11 apply for two slots on committee to screen town manager applicants

By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board this week interviewed nine of 11 total applicants for the two citizen spots on the town manager semifinalist committee that will work with the consultant to interview candidates for Hull’s top job.

Current Town Manager Philip Lemnios is retiring at the end of June. The application deadline for the town manager position was April 12.

Lemnios said he is available to serve in an interim position “to assist with the transition, with the details to be worked out,” he said.

Two more candidates will be interviewed by the board on Monday, April 24, at which time the community members of the committee will be appointed. The first meeting of the group, which also includes representatives from town boards, will take place April 27. Select board representative to the committee Irwin Nesoff was appointed to serve as interim chair until the committee is up and running.

In the meantime, the consultant, Community Paradigm Associates, “will weed through the applications and present who they believe to be the best semifinalists to the committee for their review,” Select Board Chair Donna Pursel said.

The seven-member committee, consisting of two select board members (Greg Grey and Nesoff), one each from the advisory board (Patricia Cormier) and school committee (David Twombly), and the two community members, will meet throughout the month of May and ultimately recommend a list of finalists to the select board, which will make the final decision. The board agreed to eliminate the earlier planned department manager representative to the committee.

“The hope is that the committee will present the final candidates to the select board around the second week of June,” Pursel said. “We’re in a great spot right know. We know that Phil is retiring at the end of June, and we feel we have enough time.”

Citizens Stephen Applebaum, David P. Irwin, Susan Mann, Ann Marie Papasodero, Polly Rowe, Amy Whitcomb Slemmer, William Smyth, Francine Townsend, and Stephen White interviewed for the two community member seats Wednesday night.

Slemmer called this transition “an amazing milestone for the town,” during her interview.

Qualities that the applicants feel are vital in the new town manager include the ability to identify and complete goals (Applebaum), to “balance the books, and to say ‘no,’” when necessary (Irwin); good communications skills and the understanding of “what Hull is as a community, the issues facing the town, and the ability to pull the town together and move forward” (Mann); “a good management style and listening skills” (Papasodero); people skills and trustworthiness (Rowe); an “innate knowledge of our small tourist town” (Smyth); the ability to maintain “the good feeling [that exists now] when you walk into town hall and to create an even better spirit of cooperation if possible” (Townsend); and flexibility and humility (White).

All the candidates said they would be available through May if they were appointed, except Smyth, who will be out of town for a large part of the month. While he let the board know that information ahead of time, he said he wanted to share his thoughts about the town manager search nonetheless.

While the committee’s meetings will be posted, most of the work will be completed in executive session “until the finalist stage,” Lemnios said, although the consultant will be able to share general information about the number of candidates, for instance.

Although the names of the semifinalists will not be made public, the finalists’ names will be publicized, after which the select board will proceed with the final selection process.

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School budget hearing draws no comments; consolidation's first steps under way

By Carol Britton Meyer 

During a record-short meeting this week, the school committee held a public hearing about the proposed Fiscal 2024 Hull Public Schools budget, which lasted for about two minutes since there was no one in the audience to make a comment or ask a question.

“Holding a formal hearing on the school budget is a requirement of Massachusetts state law,” Chair Stephanie Peters said.

The proposed budget represents a 3% increase over the FY23 figure.

“Town Manager [Philip Lemnios] recommended [this percentage for an increase], and that’s what we have provided,” Superintendent of Schools Judith Kuehn said.

Peters noted that there have been a number of budget discussions, including a recent presentation to the advisory board, and that the FY24 school budget proposal is posted on the district’s website.

The proposed budget totals $17.33 million, which represents a $504,895 increase over the FY23 figure of $16.8 million.

The proposal sets forth district priorities, which include “celebrating the accomplishments of our students, educators, staff, and district,” implementing Phase 1 of the district’s reconfiguration plan, and developing a blueprint for implementation of Phase 2.

Other priorities include ensuring that Hull’s schools are “diverse, inclusive, accepting, welcoming, and a safe place for everyone,” and refining and streamlining the district’s multi-tiered systems of support for academic and social emotional development, among others.

Of the FY24 proposed budget, 76.64 % is comprised of salaries; 7.14%, special education non-salary costs; 4.51%, utilities; 2.82%, non-salary maintenance; 4.53%, transportation; 1.37%, technology; and all other non-salary costs total 2.99%.

The proposed school budget represents 57.5% of the total town budget.

Further budget priorities include expanding the pre-kindergarten classroom for four-year-olds and expanding before- and after-school care for the same age group.

In other business at the meeting:

* David Twombly was appointed to represent the school committee on the seven-member town manager semifinalist committee, which will work with the consultant hired to conduct the search (Community Paradigm Associates) to interview the semifinalist candidates for the position. Lemnios is retiring at the end of June. The deadline for applications to serve on the committee was April 10. The select board reviewed letters of interest at its April 12 meeting.

* The school committee voted not to offer school choice while HPS is in the process of putting Phase 1 of the Best Educational Use of School Facilities Plan (consolidation of the town’s three schools) into place, nor during Phase 2, but to reconsider this decision sometime after the consolidation plan has been fully implemented.

“That way we can see what our enrollments are,” Kuehn said. “If a grade has lower than expected enrollment, we might let a couple of students [switch to HPS], but we want to protect our class sizes.”

School choice allows public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that best fit their needs, including in other districts.

 * The implementation of Phase 1 of the consolidation plan is “going well,” Kuehn reported. “There’s a lot of thoughtful and strategic planning. Everyone seems to be impressed with the positive team-building.”

Phase 1 calls for 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.

Phase 2, once approved by the school committee, would implement the final reconfiguration, where the Jacobs School would house grades pre-K to 7, and the high school grades 8 to 12, beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

 * The committee will review Kuehn’s self-evaluation, which she recently submitted for its review, rating herself as “proficient.” Committee members will submit their comments by April 19 and then discuss the results at the April 24 meeting.

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Candidates: Your guide to the Times’ election policies, deadlines

The Hull Times will print free announcements of candidacy for the May 15 town election through our May 4 issue. Final copy deadline is Tuesday, May 2, at 5 p.m. Please note that no late announcements will be printed.

Announcements should be no more than 500 words. Clear photographs will also be accepted.

We will also accept press releases about campaign issues, but not fundraisers, which are the stuff of paid advertisements. Press releases may be published, if space is available, right up until the May 15 election. We reserve the right to edit or reject any submissions.

During the campaign, the Times may solicit candidates’ views on the issues. Priority will be given to those responses.

Letters to the editor will not be accepted from candidates, and letters for or against candidates for office will also be rejected. All material published in our May 11 issue – the week before the election – will be subject to close scrutiny because of the lack of opponents’ response time.

Political ads should be factual and in good taste. We reserve the right to reject advertising that makes assertions that cannot be verified. All political advertising must be paid for in advance of publication. Contact our office as soon as possible to reserve space – in our print edition and on our website – on a first-come, first-served basis.

For information about advertising, call 781-925-9266 or email office@hulltimes.com.

Press releases and announcements may be emailed to news@hulltimes.com.

Deadline is Tuesday at 5 p.m. each week.

Bylaw proposal would limit intensity, glare of lights on most commercial properties

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

A zoning bylaw amendment designed to prevent light pollution has received unanimous support from the advisory board and the planning board and will be on the annual town meeting warrant on May 1.

According to the warrant, Article 12’s intent is to “create standards for outdoor lighting so that its use does not unreasonably interfere with the reasonable use and enjoyment of property within the town of Hull.”

The proposal also would “encourage through the regulation of types, construction, installation, and uses outdoor electrically powered illuminating devices, lighting practices, and systems which will reduce light pollution, light trespass, and glare in order to preserve and enhance the natural, scenic, and aesthetic qualities of Hull, conserve energy, and decrease lighting cost without decreasing nighttime safety, security, and productivity, and preserve the night sky as a natural resource to enhance  enjoyment of property within Hull.”

The bylaw proposal contains specifications for the strength of lighting used, as well as screening requirements to prevent nearby properties from being adversely affected by bright lights.

“The essence is LED lights cause annoyance for abutters. They are so much brighter than anything before; they are blinding,” said planning board member Jeanne Paquin. “Currently the planning board requires developers to comply with dark sky lighting without a bylaw, so this is just codifying it.”

Dan Sullivan of the advisory board, who said he supported the bylaw, questioned why it only applies to the Commercial Rec A, B, and C, and Multi-Family A and B zoning districts, but not Single-Family.

“We are not going to be the light police,” Paquin replied. “It is coming from the planning board and we do not deal with single families.”

In devising the bylaw, Nathan Peyton made it clear to the rest of the planning board that developers will still be held to the standards of traditional review processes.

“We have site plan review for a reason,” Peyton said. “People have been known to hyperlight their store front to also light the street and call attention to their business.”

Members said the planning board, which must approve lighting for projects as part of the site plan review or special permit, has not encountered opposition to this concept.

 “There is value in setting standards and indicating to people what is not desirable,” Peyton said.

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‘Clean Your Corner’ to mark Earth Day April 22

The Hull Garden Club invites residents to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 22 by doing their part to beautify the town.

The third annual “Clean Your Corner” program asks that residents take time to go outside – any time that is convenient –  and clean up their corner of our precious planet Earth by picking up debris, sweeping up, and caring for your own corner.

Together we can make a difference, and the businesses and people of our small town will enjoy the benefit of our labor. 

Trash bags are available, as well as a variety of seeds for planting. If you are interested, contact Roxanne Mihal at thehullgardenclub@gmail.com or 339-788-0613.

Also, if you do participate in Cleaning Your Corner, send us a photo of the cleanup crew at news@hulltimes.com.

Four-story, 21-unit building at former Aquarium wins approval

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

Last week, the planning board unanimously approved, with conditions, a Brookline developer’s plan to tear down the former Atlantic Aquarium and replace it with a four-story, 21-unit residential building.

At its March 29 meeting, both the project’s special permit and developer Jonathan Levitt’s filing of a preliminary subdivision plan received favorable action.

John Chessia of Chessia Consulting Services, the engineer reviewing the project, listed items for the board to consider, including setbacks, landscaping, width and grade of parking spaces, deliveries, trash pickup, lighting, infiltration systems, DCR permitting, catch basins, soil testing, and drainage plans.

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Click here for the Special Permit documents filed with the planning board

Click here for past stories about this project in The Hull Times

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“We support all the conditions and will begin the construction plan once we have the permit in hand,” said Adam Brodsky, attorney for Leavitt, principal of 120 Nantasket Avenue LLC.  “We have also initiated conversations with DCR.”

The preliminary subdivision was automatically approved because under Massachusetts law, that was the only course of action. The filing of the subdivision does not change the proposal, but freezes the current zoning for at least eight years, meaning that any town meeting action to change the property’s zoning will not immediately take effect.

“We spoke to town attorney [James] Lampke and understand there is nothing we can do, so we will be approving it,” Chair Harry Hibbard said.

Brodsky indicated that the developer may be able to come up with “some accommodation with the town to potentially restrict the freeze to the 21-unit building project. My suggestion is, let’s get to town meeting to see if we have an issue or not… see what bylaws pass.”

In closing, Brodsky said Leavitt agreed that “the project got better through the planning process.”

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First-grade teacher named Jacobs School assistant principal

First-grade teacher Lindsey Rajan has been appointed the new assistant principal of the Jacobs Elementary School. Rajan, who has taught in Hull since 2016, begins her new duties on July 1.

“I want to congratulate Lindsey Rajan on her appointment to her new role,” Superintendent Judith Kuehn said. “I am confident that she brings the necessary skills, background, and passion to excel in this position as an instructional leader, and will play a key role in the pre-K to 7 Jacobs School reconfiguration.”

Rajan, of Quincy, holds a master’s degree in education from American International College,  bachelor’s degrees in education and early education from Eastern Nazarene College, and a certificate of study in administration from Curry College. 

“I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to continue serving the Jacobs Elementary School community in this new capacity,” Rajan said.

Currently co-chair of the Jacobs Literacy Review Committee, Rajan previously was a kindergarten teacher in Holbrook, a first-grade teacher in Weymouth, and served as a tutor at the Cohasset Learning Studio.

“Lindsey’s knowledge of curriculum and instruction at the early childhood level makes her a perfect fit for an administrative role,” said Principal Kyle Shaw, whose promotion created the opening. “I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Lindsey and look forward to working with her in her new position.”

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42nd Annual Snow Row set to shove off on April 15 at Pemberton boathouse

On Saturday, April 15, the Hull Lifesaving Museum’s signature rowing race, the 42nd annual Snow Row, takes place at the Windmill Point Boathouse. The race was originally scheduled for March 11, but weather conditions forced its postponement until this weekend. With its one-of-a-kind, LeMans-style start, the race covers a 3-3/4 mile triangular course starting and ending off the beach.

The Race: Check-in: 9-11 a.m.;  Coxswains Meeting at 11 a.m.; Race Starts at noon.

Spectators gather to share in the excitement of the wild and woolly start, unpredictable weather, and gathering of gorgeous boats and athletes (more than 100 boats are participating!). Entirely within view of the boathouse, the event is as much of a thrill for spectators as for participants – a rare opportunity to see, up close, rowers of all ages from all over New England, New York, and along the East Coast, and their stunning array of wooden pulling boats: peapods, dories, wherries, whitehalls, pilot gigs, captain’s gigs and Irish currachs.

Spectator Boat: Back by popular demand, the Snow Row Spectator Boat is a perfect way to follow the Snow Row from start to finish. Boarding begins at 11 a.m. at Pemberton Pier, with the boat shoving off at 11:45 a.m. to witness the one-of-a-kind LeMans racing start. Spectator boat tickets ($20 each) are available online or available on race day at the pier.

The Museum: When the excitement of the Snow Row is completed, stop by the Hull Lifesaving Museum, which will be open throughout the day with free admission to view lifesaving exhibits and collections.

For all the details visit www.hulllifesavingmuseum.org

Easter tradition continues: Egg hunt has united the neighborhood for 28 years

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso 

“It’s 28,000 Easter eggs and counting,” Hampton Circle’s Gisela Voss said of the communitywide egg hunt she and her husband, Dan Kernan, began 28 years ago.

Each Easter, they have hidden a thousand eggs filled with candy, as well as small surprises such as Play-Doh, bouncy balls, and ring pops, for local children to find. This year’s event takes place at 11 a.m. on Easter Sunday, April 9.

The longstanding tradition began when they moved into the Hampton Circle neighborhood and wanted to meet other parents of preschoolers; now they “can’t imagine not doing it.”

“The Easter egg hunt drew everyone together,” Kernan said. “Over the years it has gotten bigger and bigger...People have come to expect it.”

Even during the COVID19 pandemic, the Easter egg hunt pulled the neighborhood “together while apart.” In 2020 and 2021, when it was not advisable to have groups of children together, they had what they dubbed “Easter Egg Takeout” and placed goodie bags on a table in front of their house. They gave out about 50 bags each of those years. They missed the “happy kids” running through the grass searching for eggs all over their yard.

“When we moved to Hull from Brookline we didn’t know anyone…then we met our neighbors and learned the beauty of the ‘Hull family,’” said Voss, adding that she “can’t believe it has been 28 years.”

The event draws between 20 and 50 children, and they all go home with “enormous amounts of candy.”

A section is blocked off for the toddlers and the rest of the kids are lined up by size.

“We let the littlest ones go to the left and as they get bigger we usher them to the right,” said Kernan, “so there is no mowing over.”

“The mad dash is over in about 10 minutes and then come the golden eggs which are harder to find,” Voss said.

Golden eggs have been a special feature of the Easter egg hunt since it started.

“During the early years, Dan would have to spray paint the golden eggs because gold plastic ones did not exist back then,” said Voss. “The golden eggs each have a dollar in them and the winner gets a special prize like a Frisbee, or some other inexpensive toy. But to the kids, finding the golden egg is the real prize.”

Their youngest son, Rio, who is in high school, confirmed this, saying his favorite memory is “finding the golden eggs and growing up to hide them.”

As the years have passed the event has “evolved.” At first, it was held in just the Voss/Kernan yard, now it has expanded to a couple of the neighbor’s yards around them. It is a community building event where the neighbors pitch in.

“The neighborhood kids switched roles as they got older…now they’re teenagers stuffing the eggs and pondering where to hide the golden eggs on Easter morning,” Kernan said.

“The hardest hiding place we’ve had for a golden egg is when one was hoisted up the flag pole,” Voss added.

The tradition is being passed down generations; the teens and young adults want to bring joy to the younger children.

“Sometimes children will show up late and we have run out of candy,” Kernan said. “The older kids and teens open eggs and fill them with their candy.”
“A few of the original kids are old enough to come with a toddler,” said Voss.

Some eggs are not found until the fall when their hiding places are revealed.

“In the fall we find Easter eggs where no one hid them,” Kernan said, “tucked away where there was once vegetation and a squirrel had carried it off, but couldn’t figure out how to get it open.”

“Twenty-eight years and we have never been rained out,” said Voss. “It has drizzled, but we have never had to cancel the egg hunt.”

Voss and Kernan. agreed that even as empty-nesters they will continue to have the Easter egg hunt.

“As long as people are coming and neighbors with little kids move in to the neighborhood we won’t stop,” said Kernan.

The first egg hunt began with their three-year-old son, Luke, who passed away in 2012 at age 19. His parents say he will “always be a part of the Easter egg hunt tradition;” however, to honor his memory they started Luke’s Light to bring solar lights to places in the world where there is limited access to electricity, such as Ukraine, Haiti, Honduras, and Kenya.

Visit lukeslight.org to see how you can spread light in the darkness during this season of “hope, rebirth, and love.”

Village Fire Station rehab, field work top list of CPC proposals

By Carol Britton Meyer

Even as the Community Preservation Committee prepares its presentation of recommended projects for this year’s annual town meeting, plans are under way for an annual community forum in early June to encourage citizens to start thinking about potential projects for the next round of Community Preservation Act funding.

The CPC is recommending $1.85 million in historic preservation and open space/recreation projects, along with funding for the community housing reserve, for several projects:

- Hampton Circle playground supplementary funding, $99,000;

- Design and engineering work associated with the redevelopment of the L Street playground and tennis courts, $55,000;

- L Street field shade structures, to be installed near the intersection of Nantasket Avenue and N Street, $30,000;

- A consultant to study waterfront access points around town, $28,000;

- Restoration of the Paragon Carousel’s windows, $70,000;

- Village Fire Station preservation: Phase 3 of the plan to rehabilitate and restore the building in an historically accurate way and to bring the mechanical systems up to code, $1.5 million, including $1 million in bonding;

- Community Housing reserve $69,965.

The CPC is waiting to hear back from Stuart Saginor, executive director of the overarching state Community Preservation Coalition regarding some questions concerning the fire station project – specifically, what is and isn’t eligible for CPA funding within the historic building.

The Hull Historical Commission and the Hull Historic District Commission also will weigh in regarding the proposed warrant article.

CPA funding comes from a 1.5 percent property tax surcharge approved by town meeting in 2016 and may only be used for open space/recreation, community housing, and historic preservation purposes.

The state provides a partial match for these funds, which pave the way for the realization of numerous projects that improve the quality of life for Hull residents that the town would otherwise not be able to afford.

Chair Rachel Gilroy presented the CPC’s recommendations to the advisory board recently; the board’s recommendations appear in the town meeting warrant that is mailed to every Hull household. Voters who attend the May 1 town meeting will have the final say.

The annual CPC forum is planned for Monday, June 5, at 7 p.m. via Zoom, with the purpose of providing an overview of the CPA, the process for applying for grants from Hull’s CPA fund, and what types of projects are eligible for funding.

Citizens will also have an opportunity to suggest ways in which CPA dollars might be spent to benefit the community, and to learn more about the funding process. Widespread community participation is encouraged. More details will be available closer to the date.

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