Oak Point goes for $55 million, largest property sale in Middleboro history 2011

UNDER ASSESSED BY THE TOWN AT THE TIME 

Date: Thursday, November 3, 2011, 8:44 AM

Oak Point goes for $55 million, largest property sale in Middleboro history An Illinois company buys 870-unit, over-55 community The front entrance to Oak Point, a gated retirement community in Middleboro.

By Alice Elwell enterprise correspondent Posted Nov 03, 2011 @ 06:01 AM MIDDLEBORO — The Oak Point over-55 residential complex was sold this week to an Illinois company for $55 million, the largest real-estate sale in Middleboro history, the town assessor said. Hometown America, a privately held company based in Illinois, purchased the 1,000-acre, 870-unit Oak Point complex. Hometown owns and operates more than 100 manufactured housing communities across the country. Company Vice President William Glascott said on Wednesday that Oak Point is the fifth community Hometown owns in Massachusetts. The others are Leisurewoods in Taunton; Leisurewoods in Rockland; Oakhill in Attleboro; Miller’s Woods and River Bend, both in Athol. Asked about the new ownership’s role at Oak Point, Glascott said, “Certainly there are changes with any management transition. Our goal is to limit disruption, maintain level services and possibly improve.” Glascott said the company will build out to 1,165 units but has no plans for additional expansion. He said he plans to meet with local officials and introduce his company. Oak Point is an over-55 community of freestanding manufactured homes clustered in small neighborhoods. There is a club house, fitness center and ballroom. Owners buy their units, lease the property and pay a monthly maintenance fee. “I am hopeful (Hometown America) will be as good as Gary and Don have been. They’re a hard team to beat,” Oak Point resident Regina Moriarty said about the previous owners. “We’ve been very happy here and we’d like to stay,” she said. “I look forward to it being the same way it always has been.” Gary Darman, the former principal partner of Oak Point, said he is leaving Middleboro after developing Oak Point for the last 30 years. At 67, Darman said he’s not ready to slow down and will focus his time on retail development. He is the developer behind Colony Place in Plymouth – destined to possibly be the largest open air plaza in the state. He said he is planning a cluster of auto dealerships at the plaza and has several new tenants lined up. Darman also has eight to 10 more plazas in the works, but nothing slated for Middleboro. Darman said he and Oak Point partner Don Smith have mixed emotions leaving Middleboro. “There will be a period of adjustment for me, for Don, for everybody involved, including the residents,” he said. Town Assessor-Appraiser Barbara Erickson praised the previous owner. “I think he did a nice job at Oak Point and I would like to see him come back to Middleboro with a retail project. We still have a lot of undeveloped commercial property,” Erickson said. Joseph F. Freitas Jr., former member of the Planning Board, was an Oak Point supporter from the outset. “I hope the new owners are as conscientious as Gary Darman,” he said this week. Lincoln D. Andrews is a former selectman and planning board member who saw the project through most of its permitting. “The new owner has a high standard to meet in terms of the integrity and support that Gary Darman has given the town,” said Oak Point, under Darman’s management, had a longstanding history of donating to the community. The new owner indicated that might continue. “We want to be involved with the community, and we will evaluate everything when the time comes,” Glascott said. Read more: http://www.enterprisenews.com/lifestyle/50_plus/x916007627/Oak-Point-goes-for-55-million-largest-property-sale-in-Middleboro-history#ixzz1ce6CvsNq

 

Study and delay: New legislation seeks to slow Holtec's Pilgrim plant discharge plans

New legislation seeks to slow Holtec's Pilgrim plant discharge plans

David R. Smith   Wicked Loacal 

Published Aug 9, 2022 

State Sen. Susan Moran, D-Falmouth, furthered legislative efforts to delay, if not outright prevent, a million gallons of wastewater from being discharged into Cape Cod Bay by Holtec, the company decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, through a proposal included as part of the Senate’s recently passed economic development package.

Legislation:MA Senate passes major economic development bill designed to curb pandemic impacts

If successful, the measure would lead to the creation of a special commission to study the economic and environmental impacts of the discharge of spent fuel pool water and other materials created as a waste product of nuclear energy into the state’s waterways.  

Holtec has faced mounting pressure to find an alternative to discharging the water from the spent fuel pool and other areas after first announcing its plans to release it this past November.  

Responding to reactions:Holtec commits to not discharging Pilgrim plant water until third-party testing gives OK

In response, the company said it would not discharge any water through the rest of the year, although it expects to announce its chosen course of action in the coming months. 

“Holtec’s announcement that the company would dump one million gallons of radioactive waste into Cape Cod Bay is already negatively impacting our communities,” Moran said in a recent statement. “Even the perception of harm puts local industries at risk, and that is before we examine the real risk to our environment and health.” 

Shared concerns:Rally to stop Pilgrim plant wastewater discharge draws together businesses, activists

To address the concerns over even the perception of contamination raised by the tourism, real estate and fishing industries, the commission would be co-chaired by the attorney general and secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and would include designees from state agencies including the Dept. of Public Health (DPH), Office of Travel and Tourism and Division of Marine Fisheries. 

Although the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not have oversight of radioactive materials – that duty falls to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission – it has refuted Holtec’s claims that it was authorized to release any water under both its current NDPES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit and the settlement agreement it reached with the state prior to beginning  the decommissioning of the plant. 

Claims and responses:EPA rejects Holtec Pilgrim Plant wastewater discharging plan, see why they disagreed

While the water would be treated and released in batches over time, critics contend that nuclear elements, particularly tritium, which cannot be filtered out, would bioaccumulate in the water to potentially unhealthy levels.  

The commission would be required to complete a report of their findings and recommendations by Nov. 1, 2024, and hold at least four public hearings in Dukes, Plymouth, Bristol, and Barnstable counties.  

Discharge of the water, if allowed, would be prohibited until 90 days after the report’s release. 

A version of the legislation already passed in the House. A conference committee will be appointed to address differences between the two bills.  

Promising results, other options

During a field hearing held in Plymouth this past May of the Congressional Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety, Holtec agreed to submit the water for third-party testing.

A representative for U.S. Sen Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, who chaired the hearing, said more information about who would perform the testing should be available by the next meeting of the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (NDCAP), which takes place the end of next month.  

Holtec said it would have sample results of both radiological and non-radiological elements in the untreated water in time for that meeting, which, a representative of the company noted, would not be reflective of water treated in preparation for discharge. 

Moran attended the July 25 NDCAP meeting (the meetings are held every other month) to both discuss the measure and reaffirm her opposition to Holtec’s plans. 

“I offer my strongest condemnation of Holtec’s flagrant disregard for the concerns of the people of Plymouth and the surrounding community,” she said. “Barring significant reforms to decommissioning oversight will likely result in insufficient regulatory authority to prevent them from steamrolling over the will of the public.”    

Other options exist for the company, although Holtec said those other alternatives, such as evaporation or trucking the water to an out-of-state facility, would be both costly and require large amounts of fossil fuels to be used, which Holtec said runs counter to its tenets of environmental justice.

A fourth option, storing the water indefinitely at the site, would delay the decommissioning process, according to the company.

Shifting the cost of oversight

While the study committee proposal must make it through the review, hearing and approval process, an amendment to the state’s $52.7 billion fiscal 2023 budget submitted by Moran related to who foots the bill for nuclear plant oversight and monitoring costs is a done deal following Gov. Charlie Baker’s signing of the budget July 28. 

In detail:The Massachusetts fiscal 2023 budget

That responsibility had fallen to the state’s Department of Public Health (DPH), which is already facing a shortfall between $160,000 and $450,000 annually through at least 2027, according to Moran.

“Insufficient funding could potentially interfere with DPH’s ability to provide much needed oversight. Lack of adequate oversight would have a profound effect on the commonwealth’s environmental and public health and the economy,” she said.

On top of ensuring continued oversight, Moran said the measure would benefit residents financially.

“This language would allow assessments against nuclear facility owners and operators for costs associated with accidental releases of radiation and disturbances related to the decommissioning process," she said. "In other words, this amendment would rightly shift some of the burden away from the taxpayer.” 

This is not the first legislation introduced over the last year relating to concerns over releasing the water into the bay. 

Moran had previously introduced a bill that would prevent any discharge of nuclear contaminants into the state’s waterways. Like the study committee, local representatives in the House have submitted a nearly identical bill for consideration (the two only differ in the amount of fines levied against violators), 

Bill to ban:Bills to ban water discharge at Pilgrim Station advance, BOH passes resolution in support

Both bills have yet to come up for a full vote, and both chambers have ended their current legislatives sessions. 

All the measures, Moran said at the NDCAP meeting, are aimed at helping residents who have taken on the role of activists and monitors. 

“It’s my position that the commonwealth should step in to alleviate pressure on constituents to act as watchdogs for their own public health and safety,” she said. 

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'Not one drop': Hundreds rally in Plymouth to prevent dumping radioactive water into ocean

Hongyu Liu  

The Patriot Ledger 

Published April 10, 2022 

PLYMOUTH – About 250 residents gathered at the Town Wharf in Plymouth Saturday to protest possible nuclear waste dumping by Holtec International into Cape Cod Bay off the Plymouth coast.

"Not one drop!" the crowd chanted in opposition to a proposal to dump a million gallons of contaminated water from Plymouth’s decommissioned Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.

 “We are America’s hometown, not Holtec’s dumping ground,” said Betty Cavacco, a member of the Plymouth Select Board.

Paul Quintal, the organizer of the rally, said he was frustrated with the company for even considering dumping the radioactive water into the bay. 

"Will you bring your grandkids to swim nearby? Are you going to eat a shellfish, or lobster out of Cape Cod Bay when there is a hint of radioactive matter in the water?" he asked. "It will be devastating."

Ally Hatch, 16, of Plymouth, came to show support at the rally. 

"Don't let them dump it into the water," she said.

Twelve speakers from government, environmental protection groups, fishery industry, and other businesses shared their concerns about the negative impact from the dumping.

Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, said the radioactive chemicals will pose a significant threat to the right whales and drive customers away from seafood caught in the bay.

In Duxbury, Kingston and Plymouth Bays, there are 50 oyster farms – the largest concentration in the state, worth $5.1 million last year, according to the Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative. The collaborative said dumping the water would devastate the industry and the local economy.

Casoni suggested the crowd send email or call their local authorities to take action.

"How is it reasonable or possible?" she said.

"Everybody should be horrified about it," Christine Silva, a real estate agent in Plymouth said. "I already have people saying to me 'I don't want to live around Plymouth if that happens.' "

Risky options

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth was built in 1972.

After its decommission in 2019, Holtec International bought the station to redevelop the 1,700-acre site for commercial or industrial use.

The company must to dispose of the water used to cool radioactive rods and other components in the spent fuel pool as well as in other parts of the facility.

Holtec came up with three possible solutions: dump it in the bay, evaporate it, or transport it to the company’s storage facility in Texas, where other waste from the plant has already been sent. Each option comes with its own risks and costs. 

In Dec. 2021, a statement from Patrick O'Brien, a senior manager for government affairs and communications for Holtec Decommissioning International, stated "the processed water will remain on site, safely stored, and that we will not discharge any processed water in 2022 while this evaluation (of alternative disposal options) is undertaken."

Holtec and Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials said in interviews that radioactivity and other contaminants including metals in the coolant water would be reduced through a filtering process to levels allowed under federal permits before being released, and environmental impacts and levels in the ocean would be monitored. The plant has released treated radioactive water during the course of its operations, most recently in 2017, O'Brien said.

The Plymouth Board of Health passed a resolution on March 9, 2022,  expressing its opposition to dumping the into Cape Cod Bay and asking Holtec to choose one of the other available disposal options.

The resolution cited several radioactive chemicals of concern, including cesium-137, strontium-90, cobalt, tritium and plutonium. 

“All of these radioactive compounds have already been found in the surface water, groundwater, and soils at Pilgrim at levels exceeding ‘background levels,’" the resolution reads. “There is also a longer-term risk to our sole-source aquifer water supply – especially from tritium which isn’t removed by existing filtration procedures used in purification attempts.” 

More:Bills to ban water discharge at Pilgrim Station advance, BOH passes resolution in support

O’Brien said the treatment process uses multiple technical filtration and treatment systems, and any such water must be tested before anything else can be done with it.

“This is sampled before any potential release would occur, as has been done for the previous 50 years,” O’Brien said.

Diane Turco, the director of Cape Downwinders, who has been following closely regarding the environmental impact of the power station since the 1980s, said substances like tritium cannot be filtered out from the water.

Turco and Quintal believe shipping the water to a licensed processing facility is the best solution.  

Holtec maintains they have not ruled out any of the available options, although they said the fuel required to evaporate the water, which was previously done using residual heat from the reactor, or trucking to sites as far away as Texas would both use fossil fuels and cost more. They also cited the safety concerns of transporting toxic materials, even though they have already done so with other waste materials from the plant. 

More:Rally to stop Pilgrim plant wastewater discharge draws together businesses, activists

Call for transparency

Quintal said he asked a representative from Holtec about whether the water contains radioactive chemicals during one of the recent public hearings.

"The answers were horrible. All they did was dance around the questions, saying 'we have our laboratory studying on it right now,'" he said.

He said Holtec's response was concerning. 

"They won't tell us," Turco said. "That's the problem. The state doesn't know. No one knows."  

A rally for new legislation

Quintal said he hopes the rally can bring more support to the two separate emergency bills preventing the discharge of the radioactive water. Both bills will be the subject of public hearings in the next few weeks.

State Rep. Kathleen LaNatra, D-Plymouth, presented a similar bill in the House that prevents the discharge of radioactive materials and imposing a fine beginning at $5,500, and not to exceed $15,000 for each subsequent infraction.

LaNatra's bill is scheduled for a hearing Friday, April 15.

State Sen. Susan Moran, D-Plymouth/Barnstable, sponsored the legislative bill in the Senate, preventing the discharge of contaminated materials and imposing a fine of no more than $10,000 for the first offense, and not to exceed $25,000 for each subsequent infraction.

The bill is scheduled for a hearing in Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

She urges the public sign up to testify in person or submit written testimony by 5 p.m. on Monday.

"I think the joint effort between the House and the Senate sends a strong message," Moran said. "That is why I'm optimistic about it."

Material from The Associated Press and WCVB, media partner of The Patriot Ledger, was used in this report. 

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription.

Reach Hongyu Liu at HLiu@patriotledger.com. 

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The Stories In The Stones: John Morton and the First Middleborough Carver

Jeff Stevens

Friends of Middleborough Cemeteries

 

The land of Middleborough was bought from the Wampanoags as part of Twenty Six Man’s Purchase, and one of the purchasers was John Morton who arrived in America in 1623 on the Anne.

In 1670, he was one of only six “freemen” in the town. His son, John, was born in Plymouth in 1650 and is credited with founding the first free school in the Americas in Plymouth in 1671. Only families with resources could send their children to school in early colonial times because it cost money to attend in those days. By providing “free” education to Plymouth children, John Morton is considered the first “public school teacher” in not just Plymouth, or the Massachusetts Bay Colony, or even the British colonies of the new world. John Morton is credited with being the first “public school teacher” in the new world.

Young John Morton later moved from Plymouth to Middleborough where he lived and farmed his father’s land, along with his second wife, Mary Ring, and their six children. He died in 1718 and is buried in the Church at the Green Cemetery. He is clearly an early settler of our community and one of our nation’s earliest educators. (He also happens to be the ninth great grand uncle of Jeff Stevens, the author of this piece.)

He was a man with very limited carving ability and his lettering and images are extremely simple.His work is all straight lines and compass curves. The Morton stone is a perfect example of his work. The “death's head” on the top of the stone is made with compass scrapings to form the simple image of a skull with eyes and a circle mouth. He was unable to cut a curve without a compass. To tell us that Morton was sixty seven years old when he died was a real problem. The number 6 is made with several compass scratches that almost form an 8. The lettering is all in capitals to avoid the curves of lower case letters.

Still, the stone is a great example of early gravestone art with a simple elegance and artistic balance that continued in Middleboro stones for the next hundred years.

The Middleboro Cemetery Friends are looking for volunteers to clean historic stones this coming summer. To volunteer, e-mail the FOMC Clerk at clerk@friendsofmiddleboroughcemeteries.org

DIANNA PLOSS: Woman arrested during Plymouth’s dueling political rallies

 

Woman arrested during Plymouth’s dueling political rallies

By Jenna Manto

Posted Nov 2, 2020 

PLYMOUTH — A woman was arrested at Plymouth Rock on Oct. 31 and charged with assault and battery and disturbing the peace after a police officer saw her swing her fist and hit another woman in the face during opposing Black Lives Matter and Trump rallies, according to Plymouth police.

The woman who was arrested, Dianna Ploss, has been involved in previous rallies as a supporter of President Trump.

Plymouth police said that these rallies between Black Lives Matter and Trump supporters have been going on for about six weeks and have been getting progressively bigger each week.

Typically the opposing groups stand on either side of the road from one another near Plymouth Rock, with Trump supporters typically standing on the side of the road next to the ocean and Black Lives Matter protestors on the other side of the road, but on this day the Black Lives Matter protestors showed up early and stood on both sides, according to police. The groups co-mingled and were vying for space by the road.

Police said that there was a group of people yelling at one another, which Ploss was part of, and that an officer had to step in to tell the group to keep their space, but 15 minutes later another disturbance occurred when Ploss hit the woman in the face, after which the officer arrested her at 12:53 p.m.

Conservative and liberal political forces face off each week next to Plymouth Rock

DIANNA PLOSS CRIME Popular former radio host arrested at President Trump rally in Plymouth

 

CRIME

Popular former radio host arrested at President Trump rally in Plymouth

PUBLISHED OCTOBER 31, 2020 

BY KEN PAIVA 

A popular former radio host was arrested Saturday afternoon at a Trump rally.

A “President Trump’s Plymouth Rock MASK-uerade” rally was organized by Dianna Ploss, a former host at WSMN who was let go in July after allegedly telling a landscaping crew to speak English and questioning their immigration status.

The rally took place starting at noon and was well attended by both Trump and anti-Trump supporters.

Ploss and Plymouth resident Rita Fiorillo got into an altercation at approximately 12:25 p.m., leading to the arrest of Ploss.

(Warning language)

 

We contacted Fiorillo and she gave her account of the incident.

(Ploss) was angry that we made a wall of rainbow signs blocking Plymouth Rock and got there before she did. When she arrived, she tried to violently push her way to the street. When she was removed from one part of the wall by police, she moved in front of me. I annoyed her with my sign which she and her friend tried to grab out of my hands. I told her to stop touching my property or I would touch hers. She continued, so I knocked over her tripod and she took a swing at me and punched me in the mouth. She was arrested because the whole scene was in view of the police.”

Photo courtesy of Rita Fiorillo

According to Fiorillo, her and Ploss and her supporters have had their share of run-ins.

“Dianna is a psycho. She goes from town to town terrorizing people and then plays the victim. She is an aggressive instigator. This is not my first violent interaction with Dianna. Dianna is in no way a victim. One of her followers attacked me with a flag pole a few weeks ago and another posted disgusting things about my trans son online saying that he is confused and doesn’t know what bathroom he should use and that he just turned 18 so he’s not off limits. Dianna is a master at angling her camera in a way that it looks like she is not the aggressor but from other angles it is clear that she is. She is a complete trash person that should not be taken seriously by anyone. I’ve had multiple interactions with her and her crew and have many screenshots and videos of her behaving badly.”

A woman attending the event in Plymouth today could also be heard calling black teenagers the n word, according to other attendees.

(Warning language)

 

Ploss returned to the rally shortly after 2:30 p.m. after getting out of jail.

We contacted Ploss to get her version of events, but have yet to hear back as of this writing.

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WICKED LOCAL FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DIANNA PLOSS HAD BEEN ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING A PROTESTER 

Political forces face off Saturday next to Plymouth Rock

By David Kindy 

Protestors from around the region gather for the final time.

PLYMOUTH – For four months now, the battle lines have been drawn. Every Saturday afternoon, opposing political forces have faced off in front of Plymouth Rock, on the Plymouth waterfront, often hurling taunts and torments, shouts and slurs at each other across Water Street.

Two camps of protestors – one liberal, the other conservative – participate in this weekly display of polemics. Mirroring the angry divide that defines the country, both groups are staunchly convinced that their way is the correct direction the United States needs to follow.

Police Chief Michael Botieri watches the scene intently from the sidelines. His officers are fanned out among the crowd of about 200 people, vigilantly watching for any disturbances that might flair into violence. He shakes his head quietly.

“I’ve never seen it this bad,” he states as both sides loudly shout epithets across the street. “We want to make sure they stay separated and keep things calm.”

That’s a little difficult on this day. The protestors arrived early and took position on both sides of the roadway. Both sides are intermingled in front of Plymouth Rock, heightening tensions on this last Saturday before the presidential election Tuesday.

Chief Botieri says the protests have mostly been peaceful, with people displaying Black Lives Matter signs on one side of the street and Trump posters on the other. However, the closeness of the two groups next to Plymouth Rock – a symbol of freedom and democracy – leads to the arrest of two people who go a bit too far with their dissent.

“We got here early this week,” says Rebecca Richard of Kingston, who is dressed as the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “They always want to be next to Plymouth Rock. Well, they don’t own it.”

Richards says she has been attending the protests every week. As a liberal, she is here advocating for equal rights for women and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

“It’s grown and grown every week,” she says. “They never wear masks and they’ll come over here and breathe on us. I’m for equal rights. They want put us back in the closet. We’re not going to have it.”

Across the street, Curt Kingsbury of Plymouth wears a Trump hat and holds a bullhorn and American flag. He took a moment to explain why he attends the protests.

“We’re trying to keep the republic from going down the drain,” he says. “They’re for socialism, and we want to live free. It’s our duty to preserve this country for the next generation.”

Kingsbury claims the conservative side is usually outnumbered about two to one, though on this Saturday both camps seem evenly matched. He describes a different view of what happens during the weekly protests.

“We’re polite; they cause the drama,” he says. “They’re arrogant and like to cause trouble.”

Nearby stands Tim Storer, who is holding a Trump sign. This is his first time at the protests. He lives on Cape Cod and says he attended Sacred Heart School in Kingston as a child.

“I’m here to represent freedom and to protect our rights,” he says. “I’m concerned about socialization. There is a counter movement trying to undermine our freedom. They’re all about regulation instead of freedom.”

On the other side is Luke Savoie of Pembroke. He was walking his dog Scout along Water Street and decided to join the protests. He supports Biden for president and is in favor of equal rights.

“I’m generally progressive in my politics,” he says. “I don’t like the direction this nation is heading. The other side is anti-science. They don’t believe COVID is real and they are spreading the disease.”

Loud and boisterous, the weekly remonstrations on Water Street are an example of American democracy in action. The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of freedom of expression for anyone who chooses to participate in peaceful protests.

While civic discourse is an integral part of the political process, it is only the beginning. The next step involves concessions by both sides. It would be encouraging to see the two groups move toward the middle with extended hands of friendship and a common goal of unity as an example for the rest of the nation.

As Plymouth celebrates its 400th anniversary in 2020, what could possibly be better than that?

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