ZBA Allows Family Cab Business

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            Rochester’s Zoning Board of Appeals on July 27 shot down Building Commissioner Paul Boucher’s Cease and Desist order against the operation of a transportation company at 15 County Road.

            In response to an appeal of that order filed by homeowner Scot Machos, the ZBA overturned what Boucher said he issued after responding to a neighbor’s complaint and concluding that, under town bylaws, the resident’s transportation business was not an allowed use in a residential zone.

            Abutter Christine Murphy of 19 County Road said she and her husband lodged the complaint because of what they see daily. The driveway of 15 County points at their window, and Murphy said Machos and his family are constantly going in and out of their driveway and making noise while vacuuming and cleaning their vehicles.

            Machos said he utilizes three non-commercial, hybrid Toyotas for his transportation business. The drivers are all family members, and all the transportation work is done off site. Town Counsel Elizabeth Lydon said the bylaw allows home businesses, and tradespeople may park their work trucks at their homes. What to look for, Lydon said, is when employees, people who don’t live there, visit the address as part of the business.

            Zoning Board member Michelle Upton paved the way for the board’s decision by noting the resident does have a right to run this type of business from his home if the majority of the business is done off site. “I don’t see anything that goes against this bylaw,” Upton said.

            Board member Donald Spirlet said he agrees with Upton and wished Boucher had given further explanation of the reasons for his decision. Yet, Spirlet added, he might have made the same decision if he were the town’s building commissioner. “His job is to look at things in black and white,” Spirlet said. “For us, it’s more about the intent and the subtleties.”

            The final motion to overturn the building commissioner’s Cease and Desist order passed unanimously, 5-0.

            In its next major business of the evening, the board responded cautiously to Town Planner Nancy Durfee’s proposal to establish a four-member, By-Law Review working group to help rewrite and refine the town’s sometimes-problematic zoning regulations.

            On July 24, Durfee told the Rochester Select Board her vision is of a small group, rather than a formal committee, working to revise and correct problems within town zoning regulations. It would include a member of the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals, herself and the building commissioner.

            At the July 27 ZBA meeting, Chairman David Arancio noted fellow member Richard Cutler has already served as a bylaw review committee chair. He said he, too, is interested in revising to improve these regulations. But he questioned the size and scope of Durfee’s plan, which is to create an informal working group, not a formalized committee. He said the plan needs further discussion.

            Clearly frustrated by the board’s response, Durfee said she sees this as the best way for the two boards with different approaches toward zoning regulations, the Planning Board and the ZBA, to revise and refine the bylaws to prepare the town for its future development.

            “I’ve been here two years, and I had already envisioned bylaw changes that are needed,” she said. “A small group is the best way to work. I have 20 years’ experience. I’m here to help this town, not change the world. A 40R development is coming to town. You need to know what kind of development you want.”

            Durfee acknowledged that she has already enlisted the help of ZBA member Thomas Flynn for this effort and added that she would keep formal meeting minutes if that is what town officials prefer.

            The meeting adjourned without a specific plan of action. “We will be continuing discussion,” Arancio said.

            Before adjournment, the ZBA approved a new building permit denial sheet created by Boucher, the building commissioner and zoning officer. Arancio was appointed as ZBA chairman for another year’s term, and Thomas Flynn as vice-chairman.

            The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals’ next meeting will be held on Thursday, August 10, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester’s Zoning Board of Appeals

By Michael J. DeCicco

Godfrey Brothers Tell their Story

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            Years ago, people who suffered traumatic events were encouraged to bury it from their memories.

            According to J.W. “Terry” Freiberg, a psychiatric doctor, as well as plane crash survivors Mark Godfrey, 61, and Andy Godfrey, 58, modern psychology says burying these memories only contributes to post-traumatic stress disorder.

            “It’s like a volcano wanting to come out,” Mark Godfrey says of it.

            So the Godfrey brothers, after avoiding memories of a tragic plane crash on March 1, 1974, helped turn the event into the award-winning documentary, “Three Days Two Nights.”

            The Godfrey family has had a summer home in Marion for more than 100 years. On July 27, the two brothers brought the film to Tabor Academy’s Lyndon South Auditorium, where a capacity crowd watched it and gave it a standing ovation. Before and after the film, the Godfrey brothers and Freiberg discussed the film, written and produced by family friend John Breen.

            Their story goes back to a Godfrey family with five kids on their way from Houston, Texas, to Aspen, Colorado, for an annual ski vacation. The youngest child, Paula, only one at the time, stayed with her grandparents.

            The pilot of the private plane decided against a fuel run to avoid a blizzard. The plane crashed along Williams Peak, killing the pilot, as well as William and Dineen Godfrey, and their two oldest children, William Jr. and Ellen.

            Mark, then 11, and Andy, 8, survived after three days and two nights stranded in the mountain cold. Mark later lost both his legs after seats from the plane crushed them.

            Andy awoke to the sounds of what he thought was a wild animal. He later learned it was the death groan of his mother.

            His mother, Dineen, was still able to communicate some survival tips. Andy stayed close to Mark to keep him warm, rummaged through the plane for scraps of food and even drank alcohol to stay hydrated.

            The two were saved by a rescue crew — three days and two nights later. After that, they were adopted by their aunt and uncle, Marianne and John Schuhmacher. The brothers and their younger sister Paula blended in with the Schuhmachers, who loved the children and tried to give them a good childhood after the tragedy.

            But the brothers for decades never talked about the event. Classmates and family members were also warned never to bring it up. Paula, who never got to know her biological parents and oldest siblings, also was told not talk about it.

            The film does the opposite. In it, the brothers talk to each other about the accident for the first time in decades. They even visited the site of the crash with their sister Paula.

            At one point in the film, they even visit Danny Schaefer, then nine-years old and skiing with his family. Schaefer, now a pilot and a lifelong plane enthusiast, saw the plane on a ski lift and then saw smoke in the distance. He warned his dad of his theory that the plane crashed. No one believed the boy at first.

            In a tearful exchange, the Godfrey brothers in the film visit Schaefer, show pictures of their children and thank Schaefer, saying these kids would not be alive if it weren’t for him.

            In the film, Mark Godfrey chronicles the self-pity he felt because he could not ski and play sports again — after playing football and developing into a good athlete before the accident.

            That self-pity later translated into determination. Mark Godfrey’s uncle was U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker, who would introduce the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1988. That would pave the way for Godfrey to compete as a skier once again. He won a championship for the U.S. Disabled Ski Team.

            In sum, the brothers throughout the film confront every aspect of the tragedy, including how their parents and older siblings were loving and joyful people.

            Confronting all aspects of this tragedy represents a “paradigm shift” in modern psychology, according to Freiberg at the Tabor-hosted event.

            “It’s not just the story of their lives but a strategy for dealing with trauma,” Freiberg said, adding that it is important to get in “touch with what has been packed away and hidden beneath the surface.”

            In fact, the Godfrey brothers on some level had already begun to confront this tragedy. Mark Godfrey secretly held on to artifacts from the event.

            “We were using therapeutic techniques without even knowing it,” Andy Godfrey said.

            In 2012, Andy Godfrey wrote an article for The Aspen Times about his memories of the event. That article led to both brothers talking to each other about the event, from what they remember after the plane crashed to their hospital stay.

            “My family was taken away in a split second,” Andy Godfrey said.

            After Thursday’s movie screening at Tabor, the Godfrey brothers and Freiberg answered questions ranging from how they managed to live normal lives with loving spouses to what their older siblings were like.

            Being adopted by loving family members in Colorado helped the brothers get through it.

            Freiberg credited the Godfreys for being part of the paradigm shift in modern psychology as one reason behind their success.

            “Trauma is trauma. You have to deal with it or it will manifest itself in its own bad behaviors,” Mark Godfrey said.

            The movie is currently streaming on Tubi and other platforms.

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Rochester Historical Society Yard Sale

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The Rochester Historical Museum at 355 County Road is bursting at the seams with a large and varied collection of treasures that will be on sale both inside and outside of the Museum on Sat., August 5 from 9:00-3:00 and Sunday, August 6 from 10:00-2:00. The sale is rain or shine (fingers crossed.) We have an amazing collection of high-end and barely used cookware, sporting equipment, toys, puzzles, books, Vera Bradley pocketbooks, lamps, birdhouses and feeders, windsocks, holiday decorative items and some lovely sets of China and glassware.

            The yard sale is one of our biggest fundraisers. It helps us maintain our 1800’s church and pay our utility bills, so please, join us this weekend at our sale. Anyone with questions or who needs directions may call Connie at 617-750-2818.

Turning Point Golf Tourney Rescheduled

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The Eighth Annual Turning Point Golf Tournament, originally scheduled for August 6 has been rescheduled to April 28, 2024. Unforeseen course renovation delays at the Bay Pointe Club in Buzzards Bay created the need for postponement. “We are thankful for everyone who came forward to participate”, commented Turning Point Executive Director Shirley Santos, “and look forward to welcoming them to the event next spring.” Other events marking Turning Point’s 20th anniversary, including “The Taste of the Towns” evening in September, are set to move forward as planned.

Academic Achievements

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Holden King of Rochester and Sarah Sollauer also of Rochester have made the Dean’s List at Wentworth Institute of Technology for the Spring 2023 semester.

Abutting Lot Sparks Debate

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            The July 27 public meeting of the Marion Board of Health saw an involved discussion about denitrification technology in new septic installations but not in reference to the public hearing listed on the meeting agenda.

            A public hearing for a variance request at 25 West Avenue was continued to August 24 (4:15 pm) at the applicant’s request because abutters to the property in question had not been notified within the required 10-day window, but design engineer Rick Charon would later appear at the Police Station to address the board.

            Charon apologized for the continuance of the 25 West Avenue public hearing but asked if he could update the board on an abutting East Avenue property.

            Without a public hearing to open, Dr. Ed Hoffer, presiding over the meeting in the absence of Board of Health Chairman Dr. John Howard, allowed Charon to provide an update in which no variances are being sought.

            Charon told the board that Marion’s building inspector told him that the East Avenue lot is valid as a building lot “if you can fit something in there.” However, he reported that regional septic expert George Huefelder sent back the initial design of a three-bedroom house as lacking demonstration that the required, full-size Title 5 system can fit within the lot.

            “I guess that’s something that tends to prevent you from just going into small lots and overdeveloping it by using that 50% area reduction for the secondary treatment,” said Charon.

            The solution is to scale back the design to a two-bedroom house, which meets the septic-system capacity needs. “Two-bedroom house at 165 gallons per day would be 330 gallons based on a 10-minute perc that would take 550 square feet,” Charon explained.

            The required 20-foot setback only leaves room under the front side of the house for a 4-foot-wide crawl-space area that Charon said could be used to bring in utilities. The system in this design reduces what would have been a 10×55-foot leaching field to 8×36 feet.

            “It gives us at least one end of the house that doesn’t have to be up on piers. Everything else would be up on piers to meet the setbacks from the leaching field and from the septic tank,” said Charon.

            The inclusion of a denitrification unit perplexed board member Albie Johnson, who has stated his opposition to Marion’s recent septic bylaw requiring denitrification technology in any new septic installation.

            “So … the new homeowner is going to become a sewer superintendent on his own, whether or not he likes it,” said Johnson. “Nobody’s come up and told me that there’s a problem with nitrogen in the ground water in the Town of Marion. Matter of fact, they couldn’t find any.

            “And they’re telling us we have to (require denitrification systems), but actually we don’t. We can remove that regulation from the Marion Sanitary Code just as easily as it was put in.”

            Charon deferred to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and its ongoing effort to identify nitrogen-sensitive areas on and off Cape Cod. Although DEP’s effort to enact a regulation requiring denitrification upgrades to existing septic systems has been met with substantial pushback, Charon is operating on the presumption that DEP will eventually see through its goal.

            Johnson called Cape Cod a “sand box” and said it “has a completely different type of water-table problem.”

            “It doesn’t mean they’re not testing Buzzards Bay,” said Charon.

            Johnson said that Marion took 500 septic systems offline when it extended the sewer system. Hoffer questioned that number.

            The exchange bordered on debate in an ironic juxtaposition of the two stakeholders, the municipal government official arguing against the applicant’s more-expensive septic design.

            In reiterating his intent on compliance with current regulations, Charon said, “Frankly, the more we work on these, the more we’re saying, ‘this is what we’re going to be seeing up and down Buzzards Bay, we think, in a matter of years,’ because it’s seems like the DEP has set all of this thing into motion, and it’s just waiting on the designation of these nitrogen-sensitive areas. And, as soon as they have enough to show that, they’re going to pull the trigger on Buzzards Bay.”

            Johnson reiterated his contention that the state has been unable to produce the necessary data, calling Charon’s design “a beautiful example of the waste of the state.”

            Charon said the two-bedroom proposal is pending Heufelder’s approval.

            In a Tobacco Regulation update, the board reviewed a marked-up copy meant to make the document stronger.

            “Most of them seem perfectly reasonable to me,” said Hoffer. “One question I had … is verifying the age of every purchaser of tobacco products as opposed to the old rule was any person under 27 …”

            Johnson asked if there is any need to add more regulations.

            “We’re pretty well protected as far as tobacco goes. I just question whether or not that we need any more regulations governing tobacco in town, let alone something of this length … I’d prefer to go with our Marion Sanitary Code, which is pretty extensive at this point,” he said.

            Marion Health Director Lori Desmarais explained that the town’s current regulations are somewhat out of date. She estimated that the town’s last update was made in 2020 and that since then, the state has updated its regulations.

            “We have to adopt those,” said Hoffer. “We can put in stricter rules if we want to, but we can’t override the state regulations. … If you or I walked into the store and wanted a pack of cigarettes, being asked for an I.D. would seem superfluous. But if we have to, we have to.”

            Desmarais agreed to check if personal identification must be required of all ages with no reasonable cutoff. With that answer presumably forthcoming, Hoffer said the update to Marion’s regulations will appear on the next Board of Health agenda for a public hearing.

            At present, Marion has six tobacco-sale licenses. Hoffer said, if somebody drops their license, it goes up for bid. He said the town has the option of letting the number drop to five.

            “My feeling about tobacco is, it’s legal poison, and I would just as soon, if somebody gives up their license, the permanent number drops by one,” said Hoffer.

            Pending a public hearing, the new regulations will state that Marion will continue with no more than six licenses; if someone gives up their permit, that permit will no longer be available.

            In her Health Agent update, Shallyn Rodriguez said there are still three violations that the town is seeking to correct at 28 Pitcher Street. Hoffer said input has been received from Town Counsel to a letter to the owner that will include a notice of fines.

            In her Public Health Director update, Desmarais said a tent will be set up at Cushing Community Center in time for a September 28 flu vaccine distribution. As of now, there are no plans for a COVID vaccine distribution.

            Desmarais reported nine cases of Lyme disease for the month of June and six more as of the July 27 meeting. The cases are spread about town and not clustered in any one location.

            Desmarais reported 14 positive mosquito samples for West Nile virus but no human or animal cases.

            Plymouth County Mosquito Control will present on tick prevention on Monday, August 7, at 1:00 pm at the Rochester Senior Center on Dexter Lane.

            Regarding the recent Portuguese Man-O-War sighting at a private beach, there have been no subsequent sightings in Marion. Desmarais has learned that allergy to bee stings makes allergy to Portuguese Man-O-War stings more likely. She also noted advice that white vinegar should be used to treat a sting rather than fresh water.

            Marion is continuing with home health checks and extending its blood-pressure clinics.

            The Select Board signed off on the Public Health Excellence Grant and was waiting on Mattapoisett and Rochester actions to participate in the Southcoast Public Health Collaborative.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Thursday, August 24, at 4:00 pm.

Marion Board of Health

By Mick Colageo

Author Talk with Bex Mui

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The Mattapoisett Library will host author Bex Mui on Tuesday, August 15 at 6:00 pm to talk about her recently published book. In House of Our Queer: Healing, Reframing and Reclaiming Your Spiritual Practice, organizer and author, Bex Mui M.Ed. takes readers on a winding path through her spiritual journey. Raised Catholic—with Buddhist influences from her father —Bex shares the complexities of her spiritual roots and the development of her own rituals and practices.

            The Mattapoisett Public Library is thrilled to welcome back Ms. Mui to her hometown for this author talk with Library Director Jennifer Jones. In this moderated conversation, Bex will share about her ever-growing spiritual toolbox, as well as ways to reimagine religious roots. Using the framework of her new release, this event aims to meet participants wherever they are in their spiritual journeys.

            Ms. Mui is an author and equity consultant committed to the work of LGBTQ+ affirmation. Bex founded House of Our Queer, a spiritual play space where she shares offerings for the queer and trans community.

            For more information about this event, call the library at 508.758.4171 or email to

jjones@sailsinc.org. Check the library’s events calendar at mattapoisettlibrary.org for more upcoming programs and book discussions.

BookRemarks

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Greetings from Plumb Library. Welcome to BookRemarks, a monthly feature focusing on all things library related.

            Remember audiobooks? Those novels that came on old-school cassette tapes that morphed into CDs and MP3 discs, and then turned into self-contained digital players. They have continued to evolve into online and app-based services and are still a very popular way for library users to read. With your library card you have access to free audiobooks and e-books through the Libby/Overdrive or Hoopla platforms. If you’re familiar with Audible from Amazon, it works in much the same way but comes to you at no charge. That’s right, it’s totally free to library users. Thousands of titles for readers of all ages are available on Libby and Hoopla. Simply download the app to your preferred device (phone or tablet) and log in with your library card (Hoopla will only work with a Rochester card.) Libby/Overdrive is also available on your laptop or desktop computer and can be accessed via the library’s website. Search out your favorite authors or try something completely new. There are curated lists that change monthly so there is always something fresh for you to check out. Some titles will have a wait-list, but there is a section of “always available” items to borrow. Downloaded books can be set for an up-to 3-week checkout and can be returned early to free up space on your digital bookshelf. Once a book is downloaded, it’s accessible from your device anytime, even without an internet connection, and can be played in the car via a Bluetooth connection. If you’re looking for more ways to use Libby or Hoopla, there are also magazines, comics, music, movies and TV shows. Let us know if you’d like to come by and see a demo.

            As always, your Library Staff, Kristen, Jen, Lisa and Bridget are here to help you find what you need. Feel free to call 508-763-8600 or email us at info@plumblibrary.com with any questions. Better yet, come by and say hello.

Dr. R. Michael Scott

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            Dr. R. Michael Scott, 82, passed away at his home in Mattapoisett, MA on August 4, 2023 with his beloved wife, Susan, at his side.

            Dr. Scott served for many years as Neurosurgeon-in-Chief at Boston Children’s Hospital and as Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School.

            He carried out pioneering work on the neurosurgical treatment of stroke in children and was an internationally recognized authority on vascular malformations of the brain in pediatric patients.

            He was born in Philadelphia as the oldest of four children and the son of Michael Scott, a neurosurgeon, and Catherine Fadde Scott, a child welfare nurse.

            After his early schooling in the Philadelphia area, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College in 1962 where he majored in English and he obtained his MD degree from Temple University School of Medicine in 1966 where he was Senior Class President.

            After a Surgical Internship at Boston City Hospital and a two-year clinical research fellowship at the National Institute of Neurologic Diseases and Stroke, he began Neurosurgical residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital, completing his Chief Residency in 1973.

            Dr. Scott began his academic Neurosurgical career at Tufts University Medical Center where he worked for 15 years, developing a specialty practice in Pediatric and Vascular neurosurgery. He then joined the faculty at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School where he became a full Professor and was appointed Neurosurgeon-in-Chief in 2004.

            He received lifetime achievement awards from the Neurosurgical Society of America, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Joint Pediatric Section and The New England Neurosurgical Society.

            A revered teacher, Dr. Scott received the Silen Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award from Harvard Medical School in recognition of his training and mentoring of countless residents and students of all levels of medical training. Throughout his career, he trained more than 25 fellows who themselves became leaders in Pediatric Neurosurgery throughout the country.

            Mike had many interests outside of medicine including gardening, literature, opera, classical music, and cinema. Chief among them was his love of jazz and jazz piano-playing.

            He headed a neurosurgical jazz quintet that played throughout the country for more than 20 years at neurosurgical meetings.  He particularly enjoyed playing inventive jazz duets with an accomplished trumpet-playing friend, Jim Rose.

            He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Susan Taylor Scott, whom he met when she was an operating room nurse at the New England Medical Center.

            Mike treasured the many years they had together with long walks, theater, concerts, dinners and travels. Their Mattapoisett home was a beautiful quiet retreat where they could be alone together, garden together and enjoy the company of neighbors.

            Through the years, with his brother, Dick and his wife, Mary, Mike and Susan enjoyed walking tours to Croatia, Sicily, England, France, and Italy. There were also memorable visits to Normandy and Northern Ireland with his siblings Dick, Bill, Judy, and their spouses. An annual month in Hawaii with Susan was a treasured respite in his post-retirement years.

            Mike was a loving father to his three children, Elizabeth Tervo, Robert and David Scott and to his stepdaughter, Heather Bliss.  He loved being with his five grandchildren: Paul, Lucy, Taylor, Isabella and Mae, whether taking one of them to a Red Sox or Bruins game or just hanging out with them playing board games, singing at the piano or gardening. He also shared his love of gardening with his daughter, Elizabeth, even though she lived on the West Coast, by trading photos of their prized plants and flowers. Like Mike, his sons Robert and David are accomplished musicians themselves, and when the trio got together, their jam sessions were spectacular.

            Mike’s first wife, Catharine Sweeney Scott, pre-deceased him and he is survived by their three children; Elizabeth Tervo and her husband, Father Michael Tervo of Bellingham, WA; and by Robert Scott of Provincetown, MA and David Scott of Brooklyn, NY. He is also survived by his stepdaughter, Heather, and her husband, Greg Bliss of Hingham, MA.

            Mike has three surviving siblings: Richard Scott and his wife, Mary, of Dedham, William Scott and his wife, Helene, of Indianapolis and Judith Scott and her husband, Don Stillman of Orcas Island, Washington.

            In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations in Dr. Scott’s memory be made to  Temple University School of Medicine for benefit of the Catherine G. Scott Scholarship Fund or to The Southcoast VNA Hospice Program at www.southcoast.org/VNA.

Seven New Gardens for Sippican

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A $26,928 donation from the Marion Institute will build seven new gardens at Sippican Elementary School and implement the Grow Education Program after a vote to approve by the Marion School Committee in a special meeting held via Zoom on July 26.

            Chairperson April Nye and members Mary Beauregard and Nichole Nye McGaffey heard from Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson on the culmination of a six-month partnership with the Marion Institute.

            “Ultimately, the Marion Institute has been awarded a grant from the local (Community Preservation Act) funds to help rehab our gardens and actually enhance them, and then also the Marion Institute has been able to offer some free tools regarding the curriculum that supports the program and professional development,” explained Nelson.

            The School Committee was reminded of its 2023 approval of the curriculum as presented by ORR Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Shari Fedorowicz.

            Citing collaboration with Liz Wiley, executive director of the Marion Institute, Nelson said work on the gardens has been discussed. Having consulted with Marion Town Counsel (KP Law), Nelson said it was determined that the School Committee’s vote to accept the donation was the best path to get the funds into action.

            Nelson said ORR Facilities Director Gene Jones has held a preliminary meeting with the facilities lead from the Marion Institute to go over the scope of the project and to ensure all compliances. The gardens will include a small structure for compost and weeding, etc.

            Nye McGaffey suggested adding the new gardens to the School Committee facilities tour.

            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 Thursday, September 28, at the ORR Junior High media center. Both meetings start at 6:30 pm.

Marion School Committee

By Mick Colageo