The Marion School Committee on September 19 made Sippican Elementary School the last of the district’s six schools to approve its own 2024-2025 School Improvement Plan.

            “This is our last stop,” Superintendent Michael Nelson said as he led the Marion committee to the approval vote. He noted that five of the six schools in the district have accepted their own improvement plan, and the Sippican School plan was now ready to follow along.

            Sippican’s new principal, Lynn Dessert, said the school shares five strategic objectives with the other district schools’ plans and the district’s Vision 2028 New Strategic Plan. One important aspect of the improvement plan, she said, is a focus on cultivating student success. Another is Climate and Culture, which, she said, quoting from the plan itself, provides “an inclusive, equitable and positive climate and culture in all schools that promotes sense of belonging for all school community members.”

            Nelson explained in a meeting last year that all the of the district’s local schools will have a one-year improvement plan, then go back to two-year models to be in sync with ORR’s five-year plan. The categories of Mission, Vision and Core Values are the same across the district, especially in terms of literacy and curriculum.

            The committee on September 19 also approved the Sippican School’s Student Handbook for 2024-2025, with notable changes.

            Sippican’s new assistant principal, Gregory Thomas, said the biggest changes beyond the listing of new staff include the bus arrival and departure times that students should note. Also, there is a new policy banning the wearing of decorative footwear or flip-flops for safety reasons, and a change to the policy banning cellular telephones. Smart watches have been added to that ban, he said, because their use is the current trend.

            In other action, the committee accepted additional grant funding from the Civics Teaching and Learning grant program in the amount of $32,000 and a grant from the Tri-Town Education Foundation totaling $689.47.

            Nelson reported the total amount of cafeteria meals served in 2023-2024 were 12,000 breakfasts and 39,000 lunches.

            The committee reappointed April Nye as chairperson and Nichole Daniel as vice chair.

            Nelson reported a Joint School Committee meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, September 26, in the ORR Junior High media room at 133 Marion Road, Mattapoisett. But that date, he said, is subject to change based on people’s availability.

            The Marion School Committee will next meet on Thursday, October 24, at 6:00 pm at Sippican School, 16 Spring Street.

Marion School Committee

By Michael J. DeCicco

The meeting of the Marion Marine Resources Commission originally envisioned with the Select Board will probably take place in November, so its September 17 public meeting became the commission’s forum to prepare to address the Select Board.

            “I told them in general we want to discuss Island Wharf management and that we had many questions,” said MRC Chairman Vin Malkoski. “So they, of course, would just like a little fair warning what the questions are going to be so that they can go find the answers. And some of the answers we know probably don’t exist just yet, we’ve got to work that out. But we just need to get that discussion going.

            “As people have mentioned, if the swales weren’t there, there would be more room for people to park, use the facility, that sort of thing. But changing that, of course, would require talking to the (Conservation Commission) and seeing what, if anything, is possible – if it can be redone. And, of course, there would be costs associated with it if they can be changed. And if they can’t, it is what it is.”

            Amidst growing concerns about limited space, Malkoski mused that a discussion about the location of the bandstand may be worth a try. Boat ramps could be considered for relocation as well.

            MRC member Michael Moore noted ideas that have been floated regarding the future of the former sporting-goods shop across Front Street from Old Landing and whether that land might be considered to park boat trailers.

            “You have to remember that Old Landing is a memorial park, too,” said MRC member Scott Cowell.

            Moore clarified that he was only speaking about the land across the street. Malkoski assured Cowell that no one is proposing a compromise of Old Landing as a memorial park.

            The MRC members agree that the town is running out of space at Island Wharf, and from that emanates a variety of concerns.

            One of the talking points the MRC wants in a discussion with the Select Board is, as Malkoski put it, “on paper we own the place, but we’re the last ones to hear about changes periodically. We want to make sure that doesn’t continue.”

            MRC member Cheryl Souza asked for clarification on whether the Waterways Account would be the hypothetical buyer of the land across from Old Landing or whether the town at large would be the buyer because it might be the collector of any revenues from boat-trailer storage, etc.

            Cowell recalled the MRC spending money to revamp the Atlantis Drive location to serve as the Harbormaster’s winter storage/maintenance facility until the town sold the property and the Harbormaster Department was left out in the cold where it concerns shelter and storage.

            “We never got a penny out of it, we never were asked,” said Cowell, explaining that it’s in the MRC’s interests to buy the property opposite Old Landing (rather than the town at large) and thereby assume control.

            Even so, said Malkoski, the timeline for such an action is complicated because recent expenditures such as half of the money it took to buy a new patrol boat has (pending an ongoing pursuit of grant funding) diminished the Waterways Account, an enterprise fund derived from harbor-related fees such as moorings and licenses.

            As for speculation regarding the property in question, Malkoski said, “there are a lot of what-if’s here.”

            Grant funding, as attractive as it may be to mitigate the hit from a purchase of land, might leverage a change in access rules, which, Malkoski noted, could defeat the entire purpose of such an acquisition.

            Management and maintenance at the site would “stretch the boundaries of the Waterways (Account),” according to Malkoski. “We have lots of questions; I don’t know that we want to dump all this on (the Select Board) at this next meeting. … Something has to give.”

            Cowell considers adding a new entryway to the water at Old Landing to be problematic in that the new traffic it would invite would cancel the predicated benefits.

            Malkoski said he would contact the Conservation Commission about the swales at Island Wharf. Moore suggested a pervious surface for any work at the site.

            “I think we’ll be fighting a headwind in all of this,” said MRC member Greg Houdelette, alluding to discussion regarding the location of the bandstand, among other things.

            The MRC plans to delegate sections of Harbor Regulations review to individual commissioners with a goal of getting its proposed changes in place by the end of the calendar year.

            The commission discussed moorings, including the possibility of color-coding commercial moorings. The members also talked about floats and appropriate fees per size regulations.

            The MRC yet awaits a new breakdown on the Waterways Account in the wake of staffing changes in the Harbormaster Department and indirect costs.

            Malkoski thinks setting fee increases without all that information would be a mistake, whether it sets the department back or generates an inappropriate surplus. The idea, he said, is to operate on a balanced budget and stay slightly ahead of the challenge of offering services at the most affordable prices.

            In the interest of fairness, Souza suggested a 25-foot minimum as a basis for mooring fees.

            The Marion Marine Resources Commission may flex its next two regular meeting dates that fall on October 14 and November 11 holidays. For now, the next scheduled meeting of the MRC will be held on Monday, October 14, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station on Route 6.

Marion Marine Resources Commission

By Mick Colageo

Addressing a need that had been on the town’s capital-funding priority list for years, Rochester’s Select Board Monday spent $245,150 of the town’s $312,000 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds on new equipment for the Highway Department.

            Select Board member Adam Murphy noted the new Cat 930 Wheel loader being requested by Highway Surveyor Jeff Eldridge for that amount has been on the town’s Capital Planning Committee’s list of priorities since that committee has been in existence. He explained that using the town’s capital monies for that expense “would have wiped out the town’s Capital account.”

            That made it an easy decision for the two board members in attendance, Murphy and Chairman Brad Morse, to approve using ARPA funds for what will leave that account with a balance of $66,850.

            The two Select Board members, however, tabled a decision on Eldridge’s other request, funding for a new front plow with spreader. Morse said more research on the equipment needs to be done first.

            In other financial action, the board signed Town Treasurer Ashling McLoughlin’s renewal of the Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) for two Fire Department equipment purchases. The pumper truck will have a continuing cost of $199,000 and a principal cost of $49,000. The ambulance will have a continuing cost of $48,000 and a principal cost of $24,000.

            In other business, the board approved a new Police Department procedure that will regulate the use of drones within the town.

            The board signed Town Clerk Marjorie Barrows’ request for three additional detail police officers for the November 5 Presidential Election. Police Chief Michael Assad, Jr. said he will supply the names the officers that will be assigned at a later date.

            The board approved the appointment of Suzanne Szyndlar, who is also the town’s finance director, to the Board of Assessors and Halima Tiffany as a member of the Registrars of Voters.

            The board appointed Town Administrator Cameron Durant, Executive Assistant Andreia Lacerda and Administrative Assistant Emily Dumas-Harding as the administrators of the town’s social-media account and postings. “Make sure you verify stuff before it goes out,” Murphy emphasized.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board will be held on Monday, October 7, at 6:00 pm at the Rochester Council on Aging, 67 Dexter Lane.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco