Friends Meeting

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To the Editor:

The Quakers at Mattapoisett Friends Meeting thank the Community Preservation Committee and May 11 Town Meeting attendees for the $80,000 grant to help rehabilitate their 1827 Meeting House on Route 6.

With $90,000 already raised by Friends, it still leaves the meeting with the daunting task of coming up with an additional $75,000 to reach the estimated total project cost of $245,000.

The CP grant is designed to cover Phase 1 costs and the sum now raised by the meeting is expected to cover all of Phase 2 and a part of Phase 3. The Friends intend to raise in coming months enough to cover the rest of Phase 3 and most, if not all, of Phase 4.

As the meeting primarily serves residents and summer people from Fairhaven to Wareham and north to Middleboro, those living in this area can provide additional help by attending as many of the future fundraising activities as possible, by donating items for the next yard sale, or by contributing a tax deductible check, cash or appreciated stock to: Mattapoisett Friends Meeting, P.O. Box 795, Mattapoisett, MA 02739.

Have questions? Call 508-758-3579. And thank you all once again.

Mattapoisett Friends

 

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.

ORR Looks Toward Accreditation

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It is a 10-year process, and Old Rochester Regional High School Principal Mike Devoll is dashing toward the goals he is setting out for the high school as part of the accreditation process for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

The school assessment visit was originally scheduled for 2016, but due to the overbooking of these visits on behalf of the NEASC, ORRHS has been given until 2018 to complete its accreditation requirements, and Devoll was happy to tell this to the ORR School Committee on May 12.

It is a systematic approach, said Devoll during a slide presentation that outlined the standards regarding the systems, processes, and practices of school personnel for accreditation as well as the 10-year cycle.

The essential question NEASC asks of the school once it completes its self-assessment, Devoll said, is to what extent does ORRHS adhere to the indicators in each standard for accreditation? What are the strengths? What improvements have been identified?

In addition, the school must identify its core values, beliefs, and learning expectations and sum them up in a core values statement. Devoll said he has formed a committee with that goal in mind.

The one word you will hear over and over again, Devoll said, is “community.”

“Community. And community involvement,” said Devoll. “That is an essential component to accreditation.”

Devoll said the NEASC last visited the school in 2006 for an evaluation visit.

“I lived through that,” said Devoll, who was a teacher then. “I feel I didn’t truly understand. I feel like we checked a lot of boxes that year.”

Within two years of that visit, Devoll told the committee, the school was supposed to submit a two-year report to the NEASC, followed by a five-year report. These two reports were not submitted in time.

“Somewhere after 2006, we jumped the tracks with our accreditation,” said Devoll. Devoll stepped in as principal in 2009. The school was subsequently put on warning status.

Where did we go wrong? Devoll said administrative turnover had a lot to do with the lapse. “Since [then], we have submitted our two year report,” as well as the five-year. “We are, in fact, back on track with NEASC…. And I am now looking forward to … the visit and not fearing it like I did in 2006.”

The staff began to write the core values during a meeting last Monday.

Devoll looked toward an impending vote at the Joint School Committee meeting scheduled for the following day pertaining to eight additional professional development hours and related it to the school’s values.

“That’s why it’s (approval) needed. There’s some work to be done,” Devoll said, “and the products will be worthwhile.”

Also during the meeting, ORRHS Vice-Principal Michael Parker introduced four changes to the student handbook, all approved by the School Committee that night.

Starting next year, an excused absence for illness must be substantiated with a doctor’s note instead of a parent’s note. Parker said students are allowed nine unexcused absences from full-year classes and four unexcused absences from half-year classes before credit is lost.

Also, juniors attending the junior semi-formal will be required to attend a full day of school the day of the event in order to be allowed to attend the dance and after party.

“Past history reveals massive amounts of dismissals on this day, disrupting the educational process,” Parker said.

As part of the no smoking policy, electronic cigarettes will not be allowed on campus in light of a noted rise in e-cigarette use at the school.

Finally, possession of any pornographic materials on school grounds is prohibited, and “sexting” (sexually graphic texting) shall be considered pornography as per state law.

In other matters, the committee approved a school health unit application to allow trained chaperones on field trips to administer the Epi-Pen to students in the case of an anaphylactic emergency, and they also approved a senior trip to Martha’s Vineyard.

The price of school lunch will increase by 25 cents next school year, up from $2.75 to $3.00.

