First Seafood Fest A Grand Success

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The big white tent at Shipyard Park was packed with patrons of the first Harvest Moon Seafood Festival on Sunday, October 14.  The event, held in honor of Turk’s Seafood Restaurant founder Richard “Turk” Pasquill, was a joint effort between the Town of Mattapoisett and the Mattapoisett Police Officers Association.

“He really loved this town and he’s been gone for 20 years now,” said his son, Richard Pasquill.  “He’d be honored to see how many people came together for this, from the town, to the police, the town hall, they all made this possible.”

“Chief Lyons, Officer Craig LeBlanc, and myself have been members of the Police Officers Association for over 20 years,” said Officer Mitchell Suzan.  “We wanted to get the town involved so we worked with Melody Pacheco over at the Town Hall and we got all the other businesses involved.  Everything here has been donated by local businesses.”

Suzan said that the proceeds from the event would be split between the Town of Mattapoisett and the Police Officers Association.  The Town plans to use the money to pay for new holiday lighting and the Association plans on using the money for medical devices for disabled residents.

“We’re excited about doing something this positive,” said Lyons.

The festival had a line half-way up the lawn of Shipyard Park fifteen minutes after they opened the doors.  They sold over 200 tickets in advance of the festival, but many in line were buying at the door.  At the far end of the tent, a jazz quartet led by saxophonist and Mattapoisett native Trevor Kellum, played old standards from Dave Brubek to Miles Davis.  Crews from Turk’s and Oxford Creamery were handing out samples of lobster rolls, clam chowder, grilled and fried scallops.

Among the many cooks were Building Commissioner Andy Bobola and Town Administrator Mike Gagne, who were in charge of grilling up the scallops.

“It’s been a grand success,” said Melody Pacheco, assistant to the Town Administrator and event co-organizer.  “It’s all thanks to the businesses, the Town Hall, the whole community.  Everybody here has volunteered their time.  We have a lot of support from the residents and we hope to have another festival next year.”

Botanist Leads MLT Walk

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On Saturday, October 13, the Mattapoisett Land Trust held their Fall Exploration walk through the trails around Nasketucket Bay State Reservation.  This year, the hike was led by botanist and retired UMass, Dartmouth professor Jim Sears.

This was the first time the MLT invited an expert along to lead the walk.

“We had talked about the educational aspect at the board meeting,” said Ellen Flynn, chairman of the MLT Education Committee.  “We wanted to know how we could get people from out of town involved in this and to get out and enjoy the area.”

Leading walks in the field has long been part of Sears’ work as an educator.

“I used to take my students out into nature.  I like to get people to raise questions, to think about the ecosystems, plants, animals, the habitat all interact,” he said.  “Most people here probably love nature already.  Maybe they’ll introduce their children to the kinds of experiences they’ve had.”

 Sears had prepared maps and a long list of plants the group could expect to see.  Along the way, he noted different types of evergreen trees, tall grasses, and small flowers.

According to Paul “Ozzie” Osenkowski, Mattapoisett Land Trust Preservation Committee chairman, the landscape has changed dramatically over the last two centuries.

“Back in the 1800’s, a lot of this was pasture land for sheep,” Ozzie said.  These days, the area is considered to be a mixed deciduous forest, comprised of a mixture of trees that loose their leaves, like maples, and evergreen trees.

Judy Benedict of Mattapoisett joined the walk and brought two visiting family members.    “I had heard from my friend that there was going to be a walk with a botanist and I thought it sounded interesting.  It was just serendipity,” she said.

By Eric Tripoli


Eel Pond: Dry

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The dredging of the east channel of Eel Pond in Mattapoisett is well underway.  The pond, which has been tide-controlled for decades, has not been completely drained in years.  What’s left behind is a basin of mud and a vast assortment of shells speckle the area.

The project has long been in the works and was briefly put on hold over the summer due to concern about the potential negative impact on eastern piping plovers, a threatened bird species that nests and breeds along the South Coast.

In case you missed it, here’s what the channel looked like on Saturday, October 13, 2012.

By Eric Tripoli


New Subdivision in Planning Stages

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A new residential subdivision is in the works for Mattapoisett.  The project was presented at the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission’s regular meeting on Friday, October 12 in  Town Hall.

David Nicolosi filed a notice of intent to construct a residential subdivision called “Deer Woods” off of Fairhaven Road.  The lot would span 53.6 acres, which would be enough space to construct 8-10 new homes.

The proposed lot is home to wetlands, and a stream is located between the main road and the subdivision.  The plan would construct a 750 foot roadway that would cross the stream and connect the main road and the neighborhood.

Additionally, a drainage system would be constructed that would discharge into two infiltration basins.  Neither the drainage system nor the roadway would affect the wetlands.

Still, the commission is worried that the project is getting ahead of itself as the project managers have not yet met with the Planning Board to seek approval.

“That is my basic issue with this,” said Commissioner Bob Rogers.

Commissioner Peter Newton said an order of conditions would not be issued until a set of approved plans are sent from the Planning Board.

The project will be presented to the Planning Board the first week of November.  The commission voted for a continuance of the hearing until Monday, November 26.  But for such a large plan, there will be more hearings to come.

“You should probably expect that there will be a number of hearings on this,” said Newton.

The Mattapoisett Conservation Commission will meet again on Monday, October 22 at 7:00 pm in Town Hall.

By Katy Fitzpatrick

 

Lawrence Way Solar Array Approved

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Robert Lawrence came before the ZBA on Thursday, seeking a special permit to allow him to construct a 30-panel solar array on his property at 15 Lawrence Way.

The piece of land proposed for the panels, which is less than two acres, is located on a private, unpaved roadway.  Upon Town Administrator John Charbonneau’s recommendation, Lawrence had filed for an appeal for the project to be considered to be a minor modification so as to streamline the process for approval.

“It is the only viable spot to put photovoltaics is right here on this spot,” Lawrence said.  He added that the Planning Board and Conservation Commission had supported the project.  “I’d really like the building permit to put the array in, but I need a building permit, which can only come from this board.”

Use of the private road is shared between Lawrence and a local cranberry farm, which uses the area to access its bogs.

A representative from the bog, Lynda Kiernan, was present but had no questions or concerns.

After a quick examination of the plans, the ZBA saw no issues with the project and voted unanimously in favor of the solar array.

The next meeting of the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals will be on Thursday, October 25, 2012, at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

Mattapoisett FD Holds Open House

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The Mattapoisett Fire Department will be hosting an open house on Thursday, October 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. They plan to have games, pizza, prizes and of course fire engines!

Some of the activities planned include having demonstrations in the Safe House, which helps teach children what to do in case of a fire.

A Jaws of Life demonstration is also in the works where members of the department will show visitors how they can use special tools to take apart cars to get inside quickly.

 

Brogioli Presents ORRJHS Action Plan

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At the Wednesday night meeting of the ORR School Committee on October 10, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Elise Frangos presented an MCAS update jointly with Principals Kevin Brogioli and Michael Devoll. The presentation focused on the change from Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, to the Progress and Performance Index, or PPI.

                According to current PPI data, both the Junior High and the ORR School District are Level Two. The Senior High is currently Level One. Of the elementary schools, Marion is Level Two while both Mattapoisett and Rochester are Level One. About 86 percent of Massachusetts schools are Levels One and Two.

                Frangos explained that the change to PPI comes from a waiver that President Obama granted to Massachusetts public schools. The waiver allows schools to set the reasonable target goal of halving the proficiency gap by 2017; without the waiver, schools would have to meet the unreasonable target of total proficiency by 2014.

                “As we neared the deadline it became more and more challenging,” Frangos said. “The big shift is to focus on your high-needs children.”

                The waiver eliminates the double-counting that occurred in the AYP system, as the definition for high-needs children includes the previous subgroups of minorities, special needs, English Language Learners, and free and reduced lunch recipients.

                For a school to be categorized as Level One, meaning that it is meeting its goals for closing the proficiency gap, the school must receive a score of 75 out of 100. The Junior High, which was the subject of the presentation, received the score 68.

                Principal Brogioli continued the presentation by presenting the Junior High’s action plan.  Measures include: instituting new Common Core textbooks for English and math classes, lengthening class time from 41 to 53 minutes, guaranteeing students 30 minutes on four days of the week to engage in remedial work, instituting cross-curricular writing assignments for inclusion in student writing portfolios, and increasing the disciplines’ teachers meetings from 36 to 51 meetings per year.

                Frangos and Brogioli also cited the school’s areas of success in PPI. The Junior High received “extra credit” points for decreasing the warning/failing category by 10 percent in math, and increasing the advanced category by 10 percent in both math and science.

                “Science is now a big part of the calculus to determine progress and performance,” Frangos said.

                In its other business, the Committee approved the location for the Class of 2013’s Senior Prom. The class officers attended the meeting to present a PowerPoint slideshow of the selected venue, Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in Chatham, MA.

                The officers emphasized that Wequassett does not charge for a site fee. Other venues that the class officers had considered charge as high as $9,000.

                “A nice place without a site fee is hard to come by,” said Senior Class President Abby Hiller.

                Because of the extensive fundraising the Class of 2013 has already done, the officers expect prom tickets to cost $65. The officers will continue organizing fundraisers throughout the year.

                The prom location was unanimously approved by the Committee.

                Kim Corazzini, American Field Service Advisor, spoke to the Committee about the planning of upcoming events and trips. In November, Corazzini hopes to take the three foreign exchange students (from Italy, Thailand and Chile) to Newport, RI for some educational sight-seeing. In the spring, Corazzini has an opportunity to arrange for an AFS trip to Barker High School in Upstate New York. This trip would potentially include crossing the border into Canada to visit Toronto.

                “They’re that close to the border,” Corazzini said. She assured the Committee that the students going on the trip would be in good academic and behavioral standing, as well as active members of the AFS Club.

                The School Committee unanimously voted to give Corazzini permission to continue planning the trips.

                The next regular meeting of the ORR School Committee will be on Wednesday, November 14 at 6:00 pm in the School Committee Conference Room, located in the Superintendent’s Office.

By Anne Smith

Washburn Park To Be Renovated

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The Marion Conservation Commission met on Wednesday night for their regular meeting, during which they had a generous nine public hearings.

                  The first hearing of the night was for A. Neil Pappalardo, of Moorings Road, regarding his Request for Determination of Applicability to resurface part of an existing paved private roadway.

                  “It’s about a two day job.  They’ll use machines to take away the existing asphalt off-site.  There’s no increase in impervious.  There’s a wetland system so we’ll put in erosion control for that area,” said engineer Bob Rogers, who represented Pappalardo at the meeting.

                  “It’ll be a heck of a lot better than what it is now,” said Commission member Steve Gonsalves.

                  The Commission voted in favor of the project as submitted.

                  Then the Commission held a hearing for the Town of Marion, regarding an RDA to restore and maintain woods roads and hiking trails, install picnic tables and benches at the skating pond at Washburn Park.

                  “There’s an old playground that’s back there, the trees have deteriorated.  It used to be years ago, when they had a caretaker there, it used to be well maintained.  It was used quite a bit.  Over the years, it’s just been neglected.  It’s unfortunate,” said Selectman Jonathan Dickerson, on behalf of the Town of Marion.

                  “I consider it to be a gem of the town, it just needs a lot of polish,” he said.

                  He added that security cameras will be installed in the area as well.

                  “It was always well-visited over the years.  Growing up, it was a very active, very busy place, loved and adored by many,” said Commission Chairman Sherman Briggs.

                  The Commission asked Dickerson to have the site marked and staked in preparation for a future site visit.

                  “I think this is one giant step in getting it back to where it needs to go,” said Briggs.

                  The Conservation Commission then voted to grant the request.

                  The Commission granted a continuance until the October 24 meeting so the site could be marked.

                  Next, the Conservation Commission had a hearing for Gale Runnells of 17 Reservation Way.  She has filed a Notice of Intent to construct a garage and breezeway to her home.  The hearing was continued from the September 26 meeting because at that time, the project did not have a DEP file number.

                  The Conservation Commission then voted in favor of the NOI.

                  The next hearing was for Louis Mendes of 81 Water Street, regarding his RDA to install a water line and electric service from his home to a dock, install sprinkler systems in front of and behind the house, and to reseed the lawns.

            There was no representative for Mendes at the meeting, but the Commission, seeing no issues, voted in favor of the project

            The next hearing, for Sanford Russell, Jr. of 5 Main Street, was continued until the October 24 meeting.

                  The sixth hearing of the night was for Peter and Asha Wallace who have filed an NOI to maintain two existing view corridors near a salt marsh on their property at 167 Converse Road.  The hearing was continued from the Commission’s September 26 meeting.

                  “I made a site visit, had a talk with the Wallaces.  Some of the old trees are hollow and rotted, and some won’t even stand.  I didn’t see any issues.  The site was clean,” said Briggs.

                  “I did see the trees we had discussed were tagged, especially the diseased ones,” Gonsalves said.  “I didn’t see anything there that I was concerned with them eliminating healthy trees.”

                  Hills was concerned that by “vista pruning” the entire area, the amount of vegetation removed would be greater than the 10% threshold allowed by the Wetlands Protection Act.  But there is no system in place that would allow for the Wallaces to accurately figure out the percentage of the vegetation that is proposed for removal.

                  The removal of the sick and dead plants would allow for the healthier vegetation to thrive.

                  “I can’t think of any good mechanism we have to figure out how many we can take out,” Briggs said.

                  The Wallaces contended that the amount of trees removed would be less than the threshold set by the WPA, given the tree coverage over the entire acreage of their property.

                  “We’re here to enforce the Wetlands Protection Act,” said Hills.

                  “But I think sometimes common sense needs to apply,” Gonsalves said, adding that the removal of the dead vegetation would improve the ecosystem of the area.

                  The Commission voted in favor of the plan and issued a standard order of conditions.

                  Next, the Commission had a hearing for the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission, which has filed for an RDA to maintain a grass parking area at Grassi Bogs on Mill Street, and to thin the brush between the parking area and Mill Street.  The plan also calls for the relocation of metal gates and installation of wood posts to prevent vehicle access on the dikes.

                  “I think the intent is to create a nice entrance here, thin this out so you increase visibility, and let people enjoy it,” said Briggs.

                  Both Briggs and Hills were concerned that, without an adequate security gate, people may attempt to dump trash and used appliances in the area.

                  Then, Buzzards Bay Area Habitat For Humanity had a hearing with the Commission for their NOI to construct a single-family home and driveway at 185 Wareham Street.  The project has been in the works for a long time but has received a lot of support from the community at large.

                  The hearing was continued from the meeting on September 26 because the project did not have a DEP file number.  With no additional discussion required since the last meeting, the Commission voted in favor of the project as presented.

                  The ninth and final hearing was also for Habitat For Humanity to discuss their RDA to raze the existing dwelling at 185 Wareham Street, add some fill, and regrade the area.  But the land is currently owned by the Town of Marion and Habitat For Humanity needs approval from the Board of Selectmen in order to raze the existing house.

                  “We’ve been informed by [Town Administrator Paul] Dawson what is required, the name of the company that is doing the demolition and their insurance.  We’re supplying that information to Mr. Dawson and as soon as that’s received, we should get the license to demolish,” said George McTurk, on behalf of BBAHFH.

                  The Conservation Commission then voted to grant the RDA.

                  The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission will be on Wednesday, October 24, 2012, at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

ORR Sports Teams Pass Halfway Point

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As September changes to October, it’s time to look at the fall sports teams of ORR and how they have performed, as most teams have reached the midway point of their seasons. Except for football, whose season continues into late November, all teams are approaching the home stretch for their regular seasons, and their performances from here on out will determine whether or not they advance to state competitions.

Both the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams have performed admirably considering that they lost several seniors to graduation. The girls have been led by seniors Hannah Walsh and Alison Francis. Freshman midfielder Sarah Beaulieu has also shown she is varsity material and has been a key asset to the Lady Bulldogs. The girls’ win-loss-tie record now stands at 4-5-2. Teddy Costa and Robbie Magee have led a young boys’ team, and Goalie Mikey Pruchnik has been a key component. However, the boys’ record is 3-6-1, and they will need to win the next several games in order to make the state tournament.                  Both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams are currently undefeated, with records of 3-0. Mike Wyman has been a consistent first place finisher for the boys, as has Sammie Barrett for the girls. However, in order for both teams to be undefeated SCC Champions, they will have to get by rival Seekonk on October 10.

ORR girls’ volleyball has led a disappointing season so far but is starting to gain some momentum. Senior captains Abby Robinson and Bre Meuse have played well, as has junior Juliana Nicolosi. The girls’ record is currently 2-8. ORR field hockey has had a great season so far, led by top scorer Ally Saccone and fellow classmate Abby Offringa. Defender Erica Boulay and Goalie Hannah Cormier have provided key defense for the Lady Bulldogs, whose record stands at 6-1-3. However, the girls lost a tough 2-0 game against SCC rival Apponequet that essentially stole the SCC crown from ORR. However, if they keep playing consistently, the girls should make the state tournament.

Nolan Bergeron and Richie Phillips have led the ORR football team to a great start, and their record is now 4-1 thanks to a 21-8 win against Case on Friday. Coach Henry Quinlan’s new offensive strategy seems to be working well, and Bergeron has been one of the top scorers in the SCC with an impressive five touchdowns. The boys look to win a tough home game against the Wareham Vikings on Friday, October 12 at 4:30 pm.

The ORR sports team may not win the incredible amount of SCC Championship teams from last year, but the teams have so far looked overall promising, and if they play well, they should advance to the state tournament and possess winning records by the conclusion of the season.

By Michael Kassabian

Bay Scalloping Season to Begin Early

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The Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen voted to open the recreational Bay Scalloping Season two weeks earlier in order to take advantage of the upcoming weekends for shell fishing.  The decision was made at the board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, October 9 in Town Hall.

The original start of the 2012 Bay Scalloping season was scheduled for November 1 for both recreational and commercial fishers.  November 1 is later than the traditional mid-October start, but Shellfish Warden Kathy Massey had several reasons for delaying the season.

Massey said because the scallops reproduce in the summer, they need the month of October to grow.  Also, water temperatures are not quite cool enough to yield the highest amount of scallops. Right now the water temperature is around 55 degrees.

‘The cooler the water is, the better,” said Massey.

Despite Massey’s reasoning, the state’s Department of Marine Fisheries has granted the town access to open the season now, so the town is granting limited harbor access for recreational scalloping two weeks early.

For recreational bay scalloping in the inner harbor, the season will begin on Friday, October 12.  Commercial scalloping in the outer harbor can begin on Monday, October 15.  Commercial scalloping in the inner harbor will begin on Thursday, November 1.

In other news, the board is looking to meet with the Financial Committee to discuss a repaving of Mattapoisett Neck Road.  A project to relay sewer lines is nearly complete, and with the potholes existing in the remainder of the road, the town feels it is the perfect time to repave.

Selectman Paul Silva said the project would cost approximately $220,000 to repave Mattapoisett Neck Road as well as several other side streets.  The repaving would keep the roads in good condition for 15-20 years.

The board hopes to meet with the Financial Committee within the next week so they can come up with an estimate to put on the Special Town Meeting Warrant. If approved, the town hopes the project would be completed by May of 2013 before the busy summer season.

The board met with three committees in town to get status updates on their departments.  The Police Department, Fire Department and Council on Aging all gave progress reports.

Police Chief Mary Lyons is urging residents to continue to call in any suspicious activities in any neighborhood due to the increased volume of home invasions.  Since the weather is getting cooler, Lyons is also encouraging residents to remove any window air conditioning units as most of the culprits from recent break-ins have entered through the windows.

Lyons also informed the board that the new Mattapoisett police cruisers will be Chevrolet Tahoe SUV’s. Since Ford is discontinuing the production of their Crown Victoria model, the station had to choose another vehicle for the department’s use.

Fire Chief Andrew Murray expressed the need for a new facility since quarters in the current station are extremely tight.

“Every square inch is being utilized,” said Murray.

Additionally, the town will need to purchase a new engine in two years after buying a new one just a few months ago to replace Engine 1.  A series of upgrades were made to the current station, including new windows and doors, as well as new landscaping and new parking lot pavement.  Still, there is not enough space for the department.

Murray’s second priority behind the new building is to increase the number of firefighters.  Both Murray and the board cited busy schedules for residents and lack of financial incentive.  Murray said he is allotted $80,000 each year to pay 36 community firefighters.  Some firefighters can receive as little as $18 a run, he said.

Another hurdle in bringing on new firefighters is the cost to conduct physicals for each new employee the department hires.  It costs approximately $240 for each new hire to be examined, and that does not include the cost of tuition to the academy.  Last year, the department hired six new firefighters and spent $1,500 on their physicals.  Murray said he has lost nearly six officers out of the department since then for various reasons.

Mattapoisett Council on Aging Executive Director Jacqueline Coucci informed the board of the group’s new Outreach Coordinator Kathleen DeMello.  DeMello began working last week.

“We are looking to enhance outreach services and target those who are homebound,” said Coucci.

The council has also increased transportation services, making all rides that stay within Mattapoisett $1.  The council also added additional trips to the Dartmouth Mall and Wareham Crossing.

“We have had a lot of great response from that,” said Coucci.

The Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen will meet again on Tuesday, October 23 at 7:00 pm in Mattapoisett Town Hall.

By Katy Fitzpatrick