Mattapoisett Preparing for Pot Plan

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During the November 6 meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board, Planning Administrator Mary Crain advised the board that Town Counsel Katherine Laughman of Kopelman and Paige would attend an upcoming meeting to discuss the current state of the legislation and fielding questions.

During previous meetings of the Planning Board, members briefly discussed how the Town of Mattapoisett would approach implementation of ensuing legislation pertaining to the 2016 referendum vote to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana and what role the Planning Board would have in regulating associated business venues in Mattapoisett.

Crain said, “I’ve invited other boards, including the selectmen, to attend the November 20 meeting.” She said that Laughman was taking the lead at the law firm on municipal matters related to marijuana dispensary regulation.

Also during the meeting, the board members discussed a request by Dennis Mahoney & Sons regarding acreage off Crystal Spring Road.

A letter from the company noted a request to remove certain acres from 61B status (Massachusetts General Law regarding recreational land classifications and taxation) to commercial classification. It was speculated that the re-classification would allow the property to move forward for additional solar arrays.

Planning Board member Janice Robbins said a public hearing was probably in order but didn’t know which board was responsible for holding a public hearing on the matter. Chairman Tom Tucker asked Crain to ascertain from Town Administrator Michael Gagne if the Town would exercise its right of first refusal or not. The topic was tabled pending the administration response.

Earlier in the evening, Patricia Harrington’s request to construct a new driveway at 167 North Street was approved after Highway Superintendent Barry Denham said he was in agreement with the plan as submitted. Denham also said that he had met at the site with the contractor and Tree Warden Roland Cote regarding unapproved tree removal mitigation and replacement of a stone wall.

“We determined that the stones were just random stones and Roland was happy with the planting of three linden trees,” Denham said.

In a continued hearing from October 2 for a two-lot subdivision off Randall Road owned by Gingras Nominee Trust, the board spent an hour reviewing waivers and revised plans submitted by engineer Alan Ewing.

At the previous meeting, the board members spent several hours reviewing the detailed drawing and debating the merits of a long list of requested waivers. On this night, they moved through a few remaining line items, achieving a consensus that allowed the project to move forward.

However, not everyone on the board was pleased to be approving a 25-foot roadway as Robbins declared, “For the record, I think we’re still approving a driveway, not a road.”

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for November 20 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

 

Observing Veterans Day in the Tri-Town

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Look no further for your local Veterans Day observance gatherings happening on Friday, November 10, and Saturday, November 11.

On Friday, Mattapoisett will hold its annual Veterans Day ceremony at 11:00 am. Join the Florence Eastman Post 280 of the American Legion at Old Hammondtown School and guest speaker Professor James E. “Jay” Hickey, Ph.D., Associate Provost and retired Navy Commander. In addition, Mattapoisett native and Miss Massachusetts, Jillian Zucco will perform at the ceremony. Following the ceremony, the Mattapoisett Boy Scouts will retire old and damaged flags at Dunseith Gardens, home of Salty the Seahorse, at the corner of Route 6 and North Street.

On Saturday morning at exactly 11:00 am – the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – the bells of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church, Center School in Mattapoisett, the Marion Congregational Church, the Rochester Congregational Church, the Universalist Church in Fairhaven, the Fairhaven Congregational Church, and the Fairhaven Town Hall will ring, thanks to the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club and their campaign to hold the first annual Bells of Remembrance in the Tri-Town area and beyond. The bells will ring for one full minute and are intended to provide those who hear them a moment to acknowledge and reflect on our veteran women and men and their role in protecting our country. Says the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club: “It is a time to remember and reflect on our great fortune as Americans. If you are within earshot of one of these magnificent buildings on November 11, take a minute and listen.”

Also on Saturday, November 11 at 11:00 am, Marion will observe Veterans Day with its annual ceremony to be held at Veteran’s Memorial Park at Old Landing on Front Street. (In the event of rain, location will be changed to the Sippican School multipurpose room). Hannah Moore will lead the school band in some patriotic song selections, and the keynote speaker this year is Lieutenant Heather Hutchinson of Germantown, Tennessee, who served in 2003 aboard the USS Frank Cable in Guam as information technician second class. After that tour, she completed the Navy’s Bachelor Degree Completion Program and then was at Officer Candidate School of Officer Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island, as a Supply Corps officer. In 2013, she returned to the USS Frank Cable in Guam as services officer, and then later returned to serve as an instructor at the Navy Supply Corps School. In 2015, she was selected as a Special Duty Officer, human resource professional. She is currently the deputy director of military personnel and the equal opportunity manager for the U.S. Naval War College in Newport.

