In an effort to engage public feedback on its Vision 2028 Strategic Plan, the Old Rochester Regional School District held a four-session public forum over Monday and Tuesday.

            Dr. Shari Fedorowicz, assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning, presided over the process that in the third session held Tuesday afternoon, saw mostly school administrators gathered in the ORR Junior High media center.

            Fedorowicz outlined an opportunity for community members and stakeholders to move forward a five-year plan emanating from the ORR School District’s stated mission “to inspire all students to think, learn and care.”

            Breaking down the mission statement, the “think” aspect asks the school community to foster a culture of excellence and integrity, creativity, problem solving and critical thinking. The “learn” aspect strives for excellence, and the “care” aspect spreads a sense of belonging among all students.

            Fedorowicz identified Core Values as “what we live by as we go through this process,” Theory of Action as hypothesizing implementation by conceptualizing the “portrait of a graduate” and Equitable as “applies to everybody.”

            The Strategic Plan Process is meant to establish initiatives followed by quality plan review.

            “Where we’re at right now is a public forum for community input,” said Fedrowicz, focusing on objectives, strengths and opportunities.

            After organizing information emanating from breakout groups, participants left exit tickets for the administration’s consumption.

            In dedicating 10 minutes per topic, Tuesday afternoon’s smaller gathering allowed for the World Cafe Method (whole group) to share ideas. Teaching and learning (curriculum, support systems), climate and culture and an equitable learning environment were all addressed.

            Participants were asked to discuss elements they feel proud of, identify opportunities and articulate questions or concerns. They were charged with identifying two priority values and two future opportunities to share with the team.

            ORR Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber spoke about ancillary services such as tech, food and transportation, seeking feedback as to efficiencies and deficiencies. He said that regarding tech, ORR advanced from the 1980s in a short time.

            Barber discussed the progress made in building security, including identity verification, scanning and in the buildings’ overall safety platform. “There are not a lot of entries and exits,” he said.

            Systems monitoring activities so that security can “know who everyone is.”

            Mattapoisett Town Administrator Mike Lorenco, in attendance, asked about the cyber-security piece, noting that computer-system hacking is growing nationwide. Barber said that three years ago, ORR conducted a security poll only to be sidetracked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

            Barber said that while finances used to have a simple 2% annual increase, ORR is now looking at all enrollment-influenced factors based on a dollar value per student. Tech replacement cycles are now built into the budget, which has to be able to address a 25% replacement of Chromebooks and the like.

            Lorenco said that Capital Planning in Mattapoisett has improved, putting items on the committee’s list that did not appear in prior years. He offered the ORR District help with any issues where the town can be of assistance.

            Barber noted that bonds will be paid up as of June 2025, so the administration is conducting walk-throughs with Facilities Director Gene Jones.

            Sippican Elementary School Principal Marla Sirois also participated in the Climate and Culture aspect, defining the goal of the team to create as inclusive and equitable an education as possible for students and families.

            Asked what is new about that, Sirois said surveys always yield something about a building’s culture, especially as the community evolves and the school gains a better understanding as to what the “school community needs from us.”

            ORR High School Principal Mike Devoll, who attended Monday night’s session as well as Tuesday afternoon’s, said ORR is focused on communication and strengthening community involvement and is working with Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School on seeking consistent involvement from the community to try to bring some uniformity.

            A parent with children in both school systems said ORR can improve on its response time to emailed questions and in the content of those responses. Canned responses from emails, she said, are not cutting it.

            Multiple parents, she explained, have emailed about a safety issue in a classroom, answered by a response saying safety is our number-one priority.

            “If you’re getting that, it means others are,” said Director of Student Services Craig Davidson, calling it “great feedback.”

            School Committee member Matthew Monteiro discussed the struggle of lower-income students getting into the Advanced Placement classes at the same rate as others who are not outperforming them. “That’s a strength we’re trying to get information on,” he said.

            Fedorowicz encouraged participants to email follow-up questions.

            Crediting Doreen Lopes, Davidson discussed family engagement and tiered interventions to close the gap for students not able to speak or read in English. He said the ORR District has approximately 74 different reading programs or interventions, a number the district is trying to narrow down.

            ORR’s recent literacy program is meant to standardize curriculum for the younger learners so that when those students come together at the junior high, achieving consistency becomes realistic.

            Support systems, it was noted, have been successful, but educator Colin Everett said that while “scaffolding” is necessary, ORR should have a plan to take scaffolding away “and let the student go into the world.”

Joint School Committee

By Mick Colageo

            It’s been a mighty long time since a new wooden boat was launched from the historic wharves located in Mattapoisett’s harbor, but the long wait is over. On Friday, June 16, the Acorn to Arabella boat will arrive in Mattapoisett. Food trucks are planned to set up around 3:00 pm.

            Saturday will find the crew and associated volunteers busy with the 10:00 am launch time and ceremonial speeches before the christening. If all goes to plan, the boat will be launched by 10:30 am. At 11:30 am, live music will entertain the public, but tours of the vessel will be for major donors and patrons only on Saturday. Food trucks will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

            Sunday will find the food trucks open by 10:00 am, and public tours will begin with music at 11:30 am. Tours will end at 4:00 pm. There will be a fee to board the ship.

            The board also discussed a number of major projects still in the cue.

            Town Administrator Mike Lorenco updated a fairly long list that included a meeting planned for June 27 with PARE, the engineering firm working on Phase 2a of the Mattapoisett multiuse pathway aka, the bike path. Lorenco also said that test borings will begin on Long Wharf on July 22, a procedure to determine the current condition of the wharf’s underpinnings.

            Lorenco said that the 25% engineered drawings for Main Street repairs is now in the hands of MassDOT for comment. He said comments most likely won’t be received for several months. Other roadway-related projects noted included the reconstruction of Pearl Street, along with another meeting in the coming months with MassDOT; this time the topic will be the Route 6 corridor and ideas for improvements.

            Regarding grants, Lorenco said that those will be sought for building reconstruction at the Holy Ghost Grounds in the range of $500,000 and that parking pay stations may also be founded with grant monies in the future.

            An ATV vehicle considered by both the Fire and Police departments as worthy life-safety equipment is another item the town is seeking a grant to fund. Filings have been made, Lorenco stated.

            Rounding out the projects list, Lorenco added that dredging between wharves was still pending, as a viable solution for disposing of the spoils had not been found to date. This may become another grant request.

            Earlier in the meeting, the board approved the sale of several surplus mowers and other obsolete equipment and made numerous appointments for a wide ranging variety of positions, everything from the antiquated sounding “measurer of wood and bark” to “fence viewers.” There were, however, many more positions the general public could grasp such as committee appointments for cemeteries to weights and measures.

            While going through the pages of appointments, the board took the time to do a bit of committee housekeeping by dissolving the Flood Plain Advisory Board, the Bike and Pedestrian committee, and the Recreation Committee.

            Before adjournment, the board asked the public to consider becoming a member of the town’s Scholarship Committee. The town has money waiting to be distributed to applicants through a process that allows taxpayers to donate money through a form attached to real estate invoices. Interested parties should contact the Select Board office.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, time to be announced.

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell

The Marion Conservation Commission voted during its May 24 public meeting to issue 122 Register Road LLC an Order of Conditions for a proposed boat-lift system and access walkway.

            During the public hearing, project representative Dave Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone, Inc. explained that the activity is to be done by a crane set on a barge and occur on land under ocean and land containing shellfish, requiring Chapter 91 Waterways licensing and the approval of the Army Corps of Engineers, which issued the original permit.

            Davignon said he was still waiting on comment from the Harbormaster but had received comment from the state Department of Marine Fisheries and from Natural Heritage that he said suggested no impact by the project. He noted likewise regarding the Department of Environmental Protection.

            Commissioner Shaun Walsh sought explanation as to the steel structure slightly off the existing grade. Davignon clarified that the structure will be rigged to rise up with the boat. He said the commissioners could view an example of the same on Water Street.

            Mark Manganello of LEC Environmental was engaged by the property owner, and Davignon said Manganello expects to visit the site in mid-June, considered an optimum time to evaluate the saltmarsh area and determine what it needs in the way of mitigation efforts.

            Chairman Jeff Doubrava and Walsh considered the Division of Marine Fisheries comments to be “boiler plate” in nature.

            Noting that the original application generated much in a way of public comment, Doubrava sought public comment and got none. With that, the commission voted to close the public hearing.

            The Sippican Lands Trust received a Negative Determination of Applicability for approximately 100 feet of split-rail fence with 10 to 12 posts to be installed on a crushed-stone path that leads down to the wood boardwalk.

            Responding to comments that wheelchair users could lose control on the boardwalk, Cathy Stone of the SLT explained the project. Stone asks if the SLT could add a trench, citing the gully caused by heavy rains. “We’re having to fix it a lot and don’t want it to disappear, have a huge river going down there,” said Stone.

            Member Emil Assing suggested a design and proposal in writing in order to add a trench to the project. Doubrava agreed with Assing, qualifying it doesn’t have to come from an engineer. Conservation Agent Doug Guey-Lee said a trench could be contextualized in the application under management plans.

            Fernandes Pacheco was issued a Negative Determination of Applicability to replace eight to 12 trees and bring an area back to acceptable visual condition at 1 Sparrow Lane. The conditions were blamed on what Doubrava characterized as “a hack job” by a utility company.

            “Very bad, beyond any kind of possibility of our imagination that it would come out like this, but it was just horrific, actually,” said Pacheco.

            Commissioners Assing, Walsh and Matt Schultz visited the site. Walsh said every tree growing out there was cut down, and he would file the same application with the commission.

            Pacheco said that the pulling of stumps will require the addition of topsoil, but there is no intention to change the grade of the area. He wants to extend his fence one more panel (adding one post.)

            In his Conservation Agent’s Report, Guey-Lee updated the commission on three matters, neighbor’s inquiry as to a shed’s placement at 27 Fieldstone relative to the commission’s negative determination of applicability, the need for at least an RDA filing to replace a missing step to a concrete staircase at 90 Point Road, and what the Harbormaster reported as evidence that tree limbs have been thrown down into the water from 196 Point Road that are causing a potential navigational hazard.

            The commission issued a three-year extension of a permit for Barrett and Virginia Levenson regarding their ongoing work at 174 Cross Neck Road.

            The commission also voted to approve the issuance of certificates of compliance to Charles Coolidge for work performed on three lots, 604, 604B and 604C Point Road.

            Doubrava presided over the meeting remotely via Zoom because he had COVID-19 the prior week and, while allowed by protocol to go out in public while wearing a facemask, he did not think he could lead the meeting while wearing a mask.

            The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, June 14, at 7:00 pm.