Dear Tri-Town Community

on

Dear Tri-Town Community:

Last year, together we were able to raise $1,905 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through my Pan-Mass Challenge ride. This year, I am seriously upping the ante and will be riding in a 163-mile course in the PMC on Saturday, August 4 and Sunday, August 5. My goal this year is to raise over $4,900 for this charity.

The PMC’s mission is to raise money through their annual bike-a-thon for life-saving cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The PMC donates 100% of every rider-raised dollar directly to the DFCI and The Jimmy Fund.

If you are able to generously donate a gift, no matter how small, please visit my PMC page at profile.pmc.org/KL0231 or visit pmc.org, click on donate, and type in my name.

Kyle C. Letendre

kyleletendre@oldrochester.org

 

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 Area Artists

on

The Mattapoisett Area Artists would like to invite you to watch a free movie calledLoving Vincenton May 16at 5:30 pm in the meeting room at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library.

Loving Vincentreveals the life and controversial death of Vincent Gogh as told by his paintings and the characters that inhabit them. The intrigue unfolds through interviews with the characters closest to Vincent and through dynamic reconstruction of the events leading to his death. The film features 120 of van Gogh’s greatest paintings. The plot, drawn from the 800 letters written by the painter himself, leads us to the significant people and events in the time prior to his unexpected death. Every shot is painted just as Vincent himself painted.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dave Englund at denglund603@gmail.com or Becky McCann at ramcann@aol.com.

South Coast Children’s Chorus

on

The South Coast Children’s Chorus finishes off their 2017-2018 concert season with a spring performance. The concert will take place on Sunday, May 6at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion at 4:00 pm.

Admission prices are $10 for general, $7 for students/seniors, and anyone 6 years and under are free. Admission can be paid at the door on the evening of the event.

The chorus will also be hosting a friends & family night on May 8 during the regular rehearsal time (5:30 – 7:00 pm) at the Unitarian Church in Fairhaven.

This program is specifically supported in part by a grant from the Marion Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. The arts councils of Mattapoisett, Rochester, Fairhaven, Acushnet and New Bedford have also supported this program this season.

For more information contact: SCCCsings@gmail.com also, visit our website at www.singsouthcoast.org, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/southcoastchildrenschorus.

911 Transition On Track for May

on

The Town’s new regionalized 911 emergency response system will likely be online before the May 21 Annual Town Meeting, expected to start on May 15 as the newest participant in the Regional Old Colony Communications Center in Duxbury.

In preparation for the switchover, ROCCC dispatchers have gone on over 20 ‘ride-alongs’ with Rochester officers to learn the various areas of Rochester and the landmarks and features unique to each part of Town.

Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar told the Rochester Board of Selectmen on April 23 that Rochester emergency responders have been meeting regularly with ROCCC representatives in Rochester for training and operations and protocol review sessions, and also to hold a meet-and-greet event to familiarize the staff from the Town and the ROCCC as they work closely together, even if remotely.

Szyndlar asked the board to attend any of the upcoming meetings as well to make for a more cohesive Town presence, and Szyndlar said she would be posting these meetings as selectmen meetings in case more than one arrives, constituting a quorum.

Also during the meeting, Szyndlar announced that the residents of the Annie Maxim House, a senior assisted living center, made a $400 donation to the Town in gratitude for making them feel “safe and sound.” The donation will be divided equally amongst the Fire, Highway, Police, and Ambulance Departments.

“That’s very kind of the residents at Annie Maxim,” said Selectmen Chairman Greenwood Hartley. “I’m sure each department will put that to good use.”

Although it was on the agenda, the Old Colony R.V.T.H.S District Committee Appointing Authority rescheduled for a separate special meeting with the selectmen for committee appointments on Thursday, April 26 at 6:00 pm at the Town Hall.

The next regular meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen will be May 7 at 6:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

 

The Nursery: The Story of Vernal Pools

on

On a rare and recent sun-drenched spring afternoon, Gary Johnson of the Mattapoisett Land Trust pulled on his waders, picked up his insect net, and led a group of nature-starved humans into the woods at the Woodcock Preserve.

This property, which has been owned by the MLT since the early 1970s, had been hard to access until more recently when the Town of Mattapoisett, in partnership with the Buzzards Bay Coalition, acquired what is now called the Tinkham Woods situated off Long Plain Road.

With entry now easily available to those longing to connect with Mother Nature, the Woodcock Preserve is home to an amazing nursery in the form of a certified vernal pool. On this day, young and old alike would learn from Johnson not only how important this wetland is to the future of some of the most endangered species in New England, but also how to go about the vernal pool certification process.

From www.mass.gov/vernal-pools, we learn that “Vernal pools … are temporary woodland ponds.” They are temporary because many dry up during the summer months. During the fall and winter seasons, these topological depressions fill with water from precipitation and rising groundwater. The pools, or ponds depending on their size, are the critical beginnings – the incubators – for salamanders, frogs, and invertebrates that rely on these small temporary bodies of water to lay their eggs.

Johnson told his rapt audience that frogs and salamanders live in uplands and dry wooded areas, but must breed in these pools absent of fish that would eat the eggs. Standing thigh-high in the Woodcock vernal pool, Johnson pointed out salamander egg sags that clung to fallen tree branches along the water’s edge. Iridescent, nay, resplendent in the spring sunlight, the eggs were shades of ivory and blue with dark interiors that promised new life to come.

Johnson said salamanders breed all at once in a single night known as “the big night,” whereas wood frogs breed over a series of days. All come to the vernal pools where the cycle of life begins anew each season.

Certification of vernal pools requires the effort of people who appreciate the importance of these natural features to ensure future generations of these small creatures, many of which are endangered, threatened, or of special concern. These are the categories assigned to nearly all salamanders.

Johnson distributed vernal pool field observation forms that are readily available from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MDFW) along with a checklist of common aquatic invertebrates with wonderfully evocative names such as whirligig beetle, water scorpion, water penny, and water strider. Oh, and the much less thrilling mosquito larva was also listed.

On the bank of the pool Johnson scooped up two shallow containers of pool water so we, the newly baptized vernal pool protectors, could observe various types of larva and nymphs. The containers were full of wiggling things, a world normally hidden from our view.

Johnson said that in order to have a vernal pool certified by the state – a step necessary in protecting them from human activity such as construction development – you must find at least five egg sags. The MDFW also requires specific details on the location, dates of observation, maps, photographs, and property owner of record. It then evaluates the data and determines whether or not the pool may be classified and noted on state maps.

As Johnson hauled himself out of the pool he said, “Well, I have a leak in my left boot,” and the group chuckled in unison and headed back to the parking area for cider and cookies.

From the MLT website you can find a number of walking trails where nature in all its glory is on full display. And maybe you’ll come across a vernal pool and notice the beginning of new life at the water’s edge. Visit www.mattlandtrust.org. You may also access complete details on vernal pools and animals dependent on them at www.mass.gov.

By Marilou Newell

Alewives Anonymous Meeting and Chowder Supper

on

Alewives Anonymous, Inc. (AA) will host its annual meeting and quahog chowder supper for members, guests and others interested in the world of alewives (herring) on Sunday,April 29at 5:00 pm at the Rochester Grange Hall, 205 Hartley Road, Rochester. After the annual meeting, a number of short videos of our local river’s Herring Runs will be presented. Please make your reservations with Arthur F. Benner, telephone 508-763-2024, email artbenner@comcast.net.

There is no charge for the supper for members whose dues are paid up, members who re-new their annual dues ($10) or new members joining ($10); otherwise, the charge is $5 per person. New members are always welcomed.

AA, The Herring Helpers, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and increase of the alewife fishery resources in the Mattapoisett River and the Sippican River in the towns of Rochester, Marion and Mattapoisett. Alewives Anonymous, Inc. is also involved with monitoring the alewives population using electronic fish counting equipment and other efforts and projects to enhance their numbers and to improve their environment.

We invite you to please join and help support our efforts.

Tabor Students Take Steps Toward Action

on

In response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and in memory of those lost in past school shootings, Tabor students organized a walk out on Friday, April 20, in solidarity with students across the country recognizing the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre.

After placing 18 empty chairs in the Stroud Academic Center Courtyard to represent the 17 lives lost in the Parkland shooting, plus one to symbolize the many others affected by these events, students gathered in the Stroud Lobby of the Academic Center to take part in a silent walk around the turf field during meeting block for 17 minutes, one for each of the 17 victims in Florida.

Student organizers, Owen and Lydia, explained, “While for many participants the day is likely about gun control legislation, we thought others might like to participate to call attention to the tragedy of school shootings or mourn and remember victims in Florida or other schools who suffered.” The students publicly shared instructions in advance for involvement in order to share their vision and to set the tone that this would be a “serious and somber demonstration.”

Tabor Students Take Steps Toward Action

on

In response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and in memory of those lost in past school shootings, Tabor students organized a walk out on Friday, April 20, in solidarity with students across the country recognizing the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre.

After placing 18 empty chairs in the Stroud Academic Center Courtyard to represent the 17 lives lost in the Parkland shooting, plus one to symbolize the many others affected by these events, students gathered in the Stroud Lobby of the Academic Center to take part in a silent walk around the turf field during meeting block for 17 minutes, one for each of the 17 victims in Florida.

Student organizers, Owen and Lydia, explained, “While for many participants the day is likely about gun control legislation, we thought others might like to participate to call attention to the tragedy of school shootings or mourn and remember victims in Florida or other schools who suffered.” The students publicly shared instructions in advance for involvement in order to share their vision and to set the tone that this would be a “serious and somber demonstration.”

Arrest Made in Stabbing Incident

on

On 04/27/2018, Mattapoisett Police arrested Cory Furtado, 18 years old of Acushnet. Mr. Furtado was arrested at his residence with the assistance of the Acushnet Police Department. Furtado is charged with Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon and attempted murder for the stabbing that occurred on Tuesday, April 24, at the Ned’s Point lighthouse. Furtado and the victim were known to each other and had prearranged meet for a drug transaction. An altercation between the two led Furtado to stab the victim with a knife. The victim sustained a stab wound to his neck and hand. The Victim was transported to Rhode Island hospital by Marion EMS where he was treated and later released.

Furtado is being held at the Plymouth County House of Correction on $10,000 bail and will be arraigned at the Wareham District Court on Monday, 04/30/18.

Mattapoisett Police Department Press Release

Selectmen Handle Wide-Ranging Agenda

on

On April 24, Mattapoisett’s Board of Selectmen – Chairman Paul Silva, Tyler Macallister, and Jordan Collyer – along with Town Administrator Michael Gagne, covered a variety of topics in an agenda that included such diverse items as utility poles, fiscal budgets, new eateries, shellfish, and trees.

Regarding trees, Mattapoisett will be marking Arbor Day on Friday, April 27, at the Town Hall at 10:00 am, Tree Committee Chairman Sandy Hering said.

This is the eleventh year Mattapoisett has been recognized as a Tree City by the National Arbor Day Foundation for its work in ensuring the care of municipal trees and the planting of new trees. Working with Tree Warden Roland Cote, Hering said her committee has been able to maintain the town’s commitment to municipal tree management.

Gagne wished to take a few moments to recognize the efforts Cote has mounted, especially in light of the devastating winter storms that had blown through.

Gagne also wanted to get the message out to the public that trees abutting private property may belong to the Town and not the property owner.

“One big problem is when someone takes down a tree ten feet or so from the road.” He said the Planning Board oversees municipal tree removal and that before a homeowner takes a tree down located near a public roadway, a call to the selectmen’s office is necessary.

“We’ll contact Roland, then we’ll check to see if that tree is subject to the shade tree bylaw,” Gagne said.

Hering pointed out that it isn’t just the removal of trees but also the pruning of trees that needs careful consideration before work is done. Pruning of municipal trees is not allowed by property owners.

Silva read a proclamation declaring April 27 as Arbor Day in Mattapoisett and also thanked Cote for his hard work in the wake of massive storms.

The selectmen met with Steve Geary, a scheduler for Eversource, who faced a frustrated governing body. Gagne and Silva both pointed to the issue of duplicate poles and the subsequent poor management for removing them and repairing the holes left behind.

Gagne expressed even greater problems as he described a situation where coiled wires had been left behind on private property causing a hazard to the occupants. He said numerous calls to Eversource went unanswered. Gagne eventually had the offending cables removed by the town’s Highway Department only to have the same action repeat itself a few weeks later.

Geary was unable to respond to the lack of coordination between various departments within Eversource. He said the utility’s engineering division was responsible for filling in holes, but Silva said the poor quality of the repairs was problematic with the possibility of cave in which presented a hazard to pedestrians and cyclists.

Macallister said, “We had Verizon in twice… They said the problem was Eversource. The poles weren’t listed in the database.”

Eversource maintains a database for poles that they are responsible for updating when changes are made such as abandonment and subsequent need for pole removal.

Collyer asked, “How often do you audit the database … for accuracy?” Geary wasn’t sure it was audited. Geary said that mistakes probably took place in the office, but assured the selectmen that he would now be available to address their concerns moving forward.

“The system is ripe for improvement,” Gagne said.

The upcoming Annual Town Meeting scheduled for May 14 at 6:30 pm in Old Rochester Regional High School auditorium and the warrant articles were discussed.

Gagne said that Articles 1 and 2 on the warrant would be new zoning bylaw amendments that would completely ban the commercial sale of recreational marijuana in Mattapoisett. He said legal counsel assisted in drafting the two articles and that each required a two-thirds vote to pass. He urged the public to attend Town Meeting.

The balance of what will be addressed at Town Meeting, Gagne said, included the FY19 budget along with water and sewer articles and articles being presented and supported by the Community Preservation Committee.

Gagne also said there would be a bylaw governing the installation and removal of utility poles and another that would prohibit putting snow in public ways. He said that when snow is pushed into public roadways, it becomes a travel hazard. The bylaw will carry a fine of $100 and will be enforced by the Police Department.

There will be three Community Preservation Act articles in the warrant, Gagne said. Nominated as top priority of the three grants received was a grant in the amount of $144,900 sought by the Town of Mattapoisett for repairs to a building located on the former Holy Ghost grounds. CPC Chairman John DeCosta said the committee believed it was necessary to provide funding for a new roof, doors, and windows to ensure the building’s integrity.

Silva was a little put off by that sum, wondering in light of other pressing matters if that amount was too great. Gagne was in favor of the sum, saying it was important so that use of the building could begin, saying, “Your investment is small, but the value is high.”

The second place grant was for a Dog Park proposed on the Police Department grounds in the amount of $75,000. Gagne said the grantee, Freemin Bauer, had received cost estimates and is in the process of drafting a construction plan.

And last but not least, the CPC supports a grant in the amount of $10,000 for a study of the American Legion Hall. Previously, the organization had asked for a handicap ramp and ADA-compliant bathrooms. But DeCosta explained that the committee was concerned with the overall structural competency of the building and thus would support only a study at this time.

Two action items on the agenda were all about food.

Coming before the selectmen were Robert Field and Susan Wilbur to renew their aquaculture license for another 10-year period. Doing business as Copper Beach Farm, the duo said that production was ramping and going well. Silva said that if ownership of the license changed fifty percent or more, they would be required to advise the selectmen.

Gagne said, “I did a field inspection several months ago… They are very conscientious of their equipment and care of the stock.” He said the team is very sensitive that their operation fits the environment saying, “We are very fortunate … their stock has even enhanced the native shell fish.” The renewal was granted.

And then there is pizza! A public hearing was held for a request by Albert Meninno, Jr. for an on premise all alcohol license for his new restaurant, New Rustico, in the former How On Earth building, 62 Marion Road. The restaurant will feature brick oven pizza, pasta, and other family favorites, Meninno said. He said the license would add to the experience of eating out, but that it would be a family restaurant with hours no later then 10:00 pm on weekends. The license was approved, and Meninno planned to be fully operational by June.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen is scheduled for May 8 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen

By Marilou Newell