Connet Woods Subdivision Request Continued

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A subdivision that has been in the making for 10 years was once again the subject of an application before the Rochester Conservation Commission during the February 20 meeting.

Coming before the commission was Stephen Meltzer, a principal in the Edgewood Development Company of Plainville as well as the property owner of record, with a Request for Determination of Applicability for the construction of a private well and new home on one of the proposed 115 lots originally planned.

Meltzer described grading activity planned for the lot and pointed out that most of the jurisdictional buffer zone was outside the site in question.

But commissioner Daniel Gagne questioned photographs that seemed to show that cutting within the buffer zone had taken place.

Meltzer said he was unfamiliar with “prior history” of the lot, leading Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon to interject that development had begun 10 years ago, site disturbance from previous owners was evident and she didn’t believe there had been any recent tree clearing.

“The history of the site is varied,” she told Gagne.

Gagne remained skeptical, noting that he was simply looking at photographs from the site and from his viewpoint those photographs showed cutting in the buffer zone.

Meltzer said, “I’m not here to argue… There may have been past deeds that took place… I’m sorry.”

Farinon suggested that the commissioners visit the site to see firsthand what the current conditions are. She also left open the possibility that the RDA filing might not be sufficient and that a Notice of Intent may be in order.

“This is a good one for the commission to see,” Farinon said.

The public meeting was continued until March 6.

Next was the Request for Determination of Non-Significance filed by James Holbrook on behalf of his mother for a proposed dwelling at Old Mill Way. It had come to light, Holbrook explained, that the current plans placed the home over the lot line by three inches. The revised plans would situate the building a foot closer to wetlands then previously drawn. The request was approved.

A Request for Extension Permit by Edgewood Development for the construction of a new bituminous concrete manufacturing plant located off King’s Highway was continued until March 6 due to a lack of quorum as one commissioner would have to be recused from the public meeting due to a conflict. The application was continued until March 6.

The commissioners also reviewed the commission’s annual report and accepted the draft as written. Farinon said that the document will now head to the Selectmen’s Office for inclusion in a larger report to be distributed during Town Meeting.

Also reviewed and accepted was a 60-plus page forest management plan drafted by Benjamin Forestry Services for the evaluation of the Upper and Lower River Bend areas off New Bedford Road adjacent to the Shoolman Preserve, a conservation property cooperatively managed by both the Rochester and Mattapoisett Land Trusts.

The report detailed the current condition of the property, including the history of the parcel, types of trees and other vegetation, wildlife implications, and goals for water quality.

Farinon walked the commissioners through the report, noting various significant highpoints including Benjamin’s recommendation that the majority of the site be left in its natural state with conservative tree clearing in only a few locations.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for March 6 at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall meeting room.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

 

Arthur Moniz

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Artist Arthur Moniz, 72, son of the late Arthur F. and Mary (Morris) Moniz and beloved husband of Cheryl (Germano) Moniz passed on from this life on Wednesday February 21st at home, with his family at his side, after a courageous year long battle with Cancer.

He attended school in New Bedford and then went on to Massachusetts College of Art and the Museum School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

He was a brilliant artist and a humble man. His paintings depict a wide range of interests, from New Bedford’s Rich Maritime History, both fishing and whaling. His work embodied the natural beauty of scenes from Japan to Florida, as well as the Azores. One of his most loved paintings titled “Mending the Nets” traveled the country as part of the National Exhibition of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) beginning in 2016 and ending in Mystic, Ct. in 2018. The focal point of his work illustrated the New England area, where he resided with his wife and business partner, Cheryl.

He has had featured collections at The Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan; John Manjiro House (Museum) and City Hall, Tosashimizu, Japan; Meiji-Mura Museum, Nagoya, Japan; Boston Symphony Hall, Boston, Ma.; “Retrospect” New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford, Ma.; Westport Winery, Westport, Ma.; The Millicent Library, Fairhaven, Ma.

He was awarded signature membership is ASMA (American Society of Maritime Artists), and was a member of the Azorean Maritime Academy, Tosashimizu Sister City and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

He was an avid kayaker, naturalist and loved driving his Mustang convertible on warm summer days. Arthur enjoyed spending time with, as well as vacationing with, family and friends. His most precious time was spent painting in both his Fairhaven and Florida studios.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, a son, Brett Moniz and his partner Deb Deschamps, his daughter Kerran Soares and her husband Craig, and four grandchildren whom he adored – Kayli Moniz, Matthew Arthur Moniz, Kyle Soares and Kassie Soares, all of Fairhaven and a godchild/ nephews/niece- Michael Baldo, Mark Baldo, Christopher Baldo, Peter Baldo and Katie Helps. He was predeceased by his sister Mary Moniz Baldo.

The family would like to thank the doctors at Dana Farber and Fairhaven Community Nurses. They also want to thank their “special angel” and god daughter nurse Kathy Golas, along with extraordinary friends for their unwavering weekly support, who were with the family throughout their journey.

His funeral service will be held Wednesday, February 28th at 12 pm at the Seamens Bethel, 15 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, Ma. Visiting Hours will be on Tuesday, February 27th from 6-8 pm at the Arthur Moniz Gallery, 22 William Street, New Bedford, Ma.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Arthur Moniz Scholarship Fund c/o Cheryl Moniz, 22 William Street, New Bedford, Ma. 02740.

Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. For online guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

NBSO’s South Coast Chamber Series Presents “Chiaroscuro”

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On March 10 & 11 the New Bedford Symphony’s South Coast Chamber Series continues its season with “Chiaroscuro,” a concert featuring harmonies light, dark, and dazzling. Chamber musicians will offer three great works, each a stunningly different canvas of sound and emotion. Haydn’s elegant Piano Trio in F-sharp Minor is aural champagne, while Bartók’s last string quartet limns a melancholic quest ending in a question mark. Dvořák’s sunny A Major Piano Quintet transports us back to a world of joy, hope, and delight.

NBSO violinist EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks joins Chamber regulars Janice Weber, piano; Piotr Buczek, violin; Don Krishnaswami, viola; and Timothy Roberts, cello, for two weekend performances: Saturday, March 10, St. Gabriel’s Church, 124 Front Street, Marion, and Sunday, March 11, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 351 Elm Street, South Dartmouth. Both concerts will be at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $20 per person at the door or pre-purchase online at www.nbsymphony.org/season-subscriptions#chamber-tickets (bring your email receipt for admission).

Ulrich F. W. Ernst

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Ulrich F. W. Ernst, age 73, of Mattapoisett, MA, died on February 21, 2018, with his family and friends by his side. He was born in Bückow, Germany, and grew up in (West) Berlin. He studied economics at the Freie Universität, Berlin and at the Christian-Albrechts Universität Institute for World Economy, Kiel, Germany. He came to the US in 1966, receiving his Ph.D in economics at Indiana University in 1973.

He was employed by Abt Associates in Cambridge, MA, and Bethesda, MD; by DAI in Bethesda, where he served as Chief Economist; and by the US Agency for International Development where he was an Economist in the Foreign Service. His work spanned the developing world, with postings in Morocco, Central America, and Sri Lanka. He found some of his most interesting short-term projects in Ukraine, Moldova, Ghana, Armenia, and Palestine. After retirement he continued consulting, almost to the time of his death. His last work was developing a structural model to predict the local content of major investments in the LNG sector in Tanzania. Work on that model is being carried on by colleagues at DAI.

Throughout his career, he had the rare ability to use sophisticated mathematical and econometric tools in practical ways, making them understandable and useful to decision-makers in the US government overseas and in foreign governments. He loved mentoring young professionals in the countries where he worked and helped their careers whenever possible.

Besides his commitment to his work, he was an avid and skilled amateur nature photographer, an enthusiastic (though less skilled) wood worker, and aspired to playing the bagpipes and clarinet. He was an advocate of liberal causes, serving as co-chair of the Mattapoisett Democratic Town Committee. Throughout, he never lost his ties to Germany, returning each summer to explore a different part of his reunified homeland with a group of his former schoolmates.

“Rick” is survived by his wife Dianne Tsitsos; sisters-in-law Mary Tsitsos of Mattapoisett and Katherine Tsitsos of Aegina, Greece; nephew Bill Tsitsos of Baltimore, MD, and many dear friends in the US, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe and Asia.

A memorial gathering will be held at his home on Saturday March 3rd from 2 to 5 PM, with a brief service of remembrance at 3 PM.  Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett.  For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

In the Present Moment

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We hadn’t been good about keeping close tabs on each other of late. It’s hard to say exactly why. There hadn’t been a disagreement or parting of the ways. But moving to the local area and returning to a part of the globe where her small family lived had meant she’d be physically closer to me as well. However, after the initial thrill of having my friend of over forty years living within a fifteen-minute drive, I’d somehow experienced the proximity to be too close.

Declining health had driven her to make the very difficult decision to sell her much beloved antique farmhouse in New Hampshire and move south. To say she was bitter, angry, disgusted, distraught, or any other shade of unhappy was an understatement. All of us who were close to her got a bit of that stink sprayed on our good intentions.

Now divesting herself of a lifetime of collecting material goods meant that, although she had sold and given away a great deal of stuff, she still came south with an overabundance of personal belongings. The tiny apartment she’d be renting simply couldn’t hold the tonnage, yet she tried to tuck and squeeze all manner of tangible assets into every available nook and cranny.

There were also two storage units packed to bursting with even more flotsam and jetsam from the life she had once lived. Nearly all of it had been collected during the years she was married to her dearly departed spouse. It all meant so much more to her than what my eyes could see.

My efforts to help her purge, efforts she had asked for, were met with deep frustration bordering on hate. She really didn’t want my help. She really just wanted someone to be at her side as she handled each piece and relived how it had come into her possession. “Oh, we were driving around Vermont when we came across a roadside shed. We just had to stop and he said….” She could spend hours, days, or the rest of her life roaming the dusty back roads of her memory. I just wanted to throw away anything that was broken. She just wanted to hold onto it all.

I finally realized, in spite of my love and need for her friendship, the close proximity wasn’t adding anything to our relationship. If anything, I feared she would end up saying something that would hurt too much for me to accept. Instead, I made a calculated retreat. After all, we hadn’t lived close to one another in many decades. Our relationship, while based on mutual respect, shared experiences, and a deep understanding of each other’s neuroses, had not been one that included frequent physical contact.

Letters, phone calls, and much later email, became our mainstay. We exposed our inner thinking, yearnings, needs, sorrows, joys, all manners of human emotion through the written and spoken word over miles of separation. The rare face-to-face visits had been joyful and rich, but we easily resumed long-distance caring.

These past weeks, I’d felt guilty for not being more present, not trying harder to get in the car and go to her. The fact that I’d been struggling with mobility issues spending nearly two years in recovery didn’t assuage that guilt. I could have managed to get to her more frequently if I really tried.

Then I received a Facebook message from her saying she was in nursing care after a week of hospitalization with her usual sardonic humor, “What fun!”

The next day, I sat next to her on the uncomfortable hospital bed, stroking her arm and crying. She opened her eyes and took me in smiling. She whispered, “Marilou, you came.”

There isn’t much left of my friend, physically speaking. She was always petite, but now disease has robbed her of the flesh beneath her skin. Her thoughts are a bit confused but her spirit and desire to live to fight another day remain.

I help her sit up, holding her like a fragile glass doll. Every bone in her spine is visible. Her ribs barely expand and contract with her labored breathing. I softly sing a verse from the Eagles song “Hotel California,” “…plenty of room at the Hotel California, what a lovely place… You can check out any time you like but you can never leave!” She chuckles, “Ain’t that the truth.”

I realize while driving home, after making plans to return the following day with homemade soup, that all any of us ever really wants is for someone to listen, to be present. Understanding isn’t really necessary. At the end of life, being present as a loved one passes through that last door is most likely the most important thing we’ll ever have the privilege of doing … and the most difficult.

This Mattapoisett Life

By Marilou Newell

 

Mattapoisett Historical Society Yard Sale

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Mattapoisett Historical Society is now accepting items for our 2018 Charity Yard Sale. Clearing out your closet? Downsizing your house? Kids heading off to college? Want to get organized? Whatever your reason may be, consider donating to the Mattapoisett Historical Society’s Yard Sale. All proceeds from the sale (Saturday, May 12, 8:00 – 11:00 am) support the Mattapoisett Historical Society. Donating items for the sale is easy. We accept donations at 5 Church Street in Mattapoisett on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am to noon (be sure to call 508-758-2844 before you come). We accept gently used household items suitable for resale. We do NOT accept appliances, large furniture, electronics, building products, books or clothing. If you have questions or want to arrange to drop off items, please call 508-758-2844 or email info@mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org.

Marion Town House

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To the Editor:

Citizens of Marion will be asked in a public hearing at the Music Hall on March 1, 2018 to support the renovation of the existing Town House. Short on maintenance, and not originally designed to serve as a town administration building, it needs a lot of work. I agreed to serve on the building committee that the Board of Selectmen appointed to study whether it should continue to be used as our Town House. Our committee and our architects have completed an in-depth study of the old building and determined that it is structurally sound and can serve.

But how well can it serve? Is it possible to make an 1870s school building into an attractive and efficient townhouse for Marion in 2019? A careful look at the renovation plans by T2 Architects shows that you can. Credit our critics for forcing us to recognize that the existing building is larger than we need with the town facing so many other expensive projects in the near future. Our plan calls for the demolition of the octagonal annex (almost half of the entire structure) at the rear of the original building. In the proposed layout, departments are grouped for efficient operation, and space is available for a few additional staff if needed. Space is provided for state-mandated paper record storage and other storage in the waterproofed existing basement. High efficiency heating and air conditioning equipment, electrical and telephone equipment rooms, and the automatic sprinkler system for fire safety are also located there. The entire building will be well insulated and equipped with new windows. It will be made fully accessible for the physically handicapped. The result is an historic building of reduced size, much easier to maintain, yet having the monumental character that marks our town’s center.

After serving the town 128 years, the building is overdue for renovation. The cost estimate for the project is detailed and complete. The total cost for the building’s transformation into a unique asset is between 26 cents and 31 cents per thousand dollars on the annual tax rate. With reasonable care, the renovated building should easily serve for 50 years. I feel that Marion would be diminished by the loss of this icon. Please come to the public hearing at the Music Hall on March 1 to make your opinion known.

Bill Saltonstall

Member, Townhouse Building Committee

 

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.

Marion Voters Pass Marijuana Moratorium

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There was one collective ‘aye’ and one lonely ‘nay’ during Thursday night’s Special Town Meeting vote to adopt a moratorium on so-called ‘Adult-Use Marijuana’ commercial establishments.

The moratorium will temporary halt any recreational marijuana dispensaries from moving into Marion as the Commonwealth poises to release its own final legislation regulating statewide marijuana sales on March 1, leading to an April 1 acceptance of adult-use marijuana dispensaries.

Although licensing for legal marijuana sales establishments is highly regulated under the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission’s draft regulations, the moratorium would allow municipalities time to review the state’s regulations and devise its own zoning regulations on potential placement of marijuana dispensaries.

The moratorium, however, is only in effect until December 31 of this year.

Selectman Steve Gonsalves introduced Article 1 proposing to amend the Town’s Zoning Bylaw by adding a new section to include the moratorium.

“The only issue before the voter this evening is whether or not we will act to request a moratorium,” said Gonsalves.

Marion voters during the 2016 November election passed ballot Question 4 to legalize marijuana “but regulate it in ways similar to alcoholic beverages.”

Planning Board Chairman Eileen Marum addressed the voters on Thursday night, saying, “I recommend that we pass the article, and the Planning Board has unanimously supported the moratorium.”

Marion resident John Conway approached the microphone just before the vote and pointed out that nearly a third of Massachusetts municipalities so far have adopted either a temporary or permanent ban on legal marijuana establishments. He urged legislators and town officials to look to the State of Colorado for information before looking into specific laws on zoning, local taxation, and other things like signage. “I think planning ahead of time makes sense.”

Conway added, as a pediatrician, that he holds concerns about teen use of marijuana. “We do see a lot of lives crumbling because of it… I know that this increases our job as pediatricians.”

Article 2 requesting $138,730 from certified free cash to replace the boiler at the Town House passed unanimously, paving the way for a new heating system.

The Town House has been using an external temporary heating source to warm the space since the heating system broke down on December 19.

Selectman Norm Hills introduced the article and said the 50-year-old gas-fired cast iron boiler had been kept in operation past its anticipated life expectancy through a “Band-Aid approach” as the Town decided whether it was going to renovate the Town House or rebuild.

The Finance Committee recommended the article, with Chairman Alan Minard saying, “Basically we’re between a rock and a hard place for providing heat for our employees and [the public]…”

The article as printed in the warrant originally requested a sum of $158,460, but a significant cost savings resulted from switching the temporary heater from a diesel-fueled generator to a gas-powered source.

Minard assured voters that there was indeed enough free cash to cover the cost of the repair, and facilities Director Shaun Cormier said the replacement boiler is convertible should it ever need to be relocated to another building, for instance a new town administration building should the Town House ultimately change its use as a town hall.

The Special Town Meeting was adjourned in just about fifteen minutes.

Marion Special Town Meeting

By Jean Perry

 

ORR Hockey Preps for MIAA Division 2 Tournament

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Coming into the 2017-2018 season, Old Rochester/Fairhaven boys’ hockey wasn’t sure how its season would end up after graduating Noah Strawn, Sam Henrie and Landon Goguen, some of the state’s top players.

While they still had Tayber Labonte, who was 13th in the state last year with 54 points, the majority of this season’s roster didn’t have a ton of experience.

The South Coast Conference schedule remained fairly similar to 2016-2017; however, the postseason schedule had changed, with all Co-op teams being bumped up to the Division 2 tournament.

First, though, the Bulldogs had to take care of business in the conference, which came a bit more easily than they’d initially anticipated, winning the league with a 9-0-2 record (14-3-3 overall) with one game against Wareham left. Even Bourne, their top competitor in the conference, didn’t put up as much of a fight as Old Rochester head coach Eric Labonte expected.

“From before the season started, yeah I’m definitely surprised,” he said. “We lost major players from last year’s team and Bourne has like 15 juniors and seniors. They basically had everyone back and we lost key personal. So I was definitely surprised.”

Tayber Labonte has been a big reason why ORR/Fairhaven’s had continued success this year, scoring 25 goals with 22 assists (47 points, 11th in the state), along with Ryan Raphael, who has 13 goals and 19 assists (32 points) on the year.

But two players don’t make a team, so the Bulldogs needed to give some inexperienced players more time throughout the year and put an emphasis on what gets done during practice. Clearly that’s paid off.

“Really, practice time as the season progressed was important,” Coach Labonte said. “Getting kids comfortable with their new roles was what was important. And kind of a winning spirit, we’ve won the league over the last six or seven years. A lot of the times the kids even willed themselves to win even in games where we might be out-manned.”

With a program that’s had so much success over the past decade, a concern that might pop up is a sense of entitlement. Because of what team they play for, the rest of the SCC will bow down to them. But ORR/Fairhaven’s coach never witnessed any sign of that being the case.

“Even though I didn’t expect us to win the league, I certainly felt we could compete for a league title,” Labonte said. “Early in the season, when we beat Bourne 6-2, that was sort of a catalyst for us to realize that maybe I kind of short-changed these kids early in the season. After that win in the first game, you kind of realize real quick that we should be able to win the league again.”

But now comes the big test: the Division 2 MIAA tournament. Something not even ORR/Fairhaven’s coach has dealt with, with the program having competed in Division 3 over recent years. And while they realize there are tough teams at every division, ORR/Fairhaven expects every minute to be a challenge in the state tournament.

“At the Division 2 level, every game’s going to be a battle because we’re not overly skilled,” Labonte said.

ORR/Fairhaven will likely receive a favorable seeding heading into the tournament but won’t know for sure until the pairings are announced soon after the weekend.

Old Colony

Both Old Colony Cougars boys’ and girls’ basketball teams won the Mayflower Small Vocational Division and are looking to take home some more hardware in the State Vocational Tournament.

The girls (16-4) also won the Vocational Tournament in 2016-2017. They will play host to Franklin County Tech as the first seed on Thursday night at 4:00 pm. If they win, they will also play host again on Friday at 4:00 pm.

The boys (14-6) are looking for redemption after losing in last year’s vocational tournament. They’re also the first seed in their division and will host Worcester Tech at 6:00 pm on Thursday. If the boys win, they host once again on Friday at 6:00 pm.

Tabor Academy

Tabor girls’ basketball clinched a tie for best record in the Independent Schools League, with a chance to go undefeated in the conference when they take on the Middlesex School on Wednesday.

The Seawolves locked up a share of the league title after blowing past Lawrence Academy in a 91-59 win on Monday.

High School Sports Update

By Nick Friar

 

February Events for the Rochester Council on Aging

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Bon Jour! Conversational French I and II will be held on Friday, February 23 in the conference room of the Rochester Police Station from 9:30 – 11:30 am.

On Sunday, February 25, our day trip takes us to Mayflower Brewing Company Micro-Brewery Tour. Lunch will be at Isaac’s, Plymouth MA. We leave at 11:00 am and return at 4:00 pm. Lunch from the menu is your only cost.

On Monday, February 26, enjoy Mike & Ann’s special lunch at noon at the senior center.

On Wednesday, February 28, the free blood pressure clinic is scheduled for 10:00 am. From noon to 2:00 pm, Senator’s Office Visit is scheduled.