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

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Compiled by Matt Haraden

• Hull High JV Softball won its fifth straight game, beating Carver at home on Wednesday, April 16, 28-7. McKenzie Neal and Khloe Gravina split the game on the mound with two and four strikeouts, respectively. Only one hit was given up by Gravina in the game. Offensively, Sophia Hagerty went 2/5 with a double and triple, Natalie Reilly went 4/5 with three singles and a double, Rachel Timins went 1/2 with a double and three walks, Riley Munn went 1/5 with three very long pop-outs and a single, Gravina went 1/4 with a double and a walk, Abby Baglione went 1/4 with two walks, and Chloe Hutcheson went 1/3 with a walk. The Pirates improved to 6-0 after a 17-7 win against Archbishop Williams on Thursday, April 17. Khloe Gravina pitched another phenomenal game with nine strikeouts, allowing only four hits. Hull’s offense was hot yet again with Sophia Hagerty going 2/4 and a HBP, Natalie Reilly hitting 2/3 with a single and a triple, McKenzie Neal going 3/4 with two doubles and a single, Rachel Timins batting 3/3 with two singles, a double, and a walk, and Bella Walsh hitting 2/4 with a double and a single.

ON THE BALL. This past Saturday, the pickleball windscreens at Kenberma were put up by an outstanding group that included those pictured and others – Steve Nigro, Kevin O’Flaherty, Paul Goes, Beth and Bob Mele, Kim O’Flaherty, John O’Leary, Paul McWade, Bill Smyth, Julia, Jason, and Jack Gordon, Mary Gillis, and Joe Dipesa. This well-oiled machine was a great team effort, ‘sort of’ overseen by Smyth. [Photo courtesy of Bill Smyth] 

The team has three home games in a row beginning next week – Monday, April 28 against Cardinal Spellman, Wednesday, April 30 against Rockland, and Thursday, May 1 vs. Hingham. All games begin at 4 p.m.

• Hull High Girls Lacrosse fell to 4-4 on the year, losing 13-6 to Monomoy in the most recent game. The Pirates started strong but were overcome on the road by a crafty Shark team. Emma Lees had a goal and a ground ball, Georgia White had an assist, two ground balls, and two draw controls, Elly Thomas had a goal, two assists, a caused turnover, a ground ball, and two draw controls, Grace Perry scored a goal, Erin Walsh had three goals, a ground ball, and a draw control, and Jillian McDonough had seven saves. The team is learning game-by-game versus a stretch of some great teams and looks forward to a strong second half coming out of the vacation break, taking on Abington on Tuesday, April 30.

• Next week, the Hull High Boys and Girls Track teams will travel to Carver on Wednesday, April 30 at 4:30 p.m.

• The boys varsity lacrosse team posted a win on the road against Stoughton on Tuesday, 9-6, and will open next week with two more away games – against Sandwich on Monday, April 28 at 4:30 p.m. and Abington on Wednesday, April 30 at 4 p.m.

Watch the Times in print and online for details, or for more information, visit www.hullpublicschools.org/athletics.

• 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 midnight. 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!

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© 2025 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

Times cartoonist Peter Menice honored by New England Newspaper & Press Association

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Congratulations to Times editorial cartoonist Peter Menice, who was recognized with a third-place award in the New England Newspaper and Press Association’s 2024 Better Newspaper Competition.

Menice was up against the best of the best in a combined category across all six New England States. His winning entry, “Bottleneck,” skillfully illustrated the difficulties that local businesses faced during a particularly busy beach day, when traffic bottlenecks brought the town to a standstill, and prevented merchants from cashing in on the beachgoers crowding into Hull.

As a NENPA judge noted in making the award at during the association’s annual convention in Portland, Maine, Menice’s entry was a “well-drawn cartoon that doesn’t even need a text explanation. I got it right away.”

The Hull Times has won 17 NENPA awards over the years, including six cartooning awards honoring Menice’s work. His artistry has been in our pages since 1991.

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© 2025 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

‘Hulluva Cleanup' effort extended to two days due to weather forecast

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By the Hull Beautification Committee

Mark your calendar and join your neighbors in a townwide Hulluva Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 (organizers have activated the rain date contingency plan due to the rainy weather forecast for Saturday) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If we all pitch in, we can make a Hulluva difference!

The Hull Beautification Committee will provide brightly colored trash bags and gloves – all we ask is that you bring your Hull spirit. The HBC has been canvassing the town and spreading the word to our neighbors, business owners, and various organizations asking for their participation. Earth Day is on April 22 and Hull can do its part by cleaning up around our neighborhoods and sweeping up in front of our businesses. Summer is around the corner, let’s make Hull shine, not only for our community, but for visitors to our seaside town.

Stop by N Street on Saturday and pick up your colored trash bags and gloves. Hull’s DPW will gladly pick up the colored trash bags from designated areas later in the day. If you would like to organize a cleanup team, the Beautification Committee will suggest an area where you can roll up your sleeves and show some Hull pride!

It’s easy – clean up trash and debris around your neighborhood; sweep your sidewalk and clean out your pots and planter boxes in front of your business. We hope this event will be an incentive for our community to keep Hull looking beautiful throughout the year.

The HBC is not the only group making Hull beautiful. A recent article about the Lillian M. Jacobs School beach cleanup is what Hull beautification is all about. Under the direction of science teacher Heather Weber and parent volunteer and artist Jackie Kilroe Ranney, students collected more than 40 bags of trash stretching from A Street beach to XYZ beach. Once the trash was sorted and documented, it became art! Art teachers Emily Pestone and Kate Cicalese worked with fifth- and sixth-graders to create an art installation of sea creatures that hang in the school lobby. Beautifully done, Lillian Jacobs students!

We may not be making art on April 26, but we will be making the town’s first Hulluva Cleanup Day a community success. Please join in!

For more information and to register, please email: hullbeautificationcommittee@gmail.com. You can also visit us on Facebook.

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© 2025 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

Indoor plumbing: New building at West Corner would eliminate outdoor storage of porta-potties

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By Carol Britton Meyer

A proposal to construct a new 3,600-square-foot commercial building at 15 Nantasket Avenue adjacent to the DPW barn – to include four tradesman garage bays on the first floor and offices on the second floor – was heard by the planning board on April 9 for site plan review.

“We are waiting on peer review and comments from all departments involved with land use, public safety, and infrastructure,” Director of Community Development & Planning Chris DiIorio told The Hull Times after the meeting. Peer review is a process by which experts evaluate a proposal, providing feedback and suggestions for adjustments. The ZBA granted a special permit for the project earlier this year, and the planning board’s next site plan review meeting is scheduled for April 23.

OUT OF SIGHT. The property next door to the town’s public works garage at West Corner, owned by Rosano-Davis Sanitary Pumping, is currently used for exterior commercial storage, including portable toilets associated with the business. The company is seeking to construct a building [rendering shown above] to move the storage indoors.  

The roughly 8,025-square foot property – owned by Rosano-Davis Sanitary Pumping, Inc. and located within the townhouse residence zoning district – is currently used for exterior commercial storage, including portable toilets associated with the business. The site is next door to the public works garage near the Weir River at West Corner.

The proposal is to eliminate the existing exterior storage and to move all business activities inside.

Click here for more details on this project, including site plans and renderings

The new building, featuring white clapboard and a navy blue barn door, would be about 30 by 60 feet, with 11 on-site parking spaces that include one space in each garage. The parking and garage entrances would be crushed stone. Access to the offices would be via exterior stairs on the west side, or the rear, of the structure.

Arbor vitae shrubs would be planted in the northeast portion to provide screening, and a landscape bed would separate the parking area from the front of the building.

Design review board reviewed proposal

The applicant met with the design review board in February. Among its recommendations are providing landscaping between the parking area and Nantasket Avenue; that no shutters be installed on the building; to use the maximum permeable paving allowed; and considering rotating the building on the plan 90 degrees and locating it to the rear of the lot.

“The DRB endorses the traditional residential appearance of the front facade and enhancement with architectural details,” the board wrote in a March 26 memo to the planning board, ZBA, and DiIorio.

The existing business use is grandfathered, according to a February 27 letter to the planning board from the applicant’s attorney, Adam Brodsky.

The property is located within the floodplain district and FEMA AE flood zone (high-risk flood area), so the building has been designed to comply with flood-resistant construction requirements under the Massachusetts building code, according to Brodsky.

The proposal includes protection of adjoining premises “against detrimental uses by provision of surface water drainage, sound, sight and wind barriers, and preservation of views, light, and air quality”; ensuring the convenience and safety of vehicular and pedestrian movement within the site; prevention of pollution of surface and groundwater, soil erosion, increased runoff, and flooding – including protection against flood impacts to adjoining properties – and consideration of current conditions and the potential for future sea level rise.

“The petitioner asserts that the new commercial building will visually improve the property and enhance existing important site features by replacing exterior porta-potty storage with commercial bays,” Brodsky’s letter also states.

The new building, which is very close to the public works garage next door, would be served by the municipal sewer system. The proposal includes a stormwater management plan.

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© 2025 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.


Rockaway Annex condos likely to win approval despite questions on sprinklers, access easement

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By Carol Britton Meyer

The zoning board of appeals closed the public hearing Tuesday night for a proposed 12-unit townhouse complex in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood under the state’s comprehensive permit law, but has not taken a final vote on whether to approve the project.

This week’s meeting was the eighth hearing since last August on the development at 25 Ipswich Street. The next step is for the ZBA to meet on April 29 in a public meeting to discuss the draft decision with conditions recently crafted by Town Counsel Brian Winner and Joseph Peznola, a consultant to the board who has provided guidance from the beginning of the process.

The document is posted on the ZBA’s page on the town website and will be the topic of discussion by town counsel, Peznola, and the development team in the interim. The April 29 meeting will be held at town hall at 7 p.m.

Click here for the draft decision and other documents about this project

Now that the hearing is closed, the board has 40 days to review the document and then make a final decision with conditions for the project. The developer will review that document, with the option to appeal any of the conditions with the state housing appeals committee.

On a unanimous vote at the April 1 ZBA hearing, the board approved a motion related to the finding of fact presented by Chair Patrick Finn that the ZBA “has enough preliminary information and plans in order to render a potentially favorable decision” to issue a comprehensive permit for the project. This is not a commitment to a favorable decision, but as Finn pointed out that night, there would be no conditions to draft or consider if the ZBA were to outright deny the permit.

However, the ZBA and Dean Harrison, the housing consultant to developer Alan Mckenzie have indicated that neither wants to take that route.

No public comment at next meeting

While the meeting on April 29 will be open to the public, no comments will be accepted, as the hearing is now closed.

The proposed Residences at Rockaway plan includes six modular, four-story townhouse-style buildings with two units each set on a .63-acre, single-family-zoned lot. Three units would be affordable. Parking would be in garages under the units and in the driveways.

The comprehensive permit process, more commonly known as Chapter 40B, allows developers to circumvent most local regulations in exchange for an affordable housing component if the town has less than 10% of its housing units designated affordable. Hull’s current percentage of affordable units is 1.6%, according to the state’s formula.

“This has been quite a task, and I commend you for your patience and understanding,” Finn said to the development team.

‘It’s absolutely nuts’

Barnstable Road resident Kathy Torraco took exception to Finn’s comments, noting that she would have preferred that the board “do more listening and be less appreciative of what the developer is doing. We, too, are being very patient.”

“This is the wrong development on a tiny lot in a residential area,” she said. “It’s the wrong thing for this neighborhood. I haven’t expressed any emotion until now, but this is unacceptable.”

Finn noted that proposed developments are “out of our hands when they’re 40Bs. We’re trying to do this in a friendly manner.”

“This is an unfortunate set of circumstances. It’s absolutely nuts,” ZBA member Richard Hennessey told Torraco. “This is not an appropriate location. We’re doing the best we can for the town of Hull, but we are confined by the regulations. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in your neighborhood with this project coming down the pike. It’s ludicrous.”

Sprinkler system still a sticking point

A sticking point that remains is the sprinkler system requested by Fire Chief Chris Russo. Since the last discussion about this issue, a different, less-expensive system is under consideration.

However, while amenable overall, the developer needs more time to decide whether to include such a system in the development plan.

A key issue that was barely touched upon during this week’s hearing but has been a topic of much discussion during earlier meetings is an access easement across the neighboring property at 20 Ipswich Street.

 The developer has planned to use this easement as an alternative access road to the proposed development and for the installation of utilities for the project.

Attorney addresses easement issue

In a recent letter written to the ZBA – also posted on the board’s link on the town website – representing a number of abutters, Attorney Allan Levin outlines why he believes the plan for 25 Ipswich Street cannot legally be approved due to easement issues, claiming that the developer “has no rights to use the easement.”

Levin said in the letter that this property was formerly part of a larger tract of land owned by Hulltop LLC, comprising what is currently 7 Salisbury Street, 20 Ipswich Street, and 25 Ipswich Street. The entire property is the former Veterans of Foreign Wars post.

In the deed transferring the property currently known as 20 Ipswich Street to Derek and Kelly Paris, reference was made to the easement, according to Levin, but “there was no ‘metes and bounds’ description of the easement, nor was the easement reserved for any other lots.”

Derek Paris – who strongly objects to allowing the developer to use the easement – attended the hearing this week.

“If I win in Land Court, I’ll be putting a fence around [my entire] property,” he said.

One ZBA member asked about the Land Court case, but the discussion headed in a different direction before he received clarification.

‘The easement does not exist’

As a result of his research, Levin claims that because “there is no approved/certified plan on record indicating the easement,” by law, “the easement does not exist.”

Even if the easement did exist, he explained, “the project has no rights to its use in any event. While the project may abut the easement, the project does not have any existing deed rights to the easement.”

Where the easement “either does not exist or provides no rights to the project, it is the abutters’ position that the project as proposed cannot legally be approved,” Levin’s letter states.

While the letter was not referred to nor read at Tuesday’s hearing, Finn remarked when this issue came up briefly, “The developer isn’t doing anything unless he gets the rights to the easement.”

The proposed conditions, with Hennessey emphasizing that they have not yet been decided, relate in part to both the easement and a sprinkler system.

When at 10 p.m. the discussion ramped up, Finn pointed out that after months of hearings, now was not the time to “get adversarial.”

“I’d like to land this plane onto a runway and not crash it into the Hudson River,” he said.

A replay of the ZBA hearing will be available at Hull Community Television’s website at www.hulltv.net.

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© 2025 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

In the Sport-light - Roundup of news about Hull's athletes

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Compiled by Matt Haraden

• Boys 3/4 Soccer Team 2 fell to 1-1 on the season after losing 5-3 at home against Hanover. Jordan Dunn scored two goals, one assisted by Andy Michaelides. Teddy Misdea also scored a goal. Goalies Nolan Cichocki and Langdon Walper did great in goal considering the wet conditions. The team has a bye this week and then will face Norwell on the road on Saturday, April 26. Boys 6-8 Soccer dominated in the game on Saturday, April 12 against Pembroke, winning 3-1. With the Pirates only having one sub and Pembroke having 15, Hull’s true strength was on show as Eathan Medina scored their first goal, which was later disallowed. Two more goals followed shortly after by JD McAuliffe and Brayan Telles. The Pirates had great defensive plays by JP Hnath, Cody Miller, PK Gunderson, and Derek Delgallo.

• Girls 7/8 Soccer opened their season with two wins over last weekend, beating Pembroke, 4-1, under the lights on Friday, April 11. Goals came from Aubrey Littlefield, Ava Palermo, Payton Dunn, and Evelyn Concannon, with strong midfield play by Piper Yakubian and Stella Palermo. Defensively, Molly McCarthy and Ellie Kiley played well for the Pirates. The next day, in inclement weather, Hull beat Marshfield, 4-1. Abbie Baglione had two goals, Aubrey Littlefield and Ava Palermo each added one. Olivia Michaelides at forward and Nadia Schultz at midfield had solid performances while Michaela Collins and Natalie Tiani were strong on defense. Sophie Munn had two spectacular games in net, making numerous clutch saves. Hull will host Hingham on Saturday, April 26 at 1 p.m.

• Girls 5/6 Lacrosse battled a fast Pembroke squad on April 13, earning their first win of the season, 10-7, on the turf. Molly McCarthy had five goals and Deirdre Flaherty scored three. Frankie Rockett, Cordelia Hennessey, and Stella Palermo distributed the ball around with great passing. Abby Donovan, Bianka Truglia, and Josie Tyrell were relentless on defense, and Ruby D’Errico put on a great showing in goal. Reese Irby, Hadley Dolan and Olivia Picewick buzzed around on attack, opening up shooting lanes and confounding Pembroke’s defense. The team travels to Hanover on Sunday, April 27, looking for their next win.

• In a recent game against Carver on April 9, the JV softball team posted a 15-5 win. Khloe Gravina pitched five innings, gave up four hits and one run scored against her, while Kenzie Neal was 2/4 with two RBIs and a walk; Rachel Timins went 1/4 with four RBIs; Riley Munn was 2/4 with three RBIs, and Natalie Reilly went 2/3. The team’s next three games are at home – Monday, April 28 against Cardinal Spellman, Wednesday, April 30 against Rockland, and Thursday, May 1 against Hingham. Game times is 4 p.m.

• Hull High Boys Track tied Mashpee, 65-65, on Monday, April 14. Winners included Lawrence Bodley in the high jump and the 100 and 200 meters; Jameson Luggelle in the javelin and discus; Christopher Resnick in the 110-meter hurdles; Iktan Guzman in the 400-meter hurdles; and JT Gould in the mile. Girls Track lost, 66-32, to Mashpee. Elsie Harper won the long jump, 100-meter hurdles, and 400-meter hurdles, and Montana Alibrandi won the javelin and discus. Both teams travel to Carver on Wednesday, April 30 at 4:30 p.m.

• Hull High Girls Lacrosse improved to 4-1 on the season after defeating East Bridgewater at home, 14-2. Pirates played great full-field defense, led by team hardhat winner Meghan Duran. Georgia White had four goals, an assist, three caused turnovers, two ground balls, and six draw controls. Libby Harper had an assist, four caused turnovers, and two ground balls. Elly Thomas had three goals, an assist, and two ground balls. Meghan Duran had a goal. Erin Walsh scored three goals, two assists, and two ground balls. Maggie Mullen had two goals and a ground ball. Tessa Schultz had a goal, a caused turnover, two ground balls and a draw control. Goalkeeper Jillian McDonough notched four saves and a ground ball. Cassady Reilly, Ava Palermo, Evelyn Concannon, Olivia Michaelides, and Juliet Bellew all logged their first varsity minutes for the Pirates. The team takes on Sandwich at home on Tuesday, April 29 at 4 p.m. (JV at 5:30 p.m.) and Abington (also at home) on Wednesday, April 30 at 4 p.m. (JV at 5:15 p.m.)

• The boys varsity lacrosse team plays Plymouth North at home on Friday, April 18 at 4 p.m. and then travels to Stoughton on Tuesday, April 22 at 3:45 p.m.

Watch the Times in print and online for details, or for more information, visit www.hullpublicschools.org/athletics.

• 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 midnight. 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 and support our work with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

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

© 2025 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

Light board to gauge interest in continuing to rent generators; no decision yet on 4.2% rate hike

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By Carol Britton Meyer

Hull Municipal Lighting Plant customers will be asked to fill out a survey the next time they pay their bills to gauge their interest in continued use of wintertime generators as a backup should a National Grid power outage occur.

Temporary generators have been rented for the past several years following numerous National Grid outages, However, during the years they have been installed, they have only been needed for a total of 3-1/2 hours – at an annual cost of $114 to the average homeowner paying the $9.52 a month fixed surcharge.

“The light board is split on whether to bring the generators back again next year,” Town Manager Jennifer Constable, who also serves as light plant manager, told The Hull Times. “The results of the survey will provide information about how the community feels about [this issue].” The survey will be available whether paying a paper bill or online, with a submission deadline of May 30.

Click here to take the survey online.

The survey includes three questions about whether ratepayers support the standby generators being brought back for the next winter season; if so, would they support a 10% to 15% increase in the current surcharge to cover generator-related costs; and do they currently own a home generator.

“It’s a year-by-year decision as to whether we will rent generators due to permitting requirements and the need to find a location to install them if they were to become permanent,” Constable said. “We’re still trying to find a long-term solution, working with National Grid.”

Deciding to rent the generators without knowing if they will actually be needed that season is “akin to an insurance policy,” she said. “It may not be necessary to use them, but they are there if it is, and it’s up to the ratepayers if they want them to return year after year.”

In other business…

No decision has yet been made about a rate increase, Constable confirmed. The Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company performed a financial review of the light plant earlier this year to assess the overall financial health of the light plant, with a specific focus on financial and operational indicators.

As a result, MMWEC recommended that the light board consider a rate increase due in part to the need for the light plant to replenish its cash reserves.

MMWEC, through an energy partnership established in 1969, assists Massachusetts municipal light departments such as Hull’s with their needs to contract for energy.

THE LIGHT PLANT’S TOWNWIDE GENERATORS ARE FOR WINTER POWER OUTAGES. [RICHARD W. GREEN FILE PHOTO]

A rate study has been under way for a number of months that takes into consideration the light plant’s operating budget for the next three to five years, the cost of electricity, and the costs associated with the line crews, office staff, equipment, and other expenses.

The 4.2% rate increase suggested by the MMWEC study would amount to about an additional $6.51 a month, or a $78.12 annual increase, for the average residential ratepayer.

The light board will ultimately vote on whether to support a rate increase, which Constable said would be “the first one in a number of years.”

The cost of business “goes up annually, and an increase would help us have more cash on hand and would give us the ability to borrow at lower interest rates [as the cash reserve increases] looking ahead to long-term projects, facility [upkeep and necessary upgrades], the feeder line, possible permanent generators,” and other considerations, according to Constable.

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© 2025 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

For your amusement: Author’s newest Hull-based mystery aims to solve ‘The Paragon Park Murders’

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Paragon Park lives on, if only in the imagination of author Frank J. Infusino Jr., whose latest novel, The Paragon Park Murders, is now available on Amazon and soon locally at Nantasket Paint and Hardware in Kenberma. In coming weeks, it will be posted on Barnes and Noble and over 100 other sites.

Infusino donates 100% of the proceeds of his books to fund two scholarships for graduating seniors at Hull High School. Last year’s recipients, chosen by school staff, were Dahlia Hedrick and Sean Reilly.

The Paragon Park Murders begins when two men are shot dead in the shuttered famous amusement center in the winter of 1957. The twisted tale of suspense and corruption moves like a roller coaster ride with bone-jarring turns and terrifying plunges into the world of mafia gangsters and crooked cops.

Rookie MDC Detective Anthony Gallo, a Hull native and Korean War hero, leads the investigation into the killings and is thrust into the crosshairs of mafia assassins when his probe strays too close to their planned robbery scheme. Two attempts are made on his life.

While operating out of the MDC substation in Nantasket, Gallo comes face to face with the high school sweetheart he abandoned to join the Marines. His efforts to win her back are not well received – she has moved on; he has not. His obsession with her jeopardizes his focus on the investigation.

Infusino believes “the readers of murder mysteries will be enthralled by the efforts of a young detective, thwarted even by his own superiors, to solve a crime which becomes increasingly complex and dangerous.”

Infusino grew up in Hull, worked at Paragon like many of his friends, graduated from Hull High School and UMass, and served as a Marine officer in Vietnam. A teacher and high school principal, he retired as the superintendent of a 34,000-student school district in southern California.

Infusino is named after his father, Frank J. Infusino, a longtime Hull Police officer, who in his off time helped build the miniature golf course at Paragon and could often be seen walking the track of the Giant Coaster to ensure its safety. Infusino still calls Hull home, although he has lived in California for many years. His sister, Joanne Haraden, still lives in town and cousins and nephews are spread from Boston to the South Shore.

Two of Infusino’s previous novels, “Murder at Fort Revere” and “The Lady in Black” (involving the rumored ghost on Fort Warren) are set in or near Hull. You can email him at cuzvito73@gmail.com or visit frankinfusino.com.

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

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© 2025 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

School committee once again receives no feedback on budget; introduces new athletic director

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By Carol Britton Meyer

The school committee addressed a full agenda this week, from holding a public hearing on the fiscal 2026 budget and further discussing the superintendent evaluation process to welcoming the new Hull Public Schools athletic director and responding to a request for a dog park near the high school.

For at least the third year in a row, there were no public comments during the hearing on the proposed $18.4-million budget, which represents a 3% – or $535,643 – increase over the fiscal 2025 budget figure.

During one of their occasional updates, state Sen. Patrick O’Connor and state Rep. Joan Meschino said that of the $58-billion state fiscal year 2025 budget, $7.01 million has been allocated to Hull and local organizations to date.

Chapter 70 education funding is at $4.08 million, with local aid totaling $2.6 million for the current year, with relatively small increases in both expected for fiscal 2026.

Local organizations benefitting from state funding include the Anchor of Hull and the Hull Lifesaving Museum, as well as the Hull Police Department.

Click here to read the full school budget proposal for FY26

Free school meal funding allocated to Hull was $241,683, along with funding for special education and special ed transportation, charter school reimbursement, and library aid.

Both legislators encouraged not only the school committee with education-related issues and concerns but also residents to contact their office if in need of assistance.

Contact Meschino’s office at 617-722-2092 or O’Connor’s office at 617-722-1646, or by email at Joan.Meschino@MAHouse.gov or Patrick.O’Connor@masenate.gov.

The presentation is posted on the Hull Public Schools website.

In other business…

• Superintendent of Schools Michael Jette introduced new Athletic Director Benjamin Kistner “following an exhaustive search process. He’s now in week three, and we’re happy to have him onboard at the start of Spring sports,” he said.

The former athletic director for Holbrook Middle-High School, where he was also a teacher, Kistner said he will be able to focus solely on his new position as athletic director in Hull.

“Sixty-five percent of our student population are athletes,” Kistner noted. His first priority is to get to know them. He is also considering asking past and present student athletes to take a survey about their experiences, including asking former athletes why they are no longer on a team.

“I’m excited to be here,” Kistner said. “I’m a fireball of energy [and look forward] to getting started and figuring out what the successes and challenges will be.”

• Jette reported progress on exploring coastal partnerships in addition to current participation in the Cohasset Center for Student Coastal Research in the summer months and in the Hull Lifesaving Museum/Hull High School boatbuilding program.

“Next steps include sitting down with curriculum leaders to discuss various possibilities and to explore whether there may be grant funding available,” he said.

• The committee and Jette also discussed the superintendent evaluation process that includes a progress report on his year-one goals. Each committee member will fill out an evaluation form and without sharing it with fellow members, submit the forms to Maggie Ollerhead in the superintendent’s office, who will compile the completed forms into one document.

Jette presented his entry plan for his first year on the job to the school committee last September, including a commitment to “looking, listening, and learning” to help set up HPS for “success for the next decade.”

Jette has a three-year contract, with an annual salary of $180,000. The public evaluation is scheduled for April 28.

• A letter signed by Jette was sent to resident David Irwin, who earlier floated the idea of locating a dog park on town-owned land between Finlayson Field at the high school and Hull Gut at the site of the former windmill, asking for answers to a number of questions before the school committee makes a final determination.

These included how the dog park would he contained and maintained; would new fencing be added parallel to the field fence or would the existing fence serve as containment for the park -- and if so, who would be responsible for repairs; would the park restrict potential travel outside the field from the Gut to the back of the high school; and who would mow and otherwise care for the dog park?

Other concerns were whether parking issues would “put pressure” on Shipwreck’d and the school and commuter lots and maintaining park cleanliness, including disposal of animal waste and other trash, since the field is used by students and the public throughout the year.

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Sprinkler testing turns water brown from Village to Kenberma

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By Christopher Haraden

Boston music fans are familiar with The Standells’ song about how much they “love that dirty water,” but many Hull residents were singing the blues this week when they unexpectedly encountered brown water flowing from their taps.

On Monday, a private contractor at the apartment building at 1 A Street conducted the annual test of the high-rise’s sprinkler system. The work caused a disturbance within the Weir River Water System that sent discolored water through the pipes and into homes from Hull Village to Kenberma.

“Typically these tests are performed in a controlled manner and have little, if any, adverse effect on the water system,” said WRWS Managing Director/Superintendent Russell Tierney. “In this case, we experienced discolored water in the area. Our crews responded immediately and worked through the day and into the night mitigating the issue.”

The testing firm, Encore Fire Protection, completed its work on Monday. Residents in most parts of town reported that the water had cleared up by Tuesday afternoon, but some areas still showed discoloration.

“As of early Tuesday morning the water mains in the affected areas were running clear and we were responding to individual homes as requested to assist in clearing their service lines,” the water company said in a statement issued Wednesday evening. 

On Monday, WRWS’s initial communication on Facebook indicated that the contractor had not given customary notification of the testing so that nearby customers could be alerted. On Wednesday, however, Tierney and Hull Fire Chief Chris Russo said the company did notify the Hull’s fire prevention office at town hall. WRWS later edited its social media post to remove the references to whether notice had been provided.

“Prior notice is not a requirement for private fire system testing; it is a courtesy for WRWS to know that these tests are being performed,” Tierney said. “The company did notify them [Hull Fire] but in the morning, and by the time the message was received by Hull FD, they were already performing the test.”

Tierney and Russo said the policy for private fire-flow tests is being revised to request 48 hours’ notice for future testing. This will allow the water company, fire department, and residents to be notified about the work and to prepare for potential disruptions.

“Letters will be sent to all customers who have fire services that require annual flow testing to ensure that they contact both the Weir River Water System and local fire departments 48 hours prior to conducting these tests,” according to the water company’s statement.

“It’s important to note that while this particular scenario was an absolute inconvenience for our residents, it has never happened prior with testing on any required location,” Russo said. “Response was immediate and communication was sent quickly as possible once the location was determined.”

Residents with complaints about damage to laundry or household fixtures should contact the water company, although Tierney said there is no compensation for having to keep the taps open to clear discoloration from the household pipes. Running the water for extended periods before use is the solution that the water company typically recommends to customers.

“Any potential claims can be submitted to the WRWS; however, we do not credit for water usage,” Tierney said.

Weir River Water also said the company is looking beyond Monday’s fire-flow test to determine if something else caused the discoloration.

“There are several factors that can lead to this type of event, and over the next few days we will investigate if there’s any other circumstances that contributed to this incident,” according to Wednesday’s statement.

Tierney said that residents still experiencing problems should email waterquality@weirriverwater.com.

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