Baron H Martin

on

Judge Baron H Martin, loving husband, dedicated father and former Chief Justice of the 4th District Court in Wareham passed away peacefully on November 16 with his beloved wife Joan by his side. He was 97 years old.

            Born in Boston, son of the late Baron H. and Margaret Jones Elliot Martin, he lived in Boston until 1972 moving to Wareham. Before becoming ill, he was living at the Bay Club in Mattapoisett.

            Survivors include his wife, Joan (Kapolchok) Martin; his daughter Lauren B Martin of New York; his cousin who was like a son to him, Atty. Ralph Martin and his wife Dr. Deborah Martin of Jamaica Plain and their sons Scott and Sam, and daughter Christine (husband Michael Moverman and daughter Simona.)

            There is no question that Judge Martin was a brilliant lawyer and Judge. He would have young lawyers, trying a case before him, scurrying back to the law library looking up cases because the ones they were using were no longer applicable.

            Judge Martin never forgot his mentors who shaped his life from working as a baggage handler at South Station to becoming the esteemed Chief Justice of the Wareham District Court. They gave him the opportunity to attend Suffolk University Law School while working at the MTA (MBTA) as a clerk. He later became the General Counsel and years later was appointed to the Board of Directors.

            He was personal friends with Martin Luther King, while attending Boston University. They belonged to the same fraternity, Boston University’s Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. In 1952, he introduced Martin to Coretta.

            Baron was very active in politics in the 60’s being chair of Ward 12 in Roxbury. He was invited by President Kennedy to participate in the National Conference on Constitutional Rights in New York in 1960. He was greatly influenced by Robert F Kennedy while working on his campaign in 1968. He often quoted Robert F Kennedy as saying that those of us who have something have an obligation to help others. Judge Martin was with Robert Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968 when he was shot. He lived by this motto until the day he died.

            He was inducted as Special Justice of the Roxbury Court in 1974 by Governor Francis Sargent and to the Wareham District Court in 1977 by Governor Edward King. He was named Associate Justice of the Appellate Division by Chief Justice Samuel Zoll in 1990.

            There are countless stories of people that he helped when their lives were falling apart and they were standing before him in the court. He would help them see their value and a better way but they had to put in the work. He was a mentor to young law students, new judges, administrators and court personnel. And even after he retired, he continued, working on a team to bring the University of Massachusetts Law School (Southern New England Law School) to Dartmouth. Giving back is what Judge Martin did be it law students, the kid next door, or a caregiver.

            This is his Legacy. His mentors would be proud.

            His visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, November 28th from 4-8pm in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt.6), Mattapoisett. His Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, November 29th at 11:00 am in the funeral Home. For directions and guest book, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Town Meetings

on

I missed the recent Town Meeting, again. I regret that but they are held at night and since I became old, I no longer drive at night. I’ve tried going with friends, but I am a stay-until-the-end kind of guy, and they often want to leave early. Also, because I am old, I have to take a half-dozen pills every night precisely at 9:00 pm, and I don’t want anyone to see gulping down my stash in the men’s room for fear they might think I was some kind of a secret addict. So, I stay at home.

            Prior to the driving thing, I had not missed a town meeting in any town I lived in that held them. Town meetings go back to colonial times (I’m old but not that old) and are the purest form of democracy. Everyone gets to say their piece, trying to convince the opposition to vote for or against one viewpoint or another.

            Town meetings were once held in our upper Town Hall. I can remember attending one with my father. As the story goes, because there was no elevator in the building, Bill Suzan, a big, strapping, prominent citizen, was charged with carrying an important town official, who was incapacitated, up the stairs to attend a meeting. One night after a late meeting, Suzan went home, forgetting to retrieve the official who remained stranded in the upper hall.

            Whether that story is true is lost to history, but not long after, our town meetings moved to the Congregational Church Hall. (If that were today, no doubt someone would complain about separation of church and state. I guess we were more tolerant of those things back then.)

            In 1961, when Old Rochester High was completed, meetings were moved to the school’s auditorium where they reside still, too far to walk for village dwellers like me.

            Strange things can happen at town meetings. At one I attended elsewhere, an old timer, who everyone knew and who was familiar with the open end of a bottle, stood up to comment on some issue. He proceeded to rant about – shall I say – a minority “hiding in a wood pile.”

            I was shocked. Despite their political differences, every one of the 200 people in the hall stood up in protest. The moderator ruled the fellow out of order and had the police escort him out. I was proud to witness a group of Americans of differing opinions recognize that a rude, disgusting, racial slur was inappropriate. That was nearly 50 years ago! Today name calling seems to have become a bad habit in some government forums. But I digress.

            Everyone knew what a newcomer was going to ask when they got up to speak. The newbie would always ask why the town rented hydrants. The Water Department was an enterprise fund, which allowed them to be self-sufficient by renting the hydrants back to the town. It was sort of an initiation to be laughed at by the regulars.

            Everyone would sit in the same seats year after year. There was an older couple who sat on the aisle across from me. The first time I got up to speak I overheard the woman whisper to her husband, “bet he’ll ask why the town rents hydrants.” She was right. The next year as I returned to my seat after speaking about something or other, I overheard her say, “that young man sure asks good questions.” The following year after I made my way back from the lectern she muttered (rather loudly), “I wish he’d stop asking such dumb questions.” And so, it goes.

            My favorite experience at a town meeting was right here in our fair hamlet. A proposal was presented to allow a business that would be quite profitable to the owner and to the town, promising thousands of dollars to town coffers for virtually little effort. Such a deal! After much discussion back and forth, it looked as though it would pass overwhelmingly. And then someone asked who the business owner was. When the entrepreneur was revealed, an audible gasp was heard throughout the auditorium. Apparently, the citizens felt the town was rich enough without contributing to the person’s already significant assets. Oh well.

            I wish town meetings were held on Saturdays during the day. I miss the excitement.

            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.

Thoughts on…

By Dick Morgado

Holy Ghost Reuse Committee to Meet

on

During the November 20 meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board, member Nathan Ketchel reported that the Holy Ghost Reuse Committee has been preparing for a public meeting. The date is currently scheduled to be January 24, 2024 to be held in the Fire Station meeting room. It is hoped that the meeting will solicit additional feedback from the residents. A survey that was posted during the late summer produced about 150 responses and a plethora of ideas.

            The board also discussed when the Solar Bylaw crafted last year might reach Town Meeting floor. Ketchel said it could possibly be included in the warrant during the Spring Town Meeting.

            Chairman Tom Tucker queried Ketchel on the status of the town’s updated Master Plan, currently posted on the town’s website, Mattapoisett.net. Ketchel said it is his understanding that before the document is accepted, the Select Board expressed interest in reviewing it. Tucker said he would reach out to the Town Administrator Mike Lorenco.

            The singular agenda item was a Form A Not Required request from Laurel Henning. The application read in part, “Map 8, Parcel B, Lots 70 & 72 … Parcel B and Lot 70-A on Oakland Way & Lot 72-A on Foster Street, Parcel B is to be joined with Lot 65 & Parcel A on Oakland Street. Lot 70-A is a new lot with frontage on Oakland Way. Lot 72-A on Foster Street combines with remaining area with Lot 72.”

            Try as they may, the board members could not grasp the application as written, and it was further noted that there appeared to be “scrivener” errors. Tucker reached out to the five people logged in via Zoom, opening the application to public discussion and questioning. No one spoke.

            Bill Madden of G.A.F. Engineering is Henning’s consultant, but unable to ask questions that might clear up exactly what the applicant is planning, the board moved to take no action.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, December 4, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

on

In early New England, settlers from England were familiar with both harvest festivals and days of thanksgiving. While today these two events have merged into our Thanksgiving holiday, in early New England, they were separate. A day of thanksgiving usually called for a lengthy church service, while a harvest festival was a coming together to feast on the fruit of the community’s hard work and successful harvest.

            A totally different menu was served at the feasts or celebrations of the local Native Americans. When Captain Benjamin Church and Awashonks, the Squaw Sachem of the Narragansetts, were seeking an alliance during the Indian wars, the Captain was invited to a feast. The dinner consisted of fried eel, flatfish, and shellfish cooked in the same manner as today’s clambakes. Everything was steamed together on heated rocks covered with seaweed.

            The story of this feast influenced the planners of both the 200th and 250th anniversary celebrations of Old Rochester. The 200th anniversary was a one-day affair of many speeches interrupted in the middle by a clambake to feed the hungry attendees. The 250th had many more events and spanned several days, but it also featured a large clambake for those who bought tickets.

