ORCA Puts a Positive Spin on Clubs

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A new club has surfaced at ORRHS after 30 students attended a Leadership Against Bullying conference at Bridgewater State University. Inspired by the conference, the students took the initiative to form ORCA, the Old Rochester Committee for Action. Paired with advisors Mr. Jenkins and Mrs. Perry, the club aims to stop bullying in the school and create a better environment.

While there is no “club leader,” club members Emily Hyde and Madeline Cafarella took the time to answer questions about the new club. Hyde, a junior, says the aim of the club is to “stop bullying and promote positive change around Old Rochester.” Cafarella, a freshman, added, “Our goal is to encourage a positive environment and to promote happier, kinder students.”

While the club is still in its early stages, it already has some long-term goals, according to Hyde:

“We eventually want to hold events and do school-wide projects. We want to include the whole school to spread the positive change as best we can.”

While they know what they wish to do long term, they have yet to reach the planning stages. As Cafarella put it, “We are still in the infancy stage. This is only our third meeting together as a club.”

While 30 students attended the seminar, the club only has about six members as of right now. According to Hyde and Cafarella, the onset of spring sports practice every day has interfered with club attendance.

The club is looking for more members for ORCA. They meet every Thursday right after school in the guidance office. For more information, see Mrs. Perry, Mr. Jenkins or any of the members of the club.

By Jessica Correia

Top row (l-r): Jillian Sethares, Alex Carr, Morgan Browning, Bottom row (l-r): Madeline Cafarella, Kate McGraw, Emily Hyde


Uninvited Dinner Guests in Your Garden

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Oh, winter-weary gardener, fear not; spring has arrived with its mixed bag of warm balmy days and gray snow showers blended with a touch of bone-chilling rain. But alas, we know that all we have to do is wait, and those delicious days of warming sun and sprouting flower beds will melt our frozen souls. We hale and hearty New Englanders know how to persevere. We are tough, persistent, and oh so very patient. Are we not?

So, when after months of winter slumber and paying high heating bills we at last shrug off one layer of fleece and search for our garden gloves, we are ready to get on our knees and dig in the dirt.

But, what is this? Something has eaten away at the budding trees and consumed every ripe, red tulip. The hosta leaves, once so green and full of lush promise, are gone. And the Asiatic daisies have been chewed down to the mulch line. Oh, my aching heart cries out, “Not again!”

Yes, again. If you, like I, have foolishly cultivated flower beds in the migratory munching path of deer, you know of what heartache I speak. Deer are merciless as they maraud through well-groomed yards. Their gentle tiptoeing persona isn’t to be believed. They are out to eat from the salad bowl known as your backyard. When you go into your garden full of sweet innocent anticipation and find that deer have invaded your beautifully landscaped flowerbeds, you’ll clutch your hoe and, in warrior stance, proclaim, “Let the games begin.”

I’ve been gardening my plot with mixed success for two decades. I’m a slow learner. But now I fully appreciate the need to work with Mother Nature, whose bounty includes plants deer won’t find so tasty.

This year, I’ve taken the time to educate myself and sought counseling from local garden experts. A visit to a few websites was extremely helpful, and there is exciting news. We can have beautiful gardens full of texture, color and variety with the added bonus that deer won’t find them yummy.

You have a big investment in your property, so it’s important that the information you use has been vetted. First and foremost, take the time to select only plants that have been scientifically proven as deer resistant. To name a few, try dwarf Alberta spruce, Devil’s walking stick, blanket flower and bleeding hearts. There is catmint, peonies, yarrow, ferns, and American or sharp needle holly. Ornamental grasses do well along with pachysandra and bamboo.

Steve Gonsalves, co-owner of Eden’s, suggests Skip Cherry Laurel, a type of flowering bush that grows as much as 2 feet per season. These magnificent bushes make a lovely natural screen for borders or privacy. A member of the cherry, or prunus, genus, this is an evergreen variety originally from southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. It produces flower spikes in April and May known as “racemes,” and is well-loved for its endurance and deer resistivity. Gonsalves also uses Russian sage, vinca vines, boxwoods and Chinese ginger in garden designs.

Tim Ramey of Horticultural Creations shared with me that arborvitae, roses and rhododendron are all favorite snacks for our deer neighbors. He selects mountain laurel, Japanese Andromeda (pieris) and leucothoe for local landscapes.

Both gardening experts caution, however, that in a very difficult winter season, if feed is hard to come by, deer-resistant plants may suffer some damage.

