Grand Scams and Traffic Jams

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            Have you ever gotten a parking or speeding ticket? Of course you have.

            I once got a ticket from a town I had never been to. Luckily, I could prove where I was at the time of the violation. A photographer from the local newspaper was taking my family’s photo for a “Family of the Week” feature. The town verified with the paper that I was not a scammer … they were! The ticket was waved. Their traffic clerk apparently had been randomly picking license plate numbers and sending tickets to the owners.

            A woman in Cleveland, Ohio, was not so lucky. She got a nice Christmas gift in the mail last December. She received a $105 dollar ticket accusing her of speeding. The thing is she wasn’t driving at the time. When the violation occurred, her car was on the back of a tow truck!

            The tow-truck driver, who picked up the car after a breakdown a few weeks earlier, thought he’d beat a traffic light. Her license plate was caught on a traffic camera, and well, you know the rest.

            A major hassle resulted. She appealed to the tow company to no avail. She appealed to the police suggesting the driver of the truck should get the ticket. The police, dedicated to protecting and servicing the public, said she had to take it to the company that operates the cameras. She appealed to the camera company who operates the spy in the sky. No luck. She appealed to the City Council, which said the camera was supposed to have been removed “some time ago.”

            There is no record of whether she appealed to Santa Claus.

            Can a car be towed without your permission? Of course it can. Let me count the ways. It can be towed if it is abandoned. It can be towed if it is parked illegally in a marked “No Parking” zone, or in an unmarked no-parking area like on a sidewalk, or if it is on private property. What if you are sitting in the car in traffic and the tow truck in front of you tries to tow your car away?

            Apparently so! A couple was stopped in traffic behind a tow truck when suddenly the driver of the truck started backing up. The couple tooted their horn. The truck kept coming. The couple tried to back up. The truck kept on backing up.

            Passersby yelled at the truck driver. The couple yelled at the driver. The truck driver kept backing up, making several attempts to slide his tow bar under the couple’s 2017 Toyota Corolla. Thankfully, the traffic began to move, allowing the Corolla to squeeze around the tow truck and drive away, the tow truck in hot pursuit. Finally, the couple was able to lose the truck. Whew, close call.

            It seems the tow company had been banned from towing in the city, yet they continued to tow cars, usually unoccupied, and billing the unsuspecting suckers a $155 charge. They weren’t limiting their scam to California. The same company allegedly also pulled the scam in Virginia, resulting in the state passing a law requiring tow companies to get permission before towing a vehicle. (From whom, the car owner?) The company’s spokesperson said, “We never tow a wrong car.” Ya, right!

            And there was the poor person who found their dream car for sale in Pennsylvania on Facebook. It had a clear title, enough to get a bank loan for the $25,000 price tag. A check changed hands and for over a year the person enjoyed their new Porsche, until one day it was towed away. The police said it had been repossessed, but not by the bank since all payments had been made on time. According to a TV report, the original owner purchased the car and financed it through an online sales company, failed to pay for it, then resold it, keeping the 25 grand. A grand scam indeed.

            What is it they say? Buyer beware. Ya, that’s the ticket

            Mattapoisett resident Dick Morgado is an artist and happily retired writer. His newspaper columns appeared for many years in daily newspapers around Boston.

Thoughts on…

By Dick Morgado

Focus on Short-Term Rentals

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Rochester’s Zoning Bylaw Review Committee on June 27 approved forwarding to Town Counsel a new bylaw that would regulate short-term rentals within private residences.

            The new bylaw, if passed at the October 21 Special Town Meeting, would restrict owners of private homes to offering short-term rentals of space within their properties for no more than 30 days per rental. The property owner would need to apply for a special permit, and the property would need to be owner occupied for at least 180 days of the year.

            This latter point was the most debated one on June 27, as the committee reviewed the Town Counsel’s edit of the first draft of the new regulation. Member Jeffrey Costa noted 180 is not even half a year; the draft should read 190 days or more. Other members whittled that suggestion down to “at least 180.” The next step will be town’s further revision of the draft into its final form.

            Members also noted that Town Counsel has already deleted a lot of the committee’s original draft. Chairman Richard Cutler said Town Counsel told him it was edited this way to make it a zoning bylaw rather than a general bylaw. The resulting vote to pass the draft along to Town Counsel was unanimous.

            In other business, Cutler noted the committee and Town Counsel are also working on totally eliminating “use variances” from the zoning bylaws.

            Cutler reported Building Commissioner Paul Boucher has informed the review committee that it needs to clean up existing zoning bylaws rather than creating new ones. Cutler said he has instructed Boucher to send the board his list of bylaws needing cleanup attention.

            No future meetings of the Rochester Zoning By-Law Review Committee were scheduled as of press time.

Rochester Zoning By-Law Review Committee

By Michael J. DeCicco

Guild of Imagination

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The Marion Art Center is hosting the Guild of Imagination for a weeklong session of Dungeons & Dragons this August 5-9. The program is led by Patrick Stephens, who has been captivated by tabletop and storytelling games like Dungeons & Dragons since he was a child.

            Today, he says, “We’re at a pivotal moment where the traditional game table is evolving. With advancements in virtual reality (VR), digital tabletop platforms, and augmented reality (AR) enhancements for our Dungeons & Dragons sessions, storytelling is becoming more immersive than ever. Our Guild is thrilled to explore these emerging technologies, pushing the boundaries of where our shared stories can take us next.”

            The Guild of Imagination’s mission is to empower learners in exploring creativity, embracing diverse perspectives and encourage lifelong curiosity.

            Sample Schedule

            Day 1: Create your character. Players will bring their imaginary heroes to life and design custom miniatures using HeroForge software. They’ll be able to download a digital version of this hero for use in the game.

            Days 2-4: Embark on an epic quest. Journey to an ancient island touched by dragons, traverse treacherous terrain, negotiate with allies, battle some baddies, and unravel a thrilling mystery alongside fellow adventurers.

            Day 5: Experience a climactic finale. Decide the outcome of your heroic journey using a stunning 3-D map and sound effects specially crafted to enhance the storytelling experience. Celebrate the triumphs, setbacks, and memories created throughout the week.

            The session runs from Monday, August 5 through Friday August 9 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm daily. The program is suitable for ages 10-15, and costs $240 for MAC members, or $275 for nonmembers. Learn more and register online at marionartcenter.org/d-and-d.

Academic Achievements

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Maeve Bliss McEnroe, from Marion graduated with a Master of Public Administration and Josh William Canning, also from Marion, graduated with a Master of Science in Biology from Clark University during the University’s 120th Commencement exercises on Monday, May 20.

            Benjamin D. A. Giumetti, son of Shannon and Don Giumetti of Mattapoisett, has earned Dean’s List honors at Providence College for the Spring 2024 Semester. Ben is an Honors Finance major in the Ryan School of Business.

            Dean College is pleased to announce that Emily Kilpatrick of Marion has earned a place on the Dean’s List for the Spring 2024 Semester. Students named to the Dean’s List have demonstrated a serious commitment to their studies while at Dean College.

Gerber Thanked for ConCom Commitment

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            The Marion Conservation Commission will see significant personnel changes after a partial representation of the ConCom met to handle several cases on June 26.

            Acting as chairman with both Jeff Doubrava and Vice Chair Emil Assing unable to attend, Shaun Walsh closed the meeting by publicly recognizing five-year member Ethan Gerber, who is leaving the commission. Gerber drew a round of applause for his service.

            Walsh also noted that member Matt Shultz, attending this meeting remotely, will serve as chair beginning with the commission’s next meeting on July 10.

            Several cases were heard and most concluded on June 26.

            Steve Sooy was issued a Negative Box 1 determination, confirming the intermittent designation of a stream at 387 County Road (Tucker Lane), thusly meaning there is no “riverfront” area on the property.

            Cameron Larson, Environmental Consulting & Restoration, presented the Request for Determination of Applicability on behalf of Sooy and said that colleague Brad Holmes had originally presented the case. Larson submitted and displayed photos in his turn to cement the case.

            “There was some puddling, but the important part is that there is no water being held up against that culvert and not reaching the stream,” said Larson, noting that the stream was documented as dry on four days during a non-dry period.

            Marion Conservation Agent Doug Guey-Lee corroborated the evidence provided.

            A Notice of Intent filed by Repurpose Properties, LLC, for construction of a single-family house with a driveway, utilities, sewage disposal, site grading, a plan to raze an existing barn and remove small horse barn and paddock fencing at County Road (Tucker Lane) was once again continued to Wednesday, July 10, at 7:00 pm.

            Brian Grady of G.A.F. Engineering represented the applicant.

            After Grady told the commission that the driveway will consist of gravel after the first 30 feet to the street, Walsh questioned why a wall is scheduled to be knocked down and graded into the no-disturb zone.

            Grady admitted slight encroachment into the 15-foot, no-touch zone but noted that there is standing water but no grass or trees. It is not “entirely necessary” but an effort to keep the water from the basement of the barn, he explained.

            Walsh estimated that the grading would occur to within 5 feet of the wetlands flag. Grady said the grading could be pulled back, but Walsh suggested a continuance, characterizing the entire property as buffer zone. Guey-Lee called the area a wildlife habitat.

            K.A. Maloney and S.J. Campbell were issued a Negative Box 2 and Box 3 determination of applicability for proposed repairs to an existing septic system at 146 Allen’s Point Road.

            Rick Charon of Charon Associates said the applicant is working on a deadline for an August wedding. The main house and the guest house are both serviced by cesspools. After noting the denitrification technology in the new septic system, Charon joked that he hopes the family has money left over for the wedding.

            After a site visit, the Dexter Beach Improvement Association c/o Kenneth Parsons, Beach Dinghy Road, was granted a three-year extension to continue beach nourishment.

            The commission also granted Nicholas and Rosemary Grey a three-year extension to their permit to construct an artificial dune along the water’s edge at 6 Shawondasse Road. The project was conditioned three years ago but not carried out. The compatibility of sand was an issue.

            The commission issued an Order of Conditions to Meghan Davis and the Marion Department of Public Works for its installation of 690 linear feet of watermain and associated service connections, fittings, valves and appurtenances at Creek Road. The commission received a June 21 letter from Natural Heritage approving the project.

            Stephen Pires’ proposed installation of an inground swimming pool at 24 Bullivant Farm Road and removal of a shed was issued a Negative determination and conditioned with erosion control to be installed immediately upon the commencement of work.

            Kristian Michael and Melissa Albracht Koziol were issued a Negative Box 2 determination for their proposed demolition and reconstruction of an existing garage at 29 Lewis Street.

            At Guey-Lee’s request, the commission discussed a notification from John Rockwell regarding possibly unauthorized activities occurring on Boxberry Lane.

            The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, July 10, at 7:00 pm at the Marion Police Station on Route 6.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Mick Colageo

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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Hopefully, during our Historic Fair with a Colonial Flair on June 22 and 23, we introduced some of our younger residents to the idea that history can be both interesting and fun. Watching them march in formation behind a colonial drummer was a highlight of the fair. Without the funds we received from the Rochester Cultural Council for the exhibit and the funds from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for the fair, it would be close to impossible for our small, membership-supported historical society to bring these bigger events to the community.

            Now back to history which has enough quirks to make it interesting for almost anybody. In the course of my research for the exhibit, I learned that the invention of “Silly Putty”, a stretchy, bouncy substance was invented by mistake. A scientist, working for the war effort in 1943, was searching for an inexpensive substitute for synthetic rubber. He mixed two chemicals together and rather than rubber, he created a new toy.

            John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were two patriots who bonded over the need for separation from England and the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Later their friendship fell apart when the new United States was split between two polarizing factions. Twice the men ran for President with Adams winning the first contest, 71-68 and Jefferson winning four yrs. later, 73-68.

            Later in their lives a mutual friend brought the two together and they wrote many letters back and forth until their deaths. Here is another history quirk. Both men died within 5 hours of each other on July 4, 1826, 50 yrs. to the day that the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

            Here in Rochester, Benjamin Gurney was born on July 4, 1743. At that time July 4th was just like any other day in the month. Gurney fought in the Revolutionary War, one of the many men from Rochester. What makes me point him out is another one of those historic quirks. Gurney survived the war, returned to Rochester and married. The picture shows his tombstone in what is now Woodside Cemetery. When Benjamin Gurney died, it was on July 4, 1828 and on a day that was now a national holiday.

            He was the first to be buried here. When his family chose this location, they did not realize that the area would become a community center for almost two centuries.

By Connie Eshbach

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

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The Rev. Benjamin Strayley, Rector St. Stephan’s, Providence, RI will officiate services at  8 am and 10 am on July 7. St. Philip’s is located next to the Town Beach in Mattapoisett and hosts visiting clergy each Sunday through September during their 140th Summer Season. All are welcome.

Cara Bean Leads Mindful Drawing

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Author-illustrator Cara Bean leads a morning doodle session designed to feel tranquil, creative or to better understand how your brain works. Hosted by the Sippican Historical Society, the July 9 workshop takes place at 10:30 am in their Memorial Garden. Bring your own art supplies or use the ones provided, this 90-minute session gives you an opportunity to try something different.

            Cara leads frequent public workshops on creativity with people of all ages and backgrounds. She believes that the simple act of doodling on paper can lead to the investigation of complex ideas.

            Her latest book, “Here I Am, I Am Me: An Illustrated Guide to Mental Health” is a full-color graphic novel-style adventure through the brain that demystifies and destigmatizes emotional and mental health for children ages 12 and up.

            RSVP to reserve your spot at: bit.ly/SHS-Cara or call SHS at 508-748-1116.

Separate Journeys Reunite Neighbors in Coffee Business

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            The diverse and distant career paths of 1970s North Street neighbors Mike Caswell and Tony Tate allowed both to learn about coffee making from opposite ends of the industry and remote parts of the world, and after all these years the Mattapoisett natives are business associates sharing the common goal of great coffee.

            The Old Rochester Regional High School graduates haven’t seen each other in a decade, but their diverse areas of expertise address both the beginning and end of the process.

            Tate now lives in Hawaii and farms coffee within the only state in the country where it is grown. He supplies it to Caswell, the cofounder of New York-based Roasting Plant Coffee, which is sold in parts of the United States and United Kingdom and uses a special technology to preserve coffee’s flavor and aroma.

            When Caswell was an Industrial Engineering student at UMass Amherst, he worked weekends at the Coffee Connection on Newbury Street in Boston.

            Many years later, after stints at an MIT startup, Digital Equipment and Electronic Data Systems (EDS) as a Business Process Re-engineering consultant, Caswell moved to Seattle after he was recruited by Starbucks to lead their Profit Improvement Group.

            “They were more impressed by my early work during college at the Coffee Connection than the rest of my positions,” Caswell said. “But the work I did in business consulting won me the position.”

            Caswell later decided to become an entrepreneur, and his love of coffee and work in the field led to him becoming cofounder of The Roasting Plant.

            “After careful analysis, I realized that the only way to create an exceptional coffee experience at retail and improve profitability was through the application of technology,” Caswell said, calling it his “aha moment.”

            The Roasting Plant Javabot™ Coffee System was Caswell’s solution to providing top-end quality and at the same time increasing profitability.

            “It starts with green (raw) coffee beans and once they’re poured into the hopper on the Javabot, they’re swept through pneumatic tubes on a cushion of air to holding towers, to the roaster, then to clear-roasted holding towers and finally, the exact amount of coffee for each cup is precisely measured, ground and brewed to order – from any single origin specialty (the best) coffee beans,” he explained.

            Caswell said most coffee has a short shelf-life of around two weeks through oxidation and loses its flavor, becoming bitter. He says black coffee should not have the bitter taste that most people associate with it. His plant’s technology helps preserve it longer.

            “Also, unlike most coffee shops, we source directly from farms around the world. Our director of coffee is an amazing expert who’s obsessed with coffee, and she literally travels around the world in search of the best coffee. We’re very focused on making sure that we’re sourcing coffee that’s growing sustainably,” Caswell said.

            One sustainably grown coffee comes from Tate and his partner, Louis Putzel.

            Tate’s journey in the coffee world started in Africa, where he worked for a short time.

            “I first became interested in coffee economics when living in central Africa, a major coffee-producing region, in the 1990s. Farmers there were forced to sell their produce to government-owned parastatals, often at prices far below market value,” Tate said. “As such, a percentage of coffee was sold illegally and smuggled to neighboring countries – sometimes leading to arrests and incarceration of farmers. As a human-rights investigator, I would interview farmers and other accused in jails and prisons, detainees often held in squalid conditions.”

            Putzel’s parents moved to Captain Cook, Hawaii, the heart of coffee-farming country. Around 2012, Putzel and Tate began harvesting and selling it.

            Caswell, the beneficiary of Putzel and Tate’s hard work, says there are 15 Roasting Plant shops – 10 in the United States and five in London. The growth plan is to expand to 105 stores in the next five years, with plans of coming to Boston. He says he hopes there will eventually be shops from coast to coast.

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Fence Disagreement Goes Legal

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The Rochester Historic District Commission’s permit condition mandating the erection of a “25-percent visibility” fence for the Briggs Hobby Barn property on New Bedford Road and the applicant’s appeal of that condition might end up in legal mediation.

            At its June 27 meeting, Commission Chairman Matthew Monteiro said that is why the panel should vote down the agenda item to send a letter of explanation of its decision to the Planning Board, which has vocally objected to the condition. The issue is in the hands of lawyers now, he said. Commission members quickly agreed.

            Monteiro explained the applicant, Mark Briggs, has filed his appeal of the Certificate of Appropriateness that the commission granted to the project, and the next step will be finding a mediator or an arbitrator to bring the issue to a satisfactory resolution as lawyers’ both sides get involved.

            For the Historic District Commission, he said, that mediator will be the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD). Monteiro said he has contacted SRPEDD to start that process and has yet to hear back.

            Meanwhile, he said, he knows Town Counsel and the applicant’s attorney will be seeking information and project files. “It’s a more formal situation with lawyers involved,” he said.

            “The issue should stay with the lawyers,” commission member Sara Johnston agreed. “It’s out of the Planning Board’s hands. Send that letter? Not right now.”

            Briggs Hobby Barn was a plan to construct two buildings to store and repair collectible automobiles, trucks and other motor vehicles on New Bedford Road. It received a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals on May 23, a Certificate of Appropriateness from the District Commission on June 5 and a site-plan-review permit from the Planning Board on June 11.

            After the commission added the fencing condition, Briggs’ attorney Karla Chaffee complained to the Planning Board that a solid stockade fence had been her client’s proposal for the cemetery border to the property since the project was first designed. She said she will take court action against that condition, as it will change the design plan and might reignite the entire permitting process.

            Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson, then and in later meetings, sided with Briggs and Chaffee. “I think a 25-percent-visibility fence will be more of an eyesore,” he said. He called the condition “ridiculous.”

            On June 27, Johnston defended the commission’s condition mandating a semisolid fence. She said one of the Historic District Commission’s missions is to protect the “setting” of the town’s historical district. “A solid fence is like a monolith,” she said. “It’s in your face. It presents a different setting for our district. A 6-foot solid fence is very suburban, too suburban.”

            In other action, the commission granted a Certificate of Appropriateness to the First Congregational Church of Rochester, 11 Constitution Way, for its plan for a playground to include a play set, picnic tables and a 4-foot-high, black chain-link fence, as proposed by Ron Stafford, chairman of the church’s Board of Deacons.

            The commission acknowledged that this was veteran member Susan Fleming’s last meeting on the board.

            The Rochester Historic District Commission did not schedule its next meeting upon adjournment.

Rochester Historic District Commission

By Michael J. DeCicco