The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional High School is scheduled for June 10 at 6:00 pm in the ORRJHS media room.

By Jean Perry

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National Honor Society Inducts New Class

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On Tuesday, May 5, Old Rochester Regional High School inducted 52 students into an organization that honors hard work and community involvement. That organization is the National Honor Society, which admits students based on their adherence to the society’s four main pillars: service, character, leadership, and scholarship. English teacher SaraBeth Morrell advises the ORR chapter of the NHS.

After a rehearsal dinner the night before, the hardworking students were ready to be honored on the night of May 5. The event began at 7:00 pm as the students entered the cafeteria in alphabetical order by their last name. Morrell began the evening with a speech welcoming the students and audience, as well as serving to explain the purpose and function of the organization.

The current president of the NHS’s ORR chapter, senior Stephen Burke, made the second speech of the night. Principal Michael Devoll followed, who congratulated the accepted students.

The night’s guest speaker was Ross Hooley, an employee of the Nemasket Group, a nonprofit in Fairhaven that helps those with special needs to better combat real-world challenges. He provided a great example of a community figure whose work produces terrific benefits.

Next, four seniors spoke on the qualities of an NHS member. Austin Salkind spoke in regards to scholarship, Ashley Pacheco focused on service, Jaclyn Dyson talked about character, and Michael Kassabian reflected on leadership.

Kassabian continued with a speech recognizing Dana Dourdeville, who tragically passed away in a kayaking accident in December 2013. Dourdeville, a member of the NHS during his time at ORR, graduated in 2011. He was attending Brown University and was a standout track and cross country star at the time of his passing. Most importantly, he was an extremely well respected and hard-working student who exhibited all of the NHS qualities throughout his life.

A performance by the ORRHS Jazz Band followed. The quartet of seniors Matthew Parisi, Matthew Twaddle, Hannah Cormier, and sophomore Max Wolski, which has appeared at numerous school events in recent months, sounded excellent during their latest performance.

At this time, the candle process began to officially induct the NHS students. Pacheco, Dyson, and fellow seniors Julianne Mariner, Madeline Cafarella, and Julia Nojeim assisted with the process. Kassabian provided the piano accompaniment, and Burke gave the closing address.

After Burke’s speech, the 52 students were officially acknowledged as NHS members. Many photos were taken after the commencement of the event, and refreshments were provided to the students and on-looking relatives to cap off a successful evening.

Morrell has been working as the NHS advisor at ORR ever since she was hired. “I was in the NHS in both college and high school, and it is a great organization,” she explained.

Her favorite part of the position is working with students outside of the classroom, and getting to know them on a different level, she said.

As for the NHS’s benefits, Morrell said, “I think it rewards them for more than academic success, and proves their commitment to service and character.” On the topic of service and character, she noted Ross Hooley’s speech as her favorite part of the induction event.

This year’s NHS inductees will now focus their efforts on maintaining high grades, participating in their communities, and working on service-related projects. The first of these service-related projects will occur on June 11, as the inductees assist Rochester Memorial School students with their annual Field Day.

The induction ceremony was a great success, and gave a reminder as to how hard the students of ORR work to achieve excellence in their schooling, community involvement, and extra-curricular activities.

Those students inducted into the NHS during the May 5 ceremony were Elexus Afonso, Ashley Aruri, Samantha Babineau, Colleen Beatriz, Isabella Bernardi, Julianna Bernardi, Rikard Bodin, Patrick Briand, Kyle Camacho, Catherine Feldkamp, Abigail Field, Matthew Fortin, Lauren Gaspar, Brianna Grignetti, Serena Iacovelli, Serena Jaskolka, Emily Josephson, Jane Kassabian, Adrian Kavanaugh, Mallory Kiernan, Isabella King, Samantha Kirkham, Edward Krawczyk, Madeleine Lee, James Leidhold, Kylie Machado, Hayli Marshall, Nicole Mattson, Alexandra Melloni, Madison Miedzionoski, Lucy Milde, Abigail Morrill, Victor Morrison, Jeffrey Murdock, Zenobia Nelles, Michaelah Nunes, Devyn O’Connor, Lauren Ovian, Potsawee Pliansak, Alexandria Powers, Drew Robert, Evan Roznoy, Haily Saccone, Evan Santos, Kristina Sauerbrey, Rachel Scheub, Alex Tavares, Anne Tucker, Elena Voigt, Teagan Walsh, Paige Watterson, and Margaret Wiggin.

By Patrick Briand

 

Enforcement Order Heads Toward Legal Action

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The Rochester Conservation Commission met May 19 to discuss a year-long issue with Dustin and Travis Lalli, the owners of a property under an Enforcement Order since March.

The Lallis were invited to the May 19 meeting to discuss two letters of complaint about their property, the first in May of 2014 and the second in April of this year. Through email correspondence, the Lallis replied to Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon saying they were unable to attend.

The commission discussed the next steps to be taken in the dispute and decided to authorize Farinon to send a letter to the Lallis, which would advise that if the requested information was not supplied by June 16, ConCom would approach town counsel about legal action.

“We typically do not go this route,” Farinon said after the meeting. “We don’t like to issue Enforcement Orders.”

The dispute began following an unsigned complaint to the commission in May 2014. The letter alleged that the owners of the property had cut down trees and dug ditches in violation of Town bylaws.

A visit to the site verified these claims, and the commission sent a letter of violation asking the owners to provide a wetlands delineation and restoration plan to correct these issues. No such plan was ever submitted, so the commission went to the next step, issuing an Enforcement Order.

“We’ve been at this for a long time, working with them, looking at the property … giving them extensions, asking for [the plan],” Farinon said.

She explained how the process typically goes.

“If you had something on your property, we’d issue a Notice of Violation, which is just a letter that sounds important asking you to please correct it. Nine times out of 10, people do that,” she said. “[The Lallis] have been non-responsive and have not provided the requested information to the commission despite repeated requests.”

This latest letter of complaint, which was also unsigned, reports several new violations that have not yet been verified by the commission and will require further site visits. The anonymous sender alleged that he or she heard gunshots in the area and, upon further inspection, found additional tree cutting, a possible pump next to a body of water, makeshift buildings, a horse corral, fire pit, mud bogging, and a jet ski in the water.

The commission had intended to show the letter to the Lallis at the Tuesday night meeting.

Other actions taken at the meeting include a request for approval by Rochester resident Rebecca Davenport. Davenport submitted changes to a property plan. The commission reviewed the changes, found that they did not constitute major revisions, and approved them.

The commission also discussed the Open Space Plan, which is currently in development. The commission plans to submit a survey to the residents of Rochester to get their opinions on what changes or lack thereof they would like to see in the plan.

Additionally, the commission reviewed an application to the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program for a grant of $8,500 dollars to survey land as part of the Haskell Woods Land Preservation Project. The survey would look at possible access routes to the area so that the Land Trust could decide where and how much land they should buy.

The commission extended a thank you to Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School senior Amy Hill for taking the lead on a digital revision of the Town’s Explore Rochester trail maps. The commission would also like to thank her teacher, Kathy Peterson of the Graphic Communication and Design program.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for June 2 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Andrew Roiter

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Scant Voter Turnout

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Without a single contested race or a question on the ballot that inspired much in the way of interest, Mattapoisett’s local election saw 218 voters during the extended hours the polls were open on May 19. At the request of the Board of Selectmen, Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger and her team manned the polls at Old Hammondtown School from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, one hour earlier than in previous years.

Heuberger confirmed that there are 4,690 registered voters in Mattapoisett. Usual voter turnout tops out at about half of that. She said in uncontested races 2 to 3 percent is about normal. On ballots where some level of decision-making has been required such as town elections in the prior three years, the polls saw up to a 14% turnout.

On the ballot question asking voters whether or not to exempt the town from the provisions of Proposition 2 ½ for bonds to finance ongoing roadway repairs throughout the village neighborhood, 126 voters agreed while 50 voters disagreed, and 42 voters left the space blank.

The uncontested elected offices found Selectman Paul Silva receiving 156 votes with three unsuccessful write-in votes. Assessor Leonard Coppola received 161 votes, and James Muse for the Mattapoisett School Committee received 158 votes.

The Public Library trustees are William Asci, receiving 156 votes and Amy Ligmitz-Harken, 142. John Eklund, Mattapoisett’s long-time moderator will return to his gavel with 166 votes. Al Meninno, Jr received 155 as a commissioner on the Water/Sewer Commission.

Barry Denham, who received praise for the handling of snow removal and related winter storm issues for the 2014/2015 winter as highway surveyor received 173 votes with four write-ins. Russell Bailey received 155 votes for a three-year post on the Board of Health, while Ken Dawicki received 163 votes for a one-year stint on the Board of Health.

Nathan Ketchel, who sought to fill one of two open slots on the Planning Board, received 150 votes for a five-year seat at the table. Suzanne Kennedy received 154 votes for a two-year position with the Mattapoisett Housing Authority, and last on the ballot were William Hall and Michelle Hughes receiving 158 and 162 votes respectively for two-year posts on the Community Preservation Committee.

By Marilou Newell

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Free Movie: Last Tuesday of the Month

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The Imitation Game (PG-13 1hr. 54min.) is being shown at the Mattapoisett CoA Senior Center, Center School, 17 Barstow St., on Tuesday, May 26 at 12:00 noon. The free movie is sponsored by the Friends of the Mattapoisett CoA.

In The Imitation Game, Alan Turing, a pioneer of computers, leads a group of scholars to crack the codes of Germany’s WWII Enigma machine. A genius under nail-biting pressure helps to save millions of lives. And he is ultimately convicted for the crime of homosexuality.

You get two pizza slices for only $2 prepaid. Pay for your pizza at the CoA Senior Center by Monday, May 25. Also call the Senior Center at 508-758-4110 to reserve your seat – we need to know how many chairs to set up.

Mattapoisett REC

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Summer Youth Program: Summer Musical Theatre – Sing, dance, and audition to act in a production of Frozen! During this one week course, students will learn the basics of putting together a theatre production and how to take part in a musical theatre performance. They will then audition for a role in Frozen and participate in the performance on the final day of the course. Class is open to boys and girls ages 5-13 and runs July 13 – July 17 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm in the OHS Cafetorium. To register, visit www.mattapoisett.net, go to MATT REC then Summer Musical Theatre.

Summer Adult Fitness Opportunity: Adult Boot Camp – Get fit and have fun in a one-hour workout designed for men and women of all fitness levels. The sessions will address all areas of fitness including cardio, muscular endurance, weight loss, strength, agility, balance and flexibility. Join the group and workout in a supportive non-intimidating environment. Instructor Chad Cabeceiras has a Masters degree in Physical Education, Exercise Science and Biomechanics. Chad is a certified trainer who has designed and implemented multiple fitness programs and boot camps over the past 15 years. Program starts June 1 and runs through July 24. Register for 3X per week, 2X a week, or Drop in at www.mattapoisett.net, go to MATT REC then Adult Boot Camp.

Silvershell Summer Program

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Marion Recreation is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the Silvershell Summer Program. The program is open to all boys and girls entering Grades 1-6. You do not need to be a Marion resident to participate. Every week we will be venturing on a field trip corresponding with the theme of the week. Join us for Pirate Week, Shark Week, Bubble Week, Sports Week, just to name a few. The program is a two-week minimum. Weeks do not need to be consecutive! Cost is $325 for two weeks per child. Once you have enrolled for two weeks, additional weeks may be added at $162.50 per child. Take 10% off your second child! Early drop off and late pick up are available for an additional nominal charge. If you are enrolling three or more children, please contact Marion Recreation for more details. The first day will be June 22 and the program will run for eight weeks until August 14. For more information, visit www.marionrecreation.com, call Marion Recreation at 774-217-8355 or email info@marionrecreation.com.

Marion Recreation Sailing Program

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Marion Recreation is offering Sailing Lessons on Sippican Harbor! The program will teach basic sailing skills including boat handling, how to identify parts of the boat, boating terms and basic knots. Classes will be tailored to fit the needs of those enrolled. Personal flotation devices will be provided. Adults are welcome, too! The one-week sessions begin the week of June22. Lessons are held Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, leaving from Island Wharf. The cost for up to three people in a session is $225. For a complete list of dates and times, please visit www.marionrecreation.com. For more information, please contact Marion Recreation at 774-217-8355 or info@marionrecreation.com. Space is limited; please register early for the best availability.

Marion Council on Aging

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A new Tai Chi class will begin on Tuesday, May 19 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. This will run for eight weeks for a cost of $30. Space is limited. Please call the COA office at 508 748-3570 for more information.

Join the van on June 29 to the Jewelry Exchange in Sudbury and/or August 10 for a visit to Frugal Fannies, fashion and shoe warehouse, in Westwood. Space is limited, so please call early to reserve your spot.