With an agenda full of promising energy economies and alternative energy opportunities, Marion Energy Management Committee member Jennifer Francis presented another intriguing idea: electric cars for municipal use.

What Francis had discovered was a state program that provides incentives for eligible public and private entities to acquire electric vehicles, as well as the installation of charging stations, at reduced cost.

In speaking with Evan Melillo, administrative assistant to the Dartmouth town administrator, Francis learned the complexities of the state grant process. She told the committee members that Melillo was successful in completing the grant paperwork for Dartmouth. Since August, Dartmouth has been using several electric cars that have been largely paid for by the state incentive program. She said charging stations are part of the program, making use of the alternative energy vehicles more viable.

The committee members discussed which town departments might benefit from use of the compact car styles. They thought that such departments as the Board of Health, building inspector, and possibly the Police Department detectives might fit best for these economy automobiles. They also discussed the cost benefits of selling off older gas-powered vehicles versus paying for ongoing maintenance.

Francis will invite Melillo to a meeting in the next two months to learn more about the process. Melillo has offered his service to the town.

In other matters, committee member Eileen Marum reported on her efforts to draft a comprehensive energy management document that will contain such language as Marion’s intention to lead by example, to become a leader in energy management in the southeast. Furthermore, that town departments should measure energy-saving initiatives and all town departments should participate in the process are issues that are also addressed.

Member Bill Saltonstall brought the group up to date on the massive wind turbine project currently being constructed in Plymouth by Con Edison. He said Marion’s designated turbine would be completed in the coming weeks.

“It’s really very exciting and should result in 20 to 30 percent reduction to the town,” Saltonstall said. The cost savings will be realized by the municipality for its power consumption.

The committee is also looking at solar options, but await updated information on two solar projects – one proposed for Tucker Road in Rochester and one at the Benson Brook transfer station in Marion.

The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for November 23 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall located at 164 Front Street.

By Marilou Newell

In response to some parental concern over how sixth grade novels are chosen, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Dr. Elise Frangos on November 4 presented information on the reasoning and judgment of appropriateness behind selecting assigned literature, giving Marion School Committee members reassurance of the process.

In the past, said Frangos, “Teachers selected books they loved and kind of imposed [them].”

“Well, now it’s a whole new ballgame,” Frangos continued.

Books now are selected as the teaching curriculum changes and evolves. And as school districts statewide prepare for an eventual review and revamp of the social studies curriculum, which has not been overhauled in years, aspects of current events and topics are often considered along with the reading curriculum for a most comprehensive and relevant read for students.

Selections for this year include Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, the novel Lost Boy, Lost Girl by Peter Straub, and The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis.

“Each of these books is about heroism … and resiliency,” said Frangos. And they each touch upon the polarizing aspects of human existence that keep us separate until differences are faced and conquered.

“As a parent, I can see why some questions have come up,” said Marion School Committee Chairman Christine Marcolini. Some of the books, she said, contained some pretty heavy subject material. “As parents, it’s natural to worry, ‘How’s my child going to react to this?’”

Marcolini suggested the schools poll the students after reading each book to get a feel for their personal takeaway from the novels. She commented that sometimes a parent expects a child to take away something negative from a novel, “But then that’s not what the kids take away with them at all.”

“I think that could be quite telling,” replied Frangos, in favor of Marcolini’s suggestion.

Sometimes, said School Committee member Christine Winters, parents just want to know.

Director of Student Services Michael Nelson announced some changes to school policy and the student handbook at the suggestion of the Department of Education during its assessment of the district. First, under the bullying policy, school staff and school employees will be added as possible aggressors in bullying incidents, and the physical restraint policy was updated to include more staff training, the prohibition of seclusion, and the limitation of prone position (face down) restraint.

The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for December 2 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

Mattapoisett School Committee Chairman James Higgins is adamantly against adding further School Choice slots as a way to supplement the budget as a source of revenue – but on November 9, Superintendent Doug White told the School Committee that it is going to have to decide whether School Choice will be an option to address serious shortfalls in revenue, and if not, how the committee proposes to fund the district’s ever-increasing needs.

