Scouts Pursue Fire Safety Merit Badge

on

Know the parts of the fire tetrahedron? What would you do to extinguish a grease pan fire? How do you safely melt wax?

Thanks to a new partnership between the Mattapoisett Fire Department – the Mattapoisett Boy Scout Troop 53 will become experts on all of these questions and more as part of their undertaking of the Fire Safety Merit Badge.

Mattapoisett Fire Department Lt. Patrick Saltmarsh spearheaded the effort after noticing Cub Scouts at the department’s open house during Fire Safety Month last October. He reached out to them after learning about the Fire Safety Merit Badge, and offered to lead classes to the troop, which includes about 16 to 22 scouts.

“I’m excited about this. This is a good group of boys,” said the fire inspector, noting the commendable accomplishments of scouts, in particular Eagle Scouts. He hopes to impart knowledge that may benefit them in their future careers.

Photo by Laura Fedak Pedulli


Lt. Saltmarsh led the first fire safety class on Tuesday, January 10 at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church to go over fire basics. Later, he plans to bring the troop on a tour of the Fire Station and show them the tools they use. “We’ll see how much they know,” he said in predicting how long it will take for them to acquire the badge.

Matthew Buckley, a scout father, said the partnership with the fire department and Lt. Saltmarsh is a great opportunity for the troop.

“It’s great to see people in the community volunteer with the scouts, and know it is a good cause,” Mr. Buckley said.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Rochester Self Defense Class Empowers Women

on

All it takes is an instant for an attacker to strike – and a life to be changed.

However, the Rochester Police Department’s popular self-defense program is teaching women just how to respond during those unexpected moments, turning potential victims into empowered defenders.

Running in its seventh year, the police department’s classes – which teach safety awareness and self-defense skills at no cost to women 14 and up – continue to fill up and attract immense interest in the Tri-Town and beyond.

Specifically, classes of about 15 to 20 women learn the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) System, inclusive of realistic, self-defense tactics and techniques. The comprehensive course – which consists of four three-hour long classes at the Old Colony campus – imparts information on awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance, while progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training.

“Attendance has been really good, especially for a town as small as this one,” said Police Officer Robert Small – the RAD-certified instructor who has been teaching the course since its inception. With a waiting list of 20 for the next round of classes, the department is planning to schedule more soon.

“It’s a really good opportunity for women to get to utilize forms of self defense,” said Officer Small, who co-teaches the course with RAD-certified officer Elizabeth Rich.

Rochester resident Julie Bangs, who participated in the last round of courses, said she came away enlightened in how to protect and defend herself.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” she said, talking about some of the course basics – including how to behave in different circumstances like when a stranger is at the door or in a parking lot.

“You learn practical things most people don’t think about,” she said.

The exercises of practicing self defense, including how to throw and block punches and different situational tactics, left a strong impact on her. Participants fight against the perpetrator – played by a police officer dressed in a special “aggressor suit” – in a simulated attack.

“It was very, very scary. Your adrenaline gets going. I can’t even imagine an actual event, the fake event was scary enough,” Ms. Bangs said. “You learn how to hit someone with your most powerful punch.”

The opportunity to practice these skills is one of the key functions of the course, Officer Small said.

“It’s a good change to utilize these tactics in a controlled environment. People don’t usually have the opportunity to use these skills,” he said. When a participant is put into a simulated attack, she is not informed of the scenario that plays out.

“Surprise is part of the process,” Officer Small said.

Ms. Bangs said she was indeed “surprised” how she reacted to the fake attack, and especially by comments from fellow participants about her toughness and strength.

“A lot of women didn’t realize what they could do, the power they had when they needed it,” she said.

Officer Small echoed these thoughts. “These women have more ability than they realize,” he said.

Although attacks may be uncommon in smaller towns, they do happen, he said.

“Every town has them, but they usually don’t get publicized unless it is extraordinary,” Officer Small said. “Everyone is at a certain risk.”

“I’ve heard from women who have felt better about situations they’ve been in. We’ve had tons of positive feedback… Everybody is happy with it, and I love teaching it,” he added.

“I highly recommend it… it really makes you aware of the possibility of something happening, even in the small town of Rochester,” Ms. Bangs said.

To register, or for more information on future classes, call 508-763-5112, ext. 109

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Board Takes Steps to Fill MAB Vacancies

on

The Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen took steps to fill two vacancies on the Marine Advisory Board (MAB) at their scheduled Selectmen meeting on January 10, 2012.

