High Voter Turnout in Tri-Town

on March 2, 2016

Tri-Town voters came out for the presidential primary election on March 1 like they haven’t in a long time. Decades, even, according to Rochester Town Clerk Naida Parker.

Fifty-percent of Marion voters – 1,874 of the 3,763 registered voters – made their way to the VFW to cast their vote for their preferred candidate.

“It was pretty steady all day,” said Marion Town Election Warden Joan Hartnett-Barry. “People came out during lunch, during suppertime … anytime.”

Republican candidate Donald Trump was the victor in Marion with 358 votes, with John Kasich coming in second with 183 votes and Marco Rubio in third with 148.

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton beat Bernie Sanders in Marion by a narrow margin, 530-510.

In Mattapoisett, roughly 50 percent of registered voters filed into Old Hammondtown Elementary School throughout the day – 2,390 (plus 100 write-ins) of over 4,700 registered voters.

Turnout was significantly higher than the average presidential primary, according to Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger.

Trump came out on top with 483 votes, Kasich in second with 240, and Rubio in third with 181.

Sanders beat Clinton in Mattapoisett, 691-610.

Over in Rochester, voters streamed in right up until 8:00 pm, just as polls were about to close.

Trump won amongst Rochester voters with 547, Rubio in second with 137, and Kasich in third with 122 votes.

Sanders beat Clinton significantly, 500-325.

Turnout was about 43 percent in Rochester, with 1,814 of 4,243 voters making it to the Rochester Senior Center to cast their ballots.

“It’s been awesome,” said Parker, summing up the day. “The largest turnout for a primary election in the 30 years that I’ve been here.”

By Jean Perry

Anne H. Stowell

on March 1, 2016

Anne H. Stowell, of Mattapoisett, died peacefully on February 26 at 85 years of age. She attended Center School and was a member of the Fairhaven High School, class of 1948, from which she had special lasting friends. She graduated from the University of Iowa, returned East to work for D.C. Heath Publishing Co. in Boston, and then found her way back to Mattapoisett where she worked as an integral part of The Presto Press until her retirement.

Anne had a very quick wit and was an extremely talented artist, in particular with pen and ink drawings, a talent she used for covers and advertising in The Presto. Her favorite subjects were the wildlife creatures that habituated her yard.

Anne is survived by nieces Elizabeth Kunz, Kathryn Dinneen and Louise Rogers, all of Mattapoisett, Martha Kabacoff of Boulder, Colorado, and their children and grandchildren. She was predeceased by two sisters, Jean S. Ham and Pamela M. Single.

A gift may be made to the Mattapoisett library of a donation or a good book, a gift that Anne would have enjoyed sharing with others.

Super Tuesday

on March 1, 2016

To the Editor:

We are entering the heart of the 2016 election season and the next big moment arrives on March 1, “Super Tuesday.” As one of the 12 states with a primary, voters here in Massachusetts have a lot of factors to weigh as they contemplate who our next president should be. I know what the candidates are saying about Alzheimer’s disease will influence my choice. This illness devastates millions of families, overwhelms our health care system and threatens Medicare.

According to a recent survey by the Alzheimer’s Association, 73 million American voters know someone with Alzheimer’s. I was one of those Americans who was a caregiver for my partner who was diagnosed in 2008. She passed away in October of 2015. I have experienced firsthand the emotional, physical and financial toll of this heartbreaking illness. At least Faye was fortunate enough to receive a diagnosis in the first place. The Alzheimer’s Association reports the sad reality is only 45 percent of Americans with Alzheimer’s are ever diagnosed. This means the majority living with Alzheimer’s never even know it. I believe our state and nation face no more critical health issue than Alzheimer’s disease.

Despite the sobering statistics, I feel a great deal of hope in our battle against this disease. There has been some real progress achieved in the last year. Congress passed an historic 60 percent increase in Alzheimer’s funding last December. Several of the leading presidential candidates in both parties have pledged support and have plans for increasing federal government support for Alzheimer’s research.

I want to protect our progress and send the message our work is nowhere near complete. I will be casting my ballot on Super Tuesday for a candidate who makes urgent action against Alzheimer’s a priority.

Sincerely,

Barbara A. Meehan, Wareham

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.

Mattapoisett Recreation Early Spring Programs

on March 1, 2016

Mattapoisett Recreation is offering the following Early Spring programs. Sign up deadline is this Friday, February 26:

Center Stage Kids: Ages 5-12 years; Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:00 pm; March 2 to May 4 at the Center School Gymnasium. MATTREC is excited to partner with Tracy Gendreau Fiore for a creative theatre program. Children will learn various aspects of the performing arts and will participate in a theatrical production on the last day of the eight-week session. Cost $100. Registration deadline is February 26.

Yoga: Ages 6-10 years; Tuesdays from 3:00 – 4:00 pm; March 1 to April 26 at the Center School Gymnasium. Certified yoga instructor Lynda Jacobvitz will teach your child age-appropriate yoga poses, basic stretching exercises and creative movement to promote strength, flexibility and coordination. Breathing and visualization techniques will teach kids how to focus, relax, develop self-control and improve concentration. The cost for the eight-week session is $80. Registration deadline is February 26.

Fencing: Ages 7-10 years, Mondays from 6:00 – 7:00 pm, Ages 10-12 years, Mondays from 7:00-8:00 pm; March 7 to April 11 at the Center School Gymnasium. Blackstone Valley Fencing Academy will teach your child the basic techniques and language of fencing. Their goal is to promote self-confidence and self-reliance as a fencer and an individual. All equipment is provided. Please wear sneakers and long pants. The cost for the six-week session is $120. Registration deadline is February 26.

Please email MATTREC at mattrec@mattapoisett.net with any questions. Sign up online at www.mattrec.net.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

on March 1, 2016

St. Patrick’s Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner will be held at The Knights Hall, 57 Fairhaven Road, Mattapoisett on Saturday, March 12. The doors open at 5:00 pm and dinner is served at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children 7 to 12, and free for children under 7. For tickets, call Jim at 508-863-3496 or Rick at 508-758-4933. The proceeds go to The Knights of Mattapoisett Scholarship Fund.

DEP Upholds ConCom Decision

on March 1, 2016

“The DEP sided with the Conservation Commission’s negative determination of applicability…. It was appropriate,” said Chairman Bob Rogers during the February 22 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission.

The two Notices of Intent filed by the Town and planned for the evening’s agenda were now withdrawn due to the DEP’s finding. The filings were for test borings along the next phase of the bike path.

On December 12, the commissioners had voted to approve the Town’s application for a Request for Determination of Applicability to proceed with test borings along the proposed bike path Phase 1B, a path through sensitive wetlands.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation had required the Bike Path Committee to produce test data that would determine the composition of the substratum. The DOT was looking for assurances that the pedestrian bridge planned to span the marshlands would be supported by pilings sunk in bedrock.

Previous test borings indicating the presence of rock was deemed insufficient, hence, the necessity for additional test borings.

Abutters who felt that the Town should have filed a Notice of Intent along with other technical data before being given permission to move forward with test borings then appealed that decision. That appeal was denied.

Now that the DEP has denied the appeal, the Town no longer has to file for a NOI and can now proceed with the borings.

“We won one,” Rogers said.

In other business, a RDA filed by Kevin LaBlanc for the construction of an addition and covered porch on property located at 34 Brandt Beach Avenue received a Negative 3 determination. The applicant also received a Certificate of Compliance for other projects at the site.

The Preserve at Bay Club, represented by Ted Gowdy, also received a Negative 3 determination of applicability for the construction of a new home at lot 118 Fieldstone Drive that will skirt a 100-foot buffer zone.

Engineer David Davignon presented a NOI from Richard Patten, 21 Marion Road, for the construction of a new house and garage. The site is the former location of a greenhouse and has been cleared for years. The building site borders jurisdictional wetlands. The project received a standard Order of Conditions.

Returning to the commission was George Collins of Collins Civil Engineering Group with a NOI for the construction of a new septic system at 6 Aucoot Road.

Collins had been asked during a previous hearing to discuss the possibility of connecting to public sewer before approving a septic system near bordering wetlands. Collins completed the request with due diligence and returned with information that the Sewer Department had declined the tie-in request due a number of reasons: the location of the pipes on Chapel Road, no other homes in the neighborhood access the sewer system, and the reduction in size of the proposed septic system.

The commission approved a standard Order of Conditions.

Certificates of Completion were issued to Eric Morrissette, 11 Cove Street, and Jay Williams, 13 Abby Lane.

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

By Marilou Newell

Writing Workshop Turned Drama at Tabor

on March 1, 2016

The winter drama is always an anticipated event, but this year offers a special twist. The play being performed was written by Mark Howland’s creative writing class and features individual scenes created by each member of the class.

Following the spectacular musical Thoroughly Modern Millie, this year’s drama, The Workshop, is a smaller, more intimate event in the Black Box Theatre. The actors have been rehearsing all season to ensure an exciting and well-done production.

The normal format of Tabor’s creative writing class consists mostly of short story writing. Howland usually focuses heavily on dialog, pacing, and characterization. This year’s class, however, spent most of the semester trying their hand at playwriting instead. Then, after the winter season began and the scripts for the play were chosen, they transitioned back into short story writing.

When they began the semester, their main priority was to craft these scenes. As every member of the class was writing something different, they began with the idea that the only continuity would be that each scene would have a bench in it.

“We worked with this idea for a while,” says Nathalie Cavallo, who was a member of the class as well as an actor in the play. “But it got too difficult, so now the only similarity is that each scene includes a person sitting down.”

At the end of every week, students would submit their favorite scene that they’d written, and the class would read them aloud and decide which ones would work well as part of the drama. It took them a lot to get to this point though.

“We did a lot of editing both in class and on our own,” Cavallo says. “We’d do a lot of peer-work and had a lot of drafts for each scene.”

The biggest challenge, and the most interesting aspect of playwriting, is that it’s different from short story writing and is often unfamiliar to students.

“My acting background definitely helped me in this class,” said Cavallo, “because a lot of it was knowing what worked well on stage. The class also helped me become a better actor because I got a better idea of how the play is crafted.”

Cavallo saw both sides of the production, writing one of the scenes and starring in another.

“It was really cool to see people bring everyone’s stories to life,” said Cavallo. “They brought a whole new element to the stories we spent all semester on.”

Not all good stories necessarily translate well on stage, so a big problem was keeping all the jokes alive and making sure that the pacing was correct. All of these skills, however, translate well to short story writing. The ability to use effective dialog, create interesting scenes, and keep the story moving are all crucial to good short story writing. When the class transitioned back into writing short stories, they noticed a distinct difference in their writing skills.

The Workshop, a string of unconnected stories, was directed by student Joslyn Jenkins and Donn Tyler, an English teacher. Students and faculty alike are looking forward to witnessing the amazing work of both the actors who brought the stories to life and the students who wrote the scripts.

By Madeleine Gregory

Standish King Allen

on March 1, 2016

Standish King Allen, age 91, passed away peacefully surrounded by the comfort of his loving family at the Golden Living Center in Norwood on Thursday, February 25, 2016. He was the son of the late Lesley B. and Constance (King) Allen.

Stan was born in Taunton on April 30, 1924. He was a graduate of Mansfield High School, Class of 1942. He proudly served his country in the US Army in the Military Police during WWII. He was a graduate of Hebron Academy in ME and attended Bryant & Stratton School and Northeastern University in Boston. He married his wife Dorothea at the Pawtucket Congregational Church on June 30, 1949. He was a Foxborough resident for over 38 years.

Stan was employed as a sales representative for Eastern Refractories Company of Belmont for over 22 years. He was the Captain of the Foxborough Police Department Auxiliary Police and Commissioner/Director of the Foxborough Civil Defense. A parishioner of Bethany Congregational Church, he was a former deacon and member of the Board of Trustees and a member of the Finance Committee. He also was a past Master of the St. James Masonic Lodge and past High Priest of the Keystone Chapter.

Beloved husband of Dorothea (Conkey) Allen. Loving father of Standish K. Allen, Jr. and his wife Kathryn living in Virginia, Bradford W. Allen of Walpole and his partner April, Frederick B. Allen and his wife Karen of Belchertown and William M. Allen and his wife Joan of Pennsylvania. Devoted grandfather of Corinne and Emily, Ursula and Colin, Nathaniel and Chelsea and Nicole and Christopher, and great-grandfather to Aiden and Peter.

The family will have a private Memorial Service at the Barton Chapel of the Bethany Congregational Church in Foxborough. Interment to follow with US Army honors at Rock Hill Cemetery, Foxborough. For additional information please contact 508 543-5471. To light a special candle in Stan’s memory please visit the funeral home web site at www.robertsandsonsfuneralhome.com.

Mattapoisett ZBA Hears Four Cases

on March 1, 2016

Business zipped along smoothly at the February 18 meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals.

The most difficult case of the night was a request for a variance sought by Richard Morgado and Mary Lank, 20 Harbor Road. The applicants had previously received a special permit to construct an addition to their home that included a second floor expansion. However, with two sets of architectural drawings during the planning phase, the builder inadvertently used the wrong set. This error caused the height of the home upon completion to be 2½ feet taller than allowed by the bylaw.

Morgado, who accepted full responsibility for the error, asked the board to consider that they had the authority to approve the variance as a hardship, saying “it affects no one” in defense of leaving the structure as is.

Morgado was supported by a number of neighbors, as well as receiving the full support of the Harbor Beach Association.

But there were concerns.

“Yours may be an honest mistake, but what about the next person that comes along?” said Chairman Susan Akin. She thought it set a bad precedent, sentiments that were echoed by ZBA member Mary Ann Brogan. Brogan voiced that the builder should pay to remove the roof and lower it to the allowable height.

Morgado said he understood he could press the issue with the builder but felt tremendous empathy saying, “He’s just a small business…. He’s not wealthy.” To repair the error would cost north of $20,000 he estimated.

Director of Inspectional Services Andy Bobola offered the following advice to the board members: “This is only the second time in 31 years that we’ve been asked for this type of a variance. I don’t think you’d be setting a precedent.”

Bobola said the board does an excellent job of hearing each case and making decisions on a case-by-case basis by considering all the facts before them.

When it came time to discuss the case and make a decision, Brogan stood firm in her view that, by allowing the variance, the board would be opening itself up to having this case used as evidence in future cases.

Variances require more than a simple majority to pass. When the votes were cast, Morgado prevailed with a 4-1 affirmation that his honest mistake wouldn’t cost him or his contractor thousands of dollars.

The other three cases were all applications for special permits.

Kevin LeBlanc, 34 Brandt Beach Avenue, received a permit to build an addition to an existing home that will extend the home to within 11 feet of a paper road.

Denise Moody, 33 Park Street, received a permit to construct a two-car garage and expansion of the first floor, with setbacks that do not meet current requirements.

Jeffrey and Lauren Jordan, 4 North Street, received a special permit to add an attached porch to the existing home with a 10-foot setback.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals will be held on March 17 at 6:00 pm in the Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room if there are hearings.

By Marilou Newell

‘Frozen’ at the Library

on February 29, 2016

While it was warm and sunny outdoors, it was “Frozen” inside the Mattapoisett Library on Friday, February 19. Young library patrons enjoyed a number of Disney’s “Frozen” activities, with even a few Elsas stopping by to join in the fun. Photos by Colin Veitch