From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

on

People driving by Plumb Corner these days may have the same reaction that they had when the shopping area was being built and that would be a comment about how Rochester was changing. While change is real and often inevitable, there is a nearby spot at the intersection of Marion Road. and Mary’s Pond Road. that has an almost timeless quality.

            It was the construction of the first meeting house near this spot in 1699 that led to the development of several local roadways. With the meeting house and the roads, this became the town center for Old Rochester in the 1700’s and remains the center of Rochester in the 2020’s. The meeting house is commemorated by a large boulder with a wide base and a narrow top and the brass tablet set into the stone reads, “Near this spot the town of Rochester built its first Meeting House in 1699. Here was organized the First Church of Rochester in 1703.”

            Changes happened even then. There were a total of four meeting houses on or near the common over the years. The commemorative stone sits near the first one and on the actual spot of the second one built in 1717 when more room was needed.

            In front of the stone are two items reminiscent of Rochester’s past when traveling involved horses rather than cars. The granite watering trough is 3 feet in length. Extending over this trough is a 2 and 1/2 tall wrought iron pump that sits on a wooden plank. When an archeological survey was done of Rochester’s historic areas in 1998, it was said that this pump was one of a few of this type left in Rochester and was similar to one found in Sherman Cemetery.

            However, the 1998 pump while an antique had only been there 13 yrs. when the survey was done. In 1985, it was discovered that the historic pump had been stolen from its spot. The pump was an antique (no one knew how old it was) whose value was mostly sentimental and what happened to it still remains a mystery. Town residents were quick to offer replacement pumps. The selectmen vowed to set the chosen pump in concrete.

            Along with the trough and pump is an arched top highway sign. It, too, has been there as long as anyone can remember. At one time, it also seemed to have disappeared, but it had only been taken down to be refurbished and was safely returned to its spot.

By Connie Eshbach

Academic Achievements

on

Collin Fitzpatrick of Marion, majoring in Economics, was awarded a Certificate in Finance & Banking from College of the Holy Cross’ Carlyse and Arthur A. Ciocca ’59 Center for Business, Ethics and Society.

Thank You Marion

on

To the Editor;

            I would like to thank all the Marion residents who trusted me with their votes, and I can only wish there had been a few more of them. Best of luck to Toby in his new role.

            I particularly thank the many friends who invited their friends and neighbors to meet me and discuss the issues facing Marion. My sons, Jed and Scott, were tireless in their efforts to get a polished look to my signs and website.

Toby’s strong campaign pushed me out of my comfort zone into going door-to-door to meet voters. That effort let me meet a wonderful group of people, all of whom were gracious and forthcoming with their ideas for making Marion a better place to live.

            I expect to stay active in town affairs and will continue to work to make Marion an even better place to live.

            Warmest regards,

Ed

Edward P Hoffer MD

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

Rochester School Committee Candidates

on

Editor’s Note: Below are statements from five Rochester School Committee candidates, who are running in two distinct races. The first is a three-year term for the seat presently occupied by Sharon Hartley, who is being challenged by Melissa Goneau. The second is a three-candidate race to serve a two-year term to fill the seat vacated in 2021 by Tina Rood. A tie in 2021 write-in votes resulted in a “failure to elect,” and per protocol the Select Board appointed Jason Chisholm to a one-year term. Chisholm is being challenged for the remaining two-year term by Gregory Hardy and James O’Brien. The Town of Rochester will hold its Election on Wednesday, May 25, at the Senior Center on Dexter Lane.

Jason S. Chisholm – Rochester School Committee

            Rochester Friends & Neighbors, I am currently serving as a member of Rochester Memorial and Old Rochester Regional Joint School Committees for the 2022 school year. A vacant seat was available on the 2021-2022 RMS School Committee as no other candidates came forward for the prior election period; after learning about the opening and submitting a letter of intent to join the Committee, I was granted an appointment by the existing RMS School Committee and Select Board of Rochester. As an appointee, I am to stay in role for the first year, after which I must then be elected by the community of Rochester for the remainder of what would be a three-year term. As your incumbent, I will continue to show up with a levelheaded, common-sense, open-minded approach to the work at hand. We have a tremendous Central Office team led by Superintendent Mike Nelson and are blessed to have a team of hard working and well-intended teachers and support staff. My colleagues on the School Committee are equally as motivated and committed to the mission of our children, educators, and parents/guardians. My background as a business leader, parent, youth coach, board member and Executive Director of a local nonprofit organization make me uniquely qualified to support the discussion, and decisions that must be made on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. I’m well educated, having graduated from Bedford High School in 1992 and then Boston University in 1997, where I was a varsity athlete. Additionally, my background and upbringing in a military family (father and mother were both career Air Force) has given me the opportunity to travel the world, live abroad and experience many different cultures and communities. My love and appreciation for small town America is balanced by my love for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity for all people regardless of political leanings or economic status. It’s this open mindedness and ability to think both critically and independently that allows me to collaborate with all members of the School Committee as we work to support the Administration, Support Staff, Teachers, Students, Parents and Each other.

Melissa Goneau – Rochester School Committee

            My interest as a candidate for the RMS School Committee relates to what Faith and service means to me and what it calls for at this moment in time, righting the wrongs. I was once taught that America is the greatest nation on Earth; if this holds truth then I believe the World is counting on all of us for a better tomorrow. My name is Melissa Goneau, I grew up in E. Freetown Massachusetts and have lived in Rochester for nearly 8 years. As a grandmother of four, I believe they, like all children, deserve nothing less than respect, to feel safe, seen, heard, and supported while being accepted, most importantly loved. I spent time observing in my children’s classrooms, attending meetings, asking questions, and researching. I began to realize NCLB had nothing to do with the educational needs of Our Children but everything to do with financial gains and control. In 2009 RtTT came along baiting states with funds in exchange for the adoption of new standards and curriculum known as Common Core. This was never about educating our children. It was, and continues to be, about complete control over curriculum, data collection, resources, teacher training and other assessment tools. Our future is shaped around our environment, and the education we receive. If Public Education continues to be overlooked, unquestioned and left unchallenged there will be great irreversible lasting consequences on Our Schools, Our Children and Our future. Back in 2015 concerns were brought to the School Committee regarding Data collection, while it was acknowledged that data collection was a concern for “many districts” it was not a concern for ours. Today we use Google Classroom which is attached to an IP address and a Gmail account. We also outsource surveys, not only is our data jeopardized, but it’s also not anonymous. I would like to look into current curriculum, bring transparency, allowing Parents to decide to opt into any controversial topics. If elected, I promise to do this job diligently as I believe “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Greg Hardy – Rochester School Committee

            I’ve been living in Rochester for nearly the last five years and have two wonderful children who attend RMS. I was born and raised in Acushnet, attended St. Francis School and then New Bedford High. I served four years in the Army National Guard and while working full time in construction. With extended family in town for over 30 years, we have a vested interest in Rochester. My kids are active in sports and I’ve always coached in Rochester, Acushnet and New Bedford. As a school committee member, my top priority would be to ensure safety and the well-being of ALL students and make sure that all kids have a fair shot. I would be a strong voice for the parents and listen to their concerns because I would be working for them. Overall, RMS is a great school, but I disagreed with how children were treated during Covid and the policies put in place. Covid had its challenges, but the least vulnerable age group was put through some harmful restrictions for far too long. Remote learning was tough for everybody and really made life stressful for families. I think the ones that really suffered the most were the kids, and I don’t think enough effort went into both sides of the mask debate or the social and emotional effects they caused. It was only a one size fits all, unlike the optional mask policy in place now. This was one of the biggest issues that made me decide to run for school committee. I’m part of a large group of community members who feel like we’re not being represented by the long term, experienced, committee members. So just as a regular concerned parent, I promise to be a strong voice for the parents, be a strong voice for medical freedom, advocate for curriculum transparency, listen to both sides of the issues, help ensure that our children have a safe and secure school, support the teachers, treat everybody equally and be a new, fresh voice. Thank you and I would really appreciate your vote on May 25th.

Sharon Hartley – Rochester School Committee

            On May 25th, Rochester citizens will decide who serves on the RMS School Committee and what direction we will take. I urge you to compare the candidates running for school committee. Why are they running and what experience do they have? Have they attended a town meeting or a school committee meeting? Have they served on a town board or volunteered in town? Have they worked with others to make essential and difficult decisions? Do they have any experience as an educational leader? I am an experienced and knowledgeable school leader. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and a Masters Degree in Educational Administration. I’ve served as an elementary school teacher, an elementary school principal, the Associate Director of a Teacher Center providing support for teachers and school leaders and as a school improvement consultant traveling across the United States assisting and guiding schools toward educational improvement. Most importantly, I care about all our students, our school and our town. I am proud to have represented our School Committee in many roles throughout the years. Perhaps the most significant was serving as the School Committee’s representative on Rochester’s School Building Renovation and Expansion Project that resulted in the most recent addition to RMS. For this effort, I was honored as Rochester Woman of the Year in 2009 by the New Bedford Standard-Times. Now, more than ever, elected officials need to aspire to higher standards and be able listen to others, and work together to find solutions to important issues that affect our schools. I am running to ensure that education in Rochester continues to be characterized by excellence, by caring classrooms, by dedicated teachers and staff. I’m running because I believe in service and I believe that I have a responsibility to give back to our town and our citizens. I have a proven record of service and leadership. I have the experience, integrity and compassion to make a difference. Help me keep our school moving forward. Re-elect me to serve on the Rochester School Committee!

James O’Brien – Rochester School Committee

            My name is James O’Brien and I am running for Rochester Memorial School Committee. Education has been the center of my life. Starting as a student and then transitioning into the role of teacher, coach, school administrator, and former Chairman of the Regional School Committee for ORR. In each of those positions, I made it my priority to focus on the whole student – academically, socially and emotionally. In addition, I raised two beautiful daughters who benefited from the Old Rochester School District. The current state of education is in disarray after the last two years of COVID. To get our students back on track, we need to come together as a team. I have a track record of being able to help do just that. When I began as Superintendent at Greater New Bedford Vocational-Technical High School, the school was on the verge of state intervention due to poor MCAS scores. By the end of my tenure, the school was chosen as one of 10 ambassador schools across the commonwealth to demonstrate why Massachusetts’s schools are leading the nation in student outcomes. By no means do I deserve all the credit. However, I believe my skill set of being able to listen, learn from others, and facilitate meaningful conversations helped lay the groundwork. That, coupled with new school policies, ensuring staff was supported and receiving high levels of professional development, and bringing in consultants to help educate me on areas I was unfamiliar with. I plan to take the same approach on the school committee. Listen to parents and community members. Learn from my fellow committee members, teachers, and school administrators. Facilitate an open dialogue to formulate action steps that’ll help get all students back on track academically, socially, and emotionally after the last two years of pandemic learning. Vote for James O’Brien, for Rochester Memorial School Committee on May 25th for a school committee member who has a proven track record of being committed to excellence!

Mattapoisett Museum Upcoming Events

on

May 20, 6 pm – Open Mic Night Southcoast Lessons brings you our regular third Friday, all ages, all abilities, all genres, open mic. Free

            May 24, 6:30 pm – Notable Women of Mattapoisett presented by Jen McIntire and Carole Clifford Virtual presentation featuring past, selected Notable Women of Mattapoisett and a brief history of Mattapoisett’s place in Suffrage History. Registration is required to obtain the zoom link and can be completed by visiting www.mattapoisettmuseum.org/events. Free

            May 29, 1:30 pm – Old Time Fiddle Session Join in on the fiddling, sit and listen, or dance if you want to. All ages are welcome! Free

            The Mattapoisett Museum has just been awarded a $1500 grant from the Bridge Street Fund through Mass Humanities and the Massachusetts Cultural Council for virtual programs scheduled for June, August, and October with lecturers John Horrigan and Christopher Daley. For more information, please visit www.mattapoisettmuseum.org.

Mattapoisett Recreation

on

Mattapoisett Recreation is thrilled to offer a new summer program. We will be having a Girls Soccer Clinic -open to Grades 3-8 on June 27-30 at ORR High School from 9:00-11:00 am. This clinic will be run by Meg Hughes, a Division 1 soccer player at Providence College and Marissa Hughes. Brush up on your soccer skills and improve your footwork and agility. Cost is $125. Registration deadline is June 20, but sign up early as space is limited. Please email mattrec@mattapoisett.net with any questions.

Veterans and Active-Duty Servicemen and Women

on

The Marion Council on Aging and The Tri-Town Veteran’s Services Office invite all area Veterans/Active-Duty Servicemen/Servicewomen/Widows/Widowers and a guest to attend a Luncheon on Saturday, May 21 at noon. Please come and join us for a delicious lunch and the great company of fellow Veterans at The Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center Located at 465 Mill Street, Marion. Hope to see you there. Please RSVP with the Marion COA at 508-748-3570

ORRHS Community Service Learning Club Clothing Drive

on

On Friday May 20, from 7:00 am to 8:30 am, members of the community are welcome to drive up and drop off gently-used teenager-sized clothing and books for all ages. We will be in the parking lot in the front of the school to collect the items. We will also have a bin for drop-off near the front door during school hours, from May 16 – May 20. The clothes and books will be donated to Gifts to Give in Acushnet and shared with others in our community.

Recycle. Redistribute. Repurpose. Reuse.

Rochester Select Board Candidates

on

Editor’s Note: As we have done beginning in 2020, The Wanderer has invited candidates in contested races to submit up to 350 words about their candidacy for public office. This week we have the candidates for both the Rochester Select Board and Rochester School Committee. Below are statements from Rochester Select Board candidates Brad Morse and Adam Murphy. Morse is the incumbent and presently serves as chair. The Town of Rochester will hold its Election on Wednesday, May 25, at the Senior Center on Dexter Lane.

Brad Morse – Rochester Select Board

            I am seeking re-election to the Rochester Select Board, having served the last six terms. Prior to that, I served on the Planning Board for 12 years and the Dexter Lane Use Committee. I am a fifth-generation cranberry farmer in town, a graduate of Mass Maritime Academy, past president of Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, Grower Council Member of Ocean Spray Cranberry Group, and retired call lieutenant of the Town of Wareham Fire Department, having served for 26 years. My experience on the various boards and committees brings forth lots of institutional knowledge which is important for consistency in town operations. In the past five years, we as a Select Board have continued to make financial stability one of our main goals by increasing many special-purpose Stabilization Funds by $2,100,000 and by conservatively addressing the Town’s capital needs. The Town has also been very fortunate with the amount of grant funding that we have been awarded in the last few years and continue to pursue whatever resources are available to the Town to keep it an affordable place to live. My goals for the future would be to sustain financial stability, while thoroughly looking at the needs of the public-safety departments and maintaining town services.

Adam C Murphy – Rochester Select Board

            My name is Adam Murphy, 40, I have chosen to pursue a seat on the Select Board. I have been extremely fortunate to be born and raised in Rochester. I am married to Jessica Murphy, 38, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. I am the father of two children: Hailey, 16, and Adam Jr., 13; both attend Old Rochester Regional High School. I work for the Town of Marion as the Deputy Harbormaster and own Rochester-based trucking company Tri-Town Service, Inc., a part of my family business, Murphy’s Auto Salvage, Inc. Over the past 19 years, I have dedicated myself to public safety. As a Deputy Harbormaster, I am a patrolman on the Marion Police Department and second in command of the Harbormaster Department. I work hand in hand with the Harbormaster, preparing and executing the budget, managing and looking to obtain grants to offset our department’s needs. With town budgets continuing to grow, our entire community feels the economic impact. Without big business to offset our town’s budget, it is incredibly important to work hard and plan ahead. Finding new creative ways to improve our ability to obtain available grants for future capital projects is one of my top priorities. I believe we need to create more effective communication for and with our town boards, along with the community. I want to work on ways to gain the public’s interests and hear the community’s thoughts. We have many valuable resources within our town, it’s time to get them more involved in helping us navigate into the future. My background in public safety and working for a municipality has offered me the knowledge in town government to make me an ideal candidate for selectman. The Select Board is an essential role in our community. This is our opportunity to bring a new and vibrant insight. If you choose to elect me as Selectman, I can assure you I am a man of my word. I do what I say I am going to do, and I will work hard to make the best decisions for our community.

Energy Aggregate Caught in a Stall

on

The Rochester Select Board got some bad news Monday night regarding the energy-bill-lowering Energy Aggregate Plan created at the approval of the 2019 Annual Town Meeting. The town’s energy consultant, John O’Rourke, told the board that three years after that vote the state has yet to fully approve the town’s money-saving plan.

            If approved, the town would able to negotiate a less expensive per kilowatt rate for electricity than Eversource offers most utility customers. Town residents would automatically be billed under that yet-to-determined lower rate; they would have to opt out to not share that rate.

            The town’s Energy Aggregate Program Plan received Department of Public Utilities approval in December of 2021, O’Rourke said, but the town has not been awarded approval of its next step, its “compliance filing” that was sent to the DPU in January 2022.

            The DPU, in fact, has not endorsed the compliance plans of several towns, let alone Rochester, O’Rourke said. “So it’s a big delay from the department,” he said.

            O’Rourke noted that the steps remaining after this approval will include soliciting and reviewing public outreach and education efforts before finalizing the actual Electrical Supply Agreement. He speculated that national trends in energy policy may be to blame for the delay. In a later interview, however, he declined to elaborate.

            Select Board member Woody Hartley asked O’Rourke if speaking to the town’s state representatives and senators would help move things along. Hartley said he expected a result sooner than this. “Now it looks like we’re not getting it done by summer like I hoped,” he said.

            O’Rourke declined to advise further action, saying he is simply their consultant on the project itself. This led to Hartley to propose action anyway. He motioned that the town contact state house representatives to advance the issue, and the board agreed.

            Under good news, the board signed a two-year extension of the Emergency Dispatch Inter-municipal Agreement the town has had with the Duxbury-headquartered Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCC) since 2018.

            For the past four years, the Duxbury center has handled all the 911 calls and Police, Fire and EMS dispatching for the Town of Rochester, as well as the region’s other members, Duxbury, Plympton and Halifax.

            Expressing no complaints with the system that closed down the town’s dispatching department in 2018, the board swiftly agreed to extend the agreement after receiving mostly good news about the center’s future.

            Center director Michael Mahoney reported that several more towns are expressing interest in joining the regional dispatching center. “Some are just ‘kicking the tires’ to decide whether to join us or actively interested in joining us,” he said.

            Fairhaven and Pembroke are among those interested in joining, Mahoney said. He also noted plans are in place to upgrade the technology the center uses to connect its member towns with fiber-optic cable. By then the regional dispatching center may have enough members to make it a contiguous, centralized, dispatching region. He said there are also plans to establish a regional enterprise fund that pays all expenses from its own revenues.

            In other action, the board agreed to allow the old Council on Aging Senior Center shed to be used for firefighting practice by the town Fire Department. Town Administrator Glen Cannon noted this shed has already been replaced by a new structure and would have been torn down anyway.

            The board approved an Arbor Day ceremony at the Senior Center on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 pm. Highway Surveyor Jeff Eldridge has planted nine new trees there, and that is where the event will take place.

            The board also reminded residents the Annual Town Meeting will be held on Monday, May 23, at 7:00 pm at Rochester Memorial School. The Town Election will be held at the Senior Center on Wednesday, May 25, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco