Commission Supports Foster Street Paving

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On August 27, the residents and property owners of Foster Street lobbied the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission one more time to halt plans for the paving of Foster Street, a portion of which is private property.

The issue of who owns the roadway was debated during the July 9 Notice of Intent hearing filed by John and Roger Gibbons that resulted in a continuation until the August 27 meeting. During that July hearing, Kevin and Laura McLean, represented by Attorney Robert Feingold, made the case that the Gibbonses did not own the 675-foot unpaved portion of Foster Street, and that deeds held by abutters demonstrated their ownership rights.

At that time, Chairman Mike King, in agreement with Attorney Peter Paul representing the Gibbonses, moved to continue the hearing until town counsel could review the application and the assertions brought forward by the McLeans, et al.

And now, during the August 27 continuation, King stated that town counsel Matthew Thomas had, in fact, affirmed the Gibbonses’ right to proceed. He said Thomas had spoken to Feingold and Paul, and that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection confirmed the roadway was not located within an endangered species habitat or a flood zone.

On the matter of stormwater management, the applicants’ engineer, Alan Ewing, said there was a culvert along the roadway and that, although its exact location and effectiveness was in question, those issues would be addressed during construction.

“I’m comfortable with the plan,” said King. “I want to affirm that the DEP, highway superintendent, and other public safety departments are all in favor of asphalt to protect natural resources.” He said the abutters could appeal the commission’s decision, but alluded to that being unproductive given a DEP file number had already been secured for the project.

Laura McLean rose to speak, saying, “This sounds like it’s a lost cause,” but asked to read aloud a letter drafted by her husband who could not be present at the hearing.

The strongly worded letter reads in part: “To be clear, the land is individually owned, not communally, the deeds are clear, and we collectively do not wish our land to be blacktopped.”

            McLean also wrote that, last summer, the Gibbonses started the roadway project, but were halted when neighbors protested and law enforcement was called to the scene. McLean also asked that King recuse himself from the hearing, alleging a professional involvement in an asphalt company.

After reading her husband’s letter, McLean repeated previous comments that asphalt contained chemicals and other hazardous materials that would leach into wetlands, and she refuted King’s statements that blacktop was the best choice for roadways near wetlands adding, “Would you put asphalt in your fish tank?”

King responded, “For the record I do not own any asphalt company, I simply work as a … health and safety consultant.”

Karen Fields, a member of the Mattapoisett Planning Board, questioned why the commission would allow the application of asphalt to Foster Street when it favorably allowed a driveway project planned for Snow Field Roads to be gravel. King said that the two projects were not the same, pointing to the fact that Foster Street was an altered area, whereas the project at Snow Field Road was virgin territory.

“It’s not that [the Conservation Commission is] in favor of the project,” said King. “We have no standing to deny it. … All we can do is condition it.”

Paul said the Gibbonses were willing to install speed bumps along the roadway, and they had no intention of extending Foster Street to Route 6. He also said his clients were not intending to ask the Town to take over ownership of the piece of Foster Street they owned.

“I get it,” King said to the abutters. “No one likes change, but you can make it the best project for all concerned.”

The hearing was continued until September 10 at which time the applicants are to return with a new plan of record.

In other business, the commission gave negative determinations of applicability to Richard Pease, 228 North Street, for the construction of a three-season room; Karen Keenan, 63 Mattapoisett Neck Road, for a second-floor living space over an existing first-floor porch; Tucker, Aufranc, Peter and Nancy Anas, and Ross Petersen for lots along Holly Woods Road for the purpose of clearing out deadwood and the removal of dying trees in a former Christmas tree farm; Lawrence Jarvis, 5 Euclid Avenue, for tree cutting; the YMCA, Reservation Road, to rebuild the infield and relocate the backstop of the ball field.

A Notice of Intent filing by Todd Withers, 12 Oliver Street, was conditioned for the construction of a sunroom addition.

Certificates of Compliance were issued to Michael Solimando for new homes constructed on Appaloosa Lane.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for September 10 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

 

A Lecture by Seth Mendell: The Elizabeth Islands

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Bartholomew Gosnold, sailing for the Queen of England in 1602, named the string of islands separating Buzzard’s Bay from Vineyard Sound for his Queen. Seth Mendell, in his previous lectures, traced in detail the colorful history of Cuttyhunk and Naushon Islands.

On Sunday, September 2, Seth will talk about the remaining three islands of the Elizabeth chain. His comments will include the fishing camp on the island of Pasque, the proposed state penitentiary on Nashawena, and the leper colony on Penikese. The lecture will be held at the Mattapoisett Historical Society at 5 Church St., Mattapoisett, at 5:30 pm. Questions? Call 508-758-2844 or email info@mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org.

Mass DEP to Award Recycling Dividend

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Rep. Straus (D-Mattapoisett) is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has awarded recycling program grants to the towns of Fairhaven ($12,100), Marion ($750), Mattapoisett ($5,400) and New Bedford ($84,500). The monies awarded will provide the municipalities funds for designated activities and equipment that facilitate best practices in their respective waste reduction programs.

The Recycling Dividends Grant Program (RDP) provides payments to those cities and towns that have existing policies to enhance reuse, recycling, and waste reduction. Allowable expenses under the program include recycling carts, bins, and/or other collection containers, special event recycling, and signage for schools, residents, municipal buildings, businesses, and public spaces. Since 2014, MassDEP has awarded more than $5 million in RDP payments.

“These awards reflect the time and effort of the residents and officials who have made waste reuse and recycling a priority, and I commend the recipients for taking full advantage of this merit-based program,” said Rep. Straus.

Board of Health Questions Farm Activities

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Coming before the Mattapoisett Board of Health on August 21 was Attorney James Marsh representing local farmer, Michael King.

Before the meeting began Chairman Carmelo Nicolosi explained to Marsh and King that a letter submitted by Marsh dated August 20 had to be submitted to town counsel before the BOH could discuss the matter.

Further, Nicolosi said that Town Administrator Michael Gagne had advised him that if King arrived to the meeting with legal representation then the meeting should be continued until the town’s counsel had weighed in on the matter. Nicolosi said, “We are not in a position to comment until town counsel sees the letter.”

The matter being discussed became clear when King played a July 18 voicemail he received from BOH inspector Robert Ethier. In it Ethier tells King that BOH agent Dale Barrows asked him to “check in with you” regarding alleged catering activities. Ethier tells King that the BOH has questions regarding whether or not he has the proper permits. Ethier also advises King that the state had been contacted.

King told the BOH members that on July 14 he roasted a pig at a residence in Assonet for a private party. He asserted that the sale of a live animal to a private party was outside regulations and that the pig had been transported to a certified slaughterhouse in Rhode Island and then roasted at the Assonet home.

“It was a private function on private property,” King said. He added that he did not cater the event, did not provide anything other than the pig that he roasted for his customer on the customer’s property. Of the inspector, King said, “In his haste to investigate the activity, he notified the DPH and USDA.”

Marsh’s letter in response to the allegations brought by Ethier states that his actions, “resulted in the filing of a complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the USDA. We understand the acts taken were unauthorized, unilateral and without any basis or proof of the “Farm” violating any requirements or regulations. In fact, we understand the acts arose as a result of the Agent observing a photograph of a roasted pig posted on Facebook.”

King said that the sale of the live pig and subsequent butchering at a certified facility were exempt from inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act.

Marsh’s letter refers to the actions by Ethier as “harassment.”

Nicolosi asked King what his objective was in meeting with the BOH on this day. King responded, “To clear the air – that I’m conducting legal activities.” He said he was not catering food and his only products were the animals. Nicolosi said everything would be passed along to town counsel, “That’s as far as we get today.” He added that the BOH had not received any notifications from the USDA.

In other matters, Barrows told the board members that the town had received a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in the amount of $20,000. He said the funds would be used to educate the community on proper recycling techniques. Barrows said that his office would be planning a program that would engage senior citizens in teams of two to inspect recycling bins to make sure residents were placing the right type of recyclables in them.

Board of Health Assistant Kate Tapper said that the bin inspectors would place tags on those that contained materials unsuitable for recycling. She said that records would be kept over an eight-week period to ascertain if the residents being notified of problems with their bins were improving. Tapper told the board members that the biggest problems were dirty recyclable materials, recyclables being placed in a plastic trash bag and then into the bin, and using the recycling bin for regular trash.

Barrows said the objective was to get the residents to do all they could in an effort to reduce the costs associated with waste management, “Currently we pay between $35 to $65 per ton depending on how dirty things are.” He said that non-recyclable trash costs $60 per ton.

            The board members also discussed increasing education at the grade school level, engaging ABC to assist in that effort, and to send the schools materials about proper recycling practices to be carried home by the children.

Barrows advised the board members that costs associated with the disposal of televisions and mattresses had increased. Presently he said the transfer station is charging $30 for televisions and $20 for most mattresses. He said that ABC was charging the town $35 for such items. The board concurred that increased costs had to be passed along to the public.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Health may be cancelled for the month of September Barrows said. More information will be available at www.mattapoisett.net.

Mattapoisett Board of Health

By Marilou Newell

 

Herman R. “Joe” Morse, Jr. and Lillian A. “Tuddie” Morse

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The family of Herman R. “Joe” Morse, Jr. and Lillian A. “Tuddie” Morse announce their cremation interment at Rochester Center Cemetery. “Joe” passed away peacefully on July 26, 2018 and “Tuddie” passed away peacefully on August 12, 2012.

“Joe” was well-known for his wonderful furniture restoration, repair, and chair caning. Before his retirement, he was a local machinist. A veteran of the Korean War, “Joe” was stationed in the state of Washington for two years, 1950 through 1952 and held the rank of Sargent with an honorable discharge. Prior to her retirement, “Tuddie” worked at Baldwin Brothers, Inc. and American Research & Management Company, both of Marion. She was an excellent homemaker, secretary, and an avid reader. Together they enjoyed working on their property and dancing to country music.

They are both missed for their love, generosity and kindness. A private grave-side interment will be held in early September.

Children include: Donna Lee Tufts and her husband Peter of Marion; Michael G. Thompson of Mattapoisett; Deborah Olival and her husband Thomas of Fairhaven; and Nancy Morse and her partner James Savaria of Fairhaven. Grandchildren include: Bruce A. Faulkner, III of Enfield, New Hampshire; Heidi A. Faulkner of E. Freetown; and Christopher Leduc of Fairhaven. One Great-Grandson, Gavin L. Machado, of E. Freetown. “Joe” leaves a sister, Althea Lawrence of Rochester. “Tuddie” leaves a brother, Joseph “Duffy” Clapp, of Rochester.

Anyone wishing to donate in remembrance of “Tuddie” and “Joe”, may make a donation to any of the following: The Plumb Library of Rochester, The Rochester Police, or the Rochester Fire Department.

 

Friends of the Plumb Library

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To the Editor:

            We, the board of the Friends of the Plumb Library in Rochester, would like to thank all our volunteers who were so instrumental in the success of our first summer Tent & Book Preview Sale on Saturday, August 18. We could not have had such a positive outcome without you, our volunteers. You are very dear to us!

            And, a special thank you to Steve and Mo Sperry for donating a beautiful tent set up for our occasion. Without the shade from the tent, our afternoon would not have been so pleasant and successful. Plus, it was just beautiful and attracted attention!

            These fundraisers and our membership help us support all the Library’s children and adult programs. Without the funds gained from these events, we would not have such a fun lineup of programs.

            Now, onto our main Book Sale on Saturday, September 15th! Thanks, again and see you on the 15th!

Linda Medeiros, Sheryl Aguiar, Beverly Passantino, and Leith Patnaude

 

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wandererwill gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wandererreserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderermay choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wandererhas the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wandereralso reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

Registration Open for MAC Dance Academy

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MAC Dance Academy is a classically taught dance studio that fosters individuality and fun for little dancers. We are a low-key academy providing extraordinary dance instruction in the areas of ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, and gymnastics in a safe learning environment.

MAC is thrilled to announce that Teah Keogh (“Miss Teah”) has returned to the area and wants to bring her dance program back! Miss Teah is a classically taught dancer in the genres of ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and gymnastics. She taught second grade for 8 years and ESL for 2 years in the Old Rochester Regional school district and coached the ORR Dance Team for 2 years. Miss Teah ran MAC Dance Academy for 5 years before her move to Denver. Now she is back! Miss Teah’s goal is to keep the cost of instruction to a minimum and to make the learning valuable and fun!

The 2018 Fall program will offer two six-week sessions. Children may sign up for one or both weeks. Classes will be held on Mondays and are as follows: Adult and Me (age 2-4) 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm, Kinder Step (age 4-5) 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm, and Beginner (age 5-6) 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm. Session I will run from September 10 to October 15. Session II will run from October 29 to December 10 with no class Thanksgiving week. Classes subject to change or cancellation based on enrollment. Ages for class must be followed.

To register for classes, visit marionartcenter.org or stop by the Marion Art Center during normal business hours: Tuesday through Friday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. If you have any questions, please contact MAC directly at marionartcenter@verizon.net or 508-748-1266.

We look forward to having your children in our dance classes.

The Succulence of Summer

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Biting into the soft ripened flesh of a locally grown peach is a summertime pleasure I look forward to each year. A quick rinse, a bit of rubbing to remove the downy coat peaches wear so proudly before the moment of truth – will it be sweet and succulent or mealy and dry. And what a reward when the result proves once again it is Nirvana from a tree. The peach is an explosion of juice and sweetness with that tiny hint of sour – a harvest for the soul.

Yet peaches aren’t the only perfect fruit one can enjoy, nay experience, this time of the year. Let’s not forget about the tomatoes.

I’m not sure when my love affair with the tomato first began, but assuredly it had to have been in my youth. Back in the 1950’s all fresh fruits and vegetables were primarily only available during their respective growing seasons. Mass production, while part of the farm industry by then, wasn’t on the scale it is today and very few grocery chains were importing fresh produce from southern countries during the winter season. No sir, we had to enjoy peaches and tomatoes, watermelons and zucchini, leafy greens and pole beans during their short growing season – summer.

My mother depended on local farms of all sizes to provide her family with fresh seasonal fruits and veggies. As the trucks rolled along the village streets of my tiny seaside home filled with produce picked that morning, she’d flag down the driver and gather in the riches from Earth. Tomatoes were one of her personnel favorites.

These were not merely red colored orbs, these were tomatoes packed with flavor – a flavor I have yet to experience again. These tomatoes weren’t cooked into a sauce or even sliced for a salad, these tomatoes were the main course, the entrée, the prima donna of the dinner table. These tomatoes would be the stars of her bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches.

After securing the red treasure, she’d send me to the store to get the bread. Second only to the tomato, the bread for these sandwiches had to be a fresh loaf of Wonderbread.

The soft, doughy enriched and bleached wheat slices baked in a factory located in New Bedford were a mainstay of our existence. They were breakfast before school, lunch during school, and – in the summertime – a participant in that sandwich unmatched anywhere else on earth: a BLT.

Ma would cut thick juicy slabs of beefsteak tomatoes while the bacon sizzled splendidly in the cast iron flying pan. Meticulous as ever, she’d keep the flame just right to minimize the fat splatter, her stove was a beacon of cleaning virtue bar none. The simmering result was bacon cooked to perfection. The smell was intoxicating.

On the table, she’d place the jar of mayonnaise, the absolutely necessary condiment, the shimmering plate of tomatoes, the cooling strips of bacon, along with the bag of bread, “Come and get it!”

Dad always got his plate first in deference to his position as the breadwinner, no pun intended, but he scanned his eye across the table noting the bounty he’d provided and, no doubt, taking pleasure in seeing his children fed.

I’d carefully build my sandwich. Avoiding the tougher end slices from the bread loaf as I preferred the spongy inner slices. Then came a slathering of mayo, followed by a crisp iceberg lettuce leaf positioned to cradle the tomato lovingly placed in its waiting embrace, and finally the smoky, salty bacon strips. Take that you Jambon Beurre! Touché!!!

We were a very causal family, not predisposed to sit at a dinner table, but instead we’d leave Dad at his post in the kitchen and bring our plates into the living room where Ma would have placed the TV tray tables, and where we’d watch the nightly news while eating supper.

From the first bite until the last, the only thing I remember are those sandwiches, not what Walter Cronkite was reporting, regardless of its importance. I was eating a summer BLT.

The combination of soft yielding bread, creamy mayonnaise, acidic and flavorful tomato flesh, and salty crunchy bacon blended slowly in the mouth of an eight-year-old connoisseur – is this not how a gourmand is created I ask you? And given that all these decades later one of my fondest childhood memories are the summer tomatoes of my youth prepared into BTL sandwiches by my mother, well it speaks volumes, does it not?

Today, my favorite sandwich remains a white bread BTL, although the bread most likely is sourdough or, I must confess, even a baguette.

From my three tomato plants I harvest my small crop of homegrown jewels. As I assemble my leafy greens and lemon tomato sandwich with mayo, I think of Ma and how much she taught me to appreciate simply good, fresh foods. While she was the Queen of all things frozen and canned, in the summer, she knew the few precious weeks of fresh fruits and vegetables had to be taken advantage of – maybe she hoped I’d remember.

This Mattapoisett Life

By Marilou Newell

 

Community Members Sought for Search Committee

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The Rochester Board of Selectmen discussed Monday night the impending retirement of Council on Aging Director Sharon Lally who is expected to leave the Council effective the end of August 2019.

Chairman Greenwood “Woody” Hartley stated that the Board of Selectmen created a selection committee to seek applicants for the position of director of the Council on Aging. They are seeking three members of the community to be a part of the Director Selection Team. Letters of interest should be sent directly to Sharon Lally. Additionally, Council on Aging board member Ruth Philbrook submitted her letter of resignation from the council.

With a very light agenda, Hartley took the opportunity to answer questions he had received regarding the Chapter 61a tax abatement program run by the state. When a property comes out of Ch. 61a, Hartley said, the town has the opportunity to purchase the land. He has been asked why the town has not taken greater advantage of this opportunity. Hartley gave the parcel on the corner of Mendell and Rounseville Roads as an example, stating “[It’s] going out of 61a, it’s quite a few acres, but we didn’t even consider it because it is considered industrial because it has a solar array. In Rochester, we assess [this] land with solar on it at $250,000 a year, which makes that land worth millions of dollars. It would have been a nice piece of land, but not at that price.”

The board waited for an appointment with Lorraine Thompson for the use of the Pine Street property for a Lion’s Club/Fire Department Touch a Truck event, but she did not make the meeting. The board also briefly discussed the Town Hall and Annex hours of operation, but will take up the discussion again at their next meeting.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Monday, September 17, 2018.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Sarah French Storer

 

Sippican Historical Society

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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. Due to 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 82 County Road. The Greek Revival home at 82 County Road is located in the area in North Marion that was called “Happy Alley.” Built between 1840 and 1855, it was owned in 1855 by Ezra S. Parlow, a miller who operated a mill on the pond across the street from this house. During the mid-1880s, Parlow served as treasurer of Marion’s Pythagorean Lodge, which was organized in 1861. The 1879 Marion map lists this home as owned by Nathan D. Parlow, who operated Nathan Parlow and Sons Grist Mill. In 1903, it was owned by Freeman F. Gurney, who resided at 202 Spring Street and operated a grocery store across the depot.