Curbside Compost Collection Information Session

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The Mattapoisett Library hosts an information session with Black Earth Compost on Tuesday, August 9 at 6:00 pm at the library and via Zoom. Representatives from the company will tune in virtually to present information about their initiative in the town. Interested residents can attend in person or virtually.

            Massachusetts food scrap hauler and compost facility manager Black Earth Compost will present the benefits of curbside compost collection, how Mattapoisett can get this started in their town and ways the company can partner with the town to save money. Food scraps make up 30% of the waste stream and can be easily diverted by the town to make a nutrient rich compost safe for use in backyard gardens and local farms. Compost improves ecological and soil health and managing it locally creates a more resilient community. Come learn about their program, ask questions, and get involved.

            For more information about this event, send an email to Jennifer Jones at jjones@sailsinc.org. Registration is necessary to receive the Zoom link. Visit mattapoisettlibrary.org for more details. This information session does not constitute an endorsement of Black Earth Compost; the library is providing a forum for citizens to ask questions about the proposed facility and operations.

The Wanderer Announces 2022 Keel Award Recipients

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            The Wanderer created the Keel Award in 1994 and ever since has recognized a dedicated person in each of the three Tri-Towns whose actions exemplify the spirit of community and volunteerism. Like the keel of the ship that keeps the vessel from sinking, the recipients of the annual Keel Award are recognized for their stalwart efforts in keeping the community on an “even keel.”

            The year 2022 has been an economic rollercoaster, as stimulus packages and heavy competition for a dwindling workforce have given way to skyrocketing prices for just about everything from real estate to the grocery store and the gas pump. It’s amidst tumultuous times that the world relies heavily on volunteers who serve their community.

            We are proud to present to you the 2022 Wanderer Keel Award winners: Merry Conway, Dianne Cosman and Harry Norweb (Marion); Sandy Hering (Mattapoisett); and Mike and Sheila Daniel (Rochester.)

            On a recent vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina, Mike and Sheila Daniel poked their heads into the local Walmart, just to see what sales that store had that their local stores did not have. And so they would jam their personal items into one suitcase, filling the other with the things for others.

            The mission never stops for the Daniels, who dedicate an empty bedroom in their Rochester home to 19 storage totes that organize everything they buy for the purpose of charitable distribution. Mike’s renowned gift baskets are in one section of the room, and the shoebox items are in another section. “That was supposed to be my craft room,” said Mike with a smile. “I have all that I need, and I just want to help those that (don’t.) We’re both very fortunate and blessed.”

            “We both come from big families that really struggled, and we know,” said Sheila, who has lived her entire life in Rochester. She worked 23 years in admissions at Vibra Hospital in New Bedford, where hers was the first face that the families of critical-care patients would see.

            Originally from Acushnet, Mike has been in Rochester 44 years. He spent 41 years working for UPS not as a driver but with people.” In different kinds of ways, you’re always helping people,” said Mike. “We try to do that.”

            In retirement, the couple’s orientation toward recognizing and meeting others’ needs has never waned, only been redirected. The Daniels are not to be found on a committee, their entire energy being applied to grassroots, community service.

            “They don’t like to be in the spotlight. They do so much for the COA, and they’re equally at the (First) Congregational Church,” said COA president Pauline Munroe, who together with her husband Richard nominated the Daniels for the Keel Award. “If we run out of something, there’s a board,” Pauline explained, noting that anyone can post a needed item. The Daniels are known to snare the list and return with the goods. “They do this for nothing,” she said.

            Having been retired for eight years, Mike has brought his experience with Wareham-based Damien’s Pantry to the Rochester Council on Aging and to the First Congregational Church, where he and Sheila serve as sextons. Where they see a need, they meet it with as little red tape as possible.

            The Daniels’ tradition of filling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a worldwide mission organized by Samaritan’s Purse and Franklin Graham (son of late evangelist Billy Graham), will spread this year as an activity for Rochester seniors. “They get sent out all over the world to kids in orphanages. Kids that don’t know anything about Christmas or never received a gift, we’re involved in that,” said Mike. “We get the Scouts to help us every year, the (Plumb) Library helps us.” Last year, the Daniels filled 388 shoeboxes at the church. They have made trips to Charlotte, North Carolina, to help the mission’s headquarters sort through boxes and get them ready for shipping.

            Focused locally, Sheila says Rochester residents are taking to the project. “Women here, especially, they’ll give items,” she said. “If they haven’t crocheted something, they’ll see something somewhere … she’ll come and say, ‘I saw school supplies really low (priced).’ … Now we’ve got people coming for breakfast every day (at the COA.) They’re giving us bags of things too. … With the seniors, it’s grown.”

            One of the most challenging tasks chairing a volunteer committee is tapping into the talent on the committee itself, and Sandy Hering has done so with aplomb. Hering’s leadership skills are evident in her ability to mobilize volunteer efforts. The Mattapoisett Tree Committee has stepped to the forefront, and the fear of losing the majority of the shade trees that still exist along Water Street and other village streets is a major concern.

            “This award is a great recognition of the Tree Planting Committee’s work,” said Hering. “The committee is a group of highly committed individuals who bring diverse skills to our mission. Jodi Bauer, Wendy Copps, Michael Immel, Susan Perkins, Barbara Poznysz, Nancy Souza, Dianne Tsitsos, Ed Walsh and recently retired Ann Briggs are the members that share the Keel Award with me, as we work to make Mattapoisett a better place to live both now and for future generations.”

            Recently, Hering coordinated a 15-slide presentation presented to the Select Board regarding the Village Streets project emphasizing the importance of being involved in the design and decisions of where trees are going to go, buttressed by expert commentary from within the committee.

            The Mattapoisett Tree Committee, charged with the responsibility of working with Tree Warden Roland Cote on the overall health of the public-shade trees, assessing them and helping Cote assess those that may need to be removed and/or replanted elsewhere.

            Facing the town’s giant Village Streets renovation project that will be vetted and enacted over the next few years, the Tree Committee aims for a significant role in determining what shade trees must be sacrificed for the project, which ones they should fight to save, all the while protecting the new trees to maintain the canopy.

            Cognizant of a shade-tree canopy, conserving energy and cooling down the local climate, the Tree Committee is also responsible for the tree canopy on scenic roadways, of which several important ones exist in Mattapoisett. Have worked with homeowners who have needed to remediate tree removal and having acted as advisors to vetting boards, the Tree Committee is mindful that on scenic roadways not all trees are on the public easement as some are situated on private property. Thanks in part to Hering’s leadership, the committee is stalwart in its determination to have a say in the long-range future of Mattapoisett as a shaded community.

            “We have been overlooked many times. We are persistent. Right now we have the most dynamic committee we have had since I joined (in 2007)” said Hering. “I am incredibly impressed with the volunteerism of the entire group and the commitment to making our community a better place for future generations.”

            Mattapoisett is a member of Tree City USA, and the “Be a Cool Community, Plant Trees” contest for fifth-grade students celebrating Arbor Day, conducted in art classes and sponsored by the local Recreation Department, and the Massachusetts Division of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), has grown immensely. Hering sees it as a reflection of an emerging interest among children in their environment. The Tree Committee is ever cognizant of the significance of next-generation awareness.

The local winner, Paige Mallioux, finished in third place in the state, and Hering proudly reported that Paige and her parents were invited to the DCR-sponsored award ceremony.

            “The poster contest is a bright light because we had the best participation,” said Hering. “Jodi Bauer spearheaded the committee this year. It got 30 entries; normally we get about six. I was very inspired by all the participants of the poster contest, and they did a fabulous job.”

            Merry Conway, Dianne Cosman and Harry Norweb are the Marion recipients of the 2022 Keel Award, but they consider themselves a “team within a team,” having come from different directions with a common interest to help form what has amounted to an ad-hoc committee opportunistically assembled by Town Administrator Jay McGrail and literally labeled the Cushing Community Center Working Group. It includes Nancy Braitmayer, Jody Dickerson of the DPW and town Facilities Manager Shaun Cormier.

            The group’s work at the Community Center has become more than evident, as a shiny new $200,000 pavilion is clearly visible from Route 6. It is only the latest step in creating a community park, as fencing and benches are fully funded, on order and planned for the fall.

            Norweb, the former chairman of the now-disbanded Council on Aging Board, chairs the Working Group. “When we dissolved it, before I even took two steps, Jay grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and said, ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ He literally constituted the Working Group at the moment in time that the dissolution occurred.”

            In some ways, Norweb appreciates being away from all the requirements of an official board or committee, able to focus on the task and how to get there rather than how to clear bureaucratic hurdles. “You can be a lot more nimble,” he said, noting how the funding came together on the basis of private donations and the Community Preservation Act funding as administered by the Marion Community Preservation Committee. “Their insightful questions helped us deliver a better product,” said Norweb.

            Conway, president of the Friends of Marion Council on Aging, played a key role in fundraising for the $39,000 walking path that preceded the pavilion and the pavilion itself.

            “We do all the legwork,” she said of the Working Group, a multilayered assemblage, starting with the immediate past commander of the VFW Post 2425 at the core of the collaboration that began with its generous donation of the Community Center.

            Outside the group but respected as a member by those within is Karst Hoogeboom, who developed a “deep, master plan” for landscaping the park outside the Community Center. Hoogeboom was the senior landscape architect for Boston’s Big Dig and facilities manager for the Cape Cod National Seashore. “He volunteered all of his time and gave us elaborate plans, highly professional plans,” said Cosman.

            While thanking McGrail for creating a positive working environment, FMCOA treasurer Phyllis Partridge for her detailed management, DPW members and Marion Facilities Manager Shaun Cormier and his team for guidance and hands-on involvement, Randy Parker for donating his time to wire the pavilion for lights, fans and outlets, Forte Landscaping for donating a “landing pad” so that visitors with mobility challenges can safely access the pavilion via valet drop-off and Karen Alves of Design Principles for creating a signature logo for the Community Center, the Working Group will not rest.

            The focus now shifts to a “living fence,” a 4-foot-high, $25,000 group of plantings to shield the park from the noise of tires on Route 6. Ongoing expansion includes the possibility of bocce and pickleball courts, exercise stations and a children’s playground.

            When finished, Cosman emphasized, the Community Center will not be limited to seniors programs but live up to its name.

By Mick Colageo

Local Effort to Erase Narcan’s Stigma

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            Narcan is a name that many people recognize. Anyone working in a medical field is likely to be intimately familiar. It is a brand name of the FDA-approved drug Naloxone, an “opioid antagonist” that works to quickly and safely reverse an overdose, though it does not work on other types of drugs such as methamphetamines or cocaine.

            Although widely regarded in the medical field as a miraculously life-saving drug, it carries with it a heavy stigma, like most things related to opioids and substance-use disorder. Front-line workers and activists have been doing their best to dispel the cloud of misinformation and taboo that surrounds Narcan, including Tri-Town residents like Sienna Wurl and those professionally involved like Plymouth County Outreach certified recovery coach Haley Kennedy.

            “The lie, ‘not in my backyard,’ is dead,” Kennedy stated. “Substance use occurs in every community, in all kinds of families, with all kinds of individuals of various backgrounds.”

            Kennedy and Wurl spent four hours at the Mattapoisett Police Station on July 29, distributing Narcan and educating the public through conversation. “I really believe everybody should carry it. It should be part of a standard first-aid kit at this point,” Kennedy stated.

            The prevailing portrait of an opioid user is not a flattering one. It conjures images of illegally bought street drugs, organized crime and violence. But that picture is at best incomplete and overwhelmingly inaccurate.

            “The disease of addiction doesn’t discriminate,” said Kennedy, adding that accidents can happen anywhere to anyone, be it a stranger in a parking lot or a child who got into their grandparent’s pain medication. She emphasized that Narcan saves lives.

            Wurl, a pharmacy student in her final year, was quick to agree.

            “I’ve lived in Mattapoisett my whole life. I think that it’s time that we have this conversation just because we don’t want to have it, and (we want to) turn a blind eye doesn’t mean that people we know and we love aren’t silently struggling,” she said.

            While there are numerous contributing factors, overdosing is a potential side effect of any opioid, explained Wurl, regardless of where it was obtained or an individual’s history of use. It is for this reason that Narcan is often provided to those prescribed opioids, even if only for short-term use.

            There are multiple FDA-approved types of Naloxone detailed on the FDA’s website, including those administered via injection like the lesser-known brand ZIMHI, and nasal spray, the form that Narcan comes in, as well as Kloxxado and generic Naloxone.

            “Narcan should be seen as a fire extinguisher,” Wurl said. “You have one in your house, and in your kitchen, just in case something happens. That doesn’t mean that you are necessarily going to use it, and you hope that you never do. But if you did have a fire in your kitchen, you’d be really, really happy that you have that extinguisher there.”

            “It saves people. People. Not addicts, not all those other derogatory terms. It just saves lives,” Kennedy said.

            The Good Samaritan law in Massachusetts protects those helping in the event of a suspected or actual drug overdose. Passed in 2012, it ensures that both the bystander calling for help and the individual experiencing an overdose are immune from arrest or legal prosecution. There are a few exceptions, including gross negligence and, as Kennedy phrased them, “the three W’s: warrants, weapons and weight.”

            This means that if the individual has active warrants, illegal weapons, or possesses a quantity of drugs above a certain weight, enough to be classified by law enforcement as potential for “trafficking” rather than just personal use, the individual can be arrested and charged. The administration of Narcan comes with no such caveats.

            “Narcan itself does not cause addiction. It will not have any side effects on someone who has not overdosed,” Wurl clarified. “So if you don’t have any opioids in your system, you’re not going to experience any side effects from the medication. So even if you see someone who has passed out, you don’t know what happened to them, administering Narcan is not going to hurt them. It would only help them if they do happen to be overdosing.”

            Narcan is not the final step in responding to an overdose. The person still needs to seek medical treatment, as Narcan’s effects are temporary and might not outlast the opioids in their system. Several applications of Narcan, alongside other medical treatment, might be needed. Much like CPR or the EpiPen, Narcan is an emergency measure that helps stabilize someone for long enough to get them help.

            “Narcan is a life-saving tool that allows people to live for long enough to seek support, treatment (and) recovery,” Kennedy explained. “No one who uses needs a ‘free pass.’ (They) do not need ‘permission.’ It’s just a fabricated idea. (Overdoses) are going to happen regardless. So having these tools for safety and to help support people until they’re able to find whatever their recovery looks like is the goal.”

            Narcan is part of an approach called “harm reduction,” which groups, including Plymouth County Outreach employ. The National Harm Reduction Coalition’s website describes some aspects of harm reduction, such as group-therapy programs, needle exchanges and supervised-use sites and associated hotlines, so individuals do not resort to using alone and increasing the risk of a potentially lethal overdose.

            “Someone who has overdosed can’t ‘Narcan’ themselves,” Kennedy stated.

            Regardless of personal feelings about drug use, it is a part of the world we live in and a complex issue with no easy answer. Even the matter of scary-sounding Fentanyl isn’t black and white; the Mayo Clinic notes that Fentanyl is used to provide fast and effective pain relief in hospital settings, oftentimes before or after surgery. The problem arises when unregulated Fentanyl is distributed on the street, used to “cut” other drugs like cocaine or pressed into pills and sold as pharmacy-crafted products.

Kennedy noted that Narcan itself reacts differently to Fentanyl than other opioids. It will effectively reverse the overdose, but the lifespan is shorter when acting on Fentanyl than it is with other opioids. Still, Narcan saves lives.

            “Even expired Narcan is better than no Narcan,” Kennedy stressed.

            When faced with potential naysayers or community members whom would rather this all be left undiscussed, Wurl had a passionate rebuttal.

            “No one chooses to struggle with substance-use disorder. It’s a disease just like anything else,” said Wurl. “No one wants to have high blood pressure, but it happens to people. So it is better to have the medication there and with you in order to save somebody else’s life. Because unfortunately, a lot of times the resources are not available to those struggling with substance-use disorder.

            “Stigma is a huge barrier as well as shame and guilt, and if we continue to let the way that we perceive the world impede healthcare for those that need it, we’re never going to allow people to recover. And by continuing to believe that things can’t happen to us, can’t happen to our loved ones, can’t happen in our community, we’re just further impeding care for those people.”

            Both Wurl and Kennedy repeatedly underscored the importance of education when dealing with the topic of drug use. Events like these and groups like Plymouth County Outreach, as well as the National Harm Reduction Coalition offer a number of opportunities for anyone of any background to learn more about the reality of substance use and how best to help, whether that be a heartfelt conversation with a loved one, a few hours volunteering at any number of harm reduction events, or simply picking up a box of free Narcan to keep with you for emergency use.

            “I think educating yourself is the first step. In order to be empathetic, be a resource for others, you have to go into it with an open mind … and understand the world in a way that’s different than you might expect,” Wurl said. “I want my town to be a place where people are able to seek help if they need it, and I don’t want stigma to get in the way of that.”

By Jack MC Staier

Associates Needed in 2022

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The lone news from the Rochester Conservation Commission’s August 2 meeting was this: The commission has now lost two associate members this summer and needs them replaced.

            Commission Chairman Christopher Gerrior, remotely participating as a regular member via Zoom, announced that Lena Bourque recently told him she is not renewing her associate membership on the commission. In late June, associate member Maggie Payne also resigned.

            That means the commission now needs two new associate members, acting chair Ben Bailey said. Gerrior said the commission needs to spread the word that it needs interested applicants to contact them.

            Bailey elaborated on what anyone applying for a Conservation Commission seat should know. An associate member sits in meetings and may participate in all hearings and discussions, but he or she does not vote, Bailey noted.

            He quickly added, however, that associate membership is a productive way to familiarize oneself with the workings of the commission, and it increases the possibility he or she will be considered for full membership.

            Bailey said anyone interested in applying should contact Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly or board administrator Dawn DeMaggio at 508-763-5421 extension 206 or 207.

            The Conservation Commission further discussed the enforcement order against 89 Box Turtle Drive but with not much news to add. Bailey said that town counsel has received no further contact from the Box Turtle Drive owner, but the commission did receive a file with two new photos of the property: a drone picture and another from Google Earth.

            “It’s in the hands of the attorneys now,” Bailey said.

            In the meantime, the commission will continue issuing “tickets,” fining the property owner for wetland-code violations, which involve working closer than 25 feet from wetlands without a permit. The enforcement order had asked the property owner to file a restoration plan with erosion and sedimentation controls by August 2.

            The Conservation Commission’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 16, at 7:00 pm at Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Michael J. DeCicco

Keep Cool at the Mattapoisett Library

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Stop in for a program or find a cool spot to read. We have lots of events going on for children and teens as the summer reading adventure, Read Beyond the Beaten Path, wraps up.

            Craft Tuesday crafts include Popsicle stick frogs on August 9 and Friendship bracelets on August 16. Stop by to make one or both of these simple crafts before the summer ends.

            The Teen Advisory Board meets at 4 pm on Tuesday, August 9. New members are always welcome. Have a voice in what the library offers to teens.

            Teens are also invited to make upcycled wind chimes on Wednesday, August 10, 2 pm using recycled materials like CDs, jewelry and fishing line. No registration is required.

            The Friends of the Mattapoisett Library meets at 6 pm on Wednesday, August 10. New members are welcome to join and learn more about the many ways the Friends support the library.

            Children and their caregivers are invited to Storytots on Thursday, August 11 at 10:30 am for the last session of the summer season. Storytots will return after a break in the fall.

            At 3 pm on Thursday, August 11, the next round of Candy Bar Bingo will be played. Registration is necessary to participate; children ages 8 to 12 can compete to win chocolate.

            Outdoor Story Time happens on Friday, August 12 at 10:30 am, weather permitting. Check online on Facebook or our website that morning for any cancellations.

            Children ages 5 years and up are invited to join us on the lawn for Puffy Paint Ice Cream Cones on Saturday, August 13 at 11:00 am.

            Join the Genealogy Roundtable on Wednesday, August 17 at 6:30 pm to swap tips and tricks with other fellow genealogy enthusiasts. No registration is necessary.

            Swing by on Thursday, August 18 at 10:30 am for an end-of-the-summer extravaganza with kid favorite Toe Jam Puppet Band. Bring a blanket and join us on the front lawn for stories, music and more.

            End the summer with nature explorations presented by Hands on Nature on Friday, August 19 at 3:00 pm. Join us as we discover what brings the summer night sounds alive. Registration is required.

            For more information about these programs, send an email to Jennifer Jones at jjones@sailsinc.org. Registration is necessary for some of these events. Visit mattapoisettlibrary.org for more details.

Mattapoisett Community Tennis Association

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The Mattapoisett Community Tennis Association held its annual tennis doubles tournament this past Friday, July 30 at Old Rochester Regional High School.

            At the tournament, an award was presented to retiring president Wayne Miller for more than 15 years of meritorious service to MCTA by recently elected president, Ellen Foss. An exciting six set mixed round robin doubles tournament followed. Participants came from not only Mattapoisett but many surrounding towns such as Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Marion, New Bedford and Wareham. The results of the Tournament are as follows:

First Place: Mike Hickey, 16 wins

Second Place: Dave Mello, 15 wins

Third/Fourth Place: Chris Barnes and Kim Celi, 14 wins

Fifth Place: Emily Marvin, 13 wins

Academic Achievements

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The following local residents were named to Clark University’s Spring 2022 Dean’s List:

-Maeve B. McEnroe of Marion was named to first honors.

-Josh William Canning of Marion was named to second honors.

-Bernave M. Twyman of Mattapoisett was named to first honors.

            Students must have a GPA of 3.8 or above for first honors or a GPA between 3.50 and 3.79 for second honors.

Eagle Scout About to Land

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Oakley Campbell is helping fund life-saving stations in two locations, and he is using an Eagle Scout project to do so.

            Campbell, who will turn 16 this month, is memorializing his late grandmother “Queen Doreen” Saint Don’s rabid support of his scouting life by selling her jewelry to raise money that could save lives at Silvershell Beach and at other Marion swimming areas. Doreen Saint Don passed away on March 10 after a battle with cancer.

            “She left most of this to me, and we decided on a sea theme because it’s Massachusetts and near Cape Cod,” said Campbell of Sunday’s yard sale, part of an event held by the First Congregational Church of Marion. He figures he earned close to $300. He will do it again during a September fair at the Acushnet Grange.

            A life-saving station is essentially a kit that could come in handy should there be an emergency when no lifeguard is present. Campbell’s focus is mainly on Silvershell Beach and any wharfs in town that would lack such a kit. Altogether, he reports, equipping Marion’s beach areas with life-saving stations will approximate $4,000 in total cost and another $200 to “cement them down.”

            “It’s good to have them there, make sure no one gets hurt,” he said. “I know after 4:00 pm when the lifeguards are off, a lot of people go swimming so it’s going to be really helpful.”

            With 11 years of scouting under his belt, the rising junior at Upper Cape Tech is in the final stages of his pursuit of Eagle rank. He also still needs to earn a couple of merit badges, a routine exercise by comparison.

            Scouting dominated Campbell’s life when he was younger, but he has cut back to weekly involvement as his focus increases on a career in the automotive field. With two years of high school remaining, he has already picked the University of Northern Ohio for its NASCAR, diesel and other automotive-specific programs.

            Campbell doesn’t have a dream job in mind at this point. He is old school and prefers older cars that can be maintained by their operators.

            “They’re easier to work with, a lot easier,” he said.

By Mick Colageo

New Commissioner Will Enforce Bylaws

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The July 28 meeting of the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals started with an introduction to the new Building Commissioner, Carl Bizarro, and some good news.

            The good news was that the new commissioner is on the same page as the board on handling zoning enforcement.

            Board member Richard Cutler asked Bizarro how he will approach his job. Bizzaro answered he will be very strict when it comes to following town bylaws. “The zoning rules,” he said, “those are my guidelines.”

            Cutler then asked how he will act when someone isn’t following the rules. Bizarro indicated leniency would not be his specialty. “There are procedures to follow,” he said. “I will follow them. Your bylaws are explicit. Building codes are to be enforced. You can always let me know when something needs to be done. I will follow your guidelines.”

            The board next turned to the matter of replacing recently retired, long-time member Kirby Gilmore. Board Chairman David Arancio noted three applicants have expressed interest in filling Gilmore’s seat and suggested a letter be sent to the Select Board seeking its recommendation.

            He noted the board’s two associate members, Donald Spirlet who was present and Jeffrey Costa who was not present, are also interested in filling the seat. The board ultimately decided to table further discussion until a full board is present.

            Lastly, the zoning panel’s four members present approved variances to allow Lawrence and Edie Oliveira to build a 14×14-foot accessory structure 22 feet from the side property line and within the front-yard area at 167 Cushman Road.

            Arancio asked why what Edie Oliveira called a “she shed” could not be built in the back yard. The Oliveiras swayed the board into approving the variances after noting the back yard features topographical problems including soft spaces and a steep embankment.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals will be held on Thursday, August 11, at 6:30 pm.

Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals

By Michael J. DeCicco

Onset Chalk-Full-O-Fun Festival

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            The 8th annual Onset Chalk-Full-O-Fun Festival will take place on Saturday, August 20. (The rain date is the very next day) from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on the concrete sidewalk squares around Onset Pier (184 Onset Ave.) and the adjacent Onset Bay Center. This event is cohosted by Onset Bay Association and the Buzzard Bay Coalition’s Onset Bay Center. The 2022 theme is “Our Planet Earth.” This year’s “Feature Artist” will be Amanda Sellars who has won awards at prior events for her outstanding art work.  For a registration fee of $5, artists of all ages and abilities will receive a 36-count box of chalk and can create a design on the pavement. Tables with chalkboards are available for those with limited mobility. Festival goers can vote for their favorite artist. The artist with the most votes will win the “People’s Choice” cash prize.

            At the same time, there will be an artisan craft fair set up on the bluffs of Bay View Park that rises above the beach next to the Onset Bay Center. Items sold by vendors are handcrafted. A number of environmental Organizations will also be set up in the park and will offer information about what they do. From noon to 3:00 pm, Dave Richardson and Jan Schmidt will be at the park gazebo to entertain us with their music. Also from noon to 3:00, Dianne Enzian will offer a children’s art activity in the second level of the Onset Bay Center (enter from the park side doors.)