Quaker Sale Specialty

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The Quaker Meeting yard sale on Saturday, October 8, will have a special table featuring stamps, covers, postcards, photographs, ephemera and artwork.

            Proceeds will benefit the Priscilla Hathaway Scholarship Fund being established for a student of the arts at Old Rochester Regional High School by the Hathaway Family through the Mattapoisett Land Trust of which she was a cofounder.

            The scores of area interest items include a Giles Dunn insurance policy for the Long Plain Friends Meeting House in Acushnet, a photograph of the first trolley car run in East Fairhaven, an 1841 document involving Elijah Willis and Warren Akins of Rochester and two Dartmouth postcards picturing the salt works in Padanaram.

            A series of Ronald and Nancy Reagan color photos, including one with Queen Elizabeth and another with Pope John Paul will also be available.

            Sale hours are 8:30 to noon.

End of Year Transfers Approved

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End of Fiscal Year 2022 saw Mattapoisett’s Finance Committee funding a variety of underfunded needs. Coming before the committee on September 22, Town Administrator Mike Lorenco reviewed the requested amounts line by line and department by department. There were no real surprises and all transfers were approved. The total money voted for transfer during the public meeting was $169,770, which comes from remaining unused portion from health insurance coverage.

            Receiving the lion’s share from those reallocated funds are SEMASS disposal and recycling for a total of $110,400. Lorenco explained that the town had a confusing, three-contract arrangement that predated his Mattapoisett tenure.

            Lorenco explained that, after discussing collection services with the Select Board, three subdivisions were successful in having their covenant amended to include trash and recyclable collection versus private service. Instead of wrapping those additional costs into existing contracts, Lorenco said new contracts were executed for the Bay Club, The Villages, and Mattapoisett Landing.

            “The residents believed that, since they pay taxes like everyone else, they should receive curb-side pick-up like everyone else,” he said, noting the town agreed. Lorenco explained that the three additional contracts were not factored into the FY22 budget; a singular contract for FY23 is scheduled.

            Mattapoisett Police Department will receive an additional $66,500 to cover part-time wages, and sick-leave coverage. Lorenco said much of that sum is to pay for backfilling of personnel needed due to retirements. He said that presently the department has two open slots. Lorenco also said that winter storms mandated the need for extra hiring during those incidents. It is hoped that FEMA will compensate the town for part of that spending he said, but, “…it is a long process.”

            Also approved was $35,900 for the Fire Department. The overage in this expense line, Lorenco explained, came from having a large number of call firefighters responding when an alarm was sent out. “More firefighters are showing up,” he said, adding that each respondent receives a minimum of three hours call back pay. Again noting last winter’s weather-related issues, Lorenco stated that costs have climbed. The department is still shy of the 40 call-fire fighters that Chief Andrew Murray is seeking, he noted.

             Also approved was $13,500 for town building equipment such as a new boiler for Town Hall, $1,180 for care of shade trees, $1,525 for care of parks, $65 for the Historical Commission, and $3,850 for fuels.

            During informal discussion, Lorenco said he met with members of the UMass Collins Center team and Mattapoisett School Committee Chairperson Carly Lavin to begin dialogue around the study and subsequent report including school-consolidation options. “Everything is just fact finding for now,” he said. “There will be surveys and public meetings – I’m happy with the team mix.” Lorenco anticipates the final report sometime in late winter to early spring.

            Lorenco also said that his team is working on gathering cost data from cities and towns that recently built new town halls to give Mattapoisett some sense of what a new building price tag might be.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee was not scheduled upon adjournment.

Mattapoisett Finance Committee

By Marilou Newell

Mattapoisett Museum Upcoming Events

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October 1, 11 am-3 pm, Pop-Up Shop Museum Open House, free admission. Small craft fair on the lawn of the museum.

            October 4, 6:30 pm, Historian Christopher Daley will present ‘Mass Murders’ a one-hour lecture on Massachusetts’ most infamous murder cases, both solved and unsolved. Please visit www.mattapoisettmuseum.org/events, and the zoom link will be sent to you. The event is free.

            October 11, 7 pm, Community Read Discussion ‘An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States cosponsored with Tri-Town against Racism. The event is free.

            October 17, 6 – 8 pm, Learn to Crochet for Beginners classes will be held on Mondays until November 21; all supplies to complete two projects will be supplied. Jackie Sousa is instructing. A portion of the ticket sales will be used to provide further programming at the museum. Space is limited.

            October 20, 7 pm, Community Read Discussion, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States cosponsored with Tri-Town against Racism, Quaker Meeting House, Mattapoisett. The event is free.

            October 21, 6 – 8 pm, Southcoast Lessons brings you our regular third Friday, all ages, all abilities, all genres, open mic. The event is free.

            October 23, 1:30 pm, Old Time Fiddle Session, Come and go from 1:30-3:30. Join in on the fiddling, sit and listen or dance if you want to. All ages are welcome. The event is free.

RLT Annual Meeting

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The Rochester Land Trust (RLT) will hold its Annual Meeting on October 8 at 1 pm at Church’s Field on Mattapoisett Road in Rochester. This family friendly event will have a brief speaking program highlighting RLT’s accomplishments over the past year, followed by the Barnes Tree Preserve Opening and launch of the new Trail Tale. Light refreshments will be served.

            Church’s Field is a 32-acre property donated to RLT by George Church in 2010. It contains a mile of trails traversing a large open field and forest to the Mattapoisett River, where there is a scenic overlook and benches.

            The new Trail Tale will feature a fall-themed book, taking hikers down to the Mattapoisett River. This trail is a half-mile to the River, returning on the same path. The Trail Tale is a partnership project with the Plumb Memorial Library and has been supported in part with a grant from the Rochester Cultural Council, a local agency funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

            The Annual Meeting will be followed by the opening of the Barnes Tree Preserve, just down the road. This 18-acre property was purchased by RLT in 2017 and is mostly forested with wetlands leading down to the Mattapoisett River. RLT volunteers removed an old cabin of the property and have constructed a trail. The property can be accessed by walking from the parking lot at Church’s Field.

            RLT is an all-volunteer land trust founded in 1997 with a mission to acquire and care of land in Rochester to benefit nature and preserve Rochester’s rural character. To learn more about the organization and to find a list places to walk to, go: www.rochesterlandtrust.org

Affinity Maritime Lodge

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The Tri-Town area is rich with maritime history. Do you have a relative that sailed on the Mayflower or perhaps a whaling ship? Did you or a relative serve in the Navy, Coast Guard or Merchant Marine? How about aboard one of the many fishing vessels? Or maybe you or your family just love the sea and are a recreational boater. No matter your interest or involvement, if you are a man, 21 years or older, you are invited to attend the upcoming Open House and learn how you can become a founding member of the Affinity Maritime Lodge, part of Pythagorean Masonic Lodge, Marion, MA on Saturday, October 15 from 9 am to 3 pm. The Lodge is located at 13 Spring Street, Marion. We look forward to meeting you.

Cougars Dominate Bristol Aggie

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            The Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School cross-country team defeated visiting Bristol County Agricultural High School by a 22-35 score on September 20 for the Cougars’ first victory of the 2022-23 season.

            Old Colony senior Jacob Patnaude was the first overall runner to cross the finish line with a mile pace time of 6:39, while fellow senior Nik Sedell followed closely behind with a time of 6:45 along with senior Grant Ashley (7:03) on the Cougars’ 3-mile course in North Rochester. Once again, the team’s two freshman powerhouses, Ryan Eby (7:27 pace time) and Brady Maguire (7:48) closed out the top five Old Colony runners.

            The Cougars went on the road for Tuesday’s meet at Norfolk Aggie.

Flynn, Spirlet Take on More with ZBA

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            The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals began its September 22 meeting with membership moves.

            The board chose to promote alternate member Donald Spirlet to full member and picked Michelle Upton to become a new alternate member.

            Both recommendations must now be submitted to the Select Board for its approval. If approved by the selectmen, Spirlet will fill the seat recently vacated by retired member Kirby Gilmore.

            Upton introduced herself to the zoning panel as a native of Mattapoisett and mother of two who works as a medical social worker and lives in Rochester. She said she became interested in serving on the board after attending several meetings on a recent cellular-tower proposal.

            Board member Thomas Flynn said he supported Upton becoming an alternate member as a way to add a different female voice to the all-male panel. Member Jeffrey Costa said he was impressed by Upton’s past participation in the recent hearings on the cellular tower. “She was articulate and made good points,” Costa said.

            Next, the zoning panel reappointed David Arancio as chairman but lost Davis Sullivan as vice-chairman. Sullivan declined to be vice-chair for another team, citing his inability to attend every meeting because of his health. The board unanimously approved Flynn to become the new vice-chair.

            Under new business, member Richard Cutler urged the building commissioner to visit 15 New Bedford Road, where the car-dealer permit holder was said to be violating that permit by allowing multiple cars to be parked out front. The board unanimously motioned to do make a visit. “He may be a victim of his own success,” Flynn said.

            The board then approved meeting with Town Counsel Blair Bailey on Thursday, October 6, at 7:00 pm.

            Lastly, the board renewed the six-month-old special permit for a noncommercial hobby kennel at 116 Walnut Plain Road.

            Arancio noted the basement kennel that is licensed for up to eight dogs recently passed inspection by the building commissioner. Owner Alisha Fitzgerald said she is a professional trainer who currently owns five dogs, all of them female German Shepherds that she breeds once a year. She said she is not planning to house any more than that number of dogs for at least a few more years. Satisfied by her responses, the zoning panel renewed the permit and removed the need for her to return in another six months.

            The next meeting of the Rochester ZBA will be held on Thursday, October 13, at Rochester town hall.

Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals

By Michael J. DeCicco

Mattapoisett Library Artist Series Exhibit

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As part of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library Artist Series, South Dartmouth artist Amy Thurber, who takes inspiration from nature, will be exhibiting her ceramics and illustrations at the Library from October 15 – November 14.

            Amy has spent her life creating functional objects in clay and detailed illustrations reflecting the wonders of the natural world. Her ceramic work begins in the woods and gardens around her studio where she collects unusual leaves. She rolls the leaves into high-fired stoneware clay to capture their impressions and then forms them into unique functional art. After bisque firing, she paints the leaf impressions with Majolica underglazes and food-safe glazes, then fires them to 2,200° F. The finished pieces include branch handles with knots and bark, snails holding up bowls, salamanders, butterflies, beetles and caterpillars crawling across the leaves. Each piece is one of a kind.

            Amy’s illustrations have appeared alongside her husband Fred’s nature writing for over 30 years. When Fred wrote his first book, “In the Wake of the Willows,” Amy spent over a year creating its graphite on paper drawings. The book is a sequel to Kenneth Graham’s “The Wind in the Willows,” but is set in a local New England estuary. Amy’s illustrations not only try to capture the scenery of the SouthCoast but also encourages us to look more closely at the small wonders of our natural world.

Mattapoisett Library October Travel Talk

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Joy Marzolf of the Joys of Nature will return to the library on Sunday, October 9 at 2:00 pm for a Purrington Lecture Series presentation featuring the “The Wilds of Southern Belize.”

            Located in Eastern Central America, Belize shares borders with Guatemala and Mexico. From the crystal blue ocean waters and inland to the nearby mountains, it is amazingly diverse. Wildlife along the Southern coast and nearby rivers include magnificent tiger herons, fast flyers, like the cinnamon hummingbird and the peregrine falcon and large swimmers like manatees and crocodiles. Traveling inland to the rainforest brings sightings of spectacular butterflies, birds, like the black headed trogon, but also mammals like the elusive jaguar and bands of coatimundi. Join us for a virtual trip to see some of the stunning wildlife of Southern Belize. This will be an in-person presentation at the Mattapoisett Library.

            The Mattapoisett Library Trust supports this and other Purrington Lecture Series presentations. For more information about the Purrington Lecture Series, email to jjones@sailsinc.org. Check the library’s events calendar for more upcoming programs and book discussions.

Marion Republican Town Committee

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The Marion Republican Town Committee will conduct its next monthly meeting on Monday, October 10 at 7 pm at the Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street, Marion. The public and new members are welcome.