Rochester Approves Wind Project Plan

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The Rochester Board of Selectmen voted to approve a new wind power project for the town that would be effective in 2013.  The decision was made at the board’s regular meeting on Monday, July 30.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” said Town Administrator Rich LaCamera.

The project, which is the same one that Marion signed last week at their meeting on Tuesday, July 24, would provide a renewable source of energy for the town and would save the town 20-30% annually on electric bills.

Keith Mann of Future Generations is the Project Manager and owns the land in Plymouth where the wind farm would be located.  The project proposes four wind turbines that would sell their energy to NSTAR in the form of net meter credits. NSTAR would then bill the towns at a discounted rate. The towns would pay 80% of the bill, and NSTAR would pay back 20-30% for the towns to keep in a fund each month.

Due to the time it takes to manufacture the turbines, the project will not begin until 2013.

In other news, the board voted to draft to requests for proposals for a new town hall and for various road improvements.  According to LaCamera, there are $5 million worth of road improvements to be made in the town and nowhere near enough money in the town’s budget to make them.

“There’s no way under the current tax structure that we can pay for that,” he said.

LaCamera suggested applying for a grant that would help fix the roads and the town wouldn’t have to pay any money back until 2014.  Additionally, LaCamera suggested drafting plans for a new town hall that would be located on Dexter Lane between the Police Department and the Council on Aging.

In order to maintain the current building, regardless of whether or not a new building is constructed, there are approximately $250,000 worth of repairs to be made to the structure’s windows, siding and trim. The town hopes to repair the building so other departments in the town could use it for years to come.

‘The goal needs to be to protect this building because if we don’t, we are going to lose it,” said LaCamera.

One road that could see improvement sooner rather than later is County Road after the Selectmen voted to approve a grant proposal to be submitted to the South Coast Railway Technical Assistance Fund.  The grant would research ways County Road could be improved.

Selectman Brad Morse said the goal is to have the status of County Road upgraded so it could receive more federal funding.  The grant proposal will be signed by both Marion and Wareham and will be drafted by Marion’s grant writers.

David Souza and Julie Koczera gave the board a final update on the Rochester Country Fair, which will begin Thursday, August 16 and run through Sunday, August 19. The two planners are very pleased with how the coordinating of the event at its new location has gone thus far.

“Thanks to the town for all their support,” said Souza.  “It’s been a fun project but it’s also been kind of a big project.”

Souza and Koczera will be posting signs around town to guide fair-goers to the new grounds.

Rochester Police Chief Paul Magee informed that one lane of Pine Street will be closed to traffic in order to give pedestrians ample room to walk to the fair’s new location.  Magee also said he has increased staffing for the fair in order to prevent any unanticipated problems.

Magee announced that Animal Control Officer Anne Estabrook has been granted a two-month leave of absence for personal reasons.  He said he will receive help from neighboring towns in order to fill the gap.

Town Clerk Naida Parker wants to remind residents that this year’s State Primary Election will be held on Thursday, September 6 as opposed to a traditional Tuesday.  The reasoning for the change is the observance of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.

The Rochester Board of Selectmen will meet again on Monday, August 13 at 7:00 pm in Town Hall.

By Katy Fitzpatrick

Lumberjacks & Jills Head to Country Fair

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Among the many exciting events at the Rochester Country Fair in August is the Woodsman Show at 1:00 pm Sunday afternoon, August 19. Lumberjacks & Jills that compete all around New England, Canada and beyond will be coming to Rochester with chain saws, axes and various hand tools. They will be demonstrating their skills while competing for the fastest time. Some have already set world records.

Chris and Lynn Faustino of Rochester started the Woodsman Show over a decade ago. Because of their hard work over the years, it has always been a popular and successful event at the Rochester Fair. Chris and Lynn are also excellent competitors and have competed all over New England. This year the show will be at our new location at 65 Pine Street and will be run by Fair Committee Members Dave and Carol Grime. Besides being at a new location, woodsmen will be competing in several new and exciting events.

You can also take a chance on winning a Stihl Chainsaw donated by one of our major sponsors. Raffle tickets for the Chainsaw can be purchased prior to the show at Matt’s Blackboard Café in Rochester (ask Bev), the Ponderosa in Acushnet or from any RCF Committee Member. The lucky ticket will be drawn at the show.

We are thankful for all the sponsors who helped make this event happen. So come and join us to cheer for your favorite Lumberjack or Jill; it is sure to be a great show! Visit www.rochesterma.com for additional Fair information.

Harbor Days Thank You

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The Mattapoisett Lions Club wishes to express our appreciation to the many volunteers who helped make this year’s Harbor Days a huge success. This week-long festival has grown over the past 28 years and it really does “take a village” to prepare and execute all of the events.  We thank all of the Lions that participated and the large number of friends, family and neighbors who helped accomplish so much in such a short period of time.

The club is grateful to the advertisers, sponsors, vendors, entertainers, crafters and of course, the thousands of patrons. We know that the traffic and congestion can be bothersome at times, and we acknowledge the patience of the locals. We especially want to thank Barry Denham and the Highway Department, the Mattapoisett Fire and Police Departments, the Selectmen’s office, and the Council on Aging. Also, for the assistance of the Harbormaster, Boy Scout Troop 53, the ORR Swim Team, and the ORR Football Team.

Our President, Attorney Joe Murray, along with the Harbor Days committee has been working on the details for months, and we have already begun working on Harbor Days 2013.

100 percent of the net proceeds from Harbor Days are donated to Lions Club International Sponsored charities such as Lions Eye Research, as well as community projects.

Learn to Row with the Phoenix Rowing Club!

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Learns to row with the Phoenix Crew on Sunday, August 5 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at their launch at 30 Beach St. in Fairhaven.

We welcome youth and adults along with experienced rowers and those new to the sport for a free trial.

Summer sessions available for August and opportunity for fall rowing reason.

Phoenix Crew is a non-cut sport and open to all. Register now at: www.phoenixcrewclub.webs.com.  For more information: info.phoenixcrew@gmail.com or to talk to Coach Carolyn McGonagle at crazyrower@yahoo.com or 650-387-6787.

 

Angelina J. (Cedrone) Vachon

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Angelina J. (Cedrone) Vachon, 81, of Mattapoisett died Friday July 27, 2012 at St. Luke’s Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer. She was the wife of the late Louis Richard Vachon.

Born in Newton, the daughter of the late Gerardo and Loretta Marie (Mazzola) Cedrone, she lived in Newton for most of her life. She had been a summer resident of Mattapoisett for many years before moving there permanently in 2002.

Mrs. Vachon was formerly employed as a payroll clerk for the City of Newton Fire Department.

Survivors include four sons, Stephen J. Vachon and wife Tracey, and Michael J. Vachon and wife Laura, all of Mashpee, John T. Vachon and wife Susan of Lakeville, and Robert J. Vachon and wife Dee of Amesbury; a brother, Daniel Cedrone and wife Loretta of Rowe; her sister-in-law, Pauline Cedrone; 12 grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. She also leaves her extended Crescent Beach family.

She was the sister of the late Joseph and Larry Cedrone.

Her Funeral Service will be held on Monday August 6, 2012 at 11 AM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Burial will follow in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Sunday August 5, 2012 from 2-6 PM. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Harbor Cruise with Habitat For Humanity

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The Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity held their annual harbor boat cruise on Saturday, July 28, 2012, and as usual, it was a great success.

Gray and threatening skies didn’t stop the dozens of people who attended the fundraiser, which departed from New Bedford State Pier, headed west toward Dartmouth, and looped back around.

“We used to have the cruise on the Cape Cod Canal,” said Christine Lacourse, executive director of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter.  “Recently, we switched it to New Bedford.”

The cruise has been a long-standing fundraising event for about five years and “is always a success,” according to Lacourse.

“Our goal every year is to sell 100 tickets and this year we surpassed that.  The money goes to help build affordable housing in the eight towns we’re involved with,” Lacourse said.  Those towns stretch from Wareham to Dartmouth.

The current project involves property on Route 6 in Marion, which is awaiting its new dwelling. Lacourse said that they are looking to begin construction in the fall and estimates it will take anywhere from six to nine months to complete the home.

“I like it for what it goes to help.  The people here are all humanitarians and I like that,” said Kirsten Taylor of New Bedford.  She also mentioned that her daughter helped build a house in North Carolina with Habitat for Humanity a few years ago.

Lynn Whitney, formerly of Marion, has brought Taylor to the cruise with her for the last three years.

“This is always just a beautiful time for a good cause,” she said.

For more information on the Buzzards Bay Habitat for Humanity, visit their website at www.buzzardsbayhabitat.org/.

By Eric Tripoli

 

ORR Swim Team Car Wash

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The Friends of Old Rochester Swimming held a car wash on Saturday, July 28, at the Mattapoisett Fire Department to raise more money for the up-coming winter sports season.  The newly formed ORR swim team needs to raise $7,500 by the fall to secure their place for the winter.

FORS is a brand new group, as well.  The members began the process of forming back in January, according to group president, Kristin Johnson, of Marion.

“We ended up talking to everyone from the athletic director to the principal.  It came together rather quickly,” Johnson said.  The school committee voted in June to approve the formation of the group as a fundraising entity for the team.

The last car wash they held raised about $800, according to Johnson, who said that the team cannot hire a coach or officially choose a pool until they raise $7,500 by October 1.

“We’re looking for corporate donations from around the Tri-Town, as well as from the community,” she said.

While the Friends of Old Rochester Swimming raise money for the team, the school has been investigating a handful of area pools that ORR may be able to use, including UMass, Dartmouth, the Wareham YMCA, and New Bedford High School.

Inspiration for the formation of a swim team at ORR came from a variety of sources.  The only high school swim team in the area is Bishop Stang in Dartmouth.  As a result, are many young students in the Tri-Town who swim competitively for municipal teams.

Colleen Beatriz of Mattapoisett is one of those students.  She has been swimming with the Wareham Riptides for seven years.

“Right now I’m also swimming for the Cape Cod Swim Club,” she said.  Beatriz will be in ninth grade at ORR in the fall, and she is motivated by the benefits of the sport.

“It’s great exercise and it makes you feel really healthy.  With the hard work you put in, going to a meet and competing; it feels good,” she said.

Beatriz hopes that having a swimming team at ORR will raise the profile of swimming in the eyes of the community, as well.

“I’m hoping that once it starts, people can see how fun it can be.  I really think it could be one of the biggest sports in the area if people gave it a chance,” she said.

Johnson, a former swimmer, sees the potential for building a strong school community beyond the component of competition.  One of the enduring aspects of her experience as a swimmer was forging relationships that have lasted through the years.

“You meet a lot of people when you swim.  I made friends from swimming who I still talk to today.  It’s a real bond,” she said.

For more information on Friends of Old Rochester Swimming, visit their Facebook webpage at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfOldRochesterSwimmingFors.

By Eric Tripoli

Photo by Eric Tripoli.

Aerial Mosquito Spraying in Rochester a Success

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The town of Rochester underwent a successful pesticide aerial spraying over the weekend in order to reduce the number of mosquitoes in the area. The spraying was a reaction to a recent finding of several mosquitoes carrying the deadly EEE virus in southeastern Massachusetts.

On Friday, July 20 and Saturday, July 21, 21 communities in southeastern Massachusetts were sprayed with pesticides between the hours of 8:00 pm and 2:00 am. In addition to Rochester, the other towns sprayed were Acushnet, Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Easton, East Bridgewater, Freetown, Halifax, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Middleboro, Norton, Pembroke, Plympton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Taunton and West Bridgewater.

“I am happy to announce that aerial has been successfully completed in these 21 communities,” said Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach. “While spraying reduces the risk of mosquito-borne illness, it does not eliminate it and people should continue to protect themselves from mosquito bites.”

Specialized aircrafts loaded with the pesticide Anvil sprayed the area from dusk through the early morning when mosquitoes are most prevalent. During this time, residents were urged to keep their windows and doors closed, as well as remain indoors with children and pets to prevent contact with the chemical.

For now, the Department of Health says that this past weekend’s spraying is the only one that they have scheduled. For the time being, however, they will still be keeping a close on eye on the state for future problems.

“We continue to closely monitor the risk level of EEE,” said DPH Representative Anne Roach.

Southeastern Massachusetts has been under close eye of the DPH ever since two cases of EEE were reported in Bristol County last year — one of them was fatal. So far in 2012, no cases of EEE or West Nile Virus have been reported. Still, Roach urges residents to take precautions.

“Southeastern Massachusetts has a historic prevalence of EEE and it’s important for residents to take personal protection for themselves against EEE and West Nile Virus,” said Roach.

During the summertime, residents are encouraged to wear a strong repellant as well as long sleeves and pants when appropriate. Also, outdoor activities should be curtailed during peak mosquito hours at night. Homeowners should rid their properties of standing water and make sure all screens are in good condition without holes.

For more information on EEE, West Nile Virus or an aerial spraying schedule, visit www.mass.gov/dph.

By Katy Fitzpatrick

Antique Car Rookie Wins Best in Show

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His car might be from 1965, but Rick Pomroy of Bridgewater has only entered one car show. Call it beginner’s luck, or maybe he has truly found his calling, but Pomroy drove away with the Best in Show trophy after Saturday’s Second Annual Marion Classic Car Show.

“It feels really good, it’s my first show,” said Pomroy. “My two daughters entered me in the show as a Christmas gift. I’m excited right now. It was a lot of hard work.”

Pomroy defeated 18 other entries for the title with his blue 1965 Chevrolet Malibu Super Sport Convertible. He bought the car eight years ago in Plymouth. Since then, he’s been working diligently to restore it. The restoration was finally completed last fall.

“It was a full restoration,” Pomroy said. “We had to find the parts and rehab the parts. It cost a lot of money.”

The Marion Classic Car Show is put on by the Marion Recreation Department annually. All funds raised will benefit various programs in the town.

“In tough economic times, a lot of communities are struggling to make ends meet,” said Selectman and Recreation Department Member Jody Dickerson. “The demand on the Recreation Department is increased, and we have to subsidize our budget somehow.”

The idea to hold the show in Marion came to Dickerson last year after he had previously run shows in New Hampshire. The show was held on the lawn at Silvershell Beach overlooking the water.

“A lot of people have antique cars in the area, and we couldn’t ask for a better location,” Dickerson said.

While the show did draw in nearly 20 cars, Dickerson said the numbers were unfortunately down from last year.

“Unfortunately, there were a lot of car shows this weekend so are numbers are down from last year, but it’s just something we will have to look at as a committee and how we can increase it,” he said.

The lower turnout didn’t seem to faze the participants, who all enjoyed the entertainment and company provided throughout the entire day.

“It was an excellent competition and there were some excellent people,” said Pomroy. “Everyone was very friendly and there were some great cars.”

By Katy Fitzpatrick