Annex Talk Turns to New Town Hall Talk

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It’s still only in the napkin drawing stage of development, said Rochester Town Administrator Michael McCue to the Board of Selectmen on December 14, but a plan to explore the construction of a new town-owned annex building has now shifted towards a new town hall exploration among members of a town annex study committee.

During a meeting of the annex committee last week, McCue said they talked about potential floor plans and associated costs such as elevators and maintenance, and what makes sense most to them now is a new, bigger town hall to unite all town departments under one roof for efficiency.

Selectman Naida Parker seemed rather skeptical of the notion, recalling how Town Meeting voters in the past did not warm up to the idea of a more costly town hall.

“I’d be really interested to see how it moves forward,” said Parker. She said residents were attached to the town hall because of its historic nature. “They’re not enthusiastic about having a town hall somewhere else.”

Although he loathed the analogy, McCue told selectmen nobody was about to put the cart before the horse. This was only an early discussion, he emphasized.

“This is the time to do it,” suggested Selectmen Chairman Richard Nunes. “Interest rates will be going up…. And this building isn’t getting any younger.”

Nunes said it is no secret that the town is anxious to cease paying for rented buildings used for municipal purposes.

Parker said, though, that if she knew a town hall was to be explored by the committee, she might have looked more closely at the overall composition of the committee during the appointment process.

“You need to get more involvement from staff … as to what works and what doesn’t,” she said.

“Those conversations have been taking place,” said McCue. “We are not doing this (planning) in a vacuum.”

Parker maintained that only a town annex feasibility discussion was planned for the committee, and she was unaware the scope would be broadened.

“I don’t want the Board of Selectmen to think this is a done deal,” McCue said. “But other conversations about other alternatives have been shut off.”

You would need a backup plan, though, Parker told him. With large projects come Proposition 2½ overrides and if voters were to reject a town hall plan, “We’re going to be putting ourselves back at square one.”

“In this town, it’s only going to keep growing,” said McCue. “We need to make sure that whatever we move forward with has that in mind.”

Nunes and Parker wanted to look at a couple of additional plans to present to voters, including building onto the old town hall.

“But once you touch that, then everything has to be up to code and everything in this building is not up to code,” said Nunes, following that with an ‘oops.’ “I didn’t just say that, did I?” Yes, you did, Parker said.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for December 21 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

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Showstoppers to Offer One Last Holiday Concert

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The Showstoppers singing troupe is offering one last performance of their 2015 Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 27 at 1:00 pm at the Music Hall at 164 Front Street in Marion. The show will include traditional and non-traditional selections performed by this talented troupe of local singers and special guests. The show is sure to please audience members of all ages. Admission is free. They only ask that you bring a non-perishable food item to help restock local food pantries after the holidays! For more information, call 508-758-4525 or email info@showstoppers.us.

Machacam Club

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The Machacam Club will hold its monthly meeting on January 6 at the Legion Hall, 3 Depot Street. Social time is 5:30 pm; dinner is at 6:00 pm.

This meeting will feature baked rib eye steaks with pie for desert. Our October meeting with this menu was an overwhelming success, and we expect it to be sold out.

Our speaker for the evening will be our own Cal Perkins who has agreed to continue his very interesting presentation on South Africa. This subject has proven to be of great interest to the members as Cal has reported the information gathered from his many trips to the region with his family.

Callers and members are asked to bear in mind the importance of call list accuracy. Caller lists should be done and reported no later than 9:00 pm on Monday, January 4 by email to GPFNR@AOL.COM or by phone to Mike at 508-758-9311. Members with requests or changes can contact either no later than 9:00 am on Tuesday, January 5.

Community Electricity Aggregation Program

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To the Editor:

The Town of Marion voted at last spring’s Town Meeting to join 23 other towns in the Community Electricity Aggregation Program coordinated by Good Energy. As a result, all private Eversource electric customers in Marion have the opportunity to participate in this program offering savings on their electrical bills and protection from volatile energy prices while continuing to receive a single bill from Eversource. All of us who are paying the “Basic Service Fixed” generation charge from Eversource are automatically enrolled in the aggregation program. Those of you who opted sometime in the past to buy Supplier Services from another supplier (such as NRG or Dominion) are not eligible unless you call Con Ed Solutions at 855-788-9885 and tell them you want to be enrolled in the Good Energy program when it starts in January. Look at the very end of the last page of your Eversource bill to see who is your electricity supplier. If it does not say “Basic Service Fixed” and you want to join the aggregation program, you will need to call Con Ed Solutions before January. To enroll, be sure to terminate your present supplier who may charge you a termination penalty.

The Good Energy Community Electricity Aggregation program will provide the least expensive way for most folks to buy electricity. The program will not stand in your way if you wish to install a solar array on your house.

Marion’s Energy Management Committee recommends the aggregation program because it simply uses the power of bulk purchasing to benefit all of us. Additional information about the program is available at http://marionma.gov/Pages/elecaggfaq.pdf.

Bill Saltonstall

Member of Energy Management Committee

 

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

Town Administrator to Remain in Rochester

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Rochester Town Administrator Michael McCue did not get chosen by the Fairhaven Board of Selectmen on December 14 to fill the position of that town’s first town administrator, so he will remain in Rochester.

McCue was one of three final candidates selected by a town administrator screening committee, and he interviewed for the position back on December 5. Also vying for the position were Mark Rees, former city manager for the City of Portland, Maine, and Gregory Enos, current Whitman Town Administrator Assistant. Rees was chosen for the Fairhaven position in a unanimous vote on December 14, and the board stated that contract negotiations with Rees would commence that afternoon.

Fairhaven selectmen said that even though all three candidates were well suited for the position, Rees was the one candidate who “shined through,” as Selectman Charles Murphy put it.

“We had three very qualified candidates apply,” said Murphy, “…I think each candidate had great qualities to be a town administrator.”

Murphy specified that McCue’s background in economic development made his a strong contender for the position. But Chairman Geoff Haworth pointed out that Rees’ proven leadership during critical times such as the one in which Fairhaven finds itself made him the most qualified.

“A very positive that has come from this has been the number of people that expressed support for me and hope that somehow I could remain in Rochester,” said McCue. McCue said he sees himself staying put in Rochester for some time, and his contract is still valid until 2017.

By Jean Perry

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Boston Post Cane Awarded

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Virginia Hathaway turned 98 in October, making her Marion’s oldest citizen. Selectman Jonathan Henry and COA Director Susan Schwager, along with Virginia’s daughter Ann, celebrated the event by awarding her Marion’s Boston Post Cane.

Hathaway was born in Hartford, Connecticut. She and her brother, Edward, lost their mother when Hathaway was 7 years old. After her mother’s death, her father, Albert Humphrey, moved the family back to Rochester where he was from. Her husband, Alonzo Hathaway, owned the Marion General Store, and when he passed away, Virginia sold it to Jack Cheney.

Her hobbies include tole painting, reading, making pickles, and decorating. She graduated from the Swain School of Design and taught art at Friends’ Academy.

“She always had an artistic bent,” says her daughter Ann, with whom she lives.

Hathaway lost her brother when he was in his 30s while he was a paratrooper in the U.S. Army. He jumped from a plane and his parachute failed to open.

The awarding of Marion’s Boston Post Cane has been ongoing since 1909 when the now defunct Boston Post sent each town in Massachusetts a cane to be presented to the oldest citizen of that town. The cane is subsequently passed down to the next surviving oldest resident.

The “fine gold-headed ebony stick is to be carried by the oldest citizen,” declared the Boston Post in an August 1909 announcement. The canes were manufactured by J.F. Fradley & Co. of New York. The canes are of Gaboon ebony from the Congo. The ebony was shipped to the United States in logs about seven feet long, which were then cut into stick lengths. It took approximately one year from the arrival of the logs to the completion of the canes. It has a 14-karat gold head with the town’s name inscribed and a plaque with the initials of those who received the cane over time.

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Unseen Updates At Tabor

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Some changes, such as new dorms or the institution of Uncle Jon’s in the Beebe, are easily noticeable and appreciated. These changes should of course be lauded, but they are not the only additions to Tabor Academy. There are many unseen changes that affect Tabor life and the school as a whole that may go unnoticed by the general community. Seemingly small actions by the administration can make a big difference in student life.

One recent action taken to advance the ongoing attempt to make Tabor more environmentally friendly and sustainable is the purchase and implementation of the eZamboni, an electronic-powered Zamboni. In the past, Tabor’s Zamboni has been powered by combustible fuel, which necessitates frequent and expensive air quality testing in the ice rink. Tabor is also looking into powering the eZamboni through solar power to further cut emissions as well as costs.

Perhaps more directly affecting student’s lives are the updates made to the Internet speeds. A year ago, Tabor increased the Internet speed from 150 Mbps to 300 Mbps. The administration has just promised to double the speed again, to 600 Mbps. Additionally, Tabor updates its network servers often to make sure that everyone – students and faculty – can stay connected throughout campus. With more and more teachers utilizing the Internet and wireless devices in their classes, investment in new technology infrastructure is vital to maintaining this growth and development. The administration says, “Improving technology is focused on improving the student experience.” During times like study hall especially, when much of Tabor’s student population is using the Internet at the same time, these updates can ensure that everyone can stay connected.

To the library, Tabor also added a new Apple cart with 20 new MacBook Airs for students to borrow and use. Other updates have been made to improve the sound system in the Hoyt auditorium, to replace the audio-visual infrastructure in the lecture hall Lyndon South (new projectors, speakers, etc.), and installation of a new telephone system to improve communications. Some of these updates are changing antiquated systems and all are allowing for greater productivity and communication.

With the growing use of technology in the classroom, and with more and more projects requiring Internet or technology, the greater the accessibility of devices, as well as Wi-Fi, on campus will undoubtedly help both students and teachers make classes and outside work more productive.

“The Tabor community wants to be connected throughout the campus,” said Chris Winslow, Tabor’s CFO. “The commitment and investment to improve Internet infrastructure was inevitable.”

All of these new updates to Tabor’s technology are part of an ongoing initiative to make Tabor a more efficient and productive learning environment.

By Madeleine Gregory

 

RMS Principal Pleased with PARCC

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The PARCC exam is a “different level of challenge,” said Assistant Superintendent Elise Frangos on December 3, with a focus on cognitive complexity and a higher demand in thinking when compared to the MCAS. “That’s really a big difference from what we’ve had in the past.”

So, naturally, Principal Derek Medeiros as well as members of the Rochester School Committee were pleased to see that the exam results showed RMS students faring quite well compared to other similar schools, including Sippican School.

School-wide data shows students inching up from 68 percent to 70 percent in levels one and two – meets or exceeds expectations – and down from 7 percent to only 1 percent in the not exceeding expectations level. Last year in Grade 3 ELA of the MCAS, 0 percent of students scored in the advanced proficiency level. This year, with the PARCC, 8 percent of students made the grade.

Medeiros said a combination of factors aligned to challenge the students during this first piloting of the PARCC exam, especially given that the test was administered online on personal devices. Frangos said a math symbol key made for lots of dragging and dropping of text and math symbols, requiring students to be nimble in their personal device skills. The test was also timed.

“For third graders, that could’ve been a little difficult,” Medeiros said.

Committee members were frustrated to hear that the company that devised the PARCC test would not be releasing the questions on the test that students answered incorrectly – valuable information that would show schools the weak points in their curriculum.

“It doesn’t provide us with that beautiful inside look into the creature that we really need,” said Frangos. “That’s very disheartening.”

Massachusetts schools will continue to take the PARCC exam until 2017 when the state will switch to a “next generation” exam that some describe as a hybrid between the MCAS and the PARCC. Superintendent Doug White said consistent exposure to the technology is a key factor in students’ success, especially in the areas of keyboarding, highlighting text, and pasting.

“I think we can get better at it as we continue to expose our children to explore that tool, not just take a test,” said White.

Parents should expect the results of their child’s PARCC exam in the mail within the next two weeks, said White.

The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee is scheduled for January 7 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

 

John J. Diggin Jr.

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John J. Diggin Jr., 68, died at home in Rochester on Sunday Dec. 13, after a vicious battle with cancer. John was born in South Boston, the son of the late John J. and Alice (Hartnett) Diggin Sr., and spent most of his childhood in Dorchester. John also lived in Mansfield, Cambridge and Braintree before retiring and splitting his time between Rochester, Rose Point in West Wareham and Cape Coral, FL.

After high school, John enlisted in the US Army and served as a Military Policeman in Vietnam and in Korea, at one time stationed on the DMZ during the Pueblo Crisis. John attended Boston College nights while working for the Boston School Dept. as a custodian. He graduated from BC in 1975 with a BA in History. He went on to be President of the Boston Schoolhouse Custodians Union and then moved up to Supervisor and was the Day manager for the Boston School’s Facilities Dept. He retired in 2002 after 38 years of working for the city of Boston.

He leaves behind his beloved partner and best friend, Connie Eshbach of Rochester. He was the brother of Paul Diggin and his wife Marianne of N. Attleboro, Alice and her husband Bob Elstermeyer of Braintree, Mathew Diggin and his wife Tyna of Aiken, SC and Sheila and her husband Thomas DePaulo of East Boston. He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, relatives and friends. He was the brother of the late James and Patrick Diggin.

Visiting hours will be from 10 am – 1pm with his funeral service to begin at 1pm on Thursday December 17, in the Wareham Village Funeral Home 5 Center Street Wareham. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to the Boston Street Railway Assoc. 5706 fund www.thebrsa.org/bsra/donate or the Rochester land Trust www.rochesterlandtrust.org

Bungert Family Gives Center School A Gift

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It started its life as a pew in the old Saint Anthony’s Church where, for decades, the devoted – those in prayer, and those asking for guidance and help – were supported by its firm, warm, wooden surface.

Much later, it found itself positioned outside the principal’s office at Center School where small children would have to sit and wait for their moment of reckoning. For them, the painted wooden surface was part of the punishment. The long pew also served as a meeting place for teachers or as a reception area for those waiting to be interviewed for a teaching position. Its many decades of service continued until Center School closed for renovations.

In the early 2000s prior to construction taking place, a number of items were sold off. One of those items was the pew.

Roxanne and James Bungert purchased the pew for their home. Roxanne especially saw the beauty in the well-crafted solid wooden pew. They also saw what it could become.

After Mr. Bungert restored the pew’s stability and refinished its surfaces to the original wood grain, the couple commissioned a professional artist to paint scenes of Mattapoisett on the piece.

Depicted in stunning shades of deep green, vivid blues, and the more subtle tones of nature, a Connecticut artist painted the stone bridge, Salty the Seahorse, a whaling ship in full sail, Ned’s Point lighthouse, and the gazebo at Shipyard Park on the backrest.

Center School Principal Rose Bowman said the painting and the pew represent the beauty of Mattapoisett and the attachment the Bungerts, specifically Roxanne, have not only to the community, but also to the school – a school that has seen nine Bungert children and grandchildren pass through its doors, as well as Roxanne (Jenkins) Bungert herself.

“It’s absolutely beautiful … striking … a lovely way to celebrate Mattapoisett and Center School,” Bowman said, adding, “It’s a tremendous gift!”

By Marilou Newell

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