Howard Tinkham 100

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The Tri-Town Veterans Office in conjunction with American Legion Post 280 would like to extend an invitation to all to attend the 100th Birthday Party for Mattapoisett’s very own Mr. Howard Tinkham on November 20. Mr. Tinkham has been a pillar of our community and is one of our last remaining WWII veterans.

            The party will kick off with a parade beginning at the American Legion Hall on Depot Street at 1:00 pm. The parade route will go along the water down Main Street and Water Street, continue around Ned’s Point and finish back at the Legion Hall. The party will begin immediately following the parade.

            Come for the parade. Come for the free refreshments. Come for the entertainment. But most of all, come to celebrate someone special in your community with your community.

            For additional information, please contact the Tri-Town Veterans Agent, Chris Gerrior at 508-758-4100 x214 or vso@mattapoisett.net for additional information.

Banning Books

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To the Editor

It is my opinion, Sharon Schneider and Nicole Demakis, both of Mattapoisett, are missing the point. The argument isn’t about banning books, it’s about determining if the books in question are pornographic. Are they appropriate for our school-aged children? Should they be in a school library where, I doubt, parents are seldom found perusing the shelves?

            The public library is entirely another matter. If the books in question, are deemed pornographic, they should be kept in the library where pornographic material is acceptable.

            In the attempt to empathize with the struggles facing today’s youth, I could offer (off the top of my head) a long reading list. Literature about youth overcoming social, moral and ethical hardships. Kidnapped by R.L. Stevenson, for example, or Great Expectations by C. Dickens. Even Call of the Wild by J. London, Go Tell it on The Mountain by J. Baldwin, or Ann Frank. How about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by B. Smith, Cane by J. Toomer and even The Invisible Man by R. Ellison? These books emphasis character, true grit, determination, self-respect, and, as a plus, are examples of good literature as well as history.

            I suggest, we as adults, look at these questionable books that expound upon AND illustrate explicit sex acts and ask ourselves: is this what we want our children reading? Does this build character and morals? Will this truly solve the myriad of social ills? I doubt it. And I believe it will rob the innocents of little children who may still see their world as a good place.

            I admit, I don’t have a solution to child abuse, racial discrimination, or the sexual identity crisis, but I do know there are many parents who want to protect and nurture their children and teach them to become descent adults who will strive to make this world a better place.

J Reinhart, Marion

Master Plan Draft Released

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            On November 2, Mattapoisett’s 2022 update of the town’s Master Plan was released by the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), which has been working with a volunteer group of residents on the project since August 2020. Due to the restrictions imposed on public gatherings during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the volunteers pushed on using virtual technology, thusly giving voice to their opinions, concerns and hopes for a town they were willing to help.

            The committee was comprised of Robert Burgman, Carole Clifford, Kate Connelly, Paul Criscuolo, Mary Dermody, Carlos DeSousa, Yasin Flefleh-Vincent, Shirley Haley, Kate Haley, David Horowitz, Nate Ketchel, Robin LePore, Janice Robbins, Mike Rosa, Colby Rottler, Donna Shea, Aaron Smith, Tom Tucker and Chrystal Walsh.

            Throughout the process, the team was facilitated by SRPEDD Principal Comprehensive Planner Lizeth Gonzalez, who guided discussions in a format intended to ferret out the most pressing needs of the community with an eye towards a variety of strategic goals.

            The Master Plan model is regulated by Massachusetts State Law Chapter 41, Section 81D. The plan addresses all planning elements: Land Use, Housing, Economic Development, Open Space and Recreation, Natural and Cultural Resources, Services and Facilities, Transportation and Circulation and, due to Mattapoisett’s waterfront location, Resilience.

            The Master Plan draft is now on view at the Mattapoisett Library in hardcopy until the end of November and via the SRPEDD weblink srpedd.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/01163008/Draft-MattapoisettMP-11022022.pdf.

            During the Planning Board’s November 7 meeting, Nate Ketchel, acting chair for the board and the Master Plan Committee, said that the public is invited from now until the end of November to review the draft and offer comments. Comments may be submitted to Gonzalez at lgonzalez@srpedd.org. Ketchel said that next steps after the review process has ended is to make final edits and then present the completed plan to the Select Board.

            Detailed in the draft plan are population and school-enrollment numbers critical for one of the biggest topics currently under review by the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management at UMass Boston, school consolidation. The Master Plan Committee discussed Mattapoisett Public Schools in several categories. The following text in the draft demonstrates their efforts. “Residents are proud of the quality of education and the relationships their children have with the town itself, especially the Village.” However, the committee also recognized the need for planning that would address decreases in enrollment and the future of a town supporting two elementary schools.

            Of the Town Hall, the operations of which have been said to need a completely new location given the grave condition of the structure, the Master Plan Committee thought it might be redeployed as a cultural center despite its location in a flood zone.

            The committee also looked at the needs of a growing senior population. In their discussion regarding Housing, one of the main chapters in the plan, both families with school-age children and senior citizens were viewed as needing more affordable housing.

            Under the Open Space and Recreation header, the committee wondered about building affordable housing units on the former Holy Ghost grounds. SRPEDD wrote, as informed by the committee, “Mattapoisett’s inventory of town-owned land appropriate for development is limited; however, the town should pursue state funding to prepare key sites such as the Holy Ghost Grounds on Park Street for redevelopment.”

            The 2022 Master Plan draft lays out potential economic-growth opportunities along the Village Business District on Route 6. The committee believes there is untapped potential for multiuse structures that can be constructed in a visually appealing manner.

            Again, the 2022 Master Plan draft is available now for review at the Mattapoisett Library in hardcopy and via SRPEDD’s weblink.

            The balance of business handled by the Planning Board on November 7 was the continuation of a Site Plan Review for the application submitted by Sun Partners Solar for a 198.8KW array on property located at 156 Acushnet Road. The hearing was continued to November 21.

            The board completed review of a Form-C Definitive Plan submitted by JBL Fairhaven Road LLC, for a proposed subdivision. Although the board completed review, including hearing from engineer David Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone, Inc., including his responses to comments from peer-review consultant Ken Motta of Field Engineering, rather than close the hearing the board elected to give Motta an opportunity to rebut Davignon’s responses to the peer review. The hearing was continued to November 21.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, November 21, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

Residents Ask Collins Center for More Data

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            The topic of possible school consolidation has been a hot button for several years with no clear pathway to a consensus. On November 2, the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management at UMass Boston research team, after collecting and studying data as to what options the Town of Mattapoisett may wish to pursue regarding school consolidation, met with townspeople.

            Town Administrator Mike Lorenco has stated that the town was approached by the Collins Center in January 2021 to make the town aware of Community Compact Grant opportunities. After the Select Board agreed to pursue grants for the purposes of studying the transfer station and school consolidation, the town received $37,500 for the schools study and $22,500 for the Transfer Station.

            After questions arose from the Mattapoisett School Committee on various aspects of the data-gathering processes, the school study was “amended in response to concerns” raised during the May 2022 Town Meeting, Lorenco recently stated in a follow-up.

            “The Collins Center felt it was necessary to respond to the concerns by refocusing the study,” said Lorenco, adding that he and Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson “worked on a new contract agreement with UMass, which helped to clarify and refocus sections of the study.”

            The personnel on the consulting team has also been amended, Lorenco said.

            “The Collins Center did change the makeup of their team after the contract was amended. Though I am not fully versed in the backgrounds of all the Collins Center staff assigned to the Town project, the change of the consulting team was done to add individuals with more experienced school/education backgrounds to assist in the study,” he told The Wanderer.

            Part of the data-gathering process was to hold two public meetings designed to solicit public comment on the topic of school consolidation and concerns therein. On November 2, the morning session brought out approximately 40 people, while the evening session was attended by approximately 30.

            The public meeting started with a statement of intent, noting that the study is taking place now to assist the town as it reviews its strategic vision regarding the use of all town facilities. Collins Center Facilitator Heather Michaud explained that the focus of the public-engagement meetings was not to give a presentation on the topic but to gather data from the public.

            Michaud said of school consolidation that it could allow for expansion of programming, modern facilities to support current learning models, improved student-teacher ratios and student-support services, as well as efficiency of space utilization. She said that population trends for the town have shown growth; however, that growth was in the over-18 age category. Regarding school enrollment, those figures have remained basically flat since 2016. She also pointed out that half of the town’s annual budget goes toward school, whereas the state average is 48%.

            Michaud said that other projects being considered by the town are repairs to the Highway Barn, Long Wharf, Town Hall, roads and culverts, the bike path and a variety of equipment and IT investments.

            The summary provided by the Collins Center read: “Population growth has steadily increased, however the under 18 category is in decline – the population is aging, school enrollment has held relatively steady for the last five-year period, the Town invests about half the annual expenditures to support the schools, and the town is prioritizing capital improvement planning.”

            The balance of the meeting gave participants the opportunity to air their views in a roundtable model, writing down responses to specific questions and then changing tables to mix and blend intellectual input.

            The groups were asked, “What values are important to residents and how might those values guide decisions about public schools? What current attributes of the Mattapoisett Public Schools are we most proud of? How do we balance the needs of the schools with other projects? What opportunities do we envision for the future of Mattapoisett Public Schools? What questions or concerns do I have about the future of our schools?”

            Responses ranged from belief that consolidation may, in fact, have a positive impact on students K-6 to consolidation would have a negative impact on younger students and safety. Other responses said Center School in the heart of the village is what we want and why we live here; we have not received sufficient verifiable transparent data on school expenses and also expenses of other departments; current student-teacher ratios are what we want; Mattapoisett may become unaffordable; will the commuter rail impact the community and more information on enrollment data is needed.

            The sense of community was apparent throughout both sessions, with respectful discourse and candid input. The Collins Center will not be making any recommendations as to the future of Mattapoisett Public Schools, Michaud stated several times, but will be tabulating the public-meeting responses along with those received from an online survey producing a report that will be released later in the year. To take the online survey, visit Mattapoisett.net.

By Marilou Newell

OCT Culinary and Welding Training

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Old Colony Technical Institute launches free Culinary and Welding training, including job placement. Career opportunities await you if your goal is to improve your vocational skills, need training and job placement. Old Colony Regional School District has forged an ongoing partnership with MassHire, Greater New Bedford Workforce Board and the New Bedford Career Center. Together, they have successfully coordinated two adult education courses in welding and culinary arts called the Old Colony Technical Institute (OCTI.)

            These two hands-on courses will engage you in a basic understanding of these trades and address the shortage of qualified and skilled tradespeople in the fields. As a student you will have an opportunity to gain vocational hands-on experience, followed by local job placement.

The 200-hour welding program is intended as an introduction to the field of welding. Students will gain knowledge and skills in several welding categories which include Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc welding, Stick Welding and Basic Blueprint Reading. They will also receive their OSHA 10 and Hot Works certifications.

            Students in the 200-hour culinary arts program will gain skills in food handling and safety, meal planning, food preparation and hospitality in a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant setting. There will be an opportunity to gain up to 25 hours in work experience with the local employers. Upon graduation, students will have completed OSHA 10, Serve-Safe food and Safe-Serve Allergen.

            The mandatory orientation at Old Colony for accepted applicants will be January 10, 2023, at 4:30. This is a free opportunity, but space is limited to 10 individuals per class, so you must apply ahead. This OCTI program will begin January 17 through April 5. Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 9:30 pm at Old Colony for a 10-week training, followed by an externship at outside placements. The onsite training will end on April 5.

            For additional information, please contact Dr. Cynthia Marland at cmarland@oldcolony.info or call 508.763.8011 ext. 220.

Mattapoisett Woman’s Club

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There will be a general membership meeting of the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club on Thursday, November 17 at 11:00 am.  The meeting will be held at Raynaud Hall of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church at 27 Church Street in Mattapoisett.  The day’s event will include a brief business meeting, a luncheon presented by the Tea Committee, and a presentation by Jennifer Jones, Library Director of the Mattapoisett Public Library, on sustainability and recycling in our home community.

Nips Will Wait for Spring Town Meeting

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            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

Mattapoisett Veterans Day

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The Tri-Town Veterans Office in conjunction with American Legion Post 280 would like to extend an invitation to all to attend the Mattapoisett Veterans Day Commemoration. The event will be held this Friday, November 11, at the Old Hammondtown School. We will begin at 11:00 am, and the program will last for approximately one hour.

            Veterans Day is an opportunity for the people of a community to pause and say thank you to all those who served and those who are currently serving in the United States military. This is a great opportunity to meet Veterans from your local community and learn more about their service and lives after the service.

            For additional information, please contact the Tri-Town Veterans Agent, Chris Gerrior at 508-758-4100 x214 or vso@mattapoisett.net for additional information.

Marion’s Energy Management Committee

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To the Editor;

            For a little town like Marion, $1,200,000 is serious money. The Energy Management Committee (EMC) attended the October 18th meeting of the Select Board to celebrate a decade of progress toward its mission of reducing Marion’s dependence on fossil fuels and saving energy costs. To date the EMC has led efforts garnering nearly $700,000 in grants for projects to increase municipal energy efficiency, and the committee negotiated a plan that has saved over $500,000 in electricity costs.

            Long-time resident and EMC member Bill Saltonstall began the report to the Select Board by recalling Marion’s journey to become a Massachusetts Green Community, a program to incentivize municipalities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and in doing so, save precious tax dollars. The five-step process began in 2014 and took five years to achieve. Multiple votes at town meetings were required to meet all five requirements: 1) creating a solar overlay district encompassing 50 acres at the end of Benson Brook Road, 2) passing a new bylaw that provides by-right development of renewable energy projects within that district, 3) adopting the state’s “stretch” building code that increases energy efficiency in any new construction, 4) promising to purchase energy-efficient municipal vehicles, and 5) achieving a 20% reduction in municipal energy use over five years. Designation as a Green Community opened the spigot to state grant money to pay for energy-saving projects that has totaled nearly $700,000 to date. These grants paid for LED lighting and improved ventilation in Sippican School, replacement of oil-fueled boilers in fire stations, various energy-saving upgrades to the library, heat-pumps in the Town House, and many others.

            Did you know that 90% of Marion’s municipal electricity is supplied by the four wind turbines in Plymouth located along route 25? In 2012, EMC began negotiating a power purchase agreement to buy 20 years of clean electricity at a ~22% discount from the regular price. Since the turbines were erected in 2017, Marion has saved over $500,000.

            And that’s not all. The EMC worked with state programs to replace all of Marion’s streetlights (~300) with LED bulbs, which not only provide improved lighting but also save the town about $16,000 per year. Marion’s police department purchased its first hybrid cruiser, and several town employees have been driving electric or hybrid cars since 2016. Three charging stations were installed to charge them, and they’re available for free charging by the public, as well. The municipal car leases and charging stations were all funded by state grants initiated by the EMC. The committee was also instrumental in crafting the town’s solar bylaw, facilitating the construction of two community solar arrays, and promoting residential solar systems (~200 to date). The EMC continues to push for energy efficiency in all new construction, including the planned DPW and harbormaster buildings, housing developments, and other projects. The efforts to date have reduced municipal energy consumption substantially, well on our way to achieving the 20% goal for Green Communities but still far from the state-legislated mandate of 50% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.

            Would you like to help save energy costs, reduce carbon emissions, and accelerate Marion’s transition to clean, renewable energy sources? Then please consider applying to join the Energy Management Committee. Be part of the solution!

Jennifer Francis

Marion’s Energy Management Committee Member

Stakes Raised to Retain COA Director

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            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