Proof Before Approval

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When Neil Lefaivre of Empire Design-Build, Inc. met with the Rochester Conservation Commission on December 5 to discuss his client’s 24-foot by 17-foot sunroom addition, he believed he had all the proverbial ducks in a row. On behalf of Matthew Monteiro of 590 New Bedford Road, Lefaivre submitted stamped engineered drawings and evidence that abutters had been notified of the proposed project.

But as Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon flipped through the U.S. Postal Service tickets that demonstrated the mailing of meeting notification to the abutters, she asked if the ‘green cards,’ the signed acknowledgments, had also been received. Lefaivre admitted that his office had not received any.

Still, the public hearing continued.

Chairman Michael Conway asked Monteiro why he had elected to place the sunroom within the 100-foot buffer zone of the wetlands. Monteiro shared that he and his wife were gardeners interested in using the new space to grow fruit trees indoors and that, given his property was heavily forested, the south exposure placed the structure within the buffer zone.

The commission then moved to approve the Notice of Intent with conditions; however, when the vote was taken, Conway voted ‘no.’

Conway then looked at Lefaivre and said, “Do you know why I voted no?”

Conway, with a steady gaze on Lefaivre, told him that simply providing the commission with receipts that notices were sent to abutters did not mean that the abutters actually received the notices.

“It’s more important to show the abutters received it,” said Conway.

Farinon countered that the requirement was not to prove that an addressee actually received a mailing, but that the applicant show proof of the mailing.

There were several tense moments as Conway told the commissioners they would have to re-visit their vote to amend the conditions.

Lefaivre offered to call the engineer, John DeLano, to ascertain if his office instead had received any signed responses. DeLano confirmed via telephone that green cards had been received, and Lefaivre offered to bring them to the conservation office the following day.

In other business, Rick Charon of Charon & Associates representing Donald King, 425 Neck Road, requested a Certificate of Compliance.

“It’s really a lovely project,” Charon said of work that had taken since 2011 to complete.

Farinon confirmed the quality of the finished project, saying, “The project all along went really well … has no adverse impact … [and] ended up with a well done project.”

The Certificate of Compliance was approved.

An abbreviated Notice of Intent filed by Greg Carey of Clean Energy Collective for property located at 0 Sarah Sherman Road was continued until December 19.

Also during the meeting, Farinon updated the commission on the placement of a piezometer at Snow’s Pond on property owned by Rochester Land Trust Chairman Bob Lawrence. The meter will measure the pond’s water level including ground water levels.

Farinon said the Mattapoisett River Valley Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee will be using data collected from the meter for their studies. A draft document was submitted by Farinon for the commission’s consideration that will formalize the agreement between the Town of Rochester and the committee.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is planned for December 19 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

 

Raymond A. Lemieux, Sr.,

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Raymond A. Lemieux, Sr., 88, of Mattapoisett passed away unexpectedly at home Sunday, December 3, 2017. He was the husband of the late Claire (Fleurent) Lemieux.

Born in New Bedford, son of the late Olivier and Cecile (Doucette) Lemieux, he lived in Mattapoisett for most of his life.

He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War period.

Mr. Lemieux was a man of routine and enjoyed 7 AM coffee with the boys, cycling and attending activities at local senior centers. He could often be found sitting at his favorite picnic table at Ned’s Point.

He is survived by five children, Diane Kinney and her husband Sam of Mattapoisett, Pauline Parker and her husband Barry of Fairhaven, Cecile Callahan and her husband Walter of Mattapoisett, Raymond Lemieux, Jr. and his wife Jeannie of Eagle, CO, and Doris McCarthy of North Myrtle Beach, SC; his loving companion of 18 years, Jean Szyndler of Mattapoisett; seven grandchildren, Louis Ouellette, Jamie Oliveira, Michael Parker, Jillian Leech, Kelsey Callahan, Lucas McCarthy, and Lauren McCarthy; two great-grandchildren, Scarlett Parker and Jared Turchetta; and many nieces and nephews.

He was the great-grandfather of the late Kara Parker and the brother of the late Rolande Begin, Theresa Savoie, Rita Silva, Cecile Charest, and Leona Daniel.

His Funeral Mass will be held Friday, December 15th at 10:30 AM at St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett. Burial will follow at 12:30 PM at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Ave., Bourne, MA 02532. A reception will follow the burial from 2-5 PM at the Reservation Golf Club, 10 Reservation Rd., Mattapoisett, MA 02739. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Friends of the Mattapoisett Bicycle & Recreational Path, P.O. Box 1336, Mattapoisett, MA 02739 or online at https://www.gofundme.com/Matt-Rail-Trail or to the Fairhaven Council on Aging, 229 Huttleston Avenue, Fairhaven, MA 02719.

Now They Know…

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Taking advantage of the shortened school week, Old Rochester Regional High School held two assemblies in the morning blocks to show a documentary about the consequences of substance abuse.

Presented by the Clay Soper Memorial Fund, the film If They Had Known was shown to all students. Seniors and juniors saw it first in the morning, and sophomores and freshmen viewed it afterwards.

The documentary chronicles the night that 19-year-old Clay Soper died after mixing Xanax and alcohol. He had been at a party in his hometown of Winchester while on winter break from his first year in college. His friends who were with him that fateful night told the heartbreaking, yet sobering, story in the film.

The film was a wake-up call for many students at ORR.

“It showed us the real-life example that we didn’t see in health class when they said not to mix pills and alcohol, and that’s what makes the lesson more likely to stick,” commented senior Emily Bock.

The documentary did its part in raising awareness on the dangers of mixing drugs and alcohol and the seriousness of such consequences. Talk filtered through the hallways for the rest of the day on the subject that had been presented earlier, and discussion is always key to positive change in current or potential actions.

“Schools have made it abundantly clear by the time you’re in high school that, individually, drugs and alcohol are things you don’t want to get involved in, but I think it was news for all of us that taking drugs and alcohol together could easily kill you,” said freshman Lucy Zhang. “I think the documentary couldn’t have gotten the message across any better. It showed a teenager who didn’t know the fatal consequences and had actually died, which really struck a chord with the audience.”

“I think it was a bit more impacting because they gave background on [Clay Soper],” said freshman Jack Caynon. “I learned about the real dangers behind drugs and alcohol and that even if my friends suggest to do something, that sometimes it’s best to avoid the situation.”

ORR Update

By Jo Caynon

 

Christmas Carol Sing-Along at St. Gabriel’s

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The Eastern Ocean Brass Ensemble will present a Christmas Carol Sing-Along at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion, MA on Friday, December 15, at 7:00 pm. The quintet, led by Bob Katcher, trumpet, is comprised of two trumpets, trombone, French horn and tuba, and will present familiar carols of the season for all to sing along! The event is open to all, with a free-will donation joyfully accepted! Ring in the holidays with an outstanding brass ensemble, sing many of your favorite carols, and bring friends and family to create a new musical tradition! St. Gabriel’s Church is located at 124 Front Street in Marion.

Marion Keeps Single Rate Tax Status

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Marion will maintain its single rate tax status for another year at the recommendation of the Board of Assessors, with the Marion Board of Selectmen voting in favor on November 27.

Assessor Brad Eames and Associate Assessor Linda Dessert strongly urged the selectmen to keep the single rate for residential and commercial properties due to the sheer disproportion in the percentage of residential versus commercial properties.

“The impact, because Marion is so heavily residential,” said Eames, “the impact on the homeowner is relatively small compared to the enormous impact it would have on the commercial people because there are so few….”

To demonstrate the burden that would ensue if the Town adopted a split rate, multi-million-dollar Marion business Sippican, Inc., which paid roughly $150,000 in taxes last year, would pay about $242,000 next year. A smaller business like the Marion General Store valued at just over half a million, which paid about $6,400 last year, would pay over $10,000 next year.

The current tax rate of $11.41 per $1,000 will go up by four cents to $11.45, with a $200,000 home or business paying $2,290 with the new tax rate as approved. A $300,000 home or business would be about $3,435, and a home or business worth $400,000 will pay $4,580 in taxes.

Selectmen Chairman Jody Dickerson commented that Marion’s tax rate is substantially lower than other towns in the region, with Dessert concurring.

“What I’ve seen is, we’re not that high,” Dickerson said. “I could be wrong … but Westport is just a little lower than us. Everyone else is higher than us.…”

In other matters, Town Administrator Paul Dawson stated that Department of Public Works Superintendent of 33 years Rob Zora has announced his retirement effective December 15.

Zora has been an employee of the Town of Marion for 46 years since 1971 and was appointed as superintendent in 1984.

“It’s good news for Rob and his family,” said Dawson, “It’s hard for us.”

“He has always put the town first,” said Dickerson. “He will definitely be missed … and I wish him great happiness in his retirement.”

The Town will post the position immediately.

Also during the meeting, the selectmen approved a RFQ proposal for the feasibility study of a new town administrative building at the new community center, awarding the contract, not to exceed $34,300, to LLB Architects of Pawtucket, RI.

Selectmen also ratified the police chief employment contract for Lt. John Garcia. Garcia will replace Chief Lincoln Miller when he retires at the end of this year.

Also, the board appointed Susan Titus to the Tree Committee and approved Chief Miller’s recommendation to appoint Fire Chief Brian Jackvony as the community emergency response coordinator.

The board also tabled a request by St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church to tie into the Town stormwater collection system in order to acquire further information on details.

The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for December 5 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Community/Senior Center on Mill Road.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

 

Mattapoisett Free Public Library

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The Mattapoisett Free Public Library’s Children’s Department will be offering many special seasonal programs during the month of December:

Saturday, December 9 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm: Stop by the library before you head to Mattapoisett’s Town Tree Lighting at the wharf for a FREE cup of hot chocolate, make your own jingle bell necklace, and try to win a prize in our Santa Tree Challenge!

Wednesday, December 13 at 3:30 pm: Gift-Making Workshop to make a hand-made gift for someone special. All materials provided – free – children under 8 years old, please bring an adult helper. Please register at the library.

Saturday, December 16 at 2:00 pm: Make a candy lighthouse! Join us to make your very own candy creation – free – all materials provided. Children under 8 must have an adult helper; please register at the library.

School Vacation Week Events at the Library:

– On Wednesday, December 27 at 3:00 pm, watch the movie Storks; free popcorn will be served.

– On Thursday, December 28 at 1:00 pm, come to a craft workshop to make your own Super Slime Stress Ball to take home with you – free – all materials provided. Children under 8 need an adult helper; please register at the library.

– On Friday, December 29 at 2:00 pm, join us for a meet & greet with your favorite princesses! Cinderella, Rapunzel & Princess Beauty will be here to share their stories, sing some songs and take pictures with you. Come visit with them and make a special princess craft – free – please register at the library.

Annual Senior Citizens Holiday Dinner

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The Marion Police Brotherhood Annual Senior Citizens Holiday Dinner will be held at the Marion Community Center on Saturday, December 16. Doors open at 11:30 am; dinner served at 12:00 noon. Open to Marion residents. Residents may bring one guest, and admission is free. Must RSVP by December 13. To RSVP, contact the Marion Council On Aging, 465 Mill Street. Call 508-748-3570 with questions or to RSVP.

Thomas S. Yotides

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Thomas S. Yotides, 95, of Dartmouth, formerly of Rochester, passed away on Friday December 1, 2017. He was the husband of Demetra (Chagaruly) Yotides; they had been married for 65 years.

Born in Libohovo, Northern Epirus, Greece, the son of the late James and Olga (Boodry) Yotides, he and his family came to the United States in 1927 and settled in Waterville, Maine. He moved to the New Bedford area in the 1970s.

Mr. Yotides was formerly employed as a supervisor at Chamberlain Manufacturing until his retirement. He had previously owned and operated a pool hall and restaurant in Waterville.

He was a parishioner of St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army in the European Theater.

An avid poker player, he enjoyed traveling to Las Vegas. In his younger days, he played semi-professional football in Maine.

He is survived by his wife, Demetra; two children, Dino T. Yotides and his wife Vicky of Purchase, NY, and Tina Marie LePage of Dartmouth; his siblings, Spiro Yotides and his wife Geraldine of Waterville and Maria Yotides of Augusta, Maine; four grandchildren, Christopher LePage and his wife Elena, Tara LePage and her husband Sam Forgue, Catherine Yotides, and Christina Yotides; a great-grandson, Aiden Bradley LePage; and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his son-in-law, Bradley LePage, and his siblings, Kostandina, George, and Antonio Yotides.

His Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday Dec. 5th at 10 AM at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 186 Cross Rd., Dartmouth. His family will receive visitors at the church from 9-10 AM, prior to the service. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to The Holy Trinity Church Soup Run (a program to help feed and clothe the homeless), c/o Holy Trinity Church, 10 Mill Rd. New Rochelle, NY 10804. Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Healthy Tri-Town Coalition Building a Way Forward

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It’s been two years since the concept of building a coalition of people – people who could take on urgent social, mental health, addiction and domestic violence issues – first began in the hopes of moving the dialog to the point of actionable plans. And although the start may have been slow, the group has picked up considerable steam.

Resulting from a desire to better serve local people whose complex problems and situational urgencies affect the entire social fabric of the community, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Elise M. Frangos, along with health care professionals, educators and administrators, police and fire personnel, students and parents, and the Mattapoisett Lions Club are just getting started.

As each participant arrived on November 28 for the hour-long session, they were asked to select an area of interest such as Community Culture, Relational Violence, Substance Abuse, and Mental Health.

Gathering around tables to approach these specific topics, the participants were given some guidance by Old Rochester Regional School District Superintendent Doug White. He asked that as the sub-groups began their discussions, they try to hone in on one or two thoughts that could be developed into action plans.

“These issues are bigger than the schools,” said White. “These are community issues.”

At the table discussing substance abuse and mental health issues were several doctors, social workers, students, nurses, and teachers. Jumping right into the matter at hand, Dr. Jason Reynolds, pediatrician and also member of the Marion Board of Health, asked how they could educate parents and children. From that thought, the group brainstormed how the topic of drugs is processed by adults and teens, and their disparate appreciation or lack thereof regarding the severity of using drugs, whether prescription or otherwise.

A student sitting at this table shared her experience with attending several different forums, presumably geared for teens, which failed to reach the mark.

“I felt patronized,” she said. “We weren’t treated as real people… We were talked down to… I felt like a child.” She said those presentations, although well meaning, were just more, “Don’t take drugs,” without any substantive takeaways. She suggested more science-based material to help children and teens more fully appreciate the damage drugs can do to the growing brain. She also suggested the use of social media to connect messaging with teens – kids talking to kids.

The group also discussed the impact several smaller, community-based events might have versus larger singular events.

Over at the Community Culture table, the conversation was startlingly different. Issues of bullying, shaming, and racial insult were being discussed. One parent shared the experiences of her children, children of color, who had been horribly bullied.

Her words were like fresh wounds now shared by all within listening distance.

One of the students at the table shared her experiences being treated cruelly by other kids in her class, the disruption and hurt that it caused her and her siblings, as well as their parents. Everyone agreed that conversations of equality and dignity should take place in the home but recognized that wasn’t enough.

Mattapoisett Schools Principal Rose Bowman stated, “It’s a ‘we’ conversation… It’s gender identification; it’s racism.” She continued, “How do we get that message out across to kids of all ages?”

Little things can change things in big ways, she said.

Bowman continued, “The main theme is awareness. We have to teach people to speak out. You have to have the courage of your convictions, to step up, be strong.” She said that the Community Culture sub-group might want to consider a theme of “be aware and speak out.”

“The burden of responsibility goes to every parent and child,” said Bowman.

The table dealing with the umbrella topic of Relational Violence only had three people, but what they lacked in numbers they made up for in substance.

Frangos, along with Public Health Nurse Amanda Stone and student Alex Wurl were deep into how to get a solid message to impacted youth.

Fragos said, “The R.A.D. program has proven successful for grades six and seven and will be rolled out to grades nine and ten via a grant.”

R.A.D., which stands for rape, aggression, defense, is a program that has been developed to teach all populations regardless of age or gender how to protect and defend themselves through awareness and training.

Wurl discussed a course of study some of the ORRHS students were participating in that brought together tangible presentation skills with real-life subject matter. He said that his team had prepared materials and a presentation around the subject of the rape culture in the U.S., how to prevent victim blaming, and cross-strategies to combat the problem. He suggested that the presentation could be used as a teaching tool in the schools.

Stone discussed reaching out to other high schools in the area to ascertain if they had programs the coalition could tap into and/or to share Wurl’s concept.

As the hour drew to a close, it was clear that the participants could have continued for another hour. White asked the groups if they had been able to draw out one specific topic for further exploration and development. The resounding response was ‘no’.

The groups felt they needed one more brainstorming session to settle into an area that could be used to further the conversations and give the Tri-Town community solid information and assistance in these areas.

If you are interested in learning more about the Healthy Tri-Town Coalition visit www.healthytritowncoalition.org.

Marion Board of Health

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To the Editor:

In Dennis Lane’s November 16 letter to the editor, he raised the claim that the Marion Board of Health has in the past sought “to isolate [tobacco] products preferred by minorities and the LGBTQ community….”

As a member of the LGBTQ community who works on town-level tobacco control policy and is a homeowner in neighboring Wareham, I would like to provide perspective on the tobacco industry’s targeting of the gay community which has led to much higher smoking rates today.

2015 data shows that the Massachusetts smoking rate for adults is 14.7% while the smoking rate among LGBTQ adults is 20.6%. Among LGBTQ youth, the statewide smoking rate for all youth is 7.7% compared to 15.5% for LGBTQ youth.

Cigarette ad campaigns have targeted the gay community by purposely focusing on “pride” and “freedom,” two common focal points for the community, in association with smoking. This focus has been used for brands such as Lucky Strike, American Spirit and Camel.

In 1995, R.J. Reynolds, the tobacco makers of Camel and Pall Mall, targeted the LGBTQ community with Project “SubCulture Urban Marketing” or “SCUM.” Documents from the company outlined plans for an ad campaign targeting gay men in San Francisco to encourage use of their products. At the same time, they sought to publicly ally as an LGBTQ supporter and hosted both a booth at that year’s Pride parade and an after party at a gay nightclub.

And from a 1997 Philip Morris memo, the company noted, “A large percentage of Gays and Lesbians are smokers. In order to increase brand share and brand awareness for the Benson & Hedges brand, it is imperative to identify new markets with growth potential. Many Gay and Lesbian adult smokers also have a preference for menthol brands.”

Smoking is higher in the LGBTQ community because the tobacco industry targeted us successfully. And higher smoking rates lead to higher rates of disease and death.

Today, towns have available dozens of tobacco control policies that aim to achieve the three goals of the state’s tobacco control program: (1) keep youth from starting to use nicotine products; (2) help current nicotine users to quit; and (3) reduce involuntary exposure of second-hand smoke. Note that none of these three goals specifically targets or excludes any group of people based on sexual orientation, race or gender.

The flavored tobacco product sales restriction policy that the Marion Board of Health is considering limits flavored products to qualifying adult-only retailers. This policy works to prevent youth from starting to use nicotine products and to support those who want to quit and has been implemented in 106 other municipalities (including Wareham) around the Commonwealth.

Expanding this policy to include a restriction on where menthol products can be sold will further increase the impact of the policy. Since menthol creates a cooling effect, has an anesthetic quality and suppresses coughing, it makes cigarettes and cigars easier to smoke and harder to quit.

Restricting where flavored tobacco products can be sold will save lives. As a resident of Wareham and someone who works to promote public health, I applaud and support the leadership of the Marion Board of Health as they work to prevent young people from using nicotine products and support users who want to quit.

DJ Wilson, Wareham

 

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.