Summer Activities at the Marion Natural History Museum

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Coastal Explorations Summer Program: Two sessions: July 11 -15 and August 1 – 5, Hours 9-12, Grades entering 3 – 6, $250 for members, $300 for nonmembers.

            The Marion Natural History Museum is offering its Coastal Exploration summer program again this year. For many years now, we had a lot of fun exploring a variety of habitats in Marion and took a close look at Barrier Beaches, Vernal Pools, Salt Marshes and tide pools. We learned about the Terns on Bird Island, netted the salamanders and tadpoles in vernal pools and netted fish along the coastline. In addition, this year we will be investigating the natural areas on Ram Island! There is still a little room left in our half-day programs. If you are interested in enrolling your child, please go to the Museum’s website: www.marionmuseum.org.

            Wild Encounters date changed to July 27, 2 – 3 pm, all ages, Free. “Help! A bird struck my window…” Have you ever found an injured animal and needed to know what to do? Wild Care, Inc. is a nonprofit wildlife hospital located in Eastham that is dedicated to the rescue and release of injured and orphaned wildlife on Cape Cod. Wild Care operates a Wildlife Helpline and rehabilitates over 1,800 animals per year, everything from Bald Eagles to Deer Mice. Wild Care’s Executive Director, Stephanie Ellis, will cover what to do when you find baby animals in distress, who to call in Massachusetts and will provide tips for living with our wild neighbors. Join us for this fun and informative talk.

            Also, we are open every Wednesday and Friday afternoons for Lego play, crafts, puppet theater and Virtual Reality appointments. Other hours may be scheduled by appointment.

            Please register in advance at www.marionmuseum.org

Why Turtles Cross the Road — and What You Can Do To Help Them

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On the morning of June 14, three diamondback terrapins were struck and killed by cars while crossing the Weweantic Bridge, the busy Route 6 thoroughfare linking the towns of Wareham and Marion. A concerned motorist, Mike Maurer from Marion, managed to save a fourth terrapin and notified the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) of the other fatalities.

            It was a shocking tragedy and a clear sign that terrapins and other turtles are in grave danger on our roads. The Weweantic Bridge is a known hotspot for these accidents. Nearby terrapins come ashore looking to nest and are funneled on to it, ending up in the middle of midmorning traffic. NECWA is working with local and state authorities to find a solution to this problem and to increase awareness of the bridge’s safety issues.

            The reality is that adult female terrapins are running out of options when it comes time to nest each year. Urban encroachment, coastal armoring and rising sea levels are eroding their available nesting area on both sides, and their little remaining terrestrial habitat is crisscrossed by dangerous roads. These females have to find a good place to lay their eggs, and they’ll go the distance to do it — even if it means putting their lives at risk. Turtles often cross busy roads during the late spring and early summer of nesting season, and it is our responsibility to keep an eye out for these scaly pedestrians in an attempt to minimize fatalities. Terrapins live long lives, reproduce slowly and suffer from high hatchling mortality rates. Because of this, the death of a reproductively mature female can do lasting harm to the future of a local population.

            Anytime you see a turtle on or near a road, please call NECWA’s hot line at 508-566-0009 for advice and assistance. If the situation is safe for you, move the turtle off the road in the direction it was heading. Never lift the turtle by the tail: this can injure their spine, which is fused to the top of their shell.

            If you find an injured turtle, call NECWA for assistance or take it to a local wildlife rehabilitation center (see list below.) If the animal is dead, you should also give us a call — NECWA can remove the carcass from the road, collect identifying information about the turtle, and record when and where it was hit.

Bike Path’s ‘Quiet Opening’

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On July 1 without any fanfare, dignitaries, ribbon cutting or people, one-half of the Mattapoisett Bike Path’s Phase 1b was opened for public use. From Mattapoisett Neck Road to Reservation Road, this ready-for-use portion received walkers and bikers alike who marveled at the vistas of wetlands and wildlife now easily seen from an elevated bridge over marshlands.

            A Facebook posting from Representative William Straus announced the opening this way: “Many of you may already have noticed but a couple of days ago, the newest stretch of the Mattapoisett Bike Path opened up to the public. Done quietly by the state on Friday afternoon, the path now extends further east from (Mattapoisett) Neck Road to Reservation Road while crossing the Mattapoisett River and some incredible marsh and coastal areas.

            “There is more to come, but this newest stretch has been worth the wait and reflects years and years of work, town meetings and negotiations. Many thanks to so many in town and the generous contribution of the YMCA in making a portion of its land available for the public to enjoy this newest stretch. I am glad I could be a part of helping this further progress as we continue with construction and another phase of planning to get the path as far as Marion. Enjoy.”

            Over the 4th of July weekend, people who somehow became aware that this portion of Phase 1b had opened were the first to see the massive, winding bridge and the views offered over marshlands. But there is more work to come.

            One major issue to be resolved and is in the works according to Town Administrator Mike Lorenco includes signs announcing to the public that Reservation Road is not the suggested exit or entrance point to this pathway.

            “A soft opening did take place, but we still have things to work out with the ‘Y’-camp and the golf club,” he said on Tuesday. “We really don’t want cyclists and pedestrians using Reservation Road, but it is a public road so we can’t really stop people.”

            Lorenco said the hope is that once the second portion of Phase 1b is opened (the section elevated over the Eel Pond breach and Goodspeed Island beach) users of the recreational path will enter and exit via Railroad Avenue and Depot Street or to the west at Mattapoisett Neck Road, Brandt Island Road or accesses in Fairhaven.

            Reservation Golf Club president Robert O’Brien told the Wanderer, “We were expecting a walk-through before it opened, but that didn’t happen.” He said the town had agreed to posting of signs on the pathway that instructed users to turn around where it intersects with Reservation Road versus exiting onto Reservation Road. O’Brien said that if that did not happen, “We’ll lock the gates.” Locking the gates would force bike-path users to return to Mattapoisett Neck Road versus exiting onto Reservation Road.

            Select Board member Jordan Collyer confirmed that Reservation Road was never the intended entrance and exit point for users of the bike path. He said, while the town is excited to have part of Phase 1b opened, there are still things to be done like signage, trash barrels and doggy rest stations.

            “People need to be considerate of one another, “Collyer stated regarding use of the bike path, and stressed cyclists needed to abide by traffic rules and regulations.

            The Mattapoisett Bike Path has been a work in progress since 1996. Bike Path Chairman Steve Kelleher has noted over the years that he and more recently the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path have labored to work through and control a long list of moving parts including financing the project. Now with at least a half-mile of elevated walkway complete, the finish line is getting closer.

            Still ahead for supporters of the project and the town are issues related to defective material that became evident more than a year ago on the bridge over the Eel Pond breach and Goodspeed Island Beach. That section remains closed. No date on when it might be ready for the public is known at this time, as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation finds acceptable replacement materials.

            And while a small section of the bike path at the end of Industrial Drive to the Marion line was funded by donations and is open, Phases 2a and b are in early planning stages.

            During the FY23 budget cycle, the Bike Path Committee, along with FMBP Chairman Renee Pothier, reported to the Capital Planning Committee that for FY23 $489,000, the town’s match previously approved through Town Meeting for work associated with the Industrial Drive improvements, would be used.

            Another $500,000 would be needed for a portion of the Phase 2b Industrial Drive bike lane, and $150,000 of which $120,000 (received via a state grant after Town Meeting) will require a town match of $30,000.

            Long-range planning offered by the Bike Path Committee and FMBP also noted that in FY24, $285,000 will be needed and is proposed to be secured from grants and town matches for Phase 2a design, project management and soft costs not associated with construction and $1,000,000 proposed to be secured by town matches and grants.

            FY25 was forecasted to need $30,000 from grants and town matches for additional Phase 2a design, project management and soft costs not associated with construction and $1,000,000 from grants and town matches for Phase 2a construction.

            It is currently planned that in FY26 the project will be rolling towards completion while needing $30,000 from grants and town matches for remaining project management and soft costs not associated with construction, $1,000,000 for Phase 2a construction, $752,000 Phase 2b design and construction and $500,000 for final segments of Phase 2a.

            All totaled over the next four fiscal cycles, the financial documents provided by the bike path consortium estimate that Phases 2a and 2b will cost $5,796,000, anticipated to be funded by a variety of grants and town matches. In the meantime, cyclists and other recreators may now enjoy nonmotorized modes of transportation from Mattapoisett to New Bedford without using Route 6 or just taking in the wetland splendor Mattapoisett now showcases from an elevated walkway.

By Marilou Newell

Cold-Food Business Approved

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The Marion Planning Board Tuesday night granted a special permit to a business that will sell made-to-order, cold-food charcuterie and vegetable and fruit platters out of a Wareham Street storefront.

            Cynthia Servais explained that “Savor the Spread,” the business she plans to open at 119 Wareham Road, will not be involved in cooking any food and will be a retail operation only, not a sit-down eatery. At that location, which is zoned General Business, Servais will prepare platters that customers preorder by telephone, text or email, then pick up. Small orders can be filled in a day, she said, larger orders in 48 hours.

            “I just want to be able to legally serve these platters,” she explained.

            Servais said she will have one refrigerator for storing her ingredients and another to store the platters ready to be picked up. She will have a stainless-steel table for food preparation and a portable sink for washing her hands.

            She will be sharing the retail space of “Right from the Vine.” The front of the space facing the street will be hers, the back will belong to Right from the Vine. She said her interior will include a plexiglass shield to wall off the food, and she will have the use of “Vine’s” three-basin sink to clean her ingredients and her utensils.

            Planning Board Chair Norman Hills asked if there were opinions on the “Savor the Spread” plan from the Building inspector, the Fire Department or the Board of Health. Board secretary Terri Santos said there has been no word from them, but that does not mean they haven’t reviewed the plan.

            Servais elaborated that she has received her food-handler and food-management certificates from the Board of Health. “I am current with the Board of Health,” she said.

            That seemed all the Planning Board needed to hear. The panel then approved the business’s Special Permit unanimously.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board will be held on Monday, July 18, at 7:00 pm.

Marion Planning Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Genealogy Roundtable

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Join a Genealogy Roundtable and be a part of history on Wednesday, June 20, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm.

            Are you curious about your family’s history but don’t know where to start? An experienced genealogist willing to share expertise? Seeking like-minded researchers to share stories, tips and sources. Thinking about taking a DNA test but want to know more?

            If you can answer “yes” to any of the above, it’s time to connect!

            Join our first collaborative get-together at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library on Wednesday, July 20 at 6:30 pm. Future meeting times and frequency based on attendee preferences.

            Questions? Contact Patricia Steever pfs@domainsteever.com or 703-898-2179 or Robbin at the Library at 508-758-4171.

Countdown to Taste of the Town Is On

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The countdown is on, and the members of the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club are busy getting ready to welcome our guests to the celebration of the 17th Annual Taste of the Town! There are only a few days left until it will be 5:00 pm on July 12, and we can open the doors at the Lions Club’s big white Harbor Days’ tent in Shipyard Park in Mattapoisett, and the fun to be had at the 17th Annual Taste of the Town will begin!

            Remember, tickets cost $10 for 10 tickets, and besides some cash or your credit card, all you need to bring to the festivities is your good spirits (and maybe a picnic blanket if you and your family want to spread out in Shipyard Park.) Be ready for an evening of terrific food, wonderful entertainment, a great atmosphere and the highly anticipated opportunity to meet up with family, neighbors and friends from far and wide to spend a delightful evening together! 

            Since parking around the event is sure to be hard to find, keep in mind that we have arranged for a free Shuttle Bus to run to and from the Taste to St. Anthony’s Church’s parking lot and the Town Beaches throughout the evening. 

Coahuila Meteorite

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Coahuila Meteorite on loan to the Marion Natural History Museum from the Mineralogical & Geological Museum, Harvard University

            The meteorite fell to Earth and was discovered in 1837 in the Mexican state of Coahuila (kow-uh-WEE-la, from which the meteorite got its name.) There is no record of anyone seeing it fall.

Coahuila weighs 317kg (almost 700 pounds!) and is a fragment of a much larger meteor that fell in Coahuila; many other similar fragments have been discovered in that area.

            Why is Coahuila a meteorite and not a meteor or meteoroid? Rocks that come from space are often called meteors, but there is actually a difference between these terms. A meteoroid is a rock flying or floating in space. These range in size from small grains (like sand) to one meter (which is a little more than three feet.) Smaller grains are called micrometeoroids. Larger rocky bodies are classified as asteroids. A meteor is what we see when a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere at high speed. During its descent, aerodynamic heating causes the object to glow and cast off glowing fragments. This streak we see in the sky is a meteor; many people know it as a “shooting star.” When multiple meteors streak through the atmosphere and seem to come from the same place in the sky, we call it a meteor shower. When a meteoroid or asteroid survives its passage through the atmosphere and impacts the ground, it becomes a meteorite.

            Meteorites are classified into three broad categories based on their composition:  Stony, Iron, and Stony-Iron. Coahuila is an iron meteorite with a complex crystalline internal structure caused by heating and cooling during my formation. Indentations on the surface were formed by collisions during Coahuila’s 4.5 billion year journey through space as well as by heating and ablation (melting) as it passed through Earth’s atmosphere.

Rochester’s New Town Administrator Likes Fit

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Glenn Cannon started out as an engineer who was frequently told he didn’t talk like an engineer. No wonder his career path ended where he is today, as Rochester’s town administrator since March of this year.

            The Wareham native, 58, said that as he grew up, engineering and math came natural for him. “But also I like to talk to people, give them the reasons, the facts behind anything I’m explaining,” he said.

            He didn’t mind it when in his early career he was told he did not sound like an engineer. He saw what they were saying. It was because he likes to communicate ideas to people in very simple, clear ways. “When it’s complicated issues, it’s important to me to be able to break down things and explain them simply to others.”

            After he graduated from UMass Dartmouth’s engineering program, he went to work for the state Highway Department and then the Cape Cod Commission. By the time he started the latter job, he had put hands-on engineering work behind him in favor of managing and budgeting projects such as the ongoing plans to replace the Bourne and Sagamore bridges.

            In 2017, he became the assistant town administrator in the town of Bourne. “It was an opportunity to work in Bourne and help them with their issues,” he explained, “such as assisting them with establishing their waste water treatment plant. It was still about helping the local community, which I love to do.”

            It was in these early jobs that he developed the skills he uses to this day as town administrator. In his Cape Cod Commission job, for example, he said, “I was building funding programs for projects and building the public and political consensus that gets projects approved. I learned you have to tally the consensus of leaders and the public before any project can move forward. It was a great experience for this job, for getting me ready for this job.”

            Cannon became Bourne’s acting town administrator after the chief administrator resigned. Then an interim town administrator was appointed but didn’t last long. Still, Cannon was not considered for the full-time job.

            Just the same, he said, “I left on good terms. I wasn’t leaving because I was not satisfied. I put two Bourne selectmen on my reference list.”

            Cannon said he applied for the job in Rochester because he saw it as a natural fit for him in more ways than one. “I saw this position as a chance to grow,” he said. “I saw it as the opportunity to advance myself. Plus, I live in South Middleboro. I can walk my dog to Rochester. I love the rural nature of the town of Rochester.”

            He’s happy he landed in Rochester and he is making the most of his first year here. He plans to introduce himself to every town board (he’s visited a few already.) He is getting great support from Town Hall staff. He sits down regularly with the prior town administrator, Suzanne Szyndlar, with lists of questions that she usually answers on the spot.

            What does he like most about being Rochester’s town administrator? “The town is trying to better itself,” he said. “There are plans for a new fire station (Town Meeting just approved a $110,000 feasibility study for this.) There are plans for a new Highway barn salt shed and to get a public water system for Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School (in cooperation with the school’s four other member towns.) I like those kinds of big projects and look forward to seeing them move forward.”

By Michael J. DeCicco

Parking Set for BYC Event

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            Having done her homework, Johanna Vergoni of the Beverly Yacht Club came back before the Marion Select Board on July 30 to gain approval for firmed-up plans for the BYC’s 150th gala celebration scheduled for Saturday, July 23, from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

            The special, one-agenda meeting was called to expedite requests the Select Board had made of Vergoni to tweak the event planning for the sake of more complete information regarding neighborhood impact and for the parking arrangement.

            Asked to reach out to neighbors whose comings and goings would be impacted, Vergoni reported that all but one resident within the sphere of prescribed consideration was a BYC member.

            Her other assignment was to shift parking from what would have become an over-capacity Sippican Elementary School to the more expansive area at Silvershell Beach. Either scenario planned for shuttle buses to the corner of Water and South Streets.

            The board took two votes, one to approve Vergoni’s revised parking plan and the other to approve road closures in the area of the event. The road closure schedule will be from 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm, providing a half-hour cushion on both ends of the event.

            Town Administrator Jay McGrail said that the town will work with the event organizers to ensure access to the Silvershell parking lot. McGrail reported no issues with the plan that concerned the Police or Fire chiefs.

            The Select Board voted to affirm the plan and asked that the BYC send out a letter to a broader group of neighbors as a general notice and report back to the board with any negative feedback.

            “If there are any complaints, they will call my office as well,” assured McGrail, who said he had not received any calls as of the June 30 meeting.

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, at 6:00 pm under the Cushing Community Center Pavilion. In the case of inclement weather, the meeting will be held inside the center’s main building.

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo

Pies & More Bake Sale

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The Mattapoisett Woman’s Club proudly presents its annual Pies & More Bake Sale on Saturday, July 16 from 9 am until sold out at the Lions Club’s Harbor Days Festival. Profits from the Annual Pie Sale & More as well as the Taste of the Town benefit the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club Scholarship Fund for Mattapoisett’s resident high school graduates and postgraduates with their continuing education.

            New members are always welcome to join the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club. Find a membership application on the Club’s website at mattapoisettwomansclub.org.