Tabor Girls Experience STEM in action in NYC

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A group of six Tabor Academy girls was selected through an application process to attend the GAINS Conference (Girls Advancing in STEM) in New York City last week. Topics over the three-day event included science, math, engineering, and technology and how these fields interconnect for innovation.

Three seniors and three juniors along with faculty Mackenzie Chaput and CK Kennedy enjoyed the excitement of the city and exposure to cutting-edge ideas. They also interacted with many women in the field and learned how women are participating and leading in these fields today.

The group met with women executives from Rent the Runway, Spoon University and Mented and enjoyed experiencing new technologies through interactive games and augmented reality. They learned first hand from entrepreneurs the challenges and joys of starting a company and how important it is to surround yourself with the right people who will motivate and challenge you as a leader. They took tours across the city to see innovation first hand. Examples included tours of the Central Park Zoo, the NYU MakerSpace, a Computer-aided Drug Design lab, and a Science History Walking Tour. In their blog, the students remarked, “The walking tour allowed us to get a feel for the history behind New York City and the way science played into everyday life. During the Central Park Zoo tour, students got to follow zookeepers around their daily routine and ask about their personal experience working with animals. Our favorite part of the day was the tour of the NYU Biomolecular and Chemical Engineering lab in which we were shown the research students were working on at the time. Lindsay, a student in NYU’s dual MD/PhD program, explained her research about developing a way to more efficiently cure breast cancer.”

On the last day, the students enjoyed small group exchanges to understand how creativity and communication skills are critical to the tech world along with the technical skills more commonly associated with these fields. It was an exciting and eye-opening opportunity for these students to see how they could advance their own interests in science, math, engineering and technology.

The students wrote a blog and shared photos of their experience. You can enjoy the blog and at https://bit.ly/2GEBVsE.

Rochester Historical Society is Going to the Library

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The Rochester Historical Society meeting for April is being held at the Plumb Library at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, April 18, and will feature “The Power Behind Your Library Card” by Librarian Gail Roberts.

What can you do with your library card? Check out books, DVDs and more, certainly. But you can also download free ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and music; use Ancestry.Com; access the Rochester Historical and Architectural Survey; and much more. Learn all about it on Wednesday, April 18 at the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library. Come and learn what your library has to offer. Everyone is welcome.

Mindfulness Walk

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Enjoy the peace and beauty of nature with Jessica Webb, owner of Anchor Yoga, and the Buzzards Bay Coalition during a mindfulness walk at Tinkhamtown Woodlands, 29 Long Plain Road, Mattapoisett, on Saturday, April 14at 11:00 am. Through guided mindfulness meditation, participants will experience the outdoors with their senses wide open.

All fitness levels are welcome on this free, one-hour walk. The walk will be conducted at a deliberately slow and mindful pace in social silence without digital devices. Please wear appropriate footwear and layers to ensure you are comfortable during the walk.

Pre-registration is required. To RSVP, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/mindfulness-walk-tinkhamtown-woodlands-apr-14-2018/ or contact the Buzzards Bay Coalition at 508-999-6363 ext. 219 or bayadventures@savebuzzardsbay.org.

This walk is part of a monthly Mindfulness Walk series hosted by Anchor Yoga and the Coalition. The next Mindfulness Walk will take place on Saturday, May 12 at Star of the Sea Reserve in Dartmouth.

This event is part of Discover Buzzards Bay, an initiative to help people across the Buzzards Bay region find unique and exciting ways to explore the outdoors, get some exercise and connect with nature. Local residents can 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.

Greyhound Wins Place in the Heart of Plumb

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The door opens to the Plumb Library and in walks 8-year-old Amos, followed by his adopted dogmother Holly Abramson and a splash of Saturday afternoon sun across the library foyer floor. Amos is eye-catching in his bright turquoise-blue woolen coat that contrasts against his pale white fur and little brown and gray spots. He continues without pause towards the children’s section where he’s likely read all the favorite titles over the past year since he first moved to Rochester, some of them over and over again.

“That must be Amos and Ms. Holly,” says Library Assistant Jenn Frasier, who’s become accustomed to the sounds that accompany Amos and Holly and the way their cumulative six feet make their way across the room. Amos waits calmly for Holly to place Amos’ soft, fluffy brown reading pad on the floor so he can lower himself down, fold his long limbs beneath his lean, mean, racing machine body, and stretch across the floor with a ‘ffffump.’

Amos has been a regular patron at the Plumb Library since January 2017 when The Wanderer first met the ‘tail-waggin tutor,’ Rochester’s own book-loving dog as he sat down for the first time with his first Rochester early reader that would mark the next chapter in Amos’ own book of life.

On Saturday, April 7, it didn’t take long for Amos to drift into a deep state of relaxation to the spoken words of Matt Simmons as he read aloud to Amos and Simmons’ 3-year-old daughter, Autumn.

Once upon a time there was “Iruska Danny,” a young racing greyhound from Florida before his ‘happily every after’ in Rochester as Amos, in the library, in Rochester, with Ms. Holly. But watching Amos lying still with his eyes closed drifting off into a literal bliss, it’s clear how far he is now from that chapter in his story. Every time Abramson asks Amos, “You wanna go to the library and see the kids?” he sinks deeper into his new life in Rochester as everyone’s favorite reading buddy, and the Abramsons’ adopted love bug of six years.

Amos, a certified Canine Good Citizen, therapy dog, and avid book listener, comes to the Plumb Library for sessions with young readers eager to practice their emerging skills with Amos. The more he likes a book, the more he will snuggle into the reader and pass right out until the turning of the next page brings his attention back to the moment, said Abramson.

Some of his favorite books are from Dr. Seuss, especially Go, Dog, Go!

“Anything that rhymes,” said Abramson. “He literally sticks his face in the book. It’s very natural for him. He positions himself in just the right way.”

Frasier says Amos is “the perfect patron” at Plumb. When he’s at the library on the first Thursday and Saturday of the month, “He greets everyone, every time there’s other people around, the reaction to a dog in the library is everyone wants to pet him.”

“He’s very patient, always quiet,” Frasier said. “We have a fan club coming to the Thursday session very regularly and Amos is always very happy to see them. He cuddles right up to them.”

With quite the following, the next step is of course to produce the Amos merchandise, including free stickers with Amos’ face on them and an Amos bookmark that can be punched each time the child reads to Amos – after five punches, the child receives a free gift from the librarian.

And now, with his very own Facebook page called “Amos the Therapy Greyhound,” his following only continues to grow.

When he’s not delighting everyone at the Plumb Library, he enjoys accompanying Abramson to her day job during the week at the very pet-friendly equine supplies store she works at in Middleboro. In his free time, Amos loves running wildly in his backyard and doing zillions of ‘zoomies’ till he’s dizzy.

“We do take him hiking quite a bit,” said Holly, hitting the trails together all throughout Rochester. “He’s usually in the front leading the way.”

And anywhere he hears a child’s voice, Abramson said, “He’s just like, ‘Where are they?’”

Abramson said being Amos’ adopted dogmother is a blessing and an honor.

“He’s a really special dog. We found each other.”

Haven’t met Amos yet? He will be attending a special April school vacation session at the Plumb Library on Friday, April 20, from 12:30 to 2:00 pm appropriately called “Breed All About It!” with various dog-themed stories, activities, and crafts assisted by the Junior Friends. Register by calling 508-763-8600 or emailing LFuller@sailsinc.org.

By Jean Perry

 

All is Well for Fairhaven Well Request

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There have been many, many nights at the Mattapoisett Town Hall when the Conservation Commission’s meeting began in the waning light of a spring day and ended deep in the darkened evening. But on April 9, it was light outside when the meeting began and still light just twenty-five minutes later when the meeting was closed.

Commission members on this night included Chapman Dickerson, John Jacobsen, Chris Nicolosi, and Chairman Mike King.

The Town of Fairhaven Board of Public Works, for property located at 29 Tinkham Lane in Mattapoisett and represented by Allison Shivers of Tata and Howard, Inc., came before the commission with a RDA for the construction of a new freshwater well. Fairhaven’s primary source for freshwater resources is located within the town boundaries of Mattapoisett.

Shivers said the well would be approximately 36-feet by 40-feet with an 18-foot by 24-foot gravel patch. She also said there would be limited clearing and very little fill brought onto the site. Shivers concluded her comments by adding that the project would not negatively affect wildlife habitat. The filing received a Negative 3 determination with King saying, “Yeah, let’s get some good drinking water.”

Coming before the commission was Neil Oliveira of 4 Ocean Breeze Lane represented by Prime Engineering with a Request for Determination of Applicability for the construction of a 36-foot by 16-foot in-ground swimming pool surrounded by stone pavers. The project was described as being some 75 feet away from delineated wetlands but situated within the 100-foot buffer zone. A note from Conservation Agent Elizabeth Leidhold indicated that the project as proposed would have no negative impact on wildlife habitat. The project received a Negative 3 determination (no Notice of Intent required).

Continued until April 23 was a Notice of Intent filed by Stingray City Realty Corp., William Bachant, for property owned by Rahim Aghai Revocable Trust for a proposed three-lot subdivision planned off Marion Road.

Before closing the public meeting, King commented on questions the office had received pursuant to agenda items for executive sessions dealing with litigation between Daniel Craig of Seabreeze Lane and the Town of Mattapoisett. He said that to the best of his knowledge, the matter was nearing agreement between the two parties and that for at least five months the Conservation Commission had not taken up the matter in executive session. King also clarified that the litigation had not been between the commission and the Craigs, but was instead between the Town and the Craigs.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 23 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

 

Associate Members Needed

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Are you interested in protecting wetlands in Rochester? Have you thought about serving on a board and learning more about what’s going on in town? The Rochester Conservation Commission is looking for volunteers interested in serving as Associate Members to the Conservation Commission. Associates are non-voting members who help share the workload of the voting Conservation Commission that was officially appointed by the Board of Selectmen. Associate members provide a pool of future members and allow more people to participate. Most of the full voting members of the Commission served as Associate Members prior to being appointed by the Board of Selectmen.

The Conservation Commission was established in Rochester in 1963 and is charged with protecting Rochester’s natural resources. The Conservation Commission also advises other municipal officials and boards on conservation issues that relate to their areas of responsibility. In 1972, the Commission was given the responsibility of administering the Wetlands Protection Act (MGL Ch. 131 40). The Conservation Commission serves the community in a regulatory as well as a conservation capacity.

Please feel free to contact Conservation Agent Laurell J. Farinon at 508-763-5421 ext. 206 or lfarinon@townofrochester.com with any questions about becoming an Associate Member, or send a letter of interest to the Rochester Conservation Commission, Rochester Town Hall Annex, 37 Marion Road, Rochester, MA 02770.

Marion Planning Board

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Dear Editor:

I am writing to correct a misimpression that may have arisen as a result of the comments I addressed to the Planning Board on April 2 (“Resident Critical of Town, Developer” – The Wanderer, April 5, 2018) concerning the condominium project at 324 Front Street in Marion.

All Town personnel with whom I have dealt, including allBuilding Department staff, have at all times been careful, professional, thorough and helpful in every instance and in every respect. Marion residents are extremely lucky to have such dedicated, competent, devoted and capable Town personnel – they are deserving of our admiration and gratitude in every way.

Sincerely,

Peter Douglas, 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.

Elks Student of the Month

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The Elks of Wareham and New Bedford, Lodge No. 1548 sponsors the Elks Student of the Month and Student of the Year Awards for students enrolled in local area high schools. The criteria used in nominating a student includes a student who excels in scholarship, citizenship, performing arts, fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school and community service, industry and farming.

We congratulate Parker Truesdale of Mattapoisett for being named as Student of the Month for February. Parker has a great attitude and his charisma is infectious within his class. He comes very close to reaching his potential through his hard work and utilization of effective learning strategies. He also participates in school extra-curricular activities including participating in the varsity soccer team. He is a great kid who helps make up the heart and soul of his graduating class.

SLT Seeking Volunteers for Osprey Marsh Trail

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Join Sippican Lands Trust’s Trail Clearing Crew at Osprey Marsh on Saturday, April 14from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm to clear the trail for the future Osprey Marsh Accessible Boardwalk.

Osprey Marsh is a 19.8-acre parcel of protected upland woods, wetlands and marshland offering spectacular views of Planting Island Cove. Osprey Marsh was donated to the Sippican Lands Trust in 2014 by Mary Howland Smoyer in cooperation with her children and her siblings, Edward Howland, George Howland and Meg Howland. The Howland family inherited the property from their grandparents, Edward and Eleanor Howland, with guidelines expressing the hope that the property be kept in its natural state.

Future plans include building a fully accessible boardwalk at Osprey Marsh that will connect with the existing trail. Volunteers on Saturday, April 14 will help to clear the path for the future Accessible Boardwalk.

Want to help? Just send an email to info@sippicanlandstrust.org to add your name to the Osprey Marsh Trail Clearing Crew list. Lunch will be provided.

Parking for Osprey Marsh is located off Point Road approximately three miles south of the intersection of Route 6 (Wareham Road) and Point Road in Marion.

For further information on the Osprey Marsh Accessible Boardwalk project or to donate to the project, visit sippicanlandstrust.org or call Sippican Lands Trust at 508-748-3080.

Rochester Braces for Even More Solar

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More Rochester residents may soon find their newest neighbors may be solar panels over the coming months.

Town Planner Steve Starrett said on April 10 that there have been seven new large-scale solar farm inquiries made to his office, with at least three of them expected to file for Site Plan Review within the next couple of months.

Two of those proposed solar farm projects come from two developers currently permitted for solar projects in Rochester: Borrego Solar Systems and Clean Energy Collective.

Rochester already has six permitted large-scale solar farm projects either built or under construction.

During a follow-up, Starrett was only allowed to give minimal information about the proposed solar projects, omitting specific property sites for the time being until official property rights have been granted.

Starrett commented that with the seven new inquiries, he has officially had to upgrade to a larger binder in order to fit in enough tabs to keep the potential solar projects organized.

Rochester Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson commented that several amendments to the Town’s solar bylaw have been drafted, and these amendments will be presented during a public hearing coming up before a vote at the Annual Town Meeting on May 21. One proposed amendment includes a 300-foot buffer from any public way, which is 300 feet farther than the current zero-foot buffer in place now.

The Wanderer will report further on solar developments as information becomes available.

Also during the meeting, Johnson mentioned he had received a complaint from Wellspring Farm abutter Cathy Mendoza on Hiller Road, with a photo of a bus parked on the road, not only in violation of the terms of the board’s decision, but also the town’s ordinance against on-street parking.

“I did get in touch with [Police Chief Paul Magee] and asked if he would send a cruiser by … in the timeframe the van was there,” said Johnson. “We’re going to continue to monitor the situation.”

Johnson said he received another complaint that day from Mendoza, this one about a client making what Mendoza considered excessive noise. Johnson said he referred this matter to town counsel and the Zoning Board of Appeals to address.

In response, board member Gary Florindo stated, “To go and invent the perfect world – that’s not gonna happen because there’s always gonna be something that bothers someone.”

In other matters, the board held an informal discussion with Repurpose Properties, LLC, the developer of a proposed 55+ housing development in the undeveloped property beside Plumb Corner on Rounseville Road. There are 44 units planned for the new neighborhood, designed after The Pines project in town with the board’s decision kept in mind.

Some issues with stormwater still exist, and details surrounding proposed cul-de-sacs and the project will require Conservation Commission approval, but the project has evolved since the developer’s first encounter with the Planning Board last year.

“Well, this certainly looks a lot better than what you initially came to us with,” said Johnson.

Repurpose Properties will now submit its application and move forward with the Site Plan Review process over the coming weeks.

In other news, the board gave its final Site Plan Review approval for Clean Energy Collective’s large-scale solar farm slated for 248 Mattapoisett Road.

The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for April 24 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Council on Aging on Dexter Lane.

Rochester Planning Board

By Jean Perry