“Over the past three years, the district has lost $100,000 due to the cutting back of School Choice,” White said. “All three districts are going to have to sit down and discuss [School Choice] and get on the same page…. There needs to be a conversation.”

Higgins insists that the risk of having to spend more as a result of students coming into the district via School Choice outweighs the financial benefit. For each School Choice student, the district receives $5,000, which arrives the following fiscal year.

The chairman continues to advocate for a Proposition 2½ override to help supplement the school’s budget, but the idea is still only being discussed. No one yet is certain that a Prop 2½ override is the answer.

“Increasingly, the committee is asking us to fund the budget using the Excess and Deficiency Account … and that’s not how you fund a budget year after year.” The rainy day account funds are being depleted and continued use of the account is not sustainable, White said.

Higgins commented that school administration is going to have to bite the bullet when it comes to approaching town officials during budget season and advocate for the district’s needs versus the Town’s unwillingness to fund them.

“It’s a tough job,” acknowledged Higgins, “but that’s what they are there to do.”

Also during the meeting, Director of Student Services Michael Nelson gave a speedy summary of imminent changes to school policy and the student handbook. Under the bullying policy, school staff and employees will be added to the list of possible aggressors during bullying incidents, and the district is refining its physical restraint policy to prohibit methods such as isolation, and to limit the use of the prone position (face down) restraint. Staff will also be exposed to more training about limited use of physical restraint and how to operate within the school’s policy.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee is scheduled for December 14 at 7:00 pm at Center School.

By Jean Perry

The Rochester Memorial School received a generous $3,000 donation from an anonymous donor to purchase a commercial blender for the new RMS breakfast program, and Principal Derek Medeiros says he could not possibly be more grateful.

“With this commercial [blender] they will be able to make fifteen smoothies in one shot,” said Medeiros on November 5 to the Rochester School Committee.

The delicious smoothies whipped up by the RMS cafeteria staff are a real hit with the students, helping to make the RMS breakfast program the most popular of the Tri-Town school districts. Thus far, staff could hardly keep up with the students’ demand for smoothies as popularity of the breakfast program increased.

“We’ve literally been using household blenders,” said Medeiros. Those can only make a batch of three to four smoothies at a time.

Medeiros said that on October 16, he was sitting in his office when he got a call from the school secretary, announcing the arrival of an envelope with his name on it. Someone had slid the envelope under the door and left without notice. Inside the envelope was a check for $3,000 and a handwritten letter.

“Dear Mr. Medeiros, Recently I read the article in The Wanderer about the need for a stronger blender for the … breakfast program. I decided that it would make a perfect gift in memory of my husband who recently passed away.…” The letter was signed, “Most sincerely…”

Medeiros said he was shocked and equally thankful when he opened the envelope.

“Thank you to whoever this person is,” said Medeiros. “While I’ve been principal, I’ve never had a donation like that.”

“This is extraordinarily generous,” said School Committee Chairman Tina Rood.

As the breakfast program expands, Medeiros said he is looking toward opening the library to the sixth graders during breakfast, making it an “Internet Café” of sorts for the students and allowing open use of the computers, laptops, and tablets while they enjoy breakfast.

“It could be an opportunity to have the technology at their fingertips and at the same time socialize,” Medeiros said.

Medeiros and the School Committee lauded the RMS cafeteria staff for their culinary skills and enthusiasm for the program.

“It is nice to have people who love their job in the school,” said School Committee member Jennifer Kulak. “It’s a piece that makes it special.”

Also during the meeting, Director of Student Services Michael Nelson announced an immediate change to the bullying policy in the student handbook, at the advisement of the Department of Education as the DOE performs its audit of the school.

Nelson said language will be added to include members of school staff as possible aggressors or perpetrators in a bullying incident. Nelson said there will be a change to the current physical restraint policy, specifically prohibiting mechanical restraints, seclusion, and the strict limiting of prone restraint (lying face down).

“Physical restraint sounds scary,” said Nelson addressing his comment to parents, “but we use them as we do a fire extinguisher – in the case of an emergency.”

In other matters, Medeiros announced a parents’ informational session slated for December 2 to address the implementation of the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate) program. The tentative date for implementation and student introduction to the program is January 21.

The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee is scheduled for December 3 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry