On February 5 during a snow event, a FedEx truck careened off Route 28 in Rochester spilling 25 gallons of fuel on the highway shoulder and ditch leading towards sensitive wetlands and a nearby perennial stream.

The spill needed immediate attention.

FedEx hired Common Sense Environmental to perform the clean up and asked Rochester’s Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon for an emergency certification to remove the contaminated soils.

Farinon provided the certification then walked it back through the February 16 Rochester Conservation Commission meeting for their official approval.

After providing the commission with the background on the event and photographic evidence she took on the day of the incident, commission member Michael Conway questioned if Farinon really had authority to grant such permissions.

“Should you be given blanket authority to sign emergency certifications in the future?” asked Conway.

Farinon felt that the current bylaw language was sufficient in granting her authority to act on behalf of the commission in emergency situations.

Conway elected to make a motion anyway, a motion that would give Farinon official permission from the commission for future emergency events. The commissioners obliged the motion that was unanimously approved.

The commission also ratified the emergency certification for the fuel spill clean up activity that had been completed.

The other hearing for the evening was a Notice of Intent filed by A.D. Makepeace Company for their property located off High Street for the construction of a tailwater irrigation pond to serve 38 acres of existing cranberry bogs and to build an access road in a staging area on the property.

Representing the applicant, Brian Grady of G.A.F. Engineering gave the details of the project to the commission. Grady said the tailwater pond would be a small water feature to allow the bogs’ irrigation system to function more efficiently without the need for flooding bogs in order to fill irrigation ditches.

Grady said the project was exempt from DEP oversight and that the access road in the plans was already in a disturbed area being used as a road; therefore, no trees or other vegetation would be removed.

The project is located within 100 feet of the Sippican River, requiring review and permissions from the Conservation Commission.

Farinon told the commission that a letter from the DEP indicated that no wildlife would be negatively affected by the project and suggested they provide a positive Order of Conditions in favor of the project. It was unanimously approved.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for March 15 in the Rochester Town Hall meeting room at 7:00 pm.

By Marilou Newell

With Peter Bourgault spending more time in the Marion Harbormaster’s Office now that he has been appointed as the full-time assistant harbormaster/deputy shellfish officer for Marion, someone might walk in and find one’s self doing a double take.

Selectman Jonathan Henry pointed to Bourgault and Harbormaster Isaac Perry who sat together in the Marion Town House meeting room on February 16, saying, “Looks like two look-alikes seated back there.”

The pair laughed, commenting on their shared hairstyle – baldheaded and closely shaven – as they approached the main table and were seated.

Perry told the Board of Selectmen, “He’s impressed all of us.”

“Twenty years in the Coast Guard,” continued Perry. “He’s a perfect fit for everything we do.”

Bourgault had been employed on a part-time basis in the Harbormaster’s Office as an assistant to the department since June of 2015, and he will now step into the full-time assistant harbormaster/deputy shellfish officer position recently vacated by Adam Murphy.

“I have no questions,” said Selectmen Chairman Stephen Cushing. “I’ve spoken to you before, briefly.”

Henry said he was very happy to have Bourgault and the board congratulated him.

In other matters, results from a recent air quality test of the Marion Town House came back normal, although selectmen are electing to follow some recommendations that accompanied the test results.

Last month, some employees complained about an unidentifiable odor in the building that was affecting them, prompting the air quality testing.

Some of the recommendations have already begun, such as replacing filters and foam used to seal cracks and other penetrable areas.

The recommendations also included tearing up some raised wooden flooring in the basement that may have been affected by recent flooding in the town house, and the installation of architectural barriers at the entrance to the basement to isolate it from the first floor area. Dehumidifiers will also be utilized.

“There are people who have hypersensitivities beyond what the formal range is,” said Henry.

Acting Town Administrator Judy Mooney replied, “I think that’s why the Facilities Department has jumped on it right away.” Mooney said there were more than two people affected by the transient odor that is now gone.

The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for March 1 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

The Mattapoisett School Committee learned on February 11 that Center School is piloting a breakfast program of its own.

Center School joins the three other Tri-Town elementary schools to pilot the program this year and Old Hammondtown School in Mattapoisett, which for years was the only elementary school to offer breakfast. Now, all Tri-Town schools will offer breakfast for students before their school days begin.

Jill Hennessey, food service director for the ORR and Tri-Town school districts, said she has been preparing to pilot the breakfast program for students to try free of cost when they return from February vacation.

