Board Recommends Bylaw Amendments

on

The Rochester Planning Board met May 26 to discuss three zoning bylaw amendments to be presented at the June 8 Annual Town Meeting.

The board voted unanimously to recommend that the Town adopt the following amendments in upcoming Town Meeting.

One is an amendment to section VII of the Flood Plain District. The amendment will not affect any residences in Rochester, only a portion of the New Bedford Waterworks site.

The next amendment was to sections III “Definitions” and IV “Limited Commercial District.” The amendment includes a definition for Mixed-Use Development, which is “a development that combines residential with retail or service uses within the same building or on the same site.” The amendment to section IV would add mixed-use development as an allowed use under the limited commercial district.

The amendment goes on to create a guiding principle and specific objectives, as well as the insertion of mixed-use development requirements and the deletion of “antiquated business type terms to be replaced by ‘retail and commercial establishments.’”

Should that amendment fail to be adopted, a third amendment is featured on the warrant that only has the definition for mixed-use development and the change to the limited commercial district.

The amendments were developed through cooperation between the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Chairman Arnold Johnson encouraged everyone on the board to attend the town meeting.

“Everyone here try and make it. I think it’s important when the Planning Board is coming forward with legislation, especially like this,” said Johnson. “It shows we have worked together on this for quite a while and in conjunction with ZBA. I think it’s important for the townspeople if we show up. It helps with the level of commitment that we have.”

Richard Cutler, chairman of the ZBA, warned those planning to attend the town meeting that, based on a conversation he had with the town moderator, it will likely be a long meeting.

Other business at the meeting included a follow up discussion about the Little Quittacas Solar Project. In a discussion carried over from the May 12 meeting of the board, members discussed what recommendations would be made in regard to vegetation on the site.

The discussion centered on whether the area should be seeded or allowed to return to nature. Low rainfall and high wind has made the area very dry, according to the board, and therefore unsupportive of common short-rooted grasses. The worry is that if the area lacks vegetation then the berm – a type of narrow ledge – would be subject to destruction during a heavy autumnal rainstorm.

The other option, besides allowing it to return to nature, is to find plants that thrive in similar environments and plant them. Following a discussion, it was decided that there would be additional talk with those responsible for the site.

During the town planner’s report, the board reviewed a recent site visit to the Pines at Hathaway Pond.

“The guy did a really nice job of constructing those units and finishing up that project,” said Johnson. “The basin looked good … he still had some seeding to do around three of the units and in front of the basin.”

The board attributed normal settling to reports from those in the area about cracking around manhole covers.

Towards the end of the meeting, Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon updated the board on the state of the Open Space and Recreation Plan. The plan will continue to develop as they release a survey in the coming months, both through a mailing campaign and online. The survey will be three pages long and consist of roughly 20 questions.

The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for 7:00 pm on June 9 at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Andrew Roiter

ROplan_052815

Marion Republican Town Committee

on

The Marion Republican Town Committee will conduct its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 2 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street, Marion. The public and new members are welcome.

Summer Conditioning/Track Camp

on

All Sports Summer Conditioning Program will be held at ORR Monday through Thursday, June 29 – August 20 from 6:00 – 7:30 pm. This overall conditioning program to get athletes ready for their fall sport is open to all athletes in grades 6-12. Cost is $100 for the summer. Contact Cindy Tilden at orrtrackcoach@msn.com for registration paperwork or sign up on the first day. T-shirts will be given to those who pre-register by June 15.

Kenneth R. Ferreira

on

Kenneth R. Ferreira, 64, of Wareham, died unexpectedly on May 29, 2015 at St. Luke’s Hospital, New Bedford. He was the widower of the late Elizabeth (Jorge) Ferreira and the son of Tillie (Roderick) Ferreira and the late Edward Ferreira.

Ken was a graduate of Holy Family Holy Name High School in New Bedford. He graduated from Southeastern Massachusetts University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering and furthered his degree with a Masters of Business Administration at SMU.

Ken was the Owner and President of Kenneth R. Ferreira Engineering. Prior to this he was an owner and operator of Olde Boston Land and Survey in New Bedford. Ken Ferreira was a well-known and highly respected businessman in the Southcoast for over 30 years. His knowledge in Engineering as well as his dedication, honesty, advocacy and years of experience was consistently seeked of by many.

He was a member of the Prince Henry Society. He served on the Wareham Board of Health and was a long time Chairman of the Wareham Board of Appeals for over 30 years.   Ken was a member and donator of many charitable organizations. Ken was a devoted member of the Roman Catholic Church where he served as a Eucharistic Minister and a lecturer at St. Patrick’s Church in Wareham and more recently a member at St. Anthony’s in Mattapoisett.

Ken loved spending time with his family and friends. He had a passion for playing golf, reading and most of all bragging about his daughters and grandchildren.

Survivors include his mother, Tillie (Roderick) Ferreira of New Bedford; his cherished triplet daughters, Kimberly Manzone and her husband Joseph of Wareham, Kelly Silva and her husband Kevin of Westport and Kristen Higgins and her husband James of Mattapoisett.; 8 grandchildren; many nephews, nieces, godchildren and brothers and sisters-in-law.

His funeral will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 from the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett, 22 Barstow St., Mattapoisett. Burial will follow in St. Patricks’ Cemetery, Wareham.

Visiting hours are from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home. Donations in his memory may be made to his Dearest Charitable Organization to Compassionate Care ALS, www.ccals.org.

For directions and online guestbook, visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com

 

Antique Home Will Be Updated

on

It wasn’t a long or busy night for the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals when they met on May 21 with only two hearings before a full board populated by Chairman Susan Akin, Mary Anne Brogan, Paul Milott, Norman Lyonnais and Kenneth Pacheco. But for one of the two hearings, it was a rather historical event.

Built in 1790, the residence situated at 6 Main Street and presently owned by Merry Suzan McCleary is one of the oldest homes in the village. Now used as a four-unit apartment building, when it was constructed 225 years ago it was a large home compared to most. It is still a large structure by today’s standards for the village area and planned to be a bit larger still.

Represented by David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, McCleary requested a special permit to construct an attached one-car garage with living space on the second story and modifications to the current second story for a one-unit living space on the reconfigured second story joining the old with the new. This modification would reduce the number of units from four to three and also require the construction of a driveway.

The board discussed with Davignon the proposed changes to lot coverage that would increase from 22 percent to 27 percent. Building Inspector Andy Bobola advised the board that they had the authority to weigh the pros and cons of lot coverage by considering that the driveway would remove several cars from being parked on the street – a very busy Main Street.

The board members felt the project would ease traffic congestion in the area and the remodeled multi-unit residence would be in harmony with the village. The special permit was granted.

Also coming before the board was Brandon Ferreira, 4 Aucoot Road, with a request for a special permit to construction a 24-foot by 24-foot garage with living space on the second story. This application was also approved.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals will be announced if there are applications requiring public hearings.

By Marilou Newell

MTzba_022615

The Bay Flows Gratitude

on

On May 21 at Shining Tides at Camp Massasoit, the Buzzards Bay Coalition proudly announced the completion of the Nasketucket Bay Land Conservation Project. This is the largest land conservation project completed, which covers and protects 416 acres of a variety of habitat and coastal areas.

In addition, the BBC has continued to be successful in supporting the Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention Act passed (MOSPRA) in 2004. Although this is an annual effort in the federal courts, the BBC aims to keep this law in place to positively ensure the protection of the coastal area.

Prior to the awards ceremony, BBC members, volunteers, and the public gathered in a social hour, which allowed time for the BBC to display their many upcoming volunteer events and their new beer that will be sold locally.

The first award presented this evening from the Buzzards Bay Coalition went to two extraordinary volunteers for their outstanding dedication, Jean and Tally Garfield.

Although Jean was unable to attend due to other volunteer service work in which she was participating, her granddaughter Cali Tetreault accepted the award on her behalf as she was credited for leading the coalition for New Bedford.

The Guardian Awards are the highest honor the BBC presents for “outstanding service or education advocacy to an unsung hero who inspires others to make a difference.”

The first BBC Guardian Award was presented to Assistant Attorneys General Seth Scofield and Pierce Cray for a decade of defense of MOSPRA and determination to continue to keep this law intact.

The next BBC Guardian Award went to Paul Niedzwiecki, executive director of the Cape Cod Commission, for his outstanding leadership in producing the Cape Cod 208 Water Quality Plan. Thanks to all of Niedzwiecki’s efforts, there is a clear path for addressing the Cape’s nitrogen pollution crisis and continuing preservation of the treasured area.

Another BBC Guardian Award was given to Jennifer Howard, the director of Land Protection at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Howard received the BBC Guardian Award for her leadership on behalf of the Commonwealth and support of the completion of the Nasketucket Bay Land Conservation Project, which essentially doubled the size of the Nasketucket Bay State Reservation.

The final BBC Guardian Award was presented to Dr. Joseph Costa, the executive director of the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program for his lifetime dedication to the Buzzards Bay Coalition.

Dr. Costa, from New Bedford, participated with SeaLab and earned his Ph.D. at Boston University where he researched water quality with a focus on nitrogen issues at Woods Hole. Dr. Costa also helped raise money to help search for solutions for the Buzzards Bay Watershed and helped start the Baywatchers water quality monitoring program.

With future plans to start a research database involving his research with the Buzzards Bay Coalition, Dr. Costa has dedicated a plethora of hours in service to help protect and study water and wildlife.

As stated, “The bay flows in Joe’s veins and we love him for that.”

For more information about the Buzzards Coalition and volunteer opportunities, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org.

By Bethany Coito

BBC_052815

MYC Boats Compete in Figawi 2015

on

Five boats from the Mattapoisett Yacht Club made the Memorial Day weekend trek to Hyannis to compete in the 44th Annual Figawi Race from Hyannis to Nantucket on May 23. Of those five boats, Mattapoisett Yacht Club had a win, a place and a show! MYC Commodore Bob Warren in his Dufour 38 In Deep finished first place in Division D, Charlie Prefontaine in his Alberg 35 Helios finished second in Division O, and Jim Barnes in his Little Harbor 64 Lynley III finished third in Division E. Their combined scores gave them a third place in the team competition.

The MYC racing season officially begins June 9 with the first Tuesday night series for the Ensign and 420 class boats. The handicap cruising fleet will hold a practice race on Wednesday, June 10. Wednesday and Tuesday night Racing Series are open to all boats who register: $60 for members and $75 for nonmembers. For further information, go to mattapoisettyc .org.

Flotsam, Jetsam and the Science of Ocean Motion

on

On June 1, Loree Griffin Burns, Scientist/Author will give two presentations to the Old Hammondtown School’s 6th Grade: Flotsam, Jetsam and the Science of Ocean Motion.

Lots of kids have heard the story: 29,000 rubber bathtub toys fell from a cargo ship in the Pacific Ocean and floated, quite literally, around the world.

What they may not know is that this fleet of rubber duckies has become the Tracking Track book basis of an international scientific research program aimed at better understanding our world ocean.

Drawing on the content of her first book, Tracking Trash, Loree will tell students a fascinating story of drama, intrigue, science and geography (www.loreeburns.com).

This program is organized by the Mattapoisett PTA Arts & Humanities and is made possible by generous donations and funding from the PTA fundraisers throughout the year and is supported in part by a grant from the Mattapoisett Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Zoster Vaccine Availability

on

The Marion-Rochester Health District, in collaboration with the Marion Board of Health and the Rochester Board of Health is pleased to announce a continuation of the Zoster (commonly known as Shingles) Immunization Program.

Shingles is a condition that can present in individuals who had Chickenpox as a disease when they were younger. The Chickenpox virus remains dormant in the body after the childhood illness but can present as a “Shingles” rash later in life. This rash can be quite painful, and often is accompanied by blisters. The rash usually lasts for 2-4 weeks. The Zoster vaccine has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the risk of shingles occurring by 50%. It has also been shown to reduce the pain of shingles in those who get shingles even though they have been immunized.

Currently, there are a limited number of doses of Zoster vaccine available through the Marion-Rochester Regional Health District.

Insurance coverage for the Zoster vaccine is highly variable. Pre-approval from insurance companies is required prior to administering the vaccine. In some cases, co-pays may apply or residents may be asked to pay for the vaccine at time of service and seek reimbursement from their insurance company.

Interested residents may contact Betsy Dunn, RNC, PNP at the Rochester Board of Health (508-763-5421) or Kathy Downey, PhD, RN at the Marion Board of Health (508-748-3530).

Sippican Historical Society Annual Meeting

on

The public is cordially invited to attend the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Sippican Historical Society to be held Tuesday, June 9 at Marion’s Music Hall. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm and will feature a brief wrap-up of the Society’s business year, followed by the posthumous presentation to Richard A. Anderson of the 2015 SHS Award, honoring dedicated service and commitment to the preservation and enrichment of the Town of Marion.

The evening’s main event will be a lecture and image presentation by Halsey Herreshoff, member of the legendary yacht design and sailing family. The H-12 Fleet has been racing at Beverly Yacht Club every week in the summer since 1915, a benchmark which SHS is celebrating jointly with the BYC in this co-sponsored lecture. The Historical Society will also feature a photographic exhibit on the H-12 throughout the summer. Often referred to as the best small boat design ever for its perfect proportions and expert construction, it was created in 1914 by Halsey’s grandfather, Nathanael G. Herreshoff. Designed essentially as a learning boat for young sailors, the 12½-foot boat remains one of the most long-lived and popular one-design classes in New England. As a testament to their reputation for excellence, the small boats are still actively raced in Sippican Harbor a century after their introduction to the area. In fact, the 2015 H Class Championship will be held at The Beverly Yacht Club this summer, from July 31 – August 2, with 40 of the timeless 12½-footers expected to race in Marion that weekend.

Halsey C. Herreshoff is distinguished as the most active America’s Cup sailor during the 12 Metre Era. A crewman as bowman, crew boss, or navigator in six campaigns, he sailed in four America’s Cup matches. As a naval architect and marine engineer, Halsey Herreshoff has also contributed to the support of technology and management of many campaigns. He is the co-founder of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame. Mr. Herreshoff’s lecture is presented free to the public, with no reservations required. The Music Hall is located at 164 Front Street, and ample parking is available across the street at Island Wharf. For more information, contact the SHS at 508-748-1116.