Claffey describes the transition from city life to growing up in Hull in his new memoir, ‘Stickball to Clamshells.’ [Courtesy photo]

Each engaging chapter is centered on a different recollection or experience, and imparts a lesson of its own, which could well start the reader reminiscing about his or her own childhood.

“The book is a period piece featuring several elements, including romance, humor, human interest, and coming of age. There’s even a haunted house in the mix,” Claffey told The Hull Times. “It is not cemented in historical fact; rather, it’s a narrative of what it was like growing up in my earlier years in a city element and then transitioning to Hull in increments due to [circumstances at the time].”

A good portion of the book relates to Claffey staying occasionally with his Uncle Tony and Aunt Rose on Hampton Circle before moving here permanently with his mother when he was still a young boy. He also recounts the adventures he had with his late cousin, Dave.

After moving from Mattapan to Hampton Circle, Claffey found himself starting fifth grade at the original Damon School. His book details what it was like living in Hull during a time when he recalls the town being referred to as “‘Brockton-by-the-Sea” by outsiders, “Dodge City” in the summer, and “Siberia” during the winter months.

The title of the book refers to going from playing stickball in the street in Mattapan, where he spent the first few years of his life, to playing football in summer residents’ back yards in Hull when their properties were vacant, swimming in the ocean, and playing on the beach and noticing clamshells.

The focus of the book is on the overall experience being “very fun and positive,” he explained. “My cousin and I shared many adventures in that part of Hull and also at World’s End [in Hingham],” he said.

The boys also enjoyed fishing, taking Uncle Tony’s dory out on the bay, wiener roasts beside the bay wall, and fun at Paragon Park, where Claffey also worked for several years – from selling newspapers there to being a miniature golf course attendant to running the Wild Mouse ride when he was in Hull High School.

When writing “Stickball to Clamshells,” Claffey said he had one thing in mind: “To provide an escape from all the trials and tribulations of today’s world; a retreat into yesteryear and a different era that would spread a little joy and fun.”

While he’s not thinking this to be a great novel, he explained, “I do honestly feel it is a fun read.”

Living in Hull most of his life, Claffey considers Hull to be his playground.

“I have saltwater in my veins,” he said. “I feel fortunate to live in this beautiful town.”

When asked what he likes best about his hometown, he replied, “Every inch of it.”

Claffey has another book coming out next month entitled, “Tears in the Parlor,” related to his early childhood experiences living in Mattapan.

“My grandmother was related to James Michael Curley, and we had a very large family,” he said. “It was an interesting and remarkable time.”

Moving to Hull as a young boy “opened up so much for me. It was wonderful,” he recalled.

In the early 1990s, Claffey had a story each published in Yankee Magazine and Reminisce Magazine that shared some of his childhood adventures with readers.

“The day we put soap suds in the Tunnel of Love” –  featured in Yankee Magazine – told the zany tale of how he and several other boys poured soap suds into the ride’s water reservoir at Paragon Park. “When the soap got to the paddle wheel, it was like a big washing machine, with soap suds everywhere!” he remembers.

Another time, in the 1950s, Claffey and a friend appeared live on the Community Auditions show, accompanying on guitar at her father’s request a young girl they were acquainted with who was in the lineup to sing “Stupid Cupid,” the only song she knew. The story he wrote about the experience appeared in Reminisce Magazine.

“She forgot the words and froze, so we started the song all over again. At the same time, our guitar amplifier blew up on stage, and a member of the crew ran out to throw sand on it to put the fire out,” Claffey recalled. “The whole thing was a disaster!”

Claffey served as a Hull firefighter for 26 years and was a member of the dive team before retiring. He enjoys working in his yard and visiting with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“Stickball to Clamshells” is available at the Barnes & Noble bookstore and on Amazon.com.