Trustees of Mattapoisett Public Library

on

            Editor’s note: Three (3) candidates are on the Mattapoisett Town Election ballot for two (2) open seats on the Trustees of the Public Library.

Ruth Oliver Jolliffe, Incumbent

            I am Ruth Oliver Jolliffe, and I am running for reelection for trustee of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. Books and libraries have been my lifelong interest. Before I retired, I was the associate director of a large, independent library in Boston. From that experience, I gained insight and knowledge into how libraries serve their communities well. During my tenure as a member of the Board of Trustees of the MFPL, I have come to know the staff, the library, and much of the Mattapoisett community it serves. The well-being of the town and especially the role of the Mattapoisett library in this town and beyond is of great importance to me. The library serves a wide community of people of all ages and interests, with not only a large collection of books and printed materials from on site and available from other libraries, but children’s programs, cultural events, musical performances, fishing rods, games, art programs, etc. The library offers the opportunity for all to explore, to discover, and to learn. By continuing to increase our knowledge, we expand our horizons of enjoyment and understanding. I appreciate the vital role of trustees as overseers, working with management and staff to make the best decisions for the future. As a trustee of the Mattapoisett Library, I am honored to serve, to encourage, and to support the work of the library and its dedicated Director, Jennifer Jones. I look forward to continuing as a trustee. I hope I may count on your vote on election day, May 16, 2023.

Paul Criscuolo, Challenger

            I’m Paul Criscuolo and I am seeking the office of Trustee of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. I am asking for your support and vote because I know that you believe, as I do, our library is a unique and treasured asset to our community. We all are familiar with the explosion of digital media and the decline of the “printed word.” Whether we use a Kindle, a smart phone or iPad, the relevance of the traditional book is declining. I believe that decline is not correlated to the relevance of our library to our community. Our library is more than a collection of shelves filled with books. It “serves” the community in numerous ways beyond our common assumptions. It provides meeting space for many community organizations, reading groups on diverse topics, digital movies, film clubs, learning classes, resources for research and even a “Library of Things” that includes a ukelele and fishing poles. That list grows as our library team seeks new ways to enrich our community. I want to be a part of that effort. I have devoted a substantial portion of my life to volunteer community service. I bring an extensive background in organization and project management as a senior executive of three Fortune 100 sized enterprises. I am an avid reader and book collector (I like the paper ones!) Rhonda and I have owned a home in Mattapoisett for 20 years. We have been full-time residents for the past five years. Rhonda’s Mattapoisett roots begin with her grandparents’ humble home on Mahoney’s Lane. Her dad’s name is proudly displayed on the Veterans of WWII sign in Town Hall. I envision this position as supporting and advising the director and her staff as they pursue the agenda they believe best serves our community. Our library is always in need of financial and community support. Books in every form must be bought and roofs repaired. If my service is of any value, it will be to convince my fellow citizens that, despite the digital phenomenon, our library is relevant, vibrant and a symbol of the best of Mattapoisett.

William Coquillette, Challenger

            I seek to serve as a Library Trustee because: (1) I love the library and have a proven record of support for it, and (2) I feel my experience as a board member, business lawyer and leader will benefit the library. I currently serve as President of the Mattapoisett Library Trust, the nonprofit organization that raises funds to support special projects at the library. I have served on the trust for four years and was a member of the search committee for the current Director of the Library. Those experiences have given me valuable insight into the needs, challenges and opportunities of the library. I have many years of other experience on boards to contribute to the library as well. Currently I am co-president/board member of the Buttonwood Park Zoological Society, treasurer/board member of the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path and clerk/board member of the Bay Club at Mattapoisett. I have led and served many other nonprofits over the years based on a desire to know and support my community. Professionally, I have led and served many for-profit boards for large and small companies. All of this board work has honed my skills in financial management and strategic planning, which will be important in guiding the library into the future. As a business lawyer, my job was to solve problems and bring people together to find common solutions. I believe in being practical, not ideological. I do my homework, listen to what others have to say, and work to create a consensus around key decisions. That’s the approach I would bring as a library trustee. Finally, an important benefit of the library for me is the full and free access it gives me to the information and culture of the world. I believe the library should be inclusive and respectful of all. My overall goal as library trustee would be to work constructively with others to help make the library the best asset it can be for all of the citizens of Mattapoisett.

Hobby Barn Proposed

on

            Rochester’s Planning Board Tuesday informally reviewed a plan to construct a 20,000-square-foot building on New Bedford Road to restore, detail and store collectible cars.

            Project engineer Bill Madden explained Briggs Hobby Barn is being built by Mark and Ashley Briggs for personal and not commercial use on a 10.9-acre parcel that was once the Gibbs Farm. A 20-foot-wide driveway will provide access from New Bedford Road, and the front gate will be 80 feet back from the road so large vehicles will not be halfway in the road when entering.

            Screening and fencing will surround the property, said Madden. The latter will be a 4-inch cedar post fence on one side and a black-coated wire fence on the other. All water drainage will remain on site. The garage-like building will have four “man doors,” eight garage doors and an upstairs mezzanine and observatory.

            Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson said the one thing missing from Madden’s paperwork so far is the spec sheet on the wall and lighting plan. Madden said that will come Thursday. He said that is when he will file the plan’s formal application. He noted that day is also when he will visit the Zoning Board of Appeals for that panel’s review of the project.

            Prior to that review, the Planning Board approved the draft decision permitting the large-scale solar array planned for 13.7 acres of the rear parking lot at Rochester Memorial School.

            Before the vote, Johnson questioned if the proper safeguards were in place for when the 2023-24 school year starts. The developer, Solect Energy Development, previously told the board it needs to do some of the construction after students will have begun classes. Solect representative Steven Gregory, attending the meeting via Zoom, noted the board has received a site plan showing how the construction work staging area will be fenced off during school hours.

            Johnson said the board will have to refer this plan to the town’s public safety personnel for their review. The Planning Board nonetheless approved the project permit and the Groundwater Protection District permit.

            In other action, the board responded to a Notice of Intent to sell Chapter 61A agricultural and horticultural land for residential use off of Mary’s Pond Road by recommending the Select Board not exercise its right to purchase the property held under 61A regulations.

            The Planning Board’s next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 23, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Planning Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Mute Swan Gets Mixed Reviews

on

            The elegant looking Mute Swan is the very same bird of dramatic Russian Ballets and European fairy tales of children’s literature.

            They were first brought to this country to decorate and give styling to public parks, ponds, lakes and city zoos. Today their distribution has gone wild by escaping from original purpose. But because of their pristine appearance of white shades and while muzzling each other with curved necks forming a heart shape, they have looked like avian symbols of romantic love by the admiring public.

            As in my illustration, the Mute Swan gathering with goslings carried on their backs around Ned’s Point Park, both males and females are aggressive toward people, young children and other waterfowl around the nesting area. They can also be destructive to aquatic submerged vegetation with their long necks by pulling up eight pounds of plants per day and wiping out feeding beds for other bottom feeders.

            At the turn of the 20th century, New England state governments suggested restrictions on allowing Mute Swans feeding too deeply.

            However, public opinion seriously took the side of the Swans and still wants them protected to this very day for environmental support. One of the reasons for public support is that they have the tradition of mating for life, even though random changing of mates is very common. If a male Swan mates with a younger female, they both join his habitat. But if he mates with an older female, they both will be true and change to her lifestyle. Thus, Mother Nature rules are clearly specified after remating for the future.

            Another admiral quality of Swans is the premise that they are believed to sing their own death song on their final flight before they die. This includes the outspoken Trumpeter Swan as well as the northern Tundra Swan, and bird lovers also include the Mute Swan, whose wing beats can be heard as far as a mile away. A pair of Mute Swans are recently often seen patrolling the coastline at the water’s edge on Little Bay in Fairhaven.

            I can observe them closely, dipping head and neck toward the bottom with tail up and feeding on seeds, stems and roots of eel grass, moving along thoroughly but destructively as described in my article and illustration impression.

            In a few weeks, I will be glad from a literary perspective when they nest and reproduce four or five goslings and help them fledge into the end of summer, remaining with their elegant parents through the first winter as exotic as their ancestor’s original attraction to be imported to this country.

By George B. Emmons

SkillsUSA Competition

on

On April 28, 42 Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School students competed at the annual SkillsUSA state competition held in Marlborough, MA. Upper Cape Tech competed with technical schools from all over Massachusetts.

            SkillsUSA is a national organization serving nearly a quarter of a million high school and college students. SkillsUSA has the active support of more than 1,000 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions at the national level.

            Student membership in SkillsUSA offers leadership, citizenship and character development programs, along with activities to complement skills training. These programs help students prepare to go to work with high standards in trade ethics, workmanship, scholarship and safety. It promotes understanding of the free enterprise system and encourages the development of patriotism through democratic practices in local chapters.

            The Upper Cape Tech students with qualifying gold medals included Laney Cooper of Marion, Occupational Health & Safety Environmental Technology, who will go to the national competition in Atlanta Georgia in June.

High Tea and Treasures

on

The elegant and formal tea, hosted by the First Congregational Church of Marion last Saturday, was a delightful success. The linen-covered tables were set with delicate teacups, sterling silver and the traditional, three-tiered tray of finger sandwiches, scones and sweets. The King’s Tea, imported from England, amazed even the non-tea drinkers. Beverly Peduzzi, church organist, played the newly acquired baby grand piano donated by the Truman Terrell family.

            The Church Community Center was transformed into an afternoon garden. Appraisers Frank McNamee, Nick Taradash and Abigail Field were the highlight of the event—deeming personal treasures as unique items of value or just delightful knickknacks. Either way, the guests’ laughter and smiles said it all: “this should become an annual event.”

Marion School Committee

on

            Editor’s note: Three (3) candidates are on the ballot for two (2) open seats on the Marion School Committee.

Mary Beauregard, Incumbent

            My name is Mary Beauregard. I’m running for reelection to the Marion School Committee. I am currently on the Policy and Equity subcommittees, the Joint School Committee, and I represent Marion for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. In my last term, I successfully worked on contract negotiations with support staff. I am committed to continuing and bettering the work of the Equity Subcommittee as it is tied directly to our district’s Strategic Plan and School Improvement Plan. I believe a parent has every right to decide their own child cannot have access to certain materials, but does not have the right to decide that for others. Our librarians are educated, and I trust they are making the best decisions for the majority of students. I originally ran for Marion School Committee in 2020 when there was an open seat and a need for someone to step up. I had a genuine desire to help and be involved in the school my children would soon be attending. I did not run with a specific agenda on any one issue. I am running for re-election because I believe with my three years of experience I’m now in a position to make more of an impact. Serving on the School Committee has been invaluable and I hope to continue my service.

Nichole Nye McGaffey, Incumbent

            I’m Nichole Nye McGaffey and I’m running for one of two Marion School Committee seats up for election. I first got involved with the committee last year as a write-in candidate for a one-year vacancy. No one expressed interest in serving and I didn’t want to leave the committee underrepresented. I grew up in Marion and attended both Sippican School and Old Rochester. I know firsthand that the quality of education we provide the students of Marion is outstanding. It’s a point of pride for this community and a reason people want to live here. I’m passionate about making sure that continues. It’s the job of the school committee to ensure that our administration and faculty have the resources needed to continue to provide the students of Marion with an excellent education within a safe and supportive school community. That’s the mindset I bring to the committee. I attend each meeting open-minded, ready to listen, and ready to help where I can. As a juris doctorate and the only member of the committee that doesn’t have a child attending school in the district, I believe I bring an important and unique perspective to the committee. I’m not running with the support of a local political party or with a political agenda. I have a deep love for this town that has been and will always be home to me and my family. My family has a long legacy of service to this community that I’m very proud of. I’m looking for my own ways to serve it. The work I’m most proud to have supported over the last year includes the wonderful work that Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Shari Fedorowicz is doing to get the school on a district-wide literacy program to allow us to share resources and data across the district, the satellite police office at Sippican that Superintendent Nelson and Chief Nighelli spearheaded as a creative solution to our current budget constraints, and efforts to clarify our public comments policy to ensure transparency, accountability, and community involvement. I ask for your vote on May 12.

Mirian Nawoichik, Challenger

            I’m inspired to run in order to help give children the best possible education in Marion. I am a mother of two boys in Sippican School. This has allowed me to understand the needs of families in our school system and I feel there is no better experience than that. I’m also an active member of VASE, Volunteers at Sippican Elementary School. Our children’s education should be a top priority. I’m running for common sense and practical choices. As a School Committee member, my focus will be solely on the educational needs of our children, and I will work to ensure that every student has access to a high-quality education. I understand that politics can often cloud decision-making and create unnecessary roadblocks, which is why I am committed to staying away from politics and staying true to our children’s needs. I will work with everyone — parents, teachers, administrators, and community members — to ensure that everyone’s concerns are heard and addressed. I am confident that my decisions will make a positive impact on our school. What our elementary school children are learning is the start of a foundation that will empower them to excel when they eventually head into middle School, high school and beyond. I believe anyone voting for Marion School Committee on May 12 should consider voting for me. I know personally what it’s like to raise two children in our school and I will put education first.

Stone Rooster Receives Negative Determination

on

            Stone Rooster Realty Corporation LLC received a Negative Box 2 and 3 Determination of Applicability for construction of a retaining wall and front-entrance stoop with an ADA-accessible ramp at 27 Wareham Street, as voted by the Marion Conservation Commission during its April 26 public meeting.

            After Representative Sam Iamele of JC Engineering, Inc., summarized the project during the public hearing, Conservation Commission Chairman Jeff Doubrava requested that the construction debris piled up “pretty close to the wetlands” be moved “real soon.”

            Jonathan and Jill Castle were voted an Amended Order of Conditions to raze a house at 406 Point Road and install a new septic system, including denitrification technology.

            Representative Rick Charon explained that the applicant’s last request for an amended Order of Conditions based on structural issues has been superseded by the discovery that portions of the underpinnings of the rest of the two-story portion of the house are missing.

            “How that happened, I don’t know, but bottom line is the project needed to be rethought, and they took down the two-story portion of the house and decided to completely rebuild. I think this came as a shock to everybody,” said Charon.

            The commissioners voted to approve a letter drafted by Conservation Agent Doug Guey-Lee to the owner of property at 21 East Avenue regarding planting landward of the seawall at the address. Guey-Lee said the letter will go out with the permits for their project.

            Laurence and Jane Reinhart were voted an “Invalid Certificate of Compliance” as the work approved at 13 East Avenue was never performed.

            The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission was not announced.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Mick Colageo

9/11 Flag Visits Local Fire Stations

on

            It has been nearly 22 years since terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, piloting two planes into the towers which subsequently collapsed, taking thousands of people’s lives. Who can forget the images of first responders covered in thick ash and concrete dust, or staggering civilians attempting to flee on bare feet over broken glass? Do those of us who are old enough to remember that day – September 11, 2001 – ever forget those images? No we don’t, nor should we.

            We all have a duty to remember, especially the firefighters and police officers who gave their own lives to save others. To that end, a group called Ground Zero has made it their mission to send a flag and marble cross around the country touring fire stations where ceremonies of remembrance are held.

            Last week, the flag, not the flag that was hoisted above the rubble by firefighters but another that flew near Tower 2 as the massive job of cleaning up, collecting remains and personal effects took place, visited Marion and Mattapoisett. A stop in Rochester is anticipated in September.

            Ceremonies were held on May 2 and May 5 at respective Mattapoisett and Marion Fire stations, where Explorers (junior firefighters) heard, possibly for the first time, the events of that fateful day and the importance of remembering.

            The flag itself is standard issue, but while watching it fly for 9 minutes and 11 seconds from the flagpoles at the fire houses, one sensed the solemnity of the moment. The marble cross was sculpted from stone conserved from a stairwell at the site. The two artifacts have borne witness and now share their story to help teach and to help remember. Traveling with these items is a log book filled with badges, buttons and signatures of those who have attended a ceremony.

            Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andrew Murray commented on Facebook, “The flag and marble cross has made three tours in Iraq, been on a Blackhawk helicopter and on a combat mission in an A-10 Thunderbolt ‘Warhog.’ It has also flown over the Pentagon, on US Navy warships and at Army, Navy and Air Force installations.

            “Now the flag has been traveling around the United States to fly at police and fire stations, municipal buildings and veterans’ associations with a goal to retire the flag on the 25th anniversary of when the flag last flew over the rubble of the WTC.”

            Marion Fire Chief Brian Jackvony stated in a follow-up, “Having the flag and cross here gave us the opportunity to pause and reflect the events of 9/11 … recognizing the sacrifices that were made on that day and our military who fought for our freedom.”

            The Tri-Town Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester Explorer group participated, not only learning about an event that happened before they were born, but the importance of reverential ceremonies. The Explorers in attendance were Dominic Fringuelli, Brendan Foster, Lisa Harrington, Jack Hebert and Kennedy Tripp.

            A few days later, the flag was in Worcester, causing Mattapoisett Fire Captain Brian Connelly to say, “It moves along fast.” Connelly was instrumental in bringing the flag and cross to the area.

By Marilou Newell

MAC & MLT Present Plein Air Days

on

The Marion Art Center partners with the Mattapoisett Land Trust to present Plein Air Days at Munro Preserve, scheduled on Friday, May 26 from 10:00 am-12:00 pm and Tuesday, June 13 from 10:00 am-12:00 pm. Munro Preserve is located at the intersection of Main and Water Streets, directly west of the Mattapoisett town wharves and Shipyard Park. Artists are invited to paint, sketch, photograph, write or create in any form on site at Munro Preserve. A representative from Mattapoisett Land Trust will be present to answer questions about the property and provide information to guests as needed. Plein Air Days are free and open to the public, but RSVPs are encouraged (marionartcenter.org/events.) Classes and groups are welcome. This will not be a guided class or meeting but an opportunity to be inspired by the natural landscape and beauty of the property. Artists should bring their own materials and may stay for as little or as long as they like. Limited parking is available at the wharves. Ample additional parking is available nearby at the large public lot on Depot Street.

            Munro is a beautiful one acre waterfront park with lawns, perennial gardens and specimen trees all enjoying spectacular views of Mattapoisett Harbor and Buzzards Bay beyond. There are a number of benches as well as steps into the harbor near the western edge of the property. The stone seawall was reconstructed in 1999 and maintained again in 2015. The Munro property was a gift in 1975 of Ruth Munro, who lived in the big yellow house across the street on the corner of Water and Pearl Streets. Mrs. Munro’s late husband was from a family long associated with Mattapoisett and its whaling history. In fact, this property was part of the site of the town’s first shipyard, acquired in 1752 by shipbuilder Charles Stetson of Scituate. Within 25 years, according to Charles S. Mendell, Jr., no less than eight other shipbuilders established shipyards and wharves, and Mattapoisett became famous as the Whaleship building capital of the world.

MATTREC Girls Lacrosse

on

MATTREC is thrilled to announce we have added a Girls Lacrosse clinic this summer. The clinic will be run by Jim Maxwell and John Jacobsen, both coach for the ORR Lacrosse program. The clinic is July 31-August 4 from 9:00-12:00 at ORR High School front field.  Girls Grades 3-8 are welcome to attend the clinics which will focus on Stickwork, Shooting, Defense, Footwork/Speed and Team play. Sign up online at www.mattrec.net.