Both of Lt. Hutchison’s parents served in the Navy, and her brother, Scott, served in the Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq and Africa. Her sister, Mhairi, was a hospice corpsman in Germany to assist in the War on Terror. Her younger brother Ronnie has served 10 years with the Navy’s Submarine Forces.

This information was compiled from press releases sent by the Towns of Marion and Mattapoisett and the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club.

Mattapoisett Woman’s Club

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Come and join the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club members on November 16 at Reynard Hall of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church, 27 Church Street. We gather at 11:00 am to socialize with members, followed by a luncheon and our guest speaker, Mr. Bruce Strickrott from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Mr. Strickrott’s presentation is “Dive Deeper: Humans and Roots Exploring Together.” He will talk about the all-new Alvin, a deep-diving submersible and its mission to explore the depths of the ocean. If you are interested in attending or want more information, please contact Christine Voss at 508-758-3348.

Paul Etienne Milott Jr.

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Paul Etienne Milott Jr. of Mattapoisett and Jupiter, FL passed away at St Luke’s hospital in New Bedford on November 7, 2017. He was 82.

Paul was born in Cambridge, MA, the son of the late Paul E. Milott and Adrienne (Messier) Milott. After graduation from Newton Public Schools, Paul attended Tufts University, Medford, MA where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He would later receive a Master’s in Business Administration from Ana Maria College, Worcester, MA.

Upon graduation from Tufts in 1956, he accepted a position as a vehicle test engineer at Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan. It was during this period that he met his future wife, Edith Ilona Soderblom. They were married in 1960.

In 1962, Paul accepted a Senior Development Engineer position at Pratt’s Whitney Aircraft in West Palm Beach, FL. Paul relocated to New England in the mid 1960s following the passing of his father in Newton, MA. In the Hartford, CT area, he joined the Machine Tools Operations of Colt Industrial in a new product testing and quality management role.

In the early 1970s, Paul and family returned to Massachusetts, settling in Shrewsbury. Soon after, he joined the former Data General Corporation in Westboro (computer system manufacturing) as Director of Quality. He completed a 23-year career holding a variety of positions in corporate management.

Paul’s connection with Mattapoisett started in 1950, during the days of the original St. Anthony’s Church, Freddie’s Texaco, and Lariviere’s Pharmacy, when his parents built a summer residence at Crescent Beach. He and his family summered at Crescent Beach until 1998, when he retired to a newly built home near the village center.

Paul was an active retiree that participated on the Computer Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals. He served St. Anthony’s Parish as a Eucharistic Minister. Paul enjoyed many a weekend power boating on the water in Buzzard’s Bay. He was an active runner for many years, who frequently participated in nearby 5K races. In later years, bicycling became his favorite outdoor past time.

Preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Edith Ilona, surviving family members include his wife Paula M. Milott of Mattapoisett and Jupiter, FL; son, Paul E. Milott III and his wife Kathleen of Cambridge, MA; daughter Lisa M. Puhala and husband Richard of Round Rock, TX; daughter Karli A. Lomax and husband Michael of Houston, TX; and four grandchildren, Isabella Puhala, Colette Puhala, Jalen Lomax, and Payton Lomax. He was predeceased by his sister Virginia Grace and is survived by brother, Jon Everett Milott, Jamestown, RI and Merritt Island, FL.

His Funeral was held on Monday from the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett, followed by his Funeral Mass at St. Anthony’s Church. Visiting hours were held on Sunday. Burial followed in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the St. Anthony’s Church, P.O. Box 501, Mattapoisett, MA 02739. For guestbook. please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

 

Laura (Grant) Anderson

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Laura (Grant) Anderson, 73, of Mattapoisett died peacefully at Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, MA on November 4th, 2017.

She was the wife of the late Joseph W. Pelczar.

Born in Hartford, CT, the daughter of the late Douglas C. and Mary Alice (Lovejoy) Grant, she lived in Mattapoisett most of her life and wintered on Amelia Island in Florida.

She graduated from Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts and attended the University of Hartford Art School and took art classes at the Rhode Island School of Design as well. Laura was an accomplished and well-respected artist in both the local community and across the country. She exhibited her artwork in numerous art galleries across Massachusetts on Newbury Street in Boston, Cape Cod, Block Island, Rhode Island, and Water Street Gallery in Mattapoisett. Laura was always fascinated with painting as a vehicle by which she can transport herself to another place.

Laura was an active member of the Buzzards Bay Rowing Club over the past 10 years if her life. The Rowing Club participated in Whaleboat races across the state of Massachusetts. Laura’s hobbies include biking, rowing, walking, reading, traveling, and gardening.

Laura Anderson was an amiable person admired by all her friends and everyone she met.

She was a loving mother and a devoted loving wife.

Survivors include her sons, Russell W. Anderson and Spencer Grant Anderson.

Her Graveside Service will be held on Saturday, November 18th at 12 Noon at St. Anthony’s Cemetery in Mattapoisett. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett. Donations in Laura’s memory may be made to the Buzzards Bay Rowing Club, P.O. Box 86, Fairhaven, MA 02719. For online guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Town and Property Owner Unite to Re-Zone

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The Marion Board of Selectmen on November 7 pledged their support to help pave the way for a zoning change that would allow Marion resident Sherman Briggs to develop property he owns north of Route 6 into a condominium development.

That support was represented by a unanimous vote to place a zoning bylaw amendment article on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant (date not yet scheduled) to change the current zoning status of the property from Commercial to Residential E.

An article on the 2017 Annual Town Meeting requesting the same zoning change was defeated, and other prior related zoning requests for this land were also denied by voters at other past town meetings.

Expressing her strong support for re-zoning was Marion Planning Board Chairman Eileen Marum, who said, “We’re here to support Mr. Sherman and his effort to get the property rezoned.

“It would be in keeping with what the residents of the town wanted (as stated in the Master Plan approved by voters during the October Special Town Meeting) as far as ‘village style housing,’ and I think this is an ideal location for Residential E zoning because of the amenities that are close by.…” Marum listed biking, walking, boating, and harbor recreation among other things as amenities.

“And many of the residents are at a point now where they expressed a desire to downsize,” said Marum. “Their houses are too big and they also want to stay in the community.… It would free up the big houses for young families to move in.” She added, “I think this would be very valuable and it would let the residents know that we are following through in their wishes.

“This is what they wanted,” said Marum.

Town Planner Gil Hilario echoed Marum’s sentiment, saying, “We’re kind of all for it.” In addition, he said, Route 6 has been an area designated for mixed use, and, “A housing development would anchor mixed-use activity in that area.”

Having recently worked closely with Sherman on the matter, Hilario said, “I think my impression of Sherman is I think he’s made it very clear. He wants to put a project and move forward with it,” saying it would be prudent to work “in open dialog with him as we go forward.”

Dorothy Burrill on behalf of the Marion Affordable Housing Trust says members fully support the zoning change, “And that I don’t see any downfalls to making this change. I think it’s only positive for the town.”

Selectmen Chairman Jody Dickerson said, “As you know, this is just the first of many steps,” which he said includes an affirmative Town Meeting vote and approval by the attorney general.

“We’ve got endless talk,” said Selectman Steve Gonsalves. “I think this is a chance to show us what we can do.” Gonsalves continued, “Mr. Sherman is a resident … and is going to do a great project for this town.” He called it a “win-win.”

Selectman, but also Planning Board member, Norm Hills said he supported rezoning Briggs’ property for housing development. “It supports the Master Plan, and we should seriously think about [moving] forward with it.”

Although the selectmen voted to place a re-zoning article on the agenda, the Planning Board would have to hold the public hearing when the time comes.

Marum suggested joint meetings between representatives of the BOS, Planning Board, Affordable Housing Trust, the Department of Public Works, and any other vested entities.

“An extension of the ‘village’ is key,” said Gonsalves. “You’re going to connect – finally – the village, and you’re going to bring it across Route 6. And you have to do it safely.

“It’s going to bring the village out past Route 6,” said Gonsalves. “I think it’s all good… We want him (Sherman) to come in.”

Having discussed all that, Town Administrator Paul Dawson said the selectmen should communicate with the State regarding the ongoing bike path project, saying, “extensive engineering” has already been completed on the bike path, including the three possible crosswalks that will cross Route 105.

“There is a plan in place as to where that path is going, and if it needs change, now is the time to get that going,” said Dawson.

In other important news, Dawson had good news about the town’s NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems) permit, saying the Environmental Protection Agency, after significant negotiations with the town and its engineers, approved a settlement agreement that Dawson said would result in “significant cost savings to the ratepayers.”

The most significant part of the agreement is the EPA’s shift from requiring the Town to line the town’s three wastewater lagoons down to only one, “and that we would cease placing sludge in Lagoons Two and Three,” Dawson said.

The town will also undergo a comprehensive study on the operations at the wastewater treatment facility and how the town could improve its efficiency.

In other matters, there were three Open Meeting Law complaints filed against the Town – two by a Ronald Beaty of West Barnstable against the Board of Selectmen, and one by Marion resident Dale Jones against the Energy Management Committee (EMC).

The two complaints against the selectmen pertained to the use of acronyms on the October 3 meeting agenda – specifically, CMWRRDD and MRC, the Carver Marion Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District and Marine Resources Commission, respectively. Dawson and all three selectmen maintain that no Open Meeting Law violation was committed, but considered, however, avoiding future use of acronyms in the agenda “in the spirit of best practices,” as Dawson put it.

Gonsalves’ stance was, “Ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and urged Dawson to remove any mention of discontinuing the use of acronyms in future agendas from the official response to the complaints. Both other selectmen agreed.

Jones’ October 23 complaint accuses the EMC of holding an executive session for a reason unpermitted by the Open Meeting Law. Dawson said town counsel would be attending a meeting of the EMC on November 15 to advise the committee on any immediate action that may need to be taken.

As a side note, Jones appeared on the October 17 BOS agenda requesting appointment to the EMC, but the selectmen passed him over for Mark Endsley. Jones had also recently sought appointment to the CMWRRDD, but was passed over for that seat as well.

A Fire Department boat was badly damaged during the recent storm, having been battered along with its motor after the dock was damaged and the boat broke free. Dawson said the Town is working with the insurance company, and that this was the only significant damage of Town-owned property reported.

The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for November 28 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

 

Structure Fire in Mattapoisett

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A quick response by the Mattapoisett Fire Department to an early morning structure fire kept the damage to a minimum. The Department was called to a fire on Main Street just after 8am. The fire, in the second floor above a garage spread into the walls making it difficult to initially put out. There were no reported injuries and neighbors stated that the residence was a summer home and may have been unoccupied at the time.

Mattapoisett was assisted by the Marion, Rochester and Fairhaven Fire Departments. The State Fire Marshal’s office was called to the scene to investigate the cause and command declared the fire under control at 9:09am.

By Paul Lopes

Mattapoisett Congregational Church Christmas Story

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For 100 years, the Mattapoisett Congregational Church has presented the Christmas Story to the community in a unique combination of storytelling, music, prayer, and mission. The White Gifts Pageant Sunday will be held on Sunday, December 17 at 3:00 pm in Reynard Hall, 27 Church Street. White Gifts Sunday is celebrated throughout the world on the third Sunday of Advent, referring to gifts for those in need wrapped in white paper. Gifts collected in Mattapoisett during the pageant will help local children. Gift Tags are available starting November 26. Monetary donations are welcomed. People of all ages and talent are welcome to participate as readers, musicians, set design, acting, costumes, and more. The first rehearsal will be held on November 26 from 4:30 – 5:30 pm; leads must attend all rehearsals. Contact Patricia Berry, Christian Education Director, or Holly Gordon, Pageant Director, with interest or questions at 508-758-2671 or mattcongchurch@gmail.com.

Doctors Without Borders: One Local Man’s Story

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We wake up each day absent the fear that armed soldiers will invade our town, kill, maim, kidnap, or otherwise harm our physical beings. We wake up firm in the knowledge that if we are stricken by illness or injury, excellent medical care will come to our aid within minutes. Our comforts are many. Our confidence and security are intact. No one we know will die today of hunger. In the Mattapoisett River Valley where water is clean and abundant, no one will suffer a deadly water-borne illness or die of thirst.

Alan Hickey, as a member of Doctors Without Borders, has experienced the harshest of conditions that exist far away from his native Mattapoisett. He has also seen the very best of humankind and the very worst, oftentimes in the same day. Undaunted by the realities of traveling to areas deeply immersed in conflict – and lacking many essentials to human life, let alone those creature comforts – Hickey has lent his considerable talents in service to others.

On November 1, during the monthly meeting of the Machacam Club, Hickey shared his story.

After graduating from Old Rochester Regional High School, Hickey studied at UMass Dartmouth. It was there that he heard about Doctors Without Borders.

“I squirrelled away what I learned about them,” said Hickey.

Outside the United States, Doctors Without Borders is known in French as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

After completing his undergraduate studies in 1977 with degrees in Biology and Chemistry, Hickey went on to earn his masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Health Sciences. He also became a licensed Master Mariner with the USCG.

Eventually his career path found him working for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, spending winter seasons in Antarctica aboard their research vessel.

As important and challenging as that work was, Hickey felt a deep need to do more, experience more. Then he remembered MSF.

Hickey applied to MSF and was accepted, and for the past decade, he has traveled to areas of the world that others would rather escape.

As a technical logistician for MSF, Hickey is responsible for everything from securing water supplies in drought-ravished areas, to ensuring the smooth and seamless operation of generators powering life support equipment.

In his recently completed tour of duty in South Sudan, there was the added thrill of ensuring that deadly black mamba snakes didn’t join him in his sleeping bag.

“Every night, I tucked in all the edges of the mosquito netting to keep snakes out,” he said with a slight chuckle.

The MSF encampment was located off a tributary of the White Nile River. Hickey described taking planes of various sizes – mechanical integrity – as well as small boats whose edges sipped the water line.

The camp he was stationed at contained a few tents along with mud and bamboo huts.

“The temperature was around one hundred to one hundred twenty degrees, but inside the huts it was always ten degrees hotter,” he said.

Hickey said that when MSF first enters a region, basic infrastructure such as water, power, and sewer must be established for human survival before the medical relief work can begin.

“People need two gallons of clean water a day for cooking, drinking, and bathing,” he explained, while contrasting that volume against what an average American uses daily – an astounding 90 gallons.

Hickey said, “Assignments with the MSF are from two to six months long.” He explained that the organization is founded on the principles of “independence, neutrality, and impartiality,” tenets that, for the MSF worker, are at times sorely tested.

While in South Sudan, Hickey witnessed soldiers rounding up people, including children, for forced military duty. Sharing an incident that remains vivid in his mind, he said, “People came running towards the MSF staff saying, ‘Please sir, can you help me, they are taking my people!’”

“They live in complete uncertainty,” he told the audience. On that day, all the kidnapping victims were eventually returned through the valiant efforts of the local or native MSF staff.

But the story doesn’t always end that way. The area achieved its independence in 2011, he said, “… And has had big time civil war ever since.”

Hickey expresses levels of compassion laced with the reality that while working to his highest personal capabilities, the work is never done.

“MSF is working in seventy countries currently where situations overwhelm local medical services,” he said. “It’s never easy.”

Funding for MSF is strictly through private donations. “Government funding is not allowed,” he said, explaining it as a necessity for keeping the work of the MSF out of political influence. “It helps to maintain the safety of our workers.” He said that the U.S. arm of the organization raises the most funds for MSF coffers. “People in the U.S. are the most philanthropic,” he said, adding that, “Over eighty percent of every dollar is put into the field where the rubber meets the road.”

There are currently 34,000 MSF field workers comprised of native or local people with another eight percent being ex-pats like Hickey. MSF reported that in 2016 their teams had completed 92,600 major surgical interventions and delivered 250,300 babies that included C-sections. The group also reported providing 9.8 million outpatient consultations in 71 countries and aiding 30,600 people assisting in their rescue from sea. There are also 468 projects of an ongoing nature that MSF facilitates, such as nutrition programs, vaccination campaigns, and caring for victims of sexual violence.

By the end of his deployment, Hickey said he had lost interest in lentils and rice, confiding to the audience, “After about four weeks, you dream about food.” Hickey said when he returned to Mattapoisett, his family thought he looked horrible, having lost over 30 pounds from his already slim frame; but he said he told them, “I felt great!”

Clearly the work done by MSF staff members is a labor of love. Living within the similar limitations of food, water, and safety as the people they serve levels the playing field of life, but for Hickey there also this: “It’s a privilege to work with people from all over the world.”

Of the thousands that are served, Hickey gently said, “We are all basically the same.” And while it was “the hardest mission I’ve ever done,” said Hickey, he plans on returning.

“I have evacuation insurance,” he said with a warm smile.

To learn more about Doctors Without Borders visit www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

By Marilou Newell

 

Discover Buzzards Bay

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Take a morning walk with experienced local birder Nate Marchessault and the Buzzards Bay Coalition at Nasketucket Bay State Reservation (94 Brandt Island Road, Mattapoisett) on Saturday, November 11 at 8:00 am. The walk will follow a mile-long trail through the woods to the beach overlooking Nasketucket Bay, where the group will look and listen for wintering sea ducks.

Pre-registration is required for this free program. To RSVP or to get more information, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/nasketucket-bay-bird-walk-nov-11-2017/ or contact the Buzzards Bay Coalition at 508- 999-6363 ext. 219 or bayadventures@savebuzzardsbay.org.

This event is part of Discover Buzzards Bay, an initiative to help people across the Buzzards Bay region find unique and exciting ways to explore the outdoors, get some exercise and connect with nature. Local residents can use Discover Buzzards Bay to get outside and discover woods, wetlands and waterways from Fall River to Falmouth. To learn more, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/discover.