Town Finds Few Benefits from Trash District

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            The Town of Marion has taken further steps toward waste disposal autonomy, Marion Town Administrator Jay McGrail told the Board of Selectmen on October 1.

            As Marion heads into its fall Special Town Meeting later this month, McGrail said he went ahead and solicited some quotes from various waste disposal companies like Covanta (SEMASS) and the Town of Bourne’s integrated solid waste management facility. The article slated for the warrant to allow preliminary negotiations to withdraw is the “first of two votes” the town needs to withdraw from the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District, of which Marion has been a member since the district’s conception in 1973.

            Voters would later need to vote again to accept the terms stated in an amendment to the district agreement that would allow Marion to leave.

            As the December 31, 2020 expiration of the district’s contract with SEMASS approaches, the district has struggled to determine the future of its waste disposal once SEMASS ceases accepting the trash at no cost and no longer reimburses the district for the costs associated with running the district’s two transfer stations. McGrail said during a selectmen’s meeting earlier this month that he saw little to no benefit in remaining in the district beyond that point, especially given that Marion, unlike Carver and Wareham, provides residents with curbside trash and recycling collection.

            During the October 1 meeting, McGrail found another reason to question the benefits of staying in the CMWRRDD.

            “Given the unknowns with the district,” McGrail said, “…We need to know where we’re going to send our trash come January 2021.”

            McGrail said he received two quotes from Covanta and Bourne and then met with representatives from both companies.

            Bourne’s offer was “more complicated,” said McGrail, since its permitting is still uncertain for a planned expansion of its facilities. Bourne could only commit to a short-term agreement, McGrail said, at $85 per ton of solid waste.

            Covanta offered the town $77.50 per ton for the first year of a five-year contract, with a 2.5 percent escalator each year.

            “Given the industry right now and the different potential road block in the future as far as trash goes,” said McGrail, “I think it would be in the best interest of the board to sign this agreement (with Covanta).”

            McGrail said that agreement would include an appropriation clause if the town was unable to fund the agreement for any reason, but the price would be guaranteed if the town were to move forward.

            “Tonnage price of trash is not going to go down,” said McGrail. But if the price of trash disposal does go suddenly soar, he said, “If that happens, we’ve locked in at $77.50 a ton.”

            McGrail said he thought that it might be a benefit to remain with the district as a way to preserve purchasing power when seeking bids, but that theory was disproved. As it turns out, Covanta offered the same exact quote of $77.50 to the district as it did to the Town of Marion.

            “If we do part ways (from the district), we still are contracted directly with Covanta for the remainder of the [contact],” McGrail told the selectmen.

            Also during the meeting, McGrail proposed hiring an assistant director to assist the director of the Department of Public Works. According to McGrail, the long list of capital projects totaling a near $20 million could potentially occupy DPW Director David Willet long-term, leaving him little time to oversee the day-to-day operations of the department. Having someone between Willet and the foremen position, McGrail said, would allow Willet to perform the high-level engineering and project management the board wants him to do.

            “Work out the details and the money portion of it and get back to us,” said Parker.

            In other business, McGrail told the board that talks with Police Chief John Garcia have led to the relocation of the digital speeding sign to Front Street near the Marion Music Hall. The sign will face traffic entering the village from Route 6 to hopefully reduce speeding.

            “The chief thinks that the sign has really made an impact on Spring Street with Tabor,” McGrail said, “…and would do the same thing in the heart of the village right there.”

            McGrail announced that there would be an informational meeting ahead of the Special Town Meeting for residents on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall.

            The Fall Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 21 at 6:30 pm at Sippican School.

            The Marion Board of Selectmen will meet again for a workshop pertaining to a new personnel policy on Wednesday, October 9 at 9:00 am at the Marion Town House.

            The next regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen is scheduled for October 15 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

SLT Hosts Geocache Walk at Peirson Woods

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Sippican Lands Trust is partnering with local geocacher, Moe Molander, to offer a Geocache Walk at our Peirson Woods property on Saturday, October 5starting at 10 am.

            What is a geocaching? Do you want to understand latitude and longitude? Why should you care? When’s the last time you spun a globe in your hands or unfolded a map?

How often do you take your automobile’s navigation system for granted?

            Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches”, at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and sometimes a pen or pencil. The geocacher signs the log with their established code name and dates it, in order to prove that they found the cache. After signing the log, the cache must be placed back exactly where the person found it. Larger containers such as plastic storage containers (Tupperware or similar) or ammunition boxes can also contain items for trading, such as toys or trinkets, usually of more sentimental worth than financial value.

            If you are interested in learning more about a “worldwide scavenger hunt and its fun factor,” then you are welcome to join Moemoe and Sippican Lands Trust on a series of local GEOCACHE hunts on Saturday, October 5at 10:00 am at Peirson Woods. All ages are invited including families, the young at heart and those seeking a work-life balance. You may be surprised about how easy and fun it is to catch the “Geocaching Bug”.

            If you plan on attending this walk, then have a smartphone that is fully charged and download the free Geocaching app from Groundspeak (no subscription is required for basic access). The walk will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday, October 5 with a basic introduction session until 10:30 am, followed by a geocache hunt at Pierson Woods for a couple of hidden caches. During this adventure the group will also practice one of the best aspects of Geocaching… “Cache In and Trash Out”… hopefully finding the GZ (Ground Zero coordinates) complete with logbook and possible trinkets. Then the group will Trash out… picking up any litter and trash on our journey to our next target.

            Please take extra precautions this year regarding EEE! Please wear appropriate footwear, layers of clothing, bring insect repellent and extra water, pack your kit, and remember to protect your face and head. This exploration of Marion’s Sippican’s Land Trust properties and some other caching waypoints will be a mix of native outdoorsmanship combined with utilizing the most recent technologies of handheld GPS and smartphones equipped with the Geocaching app. 

            Parking for Peirson Woods is located just off of Point Road approximately 1.4 miles south of the intersection of Route 6 (Wareham Road) and Point Road in Marion. Parking is very limited so please be careful when parking your vehicle along Point Road.

            The walk is free, and no registration is required. If the walk is canceled due to inclement weather, then information will be posted to SLT’s website and Facebook page. For directions or further information visit www.sippicanlandstrust.org or call Sippican Lands Trust at 508-748-3080.

Marion Art Center

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New Exhibition Opening at the Marion Art Center – The Marion Art Center is pleased to present a new exhibition, featuring paintings by Anne Holtermann and photographs by Nancy Rich. An artists’ reception will be held on Friday, October 4, 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, with extended hours on Thursdays, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The exhibition runs October 4 through November 16.  

            Nancy Rich “has an innate ability to see the beauty in simple objects and then capture that beauty in a photograph that both attracts the eye and stimulates the imagination. Her subjects range from small wooden boats, to elegant fragments of seashells, to dried seaweed resembling Tiffany glass, and finally, to up-close macro images of colorful marbles and sparkling gems floating through ice and water.” Anne Holtermann says of her abstract paintings: “there are inevitable subconscious connections – shapes and forms, color and the constant natural process of the world… I am influenced by the view that presents itself to me whether at a distance or in detail [and] my art is directly linked to visual memory… a heartfelt communication. The simple gestures, the colors that arrive, the forms and shapes – all the elements that play off one another in a harmonious moment that becomes a work of art.”

            Call for Entries–The Marion Art Center announces a Call for Entries for its annual juried exhibition, Small Works on the Wall. The exhibition runs November 22 through December 18. Artists are invited to submit up to five small works for the final exhibition of the season.  Works must be no larger than 144 square inches (approximately 12” x 12”) including frame. All works must be available for sale and may be collected by the buyer upon purchase. To apply for exhibition, email up to five images of works to marionartcenter@verizon.net no later than October 25, 2019. Images should represent a cohesive body of work. All submissions will be reviewed by the exhibitions committee and artists will be notified of acceptance by November 8. The drop off window for all works is scheduled on Tuesday, November 19, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Marion Art Center.  The exhibition opens on Friday, November 22, with a reception from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.  

            Music at the MAC–The Marion Art Center announces an evening of music on Saturday, October 12beginning at 7:30 pm, featuring The Jethros. Tickets, available now, are $18 for MAC members and $20 for non-members. A limited number of cabaret tables are available (seating for 4).  Reservations are strongly recommended.  While beverages are not provided, attendees may bring their own refreshments to enjoy with the music. Doors open at 7:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased by phone, at the MAC, or online at www.marionartcenter.org/musicatthemac/.

Ryon Thomas taking control for ORR football

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            With Bryce Guilbeault taking over for Ryan Kogler as head coach of Old Rochester Regional football, and with the roster experiencing a lot of turnover following the graduation of 22 seniors, it wasn’t going to be an easy task for the 2019 Bulldogs roster to maintain the same level of success the program has in years past.

            Naturally, a significant amount of the pressure falls on the quarterback, Ryon Thomas.

            It’s the nature of the position.

            Well, the junior continues to rise to the occasion on a weekly basis, most recently leading the Bulldogs to a 42-7 over GNB Voc-Tech to improve to 2-1 on the season.

            Thomas finished with three scores on the day, rushing into the end zone twice and connecting with Cam Brezinskiin another instance.

            Following the win over the Bears, Brezinski had high praise for his quarterback.

            “He reminds me of Tom Brady a little bit with the way he reads the defense,” the senior said. “He gives audibles during the play when we’re setting up. He just changes the play based on the defense.”

            A quarterback couldn’t ask for a better compliment than to have his ability to read a defense compared to the Super Bowl-winning Patriots quarterback.

            Thomas’ coach, however, knows there’s still plenty of room for the quarterback to grow, but he feels Thomas is taking the appropriate steps to do so.

            “I think he’s settling in nicely and he’s doing some great things for us,” Guilbeault said. “When he makes mistakes, he tries to learn from them… He’s doing a good job.”

            Meg Hughesremains one of the area’s top goal scorers in girls soccer. In ORR’s last two wins, Hughes has scored five goals. She also logged four assists for the Bulldogs between the two matches.

Old Colony

            Thomas Stantoncontinues to run all over the opposition for Old Colony football. In the Cougars’ 43-12 win over Bristol-Plymouth, Stanton set the tone early with a nine-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. The running back would go on to score two more times, once in the second quarter and again in the fourth. He finished the game with 126 rushing yards on 13 attempts.

            Although Stanton had a dominant game on the ground all around, he actually finished second in rushing for Old Colony. Blake Dennisonled the way with 156 yards on 14 carries, averaging 11.14 yards per carry to Stanton’s 9.69. Dennison also scored once.

            Matt Bumpusand Phil Proctorscored Old Colony’s other two touchdowns, finishing with six as a team on the day.

            Luke Butlerwas the low medalist in Old Colony golf’s latest match. He shot a 39 against Bristol-Plymouth at Scotland Links, pacing the Cougars to a 6-3 win to improve to 6-3-1- on the season.

            Old Colony volleyball continued its strong start to the season with a 3-1 win over Cape Cod Tech, only losing the second set of the match. The Cougars are now 8-1 in 2019.

            Kat Kirbyhad 16 kills in the win while Savanna Hallehad six blocks and Nina Castillohad three. Jordyn Dexterfinished with 14 assists against Cape Cod Tech.

High School Sports Update

By Nick Friar

The Hybrid Tiger Trout

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            The popular sporting trout, the hybrid tiger trout, is named not because of the tiger-like coloring and zigzag pattern of interlocking markings from head to tail, as illustrated. The tiger is an artificial insemination hybrid crossbreed species from female brown trout eggs fertilized by male brook trout sperm, or milt. The purpose of crossbreeding is to combine the furious bait-taking habit of the brook trout with the fighting hooked fury of the deep-water diving brown trout.

            As a sterile hybrid, like the mule offspring of a donkey and a horse, the tiger trout cannot reproduce itself. Consequently, it dictates all its energy to feed and rapidly grow from stocking size to a potential 20-pound trophy within a few years. It is known to be piscivorous (fish-eating) and a good control against unwanted bait populations. It also can be tightly controlled in population as a sterile species.

            Tiger trout are produced and stocked locally by the Sandwich State Fish Hatchery just across the Sagamore Bridge in Cape Cod. The tiger trout is stocked in ponds in Rochester, as well as in Plymouth. The Sandwich Hatchery is also open seven days a week, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm for visitors to view and feed the fish. Similarly, the Berkshire Hatchery, near my previous residence in Western Massachusetts, annually invited visits from groups of underprivileged inner city youth from New York City for overnight camping and environmental education. Each youngster was given fly fishing lessons in our stocked pond. Catching a tiger trout for a youngster was always a trophy prize, but pulling it in was somewhat like having a tiger by the tail.

            Wherever they are stocked today, the performance of the tiger trout lives up to its name. It is also increasing in numbers because conservation-minded sportsman use barbless hooks for catch and release so they can grow bigger to be caught again. Hopefully this hatchery-grown hybrid species will continue on to be nationally rated in what I would call the ‘Anglers Hall of Fame’. It might rank with the colorful western cutthroat trout that lights and livens up the waters of glacial melts that run like a river through the Rocky Mountains of the Continental Divide Another is the acrobatic surface jumping of the colorful rainbow trout that, in autumn, can annually migrate downriver to the sea and change color to a salty metallic shade with a name change to steelhead trout. And last, but not least, is the Atlantic salmon that became king of the fighting fish kingdom in both Britain and Scotland since the eighteenth century literary publication of The Complete Anglerby father of all angling culture, Izaak Walton, and is now enthroned on both sides of the pond. With this article and drawing, I would nominate the tiger trout as a possible member of this distinctive sporting aristocracy.

By George B. Emmons

Stephen DeCosta

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Stephen DeCosta, 66, of Mattapoisett passed away peacefully at home after a battle with cancer. 

            Born in Fall River, the son of the late Joseph and Irene (Isadore) DeCosta, he had lived in Mattapoisett since 2003. 

            He is survived by his son, William J. DeCosta and his wife Cherie (Gagnon) DeCosta of Fall River; his brothers, Rev. Joseph F. DeCosta of Killingworth, CT and Paul DeCosta of Fall River; his fiancée, Gail A. Joseph of Mattapoisett, and her children, Julie J. Joseph and Andrew J. Joseph and his companion Diana Boucher, all of Mattapoisett, and Angela M. Joseph and her companion Ryan Walker of New Bedford; and six much loved grandchildren, Ethan J.A. DeCosta, Amelia L. Joseph, Harley S. McMullen, Zoey L. Joseph, Caleb A. DeCosta, and Gabriel J. Joseph. 

            His Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Monday October 7, 2019 at 11 AM at St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett. Visitation will be on Monday morning from 9-10:30 AM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Christopher Davis Richards

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Christopher Davis Richards, 69, of Mattapoisett passed away Sunday September 29, 2019 surrounded by his family. 

            Born in New Bedford, the son of the late Thornton M. Richards, Jr. and Marion (Browne) Richards, Christopher was raised in Fairhaven. He attended Marlborough Academy graduating in 1968 going on to Roger Williams College graduating in 1973 with a BFA in Music. 

            Christopher was best known for his musical talents. Although Chris had several different jobs along the way, you can take the music out of the man, but not the man out of the music. He was the happiest when performing. Being a self-taught guitarist Chris could break apart a song by ear and perform a rendition that would leave you wanting more. If you ever heard Chris perform Roxanne or What’s Going On, you would understand. He had a great ear for music and could play any genre. His chops, voice, harmonizing ability, easy going personality made him the man he was with so many friends and very respected in the music community. 

            The Richards family was on a trip to New York City when the boys stressed to their Dad the need to get them home so they could watch the Beatles debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. Chris’ older brother Tony had a little tenor guitar and that was the start of it all. Once he got his hands on that little guitar he never stopped playing. Chris was 15 when he played in his first band. He played with Steeplejack; The McCarthy Richards Band; The Butch McCarthy Band; The Stunners; a solo artist; MRL, The Quartet, and with many, many musicians. Chris’ best friend in life and music was Kenny Richards. The duo played music together for over 52 years. Chris was so happy he was able to perform with Kenny in Greece. 

            Survivors include his daughter, Molly K. Richards and former wife Christine, both of Mattapoisett, his daughter, Sarah S. Gill and her husband Jimmy of Rumford, RI, his son, Benjamin C. Richards of South Carver, his brother, Peter Richards and wife Susan of Nantucket, and his nephew Parker Richards of New York. 

            He was predeceased by his brother, Thornton M. Richards III. 

            A service of remembrance will be held on Saturday October 19th at 11 AM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Visitation will be on Friday October 18th from 4-8 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friends of Old Rochester Music (FORM) for scholarships to those going on to study music. Checks may be mailed to: 38 Marion Road, Mattapoisett, MA 02739. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Jacqueline E. (Mongeau) Bertrand

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Jacqueline E. (Mongeau) Bertrand, 80 of Mattapoisett died September 28, 2019 unexpectedly at home.

            She was the wife of the late Joseph A. Bertrand.

            Born in New Bedford, daughter of the late Joseph L. and Irene A. (Gendron) Mongeau, she lived in Mattapoisett most of her life.

            She was formerly employed by Goodyear for several years and later was a waitress at Cerulli’s in Mattapoisett.

            Mrs. Bertrand enjoyed raising and showing pugs and watching dogs in her home. She also enjoyed playing tennis.

            Survivors include her 2 daughters, Monique Bertrand and her companion Brian Pires of New Bedford and Danielle West and her husband Timothy of Chelmsford; 3 grandchildren, Troy Muldoon, Jameson Muldoon and Lily West. 

           Her Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, October 9th at 11 AM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Burial will follow in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. Visiting hours will be held Tuesday, October 8th from 4-7 PM. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com 

Safe Driving

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To the Editor;

            DANGER! Rt. 6 MATTAPOISETT SPEEDWAY!

I survived a high-speed rear end collision 50 feet west from Turk’s parking lot on September 23, 7:20 am. Thanks to seat belts and air bags and a strong Nissan Rogue, I and my dog survived!

            The driver of the high speed vehicle was distracted by her own statement.

            Rt. 6 from the North St. traffic lights to the Marion line has had a large number of severe accidents.

            The excuse used by officials is that Rt. 6 is a state highway with very little law enforcement on Rt. 6. My advice to all drivers is to wear seat belts and do not be distracted by using your cell phone. Be alert, be safe!

            Thanks to the Mattapoisett police and paramedics for their professional, kind attention paid to me and my dog. You did your job!

Jim Huntoon

Retired public official of Mattapoisett and Rochester

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wandererwill 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 Wandererreserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderermay choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wandererhas the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wandereralso reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

The Greening of Marion

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Are you ready for some good news for a change? Then read on!

            The mission of Marion’s Energy Management Committee (EMC) is to pursue opportunities to move Marion toward renewable power, conserve energy, and in the process, also save money. As the urgency to address the climate crisis gains prominence and momentum around the world, contributions by local communities are crucial to help move the needle. We thought you’d like to know about your town’s recent progress on this front.

            Back in 2016, the EMC helped negotiate a power purchase agreement to supply all of Marion’s municipal electricity from the wind turbines in Plymouth at a substantial discount. As of this writing, the agreement has saved the town over $275,000.

            In 2018, after a four-year effort led by the EMC, Marion achieved the designation of a Massachusetts Green Community, opening the door to substantial grants to pay for improvements to town facilities that increase energy efficiency. The initial Green Community funds are already at work: installing energy-efficient lighting in Sippican School and replacing the fire station’s old boiler with a high-efficiency system. 

            As a part of our qualification process for Green Communities, the town’s energy use has been cataloged into an online monitoring system that will track energy use (electricity and fuels) to help identify new opportunities to save energy and to document savings from upgraded facilities.

            The EMC initiated and managed the replacement of all the town’s street lights with LED fixtures, saving about $16,000/year in electricity costs. A grant through the Green Communities program which helped pay for the new fixtures.

            Two town employees are driving new all-wheel-drive, plug-in hybrids whose leases are almost completely funded with state grants, an initiative originally pursued by EMC members. Two more vehicles are on the way.

            In collaboration with the Planning Board, Select Board, Town Planner, and DPW, the EMC is leading an effort to identify the town’s vulnerabilities to coastal flooding, which poses the greatest environmental threat to our property and infrastructure. A state grant has funded a study of our sewage pumping stations, all of which are threatened by storm flooding.

            The previously approved solar project on our capped landfill — stalled because of insufficient capacity in the electrical grid network — is being revived with the help of a regional consultant. Stay tuned for news about this project.

            If you are concerned about the risks posed by climate change, rising energy costs, and environmental deterioration, please consider joining the EMC team! We are looking for new members who are passionate about continuing our momentum – as a town and as a country. Please come to one of our meetings to find out more, or contact the Town Planner, Gil Hilario (ghilario@marionma.gov), for more information. 

            Please join us! Be part of the solution!

Marion’s Energy Management Committee