Some confusion surrounded the issue when members of the Board learned that MAB had actually completed one of the appointments without Selectmen authorization. The MAB had “appointed” member Walter Reid about six months ago, without following the proper protocol, which should have included a letter of interest and a Selectmen-made appointment.

As a result, the Board said that Mr. Reid would have to join three other applicants to compete for two openings on MAB.

The Board did note, however, that Mr. Reid was not to blame for the mistakes that led to the erroneous appointment. Mr. Reid said that he had submitted a letter of interest to the Selectmen in 2008.

“It’s not his fault this wasn’t followed through properly,” said Selectman Jordan Collyer. “Having a person serve without being appointed is a significant problem to the town and a fairly substantial risk if that person should vote on something controversial.”

“We have been elected by the people of Mattapoisett,” said Select Board Chairman Paul Silva. “I feel we should be involved in the interview process.”

“Two prospects did apply via the proper channels,” said Selectman Tyler Macallister. “In all fairness, all four should have the opportunity to present before the BOS.” Later in the meeting, Selectman Macallister noted that Mr. Reid’s time on the MAB and knowledge of Marine-related issues gave him a “leg-up” and made him a strong candidate, but that the Board should still interview all four candidates in the interest of being fair.

The MAB is a nine-member, three alternate board that serves as advisors to the Board of Selectmen in waterway issues. Chairman Silva said that, although not all current members of the MAB had been interviewed by Selectmen, it’s a practice that the Board should adopt to ensure that the MAB consists of members with a diverse views on water use.

The Board voted to schedule interviews with the four candidates – including Walter Reid – and make the two appointments at a subsequent meeting.

In an appointment with Public Health Nurse Amanda Stone, the Board read a letter of recognition from Kitty Mahoney, President of the Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses, lauding Ms. Stone’s work and “high level participation in health nursing conferences.”

“You do an exceptional job and I’m glad that we were able to bring you on full time,” said Selectman Collyer.

“Thank you for acknowledging my work,” Ms. Stone replied.

In his report, Town Administrator Michael Gagne updated the Board on progress that is being made in a regionalized Department of Marine Fisheries scallop restoration effort, which is partly funded by an $11 million Buzzard’s Bay Oil Spill Restoration Fund.

The scallop restoration effort includes the towns of Westport, Falmouth, Mattapoisett, Marion, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Wareham and Bourne. In each town, a five-acre area of water will be selected to receive juvenile hatchery-reared scallops. The area will be selected based on a history of recreational shellfishing use, its present scallop count, and its sustainability of habitat, among other factors.

Over the course of four years, scallop growth will be monitored and documented every two months from May through November, and services – such as vessel use and expertise from technicians and biologists – will be included in the regionalized effort.

In additional news, Administrative Assistant Melody Pacheco announced:

• The next Selectmen’s meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 24, at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall.

• The winter transfer station hours are Thursday and Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.

By Anne Kakley

Mattapoisett Car Accident Kills One

on

On Tuesday January 10, 2012 at 1:41 am, a motor vehicle crash occurred in the area of 119 Brandt Island Road.

The 2008 Nissan operated by Carl Pacheco, age 23 of 133 Brandt Island Road Mattapoisett, crashed when he lost control of his motor vehicle hitting trees. Mr. Pacheco was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

He was transported by the Mattapoisett Police EMS to St. Luke’s Hospital where he later died due to the injuries he sustained in the crash. Mattapoisett Police Sergeant Robert Dumas is investigating the accident with the assistance of Trooper Brent Pereira of the Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction Team.

From Mattapoisett Press Release

ORR Celebrates 50 Years: Do You Remember?

on

Looking back at Old Rochester Regional in 1961, because it was a new school, with new friends coming together from Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester, the administration and classmates formed several clubs to help the students acclimate to new surroundings. How many of the following are still in existence and how many have gone the way of the dinosaur? Girls Glee Club, Traffic Squad, Student Council, Senior Activities, Chef’s Club, Needle Craft, Debating Society, Future Teachers and/or Nurses.

The Class of 1962 was a great class. For a bunch of kids from three different towns, we all soon meshed and focused on our goal – graduation and having a great senior year. Are Senior Favorites still chosen? Back then they certainly were and they were a highlight in our yearbook. For our class, the following were chosen: Friendliest: Barbara Harriman and Bill Hall; Class Clowns: Charles Morgan and Judy Ryder; Class Dreamer: Helen Smith and John Duff; Best Looking: Judy Furnans and Michael Beauchemin. Other categories were: Most Likely to Succeed, Best Dressed, Most Flirtatious, and Most Ambitious.

Don’t forget the groundbreaking done by two 1962 female classmates, Barbara Harriman and Judy Furnans. They were the first female team to go down the Mattapoisett River in the Rochester Memorial Boat Race in 1962. Nice going, ladies!

By the Class of 1962

Rochester Kindergarten Registration

on

On January 24, the parent orientation for incoming Kindergarten students for the 2012/2013 school year will begin at 5:45 pm. Kindergarten registration will take place during the week of January 30 from 9:30 to 11:30 am and from 1:00 to 2:30 pm each day. Completed registration paperwork should be presented at this time.

When coming to register, parents must bring the child’s birth certificate, a valid driver’s license, two verifications of home address, a record of immunization, and a physician’s certificate showing the date and results of a lead-screening. Each student must have a physical examination dated no more than one year prior to the beginning of classes. The school will accommodate your personal schedule, but if possible, please register your child on the appropriate days:

Last name begins with A-C – Register Tuesday, January 31.

Last name begins with D-L – Register Wednesday, February 1.

Last name begins with M-P – Register Thursday, February 2.

Last name begins with Q-Z – Register Friday, February 3.

Loft School Open House

on

Loft School in Marion is hosting an open house on Thursday, January 19 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. for the 2012/2013 school year. Parents of preschool and pre-K age children are invited to attend to learn more about Loft programs, see the classrooms and meet the staff. Loft School is located at 124 Front Street (at St. Gabriel’s Church) in Marion. For more information, call 508-748-1243 or visit www.loftschool.org.

Solar Panels, Capital Projects in 2012

on

Solar panels, affordable housing for seniors and roadwork all are on the mind of Mattapoisett Town Administrator Michael Gagne as he looks into the year 2012.

“I’m looking at advancing photovoltaic projects to produce revenue to help with the increase in SEMASS fees,” Mr. Gagne said. Also, town buildings are in need of repairs. “The Town Hall needs a lot of work. This is one priority that we’ll have to address,” he said.

Capital improvements for the harbor through Harbormaster office also are the Town Administrator’s radar. “We are looking at a complete electrical service update, and need replacement timber, piling and rehabilitation work,” he said. The estimated cost of such a project is still being investigated, he said.

A project also important to Mr. Gagne is adding to the stock of available affordable housing for seniors in Mattapoisett.

“I hear from quite a few Mattapoisett seniors who can’t get affordable housing, and end up in subsidized housing in New Bedford. We need to find a way to keep them here,” he said. His office is at “ground zero” on the effort, thus at the stage of undertaking a “full analysis” of potential sites before moving forward.

“We’re going to do site evaluations and look at locations’ approximation to services,” he said.

In addition, the Town Administrator plans to work with Highway Surveyor Barry Denham to fix a list of roads in need of repair.

“We have a list of the top ten areas that need roadwork – from paving, sidewalk work, curb resetting – scattered throughout the town,” he said. Currently the town is pursuing grant monies in addition to Chapter 90 funds to “get as much work done as we can,” he said.

Mr. Gagne said although it is not an immediate priority, the town is working with local businesses to hear their thoughts and ideas on Route 6. He said one meeting has been conducted so far, and now the focus is looking how to rehab Route 6 in the future, so if the state is prepared to fix up the road, the town is ready to respond with its ideas.

One initiative that Mr. Gagne said likely will be abandoned is Southeastern Regional Transit Authority’s Seaside Shuttle that transports passengers from Mattapoisett to Fairhaven and Acushnet. The shuttle was launched as a pilot program in the fall of 2010.

“Unfortunately, in these tight times, that will not be funded. It just does not have the ridership. It just doesn’t seem to catch on, unfortunately,” he said.

“I see it going by empty a lot of times. Maybe it’s one of those things that is not going to work in that fashion,” he said.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Commission Approves Holly Woods Culvert Repair

on

Following the urging of Holly Woods Road neighbors and Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andrew Murray, the Conservation Commission approved an RDA with a negative determination at its January 9 to repair a collapsed culvert. Applicant Joseph Szaro of 38 Holly Woods Road had requested the removal and replacement of the old culvert, which some residents consider a safety hazard to vehicles.

The original hearing on the culvert – which is located in the Holly Woods area – took place last month and was postponed as the Commission felt it contained insufficient details on the proposed work.

Mr. Szaro, present at the meeting, presented the full scope of the operation for the replacement of the two 36-inch and 12-feet wide pipes – from erosion controls (silt fence and hay bales), the type of base (6-inch crushed stone) to the seeding and loaming plan.

“We definitely are getting a lot more than what we got at the original hearing,” said Conservation Commissioner Bob Rogers on the submission.

Two neighbors at the meeting encouraged the commission to clear the way for the work to begin. “We have a repair issue here. I’d like to get it done, not only for safety reasons, but for expenses… The expediting of the project is very much appreciated,” said resident Bill Fredericks.

Likewise, in written comments to the board presented through Building Inspector Andy Bobola, Fire Chief Andrew Murray cited safety issues to emergency vehicles presented by the culvert and asked for the commission to expedite its repair.

The commission – except for Chairman Peter Newton who recused himself as he is a neighbor of the applicant – approved the request unanimously.

In other business:

• The commission unanimously approved an RDA with a negative determination for an enlarged bedroom and bathroom for handicap accessibility at 27 Silvershell Ave.

• The commission requested that Mr. Bobola investigate the possibility of it purchasing a two-acre, 18,000 square-foot unbuildable lot on the north side of Cove St. for possible future use as a parking area to access Angelica Point.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Grant Could Fund Technology Director

on

A grant application to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education could possibly secure funds up to $500,000 for the purpose of finding new and efficient ways to deliver core local services, including a technology director’s position, said Superintendent Doug White at the Mattapoisett School Committee meeting held at Center School on January 9.

The funding of a new position for a technology director topped the wish list in a discussion of the fiscal year school budget for 2013, which is now gearing up. All the school committees in the district voted to move forward in including the salary in the upcoming FY2013 budget.

In discussing the grant, Mr. White said that ORR District qualifies to apply for the grant due to the percentage of local funding by the towns. Across the state, many school districts have an average funding of 82 percent of their budget coming from local town funds, while the ORR District is funded 90 percent by the towns.

The deadline for the grant is January 17 and the announcement of grant recipients will be in late February. If awarded the grant, the area of focus will be to develop and implement and coordinate technology services including infrastructure, communications, curriculum and data analysis to all schools in the district. Currently, each school handles its own technology needs, which aren’t coordinated with any of the other schools or the central office. Mr. White said that if grant monies are awarded, they could be used immediately to start the process of coordinating technology services.

Chairman Grace Knox asked each of the principals to prepare a list of weighted priorities for the school board to use during budget crunch time.

Superintendent Doug White said that he had recently met with town managers and they wanted to look at two scenarios: a level services budget (same services as FY 2012) and a level funded budget (same dollars as FY 2012).

“The towns want to see both budgets and would like to continue with level service, if fiscally possible,” said Mr. White. In the discussion, it was noted that the towns fund approximately 90 percent of the school budget, while the state funds the difference through Chapter 70 monies.

In her Principal’s Report, Ms. Bowman reported that all students in grade three participated in an English Language Arts/Reading assessment on January 5, 2012, using an assessment tool, known as Galileo. The assessment will help identify students’ weakness and proficiencies in performance levels prior to the Spring 2012 MCAS assessment. A Math assessment will be given to all grade three students on March 13, 2012.

Curriculum Director Elise Frangos discussed the two upcoming professional development days on January 13 and January 27. A chart was presented showing all the offerings for teachers, most revolving around the MCAS common core standards and goals in English language arts and mathematics.

Ms. Frangos also discussed the new supervisory and evaluation plan that the Board of Education and the Massachusetts Teachers Association put into place for use in September of 2012. The evaluation tool places teacher assessments in categories, with those in the unsatisfactory or needs improvement given a specific amount of time to improve. The complex plan includes student assessment of teachers and ties MCAS scores directly to teacher evaluations.

Chairwoman Grace Knox asked about children who were looking for napkins and spoons which were recently put in a place where only cafeteria staff could access them. “I wasn’t sure what this was all about,” said Ms. Knox. Ms. Meagher said that both students and faculty, who were not purchasing lunch were using salad dressings, condiments, napkins and utensils and she moved these items to a more secure place to reduce unnecessary expenses. Ms. Knox recommended that napkins and utensils be available to students who bring their lunch.

In other news:

• The first annual adult spelling bee will be held on March 9 at ORRHS. Rosemary Bowman, principal of Center School is coordinating the effort. She hopes that 25 teams, paying $50 per team, hopefully sponsored by local businesses and groups will participate.

• A Health Night, to be held in March, will bring together children and families to learn more about nutrition and other healthy lifestyle activities. A date for this event will be announced soon.

• Old Hammondtown School began the after school foreign language classes on January 9. Latin and Spanish classes will be taught to 4, 5 and 6 graders by high school students. The sessions will run for four weeks.

• Principal Matt D’Andrea said that he received a thank you note from St. Vincent DePaul Society thanking the students for their donation of 600 can goods and a $160 check, which was the profit from the student/teacher basketball game.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry