Town Planning Vision Discussed in Marion

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The Marion Planning Board briefly discussed the Master Plan, or Town Visioning, at their meeting on Monday night, August 20. Chairman Jay Ryder commented about responses to emails that he sent to towns in Massachusetts that either have gone through the process of doing a Master Plan or are in the process of working on a vision for their town.

“I received return emails from two towns in Massachusetts that are similar in size to Marion and was impressed with what I read,” said Ryder. The towns were Tewksbury and New Scotland Hamlet.

“Anything we can do to benefit from towns similar in size who have gone through this process already … and not reinvent the wheel … that’s what we want to tap into,” said Ryder.

In other business, Ryder told the Board that he received an email from Marion Town Counsel Jon Witten regarding the solar bylaw wording, as per the Board’s request. “I’ve sent copies to all board members and ask you to review the wording and come to the next meeting with any questions, suggestions or comments,” said Ryder.

Ryder suggested that the Board work together to come up with something “concrete” that could be brought before town residents at the fall town meeting.

The Board continued the public hearing for a definitive subdivision plan for River Road by Investors Fund Trust c/o Morse Engineering Company, Inc. at the applicant’s request.

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board will be on Tuesday, September 4 at  5:00 pm (due to the Monday, Labor Day Holiday).

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

Board Frustrated With Town Counsel

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During their regular meeting on August 20, Planning Board member Jon Mathieu expressed his frustration at the Town Counsel for not responding to the Board’s repeated inquiries regarding the Jane Lane cell phone tower project, proposed by Industrial Wireless.  Mathieu said that the Counsel has not answered their questions pertaining to the Planning Board’s ability to grant the tower company a special permit for construction.

Rather than being a body elected from the residents of Mattapoisett, the Town Counsel is Boston law firm Kopelman and Paige. According to their website, they perform those same legal services to over one third of the towns of Massachusetts.

Mathieu said according to the bylaw, the Planning Board is the special permit granting body of Mattapoisett, but Industrial Wireless has been arguing that because the proposed location of the tower is outside of the designated corridor, the decision should come from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

“They are less than forthcoming with answers for us. We usually have to bring it up at two or three meetings. It’s very disturbing that we can’t make decisions because we don’t have answers from Town Counsel,” Mathieu said. “They may actually have to get a variance in order to build the tower outside of the zone. In which case, they need to go the Zoning Board of Appeals.”

“Our job is to plan this town,” Mathieu said.

The rest of the Board agreed that the lack of communication was hindering their efforts to make a decision whether or not to grant a permit for the tower.

The Planning Board then unanimously passed a motion to retain outside legal counsel in order to address their questions.

There were no public hearings on the agenda for the meeting, but the Planning Board met informally with Attorney Daniel Perry, on behalf of the Village of Mattapoisett, regarding $50,000 that is being retained by the town for maintenance. He said the Village is looking for some financial relief, as they need to begin some repairs on the infrastructure of the complex.  Perry said the Village pays about $8,000 a year for routine facility maintenance.

“If the Board is inclined to grant some relief, we’d have to amend the special permit to permit it to be released,” Perry said. He added that he came to the Board to investigate whether or not they would need to be part of the process.

“That retained money wasn’t for a maintenance issue, it was for an emergency repair fund,” said Ron Merlo of the Planning Board. “It’s for something catastrophic, like if the hundred year storm comes along,” he said.

Merlo also said he believed that any extra money for regular repair work should come from the condominium association.

Planning Board Chairman Thomas Tucker said that if there was enough interest accrued on the money, they may be able issue funds from the interest. He said the developer was responsible for putting up $30,000 at the outset but due to a legal loophole, the money was not deposited until after the complex was complete. The full amount of $50,000 has only been retained for the last three or four years.

“Nobody was watching what they were doing. They’ve been playing catch-up ever since,” Tucker said.

As a result, there is only about $1,100 of interest accrued on the sum.

“If he had been putting the money in from the beginning, there’d be a lot more,” Tucker said.

Perry said he would speak with the Conservation Commission in order to get their view and would investigate other means by which the Village would be able to appropriate extra money for maintenance.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board will be on Monday, September 17 at 7:00 pm.

By Eric Tripoli

Helen (Blair) Richmond

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Helen (Blair) Richmond, 93, passed away peacefully on August 2, 2012 at Forestview Nursing Home. She was the wife of the late Peter Richmond.

Mrs. Richmond was born in Dreghorn, Scotland, the daughter of the late John and Mary (Seales) Blair. She moved to the United States as a child and lived in New York state for many years before moving to western Massachusetts. She was a secretary and during her career she worked for the British Embassy, Reader?s Digest and Williston Academy. She and her husband resided in western MA and summered in Nantucket and later Mattapoisett. When they retired, Mattapoisett became their permanent home.

Mrs. Richmond loved music and was a member of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church Choir, the Sippican Choral Society, and an intergenerational choir. She cared very much about her community and was active in the Mattapoisett Congregational church, the Mattapoisett Historical Society, the Council on Aging, and the Mattapoisett Housing Authority,

She is survived by her many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and a step-daughter. She was predeceased by her husband, Peter Richmond, her sister, Susan (Blair) Johnson and her brother, John Blair.

She will be remembered by her family and friends for her caring and nurturing manner and her wit and sense of humor.

A celebration of her life will be held at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church on Saturday, September 15 at 10AM. A reception will follow at Reynard Hall next to the church. Relatives and friends invited.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be made to the Mattapoisett Congregational Church PO Box 284 Mattapoisett, MA 02739 or the Mattapoisett Historical Society PO Box 535 Mattapoisett, MA 02739

American Legion Honors Longtime Member

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On Saturday August 18, the Florence Eastman Post 280 of the American Legion, honored its most senior member, Mary C. (Clare) Doyle, Major (Retired) U.S.A., with a certificate of appreciation for her 68 years of continuous membership as well as celebrating her 100 year birthday.

Clare, as she is known by those close to her, formerly lived in Mattapoisett and turned 100 years old on Thursday, August 16. She is now residing in an assisted living facility in Meredith, NH.

The recognition of Clare’s service to her country as a U.S. Army Nurse as well as her long life was particularly appropriate to all nurses as the Mattapoisett American Legion Post 280 was named in honor of Florence Eastman, a WWI U.S. Army nurse, who died at age 24 on active duty at Camp Mills, Long Island, while serving 1918 flu victims.

Florence Eastman coincidentally was the daughter of Russell Blanchard Eastman, the last Ned’s Point Lighthouse keeper, before the “keeper’s house” was floated to Wing’s Neck Light in 1923.

 

Rochester Grange Fair Photos

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On Saturday, August 18, 2012, the Rochester Grange held its annual agricultural fair.  On display were award-winning fruits and vegetables grown by the best green thumbs in town.   The patrons of the fair also enjoyed the Celtic fiddle music of Rochester native Tiffany Rozenas, joined on stage by members of her family.  Here are some photos of the beautiful prize produce from this year’s Grange fair. Photos by Eric Tripoli.

 

William J. Pendergast, D.M.D.

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William J. Pendergast, D.M.D., 93, of Marion died August 17, 2012 peacefully at home surrounded by his family.

He was the husband of the late Betty M. (McCarthy) Pendergast formerly of Fairhaven.

Born in Boston, the son of the late William J. and Lenora M. (Noonan) Pendergast, he was raised in Dedham and lived in Weston, before retiring to Marion in a house which he designed.

Dr. Pendergast was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church in Mattapoisett.

He was a member of the founding group of Boston University Graduate School of Dentistry and taught at Tufts University Dental School. He a past chair of the American Council of Dental Therapeutics, a past president of The American Academy of Dental Science and a diplomate of the American Academy of Periodontology. He was a well known and skilled periodontist, who practiced in Boston and Weston for over 40 years.

He was a member of the Kittansett Club, the Neighborhood Club of Quincy, the Gridiron Club of Boston. He was a dentist, inventor, architect, jewelry maker, fisherman, boater, and a Dixieland Big Band jazz lover. He loved his family and had a great sense of humor.

Dr. Pendergast served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he met his wife, Betty, who also was a Navy officer.

Survivors include 2 sons, David L. Pendergast of Dover, MA and Peter R. Pendergast of Boston MA; 2 daughters, Beth Pendergast of New York, NY and Julie A. Pendergast of Washington, DC; a sister, Joy Hale, of Glastonbury, CT; 9 grandchildren, Amy E. Pendergast, William J. Pendergast, III, Andrew C. Pendergast, Emily B. Pendergast, Christopher J. Vega, Alessandra M. Vega, Katherine E. Vega, William G. Arsenault and Elizabeth L. Arsenault; 2 great-grandchildren, Finn and Van Pendergast; and several nieces and nephews.

He was the father of the late William J. “Pendy” Pendergast, Jr.

His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, August 21 at 10:30 AM in St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett, MA. Burial will follow in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute P.O. Box 849168 Boston, MA 02284 or Macular Degeneration Association P.O. Box 20256 420 Beach Rd., Sarasota, FL 34276. For on-line guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Mattapoisett Women’s Club Seeks New Members

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The highly regarded Mattapoisett Women’s Club (MWC) concluded an exceptionally successful summer of fundraising boosting our scholarship endowment. To share in our accomplishments and varied activities, the Club is actively seeking new members who wish to participate in civic, educational, philanthropic and social activities.

Becoming a member of the MWC holds numerous benefits. The most obvious of these is that it is an arena in which to make new friends in a relaxed environment along with others who are equally eager to form new acquaintances and participate in Club activities. There are several special interest groups within the Club: a fascinating garden group, a stimulating literature group, an inspirational symphony group, a thought-provoking Great Decisions group that discusses foreign policy and Bridge groups that challenge the mind.

The MWC is a great way to make new friends if you have recently relocated to this exquisite seaside community or have a general interest in Mattapoisett. So, whether you are new to Mattapoisett or have been a resident for a long time, the Mattapoisett Women’s Club offers a variety of interests for everyone.

The Club meets regularly at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church, 27 Church Street on the third Thursday of each month at 12 noon beginning in September and ending on the third Thursday of April.

For more information please contact: Barbara Ketchel at 508-758-9593 or Myra Hart at 508-758-4703.

Shipyards of Mattapoisett Tour

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Seth Mendell, President of the Mattapoisett Historical Society, will be hosting a tour “Shipyards of Mattapoisett”, Sunday, September 2 at 5 p.m. at the Gazebo in Shipyard Park. Enjoy a late summer evening learning about Mattapoisett’s world-famous ship building industry.  Come and learn about this busy and fascinating time in Mattapoisett history when 300 vessels were built for the worldwide whaling industry.  The tour is free; donations are always welcome.

Baby Turtles Hatch in Marion

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The diamondback terrapin turtle calls the beaches and salt marshes of the South Coast home.  Marion resident and turtle expert Don Lewis, along with his wife Susan Wieber Nourse, a scientist, have been working for years with local communities to help improve the survival rate for this threatened species.  Pictured here are hatchlings that emerged last weekend, a fenced-in nest area for eggs, and eggs that are due to hatch in the coming weeks.  Photos by Eric Tripoli.

Shirley “Lee” Doud Johns

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Shirley “Lee” Doud Johns, of Marion, died peacefully at home on August 15, 2012. She was the wife of the late David W. Johns, the mother of Peter, Susan, and Chip, and the daughter of the late General Alfred H. Doud and Helen Whitney Doud. She would have been 84 on September 23.

Lee was born in Rochester, NY, in 1928 where she was raised with her two sisters, Patricia and Barbara. In 1954, she married David Johns, also from Rochester, and they moved to Northport, NY. In 1960, they moved to Marion where Lee worked as a medical secretary and managed the Marion Racquet Club. She and her husband spent as much time as they could sailing with their children on Buzzards Bay, first on Conquest, a 32” wooden cutter, and later on Revival, a Block Island 40. When they weren’t sailing or in the boatyard they were off to ski Cannon Mt. in Franconia, NH, where they eventually retired in 1991. After her husband’s death in 1996, Lee summered in Marion until 1998 when she moved back to Marion year round.

A sailor, skier, seamstress, gardener, and tireless volunteer, Lee was never idle. Her volunteer activities included the Buzzards Bay Regatta, the Marion to Bermuda Race, the Gleason Family YMCA, the Rotch-Jones-Duff House, Buzzards Bay Musicfest, Tobey Hospital, Elizabeth Taber Library, Sippican School, and the Girl Scouts of America. She was a member of the Beverly Yacht Club and the Garden Club of Marion.

Lee is survived by her three children and eight grandchildren: Peter and Connie Johns of Osterville, MA, and their son Peter; Susan and George Dorshimer of Jenkintown, PA, and their children, Sam, Greg, Emma and Molly; and Chip and Colleen Johns of Mattapoisett, MA, and their children, Christina, Caroline and Luke. She is also survived by her sisters, Patricia Rolfsen of Rochester, NY, and Barbara Cameron of Ft. Meyers, FL, and their families.

A memorial service will be held for Lee at the St. Gabriels Church in Marion on Friday, August 24 at 2 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lee’s name to the Gleason Family YMCA, 33 Charge Pond Rd. P.O. Box 466, Wareham, MA 02571. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. For on-line guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.