League of Women Voters Blue Book

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A new edition of The Blue Book is in the works. The 2017-18 phone directory, to be published by the Tri-Town League of Women Voters, will be mailed free of charge to every postal patron in Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester in early July. The book contains the names, addresses and phone numbers of each town’s residents and businesses as well as advertisements by area businesses and professionals for their products and services. An online version of the book contains the residential listings and the classified business listings, and can be found at lwvmmr.org/phonebook.

The only printed residential phone book in this area, The Blue Book is highly popular, providing an important communication tool for the three towns. To make the book as accurate as possible, residents can submit additions, deletions and corrections to their listings by email at lwvphonebook@comcast.net or by postal mail to LWV-MMR, P.O. Box 812, Marion, MA 02738. Advertising information can be requested using the same addresses.

The League is proud of this community service and appreciates the support of the advertisers who help to make this book possible.

Cub Pack 32 Pinewood Derby

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Cub Pack 32 Marion is holding its Pinewood Derby event at 1:00 pm on Saturday, February 11 in the First Congregational Church Community Room behind Penny Pinchers, 39 Main Street in Marion. After the Pack runs its cars for official times, we will open up the track for a time for the dads and siblings. All are welcome to attend this event and cheer on the racers.

Classic Film Series Continues

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The next Classic Film sponsored by the Sippican Historical Society and the Marion Council on Aging will be Orson Well’s The Third Man shown at the Marion Music Hall on Friday, February 10 starting at 7:00 pm. A pulp fiction novelist travels to war torn Vienna right after World War II. The city is divided into five divisions and the disasters of war are left behind. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) has been invited by his friend Harry Lime (Orson Wells), but when Martin arrives, Lime has died under rather mysterious circumstances. Martins tries to piece the events together with considerable difficulty. Along the way, Martins falls for Lime’s girlfriend Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli). Come early and enjoy the music provided by Truman Terrell and Bob Sanderson. David Pierce will offer comments and discussion following the movie.

BBC Proposes Route 6 Field Operations Barn

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The Marion Planning Board met on February 6 to discuss, among other items, the site plan review of a proposal by the Buzzards Bay Coalition for a new field operations barn to be located on the corner of Route 6 and Spring Street.

Mark Rasmussen, BBC’s president, presented an overview of the project. Rasmussen described the site as the ideal location for the BBC’s service area, which stretches west to Sakonnet Point and east to Woods Hole.

Currently, the BBC has its headquarters in New Bedford and a summer office located in Woods Hole. The approximately 16,236 square-foot barn would support the BBC’s four key water quality and land conservation activities.

The barn would house the 29-foot R/V Buzzards Baykeeper, equipment for the extensive volunteer water quality monitoring program, land stewardship equipment including mowers, trucks and trailers, and public engagement equipment such as kayaks, fishing poles, and 420 sailboats.

The barn would also be shared with the Sippican Lands Trust stewardship program.

There is a proposal for an additional 5,000 square-foot building to be built in the eastern portion of the lot at a future date.

Susan E. Nilson of CLE Engineering presented the site plan to the Planning Board. The discussion centered on the site’s high water table. Due to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s stormwater regulations, the applicant is required to treat stormwater from impervious surfaces and attenuate stormwater from flooding events.

There is an existing stormwater drainage system on Spring Street, which would receive stormwater, and a wet swale was designed for stormwater requiring treatment.

The BBC is requesting that the site be considered a redevelopment, as opposed to a new development, by DEP standards so that it may design the site in such a way that it would not require elevation changes to meet the DEP groundwater separation regulations.

Nilson stated that the wet swale and the use of grass pavers in the parking area provide groundwater recharge, although it would not be recharge that could be used in DEP calculations. Nilson stated that there would be no more stormwater leaving the site than is currently.

Kenneth Motta of Field Engineering reviewed the project for the board. Motta stated that the applicant was addressing stormwater issues on the site, and that the issues of greatest concern were the high groundwater and the impact of the site development on existing drainage conditions. Motta will continue to work with the applicant to address these issues.

Planning Board members expressed concerns about how stormwater flow would affect abutting properties. There was a question about the condition of the existing pipe that carried water in the Spring Street drainage system. The applicant and Motta stated that the pipe would be investigated.

Planning Board Chairman Robert Lane expressed concern about the drainage relating to the future storage building in the eastern portion of the property. Nilson responded that the stormwater system is designed to include the impact of that building as well.

Lane expressed what he described as an irony that the BBC would be seeking what he called a waiver from DEP water quality standards, when the mission of the BBC is water quality.

Nilson assured the board that the request to be considered a redevelopment had to do with stormwater volume and groundwater recharge, and water quality would not be diminished.

Lane also expressed concern about the site’s proximity to what he described as a challenging intersection, and the egress and ingress of boats and boat trailers. Rasmussen stated that the site is designed for turning trailers around within the property, and there would be no need for backing into Route 6 or Spring Street.

There were a number of abutters attending the meeting, including Jean Maher whose property abuts the eastern portion of the site. She expressed her support of the BBC and its mission, but was concerned about the trees on the back portion of the lot.

Rasmussen and Nilson stated the intention was to cut as few trees as possible for the building of the barn. Additionally, the building would be accessed by the western end from the existing grass-paver area.

There was a brief discussion of site lighting and signage, which will be revisited at a subsequent meeting. The Board will meet with the applicant again at its March 6 meeting at 7:10 pm.

In other business, the board held a public hearing to discuss amendments to Section 5.3 of the Zoning Bylaws concerning residential developments greater than four dwelling units. The board had previously voted on the issue at their December 19, 2016 meeting. Chairman Lane explained that the amendment would allow the board to make comments on density during the site plan approval process.

There was no public comment and the hearing was closed.

Patricia McArdle went before the board to request that four lots located on Spring Street be reclassified as Zoning District Residence E at the Annual Town Meeting. The board had discussed the lots at a pre-submission conference in November.

There was no public comment, and Lane recommended the board approve the request provided that the amendments to Section 5.3 of the Zoning Bylaws are approved by Town Meeting first. The board concurred.

A request for approval of an ANR plan by Christian Loranger on behalf of Cranlor LLC was denied by the board. The plan created two nonconforming lots, which cannot be approved through the ANR process.

Will Saltonstall reported on a subcommittee consisting of himself, Planning Board member Michael Popitz, Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals Marc Leblanc, Zoning Board of Appeals member Betsy Dunn, and Building Commissioner Scott Shippey.

The subcommittee is discussing the issue of dwelling conversions from single to multi-dwelling units. The subcommittee will be making a recommendation to the Planning Board at a later date.

Due to the Presidents Day holiday, the next meeting of the Marion Planning Board will be Tuesday, February 21, at 7:00 pm in the Marion Police Station.

By Sarah French Storer

 

Professor Walter Mierzejewski

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Professor Walter Mierzejewski, 91, of Dartmouuth, formerly of Mattapoisett, died January 29, 2017 at St Luke’s Hospital after a brief illness.

Born in New Bedford, he was the son of the late Andrew Mierzejewski and the late Kathyrn (Bryda) Mierzejewski. He was the brother of the late Edward Mierzejewski and the late Helen (Mierzejewski) Jako.

A graduate of New Bedford High School, Walt went on to the school now known as the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where his studies were interrupted by his induction into the United States Army during World War II. Walt served in Europe during the war, was captured in France and was moved to a prisoner of war camp in Germany. Surviving frostbite, starvation, and Russian attempts to detain him, he gained his freedom when his guards fled before the Allied advance.

After the war, he graduated from Harvard University, Class of 1948. He continued graduate studies at Boston University, later winning fellowships to study at Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute, Oklahoma State University, the University of Florida, and Rutgers University.

A life long educator, Walt began his career teaching a multi-grade class in Bennington, Vermont. Moving back to New Bedford, he continued to teach mathematics at Roosevelt Junior High School, New Bedford High School, the New Bedford Institute of Technology, and finally, (as one of the original members of the mathematics department) until his retirement, at Southeastern Massachusetts University, now the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

Civic-minded, Walt was active in government, social, political and charitable organizations. He is a former member of the finance committee in Dartmouth and served as a town meeting member. He was elected to the Republican Town Committee of Dartmouth, and later, to the Republican Town Committee of Mattapoisett. He was a delegate to the Republican State Conventions of 1974, 1986, 2006, and 2010. With press credentials he attended the Republican National Conventions in 1976 and 1980, and the Democratic National Conventions of 1980 and 1988. He also served as member of the Faculty Senate at Southeastern Massachusetts University, was elected to the board of UMASS Retirees Association, and was a member of the board of directors of the Society for Human Advance through Rehabilitation Engineering (SHARE).

Walt was also a member of the Polish-American War Veterans and Friends of Poland.

Walt loved to travel, taking trips throughout the United States as well as Canada, Mexico, and parts of Europe. Later in life, one of his great joys was to spend the winter in Pompano Beach, Florida, in stark contrast to the winter he spent as a POW, and as a reminder of the wonderful journey his life had become.

Walt is survived by his only son, John Mierzejewski, and several nieces and nephews.

It was Walt’s wish to continue the education of others by donating his body to Harvard Medical School. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to SHARE at UMASS-Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747. Arrangements were by the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford.  For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

 

Loft School of Marion

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The Loft School is now accepting applications for 2017-2018 preschool and pre-K enrollment. If you are interested, please contact The Loft School at 508-748-1243 or loftschool@verizon.net.

Marion Garden Group to Host “Tick Talk”

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On Tuesday, February 7 at 9:00 am, Larry Dapsis, an entomologist and specialist on deer ticks from the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, will speak about Lyme disease and the recently discovered, dangerous and deadly tick-born disease named Powassan virus, discovered on Cape Cod this past summer.

The program is open to the public and a guest fee of $5 will be collected at the door. The event takes place at the Tabor Great Room, 188 Front Street. Parking is available across the street at Island Wharf.

Mr. Dapsis holds a master’s degree in entomology from UMass Amherst and worked for nearly 25 years at Ocean Spray Cranberry, Inc. In his current position as entomologist for the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, he has conducted tick surveillance at regional sites to determine the presence of tick-borne infections and viruses. In July of 2016, the Cape Cod Times reported a new potentially serious tick-borne illness known as Powassan virus. “It adds a new dimension,” Dapsis has been quoted as saying. “Instead of four tick-borne illnesses with deer ticks, now we have five.”

New research indicates that the virus has spread among deer ticks in several Cape towns. There were nine cases of Powassan virus among residents of Barnstable, Essex, Middlesex and Norfolk counties from 2013 to 2015, according to the Cape Cod Times. All of the individuals were ill enough to be hospitalized.

Other tick-borne illnesses are Lyme disease, miyamotoi, babesiosis and anaplasmosis. In rare cases, Lyme carditis, babesiois and anaplasmosis infections have turned deadly. Powassan differs from these other tick-borne infections in that it is a virus rather than a bacterial illness. “It’s more like a cousin to West Nile virus,” say the experts.

Marion gardeners and others interested in learning about ticks are invited to this informative program. For more information, check the Marion Garden Group website at mariongardengroup.com or join us on February 7.

Tabor Hosts Photographer Celebrating Cultural Diversity

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Over the past week, members of the Tabor Academy community have noticed a new photographic exhibit in halls of the school’s Charles Hayden Library. These photos are part of a project by professional photographer Mark Chester called “The Bay State: A Multicultural Landscape”.

The display features a selection of the more than 400 photographs that Chester has captured as part of this project. The subjects are all newly naturalized citizens of the United States who come from over 180 of the world’s 196 countries.

Chester chose to exclusively shoot in black and white for this exhibit, complementing the immense diversity showcased in the photographs. His goal for this project was to bring visibility to the tremendous cultural diversity and ethnic heritage that exists in the state of Massachusetts.

The exhibition will be on display in the Hayden Library until the end of the month, on February 28. This past Sunday, January 29, Mark Chester hosted a public presentation of his work in the Hayden Library. At the presentation, Chester showcased the project, shared the incredible stories of the individuals in the photographs, and spoke about his experiences creating the final product.

This photographic project benefited the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). This coalition is, according to their website, “the largest organization in New England promoting the rights and integration of immigrants and refugees.” The organization provides individuals and families access to the resources, training, and assistance needed to transition into a life in Massachusetts and the United States.

Tabor Academy is by no means the only location at which Chester’s art has been displayed. The collection has traveled the state, visiting libraries, art centers, municipal buildings, colleges, and other public areas. The most notable exhibition space for the photographs has been the Massachusetts State House, where it was displayed throughout the month of November.

Mark Chester is based out of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and has been a professional photographer since 1972. Several of his photographs are in the permanent collections of museums in major cities across the country, and his work has been featured in major museums and galleries in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Additionally, his photographs and written pieces have been published in many major publications.

The exhibition began just days after a week-long celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. on Tabor’s campus. The keynote speaker of the celebration was Rosetta Lee, a diversity speaker and trainer who works at Seattle Girls’ School. On Thursday, January 19, Lee hosted a workshop with the entire Tabor community discussing identity, micro-aggressions, and tools for engaging when conflict arises.

Additionally, a host of other events were held to facilitate thought and discussion related to the celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. These events included three nights of “Keeping it 100: A Storytelling Experience,” an event that allowed community members a chance to tell their personal stories on the topic of race, socio-economics and class, and immigration.

Over the next month, Tabor students and faculty will pass through the library hundreds of times. Though all may not take the time to stop and reflect on the incredible works and the stories behind them, the photographs will no doubt serve as a reminder of the rich diversity that exists in the Tabor community, Massachusetts, and the United States.

By Jack Gordon

 

Abutter Complaints for Wellspring Continue

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Nearly two and a half months after the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals issued a commercial permit to Wellspring Farms at 42 Hiller Road, complaints from neighbors continue as one abutter claims Wellspring owners Jim and Holly Vogel are in violation of some of the eight ZBA conditions placed on the approval.

In a letter to the ZBA, Kathy Mendoza of 32 Hiller Road alleged that the Vogels are in violation of a number of conditions, including but not limited to matters concerning idling vehicles, lighting, and ingress and egress sites.

Mendoza claims that even after conditions were placed to stop cars at the property from idling, vehicles, sometimes up to four cars, says Mendoza, sit idling for 35 to 40 minutes at a time.

ZBA Chairman Richard Cutler broke from reading the letter aloud during the board’s January 26 meeting to say that the Vogels have been made aware of this issue and will be posting signs to inform visitors that engines must be turned off while parked.

Continuing with the letter, Cutler read the further complaints Mendoza made against the mental and behavioral therapy and hippotherapy center.

Mendoza said the established hours of operation were not being followed, saying that barn hands and assistants sometimes arrived before 6:00 am on weekends and used equipment as well.

Mendoza also welcomed the board to come inspect the fencing along the property line, which Cutler said Building Commissioner Jim Buckles would also attend.

Furthermore, Mendoza alleged that lighting in the parking lot often resembled the LaSalette shrine during Christmas time.

“We had said there is to be no additional lighting as far as I’m concerned,” said Cutler. “If this is true, I’m not sure what this is.”

Another condition was that the Vogels would have to file with the Planning Board for a site plan review within 90 days, which was a matter of discussion that night between the ZBA and Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson.

Johnson was asked to attend to clarify the Planning Board process the Vogels would be undertaking, because whether the Vogels had complied with the condition that they file within 90 days of the permit issuance with the Planning Board was in question.

No application has been formally filed with the Planning Board, but on November 29, Johnson said that the Vogels met with all interested town departments for a technical review, and later with the Planning Board for an informal meeting. This meeting, although it does not constitute a filing, is a mandatory part of the site plan review process, said Johnson.

“If they do a filing before the first two [meetings], it’s an automatic denial,” said Johnson.

The Planning Board site plan review will mostly be concerned with matters such as traffic flow, drainage, and parking, and not with some matters that are alleged issues for abutters.

Johnson said he attended a site walk on both the Wellspring property and the Mendoza property, saying, “Both sides tried to throw more stuff in the mix, and I kept pushing and saying ‘no’” said Johnson.

Another abutter of Wellspring Farm is slated for the Planning Board agenda on February 14.

Cutler asked Johnson straight out if he thought that the Vogels might have been confused by the condition mandating the 90-day deadline for filing with the Planning Board, and Johnson said there was no confusion voiced by the Vogels.

“My question was, when you guys set those conditions, did you understand [the Planning Board] process?” Johnson asked.

As for Mendoza’s complaints, Johnson said there was nothing the Planning Board could do until the Vogels file their site plan review application.

The next meeting of the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for February 9 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

 

Gateway Youth Hockey

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Squirts: The Gladiator Squirts defeated WHK 8-5 on Saturday morning behind the strong goal-tending of Nate Wilson. The offensive attack was led by Ben Hebbel (2G, 3A), Tommy Clavell (3G, 1A), Liz Kilpatrick ( 1G, 1A), Brayden Cannon ( 1G, 1A), and John Goll (1G). In net, Wilson stopped 23 of 28 shots.

Pee Wees: Gateway Gladiators Pee Wees faced Pembroke on Saturday, securing a 5-2 win. In the first period, Ty Rebeiro got Gateway on the board with an assist by Lucy Murphy, Sean Pollock put in a top shelf unassisted goal, and Matthew Paling added a goal with an assist from Ryker King. In the second period, Paling would score his second of the night, unassisted. In the final frame, Rebeiro added another goal for Gateway, his second of the night, assisted by Nathan Ribeiro. Joe Urnek had a great game in net – his first as a goaltender.

In Sunday’s action, Gateway Gladiators Pee Wees faced Hanover. In the first period, Ribeiro drew first blood, scoring for Gateway with an assist by Rebeiro; Rebeiro would then score his own goal later in the frame. In the second period, Hanover was able to get a quick goal past goalie Ryker King, but Paling countered with his own goal for Gateway. The third period was a true nail-biter as Hanover stepped up the pace and Gateway struggled to match them. Hanover scored two quick goals to tie the game 3-3. Rebeiro would later come in with his game-winning goal, giving Gateway the win 4-3.

Bantams: The Gateway Bantams suffered their first loss in a while this past weekend, 5-2, against Norwood. The Gladiators got on the board first when Quirino doCanto stole a pass and beat the goalie. That would be their only lead of the game, as the speedy Norwood team proved to be a little too much for the Gladiators to handle. doCanto added another goal in the game as he deflected a shot from Will Goldman past the goalie. Tyler Lovendale also got an assist on the play. Alex DeMarco played well in net, making 36 saves.