The next meeting of the Machacam Club is scheduled for Wednesday, November 1. Chief Colby will be in attendance this month. We meet at the American Legion Eastman Post on Depot Street. Doors open at 5 pm for social time followed by dinner at 6pm. Our speaker program begins at 6:45. New members are always welcome. Please contact Chuck at cwmccullough@comcast.net with questions.
On October 24, the members of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission found themselves questioning which permitting entity in Mattapoisett goes first when an applicant is seeking to perform construction activities on their property. Is it the Zoning Board of Appeals or the Conservation Commission?
On the agenda for the evening’s meeting was a Notice of Intent filing by Allan Pineda and Mary Manning for the demolition of an existing office structure at 33 Church Street and the construction of a new single-family dwelling.
The property is located within wetlands jurisdiction due to storm-surge potential. However, the commission had received a letter from legal representatives for abutters located at 31 Church Street, Tom and Mary Bolger, objecting to the application being heard at this time. The Bolgers contend that the Zoning Board of Appeals should be first in rotation in permitting the proposed construction.
Conservation Agent Brandon Faneuf read portions of the submitted letter and portions of the Wetlands Protection Act that relates to permitting processes. There appeared to be conflicting directives in the state document, prompting him to suggest that legal counsel be brought in to settle the matter.
Representing the applicants was Andrew Stackpole of Field Engineering, who concurred with seeking legal guidance in this matter. Commission Chairman Mike King noted that in the 15 years he has been on the commission, “Conservation has always gone first.” The commission will take the matter up once clarification is received.
In other matters, two Requests for Determination of Applicability were approved with Negative Box 2 decisions for a new septic system at 58 Shore Drive, owned by Pauline Mostrom, and at 32 Ocean Drive, owned by Seth and Claudia Hankowski for the installation of an in-ground pool.
A Notice of Intent filed by the Williams Living Trust, 26 Ocean Drive, for the placement of sand for beach nourishment was conditioned.
After considerable discussion of stormwater drainage systems relevant to a Notice of Intent filed by Christian McCullough, 8 Channel Street, the project was accepted after several suggested modifications to the drainage system were agreeable to engineer David Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone, Inc. Additional trenching and plantings will be part of the new plan of record when the case returns to the commission for conditioning.
A Notice of Intent filed by Stephen Schwartz, 48A Shore Drive, for the replacement of pier pilings and jetty boulders displaced during storms was continued to November 13.
Rounding out the evening were two extensions of conditions for two lots located on Dupont Drive and owned by John Gregorio and a Certificate of Compliance for Noyes Avenue and Dyar Street owned by the Mattapoisett Land Trust.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is planned for Monday, November 13, at 6:30 pm.
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission
By Marilou Newell
There are too many choices. Have you ventured down the soft drink aisle at the grocers lately? There must be a thousand different sugary drinks. Once you decide what flavor you want, you then must decide on small cans, big cans, glass bottles or plastic, quarts or liters, six packs or eight packs.
Restaurant menus are too big too. By the time I read all the choices, I’m not hungry anymore. This free-choice business is getting out of hand and isn’t limited to just food either.
When I was a kid we had a couch, not a sofa, just a couch. And it’s a good bet it was a hand-me-down, but it was in good condition because whoever had it before us kept it covered in clear plastic.
Now if you go into some furniture stores, you will be faced with a plethora of choices. In addition to different colors of couches, er sofas … you must consider a number of styles. In fact, according to comfort-works.com (there is a .com for everything, isn’t there?), there are about 21 different types of sofas. There are divans, loveseats, sectionals, Chesterfield, tuxedo, cabriole, settees, recliners (some with cup holders and wi-fi), camelback, barrel back, convertible and sleep sofas and so on. Too many choices.
Sleep sofas are misnamed. A sofa bed is a better name because no one has ever been able to sleep on one comfortably. The fold-out mattresses are thin and the springs are hard. Not as hard as the bed I slept in during college. I slept on a door. Not one of those flush doors either, no sir, it was one with raised panels. I confess it did have a two-inch foam pad on it, but it was painful when I rolled over onto the knob. Just kidding, there was no knob.
Speaking of beds, there are queen, king, twin beds, Murphy beds, waterbeds, hybrid, featherbeds, bunk beds, air mattresses, futon, cots … whew! There are also trundle beds, daybeds, adjustable beds and, of course, hospital beds. According to mattressclarity.com (another .com expert), there are 73 different types of beds.
If you think there are a lot of beds, check out chairs. There are wingback, club and occasional chairs, recliners, swivel, armchairs, ladderback, deck, lounge and Adirondack chairs, plus my favorite, rocking chairs.
I recall my parents had married friends who came to visit every Tuesday evening precisely at 7:00 pm. Mom and Lydia would sit on the couch. Dad would be in his armchair, and George would grab the rocking chair next to the fireplace. He nursed a beer until 8:00 pm, then they would abruptly leave. The chair would still be rocking as they drove off.
There are more dining chairs than you can imagine … bentwood, bistro, cross back, Windsor, Parsons, provincial, upholstered, metal … enough already, you get the drift. Too many choices.
Furniture doesn’t have a corner on having too many choices. Shoes are right up there. There are loafers, penny loafers, oxfords, boots, brogues, flats, sandals, flip-flops, moccasins, clogs, boat shoes, slippers and of course sneakers. You have a choice of tie shoes, or Velcro flaps. I once had a pair of “Snap Jacks” inspired by Elvis Presley. They had a metal tongue on a hinge that made a loud snap when you closed it. I think they were Thom McCann shoes and were sold by a couple who had a shoe store in their attic on Tobey Lane.
Well enough of that. I’m exhausted. I think I need a wheelchair to carry me down the hall so I can climb into my memory foam bed and take a nap. Too many choices.
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
FY 2024 Real Estate & Personal Property tax bills were mailed October 18 and are due on November 30. The second half payment will be Due May 1. If paying by personal online banking, allow sufficient time for the bank to generate a check and mail it to the Town. Please supply sufficient information on the check identifying which bill should be credited. Online bill pay can be made at: townofrochestermass.com Click online payments, then tax collector. There is a Lockbox located at the bottom left side of the front stairs for your convenience, checks only please. If you have not received your tax bill in the mail, please contact the Collector’s Office at 508-763-3871 ext.1. If you have questions regarding property values and abatements, please contact the Assessor’s Office at 508-763-3871 ext.3.
Avoid mall parking lots. Don’t get stuck in holiday traffic. Instead join the Mattapoisett Museum for our annual Craft Fair at 5 Church Street, Mattapoisett on Saturday, November 18 from 11 am to 2 pm. Shop for unique gifts — local, one-of-a-kind items. There will be a large selection of handmade creations available: art, notecards, glass, woolens, photography, jewelry, leather goods, food and more. For more information, call 508-758-2844 or email curator@mattapoisettmuseum.org.
Rochester’s Planning Board Tuesday reviewed more details of the Site Plan Review application for a 15-acre, self-storage facility at Kings Highway and Route 28 and learned the project’s biggest problem may be what public water will be available for it.
The petitioner, JPF Development’s engineer William Madden, told the board that along with a small office at the front entrance of the fenced-in operation, the smaller self-storage building will be 45×160 feet and include 32 storage units, and the larger structure will be 30×180 feet and house 180 storage units.
He described the project’s plans for 1,300 feet of roadways to and between the buildings, an on-site septic system for the bathroom facilities that will be installed in the office and water filtration trenches to protect wetland areas near the site.
But he emphasized that a water-service connection will be the project’s biggest problem once all other town approvals are complete. Wareham expects to extend its water line to that area for the MBTA station and 40R housing developments planned for the area. But it is not certain when that will be available or what the town will have to do to connect to it.
Madden cautioned that a public-water connection of this kind will be new to town officials. It may require an easement onto the facility’s land that the town will have responsibility for. “How big an easement will be needed? How will the town pay for it, manage it?” Madden asked. “This will all be new to you.”
Noting that the main need for public water at the site will be for fire-protection services, Planning Board members proposed parking a tanker truck filled with gallons of water for that purpose.
Madden did not respond directly to this idea. Instead, he said he is in the middle of reading the comments made by the town’s consulting engineer, Ken Motta of Field Engineering, in his review of the project and wanted a longer lead time than the very next meeting to be ready with final plans.
Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson said Madden and the board should work through the project’s list of waivers first, then concentrate later on the water issue. Nonetheless, he motioned to continue the hearing to the board’s next meeting on Tuesday, November 14.
In other action, the board granted a request for a one-year extension of the General Special Permit and Mattapoisett Ground Water Protection District Special Permit for a large-scale, solar-energy installation planned for 0 Cushman Road.
However, the board continued until November 14 the public hearing on the Cushman Road solar project after Town Planner Nancy Durfee noted the published public hearing notice did not mention the Protection District Special Permit portion of the application.
The Rochester Planning Board set its next meeting for Tuesday, November 14, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way. The board decided it will meet the following month on December 12.
Rochester Planning Board
By Michael J. DeCicco
The Old Rochester Regional High School football team played its Homecoming game on Friday night against Somerset Berkley (5-2) and won 32-20. The victory changed the momentum heavily from the prior week’s loss against undefeated Fairhaven.
“We had a tough week last week, (and) we knew we had to bounce back,” ORR Head Coach Bryce Guilbeault said when asked about the game.
The game started ugly, as Somerset quarterback Derek Baliko ran 65 yards for a touchdown 15 seconds into the game.
“It started ugly, but we didn’t fold,” Guilbeault said.
The Bulldogs immediately responded, as quarterback Gavin Martin scored a touchdown on a sneak. The game was tied at 6-6 only 1:42 into the first quarter. The Raiders found themselves in the end zone one more time in the opening period and scored a two-point conversion to take a 14-6 lead.
ORR wide receiver Noah Bongiorno ran a huge run back to get the Bulldogs into the red zone. The very next play, running back Devin St. Germaine ran 19 yards for the touchdown.
A minute and 43 seconds into the second quarter, the Bulldogs made a big goal-line stop on fourth down and goal to go from the 1-yard line.
“Everybody contributed, our offense, defense (and) special teams,” said Guilbeault.
On offense, Martin scrambled and ran 47 yards for the first down at the ORR 49-yard line. He then threw 22 yards for the Bulldogs’ second touchdown.
ORR had another huge, fourth-down stop with approximately five minutes left in the second quarter to gain back possession, but the Bulldogs turned it over at their own 17-yard line, leading to a touchdown that put Somerset Berkley ahead 20-19 at halftime.
Field Hockey
The ORR field hockey team played Fairhaven (3-12) at home on October 20 and won, 2-1. The win brought the Bulldogs’ record to 3-7-4 entering a rematch between the schools on Tuesday in Fairhaven.
Girls’ Soccer
Audrey Thomas scored both goals, one assisted by Kate Thomsen and one by Liz Feeney, as ORR girls’ soccer went to New Bedford for a rematch against GNB Voc-Tech on October 21 and won, 2-1. The Bulldogs were behind 1-0 at halftime but came back with a strong second half. Junior goalkeeper Emerson Roy made key saves to help ORR seal a win that brought their record to 8-7-1 entering Monday’s game at Fairhaven.
Boys’ Soccer
ORR boys’ soccer faced Division 1 Attleboro (12-1-3) and lost, 2-1. Freshman Grady Oliveira scored in the first 26 seconds, assisted by Luke DeVoe. The Bulldogs took a 7-5-2 record into Monday’s home game against Fairhaven (9-6-1).
Sports Roundup
By Aiden Comorosky
Senior Night at Old Rochester Regional High School made Monday’s 42-35 Unified Basketball victory against Fairhaven even more special because of how the Bulldogs won.
ORR’s three seniors, Traeh Carrington, Jake Newton and John Butler, all contributed, and Player of the Game Thomas Jupin, an athlete, scored two baskets for a career-high four points. “He was hustling all game long,” said Coach Emma Fenton.
Carrington, an athlete, scored eight points, and as partners, Newton and Butler pulled 20 rebounds apiece.
“They provided plenty of opportunities for our athletes to score, which is awesome,” said Fenton, emphasizing fairness and meaningful involvement at the heart of Unified sports. “We want everyone to have a role when they’re out on the court. Even if an athlete is super skilled, they can take shots – we encourage them – but pass to their teammates. We don’t like to run up the score.”
ORR’s Unified basketball team is comprised of nine “athletes,” six on-court “partners” and a manager who tallies statistics.
“We actually started Unified Phys. Ed. at ORR this year,” said Fenton. “There’s partners and there’s athletes. They get the experience and it’s more comfortable … and it’s attainable and it’s awesome.”
New to ORR and the Bulldogs’ Unified program, Fenton had a feeling Unified would be part of her new teaching career. The 2023 Bridgewater State University graduate played basketball for the Bears, so she knows the sport.
“We did Unified sports at my high school (Bourne),” she said, noting the support she received to take over as Unified coach with the role open. “They were all like, ‘You have to do it, you have to do it.’ I knew coming into it that I wanted to do it.”
As the teacher in ORR’s Transition Skills program for ORR graduates ages 18-22, Fenton has quickly gained camaraderie with the Unified athletes and partners. The students in Transitional Skills also participate in the Bulldog Brew beverage operation for students and staff.
“It provides more skills for them when they leave here,” said Fenton.
The Unified season began with practice on September 11, and the Bulldogs have won all four of their games.
“We really like to hit the ground running when school starts,” said Fenton of her group that plays or practices twice per week. “We have a very competitive crew this year.”
ORR has two more South Coast Conference games remaining on the schedule, Monday, Oct. 30, at Joseph Case High School in Swansea and at Fairhaven on Wednesday, November 1. The Bulldogs will compete in a postseason jamboree with Special Olympics Massachusetts in November, playing short games with several teams.
The game everyone looks forward to against local fire and police is scheduled for Tuesday, November 21, 6:30 pm in the ORRHS gym. A suggested donation of $5 for students and $10 for adults would help raise funds to outfit the team.
“I really want us to have those same opportunities,” said Fenton. “The officers we have at the school, Officer (Linera) Lima and Officer (Adalberto) Cardoso, they have the best relationships with the kids.”
Fenton says coaches’ meetings with Special Olympics Massachusetts has helped drive home the message of the importance of Unified basketball – meaningful involvement.
“They don’t just want the athletes to be handed their opportunities, they want them to earn them,” she said. “Special Olympics Massachusetts has been awesome. They’re really big on making everything the same across the board, which has been good.”
By Mick Colageo
On November 1 from 3:30 to 4:30, the Marion Natural History Museum will welcome Deb Ewing to speak about our local terrapins. Deb oversees a diamondback terrapin conservation area in Marion and has partnered with the New England Coastal Wildlife alliance to protect Diamondback Terrapins. She will be sharing information regarding the efforts she and others have made to protect this threatened species. She has created a “turtle garden” on conservation land in Marion and joined forces with NECWA, New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance to conduct population studies, locate nests and to install protection equipment to protect these important animals from predators. To register for this program, please go to www.marionmuseum.org.
The Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity is currently seeking partnerships to secure low-cost land for their next home. A local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, BBAHFH mission is ‘building homes, communities, and hope’. BBAHFH was first established in 1996 and serves the nine communities of Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester, Wareham and Westport.
Explains Executive Director Christine Lacourse, “We are currently looking for land in our territory that is a suitable spot to build a house or duplex. Ideally, the land will be donated to BBAHFH by an individual, group or even a governmental entity. The Westport Housing Trust purchased a parcel of undeveloped land and sold it to Habitat for $1,000 for our most recent build. We can also build on city lots and rehab existing homes as well.”
Ideally, the lot meets local zoning requirements, has at least 7,000 to 10,000 square feet of area, and access to amenities such as water, sewer and utilities. If no sewer is available, the lot must be able to accommodate a private septic system and needs to have minimal constraints, such as wetlands, ledge, or contamination.
Since Habitat for Humanity is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, land donations are tax deductible per IRS code. In addition to substantial tax deductions, donors can benefit from shedding unwanted taxable property and can feel good about helping families in need of housing that is affordable. Homes are built with volunteer labor and donations of land, money and materials, as well as a minimum of 300 sweat equity hours that the Habitat family invests into building their own home.
Recipients of a Habitat house must be able to demonstrate a true need for adequate shelter, have the ability to pay a low-interest mortgage, show proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence status and reside or work in the affiliate’s territory.
“One reason donors love our organization is because Habitat for Humanity provides a hand up, not a handout,” remarked Lacourse.
Owning a home has the potential to provide opportunities for success for families, especially for the next generation. By obtaining a home, the family has healthier surroundings and a greater sense of stability. Living in a home, children often make better grades and stay in school longer. Some further their education and grow in their careers because they have gained confidence due to the responsibility of owning a home. A new cycle begins, and it all starts with a home. Families with low-income need home ownership opportunities that are affordable to provide a healthy, stable environment for their family.
For more information on donating or volunteering, visit www.buzzardsbayhabitat.org, email Christine Lacourse at BuzzardsBayAreaHabitat@yahoo.com, or call (508) 758-4517.