Marion Town House

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To the Citizens of Marion:

There is currently a Citizen Petition, Article 36, to be presented at Town Meeting that proposes scrapping the entire Town House Renovation Plan and limiting Town House renovations to $200,000 per year. Mr. Ted North, the author, does not call it renovation but a “preserve and repair approach.” I call it offering a Band-Aid to a hemophiliac.

His proposal might have made sense in the 1970s, but decades without maintenance and upgrades to the Town House’s systems need far more than what a limited budget of $200,000 per year can do. Further, the petition gives no financial commitment after the first year, so it is very possible that work could start but remain unfinished with no funding approval in subsequent years.

With all the time, professional expertise, and financial expenditure the Town of Marion has committed to moving the Town House renovations forward over the past six years, this petition is an example of ignorance and folly. Mr. North can be applauded for attempting to save the Town money, but not like this. The Town’s capacity to fund this project has already been approved by the Capital Planning and Improvement Committee and is well within its means to fund using standard debt financing.

Mr. North and his compatriots either have no understanding or are ignoring the work needed to bring the Town House into compliance with State and local codes. To spread out major repairs over time cancels out all economies of scale of the Renovation Proposal and could easily double the total cost. For example, the most pressing issue, abatement of hazardous materials, would take at least three years to complete with the spending restriction of $200,000 per year. Is it fair for town employees to be working in a construction zone for three years? Mr. North claims that “business will go on as usual.” Who is he kidding?

There are electrical, plumbing, and waterproofing upgrades to be done, all of which require hiring outside contractors. None of these improvements will get completed without extending the project far into the future, well beyond the 18-month schedule of the Town House Renovation Proposal.

There has been endless criticism of the amount spent to date on feasibility studies and design. These expenditures, including the study for a new building at the VFW site, reflect the townspeople’s eagerness to create a code-compliant, accessible and efficient Town House. All were approved by the voters and were absolutely necessary to establish an accurate budget in order to renovate and keep the character and functions of the Village intact. Time and again at multiple public meetings, the consensus has been to invest in a renovated Town House.

The logical and prudent course of action is to move forward with the Town House Renovation Plan as proposed, and get it done properly and in a timely manner. Please vote YES for the Town House Renovation Plan at Town Meeting on May 14.

Barry Steinberg, Marion

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

 

Mattapoisett Council on Aging

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On April 4, 2018, the Mattapoisett Council on Aging Board of Directors conducted their Annual Meeting. At this meeting, the election of officers for 2018 took place. Elected for the coming year were Deb Dahill, Chairperson; Rachel McGourthy, Vice Chairperson; Ken Watts, Secretary; and Susan Roylance, Treasurer.

The Board also adopted the following Goals for 2018 based on the results of our 2017 Community Survey:

  1. Presenting education programs on elder law, estate planning, retirement planning and long-term care planning.
  2. Conducting an annual SHINE (Serving Health Information Needs of Elders) Presentation.
  3. Working with other community agencies to identify homebound elders.
  4. Promoting the COA mission and programs to the community at large.

In addition, the Board adjusted their Mission Statement to support its Goals and Objectives. The approved Mission Statement now reads:

“The mission of Mattapoisett Council on Aging is to support seniors and their families with advocacy, programs and activities, services, education and information, working in cooperation with other agencies and organizations, as appropriate.”

Board positions have become available. There is no age requirement to be a Board Member. If you are interested in assisting our elder community and you would like to apply to be a Council on Aging Board Member, please contact Jackie Coucci at 508-758-4110.

For the Love of Trees

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Once upon a time, trees were taken for granted – ripped from the earth to serve people, to ensure the very survival of mankind. Trees were chopped down to warm bodies, provide shelter, build railroads, and hold goods. They were used to make forms of transportation, everything from railroad cars to boats and wagons and even early automobiles. Trees became furniture. They became the vessel to cradle our deceased remains, slowly rotting into the ground with us.

In every aspect of what we might deem civilized living, trees have played a critical part. But we, the masters of ill fate on all forms of living creations, have not always been good stewards to the trees.

In the late 1850s, one J. Sterling Morton moved to Nebraska City, Nebraska with his wife. There the couple began planting trees, shrubs, and flowers while encouraging their neighbors to do the same. Many of the pioneering families were immigrants who missed their homelands, their forests, the trees. Many people in that part of Nebraska began planting trees to provide a windbreak that aided in keeping fertile soils in place and could be harvested for building materials, as well as offering much needed shade from the blistering summer sun.

As a newspaperman, Morton had a platform to spread his message about the importance of planting and maintaining trees. Fast forwarding to 1989, Arbor Day was adopted by all 50 of the United States in America and is now celebrated primarily in April. In states with warmer climates, Arbor Day may be celebrated as early as February to take advantage of the best planting season.

It was the confluence of Morton’s passionate pleading for tree planting and the realization that trees were being brutally taken from the Northeast and Northwest without a thought towards conservation or mitigation that finally brought about legislation for the protection and regulation of this great natural resource – our trees.

Returning to the 21st century, in our little patch, Mattapoisett holds the honorary title of Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Association. We enjoy long stretches of rural roadways, some of which are designed as “scenic roadways” by the Commonwealth because of the vast luscious canopy the trees provide.

None of that comes without effort and the work of volunteers.

Mattapoisett has a very active municipal Tree Committee that works in concert with the Tree Warden, Roland Cote.

Tree Committee Chairman Sandy Hering said on Arbor Day 2018 that was celebrated on Friday, April 27 at Town Hall, “We are beginning our eleventh year as a Tree City and this is our tenth anniversary.”

As Hering, along with Cote and committee member Jodi Bauer, flew the Arbor Day Flag above Town Hall, she explained that the group would be conducting a major tree planting in the fall.

After the devastating winter storms whose winds savaged hundreds of trees in town, Hering said they would be selectively planting in the easements along roadways.

“Citizens interested in having a tree planted along the edge of their property can contact us, and we’ll evaluate the site for planting potential,” she said.

Recently, Town Administrator Michael Gagne reminded the residents to check in with Town Hall before removing any trees or conducting any pruning activity on trees along an easement to ensure they don’t run afoul of the local shade tree bylaw.

If you would like more information on the history of Arbor Day, you may visit www.arborday.org. If you want to contact the Tree Committee or are interested in having your property evaluated for municipal tree planting, you may email matttreecom@gmail.com. If you need to contact Tree Warden Roland Cote, call the Selectmen’s office at 508-758-4100 ext. 4.

By Marilou Newell

 

Town Meeting Warrant Preview

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As the clock ticks down toward the May 14 Annual Town Meeting, members of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee got a preview of the warrant on April 25.

Town Administrator Michael Gagne presented a draft of the warrant articles and cautioned the board that the numbering sequence might change, but the titles are ready to go.

Articles 1 and 2 on the warrant may generate the most interest as voters will be asked to ban recreational marijuana retail and commercial establishments in Mattapoisett.

Written with assistance from the law group Koppelman & Paige, a citizen’s petition sponsored by George Randall and supported by the Planning Board, the Article 1 Recreational Marijuana Establishment Ban, Zoning Bylaw Amendment will ask voters to amend the zoning bylaws by adding a new bylaw titled Recreational Marijuana Establishments that would ban non-medical marijuana establishments including cultivators, testing laboratories, manufacturers, retailers, or any other type of licensed marijuana related business.

Article 2 fortifies Article 1 by asking voters to amend the Town’s General Bylaws in the same manner.

Article 8 may prove a hot button for some, as voters will be asked to spend $260,000 for the design, engineering, costing, and bidding for a new fire station.

Fire Chief Andrew Murray has met with both the Finance Committee and the Board of Selectmen, stating the case that “…Time is of the essence…” since the current fire station is inadequate for the demands of the 21st century as well as the health and well being of fire suppression personnel. Funding for the study would be split as $105,000 from the Tax Levy and $155,000 from Free Cash.

Article 25 Funding To Build A Dog Park comes from the Community Preservation Committee that received a grant application from Freemin Bauer. When Bauer presented his proposal to the Finance Committee, he was unable to provide a fully vetted set of expense documents to support his request for $75,000 to build the park on municipal property.

Finance Committee Chairman Pat Donoghue wasn’t convinced it was the right way to spend taxpayers’ money, saying, “There are places already where you can take dogs. I have concerns about the costs.”

The proposed location for the park is on Town property located next to the police station.

Donoghue pointed out, “That is buildable land with a value of $370,000.”

“A lot of things in town you have to raise funds yourself,” Donoghue told Bauer. She also commented on her concern for other town properties such as the wharves. She wondered at the high cost of a dog park that would benefit a small group of people.

“As a taxpayer, I’m not happy,” said Donoghue.

Regarding ongoing maintenance of a dog park, Bauer said that he had a group of volunteers that would handle cleaning and associated tasks on the property. But Donoghue doubted that would work long-term, stating “…volunteers go away after a while.”

Donoghue asked whether such a project would be reasonable in a climate where teachers were being cut and monies were needed for a new Fire Station.

But Finance Committee member Kevin Geraghty took a different viewpoint.

“A place for dogs to go isn’t a negative,” Geraghty said. “Dog parks tend to be self-regulating.… It’s a good committee benefit … I think it’s worthwhile.”

However, turning to Bauer, Geraghty said, “We’re a financial watchdog. You have to have costs for us. If this doesn’t infringe on (future) town buildings, I’m comfortable with it being on the CPA windshield.” He said the cost estimates had to be right to avoid a “half-done project.”

Gagne said Bauer would return with more information and that the CPA had asked that Bauer provide a construction timeline before funds would be dispersed.

Other grants on the CPA radar: Article 26, $144,900, for building repairs at the former Holy Ghost grounds on Park Street, now a Town-owned property; and Article 27, the American Legion Hall, $10,000 to study the current state of the building.

Article 3, Elected Officers’ Compensation, increases the following salaries: Moderator from $250 to $260; Board of Selectmen Chairman $4,912 to $5,508; Board of Selectmen members $4,424 to $5,020 each; Assessors from $4,424 to $5,020; Town Clerk submitted a salary up to $60,180 from $59,000; Board of Health $550 to $625; the Highway Surveyor is requesting a salary of $87,000 up from $81,000; Mattapoisett School Committee members (each) $550 to $625; Water/Sewer Commissioners from $550 to $625; Tree Warden $8,500 to $8,900; and Herring Inspector from $850 to $925.

Article 4 is to approve the General Operating Budget. The fiscal year 2019 general operating budget figure is pegged at $26,625,233. The FY18 operating budget was $25,692,355, according to Town Accountant Heidi Chuckran.

Article 5 appropriates money for OPEB liabilities, and high on Gagne’s to-do list is to continue to find ways to fund the growing post-employment benefits. For FY19, the article is requesting $405,000 from the tax levy, with $385,000 earmarked for the Town’s OPEB costs, $25,000 towards Mattapoisett’s share of the ORR school liability, and to transfer $4,082 from Sewer Retained Earnings and $35,066 from Water Retained Earnings towards the Water/Sewer Enterprise liability for a total of $444,148.

Article 11, Capital Plan Funding, if passed will appropriate $393,600 for such items as: Police Officer Bullet Proof Vests ($27,000); Police Station Roof Replacement ($41,000); Police Cruisers ($91,000); Highway Barn repairs and improvements ($100,000); Elementary School Technology Upgrades, ($60,000); Parking lot paving/Barstow Street for C.O.A. ($20,000); and a bundle of smaller items from various departments ($54,000).

Other highlights include: the Capital Planning Committee Report; Revolving Funds Authorization; Establishment of Capital Projects Debt Stabilization Fund; Road Improvement Funding ($50,000); Phase VIII Town Road Improvement Plan ($250,000); various water/sewer equipment needs ($45,000); water wells and water main construction ($460,000); new water/sewer truck ($60,000); Aquifer Protection Land Acquisition ($150,000); Fire Department and other departmental staffing schedules; General Bylaw change for C.O.A. board member minimums; and a new general bylaw – one that would prohibit placing snow from private property onto public ways with an enforceable $100 fine. One other highlight is an amendment to the General Bylaw Utility Schedule that would require utility companies to install and/or remove and fill holes in compliance with set schedules and that all utilities work cooperatively to minimize disruption.

Town Meeting is scheduled for May 14 at 6:30 pm in the auditorium at Old Rochester Regional High School.

Mattapoisett Finance Committee

By Marilou Newell

ORRHS Welcomes New Honor Society Inductees

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Be prepared to give a warm welcome to the newest members of the National Honor Society!

On April 26, 61 students – 53 juniors and eight seniors – were inducted into the Old Rochester Regional High School National Honor Society.

These students were acknowledged for scholarships, leadership, character, and service.

Welcoming remarks were made by co-advisor Kathleen Brunelle, ORRHS NHS President Madeline Scheub, and Principal Michael Devoll. Guest speaker Jared Dourdeville provided advice to the inductees, and his speech was well received by teachers and students.

According to Kathleen Brunelle, English/theater teacher and co-advisor to NHS, the Honor Society is centered on four elements. The first element is scholarship – students need to meet a certain academic average to qualify.

“Once students have demonstrated scholarship, then we invite them to apply,” said Brunelle. “At that point, they need to demonstrate the other three pillars: leadership, service, and character. A faculty council then reviews student applications before we choose the inductees.”

Inductee Nolan LaRochelle shared his reasons for wanting to join the esteemed NHS, and the hard work he put in to qualify. He explained that when applying, four short questions must be answered, each of which relate to the four pillars. Students also need signatures from administrators, teachers, and community members. LaRochelle is extremely excited to have been inducted and he looks forward to the future of the society.

“I feel like we as a team can help better what is already a great community,” LaRochelle said.

To the inductees and current members, the NHS has made a significant impact on their lives in various aspects.

“Students who wouldn’t normally associate with each other work together to better the school, and the community, for everyone,” said senior Julia Melloni. Although Melloni is graduating, she believes that co-advisors Brunelle and Randy Allain will continue to better the school’s chapter.

During the ceremony, current members lit five symbolic candles. Sam Pasquill lit the candle of knowledge from which the other four pillar candles were lit.

“The candlelight symbolizes our devotion to keeping these flames lit throughout our time as National Honor Society members,” announced Pasquill.

Brett Rood, an inductee, lit a memorial candle for previous members Dana Dourdeville and Becket Kiernan, both deceased, while Allain spoke of their contributions to the Honor Society before a moment of silence.

Lastly, treasurer Ainslee Bangs led the inductees as they swore their oath to the National Honor Society, in which they promised to “maintain and encourage high standards of scholarship, service, leadership and character.” Afterward each student was called forth to receive a certificate and to light a candle.

After the ceremony, the new members of the Honor Society gathered to celebrate with food, pictures, and congratulations.

The Honor Society’s newest members are as follows: Danya Bichsel, Emma Blouin, Marc Bourgeois, John Harrison Burke, Julia Cabral, Sara Campopiano, Marisa Cofone, Brielle Correia, Nicole Fantoni, Alexandra Fluegel, Ian Friedrichs, Pavanne Gleiman, Lauren Gonsalves, Lily Govoni, Sydney Green, Genevieve Grignetti, Daniel Hartley, Madeline Hartley, Mariana Hebert, Kacey Henriques, Amelia Isabelle, Hanbyul (Katy) Kang, Kaitlin Kelley, Logan King, Tyler Kulak, Jillian Kutash, Victoria Kvilhaug, Abigail Lacock, Nolan LaRochelle, Rosemary Loer, Michaela Mattson, Samantha Nicolosi, Avery O’Brien-Nichols, Carly O’Connell, Elise Parker, Elsie Perry, Lauren Pina, Lily Pearl Poirier, Leah Przybyszewski, Meghan Rebello, Harrison Riley, Isabella Rodrigues, Brett Rood, Megan Shay, Claire Noble Shriver, Geneva Smith, Ashley Soares, Delaney Soucy, Michael Stack, Caitlin Stopka, Sara Sturtevant, Robert Sylvester, Adam Sylvia, Gates Tenerowicz, Nicholas Thayer, Natalia Wierzbicki, Raymond Williams, Alexander Wurl, Jacobs Yeomans, Lily Youngberg, and Lauren Ziino.

ORR Update

By Grace Mastroianni

 

RHS to Feature Hartley Sawmill History

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The May 16 meeting of the Rochester Historical Society will feature Henry Hartley presenting the history of the Hartley Saw Mill through pictures and personal recollections at the East Rochester Church/Museum, 355 County Road at 7:00 pm. This interesting look into the life of one of our Rochester businesses is in keeping with our focus this year on “Rochester Businesses Past and Present.” Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served.

Keeping Marion Clean

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To the Editor:

Marion Cub Scout Pack 32 and Marion Boy Scout Troop 32 would like to thank Bob Collins from Gifts to Give, The Charles R. Washburn Memorial Trust, Marion Rec, Marion DPW (especially Chris Washburn who was beyond helpful), Tabor Academy, and all the individual volunteers who helped clean our roadways, parks, and open spaces on Saturday.

We would also like to thank the many local businesses who provided gloves, bags for litter and recycling, snacks and water for all.

The town is beginning to look like it’s ready for summer! There are certainly spaces that still need some love/help and hopefully everyone can get out there and continue to keep our town looking phenomenal! Nips and coffee cups are the biggest source of litter it seems. Keep on the look out for these on your walks and thank you to continue to keep Marion beautiful!

If you could not make the clean up and would like to help, please consider using the sidewalks on Route 6 and safe spaces on County Road to continue the cleanup effort.

Sincerely,

Marion Cub Scout Pack 32 and Boy Scout Troop 32

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

Marion Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness

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The Town of Marion has received a State grant to develop a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Plan. We have contracted with the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) for support in completing a comprehensive, baseline climate change and natural hazard vulnerability assessment. The goal of the process is to develop a prioritized list of actions for dealing with priority hazards using the Community Resilience Building workshop guide developed by the Nature Conservancy.

Working together as a team, the SRPEDD representatives and a core team of seven Town Departments will gather available background information on hazards, vulnerabilities and strengths, conduct interviews with staff and volunteers, and plan two 4-hour workshops. In the workshops, the core team along with suggested stakeholders, and residents and volunteers will work to:

– Understand connections between natural hazards and local planning/mitigation efforts.

– Evaluate strengths and vulnerabilities of residents, infrastructure, and natural resources.

– Develop and prioritize resilient actions for the municipality, local organizations, institutions businesses, private citizens, neighborhoods, and community groups.

– Identify immediate opportunities to advance actions that reduce the impact of hazards and increase resilience in Marion.

An invitation letter has been sent to about 10 Town committees and personnel plus 15 local organizations and businesses requesting they provide one representative to attend the workshops. We would like to extend the workshop invitation to Marion residents who may be interested. Space is limited to 15 residents, so people interested should contact Debbie Paiva (508-748-3520, dpaiva@marionma.gov), who will maintain the list of interested residents.

New Member Joins Old Colony School Committee

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The Rochester Board of Selectmen held a brief special meeting last Thursday, April 26, to appoint two Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School District School Committee members and handle a few small agenda items.

The selectmen, during the joint meeting with the Old Colony R.V.T.H.S. District Committee, re-appointed Shirley Bourque as a committee member and appointed Sharon Cruz to occupy the remaining one-year position of a committee member who moved away from the area.

Cruz has participated in the school council at Old Colony and has also participated in the establishment of a school improvement plan.

“When this position went up, I thought it would be the time, or place, for me to continue to support the staff and students of that school,” Cruz said.

Old Colony R.V.T.H.S. District Committee Chairman Kirby Gilmore congratulated Cruz and welcomed her to the committee.

The selectmen also signed the annual committee appointments for the Town of Rochester and referred the proposed Annual Town Meeting Warrant article to amend the Town’s large-scale solar photovoltaic (solar farm) bylaw to the Planning Board to hold a public hearing ahead of Town Meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for May 7 at 6:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

 

Sunday Stroll

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Get outside and take a Sunday Stroll with the Buzzards Bay Coalition at New Boston Trail (325 New Boston Road, Fairhaven), on May 6at 10:00 am. During this leisurely one-hour walk through the woods, you’ll get some fresh air and exercise while learning how to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

New Boston Trail is the Coalition’s newest public trail. As part of the expanding Mattapoisett River Reserve, this trail links with existing trails at The Bogs, Tripps Mill, and Tinkhamtown Woodlands in Mattapoisett to create a network of over 5 miles of trails where people can discover their local environment.

To RSVP for this walk, visit http://www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/sunday-stroll-new-boston-trail-may-06-2018/ or contact the Buzzards Bay Coalition at 508-999-6363 ext. 219.

This walk is part of Discover Buzzards Bay, a resource to find unique and exciting ways to explore the outdoors, get some exercise, and connect with nature. Use Discover Buzzards Bay to get outside and discover woods, wetlands and waterways from Fall River to Falmouth. To learn more, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/discover.