The talented students at Rochester Memorial School presented their annual tribute to the Bard on Friday, April 29 as they performed Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” RMS teacher Danni Kleiman has been adapting the scripts and directing the RMS Shakespeare plays for 27 years now. Kleiman explained the selection process for the annual Shakespearian play, saying, “I look at the talent that I have from the previous year,” says Kleiman. “I also look at the talent in the 5^th grade and pick the play accordingly.” Kleiman has one last play scheduled for 2017, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” before she retires. Photos by Colin Veitch

Marion residents have plenty of choices when they head to the polls on Friday, May 13, for the Annual Town Election.

Voters who packed themselves into the League of Women Voters candidate’s night at the Marion Music Hall on April 28 got to hear more about each candidate’s priorities and what has driven them to run for a new board or re-election to a current seat, with reasons ranging from the uncertainty of the wastewater treatment plant to stunted commercial development and ways to encourage more businesses to come to Marion.

Vying for the one seat on the Board of Selectmen, Stephen Gonsalves and Norm Hills – both current members of the Planning Board and Conservation Commission – agree that making Marion more attractive to businesses to expand the tax base for the town is crucial, as is finding solutions to the on-going and imminent impact the outdated wastewater treatment plant will have on the town’s finances.

Gonsalves said during his opening remarks that in addition to the aging sewer system and the lack of commercial development, deteriorating roads, a lack of senior housing, rising sewer and water rates, and town buildings in need of repair were at the top of the list for important town issues.

“We need a leader with good judgment and a no-nonsense approach,” said Gonsalves. “As a selectman, I will have the ability to get this done.” He cited his communication and listening skills as strengths.

Gonsalves is a business owner of a local garden and landscaping business in Marion.

Hills said the town has some “daunting challenges” ahead, and he has proven leadership skills with his volunteerism on various boards and his helping found a number of entities in town such as the Energy Management Committee and Capital Improvement Planning Committee.

It’s about dedication and preparation, Hills said about his run for selectman. “It’s not learn-as-you-go…” he said. “It requires knowledge of the town….”

Hills said cleaning up the zoning bylaws would help with efficiency in permitting processes for businesses and construction, and with a history as a mechanical engineer with the U.S. Navy, he understands the importance of details and teamwork.

In response to a question about a solution for the wastewater treatment conundrum, Gonsalves said the idea of a regionalized system was appealing, but it lies further down the road. He also mentioned extending the discharge pipe further outside the cove, an option the town has been exploring with its consulting engineer.

“Do I have all the answers? No,” said Gonsalves. “It’s pretty complex…”

Hills stated that there was no simple answer to the question.

“Nobody knows which is the most cost-effective,” said Hills. The town doesn’t need the whole 20 acres of lagoon, though, he said, referring to a recent meeting he attended on the matter. “[It’s] still being evaluated … I wish I could give you an answer at this time, but I can’t.”

One thing that should be addressed, he added, was removing the role of Sewer Commission from the Board of Selectmen to establish an elected Board of Sewer Commissioners, calling it an important step towards appropriate checks and balances.

As far as continuing education, in response to the question, Gonsalves said, although he doesn’t have a background in sewer and water, “I will have a lot of listening and learning … and will look into courses…” He said his recent attendance at a wastewater-related meeting had his head spinning.

Hills said his mechanical engineering experience has him understanding some of what is going on, and he has attended various trainings in Worcester as a member of both the Planning Board and Conservation Commission and is familiar with state laws and local bylaws.

In closing, the two men had one minute to speak.

“I’m a man who loves his town and its people,” said Gonsalves. “I’m fair and not afraid to speak up … [and] will fight to keep Marion a vibrant, charming town for the years to come…”

Hills told voters, “A closed mind gathers no new ideas…”

“We need to plan for the future because that’s where we’re going to spend the rest of our lives…” said Hills.

There are five candidates vying for two seats on the Planning Board: incumbent Jerry “Rico” Ferrari (not present that night), newcomer William do Carmo, current Selectman Jonathan Henry, Stephen Kokkins (who is hoping to return to the Planning Board after losing his seat last year), and newcomer William Saltonstall.

Do Carmo, self-proclaimed “man in tan with a plan,” said he doesn’t “take fools lightly.”

“I deal with issues, not people.” He said the lack of leadership in the town needs to end; people aren’t speaking up, and “people are living in fear.”

“People have to face the realities of life, and we have to deal with things…” Do Carmo stated.

Do Carmo boasted of his accomplishments on the municipal level in New Bedford especially, as well as in the other five New England states. He told voters they had to “take the bull by the horns and do things.”

“Change is coming down the pike,” he said, “Stop fighting and get this thing done,” he said of the wastewater treatment plant. At one point, he assured the town that he was not being rude when he said things like the town was not getting things done, and that there are “some problems in town that [people] don’t want to face…”

“I’m just being honest with everybody…” he said before throwing his support behind fellow candidate Saltonstall. “We need some new blood in … so I will make it public: you have my vote…”

Henry said he was leaving the Board of Selectmen because he had a goal, and that goal was met. As the town’s representative and commission chairman for SRPEDD, he says he has a lot of experience in planning.

“I would like to bring a level playing field to the board,” said Henry, bringing up the discord among members that is common during Planning Board meetings. “I see it as a leadership challenge…. When there’s disrespect and second-guessing and out and out misrepresentation of facts, I think that needs to stop.”

The cost of living, the cost of balancing the budget, Henry said, is difficult for the average Marion family. “We need to take steps to spread that load out, and business should be able to come here and assume a larger portion…” He said it is disingenuous to say ‘mom and pop’ stores can do that.

“They don’t exist anymore. We have to develop a plan … to allow more businesses to apportion the cost of running the town.” He later said expediting permits and streamlining the permitting process, along with adjusting the zoning bylaws to be in proportion to the sizes of the projects, are possible solutions.

Kokkins, a professional engineer of 45 years, said he is eager to return. The zoning code, the Master Plan, streamlining the permitting process, and creative zoning for senior housing opportunities were all important issues to him.

“I support appropriately-sized businesses,” he said.

“[We have to] not just streamline the permitting process but have a better way of relaying the scrutiny,” said Kokkins. Smaller businesses should be subjected to “a much smaller set of requirements than a larger business,” he added, “And the regulation [should] be in proportion to the size and effect of the business.”

Regionalization is one way to go pertaining to wastewater, he said, and respect for fellow board members, as well as special permit applicants, are critical.

Saltonstall won the audience over (in laughter) with his plan to “make Marion great again” and build a great wall around the town. “And to top it all off, I’m gonna make CVS pay for the whole thing.”

On a serious note, he said he wants to serve the town and make a positive impact with the help of his experience as an architect in town.

“I have a strong understanding of the process,” he said. He later added, “Common sense, historic preservation, and growth are not mutually exclusive.” The town could expedite permits, and limit them by scale and design, “not by brand.” Thoughtful review of projects is needed, “without compromising what is unique about our town.”

For Board of Health, 23-year incumbent Albin Johnson, one of the founding members of the BOH, said septic systems were the major problem back when he was first elected. Now, he said, “I’m concerned about the health of the harbor … that’s been one of my main concerns and primary focuses in the town.” Stormwater run-off is a factor in that, he said.

Along with stormwater issues, he wants to work closer with the Council on Aging, “because the majority of the complaints I’m seeing … are housing complaints and stormwater complaints from neighbors and that seems to be the biggest problem right now.”

Jason Reynolds served on the BOH for 2.5 years starting in 2007. A pediatric doctor, Reynolds said he has finished with a leadership position at Boston Children’s Hospital and is ready to make the town’s health his focus once again, making sanitary living conditions and protecting the environment his goals.

“Title 5 is no longer the threat that it used to be,” he said. Infectious diseases like Lyme disease, the opioid epidemic, pollution, and emergency preparedness, along with the sale of flavored tobacco in town, are priorities.

“I will make sure that the board is proactively involved in protecting the health and wellbeing of residents of Marion,” Reynolds said. “One of the main reasons why I ran this year is because I believe it’s important the town has a choice…. This year, there is a choice.”

Running for re-election to the Open Space Acquisition Commission are Randy Parker and John Rockwell, with Jerry “Rico” Ferrari (not present that evening) vying for one of the two available seats this year.

Parker said he is seeking reelection, “To try and make some improvements so that everybody who would like to use the open spaces has access…”

MOSAC has been Rockwell’s favorite role as a member of a town entity, he said. “I’ve always had the same priority: Let’s keep Marion a great town to live in.”

The election is on Friday, May 13. The polling station is at the VFW Hall on Route 6, and polls are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

As host for the evening Susan Grosart of the League of Women Voters always says, “Democracy is not a spectator sport … remember to vote!”

By Jean Perry