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12:10:30 am Rochester Receives S+P Bond Rating

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday January 25, 2010 at 6:49 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere.

The minutes from the January 4, 2010 meeting were approved by the Board.

The first order of business was the temporary Animal Control Officer position, from now until March 18, 2010. Selectman Parker suggested an advertisement be posted so that a resident from Rochester could have an opportunity to fill the position. For the next two weeks, until February 8, 2010, the Board voted to appoint Ms. Susan Conner for the position.

Next, the SEMASS payment in lieu of taxes for the month of December totaled $284, 980.00. A thank you letter from Rochester Youth Baseball to the Selectmen and other town officials for their support this past year was read aloud.

Also under Correspondence, a Standard and Poor’s Bond Rating showed that the town of Rochester’s current long-term rating is an AA/Standard. The summary provided by Standard and Poor’s regarding Rochester read, “In our opinion, the rating reflects the town’s extremely strong property wealth and high income levels, coupled with below-average underemployment; very strong reserve position; and low-to-moderate debt burden with modest additional capital needs.”

Selectman Morse discussed with the other Board members the Tri-Town meeting he recently attended where the ORR budget and regional issues were brought up. Another Tri-Town meeting has been scheduled for the last Thursday in February.

Treasurer Cynthia Mello then presented a consolidation of the Town’s debt into one bond, which the Board voted on and approved of unanimously. Some of the debt is due to the 9.5 million the town is responsible for as their share of the Elementary School’s renovations cost, as well as a portion for the new fire truck.

A Verizon Pole Hearing was held regarding two new poles to be placed on Ryder Road, and the removal of one old pole. The Board made a motion to approve this change, and the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Mario DiBona then approached the Board regarding the New Bedford Water Line, and Chairman Nunes asked that this be discussed at a later date when the Board of Health and the Planning Board could be present as well. Mr. DiBona agreed to this request.

An Annual Herring Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7:05 pm at the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen’s meeting, which is held in the Conference room at the Mattapoisett Town Hall.

Selectmen’s Meetings are scheduled for February 8 and 22, and March 8 and 22, 2010.

There being no further matters in need of discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 7:18 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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10:33:32 am Rochester Memorial Performs Willy Wonka Kids

Categories: News, Rochester

Come see the fourth graders of Rochester Memorial Elementary perform their version of Willy Wonka’s Kids from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

There will be two showings of this performance:

• An in-school performance on Wednesday, January 27 at 1:45 pm.

• An evening performance on January 27 at 7:00 pm.

Come and enjoy watching the fourth grade students bring this classic tale to life on stage in our cafetorium. It will be an Everlasting Gobstopper of a performance! No Golden Ticket needed to attend.

 

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11:01:33 am Homeland Security Trains over Tri-Town

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

The air rumbled in Mattapoisett at 7:00 pm on Wednesday night, January 20, when F15s from Westfield-Barne airport trained an "intercept and divert" procedure for the purpose of Homeland Security training.

The loud noise that sounded like thunder to some residents, was actually the F15 aircrafts flying at about 2,000 feet. Ed DeWitt from the New England Regional Airport said that that was "the sound of freedom" as the pilots practiced an important procedure to intercept suspicious aircrafts and divert them to land at local airports.

Mr. DeWitt had "no comment" as to where and when further training exercises would take place, but he did confirm that there would be furthering training in the area.

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11:56:13 pm Commission Addresses the Bonney House

Categories: Rochester

The Rochester Historical Commission met on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 7:00 pm. The committee members included Debra Ladd, Gloria Vincent, Bob Mogilnicki, Roland Grenier, Carolyn Gilmore and Mark Petri.

At 7:10 pm the meeting was opened by Debra Ladd and a motion was made to accept the minutes from the previous meeting. The minutes were accepted by the Committee.

The first and central order of business was the recent renovations of the Historic George Bonney House at 7 Marion Rd. The architect, Dan Gifford, was asked to come before the Committee to address some violations he had allegedly made to the approved contract. The Committee accused Mr. Gifford of making these changes to the plan without first requesting permission. The Committee had received complaints from residents as well as Committee members regarding the nature of the work being done on the Bonney House without the Town’s prior approval.

Ms. Ladd read aloud a letter from Mr. Gifford, which stated he felt that he was not in violation of the agreement. He had made an offer for the Committee members to visit at any time and the offer still stands. The letter stated that the invitation to inspect, according to Mr. Gifford, had been declined. Mr. Gifford wrote that they are “faithfully restoring the building,” and the changes made had to do with water damage and leaking which they discovered while under construction. He ended the letter with “we are very proud of our project.”

The Committee’s response to the letter was to hold this very meeting.

Ms. Ladd stated in response, “the plans were completely different than the plans submitted to the building inspector. You did make changes before coming back before the Commission. That’s the problem.”

Mr. Gifford said, “My understanding is that we didn’t do anything significantly different.” Apparently there was a fireplace discovered along the way, which Mr. Gifford wanted to feature as well.

Ms. Ladd again reiterated that, “the process was not followed.” She addressed the invitation to visit the property, which was offered while she and Ms. Vincent were photographing the house (although they were not on the property itself) but declined the invitation after being “threatened by the owner that day.”

The owner, Mr. Tom Skrutski was present at the meeting and defended his actions and claimed that he feels the Commission is against his project. “I have a witness. I don’t remember ever threatening you.” Ms. Ladd responded that she is “thrilled that it’s being restored. I absolutely never, ever wanted to shut down the project.” Again the miscommunication seems to be the heart of the problem. The Commission wants all changes to be presented to them before any action is taken, which will allow the owner and architect to follow the correct course of action while restoring the George Bonney house, which is regarded as important to the Town of Rochester.

Another potential change to the plan is the restoration of the porch, which there may not be adequate funds to complete after all. This is due to the expensive sprinkler system being required by state and local inspectors.

After the Bonney House discussion came to a close, the Commission members elected officers, and unanimously appointed Debra Ladd as Chairperson and Gloria Vincent as secretary. The meeting was then adjourned at 8:20 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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11:35:59 pm Maintenance Problem Solved at RMS

Categories: Rochester

A scheduled meeting of the Rochester School Committee was called to order on January 6, 2010 at 5: 43 pm by Chairperson Sharon Hartley. Also in attendance were Committee members Donna LaLiberte, Timothy Scholz, Robin Rounseville, and Tina Rood, Superintendent William Cooper, Rochester Memorial School (RMS) Principal Jay Ryan, School Business Administrator Kathleen Isernio, and Director of Student Services Teresa Hamm.

Chairperson Hartley started the meeting by introducing two guests: Rochester Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Facilities Manager Michael Meunier. Mr. LaCamera and Mr. Meunier were present to discuss replacing Old Rochester Regional Facilities Manager Steve Shiraka, who died suddenly in November. Mr. Shiraka had been in charge of all four districts - Mattapoisett, Marion, Rochester, and Old Rochester Regional Junior Senior High School buildings.

Instead of immediately replacing Mr. Shiraka’s regional position, the towns have individually found replacements to carry their schools’ maintenance until the end of the 2009/2010 school year. For Rochester, the most logical choice for picking up maintenance responsibilities is Mr. Meunier, who currently maintains all Rochester municipal buildings and serves on the Building Committee that is planning the new Rochester Memorial School.

The Committee voted to accept Mr. Meunier as the new facilities manager for RMS. The acceptance of Mr. Meunier in this position implies an inclusion of RMS in the town buildings; previously, RMS had been considered separate.

“This is very good news for the school,” said Dr. Cooper. “We will be very well-served.”

Mr. LaCamera said that Mr. Meunier’s “extensive experience” would also save the school money because they won’t have to contract out as many jobs. Mr. LaCamera said the Rochester Board of Selectmen was informed of the situation and would be supportive of Mr. Meunier’s newly added position at RMS.

The Committee’s vote included the annual funding of $7,500 from the school budget to supplement Mr. Meunier’s town maintenance salary. Rochester’s portion of Mr. Shiraka’s salary was $17,000, so the arrangement is more advantageous than replacing the regionalized position at this point.

“I don’t want to sound sarcastic, but $7,500 sounds like volunteer work,” said Ms. LaLiberte.

Chairperson Hartley called the new arrangement a “collaborative gesture” and Mr. Meunier insisted that the $7,500 figure was a “fair wage” for the workload.

The Committee, very visibly pleased by the arrangement, welcomed Mr. Meunier to the position and Mr. LaCamera informed the Committee that they would be drafting a new contract with a detailed job description soon.

In the Chairperson’s report, Chairperson Hartley updated the Committee on the “Race to the Top” December presentation that took place in Rochester. School representatives as far west as Swansea and as east as Cape Cod came to Rochester for the presentation, which will require state-wide acceptance among school committees, superintendents, and unions to accept the initiative.

Dr. Cooper said that test scores are an important part of the “Race to the Top” initiative, which makes unions hesitant for giving the measure their support. The measure would increase Rochester’s Title 1 money 20%, which would result in about $7,000 – 8,000 per year for the first 5 years, which is not a large sum, considering the school’s annual $5.4 million budget. However, the “Race to the Top” measure would present some new grants for the school, and that would be valuable to Rochester.

At the end of her report, Chairperson Hartley informed the Committee that it was Dr. Cooper’s last official meeting with them. She thanked Dr. Cooper for all of his hard work and for being “someone to depend on.” She described Dr. Cooper’s work as a “big legacy,” and cited the success of his initiatives, namely the Tri-Town Foundation and the Tri-Town Business Association. Most importantly, Dr. Cooper has always been an advocate for students and faculty, and “supported teachers in action.” He has managed to visit and observe every classroom in the district.

Dr. Cooper started his Superintendent’s report with thanks and appreciation for the kind words. Likewise, he said that the Rochester Committee has been a “wonderful board.”

Dr. Cooper used his report to discuss “Race to the Top” further. He expressed support of an open dialogue about the program’s benefits, and upon his suggestion, the Committee voted to give Chairperson Hartley the authority to represent them in further negotiations.

An H1N1 Clinic is scheduled for January 20 at the Rochester Senior Center on Dexter Lane from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. The free clinic will have injected vaccination for adults 18 years and older.

In the Principal’s report, Mr. Ryan gave a brief update on enrollment figures at RMS, and the January Kindergarten Orientation. Mr. Ryan also noted that the PTO ran an annual challenge fund for enrichment activities and received over $8,000 in donations. There will be another PTO fundraiser in March.

The minutes of the December 15 meeting were approved by the Committee.

In a her financial report, Ms. Isernio said that they were “right on target” with spending for the year, and that they had received their first circuit breaker payment.

After a brief discussion, the Committee then voted to continue telecasting the School Committee meetings from the town hall. Although they would prefer to hold their meetings in the actual school building, they considered the transparency of the meeting more important.

Mr. Scholz gave a brief Building Subcommittee update, saying that the subcommittee was “meeting a lot,” on a bi-weekly and as-needed basis. Site plans from the architect were available and would be shared with involved parties in January.

The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee will be February 3, 2010 at 5:45 pm in the Rochester Town Hall.

The Committee voted to go into executive session at 6:49 pm to discuss contracts and the 3 early retirement applications they had received.

By Anne O’Brien-Kakley

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11:52:08 pm Rochester Selectmen Set 2010 Goals

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday January 4, 2010 at 6:53 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectmen Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

The minutes from December 21, 2009, both regular and executive sessions were approved by the Board.

Selectman Parker then motioned to renew Charles Nunes’ Class II license, which was seconded and passed. Also, Kathleen Massey, Natural Resources officer in Mattapoisett, was appointed to the position of Animal Control Officer by the Board.

Mr. LaCamera gave the Town Administrator’s report next. He updated the Board on the progress being made by the Affordable Housing Project. A draft will be available for review by mid-January.

Apparently the large amount of snow the Southcoast has received so far this winter has been hard on the Town’s budget. Mr. LaCamera expressed some concern stating, “I would say we have spent a good portion of our snow budget, but all the other budget line items are on target.”

The Board briefly discussed the new Ethics Law, which requires Town employees be notified and then take a test or be faced with a potential fine. Mr. LaCamera was appointed by Selectman Parker to be the Ethic’s liaison.

Under “People on the Agenda” a representative from Verizon approached the Board with a request to put up a new pole on New Bedford Rd. The request was granted.

Mr. LaCamera then presented a list of goals for 2010 for the Board to consider. The list was as follows;

• Development of RF Morse Commercial Property.

• Finalize affordable housing plan.

• Maintain current staffing and services for FY 2011 Budget.

• Review options for an addition to and renovations of the Town Hall.

• Regionalization of trash collection or purchase of a vehicle to do trash collection.

• Establish a recreation committee.

• Review/establish Town Water plan and establish a water commission.

• Plan for use/lease of Town-owned property on Pine St.

• Development of an Economic Development Committee and dissolve the Industrial Development Commission.

• Promote Commercial Development at Route 28/58 corridor.

• Review and discuss options for the Town Center.

• Review and discuss the Town Planner’s position.

• Continue to discuss the regionalization of services.

Mr. LaCamera then asked each Board member to point out what they considered to be the most pressing issues. Chairman Nunes chose the commercial development of RF Morse land as priority, and after some discussion, the Board determined that some of the goals could all be linked together to create one item.

Selectman Morse prioritized Town Hall renovations, stating that “we need to maintain what we currently own.” Some discussion followed regarding what the renovations to the Town Hall could potentially be. Mr. LaCamera said, “We need to be practical. We need to talk about what practical means.”

Selectman Parker thought the affordable housing plan was a priority.

The Selectmen all agreed that the list seems appropriate, with some very pressing issues, and some which will be more long term.

Under “Correspondence”, a request was made by Carol J. St. Don to use the Town Hall on February 10. The request was granted.

The next regular meeting for the Board of Selectmen will be on January 25, 2010 at 6:30 pm and a motion was made to adjourn at 7:43 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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02:43:44 pm Rochester Police Crackdown on Drunk Driving

Categories: Rochester

“Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.”

In a continued effort to keep Massachusetts roadways safe, the Rochester Police, along with Massachusetts State Police, announced the start of the “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” mobilization. The statewide effort involving extra traffic enforcement and public information will run throughout the holiday season through January 3, 2010.

Drunk driving is a serious crime. In Massachusetts, a first offense for Operating Under the Influence (OUI) is punishable with a fine of up to $5,000 or by imprisonment for up to two and a half years, or both.

“Our officers will be out cracking down on drunk drivers around the clock,” said Chief Paul H. Magee of the Rochester Police Department. “We know that the holidays, with all the parties and family gatherings, provide opportunities to consume alcohol. We want people to enjoy themselves, but we want them to be smart, safe and – if they are driving – absolutely sober.”

The advice is basic: don’t drink and drive. Yet, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 120 people died in substance-related vehicle crashes in Massachusetts in 2008. This statewide effort, funded by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security with $660,000 in federal grant funding, aims to reduce that number.

During this mobilization, the Rochester Police are joining over 210 other local police departments and Massachusetts State Police to crack down on drunk drivers across the Commonwealth. For more information, go to www.mass.gov/highwaysafety</span>.

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10:31:34 pm Rochester School Committee - December 15, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A regular meeting of the Rochester School Committee was called to order by Chairperson Sharon Hartley at 5:45 pm at the Rochester Town Hall. Also in attendance were Committee members Tina Rood, Robin Rounseville, Donna Laliberte, Superintendent William Cooper, School Business Administrator Katie Iserino, Director of Student Services Teresa Hamm and Rochester Memorial School (RMS) Principal Jay Ryan.

In the Chairperson’s report, Chairperson Hartley thanked Dr. Cooper for his willingness to continue through January as superintendent. Dr. Cooper’s original retirement date was set as December 31, but Dr. Cooper will continue through January instead to allow the next superintendent, Douglas White, time to transition into district schools.

In the Superintendent’s report, Dr. Cooper, who had just returned from the ORR H1N1 and seasonal flu clinic, said: “I was surprised that it was not better attended. We had plenty of doses.” When Dr. Cooper left the clinic, fewer than half of the H1N1 doses had been used.

In the Principal’s report, Mr. Ryan informed the Committee that the Town Tree Lighting, which included RMS Chorus and Band, was “well-received and well-attended”.

Mr. Ryan also reported that the school had recently hosted an informational parent meeting on the topic of bullying. Mr. Ryan and RMS staff had heard from parents that bullying was becoming a problem among students on buses and on the playground. The parent meeting was an attempt to exchange ideas on how to approach and resolve the topic with Grade 5 and 6 students. “It turned out to be a really good 2-hour session of sharing,” said Mr. Ryan. The information gathered there will help to address bullying in the RMS handbook.

The Committee then approved the minutes of the October 7 and November 3 meetings.

In the Financial Report, Ms. Isernio said that there were no transfers to make. “We are in the full throes of our FY11 budget,” Ms. Isernio said. The Budget Subcommittee is also working to draft up a budget presentation for the February meeting.

The Committee received 3 notifications of early retirement from Rochester Memorial School teachers: Paula Meere, Robin Correia, and Jean Catelli. Since only 2 early retirements are allowed in the Early Retirement Incentive Plan, the notifications were considered only informational at this point, with the Committee taking action on the matter in January.

Ms. Hamm presented a proposal for a “Therapeutic In-School Program” for 3 Tri-Town students with “high clinical needs”. The In-School program would attempt to provide services to these students in a way that fully addressed the students’ academic, social, and interpersonal needs. The students would not have to be transported to another school system to do so, either, which would save the district transportation money and strengthen social and communal ties for the 3 students.

The program would work with Walker Partnerships, a group that addresses the special needs of “emotionally vulnerable” students. Ms. Hamm said that Wareham had recently used the Walker Partnership program with older students and had successful results.

Ms. Hamm thought the opportunity was perfect, since among the students in need, one was a Mattapoisett resident, one was from Marion, and one was a Rochester resident, which meant the towns could equally split the cost and benefit from the transportation savings.

The same proposal was made to the Mattapoisett School Committee meeting at their December 14 meeting, and was not immediately accepted in a vote. The Mattapoisett Committee wanted time to review the idea, especially since some of the members were seeing the idea for the first time.

“I’m disappointed that we aren’t able to go forward,” said Chairperson Hartley, who supported the Walker Partnership proposal. The Rochester School Committee couldn’t accept the proposal without the Mattapoisett Committee’s agreement, since the deal is dependant on the unanimous support of all three school committees.

“What’s the alternative?” asked Ms. Laliberte.

“Outside placement,” asked Ms. Hamm. Since the need is immediate, Ms. Hamm said that she didn’t know how to go ahead with the plan at this point. The Mattapoisett Committee agreed to discuss the topic at the January Joint Committee meeting, but the children need the service immediately.

“I do understand,” said Ms. Hamm in regards to the Mattapoisett School Committee decision. “They were uncomfortable with the quickness of it.” Ms. Hamm was more interested in the educational benefit of the program rather than the projected fiscal savings. “I would like something better [for the children],” Ms. Hamm said.

Still determined, Chairperson Hartley suggested Ms. Hamm gather the sentiment of the Marion School Committee in an upcoming meeting to see if they support the measure. “I do think this would be beneficial to children,” said Chairperson Hartley. “It’s an advantageous proposal. If Marion is willing, let’s give it one more try.” The Rochester School Committee hopes to approach the topic with Mattapoisett again, but a meeting will have to occur soon because the proposed plan starts soon.

The March 3 Rochester School Committee meeting was then postponed to Thursday, March 18 at 5:30 pm.

Committee member Timothy Scholz was not present to deliver a Building Subcommittee report, but Mr. Ryan, who has been attending meetings, said that it was “exciting” to see the new school plans develop. “Things are really starting to happen,” said Mr. Ryan.

A retirement party for Dr. Cooper has been scheduled for January 22 at the Old Rochester Regional cafeteria. “I’ll have some final remarks, I’m sure,” Dr. Cooper smiled. The next day, January 23, will be a day of “retreat” for Committee members in the Tri-Town to get acquainted with incoming superintendent Douglas White.

 

Chairperson Hartley adjourned the Rochester School Committee meeting at 6:32 pm.

By Anne O’Brien-Kakley

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10:50:45 pm Antiques Appraised at Women's Club

Categories: Rochester

A picture is worth a thousand words - but is it worth a thousand dollars, too?

This is the question that the Rochester Women’s Club sought to answer with the help of Marion Antique appraiser Frank McNamee at a November 29 antique appraising event in the Rochester Women’s Clubhouse. This is one of several attention-drawing events that co-presidents Marsha Hartley and Nancy Boutin are hoping will generate interest in the Rochester Women’s Club.

After a two year lull in activity, the Women’s Club is ready to move along at full-steam again, with monthly meetings and community events on the horizon. Starting in January, there will be a 7:00 pm meeting on the first Thursday of each month, where group members can socialize and talk about how to serve their community again.

The Rochester Women’s Club wants “to regroup and get the club noticed again,” said Ms. Hartley, who is the third generation in her family to run the Women’s Club – her aunt was once the Club president, and her grandmother, Katherine Hartley, was the founding president. “We want to let the public know that the annex belongs to the Women’s Club,” she continued. The annex is currently used by the Rochester Town Hall, but it is owned by the Rochester Women’s Club, which is one of the only women’s clubs in the country to actually own its own clubhouse.

The Clubhouse was originally the Men’s Athletic Clubhouse, and was the place in Rochester for billiards, basketball, baseball, and even bowling. In 1928, a Women’s Auxiliary Club was created and the Rochester Women’s Club developed from there.

The Clubhouse is itself an antique and was built with lumber from the Hartley sawmill. It may not be glossy with new amenities, but it is homey, and lovingly maintained. “I vacuum, vacuum, vacuum,” laughed Ms. Boutin, who helped carefully clean and arrange the Clubhouse in preparation for the antique appraisal event. There was a spread of home-baked goodies, some wreaths made by Club members, and a white elephant table at the antique show.

Visitors lined up, sometimes out the door, to have Mr. McNamee give a history and approximate value to their treasures. Mr. McNamee, who is an officer for the Sippican Historical Society and one of the founders of the Marion Antique Show, said that most appraisals are routine. Most items aren’t worth much more than $100, but they are priceless to the people who carefully place them on the table in front of him. Mr. McNamee conducts these weekend appraisal events for non-profit groups like the Rochester Women’s Club, the Rochester Lands Trust, and the Wareham Historical Society.

Most recently, Mr. McNamee helped appraise a 19^th century Spanish painting by Madrazo. The painting was found in the attic of a Marion rental house and was valued at $86,000.

The first antique that Mr. McNamee evaluated at the Rochester Women’s Club antique show was from Cecilia Smith, who is also a Rochester Women’s Club member. She waited patiently to hear more about the old net repair kit that had belonged to her ancestor, John D. Ferreira Smith. The kit included several sharp tools to repair fishing nets and a heavy pad to protect the hand. Mr. McNamee said if the kit had included baleen and whalebone, it would be worth as much as $1000, but since it wasn’t, it was worth about $150.

To Ms. Smith, the real interest was the story behind the kit. John D. Ferreira’s name was changed to “Smith” because he was a coopersmith by trade. Ms. Smith intends on donating the item at some point to the Fairhaven Historical Society.

Shirley Hartley brought in an attractive 19^th century children’s high chair. Mr. McNamee immediately identified it as an American Windsor “Arrowback” high chair from 1810-1820. The original piece had a footrest, but Mr. McNamee said that it had been kicked off by “an exuberant child”.

Other items at the antique show were a 19^th century “splint” basket that was probably originally sold for 49 cents (now worth $50), a Catholic shadow box from 1910-1920, a 1910 English colored lithograph, a European print signed by the artist entitled “A Bridge in Belgium”, a German canteen decorated with real bullets, and an early 20^th century “micrometer” scale that had been used in a New Bedford shop.

Marsha Hartley says that she is interested in making the Women’s Club more active, but she also wants to express gratitude to “the women who came before us – all of the members.”

“We are having so much fun,” said Ms. Boutin.

 

For more information about the Rochester Women’s Club, call 508-654-6621.

By Anne O’Brien-Kakley

 

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12:06:24 am Rochester Planning Board - November 24, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A regular meeting of the Rochester Planning Board was called to order by Gary Florindo at 7:15 pm on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at the Rochester Town Hall. Also in attendance were Board Members Robert Cummings, John DeMaggio, Chris Byron and Colin Kelley and Planning Board Secretary Shirley Darcy. Chairman Arnold Johnson arrived at 7:45 pm. Member Stephen Healy was not in attendance.

The minutes for November 10 and 14, 2009 were approved. A site visit to the Seamass energy plant was scheduled for the Board Members for the morning of December 5.

A continued public hearing for a special permit for the "Forest Landing" on New Bedford Road that was scheduled for 7:30 pm did not take place, as Board Member Stephen Healy was not in attendance. Mr. Healy had already missed one meeting of the on the subject, which is allowed, as long as the member is brought up to speed at the next meeting. If Mr. Healy missed this one as well, he would not be allowed to vote or take part in the hearing, so the Board did not open the discussion, thus not forcing another absence upon Mr. Healy.

Due to the fact that the "Forest Landing" was not attended to, a special meeting will most likely take place on Monday, December 7, although the location was not certain. Mr. Cummings suggested the Rochester Police Station, but was reminded that it would need to be held in a public place. The Rochester Senior Center was suggested, but the Board agreed Rochester Memorial School would probably be the best place for it. A definitive answer was not available, as it needs to be cleared with the school.

Bonnie Belair met with the Board on behalf of the American Tower Company at 7:45 pm for a public hearing. Currently, a 97-foot cell phone tower resides in Rochester, allowing service for Sprint, Nextel and Metro PCS. The company's plan is to replace the tower and construct a 150-foot one, allowing for T-Mobile service as well.

The process for the company would begin by choosing a contractor for the job, apply the foundation, take down the 90-foot pole, attach the new sections and then add the antenna. The new part of the tower would take four to six weeks to assemble and the job of putting the new tower in place would take six weeks to two months to complete. Since the tower is less than 200 feet (above the ground,) flashing lights at the top will not be necessary and access to the tower site will not change.

Ms. Belair did not have the survey review from the FAA/FCC that would be necessary for this project to move forward. The Board did not come to a decision, but said it would come to one once all paperwork was submitted and the group would come together once again.

The motion to adjourn was set by Mr. Cummings and seconded by Mr. Florindo at 8:12 pm.

By Adam Silva

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12:04:56 am Rochester Selectmen’s Meeting - November 23, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday November 23, 2009 at 7:02 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Naida L. Parker and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

Selectman Parker motioned to approve the minutes from the November 9, 2009 meeting, and Chairman Nunes seconded the motion.

Under Selectmen’s Signature, the Cape Cod Getaway MS Bike Ride requested that June 26 and 27, 2010 be reserved for their ride and a motion was made and approved in advance by the Board.

At 7:05 pm the Board of Assessors came before the Board of Selectmen to discuss the part-time position of Massachusetts appraisal technical advisor. The position qualifies for regular benefits, although there was a question of approved time off. Mr. LaCamera questioned the amended contract, which would allow the employee an extended period of time to utilize vacation time. He stated that “benefits for employees should be standardized” and that the more exceptions made to the rule will only allow for more exceptions later down the road for other employees.

The Board of Assessors claimed that this amended contract has been approved by Town Counsel, as well as their Board, and the employee in question, and that asking for this is in the very best interest of the Town. It insures that the employee will be available to work during the busiest time of year, and that the time off will not be taken during that period.

Mr. LaCamera, however, objected to this “because I think every employee should be treated the same.” Selectman Parker shared her opinion by stating that “I agree with Mr. LaCamera. The rules are the rules and you’ve got to take it” as well as that it’s important to “keep the contract consistent with everybody else.”

It was decided that the matter would continue to be addressed at a later date.

Next on the agenda, Mr. Allen Decker addressed the Board regarding two Conservation Restrictions. Mr. Decker asked that the Board approve and endorse the McPhail and Gurney Conservation Restrictions, which they did in the form of a motion.

Mr. LaCamera then offered the Town Administrator’s report. He informed the Board of the progress in the Affordable Housing Project, stating that the second phase is now underway and that a draft will be available for the Board by December 6, 2009.

Also, a fire truck has been ordered for the Town.

Under Correspondence, Lee G. Carr sent a notice of resignation from the Historic District Commission. Mr. LaCamera then said that the Historic District Committee is seeking volunteers and that he will be accepting letters of interest addressed to him at 1 Constitution Way.

Police Chief Magee also sent a letter stating that all Rochester dogs have been licensed for the year 2009. Another letter from Chief Magee informed the Board of the recently awarded $8,400 traffic enforcement grant.

Selectmen’s Meetings are scheduled for December 7 and 21, 2009. The Tree Lighting in Rochester will be held December 7, 2009 at 6:30 pm.

There being no further matters in need of discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 8:11 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

 

 

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11:45:57 pm Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - November 9, 2009

Categories: Rochester

 

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 6:59 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Naida L. Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere. Selectman Bradford Morse was absent.

The minutes from October 5, 2009 and October 19, 2009 were approved.

Under Selectmen's Signatures two items were addressed; the Special State Primary Election scheduled for December 8, 2009, which passed, as well as a renewal of several liquor licenses in Town, which also passed.

At 7:05 pm the first of two dog hearings was opened with a complaint from Rochester resident Nancy Beijar. Ms. Beijar described an incident involving a dog belonging to Paul Bradley and Sarah Mitchell. The dog, Ellie, followed Ms. Beijar up a hill making a "terrible noise. It came unbelievably fast and ripped my pants up the back." The pants were brought in and a large tear was shown to the Selectmen.

Another neighbor, Sandra Bock, also spoke about the same dog and a bite she received a few weeks prior. Ms. Bock was shaken after receiving a bite from the dog, and she also expressed concern for a number of children who were out playing close by when she was attacked.

Ms. Mitchell addressed these concerns stating that the dog is young and is now in dog training.

After more discussion, the hearing was closed in order for the Selectmen to make a motion. It was determined that the dog, Ellie, will need to be kept on a leash or remain in some kind of enclosure - not just an electric fence - at all times.

The second dog hearing was then opened. A dog owned by Douglas Church escaped and bit someone. This is the third incident involving this dog. The Board of Selectmen agreed to allow Mr. Church to keep his dog for now, under the condition that he waives his right to appeal if there is ever a fourth incident and that he ensure the dog is properly restrained at all times.

For the Town Administrator's Report, Mr. LaCamera briefly spoke about the Rochester Memorial School's plan, and said that the building committee is reviewing contracts and there is currently work being done on finances for the project.

The Government recently made some State aid cuts, and fortunately Rochester hasn't been too harshly impacted by the cuts.

Mr. LaCamera notified the Board of a tree lighting ceremony, which will be held on December 7, 2009 at 6:00 pm.

Under Old Business, the extension of a waterline to a piece of property was addressed, and a decision postponed until Selectman Morse could be present and contribute to the discussion.

Next, the Board of Assessors asked the Board of Selectmen to authorize vacation time for an employee who had been accruing the time until a 2007 change in policy threatened to erase that accrued time. The Selectmen agreed to have an agreement drafted allowing the employee to utilize that vacation time.

Antonio Sol then addressed the Board about matters of a town street run-off draining onto his property, as discussed in the previous Selectmen's meeting; Mr. Sol felt the topic was unresolved. Chairman Nunes suggested that Mr. Sol draft a letter outlining what solution he would like from the Town.

Under Correspondence: Comcast sent updates, there was communication regarding the ongoing transfer of Sheriff Departments. ORCTV sent notice of their Holiday Greetings broadcasts inviting the public to participate; The dates will be November 17 and 18, 2009 and the service will be free of charge.

Selectmen's Meetings are scheduled for November 23, 2009 and December 7 and 21, 2009.

There being no further matters in need of discussion the meeting adjourned at 8:07 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

 

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11:43:28 pm Rochester Votes Yes for Expansion

Categories: Rochester

The Town of Rochester voted on October 31, 2009, to appropriate funds for expansion on the Rochester Memorial School, which is currently over-capacity.

In an October 26 Special Town Meeting, Rochester residents voted 260 to 5 to approve the renovation and expansion project, which will add 14 classrooms, expand the cafeteria and add 200 parking spaces to the school. The override was approved at the October 31 election by Rochester voters, 3 to 1.

The estimated cost of the project is $26.5 million; after state funding, the Town of Rochester will be responsible for coming up with $11,860,000.

Because of the space crisis at RMS, Rochester Project Grow students have been attending Marion schools, at Rochester's expense. Marion School Committee Chairperson Jane McCarthy described Rochester Memorial School as "busting out at the seams." Eating in the school cafeteria, finding space for classrooms, and just day-to-day foot traffic has been a logistic problem at RMS.

The approved project is slated to begin in April 2010 and will ideally be completed during the 2010/2011 school year. The much-anticipated expansion project will provide room and resources to the growing town population.

Michele Cusolito of Rochester is a parent of two school-aged children. While her daughter attends Project Grow in Marion because of the space issues in Rochester, her son attends RMS and feels the impact of the overcrowding first-hand. Ms. Cusolito helped work on a "Vote Yes" campaign for the RMS expansion project by distributing lawn signs and by collecting contact information to rally parents on the issue.

To Ms. Cusolito, the expansion project will provide more resources to children, as well as the teaching staff, who she says have been "terrific" and "tremendous" despite the teaching challenges they have faced. RMS staff sacrificed their break room so children could have an art classroom, which has resulted in a lot of teachers eating their lunches at their desks or in the small office that is currently serving as the replacement teachers' room.

"The bottom line is that a 'no' vote would've cost the town more than a 'yes' vote in the long run," Ms. Cusolito said, citing the low interest rate that the school will get on the loan used to fund the expansion. Since the town voted "yes" to appropriate funds, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera will begin the loan application process and the town will pay a historic low for an interest rate on the project.

ORR's upcoming superintendent Douglas White stated in his second interview that the RMS expansion would be a wise investment solution to overcrowding since, if Rochester voters had voted it down, they still would have had to invest money in the analysis of the building's safety. Money spent on temporary classrooms and small fixes would not have had any kind of investment return. The slated project will support an expanding school population for the next 20 years.

For proponents of the RMS project, Halloween 2009 was a day of happiness - not horrors. "I'm thrilled," Ms. Cusolito said. "A lot of people have worked really hard to get this to pass."

By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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08:51:51 pm Rochester Votes Yes for School Expansion

Categories: News, Rochester

The Town of Rochester voted on October 31, 2009, to appropriate funds for expansion on the Rochester Memorial School, which is currently over-capacity.

In an October 26 Special Town Meeting, Rochester residents voted 260 to 5 to approve the renovation and expansion project, which will add 14 classrooms, expand the cafeteria and add 200 parking spaces to the school. The override was approved at the October 31 by Rochester voters, 3 to 1.

The estimated cost of the project is $26.5 million; after state funding, the Town of Rochester will be responsible for coming up with $11,860,000.

Because of the space crisis at RMS, Rochester Project Grow students have been attending Marion schools, at Rochester's expense. Marion School Committee Chairperson Jane McCarthy described Rochester Memorial School as "busting out at the seams".

The approved project is slated to begin in April 2010 and will ideally be completed during the 2010/2011 school year. The much-anticipated expansion project will provide room and resources to the growing town population.

Michele Cusolito of Rochester is a parent of two school-aged children. While her daughter attends Project Grow in Marion because of the space issues in Rochester, her son attends RMS and feels the impact of the overcrowding first-hand. Ms. Cusolito helped work on a "Vote Yes" campaign for the RMS expansion project by distributing lawn signs and by collecting contact information to rally parents on the issue.

To Ms. Cusolito, the expansion project will provide more resources to children, as well as the teaching staff, who she says have been "terrific" and "tremendous" despite the teaching challenges they have faced. RMS staff sacrificed their break room so children could have an art classroom, which has resulted in a lot of teachers eating their lunches at their desks or in the small office that is currently serving as the replacement teachers' room.

"The bottom line is that a 'no' vote would've cost the town more than a 'yes' vote in the long run," Ms. Cusolito said, citing the low interest rate that the school will get on the loan used to fund the expansion. "I'm thrilled," she said. "A lot of people have worked really hard to get this to pass."

By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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10:57:52 pm Rochester Special Town Meeting - October 26, 2009

Categories: Rochester

The Special Town Meeting for the Town of Rochester was called to order at 7:00 pm on Monday, October 26, 2009 at the Rochester Memorial Elementary School.

Town Moderator, Mr. Greenwood Hartley III, began the meeting by acknowledging the Town Elected officials present, which included the Board of Selectmen; Richard Nunes, Naida Parker, and Bradford Morse, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera, Planning Board Chairperson Arnold Johnson, School Committee Chairperson Sharon Hartley, and the Financial Committee Chairperson Kristian Stoltenberg.

The Special Town Meeting Warrant included two articles: one concerning the Rochester Memorial School Renovation/Addition, the other regarding the parcel of land to be rezoned from its current zoning to General Commercial.

Town Moderator Hartley read Article 1 aloud; a motion was made to accept the Article and it was seconded and passed. The basis of the Article was to see if the Town would agree to appropriate, borrow or transfer funds in order to renovate and add to the Rochester Memorial School.

Mr. Johnson, Chairperson of the School Building Committee, presented PowerPoint slides, which allowed the residents of Rochester to visualize the impact this renovation would have on the school and the community.

The school is over capacity now; five hundred and ninety-nine students attend school daily in a building with an educational design capacity of four hundred and fifty. Thirty "Project Grow" students travel to Marion where a space is being leased at an additional cost to the Town. The student population projection continues to grow.

In addition to the crowded space, a percentage of the classrooms have tested above the Environmental Protection Agency's standard for carbon dioxide. The school is not currently in compliance with the State's regulation for special education/remedial services.

The students at Rochester Memorial School are receiving their art and music lessons in the hallways due to the lack of proper music and art rooms, and the cafeteria is too small. Parking has also become a problem, with ninety-nine spaces and many more cars needing to park. The temporary portable classrooms that needed to be removed in 1989, are still being used.

The proposed renovation would add fourteen new classes, expand the cafeteria, allow for two hundred parking spaces, and have much more advanced security. The endangered Eastern Box Turtles inhabiting the area are being considered in this proposed renovation, which is partially why a second floor is being planned, rather than simply expanding out.

The project would begin construction in April 2010, allow for students to be back in September 2010 and be completed by September 2011.

Town Administrator Richard LaCamera then gave a financial overview of the project, stating that the total cost of the project will be $26.5 million dollars. The State has committed to funding $14,640,689, which leaves the Town responsible for $11,860,000. The average cost to a household will be $300 a year for the next twenty-five years based on an average family value of $355,000. Mr. LaCamera spoke about the "significant savings" for the Town due to an exceptionally good interest rate right now.

The Article, which required a two third vote to pass, was then voted on, and passed two hundred and sixty to five.

The registered voters in Rochester can vote on Article 1 this Saturday, October 31, 2009 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm at the Council on Aging Building on Dexter Lane.

Article 2, regarding the rezoning of land, Map 17 Lot 41 B and a portion of Map 17 Lot 41 C from industrial/residential to General Commercial was voted on and passed unanimously.

A motion was then made by Moderator Hartley to adjourn, and the meeting closed at 7:40 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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09:22:16 am Rochester Flu Clinics Canceled

Categories: Rochester

The Rochester Board of Health Flu Clinic scheduled to take place at the Rochester Council on Aging on Thursday, October 29, 2009 has been canceled.

Future flu clinics for Rochester residents will be scheduled as soon as possible following receipt of additional flu vaccine from the Massachusetts Department of Health. To locate public clinics in the surrounding area, please visit: http://masspro.org.

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12:00:41 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - October 19, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday, October 19, 2009, at 7:02 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere.

The minutes from October 5, 2009 were approved.

The first order of business was the appointment of a new fire chief. Mr. Scott Weigel, who has been Rochester's interim fire chief since the retirement of Scott Ashworth in July of this year, was sworn into the position by Selectman Parker as friends and family cheered.

The next person on the agenda was Antonio Sol, who appeared before the Board in order to discuss a drainage issue on his property, as well as an issue regarding stop signs at a particular intersection in Rochester.

Mr. Sol's concern was that there is a water drainage issue on his property and a certain drainpipe under his driveway is plugged. He feels that it is the highway department's responsibility to fix the problem. This is not the first time this issue has been addressed at a Selectmen's meeting, and the highway department has previously brought gravel to Mr. Sol's property and has attempted to correct the problem. Mr. LaCamera said that he witnessed this attempt, and that a document of a plan was given to Mr. Sol, yet he refused to sign it. The issue with Mr. Sol was resolved by the Selectmen agreeing to inquire about the pipe in his driveway.

The Town Administrator's Report began with Mr. LaCamera informing the Board that Mr. Randall H. Kunz is planning to retire from his position as Town Planner at the end of the month, and has asked the Board to accept this resignation. The Selectmen acknowledged Mr. Kunz's years in his position and agreed to send a letter of appreciation for all the work he has dones.

Mr. LaCamera also asked the Board to approve the renewal of a contract with Constellation Energy when the current contract expires this December. Mr. LaCamera, after researching other possibilities, feels that renewing this contract will provide significant savings for the Town.

A Rochester resident asked the Board to consider approving an extension of a Marion water line to provide for a proposed thirty-three houses. This line would run in such a way that it could possibly be used for the Memorial School at some point in the future, if the line is big enough and after discussion with the developer. Selectman Parker questioned whether this would be the best possible route for the School, and ultimately the Board made a motion to take the proposal under advisement. Further discussion on the topic will be addressed at the November 9, 2009 meeting.

Under Selectmen's Signatures, Mr. LaCamera delighted the other Selectmen with the "great news" that the opportunity has arisen to refinance the Town of Rochester's existing debt at a 2.82% interest rate. This will result in $148,000.00 savings to the Town. A motion was made to approve the refinancing of the Town, and the motion passed.

An essay contest will be held on November 15, 2009, "America Recycles Day," and any student in the Tri-Town area, grades 9-12 may enter. More information can be found at the Rochester Highway Department: rochesterhwy@comcast.net or (508) 763-1991.

Selectman Morse then motioned to move into executive session to discuss several contracts, and to adjourn the meeting following that, without returning to regular session.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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10:24:39 pm Joint Committee Makes Choice for Superintendent

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

The Joint Committee representing Old Rochester Regional schools and the Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55 voted to appoint Douglas White as the new superintendent of the ORR district, pending contract negotiations, on Monday, October 19, 2009.

There were two candidates before the Committee for consideration. One, Dr. Mary Canole, served as a superintendent to the Newport, RI school system, and was particularly strong in the field of curriculum, leadership, and grant-writing. Mr. Douglas White of the Henniker, NH was well-versed in the challenges that ORR faces, since he currently works in a regionalized district and has experience in working with multiple communities and school boards.

Committee members Grace Knox and Jane McCarthy, Moderator Sharon Hartley and ORRJHS principal Kevin Bragioli conducted site visits of the two candidates, traveling to Henniker, NH and Newport, RI, to speak with former co-workers, community members, and elected officials who had worked with Mr. White and Dr. Canole. After visiting each district, the Committee members described a sense of elation at the idea that either highly-qualified candidate could be the next superintendent of ORR schools.

The decision was a close-call. After two hours of occasionally tense debate among the 18 joint committee members, it appeared that the Committee was divided on a decision. Selectman and Committee member Paul Silva and ORR School District Chairperson Dr. Peter Bangs were among those strongly in favor of Douglas White, whereas the Union Committee was mostly in favor of Dr. Canole.

A motion was made by Brad Gordon to appoint Douglas White as the new superintendent. The motion was voted down by the Union Committee 5 to 3, with Christine Winters abstaining from a vote because a family emergency kept her from the interviews; the ORR School Committee also entertained the same motion, and passed it 5 to 3, with Nick Decas abstaining because he also missed the interviews.

The Committee was at a standstill with two different camps supporting two different, very capable, candidates. Paula Meere of the ORR School Committee suggested inviting the two candidates back for another interview. This suggestion was met favorably by the Joint Committee, who hoped to gain more information from the candidates about their thoughts on regionalizing the lower grades, providing consistency to grade school curriculum, and addressing the needs of all children, including high-achieving children.

As the candidates were informed of the Committee’s decision, the Committee reconvened to find another date to conduct further interviews with Dr. Canole and Mr. White. In a surprising twist, a mediator informed the Committee that Dr. Canole officially withdrew her application for the position, as she did not want to accept the job unless the Committee voted unanimously in her favor.

The Committee voted to offer the Superintendent position to Douglas White, pending negotiations, and passed the motion unanimously. Despite the divided group, all of the Committee members were happy to appoint Mr. White, since he was regarded as a very qualified candidate.

“Never a dull moment,” Mr. Gordon joked, as the Committee disbanded.

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01:44:45 pm Old Rochester Regional District School Committee Meeting

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

A scheduled meeting of the Old Rochester Regional District School Committee was called to order by Chairperson Peter Bangs at 6:01 pm on October 14, 2009. Also in attendance were 8 of the 9 Committee members, and Superintendent William Cooper. Virginia Beams was absent from the meeting.

In the Chairperson’s report, Dr. Bangs briefly updated the Committee on the superintendent search. He said that the search was down to two candidates: Dr. Mary Canole of Newport, RI, and Douglas White of Henniker, NH. Members of the Search and Screen Committee had completed site visits of the candidates’ districts, and spoke with the candidates’ co-workers. “They are two very strong candidates. Any hopes that this would’ve been an easy choice has been dashed,” said Dr. Bangs. “I’m delighted to say that it’s going to be a very difficult decision.”

In his Superintendent’s report, Dr. Cooper updated the Committee on the status of flu clinics for the school, both seasonal flu and H1N1. There will be a seasonal flu “family clinic” in the afternoon of October 28 at Old Rochester Regional High School. Students, siblings, and parents are welcome to attend. There is still not a date set for an ORR H1N1 clinic.

Dr. Cooper mentioned that there were 30 reported cases of flu among Tabor Academy students, which may indicate that the threat of H1N1 has reached the Tri-Town area. “We will push as hard as we can to get an H1N1 shot,” Dr. Cooper said.

Another issue that Dr. Cooper addressed in his report was possible state aid cuts coming for Fiscal Year 2010. In his communication with Rochester Town Administrator Richard LaCamera, Dr. Cooper heard that news concerning cuts and its effect on the region would be reported by Governor Deval Patrick within days of the meeting.

In the Principal’s Report, ORR High School Principal Devoll praised his staff for all their work in making sure that the beginning of the school year went so well. Field Hockey, Golf and Girls’ Soccer are all in first place right now, with many other ORR sports teams also doing well. Principal Devoll is hoping for a great turnout at the October 29 Open House at ORR.

On September 25, the high school launched online grade books for student and parent access. Both the school and parents are in support of this feature, and Mr. Devoll said, “it’s holding students more accountable. There’s no guesswork.” Student and parent access to the grade-books can be tracked, so the school knows if students are watching their grades.

The high school is also pod-casting a weekly show called “The Paul and Devoll Show” that reviews handbook issues in a humorous way. Principal Devoll thought that this was a fun and useful way to enforce handbook rules. One of those rules is the cell phone policy, to which the students have recommitted. This cell phone policy strictly prohibits cell phone use during the school day.

The National Honor Society will be holding a Sock and Underwear Drive to benefit Gifts to Give. New packages of socks and underwear are being collected in the school homerooms for children in need.

In Kevin Bragioli’s Principal’s Report, he informed the Committee that the Internet Safety Presentation at the ORR Junior High School was a success, and that there will be a curriculum day for structured professional development soon.

ORRJHS had testing on the summer reading book Warriors Don’t Cry, by Melba Pattillo Beals, a memoir of the author’s experiences as one of the nine black teenagers who integrated the Central High School in Little Rock, AZ. Principal Bragioli said that this book has opened a great dialogue among students, and they are scheduling a presentation with 1960s civil rights workers in November.

15 parents attended a “Coffee with the Principal”, which was an informal coffee social where parents had the opportunity to sit and chat with Mr. Bragioli.

Magazine fundraisers have concluded at the junior high school, and the school received approximately $5,000 from the fundraiser, which will benefit things like presentations and assemblies for the students.

Before the principals concluded their reports, Committee member Paul Silva asked them about the global warming assembly that the ORR students recently attended. He said he was concerned that some of the children were frightened by the nature of the assembly, which correlated human activity with global warming. Mr. Devoll said that there had been one call from a parent prior to the assembly, concerned with the agenda of the presentation, but he had not heard any negative feedback from parents or children who had been in attendance. “This presentation was morally driven, not politically driven… Climate education is part of the curriculum,” Mr. Devoll said in defense of the presentation.

Senior Class President Annie Saucier gave a proposal to the Committee for the 2010 Senior Prom. Ms. Saucier said that the Senior class was hoping to hold the prom at Lake Pearl Luciano’s in Wrentham, which is about 45 minutes from the Tri-Town. “It’s really nice. It’s not a Newport mansion, but it’s got gorgeous landscaping,” Ms. Saucier said. 2 Wrentham police will be needed at the prom, and the ratio should be 1 chaperone to fifty students. Breathalyzers will be a mandatory part of attending the prom, and the tickets will cost $49 per person as opposed to the $80 per ticket cost of the 2009 prom. This price cut is solely the result of holding the prom at a more affordable location. No other prom will occur at Lake Pearl at the same time as the ORR prom. The Committee took a vote and passed the proposed prom location. “You are welcome to stay for the rest of the meeting,” Dr. Bangs said to Ms. Saucier. “I have a lot of AP Biology homework,” Ms. Saucier said. “Good answer,” Dr. Bangs responded, and thanked Ms. Saucier for her time.

The Committee approved the minutes of the September 22 meeting.

In the Financial Report, School Business Administrator Kathleen Isernio said that “everyone is being conservative in their spending as usual.” The Committee approved 11 staff-related budget transfers totaling approximately $8,000 for longevity and degree-changes in the staff.

Ms. Isernio informed the Committee that they would have to complete a state-mandatory ethics test by April. This test is being administered to Massachusetts residents serving in some municipal capacity.

The old copiers have been replaced at ORR with new, leased copiers. The old copiers were sent to locations that made very few copies each year, and Ms. Isernio assured the Committee that the old copiers, one of which had been sent to District Facilities Manager Steve Shiraka’s office, will not be included in budgeted maintenance.

The focus of the Committee’s meeting was the MCAS presentation from Mr. Bragioli and Mr. Devoll with the results of 2009 testing for ORRJHS and ORRHS. According to the reports, ORRJHS did not achieve AYP (adequate yearly progress) in Math, and subcategories of Special Education. It is especially important for the school to achieve AYPs in these categories for the 2009/2010 school year, since two consecutive years of not achieving AYP places the school in a “needs to improve” category.

Since AYP is partially calculated by daily attendance, and since more class time is needed for low-performing students, the junior high school may need to implement a stricter attendance policy to improve 2010 MCAS scores. “If a student is failing English or Math, I question whether he should be in foreign languages,” Mr. Bragioli said. He hopes they will be able to adjust class schedules to make time for reinforcing English and Math basics.

The ORRHS fared better in their 2009 AYP results. According to the reports, the high school achieved AYP in all categories. “Pretty soon we will hit the ceiling and we won’t be able to progress any further,” said Mr. Devoll, in regards to the goals set by the state requirements. Mr. Devoll admitted achieving AYPs in Grade 10 was generally regarded as being easier than achieving AYPs in Grade 8, hence the discrepancy between the junior high and the high school AYP ratings.

Mr. Silva was interested in comparing MCAS scores to the 2009 SAT scores. Mr. Devoll said that this was something that they were working on, and would probably be available at the October 29 Open House.

After voting to sign an educational report from the Department of Education (DOE) vowing to follow the law in regards to student confidentiality and rights, the Committee then voted to approve 2 gifts to ORR. The Rochester Lions Club offered the first gift, which was a $600 donation to go to the purchase of a defibrillator at the high school. They are hoping to get a monetary donation from the Mattapoisett Lions Club to complete the defibrillator purchase. The second gift was from Joe Corrazzini, for nineteen laptops in good working condition from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA was disposing of the laptops, but the technology department determined that the PCs were more than adequate for ORR art and yearbook usage. The Committee voted to approve the gifts, both of which had been facilitated by school nurse Kim Corrazzini.

After a brief reorganization of subcommittees, Vice Chairperson Jim O’Brien added an item to the agenda. He expressed concern over the fact that the ORR football team had played in torrential downpours during a recent game and had to evacuate the field when thunder was heard. He thought perhaps the game should’ve been canceled like Field Hockey and some of the other sports that were canceled that weekend. Dr. Cooper said that he was at the game and that everyone acted quickly to move somewhere safe with the referee’s guidance. After speaking with the Committee, Mr. O’Brien’s fears that safe protocol had not been followed were put to rest.

There being no more business, the Committee voted to go into executive session for the purpose of collective bargaining at 8:51 pm

By Anne O’Brien-Kakley

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11:54:53 pm Rochester Planning Board - October 13, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A meeting of the Rochester Planning Board was called to order by Chairman Arnold Johnson at 7:10 pm on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. The members of the Board included Gary Florindo, Chris Byron, Colin Kelly, Stephen Healy, Robert Cummings, John DeMaggio, and Randall H. Kunz. The minutes from the last meeting were approved.

Mr. Kunz reminded the Board that a land-use forum will be held this Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 9:00 am at the Dexter Lane Senior Center in Rochester. Mr. Kunz also spoke about a seminar he recently attended which examined "vertical housing", or two-and-a-half story housing which would consist of a commercially used first floor and residential second floor. This concept could potentially be used in the Town of Rochester if the Board and Town decide that it would be most beneficial.
A motion was made by Mr. Cummings regarding the privacy of the Board's opinions on topics that have not yet been voted on. The Board agreed that they would not represent the opinions of the Board without first voting upon that opinion, and the motion passed.

At 7:43 pm, a Public Hearing on a proposed Zoning Map change was held. Selectman Bradford Morse addressed the Planning Board, stating that the land currently being considered for rezoning from an industrial and partially residential district to a commercial district would ultimately benefit the Town. In doing so, the Town would have an area designated for commercial use with easy access to Route 495, therefore limiting a large amount of traffic to Rochester residents, while bringing in revenue.

Two abutters present spoke about how rather than industrializing the land, which could potentially be very noisy and disruptive for residents in that area, the commercial use of the land could revitalize the area in a less invasive way.

The land being considered for the zoning change includes Assessor's Map 17, Lot 41 B and portions of Assessor's Map 17, Lot 41 C. The estimated acreage of these properties is 26.26. All of these properties are currently owned by R. F. Morse and Sons.

The general feeling by all participants in the hearing, which included the land-owner, two Selectmen, the Town Administrator, Rochester residents, and more, was that this change appears to be a very positive move forward for the Town of Rochester. Selectman Naida Parker spoke about the commercial use of this land as being more valuable to the Town than residential land at this point, as it presents a nice way of bringing some activity back to the Town, while not being overly disruptive.

Following this discussion a motion was made to recommend the article to Town Meeting, and it was voted upon unanimously. A motion was then made to close the Public Hearing, and the meeting then continued with discussion regarding the Housing Needs Assessment.

Mr. Cummings suggested creating a survey to assess the needs of the people interested in living in the Town of Rochester. Mr. Kunz then addressed the Board regarding the work he has done with the help of SRPEDD with maps of the Town and how best to utilize the land. After much debate, it was determined that the Planning Board was interested in continuing discussion and creating a more concrete, rather than conceptual plan, before bringing these documents to the public at large.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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03:17:13 pm Rochester Residents Flu Clinics

Categories: Rochester

The Town of Rochester will be holding three Seasonal Flu Clinics. The Rochester Council on Aging will provide transportation for residents, who are in need of transportation, to the clinic. Please call (508) 763-8723 for transportation. The dates of the clinic are:

* Thursday, October 22, 2009 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm

* Thursday, October 29, 2009 from 8:30 to 11:30 am

Don't forget to bring your Medicare card with you. We are suggesting a donation of $5.00 for those who do not have a Medicare card.

The clinics will be held at the Rochester Council on Aging building, located at 66 Dexter Lane, Rochester. Please remember to wear a short-sleeved top.

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12:30:39 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - October 5, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday October 5, 2009 at 7:02 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectmen Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere.

The minutes from the September 28, 2009 meeting were approved.

The Town Administrator Mr. LaCamera then gave his report, which included notifying the Board that the job posting for the permanent position of Fire Chief has been closed, with the interim Fire Chief Scott Weigel being seriously considered for the position.

For People on the Agenda, the Tax Classification public hearing was continued, and their representative predicted not too much difficulty. There was a discussion about whether a unified or split tax rate would be best for the Town, and ultimately a unified tax rate was recommended. Selectman Parker motioned to keep the unified tax rate and the motion was seconded and passed.

Also on the agenda, the Rochester Memorial School Building Committee spoke about the proposed new addition. At present the school is one hundred and fifty students over capacity, and music lessons are being taught in the school's hallways. The State has agreed to provide 57.94% of the cost, interest rates are favorable and the market is extremely competitive right now.

This addition will add fourteen classrooms, plus music and art rooms, as well as expand the cafeteria. Pre-Kindergarten children who have been traveling to Marion will now have a space in Rochester. The security will be enhanced, the drop-off area for the school buses will be expanded and made more efficient, and the addition will also be up to code for disability access.

If the Town passes this 26 million dollar project, 11 and a half million dollars for which the Town of Rochester will be responsible after State help, the project will begin right away. All additions and repairs would then be potentially completed by September 2010.

This project thus far has been a community effort, with help from the building committee, the highway dept, teachers at Rochester Memorial Elementary School, and many others, both locally and state-wide.

After the presentation by the Rochester Memorial School Building Committee, Selectman Morse motioned to sign the warrant, which passed with a unanimous vote. Also, the special election date was set for October 31, 2009. Absentee ballots are now available and can either be picked up or mailed out for anyone wishing to cast their vote in that way. The deadline for registering to vote for this special election will be October 13, 2009.

Selectmen's Meetings will be held on October 19 and 26, November 9 and 23 and December 7 and 21, 2009. There being no further matters in need of discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 7:59 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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10:52:35 pm Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - September 28, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday September 28, 2009, at 7:02 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectmen Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere.

The first order of business for the evening was the Tax Classification hearing, requesting a continuance until next Monday night, October 5, 2009 at 7:05 pm. Selectman Parker motioned to allow the meeting to be held at that time and the motion was approved.

The minutes from September 21, 2009, both regular and executive sessions, were approved.

Under Meeting Notices, a Planning Board re-zoning public hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2009 at 7:30 pm.

Selectmen's Meeting dates are scheduled for October 5, 19 and 26, November 9 and 23 and December 7 and 21, 2009. Selectman Parker made a motion to return to regular weekly meetings, which was met with some hesitation, but ultimately seconded by Chairman Nunes, provided that there is some "substance to the meetings."

Under New Business, the need for parking signs on Dexter Lane was briefly discussed.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Boston Post Cane to Mr. Ralph W. Walker. The Town Hall was filled with family and friends of Mr. Walker, all in support of his earning this historic gift. The Boston Post Cane is awarded every year to the oldest resident in the Town of Rochester.

Mr. Walker was born on May 7, 1914 in Saugus, MA. He became a resident of Rochester, MA in 1946, and served as a member of the Finance Committee from 1961-1964, and the Board of Selectmen from 1964-1976. Mr. Walker worked for the Conservation Committee, the Board of Health, and served one year as president of the Council on Aging. He was employed at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds, and at E.W. Goodhue Lumber, Co.

Mr. Walker has been married to his wife Eleanor for seventy years. Mr. and Mrs. Walker have four daughters, Cynthia Underhill and Lorna Walker of Rochester, and Sheila Andrews and Charlene Walker of Fairhaven.

Mr. and Mrs. Walker traveled across the country at one point, stopping in Rochester, Minnesota, at the time of the town's one hundred and twenty-fifth year celebration. Selectmen from all the Rochesters in the US were invited to join in the festivities.

After being presented with the cane, Mr. Walker said, "my house is full of canes!" The room applauded and Mr. Walker added, "I thank you very much. I love the Town of Rochester. This is my town."

The meeting was adjourned at 7:13 pm and the punch was poured and cake served in celebration of this important day for Mr. Walker and his family.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:24:22 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - September 21, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday, September 21, 2009, at 6:51 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere.

The minutes from the meeting on August 31, 2009 were approved.

Under the Selectmen's Signature there were two items. The first was a dog warrant, which allows the Town of Rochester to pick up any unlicensed dogs. A motion was made by Selectman Morse to grant the warrant, and the motion was approved.

The second item concerned the United Nations Day Proclamation, which will be honored on October 24, 2009.

Under Correspondence there was a letter from the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds regarding the transfer of the County Sheriff's Department to the State.

Also a letter was received from the Buzzards Bay Project regarding a $25,000 grant.

The Department of Public Safety sent a letter regarding their Building Code Enforcement Official Certification, and ORCTV informed the Board of a Public Service Announcement Invitation; on October 6 and 8, 2009 they will be allowing the public to tape material for one to five minutes.

State Auditor Joseph DeNucci sent a notice concerning the Special Election Funding, which will need to be funded by the State.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority sent notice about their Reimbursement Rate Certification. The School Building Project has asked to meet with the Selectmen and the Finance Committee on October 5, 2009.

Next, the Selectmen's signatures were required to appoint Mr. Frederick Underhill to be a representative to the Marion Water Committee for the Town of Rochester. This was signed by the Selectmen.

A Special Town Meeting was then opened and agreed to be called to order on October 26, 2009 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Memorial School. The Board voted that the School article be put on the Special Town Meeting agenda, along with the article for rezoning property in Rochester. Following this, the Special Town Meeting was closed.

A letter from the Conservation Commission was received regarding the resignation of John Drorski and the appointment of Laurene Gerrior to the position. A motion was made and approved by the Board.

SEMASS sent information about a payment in lieu of taxes for the month of August in the amount of $288,367.

RH Bogs, Inc. notified the Board of a Chapter 61A Transfer, and the Highway Department informed the Board of the cost of compost bins which is $40.00 with a ten year warranty. Compost bins can be ordered by calling the Department.

A letter of appreciation was sent from the ORR Survival Program thanking Paul Magee and Mark Meunier for their participation in the program.

Under new and old business, a number of upcoming meetings were listed: Selectmen's Meetings on September 28, October 5, 26, November 9, 23, and December 7, 21, 2009. A Special Town Meeting will take place on October 26 with the deadline for submission of articles on September 28. Special Election will be held on October 31, 2009.

There being no further matters in need of discussion, the Board motioned to adjourn at 7:42 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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02:30:21 pm Boston Post Cane Ceremony for Mr. Walker

Categories: Rochester

Mr. Ralph Walker of Rochester will be presented the Boston Post Cane at a ceremony during the regularly scheduled Selectmen's Meeting on Monday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Walker is currently the oldest resident of the Town of Rochester. He served on the Board of Selectmen for many years, as well as on the Council on Aging Board of Directors and on the Coastline Elderly Services, Inc. Board of Directors. Mr. Walker is quite excited about this upcoming honor.

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09:20:39 pm The Bomb Shelter of Rochester

Categories: Rochester

There is a house in Rochester, a house co-owned by Tom Skrutski and George Dornblaser, which has a fully equipped bomb shelter in the basement.

This house, which at one time was known as "The George Bonney House," and will be known again by that name, was most recently called "Dempsey's Village Sampler." From 1987 till only a few years ago the Village Sampler was in business, selling gifts and trinkets. Before that, the house was owned by various families and before that even, in the 1800's it was run for a time as a tavern.

At the very beginning, this house was built by George Bonney and his brother Charles, in 1826. The Bonney brothers were traders, and they purchased cotton cloth which they had made into clothes for the slaves in the south. The clothes were sold to southern slave owners, and were in fact the first ready-made clothing in the United States.

Both George and Charles Bonney were known names in Rochester during the 19th century. The brothers held various town offices in addition to maintaining their clothing business. A room in the attic of The George Bonney House was at one point used to house slaves.

Later, after the Bonney brothers had sold the property, the house was owned by the Holmes family and was called during their ownership "Holmeland."

From 1969 until 1971 the house was owned by the Plumb family and they again renamed the house "The Plumb House."

The bomb shelter was built in the 1940's in the midst of World War II. The shelter is in the basement, and was complete with bunks, which are still there. The George Bonney House is the only house in the area with a bomb shelter, which makes it unique and intriguing for its neighbors.

Today the twelve room, five bedroom and two bath house is being turned into independent senior living. There are a number of barns on the property as well. There will be four units once everything is complete. The bomb shelter will be kept and used possibly as a wine cellar.

Mr. Skrutski and Mr. Dornblaser purchased The George Bonney House in May of this year, with a vision of restoring some of the history to the place. They are achieving this by using its first name, as well as keeping the house in its original style. Mr. Skrutski added that, "I'm striving to make it look like it did in the 1800's." Evidently the front porch will be as it was, and as much as possible will be kept and maintained.

Considering the evolution of this interesting house, it seems fitting to have it now be used as a home where it can be lived in again and appreciated for all of its history and intrigue.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:40:50 am Rochester School Committee Meeting - September 8, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A regular meeting of the Rochester School Committee was called to order by Old Rochester School District Superintendent Bill Cooper at 5:30 pm in the library at Rochester Memorial School. Also in attendance were Committee Members Sharon Hartley, Tina Rood, Robin Rounseville, Donna Laliberte, Tim Schorz, Katie Iserino, Teresa Hamm and Rochester Memorial Principal Jay Ryan.

Superintendant Cooper began the meeting discussing the possibility of a vaccination clinic being held at the school on Thursday, October 15 for seasonal flu. He talked also of the possibility of H1N1 vaccination clinic being held in the middle of November. There would be potential for parents to get vaccinated at these clinics as well, which would take place after-school.

There will be an informative meeting for parents on Monday, September 21. October 15 is the targeted date for the event and not definitive. It would be estimated that 16 faculty volunteers would be necessary for the clinic for the administration end of it, plus the physicians giving the shots. In other school health news, Principal Ryan noted that a dozen new hand sanitizer stations were added throughout the school and that students would be able to bring plastic water bottles to school.

On Thursday, October 1, several companies will demonstrate a new way of paying for school lunches at a meeting that will be held at Old Rochester. Students will hopefully soon be paying for lunches with what resembles a debit card and will hold information such as food allergies, their photo, if the child is allowed to purchase meals or snacks and what food the child has purchased.

Superintendant Cooper noted that the price of the systems has come down drastically over the past few years, from roughly $70,000 to roughly $14,000. Ideally, the program would be implemented over Christmas break or between semesters, so parents can work with their children to adapt to the changes and the teachers as well. The installation takes roughly six to seven weeks and would hopefully begin in December. Sippican School has been chosen as the first school to employ the new system.

The Committee approved a grant summary for the allocation of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-IDEA funds. According to the summary, "The purpose of the ARRA federal grant programs are to fund activities that will advance ARRA's short-term economic goals by investing quickly to save and create jobs and to fund activities that support ARRA's long-term economic goals by investing wisely, funding activities designed to strengthen education, drive reforms and improve results for students.

Activities funded through the ARRA-IDEA grant must be designed to help to ensure that students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate education (FAPE) to meet each student's unique needs and to prepare each student for further education, employment and independent living." The exact amount of the grant is uncertain, but Superintendant Cooper said it could be around $150,000.

The Committee began a lengthy discussion over whether or not to be broadcast live over cable access television, as local television had asked the Committee recently if they desired to be. Ms. Rounseville stated that she believed that allowing viewers to watch the meetings at home would decrease their interaction with the meetings and they wouldn't ask questions. She said she was divided, because "public schools belong to the public."

Ms. Hartley stated that most likely if they were to be broadcast, they could not do it at Rochester Memorial School and would be forced to move to the high school's media room. She stated that she had two major problems with going live. The first was that people could easily only hear part of the meeting and take things out of context and not fully understand the issue. The second was that certain people are either more likely or less likely to talk because of being on film.

Interactive possibilities, such as Skype and taking calls while on air were discussed and proved to be turning points in their future decisions. One of the key points that was brought up was if a parent was still interested in the meetings, but was unable to attend. The Committee decided to be broadcast live on a three month trial basis and that they would hold their future meetings at the Media Room at Old Rochester.

The Committee reminded those in attendance that a Special Town Meeting will be held on Monday, October 26 in regards to the potential building project at Rochester Memorial School. If the project is passed at the meeting, it will go on the ballot on Saturday, October 31 and will need a two thirds majority to pass. The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 pm.

By Adam T. Silva

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12:40:47 am Mattapoisett Selectmen Meeting - September 8, 2009

Categories: Mattapoisett, Rochester

A scheduled meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen was called to order by Chairman Jordan C. Collyer on September 8, 2009, at 7:00 pm. Also in attendance were Selectmen Paul A. Silva and George Randall, town administrator Michael Gagne', and administrative assistant Melody Pacheco.

First on the order of business were the minutes of the August 25 meeting. These minutes were approved by the Board.

The Board voted to approve Mr. Gagne' appointment to the following committees: Joint Transportation, Affirmative Action Officer, SRTA, Procurement Officer, and Town Administrator. Chairman Collyer officially welcomed Mr. Gagne' to his post, and introduced him to the public.

The meeting then shifted to the first discussion item on the agenda, which was the town's policy on private roads. The town hall meeting room was well attended by residents of various private roads who were concerned with the current state of town involvement in their road maintenance. Under the current guidelines, residents of private roads have been paying for the materials needed in grading streets and repairing potholes. David Jenkins drafted a letter to the Board of Selectmen suggesting a revision of the current by-laws to adopt the Wellfleet model of private road policy, which limits the amounts of repairs that the town highway department can make on private roads. Since the Chapter 90 budget is limited, the highway department has also been limited in the amount of repairs to private roads that can be made. The new Wellfleet model of repairs would allow for the town to only make repairs that were temporary and necessary for public safety, with the bulk of maintenance falling on the individual homeowners.

Highway Surveyor Barry Denham was present to defend the current methodology in addressing private road repairs, and to answer questions from the audience of concerned residents. "As far as I'm concerned, it's your equipment and you pay the bills," Mr. Denham said to the Board. "It's the materials. We've ended up hauling materials on our own trucks, which isn't a problem, but the billing gets difficult, keeping up with who owes what [money]."

The only way some of these private roads will be able to get unlimited town maintenance will be if they are made public. "There are some communities that don't want their roads to be used by the public," Selectman Silva said. Selectman Silva then went on to describe two different types of "private roads" - those that are somewhat private (but often still used by the public) and those that are strictly private.

Chairman Collyer defined the difference through two different private roads - the area of Assawompsett and the Bay Club road. While Assawompsett is technically private, it is commonly used by the public. Chairman Collyer pointed out that no one uses the Bay Club road unless they live there or have flashing lights on their vehicle.

"There must be a way to strike a happy medium," Chairman Collyer said.

Mr. Gagne' pointed out that Massachusetts General Law indicates that public funds are for public benefit. Mr. Gagne' presented the Wellfleet model of private road maintenance as a reasonable resolution to the topic.

"It's easy to see why I've had so many problems in the past six months," Mr. Denham said. "We have to make parameters clear. You've got an awful lot of people living on private roads now. You have to make we are providing a service we need to provide, but that we aren't overburdening the highway department."

Resident Geoffrey King was present to represent some of the private road residents in the audience. He said that private roads in his area have been maintained without incident for the past few decades. He objected to the suggestion that they were "burdening" the highway department when he felt his high taxes justified some level of maintenance.

Mr. Denham said that the private road issue has slowly grown over the years. As more and more private roads are made, there are more and more people relying on a service for a street that isn't open to the public, yet relies on public funds for upkeep. "We can't go down every time for every little road. [Sometimes] when you go down, it's not even a road - it's basically a driveway."

Selectman Randall said that if they revised by-laws, all streets would have to be treated the same regardless of size.

Meadow Plain resident Kimberly Ward spoke. "What we are looking for is status quo under the law," she said. "Nothing more. I don't think the town should have to give us dirt. We don't want to adopt a standard from another town that has nothing to do with Mattapoisett," she said in reference to Mr. Gagne' presentation of the Wellfleet standard. "If road repairs are opening a can of worms, then snow removal will get really dicey," Ms. Ward added.

Private roads, through a process of upgrading, assessment and approval through various boards, could become public for town mainentance. Although more public roads would mean more Chapter 90 funding, Selectman Silva pointed out that it could still mean more taxes for Mattapoisett residents, and suggested that status quo really could be the most reasonable accommodation.

The Board concluded to plan a public informational meeting to be posted on Channel 38, on the "virtual town hall" town website, and the meeting will be properly advertised in media sources. Any questions concerning the meeting should be forwarded to town hall.

The Board then heard from Jan E. Dabrowski, an attorney representing a Mattapoisett Neck resident, who says that the proposed site for Rail Trail parking is not NStar's property, but is actually privately owned property that has granted an easement to NStar. Any parking lot construction will have to be approved by the owner of the land, since the easement does not permit third party use. Mr. Gagne' hopes to meet with this owner and discuss the matter further.

George Randall presented to the Board an old picture of three selectmen from the earlier part of the 20th century. The picture was donated by Richard Walker and depicts three selectmen: Lester Crampton, who served from 1925 to 1963, George White, and Manuel Linhares. The picture will be cleaned up, given a plaque, and will be posted in the town hall.

Further discussions on recreational and commercial shellfishing guidelines will be discussed at the September 22 BOS meeting.

Chairman Collyer adjourned the meeting at 8:59 pm.

By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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03:15:47 pm EEE Found in Mattapoisett Mosquito Sample

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

The Mattapoisett Board of Health announced today that EEE virus has been detected in mosquitoes collected from Mattapoisett. In 2008, 4,575 mosquito samples were tested for EEE virus, and 13 positive samples were identified in Massachusetts. Mattapoisett had two EEE virus positive mosquito samples identified in 2009.

EEE is a rare, but serious, illness spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. While EEE can infect people of all ages, people under the age of 15 or over the age of 50 are at the greatest risk for serious illness.

By taking a few commonsense precautions, people can help to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Avoid Mosquito Bites

Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours - The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. Otherwise, take extra precautions to use repellent and wear protective clothing.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

Remove Standing Water- Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.

Repair Screens - To avoid mosquitoes coming indoors, keep tightly-fitting screens on all of your doors and windows.

Information about EEE and reports of EEE virus activity in Massachusetts during 2009 can be found on the MDPH website at www.mass.gov/dph under A for arbovirus in the Health Topics A to Z index. Recorded information about EEE is also available by calling the MDPH Public Health Information Line at 1-866-627-7968.

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12:06:24 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - August 31, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday August 31, 2009 at 6:51 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere.

The minutes from the meeting of August 17, 2009 were approved.

Building Commissioner James W. Buckles sent a letter regarding the appointment of a new assistant local building inspector. He recommended that Robert C. Francis be appointed for the position. The letter states that Mr. Francis is certified, qualified and has maintained all of the necessary credentials for the position. Selectman Parker made a motion to approve Mr. Francis for the position, and the rest of the Board approved the motion.

Another letter was received from the MIIA, the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, informing the Town of its earnings in the amount of $30,697.00 in insurance premium credits through the MIIA membership and rewards program.

Also the Rochester Police Department's participation in the emergency vehicle operation course helped reduce the Town's insurance costs.

Comcast sent a letter regarding customer service and an outline of their "Comcast Customer Guarantee" which details the ways in which Comcast is willing to help customers get the most out of their service.

SRPEDD's Regional Economic Strategy Committee sent a letter asking for help in expanding its membership. Anyone interested in economic development and becoming a member can fill out a questionnaire. The Committee meets on the second Tuesday afternoon of every month from 3:00pm till 4:30 at the SRPEDD office in Taunton. The website is www.srpedd.org.

At 7:00 pm, Police Chief Magee requested that Mr. Douglas Mendes be appointed as Reserve Police Officer. His spoke of Mr. Mendes's very broad background, and spoke highly of his abilities. Selectmen Morse motioned to appoint Mr. Mendes as Reserve Police Officer, and the motion was approved by the rest of the Board.

Police Chief Magee also asked that both Adam P. Brightman and Isaac Perry be appointed part-time Police Officers. Mr. Brightman received his degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, and Mr. Perry works as the Assistant Harbormaster in Marion. Both Mr. Brightman and Mr. Perry have excellent availability for the positions, as well as the necessary experience for the job. The appointments are conditional upon their completion of a physical and psychological exam, as well as their passing the State P.A.T. test. Selectman Morse motioned to appoint both Mr. Brightman and Mr. Perry for these positions and the motion was approved by the rest of the Board.

For the Town Administrator's report, Mr. LaCamera praised the "very successful" Country Fair. He then spoke to the Board about appointing someone as a full-time Fire Chief, and with the Board's permission will post an advertisement.

The School building's master budget is in its final stages and will be reviewed this Wednesday night by the Building Committee.

At 7:10pm, Mr. Randall Kunz and Mr. LaCamera spoke about the Housing Assessment Plan for the Town of Rochester. The Board was very supportive of the plan to allow affordable housing to be made available in Rochester. Their proposal was approved by the Board, subject to review by the Planning Board.

Meeting Notices:

* A Planning Board meeting is scheduled for September 22 for the SEMASS Site Plan Amendment.

* Selectmen's Meeting dates will be September 14 and 28, 2009.

Before adjourning the meeting at 7:17pm, Chairman Nunes thanked the Police, Fire Dept., E.M.T.'s, Highway Dept. and volunteers for a very successful 10th anniversary of the Country Fair.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:01:29 am Racing Tractors and Big Guns in God's Country

Categories: Rochester

Motors were running at the 10th Annual Rochester Country Fair on Saturday, August 22 as a tractor pull, lawn mower race, and World War II vehicle display all took place at the field next to the Plumb Corner Market in Rochester.

Lindsey Harding, 15, of Acushnet, took home the First Place trophy for Best Overall Time (32.5 seconds) and won the Kids Garden Tractor Division. Ms. Harding has gained experience as this is her eighth year competing in the race and has come so close to taking home the trophy in her division, coming in Second Place for the past four years.

The race consisted of each of the eight participants riding their own gasoline-powered four-wheeled lawn mower around a track lined with cones and barrels of hay squared in by a wooden fence one at a time. Each rider was given a practice lap before their timed race was officially begun. Coincidentally, Andrew Harding, Lindsey's father, who participated on a separate mower than Lindsey, crashed during his official run into nearly the exact same spot in the fence that Lindsey did during her practice lap. Judges jokingly said that section of the track is going to be referred to as "Harding's Corner."

"Even though I crashed during my practice run, I wasn't discouraged," said Lindsey, trophy in hand, with a wide-eyed look of shock and disbelief still on her face from her win. "They change the track every year, so you can't really get used to it. I rode a Cub Cadet rider the first two years, but I have been riding this mower for the past six and it's worked out just fine."

The results for the other riders were Adult Lawnmower Division: 1. Gary Stopka (37.5) 2. Andrew Harding (45.6) 3. Jen McComb (48.5). Kids Garden Tractor: 1. Lindsey Harding (32.5) 2. Nathan Brandi (44.9) Children's Lawnmower: 1. Ryan Stopka (38.6) 2. Kyle Maxim (58.0) 3. Trevor Stopka (1:19.7).

The 26th Infantry Division, "Yankee Division," brought out the big guns in their living re-enactment of the lives of World War II soldiers. Sixty members of the re-enactment group attended the fair in camouflage surrounded by jeeps, trucks, tanks and other army vehicles in the bright sunshine in the open field. The group, which also will be at Fort Tabor in New Bedford on Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30, makes their way demonstrating throughout all of New England and New York and Pennsylvania.

"I've always had a very strong interest in history, especially World War II," said Suzy Kilgrew, of Carver, dressed to the nines in full nurse's attire, which she demonstrated to be as historically accurate as possible. "Not all of us have military backgrounds, just a love of history and of the time period. I take part in this in a few parades and shows in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont each year. Our event at Fort Taber next weekend is open to the public, so I suggest to everyone to stop by."..

By Adam Silva

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12:01:22 am Rochester Country Fair Awards

Categories: Rochester

The Rochester Country Fair Committee wishes to express their gratitude to the town departments for their unfailing work for the fair weekend. Without your help, we could not have the fair. Thanks also to the volunteers, demonstrators, vendors, and contest participants. We will see you again next year. Here are the winners of our various competitions - a special thanks to all the participating homes on the parade route.

Best Antique Vehicle:

First place - Allen Ladner, 1948 Plymouth Convoy

Second place - John and Ann Fornad, 1918 Horseless Carriage

Third place - Clifton Hathaway, Apple Peach Queen

Best Mardi Gras Float:

First place - Rochester Council on Aging

Second Place - Rochester First Congregational Church

Third Place - Whole in the Wall Productions

Best Farm Tractor:

First Place - Bruce Thompson, 1946 JD Confederate

Second Place - Mark Bouchard

Third Place - Ray Lawrence, 1958 Farmall

Best Military Vehicle:

First Place - Michael Forand

Second Place - Craig Parker, tank

Third Place - Frank Cabral

Best Commercial Vehicle:

First Place - Jake Goyette, 1999 Ford 350

Second Place - Meg Taylor, 1961 Brockway

Third Place - Bunny's Bouquets

Best Municipal Vehicles:

First Place - Marion 1937 Ford Fire Truck

Second Place - Howard Smith 1932 Maxim Pumper

Third Place - Acushnet Fire Rescue

Most Original:

First Place - Rochester Council on Aging

Second Place - Ponderosa Float

Third Place - Bruce Thompson Bubble Tractor

Most Historical:

First Place - Bruce Thompson, 1946 JD GM Confederate tractor

Second Place - Frank Cabral, army truck

Third Place - Frank Viera, 1928 Ford H

Home Awards:

First Place - Secret Garden on Marion Road

Second Place - The MacMullen house on Rounseville Road

Third Place - The McGrath house on Mendal Road

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07:16:10 am Visiting the Rochester Country Fair

Categories: Rochester

The Wanderer aardvark visited the Rochester Country Fair on Saturday August 22, 2009 and had a great time. For more photos of the fair visit our photo gallery by clicking here.

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12:21:50 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - August 17, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday August 17, 2009 at 7:00 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere.

The minutes from August 3, 2009 were approved.

A representative from Southeast Realty Development requested a water tie-in, and a motion was made and approved of by the Board.

Under the Selectmen's Signature an amount of $1,385,000.00 Advance Funds in Lieu of Borrowing was discussed by Mr. LaCamera. The Board needed to approve the use of the Stabilization Account for this amount, which they did.

For People on the Agenda, Richard and Ed Canning of R.F. Morse and Son proposed a potential location for a supermarket to be built in the Town of Rochester. The preliminary steps for approval include opening up discussion and finding retailers who are interested in coming to the area and taking up this project. The Board of Selectmen agreed that a generally commercial area of about thirty acres of Rochester land could be suitable and Chairman Nunes added that it "sounds like a great opportunity for the town." A meeting will be held with the Planning Board as well.

Also under the Selectmen's Signatures was the re-appointment of Barry Denham as the Veterans Services Director, which was approved.

A list of Democratic Election Workers which consists of Evelyn Benner, Jill Bodeau, Linda Cobb, Leslie Cunha, Lorraine Guy, Katherine Hanson, Sylvia Hebert, Barbara Holmberg, Colman Lalli, Nancy Mello, Shirley Reed and Caroline St. John was submitted, and all those on the list were approved.

A list of the Historic District Commission Workers which consists of Martha Wright, Roland Grenier, Sr., Gloria Vincent, Carolyn Gilmore and Mark Petri was also submitted and approved.

A Triathlon Permit, which is set to take place on August 29 and 30, 2009, and which has received prior approval from the Police Department, was approved by the Board of Selectmen.

For the Town Administrator's Report, a proposed amendment to the current police contract was discussed. The concern was that the members of the Police Force were not receiving payment on a timely basis, and Mr. LaCamera addressed the concern by re-issuing an amended contract, which the Police Department could review.

Mr. LaCamera also reminded the Board members that the Country Fair is this weekend.

The School Project, of which discussion has been ongoing, is now in the final stages of its preliminary design, and there will be a booth at the Country Fair for the public to see the design.

Verizon PEG issued a grant in the amount of $4,416.72 to ORCTV and SEMASS sent correspondence about their payment to the Town of Rochester in lieu of taxes in the amount of $314,975.00.

The Rochester Police Department sent a notice about a training exercise, which will be conducted between the hours of 8:30 am and 3:00 pm on August 20 at 73 Country Road in Rochester. Twenty-five police officers from Rochester and other nearby towns will be participating in this exercise, which will involve the use of simunitions and flash bangs.

A SRPEDD Regionalization meeting will be held on September 10, 2009 at the Dartmouth Town Hall. Mr. LaCamera plans to attend.

There being no further matters in need of discussion the meeting was adjourned at 7:31 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:21:45 am Hot Times at the Rochester Road Race

Categories: Rochester

Talk about self-improvement. Julien Di Maria, a Parisian exchange student staying in Lexington, won the fourth-annual Rochester Road Race on Saturday, August 15, setting a new record at 15:46. He beat the previous record by nearly a minute at 16:41, set the previous year by himself. The pavement was burning as the temperature was already in the mid 80's by the early morning.

Not to be outdone, the women's record was also broken by Dartmouth's Joanne Matthews, who set the new standard at 18:39. The previous women's record was held by Rochester's Darnyl DaSilva in 2008 at 21:37. The top six women's finishers this year all beat the record that was set by Ms. DaSilva. In order were Plymouth's Kerry Hennessey at 19:17, New Bedford's Jennifer Almeida at 20:07, Darnyl DaSilva at 21:20, Dartmouth's Cali Warner at 21:33 and Marion's Cindy Tilden at 21:36.

"This is my fifteenth race this season," said Ms. Matthews, still wiping the sweat from her brow after the 5k/3.1 mile run. "This is my first time doing this race, but I've competed at the ones in Mattapoisett, Marion and Fairhaven. This one is rather nice and like a pancake, although I like them typically to have some sort of variables."

The race, which was sponsored by Covanta Energy, was estimated to have 400 runners and walkers take part this year, 70 more than last year. The cost was $15 for runners and $8 for walkers with all of the proceeds going to Damien's Food Pantry. The event was started four years ago by Travis Van Hall, Scott Mueller, Chuck Kantner, Jeff Perry and Kevin Cassidy, who, according to race organizer Patti Howard, "were five guys from Rochester that wanted to better the community and have fun at the same time."

For more information about the race or for results, go to jbrace.com or coolrunning.com

By Adam Silva

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12:21:20 am Rochester's Past Comes Alive

Categories: Rochester

The East Rochester Congregational Church is home to the Rochester Historical Society collection of area-related artifacts. The Rochester Historical Society has opened its doors on Sunday afternoons this summer from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, so local residents can experience Rochester's rich history.

The small country church on County Street invites us to revisit the New England of years past. Although the cars speed on by the building on County Road, the otherwise bucolic surroundings and the small church graveyard set the mood for browsing the Society's artifacts.

The pews of the East Rochester Church serve as tables to the many displays an artifacts that the historical society has accrued over the years, ranging from copper photo blocks (donated by Joan Plaud of Rochester), to newspaper clippings and kitchen utensils of days gone by. There is period clothing, and a large spinning wheel to show how our ancestors lived in old New England. There is even a display of shoes from the 1700's in a glass case. The shoes, which are in excellent condition considering their age, were found between the floor and ceiling of the Samuel Arnold III house.

One display that is particularly eye-catching is the Waterman School display. The small school was eventually consolidated with Center and Pierceville schools in 1954. The Society has collected many pictures of Waterman classmates ranging from 1900 to the 1950's. Trustee Constance Eshbach loves to see Waterman alumni visit the museum, especially when they bear stories about her grandmother Marion Hartley, who was a beloved schoolteacher during this period. She finds it amazing that people still feel such strong affection for their teacher, even 50 years after graduating grammar school.

Historical homeowners will be especially interested in the large binders on individual houses and streets. The Society has tried to accumulate information on each house over the years, and this information is available to any town citizen who is interested in researching their historical dwelling. These reports will also be available at the Rochester Country Fair, August 22-23.

There is still so much more to see - displays of antique cranberry bog equipment, maps of the old grist and saw mills, early photographs of antique area homes, and old pottery have all been carefully maintained over the years. An 1895 Mason and Risch Vocalion organ that was originally part of a Hathaway estate, fills one corner of the church, lending a Victorian mystique to the collection.

There is still one Sunday left in August to visit the Society's display at the church. The displays will be open to the public on August 23, from 1:00 to 3:00. Although the exhibit is free, a small donation is much appreciated. The Society is always accepting monetary donations, and loves to receive artifacts either as gifts or loans. The Society regularly meets at the museum on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 pm.

By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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12:21:15 am Fiddling with Tiffany Rozenas at the Grange

Categories: Rochester

At the ninety-ninth annual Rochester Grange Fair this past Saturday, August 15, 2009, the lovely Tiffany Rozenas shared her musical talent with the town of Rochester. Ms. Rozenas, a resident herself, has been playing the fiddle since age nine. Her father, Bronie Rozenas, accompanied her on the guitar. Apparently Ms. Rozenas' mother joins in on the drums from time to time, but tonight she sat back and enjoyed the music from the audience. The atmosphere was relaxed, and people meandered to their seats after browsing at the Grange Fair's displays.

The Rochester Grange Fair always falls on the third Saturday in August. It is open to the public and anyone who is interested in participating may. A book of rules and regulations is provided before the Fair begins, which outlines certain requirements, such as any craft, canned good or conservation exhibit must have been made within the last year.

In the past there have been animals and horse pulls included in the fair, but today the focus is on flowers, fruits and vegetables. The Grange Hall was also filled with baked goods, crafts and artwork. This year's Grange Fair, which lasted from 1:30 to 7:00 pm, included a dinner and an auction.

The Grange Hall, which had a number of fans blowing, reached the hottest temperature anyone had experienced yet this summer. Regardless, the show was inspiring and the music worthy of toe-tapping. Programs were turned into make-shift fans and water was passed out at the front door. Ms. Rozenas re-tuned her instrument between songs and explained that "her fiddle doesn't like the humidity."

Ms. Rozenas spoke about her early interest in the fiddle, and that she had learned to play classically originally, but found that she was more drawn to Celtic music. She has recently discovered that Blue Grass music peaks her interest as well and included some Blue Grass tunes in her show.

The evening's repertoire included songs titled "Josephine's Waltz", "Sand Worms", "Keep it up" and "The Tennessee Waltz." On her website, a list of "fiddle heroes" is given, which lists the group Halali, and individual fiddlers Laura Cortese and Hanneke Cassel, among others.

Ms. Rozenas has participated in a number of fiddle camps, which include Gaelic Roots, Boston Harbor Fiddle School, Valley of the Moon Fiddle School in California, Mark O'Conners Fiddle Camp in Tennessee and the Berklee String Fling. She travels around New England playing her fiddle and can be found at various farmers markets and open mikes.

In addition to performing, Ms. Rozenas also teaches, and two of her students sat in the audience at the Grange Fair show.

When she is not playing music, Ms. Rozenas attends Springfield College.

Ms. Rozenas' website is www.tiffanyrozenas.com. She has a CD titled "It's About Time" for sale, as well as tour dates, photos, music samples and links to other musicians.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:04:20 am Busy Agenda for Rochester Selectmen

Categories: Rochester

Rochester Selectmen Meeting - August 3, 2009

The Rochester Board of Selectmen meeting was called to order by Chairman Richard Nunes at 6:52 pm. Also present were Selectmen Naida Parker and Bradford Morse, and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

The first order of the night was the minutes of the previous meeting, which were approved and a motion was made to accept them. The motion passed.

Several items of note were shared. Mr. LaCamera announced again a town administrator meeting in Worcester that will discuss regionalization. He also informed the Board and others present that there would be a retirement party for Scott Ashworth, who retired in July from his position as Rochester fire chief for 37 years.

For the Selectmen's signature was the appointment of Justin Shay to the Registrar of Voters. Mr. Shay was not present to accept the nomination, but the Board hoped that his appointment would lead to him becoming the Registrar, or encourage him to find a replacement. Selectman Parker said that they would be in violation of the law by leaving the position open any longer. A motion was made to accept the appointment, and the motion passed.

Daniel Gaffey, a member of the Rochester Memorial School planning board, presented an update to the board on the progress of the Rochester Memorial School project. Mr. Gaffey said that the renovation project planned for the school will add enough space for 630 more students, and makes a distinct separation of space for school use and space for community use. He presented a detailed and well-organized summary of progress that the Rochester Memorial School planning board has made, and the obstacles that they still face. Some of the obstacles that the planning board face were meeting federal handicapped accessibility requirements, meeting environmental requirements, and meeting the cost requirements. The planning board has tried to stay close to the budget by analyzing and justifying each cost. One way of saving money and time is through using "pre-cast" concrete, which can save two to three months in construction time.

The plans include a two-story structure that will separate the soccer field from traffic and will allow for future expansion of four more classrooms. The initial architectural design will be presented to the committee on August 12, and there will be follow up meetings to refine the design on August 19 and 26. If a good schematic is in place by August 22, the planning board hopes to present the plans at the Rochester Country Fair. Any promotional pamphlets will be funded by the PTO.

The planning board is researching town water options for the school project, as well as gas line options. They plan on preparing a presentation to the State School Building Authority in September, and following state approval, will do final cost estimates to present at the town meeting.

Mr. Gaffey said that it was important to consider the construction of the school now, despite the bad economy. The state has school building money now, whereas the future is uncertain, and cost of borrowing is at an historic low. However, accurate costs will not be known until the construction bids come in. "Some costs will be known, but not all of them until they come in [from bidders]," Mr. Gaffey said.

Mr. Gaffey went on to discuss the future of Rochester water infrastructure, expressing the belief that the town should seek more sources of water by 2010.

The Board of Selectmen thanked Mr. Gaffey for his thorough presentation.

Rochester Fire Chief Scott Weigel presented two new additions to the fire department. Selectman Parker swore in Andrew Weigel as an on-call firefighter, and Ashley Agri as an on-call firefighter and EMT.

Chairman Nunes said that they had received a letter from the 2010 Commonwealth Capital Policy with information about a grant money online application system. This would be a very complicated process, and there are many grants that are unavailable to Rochester, but it is something that the board will consider.

The Board then addressed the request of Edward Buckley for a dog license waiver based on the hardship that he has several dogs. Selectman Morse said that Mr. Buckley had been notified three times starting in February, and therefore felt that Mr. Buckley had had enough time to resolve the dog license issue. Selectman Morse motioned to deny the waiver, and Selectman Parker and Chairman Nunes agreed. The motion to deny the waiver passed unanimously. Selectman Parker said that "she feels badly for people with multiple dogs" in regards to dog licensing, but that if they made the exception for one person, they would have to make an exception for everyone.

The Board of Selectmen then heard from John P. Mello, Chairman of the Board of Assessors. Mr. Mello reported that an employee who responds to the Board of Assessors is reporting a grievance. He requested an executive session from the Board of Selectmen on the grounds that he "hoped to arrive at a resolution mediation of a dispute. There may be discussion of reputation and character of a town employee."

Selectman Parker said that, in order to enter into executive session, there would have to be a mediator, a certified letter sent to the person in question, and a full 48 hours for that person to respond. Mr. Mello expressed frustration that "one elected board can't talk to another elected board" without a lengthy procedure. He feared that the process of a certified letter and the 48 hours would aggravate the situation, and hoped going into executive session might prevent the situation from escalating. Chairman Nunes and Selectman Parker said that they understood his frustration, but reiterated the rules and said that they didn't want to be in violation of open meeting laws. Mr. Mello said that they would have to discuss this issue at the August 10 BOA meeting, with a possible follow-up occurring at the August 17 Selectmen's meeting. Selectman Parker encouraged a discussion at a later date, once all protocols had been followed.

The Board of Selectmen then noted a great need for volunteers on the Industrial Development Committee. This matter will be discussed at greater length at the August 17 Se;lectmen's meeting, along with a discussion on a housing needs assessment.

Chairman Nunes adjourned the meeting at 7:41 pm.

By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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07:38:01 am Proposal for "Mixed-use" Building in Rochester

Categories: Rochester

Rochester Planning Board - July 28, 2009

The Rochester Planning Board was brought to order at 7:06 pm by Chairman Arnold Johnson. Present at the meeting were board members Gary Florindo, John H. DeMaggio, George Byron, and Randall Kunz.

After discussing the progress of the Connett Woods and Forest Landing projects, the board reviewed the minutes of the July 14 meeting, including executive session. Deciding that any errors in the minutes were minor, the board motioned to accept the minutes.

Two representatives of SRPEDD (Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District), Nancy Durfee and Greg Guimonde, presented a proposal to bring "mixed-use" buildings into Rochester. Mixed-use buildings are designed to provide commercial space, typically on the ground floor, with residential space in upper floors, and sometimes behind the commercial space. According to Mr. Guimonde and Ms. Durfee, mixed-use buildings would allow the town to gain more housing, particularly elderly housing, while maintaining the rural and aesthetic appeal of Rochester. Mr. Guimonde noted that it is more appealing in uncertain economical climates as well, since an empty storefront would not mean that a building was completely without use or rent income.

Mr. Guimonde said that this latest trend toward mixed-use buildings is "smart growth" because it makes "walkable neighborhoods". Since these mixed-use buildings blend in with a residential area and are built with character and warmth in mind, they encourage local and pedestrian patronage, therefore reducing the need for large parking lots. Issues of parking, building size, and setbacks would be standards for the planning board to set.

Mr. Guimonde used Marshfield as an example of a town that has successfully implemented mixed-use buildings. He said that the buildings have maintained the New England charm of the town, and that as of now, there are no outstanding applications for elderly housing, because their elderly housing needs have all been met with mixed-use housing.

Rochester is rich with wetlands, preserved lands, and "unique" soil samples; many buildable lots are behind already existing homes, but they are unbuildable without "tradable development rights". There is a need for 55-plus housing and buildable land in general, and Mr. Guimonde and Ms. Durfee presented this plan in hopes that Rochester could harness some residential space in higher-density residential areas and commercial areas of Rochester. Although these areas are in short supply, mixed-use buildings could capture more livable space for Rochester.

Mr. Florindo noted that the mixed-use buildings could appeal to Rochester residents because the designs are "rustic and not modern. Rochester doesn't want modern." Chairman Johnson thought that any development in Rochester is better "tucked away" in areas that are not on the main routes, since "maintaining the illusion of Rochester" is easier done by keeping the thoroughfares rustic and undeveloped.

Ms. Durfee noted that in an area like Rochester, the mixed-use buildings could encourage a "value added" industry based on ingredients made in town, and that this trend is tuned into the buying local trend. People could stand to make big money in the food trade, according to Ms. Durfee, who noted the great success of locally-made foods in Maine.

Chairman Johnson encouraged Ms. Durfee and Mr. Guimonde to attend the public meeting in October to get a feel for all the needs and concerns of residents.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:39 pm by Chairman Guimonde.

By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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07:37:32 am Jack's Run

Categories: Rochester

The first annual Firecracker 5K was held Thursday July 9 in the Cape Cod town of Cotuit. In typical New England fashion, the seasonal transition from spring to summer had been anything but predictable. It seems that for weeks it had rained nearly everyday, and the question on everyone's mind as they laced up their running shoes and headed to the race that afternoon was "what will Mother Nature have planned for us today?" Well, she blessed the runners with a perfect 68 degrees and light cloud cover.

As the runners took position behind the starting line, nine-year-old Jack Sollauer glanced up at his mom and said "Can we move closer to the front for the start?" Having overheard Jack, Eric Cederholm, a family friend of the Sollauers who was standing behind them responded: "We will be fine starting back here Jack. There's much less stress this way." Eric, having run many races and completing the Lake Placid Ironman race last year, would have a valid opinion on this matter. Jack returned his gaze forward and listened for the sound of the horn to signal the start of the run. As the horn sounded the crowd seemed to walk or prance even, but certainly not a running start Jack thought.

Sandi Sollauer had waited for weeks for this event. This was the first time that Jack would be joining her in a race, and she had looked forward to the bonding experience of running alongside her first-born son.

Unfortunately, the bonding experience Sandi had anticipated seemed to evaporate before her eyes about 50 yards into the race. As the crowd of runners awkwardly moved forward and started to slightly separate, Jack saw opportunity. His eyes were about chest high on the two runners directly before him and as the their hips gave way to about an eight-inch gap, Jack pounced and slipped through the opening.

Sandi could only watch from her position in the back as her son's wavy blonde hair popped up rhythmically among the much taller group of runners that he was snaking his way through. She was proud and excited for him, but certainly not surprised. Jack had a natural runner's gait. His stride seemed effortless. His desire to run was always evident in everything he did, always hopping and bolting around the house. And when outside it seems he's always running. "Well, there he goes...what else should I have expected?" Sandi thought to herself as she settled into race pace.

"Wow, this is cool!" Jack thought as he slid through the crowd and started to see bits of open road around him. "I'm moving up to the front." And with that, he did.

Having been busy with her new job and finishing the last of her classes required to obtain her Master's degree, Sandi had not entered a race in awhile. As the race went on, she realized she wasn't feeling the effects of being away from running nearly as much as she'd anticipated. To the contrary, she was pacing well and realized how much she missed running. At the halfway point of the race, Sandi had settled into a comfortable pace and was taking in what a great day it had been.

At the beach earlier in the day she watched Jack digging a hole in the sand. Furiously he shoveled, heavy scoop after heavy scoop of sand and threw it over his shoulder with the efficiency of an experienced laborer. "Keep digging son!" she exclaimed jokingly. She had been discussing the upcoming evenings events with some of the other moms as they sat in the sun and watched the kids playing. "I need that kid tired for the race if I'm gonna beat him tonight!" she joked.

At what must have been around the halfway point of the race, Jack realized he wasn't among the group of runners in his age bracket. In fact, he was in the group of runners that were pretty spread out and seemed serious about what they were doing. With most of them in a single file formation with long measured strides, they forged on.

Focused on keeping his own pace, Jack only allowed himself brief moments of distraction as he listened to the groups of well-wishers and on-lookers cheering and yelling from the roadside as he and the others passed. He thought to himself, "I'm doin' pretty good- the finish line can't be too far off. I wonder where mom is?"

As the finish of the race drew closer, Sandi wondered how Jack had done. This was his first race at this distance. He had competed in kids' triathlons and done very well, but the running distances in those races were less than today's race. "Was he nervous? Did he fall? Was he wondering where in the heck I was?" she thought to herself. The crowd seemed to get louder as she turned the corner onto the last stretch of the course. The finish line and large time-keeping scoreboard lay just ahead.

As Sandi crossed the finish line she was very pleased with her race time. With an 11 minute-per-mile pace, she was happy and felt like she had not lost much of her stamina during her time away from running.

" Where is Jack?" Sandi shouted to her friend Sara. Sara was Eric Cederholm's wife. An avid runner, Marathoner and Ironman competitor herself, Sara was an inspiration for Sandi. Sara is always willing to advise and help motivate her friends, and Sandi had always been amazed at Sara's dedication to her sport. "He's right here," Sara shouted back. Sandi sprinted over to where Jack was standing just beyond the finish line. When she reached him they embraced and shared a moment of exuberance. Sandi noticed as she looked at Jacks face - there were no flushed cheeks - there was no mouth agape, gasping for air - his long blonde locks were not hanging heavy with sweat.

"This kid didn't break a bead of sweat!" she shouted aloud. With that, Sara leaned into Sandi and quietly said "You gotta watch him. He's a runner!"

"What took you so long mom?" asked Jack. His dimpled cheeks, the same dimpled cheeks Sandi has, were now pursed in a cunning grin.

Sara had been at the finish line watching for her family and friends to cross the line. She had been happy to forfeit the chance to race in order to help her sister, who had organized the event, take registrations and handle as many duties as possible to keep the event flowing smoothly. If she could help a few more people live a healthier lifestyle and cheer on her friends, she was happy.

"You might want to hang around for the ceremonies," Sara quietly remarked to Sandi.

"You want to?" Sandi asked her son.

"Sure!" Jack excitedly responded.

As the announcements were made for the top finishers Sandi waited in anticipation. "What did Sara mean? Did Jack finish that well?"

Just then she heard the announcers voice over the crowd "Jack Soll-iere, first place."

Though the announcer had made the typical mistake of putting a French twist on his name, Sandi realized her son had placed first in the children's division.

With a race time of just over 25 minutes, Jack had outpaced most of the field. "Whoa," exclaimed Eric Cederholm. "That's an unbelievable race time. Nice going, Jack."

Jack bumped knuckles with Eric just before sprinting off toward the presentation area. He walked up and proudly accepted his medal and shook the hand of the race organizers.

As Sandi looked on, her eyes began to well with tears of joy.

On the ride home both Sandi and Jack were pretty tired: a good tired. It was a well-earned exhaustion that comes after putting your body to the test. They took in the scenery of Cape Cod silently. Sandi looked into the rear-view mirror at her son. As he gazed out the window, Jack looked a little older than he did on the drive down to the race. She saw the same blue eyes that used to gaze out the window at construction sites and big tractors. The same eyes that looked at airplanes and trains in wonderment as a toddler. The same eyes that used to look to her for answers when he was a baby trying figure out why she was taking soooo long to get that baby food jar open!

He looked a little older, but still the same somehow.

What a day it had been, Sandi thought. Just the two of them sharing a bond. Something that just they did together.

As they neared the house, Jack said "Thanks for taking me Mom!"

"No problem little man. I'm so, so proud of you!" she responded.

And with that, they day drew to a close and Sandi thought to herself: "Damn! I thought I just might beat him!"

Editor's Note: Jack and Sandi Sollauer will be running in the 2009 Rochester Road Race.

By Mark Sollauer of Rochester

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09:01:22 am ORR School Committee Chairman to Step Down

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

At the July 13, 2009 meeting of the Old Rochester School Committee, the School Committee Chairman, Robert Nectow of Marion, announced to the School Committee members and the school’s administrative staffers that he was submitting his resignation from the School Committee effective September 30. Citing increasing pressures from his professional commitments, Mr. Nectow indicated that it has become increasingly difficult to devote the time required to fulfill his School Committee responsibilities.
“It has been an honor to represent the Town of Marion for the past five and a half years on the School Committee. For the past four, I have been given the great honor of being the Chair and working with eight professionals who have been focused on providing the best educational experience available within our means. It has been through our collaborative approach with all three towns that we have improved the overall experience for all who have entered the doors at the Junior and Senior High Schools.
I have selected this date so the Committee can plan appropriately during its annual re-organization and so the Town of Marion can start a search for a new representative.”
ORR Superintendent, Bill Cooper, thanked Mr. Nectow for his outstanding leadership of the School District during the past four years and for his generous contribution of civic service to the Tri Town region.

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09:35:58 pm The Finest Hour at Plumb Library

Categories: Rochester

Michael Tougias, co-author of The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue, will be presenting a slideshow on a 1952 Coast Guard rescue off the coast of Cape Cod at Plumb Library on July 28. The slideshow details the harrowing rescue of the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, two oil tankers that, in a seemingly impossible coincidence, both split in half during a vicious nor'easter. 84 men were trapped in the bows and sterns of the two fatally wounded ships, and there was little hope for rescue. What ensued was a dramatic rescue mission with 70 men surviving despite the odds.

Mr. Tougias, a Plymouth resident, describes the 1952 rescue as "ordinary guys who did the seemingly impossible." Not only was it incredible that two oil tankers should both be ripped apart simultaneously in such proximity to each other, but that so many men were rescued. The waves in this storm were larger than the Coast Guard rescue ships; some of the eyewitnesses described the successful rescue as being guided by "divine intervention."

Mr. Tougias collaborated with author Casey Sherman to write this fast-paced chronicle of the 1952 disaster. After four years of research that included poring over Coast Guard documents, interviewing survivors, and reading eyewitness accounts, Mr. Tougias and Mr. Sherman took a year to write the book based on their exhaustive research.

Customer reviews of The Finest Hours on Amazon.com are favorable; the book has achieved the coveted five-star rating and gathered thirteen glowing reviews from readers who "couldn't put the book down." Tougias says that the book is popular because it shows a group of average people doing the extraordinary. The story of the 1952 rescue mission appeals to readers because it is a tale of survival, grit, and camaraderie.

Although the story has not yet been picked up by Hollywood, Mr. Tougias remains hopeful that this tale will someday see the silver screen, especially with Plymouth Rock studios slated to open in 2010.

At the slideshow presentation, Mr. Tougias will tell the gripping story of the fated ships, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer through pictures, and will detail the heroic efforts that brought such a favorable ending to the catastrophe. Join Mr. Tougias and enjoy his fascinating presentation at the Plumb Library on July 28 at 6:30 pm.

By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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09:35:41 pm Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - July 20, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectman was called to order on July 20, at 6:57 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Naida Parker, Selectman Bradford N. Morse, and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera. The board started the meeting by hearing and approving the minutes of the July 6 meeting and executive sessions. Since there were no people scheduled to speak, the Board continued onto the correspondence section of the meeting.

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has proposed an optional local tax of .75% on meals, with the funds staying in the communities choosing to accept the tax. For Rochester, the approval of such a tax would amount to approximately $11,000 yearly, and the tax would have to be implemented by August 31. Selectman Parker said that she did not support the tax since it would not create sizable revenue in a town like Rochester where the restaurant and hotel industry is small. Selectman Nunes said that the tax would only be worthwhile if a larger restaurant or hotel came to Rochester. No motion was made.

SEMASS made a payment of $283,130 in lieu of taxes for the month of June. Mr. LaCamera announced that the moratorium on building new waste energy facilities is finally being lifted. Selectman Morse commented that methane exuded from regular landfills is contributing to global warming, and Chairman Nunes agreed, saying that the moratorium lift will be "good news."

The topic of the meeting shifted to state-wide cut-backs, and Mr. LaCamera announced that Rochester would not be seeing any of the stimulus package money. Mr. LaCamera met with Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray recently to discuss the allocation of stimulus package money, saying his "shovel was ready" to deal with Lt. Governor Murray's response. In the end, towns with a population under 35,000 will not be seeing much from the stimulus package. Rochester will not receive any stimulus help for roads, the town hall, or the library.

Mr. LaCamera used the state cut segue to discuss a meeting that he and other town administrators will be attending in Worcester regarding regionalization. Chairman Nunes noted that many budget-strapped communities are turning to regionalization to ease financial burdens. Mr. LaCamera responded that Rochester has already done quite a bit to ease tax-payer burden by regionalizing town accountants, recycling services, animal control, and veteran services. Chairman Nunes hoped that the town could regionalize even more, if needed. Selectman Parker commented that it is easier to share personnel than to share location.

The Board moved onto the correspondence that stated ORR's recent audit showed a $30,144 deficit. Mr. LaCamera said that Superintendent Dr. William Cooper was keeping a close eye on the budget and was "doing a great job," expressing further that "no one is being laid-off or anything."

The Board then discussed the addition that is planned for Rochester Memorial School. The addition will be a "green project," meaning that it will be designed with ecological living in mind. Selectman Parker asked if the project would include solar panels, but Mr. LaCamera stated that solar panels are too expensive in an ideal economy and will not be included in the final project. The addition will provide 16 new classrooms. This project will be discussed at the planned fall town meeting.

The Board of Selectmen's meeting was adjourned by Chairman Nunes at 7:33 pm.

By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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12:33:50 am Plane Crashes into Rochester Cranberry Bog

Categories: Rochester

A small, single-engine plane crashed into a Rochester cranberry bog on Dexter Lane on Sunday at approximately 1:00 pm. The pilot and the three passengers emerged from the accident with only minor injuries.
Despite the rough landing, the plane is mostly intact and was removed from the scene. The FAA is investigating the scene and interviewing witnesses.
By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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04:27:45 pm Found Cat

Categories: Rochester

Rochester Animal Control has found a grey short hair domestic cat in the 100 block of Braley Hill Road. Inquiries can be directed to 508-763-5112.

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08:13:41 pm Plane Crashes into Rochester Cranberry Bog

Categories: News, Rochester

A small, single-engine plane crashed into a Rochester cranberry bog on Dexter Lane on Sunday at approximately 1:00 pm. The pilot and the three passengers emerged from the accident with only minor injuries.
Despite the rough landing, the plane is mostly intact and was removed from the scene. The FAA is investigating the scene and interviewing witnesses.
By Anne O'Brien-Kakley

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02:26:19 pm Rochester Man Arraigned on Charges of Animal Cruelty

Categories: Rochester

An MBTA Transit Police K-9 officer Antonio Carneiro is facing charges of animal cruelty after his family dog allegedly starved to death at his home in Rochester.

Mr. Carneiro was arraigned in Wareham District Court yesterday for the felony charge, has been removed from the K-9 team, and has been suspended from the force with pay.

The 3-year-old dog, Nitro, was found by Rochester police in an outdoor cage on January 19. He had died of starvation.

Mr. Carneiro is due back in court on August 17.

Anne O'Brien-Kakley

anne@wanderer.com

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12:23:48 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - July 6, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday July 6, 2009 at 6:55 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectmen Bradford N. Morse and Naida Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere.

The first item on the agenda was the minutes from June 22, both regular and executive sessions, which were approved.

Next, with quite a bustling crowd waiting, the new interim Fire Chief, Scott Weigel, was sworn in by Selectman Parker. Mr. Weigel will take the place of Scott Ashworth, who has recently and suddenly decided to retire after fifteen years as the Fire Chief in Rochester, with thirty-seven years as a valued member of the Fire Department.

Mr. Weigel happily shook hands with Selectman Parker, Chairman Nunes wished him "good luck" and the room burst into applause. Moments later, the crowd vanished out the door.

The meeting however, still had some other issues to address. A letter from Mr. Ashworth, the now retired Fire Chief, requested that the ownership of fire apparatus 199 be transferred to a non-profit organization in South Carolina. As the 199 has been replaced with a new fire truck, and is no longer used by the Town of Rochester, the Selectmen agreed that the title be transferred.

More correspondence from Mr. Ashworth was a letter informing the Selectmen about his choice to retire. The Selectmen agreed that Mr. Ashworth's years of hard work should be acknowledged, and decided to draft a letter to show their appreciation.

A letter from Comcast, with updates was briefly noted, and a meeting of the Council of SEMASS communities, scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2009 from 10:00 am to noon at the John Carver Inn in Plymouth was discussed. Mr. LaCamera agreed to attend.

Two members of the Water Committee discussed with the Selectmen the options for water in the Town of Rochester. A new plan needs to be put in place before 2010. Ultimately, it was decided that Mr. LaCamera could open up conversation with New Bedford about their water plan and see if an agreement could be arranged between their city and the Town of Rochester. Other options were discussed as well and will continue to be before a final plan is made.

A letter from Sharon Hartley about the search for a new Superintendent was acknowledged.

The Master Plan was then discussed and the action tasks read aloud by Chairman Nunes. There were no immediate conflicts or discrepancies, and the Selectmen agreed to move forward with the Plan as is.

Selectmen's Meetings are scheduled for July 20, and August 3 and 17.

There being no further matters in need of discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 7:42pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:23:26 am Chief Ashworth Retires in Rochester

Categories: Rochester

Completing the trifecta of Fire Chief retirements in the tri-town, Chief Scott Ashworth of the Rochester Fire Department has officially retired. Earlier this year Chief Ronald Scott of Mattapoisett retired, and in May Fire Chief Richard Guerzoni of Marion retired from his position.

Ashworth was forced to retire after 37 years of service by new pension requirements that would have caused a drop in his future pension levels if he were to stay employed by the Rochester Fire Department. Ashworth said that he, "would have liked to make the departure on my terms, but once you take the emotion out of the decision it's the right thing to do."

It is expected that the Selectmen will announce their plans for the position and hiring a replacement at their next regular meeting.

When asked about his plans for retirement he said that he had already hung up the 'gone fishing" sign but, "I'll be around and in contact, I want to make the transition as smooth as possible for the department and next Chief. I wanted to stay a few more years, we have been working on purchasing a new engine that I wanted to see through."

Chief Ashworth said that leaving the department is difficult and emotional. "The town has been good to me, and I know they appreciate my service and that of the department, and I'm sure that will continue well into the future."

By Paul Lopes

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10:22:19 am Chief Ashworth Retires from Rochester Fire Department

Categories: Rochester

Completing the trifecta of Fire Chief retirements in the tri-town, Chief Scott Ashworth of the Rochester Fire Department has officially retired. Earlier this year Chief Ronald Scott of Mattapoisett retired and in May Fire Chief Richard Guerzoni of Marion retired from his position.

Ashworth was forced to retire after 37 years of service by new pension requirements that would have caused a drop in his future pension levels if he were to stay employed by the Rochester Fire Department. Ashworth said that he, "would have liked to make the departure on my terms, but once you take the emotion out of the decision it's the right thing to do."

It is expected that the Selectmen will announce their plans for the position and hiring a replacement at their next regular meeting.

When asked about his plans for retirement he said that he had already hung up the 'gone fishing" sign but, "I'll be around and in contact, I want to make the transition as smooth as possible for the department and next Chief. I wanted to stay a few more years, we have been working on purchasing a new engine that I wanted to see through."

Chief Ashworth said that leaving the department is difficult and emotional. "The town has been good to me and I know they appreciate my service and that of the department and I'm sure that will continue well into the future."

By Paul Lopes

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12:21:14 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - June 22, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A regular meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order by Chairman Richard Nunes at 7:00 pm on Monday, June 22, 2009 at the Rochester Town Hall. Also in attendance were Selectmen Brad Morse and Naida Parker and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera. The Board approved the minutes of the June 15 meeting and its executive session.

The Board has a tentative agreement with the Rochester Police Department, as the Police Department Brotherhood will be voting on the Selectman's proposed three-year contract on the Police Department's upcoming June 25 meeting. The Board approved of Bruce Taylor being named to the Soil Commission.

The Board was unanimously in favor of not supporting a bill that would go to the state legislature that would add a five cent return on bottles such as water bottles, sports drink bottles, and ice tea to name a few. Selectman Morse said that for those who simply recycle the bottles, not return them to places where they can be redeemed, will be further punished by paying an additional five cents on each bottle or can. Though the town government does not support the bill, it still has a chance to go further in the state legislature.

Rochester Memorial School's Third Grade Energy Patrol has asked the town to keep track of its energy bills since the start of their program. Their program includes cutting down on energy used at the school by shutting off lights when not in use and simple ways for the school to be more "green." The town noted that over $300 has been saved in less than a year and all three members of the Board commended the Energy Patrol for their efforts.

In the Town Administrator's Report, Mr. LaCamera stated that the town will be getting $220,000 over a two-year period in stimulus money. Mr. LaCamera brought up the topic of the $28,000 deficit in the Rochester Memorial School lunch program. He admitted that "this is true," but the reason why this occurred is that the Town of Rochester had not received a check for reimbursement from the state. Mr. LaCamera also spoke about a meeting that he had gone to that morning about "different topics of regionalization." "Many people asked what we have done here [in Rochester] and I listened to a lot of what other people had to say about what has been done in other towns," said Mr. LaCamera.

The Plymouth County Sherriff's Office is going to be taken over by the state. Mr. LaCamera stated that when this happens, he wonders how many people who currently work for the Office are going to be carried over into the state-run organization and if the state is going to be taking with them the pension liabilities that it will entail. The second concern he has is the health-care coverage that will be involved now.

There being no further matters to come before the board,the meeting was adjourned at 8:02 pm by Chairman Nunes.

By Adam Silva

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12:43:23 am Rochester to Meet Bi-Weekly

Categories: Rochester

Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - June 16, 2009

A regular meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order by Chairman Richard Nunes at 7:00 pm on Monday, June 15, 2009. Also in attendance were Selectmen Brad Morse and Naida Parker. The Board approved the minutes of the June 8, 2009 meeting.

The Selectmen each signed documents approving five Rochester residents to positions. Bunny Moglinicki was appointed to the Rochester Cultural Council and Karyn Silva, Elaine Orcutt, Adam Wainwright and Joanne Brunette were appointed to the position of Certified Weighers at SeMass. The Board signed documents allowing Gary Curren, of 5 Randall Road, Rochester, "for the keeping, storage, manufacturing and sale of one above-ground 2,000 gallon diesel tank and one below-ground 4,000 gallon gasoline tank." The Board also signed documents allowing Outdoor World Campground, of 90 Stevens Road, Rochester, an automatic amusement device license for 25 machines.

SeaMass paid the town in lieu of taxes for the month of May 2009 $293,955. Selectman Morse brought forth the motion for the Board of Selectmen to meet every other week as opposed to weekly, which has been the case since Selectman Parker has been elected. Selectman Morse said "I do not see the point in meeting every week for fifteen minutes with very little on the agenda." Selectman Nunes seconded the motion and although Selectman Parker voted against the change, it passed. The decision for the Board to meet again on a weekly basis will be discussed again at the beginning of the fall.

Selectman Parker put forth the motion for the part-time Town Building Inspector to open his office for a few hours each week to the public. It was not approved by Selectmen Nunes and Morse, due to their arguments that it would not be beneficial due to the town's most likely lack of interest.

At 7:21 pm, the Board of Selectmen took a five-minute Executive Session, as they waited for their 7:30 appointment to arrive. They reconvened at 7:28 pm and appointed Peter Armanetti to the Rochester Finance Committee. The appointing of Mr. Armanetti was put forth by Rochester Town Moderator Woody Hartley. The Finance Committee met with the Board directly after the appointing of Mr. Armanetti and transferred $21,831 to the Town's Annual Budget of 2009 from other town funds. The state allows this transferring upon the agreement of both the Board and the Finance Committee. This type of transferring was approved at the Annual Town Meeting.

There being no further matters to come before the board, Selectman Nunes adjourned the meeting at 7:47 pm. As the Board will no longer meet on a weekly basis, the next Rochester Board of Selectmen Meeting will take place on Monday, June 29, 2009.

By Adam Silva

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12:42:53 am Mailbox Baseball - Rochester Vandalism Trend

Categories: Rochester

So far in the month of June, thirteen acts of vandalism have been reported in Rochester, according to Rochester Police reports. Rochester Police Chief Paul Magee reported at least five of the reported acts of vandalism have been the destroying of mailboxes.

"I don't care much for these mailbox crimes," said Chief Magee. "It costs at least $20 or $30 for people to repair, let alone the post. It most likely is kids late at night driving around with baseball bats hanging out of car windows. It's starting to get warmer out and school will be letting out soon."

Other acts of vandalism include cars being driven onto a lawn, destroying materials on a cranberry bog and keying cars at Old Colony High School. Chief Magee believes that other than the destruction of mailboxes, most of the events have been isolated incidents that have nothing to do with one another. He believes that the keying at Old Colony was a result of two students previously arguing with each other.

Certain streets have been repeatedly targeted. Three of the mailbox issues have been on Snipatuit Road. Walnut Plain Road and High Street have each had two counts as well.

"I can't stress enough the need for people to report these incidents as quickly as possible," said Chief Magee. "If you witness it happening at night, please report it immediately, not the next day. Waiting a day makes it much harder to develop a pattern and to send Officers out to investigate. We want everyone to be safe and events like these not to happen."

The Rochester Police non-emergency phone number is (508) 763-5112.

By Adam Silva

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12:20:58 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - June 8, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday June 8, 2009 at 6:40 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant Veronica Lafreniere.

A license, granted to Ernest J. Davoll, stating that the building located at 238 Alley Rd. is under the strict compliance of the laws regarding explosives and inflammable fluids, was approved by the Board of Selectmen.

Randal P. Cabral was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Town of Rochester, term to expire April 30, 2014.

There was one Meeting Notice, regarding the ORR School District's search for a new Superintendent of Schools.

A 2% increase for on-call Firefighters and EMT's was granted.

A letter was received from James A. Aloisi regarding the Rochester Council on Aging, which has been selected to receive a Mobility Assistance Program grant from the Executive Office of Transportation and public works. The amount of the grant is $39,912.00. The grant money will be used to provide eighty percent of the cost of one eight passenger, single rear wheel Type E vehicle. This grant is in place to ensure a better standard of living for elderly and disabled people throughout Massachusetts.

Other grants awarded to the Town of Rochester over the past 6 months include; $43,000 for the Playground, $261,000 for the Fire Engine, $17,000 for Dispatch, $8,000 Planning Grant and $40,000 for the Council on Aging Grant for the Van.

The Town Hall will be closing at noon on Fridays beginning on July 10th.

There being no further matters in need of discussion, the meeting was adjourned before 7:00 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:03:43 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting -June 1, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday June 1, 2009 at 7:17 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Administrative Assistant, Veronica Lafreniere.

The first matter of business for the evening on the agenda was an appointment with Fred Underhill. Mr. Underhill spoke to the board about his concerns regarding the voting rights of the members of the Assawompset Pond Complex (APC). APC was created in 2002 in order to establish a management team for the 4,000 acres of Assawompset Pond, which stretches through a number of towns, including Rochester. This management team decides upon such things as water protection and public access. Unfortunately, both the towns of Rochester and Freetown aren't able to vote unless something directly concerns the land within those two towns, which means that the people of these two towns rarely get a chance to vote. Mr. Underhill has requested that the Selectmen consider this issue.

Selectmen Morse made a motion to draft a letter in support of Mr. Underhill's proposal. The motion passed.

Mr. Underhill had one more point to make before leaving; he wanted to mention something said at Town Meeting, where a certain individual took credit for bringing SEMASS to the Town of Rochester. Mr. Underhill felt this claim was unfair, since many individuals helped in this effort.

Next the minutes from May 18, 2009 were approved.

Selectmen's Signatures followed, with a request to appoint Cynthia Underhill for a position with the Historical Commission. The Selectmen all voted in favor.

Next, a letter from the Cultural Council stated that Rosalind Braza would be resigning, and Leslie Piper provided a letter of interest in the position. The Selectmen voted to appoint Ms. Piper for the position, and they spoke of their appreciation for the job that Ms. Braza has done.

Sippican Rod and Gun club requested that a building permit fee be waived, and after slight discussion about the guidelines for waiving fees (as long as there is no inspector fee, it can be waived) the fee was waived.

Mr. LaCamera then spoke about the State budget. He had sent a letter to the State Representative regarding a bill which was recently passed having to do with health insurance, which was unclear.

A letter from FEMA, with updated flood maps which are now more accurate, was submitted to the board,

The last piece of correspondence came from Old Colony Regional Voc-Tech stating that their Commencement will be on June 7, 2009.

During the Town Administrator's report, Mr. LaCamera mentioned his involvement with UMass Dartmouth's internship search, where local towns were asked to think about potential projects they may be able to offer.

The Circus at Plum Corner, which is coming up this month, asked to have the $25.00 tent fee waived, which the Selectmen agreed to do.

A re-zoning issue was briefly mentioned by Selectman Parker, regarding a proposal to re-zone a part of Marion Rd. This issue was deemed to be more of a Planning Board issue, and was sent on to them.

There being no further matters in need of discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 7:48 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:03:37 am Dexter Lane Playground Open for Business

Categories: Rochester

The people of Rochester threw themselves a well deserved party on Sunday afternoon, May 31 as several hundred residents were on hand to mark the official opening of the Dexter Lane Community Playground. The party, complete with a cookout, a magician and a DJ spinning tunes was a much earned pat on the back for all of the many residents and groups who donated their time and money to bring the new playground to life. The playground is the realization of many years of hard work and it gives the Dexter Lane Park a much needed facility for young children to enjoy while their older sibling participate in sports on one of the park's many fields.

It was the recognition of this need by two Rochester women, Deb Martin and Diane Nunes, in 2005 that eventually led to the playground's opening this past weekend. Along the way dozens, if not hundreds, of Rochester residents became involved in helping to turn their dream into a reality. After countless fundraisers including spaghetti dinners, raffles, and an old fashioned drive-in movie night at the park last summer, the many volunteers who helped to bring this project to light left no stone unturned as they raised over $60,000 to help fund the project.

Sunday's event was led by Rochester Memorial School fourth grade teacher Craig Davignon who, along with the help of his classes over the past two years, was instrumental in helping to gather the final pieces of the funding effort together. Mr. Davignon graciously handed out thanks in the form of plaques, certificates and apple trees to all of the groups and individuals who helped with the project over the years. Among the groups who were awarded were the Rochester Board of Selectmen, The Rochester Lions Club and Leos, and SEMASS Covanta. Special recognition was given to Deb Martin and Diane Nunes for not just having the vision of creating the playground but for also having the fortitude to keep the idea alive and see the project through to its completion.

Each of Mr. Davignon's fourth grade students from the past two years was given a certificate in recognition that it was their enthusiasm for the project that created a windfall of goodwill, money and help from those with the power to move the playground from a dream, to a design on the drawing board, to an actual place they could enjoy. The children were also responsible for choosing many of the elements that can now be found at the Dexter Lane Community Playground.

While Mr. Davignon was busy making certain that each person who had a hand in bringing this wonderful new spot to life, he humbly deferred much of the recognition away from one of the people most responsible for making the project a success, himself. From 2005 until 2007 the project moved along at a steady rate and seemed as though it was, perhaps, at least five years away from bearing fruit. With his involvement the project became a full fledged crusade within the community with money coming in the form of grants, state aid and from donations made by local businesses and individuals. The total amount raised for the project ended up being more than double the original estimate of what would be needed and was so great that the inclusion of a basketball court was added to the design.

With his students at his side for the opening ceremony, Mr. Davignon may have received the greatest reward of the day. As he and his students cut the ribbons on both the playground and the basketball court dozens of children flooded their new playground with screams of approval giving Mr. Davignon and his students the assurance that all of their hard work would be enjoyed by many for years and years to come.

By Robert Chiarito

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12:02:44 am Rochester Council on Aging Recognizes Efforts

Categories: Rochester

Volunteers at the Rochester Council on Aging (CoA) were shown their appreciation as a party was held in their honor on Friday, May 29 at the Rochester Senior Center, located at 66 Dexter Lane, Rochester. The third-annual luncheon was for the 138 Rochester CoA volunteers, took place from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm and was catered by Riccardi's. The event was dedicated to "The loving memory of Al Alderson and Marie McCarthy."

"We have such a wide variety of the types of volunteers," explained Sharon Lally, Director of the Rochester Council on Aging. "Some people help once or twice a year, others help monthly, weekly and a few help almost daily. Some help in the kitchen preparing meals, others help with our monthly Serve program on Saturdays. Some people go out of their way by visiting the homebound and frail. Others help by being office workers, teachers, tutors and volunteers who help with our monthly newsletter; it's almost endless. Once a year, this is our way of giving back to everyone who has helped us and continues to help us. We cannot thank them enough."

The event's entertainment was provided by the Rochester-based band, The Relics. The Relics feature Andy LaBoa on drums and vocals, Kenny Daggett on guitar and vocals and Wayne Kilanowich on bass. The jazz-rock trio had several volunteers dancing to tunes such as "Kansas City (Here I Come)," "Margaritaville" and "Love Potion #9." The entertainment was made possible by a grant from the Rochester Cultural Council.

Hors d'oeuvres were served, and The Relics began performing at 11:30 am, and the buffet luncheon was served at noon. At 12:45 pm, invited guests, such as Rochester Selectman Bradley Morse spoke in praise of the CoA. At 12:55 pm, volunteer certificates and gifts were handed out and Karen Morse was given special recognition. The Relics performed again from 1:15 pm until 2:00.

By Adam Silva

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06:29:37 pm Buzzards Bay Guardian Award

Categories: Rochester

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay held its 21st Annual Meeting in Falmouth at historic Highfield Hall last Thursday. The event drew a full house to hear the presentation of the Buzzards Bay Guardian Awards, Coalition President Mark Rasmussen deliver the annual report, and keynote speaker author Eric Jay Dolin speak about the extraordinary cleanup of Boston Harbor.

The Buzzards Bay Guardian Awards are the highest honor granted by the Coalition for demonstrating outstanding service in the clean-up, restoration or protection of the Bay, and this year, the Coalition presented one of the awards to one of the region's leading wetlands professional, open space advocate and Rochester Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon.

Laurell's efforts have led to the protection of thousands of acres of watershed forests, farms and wetlands in Rochester and Acushnet over the past decade. Last year, she was successful in getting town meeting approval for an amendment to the Rochester wetlands bylaw requiring a no-build zone around the town's wetlands. Rochester is now one of only four other towns that require this setback.

For the second consecutive year, each of the three recipients received a beautifully hand-carved Bay scallop sculpted from Cuttyhunk Island driftwood by New Bedford artist John Magnan.

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04:26:30 pm Rochester Break-In Alert

Categories: Rochester

The Rochester Police Department is warning residents about a recent rash of housebreaks in town. The department investigated one housebreak in March, two in April, and so far, five in the month of May.

The house break-ins have been spread around town with thefts occurring on Neck Road, North Avenue, Snipatuit Road, Clapp Road, Mary's Pond Road, and three on Alley Road. All have taken place on weekdays and most have happened mid-to-late morning. The thieves have been primarily targeting jewelry, laptop computers, and cash during the thefts. While there are no firm suspects at this time, police are following up on some leads.

Rochester Police and five other communities will be meeting early this week to compare cases and look at suspects. In the mean time, police are asking for the public to help by reporting suspicious persons and vehicles immediately and to keep an extra eye out.

Police offer the following prevention tips:

* Lock all doors and windows when leaving the house, even for a short while.

* Keep large sums of cash in banks and expensive jewelries in safe deposit boxes.

* Do not hide keys outside the house.

* Don't allow items such as newspapers and mail to accumulate outside your home.

* Do not leave notes telling that you are away from home.

* Leave a television or radio on to give an "at home" appearance.

* Change all door locks when keys are lost or stolen.

* Consider installing a security alarm system and make sure you activate it.

* Ask your nearest relatives or neighbors to keep an eye on your house.

* Report anything or anyone that is suspicious to police immediately.

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09:48:55 pm Rochester Wraps Up in One Night

Categories: Rochester

Rochester Annual Town Meeting - May 18, 2009

Rochester's Annual Town Meeting was called to order by Town Moderator Greenwood Hartley, III, at 7:00 pm, Monday May 18, 2009. Also present were Selectman Richard Nunes, Selectman and Town Clerk Naida L. Parker, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera, Town Accountant Suzanne Szyndlar, Town Counsel Blair Bailey and three members of the Finance Committee.

Town Moderator Greenwood Hartley, III, introduced the meeting and asked for a moment of silence to honor veterans.

Next the School committee recognized Mr. Vincent Ryan by awarding him a certificate for having served on the High School committee for thirty-seven years and as Chairperson for a number of those years.

The Scholarship committee then presented scholarships to two young women recipients.

Next, Fire Chief Scott A. Ashworth, Police Chief Paul H. Magee and Highway Surveyor Jeffrey Eldridge were recognized for their tremendous work in keeping the Town safe.

The Regular Town Meeting then began and Selectman Nunes asked for a number of people to be allowed to speak, which included Town Administrator Richard LaCamera, Town Counsel Blair Bailey, Town Planner Randall Kunz and Superintendent of Schools William Cooper. This motion was passed.

Article 1, the Annual Report of Town Officers and Committees asked the Town to accept their annual report, or take any other action thereon. This article passed unanimously.

Mr. LaCamara then presented the budget, explaining that it had been lowered for 2009. For 2010 and 2011 it will be conservative as well. Mr. LaCamera explained that the Town of Rochester is financially stable at this time. Not all free cash is being used; some is being carried over to fiscal year 2010. The school is receiving funding and the lowest amount of State aid is being used at this point.

Article 2, Elected Officials' salaries, asked the Town to vote to fix the salaries of the elected officials of the Town for the Fiscal Year 2010.

The Finance committee requested another member; they are in need of a fifth member for their board. They explained that they didn't recommend some of the items-because the night of the votes there weren't enough members present to take a vote. Thanks were given to Mr. LaCamera for all of his assistance.

Article 2 passed with a unanimous vote.

Article 3, Personnel By-Law Amendment-Classification and Compensation Plan, which asked the Town to vote to amend Part IV, passed unanimously.

Article 4, Town of Rochester FY 2010 Operating Budget, asked the Town to vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds ------a sum of money to defray Town charges and expenses for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2010.

Line items were read and all which were not in question were approved by a unanimous vote.

The line items in question included number 141, which a Member of the Board of Assessors wished to amend to include overtime for the Assessment Administrator, who has always had overtime in the past. This would mean adding $1800.00 to the overtime account.

Mr. LaCamera commented that all overtime had been eliminated except that which is absolutely necessary.

The amendment lost by majority and the majority voted in favor of original.

The next line item in question was number 241 which concerned the Building Inspector's overtime. Selectman Nunes amended this by striking out the overtime line. Majority voted and number 241 was amended.

Article 5, Natural Resource Expenses, asked the Town to support Environmental and Natural Resources Expenses, and the majority voted in favor.

Article 6, Human Services, asked the Town to support funding Human Services for the Fiscal Year 2010. Article 6 received a unanimous vote in favor.

Article 7, Departmental Revolving Funds Authorization, asked the Town to vote to authorize revolving funds for certain town departments under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44 Section 53E 1/2 for the Fiscal Year Fiscal Year 2010.

A question came from the floor. "Where is the money coming from? Is it in budget already?"

Mr. LaCamera responded that revolving accounts could include fees and grants and reassured that no funds were appropriated from the Town.

Article 7 received a unanimous vote in favor.

Article 8, Personal Property Tax Exemption for Farm Animals and Equipment, asked the Town to vote to accept the provisions of Section 2 of Chapter 310 of the Acts of 2008, and allow an exemption from personal property tax for farm animals and farm equipment used exclusively for agricultural production.

Selectman Nunes moved to withdraw the article and was seconded by Selectman Parker.

Article 8 was withdrawn unanimously.

Article 9, Tax Interest and Payment, asked the Town to vote to accept the provisions of G.L. c. 59, Section 57B, regarding the accrual of interest and payment of tax bills not in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00), and passed unanimously.

Article 10: Tax Demand Charges, asked the Town to vote to allow the Tax Collector to increase the demand fees associated with the collection of delinquent taxes from five dollars ($5.00) to ten dollars ($10.00) as authorized under G.L. c. 60, S 15, and received a majority vote in favor.

Article 11, Acceptance of G.L. Chapter 32B, Section 18, which require that all retirees, their spouses and dependents who are enrolled in Medicare Part A at no cost to a retiree, their spouse or dependents, or eligible for coverage thereunder at no cost to a retiree, their spouse or dependents, be required to enroll in a Medicare health benefits supplement plan offered by the Town, and received a unanimous vote in favor.

Article 12, Purchase of a Fire Truck, which required a two-thirds vote passed unanimously after description of the old trucks it will be replacing.

Article 13, Chapter 90 Funds Appropriation asked the Town to vote to appropriate the sum of $230,218 from the proceeds due to the Town under the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90; for the purposes of repair, construction, maintenance and preservation of the Town roads and bridges and other related costs which qualify under the State Aid Highway Guidelines adopted by the

Massachusetts Highway Authority and received a unanimous vote in favor.

Article 14, Board of Selectmen's Membership, which asked the Town to increase the number of Selectmen from three to five, lost significantly after much discussion.

Article 15, Acceptance of Bryant Lane and Article 16, Acceptance of Cromwell Lane, both approved by the Highway Surveyor, passed unanimously.

Article 17, Amendment to By-Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Dogs, passed unanimously.

Article 18, By-Law Amendment, Section IV, passed with a majority vote after a slight amendment was made to change the wording in section C2 from curb cuts to driveways.

Article 19, By-Law Amendment, Section V, passed unanimously.

Article 20, By-Law Amendment, Section VI, with a slight addition to section D to protected people's existing rights in the Town, passed with a majority vote.

Article 21, Definitions, after the Planning board recommended the article as is, passed unanimously.

Article 22, By-Law Amendment, Section VIII, with only a slight amendment to the last sentence was voted for unanimously.

There being no further matters in need of discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 9:14 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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09:48:09 pm Rochester Artist in NYC Show

Categories: Rochester

For Rochester artist Katherine Hanson, working in her studio often means driving to New York City where she also lives. A life that one day has her painting on her dock on Snipatuit Pond and another day painting in her Greenwich Village studio is the best of both worlds to this pastel artist of colorful contemporary botanical paintings.

Her large-scale paintings of flowers and other botanical wonders are included in a show this month called "12 Over 502" that celebrates artists over 50 who have lived and worked in New York City. Sponsored by The Caring Community, the show runs from May 14 to 29 at their building at 20 Washington Square North. This former elementary school is one of the few remaining townhouses that face Washington Square, site of thousands of art and music events since the 1960s.

"I love to capture the beauty and color of things we often overlook, whether it is because we're too busy rushing down the street or because we just don't take the time to see," she says, explaining her paintings which have been described as giving little things--flowers, leaves, fruit, copper pots, or even marbles--a momentous quality. "It's fun to take things out of their ordinary setting and really look at them up close. The layers of color, the play of light, the abstract designs you don't usually see are all there; you begin to see the underlying design of nature in everything. I try to capture the meditation on the comforting peacefulness of this underlying design and celebrate the joy it brings--whether it's in the flowers growing in my garden in Rochester, the plants on the corner of the street in the Village, or the sea grapes in the Caribbean."

When in Rochester, she and her husband live at the end of a private almost 2 mile-long dirt road that befuddles delivery trucks and visitors. "It seems like you're driving into nowhere when you go down the road," she said, "but there we are, tucked into a cove on Snipatuit Pond, with the blue herons, the otters, and of course the geese, which make it noisier at night than living on Bleeker Street."

New York is a different picture, although she claims that Greenwich Village is quiet and "you can cross the street almost without having to look at traffic." "I get to have the best museums and galleries in the world as my playground; I get to meet the most interesting people -- it all energizes my work and my life," she says.

She has shown her work in New York and locally for several years, after beginning a second career as an artist and writer. Her work also has been juried into such national shows as the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod's "For Pastels Only", the Cape Cod Art Association's Annual National Show, and the Appalachian Pastel Painters Show.

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12:55:08 am Four Teachers to Retire

Categories: Rochester

Rochester Selectmen's MeetingMay 11, 2009

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday May 11, 2009 at 7:00 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

The minutes from May 4, 2009 were approved.

To begin the meeting there was a brief review of some of the warrants for Town Meeting. Warrants 15 and 16, which have to do with the acceptance of both Bryant Lane and Cromwell Lane, were considered. The highway surveyor and the Planning Board have reviewed the proposal, and aside from some minor clean-up have given their approval. The Board of Selectmen accepted the warrant as well.

Mr. LaCamera informed the Board that four teachers from Rochester Memorial School will be retiring, and all four citations were signed by the Board members. A ceremony will be held celebrating their many years with the school on June 9, 2009 at 2:00 pm at the Rochester Memorial School.

Mr. LaCamera also spoke about the Rochester Memorial School building project which is underway, and a funding agreement is currently being assessed.

Under the Selectmen's Signatures section of the agenda, the Flammable Fluids Permit: Fiberglass Specialties for Max Lawrence was approved. Also approved were Elizabeth Florindo, Council on Aging Appointment, term to expire June 1, 2009, and Mary Bessey,COA appointment, term to expire April 30, 2012.

There was no correspondence to discuss this week.

Next Monday, May 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm Town Meeting will be held at the Rochester Memorial School.

There being no further matters in need of discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 7:18 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:54:34 am Fireworks Committee Still Needs Your Help

Categories: Rochester

The Marion Fireworks Committee still needs your help, and with the July 4th celebration of our nation's birthday less than seven weeks away, they need it now, according to Committee Chairman Christopher Collings in an interview on May 11, 2009 with The Wanderer. The Committee, which annually organizes and sponsors the Town's 4th of July fireworks display, relies "completely on donations from folks who enjoy the event every year," Mr. Collings said.

The display, which will take place on Friday, July 3 at Silver Shell Beach, comes during tough economic times, and Mr. Collings said that even after a strong campaign for contributions over the past several months, currently donations are only at about 50% of the amount necessary to put on the show, where in previous years, nearly all of the needed funds had been donated by this time in the year. "We have gained a little ground since early March," Mr. Collings said, "and we are still aware that these are tough economic times for everyone. But it still seems to us, as it has since we began this year's contribution campaign, that the Town wants and needs a great show to boost our patriotic pride, and to help restore confidence in our future, and pride in our past."

Mr. Collings said that the fireworks, which have no impact on the Town's budget and are funded solely from donations, will cost more than $45,000 this year. "The numbers are now firm, and we are sure, between the expected cost of the fireworks vendor that we select, and the other fixed costs such as police and fire department assistance for the event, that it will cost us $45,000, minimally," Mr. Collings said. "While we are in a much better position now than we were three months ago, we still have a good way to go to secure all of the needed funds. The Committee remains very hopeful that we will continue to receive generous donations, not only from Marion residents, but from any residents of the area, including Mattapoisett and Rochester, who come and enjoy the event each year." Marion's fireworks display is the only such event in the Tri-Town area.

Mr. Collings said that the Committee encourages local businesses to make contributions, not only as a way of increasing their goodwill among patrons, but as a way of simply saying "thank you" to the residents for their continued patronage over the past year. "Historically," Mr. Collings said, "we have received the bulk of our donations from Marion residents and businesses, and we are hopeful that a number of very generous people in the Town will come forward with substantial donations, but we are trying to expand our donation base to better reflect all of those who attend and enjoy the day on the Marion waterfront."

The event, which also features street vendors and musical entertainment, requires coordination with both the Police Department and the Harbormaster for safety officers as well as the use of a barge for launching the fireworks from the Town Harbor. While donations are always gratefully accepted at the event, Mr. Collings said that donations now will spell success for the occasion. "This year, our donations have been smaller than in previous years, and we understand that is because the economy overall is still in bad shape. But we also know that a great display and a fun event will be good medicine for everyone's spirits, and help to turn things around in the Town and the surrounding towns." A good turnout for the event each year benefits many businesses in Town, with increased business on that day, as well as return visits to patronize businesses later in the summer and into the fall.

Donations are accepted by means of personal checks, which should be made payable to "Town of Marion - Fireworks Fund", and can be mailed to the Town House, attention: Fireworks, 2 Spring Street, Marion, MA 02738, or dropped off in person. "Donations in any amount will help us, and we hope that we can increase the number of donors this year, to ensure a memorable display," Mr. Collings said.

By Ricky A. Pursley

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12:08:06 am Rochester Town Meeting Warrant Approved

Categories: Rochester

Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - May 4, 2009

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday May 4, 2009 at 7:00 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

The minutes from April 27, 2009, both regular and executive meetings, were approved by the Board.

The Selectmen's signatures were required for the Appointments dated May 4, 2009. Selectmen Parker offered to be the Selectmen's Representative for the Veteran's Council. This passed, as did the Flammable Fluids permits, also dated May 4, 2009.

Two members of the Board of Assessors attended the meeting with questions about the Town Meeting Warrant. They were concerned that the elected official's salaries had not increased the 2% that they should have. This was amended in the Town Warrant.

Another question had to do with their allotted overtime, which was set at zero, as were all the other department's overtime line items, except the Building Inspector's overtime, which was set at $500.00. After explaining that the budget has cut back extra expenses, Mr. LaCamera offered, "If you need to, ask for a transfer." He also stated that "there is no overtime." The Board of Assessors was directed by the Board of Selectmen to talk with the Finance Committee about the matter.

This issue prompted the Board of Selectmen to reconsider the necessity of the building inspector's overtime of $500.00, which they would like to amend to an amount of zero, with the Finance Committee's approval.

Lastly, the Board of Assessors brought up article 8 in the Town Warrant, the personal property tax exemption for farm animals and equipment article, which they had initially drafted, and in which their wording had been altered. The article also did not properly follow the Department of Revenue guidelines and was, therefore, withdrawn from the Town Warrant.

At 7:30 pm two members from the Finance Committee arrived to review the finances for the fiscal year 2010. With only two members present, the committee was unable to vote at the meeting; however, the full committee had already gone over the Town Warrant.

The overtime question was raised and agreed upon. Article 2 was approved, even with the slight changes from earlier in the meeting regarding the 2% increase. Generally, the Finance Committee representatives and the Board of Selectmen agreed on the articles.

Next, each article was voted on individually by the Board. Article 2 was approved as presented during this meeting. Articles 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were recommended as presented. Article 8 was withdrawn. Articles 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 were recommended as presented. No action was taken on article 14 yet. Articles 15, 16, and 17 were recommended as presented, and the rest were referred to the Planning Board.

Finally a letter from ORCTV was read aloud which detailed their commitment to covering the Tri-Town area's Selectmen's meetings, but which also raised their concern about Rochester deciding to hold weekly meetings. This presented a financial constraint for them, totaling an additional $1200.00 per year for which they had not budgeted. Nevertheless, ORCTV stated their willingness to work with the new meeting schedule. Selectman Parker suggested a letter of appreciation be sent in reply.

There being no further matters to come before the board, they unanimously voted to adjourn for the evening at 8:14 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:07:40 am Shakespeare's Alive - Tempest Lands in Rochester

Categories: Rochester

The May 1 production of The Tempest marked the 21st year that Rochester Memorial teacher Danni Kleiman has brought the works of William Shakespeare to the fifth and sixth graders of the school. Each January, 20 to 30 students are cast in works such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing,, The Merchant of Venice, The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, and Hamlet.

"This is the second time I've done The Tempest,," said Ms. Kleinman. "Every time I do a Shakespearean work, I try to add somenthing new and different to it. The sets and costumes are very different from last time. I tried to add more physical humor to it as well. I added lines back into the play that I took out before. We really added to the visual portion of the show with adding black lights and using the fog machine as well."

Ms. Kleiman was not alone in the creation of the play, as RMS teacher Jody Church designed and created the sets, and parent Kate Tarleton created and designed the costumes. RMS alumni from ORRJHS and ORRHS volunteer to direct the backstage action along with some of the RMS students. Members of the school staff, as well as parents and other community members, pitch in to help construct sets, help with makeup, and set up refreshments.

"A few things went wrong during the dress rehearsal, but I don't think that the audience noticed," said Ms. Kleiman. "Some of the actors flubbed a few lines, but they recovered really well. One of the characters knocked over a tree, but the character was supposed to be drunk, so it fit really well."

It seems that RMS students take their craft rather seriously. Years back, a sixth-grader was asked if he would like to audition for the television show, Zoom. He replied: "I can't do television; I'm a Shakespearean actor!"

By Adam Silva

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12:07:09 am Annual 3rd Grade Program at RMS

Categories: Rochester

The Rochester Historical Commission presented its annual Local History Program to the entire 3rd grade at Rochester Memorial School on the afternoon of April 17th. The students were each given a packet of information about the stations they visited and a coloring book about Rochester History, following the presentation. Fred Underhill presented information about Stillwater Furnace on Neck Road and Hartley Mill on Hartley Road as well as showing tools and talking about carpentry. Anna White told the students about early churches and how the clothes people wore and the food they ate in Early Rochester were different from today. Betty Beaulieu showed pictures and talked about the several elementary schools that were scattered around town. Henry Hartley had several artifacts from the local Native Americans, while Cindy Underhill had information about the early cranberry industry. Finally, Sue LaFleur had a display on Eastover Farms at its heyday as a gentleman farmer's paradise.

The students spent time at each station listening to each speaker's presentation and looking over the historical artifacts that were displayed to make history come alive. Their teachers had prepared them with information about Rochester, and the class has already visited Plimoth Plantation as part of their curriculum. All of the teachers at the RMS work diligently to make the students' education as relevant as possible, and programs such as these are able to bring resources into the school that might not be readily available to the students.

This program is presented in conjunction with the 3rd grade curriculum of RMS with the hope that the students will come to appreciate the history of their hometown. More information and artifacts from Rochester's early history can be seen at the Rochester Historical Society located on County Road. It is open to the public on Sunday afternoons during the summer. The Plumb Library also has a display of books and articles about the history of Rochester.

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11:50:47 pm Board Addresses Dog Issues in Rochester

Categories: Rochester

Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - April 27, 2009

A regular meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday, April 27, 2009 at 7:00 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford Morse, Selectman Naida Parker and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

The Board unanimously approved the last meeting's minutes. Selectman Morse noted that nothing was said at the last meeting about Selectman Parker also being the Town Clerk and the Board voted to add that to last meeting's minutes.

A special town meeting directly concerning the town's budget was scheduled to take place before the next town meeting, but Richard LaCamera suggested to the Board that the meeting is needless.

"Mr. Chairman, there is no reason to have this special town meeting," said Mr. LaCamera to Selectman Nunes. "After reviewing the budget from the fiscal year of 2009, we have been able to balance the budget with the reserve funds set aside."

The Board did not come to a full decision on whether or not the meeting will take place, but Selectman Parker reminded the Board that a warrant must be posted at least 14 days prior to the town meeting.

The town has been given a figure as to how much a new fire truck will cost. The truck alone is $418,000 and with the options they are planning on, it would cost $439,990. After the grants the town has in place, it will cost the town $178,744.

Doug and Paula Church, of 53 Marion Road, Rochester, came before the Board in regards to the status of their English bulldog, Pudgy. Chairman Nunes read an official statement of the reason for the hearing. Margaret Robinson and Rochester Dog Officer Estabrook were in attendance to testify in the hearing.

"Mr. and Mrs. Church: Please be advised the Board of Selectmen have received complaints that your dog has interfered with the quiet, peaceful enjoyment of others, which is under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 140, Section 157. Your hearing will be held at 7:15 tonight at Town Hall."

The police log from Rochester Police Officer Robert Small was as follows: "On April 10, 2009, I was dispatched to 53 Marion Road for a report of a female who had been attacked by a dog. Upon my arrival, I observed a woman sitting in a car on the side of the road. When I approached, I didn't see a dog in the area. I asked Ms. Robinson if she had been bitten and she showed me her leg and there were no injuries to her leg, but there was a tear in her pants and what looked like a smear of blood.

I asked what happened and she told me she had been walking down the road and a brindle-colored bulldog had launched from the embankment at the front of 53 Marion Road. She said that it had knocked her to the ground and began biting and clawing at her and then turned and went back towards the house.

I asked if she had any other injuries, and she said that when she was knocked to the ground she hit her elbow and injured her shoulder. She was examined by Rochester EMS. I contacted Animal Control Officer Estabrook and Animal Rescue League. A neighbor said that she had not seen what happened, but the dog had bitten and chased people several times.

The officer approached the home (53 Marion Road) with the Animal Control Officer in order to speak to a resident, but was unable to make contact during that time. The dog then came out from an opened garage door at the top of the driveway and began barking at us. At that time I requested that Animal Control assist me by taking possession of the dog for no other risk to public safety. A note was left at the home where the dog was taken."

The Churches announced that their dog has since been taking lessons from a certified trainer and has made vast improvements in his behavior. Mrs. Church read a statement from their trainer in praise of the dog's progress. The Board stated that the dog is allowed to roam free in the backyard where it is fenced in and is required to be on a leash when in the front yard. Their front yard has an invisible fence, but the dog still must be kept on a leash.

The Board met with the Town Finance Committee at 7:35 pm. A two percent cost of living increase for non-union town employees has been implemented. Mr. LaCamera stated his "bad news" that several additional people have been added to the town's health insurance policy. Once several people retire, they will be kept on the insurance policy and so will their replacements. Also, several spouses of town employees have been added to the policy once they lost their jobs.

Former Selectman Daniel McGaffey has offered his services to be the Board of Selectmen's representative to the Rochester School Building Committee. Rochester Memorial School teachers have requested that their contract renegotiations take place earlier in the day. Chairman Nunes stated that he is unable to attend the earlier meetings, and Selectman Morse was appointed to attend.

The Board will meet on Monday at 7:00 pm to approve the upcoming Town Meeting Warrant. The meeting was adjourned at 8:32 pm.

By Adam Silva

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12:20:44 am Student Residency Discussed

Categories: Rochester

Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - April 13, 2009

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday April 13, 2009 at 7:00 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse, Selectman Naida L. Parker and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

Newly elected member of the Board,Selectman Parker,began with a motion for Chairman Nunes to continue as Chairman for the year 2010 and Selectman Morse as Vice-Chair. The motion was approved.

Due to the retirement of Police Officer Barnes, a full time position has opened up, and Chief of Police Paul Magee presented part-time Officer Robert P. Nordahl to take his place. Officer Nordahl has served on the Lakeville Police Force and Fire Department and has been a part-time Officer in Rochester since August 2006. The Board welcomed Officer Nordahl into this new full-time position.

Next, a heated discussion began between the Board and the Rochester Memorial School Committee regarding the non-resident students who have been attending the school. Sharon Hartley, Chairman of the School Committee, listened while Chairman Nunes read aloud recent correspondence between the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee. Chairman Nunes' position on the issue is that only the children of residents of the Town of Rochester should be attending the Rochester School, and he feels that this is part of the duty of the School Committee to enforce.

Ms. Hartley spoke about her reason for attending the meeting tonight, which was to better the communication between themselves and the Board of Selectmen. She believes that Chairman Nunes has been giving information freely to the public at large without first discussing the facts with the School Committee. Ms. Hartley spoke about being "perplexed and concerned that you would go to a newspaper rather than talk to us."

Chairman Nunes stated that he had attempted to hold a meeting with them, but that they had not responded to this request.

Ms. Hartley said that "We did not receive a request to meet." She also described her confusion about Chairman Nunes decision to supply the public with "false accusations" yet he has never attended a single School Committee meeting. Ms. Hartley defended the School Committee by saying that records are carefully kept and that they operate on a basis of respect and integrity. This violation attacked volunteer members of the School Committee and "wrongly accused the school."

Chairman Nunes asked about the school's written procedure for handling non-resident students. He said, "I went on the web-site to find a written residency policy, and there was nothing there. I would think you'd have it available to the public."

Ms. Hartley did not dispute this. She did explain the procedure the school follows, which is that information first goes to the Principal, then the Superintendent and finally the School Committee.

Chairman Nunes continued to blame the Committee, saying, "You caused the problem. I'm trying to get it fixed. This is I think part of your job description. If it's not it should be."

Ms. Hartley responded "we don't have a job description. We're volunteers."

The discussion ended for the time being without an immediate resolution, but the two groups plan to meet and continue to communicate.

The next item on the agenda was the Rochester Road Race permit, which was approved by the Board.

Rochester's Annual Town Cleanup will be held the week of April 27, 2009 and bags will be made available for residents to pick up.

Old Colony School District Chairman Vincent Ryan wrote a letter of appreciation to Chief of Police Magee thanking him for his efforts in the "Drug-Free" Program.

A Special Town Meeting was approved by the Board to begin at 6:45 pm on May 18, 2009 before the Annual Town Meeting begins at 7:00 pm that same day.

Chairman Parker then made a motion to have weekly Selectman's meetings, rather than bi-monthly, barring holidays. After some slight resistance, this motion was approved.

Finally, the U.S. Census will be sending employees door to door visiting communities between the months of April and July 2009. They require the physical addresses of all residents in order to conduct their 2010 Decennial Census. Employees will have official identification.

There being no further matters to come before the board, they unanimously voted to adjourn for the evening at 8:34 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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09:48:45 pm Parker Prevails in Rochester Selectmen Race

Categories: Rochester

Naida Parker will be returning to her old Selectman's chair, as she narrowly beat incumbent Dan McGaffey to be on the Rochester Board of Selectmen at last Wednesday's Rochester Annual Election. Parker, who is also the Town Clerk in Rochester, served as a Rochester Selectman from 1998 to 2004.

"I would like to see the Selectmen open dialogue with the town more often," said Parker, on what she plans to accomplish while in office. "I would also like to see more of a partnership between business-owners and the town. We have a lot of land zoned for business that we aren't using. Our master-planners are talking about putting aside a substantial amount of land to be zoned for commercial use. I'd also really like to see more interest in people volunteering and taking part in town events.

Mr. McGaffey ran a great race and it was very close until the very end. I am very grateful to those who voted for me and I really hope that I can live up to expectations."

Just like Mattapoisett and Marion, only two positions were contested in the election. Elizabeth Owen beat Leslie Piper and Jay Williams 320 to 135 and 154 for the Library Trustee.

Parker will hardly be the first Selectman/Clerk in the state of Massachusetts, as Randolph, Nantucket, Rehoboth, and Palmer either has or did have someone pulling double-duty.

"I'm going to join to the St. Gabriel's Church Choir," said McGaffey, when asked about his future plans. He also said that he would "undoubtedly" work for the town again in some fashion and there is "plenty of work to do in the town." McGaffey works as a social worker at the Public Defender's Office in New Bedford and Fall River.

Voter turnout was at a low 19.3%, as only 746 Rochester voters turned up out of the 3864 that are registered. At last year's election, nearly 30% of the registered voters cast their ballots.

Other results for non-contested seats in Rochester's Annual Town Election include:

- Incumbent Jana Cavanaugh received 601 votes for a three-year seat on the Board of Assessors;

- Incumbent Dale Barrows received 569 votes for a three-year seat on the Board of Health;

- Incumbent Greenwood Hartley III received 597 votes for a three-year seat as the Town Moderator;

- Incumbent Jeffrey Eldridge received 590 votes for a three-year seat as the Tree Warden;

- Veronica LaFreniere received 624 votes for a three-year seat on the Cemetery Commission;

- Travis Lalli received 573 votes for a three-year seat on the Park Commission;

- Incumbent Tina Rood received 552 votes and Robin Rounseville received 579 votes for three-year seats on the Rochester Memorial School Committee; and

- Incumbent Wendy Keeler received 563 votes and David Smith received 508 votes for Library Trustee.

By adam Silva

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11:16:08 pm Saving the Bay: A Sea of Understanding at ORR Junior High

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

The enrichment coordinator at the Old Rochester Junior High School, Jane Tougas, was thrilled to present five of her 38 eighth grade students who have been working on a project to help save Buzzards Bay. These students had spent four weeks researching problems that exist in Buzzards Bay and solutions to help address these problems. Each student collected one fact about Buzzards Bay, which they put on display in the front of their school. They also wrote skits, which will be aired on the local TV stations.

The idea to help save the bay came from one student in particular, thirteen year old Max Medina, who's family has been involved in a fundraising swim event out of New Bedford for years now. Max brought his two medals to school for completing a 1.2 mile swim two years in a row, and convinced his classmates to take an interest in this environmental dilemma.

Max explained how he and his two sisters have been swimming for this cause and how he "brought it to our class because I wanted to let people know what's been going on in our bay." The main message he wants to get across is that, "people need to stop polluting." Max strongly believes in this endeavor, which he feels he can contribute to, along with others. "We are the people that are going to make a difference. This will start a chain reaction for the good."

Thirteen year old, Michaela Riggi offered some of the ways she has contributed to the cause, "We would look through the packet Mrs. Tougas gave us to gather up facts about how to save the bay." One example is "not to flush old medicine down the drain."

Max gave another example about how to help, which asks that bay front property owners not use harsh chemicals and fertilizers on their lawns. This will limit the amount of chemicals directly draining into the bay.

David Dalton, another student, said people shouldn't "put toxic things down the drain to clean it." Instead, grab that bucket and get ready to face some interesting smells as you manually de-clog drains. Think of this as a necessary effort for a bigger cause.

Andrew Cardwell reminded us of the animal life that requires a clean environment to thrive and Evan Botello said, "We should use healthier products instead of bleach."

These students have obviously worked hard and are truly concerned with the wonderful bay they have the good fortune to live so close to. They understand that it is not someone else's responsibility to keep the bay beautiful, but in fact their responsibility as young members of this community. Having this knowledge will serve them in their lives wherever they find themselves.

Michaela spoke again about the skits they wrote and performed. These skits inform the community about becoming involved in keeping the bay clean. It was exciting for the students to have the experience of going to a TV studio and showing their skills as actors and screenwriters on this subject.

The displays will be up at the entrance to the Junior High School for another two weeks and the school welcomes the community in to have a look. Many more, well researched ways to save the bay and help the environment are offered and should be seen.

By Sarah K. Taylor

Photos available in our Gallery, click here.

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11:15:16 pm ORR Junior High Students Court 'March Madness Junior'

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

A different kind of education occurred this past week, as the staff of Old Rochester Regional Junior High schooled their students 47-45 in Friday's March Madness Jr.'s basketball game. The game, which was originally scheduled two weeks earlier, took place at the ORR high school gymnasium from 6:30 to 9:00 pm.

All of the proceeds from the event went to the Hands for Maddie Charity. Madison Moura is a Fairhaven 3-year-old who is living with hemiplegia and cerebral palsy after having a stroke while in-utero. She also has Volkmann's Contracture to her left forearm, rendering her left hand deformed with minimal use. They are raising money for a surgery that is not covered by their health insurance as well as other health costs.

"Almost every day for the past few years, she has been going through some sort of therapy," explained Jason Moura, Madison's father. "Almost all of the money we've raised is towards an experimental procedure at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence. The foundation has been running for three months now and we're in the process of getting tax-exempt status from the state. Eventually, I'm sure we are going to hit an insurance ceiling, where they won't continue to cover what she needs, so we are trying to brace ourselves for that and we're trying to put aside as much as we can [for] when that happens."

To determine which eighth-grade students got to play in the game, the names of everyone that signed up were put into a lottery. A basketball knockout competition took place before the game and a half-court shot chance occurred at half-time, with no one managing to sink one in. Junior High students organized a raffle and refreshments were sold, all benefiting the charity.

The students that played were; Aaron Rivera, Nick Mathieu, Peter Krause, Abby Offringa, Chris Marchisio, Katie Wilbur, Louis Pina, Katelyn Cummings, Kyle Green, Hannah Bouvette, Sophie Harding, Luke Mattar, Xavier Rose, Amanda Frey and Aaron Holick.

"Hopefully the foundation will continue to grow," said an optimistic Mr. Moura, who held Madison's brother in his arms during the game. "We could eventually help other kids who are in a similar situation. Maddie's an amazing and strong kid but she has a lot of challenges ahead of her. Events like this really help us and we couldn't be more appreciative."

The ORRJHS staff that took part were; Matt Cavanaugh, Therese Valente, Beth Martin, Andrea Shaw, Rick Regan, Julie DeSousa, Erin Sullivan, Kevin Brogoli, Corey Phillips, Dan McEvoy, Judy D'Olympia, Chuck Jancaterino, Sue Modlowski, Greg Andree and Mike Ailes.

"The real big feature of the event is the students and the faculty working together for a common cause," said Kathy Gauvin, one of the organizers of the event. "Everyone is excited about it. They are really great kids that are concerned with the cause and are doing everything they can to try and contribute. It really shows a lot of character."

Visit handsformaddie.org to read about the Hands for Maddie Foundation. There is a direct link on the school's website, oldrochester.org/jhs.

By Adam Silva

Photos available in our Gallery, click here.

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11:08:49 pm Rochester Signs New Contract for Recycling Drop-Off Services

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday April 6, 2009, at 7:00 pm by Selectman Dan. A. McGaffey. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera. Chairman Richard Nunes was not present.

The minutes from March 9, 16, 23 and 30 were approved.

The first order of business was the Plumb Corner Market of Rochester, Inc.'s signing of a new liquor license since the business is now under new management. The Board approved the form.

Casella Waste Services is now accepting recyclables free of charge for the Towns of Marion and Rochester. The recyclables can be dropped off at Casella's Rochester Facility (Rochester's Environmental Park.) Mr. LaCamera asked to make one amendment to the contract, before being signed by the Board members.

The Board received a request from Patriot Triathlon asking to be allowed to use Rochester roads, particularly route 105, on June 20, 2009. They have already received permission from the chief of police as well as the fire chief. The Board approved the request.

A similar request came from the Friends of Mattapoisett Bike and Rec. Path Bike Ride, asking for permission to use Rochester roads on April 26, 2009 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, with a rain date of May 3, 2009. Again the Board approved their application.

Mr. LaCamera reported on a five year communications contract for the telephone lines which has expired. This allowed the town to research and compare other companies, but in the end the best option seemed to be to stay with the current plan and have no changes made to the services. A two year contract was approved by the Board.

The Third Regional Summit for Southcoast Communities Meeting will be held on April 9, 2009 at 6:00 pm. Mr. LaCamera is planning to attend, as he has been participating in these meetings on regionalization. The meeting will be in room 304 of the Dartmouth Town Hall. The goal of these meetings is to regionalize services in the Southcoast area in order to save time and money.

Rochester Youth Baseball will be, welcoming in the spring, on their Opening Day, April 11, 2009 at 8:30 am. The proposed parade will begin at the Town Green and end at Gifford Park. The Opening Ceremony will follow the parade.

Ms. Lorraine T. Durgin sent a letter of appreciation regarding a flat tire she needed assistance with in the early hours of the morning on March 10, 2009. Ms. Durgin received prompt assistance from Sergeant Canney and was very grateful for her immediate help. Ms. Durgin wanted to thank small towns and people helping people.

The Massachusetts Selectmen's Association's (MSA) Regional Update Meeting will be held on Wednesday April 29, 2009 from 8:15 to 10:00 at the Plymouth Town Hall. Selectman Morse is planning to attend.

The Rochester Conservation Commission and Town Forest Committee held a public hearing on Tuesday April 7, 2009.

Treasurer Cynthia L Mello asked for the Plymouth County Health plans to be approved by the Board, which they did.

Selectmen's meetings are scheduled for April 13 and 27 and May 11 and 18. Town Meeting will be on May 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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11:05:59 pm ORR's 2009 Winter Blues Film Festival

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

Old Rochester Regional High School's 7th annual Winter Blues Film Festival was held on Friday, April 3rd in the cafeteria. The event had been planned to take place in March but was postponed due to a lack of film submissions. This may have also been the reason that the show did not collect as large of a crowd as it usually does.

Nonetheless, those videos that were presented did not fail to show off great talent and dedication of the producers and actors involved. Two of the most memorable films of the night had been made for the Who Am I, English project. The Who Am I project is assigned each year to those in the senior class and is a requirement for graduation. The task is for students to figure out, to the best of their ability, who they are and what their place in the universe really is. Many kids tackled the assignment by creating videos that bring their audience upon the journey to finding their true purpose in life.

"The Travis Lowery Story" was filmed and edited by Alex Goodman, Mike Clancy, Sam Asci and Travis Lowery. This fabricated documentary took Alex Goodman, a news reporter, upon the search to find out what happened to Travis Lowery, a once notorious ORR football star, who fell into the hands of drugs and homelessness after the conclusion of high school. All of the group members' commitment to the film was shown strongly, making their results that much more entertaining.

Sam, who had apparently become a cross dresser after high school, wore a black sparkling dress and made a very memorable (and feminine) strut after finishing his interview with Alex. Travis, who was eventually found living under the football field bleachers, had white powder and black bags painted upon his face. His acting made for a very believable, disturbed junkie who was dealing with the mistakes that had turned his once flawless life into a perfect disaster. As for Alex and Mike, they found it necessary to make their old appearances a bit more realistic by gluing pieces of Travis' shaved head upon their faces to resemble facial hair. Though the storyline was a sad one, the moments of comedic relief made for a real riot and had the whole audience laughing.

"Who Am I: The Movie" took home this year's Best Entertainment Long. It was made by Aren Johansen, Jim Kelley, Anthony Pettinato and Taylor Maak and told the story of a young man's quest to find himself. Taylor searches the lands far and wide, speaking to a number of peculiar characters. Anthony plays Taylor's angry boss at work, and is the one who makes him feel like a nobody and sets his off upon his journey. Aren plays a scientist who tries to give the mathematic explanation of what humans are, explaining they are made primarily of H2O. Jim plays a laid back hippy, who tells Taylor he needs to sit back, relax and stop thinking so deeply. In the end, Taylor discovers that the real solution lies within himself.

Best Commercial went to "Wonder Gloves," by Alyssa Ray, and told of all the wonderful things her gloves could do, including warding off your bullies. This film was amongst a couple of others including "How to Lose a Guy" and "Little Genius," which was produced in collaboration with Lauren Pettinato and Hannah O'Day.

Best Animated/Special Effects award went to "Nerf Short" by Margie Pullo, a quick film about a girl and her little brother who are engaged in an intense Nerf gun war. It had fitting music and great, original effects that made the film look like cartoon drawings. Best Music Video was given to "Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song)" which was filmed and edited by Laura Sullivan and Ann Marie Kassabian. It featured Chris Wright, the senior class clown, doing a fabulous impression of the dramatic Enrique Iglesias. The film had great shots and a hilarious actor, leading it to also win this year's Audience Choice Award.

Best Trailer was a tie between two of Chris Gonsalves films, "Sublime Entropy" and "Snow Day." Both trailers were action packed and full of suspense. "Snow Day" was about a killer who comes out when the kids come out, on snow days, of course, while "Sublime Entropy" was about the revenge of two parents upon the man who killed their baby. Chris also submitted the film "How to be a Secret Agent." Finally Best Entertainment Short went to Ian Vincent for his film "Why I Hate Cats," which told the story of "a man, a woman and the cat that comes between them." Another submission made by Ian was called "Also Sprach Die Tennis-Ball."

"Mr. Martin Revealed," "Kicks," "Dream Girl," "How to Make Your Teacher Quit," "Freedom of Speech," and "Biggie Hypnotize" were amongst the rest of the memorable films presented that night. A special thanks goes to Mr. Ashley, the members of the band who entertained during intermission, as well as the panel of judges; Randy Allain, Judy Johnson, Colin Everett, Paul Sardinha and Kate Ribiero. Without all of these people, including those students who entered their films, the Film Festival would not have been possible.

By Olivia Mello

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11:21:47 pm Rochester Youth Get a New Playground Facility on Dexter Lane

Categories: Rochester

As the old saying goes it takes a village to raise a child. What happens when the child needs a proper place to play? In the case of the Town of Rochester, it takes the effort of the entire community to build what is shaping up to be a first class playground at the Dexter Lane sports complex.

The process towards the playground becoming a reality began in 2005 when two Rochester women, Deb Martin and Diane Nunes, realized something was missing at Dexter Lane. While the older children were playing soccer, baseball or softball, their younger siblings were left with nothing to do. They could run around, play tag or climb on the obstacles of the skateboard park but there was not an area designed just for them. Seeing this need, Ms. Nunes and Ms. Martin hatched their idea. They began raising the funds needed to build a playground. The pair raised several thousand dollars, with the help of family, friends and their fellow Lions Club members over the next few years.

About two years ago a very civic-minded teacher at the Rochester Memorial School heard about the effort and decided he would involve his fourth grade class in a community service learning project. The teacher, Craig Davignon, knew of a program through SEMASS that could add to the coffers of the project. Cindy Maak of Rochester, a sales representative for Miracle Inc., a company that helps communities with playground projects, told Mr. Dav, as he is known to his students, of the SEMASS grant and through that program the project gained another $5000.00. Little did anyone know at the time but Mr. Dav had just enlisted the talents of the finest fundraising team in Rochester, his fourth grade students. During the next year the students and other volunteers held a variety of fundraisers that brought the total of monies raised for the playground to over $20,000.00. The army of fourth graders brought so much attention to the project that the people of Rochester's Town Hall became involved.

With the help of the town's Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon another grant of $40,000.00 was aquired. The funding from the grant had to be approved at Town Meeting, which it was. With the money raise the pieces for the playground were purchased and delivered to Dexter Lane last fall where they have been lying in a storage container, waiting for the long winter to pass and for the ground to thaw. On Saturday March 28, as most of us were sleeping in after a long work week, a large group of volunteers, including Ms. Martin, Ms. Nunes, Mr. Davignon, members of the Rochester Lions Club, many of the children who helped raise the money and other interested Rochester citizens gathered at Dexter Lane along with Cindy Maak to put ideas into action and to help make a dream become reality.

After unpacking the many parts of the playground the volunteers worked until about 7:00 PM turning wrenches, pouring concrete and lifting posts into place raising a playground in much the same way rural communities once pulled together to help their neighbors build barns. By days end the landscape at the Dexter Lane ballpark had been changed forever with a shining new playground in place.

Many of the elements in the playground were chosen by the students of RMS assuring that the project was not only a safe environment for the children but also something that the kids will enjoy for years to come. To guarantee that all members of the community will be able to use the playground a handicap accessible path and ramp were included in the project. There is still more work to be done as a rubberized floor will be installed in the coming week and a basketball court will be poured and erected as well.

Work must be completed before June 1, 2009 as part of a stipulation of the $40,000.00 grant. On May 31 the organizers plan to celebrate the park's opening by throwing a party for the Town of Rochester, its children and the many volunteers who made the project possible. Organizers wished to thank Lloyds Market, Old Colony Vo-Tech, Dunkin Donuts, Matt's Blackboard and the Artisans Kitchen for providing food and beverages to the workers this past weekend and for the upcoming ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Wanderer would like to hear about more good deeds from the people of the Tri-Towns. If you know of anyone who is volunteering their time to help others or to make our community a better place, please let us know about it. You can contact us via e-mail at news@wanderer.com. or by phone at 508-758-9055.

By Robert Chiarito

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11:19:32 pm A Boston Breaker Comes to Town for Mariner Youth Soccer

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

Over the past twenty-five years youth soccer programs across the United States have yielded some pretty impressive bounties. Soccer helped to shift the paradigm of the sporting landscape from a myopic boys club built around the big three of American sports, baseball, football and basketball, into a world where many college athletic programs support more teams for their female athletes than they do for their male counterparts. Beginning in the 1980's and then exploding in the 1990's, youth soccer is a place where many aspiring female athletes gain their initial experience with team sports.

This past Saturday, March 28, the Mariner Youth Soccer Organization hosted a pre-season tournament in Fairhaven for under-twelve years of age girls soccer teams from throughout South Eastern Massachusetts. The games gave coaches an opportunity to field their teams against some very good sides from Barnstable, Halifax, Sandwich, Rockland, Westport, and Norton. An added attraction for the young female footballers was the presence of Stacey Bishop who will be playing for the newly christened Boston Breakers of the WPS or Women's Professional Soccer league. The league began play for their inaugural season this past Sunday as the Los Angeles Sol defeated the Washington Freedom 2-0 in the opening contest.

Ms. Bishop's Fairhaven appearance was arranged by representatives of the Mariner Youth Soccer organization, along with the front office of the Boston Breakers. The first year midfielder, who played college soccer for the University of Florida, graciously signed autographs and posed for pictures for over an hour. Assisting Ms. Bishop from the Breakers front office was Heather Pease who hails from one of the hotbeds of women's soccer, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Ms. Pease also played soccer on the college level at the University of Kentucky. As she watched the young girls swarm Ms. Bishop, Ms. Pease related the scene to her own childhood saying, "When I was twelve I went to my first University of North Carolina soccer camp and Tiffany Roberts was my coach. After that she went on to win two NCAA championships, a World Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal. Looking up to her it became a path for me to follow as it was never a question of if I was going to play college soccer, it was just where I was going to play college soccer. That is what I see the Breakers being for these girls."

John Browning, of Mariners Youth Soccer said that the organization is arranging at least two trips to Boston to see the Breakers in action this season. Ms. Pease said, "We are trying to make a connection with our target audience which is families will young children. We hope that a Breakers game will become an outing. We are playing our home games in Harvard Stadium so it will give people a chance to tailgate before games and we'll be just a five minute walk from Harvard Square so people from out of town, like the people here, can make a day of it. The games are also attractive because they are so affordable. Coming to a WPS game will not cost any more than it costs to see a movie."

If the Breakers were hoping to bring some excitement and enthusiasm for their new team home from the South Coast, Saturday's appearance went a long ways towards fulfilling that goal. The young women of the Mariner Youth Soccer scooped up bumper stickers, brochures and anything else with the Breakers team logo by the handful. With this area's commitment to youth soccer perhaps the next Stacey Bishop is in our midst.

Mariner Youth Soccer represents the towns of Acushnet, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester. The league is open to girls and boys between the ages of four and fifteen. The league's main season is in the fall. Some of the league's more competitive players also represent Mariner Youth Soccer during the spring as the organization fields teams in the SCSL or Spring South Coast Soccer League. If you would like to find out more about the league you can go the organization's website at www.marineryouthsoccer.org.

The Boston Breaker will play their first game this coming weekend in Santa Clara, California where they will take on the FC Gold Pride on Sunday, April 5 at 6:00 PM. The game will be televised on the Fox Soccer Channel. The Breakers will make their home debut on Saturday, April 11 against Saint Louis Athletica. The WPS will feature the top players in women's soccer from around the globe. The schedule for the first season will be played through August and will feature seven teams. In addition to Ms. Bishop the Boston roster will include all-time international appearances leader Kristine Lilly, as well as three members of the 2008 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team, Heather Mitts Angela Hucles,, and Amy Rodriguez. If you would like more information about the Boston Breakers and the WPS you can log onto www.womensprosoccer.com/boston .

By Robert Chiarito

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11:18:38 pm Old Colony Voke Approves $8.8 Million 2009-2010 Budget

Categories: Mattapoisett, Rochester

The Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School District School Committee met on Wednesday, March 25 for its regular monthly meeting in the Cafetorium of the High School, as well as a Public Hearing on the District's 2009-2010 Operating and Maintenance Budget and School Choice. The meeting, which had been scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm, did not begin until 7:00 pm due to a lack of a quorum.

The Committee approved unanimously the minutes of the March 10, 2009 Performance Contracting Subcommittee meeting, the minutes of the March 11, 2009 Committee meeting, and the minutes of the March 16, 2009 Performance Contracting Subcommittee meeting. The Committee also signed pending warrants.

A motion was made, seconded and carried unanimously to open the Public Hearing. Mr. Ryan asked if Mr. Barrows, of the Budget Subcommittee, had any comments on the budget. Mr. Barrows said "We continue to lose programs and personnel. This year, there will be an impact on students. Still, it is a great school." A motion was made, seconded and carried unanimously "To approve the Fiscal Year 2010 Final Operating and Capital Budget of $8,838,843.00 with total dollars assessed to member towns of $3,984,262.00."

The budget includes $740,504.00 for Administration, $4,587,578.00 for Instruction, $317,528.00 for Health/Student Activities/Athletics, $1,250,569.00 for Operation & Maintenance of Plant, and $1,127,850.00 for Fixed Charges, for a total of Net School Spending of $8,024,029.00. Pupil Transportation is set at $498,684.00, Retiree Insurance at $259,000.000, and Site, Building and Equipment at $57,130.00, for a total of Other Spending of $814,814.00. Net School Spending and Other Spending combine to Total All Costs of $8,838,843.00.

Funds Applied include $3,383,947.00 in Chapter 70 School Aid, $341,426.00 in Transportation Aid, $944,208.00 in Tuition Income, $35,000.00 in Shop Productivity, and $150,000.00 in E & D, for a Total Funds Applied of $4,854,581.00.

The five towns' share of Net School Spending totals $3,510,874.00, and the five towns' share of Other Spending totals $473,388.00, for a Total Assessed to Members of $3,984,262.00. Individual town assessments, along with the enrollment from each town, are as follows: Acushnet, $1,681,235, (231 students); Lakeville, $659,109, (76 students); Carver, $646,252, (95 students); Rochester, $637,045, (70 students); and Mattapoisett, $360,621, (28 students).

A motion was made, "To adopt a resolution withdrawing Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School District from the obligation to enroll non-resident students under the provisions of School Choice for the 2009-2010 school year as allowed under the Education Reform Act of 1993. Said resolution being adopted due to the maximum choice tuition being less than the assessed pupil cost of our member towns. The Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School District will continue to accept Chapter 74 Non-Resident students as allowed under M.G.L. Chapter 74, Section 7C, as amended by Section 129 of Chapter 110 of the Acts of 1993."

Mr. Ryan then asked for a motion to close the Public Hearing, the business of the Public Hearing having been completed. Such a motion was made, seconded and carried unanimously, and the Public Hearing was closed at 7:10 pm.

A motion was then made, seconded and carried unanimously "To approve the continued participation of Old Colony students on a Co-Operative Swim Team with Apponequet High School for the 2009-2010 season subject to continued approval by athletic league officials and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association." One Old Colony student participated on the team in 2008-2009.

A motion was then made, seconded and carried unanimously "To approve the continued participation of Old Colony students on a Co-Operative Boys Ice Hockey Team with Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational High School for the 2009-2010 season subject to continued approval by athletic league officials and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association." Six Old Colony students participated on the team in 2008-2009.

The Performance Contracting Subcommittee recommended to the Committee that the Committee approve the selection of Trane U.S., Inc. as the Energy Service Company for Old Colony in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 25S, Section 111, to complete a final technical audit of the school facilities, which audit should be completed by May 1, 2009. A motion was then made, seconded and carried unanimously to approve the Subcommittee's recommendation of the selection of Trane U.S., Inc. as the Energy Service Company for Old Colony.

A motion was then made, seconded and carried unanimously "To approve the requested senior class trip to Patriot Place in Foxboro, Massachusetts on June 1, 2009." Students and their chaperones will depart the school at 8:30 am and will return at 4:00 pm. The trip will be open to all seniors at the school.

A motion was then made, seconded and carried unanimously "To approve the implementation of a night school Cosmetology Program, which meets the guidelines set forth by the Board of Cosmetology." The program will be open to students who meet the guidelines set forth by the Board of Cosmetology.

Mr. Brown reported to the Committee than an additional $71,000 in IDEA funds will be received by the school from the federal government. These funds may only be used for special education services, but such use may include the purchase of technology for use in the delivery of such services.

Mr. Brown also informed the Committee that the Old Colony chapter of the National Honor Society has scheduled its annual dinner and Induction Ceremony for May 6, 2009 at 6:00 pm.

The Superintendent also announced that Old Colony's final Program Advisory Committees and SPED Parent Advisory Council meetings for the 2008-2009 school year will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 6:30 pm. A dinner will be served by the Culinary Arts Department, followed by department meetings.

The Superintendent also reminded the Committee that the school will be closed for the spring recess from April 20 through April 24, 2009.

Mr. Brown announced that the Outstanding Vocational Student Award Banquet will be held on April 16, 2009 in Worcester, Massachusetts. This year's nominee from Old Colony is Jonathan Ferreira, a student from Acushnet.

The Superintendent also announced that Old Colony is proud to again host the 9th annual Standard-Times "Most Dedicated Athlete" Awards Dinner, scheduled to be held in the Cafetorium on May 12, 2009. The Culinary Arts Department will prepare and serve the dinner, which is expected to draw 175 guests, with all costs being paid by The Standard-Times. The award was established to honor the male and female athletes who, by a vote of team coaches, is judged to have played a key role in the success of his or her team without a lot or recognition or fanfare. Only seniors who have played at least two sports are eligible for the award. The following high schools are scheduled to be represented at the awards dinner: Apponequet, Bishop Stang, Carver, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Greater New Bedford Vocational, Middleboro, New Bedford, Old Colony, Old Rochester, Wareham and Westport. Mr. Matthew Trahan, Old Colony's Athletic Director, is coordinating the awards dinner with Mr. Buddy Thomas, Sports Editor at The Standard-Times.

Mr. Brown informed the Committee that two Old Colony student-athletes have been recognized by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Old Colony Athletic Department for exceptional sportsmanship during the 2008-2009 basketball season. The recipients are Melissa White of Acushnet and Timothy DeAraujo of Acushnet.

The Superintendent announced that Mr. Matthew Trahan has been reappointed as Old Colony's Athletic Director for 2009-2010, with an annual stipend of $8,573.00.

Mr. Brown reported that there are seven Old Colony student-athletes participating in Co-Operative Athletics during the winter season: in Co-Op Swimming at Apponequet High School is Joshua Faherty of Freetown; in Co-Op Hockey at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational High School are Cody Rogers of Freetown, Shawn Bumpus of Lakeville, Evan Lagasse of Acushnet, Brett Smith of Freetown, Timothy Turner of Lakeville and Matthew Lagasse of Acushnet.

The Superintendent informed the Committee that the Health Careers Department again participated in the Daffodil Days Service Project to raise funds for the American Cancer Society, and that the students participating raised $510.00 for this cause.

Mr. Brown reported that eight of Old Colony's Culinary Arts Department juniors have recently been notified that they have successfully passed the ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Examination. The 15-hour training session is completed in the Related Classroom. This certification is required prior to a student being placed on Cooperative Education. The students that received passing scores on the Examination are: from Acushnet, Kaitlyn Dextraze, Marissa Ferreira, and Jarred Varao; from Carver, Nicole Dexter, Courtney Littman, and Timothy O'Malley; from Lakeville, Kelsey Beecher; and from Freetown, Mikayla Chad McIntosh.

The Superintendent announced that the SkillsUSA District Competitions were held at Greater New Bedford Vocational High School on February 24, 2009. Medal winners from Old Colony from the tritown were: Gold Medal, Ryan Hansen (Mattapoisett; Automotive Service Technology), Nicholas Weigel (Rochester; House/Mill Carpentry); Silver Medal, Joseph Cook (Rochester; Office Computer Applications); Bronze Medal, Bridget LaValley (Mattapoisett; Electronics Applications), and Holly McGreavy (Mattapoisett; Cosmetology, under 500 hours).

Mr. Brown informed the Committee that Mr. Steven Miranda, Old Colony's Culinary Arts instructor, will be assisting the Town of Rochester Senior Center will preparation for the ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Examination. The passing of the certification examination is required for all food handlers. The eight-hour course will begin in April, and the Senior Center anticipates six participants.

The Superintendent reported that the following student-athletes have been selected as Mayflower League All-Stars (Girls' and Boys' Basketball): Becca Mello (Acushnet), David Hill (Carver), Nicole Mareiro (Acushnet), Jared Ellis (Freetown), Chelsea Lambalot (Acushnet) and Amanda Couto (Rochester). Mr. Brown also noted that the Girls' Basketball Team will hold their annual banquet at the school on April 8, 2009.

Mr. Ryan noted two upcoming meeting dates: the next Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 2009, with the Annual Dinner preceding the meeting, and details to follow; and the next meeting of the Performance Contracting Subcommittee is scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2009 at 6:00 pm in the Library. There being no further business to come before the Committee, Mr. Ryan adjourned the meeting at 7:19 pm.

By Ricky A. Pursley

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11:17:30 pm Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity Opens New Offices

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

A standing-room-only crowd of members, new volunteers, local elected officials and well-wishers converged on 34 Barstow Street in Mattapoisett on March 25, for the grand opening of the newly relocated offices of Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity. BBAHFH President Al Amaral and Executive Director Cindy Parola greeted guests amid two tables of donated food and drink to celebrate the organization's move from Wareham in order to be more centrally located to the communities it serves: Acushnet, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Wareham. The local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), BBAHFH is seeking to add the Town of Dartmouth and the City of New Bedford to its affiliate area to broaden its base of both volunteers and donors.

Jonathan F. Henry, Chairman of the Marion Board of Selectmen, was one of the many guests at the grand opening. "This is a great organization, doing important work for those who are hard-working, but less fortunate," Mr. Henry said. "We are interested in getting them in to Marion, and it's just a question of finding the right fit, and getting a donation of land. Their work shows that people still care about their communities, and in giving a helping hand where one is needed," Mr. Henry said.

HFHI is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. The organization invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need, and has built more than 300,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1.5 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

BBAHFH's telephone number is 508.758.4517, its email address is buzzardsbayareahabitat@yahoo.com, and its website is www.buzzardsbayhabitat.org.

By Ricky A. Pursley

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11:16:28 pm The Every Fifteen Minutes Program at ORR

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

As each academic year nears to an end, those of the senior class are always found anticipating a great celebration regarding their completion of high school. Every Fifteen Minutes is a program based upon a statistic that says, a person is killed or seriously injured in an alcohol related accident in the United States every fifteen minutes. At Old Rochester Regional High School, it is designed only for those in the graduating class of 2009 and has been strategically planned to coincide with the coming of spring break, prom, graduation and college.

The program serves as a way to make students aware of the incredible dangers that come along with drinking and driving. It gives teachers, police officers and other authoritative figures the chance to discuss how important it is to make mature decisions. Guidance counselor, Ms. Perry, and class advisor, Mr. Nailor, have been working on the project side by side with Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester Police Departments, the Mattapoisett Fire Department, MADD, local businesses, parents, staff and students.

The Every Fifteen Minutes course is to be divided into separate sections between two consecutive days. Wednesday, April 15th, will begin with an international video and discussion with tri-town police. Soon after, the "Grim Reaper" will roam the school, pulling senior students out of their classes every fifteen minutes and pronouncing them killed by a drunk driver. These students are not allowed to speak or participate in any activities for the rest of the day and will later be asked to write goodbye letters to their families.

To make matters even more traumatic, two of these children's parents will be notified by town police about their losses and be told that their children will not be returning. Although the parents will be assured in advance that it is all only an act, those students "killed" will be asked to spend the night away from home. They will stay at the school where they'll have an opportunity to talk to parents who have in fact lost their daughters and/or sons to the drunk driving epidemic.

Thursday, April 16th will be the second and final day of Every Fifteen Minutes. An assembly will be held from 10AM-12:10PM. Here, a video will be shown, produced by two senior students, about one student insisting on driving home after drinking at a party. Later, parents of the supposed "victims" will take the stage and express how it felt to be put in a situation such as losing their child at the hand of a drunk driver. There will then be a guest speaker, a true victim of an alcohol related collision, who will share their own personal story.

Old Rochester Regional High School has been proudly conducting Every Fifteen Minutes for the past six years and has seen it have a powerful impact upon each one of its past senior classes. The reality of the event pulls emotionally upon the heartstrings of nearly all the individuals involved. It is a program that truly gets across the message of how vital it is to be behave safely, not only for your own life but for the lives of those around you.

By Olivia Mello

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09:12:32 am Saving Energy and Money in Rochester

Categories: Rochester

All eighty third grade students at Rochester Memorial School are participating in a project they've named "Energy Patrol." The purpose of Energy Patrol is to help the town save energy and money, as well as teach the students about responsibility and awareness. This will be Rochester Memorial School's first year making energy conservation a major focus for a grade.

Being a part of the Energy Patrol means making labels for every computer which remind students and staff to shut down the computers each day at 2:50 pm. Labels will also be made for all the light switches, reminding everyone to keep the lights off when a room is not being used.

The third graders also patrol the hallways and check classrooms while wearing their green energy star badges. If an outside door is open, they will shut it. They remind other classes of their project and continue to reiterate its importance. They have been practicing and preparing since their kick off two weeks ago. Monday, March 23, 2009 will be their first time independently patrolling the halls.

When a class has managed to have all the lights out and computers turned off at 2:50 pm for five days in a row, they earn a green star on their door. As more and more green stars appear on doors, more and more energy is being saved. The school is still deciding whether there will be a grand prize at the end, or if the simple act of helping the town and the earth should be enough.

This project fits nicely into their curriculum under the Old Rochester Regional Strategic plan. While helping to patrol the school, these third graders are also developing social skills and environmental awareness. They have a task, which requires them to work together as a group and brainstorm. They must also show independence as they patrol the halls without a teacher telling them what needs to be done. They take on the responsibility of turning off equipment and overseeing the other classes.

The town has agreed to share its electricity bills with the third graders, and hopefully there will be a difference made in the amount of electricity being used. Each third grader is asked to bring their knowledge on the subject home as well, and individual electric bills will be studied by the class in order to gain a better understanding and note any differences from beginning to end.

The third grade students at Rochester Memorial School hope to inspire other schools to follow their lead. They feel that this is an important and significant way to help the community. Since they are only beginning now, the community does not yet know what type of impact this effort will have, perhaps in a few months the third graders will have an update for us.

Paula Meere began this process when she applied for a learning grant. Ms. Meere said she thought it was important to "conserve energy in our school, town and homes." She also said that the third graders are planning a skit about conserving energy which will be preformed in April.

Watch out Mattapoisett and Marion, the town of Rochester is about to put us to shame if we don't jump on board and remember to patrol our own homes and schools!

By Sarah K. Taylor

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09:11:31 am Rochester Selectmen's Meeting - March 23, 2009

Categories: Rochester

A Meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday March 23, 2009 at 7:00 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Bradford N. Morse and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera. Selectman Dan A. McGaffey was not at the meeting.

The Board approved Town Counsel Blair Bailey's Contract.

Chuck Kantner, the Vice President of Rochester Road Race, Inc., spoke to the Board about the Rochester Road Race. This will be their fourth annual race with 357 registrants, which is a 36% increase since 2007. Mr. Kantner said that the race raises food and money for the local food bank. Last year the Rochester Road Race collected 250 lbs of food. The proposed track will start on Mary's Pond Road to Walnut Plain Road and make a circle, which will take approximately an hour to complete. The Board approved their proposal.

Mr. LaCamera reminded the Board that he has been attending regional meetings. He also discussed the Governor's announcement about school funding. The general education funding and the special education funding have determined the amounts to be given.

A representative from the South Coast Path Challenge spoke to the Board about their proposed fundraising bike ride. She said that the hope is for this to become an annual ride with participants from Fairhaven, Marion and Mattapoisett as well as Rochester. The proposed date is April 26 and the ride will go down Route 105. The Board approved this request to use Route 105 as part of the course.

Dave Watling, vice president of Alewives Anonymous, Inc, spoke to the Board about his concerns regarding the river herring in Hathaway's Pond dam. The dam is currently privately owned, but the Buzzards Bay Coalition is interested in the property. The state of Massachusetts is requiring the dam to be fixed, and the issue is that in order to fix it, it must be drained. The town is hesitant to participate in this issue.

Some of the night's correspondence was that Comcast informed the town that their bundle package rates have recently decreased. Also, the State of Local Partnership meeting will be held on April 14, 2009. This is a quarterly meeting and Mr. LaCamera said he plans to attend.

The Rochester Land Trust will be having a potluck supper on Wednesday March 25, 2009 at 6:30 pm. There will be featured speakers and a tribute to some Rochester residents.

The proposed annual budget, the FY2010 Budget, will be discussed at the Old Colony Public Hearing on March 25, 2009 at 6:30 pm.

Chairman Nunes addressed a recent issue of non-resident children attending the Rochester Memorial School. He wanted to clarify that while the Board of Selectmen will be glad to take calls regarding the issue, it is really a matter for the School Committee members. Chairman Nunes said "We're concerned about budgetary implications for the school and district." He said that he's already voiced these concerns with the chairperson of the Rochester Memorial School committee. Chairman Nunes also discussed the need for written residency requirements, something other schools have, but Rochester does not, as well as the fact that he feels "we can only fund our own children to go to that school."

The board approved the proposed Articles for the Annual Town Meeting included the acceptance of G.L. Chapter 32B, Section 18, regarding Medicare and Health benefits and Bryant Lane and Cromwell Lane as public ways. The Article to purchase a new fire truck was approved as well.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 pm.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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09:10:04 am Rochester Attendance Policy Meeting

Categories: Rochester

A meeting of Rochester public officials was held on March 24, 2009 at the Rochester Police Department headquarters at 1:30 pm to address recent reports that three students who are not Rochester residents have been attending Rochester Memorial School for the past two years. The meeting, which was not open to the public or the press, included Rochester Police Chief Paul H. Magee, Chairman of the Rochester Board of Selectmen Richard Nunes, Rochester Town Counsel Blair S. Bailey, ORR Superintendent William R. Cooper, Chairman of the Rochester School Committee Sharon Hartley, and Rochester Town Administrator Richard LaCamera. The meeting was convened at the request of the Rochester Board of Selectmen.

When asked about the meeting Mr. LaCamera stated, "It is a private meeting, and is informational. It is an update on the case and a review of the law."

The meeting was prompted by an email from Mr. Nunes to Mrs. Hartley on March 10, 2009, a copy of which was obtained by The Wanderer. The email read, in part: "It has come to the Board of Selectmen's (hereinafter "BOS") attention that 2 years ago Dr. Cooper, the District School Superintendent, retained Rochester Police Officer Bill Chamberlain to conduct an independent investigation on behalf of the School District. The purpose of the independent investigation was to determine whether 3 children who were attending Rochester Memorial School ("RMS") actually resided in New Bedford. At the conclusion of the independent investigation Officer Chamberlain determined that the 3 children were in fact residents of New Bedford. Officer Chamberlain apprised Dr. Cooper of his findings. It is our understanding that in addition to his report Officer Chamberlain provided photographic evidence to Dr. Cooper which supported Officer Chamberlain's findings. However, Dr. Cooper has [not taken] action with respect to these 3 children who are currently attending RMS while they are residents of New Bedford. Furthermore, it is our understanding that Dr. Cooper [did not inform] the RMS School Committee of Officer Chamberlain's findings although you were notified of such by the Town Administrator. While the BOS does not enjoy raising this issue, we feel it is our responsibility to do so because of the financial consequences to our taxpayers of allowing non resident students to attend RMS. At an average annual cost of $10,000 per student, to date [this situation] has cost the Town approximately $60,000. Furthermore, in light of [the lack of] enforcement in this instance we are concerned that there [are] other similarly situated students enjoying the benefits of our school system. In conclusion, the BOS recommends that the District and the School Committee enforce the School's residency requirements. The BOS further recommends that the District and the School Committee conduct an independent audit to determine if any other non resident students are attending RMS."

Dr. Cooper and Mrs. Hartley emerged from the interior of the police station together at 2:42 pm, and Dr. Cooper told the press that he and Mrs. Hartley had "just been providing Town leaders with information and advice," and that they would have no further comment. Moments later, Mr. Bailey emerged, and likewise had no comment for the press. When Mr. LaCamera emerged from the interior of the police station, he would only say that the matter is "up to the Superintendent and the School Committee," but that he expected action in the matter would occur "soon, but I have no specific date."

Mr. Nunes emerged from the interior of the police station at 2:50 pm and was available to the press for questions regarding the meeting. "We had the meeting to discuss the students who don't reside in Rochester and at some point I believe that Dr. Cooper will address the situation. I mentioned that the school needs a written residency requirement. The other two communities [Marion and Mattapoisett] don't have written residency requirements as well. I expressed my concern that there are other students who don't live in Town. I urged them [Dr. Cooper and Mrs. Hartley] to examine residency in the coming year. I think that RMS needs to re-verify attendees, but I don't think that the School Committee will implement that."

Asked if he felt that the meeting was productive, Mr. Nunes said "I think it was productive. This kind of issue shouldn't be unique. How do they say it? When it's a totally unique issue, and you're trying to figure something out? The facts are very straightforward, and yet it took a meeting to hash this all out. The issue of residency shouldn't be a novel issue. It should be contemplated every year. There should be policies in place. It should be available to the public, so they can know what the policy is. There shouldn't be any vagaries in this."

Mr. Nunes said that "one of the things that came out is that there is no designated school attendance officer, which is in the statute. Rochester and the other two communities [Marion and Mattapoisett] don't have one. Neither does ORR. The Superintendent is responsible for seeing that there is an attendance officer." According to Mr. Nunes, "the residency requirements don't seem to be a priority," but he allowed that he thinks that the School Committee "is moving toward making it a priority. I think it is something that the public, the taxpayers demand. It affects the Town's budget, and it really affects the credibility of public officials, who are asking the public to fund an addition to RMS."

It became clear to Mr. Nunes during the course of the meeting "that there are a lot of determined people out there who want to circumvent the law" and enroll nonresident students at RMS, and that "it's not an accident that they're there at RMS. Someone is actively getting them there." When questioned about any possible political connections between the family of the three students and any Rochester public officials, Mr. Nunes said that he was unaware of any such connections, and doubted that any existed. He said that there was a familial connection between the students and a Town resident, and that he believed that that is how the students came to be enrolled at RMS.

Mr. Nunes said he was surprised that Dr. Cooper, even after receiving Officer Chamberlain's report and evidence, believed the representations made by the adults involved with the children, and that Dr. Cooper apparently dismissed the results of Officer Chamberlain's investigation, and allowed the students to remain enrolled at RMS. "Why have an investigation at all?" Mr. Nunes said. Details of the circumstances and cost of Officer Chamberlain's investigation, which was conducted on his own time and at his own expense, were not made available to the press, nor were the authority or source of funds utilized by Dr. Cooper to hire Officer Chamberlain to conduct the investigation. Mr. Nunes noted that a consensus of the meeting participants was that any future such investigations should utilize a licensed private investigator, and not a police officer. Questioned later by members of the press, Chief Magee emphasized that Officer Chamberlain's employment was entirely proper under existing laws and regulations relating to police officers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and that the Chief had been aware of Officer Chamberlain's employment for the investigation, as required. "I have very limited authority over the off-duty employment opportunities pursued by my officers," Chief Magee said, "although they are required to inform me of all such employment, as Officer Chamberlain did in this case." Mr. Nunes was asked by members of the press if there had been a second investigation in this case, and he replied "No, there was not."

Asked by members of the press to identify who directs the School Committee in such matters, Mr. Nunes said "I look to the School Committee to be driving the ship. The School Committee is responsible for the school. The Board of Selectmen became involved because we saw no action, no priority. We waited three weeks for this meeting. It's not something the Board of Selectmen wanted to do. But it had to be addressed. At some point, the Board is going to have to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on an RMS addition. We are not going to make RMS bigger to enable more out-of-town students to attend RMS. As Selectmen, we have a fiduciary duty to the residents of the Town, and we have to protect the Town's interests."

Mr. Nunes was asked by a member of the press if Rochester has a recall process for elected officials, and if recall is an option for voters in this case. "Rochester does have a recall procedure that is approximately 10 years old. I don't think that this rises to the level of a recall, but you have an election coming up in about a month. I think candidates for School Committee office will be asked about this case and how they would handle it if elected."

According to Mr. Nunes, "the Superintendent has the ball now, and updates will have to come from him. The Board will raise the issue again if action is not forthcoming. Talk is cheap. Very cheap. We need to see action."

Reached by telephone on the evening of March 24 for comment on the lack of a school attendance officer for ORR, Robert Nectow, Chairman of the ORR School Committee, told The Wanderer that the responsibilities of an attendance officer "are not a stand-alone position at ORR. Those responsibilities would fall among the ORR administrative staff. That said, the Committee takes residency requirements very seriously and we expect those requirements to be enforced." Due to press deadlines, The Wanderer was unable to contact the chairmen of either the Marion or Mattapoisett school committees regarding attendance officers in those towns.

Mr. Nunes recounted for The Wanderer very precise, emphatic statements made by Town Counsel Bailey at the meeting that the governing state statute requires that schools name an individual to the position of attendance officer, and that such responsibilities are specifically not to be merely distributed without accountability among a school's administrative staff. Efforts by The Wanderer to contact Mr. Bailey by telephone at press deadline to confirm his legal opinion were unsuccessful

By Ricky A. Pursley

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10:30:12 pm Rochester Pares Away Nonessentials to Streamline FY 2010 Budget

Categories: Rochester

A special meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen, held with the Finance Committee, was called to order at 7:30 pm Monday night at the Rochester Town Hall by Selectman Brad Morse. In attendance were Selectman Richard Nunes, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera, and Members of the Finance Committee Chris Stoltenberg, Jim Austin and Randy Cabral. Selectman Daniel McGaffey was not in attendance.

Mr. LaCamera noted that all out-of-state travel has been removed from the town's budgets in all departments. The matter of the old town landfill was brought up. All were in agreement that a fence needs to be placed around the landfill, and should have been done years back noted Mr. Morse.

He also stated that it has become more of an issue as many more children have been sledding down the hill lately. Between $10,000 and $13,000 has been placed in the Capital Budget for the fence.

The town's financial discrepancies have been lowered from $16,000 to $5,000 according to LaCamera, but it has mostly been spent already. Several Rochester Memorial teachers are retiring and the town will be responsible for their health insurance, as well as the new teachers that will be added to replace the retiring ones. The town libraries budget came in at $5,000 in the town's favor. No cost of living expenses were implemented to any town employees.

In one of the night's most important topics came a definitive decision over health care for certain town workers.

"In Marion and Rochester, we have a regional health district where we share a board of health agent," explained LaCamera. "Marion was including that $2,300 in their budget. Since she works half in Rochester and half in Marion, that the workman's compensation insurance should be covered under the town's (Marion) insurance."

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm. The next Selectman's Meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 23 at 7:00 pm.

By Adam Silva

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10:23:06 pm ORR 'Destination Imagination' Team Takes First-Place Honors

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

Old Rochester Regional High Schools "Destination Imagination" team came in 1st at the Regional Tournament for the fourth straight year. For some members of this team it is their 9th straight year competing in this worldwide problem solving organization.

Five of the six ORR team members are seniors who spent weeks prior to the tournament practicing "improv" skills, along with working on their various senior projects, and mulling over college acceptance letters.

The Improv Challenge consisted of a set of parameters and situations that they have to "solve" in 30 minutes. This year's challenge required building props and a moving device; along with creating a story that incorporated a superstition, movie genres, and a famous sleuth.

Many Destination Imagination alumni volunteer each year at the various regional tournaments, taking time out from their college spring vacations.

The Old Rochester Regional District has always had success in Destination Imagination, from the 3 elementary schools through the high school level. The ORR team, along with the winning elementary "ViDIo Lit Hits" team from Rochester Memorial School, will be competing at the Destination Imagination State Tournament, on April 11th, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

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10:21:33 pm Testing the Waters: Tri-Town Boaters Take Squadron Safety Course

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

The Mattapoisett Power Squadron will present The Squadron Boating Course at the Wareham Memorial Town Hall, 54 Marion Road, starting Tuesday, March 24, and will continue for eight weeks. Registration for the course is at 6:00 to 7:00 pm, with the first class starting at 7:00 pm.

"It's all about boat safety," explains Dave True, one of the teachers of the Squadron Boating Course. "The United States Power Squadrons have been teaching this course since our inception in 1918. People who take this course that really have an interest in sailing learn a lot and really have a great time."

It is a six-week course, which teaches the rules of navigation, types of boats, nautical terminology, chart reading, chart plotting and the ability to tie six knots, among many things. The class culminates with a nationally accredited exam.

After passing the exam, students have the ability to sail in any state that requires the certificate to sail. Rhode Island and New Hampshire require the certification, Massachusetts does not.

The course begins Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 pm. The registration for the class is from 6:00 to 7:00 pm on the 24. The course takes place at the Wareham Memorial Town Hall, 54 Marion Rd., Wareham.

The course formerly took place at Old Rochester Regional High School, but was relocated as the Wareham Memorial Town Hall is cheaper and "the doors were always locked; the whole school seemed to be in lock-down mode," said True.

In other boating news, the town of Marion is quickly preparing for the boating season that is close at hand.

"We added some new floats which will allow us another 50 to 55 spots," said Marion Harbormaster Michael Cormier. "Our main objective is the easiest access for the boaters. We have some projects planned, but it is far too early in the season to say what they are. There is, of course, the Fourth of July firework, if they raise enough money. There is also the regattas that take place every year."

The town also runs a boating course in July that is free of charge at the high school.

The fee for the Squadron Boating Course is $60 per student, that covers the cost of text, chart plotter, dividers, CD-Rom, a piece of line and all overhead costs. For more information, contact David True at (508) 763-5241, Steve Crook at (508) 994-0119 or Dick Fearing at (508) 990-1898.

By Adam Silva

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10:18:10 pm ORR High School Gearing Up for Another 'Mr. ORR' Competition

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

Mr. ORR will be held on April 9 from 7 to 9PM in the high school auditorium. Although it is sometimes assumed that the competition is open only to seniors, males from all four grades are invited to sign up. Those interested should give their name, homeroom and grade level to Ms. Faria in the language wing, who will be working the registrations. Practices for these students will be held on Monday-Wednesday from 6 to 8PM at the high school. There will be an admissions fee of $5 to all audience members.? The event is planned to proceed as follows. The contestants will begin by strutting the stage in their casual wear while a brief biography of them will be given by Paul Sardinha, the night's MC. They will then transition into the talent portion where each competitor will have opportunity to show off their particular forte. In the past, this section has shown the audience dance routines, standup comedy and instrumental performances. It will be interesting to see what this group of individuals has to offer. The boys will then change into their formal attire and once again walk the stage while being escorted by a partner of their choice. The final portion will include a question and answer based interview where contestants will be able to give their opinions on a particular topic. After the judges (teachers from the high school) have deliberated, prices will be distributed. Mr. ORR (2009) will be awarded $100 while runner up will receive $75.

Each year, Taylor Publishing reviews yearbooks across the United States to select which ones they believe to be the top designs. Theme development, page designs, photography, secondary packages and covers are all apart of their consideration After much deliberation, the judges selected Old Rochester Regional High School's 2008 yearbook among the best. A congratulations goes out to both yearbook advisors, Ruth Jefferson and Bec Zora, as well as last year's entire yearbook staff. The 2008 yearbook has received an Award of Excellence for its accomplishments. This is a great honor considering Taylor Publishing names only the top percent of yearbook staffs for outstanding achievement. It is the sixth year in a row that ORR has been considered for its excellence.

Old Rochester's 2008 cover, which was designed by graduates Rae Bourque, Lauren Costello and Chelsea Santos, can be seen featured in the Taylor Publishing's 2009 Yearbook Yearbook, as well as some pages and images from the issue. Taylor Publishing is proud to honor the best of the best and would like to thank Old Rochester Regional High School for giving journalists across the nation fresh ideas for their 2010 yearbook publications.

The high school would also like to congratulate all art students for a terrific show at New Bedford's Gallery X. A special congratulations goes out to Alley McGlynn (senior) and Jean Smith (junior), who both received awards on opening night for best in their particular categories. The show will be open to the public until March 29th so anyone who hasn't checked it out already should do so before it's too late.

By Olivia Mello

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09:55:05 am Second Fire in a Week for Rochester

Categories: News, Rochester

The Rochester Fire Department was called to a structure fire at 126 Braley Hill Road just after 8pm on Friday, March 13 for a building that was reported to be fully involved.

As the homeowner was returning to the house he noticed the fire and attempted to extinguish it with a fire extinguisher and then contacted the fire department.

Fire Chief Scott Ashworth noted, “The fire had a pretty good start. I don’t live far from there, and when I turned onto Braley Hill Road I could already see a glow in the sky.”

The homeowner and his dog both escaped the fire, which according to Chief Ashworth, destroyed approximately 70% of the structure. The cause of the blaze is still unknown as Ashworth stated, “the extent of the damage was so sever in the area where it started that determination of the exact cause will be difficult.”

The firefighters faced muddy conditions to reach the building, which was set back from the road. Concerns during combating the blaze included propane tanks near the structure and an electrical service that entered the building in the area of the fire. Nstar was called to disconnect the power service. Mutual aid was call from Acushnet, Lakeville, Freetown, and Marion, as well as Mattapoisett who was called for station coverage.

This was the second structure fire the Rochester fire department has responded to in less than a week. The first fire earlier this week was located on Cushman Road, it was contained to one room of the home.

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12:23:41 am ORR School Committee Approves $15.149 Million 2010 Budget

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

A regular meeting of the ORR School Committee was held on March 10, 2009 at 6:30 pm in the Conference Room of the Superintendent's Office at ORR. Present at the meeting were ORR Superintendent Dr. William R. Cooper, ORR Senior High School Interim Principal John Amaral, ORR Junior High School Principal Kevin T. Brogioli, ORR School Committee Chairman Robert Nectow, ORR School Committee Members James O'Brien and Paul Silva, ORR Business Manager Katie Isernio, and several other members of the ORR School Committee who were not identified for the media.

Dr. Cooper reported that the search for a permanent principal for the Senior High School is going well, and that there are three finalists under consideration by the search committee. Two of the finalists have visited the school and met with parents, teachers and students. The third candidate will be visiting the school for the same sort of meetings on Wednesday, March 11, 2009. It is anticipated that the search committee will make a candidate selection within the next week or so, and that contract talks with such candidate could be completed by the end of March 2009.

The Superintendent advised the Committee that he needed an executive session of the Committee at the conclusion of the public meeting for several personnel matters, and without objection, the Chairman ordered that such executive session would follow the regular public meeting.

Mr. Brogioli announced that 30 students took the National Latin Examination this past week, and that 90 students in the eighth grade have taken the National Assessment of Educational Progress test. Mr. Brogioli also informed the Committee that an Aviation Club has been formed at the school, with a local pilot as an advisor; field trips to area airports and other educational experiences are being planned. A workshop on teaching and learning in teams held on February 26, 2009 was characterized as very successful. Mr. Brogioli said that the February 11 coffee with the principal was well attended, with approximately 15 parents present for the event.

Mr. Amaral reported that spring 2009 signups for sports are underway, and that students in grades 8 through 11 have made their course selections for the fall 2009 semester, and that class scheduling is underway to accommodate such requests. The Drama Club will produce "Thoroughly Modern Millie" on March 26, 27 and 28 at 7:30 pm at the High School, and a matinee on Sunday, March 29 at 2:00 pm.

Mr. Nectow asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the Committee meeting of February 10, 2009. A motion was made, seconded and carried unanimously to approve the minutes.

Ms. Isernio reported that the snow removal line item in the operating budget is currently over-expended by approximately $2,000.

The Committee heard a brief presentation from Mr. Shaun Walsh, President of the ORR Booster Club, on a proposed fundraising activity for spring 2000. The Club proposes to have a raffle for three gift baskets, with raffle tickets available for a $5.00 donation to the Club. This activity requires a permit from the Town of Mattapoisett, which Mr. Walsh said that the Club possesses. The proposed ticket sales would occur during the month of April, with all proceeds after costs going to benefit of the teams that sell tickets. The Committee unanimously approved the fundraising activity as outlined by Mr. Walsh.

The Committee unanimously approved attendance at ORR of a foreign exchange student from Spain in the fall 2009 semester for a period of approximately six weeks, on a recommendation from Dr. Cooper.

The Committee considered the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, with Chairman Nectow noting that the Towns of Marion and Rochester have both expressed concerns about the budget assumptions for health insurance and transportation costs being higher than the anticipated final costs for those line items. The Town of Rochester Board of Selectmen and the Town of Rochester Finance Committee, in a memorandum dated March 2, 2009, and distributed at the Committee meeting, indicated that they "are very concerned about the $236,000 increase for Rochester ORR assessment for FY 2010. The substantial increase over last year is having a major impact of [sic] the available funds for the RMS budget and the town's budget for FY2010. We ask the ORR School Committee consider [sic] reducing the assessments if the following reductions in expenses happen and if additional funding becomes available. 1. Health Insurance. You have already indicated that the health insurance increase has been reduced from 8.65% to percent to 5.00% [sic] and are expecting the increase to be even lower. 2. Transportation. The budget includes an increase of 8% and you have indicated that the bus contract increase will come in much lower then [sic] budgeted. 3. The Federal American Recovery and Reimbursement Act has been passed by Congress and signed by the President will [sic] provide some additional funding for ORR of about $300,000. Please review the attached summary of what funding will be available for school districts from the stimulus bill. In summary, We [sic] understand this are [sic] very difficult times for everyone but we would hope the school committee consider that any reduction in expenses or additional funds received by the region be shared to reduce the assessments of the towns."

Mr. Nectow also noted that the Town of Marion also is concerned about the issue of health insurance cost assumptions in the budget, but that officials of the Town have informally indicated that Marion is willing to wait until sometime after the second quarter of the new fiscal year to see the final numbers, after all monies are accounted.

Discussion also considered the current status of the Excess and Deficiency Account, which Committee Member Paul Silva said "should have roughly $500,000 in it, and it has about $25,000 right now." The consensus of the Committee was to agree in principle that any monies that prove to be overages be available to reduce the assessments to the Towns, but that at that point, negotiations with the Towns regarding replenishment of the E&D Account will be appropriate.

Formal motions to approve an operating budget for ORR for Fiscal Year 2010 in the amount of $15,149,761.00, and a capital budget for ORR for Fiscal Year 2010 in the amount of $1,055,248.00 were approved unanimously by the Committee.

Mr. Nectow announced the close of the public portion of the Committee meeting at 7:29 pm, with a five-minute recess before the Committee would proceed to convene in executive session.

By Ricky A. Pursley

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11:25:53 pm Rochester Police Officer Commended for Recovering Stolen Money

Categories: Rochester

A meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday March 9, 2009 at 7:00 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Dan A. McGaffey and Selectman Bradford N. Morse and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera. Guests were Cindy Parola, executive director for Habitat for Buzzards Bay and Greg Guimond, SRPEDD representative.

The minutes from February 23, 2009 both regular and executive sessions, were approved.

A letter of Commendation written by Paul H. Magee, Chief of Police, for Officer Shaun C. Peterson was partially read. The letter recognized Officer Peterson's efforts in recovering nearly $3000.00 which had been stolen from a local business on February 15, 2009. Officer Peterson's investigation also resulted in the arrest of the suspect in the case. The letter was acknowledged and will be placed in Officer Peterson's personnel file. Alewives Anonymous, Inc. sent a letter to Mark Rasmussen, President of the Coalition for Buzzards Bay raising a concern about the Hathaway's Pond dam project. The fear is that if the dam is removed (something in current consideration) the spawning area for river herring will be greatly compromised.

Next up, the Governor's proposed gas tax was discussed. Mr. LaCamera explained how the gas tax options were broken down, and said that "Massachusetts will be the highest in the country for gas tax." The proposed gas tax will increase by another 19 cents. Mr. LaCamera said also that "this is a very extensive bill and will take awhile to discuss."

A letter from the Kirby family of Rochester dated March 3, 2009 described their appreciation for the Rochester fire department, police officers and EMT staff when their house caught fire this past Sunday. The family was unharmed and the fire was extinguished in time to save all but one room. The Kirby's would like to point out that on May 18, 2009 there will be an opportunity to vote for the fire department to get a new fire truck at town meeting. They strongly encourage the people of Rochester to support the fire department and help them acquire the one truck that will replace the three outdated trucks they have now.

Chairman Morse motioned for Town election to take place on April 8, 2009 between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. The motion was approved by the Board.

Cindy Parola, executive director for Habitat for Buzzards Bay, spoke about affordable housing in Rochester. Her goals for the evening were to "find out if everybody understands how the program works and to get some visibility." Ms. Parola described the issues surrounding adequate housing in the area, the financial concerns many families face and how the Habitat for Buzzards Bay is making homes available for low income families to buy. She said that someone who is used to paying $600.00 a month in rent will be able to afford a home through their program.

Ms. Parola explained to the Board the need for land. The Habitat for Buzzards Bay has been able to build homes in Wareham, but have not yet received donated land or very low priced land in Rochester. They would like very much to receive land in the Tri-Town area and they have recently moved their office to Mattapoisett. Their website is www.buzzardsbayhabitat.org.

Next up was Greg Guimond, a Representative for Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District. Mr. Guimond discussed housing production in the Town of Rochester and showed three comprehensive plan maps which assessed the town for affordable housing sites. This topic will be brought up again at the Planning Board meeting on March 10, 2009.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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11:23:01 pm Aspiring Artists Sing Their Hearts Out in Tri-Town 'Idol' Contest

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

Mattapoisett's Knights of Columbus Hall was the Tri-Towns' version of the Kodak Theater on Saturday evening, March 7 as it hosted the Magic of Music Idol 2009 talent contest. The contest, now in its second year, is the brainchild of Rochester resident Jillian Marie Jensen, Miss Massachusetts Teen America 2007, and it serves as a showcase for talented young performers who wished to display their musical and singing abilities in an American Idol style setting. The show featured twenty one contestants ranging in age from five to 17 years of age. Each singer performed their song for a panel of five judges, and for the audience that filled the hall to capacity. Each performer was judged for both their abilities as a singer and as entertainers.

Judging the contest could not have been an easy task as each of the singers gave sterling performances and received glowing reviews from the panel. The judges used the forum to give the aspiring idols high praise, gentle tips and important reminders that will go a long ways towards helping the youngsters perfect their stage craft and build confidence. Unlike the television version of Idol, the panel kept their comments positive to help boost the self esteem of the performers.

Miss Jenson uses her standing as a Miss Teen America for Massachusetts to help bring the gift of music to children through the region. Her Magic of Music Scholarship Foundation, which was established in part by funds that she raised through last year's inaugural Idol contest, gave scholarships to six area music students over the past year. Proceeds from Saturday evening's event will help to further the Magic of Music Scholarship fund over the coming year.

"What started out with just me trying to raise money for kids to give them music lessons, has turned into this great program. We have given away six scholarships over the past year, including the one tonight", said Miss Jensen. Alyssa Landry of Middleboro was the latest recipient of a Magic for Music scholarship and she was on hand to receive her award during a break in between performances. Miss Jenson went on to say, "I feel music can do so much good in a child's life and that it should be open to anyone, not just those who have the money and can afford lessons. Music can be very therapeutic and can help children when they are going through tough times. I am just so happy that we can do something to help."

When Miss Jenson says we, she is being fairly modest. The truth is Jillian Jensen is Magic of Music. The unflappable teenager, with the help of her family, is the organizational powerhouse behind the charity. On Saturday evening she wore nearly every hat imaginable including that of emcee when the scheduled host of the show was unable to attend at the last minute. Miss Jensen also showed that she is a dynamic performer in her own right as she took the stage towards the end of the evening to belt out an original set of her own songs, backed by her band Zero Gravity. As she performed it became clear that Miss Jenson was the idol of many of the youngsters who had moments earlier been performing on the same stage. Nearly all of the young hopefuls sat as close to the stage as possible, watching Miss Jensen's every move as they lip synced along with her.

The night's winners included Camryn Morais in the nine and under category, Alexa Cahill in the 10 to 12 category and Alyssa Sylvia in the 13 and up category. Other performers for the evening included two of night's judges including last year's M.O.M. Idol winner Simone Cardosa who performed a duet with Miss Jensen. A second judge Ashley Bendickson the reigning Miss New Bedford performed during the second intermission. Hayley Marais - Miss Bristol County National Teenager 2009 took the stage to perform during the show's first intermission.

With the success of this year's contest it would seem that the Magic of Music is shaping up to be an event that young performers from the South Coast can look forward to for many years to come. If you would like to get more information about the organization or would like to make a donation to the fund you can contact Miss Jensen at Magicofmusic4u@aol.com.

By Robert Chiarito

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11:21:28 pm ORR Goes Around the World in Eighty Minutes During Festival

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

Old Rochester became a mini-Epcot as the Second Annual Around the World Multicultural Festival took place Saturday in the school's cafeteria from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The main goal of the event was to introduce Tri-Town children to life outside of America.

In the spacious cafeteria, music from all over the world was played, as children from Kindergarten to the Third Grade were given "passports" to be stamped at each informative table they visited. For example, as the youngsters visited the Great Britain table, they sampled tea while learning about British history and culture.

At the South America table, children made worry dolls, rain sticks, tambourines and clicking castanets, which are all part of their culture.

The event was designed partially as a fundraiser, as students that are involved in the American Field Service (AFS) are taking a trip to Kansas at the end of April for four days.

This school year, ORR hosts five foreign exchange students from Europe, South America, Africa and Asia: Coralie Thonnard, 18, of Brussels, Belgium, Carlos Reyes, 17, of Bogota, Colombia, Baris Yenigun, 16, of Istanbul, Turkey, Omar Omara, 16, of Cairo, Egypt and Orapan Sornnuwat, 16, of Bangkok, Thailand.

When asked about the main differences between living in Colombia and living in the Tri-Town, Reyes stated "I can't walk anywhere. I am just used to living in a big city that's so busy. Things are much more relaxed here."

"Things are a lot more competitive here," explained Thonnard. "My school back in Belgium is a lot smaller and the schedule is different. We start at 8:15 and get out at 4:30. Things aren't as different as I expected them to be."

Kim Corrizini is head of the AFS club, as well as the school nurse. "Last year, we had a Winter Festival in January for AFS, but this year we wanted to have something that was more connected to the club," said Corrizini. "We have so many cultures and topics we can explore, so we have many different options we can choose from.

"It's not just the smaller children that learned here today, but the high schoolers as well. We have five foreign students visiting us, but it's just as important that our students learn from them as well."

By Adam Silva

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11:17:43 pm ORR Submits Revised 2 Percent Budget to Tri-Town Officials

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

ORR Superintendent Dr. William R. Cooper presented the draft budget for the regional schools for Fiscal Year 2010 at a Public Hearing held on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 6:30 pm in the Cafeteria at ORR. Attendance at the Public Hearing of interested residents from the Towns of Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester was sparse, with no more than five residents present at any time during the session. Members of the regional school staff, including the principals of both the junior and senior high schools, were in attendance, as were members of the ORR School Committee and several members of Town finance committees.

"The key piece of interest for the finance committees is the assessment to the Towns," said Dr. Cooper, "so we will start with that, and see what develops as we go along." Dr. Cooper noted that work on the budget began in October 2008. About the end of January 2009, the ORR School Committee asked the Town finance committees if a three- or four-percent increase in the ORR budget would be acceptable, and the Committee was advised that three or four percent would not be acceptable, but that the Committee should aim for a maximum increase of two percent. At that stage, Dr. Cooper said, the Committee had to immediately cut $188,000 to get the draft budget down to a two percent level.

"We think that we have a proposal that does not diminish the experience of the students," Dr. Cooper said, "and we have two wonderful schools, and we want to keep the richness of the experience for the students."

ORR Junior High School Principal Kevin T. Brogioli told the gathering that he had made approximately $91,000 in cuts to his budget, but believes that he and his staff will still be able to deliver a high-quality educational program to the students in grades seven and eight. Mr. Brogioli said that among the cuts are: a physical education teacher position which will be filled instead with an instructional assistant; a re-focusing of the afterschool athletic program to become an intramural program as opposed to the current interscholastic program (resulting, according to Mr. Brogioli, in greater student participation, but achieving significant cost savings to the school); a reduction in library text monies of $2,000; the elimination of "Study Island," a web-based mathematics study program; reductions in physical education and science education supplies; and delaying replacement of the eighth grade social studies text. "Even so," Mr. Brogioli said, "the impact on our students, and our educational program, will be minimal."

John Amaral, Interim Principal of ORR Senior High School, told the Public Hearing that the needed budget savings will be achieved by attrition of staff, a reduction in the number of class sections in some class offerings, and reductions in costs of transportation, particularly in the area of educational field trips. Mr. Amaral said that there would be a reduction of 10 class sections in both art and science, and a decrease of nine class sections in world language, physical education and health. Class sections offered in the 2009-2010 school year will be based on (a) student need (the number of requests); (b) optimal class sizes; and (c) meeting desirable outcomes on the federal (No Child Left Behind), state (annual yearly progress and MCAS) and local (graduation requirements) levels. Among other cost saving measures, the high school will be replacing some textbooks with "new" used books, and rebinding older textbooks. In addition, Mr. Amaral said, more transportation costs, particularly in the area of educational field trips, will be borne directly by students participating in those activities, a "pay-as-you-go" approach. In the athletic programs, there will be a reduction in the numbers of games played, saving on both transportation and the cost of game officiating. Additionally, two track coaches will not be replaced next year. Mr. Amaral assured those present that the supplies line item of the athletic department would adequately support the basic needs of each sport.

Teresa Hamm, Director of Student Services for ORR, outlined the cutbacks in the special education budget: (a) in the high school, a reduction of two paraprofessionals, leaving five teachers and 10 paraprofessionals; (b) in the junior high school, a reduction of one paraprofessional, leaving four teachers and 10 paraprofessionals; (c) splitting the Individual Support Program between the high school and the junior high school, and adding a credit recovery component, NovaNet; (d) reducing the speech therapist to a .4 FTE (two days per week); and (e) a reduction in tutorial services.

Dr. Cooper, noting that the assessment this year for the Town of Rochester will spike with an increase of 6.5%, said that the Towns may want to change to a rolling average of student enrollment over a three-, five- or seven-year term, in order to even out such spikes over time, which are usually the result of periodic surges in student population. The mechanics of implementing such a methodology would need to be examined by each of the Towns, and would likely require a change in the regional school agreement among the three Towns.

ORR School Committee Chairman Robert Nectow told the Public Hearing that the Committee remains concerned about plant maintenance going forward, which is not adequately addressed in the proposed budget. "We spent approximately $15 million six or seven years ago, and we need to take steps to ensure that we are protecting that investment in the physical plant," Mr. Nectow said.

The Committee's presentation projected federal stimulus monies to the regional schools as possibly being as much as $300,000, although those figures are only rough estimates at this time. The proposed budget also assumes an increase in insurance costs, overall, of approximately 8.65%, and an increase in transportation costs (once the bus contracts, currently out for bids, have been finalized) of approximately 8%. While Mr. Nectow said that the Committee agrees that the insurance assumption is likely to be much higher than the final increase amount obtained from Gateway (the health insurance consortium to which ORR belongs, along with the three Towns), "it is difficult to go back to the Towns and ask for more money." Rochester Selectman Dan McGaffey said that "ORR is not under the same constraints as the Towns are to have a balanced budget. The schools can come back to the Towns and ask for more money." Mr. McGaffey called on the Committee to make a commitment to the three Towns that if the insurance and transportation costs come in under the budget assumptions, such savings will be directly returned to the three Towns. Asked by The Wanderer after the conclusion of the Public Hearing if he felt that such a commitment had been made by the Committee, Mr. McGaffey said, "No, I did not hear such a commitment." Richard Nunes, Chair of the Rochester Board of Selectmen, who also attended the Public Hearing, agreed with Mr. McGaffey's assessment.

Mr. Nectow announced that the Committee would take a final vote on the proposed Fiscal Year 2010 budget at its next regular meeting, scheduled to be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 6:30 pm in the Conference Room of the Superintendent's Office. The Public Hearing was adjourned at 7:36 pm.

By Ricky A. Pursley

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11:15:18 pm A Yearbook Collection and the Upcoming Spring Play

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

For the past several years Becky Zora, an art teacher and yearbook advisor at the high school, has been working on a project she has always wished to complete before her upcoming retirement. Ms. Zora is hoping to preserve two complete sets of all past yearbooks. The first set will be put away on record while the second will be placed somewhere in the school where students and staff will be able to access it, with permission, when they may please. Michael Devoll, who is this year's new assistant principal, has agreed to help Ms. Zora in her efforts by making sure the first set is preserved in a safe place.

In order to complete this project, Ms. Zora is looking for a number of yearbooks. The first set is missing only one copy, being that of 1979. In order to create a complete second set, a copy of years 1962, 1963, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1997 must be collected. The yearbook staff is hoping that they will find ORR alumni who are willing to give away or sell their copy of any of these issues.

Ms. Zora realizes that those who were seniors of these particular graduating classes will most likely want to hold onto their yearbooks, therefore, this project is targeted more so towards the underclassmen of the time. Of course, that doesn't mean she won't accept your yearbook otherwise. Those willing to donate or sell can contact the high school's front office (at 508-758-3745) where you can speak to Mrs. Jefferson, another yearbook advisor, who will assist you.

In addition, any ORR graduates who were not able to get a yearbook, or who might have lost their own, are now being offered the opportunity to request a copy. These individuals are also asked to call the front office in order to find out if the particular year they desire is available.

The ORR drama club's spring production is fast approaching. This year the school will be performing Thoroughly Modern Millie, a musical that is set in New York City during the early 1920's. Millie Dillmount, played by Chelsie Nectow, is a young girl from Kansas who moves to New York in search of a new life. Once there, Millie becomes a secretary for a rich man, Trevor Graydon, played by Matt Kalaplastos, and dreams of marrying him for his wealth. Her plan is quickly thrown askew as she finds herself falling in love with a poor but fun-loving paper-clip salesman, Jimmy Smith, played by Spencer Johnson. Additional actors appearing in the spotlight will include Katie Holden as Miss Dorothy Brown, Alyssa Ray as Mrs. Meers, Jillian Zucco as Muzzy van Hossmere, Holly Cardoza as Miss Flannery, Koby Williamson as Bun Foo and Rob McDavid as Ching Ho. An exciting and somewhat new piece to look out for in this year's spring production is a tap dancing act that will be preformed during the number "Forget About the Boy!"

The performances will take place at 7:30 in the high school auditorium on Thursday, March 26th, Friday, March 27th and Saturday, March 28th. A matinee will be preformed on Sunday at 2:00 PM. Tickets will be sold for an admissions fee of $12. Students and senior citizens will be charged only $8 per ticket.

The Winter Blues Film Festival has been postponed due to a lack of submissions and will now be held on Friday, April 3rd at 6 PM in the high school cafeteria. Mrs. Wickman will be accepting videos until Friday, March 27th so anyone who was unable to meet the original deadline will get a second opportunity to show off their work!

By Olivia Mello

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12:21:01 am Tri-Town Girl Scouts Donate Cookies to Air Force Soldiers

Categories: Marion, Rochester

Girl Scout Troop 800-99 of Marion and Rochester recently donated cookies to U.S. soldiers at the Hanscomb Air Force Base. There are 19 girls, all second and third graders, in troop 99. They meet every two weeks for two hours at a time at the Sippican School in Marion.

This year, the girls donated a total of 90 boxes of cookies. All of the Girl Scouts in Eastern Massachusetts donated a total of 18,000 boxes. Troop 99 has been selling cookies since December 2008.

The girl's leader is Stacey Soucy. Ms. Soucy feels that it is important for the girls to learn about community service and practice using their "leadership skills while making the world a better place." Leadership, community activism and team work are the basis for the Girl Scouts. The Girl Scouts of America website, girlscouts.org, names three essential's for learning leadership; "Discover, Connect and Take Action." The girls are learning responsibility as well when they sell cookies and then deliver them. These skills will be useful in their lives and the girls will always know the meaning of helping one's neighbors.

Every year the Girl Scouts pick a cause to donate their cookies to, and community members can choose to either buy cookies for themselves, or donate boxes to the cause or both. This year, the Girl Scouts received a lot of interest from the community in donating to the soldiers. Ms. Soucy said that "People were more interested in helping donate than they were in getting cookies for themselves."

The girls really enjoyed raising the money as well. The general feeling was that this was a well supported cause.

This was the Girl Scouts first year donating to U.S. soldiers. There was a ceremony held on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at the Hanscomb Air Force Base. Three of the 19 girls from Troop 99 went to the event with Ms. Soucy, where they were joined by hundreds of other Girl Scouts from Eastern Massachusetts. Each group of Girl Scouts brought the cookies they had collected and gave them to the soldiers at this time. It was an opportunity for the girls to feel a sense of accomplishment as they handed cases of cookies over to the soldiers.

The ceremony consisted of various guest speakers, including the Base's Commander, an executive from Dunkin Donuts, and a campaigner for local homeless shelters. There was then a photo opportunity for Girl Scouts to pose with soldiers.

The Girl Scouts will continue to meet and are in the process of planning for more community service opportunities. Each time they are active in raising money and helping the people around them they learn more about leadership and activism.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:14:29 am Tri-Towns Prepare for Annual Relay for Life Event at ORR

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

The Tri-Town area is preparing for their annual Relay for Life event on June 12, 2009 at 6:00 pm at the Old Rochester Regional High School Library, 135 Marion Rd, in Mattapoisett. The American Cancer Society created Relay for Life 25 years ago and the Tri-Town area will be celebrating the milestone this year. The Relay is the American Cancer Society's best known activity for raising funds and reaching people around the world in the fight against cancer. There are more than 3.5 million participants who come together to support this cause.

Relay for Life is an 18 hour event. People will gather at 6:00 pm to listen to a guest speaker and at 9:00 pm the Luminaria Ceremony of Hope begins. This ceremony celebrates those who have lost their lives to cancer, as well as those who have overcome it. As the night grows dark, small bags with personal sentiments are lit all around the track to inspire and remind the Relay participants of why they are there. The Tri-Town area also has a Memorial presentation, where photos of loved ones who have battled cancer are displayed.

Then the relay begins. There must always be a member from each team on the track at all times, and they go all night. The event doesn't end until noon the next day.

Right now, they are fundraising, recruiting and creating teams. There are five teams so far; team CAN't CERender with captain Kathryn Pettinato, team Family Affair with captain Caryn Hodges, team Superstars with captain Jessie Hodges, team Looney Tunes with captain Lisa Grenier, and team Shamrockers with captain Kevin DuPont.

There are fifteen participants so far. Anyone can join; babies, elders, everyone and anyone are welcome to walk, run, and skip in this event.

Caryn Hodges, co-chair of the Tri-Town Relay for Life, became interested in the Relay when she learned that her daughter's Girl Scout leader was a cancer survivor. She said "I've been doing it since it started, five years ago." Her involvement with the project has progressed over the years, from participating on a team to becoming a team captain to finally becoming co-chair, along with Carol Lareau, both this year and last.

Ms. Hodges enjoys getting to know the people and finds that they are the reason she keeps coming back. "You see so many people and get to know why they're doing it. I always find somebody there that inspires me more." Ms. Hodges spoke about last year's guest speaker who walked around the survivor track while talking with his mother, also a cancer survivor, on the phone. The mother lived in Florida and was not able to walk the laps, but she could still be there with her son in this way. The phone was passed around to other family members and friends as well, and she was able to be a part of the event.

The Tri-Town area's Relay for Life web site has many quotes of local participants and their various reasons for becoming involved.

For more information about how to join or donate visit the Tri-Town area's web site for the Relay for Life at http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=16368 and the main website is www.RelayForLife.org

By Sarah K. Taylor

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12:12:30 am In the Trenches: New Statewide Law Goes Into Effect

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

Beginning March 1, 2009 a new set of state mandated by-laws concerning the digging of trenches on private property, are now in effect. The law was originally set to go into effect on January 1, 2009 but was delayed, at least in part, to winter weather conditions that prevented digging in frozen ground along with concerns being voiced at the time by municipalities around the Commonwealth. Designed to prevent accidents, such as accidental drowning when a trench becomes full of rainwater, the law also standardizes trench-digging laws from town to town, under one uniform state-wide mandate.

Under this new law the new law the towns of Rochester and Mattapoisett have approved the state's recommendations of a $50.00 permitting fee for trench construction that will be enforced through the building department of each town. Marion is still in the process of deciding what actions they will take in terms of who will be the trench enforcement officer as well as what fees will be charged. Marion Building Inspector Richard Marx said, "We have been getting questions about this as contractors have become aware of the law and I am hoping that the Selectmen will take this up as soon as possible."

In addition to now having to file for a permit to dig a trench the state is also requiring that contractors and property owners follow Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety standards to protect the safety of workers involved with the digging of trenches.

The Rochester building department has asked residents to contact them to further determine under whose jurisdiction a trench might fall. If a trench is being constructed in an area that includes any town right away or property, as is often the case when a cable is being installed underground, jurisdiction for inspecting the trench will then be under the office of the town's highway surveyor and not the building commissioner.

A portion of the new trench law requires anyone engaging in the creation of a trench to take a series of precautions to protect the public and to limit access to the trench in order to prevent accidents when the trench is unattended. These recommendations include barricading or backfilling the trench at the end of a workday or over weekend when construction is halted. Barricades include fencing off the area under construction with a fence at least six feet in height with no opening greater than four inches in the fence or covering the entire trench to limit access to it.

To find more information as to the law's specific standards as well as the new safety rules being instituted under the new regulations property owners and contractors are encouraged to go to the state's website at www.mass.gov/dps or they can contact the building department of their town hall.

By Robert Chiarito

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12:08:09 am ORR National Honor Society Chapter Holds Induction Ceremony

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

The 2009 National Honor Society Induction Ceremony was held in the Old Rochester Regional High School cafeteria on Thursday, February 26th. The ceremony opened with a number of warm welcomes from the ORR's National Honor Society Advisor, Teresa Dall, the society's president Tommy Morss, as well as the high school's principal John Amaral.

This year's guest speaker was William Curtis Frantz, who is the father of the

Honor Society's treasurer, William Tyler Frantz and the creator of an

environmental program for Ocean Spray Cranberries. Mr. Frantz shared his wisdom

on the significance of receiving an education and putting what you've learned

to good use to aid yourself and others. A musical interlude was then preformed

by Chelsie Nectow, who is also a member of this year's NHS. She blew away the

audience by singing a beautiful rendition of A Quiet Thing by Barbara

Streisand.

The next session of the ceremony held a recognition of the four qualities that all National Honor Society members should exhibit. The Candle of Knowledge, which is, of course never extinguished, was explained first. Each year, a current member of the society volunteers to speak upon the importance of knowledge and the impact it has upon us. Emma Lagreze took the somewhat tricky task upon herself and came up with a wonderful speech for the night of induction. Emma explained to the audience that knowledge creates power and that, as Peter Parker's uncle once said in Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Thomas Morss was then called to the podium to light the Candle of Scholarship and to speak a few words about the topic. His speech defined scholarship as a "commitment to learning" and explained that learning should continue on much further than our formal education. The next to speak was the NHS' vice president, Kendall Nelson. She lit and discussed the Candle of Service, stating that "we are committed to the idea of volunteering our time and abilities to the creation of a better tomorrow." I (Olivia Mello), as the secretary of the society, proceeded to light the Candle of Leadership and explained that "leadership should exert a wholesome influence on the school." Lastly, Tyler Frantz lit the Candle of Character and defined it as "the force within each individual which distinguishes that person from others."

It was then time to acknowledge the newest inductees. Alexander Goodman was called up to recite the forty-four ORR students being honored. They were then asked to recite the National Honor Society Oath which was administered by Adrienne King. The oath concluded with a list of important promises, "to seek the light of truth, to hold scholarly habits, to engage in worthy service, and to lead forward in all things that shall advance the welfare of the school, the well being of the community, and the honor of his or her country." The students then made their induction official by receiving the symbols of membership including a National Honor Society candle, pin and card.

After the induction, students and parents were invited to stay for fruit salad, punch, cookies and coffee, which were all prepared by the current members of the society.

A sincere congratulations goes out to all of the newest members of the National Honor Society--Caitlin Barker, Christine Beatriz, Caitlin Beauregard, Patrick Bell, Evan Bissonnette, Amanda Boulay, Stevi Briggs, Kelsey Callahan, Daniel Duggan, Sarah Edwards, Scott Evansen, Nicholas Filloramo, Jonathan Francis, Kelsey Frink, Robert Gammell, Olivia Gauvin, Brian Heacox, Blaine Hymel, Rebecca Ivester, Erica Janik, Matthew Jennings, Julia Kantner, Sarah Kassabian, Sara Kelly, Sybil Krawczyk, Catalina Llanas-Colon, Casey Mathews, Taylor Matthews, Olivia McLean, Natasha Meere, Lauren O'Brien, Ashley Orander, Sean Packard, Stephanie Perry, Margaret Pullo, Alyssa Ray, Allison Roose, Hillary Rozenas, Jean Smith, Amanda Stubbs, Rebecca Sylvia, Bryan Teefy, Ian Vincent and Sarah Walsh.

By Olivia Mello

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09:49:57 pm Rochester Fine-Tunes FY 2010 Budget, Sets Town Meeting Date

Categories: Rochester

A regular meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen was called to order on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 7:09 pm by Chairman Richard Nunes. Also present were Selectman Dan A. McGaffey and Selectman Bradford N. Morse, and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera. Invited guests included: the Town of Rochester Finance Committee; Barry J. Denham, Veteran's Agent for the Towns of Mattapoisett and Rochester; and Town of Rochester Police Chief Paul H. Magee.

The Board approved unanimously the minutes of the January 26, 2009 Selectmen's meeting, both regular and executive sessions, and the minutes of the January 29 and February 2, 2009 Selectmen's meetings.

The Board noted receipt of the annual filing by Verizon of cable television consumer complaints for 2008; receipt of PEG Access funding in the amount of $3,648.32 for the fourth quarter of 2008 from Verizon; receipt of PEG Access funding in the amount of $28,387.13 for the period from July 1 to December 31, 2008 from Comcast; receipt of payment in lieu of taxes for the month of January 2009 of $245,512 from SEMASS; receipt from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue a certification from the Department that the Town had "free cash" as of July 1, 2008 in the amount of $752,807; and receipt of correspondence from Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regarding the MassCleanDiesel School Bus Retrofit Program.

The first order of business on the agenda was meeting with Barry J. Denham, Veteran's Agent for the Towns of Mattapoisett and Rochester. Mr. Denham provided the Board with copies of the agreement between the two Towns regarding the Veteran's Agent, as well as a job description document. "How many veterans in the Town of Rochester do you serve," asked Chairman Nunes. "We serve approximately 355 veterans who are residents of the Town of Rochester," Mr. Denham replied, "we talk to approximately 10 veterans from Rochester each year. My job is to make sure that veterans get the services that they are entitled to." In addition to federal law, Chapter 115 of the Massachusetts General Laws governs matters relating to veterans in the Commonwealth, and is in addition to federal law. "What kind of outreach are you able to do for Rochester veterans," Selectman McGaffey asked. "We don't do a lot of outreach, but being part-time, there is not much we can do," Mr. Denham replied. Mr. Denham noted that he is in his office in the Mattapoisett Town Hall one day each week, and that the Veteran's Clerk, Paula M. Butterfield is in the office on Mondays and Tuesdays, and present in the Town Hall on Wednesdays, when she works for the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen. The Board asked that Mr. Denham keep it informed periodically on the work that he performs on behalf of Rochester veterans, and Mr. Denham promised to do so.

Mr. LaCamera presented a summary of the Board's actions of January 29, 2009 relating to the licensing of dogs in the Town. The summary was prepared for the Board by Police Chief Magee. Chief Magee told The Wanderer that progress so far in 2009 with dog licensing is good. "I think the extra publicity in the media, including your newspaper, has helped a lot," Chief Magee said.

Chief Magee announced to the Board that Town police officer John Barnes has officially retired, and that a replacement would be sought in the normal course of operations.

The Board met with the Town Finance Committee at 7:33 pm to consider Fiscal Year 2010 budget matters. Mr. LaCamera presented a summary of the financial situation as it currently exists, indicating a total available to spend in Fiscal Year 2010 of $16,137,811, against a preliminary budget amount of $16,154,188, leaving a negative difference of $16,377. These figures reflect substantial decreases in state aid, along with increases in local receipts (primarily due to SEMASS). No consideration of so-called "federal economic stimulus monies" was taken, since these figures are unknown at this time. The preliminary budget assumes no additional staff hiring for 2010, the maintenance of existing staff and services, an estimated receipt of $59,000 attributable to the proposed one percent increase in the hotel and meals tax statewide, a proposed telecommunications tax statewide on wireless services yielding Rochester approximately $39,000, wage increases only as provided in existing contracts, step increases only as provided in the personnel compensation plan, and no COLA increase for Town employees. Mr. LaCamera noted that due to conservative estimates used by the Town, "free cash," as certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is actually $132.807 higher than the preliminary budget allows, and that the Town's stabilization fund currently has a balance of $1,396,781. After some discussion regarding projected savings in both the health insurance and transportation areas by the Old Rochester Regional School District, the Board directed Mr. LaCamera to write to ORR on behalf of the Town, making clear that the Board expects a proportional return of any such savings directly to the Town.

In the Town Administrator's report, Mr. LaCamera noted that there are now new state regulations, effective on March 1, 2009, regarding trenches. He said that the Town Building Department has all of the necessary information for those interested in the new regulations.

Mr. LaCamera noted that there are several regional meetings taking place over the coming ten days, including one with Lieutenant Governor Murray on February 26, one with the MMA on February 27, and a meeting of area towns in Dartmouth on March 5.

The Master Plan for the Town has been completed and updated, and is scheduled to be considered in a joint meeting of the Board and the Town Planning Board on March 10 at 7:00 pm.

Mr. LaCamera announced that Coastline Elderly Services, Inc. had notified the Town that a van, purchased five years ago with grant money, was now to be turned over to the Town by Coastline, pursuant to grant conditions and state law. A motion was made, seconded and carried unanimously to accept the van from Coastline on behalf of the Town.

The five-year capital plan, presented at the last Board meeting, will be considered at the Board meeting regarding public safety issues to be held at the Police Department on February 24, 2009 at 5:30 pm.

Upon recommendation of Mr. LaCamera, and after a motion was made and seconded, the Board unanimously approved the date of May 18, 2009 for the Annual Town Meeting. By a motion made, seconded and carried unanimously, the Board approved the date of April 3, 2009 as the last date for submission of warrants for the Annual Town Meeting.

Mr. LaCamera noted that the federal Internal Revenue Service has set the mileage rate for 2009 for reimbursement at $0.55 per mile. This rate became effective for IRS purposes on January 1, 2009, although it was only recently announced by the IRS. On a motion made, seconded, and carried unanimously, the Board approved the rate of $0.55, but effective on February 23, 2009 for the Town of Rochester.

The Board unanimously adopted Board Policy Number 5, "Investment Policy." The policy states that "This policy sets for the investment objectives and parameters for the management of public funds for the Town of Rochester. This investment policy is designed to safeguard funds on behalf of the Town, to ensure the availability of operating and capital funds when needed, and to provide an investment return competitive with comparable funds and financial markets. The primary investment objectives of investment activities shall be safety, liquidity and yield." The policy goes on to describe the relationship of the objectives to each other, making safety the highest priority, liquidity the second highest priority, and yield the least highest priority, after taking into consideration safety and liquidity.

There being no other business, the Board adjourned at 8:12 pm.

By Ricky A. Pursley

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09:39:51 pm Fifteen People to Campaign for Open Seats in Rochester Election

Categories: Rochester

The date for filing the required papers to run for office in this year's Rochester Town Election passed at the end of the business day on Wednesday, February 18. A total of fifteen people will be running for office on April 8, 2009. The polling place for the elections will be the Senior Center on Dexter Lane with the polls being open from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Incumbent Selectman Dan McGaffey will be challenged for his seat on the Board by Town Clerk Naida Parker, herself a former Selectman, in what promises to be a very heated and much talked about race.

Mr. McGaffey said that he is very proud of what he and his fellow selectmen have been able to accomplish over the past three years, especially in light of the current economic conditions. Mr. McGaffey said he is running for re-election because, "I Think that we are in the midst of really tough times as our discussion tonight (during the selectmen's meeting) suggested. I have invested a lot of time learning what one has to do with concerns towards the budget and the Town of Rochester. I find this a wonderful board to work with and I feel one of our greatest accomplishments is that we have been able to transform the business team in this town so that when the accountants come in we really don't have to worry about it. We know where the money is and how the money is being spent and I feel that is a major accomplishment." He went on to say "When you are a new selectmen you don't always know what it is that all of the people who work for the town do for a living and I have been very pleased to learn how hard our police chief works, our highway surveyor works, our fire chief works. One of the things that people keep talking about are grants and why do we get grants. We get them because of the hard work of all of the department heads and I would like to see that they get more recognition. We have probably gotten at least $100,000 worth of grants that no one has heard about and people need to be given credit because they all take a lot of hard work to get and the people of town should know how hard these people are working to save their tax money. So, I look forward to another three years of working with these people and keeping the job that we have been doing going."

Ms. Parker would like to see the Board of Selectmen meet more frequently citing, in her view, the need of the townspeople to have access to the leaders of the Town's government. Ms. Parker, who was a member of the Board of Selectmen from 1997 until 2003 said, "I would like to see us get back to a more frequent selectmen's meeting. I believe in an open door policy. I don't believe it is fair for the people to have to wait two weeks to have to get an answer from the Board of Selectmen. When I was on the board we got the Police Station built, the Senior Center built, we got the highway barn built. Of course in today's economy it might be harder to do those things. We are going to need a team approach and we are going to have to get the citizens more involved because it is their tax dollars that we are spending and to spend that money wisely it takes more than meeting just two times per month."

In other races Jeff Eldridge will run unopposed for the position of Tree Warden. Hartley Greenwood is set to serve another term as the Town Moderator as he runs unopposed for that office. Another uncontested race includes Board of Health where Dale Barrows is the lone candidate. Jana Cavanagh is the only candidate in the race for the open seat on the Board of Assessors. Veronica LaFreniere is the lone candidate for Cemetery Commission. Travis Lalli will run unopposed for a seat on the Park Commission.

There are a number of candidates running for several seats on the Library's Board of Trustees. Elizabeth Owen, Jay Williams and Leslie Piper are all running for the one-year term on the board while incumbent Wendy Keeler and new-comer David Smith will run unopposed for the two three-year seats on the Library Board.

The Rochester Memorial School Committee attracted two candidates. Running unopposed for the two positions on the RMS School committee are Tina Reed and Robin Rounseville. The final day for residents of Rochester who are not registered to vote in the upcoming election and wish to do so to be eligible to vote is March 19. Absentee ballots will be made available from the Town Clerk's office by mid-March after all of the candidates petitions have been verified.

By Robert Chiarito

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09:36:22 pm Lovely Ladies Vying for the Title of 'Miss Senior South Coast'

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

On March 6, 2009 at 6:30pm, the Alden Court Nursing Home of Fairhaven will be hosting the second annual Miss Senior South Coast Pageant. This is an event open to the public and hosted by last year's winner, Ms. Charlotte Fleshsic, who prefers to be called by her nickname "Boots".

The women in the competition are from not only the Tri-Town area, but also Fairhaven, Acushnet and New Bedford. Last year there were eight women participants, and so far there are eight again this year. The pageant is judged based on three different segments. There is the semi-formal dress portion, the talent portion and the interview. A panel of judges will choose the winners and the first place winner will receive a trip for two to Cape Cod, as well as invitations throughout the year to attend local community events. There will be other prizes given as well.

Ms. Sharon Jensen has arranged the pageant and feels that it is important because it gives the senior's in the community a chance to have fun and let loose a little bit. She says "There are so many beautiful and talented senior ladies in the community who love to perform and that may be empowered by an opportunity like this." Ms. Jensen described some of the talents from last year's pageant which include poetry, singing, piano playing, and a painting display.

Ms. Celeste Forte from Acushnet will be participating in the pageant for a second year, having enjoyed herself last year at the event. Ms. Forte will turn 84 in July. Last year, Ms. Forte sang "One Day at a Time" for the talent portion of the pageant and came in fourth place. She won a manicure and pedicure. While she would of course like to win first place, it is not the reason she is participating. Ms. Forte feels the real reason for participating is to do something fun and different with other members of her community.

Ms. Forte enjoys both singing and dancing and claims to volunteer her talents at Alden Court when they have different events. For instance, there was a gathering last Friday which Ms. Forte attended and danced the hula! "I go dancing a lot. I like being with people and making them happy."

This year, for the talent portion of the pageant, Ms. Forte will be dancing the tango. She has improvised a partner named JB. He will be wearing an outfit complete with suspenders and Ms. Forte will be in a tiara, skirt and gold top. The tango promises to be lively and entertaining. While Ms. Forte may be of an age when some women find themselves moving much slower, Ms. Forte hasn't conformed.

2009's Miss Senior South Coast Pageant will be held at Alden Court Nursing Home and Rehab Facility; 389 Alden Road in Fairhaven. The date is Friday, March 6, 2009 at 6:30 pm. This event is open to the public and free of charge.

By Sarah K. Taylor

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09:34:10 pm News and Updates for the College-Bound Students at ORR

Categories: News, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

College-bound seniors at Old Rochester Regional High School are recommended to stop by the Guidance Office to pick up a copy of the Guidance Bulletin, which is updated every so often. Inside the packet, students can find a list of potential scholarships that the high school is offering. These scholarship application forms can also be found in Guidance, inside of a large filing cabinet in the right side corner of the room. The Guidance Bulletin explains what is needed in order to qualify for consideration for each specific scholarship. Eligibility can depend upon a number of different factors including sex, residency, ethnicity, or future plans in education. Deadlines for most of these scholarships are between mid and late March. Some scholarships require a teacher recommendation, a high school transcript and/or a written response to a particular question. The guidance counselors (Mr. Scott Griffith, Mrs. Wendy McPhee, and Mrs. Donna Perry) will be more than happy to provide their students with any of these academic necessities.

On Thursday, March 5th, at 6:30 PM, sophomore and junior parents are invited to the High School Auditorium for a College Admissions Seminar. The topics discussed here will include current college admissions trends, the stages of college admissions process, financial aid basics, college entrance tests, essay, interview and campus visit information, as well as MEFA's free resources for families. The seminar will serve as a great way for parents to prepare themselves and their children for their future college plans.

There are a couple reminders for upcoming events at the high school. On Saturday, March 7th, the AFS club is holding their 2nd annual Multicultural Festival from 10:00AM-2:00 PM in the school's cafeteria. Once again the team encourages anyone who might enjoy activities targeted towards those who are enrolled in pre-k through the 3rd grade to join in on the festivities. The junior high's foreign exchange teacher from Thailand, Arboo, will be there along with foreign exchange students, Omar, Baris, Orapan, Coralie and Carlos. There will be a $10 admissions fee and all proceeds will go towards the ORRHS AFS club.

Friday, March 6th, will hold the 7th annual Winter Blues Film Festival, as long as enough acceptable films are submitted and approved for inclusion. The deadline for film submission to Mrs. Wickman (in the English Department) is Friday, February 27th. There will be an admissions fee of $5 for all audience members at the Festival; however, those who have submitted a video themselves will be able to view the show for free. This year's proceeds will also go towards benefiting the AFS club.

By Olivia Mello

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12:04:46 am Cutting Edge Technology: Vacation Video Camp Rolls at ORCTV

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

The scene at the ORCTV studios on Front Street in Marion on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 showed a group of Tri-Town students gathered in a semi-circle on the floor around ORCTV Executive Director Kimberly Miot as she explained advertising concepts, strategies and techniques as part of a three-day video production camp sponsored by the local nonprofit. The students, ranging in age from 12 to 15, were making use of some of their winter vacation time to learn some 21st Century skills in video production. The camp, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on February 17, 18 and 19, cost $100 per student, with the cost of registration including snacks, a t-shirt and an annual membership in ORCTV, cable community television serving the Towns of Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester.

Ms. Miot, assisted by ORCTV Access Manager Robert Chiarito, seems to get as much out of the experience as the young people: "These kids are so smart, and there is so much that they already know when they walk in here," Miot said, "and many of them are already making their own videos, and are very familiar with outlets like YouTube. It is exciting for me to see them so interested in video production." Another video production camp will be held at ORCTV during spring vacation, on April 21, 22 and 23, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, with the same registration fee of $100. This summer, there will be two, two-week camps, one in July and one in August, with a registration fee of $200. Details on the camps are available at the organization's website, www.orctv.org.

At the opening session on February 17, Ms. Miot led the students on a discussion of advertising, including what makes advertising effective, how advertising is created, how advertising targets specific audiences, and what techniques advertising uses to create a lasting impression of a product or service. Students also learned how to use a tripod, a videocamera and related technical accessories to ensure professional video productions. Ms. Miot also explained the variety of audio techniques employed in video production, including several different types of microphones, which are utilized for different shooting locations: shotgun microphones mounted on a tripod-mounted videocamera for photographing events such as parades and speeches; omni-directional microphones used for standup interviews, with the microphone passed from interviewer to interviewee, as on many television news programs; and lavaliere microphones, which can be clipped to a person's clothing for sit-down interviews in a television studio. The students also learned how audio boards can be used to provide multiple microphones for events such as musical concerts, and how the various microphones can then be mixed to produce the best quality audio for a program.

ORCTV is public, education and government community access television serving the Tri-Town area, whose mission is "to offer the public the tools, training and assistance needed to use the medium of television as a forum for expressing a diversity of views, interests and backgrounds." Membership in ORCTV is available to anyone who lives, works or attends school in Marion, Mattapoisett or Rochester, including Tri-Town residents who attend local vocational-technical high schools, along with anyone living within a 10-mile radius of the ORCTV studios at 345 Front Street in Marion. The organization operates a popular Tri-Town video bulletin board that offers space to Town departments, organizations and other nonprofit entities. Adults are welcome to learn about video production as well, with regular classes offered to all new members at the ORCTV studios. Programming on ORCTV is as diverse as the communities it serves, and may focus on local information and events as well as issues of national or global concern, and may be educational, political, artistic, cultural, religious or entertaining in nature.

By Ricky A. Pursley

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12:01:47 am Area Habitat for Humanity Chapter Moving to Mattapoisett

Categories: Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

After an appearance at last week's Mattapoisett Selectman's Meeting, Habitat for Humanity's Executive Director Cindy Parola is putting the final touches on their move from Wareham to Mattapoisett.

"Moving to Mattapoisett makes much more sense geographically, since we cover not just the tri-town, but Acushnet, Fairhaven and Wareham as well," said Parola. "I have board approval to submit plans to affiliate Dartmouth and New Bedford as well. Wareham is as far east as you can go in this district, so we couldn't focus on all of the towns."

Their first day of business in Mattapoisett is March 2 and March 25 is their open house at the Mattapoisett Library from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

"I really think that our volunteer base will spread now that we are in Mattapoisett," said Parola. "All seven volunteer-built homes were in Wareham, largely in part because the land was donated to us in Wareham. If your address is in Wareham, you tend to hear more from Wareham people. Hopefully, this will spread us out more."

Parola, a Rochester native, explained that land is the most expensive and hardest to come by commodity. She hopes to work with area municipalities on town-owned land that can be either donated or purchased at a low cost.

There are three divisions of Habitat for Humanity on Cape Cod, servicing upper, lower and mid-Cape, as well as Greater Plymouth, which services Carver, Kingston, Plimpton and Middleboro. Parola said that although there is a division in Fall River, they not in close communication with them, but the decision to add Dartmouth and New Bedford has nothing to do with the Fall River division.

"I would love to sit at a board meeting and know we have a piece of property in all of our affiliate towns," explained Parola with a smile on her face. "It could just be a flip of t