The Marion School Committee was back in session September 3, with a couple of new key administrative staff members attending their first meeting.

Old Rochester Regional School District Superintendent Doug White introduced the new School Business Administrator, Patrick Spencer, and the new Director of Student Services, Mike Nelson, to the committee before getting down to business during the first school committee meeting this school year within the district.

Representatives for the Sippican Lands Trust and Copicut Woods in Fall River asked the committee to approve a donation of 40 to 50 Atlantic white-cedar trees to Sippican School for sixth graders to retrieve and plant on the north side of the school grounds.

The evergreen coniferous baby trees will become a part of the science and social science curricula, with students learning about plant structure and also how this specific tree ties into local history.

Sixth grade students will take a field trip to Copicut Woods to claim and transport the trees back to the school and plant them the next day after a presentation from the SLT.

“I think it sounds awesome,” said School Committee member Christine Marcolini. “I really do.”

The committee accepted the donation of trees with a unanimous vote.

Later in the meeting, Sippican School Principal Evelyn Rivet announced that the school would soon have its own Facebook page as a way to reach out to the community about news and special events taking place throughout the year.

Assisting with the task, Technology Integrationist Susan Wheeler said she would model the new Facebook page after ORR High School’s and make weekly updates for those who “Like” the page.

“It’s just another way to put ourselves out in the community,” said Wheeler.

Also during the meeting, the committee approved the design and placement of the new YMCA Sippican Learning Center signs for the front of the building and the circular drive out front near the entrance.

Food Service Director Caitlin Meagher gave a brief update on the status of school lunch accounts. As overdue balances remained after the school year came to a close, Meagher said she was able to recover some of the money left over from active lunch accounts from past years, and Rivet used some funds from the principal’s account to pay for some of the remaining debt. In total, the Sippican School closed the year with a negative balance of $382, a huge difference from where it was earlier in the year when it climbed into the thousands.

“We’re hoping to keep better control over that this year,” said Meagher.

In other matters, Facilities Director Eugene Jones requested funds totaling $2,600 to go toward the new “Telecenter U Page Module,” an emergency alert system used to aid in communication within the school, as well as with emergency responders and others, should an emergency occur.

Jones said the school could be ordered into lockdown “with the push of a button” from any computer within the school, not just from the main office.

The total cost is $7,100, with $4,500 coming from leftover funds in Jones’ budget. The vote to approve was unanimous.

Also during the meeting, Rivet handed committee members the updated school improvement plan, which now includes a timeline for the goals that the committee requested before the close of the last school year.

Later discussed, White told the committee that, with a little restructuring, the district could eliminate the need for a technology director to replace Ryan McGee who resigned from the position to take another one in another district.

“As we went through the process,” said White, “…we felt that we could do it in a different way without getting an additional administrator.”

Technology specialist consultants who were once assigned to specific districts will now float between all the Tri-Town school districts, and some staff members will take on additional technology hours as well.

“We needed more boots on the ground,” said White, adding later that having the consultants move through the districts under the new organizational structure will add accountability.

“And an ability to really see where we’re going,” said White.

The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for October 1 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

With concern that a proposed 290-foot private dock on Goodspeed Island is not good for the public use of public waterways, Mattapoisett’s Marine Advisory Board sent a letter stating their position to the Board of Selectmen through Town Administrator Mike Gagne. The proposed dock had been discussed at their July meeting, at which time the majority of the board members felt such a structure would inhibit recreational use of the harbor around that location. Noting that they had not used the location for new moorings in an effort to keep the area open for public recreation, and that in the absence of specific bylaws that would manage this type of construction, they voted to let the Selectmen know their concerns. As of the August 28 meeting, they had not yet received a reply from the Selectmen.

The approved minutes of the July 31 meeting on this topic state: “…John Cornish makes a motion to write a letter to the Conservation Committee to refer to the waterfront management plan and delineation of recreation areas in decision making process, as well as consulting the MAB prior to issuing permit. Jeff Swift seconds motion and is unanimously passed. Robert Moore makes a motion that a letter be written to the BOS addressing the MAB concerns that there is a lack of bylaws regulating new piers and request new regulations be promulgated and presented at the next town meeting. Mike Chaplain seconds the motion and is unanimously passed…” Several members said that the beach right-of-way had been transferred from the previous owner to the new owner, which might make the obtaining of a permit easier for the applicant. Carlos DeSousa said some aspects of the project would have to be discussed in executive sessions.

In other business, Harbormaster Jill Simmons asked if she could remove a mooring that apparently is misplaced and presently interfering with a permitted mooring and the boat moored to it. The MAB members felt it was well within her scope of duties to have the errant mooring removed. She wondered aloud who should incur the cost associated with the removal. MAB stated the person who put it there.

Regarding the Waterfront Enterprise Fund, Selectman Paul Silva has indicated to the board that the town hall is still collecting all the necessary data and formatting it into an easy-to-digest format before releasing it to the MAB and the Harbormaster. DeSousa said they needed that piece before they could make recommendations on fee increases and finish their work on the ‘rules and regulations’. Chairman Alan Gillis said that he would be meeting with Gagne the following day to discuss mooring inspection processes and changes to the ‘rules and regulations’.

On the theme of mooring inspections, no changes will be made to the current regulations until the Selectmen have had an opportunity to weigh-in. That line item will be on the agenda during the BOS September 23 meeting.

Simmons gave her report which included: the purchase of three new floats to add spaces for dinghies; modifications to racking system at town landing to accommodate kayaks; a tour of the shoreline with members of the assessor’s office that resulted in the discovery of 51 floats and docks that have not been permitted; and the unexpected damage from a recent storm that caused one boat to sink and left others with expensive repairs.

Simmons also reported that there seemed to be a criminal group operating in the area stealing outboard motors and damaging vessels, saying that there have been numerous break-ins reported. She said that the thieves have a similar modus operandi from Rhode Island to Wareham and that when she was an officer with the New Bedford Police Department, it was deduced that the motors are hauled away and shipped off shore.

The next meeting of the Marine Advisory Board is scheduled for September 25 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell