Marion Planning Board Public Hearing

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On Monday, February 5, the Marion Planning Board will hold a Public Hearing in the Town House conference room, 2 Spring Street, at 7:10 pm for an informational presentation concerning “An Act to Ensure Safe Access to Marijuana” and the necessity for a Temporary Moratorium.

On November 8, 2016, Massachusetts voters approved Question 4 legalizing the adult use of marijuana and the sale of marijuana in retail establishments. On July 28, 2017, Governor Baker signed the General Court’s revised law on the subject entitled, “An Act to Ensure Safe Access to Marijuana” (the “Act”), adopted as Chapter 55 of the Acts of 2017 which addresses the retail sales of marijuana for adult use (new M.G.L. c. 94G, Regulation of the Use and Distribution of Marijuana Not Medically Prescribed).

The law, which allows certain personal use and possession of marijuana, took effect December 15, 2016 and requires a Cannabis Control Commission to issue regulations regarding the licensing of commercial activities by March 15, 2018 and to begin accepting applications for licenses no later than April 1, 2018. Currently under Marion’s Zoning Bylaw, an “Adult Use Marijuana Establishment,” as defined in M.G.L. c. 94G, §1, is not specifically addressed in the Zoning Bylaw. Regulations to be promulgated by the Cannabis Control Commission may provide guidance on certain aspects of local regulation of “Adult Use Marijuana Establishments” including: legal, planning, and public safety issues. The Town of Marion needs time to study and consider the regulation of “Adult Use Marijuana Establishments,” address the potential impact of state regulations on local zoning, and undertake a planning process to consider amending the Zoning Bylaw regarding regulation of “Adult Use Marijuana Establishments.”

Again, the Public Hearing for a Temporary Moratorium will be held at the Town House, 2 Spring Street, Marion, Massachusetts 02738 at 7:10 pm. The public is invited to attend and comment on this matter and may inspect the full text of the Temporary Moratorium Warrant Article at the Office of the Planning Board. Any questions or comments can be forwarded to the Planning Board office at 508-748-3517 or Town Planner, Gil Hilario, ghilario@marionma.gov or 508-748-3513. As your Planning Board, we ask that you attend and share your thoughts at this Public Hearing prior to the Special Town Meeting on February 15, 2018.

For further information, please contact the Planning Board at 508-748-3517 or Town Planner Gil Hilario at ghilario@marionma.gov.

Regional Rise of Hepatitis B

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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued an advisory last Friday cautioning municipal health agents about a rise in hepatitis B outbreaks in our region.

The DPH says the increased transmission is associated with injection drug use in Southeastern Massachusetts and is related to the ongoing substance abuse epidemic.

“The MDPH has observed an increase in the number of cases of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection reported in the Bristol County area,” states the advisory. “The MDPH asks healthcare providers to increase vigilance for acute HBV infection in patients who report current or recent injection drug use.”

Kathleen Downey, public health nurse for the Town of Marion, said that although the uptick in cases in Bristol County is of a concern to her given the close proximity to Tri-Town, what also concerns her is the similar uptick in cases on the South Coast, which should be a concern to the residents she serves in Marion.

“Whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not, there is a fair number of people in our community who are suffering intravenous drug addiction,” said Downey over the phone on Tuesday, January 16.

It was just last week, Downey said, that she was informing the Board of Health about a rise in hepatitis B infection in the area. Three days later, she received the advisory from the state.

There were 32 confirmed acute HBV cases in 2017, a 78% increase over the annual average. Twenty-two of the cases were individuals known to inject drugs and/or had tested positive for the hepatitis C virus. Most of the individuals are in their 30s and 40s and were likely not to have been vaccinated as children, the advisory states.

“That’s definitely an uptick in the number of cases,” Downey said. “Whenever we see an incident of some particular disease increasing, you want to find a way to resolve it, especially when we’ve worked so hard to eradicate it.”

Babies are now routinely vaccinated against hepatitis B, but those who are roughly age 25 and older may be at risk for the disease because they have not yet been vaccinated. The DPH advised health care providers to provide the vaccination to patients who may be susceptible to transmission of the virus, especially to patients that have reported injection drug abuse.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver, increasing the chances of developing liver failure, liver cancer, or cirrhosis of the liver. It is spread through contact with blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person. The virus can live up to seven days outside the body and is commonly spread through the sharing of needles.

During the acute infection phase, most people experience no symptoms at all. Some people do experience acute illness for weeks, with symptoms such as jaundice, dark urine, extreme fatigue, vomiting, and pain in the abdomen.

About 5% of adults infected will develop a chronic infection, while 20-30% of those suffering chronic infection will develop cirrhosis or liver cancer.

The World Health Organization says transmission can also occur through sexual contact, dental and surgical procedures, tattooing, or the use of razors that have been exposed to blood of a hepatitis B-infected person.

According to the WHO, hepatitis B is a global health problem, with an estimated 256 million people living with the hepatitis B infection.

The vaccine was first introduced in 1984 and is believed to be 95% effective in preventing infection.

“The bottom line is people just need to be aware,” Downey said.

For any questions of concerns about hepatitis B or intravenous drug abuse, contact your local Board of Health or you may contact Public Health Nurse Kathleen Downey by calling 508-748-3507.

By Jean Perry

 

King To Remain Chairman

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The first meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission in 2018 was held on January 8, and the first order of business undertaken by commissioners Chapman Dickerson, Chris Nicolosi, and Jon Jacobson was to reorganize the commission and reinstate Michael King as chairman. “I appreciate the vote of confidence,” King told the group.

The conservation commissioners have all been recently appointed, with King presently being the most senior member.

Then it was on to the business at hand – Requests for Determination of Applicability and Certificates of Compliance.

First up was a RDA filed by Brian and Kerri Gagnon, 4 Holly Street, for a new Title 5 septic system to be constructed in the flood zone. Engineer Carmelo Nicolosi of Charon & Associates described the system that will employ an Eljen sand filter process that provides a second tier of treatment and is approved by the Department of Environmental Protection. The project received a Negative 2 determination (no Notice of Intent required) with notice to the Conservation Agent Elizabeth Leidhold.

Next came a RDA from Bruce Clay, 10 Pine Road, also receiving a Negative 2 determination for the installation of two concrete footings for a deck extension.

Alan Ewing, engineer representing Gingras Nominee Trust in care of Carol Lawrence for property located off Randall Road, received a Negative 3 determination for a RDA that will allow the construction of a roadway for the establishment of a two-lot subdivision.

Louis Klein, Jr., 7 Oakland Street, and Douglas Peck, 33 Antassawamock Road, were both represented by David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider& Associates who also filed RDAs.

Klein sought and received conditional approval of wetland delineations with no additional requests at this time. Leidhold’s in-field review established an additional flag along the wetlands line that Davignon will add to a revised plan of record before receiving final approval.

Peck’s project included the removal of an existing deck between his residence and a freestanding garage for the purpose of constructing a larger deck and second-story addition that will unite the two structures.

Brian Grady of G.A.F. Engineering represented Lisa Clark, Holly Woods Road, for a Certificate of Completion request that was long in the making. Grady said that due to the age of the “after-the-fact” Mass DEP enforcement filing related to the construction of a driveway on the property, he had to rely on documents submitted by the state office to confirm completion of required remediation sites. Grady also said that he made a site visit and that in his estimation it confirmed that the remediation had been completed. The commission was satisfied with Grady’s presentation and approved the issuance of the Certificate of Compliance.

Continued until January 22 were a RDA filed by David Dunn, Fresh Pond, for the construction of a floating osprey platform and a previously continued Notice of Intent filing by Dennis Arsenault for the construction of a driveway and two-lot subdivision at the end of Snow Field Road.

Continued until February 26 was a Certificate of Compliance request filed by Gabriel Estrela, 48A Shore Drive.

Due to a potential scheduling conflict, the commission voted to hold only one Conservation Commission meeting in February. The conflict was noted to arise from the possible scheduling of a special town meeting to determine if voters are in favor of a temporary moratorium for the rollout of adult use marijuana that is planned statewide on March 1.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for January 22 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

 

The Nocturnal Great Horned Owl

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This oversized monarch of the owl kingdom is the most dominant by observation and reputation in this country, although it is slightly smaller than the Eurasian eagle owl far across the pond.

Nevertheless, the great horned owl is big enough to challenge our national bald eagle when they clash over territorial domain. According to actual reports, the subsequent outcome can go either way, depending on which one gets the best grip on the other.

If there is the presence of a great horned owl near you, it may be heard in early evening, usually by four subsequent guttural hoots that, if translated into our language, may sound like “Hear me so near, to fear, and beware.”

The owl’s fearsome reputation ranks it as the only one to reportedly do-in a human being who was trying to rob its nest to captivate fledglings, the victim suffering mortal slashes from razor sharp talons. If this did happen, the nest would be guarded as in my illustration by both dedicated parents always on protective watch.

The female is always a constant dedicated matriarch, and the male a frequent arrival with sustenance of his latest kill including mammals, reptiles, bats, or other birds.

When aroused, they lean forward and lay back the tufts as well as the horns on their ears, like the devil himself, from which they get their name.

The dish-like expression and shape of their face that only a mother could love is purposely endowed by the Creator to catch even the slightest sound and funnel it to the extended ear sockets on either side of the head. They act like opposing range finders with an almost radar-like accuracy of a reflected signal blip. This permits an instant and accurate location of both distance and direction.

As their eyesight is poor and mainly fixed forward, the great horned owl can instantly turn its head from one side to the other, amazingly as much as 270 degrees for immediate direction and distant focus.

Unlike other diurnal hunters of the species that operate both day and night, this horned raptor can only function in darkness, to be rarely seen at all. If it should be still around briefly at daybreak, it may be found perched on an observation platform of a fence post at the edge of a clearing. This might be the expanses of cranberry bog clearings or searching Land Trust trails crossing fields, or hedgerows near convenient conifer coverts.

If temporarily exposed to the light of day, their perception is almost completely limited by capacity of audible over visual – the opposite of humans just getting out of bed.

As the dawning footlights of the coming day begin to raise the curtain of the morning’s orchestrated performance, the owl will soon move into the more comfortable shadows of his domain. Just as darkness is but a rotating shadow of the sun upon the face of mother Earth, this ending by the planetary shadow in the heavens will later lead a repeat of his domain, even for the nocturnal vision of a wise old great horned owl.

By George B. Emmons

Exploring the Natural World through Art

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Come in from the cold and explore the natural world through art. This four-week session will meet on Saturday afternoons at the Marion Natural History Museum from 2:00 – 4:00 pm in February (February 3, 10, 17 and 24).

The first two Saturdays we will be learning how to sketch and observe specimens from the museum with black and white mediums to learn about lights and darks to create form.

The second two Saturdays we will sketch, paint and observe specimens with color and learn more about color mixing and the color wheel.

All four classes will focus on shading, positive/negative space, and composition. Journaling in the sketchbooks will also be encouraged.

Participants will bring their own bound sketchbooks that have heavy duty paper or watercolor paper. Additional materials list to follow.

Tricia Cassady is a Wetland Scientist and Natural Science Illustrator. Tricia currently teaches art classes at the Healing Tree Wellness Center in Middleborough. Class is limited to 12 so register early! Cost is $200 per person and registrations must be received by January 24.

This program is primarily for adults who wish to explore their creative side. To register, go to the Marion Natural History Museum website, www.marionmuseum.org, print out the registration form and submit with payment.

ORRJHS Students of the Month

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Kevin T. Brogioli, Principal of Old Rochester Regional Junior High School, announces the following Students of the Month for December 2017:

Green Team: Kinsley Trout & Brendan Burke

Orange Team: McKenna Maloney & Steven Cabral

Purple Team: Kayle Friedlaender & Owen Bates

Blue Team: Kira Sarkarati & Alexander Marsden

Red Team: Paige Fuller & Storm Lanzoni

Special Areas: Annmarie Perry & Drew MacGregor

Front Street Wetlands Slated for Restoration

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Ann Severance of 20 Front Street has begun the process of rectifying a list of violations of the Order of Conditions the Marion Conservation Commission issued in 2002. Severance has hired wetlands scientist Brandon Faneuf to devise a wetlands restoration plan, and Faneuf spoke before the commission on January 10 looking for direction before undertaking the project.

The discussion was an informal one, but with Severance present in the audience, Faneuf attempted to move the conversation past what happened at the site while contractors and landscapers performed work outside the scope of the permit.

“I’m here to hopefully start again, fresh with me on the job,” said Faneuf, who has visited the site and now has the Enforcement Order the commission issued some weeks ago.

Faneuf was tasked with drafting a restoration plan by December 27, but had only recently been hired to review the information during the holidays. He “humbly” asked for an extension until February 14, which was granted.

“Plantings aren’t going to be going in any time soon, assuming that is part of the plan,” said acting Chairman Jeffrey Doubrava. “I have no problem with that.”

Faneuf will have to consult with G.A.F. Engineering, the firm that devised the plan of record in the original Order of Conditions.

“We’re looking for not only areas that were altered on the site to be restored, but the final approved plans laid out what should be out there,” said commission member Shaun Walsh. “And the commission identified a number of areas where there are apparent deviations from that final Order of Conditions and final approved plans.”

Walsh continued, “We’re looking to make sure that the permit is followed, and any areas where there has been something constructed or altered that is different from the plan of record should be identified, and proposed corrections should be submitted to the commission.”

Some of those details, however, won’t be easily remedied. For example, one of the corners of the house was built “a little off” from where it was proposed on the plan.

The commission agreed that it wouldn’t be feasible to have someone move a house, “But things that can be corrected and should be corrected should be identified,” said Walsh.

One example would be the driveway, which Walsh said should have been pervious. It appears, however, that the driveway was paved with asphalt and then covered with stone.

“Oh, that’s interesting,” said Faneuf.

The Conservation Commission already has a “pretty thick file” on the property and abutting properties as well. Walsh recommended that Faneuf come by the Conservation Department office and review the file.

Some abutters had gone through the permitting process for invasive species in some wetlands on their properties, yet some of the work done on Severance’s property was the cutting back of invasives without a permit.

If the idea was to go in and remove invasives, as Severance’s neighbor to the south did after Conservation Commission approval, said Walsh, “This wasn’t a foreign concept to [Severance].”

Walsh was critical of the landscaper, who he said should have had enough experience to know that work within jurisdictional wetlands is not allowed without following an Order of Conditions.”

“One doesn’t just go in under the interest of removing invasive species … [and] cut … seed, and compost,” said Walsh. “That is clearly an activity that altered a jurisdictional wetlands area.”

Faneuf said that in addition to restoring the wetlands that were altered, the intent would be to seek permission to control invasive vegetation, as well.

The commission continued the discussion until February 14, when at that time it would review Faneuf’s draft restoration plan.

Also during the meeting, the commission issued an Order of Conditions to the Town of Marion Department of Public Works for the construction of a water main on County Road between Point Road and Blackmore Pond Road and the installation of a meter vault.

The water main will service the Town of Wareham as an emergency event water supply and will be funded by the Town of Wareham.

The hearing was continued from December 27 to allow for one last abutter to be properly notified. Although the notification was sent via certified mail to the abutter on December 29, a certified mail receipt was never received.

“So you have evidence that you mailed it to them,” said Walsh. “It doesn’t require that they actually sign for it, and you did get the green card back, which typically happens.”

Walsh and the commission believed that the notification attempt complied with the legal requirements, despite proof of receipt.

“Otherwise, we’ll be held hostage,” said Hartley.

In other matters, Doubrava said, as the representative of the Conservation Commission at the table of the recently formed Stewards of Open Space Committee, he would be visiting and inspecting 13 town properties either under the ownership of the Conservation Commission or properties to which the commission holds conservation restrictions.

Some of the properties, Doubrava said, are relatively easy to access, but a few of them – specifically 10 parcels at Aucoot Cove and one off Point Road – are not going to be easy to traverse.

Doubrava said the site inspections are part of a joint effort of the Stewards of Open Space Committee, which will result in a detailed map of all Marion recreational and conservation properties and those entities that currently oversee them.

Annual inspections by each overseeing entity will ensue once the inventory is completed.

The commission continued the public hearing for Matthew Messina’s Request for Determination of Applicability pertaining to the repair of 30 feet of a rip-rap seawall and the filling in of sink holes, which have formed due to problems with the seawall at 98 Moorings Road. The commission asked that Messina add an additional flag to the site to mark out where the actual work would be occurring. The hearing was continued until January 24.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for January 24 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Jean Perry

 

Checking Out the Library’s New Telescope

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Attention, aspiring astronomers! Did you know that the Mattapoisett Free Public Library has a telescope you can ‘check out’ to ‘check out’ the night sky from your own backyard?

Library Director Susan Pizzolato learned about the Adopt-a-Library telescope program, which provides compact yet powerful Orion telescopes to libraries at an affordable price, at last year’s Massachusetts Library Association conference, and the Friends of the Mattapoisett Library purchased one for the library.

“I know the Plumb Library in Rochester already has one through the program called Cornerstones of Science,” Pizzolato said. “The Aldrich Astronomical Society makes these telescopes available to libraries…. [They] purchased the telescope on our behalf and adapted it to make it more user-friendly.”

On Tuesday night, the library held a program to introduce patrons young and old to the new telescope.

John Root, coordinator of the Adopt-a-Library program, covered the basics of how to use it, while Jim Zebrowski, current president of the Aldrich Astronomical Society and “Solar System Ambassador,” built up enthusiasm for what you can see with it.

The telescope may be compact – it only weighs 14 pounds – but it packs a punch.

“It’s very capable of seeing the rings around Saturn,” Zebrowski said.

The telescope comes with two eyepieces, but the Aldrich Astrological Society had them replaced with a single variable-power eyepiece to make it easier to use – and harder to damage.

When you check out the telescope, it is packed in a plastic tote along with a copy of the National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky and an instruction manual, which Zebrowski recommends reading ahead of time so that you don’t find yourself in your backyard, in the dark, trying to figure out how to use it.

Not that using it sounds terribly complicated. You switch on the “EZ finder,” which helps you locate what you want to look at – Saturn, for example – which you would then look at through the eyepiece. Everything is clearly labeled, and everything is tethered or Velcro-ed in place.

The Aldrich Astrological Society also donated a copy of The Total Skywatcher’s Manual to the library.

“The goal (of the telescope) is really for people not to be intimidated by astronomy,” Pizzolato said. “Because it’s very easy, it’s pretty simple to have a ‘wow’ moment.”

Down the road, Pizzolato plans to offer more library programs and bring in some astronomers to keep library patrons interested.

Mattapoisett residents with an adult library card can check the telescope out of the library for one week.

By Deina Zartman

Things are Looking Up

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To the Editor:

In September, the barge company that I work for was hired to do some test borings for an environmental company at a location in the Acushnet River situated off of the old Aerovox factory, which at one point was one of the most polluted spots on the planet, but after years of dredging and cleaning the river was getting better. Once we loaded the drill rig onto the barge, I motored to the exact site and put down the spuds to keep the barge from moving and then the drillers started to do the testing. What really surprised me was the large amount of baitfish, Pogies, Snapper Blues and Shiners creating large swirls in the surface of the water from the Striped Bass feeding below them. The other wildlife that I saw were birds that were working, there were Gulls, Terns and Ospreys feeding. As the hours went by, something caught my eye. Two Bald Eagles began to circle the barge, as I watched with binoculars they headed toward Acushnet, and I wanted to see if they had a nest but lost sight of them in the trees. In the afternoon, I noticed a large bird flying along the tree line and then landing on a utility pole. With my binoculars, I could see that it was an immature eagle since it had no white head or tail, so there has to be a nest. Things are looking up.

Stuart G. Mitchell, Rochester

 

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.

Photography Basics: The Thoughtful Approach

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Everyone is welcome to a free two-part photographer presentation at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library on Sundays, January 29 and February 4.

Think before shooting. Often the difference between a snapshot and a photograph is the amount of pre-thought that goes into shooting. This will be a short basic photography course to discuss how pre-shot decisions impact camera settings and shooting to yield the final outcome. The topics for discussion will include over-riding concepts (objectives and story lines), file formats, the holy trinity of exposure (aperture, speed and ISO settings, and their impact), focus and composition.

The two sessions will be led by local photographer Richard Van Inwegen from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the library conference room. Walk-ins are welcome but registration is appreciated. Call the library at 508-758-4171.