William W. Saltonstall Jr. of Marion and Rachel J. Scheub of Rochester were awarded Faculty Honors for the fall 2017 semester at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Faculty Honors are awarded to students with a semester GPA of at least 3.667 on four graded courses, with no individual grade below B-, and no incomplete grades pending.
Simmons College student Jessica Rush of Marion, Massachusetts was recently selected for a prestigious 2018 Newman Civic Fellowship. The announcement was made earlier this month by Campus Compact, a Boston-based national coalition comprised of more than 1,000 colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education by preparing students for civic and social responsibility.
Campus Compact announced that Rush is one of 268 students who will make up the 2018 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows, which is named for Campus Compact’s co-founder Frank Newman, and supports students’ personal, professional and civic growth. Rush was nominated for the fellowship by Simmons College President Helen Drinan because of her commitment to issues related to income equality and accessibility to higher education.
“We are thrilled that Jessica Rush has been chosen as a 2018 Newman Civic Fellow,” said Drinan. “As a proud Campus Compact member institution, Simmons College fully supports the mission of the Newman Civic Fellowship and our shared goal of preparing students for a life of civic engagement and a long-term commitment to social responsibility. Jessica has distinguished herself as a leader at Simmons and in her community. I am confident that Jessica will use the Newman Civic Fellowship experience to turn her ideas into action.”
The one-year fellowship provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities. The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation.
“I am honored to be chosen for this fellowship, and I am grateful to President Drinan for nominating me,” said Rush, a second year student who is expected to receive a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2019 and a master’s degree in public policy in 2020. “My work will focus on researching how colleges and universities, including Simmons College, can be more accessible and inclusive for first generation and low-income students. I am grateful to Simmons for recognizing my passion for helping others.”
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate and engage with such an extraordinary group of students,” said Campus Compact president Andrew Seligsohn. “The stories of this year’s Newman Civic Fellows make clear that they are bringing people together in their communities to solve pressing problems. That is what Campus Compact is about, and it’s what our country and our world desperately need.”
A Mattapoisett family’s personal problems – trying to keep an ailing patriarch in his home as health issues require increased caregiving – was discussed during the March 26 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission.
Coming before the commissioners was David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, Inc. representing the family identified as 6R North Street Nominee Trust as they sought permission via a Request for Determination of Applicability to build an addition to an existing home within the 100-foot wetland boundary.
Davignon described the project as a 20-foot by 20-foot, 435 square-foot addition with a porch featuring handicap access and a first floor bathroom. He said that given the petite size of the addition, stormwater run-off from the roof would be minimal and would be directed into existing drainage streams nearby.
“We are not proposing any change in grade,” Davignon said, adding that a drainage swale would move water towards the intermittent stream that flows out under Water Street and into the harbor.
Vera Gibbons and her extended family, who own property along Captain’s Lane abutting the proposed project site, lamented that she and her children had only just received the notification of the plans and needed more time to assess any potential impact. She said they were concerned about the location of the addition and its close proximity to the drainage brook that she said is presently running high.
Davignon suggested that a drainage pipe servicing property along Captain’s Lane needed maintenance and that his clients had offered to do such work.
Gibbons asked whether or not the project needed a variance of the Board of Appeals. Davignon said yes.
Gibbons also said drainage issues plagued 12 Captain’s Lane, but both Davignon and Conservation Commission Chairman Mike King both pointed out that the proposed addition was at a down gradient from all the lots along Captain’s Lane. Thus, it would not negatively affect the Gibbon’s holdings.
“It’s impossible for water to flow uphill,” King said.
King said, “I’m sensitive to anyone with water problems,” but that the project as described seemed appropriate. “I suggest the neighbors all try to work together…. These are historic drainage features.”
Carol Holland, a niece of the family proposing the addition, rose to speak. She was emotional as she described the health issues facing the family and the need to have living space for the family member that would allow him to continue to live at home. “…If they can’t have this, they won’t be able to live there…. I hope [the decision] doesn’t make their lives any more difficult.”
The project received a Negative 3 determination (no Notice of Intent required), allowing it to advance to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Also coming before the commissioners was John Shockro, 1 Harbor Road, with an RDA to extend an existing pervious driveway for a turn-around. He said it was difficult to back out onto Harbor Road and this would eliminate that problem. The project received a Negative 3 ruling.
Ross Kessler, 5 Locust Street, sought and received a Negative determination of applicability to construction a garage at the rear of his property and to pave a portion of an existing gravel driveway.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 9 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission
By Marilou Newell
A new professional development (PD) plan throughout the Old Rochester Regional and elementary school districts was just approved during the March 22 joint meeting of the school committees, with teacher, student, and parent survey data steering the priorities of the districts towards further teacher training in social/emotional learning and techniques for “problem and project-based” learning.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Dr. Elise Frangos presented the PD plan that highlights “an inclusive professional development approach” that “addresses twenty-first century needs of our students.”
Teachers, students, and parents from all six Tri-Town schools submitted their feedback on focus areas most important to them, resulting in a finely tuned schedule for professional development topics for the upcoming year.
Teachers prioritized key areas for development, ranking social/emotional supports first, technology integration second, and project-based/problem-based learning third.
Students put learning stress management through yoga, mindfulness, and other activities as the most important social/emotional area for development in school, followed by learning about diversity and handling social situations and relationship building.
For academic support, students expressed a need to develop public speaking skills, followed by research and discussion on how to support academic learning at home. Students also want to see more opportunities for coding and the addition of technology like robotics and drones.
The top five picks for parents’ priorities were science, technology and learning; advanced learning and enrichment; mindfulness and stress management; social/emotional skill building; and planning and time management strategies for students.
Through this type of meaningful, effective professional development, Frangos said, teachers can work towards recertification requirements while advancing instruction and classroom leadership.
“Most importantly, the many professional learning opportunities you can access will raise the achievement of all students and your partnership with our families,” Frangos said.
Frangos explained the project-based learning concept, saying the process begins with a driving question about a challenge or problem, and students focus on relationship building collaboratively and with intention. Furthermore, she said, it engages students with action projects that investigate critical real-life problems, and every student contributes. She stressed the skills this produces that prepare students for the workplace and college.
“Social skills cannot be taught in isolation,” said Frangos is a follow-up email. “Instead, all learners want to learn these skills as part of meaningful work. This is how all team members in any organization improve – through careful consideration of the talents of the team and helping others have a voice and a meaningful role before making their findings or learning public. Project-based learning is something we do to some degree; it needs to be a part of the lives of every student.”
The next meeting of the Joint School Committees is scheduled for May 31 at 6:30 pm in the ORR Junior High School media room.
Joint School Committees
By Jean Perry
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. Because of 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 140 Front Street.
The Congregational Meetinghouse (now the Marion General Store) at 140 Front Street was built between 1794 and 1799, during the Federal period. In the 1840s, the Greek Revival style was employed to update this building, which marks the southern entrance to the town center’s small commercial district. The Congregational Meetinghouse, more than any other building, symbolized Wharf Village as an important new focus for the spiritual, commercial, and social life in Marion. It also represented the first step toward independence from its mother town of Rochester. For the first time since the early 1700s, the town folk did not have to travel to Rochester center to partake in religious services.
Craig Canning had big plans for his wide, open field on Marion Road. Abutters, neighbors, and townspeople in Rochester supported Canning’s proposal to transform the agricultural land into a working farm with a country-style farmers market and café. The large turnout for past Planning Board meetings showed that most of them believed a farmers market in Rochester was a sunnier idea than another solar farm – most people, that is, with the exception of the neighbors across the street who took Canning to court to stop Rochester Farms, LLC from spoiling their picture-window vista.
Now, five months since the Rochester Planning Board approved Canning’s Site Plan Review, the board on March 22 acquiesced to Canning’s request to rescind his Site Plan approval and accepted his request to withdraw his application without prejudice after conceding that Maryann and Kenneth Cutler’s litigation against the project rendered Canning’s business plan financially unfeasible.
Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson re-opened the public hearing to complete Canning’s two requests, pausing first for comment before doing so.
“The only thing I want to say,” said Johnson, “is I absolutely personally feel this [Site Plan Review] decision was very well thought out. There were countless hours in this … and I personally feel that that approval that we did was the best use of that property for the town as a whole.”
Planning Board member Gary Florindo also lamented the withdrawal.
“I’ve been on this board a long time, and that’s the first thing that’s come in front of [this board] for seven to ten years that made sense,” Florindo said, “that would fit into Rochester as well as benefit the people in the neighborhood and the town, and it’s a shame that we’re going this route.”
For now, the field remains as it was: the two greenhouses and wooden shed situated in the center of a late-wintery farmland with its open field vista relatively unchanged, except for the addition of a tractor-trailer stationed directly across from the Cutlers’ picture window.
In other matters, the board reviewed the draft decision of Site Plan Review approval for Borrego Solar Systems, developer of the large-scale solar farm off Rounseville and Mendell Roads. The board refined some of the conditions and details of the decision and sent it back to the town planner for updating. The board will vote on the decision at its next meeting.
Also during the meeting, the board could not act on the Approval Not Required application filed by Thomas Gayoski, Jr. for 35 Burgess Avenue.
Bob Rogers of G.A.F. Engineering said the plan was to create three conveyance parcels, with one over 400-acre parcel dedicated to agricultural use, and land being added to two adjacent residential lots.
The board’s issue was with an existing shed encroaching on the rear setback of one of the residential lots, a non-conformity under the zoning bylaw. Johnson said the board could not accept the filing unless the Zoning Board of Appeals granted a variance for the shed.
“It’s not because we wouldn’t like to; it’s because we can’t. You know the regs,” Planning Board member Ben Bailey said to Rogers who questioned the board’s concern.
Rogers phoned Gayoski for permission to continue the hearing and request an extension for the application, then returned to the room saying Gayoski did not grant him permission to extend the hearing.
The board was visibly perplexed because Gayoski could have requested the extension and sought approval from the ZBA, which Rogers said did not interest Gayoski.
Rogers said the 21 days since the application was filed was up, and being pressed for time, the application “didn’t have much of a chance” due to the storm and subsequent cancelation of the March 13 meeting. Rogers said it would be too expensive to move the shed, and it would be a risk to go before the ZBA because the ZBA could deny the variance.
“I don’t understand why the answer would be no,” said Bailey. “At least this is a chance.”
“We did not know that this [setback] was an issue,” said Rogers.
As the discussion continued, Rogers argued that the changing of the lot lines would mitigate the non-conformity by adding rear setback footage, but Johnson argued that it would be a trade-off for the creation of another non-conformity the move would make with one of the other lots.
Johnson said the plans were insufficient and could not be approved.
“We have to deny because of a technicality,” Bailey said.
Rogers was clearly frustrated as the discussion wrapped up, but Johnson maintained that the board could only deny the application if Gayoski did not wish to request an extension.
At that, the board denied the application.
The public hearing for Clean Energy Collective for the solar farm on Mattapoisett Road was continued at the applicant’s request for March 23 due to a recent change in the applicant’s plan pertaining to sightlines and screening.
This meeting was the rescheduled meeting for March 13 that was canceled due to the weather. The next regular meeting of the Rochester Planning Board was scheduled for March 27 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
Rochester Planning Board
By Jean Perry
Replacing nine seniors from last season’s roster is the biggest obstacle Old Colony softball faces heading into the 2018 season, especially when one was Mayflower Athletic Conference All-Star second baseman Savannah Lopes, along with the Cougars’ starting catcher Amanda Clark.
But the Cougars still have their foundation with pitcher Emily Littles and shortstop Mikayla Murray back for their senior season.
“We’ve built the program around them for a few years,” Old Colony softball coach Brandon Mendez said. “They’re phenomenal kids.”
Littles dominated the Mayflower Athletic Conference in 2017, striking out 140 over 84-1/3 innings, posting a 3.24 ERA and a 9-5 record. She also hit .462 and was the Cougars’ other Mayflower All-Star.
Murray hit .348 with a .577 on-base percentage out of the leadoff slot with three doubles. Her role will change a bit this year, moving down to the three-hole as the offense’s center piece.
“She has a little more power than she has in past years, she actually hit a leadoff home run last year,” Mendez said. “Last year, she was more an on-base machine, she was always on. But I also got a little speed coming up that I’m going to put at the top of the order with centerfielder Katherine Kirby. Probably one of the quickest athletes in the school.”
Kirby hit ninth last season with a .386 average and .471 on-base percentage as a freshman. With a full year of varsity play under her belt, her bat, coupled with her speed, should play well leading-off.
The Cougars also have Hannah L’Heureux back, arguably the team’s best hitter in 2017 as a sophomore. Old Colony’s first baseman led the team with a .474 average and was second in RBI to Lopes (24) with 21. L’Heureux was also tied with Lopes with a team-best two home runs and was tied for second with Kirby in doubles (5).
“She probably has one of the best swings I’ve ever seen at this level,” Mendez said. “She’s going to be the cleanup hitter and we’re looking for big things from her again this year.”
So the Cougars have Littles, Murray, L’Heureux and Kirby back, but that still leaves several holes to fill from the 2017 graduating class.
The first vacancy that jumps out is filling Lopes’ spot at second base – some big shoes to fill. Mendez decided to go young at the position after what he saw from freshman Allyson Pompeo early in tryouts, though he’s not certain on her slot in the order yet.
There are also openings at the corner outfield positions. Mendez will fill those with sophomores Lauren Patnaude, who played both JV and varsity last year, and Jordyn Dexter.
These decisions have come with limited work on the Cougars’ actual field, with the weather forcing them indoors since the start of tryouts.
“It’s been tough,” Mendez said. “Part of the focus early in the season every year we say, ‘What kind of team are we and how are we going to attack this thing?’ We’re definitely going to be a little more offensive-minded from the get-go, knowing that Littles is going to be a solid in the circle. So we want to push the envelope on offense a little more.”
Mendez said the team has taken time to focus on at-bats, base running, bunting, and the things it will take to push the offense.
“When we get outside, we’re going to be a little more focused on defense,” said Mendez. “There’s only so many softy groundballs you can’t take. As far as fly balls, we were talking about going out to the parking lot and throwing them to the girls to see what they can do.”
Old Rochester
Bulldogs baseball graduated two of its top players on the 2017 to the college ranks – Sam Henrie to Division II Southern New Hampshire and Will Hopkins to Division III Suffolk – leaving holes not only in the batting order, but atop the rotation as well.
This makes Mike Kennefick’s emergence as the team’s ace last season all the more important. As a junior, he struck out 45 over 54 innings, posting a 3.36 ERA and a 5-4 record for Old Rochester.
Old Rochester manager Steve Carvalho will need Kennefick and senior shortstop Jake Asiaf early if the Bulldogs are expected to be a serious contender in the South Coast Conference as usual.
High School Sports Update
By Nick Friar
It looks like it’s all systems go for a prime natural parcel in Mattapoisett to become the newest conserved land for public enjoyment: the Old Hammondtown Quarry.
The 53-acre site was first identified by the Mattapoisett Land Trust as a worthy contender for permanent conservation status when the parcel became available. With its history as a rose granite quarry – features that are still visible deep within the woodlands – and its clean fresh water streams, the MLT went on the hunt for partners and grants to acquire the property.
On March 27, Town Administrator Michael Gagne announced that a letter had been received from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation expressing their interest in purchasing the property. The letter notes, “The cascading Swifts Brook at the southwestern corner of the property is one of the healthiest streams in the region.”
Gagne said that with the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen’s approval, he would post the letter on the Town’s website giving the public the opportunity to voice any questions or concerns pursuant to the state’s plan. Barring any comments, he said he would then advise the state that the Town was in agreement to waive the 120-day notice period.
The Buzzards Bay Coalition has also been instrumental in the process, Gagne said.
The selectmen were unanimous in agreement to follow through as suggested.
Coming before the selectmen to discuss the work of the Mattapoisett Cultural Council was Chairman Kathleen Damaskos. She began by speaking about the variety of grant requests received annually – grants that impact “every demographic” in town.
Damaskos said that local and regional school programs such as robotics and drama programing are funded in part by grants received from the MCC. However, she said that with state funding of only $4,400, many requests had to be turned down.
Damaskos said she communicated with Gagne and hoped that the selectmen would support a matching municipal sum to help ensure more programs could be funded in the future.
Again, the selectmen were unanimous in their agreement to add a budget line item in the amount of $5,000 for grants awarded by the MCC.
Damaskos also introduced the newest members to the MCC. They are Donna Wingate, Gail Schultz, Karen Martin, Sarah Thomas, and Mike Eaton.
Changes in other boards and committees noted on this night were Alexandra Murphy to the Historical Commission and James Rodriques to the Zoning Board of Appeals. The selectmen also appointed three new civilian per diem paramedics: Joseph Borgatti III; Bruce Ballard; and William Coucci.
During his report to the selectmen, Gagne lauded the exemplary efforts of the Highway, Water, Sewer, and Tree Departments during the spate of damaging storms that have stricken the area.
He also thanked Eversource for their service to the town.
Gagne said Town Hall staff also pitched in to help residents through the difficult hours, and that the Police and Fire Departments were to be congratulated for their efforts.
Gagne gave a special shout-out to Police Captain Anthony Days for coordinating the opening of the relief center at ORRHS during power outages.
Gagne said cleanup continues on public easements, but he advised residents that brush and trees on private property were not to be dragged out to the edge of roadways for town collection. He said storm debris from private property should be transported to the transfer station. Starting April 3, the transfer station hours will switch to Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
On the theme of disaster planning, Gagne said the Flood Mitigation Plan was complete and ready to submit to FEMA and MEMA (Federal and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agencies). He said this blueprint would allow the Town to file grant applications, and he hopes to secure monies for the relocation of the sewer main currently located across Eel Pond.
Gagne also reported on another type of disaster, that of the opioid crisis. He read from a paper published by the Massachusetts Municipal Association that discussed the joining of cities and towns in lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies and distributors. He said that presently 30 municipalities have united to pursue litigation against companies they believe have contributed to addiction problems in their communities.
Gagne said that in speaking with Police Chief Mary Lyons and town counsel, Mattapoisett had sufficient data to join in such litigation.
The lawsuit would in part allege, “…That distributors did not track and inform the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of suspicious opioid orders as required under the Controlled Substances Act.”
The selectmen agreed and moved to have Mattapoisett join other Massachusetts cities and towns in this matter.
Earlier in the evening, coming before the selectmen were Guy Rossi and Zach Sun of Taylor Seafood for a hearing to determine the future of their aquaculture license for waters off Brandt Point.
After what had previously been identified as non-compliance conditions and abandonment of equipment, the selectmen called the hearing. The hearing was short-lived however, when Rossi and Sun announced they were relinquishing their license at this time.
Gagne asked them to submit a letter from their corporate entity officially notifying the Town of their intention to discontinue.
The selectmen also heard details regarding the Tri-Town Veteran’s Services with the board approving an agreement between Marion, Rochester, and Mattapoisett that clears the way for efficient management and support of resources. Gagne said Veterans Agent Barry Denham and clerk Jo-Ann O’Malley were doing a “great job,” also noting that they have seen an uptick in requests for services.
Looking forward to the summer season, Gagne said a bike share pilot program would begin with bikes positioned at the wharf, near the bike path, and at the Mattapoisett Boat Yard. The bike share program survey generated a healthy response from the public, he said.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen is scheduled for April 10 at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall conference room.
Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen
By Marilou Newell
It’s never too early to start thinking about the Boat Race! Here is a great spring vacation week project. A seminar will be held on Saturday, April 14 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the Rochester Fire Station, Hartley Road, for anyone interested in the building of a Mattapoisett River racing boat for use in the Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race. Boats will be on display, plans will be available, and boat builders will be on hand to answer questions. Buy, sell or swap; if you have a river racing boat to sell, bring it. If you are looking for a river racing boat, come and see what’s available. For further information, call Arthur Benner at 508-763-2024 or email artbenner@comcast.net.
Tabor Academy students Vyper LaTulippe ’19 (Onset, MA) and Eric Paliotta ’19 (Warwick, RI) were recently recognized on the national stage for their outstanding work in ceramics. Their work was included in the National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition held recently in Pittsburgh, PA as a part of the multi-day, annual conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). This year, there were nearly 1300 submissions from across the country, and juror Pete Pinnell selected less than 150 pieces for the exhibition.
“The National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition is the premier annual juried ceramic competition for Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) students in the United States,” said Kevin Arnfield, Visual Arts Faculty. He explained the event is designed to showcase the best student ceramic work made in the country each year. The exhibition takes place in a different city each year in conjunction with the annual conference of the NCECA. The NCECA conference is the preeminent ceramic event in the U.S. annually, gathering professionals from universities, colleges, museums, art galleries, and the ceramic arts world to a host city to view exhibitions, demonstrations, talks, and other ceramic events. “For that week, the host city is the world capital of ceramics,” explained Arnfield.
In addition to their acceptance to this exhibition, both Tabor students were further commended by receiving artistic merit awards from the juror. Paliotta received the Regina Brown Teacher Development award, while LaTulippe received a cash prize from Bailey Pottery and a $20,000 scholarship for the study of ceramics at Alfred University.