            The picture with this article is from the 1936 anniversary party. Today clambakes have become events of summer unconnected to any celebration other than the love of steamed clams. The Rochester Historical Society wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving no matter what you may be having for dinner.

By Connie Eshbach

Mattapoisett Library Holiday Open House

on

Join the Mattapoisett Sustainability Partnership and the Mattapoisett Library for a Holiday Open House on Saturday, December 2 at 2:00 pm. Members of the Partnership will have upcycled crafts, a gift-wrapping station, and holiday snacks for all ages to enjoy. Bring gifts you purchased from the local Christmas Fairs to wrap away from prying eyes. We have all the supplies you’ll need. Plus, check out other ways to make your holidays sustainable with the Partnership’s handy brochure.

            For more information about this event, call the library at 508.758.4171 or email to mfpl@sailsinc.org. Check the library’s events calendar at mattapoisettlibrary.org for more upcoming programs and book discussions.

BBC Announces Completion of Water Project

on

Looking around from the middle of cold, windy farmland only a couple of football fields away from Mattapoisett’s borders to neighboring Fairhaven and Acushnet, a layman would never guess he was standing on top of a regional water resource.

            On Monday morning, Buzzards Bay Coalition Vice President Brendan Annett visited the land to the immediate south of Acushnet Road which, in fact, sits atop an aquifer that serves Mattapoisett, Fairhaven, Marion, Acushnet and Rochester.

            The five towns, he explained, worked with the Buzzards Bay Coalition and the Mattapoisett River Valley Water Protection Advisory Committee and with support from the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Action Grant, have struck an agreement that puts a conservation restriction on 240 acres of land sitting at that Mattapoisett location and others extending north into Acushnet and Rochester.

            The mission, he stated, is to protect important land so it is not developed and will not compromise a vital source of public drinking water that lies underneath.

            “We actually approached this in a way where all the (aforementioned) towns contributed some money, Buzzards Bay (Coalition) contributed some money and we were able to get state grants,” he said.

            What looks like some emptied-out, post-harvest farm acreage is actually a top layer of earth hiding a critical resource.

            Annett said that the Mahoneys sold the coalition the land, and through actions of the Community Preservation committees in the towns that have them – plus a grant in Rochester – the coalition was able to take these steps.

            While the Town of Rochester took action to participate, there has been a subsequent movement in the town among elected officials to seek further protection of their rights to water emanating from their town. Rochester has long been frustrated by the state’s redistribution of water from Great and Little Quittacas ponds to the City of New Bedford without any compensation due Rochester.

            The completion of the Mattapoisett River Valley Drinking Water Resilience Project includes larger and smaller parcels to the north in Mattapoisett (extending over the Acushnet and Rochester town lines.)

            Annett said that through the land transfer agreement, farming will continue on some of the parcels, including the one on which he spoke Monday, but he acknowledged that the conservation restriction comes with expectations that the farming process will not include actions or ingredients that add nitrogen to the land and, ultimately, the harbor.

            Henri Renauld, superintendent of the Mattapoisett Water & Sewer Department, said in a press release that in working with its fellow communities and the Buzzards Bay Coalition, Mattapoisett has “once again secured and protected a section of land that will ensure the protection of the existing water infrastructure. It will also allow for future wells to be placed within these properties to ensure our communities will have safe drinking water into the future.”

            According to the release, the community will soon be exploring expanded trails that connect to the coalition’s Mattapoisett River Reserve trail system and enjoy activities and programming in the farm buildings at Red Brick Farm.

By Mick Colageo

Rochester Historical Society Holiday Organ Sing

on

The Rochester Historical Society will be hosting a Holiday Organ Sing at 2:00 on December 10 at the historical museum 355 County Road. We will have music and refreshments to celebrate the upcoming holiday. There is no charge (though donations to our organ fund are always greatly appreciated) but we ask everyone to bring an unwrapped gift for a child or teen to be donated to a local charity.

Barnstable Model Considered for Short-Term Rentals

on

            Marion Planning Board Chairman Tucker Burr polled his membership on Monday night, asking each to put into few words, if possible, why the town needs a short-term-rental bylaw and what that would accomplish. The same invitation would be extended to concerned attendees who live in usually coastal neighborhoods that they believe are being infiltrated by such.

            Dale Jones said a bylaw would “prevent some people from buying up property and turning it into a rental property.” He recommended restrictions within reason to require that the owner is present. “Something of this magnitude requires a subcommittee for the board to consider,” he added.

            “Oversight,” suggested Andrew Daniel. “By having something written, it protects the community and abutting neighbors, and it also protects the owner. The goal’s not a blanket statement … but how to incorporate all these things so it’s not harmful to anyone but is beneficial to everyone.”

            Jon Henry said that expectations should be met both for the people who rent and the people who live in the area.

            Eileen Marum read a letter submitted by Dr. Ed Hoffer into the record. Hoffer’s letter said in part that, “the market is becoming more and more dominated by absentee owners who buy properties for such rentals. This in turn inflates property values, making homes less affordable to people who wish to live in the community. … Unless we wish to see Marion becoming like Nantucket, where billionaires and wealthy vacationers dominate, we should discourage “commercial” vacation rental. … I strongly urge the Planning Board to go on record that short-term rental be limited to 2-3 weeks/year in residential-zoned houses. This will allow residents who wish to make a little extra money when they are away to do so but block “commercial” rental.

            Marum added her own viewpoint: “If we let the air-bnb’s … come in without regulation, Marion will no longer be what people come into Marion for.” Marum said enforcement and limitation on short-term rentals would also protect the prospective buyers of those houses. “I would like to know how many rentals we have.” Marum suggested a connection between a decline in the student population and is waiting on information from the town clerk. She said an occupancy tax would benefit the activities of the Affordable Housing Trust.

            Member Alanna Nelson agreed it would be smart of the town to find a way to draw revenue from short-term rental owners.

            “I think there’s a big difference between someone who owns a property and rents it and someone who buys a property to rent it short term because then they’re disguising a business,” said member Ryan Burke. “A dwelling is a permanent habitation by one or more families. I really don’t feel that a lot of these short-term rentals fit that.”

            Henry cautioned that a blanket approach could be stepping on the toes of associations with their own power.

            Upon Burr’s invitation for public participation in the conversation, several points were made for the board’s consumption.

            Larry Bauerlein offered that assuming associations have rules is erroneous. “They don’t. Many are just collegial.” He said the short-term-rental activity undermines zoning, and the town needs some sort of directive that protects the neighbors and the owners.

            Ana Bauerlein added that the town needs to act “relatively quickly … now you’ve got situations where people who have bought houses and are already running these businesses … are going to think they are grandfathered. Sooner the better off we’ll all be.”

            Dianne Cosman said she has a short-term rental operating next door, in back and another two doors down. “At some point, what do we want the town to look like in 10, 20 years? It’s only getting worse,” she said. Cosman said that under state law short-term rentals should be collecting taxes that go to the state. Then the state gives back to the town its share. A lack of policing allows owners of short-term rentals to circumvent the system and operate officially unnoticed. She also noted that some local owners stopped living locally because it became more profitable to make money by renting.

            “I’m not against licensed businesses that do this,” she said, likening the predicament to the plight of taxi drivers once companies like Uber came along.

            Overall, the residents in attendance want to preserve their neighborhoods and eliminate businesses in residential areas, whether that means licensing rentals, taxing them. Some sort of tracking, they say, is necessary, in order to ensure that a house permitted for a three-bedroom septic system, for instance, is not rented out without regulation, allowing several more to use that same system all at once.

            Burr would like to avoid appointing a subcommittee, in part because it prevents Planning Board members from legally attending its meetings.

            Barnstable and Mashpee are among towns’ board members and homeowners will study in an effort to come up with the framework of a bylaw that can go before the Annual Town Meeting next spring.

            Bill Madden of G.A.F. Engineering represented Arnie Johnson in his Pre-Submission Conference for a plan to expand his Fieldstone Farms store at 806 Mill Street. Johnson, who happens to chair the Rochester Planning Board, was in the odd seat as applicant before an adjudicatory board.

            His plan is to expand his building by adding 2,044 square feet, upgrade the Title 5 septic system – he will request waivers from the Board of Health – and increase parking to 54 spaces. Fieldstone has been on the site for three years, replacing the Frigate restaurant.

            Johnson will also file an Approval Not Required (ANR) application to convey a lot to Johnson Family Investments. He plans solar lighting on the corners of the parking lot on poles. The lighting will be monitored with a cell-phone app for seasonal applications and conditions, and the system will comply with Dark Sky standards.

            There will be an underground infiltration for stormwater, similar to what exists now in front of the existing building with pretreatment devices prior to discharge into the infiltration beds.

            One variance Johnson will seek is in lot coverage, proposed after expansion to 62% of the property. Marion’s bylaw limits coverage to 40%, but 45% was previously approved on the original project. Johnson will also be asking for waivers from an environmental assessment and traffic-impact study. He said he is willing to meet with the Energy Management Committee to discuss energy usage.

            The board asked him to open a 53G account of the minimum $2,000 for the town to cover expenses in initial vetting of the project. The board intends primarily to conduct a stormwater review. Otherwise, the members are largely thrilled with Johnson’s business.

            In two votes following the meeting’s only public hearing, the board voted to allow 133 Wareham Road LLC to reduce parking from 11 to nine spaces and voted to approve site-plan review for the construction of a medical center on the site at the corner of Point Road and Route 6.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, December 4, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station on Route 6.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

Mattapoisett Woman’s Club’s Greens Sale

on

The Fourth Annual Mattapoisett Woman’s Club’s Greens Sale will be held on Saturday, December 2 at the Old Fire Station on Route 6 at Barstow Street, from 9:00 am until we’re sold out or 1:00 pm, whichever comes first. Please note, last year everything was gone by 10:30 am.

            This year’s offerings include handmade fresh wreaths, beautiful swags, stunning table decorations, gorgeous post and note cards, and a singular array of homemade dated ornaments. The selection of greens items is amazing, more so because everything has been handcrafted under the guidance of this year’s Newport Floral Show’s award-winning designers Sharon Doyon and Susan Perkins.

            As if the show and sale are not enough, we may also have a visitor from the North Pole stopping by to pick up something to beautify his warm, comfy home for the holidays as well. Cash, checks, and credit cards will be accepted.

            We hope to see you at the warm, festive, and dry (in case of snow or rain) Old Fire Station on Route 6 on Saturday morning, December 2, from 9:00 till we’re sold out. There, members of the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club will be ready to help you choose your favorite greens and/or handmade ornaments from the dazzling array of items available at the Fourth Annual MWC’s Greens Sale.

            Profits from this and all fundraisers support the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club’s Scholarship Funds and other community endeavors.

Mattapoisett Town Meeting

on

To the Editor

            What a great ten days for the Town of Mattapoisett. At the November 6th Town Meeting we brought closure to matters surrounding Tinkham Forest – following twenty years of discussion, debate and votes dealing with the preservation of the Forest and access to the Forest. Town meeting also approved significant funds to finally begin to address in a major way the substantial work that needs occur at our Town Barn on Mendell Road. We have known for years of the hazards at this building from a public safety perspective and from an EPA regulatory viewpoint – and we are now on track for meaningful improvements. Bringing Old Slough Road up to acceptable, usable standards has been a topic of public safety conversation since at least Hurricane Bob in 1991 – and numerous times since when Point Connett and Crescent Beach have been cut off from Route 6 resulting from storm flooding and road damage – Town Meeting approval to proceed with this project is much appreciated by many. Eight years ago, the Town kicked off an effort to update the roads and sidewalks on Main Street, Water Street, Beacon Street and surrounding areas. At the most recent Select Board Meeting, the Board voted to proceed with the design offered by the Town Consultant – putting the Town on the path to secure $8 million of State funds towards this effort.

            Positive movement on all four projects is certainly good news for all of us. There is still lots of work to be done around Town – but getting four long-time lingering projects off the field is Big. It is important that we recognize the hard work done to get us to this point. In each case, our Town Administrator Mike Lorenco along with our Assistant Administrator Katie Stephanian picked the ball off the field and managed the plays to get the ball to the goal line – for Town Meeting and Select Board action to score the play. On top of this, Mike has given us a new look at Town Finances – not just a healthy Balance Sheet to look at, but a very clear understanding of the evolution of the dollars and cents that we look at and more importantly, Mikes financial presentations provides us all with a story of where we are and we’re going as a community – always with options to shift course if we all agree is the prudent thing to do. We are fortunate to have Mike Lorenco as the Town’s quarterback. (Mike is free on Sunday’s – could be an opportunity for Bill Belichick)

Chuck McCullough, 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.