Articles Pass with No Surprises

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With no amendments to the budget, the new flood plain bylaw, or the fiscal year 2015 budget, the May 19 Town Meeting was over in less than two hours after a half hour Special Town Meeting to pass two articles.

Article One to cover the unanticipated costs of fiscal year 2014 passed without much discussion, but Article Two to accept a Section 26G of Chapter 111 of the Mass General Laws stalled for a while for discussion over how having a Board of Health member who works in septic installation could affect the Town.

The law would allow a board member who installs septic systems in the Town of Rochester to sit on the board with no seeming conflict of interest, granted that an independent party inspects the work.

Voters recently elected William David Souza, a septic system installer, giving rise for the first time the need to adopt Section 26G of Chapter 11, a move former board member Sandra Keese condemned on the Town Meeting floor. Souza won against Keese, who served on the board for about 20 years, beating her by 15 votes.

“Be very careful of what we decide tonight,” Keese cautioned voters, calling the article a “dangerous slope,” and a dubious precedence for future members serving on other boards.

Keese said Souza could have a “possible unfair advantage” over his competition by sitting on the board and inspecting their work.

A resident named John Taylor said there could be conflict of interest issues saying, “It’s a slippery slope as far as keeping other vendors out.” He continued, “Perception is reality…you get dragged down a hole once you start.”

Selectman Naida Parker addressed the issue saying, “The voters elected this person to the board,” pointing out that Souza is not a town employee, rather he was chosen by the people to serve. She said this article is the State’s solution to the problem.

Board of Health Chairman Dale Barrows said other Towns, including Wareham, Mattapoisett, and Fairhaven have offered to perform the inspections at no cost to the Town of Rochester.

Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson spoke out in favor of the article, saying, “I think it’s very crazy to have someone who ran and was voted by the people…to give up a piece of his livelihood [in order to serve on the board].”

He said it might not be “healthy for the Town, but it’s out of necessity.”

The article passed by Town Moderator Greenwood Hartley’s rough estimate of 50-20.

Moving on to the Annual, Article One to accept the annual report passed quickly, but Article Two discussion bounced back and forth between Board of Assessors Chairman John Mello and Finance Committee Chairman Kristian Stoltenberg.

The Board of Assessors salary was reduced from the FY14 amounts to $10,000 each in the budget, but the FinCom only recommended $7,000 per board member.

Mello argued in favor of amending the article to keep the requested $10,000 because this year was a recertification year and the board members would be performing more duties than any regular year, which elicited no sympathy from Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg said the increase in the assessor’s budget to increase the assistant assessor from part time to full time would result in less work for the Board of Assessors, and the funding had to come from somewhere.

“I don’t think we’re being unreasonable,” said Mello. “After fiscal year 15 things will change.”

The motion to amend the article failed, and the article passed.

The only other article with significant discussion was the operations budget Article Five, specifically the part about solid waste disposal.

The solid waste line item jumped from $178,129 in FY14 to the FY15 amount of $228,861 due to the Town’s switch from internal trash and recycling pick-up to the ABC Disposal automated trash and recycling program beginning January 1, 2015.

Although the line item increased, as Town Administrator Richard LaCamera pointed out, the recycling line item was reduced from the Highway Department budget.

The budget article passed by a significant majority vote.

There was absolutely no discussion regarding Article Nine to amend the Flood Plain District Bylaw that was so controversial during Planning Board discussions.

Johnson simply announced that the vote to recommend the article was unanimous, and so was the Town Meeting vote in favor of the article.

The other articles that all passed are as follows:

Article 3 to accept the amended Classification and Compensation Plan;

Article 4 to authorize seven revolving funds accounts for the library, recycling program, hazardous waste recovery, Rochester Country Fair Committee, Cultural Council, Council on Aging, and Board of Health, totaling $111,000;

Article 6 to appropriate $300 for planting of shellfish in Marion;

Article 7 to appropriate the $305,695 of Chapter 90 funding to repair roads and bridges;

Article 8 to adopt a $100 fine for failure to license a dog kennel;

Article 10 to change the Annual Town Meeting quorum from 75 to 100 to reflect the increasing population, and 50 members for a Special Town Meeting.

This was LaCamera’s last Town Meeting as the town administrator, and Town Meeting members gave him a round of applause for his seven and a half years of service.

By Jean Perry

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Academic Achievements

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Kiernan Dunlop, a resident of Marion, was recently inducted into Providence College’s chapter of Phi Sigma Iota and Sigma Delta Pi, the national honor society for International Foreign Language and Spanish. Dunlop, a member of the class of 2014, is pursuing a degree in Spanish/English.

Thirty-nine Ouachita Baptist University students have been selected for inclusion in the 2014 edition of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

The students were chosen for Who’s Who by OBU’s faculty, staff and 2014 senior class based on their academic achievement, service to the community, leadership in extracurricular activities, and potential for continued success.

Kelsey Frink of Marion, 22, is an early childhood education major from Marion, Mass. A graduate of Old Rochester Regional Senior High School, Frink was named Ouachita’s 2013 Homecoming Queen, has placed first in the International Photography Contest and has been named to Ouachita’s President’s and Dean’s Lists. She has been involved in International Club, Concert Choir, Women’s Chorus, Off the Broadway drama team and intramurals at Ouachita, as well as K-Group Bible study through Fellowship Church of Arkadelphia. She also has been a member of OBU’s women’s soccer team, earning the NSCCAA Women’s Team Academic Award. She has served as a Noonday leader, Women’s Discipleship leader, music director of Campus Ministries Tiger Tunes and Freshman Family Group leader and on the women’s panel for OBU’s Healthy Relationships Week. She has volunteered through Give Me a Chance Equine Rescue, Tiger Serve Day, Backyard Bible Club, Vacation Bible School and the Big Brothers-Big Sisters program. Frink has worked as a lab assistant at Wetherington Center, waitress at Bittersweet Farm, interim children’s minister at Park Hill Baptist Church of Arkadelphia and children’s intern at Church of the Pines. Upon graduation in May, Frink hopes to pursue a career in early childhood education or missions.

YMCA Sippican Learning Center

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YMCA Sippican Learning Center is one of the first programs to receive a Level 3 (out of 4) by the Department of Early Education and Care for their high-quality program. The ECR and ITR scales were used to evaluate Space and Furnishings, Personal Care Routines, Language and Reasoning, Activities, Teacher Interactions with Children and Parents, and Program Structure. The education levels of teachers and documentations were also reviewed to meet the qualifications of this high level.

The YMCA Sippican Learning Center also received their NAEYC Accreditation this year.

Rochester Historical Society

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The Rochester Historical Society will hold its May meeting on Wednesday, May 21 at 7:00 pm at the East Rochester Church/Museum, 355 County Road. Mack Phinney will present a program on the British attack on Wareham during the War of 1812. Mack will also discuss the Wareham events planned to mark the 100th anniversary of the attack that actually occurred on June 13, 1814. Refreshments will follow and all are welcome to attend.

The Rochester Historical Society will hold a Yard Sale at the East Rochester Church/Museum, 355 County Rd., Rochester on Saturday, May 17 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Items for the sale may be dropped off at the Museum on Friday, May 16 from 10:00 am to noon or call 508-763-2122 or 508-763-2724 to make other arrangements. No electronics please.

Mattapoisett Road Race: How Do They Do It?

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How does a small seaside village successfully run a five-mile race with 1,000 runners on the morning of the 4th of July? One word: Volunteers. There are over 100 volunteers who play a role in the success of this race.

There are the individuals on the Race Committee – all volunteers – who spend almost the entire year getting ready for the race. Everything about this race involves tremendous behind-the-scenes work. Current Race Director Bill Tilden ran his first race in high school, which led him to become a track coach and athletic director. He became a member of the Race Committee, and when Dan and Holly White decided not to direct the race, Bill quickly volunteered to take on the responsibility. According to Bill, “to be part of the committee that puts on such a tremendous road race makes me very proud.” But people don’t leave the race completely. Dan White still serves on the Committee, as do Bob and Doris Gardner who were there at the very beginning in 1971. The Race Committee gets sponsors, does PR, creates race applications as well as scholarship applications, maintains the website, makes scholarship decisions, ensures there are adequate volunteers on race day, and designs race shirts – the list is endless.

The night before the race, volunteers set up Shipyard Park, man the tents for registration, hand out shirts, runner numbers, and copies of the race route. Race morning comes early for the volunteers who are there to handle registrations and organize the start of the race. Morning duties also include unloading the fruit truck filled with 40 watermelons, six cases of bananas, and three cases of oranges. These volunteers then grab their knives and cut up the watermelon and oranges, which is a job that takes a couple of hours and produces sticky, sore hands. But at the end of the race, runners are so happy to find something to replenish their dwindled energy.

Along the race route, more volunteers are directing traffic, managing the crowd, checking on injuries, and providing encouragement. Ed Walsh has been a volunteer for 30 years for two reasons: “Scholarships” and he sees “many friends and former students.” And, in spite of his long association with the race, Ed has never seen the race begin or end, but he’s not complaining. In addition to the volunteers along the route, numerous residents are cheering the runners on, playing music for them, providing water and a refreshing spray from the hose.

Earlier the question was posed, “How do they do it?” It is done because so many people are willing to donate their time and energy to something they believe is important and to be out at the crack of dawn on July 4. As race committee member Caty Fuerman so succinctly puts it, “Who wouldn’t want to be involved in such a great event?”

ORR District and Riverside Tennis

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For the 12th summer, the Old Rochester Regional School District and Riverside Tennis will again offer student tennis lessons at the Old Rochester Tennis Complex.

The first clinic will be held June 23 – June 27 and the second clinic will be held July 28 – August 1. During the Monday through Friday clinics, there will be two classes: ages 7-11 and 12-18. Groupings within each class will be based on age and abilities. Each class will last for two hours and 15 minutes. Maximum number of students per class is 36 to ensure a six-to-one teaching ratio.

The cost of the clinic is $96. For questions and/or an application, contact Bob Hohne at 508-758-9081 or by email at rhohne@orr.mec.edu. See you on the court!

Rochester Land Trust Walk

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The public is invited to join the Rochester Land Trust on another of its walks from the Explore Rochester booklet, published jointly by RLT and Rochester Conservation Commission. This month’s walk will be at the Wildlands Trust’s Delano Memorial Forest on Sunday, May 18 at 1:00 pm. We will park and enter the property at the entrance on Mary’s Pond Road just north of the intersection of Walnut Plain Road. The walk should take about an hour in both directions and will take place rain or shine. It is open to all ages and would be suitable for young children. Please dress for an easy walk over relatively flat terrain, but remember we are in tick and herring fly territory.

This walk will focus on the birds and flowers of spring. Many birds will still be migrating, and we hope to help give a bird name to some of the songs you have been hearing in your backyards. This particular property features both pinewoods and riverside habitats, so a variety of species should be seen (and heard). Also now, many of the spring ephemerals are in bloom before they disappear for another year. We will also look for Lady Slippers and show where Mayflowers, our state flower, bloom on “Mayflower Ridge” for folks to revisit in February/March of next year.

Please join the RLT for what should be an informative and enjoyable hour in the woods of Rochester.

Marion Recreation Basketball Clinics

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Marion Recreation is offering several Basketball Clinics at Silvershell Beach this summer for both boys and girls. Coach Kyle Erha (Varsity Coach of Sturgis West High School Boys and coach of the Marion Recreation Boys’ Travel Team) will be running drills, competitions and games to get players ready for next season. After an incredibly positive reception in our first year, this summer we will offer two weeks of the clinic at each level. You may choose to attend one or both weeks. While attendance of Week I is not required to attend Week II, Week II will be a continuation of the skills and concepts learned in Week I. All levels of play are both welcome and encouraged. If you would like a chance to improve your game and have a lot of fun playing basketball this summer, join us on the court at Silvershell Beach! Boys entering grades 4-6: Week I runs June 23-27 and Week II runs July 14-18. Both weeks meet 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Boys entering grades 7 & 8: Week I runs July 7-11 and Week II runs July 21-25. Both weeks meet 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Girls entering grades 4-8: Week I runs June 23-27 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm and Week II runs July 28-August 1, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Fee is $89 per player for one week. The second week is $79 per player. Register early to secure your spot!

Marion Recreation will also offer Musical Theatre and Hip Hop classes this summer for boys and girls ages 5-15. The Musical Theatre theme is “Teen Beach Movie.” This class will run Monday-Friday, July 21-25 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. The students will learn what it takes to be part of a musical theatre performance. At the end of the week, they will have a short performance. The Hip Hop Class also takes place Monday-Friday, July 21-25 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Each class is $125 per student. If the child signs up for both classes, there is a $15 discount. Registration deadline is July 14.

For more information, please contact Marion Recreation at 774-217-8355 or info@marionrecreation.com.

Farming – The Other Mattapoisett

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Long before people evolved to the point where ‘leisure time’ was part of living and an expectation after working 9-to-5, Mattapoisett Harbor was a working harbor. There were the ship builders, the fishermen, and the farmers. Wait, farmers? Yes, farmers. Mattapoisett’s little harbor was a vital link in supplying the Elizabeth Island chain with fresh food products, firewood and all manner of necessities. And as George Randall remembers it from the stories his father told, “you had to be there with the wood for the high tide – or else.”

            Mattapoisett has become synonymous with pleasure boating. Before long, our harbor will be packed with expensive boats of all shapes and sizes. But in the beginning, it was a place that facilitated commerce and sustained the lives of folks living off shore. And what they needed weren’t places to tie-up so they could saunter to the Ice Cream Slip (today a delightfully guilty pleasure); what they needed were the goods made available by the local farmers.

            Farmers were and still are an important part of the fabric of life in Mattapoisett. Crossing Route 6 or traveling away from the village center, you enter into the other Mattapoisett – the one where old farm houses abut new Colonial homes, where hay fields drape themselves along a sub-division, and where cows and horses graze in meadows bordered by old stones walls. Farming and Mattapoisett … who knew?

In December, I wrote about how the Agricultural Commission was formed, its area of oversight within the community, and the philosophical basis for an agricultural commission in Massachusetts. An abbreviated excerpt from that article reads: ‘…(an) agricultural commission is a standing committee of town government, created through a vote of Town Meeting and appointed by the Board of Selectmen…representing the farming community… played key roles in mediating farmer/neighbor disputes, or simply providing referrals for farmers needing better information. Serves as a local voice advocating for farmers, farm businesses and farm interests, provides visibility for farming… The intent of an AgCom is simple: protect agricultural lands, preserve rural character, provide a voice for farmers, and encourage agricultural based businesses…’

During a recent meeting of the Agriculture Commission, I learned more about the work our local committee is doing to uphold the philosophies established by the state. Mattapoisett’s commission is peopled by residents whose families have very deep roots in native soils and who today strive to hold onto the farming culture once so critical to the town.

Shi Major, the commission clerk, grew up in the western part of the state around horses. She feels very strongly about having residents understand the importance of farm animals and agricultural activities. Major is a certified riding instructor.

Jessica (Travis) Collyer grew up on Howland Farm in Acushnet where she learned everything from cultivating strawberries to milking cows and collecting eggs.

And then there are the Randalls. George, his daughter Cheryl (co-chair) and her son, Pierce, are all members of the commission. She said that her son is presently finishing agricultural school in upstate New York (SUNY Cobleskill), and this summer he’ll be participating in the grain harvest in Nebraska. His expressed desire is to one day return to Mattapoisett, reunite the family properties, and return them to full-on farming.

Cheryl said that summers are very different for farm kids than for others whose families aren’t into farming. “We didn’t go swimming or sailing – we didn’t go anywhere, we put on long sleeve shirts and went into the hay fields.” In spite of those labor intensive memories, everyone on the commission feels passionately about maintaining a farming culture in Mattapoisett.

On the night I sat in, they were meeting with farm-to-market manager Jen Szabo, who is responsible for the seasonal farmers’ market held at ORR. Their discussions centered around the variety of goods that would attract people to the market and the challenges of bringing fresh foods from the producers directly to the consumers, as well as board of health regulations and state guidelines. They also discussed ways to promote the market.

Bob Spooner, co-chair, whose wife is a member of the Nunes family, said that he’ll be speaking with the tax assessor to find out how parcels of land may qualify for ‘farm’ status in town. Both the state and Federal government establish what ‘farm land’ must constitute in order to qualify as a farm, while the town sets the tax rate. Spooner said that with the upcoming tax re-evaluation, the assessor’s office will be rather busy. It is planned to wait a bit longer to work out those details for public consumption. He said that the commission can help farmers with grant submittals and other documentation. There are presently 20 recognized farms in town.

The commission recently completed work on a small brochure that outlines their work, goals, and contact information. From the brochure one will find: ‘AgCom serves as a voice to the farming community, advocates for farmers with other boards regarding agriculture, encourages the pursuit of agriculture and strives to protect and preserve farms in Mattapoisett.’

            The commission meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the town hall.

By Marilou Newell

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Audrey A. Mostrom

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Audrey A. Mostrom, 85, of Mattapoisett died May 16, 2014 after a brief illness.

Born in Brockton, the daughter of the late Dan G. and Ruth H. (Oldrich) Mostrom, she lived in Brockton most of her life summering in Mattapoisett before moving to Mattapoisett in 1993.

She was formerly employed as a registered nurse at Retina Associates in Boston for over 20 years until her retirement.

Miss Mostrom enjoyed bowling, sailing, golf and crafting Nantucket baskets. She received great satisfaction volunteering her time at the Damien Food Pantry in Wareham.

Survivors include by her siblings, Pauline Mostrom of Mattapoisett, Jeannette Bricknell of Middleboro, Lois Dow and her husband Curtis of Lakeville and Mattapoisett and David Mostrom and his wife Lorraine of Wareham; four nieces and nine nephews.

She was the sister of the late Cynthia Koch.

Her Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 24th at 11 AM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Visiting hours Friday, May 23rd from 4-7 PM. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.