A proposal for a new bylaw to would ban the sale of nip bottles in Marion was originally based on a fall Town Meeting, but Marion decided against holding a special Town Meeting so the matter will now go to Spring Town Meeting during the board’s public meeting on Monday night at the Police Station.

            “Having spent years cleaning up the side of the road around here, the single-most item I pick up around here is nips thrown out of cars,” said Planning Board Chairman Norm Hills.

            On Monday, the board reviewed some of the proposed bylaw changes crafted by the Codification Committee, a subcommittee of the Planning Board. In some cases, members took a fine-tooth comb to correct punctuation.

            “Eventually, the Planning Board’s going to have to have a hearing on this stuff. We don’t have to have (the board’s comments) tonight,” said Hills.

            Other bylaws reviewed simple proposals such as requiring dog owners to clean up after their pets while on the beach, along with a tricky definition of terms where it concerns residential zoning.

            As recommended by Marion Building Commissioner Bob Grillo, a bylaw change will better define the conversion of two dwelling units. Planning Board member Eileen Marum suggested, for continuity’s sake, calling the addition an accessory dwelling unit (as opposed to an apartment.) Hills acknowledged Marum’s point, noting that Section 11 of the town’s bylaws includes the definition “a dwelling unit.”

            More was discussed, and Hills told the membership he has already started another list of proposed fixes in the bylaws.

            The proposed village-style, smart-growth district that has been in the works in Marion for more than a year will be discussed at the Planning Board’s next meeting. Hills recommended members spend some time digesting the proposal.

            Uncle Jon’s Coffees cafe, situated between its 354 Front Street address and Spring Street on the opposite side in Marion, will be getting a blue railing outside after a minor change without site-plan was approved by the board.

            Representing property owner Mike Sudofsky was Lou Kruger, the Facilities coordinator for Sky Development Ltd at the adjacent building that houses Abington Bank.

            Kruger brought samples of the railing to show the Planning Board members and explained that the bumper area would still be there, along with two accessible cutouts, one slightly east of the front door and the other at the side door.

            Taking note of 8 and 4-foot cutouts, board member Alanna Nelson asked about handicap accessibility. Kruger responded that both sides are open from the sidewalk. Hills and Marum feel that a 4-foot opening is sufficient.

            As for the timing of the railing, Kruger believed it to be an afterthought. “We thought about concrete planters. There were trees there before, we’ll get some vegetation back in there to make it aesthetically pleasing,” he said.

            Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee agreed with Marum’s opinion that the addition is minor in nature and does not require site-plan review. The board, on this night including Hills, Marum, Jon Henry and Tucker Burr, voted unanimously to approve Sudofsky’s plan for fencing around the patio area as a minor change.

            In requested comments to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding Steve Sprague’s proposal for a partial second-floor at 43 Spring Street, Hills suggested that the plan, which he said looks like an accessory apartment above the garage, should need a special permit from the ZBA. The board officially recommended the applicant verify the existing approved accessory dwelling and offered no recommendation with respect to the deck.

            The board briefly discussed the ZBA’s approval of the Heron Cove Estates project on Wareham Street, which when issued its first building permit will put Marion over the state-required, 10% affordable-housing threshold.

            Member Jon Henry asked the meeting to observe a moment of silence in honor of Julia “Jay” Deane Crowley, who passed away on October 17 at age 100. Along with several other areas of community involvement, including her role as a founding member of the Volunteers at Sippican Elementary School (VASE), Crowley served 23 years on the Marion Planning Board, following her 1988 election.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, November 21, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station, also accessible via Zoom.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

            The Rochester Finance Committee Monday night transferred $7,600 from the town’s reserve account in a bid to stop Council on Aging Executive Director Eric Poulin from resigning to take on a higher-paying job in Wellesley.

            Mike Cambra, vice-president of the COA Board of Directors, said Poulin has received an offer to work as the COA director in Wellesley for a salary $40,000 higher than the $72,000 he is being paid in Rochester.

            Cambra said Poulin has delivered his notice that he is leaving Rochester on November 30 to start the Wellesley job on December 1. But he would reconsider leaving should the town offer him a raise to $85,000. That would require opening his contract for renegotiation, Cambra said, and using reserve funds to bolster the Council on Aging’s budget.

            The Finance Committee agreed, with a motion that included town Finance Director Suzanne Szyndlar’s recommendation that $7,600 be transferred to cover the increase to the June 30 end of the fiscal year.

            The panel was convinced by the strong case COA board members made for why the town should try to keep Poulin in its employ.

            COA board member Marjorie Barrows said Poulin has done more for the town’s COA than any previous director, using statistics she compiled to prove it. He has written $80,000 in grants for the COA, she said. He has increased attendance at the town Senior Center every month since the pandemic that closed senior centers across the country ended, highlighted by a 1.35% increase in May of this year and a 1.44% increase in July. The Senior Center averages 44 meals and other activities in a week, Barrows said, or an average of 176 per month, not counting road trips.

            “He writes his own grants, does his own accounting and budgeting,” Barrows said. “To replace him would require that type of salary anyway.”

            “We’re here pleading with you to not let him go,” Cambra said.

            Finance Committee Chairman Kris Stoltenberg signaled his agreement with the COA members by saying that using the reserve fund this way might set a bad precedent, except that this is what is happening elsewhere. Workers in small towns are moving to the higher salaries in larger municipalities.

            Before the final approval vote, FinCom member David Arancio suggested the next Town Meeting increase the amount it places in reserve account every year for future such emergencies.

            Select Board member Paul Ciaburri asked if this particular, reserve-account transfer would open the doors for other town employees who would use a job opportunity to leverage a raise. Szyndlar said the town would not have to approve a transfer.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Finance Committee was not set upon adjournment.

Rochester Finance Committee

By Michael J. DeCicco

As had occurred in the October 19 public meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee, the October 27 public meeting of the Rochester School Committee addressed a state Open Meeting Law complaint filed by Rochester resident Rhonda Baptiste.

            The case stems from Facebook comments made by ORR School Committee member Joe Pires regarding pornographic content in books kept at the ORR Senior and Junior High School libraries. On October 19, the ORR School Committee voted to delegate response to the complaint to attorney Peter Sumners.

            In this case, the Open Meeting Law complaint alleged that Pires and Rochester School Committee member Anne Fernandes were in violation with comments made in the Facebook group known as Tri-Town Buzz. Fernandes’ comments were posted in response to comments made by Pires, who also serves as one of the group’s page administrators/moderators.

            Baptiste read from a prepared statement to the October 27 public meeting of the Rochester School Committee, explaining her allegation.

            “Within 18 hours of Mr. Pires’ post, there were 214 comments made, including comments made by Mrs. Fernandes engaging with members of the public… creating a discussion environment which included four of the five Rochester School Committee members and 15 of the 18 Joint School Committee members within their public membership,” stated Baptiste. “Mrs. Fernandes knowingly and intentionally violated (state) Open Meeting laws by commenting on this public post made by fellow (ORR) School Committee member Joe Pires, and by engaging in this discussion environment, engaging with Mr. Pires’ comments, including engaging with members of the public, all in response to her emergency censorship agenda.

            “Mrs. Fernandes also violated School Committee policy by unilaterally demanding the school remove the materials (without a vote of the committee or committees to do so.) This overstep of her authority as a single member among many is an attempt to usurp the will of the committee for her own agenda, and is a violation of general school-committee policy as well as the specific policy IJ-R Reconsideration of Instructional Resources. By behaving in such a manner in a public forum, she is abusing her role as a School Committee member and utilizing her status as such to push her very vocal, political agenda toward censorship. In addition, Mrs. Fernandes is participating in an advertised public forum… as speaker of the event, to promote the censorship of the library materials under consideration by the entire (ORR District) school committee(s).”

            During the Open Comment session of the October 27 Rochester School Committee meeting, Baptiste also shared a letter signed by 631 community members that had already been read to the October 19 ORR School Committee meeting. The letter speaks out against banning books and requests that the ORR District support students from vulnerable populations, including those in the queer community and people of color, noting that they are already underrepresented in mainstream media.

            Sarah Bernier, a Rochester resident, spoke out in favor of banning books with what she called “pornographic content.”

            Marion resident Heidi Doobie focused away from the content in books and onto cell phones.

            “If my biggest concern as a parent right now (or) over the last few years is the ‘pornographic books’ and the school library,” she began, adding finger quotes for effect, “I feel like I’m missing the big picture… Sorry. Not many children read books, but they do look at their phones. All of the things that are in question right now are readily accessible to them. So I think our bigger concern as parents should be that we are not all represented.”

            “I have three white, so-far-straight children. I am not concerned for their safety. I am concerned about the people in their community who are underrepresented and underserved. So my focus – and I’m speaking only for myself – is to see that those groups of people who have historically been oppressed are brought to light and supported, and I don’t care … about the books that they may, truthfully, are not reading.”

            After a yes vote with one abstention, the Rochester School Committee assigned responsibility for responding to the complaint to Town Counsel Blair Bailey.

            The complaint, as well as supplemental materials for the committee meeting, are accessible on the ORR School District website.

            Shari Fedorowicz, ORR’s new assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning, gave an extensive PowerPoint presentation on the intricacies of the OpenSciEd program, obtained through a grant. Fedorowicz explained that it includes supplemental resources and materials for students in grades 6-8. The program was developed alongside educators using researched-based objectives centered on how students learn.

            “Objective: To improve science education through the development and implementation of high-quality, freely available science instructional materials that are research-based,” Fedorowicz read off one of the opening slides.

            After a three-year PILOT program will come full integration, with two units implemented each year. Grade 6 units are “Light & Matter” and “Sound Waves;” Grade 7 units are “Contact Forces” and “Thermal Energy;” and Grade 8 units are “Chemical Reactions & Matter” and “Chemical Reactions & Energy.” Supplemental units raise and answer questions like, “How can a sound make something move?” or “How can containers keep things warm/cold?”

            Several members of the committee expressed support and excitement over the implementation of OpenSciEd, noting that supplies for all the units have been obtained and will be provided to students as needed. There is also a variety of available assessments to track the student’s understanding of the material, including entrance and exit “tickets” and a daily science journal. Students will be able to write in questions and have the teacher answer as needed. Teachers can adjust and integrate the styles and methods within the program as needed to suit their own schedule and teaching or learning styles.

            An early look at the 2023-24 school calendar was next on the agenda, as it was previously requested that it be presented earlier in order to allow for questions and ask for information.

            An increase in student meal prices was discussed, as there’s been supply-chain issues leading to higher costs for the meal components. While the first servings of breakfast and lunch are free to all students, it’s expected that the prices for additional meals will go up. Currently the pricing is $2.25 for breakfast, expected to rise to $2.75, effective January 3, 2023, in both the elementary and secondary schools. The elementary lunch cost is $3 and will rise to $3.50, while the secondary-school price will rise from $3.25 to $3.75.

            ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson noted that price increases are not ideal for anyone involved, but it’s the fiscally responsible option for the committee and Tri-Town school system in order to cover operating costs. The motion was passed.

            Solar panels were discussed as a part of the Facilities Report. They are still in the planning phase between the town, solar company and planning committee. The Chairperson’s, Central Office Administrator’s and Principal’s reports were all brief but optimistic, as well as discussing certain updated consistency across the schools, this year’s ALICE training and a new literacy grant.

            The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, December 1, at 6:30 pm at Rochester Memorial School and accessible via Zoom.

Rochester School Committee

By Jack MC Staier