The Marion Republican Town Committee will conduct its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 5 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street, Marion. The public and new members are welcome.
Take a Hike: Osprey Marsh
There is a new Sippican Lands Trust property acquisition in Marion that just opened up to the public on Saturday, July 26 at 11:00 am. Naturally, I was there at 10:55 am so I could be one of the first to stamp the muddy trail with the imprints from the treads of my boots and report straight back to you.
This is the new Osprey Marsh – and there is no false advertising here. There are ospreys everywhere. Osprey Marsh is adjacent to Howland Marsh, and the two contiguous lots combined equal 28.7 acres of protected upland woods, wetlands, and marshland all the way up to the waters of Planting Island Cove.
Howland Marsh is named after its benefactors, the Howland family, and the family back in February gifted the Osprey Marsh land to the Town of Marion, under the care of the SLT.
Upon turning into the freshly wood-chipped off-street parking area of the property, the first thing I noticed was SLT Executive Director Robin Shields, seated next to a Sippican Lands Trust banner and a few didactic boards about the property leaning on the ground. There was still a great big blue party tent set back farther from the entrance from the night before when the SLT and members of the Howland family and their friends gathered for a private party to celebrate the opening of Osprey Marsh to the public.
Shields eagerly welcomed me to the property and gave me a brief history of the sequence of events that led to that morning of the Osprey Marsh opening to the public. Mary Howland Smoyer and her three siblings inherited the land from their grandparents, Edward and Eleanor Howland, who left specific details instructing the family to eventually donate the land to the Town for the benefit of all who live in it and to preserve the natural setting for recreational and educational use.
“[Smoyer] and her siblings decided to donate the land earlier this year,” said Shields. “She was very specific. She wanted it to be open to the public.”
Shields said the SLT has even bigger plans for the property than just this preliminary trail. The idea is to eventually build a system of raised wooden boardwalks throughout the property and also link Osprey Marsh with Howland Marsh with handicap-accessible trails so everyone can enjoy the land. The SLT’s main objectives for the property are environmental education, outreach events, and land protection.
“It hasn’t even been six months, and to see how far we’ve come,” said Shields, looking around at the parking area and the trailhead leading into the woods – beckoning me to follow it and discover a place that I’d never been to before.
The trail is marked by an Osprey Marsh sign every 50 feet or so. The freshly laid wood chips are soft under the foot, and also serve as a protective layer between the hiker and some stubborn sprigs of poison ivy striving for survival.
The woods are lush, almost tropical-like on this humid, sun-drenched day. The green-hue of the mature ferns of the forest floor appear greener than usual in the moist morning air, making the woods feel almost garden-like while the thick vines hanging from the trees maintain the wild untamed atmosphere of the woods.
The SLT has laid down some simple lumber planks they call bog bridges, so hikers can pass over the wet muddy spots along the way.
About two-thirds through the gently winding trail, I bumped into SLT Head Steward Yelena Sheynin, who was just on her way back from inspecting the trail and the marsh one last time for any last-minute details she could tend to before the public came through that morning.
Smiling, Sheynin said, “I think the trail turned out really well, thanks to the volunteers.” But, she added, the goals that the SLT has for this property are even more exciting than this preliminary trail.
“From the minute that we went to the ConCom (Conservation Commission) to this day, we’ve been out here working on it,” said Sheynin.
The view from the end of the trail that opens up to the cove is magnificent. Rarely is the average person granted everyday access to actually explore a marsh, so this is an excellent place to bring children to discover an ecosystem like a marsh firsthand.
The reeds were arranged in swirls of yellow and green, flat from the ebb and flow of the tides, and they collapsed softly beneath my careful footfalls. Ospreys circled in the sky, and I even found an osprey feather lying delicately atop the flattened grassy marsh floor. A bright green flag placed near the trail marks the way back out for those that explore farther along the shoreline, and that day the breeze had it flapping completely open, waving me back toward the woods.
One last osprey bid me farewell before I pulled out of the parking area in my car. Something tells me I will be returning often to enjoy the solitude of the marsh and to watch as the passing seasons leave their mark on the woods at Osprey Marsh.
The SLT will be conducting its August fund drive very soon, and information about donations and SLT membership can be found at www.sippicanlandtrust.org.
By Jean Perry
George E. Church
George E. Church, 90, of Rochester died Thursday July 31, 2014 at Sippican Health Care Center after a period of declining health. He was the husband of the late Katherine H. (Hartley) Church.
Born in Rochester, the son of the late George F. and Martha (Smith) Church, he lived in Rochester all of his life.
He was a member of the First Congregational Church of Rochester.
George was a self-taught mechanical genius who ran his father’s saw mill and owned and operated a building moving service.
He was very philanthropic member of his community. He established a scholarship fund with the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts to provide scholarships to students in this area pursuing a nursing degree. He facilitated the purchase of hundreds of acres of land in Rochester through the Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife and the Rochester Land Trust to preserve open space. He was honored as the Standard-Times Man of the Year in Rochester in 2007.
He enjoyed steam driven automobiles, horse drawn wagons, and raising ponies.
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and participated in the Battles of Normandy, Northern France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland, Central Europe, and the Air Offensive Europe. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Benjamin D. Cushing Post 2425.
He is survived by two nieces, Barbara Pasquarello and her husband James of Lakeville, and Janet Estes of Maine; two nephews, George Mercier of Westport and James Mercier of Taunton; his brother-in-law, Henry Hartley and his wife Bonnie of Rochester; his sister-in-law, Shirley Hartley of Rochester; and his close friend, Duffy Clapp of Rochester.
He was predeceased by his sister, Hazel Mercier and her husband Joseph, and his brothers-in-law Greenwood “Sonny” Hartley and Robert Hartley and his wife Rose.
His Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday August 6, 2014 at 10:30 AM at the First Congregational Church of Rochester. Burial with military honors will follow in Center Cemetery. Visiting hours are omitted. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts for the George Earl and Katherine Hartley Church Scholarship Fund, 63 Union St., New Bedford, MA 02740 or the Rochester Land Trust, P.O. Box 337, Rochester, MA 02770. Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
This year is the 130th Summer Season at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church. Clergy from nearby and around the country visit the “church by the Town Beach” in Mattapoisett from June 29 to August 31. All are welcome.
On Sunday, August 3,the visiting clergy is The Rev. Robert Malm, Rector of Grace Church, Alexandria, VA.
Services, using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, are at 8:00 am and 10:00 am.
Musical Matinees
This August, beat the mid-day heat with Sippican Historical Society’s Musical Matinees. On Wednesday, August 6, the series opens with the 1944 film, Meet Me in St. Louis, directed by Vincente Minnelli. The film, set in 1903 St. Louis, follows the four beautiful, well-off Smith family daughters as they learn lessons of life and love, while reluctantly preparing for a move to New York. Starring Judy Garland, Lucille Bremer, Joan Carroll and Margaret O’Brien as the Smith girls, the film features many memorable songs, including The Boy Next Door, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and The Trolley Song, and is a nostalgic favorite.
Musical Matinees (which will also include Singin’ in the Rain on Thursday, August 14; On the Town on Tuesday, August 19; and An American in Paris on Thursday, August 28) will be held in the Front Room of the Marion Music Hall, and will begin at 11:00 am. The films are offered free to the public, with no registration required. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lunch and beverage to enjoy during the film.
Marion Cares in the Form of Care Packages
When Natalya Ravera and Caroline Milam send off care packages to soldiers in Afghanistan, they are sending more than just toothbrushes, lip balm, and dental floss – they are sending their love along with the generosity shown by some of their neighbors in Marion.
For weeks now, Natalya and Caroline, both ten years old, have been collecting items and money for care packages to send to the Army National Guard soldiers of the 379th Engineer Company stationed in Afghanistan – and one of these soldiers is Natalya’s own step-father, Derek Johnson, who has been away on duty in Afghanistan since April of this year.
On July 25, the two best friends stood by Natalya’s kitchen table in her Dexter Beach home as Caroline counted the money they raised going door-to-door in Natalya’s neighborhood. They counted exactly $153, the amount they raised just by visiting a few neighbors who dug deep into their pockets and gave more than just dollar bills – they gave twenties. One neighbor even went out shopping and brought the girls back a bunch of supplies to get the girls started on their first round of care packages.
“They went around and gave out flyers they made up for a care package fundraiser,” said Natalya’s mother, Jennifer Gendron. She said she and the girls have been overwhelmed by the generosity the neighbors have shown toward the cause, donating the total of $153 and the bunch of supplies. “They probably didn’t even go to half the houses they planned to go to,” said Gendron.
Gendon said the girls love taking the money and going shopping to pick out the supplies for the care packages, for which they made a list of items most requested by the soldiers stationed abroad.
The girls first got the idea for the care packages after attending a “care package party” organized by what Gendron called a “family readiness group” made up of area military spouses, partners, and mothers. She said Natalya enjoyed making the care packages so much that she wanted to continue making them on her own.
“I’m happy,” said Natalya, adding that she only expected to raise half of what they have so far. “I feel like we are helping people, so it’s just good to help out.”
Natalya and Caroline are no strangers to helping others out. The two girls enjoyed raising money for an Alzheimer’s disease walk and sold fundraising bracelets and handmade friendship bracelets.
“And so we thought, you know, we should do that again,” said Caroline.
Gendron said it has been difficult for the family these past months since husband and step-dad Johnson left for Afghanistan, especially with Gendron and Johnson’s infant son, Chevron, being just six months old at the time. But she said she is proud of Natalya and her friend Caroline, whose step-dad is also in the military.
“I’m happy that she’s doing it,” said Gendron. “And I think it’s nice that the two of them actually go around talking to the neighbors and getting over their shyness.”
Gendron said it makes the soldiers feel good to receive the care packages and they like when they receive anything in the mail.
If you would like to make a donation of money or supplies to help Natalya and Caroline in their care package fundraiser, you can email Jennifer Gendron at jlgendron81@aol.com.
“We say that a little goes a long way,” said Gendron, “So if you give us even just a dollar, it could still buy a toothbrush.”
But no more toothbrushes, please, since they have already collected a whole bunch of new toothbrushes. The girls have a list of about 40 specific items they would like to collect, including beef jerky, white ankle socks, trail mix, mouthwash, and even iTunes gift cards. Contact Gendron for more information on how you can help the soldiers of the 379th Engineer Company deployed out of Bourne, Massachusetts.
By Jean Perry
Chairman Shrugs off Wetlands Violation
What is done is done. At least from where the Marion Conservation Commission sits, even though Richard Costa of 237 River Road will still have to file with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for the raised platform he constructed right on the bank of the Sippican River.
The wetlands resource area where the raised deck visually abuts the wetlands line, as seen in some photographs showing where Costa built the illegal deck, is an area protected under the Wetlands Protection Act. When any work within 100 feet of a wetland is required, a Notice of Intent or Request for Determination Application must be filed in advance; however, Costa failed to apply for the NOI before building the deck.
On July 23, Costa sat down with the ConCom at the conference room meeting table to discuss his after-the-fact filing of a NOI for the deck.
Chairman Norman Hills said some members of ConCom visited the site on Saturday, July 19. Hills passed around several color photos that “show how close to the river [the deck] is.”
The 12-foot by 8-foot wooden deck is built on four posts and encroaches the embankment of the muddy estuary floor with towering phragmites alongside.
When Hills asked Costa if he had filed with Mass DEP, he replied no. Hills said that without a number issued by the DEP, the commission could not issue the permit for the deck to Costa.
“It’s close,” said Hills shrugging his shoulders. “That’s the bottom line.” None of the commission members had any comments or questions for Costa at that time.
In his defense, Costa said that before he built the deck, he did go to the Town House to inquire about building his riverside deck. Costa specifically named someone at Town House who told him “as long as you’re above the high water mark.”
Commission member Joel Hartley commented that the destruction of any saltmarsh is a pretty serious offense, but Hills said the estuary edge where Costa built the deck was not a saltmarsh.
“I don’t think we need to do anything about changing the situation,” said Hills, after commenting a second time that he thought the deck was “You know, it’s close.”
Discussion about removing some of the phragmites near Costa’s deck ensued, with Hartley commenting that phragmites tend to “mess up your view,” reminding Costa that he needs to file an application before doing any vegetation removal at the site.
The commission asked Costa to grant them permission to continue the hearing until August 27 to wait for the DEP to issue a file number, and it was continued.
During a follow-up interview, Hills stated, “It’s not something that we’d be 100-percent happy with, but we’ll deal with it.”
When asked if the commission would have granted the permit for Costa to build his deck within the protected resource area, Hills stated, “Hard to say … Probably not.” He continued, saying the deck was probably “not within the actual wetland,” but within the buffer zone.
Also during the meeting, the commission continued the hearing for Thomas Stemberg of 114 Point Road. Stemberg addressed the commission during the July 9 meeting and the hearing was continued until July 23. Hills said he had not received any formal request to continue the hearing another time, but with no one present to represent Stemberg, the commission approved another continuance. Stemberg filed a NOI to demolish the existing structures on the lot and construct a single-family dwelling, a pool, a pool house, a tennis court, a driveway, and walkways.
The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is August 13 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
By Jean Perry
Good Old Country Auction
Come on down to the Rochester Country Fair and enjoy a Good Old Country Auction sponsored by Camara’s Auction! You name and can sell it!
The Auction will take place at the Rochester Country Fair on Thursday, August 14 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm under the big tent provided by Chase Canopy Company. Fair admission on Thursday evening is $4. Admission for children ages 5 and under is free.
The Fair Committee is currently looking for donated items to be auctioned at the Fair. We hope to have approximately 100 items to auction off, so your help in reaching this goal is greatly appreciated! All purchases are cash sales only.
Large ticket items for sale that are not donated will be subject to a 25% commission charge. These items may be dropped off under the Big Tent at the Fairgrounds between the hours of 12:00 – 3:00 pm on Thursday and must be removed from the fairgrounds that evening if not sold.
Additional Fair information can be obtained on our website, www.rochesterma.com.
You may also contact the fair via email RochesterCountryFair@comcast.net.
Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path
Explore Mattapoisett and the Tri-Town area by bike! Take a self-guided tour using the new Bike Friendly Mattapoisett map which details the best riding roads in Tri-Town in addition to parts of Fairhaven, Acushnet and Wareham. It shows public restrooms and bike-friendly eateries. It’s now available at Town Wharf General Store, No Kidding, Pen and Pendulum, or On the Go for a $5 donation to the Friends of the Bike Path.
If you prefer group riding, on Thursday evening, August 7, there will be a ride sponsored by the Coalition for Buzzards Bay and South Coast Bikeway Alliance. Ride starts at 6:00 pm at Plumb Corner in Rochester. Helmets required. There are 12- and 25-mile routes along a section of the Coalition’s October Watershed ride. This ride is part of a series called “Bike The Bay,” which explores the great bike riding in the Buzzards Bay watershed. Go to www.savebuzzardsbay.org or www.southcoastbikeway.com for more group riding.
Solar Project Advances with Uncertainty
Energy Management Committee members were a bit disappointed to hear that the planned Marion solar garden project, slated for the old landfill on Benson Brook Road, could wind up at the end of the line behind larger Mattapoisett projects already “in the queue” with NSTAR.
Committee member Jennifer Francis said on July 28 that, during a July 22 teleconference between representatives from the Town of Marion, NSTAR, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, and the Department of Public Utilities, she learned that Mattapoisett already submitted several larger applications and, when Marion eventually submits its full application for its approximately 500 kilowatt solar project, “We’d go to the bottom of the queue,” said Francis.
“If the projects do go through in Mattapoisett, they’re going to basically max out the infrastructure that is already there,” said Francis. Francis referred to the infrastructure that allows electricity generated by the solar arrays to be fed into the grid, such as the substation bus (electrical substation).
The original purpose for the teleconference, said Francis, was to request more information from NSTAR that the utility company had not yet provided, mainly the cost of connecting the solar project to the grid. Francis said not having this information was affecting the bidding process, and Francis said one potential bid actually pulled out for lack of this knowledge.
“It was not very good news,” said Francis. “To get the details, we have to submit an ‘entire’ application.” Marion has only submitted a pre-application at this point in the process.
The deadline for bid requests is August 4 at 3:00 pm. Francis said after that, if Marion submitted a full application, they would not get the information they wanted about connection costs until at least the end of this year.
Francis commented that the Mattapoisett solar projects will probably go through, but that does not necessarily mean that Marion’s project is in jeopardy. Who knows, asked Francis. Perhaps because Marion’s project is so much smaller than the others, maybe it could somehow just “slide right through,” as Francis put it.
“There’s just a lot of uncertainty,” said Francis. “But maybe it will end up being a good thing.”
The committee agreed that it would continue to do as much as it can to keep the project moving forward until its next meeting on August 25 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall.
By Jean Perry
