General Store Special Permit Granted

on

There are few buildings in the waterfront village neighborhood of Mattapoisett more iconic to the town’s past than the General Store situated at 10 Water Street. Although it cannot boast to be the oldest, the image of the structure has appeared in photographs from several centuries. But everything must change, even old buildings. Thus, as the needs of the current owners, Chris Demakis and Vince Cragin, have changed, they proposed changes to make the building better for modern living and commerce.

Seeking a Special Permit during the January 18 meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals, Demakis described their plans.

Stairs leading from the first floor to the second floor residential space are very steep, nearly ladder-like, Demakis said. He said their dog and visitors of all ages are finding the 11-inch spacing between the risers hard to scale. With this in mind, and a growing need for a bit more floor space in the first floor retail area, they requested a Special Permit. The permit would allow for a two-story addition measuring 10.6 feet by 16 feet on the eastside of the current structure.

“We’ll use the additional floor space in the store for coolers,” Demakis said, adding that those would be used for beer and wine products.

Demakis said that if the permit were approved, construction would take place during March at which time the store would be closed for the renovations.

Noting the fine job the partners have done on the building during their years of ownership, the ZBA members unanimously granted the request.

Also seeking a Special Permit for the construction of a new home located at 16 Cove Street was Donna McCaffery, represented by engineer Rich Charon.

Charon gave the ZBA members a history lesson on the vacant lot, explaining its complicated past from being part of a singular large parcel in the 1800s to becoming an unbuildable lot prior to public sewer extension into the beach community, and then to a buildable lot if older set-backs (those prior to 1973) were recognized by the ZBA now.

Charon said that through his research he was unable to find any time when the lot had been joined to another one situated across Cove Street, although the two lots had shared a common lot line.

Charon explained that in the 1920s a public right of way that still exists today was established; thus, the two lots – the leading characters in the deed story – could not be joined to make one larger lot.

McCaffery’s aunt had given her the lot in question and the other lot went to McCaffery’s cousin. Now with the availability of sewer, McCaffery sought to have the pre-1973 setbacks approved and build a new single family.

Charon said that the Conservation Commission had issued an Order of Conditions and that the Board of Health would allow the sewer tie-in upon approval of the Special Permit.

The ZBA members saw no problem with the project as presented, granting McCaffery a Special Permit.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals will be scheduled for February 15 at 6:00 pm in the town hall conference room if there are cases to be heard.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Marilou Newell

 

Tabor Academy News

on

Science@Work Lecture Series – On January 29 at 6:30 pm, Michael Retelle, Professor of Geology at Bates College (ME), will share information about Paleo-Climatology through his study of arctic glaciers. Retelle did his undergraduate studies at Salem State College (BS, 1976) prior to working as a field geologist on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in 1976. He did his graduate work in Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. His primary research interests include glacial and marine environments and climate change in northern New England and in the Canadian and Norwegian arctic.

His talk will focus on the recent environmental history in Svalbard, Norway, with an emphasis on the alpine glacier history from the ice expansion during the Little Ice Age of the 14th to 19th Centuries to the retreat that began in the beginning of the 20th Century that has accelerated in recent decades. Svalbard is an extensively glaciated archipelago in the Norwegian high arctic that sits at the boundary of polar and North Atlantic waters, climatologically sensitive to shifts in ocean currents and related air masses, impacting regional sea ice and glacier extent.

This lecture is free and open to the public and will be held in Lyndon South Auditorium, Stroud Academic Center, 232 Front Street, Marion, on January 29 at 6:30 pm.

Tabor Academy Marine Science Expands Reach – Tabor’s Marine Science faculty is building new connections to enhance programs and increase research opportunities for students.

Building on the success of past partnerships with University of Rhode Island and Roger Williams University in Aquaculture, and their long-standing project with the National Parks Service and U.S. Geological Survey in the Caribbean through the REEF program, Tabor Academy’s marine science faculty have been reaching out and making new connections in the community, bringing new opportunities to campus.

Jay Cassista, Director of Marine Science, has been hard at work visioning a program that gets students engaged in more local projects to expose them to national research projects. His efforts have put him in conversation with the world renowned Marine Biological Labs (MBL) in Woods Hole, associated with the University of Chicago. MBL was so impressed by Cassista and Tabor’s passion for getting high school students involved in ongoing scientific research projects, they have invited him to be a member of their Secondary Education Advisory Board. The board will provide guidance in developing curriculum and infrastructure for robust year-round secondary education programs at MBL.

According to MBL, “In its 125-year history, the MBL has played a unique and pivotal role in fundamental biological discovery. Our blend of research and education has been transformative for generations since 1888, when the first students and faculty arrived at the lab. Many of the world’s leading scientists have worked or studied here, and more than 50 scientists affiliated with the MBL have been recognized with Nobel Prizes.”

Beyond the MBL Advisory Board appointment, Cassista has also been working on developing an immediate partnership with MBL scientists that might provide a template for their desire to inspire more secondary school students to pursue marine science. At a recent meeting on campus, Cassista and senior leadership at Tabor discussed having MBL scientist come to Tabor to do demonstrations, as well as inviting Tabor students to their labs in Woods Hole to gain experience using world-class instrumentation and to assist with MBL research projects. Cassista is already working on a proposal to expand MBL’s reach in the Southcoast in their effort to map flora above the high tide marks in the area. Tabor is planning to map Sippican Harbor and identify plants that might be affected by a 10-cm rise in sea level. The Tabor faculty are discussing several other research projects students can engage with next fall to help MBL collect data and present findings as part of a student research team.

Further, Elizabeth Leary, faculty and manager of Tabor’s Schaefer Wet Lab, is working with her students on the Oceans Genome Legacy (OGL), which collects samples of tissue from local specimens to be put into a gene bank for marine organisms. This project was suggested to Tabor by MBL, which is also participating in this endeavor; the OGL is part of Northeastern University.

Partnering with such high-level organizations gives Tabor students further exposure to professional research methods, opportunities to analyze data that seeks to answer vital questions about our ocean home, and exposes them to a wide array of inspiring scientists involved in research worldwide. The possibilities are endless!

“Helping Our Kids Navigate Our Technology-Driven World.” Join the tri-town school communities of the ORR School District and Tabor Academy for a free evening lecture for parents by technology consultant and digital safety expert Katie Greer at Tabor Academy on February 2 at 6:30 pm in the Fireman Center for Performing Arts in Hoyt Hall at 235 Front Street, Marion.

Katie Greer, a nationally recognized digital safety expert and Advisory Board Member for The Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe) has been featured in USA Today, TIME Magazine, CNN, Inside Edition, Cosmopolitan and more. She speaks with students and families across the country about the appropriate use of technology. Applauding the amazing power of our devices to connect us and amplify powerful ideas, Katie’s focus is on healthy use, understanding consequences for inappropriate action, and how parents can support children as they learn how to live and work in our technological world.

This talk is applicable to parents with children in 6th-12th grade and will help them with strategies to help navigate the digital waters with their children. Katie Greer will clarify the trends and challenges for each age level, providing parents with proactive initiatives to keep their children safe and aware online, now and into the future.

Tabor Academy and the ORR School District are pleased to bring this important topic to the community through this free lecture, open to the public. Please join us on February 2 at 6:30 PM at Tabor’s Fireman Center for the Performing Arts in Hoyt Hall, 235 Front Street, Marion. Reservations are not required, open seating.

Project GROW 2018-2019

on

Project GROW applications for the 2018-2019 school year are now available online for children who will be 3-5 years old by September 1, 2018. Project GROW is an integrated preschool program with three locations: Sippican School, Center School, and Rochester Memorial School. The program has a Monday/Wednesday/Friday group and a Tuesday/Thursday group, and both run from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. This program does not provide transportation, so families must arrange drop off and pick up. Tuition for the program is $25 per day. Financial assistance is available for families who qualify.

For more information about Project GROW, or for an application, please check out our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/ORREarlyChildhoodOffice. You can also call the office at 508-748-1863 or email ChelseaHarrison@oldrochester.org.

Marijuana Moratorium Ready for Special Town Meeting

on

A very brief meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen was held on Monday, January 22 to review and sign the articles for the upcoming Special Town Meeting – a meeting that will ask voters to put a temporary hold on recreational and medical marijuana sales in the seaside community.

With the fast approaching April 1 launch date of state rules and regulations governing the sale of marijuana, cities and towns have been hustling to impose temporary moratoriums in an effort to slow outright implementation and research options for establishing local bylaws.

Planning Board public meetings were held and the public – both pro- and anti-recreational and medical use of the plant – found the majority in favor of a temporary moratorium.

Now the Planning Board is moving forward with a public meeting to be held on Monday, February 5, at 7:00 pm at Old Hammondtown School. At that time, the public is invited to review the warrant articles being proposed by the Planning Board.

The Special Town Meeting Warrant Article 1 asks voters to place a temporary moratorium on recreational marijuana establishments. The moratorium article covers “…cultivation, processing, distribution, possession and use of marijuana for recreational purposes.…”

Article 2 covers medical marijuana treatment centers and also asks voters to approve a moratorium. This, too, covers cultivation, possessing of food, oils, and similar ingested or applied products. Section 12.3 reads “…the town hereby adopts a temporary moratorium on the use of land or structures for Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers.”

“We’re bringing back Attorney Katherine Laughman to answer any questions voters may have, especially concerning Article 2, medical marijuana sales,” said Town Administrator Michael Gagne.

Gagne said that the Planning Board confirmed that coverage of that aspect of marijuana issue was not fully vetted during previously held public meetings.

With that in mind, Laughman and Planning Board Administrator Mary Crain will respond to any questions.

The moratoria, if accepted at the Special Town Meeting and approved by the Attorney General, would remain in place until December 31, 2018.

A two-thirds vote is required for approval of the new temporary bylaws.

The Special Town Meeting is scheduled for February 12 at 6:30 pm at Old Rochester Regional High School’s auditorium. The warrant is available in hardcopy at Town Hall and is viewable and downloadable from the Town’s website, www.mattapoisett.net.

Also during the meeting, the selectmen were advised by Gagne that the state would be providing some sewer rate relief funding.

Gagne also presented the selectmen for their signatures two PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) programs for solar arrays constructed off of Crystal Spring Road.

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

Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen

By Marilou Newell

 

Polar Plunge Warms Hearts

on

“Celebratory, inclusive, and a little crazy.” These words, spoken by Tabor Academy junior Grace Ryan (Class of ‘19), aptly characterize last Sunday’s Polar Plunge at Silvershell Beach in Marion.

Proceeds from the annual plunge benefit the school’s Special Olympics Young Athletes Program, which pairs Tabor student volunteers with cognitively- and developmentally-delayed children to work on building fundamental skills.

The mood was festive as students from Tabor and Sandwich High School (fundraising rivals) showed up at Silvershell Beach – many in shorts and flip-flops – for their second annual dip.

After a few opening remarks and words of gratitude, it was go-time. Locking hands for moral support, participants raced into – and right back out of – water that was the same frigid 42 degrees as the air outside. Even Tim Cleary, dean of the freshman and sophomore class, took the plunge – fully clothed, hat and all.

The tally as of Monday was $8,000 raised from pledges, donations, and sales of “Freezin’ for a Reason” Polar Plunge sweatshirts at Sunday’s event. Almost $1,100 of that was raised by Tabor’s Annalisa Souza (Class of ‘18), who was last year’s top fundraiser as well.

It was over in a blur, literally, but the benefits will warm these students and young athletes for months.

By Deina Zartman

Rochester Council On Aging

on

The Rochester Council on Aging announces the following upcoming meetings:

– Wednesday, January 24: Tax appointments will be held from 9:00 am – noon. Senator’s Office Hours are from noon to 2:00 pm.

– Friday, January 26: Bonjour! Conversational French I & II will meet from 9:30 – 11:30 am.

– Sunday, January 28: January day trip. Celebrate the New Year at the Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown, Boston and lunch at the China Pearl Restaurant. We leave at 9:00 am and return at 4:00 pm. Lunch from the menu is your only cost.

Please be sure to sign up well in advance to ensure your seat on the van!

Call the Rochester Council on Aging at 508-763-8723 for more information regarding these events. If you need transportation, please call the Senior Center at least 24- 48 hours in advance. Thank you.

FORM Brunch Fundraiser

on

The Friends of Old Rochester Music (F.O.R.M.) Brunch will take place on Sunday, January 28 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm at The Inn on Shipyard Park. The brunch will include a full buffet menu and live music performed by ORR high school and junior high school students. All are welcome and tickets are available – $30 adult/$15 children – by contacting F.O.R.M. at orrform02739@gmail.com. All proceeds will benefit F.O.R.M. to provide direct financial support for the students in the ORRHS and ORRJHS music programs.

School Budget Increase Considered Modest

on

So far, as the budget subcommittee gears up for fiscal year 2019, the Sippican School budget for next year is up just slightly above 2%, as discussed by the Marion School Committee during its January 10 meeting.

School Committee member Kate Houdelette, who is also a member of the budget subcommittee, introduced the 2.19% increase to the committee as “very minor.”

The budget includes the tuition for Bristol County Agricultural High School, for which previously only two students were budgeted to attend. This budget accommodates a third student from Marion who plans to attend Bristol Aggie next year.

Also included in the budget is a .2 position addition to a part-time physical education/health teacher, which would bring the position up to full-time and the total number of full-time physical education/health teachers up to two.

The budget also accommodates a .4 part-time integrated technology teacher position to advance their computer skills in alignment with the standardized testing that is now taken online.

“There are some standards that we have to meet that are already being created in Mattapoisett,” said Sippican School Principal Lyn Rivet.

Business Administrator Patrick Spencer announced the total budget sat currently at $6,058,000, which is up $121,000 from fiscal year 2018.

School Committee Chairman Christine Marcolini thanked Director of Student Services Michael Nelson for his role in reining in the Special Education budget by providing 99% of required services in-house as opposed to out of district.

“That should be a point of pride,” said Marcolini. “That’s great.”

Superintendent Doug White said circuit breaker funds – that is, funds from the Commonwealth that reimburse school districts for special education services in “severe cases of need,” as White put it – will be lower this year than last year.

“The percentage coming back to the district is lower than it has been in the past,” said White. “You should also be aware of that and concerned about that…”

White continued, “It all has to do with what’s happening in Washington [D.C.] and how they’re addressing education funding.”

In other matters, the committee accepted a donation of $30,000 from an anonymous donor.

“On behalf of all the children at Sippican, we say ‘Thank you,’” said Marcolini.

The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for February 28 at 6:30 pm at Sippican School.

Marion School Committee

By Jean Perry

 

OC Basketball Picks Up Speed

on

Although they didn’t start off booming as initially anticipated, the Old Colony Cougars boys’ basketball team has caught its stride in the 2017-2018 season, sitting at 6-3 and 1-0 in the Mayflower Small Vocational Division after winning 75-25 over Norfolk Aggie.

            The team’s 1-2 start in the early going was responded with a 5-1 tear. And while most teams go through some level of a rough patch during the course of a season, a high bar was set for these Jake Jason-led Cougars, which they now are meeting much more easily.

            “I’ve been asked a lot about the ‘slow start,’” Old Colony coach Matt Trahan said. “The ball bounces a certain way sometimes. We’ve been in every game. Lost to Diman by two. The Case game was a fantastic game; I wish we had more gas in the tank in the fourth quarter. The other one was by a close margin, as well.”

Trahan continued, “(We) try to stay upbeat, try to stay positive. I think we’re gelling. And in those two games, minus the Case game, we could easily be 8-1.”

            Growing pains are to be expected with important pieces from the previous year’s team graduating and roles changing across the board. Seems like that’s all the Cougars went through in the early going. All they needed was a little time to mesh.

            “I just feel like they’re gelling,” Trahan said. “You’re starting to see the extra pass. We’re not forcing the issue. It’s more fluid than earlier in the season when we’d play a little tight. I think we’ve got confidence in ourselves, and they’re really playing good right now.”

            The development of the team’s identity has given the chance for players to take on greater roles. While Jason continues to not only lead his team in scoring (23.6 points per game), he’s also one of the area’s most prolific scorers, remaining the team’s constant.

            Then if you look at the win over Norfolk Aggie, Jeff Betchold scored 11, and Hunter Soares and Ben Maurer both had 10. Although that wasn’t one of Zach Soucy’s best scoring nights, scoring five, he’s been the team’s second best scorer this season, regularly finishing in the double-digits.

“Zach (Soucy) is playing some real inspired basketball,” Trahan said. “He’s been playing great. Defensively, he usually picks up their best player, but he’s also scoring as well. Jeff Betchold has been in the double digits. And he’s just kind of that dirty dog inside. He’s not looking for the ball, but he’s looking to rebound – and he’ll get his points off that rebound.”

There’s a lot of season left, with all games being ‘must-win’ if Old Colony plans to win the conference. There are two opponents that this team has circled on the calendar though – South Shore and Upper Cape.

“There’s so much emphasis on those games because the league kind of rides on them,” Trahan said. “I think the other coaches would agree that any one of our gyms to play in is a tough venue. When you go to Upper Cape, it’s going to be a physical battle and whatnot. South Shore is an older gym. And then ours, when you get the crowd involved, it’s kind of electric in there. So every venue is a little different, but I think everybody struggles.

“And the coaches prepare. We all know each other; we all know what’s going to happen. Your kids just have to rise to the occasion.”

The girls’ basketball also continues to have success, improving to 7-1 (1-0 Mayflower Small) after winning 43-29 over Norfolk Aggie. Abby Cioper led the Cougars with 18 in the win.

Old Rochester Regional

Bob Hohne recorded his 600th career win as head coach of Old Rochester girls’ basketball after the Bulldogs beat Fairhaven 44-24. Hohne became the ninth basketball coach – both boys and girls – to win 600 or more games.

Cassidy Yeomans led the Bulldogs in their seventh win of the year with 13 points, while Meg Horan was right with her, scoring 12.

Win 601 for Hohne came against Nauset, who’d yet to be beaten this season until Old Rochester took control with a 48-45 win. Yeomans was even more electric in this one, scoring 23. Horan remained consistent as the team’s second leading scorer, finishing with 12 points.

High School Sports Update

By Nick Friar

 

Sippican School Kindergarten Parent Orientation

on

A Parent Orientation Meeting for parents of all children eligible to enter Kindergarten has been scheduled on Tuesday, February 6, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm in the community room of Sippican School. All parents of children eligible to attend Kindergarten are asked to attend this special informational meeting. Any child born before September 1, 2013, and is a Marion resident is eligible for enrollment in Kindergarten for the 2018-2019 school year. At this meeting, our Kindergarten staff will present our Kindergarten program, curriculum, and discuss our Kindergarten Orientation Program. We will also share other information regarding your child’s transition to Sippican School. In addition, school Registration Packets will be available for you to take home to complete.

Registration packets can be dropped off in the Sippican School office during the following times: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, and Thursday, March 1, 2018 from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. In order to have the registration process proceed in a timely manner, we are asking parents to bring completed registration packets and necessary documentation with them. If you are unable to attend on February 6, you can pick up Registration Packets during these times.

If you have a child who was born before August 31, 2013, and is eligible to enter Kindergarten but will not attend, please call the office at Sippican School (508-748-0100), to notify us of your decision. This will enable us to keep an accurate count of the number of students who will be entering Kindergarten.

We look forward to seeing you on February 6 and welcoming you to the Sippican School community.