The next meeting of the Machacam Club is scheduled for Wednesday, December 6. Chief Colby is planning another wholesome meal for us. We meet at the American Legion Eastman Post on Depot Street. Doors open at 5 pm for social time followed by dinner at 6 pm. Our speaker program begins at 6:45. New members are always welcome. Please contact Chuck at cwmccullough@comcast.net with questions.
To the Editor;
I had the pleasure of attending the senior thanksgiving dinner at the junior high school last Sunday. I wish to compliment the students who served the dinners and passed out the door prizes. And, the door greeters who guided us into the door dining area. The smiles on their faces and attentiveness to the seniors surely brought a ray of sunshine to our faces. I also want to thank the school staff, who in large part, made this possible by choosing the best of the students who were there. The coordinators were top notch and the training of these young folks and the precision in which they served the dinners was out standing. So, a big thanks to Orr for making a lovely day for myself and the other seniors of the tri town area See you next year.
Stephanie Mitchell, Mattapoisett
The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.
A not-your-everyday feature on Monday’s Marion Energy Management Committee agenda was the Town Administrator’s Energy Reduction Plan.
Only without agenda author Christian Ingerslev – the chairman was away and unable to attend the November 27 meeting – the committee was at a loss to define the item. However, rather than bypass it, a lively banter ensued as to whether this might mean the Energy Reduction Plan submitted to the state when the Town of Marion first joined Green Communities or a new one to be composed now that Marion has reached the state-prescribed, 20% energy-reduction goal.
“We have gone from top to bottom with just a few exceptions that didn’t seem like the right thing to do, and we’ve done new (initiatives) … We’re eligible for more grant money,” said EMC member Bill Saltonstall, further noting that he and Marion Facilities Manager Shaun Cormier recently met with Energy Source to discuss the utility company’s involvement in energy upgrades to the town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. Those will include heat pumps and new computer/operating systems. “I expect them to write a proposal similar to the one in the (original) paperwork.”
Saltonstall reported that Cormier would also like to install heat pumps at the Police Department instead of gas heat. “I expect they will come up with a request for money for that,” he said.
The committee also revisited solar projects, but Saltonstall said there is no grant money forthcoming for those. He expects Energy Source to write up information on the projects that would be eligible for grant funding over the next three or four months.
EMC member Eileen Marum asked if the town administrator is thinking about going through buildings the town has renovated in order to “get them tighter.” She also identified the Town House elevator and shaft as energy-leaking areas.
“Whenever Shaun’s got time, they’re taking on another room or two (in the Town House) for interior modifications … right now, most of the rooms in the building are uninsulated,” said Saltonstall, estimating that the town paid between $300,000 and $400,000 for window work at the Town House. “I think it’s a lot better than it was.”
EMC member Alanna Nelson, presiding over the meeting in Ingerslev’s absence, said that an endowment to the Music Hall paid for an audit of that building’s energy profile performed by DG Services. She said they produced a good idea of what an energy-reduction plan should look like.
The Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative (CVEC) is representing Marion in negotiations to establish the long-planned, capped-landfill, solar project at Benson Brook, but the EMC membership that has worked so long in trying to make this happen is ironically sitting outside the information highway where it concerns hard financial figures for a power-purchase agreement on a lease program and the project’s current status.
In an update on the Department of Public Works operations center, Saltonstall, whose son Will Saltonstall is the lead designer of the new approved for Benson Brook, told the committee that while he has heard a little about the project, he thinks “they’re still haggling out budget problems.”
The EMC would dearly love to see a solar array on the new DPW’s roof, and the designed is meant to make that possible. Solar, however, is not in the construction budget and is not funded via the state’s Green Communities program.
DPW funding was approved in a May 9, 2022, vote to authorize the town to borrow $3,000,000 toward a $4,500,000, three-building headquarters that would include repair bays and office space in one building, covered parking in another and the salt shed in a third. That plan has since been consolidated to one building for operations and storage and a second structure for the salt shed.
According to Saltonstall, solar projects below a 15kw capacity, which includes most single-family homes, move with far greater ease through the bureaucratic process and get a grid connection. Therefore, the EMC has directed its attention toward smaller projects first, and the best of those is the Police Department building off Route 6 across from Benson Brook Road.
Police headquarters was described as “a nice, clean building” with ample “dead space” that would make a solar array “easy to wire” and with “enough roof space to go up to (the 15kw) limit.”
The committee is still looking at the Cushing Community Center roof and obviously, the DPW roof, as places for solar panels.
“PowerOptions wanted to make a proposal on all of these things … I’d love to see some proposals, but the first one is the Police Department,” said Saltonstall. “How much further we can go, I don’t know. We’re going to have to get a lease agreement.”
Saltonstall is working with EMC member Tom Friedman on the lease agreement, and Nelson agreed that the Police Department “is the hot spot.”
Nelson senses more progress with CVEC than Saltonstall has had with PowerOptions and Friedman with Blue Skies. The members want meetings and information that would inform their next steps.
Nelson said the town would give the CVEC a list of Marion projects and dimensions, and in turn the CVEC would come up with estimates so Marion could put work into producing bid documents.
“Because interconnection pricing is already taken care of, they should be ready to roll,” said Nelson, who added that the costs are frequently absorbed by the CVEC before it rolls around and comes back to the town. The immediate objective is to learn what the town would have to pay and when. When Nelson acquires that information, she will report back to the EMC.
As for the solar array at the Benson Brook landfill, remaining delays can be traced to lease agreements. Nelson and Saltonstall agree that for the town to approve a lease agreement, the committee needs to know more information. The town is waiting on others.
What the committee would really like is for Maria Marasco of CVEC, Lisa Sullivan of Green Communities and Town Administrator Geoff Gorman to meet with the committee and help the members tie up loose ends.
“We used to have people come all the time. I think we should overtly invite them,” said EMC member Jennifer Francis, attending the meeting remotely.
Friedman suggested that this may extend beyond draggy processes but include pullbacks and attempts to renegotiate.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this is falling into that same black hole as offshore wind … approved by the state at a certain rate, then withdrawn as unacceptable because of the perception that they can do better,” he said.
Saltonstall said it has become easier to track the status of township vehicles because the vehicle identification number for every registered vehicle has become more accessible. Even if a vehicle is moved to another department, it has to be more energy-efficient than the one it replaces.
Saltonstall told the committee he was ready to give the Green Communities report by Tuesday, the day after the EMC’s public meeting. Friedman suggested linking to the report via the committee’s page on marionma.gov and said he would inquire on the matter with Town Clerk Lissa Magauran.
The committee will hear from Arnie Johnson, the proprietor of the Fieldstone store on Route 6. Johnson will attend the EMC’s January 22 meeting and talk about his expansion plan. Marum suggested that Ingerslev, Saltonstall, Friedman and Francis can make recommendations, given they all have solar panels on their houses.
The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for Monday, January 22, 2024, at 6:00 pm at the Police Station on Route 6.
Marion Energy Management Committee
By Mick Colageo
As you drive by Old Rochester High School, you will see a flashing sign that says, “Home of the Bulldogs.”
The Bulldog has been the nickname of the school for 62 years, over a half a century. Hard to believe for an old fella like me who graduated in the third class. The origin of the nickname is a great story and one worth repeating, so I will.
Charles Jefferson, a standout member of the first ORR football team, was the inspiration for the name. Coach Frank Almeida, who heard someone in the crowd say Charlie “played like a bulldog” for his fearless play, suggested the team adopt the nickname “Bulldogs.” And so a nickname was born, soon to be followed by a real, live bulldog mascot named “Trouble.”
Coach Almeida confirmed the story years later. Soon after that first year, I was called upon to paint the original Bulldog logo on the center circle of the gymnasium floor. I was rewarded with a “lifetime” pass to all ORR athletic events. The pass was lost long ago, but I’m still here. (Hmmm … wonder if it still is valid?)
The ORR community is lucky to have a mascot which has existed without controversy for so long. This is not always the case. Not long-ago, nearby Dartmouth had their own dispute over their Indian mascot. After a four-year-long debate, their school board voted to keep the “Chief” logo. It is estimated that until recently there were over 300 high schools in the U.S. and Canada with indigenous-imagery-inspired mascots. I taught at two of them.
No one ever considered the head-dressed Chief’s profile at Grafton High School anything but distinguished. It never occurred to anyone that the school’s logo was racist. Of course, there weren’t any Native Americans in the school. We didn’t have any students costumed as feathered warriors or painted cheerleaders doing the “tomahawk chop” at football games. The consensus was that the school was honoring the Native Americans who founded the town. Still, I recalled that the school’s student newspaper was the “War Path,” and the Superintendent’s monthly newsletter was called “Smoke Signals.”
In 2020, they changed their name to the Gators, though I don’t recall any alligators in Lake Ripple upon whose shores the school rested.
At my next teaching assignment, the school’s nickname was the “Tomahawks.” In 2021, it became clear that it was time to retire the name, and the letter “T” became the school’s temporary logo. After 10 months, the students voted to become the “Titans.”
Sometimes a nickname change is in order just to avoid controversy. Natick High School changed its nickname from “Redmen,” even though the term originally referred to the football team’s red jerseys (not Native Americans), to “Redhawks.” To the best of my knowledge, no hawks protested.
The concern over school mascots is not new. Fairhaven High had their own issue many years ago when a group of parents protested the nickname “Blue Devils.” They were concerned that the school was advocating devil worship. Suffice it to say, the Blue Devils are alive and well to this day. Some schools have mascots that would surely create controversy in today’s “woke” world, yet they carry on.
As far as school mascots go, panthers, bears, bulldogs and other innocent animals seem to be popular. Even devils seem pretty innocuous compared to one high school in Idaho. Orofino High School are the “Maniacs.” The mascot is a maniac in a straitjacket. Orofino is near the state mental hospital.
A number of local, mental-health support groups protested the name, but the school board voted to retain the mascot because it had “nothing to do with the hospital,” rather it was chosen because fans at a football game many years ago said the team played like maniacs. (They should have played like bulldogs.) Supporters claim the crazed, electric haired, jumping mascot is merely a fan. Oh sure.
Richland (Washington) High School claims the “Bombers” and proudly sports a mushroom cloud on their athletic jerseys. The nickname honors the Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress,” which dropped more bombs during World War II than any other aircraft. You can’t make this up.
Yuma (Arizona) High School are the “Criminals.” Soon after its founding, it moved to the abandoned Yuma Territorial Prison, where classes were taught in the cell-block area, and assemblies were held in the prison hospital. They beat the Phoenix football team, who naturally claimed Yuma “stole” the game. The school store is named the “Cell Block” – or is it the “Sell Block” – I forget.
And finally, there is the Freeport (Illinois) High School “Pretzels.” The legend is that the school board members were sitting around one day drinking beer and eating pretzels and “Walla!” a new nickname was born.
Go Bulldogs!
Editor’s note: Mattapoisett resident Dick Morgado is an artist and retired newspaper columnist whose musings are, after some years, back in The Wanderer under the subtitle “Thoughts on ….” Morgado’s opinions have also appeared for many years in daily newspapers around Boston.
By Dick Morgado
Travel to 18th Century Paris by joining Robert Darnton on December 6, at the Marion Music Hall.
Darton’s new release, The Revolutionary Temper, looks at the French Revolution with the perspective of the Parisian public. After reviewing pamphlets, art, underground newsletters and other primary documents, he leads us through the controversies, motivations and hopes for a new governing paradigm.
Kirkus Reviews said in its starred review, “The run-up to the French Revolution in expert hands.”
Robert Darnton is a chevalier in the Legion d’honneur and winner of the Nation Humanities Award. The Pforzheimer University Professor and University Librarian, emeritus at Harvard University is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Sippican Historical Society.
No need to bring your suitcase for Parisian ambiance, just come to the Marion Music Hall on December 6, at 6:30 pm for the Sippican Historical Society’s (SHS) final Speaker Series event of 2023.
The SHS fosters interest in the history of Marion and encourages historical research and writing. Its museum, which is free and open to the public, displays artifacts, documents and artwork. For more information, go to www.sippicanhistoricalsociety.org
All are welcome to join the Mattapoisett Knights for their Annual Christmas Event at 57 Fairhaven Rd, Mattapoisett, on December 8 from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. This free Celebration will feature Santa and Mrs. Claus arriving by fire truck at 7:00, and will include a bonfire, live music, cookies, cocoa, cider and friends. All are welcome.
The Elks of Wareham/New Bedford Lodge No. 73 sponsors the Elks Student of the Month and Student of the Year Awards for students enrolled in local area high schools. The criteria used in nominating a student includes a student who excels in scholarship, citizenship, performing arts, fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school and community service, industry and farming.
We congratulate Sophomore Zachary Mendes, of Rochester for being selected as Student of the Month for November by the Old Rochester Regional High School Faculty and Staff.
Over the summer, Zach had a traumatic accident that required extensive recovery time. Since his return, he has been a model student. He has strived to catch up with his academics and has worked extremely hard this term to get solid grades. Zach brings energy to each class and does not hesitate to help others when needed. He also volunteers as the team manager for the school’s unified basketball team and is a member of the football team. Although he cannot play due to his injury, he is always at each game cheering and encouraging his teammates to be the best they can be. Zach has worked very hard to overcome the obstacles he encountered due to his injury and tries each day to be his very best.
The November 27 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission found Chairman Mike King explaining what the commission’s role is in the Notice of Intent application filed by Allan Pineda and Mary Manning, 33 Church Street. The former Water Department building nestled in the heart of the village was sold to Pineda and Manning, who have plans to demolish the existing, single-story structure and construct a two-story residence.
During the project’s initial review by the ZBA earlier in November, the board sent the project back to conservation before opening the filing. Present at that meeting, an abutter represented by Attorney Perry listed a number of reasons why the sale was improperly executed by the town. ZBA Chairman Susan Akin said those matters would be addressed at the ZBA’s December meeting.
King said that state regulations require the commission to review the project to determine if it has any jurisdiction. After a review of the NOI application represented by Andy Stackpole of Field Engineering, the commissioners ruled that the project met the Wetlands Protection Act and the performance standards as noted by FEMA.
The project was conditioned with a few special conditions, including the removal of demolished waste from the property versus stockpiling on the site, a designated washout space for concrete and a visible fencing of the site. The project is now slated to return to the ZBA, which will make the determination of the Special Permit and Variance application pending.
When asked by abutter T.J. Bolger of 31 Church Street if the lot is buildable, King said the commission is charged with upholding the Wetlands Protection Act, not zoning issues. But, “if someone spends the money – a lot of old lots become buildable – a person has a right to protect their investment,” he added.
In other business, a Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Philip and Gaynor Frost, 112 Mattapoisett Neck Road, for verification of wetland types and boundaries, received a Negative Box 1 decision. Also receiving a negative decision was a RDA filed by the Mattapoisett Highway Department for drainage work along Fairhaven Road to Acushnet Road.
A NOI filed by Jay Dupont, 12 Old Mattapoisett Neck Road, for septic upgrades, was continued to December 11, pending state Department of Environmental Protection numbering.
Stephen Schwartz, 48A Shore Drive, received conditioning for a NOI requesting approval to repair an existing stone jetty.
Two Certificates of Compliance were issued to David Meeker, 93 Mattapoisett Neck Road, and, David and Mary Wilson, 15 Fieldstone Road.
The commission discussed the need to change approximately half of the 2024 meeting schedule from Mondays to Tuesdays, allowing for environmental agent Brandon Faneuf’s new schedule. The agent will be assisting another community.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, December 11, at 6:30 pm.
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission
By Marilou Newell
The Old Rochester Regional High School football team traveled to Lakeville and battled before falling to Apponequet, 36-21, on Thanksgiving Day, November 23. The Bulldogs finished their season 5-6 and shared the South Coast Conference’s Blue Division championship with Somerset Berkley.
“Still a good accomplishment for this senior group,” was how ORR Head Coach Bryce Guilbeault described the season.
The Bulldogs were down 20-7 at halftime and were coming back before a late turnover derailed their run late in the fourth quarter. Remy Wilson had a touchdown reception from Gavin Martin. Martin and Mateo Pina both scored rushing touchdowns.
“(I’m) thankful for the seniors and all they have given us over the past four years,” said Guilbeault, who also had some words on the future of the team. “We are looking forward to a great offseason and getting back to our winning ways in 2024. Roll Dogs!”
Unified Hoop Completes Perfect Campaign
ORR’s Unified basketball team defeated the Tri-Town Police and Fire team, 67-46, in a thriller on November 21 at the ORRHS gym. The event raised funds for Unified sports.
“This event was a huge success that I am so fortunate our department can be a part of it,” said Marion Police Chief Richard Nighelli. “I challenge anyone to come to this event and not leave with a smile on your face. The Unified Team has fun and plays tough. There is a reason that they are undefeated this year.”
Sports Roundup
By Aiden Comorosky
Kai Johnson, a 6th grade student at Old Hammondtown School has taken the first step to becoming an internationally recognized artist by winning a local competition sponsored by the Mattapoisett Lions Club.
Kai’s poster is among more than 450,000 entries submitted worldwide in the annual Lions Clubs International Peace Poster Contest. Lions Clubs International is sponsoring the program to emphasize the importance of world peace to young people everywhere.
The poster was selected by Lions Club members Helene Rose, Club President Lynne Foley and school staff members for its originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme, “Dare to Dream.” President Lynne Foley said she was impressed by the expression and creativity of the students at Old Hammondtown School. “It is obvious that these young people have strong ideas about what compassion means to them. I’m so proud that we were able to provide them with the opportunity to share their visions.”
Kai’s poster will advance through the district, multiple district and international levels of competition if he is to be declared the international grand prize winner.” Foley said.
One international grand prize winner and 23 merit award winners will be selected. The grand prize includes a cash award of $5,000, plus a trip for the winner and two family members to a special award ceremony. The 23 merit award winners will each receive a certificate and a cash award of $500.
“Our club is cheering for Kai as his poster advances in the competition, and we hope that his vision will ultimately be shared with others around the world,” Foley said.
Locally, Kai and numerous other students were honored for their participation by the Mattapoisett Lions Club on November 22 at Old Hammondtown School. Kai was awarded a $100 gift card. Second place recipient Amelia Sawicki was awarded a $50 gift card and third place recipient Dominic Philie received a $25 gift card. Honorable Mention was awarded to Hannah Gomes who received a $15 gift card.
Members of the Mattapoisett Lions Club wish to thank Principal Mr. Kevin Tavares, the wonderful educators at Old Hammondtown School and parents for their continued support of the Lions Clubs International Peace Poster Contest Project.
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in 210 countries and geographical areas around the world. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world.
Follow Mattapoisett Lions Club on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/MattapoisettLionsClub.