Two-Family Conversion Causes Concern

on November 23, 2015

The new owner of a Front Street house that was historically used as a two-family wants the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals to grant a Special Permit for an official conversion of the single-family to two-family, but opposition from a neighbor and a cautious ZBA could keep it a single-family house.

Richard Schaffer, the attorney for 444 Front Street owner Chris Shachoy, said history of two-family use goes back a long way, but two years has lapsed since the last time it was used as a two-family dwelling.

Plans for the house include the enlargement of a rear deck plus an additional deck, but the footprint would remain the same and the window arrangement of the house would be the only visible change from the front.

“The neighborhood would not be changed,” said Schaffer, “[we’re] just taking an older house and updating it and making it look more attractive.” The house, said Shaffer, was originally built by the younger brother of Elizabeth Taber. “This particular addition … would not be a detriment to the neighborhood or the character of the town.”

ZBA Chairman Eric Pierce asked if the home would be owner-occupied, and Schaffer said yes, at least in the beginning.

Pierce wanted to do some research on the request before making a decision, saying the board had never dealt with a case such as this. He wanted to be sure the board wouldn’t be “putting our foot in a bucket.”

Resident Helen Hills said that her family sold the house to Shachoy, that the house was built in 1838, and that the entire second floor was made into a separate unit in 1960 when her cousin’s older brother got married. She claimed it became a rental property in 1990 and was rented a long time, and various other families lived there until her cousin died four years ago.

“It’s a beautiful house, and I’m glad to see it fixed up,” Hills said.

There was concern from neighboring resident and realtor Bernadette Kelly over the existence of several other two-family houses on that part of Front Street. She wondered what the Town’s plan was for that stretch of road at “the entryway to our town.”

“It is a lovely house [and] it would be great to see it preserved,” said Kelley, “I’m not particularly comfortable that it’s going to be preserved as an investment property.” It is being lovingly maintained for now, she said, but that is not always the case with rental properties, she commented.

Schaffer brought up the nearby Marion Village Estates, saying this house was only adding one unit, and rental properties in Marion are in demand. The one unit would not burden the town services, said Schaffer, and a house can be run-down whether or not it’s a rental.

“A lot of houses in town that are not rented are run down,” argued Schaffer.

Kelly disagreed with Schaffer’s reasoning.

“How does this actually fit into the existing character of the neighborhood, because the Baywatch neighborhood does not fit into the character of the neighborhood,” said Kelly.

Schaffer replied, “The single-family dwelling could be rented out as it is already. So there’s no difference.”

Hills’ comment was that Shachoy was within his right to tear the old house down, but he chose to renovate it. She argued that the recognition as a two-family would not make any difference.

“We will have to dig a little deeper into the bylaws,” said Pierce, and the hearing was closed for the application to be taken under advisement. When Schaffer asked Pierce to keep the public hearing open in case issues arise that he would like to address, Pierce refused, not even sure if he could re-open the public hearing or not.

The hearing was already closed, the matter would be taken under advisement, the board would render a decision, “…And then you can sue us,” said Pierce.

“Appeal,” Building Commissioner Scott Shippey corrected Pierce.

“Appeal,” said Pierce. “Sorry.”

The next meeting of the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for December 10 at 7:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

Giving Mindfully This Holiday Season

on November 22, 2015

Some gifts just can’t be put in a box, wrapped and tied with a bow. Some you can’t even hold in your hands, while others may be literally handed to one, but given to another –to a person across the world you might not ever meet in this life.

These are the gifts the Friends at the Mattapoisett Friends Meeting House had to offer on November 14 during their annual Alternative Gift Fair held each year before the holidays. And even if you missed the chance to visit the Friends on this day, they want you to know that it is still possible this Christmas to be mindful, thoughtful in your gift-giving, while showing the people in your life that some gifts must be experienced to be appreciated.

There was a variety of alternative gifts to consider, all represented at the Meeting House in one form or another.

Take the gift of membership, for example, over an item that gives once and is soon forgotten once trees are taken down and presents put away. The Mattapoisett Historical Society hopes you might consider giving your loved ones in love with our local history a membership to enjoy all the benefits, such as free admission to the museum and events, and discounts on merchandise.

Maureen McCarthy of the Historical Society stressed the importance of knowing and appreciating local history.

“If we ignore our history, we’re just another place,” said McCarthy. If one knows their local history and learns to appreciate it, she said, “It makes your living place a whole lot more relevant to you. It’s all part of the fabric of it.”

A Buzzards Bay Coalition membership is like giving another (and yourself) the gift of a cleaner, more vibrant bay and the promise that it will be protected and will retain its beauty for generations. The BBC table at the gift fair was lined with BBC caps, T-shirts, and maps of protected areas, as well as renderings of future projects that rely on the funding of new memberships.

Why not give the gift of a bike path? The Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path were represented that day, offering merchandise and ways to donate as a meaningful gift for someone that will ensure the tires keep on turning towards the realization of a cohesive bike path that will finally connect the area towns.

Real estate makes a great gift in the form of protected conservation land that you, your family, and everyone can enjoy from a membership with the Mattapoisett Land Trust.

MLT Treasurer Gary Johnson, in addition to offering memberships, was peddling his latest gift idea – his handmade squirrel feeders – with proceeds of the squirrel feeder sales going directly toward the benefit of the land trust.

“I thought people would be interested in getting squirrels away from their bird feeders by giving them their own,” said Johnson. He had not yet sold a single one, until suddenly, Mark Anderson of Mattapoisett came over, flashed his $50, and bought the very first one.

There were handicrafts made by fair trade women crafters of the nonprofit organization SERRV for sale, with ethical profit sharing with the people who make them. Equal Exchange coffee and chocolate were on display as well and are still available for purchase through the Friends for the fair trade coffee-loving friends in your life.

The Mattapoisett folks involved with Sanga Sangai, a small nonprofit in Nepal that feeds, clothes, and provides educational opportunities to street children, had their table of knick-knacks and handcrafted beaded necklaces and bracelets, with all proceeds going directly to their friends at Sanga Sangai. Johanna Duponte of Mattapoisett said the Nepal earthquakes devastated the organization’s school and headquarters, and they are still in great need of funding to help rebuild. Her granddaughter, Ava Duponte, 5, created gift cards with markers, crayons, pens, paints, and other implements of mass creation to sell, and they are still available for $1 a piece.

Representatives from the St. Vincent de Paul at St. Gabriel’s Church were giving cards to accompany donations made in another’s name to benefit the food pantry, and there was a table set up with a myriad of other alternative gift organizations like Heifer International, Doctors without Borders, and Operation Smile for making life-changing donations as a gift in another’s name.

Consider the impact your gift can make this Christmas. The Friends have invited anyone wishing to learn more about their suggestions for alternative gifts to contact them at tomanddeena@gmail.com.

You may also find further information at www.mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org, www.savebuzzardsbay.org, www.mattapoisettrailtrail.org, www.mattlandtrust.org, www.serrv.org, and www.sangasangai.org.np.

By Jean Perry

Coastal Zone Management Plan, Fees, and Fixes

on November 22, 2015

A working meeting between the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen and the Marine Advisory Board focused on three areas of the waterfront enterprise fund: coastal zone management, fees, and wharf improvements.

MAB Chairman John Cornish presented the selectmen with a draft that was not offered for public discussion at the time. The MAB members had taken an earlier document – one that was deemed inadequate to protect the public’s use of waterways along Mattapoisett’s coast – and attempted to beef up elements they felt were important. Recreational uses from shellfishing to paddle boarding, public beaches to kayaking were included as the types of recreation that should be protected and spelled out in the updated document as the board recognized the needs of more than just the boating public.

Also new in the document were suggestions on what the lengths of private docks and piers should be. Town Administrator Michael Gagne reminded the board that South Coastal Regional Coordinator David Janik of the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office, a branch of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, had suggested they be “very specific” on this point.

Another essential topic the selectmen wished to work out with the MAB was fees. The MAB in turn had asked Harbormaster Jill Simmons to assist in collecting comparative data from surrounding towns.

Simmons found that Wareham, Marion, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Fairhaven, Fall River, and Plymouth all had mooring fees greater than Mattapoisett.

“We are right at the bottom,” Simmons said. Her written report included mooring fees that ranged from a high of $150 per year plus $100 per foot for a slip, to Mattapoisett’s low of $25 annually plus $1 per foot for vessels 35 feet or less or $2 per foot for vessels greater than 35 feet. Simmons felt that Mattapoisett’s per-foot structure was unfair, noting that one boat would be paying more than a neighboring boat simply because it was one foot longer.

The MAB has struggled, Cornish said, with not knowing how to approach increasing user fees to get more in line with neighboring communities and bring the waterfront enterprise into greater financial stability.

Simmons said she had been frustrated at not being able to understand Mattapoisett’s municipal bookkeeping.

“I owe Suzanne Szyndlar a public apology. She’s been great,” Simmons said. But the difficulty in figuring out how the earnings flowed against expenses had been on ongoing effort on her part, one that she was finally “getting a grip on.” She expressed appreciation for the assistance she had received from Town Hall staff.

Gagne offered insights into fiscal management, including the necessity of the waterfront enterprise establishing funds for contingencies.

“There’s no money in the budget for unexpected expenses,” said Gagne. “In 2015, retained earnings were $810; that’s no buffering whatsoever.”

Gagne thought that perhaps looking at a mooring fee of $65 gradually increased over several years might work saying, “When you let a fee stay stagnant for five or ten years then have an increase, it looks huge.”

Cornish acknowledged that there was a willingness on the part of the MAB to increase fees, but also cautiousness as well. Selectmen Jordan Collyer said, “We should be in parity with other harbors.”

A third topic of conversation was a recently drafted priority list: a list of must haves, to-dos, and a couple of wishes for the harbor side that the MAB had requested from Simmons. That list had been whittled down, prioritized, and offered to the selectmen for this meeting.

Collyer expressed his frustration at a list saying, “We get kicked in the teeth in public because we don’t listen to the MAB. You know what people want to see … the reason you are an advisory board is to tell us. Don’t just say, ‘Jill needs to tell us!’” He said that the members of the advisory board were in the public sphere and were hearing from the boating community more than the selectmen were and, therefore, should offer those views.

In defense of the list, Cornish said everything on it “needed to be done.”

The Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board will meet again on November 19 at 7:00 pm in the Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell

4th Annual Pizza with Santa

on November 22, 2015

The Marion Police Brotherhood will hold its 4th Annual Pizza with Santa on Saturday, December 5 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street. Once again, we will be accepting donations to help “fill a cruiser” with new unwrapped toys for The Justice Resources Institute, a local nonprofit organization providing intensive foster care and adoption programs for children and adolescents in our community.

Please register at the Marion Police Department, 550 Mill Street, or email adicarlo@marionma.gov by December 1.

Machacam Club

on November 22, 2015

The Machacam Club will hold its monthly meeting on December 2 at the Legion Hall, 3 Depot Street. Social time is 5:30 pm; dinner is at 6:00 pm.

This meeting will be a ham & bean dinner with pie for dessert. We hope it will prove worthwhile as we try to overcome the ban on “Stove Top” cooking with this being the third option.

Our speaker for the evening will be our own Captain Brad Smith who has an interesting topic range on Sub Rescue Operations with Atmospheric Dive Suits, Remote Sub Rescue Vehicle and its predecessor, the Sub Rescue Chamber. He will try to finish off with some slides of Sailing Traditions (i.e., the Crossing the Line Ceremony).

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, November 30 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, December 1.

Man Fishing Rescued from Mattapoisett Waters

on November 22, 2015

A call came into the Mattapoisett Police Department at 9:39 am on November 15 for a man overboard who was pulled from the cold waters of Mattapoisett Harbor after he fell out of his kayak. The kayak was modified to accept a motor and was fitted with homemade outriggers made out of crutches.

Mattapoisett Harbormaster Jill Simmons said Aiming Xu of Sharon, Massachusetts was fishing when he fell into the water. The waders he was wearing quickly filled with seawater; however, Xu was wearing a personal flotation vest that kept him afloat.

Passing fisherman Chris Parker spotted Xu in distress and rescued the man. Simmons said Xu’s body temperature was about 95 degrees when he was pulled from the water and he was mildly hypothermic.

According to Mattapoisett Police Chief Mary Lyons, EMS met Parker and Xu at the wharf where EMS workers checked Xu’s vital signs and treated him in the ambulance before he was released. Xu refused transport to the hospital.

“While he was cold, he was not injured,” said Lyons in a follow-up email.

Simmons issued a warning to all boaters in the area, and she hopes this small incident will prevent worse accidents from occurring as the weeks grow colder and winter approaches.

“If you’re not prepared to be in the water, then you shouldn’t be on the water,” said Simmons. “A sudden immersion in cold water is a life-threatening event. Cold water drains heat away from the body 25 times faster than air.”

Simmons reminded boaters to dress appropriately in dry suits and full flotation gear when heading out on the water for any reason during this time of year.

“Especially in smaller boats,” Simmons added. “When it happens, it happens in a heartbeat.”

By Jean Perry

Breakfast With Santa

on November 21, 2015

A pancake breakfast will be held Sunday, December 6 from 8:00 to 11:30 am at The Knights, 57 Fairhaven Road, lower level in Mattapoisett. Santa will visit here from 8:00 to 10:00 am, so bring your cameras to take pictures. Breakfast is $6 a person and $20 for a family of four or more. Breakfast includes plain, blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes, sausage, coffee and orange juice. Donations of toys will be accepted to give to children in the area.

Tabor Athletes Heading to NCAA Div I Schools

on November 21, 2015

Eighteen Tabor Academy athletes from the Class of 2016 will be off to compete in NCAA Division I sports once they graduate from the School by the Sea. This is a record-breaking year, up from seven students last year. Celebrating their success, many of the student athletes took part in a ceremony to officially sign their letters of intent with proud friends and families on hand to cheer them on.

“This is the most kids we’ve ever had” said Assistant Director of Athletics Kelly Walker. “It really speaks highly of our coaches and the depth of our programs, and to the athletes at Tabor who have put in an incredible effort to put themselves in a good position.”

Highlights include an impressive five seniors from the girls’ varsity basketball team, coached by Will Becker. Captain Molly Bent ’16 will play for UCONN, the NCAA National Champions for the past three years. There were also three seniors signed from Tabor’s girls’ crew team, coached by Mike Bentz. Two of the three will continue being teammates next year as they head off to row for Syracuse University.

“We’re so fortunate to have such wonderful kids, and it’s a bonus that they’re great athletes,” said a very proud Athletic Director Dick Muther.

The complete list of students and their college destination is listed below:

Jeremiah Adams – University of Oklahoma – Baseball (Mattapoisett, MA)

Maggie Ahearn – Providence College – Basketball (Marshfield, MA)

Molly Bent – UCONN – Basketball (Centerville, MA)

Lily Blouin – Syracuse University – Crew (Hudson, QC, Canada)

Aarion Bradshaw – University of South Carolina – Basketball (Hyde Park, MA)

Hannah Dawicki – St. John’s University – Soccer (Fairhaven, MA)

Liz Dognazzi – High Point University – Soccer (Hyde Park, MA)

Abby Ellis – Union College – Ice Hockey (Warwick, RI)

Lauren Feeney – Northeastern University – Field Hockey (Canton, MA)

Katie Goncalo – College of St. Rose – Basketball (Fall River, MA)

Woodard Hooper – College of William and Mary – Field Hockey (Marion, MA)

Molly Little – University of Vermont – Lacrosse (Tiverton, RI)

Rachel Moore – Boston College – Ice Hockey (Waquoit, MA)

KK Price – George Washington University – Crew (Weston, MA)

Mike Ryan – Union College – Ice Hockey (Marion, MA)

Shannon Ryan – Boston College – Basketball (Plattsburg, NY)

Elizabeth Tarrant – Syracuse University – Crew (Marion, MA)

Ben Taylor – Brown University – Ice Hockey (North Falmouth, MA)

Author To Speak About Being Prepared

on November 21, 2015

No one is promised tomorrow, so what if something happened to you? Are you ready? All ages are encouraged to join What If … Workbook™ author Gwen Morgan as she discusses her comprehensive, easy-to-use guide to get all your affairs in order. Discussion includes, but is not limited to: Keep Track of Financial Data, Burial vs. Cremation, What Kind of Service (if any), Caring for Pets, Considering Special Gifts or Gratitudes to Loved Ones, How Do You Want to Be Remembered, and so much more. This discussion will take place on Wednesday, December 2 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Council on Aging, 17 Barstow Street (enter by separate entrance at Center School). This is a free session. The What If Workbook™ will be on sale; no purchase necessary. Please RSVP to 508-758-4110.

Library Hosts a Storybook Wedding

on November 21, 2015

The library will always be more than just a building designed to house books. It is a place where epic love stories dwell, where romantic poetry lies peacefully, protected; it is the home to the tales of a hundred loves that live on, petrified and bound in paper like jewels kept secret inside unlocked boxes. Love is a triumph, love is a tragedy, love is what eternally burns within and sets the prose of passion aflame. All this, existing evermore, stands still on shelves inside a brick building that is the home of every literary lover you’ve ever fixed your inner eyes upon, breathed in, and held close to your chest.

Yes, those who can fully grasp the scope of the multi-sensory satisfaction of taking refuge in the library are indeed few. But, once upon a time, a girl met a boy who ‘got it.’ The couple that found the book nerd in each other connected, guided by the inner archetype of academia they both possessed, fell in love and began figuratively writing their own story of love, crafting a life together that would lead to a happy ending. They would begin their Chapter One with a storybook wedding within the sanctity of the Mattapoisett Free Library.

Shannon Devlin and Matthew Spelman knew they wanted to tie the knot in the library. It just seemed apropos, given their mutual love of books. The idea seemed romantic to the pair, the ideal setting to exchange eternal vows among the eternal works of the greatest loves of history.

When the couple approached the Millicent Library in Fairhaven, the town in which Devlin was raised, the library board was anything but enthusiastic about a wedding party, despite the couple’s offer to purchase multi-million dollar insurance, invite only adults, the promise of no food or beverages, and that guests would remain standing at all times. It was a resounding ‘no,’ with the consolation of allowing the wedding to be held outside on the library steps, out in the November cold.

“I was really sad and disappointed,” said Devlin, although she did not give up on her notion of a being a library bride. She sought out other venues, which led her to the Mattapoisett Free Public Library in the town where she was born. Devlin described the library as being cozy with beautiful rooms with arched windows, a gorgeous wrought iron spiral staircase, and interior brick walls – the perfect concoction of romance for a couple of bibliophiles in love.

Library Director Susan Pizzolato said she was touched a year ago when Devlin and Spelman first made their request. Devlin’s desire to be married in a library was sincere, and after some careful thought and permission by the appropriate authorities, Pizzolato allowed for a modest, controlled wedding ceremony inside the library to take place on November 7.

Devlin found Pizzolato’s response to be welcoming and warm like a fairy godmother of sorts granting a girl’s one wish of a library wedding.

“I think the warm welcome set the tone for the whole wedding experience,” said Devlin. “We are so very grateful and I think that our location was meant to be. Our ceremony was beautiful and filled with love and literature.”

On Saturday, November 7, the wedding party arrived at the steps of the library via school bus. No decorations were brought into the library that was standing room only; however, everything planned for the wedding reception – from the invitations resembling old leather-bound books, to the centerpieces of glowing luminaries with book pages, to the card catalog-style escort cards – encompassed the literary theme.

Devlin and Spelman chose a vintage color palette of sage and gold, “Which I think made the décor feel cohesive,” Devlin added.

The ceremony even incorporated the surrounding love stories that live at the library, with readings of excerpts chosen from Plato’s Symposium and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.

“We also had some whimsical and modern readings from William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, Robert Fulghum’s poem, ‘All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Kindergarten,’” said Devlin. “Some of these readings we actually incorporated into the vows.”

“Matt and I knew early on that we wanted to get married in a library,” Devlin said. “Libraries are places of learning and we’re both the nerdy, academic type. The stacks are also lined with books containing the most beautiful love stories and poetry ever written…. The Mattapoisett Public Library, and especially the director Susan, made it all possible.”

But readers beware: we must not get carried away, for this was the one and only wedding to be held at the library. Library trustees and staff have no plans to host another, only allowing for this one time. There is too much involved in hosting an event such as a wedding, and Pizzolato said she has no interest in opening up the library as an event hall.

“We agreed to host the wedding, but it’s not something that we want to do on a regular basis,” said Pizzolato. “We don’t want to interfere at all with the public’s use of the building.”

So it truly was a once-upon-a-time event – a storybook wedding for a couple to begin their happily ever after, but a definite “The End” for the Mattapoisett Library’s chapter as a wedding venue.

By Jean Perry

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