Rochester Adds New “Soft” Recycling Program

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In addition to the regular single-stream paper, plastic, and glass recycling collection, Rochester will soon participate in a new curbside recycling program for “soft” recyclables.

On October 4, the Rochester Board of Selectmen held a special meeting and signed a contract with WasteZero, a curbside recycling company, for a separate collection of wares considered “soft” recyclables –clothing, blankets, drapes and other textiles, as well as shoes, hats, small appliances, and small furniture – items that otherwise might have been thrown in the trash.

Beginning January 1, 2019, residents will be provided pink plastic bags to stuff with appropriate items, which are then placed on the curb next to the regular recycling bin on the regularly scheduled recycling pickup days. WasteZero vans will follow the same recycling route to collect any pink plastic bags stuffed with unwanted soft recyclables. Additional empty pink bags will be left behind for future pickups.

Participation in the soft recycling program is voluntary; however, the Town hopes residents will utilize the free service that could potentially keep some of those items from going in the trash, saving the Town money on solid waste disposal fees.

WasteZero provides this service at no cost to the Town, and even reimburses the Town $0.01 per pound of soft recyclables collected each month, or $20 per ton.

The contract with WasteZero is an initial term of three years, with the possibility of renewal for terms of one or three additional years.

WasteZero is responsible for providing the Town with program brochures for town-wide distribution to Rochester residents before implementation of the curbside soft recycling program. Items that will be accepted include clothing, jewelry, shoes, purses, hats, toys, pictures, mirrors, blankets, drapes, pillows, old rags, sewing scraps, sleeping bags, small furniture, small appliances, irons, radios and audio equipment, TVs and video equipment, cameras, lamps, hairdryers, tools, toasters, microwaves, coffee makers, computers and household or consumer electronics, silverware, dishes, pots and pans, glasses, and the like.

Items that are NOT accepted will include garbage, hazardous waste, carpet, newspapers, mattresses, large furniture, large appliances, yard waste, car seats, cribs, paint, tires, or anything weighing over 50 pounds.

According to the EPA, the average person throws away roughly 85 pounds of textiles like clothing, shoes, and carpeting, every year, accounting for 6% of all solid waste. About 84% of re-usable textiles go to waste. This information and more is available at www.wastezero.com.

The next regular meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for October 15 at 6:00 pm at the Rochester Town hall.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

 

Mattapoisett Woman’s Club

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The October luncheon and meeting of the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club is on Thursday, October 18at 11:00 am. We meet at Reynard Hall in the Mattapoisett Congregational Church, 27 Church Street. Deborah Ewing is our guest speaker and will talk about the Diamond Terrapins, native to the brackish coastal tidal marshes of the eastern and southern United States.

We are pleased to welcome people who are interested in this month’s program or in becoming a member of our friendly group. If you would like more information, you may visit our new website – www.mattapoisettwomansclub.org – or contact Christine Voss at 508-758-3348.

Sippican Historical Society

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In 1998, the Sippican Historical Society commissioned an architectural survey of Marion’s historic homes and buildings. The survey was funded one-half by the Sippican Historical Society and one-half by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Due to the limits of funding, not all of the historic buildings were surveyed, but over 100 were catalogued and photographed. The results of the survey are in digital form on the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s website and in four binders in the Sippican Historical Society’s office (and at the Marion Town Clerk’s office).

Marion (Old Rochester) is one of the oldest towns in the United States, and the Sippican Historical Society maintains an extensive collection of documentation on its historic buildings. The Sippican Historical Society will preview one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture.

This installment features 26 Pleasant Street. The Greek Revival residence at 26 Pleasant Street was owned by L. Berry in 1855 and, in 1879, by H.P. Babcock. In the late 19th century, this house was purchased by Ichabod N. Blankinship. Ichabod, born in 1817, grew up at 273 Converse Road, which was owned by his father, John Blankinship. Ichabod was a parishioner of the Universalist Church, a sympathizer of the anti-alcohol Temperance Movement and an ardent Democrat who voted for the Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1864. By 1903, J.B. Blankinship, an ice deliveryman, owned this home. Ichabod N. Blankinship died in 1909 at age 92.

Hockey Unlimited

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Hockey Unlimited, an organization founded nearly 54 years ago and committed to teaching the fundamentals of ice hockey to local youths ranging in age from 9 to 14 years, plans to begin its 54th season at Travis Roy Rink … inside Tabor Academy’s Fish Center for Health & Athletics.

This year’s program will consist of approximately 16 weekly sessions. The registration fee is $380.00 for the entire season, payable to Hockey Unlimited (at least ½ payable in advance). The money covers ice rental expenses and all other operating costs.

Each participant should complete a registration form and return it with a check made payable to Hockey Unlimited. Please mail to: Hockey Unlimited, c/o Dyer Capital Management, P.O. Box 388, Marion, MA 02738.

Sessions are expected to be held primarily on Saturday mornings, as well as other selected school vacation days. The program runs approximately from early November through February 2019. A complete schedule with exact dates and times will be available upon registration. Because of program limitations, registration is on a “first come, first served” basis.

Each player must be equipped with a stick, knee pads, hockey gloves, elbow pads, helmet and face guard. Some type of tooth protection and hockey pants are also strongly recommended.

For more information, call Managing Director & Head Coach Tim Dyer at 508-748-3030 (office), 508-951-8361 (cell) or email at thd.dyercap@comcast.net.

Upcoming Programs at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library

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Traditional Irish Music Session – Join local musicians and Irish music enthusiasts at an open session on Sunday, October 14from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the library. Free and family-friendly, everyone is welcome to enjoy the music, sing, or play along.

Get Crafty with Old Books – On Friday, October 19from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, celebrate Halloween with treats and frightfully clever altered book skills upstairs in the Reading Room. The library staff will supply all the supplies. For ages 12 to adults.

Visiting Poet to Present Lecture and Reading – Poet Josephine Yu, author of “Prayer Book of the Anxious,” will read her work on Saturday, October 20at 2:00 pm. A book signing and reception will follow, sponsored by the Friends of the Mattapoisett Library.

Dr. Yu will present a lecture, “Sister Arts: A Discussion of Poetry about Paintings” on Friday, October 19at 4:00 pm. The public is invited to this program, part of the Purrington Lecture Series sponsored by the Mattapoisett Library Trust.

Library Book Discussion Group – Everyone is welcome to the discussion of Susanna Kearsley’s “Bellewether” on Sunday, October 21, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm in the library’s Marine Room. The meeting is facilitated by Bobbi Gaspar. The group meets the third Sunday of each month, and suggestions for reading are welcome.

Facebook Settings: Control Your Privacy – On Wednesday, October 24at 6:30 pm, John Theriault, Principal at Truventis, will discuss how to manage Facebook settings to get the most out of the social media platform while maintaining the level of privacy you want. Everyone is welcome to this free program. Call to register at 508-758-4171.

History of Photography Lecture – Professional photographer Liz Waring will be presenting “Focus on Photos: The History of Photography” at the library on Sunday, October 28from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Her interesting talk and visual presentation will cover facts, well-known photographers, and important developments in this medium.

All programs at the library, located at 7 Barstow Street, are free and open to the public. For an up-to-date schedule of events, visit the library’s website or stop by the circulation desk.

Contract Talks Remain ‘Convoluted’

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The top candidate for the executive director position and the representatives of the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District have yet to strike an employment contract deal, with negotiations now stretching into a seventh week.

The CMWRRDD wasn’t sure last week if it was going to have a contract deal or if it was going to need to hold a special meeting last Thursday, but neither of the potential outcomes came to fruition; instead, according to Marion Town Administrator Paul Dawson, negotiations between the two parties continue as both sides are “still talking.”

“No news,” said Dawson during an October 9 phone interview. “But once something is decided one way or the other, we’ll have to take it to the board either to confirm or to move on.”

Dawson said the negotiations have been “convoluted” these past weeks.

Dawson, along with the town administrators of Carver and Wareham, have continued to work with Bernier to come to an agreement on an employment contract to fill the position left vacant after the CMWRRDD fired former executive director Ray Pickles.

Pickles and his wife, Diane Bondi-Pickles, and former Carver Health Agent Robert Tinkham, Jr. are all defendants of several complaints of fraud and embezzlement filed by the CMWRRDD, having allegedly defrauded the district out of over $800,000 over a period of five years. Pickles, who is still the town clerk for the Town of Marion, also left behind years of mismanagement and missing financial files, which left the CMWRRDD board searching for the missing pieces of the last five years and wondering what to do about the future of the regionalized trash disposal district.

But as for now, Dawson could not say what that future would look like and whether or not Bernier would be a part of it.

“We’re going to have to wait for the board to direct us as to what to do,” said Dawson.

Right now, I just don’t know the answer.”

Dawson did say that the board would likely hold a special meeting on the topic of the executive director position before its next regularly scheduled meeting on October 24 at 5:00 pm at the Marion Police Station.

Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District

By Jean Perry

 

Library Director Sets ‘SAILS’ for Norfolk

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The Elizabeth Taber Library is preparing to say farewell to its library director of five years, Elizabeth “Libby” O’Neill.

O’Neill, who resides in Mansfield, has accepted a position at the Norfolk Public Library, a bit closer to home.

“My main focus over the years was just to really have the library be the focal point in the community,” said O’Neill, looking back over her time at the Taber Library. “To make it a place to gather, to socialize, and to really enjoy the programs and services that we offered.”

Patrons of the Taber Library know the staff for their friendliness and helpfulness, including O’Neill’s, something that she acknowledges is one of the reasons people enjoy spending time at the library.

“I really expected my staff to be welcoming and friendly and just as helpful as possible, and I think we achieved that,” said O’Neill.

While O’Neill was library director at the Taber Library, patrons have enjoyed an umber of programs O’Neill implemented, such as the seed lending library, pot lock recipe meetings, the bike lending program, and clubs such as the Scrabble club and knitting club that still meet weekly.

“We’ll miss Libby’s energy and personality and the great programs that she created over the five years she’s been here,” said Jay Pateakos, president of the library’s Board of Trustees. “The library was re-energized under Libby’s watch and we know she will be a great addition in Norfolk.”

As for the future director, “We’ll be looking to find someone with similar energy,” said Pateakos. “Someone who will enjoy coming into a small seaside town with a wonderful, newly renovated front entry way that will help make the Library front and center of the town.”

Unless, of course, Pateakos added, a candidate steps forward from Marion, “Which would be great and mirror what happened six years ago when the last search committee took place.”

“We’ll need someone with an eye for creating great programs for the patrons and thinking outside of the box on how to get teenagers and those who rarely use the library back into its fold,” said Pateakos. Some like Libby O’Neill, of course.

The Library Board of Trustees will post the job this week and start interviewing in November. The trustees hope to have a new director in place before the end of the year.

“I’m really going to miss the community,” said O’Neill. “I feel like I’ve been more invested in the Marion community than the town that I live in because I’m just so passionate about Marion: I just love it there. It’s been a wonderful five years.”

But it doesn’t have to be good-bye forever, said O’Neill.

“I truly am going to miss everyone that I’ve met and that I’ve worked with over the years, and I hope to stay in touch and continue to see people in Marion.” After all, she will still be part of the SAILS network, perhaps even attending meetings out this way now and then, she hopes.

“I’ll be sure to pop in and say hi,” said O’Neill.

By Jean Perry

 

Poet Josephine Yu at the Mattapoisett Library

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Josephine Yu will be reading at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library on Sunday, October 20at 2:00 pm. The public is invited to hear this award-winning poet, author of Prayer Book of the Anxious. The reading and reception to follow is sponsored by the Friends of the Mattapoisett Library. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

            “With a perceptiveness and poise that serve as a curative balm, Yu brilliantly tackles the notion of healing in a society that can make its most aware citizens ill,” says the review in “Publishers Weekly.” Her book won the15th Annual Elixir Press Poetry Award.

            On Friday, October 19 at 4:00 pm, Dr. Yu will deliver a lecture, “Sister Arts: A Discussion of Poetry and Paintings.” Ekphrasis, from the Greek word meaning “sister art,” is poetry that describes a painting or other work of art. From Homer to W.H. Auden, William Carlos Williams, Anne Sexton, and a variety of contemporary poets, we’ll discuss the inspiration poets have found in paintings and how ekphrastic poems help us see artwork with new eyes.

            The lecture, followed by a reception, is part of the Purrington Lecture Series, sponsored by the Mattapoisett Library Trust.

            Yu is on the faculty of Keiser University in Tallahassee, Florida. She holds a PhD from Florida State University and an MFA from Georgia State University. She lives with her husband in Tallahassee, Florida.

            Everyone is welcome to attend. The library is located at 7 Barstow Street and is handicapped accessible.

Old Rochester Travel Basketball Association

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Old Rochester Travel Basketball Association is announcing their tryouts for the 2018-19 basketball season on Saturday, October 20. This is open to Boys 4th – 8th grade and Girls 5th – 8th grade from Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester, as well as school choice students. The tryout schedule is as follows:

            All Boys tryouts will be held at the ORR High School on October 20:

4th Boys 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, 5th Boys 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm, 6th Boys 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm,

7th Boys 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm, 8th Boys 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm

            All Girls tryouts will be held at the ORR Junior High on October 20:

5th Girls 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, 6th Girls 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm, 7th Girls 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm,

8th Girls 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

            All new and returning players must tryout to be considered and properly evaluated. We ask that all players register in advance for tryouts. If you cannot attend tryouts but wish to still be considered, you still need to register. To register and get more information visit www.ortba.org.

Sippican Lands Trust’s Radio Tower Walk

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Join the Sippican Lands Trust (SLT) for a tour of our Radio Tower property on Saturday, October 13at 10:00 am. Local historian, Dick Evans, will kick off the walk with a short talk about the history of the Radio Tower property.

The walk will explore the site of what was once one of the largest telegraph stations in the world. The Radio Tower property features old radio tower foundations that once supported 400-foot antennas used by the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America. These antennas received transatlantic wireless signals at the start of World War I and through the early 20th century.

The radio towers and transmitting equipment were removed from the site in the early 1960s and the property has now returned to its natural state. SLT acquired the 144-acre Radio Tower property in 1986.

The trail for the Radio Tower property is accessible from the Benson Brook Road, past the Marion Transfer Station, and parking is available in that area. Participants should gather near the SLT kiosk at the head of the trail. Please carpool if possible as parking is limited.

The walk is free, and no registration is required. Please bring water and dress appropriately for the day’s weather as only the worst weather will cancel an SLT Walk.

If a walk is canceled, then information will be posted to SLT’s website and Facebook page. For directions or further information, visit sippicanlandstrust.org or call Sippican Lands Trust at 508-748-3080.