Rochester Land Trust

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The Rochester Land Trust will Celebrate Moms by hosting a Mother’s Day Walk on Sunday, May 12 at 2 pm at the Church’s Wildlife Preserve. located across the street from 194 Marion Road, Route 105, in Rochester.

            We will first gather around the new pollinator garden, enjoy a refreshing glass of lemonade and then take a short walk through the woods, identifying migratory songbirds using the Merlin ID app from Cornell Ornithology.

            The Trust will have a small gift for all attending mothers. No rain date, shine only. For more information call 706-675-5263.

Marion Planning Board

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To the Editors:

            Having read the letter/opinion of Eileen Marum of the Marion Planning Board in the most recent Wanderer, I am compelled to respond. Since when does a woman, working in any position to enhance the quality of life for the people of Marion have to endure the bullying of the verbally abusive, ill-mannered, boorish, peckish behavior of her male colleagues? There should be an outcry from the town over the dearth of noblesse oblige at these meetings. Consider this as one such outcry.

            Ms. Marum has a large constituency which has put her on the Board for the last eight years. When the Planning Board members attempt to silence her, they attempt to silence her constituents who vote consistently. The Board members should be careful of suppressing opinions because it might lead to suppression of votes. Nota Bene: not a good idea for longevity on the Board. Her constituents vote in, and vote out.

            The question begging to be queried is where was the Chair when all of this bullying was happening? The first role of the Chair is to ensure each member has the opportunity to speak her truth, quietly and clearly, and in turn, listen to the voices/opinions of other members of the Board. The second role is to admonish, if necessary, those loud, aggressive persons who are in breach of decorum because they are vexatious to the spirit of collegiality, and the continuation of the task at hand. The third role is to remove from the assembly any person who continues exhibiting behaviors which impede the progress of the agenda, and the cohesion of the group. Why were those steps not taken by the Chair?

            Certainly, a public apology is due Ms. Marum, for without one, tacit permission is being given to continue the outrageous behavior reported from the last meeting of the Planning Board.

            Is the Town Administrator taking note? Perhaps it is time for some sensitivity training for all members of all Boards. Without doubt, an investigation by the Administrator, or his Proxy should proceed immediately so that the breach of decorum never happens again.

Diane V. Owens, Marion

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. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.

Robert M. Sherman

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Robert M. Sherman, 87, of Rochester died peacefully May 7, 2024 at St. Luke’s Hospital.

            He was the husband of Harriett S. (Salley) Sherman, with whom he shared 70 years of marriage.

            Born in Rochester, son of the late Clifford L. and Margaret (Gifford) Sherman, he lived in Rochester all of his life.

            Robert was the proud owner of R.M. Sherman Builder, having built countless custom homes in the tri-town.

            He enjoyed hunting in his younger years, farming and spending countless hours on his father’s cub tractor.

            Survivors include his wife; his 5 children, Bryan Sherman and his wife Laurene, Diana Sherman-Knapp and her husband Wayne, Donna Ray and her husband Gene, Melanie Sherman-Morris and her husband Darren, all of Rochester and Brett Sherman of Mattapoisett and Florida; a sister, Jean Finnegan of Longmeadow, MA; 11 grandchildren, Meredith, Erin and her husband Rob, Clifford and his wife Alison, Wesley and his partner Nikki, Christopher, Benjamin, Andrea, Robert, Carrie and her husband Michael, Michael and his wife Paula and Madeline and her fiance Mark; 3 great-grandchildren, Gilbert John, Aubrey Anne and Logan James; and many nieces and nephews.

            He was the brother of the late Linda Sherman and Clifford Sherman, Jr. and “special brother” to the late Diana Laycock Macy.

            His visiting hours will be held on Friday, May 10th from 3-7 pm in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett.  His Graveside Service will be held on Saturday, May 11th at 12 Noon in the Sherman Cemetery, Pine St. Rochester.  For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Cornelia Harrop Middleton

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Cornelia Harrop Middleton, June 19, 1962 – May 1, 2024

            Nina was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts to Jane Shearer Harrop and William Henry Harrop III and grew up in Padanaram, MA. She attended grade school and early high school in Dartmouth, MA and spent the rest of her high school years at Suffield Academy in Connecticut. She earned her BA summa cum laude at Providence College and her Masters in Social Work from Rhode Island College. She was a crisis navigator in the emergency department of Good Samaritan Medical Center, Brockton, MA the final ten years of her career. She lived her life to the fullest, including during her final four years with breast cancer.

            Nina was an athlete – a runner, sailor, and excellent skier – who relished the outdoors. She was a champion of women’s rights. Together with her husband John she raised their daughter Cency in their Mattapoisett home. Nina loved travelling and spending time at the family cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan.

            In addition to John and Cency, Nina leaves behind her son-in-law Anders Fogel and grandson Magnus, her brother William Henry Harrop IV, his wife Cathy, her nephew Will, and nieces Jen and Delaney, as well as a wealth of wonderful friends. She leaves a hole in a lot of hearts, or better to say she finds a lasting place in them.

            Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute Jimmy Fund or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For online guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com

Disagreement Holds up Search Committee

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After an objection over who the board is not choosing to appoint, Rochester’s Select Board Monday had to delay for two weeks its action to form a Town Administrator Search Committee and find a replacement for Glenn Cannon, who is leaving the town position after the May 13 Annual Town Meeting.

            Select Board member Brad Morse motioned that the committee to find Cannon’s replacement will consist of himself, Financial Director and soon-to-be Interim Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar, former Town Clerk Paul Dawson, Finance Committee Chairman Kris Stoltenberg and resident John Egger.

            Personnel Board Chairperson Kristen Nash objected to the reason she could not also be appointed. Cannon said Town Counsel has informed him it is because she is a member of the Personnel panel. “You would have to resign from the Personnel Board,” he said.

            Nash fought back, arguing the language in the town’s Personnel Bylaw does not exclude members of boards that run for a short term, then are disbanded, such as is the case with the Personnel Board. “It is discriminatory,” she said. “It is ludicrous. I don’t think that what you are doing here is the intent of that bylaw.”

            Nash asked the board to seek a written opinion from Town Counsel on the issue. Select Board Chairman Paul Ciaburri motioned to seek that opinion before voting the actual appointments. Morse insisted that his motion to appoint his original five names remain in play. The two board members ultimately approved continuing the appointments to the May 20 meeting; board member Adam Murphy was not in attendance.

            Cannon, who became the Rochester town administrator in March 2022, is leaving the position on May 14 to accept the same job in Carver.

            In other action, the board approved and signed the contract for Rochester Police Lieutenant Donald Kemmett to become interim police chief for a time to expire when a permanent chief is hired. The previous chief, Robert Small, announced his retirement last month, effective June 28.

            The Select Board approved a one-year extension of the Regional Old Colony Communications Center contract that places the town’s public-safety-dispatching services in Duxbury.

            The Select Board awarded Citations in Recognition of Residents to Pat Joy and Roxanne Costa for saving a fellow senior’s life through CPR at the Senior Center on April 18. The board said later that a larger ceremony honoring the two is being organized by the Fire Department and the Council on Aging.

            The Select Board continued until June 3 its public hearings to approve installation of an Eversource utility pole and a new manhole cover on Rounseville Road and a new Verizon utility pole for 198 Clapp Road.

            The board approved the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) agreement that will allow the town to apply for ARPA grants. It then approved Financial Director Suzanne Szyndlar as the grant process’s authorized reporter and town Treasurer Ashling McLoughlin as authorized representative.

            Cannon announced that the state has now approved the Special Town Meeting article passed in January that will allow Scott Weigel to continue as fire chief beyond the mandatory retirement age of 65. Cannon has said the chief wishes to stay on to see the completion of the Public Safety Facility project. The article reads that he may not stay in the position past age 67.

            The Rochester Select Board will meet next at the Annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 13, at 7:00 pm at Rochester Memorial School and reconvene for its regular meeting on Monday, May 20, at 6:00 pm at the Senior Center, 67 Dexter Lane.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Miracle Mitt Rekindles Long-Lost Love

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Andrew Daniel’s Ray Kinsella moment came from his son rather than his father.

            Eleven years ago, the Marion resident’s son Jackson arrived home from Kindergarten with a flier for youth baseball.

            “He wanted to sign up. My youth baseball in the league didn’t end well, I didn’t enjoy it. I actually hated the game at the end,” recalls Daniel, fighting off emotional moments after throwing out the ceremonial “first ball” for Opening Day of Old Rochester Youth Baseball on Saturday morning at Gifford Park.

            Daniel was publicly recognized for his 11 years of volunteerism and had just thrown the“first ball” to ORRYB President Mike Duarte when he recalled that baseball hadn’t always brought him the joy it has for the past decade.

            As a child, baseball in his mind was anything but a field of dreams, more of a stitch in the gut, a bitter loss lacking resolution.

            “Not a good relationship with the head coach. It just put a nasty taste in my mouth for the rest of my life, and (when Jackson asked) I was like, ‘no, anything but baseball,’” recalled Daniel. “I was struggling between bringing up bad feelings or letting my kid down. And I remember not being able to sleep that night. … I didn’t want to let him down.”

            After all those years, what he thought had faded from memory was suddenly raw all over again.

            “I’m not overly religious, but I needed help with that one,” said Daniel, who prayed. “It wasn’t like it’s the most important decision in the world, but … it was just a tough thing for me. I said, ‘I need a sign.’”

            The next day, Daniel got into his white van that he typically parked at the police station, and on his way to work, he spotted something in the middle of Route 105 near the S-shaped curved in the road. Resting on the yellow divider lines: a men’s size, black, Easton-brand baseball mitt.

            Having pulled over to confirm what his discovery was, Daniel brought the glove to the police station and told them in case anyone reports it missing.

            “If not, I’m going to keep it for the time being, and I still have it today,” said Daniel, who since that day has brought it to the fields as a coach in T-Ball, farm league, minors and majors, having guided minor and major league teams to championship finals.

            For five years, he spent seven days a week on youth baseball, working on field maintenance when there wasn’t a game or a practice.

            “I always tell the parents, ‘I’m not a professional hitting coach, but I spent an extraordinary amount of money on them for my kid, and I paid really good attention,’” said Daniel, who studied the teaching videos and is trying to save baseball parents some of that money by being a sponge for baseball instruction and paying it all forward.

            Freshly retired from his roles in ORRYB, Daniel stills breathes baseball. He now coaches his daughter in softball and is helping coach Babe Ruth League and travel baseball. His son is a freshman playing in the ORR High School program.

            Sharing a laugh with his ORRYB maintenance successor Jim Perry, who of course didn’t realize what he was getting himself into when he volunteered his own time, Daniel hasn’t retired as much as he has redirected his revived passion for America’s pastime. All because someone left a baseball glove on his pathway to work.

            His ORRYB teams never won the championship. The prize was his opportunity to make baseball a positive experience for all those children. But like Shoeless Joe Jackson tells Kinsella at the end of Field of Dreams, Daniel knows it was he who needed that mitt the most and the second chance that came with it.

            “It’s the craziest thing,” he said, “and it’s the biggest blessing.”

ORR Youth Baseball Opening Day

By Mick Colageo

Clue on Stage

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Old Colony’s production of Clue on stage will be this weekend and next weekend. May 10 at 7:00 pm, May 11 at 3:00 and 7:00 pm, May 17 at 7:00 pm, May 18 at 2:00 pm and May 19 at 2:00 pm.

            There are two separate casts for this play. Cast one is this weekend and cast 2 is next weekend.

            There will also be raffle baskets, a concession stand and a 50/50 raffle at all shows. All proceeds benefit the Old Colony Theater Company.

Director of the Mattapoisett Library

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The Town of Mattapoisett and the Library Trustees announced today that Colleen Tierney will be the next Director of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. Her first day as Director will be Wednesday, May 8.

            Colleen is coming to Mattapoisett from Texas where she has many years of experience working in school and public libraries, most recently serving as Director of Library Services in the Kyle Public Library in Kyle, Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Providence College and a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University.

            “The Library Trustees are absolutely delighted that Colleen has accepted this position” states Ruth Jolliffe, acting chair of the Library Trustees. “She is well prepared to continue the tradition of strong library directors leading the Mattapoisett Free Public Library.” Ms. Jolliffe added, “We are very grateful to Susan Pizzolato for her willingness to serve as interim director during our search for a new director, and we are very grateful to the Select Board for their prompt action in hiring Ms. Tierney.”

            For more information, please contact the Mattapoisett Free Public Library, 7 Barstow Street, Phone: 508-758-4171.

Road Reconstruction Committee

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To the Editor;

            Residents of Mattapoisett will be asked to vote for or against a Road Reconstruction Committee at Town Meeting on May 13th. A Committee is the way to resolve the current concerns about the project, especially since the project has been pushed out to 2027 and because trees, infrastructure and taxes are at stake.

            The Committee will hold public meetings and ensure that public questions are responded to. The reason for this committee is to make sure the end product of this Road Reconstruction meets the resident’s goals without surprises. A committee with relevant industry and committee experience will bring a 1) balanced perspective to decision making, 2) understanding of design and construction 3) thorough reviews of options and alternatives before it is too late to make changes. It just makes sense to have a representative local committee meeting regularly and overseeing the future use and character of our main public roads in the Village.

            We encourage you to read more about the petition on our Facebook page: Friends of Mattapoisett Village Roads, where you will find frequently asked questions and the comments of our citizens. And most importantly, please be present at Town Meeting to cast your vote on this important issue.

Bonne DeSousa, Mattapoisett

Sandra Hering, Mattapoisett

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. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.

Stretch Code Stays for Now

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Action on Article 31 of the warrant for the May 13 Annual Town Meeting asking Marion voters if the town should opt out of the state’s Stretch (building) Code and effectively resign from its membership in the state’s Green Communities program will be postponed indefinitely after the Select Board determined Tuesday night that there is much more to be learned on both sides of the debate less than a week from Town Meeting.

            The Town House Annex conference room was packed with citizens, including three members of the town’s Energy Management Committee that spearheads Marion’s participation in the incentive-based, state program that since 2018 has yielded $548,975 in grant funding with an application due to be submitted on Friday for $262,000 in municipal, energy-saving projects.

            The motivation for the town to reconsider its participation stems from changes that are making the Stretch Code more stringent. Marion Building Commissioner Bob Grillo explained that it was his duty to bring the matter to the Select Board’s attention to ensure the town understands the laws he will be obligated to enforce.

            Opinions were many on the floor, and EMC member Bill Saltonstall told the crowd he opposes the article “because it’s misleading and confusing.”

            The note on the warrant that the Finance Committee withholds recommendation due to no financial impact is “simply not true,” said Saltonstall, asserting that an approval at Town Meeting would prevent the town from substantial state grants and Eversource energy savings.

            Lisa Sullivan, the regional coordinator for the Green Communities program, was in attendance to field questions and offer clarifications to the board and residents.

            Those against the article appeal to Marion’s 24% energy reduction since joining Green Communities in 2018 and assert that if the article is approved, the town may never be able to get its municipal projects completed.

            There was plenty of support for objections to the article, each greeted with a round of applause.

            Christian Ingerslev, the chairman of the EMC, said that while disadvantages of the Stretch Code include higher construction costs due to stricter requirements than the base code, up-front costs can be reduced via the MassSave program and competitive grants that can offset third-party costs.

            Ingerslev also said that while the Stretch Code can add layers of complexity, additional time and the need for professional expertise and can be particularly onerous with older buildings, the code brings better energy efficiency, HVAC performance and sealing of buildings.

            From an environmental standpoint, greenhouse gases are lowered, helping combat the effects of climate change and offering better indoor-air quality, supporting the state’s broader goals for stewardship of the environment.

            “Marion should be a forward-looking town,” he said, adding his recommendation to vote no and to keep the Stretch Code and the town’s Green Communities designation.

            Select Board member Randy Parker said the key to supporting a move out of Green Communities is, “what we adopted in 2018 is not what we’re going to be presented.”

            Parker said it is important that residents understand that the question was asked in 2018 if the Stretch Code would affect existing dwellings and “the answer was no.” That’s what Parker understood would be changing until Sullivan laid out some thresholds that she believes have far less potential to trigger the updated Stretch Code than what Parker believed coming into the meeting.

            During the discussion, Parker had also addressed concerns about the town’s historical district. Longtime resident Chris Washburn, also an electrician, said he has seen many homes in Marion and that if the Stretch Code is applied, many would become teardowns and the town would lose its character.

            Grillo wanted to make sure the town understands that with changes in the Home Energy Rating System (HERS), the Stretch Code has effectively become the Base Code. Sullivan found herself correcting conclusions being drawn by residents regarding the interpretations of how HERS ratings will affect their home projects.

            Select Board member Norm Hills suggested that such a trend is not new and continues. Parker, however, disagreed in the newness of its application limits.

            Resident Shaun Walsh identified a fear of the unknown in the room and a “real lack of information about this, and that tells you that this article should not pass.”

            Walsh asked what percentage of building permits issued by the town over the last five years would have triggered the new Stretch Code. Sullivan estimated that the answer is probably closer to 5% than 50%.

            Hills said he dug through the last three years and pulled 27 building permits … all big houses, he said, and concluded that “this code, I don’t think, would impact that.”

            Margie Baldwin said, “The reason the state did this is climate. Some of us have to take our lumps … yes, it hurts some pockets, but … this is something that’s real. … We have to face reality.”

            Select Board Chairman Toby Burr asked Sullivan and Grillo if they knew what the ramifications are for the construction of sports facilities like ice rinks and bubbles.

            Resident Catherine Collings said that rebates have come slowly from MassSave.

            Resident Chris Collings suggested that although an excess of $500,000 in grant funding sounds impressive, the figure represents a miniscule fraction of the town’s annual operational budget and therefore would be better realized within the budgetary process so as to escape the hooks that come with the grants.

            Resident Tucker Burr questioned if the state puts more money into the Green Communities bucket or if grant applications become more competitive.

            Sullivan said Green Communities started with $10,000,000 and has been doubled. There are 295 municipalities among the state’s 351 communities, four of which joined over the last year. Citing the requirements on its already-expensive plans for a new fire station and police headquarters expansion, the Town of Rochester recently became the only town to ever opt out of the program.

            As more residents acknowledged a need for more education on the subject, Parker changed his stance and supported holding Article 31 with the stipulation that the town host Green Communities for three informational meetings in a larger space with the possibility of bringing the article back to a special fall town meeting.

            “This isn’t going away,” he said before making his motion. Hills and Toby Burr agreed, bringing applause from a gathering that Town Administrator Geoff Gorman had to ask to disperse so that the board could conduct the rest of its agenda.

            Early in the meeting, Police Chief Richard Nighelli appeared before the board to request three appointments to his staff, beginning with Assistant Harbormaster Andrew Miller. The board approved and also approved the appointments of full-time patrol officers Patrick Adams and Mark Norman.

            Since 2020, Miller had become a regular on the Harbormaster’s staff and, under police reform, was required to leave the department to pursue state certification as a police officer so he could join Adam Murphy’s core with Deputy Harbormaster Dave Wilson.

            Miller is a 2018 ORRHS graduate and Massachusetts Maritime Academy and will join the Harbormaster Department effective Sunday, May 12.

            Marion Fire Ladder truck No. 1 will be junked at a profit of $10,000. With its replacement due in the fall, the town has arranged for support from surrounding departments, including Wareham and Onset.

            Kelli McSweeny was appointed to the Music Hall Advisory Committee.

            The board granted Tri-County Music Association a Special One-Day Alcohol Beverage License for a June 9 scholarship fundraiser, band concert and 250-guest event from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Tabor Academy Alumni tent.

            The board granted Tabor Academy a performance time extension to 11:30 pm for live music for the dinner/dance, part of the school’s Reunion Weekend June 7-9.

            The board also approved: Annual Water Restrictions from June 15 to September 15, a Mobile Home and Trailer Permit at 507 Delano Road, the town’s Water & Sewer Abatement Policy and Water/Sewer commitments for final readings of $329.58 (April 12) and $304.36 (April 23).

            The board disapproved a Water/Sewer Abatement of $2,226.73 requested at 44 Rocky Knook Lane.

            In his Town Administrator’s Report, Gorman noted major events coming up such as the Annual Town Meeting to be held on Monday, May 13, at 6:45 pm at Sippican Elementary School, the Annual Town Election to be held on Friday, May 17, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at the Cushing Community Center on Route 6 and the town’s Annual Memorial Day Remembrance ceremonies to begin with a 9:00 am procession from the Music Hall up Front Street to Old Landing, where the observance will be completed.

            Independence Day Parade applications are available at marionma.gov and at the Marion Town House.

            Gorman said that after a $10,000 donation from Tabor Academy, the Fireworks Committee is still $7,000 of its $40,000 goal and has until June 16 to raise the money to hold the event scheduled for July 6 (rain date July 7).

            The Annual Town Party scheduled for August 24 at 4:00 pm at Silvershell Beach is also soliciting donations.

            Parker said the Harbormaster construction has now begin shingling the roof and that plumbing work has started with electrical installation anticipated over the next week.

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board will occur at the Annual Town Meeting to be held on Monday, May 13, at 6:45 pm at Sippican Elementary School with the board’s next regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 21, at 6:00 pm at the Town House Annex building.

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo