In the Sport-light: Roundup of news about Hull athletes

CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS. Top sailors in the Hull Yacht Club’s recent Scorpion Bowl races include optimist green fleet winners Ethan Murphy of the Winchester Boat Club, Colin O'Brien of the Cottage Park Yacht Club, and Caroline Egan of the Hingham Yacht Club [Below right]. ABoVE, Kai Bucklen, who sails out of Hull Yacht Club, came in first in the Optimist Championship blue fleet, as well as first overall in the Optimist Championship line. He is holding the flag and flanked by the other Optimist Champ winners. In the larger group BELOW, the winners of the 420 fleet pose with their awards and class flags. [Skip Tull photos]

Compiled by Matt Haraden

• News from the Hull Yacht Club: A season-high 23 boats hit the line Thursday, July 26 evening under a clearing sky with variable winds. Tom Monti and the Race Committee had a tough job setting a square course but managed to get in two races in challenging conditions. An outgoing tide didn’t help, as many boats were pushed over the line early forcing multiple general recalls. On the bright side, there were a bunch of practice starts in a crowded fleet, which will pay dividends in the nationals later next month. The fleet welcomed newcomer Chris Kostyla sailing Outlier on the course for the first time this season. Joe Berkeley and Dave McGrath on roger that!, along with Steve Clancy and Meredith Richardson on Razzmatazz battled it out, while Dave and Melissa Nelson were close behind on Tough Cookie. Bill Bradford on Full Circle was right behind Tough Cookie and secured a fourth place for the evening. The combination of Maureen and Sydney Hebert in Fandango scored sixth in the first race, which may make it tough for Mike to get back on the boat. Lindsey and Carly on Rebel Girl turned in a fine performance, while Oakie Dokie continued to move up this season.

• U12 Baseball defeated Norwell, 13-11,on Tuesday, July 23. Christian Silva had a home run, double, and single, and Dom Ramos had three doubles. The team came back to win despite trailing 11-5 in the fourth inning. The Pirates got on the board in the bottom of the first inning after Billy Littlefield singled, scoring one run, and Christian Silva homered to left field, scoring two runs. They added one run in the second when Henry Littlefield singled , making the score 4-0. The Pirates went ahead 13-11 in the bottom of the fifth after a steal of home scored one run, a Dom Ramos double scored two runs, and Jacob Goodrich drew a walk, bringing in one run. Will O’Connor pitched two innings of scoreless ball in relief. The next day, the team defeated East Bridgewater, 9-3, thanks to seven runs in the fourth inning. Nicholas Mihal tripled, scoring two, Billy Littlefield tripled, scoring one, Chase Silva singled, scoring one, Gavin Griffin singled, scoring two, and a steal of home scored one run. Dom Ramos pitched four innings in relief, striking out nine. Will O’Connor allowed zero hits and zero runs over two innings, striking out five. Despite trailing by as many as four runs, the Pirates rallied to defeat Scituate, 8-6, on Friday, July 26. The team got on the board in the second inning when Nicholas Mihal walked ahead of Chase Silva home run to centerfield, scoring two. Scituate flipped the game on its head in the bottom of the third, scoring six runs on two hits to take a 6-2 lead. The Pirates jumped back into the lead in the top of the fifth inning after Evan Doyle doubled, Alex Provost doubled, and Christian Silva singled, each scoring one run. The team totaled 12 hits in the game.16U Baseball improved to 7-1 over the weekend, beating Middleboro, 5-2, on Friday, July 26, with only eight players able to make the game. Hull had to play with only two outfielders and was still able to prevail. Jack Gagne drove in four runs on three hits to lead the Pirates past Pembroke, 14-0, on Saturday, July 27. The team won thanks in part to nine runs in the fifth inning. Liam Conneely doubled, scoring one, Brayden Roberts singled, scoring one, Gagne singled, scoring two, Will Kenerson singled, scoring two, and Christian Truglia drew a walk, scoring one run. Hull tallied 14 hits in the game. Roberts, Gagne, and Conneely each collected three hits. Kenerson had two hits in four at-bats. Conneely started the game pitching, with Logan Griffin catching. The starting pitcher surrendered two hits and zero runs over five innings, striking out eight and walking six. The team showed solid defense, with Max MacEachern and Jack Gagne turning a double play in the game and Christian Truglia, Landon Lepenven, and Matt Kraus tracking fly balls in the outfield. The Pirates welcome Pembroke to Hull at L Street at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 2 in the next game.

SETTING SAIL. The Hull Yacht Club's Scorpion Bowl Junior Regatta has been growing in popularity, and this year set a new record with more than 120 boats and 160 sailors from a dozen yacht clubs from all over Greater Boston area. Sailors ranging in age from seven to 16 years old competed in two days of racing in Optimist and 420 sailboats. [Skip Tull photo]

• Coaches and Super Fans – we need your help to report the scores and results of the latest events in Hull’s sports world! Please send local sports news and photos to sports@hulltimes.com. Deadline is Tuesday at 8 p.m. When providing details of the games or races, please be sure to include the sport/team, the players’ full names, and the final scores. When sending photos, names of those pictured are greatly appreciated, as well as who should get credit for taking the photo.

Thank you for your help!

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Select board’s goals include focus on development and capital plans, communication

CASE CLOSED. Town Counsel James Lampke is retiring after more than four decades on the job. He and his family – son Dan, daughter-in-law Amanda, and wife Cindy – were joined by friends and current former colleagues to celebrate the occasion at the Hull Lifesaving Museum last week. Look closely - you’ll see many familiar faces in the crowd. [Skip Tull photos]

By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board updated its annual goals and objectives at its June 20 retreat, after which department heads were asked to submit their own set of plans to the board

“Over the course of August, department goals will be merged with what the board discussed about their own goals and objectives to come up with a strategic plan to present to the board in September,” Town Manager Jennifer Constable said at last week’s select board meeting.

The select board’s list includes economic development; community development, transportation, housing, open space and recreation, capital, and resiliency planning; communications; and general planning, including:

• Ongoing implementation of the Unified Work Plan approved by the board in 2020 that integrates eight earlier plans and studies focused on the revitalization of the Nantasket Beach area and offers a strategy for short- and long-term implementation; continuing the town’s collaborative relationship with the Department of Conservation and Recreation; and reviewing the town’s vacant commercial property bylaw, which provides, in part, that owners of vacant (not used for 90 consecutive days or more) nonresidential buildings must maintain those structures and also register with the Community Development & Planning Department within seven days after the unit becomes vacant. The 2018 town meeting approved this bylaw, sponsored by the Economic Development Committee, in an effort to promote economic health and vitality of area businesses and business districts by improving the appearance of buildings once they become vacant.

• Continuing to work with the MBTA to support efforts for more reliable ferry and bus service; encouraging neighborhood and civic groups and business leaders to maintain and improve public spaces; reviewing the South Shore Mobility Study to identify opportunities for Hull, including possibly seeking an on-demand shuttle; and considering speed control measures in the Kenberma area.

• Providing ongoing support for the affordable housing committee on strategies and actions in support of the goal to create more affordable housing in town.

• Updating the town’s open space and recreation plan and potentially seeking grants to do so; consideration of the implementation of an “adopt-a-park” program; and working with the DCR to improve conditions at Fort Revere.

• Creating a capital improvement plan, reviewing capital funding policies, and historical asset planning.

• Identifying areas of Hull that are at the greatest risk from climate change and beginning to develop mitigation strategies; ongoing fortification of the continuous dune system; promoting “green” infrastructure; updating the beach management plan; and developing an emergency response and recovery plan.

• Updating the town’s communication policy and committee handbook; requesting biannual legislative updates from Hull’s state Representative and Senator; and exploring the addition of communication staff and increasing the current IT staff.

• Working with the council on aging to implement recommendations from the recently-completed needs assessment report aimed at enhancing the lives of Hull’s growing senior population now and in the years to come. By 2035, 43% of Hull’s population will be age 60 or older, according to the study.

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

Survey says: Independent poll indicates support for open space, performance venue on HRA land

According to a new survey sponsored by SOS Hull, residents and visitors do not want the Hull Redevelopment Authority land to be heavily developed.

The survey was conducted as a pro-bono project by Humans, Not Consumers, for SOS (Save our Space) Hull, an organization that opposes large-scale development of the HRA property. Between April and July, 631 Hull residents and 239 visitors were asked 20 questions, focusing on perceptions about Hull and what respondents believe would help the town’s future.

When asked to select their top several choices for the use of the land, 80% of Hull residents surveyed want walkable park space, while 57% want a music or event performance space. Only 7% of residents surveyed would like the land developed into condominiums, according to Erin Swenson Gorrall, a Hull resident and founder of Humans, Not Consumers.

Additional findings of the survey of Hull residents include:

• 65% see the cost of climate change as the biggest issue in the future.

• 62% see the overdevelopment of land by private investors as the biggest issue in the future – more important than taxes, schools, traffic, and crime.

• 63% believe halting additional condo and apartment developments will help Hull in the future.

With a population of just more than 10,000 people and 631 Hull resident respondents, Gorrall said the survey size is statistically significant and offers a 99% confidence with a +/- 5% margin of error.

To determine if SOS Hull member responses swayed the survey results, Gorrall looked at the data after excluding the responses from SOS Hull members. While 99 members of SOS Hull participated in the survey, when those respondents were removed, the survey still found that walkable park space (79%) and a music or event performance space (56%) were the most desired uses of the HRA land. Just 8% of non-SOS members were in favor of condominiums and apartments.

Other choices that ranked significantly higher than condominiums for non-SOS Hull members include pop-up retail (26%), a community and cultural center (25%), a fitness space (24%), a dog park (23%), a skate/bike/surf park (20%), parking (16%), and having no development of any kind (18%).

“My 20-year background in market research gave me the skills to help share the larger perspective of Hull residents,” said Gorrall, who is considering presenting the full survey results this fall in a public forum. “I’m excited to share the results with the broader community, as I believe the unbiased data should help guide critical decisions that will impact Hull’s future for years to come. Decisions made today will have a lasting impact on this beautiful community, and the responsible thing for leaders is to make these decisions with data that demonstrates what residents and visitors want, not simply listen to and be influenced by the loudest voices in town.”

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

As Hullonians use less water, sewer bills to jump 2.5% beginning next month

By Carol Britton Meyer 

A townwide reduction in water usage means that sewer bills are going up, begnning next month. Ratepayers will notice a sewer rate adjustment of 2.5% on their August bills, along with a $10 a month base rate increase. 

“The typical increase will amount to about $144 per year, which includes the $10 a month base rate increase,” Director of Wastewater Operations and Assistant Director of Public Works John Struzziery told The Hull Times. 

Although the Hull Sewer Department was not expecting an increase for the new fiscal year, water consumption (which is the basis for sewer bills) is below anticipated levels for several reasons, resulting in an unanticipated loss of revenue, according to the town’s recent newsletter. 

Contributing factors could include water conservation measures taken by ratepayers resulting in reduced water usage, roughly 250 outdated water meters indicating erroneous zero-use readings, inaccessible water meters resulting in estimated water usage that is normally lower than the actual amount used, and an increase in ratepayers who delay bill payments for multiple quarters. 

Town officials – including Struzziery — continue to work with Weir River Water System staff to examine the reasons for the lower consumption and revenue. 

“We’ve always tracked this trend in ratepayers using less water – which is nothing new – but the decrease last fiscal year is more than we anticipated, and sewer department revenues aren’t meeting expenses,” Struzziery said. “The sewer department’s budget for FY25 represented only a 1.1% increase.” 

The sewer department is an enterprise fund, which means its operating expenses must match the revenue received. 

“The Massachusetts Department of Revenue, which monitors enterprise funds, has indicated that a sewer rate adjustment needs to be implemented so the sewer operating budget will not go into deficit,” according to the newsletter. 

“This past fiscal year, the DOR placed a hold on the sewer department’s capital improvement accounts in the operating budget – a total of $576,063 – due to FY24 revenues falling short of the projected revenues,” Struzziery explained. “This is the first time this has happened to my knowledge. Those accounts are not being held any longer, so those funds got rolled over into the Fiscal 2025 sewer department budget.” 

Although in the past the sewer department has taken other measures to minimize rate impacts by delaying capital improvements and other major projects, recent sewer breaks have shown the vulnerability and impact that such incidents have on the town's sewer system and the need to continue to invest in it, Struzziery said. The two recent sewer breaks (Nantasket Avenue at Edgewater Road in June 2023 and George Washington Boulevard in January 2024) cost about $500,000 each to repair. 

“Investing in the infrastructure now is less costly than repairing multiple sewer breaks,” Struzziery noted. 

This latest increase will contribute toward paying operating expenses, he said. 

“Forty-seven percent of the sewer department budget currently goes to wastewater operations costs, which include paying the plant operator Woodard & Curran for its services, with about 34% going toward debt service to pay off prior bonded projects related to system upgrades,” he said. 

The town continues to seek grant funding to help offset the costs of future projects after receiving – or expecting to be awarded – more than $9.7 million in grants, in addition to $12.3 million in low-interest funding over the past eight years.  

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

Residents air concerns about traffic plan for Allerton seawall project

By Carol Britton Meyer 

A large crowd gathered Monday in the high school exhibition room for an update on the Nantasket Avenue seawall project and a discussion of the temporary traffic plan, asking dozens of questions, sharing a number of concerns, and making suggestions. A traffic study is still in the works. 

The purpose of the project is to reduce the risk of flood damage and coastal erosion, increase resilience against projected future sea level rise, and maintain critical links to the infrastructure, homes, and businesses on Pemberton Point. 

OFF THE WALL. Kevin Mooney, a senior engineer on the Nantasket Avenue seawall project, addresses Allerton Hill residents at Hull High School on Monday night. With the Nantasket Avenue straightaway along the seawall closed as of August 12, residents expressed concerns about safely exiting and entering Allerton Hill, as well as the lack of a pedestrian and bicycle path leading toward Hull Village. [Photo courtesy of Frank Kerr] 

Concerns related in part to the planned one-way road (the direction will be determined later in the 18-month construction process); providing accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists during the construction; additional expected traffic on Allerton Hill due to detours; and whether these changes should have gone before the select board acting as the town’s traffic commissioners. 

Project manager Kevin Mooney of Waterways Project Management said he will look into the question, posed by resident Pat Finn, related to pedestrian and bicycle accommodations along Fitzpatrick Way, working with town officials, the Hull police and fire departments, and the DPW “while considering pedestrian and vehicular safety.” 

Town Manager Jennifer Constable acknowledged that Fitzpatrick Way is not safe for pedestrians and bicyclists now – to which Finn concurred, noting that project engineers will have the added challenge of dealing with this existing condition once a portion of Nantasket Avenue is closed. 

Concerns voiced about temporary intersection change 

A number of residents expressed concern about a proposed temporary change to the Beacon Road/Fitzpatrick Way/Nantasket Avenue intersection on the opposite side of Allerton Hill, in large part due to safety. 

This change relates to opening up the intersection for additional turning room and the painting of new traffic lines to create a safe turning lane for vehicles – including school buses – heading left from Fitzpatrick onto Nantasket and Beacon.  

This requires the movement of the stop sign and stop line to be parallel with the travel lane of Fitzpatrick to gain a clearer line of sight in all directions, according to Mooney. The end result will be a painted island. Construction on this part of the project is expected to begin immediately. 

Project engineers will perform additional traffic studies after Nantasket Avenue is closed to ensure the Allerton Hill traffic pattern and other detours are working properly, with adjustments made as needed. 

While project engineers deem this to be a good temporary solution, one resident countered: “The experts on the Hill trump traffic experts.” 

Paul Falletti, a 30-year resident, asked a number of questions and noted that the presence of invasive knotweed in the construction area would need to be controlled. “It’s everywhere,” he said. 

Climate Adaptation and Conservation Department Director Chris Krahforst said he will look into this issue and find ways to mitigate the problem as necessary. 

‘The low wall is in complete failure’ 

This project is of high importance, town officials and project engineers emphasized, because the existing deteriorating seawall – which was named the top priority in a recent study of Hull seawalls and other vulnerable structures in need of repair – overtops during some storm events and is in bad shape due to its age and erosion. 

“The low wall is in complete failure,” Mooney said. 

If the seawall were to fail, everything north of the structure would be cut off from the rest of the town and vice versa – including two schools, the wastewater treatment plant, the U.S. Coast Guard station, the commuter ferry, and hundreds of homes. 

The work involves replacing a large portion, about 1,675 feet, of the seawall along a section of Nantasket Avenue across from Mariners Park (in front of the Hull Yacht Club and the Nantasket Beach Salt Water Club) that includes the section behind 948 Nantasket Ave., Point Allerton Avenue, and Stony Beach, as well as placing the utilities underground as a first step in the project, intersection improvements, raising a portion of the road, and creating an overlook with a view of the ocean, which some residents support and others don't due to concerns about pedestrian and bicyclist safety. 

The plan calls for the new seawall to be constructed landward of the existing seawall, with armor stone between the walls. 

The town’s share of the $15.6 million project is $6 million, approved at town meeting earlier this year. 

Full project details are posted at https://www.town.hull.ma.us/home/pages/nantasket-avenue-seawall-project-0. 

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

Road closure near Allerton seawall to begin next month

By Carol Britton Meyer 

Starting Aug. 12, Nantasket Avenue will be closed from Point Allerton Avenue to Fitzpatrick Way as the town gears up for construction of a new seawall across from Mariners Park during an 18-month period. 

Detour signs and signboards announcing the closure will be installed well ahead of that date to allow residents and visitors time to become accustomed to the changes, project manager Kevin Mooney of Waterways Project Management told residents during an update Monday. (See related story by clicking here)

“The contractor is responsible for maintaining the signage” and is aware of the windy conditions that sometimes cause them to fall down, Mooney explained in response to a related question from the audience. 

The time span for the project extends through Dec. 21, 2025. Construction is expected to take place five days a week from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

“If additional hours are needed, the contractor would need to ask permission,” Mooney said. An emergency access plan will be in place. 

Mooney will be stationed in a trailer in Mariners Park throughout the project and will be available to residents who wish to stop by with questions or concerns. He may also be reached at waterwayspm@gmail.com or (781) 856-8935. 

Project details and maps are posted at https://www.town.hull.ma.us/home/pages/nantasket-avenue-seawall-project-0. 

A replay of the July 22 meeting at the high school for the purpose of providing a project update and information about the temporary traffic plan is available on hulltv.net. 

There will be further public discussions near the end of the construction period related to the plan to change Nantasket Avenue along the seawall to a one direction to determine in which direction the traffic will flow. 

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

Select Board devising process for annual evaluation of town manager’s job performance

By Carol Britton Meyer 

The process for evaluating the town manager’s performance – a review that has not taken place at least in recent years – was discussed at length by the select board this week, with a vote expected at the next meeting on which evaluation document to use. 

The town’s labor counsel, John Clifford, who earlier provided the different forms to board members, explained this week the recommended process based on its success in other communities. Board member Greg Grey was not present. 

Town manager Jennifer Constable

The process involves Town Manager Jennifer Constable filling out a self-assessment form and each of the five select board members completing individual assessments of her performance – citing, for instance, areas of needed improvement and specific examples. 

The board is permitted to talk with town staff and department heads about how they rate the town manager’s work. 

After the five assessments are compiled into one summary document by the human resources director, the select board chair, or an outside party or town counsel, the results will be presented during a public meeting and voted upon. 

Board members are not allowed to take a look at each other’s evaluations until after that vote. The summary document, which will not be available to the public, will become part of Constable’s personnel record, along with any responses she makes about the contents of the document, once presented. 

‘Fully and fairly vetted evaluation’ 

Constable said she would be most comfortable with town counsel compiling the assessments into one document and favors a “full and fairly vetted evaluation.” 

Performance evaluations are “a critical part of the board’s relationship with the town manager and [his or her] relationship with the board,” Clifford said. “This should be viewed as an ongoing annual process, and if there’s not enough information available the first year, more will be available to consider later in the town manager’s tenure. A performance evaluation is not a snapshot.” 

Because there is not already an evaluation process in place, Chair Irwin Nesoff said it’s important to take the necessary time to do it right. 

“This needs to be done properly, and next year we’ll be able to move forward with a process in place,” he said. 

The select board will receive the summary document well before the public meeting during which it will be discussed. 

In other business at the meeting… 

• Jason McCann was appointed as the board’s designee to serve on the MBTA Advisory Board as well as the ferry subcommittee. 

• Robert Pahl, an architect who said affordable housing is needed in Hull “big time,” was appointed to the affordable housing committee and Scott Plympton and Judeth Van Hamm were reappointed to the Weir River Estuary Committee, while Pat Finn was reappointed to the zoning board of appeals. 

• Tami Schein, whose family has been summering in Hull for generations and who moved her permanently a year ago, was appointed to the beach management advisory committee. “I want to help protect the beach as much as I can,” she said. “It’s the biggest thing in Hull that brings everyone here.” 

• At James Ianiri’s request, the select board agreed to appoint him to a vacant permanent seat on the No Place for Hate Committee once he officially resigns from the alternate position the board appointed him to earlier, which has no voting rights. 

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

Contaminated soil, decades-old gas tank removed from former 7-11 site

A decades-old underground storage tank at the former 7-Eleven store at the corner of A Street and Nantasket Avenue has delayed the potential sale of the property while soil contamination is cleaned up and monitoring wells installed. 

HEAP OF A JEEP. The disabled SUV parked on the site of the closed 7-11 at A Street was used this week to train firefighters on rescues from vehicles that crashed or rolled over in an accident. Hull Police had received several calls reporting an abandoned or stolen vehicle in the parking lot of the abandoned store.

The building has been vacant since the 7-Eleven store closed in 2021. It previously housed a franchise of the Tedeschi Food Shops chain; A Street Liquors occupied the second unit before relocating across the street. 

In June 2022, surveyors discovered a gasoline storage tank near the Nantasket Avenue border of the half-acre site, which is believed to remain from its previous use as the Waveland Garage from about 1922 through 1966. The gas station on the property contained at least three underground tanks over the years, according to property records reviewed by the environmental consultant hired to supervise the cleanup of hazardous materials. 

A grocery store or convenience mart has been at the site since the late 1960s; 7-Eleven bought the property in 2016 when it took over the Tedeschi chain. 

“The suspected source of the release is the UST [underground storage tank] that was removed in June 2023, combined with the historic use of the site as a gasoline service station,” according to the report by AECOM of Chelmsford. “As previously discussed, the UST was observed to be damaged upon removal.” 

The consultant reported that seven 55-gallon drums of a mixture of gasoline and water were removed from the 1,000-gallon tank, along with 45 tons of soil and several groundwater samples. Three monitoring wells were installed in the excavated area on May 14, 2024. 

The cleanup is being supervised by the state Department of Environmental Protection. 

In the meantime, the town has used the property, which is across from Central Fire Station, for water distribution and firefighter training exercises. 

Fire Chief Chris Russo said the disabled vehicle parked on site during the past few weeks was used this week to train firefighters on rescues from vehicles that crashed or rolled over in an accident. Hull Police had received several calls reporting an abandoned or stolen vehicle in the parking lot of the closed store. 

-- Christopher Haraden

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

Assistant principal who quietly resigned from Hull High hired in similar position in Mansfield

By Christopher Haraden 

Hull High School’s former assistant principal, who stopped reporting to work in early May and resigned on June 12, has been hired as the assistant principal at Mansfield High School. 

JULIE BURKE ISRAEL

Julie Burke, now known as Julie Burke Israel, was mentioned among other hires by Mansfield Superintendent Teresa Murphy in a district newsletter on June 20. 

When questioned about Burke’s absence from Hull High in May, former Superintendent Judith Kuehn asked that the public “respect her privacy” and would give no further details about the administrator’s prolonged absence. Burke Israel did not attend Hull High’s graduation, and her resignation was not discussed at the school committee’s June 24 meeting. The Times’ request to committee Chair David Twombly about why the district did not announce Burke Israel’s departure has gone unanswered.

Burke Israel was replaced by former Memorial Middle School Principal Anthony Hrivnak, whose appointment was announced in an email to school families on June 28. Burke Israel’s resignation, which created the vacancy, was not mentioned in that email, causing confusion among parents. 

The Times requested a copy of Burke Israel’s resignation letter from the superintendent’s office but was refused; the newspaper filed a formal request under the state’s Public Records Law on July 9. 

On July 23, Superintendent Michael Jette provided Burke Israel’s letter, in which she said she “write[s] to confirm my decision to resign from my position as assistant principal of Hull High School, effective at the close of business on June 30, 2024.” The letter is dated June 12, 2023, presumably a typographical error. 

Click here to see Burke Israel’s letter of resignation

Burke Israel is the second administrator at Hull High School to resign this year, after Principal Michael Knybel resigned on May 3. Robert Shaw was hired to replace Knybel. Hrivnak, whose position at the Memorial School was eliminated by the closure of the building in June, began his new role at the high school on July 1. 

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

Poles to stay on railroad bed pending AG decision; two dozen residents named to committees

By Carol Britton Meyer 

No longer allowing telephone poles to be placed along the railroad bed in the northern alphabet section of town, a stipulation that was included in a town meeting-approved warrant article this spring, isn’t yet in effect because the town is awaiting Attorney General approval of the policy, Town Manager Jennifer Constable reported to the select board last week. 

In the meantime, poles have been placed this year “while the town decides the ownership of particular land and the best mitigation for that stretch,” Constable reported. “Technically, it’s not a roadway, although we know it needs to be accessed by residents.” 

Constable asked that the poles not be removed, as some residents have requested. 

Photos courtesy of Katherine Borsody.

“They are there for a reason,” she said. “We will meet with the neighborhood to discuss possible options once we have a potential recommendation.” 

This relates to a policy developed in the 1990s that telephone poles could be laid across the property from roughly M to X street to block the passage of vehicles, as well as obstruct pedestrian and bicycle access. The goal now is to make the area safer and more appealing for pedestrians and bicyclists while considering input from residents living in the area. 

In other business at the meeting… 

Interviewing 24 candidates for seats on 10 boards, commissions, and a task force took up almost the entire agenda at last week’s select board meeting. These ranged from the board of health and No Place for Hate Committee to the historic district commission and opioid abatement task force. 

The board appointed the following citizens: 

⦁ Board of Health: Sarah Chorney, a registered nurse who said she will work to support wellness in the community. 

⦁ Economic Development Committee: James Ianiri, Jennifer Mullin, and Susan Vermilya. Ianiri said he’s deeply invested in the town and wants it “to thrive,” while Mullin thinks there’s a need for the EDC to “focus on helping local businesses survive during the off-season,” and Vermilya is interested in finding out what “causes people to leave town,” seeking services in neighboring communities when similar services are offered here in town, and also suggested an associated “Invest in Hull” campaign. 

⦁ Historic District Commission: Current chair Julia Parker and 30-year member Don Ritz were reappointed, along with new members Bruce Miller – who went before the commission while purchasing a second home and became interested in the process – and Peter-Michael Preble, who also went before the commission with an earlier project and has served in a similar capacity in other communities. 

⦁ Historical Commission: Dennis Riley was reappointed; there were no other applicants. 

⦁ No Place for Hate Committee: Founding members Rhoda Kanet and Pam Wolfe and Celia Nolan were reappointed, along with new member Susan Neiman, who became aware of the committee through a Martin Luther King Day event and wanted to get involved. 

⦁ Parks and Recreation Commission: AnnMarie Dunn and Gary Twombly were reappointed to the two positions. 

⦁ Beautification Committee: Camellia Bloch, Maureen Koelsch, Michael Parks, and Amy Russell were appointed, joining other citizens who were named to the committee earlier. Bloch and Koelsch, who summered in Hull as a child but is now a resident, have already been involved with helping to beautify the town by picking up trash when they walk around town and wanted to join the committee to assist with other efforts. Parks noted that since he moved to Hull in 2007, “I have seen this town get better and better. It’s a community to be proud of,” he said. Parks suggested that the commission gather ideas from citizens who would like to see additional improvements “but are not sure how to get them done.” Russell said she loves “this beautiful town” and wants to help out in any way she can. 

⦁ Conservation Commission: Tammy Best, who has served on the commission for eight years, was reappointed. 

⦁ Clean Energy Climate Action Committee members Ben Maitland-Lewis, Mark Kohn, and Judeth Van Hamm were reappointed. Kohn, who was present at the meeting, shared his interest in tidal power. “We have an ocean here,” he said. 

⦁ Opioid Abatement Task Force, created by this year’s town meeting: Scott Miller, Scott MacDonald, Richard Schutte, and Deb Silverman were appointed as citizen members. 

The task force is charged with developing a planning process and strategy associated with the expenditure of the town’s opioid abatement settlement allocation and will provide an annual report identifying the town’s guiding principles, strategies for implementation, and identify populations served. The task force will also include various town departments, such as public health, police, fire, and town manager’s office, as well as local partner programs. 

Miller, MacDonald, and Schutte all have recovery coach or other experience helping those suffering from substance misuse, while Silverman has a nursing education background. 

“I think this will be an impactful, well-rounded group,” Constable said. 

A member of the audience commented that it was a good sign that there were so many interested candidates for such a wide variety of positions. 

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.