Mattapoisett schools are doing exceptionally well at narrowing learning proficiency gaps, according to the results of MCAS information released by the state on September 19 and discussed at the Mattapoisett School Committee Meeting held Monday, October 15, at the Center School Cafeteria in Mattapoisett.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recognized the Center and  Old Hammondtown elementary schools for their high progress in narrowing proficiency gaps as well as student growth.

“This recognition is the result of the hard work of our faculty, students, staff and parents,” said Old Hammondtown School Principal Matt D’Andrea. “We are close to one of the highest performing schools across the state.”

Kudos to local schools also came from Superintendent of Schools Doug R. White Jr., School Committee Chairperson James Higgins; and Elise Frangos, Director of Curriculum and Instruction.

This year, the state instituted a new accountability system as a result of receiving a No Child Left Behind waiver from the Federal Department of Education. Frangos discussed this new system in detail.

  “Massachusetts was one of the states to acquire a waiver… and had to make some promises. … Some of the promises we made were that we would move forward with college and career readiness and look to have all students gain in reading and mathematics proficiency,” Frangos said. “We also had to move forward with the idea that a new supervision and evaluation system would be brought in.

“Under the new waiver, we have one classification system for all schools using the same indicators and measures, and we also have some flexibility to direct additional resources to schools with the lowest achieving students,” she added.

Frangos said the state’s deadline to reduce proficiency gaps has changed from 2013-2014 to 2016-2017 with the target goal being a 100 reduction by that time. There is also a new requirement to improve student proficiency in science, which poses a new challenge to the state.

“We have great expectations for our science work with continuous study of new science standards, and we need to look carefully at those,” she said.

Local schools are considered “on target” to reach the 100 percent benchmark by 2017. To be considered “on target,” a school must currently be at 75 percent. Accountability data for Mattapoisett schools show narrowed proficiency gaps and student growth in the last two years, Frangos said.

 Superintendent White spoke on the importance of local school educators to come up with a uniform plan to work with MCAS evaluators on how to show proficiency in their respective schools. He suggested the four local school districts come into alignment on goals around student learning, professional practice, and district learning.

“What does proficient look like and what would show that proficiency is met? I am trying to meet with school committees to give an overview on this. I think doing this as one group is important, and to come to an agreement on three-to-six goals that are in line in each of the four districts is important,” White said. “Hopefully, at the joint [school committee] meeting, we can strategize how to move forward with this. … I did this at all four school committees this month, and I will have additional conversations at the joint meeting next week.”

In other matters, White’s report stated that contracts with the Mattapoisett Teachers Association and the Marion Paraprofessionals and Secretaries have been settled. Negotiations between the Old Rochester School Committee and the Old Rochester Professional Educators Association are ongoing. In addition, talks are continuing with the ORR custodians. In Rochester, the Teachers Association and the School Committee have been meeting to settle the teacher’s contract, and talks will begin soon with the Rochester custodians.

Frangos announced a free Parent-Teacher Education Forum to be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24, at the library of Old Rochester Junior high School. Kathryn Collins, RN, MSN, PNP, will speak about eating disorders, self-injury (depression and suicidal ideation warning signs), physical and social impact of puberty, and how to support children in difficult peer relationships.

More than 800 grade 4-8 students from the tri-county area will participate in Shake and Bake! in which they will bake for themselves and others as part of a King Arthur Flour Grant Project. The baked goods will be given to the Meals on Wheels and to the Friendship Table at the end of October, when the Vermont-based flour company comes to local schools.

Director of Facilities Eugene Jones gave his report on various maintenance issues.

Center Elementary School had its chairlift (stage) pass inspection, and the elevator is scheduled for inspection next month. The flagpole lights were repaired along with outside lampposts and wall packs. All graffiti from has been cleaned or removed, and boilers were enabled on October 9.

Old Hammondtown Elementary School needs repairs for its major parking lot lights. Mike Gagne is picking up the repair costs, and the lights are expected to be functioning again within two weeks. Boilers also were enabled there as well, and there was preventative maintenance work done on HVAC grounds equipment

According to D’Andrea’s report on Old Hammondtown School:

            •More than 150 students from Center and OHS are participating in after school classes including basketball, cooking, pottery, dance, stock market, and running club.

            •Teachers have met with the principals to set goals for the school academic year.

            •About 30 OHS students are being served breakfast.

            •Progress reports will be issued on Monday, October 22.

            •Students will be dismissed early on Thursday, October 25, and Friday, October 26, for scheduled Parent-Teacher conferences.

            •Sixth grade students are participating in the Lion’s Club poster contest, under the theme, “Imagine Peace.” The posters will be judged the first week in November with the winning poster competing at the national level.

According to the report from Center School Principal Rosemary Bowman:

             •Progress reports for Trimester will be sent home with all students on Monday, October 22.

              •Parent –Teacher conferences scheduled on Thursday, October 25, and Friday, October 26. Students will be released at 12:20 pm on these days.

               •The Mattapoisett PTA will sponsor the Scholastic Book Fair at Center School on November 2, 5, 7, and 8. Parents are invited to attend from 2:30-7:30 pm on Wednesday, November 7, and from 9:30-11:00 am on Thursday, November 8.

                •Mattapoisett Educator members have met with the principal to set the school, grade level, and individual goals for 2012-2013. The common focus of the goals is the implementation of the Sangari Inquiry Based Science and student writing with emphasis on writing in response to non-fiction text.

                •Schools closed on November 12 for Veteran’s Day.

The Joint School Committee meeting will be held Thursday, October 25, at the Superintendent’s Office, 135 Marion Road in Mattapoisett; the next Mattapoisett School Committee meeting will be held on Monday, November 5, at Center School on Barstow Street in Mattapoisett.

By Scott A. Giordano

The Rochester Board of Selectmen reviewed and approved all five articles on the warrant for the Special Town Meeting.  The approval came during the board’s regular meeting on Monday, October 15 at Rochester Town Hall.

The first article on the warrant also boasts the biggest price tag, and encompasses a list of renovations and purchases the town needs to make for their buildings and vehicles.  The total price tag for all of the items combined in the article is $897,000.

“There are a number of capital projects and equipment that need to be addressed now,” said Town Administrator Richard La Camera.

$250,000 of the $897,000 figure will go to repairing the exterior of the Town Hall, replacing windows, shingles and siding.  Nothing on the interior of the building will be fixed.

“What we’re trying to do here is protect our investment,” said LaCamera.  “We could potentially lose this building.”

The Plumb Library and Police Station would also see repairs if the article is carried at the meeting. The library would become more handicapped accessible with a new lift for wheelchairs, and the roof on the Police Station would be replaced with better shingles.

Additionally, the Council on Aging would receive a new roof and the Fire Department would get bathroom upgrades.  As it stands now, the bathrooms in the station are approximately 4’x4′.  Both roof replacements would cost $40,000 and the repairs to the Library and the Fire Station would both cost $25,000.

A new fuel system, two highway trucks, a highway mower, fire chief vehicle and new Fire Department radios are also listed under the first article. The town proposes to refurbish two existing fire trucks instead of buying new ones.

To pay for these investments, the town will switch out old debt that is about to expire with this new debt, therefore it will not increase the town’s operating budget nor will it create an override.  However, the debt will not be swapped for three years, so the town will use some of the $727,000 worth of free cash to begin making payments.

LaCamera insisted that this is the best time to make these investments due to the low interest rates, which are currently estimated to be 3.2-3.5%.

“I think this is a good approach in the short term,” said LaCamera.  “These interest rates are almost unheard of.”

The remaining articles on the warrant will touch upon Right to Farm Bylaws, Photovoltaic Installation, Right to Farm Declaration and Dimension Regulations for residences and farms.

The fifth and final article on the warrant is for a proposed little league ballpark at the recreational grounds on Dexter Lane.  The town applied for a grant which would use money to build the park.  Any additional money needed will be funded by Rochester LIttle League and will not be funded by the town.

In other news, the Board voted to appoint Nathan Valenti as a Reserve Police Officer for the Rochester Police Department.  Valenti resides in Rochester, is a 2005 graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School.  He studied English at UMass-Dartmouth and has passed both his written and physical exams for the department.

The town also voted to sign another three-year contract for Fire Chief Scott Weigel, who is finishing his first three-year term in that role for the town.

The next scheduled regular meeting for the Rochester Board of Selectmen is Monday, November 5 at 7:00 pm in Rochester Town Hall.

By Katy Fitzpatrick 

The Marion Planning Board discussed the drafting of a solar bylaw, currently a joint venture by both the Planning Board and the Marion Energy Management Committee, at their regular meeting on Monday, October 15.

North spoke on behalf of the Board presenting the solar bylaw terms sheet with full support of fellow Board members, as well as addressing current areas of concern about unregulated solar development. In attendance at the meeting was Bill Saltonstall, who represented the EMC.

“Most important is that non-commercial roof-mounted solar panels be considered a home’s accessory,” North said. “That should be allowed in Marion in all zoning districts.”

North’s terms sheet states that solar panels meeting this category would require a building permit.

For larger projects, namely small-scale solar farms or pole- and ground-mounted solar panels, North recommended that the bylaw require a special permit and site plan review. Additionally, small-scale solar farms would be limited to commercial zoning.

“We ought to be looking at a restriction or prohibition on large-scale solar farms,” North said.

Chairman Jay Ryder commended North’s work on the terms sheet.

“This is a very good start and we want feedback from the Energy Management Committee on the term sheets,” Ryder said.

Saltonstall questioned the Board’s support of North’s presentation.

“It would help us to know that this committee supports the terms,” Saltonstall said. “This sounds like Ted North’s proposal. We want to be sure that this is the Planning Board’s proposal.”

Ryder responded in the affirmative.

“I might reiterate the confidence of the Planning Board in Ted North and Sherman Briggs’ abilities to handle these bylaw issues,” Ryder said.

“We’d like to get together with Ted and other representatives to get this thing through,” Saltonstall said.

In its other business, the Board voted to grant the River Road Definitive Subdivision Plan, care of Morse Engineering Company, Inc., an extension of its continued public hearing until Tuesday, November 20.

The public hearing was continued until Monday, November 5 at 7:10 pm per request by Gregory Morse.

The Board then discussed the current traffic problems at Cumberland Farms. Board members have completed a site visit and are in the process of meeting with representatives of the business.

“We’ve got 18-wheelers that are parking in the wrong spaces and are not allowing traffic to go in and out as they should,” Ryder said. “Deliveries have to park in the designated areas and there’s really only one.”

The Board is also concerned about simultaneous deliveries.

“There are multiple deliveries going on at the same time and that doesn’t work,” Ryder said. “That’s fine on the same day but not at the same time.”

In its last business, the Board consulted with Susan Nilson of CLE Engineering, who was representing Kittansett for a pre-submission conference. Nilson said that Kittansett is planning to build a pump house near its existing maintenance building and wished to have confirmation that only a minor site plan review would be required.

“We’re dealing with a minor site plan review because the pump house does not exceed 2,000 square feet,” Ryder confirmed.

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board will be held on Monday, November 5 at 7:00 pm in the Town House.

By Anne Smith

There were no public hearings on the agenda for the Mattapoisett Planning Board at their regular meeting on Monday, October 15, but they did review and sign some site plan maps for the proposed cell tower to be built off Jane Lane.  The new maps serve to subdivide the area and adjust the amount of frontage required to use the lot for the tower.

 “All this does is clean up the lot’s frontage.  It does nothing else, it approves nothing else,” said Planning Board member John Mathieu.

The cell tower plan is still in the works, but the Planning Board cannot grant the required special permit because the location of the tower is outside the designated corridor next to Route 195.  Since the tower is proposed for a residential area, the decision is up to the Zoning Board of Appeals.  At the last Planning Board meeting, the engineers of the project requested an indefinite continuance, which the Board granted.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board will be on Monday, November 5, 2012, at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

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