A visit to www.masshort.org will give you access to a world of knowledge on the subject of plants that resist the hungry temptation of deer. Their hotline number is: 617-933-4929. Or, you can go to www.mass.gov and click on Energy and Environmental Affairs, which contains useful information to help you in your quest. But probably the final word on the subject of deer-resistant plants can be found at www.rutgers.edu/deerresistance, where an A-to-Z list is waiting for you. Armed with all of this data, you’ll be ready to build gardens that can withstand Bambi’s advancing troops.

If you are planning a vegetable garden, you’ll have to provide the ultimate in deer protection, a 6-foot or taller fence. There is simply no way to ensure your lettuce, peas, kale and broccoli won’t serve the nutritional needs of the deer if left unguarded.

For those of us who have shade garden spaces loaded with tasty hosta and day lilies to die for, we’ll need to resort to spraying these specimens with deer repellants. There are many varieties available, and they all smell equally repugnant. The more expensive brands work, as well as some lower cost solutions, so shop around until you find one that meets your budget. Using repellent sprays is a true labor of love as you’ll need to reapply frequently, especially after each wash down by rain.

In summary: Have courage, fearless gardeners. Use a three-pronged approach for harmonious cultivation.  First, replace damaged plants with ones that won’t interest deer; second, install 6-foot fencing around tender veggies or other floral investments; third, spray deer repellants on plants that are susceptible to being eaten. Garden on dear reader, garden on … What the X%@#&*?! Is that a woodchuck?!

By Marilou Newell

Body Identified in Mattapoisett

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The identity of a body that was found on a beach in Mattapoisett on Saturday April 13 was found to be 39-year-old Scott Kilroe of Wareham. Mr. Kilroe was first reported missing on February 12 and at the time the police reported that there were no signs of foul play at his residence and that his vehicle was in the drive way.

Project Focuses on Lyme Disease

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When UMass-Dartmouth Nursing student Carley Lakritz undertook a health promotion project on Lyme disease as part of her community clinical requirement, she jumped at the opportunity to center her studies on Marion.

“Lyme disease has been very prevalent in the Marion area due to the highly dense forest areas that surround the town,” Lakritz said. “This is tick season, so therefore the disease prevalence will only increase during the summer months … Lyme disease is a reportable disease, which is why it has always been an interest to me.”

Lakritz, a junior, has a gained a local mentor along the way.

“I am working with Kathleen Downey, who is the town nurse of Marion,” she said. “She is my preceptor for my community clinical this semester. I am assigned to focus my attention on what I think the town of Marion needs health-wise. Nurse Downey has been helping me with my project.”

Lakritz’s objectives include spreading education, awareness and preventative recommendations on the endemic. She believes providing a common-sense refresher to the public on Lyme disease is crucial to her efforts.

Her list includes such early signs and symptoms as “bulls eye rash” (erythema migrans), occurring in 80 percent of cases, a red ring-like or expanding rash from the center of a tick bite outward, which is not always circular; fever, muscle aches, headaches, swollen lymph glands, fatigue, mild neck stiffness, facial paralysis, chills and joint pain.

Meanwhile, “Late symptoms may not become apparent until weeks or years after initial infection,” Lakritz explained, and can include arthritis (commonly large joints such as knees and shoulders); joint swelling and pain that may be recurrent; severe fatigue and malaise; nerve pain, including numbness and tingling, peripheral weakness and Bell’s Palsy; as well as meningitis and cardiac problems.

Lakritz advised residents to keep their grass and plants around stone walls cut short, remove leaf litter and brush, prune low-lying bushes to let in more sunshine, and keep woodpiles and bird feeders off of the ground and away from the home.

She also suggested using a three-foot-wide woodchip, mulch or gravel barrier where the lawn meets the woods, reminding children to not cross the barrier. In addition, she cautioned against plants that attract deer, and to utilize deer fencing and pest control.

When it comes to personal prevention, Lakritz stressed vigilance in checking oneself for ticks daily, especially between the toes, the backs of knees, groin, armpits, neck, along the hairline, and behind the ears; checking children and pets; sticking to main pathways and trails when hiking; wearing long-sleeved, light-colored shirts and pants tucked into socks; and using repellents containing DEET 30 percent, which is considered safe for children and adults.

“I would like the public to know the importance of identifying and confirming the presence of Lyme disease,” said Lakritz, a Longmeadow native hoping to work as a nurse in on a neurology unit at Hartford Hospital upon graduating from UMass-Dartmouth. “Early detection can help prevent chronic complications of Lyme disease. Going to your doctor as soon as you recognize the symptoms is very important.”

By Shawn Badgley

Marion Arbor Day 2013

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Spring is here again, and it is time to get outside and enjoy nature! The Sippican Lands Trust and The Trustees of Reservations, in collaboration with the Marion Tree and Parks Committee, the Charles Washburn Trust and the Marion Recreation Department, will be hosting a Marion Arbor Day celebration on April 27. The TTOR has generously donated native Atlantic White Cedar saplings to be re-introduced on our town properties! The event is free and open to the public, with many family-friendly activities planned throughout the day. Come out and join the fun!

The festivities of Marion Arbor Day will be held from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in two separate locations. Activities will begin at 10:00 am at the SLT’s Brainard Marsh property, located off of Delano Road. At this site, there will be a ceremonial tree planting of native Atlantic White Cedar saplings, native wildflower planting, face painting by Handy Mandy, and a story walk entitled “The Busy Tree” by Jennifer Ward for little ones.

The event will continue at Washburn Park at 12:00 pm. Here, there will be a presentation by TTOR about the history of the Atlantic White Cedar and their program for re-introduction of the species in Massachusetts, followed by a second ceremonial tree planting of saplings. A Carabiner’s climbing wall, a “Touch a Truck” play area, music by the Falmouth Fiddlers, a tree-themed coloring table, an opportunity to learn more about the hosting organizations and a Bird Walk by Priscilla Bradley at 1:30 pm will be happening. Food and refreshments will be provided by Cumberland Farms and Rose and Vicki’s.

In honor of Arbor Day, anyone who becomes a new member of the Sippican Lands Trust will receive a free signed copy of the book The Untouchable Tree: An Illustrated Guide to Earthly Wisdom & Arboreal Delights by local artist and author Peter Stone.

On behalf of all the groups hosting Marion Arbor Day 2013, we would like to thank the local businesses and sponsors who have generously supported this community event!

For more information, call 508-748-3080 or email robinshields@sippicanlandstrust.org.

ORR Boys’ Lacrosse

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ORR dropped to 3-2 (1-1) on the season with a 10-5 loss to visiting Apponequet. Leading the way for the Bulldogs was freshman Chris Nadeau, who had two goals. Also contributing goals were Chris Marchisio, Peter Krause and Chad Santello.

Lax Fest 2013! May 11, 12:00 to 4:00 pm: The ORR Bulldogs will take on the Fairhaven High School Blue Devils on May 11 at Old Rochester Regional High School. The girls’ varsity teams will play at 12:00 pm and the boys’ varsity teams will play at 2:00 pm. There will be concessions, a moon bounce, stick stringing, a shot clock competition and merchandise sales. This event, sponsored by Old Rochester Youth Lacrosse (www.orylax.com), will be fun for the whole family!

Questions? Please contact Jennifer McIntire (508-758-3803 or mac1990@verizon.net).

Elks Students of the Month

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We congratulate senior, Karen Gonneville (left photo) of Rochester for being selected by the Old Rochester Regional High School faculty and staff as Student of the Month for April. Karen does not let someone else’s perceived limitations define her. Karen is one of the hardest working students I have ever come to know.  She is taking college courses in addition to her high school studies and has a great involvement in her church.  Karen is very helpful around the classroom and always has a smile and a kind word.  She is very deserving of this honor.

We congratulate senior, Nicholas Pacheco (right photo) of Rochester for being selected by the Old Rochester Regional High School faculty and staff for Student of the Month for May and Student of the Year. Nicholas represents what an ORR student is all about. He is an athlete and class aide and a great role model for the younger classes.  Nick has no problem taking charge and making sure everyone understands the class lessons.  He is a wonderful student to have in class and is an asset to the ORR community.

The Elks of Wareham Lodge NO. 1548 sponsors the Elks Student of the Month and Student of the Year Awards for students enrolled in local area high schools.  The criteria used in nominating a student includes a student who excels in scholarship, citizenship, performing arts, fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school, club and community service, industry and farming.

Officials Discuss Recycling Facility

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Representatives from Green Seal Environmental of Sagamore Beach presented the Rochester Conservation Commission on Tuesday night with plans for the proposed 7-acre recycling facility along Cranberry Highway on 60 acres of land owned by Shawmut Associates LLC.

Green Seal’s Peter Flood said that the company will replace the existing 35,000-square-foot structure on the land with a 89,000-square-foot, state of the art facility complete with a massive solar array, new septic system, and revamped access roadway.

“This will be a significant upgrade and redevelopment,” he said, adding that the elimination of windblown litter, odor, and dust with a complete enclosure will mean a “net benefit for the environment.” The facility will adhere to the 100-foot buffer zone from surrounding wetlands.

Green Seal engineer Gary James said that the structure itself will bring with it increased impervious cover, but that the design will include multiple features to address runoff and storm water collection.

Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon and Commission member Kevin Cassidy questioned James on those measures, and the Commission ultimately told the developers to add enhanced erosion controls and storm water collection measures to the plans. In addition, the Commission will require a dewatering plan upon construction, in case builders come upon groundwater.

Farinon assured members that a “thorough review of wetland delineation was done in the field, and everything was seen to be in order.” But she also recommended that the Commission hire a peer-review consultant given the complexity of the project, and the Commission voted to hire Nover-Armstrong Associates Inc. of Carver, acknowledging that James had worked with the firm in the past but that there would be no “legal conflict.”

Covanta SEMASS representative engineer Dan Peters was on hand to comment that the company had concerns about the potential impact of odors from the proposed facility on residents of the Colby Drive area of Middleboro, but that “it sounds like Green Seal is taking pretty good environmental controls with a sound plan.”

The Commission voted unanimously to continue the proceedings until their scheduled May 7 meeting, by which point Green Seal’s revised plans will have navigated the Rochester Planning Board.

In other news, construction on the Alaskan steeppass fishway at the Hathaway Pond Dam is encountering more difficulties and delays, with Saturday, April 20, approved by the Conservation Committee as the latest – and reportedly last – extension.

Chair Rosemary Smith reminded residents of the Town Clean-Up taking place on Saturday in conjunction with the Women’s Club to celebrate Earth Day. For more information, contact Nancy Boutin (508-654-6621, rochesterwc@comcast.net) or Wendy Keeler (508-763-9888, wkeeler@comcast.net).

By Shawn Badgley

Solar Hearing a See Saw of Opinions

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With Jennifer Francis sitting squarely between the Planning Board and dozens of Marion residents for the duration of the proceedings, Tuesday’s public hearing on Marion’s proposed solar bylaw crackled with an energy of its own.

The bylaw – which formalizes the process for installing residential solar arrays in Marion, while also recommending a Municipal Solar Overlay District – is currently slated for a vote at the May 13 Town Meeting after the Board of Selectmen signed off on the warrant in March. But its fate is in question amid a prolonged disagreement between the Planning Board and the Energy Management Committee on language, provisions and protocols.

Tensions between the boards continued on Tuesday, while community input appeared to steer members toward compromise by meeting’s end. The public hearing was the first of a scheduled three this week.

“There has been a rapid increase of solar energy capacity in our state, and that’s something to be proud of,” Francis said while making a 10-minute opening presentation. “This bylaw is designed to protect Marion’s character, provide oversight and offer guidelines for solar energy collection.”

Francis cited Massachusetts General Law 40A – which prohibits municipalities from disallowing residential solar installations unless they threaten the “public health, safety or welfare” – in arguing that Marion needs a bylaw without “onerous demands.” She said that residents currently interpret the absence of a bylaw to mean that they may not install arrays, which is not the case.

“If this bylaw had been in place, we probably would not be in this situation,” said Francis, invoking an ongoing lawsuit against the town involving a denied residential solar installation.

The proposed bylaw outlines prerequisites for solar installation in Marion that include one acre of land, a limit of 120 percent of current energy use eligible for collection, 600-square-foot- and 900-square-foot limits on arrays depending on system type, a 35-foot setback and screening.

But the Planning Board made clear that those prerequisites are not enough.

Member Ted North, the Board’s staunchest opponent of the bylaw, expressed skepticism with the state’s jurisdiction, rattling off 14 towns in Massachusetts – several nearby, including Bourne and Dartmouth – where residential solar installations have been disallowed, or are allowed only in overlay districts or with special permits.

“That doesn’t mean,” Francis responded, “they won’t face litigation in the future.”

Chairman Jay Ryder insisted on stricter controls for residents planning ground-mounted systems, namely a special permit process.

“A special permit requirement is a very key issue,” he said. “Without it, we can’t support your bylaw.”

Various Planning Board members said that neighboring property devaluation with potentially unsightly arrays – even with a screening requirement – is their primary concern.

Residents Jerry “Rico” Ferrari, who is running for an open Planning Board seat in the May 17 election, and Jan Keeler agreed.

“Will I have any say?” Ferrari asked. “Does it take away my right to comment? I don’t want to give up my right. There are too many rights being given up today.”

“They’re not going to gather more sun down there,” said Keeler, pointing to the floor. “Why would anyone want to look at them?”

Francis pointed out that residents living on lots smaller than one acre would have to apply for a special permit, while some roofs are not facing a direction allowing for sufficient solar collection.

Former Marion Planning Board member Margie Baldwin said she supports the solar bylaw.

“I don’t know if my neighbor likes looking at my swimming pool, but it’s there,” she said. “It’s time for Marion to move ahead on alternative energy. I know it’s not perfect, but nothing’s perfect. You’re picking at very small points here.”

Marion resident Kathy Reed said the parties should proceed with caution.

“I think both the Planning Board and the Energy Management Committee want to see a bylaw,” she said. “But this is an issue of taking power of decision from the Planning Board. I’m not saying no, I just have a big concern that my interests be protected by people I voted to elect.”

Ryder said that the Board is exercising due diligence, while the EMC is moving too quickly.

“This procedure takes longer than the EMC is giving it,” he said, at one point suggesting that presentation at a fall Town Meeting would be more appropriate. “I feel very strongly that you need that time and we need that time.”

EMC member Norm Hills disagreed.

“We’ve been at this for 11 months, and nine months have been in conjunction with you guys,” he said.

Reprising a confrontation from an April 1 meeting, Ryder snapped back at Hills.

“Don’t go there, Norm,” he said. “The EMC went off on their own and developed this bylaw. We had an agreement that we would develop this bylaw together, and that didn’t happen.”

Given the split opinion in the Town House Conference Room – even Beaumont Solar President and CEO Phillip Cavallo, who had earlier been chastised by a Marion resident for commenting as a representative from a company in New Bedford, came out in support of a broadened special permit to “get it right” – Francis seized the opportunity to offer a compromise. She asked if a special permit amendment to the bylaw for all residential solar installations would satisfy the Planning Board. The response was favorable, and the public hearing will continue on Wednesday at 7:00 pm.

Though the meeting is taking place too late for this week’s print edition of The Wanderer, readers can find our ongoing coverage online at www.wanderer.com. In addition, there is another public hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 18, 7:00 pm.

By Shawn Badgley

Marion Town Hall Renovation Discussed

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A moment of silence for those injured in the Boston Marathon explosions opened the Marion Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday evening.  Chairman Steve Cushing prompted the moment, where all stood.

The Town House Advisory Committee, led by Chairman Jay Ryder, addressed the Board.  Without a written proposal, Ryder and the Committee discussed their findings.

Three recommendations were proposed. The first was a complete renovation of the Town House to bring it up to current standards. The second finding was to demolish the 1894 portion of the building and rebuild with a more efficient addition. The third option was a new Town House, to be built at a location not yet determined.

The Committee noted that it would cost less to renovate than to rebuild. After much discussion, it was agreed that the town needs a town planner.

“We are looking at one building, when there are over 42 structures in town … from a gazebo to the police station,” said Selectman Dickerson.

When the discussion centered on the demolition of the Town House, Selectman John Henry objected.

“It would be an insult to Elizabeth Taber, who gave this building to Tabor Academy and eventually came to become our Town House,” said Henry.

Committee member Rico Ferrari recommended that the town hold another meeting so that citizens could understand and ask questions about the issues at hand.

“You’ve done a great job here,” said Selectman Dickerson to the Committee.

After a lengthy discussion, the BOS and the Town House Advisory Committee agreed to meet with the town Finance Committee and come up with a proposal for the fall town meeting warrant.

In other business, the town awarded bids for surplus property totaling $7,470.33.

A request from American Tower Company to extend a lease on their cell tower located on Benson Brook Road was discussed. The Board decided to take no action until more information on the request was received and reviewed.

The BOS agreed to award Loughton Construction Company of Raynham the contract for $51,583 to repair the ceiling at the Marion Natural History Museum, located above the Elizabeth Tabor Library on Spring Street. $4,000 of the total will be paid by the museum as an upgrade to have a portion of the flooring as hardwood instead of a rug area. Dawson said that the work will take approximately two to three weeks to complete.

The BOS appointed Jim Stewart to the Tree and Parks Committee.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry