New Year, New Policies

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In lieu of the New Year, the administration for ORR High School has passed new policies that are effective as of Monday, January 7. In an attempt to embrace the modern teenager’s connection to technology, two new policies will integrate cell phones in the school day. Students are now allowed to use their cell phones during lunch. If a student is found using their cell phone during any other time of the day, the usual rules will apply — the phone will go to the Vice Principal and will not be returned until its owner serves a detention.

The other policy concerning cell phone use serves as an exception to the rule. Students will be allowed to use their cell phones in the classroom by teacher discretion. Social networking and texting will not be allowed — when teachers give the go ahead for students to use their cell phones in class, it will only be for further education purposes or if it is to aid in a student presentation. Any violation of the new policy, such as texting or using social networking websites, will be subject to the usual cell phone policy.

            Another new policy concerns locker use and scheduling. Passing time will be six minutes long as opposed to the usual four. This longer passing time is paired with a requirement for students to use their lockers and the retraction of students’ right to use a backpack in transporting books during the school day.

This is not the whole story. A vast majority of students in the school are seriously opposing the mandatory locker and no backpack policy. Complaints are loud and widespread throughout the school. There are a few different reasons students take issue with the new policy. Senior Salem Hartley was willing to share her personal reasons for disliking the new rule.

            “I’ve used a backpack every day since freshmen year. Adjusting to only being able to bring a binder and two books to class is difficult. There are little things like extra pens, pencils and random little things like that that now you have to buy a little bag for or live without. I think it’s silly they are going to change this in the middle of the year after we’ve done it for over three years,” said Hartley.

            Many students echo the complaints of inconvenience, as well as increased traffic in the hallways. Senior Joshua Powers is affected by this new traffic.

            “It is overwhelming in the hallways now, with everyone racing to their lockers and trying to get to their classes. The already narrow hallways just get narrower,” he said.

            Students all around the school are voicing their complaints to teachers and each other. Most teachers are rather unsympathetic, many of them remembering their days when they used their lockers. However, most of them will not deny the fact that it has been a long time since they have seen the student body so unified against one thing.

By Jessica Correia

Tri-Town Students Bake Bread for Charity

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On Thursday, January 10, 2013, Amy Driscoll from Vermont-based King Arthur Flour company came to the Tri-Town to teach elementary and junior high school students the science behind baking bread.  The program was part of an educational intiative started by the flour company that also serves as a community outreach project.

After the assemblies, students took home two bread kits.  One loaf is to be baked for their families, the second loaf is to be donated to one of four South Coast community groups, including the Marion Council on Aging.  About 900 students across four schools participated in the program.

Marion sixth-grader Julia Winters was largely responsible for bringing the program to the district.  Check out our gallery of photos from the assembly on Thursday at Sippican School in Marion.  Driscoll was assisted by Winters and fellow sixth grader Nathaniel King.  Photos by Eric Tripoli.

 

Ronnie Marie Elwell

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Ronnie Marie Elwell, of Nantucket and Mattapoisett, MA, died at home on Nantucket on Saturday, December 8, 2012 from esophageal cancer.   She was born on May 1, 1942 to the late Capitola and Richard Elwell in Boston, MA.   She was predeceased by her brother, Rick Elwell.

Dr. Elwell earned her RN at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and the BA, MA and Ph.D. from The American University.  Her life was dedicated to teaching from her early career as a psychiatric nurse, later as a graduate student, and as a college professor.  She was a beloved classroom teacher and extended her teaching to mentor colleagues, young professionals, and anyone eager to learn.  Her keen intellect, feisty spirit and warm smile combined to make her a delightful force to reckon with when she advocated for the causes and principles dear to her heart.   Dr. Elwell held professional positions at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital (Washington DC), the University of the District of Columbia, Simmons College and Lesley University.

Ronnie loved to travel, spending a week each winter in Aruba, and recently sojourning to the Galapagos Islands and South Africa.  She also visited Alaska, Paris, Costa Rica, and Russia.  Her journeys always included time in the outdoors where she enjoyed birdwatching, the local flora and fauna, and a swim at the beach.

Ronnie will be sorely missed by her daughter, Jessica Alm, her partner, Janet Schulte, and her devoted cat, Sassafras.   Family members include Robert Garber, her nieces and nephews and several cousins in Framingham, MA and in Maine.  Dozens of friends mourn her loss.  A Celebration of life is planned for Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 1:00 pm at the Bay Club, Mattapoisett.  Her ashes will be interred in Silver Ridge Township, Maine next to her brother, Rick.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org, or your favorite charity.

New Safety Protocols at ORR

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The ORR School Committee is weighing different methods for improving student and faculty safety at the high school.

Superintendent Doug White addressed the committee at their regular meeting on Wednesday, January 9, and praised the district’s staff and students for their response to the December 14, 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

White said he’s been in contact with the local police and fire departments to devise a system of safety drills and scenarios for school practice in the event of such an emergency.

Facilities Director Gene Jones said that they are currently researching new locking systems for school doors and examining the effectiveness of security cameras around the buildings.

 “We checked on all the lighting systems.  We went through all the cameras for the access [to front doors].  We made sure they’re all functional,” Jones said.

Tri-Town schools have instituted stricter access rules for each campus so main office staff can better track who enters and exits the schools.  Jones said that they are looking into creating new staff ID cards and key fobs that would further restrict access to the buildings.

Contractors who regularly work at Tri-Town schools may also be required to provide a CORI check on each of their employees.

ORR Principal Michael Devoll said he wants to push photo IDs for everyone in his school, including students.  He told the story of a school that had an undercover cop dressed in jeans and a hoodie enter the building through the rear and wander the halls.  The officer was in the building for about 15 minutes before he was stopped and questioned by faculty.

“We’re great at lockdown drills, but it really got to me when I heard about this,” he said.

ORRJHS Principal Kevin Brigioli said they are looking into redesigning the front entrance of the junior high school, which provides no vestibule area between the exterior door and interior of the main foyer.

“Our entry way is a point of concern.  Once you’re in the building, you’re in the building,” he said.

In addition to improving the structural safety systems around the schools, the committee also broached the idea of using existing faculty as safety monitors around the building or hiring an outside individual to help provide better security.

ORR Principal Devoll also said that the school is experimenting with a new daily schedule system that allows more time for students to access their lockers.

Due to recent discussions of school safety, ORR imposed a new policy on January 7 restricting the presence of backpacks and jackets in classrooms and the cafeteria, requiring all students to regularly use their lockers throughout the day.

Devoll said many students carry backpacks that weigh 50 pounds or more all day, which can be detrimental to students’ health.  He also said that often times students feel as if they have to carry all their possessions with them at all times.

“We’ve got to figure out why students aren’t using their lockers,” he said.

Devoll said they shortened homeroom by one minute, truncated lunch periods, and eliminated a snack-time segment between first and second blocks.  Total passing time between classes has been extended from four to six minutes.

 “We asked the students to hang in there and give it a shot,” he said, noting that they may still need to tweak the schedule.  “Freshmen and sophomores have been fine but juniors and seniors have been more resistant.”

He also said that some students started a Facebook petition protesting the new schedule and backpack policy.

In other business, Latin instructor, Judy Prétat came before the school committee to discuss the possibility of organizing an out of state field trip.  Last year, she formed a trip to Rome, attended by about 20 students.  This time, she’s looking to take her senior students to the Getty Villa in California.  The villa is a replica of one that was consumed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.

“It’s an educational center dedicated to the studies of ancient Greece and Rome,” she said.  She had been researching options that focused on ancient artifacts here in the United States.

 “I started looking into the villa museum and thought it might be an opportunity to take a senior trip,” she said.

Prétat said she would like to offer the trip to all 14 of her Latin V students.  One other chaperone is planned to accompany her and the students.  She’s already done most of the legwork researching housing options, transportation, and created a tentative itinerary for the trip.  The entire journey would be five days only cause the students to miss two days of classes.  Prétat estimated the cost at anywhere between $650-$750 per student, a considerable drop compared to the trip to Rome, which cost about $2100 per student.

The ORR School Committee voted in favor of authorizing the trip, but Prétat will also have to organize fundraising, which will be brought up at a future meeting once those details are known.

The King Arthur Flour project is well underway, according to assistant superintendent Dr. Elise Frangos.  She said over 3,000 lbs of flour were delivered to ORRJHS on Tuesday for the educational assemblies that will focus on teaching students the science behind baking bread.

About 900 students around the Tri-Town will participate in the program, which will give each student two baking kits to take home.  The kids will then make two loaves, one for themselves and their families, and the other to be given to one of four community out-reach programs.

“Next Monday morning it will be expected and kindly appreciated if each of the parents can make sure their kids have their bread tied up in the plastic bags, ready to be donated,” Frangos said.

She also mentioned that the district has hired a new reading teacher to help boost the effectiveness of after-school reading programs.  The new faculty member would be compensated via Title I funding.

ORR is also working to redesign some of its curriculum in an effort to meet the interests of students interested in politics.

“Our students are very interested and motivated by politics these days, but really we don’t get into much modern political theory,” said Devoll.

They are looking at a half-year elective course as part of the Social Studies department, possibly offered online instead of in the classroom.

He also said the school is looking into ways to widen the foreign language programs and to offer more ways for students to earn more credit for AP classes.

The ORR School Committee adjourned to executive session to further discuss contract negotiations.

By Eric Tripoli


Wrestling Finishes Second on Buzzards Bay

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Squash is more than just a gourd. It’s a fast-paced competitive sport enjoyed by people all over the world. Though it may not be as popular as basketball or soccer, its players and fans are fierce and loyal. At Tabor Academy in Marion, the love for the game has been strong for decades.

“I don’t care about winning. I care about kids playing because that’s how you get better,” said Connie Pierce, who heads player development for Tabor Academy’s junior varsity women’s squash team.

Most of the kids she works with don’t come from a background rife with intense, weekly squash lessons.

“Squash courts aren’t available to everybody,” Pierce said, citing the popularity of sports like tennis and basketball, which tend to get more public space for play than many sports.

Pierce herself was a competitive tennis player before discovering squash. She was living around Manchester, England in the 1970s when a friend invited her to play a game in an old airplane hangar. She’s been with the Tabor program since the 1980s, and her colleagues and players lovingly refer to her using nicknames like “Squash Mother” and “Mother Hen.”

There is an instantaneous appeal to the game of squash. Small, oval-shaped rackets are used to hit a rubber ball slightly bigger than a golf ball. The players volley back and forth, hitting the ball against the wall opposite their positions.

“Most people, if they do it when they’re younger, they play most of their life,” said Tabor Academy varsity head coach Will O’Leary. He was a hockey player in his youth who played squash for fun. O’Leary has been coaching for about six years and is in his second year at Tabor.

The program at Tabor is decades old and the original wooden courts are still standing on the campus.

“We don’t usually go in there too often to play because the game has changed so much since then. We call that the dungeon. These are the newer courts,” O’Leary said as his players warmed up in the white and plastic boxes at the athletic center on Saturday before a tournament against Phillips Exeter Academy.

Tabor senior and varsity team member Delaney Teceno had never played squash before arriving for her freshman year. Before ninth grade, she’d been a soccer and tennis player, but an injury during her first year at Tabor forced her to quit the soccer team by her junior year.

“My dad had played squash a few times and he recommended I give it a try,” Teceno said. She joined the junior varsity team during her freshman year and was hooked.

“I’d never had that. It was something I wanted to get really good at,” she said.

She progressed quickly, getting moved to the varsity team by the middle of her sophomore year. Since she began playing tournaments last year, she has been nationally ranked as the 78th best female player under age 19.

This season, she has her work cut out for her.

“I’m playing girls who are much better than me. A lot of them have been playing all their lives. So far, I’m holding my own,” she said.

The thrill of the challenge is shared by the whole team.

“It’s much harder here at the high school level,” said freshman varsity player Karina Lazaro. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native has played squash for about five years.

“I find it very interesting. Nobody really knows what it is but it’s a great opportunity to play,” she said.

Pierce sees it as a learning opportunity as well as a time for fun.

“They go from knowing absolutely nothing to being able to keep the ball in play. It’s amazing,” she said. She also works with student helpers, who provide assistance to the team in a variety of ways.

“It’s great. I can send them to the weight room to work with other players. It gives them leadership and service opportunities. Maybe we’re training future coaches,” said Pierce.

By Nicholas Veronesi

Main Street Garage Project Causes Concern

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A proposed plan to replace a carport with a garage at a Main Street residence was a topic of concern on Wednesday night, January 9, during the Marion Conservation Commission’s regular meeting in the Marion Town House. The issued was raised during a public hearing which was continued from December 12.

The property, which is located at 5 Main Street belongs to Sanford Russell Jr.  Dave Davignon of Schneider and Associates is managing the project.

“We are looking to close this hearing tonight,” Davignon said.

The plan proposes replacing an existing carport with a new garage structure, removing a retaining wall, relocating and expanding a boulder retaining wall, reconstructing a driveway apron and installing a trench drain. The hearing has been postponed several times for planning purposes.

Davignon asked the Commission for an Order of Conditions so he can begin the process of obtaining a building permit for the project.  An abutting neighbor, William Rogerson of 9 Main Street, is concerned that Davignon is not following protocol.

“I think their application is not in compliance with the DEP’s regulation,” said Rogerson.

Rogerson is concerned that Davignon is bypassing the Zoning Board of Appeals because they had originally not voted in favor of the project.  Without the approval of the ZBA, Davignon cannot begin construction. There are currently no negotiations between Davignon and the ZBA.

“I’m not sure what our next step is with the Zoning Board,” said Davignon.  “We’ve got to take it one step at a time.”

Davignon also feels it should be up to the ZBA’s enforcement officer to bring up any potential problems with the project. He also stated that he would not begin construction without all appropriate approval.

For Rogerson, he feels that the biggest problem with the new garage would be drainage.  He believes that all of the excess runoff from the roof of his garage will end up spilling into Sippican Harbor, ultimately polluting it. Davignon disagreed.

“Roof runoff is considered clean water,” he said. “Our client’s property is certainly not polluting the harbor.”

“I’m not that concerned with the water runoff,” said Commissioner Norm Hills.

In addition to the runoff, Rogerson is concerned that the structure is taller than Davignon initially proposed and that he will be utilizing more fill.  Additionally, he believes it is not in accordance with town setback laws, even though Davignon has already relocated the structure an additional three feet back from Hiller Road.

Despite Rogerson’s concerns, the Commission voted unanimously to grant Davignon and Order of Conditions for the project.

“I firmly believe this is an improvement from what is there now,” said Davignon.

In other news, the Commission continued the two other hearings on the agenda, both of which propose building timber piers.  The first is for a property belonging to David and Linda Nielsen at 203 Front Street.  The second property belongs to Jonathan and Amy DiVincenzo of 370 Delano Road. Davignon will represent both owners at the Commission’s next meeting.

The Marion Conservation Commission will meet again on Wednesday, January 23 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Town House.

By Katy Fitzpatrick 

 

 

Flamingo Fundraiser

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Surprise your friends and family with a lawn or lobby full of bright, pink flamingos.

Flockings will be scheduled throughout the month of January when members of the flamingo flocking crew will deliver approximately 25 birds to the unsuspecting lawn or office where they have been directed to roost.

• Flocking fee: $25 per request

• Flocking Insurance: $20

• “Who Flocked Me?” Info: $10

If you don’t like tacky pink flamingos or you just don’t want to be “tickled pink,” you can protect yourself by purchasing Anti-Flocking Insurance.

Flocking forms and FUN-draising details are available on our Facebook page “ORR Cheer 2 Disney” or by contacting “flocking helpers” Dawn Underhill (508-763-5356); Edythe Saucia-Camboia (508-667-6964); or Coach Patricia McArdle (508-758-9449).

Board Approves Solar Array Plan

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After months of paperwork and public hearings, the Rochester Planning Board voted in favor of the site plan for the proposed Little Quittacas solar panel array. The array would collect electricity that would be used by the City of New Bedford to offset costs to the city’s water treatment facilities.

At the last Planning Board meeting on December 11, all parties involved were awaiting the final comments of the peer review study conducted by Field Engineering.

“We were awaiting a comment letter back from Field Engineering, which I understand has been submitted to the town. It appears to indicate that Field Engineering concurs with the comments made and in the submissions to the town,” said Sam Moffett of TRC Engineering, the firm charged with creating the array.

The array would be located off North Avenue and would require clearing of trees, minor leveling of the land, and construction of an earthen berm abutting a nearby neighborhood to mask the construction and offer visual protection for the residents.

The Town of Rochester will also require collection of a performance bond for the maintenance of proposed vegetation to be planted along the berm. If the plant life survives beyond two growing seasons, the Town would return the money to the engineers.

The Planning Board voted unanimously in favor of the plan after closing the public hearing.

In other business, the Planning Board held a continued discussion with Tim Higgins regarding the installation of a mail kiosk at the Connet Woods subdivision. Such central delivery areas for mail have been popping up more often in the last few years due to changes in delivery service stemming from the budget issues that have plagued the United States Postal Service.

Higgins brought with him a construction plan for the kiosk.

“We would need about three parking spaces, which would be approximately 600 square feet of pavement. The building would be about five foot by 11 feet,” said Higgins.

The kiosk would be built on a drainage lot as a conservation restriction prohibits development over most of the area.

At their last meeting, Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson was in favor of the proposal, but was not satisfied that the design Higgins presented would provide enough space for parking or safety for pedestrians.

“I don’t think the police chief would be in favor of this particular design, either,” Johnson said. With the current proposal, cars would have to reverse into the traffic flow of Ryder Road.

“We don’t have the option of building another road system for this project. That’s an awful lot of time and an awful lot of money for a mail kiosk,” said Higgins.

Johnson suggested the main access point for the kiosk should be near Box Turtle Drive for ease of vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow.

Board member Ben Bailey said traffic worries were overblown because of the low population density of the area.

“Not everybody is going to get their mail at the same time. There’s only 18 addresses there,” Bailey said.

Higgins said he will continue to work on a more agreeable design for the kiosk and the layout for the surrounding area.

The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board will be held on Tuesday, January 22 at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

Priscilla M. (Hathaway) Faber

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Priscilla M. (Hathaway) Faber, 89, of Mattapoisett died December 24, 2012 at Sippican Healthcare Center.

She was the wife of the late Grant V. Faber.

Born in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Louis and Florence Hathaway, she lived in Mattapoisett most of her life.

She was a member of the Center Methodist Church in Fairhaven.

Survivors include her son, Mark G. Faber and his girlfriend Samantha Connor of Mattapoisett and a daughter, Deborah Singleton of Mattapoisett.

Her Graveside Service will be held on Wednesday, January 23rd at 10 AM in Riverside Cemetery in Fairhaven.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Sippican Healthcare Center, 15 Mill St. Marion, MA 02738.  Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. Mattapoisett.  For on-line guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Mattapoisett Could Face Water Restrictions

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Mattapoisett could see restrictions on their water usage in the year 2015 if the state passes a new law requiring towns to file for a permit regulating their water usage. The issue was discussed at the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen’s regular meeting on Tuesday, January 8 in Mattapoisett Town Hall.

“What we’re dealing with here is something that all communities are going to deal with,” said Patrick O’Neale, Vice President of Tata & Howard Water and Wastewater Consultants. “Conservation efforts will be pretty extreme.”

Mattapoisett currently has two permitted wells, which means the wells draw more than 100,000 gallons per day. By law, each well in a town drawing more than that needs to be permitted. Mattapoisett signed a 20-year contract under these conditions, which expired in 2011. However, the state passed a permit extension act, which gives towns until 2015 to file for permitting.

O’Neale has been working with the Mattapoisett Sewer Commission in order to research and best prepare for the conservation efforts. The Commission’s main concern is that the state is so concerned with environmental preservation that there is little to no science in their research showing that water limitations would improve each community.

Under the new permits, the state would regulate the amount of water regulated according to each town’s baseline usage. If the town surpasses the baseline usage, certain mitigation solutions would be implemented to control the water amount. Proposed solutions are droughts and increased billing statements so residents can monitor their water usage.

Massachusetts Water Works, however, is working in conjunction with towns across the state to research how much water is being used and to come up with a figure that would be acceptable. The idea is to have this figure into place long before the 2015 deadline in order to make sure the towns are well-informed of the reality of their water needs versus that which the state hopes to regulate.

In addition to concerns that the new permit would not provide enough water for the towns, they are worried what will happen when the population in town increases in the summer. Also, the Commission is concerned that the regulations could increase water rates.

“It’s certainly something I never thought I would be seeing,” said Sewer Commissioner William Nicholson. “You want to sell as much water as you can. They’re kind of holding our hands and making it more difficult. You will be billing out less and rates will increase.”

The Board commended the Commission for getting a head start on their research for this matter. They hope to amend current water conservation bylaws at the Spring Town Meeting in 2014 when they receive more results of the Commission’s research.

“I think we just need to do more talking about this so more people are aware that this is going to happen,” said Nicholson.

In other news, the Board agreed to write a letter to N-Star upon the request of resident John Folino which would ask them to send crews out and survey how much it would cost to convert properties south of Route 6 along the water to natural gas.

According to Folino, when a hurricane hits, it can cause damage to propane tanks, oftentimes making them float and therefore causing spills. The owner of that propane tank is liable and could incur damage charges as a result of the spills. He suggested to the Board to look into natural gas because it would be less of a liability for the properties along the water and it is also cheaper than the other energy alternatives.

The Board saw no problem in researching what it would cost to install natural gas lines. However, Highway Supervisor Barry Denham was concerned that it could cause problems with the plans to repave Mattapoisett Neck Road.

“That is one of the biggest tear-ups of roadways,” said Denham. “We have a number of mains that need to be renewed. They have a lot of old stuff in the ground that needs to be upgraded and I’d hate to see them get on an installation kick for new stuff and neglect some of the old stuff.”

The Board agreed to write the letter keeping in mind the current plans to repave the roads.

Town Administrator Michael Gagne informed the Board that Plymouth County will be eligible for Hurricane Sandy Reimbursement from FEMA. The announcement was made last week.

“This is excellent news,” said Gagne.

The Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen will meet again on Tuesday, January 22 at 7:00 pm in Mattapoisett Town Hall.

By Katy Fitzpatrick