Eel Pond Sewer Line Project Given Green Light

It has been a very long time in coming, but now emerging and advancing forward after years of planning is the repair and upgrades of the Eel Pond Sewer line. In attendance at the June 27 meeting of the Mattapoisett’s Conservation Commission were Mattapoisett’s Water and Sewer Department Superintendent Henri Renauld and from the town’s engineering consultants, Tighe and Bond, Jessica Roberts.

            Roberts gave a nearly one-hour presentation, the Notice of Intent including a brief history of the sewer-line location and concerns that future storms might rupture the sewer line with catastrophic results not only for the town but for the surrounding communities along Buzzards Bay.

            Among the details shared by Roberts, 1,500 linear feet of sewer line will be replaced in parallel, expanding to the existing main but at a greater depth. Directional boring, which was successfully used in the beach community Pease’s Point several years ago, would again be employed to minimize site impact to jurisdictional wetlands.

            Renauld said that 1,340 feet of the existing sewer line would be cleaned and left in place. He said that this project has been flagged by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. CZM’s stated mission is to “…balance human activity with the protection of coastal and marine resources.”

Renauld stated that early this year CZM funded the final plan now being discussed.

            Roberts said that environmental impacts to surrounding wetlands that include marsh areas would be exclusively at the entrance and exit areas used for the drilling equipment. Remediation of those areas was also included in the plan.

            There will be no lack of oversight on this project. Involved or to be involved were listed: MESA (Massachusetts Endangered Species Act); NHESP (Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program); MEPA (Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act); Army Corp of Engineers; and 401 Water Quality Certification (Massachusetts 314 CMR:9 401 for permitting of dredging projects) as well as CZM and Massachusetts Historical Commission.

            Not to be forgotten is Mattapoisett’s Conservation Commission, which will be responsible for jurisdictional areas defined in the Massachusetts Wetland’s Protection Act by way of written construction conditions. Contingency plans were also discussed.

            After the commission asked questions of the engineering team and Renauld, Chairman Mike King asked for public comments of which there were none. The public hearing was closed. King asked for a two-week continuance to give the commission time to prepare an Order of Conditions. Renauld will return on July 11.

            In other business, a Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Dennis Arsenault for certification that there are no jurisdictional areas on property located at 0 Brandt Island Road received a negative determination. Also receiving a negative determination for a similar request was Jacinto Mendes for 0 Dupont Drive. A RDA filed by Michael and Virginia Morhardt for 10 West Silver Shell Avenue for improvements under a raised residence received a negative determination as well.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, July 11, at 6:30 pm.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

New Sounds of Silents

The Mattapoisett Museum invites you to a unique outdoor New Sounds of Silents on July 8 at 8:00 pm. Southcoast Lessons’ students and staff will be playing newly composed music to a classic silent film. Bring your favorite chair or blanket for an evening of outdoor family fun. In case of inclement weather, the movie will be held inside the museum. No registration is required, free.

Academic Achievements

Rochester resident, Hannah Nadeau, has been named to Husson University’s President’s List for the Spring 2022 semester. During the spring semester, Nadeau was enrolled in Husson’s Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Studies/Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program.

            Bryant University is pleased to recognize Aiden Woods, class of 2024, of Marion; Raegan Rapoza, class of 2025, of Marion; Margaret Adams, class of 2023, of Mattapoisett; Alexandra Fluegel, class of 2023, of Mattapoisett and Sydney Mendonca, class of 2024, of Mattapoisett who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to academic excellence and achievement and been named to the Dean’s List.

            Bryant University is pleased to recognize Alexandra Fluegel, Class of 2023, of Mattapoisett, who has been named to the spring 2022 President’s List who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to academic excellence and achievement.

            Madison R. LaCasse, daughter of Michelle and Richard LaCasse of Mattapoisett, received a B.A. in psychology from Williams College at the college’s 233rd Commencement exercises on Sunday, June 5.

Town Considers Food Waste to Compost

            On June 23, the Mattapoisett Board of Health met with representatives from a company whose business model is the production of compost from food waste. The operation and processes used to create useable compost products were described by Andrew Brousseau and Tom LeClair of Black Earth Compost, founded in 2011 in the City of Gloucester.

            Brousseau said that the collection of residential waste, which constitutes about 20 percent of the total volume that goes into landfills or is incinerated is handled on a subscription basis. He said that host cities and towns benefit from having food waste gathered by his company because residents would then be able to receive free compost and discount collection pricing.

Mattapoisett Health Agent Gail Joseph also noted that by taking food waste out of the solid waste stream, solid-waste collection costs would ultimately be lowered in correlation to lowered tonnage.

            Brousseau said that in 2011 the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection began to limit the amount of food waste that communities were allowed to collect and dispose of either by placement in a landfill or by incineration. He said that by 2030 more restrictions are planned with the goal of trying to eliminate nearly all food waste from the solid-waste stream.

            The Black Earth team explained how food scraps are collected for a small weekly fee to subscribers using Black Earth receptacles with instructions on how to maintain sanitary conditions and control odors, street-side receptacle collection, followed by placement of collected food waste into the composting sheds.

            Brousseau said that host communities will need to dedicate at least five acres of land for food-waste processing. Joseph said that it is yet to be determined if Black Earth would rent the needed acreage from the town’s transfer station property. In fact, Joseph said that although planning now for future DEP restrictions is important, her June 23 meeting with Black Earth representatives was part of a fact-finding mission.

            LeClair said that currently Oxford, Groton and Manchester-By-The-Sea are Black Earth member communities and that the company has been looking to establish processing facilities on the mainland side of the Cape Cod Canal. He also stated that host-community residential members could pay as little as $2 per week, while non-host communities’ residential members would pay $4 per week, making the case that by being a host community, residents would access free compost and lower processing fees.

            Board of Health Chairman Carmelo Nicolosi questioned the number of trucks per week that might be using North Street, a scenic roadway in a residential area, to reach the transfer station if the town decided to host a plant. He cautioned that residents would be displeased by increased truck traffic in the neighborhood.

Brousseau stated that possibly 10 trucks per week would bring food waste from community members and members in other membership communities, saying traffic would be monitored and complaints addressed immediately.

            Black Earth representatives also said that residents in a host community could dispose of as much brush and leaves as they wished at no cost, as these materials would be needed for the production of quality compost. Landscape companies, however, would not be allowed to participate. Brousseau said that to begin the process Black Earth would need at least 100 preregistered households.

            Nicolosi emphasized that nothing can be or would be done without the consent and approval of the residents and the Select Board. The Board of Health does not have the capacity to incur debt or spend monies without the express approval of the Select Board, he said. Nicolosi added that the transfer station is utilized by a number of other town departments and is planned to host a municipal solar array in the coming months, thus it is unclear if there will be space for a composting operation.

            At Nicolosi’s suggestion, a public site visit will take place on Thursday, June 30, at 10:00 am with Black Earth representatives and any members of the community wishing to participate in further discussions. Member Michelle Bernier thought community engagement would be needed to gauge residents’ level of interest.

            Joseph reiterated in a follow-up that now is the time for the town to educate itself on the topic of food waste recycling in advance of any statewide mandates. “We’ve already removed mattresses and clothing from the waste stream; this will be the next step, but we aren’t doing anything until everything has been studied and approved. It will take time,” she said.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Health in scheduled for Thursday, June 30, at 10:00 am at the transfer station at the end of Tinkham Hill Road off North Street.

Mattapoisett Board of Health

By Marilou Newell

Mattapoisett 5 Miler Ready for 50th Running

You don’t have to have a particularly keen eye to notice the simple stone pillar by the side of the road on Water Street. Affixed to the top is a plaque that reads: “Starting Line. In memory of the race founder Robert ‘Bob’ Gardner.”

            On July 4, 1971, a group of 15 boys and men gathered at Point Connett. Maurice “Mudgy” Tavares, then a janitor at Old Rochester Regional, had volunteered the use of a cannon he owned to kick off the first annual Mattapoisett Road Race.

Three volunteers with stopwatches waited at the wharf at the end of the Town Beach, straining their ears.           Then, a distant boom. The timers were started and the runners were off. Richard Reilly, a resident of Mattapoisett, claimed first place that day, but the true victory was found in the race itself, though at that point, no one knew just how far it would go.

            Everything in between that day and the 50th running of the 5-mile race (delayed two years by the COVID-19 pandemic but scheduled for Monday, July 4, at 9:00 am at Church and Barstow Streets) is a rich history of volunteerism tracing back to the inaugural event.

            In 1972, girls were allowed to participate, correcting the previous error and allowing for exponential growth in participation and popularity. Additional award categories were added over time, including one for women over age 25.

            Before long, the race had become a town tradition. It even got its own merchandise: T-shirts were being made by a group of dedicated volunteers, a different color every year, eventually turning them into a visual timeline for the race’s illustrious history.

            Caty Fuerman, a Mattapoisett resident and one of the many talented individuals that help produce the T-shirts, walked through the design process, noting the importance of things like color choice and fabric. Too dark and the runners risk heatstroke. Fuerman wryly recalled a year the T-shirts were black, stating that almost no one had worn them, and those that did had ended the race drenched in sweat. Even the thickness of the printed design is considered in order to reduce chafing.

            Fuerman is not the only resident helping out. The race has truly become a town-wide event with town-wide participation. Whether it’s the Mattapoisett Fire Department making sure there aren’t too many stragglers, those manning water stations or the volunteers directing traffic and guarding cones to make sure the runners are moving in the right direction, there is truly an endless stream of people making sure the race goes off without a hitch.

            Of course, the stars of the show are the runners themselves. From the original 15, the race has expanded to well over a thousand participants, all willing to show up to Shipyard Park at 9:00 am, stretched and sun-screened and undertake a 5-mile run in the midmorning heat.

            It’s not just for fun or bragging rights either. Funds from the race are used for scholarships, given to senior athletes graduating from Old Rochester Regional High School. As of 2022, over $150,000 has been raised for those setting off on the marathon journey that is college.

            Danny White took over organizing the race from Bob Gardner in 1998, before passing the torch on to Bill Tilden in 2010, though White remains an active participant and helps in any way he can.

White’s ongoing volunteerism included figuring out alternative formats for the race in the past two years.          In 2020, rather than call it off entirely, the Mattapoisett Road Race was a virtual event. Competitors ran it wherever they wanted to and sent in their times. White’s own daughter, a resident of Seattle, ran 5 miles and received a T-shirt without setting foot outside of Washington. The 2021 race took the form of a paired down 5k.

            This year, the five miler is back, not exactly in its original form, as the route has changed since 1971, but in all its original glory.

            In honor of the return and the 50th running, this year‘s T-shirts have been given extra attention. Not only are they tie-dyed, for the first time ever, their unique design comes with an added challenge. Amongst the lighthouse, waves and fireworks are hidden initials, much like The Wanderer’s hidden aardvark. There is a hint to their existence at the bottom left of the image: a small “BG~5”, “BG” meaning Bob Gardner, the race’s founder, and “5” letting you know how many there are to find.

            When speaking to residents of Mattapoisett about 4th of July celebrations before the race’s inception, they think long and hard before shrugging or shaking their heads. Families have celebrated Independence Day in their own ways for as long as it’s been a holiday, but town-wide celebrations on the 4th were lacking until the road race stepped up to the starting line.

            Generations of Mattapoisett residents take part, whether it’s the latest batch of high school athletes being cheered on by their grandparents, or cone-monitoring families that have passed down their duty from parent to child.

            Gardner passed away in 2018. A group of volunteers with the race dedicated the plaque to him in 2020, marking the start and finish line of the race in Shipyard Park. Those looking to participate in the 2022 race can register online at mattapoisettroadrace.com until July 2. Online registration costs $25. There will be additional opportunity to sign up in person (for $35, cash or check only) on July 3 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm and on the morning of the race at 7:30 am.

By Jack MC Staier

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

            As I write this article, I’m mulling over plans for the 4th of July. I’m sure they will include a cookout and maybe a parade or fireworks. Looking through some of the papers at our museum, I came across a copy of a program of sorts for the 10th Anniversary of Independence. As much as possible, I am going to quote from this paper. It is titled  Anniversary of Independence Rochester July 4th, 1793 and it reads,” This being the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States, the morning was ushered in by a discharge of cannons; at ten o’clock the first company of militia in this town, commanded by Capt. Sturtevant paraded, where after giving this military exercise was a discharge of fifteen cannons announcing to the fifteen free and sovereign and confederated states of America: after which the officers of said company were met by a number of patriotic gentlemen from this and the neighboring town, at Major Ruggles tavern, where after an elegant repast the following toasts were drank.

            This is followed by a list of the 15 toasts that were consumed:

” first. to the United States of America, may their independence be as lasting as time.

 2d. The President: Long live the hero

 3d. The Legislature of the Union may its deliberations be for the public good

4th. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts may her fishery, commerce and agriculture ever flourish

5th. The Governor, may immortal honour be the reward of his exertions in establishing Independence

6th. The Lieut. Governor, may peace and tranquility attend him through his declining years

7th. The patriots and heroes of seventy-six may the same patriot zeal animate our breath which warmed them

8th. The Officers and Soldiers of the Day, may their promises of liberty and equality never sleep

9th. The Frontier, may they be preserved from the depredations of savage bastion

10th. The Republic of France, as she has catched the spark of Liberty from America, may its flame never be extinguished.

11th. The Marquis de Lafayette, may the day soon arrive when he shall again breathe the air of freedom

12th. May strict neutrality be preserved between these states and the Belligerent powers

13th. May Liberty run parallel with time

14th. The State of Vermont

15th. The State of Kentucky

            My spell check was having issues with colonial spelling and grammar, but I tried to stay true to the text. An interesting thing about history is that the more you know, the more you want to know. I will have to look up both the governor and his lieutenant. I’m also curious about the reasons for the toasts to Vermont and Kentucky.

            The bottom of the document gives a list of names, which I believe is a list of those who attended. It’s obvious that some signatures were hard to decipher.

            “Thomas Sturtevant, James Sproat, Abraham Holmes, Nat Ruggles, Abner Hous, Cyrus Keith, Thos. Bennett, Thomas Sproat,  Joseph Clark, James Washburn, John Smith, Col. Williams, …Kingsley, Jacob Bennett, Nat Wilbur, …Wilbur, Wilks Wood, Hezech(?) Tinkham,….Tinkham, Edward Sparrow, D…Smith, Nehemiah Bennett, Josiah Bisbee, Philip Crapo, Nat Morton, John Fuller, Thos. Spooner, David Forbes, John Keith, I Perkins, friend Sturtevant. Lt. Soule, David Clark, Abiel Washburn, …Kingman, e. Hammond, Francis Hiller, Lot Luce. C. Blank, J. Luce, A. White”

            I hope all of our holiday activities include a moment or two to reflect on the amazing creation of our nation and our good fortune to be a part of it.

            I have a correction to a previous article: William Watling was born in 1917 not 1918.

By Connie Eshbach

St. Philip’s Church

Sunday, July 3, The Rev. Philip C. Jacobs III, Retired Rector, Trinity Church, Canton will conduct services at St. Philip’s Church, 34 Water Street, Mattapoisett. The Book of Common Prayer will be used at 8:00 am and 10:00 am services. All are welcome!

Falmouth Academy Head of School

Falmouth Academy has announced its Head of School List for academic achievement in the third trimester of the 2021-22 school year. Students named to the list have earned at least three A’s and no grade below B-minus;

            Mattapoisett

Giumetti, Benjamin 2023, Don and Shannon Giumetti

Richardson, Daicey 2026 Elizabeth and Thomas Richardson

            Marion

Sudofsky, Natalia (Tasha) 2022, Michael and Kate Sudofsky

            Rochester

Muldoon, Eva 2025, Asta and Chris Muldoon

Dubreuil, William 2026, Jason and Heidi Dubreuil

Raymond J. Silveira

Raymond J. Silveira, 67, of Mattapoisett passed away suddenly at home on Thursday June 23, 2022.

            Born in Wareham, the son of the late Philip A. and Dorothy A. (Furtado) Silveira, he lived in Mattapoisett for most of his life.

            Ray was employed as a property caretaker for various families in the Mattapoisett area.

            He is survived by his aunt, Elaine Furtado, and several cousins.

            His Funeral Service will be held on Saturday July 2, 2022 at 10 am at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Visitation will be on Saturday from 9-10 am prior to the service. Burial will be in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com

Nathaniel Davis “Nat” Wheatley

Nathaniel Davis “Nat” Wheatley passed away on June 25, 2022 at the age of 53. He was born on January 21, 1969 in Boston, MA, the son of the late John Clark Wheatley and Priscilla Lincoln Wheatley of Marion, MA.

            Nat graduated from Thayer Academy in 1987 and played football as well as being Captain of both the wrestling and track teams.

            He graduated from Bates College in 1991 as an Economics major. He loved playing football at Bates. He competed nationally in track and field as a discus athlete and held the discus throwing record at Bates for over 20 years.

            Nat was a master carpenter and woodworking artisan and crafted many unique items. He owned his own business in Plympton for many years. He also worked in the construction trade and helped build and improve many residential and commercial buildings in the Plymouth area and beyond. He had his own successful wooden toy company, Well-Built Toys, as well.

            When he wasn’t working, Nat loved spending time with his eight-year-old daughter, Alannah, taking walks on Plymouth beach and Ogunquit., ME with his fiancée, Jill, and attending family gatherings. He had a wry sense of humor.

            He is survived by his daughter, Alannah, of Kingston, MA; his fiance, Jill Plourde of Plymouth, MA; his mother, Priscilla Wheatley of Marion, MA; a sister, Dawn Wheatley of Brooklyn, NY; a sister Elizabeth Wheatley Reynolds of NY, NY and Southfield, MA; and a brother, William Lincoln Wheatley of Mattapoisett, MA; and a large extended family.

            There will be a memorial service at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion, MA on Friday July 1, 2022 at 11:00 and the public is invited to attend. Burial will be private.

            In lieu of flowers, donations to the Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands

would be appreciated. https://capesamaritans.org/donate/

            For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit saundersdwyer.com