It has been talked about before, but the possibility of a breakfast program at Rochester Memorial School could be established sometime after the Thanksgiving holiday break – pending feasibility.

RMS Principal Derek Medeiros said October 2 that he is actively exploring the possibility of bringing a breakfast program to the school. The only elementary school in the Tri-Town region that serves breakfast to students is Old Hammondtown in Mattapoisett.

Medeiros said he is looking to see if logistics will allow the breakfast service before school, considering specific details like bus arrival times and if there was enough time in the morning for kids to eat breakfast. Medeiros said he is also looking into whether the breakfast program could offer a “grab and go” type of meal, and if there is a significant enough need for the program.

“I think that’s huge,” said School Committee member Robin Rounseville. “It’s that one need a day. I hope it works out.”

School Committee member Jennifer Kulak wanted to know if breakfast would be offered to every student at RMS like it is in New Bedford. Business Manager Patrick Spencer replied that the idea is to provide lunch to students who want to participate in the program and purchase breakfast, but breakfast would not be automatically provided to all students.

Students who receive free or reduced lunch would also be able to eat breakfast for free or at a reduced cost.

Medeiros said he would weigh the options and the obstacles and report back to the committee.

Also during the meeting, Assistant Superintendent Elise Frangos reported that the Old Rochester Regional School District is having a difficult time finding a webmaster to manage all of the schools’ websites. She said the online posting received over 200 hits, but no candidates have submitted applications.

White briefly described his recent efforts exploring opportunities to implement some “one-to-one environment” technology classes. White said he has visited other schools with classrooms in which students each have their own device such as an iPad or tablet to use in their lessons, in research, and during “digital citizenship” endeavors.

Other schools in the state are ahead of the ORR district, said White, with classrooms that have already integrated technology into their classrooms. “And we want to have that happen with our students, too,” said White.

In other matters, Medeiros said the school is continuing this year with its partnership with the Buzzards Bay Coalition and its hands-on educational program for fourth graders. The BBC educators will work with students beginning October 8 at the wetlands behind the school, and students will learn about weather and food chains.

The next scheduled meeting of the Rochester School Committee is November 6 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

Mattapoisett Water and Sewer Superintendent Nick Nicholson oversees an infrastructure that is all about clean water and wastewater. That would seem pretty straight forward – right? But toss in the complexities of underground pipes, valves, pumps, aging systems, river flows, aquifers, rainfall, budgets, and oh yes, state government regulations and now you’ve got a job others might find overwhelming. Nicholson’s passion for his profession keeps him fueled and focused on the needs of the town while keeping a weary eye on the State House. And it was a comment he recently made while attending a Finance Committee meeting that precipitated questions that needed asking. His comment was, “…and they want to impose water restrictions across the board…”

What he was referring to, I subsequently learned, is that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) believes the time has come to impose water use restrictions that could have wide-reaching implications.

Nicholson said that a new water management act presently being drawn up by the DEP would mandate and set use levels at 62 gallons per capita (per person per day) and would dial back fresh water pumping levels to those used nearly a decade ago. He said that given the larger customer base that nearly all cities and towns now have due to population growth, those earlier use levels would require water restrictions such as the discontinuation of outdoor watering.

So, why now, I asked? What is driving this at the state level? Nicholson said there has been a ‘state water management act’ in place since the 1980s. Sometime in the 1990s, that act expired. Since then, the DEP has been toiling to put updated rules and regulations in place. Concurrently, the DEP has received increasing pressure from various interest groups who have lobbied that decreased river flow and dropping water table levels need to be taken into consideration. “The new triggers are flows and rivers,” he said.

Explaining further, he said that the data being used to write these proposed new regulations is most likely flawed. Speaking to Mattapoisett specifically, he said that we get our water from the aquifer and not the Mattapoisett River. The water shed area for the aquifer is fed by rivers and streams and is impacted by seasonal changes. Typically, he says the summer months are drier. Adding to the problem of using river flow as a measure for assigning water use rates is the fact that the Mattapoisett River has a clay bottom that does not allow for good absorption into the aquifer.

In spite of his growing concerns that new state legislation would force his office to shut down outdoor watering during the summer season when water levels are typically at their lowest, he is encouraged that Mattapoisett’s residents are currently only using 50 to 52 gallons of water per capita – well below the state mandated rate of use.

From what he and the other Massachusetts Water Works Association members have seen so far, the new legislation would direct cities and towns to implement state conservation plans with no latitude to implement municipal policies that would be based on local conditions. It would be the state rules over the town’s reality, period.

Summer water use is double that of other seasons due to more residents and visitors consuming fresh water resources, gardening, and keeping lawns green, Nicholson stated. He continued, “I’ve never been a fan of automatic sprinkler systems.” He believes that if people haul hoses and sprinklers around a lawn, they tend to be more conservative in their watering of grasses versus automatic irrigation systems that silently spin water meters. Having said that, however, he was happy to report that, “Mattapoisett is not a big water user. Our residents are pretty well educated (on conservation issues) and they want to do the right thing.” Regardless, using less water will not and does not equate to lower water rates. “We still need money to handle debt services,” Nicholson stated.

Contributing to Mattapoisett’s conservative use of water, he believes that more homes are equipped with devices that lower volume flow such as toilets, shower heads, and new water meters that help to detect leaks leading to lost water. The total amount of water used on the average per day by the town is 200,000 gallons. The water and sewer department uses a rate of 12,000 cubic feet (one cubic foot equals 7.48 gallons of water) per household to set the water and sewer rates. The more accurate average is around 8,800 cubic feet he said, noting the public’s willingness to conserve water.

So what does the future hold? For now, Nicholson along with other concerned superintendents throughout the state are keeping a close eye on the DEP. Nicholson’s advice: “Use as much as you need, but don’t waste it.”

This brought me back to when I was a child and was taught the following by my Father, whose conservative use of all utilities equated to money left in his pocket: “Shut the lights off when you leave the room” and “Don’t let the water run down the drain while you brush your teeth…” That is some old-fashioned advice that would serve us well today.

By Marilou Newell

It did not take long for the Rochester Finance Committee to give the thumbs up for several articles involving financial matters on the Fall Special Town Meeting Warrant during discussions with the Rochester Board of Selectmen on October 6.

During a follow-up interview with Rochester Town Administrator Michael McCue on October 7, McCue said the Finance Committee voted unanimously to endorse the six out of nine articles pertaining to account transfers and financial appropriations that McCue referred to mostly as “simple housekeeping.” The remaining three articles relate to amendments of the Town’s Zoning Bylaws and are not subject to Finance Committee endorsement.

Both the Finance Committee and the selectmen reviewed the warrant with Moderator Greenwood Hartley III in preparation for the October 20 Special Town Meeting scheduled for 7:00 pm at the Rochester Memorial School cafeteria.

Plumb Corner Market will now be allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays between the hours of 10:00 am and 11:00 pm, now that the board has approved the store’s new amended liquor license application.

The law will change as of October 23, 2014, allowing off premises retailers of alcohol to begin selling alcohol at 10:00 am on Sundays. Although the right to sell alcohol is granted by the Commonwealth and not by the local authority – the Board of Selectmen – the store was required to inform the selectmen and amend their liquor license hours of operation.

Also during the meeting, Library Director Gail Roberts briefed the board on a new grant the three Tri-Town libraries have received to fund a new program entitled “In My Own Back Yard: Exploring the Ecosystems of Southeastern Massachusetts (MOBY).” The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is funding the grant.

The agenda was light, resulting in a brief meeting during which the selectmen voted to sign the warrant for the Massachusetts General Election on November 4.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for October 20 at 6:30 pm at Rochester Memorial School just before the Fall Special Town Meeting at 7:00 pm.

By Jean Perry

Sippican School ranked highly in state MCAS scoring, and Marion School Committee Chairman Joseph Scott, Superintendent of Schools Doug White, and Sippican School Principal Lyn Rivet congratulated the students and educators October 1 during a relatively brief school committee meeting.

In third grade math, Sippican School ranked 12^th out of 942 Massachusetts elementary schools and 14^th out of 544 for sixth grade English, bringing the school’s rating up from a Level 2 to a Level 1 school.

“This is a great accomplishment,” said White, “and everybody should be proud of this accomplishment.”

The Sippican School received a certificate from the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, recognizing it as one of just 42 Commendation Schools in Massachusetts. This is to applaud the school for its high achievement and progress in the MCAS exams last year. White referred to the achievement as an “A plus” of sorts.

The committee held off on approving new guidelines for the Student Activity Account so they could be reviewed more closely. The Student Activity Account is used to fund field trips, for example, and the new guidelines will ensure proper management and operation of the account.

“I think it’s important that we get a strong process … in place,” said White.

Key elements, said White, are the involvement of Business Manager Patrick Spencer, who will review the account with Sippican staff members on a monthly basis to ensure that everyone is “on the same page.” White added that the guidelines would also protect employees via diligent documentation of receipts and deposits.

“It seems to make sense to me,” said Scott. “[It] hopefully will help us handle our funds a little better.” Not that there have been major problems in the past, of course, Scott emphasized.

In other matters, White briefed the board on his recent exploration of practices pertaining to technology classes with a “one-to-one environment,” looking for ways to integrate the instructional use of personal electronic devices such as iPads and tablets. White said he has visited classrooms outside the district that have implemented similar programs with success.

The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for November 5 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry