Literacy Program in Place

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            In its final public meeting of the 2022-23 academic year, the Marion School Committee heard an update on the two-year School Improvement Plan.

            Principal Marla Sirois said seeing students make “such strides during the pandemic and seeing the outcomes at the end” was a thrill. Thanking stakeholders, Sirois highlighted 21st century and project-based learning, noting the recent science fair and many other activities and accomplishments.

            Assistant Principal Peter Crisafulli discussed the progress of students in various areas, including social-emotional skills and camaraderie.

            Sirois thanked School Committee Chairperson April Nye for her work on the Character Council and expressed appreciation for community partnerships.

            Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson said the two-year plans were simultaneously implemented in all three of the Tri-Towns with impactful results.

            The committee heard a presentation from Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Shari Fedorowicz regarding the year-long effort to arrive at a literacy program curriculum.

            Fedorowicz gave a status update, outlining a process that will move from Part 2, writing grants and determining core-literacy programs to finalizing the choice of programs from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The project, guided by The Hill for Literacy, included meeting with programs’ publishers for demonstrations and samples, a final round of discussions and consultation with other school districts.

            Among those programs gaining enthusiastic approval were “IntoReading” by Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt and “DIBELS” 8th Edition Early Literacy Screener. Fedorowicz said it was the first time that the district leadership teams from all three elementary districts were in agreement.

            “The rubric was very comprehensive,” she said, adding that ORR will continue to work with The Hill on rolling the program out.

            The committee voted to approve Marion Institute Grow Education, a project-based supplemental set of lessons that ties outdoor garden classrooms to State Frameworks. Nelson told the committee he does not consider the partnership an alteration of curriculum but a supplemental addition.

            Upon returning from a 34-minute executive session, the committee voted unanimously to approve the Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) between the School Committee and the Marion Teachers Association that will go into effect on September 1, 2023, and expire on August 31, 2026.

            The committee voted to approve the lease renewals of SMEC and Countryside Day Care for the 2023-24 academic year. Nelson encouraged review of lease rates for the future but recommended approval of current lease renewals.

            The committee approved the following donations: from Shutterfly $2,055.60 for school pictures in 2019; from Volunteers at Sippican Elementary (VASE) the book “Fantastic Bureau of Imagination” by Brad Montague; from Marion Teachers Association the book “Giant Island” by Jane Yolen; from Marion School Sunshine Committee the book “When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left” by Marc Colagiovanni; and from Sirois and Crisafulli the books “Wonder Walkers” by Micha Archer and “Whoo Hoo! You’re Doing Great!” by Sandra Boynton.

            The committee approved a list of materials to be withdrawn from the Sippican School Library. April Nye pointed out that 18,273 books were checked out during the 2022-23 school year.

            A “reorganization” vote resulted in April Nye maintaining her seat as chairperson and likewise Nichole Daniel as vice chair.

            In her final Chairperson’s Report of the season, April Nye emphasized team dynamics in Sippican’s successes. “I’m truly grateful for everyone who walks through those doors every morning and puts their best foot forward. … We are truly a strong, successful team.”

            In his Central Office Report, Nelson alluded to “the great flood of 2023” and expressed appreciation for Jones and Leonardo, the first responders and the vendors who arrived on the scene to repair damage. He was pleased to announce that Sippican’s school year would end this week in synch with the other ORR District schools.

            Nelson also said information from a survey on education modes, including remote education would be presented for its consideration. He also wished Davidson well.

            Davidson announced that funding has been secured, and registration is open for ORR’s Enrichment Academy. With that, he thanked the committee and staff for their support.

            In her Principal’s Report, Marla Sirois summarized numerous highlights and events, including concerts undeterred by changing weather.

            Penny Sullivan, retiring Special Education/Grade 2 teacher, was recognized for her years of service at Sippican, and April Nye complimented her and announced the donation of a book to the school library in her honor.

            Nelson called her “one of the ultimate team players at Sippican.”

            Sirois presented Sullivan with a copy of the book “Wonder Walkers,” saying, “Pete and I are grateful to work with you.”

            Among several Grade 6 students recognized for their poems submitted to a statewide contest, Sophie Zhou’s entry will be published in the agency’s monthly magazine.

            Two Teachers Association Merit awards went to Ashley Sweatland and Nicole Boussy.

            April Nye recognized Cody Leonardo and Gene Jones “for the work they did getting us up and running again after the floods. They got everybody back in this building and safely,” she said, drawing applause.

            The committee also recognized departing Director of Student Services Craig Davidson.

            During Open Comment, Alexis Cottam spoke via Zoom and suggested a greater focus on transparency where it concerns needs for improvement and their recording in meeting minutes. She also suggested a greater allocation of funds in the budget to keep pace with an increase in mental-health needs.

            The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, September 14, at Sippican Elementary, and the next meeting of the Joint School Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, at ORR Junior High Media Room. Both meetings begin at 6:30 pm.

Marion School Committee

By Mick Colageo

Ancient Loons Still on Lakes

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            The ancient species of the common Loon is one of the oldest living creatures on the face of the Earth. They go back several billion years in time and are among the first amphibious creatures that first crawled up on land out of the waters of the sea. By so doing, they became a charismatic and beloved symbol of the wild lakes where they live now. Today a reproductive pair of Loons require at least one-third of a mile across clear and clean waters for their healthy aquatic lifestyle.

            As in my illustration, Loons are a familiar bird swimming in water partially submerged and propelled with churning webbed feet. They cannot stand or walk upright on dry land by themselves. In flight, they stretch out flat with long neck and bill sticking out ahead of and beyond the tail to be streamlined in motion to become airborne. From the water, they need a running start of several hundred yards to get into the air or they can become stranded on a short takeoff failing start.

            The vocal calls of the Loon echo across the placid evening surface that is very clear coming through the darkness, but not easy to locate. There is the startling, yodeling alarm siren that ripples through a peaceful silence when humans get too close to the nest. It is accentuated by a sudden, wild flapping of the wing against the chest to ensure terror upon the intruding visitor.

            Even more soulful on a dark night is an eerie wail to locate a missing mate as the sun goes down. Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond in Concord told his friends it was the most unearthly sound he had ever heard.

            The most parental Loons’ habit may be the Loons giving a young one a free ride on its back everywhere it goes. Like many young birds, Juvenile Loons soon learn to become on their own when mom and dad leave them behind to head off on migration in autumn.

            Instead of a north-to-south direction, they migrate from west to east to spend the winter in the nearby coastal saltwater. Here, they soon lose their summer black-and-white plumage pattern. Once the juveniles settle in the coastal ocean, they try to stay there for the next two years.

            Loons are well equipped for their feeding submarine maneuvers to catch fish and survive. Unlike most birds, they have solid bones that help them stay underwater when necessary because the earth’s atmosphere got overcast and cloudy when it did result in erasing most other worldly living creatures’ ability to breathe and survive. Because they could submerge for long periods of time, the Loon species survived and is still around today.

            This ability is proof positive of Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest, for which we today are very thankful for my article and illustration of the ancient Loon you got to read about and visualize in your experience.

By George B. Emmons

Mattapoisett Library Hosts Local Authors

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The Mattapoisett Free Public Library, 7 Barstow Street will host two local authors this month.

            Families are invited on Thursday, June 22 at 3 pm for a story time and Q & A session with local author Paul Steven Stone and illustrator Don Carter, creators of Cock-A-Doodle-Don’t, a children’s book. All ages welcome.

            The Purrington Lecture Series presents author and artist Margo Connolly-Masson on Tuesday, June 27 at 6:00 pm. Margo recently published her first children’s picture book, And Then…Glen., a story about a pesky herring gull in New Bedford. Margo began writing and illustrating her book as the Artist-in-Residence at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in the fall of 2022. Join her at the library for a reading and a presentation about her process of writing, illustrating, and self-publishing. This event is appropriate for people of all ages. Self-guided art projects will be available for children during the presentation portion of the evening.

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

MNHM Kick Off Event

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Come visit the Marion Natural History Museum during our summer kickoff event and visit with Delilah the life-size right whale.  Delilah will be accompanied by two scientists from Whale and Dolphin Conservation located in Plymouth who will be introducing us to Right Whale biology, habits and many other related topics.

            Delilah will be outside the museum at 8 Spring Street on Saturday June 24 from 11:00 till 1:00. This kickoff event is cohosted with the Elizabeth Tabor Library and will have a dinosaur program following ours at 1:00.

            Hope you can join us for ice cream, crafts and lots more. This is a free community event. Welcome Summer.

            All of our summer programs may be viewed through our website: www.marionmuseum.org.

Student’s Effort Garners Support

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            The June 12 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission was one of the easiest meetings this commission has seen in a long time, under 30 minutes. However, that’s not to say it wasn’t important, especially when given that a student sought assistance.

            Theo Jacobsen, 11th-grade Advanced Placement Biology student at Old Rochester Regional High School, came forward seeking guidance on how to secure permission for the class to perform invasive-species eradication on freshwater ponds on the school grounds.

            Chairman Mike King was delighted, saying that the commission owes a responsibility to assist the public. He said the commission is “passionate” about aiding the community. Jacobsen, whose father John is a commission member, was advised to file a Request for Determination of Applicability. The commission also voted to pay for the posting of the legal advertisement up to $50.

            A Negative Box 2 determination for a RDA filed by Rebecca Fealy, 3 Oliver’s Lane, was rendered for a septic repair.

            Certificates of Compliance were approved for three requests made by Bart O’Brien for Whitman Homes located on Prince Snow Circle, as was a COC for Jessica Nicolosi, 5 Perkins Lane.

            New commission member David Nicolosi inquired about the process and procedures regarding enforcement orders in terms of achieving compliance when such matters were briefly discussed at the end of the meeting.

            “Without a (wetlands) bylaw, we depend on the goodwill of the public,” said King, adding that the commission at times has to involve the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to try and gain compliance from violators. The commission, he added, cannot issue fines. Currently, there are six Enforcement Order matters that remain unresolved.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, June 26, at 6:30 pm.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

Plumb Library Summer Program: Find Your Voice

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The 2023 MA statewide summer library program (SLP), “Find Your Voice”, begins at Plumb Library on June 16 and ends on August 5.  This broad theme of self-expression encompasses a variety of mediums for youth and adults to find their voice: from visual arts to writing, storytelling, music, and so much more.  Join us to explore and discover all kinds of different ways to find your voice.

            The free Plumb program encompasses 3 age groups: children ages 3-12, tweens/teens ages 12 and up, and adults.  Registration is required.  Once registered, visit the library to pick up logs, BINGO sheets, and more.  Participation is based on personal schedules. For more details, please visit our Summer Library Program page.  Library activities and events are listed on our online Event Calendar.  Starting June 16, you can register for the events you wish to attend by clicking the Register box on each dated event.

            Celebrate the beginning of the Plumb’s Summer Program on Saturday, June 17 at 11:00 am with Mr. Vinny the Bubble Guy.  Join us outside for running, jumping, and bubble-popping fun.  Mr. Vinny is bringing his hand-made, giant bubble wand to create floating blobs of soapy goodness.  Participants can chase and pop bubbles to their heart’s delight, while Mr. Vinny plays music, tells jokes and answers questions.  No registration required.  If you can not attend this Bubble Show, there will be another one on July 29 at 11:00 am. This event will be held weather permitting.  A reschedule date will be available if needed.

Senior Hike with MLT and COA

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Mattapoisett Land Trust is partnering for the second year in a row with the Mattapoisett Council on Aging for an accessible senior hike. This year we are going to be taking a walk at the Munn Preserve, which is at the end of Mattapoisett Neck Rd. right before Antassawamock Road. The hike is on Thursday June 22 and will start at 10:30 am. Please wear sturdy walking shoes and dress for the weather. We will try and go out rain or shine, within reason. We will be walking the trail out to the beach and back, which is roughly 1 mile total.

            The trail itself is very wide and flat, surfaced with crushed shells. Some spots may be slightly muddy. The end of the trail is a beach with soft sand and has one memorial bench for sitting. Please consider your mobility needs. The Council on Aging van will also be available at the hike for those who are not able to walk the distance to the beach and would prefer to ride in the van to the scenic lookout point on the beach and back. Waters will be provided for hikers.

            This hike is planned for seniors and their friends and family members who wish to join. Contact manager@mattlandtrust.org or coadirector@mattapoisett.net with any questions.

Academic Achievements

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Sarah Moitozo of Mattapoisett graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the College of Charleston.

            The following students have been named to the Spring 2023 President’s List at Husson University:

–Elizabeth Bungert of Mattapoisett is enrolled in Husson’s Bachelor of Science in criminal justice program.

–Emma Mello of Mattapoisett is enrolled in Husson’s Bachelor of Science in criminal justice with a concentration in psychology program.

            Rochester resident, Tessa DeMaggio, has been named to Husson University’s Dean’s List for the Spring 2023 semester. During the spring semester, DeMaggio was enrolled in Husson’s Bachelor of Science in criminal justice program.

            On May 20, 2023, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) awarded a total of 1,988 degrees – 152 doctoral degrees, 390 master’s degrees and 1,446 bachelor’s degrees – to 1,957 students, some of whom earned multiple degrees. The following local students earned degrees:

–Harrison Riley, of Mattapoisett, graduated with a BS in Information Tech & Web Science.

–Megan Shay, of Rochester, graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering.

            Harrison Riley of Mattapoisett, studying Information Tech & Web Science and Megan Shay of Rochester, studying Mechanical Engineering have made the Dean’s Honor List for the Spring 2023 semester at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York:

            Adam Sylvia, Central College Class of 2023 from Rochester, has been named to the dean’s list for the Spring 2023 semester.

Remembering Dear Ol’ Dad

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            Father’s Day is upon us. It comes around once a year, dads come around once in a lifetime, so I thought, Dear Reader if you will indulge me, I’d like to offer up some random thoughts about my old man

            I am now 11 years older than he was when he died in his sleep on his day off. He was born in Mattapoisett, one of 10 children of a homemaker mother and a laborer father. He graduated from the ninth grade at Center School. He later drove a truck for a local oil company.

            After Pearl Harbor, he joined the Navy and was eventually assigned to the battleship Pennsylvania stationed in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska. It was cold, especially at night when he was on deck patrol. One day he spotted a notice on the ship bulletin board looking for an experienced barber. He knew it was warm in the barber shop, so despite having no experience, he applied saying that he owned two barber shops in New Bedford, Massachusetts. That lie worked, he got the job.

            He was directed to a chair and tools, which he had no idea how to use. He placed the electric sheers on the back of the next customer’s neck, an officer, and proceeded to cut a swarth right up the middle of his head … sort of a reverse Mohawk. The head barber asked him why he lied. Dad said he hated the cold. The head barber took pity on him and taught him how to cut hair. A career was born. He served as Mattapoisett’s town barber for over 30 years.

* * *

            He and I, along with my uncles Robbie and Marno, would go up to Apperson’s sawmill on Crystal Spring Road and collect pine slabs. My grandmother heated her house by burning the slabs in a giant potbelly stove in the “heater room” and used them in the cooking stove in the kitchen.

            There was a rusty, old gasoline-powered mill saw with a blade about 2 feet in diameter set up behind her house on Cathaway Lane, where the men would spend all day cutting the slabs into stove length. My job was to stack the slabs up in rows inside the little barn near the house. When we were done, the men would sit around and drink Dawson’s beer out of stubby glass bottles, and Dad would let me take a swig of beer.

* * *

            A customer once came into Dad’s barber shop for a haircut and asked to take a little off the top. After dad was done, the guy complained that he had cut his hair too short. Next time the guy came into the shop he told my father, “Don’t cut my hair too short this time.” Dad took out his scissors and clippers and pretended to cut the guy’s hair, not going near his head. When he was “done,” the guy looked in the mirror and barked, “You cut my hair too short again!” Dad pointed to the floor where there was no hair. The guy stormed out and never came back. My old man didn’t suffer fools gladly.

* * *

            For some unknown reason, my dad acquired a shotgun from one of his customers (probably in trade for a couple of haircuts), which he stashed in the back bedroom closet. He hadn’t used a gun since the war. My uncle convinced him to go deer hunting. For some insane reason, he let me go with them. We got up at 2:00 or 3:00 am to head down to the old Camp Edwards on the Cape. It may have been the coldest day of the season. We traipsed through the woods for what seemed like hours and came home freezing, never seeing a single deer. Dad gave the shotgun away and he never went hunting again and I never had the desire to.

* * *

            Our high school senior play was “Come Away Death,” a murder mystery set in a commercial laundry. I played a janitor who sculked around the clothes racks and laundry bins, leaving the impression to the audience that I was the culprit. I was not. After the curtain fell, when I came out to take my bow, my father, sitting in the center of the auditorium, stood up, arms raised up to the ceiling and yelled, “That’s my boy!” while my red-faced my mother vigorously tugged at his coat to sit down. The audience laughed uproariously, eclipsing my moment in the spotlight. I didn’t mind. It was the only event of mine he ever attended. I was just glad he was there.

* * *

            When I was about 10 or 11 years old, Rocky Marciano, the great heavyweight boxing champion, was guest speaker at the Lions Club at the old Meiling’s Chinese Restaurant. After dinner, before Marciano spoke, Dad rushed home to get me so I could meet the champ and shake his hand. I didn’t know a boxing ring from a circus ring, much less a guy named Marciano. I was already in bed, so I declined. I know Dad went back disappointed, something I have always regretted. He did bring home the Champ’s autograph, which I still have to remind me never to disappoint your parents.

            It has been 40 years since my father passed away. I still remember his voice.

            Happy Father’s Day.

            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

SRPEDD Visits to Talk Master Plan

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            Rochester’s Zoning of Appeals began its June 8 meeting with a discussion of forming a bylaw review committee but spent the bulk of its time with the senior environmental planner for the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) and Rochester’s Master Plan project manager Rhiannon Duggan.

            Board member Richard Cutler said a new bylaw review panel should be formed to consist of members of the Zoning board to start. Board Chairman David Arancio admitted there is currently no bylaw review committee but questioned whether such a panel should be simply an ad-hoc board of one town panel. Arancio noted the Planning Board will take up the subject on June 13, and he will talk to the town planner before further action is taken.

            When it was Duggan’s turn, she asked the board a series of questions meant to gain their input as to how the Zoning panel can help and be helped with the creation of a new town Master Plan.

            Her first question was: What takes up most of the board’s time at each meeting? Board member Davis Sullivan quickly answered that it’s going through applications and finding that petitioners have not applied for the correct zoning bylaw relief. It’s the wasted time that it causes, Arancio agreed.

            To a question about the bylaw needs of the town, board member Richard Cutler admitted some people in town ignore the bylaws. They seem to want to get caught and then seek forgiveness instead of upfront permission.

            Arancio said this question is an opportunity to suggest the town Master Plan Committee look at the bylaws of other communities, see what is working for those communities and tweak them for Rochester. He noted this is where the previously discussed plan for a new bylaw review committee can be expanded upon.

            Can businesses flourish in town under current bylaw conditions? Duggan then asked. Sullivan said a lot of businesses in town are home based, which complicates the kind of zoning relief the board can grant. Arancio noted members are torn between the black-and-white of the bylaw and “interpretation.” Sullivan noted, as an example, a horse farm that wanted to house 25 animals was not allowed to do so in deference to the neighbors, until the petitioner’s attorney argued that the law does not allow that restriction. “So now you’ve got angry abutters,” Arancio said.

            Where could a revised Master Plan help the ZBA the most? Sullivan answered he would like to see solar-array regulations revised. The ones that have been built in town, he said, strip the land of trees and soil, he said. “But the state mandate that they must be allowed ties our hand,” he added. “Meanwhile, it is ruining our land and our scenic byways.”

            To this issue, Duggan said, unfortunately, this can only be a town-level Master Plan; it cannot rewrite state regulations. Town Administrator Glenn Cannon, who was in attendance, offered that putting in print the will of the people in the Master Plan may positively affect how state officials respond to those concerns.

            Duggan concluded by explaining the master planning will look strongly at what the residents want for the development of their town, and an implementation plan will be part of this new document. She said, as SRPEDD’s consultant on the Master Plan, she will soon be scheduling community-engagement meetings for public input on the Master Plan update.

            Lastly, the Zoning Board approved a variance of the minimum 40-foot front-setback requirement for the construction of a new front porch and stairs at 178 Clapp Road, proposed by Jon and Jacqueline Hartley. The petitioners explained they need to be allowed a 33.5-foot setback to build a covered entryway on the front of the house because they have two small children. The Hartleys want their children to be safer and covered from rain when waiting for the school bus and other motor vehicle rides.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals was not scheduled upon adjournment.

Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals

by Michael J. DeCicco