The Mattapoisett Lions Club will sponsor an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15 at Veteran’s Park, Ned’s Point Lighthouse from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. Come meet the Easter bunny and hunt for some good eggs! Weather permitting. The event is free. No pre-registration required. For more information, email mattlionsclub@gmail.com.
This time, residents near the corner of Rounseville and Mendell Roads are learning all about the Tao of the solar farm.
On March 28, the Rochester Planning Board heard plans for the town’s potential sixth large-scale solar panel installation – this one located on an open field and partially wooded property at 453 Rounseville Road.
Just as other Rochester residents have done over the past couple of years, the residents who live near this site gathered at the Rochester Town Hall to hear about the scale of the project, whether or not they will see the panels from their houses (No! the board promises), will their property values plummet (the board says no), and if there are any health risks to solar panels (of which there are none) – questions that concern all newbies facing a new neighbor of this nature.
Borrego Solar Systems, Inc., the solar developer leasing the land to develop the solar installation, said a 3.3-megawatt solar farm is planned for the site that is currently two parcels of 67 and 14 acres. One parcel contains a house, which will be carved out into a separate two-acre lot, while the rest of the acreage is merged.
Seven acres of woodlands will be clear-cut. Thirteen acres of solar panels (8,800 panels) will be installed on the property.
Since a prior meeting with a technical review team, a 7-foot high white vinyl fence is planned for the visible perimeter of the site, with berms of 3 to 5 feet in height planned for sections where elevated terrain could be visible.
The project being planned for Rounseville Road, a designated scenic highway, cannot be seen from any public perspective along the road.
Along the wooded sections of the perimeter, a 7-foot black-coated chain-link fence is planned for security.
This project will be the first to file under the Town’s updated, more stringent solar bylaw, and Chairman Arnold Johnson reassured abutters that the board has learned from past solar projects and has refined its preferences and process for protecting the town and the neighborhood.
“We always learn as we go forward, and we try to change our bylaws to reflect what’s actually going on,” Johnson said.
One aspect of the planning process that the board is adamant about completing is comprehensive sightline analyses from neighboring properties. The one sightline transection taken from the front lawn of the houses along the perimeter is not enough.
“We’re not going down that road again,” said Johnson, demanding that the developer return to take sightlines from the front steps of each home to verify that the project would not be visible above the fence screening.
“Our goal really is to not see this,” said Borrego Solar Systems representative Steve Long.
But phrases such as “our goal is” and “we intend to” do not fly with this board, said member John DeMaggio.
“We will, they will…” said DeMaggio, is more like it. “That’s the only thing we want to hear here.”
Other focuses of the board apart from screening, said Johnson, include decommissioning and maintenance.
Abutters made requests such as changing the color of the fence from white to more of a “nature color,” which Long said could be an option; however, white was chosen by the technical review team because of an existing white fence near the site that some thought would blend in better with the new fence. Long also said an existing stone wall around the property could also remain untouched outside the fence.
Neighbors wondered if there was any way to stop every field in Town from becoming a solar farm, but, said Johnson, unfortunately there is not. Solar installations are covered by state legislation that encourages solar development in the state, and as board member Ben Bailey pointed out to them, “Our hands are tied by the state. If you want to do something about this, make yourself heard at the state level.”
“Unfortunately,” said Johnson, as far as the Planning Board is concerned, “it’s not a popularity contest whether we personally agree with anything … we’re governed by state statute.”
Resident Lance Davenport was left wondering about what benefits there are to the town with a project (“eyesore”) like this one.
“It’s a beautiful field,” said Davenport to Long. “There’s deer there … you’re tearing it up, you truly are, and it’s a shame and I get it, it’s business … but this is our town and this is a beautiful town and if in every open field we have something like this, then what do we get out of this?”
The answer is, said Johnson, “Unfortunately, not much.” The town cannot even collect an excise tax on the value of the equipment, Johnson added.
The Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing on the solar project on April 4 to discuss wetlands on the site, as well as a perennial stream. Long said the project will stay outside the 100-foot wetlands buffer and 200 feet away from the stream.
The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for April 11 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
By Jean Perry
Marion Conservation Commission member Jeffrey Doubrava proposed a quarantine of a section of the Benson Brook Road leaf disposal dump at the transfer station to prevent the spread of invasive species in Marion. On March 22, the commission as a whole approved a motion to allow Doubrava to draft a letter to Carver/Marion/Wareham Refuse Disposal District Executive Director Ray Pickles to propose a system to quarantine and then burn invasive species at the leaf mulching site of the public dump.
Doubrava said that the public discards invasive species such as phragmites, bittersweet, and bamboo, “and then three years later, people get this nice, green, clean mulch and they wonder what’s growing up there.”
Doubrava proposed burning the invasives every spring to stop the spreading.
“That’s a great idea,” said Conservation Commission member Norm Hills.
Doubrava said he spoke with members of the Marion Tree Committee, as well as the Sippican Lands Trust, “and they violently support the idea,” he said.
The dumpsite, though, is not under the jurisdiction of the Marion Department of Public Works; rather, it is under the management of the Carver/Marion/Wareham Regional Disposal District.
The matter will be discussed further at a future Conservation Commission meeting.
Also during the meeting, the commission closed the public hearing for Michael Popitz of Indian Cove Road to construct a second driveway in order to provide better access and easier maneuvering of Popitz’s boat.
After some consideration, including posing the idea to widen the existing driveway opening in order to increase maneuverability, the commission expressed a general opposition to the altering of wetlands for the purpose of maneuvering a boat. Popitz had proposed some wetlands replication to mitigate the filling in of wetlands, but the commission was unsure of the viability of the plan.
The commission will take a final vote on the matter at a future meeting.
The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 12 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
By Jean Perry
Just as students arrive back from Spring Break and seniors count down their last nine weeks until graduation, Tabor Academy is preparing to welcome the newest class of incoming Seawolves in the upcoming week. On April 4, 6, and 7, accepted students from all over the world will come to Tabor to get a second – and in some cases first – look at the school.
After an extensive application season that lasts throughout the majority of the school year in which prospective students complete an application and an interview, the admissions decisions were finally announced on March 10. For some, an acceptance letter to Tabor may be a sure path for the years ahead, but for others Tabor is one of several schools to which they have been accepted.
For accepted students and parents of both natures, the three Revisit Days offer an opportunity to experience life as a student in a way that the student-led campus tours cannot. For Tabor’s faculty and students, these days are an opportunity to show all that the school has to offer on a personal and first-hand basis.
“It gives incoming students an opportunity to see the daily life of a Tabor student in all aspects of our school,” said Head Tour Guide and senior Kat Mitchell, “Whether it be academics, community life, or extracurricular activities, coming to Revisit Day will allow our future Seawolves to further understand our school.”
Prospective students are assigned a current student, typically in the grade they will be entering, who brings them around campus for a traditional day of classes. While many students will go to class with their guide, students typically attend classes fitting their interests, and often get a chance to enter the class discussions or activities.
“One thing about Revisit Day that made me want to come to Tabor was how happy the person I was visiting with was. They were having a great time in every class and had lots of friendly interactions in between classes as well. Even to this day, the person I revisited with is one of my best friends,” said freshman Drew Kirk.
In addition to classes, student guides bring the revisiting students to lunch where they not only get a taste of a typical Tabor meal but also a chance to meet their fellow classmates next year.
One core event enjoyed by accepted students and their parents is the Chapel program, which will be held during every Revisit Day. Chapel is held twice a week during a typical school day, and often features some type of musical performance and a senior student speaker as the main event.
The final event of the day is the co-curricular fair, an event held in the Fish Center Fieldhouse that puts on display the many sports, activities, and clubs that are available for the students at Tabor. At this event, student leaders and faculty members gather at their respective tables for their activities to speak with families and answer any questions they may have.
For most current students who had the opportunity to revisit Tabor upon their acceptance, the Revisit Day programs are cited as a key reason for choosing to attend Tabor.
Kirk, who attended Revisit Day last year, said that his favorite memory was visiting an English class that day, saying, “It allowed me to see how engaged the whole class is and how the teacher uses very interesting lessons to help you learn.”
In the group of Head Tour Guides, who are the student leaders during Revisit Days, the whole process has come full circle from when they revisited Tabor themselves.
“My Revisit Day is still very vivid in my memory, and the people I met on this day are the reason I chose Tabor,” said Head Tour Guide and senior Duhita Das.
Fellow Head Tour Guide and senior Lulu Russell had similar positive experiences.
“I sat at lunch with my host and her friends, who also had revisit students, and I just remember how friendly and welcoming the students were. It was also really cool being able to meet some of my future possible classmates and how interesting and different each one was,” she said.
Though Revisit Days are always exciting and entertaining for the accepted families, the events can sometimes be even more exciting and entertaining for the host students.
Tabor has still not yet publicly released information or statistics on the applicant pool for the 2017-2018 school year.
By Jack Gordon
Are you caring, compassionate, creative and looking for a meaningful volunteer experience in your community? Community Nurse Home Care and the Marion Council on Aging are starting a new memory loss support group for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers. This new group will meet on Thursday afternoons beginning in June.
Join us for an information session on Wednesday, April 5, at 1:30 pm at the Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street to learn more about this opportunity. Support and training will be provided to volunteers free of charge. To register, or if you are interested but cannot attend on April 5, please call Joanna Viera, 508-992-6278, for more information.
Spring Story Time for children between the ages of three and five begins April 3 and runs through May 22. Children are invited to enjoy stories, finger-plays and crafts on Monday mornings at 10:30 am.
Spring Tales for Twos, for children 24-35 months, begins April 5 and runs through May 31. Children must be 2 years old by April 1, 2017 to attend and must be accompanied by enthusiastic adult companions. The half-hour of stories, finger-plays and crafts takes place at 10:30 am on Wednesday mornings.
Spring Lapsit, for children birth through 23 months and their caregivers, begins April 4 and runs through May 30. Each Tuesday morning program begins at 10:30 am and includes a 20 minute “story time” followed by 20 minutes of socializing. One child per “lap” please!
Pre-registration is required for these programs; please sign up by stopping by the library, calling 508-748-1252 or by e-mailing Mrs. Grey, Children’s Librarian at rgrey@sailsinc.org.
There have been numerous conservation commission meetings where the commissioners worked through long difficult agendas, sparred with consulting engineers over environmental impact, or tried to find a balance between Wetland Protection Act regulations and personal property rights. But not on March 27; it was a very tame night indeed.
Coming before the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission were three applicants with Requests for Determination.
First up was Katherine Norcross, 77 Long Plain Road, represented by Ron Bobola who described Norcross’ plan to build a breezeway and in-law apartment on an existing home that would be 50 feet from demarcated wetlands. Norcross received a Negative 3 determination, clearing the way for an appearance before the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Next came Kenneth and Joyce Yokel, 94 Fairhaven Road, with plans to construct a 10-foot by 14-foot shed on concrete forms. With no wetland issues near the proposed site, Yokel received a Negative 2.
The final RDA heard was from Sharon Thompson, 9 Cove Street, who sought permission to add a deck under her elevated home. Chairman Bob Rogers recused himself from the proceedings to avoid a conflict of interest. Commissioner Michael King was appointed by the remaining commissioners as temporary chairman.
Thompson described her project, noting that the deck would be secured to the structure’s concrete pilings and would float above the beach sand under the home. She easily received a Negative 3.
Before leaving the hearing, Conservation Agent Elizabeth Leidhold pointed out to the commissioners that a previous Order of Conditions had mandated the planting of beach grasses between Thompson’s property and the adjacent home, but that a trailered motor boat was parked over the grass. Thompson said the boat would be moved by Saturday and that the grasses would return in the spring.
A continued hearing for Fred Schernecker’s application for shoreline and beach nourishment at 1 Goodspeed Island was reopened with engineer David Davignon representing the applicant.
As in previous meetings, Rogers and Davignon revisited the issue of how best to maneuver along the beach and coastal bank.
Rogers said that contractors working on the site should either use rubber-tired vehicles while restoring the bank, or Dura-Base mats to ensure that the beach was as undisturbed as possible during repairs.
Davignon pushed back a bit, noting the high cost of securing such mechanized vehicles, and over 400 feet’s worth of mat material.
Rogers said, “My job isn’t to help the contractors, it’s to protect the beach.”
Rogers said the commission would monitor the work once it began, and Davignon agreed to use one of those methods, or an equal one, for moving beach sand and other reconstructive materials along the bank.
A new plan of record was submitted and a previously written multi-page Order of Conditions was approved for Schernecker’s Notice of Intent.
On adjacent property owned by Andrew and Jennifer McIntire, a NOI filing also continued until this night received an Order of Conditions similar to those issued for 1 Goodspeed Island for their beach nourishment plans.
Ken Motta, representing D and G Services, 23 County Road, submitted a new plan of record for stormwater management on the property. The new plan was accepted.
Residents of Brandt Point Village, Gail Carlson and Denis Demos, had an informal discussion with the commissioners in a follow-up to letters sent to Natural Heritage regarding concerns they have over a mandated turtle fences and earth movement activities at the sub-division.
Leidhold said she had contacted environment scientist Brad Holmes, who had been engaged by the developers previously to observe activities at the site. Leidhold contacted Marc Marcus the developer and put him in contact with Holmes.
Rogers said the commission’s biggest challenge was the number of hours Leidhold could work – 19.5 per week – and the myriad of activities she was expected to handle in so short a workweek. But, he assured Carlson and Demos, saying, “Liz will stay in touch with Brad.”
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 10 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.
By Marilou Newell
The Marion Town House, Rochester Town Hall, Plumb Library, the Mattapoisett Town Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Pyramids of Giza, Niagara Falls, The Citadel, the Panama Canal, Shanghai Tower, the Empire State Building, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the International Space Station, and my house. What do these places, and about 7,000 other world landmarks, all have in common? On April 2, they will all be lighting up blue to observe the first night of World Autism Awareness Month.
Today, one in every 68 children is diagnosed with autism – one of those children is mine.
Here we stand in 2017, the year of the 8th annual Light it Up Blue event to acknowledge World Autism Awareness Day, and the 12th year for my son and me on our own journey of autism – the train we can never get off that I lovingly refer to as “The Autism Express.”
On the cover of The Wanderer this week you will notice the autism awareness puzzle piece ribbon tucked into the masthead lit up in blue as our very small, but sincere way of saying “We see you.” And we want the world to see you, too.
Most of my regular readers are familiar with my story, the main character being my now 13-year-old son with autism, and for the past two years I have taken the month of April to talk about our history, our journey, and to spread just a little bit more awareness of autism, striving towards acceptance and inclusion.
For the record, autism is a neurological ‘disorder’ (although now I lean more towards neurological ‘diversity’) that is referred to as a ‘spectrum disorder’ because of the many diverse variations in expression of correlating ‘symptoms,’ individual to each person.
From one area of the spectrum to another, there may be delayed cognitive development, sensory processing dysfunction (for example, extreme sensitivity to touch, light, sound, and an impairment in filtering sensory input), lack of speech or speech delay, difficulty with self and emotional regulation, and other behavioral expressions such as self-stimulating and repetitive movements (stimming), undeveloped social skills and awareness, shortened attention span, gross and fine motor difficulties, and an intense fixation with trains. (OK, that last one pertains to my kiddo).
I list these ‘symptoms’ as sensitively as I can while still fostering an understanding of how autism can affect the individual; however, as awareness of autism has increased over time, acceptance of the neuro-diversity of our fellow humans is still the goal. Words such as ‘disorder’ and ‘deficit’ still figuratively segregate people with autism from the non-autistic population when, as Dr. Temple Grandin said while visiting Old Colony just a few weeks ago told us, “The world needs all kinds of minds.”
So on April 2, I hope you’ll wear a blue T-shirt or maybe screw in a blue light bulb on your front porch for the month of April to join us in saying “We see you” to those whose lives have been touched by autism – autistic people, their parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, teachers, and those who support them in the community – for the world needs all kinds of minds, and more people who are not only aware of them, but accepting of them.
April is Autism Awareness Month, but every day is an opportunity for autism awareness and acceptance.
By Jean Perry
The Tri-Town Early Childhood Program, located at Old Rochester Regional High School, is accepting applications for the 2017-2018 school year. The preschool program serves 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds and follows the school calendar. The program is unique in that it provides a high quality early childhood education opportunity to preschoolers, while also offering high school students a chance to learn about working in the field of early childhood education. A licensed early childhood teacher and a rotation of high school students staff the classroom.
A limited number of spaces are available. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. The enrollment policy is based on a balance of 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds, a balance of boys and girls, and a balance among residents of the three member towns. All students must be toilet trained.
For an application or for more information, contact Janet Gauvin at 508-758-3745 ext. 1908 or Aimee Fox at 508-758-3745 ext. 1612.
You may also visit our website at www.tritownpreschool.weebly.com.
On Sunday, April 9 at 2:00 pm, author and historian Stephen Puleo will talk about his latest book, American Treasures, at Mattapoisett Free Public Library, 7 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett.
American Treasures is the story of the U.S. government’s secret efforts to save the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Gettysburg Address. These and other priceless documents were secretly relocated from the Library of Congress to other places for safekeeping in 1941 and 1942, when U.S. political and military leaders feared an attack on Washington D.C. in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
After his talk, Mr. Puleo will answer questions and sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase.
This event is sponsored by the historical societies of Freetown, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Marion, and Wareham.
Everyone is welcome. Admission is free.