Charter, Selectmen Top the Ballot: Decisions on the charter issue and the selectman’s contest were stirring public interest on the eve of the Hull election Monday, March 8, when more than 3,500 voters are expected to cast ballots. With a new record registration of 5,233 voters, veteran observers are predicting a 65-70 percent turnout due to the intense interest in the charter plan and the several issues involved in the selectman’s race, in which incumbent Simmy Hartstone is opposed by David Berman.
Governor Asked to Review Plan: Selectman Simmy Hartstone said at press time that Gov. Francis Sargent has agreed to review the Hull charter plan through his Program Development Section. Hartstone said the governor’s letter of March 1 was “in reply to a letter from selectmen expressing concern about errors in the charter which have not been corrected, as suggested by the attorney general.”
TM Ends With $5.2M Budget Voted: Hull ended its town meeting business in a second four-hour session Tuesday evening at the Memorial School, with 410 voters attending. Town Accountant Joseph Chase informed the Times early Wednesday that the total appropriations for both sessions were $5,285,611. A tax-rate increase of about $8 is indicated, pending receipt of the so-called Cherry Sheet figures of state assessments and refunds, sending the 1971 rate to an estimated $92 per $1,000 of real estate valuation.
Sewer Tie-in Opposed: Residents last night questioned approval by the selectmen for contractors to connect sewer lines from a planned 132-unit housing project on Jerusalem Road into the Hull sewage disposal system, at a town service charge of $4,000, which has been paid to the town.
Oil Soaks Clams, Traps Birds: The massive oil slicks that came ashore on oceanfront beaches from Scituate to Revere last week extended to harbor islands and inner shores of Hingham, Hull, and Quincy Bays. Thousands of sea clams on the surface of Nantasket Beach, from the MDC area to Point Allerton, were found to be soaked in oil Friday morning. Nantasket MDC Police Officer Joseph Boudreau, in an MDC patrol boat, sighted many black ducks covered with oil in waters off Georges Island and radioed a call to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Barges Out by July 1?: Flaming barges off Boston Light – an air pollution nuisance and health hazard to residents of South Shore towns for the past six years – are expected to be halted before next July. In a notice to Hull selectmen on Friday, the state Department of Public Health’s Division of Environmental Sanitation advised that the Fournier Marine Disposal Co., of Boston’s Charlestown, has purchased a 350-foot heavy-duty ocean-going barge to burn rubbish further out to sea. The company reported the purchase as part of its implementation of a DPH order to come up with alternative disposal methods during an eight-month variance of the state’s air and water pollution laws.
It’s a Perfect 10 for Team: The Hull Middle School basketball team completed its 10th victory against no defeats by downing Holbrook Junior High, 35-27. Kim McCarthy and Kevin Wholey each averaged 13 points per game. Other team members contributing toward Hull’s perfect season were: Stephen Vieira, Paul McNamara, Michael Weydt, Dan Bradford, Robert Sullivan, William Fallon, Richard Boudreau, and Kenneth Hirsch.
More Hull School Sports Stars: Two Hull High School hoopsters led the Eastern Division All-Stars to a rout over the Western All-Stars. Richie Dee DelMonico scored 1,007 points in his three years as a Pirate. Captain of the All-Star team Paul Wholey and DelMonico tallied 48 points; this combination scored almost as much as the Western All-Stars, as they led their team to 106-65 victory. DelMonico is looking to continue his basketball career at Northeastern or Springfield. Wholey is a junior who will be back next year to captain Coach Menice’s Pirates for another shot at the South Shore title.
Airman Manchester in Texas for Training: Airman John P. Manchester, son of Mr. and Mrs. John P. Manchester, of 266 Nantasket Road, has completed basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas. He has been assigned to Sheppard AFB, Texas, for training as a medical services specialist.