To the Editor:

At the November 25 Town Meeting, it is likely that a small number of voters, perhaps fewer than 100, will decide whether or not the Community Preservation Act should be placed on the Spring ballot. Voting yes on the CPA articles doesn’t make them law. That happens at the ballot, where all voters get to decide if Rochester wins or loses from adopting CPA.

Town meeting is a great New England tradition, but any evening meeting is difficult for families with young children who would have to hire a baby sitter, the elderly who choose not to drive at night, for folks from the workforce who travel or have exhausting work days.

If CPA opponents who are putting yard signs out believed in letting the people decide, they would vote in favor of putting the question on the ballot, rather than trying to shoot it down at Town Meeting. For those of us in favor of CPA, it is hard not to look at their yard signs and see a very narrow message: No New Taxes.

No New Taxes may be a nationwide battle cry and may be the right one for many situations, but not always. Most homeowners agree that putting money aside for major projects is a smart way to budget. Christmas Clubs and change jars are a fixture in most homes. That is what CPA wants Rochester to do. Put a sum of money, based on Real Estate taxes, into a dedicated Rochester Fund that will be administered by Rochester residents to spend in Rochester. The fact that it will be matched at 52% this year by a state trust fund makes it a no-brainer. How can we pass up a savings account that earns 52%?

I suggest that Rochester voters watch on ORCTV.org VIMEO channel the CPA Forum that was held at the Senior Center on November 13. Stuart Saginor from the Community Preservation Organization explained the program from a state and local level. Speakers from Acushnet and Carver explained how CPA has benefited their towns.

Please join me at Town Meeting on November 25, 7:00 pm at RMS and vote to allow the CPA to be placed on the spring ballot, where all Rochester residents can decide if it is right for our town.

Laurene Gerrior

Rochester

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

To the Editor:

My husband and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the many people who offered support during my recent hospitalization.

First of all, a giant thanks to the Mattapoisett Library children’s librarian, Linda Burke, and library director, Susan Pizzolato, for calling 911 on October 31. I also want to thank police officers Matthew McGraw and Mitchell Suzan, paramedic Kevin Porter, and Mattapoisett police chief, Mary Lyons, for their prompt response and care in getting me to Tobey Hospital.

Thank you to my colleagues at the Mattapoisett Library and the Zeiterion Theatre, my bridge playing partners at the COA, my friends and neighbors from the Village at Mattapoisett condos and elsewhere, and to my dear family. Your support and caring in the form of meals, transportation, visits, phone calls, flowers, cards, and emails (both in the hospital and on my return home) have meant so much to me. I feel extremely lucky to be here as a part of such a caring community. There is no way I could ever repay each of you except by saying thank you and doing my best to pay it forward!

Gratefully,

Jeanette Webb

Mattapoisett

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

To the Editor:

On Monday, November 25, those of us in Rochester will have a chance to approve – or knock down – a motion to put the Community Preservation Act (CPA) on the town ballot for the spring.

The CPA uses a combination of a local property tax surcharge and a statewide funding pool to pay for certain projects that can enrich a community’s quality of life, but often never make it to the top of the list in any given budget cycle. These include preserving historical assets and green spaces, enhancing recreational opportunities, and creating innovative forms of moderate-income housing.

Resistance to additional taxes is easy to understand. But because of the way CPA funding works, opposing this particular tax would be “penny wise and pound foolish,” as the saying goes.

First, unlike other local taxes, the surcharge triggers a sizable chunk of money coming to the town from the statewide fund. This year, a town that raised $100,000 through the local surcharge will get another $52,000 in matching funds. That’s a total kitty of $152,000. Where else does that happen? The CPA fund can also be used as matching money to get substantial grants from private and public sources.

The spending side also works very differently. You may have an idea on how to spend the state sales tax, excise tax, or income tax, but who are you going to tell? Who’s going to listen? Other than electing people who share your general outlook, you have no input. You don’t get to develop ideas or submit proposals and you don’t get to vote on individual projects. With CPA, you can do both of these.

Another difference between CPA funds and other state or municipal funds: CPA money is not subject to the “use it or lose it” limitations of fiscal year budgeting. CPA money can be left to grow from one year to another. That makes it possible to save and plan for larger projects.

On your way to town meeting at Memorial School, you may pass signs advocating “no new taxes.” I hope we’ll all weigh that point of view against the benefits this small surcharge could bring Rochester: recreational opportunities such as riding trails, bike trails, parks and playgrounds; farm land and other open spaces protected from development; historic buildings, landscapes, papers, and objects preserved for future generations; affordable housing options for seniors, veterans, and moderate-income residents.

Let’s not miss out on an opportunity to get a lot for a little!

Mary McCann Fiske

Rochester 

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

To the Editor:

On Saturday, November 16, the Marion Pack 32 Cub Scouts held their Soap Box Derby! This event was not only lots of fun as the boys raced go carts down Holmes Street, but in addition to the race, combined three charitable events.

Through a Bake Sale of home baked goods by the parents of the Cubs, sandwiches and Hot Dogs donated and served by Kool Kone of Wareham, and coffee and doughnuts donated by Marion Dunkin’ Donuts, the Cubs raised over $450 dollars to donate to the Dana Farber Institute for the purpose of cancer research.

In addition to the Bake Sale, the Cubs, in coordination with the Marion Police Brotherhood, helped collect and donate 150 shopping bags to the Grace Episcopal Church Food Pantry of New Bedford. The Cubs would like to thank Shaws of Wareham for donating the shopping bags for this charitable event.

Lastly, the Marion Pack 32 collected gently used toys for “Gifts to Give,” a charitable organization that provides Christmas presents to children in need.

The Marion Pack 32 Cub Scouts would like to send out a huge thank you to all those businesses and people who helped make this event possible. In addition to those businesses already mentioned, a big thanks to Sunnynook Farms of 32 Neck Road in Rochester for donating the use of hay bales, the residents of Holmes Street, the Town of Marion Board of Selectmen, the Marion Police Department, the Marion Department of Public Works, and all the moms and dads who pitched in to help organize and run the event.

Leo Grondin

Cubmaster

Pack 32, Marion