Goodbye, Good Friday as a day off. Starting with the 2014-2015 school year, the joint School Committees voted March 27 to do away with giving students as a day off the Friday before Easter. The committees also voted to make the Wednesday before Thanksgiving a full day-off, rather than a half-day, to counterbalance the added Good Friday school day.

“That’s a religious holiday and we shouldn’t be giving off religious holidays in the public school setting,” said Rochester School Committee Chairman Michelle Cusolito.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elise Frangos cautioned the committees, wondering if anyone took the time to look at the proposal “through the eyes of legal counsel” before taking away the day-off. She added that tests and assessments should not be given on religious holidays observed by some students, because any missed tests given on those days cannot count against the students.

Many of those in favor of the change considered Dr. Frango’s advice as an “unwritten rule,” and pushed ahead with the proposal.

Marion School Committee Member Christine Winters, who voted against the motion, said that she makes decisions on policy, not on unwritten rules. She questioned how that day would be a good instructional day if students and teachers would take the day off to observe the religious holiday.

“This never came up,” said ORR Principal Michael Devoll regarding his discussions with staff about converting Good Friday into a regular school day. “I think we’ll have good staff attendance,” said Devoll, adding, “But I don’t have the data to back that up.”

“We don’t give other holidays off for other religions,” stated Rochester School Committee Member Tim Scholz.

Cusolito said this was her concern as well, coming from an ethical standpoint.

“We’re long past the day when we should be giving religious holidays off,” said Rochester School Committee Member Robin Rounseville.

Also adjusted in the school calendar, ORR will add two half days to their calendar year, after Devoll expressed concern over losing “extremely valuable” half-days.

Superintendent Doug White had been making adjustments to the school calendar in order to address committee members’ concerns over half-days being unproductive instructional days and a waste of time. Initially, the idea was: The less interruptions in the school week, the better the learning.

White had adjusted the calendar to move one professional development early release day from January to August, and he eliminated the September and March half-days to create more uninterrupted weeks with uninterrupted learning.

However, Devoll said the half-days provided the staff with valuable time for staff development, and asked White and the committees to consider reinstating the half days.

White suggested “piggy-backing” on the April half days already set for the Mattapoisett and Rochester schools for parent/teacher conferences, which the committees adopted.

The committees also adopted two full weeks off for winter vacation.

In other news, Frangos and other coordinators of the project introduced the finalized Strategic Plan for the ORR School District, which encompasses four main goals with sub-goals and action plans for executing the goals.

Frangos called the plan “concrete and practical,” and many repeatedly referred to the plan as “rigorous.” She added that the district’s mission is to “help all of the students learn, achieve, and to care.”

Goal One, titled “Meeting the Needs of All Students,” is a three-pronged goal, as Frangos described it. It consists of a curriculum goal, including adopting the “Responsive Classroom” model; a personalization goal establishing an advisory program to address social and emotional development; and a community goal establishing public outreach on the Social Emotional Learning curriculum.

Goal One reads, “By June 2018 we will have embraced a broad and challenging curriculum that fosters the social, emotional, and academic growth of all students.”

Devoll, presenting the first goal, said it considers “whole child needs” and provides greater personalization for each student by establishing personal relationships between teachers and students.

Goal Two, presented by Rochester Memorial Principal Derek Medeiros, addresses relationships, pledging “positive, productive, and collegial relationships … across the Tri-Town Districts,” and addresses capital improvement, communication and transparency, and regional outreach.

Goal Three, presented by Director of Technology Ryan McGee, is the technology goal to bring ORR students a 21^st century education, including 1:1 tablets for each student.

Goal Four tackles the organizational structure and “targets areas for implementing efficiencies,” as presenter Charles West, assistant principal of Rochester Memorial, put it.

“We’ll have power and traction through building relationships,” said Frangos.

Rochester School Committee Member Sharon Hartley said, “We want it to be a living document.” She said past plans like this one fell by the wayside and just never evolved. Cusolito suggested an annual report about the progress of each goal.

The next joint meeting of the school committees will be May 8 at 6:30 pm at the ORR Superintendent’s Conference Room.

By Jean Perry

After months of speculation, a public hearing was held on Tuesday evening at the Marion Board of Selectmen’s meeting on the ‘alteration of premises’ of the local Wave Restaurant.

The popular Marion watering hole has been closed for several months and is adjacent to both the new 40B project and the proposed Marion bike path.

Owner Todd Zell spoke to the board and said that the restaurant, located at 210 Spring Street, will have ‘pretty serious renovations’ including a relocation of the main bar.

According to Zell, the wall between the existing bar and the dining room bar and restaurant will be taken down and the two areas will constitute a new bar area, reducing the old combined ‘at bar’ seating from 44 seats to 21 seats. The proposed plan, to be finished and given to the BOS, will show reconfigured seating arrangements.

In addition to the renovations, a name change was proposed, dubbing the new establishment ‘Brewfish’. Zell presented the BOS with a picture of the new logo and name for the restaurant. After a ‘soft opening’ for the owners and contractor’s family and friends in late May, the restaurant plans to tentatively re-open on Thursday, May 29.

Next up was a presentation by Jeff Oakes, Ken Litke and Robert Coykendall on an Update on Project Need Form for the Marion Bike Path Committee. The bike committee requested the board sign a state-required application called an Update on Project Need Form to give the committee the ability to apply for state and federal grants to fund the study, engineering and building of a bike path linking Mattapoisett and Wareham, via Marion.

“We need to get in line for funding,” said Oakes. “This will get the ball rolling for Marion and have us asking for money that is available at the state and federal level for funding our bike path in Marion,” said Oakes. Ken Litke spoke and asked for special funding from the town for $800 for two bike racks to be positioned at Elizabeth Tabor Library and Washburn Park, which will be a starting or ending point of the Marion Bike Pathway.

A discussion regarding the Marion Affordable Housing Trust followed regarding the Habitat for Humanity project Regulatory Agreement. Recent wording from the Department of Housing and Community Development conflicted with the Habitat for Humanity and the Town of Marion’s version of what constitutes ‘affordability’ when an owner of an affordable unit decides to sell the unit. According to DHCD’s wording, if the affordable owner cannot find an affordable buyer in 90 days, he or she can sell the unit at market rate.

This new rule dominated the discussion at the meeting, and Town Counsel Jon Whitten, guest Janis Robbins, and the BOS came to the conclusion that they needed to discuss the matter in more detail due to the serious repercussions. Jack Beck, the local representative for Habitat for Humanity weighed in and said, “let’s build the house, spring is here, let’s get it done.” Whitten offered three ways to deal with the conflicting requirements regarding affordable housing being sold within 90 days, now in the DHCD.

“I’m advising you [BOS] to vote against this because this is not what town voters voted for at town meeting and the DHCD’s language goes against what we …” said Whitten.

Under Action Items, the board voted on two water commitments totaling $3,777.68.

The board then agreed to a request to close Front Street on Tuesday, May 27 from 10:30 am until 12:30 pm for Tabor Academy Commencement.

Volunteers at Sippican Elementary (V.A.S.E.) requested and were approved for the second annual 5K fundraiser scheduled for May 4.

Susan Connor was nominated and approved as the Inspector of Animals for fiscal year July 2014 to June 30, 2015.

A one day all-alcohol license was approved for VFW Post 2425 for a Ham and Bean Supper and Penny Sale from 6:00 to 10:00 pm on April 4.

Also approved was a one-day wine and malt license to the Tri-County Music Association for their Pops Fundraiser Concert at Tabor Academy to be held on June 8 at 5:00 pm.

Two water abatement requests were discussed, one at 28 Pawkechatt Way for Kevin Olivera who had an outside faucet leak amounting to $1190.64. The board agreed that the water did not enter the sewer system and abated the sewer portion of the resident’s bill.

A request for abatement for sewer at 355 Delano Road showed an unoccupied home with a water leak which flooded the basement, but the water did not go into the sewer system in the town. The BOS agreed to abate the bill, which showed that 7,210 gallons of water leaked onto the property.

A discussion of the items to be included in the Annual Town Warrant was presented by Finance Chairman Alan Minard who detailed the items. Minard and the board went through each of the warrant articles and asked and answered questions regarding the articles. After the question and answer session, the board voted to close the warrant, as is.

A proclamation for Equal Pay Day was discussed briefly and approved.

An application for a Class I license, proposed by A & J Boats was approved. “This is a state approval needed for this business,” said Town Administrator Paul Dawson, “nothing has changed with this business, this is just a state licensing update.”

The next Tri-Town Selectmen’s meeting will occur on Thursday, April 10.

The board ended the meeting to go into Executive Session for strategy related to ongoing litigation.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

Shawmut Associates was back before the Rochester Conservation Committee on April 1 with a request to amend the Order of Conditions, which the commission unanimously approved after Project Manager Peter Flood of Green Seal Environmental explained the latest changes to the plan.

Changes to the 50 Cranberry Highway trash and recycling facility plan involve enclosing the originally proposed loading dock, adding a 60- to 70-foot long guard rail to be installed along the northwest side of the property, and relocating a diesel tank from the southeast side of the property to the eastern side of the building.

“Things are going well with the existing project,” said Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon, referring to the work that has already begun on the site. She said these new changes to the plan have resulted in an over-all better design.

Also during the meeting, Farinon told the commission that she issued a violation to Britney Ashley and Christopher Faustino, owners of 510 New Bedford Road for unpermitted clearing of trees within the 100-foot buffer zone – and right up to the very edge of the wetlands.

After receiving a call from a concerned resident, Farinon went to the property and issued the violation. According to the terms of the violation, Ashley and Faustino have until April 18 to file with the Conservation Commission.

The commission was handed photos taken of the logging and clearing at the site, prompting a “holy smokes” and a gasp from ConCom Member Kevin Cassidy.

“That’s a lot of clearing,” said Cassidy looking at the photos.

Cassidy asked Farinon who physically did the logging on the property, and Farinon told him it was Faustino’s father, Christopher Faustino Sr., owner of Faustino & Sons Logging of Rochester. Faustino Sr. was once a Rochester Conservation Commission member.

The extent of clearing Ashley and Faustino carried out requires a Forest Cutting Plan, which they did not have.

In a post-meeting interview, when asked if ConCom would have approved this scope of clearing before the work was completed, Farinon and ConCom Chairman Rosemary Smith both stated no.

In other news, Farinon told the commission that several cranberry bog owners are considering allowing solar farm projects on their bogs, but she would not disclose which ones.

“And they’re being approached by companies to do that,” said Farinon. She added that since cranberry bogs qualify as resource areas under the Wetlands Protection Act, any plans would come before the commission for approval.

In other matters, Michael Clements from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division presented a plan for herbicide application to areas along Interstate 495 within the town border. He said the project is 94-percent mowing, one-percent herbicide application, and five-percent “other.”

It is standard procedure for the Mass DOT to renew its vegetation maintenance plan with the Town, and this plan will expire in five years.

“This plan will have no impact on wetlands resources,” said Clements. He said the herbicides and application methods have been researched and tested by the Department of Environmental Protection, and most of the herbicides, like Roundup®, can be purchased at most garden centers.

Mass DOT will notify the Town 10 days before spraying and applying the chemicals in June. The sprayer is a low pressure, low volume nozzle, and the chemicals can only be applied in dry weather, with wind below 20 miles per hour. The vote to approve was unanimous.

The commission also discussed an email complaint from a resident on March 30, the Sunday of the big rain storm, complaining of significant standing water, which the resident attributed to the nearby Connet Woods subdivision.

Farinon said she went to the site on March 31 and the water had fully dissipated. She stated that members from the Planning Board also checked out the site that Monday, and they found it to be a “non-issue.”

Farinon spoke of the Sunday storm commenting, “There was water every place.” She added that there appears to be a “neighborly dispute” now.

Also discussed, Farinon said a kiosk at Leonard’s Pond is being constructed by students at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School.

A display case is also in the works for Doggett’s Brook to be located on the side of the restroom facility. Farinon brought several sample maps for the commission to look over.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 15 at 7:00 pm at Town Hall.

By Jean Perry