Meschino begins fourth term on Beacon Hill, appointed vice chair of beaches panel

State Rep. Joan Meschino has had a busy start to the New Year, as she was sworn in for her fourth term as Hull’s Representative on Beacon Hill, was appointed the vice chair of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, and was interviewed by a Boston television news crew about a bill she sponsored.

ANOTHER TERM WELL IN HAND. On Jan. 4, Hull’s Joan Meschino was sworn in for her fourth term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Her district includes Hull, Hingham, and Cohasset. [Courtesy photo]

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue representing the Third Plymouth District on Beacon Hill,” said Meschino, who lives in Hull and also represents Hingham and Cohasset. “As state Representative, I will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that our region is getting the resources it deserves and that issues impacting our communities are addressed. From supporting our local and regional economies to mitigating the effects of climate change, I look forward to getting to work and continuing to address these issues.”

Meschino’s district previously included North Scituate, but the boundaries were adjusted in the past election cycle.

In the 193rd legislative session, Meschino is the House vice chair for the Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) while continuing her work on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Caucus for Women Legislators. The MBC was created in 2006 by the Legislature and is managed by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay to take an in-depth look at the Boston region’s public beaches. It is composed of elected officials and community leaders from beachfront communities.

“I am pleased to serve as a vice chair in the House of Representatives for the Metropolitan Beaches Commission,” Meschino said. “As a legislator for an open-ocean district, I understand that the Commonwealth’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities depend on the maintenance of our coastline. I look forward to continued collaboration with leaders in this space to identify shared issues and to advocate for both increased resources and public access.”

Meschino also recently offered remarks in an interview with NBC10 Boston’s investigative team regarding her bill that would require a judge to review a child’s removal from a home during hours when courthouses are closed. She said that this oversight would ensure that sound decisions are made by the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families at critical moments, and that the well-being of each child is central in the decision-making process.

Meschino sat with NBC10’s Ryan Kath to discuss the proposed “timely court oversight” legislation, which is one of multiple children-and-family bills she plans to re-file in the new session.

“Any time government takes that step to intervene [with an emergency removal], we owe it to ourselves and to those families to be thoughtful,” Meschino said. “It seems like an obvious and reasonable thing. It is an important opportunity for key oversight to make sure we are making good decisions at critical moments.”

Veterans’ advocates, family of military hero question plan for wounded warriors’ home

By Carol Britton Meyer and Christopher Haraden

A Hull resident’s announcement on social media that he plans to open a home for wounded veterans on Atlantic Hill – and name the facility after General Richard “Butch” Neal – has raised questions among local veterans’ advocates and prompted the Neal family to request that the project stop using the late Marine Corps general’s name.

Both the town’s veterans agent and the commander of the American Legion post said the proponent, Kenneth D. Rowland, had not consulted with them or with the Neal family before posting his plans on Facebook on Dec. 28.

This facebook post on december 28 sparked concern among hull’s veterans’ advocates…

Neal was a Hull native and Vietnam veteran who died last year. This week, his son-in-law said that the family has “received no official information from any source associated with the project” and requested “that General Richard Neal’s name be removed” from the proposal.

In an interview with The Hull Times, Rowland declined to name the investors he said are behind the project, and acknowledged that he has not made an offer on the property pictured in his announcement, the home and land at 16 State Park Rd. currently on the market for $1.45 million. The two corporate entities Rowland named in his Facebook post – Nantasket Beach Club LLC and General Richard Neal House LLC – also are not registered with the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Corporations Division.

Rowland, who lives at the Bermaken Hotel on Revere Street, is the CEO of Nantascot Peninsula Partners, Inc., a company he formed in 2019 that describes its business as “interconnecting the media industry with leisure, travel and tourism, outdoor recreation, arts, science, and education.” The Nantasket Beach Club is referenced in the Facebook post as a subsidiary of Nantascot Peninsula Partners. During a lengthy interview, Rowland described the Nantasket Beach Club as “soon to be an LLC” and a “virtual entity unrelated to the project right now.”

Rowland said some of his funding comes from the construction of the MarketStreet lifestyle mall in Lynnfield, with which he said he was involved. The Times was unable to independently verify that claim of involvement; Rowland provided newspaper clippings that referenced his role in the Reedy Meadow Foundation, a non-profit conservation organization in Lynnfield, but nothing that outlined his affiliation with the MarketStreet development, which was built in 2011 by WS Development and National Development.

Regarding the veterans project, Rowland said, “I’m the sole owner, with investors in the Lynnfield area involved with the MarketStreet and a couple of investors in Hull,” whom he declined to name but said were neighbors to the proposed project site.

Both Hull Director of Veterans Services Paul Sordillo and Jim Richman of American Legion Post #140 said they had not been contacted by Rowland about the project and were concerned about the name of the well-respected general being used without permission.

Jason Korzen, Neal’s son-in-law and executor of his estate, echoed these concerns in a statement to the Times on Wednesday.

“The family of General Butch Neal learned only within the last several days of a stated intention to develop a facility in Hull to provide housing for veterans. That information was communicated to the family informally by persons not associated with the project. We have received no official information from any source associated with the project, public or private. We have no details as to any person or persons involved; the scope of the project; how it is to be funded for development, construction, and/or operation; any cost control and oversight plans in place; the proposed management structure of the facility; nor, any other pertinent details,” Korzen wrote.

“Additionally, the family has been told that a proposal has been put forth by some involved to name the planned facility ‘The General Neal House’ or something similar. Due to the recency and sparsity of information regarding this project, the family of General Neal states that we can offer no endorsement of the project at this time,” Korzen continued. “Further, it is respectfully requested that General Richard Neal’s name be removed from any plans, promotional and/or fundraising materials at this time.”

After hearing about the Facebook post, Sordillo reached out to Rowland to talk about the proposal.

“We had a very cordial, pleasant conversation, during which he explained the project and I told him that the majority of veterans I have spoken with, while supportive of the overall concept, are concerned about the use of General Neal’s name without the family’s permission,” Sordillo said. “I also explained how much he [Neal] means to Hull veterans and others whom he grew up with – that he is held in high regard and that it’s not right to use his name without the Neal family’s support.”

Richman, who is reactivating Hull’s American Legion post, said that while he is in favor of the concept, he is “livid” that Rowland would use Neal’s name without first speaking with family members.

“General Neal’s name stands for honor, respect, and dignity,” he told the Times. “There are too many gray areas [to this proposal].”

What concerns him, Richman said, is that “this is a for-profit company using General Neal’s name when he’s [Rowland] advertising for investors. I and others involved with veterans are in the dark and just looking out for veterans’ best interests.”

There has been quite a bit of confusion surrounding the Facebook post, Richman said, and that Hull residents are wondering if Rowland’s plan is affiliated with existing veterans organizations in town. “Some people are wondering if I’m involved with this proposed project, but I’m not involved in any way,” he said.

Richman added that he and other veterans’ advocates “want to ensure that the veterans of Hull aren’t involved financially until the details are clear and they can decide whether or not they want to support the project.”

The veterans home plan is contingent on Rowland signing either a lease or purchase-and-sale agreement for the property, as well as obtaining approvals from the Veterans Administration and Hull’s planning department.

Rowland told the Times that he plans to initiate a letter of intent to the property owner through listing agent Judy Hemingway of RE/Max Realty Pros this Thursday or Friday that explains his proposal.

“The question is, Do we rent the property for [a period of time] and then initiate a purchase and sale?” he said.

Hemingway confirmed that the property is listed as for lease or for sale, but that “nothing is yet on the table – no offer or lease as of Tuesday. Ultimately, it’s the owner’s decision,” she said. At presstime, the property remained actively for sale for $1.425 million in the Multiple Listing Service.

Rowland said he envisions the four-bedroom house on the property serving as a place to hold events and as an administration building, with caregiver quarters upstairs, and offering transitional housing for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the form of about 10 modular apartment units behind the house.

“This veterans’ home would provide an opportunity for veterans being treated for TBI to spend time with other veterans and to help them transition into real-life settings,” Rowland said.

He explained that this would be a privately-funded project and that investors have already pledged $45,000.

“The rest will come from additional investors, with plans to sell off 49 percent of my corporation,” he said. “The investors are ready and eager [to move forward with the proposal].”

Under Rowland’s plan, about 10 investors would be considered executive board members, pledging $25,000 each, he said.

“We have about six already, including a couple of people from Hull, and are [expecting] about 36 additional investors pledging $15,000 each over the next year. We probably have 10 of those investors now,” he said. “We’re looking to fundraise the rest.”

Rowland told the Times that he’s expecting the Red Sox Foundation Home Base program to help pay for the services veterans living in the home would require if the project is approved. According to its website, “Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital program, is dedicated to healing the invisible wounds for veterans, service members and their families through world-class clinical care, wellness, education and research.”

The Home Base Foundation issued this statement on Friday: “Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital program, is not aware of this proposal, has not been contacted about this plan, and is not affiliated in any way.”

Rowland said he intends to reach out to neighbors and the community with further information about the project in the coming weeks.

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Incumbents weigh options for May election as major decisions loom for boards

By Carol Britton Meyer

Sixteen elected town officials have terms expiring in 2023, including members of the school committee, select board, and the Hull Redevelopment Authority.

Depending upon the decisions of the incumbents, and whether other citizens step forward to run for office, the town could see an active election season this May. The HRA, school committee and select board have several important issues and decisions to make in the coming year.

The select board will be conducting a search for a new town manager to replace Philip Lemnios, who is retiring in at the end of June, the school committee appears to be on the cusp of deciding whether to consolidate the three schools following completion of the Best Educational Use of School Facilities study by the MARS Group, and the HRA is in the midst of finalizing a draft Urban Renewal Plan.

Nomination papers for the Monday, May 15, election will be available in the town clerk’s office in February, according to Town Clerk Lori West.

An informal poll of school committee and select board members with terms expiring this year produced mixed results, as the incumbents shared their thoughts about whether they intend to run for re-election with The Hull Times.

School Committee member Ernest Minelli plans to pull nomination papers for a second term.

“A near-term goal would be to ensure a smooth transition as we resolve the pertinent details related to the best educational use of our school facilities,” he said.

Colleague member Stephanie Peters, who has served on the school committee for 17 years, said she is “undecided” about another term.

Select board member Donna Pursel said she plans to run for re-election and would be “honored to serve another term on the board if given the opportunity.”

She said she has “really enjoyed my first term serving on the select board and have learned a lot. As a board, we’ve started projects and communication around affordable housing, coastal resiliency, the draft HRA Urban Renewal Plan, and of late, the search for a new town manager.”

Select board member Domenico Sestito is doing what he said he always does when he is facing this kind of decision.

“I evaluate whether to seek re-election and make a final decision around the January-February timeframe,” he said. “So at this point, I am still evaluating.”

Other incumbents with expiring terms include:

Housing Authority (five-year term): Jim Richman

Assessors (three-year term): Pamela Sinton-Coffman and Mario Peter Grieco

Light Board (three-year term): Patrick Cannon; Jake Vaillancourt

Planning Board (five-year term): Joseph Duffy, Harry Hibbard, and Jim Pitrolo (who was recently appointed to fill a vacancy until the upcoming election).

Hull Redevelopment Authority (five-year term): Henry Dunn and Max Walder, who also was appointed recently to fill a vacancy.

Library Trustee (three-year term): Ceila Nolan and Gail Saitow.

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Consultant to lead town manager search; board pledges to involve public in process

By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board voted Wednesday to retain a consultant to assist in the search for a replacement for Town Manager Philip Lemnios, who is retiring on June 30.

Select Board Chair Jennifer Constable recused herself from that part of the meeting without explanation and left the room, returning after the discussion ended.

The alternative to hiring a consultant would be for the board to conduct an in-house search, which Lemnios did not recommend. He provided board members with a copy of the town charter, which defines the role of town manager, and also detailed a model of how many other towns conduct similar searches. The last time the town used a consultant was during the search for a police chief.

“You have the benefit of time in the sense that you’re not having to fill a position because someone left [with short notice] or there’s some problem to be solved right away,” Lemnios said.

Resident Anne Murray emphasized the importance of providing an opportunity for citizens to offer their thoughts “about what they see as town manager priorities. This will be a big change for the community, and there are a lot of issues [facing the town].”

Lemnios told the board they need to determine whether they want to offer a public outreach option early in the search process.

The new town manager will begin work at the beginning of Fiscal 2024.

“It will be an opportune time, and the board has the time to make [the right] choice,” Lemnios said. “You want to choose someone who will be successful in the position and have some longevity as well. It’s your process.”

After voting to retain the services of a consultant, the board asked Lemnios to start the process for hiring one immediately. Possibilities include UMass Boston’s McCormack Institute and Paradigm Consulting Group of Cambridge.

“The consultant will talk with the select board to gain an understanding of what the board feels a new town manager should bring to the table. It’s important to think about that,” Lemnios explained. “[My charge was] to put the town’s finances right when they were adrift, and that has been accomplished. The board may have a different focus this time.”

The consultant will develop a job description and advertising plan and recruit candidates.

“[Whoever is chosen] may be aware of individuals who might make good candidates for the [Hull] position” as a result of other consulting work, Lemnios said.

The next step is the formation of a screening committee, the composition to be decided, to work with the consultant. Lemnios suggested the committee consist of one member each of the select board, advisory board, and school committee, two members of the public, and possibly others.

The consultant will work with the screening committee to develop questions for the candidates, conduct reference checks and interviews, and narrow the field to semifinalists. That part of the process is private to ensure candidates not chosen as finalists won’t risk their jobs with their current employers.

Following the interviewing of the semifinalists, the finalists will be named for select board consideration through a public process.

“It’s important for the public to know that some aspects of the search process are private, while others are intended to be public and highly visible and that the board intends to keep it that way,” Lemnios explained. “For example, the public has the right to know how many applicants there are, the number interviewed, and other statistics.”

Once the final selection is made, a contract will be negotiated, a start date set, “and you’ll be ready to go,” he said.

An option is for the select board to host a public meeting for citizens to meet the candidates and ask questions. This would provide an opportunity to see how they answer impromptu inquiries and to gauge how they interact with the public, according to Lemnios.

Select board member Irwin Nesoff called the selection of a new town manager “probably the most consequential decision we will make this year. Outside expertise is important, and the process should be as open and transparent as possible.”

“Some people think residency (meaning the new town manager would live in Hull) is important,” Lemnios noted. “You’ll need to figure that out. There are lots of different cross-currents.”

The good news, Lemnios reported, is that “we have $2 million in the stabilization fund, $60 million in grant work completed or underway at zero cost to taxpayers, all town departments can keep on operating, and we’ll have the highest amount of free cash in many years. We’re in good shape. You don’t need to rush to make the right choice.”

Select board member Donna Pursel, who acted as chair in Constable’s temporary absence, said she trusts the process and thanked Lemnios for his service to the town.

Resident Steven Greenberg said “the earlier the better for the public process.”

The timeline for selection of a new town manager will be determined at a later date.

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Standoff ends without injury after Allerton Hill resident threatens self-harm with gun

An Allerton Hill resident who threatened self-harm with a gun prompted a multi-agency response and a warning to neighbors to “shelter in place” on Monday morning. Hull Police reported that the incident ended after about 45 minutes without injury.

Chief John Dunn said in a statement that police officers “successfully de-escalated a potentially dangerous situation” at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 2 after getting a report that a person refused to come out of their house on Beacon Road and made threats about guns in the home.

A “reverse-911” call advised residents to shelter in place while police officers maintained a dialogue with the person and convinced them to come out of the house and seek treatment.

Dunn said the resident, who has not been identified and has not been charged with a crime, legally owns firearms, but did not remove any guns from a safe during the incident. Hull Police have taken possession of all guns in the house. The Hull Fire Department brought the person to the hospital.

"Our society calls upon police officers who need to be prepared to respond to any emergency situation, and thanks to the compassion, training and experience of our Hull Police officers, a potentially volatile situation was resolved, and our officers were able to facilitate the rendering of aid to a resident," Dunn said.

Norwell, Hingham, Cohasset and Scituate police departments who responded to the scene to assist on the call.

That was the year that was: Hull's top news stories from the second half of 2022

The top news stories of the second half of 2022, compiled by The Hull Times staff…

JULY

The Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging, part of the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, presented the results of a survey commission by Hull’s Council on Aging. Among the concerns of Hull’s older citizens were tax increases, the availability of public transportation, affordable senior housing, traffic and local infrastructure, remaining independent and healthy, and climate change and sea-level rise.

The Hull Public Schools announced that Jacobs School Principal Christine Cappadona would move out of her current role to become director of curriculum and assessment districtwide. Assistant Principal Kyle Shaw would replace her in the top job at the elementary school.

A draft five-year Housing Production Plan indicated that more than half of Hull’s existing households are cost-burdened or living at or below the poverty level. As the next step in addressing Hull’s affordable housing needs, the select board and planning board met to hear an update on the plan, with a focus on providing more senior- and family-friendly housing.

The “Hull-O Trolley” was up and running again after being unavailable during the height of the COVID19 pandemic, and plans were under way to greatly expand its service.

The state extended the ability of town boards, commissions, and committees to hold remote meetings through March 31, 2023. The select board would continue to meet in person. Other town boards had the ability to decide in which format to conduct their hearings and meetings.

Dozens gathered for the second annual Hull Council on Aging Block Party outside the Anne M. Scully Senior Center to enjoy live music, dancing, food and ice cream trucks, games, raffles, and prizes.

Hull Municipal Lighting Plant voted that, for the third year in a row, it would rent backup generators to help keep residents warm in the coming winter in the event of a prolonged National Grid power outage. The temporary generators would be available as needed from Dec. 1 through March 31, 2023. The average residential electric bill rose last year by $6.97 a month for one year starting Sept. 1 to pay for the use of the temporary generators. This time around, customers would be charged an additional 73 cents, or $7.70 a month, on their light bills.

The Hull Lifesaving Museum presented its annual Harbor Illumination, lighting flares to  honor, remember, or celebrate loved ones along the two-mile stretch of the bay from A Street to Hull Village. The celebration and personal remembrance event paid respect to the legacy of Capt. Joshua James and the lifesavers who patrolled the shores in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Then the community and visitors gathered along Hull Bay to witness the lighting of the flares.

The select board voted unanimously “to support a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community [and to] reaffirm the select board’s ongoing support of our LGBTQ community.” This was in response to comments Chairperson Jennifer Constable had heard from a number of LGBTQ community members regarding a recent letter to the editor published in The Hull Times. Constable stated that “The letter used language that was quite honestly offensive to [our LGBTQ] community and that has rippled through the [town].”

Six local organizations were awarded a total of $15,000 for programming in and around Nantasket Beach as part of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Program. The grant recipients included Friends of Nantasket Beach for summer programs, Friends of the Paragon Carousel’s youth talent showcase and Friday morning story times, Hull-Nantasket Chamber of Commerce’s Hull-O Trolley and Endless Summer Waterfront Festival, Latifa Ziyad’s Afro-Arabian Nights, Soca Hikes’ Wellness Day, and the Hull Lifesaving Museum’s Harbor Illumination.

AUGUST

Multiple 911 calls reported that a woman in a black pickup truck had driven over the rocks and then into Hull Gut. Although boaters and fishermen on the beach attempted to help, the truck slipped under the water before anyone could reach the driver. The police and fire departments, the Massachusetts State Police Dive Team, Marine Unit and Airwing, Massachusetts Environmental Police, MassPort, the U.S. Coast Guard and Cohasset Police assisted in the search for the truck and its driver, both of which were found and removed from the water. The driver did not survive.

Residents of Gunrock, Green Hill, and Atlantic Hill dealt with roadwork, detours, and construction noise as the long-awaited reconstruction of the Atlantic Avenue continued throughout the summer and into the fall.

The Weir River Water System announced a total water ban that prohibited all non-essential outdoor usage in Hull. The mandatory Level 2 ban included irrigation using automatic sprinklers or soaker hoses; washing of vehicles, exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks; and filling swimming pools.

Following the town’s decision to adjust the frequency of town-sponsored 9/11 events to an every-five-years schedule rather than annually as has been the case for nearly two decades, Hull citizens planned a ceremony on their own in order to carry on the annual tradition.

SEPTEMBER

The Veterans Voice Radio Network, co-hosted by Gregg Brasso and Craig Wolfe, was recognized by the Veterans Administration during its national community partnership challenge for steadfast commitment to veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors.

During a camp operated by Northeast Surfing, owner Ronnie Lees and others on the beach noticed a woman drifting out to sea. Lees’ 19-year-old son, Matthew (right), an aquatic first responder certified by the American Lifeguard Association, successfully reached the woman and brought her to shore.

The school committee voted unanimously to accept the Best Educational Use of School Facilities Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendation to consolidate all grades into two buildings, with a PreK-7 configuration at Jacobs Elementary School and grades 8-12 at Hull High School. The Memorial Middle School would be used for other municipal and educational uses. The final decision on consolidation would rest with the school committee.

Hull was awarded a $3 million state grant for the reconstruction of the seawall along Nantasket Avenue near Fitzpatrick Way. The town was one of 23 municipalities and nonprofit organizations to receive funding through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Dam and Seawall Program.

The Nantasket Beach Car Show and Veterans Fair featured 500 cars along Nantasket Avenue and thousands of visitors. Antique and classic autos of all vintages and styles were on display during the event, which raised funds for Cops for Kids with Cancer.

Hull Porchfest filled the air with music as bands rotated performances throughout the Kenberma neighborhood.

The select board approved the establishment of a Climate Adaptation Committee and a Climate Adaptation Working Group at the request of Department of Climate Adaptation and Conservation Director Chris Krahforst. The committee was 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

A 30-foot humpback whale that became entangled in fishing gear off the coast of Hull was rescued by a crew from the Marine Animal Entanglement Response team at the Center for Coastal Studies.

OCTOBER

The Hull Lifesaving Museum’s 36th annual Head of the Weir River Race saw 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.

The school committee continued its discussion of the potential consolidation of school buildings, with Superintendent of Schools Judith Kuehn outlining the educational implications of moving most students out of Memorial Middle School and educating students in preK through grade 7 at the Jacobs Elementary School and grades 8-12 at Hull High School. Under this plan the middle school would become a mixed-use facility, to be determined by the school committee and town officials and guided by a memorandum of understanding. The South Shore Educational Collaborative programs would remain and the school committee would retain overall control of the Memorial building.

The Hull No Place for Hate Committee sponsored the third “Stand in the Sand,” in which participants lined up on Nantasket Beach to spell out ‘Hull for All,” a message of inclusion and community.

NOVEMBER

The Hull Light Board confirmed that both of the town’s wind turbines were out of commission and the unit at Pemberton Point needed to be removed or replaced due to damage from the elements. The turbine at the high school had been not been operational since April 2021 due to its deteriorating condition, and the one at the landfill  stopped working more recently due to recurring electrical issues.

The late Richard I. “Butch” Neal, a Hull native and retired four-star Marine Corps general, was honored on Veterans Day when the unnamed section street on the north side of the war memorial was named “General Neal Way” at the request of the War Memorial Commission.

The new owner of the former Atlantic Aquarium property filed plans to tear down the long-vacant building and construct a four-story, 21-unit residential complex at the base of Atlantic Hill. The new building will be constructed on the foundation of the existing structure. The complex would have parking underneath the building and an outdoor pool to the side.  

School administrators recently presented an overview of Hull students’ scores on this past spring’s Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams to the school committee, naming two critical areas of focus – student attendance and low participation in the exams as compared to statewide numbers.

Hundreds celebrated Thanksgiving Day as an enormous pile of wood went up in smoke in the annual Thanksgiving night bonfire on the Hull Redevelopment Authority property.

South Shore Community Action Council, Daddy’s Beach Club, and legions of local volunteers, led by Craig Wolfe, showed up at Daddy’s on Thanksgiving morning to prepare and deliver hot meals to hundreds of individuals and families.

On Thanksgiving morning, the Hull Pirates beat the Cohasset Skippers, capturing the South Shore League Tobin Division Championship. The football team headed to the Super Bowl.

DECEMBER

A Hull family found a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, the rarest – and the world’s most endangered – species of sea turtles stranded on the beach. Despite their best efforts, and those of the New England Aquarium, the turtle did not survive.

HRA Chair Bartley Kelley provided an update on the status of the HRA-owned 12.5-acre property that runs from Water Street to Phipps Street. Kelly explained that the HRA has been working on a draft Urban Renewal Plan (a plan for the improvement of the HRA property). Max Walder was appointed to a vacancy on the HRA that was created by the resignation of Robert DeCoste.

The select board and planning board met in joint session to fill a vacancy on the planning board by unanimously voting to appoint Jim Pitrolo. The vacancy resulted from Irwin Nesoff’s election to the select board.

The select board authorized Chair Jennifer Constable to sign a letter to be sent to the American Association of Retired Persons pledging Hull’s commitment to creating an age-friendly community and environment at the suggestion of the Council on Aging. The board also supported joining AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities, an affiliate of the World Health Organization’s Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities.

Town Manager Philip Lemnios announced that he would retire in June after serving Hull for a combined 26 years over two separate terms as town manager. He also stated his intention to leave funds for an assistant town manager in the proposed FY24 budget. Lemnios was town manager from 1992-2003 and again from 2007 to present.

The landmark property at Pemberton that houses Jo’s Nautical Bar was sold to a company based in Arlington. Michael McDevitt and Stephanie Apria have owned the bar for 19 years and will continue to run it.

The Weir River Water System informed the Board of Water Commissioners that it would not raise rates in fiscal year 2024. It further announced that a new one-million-gallon water storage tank could be built on Strawberry Hill within the next three years as part of the system’s capital improvement plan. Pending successful completion of a feasibility study and other factors, the water storage tank would be built in either 2024 or 2025, as well as a booster pumping station.

Hundreds turned out to formally congratulate the Division 8 Super Bowl Champion Hull Pirates football team, as the players, coaches, and cheerleaders climbed aboard a trolley and were escorted by police and fire vehicles from the high school to the southern end of town for a watch party.

Following a recent overview of the spring 2022 Hull Public Schools MCAS results, the superintendent director of curriculum and assessment presented target strategies for improvement to the school committee. The goals included analyzing current MCAS data to make instructional shifts to close achievement gaps and to improve student outcomes in all grades.

The holidays came, candles were lit day by day, houses were decorated, and the police department collected toys to distribute to local families during its annual Fill-A-Cruiser event. A few days later, the massive generators leased by the town to provide electricity in the event of a town-wide power outage kicked into action during an end-of-year wind and rain storm, and Hull Light crews braved the winds to repair a smaller outage in Hull Village.

A look back at the issues and newsmakers of the first half of 2022

The top news stories of the first half of 2022, compiled by The Hull Times staff…

JANUARY

Public access to town buildings was again restricted in response to the rise in cases of COVID19 driven by the Omicron variant. Public health guidelines such as masking and social distancing were encouraged. The two-week new case count rose to 149 cases, compared to 58 cases in early December. Hull Public Schools recorded 76 positive cases in the first week of the new year.

The select board appointed Hull Police Department Special Officer Michael Sampson to the position of animal control officer. Sampson previously worked as a seasonal officer and special officer for the Hull Police Department.

In response to rising cases of COVID19 and a shortage of testing, a temporary regional drive-up testing site was opened, sponsored by the health departments of Hull, Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate. Later in the month, the Hull Board of Health secured nearly 4,000 at-home test kits for distribution to residents.

The Hull Redevelopment Authority announced that the town, through the Community Development and Planning Office, had secured funding in the amount of $272,000 from MassWorks Infrastructure Program to support a two-way road project in the Nantasket area. The grant will provide for the continued development of the initial design plan concept, funded by the HRA, into fully designed and shovel-ready construction plans.

The fiscal 2022 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program announced that $5 million in grant funding was awarded to 306 Massachusetts fire departments, including Hull’s. The grant program enables fire departments to purchase a range of equipment intended to make firefighters’ jobs safer, such as protective clothing, communications equipment; thermal imaging cameras; and health and wellness equipment. Hull was awarded $11,779.70.

After two months missing, Hullonian cat King Philip was found and safely returned home. Philip, well-known around town, had been taken in by a well-meaning family, renamed Max, and moved to Stoneham, before being reunited with his owner.

The town-approved Alternative Compassion Services medical marijuana dispensary at 175 George Washington Blvd. cleared its final hurdle with the issuance of a license by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. Renovations at the former Java Jungle coffee shop, where the dispensary would be located, had been complete for some time.

Due to an impending snowstorm, the annual Drowned Hogs swim was postponed. The Drowned Hogs Ball was still on and the swim would take place in February.

The Hull Lifesaving Museum hosted its first monthly veterans’ rowing event at the museum’s boathouse. The program was an outgrowth of the ongoing First Friday veterans’ meetups held at the museum. Nearly 40 veterans braved the sub-freezing temperatures, fierce wind, and snow.

FEBRUARY

A blizzard brought heavy snow, pounding surf, and whipping winds. In its wake, Hull residents dug out from under more than two feet of snow and wind-blown drifts several feet high.

The select board reduced the numbers of cars parked in Hull Redevelopment Authority parking lots to 500. The total number of available spaces is 1,000.

As Hull’s COVID19 positivity rate continued to decline, town buildings reopened to the public, with masks optional for staff and members of the public. Hull boards and committees were able to resume using public buildings for in-person meetings. A flexible mask policy for the Hull Public Schools went into effect when students and staff returned from their winter break. Masks were still required on school buses, according to a federal mandate, and in school nurses’ offices.

The Hull Redevelopment Authority designated its Water Street parking lot as a municipal lot from May 1 to Oct. 1 for residential parking. It also approved the use for the large parking lot for Hull Boosters carnival in June and the Hull Youth Football carnival in July.

The Drowned Hogs’ annual swim was delayed by the January blizzard, but February saw a devoted crew taking the plunge to raise money for Wellspring. Participants included a wizard and Cookie Monster. A few weeks later, a polar plunge to benefit Special Olympics took place.

Town Manager Philip Lemnios presented a balanced FY23 $45.4-million town budget proposal, representing a $1.9 million – or 4.32% -- increase. The proposed $29.02 million operating budget included $12.1 million for general government and $16.3 million for the schools.

The town’s health department distributed free COVID19 rapid test kits in the DCR parking lot on George Washington Boulevard. Drivers were able to stay in their cars and pick up the tests from organizers.

Residents of a two-family home on Bay Street were displaced when a fire heavily damaged the building, bringing mutual aid companies from Hingham, Cohasset, and Norwell. Residents were evacuated and no injuries were reported.

The first Nantasket Vehicular Snow Show was a successful fundraiser for the Hull Lifesaving Museum’s veterans’ programs. The show on the HRA property attracted an array of nearly 100 winter vehicles ranging from heavy-duty plows to ATVs, Jeeps, Land Rovers, and trucks, along with snowmobiles, and a ski-lift gondola.

MARCH

The Plymouth County treasurer presented the town with four checks totaling $128,137 as the latest round of CARES Act reimbursement for COVID19-related expenses incurred during the pandemic. $1.58 million had already been reimbursed to Hull from the CARES Act and more requests for Hull were still making their way through the system.

After two missed years due to COVID19 restrictions, the Hull Lifesaving Museum’s 41st annual Snow Row drew a strong turnout. Nearly 120 rowers from across New England raced a 3.75-mile course from Windmill Point, around Sheep Island, past the Peddocks Island marker, and back to the shoreline. Forty-five boats competed, and more than 300 spectators watched the race and supported the rowers. Organizers used a Ukrainian flag to mark the shoreline as a tribute to those affected by the ongoing Russian invasion of that country.

U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch announced that the federal government’s FY22 appropriations bill included funding to replace the sewer pumping station at Pemberton Point.

Students at the Jacobs Elementary School achieved a schoolwide goal of 200,000 minutes of reading and 1,000 acts of kindness during the school’s 19th annual Read-A-Thon event this month.

Spotted in Hull: Crocuses. Daffodils soon to come.

APRIL

Town Manager Lemnios reported that the original intent to pave 27 miles of Hull roads between 2018 to 2022 in accordance with a town meeting-approved pavement management plan would not be fully accomplished. Although progress would continue, the drainage systems in many of the roads would need to be repaired.

A group of 25 to 30 students gathered across the street from Hull High School before school in a show of solidarity for a classmate following a complaint regarding a bullying incident.

A hoax 911 call on April Fool’s Day resulted in a Hull home being surrounded by officers in tactical gear from five area towns. A reverse-911 call notified residents to “shelter in place” and avoid the area, and Nantasket Avenue was temporarily closed. The initial investigation revealed that the residents were inside, and police entered the home to confirm that no one was injured.

The Best Educational Use of School Facilities Committee held a public hearing to gather feedback from residents on how to manage the buildings currently used for educational instruction.

An expanded spring schedule for ferry service to Boston from Hull’s Pemberton Pier took effect. A little more than 18 months after the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority considered eliminating the boat service, the MBTA recognized the increased demand for the service, which also stops in Hingham.

Under the state’s draft guidelines for a new multi-family zoning requirement for MBTA communities served by bus, commuter rail, ferry, or other forms of public transportation, Hull would be expected to accommodate 1,171 units of this type of housing within at least one zoning district designated for that purpose. The legislation was enacted as part of an economic development bill designed to address the state’s growing housing crisis.

Hull High School Principal Nicole Nosek announced that she would be resigning from her position at the end of June after accepting a position as assistant principal of Hingham High School. Additionally, Daniel Mastrogiacomo, assistant principal, announced he would be leaving to become an assistant principal at Oliver Ames High School in Easton, also effective at the end of June.

MAY

During the first night of Hull’s 2022 annual town meeting, voters approved spending $2.2 million to renovate and make repairs to the Fort Revere water tower, the new fiscal budget of $45.4 million, and $1 million for phase one of work on the Nantasket Avenue seawall near Fitzpatrick Way. Voters also approved an adjustment to the zoning bylaw required by the state of communities served by the MBTA to encourage multi-family housing near transit stations, and $525,000 toward the costs associated with the completion of the Hull Sanitary Landfill assessment and closure.

The second night of town meeting voted to fund several Community Preservation Committee projects. Electronic voting at town meeting was also approved, as was funding for an assistant town planner and an assistant conservation administrator.

As the road work being done on Atlantic Avenue progressed, members of the Hull Garden Club – along with the Department of Public Works – moved the weeping cherry tree from the traffic island outside the police station to Joe Menice Ballfield.

Nine-term select board member John D. Reilly, Jr. was unseated in the annual town election, while Jennifer Constable was re-elected. Irwin Nesoff finished with 793 votes to Reilly’s 630. Reilly’s 27 years as a selectman were recognized and his service in that position was appreciated. Town Moderator George Boylen, Assessor Richard Morris, planning board member Nathan Peyton, Hull Redevelopment Authority member Bartley Kelly, and library trustee Kevin Loechner ran unopposed and would continue in their current positions. Henry J. Dunn ran unopposed to fill a vacancy on the HRA. Caitlin Gould was elected to the library board and Meghan Reilly was elected to the planning board, both in write-in campaigns.

Hull Times Publisher Patricia A. Abbate died on May 14 at the age of 68 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Before Abbate and her husband, Thomas Foye, purchased The Hull Times in 2019, she served as manager of the Paragon Carousel, president of  the Hull-Nantasket Chamber of Commerce, and was the owner and publisher of South Shore Senior News. She will be missed.

Hundreds turned out for Hull’s annual Memorial Day observances, with a parade beginning at the high school and ending at Hull Village Cemetery. Volunteers placed flags at the war memorial at Monument Square and nine squares were dedicated in honor of veterans.

JUNE

Only a few weeks before hundreds of antique and classic cars were scheduled to travel from all over the region for the 17th annual Nantasket Beach Car Show, concerns about heavy traffic forced its postponement until September. The Massachusetts State Police asked the organizers to postpone the show because of its expected impact on beach traffic.

After three years in the shadow of COVID19, a restriction-free prom closed out senior year for Hull High students. Soon thereafter, 65 students of the Hull High School Class of 2022 graduated at Finlayson Field, supported by their families, friends, and teachers.

Wellspring announced that 14 students would graduate from the Oddleifson Learning Program, including four Hull residents. The Adult Learning Program graduation exercises were held at the end of June.

Family Pride at the Paragon Carousel was a rousing success, as was the Drag Brunch at Nantasket Flatts. Subsequent commentary about the appropriateness of the event in the letters section of The Hull Times, as well as in the community, raised concerns about anti-LGBTQ sentiments in Hull.

To honor Hull’s enduring relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard, the town was recertified as a Coast Guard City. Recognizing the honor at a ceremony at the Hull Lifesaving Museum were Executive Director Michael McGurl and Coast Guard Station Point Allerton Commanding Officer Justin Young.

Michael Knybel, the middle and high school principal in Lenox, was named the next principal of Hull High School. Knybel would replace Principal Nicole Nosek, who resigned to become the assistant principal of Hingham High School.

The committee studying the configuration of Hull’s schools recommended the consolidation of grades K-12 into two buildings and the repurposing of the Memorial Middle School. At a joint meeting with the school committee, the Best Educational Use of School Facilities Ad Hoc Committee unanimously recommended a PreK-7 configuration at the Jacobs Elementary School and grades 8-12 at Hull High School.

The Land Court trial to determine whether Graves Light is within the boundaries of Hull began, but was recessed for a month at request of the town’s attorney. The suit, filed in February 2020 by David Waller of Malden, disputes the Town of Hull’s claim that the lighthouse is within the town’s jurisdiction, and therefore subject to property taxes.

The Community mourned the loss of Gen. Richard “Butch” Neal, Hull native and role model. General Neal’s lifetime of dedication to his country epitomized the Hull lifesavers’ legacy of courage, service, leadership, and compassion exemplifying the ethic of the 19th century lifesavers. He was instrumental in Hull being certified as a Coast Guard City.

The town received $1 million in funding for seawall repair and design of a new senior center as part of a bond bill approved by the state Senate. The funding will be split between two projects – $500,000 to support the town’s efforts for the design and construction of a new senior center and the same amount toward a state condition assessment on the existing Point Allerton seawall and revetment.

Watch next week’s edition for a review of the top news stories of the second half of 2022.

Water company to study rebuilding its storage tank on Hull’s Strawberry Hill

By Carol Britton Meyer

REMEMBER THIS? For decades, the water company maintained a storage tank atop Strawberry Hill, but took it out of service in 2008. The Weir River Water System is studying building an even larger tank on the same site within the next two years. [File photo by John Galluzzo]

A new one-million-gallon water storage tank could be built on Strawberry Hill within the next three years as part of the Weir River Water System’s capital improvement plan.

The new tank would be about double the capacity of the former water tank, which was taken down after a 2008 study by the water company determined the 75-year-old structure was no longer needed.

Pending successful completion of a feasibility study and other factors, the water storage tank would be built in either 2024 or 2025, as well as a booster pumping station, Weir River Water System Managing Director/Superintendent Russell Tierney told the Board of Water Commissioners last week. The location of the pump station would be determined following discussions with Hull officials, Tierney said.

The new tank and pumping station would improve the reliability of service while ensuring adequate water pressure and flow for Hull customers.

During the meeting, the board, comprised of Hingham’s three select board members, approved an agreement with Environmental Partners Group, Inc. for preliminary design work for this project.

If the feasibility study, which involves a hydraulic analysis and geotechnical surveys of the proposed tank and potential booster station sites, shows the project to be a good fit and if it is demonstrated that the hill would provide a solid foundation that could support the tank, the next step would be the preliminary design work. The water company still owns the land on Prospect Avenue where the former tank stood.

The total cost of this phase is not to exceed $241,200, which would come from bond proceeds from the purchase of the water system. More information will be available at a later time.

Last week’s meeting focused on the fiscal year 2024 budget and proposed projects, including the one related to Strawberry Hill.

According to Tierney, there's a focus on the Strawberry Hill area, as this was identified as the number-one site for a new tank following an analysis of the system.

Hingham town meeting voters earlier this year authorized the borrowing of $5.4 million for water system capital investment in the water system, half in FY22 and the other half in FY23, that would be paid for by the system’s ratepayers in Hingham, Hull, and North Cohasset. These funds are earmarked to pay for the costs associated with designing, engineering, constructing, reconstructing, repairing, and improving the system.

Regarding another capital project in Hull, Tierney also reported that the design of the Manomet Avenue replacement water main “is being completed in fiscal 2023.”

Garden Club celebrating art, music, community, and more with ‘Books in Bloom’ event

By Betsy Russo, President, Hull Garden Club

The Hull Garden Club wanted to have an event to give back to the community for all the support we have gotten throughout the challenging last few years.

With the encouragement and help of Diane Costagliola, director of the Hull Public Library, the club is having a four-day “Books in Bloom” celebration at the library, Thursday, Jan. 19 through Monday, Jan. 23. 

The library will be filled with blooms as the Hull Garden Club and other community groups interpret books through floral design. There are many events scheduled, all free. 

The HGC wanted to reach out to other members of the community to participate in this event and to share in the excitement. The following groups will be joining us in making arrangements: the Hull Library Book Club, the Council on Aging staff, the Hull Lifesaving Museum staff, the Hull Village Association, the Friends of the Hull Public Library, and Barbara’s Book Club. The arrangements will be on display starting at noon Thursday, Jan. 19 through Monday, Jan. 23, during regular library hours, as well as during our special Friday night event. 

The HGC sponsored a class at the Council on Aging where seniors made more than 100 bookmarks to contribute to the Books in Bloom event. 

The Hull Artists will share their beautiful artwork. The collection centers around our garden theme, which promises to be a diverse and colorful display in the gallery. 

There will be a Friday morning garden-themed story time for preschool-aged children and a Saturday art class for the elementary age. Sign up at the library for the art class.

On Thursday evening, from 5-7 p.m., here is an opportunity to meet the arrangers and ask questions. On Friday evening, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., there is a special reception with music by Hull’s own talented Anne Walsh, Ned Morse, and Skip Tull. The Friends of the Hull Public Library will provide refreshments. There will be raffles and loads of fun. 

The Hull Garden Club wants to give back -- mark your calendars for this wonderful community event!

Village skating tradition continues...

ICING IT. One of the advantages of this past week’s cold temperatures is that the ice has stayed frozen at the Hull Village green. Generations of Hull kids – and adults – have enjoyed skating on the “pond” behind the Village Fire Station each winter season. [Photo by Sean Baggett]