New Home Approved for Cove Street

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Epic freezing temperatures didn’t impede the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals from being front and center in attendance at their February 19 meeting to hear one single item on the agenda.

James and Debra Jones of 18 Upland Way sought a special permit to construct a new two-bedroom home at 3 Cove Street. Jones purchased a small adjourning parcel, Engineer Richard Charon representing the Joneses explained, which increased the available buildable space from 40- by 60-square feet to 60- by 127-square feet.

Charon said that when the original structure was damaged during Hurricane Bob, building restrictions did not allow the home to have an expanded footprint.

In order to re-build at that time and expand the one-bedroom home for more comfortable living space, a rather unappealing overhang was constructed. Now, with the acquisition of more land creating a larger space, Jones hoped to receive approval to take down that home and build a new two-bedroom structure.

Another important hurdle they needed to vault was wastewater. Charon said that with the extension of public sewer service to Cove Street, Jones would not be restricted by a private septic system. More land and sewer service are the factors cited by Charon for approving the Joneses’ application.

The new home will have a wrap around deck, meet all FEMA requirements, and will continue to allow public access to the beach, which is historic in this shoreline neighborhood.

Charon reported to the ZBA members that the project had already cleared the conservation commission process.

“…It makes sense with the sewer coming in…” ZBA member Colby Rottler said.

The vote to approve the special permit was unanimous.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals will be posted for March 19 at 6:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Town Hall if there are any applications for hearings.

By Marilou Newell

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Rochester Council on Aging

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The Rochester Council on Aging has been awarded a grant to launch the national (NCOA) model 12-week program, “Aging Mastery Program (AMP),” by the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging & Senior Centers (MCOA).

Rochester Council on Aging is one of fifteen in Massachusetts to win the competitive grant process to launch this innovative program. The program will meet once a week for twelve weeks, for an hour or so each week, on Thursdays from 2:15 – 4:00 pm beginning on March 12 and running for 12 consecutive weeks.

The program has space for 30 older adult participants who can be from any town in our local area. It is a free program, but advance registration is required. Each participant will need to commit to attending the full 12 weeks. Twelve educational topics will be covered by guest presenters, each focusing on a different aspect of wellness. The program will offer incentives and points for participants. No prior educational experience is necessary to participate. Anyone is welcome!

“AMP is an approach to living that embraces this gift of longer lives. The program combines knowledge sharing with goal-setting and feed-back routines, daily practices, and peer support to help you make meaningful and enduring life changes in your life. Central to the AMP philosophy is the belief that modest lifestyle changes can produce big results, and that all of us can learn to make the most of our longer lives.”

Call the Rochester Senior Center at 508-763-8723 if you have questions and/or to register for the Program. Ask to speak with Marie Vitale, Program Coordinator, or Sharon Lally, Director.

The grant will also provide funding for a second 12-week series in the fall, for different participants. More information on the fall program of AMP will be forthcoming at a later date.

Social Security Program at Plumb Library

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On Thursday, March 5 at 6:30 pm at the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library, 17 Constitution Way, Rochester, William J. Goldsmith, CRP, CLU, LIA, and the president of LifeTime Financial Strategies, LLC, will present a seminar called “Solving the Social Security Puzzle.” This seminar will address your important questions about Social Security such as:

– Will Social Security be there when I’m ready to claim?

– How are my benefits calculated?

– How much will I get?

– How can I get more?

Bill is a Certified Financial Planner professional who works with individuals, families, and owners of closely-held and family-owned companies to help them address their key areas of concern and questions pertaining to their personal and business financial planning. With more than 22 years of experience in financial services, Bill specializes in simplifying complex ideas and presenting them in a clear and concise manner.

Pre-registration is required. Light refreshments will be served. For more information or to register or reserve a seat, call the library at 508-763-8600 or register on the Plumb Library Events Calendar at http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=PLUMB#449394.

Rochester Women’s Club

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The next meeting of The Rochester Women’s Club will be on Thursday, March 5 at Matt’s Blackboard. Cocktails begin at 6:45 pm, and our meeting will follow at 7:00 pm. In celebration of our upcoming series “Empowering Women and Our Young Girls,” our members are asked to do a little research on their favorite Woman in History. Be it an author, politician, poet, inventor, artist, writer, actress, mom, business owner or any woman who may have inspired or just caught your eye. Bring along a paragraph or two about this individual, and we will share our stories.

The Rochester Women’s Club meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:45 pm. Our Club House is located at 37 Marion Road in Rochester.

Women from all towns are welcome to join our club. Our club is a non-profit organization of local women dedicated to promoting civic, educational, intellectual and social interest among our members and in our community. We have been the Rochester Women’s Club and owned our building since 1928.

To have your questions answered, email us at rwomensclub@aol.com.

Saccone Wins All-State Championship

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Here is a look at the eleventh week of scheduled games for ORR winter athletics.

            Boys’ Basketball: The boys finished their regular season this week playing two of the toughest teams in the area. The Bulldogs started off their week with a tough 76-64 loss to non-conference Bishop Stang, to whom they previously lost earlier this season. Though the Bulldogs managed to make a strong comeback in the fourth quarter, they were simply unable to match the accuracy of the Spartans, whose shots could not seem to miss. On a brighter note, however, the Bulldogs finished off their regular season with an exciting 66-62 victory over Wareham, which kept them undefeated in the conference and gave them the No. 1 seed in the state tournament. The game was a close one, as it was tied 59-59 with 1:07 left to play, until senior captain Jordan Menard hit a clutch three-pointer to all but secure the win for the Bulldogs. Freshman Noah Fernandes played very well, recording a team-high 23 points. With the win, the Bulldogs finish their season with a 17-3 record. Their first state tournament game will be held on Thursday, February 26 at 6:30 pm at ORR against the winner of the Apponequet/Mashpee game.

Girls’ Basketball: The Lady Bulldogs closed out their regular season in a less than desirable fashion, losing tough games to both Bishop Stang and Wareham. The girls suffered a 59-34 loss to non-conference Bishop Stang, and then proceeded to lose to Wareham in a 39-38 nail-biter. With just seconds left in the game, Wareham was ahead by four points, but sophomore Sophie Church hit a clutch three-pointer to cut the lead down to one. However, it would not prove enough, as the Lady Vikings managed to inbound the ball and run down the clock to defeat the Lady Bulldogs. Though their regular season did not end on a high note, the ORR girls have the opportunity to make a run in the state tournament, where they received the No. 9 seed, where coincidentally they will face off against No. 8 seeded Wareham in the opening round Wednesday night.

Boys’ Track: This week, a select few athletes from the ORR track teams competed in the All-State Meet, where the best athletes from all divisions compete for the title of state champion. The boys had one lone representative in senior Kevin Saccone, who had an incredible day at the Reggie Lewis Center. Saccone won the long jump with a leap of 22’1.25”, claiming his first indoor state championship and subsequently qualifying for the New England Championship Meet. Saccone also placed second in the 55-meter hurdles, narrowly missing the gold by just .05 seconds. On the day, Saccone earned 18 points, which was enough for the ORR team, comprised of only Saccone, to place 7th overall among teams with incredible talent and depth.

Girls’ Track: The girls’ track team also had several talented athletes compete in the All-State Meet. Junior Zoe Smith had a great day, placing tenth overall in the high-jump (5’2”) and twelfth in the competitive hurdles field (9.03 seconds). Teammates Elexus Afonso and Morgan Middleton both competed in the long jump, with Middleton placing 17th overall (16’2”) and Afonso placing 19th (15’11.75”). The girls’ 4×800-meter relay, comprised of Shannon O’Malley, Haily Saccone, Nina Bourgeois, and Sam Ball, placed 30th overall.

Ice Hockey: The ORR/Fairhaven Bulldogs started their week out strong with an 8-4 blowout over Somerset Berkley. The 1-2 combo of Jeremy Lawton and Sam Henrie provided most of the offensive manpower for the Bulldogs, with Lawton scoring four goals and Henrie recording a hat trick. The Bulldogs then unfortunately suffered two tough losses to Plymouth South on both Wednesday and Friday to break a 10-game winning streak and close out their regular season. Luckily, the losses don’t count towards the Bulldogs’ conference record, which remains at 8-1, good enough to secure the SCC title.

Below are the overall winter team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of February 22.

Boys’ Basketball: (17-3-0) (16-0-0); Girls’ Basketball: (12-8-0) (10-6-0); Boys’ Track: (8-1-0) (7-1-0); Girls’ Track: (9-0-0) (8-0-0); Boys’ Swimming: (1-5-0) (0-5-0); Girls’ Swimming: (2-4-0) (1-3-0); Ice Hockey: (15-5-1) (8-1-0).

 

By Michael Kassabian

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22nd annual Buzzards Bay Swim

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New Bedford Harbor may be icy and covered with snow right now, but the warmth of summer will be here before we know it! If you love to swim and want to make a difference for our local environment, then sign up for the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s 22nd annual Buzzards Bay Swim on Saturday, June 20. Swimmers who sign up through April 1 at savebuzzardsbay.org/swim will enjoy free registration.

The Buzzards Bay Swim is a fun community event that supports a great cause: clean water in Buzzards Bay. Swimmers complete a 1.2-mile open water course across outer New Bedford Harbor, beginning in the South End of New Bedford and ending at Fort Phoenix Beach State Reservation in Fairhaven.

Now in its 22nd year, the Buzzards Bay Swim is a signature outdoor event for the SouthCoast. The Swim draws participants of every age, ability and fitness level. Some swimmers form teams with their friends, families and fellow swim team members. Over 300 swimmers are expected to participate in this year’s Swim, hailing from communities across southeastern New England and around the United States.

All funds raised from the Buzzards Bay Swim support the Coalition’s work to protect clean water in communities across the Buzzards Bay region, from Westport to Woods Hole.

To register and learn more about the Swim, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/swim.

The Buzzards Bay Swim is a Waterkeeper Alliance SPLASH Series Event, presented nationally by Toyota. The SPLASH Series engages local citizens in recreational use of our waterways to celebrate access to clean water with activities that the whole community can enjoy as they raise critical funds to support their local Waterkeeper organization. For more information, please visit splashseries.org.

Marion Republican Town Committee

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The Marion Republican Town Committee will conduct its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 3 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street, Marion. The public and new members are welcome.

Three Candidates Run for Selectman

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Incumbent Selectman of six years Naida Parker will vie for reelection against two other candidates in the Town’s biggest contested race this year – the seat on the Rochester Board of Selectmen.

“I’ve been doing it for six years,” said Parker. “There are some things that we are working on that I’d like to continue to be part of.” At the top of her list, Parker said the alliance of the three towns taking a “firm position” regarding the Old Rochester Regional School District during this fiscal year 2016 budget season is one of such things.

Parker said budgets are tight in each of the three towns, limiting their ability to fund ORR’s “better schools” budget over a level-service budget for next year.

“We’re finally in a position where we’re united as a front,” Parker said. “As long as I’ve been in this town, it’s never happened.”

As the Town looks to fiscal year 2016 budgeting, Rochester is facing conservative estimates of its FY15 town revenue; there is not enough to cover the projected contribution Rochester is expected to make towards the ORR schools, as the town administrator reported to selectmen on February 11.

Candidate for selectman and current Town Moderator Greenwood “Woody” Hartley III said, in light of conservative estimates of revenue, he was disappointed that he heard no talk amongst selectmen of setting any goals to increase revenue in the future.

“We have no money,” said Hartley. “That’s the message that is going out to every department head.”

Hartley said that with the new year, the board should have started off with new goals for the Town, and he is disappointed.

“I’ve been let down as a citizen by the leadership of the board over the last few years,” said Hartley, which is why he said he is running for selectman.

Current Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman and former selectman Richard Cutler said there is so much the Town needs to get done that the current board’s habit of meeting every other week is not enough to get the work done.

“When I was a selectman, we would meet three, even four times a week,” said Cutler. “It’s obvious to me that there needs to be some changes at the top to get things moving again.”

Cutler said a significant issue that still needs resolution is the codification of the Town’s zoning and general bylaws, a project that Cutler has been addressing in a subcommittee formed to assess the bylaws and propose the changes in their format.

“They’re the Town leadership,” said Cutler. “They should be setting an example of that…. Spend time with the other boards.”

Parker emphasized that at the last selectmen’s meeting the board voted to meet weekly during the remainder of the budget season. She added that her role as town clerk, a position she has held since 1984, gives her an edge on town government and the inner workings of the Town.

“It gives me a general knowledge of town government. I think that gives me a different perspective,” said Parker. “There’s a degree of institutional memory that I bring to the Board of Selectmen.”

Hartley thinks the Town has been run pretty much the same over the past 50 years and many things need to be “evolving and moving forward.”

“My run is … less of a statement about Naida and more about the leadership of the board as a whole,” said Hartley, who added that part of his work in his career was “teaching people to work together … which is something the board can improve upon.”

Cutler thinks fostering change among the Board of Selectmen is not necessarily about one person.

“It’s the attitude as a whole,” said Cutler. “It’s probably time the selectmen took a break and let someone else have a chance.”

The Rochester Annual Election is April 8.

By Jean Perry

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Mary Beatty Muse

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Mary Beatty Muse, Ret. Justice Suffolk County Probate and Family Court, of Brookline and Marion, February 20, 2015. Beloved wife of the late Robert Francis Muse, Esq. Loving daughter of the late John F. and Dr. Mary Moore Beatty.   Devoted mother of Michael J. Esq. and his wife Jane of Wellesley, Robert F. Jr. Esq. of Washington DC, Honorable Christopher J. and his wife Karen of Boston, Honorable Mary T. Muse and her husband William Fisher of El Dorado Hills, CA, Stephen P. of Paris France, Dr. John P. and his wife Dr. Victorine of Milton, Dr. Daniel A. and his wife Dr. Ann McLean-Muse of Canton, James A. and his wife Kathleen of Mattapoisett, Julie A. Stanley Esq. and her husband Dr. John of Hingham, and Patricia E. Muse Esq. and her spouse Jane Benjamin of Boston and the late Peter J. Muse Esq. Mother-in-law of Deborah Muse of Milton. Sister of Patricia Delaney of Westwood and the late Bernadette Leber and John Beatty. Also survived by 36 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Ignatius Church, 28 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, February 28th . Interment Evergreen Cemetery Brighton. Navy Veteran WWII. Graduate of Girls Latin 1937, Emmanuel College 1941, Boston College Law School 1950. In lieu of flowers donations in memory of Judge Muse may be made to the Mary B. Muse Scholarship at Emmanuel College 400 The Fenway Boston, MA 02115. For directions and guestbook please visit www.lehmanreen.com   Arrangements by Lehman Reen & McNamara Funeral Home Brighton 617 782 1000

Scholarships Available for Tri-Town Seniors

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Graduating high school seniors from the Tri-Town area are urged to apply for a several scholarships now available through the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts (CFSEMA).

The following scholarships can be applied for online at www.cfsema.org/scholarships by April 30, unless otherwise noted:

The George Earl and Katherine Hartley Church Scholarship Fund provides several scholarships of at least $1,000 annually for tuition assistance to students pursuing an LPN, RN or BSN Nursing Degree while attending a two- or four-year accredited college or university. Applicants must be residents of Acushnet, Rochester, Marion and Mattapoisett who are graduating from either Fairhaven, New Bedford, Bishop Stang, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical or Old Rochester Regional high schools or a graduating senior from Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School. The criterion for selection will be weighted 75% on financial need and 25% on academics.

The Charles J. Lewin Interfaith Scholarship Fund was established to provide scholarships to returning students and graduating high school seniors of Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes and Plymouth counties. The Fund provides several scholarships ranging from $700 to $2,000. Scholarships are granted for one year only, although recipients may reapply annually. The criterion for selection will be weighted 50% on financial need, 30% on academics and 20% on personal circumstances. Students with Expected Family Contributions (EFC) above $16,000 are very unlikely to be selected for this scholarship.

The Thomas S. Hathaway Scholarship is awarded to students residing in Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, New Bedford, Mattapoisett, Marion, Rochester, Wareham, or Westport, who have been accepted or are currently enrolled at Harvard University. Scholarships are based on financial need and academic excellence. The total amount to be awarded is $4,200 to one or two recipients.

The Ladies’ Branch of the New Bedford Port Society Scholarship provides scholarships for high school seniors and current undergraduates who have one or more of the following: documented family ties to the sea, have received an acceptance letter from a Maritime Academy, or will major in maritime science. First consideration is given to families of descendants of seamen. Applicants must be residents of the Greater New Bedford area, defined as of New Bedford, Dartmouth, Westport, Fairhaven, Acushnet, Mattapoisett, Marion or Rochester. The criterion for selection will be weighted 75% on financial need and 25% on academics. Please contact the school’s guidance office for details and an application.