Solar Work Will Be ‘Stop and Go’

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The progress of Clean Energy Collective’s solar energy project on Mattapoisett Road will hinge mainly on one thing – an 8-foot high flag – and if the Rochester Planning Board can see it from where it will stand across the street, it’s lights out for the project until the developer can properly screen the solar panels.

The public hearing for Clean Energy Collective was re-opened on February 27 after the board back in December determined that a berm height increase due to some elevation discrepancies was a major change to the approved plan.

The board visited the site on Saturday, and the board’s peer review engineer, Ken Motta from Field Engineering, submitted a third report with comments on what was observed that day.

“Everything looked to be in order,” said Clean Energy Collective’s engineer Evan Watson of Prime Engineering, “minus one comment from Ken…. He asked that the fence at the front at the gate be extended.”

A few additional comments followed, including a specified 50-50 grass seed mix.

“I couldn’t make the site visit Saturday,” said Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson, “so I actually went out today.”

Motta accompanied him, Johnson said, observing with him what Johnson called “some interesting things on the site after all the rain.”

Johnson described a field area by the access road that was ponding water after the recent rains.

“The water can’t travel,” Johnson said. “So that access road is kind of a dam.”

Johnson suggested installing a 12-inch culvert to help with drainage, and Watson agreed.

But it still all comes down to whether or not the panels will be visible from the road.

Johnson requested that a new site line be taken from the metal building across the street.

“When you’re standing on Mattapoisett Road and you’re kind of in line with the center of that building, you can see right in through there,” said Johnson. ”We’re gonna ask them to do another site line.”

Johnson suggested the site line doesn’t necessarily have to be done before work can continue, but Johnson’s preference was to require that the screening fence be constructed before the racking system for the panels is installed. That way, the work could continue – at the developer’s risk, of course – and the board could gain the reassurance that the panels would be fully screened before the project goes too far.

Then Johnson suggested placing an 8-foot tall pole with a flag on top of where the highest point of the panels will be.

“If we can’t see the flag, carry on,” said Johnson. “But if we can see the flag, it’s back to the drawing board.”

The board will add the condition that the fence be installed before the racks. Once the fence is in, the flag test on the site line will be performed. Then work on the racks can begin, Johnson said. Once the racks are in, work will again stop so the board can check the measurements. Once the measurements are verified, only then can the panels be mounted. Work would then again stop until that installation is checked.

“If there’s a violation at any one of those points, the work’s gonna stop,” Johnson said.

Planning Board member John DiMaggio pointed out that the board has been making the installation of the fence before the racks a special condition for most of the solar projects that have gone before the board. He suggested that perhaps that requirement should be inserted into the town’s solar bylaw.

“You’re right though,” said Johnson. “If we’re gonna put it in into every decision, we should put it in the bylaw.”

Johnson stated that he thinks the board is close to the point of compiling a list of conditions for a draft decision to review and wrap up at the next meeting.

“We want to get this thing moving forward in the right direction,” Johnson said.

There were no comments from the audience that evening, and the board continued the hearing until March 13.

The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for March 13 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Planning Board

By Jean Perry

 

Options for Marion Town Offices

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The Marion Board of Selectmen will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, March 1 at 6:30 pm in the Sippican School multi-purpose room (auditorium), 16 Spring Street, Marion so that the Town House Building Committee and the Subcommittee of the Town House Building Committee can present proposals to the selectmen and allow public review.

Mary Ellen Rickard

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Mary Ellen Rickard, age 72, of Rochester, MA died February 27, 2018 at the New Bedford Jewish Convalescence home after a lengthy battle with early onset dementia. She was the wife of Peter H. Rickard.

Born and raised in Brockton, the daughter of the late Thomas and Mary C. (Brennan) Joyce, she lived in North Attleboro, MA for 28 years, raising her two daughters there. She is survived by her daughter Nicole C. Rickard, DVM and her husband David Lempert of Marion, MA and Bridget A. Foley and her husband Thomas P. Foley IV of Braintree MA. She was a proud Nana to her 3 grandchildren, Shanley Lempert, Callum Lempert and Patricia Foley. She was the sister of the late Michael Joyce, Thomas Joyce and Neil Joyce. Mary Ellen was also close with her extended family including her cousins and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mary Ellen was a caring and kind person. She loved her family and her beloved pets. She loved to golf and garden. She was an adept crafter, creating beautiful jewelry and sewing and knitting. Mary Ellen taught Physical Education at Southeastern Regional Vocational School, Bristol-Plymouth Regional Vocational School, and spent many years as an elementary PE teacher at the Roosevelt Avenue School in North Attleboro.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Dr. Dickerson’s Dementia Research Program in the Massachusetts General Hospital Frontotemporal Disorders Unit. Your generous gifts support the clinical care and research efforts for individuals living with early onset dementias.

Donations may be made online at https://Giving.MassGeneral.org/FTDUnit
They may also be sent by mail to the MGH Frontotemporal Disorders Unit. Attn: Raseeka Premchander, 149 13th Street, Suite 2691, Charlestown, MA 02129. Checks payable to “MGH Dr. Dickerson Lab” and in the memo line, please put “Dementia Research”.

Visiting hours will be celebrated on Friday March 2nd from 4-8PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Road, Route 6, Mattapoisett. Her Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday March 3rd at 10AM in St. Anthony’s Church. A family celebration of her life will follow. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

 

Two Emaciated Dogs Rescued in Rochester

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Rochester Police on Thursday rescued two dogs suffering from starvation and neglect and allegedly living in filth inside a Rochester home.

The Rochester Police Department received a call from a concerned utility worker on February 21 reporting that she saw two malnourished-looking dogs inside a house on New Bedford Road.

Police and Animal Control officers arrived at the scene and found nine-year-old “Ace” and two-year-old “Bentley” locked inside looking severely malnourished, according to a Rochester Police press release.

The officers’ initial impressions of the conditions of the house were described as “very unsanitary,” along with an extreme odor of animal urine and feces detected from the driveway. No one was home, and officers found no water or food left available for the dogs.

Police contacted the resident of the house, Tyrone Mendes, 33, who returned home and was subsequently charged with two counts of Animal Cruelty and two counts of Failing to License a Dog.

The officers stated that the conditions inside the house were “deplorable” and covered with animal waste.

Animal Control took Ace and Bentley into custody and later released the pair to the Animal Rescue League of Boston for medical treatment.

The ARLB reports that it is caring for the two dogs at the ARL animal care and adoption facility in Brewster. Bentley currently weighs only 20 pounds and is roughly 30 pounds underweight. Older dog Ace was in slightly better condition but still malnourished.

“Both animals are settling into their new surroundings and will be on a closely monitored feeding schedule to promote safe and steady weight gain,” ARL Brewster veterinary staff report in a public statement.

Both Ace and Bentley are expected to fully recover, barring any unexpected complications.

By Jean Perry

 

President’s Volunteer Service Award

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Mia Quinlan, 15, of Marion, a student at Old Rochester Regional High School, has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a President’s Volunteer Service Award.

The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country, was granted by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. Old Rochester Regional High School nominated Mia for national honors this fall in recognition of her volunteer service.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), recognizes middle level and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service.

“The recipients of these awards demonstrate that young people across America are making remarkable contributions to the health and vitality of their communities,” said John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. “By recognizing these students and placing a spotlight on their activities, we hope to motivate others to consider how they can also contribute to their community.”

“Demonstrating civic responsibility through volunteerism is an important part of life,” said NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. “These honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will emulate.”

Prudential Spirit of Community Award applications were distributed nationwide last September through middle level and high schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Affiliates of Points of Light’s HandsOn Network. These schools and officially-designated local organizations nominated Local Honorees, whose applications were advanced for state-level judging. In addition to granting President’s Volunteer Service Awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards selected State Honorees, Distinguished Finalists and Certificated of Excellence recipients. Volunteer activities were judged on criteria including personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.

Please Won’t You Be … My Neighbor

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A generation’s most beloved children’s show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, turned 50 last week. I turned 41.

I am of the generation of fortunate children to have grown up with Mr. Rogers as our neighbor. Every afternoon and every evening, as soon as the xylophone music of the show’s theme song would ring out from the speaker of our color television enshrined in laminate oak like an analog monument, the outside world disappeared and I was at home in the neighborhood.

Mister Rogers would always end just at my bedtime, and after he swapped his inside shoes for his outside shoes and took off his cardigan and put back on his jacket, I would kiss the TV screen before he exited and say, “Good night, Mr. Rogers.” It’s one of my earliest memories. I must have been about three-and-a-half then, around the time long-term memory kicks in for most of us.

Last week, in addition to the birthday wishes posted to my Facebook page, social media was suddenly flooded with quotes, videos, memes, and memories of Mr. Rogers remembering the kind, gentle man who made each of us individually feel like we were special and appreciated. The week of my birthday is also, now a tradition, the week when I take a detour in Rochester for a drive-by of the same grassy knoll on the side of Rounseville Road to see if I could spot any spring flowers. On February 23, as I have now for the past four years or so since I started at The Wanderer, I spotted the first crocuses to emerge from the winter-worn ground of that roadside hill. I counted four.

The crocus is often the first flower to emerge at the end of winter, a symbol of the approach of spring. We see a crocus, we think spring. I also see a crocus and I think … “Betty.”

February 19 was the 50th anniversary of the first airing of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. I have such fond memories of the gentle, kind man who encouraged me to be myself while assuring me I would still be liked for it. While reading Fred Rogers quotes last week, I couldn’t help but hear his calm, slow, gentle voice in my mind as my eyes teared-up in appreciation of the beauty of his words and what he stood for, and how it feels today looking back as an adult grateful that the child in me got to know that wonderful man. But when I think of my neighbor Mr. Rogers, I also instantly think of my childhood next door neighbor Betty.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine; could you be mine?

I was a little girl who spent a lot of time alone. I think I enjoyed or at least didn’t mind that for most of the day my two older brothers would be at school and I would be home with my crayons, my dolls, my books, my imagination … I liked playing outside in our great big backyard that was an open half-acre abutting the woods and seemed even more massive to a child. Sometimes when I looked over to the yard next door, Betty would be outside with her Dachshund Milly. I’d run over to my Mom hanging the laundry on the line or call out to her inside the house, “Mom, I’m going to Betty’s!”

“Hi Jeannie,” the old woman would say in that soft, kind, gentle way she always spoke. “How are you today? Would you like to help me count how many crocuses have bloomed around the yard?”

Looking back, Betty probably wasn’t really that old. Perhaps it was that I was so young, or that she didn’t color her white hair, dressed in 1960s-style elastic waist polyester pants with floral patterns, always wore a soft cardigan sweater over a button-up blouse, and no-name-brand tennis shoes. Maybe it’s also because she wore glasses, moved and spoke slowly, was nice, and just wasn’t like the other adults in my life.

Whenever I went over to visit with Betty in her yard, I never felt like my presence was a bother or inconvenience. She always made me feel like she enjoyed my company. She’d always find something to talk about or something to teach me or show me. She’d let me pick violets that grew by her clothesline or give treats to Milly. If I was really lucky, she would let me help her with one of my favorite tasks – sprinkling the dog poop with white, powdery lime from a paper Haagen-Dazs cup before she scooped them up with her super-duper pooper-scooper, a metal serrated-edge bin that could get the deed done without having to bend over and use your hands.

The world needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile.

Sometimes we would just sit in the shade at her picnic table and talk. As I grew and started school, the topics we discussed increased in scope – friends, stuff I was learning or read, my bourgeoning interests. She sincerely listened to everything I said, followed-up with further questions, and always smiled back at me. “That’s nice, Jean. I’m so glad you’re doing so well in school.”

In the colder months, Betty would invite me inside for a ginger ale with a splash of cranberry juice and a piece of ribbon candy. We’d sit together at the kitchen table while Milly’s claws would click-clack on the linoleum beneath the table.

Whenever I sat with Betty at her table, the outside world would dissolve away and I was at home in Betty’s kitchen.

As different as we are from one another … we are much more the same than we are different. That may be the most essential message of all as we help our children grow toward being caring, compassionate, and charitable adults.

            One time in Betty’s kitchen I never forgot was that visit when I told her of a nightmare I had of a nuclear war with Russia. I told her how scary it was that bombs were on their way and of how scared I was of the Russians.

“I hate the Russians,” I said.

“Jean!” she said, subdued but astonished. “If a little Russian girl came to the door and wanted you to come play, you wouldn’t play with her?”

I stared at the door, processing Betty’s question. The notion that a Russian little girl is no different than I or any other American girl blew my mind.

“Yes, I would,” I said, having been shown that fear is no excuse for hatred.

If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.

Eventually I outgrew watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. And I was probably about ten years old when Betty moved away. The memory of that late afternoon and the deep sadness I felt on my front porch – waving goodbye to her as she left our neighborhood for the last time, her sitting in the front passenger seat with Milly on her lap, waving back at me – is as vivid to me now as the moment it happened. I was sobbing. I am conscious of it now, but the child I was at the time didn’t recognize that the sorrow, the panic, the squeezing in my chest and the physical pain it caused was my very first broken heart.

All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are…. Ten seconds of silence.

Fred Rogers spoke those words during his Lifetime Achievement Emmy acceptance speech in 1997. He died exactly 15 years ago on this very day, February 27, in 2003.

As a child my first neighbors were Mr. Rogers and Betty; the ones who made me feel appreciated and liked for who I am, always speaking to me – not like I was a child – like I was a person.

Every year when I see those first crocuses, I still think of Betty. And when Fred Rogers asks me to think for ten seconds about the ones who helped me become who I am today I still think of Betty. The one who counted crocuses with me every spring. One of them, like Fred Rogers put it, who ‘loved me into being.’

This Imperfect Life

By Jean Perry

 

Rodney L. Draffen

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Rodney L. Draffen, 73, of New Bedford, died February 25, 2018 at home. He was the husband of Cheryl A. (Texiera) Draffen and the son of the late Lewis I. and Elizabeth M. (Moore) Draffen.

He was born in Boston and grew up in Roxbury. He then lived in Marion before moving to New Bedford 30 years ago.

Mr. Draffen was a Vietnam Veteran serving in the United States Army as a Green Beret.

Mr. Draffen worked as a Carpenter in the area for many years.

He enjoyed going to Military Reunions and the Airborne Reunion in Onset. He was an avid fisherman.

Survivors include his wife, Cheryl A. (Texiera) Draffen of Fall River; 2 sons, Corey Draffen of Stoughton and Michael Patterson of Boston; 3 daughters, Nicole Patterson, Kim Paterson and Denitra Patterson all of Boston; a sister, Georgianna Bittle of Brockton; a granddaughter, Mariah Draffen. He was the brother of the late Ballin Draffen.

Visiting hours are from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm on Friday, March 2, 2018 at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham, followed by a funeral service at 12:30 pm at the funeral home.

Burial will be in the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Vietnam Veterans of America, 8719 Colesville Rd., Suite 100, Silver Springs, MD 20910.

Academic Achievements

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Sienna Wurl of Mattapoisett has been named to the President’s List at Western New England University for the fall semester of 2017. Wurl is working toward a degree in Pre-Pharmacy.

Stephen Burke of Rochester, a member of the class of 2019 majoring in mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense, hands-on research through the WPI project center in Worcester, England. The project was titled Worcester Go Green Week Preparation Fall 2017. In their project summary, the students wrote, “We improved the current platform for the Go Green Week Fair held by the University of Worcester to promote sustainable habits.”

Dylan Soule, a Political Science major from Rochester, was named to the Dean’s List. Soule was among the more than 750 students named to the Saint Francis University Honors List for the fall 2017 semester.

To be named to the Provost’s or Dean’s Honors Lists, students must have full-time status and attain a quality point average of at least 3.8 (Provost’s) or 3.5 (Dean’s) for the given semester.

Gateway Youth Hockey

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The Gateway Gladiators Mite C team played one of their better games of the season on Saturday, skating away with a big 30-17 win for the team. They played the YD Dolphins and there were plenty of goals to go around. It wasn’t just the goals that were exciting; the team seemed to get a lot of passes in the game, making it a complete game. Leading the way in scoring were Kaden Silva (7G, 4A), Andrew Soucy (3G, 4A), Keeghan Hewak (4G, 2A), Tomas doCanto (4G, 1A), Will Manning (4G, 1A), RJ Murphy (4G, 1A), Nolan Almeida (3G, 1A) and Caden Kosboski (1G). Also, playing great in net, Jake Lovendale made 25 saves in his second stint between the pipes. The team has three games left on the season and look to finish strong over the next few weeks.

Town to Seek National Register Status

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Marion is a town steeped in history with iconic historical buildings important to the town, which is why Town Planner Gil Hilario wants to investigate the possibility of getting some of these buildings officially recognized for their historical significance.

Hilario said he would be consulting with the Marion Historical Commission about advancing towards placing any eligible historic, town-owned buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

“I was surprised there are no town-owned buildings on the Historic Register,” said Hilario. “To me, that’s really important for preservation.”

Buildings such as the Town House (originally Tabor Academy) and the Elizabeth Taber Library, built in 1876 and 1872 respectively, if added to the National Register, could open up the town for grants for rehabilitation work, which is only available to municipalities and nonprofit organizations.

Once the town’s Historic Commission prepares an inventory of recommended buildings, the process begins with contacting the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), which administers the National Register program in the state. The MHC then reviews each property’s eligibility and whether it meets specific criteria, such as association with significant events or persons in the past.

Sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places are automatically added to the State Register of Historic Places, as well. The State Register serves as a guide when determining whether a state funded or permitted or licensed project would affect or harm the historical nature of the building.

Hilario said he would be attending a meeting of the Marion Historical Commission to discuss the details.

Also during the February 20 meeting of the Marion Planning Board, the board continued the public hearing for Carolyn Martin’s Special Permit application for a pier at 282 Delano Road.

David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, Inc. said the 4-foot wide, 175-foot long aluminum gangway would lead to a 10- by 20-foot float. All work would be performed via barge.

The water depth would be 3.2 feet at low tide and 7.2 feet at high tide, which is significant, Davignon said.

“In most pier projects we do in Mattapoisett and Marion there’s very shallow water,” said Davignon. “In this case, we actually have a decent level of water.”

Davignon said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the project a permit back on November 28, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Waterways Division is waiting to issue its permit until the Planning Board and the Marion Conservation Commission issue their approvals.

The Marion Harbormaster’s Office told the Planning Board that it had no concerns with the project.

Planning Board Chairman Eileen Marum suggested approving the pier project contingent upon Conservation Commission approval, but Planning Board member Norm Hills preferred to continue the hearing until the Conservation Commission issues the Order of Conditions.

“Other than that, I think it’s a complete package,” Hills said.

In other matters, Hilario said a road safety audit of Route 6 conducted in January is not complete, and a draft report would be released to the town “shortly.”

The road safety audit, Hilario said, preceded the Route 6 corridor study slated to begin in the spring, which will take about 18 months to complete.

“I think we’re making small steps toward addressing [road safety] problems,” Hilario said.

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for March 5 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Planning Board

By Jean Perry