Funding Education

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Dear Tri-Town Residents:

Did you contact your elected state officials regarding the importance of funding education and, in particular, of funding regional school district transportation? You must have, because better proposals have been made recently. So, thank you.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ House Ways and Means Committee recently released their proposed 2018 budget. In it, they recommend an additional $15 million more than Governor Baker’s budget for education programs, also known as “Chapter 70.” Included in that increase was an additional one million dollars for regional school transportation (the Governor’s budget didn’t provide any new funds for regional transportation).* Even if this increase passes, the State will not meet its promise of 100% reimbursement for regional school districts’ transportation costs (beyond 1.5 miles). However, this increase does at least address the reduction that would have occurred if no additional funds had been allocated due to higher costs of transportation. (If costs go up, but funding does not, that means our local school is paying the difference.)

In addition, both the Governor’s and the House Ways and Means’ budgets allocate an additional $40 million for the “municipal aid account” to help cities and towns fund projects, which may free up additional resources for schools, if a town so chooses.*

Don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet, though. The process is not over. There are many other groups regularly lobbying for funding, so if education is important to you, you must let your state officials know it right now. Please call or email them to tell them your priorities. Contact information for all elected officials is available on the MA Legislature’s website (https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator).

Thank you so much for your continued support of education in the Tri-Town.

Sincerely,

Heather Burke, Marion

*Source = “Legislative bulletin,” MASC, April 11, 2017

 

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.

Rochester Historical Social Yard Sale

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The Rochester Historical Society will hold a yard sale at the East Rochester Church/Museum, 355 County Road, Rochester on Saturday, May 20 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Items may be donated for the sale on each Friday morning in May from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. No clothing or electronics, please. Any questions, please call 508-763-2122.

‘Every 15 Minutes’ at ORR

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The final days before Good Friday held a somber mood despite the impending April vacation as ORRHS participated in the “Every Fifteen Minutes” program.

Named due to the extreme 1990s statistic of someone losing their life every 15 minutes due to driving under the influence of alcohol, the yearly program spreads awareness of the dangers and consequences of such actions.

One way this was achieved was through guest speaker Jim Butcher, who gave anecdotal evidence to the senior and junior classes on the overall effect of drunk driving. The story hit home with the students, who were able to later retell what they had heard to the younger grades.

“The speaker was a father whose daughter, Courtney, died about ten years ago in a drunk driving accident,” junior Elise Parker recounted. “One of her friends was drunk and speeding while driving her and three others home, and he missed a turn and crashed. Only one of them survived.”

Junior Lindsey Merolla recalled, “He told us to consider what we’re doing before getting in the car, whether it’s drinking or texting, because there are people that care about us and our actions could kill someone innocent.”

The students who attended the assembly were visibly moved afterwards, some even tearing up as they walked back to classes.

“His story was really sad,” said senior Emily Ziino. “He talked about how his daughter was no longer ‘daddy’s girl’ anymore because she died … I cried a little.”

This wasn’t the extent of the “Every Fifteen Minutes” program, however. Members of the senior class had spent the previous day enacting the naming statistic as a student designated as the “Grim Reaper” wandered the hallways. About every 15 minutes throughout the school day, the Grim Reaper would collect a senior who ‘died’ as a result of an alcohol-induced accident; the ‘dead’ student would then dress in a black robe and spend the rest of the day in silence.

Between the ‘walking dead’ and crime scene body outlines scattered through the hallways, the severity of the results of drinking and driving began to sink in for all present at the school. Many conversations reflected on the activities that had been used to spread awareness of the dangers of drunk driving.

“It made many of us contemplate the harsh consequences of drinking and reckless driving, and that others may be hurt, too, because of our actions,” junior Stephanie Dondyk said.

By Jo Caynon

 

Bike Path Construction Slated for November 2018

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It’s been 24 years since the Mattapoisett Bike Path Committee began the very long, very complicated process of planning a pedestrian and bicycling path through Mattapoisett. But now the light at the end of that path is very bright.

The committee along with members of the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path have been dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s as engineering plans for Phase 1B went to 100 percent design. This second piece of the pathway between Mattapoisett Neck Road and Depot Street is a critical one for the eventual connection between Mattapoisett, Marion, and beyond.

During a Mattapoisett Finance Committee meeting on April 19, Town Administrator Michael Gagne reported on information he had secured from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the agency that will ultimately build Phase 1B.

“The transportation improvement plan (TIP) has put projects into a five-year capital plan and that was ratified by metro planning. Mattapoisett is slated for 2018. Things are looking very good,” Gagne told the committee.

In a follow-up with Bike Path Committee Chairman Steven Kelleher, a man whose perseverance for over two decades has helped steer the path towards reality, said, “I’m presently in receipt of a draft from the Regional Transportation Improvement project. Mattapoisett is on there for 2018 and 2019.”

Securing TIP funding has been a major goal for the Town as projected costs have soared, thus making a project of this scope out of reach for the Town. When asked how much funding the state program will provide, Kelleher was reticent to disclose. “I don’t want to jinx things,” he said with a chuckle.

The committee is now waiting for the 21-day public comment phase to close and then it looks like smooth cycling towards a construction start date.

Bonne DeSousa, chairman of the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path, was very pleased.

“We started Phase 1B in May 2009,” DeSousa stated. Now, with the project nearing reality she breathed a sigh of relief. “In January, things were looking very good for full funding.” She confirmed that $4 million was the estimated construction cost and associated state funding.

DeSousa said, however, “We don’t build the bike path – that is under Mass DOT administration.” Thus, construction scheduling will not be under the control of the Town, she clarified. In spite of that, Gagne, Kelleher, and DeSousa all confirmed that a November 2018 start date is anticipated.

According to DeSousa, construction will most likely take two years to complete, but when it’s done, “Oh, there will most definitely be a celebration!”

The Town Meeting warrant includes an article asking voters to authorize the selectmen to complete easement agreements where necessary for the path, including any monies that may be needed for legal costs and other associated fees.

DeSousa has turned her focus to areas where she can make a difference to the entire South Coast Bikeway, a chain of pathways that will ultimately connect Swansea, Somerset, Fall River, Westport, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Marion, and Wareham. One of her focuses will be on ‘soft trails,’ cleared navigable unpaved trails.

“We’ll be looking at a soft trail between Acushnet Road and Park Street,” DeSousa said, believing that to be not only an important piece in bringing the bike path closer to a connection with Marion in the industrial park area, but also something that can be accomplished locally. She said that once a trail is established off North Street, it’s just a short half-mile “chuck” to Marion.

By Marilou Newell

 

The Legendary Spring Herring Migration

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The annual spring spawning herring run appears as soon as the temperature of the water warms up. That rings the alarm of the herring’s biological clock for the time to begin its pilgrimage out of the ocean and up the coastal rivers to return to the inland fresh water ponds of its origin.

This is a truly remarkable natural phenomena classified as ‘anadramous,’ meaning migrating up rivers to spawn.

In preparation for this sometimes long, hazardous journey, herring school up by the hundreds of thousands as a group effort to reduce risk of predation by being polarized in direction and reaction as a single organism, able to wheel and turn for a synchronized evasive maneuver.

The herring run often with the larger cousin, the shad, as I have illustrated in my rendering, and this symbiosis has a historical consequence in early New England history.

It started as a godsend for the winter starved pilgrims of Plymouth in 1621, unexpectedly appearing with a cornucopia of protein-rich food, easily caught in existing Indian weirs. It became a dependable bonus to boost agriculture until, finally in 1707, magistrates here had to enact regulations to restrict and limit usage to just one fish for every hill of corn planted.

Then again, in 1778, the spring run up the Schulkill River at Valley Forge provided sustenance to Washington’s hungry troops and heartened their resolve to continue to fight on for independence.

Henry David Thoreau was just one of many prominent observers of the undaunted and intrepid resolve of the migration into Walden Pond, bravely against all odds, of which only a small percentage would achieve the reproductive mission of their resolve.

Thoreau likened their heroics to the embattled minutemen farmers who stood their ground by the Old North Bridge that arched the flood of the Concord River and were destined to reach their goal to turn back the ebbing onslaught of imperialism.

However, all too soon, the age of industrial waterpower was to bring migratory obstruction dams to New England, some of which are now gradually being torn down to restore access for the marching legions of spawning migration.

In the meantime, construction programs of alternate fish ladders by fisheries have provided passage around high dams, with constructing incremental and gradual series of smaller waterfalls with pools, rising up like the locks of a canal and quite successful in restoring the life cycle of fish freedom of movement.

There are two public runs in our area, the first in the Mattapoisett River at the intersection of Route 6, and the second a little further away at the Nemasket River in the Thomas Memorial Park in Middleboro.

When you see the gathering of sea gulls overhead, you will soon know a most spectacular spring ritual is once again passing before our very eyes to take us back in history, as well as ensuring the future of this legendary pilgrimage for our wildlife heritage.

By George B. Emmons

 

Marion’s Town Meeting

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To the Editor:

A View of Marion’s Town Meeting Warrant and Future Financial Situation.

Marion voters head to the May 8, 2017 Town Meeting to act on $30.8 million in warrant articles. That’s a lot of money for our small Town – $12,314 for each of our 2,500 taxpayers.

The operating budget is $22 million; water and sewer $5.1 million; and separate warrant authorizations and approvals including the special meeting are $3.7 million.

FY 2018 begins serious capital spending on various Town projects such as the wastewater treatment plant upgrades that will be financed with $1.9 million in debt. The Capital Committee’s 10-year forecast of $85 million appears in the Town Report. Considering $12 million for Town House spending, the capital forecast during a 36-month window FY 2018-20 will be $42 million.

With changing Town demographics and an aging population, educational spending is significant with 48 cents of each tax $1.00 going to the school budgets. The budget includes $10.5 million for education. The Council on Aging budget is $137,000 which is less than we pay for two Sippican School band teachers with six month contracts.

The warrant contains an authorization for Marion’s share of a Tri-Town independent review of ORR spending. A similar review for Sippican School spending too should be considered by a future Town Meeting. School spending needs serious taxpayer attention and administrative realignment.

Marion’s current, forecasted and unfunded liabilities, obligations, commitments and capital spending are estimated to be approximately $170,000,000 or benchmarked at $68,000 for each of Marion’s 2,500 taxpayers: $34,000 per capita based on population of 5,000 or 11% of your property value. This amount consists of debt $40 million; Ten Year Capital forecast $85 million, cost of future debt financing $21 million and unfunded retirement liabilities of $24 million net of the funding reserve.

Marion needs to focus on what is needed in the form of basic municipal services, and not what special interest groups want; the province of private fundraising.

The EPA has issued its permit ultimatum for the sewer system. The five-year permit now outlines what Marion will be required to spend on meeting wastewater discharge among other permit requirements. This will become very expensive for Marion and will trigger the sewer war over who pays for all this expense which can be added to the current Town House spending controversy.

Last year, the Town was presented a $ 28 million proposal for a combination Town House, senior center and library complex to be funded by 2,500 taxpayers. After expensive spending on design work, this proposal was rejected as too expensive. Soon expect to see a special interest project proposal to make an Olympic style venue sports complex at ORR notwithstanding ORR’s $21 million unfunded retirement obligations of which Marion’s share is included in the unfunded obligations above. Grass seed should work well for Marion’s aging taxpayers as a good alternative for ORR’s field restoration.

Marion continues to struggle with its municipal management. Gresham’s law is at work. There is a short supply of qualified individuals willing to run for public office and to serve on boards and committees.

May is an important decision month for Marion voters with Town Meeting and elections. Individual taxpayer impact of the future financial burdens using the $68 million per taxpayer beach mark will be determined by real estate taxes on the valuation of your property, water and sewer rates based on your usage. Look for robust increase in coming years. Forecasted amounts are continuously updated as new information is received for our Town’s dynamic financial environment.

Ted North, Marion

 

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.

Marion Spring Walk About & Artist Talk

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Visit Marion for a Spring Walk About on Saturday, April 29 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm to explore the town’s historic architecture and see original art. From 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Marion Art Center, hear artists Anthi Frangiadis, Kim Gatesman and Allen TenBusschen talk about their work – and the creative processes behind it – currently on exhibit at the MAC. Their group show, Black and White, features a compelling collection of charcoal drawings, electrostatic monotypes, pen & ink drawings and intaglio prints. A short walk from the Marion Art Center is Anthi Frangiadis Associates and the Drawing Room. There you can explore the architectural design process and ongoing collaborations with New England artisans. At 1:00 pm, artist Sally McCarthy, a Drawing Room collaborator, will speak at that location about her painting process. These free events are part of ArtWeek Boston. Presented by Highland Street Foundation and produced by the Boch Center, ArtWeek is an award-winning bi-annual creative festival featuring more than 150 unique, unexpected, and creative experiences that are participatory, interactive, or offer behind-the-scenes access to artists or the creative process. For more information, call the Marion Art Center at 508-748-1266 or Anthi Frangiadis Associates at 508-748-3494. The Marion Art Center is located at 80 Pleasant Street. Frangiadis Associates/Drawing Room is located at 11 Spring Street.

Adult Programs at the Elizabeth Taber Library

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Free Technology Workshops: Thursdays in May at 11:00 am. Come to the Elizabeth Taber Library to learn more about using email, social media, and taking advantage of all that the library resources have to offer. Workshops will include: May 4: Magazines, movies, more books, oh my. (ETL’s free online resources); May 11: Find your next Great Read through online resources.

To register for any one of these workshops, please stop in, call us at 508-748-1252, or email Libby at eoneill@sailsinc.org.

Deer Ticks: One Bite Can Change Your Life: Thursday, May 4, 4:00 pm. Lyme disease is the most prevalent infectious disease in Massachusetts and is now considered to be a public health crisis. In addition to Lyme, deer ticks can carry the pathogens which cause babesiosis, anaplasmosis, relapsing fever and Powassan virus. Join us on Thursday, May 4, at 4:00 pm as Entomologist Larry Dapsis reviews the basic life cycle and ecology of ticks, disease incidence rates and distribution of tick-borne illnesses. A three point protection plan will be presented – Protect Yourself, Protect Your Yard and Protect your Pet. Tick-borne diseases are preventable.

Larry Dapsis received his B.S. in Environmental Science & Biology at Fitchburg State University and an M.S. in Entomology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Mr. Dapsis has 35 years of professional pest management experience including vegetables, cranberries and household insects. He joined Cape Cod Cooperative Extension in 2011 as Deer Tick Project Coordinator and Entomologist. For more information, please call us at 508-748-1252.

Boys’ Lacrosse Shuts Out Fairhaven

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Here are the highlights from this week of sports at Old Rochester Regional High School:

            Boys’ Lacrosse: The Old Rochester Bulldogs boys’ lacrosse team had their first shut out of the season last week against the Fairhaven Blue Devils. The win was an entire team effort starting with the goalie and finishing with the attackmen. Playing his second year of varsity, Nate King saved 10 of the Blue Devils’ shots on net. The four starting defensemen, Nick Rego, Gavin Fox, Justin Shay and Andrew Riggi, allowed little past them. The combination of the strong defense and the stellar saves prevented the Fairhaven offense from accomplishing much of anything. Senior Charles Tirrell proved to be a crucial component to the team dynamic by helping the ball from the defensive zone to the critical scoring area. Tirrell had one goal and four assists. Alongside Tirrell in the midfield was Patrick Kiernan who finished with two goals. Attackmen Patrick Saltmarsh and Corey Lunn recorded two goals apiece. Landon Goguen was the leading goal scorer of the game with four goals and one assist. This win advanced Old Rochester to 4-1 overall and undefeated 3-0 in the SCC. The second game of the week against Dighton-Rehoboth was rescheduled to May 1 due to inclement weather.

            Girls’ Lacrosse: The girls’ lacrosse team hosted Fairhaven at home last Wednesday and also recorded a 19-4 win. The Lady Bulldogs with unmatched intensity easily won the game. Like the boys’ team, it all started with the goalie. Sophomore Gates Tenerowicz made nine saves. The Fairhaven Blue Devils had a difficult time getting past the strong defense the Bulldogs provided. Molly Lanagan, Julia Barrett, Caroline Thomas, and Mary Butler restricted the Blue Devils from many shots on net. In the offensive zone, midfielder Madison Cooney along with the attack duo of Emily Hiller and Ali Hulsebosch each managed four goals. Hiller and Hulsebosch also recorded three and eight assists, respectively. Additionally, Megan Shay scored three times, Avery O’Brien-Nichols contributed two, and Taylor Lee added a goal. The Lady Bulldogs continue with a perfect record of 6-0/ 3-0 SCC. Old Rochester was scheduled to host Dighton-Rehoboth last Friday; however, the game was rained out and rescheduled to May 1.

            Baseball: In their lone matchup of the week, the Old Rochester Bulldogs beat Dighton-Rehoboth 6-2. The DR Falcons started the game off fast and furious by scoring two runs in the first inning. However, when the second inning began, Old Rochester stepped it up. Junior starter Michael Kenefick managed to retire 14 of the last 16 batters he faced and only permitted three hits, two strikeouts, and two walks. The Bulldogs advanced the score to 3-2 by the end of the fourth inning, but soon created a greater lead from their opponents. Chris Labelle and William Hopkins hit back-to-back singles. Jacob Asiaf returned them home after hitting a three-run home run. This put Old Rochester at a 6-2 lead. John Breault and Kenefick each had singles, while Hopkins recorded three hits, a single, double, triple, RBI, and scored three runs. David Arruda pitched in the seventh inning, which had no score.

            Girls’ Tennis: The girls’ tennis team faced Wareham this past week and won 5-0. In the first singles, Delaney Pothier faced Elise Abbott and swept her away in a 6-0, 6-0 defeat. Danielle Nutter, playing second singles, continued the winning streak and won 6-0, 6-2 over Natalia Moulding. Charlotte Cole had a 6-0, 6-1 gain over Wareham’s Katie Russo. Not only did the Lady Bulldogs triumph over their Wareham in singles, but Old Rochester remained the winners of both doubles matchups. Emma Collings and Kinsley Dickerson played together at first doubles and came up with a 6-2, 6-3 win. Playing in their first varsity match, Zoe Bilodeau and Gracey Weedall contributed with a 6-2, 6-3 win. Old Rochester remains undefeated with a record of 5-0, 4-0 SCC.

            Boys’ Tennis: The boys’ tennis team was no different. They won their match against Wareham 5-0 to maintain their perfect record of 4-0, 4-0 SCC. Caleb Jagoda and Geoffrey Noonan both notched 6-0, 6-0 wins in the first and second singles. Making his varsity debut, Jack Cadden managed a 6-0, 6-2 victory at the third singles. Jake Thompson and Colin O’Malley played strongly together to achieve a 6-1, 6-0 win. First-time varsity players Joe Sheridan and Emmett McQuade also notched a 6-1, 6-0 victory in the second doubles.

By Alexandra Hulsebosch

 

Energy Committee Still Seeking Answers

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Business was light at the Marion Energy Management Committee meeting on April 24, as the committee continues to work toward successfully replacing the streetlights with energy-saving LED bulbs. Additionally, committee member Jennifer Francis reported on the pursuit of the substation connection for the proposed Benson Brook Solar Project.

The confusion surrounding the billing practices of Eversource continued to swirl Monday night, compounded by the sheaves of paper that committee member Rob Fisher provided from town hall, copies of the Eversource bills and the town’s accounting for the payments to the electric company.

In order to provide Town Administrator Paul Dawson with a concise comparison of cost savings with the LED lights, the committee is trying to determine the current per light cost of each streetlight.

Based on the information Fisher obtained from town hall, the committee decided to send Fisher, with committee member Bill Saltonstall, back to town hall to sort through the bills more closely with Finance Director Judith Mooney or the town accountant, Kathy Kearns.

Saltonstall related a conversation with Dawson in which Dawson stated, “With Eversource’s new consolidated billing, there is a list of summarized accounts, and when the town makes a payment, the money is merely taken off the top of the total the town owes, not applied to a particular account.”

The committee is hoping to procure the complete bills from Eversource to the town, where they hope to find a breakdown of the cost of rental, service, and energy cost per light. This information is essential to make the argument for the replacement of the existing lights with LED lights.

Based on the committee’s review of the limited information in front of them that evening, it appears the town is charged approximately $2,950 per month for streetlights.

Francis expressed frustration with the pace of the resolution to the substation connection for the Benson Brook Solar Project. Apparently, due to the location of the project, there has been reluctance by the state to move quickly to create the connection.

Francis spoke with Kyle Murray, the attorney for Senator Marc Pacheco’s office, who said he would forward to the Department of Public Utilities a summary of the history of the Benson Brook Solar Project. Francis immediately provided the material, and she remains hopeful that this will keep the project moving forward.

Francis also reported on the popularity of the electric car program in the town. The town currently leases four electric cars, and within a year or so will need to determine if they want to renew the leases, return the cars, or buy them outright.

Recreation Director (and Selectman) Jody Dickerson expressed an interest in getting a Chevy Bolt, since it has a longer driving range per charge. In an email from Evan Melillo, who has been assisting the town in the electric car program, he stated that the state grant program has been very successful. Its popularity has grown such that Marion should act fast if they want any more electric vehicles through the program, Melillo suggested.

In response to the often asked question regarding the conflict of electric cars not running on fossil fuels but being charged by energy generated by fossil fuels, Francis responded that “One-hundred percent of our energy is from wind turbines, so it’s a total win!”

In other business, the committee expressed disappointment at the turn out at their sustainability presentation with Jamie Jacquart last week. Committee member Eileen Marum underscored the value of the talk for town department heads and employees, saying, “Those folks would have benefited the most from the information presented.”

The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for May 22 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall.

Marion Energy Management Committee

By Sarah French Storer