“This will be the last school, [Tri-Town] district-wide, hopefully implementing [Mattapoisett] district-wide,” said Hennessey proudly.

Children in the morning will disembark the bus and proceed immediately to the cafeteria to sample the bagels, cereals, homemade baked goods, and smoothies that have been a sensation for students in Rochester and Marion.

“As we’ve been doing it across the districts, we’ve found that it’s been a program that’s been welcome and has many positive comments about it,” said Superintendent Doug White.

All students will try out the breakfast program and then, Principal Rose Bowman said, after the first week or so, definitive numbers of just how many students will participate in the breakfast program will eventually establish themselves.

“When students are eating breakfast then going into the classroom with a full stomach,” said White, “they have a chance of participating and learning even better in the classroom, and the research will back that up.”

In other matters, the School Committee went over the school year 2016/2017 calendar with minimal discussion, save for a short diatribe from Chairman Jim Higgins, who has remained firm from the start that Good Friday should be a day off for staff and students.

Higgins said he would make a motion at ‘The Joint’ meeting of the school committees to restore Good Friday as a day off. He found that giving the day off would make sense, given that it would be the final day of school before the start of April vacation. He referred to high absenteeism and a lack of substitute teachers as viable reasons, as well.

“I think it created turmoil in regards to getting an education on that day,” Higgins said. “It’s traditionally been off, and I will continue to advocate for us to have it off as long as I’m on the School Committee and I’m going to continue to do that this year.”

Higgins then looked to his other School Committee members.

“And I’d appreciate some support this year,” said Higgins. “It’s good to put personalities aside…. Do me a favor every now and again….”

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee is scheduled for March 14 at 7:00 pm at Center School.

By Jean Perry

With a light agenda made even lighter by a requested continuance, the Marion Conservation Commission members on February 10 found themselves in the rare position of having an easy night as they inched their way through two hearings.

Doug Thackeray’s Notice of Intent application was again continued at the applicant’s request. Thackeray is seeking permissions to construct an aquaculture operation east of Stewart’s Island in Sippican Harbor. The continuance is scheduled for May 11.

David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates represented Robert and Virginia Beams of 35 Holly Road in their Notice of Intent application to make improvements to an existing pier and float.

Davignon said the current float is 8 feet by 8 feet, too small for practical use. The Beams propose to increase the size of the float to 10 by 20 feet and to stabilize it with four float piles. There will also be an overhanging bench and repairs to the pier.

Chairman Norman Hills asked Davignon if the float had been permitted by the harbormaster. Davignon produced confirming documentation.

Hills then asked Davignon if he was in receipt of two letters – one from the Division of Marine Fisheries and one from the current harbormaster. Davignon did not have those letters. Copies were supplied for his perusal and response.

The harbormaster’s letter expressed concern over the size and draft of vessels that would be tied to the float. Davignon and the applicant, who was present, assured Hills that only dinghies and kayaks would be used to access the Beams’ larger sailboat moored nearby.

Then Hills addressed the letter from the Division of Marine Fisheries. He asked Davignon if he read that they were recommending a 30-inch separation between the surface of the seafloor and the bottom of the float, whereas Davignon’s plans noted only 24 inches.

“This is not new construction … 30 inches is for new construction,” said Davignon.

But Hills pressed that 30 inches was the division’s recommendations and that 6 additional inches wouldn’t make that much difference. Davignon countered that it would make getting out of a vessel and onto the float all that much more difficult especially during low tides.

Noting that 24 inches had for many years been the norm, commissioner Steve Gonsalves said, “I don’t want to start changing the rules now.”

While Hills seemed stuck at the 30-inch mark, the other commissioners agreed with Gonsalves.

“Common sense has to be interjected into the conversation,” Gonsalves stated. In the end, the 24 inches prevailed.

The commission issued special conditions on the project, including allowing only the use of shallow-draft vessels, a confirming letter to the harbormaster, pier decking of 2-foot by 6-foot planks spaced three-quarters of an inch apart, and a float stabilized at 24 inches.

Rounding out the agenda, Kevin and Tristi Oliveira, 28 Pawkechatt Way, received a Negative 2 determination on their Request for Determination of Applicability application for construction of a new two-story garage and in-ground swimming pool with surrounding patio.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for February 24 at 7:00 pm in the town house conference room.

By Marilou Newell