Tabor a Place of Art, Talent

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It’s pretty easy to recognize and appreciate the talented athletes and scholars at Tabor Academy. Students often watch games in the athletic center or out on the fields, and having classes together demonstrates academic abilities. What is not always as obvious, however, is the incredible artistic talent that also resides at Tabor.

Not everyone has a regular chance to see the work of some of the talented artists on campus showcased in the art center. There are, at Tabor, countless talented artists with skills ranging from dance, drawing, photography, and ceramics.

Some of these artists even plan to pursue their passions and talents in college, and both seniors Nicole McLaughlin and Jennifer Joung are planning on attending art schools next year.

McLaughlin had never even tried ceramics before she came to Tabor, but now she has received a scholarship to attend the Maine College of Art for ceramics. She attributes her success and accomplishments to Tabor’s program and her instructors, Kevin Arnfield and Bob Mogilnicki.

The best part of the program, she says, is how supportive each student is towards each other.

“We’re always helping each other better our techniques,” said McLaughlin. “We all want to see each other succeed.”

Mr. Mogilnicki and Mr. Arnfield are, as well, invaluable resources.

“They continually spark my interest in art,” McLaughlin said. “Mr. Arnfield has really pushed me as an artist by forcing me to break down my work and find what works.”

Looking forward, McLaughlin plans to do a senior project in ceramics, studying five different cultures and their traditions to find the “correlation between ceramics and society and culture.”

She plans to create pieces in the traditional styles, and then fire and glaze in the traditional ways of each culture, making each piece as authentic as possible. The end result will be a piece or a collection of pieces from each culture.

“The ceramics program has prepared me so well for this project and for college next year,” she said. “It has helped me find who I am as an artist well before I journey into my career as an artist.”

Joung, attending Rhode Island School of Design, has been in Studio Art since freshman year with Trisha Smith.

“I didn’t just limit myself to painting and drawing though,” Joung said. “I would use clay from the ceramics studio, wire, any materials we had.”

Joung’s teachers always challenged her to reconsider her perception of art, she said.

“Before Tabor, I always used acrylics, but Ms. Smith has pushed me to try charcoal, graphite pencil, gouache, etc.,” Joung said. “Thanks to her, I could put together my portfolio of mixed media and fine art for college.”

Another Tabor teacher who had an impact on her art career was Chris Botello, the InDesign and Photoshop professor. Through working with him, she said, “I developed an interest in graphic design and the process of thinking about how to communicate visually.”

Joung expressed how much she loves figuring out “how to incorporate the white space in the background to demonstrate a particular scene.”

For her senior project, she’s combining her skills for Photoshop, drawing, and InDesign to design and create a magazine.

Walking through the Braitmayer Art Center, you can see many of Nicole’s and Jennifer’s pieces. As they head into their college art programs, they will build on their skill sets learned throughout years of classes and hours of time spent in the studio to continue to create and excel in their fields.

By Madeleine Gregory

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Farmers Governed by Plumbing Code – Huh?

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Somewhere back in the forgotten history of codes and regulations is a decision that placed agricultural operations under the governance of the Uniform State Plumbing Code. As odd as that may sound, that is the case and it was discussed on January 5 at the meeting of the Mattapoisett Agricultural Commission.

Some farmers have felt that those regulations were too inflexible for agricultural activities and needed some updating to embrace current best practices.

The Agricultural Commission discussed sending a letter in support of a house bill that would begin the process of reviewing statues that affect farming businesses and give a bit more weight to the needs of those operations.

House Bill 236 sponsored by Representative Leonard Mirra, Second Essex District, reads in part, “… the board of examiners of plumbers and gas fitters is authorized to amend the Uniform State Plumbing Code, to include a category of agricultural buildings and operations, separate from regulations governing residential and commercial buildings…” This seemingly small modification could have a profound impact on farmers in the future.

Commission member Mike King said, “You can’t use PVC pipes [in some farming functions].” King said, for some functions, only copper piping is allowed, which puts an undue financial burden on the farmer. With this house bill, that type of regulation might be modified, he suggested.

In other business, the commission has produced car decals that they plan to sell for $5 each. The decal is a replica of the new ‘Right to Farm’ signs. The proceeds from the decals will help offset printing costs for an updated brochure the commission has been working on for several months. The brochure describes the town’s commitment to agriculture, support of farmers, and contact information.

And speaking of the new ‘Right to Farm’ signs designed by resident Lori Nunes, the Massachusetts Municipal Association newsletter, The Beacon, has acknowledged the beauty of the signs along with the community’s support for agricultural businesses. Commission member Melody Pacheco said another newspaper featured a piece on the signs and the town’s farming culture for an upcoming issue.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Agriculture Commission is scheduled for February 2 at 6:00 pm in the Mattapoisett Town Hall.

By Marilou Newell

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John Edward McCauley, Jr.

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John Edward McCauley, Jr. of Marion died unexpectedly on January 10, 2016 following a lengthy illness. He was 69.

He was born on June 9, 1946 in Bronx, New York, son of the late John E. and Helen T. (Fitzgerald) McCauley, where he was a proud graduate of Saint Helena’s High School. John earned his accounting degree from Manhattan College. While working fulltime John attended college in the evenings, earning his MBA from Saint John’s University in Queens and his Juris Doctor from Pace University in White Plains. Prior to his retirement, John was a corporate attorney specializing in taxation.

Devoted father of Kerry A. Reynolds and her husband, Jason E. of Marion, Kathleen Meegan McCauley and her husband, Donald J. Padgett of Middleboro. Adored grandfather of Meredith Welsh and her husband, David, Meghan and Kiernan Reynolds, Shannon, Morgan, Sullivan Padgett and the late John Reynolds. Loving brother of Patricia Curtin, Barbara Schum, Maureen Molloy, Marilyn McCauley-Quinn and the late Thomas McCauley. Also survived by many cherished nieces, nephews and his former wife, Virginia F. (Grasso) McCauley.

Funeral from the O’Neill Funeral Home, 59 Peirce Street (corner of School Street) Middleboro, Saturday (January 16, 2016) at 9 AM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Sacred Heart Church at 10 AM. Visiting hours Thursday evening, 7-9 and Friday, 2-4 & 7-9 PM. A reception following the Funeral Mass will be held at The Marion Music Hall 164 Front St, Marion, MA 02738

Memorial contributions may be made to: The Riverview School, Advancement Office, 551 Route 6A, East Sandwich, MA 02537 or The UMASS Organ Transplant Program (w3.umassmed.edu/onlinedonation/) or The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (giving.mskcc.org).

Selectmen Say ‘Hi’ to New Personnel Board

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Three new people have been appointed to the Rochester Personnel Board since the resignation of that board’s three members just after the 2015 Annual Town Meeting, when voters rejected an article crafted by the board that would have altered the Town’s Employee Compensation Plan.

On January 4, the Rochester Board of Selectmen met with two of the new members to discuss the Personnel Board’s main task – coming up with a way to save the town money by changing the conditions of the employee step increase policy.

“We just wanted to say ‘hi,’” Board of Selectmen Chairman Richard Nunes told Alan Boling and Christopher Peck. Third member Jean Armstrong was not present.

Town Administrator Michael McCue talked of an upcoming yet-to-be-scheduled first meeting of the newly reconstituted board, which will also include Highway Department employee Harrison Harding as a non-voting employee representative.

“I already have my suggestions, my thoughts, on how things should be rewritten,” said McCue. Other duties of the board, he said, would be hearing grievances and acting as an arbitrator, collecting and reviewing employee evaluations, and deciding on the annual three-percent wage step increase for non-union employees covered under the Employee Compensation Plan.

The plan currently allows certain employees to advance a step each year based on merit, but not beyond step number 10, the maximum, which Nunes said most often takes employees only 10 years to reach.

The comp plan, said Selectman Naida Parker, was established with the intent of making employee pay competitive with other surrounding towns, because, at one time, Rochester’s compensation was significantly lower.

“That has changed, so now, not only are we competitive,” said Parker, but in many cases, she continued, Rochester’s compensation is higher. Now, she said, the suggestion is to eventually eliminate the compensation plan and simply hire all employees at a competitive rate, relying on annual cost of living pay increases instead of the steps.

Nunes recapitulated the board’s consensus that an employee compensation plan step policy should be slowed to an extent so that employees would not max-out in just 10 years. He said, on the federal level, an employee comp plan might be slowed down, for example, to every two years upon reaching step five, and then, upon reaching step seven, the remaining steps would be attainable every three years.

“So instead of maxing-out in ten years … you max-out in eighteen,” Nunes said.

Other towns’ employees of this category, pointed out Selectman Brad Morse, are unionized. “We want to avoid that if we can,” said Morse. Boling concurred.

“That’s a good thing to avoid if you can,” said Boling. “If you can keep it non-unionized, that’s better for everyone.”

The Personnel Board will meet for the first time within the next two weeks.

In other matters, McCue wants residents to know that the 2016 trash and recycling schedule has been posted to the website in several easy-to-find locations, in light of several inquiries as to when the schedule would be mailed to residents.

The board briefly discussed codifying the Town’s bylaws in anticipation of an article in an upcoming special town meeting requesting up to $10,000 to pay for the service. McCue said the Town probably would not need the entire amount, but a little contingency money is a good thing.

McCue asked selectmen to think about some questions they might want to ask residents in a pop-up survey he hopes to add to the website – questions other than the ones pertaining to the town hall annex he plans to ask. Selectmen will discuss the matter at a later date.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for January 11 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

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Margaret Chubbuck Duff

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If you listen carefully you will hear the sounds of celebration from Fiddlers’ Green – the sound of Margaret Chubbuck Duff joining her late husband Peter, who predeceased her in 2008. Maggie left this world for her next great adventure on Boxing Day 2015. Following two strokes in 2008, Maggie (and consequently her family and friends) were afforded a seven year reprise until a third stroke ushered her onward.

Maggie was born in 1934 and grew up in Rockland and South Weymouth, spending her summers in Wellfleet. She was a 1956 graduate of Tufts University where she and Peter met and where she majored in Art History and minored in Fine Art at the Museum School. Following her graduation, Maggie applied her discerning eye and organizational diligence working for author Richard ‘Diggory’ Venn, and for then-gallerist and architect Nat Saltonstall. After Peter’s graduation from Tufts and the arrival of their children, Maggie focused her efforts on managing the Duff household and supporting Peter in the establishment of his boatbuilding business, Edey & Duff in Mattapoisett. When her brood fledged, she continued her earlier education, earning a degree in Graphic Design from the Swain School of Design, and applied the skills she developed there with positions at GHR Engineering and the Zeiterion Theater, both in New Bedford, and Abacus Architects in Wareham.

Maggie’s personal pursuits included fiber arts, teaching weaving for a number of years, and being quite skilled at sewing and knitting; she was a trail-blazer in nutrition, preparing, serving and enjoying what was to become the paleo diet years before it was popular; traveling with Peter and their children, either delivering boats Peter had built or sailing in far-away waters; and the warm company of family and friends.

Underlying all of this, and perhaps Maggie’s crowning achievement is the grace and fortitude with which she helped Peter navigate 40 years of Parkinson’s disease as an interloper in their marriage.

Maggie is survived by sisters Mary Louise ‘Mou’ Garrett and husband Kenneth, and Martha Rosewell; son Ian Duff and wife Kathryn; daughter Jane Gleason and husband Bob; and five grandchildren, Storey, Ansel and Haines Duff, and Gordon and Henry Gleason. There will be a memorial service in the spring or early summer, when the Coreopsis is in bloom. In lieu of flowers or other thoughtful remembrances, please feel free to make a donation in Maggie’s name to the American Stroke Association, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231, www.strokeassociation.org, 1 (888) 478-7653. Arrangements were by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett.  For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Winter Hiking Adventure

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Join the Buzzards Bay Coalition for a winter hiking adventure along cranberry bogs and through the forest at The Bogs in Mattapoisett on Saturday, January 16 at 1:00 pm.

Participants should meet at The Bogs entrance at 138 Acushnet Road in Mattapoisett. The walk is free and will run about an hour and a half. Please dress for the weather, including boots and appropriate winter clothing.

Winter hike adventures will take place on the third Saturday of each month this winter at different conservation areas across the Buzzards Bay region. The next winter hike adventure will meet at Destruction Brook Woods in Dartmouth on Saturday, February 20.

These hikes are part of the Coalition’s Bay Adventures series, which are programs designed for explorers of all ages to get outside and discover Buzzards Bay. To learn more about all our upcoming Bay Adventures, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/bayadventures.

Registration is required for all Bay Adventures. To RSVP online, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/bayadventures or contact the Buzzards Bay Coalition at 508-999-6363 ext. 219.

Don’t Stress: Students on Reducing Stress

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The calm serenity of winter break has been replaced by the hectic flurry of responsibility as school kicks back into gear. Clubs are reorganizing after the time off, and classes are slowly getting back into the swing of things. The daily rut has begun again, and the stress of school is already looming over the heads of students.

Life at ORR for a student can be stressful. Trying to juggle between classes and homework and clubs and sports can leave students feeling lost in a whirlwind of ever-increasing responsibility. Stress is a constant factor in everybody’s lives – not exclusively high schoolers – but the students of Old Rochester Regional have discovered ways in which to enjoy their high school experience despite the pressure.

For many, stress relief can be found from melodies flowing out of an earbud.

“What gets me through the day is music,” said Mary Roussell. “If I didn’t have music, I don’t think I’d want to go to school at all.”

And although wearing earbuds isn’t allowed in the halls, many students in studies and in lunch make sure to decompress with some of their favorite artists.

For some, meditation is a way to focus on what really matters and calm overworked nerves.

“There’s this really nice app called calm.com that my guidance counselor told me about,” said Erin Costa, “and it has guided meditations, it has timed meditations. You can listen to nice calming sounds for as long as you want to. You can do it as white noise as you’re doing your work.” On top of using meditation, Costa gives herself checkpoints of sorts.

“What gets me through the day is knowing that once the day is over, I get to sleep. And even giving myself pinpoints, like ‘make it to lunch’ or ‘make it to track’ is helpful.” Costa said.

But high school isn’t only a time to discover what ways are most efficient for stress relief. It’s also a time to grow and learn a new, more practical set of skills to use in college and beyond.

“I got very organized very quickly to adjust to my school responsibilities because as the expectations grew, I didn’t, and had to adjust right away,” said Jonathan Kvilhaug.

The pressure can be put on from a multitude of different sources, notably from peers. Appearance is important in high school, and despite its shallow influence, students take great care in what others think of them.

Multiple different students explained how their biggest stress came from their hectic schedules and trying to find time for themselves. And there is, of course, the sheer amount of work.

“The thing that stresses me out the most is when the expectations of teachers are more on the physical aspects of learning rather than the physical act of learning,” said Kvilhaug. “When the focus is primarily on results, it takes away from achievement in other aspects.”

Yet, teachers at ORR are understanding and offer wise advice and a helping hand to the students who need a little more motivation.

Being organized and responsible is a large part of maturing in high school, and English teacher Bertrand Allain has some helpful advice for students who may be struggling to keep up.

“I think it’s really easy to assume you can get by just on your intelligence, but you’re going to be more successful if you have some organizational skills to go with that,” said Allain. “Sometimes very, very smart people find themselves a little bit lost because they fail to be organized.”

And to those community members, parents, friends, or anyone who wants to know how to inspire and relieve some of the stress, a student who wished to remain anonymous offered:

“High school is a difficult time, with stress from other students to fit in and be liked, on top of the normal stresses of school. I think the biggest thing I’d want people to know is that you’ve all been here before, so when we talk about school, please don’t dismiss it just because we’re younger. [We] students sometimes need a little help, too.”

By Sienna Wurl

 

Both Track Teams Stay Undefeated at 4-0

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Note that both swimming teams had a bye week this week. Each team has two meets next week, against Apponequet and Bridgewater-Raynham Regional.

Boys’ Basketball: The Bulldogs began the week at home against Apponequet. The Lakers kept things close in the first half, as the score was just 25-23 at the conclusion of two quarters. The Bulldogs, however, pulled away in the second half and secured a 61-38 victory. Sophomore guard Jason Gamache scored 14 points in the win, including four 3-pointers, and junior center Matt Valles scored 12 and locked down 10 boards. On Wednesday, the boys went on the road to play GNB Voc-Tech. Valles led the team with 17 points in a 68-62 victory. A back-and-forth third quarter saw Voke go on a 14-1 run to tie the game at 39. However, the Bulldogs played well down the stretch and also received 13 points apiece from senior twins Evan Santos and Will Santos, as well as 12 from junior forward Russell Noonan. This week, the boys play rivals Wareham on the road on Monday and Dighton-Rehoboth at home on Thursday.

            Girls’ Basketball: The Lady Bulldogs had their second straight road game to begin the week, facing off against Apponequet. Despite being outscored 22-17 in the second half, the girls, in desperate need of a win, hung on for a hard-fought 38-33 victory. The girls played some of their best defense of the season, forcing 35 turnovers. In a fact that may seem quite unlikely, the team held all but two Lady Lakers players scoreless. Junior guard Sophie Church led the way with 13 points, including two 3-pointers, and she was flanked by freshman guard Maddie Demanche, who scored 9, and junior forward Olivia Labbe, who added 8. The Lady Bulldogs have games against Wareham (home on Monday) and D-R (away on Thursday) this week.

            Boys’ Track: The boys returned from a 10-day break to run against Seekonk and Wareham at GNB Voc-Tech on Tuesday. Both meets were easy wins, as the Bulldogs defeated the Vikings 73-13 and the Warriors 66-21. Winners included junior Will Hopkins in the 55m hurdles (8.2) and the 300m (40.8), junior Danny Renwick in the high jump (6ft), freshman Adam Sylvia in the mile (5:03), senior Jarrett Johnston in the shot put (39-9), junior James Goulart in the 2-mile (11:39), and senior Kyle Camacho in the 600m (1:38.5). The following day, the shuttle hurdles relay team competed at the Rhode Island Classic in Providence, RI, where they took fifth with a time of 33.5 seconds. The team was composed of juniors Hopkins, Renwick, and Eli Spevack, as well as sophomore Harry Smith. On Sunday, top freshmen and sophomore athletes competed in the Auerbach State Freshman/Sophomore Meet at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. Sylvia ran a personal best in the mile (4:56), and the team also received strong contributions out of sophomores Smith and Nick Elkalassi (55m dash), Owen Gleasure (high jump), and Evan Tilley (2-mile). Many of those top athletes will be back at Reggie when the team competes in the Division 5 State Relays Meet this upcoming Sunday.

            Girls’ Track: After a nice resting period over Christmas, the girls returned to action to run against Seekonk and Wareham at GNB Voc-Tech on Tuesday. The Lady Bulldogs earned double victories, defeating the Lady Vikings 61-25 and the Lady Warriors 69-17. The team was powered by wins from senior Zoe Smith in the 55m hurdles (8.7), 55m dash (7.5), and high jump (5-10). They also received victories from sophomore Madisen Martin in the mile (5:49), senior Nina Bourgeois in the 1000m (3:21), and senior Nicole Mattson in the 600m (1:47). The next day, the girls’ shuttle hurdle relay team competed in Providence, RI at the Rhode Island Classic. Expected to place well, the girls kept up their outstanding work, finishing second with a time of 35 seconds. The team featured seniors Morgan Middleton, Smith, and Elexus Afonso, as well as junior Brooke Santos. Freshmen and sophomores competed on Sunday at the prestigious Auerbach State Freshman/Sophomore meet at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. Standouts included sophomores Madeline Scheub (high jump) and Rachel Demmer (55m dash). The Lady Bulldogs will head back to the Reggie Lewis Center this Sunday to run in the D-5 State Relays.

            Boys’ Ice Hockey: The boys’ lone game this week was against Dartmouth High at their home rink, the Travis Roy rink at Tabor Academy in Marion. Junior Sam Henrie scored the only goal in a 1-1 tie, and standout goalie Chase Cunningham (Jr.) made 31 saves to keep the Bulldogs/Blue Devils in the game. This week, the Bulldogs will contend with D-R at home on Wednesday and Somerset-Berkeley at the Driscoll Skating Arena on Saturday.

            Girls’ Ice Hockey: The girls’ only game this week was against Dennis-Yarmouth at the Tony Kent Arena in South Dennis. Going into the third period, the BMWORR team was tied 2-2, but D-Y scored two in the final minutes, giving the Lady Bulldogs and Co. a 4-2 loss. Goals came from Bourne junior Tannah O’Brien and Bourne sophomore Leah Hidenfelter, while ORR freshman Chelsea Peterson had an assist. The girls have two games on the slate this week: Home at the John Gallo Ice Arena in Bourne against Plymouth North on Wednesday, and at the Hetland Arena to play Bishop Stang on Saturday.

Below are the overall winter team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of January 3.

Boys’ Basketball: (6-0-0)(6-0-0); Girls’ Basketball: (2-4-0)(2-3-0); Boys’ Track: (4-0-0)(4-0-0); Girls’ Track: (4-0-0)(4-0-0); Boys’ Swimming: (0-3-0)(0-2-0); Girls’ Swimming: (1-2-0)(0-2-0); Boys’ Ice Hockey: (3-1-4)(1-0-1); Girls’ Ice Hockey: (1-6-0)(1-5-0).

By Patrick Briand

 

Charles Edward Hoye, III, DMD

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Charles Edward Hoye, III, DMD, of Taunton and Mattapoisett, passed away peacefully on January 9th, 2016, at home surrounded by his family.

Charlie was born in Taunton, the eldest of 9 children. He attended St. Mary’s Grammar School prior to graduating from Msgr. James Coyle High School in 1959, during which time he met the love of his life, Carolyn, and also tore up the basketball court. He went on to graduate from the College of the Holy Cross in 1963 and later received his Doctorate of Medical Dentistry from Tufts Dental School in 1967. After graduation he served 2 years as a Captain in the USAF in FL. Upon completion of his military service, he opened his dental practice in Taunton in 1969.

In his 42 years of practice he was a member of the ADA, MDS, SEDS and was voted “Best of the Best Dentist” in Taunton numerous times. He loved his staff, patients and his profession. He enjoyed golfing at CCNB, traveling, running, exercising at the YMCA, reading the latest technology and most of all spending time with his family. He will be remembered for his humor, quick wit, stellar meatloaf, loud laugh and vast knowledge of trivia. Above all he treasured the relationship he shared with his best friend, the love of his life – his wife Carolyn.

He was the son of the late Dr. Charles E. Hoye, Jr. and Virginia (Cleary) Hoye of Taunton, MA. He is survived by his dear wife of 50 years, Carolyn Jean (Driscoll) Hoye; daughters Kristin Frizzi and husband Dr. James Frizzi of Evans GA; Kathleen Hoye, DMD and husband Kurt Federow of Needham; Lauren Kavanagh and husband Simon of Mattapoisett; Meghan Morrison and husband Jesse of Taunton; son Daniel C. Hoye and wife Rosemarie of Taunton. Also survived by 16 grandchildren: Nick, Charlie, Paul, Caroline, Roderick, Jenna, Kiley, Erin, Finbar, Wyatt, Keira, Krista, Owen, Holly, Harris and Lily (!). He is also survived by siblings: William J. Hoye DDS, Thomas C. Hoye, Sr., Rev. Msgr. Daniel F. Hoye, David M. Hoye DMD, Stephen R. Hoye DDS, Sara-Ann (Hoye) Mullan MD and James P. Hoye MD. He was also the brother of the late Robert P. Hoye DDS.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary’s Church, Taunton, on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, at 11 AM. Visiting hours on Wednesday, from 4-8PM, in the Crapo-Hathaway Funeral Home, 350 Somerset Ave. (Route 138 South), Taunton. Interment St. Francis Cemetery, Taunton,

Donations in Charlie’s memory may be made to St. Mary’s Church, St. Mary’s Square, Taunton, MA 02780

Marion Master Plan Moves Forward

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Marion moved one step closer to finalizing its Master Plan on January 4 when members of the Planning Board held a workshop to familiarize residents with the plan’s goals and details.

Several interested citizens showed up despite the weather, coats and boots dusted with snowflakes. Planning Board member Rico Ferrari qualified the objective of the workshop held at the Marion Music Hall.

“We’re introducing people to a rough draft of the plan,” said Ferrari. “We have drafts from the past so that we can get more detailed plans for the future.”

Several representatives from SRPEDD, headed by principal comprehensive planner Grant King, joined the Planning Board. As he did in previous meetings, King worked to break down the multi-layered process into something more concise and easily understandable.

“Our Master Plan presentation will probably only take about fifteen minutes,” King said. “Tonight is about you, about your thoughts and concerns,” which he pointed out was actually the goal for the Master Plan as well. “We’re approximately halfway done with the process of creating the Master Plan,” he continued. “Master Plans can run hundreds of pages. We want to create a clear, concise plan which is easily readable.”

The workshop on Monday night was actually one of a series of public workshops that the Planning Board has held. This open house addressed several different but interwoven aspects of the Master Plan, including improving traffic and road safety, creating new zoning bylaws to allow appropriate development in certain areas, and protecting the Village and Harbor.

“We want to adopt design guidelines which define Marion’s style, and will place clear expectations on the growth and environments which the town wants to see,” King clarified.

The driving decisions for the Master Plan come from town demographics and market and data trends. Marion’s age trend provided curious information.

Since 1990, Marion’s population has aged fairly rapidly, with the many residents nestled upwards of age 45. Marion’s average age in 2015 was 46.1. That is seven years older than Massachusetts’ overall average age of 36.1. Marion’s age data indicates that the final master plan will be driven largely by the needs of those residents 45 or older.

Several residents brought up Marion’s unique status as a seasonal destination for many residents. They were curious to know if SRPEDD considered that many of Marion’s voting residents don’t live in the town year-round while drawing their demographic analysis.

“You know, we didn’t think of that,” admitted King, “but it would make a good analysis. I’ll add that in right now.”

Residents also wanted to know what would happen after SRPEDD finalized the Master Plan, which King mentioned would hopefully be done in late 2016. Once finalized, the Master Plan will be submitted to the Marion Planning Board for their review. Once the final plan is submitted, SRPEDD’s role will be finished and it will be up to Marion to act on the plan.

Planning Board Chairman Robert Lane qualified the board’s role.

“We will review the Master Plan and decide which aspects we want to take action on,” Lane said. “We can then pass recommendations, and of course any changes will need to be voted on. But those will be the next steps.”

After his presentation, King released the group to a number of tables around the room – staffed by other SRPEDD representatives – where they addressed different aspects of Marion’s Master Plan. The residents could discuss any questions and concerns with the representatives. They were also provided with a sheet on which to write down any questions, comments, or concerns for submission to SRPEDD before they left.

For more information on the Master Plan, you may contact the Marion Planning Board at 508-748-3517. You may also visit the project website at www.srpedd.org/marion-master-plan or share your ideas on the Marion Master Plan Facebook page, www.facebook.com/marionplan.

By Andrea Ray

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