Marion Art Center Fall Classes

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The Marion Art Center is now accepting registrations for its Fall 2015 classes. The Marion Art Center is located at 80 Pleasant Street (main entrance is on Main Street) in Marion. For more information, please call 508-748-1266 or to register for any of the Fall 2015 classes on-line, visit http://www.marionartcenter.org/about/register/.

Adult Classes

Watercolor Painting for Adult Beginners: Thursdays, 10:00 am to noon for eight weeks from September 24 to November 19 (Note: No class on November 5). Tuition: $180 members / $195 non-members (supplies not included). Instructor: Patricia White. Note: This course requires a minimum of five students to run.

This course is designed for people who would like to try watercolor painting, but do not know where to start. Students will explore different techniques, while working on the landscape, still life, figurative, and/or imaginative painting, in a nurturing environment. Participants should bring to the first class whatever supplies they have on hand. A suggested Beginner’s Supply List will be available at the first class.

Advanced Watercolor Painting: Fridays, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon with instructor Jay Ryan. Tuition: $175 members / $190 non-members (materials not included). This course requires a minimum of five students to run

This course is a perfect “next step” for those who would like to explore watercolor painting beyond a basic understanding of color and brush strokes. Using the brilliant nature of light (and dark), we’ll “push” the medium, adding other water media, brushes, and paper surfaces, and experiment with palette color mixing to capture magic and luminosity. In each class we will start a new painting together using landscape, still life, the figure, abstract or imaginative thought, or narrative ideas as subjects. Each class will also provide a brief and supportive group “critique.” Students will leave with expanded knowledge of technique and traditional and contemporary use of watercolor.

Children’s Classes

MAC’s goal is that young people develop their own unique creative voice, their imagination, and their understanding of drama and its role in society. We look forward to soaring with your young star as they experience new adventures and challenges through our performing arts offerings and take their next step as an actor and a person!

Little People’s Theater (ages 6-9): Tuesdays 4:30 – 5:30 pm; Instructor: Kim Teves; Tuition: Each six-week session is $80 for MAC members and $95 for non-members. Minimum of five students required for this class to run.

The deadline for registration for Fall Session 1 is September 8. In this class, students will use their bodies, voices, and found objects to create another world full of fantastic beings that are wacky and spooky and everything in between. Through storytelling, theatre games and creative play, our youngest actors will experience the joys of stretching their imaginations. Each week, the children will learn basic theater craft through drama games, readers’ theater and experience the fun of the stage while rehearsing for a small production to be performed the last day of each session. Sign up with a friend and have twice the fun!

Fall 2015 Session 1 LPT: September 15, 22, 29; October 6, 13, 20

Fall 2015 Session 2 LPT: November 3, 10, 17, 24; December 1, 8

Winter 2016 Session 1 LPT: January 5, 12, 19, 26; February 2, 9

Winter 2016 Session 2 LPT: February 23; March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Spring 2016 Session LPT: April 5, 12, 26, May 3, 10, 17

Young People’s Theater (Grades 4-8): Thursdays, 4:00 to 5:30 pm; Instructor: Kim Teves; Tuition: Each eight-week session is $160 for MAC members and $175 for non-members; Minimum of five students required for this class to run. The deadline for registration for Fall Session 1 is September 5.

Classes are for boys and girls in grades 4-8. The eight-week Fall Session starts September 10 and runs through October 29. Performance will be on Thursday, October 29. YPT nurtures the intellectual, artistic, and personal development of young people, helping them find their “inner light” of self-confidence, sensitivity, creativity, and leadership. Our young actors will develop acting skills while having fun and learning to interact with one another. Through acting games, improv, and small scenes, these young actors will learn theatre basics. They will learn the rules of the theatre, theatre terminology, how to project an emotion, how to start creating a character, and more. Students will learn the process of putting on a production through selection, rehearsal and production of a small show presented at the end of the session.

Fall 2015 Session YPT: September 10, 17, 24; October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Winter 2016 Session YPT: January 7, 14, 21, 28; February 4, 11, 25; March 3

Spring 2016 Session YPT: March 24, 31; April 7, 14, 21; May 5, 12, 19

MAC Dance Academy: Wednesdays, September 23 to November 11; Preschool (age 3-4) 3:30 – 4:05 pm; Kinderstep (age 4-5) 4:15 – 5:00 pm; Beginner (age 6-7) 5:15 – 6:00 pm; Intermediate (age 8-9) 6:15 – 7:00 pm; Fall 2015 Session begins on Wednesday, September 23; Instructor: Joclyne Nunes.

The Marion Art Center is now accepting registrations for its Fall 2015 Dance Academy. Classes are held on Wednesdays and run for eight weeks. Fall session is grounded in classical dance, whereas the Spring session focuses heavily on choreography and recital performance.

– Preschool Dance: Preschool instruction is for children between the ages of 3-4. Class is 35 minutes and involves ballet warm-up, jazz stretches, basic mat tumbling and basic tap steps. The fee for the eight-week session is $145 for Marion Art Center members and $160 for non-members. (Child MUST be 3 years of age at the start of the Session.)

– Kinderstep (ages 4-5) and Beginner (ages 6-7): Kinderstep and Beginner instruction are for children between the ages of 4-5 and 6-7. Class is 45 minutes and involves ballet warm-up and barre, jazz stretches, beginner mat tumbling. The fee for the eight-week session is $155 for Marion Art Center members and $170 for non-members.

– Intermediate: Intermediate instruction is for children aged 8-9. Class is 45 minutes and involves advanced ballet warm-up, barre and adagio, tumbling, jazz stretches and combinations and tap combinations. The fee for the eight-week session is $155 for Marion Art Center members and $170 for non-members.

Preschool Piano: Friday mornings at the Marion Art Center; Instructor: Jamie Wiksten; 25-minute private lessons for children ages 3-5 years; $20 per lesson (includes cost of music/materials/recital).

Little Mozart’s Preschool Piano is an early music enrichment program for children ages 3 to 5. Lessons are designed to introduce children to the piano and teach basic foundation skills that will inspire an early appreciation for music. Individual lessons place an emphasis on rhythm, finger position, music vocabulary, music notation, note reading, and encourage overall fine motor development. It is offered three times per year at the Marion Art Center for 10-week sessions during the fall (Sept-Dec), winter/spring (Jan-April), and summer (July-August). Each session concludes with a short recital. Children may repeat sessions through age 5 to enhance their knowledge and performance skills. To reserve a lesson time, contact Jamie Wiksten at jwiksten@verizon.net or 508-295-0379.

Saturday Morning Piano Instruction: Piano lessons for beginners and intermediates are offered on Saturday mornings, by appointment only; Instructor: Donald Richard. To reserve a lesson time, please call Donald Richard at 781-582-6273 or email him at don@javajiveband.com.

BBAHFH Home Build Underway

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Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity’s (BBAHFH) Marion home build is underway! Our first volunteer group came out this past weekend. We were thankful to have the support of the community and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to build our first Habitat home in Marion.

The 1,156 square foot Energy Star rated cottage-style home is attractive, keeping with the town’s character, while helping maintain affordability. The home will be built on a lot that is less than half an acre.

Habitat has previously demolished an existing structure on the town’s parcel of land where the property will be preserved as open space with access to walking trails for recreational use by the community. The land will be permanently preserved, protecting the wildlife habitat and nature preserves on the land. Once construction of the home is complete, the house will be counted toward the town’s affordable housing.

Our affiliate is grateful to the local subcontractors that have donated their time and expertise over the years. We have already received an outpour of support from those willing to join with us in our mission to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope.

We are overwhelmed by the abundance of generosity from these local companies that have donated their services for our Marion home. Without their contributions, Habitat would not be able to build homes at an affordable price for local families in need.

If you would like to volunteer, please let us know which date(s) you would prefer from the weekends of September 5 through November 8. We build on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm and on Sundays from 12:00 to 5:00 pm, and we need professional and skilled leaders as well as “handymans-willing-to-learn” for each weekend.

Our volunteers will be hungry and thirsty! We need volunteers, groups or restaurants interested in supplying coffee/donut break, lunch/drinks, snacks and water/ice for our hard workers. If you are interested in supplying refreshments for our workers, please call the office at 508-758-4517.

The project address is 185 Wareham Road in Marion. Volunteers may park in the lot behind the Seahorse Seafood plaza which is two properties to the left of the plaza.

Our homes are built with a community of kindness. We are thankful for the support from the Marion Community Preservation Committee, Cove Charitable Trust, Travelers, and local church groups that have made this build possible, and to all the volunteers who donate their time to work alongside a family while they are achieving their dream of homeownership.

For additional photos and to follow the Habitat build, please like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BuzzardsBayHabitat.

If you would like to become part of our vision where everyone has a decent place to live in the communities we serve, materials and monetary donations are still needed to support the build. BBAHFH’s Land Acquisition team is actively seeking property for our next home build as well. All land, material, and monetary donations to Habitat are tax-deductible. To make a donation, please visit www.BuzzardsBayHabitat.org or call the office at 508-758-4517.

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Fairhaven is Standby ACO, Drops Charges

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The Rochester Board of Selectmen on August 31 approved an agreement with the Town of Fairhaven Animal Control Office to serve as a secondary animal shelter to the Town of Rochester.

Rochester Town Administrator Michael McCue said that, going along with the Town’s general policy and his own personal policy, Fairhaven was chosen because of its position as a “no kill” animal shelter.

“It is a back-up situation with Fairhaven,” said McCue. “We have no problems with the Lakeville Office,” the animal shelter that currently serves the Town of Rochester.

McCue added that one of Rochester’s Animal Control Department workers has been out on leave with medical issues, but he was happy to announce that the employee would be back to work within a week or so.

In other matters, the board briefly discussed the dropping of the criminal charges the Town filed against Liberal and Melinda Teixeira, owners of a North Avenue dog kennel that has been a matter of contention among the Teixeiras’ neighbors and selectmen.

Criminal charges were dismissed, said McCue, based on information provided by the police chief and town counsel. Neighbor complaints have ceased, and the Teixeiras did pay fines totaling $100. In addition, they may no longer hold a license to operate a kennel under the current circumstances.

“The dogs are gone, except one nursing beagle,” McCue stated. The beagle nursing six puppies, McCue said, will be registered with the Town as a family pet under Liberal Teixeira’s name, and a golden retriever at the location will be registered and licensed as a family pet under Melinda’s name.

McCue said the six puppies under the age of six months do not fall under the kennel licensing laws, and therefore may legally remain at the site until six months of age.

“[Neighbors] seem to be satisfied with the results,” said McCue. “And the Court is now well aware of the situation,” added McCue, so any future proceedings relative to dog complaints at the property might be expedited.

In other news, selectmen talked briefly about making changes to the personnel compensation plan, such as the removal of the compensation schedule, in hopes of saving the Town money by spreading out the time period in between new employees advancing employment “steps.”

Selectmen and McCue agree that something has to be done to control annual pay increases, which average at about 3 percent per step advance, in addition to annual cost of living increases. McCue said employees are not only getting their step increases, but also anywhere from an additional 1 to 3 percent COLA increase.

“It would remove the concept of … ’double-dipping,’” said McCue, although he stated that he was not totally comfortable with calling it that. “In all honesty, the whole plan needs to be rewritten.”

“Absolutely,” said Selectman Bradford Morse.

Selectmen said it would be a “fine-tuning” of the personnel plan, rather than a complete overhaul or total elimination of the plan, for that matter.

“We don’t exactly know what’s going to come out of it,” said McCue.

Also during the August 31 meeting, McCue said he has not yet heard back from the Attorney General’s Office regarding special legislation to allow the Annual Town Meeting to stand, despite the lack of a quorum.

Selectman Naida Parker, also the town clerk, said the AG Office had 90 days to respond to the Town, with a deadline date of October 5. Selectmen and McCue assume that, without any immediate response from the office expressing concern, selectmen expect the AG to allow the special legislation to proceed.

The board approved a new CORI check policy for new employee hires and town board and committee members and volunteers. Those requiring CORI checks will go through the Town Administrator’s Office, which will work closely with the Police Department throughout the process.

The board also appointed Mattapoisett Selectman Paul Silva as the representative of the Tri-Town Selectmen during teacher negotiations with the ORR School Committee.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for September 14 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

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Mattapoisett Woman Lives Her Dream

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As a little girl, Katie asked her parents for horseback riding lessons. Being good parents and wishing to make their child happy, the girl was enrolled in a horseback riding camp in Tiverton, Rhode Island. Her parents never thought for a moment back then that this love of horses was anything more than a passing fancy. That was 21 years ago. That little girl is now a woman, a professional trainer and coach who made a career out of her passion for horses.

Katherine Bobola is a 2005 ORRHS graduate and Mattapoisett resident who, by the age of 18, had become a professional equestrian and coach with a client base of her own.

“I fell in love with riding at that summer camp … I begged my mother to drop me off at the barn!” The excitement she feels about the profession that she has chosen, or seemingly the fates chose for her, electrifies her speech.

Katie knew at an early age that all she wanted in life was to be around horses and to help others. Between the ages of 10 and 13, she honed her training skills as a junior counselor helping new riders at the summer camp program.

Roseland Acres in Tiverton was her first home away from home where riding coach Debbie Hoyt Banfield conducted those camps. That experience so galvanized Katie’s love for riding and all aspects of equine sciences that when Banfield moved to another stable, Katie followed.

“She was my mentor,” Katie recalled.

When she was 13, Katie had been working for Banfield getting horses ready for competitions and making sure that their clients, the humans, had everything they needed for the shows.

After graduating from high school, Katie enrolled in Johnson & Wales University and selected a very specific course of study – equestrian business management and equine studies – her passions in academic form.

“I thought it was important to learn the technical science aspects and the business end as well,” she said, adding, “It’s a high stakes, high rewards business. You can go broke quickly.”

“As the years went by, I became more affirmed that this was what I wanted to do as a career,” Katie shared. She said she enjoyed coaching others, helping them achieve their personal best in the saddle. It all came very naturally to her, but it was also hard work.

Throughout her young riding career, Katie said that she did not own her own horse; instead, she rode just about any horse that was available regardless of the horse’s temperament or capabilities. She credits those horses with helping her grow in her understanding and ability to handle any horse, while growing in her wisdom of horses and how to develop the animals’ skills.

“You are dealing with a living, thinking, breathing being with individual talents and needs,” she said of the horses.

Several years ago, Katie met another coach, Dani White of Holliston, who invited Katie to join her in partnership at her stables and riding school. This was the pivotal opportunity that has allowed Katie to become an independent businesswoman in the equestrian world.

Often times getting up as early as 3:00 am to drive to Holliston and prepare for a day of competition, Katie thinks nothing of that, and even on days when everything might go wrong she believes, “I am so blessed to wake up and do what I love everyday and be able to make a living!”

Katie’s clients, again, the human ones, range in age from 8 to 60 and are primarily female.

“In the U.S., the majority of people involved in riding are women. It is completely the other way round internationally.” Although she has seen an increase in the number of males joining the ranks, it is still predominately girls and women.

And the work isn’t easy and isn’t for the faint of heart. It requires a full commitment, said Katie, of body and soul. For Katie, her hard work has earned her the esteemed position of being the coach for the Brandeis Equestrian Team. The team consists of 15 to 20 students in any given year. Into that mix, add her private clients and you have what, for Katie, is the culmination of all her efforts.

“My focus is ensuring that the horses and my clients are successful in the ring,” she said, adding, “It can be emotional when a client wins.”

Yet, for Katie, she knows it’s the small victories that also matter.

“Whether my clients show or not, helping them achieve their best with their horse is what’s important.” Katie knows she is in the right place doing the work she was meant to do.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

By Marilou Newell

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September 10th AHA! Night

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Celebrate the rich diversity of New Bedford’s cultures and “Festa, Fiesta and Fete” with AHA! Downtown New Bedford will come alive on September 10 to celebrate the history and cultures of the Whaling City through art, food and stories.

AHA! (Arts, History and Architecture!) is a FREE family-friendly event held rain or shine on the second Thursday of each month from 5:00 to 9:00 pm in historic downtown New Bedford – but feel free to arrive early and stay late.

This month’s activities are sponsored by Walgreen’s, Dominoes and the New Bedford Local Cultural Council.

Here’s a sampling of the evening’s events:

– Latino Cultural Festival in Custom House Park

– “Dining In The Wings”: A Community Table and Custom Seating made possible

by the TDI Places Small Grants Program from MassDevelopment

– New Bedford Symphony Orchestra’s 100th Year Celebration featuring strolling musicians

– Nathan and Polly Johnson House Tours with the New Bedford Historical Society

– New York Portuguese Short Film Festival 2015 Premiere at the New Bedford Whaling Museum

– Appley Every After: Apple Fun with the 1850s Ladies

– Kids Summer Art Exhibit and Timeless with Judith Klein, Valorie Sheehan and Sheila Oliveira at NBAM/Artworks!

– New Bedford Sea Shanty Chorus at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum

– Festive Footstools, Labyrinth Walks and Sanctuary Tours with the Way Cool Sunday School

– The Z presents 10 Tiny Dances

– Where’s The Whale Scavenger Hunt with the United Way

– Last Show of the Summer! Centre Street Sessions presents the Steve Kirby Band

– 3rd EyE presents a Doodles Craft, Parkour around the Park and Cypher on the Street

Marion Music Hall Celebration

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The Marion Music Hall will celebrate its 125th birthday and Elizabeth Taber on October 2, 3, and 4 with an Our Fair Lady gala performance. The entire Tri-Town area is invited to celebrate the rich history of the Marion Music Hall and its benefactress.

Throughout the weekend of October 2, the Marion Music Hall Advisory and Gala Committee will celebrate Elizabeth Taber’s generosity. The entire town is invited to take part. Our dream is for Marion to come alive with festive observances of Elizabeth Taber, our town and each other. As a centerpiece to the weekend, on Friday and Saturday evening as well as on Sunday afternoon, the Marion Music Hall Advisory and Gala Committee will present a musical show aptly entitled “Our Fair Lady” celebrating Elizabeth Taber and the 125th birthday of the Marion Music Hall.

This amazing production is not to be missed and will feature many local favorites: the cast is comprised of the Occasion Singers with Eric Bosworth, Kimberly Teves and Carl Denney, the book and lyrics are by Barbara Gee and music direction is by Cassandra Morgan.

Tickets are $20 each and people are encouraged to get them soon as we are anticipating three sell-out performances. Tickets are available at The Bookstall, Marion General Store and the Town House. Remember: because it is a town event, they will only accept checks! No cash!

Marion has a long, colorful history in which many well-known people make an appearance. Among these historical luminaries, the person whose care, concern and character arguably made the most impact on our town was a woman named Elizabeth Taber, our fair lady.

The Marion Music Hall, the Elizabeth Taber Library, the Natural History Museum, the Congregational Church Chapel, the Marion Horse Trough, Marion Town House and Tabor Academy were all established because of Ms. Taber’s direct support. But truly her gifts to the town and its people as a whole are evident everywhere. Think of what this town would be without her influence.

We invite you to join with us to celebrate her contributions, our town and the Marion Music Hall during the first weekend in October. Let’s herald our appreciation, pride and gratitude on every corner and window. Please feel free to contact the planning committee at marionmusichall@gmail.com with ideas as to how you, your organization and/or your business can join in the celebration through festive decorations, the creation of a special exhibition or a special themed offering/project.

Mattapoisett Community Blood Drive

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There will be a Community Blood Drive sponsored by the Bay Club of Mattapoisett on Thursday, September 10 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Bay Club Training Room located at 63 County Road in Mattapoisett. Bay Club employees and members can schedule an appointment to donate at the Members Service Desk inside the activities building. For an appointment to donate, please call 1-800-REDCROSS (733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.

ETL Summer Program

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To the Editor:

The Elizabeth Taber Library wrapped up this summer’s program for children, “Book an Adventure,” with an End-of-the-Summer-Program Ice Cream Sundae Social.

Over the course of six weeks, many children ages 2 to 12 enjoyed story times, reading games, a bubble show, as well as crafts such as: bicycle decorating for the 4th of July parade, fairy house building, tie-dying T-shirts with sharpies, building gnome catapults, constructing mini-robot bugs and faux lava lamps along with various drop-in activities. Attendance for the summer programs totaled 3005. It was especially exciting to “Read for a Good Cause.” Each hour participants spent reading raised $1 to support the work of Heifer International. Our readers were able to purchase a goat and a heifer for families living in third world countries with the help of donations from Eastern Bank and the Sippican Woman’s Club.

I would like to thank all of the participants (and parents, grandparents, baby-sitters, and nannies!) involved in our program, along with our junior volunteers: Taylor Read, Nellie Zygiel, Makayla Randall, Colin Carroll, Nicholas Gouveia, Maeve Egger, Hannah Borges, Grace Russell, Alyssa Foraro, Alexa McLeod, Mackenzie Luong, Katelyn Luong, Alexander Nauyen, Kathleen Dunn, Grace Ward, May Caron, Zachary Pateakos and Emma Welter.

Special thanks go to Dot Brown for her expert assistance with the science activities and with the Fairy Houses.

Many thanks go to Jessica Barrett, the Sippican School’s Media Specialist. Jess and I worked together to create the school’s summer reading lists. Sippican Elementary School students visited our library in June to learn about the public library’s resources, the summer program and the books on the summer reading list.

Thanks go to everyone on the staff: Nicole Davignon, Rachel Breen, Anthea Andrade, Melanie Terrill and Kylie Hayden as they cheerfully helped out with the large groups of children and a seemingly endless flow of books.

Many thanks go to our enthusiastic Library Director, Libby O’Neill, who gave the program unfailing support and encouragement.

Several agencies and businesses in town lent their kind support to the library’s summer reading program, thank you.

Working with the children and their families in the community, as well as my colleagues here at the library, was a powerful reminder of the joy and excitement of sharing the love of reading. I hope everyone enjoyed the library’s summer program and the delights of summer reading as much as I did!

Rosemary Grey, Children’s Librarian

Elizabeth Taber Library

 

 

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.

No Noise from CVS Developers or Reps

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Since last year, the Marion Conservation Commission has been granting proposed CVS developers’ representatives one continuation after another for the project’s Request for Determination of Applicability public hearing. The last time the ConCom met with LEC Environmental Consultants, reps for developer Mark Investment, was back in October 2014. Since then, the commission has continued the hearing at the applicant’s request for about 10 months – but not anymore.

Before the summer, Conservation Commission Chairman Norman Hills suggested the commission deny any further requests for continuation after the August meeting. And with the unanimous support of the other commission members, they sent LEC Environmental Consultants a letter advising them that if they did not appear before the commission at the next continued public hearing, the hearing would be closed and a positive determination rendered. A positive determination simply means that the project would alter or affect surrounding wetlands, so a Notice of Intent would be required, followed by ConCom approval.

“We have not heard anything from them in respect to continuing any further,” said Hills on August 26. “I recommend we close the hearing and proceed based on that information.”

The commission voted in favor of the positive determination and stated that the wetlands boundary lines were not certified or confirmed by the Conservation Commission.

“So if this project is still alive, they would have to come back to us,” said Hills.

Mark Investment developer Dean Holt did not respond to a request for comment before press time.

Also during the meeting, the commission pondered the identity of a plant species growing on the property of Robert Kaplan at 42 West Avenue. Kaplan filed for a RDA to remove an invasive species from the 100-foot buffer zone to the wetlands, but after a site visit, commission members were scratching their heads over the 2-foot by 2-foot area of a plant that was not a phragmite or any other invasive species they could recognize. Thus began the mystery of the non-phragmite.

Commission members passed around the iPhone of commission member Jeffrey Doubrava, and each took turns staring at the photo Doubrava snapped while at the site visit. No one could tell what the plant was, but the 4-square feet of it did not appear as though it were a concern of the ConCom.

“A shovel will remove it right now,” said Hills. “It’s a weed as far as I can tell.”

The commission continued the public hearing for Clean Energy Collective for the solar farm on Tucker Lane, and for Shea Doonan to establish an aquaculture project off Ram Island.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for September 9 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

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Seabreeze Lane Restoration Plan Pending

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The Mattapoisett Conservation Commission on August 24 once again met with Brandon Faneuf of Ecosystem Solutions regarding encroachment issues at properties located on Seabreeze Lane. On this evening, he was specifically representing John and Cheryl Anzaldi, 3 Seabreeze Lane, in their request for an amended order of conditions.

Anzaldi also requested permission to remove invasive species from the no-touch zone of the wetlands that has been encroaching an area that had been turned into a groomed lawn space with plantings, and he requested the installation of a post and rail fence to denote the re-established jurisdictional wetlands.

Robin Lepore, 6 Seabreeze Lane, was also present to remind the commission that there remains an unresolved issue regarding an easement through 4 Seabreeze and a small corner of 3 Seabreeze – an easement that seems no longer available to the residents of the development.

On this matter, Chairman Bob Rogers said the commission was awaiting a ruling from town counsel on how to proceed, and that he and Conservation Agent Liz Leidhold would have a conference call with town counsel the following Monday.

Regarding the Anzaldis request for an amended order of conditions, the commissioners requested that Faneuf return with a new plan of record noting such items as the placement of a fence and signage marking the re-established no touch zone, the request for invasive species eradication into perpetuity, and a request for a permit extension. The hearing was continued until September 14.

Also on the agenda was the commissioners’ finalization of an order of special conditions for the private pier scheduled for construction at 112 Aucoot Road. Included in the conditions were the use of “green-heart” pilings or a commission-approved alternative and construction synching to ensure limited disruption to the environment both on land and by water. This project has now passed through local wetlands regulations and can move forward with state level licensing and any other licensing requirements.

Mark Sweeney, 29 Beach Road, received an order of conditions for his request to have a concrete pad poured under the existing residence situated on pilings. A negative three vote was cast.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for September 14 at 6:30 pm in the Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell

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