Mattapoisett Woman’s Club Scholarship

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Mattapoisett Woman’s Club is pleased to offer two $2,500.00 scholarship awards to Mattapoisett residents who are high school seniors, graduating June 2018.

In addition there will be a $1,000.00 scholarship granted to a Mattapoisett resident who is reentering the academic world after graduation and is in pursuit of a post secondary degree. Contact information below.

The Mattapoisett Woman’s Club is a philanthropic organization that plans and executes fund raising events to help generate the revenue for these scholarships and other charitable donations. In offering these scholarships, the club supports educational leadership and helps to support the community whom has partnered with the club in its fundraising efforts.

For High School seniors the scholarship application will be available in the Guidance offices at the local high schools, preparatory schools, or from the Woman’s Club. Deadline for returning the completed application is April 30, 2018.

The following schools where the applications are available are: Old Rochester Regional High School, Bishop Stang High School, Old Colony Vocational Tech High School, Tabor Academy, Bristol County Agricultural High School

Final deadline for returning completed applications April 30, 2018, no one will be considered after this date.

If you have any further questions you may contact the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club at P.O. Box 1444, Mattapoisett, MA 02739.

Disappointing Report on Herring Count

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As if things couldn’t get worse for herring trying to migrate up the Mattapoisett River system – overfishing in and around Block Island, global warming, and natural predators –according to Rochester Herring Inspector David Watling and Mattapoisett Herring Inspector Bob Martin, herring numbers continue to decline.

“There is no good news,” Watling told the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen on February 27. “Last year, we counted twenty-four thousand fish. This time, it’s eighteen thousand.”

Watling said Middleboro had also reported shockingly low fish counts. “They went from about a million to something like one hundred fifty thousand.”

Martin and Watling plan to soon install a meter/counter at the fish ladder located on Route 6 and River Road. The counts presented on this night came from a meter located in Rochester.

Also coming before the selectmen were Michele Cinquegram and David Zimmerman of Verizon to conclude previous discussions with the selectmen about problematic double poles along Route 6 and other locations in the town.

After sharing the good news that poles brought to Verizon’s attention have now been vacated and ready for removal by Eversource, both Cinquegram and Zimmerman spoke to the communication issues between the two utilities that contributed to Verizon’s slow response in removing their equipment from poles slated for removal.

Zimmerman said that if Eversource didn’t advise all the utilities utilizing their poles that something needed to be done, he would have no way of knowing if Verizon equipment needed removal.

Cinquegram concurred, saying that a lack of timely accurate data entry into a shared computer platform that allows various utilities to be notified when poles needed attention was an ongoing problem.

Selectman Paul Silva asked the Verizon representatives to send a letter to Eversource advising that the poles were ready for removal and to instruct them about the need for proper filling of holes to avoid cave-ins and/or other pedestrian hazards.

Zimmerman presented a graph that illustrated all the poles in the community and which utilities were using them for their service distribution. Zimmerman continued to explain the inconsistencies Verizon experiences due to the lack of information from Eversource.

“I find it troubling that the utility isn’t updating the database,” said Town Administrator Michael Gagne.

Silva said, “It’s not our problem.” He then looked at the Verizon staff members and said, “It’s part of your partnership.”

Gagne said, “I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but Eversource didn’t update the database. They dropped the ball.”

The selectmen decided to ask Eversource to attend a meeting to discuss the matter further.

On a lighter note, Gagne said, “Everyone keeps asking about the ‘funny’ bikes on the porch.” He said that he and cycling activist Bonne DeSousa have been discussing the need for more transportation options throughout the community, especially during the boating season.     The ‘funny’ bikes in question are ‘VBikes,’ a ride-share program that allows people to borrow a bike from a docking station simply by downloading an app onto their cell phones, which then releases the bike via a GPS-like system. For $1 per hour, a person can use the bike.

Gagne said a survey will be posted on the Town’s website to solicit feedback from the community on where the bikes should be located and any other ideas around the rideshare program or other transportation needs. He said the bikes could be placed on both public and private property, depending on the needs of the community. He suggested that locations such as marinas might be considered.

Gagne also reported on a comprehensive Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan that is currently under review. He said the draft document is available on the Town’s website and asked for public comment. Gagne said this was a critical document and, when completed, would be submitted to FEMA. He said it would be one tool used by FEMA when storm-related grants are applied for.

On the related theme of rising sea levels, Gagne said a public one-day long event is in the planning stages with Coastal Zone Management to discuss a Municipal Vulnerability Program.

Gagne said the conference would give residents the opportunity to more fully appreciate and understand the impact associated with rising sea levels. The program will delve into all aspects of rising waters from social, to economic, to infrastructure, and population migrations. Gagne said that with residents’ assistance he’ll collect data on the impact of rising sea levels on Mattapoisett, ranking needs – again – with an eye towards securing grants.

Wrapping up his report, Gagne announced the annual cat and dog rabies clinic will be held on Sunday, March 4, at the Mattapoisett Fire Station from 10:00 am to noon. Cost per animal is $15. All dogs much be leashed and all cats must be crated.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen is scheduled for March 13 at 6:30 pm in the Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen

By Marilou Newell

 

Sippican Woman’s Club

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Members and guests are invited to our monthly meeting at The Sippican Woman’s Club, 152 Front Street, Marion, on Friday, March 9 at 12:30 pm. Our program speaker will be Deb Ewing who will speak about The Turtle Garden established to restore the diamondback terrapin’s nesting habitat at The Cove on Hammetts Creek in Marion.

As Cove Association residents, both Landis Major and Deb Ewing enthusiastically embraced the work initiated by Don Lewis, AKA The Turtle Guy and his wife Sue Wieber Nourse to protect the once-endangered reptile, the diamondback terrapin. Volunteers like Landis and Deb and others work diligently to protect the turtles’ eggs and hatchlings from predators like foxes, coyotes, raccoons, gulls, crows, snakes, ants, etc.

In the 1900s, the species was once considered a delicacy to eat and was hunted almost to extinction. The numbers also decreased due to the development of coastal areas and, more recently, wounds from the propellers on motorboats. Another common cause of death is the unintentional trapping of the turtles under crabbing and lobster nets. This placed the terrapins on the endangered list. Deb Ewing will talk about the terrapin’s habitat, egg laying, diet, predators, hibernation, etc. Work done by volunteers like Landis and Deb has aided in changing the conservation status of this turtle from Endangered to Special Concern.

The Sippican Woman’s Club meets on the second Friday of the month (September through March) at 12:30 pm, with a finger-food luncheon followed by a business meeting at 1:00 pm and program at 1:30 pm. The meetings are held at The Sippican Woman’s Club, Handy’s Tavern, 152 Front Street, Marion. Parking is available at Island Wharf Road parking lot. Guests may RSVP to Info@SippicanWomansClub.org. For membership information, contact Jeanne Lake at 508-748-0619 or visit our website, www.sippicanwomansclub.org.

Old Colony Finishes Off Memorable Week

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Old Colony triumphed last week with two vocational titles and another 1,000-point scorer, adding more hardware to its increasingly crowded trophy case with girls’ basketball winning and repeating as State Vocational Small School Tournament champions and the boys bouncing back from last year’s six-point loss to Franklin County to earn a Vocational Tournament title of their own.

On top of that, it gives both teams momentum heading into the MIAA Division 4 South Sectional Tournament.

“We’ve definitely hit our stride,” Old Colony boys’ basketball coach Matt Trahan said. “It’s a season of tests. Early on, we had a fairly tough schedule between Diman and Case and a number of other teams up early. Then, later on in the season, we went on a road stint where we played on the road for five games. That was kind of put there on purpose, and I really think we found ourselves. Just knowing you can play good teams on the road and win makes a difference.”

This, said Trahan, has made them a better team.

With the boys peaking at the opportune time, they were able to make easy work of Blue Hills in the Vocational Championship game, winning 71-56. Jake Jason led with 31 points, while Zach Soucy scored 23. This was yet another win for the Cougars that shows they can contend in the MIAA tournament, having taken down the second seed in the Div. 4 South Sectional, Blue Hills, by double digits.

Trahan knows most teams will try to stop Jason more than anyone else. But the Cougars believe their offense has become more diverse, and solely focusing on Jason will be only so effective.

“The coaches in the league have done their very best (against us),” Trahan said. “Jake is certainly a weapon, but Jake’s at the point where you’ve got other people stepping up and his passing game has come so far this year. He’s looking to set up people as much as he’s looking to take that mid-range jump shot or that three. They’re going to try to address him. I just think throughout the game he’ll find his shot.”

On the girls’ side, they were able to put away Norfolk Aggie, the same team the Cougars beat last year. Abby Cioper scored 24 points in the 55-35 win for Old Colony, a day after she’d eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in the State Vocational Small School Tournament semifinal win over Franklin Tech.

“I’ve seen her play since she was in seventh grade and we were obviously very excited that she decided to come to Old Colony,” said Trahan, who is also the school’s athletic director. “To see that culmination of all her trials and tribulations, and to get to the point that she is at, you throw the Mayflower and the Vocational (titles) and then in the midst of all that she scores her thousandth point … it’s just great to see the maturity over a four-year period for her.”

Trahan continued, “We couldn’t be more happy that she’s going to be added to the (thousand-point scorer) list. Great kid, works hard. And you know what … she’s hung in there. She’s battled injuries and never really let that thousand-point title float over her head. She’s just played the game and played well.”

Old Rochester Regional High School

In Saturday’s All-State meet at the Reggie Lewis Center, ORR’s Mikayla Chandler won the shot-put adaptive with a 19-11.25 throw and was the runner-up in the 55 adaptive with a 10.90 finish.

On the boys’ side of track and field, Harry Smith came in ninth in the 55 hurdles with a 7.97 time.

ORR boys’ basketball enters the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional Tournament as the fifth seed, taking on No. 12 Norwell in the first round. The girls earned the second seed in the MIAA Division 2 South Sectional tournament and open up against No. 15 Pembroke.

Ice hockey earned the fourth seed in Division 2 and host Taunton first.

Tabor Academy

Tabor Academy boys’ basketball finished the regular season with a 59-58 win over Worcester Academy. The Seawolves went 8-6 in the Independent Schools League, 13-7 overall. They finished with the eighth best overall record in the conference, though their league record was better than the seventh-place team, Middlesex.

Girls’ basketball went undefeated in the conference, winning all 12 games. They finished third overall in the conference, going 17-2, winning the last game of the regular season 60-42 against Northfield Mount Hermon.

High School Sports Update

By Nick Friar

 

Rochester Council on Aging

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The Rochester Council on Aging is pleased to offer Soup and Sandwich Lunches every Monday at noon. Advance registration is required and a suggested donation for the meal is $4.

Thursday, March 1, legal appointments will be held from 3:00 – 4:00 pm.

Monday, March 5, the Art Group meets at 10:00 am. The Pampered Chef Demo begins at 11:30 am with a Pampered Chef Lunch to follow at noon.

Wednesday, March 7, do your grocery shopping at Market Basket. We leave at 8:30 am. Please call ahead to reserve a seat on the van.

Wednesday, March 7, the COA Board of Directors monthly meeting is at 9:00 am. Tax appointments are scheduled from 9:00 am to noon and the blood pressure clinic is at 10:30 am.

Other Announcements: Beginning in April!!! Senior Candlepin Bowling League held at the Ryan Family Amusements in Buzzards Bay on Monday mornings. Leave at 8:30 am and return at 11:30 am. Senior rate is $4 per game or 3 games for $10.25; shoe rental is free. Please call 508-763-8723 if you are interested.

The Rochester COA loan closet offers durable medical equipment including wheelchairs, canes, walkers, shower chairs, commodes, etc. You may borrow free for as long as you need it and return when you are finished with the item(s).

Need a place to hold a function? Ask the COA for a rental application to utilize its function hall for any family activity or event. Completed and submitted applications must be approved by the Board of Directors at its monthly meeting, held the first Wednesday of every month. The fee is contingent upon how much of the space will be used and for the time frame involved.

Shedding a Light on ‘Green’ Energy Savings

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The Marion Energy Management Committee is tasked with reviewing thousands of data points, a myriad of details associated with energy-consuming machines, buildings, systems, and the people that require the smooth and continuous flow of power to fuel modern-day living. No small task indeed. And the goal: to save the town real dollars through the utilization of fuel-saving equipment and processes.

The EMC has been studying everything from fuel-efficient town vehicles to sewer pumps and new building codes, leaving no stone unturned in their effort to help the town achieve ‘Green Community’ status with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

During the February 26 meeting of the EMC, Bill Saltonstall gave a report on his efforts working with various town departments with an eye towards energy audits, a critical component of the overall review process. He said that in seeking to achieve a 20% energy use reduction over a five-year period – a requirement for Green Community certification – he was collecting data on fuel use, LED lights, and is planning energy audits for town-owned structures.

“In order to find that twenty percent, we are going to have to scratch around because we’ve done so much so far,” said Saltonstall. “I’ve been to all the buildings,” he said chuckling, “…The town barn is the worst – a real energy hog.”

Saltonstall said energy audits were needed to uncover areas where additional improvements could equate to additional savings, inching the town along towards completing a very long to-do list established by the Mass DER for certifying cities and towns as Green Communities.

The goal for securing certification not only carries the reward of saving the town money, but moreover it qualifies the town for grants, technical assistance from the Green Community Division, and local support in energy and cost reduction through clean energy projects in buildings, facilities, and schools.

            Some of the areas the committee has earmarked for further study include: renovation of the Town House; anti-idling equipment for police cruisers; LED streetlamps; thermostat upgrades for the Music Hall, Atlantis Drive building, and the library; upgrading of water and sewer pump stations; more electric or hybrid town vehicles; and solar arrays on town-owned buildings.

Regarding the energy-efficient vehicles the town currently owns, committee member Christian Ingerslev said that the general public needed access to the plug-in stations during the day. He said town vehicles were parked at the charging stations even when not re-charging, making public access impossible. The group thought sending a letter to the Board of Selectmen and other town departments alerting them that the stations are required to be open to the public during business hours was needed. Committee member Jennifer Francis said she would draft the missive.

On the matter of solar arrays in the community, it was reported that since zoning bylaw changes some five years ago that opened the door to private and commercial solar installations, 140 such installation were now operational in town.

Another important aspect of the Green Community process is the adoption of what is known at the Stretch Building Code. Adopted in 2009 by the International Building Code, the Stretch Code was added to the building code to provide greater energy-efficient alternatives to the standard energy provisions of the code. Although not mandated, the Stretch Code is part of the checklist for becoming a Green Community. Town Planner Gil Hilario said he had been in conversation with Building Inspector Scott Shippey regarding this addendum to the IBC, although at this point in time to no conclusion.

Earlier in the evening, committee member David Pierce brought up the matter of an October 20, 2017 open meeting complaint. “We’ve heard nothing from the state,” he said. Pierce concluded that a lack of any further communication on the matter generally meant it was closed. Ingerslev suggested keeping the matter open pending direction from town. The agenda item was tabled.

Pierce also said that he wanted to encourage public input and engagement with the EMC and hoped people would attend future meetings.

The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for March 26 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Music Hall.

Marion Energy Management Committee

By Marilou Newell

 

Academic Achievements

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Gettysburg College students with a quality point average in the range of 3.300 to 3.599 for a semester’s work are placed on the Deans’ Commendation List. Rikard Bodin of Mattapoisett, Class of 2020, and Allegra Horstmann of Marion, Class of 2018, have been placed on the fall 2017 list.

Tapping Into Tradition in Rochester

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Just off Mattapoisett Road tucked in a corner behind some trees is a small, wooden shack billowing steam from an open skylight window. It’s an early late-winter morning – the time of year when warmer, more temperate days now dawn but still slip back into cold, subfreezing nights.

At Mike Forand’s house, these milder mornings are melting the earth beneath the surface, as evidenced by the wide tire tracks of mud that crisscross his yard. Beneath the ground things are stirring; roots are awakening. It’s the perfect weather pattern – warm days, cold nights – for Forand to tune in to nature, tap into tradition, and collect every last drop of early spring as it encroaches.

For just over a week now leading up to that Wednesday morning on February 21, Forand has been up and at it almost every morning at 6:30, going from maple tree to maple tree in his yard and at other locations around Rochester and Acushnet lifting the lids off of metal buckets fastened to the sides of the trees to see how much liquid has collected inside. He pours that clear watery liquid into larger buckets and takes them back home to that wooden shack. Before long, that ordinary shack is transformed into a “sugar shack” where the stuff of pancake and waffle dreams are made.

Forand has been making his own maple syrup for decades since he was a kid. His father designed and created his own system for filtering and boiling the clear, watery, sugary sap until it thickened and browned and condensed into what you pour all over your pancakes.

“It would take forever,” said Forand. “It was strictly for fun,” he added, since back in the day Forand’s dad’s operation would produce only a fraction of what Forand can process today.

Making maple syrup, however time consuming it was when he was a kid, is still a lengthy process. The sap itself is only about one percent sugar and 99 percent water. Forty gallons of sap will yield just one gallon of syrup!

The inside of Forand’s sugar shack today looks very different from old Dad’s. Forand’s system is much more ‘sophisticated’ than the one from his childhood. There is a wood-fired boiler bubbling and steaming away right as you enter the shack. Behind it is the filtration system that runs the sap through to remove any particles and impurities. On the other side of the room is Forand’s reverse osmosis evaporator, which he’s only had for two years. The machine speeds up the boiling process considerably by reducing roughly half the water content of the sap before moving it over to be boiled.

“If I were to put the sap in the boiler without reducing it, it would easily take twelve hours,” said Forand.

It’s still an all-day activity for Forand, even with the help of his son, Tim Forand, who feeds the boiler fire about every seven minutes with split pine logs that burn up fast, but burn really hot.

The shack is a pretty sweet spot in which to pass the time. Forand’s got a small flat screen TV inside to entertain between the steps of processing the syrup. Despite the technology – the TV, the shiny metal containers, and the yards of piping and plastic tubing – the shack still has that rustic feel to it. Lining the shelves are small antique glass bottles that Forand has dug up over the years in several locations on his 42 acres of land. A sign on the wall reads “Life is better on the farm,” while another says “This farm is my happy place.” And it’s a good thing, since the Forand men will be inside that sugar shack some nights until 10:30 finishing up another day’s batch of syrup.

Forand packages the finished product into small glass jars and slaps on a sticker with the label “MRF Farms.” He may sell a few bottles at a farmer’s market here and there, but the majority of it he gives away as little gifts. His maple-sugaring season lasts about six to eight weeks, depending on the weather – those warm days and cold nights are essential for tapping. And this year, all the wet weather the region has experienced only helps those maple trees produce more sap.

“The first day on February 10, I put the drill down,” said Forand, describing what happened when he installed his first tap of the season. “The sap was flowing out of the hole it was so fast.”

The night before, Forand went outside to check on the progress of the day’s sap collection and found just ten to 12 gallons. It’s usually more like 20 to 40 gallons on any given day, Forand said, “So I knew it was slowing down.”

It might sound ‘sappy’ to say, but as Tim Forand put it: “It’s a labor of love.”

“I love it,” said Mike Forand. “I look forward to this time of year. Who else in Rochester is making maple syrup around here?”

What’s most fascinating about it, Tim added, is the fact that sugaring is totally natural. “It’s from a tree! I mean, God makes it!”

“There’s something that happens when you tap trees,” said Mike Forand. “You cannot walk by these trees without looking inside those buckets.” Even Forand’s grandchildren are drawn into the fascination of sugaring. “Once the kids get off the bus, they run over to the buckets. They want to see how much sap is in them.”

Forand’s already got cases of bottles of his homemade golden maple syrup, and there are still a few weeks left to this sugaring season. The two Forand men will spend those next few weeks doing what they do every year, what the Forand men have been doing for decades – tapping into tradition and topping the pancakes of his friends with pure Rochester maple syrup. Which begs the question: Will Tim continue the Forand tradition after he inherits the sugar shack?

“I don’t know,” he says. “We’ll see. I guess I would… Yeah, probably…”

By Jean Perry

Rabies Clinic

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There will be a rabies clinic at the Mattapoisett Fire Station on Sunday, March 4 from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm. The cost for this vaccination is $15. Town of Mattapoisett dog licenses will be available for purchase. The license fee is $9 for spayed or neutered dogs; all others are $12. Dogs and cats only please. Residents and nonresidents are welcome.

Mattapoisett Historical Society Auditions

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The Mattapoisett Historical Society proudly announces music auditions for the Society’s 60th Anniversary Celebration! We are seeking musicians to volunteer to perform for this community event. Do you or your group play rock, classical, jazz, or folk music? Do you sing acapella, sea chanteys, or in a barbershop quartet? Please consider auditioning! We will be holding auditions on Sunday, March 11 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm at 5 Church Street, Mattapoisett. Please plan to play or sing one song. The Celebration will be on Saturday, May 19 from 1:00 – 6:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Historical Society and performers will be slotted into ½-hour sets throughout the afternoon. Come and join the fun! For more information, call 508-758-2844 or email info@mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org.