Upon her season-opening report to the Mattapoisett School Committee on September 21, Chairperson Carly Lavin focused on the Old Rochester Regional School District’s new literacy program launched last year.

            “This is a massive change … a long-term goal, and it’s going to require real passion and perseverance to successfully implement,” said Lavin, identifying the program as new opportunities for children to see leaders’ model grit. “We need grit from everybody at this table and in our schools as well as our families. It’s going to be easy to get overwhelmed or potentially discouraged, but I urge everybody to stay the course.”

            With that, she thanked the teachers for their willingness to start a new program.

            As the committee gathered to kick off the 2023-24 academic year, milestone recognitions were recognized, and new teachers were welcomed aboard.

            For Center School, Jennifer Aguiar (elementary teacher) and Lori Sevigny (principal’s secretary) were both recognized for 30 years of service, Cynthia Dawicki (RBT paraprofessional) for 25 years, Virginia Rotchford (paraprofessional) for 20 years, Laura Mirabito (Library/Media specialist), Caroyln Pawlishen (Reading specialist) and Sarah Mendes (elementary teacher) for 15 years each, and Jane Zajac (Kindergarten teacher) for 10 years.

            For Center School and Old Hammondtown, Lisa Lourenco (technology coordinator) was recognized for 25 years of service, Chad Cabeceiras (physical education) for 20 years, and Benjamin Squire (science teacher) for 10 years.

            Also for Old Hammondtown, Elementary teachers Stacey Barrows, Amy Casi and Kristen Sunde were all recognized for 20 years. Sherri Panek (paraprofessional) and Elizabeth Valliere (elementary teacher) were recognized for 15 years. Stella Brogioli (paraprofessional) and elementary teachers Sara Jacobsen and Kate Williams were all recognized for 10 years.

            Longtime ORR staffer Kristine Lincoln was welcomed as interim director of Student Services. Teah Keogh has returned to her old role as English Language Learning specialist, ORR graduate Katie Crowley joins the Center School staff as a lunch/recess aid, Alda Medeiros joins Mattapoisett schools as Special Education secretary and Katie Trudell will teach Grade 5.

            The ORR District bids adieu to Craig Davidson (director of Student Services); Kathy Dranchak (ELL specialist); Kayleigh Lake (Lunch/Recess aide) and Colleen Johns (Library specialist.)

            After reviewing a request from Kimberly Clough, granddaughter of Franklin A. Caswell, Jr., to place a plaque at Caswell Circle at Old Hammondtown School in Mr. Caswell’s honor, the committee voted to approve.

            Old Hammondtown Principal Kevin Tavares remembered how Caswell, known as “Bronc,” worked at Center School and went to Old Hammondtown upon its opening in 1966. He said Caswell raised the American flag at the school every day and injected positivity with his sense of humor.

            Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson reported on an opening-day event held to bring together the faculty and staffs of all six district schools, and student speaker Nia Gonzalez stole the show with her keynote address. The Sippican Elementary School Grade 6 student and Project 351 participant impressed the gathering of faculty and staff.

            Joining the Marion and Rochester school districts, the committee voted to approve an OpenSciEd grant for Grade 5 in the amount of $4,100 for training costs and materials in a continuation of ongoing work.

            ORR Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Shari Fedorowicz said this will be the first opportunity to bring the program to two units this year to make the program continuous for Grades 5-8.

            The committee voted to approve the disposal of materials (curriculum no longer aligning with district needs).

            The committee voted to approve updates to the Student Handbook.

            Lavin credited ORR Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber for his commitment to come in during the pandemic and adjust financial expectations.

            Nelson discussed new features on the ORR District’s improved website.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, October 26, at 6:30 pm.

Mattapoisett School Committee

By Mick Colageo

            “I’ve reviewed the Master Plan,” began Planning Board member John Mathieu as Monday night’s agenda panned to New Business. Mathieu, who had previously been a board member and more recently returned when a vacancy made it possible. Mathieu said that the updated Master Plan draft is acceptable on a number of levels and focuses on housing as a major consideration in the town’s long-range planning. But zoning regulations need a thorough vetting, the members believe, in order to facilitate anything close to affordable units.

            Mathieu said that the Village Business District currently allows for certain types of housing units and architectural designs but that an increase in density that would allow condominium-type units would require zoning modifications.

            On the issue of what state regulations require for low-income affordability, Mathieu was less concerned and believed a harder look at current zoning bylaws is needed to better understand what flexibility currently exists and what can be achieved through updates.

            The board also briefly discussed the possibility of zoning changes that would give greater flexibility to units falling under the category of ADU (additional dwelling unit) such as guest homes. Presently, zoning requires an acre of land for these units. “It’s a way to create a home on an existing lot,” Mathieu said.

            All Planning Board members agreed it is time to take a hard look at zoning and that such a project could take place during the winter months in preparation for the Spring Town Meeting.

            In other business, developer Scott Snow received an exchange for lots held to a $48,000 cash surety for Eldridge Estates off Prospect Road. The cash-surety sum complies with a review of the development by the town’s engineering consultant, Field Engineering.

            Mathieu also brought to the board’s attention that Town Hall’s administration has posted a job opening for town planner. “We don’t need a planner, we need a secretary,” he said. Mathieu said that there was not sufficient business taking place in the town to warrant a planner but that someone in the office to handle the volumes of paperwork is needed. Board Chairman Tom Tucker said he would communicate that to the town administrator.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, October 16, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

            The three members of Marion’s Select Board agreed during their special September 28 public meeting at the Town House that the Hiring Committee delivered three excellent candidates for the job of finance director to be vacated at the end of the calendar year with Judy Mooney’s retirement.

            “Well, I’ve got to say we had three great candidates. I applaud the committee for bringing them to us … doesn’t always happen that way,” said Randy Parker.

            What they all also agreed on was that Heather O’Brien should get the job. O’Brien came out ahead by a tenth of a point in a scoring exercise based on a rubric assigned by Town Administrator Geoff Gorman, but it was her backstory and present circumstance that convinced the members to vote unanimously to offer her the job.

            Following negotiations, O’Brien accepted the job and beginning on Monday, October 16, will enter a transitional period, working alongside Mooney and learning the ropes.

            The other two finalists were Jack MacDonald, vice president of Finance at Mass College of Art and Design, and Tom Valadao, audit manager at Broniec Associates. With the three finalists all coming from the corporate world (O’Brien has been a practice manager at Ernst & Young for 13 years), the Select Board knew this decision was going to be more complex.

            “We had to base it on some other experiences, some other considerations, and I’d say (O’Brien) has far and away more experience. … She’s exhibited focus and … dedicated, putting herself through college (and worked) through high school. I suspect that if we chose her, she’d be around for a while,” said member Norm Hills during a brief deliberation.

            Neither of the other two finalists were nominated at the September 28 meeting.

            Select Board Chairman Toby Burr reviewed the video tapes of the finalists’ interviews held on September 22 and concluded that O’Brien had the most experience.

            “She was the one that had … most job consistency, working for one company for many years. She showed tremendous ambition over the course of her life, to improve her knowledge and her circumstances,” said Burr.

            Likewise, Parker tossed his hat into O’Brien’s ring.

            “It’s a very difficult decision to make, they’re all very well matched, and I think Heather won out by … a tenth of the point. … I like them all, but I like Heather myself. … I think she stands out from the rest,” he said.

            In her finalist’s interview before the Select Board on September 28, O’Brien noted her move to Marion a year and a half ago and said she sees the Marion job as an opportunity to pivot but stay in finance and be part of the community where her family now lives.

            “The corporate world’s the corporate world, I have no complaints about Ernst & Young,” O’Brien told the Select Board.

            While O’Brien has had employees reporting directly to her in the past, her current position is dominated by peers. She told the board she takes a team approach toward management and that “everyone knows they have a seat at the table” and likes to make her coworkers “feel like they don’t have to be afraid to speak their mind.”

            Hills asked O’Brien how her corporate experience would translate to municipal government and how she intends to educate herself regarding state laws and the municipal processes.

            O’Brien said she has worked with corporate leaders and partners at regional and global levels. She has directly supported executive leaders. She also pointed to her management and coaching experience. Her corporate work required accuracy and transparency.

            Relative to law and process, O’Brien said she had spoken with longtime Finance Director Judy Mooney and intends to pursue her certification in Government Accounting.

            “I know Judy would be a resource for approximately three months, so I would leverage her and sit next to her and absorb all her skills and knowledge that I possibly can,” O’Brien said.

            In her region while working for Ernst & Young, O’Brien helped manage approximately $880,000,000 with almost $600,000 in expenses. For FY24, her team had to show 8.4% growth. While there, O’Brien also helped bridge a complex report reckoning with the different laws and practices of global and Americas.

            During the interview, Parker tried to find common ground in O’Brien’s experience with emergency finance work required of the town when facing something like Marion’s recent sewer-main break. He said Mooney had done an excellent job in running a tight ship while maintaining a flexibility to address emergency situations.

            O’Brien said the pandemic helped her better understand the need to back away from work and find balance.

            Having been raised in Brighton (Boston), O’Brien attended Boston Latin High School and had a part-time job working at American Management Association and after spending some time as a full-time student at UMass, she was hired full time by the firm, which offered her tuition reimbursement to continue taking night courses toward her degree. She would graduate from Boston College.

            Invited to ask questions of the board, O’Brien impressed the members with her prepared written questions leading to explanations of town government that could be used as a beginner’s guidebook.

            After taking a unanimous vote during the follow-up meeting on Sept. 28, the board adjourned the public session and went into executive session.

Finance Director Hire

By Mick Colageo